Russert and Father's Day

Tim Russert was NBC Washington Bureau Chief and moderator of Meet the Press, but he is also known for his books about fathers. Here is a touching tribute by Chuck Todd from NBC about how Tim was always concerned about his colleagues and their relationships with their families.

Imus and Russert

As I said in an earlier post, I will be listening to the Imus in the Morning show with gusto on Monday, to see what Don Imus says about the death of Tim Russert.

An interesting post on "Imustruth.com", which seems to indicate that Russert did go to bat for Imus during the whole controversy, but was handcuffed by NBC execs on displaying his support for Imus publically. I think that was the case...they were just too good of friends for Russert to turn his back on him. Moreover, Russert was too good of a guy. However, Russert couldn't publically support Imus the way Mike and the Mad Dog or others did after the firing because of his position as the Washington Bureau Chief for NBC News (you recall that Imus in the Morning was simulcast on MSNBC). The evidence of this is indirect...but Imus has had Russert appear as a guest on his show several times since the incident, while Imus has shunned others who abandoned him. Thus, I think Russert did really try to help Don Imus out and prevent his outright dismissal from MSNBC.

Imustruth.com has posted podcasts of several Imus-Russert interviews...listen when you have a chance.

Also, the "Opinionator", Chris Suellentrop of the NYT has posted a nice collection of comments from the Blogosphere regarding Mr. Russert.

Russert Tributes

Here are some heartwarming and touching tributes to Tim Russert.


Tom Brokaw and then Tim talking about his start at Meet the Press


The opening of the Dateline special last night


Tributes from politicians around the country


Pat Buchanan


James Carville


Tim gives advice to his son


Watching all these videos clips of him, it reinforced to me why I love him so much...he was so tenacious and thorough when interviewing people, but he always was smiling and had a twinkle in his eye while doing it.


I will be listening Monday morning to hear what Don Imus says about his long-time friend (you may recall that their relationship was strained after the firing of Don from CBS radio and MSNBC).

More on Russert

I've watched 5 consecutive hours of MSNBC and now NBC coverage of Tim Russert. I can't stop watching...he was such an amazing man. He was known as one of the most honest and rigorous interviewers of politicians, writers, and pundits. He had such a thirst for knowledge and for seeking the truth. But, it is the personal side of Tim that is really so amazing. He was such a humble man, who cared deeply for others, for spending time with his family, for having meaningful interpersonal contacts. It is quite poetic that he died at the start of Father's Day weekend, as he mentions both his father and son in almost every interview he has given. He loved the city of Buffalo, he loved the Roman Catholic Church, he loved the common man, he loved politics, and most of all, he just loved life.

I am still in absolute shock about this...

Tim Russert 1950-2008

I am shocked and deeply saddened about the tragic and sudden passing of Tim Russert, NBC News Washington Bureau Chief, host of the extremely popular Sunday morning show "Meet the Press", and frequent guest on MSNBC and the "Today Show". He collapsed and died from a massive heart attack (proven by autopsy) while on the set of NBC News this afternoon, despite the best efforts of the paramedics to revive him.

I feel like I know Tim Russert personally. I have taped and watched "Meet the Press" every Sunday for the past few years, and watched it online when it wasn't taped. I thoroughly enjoyed his interviewing style, holding his guests responsible for the comments they had often made in the past, which often contradicted their current stances. He was very fair and nonpartisan. He grilled conservatives, liberals, republicans and democrats with equal vigor. He was so enthusiastic in his coverage of politics. His face was akin to a bulldog, but he appeared to have the most charming and warm personality. He was keenly intelligent, but also knew how to smile and laugh with his guests. From the testimonials that are pouring all over the internet and television right now, he was beloved by all that new him. He was always repectful, kind and caring. Before and after the cameras were taping, he would ask the guests about their personal lives and he would ask about their family.

Tim Russert was only 58 years old. It is ironic that he has died on Father's Day weekend, as he is also famous for writing stories about fathers, in his book "Big Russ and Me". I don't know what to say. He was the man, the stalwart and Godfather of political coverage.

Tim Russert was also a frequent guest on the Imus in the Morning show. Here is a funny compilation clip of Tim actually sitting in the studio and ripping on Imus from the mid-1990s.

I will miss Tim Russert greatly. The United States of America will miss Tim Russert tremendously.

Drilling is not the answer!!

I was in my morning routine today (watching CNBC to get a handle on the pre-market futures while I get ready for work) and Doug MacIntyre, Senior Market Analyst for the Energy Information Administration came on to discuss the "oil crisis".

Doug talks about the "benefits" of drilling in ANWR (Alaska), at around 4 min 30 seconds into this video clip. He quotes data from his most recent analysis for a report that he has provided to the US Senate. What his team found is that it will take 10+ years to get the oil from ANWR into our system, and that at the most, it will only reduce the price of oil by a few dollars per barrel. Please watch the video (you can forward it to that spot).

Wow, drilling in Alaska just sounds like such a great solution to our energy problems....NOT!!!!!!!

OK, we haven't had a poll in a while...new poll....should we drill for oil in ANWR? (vote to the right of this post).

Disgusting Medical Practices

Police in Italy have arrested 13 doctors from Milan for performing needless medical surgeries. The doctors collected some $3.8 million for performing these surgeries. What's worse, is that wiretaps placed reveal that the motives for the surgeries were most likely for monetary reasons.

I hope this doesn't surprise you. And, I hope that you are not comforted by the fact that this occurred in Italy and not the U.S. In my young medical career, I have already seen too many examples of doctors performing unnecessary tests and procedures, or trying to extend the life of patient whose outcome is futile. The financial incentive is too corrupting (most tests, procedures, longer hospital stays means more billing and more money in the pockets of physicians). Also, there is a "secret mafia" of consultants/specialists who refer patients to each other to increase their revenues. Finally, don't forget about all of the incentives placed in front of doctors by pharmaceutical companies. While the rules have become stricter, you can imagine that there are still underlying pressures and enticements. This is one of the reasons why so many people are taking over 20 medications.

What does this mean for you if you are a patient?

1. The next time your doctor orders a test, ask him why it is necessary and how he/she will act on the information. There are so many tests that are ordered that do not change your medical management whatsoever.

2. The next time you doctor orders a radiographic test, again, ask why, and what the alternatives are to the test. The reason for extra caution here (as opposed to a blood or urine test) is that you should not be exposed to extra radiation if you do not need it (FYI, a standard CAT scan delivers more than 200x radiation than that of an X-ray). Studies have shown that the radiation increases your risk for cancer.

3. If a surgeon recommends an operation for a non-emergent condition such as chronic back pain(not for a ruptured appendix or cholecystitis, or something emergent and obvious), get a 2nd opinion. Remember about the financial incentive to operate.

4. Ask your doctor if all of the medications that you are taking are needed. Sometimes medications are continued for a previously indicated condition, but your change in health status may no longer require it.

5. Fill out a living will and make sure your loved ones have one in place. The default in the hospital is to do everything. Couple that with the "God Complex" that many physicians have, and before you know it, there will be tubes going into every orifice in the body, and all kinds of aggressive and largely uncomfortable procedures that will follow when illness strikes. Do this living will when you are feeling healthy and are of clear mind. Try to remember that death is not optional, and try to balance out with extending your life on Earth with your QUALITY of life.

6. Be skeptical!! This is not the 1950s when everybody used to take what their primary doctor said as Gospel. There are a lot of bad doctors out there who barely made it through med school or barely passed the boards (many are not even board certified, but are still practicing medicine). Look up your conditions on the internet. Become educated, and have an active part in your health care decision making. Remember that doctors are busy and may miss things. But, I still think that you are more likely to get more unnecessary care than lack of vital care, given the ease with which tests in this country can be ordered.

I've said this in the past, but I think there are way too many financial incentives in the health care system. Everybody is trying to make money: doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical companies. With all of the green to be made, patient's needs and desires are often last on the list of priorities.

Good News, Bad News

Ever wondered what you should do with your old clunky television or computer? Well, now there's a solution. Best Buy has started a recycling program for your old electronic devices. That's great....but the bad news? The program is only operational in Baltimore, San Francisco, and the state of Minnesota.

Hopefully they will expand this program soon. Does anyone know of other options for getting rid of old electronics, especially like here in the Northeast?

More on Fuel

A reader of the blog (Don) has been active in the comments section lately, and I certainly welcome his insight and arguments. He is quite intelligent and understands free markets.

I agree with most of what he said, but I do have two slight differences of opinion:

1. While he concurs that we should have more alternative fuel research, he states that government tax dollars (our money) should not be spent on it and that the free markets are the best equipped to handle it.

Well, I agree, that in the UNITED STATES, the free markets are the best to handle it (and apparently the only way it will get handled), because our recent PRESIDENTS, ADMINISTRATIONS, and CONGRESS as well, on both sides of the political spectrum, are too screwed up to do anything about it. In other countries (e.g., European countries), governments have no problems implementing alternative energy sources such as nuclear, wind and solar power. (France and Germany get most of their energy from alternative energy sources).

I personally would not mind if some of our tax dollars went into alternative energy research/implementation. Why? First, I would MUCH rather have our tax dollars go to this endeavor rather than the TRILLIONS that are going into the Iraq War. Second, it would be one of the greatest things our government could do to improve national security. Why should we still be paying all this money to corrupt OPEC countries who sponsor terrorism? They will be using our oil money for improving their weapons. Third, the high price of fuel is essentially a "hidden tax", isn't it? EVERYTHING is more expensive....driving, flying, FOOD. It is crippling the country.

So, while I welcomed high prices in oil now to provide the private industry with the free market impetus to bring on alternative energy, if our blundering and inept government had done something about this a long time ago (back in the 70s, 80s, 90s), we would not be in this position today. I want the pain now so that the future generations don't end up living in the US when oil costs $300 per barrel.

2. Don also argues that we could be drilling in Alaska for oil. This is NOT the solution!! There are only about 4 months worth of oil up there. Then we would be done and would be back at square one again! We need long-term solutions and thus, should not destroy peaceful Alaska for a 4-month band-aid.

Good Week Bad Week

Good week for:

1. "Poetic justice", as 28 teenagers who broke into Robert Frost's old house in Vermont, had a keg party, and caused over $10,000 in damage were sentenced to take a class in poetry.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24935777/

It reminds me of sheriff Joe Arapio who makes his prisoners at his Arizona jail wear pink underwear, and only allows them to watch the weather channel so they can see how hot it will be working outside the next day.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/arpaio.asp


2. Sowing the fields, as a 17-pound Densuke black watermelon was sold at an auction in Japan for $6,000. While you can occasionally get a dud watermelon at the grocery store (not pink/red enough, not juicy enough), there are still plenty of delicious watermelons that I have had from local grocery store for about $3.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24997464/

By the way, did you know that the record for watermelon seed-spitting is 68 feet 9 inches!!

http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/19/play-with-your-food-have-a-watermelon-seed-spitting-contest/


Bad week for:

1. Being "#1" in the world, as the dominant Roger Federer, was demolished by the Spainiard Rafael Nadal in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. It was Nadal's fourth straight French Open title. I have seen Federer in action several times, including live at the US Open, and he is like a machine. He has won 12 grand slam titles (3 Australian Open, 5 Wimbeldon, 4 US Open), but has NEVER won the French. It seems that the clay court is like his kryptonite. Federer has now lost 3 straight French Open finals to Nadal. I may be coming down too hard on Federer, and it just may be that Nadal is SO GOOD on clay, and that is the difference.

My question to you all is, how can someone be so good at playing tennis on one surface, but become so beatable on another suface like clay?

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/french08/columns/story?columnist=ford_bonnie_d&id=3432371

2. Buying early, as Apple has announced that the new 3G iPhone will not only be faster, have more memory, and possess more features but will be MUCH cheaper than the initial iPhones. The new iPhone will sell for $199 (the initial iPhone sold for about $600 last year). Suprisingly, Apple's stock was lower on the news.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/09/technology/applekeynote.fortune/index.htm?cnn=yes

Market update: we have broken support on many of the major averages including the DJIA and the S&P 500. The NASDAQ has been strong the past few months, but is also on the verge of breaking horizontal support. Be careful out there...we could be headed for a test of the March 17th lows.

3. Driving "rapido", as truckers in Spain, Portugal and France blocked highways in protest of high fuel costs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080609/ts_afp/europeinflationprotestenergytransport

Again, efficient markets are working properly, as a new report indicates that 66% of Americans said they are cutting back on the amount of driving they do and 71% indicated that they are considering buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Car manufacturers will step up their production of more fuel-efficient vehicles, which will then be on the road for years to come, even if gas/fuel/oil prices fall in the next few years. Plus, the new technology developed to maximize fuel economy from engines will remain, setting new standards that will likely persist for years to come. Overall, there will be decreased consumption of fossil fuels, and people will realize they don't need to have gas-guzzling SUVs, especially in non-snowy areas (I still don't understand the popularity of SUVs and trucks in Florida and Texas).

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/09/news/economy/poll/index.htm?cnn=yes

Eating Bugs

One of the lead stories on MSN.com today was a link to piece on why we should eat insects. It seems that eating bugs would go a long way to help solving the world food shortage. Sound totally disgusting? In 113 countries, eating bugs, scientifically known as "entomophagy", is common practice. In Mexico, some 1500 different species of bugs are served at restaurants, especially high-end restaurants.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/32443/title/Insects_%28the_original_white_meat%29

Bugs, pound for pound, are more nutritious than meat, fish, and poultry. They contain a high proportion of protein and a fair amount of minerals. Beside the fact that insects are a good nutritional source, raising insects is far cheaper and more efficient to feed compared to feeding pigs and cattle (food conversion efficiency is 20 times better than that of beef).

It does seem quite gross to me, although I have tried fried grasshoppers once, and they were actually quite tasty. And, as this article points out, bugs may seem unpleasant because of the exoskeleton, appendages, and weird eyes, but humans, in general, have no problem eating crustaceans, which have these same characteristics and are thus the ocean-equivalent of insects. And, crustaceans eat trash and dead things from the bottom of the sea, while most insects feed on leaves and plants.

Convinced yet? Ok, maybe not yet. But, please watch this video clip from one of my favorite shows, Man vs. Wild. It's a two minute clip, but you must watch to the 2nd half of this clip where the crazy Bear Grylls eats a gigantic rhino beetle larva (he eats two in a row...watch him eat the 2nd, larger one).

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zu3FlOksBjY

Good Week, Bad Week

Good week for:

1. Picking up girls with a hybrid, as a recent study found that 9 out of 10 women would rather talk to man who drives a fuel-efficient vehicle rather than a sports car. The other 10% of women still prefer aggressive stick-shifting.

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecogeek/539/ecogeeks-get-all-the-girls.html

2. Enophiles, as researchers found, yet again, the benefits of red wine towards reducing the typical age-related decline in cardiac function (in mice). Lucky mice...when will they start human trials of red wine? I guess that wouldn't really work...no one would want to be in the placebo group.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24956934/

3. The Fonz, as this article on the history of "thumbs up" credits Fonzie with reinvigorating the gesture. As you might know, in the days of the Roman Empire and gladiator fights, the crowd would give a thumbs up or thumbs down to indicate whether the gladiator would live or die. Contrary to popular belief, a thumbs up meant the gladiator was to die, a sign that your to get "outa here". Concealed thumb (thumbs down) meant the gladiator was to live. Interestingly, in Iran and Greece, the thumbs up is derogatory sign. Good to know....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080522/sc_livescience/fromkennedytoclintonwhyeveryoneisthumbsup


Bad week for:

1. Stoners and pot-heads, as new research from Australia reveals that long-term pot smoking shrinks two important areas of the brain, the hippocampus and the amygdala. This explains a lot, about me, I mean, Australians.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080602/lf_nm_life/marijuana_brain_dc;_ylt=AojvvF4LZMxPqrFT5FvC2boDW7oF

2. Grocery bills, as a homeless woman was secretly living in the closet of an unsuspecting Japanese man for months. Apparently she hid a mattress in his closet, and would sneak out, shower, and eat his food when he wasn't home. He finally caught her by installing security cameras. I guess it's better than having your house infested with mice.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080530/ap_on_re_as/japan_closet_woman;_ylt=AuDB3HPerFPfjXbXy8vBWFoDW7oF

3. Having diarrhea in space, as the only toilet on board the space station has malfunctioned. Until a new pump is brought up to them, the astronauts will have to use plastic bags to contain their waste. Hope the bags don't break!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080530/od_afp/japancrimeoffbeat;_ylt=AkCu2rLl.P6mW1Cd1EopsMYDW7oF

The Silver Lining

OK, it's been all over the news, and I'm sure it's been hurting your wallet, pocketbook, purse, or European carry-all. Oil prices reached an all-time high this week at > $132 per barrel, and gas prices have been higher than $4 per gallon for the past 2 weeks. Everybody is moaning and groaning.

However, my thoughts at this time are "no pain, no gain". We need to feel the pinch of high oil prices. We need to feel more than a pinch, we need a good punch, a good blow, a good beatdown. Why? Because it is the only way to provide enough impetus to get us moving on alternative energy sources. And, finally, finally, it appears that people are decreasing consumption in response to these high prices. Yes, for the first time since 1979, driving in the U.S. decreased on a monthly basis (by 4.3%). It's classic supply/demand economics.

http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=535627

I know there are both liberal and conservative readers of this blog. All the liberals are probably largely supportive of investment and implementation of alternative energy sources (wind, solar, hydrogen fuel cell cars). You conservatives out there, you may be rolling your eyes right now.

But, conservatives should embrace the shift away from fossil fuels just as much as liberals. Why?

1. Isn't this free market capitalism at its best? When the cost of one good or service becomes too high, other more efficient and less expensive goods become more attractive.

2. The majority of money that we are spending on oil is going straight to terrorist countries. Why do we want to fund our enemies?

3. Alternative energy with provide a host of new jobs for young scientists and businessmen, and will promote and necessitate advances in technology.

4. What is so wrong with breathing cleaner air? Recent studies have shown that smog actually increases the risk for premature death.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iPpWVv6rNMHg0jlflIVcrrJzEHew

5. Why are you so resistant to change? What is it about oil that won't let you give it up? Did people complain when the automobile replaced the primary method of transportation (horse and buggy) back in the early 1900s? Did people complain about the arrival of airplanes to replace train and boat travel? Technology is great. If we can get around and power our homes and buildings by cleaner and more efficient means, why not?

I defy you to provide a compelling argument to stop the shift to more solar, nuclear, wind power. Don't bet against Boone Pickens!!!

Teeth and Economics

The guys over at the Freakonomics blog on the NYT website have merged two of my favorite topics...teeth AND economics. FYI, Freakonomics is one of my favorite books of all-time. If you haven't read it, I highly suggest it, especially if you are into numbers and social phenomena.

Anyway, back to the teeth and economics piece. The piece was partially inspired by a new study that found that women grew up drinking fluoridated water earned 4% more than women who didn't. This effect remained after controlling for many patient-level and county-level factors. This study continues the "beauty premium" paradigm that reveals that ugly people earn less than average incomes, while beautiful people earn more than the average (the ugliness “penalty” for men was -9 percent while the beauty premium was +5 percent. For women, the ugliness penalty was -6 percent while the beauty premium was +4 percent).

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/26/the-economics-of-teeth-and-other-beauty-premiums/

Suprising data? Not at all. A nice smile can get you places, and it makes sense that the earnings were higher for the group with nicer teeth. Well, we have to PRESUME that the flouride as a child resulted in nicer teeth as an adult. I would have preferred to see a study of smiles that were actually graded or scored by humans and then had the niceness of the teeth correlated with wages.

Even more interesting was a link embedded within the first part of the Freakonomics post that discussed the value of teeth cleaning. The article again is hinged upon a recent scientific publication. This study was a recent meta-analysis that demonstrated that teeth cleaning (scaling and polishing) did not necessarily improve periodontal health. However, the studies were of questionable quality. Second, I'm not a dentist, but I would think that a twice-yearly would not improve the incidence rate of gingivitis as much as DAILY oral care via flossing, brushing, and mouthwash would. Instead, professional dental cleanings remove tartar, which is much more difficult to manage at home alone.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/is-tooth-cleaning-a-scam/

Finally, while Mr. Ayres seems to abhor dental cleanings and equates them with pain and torture, I find them completely the opposite. In fact, my sentiments completely concur with the comment posted below the article by a man named Jim, in which he states the following:

I enjoy having my teeth cleaned. I think it is like a massage in my mouth. If I had the cash to spend on luxuries, I’d go every month.

I completely agree with you Jim!!

Crazy Stories

I came across some far-out stories:

1. Astronauts at the International Space Station will soon get their drinking water from some weird sources. Engineers have devised a system that will purify urine and capture moisture from evaporated sweat and laundry water. This sounds disgusting but it does make sound physiologic sense. I've always said that urine is "liquid gold", and now it will only become more valuable!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20080515/tc_usatoday/ontapinspaceurinewillnotgotowaste

2. A restaurant in NYC is selling a hamburger for $175. I do not understand this. There is no way it can taste that good. I also feel that high-priced wines at restaurants are somewhat ridiculous. After the price gets above about $50 per bottle, it is very difficult to discern any difference in taste and quality of the wine. Do you agree?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080520/od_nm/hamburger_dc;_ylt=ArV9uqkErJDwcp7Px8H.WlIDW7oF


3. An appeals court in D.C. has ruled that paper money is discriminatory against blind people. I've never thought about this, but it is true that it is impossible for the blind to pick out between different demoninations of paper money.

A quote from the article:

...People in their 30s and 40s should know that, when they get older, "they will be able to identify their $1 bills from their fives, tens and twenties," said Pomerantz, of the Council of the Blind.

No worries, our dollar is becoming so weak, that the $5 bill will soon only be worth $1!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080520/ap_on_go_ot/blind_money;_ylt=Aq.eGd7FmRsMhteE2pgTBKkDW7oF


4. "Catch me if you can"...a pilot and stewardess were caught naked in the woods in Pennsylvania. Apparently, neighbors saw the naked man and woman, called the authorities, and a helicopter with heat-seekers was called in to locate them. Don't you think that is a little extreme? Calling in "Blue Thunder" to capture 2 horny 20-year olds? I'm sure taxpayer money could be better spent.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080520/ap_on_fe_st/odd_naked_pilot;_ylt=Ah9dspxOsmP6KkdyHXTaQv4DW7oF

5. Donkey behind bars- get this...in Mexico, a donkey has been jailed for biting and kicking 2 men. It was put in a regular human prison. That would be a tough cell-mate. Maybe if U.S. authorities arrested aggressive and dangerous animals and put them in jail here, it would serve as a good crime deterrent.

Money quote from the article:

"Around here, if someone commits a crime they are jailed," Gomez said — "no
matter who they are."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080520/ap_on_fe_st/odd_mexico_jailed_burro;_ylt=AuVQla7He_hExw6ufuUetwgDW7oF

Good Week, Bad Week (May 19th Edition)

It's a good week for:

1. Overweight, videogame-playing couch potatoes, as Nintendo has come out with a new game for the Wii, called the Wii Fit. A medical study had demonstrated that playing games on the regular Wii burned more calories than typical video games (but not as much as actually playing the sport). We'll see how many calories can be burned using the Wii Fit.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/05/16/wii.fit/index.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6376637.stm


2. Flying kites, as a marked increase in interest in wind power has investors in a frenzy. Boone Pickens, an old-time oil investor, just placed an order for 600 wind turbines from G.E. The U.S. Energy Department said wind power could provide 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030. This is great news, as we need to have some form of reasonable competition against generation of electricity from fossil fuels in these days of record high oil prices (most electricity in U.S. comes from burning of coal and natural gas). Plus, wind is one of the cleanest forms of energy production. Don't believe the hype? Stocks are good are predicting the future. Just look at the recent moves in the price of some of the wind stocks. Boolah!!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/05/19/pickens.qa/index.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/usa_wind_dc;_ylt=AmAp9AZAp.skj0Z7B4W9zn8DW7oF

It's a bad week for:

1. Watching a track meet, as photographer Ryan McGeeney was speared in the leg by a javelin, as he was watching the discus throw. Fortunately, he states it didn't hurt very much and he was able to use his camera to snap a photo so that the whole world could see his impaling.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/05/19/photog.javelin.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

2. Dairy farmers, as a tractor trailer carrying 14 tons of Oreos overturned and spilled them all over the roadway. Rumor has it that residents living near the spill rapidly bought up 300 gallons of milk and starting dunking and eating the oreos before they were crushed and crumbled by the oncoming traffic.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080519/ap_on_fe_st/odd_cookie_spill;_ylt=Asurff0Ot75_32FHq5FWz8kDW7oF

It reminds me of one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes, the "Muffin Top" episode. In this episode, Elaine's desire to only eat muffin tops causes one of the local bakeries to sell only the muffin tops. Unfortunately, this results in a huge dilemma...what to do with the bottoms of the muffins. Elaine calls in "The Cleaner" (AKA Newman) to take care of the situation. Check out this 1 minute clip to see how "The Cleaner" handles the sticky situation.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qRTBVPgHM3Y

3. Stepping in elephant dung, as politicians in Romania are resorting to weird tactics, such as parading around an elephant downtown, in an effort woo potential voters. I'm sure that Romanians are glad that their candidates have nicknames like "elephant" rather than nicknames like wolverine, skunk, and alligator.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080519/od_nm/elections_dc;_ylt=Al1hKYfaglh00VEMy2XARHms0NUE

Two more very funny videos

Here are two more must see videos. I'm sure many of you have already seen the video of Bill O'Reilly from 20 years ago that was recently unearthed. Think you are having a bad day? Watch his tirade in his pre-Fox News days while on the set of "Inside Edition"...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2tJjNVVwRCY

And, check out this very young kid (can't be much older than 2 years old...right?) give a rousing performance of "Hey Jude"...

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=7848474

Funny Videos

Two funny videos to lighten up your day:

1. A short video on George Bush and his use of "The Google" on the "Internets". It makes me laugh every time I hear it.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/05/14/moos.googler.in.chief.cnn

2. A clip from Jon Stewart with some great soundbites of West Virginians honestly telling the media why they didn't vote for Obama.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=168561&title=indecision-2008-west-virginia

Good week, bad week (May 12th edition)

Good week for:

1. Old rock stars and arachniphobes, as a University of East Carolina biologist discovered a new species of spider and named it after his favorite musical artist, Neil Young (Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi). Oh those crazy scientists! No word yet on how Neil Young feels about his glorious honor.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080511/lf_nm_life/spider_young_dc;_ylt=AtINt1O9SrnaX.GCX5EdYw8DW7oF

2. Gangsta rapper wanna-be kids, as the state senate in Louisiana has voted AGAINST droopy-pants. I hate the look, but have to admit that this shouldn't be regulated by state (or federal governments).

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ijcUNoCcTOeRZA0EYOlt4Hx5iGvgD907239G0

3. Dogs' keen sense of smell, as a dog that ran away a pit-stop some 77 miles from the owners home, has somehow found his way back home a week later. I have to admit, I don't think many humans would be able to find their way home if dropped off somewhere that was 77 miles from home.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iunnoPTZZndOqWsA_ekJJIFAp-RgD904I3000


Bad week for:

1. Imitating Seigfried and Roy, as a Romanian man was arrested for rearing a lion in his backyard. It reminds me of one of the amazing wildlife videos I have ever seen. I have posted the link of the video from youtube, which follows the battle between a poor little baby buffalo vs. a pride of lions, and then a herd of buffalo vs. a pride of lions. It's 8 minutes, but take a break from your crazy day and watch it...it is memorable.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ii98E9xawRrO56R-sRt8WUvheWkQD90398BG0

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

2. Being an "aged" presidential candidate, as John McCain's age continues to be ridiculed by some of the press and bloggers. Check out this blog (provided by blog fan in a recent post in the comments section): http://www.thingsyoungerthanmccain.com/

However, lest you think McCain is going to roll-over, let's remember one of the most witty comebacks in Presidential election history as 73 year old Ronald Reagan said at the start of his 2nd debate against Walter Mondale in 1984, "I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience." This resulted in a roar of laughter from the audience, and, in fact, from Mondale himself, who years later admitted to Jim Lehrer in an interview that he realized at that moment that the election was over. Mondale went on to lose the election decisively, as Reagan carried 49 states, compared to Mondale's one (his home state of Minnesota).

3. Flying "coach" (I mean, "toilet"), as a man allowed on a overbooked flight had to sit in the bathroom on the San Diego to New York flight. He is suing Jet Blue because of his "tremendous fear" without a seatbelt while sitting on the toilet. His he suing despite the pilot informing him that he should feel lucky to be on the plane in the first place. Let's face it, he sure could have gotten a LOT of reading done while sitting on the toilet for that long.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/usa_airline_toilet_dc

Apple is On Fire!

Folks, if you haven't noticed, Apple's stock has been on a major tear over the past 2 months. It is close to it's all-time high again (all time high was around $200 in December).

I posted the story about the Apple stores being packed back in January (http://cocanuts.blogspot.com/2008/01/word-on-street.html). And, although it initially was demolished along with the rest of the market for the first 10 weeks of 2008, it has made a major comeback.

The major reason for this has got to be the popularity of the iPhone. It is currently sold out on the Apple websites, and stock in the stores have been scant. The new, faster, "3G" iPhone is due out very soon, and customers around the world will be clamoring for it. That's right around the world. Read this article, and you will see that Apple has been inking some new major contracts with wireless providers in Canada, Europe, South America, Turkey, India, Australia, Singapore and the Phillipines. That means millions of new customers and billions of more revenue for Apple.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/05/12/iphone.sold.out.ap/index.html

What does mean for the stock? As you know, I have been long of Apple for some time now. It is riding on top of its 10 day moving average (about as bullish as a stock can get). You can see this on the daily chart below (10 day moving average is the green line). You can see the stochastics confirm the very strong price action (RSI at top and MACD at bottom).

I expect Apple to continue a little higher, but I think it will find some resistance at it's all time high of about $200, as you can see on the weekly chart below. After a brief pull back, I think it will probably eventually break that resistance and head towards a price in the mid-250s. On the weekly stochastics, the RSI and MACD are heading up (circled blue areas). You can see that the RSI remained in the "overbought" area (>70) for some time last May through July and then last September and October (blue box). Thus, if the RSI can climb above 70 again, we could see some significant upside to come.

Wiki-Mania

I am a huge fan of Wikipedia. It has loads of information that is generally quite accurate. Posts by people that are funny or untrue are usually deleted rapidly. There was concern in the past that students in school were simply going to Wikipedia for sources and information for term papers, and most teachers and professors were banning this habit.

However, it appears that there may be a role for Wikipedia in the setting of the academic world. A professor at the University of British Columbia is actually encouraging his students to try to get Wikipedia entries acknowledges as a "featured article".

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080511/tc_afp/canadascienceinternet;_ylt=AhWX2LwIbC3hgzfbbtjSHigDW7oF

Are You Kidding Me?

I found some of these stories unbelievable:

1. Let it go- John Allen Muhammad, the D.C. area sniper of 2003, is asking his defense attorneys to end the appeals and allow him to die, and is requesting the help of the state attorney general to help him as he has tried without success to stop his defense attorneys from pursuing the appeals.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080506/ap_on_re_us/sniper_appeal;_ylt=AuX1R.GCIaxD_cvsFz.iaAYDW7oF

Please stop wasting taxpayer money on this case. And, although he wants to die, perhaps it would be better to deny him his opportunity at "matyrdom" and let him rot in jail for the rest of his life. Life sentence without parole, that's my vote. Stop the appeals now.

2. Yankees-Red Sox rivalry taken too far- a Yankees fan ran over 2 Red Sox fans in a parking lot after the Sox fans yelled "Yankees suck!" at her outside a bar in New Hampshire. One Sox fan died and the other was injured. This is pathetic...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080506/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_usa_crime_yankees_redsox;_ylt=Atn.PNdeUth_4R0WmeYmtQ7tiBIF

3. Wimp- Speaking of the Yankees, A-Rod's wife says that A-Rod passed out during the birth of his 1st child. He always folds under pressure!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bba_yankees_rodriguez;_ylt=AgBPEhBVngkDRCP_mTSHNKIDW7oF

4. Wicked leg cramps- A man in Illinois wants to attempt to surpass his recently broken record of continuously exercising for 132 consecutive hours on a stationary bike. This sounds like torture....the leg cramps, sore butt, groin chaffing, and lack of sleep. He is deranged.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080506/ap_on_fe_st/odd_exercise_record;_ylt=Aoip7gSYcvq4pkxpDdz85fTtiBIF

Politics Update

Barack Obama has been declared the winner in the North Carolina primary, and Hillary Clinton has a slight lead in the Indiana primary. The battle between these two heavyweight contenders continues, despite the Obama and Rev. Wright scandal, and despite Hillary's big deficit in pledged delegates.

But will it all matter who wins the primary? New poll data suggests that John McCain may have an easy time winning the Presidential election because of the polarity within the Democratic party. Here are the facts:

-Nearly six in ten Obama supporters in Indiana say they would be dissatisfied if Clinton were the nominee.
-In both Indiana and North Carolina, 2/3rds of Clinton supporters say they’d be dissatisfied if Obama were the nominee.
-The percentage of Clinton voters who say they’d choose McCain over Obama in a general election is approaching 40 percent in Indiana.

BTW, I recently criticized Clinton and McCain on their proposal for a "gas tax" holiday. It appears that the majority of the writers and economists agree that this is simply a foolish policy.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/elections-hot-air-and-gas/

http://www.observer.com/2008/bloomberg-gas-tax-break-dumbest-thing

Good Week, Bad Week (May 5th Edition)

Good week for:

1. Vegetarians, after 260,000 pounds of beef and chicken were recalled for contamination with a potentially deadly bacteria, Listeria monocyotogenes. Veggie burgers have never tasted so good!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080503/us_nm/usa_meat_recall_dc;_ylt=AuVnLn8NdBMeOlKq5sWtDfADW7oF

2. "Beauty", a wounded bald eagle that had its beak shot off a few years ago and was found starving to death in 2005. After being rescued and hand-fed for 2 years, scientist have designed and crafted Beauty a prosthetic beak. They will attempt to attach it next month. Of note, it is against the law to shoot a bald eagle...hear that Dick Cheney?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080505/ap_on_sc/bionic_beak


3. Flying slower, as airlines have determined that decreasing the flight speed by only 10 MPH, saves between $13-20 million per year in fuel costs. This makes it a bad week for passengers who will have to remain in the cramped confines of coach for about 8 more minutes, on average, on a trans-Atlantic flight.


http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/transportation/airplanes-fly-slower-save-millions/



Bad week for:

1. Going back on your word, as Cardinal Egan was furious with Rudy Giuliani for taking Communion during a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI on April 19th at St. Patrick's Cathedral, despite a previous agreement between the Church and Mr. Giuliani in 2000 to not receive the sacrament because of his "well-known support of abortion". Rudy has had a tough year when the number of delegates he received equals the number of times he was admonished by the Church.


2. Eight Belles, the 2nd place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, who broke both her ankles after she crossed the finish line. She had to be euthanized on the track.

http://msn.foxsports.com/horseracing/story/8105724/Eight-Belles-

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3382235&sportCat=horse

Horses are bred for speed. Unfortunately their bones and tiny little ankles just have not adapted to endure the stress of the racing at high speeds with the weight of the high muscle mass.


3. Overactive bladders, after researchers found that people taking prescription drugs for bladder dysfunction, allergies, and high blood pressure that block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine experience a more rapid decline in cognitive function than adults of similar age not on these medications. (it makes sense because drugs used to treat Alzheimer's, although only mildly effective, INCREASE acetylcholine levels in the brain).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080503/hl_nm/elderly_drugs_dc;_ylt=An7pVVTK9CTY.NFspH5kFfIDW7oF
I actually took some loratadine today for my allergies...I hope it dows noet ajgffecbt m&e toooosdooo mujdch...caguya jgo138nm he$pgyp mguh?

PB & J

Interesting article on Yahoo about the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The testers compared different types of creamy peanut butter on Pepperidge Farm white bread. They found the 365 Whole Foods Organic brand was the best tasting, compared to Jif, Skippy, and Reese's.

http://food.yahoo.com/blog/edlevineeats/2957/building-the-perfect-pbj-sandwich

The testers also determined that the best ratio of ratio of bread to PB and Jelly is 1 : 0.6 : 0.3 : 1. They have provided a nice illustration if that ratio is confusing to you.

I won't comment on the actual peanut butter, because I have never done a head-to-head comparison. I do have other comments about PB & J:

1. The testers used white bread, but I assure you that the healthier (and I find tastier) way to eat PB & J is on a multi-grain sliced bread (Arnold's 12 grain is great).

2. I agree with the ratio of PB and jelly. In my opinion, ratios are very important in all types of food. For example, the best ratio of cold cuts to cheese in a sandwich is about 3:1. In a burrito, there needs to be an appropriate ratio of meat to rice, beans, and other products. The meat cannot be predominant. For a bowl of cereal, I prefer to pour the milk until it just about touches the top level of the cereal. There needs to be a certain number of chocolate chips in a chocolate chip cookie. The ratio of tuna or chicken to mayo (not sure on the actual numbers) needs to approximate a proportion in which the mayo is only added until enough moisture is there for consistency. Some places overwhelm the tuna or chicken with the mayo and it creates a mess (and a stomach ache).

3. I prefer contrasting the sweetness of PB & J with a salty counterbalance in the form of chips (preferably cheesy-types such as Doritos or Cheetos). Also, a piece of cheddar chesse makes a wonderful compliment to a PB & J sandwich.

4. Peanut butter should not be refrigerated. It makes spreading it very difficult.

5. Does anyone remember the episode of "Happy Days" when Lenny and Squiggy were in some dream sequence, and they were lost in the desert, and the only thing they had with them was peanut butter? They had no water, but Squiggy tried eating the peanut butter anyway, and they couldn't open his mouth. I guess you had to see it, but it was funny.