Very slow day around here, but not to worry-- we have some good stuff brewing for you, the first of which you'll see a bit later this evening. However, if your life doesn't revolve around Black Tie Dynasty breaking up or puking in the bathroom at Fallout Lounge or something, then you might want to read this highly informative and frightening article in the Atlantic Monthly entitled "the Quiet Coup."

The author is Simon Johnson, a former economist from the International Monetary Fund, and although I'm the last person to support the policies of the IMF, the premise of the article is undeniably interesting-- in it, Johnson compares our current economic struggles with those that often occur in developing countries that receive aid from the IMF, revealing the ill advised banking decisions and political cronyism that got us to the point we're at while also calling into question why the Federal government isn't taking certain basic steps to overhaul and rescure our struggling financial system. In answering his own questions, he condemns not only Wall Street but also Washington DC for allowing what he terms the "financial Oligarchy" to obtain vitually unparalelled power in our political system and thus effectively block the changes that would be necessary to remake the economy in a more efficient and egalitarian manner-- hence the confusing and possibly ineffective Bank bailout packages that have contained very favorable terms for the very institutions that got us where we are today. It's a devastating but important read, and I highly recommend it as a thoughtful overview of one of the most important topics of our time. The past 25 years of Reaganomics (including under the free market champion Bill Clinton) led us into this mess, but Obama is going to have to think a lot bigger than he is right now in order to get us out.

And after you're done reading that, you can swing by Cool Out at the Cavern or Jazz outside on a beautiful night at the Amsterdam bar, if you aren't too depressed.

ADD: Oh, and stupid me-- I almost forgot about the first night of Disco Workout @ Hailey's, hosted by Sun Club and Disqo Disco. They guys tell me that they'll be focusing on upeat disco and house tracks all night, and it's free if you want to check it out.