Wow. It's been over a year since I last posted. Horrendous. But, I would like to come back and restart posting. I have found that it is incredible and often jaw-dropping to see posts several months/years ex-poste. And, it makes for quite the diary/memory bank. Too bad this can't be a pensieve.
For today, I'll leave you with this: Dentist visit soon? Watch what you wish for.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
The most useful airlines link
The most useful link while making airline reservations, ever: here.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/06/24/airline.fees/index.html
Still to come: Obesity Charge. Enjoy!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/06/24/airline.fees/index.html
Still to come: Obesity Charge. Enjoy!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Never stop learning
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
--T.S. Eliot, The Four Quartets
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
--T.S. Eliot, The Four Quartets
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sophie Madeleine
Did you hear the Beard Song that I posted below? It's by Sophie Madeleine. She has an album. You can get more info, listen to all the songs right here!
Support the girl!
Enjoy!
Support the girl!
Enjoy!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Jury Duty
I think this would be my reaction too if asked to participate in jury duty.
In case you're wondering what it says, I'll type it out for you:
"Apparently you morons didn't understand me the first time. I CANNOT take time off from work. I'm not putting my family's well being at stake to participate in this crap. I don't believe in our "justice" system and I don't want to have a goddamn thing to do with it. Jury duty is a complete waste of time. I would rather count the wrinkles on my dog's balls than sit on a jury. Get it through your thick skulls. Leave me the F_ _K alone."
I love it.
In case you're wondering what it says, I'll type it out for you:
"Apparently you morons didn't understand me the first time. I CANNOT take time off from work. I'm not putting my family's well being at stake to participate in this crap. I don't believe in our "justice" system and I don't want to have a goddamn thing to do with it. Jury duty is a complete waste of time. I would rather count the wrinkles on my dog's balls than sit on a jury. Get it through your thick skulls. Leave me the F_ _K alone."
I love it.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Food, hunger, the end of the world, etc
I recently watched a fantastic documentary on the realities behind Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), in particular food - GM food as it's called. The documentary is The Future of Food, and I highly recommend it to you. There are many interesting and valid issues that are brought to the forefront regarding the dangers of GM food, starting from how it is produced to its effects on the world ecology. In essence, corporate-style mass production of genetically modified seeds, e.g. using Round-Up seeds, is a dangerous path down the destruction of biological diversity. At one point, we had hundreds of different types of potatoes and corn. Today we have a handful. Most of the corn grown in the US can only be used to feed livestock because it produces an insecticide (BT) that kills the bugs that try to eat the plant. But the corn is eaten by livestock, which we then eat... you should watch the documentary. If you have a Netflix subscription, you can stream the movie from there using the Watch Instantly feature.
Coincidentally, the Scientific American's lead story as of this writing is "Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?'
This GMO issue adds to the mounting evidence of the wonders of rural life and is convincing me that I ought to move out of this crazy city ASAP, and go back to rural America where I left a large piece of my heart in the first place.
Coincidentally, the Scientific American's lead story as of this writing is "Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?'
This GMO issue adds to the mounting evidence of the wonders of rural life and is convincing me that I ought to move out of this crazy city ASAP, and go back to rural America where I left a large piece of my heart in the first place.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
A New Adam
Remember the Adam and Eve from Genesis? The ones created by God? Well, forget them. Now, there's a new Adam and a new Eve. In this version "Adam is a prototype... [and] Eve is better designed and more elegant."
I'm not on crack.
"A laboratory robot called Adam has been hailed as the first machine in history to have discovered new scientific knowledge independently of its human creators" according to this article.
So, get ready to tell your kids to read Science and not Genesis to understand how it all began.
I find it funny that we're not even remotely close to creating a human-like being with thousands of people working together and millions of dollars being spent to come up with something. Yet, 'creationism' - oh no, don't say it.
Either way, it's fascinating.
I'm not on crack.
"A laboratory robot called Adam has been hailed as the first machine in history to have discovered new scientific knowledge independently of its human creators" according to this article.
So, get ready to tell your kids to read Science and not Genesis to understand how it all began.
I find it funny that we're not even remotely close to creating a human-like being with thousands of people working together and millions of dollars being spent to come up with something. Yet, 'creationism' - oh no, don't say it.
Either way, it's fascinating.
Monday, April 06, 2009
It's all this man's fault
This is a fantastic (though a little long) read about a computer programmer who created the software that was used to trade securitized mortgage (and anything else) packages. It's a great insight into Wall Street and how it works (or does not work), the pigs that are scattered all over the trading floors, and about the angel of greed who looks over it. I highly recommend it. It's written by the programmer himself.
Link here.
Link here.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
*The* Financial Solution
The business section of St Petersburg Times asked readers: "How Would You Fix the Economy?" Here's an interesting idea:
Dear Mr. President,
Patriotic retirement: There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force; pay them $1 million apiece severance pay with three stipulations:
1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.
2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered - auto industry fixed.
3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage- housing crisis fixed.
All national financial problems fixed and at a cost of only $40 billion rather than the $1 or 2 trillion the current and past administrations spent/proposed.
The math is wrong - it would cost $40 Trillion - but aren't we headed there anyway, and wouldn't this solve the problem almost immediately?!
Dear Mr. President,
Patriotic retirement: There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force; pay them $1 million apiece severance pay with three stipulations:
1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.
2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered - auto industry fixed.
3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage- housing crisis fixed.
All national financial problems fixed and at a cost of only $40 billion rather than the $1 or 2 trillion the current and past administrations spent/proposed.
The math is wrong - it would cost $40 Trillion - but aren't we headed there anyway, and wouldn't this solve the problem almost immediately?!
Us vs Them
How does one get to be these people? Any insight is welcomed.
Snippets follow.
Lawrence Summers, director of President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council, earned millions working at a hedge fund and speaking to banks such as Citigroup Inc. that later received taxpayer bailout money.
David Axelrod, the chief strategist of Obama’s campaign who is now a senior adviser to the president, received $1.55 million in salary and partnership income from public affairs firms. He agreed to buyouts that will pay him $3 million over five years, his disclosure form showed.
Carol Browner, the White House energy policy coordinator, was paid $450,000 for her work last year with Albright Group LLC, a consulting firm founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Browner is still owed between $350,000 and $750,000 in Albright Group
White House Counsel Gregory Craig was paid $1.7 million by the law firm Williams & Connolly LLP, where he was a partner.
Desiree Rogers, the White House social secretary, was paid $1.8 million for less than seven months’ work as president of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. In July, she left the utility company to work for Allstate as president of social networking, and was paid $350,000 through the end of the year. She also was paid $150,000 for serving on the board of Equity Residential, a real estate firm and $20,000 for serving on the board of Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chicago. She owns between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of stock in Equity Residential.
Thomas Donilon, deputy White House national security adviser, was paid $3.9 million by O’Melveny & Myers LLP, his former law firm.
Snippets follow.
Lawrence Summers, director of President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council, earned millions working at a hedge fund and speaking to banks such as Citigroup Inc. that later received taxpayer bailout money.
David Axelrod, the chief strategist of Obama’s campaign who is now a senior adviser to the president, received $1.55 million in salary and partnership income from public affairs firms. He agreed to buyouts that will pay him $3 million over five years, his disclosure form showed.
Carol Browner, the White House energy policy coordinator, was paid $450,000 for her work last year with Albright Group LLC, a consulting firm founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Browner is still owed between $350,000 and $750,000 in Albright Group
White House Counsel Gregory Craig was paid $1.7 million by the law firm Williams & Connolly LLP, where he was a partner.
Desiree Rogers, the White House social secretary, was paid $1.8 million for less than seven months’ work as president of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. In July, she left the utility company to work for Allstate as president of social networking, and was paid $350,000 through the end of the year. She also was paid $150,000 for serving on the board of Equity Residential, a real estate firm and $20,000 for serving on the board of Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chicago. She owns between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of stock in Equity Residential.
Thomas Donilon, deputy White House national security adviser, was paid $3.9 million by O’Melveny & Myers LLP, his former law firm.
Friday, April 03, 2009
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