Archive for 2014

ONE OF MY FORMER STUDENTS IN GERMANY, WHO’S FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE, SENDS THIS: William Suess Thought He Was An American Until The Day He Was Deported. “Obama deported nearly as many people in one term as George W. Bush did in two.”

Plus: “The papers say I’m a German citizen, but I’ll never feel it. I’m an American. I am. There’s no way I can not feel like an American. I’ll just do my best to fit in. I’ll start again with nothing. Because I have no choice.”

YEAH, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH MY TAKE: Amazon Is Jacking Up the Cost of Prime, and It’s Still Cheap. “The fact that Prime has stayed as cheap as it has for so long is one more small testament to Jeff Bezos’s willingness to sacrifice short-term profit margins to lure long-term customers. If you only adjust for inflation, a $79 Prime account nine years ago would be worth $94 today. Unlike when it debuted, subscribers also get access to Amazon’s library of streaming TV and movies. As the company has noted, shipping costs are up—the price of Diesel fuel for trucks has just about doubled since 2005. And finally, it says subscribers are using the service more often, which by default makes it more expensive for Amazon to run. It costs more to serve up an all-you-can-eat buffet when the diners start pigging out.” All I can say is “oink.”

And you can get a 30-day free trial.