Lyondell Chemical was purchased by Netherlands-based firm Basell (owned by a Russian oligarch) in July 2007. The new firm, LyondellBasel, burdened by the $12.7 billion leveraged buyout, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January of 2009. LyondellBasell said yesterday that one of its European holding companies had also filed for bankruptcy protection and...
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From the UK’s Daily Mail: Here, on a sleepy stretch of shoreline at the far end of Asia, is surely the biggest and most secretive gathering of ships in maritime history. Their numbers are equivalent to the entire British and American navies combined; their tonnage is far greater. Container ships, bulk carriers, oil tankers...
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Even if you aren’t really into Science Fiction, if you want your mind to be totally blown, try Accelerando, by Charles Stross. It is a collection of nine interconnected short stories telling the tale of three generations of a disfunctional family before during and after a technological singularity. Acelerando won the Locus award and...
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From The Economist, a very well done and easily understood graphic on the history of the American economy and the fundamental instability of our consumer-oriented growth from the 1980′s to 2007. Rebalancing The Economy
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Danger Mouse is probably the most brilliant writer-producer working in music today. But his musical skills aren’t really the point here. This blog is about technology and change. And Danger Mouse is showing the recording industry just how powerless it has become. His latest project is a collaboration with alternative dalrings, Sparklehorse, and featuredsa...
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