Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Education | US Teens Trail Peers; Rhee's Next Step | WSJ
No surprise that the Chinese beat the pants off US Teens in math and science competency testing. But, Slovenia as well? A sad case of special interests looking out for everyone but our kids and their future. Maybe Michelle Rhee can gain some traction with her new advocacy group ... we'll see if Americans are willing to put their $$ on education reform.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Thousand Islands
No McMansions in this set of pictures ... pretty nice lifestyle but I bet there's frost on the pumpkin in the winter! Sorry for the big file, don't have a fast way to post this and just send a link.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
China - past and future
China and how it will shape our future. Check-out the trend in air travel for Chinese and a recent WSJ article about the history and future of Chinese influence.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Beer + Steel = Art @ Staten Island
Here's what our son does in his "spare" time ... what else would a metal fabricator who enjoys a cold one do?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
education | value added for college | wsj
I've been following the news on education reform in the public primary and secondary schools. I had no idea of the level of change being tried at some public universities according to this article.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
places | dangerous neighborhoods | walletpop
Wow. South Central didn't make the list. And they don't call it Lost Wages for nothing.
Friday, October 1, 2010
markets | may 6 flash crash | bloomberg
Cause of the flash crash on May 6th? Here's one perspective. Fairly disturbing to me that the markets are seemingly this unstable and that we have such a plethora of destabilizing entities out there.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Quotation of the Day
Quotation of the Day
"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
*****Will Rogers
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
investing | nifty fifty | wsj
Some recent analysis has shown the strong case for a 50/50 equity/bond mix in a portfolio of low-cost index funds or ETFs. Example approach: 35% Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index, 15% MSCI EAFE and 50% Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index. Here's the article along with some potential fund approaches and the results of the analysis.
jargon | jargon to avoid | MoneyWatch
Here's the latest list of buzzwords to avoid. A particular favorite of mine is the use of the word "space" in place of the former term "industry". Many of my cohorts in crime work in the space space. Or we handled space management in the space space. Even better, we worked in the space management sub-space in the space space. Having fun yet?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Money | Time to Refi | Mortgage Professor
Record low rates on mortgages. Is it time to refi? Here's a reliable refi calculator that will help you hone in on the answer. Other useful information on mortgages at this site - a good reference to bookmark.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Valuation | What's It Worth? | WSJ
If Antiques Roadshow has skipped your neighborhood, maybe you can find the value of Aunt Thelma's antique butter dish on one of these sites. I used Worthpoint to get an appraisal of an antique settee we had and was pleased with the thoroughness of the evaluation.
Management | The end of ... ? | WSJ
Is bureaucracy obsolete? Is this the end of management as developed in the 20th century? Does Scott Adams need to find a new career? Read on!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
tech | blessed silence | amazon
You're sitting in a restaurant with your friends. The TV in the corner is blaring. You realize that none of you are actually talking to each other. Instead, you're all staring at a piece of furniture!
Now there's a solution: the TV-B-Gone. This small keychain wonder is designed to turn off virtually any television.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
education | teacher effectiveness | la times
Unions hate it, administrators seem clueless, Michelle Ree used it to weed-out ineffective teachers in Washington, DC. What is this mystery? Quantitative assessment of teacher performance. Hint: it's not all about teacher education level or seniority. Read on for more.
photos | america '39-'43 | denver post
America in photos 1939-1943 - you can see both the grinding poverty and the infrastructure/industrial build-up preceding and into WWII.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
tech | swype keyboard | wsj
If you remember the old Palm PDA then you remember Graffiti. Made entering characters a lot faster (after the learning curve). Swype may do the same thing for on-screen smartphone keyboards.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Relationship | Fighting Right | WSJ
If you're half of a couple then you need to recognize the right way to argue. Here's one perspective.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
ComicCon | Pix of Some Amaxing Attendees | LATimes
Who says creativity is dead? Check-out some of these amazing costumes.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Tech | iPhone Rivals | Mossberg
I'm no Apple fanboy so I'm pleased to see what may be the beginnings of real rivals to the iPhone. Check out Mossberg's review of new smartphones from Samsung ... and they're available on four wireless networks.
Tech | Fixes from Afar | WSJ
Not exactly workable for hardware issues or an unbootable or unconnectable pc. But, an affordable and, it seems, often effective approach to fixing pc problems.
Travel | Golden Age of Flight | WSJ
Was there a Golden Age of Flight? Gold service maybe with golden prices and not-so-golden safety record. The service may be mediocre today but at least it's cheap, safe and available.
Economy | Jobless Numbers | WSJ
The unemployment rate is an outdated statistic. This source has an alternative approach, that paints a darker picture during this recession.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Business | Data Mining Tool | Palantir
Here is a pretty cool video demonstration of a data mining tool used to analyze half-a-billion mortgages to filter-out potential predatory lending.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
space | mug in the void | nasa
tired of that disneyland caricature you bought last year? here's a new way to frame the ol' face.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
tech | screensaver | realsimple
fairly cool screen saver, for those of you who still use one ... give it a try
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Money | Max Social Security | USN&WR
fairly simple but thorough article on ways for retirees to maximize their social security benefits.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Money | Buy Wood! | Kedrosky
Check this out ... maybe you should trade your "paper" investments for something with a bit more fiber?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Info | Background Check | Consumerist
I haven't tried these yet, would be interested to hear from any of you who give this a try. Could consume a good week or so. Amazing what's out there ... probably being data mined as I type!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Life | Money in a Hole - Ashes in the Sea | WSJ
Here's a couple of disconnected articles for you ... but you know by now that I just send out whatever I run across that I think is interesting or funny or useful.
I enjoyed the article about the world's largest hand-dug well in Kansas (I'm a Jayhawker so this is on on my gotta see list) ... hey, it's one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas! Same list that has the Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson. That's on my list, too. My Pop sold explosives to all the salt mining companies in Kansas and I remember having a chunk of crystal salt the size of a deck of cards that had preserved insects and plant pieces in it. Wish I still had it. Maybe I'll look for a souvenir salt chunk on our road trip this Fall.
Was really touched by the second article about "wildcat scattering" ... and that's not a cat herding term. It's about putting your loved one's ashes in places that have personal meaning. With or without the papers and permission (btw, Disney frowns if you're thinking that). Seems much more meaningful to me than a casket in a plot with a chunk of granite on top. Anyway, read the article and judge for yourself.
I enjoyed the article about the world's largest hand-dug well in Kansas (I'm a Jayhawker so this is on on my gotta see list) ... hey, it's one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas! Same list that has the Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson. That's on my list, too. My Pop sold explosives to all the salt mining companies in Kansas and I remember having a chunk of crystal salt the size of a deck of cards that had preserved insects and plant pieces in it. Wish I still had it. Maybe I'll look for a souvenir salt chunk on our road trip this Fall.
Was really touched by the second article about "wildcat scattering" ... and that's not a cat herding term. It's about putting your loved one's ashes in places that have personal meaning. With or without the papers and permission (btw, Disney frowns if you're thinking that). Seems much more meaningful to me than a casket in a plot with a chunk of granite on top. Anyway, read the article and judge for yourself.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Science | Known Universe | AMNH
Check out this video animation from the American Museum of Natural History. Thanks, Clifford, for the great link!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Life | Keeping Resolutions | WSJ
Some useful tips for success in keeping your new year resolutions. I like the step-wise approach. Losing 5 lbs by Feb is a lot easier to approach than losing 20 lbs by May.
Money | Snared by Medicare | WSJ
Comparable in complexity, perhaps, to Social Security rules are Medicare rules. Don't get tripped-up on them. Especially if you are going to work past 65 or stay on the health plan you are now on past 65. Check out this article for how to avoid Medicare traps.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
LA Then and Now
Evolution of downtown LA as seen from the LA City Hall
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-then-now-pictures-html,0,6274618.htmlstory
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-then-now-pictures-html,0,6274618.htmlstory
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