Susan's Memorial Site

For those of you who are interested, her site is here. Warning: there is music!

I'm heading out for the burial in a few minutes to see her folks and her brother.

This, btw, is how I'll remember her most. We had a game where I would wait until some socially serious situation, then make a comment, for her alone, that would shock her into making "The Face". it was trival to do when she was 18 but, by the time she was 36, it was much harder. Still possible, I just had to be more clever and creative. It was one of the many ways she brought out the best in me.

I Have Seen the Future, and it has an Exoskeleton

Chair-bot!

best comment:
add a toilet, minifridge and 5.1 speakers, and ill take 3

The London Olympic Logo

From the same friend of mine who wrote my linked-in recommendation.

After hours of analysis I have come to the conclusion that the new logo
is a picture of Lisa Simpson giving someone a blow job.

he's right too!

You should see the losers along with some commentary.

The Economics of New York City

A breakdown of various businesses and their profitability in New York City.

This one is for Susan:

Stadium tickets: $117 million (4.2 million tickets at an average of $28 each); YES network TV/radio rights: $60 million; Major League TV and licensing: $30 million; concessions: $10 million; sponsorships and advertising: $30 million; premium seating: $27 million; local radio: $13 million; catering: $5 million; other: $10 million.

Being 13 games behind the Red Sox: Priceless!

Where to Buy

Excellent graph from the WSJ on the current housing inventories in 18 different cities.

It's a good time to buy, *if* you can get a loan.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

xkcd has the goods.

Busted!

John Dvorak may have my number here, but I think he spent his summer vacation in TJICistan.

8 Rules for the Perfect Blog

Deny the Fire it's Oxygen

A brief explaination from the NYT about why the JFK plot was posted on A30 instead of A1:

Here's the basic thinking on the J.F.K. story: In the years since 9/11, there have been quite a few interrupted terrorist plots. It now seems possible to exercise some judgment about their gravity. Not all plots are the same. In this case, law enforcement officials said that J.F.K. was never in immediate danger. The plotters had yet to lay out plans. They had no financing. Nor did they have any explosives. It is with all that in mind, that the editors in charge this weekend did not put this story on the front page.

(bolds are mine)While the chattering heads of the Right will be quick to leap on the idea that it's just the liberal bias of the Times trying to minimalize the administration's heroic efforts in the GWOT(tm), I actually think this makes a lot of sense. By denying front page coverage to every group of crazies who watch "24", the times is removing some of the incentives (e.g. fame, power) for this kind of behavior. This is basic security 101. Imagine if the press had done the same with the so-called "liquid" bombers in the UK a while back. I'd no longer have to scour my bags at the airport to throw out perfectly good bottled juice, toothpaste or water simply because a group of nuts put together a plot that was never a threat.

I see this decision by the Times as a common sense reaction and a sign that the public is finally tired of over-reacting to the least little threat. Good for them.

Typo

Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO), wanted to sponsor a bill honoring "America's First Responders"

Seems like a decent thing to do. So he sent out this press release from his office:

Read the 3rd paragraph very carefully. It says:

"First responders in Colorado have recently provided critical services in the face of blizzards and tornados," added Allard. "Since I don't think first responders have really done anything significant in comparison to their counterparts who have dealt with real natural disasters, I have no idea what else to say here..."

OOPS!

He later retracted and corrected it:

Please pardon my typo in the first version of this release. I sincerely apologize for the error. The corrected paragraph reads:
"First responders in Colorado have recently provided critical services in the face of blizzards and tornados," added Allard. "This resolution celebrates them and all first responders serving our nation."

A Recommendation

from one of my former co-workers and "friends":

Dear Mark,

I've written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.
Details of the Recommendation:

"Mark Horvath is a radical (evil) genius with a tendancy to simplyfy everything down to the molecular level.... He has a passion for raw meat, a passion only superceded by one for barbecueing Australian aborignies marinated in rock salt. Without him I would be a shell of a man, a man whos existence would be pitiful. I love Mark as much as I do Blue M&M's"

It should be noted that a) Kenny thinks blue M&Ms are an affront against god and b) he is a right, proper git.

B - C - B

The participation rate is the number of people currently in the workforce.

Analysis here

Memorial Ceremony

For Susan, in Webster MA, 2:00pm on Saturday, June 9th.

Email me if you need more details or want to coordinate a ride from Boston. I'll rent a mini-van and can take a few folks out on Saturday.

The Whole Hole

On Mars.

Weird