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Numberscruncher: Billy Ray Cyrus Regrets
It’s really hard to say what’s right and wrong when raising kids. There is so much that’s weird and random about life that setting rules and passing judgment is pointless; even though we all
Read More »Numberscruncher: Kickstart My Record
Musicians and writers used to be able to rely on record companies and publishers for advances, but those are smaller and harder for mere mortals to get than in times past. And, many bands
Read More »Numberscruncher: The Long Tail and The Big Head
The shift to electronic media not only means that fewer CDs and paperbacks will end up in thrift shops, but it also means that we can forget about that crazy time when owning a
Read More »Numberscruncher: Burn This Koran
Nothing makes clear the sorry state of civics education in the United States than all of the kerfuffle over mosques and Korans. Here’s all you need to know: If it is political or religious
Read More »Numberscruncher: Music, Books, and Liz Phair
I admit it. I’m one of the people who loved Liz Phair in the early days and who is confused by the choices she has made. It’s an old and tired story, though, so
Read More »Numberscruncher: Mass, Class, and the Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the great sports turnaround stories. Yeah, they won the Stanley Cup, and we’re all happy about that here in Chicago, but the big story is how the team
Read More »Numberscruncher: Mothers, Moms, Politics, and Palin
Although I have given birth, I don’t particularly like being identified as a mother. Even worse, I hate being called “a mom” by anyone other than my son, because that strikes me as a
Read More »Numberscruncher: The Blagojevich Family Clothing Budget
People who give personal finance advice tend to give the same advice over and over. That’s because it works. And one of the most basic ways to start getting a grip on your finances
Read More »Numberscruncher: WaMu Scandal’s Legacy Is a Terrible Song Parody
Whenever there’s a corporate scandal, there is going to be an example of ridiculous excess. You can count on it. This time, the excess came from Washington Mutual, you mortgage brothers can’t deny. I
Read More »Numberscruncher: Poland, Plane Crashes, and Risk
Over the weekend, the president of Poland died in a plane crash that also killed many of the top officials of the Polish government, in a tragedy seemingly borrowed from Irving Wallace’s 1964 novel
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