Jon Stewart veered from use usual "fake" journalism this week when he interviewed Jim Cramer who has own financial advise show on CNBC. Stewart exposed Cramer to be more Kramer-esque from Seinfeld fame. Cramer kept referring to the Wall Street "shenanigans" during the interview, and Stewart kept providing evidence of these shenanigans by playing videos of Cramer up to no good.
To quote one of the comments on the Comedy Central web site: it's ridiculous it takes you (Jon Stewart) to hold these people accountable.
Now let's contrast this with a speech by Larry Summers, Obama's top economic advisor. Summers talks a lot about breaking the cycle of greed and excess of fear. The following are some of the themes that Summers discusses without a lot of detail:
"Our single most important priority it bringing about economic recovery" - But so far one of the most visible methods for doing this is through the economic stimulus bill which has a lot to be desired and is fraught with a "me-first" mentality as policy makers flock to Washington to make their pitch for a piece of the pie.
"Not driven by financial excess" - But we have the Madoffs of the world having profited on behalf of their families at the expense of the masses. Yes, he's going to jail for a long time, but there is still that feeling that we have been hoodwinked.
"Raise incomes for middle class families" - But how is this going to help a middle class that at this point feels that they will have to keep working until the very end? I think that most of us would gladly trade the ability to earn more moving forward for the ability to see more of those who have gained financially through dubious means to pay for their actions.
"Our problems were not made in a day, a month or a year" - But what has been done to make sure that this will not happen again? Will there be penalties for the Jim Cramers of the world for not reforming?
At this point, Jon Stewart has done a better job articulating the feelings of most Americans than anyone else in the public sphere to date. This is really a sorry state of affairs.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Trying to do the Right Thing
I came across an interesting article today about Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BI) in Boston. They are going through difficult times just like almost everyone else. Having hired over a quarter of their current staff in the last 6 years, the chances of some of these people losing their jobs is a real possibility. Another thought that crossed my mind was if it was wise to hire that many people in such a short period of time, but without knowing the details it's difficult to say much more about this.
At BI, they've come up with an alternative to layoffs. The hospital has come together as a community in an attempt to make it so no one has to leave. Paul Levy, the President and CEO of BI, threw out an idea. What he said was, "I'd like to do what we can to protect the lower-wage earners...if we protect these workers, it means the rest of us will have to make a bigger sacrifice. It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits."
This idea has been embraced by the hospital staff and has grown to the hospital staff coming up with their own ideas. Some staff have agreed to forego a planned salary increase. Another suggested working less. The State of California has implemented the working less strategy, but with less grace.
I wonder if what is being done at BI could be applied in a more widespread manner?
At BI, they've come up with an alternative to layoffs. The hospital has come together as a community in an attempt to make it so no one has to leave. Paul Levy, the President and CEO of BI, threw out an idea. What he said was, "I'd like to do what we can to protect the lower-wage earners...if we protect these workers, it means the rest of us will have to make a bigger sacrifice. It means that others will have to give up more of their salary or benefits."
This idea has been embraced by the hospital staff and has grown to the hospital staff coming up with their own ideas. Some staff have agreed to forego a planned salary increase. Another suggested working less. The State of California has implemented the working less strategy, but with less grace.
I wonder if what is being done at BI could be applied in a more widespread manner?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
David and Christina Star on Evening News!
It's not too often that one gets to see a local news story featuring co-workers and friends. Last night was an exception.
The video clip below features David and Christina from out office explaining one of our projects. The footage of these two was taken at a public meeting held at Mountain View City Hall where the public was invited to provide input on the project.
I arrived when Lloyd LaCuesta and the cameraman were packing up to leave. I was told that they asked for suggestions for their on-site footage. The In-N-Out Burger near the Charleston Road on-ramp was the near unanimous suggestion based on proximity to the freeway and the existing safe refuge in the parking lot ... and oh, yes, In-N-Out Burger serves up decent burgers.
http://www.ktvu.com/video/18893851/
The video clip below features David and Christina from out office explaining one of our projects. The footage of these two was taken at a public meeting held at Mountain View City Hall where the public was invited to provide input on the project.
I arrived when Lloyd LaCuesta and the cameraman were packing up to leave. I was told that they asked for suggestions for their on-site footage. The In-N-Out Burger near the Charleston Road on-ramp was the near unanimous suggestion based on proximity to the freeway and the existing safe refuge in the parking lot ... and oh, yes, In-N-Out Burger serves up decent burgers.
http://www.ktvu.com/video/18893851/
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
No, I Don't Want Quesadilla
Mom: How about if I make quesadillas instead tonight.
Ryan: No, I don't want quesadillas (earlier he was told that we would have pizza).
Mom: I could make Spanish rice too (knowing that Ryan is a fan of Spanish rice). I don't really want to go out again.
Ryan: I don't mind if you go to Rocco's (to pick up the pizza).
Ryan: No, I don't want quesadillas (earlier he was told that we would have pizza).
Mom: I could make Spanish rice too (knowing that Ryan is a fan of Spanish rice). I don't really want to go out again.
Ryan: I don't mind if you go to Rocco's (to pick up the pizza).
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Bailout Baloney
We are just sick and tired of reading and hearing more about the bailout of the banking industry. No more!!
And guess what we get? We get to see them "testifying" for more than six hours in front of Congress. This brought back memories of the cigarette industry "testifying." And the baseball industry represented by their players "testifying" about the use of steroids. Why do they call this "testifying?" It should be called "confessing."
There is one question for which I cannot find an answer: just to whom do these banks owe money so that they need a bailout from government? One answer given by a friend recently was that they money to other banks. If this is the case, then the amounts that they owe each other should be written off.
So while you cannot usually get relief on a mortgage gone bad until you are underwater and in deep trouble, these same banks who actually still have money want to get bailed out before they go underwater. Something doesn't compute here.
And guess what we get? We get to see them "testifying" for more than six hours in front of Congress. This brought back memories of the cigarette industry "testifying." And the baseball industry represented by their players "testifying" about the use of steroids. Why do they call this "testifying?" It should be called "confessing."
There is one question for which I cannot find an answer: just to whom do these banks owe money so that they need a bailout from government? One answer given by a friend recently was that they money to other banks. If this is the case, then the amounts that they owe each other should be written off.
So while you cannot usually get relief on a mortgage gone bad until you are underwater and in deep trouble, these same banks who actually still have money want to get bailed out before they go underwater. Something doesn't compute here.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Chinese New Year's Resolutions - Sports Edition
These are resolutions that should be made by the following sports personalities and institutions:
College Football: Scrap the BCS and implement a play-off system to decide a national championship, and determine awards after the ENTIRE season is over (including the bowl season) - if postseason stats count for records shouldn't they be considered for the purposes of determining awards too?
David Stern: Retire after his overseeing of the debacle that was the relocating of the Sonics to Oklahoma City - he's lost considerable credibility in some corners.
College Basketball: Implement the No Charge Zone under the basket just like the NBA has (there are too many charging calls still called in ticky-tack conferences ... cough pac-10 ... on players going to the basket when the defender is immediately under the cylinder ... don't know what defending is going on this situation ... isn't this like having the goalie in soccer defending while standing in the goal?).
NFL: Hire professional full-time game officials ... I think we've seen too many officials missing calls because their bi-focals had fogged up.
Al Davis: Trade in his silver and black Raiders jump suit for attire suitable for retirement to a golf course in Arizona ... he has lost all relevance in the NFL and the die-hard Raider fans deserve better.
Bud Selig: Return all money made on the backs of players like Mark McGuire, Slammin' Sammy, Clemens, et al. The players are carrying a much larger share of the burden than they deserve for the steroid saga (not that they weren't without fault either). Given the magnitude of its use, it's hard to believe that others inside baseball including the owners, MLB baseball management and media did not know more than what they are saying they knew about the whole deal ... and also retire.
MLB: Reorganize MLB into two divisions ... one division would have all teams with a payroll above $100 million and the other would have all the other lower payroll teams, with the winners of the two divisions squaring off against one another in the World Series (add teams from other continents to these divisions to make the World Series a true global championship) - this would be a David versus Goliath event with wide-ranging appeal.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
College Football: Scrap the BCS and implement a play-off system to decide a national championship, and determine awards after the ENTIRE season is over (including the bowl season) - if postseason stats count for records shouldn't they be considered for the purposes of determining awards too?
David Stern: Retire after his overseeing of the debacle that was the relocating of the Sonics to Oklahoma City - he's lost considerable credibility in some corners.
College Basketball: Implement the No Charge Zone under the basket just like the NBA has (there are too many charging calls still called in ticky-tack conferences ... cough pac-10 ... on players going to the basket when the defender is immediately under the cylinder ... don't know what defending is going on this situation ... isn't this like having the goalie in soccer defending while standing in the goal?).
NFL: Hire professional full-time game officials ... I think we've seen too many officials missing calls because their bi-focals had fogged up.
Al Davis: Trade in his silver and black Raiders jump suit for attire suitable for retirement to a golf course in Arizona ... he has lost all relevance in the NFL and the die-hard Raider fans deserve better.
Bud Selig: Return all money made on the backs of players like Mark McGuire, Slammin' Sammy, Clemens, et al. The players are carrying a much larger share of the burden than they deserve for the steroid saga (not that they weren't without fault either). Given the magnitude of its use, it's hard to believe that others inside baseball including the owners, MLB baseball management and media did not know more than what they are saying they knew about the whole deal ... and also retire.
MLB: Reorganize MLB into two divisions ... one division would have all teams with a payroll above $100 million and the other would have all the other lower payroll teams, with the winners of the two divisions squaring off against one another in the World Series (add teams from other continents to these divisions to make the World Series a true global championship) - this would be a David versus Goliath event with wide-ranging appeal.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Our White Christmas
We did have a very white Christmas for a change. Here's the video that shows just how white. Enjoy!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
And Here's the Evidence!
Of the thievery, that is.
The following video clips are courtesy of PRD74 on YouTube and also The Bear Will Not Quit blog. These clips show the last minute of regulation and also the last minute of each overtime period of the Bears' triple overtime thriller against the Huskies. Watching the videos makes one realize the improbability of the Bears' victory. The Bears were down 4 with about 12 seconds left in the second overtime. Most teams do not get out of that sort of hole, especially on the road after playing the whole game from behind.
End of Regulation (starting with UW 30-second timeout with one minute left in the game and the Bears down 55-58):
First Overtime (right after a basket by Jon Brockman put the Huskies up 64-61 at the 2:42 mark):
Second Overtime (coming out of TV timeout at 1:14 with UW up 72-68):
The Coup De Grace Stanza (coming out of a Bears timeout with 1:01 remaining and the score knotted at 83 after a Bears basket by Theo Robertson):
This game was one for the ages, especially if you're a Cal Bears fan.
The following video clips are courtesy of PRD74 on YouTube and also The Bear Will Not Quit blog. These clips show the last minute of regulation and also the last minute of each overtime period of the Bears' triple overtime thriller against the Huskies. Watching the videos makes one realize the improbability of the Bears' victory. The Bears were down 4 with about 12 seconds left in the second overtime. Most teams do not get out of that sort of hole, especially on the road after playing the whole game from behind.
End of Regulation (starting with UW 30-second timeout with one minute left in the game and the Bears down 55-58):
First Overtime (right after a basket by Jon Brockman put the Huskies up 64-61 at the 2:42 mark):
Second Overtime (coming out of TV timeout at 1:14 with UW up 72-68):
The Coup De Grace Stanza (coming out of a Bears timeout with 1:01 remaining and the score knotted at 83 after a Bears basket by Theo Robertson):
This game was one for the ages, especially if you're a Cal Bears fan.
Thievery by the Bears in Triple Overtime!
Roxy Bernstein's (Cal radio announcer) question and comment to Theo Robertson on the post game show after the Bears' thrilling triple OT 88-85 victory over the Huskies were greeted with a hearty laugh by Theo. The question was if the Bears were looking forward to flying home and getting some rest before their next tilt down on the Farm. The follow up tongue-in-cheek comment by Roxy was that the Bears likely could fly home without a plane.
This was the Bears' equivalent of Larry Mize chipping in from 140 feet at the Masters in 1987 to steal one from a shocked Greg Norman. The Bears won a game they really had no business winning. After all, their only leads of the game were at 1-0 and at 86-85. Even in the three OTs, the Bears consistently played from behind, never gaining a lead until the end of the third overtime.
This was reminiscent of the Bears January 8, 2000 double overtime game against the Sun Devils, but that time it was Eddie House who literally brought down the "house" to will the Sun Devils to a victory by scoring 61 points before a large contingent of family and friends. Although that game was more of a back-and-forth game, the Bears had control of the game at the end of both regulation and the second overtime, but would go onto lose 108-111. I was there to witness this firsthand at Harmon Gym, and must admit that it feels much better to be on the winning side of such a game.
Early on, the Bears played like a team looking for a split on the road so they could say "we accomplished what we wanted, you really can't ask for more than a split when you're on the road in the Pac-10." Theo had an uncharacteristic three turnovers before the game was seven minutes old. Even the refs seemed to be working against the Bears, leading the Cal announcers to exclaim after a Bears' basket: Harper Kamp (Bears forward) should get a rebound and an assist on that play ... also should have a saddle on given how much the Huskies are riding his back. The game was not one for the faint of heart, with a lot of banging and physical play.
The play continued with the Bears seeming to weather the storm. Although the Bears would fall behind 17-27, they would go onto pull within 28-32 by halftime. Not an insurmountable lead, one that the Bears would gladly take given their performance in the first half.
The second half started well enough. The Bears pulled to a tie at 41 on two Patrick Christopher (Cal guard) free throws, but then the Huskies would go on an 11-0 run fueled by 4 points, an assist and a rebound by Justin Holiday.
However, the Bears would go onto hold the Huskies to 1 field goal and 4 made free throws out of 8 attempts over the last 9 plus minutes of the game. Meanwhile, led by Jerome Randle's (Cal guard) 9 points in the last 7 minutes of the game, the Bears would storm back to tie the game at 58 on Jerome's hesitation-pump fake pull up three with 44 second left in the game. The last seconds were frenetic, but neither team would score.
The game for the Huskies in the overtime would turn into the Justin Dentmon show. This was really due to two reasons as pointed out by the Cal radio team. Jon Brockman (Husky forward) could not be the first option as the go-to guy because of his inability to make free throws. Any play into him with the game on the line would likely result in a foul by the Bears to make Brockman earn his points from the line. The other reason was Jorge Gutierrez (Cal freshman guard; first Montgomery recruit). Jorge was the blanket on Isaiah Thomas (not the Detroit Piston, but freshman guard from Tacoma) that shut him down. Although Thomas would go onto amass 22 points for the game, the Huskies did not key off Thomas either when the game was in doubt because of Jorge's defense on the speedy freshman Husky. Jorge logged 36 minutes for the game. By far, this was his most extensive playing time to date. He played all but 17 seconds of the three overtimes. In the three overtimes, the Huskies' Thomas had this line going against Jorge for the most part:
No made FGs on only 2 attempts, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 turnover and 2 for 2 on free throws. Basically, Thomas was turned into an observer by the Bears' own young cub Jorge.
To top this off, Jorge was called onto run the offense in the third overtime when Jerome fouled out only 17 seconds into the stanza on a offensive foul nearly 30 feet away from the basket. For the remainder of the third overtime, the Bears had a line-up featuring for the most part an all freshman backcourt of Jorge and D.J. (freshman guard Seeley from Modesto), with D.J. earning playing time on the basis of his performance earlier in the game including making a three-point play on a put-back with only 1.3 seconds left in the second OT to force the decisive third OT. Let's just say that D.J. displayed his nose for the ball on the play, making a play more likely from a senior. Let's call it his "senior" moment.
After Jerome fouled out in the third overtime, it was apparent that Theo and Patrick took it upon themselves to assume the offensive responsibilities that culminated in Theo making the go ahead 3-point play and Patrick hitting the clinching free throws with the Cal team on their feet celebrating their thievery.
Patrick also deserves major kudos for his work on the defensive end. He played all of the overtimes and the final 3:51 of regulation with 4 fouls. He was able to do this even though the Huskies time and again tried to get the fifth foul on him by posting the taller Pondexter (not Dexter, but Quincy; Husky forward) on him, giving up on Brockman and Thomas as scoring options. This was to no avail.
And when the Bears needed defense after their first lead in overtime at 86-85, and everyone in the house knew who was going to take the shot for the Huskies, coming out of the timeout guess who was assigned to Dentmon? Patrick. He did not disappoint the few long suffering Old Blues in attendance and those like me listening only on radio due to the lack of coverage in places like the East Bay area beyond the Caldecott Tunnel (this due to Comcast's playing of the game on Comcast SportsNet California instead of the more widely available Comcast SportsNet Bay Area carried even by their competitors like Astound.net; one has to wonder if this is just Comcast's attempt to get people to switch to their service). Not only would Patrick stop Dentmon, but he would go onto secure the missed shot and hit the clinching free throws.
This game will live on in Old Blues' memories for some time. My friend with whom I share Cal season tickets was on the phone to me during the game to share in the excitement. He predicted in the third overtime when it looked dire for the Bears that they would win. I can't say if this was said in full confidence or more in hope, but I think all Bears fans will agree that this game could possibly be the Cal basketball standard for Joe Kapp's, "The Bear will not quit, the Bear will not die."
This was the Bears' equivalent of Larry Mize chipping in from 140 feet at the Masters in 1987 to steal one from a shocked Greg Norman. The Bears won a game they really had no business winning. After all, their only leads of the game were at 1-0 and at 86-85. Even in the three OTs, the Bears consistently played from behind, never gaining a lead until the end of the third overtime.
This was reminiscent of the Bears January 8, 2000 double overtime game against the Sun Devils, but that time it was Eddie House who literally brought down the "house" to will the Sun Devils to a victory by scoring 61 points before a large contingent of family and friends. Although that game was more of a back-and-forth game, the Bears had control of the game at the end of both regulation and the second overtime, but would go onto lose 108-111. I was there to witness this firsthand at Harmon Gym, and must admit that it feels much better to be on the winning side of such a game.
Early on, the Bears played like a team looking for a split on the road so they could say "we accomplished what we wanted, you really can't ask for more than a split when you're on the road in the Pac-10." Theo had an uncharacteristic three turnovers before the game was seven minutes old. Even the refs seemed to be working against the Bears, leading the Cal announcers to exclaim after a Bears' basket: Harper Kamp (Bears forward) should get a rebound and an assist on that play ... also should have a saddle on given how much the Huskies are riding his back. The game was not one for the faint of heart, with a lot of banging and physical play.
The play continued with the Bears seeming to weather the storm. Although the Bears would fall behind 17-27, they would go onto pull within 28-32 by halftime. Not an insurmountable lead, one that the Bears would gladly take given their performance in the first half.
The second half started well enough. The Bears pulled to a tie at 41 on two Patrick Christopher (Cal guard) free throws, but then the Huskies would go on an 11-0 run fueled by 4 points, an assist and a rebound by Justin Holiday.
However, the Bears would go onto hold the Huskies to 1 field goal and 4 made free throws out of 8 attempts over the last 9 plus minutes of the game. Meanwhile, led by Jerome Randle's (Cal guard) 9 points in the last 7 minutes of the game, the Bears would storm back to tie the game at 58 on Jerome's hesitation-pump fake pull up three with 44 second left in the game. The last seconds were frenetic, but neither team would score.
The game for the Huskies in the overtime would turn into the Justin Dentmon show. This was really due to two reasons as pointed out by the Cal radio team. Jon Brockman (Husky forward) could not be the first option as the go-to guy because of his inability to make free throws. Any play into him with the game on the line would likely result in a foul by the Bears to make Brockman earn his points from the line. The other reason was Jorge Gutierrez (Cal freshman guard; first Montgomery recruit). Jorge was the blanket on Isaiah Thomas (not the Detroit Piston, but freshman guard from Tacoma) that shut him down. Although Thomas would go onto amass 22 points for the game, the Huskies did not key off Thomas either when the game was in doubt because of Jorge's defense on the speedy freshman Husky. Jorge logged 36 minutes for the game. By far, this was his most extensive playing time to date. He played all but 17 seconds of the three overtimes. In the three overtimes, the Huskies' Thomas had this line going against Jorge for the most part:
No made FGs on only 2 attempts, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 turnover and 2 for 2 on free throws. Basically, Thomas was turned into an observer by the Bears' own young cub Jorge.
To top this off, Jorge was called onto run the offense in the third overtime when Jerome fouled out only 17 seconds into the stanza on a offensive foul nearly 30 feet away from the basket. For the remainder of the third overtime, the Bears had a line-up featuring for the most part an all freshman backcourt of Jorge and D.J. (freshman guard Seeley from Modesto), with D.J. earning playing time on the basis of his performance earlier in the game including making a three-point play on a put-back with only 1.3 seconds left in the second OT to force the decisive third OT. Let's just say that D.J. displayed his nose for the ball on the play, making a play more likely from a senior. Let's call it his "senior" moment.
After Jerome fouled out in the third overtime, it was apparent that Theo and Patrick took it upon themselves to assume the offensive responsibilities that culminated in Theo making the go ahead 3-point play and Patrick hitting the clinching free throws with the Cal team on their feet celebrating their thievery.
Patrick also deserves major kudos for his work on the defensive end. He played all of the overtimes and the final 3:51 of regulation with 4 fouls. He was able to do this even though the Huskies time and again tried to get the fifth foul on him by posting the taller Pondexter (not Dexter, but Quincy; Husky forward) on him, giving up on Brockman and Thomas as scoring options. This was to no avail.
And when the Bears needed defense after their first lead in overtime at 86-85, and everyone in the house knew who was going to take the shot for the Huskies, coming out of the timeout guess who was assigned to Dentmon? Patrick. He did not disappoint the few long suffering Old Blues in attendance and those like me listening only on radio due to the lack of coverage in places like the East Bay area beyond the Caldecott Tunnel (this due to Comcast's playing of the game on Comcast SportsNet California instead of the more widely available Comcast SportsNet Bay Area carried even by their competitors like Astound.net; one has to wonder if this is just Comcast's attempt to get people to switch to their service). Not only would Patrick stop Dentmon, but he would go onto secure the missed shot and hit the clinching free throws.
This game will live on in Old Blues' memories for some time. My friend with whom I share Cal season tickets was on the phone to me during the game to share in the excitement. He predicted in the third overtime when it looked dire for the Bears that they would win. I can't say if this was said in full confidence or more in hope, but I think all Bears fans will agree that this game could possibly be the Cal basketball standard for Joe Kapp's, "The Bear will not quit, the Bear will not die."
Friday, January 09, 2009
One Final Dose of Cal Bears Football
...to get through the off season.
It's a good video montage of Best's 311-yard day against the Huskies this year.
Maybe both Cal and Wazzu or is it Wazoo fans will like this...
It's a good video montage of Best's 311-yard day against the Huskies this year.
Maybe both Cal and Wazzu or is it Wazoo fans will like this...
Saturday, January 03, 2009
We Can Fly ! We Can Fly!
After a picture taking session in front of our tree, I told the kids to have fun and do some goofy things and here is the result.
Stats Redux - January 2, 2009
Here's an update on stats first posted in November 2005, and updated on January 2006, June 2006, October 2006, March 2007, November 2007 and August 2008.
Price of Gas: $1.85 per gallon (down from a high of about $4.49 this past summer when crude oil prices pushed past $140 per barrel)
Price of Milk: Down to $3.29 for a gallon at Trader Joe's (from $3.99 in August 2008)
Bridge Toll: $4 as of January 1, 2007 on all Bay Area bridges except Golden Gate Bridge (which is $6 cash and $5 FasTrak as of 9/1/08)
Today's High Temperature: 55 degrees F (overnight low of 35) and raining (the last entry in this space in August 2008 shows a low of 56)
Dow Jones Average: 9034.69 close on 1/2/09 (down almost 2300 points since August 2008)
Shopping Days to Christmas: 355 days (http://eclecticesoterica.com/xmas_cnt.html)
Dinner Tonight: Blondie's cheese pizza on the run to Cal basketball game for me; the rest of the family had chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mozzarella cheese sticks, corn casserole, carrots and apple slices
Average Commute Time: under an hour in mornings due to holiday driving conditions (carpooling to restart again this next Monday; two fellow carpoolers work for tech. companies that go into hibernation between Christmas and New Years; new carpooling will have 3-person carpool MWF; 2-person carpools on TuThu)
Cost of Area Homes: the value of homes in immediate area is down to around $500k
Movie Ticket: $10 to see movies in Seattle last week; saw "The Spirit" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Time with My Kids: played card game Golf this evening
Ethan will be 8 in less than 2 weeks.
Price of Gas: $1.85 per gallon (down from a high of about $4.49 this past summer when crude oil prices pushed past $140 per barrel)
Price of Milk: Down to $3.29 for a gallon at Trader Joe's (from $3.99 in August 2008)
Bridge Toll: $4 as of January 1, 2007 on all Bay Area bridges except Golden Gate Bridge (which is $6 cash and $5 FasTrak as of 9/1/08)
Today's High Temperature: 55 degrees F (overnight low of 35) and raining (the last entry in this space in August 2008 shows a low of 56)
Dow Jones Average: 9034.69 close on 1/2/09 (down almost 2300 points since August 2008)
Shopping Days to Christmas: 355 days (http://eclecticesoterica.com/xmas_cnt.html)
Dinner Tonight: Blondie's cheese pizza on the run to Cal basketball game for me; the rest of the family had chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mozzarella cheese sticks, corn casserole, carrots and apple slices
Average Commute Time: under an hour in mornings due to holiday driving conditions (carpooling to restart again this next Monday; two fellow carpoolers work for tech. companies that go into hibernation between Christmas and New Years; new carpooling will have 3-person carpool MWF; 2-person carpools on TuThu)
Cost of Area Homes: the value of homes in immediate area is down to around $500k
Movie Ticket: $10 to see movies in Seattle last week; saw "The Spirit" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Time with My Kids: played card game Golf this evening
Ethan will be 8 in less than 2 weeks.
Friday, January 02, 2009
"Stream of Life"
The music that accompanies the Matt Harding video was so mesmerizing and uplifting that we had to go look it up.
The name of the song is "Praan" or "Stream of Life," and was composed by Garry Schyman and performed by Palbasha Siddique. The lyrics were adapted from the poem "Stream of Life" translated by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. The singer who performs the song apparently lives in the U.S., but has gained some notoriety since the production of the video including competing in the Bangladesh version of "American Idol."
The English translation of the poem goes something like:
The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day,
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy,
through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass,
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death,
in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.
Here's the song set to a video of nature photography.
The name of the song is "Praan" or "Stream of Life," and was composed by Garry Schyman and performed by Palbasha Siddique. The lyrics were adapted from the poem "Stream of Life" translated by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. The singer who performs the song apparently lives in the U.S., but has gained some notoriety since the production of the video including competing in the Bangladesh version of "American Idol."
The English translation of the poem goes something like:
The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day,
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy,
through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass,
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death,
in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.
Here's the song set to a video of nature photography.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to one and all! First blog of the year. 2008 was a down year for blogging in the Emoto household. Can't really say that this was due to one particular reason. We'll see what 2009 brings.
Perhaps we'll travel more. Definitely cannot travel any less than we did in 2008. We already have a possible trip to Disneyland in the works.
Here's our nomination for the video to inspire us all to travel more and for a more uplifting 2009 in general. Enjoy!
His web site says that he lives in Seattle. Check out his Wikipedia entry for more information about Matt. The Wiki entry states that one of the founders of YouTube claims that Matt's video is his favorite YouTube posted video of all time. Another entry also mentions that "few people are able to watch the video without smiling."
Perhaps we'll travel more. Definitely cannot travel any less than we did in 2008. We already have a possible trip to Disneyland in the works.
Here's our nomination for the video to inspire us all to travel more and for a more uplifting 2009 in general. Enjoy!
His web site says that he lives in Seattle. Check out his Wikipedia entry for more information about Matt. The Wiki entry states that one of the founders of YouTube claims that Matt's video is his favorite YouTube posted video of all time. Another entry also mentions that "few people are able to watch the video without smiling."
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas Light Show in Clayton
Another stop on our tour of lights this past weekend was the Clayton Community Church that has a light show at 7 and 8 pm every evening at their downtown office. It was quite a show. It probably went on for about 20 minutes or more. Here's a short clip.
Mr. Christmas
We went to visit Mr. Christmas this past weekend. Mr. Mertz on Olive Drive in Concord, CA is celebrating 30 years of celebrating Christmas in a BIG way. The display includes 50,000 lights that takes 11 weeks to set up. The PG&E bill for the season is estimated to be about $700.
Friday, December 12, 2008
"Fish Out of Water" Move
I'm waiting to see the Cal student section try this at a Cal basketball game this year.
The author of this video clip is non-other than Rod Benson, former Cal Bear basketball player. I got this clip from his on-line column at Yahoo! Sports.
He's currently playing basketball over in Europe. The other person in the clip is a teammate on that French professional team.
The author of this video clip is non-other than Rod Benson, former Cal Bear basketball player. I got this clip from his on-line column at Yahoo! Sports.
He's currently playing basketball over in Europe. The other person in the clip is a teammate on that French professional team.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Plasma or LCD?
Not that we are in the market for a new set, but here's what is the current state of the "Should we buy an LCD or plasma high definition television?" question.
If having a truly cinema-like experience is important, then plasma displays are slightly better. The main issues with plasma sets seem to be image glare on untreated diplays especially in bright rooms. Also, although for most good plasma displays this is a non-issue today, there is a possibility of image retention for some displays.
LCDs on the other hand come in a wider variety of sizes (e.g., plasma displays less than 42 inches are not available) and images are quite comparable to that from a plasma display. The areas where LCDs do have possible weaknesses compared with plasmas are limitations with viewing angle, blacks not being as dark, and motion blur.
The top plasma display makers are Panasonic and Pioneer.
The top LCD display makers are Sony, Samsung and Sharp.
If having a truly cinema-like experience is important, then plasma displays are slightly better. The main issues with plasma sets seem to be image glare on untreated diplays especially in bright rooms. Also, although for most good plasma displays this is a non-issue today, there is a possibility of image retention for some displays.
LCDs on the other hand come in a wider variety of sizes (e.g., plasma displays less than 42 inches are not available) and images are quite comparable to that from a plasma display. The areas where LCDs do have possible weaknesses compared with plasmas are limitations with viewing angle, blacks not being as dark, and motion blur.
The top plasma display makers are Panasonic and Pioneer.
The top LCD display makers are Sony, Samsung and Sharp.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Why Not Bail Out California Too?
As the clamoring for a bailout of the Big Three U.S. automakers reaches a crescendo, it's still unclear if such a bailout is the right course of action. The total bailout could reach into the $30 plus billion range. That's a lot of zeros.
The main reason that seems to be out there for the bailout is an implosion of the Big Three would be bad for the economy, but where's the proof that this would be the case? It obvious that the Big Three are in need of a course correction. Aren't bankruptcies intended to allow companies to find a course correction?
So if we're talking about bailouts, why not a bailout of California? The current estimate of the state's budget deficit is at about $11 billion. Various proposals have contemplated closing this deficit through raising the state sales tax, raising the auto registration fee, imposing a new tax on any oil produced in California, raise the excise tax on alcohol sales, reducing K-12 education funding, reducing college education funding, reduce the amount available for the state's welfare-to-work program, require state employees to take a one-day a month unpaid furlough, reduce the number of paid state holidays by two days, and postponing some mandatory regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Quite sweeping.
If the auto industry is to be bailed out, the concessions by the auto industry must be at least the equivalent of these kinds of cut-backs being contemplated by states such as California.
After all, if California were a country it would have the 8th highest gross domestic product (GDP), about equivalent to that of France's GDP. So one could make an argument that a bailout of a state such as California might be more important to the national economy than the bailout of private companies that surely would be replaced by other private companies.
The main reason that seems to be out there for the bailout is an implosion of the Big Three would be bad for the economy, but where's the proof that this would be the case? It obvious that the Big Three are in need of a course correction. Aren't bankruptcies intended to allow companies to find a course correction?
So if we're talking about bailouts, why not a bailout of California? The current estimate of the state's budget deficit is at about $11 billion. Various proposals have contemplated closing this deficit through raising the state sales tax, raising the auto registration fee, imposing a new tax on any oil produced in California, raise the excise tax on alcohol sales, reducing K-12 education funding, reducing college education funding, reduce the amount available for the state's welfare-to-work program, require state employees to take a one-day a month unpaid furlough, reduce the number of paid state holidays by two days, and postponing some mandatory regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Quite sweeping.
If the auto industry is to be bailed out, the concessions by the auto industry must be at least the equivalent of these kinds of cut-backs being contemplated by states such as California.
After all, if California were a country it would have the 8th highest gross domestic product (GDP), about equivalent to that of France's GDP. So one could make an argument that a bailout of a state such as California might be more important to the national economy than the bailout of private companies that surely would be replaced by other private companies.
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