MLB 2008 payrolls, Repo! and randomness
Considering the outcome of this year’s Major League Baseball playoffs, it’s time to mention MLB payrolls. Of the 30 franchises, the three teams with the highest payrolls (New York Yankees, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers) did not make the playoffs. In fact, the Yankees actually eclipsed $200 million this year. What a waste. The […]
Bipolar stock market, pandemic flu, Alaska
Are you ready for three sarcastic statements, each with a supporting chart or graph? All right, hold on. Let me channel my inner Comical Ali (AKA Mohammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, former Information Minister of Iraq). Some called him Baghdad Bob. Ready? Here we go: 1. The stock market is not exhibiting symptoms of bipolar disorder. That’s […]
Mail Goggles and late night talk show hosts
I have a couple of amusing email-related links to share. If you have a problem with late-night drunk emailing, Google has a solution for you: “Mail Goggles: A breathalyzer test for your Gmail.” Similarly, do you know people who overuse smilies and exclamation points in emails? Do they happen to worship cats? Are you aware […]
Wall Street failure, rainbow pantsuits, Nintendo
I don’t really have a coherent theme for the dump of random content below, except it all amuses me. I’ll start by saying there’s really no better media venue to consume the latest political “news” than through The Daily Show, and the opening skits of Saturday Night Live. They’ve both been especially good lately. This […]
Beavers upset USC, first presidential debate, Sarah Palin
On Thursday, the Oregon State Beavers held on to upset the No. 1 USC Trojans and damage their national title hopes for the second time in three years. This year the score was 27-21. Since 2006, the Trojans have posted a paltry 2-3 record against teams from Oregon while running up a 22-2 record against […]
Music, YouTube memes, cell phone science
Jenny Lewis has a new album out called Acid Tongue. Okkervil River and UNKLE released albums this month too. I’ve been enjoying Beck’s Modern Guilt, featuring Cat Power. Johnny Cash died five years ago last week. The current Nine Inch Nails tour performances are apparently awesome, with a sophisticated trio of transparent “stealth” screens and […]
Financial services collapse, SNL premiere, salad dressing
What a week (so far) in the financial services industry! We’ve had Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch’s sale, AIG’s $85 billion bailout by the Federal Reserve, the SEC’s new rules against naked short-selling (thus reining in that particular criminal playground), and other fantastic economic disasters. Question: Are corporate bailouts the new rate cuts? Can this […]
Smartphones (Android, G1, Shadow II) and Google Chrome
Now that I’ve been back from vacation for a few days, it’s time for a lengthy tech post. I will most likely get a new cell phone (and two-year plan) sometime between now and the end of October, probably through T-Mobile because their monthly plans are the least expensive. But what phone to choose? There […]
Four-eared cat, China’s Olympic facade, tainted drugs
Yoda the four-eared cat is an Internet sensation. Everyone wants to see the little horned devil. I think I like him better than that poor six-legged deer. Though I like Lily, our 25-clawed demon cat best. This article was amusing, if you care about the grand, elaborate façade China has put up for the Olympics: […]
Free energy, HHO gas fuel and Michael Phelps
Screw hybrid cars and biofuels! I’m going to learn how to run my vehicle entirely on fuel that the vehicle itself creates! I’m making a pollution-free, perpetual motion machine! I’m defying the laws of physics! I can’t stop using exclamation points! Whee! Have you seen online ads that say: Tired of high gas prices? Want […]