It's very smiley for the good kid today.
Go!

1. Earf Hour or something
I considered posting something on the Earth Day or Earth Hour or whatever silliness. But I decided to pass. Too silly. If you're salvation is turning your lights off for an hour, I don't have much here for you.

2. This post
This smashed its way into the bubble and prompted me to post.
Simultaneously silly and disturbing, Bill Ayers is scheduled to speak at Naperville North?
Ayers Visit Revisited

Man, that sucks.
I hope Naperville North wakes up and realizes the seemingly obvious... you don't have to invite into your school someone who unrepentantly bombed this country.

But these days, the obvious seems so elusive.
Hey Naper North, this quote's for you.

QOTD

"I don't regret setting bombs... I feel we didn't do enough."
- Bill Ayers, shithead

3. Notre Dame
I hesitate to attempt an actual overt attempt at humor, as opposed to my usual "funny looking". Alas, perhaps these times make such a thing inevitable. I don't know. Anyway, here goes...

President Obama is scheduled to do the commencement thing at Notre Dame.
Here's his Top 5 list "Things I'm doing as President" for his speech:

1. Reduce the charitable tax deduction... like money that goes to this university
   
2. "Invest" $100B more in public education... rather than school choice
   
3. Drone-bombing the crap out of Pakistan... wasn't Notre Dame actively anti-war/Iraq?
   
4. Public funding and supply of embryos for stem cell research... rather than private sources
   
5. Public funding of abortions... here and abroad!

Hey Notre Dame, go "all in" and invite Bill Ayers to join President Obama. Why not?

4. Obama Hedging
Have you experienced this in person... the Obama hedge?
Anyone criticizing President Obama in public always hedges their comment with "Oh, but he's a great guy" or "Oh, but his kids" or "Oh, but Michelle's shapely arms", etc.

I heard someone (a priest actually) briefly criticize President Obama speaking at Notre Dame, and that was followed by a much longer, fumbling hedge of how great a guy President Obama really was, despite the orthogonal value systems.

Heck, I'm a big faker because I'm hedging right now. I have a funny anti-Obama joke, but I'm not going to... ah, what the hell.

Lady at confession: "Father, I have to confess... I hate the current administration."
Priest: "I know what you mean."

I hate the word "hate", but that's pretty funny. And it's not really a joke; it actually happened.

5. Wrap
Darkest before the dawn? Even here in beautiful Naperville?
We shall see. Congressional elections in 2010.
smiling... yow, bill

PS - One last rant and then a reprieve... I watched the Nickelodeon Kids Award show Saturday night. One of the featured bands was the soft-porn "Pussycat Dolls". They trotted their belly shirts out there in front of a throng of 12 year-olds and sang something about somebody pushing something in somewhere. Why? Who makes these idiotic decisions?

PPS - The private/public dichotomy grows and grows... seems like a great chasm. All is well in Bill's bubble, changing like a mother, but "feeling stronger every day" or some close approximation. And man, I've been smiling a 10,000 question smile (yeah, that's me below) since last night. He he!

Labels: politics, qotd

QOTD

"I know it sounds funny, but I just can't stand the pain..."
- Commodores "Easy"... OK, Lionel Richie, jeez whatever

Check out nerd-vana and true random numbers generated from atmospheric noise at www.random.org

"It seems to me girl, ya know I've done all I can..."
easy... yow, bill

Labels: qotd, technology

QOTD

Bill: "Jeez. Nice blue weener."
Moz: "I've seen better."
- whispered conversation during the "Watchmen" movie

1. No good guys
Obviously, AIG ain't full of "good guys", and handing out mega-bonuses like candy on the government's dole, ain't good either. But the real exercise of power and abuse is:

1. The Congress threatening a 90% retro-tax, and
   
2. NY state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo threatening to publish names of AIG employees receiving bonuses.
3. President Obama whipping the whole thing into a frenzy.
   

QOTD2

"Mr. Cuomo is a thug, but at least he reminds us: It can happen here."
- Holman W. Jenkins, Jr from The Real AIG Disgrace

2. The root... not the symptom
The root of the problem... the true power and abuse comes from dollars. You control the spending of dollars... now, that's real power. There is no greater abusive body that the US government. Here are two links for you:

• Historical Tables - Budget of the United States Government Fiscal Year 2009 -the official dealie for the budget... the historical tables are on like page 21-22.
  
• Federal Budget Receipts and Outlays - This is a nicer summary of spending by the feds, that uses the historical tables as a source, I think.

BTW, here's a cool Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) calculator:

How fast has federal spending grown? Here's a quick calculation:

• In 1962, I was born and it was the first year with over $100 billion spending.
• Let's peg the 2010 budget is approximately $4 trillion.
  
• Using my handy calculator, $100B to $4,000B in 48 years = 8% CAGR
  

At 8% growth per year, the feds spending doubles every 9 years.
The 8% growth rate of fed spending dwarfs the US economy which grows at something like 2-3% per year.

There you have it the core. The root. Not the symptom.
The growth in federal spending has dwarfed anything else in our economy for my lifetime.
And so it will continue with the Obama administration.
Ditto for or our new dolt governor in Illinois and his 50% income tax hike.

3. Judy Biggert is a liar
I saw my congress-girl Judy Biggert stumbling and stammering on the tube yesterday. She asked Geithner how many people are working in the Treasury. Incompetent.
Have you ever seen Judy Biggert and the Gorgon (aka Melvin Belli) from the original Star Trek in the same place at the same time?

...

Judy Biggert is a liar. She ran on term limits during the Newt years in the 90's. She lied and has been in "public service" and suckling at the public teat ever since.

Every 2 years my favorite vote is "anyone but Judy Biggert". That's entertainment!
big blue weeners... yow, bill

PS - Speaking of old Star Trak, I'll take green women over blue weeners, thank you.

Labels: investing, politics, qotd

QOTD

Ty: "So is that guy an android too?"
Me: "No. He's a hologram."
- Next Gen conversation last night

Japan won the World Baseball Classic last night.
Yawn.
I was more interested in their bench. That's where Cub wunderkind Kosuke Fukudome sat during the deciding game of the tournament. Pardon my sarcasm, but what can you expect competing with the likes of Japan's starters Norichika Aoki and Seiichi Uchikawa. Cough.

I wonder what Jim Hendry thinks of all this nonsense.

QOTD2

''We haven't worried about it... I think he's going to be much better than he was in the second half [of 2008]."
- Jim Hendry, Cub GM on Fukudome

Better than the second half? You mean better than a .217 BA and 12 extra base hits after the All-Star break. Fantastico!

OK Jim, I'll worry for you.
Or better still, I think Lou might have something special for Fukudome this year.
The boot!
He he.

And I heart Reed Johnson.
play ball... yow, bill

Labels: qotd, sports

Today may mark my first happy moment with the Obama administration.
They announced a new Treasury program where private investors will team with the feds to buy up bad assets at troubled banks. It's call the Public-Private Asset Program.
Here's da facts, Jack: Treasury Releases Details on Program to Buy Troubled Assets

QOTD

"This is perhaps the first win/win/win policy to be put on the table and it should be welcomed enthusiastically"
- Bill Gross, PIMCO bond master of the universe, on the Treasury bank program: source

If Bill Gross is happy, then I'm pretty happy.
Why?
Bill Gross is happy because he's going to make tons of money.
If the feds present people a way to make money while un-jamming the credit markets, then they stand half a chance of succeeding.

Last fun link... here's the criteria and your application to participate:
http://www.crossingwallstreet.com/archives/2009/03/application_to.html

So, get your $10B ready to go... markets are up 4% on the news as we speak.

QOTD2

"You know what this means, Patrick... SLEEPOVER!"
- Spongebob

huzzah... yow, bill

Labels: fun, investing, qotd

QOTD

"It is good to see Mr. Spitzer back in form. We plan to take his view that we have been wrong on everything for 10 years as, in its own peculiar way, a vote of confidence."
- WSJ editorial board (excellent) response to Elliot Spitzer criticism

Book: "Five Skies" by Ron Carlson
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth reading

This book had 4 bill-stars in hand... that money was spent. And then it ended. Dop.

The end was so rushed and unsatisfactory, that it knocked a dang bill-star right off the review. It's like the author was writing and then the Fedex guy showed up at the front door or something, so he ended it.

Two great things about this book.

1. It's a manly book... about guys building stuff and peeing outside and all.
2. It narrowly focuses on 3 characters. I like that style, and the characters were interesting and well-developed.

Stupid ending.
he he... yow, bill

PS - I found this trolling... a better, more detailed review of "Watchmen" than mine. I agree with most of what he's saying, especially the ending and the blue weener. Beware, it's chockful 'o spoilers:

Labels: 3stars, books, qotd

Dr. Drew... he of sex and reality show fame. I can't say I'm a fan.
There he is over there with his hot wife.
I'm a big fan of hers. He he.

I was surfing and saw Dr. Drew on some talking head show, and he struck a chord. He (pretty) eloquently described what bugs me so much these days.

I'll (less eloquently) summarize with some nerdy bullets:

1. America is moving toward a more socialist and paternal view of government. He described this ala de Tocqueville as a decline in our belief in American individualism and exceptionalism.
   
2. Society is becoming more emotional, rather than reasoned in evaluating problems, politics, life. Evidence of this: the personal emotional investment people seem to have in (unconditionally hating) the former president and (unconditionally loving) the current president.
   
3. The media is a directly enabler in this shift.
   

Or, in rant form... the feds aren't your Daddy, W ain't the devil and Obama is just a politician, and journalism is the lowest of all professions in our country today. Ahhhhh... he he.

If you want to jump all the way into this pool, here's Charles Murray (a WSJ guy, I believe) talking expansively, academically, and boringly on this topic.

And let's wrap with an exceptional QOTD, eh.

QOTD

"Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality.
But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude."
Alexis de Tocqueville, source link

Money!
spring soon... yow, bill

PS - I've posted links to this on Facebook, but it's so great... the new Cub commercial.


Or should I say, it's "exceptional"!

Labels: politics, qotd, video

Ever been on stage at Carnegie Hall?
How's this view treatin' ya?



Brother Brad texted me that last night... excellent (and crappy) phone photo.
He was doing this jazzy gig at Carn-diggy:
www.carnegiehall.org/honor/events/eventDetail.aspx?evt=11265

Speaking of brother Brad and St. Patty's Day... my fave Irish blessing, liberally applied at Brad and Bobbie's weeding:

"Walls for the wind
And a roof for the rain
And drinks beside the fire

Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you
And all that your heart may desire"
- Irish blessing

blarney... yow, bill

PS - I'll hoist one for Gram Krieger today too.

Labels: fun, music

Book, then movie... excellent.
IMAX!

Movie: Watchmen
Review: 4 bill-stars (out of 5)... excellent!
Website: www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459 and

There's Mr. Manhattan over there. Big naked blue guy. Very weird. But very fun.

So, I liked the movie better than the book, but that's almost unfair:

• IMAX is like having a cocktail and turning the volume up at a rock concert... of course it's better.
• I thought the acting in Watchmen was truly outstanding, especially Rorschach (more below).
• The direction was great and the movie is visually very interesting.
  
• There was pretty good music throughout, and ending with Mozart's "Requiem" shaking the walls of the IMAX was, um, awesome.

I understand why the book made its choices and the movie made its. The book is more surreal than the movie... especially the ending... and the long dream-like sequences in the book are gone. I don't understand why the movie is more political than the book... or maybe I do.

Anyway, the worst thing about the movie is the lull in the middle. It's a 2 1/2 hour deal. With about 30-45 minutes left, they kick it into gear and off we go. Off we go to a boffo ending.

One of my favorite performances was the over-the-top Rorschach. The actor was remotely (like way, way, lizard brain remotely) familiar. His name is Jackie Earle Haley. Here he is today as Rorschach and 33 years ago (click on these bad boys to make them bigger):
...

Yeah, the "bad" kid who was a really good player on the "Bad News Bears", Kelly on the right, is the same guy, 33 years later, playing Rorschach. He's a year older than I am.

The kid in the middle of the "Bad News Bears" picture is Ogilvie. I've had a few people say that I looked like him back in the day, when I had that style of glasses. I guess.

Anyway, good book and excellent movie... different and good.
Let me steal a fun QOTD from the book/movie and get out of here.

QOTD

"You people don't understand.
I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me!"
- Rorschach in prison

smile... yow, bill

PS - Mini-burgers at Buffalo Wild Wings after the movie with Moz... 4 bill-stars. He he.

Labels: 4stars, movies, qotd

I heart capitalism.

I haven't gotten the Wall Street Journal for a couple months now because they jacked the price up on me. I held out, and this morning they called and backed down. I win. But so does the journal.

I got an ad in gmail to this ridiculous site: www.wrinkydinks.com
They sell such dog poop-related products as:

• Chocolate Doo Drops - chocolate candy in the shape of (a disturbingly realistic) dog plop.
• Poop Candles - ditto
• Dog Poop 2009 Calendar - sigh
  

On a serious note, they do offer a fine urn for your dead dog's ashes: Dog Memorial Urn
Of course, these guys are also the proprietors of www.bikesnbones.com which produced today's QOTD.

QOTD

"Pirate and Biker Clothing, Collectibles, and Gifts"
- Motto of www.bikesnbones.com

I hope Mr. Wrinky Dink and Mrs. Bikes 'n Bones are sitting on a beach drinking pina coladas... laughing their asses off, right now.

Too great. I heart capitalism. It's freedom, baby.
The freedom to create poop candy and haggle over prices and succeed or fail and whatever.
later... yow, bill

PS - Almost forgot...

Book: Watchmen
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth it
This book barely made the cut. It's a comic book; I'm not a big fan.
It was a really good comic book, but still a comic book.
It gets 3 stars mostly for being different. The plot/characters/everything is pretty, um, comic book-like.
Which figures.
Now, on to the movie... in IMAX!!!

Labels: 3stars, books, investing, qotd

1. All by myself
I was listening to my Rachmaninoff (sp?) piano concertos the other day and he started playing "All By Myself", that woosy 70's ballad. Google, google, wikipedia... here Eric Carmen lifted a Rach-y pianos concerto for his song thinking it was in the public domain. Shit, I guess I would-a thunk that too. See? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_by_Myself

2. Nerd, not geek
I like "nerd" and dislike "geek".
This (Illini) lady has it backwards:
Geeks may be chic, but negative nerd stereotype still exists, professor says

Nerds are totally in. Shit, 200 years ago, half of us (me included) would have died from flu or earaches or bullies or something stupid. Hey, now the weak survive... and then thrive! He he.

3. Thirty Seven!
Movie: Clerks
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... great!

I saw "Clerks" on regular TV, but it was a cable channel without censorship, for whatever reason. I can't believe Clerks is 15 years old. Its innocence and honesty jumps off the screen. I like it more now that 15 years ago, no doubt. It's shocking how much has changed in so short a time. I gotta admit, fucking old-timer, 1994 was lookin' pretty good.

QOTD

"Yeah, I went down on a few guys"
- Dante's girlfriend Veronica on her 37 blowjob tally

4. Freedom, not
The media blackout continues. I do wonder what the hell is going on out there to some degree. The stock market goes down nearly every day, so something's going on. Right?
I just googled "President Obama freedom"... first news story that popped up.

QOTD

"[President] Obama appears poised to return to a more traditional American policy of dealing with the world as it is rather than as it might be."
- Some loser journalist from some loser story

He he.
Is there any axis in which the Obama presidency strive to increase our freedoms?
Any?
bueller, bueller... yow, bill

PS - "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"... much better movie than Ferris. I cant' decide on 4 bill-stars or 5, so I'm waiting for the mood to hit.

PPS - Sorry. Couldn't resist. He he.

Labels: 5stars, fun, movies, music, politics

Hey,

I found this at Slope of Hope. Here's an AT&T "You Will" ad from 16 years ago:

Why does a crappy video like that sum things up so powerfully?
What will the world look like in 16 years? 2025?
Dang.
Shit, what will I look like in 16 years.
Next!

Also, if you're out there... Open Office for the Mac is totally for real. Their flavor of Excel even has D* database functions. That makes me smile.

So does the idea of dinner with Holly tomorrow night.
But don't tell her.

QOTD

"Because I wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do
Are you somewhere feeling lonely?
Or is someone loving you?"
- L Richie, "Hello"

I listened to this crap half the day, my new "Best of Lionel Richie" birthday 47 CD, and even posted about it on Facebook... and there it was (all kismet and synchronicity like) on the mu-zak at the Jew-el tonight as I selected my Jose Ole taquitos from the freezer section.
yum... yow, bill

PS - BTW, they were out of the steak taquitos, so I had to get chicken. Sigh.



PPS - Not that I'm bad-mouthing the chicken, or Mr. Ole, mind you. Just had my heart set, ya know.

Labels: fun, qotd, technology

That's a heckuva chart. At least we're halfway there. Dop.
Another factoid... the S&P was 1,000 when President Obama won on Nov 4... now it's 700.
I'm not sayin' nuttin...

QOTD

"The stock market low for the year will be made in the next two days."
- Douglas Kass... well, I'm paraphrasing actually from what I heard on CNBC. BTW, Doug Kass is the founder of Seabreeze Partners, some hedge fund it looks like.

Stay tuned.
buy?... yow, bill

PS - "google depression bikini"


PPS - Hey. How about a "depression" line of cheap, but fun, clothing... that's a money-maker. Some t-shirts. Some hats. What a great idea!

PPPS - Shit. www.depressionwear.com

Labels: investing, qotd

This is a long one, but it's worth it.

QOTD

"Well...time will tell. You may think I am just some sort of ideological nutcase. I am not. You may think I hate government. I don't. I just don't like government that is in everyone's face. I drink no one's kool-aid. I carry no one's water. To this day, I rail against the hypocrisy of the Republicans who went on a spending binge during their time in power who now, all of a sudden, are against spending. I blasted Bush day in and day out for his reckless spending, his mismanagement of the war, his spending on the war, the TARP and everything else I disagreed with. Since so few are critiquing this new administration, someone has to.

I received an email this weekend telling me Obama has only been President for little over a month and that I should give him a chance. I am keeping my fingers crossed and wishing him well. I hope he succeeds. I really do. But I have news for the writer of the email. It does not and will not matter what I think. In the end, the market will have the final vote. So far, the vote has been loud and clear. Obama may think he will bring in more money by raising taxes to fund his programs. History shows that revenue to the government will only go down as you raise taxes as business and commerce continue to slow.

The good news, no matter what, in the long run, it has not paid to bet against this country because of the extraordinary capability of the people of this country....not the capability of the government. The best news for Obama: good policy or bad, the market is already down over 50%."
- Gary Kaltbaum, from The War on Profits

I agree with 90% of what the guy says, and he says it more eloquently than I can. And he's got a website and a book: www.garyk.com

Ha... www.garyk.com... no wonder I like him!
he he... yow, bill

Labels: politics, qotd

Hey,

Excellence = talent + passion + dedication.
There's a true beauty in seeing talented people caring intensely about what they do and then working their asses off to make it happen.
Go!

I'm getting old, I guess. Duh.
I'm losing my fucking tolerance for stuff that sucks... popular culture, journalism, politics, professional sports, etc. (no kidding... he he)
In exchange, my love of excellence has grown... classical music, reading, the stock market, architecture, software & the internet, beautiful caring people, etc.

1. The Dublin Phil
I saw the Dublin Philharmonic Saturday night at Wheaton College. Man, they were outstanding. Excellent.

• The group was really young, especially when compared to the CSO. But you could feel the concentration and their tightness as a group. The conductor had to really conduct to guide them.
  
• Their pianist, Conor Linehan, performed Beethoven's piano concerto #3. Incredible. I have no comprehension of how someone can become so accomplished at something like that... I'm speaking of both messrs. Beethoven and Linehan.
• AM's little red dress at the show was incredible/excellent/beautiful as well. Yow!

2. The Stock Market
I spend much of my time these days learning the stock market.
I've invested for years, but usually pretty passively.

Now, I'm learning how to trade and more actively enter and exit the market and various asset classes. It's fascinating, and there are an incredible number of blogs and websites on the subject. So many talented, smart people are applying themselves to the max to be a successful investor. In short, they strive to achieve excellence. I do too.

Out there somewhere, somebody is confidently trading the market right now during today's slide. I hope to join them some day; I'm still learning and taking baby steps. I hope to be able to apply the tag "excellence" to my market knowledge and trading... again, some day.

3. Ropewalking

Movie: "Man on Wire"
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth seeing


The subject of "Man on Wire" is some Frenchie dude who, 30+ years ago, walked a jury-rigged tightrope between the two World trade Center towers. This review is easy:

• The actual act of the guy ropewalking between the twin towers is utterly inconceivable to me and is breath-taking.
• The movie is just OK. The really interesting stuff is just the old footage of this guy ropewalking.
  

It's funny. What this guy did is just incredible, but him and his buddies talking about it 30 years later, it sounds like every other "the touchdown I scored in high school" story. Yawn.

On the subject of excellence...
Movie: "The Sixth Sense"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... outstanding!


I saw the last 30 minutes of "Sixth Sense" this weekend on crappy TV. "Sixth Sense" is excellent... and chilling to the bone at the end there. It's hard to summon better movie-making.

I was one of the lucky ones... I didn't know diddly about "Sixth Sense" when I went to see it at the theater. The movie is 10 years old now, and the number of young people who haven't seen it necessarily grows every day. If you haven't seen "Sixth Sense", don't google it or whatever... just watch it.

Wrap
Of course, the contrast to this beauty and excellence is embodied in our current government shenanigans. But why go negative at the end. Not me. I'm smiling!
little red dress... yow, bill

Labels: 3stars, 5stars, fun, movies