Investment Banking Explained

"It's ridiculous, totally ridiculous." [Bear Stearns executive cmte chair Alan Greenberg, commenting just a few short days ago about rumors of liquidity problems]

"I have detailed information about the situation...which completely proves that what they allege are illusions . . . They lie every day." [frmr Iraqi Information Minister Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf]

USD punctuation

Headline in wire release: Saudi Arabia Says Dollar Is Undervalued, a `Good Buy'. Clearly this was spoken and simply transcribed incorrectly by the press. The correct headline would be: Saudi Arabia Says Dollar Is Under, Valued a 'Goodbye'.

...except in FED speeches

during which helicopter SFX should be playing in the background

No more SFX. Seriously.

Sound effects detract from, rather than add to, scariness in movies. Just saw Diary of the Dead and, while I thought it was ok (hard not to like zombie movies), it was not immune to the Loud Startling Sound compulsion that has gripped filmmakers for quite some time. If any recent horror movie should have been entirely devoid of the sonic shock syndrome, it should have been this one.

Toyah Toyah Toyah

My new musical, banking a bit on Mamma Mia but with better music. Does it need to be set in Pearl Harbor? The 3 Toyah sisters (Claire, Kim, Deborah) are reunited to save their mother from a cult, save their love lives, and save the world (possibly from aliens, possibly from evil cyberpunk villains). Using entirely non-original music from Blondie, Altered Images, Toyah, Bow Wow Wow, Kim Wilde, Siouxsie and the Banshees, heck, even shamelessly jumping decades (pretenders, breeders, belly, catatonia, dolly parton), it will pack them in with toe-tapping sing-alongs,  futuristic dancing, and boyhood fantasy girl-on-girl musical action. Investors welcome.

John Connolly

Picked up The Unquiet by John Connolly at an airport with very low expectations but have been delighted by the quality of the writing. I've only ever read a bit of Stephen King, 20+ years ago, and thought he was really hacky. Despite the detective/thriller angle, Connolly is everything I wanted King to be. Like magic in Tolkien, there is only just enough "horror", and it is wrapped in ambiguity allowing for (and sometimes arguing for) simple madness, rather than the bug-eyed-monster-realism of King horror.

Ted Rall

Why do I keep reading? Been doing it for years but realize over and over how crap it is. Am I hoping for sudden, or even occasional, absence of sucking? I give up.

heavy fingers

I learned to type nearly 30 years ago, on manual typewriters. Years ago I got over the violent assault on lightweight computer keyboards that is practiced by those used to having a direct correlation between input force of finger impact input and legibility of output. However, while I know that two spaces after a period have not been needed for quite a while in the modern era of typsetting, I have not been able to adapt. It just happens automatically. It hasn't mattered until now, since blogspot doesn't correctly handle the extra whitespace. Which drives me crazy, so I have to go back over each post and remove extra spaces. I am curious to see if I will ever adapt.

how long did it take me to have this insight

The other morning I stepped out of the shower and noticed a word written on the mirror. JJ listens to the radio while showering and sometimes writes song names on the foggy mirror to note them for later purchase. I swiped clear a swath under the title and ducked down to check my hair in the mirror. It would have been simple enough to wipe the writing away if I was feeling annoyed or pissed off about anything. The choice is made daily, in many small actions rather than grand ones, between resentment or appreciation, antagonism or consideration.

Snowboarding Illustrated

Here a group discusses proper fundamentals.  At least 70% of a boarder's time on piste should be spent in relaxed discussion.

A boarder demonstrates complete mastery of the Fundamental Position.

Refreshingly Direct Medicine Naming

Prescribed to "dissolve mucous in the lungs":  Mucosolvan!

Travel Tip

especially for those who think they are not Europeans (Irish and English, that means you)

Do not wear swimsuits in the sauna.