Archive for May 2006
Close
Take a look at this: That's Bonds' 715th on Sunday. See the two guys in white T-shirts in the center of the frame, one with the black ballcap turned backwards and the one with the red cap? My wife's brother and brother-in-law. Man, that was close to quite a payoff. (photo via MSNBC)Read More
Better Safe than Sorry
That's what they say, anyway. Personally, I've never even come close to living that way. I think if I had to identify the one thing that's predominantly responsible for the success of Western Civilization in general and America in particular--by which I mean leading the world to virtually everything I consider important--it's a certain sort of willingness to take risks when there are potentially big payoffs at stake. Without a willingness to undertake risk, nothing…Read More
Caring
In the same vein as my last entry, I'm just sitting here outside the New Leaf Community Market off Hwy 9 in Felton, CA up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Lot's of spiritual people up here and that's what I aspire to, above all. Yep. Just sitting here under an umbrella outside sipping my organic coffee, which also happens to be fair-trade certified (of course). I gotta say, too: these new Sony TX-series notebooks (all…Read More
Democracy Now!
I got this link to an article about John Travolta's "little place" the other day--the one with the B-707 parked out front. It's a little laborious to get through. It violates my "no horizontal scrolling" rule and the person who put it up needs to be beat about the head & shoulders for that one. That said, surely the couple must be gobsmacked by what they have pulled off? Do they ever look around...at possibly…Read More
I’ll Tell You Why
Neal asks: Why delete James Shott's comment? I'll tell you why. This is my blog. I make no claim to objectivity. It exists entirely -- without equivocation or apology -- for my own selfish pleasure. When I deem that controversy, arguments, even personal insults in comments serve my ultimate interest, such comments remain (99%, so far; at least). If not: delete button. I always (at least I know of no time when I haven't) give…Read More
May Report Card
Profits of $21,369; a 24.2% return on cash. I reported on April here. Click on the Market Trading category for the whole series, in reverse chronological order (start at the bottom, work your way up). Well, any concerns expressed in April as to the low volatility numbers (resulting in lower credit premiums) have been cured. If you follow the markets at all, you may be aware that last week offered a moderate correction on all…Read More
Tell me again…
...why voting is so important? Now, don't get me wrong. Voting is "stupid" (I've other words, too) per se, but within the raw, closed-logic of the thing, Kim's right on. Update: as I was saying.Read More
“Illegal”
Someone in email, referencing a VDH article about the immigration issue: Seems the most intelligent man on earth doesn't have a problem with the term "illegal." I should care? Hansen is educated and smart. He's right about the terrorist threat--but that's because Hansen is a war historian. Read any of his history books, like Carnage & Culture? I have. You can borrow it. Here, he's out of his element and his league, in spite of…Read More
That About Sums it Up
I just received something in email that about made my blood boil. That's been dealt with severely. Let me tell you conservatives and Republicans something: You disgust me with your incessant and evil harping about "illegal" immigration. You have lost completely and totally the spirit of what America was all about. Completely and totally. Nothing is left. You think it was about a constitution and laws. It was about leaving oppression and misery behind, risking…Read More
The Very Exceedingly Complicated Nature of Society
Man... I keep linking Radley Balko. So often, there's just no damned way around it. From the guy I link to probably second only to Balko myself. Here's what I said recently, and Billy agreed. And I've got seven of Balko's posts at the ready for yet another roundup when I get a chance here. The post Billy is linking to is one I'd read just minutes before, but it was not one I'd intended…Read More
Calling the Kettle Black
I enjoyed reading Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code. You might have noticed the Da Vinci quote at the top of this blog and that book was where I first read of it. Also, the background is a cropped portion of a Da Vinci sketch that I manipulated in one of those 'photoshop' things. I saw the film last evening in a packed theater that must have been 90 degrees. Ugh. Could have done…Read More
Staying on the Bus
So's you can go the back of the bus... That's what's all the rage, now. It's great to be the victim of racism. The racists...they're everywhere. Don't miss out. Be a victim today. Cultural Racism: Those aspects of society that overtly and covertly attribute value and normality to white people and Whiteness, and devalue, stereotype, and label people of color as “other”, different, less than, or render them invisible. Examples of these norms include defining…Read More
A Convenient Lie
During a visit to the cinema last evening, I was "treated" to the trailer for the upcoming Al Gore film: An Inconvenient Truth. Knock yourselves out. If you're unable to detect the difference between real science, and an agenda that cherry picks out-of-context material for use in post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacies, then what the hell? -- you're a moron, a scientific ignoramus, and there's really no point in you being anything different. Just…Read More
Chaos and Mass Civil Unrest Narrowly Averted
Well I just got home and undertook to walk the two terrorists (Rotor and Nannuk) cleverly disguised as cute little rat terriers. Here's some recent pics of Rotor while on stud duty. He's the brown-faced one. I digress. So we went out on the normal course around the block and I could see down the RR tracks that there was some commotion involving the police. There were at least a couple of cars and a…Read More
Just Another Day Here in the “Land of the Free”
Make sure you watch the video associated with the story Billy Beck links to. You know, it has been a good 10 years now that I have been toying with the idea to someday create a massive online public ostracism database for placing swine such as Natalie Preston of the Baltimore Police Department. Perhaps one of these days I'll post something about it.Read More
Dear John
Well, taking just the non-gibberish portions of your comments... "Well, you know, when I read of millions of people being 'consigned to dung heaps' - children too, I guess - I think that in such circumstances I'd prefer to be numbered among the dead myself." You have been. You are. You will. Humanity has been consigned to the dung heap, by nature, for all of history, John, and you are condemned to join them. Don't…Read More
Preview of May Report Card
Well, what a day. If you've been following along, you'll see I've been keeping things in the black. Tomorrow is expiration day for May options on the SPX, so as usual, the Wednesday and Thursday of expiration week are lively and focused. Today was no exception. Here's what I just posted to my trading discussion list. Subj: I Wimped Out Alright, when I saw that 1272 break and go all the way down to 1267,…Read More
Europe or Bust
Well, just booked flights on Air France from San Francisco to Paris Chales DeGalle, leaving Monday July 3. We'll make a three week trip of it, returning the 24th. Can you imagine what kind of time and effort it takes to plan a three week touring vacation, particularly if the wife is allowed any input? So can I, which is why the extent of our firm reservations is airline tickets and a reservation at the…Read More
Me: School Teacher
That's right. All next week, an hour per day. My wife's 5th grade class. For years she's been telling me about the Junior Achievement program to bring business and economics to the classroom. There's a different curriculum for each grade level and upon a cursory review of the 5th grade material, it's pretty good. Of course, I'll be adding an insight or two of my own . We'll see how it goes and I shall…Read More
You Can’t Fight City Hall
Jeff Michael brings up something I always find bizarre and ends up referencing a couple of my past posts in the process. The tax protester movement amuses me to no end, especially the sort that claims that the tax law in reality does not require the payment of some sorts of taxes, or withholding, or what have you and that the IRS is just not following its own rules. It's the most bizarrely circular sort…Read More