tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56643952012-01-22T10:51:45.748-05:00Costanzatheory at yahoo dot comMaestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.comBlogger13531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-25690212678601298202012-01-22T10:38:00.002-05:002012-01-22T10:51:45.766-05:00

A split last round, 3-1 picking winners, 1-3 against the spread, bringing this year to 6-2 and 4-4. Moving on:Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots, Patriots favored by 7. Some real questions about both teams. Can Flacco make the big plays to win on the road? Can the Patriots beat a team that had a winning record (0-2 so far), and can their defense put up a good performance against an

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-42863862658085360982012-01-14T15:58:00.000-05:002012-01-14T15:58:00.424-05:00

A pretty good Round 1, going 3-1 both picking winners and against the spread. The Broncos game was a lot of fun, as was the Saints win. Moving on:New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers, Saints favored by 4. I understand why the Saints are favored on the road. They have a great passing attack, and an excellent running game, and it's hard to get excited about QB Alex Smith for San Fran. However,

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-48491993576937698732012-01-08T21:13:00.002-05:002012-01-08T21:13:00.831-05:00

Looking back at my predictions for this NFL season, I see some very good calls, and some awful ones. Overall I think I did okay. I got 5 teams' win totals exactly right (Giants, Redskins, Falcons, Dolphins, Bills), 9 I was off by 1, and 9 I was off by 2. My worst call was the Rams, off by 7, with a 3-way tie for second worst at 6 off (Bucs, 49ers, Colts); I'd say Rams and Colts were very

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-68307147112478788502012-01-07T16:24:00.004-05:002012-01-07T17:14:50.379-05:00

First a review of previous years:2011: 7-4 picking the winner, 6-5 against the spread2010: 5-6 picking the winner, 4-7 against the spread2009: 7-4, 6-4-12008: 6-5, 3-7-12007: 7-4, 6-52006: 5-6, 5-62005: 8-3, 7-42004: 5-6, 2-8-12003: 8-3, 4-7Totals: 58-41 picking winners (59%), 43-53-3 against the spread (45%).Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans, Texans favored by 4. Wouldn't be surprised either

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-80444009747419197732011-12-23T10:11:00.003-05:002011-12-23T10:18:25.831-05:00

Here are my predictions for NBA wins, team-by-team, plus the playoffs. Apparently Vegas has wimped out and isn't offering over/under lines, so even more than usual, read these as having no value. Eastern ConferenceMiami: 48-18Chicago: 47-19Boston: 39-27Orlando: 39-27New York: 36-30Atlanta: 35-31Philadelphia: 34-32Indiana: 34-32New Jersey: 34-32Milwaukee: 28-38Charlotte: 23-43Detroit: 22-

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-7069863953473307702011-09-07T20:22:00.004-05:002011-09-07T20:30:58.126-05:00

Here are my predictions for NFL wins, team-by-team, plus the playoffs. The over/under is in parenthesis. Read this post at your own gambling risk. Philadelphia 10-6 (10.5) NY Giants 9-7 (9.5) Dallas 9-7 (9) Washington 5-11 (6.5) Chicago 9-7 (8.5) Green Bay 11-5 (11.5) Detroit 9-7 (7.5) Minnesota 8-8 (7)

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-34629313118843359972011-09-05T21:49:00.001-05:002011-09-05T21:50:34.314-05:00

Lolcat.(Not an original title on my part)

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-85877648247462702792011-07-18T20:46:00.003-05:002011-07-18T20:49:59.963-05:00

Ugh. In the course of a pretty good column on taxes and the economy, Boskin proceeds to destroy his credibility with a stupid claim. "The lower marginal tax rates in the 1980s led to the best quarter-century of economic performance in American history." I mean, is he trying to convince people that tax-cut enthusiasts are just charlatans? We can support lowering tax rates without resorting to this

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-52600350505229324212011-07-11T21:19:00.002-05:002011-07-11T21:27:08.748-05:00

Ha!"Megan McArdle's major problem is that she is looking at one table--Table 1.1 in OMB's Historical Tables. She is not reading Hoover's Budget Messages" (it goes on like this).Translation: McArdle's problem is she is looking at the data instead of the rhetoric.Really? This is the best you can do, Professor? If you want to claim that spending should have increased a lot more than it did, or that

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-6315975888225107752011-06-26T20:20:00.004-05:002011-06-26T20:33:47.129-05:00

(Background to let you know what this is about here, here, and here).I can prove that Greg Mankiw is a better economist than is Paul Krugman. How? Well, Paul is something like 5'6", and Mankiw is 6'2". Therefore, anyone claiming otherwise is selling voodoo.What's that you say? You think that that's not a good way to show what I want to show? Well, you must be pretending to be stupid. I mean, NBA

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-69935272439422127402011-06-01T18:58:00.002-05:002011-06-01T19:01:41.851-05:00

Of course this had to happen. I hope there's a good explanation it, like it was someone imitating Rand Paul as a joke. The lesson, as always, you can't trust any politicians.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-30983997287691586702011-05-31T18:13:00.002-05:002011-05-31T18:32:26.006-05:00

First, I should review my record so far. Round 1, 6 out of 8 right. Round 2, 3 out of 4 for my pre-playoffs picks, 2 out of 4 at the time. Round 3, 1 out of 2 pre-playoffs, 0 right in between rounds 1 and 2, and 1 out of 2 at the time. So 9 out of 14 overall, counting just the picks made at the beginning of each round. Probably average.So, the Finals. Miami Heat against Dallas Mavericks. As

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-5058509929111249282011-05-25T09:32:00.002-05:002011-05-25T09:34:59.298-05:00

The Senate is trying to extend the Patriot Act without debate. Rand Paul apparently is the only senator opposing this. Go Paul! Boo everyone else.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-70060772783582515882011-05-20T09:29:00.004-05:002011-05-20T09:39:45.087-05:00

This is a pet peeve of mine, but I think it's important (so maybe pet peeve isn't the right term). Paul Krugman wrote a column on the state of US manufacturing, and can't find two sentences to note that the idea of long term decline is a myth. Not only that, but he very carefully constructs his sentences to leave the impression on people that it's true, without actually lying that I can see.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-37947515036046190772011-05-17T18:50:00.003-05:002011-05-17T19:02:48.246-05:00

I thought about it a little more (with a little help from Berri), and I still think the Thunder will win in 6. If not that, it will be Mavs in 7, but the "official" pick is the Thunder. I was clearly underrating the Mavs last round, but not sure if they will be able to do much to stop/slow Durant and Westbrook, and the Thunder should be able to put enough athletic big men on Nowitzki to keep him

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-29933086765563184832011-05-15T18:41:00.003-05:002011-05-15T18:57:32.536-05:00

Hmm, that wasn't so great. With a healthy Rondo, the Celtics probably don't win, but it almost definitely goes 7, and it would not have been shocking to see a victory in that case. Oh well. Here's hoping Ainge has couple of smart moves up his sleeve to address the team's issues, mostly at center.Round 3: Conference FinalsEastern Conference#1 Bulls against #2 Heat. I guess it almost had to come to

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-73190105661975600342011-05-01T09:00:00.000-05:002011-05-01T09:00:06.246-05:00

Apparently Kate isn't a princess, due to the vagaries of how titles of nobility work. So they made William a duke so that she would be a duchess. Why not just call her the princess-in-law instead?

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-50101914386915056592011-04-30T18:51:00.004-05:002011-04-30T19:21:58.980-05:00

Results of my Round 1 picks: Picked 6 winners correctly, 2 in the correct number of games. The 2 I got wrong I had picked to lose in Round 2 anyway, so that's something, but the Spurs-to-sweep pick was really, really bad. Onward.Round 2: Conference Semi-FinalsEastern Conference#1 Bulls against #5 Hawks. I underestimated how good the Hawks can be when they are on. However, I don't really trust

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-7432557344773947182011-04-28T09:12:00.003-05:002011-04-28T09:23:58.029-05:00

The NY Times had a Room for Debate forum about Bernanke, the Fed, etc. In Megan McArdle's portion she wrote a fairly blah piece, talking about how some see it this way, some another. DeLong's response? To go after her because "she talks about how Ben Bernanke has been 'recklessly ignoring inflation'." Go read what she wrote. I support criticizing her for her Shape of the Earth type writing, and I

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-5757120769272550982011-04-16T09:37:00.003-05:002011-04-16T10:22:40.378-05:00

Alright, time for the NBA playoffs! It looks like it's going to be a great one this year, especially from Round 2 on. I'm going to give picks for all 4 rounds now, but plan to reevaluate in between each round as well.Round 1Eastern Conference#1 Bulls against #8 Pacers. Pretty simple really. The Bulls are really good, and the Pacers are the worst team to make the post-season. Only concerns with

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-52958535111989460932011-04-15T08:09:00.002-05:002011-04-15T08:28:50.752-05:00

Well, Obama has joined the debate. A bit demagogue-y, but still. My preliminary read on it is that his plan is about 85% serious, so a step up from Ryan's in that respect. Of course Krugman's reaction is to gloss over all of his unserious maneuvers that mirror Ryan's. $3T in unspecified deduction eliminations? Completely ridiculous. $1T? Well done.On the Medicare part of it, I find the plan

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-26852933308562277602011-04-12T18:30:00.003-05:002011-04-12T19:18:38.959-05:00

I partially agree with Krugman's assessment of Paul Ryan's budget plan. The growth assumptions look aggressive, and many key parts of it are...unspecified. However, I do have some disagreements as well.Krugman says that anyone who didn't regard his original blueprint for the proposal as unserious has no credibility. What were the reasons to regard it as unserious? That the CBO hadn't evaluated

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-27893433033674408642011-04-10T09:39:00.000-05:002011-04-10T09:40:30.810-05:00

The old switcheroo.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-74356178899199070512011-04-04T10:40:00.000-05:002011-04-04T10:41:54.153-05:00

Bahhhhhh! How they filmed the zero G scenes in Inception. Bahhhhhh!

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-39529857810751823052011-03-14T23:10:00.001-05:002011-03-14T23:13:00.571-05:00

Ned...Ryerson! Bing.The semi-great Stephen Tobolowsky takes questions on Reddit.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-6104665773208286882011-03-01T23:21:00.002-05:002011-03-01T23:24:12.082-05:00

Go Connecticut! A State Senator has introduced a bill to specifically allow recording the police, and punish police who thwart people from doing so. Such an important civil rights protection. Please pass it, and please be emulated.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-60141482213112762012011-02-23T23:16:00.003-05:002011-02-23T23:28:09.499-05:00

Interesting recordings of a call between Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and Ian Murphy posing as David Koch. What I find most noteworthy are two things. The first is the banality of it (oddly somehow at the same time as being so interesting). Initially that was my only reaction, but then I thought about (#2) the level of access of that Koch clearly has to the governor. Even though I have no

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-33295491375784404412011-02-22T11:46:00.002-05:002011-02-22T11:49:57.055-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it didn't see it before. Clearly people who have problems with federal spending on infrastructure are racists, if not outright pro-slavery.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-34286395245867659772011-02-16T21:00:00.003-05:002011-02-16T21:10:08.239-05:00

Sasha Volokh wrote a pretty out there post about asteroids, taxation and rights, specifically noting that his views here are not normal for Libertarians. Delong doesn't just rightly make fun of Sasha, no he says that this shows that "America's Libertarians are Completely Insane". Reading comprehension and/or fairness/honesty are not the man's strong suits. Using his logic, I conclude that

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-48865103598908973742011-02-06T15:50:00.003-05:002011-02-06T15:59:14.478-05:00

Last week I went 1-1 against the spread, 2-0 picking winners, bringing this postseason to 5-5 and 6-4.Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, Packers favored by 2.5. Two excellent QBs, two of the best defenses. However, the Steelers D is mainly strong against the run, which will be less relevant in this matchup. Plus the conditions will favor the Packers. Packers 27, Steelers 20.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-71455130842482403982011-01-29T11:45:00.002-05:002011-01-29T11:46:29.566-05:00

Seems like a great guy.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-5627275821983796762011-01-25T09:24:00.000-05:002011-01-25T09:24:00.629-05:00

How to do pretty much everything faster.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-9328812548176999492011-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:002011-01-24T07:00:12.134-05:00

It's a trap!

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-77608197348871640592011-01-23T13:50:00.003-05:002011-01-23T13:59:59.660-05:00

Last week I went 1-3 against the spread, and 2-2 picking winners, bring me to 4-4 for both.Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, Packers favored by 3.5. People are making a little too much of how great a job the Bears D has done on Rodgers; while I don't expect him to annihilate them like he's done to others, I do expect a good game out of him. Excluding two things, the Packers are the better team,

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-63715157854433451302011-01-20T19:11:00.000-05:002011-01-20T19:12:36.341-05:00

Some pretty good trolling. Pretty, pretty, good.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-43154867112894612812011-01-15T00:34:00.005-05:002011-01-15T00:53:52.388-05:00

Last week I went 3-1 against the spread, 2-2 picking winners.Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers favored by 3. It'll likely be a field position slugfest of a game. But, I like the Steelers just a touch more, and Roethlisberger is 8-2 in the playoffs (not that Flacco's record is bad). Yes, picking against my preseason pick to win it all. Steelers 20, Ravens 16.Green Bay Packers at

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-6676423575207034572011-01-09T09:06:00.006-05:002011-01-09T09:49:53.708-05:00

I know I'm posting this a day late, but you'll see by my performance in Saturday's picks that I'm obviously not lying about what I thought going into both games.First a review of previous years:2010: 5-6 picking the winner, 4-7 against the spread2009: 7-4, 6-4-12008: 6-5, 3-7-12007: 7-4, 6-52006: 5-6, 5-62005: 8-3, 7-42004: 5-6, 2-8-12003: 8-3, 4-7Totals: 51-37 picking winners (58%), 37-48-3

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-5283467842661504462010-12-23T18:06:00.000-05:002010-12-23T18:07:38.223-05:00

This reminds of a someone, can't quite place my finger on who, though.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-81229317968557564462010-12-21T22:31:00.003-05:002010-12-21T22:41:09.696-05:00

That's what I've been, not posting this stuff here. So much news has come out from Wikileaks, and all our media can do is report on the most banal and gossipy stuff. Well, read this, and this, and this, and this, and then try to claim that "there's nothing new here", or that it's unimportant fluff.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-29780741011947211682010-12-07T21:38:00.003-05:002010-12-07T21:41:52.819-05:00

I loved this post by TNC. Click for the Louis CK, stay for the great writing.And this is an excellent piece on homophobia (via the Balko).

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-21222902218998921782010-12-06T20:20:00.007-05:002010-12-21T22:41:02.473-05:00

Greg Mankiw wrote a post Saturday on why he is agnostic on the question of how long people should be eligible for unemployment insurance. While he does a good job of raising the questions that we should ask to figure out what the optimal length of eligibility should be, the post is somewhat disingenuous, as he could pretty easily get good answers to all of his questions by walking down the hall

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-10968365065722026162010-12-03T16:43:00.001-05:002010-12-03T16:44:22.887-05:00

Best comeback ever?

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-22691831542309221302010-11-28T09:29:00.000-05:002010-11-28T09:30:09.058-05:00

Who knew that cats could play pattycake so well?

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-7795273812181404872010-11-13T20:24:00.002-05:002010-11-13T20:25:33.072-05:00

Comment of the day:"As a Christian I'd probably look at her with disgust and tell her she's been reading the wrong parts of the Bible."Good to know that we can identify the right and wrong parts.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-58032181634114168532010-10-27T20:59:00.003-05:002010-10-27T21:11:49.768-05:00

Like with my football picks, I made all of these before the season, just neglected to post in time. Format is team, my win prediction, then the Vegas over/underEastern Conference Miami - 64, 64.5 Orlando - 56, 56.5 Boston - 50, 53.5 Chicago - 50, 46.5 Atlanta - 47, 46.5 Milwaukee - 46, 45.5 Charlotte - 42, 39.5 New York

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-10425896418156679012010-09-10T22:45:00.003-05:002010-09-10T22:53:28.167-05:00

Forgot to post this before last night's game, but I did make all of these picks beforehand.NFC EastDallas 10-6NY Giants 9-7Philadelphia 8-8Washington 8-8NFC NorthGreen Bay 11-5Minnesota 10-6Chicago 6-10Detroit 5-11NFC SouthAtlanta 11-5New Orleans 11-5Carolina 7-9Tampa Bay 4-12NFC WestSan Francisco 9-7Arizona 7-9Seattle 5-11St. Louis 4-12AFC EastNew England 10-6NY Jets 9-7Miami 9-7Buffalo 5-11AFC

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-45007964585231070442010-09-04T15:25:00.001-05:002010-09-04T15:26:52.393-05:00

I should just repost everything that Scott Sumner writes. Please read this.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-8508607828439022142010-08-09T21:32:00.001-05:002010-08-09T21:34:57.800-05:00

Irony, thy name is the Mall Maintenance Shop.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-82470793535818878722010-07-18T11:55:00.000-05:002010-07-18T11:55:00.342-05:00

Or insanity? I vote for genius.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-4023991983138371832010-07-03T10:56:00.000-05:002010-07-03T10:57:16.318-05:00

Is it the "W"? Or the "S"?

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-27466377525353558832010-06-28T22:00:00.001-05:002010-06-28T22:02:08.811-05:00

Not quite sure what this is, but I like it.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-27711509773469161102010-06-17T21:00:00.000-05:002010-06-17T21:00:01.999-05:00

Krugman admits that fiscal stimulus (the guv spending money) is an ineffectual way to increase GDP. I'm sure that he doesn't realize that he did this, but it's the clear implication.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-8928961537401496222010-06-16T22:52:00.000-05:002010-06-16T22:52:00.193-05:00

Really?

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-35192586239491280212010-06-15T22:50:00.001-05:002010-06-15T22:50:52.828-05:00

Wally may pretty bad, but this takes the cake.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-56365061828662232352010-06-09T22:31:00.000-05:002010-06-09T22:32:54.034-05:00

General Zod! An iPad! FTW.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-67000931940221923932010-06-04T19:00:00.001-05:002010-06-04T19:00:06.565-05:00

Compare, and contrast. Both are one-sided and probably a little unfair, but PCR stays grounded in reality, while Chesler wanders off into la-la land. Actually, that's not quite right; she stays in la-la land.I mean, her argument boils down to the fact that the aid boat had some questionable people aboard, and that it had rocks, sticks, and other laughable weapons on it, and they attacked the

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-52679904528057754612010-05-30T19:00:00.000-05:002010-05-30T19:00:02.749-05:00

He's kind of a dick, but it's impressive to watch him parry with the criminal officers in this video.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-90724691740846780232010-05-25T20:00:00.000-05:002010-05-25T20:00:00.939-05:00

The last two times that I was looking for apartments, I made extensive use of Craig's List. I was looking at 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments, with 2's the expectation. So I was generally looking to move in with someone that I didn't know. I looked at quite a few places in person, and tons of places online. Sometimes I'd go to see a place and the prospective roommate(s) was weird in some way that

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-76472104696003160682010-05-24T20:00:00.001-05:002010-05-24T20:00:01.967-05:00

in a "I hope she isn't like this in 10 years" kind of way.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-398104699967464852010-05-23T14:37:00.004-05:002010-05-23T15:11:29.506-05:00

Boone and Johnson have a very good post on the problems in Europe, and I recommend that people read it. It's not too long, and you'll get a lot better understanding of the challenges facing the EU, the Euro, Greece, and so forth. I do want to add my two cents though, and offer a partial solution. I initially thought it was more novel on my part than it turns out to be, but hopefully that will

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-60382038351381010232010-05-18T23:34:00.001-05:002010-05-18T23:34:00.152-05:00

Krugman blogged what he sees as the Nth reason libertarianism doesn't work (no hints as to what A thru M are, nor if part O is forthcoming). Various bloggers respond negatively (here, here, and here, for instance). I have to say, though, Paul's right. Libertarians (at least the vast majority) are in favor of the government; we want much less of it than other people, but libs still support the

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-42185463976903895502010-05-13T19:00:00.001-05:002010-05-18T22:33:41.664-05:00

Say what you will about Pat Buchanan (and I've said some things, positive and negative), he's spot on about anti-US terrorism.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-21748789277793070272010-05-12T19:00:00.000-05:002010-05-12T19:00:11.937-05:00

Seriously. This man is a genius. I'd probably rank it second to Carl Monday on the list of great things found by Deadspin.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-56882509526394427382010-05-10T19:00:00.000-05:002010-05-10T19:00:00.407-05:00

Who drinks the most?

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-6940824302334775102010-05-03T19:00:00.000-05:002010-05-03T19:00:04.521-05:00

More rooms than meets the eye. (via MR)

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-25724651098480826772010-05-02T10:13:00.003-05:002010-05-02T10:30:45.922-05:00

Getting back into it, with some quick hits:On Arizona's illegal immigration bill, this is just about right.On a related note, when dealing with the police, know your rights and how to defend them.Sowell on the limits of power, examining the ultimate case. Whatever problems I have with him on foreign policy (largely because he doesn't apply his domestic/economic thinking consistently there), he

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-85681331324772077702010-02-23T23:05:00.001-05:002010-02-23T23:06:28.198-05:00

Mankiw, ah snap.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-68324673277324565162010-02-15T10:26:00.004-05:002010-02-15T10:34:45.210-05:00

Nothing it seems.So let's see. Cheney endorses torture, says it happened under his watch, and the lawyers say they were ordered to cook up legal justifications by Cheney. Why isn't there at least an official investigation of this? Oh, right, it would hurt the gov's reputation too much. Right.Maybe the lawyers are lying, maybe not. Either way, some people committed serious offenses. Crimes that

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-61504467830836911782010-02-07T15:20:00.002-05:002010-02-07T15:25:02.170-05:00

I got both winners right last round, but missed both against the spreads. 5-5 picking winners, 3-7 against the spread.So Saints and Colts in Miami, Colts favored by 5. I think this is a pretty evenly matched game. The Colts have a better defense, the passing games are equal, the Saints can run it better, special teams are pretty much even overall. I say Colts win, but Saints cover. Colts 31,

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-35240873470274346292010-01-27T22:42:00.002-05:002010-01-27T22:58:30.537-05:00

I know it's not the most exciting topic, but it's vitally important. The Federal Reserve's policy of paying interest on banks' reserves has been killing the economy. Yglesias hits the nail right on the head. Fortunately we are probably at the point now in the cycle where it's not going to be a major problem, merely holding us back from the strong growth snapback we should be experiencing. This

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-29441931467423807112010-01-24T13:49:00.003-05:002010-01-24T14:00:40.825-05:00

So the only game I got right last week was the one I had the least confidence in. Great. 3-5 overall now.Jets at Colts, Colts favored by 9. The Jets D is certainly stout, and their running game is strong. And Sanchez isn't killing them. However, they've also had some luck. Manning loves to be blitzed, and the Colts in general are a lot better. If Sanchez makes a big play or two, or the NJ runners

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-22061866734331122072010-01-17T16:34:00.001-05:002010-01-17T16:35:45.180-05:00

Well, one of the reasons.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-27883521257161802512010-01-16T11:48:00.000-05:002010-01-16T11:48:00.599-05:00

So I went 2-2 last week, both picking winners and against the spread. Before we move onto this weekend's games, a review of previous years:2009: 7-4 picking winner, 6-4-1 against the spread2008: 6-5, 3-7-12007: 7-4, 6-52006: 5-6, 5-62005: 8-3, 7-42004: 5-6, 2-8-12003: 8-3, 4-7Totals: 46-31 picking winners (60%), 33-41-3 against the spread (45%).Cardinals at Saints, Saints favored by 6.5. I'm

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-20615961947822397402010-01-15T23:38:00.003-05:002010-01-15T23:46:14.025-05:00

Cass Sunstein scares the living bejeebus out of me. The fact that he has a significant (or any, really) role in the Obama administration is a disgrace. I particularly would like to point out his advocacy of what amounts to a conspiracy to deal with people advocating conspiracy theories. Think I'm exaggerating? "In 2008...Sunstein [proposed] that the U.S. Government...'cognitively infiltrate'...

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-17227372349966446332010-01-09T14:58:00.002-05:002010-01-09T15:01:21.980-05:00

I'll review my past sucky performances soon, but need to put up my picks.Jets over Bengals, win (Bengals -2.5).Cowboys over Eagles, win and cover (Cowboys -4)Patriots over Ravens, win and cover (Pats -3)Packers over Cardinals, win and obviously cover (pick 'em).

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-30140032876090613842009-12-31T06:53:00.001-05:002009-12-31T06:54:59.382-05:00

Or aggressively passive? Either way, nice.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-7737481483425562122009-12-30T20:20:00.005-05:002009-12-30T20:29:01.933-05:00

I don't know why this entertains me, but it does. Inspired by Kottke, here are my 2009 cities, in the order I stayed there, only counting the first trip if there was more than one. Boston counts from when I lived in NYC, and vice versa, and Durham isn't a city so it doesn't count.Washington DCLas VegasLos AngelesBostonPhiladelphiaNew YorkMilwaukeeSan FranciscoSeattleChicagoDallas

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-84101527836685304592009-12-24T04:48:00.004-05:002009-12-24T05:03:22.614-05:00

I loved this piece in Esquire trying to show all that Obama has accomplished. About 90% of the things listed fit into at least one of these categories:A) Haven't happened yet (a push for something isn't an accomplishment)B) Are bad (increased drone attacks are good?)C) Are overstated (banning torture by the US is good, but the vast majority of the problem comes from rendition based torture)D)

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-62154298586493165472009-12-22T23:35:00.003-05:002009-12-22T23:37:13.889-05:00

Some pretty amazing animation that was turned by the Family Learning Channel (NSFL). Also, some snowmen inspired by this.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-8843077852196426132009-12-12T11:36:00.001-05:002009-12-12T11:40:07.268-05:00

- It's a trap! I mean, it's a frap!- How not to ace psychology (hint, don't take a hint).

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-48092190030454477892009-12-09T21:39:00.001-05:002009-12-09T21:41:25.221-05:00

Nay, what they really need. Perhaps NSFW, if your work is sucky about this stuff.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-3877496085363358842009-12-08T22:50:00.003-05:002009-12-08T22:53:44.074-05:00

I wish I had a pithy line to put an exclamation point on this, but I don't. Read it.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-53589927986815373382009-12-06T11:53:00.000-05:002009-12-06T11:54:47.062-05:00

Don't try to walk from the source of the Amazon to its mouth.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-1693212062258635052009-11-08T14:00:00.001-05:002009-11-08T17:55:36.589-05:00

This takes question begging to a whole new level. Usually people just implicitly assume their conclusions. Here Krugman does it explicitly. He starts with the assumption that P is fixed. Then examines what would happen under a given policy and finds that P doesn't change. Wow. Very impressive.Update: See this Sumner post on this as well. Really hoists Krugman by his own petard. You might say that

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-4230068079750715352009-11-07T11:59:00.000-05:002009-11-07T11:59:00.591-05:00

What's worse, having no evidence, or retarded evidence? Brooks claims that text messages have ruined romance. Based on...nothing that I can see. Yglesias attempts to refute him by referring to The Rules of Attraction, written in the 80s. A NOVEL written in the 80s. And by referring to Mad Men, about an office in the early 60s. A FICTIONAL office in the 60s, written and shot today. I guess I'll go

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-64020567877711507722009-11-04T23:17:00.005-05:002009-11-04T23:21:28.459-05:00

I probably overdid it with that last post. That's how you know he's probably lying or misleading. It's not 100%.Also, a dolphin learns to save, invest, and speculate. Woh.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-31587999765406382442009-11-02T23:22:00.003-05:002009-11-02T23:26:57.150-05:00

How do you tell when Krugman is lying? Either his lips are moving or he's typing.BTW, did anyone else catch Geithner saying on Meet the Press that the number of jobs saved by the stimulus is a fact? Really Timmy? A fact? I accept that it's your best guess at the effect, that the estimate was made in good faith, etc. But it is by no means a fact. It's an estimate based on some models. No more, no

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-27413571511663303782009-11-01T10:06:00.002-05:002009-11-01T10:10:03.761-05:00

An excellent Venn diagram of monsters.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-33640103689799969642009-10-27T23:11:00.001-05:002009-10-27T23:12:55.803-05:00

Disgusting. Simply disgusting.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-61004066031686313502009-10-26T21:27:00.002-05:002009-10-26T21:55:23.058-05:00

Onto my likely to be mediocre NBA picks.EASTERN ATLANTICBoston 56-26Philadelphia 43-39New York 34-48New Jersey 30-52Toronto 30-52EASTERN CENTRALCleveland 61-21Chicago 43-39Indiana 41-41Milwaukee 34-48Detroit 28-54EASTERN SOUTHEASTOrlando 60-22Atlanta 47-35Miami 37-45Charlotte 34-48Washington 25-57WESTERN NORTHWESTPortland 55-27Utah 51-31Denver 47-35Oklahoma City 34-48Minnesota 25-57WESTERN

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-76072405492510496982009-10-25T10:23:00.001-05:002009-10-25T10:23:00.421-05:00

Please read Bainbridge on what's going on with the Obama administration and pay cuts at (admittedly sleazy/corrupt) financial firms. Seems to fit a certain term, can't remember what it is, who's definition includes "private property that is controlled but not nationalized".

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-30554495649757072472009-10-24T11:45:00.000-05:002009-10-24T11:45:00.313-05:00

In a somewhat related vein, have you ever wondered what was the most random and awesomely awful line in a movie ever? You might think it came from GI Joe, but you'd be wrong (probably NSFW).

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-65816856154368391602009-10-24T11:43:00.000-05:002009-10-24T11:43:00.169-05:00

Have you ever asked yourself, how does one shoot an anvil into the air? Would it land close to the launch point? Are there world champions at doing this? Then watch and learn.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-10549491837443441622009-10-09T00:20:00.000-05:002009-10-08T23:23:30.346-05:00

Humana sends out a letter to its policyholders on possible effects of reform. And is threatened by the federal government from ever doing so again, under threat of fines and jail time.Congress is considering putting explicit limits on health care executives pay, as a result of other "reforms" under consideration.Hmm, there's definitely not a chance that health care reform as it's being debated

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-4577343024307586672009-10-04T22:37:00.003-05:002009-10-04T22:46:14.486-05:00

Yglesias points out that people don't think the government is helping them, despite the fact that they received tax cuts in the stimulus package. That's some pretty good logic. Let me try it out: When the school bullies didn't steal Matt's lunch money, they were buying him lunch. Yeah, that sounds just about right. Nothing disingenuous here.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-90285002946767717242009-09-28T21:09:00.001-05:002009-09-28T21:12:53.524-05:00

Barack Obama continues to lie about Iran. Don't take it from me, read someone with expertise on the Middle East, expertise on nuclear weapons, expertise on the IAEA, and who was right on everything he said about Iraq before the invasion.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-69639404990276917852009-09-13T20:34:00.001-05:002009-09-13T20:35:15.868-05:00

Borlaug, father of the green revolution, passed away.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-33479283787208897742009-09-10T19:25:00.002-05:002009-09-10T19:37:26.338-05:00

Time for my annual terrible NFL predictions. Not good enough to bet on, not bad enough to bet against. You're welcome.AFC EastNE England Patriots 12-4Miami Dolphins 9-7Buffalo Bills 8-8NY Jets 6-10AFC NorthPittsburgh Steelers 11-5Baltimore Ravens 10-6Cleveland Browns 5-11Cincinnati Bengals 4-12AFC SouthTennessee Titans 10-6Indianapolis Colts 10-6Houston Texans 9-7Jacksonville Jaguars 7-9AFC

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-7427617964184749472009-09-09T21:42:00.002-05:002009-09-09T21:44:34.090-05:00

Not much commentary to add to this video.

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5664395.post-59402434493478063962009-09-06T22:36:00.003-05:002009-09-06T22:44:08.078-05:00

DeLong tells us what economics calls for, to chew out Allen Meltzer. Unfortunately for DeWrong, economics does not call for anything. Certain moral theories combined with economics may call for certain things, but economics calls for property rights and subsidies and such as much as astronomy calls for dividing the year into 12 months. Not the only mistake that DeLong makes in the post, but the

Maestrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com0