Trevor Ariza went to Houston for more money. Ron Artest came to L.A. for less money.
Who made the better choice?
A Question
Lakers 83, Celtics 79
“I’m really going to be sad if the Lakers lose,” my son said before the game.
“Yeah,” I said, “a lot of people are going to be sad. Of course, a lot of people are going to be sad if the Celtics lose too, but at least it will be the right people.”
Not Much to Show for Myself
My wife gives the boy a plate of donettes as he comes down for breakfast. Then she asks me, “Do you have 10 dollars you can give him?”
Checking my fund supply, I find that I have a five-dollar bill and two ones.
“I have seven dollars,” I say, holding up the bills. “Fifty years of life and this is what I have to show for it. Seven dollars.”
The boy jumps into the conversation at this point. “There’s only five donuts here,” he says. “These definitely come in a package of six.”
“Okay, I modify my statement,” I say. “Fifty years of life has given me seven dollars and a donut. Not even a large donut. A donette.”
No One Listened
Today, I will introduce the Free Housing Market Enhancement Act, which removes government subsidies from the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and the National Home Loan Bank Board. . . . Congress should act to remove taxpayer support from the housing GSEs before the bubble bursts and taxpayers are once again forced to bail out investors who were misled by foolish government interference in the market.
[HT: Steven Landsburg]
Twitter: 2010-06-16
- RT @penelopetrunk: All productivity books summarized in 11 words: 1 thing at a time. Most important thing 1st. Start now. (via lifehacker) #
Libertarianism
Libertarianism rests on two bedrock beliefs: human freedom is a great good and the public sector tends to screw things up. The first belief is based more on faith than empirical result; the second derives from millennia of human experience.
Twitter: 2010-06-15
- RT @jheitzeb New York Times 50 Most Challenging Words http://bit.ly/c9feQj #New #York #Times #NYT #Vocabulary #
World Cup Fan
Originally uploaded by GIORGINOFOREVER!
Twitter: 2010-06-13
- RT @eddiepepitone: The 3 hour nap I took today barely scratched the surface of my contempt for life. #
- RT @eddiepepitone: Toy story due out in a few days-man is marmaduke going to take a fucking hit. #
Thomas Jefferson on the Oil Spill
I do not believe that the federal government should have a central and powerful place in American life. I believe in freedom and self-reliance.
Some people, like President Obama, disagree with me. He believes you should part company with your freedom and your money for the privilege of having the government take care of you — wipe your collective backsides, so to speak — from cradle to grave.
In which case — why doesn’t he know how to plug an oil leak?
— Tom
Don’t Look Back
In uncertain conditions the main question should not be: “Why didn’t your performance yesterday conform to the original plan?” Rather, it should be: “What kind of feedback can help you learn faster and perform better tomorrow?”
BE THE HAMMER!
I’m a special teams coach. I get guys to run 60 miles an hour into each other and like it. I always tell my players: Be the hammer. Not the nail.
FIGHT ON!
Twitter: 2010-06-11
- Consolation prize: Youngest person lost at sea unassisted – http://goo.gl/vP01 #
The Illusion of Control
More paperwork does not ensure greater information reliability or accuracy — it only adds to the non-value-added cost. It only seems that adding more measurement and reporting means better control. The illusion of control may partially explain an obsession with control.
Employee Surveys
It’s Employee Survey Day!
The surveys are completely anonymous. Don’t write your name on them and please seal them in the envelope in front of you.
Oh and — solely for statistical purposes — please indicate the department you work in, your job title, age and how long you’ve worked here.
(Ha ha, I’m sure everything’s on the up and up but I wrote everything left-handed anyway . . . to maintain some deniability . . .)
Personal Preferences
One of my son’s friends, his parents split up some time back because his dad, as it turned out, was not really attracted to women.
I met the gentleman for the first time last night at a school concert. How he was able to convince anyone, including himself, that he’s not gay is a mystery.
“Did you notice they’re opening a new restaurant at South Coast Plaza?” he said in a voice as gay as Christmas. “They’ll be serving only locally grown food. I was on my way to the Apple Store . . .”
Now I’m not saying that every man who cares about where his food is grown or owns an Apple product is gay but . . .
“I own an Apple product,” my son says.
“Yeah, an iPod,” I reply. “That’s okay. That’s mainstream.”
President Nero
Last weeks jobs report tanked the stock market; the president took weeks to assert control of the oil spill that threatens doom on the Gulf Coast — but at the White House the Gatsby-like parties roll on as if happy days were here again.
Stand Up for Your Opinion
In areas critical to the success of the project, stand up for your opinion. When necessary, challenge senior management and negotiate project objectives or the resources needed to accomplish them.
Quote of the Day
Do I have any comments for pelicans? Tell ’em to get the hell out of the Gulf of Mexico!
Grand Slam
Northwood High had a roller hockey game last night against Newport Harbor. After my kid fired several pucks off the post and off the goalie’s face mask, a couple of his teammates invented a new stat — the Grand Slam: four goals, four assists, four shots off the post and four shots off the goalie’s head.
He missed out on the Grand Slam by two goals and one assist.