“Hell”
Thank you xkcd for this deep insight.
Ominous Weather Forecast
All day today, people kept talking about how it was our last day of sun. I was a bit skeptical/naive. But after checking weather, folks appear to be right… There was a “special weather bulletin” for seattle: A significant change to cooler and wetter weather will begin later monday and will continue through at least next weekend… Sigh.
Could You Resist “The Marshmallow”?
I am a “wee” bit behind on my stack of New Yorkers. However, on the plane this past weekend, I finally had a chance to read a few. Jonah Lehrer’s article, “Don’t! The secret of self-control,” about Stanford Prof. Walter Mischel’s Marshmallow Experiment was really interesting. In a nutshell, Mischel told a bunch of unsuspecting 4 year: You can eat ONE marshmallow now. Or, if you sit here quietly while I leave the room for a bit, you can eat TWO when I get back. Turns out, kids only lasted on average 3 minutes before they gave in and ate …
Obama’s White House, on Flickr
During the campaign, Obama created his own Flickr account. The photos during election night were amazing – and very personal. Obama now has a new Flickr account: The Official White House Photostream. The first set – Delivering on Change – was just posted. Here are a few of my favorites. superbowl briefing on swine flu Michelle Obama with Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, wife of french president a day in the office
Scary Diagrams
Just saw this on the NPR Planet Money blog. It depicts the inter-connectedness of credit default swaps. Kinda reminds you of a really complicated “who hooked up with who” diagram…
What’s In An Inauguration Speech?
Robbie just blogged about this, and I thought it was super cool. ReadWriteWeb created Word Clouds showing the word frequency of recent inaugural speeches. It’s a good insight into these presidents… and the mindset of the country at the time. President Obama (2009) President Bush (2005) President Clinton (1997) President Reagan (1981)
Ohh…. Pretty
I just got the most beautiful rings from my friend, Meghan. I know Meghan from high school, and she’s always had an eye for jewelry. Meghan is now making jewelry herself, and has amazing collection of gold and silver pieces. Check it out!
“Understanding” the Financial Crisis
A few months ago, I listened to the “The Giant Pool of Money” episode on “This American Life.” It gave the most understandable explanation of the sub-prime mortgage crisis that I’ve heard. Now, the same folks tackle the bailout question in “Another Frightening Show About the Economy“. A preview of it can also be found here: “Is The Bailout Worth It?“ The preview is posted on a new podcast and blog called “Planet Money,” which is done by some of the same folks and covers the ongoing economic situation. Anyways, both “This American Life” episodes (“The Giant Pool of Money” …
Randomness: Rent-a-Ruminant
On the bus this morning, I saw about 20 goats wandering around the Plymouth Pillars dog park in Capitol Hill. Yes, I said goats. There was a “Rent-a Ruminant” sign hanging – quite simply, this company “brings [their] goats to your location to eat a wide range of vegetation, such as blackberries, ivy, and other invasive species. ” Clever. 🙂
U.S. men win 4x100m free relay
I finally watched the 4x100m men’s race. It’s amazing. Jason Lezak start the final leg WAY behind, and just powers his way through to win it. BADASS, and just inspiring. Watch the video here! Read about it here. Coming from behind: Lezak on the left. Bernard, of the French team, on the right.