6/5/2009

Recently bookmarked
Filed under: AMTRAK,Links,Politics,Rail,Random,Transportation — nobrainer @ 9:21 am

A really cool photo gallery titled “A Walk Through Time“.

The talk of Chevy Chase recently made me think of an old Rolling Stone interview with Johnny Carson:

I did throw a line against Chevy Chase once. Somebody talked about ad-libbing, and I said that I didn’t think Chevy Chase could ad-lib a fart after a baked-bean dinner. I think he took umbrage at that a little bit.

A somewhat interesting post at Econbrowser on whether the relative strength of the dollar causes changes in oil price. It’s a little technical but the graph at the bottom makes the most interesting point: at the time of the post, oil prices followed the same general pattern regardless of what currency it was priced in. Which raises some questions. Can global inflation occur? Or would that just be a red-herring to avoid admitting that commodity prices really are on the rise?

On the global warming climate change front, some scientists are looking past whether the models fit the data and instead questioning whether the data is even valid and of course because I’m linking to it, their answer is that it isn’t.

The Washington Post had a few good articles lately.
The first is about the area where I work, the construction being done, and about how any number of super-secret government data lines run underground just waiting to be snapped by construction workers.

The editors still fail to see why the government is nationalizing GM. I for one thing the federal government should go ahead and cut its losses now before GM inevitably turns into AMTRAK.

And they’re also calling BS on Obama and his claims that fixing health care are going to fix the current fiscal mess.

1/22/2009

Link dump
Filed under: Economics,General,Government,Movies,Politics,Random,Stupidity,Video — nobrainer @ 9:47 pm

Mark Steyn pens and excellent column, a snippet is here for your enjoyment:

In just about his last act as president, George W. Bush has declared Washington, D.C., a federal disaster area.

No, seriously. I’m not setting up some lame-o punchline here…

So what was it? An ice storm? A hurricane?

No, it’s the inauguration of his successor. The inauguration is scheduled to make landfall on Tuesday and wreak havoc all night long, as Category Five conga lines buckle highways round town, and emergency busboy crews find themselves overwhelmed as they struggle to clear drained champagne flutes…

“I don’t know if anybody’s ever done that,” said Dana Perino, the White House press secretary.

Indeed. One reason why nobody’s ever done that before is because a presidential inauguration is not (to be boringly technical about it) an “emergency.” It’s penciled in well in advance – in this case, so well in advance that for years Democrats have been driving around with “1-20-09″ bumper stickers on the back of their Priuses…

The proposition that a new federal administration is itself a federal emergency is almost too perfect an emblem of American government in the 21st century.

In other news, here’s an article which offers a glimpse of the American milk industry, which makes you realize they’re not too different from OPEC. With this little bonus:

WASHINGTON — A stimulus package may be a lifeline for the nation’s economy, but it could be a death sentence for a lot of cows.

Lawmakers are looking for ways to use the forthcoming stimulus bill to help dairy farmers, and the number one priority is to dampen milk supplies and prop up prices. Translation: reduce the nation’s dairy herd.

Yes. The wonderful people in Washington are working their little tails off to stimulate the economy by raising your milk prices. You’re welcome!

Elsewhere, one of my favorite finance-type bloggers offered up the Financial Modelers Manifesto.

It’s a different story with finance and economics, which are concerned with the mental world of monetary value. Financial theory has tried hard to emulate the style and elegance of physics in order to discover its own laws. But markets are made of people, who are influenced by events, by their ephemeral feelings about events and by their expectations of other people’s feelings. The truth is that there are no fundamental laws in finance. And even if there were, there is no way to run repeatable experiments to verify them.

Finally, Doug with a refreshed blog design (I like it) offers up video of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Gump. Errr, Forrest Button. Benrest Gumton? Foramin Bump? It makes me a little glad that I haven’t paid to see that new version yet.

10/16/2008

Random thought
Filed under: Random — nobrainer @ 9:58 pm

Stuffed jalepenos would be a lot better without the jalepenos.

4/3/2008

368 days later
Filed under: Home Brewing,Home Gardening,Random — nobrainer @ 7:00 am

Although I don’t keep up with this blog as much as I might like, I am often pleased when I can go back and see what I wrote at some point in the past. I just ran across a post from April 1st, 2007. I think it needs an update:

  • Last year I started my container garden with pre-started plants from Lowes. But we had a frost and they died. I bought more. The assorted pepper plants weren’t especially fruitful. However, I have managed to keep them alive through the winter and I’m hoping that they can be at least mildly productive this year. Sadly, the one with the least enjoyable peppers is the one that has best survived the winter.

    This year I’m starting my plants from seeds. I should say that I have started my plants from seeds. After about 1 month I have 20 tomato plants and 30 pepper plants started.

  • I’m well overdue to produce some home brew.
  • I’m very glad that I purchased Hank III’s Straight to Hell and the Spinal Tap sound track
  • I only read about 5 pages of the PHP cookbook. However I have done a hefty amount of PHP work since then.
  • I only got about halfway through Power System Economics
  • I did finish Sowell’s A Conflict of Visions. It’s an OK book. But I suggest that if you choose to read it, you should attempt to explain the premise of the book to yourself at the end of each completed chapter. If you can do so, quit reading. The rest of the book will add no further depth to your understanding.

5/24/2007

Random things
Filed under: Random,Stupidity — nobrainer @ 5:40 pm
  • I bought some of the new Forever stamps from a machine yesterday. As change, I got my first dollar coin that features a POTUS. I like it and still wish they’d stop printing $1 bills. I also received a 1943 “Wartime” Nickel (P-series if you care). It may be worth up to 99 cents on eBay.
  • I found out today that I may be an elitist (maybe I already knew it?). It came up because of a suggestion I made.
    In a discussion about transportation, and given the conditions that someone can’t afford gas, a new car, can’t live close to work, and has no access to public transit, I suggested they buy a moped. So I now hate poor people.

4/1/2007

Quick updates:
Filed under: Home Brewing,Home Gardening,Music,People,Politics,Random — nobrainer @ 7:56 pm
  • Whereas last year I began my container gardening of peppers and tomatoes from seeds, this year I opted to buy plants at Lowe’s. Hopefully my bell pepper and jalapeño plants enjoy their new home.
  • I’m enjoying the fruits of some home brewing labors I undertook a few months ago. The first batch, as with many of forays into brewing with Mr. Beer, was flat and somewhat cidery. The 2nd batch, which is a Nut Brown Ale type beer is crisp and bubbly. Unfortunately it kinda tastes like club soda. Further brewing will commence after my move to DC. It will also include better brewing equipment and glass, instead of plastic, bottles.
  • I’ve been enjoying some new music. Hank Williams III’s Straight to Hell is exceptionally good.
  • The full length songs of Spinal Tap are not as enjoyable as the clips played throughout the movie.
  • I’m reading several books concurrently. One is a PHP Cookbook. I’m just starting, but some hardcore coding education seems pretty exciting.
  • I’m also working on Power System Economics. It’s an interesting read. Suffice it to say that I’ll know more about the subject that any of you within 6 months.
  • I’m also reading Sowell’s A Conflict of Visions. It’s a good reminder that some people — wrongly in my opinion — simply view the world in different terms. However, juxtaposed upon current American politics, both parties pick and choose from the two visions in whichever way fits their interests.

That’s enough for now.


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