Random Musings & Mundane Details

IMG_20101203_230355.jpg

2010-12-03T23:05:00.001-06:00

IMG_20101203_230355.jpg, originally uploaded by sindlinger.

After Spending a Good Chunk of Saturday Driving Back and Forth on Devon, We Capped the Day with Dinner on Devon

2010-04-04T19:21:00.005-05:00

While I know it's just one of many colorful Chicago neighborhoods, the stretch of Devon between say Ravenswood and California is one I always find very visually interesting. Sari shops next to grocery stores next to store fronts offering GSM phone unlocking services next to restaurants next to the National Bank of Pakistan next to etc. etc. etc. Sensory overload.

And it's jamming at all hours. 3pm traffic. 9pm bumper to bumper traffic. Never stops. Great energy and people watching, as long as you're not in a hurry. And since there is plenty of time at every stop sign and red light, I decided to talk some random shots as I crawled along the strip yesterday.

Love seeing the Cabbage sale featured prominently in the Patel Brothers window.

Still need to get into Adelphi some day and try the fine Indian wine that the sign seductively promotes.

Flyer in the window is for 'Free English Classes for Women'. Knowledge is power.

I'm not 100% sure what Nayab Mart carries, but if you're in a pinch at 3am, they'll be open for you.

All this driving back and forth on Devon got me in the mood for an Indian dinner. It had been a few months so we were due.

Though I was almost swayed by the Chop Suey Cocktail Lounge, I couldn't quite persuade Judy that was a good idea.

We intended to try something other than our usual (Indian Garden), but Al-Habib Grill failed because it didn't look like they served alcohol and I was ready for at least one beer last night. Then we considered giving Tiffin another chance, but as we walked up to its fancy, stylish exterior we peeked inside and saw the boring grid layout of tables that were just a bit too close together and remembered why we didn't like it the last time we were there. So, we walked on to the old stand by.

But at least we mixed it up some. First, no wine. Kingfisher to wash it down, as it probably should be.

Then, we went the three app and split one entree route, finally learning after umpteen visits that we always have way too much leftover when we each get our own entree.

Vegetable samosas, cashewnut rolls and aloo tikka

And the main dish, Murg Makhani, which was excellent with the Kandhari Naan.

Dinner @ Topolobampo for Judy's Birthday

2010-04-04T17:07:00.009-05:00

Like much of the rest of America, Judy has become obsessed with Rick Bayless. After the Top Chef Masters show I heard a regular refrain of "we should go there". But just try getting a reservation. No es muy facile. Try it over at OpenTable. You'll get a bunch of options Tues - Thurs at 5:30 or 9pm. But booking 6 weeks out, I managed to finagle a 7:15 slot during Judy's spring break week when a Wednesday night dinner date could actually work. A belated celebration, but still squeaked it in during the birthday month, so I'm counting it.

Though I had been to Frontera / Topolo twice before through work functions, I had never actually eaten upstairs in either dining room. So we were pretty pleased with our corner booth table in the front room.

The guacamole and jicama chips is a nice opener. Really could have just eaten those all night.

Warmed up by a few glasses of cava (thought I had remembered the name of the brut rose cava, but cannot find it anywhere via the Google. Guess it will just be a special one night thing) and some jicama chips, we were ready for the main show. We each went with a 5-course tasting menu. Judy chose the 'Celebration' and I opted for the 'Michoacan'. Italicized words indicate its the actual menu description. Non-italicized words are my less eloquent take on how we liked the dish.

Pollo con enchiladas a la plaza
Pan-seared red chile "enchiladas" of jicama "tortillas." Crispy chicken, roasted carrots and potatoes, homemade fresh cheese, pickled jalapeno.

Bad picture, nice opener. The jicama 'tortillas' were nice and spicy, the breaded chicken cubes were quite tasty. A winner.

Pescado crudo "al pastor"
Samshimi-grade Hawaiian day-boat catch with La Quercia prosciutto crust, lime pudding, three-shile salsa, grilled pineapple, red chile cracker.

This was Judy's. I think she liked it.

Churipo de Lujo
Savory red chile short rib soup with epazote, chayote and chochoyotes (corn masa dumplings).

Back to me. Not my favorite. The corn massa dumplings were nice, but the smoky, peppery main flavors of the soup were a bit too strong for my palate.

Mariscos en Chilpachote
Grilled baby octopus, Viking Village sea scallop, soft-shell crawfish, PEI mussels, tender squid in velvety chilpachote broth of chipotle chiles, epazote and tomato. Yuca "sand".

Definitely a Judy dish. Again, think she liked it.

Pescado con dos Chiles y Uchepos
Smoky walleye capped with roasty arbol chile-peanut salsa. Uchepo crumble, roasted tomato-guajillo sauce, Nicholas Farm beets, wood-grilled knob onions.

This was my favorite. Who knew? I like walleye. At least this walleye. A few of the dishes were served with fresh tortillas so you could work up some very fancy DIY tacos. I made 3 of them on this dish alone. They were awesome. I might now be a fish taco guy.

Carnitas de Puerco
Roasty golden carnitas of Maple Creek pork shoulder and pork belly (slow-cooked confit style) with fresh green tomatillo-avocado salsa, homemade tortilla, line air, radish.

This was Judy and she barely touched it. We were getting full and learning our lesson that, really, we don't need to be doing multi-course meals.

Borrego en Mole Negro
Roasted Elysian Fields lamb "ribeye" in classic Oaxacan black mole (made from chilhuacle chiles and 28 other ingredients). Seared lamb belly, black bean tamalon, huazontles, jamaica whip.

I was also apparently getting a little buzz from the Cava, as I forgot to get a shot of this dish until I was half way through it. Also probably explains why I'm eating medium / medium rare-ish lamb. Not something I'm usually inclined toward.

Arroz con Leche de Coco, Nieve de Zapote Negro
Coconut ride pudding with creamy tropical black sapote nieve. Toasted rice biscocho, orange cream, puffed rice.

This was a very nice dessert. Any other night you might say it was a really great dessert. But on this night they also had ...

Cafe con Leche y Chocolate
Very chocolatey chocolate ganache cake with espresso pudding, bittersweet chocolate swirl ice cream, cookie crunch.

I've said this before and I'm sure I'll say it again, but at the time, this seemed like the best dessert ever. Ridiculous.

You might also have noticed that they sauced a little 'happy birthday' on the plate. When I originally made the reservation six weeks prior I had indicated it would be for my wife's birthday. But I hadn't said anything at all at the restaurant, so it was nice of them to remember that touch. Thankfully, there was no birthday sing along tableside.

Later, I asked our waiter, Paco, if I could see the menu one more time, intending to take a picture of it since I would never remember everything we had been served. Paco did us one better. He got a nice 'happy birthday' autograph from Chef Bayless himself.

All in all a nice evening. But I left uncomfortably full. Next time, I think we'll opt for the Frontera bar area. Seems that would be more my speed.

Spending a Saturday Watching Hockey and Making Questionable Food Decisions

2010-03-28T07:25:00.005-05:00

While most other people were resting up and getting ready to watch some Elite 8 basketball games, a friend and I were going to watch the * real * tournament: Mens Hockey. Specifically, the Northeast Regional opening game between BC and Alaska.

After a false start at Trinity, an alleged BC bar that confirmed multiple times over the phone they'd be showing the game but then didn't actually have the necessary channel, we fell back to the old stand by, Finley Dunne's. It's kind of in no man's land @ Lincoln and Cornelia, but you'll know you're in the right area when you see the landmark Pelly's Liquors sign.

With a swarm of about 7 fans, we managed to get the D2 mens basketball championship pushed off the main TV.

The Tang Burger was surprisingly good. And before all was said and done, about 80% of those tater tots were gone, too.

Oddly, or maybe typically, there seemed to be some kind of private party happening in the backroom that involved young couples with toddlers. But if that wasn't weird enough, three grandmas ambled in and grabbed the table next to us.

Inertia took over after the hockey game and we wound up watching the whole Butler / K State game, too. But I try to limit my Saturday afternoon drinking to no more than 6 hours, so after that it was time to schlep back home via the L.

Finley Dunne's is conveniently located near the Paulina brown line stop

With the wife out having a girls' day / night and therefore abandoning me for dinner, I was left to fend for myself. And that equals El Norte.

All in all, a solid way to spend a gray, chilly Saturday afternoon in March.

Colombian soccer on GolTV (Now you tell me)

2010-01-31T13:28:00.006-06:00

Post bocce night, post SNL, I pulled up my recording of Millionarios vs Nacional. Learned that Millionarios is the premier tream from Bogota and that Nacional is one of two solid clubs from Medellin.

Further research on Wikipedia revealed that the souvenir shop coffee mug I picked up in Bogota for La Equidad is kind of like picking up a White Sox mug in Chicago instead of a Cubs mug, or maybe a Mets mug in NY instead of a Yankees mug. Yes, La Equidad is a team based in Bogota, but they are absolutely not the city's iconic club.

In fact, if you check out the historical performance by club within Colombia's Primera A, you see that they are one of the three least successful clubs in the league. No wonder why there was only one token mug in that store, sitting there amid dozens of Independente Medellin mugs.

The Death of MySpace

2010-01-24T08:28:00.000-06:00

Stories I Noticed This Week

2009-12-13T09:57:00.005-06:00

All via Current

Taxpayers forced to pay for neo-Nazi's daily makeover
Paying $150 / day to cover up his tattoos. My first reaction was this is absurd. He got the tattoos, he should live with his tattoos. Or he --- not the taxpayers --- should pay the $150/day to clean himself up. Then I read some of the comments about potential for a biased trial. I suppose there is some sense in that, but again, if he made those changes to his appearance on his own, isn't he responsible for the 'better or worse' that comes with those decisions? In my opinion, the most sensible comment on this was from liveBK who noted, "by this logic the jury and judge should never see the defendant". Interesting, and why not? If the Lady Justice's blindfold is meant to represent true impartiality, maybe juries and judges shouldn't see defendants.

Pepsi Sponsors Anti-Gay Concert In Uganda
Not good news for Pepsi. Saw one comment suggesting Pepsi's record of supporting LGBT issues is otherwise fairly strong. That may be so, but it is kind of ugly to be trying to do business in a country where the prevailing values are apparently so extreme (a new proposal before the Ugandan Parliament assigns a death sentence for certain homosexual "crimes" and outlaws all advocacy or defense of LGBT people with a punishment of seven years imprisonment). Where do you draw the line?

Finally, the Huffington Post story about the bigoted mayor of Arlington, Tennessee.
Upset that President Obama's speech was preempting Charlie Brown's Christmas, he unleashed a foolish rant that exposed him as a small minded clown.

In his words:

Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch 'The Charlie Brown Christmas Special' and our muslim [sic] president is there, what a load.....try to convince me that wasn't done on purpose. Ask the man if he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he will give you a 10 minute disertation [sic] about it....w...hen the answer should simply be 'yes'....you obama [sic] people need to move to a muslim [sic] country," ... "you know, our forefathers had it written in the original Constitution that ONLY property owners could vote, if that has stayed in there, things would be different........

Hearing that an ironically named Russell Wiseman, mayor of some small time town in Tennessee, was expressing ignorant and intolerant views did not come as a huge surprise to me. But it was somewhat surprising to see that said mayor is apparently NOT a crusty good ol' boy. (Good ol' boy, maybe, but not yet too crusty. At least not outwardly crusty.) From his Mayor's Welcome page he looks to be, what, early 30s? I guess old racists were once young racists. But I thought / hoped that some generational evolution in attitudes was taking place, even in Arlington, TN.

So, to recap just the few things I have noticed over the past couple of months, there was the Louisiana justice of the peace, the Mississippi school district and the fact that the Secret Service won't take Michele Obama to South Carolina. And, for fun, I'll throw in a favorite from last year's Red States, Blue States, Fat States, Dumb States ... post:

Another Funny Target Women: Jewelry

2009-12-09T22:45:00.002-06:00

"Jewelry face is the ultimate goal of jewelry. It says 'I'm touched' or 'I love you back' or 'I guess we'll be having the sex now'".

Little Monster Man

2009-11-15T15:07:00.001-06:00

Cleaning up emails / procrastinating and found a classic: "Little Monster Man"

H1N1: To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?

2009-11-14T12:44:00.004-06:00

Had a couple of conversations about swine flu this week (ok, H1N1). After having my crazy bout of illness after Labor Day, I've felt that was my close call this season. Totally irrational belief, but that's where my head's been at. But this week's discussions, including the imminent availability of the vaccine at my wife's school, have led me to reconsider. And for me, that means a bit of research.

* Vaccination is 1,000 times less likely to be harmful than getting the flu itself

If I'm correctly interpreting the info below, excerpted from an Examiner article, then the odds are 1,000 times greater for having a problem w/ the H1N1 than they are of having a problem with a flu vaccine. Comparison isn't perfect (using 1976 flu vaccine complications as a basis), but directionally useful, in my opinion.

How safe is it? For many people, particularly parents, this is the big question. A great deal of concern stems from vaccinations given in 1976. Of 40 million doses given, 400 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome (a syndrome involving creeping paralysis, often permanent) were reported. The cases were never absolutely linked to vaccination and it's never happened again. Researchers are keeping a close eye on this batch of vaccines. According to Bruce Gellin, director of the national vaccine program, of the10 million doses administered by late October, not one resulted in side effects more serious than soreness at the injection site or stomach aches. When weighing the pros and cons of vaccinating yourself or your child, keep in mind the facts. We know at least 1% of those infected by H1N1 will become seriously ill and may require long-term care. Meanwhile, if Guillain-Barre is a true risk of innoculation, that risk is 0.001% and, as yet, no side effects have surfaced. Also, single-dose vaccines do not contain any mercury-based preservatives. If you're still concerned (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with placing a lot of thought into this decision), talk to a health professional. You can also check out the national vaccine reporting system, by visiting VAERS' website:vaers.hhs.gov/index.

Couple of additional reference links:

- WebMD- Is the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Safe?

- CDC Vaccine Q&A

Stories I Noticed This Week

2009-11-14T10:28:00.007-06:00

Spending some time this morning catching up on this week's RSS feeds and a few things caught my eye:

Via Current:

An intolerance theme runs through a few of this week's items.

* Death threats about an advertisement

Have to agree with the observation of Shawn Jeffers: "Everything that has happened shows just how vital our message is. It proves our point, that bigotry against people who don't believe in a god is still very real in America".

Some recent pro-atheism activity has been a bit confrontational and I could see how that might irk sensitive and righteous believers. (See this Boston campaign and this one in London.) But this particular billboard was not of that kind whatsoever. And regardless, is this a good precedent to set? Don't like a message? Lob in a death threat. Slippery slope from here to a theistic state
(See this if you're looking for clues on how to spot an atheist)

* Arkansas 10-year old protests pledge of allegiance in school

My first reaction is to admire his courage. My second reaction is to hope he's not being used as a pawn to further his parents' agenda. Great thing to raise an open minded kid. Awful thing to manipulate your kid and insert him into charged topics that are sure to draw backlash from the closed minded and cruel. Nice story if it's not contrived.

* Tragic story about an 'honor killing' in Arizona

How many more generations of evolution will it take to unwind prehistoric views like these?

* Good riddance to this guy

* How representative are our representatives?

According to a report from the Center for Responsive Politics, members of congress are 44 times more likely to be millionaires than are Americans at large.

The magnitude of this variance surprised me a bit, so I looked for further context and in my search found Net Worth and Assets of Households: 2002 (note: previous link is to a pdf file; this will take you to a top level page from the Census Bureau.)

Lot of interesting data in that report, but the point I'll pull out here is that in 2002 the median household net worth was a bit less than $60,000. To roughly adjust that figure to be more compatible with the figures from the CRP report, we can consider that the S&P is up ~20% since the end of 2002 and median home prices are up ~12% (home price sources: 2002 and 2009 ; S&P source: pull a Yahoo! chart). If we approximately split the difference and adjust up median household net worth by ~15% and use $70,000 (to keep the numbers round and easy), then here are the top line comparisons for the average American and his/her Congressperson or Senator:

Median net worth, member of Congress: $622,254
Median net worth (est), Average American: $70,000
Difference: ~9x

Median net worth, Senator: $1.79 million
Median net worth (est), Average American: $70,000
Difference: ~25x

Also, the median net worth of the wealthiest 20% of Americans was ~$189K in 2002. Apply the ~15% adjustment and that becomes ~$215K in 2008. So even among the richest fifth of Americans you're still looking at differences of greater than 3x (Congress) and 8x (Senate).

Makes you think just a little bit about the merits of campaign spending and campaign fund raising being a matter of free speech, no?

* There was some good news

But it was from Scandinavia. Another check in the 'pros' column for living in Sweden.

"Merchant Database Compromise" - Not Something You Want to See

2009-11-02T07:21:00.002-06:00

Logged into my Citibank account and was greeted with this. Awesome.

Links I Noticed This Morning

2009-11-01T09:49:00.006-06:00

Spending some time this morning catching up on recent weeks' RSS feeds and a few things caught my eye:

Via Current:
* the refreshing story of Myron Rolle
* the sad story about South Carolina being unsafe for Michele Obama
* another example of backwards Mississippi thinking
* another example of why I wish Al Franken was my Senator or that Alan Grayson was my rep
* banks - you can't bitch about government regulation if you're going to pull crap like this
* mind boggling story about an inexplicably soft sentence

My 1 hour Comcast Customer Service Live Chat Transcript

2009-10-27T07:17:00.002-05:00

Last night I unexpectedly spent an HOUR with Comcast customer service chat. Unbelievable. Full transcript of the experience below. Not great times.

user art_ has entered room
art>
site not recognizing my username, so i cannot sign into my account online
analyst Franz has entered room
Franz>
Hello art_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Franz. Please give me one moment to review your information.
Franz>
Thank you for contacting Comcast. I am very happy to assist you!
Franz>
I would be happy to assist you with that. Please be assured that I will do everything I can to help you with your concern.
Franz>
In order for me to help you with your concern, allow me to pull up your account. May I have your account number?
art_>
well, that's what i'm trying to get to, franz
art_>
but i cannot sign into my account
art_>
and i do not see an option to recover username or password
art_>
my username has always been my email address
art_>
i'm not sure why it's not working now
Franz>
I will provide you the login again
art_>
great
Franz>
May I have the last four digits of the socials registered in the account?
art_>
XXXX
Franz>
Thank you.
Franz>
Please allow me a moment
Franz>
I'm still working on it. Please allow me another moment.
art_>
ok
Franz>
Thank you.
Franz>
May i know what error message you encounter art?
art_>
sure - let me try to log in again and i'll let you know
Franz>
Thank you.
Franz>
Take your time.
art_>
missing or invalid information - username not found
Franz>
I apologize for the inconvenience.
Franz>
I will need to transfer you to our Internet department to reset this for you since I got an error here on my end okay?
art_>
ok - so what do i do? stay here and someone else will jump in?
Franz>
That is correct
art_>
ok
Franz>
Please wait, while the problem is escalated to another analyst
analyst Maria has entered room
Maria >
How are you doing today?
analyst Franz has left room
Maria >
Hi there, Art.
Maria >
How can I brighten up your day?
art_>
hi
art_>
do you not have the history of this chat?
art_>
i cannot log in to my account online
art_>
site is telling me my username is not recognized
Maria >
I am checking on it now. Thank you for that, Art.
art_>
thank you
Maria >
You are much welcome! I understand that you are having issues with your email login. I am more than willing to assist you with your concern.
Maria >
Before we proceed, can you please provide the following information to secure the privacy of your account.
-full account number
-last four digits of your social
art_>
i cannot get you my account number b/c i cannot login to my account
art_>
but the ss# is XXXX
Maria >
That is fine, Art. Thank you for that information.
Maria >
Is it okay if I reset a password for you?
art_>
sure
Maria >
Cool! Thank you.
Maria >
Art, may I know the name of the account please.
art_>
i'm not sure what you mean by 'name' of the account
Maria >
May I know who is the holder for this account? Or to whom was it named?
art_>
should be me, art sindlinger
Maria >
I see. Please give me one moment while I pull up the account for you.
Maria >
Will that be okay?
art_>
ok
Maria >
Cool! Thank you.
Maria >
Thank you for patiently waiting, Art.
Maria >
May I know what username are you having troubles with?
art_>
sindlinger@gmail.com
Maria >
I see. Thank you for that, Art.
Maria >
May I know what services do you have from Cocmast please?
Maria >
Comcast I mean.
art_>
i have digital cable
art_>
have had it for a few years now
art_>
am trying to upgrade to triple play
art_>
so i'm a hot lead here
art_>
but i can't log into my account
Maria >
Thank you, Art. May I know what site are you having troubles with logging on to your email account?
art_>
https://www.comcast.com/Customers/CustomerCentral.cspx
Maria >
Wow! That is great, Art. We really appreciate your loyalty for our sevices.
Maria >
About your email login, there is no available username and password since you are subscribed for our cable service. In order for you to have an email account, we need first to subscribe to our internet service.
art_>
argh. really? i've been trying to login to the wrong site?
art_>
where do i login to my cable account?
Maria >
Yes, Art. If you are subscribed with our internet service, you need to login to comcast.net for you to access your email.
art_>
i am not trying to access my email
art_>
i don't have email with you, at least not that i care about
art_>
i am trying to login and manage my cable account
Maria >
With your existing email address, you need to log on to gmail.com for you to be able to access it.
art_>
?
art_>
i'm not sure i understand you
art_>
this is what i'm trying to do
art_>
i receive my 'comcast statement ready for viewing' emails from you
art_>
it includes this link
art_>
http://www.comcast.com/payonline
art_>
that prompts me for my username, which is my email address
art_>
i enter my email address and get the 'missing or invalid information' message
Maria >
I see. Thank you for that information, Art. Let me check the details for that. Please give me one moment to do it. Thank you.
Maria >
Thank you for patiently waiting, Art.
Maria >
About your issue, can you please type comcast.com on your address bar.
art_>
ok
Maria >
Good! Then, look for CREATE ACCOUNT located at the upper portion of that page beside SIGN IN.
art_>
ok. but i have an account, don't i?
Maria >
Yes, Art. You already have a cable account with us but with email, you need to subscribe first with our internet service.
art_>
i don't understand.
art_>
i registered my account with comcast.com 11/14/2004
Maria >
Yes, Art.
Maria >
I can also see that here on my end.
Maria >
Do not worry, your cable account is existing and we have a record of your service.
Maria >
Have you created an account in comcast.com, Art?
Maria >
We need to do that for you to be able to pay your bills online.
art_>
what?
art_>
you're really losing me now
Maria >
I am sorry about that, Art. Can you please look for CREATE ACCOUNT on that page beside SIGN IN.
art_>
what do you think i have been asking about for the past 45 minutes
art_>
i have an account
art_>
i have been paying my bill online for 5 years
art_>
that is the account i am trying to log into
art_>
but your system is not recognizing me today
Maria >
Okay. I do apologize about that, Art.
art_>
and i can't believe after 45 minutes in this chat you guys still do not apparently know what i am even asking about
art_>
this is nuts
Maria >
I sincerely apologize for that, Art.
art_>
at this point i'm honestly not very interested in apologies
art_>
i am interested in accessing my account
Maria >
Yes, Art. Can we please try logging on to your account this time with my assistance.
Maria >
Just click SIGN IN.
art_>
ok
Maria >
Thank you. Can you please use your username and password.
art_>
do you know what the sign in experience looks like
Maria >
Just sindlinger,do not include @gmail.com. Thank you.
Maria >
Yes, Art.
art_>
same error message
Maria >
May I know what error message are you receiving please?
art_>
it is the same error message
art_>
art_(Mon Oct 26 2009 22:02:51 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time))>
i enter my email address and get the 'missing or invalid information' message
Maria >
I see. Is it okay if I try it here on my end, Art?
art_>
sure
Maria >
Thank you. Can you please provide me your username and password, Art.
art_>
are you serious
Maria >
For me to check the problem Art, I need to try it here on my end so that we will be able to solve your issue with your login. Rest assured that you login is secured. But, if you have doubts about it, it is fine with me.
art_>
maria, i think you have entirely missed the point of why i initiated this chat session
art_>
i have given you what i know to be my username
art_>
and i have told you that the system doesn't recognize me
art_>
and i have asked if there is some way to reset my password, like EVERY OTHER online service out there
art_>
the ol' 'forgot your username or password' link
art_>
which apparently does not exist on comcast.com
art_>
and apparently live support is not able to help either
art_>
this is absolutely crazy
Maria >
Okay, Art. I do apologize again. I will give you the link for you to change your password. Please give me one moment.
Maria >
I am really sorry if I messed up with your issue. I do apologize about that. Please calm down so that I can provide you the necessary remedies for you to login to your account.
art_>
maria - i have been asking about a simple issue for an hour. please do not tell me to calm down. if you can provide the link you reference, we can both go on with our lives. thanks.
Maria >
I will, Art. About your current account that you've been using for 4 years already, I can see here that it you need to register again for you to be able to login to your account. The error you received was caused by the merging of comcast.com and comcast.net sites.
Maria >
What we can do now is to create an account with the same email address that you have for you to access your account.
Maria >
Will that be okay, Art?
art_>
sure
Maria >
Thank you.
Maria >
Can you please click CREATE ACCOUNT in comcast.com, Art.
art_>
ok
Maria >
Please inform me if you are able to register successfully.
art_>
maria, i do not have my account number.
art_>
it's in my account info online
Maria >
I can provide you with that, Art.
art_>
great
Maria >
Here is your account number: XXXXX
Maria >
Thank you.
Maria >
Please inform me if you are able to create an account successfully, Art. Thank you.
art_>
looks like i'm in
art_>
Maria >
That is great, Art! Good job.
art_>
really wish we could have gotten to this point 40 minutes ago
Maria >
I am really sorry of what happened earlier.

Lookalikes: Nouriel Roubini and Linus Van Pelt

2009-10-26T06:39:00.004-05:00

Not sure why this hasn't occurred to me before. I've certainly seen Roubini (aka, Dr. Doom) enough on CNBC. But the light bulb went off this morning.

It's not just the resemblance (the gourd-like head shape, the unkempt hair) -- Roubini and Linus also share a reputation for doing their fair share of pontificating. Which is one reason I found it surprising to learn that Roubini is apparently such a player.

Image credits:
Invertia, Green Retirement, RGE Monitor, 9timezones, NY Daily News, The Press Posted in the Tribune Times, Clarification,

You Should Check Out the Intelligence Squared Debate Series on Bloomberg

2009-09-27T19:03:00.004-05:00

Read about Intelligence Squared in a recent NYTimes article and coincidentally caught a broadcast of it last night on Bloomberg. Wasn't bad. I won't kid myself and suggest (or hope) that this will have any huge influence on the rest of TV news coverage of important issues, but it's a nice alternative nonetheless. I hope they keep it going.

By the way, my personal boycott of CNN / Fox News / MSNBC is somewhere past a month now. Maybe longer. Feels great, too.

Charting the S&P 500 & GDP Growth

2009-09-20T11:06:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I took a look at the relationship between the S&P 500 and the unemployment rate. This morning I wanted to look at how the S&P and GDP figures align (or don't align) over the years. Again, I didn't quickly find the charts I was looking for, so I created my own.

Using S&P data from Yahoo! Finance and GDP data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, I looked at two things:

- Plotting same year S&P 500 growth and GDP change
- Plotting current year S&P growth and next year's GDP change

I guess the difference here is whether you think the market is reflecting current mood / environment or is it anticipating what lies ahead. It's probably some combination of both. How's that for illuminating and actionable insight?

Some stats here that I perhaps knew but never quite processed fully until looking at this is how the years after big drops really do snap back.

1974: down 29.7%
1975: up 31.5%

2002: down 23.4%
2003: up 26.4%

2008: down 38.5%
2009 YTD: up 18.3%

Again, these charts will be most legible if you hit the "full" setting in the player below.

S&P 500 + Gdp 1970 2009

View more presentations from sindlinger.

Charting the S&P 500 & Unemployment Rate: 1980 - 2009

2009-09-19T14:47:00.005-05:00

This is what I did with my Saturday.

Hearing both a lot of debate about the merits / feasibility of a "jobless recovery" and chatter on CNBC about people feeling anxious regarding the sustainability of the stock market's ongoing rally, I wanted to look at a correlation between unemployment rates and the S&P 500 over the past big unemployment spikes / recessions. But I could not quickly find any charts making this connection. So, with historical S&P data from Yahoo! Finance and unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, I put together my own chart, which is embedded below.

The only way it will be remotely legible is if you hit the "full" setting on the slideshow player. You can also download it, too. I've spent more time putting it together than analyzing it, but here is what I'm seeing at first glance:

- The early 80s period and the early 90s period are rather similar
- The degree of the moves in the early 00s period are substantially greater than the two earlier periods
- In all three of the prior periods, the Low (L) in the S&P was seen before the Peak (P) of that period's unemployment rate.
- After the Peak (P), the S&P didn't really dip back to test the lows much

We've seen a pretty dramatic recent low in the S&P (March '09) and unemployment seems to be nearing a peak / plateau period. Does this bode well for the S&P in the near term and intermediate future?

Charting the S&P 500's monthly close & Unemployment Rates: 1980 - 2009

View more presentations from sindlinger.

Update:
I'm also including a base version of the chart without all my add ons.

Charts S&P500 And Monthly Unemployment Rate Blank

View more presentations from sindlinger.

24 Hours in Utah for a World Cup Qualifier

2009-09-07T20:00:00.006-05:00

While I would have preferred to check the Costa Rica game in DC, squeezing a recreational Wednesday night trip into the work schedule is tough. So if I wanted to see a qualifier, Sandy, UT on 9/5 was my best shot.

View from the SLC airport was about what you would expect, I guess. Kinda brown, kinda mountainy.

After checking into the Hotel Monaco and dropping our bags we still had ~4 hours until kickoff. So we wandered out and soon found the Red Rock Brewery. Our criteria were beer, food and some TVs. Check.

A Blonde Ale

Prosciutto wrapped caprese salad

Dude with a pretty unfortunate hair style

Pre-game was successful, now it was time for the game. Asked for a cab at the Monaco, wound up in a van with Chafer, who became our handler for the rest of the day.

Trip to the stadium was relatively quick, leaving time to roam about, survey the tailgating scene and try to offload the extra pair of tickets I had purchased thinking for sure I'd be able to flip them and cover the weekend's beer expenses with the proceeds.

Not quite.

Rio Tinto Stadium holds 20,000 for soccer. Announced attendance at the game was 19,000 but it looked like less than that actually showed up. And at least one third of the crowd was wearing the royal blue of El Salvador. Net: not the best environment for trying to sell extra tickets. But during our stroll we were approached by a woman brandishing a turkey baster who offered us a "gin shot that tastes like lemonade". Would have been rude to refuse such a hospitable offer. And it did somewhat soften the blow of eating the cost of those extra seats.

Fortified, we headed in.

Took me a few shots to realize that the camera on my phone was on the low quality / low res setting. Sweet.

Nice place to see a game. Just too bad the SLC metropolis couldn't come support the squad.

These guys were representing, though.

Our seats were decent, a few rows behind the El Salvador bench.

Could have done without the super enthusiastic high school soccer player behind us shouting out "MAN ON!" and "WATCH THE SWITCH!" and "COME ON BECKERMAN, THIS ISN'T MLS, SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU GOT!". But the view was solid.

Place emptied out quick enough.

So it was time to meet our man Chafer for the ride back to the Monaco.

And there he is.

I actually took a more in-focus version of this, but honestly, this one is probably an appropriate representation of how things were feeling.

Chafer was solid. On time and had the cooler stocked with Coors Banquet, as we requested. At least, as we requested once we were advised that our choices were pretty much mainstream domestics. When in Utah, do as the Utahans do.

So we asked Chafer for some nightlife suggestions. He offered a few, but the first one we got to was Lumpy's.

Standard pool table scene downstairs. Not so standard bar service. Bartender had to ask his colleague what a Black Russian was. Should have aborted the order right there.

After a few unimpressive games we ventured upstairs, which turned out to be the right move.

All the TVs you could possibly want.

Just skip the mixed drinks and stick with beer.

Think I stopped taking pictures at this point. Until I got to the airport and saw this evidence that some Utahans do indeed have a sense of humor.

And the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Page Devolves into Shameless Nonsense, Courtesy of Fouad Ajami

2008-11-01T23:53:00.009-05:00

Actually, I can't say that I've consistently read and rated the pieces that have appeared on the Wall Street Journal's opinion pages, but as a fairly regular reader it does seem to me that they are becoming less thoughtful and more ridiculous as 11/4 draws near. A current and most egregious example of this trend being Fouad Ajami's Obama and the Politics of Crowds.

There is nothing more distasteful to me that the use of blatantly disingenuous arguments designed to manipulate the stupid. And this crap is a textbook example of the craft.

Here's how it begins:

"There is something odd -- and dare I say novel -- in American politics about the crowds that have been greeting Barack Obama on his campaign trail. Hitherto, crowds have not been a prominent feature of American politics. We associate them with the temper of Third World societies. We think of places like Argentina and Egypt and Iran, of multitudes brought together by their zeal for a Peron or a Nasser or a Khomeini."

First, really? Obama rallies remind 'us' of Peron, Nasser and Khomeni? Don't waste any time making your piece read like an Onion-esque farce, eh, Fouad?. I guess if you're going to shovel bullshit, don't half step. I'm sure if somehow a McCain / Palin rally actually attracted more than 400 wackos and old folks enticed by the free lemonade you would make the same connection to Khomeni. No doubt, because you have no agenda in writing this piece other than academic examination, I'm sure.

Second, who is "we"? Is there a mouse in your pocket, Fouad? Or are you just using the first person plural as a way to provide faux validation for any latent conspiracy theories swimming around the twisted minds of suggestible swing staters?

He wraps up with more of the same:

"In recent days, those vast Obama crowds, though, have recalled for me the politics of charisma that wrecked Arab and Muslim societies."

Hey, Rupert, why not just print "Obama is an Arab that no one can trust!" cut the rest of Ajami's drivel and use the space for more expensive watch ads appealing to douchebags who measure their self-worth in the number of fancy accessories they own? Really would have been about the same effect and put another $5,000 - $10,000 in the coffers.

This garbage from Ajami is worse than thinly veiled fear mongering. It appeals to people's worst instincts. I don't know why I expect WSJ to stay out of the sty where Ann Coulter and others spew and defecate on themselves with hateful and juvenile use of references like "B. Hussein Obama".

I suppose I no longer should have those expectations of WSJ. Perhaps this is the Murdoch effect that was widely feared. Maybe I'm just late to this realization.

Murdoch should be embarrassed, WSJ's editors should be embarrassed and Ajami, if I thought he was capable of shame, should be embarrassed. This is a most amateurish hack job in the mold of C-tier legal firms who deploy the strategy of 'let's have the our token African American attorney prosecute the African American defendant to defuse any potential claims of racism in this case'. The implicit message to Carl Q. Applebottom in Lafayette, Indiana (or Erie, Pa ... or Jacksonville, FL) is, "Hey, it's okay to play the Arab mob mentality card while indicting 'Obamamania', because look, the guy who wrote this is also an Arab." And all you racist-leaning non-Arabs can therefore feel comforted in your bigotry by the fact that even Arabs, like our man Fouad here, don't trust Obama.

Still Waiting for the Novelty License Plate to End all Novelty Plates: IMA JKASS

2008-10-27T07:39:00.003-05:00

Saw this on the road yesterday.

If you can't quite make out the plate, I tried to zoom in a bit with my limited photo 'editing' skills.

It reads NV MY MPG.

Really? For better or worse, the Prius has already become something of a polarizing statement, even when they aren't plastered with juvenile, antagonistic messages.

Now, to be clear, I am not a Prius hater. Far from it. I have rented a Prius and enjoyed it. I know, like and respect a number of people who manage to own Priuses without feeling the need to congratulate themselves on their environmental consciousness and economic savvy via novelty license plates. And I own a Toyota Yaris, so I'm all for great "MPG" (yay!).

But "NV MY MPG"? Come one. That's not funny. That's just being a jackass.

Obama vs McCain - Judgment

2008-10-25T13:24:00.003-05:00

Catching up on my reading this lazy Saturday and just finished this article:
Volcker Makes a Comeback as Part of Obama Brain Trust.

Good read. And another argument for supporting Obama, who has the talent and leadership skills to earn the confidence of people like Buffet and Volcker combined with the judgment to seek out and incorporate into his policies the input of such experts. Or, you could count on McCain's judgment in picking Palin as VP candidate and Palin's "executive experience" as mayor of Wasila, AK and governor of a state smaller than ~20 u.s. cities. The choice is yours.

Full Video of Obama & Joe the Plumber: Why the Sound Bite Sucks

2008-10-23T07:20:00.004-05:00

Last night on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olberman I saw for the first time the entire exchange between Obama and Joe the Plumber (video below). It not only confirmed what I previously suspected -- that McCain's co-opting of Joe the Plumber's cause was total bullshit -- but it made me ever more disappointed in the state of our tv "news media" than I was before. How is it that this full exchange is just getting on air now? We had all the sound bite sensationalism (spread the wealth! spread the wealth!) for what, one week? two weeks? - without anyone (at least that I saw) really looking at the full exchange and breaking it down.

* Taxes on the first $250,000 of income stay the same as they are now.
Higher tax rate only applies to the incremental income above $250,000. It isn't in effect from first dollar. So the tax obligation on income from $250,001 - $300,000 is $19,500 instead of $18,000. A difference of $1,500. Roughly $30/week over the course of a year. $300,000 in income calculates out to $5,769 / week. $30/week in incremental taxes is not going to break anyone. And it's not going to hinder job creation.

* Lower taxes on the way up.
Around 1:45 into the discussion Obama explains to Joe how his tax plan would have benefited him during his early/apprentice years and likely accelerated his savings timeline, enabling him to purchase the business sooner. Unless you're handed a fully functioning small business or otherwise don't need to worry about your path to owning one, this should be of interest to you. If you have already achieved success and care more about protecting/hoarding what you have than about creating an easier path for others to follow, this will not interest you. Either way, I haven't heard this aspect of the discussion covered much by America's "tv news".

* Benefits of customers having disposable income
About 4:30 into the video Obama makes the point about Joe's customer base having more disposable income, enabling them to hire Joe at his comfortable plumber's hourly rate. That's kind of an important part of the small business equation, no?

* Capital Gains
About 5:00 in he talks about how his capital gains tax plan would benefit Joe more than the existing capital gains tax if/when Joe sells his business. That's a pretty big factor in benefiting from one's one wealth creation, isn't it?

I realize all this requires people to step out of their comfort zone and actually pay attention and be open minded enough to actually listen and process what is being said rather than resorting to the typical and more comfortable snap reaction cum knee-jerk judgment based upon a sound bite. It also will appeal more to folks who have an appreciation for the bigger picture or longer term view rather than what's in my best interests over the next 5 minutes. So I am not surprised by how it has been covered by the media or how McCain/Palin have seized upon the most dramatic and least relevant sound bite as a way to fire up the non-thinking, rabid dog faction of their support base. But I need to vent about it nonetheless.

Red States, Blue States, Fat States, Dumb States ... Some U.S. Maps to Consider During this Election

2008-10-11T13:45:00.016-05:00

Through this whole election cycle I've often thought 'who the hell would really vote that way?' (for example, when West Virginia voted for Hillary over Obama by something like a 5 -1 margin). But after the primaries were all settled I let my mind focus on other things for a while. Like how Mets manager Jerry Manuel looks like he should be playing clarinet in a smoky jazz club, or how Michelle Obama looks like an odd cross between Sigourney Weaver and Emmanuel Lewis. But now that we're getting close to crunch time and I see Palin's vacuous head filling my TV screen far too often, usually making some close-minded, ill-informed comment in her uniquely smarmy fashion, I have to ask myself -- nay, I ask America -- who the hell would really vote for McCain / Palin?

So I did a little looking around to see what else I could learn about the states that are leaning toward the McCain / Palin ticket. Below is a bit of what I found. I realize that tracking this information at the state level is far from ideal. Chicago holds little in common with Carbondale, for example, other than being in Illinois. But getting this kind of data at the county or congressional district would take forever and I have already spent way too much time on this. That said, take all these observations with a grain of salt.

Note: In all instances, McCain / Obama polling data is from USA Today's Presidential poll tracker. Also, clicking on the images will let you see a larger version of it over on Photobucket.

Education

First, from the US Census, a chart mapping attainment of at least a Bachelor's degree by state.

Of the 27 states where less than 25.9% of the population holds a Bachelor's degree:
McCain - 16
Obama - 7
TBD - 4
If I were a betting man I'd say this will end up either 18 - 9 or 19 - 8, McCain

Of the 23 states where more than 26.6% of the population holds a Bachelor's degree:
McCain - 6
Obama - 15
TBD - 2
This will likely go 16 - 7, Obama. If northern Virginia goes heavily Obama, maybe it goes 17 - 6.

Mobile Homes & Trailers

Next, also from the US Census, a look at % of homes that are either mobile homes or trailers.

In the 26 states where more than 6.7% of homes are mobile homes or trailers:
McCain - 17
Obama - 6
TBD - 3
And it's looking like this will end up 20 - 6, McCain.

In the 24 states where less than 6.0% of homes are mobile homes or trailers:
McCain - 5
Obama - 16
TBD - 3
Likely to go 17 - 7 for Obama, maybe 18 - 6 Obama.

Obesity

Next, from Strange Maps with data from the CDC, we look at a map that illustrates relative obesity rates.

Among the 32 states with obesity rates higher than 24%:
McCain - 17
Obama - 10
TBD - 5
Likely to go either 22 - 10 or 21 - 11 McCain.

Among the 18 states with obesity rates lower than 24%:
McCain - 5
Obama - 12
TBD - 1
Likely to go 13 - 5 Obama

"Values" - Divorce & Teen Birth Rates

Taking a quick look at some "values" issues, I found a couple of charts over at Talk To Action using National Center of Health Statistics data that illustrated divorce rates and teen birth rates.

Surprised to see so many of the green, low divorce rate states skewing toward Obama, the guy who "doesn't see America the way you and I do" (according to I'll-say-anything-because-I'm-nothing-more-than-an-empty-vessel-with-an-extremely-narrow-and-inflexible-world-view Sarah Palin).

Interestingly, Obama also seems to be carrying more of the lower teen birth rate states. Weird, huh? Thought Republicans owned "values".

Religion

I also found a couple of maps that illustrated the degree of religiousness and the type of faith that is most common by county. I am far from being an expert on religion, but it did seem to me that a few relatively major religions were absent (say, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism). These defy neat tallying like the earlier charts, but, nonetheless, I had the maps, the Obama logo and the McCain head, so I plotted these, too. Seems like there is some correlation (or just some pretty strong coincidence) of high divorce rates, high mobile home ownership, high teen birth rates, high obesity rates and intense religiousness. And they all like McCain/Palin.

Map source: Strange Maps.

Map source: The Daily Irrelevant.

The Legacy of Slavery

And I also found a map of state/territory slavery policy from pre-Civil War times. Anyone who says race isn't a factor in this election is kidding themselves. Wow.

Finally, it's worth noting that while I was doing the research for this post I found that someone else, David Pakman, was doing similar analysis. He takes a couple of different looks at a similar concept, so check that out, too, if you're interested.

UPDATE 10/12/08: "We don't need no A-rab president"

Doing a little red state / blue state search this morning and one of the results I found the video below, posted by Andrew Sullivan. All your worst fears live and with pictures and sound - the wonder of YouTube, no?

ADDITIONAL UPDATE 10/12/08: Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State

Looks like there is a lot of useful data and discussion over at Andrew Gelman's blog, which is a companion piece to his book, Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State: Why Americans Vote the Way They Do.

500,000 Reasons to Pay Attention to the Market & Your 401K Plan

2008-10-09T07:14:00.011-05:00

An invaluable lesson learned the hard way
In 2000 & 2001 I saw my modest 401k cut by two thirds, as the NASDAQ went from 5,000 to 1,800. I thought I was doing everything right. I had been contributing with every paycheck. Had aggressive allocations since I was still a relative youngster. Thought everything was fine (there was still a touch of that go-go 90s vibe in the air, after all). But after I had settled into my new job and went through the process of setting up a new 401K and rolling over the old one into a Roth IRA, I had a WTF kind of moment. Two thirds - gone. That's nuts. I didn't know what to do, but I knew there had to be a better way.

I wish I could remember exactly how I found Dick Fabian's Mutual Fund Wealth Builder, because if anyone tipped me off I want to give them proper credit. But I may have just found it in Borders. And it changed my life. I know that might sound pretty weird and cultish, but it's true. His message isn't complicated. It gets pretty repetitive in places it definitely has stretches of high corniness. But the bottom line is he outlines a straightforward approach that is easy to follow and it can save your @ss in years like 2008.

The point is there are macro market trends that can give you a 'red light' or 'green light' kind of signal. Either get to safety and wait out the down draft, or get back on the elevator up.

I'm oversimplifying here, but if you see a couple of major, broad market indicators close below their 200-day moving average, that's a bad sign. On December 27, 2007, the S&P 500 dropped below its 200 day moving average.

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance
S&P 500 closes below its 200 day moving average on 12/27/07

That was a real crap time for it to break down because I personally wasn't paying as close attention as I usually do. And by the following Friday the S&P was down ~7% from November (seems like a quaint concern these days, though). If I was truly adhering to the system I would have reallocated my 401k out of traditional 'long' equity funds and gotten to safer ground with the S&P still around 1,478. Because I had seen this kind of show before and it wasn't pretty.

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance
S&P 500 breaks down in September 2000, beginning a downtrend that didn't turn until March 2003, after a drop of ~33%.

But I didn't. I waited a little bit, in case it was a false signal. I looked for it to get back up above its 50-day moving average as a sign. By late February that wasn't looking likely and I got out when the S&P was around 1,380. Took a little hit, but it could be absorbed. Comes with the territory, as they say.

That's the good news (for me, anyway). The problem is then that my 401K plan doesn't have any choices designed to really grow even during a bear market. We have a couple of short term income funds and a bunch of longer term funds that are great as long as the broader markets are great. In case you hadn't noticed, the broader markets haven't been great this year.

Most of my current 401k options have tanked along with the market

Here's how it looked yesterday when I pulled up the performance table. Not good times.

Publicis Groupe 401K choices

Publicis Groupe 401K choices

And you can see in this series of charts comparing the individual funds to the S&P 500 year-to-date that they all have been taking the same ugly ride down.
Note: charts were grabbed last night, before things got even uglier today. Also, the S&P is the red line in each chart, the blue line is the specific fund being compared to the S&P.

T. Rowe Price Growth Stock (PRGFX) - year to date

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

Artisan Mid Cap Inv (ARTMX) - year to date

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

American Beacon Small Cp Val Inst (AVFIX) - year to date

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

Hotchkis and Wiley Mid-Cap Value I (HWMIX)

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

Fidelity Freedom 2025 (FFTWX) - year to date

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

Fidelity Freedom 2040 (FFFFX) - year to date

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

Fidelity Freedom 2010 (FFFCX) - year to date
This is one of my favorites. Designed for those getting ready to retire in 2010. Should be getting into pretty 'safe' territory here. Down 25% year to date. Good grief.

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX) - year to date

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

One of two options I have in my 401K where I wouldn't have gotten crushed by this most recent downturn is PTTRX. Fortunately this is where I moved everything back in February. Those who advocate buy and hold, dollar cost averaging on the way down, smart and safe asset allocation and other similar nonsense would have howled at this move. But, Dick Fabian's red light / green light system tells me to move. I moved.

PIMCO Total Return Instl (PTTRX) - year to date

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

The options I wish I had in my 401K

Earlier this year I asked someone in corporate HR about getting a bear market fund option in our 401k. I was told that kind of vehicle was speculative and irresponsible (I'm paraphrasing as I can't find the email to get the exact language). I was told, however, I could make a formal request in writing with some rationale. I might direct them to this post. What seems irresponsible to me is that some people are in a two-years-until-retirement fund and getting 25% of their @sses handed to them in 9+ months.

Wouldn't it have been nice if I could have allocated some share of my balance and ongoing contributions to one of these three?

Again, charts are as of last night, S&P is red, highlighted fund is blue

Prudent Bear (BEARX)- year to date up >20%

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

Rydex Inverse S&P 500 Strategy Inv (RYURX)- year to date up >40%

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

Grizzly Short (GRZZX) - year to date up >60%

Image Source: Yahoo! Finance

It would have been more than 'nice'. It could have made an enormous difference in people's 401k balances 30 years from now. To illustrate exactly how much of a difference it could have made, I ran a few simple scenarios.

The bottom line break down

Assumptions:

- Initial 401K balance of $50,000 when S&P 500 triggers the bear market alarm as it did on 12/27/2007
- A total drop of 33.3% in the S&P before it triggers it's next bull market alarm (at yesterday's close of 984.84, the S&P was 33.3% below its 12/27/07 close of 1476.27
- After the 33.3% drop, no further contributions are made and all portfolios make 8% annual returns for 30 years

- Portfolio A does not get out at time of the bear market trigger and rides down with the S&P
End balance: $335,647

- Portfolio B gets out at the time of the bear market trigger and stays in cash on the sidelines
End balance: $503,133

- Portfolio C gets out at the time of the bear market trigger and reallocates to 50% cash, 50% a bear market fund designed to deliver returns inverse to the S&P
End balance: $586,876

- Portfolio D gets out at the time of the bear market trigger and reallocates 100% to a bear market fund designed to deliver returns inverse to the S&P
End balance: $670,619

- Portfolio E gets out at the time of the bear market trigger and reallocates 100% to a bear market fund designed to deliver returns that are twice the inverse of the S&P
End balance: $838,105

Now, depending upon the size of your initial stake at the trigger date, the absolute numbers will vary. But whether you have $5,000 and are just starting or $1,000,000 and are close to finishing, the percentages are the same.

* Take a 33% hit and it will take you ~6 years to get back to even at 8% per year.

* Get on the sideline and wait for the next up trend and you finish with 50% more money.

* Get out and reallocate into an aggressive bear market fund and you could have an extra $500,000 in 30-years. But, that might be speculative and irresponsible. Best to just put your lil' eggs in something nice, like FFFCX.

UPDATE 11/3/2009:
From WSJ.com:
Paragraphs below speak to the value of avoiding losses. Rest of the article ('Cruel Math of Big Losses') provides some conventional tips for those who might not be comfortable with technical trend analysis as an approach for sidestepping these big losses.

"If an investment declines 10%, it takes about an 11% gain to break even (assuming you don't pump in additional dollars). If the drop is 20%, you need a 25% gain to recover. A fall of one-third requires a rebound of 50%. And if your investment falls by half, "you need a double," or a 100% return, says Mr. Wiener, the New York-based editor of the Independent Adviser for Vanguard Investors. The recovery percentages grow exponentially because you have so few dollars working for you after a big loss.

Last year, the average diversified U.S.-stock fund was down 37.5%—requiring a 60% advance to break even—and plenty of funds were down 50% or more. Investors looking at this year's performance listings should know that some big gainers are volatile funds that were big losers last year; thus, investors' holdings may still be worth far less than they were in late 2007."

A Tale of Two Bags - High Sierra Sport's Customer Service Comes Through

2008-10-06T07:04:00.003-05:00

Earlier this year I bought two carry on expandable bags from High Sierra Sport . One has been through maybe 15 - 20 trips and is still solid. The other starting falling apart after trip number 3 or 4.

Note the left wheel caving in. It sticks like that, which kind of nullifies the whole rolling concept.

Below you can see how the handle grip started unraveling

This was pretty disappointing. And because I am sometimes a lazy procrastinator, I didn't take my receipt to the place where I bought it (the Randolph location of City Traveler) within the 60 or 90 day return window. But the bag was still covered by its warranty. And while it took more back and forth via email that it probably should have to get a response from High Sierra's customer service folks, I have to say that once I did connect with them and sent back the pieces they needed to confirm what kind of replacement bag I needed, they got the new bag to me within two or three days.

And my sweet orange bag and I are back in business.

Pictures from NLDS Game 1 - Cubs v Dodgers

2008-10-05T09:12:00.004-05:00

Well, I was luckier than the Cubs were. By far. What I saw was the first game of a sweep that has broken hearts all over Illinois. But, for it's worth, I had a great view.

Aisle BLPN33 Row B Seat 3

You know your seats are good when you're right next to the photographer well

Manny on first

Long faces and rally hats - not a good sign

Greg Maddux pitching mop up in the 9th. Weird.

My Lucky @ss is Heading to the Cubs Game

2008-10-01T12:41:00.004-05:00

Not only that, but I have a preposterously good seat, thanks to the very kind folks at Tribune Interactive.

Cold or not, this will be fantastic. And I have no qualms whatsoever rooting against Lowe, Nomah and Manny (would be different story if it were, say, Wake, Youk and Papi who had defected the Nation).

Shouldn't Jerry Manuel be Holding a Clarinet or Something?

2008-09-28T10:20:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago I was watching SportsCenter and saw some shot of Jerry Manuel out of uniform, wearing maybe a grey t-shirt, seated with his back against a mostly blank wall, looking up toward the cameras. Something about that just made me think he should be on stage at an old jazz club holding a clarinet rather than filling out major league lineups. While I couldn't find that image of Manuel, the images below give you a sense of what I was thinking. The shot of George Lewis, in particular, is uncanny in how well it captures what I imagined. Manuel has a bit more of a beatnik look, but still, this is pretty close.

Image sources: Jerry Manuel, Zimbio / Jeff Gross - Getty Images; George Lewis, George Lewis Society; Blue Note, Martin & Jopparelli

Supporting Clean Energy Candidates - Message from Al Gore / MoveOn

2008-09-26T12:29:00.003-05:00

I haven't taken any action on this email I received from MoveOn on 9/18, but I'm thinking about it. I like the fact that it's specific, succinct (relatively - and it formats a bit better in my inbox as I haven't done much to clean it up here) and provides a clear next step. Good stuff.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Subject: Obama's going to need some help

Al Gore, MoveOn.org Political Action
Thu, Sep 18, 2008 at 12:30 PM
To: art sindlinger <>@gmail.com>

Barack Obama could "repower America" using clean, cheap energy sources. But he'll need us to elect more clean-energy champions in the Senate to stand up to the oil lobbyists. Can you help elect three champions of clean energy who are in close Senate races?

Make a donation

Dear MoveOn member,

Elections matter. We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track. I'm personally focused on what I think is the greatest threat and greatest opportunity—averting the climate crisis and "repowering America" using clean, cheap energy sources. That's why I'm supporting Barack Obama. He's the sort of transformational leader who could move us through such deep, structural change.

But trust me, Barack can only succeed if we also elect more champions in the Senate to stand up to the incredibly powerful oil lobby.

Those leaders are emerging—and three of them are in close Senate races. Kay Hagan in North Carolina, Mark Udall in Colorado, and Al Franken in Minnesota are all real, clean-energy heroes who need our help to win. And they're fighting against Republicans who have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from the oil industry.

Can you help elect three champions of clean energy to the Senate? You can donate by clicking here:

At the convention, I said that the oil industry has a 50-year lease on the Republican Party. And they're drilling it for everything it's worth. Unfortunately, this is no joke. It's the sad truth. Look at what's going on in Congress right now. We're in an energy crisis, and the burgeoning solar and wind power business is on the edge of shutting down—because Republicans are blocking the tax incentives they count on. Yet they'll fight to the death for huge oil industry subsidies.

This election offers us our best chance ever to elect leaders who will switch our economy to home-grown, renewable, zero-carbon energy—and restore our economic health, our national security, and stabilize our climate.

Here's a little about these good folks:

* Kay Hagan is a North Carolina state senator and a strong supporter of solar power. She pushed to require North Carolina utilities to adopt renewable energy.
* Rep. Mark Udall of Colorado has one of the highest lifetime scores in Congress from the League of Conservation Voters. His opponent is a former congressman turned oil executive who makes oil deals in Iraq.
* Al Franken is fighting for green jobs in his home state of Minnesota. He's proposing a national "Apollo project" to fuel the development of new technologies in clean and renewable energy.

You can read more by clicking below.

Will you join me in supporting three champions of clean energy? They really need our help. Just click here:

And thanks so much for all you do,

Al Gore

21 Hours in New York

2008-09-20T19:24:00.003-05:00

Had a quick trip for some meetings. Managed to pack a few things into 21 hours.

Stayed at the Flatotel (see my review).

They didn't have a mini bar, so I found Cafe Duke, which was brilliant (another mini review).

Look past the piles of trash - place is brilliant inside

Had some meetings at ESPN. Love this particular wall whenever I see it.

Enjoyed a nice lunch at The Palm.

'Parmesan Truffle Fries' with the Palm's beer (sort of Bass like)

Ground Ahi Tuna burger with sweet potato fries (which were brilliant)

Got 5 minutes of fresh air on a brilliant late summer afternoon that felt like fall.

And saw one of the MNF out of home installations with the turf effect.

Touring the ESPN Campus in Bristol, CT

2008-09-20T12:10:00.003-05:00

(People who still call me "Arthur": my mom, and the security desk folks at ESPN)

As my wife likes to remind me weekly, I am spoiled.

I get to do some pretty cool things in the name of 'work'. Nice meals, big games, etc. And over time you get used to some of these things as 'coming with the territory'. I wouldn't say you take them for granted, but after 8+ years of it the 'wow' effect isn't as strong as it was, say for example, the very first time I got an afternoon of free beer, sun and baseball on a rooftop in Wrigleyville.

However, every now and then you get to do something really cool and unique that snaps you out of your nonchalance and reminds you how freaking lucky you are not to still be writing table tent copy promoting monthly catering specials for a local bagel bakery chain (although those were good times, too, in their own way).

On Monday September 8th, I got to log work hours that involved touring some of the ESPN campus in Bristol, CT.

It was literally like this SportsCenter commercial with Peyton and Eli Manning.

At one point we were in that hallway and our host pointed out that yes, it was the hallway from that commercial. I resisted the urge to back trip one of my colleagues.

Below is a shot of a mini football field which you may or may not see figure into an NFL Countdown this season. Would be nice to see the guys take their mini run throughs outside once or twice.

Pretty cool hallway. Wouldn't be bad walking through that everyday.

Unfortunately there weren't any games going on when we were there, but we were told it can get pretty heated on this court.

The set where NFL Live is shot. One of a number of studios we got to see that day.

Early days shot of Berman. One of many classic pictures hanging on the walls.

The NASCAR studio. That car was actually raced once by Tony Stewart. I've been to one race but never got this close to a car. Much more compact than you might imagine seeing them on TV.

At one point during the tour we got to "see the sausage being made", if you will. They were producing a quick phone interview between Bob Ley and Bobby Knight, getting Coach Knight's reflections about Don Haskins, who had died over the weekend. Was pretty interesting seeing all the logistics involved in putting that together. The areas highlighted by the yellow boxes are (1) the graphic slate showing a head shot of Coach Knight and something like a 'by phone' note, and (2) Bob Ley in the studio doing whatever he does while the production folks patch the call together and whatnot. Got to hear Knight refer to Haskins as a 'tough, honest son of a bitch' or something along those lines.

Other notable things that I didn't capture with my Helio:

- Linda Cohn walked right by us while I was txting someone about something. So I missed seeing her directly, but through my peripheral vision I would estimate she's like 5'1", tops.

- At one point Kordell Stewart and Jamaal Anderson also walked past us. Jamaal Anderson is listed as 5'11". No way that's true. Maybe 5'9". And, for what it's worth, he has his own MySpace page.

All in all, pretty damn cool.

More Thoughts on the Sarah Palin Thing: Potential to Bring About the "End Times"

2008-09-14T21:46:00.003-05:00

From the WSJ.com article, Palin's Faith is Seen in Church Upbringing:

At the Pentecostal church where Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin worshipped for more than two decades, congregants speak in tongues and are part of a faith that believes humanity is in its "end times" -- the days preceding a world-ending cataclysm bringing Christian redemption and the second coming of Jesus.

I tend to agree with the perspective that David Gushee shares later in the article:

Mr. Gushee says Gov. Palin should explain her beliefs concerning the inevitability of a cataclysm and the end of time. "To me, it is highly relevant to someone who potentially has her hand on the nuclear button," he says. "If that is her worldview, I would want to know about that."

Sarah Palin simply cannot be one heartbeat away from the Presidency.

More Thoughts & Observations on the Sarah Palin Thing: Idiot Voters

2008-09-14T21:30:00.004-05:00

Why is it that we make people pass a test in order to drive a car but require no similar demonstration of competence before letting people vote? This has certainly crossed my mind before. But while reading WSJ's "Palin's Star Power Can Outshine McCain" the other day, I was stopped in my tracks by the pure stupidity exhibited by my fellow U.S. voter Ann Breshears in this passage:

Ann Breshears, 69 years old, who came to Monday's rally, says she used to support Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, but now plans to vote for McCain-Palin. "She's like the people I know," she said. "Her husband snowmobiles. We drive tractors and fly airplanes."

Attention Ms. Breshears: we are not talking about determining who should be captain of the bowling team or who you'd like to volunteer with at the Bake Sale on Sundays. This is the Presidential Election. Please tell me you take into consideration something a bit more relevant than the Vice President nominee's recreational preferences.

Mike Judge was right

Tonight's Agenda: Persepolis

2008-09-13T14:57:00.001-05:00

Tonight's Agenda: Persepolis ... and what wound up being a mediocre Chilean Merlot from the Super Foods (not a big surprise, I suppose). Movie was great, though. Feel free to click through this link to buy it so I get my 11 cents as an Amazon affiliate.

Thoughts Triggered by this Whole Sarah Palin Thing, Volume I

2008-09-06T17:39:00.010-05:00

* 17 cities have larger populations than Alaska. If Alaska were a city, it would be fall between Memphis and Baltimore on the population list.
Sources: Infoplease.com; and U.S. Census Bureau

* Alaska is the 4th least populated state in the U.S., ahead of only North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming
Source: Wikipedia

* Wasilla, Alaska had a population of 5,469 in 2000; in 2007 the Census estimated Wasilla's population at 9,780, which would make it the 4th biggest city in Alaska
Source: Wikipedia

* Only three cities in Alaska have populations greater than 10,000

* The 2000 Census reports a population of 62,198 for the Edgewater neighborhood in Chicago
Source: Wikipedia

* My 2.7 square mile neighborhood (Edgewater) is 11.4 times more populous than Wasilla, Alaska

* My 2.7 square mile neighborhood has roughly 10% the population of Alaska

* If you divided my 2.7 square mile neighborhood into 6 evenly populated subsections (or lil' "cities") and took them to Alaska, they would become 6 of the top 9 most populous cities in Alaska

* 27.6% of the current U.S. population is Black or Hispanic
Source: U.S. Census

* U.S. Census forecasts that 30% of the U.S. population will be Black or Hispanic in 2015
Source: U.S. Census

* 9.3% of Alaska's current population is Black or Hispanic
Source: U.S. Census

* You are 3 times less likely to encounter a Black or Hispanic person in Alaska than you are in the general U.S. population

Lookalikes - Michelle Obama, Sigourney Weaver & Emmanuel Lewis

2008-08-30T08:55:00.004-05:00

I have been trying to solve the riddle of what Michelle Obama's smile / smirk reminds me of and it finally came to me the other day. It's some blend of Sigourney Weaver and Emmanuel Lewis. And I mean this in the best possible way.

Image source: The Black Snob

Image source: contactmusic.com

Image source: FreeRepublic.com

Image source: CNN

Image source: ExpoSay

Lookalikes: VP Nominee Joe Biden and Sam the Eagle from the Muppets

2008-08-25T21:35:00.004-05:00

Has anyone ever seen them in the same room together? Just saying ...

Image source: Missymartin Missives

Image source: Kevin Dayhoff

Image source Bleed Cubbie Blue

Image source: Independents Unite

Image source: Muppet Wiki

Image source: New York Press

Russian Foreign Minister in WSJ - Not Sounding so Friendly

2008-08-23T15:48:00.002-05:00

I haven't been paying a lot of attention to this issue, but while catching up on this week's WSJ content, I found the the opinion piece by Sergey Lavrov.

A couple excerpts:

"Another real issue is U.S. military involvement with the government of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Did Washington purposely encourage an irresponsible and unpredictable regime in this misadventure?"

"Of course, that strategic dialogue has not led us too far since last fall, including on the issue of U.S. missile defense sites in Eastern Europe and the future of the strategic arms reduction regime. But the threat itself to drop these issues from our bilateral agenda is very indicative of the cost of the choice being made in Washington in favor of the discredited regime in Tbilisi. The U.S. seems to be eager to punish Russia to save the face of a failed "democratic" leader at the expense of solving the problems that are much more important to the entire world."

Wow. Guess Biden was virtually a must for Obama given the current geo-political climate.

Michael Phelps = Eli Manning + Gheorghe Muresan

2008-08-22T19:45:00.006-05:00

During Michael Phelps' Olympic run the thing I noticed was not his pool prowess, but his resemblance to Gheorghe Muresan, with a bit of Eli Manning mixed in. It's not a perfect lookalike, but you wouldn't be surprised if at a Muresan family BBQ you turned and saw Phelps playing lawn darts or something.

UPDATE: FilteringCraig has great pictures illustrating the resemblance.

Image source: Celebrity-Gossip.net

Image source: Viewimages.com

Image source: NYPost

Free Workshop Discussing Condo Association Law (or, what I did with my Tuesday night and now I'm wondering how my life led me here)

2008-08-19T22:15:00.004-05:00

Just a couple of snaps from the session (actually pretty informative) held at the 1210 W. Elmdale branch of the Chicago Public Library:

note the dude rocking the sweet robin's egg blue kangol lid

~24 Hours to / from New York

2008-08-13T20:58:00.006-05:00

Miscellaneous snap shots capturing a variety of things I did / encountered during a roughly 24 hour trip to / from New York this past Monday & Tuesday.

Loud clown @ gate H18 in O'Hare
This guy was rockin' the penny loafers with no socks look and a sweet bracelet while talking loudly on his cell phone and/or singing (one way or another it was important for everyone in the vicinity to know he was there). Clown.

Fashion crime in the Laguardia cab line
Then I was behind this guy at LGA while waiting for a taxi. Jean carpenter shorts plus black shoes? Maybe it's in and I'm the one who's clueless - that's totally possible.

W Tuscany on E. 39th St.
I have stayed here once before. Got room 604 this time. Pretty nice.

What I didn't realize last time was that they have a decent little gym.

Lunch @ Brgr
After some meetings @ ESPN, I found my way over to Brgr (another place I tried a few months ago). Next time I'm getting a real meat burger. Veggie burgers are good, but they kind of fall apart on you.

Meeting @ Weiden & Kennedy's office on Varick St.
Definitely more interesting space than what I'm used to.

Cab to LGA
Something (probably boredom) inspired me to take this clip during the cab ride over to LGA. At least traffic was moving along at this point.

Peace in the Admirals Club
For a while it was nice and quiet, with the sun shining outside all looked good for smooth travels back home.

Then the Jackass showed up
But then this guy showed up, talking overly loudly and overly proudly about some on-air appearance he had just made. Sounded like he may have appeared on Fox. Best part of the call was when whoever was on the other end cut it short. Maybe something suddenly came up, but I like to think that s/he was as uninterested as the rest of us were and just decided to cut the Jackass off finally.

The Upgrade

This was key. I had a decent seat, exit aisle, but threw my hat in the upgrade request ring just in case. Got a friendly gate agent who told me it looked good. (She reminded me of Bernice from Barney Miller).

Image source: FlorenceStanley.com

Wound up getting the upgrade, which was key, b/c we sat on the runway @ LGA for at least 45 minutes before taking off. And the free wine is always nice, too.

Eating like a king - the wife takes good care of me

2008-07-19T20:57:00.000-05:00

Eating like a king - the wife takes good care of me. Salmon with a thai marinade and some black bean / vegetable rice and a Chilean carmenere.

Tonite's Agenda - a lot of TiVo catch up

2008-06-28T14:54:00.000-05:00

Tonite's Agenda - a lot of TiVo catch up and a very nice Argentinian red.

Spotted: another self-important jackass.

2008-06-23T12:29:00.000-05:00

Spotted: another self-important jackass. We are on a taxi way @ ORD and the crew has clearly announced that everyone not only needs to remain seated but keep seat belts fastened. Yet this woman decides to stand up and read her magazine. She was also the one who popped up just after take off while we were still climbing (and therefore still supposed to be seated). Love it when people are in public, shared space and believe the rules don't apply to them.

Thought: People Living in the Past, Present & Future

2008-06-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

Thought: at any given moment the world's population is living in a bell curve continuum of existence, with most people living near the present and the rest distributed between ~50 100 years in the past and ~50 100 years in the future.

Exhibit A - Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson and her Happy Days era pearl necklace and antebellum world view, whom I just saw on CNN looking and sounding incredibly dated.

Image Source: Walker Report

Exhibit B - Jim Holt and Mid American Credit Union in Witchita, KS.

Image Source: WSJ.com

Sample quote from the story:

When Mr. Holt attended a dress-for-success seminar that year, he got advice that caused him to loosen the reins on women's boots and mules. But not bare legs. The rule, "nylon hose and dress shoes are to be worn at all times," applied even to business-casual contexts. "We're not New York or San Francisco," Mr. Holt says, wearing ironed khaki slacks, an ironed golf shirt, and crisply creased socks. "We're the Midwest."

I would suggest that final quote be finished with "We're 17th Century reactionaries" rather than "We're the Midwest".

Tonite's Agenda

2008-06-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

Tonite's Agenda: a Barbera D'Alba and Talk to Me.

Paying $4.59 / gallon @ Lawrence & Marine

2008-06-06T18:17:00.000-05:00

Cost $47 to fill the Yaris' tank. Good thing I'm still getting 33mpg and only drive 80 miles per week.

People wonder why YouTube is so popular?

2008-06-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

People wonder why YouTube is so popular when crap like this (Tori & Dean, Home Sweet Hollywood) is on TV?

Spotted: Another Inconsiderate Jackass.

2008-06-04T18:29:00.000-05:00

Spotted: Another Inconsiderate Jackass. This one blaring generic and sappy R&B during crosstown gridlock from his Hawk-from-Spenser-for-hire-white Escalade. You don't look cool, guy. You look like a high school geek in a rented car getting all girly excited for prom.

Witnessing history? Democratic Nominee Obama

2008-06-03T14:11:00.001-05:00

Witnessing history? I am taking a quick break @ the office for a late dinner just in time to see Barack Obama take the stage in St. Paul, MN to U2's "Beautiful Day".

Don't Dis the Yaris, Bro

2008-05-30T12:27:00.002-05:00

Saw this article on Yahoo! Finance today:

Wanted-Gas-Mileage-AND-All-the-Goodies: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

It included this about the Yaris:

"The tiny lump-shaped Yaris is nobody's idea of a dream car, but it's about as cheap as any new car you can get. It's very reliable, and it has fuel economy that few cars can match."

Ouch. My Yaris is a dream, jackass. Smooth, reliable and 33 - 34 mpg city (which is not just economical but also relatively responsible). "Dream" is in the mind of the dreamer, no? If you dream of unnecessary stylings and features because you are in a state of arrested development and you tie your self-esteem to the cosmetic aspects of your freaking car, yeah, maybe the Yaris isn't for you. But not everyone dreams of being a shallow, deluded a-hole trying to prove something to himself and various unknown 'others' with his choice of a fancy-pants, unnecessary fuel burning car.

The Fountain is On and Spring is Finally Here

2008-05-26T14:57:00.002-05:00

We've had a couple of warm days in a row which means we can keep our living room screen doors open, letting in both some fresh air and the soothing sounds of the Manor House fountain.

Brief View of Chicago Skyline from American Airlines Flight 350

2008-05-26T14:54:00.004-05:00

On a trip to New York a couple weeks ago I had a great view of the Chicago skyline, which I tried to capture on my Helio. The clip doesn't do the view justice, but what the heck, I'll post it anyway. I wound up screwing it up rather than enhancing the view when I tried to zoom in, so that kind of stinks. But if you look closely within the first 9 or 10 seconds there is a bright light in the lower middle (moving toward lower right hand corner) - that's an illuminated Wrigley Field.

Finally Got to See Avenue Q

2008-05-26T11:44:00.005-05:00

After negging me back in 2003 when I suggested we see Avenue Q during a trip to New York (we saw Aida instead - ugh), Judy got us tickets to see the Avenue Q tour in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace. I am not a fan of musicals whatsoever, but throw in some puppets and cursing and I'm good.

The New Yorker's review sums it up about right:
An ingenious combination of “The Real World” and “Sesame Street,” the show presents the friends on Avenue Q as something both more and less than “Friends.” In a city where dreams are invariably dashed—when they’re not disseminated on Gap ads—the neighbors perform a cranky and adorable skit called Life.

Below are a couple of clips from other performances. A/V quality isn't the greatest, but you can get some sense of the show.

Everyone's a little bit racist

The internet is for porn

Another Signal from the Markets

2008-05-25T10:36:00.004-05:00

Image Source: Barron's

I noted in February that I was taking a signal from the markets to adjust my investing strategy. Recent action has been interesting, waiting to see if momentum could truly break into a longer term positive trend or not. According to this Getting Technical article from Barron's, it looks like the mini rally may be gassed. I'll be watching closely.

Almost Peaceful in LGA this Afternoon.

2008-05-13T07:23:00.001-05:00

Hope I didn't just jinx myself.

You Should be Watching 'That Mitchell & Webb Look'

2008-05-10T23:12:00.001-05:00

You Should be Watching 'That Mitchell and Web Look'.

E.g. - a few sample clips found on YouTube

The Bad Vicar

Jump Off a Cliff - 2 Quid

The Snooker Commentators
(the riffs on 'Chris Lester' remind me of listening to Chip Caray waxing on about how strappingly handsome various Cubs players were)

Tonite's Agenda

2008-05-10T21:23:00.001-05:00

Tonite's Agenda: Guinness and a second viewing of Fresa Y Chocolate, this time looking for familiar scenery.

Why Must Airport Security Lines @ MIA Always Suck?

2008-05-09T16:05:00.000-05:00

They always suck, too, unlike @ ORD where you can occasionally get lucky. I've never had a good experience @ MIA.

WOMM is the "butt crack" on the Ass of Marketing Spend

2008-05-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

Nice quote from opening session at WOMMU conference in Miami.

Guinness @ 'Indigo'

2008-05-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

Guinness @ 'Indigo' - the restaurant @ Miami Intercontinental hotel. Not sure I have ever seen Guinness in this kind of glass. It also arrived in 30 seconds. Maybe that's what I get for ordering a Guinness in Miami.

Least Compelling Bus Ad Ever?

2008-05-07T22:15:00.002-05:00

Saw this on the way to work this morning. The copy reads something like 'a bewitching cross of Danny Kaye and all the Marx brothers'. Okay. Good luck with that.

Waiting for a Taxi @ MIA

2008-05-07T20:41:00.000-05:00

Really hot waiting for a taxi in Miami

Who takes those water taxis anyway?

2008-05-05T15:18:00.000-05:00

75 Degrees = fresh air break outside today

2008-05-05T15:16:00.000-05:00

Revisiting an Old Favorite - Box in a Box

2008-05-05T12:16:00.001-05:00

Working on a quick project at the office digging up 'viral' examples. Not sure what it says about me, but when I think viral, I think box in a box. "Mi caja en una caja" ... good stuff

"I'm Fired Up" & "He's Ready to Go"

2008-05-05T11:18:00.000-05:00

My Obama t-shirt has arrived.

The Evening Progresses

2008-05-03T15:22:00.001-05:00

Evening Progresses - Guinness draught can in a Safe House glass from Milwaukee's unique spy themed bar/restaurant, courtesy of my wife the Marquette alumnus.

Tonite's Menu

2008-05-03T13:21:00.003-05:00

Tonite's Menu: a Pinot Noir received from friends and 'El Che: Investigating a Legend'

David Gergen - Born, or Hatched?

2008-05-01T15:21:00.001-05:00

Image Source: PBS.org

David Gergen is a smart guy, but he looks more like he was hatched than born, doesn't he?

The image above doesn't truly capture it, but I couldn't quickly find anything better. You really need to watch him on video (he's on CNN nightly it seems) to experience it fully.

Surreal Life Indeed: "Hammer is Now Following You on Twitter"

2008-04-29T11:33:00.004-05:00

This image is probably illegible and I am already spending more time than is appropriate documenting it so I'm not going to re-crop it. But the gist of it is I just received an email letting me know that "Hammer is now following you on Twitter".

While I'm not entirely surprised at this since I did follow Hammer first, after learning from the Zappos CEO that he was on Twitter. But still, if someone told me back in 1990 that (1) I'd be on Twitter in 18 years and (2) the guy who dropped "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em" on my world would someday be 'following' me on Twitter, I think I would have passed out cold in my Marithe + Francois Girbaud pinch rolled jeans

Gratuitous MC Hammer pic:

Image Source: The Sunday Morning Herald

My New Roberto Clemente Shirt Has Arrived

2008-04-28T19:38:00.000-05:00

Not sure exactly why I was prompted to buy this last week. I think I read an article about him that reminded me of how classy he was, so I went looking for a biography of him and found a t-shirt along the way. Regardless, it's sweet.

Another Reason Why I Love The Economist

2008-04-24T23:02:00.004-05:00

Image Source: The Economist

Much of it is admittedly over my head (or beyond my depth, if you prefer) and by no means am I able to read as much as I would like on a regular basis, but nonetheless The Economist is by far my favorite publication. Today, much to my delight, I caught up with a column from the April 12th issue in which Idiocracy gets a much deserved shout out as Lexington underlines the foolishness of the United States' asinine immigration policy (which is rightly characterized as "national self-sabotage"). Problem is, too many people are too stupid to comprehend the ramifications of the policy (and that reinforces the brilliance of the reference, no?).

Well played, sir.

Bat Update: there was no need for alarm-

2008-04-19T05:07:00.000-05:00

Bat Update: there was no need for alarm-luggage sticker came off nice and easy. My best $10 souvenir ever is in tact.

Got My Bat from Cuba

2008-04-19T05:03:00.001-05:00

Got My Bat from Cuba. TACA got it on a special flight from MGA and then messengered it to my office. That's the good news. The bad news is it has a baggage tag stuck to it, covering maybe 67% of its length. Still, I'm glad to have it and lay the blame for this hassle on an overly aggro Cuban airport staffer rather than on anyone @ TACA.

And then the Metra decided to pile on ...

2008-04-18T23:22:00.000-05:00

And Then Traffic on 90 Sux ...

2008-04-18T23:19:00.000-05:00

Rarely See ORD this Empty

2008-04-18T23:18:00.000-05:00

Rarely See ORD this Empty. Except @ 11pm on a Friday night after a 2 hour delay from LGA - on a beautiful 70 degree sunny day.

About to board for ORD

2008-04-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

About to board what appears to be a crowded AA363 to ORD.

Cool Harlem Mural

2008-04-18T16:41:00.001-05:00

Cool Harlem Mural - @ Centro de la Paz on E. 124th St. Seen from cab on way to LGA.

UPDATE 4/28/08: After checking a search query that led someone to visit this post ("harlem murals") I found this slide show of murals in East Harlem. Might be of interest.

W Times Square is Buzzing ...as Usual

2008-04-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

Sweet DIY no-logo bike

2008-04-16T14:33:00.000-05:00

Seeing sweet DIY no-logo bikes makes me want one.

Pretty sweet focus group facility here in Portland

2008-04-10T13:25:00.001-05:00

Seriously, sir, get a cell phone.

2008-04-10T10:22:00.000-05:00

This guy has been wrestling w/ that pay phone for 5+ minutes, kneeling for most of it.

Today: focus groups in Portland.

2008-04-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

Today: focus groups in Portland. Looking forward to it - always interesting. Too bad it's only an in-and-out trip b/c Portland's nice.

Interesting Absolut ad

2008-04-07T16:12:00.004-05:00

Absolut Vodka apologizes for this ad // Current

Would be something if the brand all of sudden reclaimed some lost coolness b/c it is no longer being called/bought by small-minded reactionaries who are demanding Absolut apologize for this. Fewer brand impressions of backwards thinking knobs holding your product = addition by subtraction.

UPDATE: 4/8/08
Just learned more of the backstory on this and the depth and breadth of idiotic, xenophobic mob-think is worse than I thought.

* Original post from Laura Martinez.

* Some follow up on AdAge.com.

Check out the comments in both places. Some reasonable people, but seems to be a greater share of stupefying bleats from jackasses who are the very embodiment of what limits this country / the human race. Who mates with these people and keeps their sorry seed in the gene pool?

Chelsea close up

2008-03-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

Chelsea close up underlining how poor her make up choices are. And yes, I did stand up in front of the TV to snap this.

Wondering why Chelsea Clinton can't a stylist get that knows what he/she is doing

2008-03-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

As I roll into hour # 6 of a layover in Miami that is being compounded by flight delays, I am struggling to find ways to amuse myself. Hence this stupid post. But I couldn't help to notice Chelsea's clownish appearance when she filled the screen on CNN. I'm far from an expert, but it seems like some of her make up choices are hurting rather than helping her (see also subsequent post w/ close up).

Spotted: another inconsiderate jackass

2008-03-30T15:51:00.001-05:00

This one is in the D concourse Admirals Lounge at the Miami airport. Do you really need to put your sweaty socks on the common furniture everyone uses? You do if you're an inconsiderate jackass.

I'm a "lucky girl"

2008-03-21T09:59:00.000-05:00

I'm a "lucky girl". Subscribed to Lucky for the wife. I think it was part of a renewal offer for Conde Nast Traveler where they included deals on a bunch of other CN magazines. I wonder if there is any kind of logic/screening in their system. My name isn't too often mistaken as feminine. Would they also address a "Larry" as a "lucky girl"? Do they just flat out assume no male would ever subscribe to Lucky?

De-icing now

2008-03-21T09:50:00.000-05:00

De-icing now. Getting anxious to get off the ground before the window of opportunity closes.

They say we're leaving

2008-03-21T09:19:00.000-05:00

They say we're leaving ... We'll see

Quick bite to eat before we fly

2008-03-21T07:57:00.000-05:00

Quick bite to eat before we fly (fingers still crossed)

The journey begins w/ a cab to ORD.

2008-03-20T06:54:00.000-05:00

The journey begins w/ a cab to ORD. Fingers crossed as American claims we're still on time.

The "After" Shot

2008-03-19T20:38:00.000-05:00

Dog shaving nite!

2008-03-19T20:37:00.000-05:00

Fun for everyone involved.

Cleaning up around the office

2008-03-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

And that means some of the "From the Desk of ..." welcome flyers from dancecarbuzz are coming down (and it has nothing to do w/ our twitter fight). I think 7 months is sufficient to demonstrate my appreciation of his witty welcome gesture. But now it's time for some spring cleaning.

Protesters for Tibet are out on Wacker

2008-03-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

Protesters for Tibet are out on Wacker today. Decent showing in the cold rain. The "Honk for _____" banner format is always a good choice.

Update: I also snagged a quick bit of low quality video w/ my Helio.

Gas Creeps Up on $4.00 per Gallon

2008-03-17T20:45:00.000-05:00

Paying $3.96/gallon