The US economy: an apt metaphor

For some reason, the coverage of the US phantom recession on BBC World today made me associate the state of the US economy with a depressed cat: both are subjective states of existence, inscrutable to all but a few experts, and involve mysterious and often tenuous cures which the subjects themselves are powerless to enact.

On a tangential train of thought, the news coverage of the state of the US economy is coincidentally comparable to Schrödinger's depressed cat: "While we're thinking outside the box here, the US economy could be doing well. But it could ALSO be doing poorly. Or, it could be doing well. Then again, it COULD be trending downwards. On the other hand, it..." (Repeat ad nauseam)

Pic from Stock Exchange: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/964045

An imagination-stretcher, gone but not forgotten

Arthur C. Clarke died today.

He wished to be remembered "most as a writer, one who entertained readers and hopefully stretched their imaginations as well".

I can't think of a better way to summarize 2001. For me, it introduced the idea (one which I still maintain) that humanity can achieve immortality by mastering science (compassion and tolerance are implied, I think).

Incidentally, I've been to Minehead, Clarke's birthplace. There was a prison-like Butlins and a few delapidated Victorian-era gambling halls along the waterfront, but no tribute to its famous son. Why does Britain find it so hard to celebrate and encourage appreciation of its ground-breaking intellectuals? Nothing here: http://www.minehead.co.uk/things-to-do.htm

Tired of hiding eggs? Microwave some Peeps!

Don't try this at home, because A. it will ruin your microwave and B. someone else already did and shared the film footage.

http://microwavecam.com/microwavecam/index.htm

The Peeps are the best. Watching them helplessly and inexorably balloon within their shrink-wrap while smiling vacantly is disturbing and hilarious.

http://microwavecam.com/microwavecam/Videos/Peeps/peeps%20084b.htm

Happy Easter!!!!

A Chuck Berry song for all candidates

Heard "Johnny B. Goode" playing in the background as McCain celebrated his GOP nomination win last night. As much as I love Chuck Berry, it's a random song to have as your "theme", other than the "Johnny" association, when you consider the lyrics: never ever learned to read or write so well, but he could play a guitar just like a-ringing a bell.

Well, just for fun, here are some other suggested themesongs-candidate pairings:

Rudy Guiliani -- "Run, Run Rudolph"
Mitt Romney -- "I Want to Be Your Driver"
Ron Paul -- "No Particular Place to Go"
Mike Huckabee -- "My Ding-A-Ling"
Hillary Clinton -- "No Money Down"
Barack Obama -- "You Can't Catch Me"