Wrapped in a bag
And your life and good memories fit into a small garbage bag. Tossed away. Thrown out for new ones.
I need to get some people together to help me make new ones.
You ready?
Link of the Day [4.26.10]
When my nephew was born, for his first Christmas I was thinking of getting him some Apple stock. I remember the run up to that December 25th. Apple (APPL) was mired in the low teens. I could hardly believe it. So when I found out that (at the time) you could purchase a single share, I thought it would've made a great present. But I talked myself out of it because why would a baby need stock in Apple?Now look at it here. I kept telling myself to buy APPL but never did. Who knew you could become a millionaire betting on APPL? It still keeps going up and up!Today's link is blocked at work. I hope this is correct.http://www.kyleconroy.com/apple-stock.php
The Big Short
In my RSS reader, I have an category for economics. The feed fills up, but I don’t read everything in it, I usually mark all as read only looking for those pieces that look interesting. I like reading about economics because it helps me to understand how the money side of the world works. Most everything I read about makes me depressed or angry.
Along those lines, I picked up Michael Lewis’s The Big Short:Inside the Doomsday Machine. Lewis is good story-teller. He identifies a person or people at the center of a trend or situation and tell their tales. Often those tales make them into heroes. In Moneyball, Lewis writes about the rise of sabrmetricians in baseball with the Oakland Atheletic’s GM, Billy Beane, the living embodiment of the story. In The Blind Side, the hero is Michael Oher, a talented left tackle to bodyguard quarterbacks. In Liar’s Poker, the hero is the author the only sane person to realize that Wall Street is run by a bunch of crooks: smart people would best be served to avoid the ruthlessness of business.
In The Blind Side, the heroes are the people who made mad cash on the financial meltdown of 2000s. They took a look at the madness, saw it for what it was, and made bets against it. At first, they were incredulous that everyone didn’t see it their way. Then it began to bother them. They began to suspect that the financial industry was a bunch of hucksters making money any way they can, but especially by lying.
As I read this book, I was at first fascinated by the people who bet short against the market. They looked as if they were the only honest ones — honest with themselves and honest with their clients that the financial world is just a bunch of crooks. Then I read from my RSS feed which debunks The Big Short. After that, I didn’t find it so fascinating. I didn’t read it with much enthusiasm, and it got slower and less interesting.
For what it’s worth, the financial market and their handling of the mortgage crises is criminal. No one knew anything which lead the mortgage market susceptible to fraud and looting. The lenders making easy money made it easy to ignore their standards. The banks making easy money made it easy to leverage themselves dangerously. The investment firms making easy money made it easy to find new, more innovative ways to fuck us. They all lied to themselves. If they hadn’t learned, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
This is how our world works. It is run by a bunch of greedy crooks. They’ll fuck our shit up for their glory. Those who sell. Those who buy. Those who go long. Those who short. It is a game to make the most money any way possible.
I finished The Big Short earlier this week. What I know is this: the financial money racket is filled with assholes.
B-
Buy This Now! Part 98.68
Now here’s a product I can get behind! Beer! It’s what’s in my hand. Not really but beer is always good. And sharing with a young hottie is even better.
Once again, buy things based on the hotness of the girl in the commercial. So run, don’t walk or drive to your local bar and drink, drink, drink all the beer you can. It doesn’t have to be a Heineken.
Buy This Now! Part 23.24
This girl is hot. The car or whatever you call that thing. Not.
I suggest you buy things based on the hotness of the girls in the commercial.
I’m at my local Lexus dealer.
Kick Ass
Kick Ass is much better comic movie than I thought it was. I was reading Twitter and reading Roger Eberts tweets defending his trashing of the movie. It was basically the internet telling the old man to STFU because his views were too old. I couldn’t believe it. You can’t tell Ebert that his views are too old. I got to watch this movie.
So I had some expectations. I’ve already thought The Dark Knight was overrated. I was expecting more of the same.
Except it was different. Hard to explain. But I think it was very much steeped in comic books and comic book movies. Didn’t take the medium too seriously. Adam West as Nic Cage made me laugh. There was some music I recognized from some other movies.
I think I want to watch it again.
4 of 5 stars.
RIP Carl Macek
You made me love anime girls, and mecha, and stupid crazy japanese things. Thanks. RIP Carl Macek
Thing Thrown Away vol. 2: Electronics Division
It was moving day. I was up early because I had to help mom junk some stuff mostly electronics that have seen their day. Betamax! Eight track! They have to delete it all, because these are all done obsolete technology. Good riddance!
The first stereo my parents bought for themselves when they came to America. It has stereo FM, an 8-track and a phonograph player. We’ve moved this stereo house to house. From the house in Crownsville, to the apartment in Catonsville, to Cedarhurst and on to Greenspring, it’s been there. I remember Elvis on an 8-track. I remember the 45s played on it with a weird adapter that I used as my beta-capsule. Bye bye old technology. Bye bye. (Isn’t vinyl making a comeback? When are cassette tapes?)
We chose the wrong technology. Not VHS, but Beta. Why? I have no idea, but I think we trusted the Sony name more than any of the other fly by night companies. Whatever happened to Sony?
Embraced
Good and tasty dream last night starring the ur-girl, I.
We were having our 20th class reunion.
We meet up before.
She is much more friendly reminding me of our good times together. We’re touching each other, embracing, kissing, flirting. We make plans to go to the beach.
The reunion is a success. Lots of 80s. Out and away from the city. Long drive.
I disappear from the party for several hours all the time worried that I will miss her. I do. I keep waiting and hoping to get back to the reunion. I need to get back to hugging and the holding. I keep thinking of her.
She’s still as young, fresh and innocent as I remember. She hasn’t changed one bit from my memories.
I get back to the reunion which is winding down. We’re talking chatting with classmates. We’re really friendly with each other.
The morning after we’re having breakfast at a big table. I’m holding her. She’s smiling and laughing. We’re at a big table across from a classmate. The table is still a mess from the party before. You’re so far away. I think this table can move out a bit so we can slide to the middle. We move closer to our classmate all the while in an embrace, my arm around her waist and her head gently resting on my shoulder.
We’re a couple in my dream flushed with that early rush of love.