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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Boondoggle
Published Letters: 49 Editor's Choice: 3
My wife and I just closed on our first home in Sacramento. There are definitely some deals to be had out there, and we are very happy where we ended up.
That said, I'm not expecting our home to appreciate much over the next 3 years. The 40% drop in median pricing is more indicative of the bank owned discounting than willingness of sellers to accept the realities of the market.
The house we ended up buying was the first my wife and I had seen in three months that was not bank owned, yet priced competitively. The entry level market is going to continue to be much more active for a while, the move-up market is going continue to struggle because potential move-up buyers will be unable to get out from under their current mortgages.
I'm optimistic the next round of loan resets won't have too large an impact because the public builders have essentially stopped building. I'm also of the camp that the state budget concerns is more posturing to get higher taxes than anything else. Here's hoping, right?
Tell me more about Anathem!
It is important to remember that oil is not the "bad" guy when it comes to global warming, that honor goes to coal. Oil is a henchman at best. I think there are compelling economic arguments for adjusting to oil scarcity now, but as a solution to climate change the priority should be increased energy efficiency no new coal plants.
It certainly isn't an either-or situation, and every little bit helps. However, the planet could stop using oil tomorrow, and would still face the same dire environmental consequences if the developing world continues to rely on coal to power its growth.
GE, or any firm trying to lobby government, is in a tough position. If they have a story to tell, in this case, that wind power tax credits pay for themselves and are, at this time, critical to the ongoing success of the industry, who is going to tell it for them? There is only so much research the large non-profits can fund, and even then there are few guarantees the research will not be influenced somehow.
GE should at least get points for putting their own name on the report instead of funding some third party to write the report for them (tobacco industry anybody?)
What I find discouraging is obfuscation has become such an accepted business practice we take for granted that companies and individuals will tell "their side of the story." We are beginning to see everything as "spin" and, in some respects as all equally (in)valid. There is less of an instinct to look at something critically and a greater tendency to attack, or support, the source.
(This is perhaps most pronounced in political coverage, many news organizations forgetting they can and should look at candidates' positions critically rather than making sure the candidates get equal time: it is OK to show favor to a candidate on an issue when the other is wrong)
In this case, GE makes a compelling argument, but an argument that is based almost completely on the JEDI model. It is also important to look at other uses of government funds. For example, would that 2.1 cents per kWh be better spent on energy efficiency projects (which, incidentally, happens to be the industry I work in.)
I always get a laugh when WoW goes mainstream. But I do find the economic, psychological, and sociological aspects of MMORPGs fascinating.
I do have one word of caution, beyond the talk of sweatshops versus employment and damage to in-game economies: there is a seedy(seedier?) underbelly to gold farming. Many of these budding capitalists are more aptly described as "gold hunters", as they rely on phishing scams to hack users' accounts and steal all their gold ... only to sell it back to someone who was likely defrauded the week before.
Shapiro laments that Obama has yet to "find a formula" for the economy. I'm not sure there is a formula. I'm not sure that I would trust anyone who said they had the answer. I'm quite sure I'm not the type of person Obama needs to convince.
Obama can't make this election about having the right answer, because even if he had it, explaining it would be "soporific." What Obama can make this election about, is who would you rather have trying to fix the economy. The best play might be to milk the "fundamentals" comment til November. Obama's argument, however, is that we need smart regulation, and he is better capable to deliver that than a man getting his economic advice from Phil Gramm.
Some left handed pitchers, Jamie Moyer, for example, lift their leg from the stretch and, in those first moments, "read" the base runner: If the runner takes off they throw to first, if not, they throw home.
Maddon's point is that Hamel's is not one of these pitchers. He throws harder than Moyer and one of the reasons why is he uses his lower body more. It is harder to read if you "load" your lower half as Hamels does. So, while Moyer's center of gravity will not be moving towards home plate when he throws to first, Hamels' was, and that is what Maddon means when he says, "He's going home all the way." If your body is moving towards home plate, it is much harder to step towards first base. It is still possible, and Welke claimed he saw Hamels step about a foot towards first base, which is why he didn't call a balk.
Scouting reports would have told the Ray's staff that Hamels was not a "reader" and so they told their base stealers to "go on first movement." This is not something they would likely try with Moyer, but was worth the risk with Hamels. Maddon went out to discuss this so that the next time Hamels pitches the home plate umpire will watch his right foot more closely to make sure it is stepping towards the base.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Salon headlines in your mailbox
