Friday, January 01, 2016
All's quiet on the New Year Front
It's next year. And it's finally quiet outside. I can only hope it stays this way.
And that we still have a lawn.
Happy New Year everyone!
Monday, January 04, 2016
The Big Short
It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.
—Upton Sinclair
Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.
—John Maynard Keynes
Bunny and I just saw “The Big Short,” based on the book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. I can't say anything about the book, not having read it, but the movie was good. It was also amusing in that it broke the fourth wall multiple times. Such as when they cut to someone famous, like celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain or economist Richard Thaler and actress/singer Selena Gomez, and have them explain some complicated financial term through cooking or playing black jack. Other cases of breaking the fourth wall occur when characters have just finished a scene and then explain that it really didn't happen that way.
It was amusing. And it just worked for this movie.
It's well worth seeing.
And it was also sobering to see just how crazy the housing bubble was.
Wednesday, January 06, 2016
Notes on two overheard phone conversations pertaining to some nefarious objective
“I have bad tidings, young Mr. Conner! The accursed airline has cancelled my flight! Now my plans to kidnap you have gone astray!”
“Those scofflaws! Did they perchance give a pathetic excuse for the cancellation?”
“We're currently having … a weather moment here in Lost Wages.”
“Weather moment? Does Lost Wages even have weather? as I seem to recall, it's either bright and scortching hot, or dark and freezing cold.”
“Apparently the pilots here do not know how to react to a light drizzle.”
“As your attorney, I advise you to go medieval on their behinds. Also, I see they have a flight that is not cancelled, going to Detroit followed by a flight here to Lower Sheol. Try getting on that one.”
“Will do, young Mr. Conner!”
“Young Mr. Hoade!”
“I have good tidings, young Mr. Conner! I found another airline that will attempt the perilous flight through a light drizzle to Lower Sheol!”
“Another airline? What happened to the accursed airline?”
“All flights cancelled. None of their pilots could face the slight misting from dihydrogen monoxide.”
“So you got a round trip from the other airline?”
“No, one way. The accursed airline will still honor the trip back from Lower Sheol to Lost Wages.”
“I'm flummoxed.”
“The accursed airline refunded the entire ticket price and let me keep the return ticket. I was then able to get a one-way ticket on the other airline to Lower Sheol.”
“Wonderful!”
“And I shall still be able to kidnap you tomorrow.”
“And I shall still be able to drive the getaway car.”
“House of the Rising Sun, here we come!”
