williamt blog

Cheli! Choice!

2010-03-10T16:16:00.007-06:00

It's almost 60 flipping degrees out. Yow!

1. Cheli!
Cheli (aka Chris Chelios) is back in the NHL!

Well so, Bill... who cares?
I care.
Cheli is 48.
So, I reset the clock on a player my age being in a major professional sport.
It's sort of like remembering the last time you were carded (last year at Buffalo Wild Wings... Ty is my witness) or the last time you touched the rim of a basketball hoop (gulp... I haven't tried that in a while).

Too bad he's not a Blackhawk though.
Anyway, did you read that one... Cheli "has played in more games than any other American-born NHL player."
Huzzah!

2. Choice!
QOTD

"I've never met an apathetic mom of any race or ethnicity.
They all want good schools for their kids."
- Why school choice works, source

One of my all-time fave WSJ articles about charter schools in NYNY...

Charter Schools Flourish in Harlem

Choice!
peace out... yow, bill

Bill Awards

2010-03-08T06:59:00.006-06:00

"Checkered Floor"

1. Bill Awards
Zero Academy Awards time for me last night.
And the Oscar goes to... www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/nominees.html

Of the "Best Picture" nominees that I saw, here's my ranking:

"Up in the Air" 4 bill-stars
"District 9" 4 bill-stars
"Up" 3 bill-stars (barely)
"Avatar" 2 bill-stars (barely)

Of course, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" was a 5 bill-star effort, so there. Ha!

I'm glad "The Dude" won for Best Actor, and "Crazy Heart" won best song with "The Weary Kind". Excellent!

2. Forbes Shape

QOTD

"One state retiree, 49 years old, paid, over the course of his entire career, a total of $124,000 toward his retirement pension and health benefits. What will we pay him? $3.3 million in pension payments over his life and nearly $500,000 for health care benefits--a total of $3.8 million on a $120,000 investment. Is that fair?"
- Chris Christie, gov of New Jersey, source

Steve Forbes' outstanding article on the New Jersey state government budget and what new governor, Chris Christie, is doing to fix it.

The Shape of Things to Come

Here's the 2nd (stupefying) anecdote from the article.

QOTD2

"A retired teacher paid $62,000 toward her pension and nothing, yes nothing, for full family medical, dental and vision coverage over her entire career. What will we pay her? $1.4 million in pension benefits and another $215,000 in health care benefit premiums over her lifetime. Is it 'fair' for all of us and our children to have to pay for this excess?"
- Gov Christie on Jersey budget woes

Christie uses the term "fair".
I dislike it.

These teachers and state employees just signed up for the deal they were offered.
The term is inflammatory, only used to appeal to the emotions.

Of course, fair/unfair/whatever are the modus operandi of the left... but to get things fixed in Jersey, maybe it's worth using this crappy tactic.

This is the same setup we find in many programs: social security, medicare, etc.
Many (most) people get more out than they put in, but the price is risk... you're name isn't on the money, so some pol some day might come saying that your deal is not "fair".

OK, last QOTD from Crazy Heart's winning song.

QOTD3

"And this ain't no place
To fall behind
Pick up your crazy heart
And give it one more try"
- "Weary Kind" lyrics from "Crazy Heart"

weary kind... yow, bill

Flavors of Funny

2010-03-07T14:31:00.005-06:00

1. Intentionally Funny
Funny satire by Christopher Buckley offering some new tax ideas to the Obama administration.

But Enough About You IRS, Mon Amour

My fave: taxing non-smokers. He he!

2. Unintentionally Funny

Just as funny, but unintentionally so:

Less stimulus for minority firms

Did you catch those stats?

Latinos own 6.8% of all US business, but have received only 1.6% of the Obama stimulus kitty.
Blacks own 5.2% of all businesses, but have gotten only 1.1%.

Nice going, President Obama.
funny... yow, bill

I heart dot dot dot

2010-03-06T11:46:00.004-06:00

I heart minor league baseball
Minor league baseball teams really, really want your business. They cater to you. They try hard. This is the exact opposite approach than you see at MLB teams like the Chicago Cub.

Here's a great story about the Peoria Chiefs, the Cub class A minor league team... they're leasing out their skyboxes to fantasy baseball leagues for their draft meetings. For $35 a guy, you get the luxury (cough) suite, all-you-can-eat buffet, beers, and a ticket to a future Chief game. Sweet!

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704187204575101392538296222.html

I heart minor league baseball.

"I heart Scrabble too"

I heart my crock pot
RIP Mable Hoffman... author of “Crockery Cookery”, an early and popular crock pot recipe book.

Mable Hoffman WSJ Obit

I heart my crock pot... and Mable too, I reckon.

"All in"

I heart Ronald Reagan
Book: “Tear Down This Wall” by Romesh Ratnesar
Review: 2 bill-stars (out of 5)... meh

This book is very dry and kinda boring. This is hard to fathom, given how interesting the subject matter is. The other irritating thing is the guy sprinkles in his politics into the thing here and there. The big two that bugged me:

Reagan's optimism was naivete
Gorbachev ended the cold war, not Reagan

OK, poindexter.
Reagan's optimism and belief in the human spirit defined him.
The author's incredulity likely defines him, and maybe this is a defining trait of your average leftie.

One of the best anecdotes from the book was by a girl attending a talk Reagan gave in Moscow. Russian security officials picked which students would sit where for Reagan's speech. They were told, "Don't make any movements with your body. If you get up, you will be shot." Well, that'll discourage those distracting potty breaks during an event, eh.

QOTD

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
- Ronald Reagan, Jun 12 1987, speech at Brandenburg Gate in (then) West Berlin

I believe the difference between Reagan and other presidents was an actual set of values which drove his decision-making. His values: small government, personal freedom, optimism. If you know what President Obama's values are, please chime in and enlighten me.

Reagan was stricken with Alzheimer's a few years after leaving office. He penned a final correspondence, a sort of goodbye, before losing his faculties.

QOTD2

“In closing, let me that you, the American people for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future. I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”
-Ronald Wilson Reagan, Nov 5 1994 letter

I heart Ronald Reagan

"Indy museum"

I heart our great sunny weekend!
run faster... yow, bill

PS - A couple photos of Reagan in front of the Berlin Wall on Jun 12, 1987.

...

Plankton QOTD

2010-03-04T05:59:00.003-06:00

QOTD

"Coin-operated self-destruct... not one of my better ideas."
- Plankton

yow, bill

PS - Hey, I predicted this. The fall, the changing of Sarah Palin. (Yeah, genius. I know). Too bad.

Sarah Palin Shopping Alaska Reality Show

Hot Curlers

2010-03-03T07:54:00.004-06:00

1. Health Care Nonsense
Good, if snarky, article here:

The President vs. Health-Care Reform

I'm not a big Buffet fan, but he's right here. The issue is cost.

QOTD

"We're just going to focus on costs, and we're not going to dream up 2,000 pages of other things... Get rid of the nonsense."
- Warren Buffet, on scrapping ObamaCare and starting over

I said it a year ago. President Obama could have easily made meaningful, common sense changes to health care in America. But we went down the rabbit hole instead. And here we are.

2. Hot Curlers
I watched some Winter Olympics... more than I thought I would. The USA-Canada hockey matches were both awesome!

Anyway, here's my Olympic wrap... two things:

It's a good thing Canada won the gold in men's hockey. The gold medal game was the most watched TV show ever in Canada (source) with 80% of the flipping country watching the game. Jeez! If the US had won the game in overtime, I think Canada would have collectively jumped off a window ledge or something.
I still don't understand the rules, but women's curlers were hot hot hot!

The hottest women's curler of all is...

Carmen Schäfer, Swiss curler

Carmen Schäfer, when she's not curling

Jeez.
pro curling... yow, bill

Retro Sheet

2010-03-02T07:08:00.005-06:00

1. Retro Sheet
I turned on the tube after the market closed yesterday, and there it was on some MLB channel that I don't know why I have...

May 17, 1979
Phillie 23, Cub 22

Excellent.
So, google, google, google... and giggle, giggle, giggle... here's the boxscore from that game:

May 17, 1979 - Phillie 23, Cub 22 boxscore

Checkout the "Play by Play" section at the end of the file... every batter and move in the game is detailed. Amazing.

Read, read, read... the guys that pour in the time to do this are:

www.retrosheet.org

QOTD

"Retrosheet was founded in 1989 for the purpose of computerizing play-by-play accounts of as many pre-1984 major league games as possible."
- Mission statement of RetroSheet, source

Mike Schmidt homered in the 10th off Bruce Sutter for the 23-22 win

Couple observations:

Jack Brickhouse was the broadcaster... perfect guy for a simpler time.
The Cub crowd was decidedly younger... the voices chanting "We want a run" sounded like a school choir.
I remember that game... or I think I do... because I would turn the Cub on after coming home from school. When you come home, and the score is 22-22, there's a good chance you'll remember it.
The Cub today are not as much fun as those ever-losing Cub of yesteryear. Either that, or I'm an old goat. Who can tell?

2. Financial Fasting
Certainly, confusing economic times... tough tough tough, and then you can't get into a restaurant on a Tuesday night. I don't know what the heck is going on.

This is a fun article on a 20-something doing a "financial fast" for 21 days... basically cutting back on all discretionary spending.

I'm fasting - Financially, that is

No fast food, no credit cards, no paid entertainment... oh my!
Can you say "Scrabble"?

3. Bumper Sticker of the Day (BSOTD?)
Saw this (too funny) bumper sticker last week:

He he.
peace out... yow, bill

Hoosiers, Hosers and Hawks

2010-03-01T07:59:00.009-06:00

1. Hoosiers
Yea another idea better than ObamaCare...Indiana has health savings accounts:

Hoosiers and Health Savings Accounts

This goofy QOTD sums the problem up pretty dang well.

QOTD

"A fast-food meal costs most Americans more out of pocket than a visit to the doctor."
- Mitch Daniels, IN gov, source

If President Obama rams his crappy health care reform through using the (previously called) nuclear option, then it will be bad, but interesting. For these obnoxious shenanigans, what will be the price in November? Got me.

2. Hosers
Hockey quiz: The Chicago Blackhawks have 23 guys listed on their roster... how many of these players are American?

Olympic hockey: USA lost in OT to Canada... after tying the game 2-2 with 24 seconds left.
This is the best outcome.

USA gets the fun and excitement of tying the hosers, yet
Canada doesn't fall into a spiral of depression losing the hockey gold

And huzzah to all the Blackhawks on each team: Kane, Toews, Keith, and Seabrook.

here come the hawks... yow, bill

PS - Hockey quiz answer: Only 3 of the 23 Blackhawk players are American: Kane, Burish, and Byfuglien.

PPS - Blackhawks ice girl... don't care where she's from either:

You Say It's Your Birthday

2010-02-27T05:55:00.008-06:00

1. Health Care Summit
The "Health Care Summit" was yet another setback for President Obama. He had hoped to sway public opinion by talking rings around the repubs on national TV for a few hours.

Oops.

QOTD

"And I've got to tell you, the American people are engaged. And if you think they want a government takeover of health care, I would respectfully submit you're not listening to them."
- Paul Ryan, Wi repub, to President Obama, source

Will he still try to cram crappy Obamacare through the Congress?
We shall see.

Paul Ryan is a Congress dude from Wisconsin. He's doing well, but he's not nearly as highly-regarded as the Packers bikini girls below:

Green Bay Packers bikini girls

2. Earthquake!
The Richter scale is base 10 logarithmic (wikipedia). So, a mag 5 earthquake is 10x more powerful ("seismic energy") than a mag 4.

Earthquakes like these:

Illinois 2010 - We had an earthquake earlier this month in Illinois. It was early in the morning. I felt it, but I didn't realize it was an earthquake. That was a magnitude 3.8 quake (source).
San Jose 1989 - My favorite earthquake was the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake... because I was there. It was magnitude 6.9. So, the 1989 quake was roughly 1,000x more powerful than our little Naperville shake.
Chile 2010 - My earthquake theme is because there was a big quake in Chile today, mag 8.8. That's roughly 100x more powerful than 1989... or 100,000x more powerful than Naperville's baby quake. Yow!

3. Bill48
God bless February 27... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_27
Wikipedia says I was born on the same day as:

Adam Baldwin - I don't think he's a "Baldwin brother". I remember him most in "My Bodyguard" from back in the day, and more recently, from "Serenity"... a movie I heart.
Grant Show - who I don't know from Adam... um, any Adam, not just Adam Baldwin.

I got a fish for my birthday (the Christmas fish already, um, passed on):

My birthday fish swims past Squidward's house

We'll name him:

Flint... main character from "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", or
Ryan Miller... if the USA hockey team wins Sunday

Stay tuned... and GO USA!

48 is OK.
Sure, things are slowing down, but nothing's fallen off yet. He he!
Birthday poker party at The Castle today... then family dinner at Domo tomorrow.
happy birthday... yow, bill

Tasty waves

2010-02-25T06:54:00.002-06:00

QOTD

"All I need are some tasty waves... a cool buzz... and I'm fine."
- Jeff Spicoli, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", audio

WSJ article on reforming health care:

A Better Way to Reform Health Care

I'll paraphrase their very simple proposal:

Eliminate tax code bias of health insurance over out-of-pocket expenses
Remove state barrier on health insurance and services
Tort reform

The idea is... you pay for your own stuff, then you'll shop around.
Like I said... simple.
tasty waves... yow, bill

Harlem Village Academies

2010-02-24T06:57:00.002-06:00

Great story about a successful charter school in Harlem:

Where the Bar Ought to Be

The place is called Harlem Village Academies: www.harlemvillageacademies.org

QOTD

"Because it’s not allowed."
- Harlem Village student on why there is no fighting at the school

choice... yow, bill

Choice Stat

2010-02-23T15:49:00.003-06:00

This won't go anywhere, but here's a black guy in Chicago pushing for school choice:

Preaching Choice in Obama's Hometown

QOTD

"Only eight out of 100 Chicago public school students will graduate from a four-year college."
- jeez, man

Hard to get your head around that one.
choice... yow, bill

And now a word from... The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council

2010-02-22T15:14:00.005-06:00

1. Killer Weeners
Sigh.

Pediatricians call for a choke-proof hot dog

I heart Janet Riley...

QOTD

"Ensuring the safety of the foods we service to children is critically important for us."
- Janet Riley, President of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council

That's right... the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council
Hey, they have a website and everything... www.hot-dog.org
They're a Facebook page too... you'll have to find them on your own though. I'm a fan!

And dang, President Janet Riley looks like a cute little Irish girl...

Janet Riley, Martha, and 3 weeners

Who would you rather have babysit your kids?

Janet Riley, President of the Weener Council
Or some pediatrician who wants choking warnings on your hot dogs

You know my answer.

2. Two more Silly Things

BTW, why do kids have peanut allergies now, and they didn't 40 years ago?

Doctors launch major trials to treat childhood peanut allergy after promising pilot study

QOTD2

"The therapy is the most promising development yet in the search for a long-term treatment for the allergy, which affects 4% of British schoolchildren."
- 4% of British kids are allergic to peanuts?!? Really? Source

There's something fishy (peanuty?) here. I heard a theory this weekend that kids are more sheltered from, well, everything, and that a by-product of this is more allergies to, well, everything... including peanuts.
Maybe.

Finally, have you watched any Olympics?
Pretty good.
I saw some skiing.
They pointed out two parents in the crowd during my short tenure in front of the tube.
Both of them were videotaping their (adult) children as they were performing in the Olympics.
Does that make any sense to you? To anyone?
Well, that "anyone" crack is rhetorical because it obviously makes sense to them, but how about living before videotaping.
I don't know.
peace out... yow, bill

Today's Puritans

2010-02-19T18:45:00.003-06:00

Today's Puritans are busy.
I just posted this QOTD on Facebook:

QOTD

"Individuals are prohibited from possessing deadly weapons while performing any services for MLB"
-new (mandated) signs outside every MLB clubhouse. Idiots.

This fucking stupidity is, of course, in response to the Gilbert Arenas gun nonsense. For merely carrying a gun, Arenas will face legal charges and lose millions of dollars as part of his NBA suspension. A number of Arenas' teammates were fined by the NBA for laughing at Arenas clowning about the incident.

Now, this photo got a snowboarder sent home from the Olympics:

Source: www.tmz.com/2010/02/19/olympic-medalist-packs-up-after-biting-photo/

Here's the story: www.abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=9892724

The big winner in the snowboarding, whatever the hell his name is, got slammed for swearing off camera after learning he won the gold.

Did you know that the US Olympic Committee (USOC) has a new required "Ambassador Program" that is "aimed at improving the etiquette of Olympic athletes". Source

Tiger just spent 20 minutes groveling for the world.

Can somebody tell me what the fuck is going on?
What's happened.
What's happening.
It's like we're regressing.
We're progressing in every area, except tolerance for each other.
Tough to figger out, to be honest.
It seems to be bigger than left or right at this point... the sanctimony.

Well, you can always come over to The Castle and swear and drink and take pictures with hot chicks or whatever you'd like.
regress... yow, bill

PS - That's one hot Puritan to the right over there. Oops, that's inappropriate. Jeez, glad I'm not in the NBA... or MLB... or Olympics... or golf... or...

Bankruptcy 1995

2010-02-19T13:47:00.006-06:00

Two stories from an excellent investment blog: Crossing Wall Street

The core CPI dropped 0.2% last month... first (real) drop in prices since 1982:

www.crossingwallstreet.com/archives/2010/02/weakest_inflati.html

What does that mean?
I assume it's a blip... rather than real deflation ahead.

Second story... the US is only 20th in debt/GDP ratio at 96%.

www.crossingwallstreet.com/archives/2010/02/the_worlds_bigg.html

I still have my copy of "Bankruptcy 1995" from back in the day. I knew that was crap (extrapolate the worst numbers possible out into the future... gasp!), and even though things are worse today, it's still an over-reaction.

That said, it's great to see America reacting BEFORE we become some POS European country.

QOTD

"We'll make a pot of coffee
And you can rest your shoes
And you can tell me them sweet lies
And I'll listen to you
For I'm just a little part of
Of the life you've lived
But I'd rather have a little bit of trouble
Than to never know the love you give"
- "Hello Trouble" by Buck Owens... excellent off the "Crazy Heart" soundtrack

I heart "Crazy Heart".
I gotta go back and change that review to 4 bill-stars. 3 bill-stars... what an idiot!

The soundtrack is 5 bill-stars.
hello bikini trouble... yow, bill

NBA Nerds, part 2

2010-02-15T10:27:00.002-06:00

1. NBA Nerds
Only foreign-born NBA players read... American players play video games. Sigh.

NBA Nerds

The two causes are obvious:

Crappy public schools
Coddling of athletes from a very young age

Ah, nuts to that, here are some awesome dunks:

Vince Carter literally jumping over some poor schlep in the Olympics: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMrPjl-927Q
Michael Jordan, with two hands, dunking on 7'4" Mark Eaton in Utah: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhdMHcI2dRo
Kevin Johnson dunking on Hakeem: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kidpegzfFc

2. Obama Malaise
My fave, the Mad Hedge Fund guy, puts the odds at 50/50 for a Jimmy Carteresque ending to the President Obama story:

blog.madhedgefundtrader.com/2010/02/10/the-mad-hedge-fund-tradertuesday.aspx?ref=rss

QOTD

"If you’re over 50, and all of this sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because we’ve been through it all before. Remember Jimmy Carter? Remember the “misery index,” the unemployment rate plus the inflation rate, which hit 30, and catapulted Ronald Reagan into an eight year presidency?"
- the Mad Hedge Fund guy, source

Who knows?
In any case, it may not be the best time to buy and hold in the stock market. IMHO.

3. Poll wording
Finally, it's nice to confirm the obvious... the wording of a poll can dramatically effect the results.

QOTD2

"Seventy-nine percent of Democrats said they support permitting gay men and lesbians to serve openly. Fewer Democrats however, just 43 percent, said they were in favor of allowing homosexuals to serve openly."
- Poll results based on "gay" or "homosexual", source

Good one.
peace out... yow, bill

EARTHQUAKE!

2010-02-10T08:00:00.002-06:00

EARTHQUAKE!
Magnitude 4.3 earthquake rattles Illinois

Definitely felt it at The Castle.
Cool.

Oh, and a pol/global warming quickie...

$2B in stimulus money
6,000 jobs
That's more than $300K/job
And they're temporary
And... (drum roll)... the jobs aren't even in the United States

Good one:
Wind Energy Stimulus Money Not Creating US Jobs; Most of $2 Billion Going Overseas

That's Obamanomics (?!?) for you.
Ok, maybe we'll just stick to ObamaCare. He he.

And windmill farms are a blight...
earthquake... yow, bill

Pols, Beautiful Pols

2010-02-10T05:22:00.005-06:00

1. Pols, Beautiful Pols
Ah, my fave... pols.

QOTD1

"I know I'm the people's senator, but do I have to hang out with them?"
- John Edwards on attending county fairs, source

Here's a snarky review of a silly book about John Edwards in the WSJ.

The Hazards of Loyalty

It's silly because the author is a knucklehead named Andrew Young, former chief sycophant to pol John Edwards. Neither of these guys is the least bit credible.

It's snarky because the WSJ takes the book semi-seriously.

So, why mention it here at williamt?
A stupid book but these QOTD's are too delicious to pass up.
Pols are different than you and me.

QOTD2

"It used to be civilized.
The media was on our side.
We'd get our work done by one o'clock and by two we were at the White House chasing women."
- Teddy Kennedy, source

pretty crappy myspace site: www.dcbikiniteam.com

2. Health Care Anecdote
Here's an amazing health care anecdote for Australia, where they've had some flavor of socialized medicine for years, I guess.

Capitalism to Blame for Sub-prime?

QOTD3

"But the politicians who pushed through the National Health Scheme are no longer around to see the effects of their good intentions. The very people the National Health Scheme was intended to assist are its major victims. Standing on the sidelines now, observing what has come to pass, I can only wonder if the US will follow the same path as Obama attempts to resurrect his own National Health Plan."
- Ray Barros, source

3. Favorites
It's funny how I'm starting to squirrel away favorite links here... it's easy to search and find them later.

Cool photos from my birthplace (dop) Joliet, IL in 1914, courtesy the Joliet Historical Museum (huh?): www.jolietmuseum.org/history/jolietphotos-fulllist.htm
Top 50 cool nerdy, quirky blog posts from 2009 (thank you, Holly): scienceblogs.com/clock/2010/01/announcing_the_posts_that_will.php
Is Google in the process of wrecking gmail? Google adds Facebook-like features to gmail

peace... yow, bill

That Hopey Changey Stuff

2010-02-08T19:18:00.008-06:00

1. Mortgage Banker Payback
Funniest story of the day:

Mortgage Bankers Association Sells Headquarters at Big Loss

Even funnier QOTD...

QOTD

"We have come to the inescapable conclusion that owning our own building was the smartest long-term investment for the association."
- Mortgage Banker's Association in 2007, on buying their building

I guess foreclosure would have been more appropriate, but still... pretty funny.

2. Hopey Changey
Sarah Palin's "Tea Party" speech was chockful 'o Obama zingers.
Back to that in a second.

QOTD2

"Now, a year later, I got to ask the supporters of all that...
how is that hope-y, change-y stuff working out for you,"
- Sarah Palin, source

Hopey, changey... jeez. good one.

It dawns on this addled observer... why is Sarah Palin the only one calling this guy out?
Even this crappy blog pulls punches, I must admit.
Why?
Is it a black guy thing? Or social pressure? Fear of not dating hot 40-somethings?
I honestly don't know.
Processing...

QOTD3

"I think instead of lecturing, he needs to stop and he needs to listen on health care issues, on national security."
- Sarah Palin

Cha.
I read that now Obama is calling for a meeting with repubs on health care.
Now.
NOW!

Fucking idiot.
You've had a year... the Senate... the Congress... 53-47 victory over an 80 year-old stiff... 10% unemployment... few trillions in debt... and NOW you want to talk about health care reform.
Pathetic.

I have a better idea... more talks with Iran.

3. Book Review
Book: "The Night in Question" by Tobias Wolff
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... very good

Good read.
I am much more a novel guy than short stories, but still good.
Thanks, Matt for the rec.

QOTD4

"He was big in every direction - tall and rotund with a massive head, a trophy head."
- Tobias Wolff, "The Night in Question" page 191

BTW, the best short story of the bunch was the shortest and the last, "Bullet in the Brain"... about a guy who... well, just read it.
He he he.
hopey changey not... yow, bill

Snickers win

2010-02-08T07:25:00.005-06:00

1. Betty White
Best Super Bowl commercial... Betty White.

Betty White Snickers Ad

Dammit, that's funny.
All the Super Bowl ads are at that link, BTW.
How do young people even know who Betty White is?

2. Argentina
Ah, the world would be so much better off if hot chicks were running things.
Um. Don't tell that to Argentina, where the girls are just as corrupt as the boys.

Argentina Seizes Central Bank

Argentina girls: President Cristina and Central Banker Mercedes

I will say this... it looks like they're having fun.
I don't know how much fun hyper-inflation is going to be for your average joe (jose?) in Argentina, but whatever.

3. Milwaukee School Choice
Speaking of corruption... Dear President Obama. Dear Arnie Duncan. School choice is working in Milwaukee and DC and NYNY and...

Milwaukee Voucher Graduates

QOTD

"In 2008 the graduation rate for voucher students was 77% versus 65% for the nonvoucher students, though the latter receives $14,000 per pupil in taxpayer support, or more than double the $6,400 per pupil that voucher students receive in public funding."
- School choice stats in Milwaukee, source

So great that money can't buy results.
So great to see freedom working.

It's a smooth ride... arguing for choice and personal freedom.
How's that anti-freedom argument working... Obama and Arnie and the teacher's unions and other lefties.

All you have to do is allow for a little risk... the risk that people will take care of their own stuff (like kids) better than anyone else.
No risk with the gov plan... you know it will suck.
an easy choice... yow, bill

PS - "bikini school choice"

Crazy Heart, Crazy Pol

2010-02-07T08:32:00.005-06:00

1. Crazy Heart
Movie: "Crazy Heart"
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... really good

Let's see...

Outstanding performance by Jeff Bridges.
This is a fun, slow movie with lots of fun country music
Good ending
I'm definitely buying the soundtrack

It's a great date movie... or maybe I just had a great date... who can tell?

QOTD

"Falling feels like flying... for a little while"
- some good, ole, hard-drinkin and hard-livin country lyrics from "Crazy Heart"

2. Crazy Pol
Book: "End the Fed" by Ron Paul
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth reading

OK, Ron Paul isn't crazy, and the book is OK.
Ron Paul is an ideologue who takes his beliefs and extrapolates... gets kind of old after a while.

Here's Paul's basic argument, as I see it... "The Fed", since it was established in 1914 or something, has too much power and is corrupt and has led to the ruination of the United States.
OK.
Well, the obvious problem with this argument is that, under our current system, we have ascended to being the lone superpower in the world, both economically and politically.

To his credit though, Ron Paul puts his money on the table. He says that unless we go to a gold-based monetary system pronto, we're doomed.
So, when the US crashes in flames, I'll come back and give Ron Paul his props.

That said, I absolutely agree with Ron Paul's call for an end to Fed secrecy and shenanigans. There is no reason for the Fed to operate outside of scrutiny and without being audited.
I also absolutely agree with Paul's implication that far too much power has shifted to Washington DC in our country.

3. Quirky links
A couple-a quirky links por vu...

Art blog - www.a-pic.co.tv

It's so tough to be an artist, right? You can be completely amazing and you're likely to be completely poor and obscure at the same time. In just a few minutes of trolling, I found some really cool stuff on "Art blog". Check it out... these click are definitely worthy:

Redesign of the dollar - bunch-a artists create their own dollar bills
A single sheet of paper - amazing designs from just a piece of paper... the hand below is an example
Egg shell art - thousands of tiny holes in an egg, jeez

Source: A single sheet of paper

Tone Matrix - http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix

This is a weird, fun music site. Click away on the squares and enjoy.
crazy, crazy, quirky... yow, bill

Super Bowl Contest!

2010-02-02T19:12:00.004-06:00

www.williamt.com

Super Bowl Contest II

sponsored by www.recovery.gov

www.williamt.com is proud to announce our 2nd annual Super Bowl contest. This year's contest is sponsored by the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act. At www.recovery.gov we're helping America because "Shoot, we've got plenty of money!" (TM)

The contest is easy... you put in no $$, just email me your three picks to win win win:

Who will cover in the Super Bowl? Indy -5 1/2 or New Orleans +5 1/2
How many total points will be scored in the Super Bowl?
How many passing yards will Peyton Manning and Drew Brees have combined?

That's it.
The winner get a crappy replica jersey of some player from the winning team... not to worry, my stimulus $$$ will more than cover it.

Oh yeah, the rules:

Email me (williamt@williamt.com) your three picks. Get me the stuff by noon Super-Sunday. Any friend or family member or neighbor can play... the more the merrier. Warning: No fictional characters, and if your kids play, then they must make the picks. If your kid thinks the Bears are gonna win this year... send it in!
I'll email back a spreadsheet Sunday afternoon (before the game) with everyone's picks.
The winner is based on the three picks; they are sorted in order of importance. For example, if 7 people get pick #1 right, then pick #2 will decide. If there are any ties still left, then pick #3 will decide. I'll make sure no one has all three the same. If we have a tie, then closest without going over ("Price is Right" style) for total passing yards wins.
I'll announce the winner to everyone Monday. My decision is final. (Yes!) Offer not valid in Tennessee or Kentucky.

Last year's contest was super-exciting! Last year's winner (weener) was Chris the Commish. This year's winner (weener) could be you. Heck, it could be me. Yes, of course I'm playing.

www.williamt.com

www.williamt.com is your best source for crappy vacation photos.

www.williamt.com is there to sate your radical right-wing blog needs.

And yes, www.williamt.com... voted "Best blog on the Web" by "Hot 40-somethings" magazine for 6 years running.
Huzzah!

Email me: williamt@williamt.com
go bear... yow, bill

The Global Warming Terrorist and the Nuke-ular President

2010-01-29T11:40:00.008-06:00

1. The Global Warming Terrorist
A classic.
Global warming believer, Osama Bin Laden chimes in on cap & trade...

QOTD

"... bin Laden warned of the dangers of climate change and says that the way to stop it is to bring "the wheels of the American economy" to a halt."
- OBL, Bin Laden blasts US on climate change

Applying the Obama doctrine that we're provoking these poor guys, I hope I'm not out of place suggesting that OBL's motivation here may not be pure. It's possible that he's just jealous of Gore and Obama and is gunning for a Nobel Peace prize of his own.

2. The Nuke-ular President
And our leftie dream President chimes in on nuke-ular power:

Obama Pushes Nuclear Energy

QOTD2

"I see an evolving attitude on energy by the president... up until now, the administration has been pursuing a national windmill policy instead of a national energy policy, which is the military equivalent of going to war in sailboats."
- Sen Lamar Alexander, source

It'd be "the best" to see nuclear power actually gain traction under President Obama. Hey, I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

BTW, Wikipedia says this about power output:

Your average nuke plant puts out 500-2000 MW (mega-watts)
Your average wind turbine generates 1.5 MW

So, you pick... one nuke or 1,000 windmills littering the landscape.

Osama global warming and Obama nuclear power... too funny.
nuke me... yow, bill

Vedicts

2010-01-29T07:39:00.006-06:00

1. Movie Verdict
Movie: "The Verdict"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... outstanding!

Why 5 bill-stars for this tiny, tiny movie?
Paul Newman, Jack Warden, Charlotte Rampling, James Mason... directed by Sidney Lumet.
Magic.

QOTD

"I know how you feel. You don't believe me, but I do know.

I'm going to tell you something that I learned when I was your age. I'd prepared a case and old man White said to me, "How did you do?" And, uh, I said, "Did my best." And he said, "You're not paid to do your best. You're paid to win."

And that's what pays for this office... pays for the pro bono work that we do for the poor... pays for the type of law that you want to practice... pays for my whiskey... pays for your clothes... pays for the leisure time we have to sit back and discuss philosophy as we're doing tonight. We're paid to win the case.

You finished your marriage. You wanted to come back and practice the law. You wanted to come back to the world. Welcome back."
- "The Verdict", (evil) James Mason on paying Charlotte Rampling to back-stab Paul Newman

I can't find (and snarf) a good picture of Charlotte Rampling from "The Verdict". Dang it.
I did find a fun article on some dude's fave scene in "The Verdict": The Paul Newman Scene I Can't Get Out of My Head

2. Global Warming Verdict
Ah, crazy 2 byte characters: Bjørn Lomborg.
øøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøø

I heart Bjørn Lomborg.
He's a common sense voice on global warming and in today's WSJ points out the obvious: even if you believe in global warming, the answer isn't carbon taxes or caps or whatever... it's innovation!

Rethink Global Warming

Lomborg calls for a sort of international research effort. None is needed, of course. As long as big money lies at the end of the rainbow, companies and countries will vie for the prize to the best of their abilities.

Funny one... I saw an op-ed by Joe Biden in today's WSJ titled, "The President's Nuclear Vision", and had a quick flash on President Obama (finally) calling on nuclear power as a part of our energy solution. Dop. No, it was some crap about nuclear weapons. Sigh. Other than the vapid "green jobs" mantra, the Obama administration continues the tradition of not having an energy policy in the US. Dop.

3. Socialism Verdict
Is America in the process of telling socialism's most buxom salesman to pack her bags and hit the fucking bricks? Golly, wouldn't it be great. Almost too much to hope for. But aren't we leaning that way? Just a little?

The President Obama buzz/cult of personality seems to be waning a bit. Not his personal popularity. That will not be impacted by anything. Look at Bill Clinton. But President Obama's agenda is ebbing: health care, can & trade, massive government spending and intervention.

And where are the repubs during this void? I mean, Obamacare has been knocked on its ass... where's the repub retort?!? Competition across state lines. Tax credits for people who can't afford it? Malpractice reform?

Or, where is the Newt Gingrich for 2010's redo of the 1994 elections?
Where is the dang Contract With America for 2010?

I heart America and her defining tradition of freedom and rugged individualism. I believe!
peace... yow, bill

QOTD2

"Your Honor, with all due respect, if you're going to try my case for me, I wish you wouldn't lose it."
- Paul Newman, "The Verdict"

Blatant

2010-01-26T07:02:00.004-06:00

1. Blatant bias
There has been a shift. I think.
In the last decade, the notion of even pretending to be an unbiased news network has been completely discarded. FoxNews leans to the right. CNN is now the FoxNews of the left. MSNBC is a train wreck. ABC/NBC/CBS... who cares.

A little anecdotal evidence of this (from a rightie site, Newsbusters)...
The MA election of Scott Brown was "important" and was expected to have a substantial impact going forward, especially if the repub guy won. The Newsbusters article below shows how much of each candidate's acceptance speech was covered by each network:

Blatant vs. Balanced

I detailed here at williamt what jags CNN were when this Scott Brown guy won.
At this point, I know of no unbiased news source on the tube.

2. Movie Review
Movie: (500) Days of Summer
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... just ok.

Pretty vanilla girlie movie about a girl named Summer. It was pleasant enough... hence the 3 stars. Yawn. It was a good date movie, I reckon.

This decidedly 20-something movie is replete with 70's and 80's music.
Why don't 20-somethings have their own music? Curious.

The role of Summer is played by a girl named Zooey Deschanel. She's quirky hot, I reckon (again):

Zooey?

Anyway, she sort of reminds me of quirky hot 40-something Nancy Kerrigan:

Please don't email me that I said Nancy Kerrigan is hot. I know I said she's hot. Look, I'm not saying she's brilliant or a role model for my many children or going to win the Nobel Peace Prize (on second thought)... I'm saying she's a quirky hot little 40-something.
So get bent.
cranky in the morning... yow, bill

PS - Fun spam this morning... courtesy www.modcloth.com, here's a dandy outfit for that trip you're taking to the psychiatrist to up your meds.