Monday, June 30, 2008
Frommer on Air Transport
Arthur Frommer (of the guides) attempts to predict [smart] consumer behavior now that the airlines have started to announce flight cuts, higher costs. The whole situation is quite depressing, but as with so many things, maybe it had to get that way so as to inspire real change (which so often stems from anger and frustration). So let's go!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Mmmm indie music goodness in obscure places. What's not to love?
La Blogotheque meets artists and tapes them performing in a non-traditional venue, i.e. an elevator, an alley, a hotel room, etc. Check out the Take Away Shows here.
Some suggestions: Sufjan Stevens, Au Revoir Simone, Jens Lekman, St. Vincent, the Arcade Fire. But there's so much more. Check out for yourself.
Some suggestions: Sufjan Stevens, Au Revoir Simone, Jens Lekman, St. Vincent, the Arcade Fire. But there's so much more. Check out for yourself.
This has been driving me up the wall with its insane awesomeness.
I can't wait to see one in action - just the designs and sketches are enough to titillate me!
*originally turned on to this from Chris's blog, but it's been in every real estate news blast since - man, I am so jealous of Dubaians (does anyone know if that's right? I tried googling and all I got was a sketchy Yahoo answers post.)
Comics in the Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/asmussen/
Today's gave me a chuckle, though I have to admit I rarely read comics in newspapers anymore. There are some Internet ones I like... though I'm never consistent. Sigh. Anyway, the "World's Greatest Father" thing amused me.
Today's gave me a chuckle, though I have to admit I rarely read comics in newspapers anymore. There are some Internet ones I like... though I'm never consistent. Sigh. Anyway, the "World's Greatest Father" thing amused me.
Sweet!
Who's coming with me?!
p.s. I love that the Fillmore is like, 3 blocks away from my apartment.
p.p.s. I hate how expensive San Francisco is - I directed a friend to their Philadelphia show (at the First Unitarian Church - loooove that place) and tickets were more than $10 less in Philly. C'mon!
p.s. I love that the Fillmore is like, 3 blocks away from my apartment.
p.p.s. I hate how expensive San Francisco is - I directed a friend to their Philadelphia show (at the First Unitarian Church - loooove that place) and tickets were more than $10 less in Philly. C'mon!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Stewart Butterfield resigns Yahoo...
...and leaves a fantastic resignation letter behind. A bit late, and thanks to Dagen for the link, just a bit of amusing Silicon Valley gossip.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Dear lord, who does this sound like?
He might be smoking, but it would be at a cafe, hunched over a New York Times, an Atlantic magazine, his MacBook and some organic fruit-flavored tea, listening to Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks” on his iPod.
Haha, it's actually excerpted from a Dowd column on Barack Obama. And while I've mentioned I'm not the biggest Dowd fan, she did turn me on to this quote in the same column: "He is, as Leon Wieseltier of The New Republic wrote, not the seed but the flower of the civil rights movement."
Haha, it's actually excerpted from a Dowd column on Barack Obama. And while I've mentioned I'm not the biggest Dowd fan, she did turn me on to this quote in the same column: "He is, as Leon Wieseltier of The New Republic wrote, not the seed but the flower of the civil rights movement."
Private equity happenings worldwide
Just some interesting stuff going on...
"Recent reports indicate that the primary trade group for private-equity firms spent more than $740,000 lobbying against tax increases in the first quarter of 2008. The Private Equity Council, which includes Blackstone Group, Bain Capital Partners, Carlyle Group and TPG Capital, spent a total of $2.1 million in 2007."
"A newly proposed Dutch law threatens to increase taxes on private equity from 1.2% to 52%. This has investors in the Netherlands threatening to leave. The Dutch government proposed the new law last month."
"Apollo Management LP founder Leon Black is being sued for more than $3 billion over his attempt to ditch the takeover of Huntsman Corp. The chemical maker filed claims accusing Black and co-founder Joshua Harris of fraudulent interference."
1.2% to 52%! $3 billion! Can you imagine? Private equity is definitely one of the more dramatic asset classes, I'd say. Anyway, I'm done with my nerdy business release of the day. =)
"Recent reports indicate that the primary trade group for private-equity firms spent more than $740,000 lobbying against tax increases in the first quarter of 2008. The Private Equity Council, which includes Blackstone Group, Bain Capital Partners, Carlyle Group and TPG Capital, spent a total of $2.1 million in 2007."
"A newly proposed Dutch law threatens to increase taxes on private equity from 1.2% to 52%. This has investors in the Netherlands threatening to leave. The Dutch government proposed the new law last month."
"Apollo Management LP founder Leon Black is being sued for more than $3 billion over his attempt to ditch the takeover of Huntsman Corp. The chemical maker filed claims accusing Black and co-founder Joshua Harris of fraudulent interference."
1.2% to 52%! $3 billion! Can you imagine? Private equity is definitely one of the more dramatic asset classes, I'd say. Anyway, I'm done with my nerdy business release of the day. =)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Sustainability update
Man, people are so creative and wonderful. Here are some of the things (some new, some only relatively new) going on in the green front:
solar-powered bra
sustainable dance club
energy-generating backpack
human-powered gym
solar-powered bra
sustainable dance club
energy-generating backpack
human-powered gym
Monday, June 23, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Mod Hair Ken
Haha, well, I was googling hair styles for some ideas as I have an appointment tonight, and in a moment of pure, random internet glory, I came across this page which just brightened my whole day. Beard, sideburns, 2 moustaches, too! I would have LOVED this as a kid (or, uh, now) - Mattel, bring back Mod Hair Ken!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
I'd like to live near you, but first, I have some questions...
Really provocative Economist piece on the self-segregation of American communities. Includes all sorts of juicy implications in politics, economics, etc. Here's a loaded excerpt:
A good way to measure this is to look at the country's changing electoral geography. In 1976 Jimmy Carter won the presidency with 50.1% of the popular vote. Though the race was close, some 26.8% of Americans were in “landslide counties” that year, where Mr Carter either won or lost by 20 percentage points or more.
The proportion of Americans who live in such landslide counties has nearly doubled since then. In the dead-heat election of 2000, it was 45.3%. When George Bush narrowly won re-election in 2004, it was a whopping 48.3%. As the playwright Arthur Miller put it that year: “How can the polls be neck and neck when I don't know one Bush supporter?” Clustering is how.
**Credit goes to Andrea Cross for forwarding this, thanks!
A good way to measure this is to look at the country's changing electoral geography. In 1976 Jimmy Carter won the presidency with 50.1% of the popular vote. Though the race was close, some 26.8% of Americans were in “landslide counties” that year, where Mr Carter either won or lost by 20 percentage points or more.
The proportion of Americans who live in such landslide counties has nearly doubled since then. In the dead-heat election of 2000, it was 45.3%. When George Bush narrowly won re-election in 2004, it was a whopping 48.3%. As the playwright Arthur Miller put it that year: “How can the polls be neck and neck when I don't know one Bush supporter?” Clustering is how.
**Credit goes to Andrea Cross for forwarding this, thanks!
The Irish Vote
I was really disappointed with Roger Cohen's recent column, "The Muck of the Irish", not so much because of its content (which I disagree with, but if it's presented properly, I have no problem respecting different opinions), but with the style, which consisted mainly of a series of wordy insults (some racist?) and one-sentence arguments with no evidence to back it up. What the hell, Roger?
While I think the EU should look east for expansion and growth, I think that democracy wins over 'efficiency' (do you really think more Brussels bureaucracy is going to lead to efficiency?) no matter what, and in that respect, I applaud the Irish. Here is a contrary viewpoint, courtesy of the Financial Times. I don't think this necessarily means no 27-member EU, but rather, a re-working of the Lisbon Treaty until all of the members can reach an accord. Need more time to address this issue properly, but just wanted to start a discussion here so I don't forget.
Another related opinion piece.
While I think the EU should look east for expansion and growth, I think that democracy wins over 'efficiency' (do you really think more Brussels bureaucracy is going to lead to efficiency?) no matter what, and in that respect, I applaud the Irish. Here is a contrary viewpoint, courtesy of the Financial Times. I don't think this necessarily means no 27-member EU, but rather, a re-working of the Lisbon Treaty until all of the members can reach an accord. Need more time to address this issue properly, but just wanted to start a discussion here so I don't forget.
Another related opinion piece.
Rumor has it...
As a response to the slew of viral e-smears that have been circulating the internet, a Slate writer comes up with his own e-mail filled with the sorts of goodies all proper Americans want to hear about Barack Obama. Some excerpts:
Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.
There's only one artist on Barack Obama's iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.
Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.
There's only one artist on Barack Obama's iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Favorite Beatles song?
I've been thinking about this lately. For the most part, I never stick to any of my "favorites" for long, but I thought I might crystallize this moment in time by providing a list. It's a three-way tie, depending on my mood (haha my rock solid decisions always come with so many caveats...):
"A Day in the Life"
"Happiness is a Warm Gun"
"Revolution"
Now yours - go!
Haha and on a side note, while Googleimaging the Beatles for this post, I came across this argument (if you can call it that) that the Beatles were Satanists, chock full of typos. Pretty ridiculous.
Factoid
*From Wikipedia, how I love thee
"Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest emirate of the UAE in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and per capita income. The average net worth for Abu Dhabi's 420,000 citizens is AED 62 million (US$ 17 million), and more than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone."
"Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest emirate of the UAE in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and per capita income. The average net worth for Abu Dhabi's 420,000 citizens is AED 62 million (US$ 17 million), and more than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone."
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