williamt blog

I still heart Ozzie

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:20:00 +0000

1. Ozzie
I remember this old post: I Heart Ozzie
Ah, so great.
Well, I still heart Ozzie.

QOTD

"That (bleep)! (Bleep) the (bleep) (bleep)! Don't go to Venezuela for two days, surrounded with bodyguards, look around, and say, 'It's good!' It's not good!' ''
- Ozzie Guillen, on Sean Penn's girlish crush on Venezuela dictator Hugo Chavez, source

Ozzie is Venezuelan, BTW.

2. Intolerance
As your average 40-something can tell you, everything is better in America than 40 years ago... cars, houses, health care, food, racial harmony, less drugs, technology, etc.

The only downside: we live in a time of great intolerance, prohibition, and political correctness:

Detroit Settles Perfume Allergy Case for $100,000

In this case, prohibition of "scented products, including but not limited to colognes, after-shave lotions, perfumes, deodorants, body/face lotions, hair sprays or similar products." And all this accomplished by gaming the American with Disabilities Act.

Reality is stranger than fiction. Jeez.

3. The Worst
And I still heart Investor's Business Daily... here's there editorial on "the worst bill ever":

Why Health Bill Makes No Sense

I don't know if this is the worst bill ever.
But I don't recall such a corrosive piece of legislation and president.

4. And the Oscar goes to...
Movie: "The Hurt Locker"
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... OK.

My expectations were too high for this film. I accredit this to a) other people's comments, b) won "Best Picture" at the Oscars, and c) I just saw some "Private Ryan" on the tube.

Hey, it was OK. There were some long stretches that were slow. You could easily have shaved time from the 2 hour, 15 minute movie.

I was glad it wasn't a political/anti-war movie. I'm even gladder to see that yet another anti-war movie, "Green Zone", is failing at the box office. Hate to wish people ill, but huzzah to that!

En homage to Ozzie... Venezuela bikini
huzzah once more... yow, bill

Steve Forbes. Anti-Obama

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:15:00 +0000

1. Steve Forbes, the anti-Obama
Book: "How Capitalism Will Save Us" by Steve Forbes
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... good.

I agree with most of what Forbes writes about... economic freedom and limited government. That's the good part. But the bar part is that his book is very dry. It's pretty much a straight line recitation of stats and facts supporting his case... one after the other.

I was cranky about this. A few chapters in, I finally connected the dots, that Steve Forbes is the anti-Obama.

Forbes ain't much to look at,
He's not much of a sweet talker (cough),
He's cares about individual freedom, and
He's right.

Forbes' summary in the epilogue contains 14 points that summarize the book. It's the wrong level of detail for a summary. Give me your top 3 or top 5 principles, not 14 long-winded "do-this, do-that" points. This QOTD is a better summary of Forbes' book than that.

QOTD

"Bottom Line: Trust we the people. We are the economy!"
- Steve Forbes, the last line from "How Capitalism Will Save Us"

2. Census nonsense
How much are they (we!) spending on the census this year?
Just a cool $14B. (source)

Well Bill, you might say, maybe that's not so much.
OK.
The census cost $2.5B in 1990 and $4.5B just 10 years ago.
Let's see... 14/4.5... that's more than a triple of the amount spent on the previous census.

Included in this is a $340M marketing budget that includes the following nonsense:

A mailer sent to everyone announcing that your census mailer was coming. The tab for mailing a letter to everyone in the United States... $57M (source)
From the above link: "To coordinate this campaign, the Census Bureau awarded a $212 million contract to a New York City-based advertising firm."
A Super Bowl ad that cost $2.5M (source)
A ridiculous rap commercial with the tag line, "We can't move forward until you mail it back" (source)
Sponsoring a car in Nascar at $1.2M (source)
Sponsoring by Dora the Explora (source), but I couldn't find Dora's take of this mega-kitty

The census guys (the ones snarfing the dinners and strip club visits from doling out all this PR/consultant work) claim that this marketing budget is making us money. The census saves money with an increased response rate.

Dude. C'mon.

3. Insulting
The Obama administration is going after, of all people, Israel.
David Axelrod says of Israel's announcements of new settlements: "This was an affront, it was an insult... and for this announcement to come at that time was very destructive." (source)

Let's see. Choose between Israel (democracy and staunch ally) or David Axelrod... easy call.
trust we the people... yow, bill

I want to party with these guys

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Party #1 - The Dude
Pretty funny... Jeff Dowd has a website: www.jeffdowd.com
Jeff Dowd is "The Dude" in real life.
It looks like he's making some dinero on the whole deal. Why not?

Movie: "The Big Lebowski"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... the best!

Could be a top 10 Bill-movie.
I can't come up with a funnier movie off the top of my head.

Party #2 - Trekkie
Excellent.
http://video.yahoo.com/network/100063489?v=7086116&l=100063517

The "Tholian Web" episode was on last night... 40+ years and still the BEST!

QOTD

"Bones, Spock. Since you are playing this tape, we will assume that I am dead and the tactical situation is critical and both of you are locked in mortal combat.

It means, Spock, that you have control of the ship and are probably making the most difficult decisions of your career. I can offer only one small piece of advice for whatever it's worth: use every scrap of logic and knowledge you have to save the ship, but temper your judgment with intuitive insight. I believe you have those qualities, but if you can't find them in yourself, seek out McCoy. Ask his advice, and, if you find it sound, take it.

Bones, you've heard what I just told Spock. Help him if you can, but remember he is the captain, his decisions must be followed, without question. You might find that he is capable of human insight and human error. They are most difficult to defend, but you will find that he is deserving of the same loyalty and confidence each of you have given me.

Take care."
- Capt Kirk's, taped message for Spock & McCoy in the event of his death, imdb source

Party #3 - Ripping Al a new one
Great article... props to Steven F Hayward for the writing and to the Morning News for the link:

In Denial

"In Denial" is pretty long. But worthy.
The interesting part is not just the rebuttal of the science, but also the outright (and justified) attack on the selling of science and its politicization by Al Gore and his ilk.
warm this... yow, bill

Speaking of Star Trek... this is the girl who played Uhura in the new Star Trek movie. Jeez. And Yow!

Burish, My Grandma is Pregnant

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:19:00 +0000

I heart hockey and the Chicago Blackhawk and Adam Burish.

QOTD1

"Burish, my grandma is pregnant."
- sign at the Stadium celebrating Adam Burish's return to the Hawk after a knee injury

Excellent.

Blackhawks' Burish has a blast in first game back

QOTD2

"I don't know what that means. I skated by it and said, 'it's not mine.' "
- Adam Burish, on pregnant grandmas

shoot the puck... yow, bill

Education Dollars

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:30:00 +0000

"Blue moon"

1. Education Dollars in Illinois
Nice. The top 100 paid teachers in Illinois:

Top 100 Teacher Salaries for 2009 Average $160,000

Top 100 Teacher Salaries - the list

That list is an image, so I can't spreadsheet it up, but by visual inspection:

17 of the top 100 paid teachers teach Physical Education
4 teacher Driver's Ed

And please, humble reader, don't forget the most obvious of facts.

QOTD

"And all of that is for a 36-week work-year."
- Top 100 teacher salaries in IL, source

2. Education Dollars in Kansas City
Kansas City is shuttering tons of schools.

Massive School Closures in KC

That link is to the neutered AP story. (Lordy, the AP sucks)
Here's a blog post with more of the gory details on egregious spending:

Apparently, through some judicial ruling on desegregation, KC received $2B back in 1985.
Since then, the public education spending spree has resulted in... "higher teachers' salaries, 15 new schools, and such amenities as an Olympic-sized swimming pool with an underwater viewing room, television and animation studios, a robotics lab, a 25-acre wildlife sanctuary, a zoo, a model United Nations with simultaneous translation capability, and field trips to Mexico and Senegal. The student-teacher ratio was 12 or 13 to 1, the lowest of any major school district in the country." Source

And the payoff after 25 years... less than 1/3 of the kids perform at their grade level.

3. Education Dollars Everywhere
This KC pol is a great anti-example.

QOTD

"The urban core has suffered white flight post-the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. the Board of Education, blockbusting by the real estate industry, redlining by banks and other financial institutions, retail and grocery store abandonment."
- KC pol, source

Hey, little creepy KC pol... Your problem isn't white people of banks or money or anything, except... self-determination and choice.
KC spent (mis-spent) thousands of dollars per student every year.
If KC pols had given parents the choice of using those dollars to find the school of their choice, this wouldn't have happened.

It don't take no genius to connect the dots from the government monopoly in education to a new Obama-led government monopoly in health care. President Obama is trying to lead us into losing our choice in health care. The results of this change, like public education in KC, will be disastrous.
choice... yow, bill

Great Charts

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:23:00 +0000

Chart #1 - Funding obesity
Hey, this is a great chart.

Ya get it? The feds don't tax obesity; they fund it.
Oh, don't worry they'll tax obesity, and then funnel the money back into more subsidies.

I don't know the real source for this graph, but I found it using this weird Google Reader Play.
I don't think this link will help you, but if you use Reader, try Reader Play. Just for fun though.

Chart #2. Tracking the cult of personality
Looks like Evita, I mean, President Obama is taking a bit of a popularity hit.

Well, huzzah to that.
Hopefully, that Obama approval rating will continue heading due south. ***

QOTD

"Over the last year, we’ve gone through the budget line by line looking for places to trim the fat out of government."
- President Obama fibbing yesterday, source

chart this... yow, bill

*** footnote - I'll bet it doesn't go down much more... the stock market is telling us that jobs are coming around the corner. If that happens, that popularity will pop back up somewhat.

PS - BTW, "hope I die before I get old"... this article is FUCKING BRUTAL!

Men Outlive Women Sexually

Cheli! Choice!

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:16:00 +0000

It's almost 60 flipping degrees out. Yow!

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

Chelios Headed to Thrashers

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:59:00 +0000

"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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:31:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:46:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:59:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:54:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:08:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:59:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 11:55:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:54:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:57:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:49:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:14:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:45:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:47:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:27:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:22:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (williamt) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:18:00 +0000

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