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.LAG liked that › Likes
Great line: I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left. -- seasick steve
Lisa | #TeamMonique, WarLord, .LAG liked that and 7 other people liked this
New CD April 29 ... well, mid May for the U.S.
- Greg GuitarBuster
Yes i saw him on Later with Jools Holland this week, good stuff.
- Surprisingly Monstrous
That's where I saw him too. And he's really good.
- Todd Hoff
The Excel Depression - NYTimes.com - http://www.nytimes.com/2013...&
Ahmet Yükseltürk, April Russo, Steven Perez and 6 other people liked this
"Finally, Ms. Reinhart and Mr. Rogoff allowed researchers at the University of Massachusetts to look at their original spreadsheet — and the mystery of the irreproducible results was solved. First, they omitted some data; second, they used unusual and highly questionable statistical procedures; and finally, yes, they made an Excel coding error. Correct these oddities and errors, and you get what other researchers have found: some correlation between high debt and slow growth, with no indication of which is causing which, but no sign at all of that 90 percent “threshold.”"
- Todd Hoff
from Bookmarklet
At root, I don't think anyone really understands money or how or why it really works. Austerity thinking thinks of the economy as a zero sum game, which makes sense from an economic POV, but it doesn't seem to work that way. Why is that? We don't really have any examples of successful complex systems that don't rely on some sort of freely available commons, like the sun and earth resources. Money plays that same role in the market economy I think.
- Todd Hoff
Every one of their mistakes biased the results in favor of the outcome they were inclined towards. Because SCIENCE.
- Andrew C (✓)
from Android
Good point.
- Todd Hoff
Liking for this: "...At root, I don't think anyone really understands money or how or why it really works..." Truth. Adding: I don't understand it.
- .LAG liked that
And Krugman is too polite. The "unusual and highly questionable statistical procedures" are pretty obviously bullshit.
- Andrew C (✓)
from Android
The hardest part of #SexyShred is detoxing from sugar. You don't realize how much of it is in everything until you strive not to eat it.
LB: #TeamMonique, .LAG liked that, Stephan Planken and Stephen Mack #TeamMomo liked this
My first "real" job after college was for a temp agency in Oakland, working as a trainer and word processor. One weekday, we were raided by the FBI. #saturdayFF
Spidra Webster, Lisa | #TeamMonique, Betsy #TeamMonique and 21 other people liked this
The woman here, Lila Saks, my first boss, was the original owner, with her husband, Bob. I just learned that she passed away on April 3. http://www.legacy.com/obituar...
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
She had always been a big contributor to local politicians she approved of. At some point, she donated to the campaign of a city councilmember who was under investigation for bribery. That got the FBI interested in her and her business. At 1pm on a Friday, suddenly a bunch of armed Federal agents burst into our Oakland office. They locked us all in and spent several hours interviewing us, and searching for evidence.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
I was the office's main computer guy. We had a bunch of IBM PCs used for typing tests and self-paced training on WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3, and only a handful of other 386/486 PCs used by staff for word processing. (Most of the employees used dumb terminals connected to a RSTS mainframe running the software that ran the temp business.) The agents used scanning software searching for the word "bribe" and "BART" on the PCs.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
I was stunned at the general lack of computer knowledge the agents had; no one seemed to have any clue how a PC worked, and they had me help them running their scan software. I also thought it was incredibly naive that they believed they'd find some file somewhere saying, "Today I bribed a BART board member."
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Needless to say, they turned up nothing.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
As it got closer to 5pm, more and more of the temps would come by to pick up their paychecks. But the doors were locked, and they weren't letting anyone in or out, even the management who worked in a nearby building. They escorted one woman who needed to use the bathroom out and back in, but that was it.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
I had a journal that I kept in an encrypted file on my PC. Not wanting to get in any trouble for hiding anything, I volunteered to the agent that the file existed because I knew their primitive scanning software wouldn't be able to open it. He then read through the journal (which was quite long), page by page. He didn't know how WordPerfect worked, so he kept hitting page down instead...
more...
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Eventually, the agents all left, empty-handed. I was late for a dinner with friends from my martial arts club. As it happened, one of my friends from Hapkido had, at my urging, been in the office applying for a position at the time of the raid. She and all the other applicants in the office at the time were escorted out. So when I finally showed up for the dinner, because of her, everyone knew I had been part of an FBI raid and wanted to know what had gone down.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
There was eventually a formal accusation of bribery. The U.S.D.A. was playing hardball (even though the amounts were modest) and leaked the story the next Friday, so it was in the local papers over the weekend. One story is still up: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea...
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Since I was the one who typed up almost all of Lila Saks's correspondence (I was her admin and word processor before I became a corporate trainer), I knew a lot about her business. She was a huge player in the Oakland political scene, but there was never anything underhanded or devious about her. She maintained her innocence and I believe her to this day. It weighed on her heavily that she ended up taking a plea deal to get the case dismissed.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
She was a tough woman, very direct, not generous with praise (but generous with everything else), and I'd describe her as idealistic. She once had me type a letter to President Clinton when she was upset about something he'd done. I was both amused and impressed.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
But in the end, she was an amazing businesswoman, and she knew her business well -- she was always winning new clients, and frequently beat the national temp agencies to win contracts with local government agencies. And I'm very sure she knew right from wrong when it came to running a business and being a leader. She taught me a lot. RIP, Lila. --fin--
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
It always bothers me when I hear about such cases, where there is little or no evidence to support the charges, but the accused accepts a plea deal because the financial and personal cost of fighting the charges would take a heavy toll. I tend to believe that these instances are more about the investigators trying to pad their performance stats than about anything having to do with justice.
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
She sounded like someone I would be fearful of if I disappointed her but also someone I respected. Sorry for your loss Stephen.
- Janet:#TeamMonique
Mark, thanks, I agree. They definitely made mistakes (as the linked article details). I think they had their employees write the checks (to later get reimbursed) to avoid the appearance of impropriety, but that in itself is an impropriety. But to think that the tiny amounts involved ($300 in one case) was a real bribe intended to influence decisions for an annual contract worth millions...
more...
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Janet, thanks. We had spoken only two or three times in the last 15 years, so I wasn't close to her, but I'm glad I knew her.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Without comment... http://t.co/Y0RljWP71a
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Eric - seven eleven, MoTO #TeamMonique, ʎəlɹoɯ uəʞ and 14 other people liked this
Without a paddle
- Surprisingly Monstrous
Go Johnny Go!
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
Without beard
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Beards are unproductive and a waste of time. And air resistance.
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
something tells me Johnny's about to swim the Tasman.
- Joe "Bad Guts" Silence
Speed mode: engaged
- Mo Kargas
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUIS GRAY!
Biplab Das, sofarsoShawn ~presque..., imabonehead and 45 other people liked this
(How did I not realize before you have the same birthday as one of my brothers?) Hope you have a great day today, sir!
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Happy birthday
- Eric - seven eleven
Happy Birthday!
- Jennifer Dittrich
Happy birthday!
- John (bird whisperer)
Happy Birthday, Oh Sleepless One.
- MoTO #TeamMonique
Happy Birthday!
- Kevin Johnson
Happy Birthday!
- Janet:#TeamMonique
from FFHound!
Happy birthday!
- Betsy #TeamMonique
Birthdays are a waste of time and ... oh thanks for the post, Stephen!
- Louis Gray
Any big plans today, Louis?
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Happy birthday Louis!!
- Georgia
Happy Birthday!
- Juan Pablo González
Happy Bday Louis !
- Peter Dawson
Happy Birthday, Louis!
- Jimminy IS Everybody
Big plans? Nope. Had lunch with my good friend Erica, and probably get tacos tonight with the kidlets.
- Louis Gray
Happy birthday, sir. :)
- Zulema ❧ spicy cocoa tart
from Android
Happy birthday :)
- Eivind
You have a most happy one on this birth anniversary, Louis.
- Micah
from FFHound(roid)!
Happy Birthday, Louis!
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
Hope you enjoyed your day, friend!
- Starmama
from FFHound(roid)!
: )
- Franc, a rememberer
Well, since Franc bumped this post, let me just say: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, LOUIS & KRISTINE!
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
RT @laughingsquid: Hackers, A Video Remix of Hackers in Movies by Eclectic Method http://wp.me/p4t6s-19Cl
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esther and .LAG liked that liked this
Mathematicians Predict the Future With Data From the Past http://6sen.se/157iGlR
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.LAG liked that liked this
They should work with that guy from Iran so they can predict the future based on data from the future. Much more accurate.
- Todd Hoff
Actually, these guys may really be on to something, unlike the Iranian.
- Sean McBride
"[Peter] Turchin — a professor at the University of Connecticut — is the driving force behind a field called “cliodynamics,” where scientists and mathematicians analyze history in the hopes of finding patterns they can then use to predict the future. It’s named after Clio, the Greek muse of history."
- Sean McBride
"These academics have the same goals as other historians — “We start with questions that historians have asked for all of history,” Turchin says. “For example: Why do civilizations collapse?” — but they seek to answer these questions quite differently. They use math rather than mere language, and according to Turchin, the prognosis isn’t that far removed from the empire-crushing...
more...
- Sean McBride
Artificial intelligence, Big Data mining, predictive analytics, the Semantic Web, culturomics, econometrics, etc. will fully absorb cliodynamics. Predicting the future is largely a pattern recognition problem -- the more hard data, and the more organized the hard data, the better.
- Sean McBride
"This burgeoning field is part of a much larger effort to gain more insight into our world through the massive amounts of digital data that are now available via the internet — a movement that ranges from Google’s search engine to the data science contests run by San Francisco startup Kaggle. The difference is that cliodynamics uses data from the distant past. Turgin and his cohorts mine historical documents that have only recently come online."
- Sean McBride
"Turchin takes pains to emphasize that the cycles are not the result of iron-clad rules of history, but of feedback loops — just like in ecology. “In a predator-prey cycle, such as mice and weasels or hares and lynx, the reason why populations go through periodic booms and busts has nothing to do with any external clocks,” he writes. “As mice become abundant, weasels breed like crazy...
more...
- Sean McBride
cluster; cliodynamics, cliometrics, dark archives, data science, elite overproduction, Foundation, Hari Seldon, Isaac Asimov, long data, New England Complex Systems Institute, psychohistory, Peter Turchin
- Sean McBride
"The Bible, which is a very interesting and here and there very profound book when considered as one of the oldest surviving manifestations of human wisdom and fancy, expresses this truth very naïvely in its myth of original sin."
antonio pavolini, frasca, .LAG liked that and 3 other people liked this
the more I read... I could quote from almost every page so far...
- Bren
You'll be in a kibbutz before you know it :)
- Eivind
I'm fairly certain I don't meet the minimum requirements. :)
- Bren
Hopefully you'll share a few more quotes from this book. :-)
- Maitani
I absolutely will, Maitani :)
- Bren
Jay-Z, former part-owner of the Nets, will sell his stake. All $350K of it. He owned 1/15th of 1% of the Nets. Shoot, 1/15th of 1% of my rent - admittedly I don't live large - wouldn't buy a can of Coke.
bde, .LAG liked that, imabonehead and 2 other people liked this
wow he almost made it a year as 1/15th of 1% part owner and yet got more publicity out of it than any actual owner
- Surprisingly Monstrous
...since his actual stake so small, why is he selling it? Does Jay-Z really need the $350K right now? Makes me wonder... hmmmm?
- .LAG liked that
No, it's so his agency can represent ball players. He can't do that if he's got an ownership stake, even a tiny one.
- Jennifer Dittrich
...ah, good take @JDittrich... conflict of interest if he's a team "owner" AND owner of a player rep organization. so complicated O_o
- .LAG liked that
I guess you could look at it like VIP season tickets.
- Andrew C (✓)
Now that I’ve received an invitation to Simple, I’m not so interested in it any more. See? That’s what they get for taking so long!
.LAG liked that liked this
Raising a population infused with entitlement in the twisted grasp of capitalism, unfairness. That's where the anger is coming from.
.LAG liked that, Son of Groucho, imabonehead and 3 other people liked this
any specific example for "entitlement in the twisted grasp of capitalism" ?
- Elestirel Gunluk
basically what I'm trying to say is the majority is raised with the assumption that they are entitled to things just because they are americans yet the "things" they are entitled to are so unjustly distributed that it causes frustration, feelings of unfairness, feelings of being unwanted and anger. that coupled with the governments deliberate lack of attention to the educational system, especially in poorer areas creates a very scary combination.
- Deniz Eda Goze
thx. Agreed!
- Elestirel Gunluk
Kelli H., Billy Warhol, Iván Abrego and 9 other people liked this
:D
- Jennifer Dittrich
:-D
- John (bird whisperer)
Mm. Water. That cool refreshing drink.
.LAG liked that, Stephen Mack #TeamMomo, Derrick and 2 other people liked this
The original!
- Brian Johns
#SaturdayFF For our 5th wedding anniversary we were going to have a cruise but they aren't sailing where we want to go at that time of the year... so, instead, every month this year we're going to do something special.
Halil, Brent Schaus, Iván Abrego and 24 other people liked this
We've already had upgraded hotels and a trip that we wouldn't otherwise have had this year. Tonight we went to a local restaurant which everyone we know - including the taxi driver who took us home - say deserves a Michelin star. It does. So very, very good. Seven courses including the appetisers, pre-desserts, etc. Next month we're off for a weekend up north and we're still trying to come up with ideas for the rest of 2013 although we've bought tickets for both NFL games at Wembley later on.
- Mark H
That is such a great idea! :)
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
<3 you guys coming to visit me would be super special. fyi. ;-)
- peamageddon
Love it. :)
- Kelli H.
Norway in June or July? :)
- Eivind
We're up north! ;-)
- Heleninstitches
Maybe I haven't been paying attention to RIM for the past decade, but a Blackberry without a physical keyboard seems really odd to me.
Jennifer Dittrich and .LAG liked that liked this
Meanwhile, a smartphone with one looks really odd to everyone else! (Speaking of new stuff, RIM officially renamed itself Blackberry a year or two ago...)
- Andrew C (✓)
Having been around rabid Blackberry users, it just seemed like it was the entire differentiating selling point of the brand :D
- Victor Ganata
They have released one without a physical keyboard before; and they are planning an "enterprise" version of the x10 with a physical keyboard.
- DAMMIT, MR. NOODLE
RT @nancygilesnyc: I kinda like that Margaret Thatcher's death was upstaged by Annette Funicello. Why? Because we like you!
.LAG liked that and Victor Ganata liked this
It’s funny that Wendy’s has a promo where you can win a prize for tweeting food pictures. But I do that for nothing all the time! :)
Hookuh Tinypants, Jennifer Dittrich, Stephan Planken and .LAG liked that liked this
#makeup model: meishakingdon http://instagram.com/p...
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Koleksiyoner Ali, Colette, .LAG liked that and 5 other people liked this
Photo: vintagegal: Parisian Latin Quarter chorus girls photographed by Peter Basch c. 1950s http://tmblr.co/ZAnTayiFS9z-
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Stephen Mack #TeamMomo, Just Kidée: Road Warrior, .LAG liked that and 3 other people liked this
John (bird whisperer), .LAG liked that, Steven Perez and WarLord liked this
Women Prefer Bigger Penises, May Have Shaped Evolution - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news...
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SAM, .LAG liked that and Anika liked this
Evolving penises is not what I had planned on thinking about today.
- Anika
"It's not totally clear why women prefer bigger penises, but studies have shown that women prefer larger sizes because they can increase sexual satisfaction, Mautz said." <-- No one could have foreseen this.
- Anika
...I guess we guys should all start wearing pants like Jon Hamm, if we're packin'—.LOLz!
- .LAG liked that
And because women from a certain society were polled and said they prefered bigger, *that* is proof of it as an inborn preference? @@
- Spidra Webster
Time for a poll (pun intended)
- Eric - seven eleven
from iPhone
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS
Kirsten, Wulffy, .LAG liked that and 4 other people liked this
noooooooooooooooooooooo!!! you aren't allowed to do that!
- Sir Shuping is just sir
YES!
- Jennifer Dittrich
...give it a little more thought, maybe?
- .LAG liked that
Blogger finds "panorama of pseudoscience" in Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook. | Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT - http://ksj.mit.edu/tracker...
John (bird whisperer), Mark H, Scoble, Alex Scoble and 4 other people liked this
""The enduring question that Paltrow’s book raises is why we continually buy into the junk advice of celebrity health promoters who have no specialization in health and everything to gain from us believing their claims." I know the answer to that one. It's because they are so good at presenting it. Celebrities become celebrities because a lot of people like them, or find them amusing, or find their work touching and profound. Celebs know how to tell a story and how to move people, and that works whether they are playing Shakespeare, Shakespeare in Love, or the role of a diet guru."
- Anika
from Bookmarklet
I don't know enough about Gwyneth Paltrow's nutrional knowledge to comment—I barely know anything about nutrition for myself. But I do know this: she named one of her children "Apple"...that should be enough to invalidate all of her opinions not written by professional writers for her to speak while a camera is filming her.
- .LAG liked that
Morris Chestnut Getting Familiar With Black Panther - http://splashpage.mtv.com/2013...
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Jennifer Dittrich and .LAG liked that liked this
RT @andybudd: The problem with cheese as an ingredient is that I eat more while cooking than I put in.
.LAG liked that, Micah, Marie and 3 other people liked this
I don't see a problem here.
- John (bird whisperer)
I think the problem is when you run out of cheese.
- Jennifer Dittrich
^Solution? BUY LOTS OF CHEESE!
- Zulema ❧ spicy cocoa tart
from Android
I always buy more than I need so I can eat cheese while cooking and have some leftover. Making mac 'n cheese has taught me that.
- Anika
Wonders about the new cheese math that would need to be created so that the proper amount of cheese is in the food despite what is in Zulema's belly.
- c.a.j.
Taxes done! Let's celebrate! Drinks on me! :)
John (bird whisperer), c.a.j., Katy S and 14 other people liked this
Refund I hope
- Eric - seven eleven
Yep.
- Zulema ❧ spicy cocoa tart
from Android
...please upload some martinis to FF
- .LAG liked that
.LAG, I would if I could!
- Zulema ❧ spicy cocoa tart
from Android
:)
- .LAG liked that
Drinks on you? That's silly. I usually put mine in a glass ... oh, wait ...
- Steven Perez
The glasses are on me. Don't startle me or they'll all fall off and break.
- Zulema ❧ spicy cocoa tart
from Android
Well, yeah. I see them on your face. That still sounds silly. Then again, I'm quite silly, so I guess it fits. :)
- Steven Perez
"Landslide" is not a good song to listen to after you've been drinking. *weeps inconsolably*
WoH: Professor MOTHRA, Eivind, .LAG liked that and 3 other people liked this
...but you have to be hella drunk to "see" your reflection in a snow-covered hill...are you sure you're not actually, I don't know, shrooming?—.LOLz!
- .LAG liked that
LAG speaks truth.
- Eric - seven eleven
Eric...yaknowimsayin!
- .LAG liked that
*awkward friend pat*
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
Well, I'll virtually raise my drink to you sir.
- Eric - seven eleven
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