Care of The Big Picture:
The purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economic questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists.’
Category: 40yrs
Overheard in the Office — Political Funny
A not by me, but by my “friend I’ve never met in person”, JR:
‘Do we really need a black drag queen running as the conservative candidate?’
‘Um, are you talking about Ron Paul?’
‘Yeah, him.’
‘He’s white and racist.’
‘Then who am I thinking of?’
‘Ru Paul.’
‘I take it they’re both about as qualified?’
‘I think the GOP leadership would take either one over McCain.’
Emphasis mine, and JR owes me a screen wipe.
Referral Fees
One of our close friends, and my XGF*, Debbie, is a lawyer going out on her own and starting her own practice in disabilities and education law.
My wife just referred one of her clients to her, as the situation has reached the point where a lawyer needs to be involved, rather than just an advocate.
By way of a thank you, Debbie baked us a pie.
Ohhhhh….pie!!!
*Ex-Girl Friend
Cause of Cable Cuts in Asia and Africa Found
Remember my post about all those cables carrying the internet traffic of the Middle East and South Asia being cut?
Well, the cause has been determined, and this is not the responsibility of any human activity.
I only pray that I am eaten first.
Consider this an open thread.
Fun Economic Indicators
The Big Picture discusses The Ticker Tape Parade Indicator:
- The NY Giants won their first Super Bowl in 1987; the Great US Stock Market Crash appeared later.
- The NY Giants won their second Super Bowl in 1991; the last US full-blown recession appeared; money center banks barely avoided the abyss.
- Before yesterday, the last NYC ticker-tape parade was 2000 (Yankees); the Great US Stock Bubble burst.
- The NY Giants won their third Super Bowl in 2008 and received a ticker-tape parade; head to the caves! Take it for what you will.
Me, I’m buying canned goods and bottled water.
Schadenfreude, Zell Miller Edition
After 2004, the Democratic Party adopted the “Zell Miller” rule, rule which disqualifies any “superdelegate” who endorses outside of his party.
This has now been applied to Joe Lieberman, because of his endorsement of John McCain.
Not sure why he got super delegate status in the first place. He’s not a Democrat, he’s Connecticut for Lieberman.
Buh-bye, you sanctimonious little prick.
I Need to Send Dick Cheney a Hard Hat
But first, I have to magnetize it.
U.S. Spy Satellite, Power Gone, May Hit Earth – New York Times
Just a second, the Secret Service is knocking at my door.
I’m Gonna Live Forever
Any my lovely wife will outlive me by millennia, if this study that says married couples that express anger outlive those that suppress anger.
I’m just sayin’.
Adventures in Unfortunate Branding
Many years ago, when Allegheny Airlines, aka Agony Airlines, announced it’s name change to USAir, the name “Useless Air” was coined at the press conference announcing the new name.
Well, Apple just announced a new iPod in pink, and journalist John Paczkowski in a flash of genius, has named it iPod Pepto.
Bummer of a birth mark, Hal.
A Friend of Mine Died Today
Her name was Lynn Hunter, but I knew her though our mutual activities in the SCA as, “Baroness Roana di Laci”, but usually, she was just Ro, as she she did not put on airs.
She had cancer, and she was about 3 months younger than me.
She is one of the few friends of mine with whom I never talked politics.
When I first met her, the subject of her employment came up, and it turned out that she had been fired by her previous employer, the Heritage Foundation, for having cancer.
I blurted out that I could probably find a lawyer willing to represent her pro bono, but she demurred.
I may be clueless, but even I figured out that we had differing views.
She was fun, and accessible, and welcomed my wife and I when we came to the area, and I’ll miss her.
Good journey, Ro.
Edwards on Clinton and Obama: We need a grown-up
This may very well be the quote of the campaign.
Nature In All its Majesty
Orwell Moment of the Day: MLK Memorial Outsourced to Paragon of Human Rights, China
While I understand that the protests of the Vermont congressional delegation (see also here) is largely an issue of local pride and economics for them, the idea that we are outsourcing this to a government that routinely imprisons dissidents, suppresses free speech, and aggressively uses the death penalty boggles the mind.
This isn’t from The Onion. This is a real story.
Happy Martin Luther King Birthday Holiday everyone.
Moron Arrested After Driving Truck Into House
When you read, “Moron Arrested After Driving Truck Into House“, normally, you would think that the editor who chose the hed is a pretty awful guy to ridicule someone that way.
But he didn’t….His parents did.
A 20-year-old Burleson man was arrested Friday night after police say he drove a pickup truck into a home while intoxicated.
Bryan Scott Moron was taken into custody after he lost control of a white Chevrolet truck and struck a mailbox on Parkridge Blvd., then continued ahead and drove into a home.
Ummm…Name change dude…
For Your Fashionistas, I Present the New Black
Really, I mean it. It’s the new black. It’s the blackest black ever created, absorbing more than 99.9% of all light, and more than 30 times blacker than the standard used by U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology as a standard.
It’s made of carbon nanotubes, and has a reflective index of 0.045%.
This is the Funniest Thing I’ve Read All Week
Gideon Rachman of the Financial Times has a hysterical essay on the thrill of the trappings of power. Read it, but don’t drink anything, you’ll have to clean your screen.
A sample:
“If you fly into Camp David on a helicopter,” he assured me, “it’s instant arousal. But if you have to go to a European summit in Brussels, its so depressing you’re impotent for a week.”
ROTFLMAO
Deep Thoughts
Some people are like Slinkies. not really good for anything but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.
— Source unknown
Diner Diving
My job shop took me out to lunch and gave some schwag, a pencil cosy, pen, and sticky pad.
They also took me out to lunch at the Silver Diner.
I like diners, I find them to be a bit of an adventure, as opposed to chains, though this is a local chain with 20 restaurants in Maryland and Virginia.
I had a burger, and it was pretty good. The shoe string fries were very nice, maybe next time I’ll do onion rigs, and the coffee was good, in a “this is a diner, not a latte house” way, which is my preference.
Both the restaurant, and my job shop are recommended, and for the latter, I’d say that even if they hadn’t just fed me.
xkcd Owns Ron Paul Supporters
I’m sure that this will anger some Ron Paul supporters, but let’s be fair: this is not making fun of Ron Paul. It’s making fun of Ron Paul supporters.
Seriously, a blimp????
……………
Courtesy of xkcd – A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language – By Randall Munroe, who is a bloody genius.
God is My Guide, With Exact GPS Coordinates
Well, it appears that someone in Florida has devised a strategy to thwart baby Jesus stealers everywhere, they implanted a GPS tracker.
I expect this to be the beginning of a trend among Nativity scenes in the future.
The woman who oversees the annual display decided to put Global Positioning System trackers on the Jesus, Mary and Joseph figurines.
“I don’t anticipate this will ever happen again,” Dina Cellini said, “but we may need to rely on technology to save our savior.”
First, we lose ice pick murders, and now this.
It appears that technology has gone too far.