Colin, I'll be visiting S.F. in 1 to 2 Friedmans

Every once in awhile I read up on housing news and related overall economic trends. I have been looking for the optimal time to buy property for at least 5 years. Over the last 7 years every place I looked at buying, and every property I visited, would have been a good investment decision. And I bought none.

So, I agree I am risk adverse, but I am not sure whether I read articles on the web which inform my beliefs or just reinforce my beliefs. Everything new I absorb -- along with all information absorbed in my brain from birth -- reinforces my general feeling that the current administration is harmful to not only social, and political fabric of society but also of the economic viability. Unfortunately, for me, the general problems and consequences of running an economy like a 11th century fiefdom has not had enough direct effects to change the way people think. Senator Webb, know best for taking out Mr. Maccacca, is pretty eloquent on the growing class divide in America.

So on a national scene I follow Krugman, this Big Picture guy and Bond-dad on daily kos. These guys could be described as super pessimist but they sort of make-sense to me. Bond-dad has been talking today about more national trends in Housing. Amazingly, this fits in with my view.

As for other reasonable thinkers -- I have read friedman’s two latest books and while I enjoyed them he reminds me more of malcom gladwell and steven dubner ( the freakonomics guy). These guys, while bright, are not Jacky bright. They also seem more interested in the sound of their voice than the complexities and contradictions of their thoughts. I guess what really soured me on the St Paul Hebrew was his repetive declaration of success in the “next 6 months” being absolutely critical for future of Iraq. As a coping mechanism with this inanity I have tried to use the term “Friedman Units” or just Friedman in my common language. “LL is looking to get married in the next 1-2 Friedmans.” or “I want to got to Israel in the next 2-3 Friedmans because who knows what will be left over there in 7-8 Friedmans”

tobecontinued...

Another Guy Quits My Job

We will miss you Joey Roses. As Kentistan asked recently... Who is left?

Outdoor BBQ and Movie Night

I got the projector on woot. I just picked up a 100" screen from some guy on craigslist. raf is looking into outdoor speakers. I need to figure out how mount the screen up 30 feet above the basement pit but I am slowly getting there.

I got off.

I received my release from the pool. I am off the hook for another 4-6 years hopefully. If anyone is wondering I'll be at work most of the weekend trying to makeup for the 2 days i missed.

Jury Duty Day 2 : Live Blogging

I brought my laptop today. I am hoping that it doesn’t jinx me. I havent really got over on anyone recently and I hope it comes through for me.

Didn’t sleep well last night. Bad Dreams. It may have been because of the whole process down here at 111 centre street or possibly, and more probably, because of the general state of my life. Whatever the reason , I woke up at 6:30 when I had to be downtown by 10. Went to the gym. Worked out for an hour and a half and got here by 10. I am pretty tired right now sitting in the"holding box". Thats fine since I am not doing anything.

I think I am too depressed to be on a jury. Everyone I talk to about getting picked - not many people in reality - keeps telling me to state how I am over educated. I was thinking of playing up my super education but then the panel I was on had 4 lawyers 3 MBAs and a bunch of masters so that left me searching for another reason.

Truthfully, I may be too depressed to be on a jury. I was thinking of stating when the lawyers ask if anyone has anything to add “I am very sad, I just though you should know this”.

My mom says she uses this line “ A lot of terrible things have happened to me in my life, but I think I can be impartial.” Apparently she never gets picked. (When she first stated it many jury pools ago she was completely sincere about the statement.)

The TV room is off the main assembly room 1121. There is one table, a bunch of chairs and a few couches which usually contains one sleepy hipster. The only channels the TV gets are Fox, MSNBC, CNN and NY1. We have been watching the Elizabeth Edwards throughout lunch. On the wall there are there are signed photographs to Walter, our head baliff, pinned to multiple boards. There are at least twenty head shots from famous people who have served. I have no idea who any of the people are except for F. Murray Abraham and Gwyneth Paltrow. I cant believe any DA would allow the guy who killed Mozart in his jury.

Day 1, Jury pool

Missed Jury..

A built 50ish black male is accused of orally raping the developmentally disabled 5 year old son of his ex-girlfriend. It sounded like there are no witnesses and no physical evidence. He said -- He said. Doesn't this sound horrible.

ADA:
Some of the material will be sexually explicit. Do any of you feel uncomfortable sitting in a juror which discusses these topics?

At this point only 4 people out of 18 raise their hand. Me , I only squirmed adding back the crazy jake tics i lost years ago back to my repertoire.

I couldn't believe only 4 people raised their hand. At least 13 people had volunteered they were one degree of separation from a rape. I figured all of them would speak up. Fortunately, the defense attorney noticed my odd behavior and got me to say that i thought anyone would be crazy if they were comfortable with this stuff -- and that I was uncomfortable with the idea of anyone on the jury being comfortable with this stuff.

They only picked one juror out of the batch of 18. Its gonna be a long jury selection process.

wish me luck

The reason for blogging.

Raf's last entry is supercool. It is a good example for why I should read friends blogs.

I have jury duty tomorrow down at centre street. I was thinking of bringing my laptop. Afraid it will get stolen though --by the lawyers of course.

My prediction about the US attorneys scandal. Lotta noise. "Fredo" Gonzales stays , Bush keeps his 30% approval rating. The supreme court doesnt take the case. 41 senators agree to do nothing. Nothing legislatively even gets passed. Nothing happens

Is it 2008 yet?

I almost bought this shirt . I wouldn't have had it for st pattys day. I think this one is cooler anyway. Update: Kagro X hit up the attys scandal before i even mentioned it.. His stuff is always good and insightful, and not just because i usuallyagree with him

Things I learn at lunch

My boss asked asked me whether I knew about a song the ramones wrote about a female stock exchange reporter. I said no. I know only one title of the ramones and have no idea who was reporting from the stock exchange in the 70's.

Apparently my time frame was off. Joey Ramone wrote this song before he died. I couldnt believe he listens to ramones albums released in the last 5 years.

He said "yeah, I dont really like their early stuff."

Joey and Maria

What's happening on Wall St.
What's happening at the Stock Exchange
I want to know
What's happening on Squawk Box
What's happening with my stocks
I want to know
I watch you on the TV every single day
Those eyes make everything okay
I watch her every day
I watch her every night
She's really outta sight
Maria Bartiromo
Maria Bartiromo
Maria Bartiromo
What's happening with Yahoo!
What's happening with AOL
I want to know
What's happening with Intel
What's happening with AmazonI want to knowI watch you on TV every single day
Those eyes make eveything OK
I watch her every day
I watch her every night
She's really outta sight
Maria Bartiromo (5x)
What's happening on Wall St.
What's happening at the Stock ExchangeI want to know
What's happening on Squawk Box
What's happening with my stocks
I want to know
I watch her at the big board every single day
While she's reporting you best stay out of her way
I watch her every day
I watch her every night
She's really outta sight

"Just like Mr. Isaac draw except my face not so round"

Feeling under the weather this weekend has led to watching an ungodly amount of webcontent.

Among other things i watched lost, 30 rock, and due to the recommendation of Marietta, i have caught up on the entire season of heroes. Even with the bad resolution on my laptop - viewing this type of series in sequence is much more satisfying than on the regular cable season schedule.

I know there has been DVR, Tivo, Netflix, but the prevalence of this type of "marathon watching" has been limited due to the added cost. I really think this type of viewing, now that it is basically free, is not going to completely decimate conventional time tv watching. Now the resolution is still pretty crappy -- but its good enough for me, -- and going forward its just going to get better.

Oh and heroes was good -- i wouldn't have watched the whole thing if it wasnt.

"How do you stop an exploding man"

Apocalpyse Now

awkward..

So i spent a few moments chatting up the folks. The conversation started out on movies, then went onto raf, then moved on to stock markets, then onto currency markets.

"The collapse of the currency markets is not nearly as scary as the collapse of the bees."
The bees, the bees are disappearing. They are missing from 23 states and noone knows where they went. Next we got into a discussion of vanishing of butterflies and frogs.

Then I left. This is usually how the conversation ends

Fast Food Nation

Earl is a bright guy. He works part time, goes to business school at night, and has a mean streak on the basketball court.

Why anybody that smart eats at any taco bell I do not know.

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com/
Some rats with that? BY VERONIKA BELENKAYA, XANA O’NEILL and DON SINGLETONDAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS Friday, February 23rd, 2007 It was enough to make you choke on your chalupa. To the disgust of millions who watched on TV or in person, a gang of brazen rats took over a Taco Bell/KFC restaurant in Greenwich Village yesterday - scampering across tables like they owned the joint.
The vermin slid down the backs of chairs, left trails of droppings on
the floor and glared at passersby through the window until health inspectors shut down the eatery on Sixth Ave. near W. Fourth St. "I just ate there last night - I think I'm going to be sick," said Earl H., 29. "I'll never come back here
again." The invasion began a little after midnight, while the restaurant was closed, creating a public relations nightmare for Taco Bell just two months after an E.Coli outbreak at the chain. Photographers and TV crews descended on the scene - and it almost seemed like the 20-odd rodents were playing to the crowd. At one point,
as a Daily News reporter pressed close to the window, a rat hopped over,
stood on its hind legs, put its paws against the glass and stared back. "He's coming for his close-up," a spectator quipped. The stomach-churning images were soon flashed across the nation on the Internet and TV news shows, leaving Americans a little queasy over breakfast. Those familiar with the location said the rat pack was not a surprise. "It's the dirtiest place in the neighborhood," said Joel Cohen, whose
apartment overlooks the restaurant. "It's a blight." Marcus Bonner, 19, who had just finished his night shift at the McDonald's across the street, said he had been fired by Taco Bell because he complained about sanitary conditions at the eatery.
"There's a hole in the wall behind the grill," he said. "The rats come through the back of the building where the trash is kept." By 10:30 a.m., a city Health Department inspector had arrived and quickly taped two yellow "Closed" notices on the windows.
The operator of the franchise, ADF Fifth Operating Corp., did not return calls, but the parent company was quick to respond. "This is an isolated incident at a single restaurant ... and it is totally unacceptable," Taco Bell said in a statement. "The restaurant is closed and we will not allow it to be reopened until it has been sanitized and given a complete clean bill of health." The company blamed "construction in the
basement" of the two-story building. The location was cited for a rat infestation Dec. 11 and the problem was remedied, said Mayor Bloomberg's spokesman Stu Loeser, who added that most city restaurants face health code violations at some point, correct them and reopen. The number of rodent complaints has just about
doubled since Mayor Bloomberg took office in 2002, climbing to 32,200 in the fiscal year ending June30. But a report this month showed a drop of 13% from last year.

The Village franchise is likely to be closed for days, but the fallout could linger longer. ...