Random
catdynamics | September 21, 2008More critique and backlash on the proposed financial bailout:
Krugman in NYT monday
Tanta at Calculated Risk forwards a Congressional communique - it is worth the read.
I like the suggestion that bankers should have to write nice begging letters explaining their stupidity for each bond they sell to the taxpayer.
(here is the original congresscritter missive at OpenLeft - worth reading for the unbowdlerized version - the fantasy that such a congresscritter still exists is worth it)
deLong suggest what looks at a glance to be a rational way of doing unearthing of shitpiles
'cause linking is an…
catdynamics | September 20, 2008The proposed text of the law to bail out financial institutions is extraordinary to say the lease - the biggest blank check in world history is being written and given to a single person to share with his friends. Without review or recourse.
NYTimes source of proposed text
This is for $700 billion, at a time - the treasury can buy more crap if they manage to offload any after they max out.
The idea is that the US government will buy unsellable debt off select financial institutions, who will basically get US Treasury bonds in return.
The sale ought to be at some discount - which is the catch…
catdynamics | September 18, 2008Hot and humid friday as we seek clear crisp coolness.
So we skip to the mighty iPod and ask: will we get us some decent near infra red imaging from space again in the near future?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Tom the Peeper - Act 1.1
The Crossing: Kings of the Wild Frontier - Adam and the Ants
The Crown: Ræningjasöngur
The Root: Reason to Believe - Aimee Mann and Michael Penn
The Past: Christmas in Dixie - Alabama
The Future: Sur Le Pont d'Avignon
The Questioner: Animal Alphabet Song
The House: School's Out - Alice Cooper
The Inside: Falling - Alison Moyet
The Outcome…
rallain | September 18, 2008I use equations quite a bit. What I have been doing is writing the equations in LaTeX and then taking a screen capture of the output. I think this makes nice looking equations, but it sure takes a while. Here I am testing [LaTeX for WordPress plugin](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/latex/). The following *should* be some equations:
$$\vec{F}_\text{net}=\frac{d\vec{p}}{dt}$$
$$a^2+b^2=c^2$$
End of test. This was only a test. Had this been a real post, it *might* have had something useful.
**update** not sure if I like the way the equations look.
catdynamics | September 18, 2008Is this how some people felt about the LHC being turned on?
Three month treasury bills are being sold at negative interest rate this morning.
Krugman, professionally, is fascinated
I am also terrified.
At least with the LHC I knew, professionally, that the doomsday scenarios were impossible.
Economists think liquidity traps ought to not happen, nowadays, so it must be professionally fascinating to see what looks like one developing before your eyes.
Be like seeing the apparent development of an event horizon or vacuum phase transition.
In person.
catdynamics | September 17, 2008There is a certain morbid fascination in watching the financial storm unwind
Calculated Risk remains one of the best econ blogs, but the volume on it now is so large that it is impossible to read or even more than glance at.
Krugman's Conscience of a Liberal is more concise and always interesting.
Steve at Information Processing also has an interesting physics based perspective.
But, I have been pondering the AIG "rescue" - or rather orderly slow bankruptcy with federal control during the unwinding and disposing of assets.
Why?
Why could Lehman with 613 billion, or whatever, in debt,…
catdynamics | September 16, 2008i am transiting a large city in the south of the us and in the recent past had two surreal conversations take place around me
one involved a couple of people I am reasonably certain are prominent college football players, boasting to their buds about looking up this other guy (over a girl I gather) and "wham, wanna fight, wham" (impressive ability to deliver high speed sucker punches, with sound effects, I do admit)
ok, whatever, except for the slightly fascinated and somewhat amused off-duty policeman sitting not a million micrometers from them...
this might have repercussions
the other…
catdynamics | September 15, 2008it is accountancy that makes the world go round
"the cold antiseptic sting of the Swiss Frank..."
catdynamics | September 14, 2008"...Chávez last night ordered the US ambassador to leave Venezuela within 72 hours and accused Washington of fomenting a coup attempt..."
Grauniad has more
"...Chávez also ordered Venezuela's ambassador to Washington to return home and threatened to cut oil supplies, plunging relations between the countries to a new low. "Go to hell a hundred times, fucking Yankees," he told a televised rally thronged with supporters clad in red."
Heh, that crazy Chavez dude, what a wild man.
Clearly not related to the first of two Bear Reconnaissance/Bomber aircraft coming to visit from Russia…
catdynamics | September 14, 2008is, apparently, over 1000 visitors at Calculated Risk late on a weekend night
apparently there are some financial news, or something, everyone seems terribly excited about monday morning
I don't understand, don't think I have a head for big numbers
but I know linking is good
rallain | September 14, 2008I am sure I mentioned that I am moving to WordPress (from Rapidweaver). I would like to have all my important posts moved. To do this, I am just going to repost them in WordPress. Maybe there is a better way, but I am not sure. So, the point is that if you have been reading this for a while, you might see some repeats.
catdynamics | September 12, 2008Randy Olson is at PSU today and tomorrow
Sizzle is on tonight at 7 pm and he gives a talk on science framing tomorrow morning.
All events in 100 Thomas.
Flock of Dodos was on last night, if you weren't there, you missed it.
catdynamics | September 12, 2008It is friday, it is raining, and I can't find my umbrella.
There ain't no justice.
So, we squelch over to the Mighty iPod, and ask: do black hole masses in the current universe really top out at 1010 solar masses?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
ul>
The Covering: The Passenger - Iggy Pop
The Crossing: Jump in the River - Sinéad O'Connor
The Crown: II Concerto No 2. (Summer) - Vivaldi
The Root: Dýrðin er Þín - Bubbi Morthens
The Past: Joy to the World - The Irish Tenors
The Future: Ég er Vinur Þinn -
The Questioner: Hm hm hm (Magic Flute) - Mozart
The House: Carnival of the Animals:…
catdynamics | September 12, 2008The Mortgage Pig strikes back
click to embiggen
Tanta at Calculated Risk is finally pushed over the edge
We sometimes link because linking is an intrinsic good.
catdynamics | September 11, 2008The rain it raineth on the just
And also on the unjust fella;
But chiefly on the just, because
The unjust steals the just's umbrella.
Charles Bowen
"As soon as Dawkins stepped out from the portico, there was an enormous clap of thunder and it started to rain.
Heavily.
One might even say the heavens opened, though obviously Dawkins wouldn't.
Then I noticed that, waiting inside the foyer, there was a vicar..."
(from S. Chapman - Physics Education Sep '08)
Meanwhile, back in the USA, Ike is in the Gulf, headed for Texas.
click to embiggen
click here for animation
Ike is a curious beast, very…
catdynamics | September 9, 2008Chad, some time ago, did the parlor game of "what google phrase is uniquely associated with you(r blog)."
Just by virtue of sheer repetition, "Whoosh goes the randomizer" is definitely one of my most strongly google-linked phrases.
However, now I have "Aes Sedai of Orange County" inextricably linked to me, for as long as the net.archives live.
I must rein in my subconscious sometimes.
catdynamics | September 9, 2008John Scalzi at Whatever rants on the current political situation.
It is a rant of beauty.
Sometimes we link because linking is an intrinsic good.