- Inside Colorado’s flourishing black market, WaPo
- Democrats want to ban government contracts for companies that leave the US to avoid taxes, WaPo
- Malaysia Airlines is stuck with its name, FT
- A surreal week with the Donetsk rebels, FT
- Why seven hours of sleep might be better than eight, WSJ
- Cuomo's office hobbled ethics inquiries by Moreland Commission, NYT
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Articles I've been reading (T): July 30th, 2014
Articles I've been reading (T): July 28th - 29th, 2014
Passing along some recent reads that I've enjoyed. Share yours.
(FT and WSJ require subscriptions)
July 28th, 2014
- "A Clinton in power will not bring back the good times," Financial Times
- "IMF says ‘overvalued’ pound preventing rebalancing," Financial Times
- "Compassionate conservatism is still dead," Bloomberg View
- "Missing the point on inversions and corporate taxes," AEI Ideas
July 29th, 2014
- "Building a better college ranking system," NYT
- "KKR co-founder works to transform his legendary buyout firm," WaPo
- "At Purdue, a case study in cost cutting," WSJ
- "The Olympian and the Cross-fitter," WSJ
- "DC Circuit rules Obamacare tax bill isn't revenue raising," Pacific Legal Fund
- "The poor need Ryan's regulation reform," Bloomberg View
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Poetry
Here are the poems I've written in the last while. I started with the first one to inoculate myself against your criticism or at least to make you feel bad for thinking it. Of course, I always welcome constructive criticism or typo corrections.
Creative
Who are the creative ones?
Who makes the new?
Who sings the unsung songs
And forms the formless true?
Strength and Spirit, Blood and Time,
Sacrifices all,
Crusted hair with layered brine
Mark creation’s thrall
To open the soul to acclaim or scorn--
All of Art’s a risk.
Uncovered dreams to be scarred and torn,
For all must hit or miss.
No joy without a try,
No day while unawake,
Step off the ledge to fly,
Create for life’s own sake.
Loathing will they offer,
Indifference at best,
And deride your precious proffer,
The child of your mind detest.
For all must face rejection,
Of such is this our life.
The heart bleeds dejection,
When stabbed with the critics’ knife.
Yet tastes are fickle and foolish,
One view stands supreme.
The verdict from you is the truest,
If you own your created dream.
For what is now was not.
Formed is the formless true.
From nothing it is wrought,
You have seen it to fruition
Breathed life to your ambition,
Without which there is no new.
Druidic Spooning
Solid as the oaken column,
Gentle as the summer’s breeze,
Hold me close, tender and solemn,
Underneath the meadow trees.
Time leaves us alone and hollow,
Fills our heads with constant fear.
For it’s always on the morrow,
One must leave the other here.
But right now, for an hour,
Or a second, hold me fast.
And perhaps some unknown power,
Will make such special moments last.
Unknowing
Into the dark meanders time
Heedless of the light
Of future days' predicted rays
That never last the night.
For the sun sets on the present
And fades a shiny plan,
The now starts in darkness
To humble a once sure man.
Soldier Rest (continuation of the poem by Sir Walter Scott)
Sailor, Rest! Thy Watch is ended,
Plow no more the troubled sea,
Let the torn sails sit unmended,
Feel the sure winds lift thee free.
On the fairer ocean’s span,
T’ward the Sunset clear and glowing,
Full ahead to promised lands;
Steady tailwind at thee blowing.
Sailor, Rest! Thy Watch is ended,
Leave the sheets and sails untended,
Toil no more on violent seas,
Float to Heaven on thy breeze.
Precipice
On this day the world is breaking
On the faultline we stand astride.
On to this side or the other,
Clear your person of the fissure.
Oh be quick, my straddling brother,
Commit forever to the making
Of the Choice you soon are taking
And the Choice you are forsaking
When you stand on the divide.
Leap and tumble to decide.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Great Climate Change article
http://noconsensus.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/climate-today/
"I have seen no study which reasonably demonstrates that our current climate is truly ideal. It seems extraordinarily unlikely to me that we were born into a perfect climate which could never change for the better in either direction. Still, from ice ages we know with certainty, that colder is very, VERY bad for people in general. If 6 degrees colder is so bad, how can it be so certain that only two degrees warmer is going to result in destruction[?]"
"I have seen no study which reasonably demonstrates that our current climate is truly ideal. It seems extraordinarily unlikely to me that we were born into a perfect climate which could never change for the better in either direction. Still, from ice ages we know with certainty, that colder is very, VERY bad for people in general. If 6 degrees colder is so bad, how can it be so certain that only two degrees warmer is going to result in destruction[?]"
Friday, April 4, 2014
In which I hurl invective at Community Supported Agriculture
(I never posted this when it was relevant last summer. Consider it a warning as warmer weather beckons.)
Friends, I am a chump thrice-over. Despite my long-standing and well-founded skepticism towards local food, organic farming, and the whole manure-clod-laden clump of related feel-good food philosophies, I signed us up for a weekly portion in a local CSA. After six weeks of boxes, I have moved from a position of skepticism to one of active hostility.
We joined with a friend who wanted to split a weekly half-share to make the cost and amount of food reasonable. My first error: I misunderstood what the monthly outlay would be. A half-share in this thing runs about $35 a week, so our share of half of that means that we're shelling out $70 a month or so, twice what I'd originally understood. That's a full fifth of our monthly food budget, making the whole thing a rather extravagant luxury.
And what do I get for my hard-earned spondulix? Here's last week's haul: two zucchini, two crookneck squash, a pattypan squash, a cucumber, two or three small beets, a tomato, about twenty okra pods, and a small sachet of purslane (a succulent microgreen). With the exception of the purslane, everything here could easily be picked up at a supermarket for less than $10. It would also be pre-washed and healthy-looking.
To top it off, the taste of this organically grown produce is indistinguishable from any other produce I have ever eaten. Perhaps an extra dash of moral superiority for buying organic would make it more flavorful, but I'm fresh out.
I'd go on, but Freakonomics summed up a lot of the real arguments against this kind of wasteful nonsense:
The Inefficiency of Local Food
Friends, I am a chump thrice-over. Despite my long-standing and well-founded skepticism towards local food, organic farming, and the whole manure-clod-laden clump of related feel-good food philosophies, I signed us up for a weekly portion in a local CSA. After six weeks of boxes, I have moved from a position of skepticism to one of active hostility.
We joined with a friend who wanted to split a weekly half-share to make the cost and amount of food reasonable. My first error: I misunderstood what the monthly outlay would be. A half-share in this thing runs about $35 a week, so our share of half of that means that we're shelling out $70 a month or so, twice what I'd originally understood. That's a full fifth of our monthly food budget, making the whole thing a rather extravagant luxury.
And what do I get for my hard-earned spondulix? Here's last week's haul: two zucchini, two crookneck squash, a pattypan squash, a cucumber, two or three small beets, a tomato, about twenty okra pods, and a small sachet of purslane (a succulent microgreen). With the exception of the purslane, everything here could easily be picked up at a supermarket for less than $10. It would also be pre-washed and healthy-looking.
To top it off, the taste of this organically grown produce is indistinguishable from any other produce I have ever eaten. Perhaps an extra dash of moral superiority for buying organic would make it more flavorful, but I'm fresh out.
I'd go on, but Freakonomics summed up a lot of the real arguments against this kind of wasteful nonsense:
The Inefficiency of Local Food
Reading round-up!
C.S. Lewis on women and the priesthood, far better on the topic 60 years ago than anything else I've read in a month:
http://www.episcopalnet.org/TRACTS/priestesses.html
David Gelernter writing brilliantly on Thomas Nagel, Ray Kurzweil, and skepticism about the future of machine intelligence:
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/the-closing-of-the-scientific-mind/
Awesome Grantland piece on the Iditarod:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/grantland/story/_/id/9175394/out-great-alone
So much to read, so little time...
C.S. Lewis on women and the priesthood, far better on the topic 60 years ago than anything else I've read in a month:
http://www.episcopalnet.org/TRACTS/priestesses.html
David Gelernter writing brilliantly on Thomas Nagel, Ray Kurzweil, and skepticism about the future of machine intelligence:
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/the-closing-of-the-scientific-mind/
Awesome Grantland piece on the Iditarod:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/grantland/story/_/id/9175394/out-great-alone
So much to read, so little time...
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Ruh-roh... better start cutting my carbon emissions!
The latter end of the URL says it all: climate-change-murder-rape.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/climate-change-murder-rape
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/climate-change-murder-rape
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Book Reviews 2013
Laughter in the Dark by Nabokov: dreary story of a man trying to cheat on his wife and get his paramour to fall in love with him. Not his best, but still will make you feel smart.
The Racketeer by John Grisham: This one was kind of all over the place, but he tied it together at the end. Good reading candy.
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia : A great history of the Zelda franchise , lots of pictures too!
The Racketeer by John Grisham: This one was kind of all over the place, but he tied it together at the end. Good reading candy.
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia : A great history of the Zelda franchise , lots of pictures too!
Monday, February 17, 2014
2013 Book Reviews: Jeff
You guys all make me feel like a chump w/ the quality of books you read, but I'll go ahead and throw out what I picked through in 2013...
The Double Helix by James D. Watson
Don't read it... If you're super interested in how the double helix was discovered, read a book abstract or Wikipedia - this is poorly written and not worth the time.
The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
Classic Holmes, who is probably my favorite literary character (though mostly for his many incarnations in media, including the current "Elementary" and "Sherlock" shows - though Hugh Laurie as House is probably my favorite incarnation due to the twist).
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
If you haven't read this, do so before the apocalypse comes. Captivating and dark, this will make you wonder if you truly know yourself or not. Hyperbole aside, put yourself in this man's shoes and try to imagine who you truly are.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
The book has it's peaks and valleys, but if you're interested in understanding why Eurasian society has had an upper-hand since the early days of humanity I recommend this one. Diamond defends his thesis incredibly well.
Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson
Certainly the best book I've read on Innovation. It is essentially a starter course if you want to better understand how the build liquid networks and understand where innovation happens.
Rework by Jason Fried
Written by one of the founders of Basecamp, this is their take on starting and running a tech company. I loved it, though I know it's not for everyone. Incredibly quick read full of small insights.
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath
Read this... Same guys who wrote "Made to Stick" and "Switch" - and this is my favorite of the three. If you haven't read any of them, I might have a birthday gift idea for you. :)
The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton Christensen
Truly insightful and pragmatic. We tend to over complicate and add stigma to missionary work, and Christensen paints a more realistic view of our responsibilities.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
We listened to this on a road trip to Arkansas and thought it was good, though crazy. Kirby Heyborne may or may not cuss constantly in the audiobook, which was a shock and a half, but if you can handle some language I think you'll be taken on quite the ride.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
If you've seen the movie, don't read the book as the reveal will probably ruin it. Not your typical spy novel as it's very much a story of true spies you sit in rooms and figure out puzzles - the antithesis of Bond.
Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Really, really good. Coming from a family full of women (and marrying into one), I thought it would be important to read this. I've had some really excellent conversations on this book w/ my wife and my mentor (a Jewish woman in her late 40's) that have solidified the importance of this message.
Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School by Philip Delves Broughton
I found this interesting and wholly unsurprising. Tony - read this before B-school. :)
Divergent by Veronica Roth
I wanted to know what the deal was...
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Because why not, and it took like two days.
The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
I had to cleanse my pallet of Veronica Roth's terrible characterization work, and who better to do so than Sanderson? Very quick, very good.
Teamwork 101 by John C Maxwell
Read it as part of a peer mentoring group, and I think there is some good value here. Maxwell writes some pretty good stuff, but a lot of it repeats itself (so be selective on topics).
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
I encourage any enterprising individual to read this one. Nothing magical about it, but it does share very solid teachings on how to conduct yourself in business and continually improve.
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
More Sanderson... This was a quick read (teen fantasy) that I listened to while attempting to do more running (which I failed at doing well).
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Another book I read to understand the hype, though I did like this one. Certainly sappy and written for teens, but Green has remarkable talent for dealing with complex characters with difficult lives. You may have zero interest, which is fine, but if you like picking up something out of the box on occasion, I recommend this one.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
OK, so now I'll give the full synopsis... I got stuck on these because I really enjoyed the concept and the sci-fi aspects, but the characterization is so cheap and meaningless that the climax of the trilogy felt dry. Don't start reading - you might get caught up like I did and end up reading way more than you wanted to going in. I wish I could start over and have someone like Brandon Sanderson write these books.
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Overrated in most every sense. I found it a total chore to get through this one.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
See my review of "Think and Grow Rich" - this needs to be on your list if you haven't read it yet.
I'll have to add some of the group's recent reads to my list for 2014. Thus far I've read Hatching Twitter (excellent) and Warbreaker (very good, though certainly imperfect), but I'll save full analysis for later in the year.
The Double Helix by James D. Watson
Don't read it... If you're super interested in how the double helix was discovered, read a book abstract or Wikipedia - this is poorly written and not worth the time.
The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
Classic Holmes, who is probably my favorite literary character (though mostly for his many incarnations in media, including the current "Elementary" and "Sherlock" shows - though Hugh Laurie as House is probably my favorite incarnation due to the twist).
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
If you haven't read this, do so before the apocalypse comes. Captivating and dark, this will make you wonder if you truly know yourself or not. Hyperbole aside, put yourself in this man's shoes and try to imagine who you truly are.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
The book has it's peaks and valleys, but if you're interested in understanding why Eurasian society has had an upper-hand since the early days of humanity I recommend this one. Diamond defends his thesis incredibly well.
Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson
Certainly the best book I've read on Innovation. It is essentially a starter course if you want to better understand how the build liquid networks and understand where innovation happens.
Rework by Jason Fried
Written by one of the founders of Basecamp, this is their take on starting and running a tech company. I loved it, though I know it's not for everyone. Incredibly quick read full of small insights.
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip and Dan Heath
Read this... Same guys who wrote "Made to Stick" and "Switch" - and this is my favorite of the three. If you haven't read any of them, I might have a birthday gift idea for you. :)
The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton Christensen
Truly insightful and pragmatic. We tend to over complicate and add stigma to missionary work, and Christensen paints a more realistic view of our responsibilities.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
We listened to this on a road trip to Arkansas and thought it was good, though crazy. Kirby Heyborne may or may not cuss constantly in the audiobook, which was a shock and a half, but if you can handle some language I think you'll be taken on quite the ride.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
If you've seen the movie, don't read the book as the reveal will probably ruin it. Not your typical spy novel as it's very much a story of true spies you sit in rooms and figure out puzzles - the antithesis of Bond.
Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
Really, really good. Coming from a family full of women (and marrying into one), I thought it would be important to read this. I've had some really excellent conversations on this book w/ my wife and my mentor (a Jewish woman in her late 40's) that have solidified the importance of this message.
Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School by Philip Delves Broughton
I found this interesting and wholly unsurprising. Tony - read this before B-school. :)
Divergent by Veronica Roth
I wanted to know what the deal was...
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Because why not, and it took like two days.
The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
I had to cleanse my pallet of Veronica Roth's terrible characterization work, and who better to do so than Sanderson? Very quick, very good.
Teamwork 101 by John C Maxwell
Read it as part of a peer mentoring group, and I think there is some good value here. Maxwell writes some pretty good stuff, but a lot of it repeats itself (so be selective on topics).
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
I encourage any enterprising individual to read this one. Nothing magical about it, but it does share very solid teachings on how to conduct yourself in business and continually improve.
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
More Sanderson... This was a quick read (teen fantasy) that I listened to while attempting to do more running (which I failed at doing well).
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Another book I read to understand the hype, though I did like this one. Certainly sappy and written for teens, but Green has remarkable talent for dealing with complex characters with difficult lives. You may have zero interest, which is fine, but if you like picking up something out of the box on occasion, I recommend this one.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
OK, so now I'll give the full synopsis... I got stuck on these because I really enjoyed the concept and the sci-fi aspects, but the characterization is so cheap and meaningless that the climax of the trilogy felt dry. Don't start reading - you might get caught up like I did and end up reading way more than you wanted to going in. I wish I could start over and have someone like Brandon Sanderson write these books.
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
Overrated in most every sense. I found it a total chore to get through this one.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
See my review of "Think and Grow Rich" - this needs to be on your list if you haven't read it yet.
I'll have to add some of the group's recent reads to my list for 2014. Thus far I've read Hatching Twitter (excellent) and Warbreaker (very good, though certainly imperfect), but I'll save full analysis for later in the year.
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