With a title like that, you know this is going to be an exciting post. It's been boring here lately. You're probably better off skipping this post entirely, but I figure posting once a week is about the lowest frequency I'd like.

Anyway, I've spent more time looking at my feet since taking up running. Even more so since the Charlottesville marathon in April. The day after that run I noticed that the toe next to my big toe was bruised, basically the entire area under the nail. It was about time for some new shoes anyway, so I went ahead and bought a pair. I've had blisters most of the time since. It doesn't help that I pick at them.

But it was just this past week sometime that I realized how pointless toenails are. I mean, fingernails are useful. Toenails? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they were useful, somewhere along the evolutionary trail. But these days, they are just there. Stupid things. It made me wonder if there is some surgery you can get to remove the parts that are in charge of making nails. So one day I go to the doctor, get my toenails removed, and they basically turn off my body's "make toenails" function. From then on, toenail free. I think toes might look cooler without them anyway. Of course, I'd never actually do such a thing. I'm all talk. If you do it though, let me know how it goes.

I told you that you should have skipped reading this post. You'll never get this time back. If you stop following this feed, I'll understand.

Happy 4th of July!

ht020421

Here's a distinction I was not able to make rigorously until Mises cleared things up in chapter 15, section 8 of Human Action:

Profit … is the gain derived from action; it is the increase in satisfaction (decrease in uneasiness) brought about; it is the difference between the higher value attached to the result attained and the lower value attached to the sacrifices made for its attainment; it is, in other words, yield minus costs. To make profit is invariably the aim sought by any action. If an action fails to attain the ends sought, yield either does not exceed costs or lags behind costs. In the latter case the outcome means a loss, a decrease in satisfaction.

Profit and loss in this original sense are psychic phenomena and as such not open to measurement and a mode of expression which could convey to other people precise information concerning their intensity…

That much I'd already understood.

Profit is psychic (in the psychological, not the New Age, sense). It is not objective.

It is ordinal (a>b; c<d), not cardinal (a*2=b; c=d/3).

But then comes the critical distinction:

…It is possible to ascertain in terms of money how much an individual has profited or lost. However, this is not a statement about this individual's psychic profit or loss. It is a statement about a social phenomenon, about the individual's contribution to the societal effort as it is appraised by the other members of society. It does not tell us anything about the individual's increase or decrease in satisfaction or happiness. It merely reflects his fellow men's evaluation of his contribution to social cooperation…

So monetary profit and loss are objective, social facts in the world, reflecting subjective, individual desires of other people (customers), and the success or failure of the profit or loss maker (entrepreneur) to fulfill those desires.

Maybe this was already obvious to everyone else.

I'm sure this distinction as at the heart of the calculation problem.

Look at the graphic above, published on June 28, 2008 on the front page of the New York Times Business section to illustrate Matt Richtel's article.

What do you see?

Not much when it comes to IPOs during the just-concluded second quarter of this year — because there weren't any.

Not a single one.

Why the heck didn't I act on the knowledge that when the herd goes in one direction — or, in this case, doesn't — that's precisely when Bizarro World types like me strike?

My IPO should've come out last month, thereby securing my place in the pantheon of counterintuitives.

I mean, the smart money's staying in investors' pockets right now, which means the only people who would've subscribed to my initial offering... well, I don't want to be harsh, considering some might even be among my readers, but gang....

My new saying: When the going gets tough, the weird do an IPO.

Catchy, what?

President Bush was at Monticello this morning welcoming 72 people from 30 countries into the brotherhood of legal citizenry.
It was a bitter-sweet event. The closest I got to seeing the President was when Air Force One flew over my neighborhood.
Normally I attend the celebration at Monticello, but not this year.
Security was intense. In the photo above, WVAW reporter Mark Tenia shoots video of the Presidential motorcade route from a half mile away.
The Secret Service/State Police, felt the need to close miles of surface road and push out a wide security perimeter- Route 53 and Mill Creek Drive were shut down, even to pedestrians. The was a "national defense airspace", a no-fly zone, in effect for a few hours. Law enforcement personnel everywhere.
President Bush started out, he said "To my fellow citizens to be, we believe in free speech in the United States of America."
This sentence delivered over shouted protest from someone who was able to attend the ceremony.


I biked up Route 53 yesterday. This bridge and flag the 21st century idea of what the entry to Monticello should look like. Disneyfication.


I wonder if this has always been the procedure or whether it is post 9/11 concern for the security of the President?

When it comes to the American independence day,most folks think of fireworks, cookouts, and generalmerriment. I just want to remind people the real meaning of the day, how it symbolizes when thefounding fathers of this great country 'declared'independence from Great Britain in 1776; a long war followed to ensure the declaration came to actual fruition, and in the 232

Oh, yeah.

From the website:
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Having trouble with a certain track?

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But don't stop there — use this skiing, motorcycle riding, snowboarding, surfing, diving... heck, even attach it to your belt buckle and who knows what you'll film!

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you can mount this video camera anywhere and take high-quality video or three-megapixel still photos.

Rugged waterproof polycarbonate construction (waterproof to 100 feet) and sport-tuned, quick-release design make it easy to mount inside or outside your automobile, motorcycle or attach to your helmet for driving or riding... you get the "picture."

Caution: I don't endorse this product for hooligans who want to film themselves breaking the law!

Stores up to 56 minutes of 512 x 384 pixel video with sound at 30 frames per second when using the included 2GB SD card.

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Compatible with Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista and Mac OS 9.1 and later.
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Watch the videos here, here and here.

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Thank heavens for these people. And Bush handled it admirably. (gotta say) Check out afterdowningstreet.org for some video and pics.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see if your local library (or any of 10,000 others around the planet) has a book you're interested in — without leaving your home?

Guess what?

You can do just that, as I learned from J.D. Biersdorfer's "Q&A" column in yesterday's New York Times; the item follows.

Tip of the Week: Look Up Books at Your Library From Home

Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading. You might even be able to look up books available at your library — before you leave the house — with the WorldCat database at www.worldcat.org. Type in a title and follow the screens to supply your address so you can find the book in the library nearest you. WorldCat, a global network that logs 1.2 billion items, can also look for DVDs and CDs and has plug-ins available for Firefox and Facebook.

Hugs, flag waving, and shouts of “fascist”: it was the Fourth of July at Monticello.

Three thousand people showed up at Mr. Jefferson’s house today to watch 72 new citizens be sworn in— and six citizens escorted out. When the first shouts of “Defend the Constitution,” “Impeach Bush,” and “War criminal” rang out from protesters in the audience and pink-clad Desiree Fairooz ran toward the stage, President George Bush laughed and acknowledged, “To my fellow citizens-to-be, we believe in free speech in the United States.”

As the shouts continued during Bush’s speech, one angry woman told Code Pinker Gael Murphy, “You need to shut up and sit down.”

If someone was blocking the view or if people couldn’t hear, a Monticello staff member asked the disruptor to stop, according to Monticello director of communications Wayne Mogelnicki. If the disturbance continued, the protester was escorted out, with the help of Albemarle County police. At one point, Chief John Miller leaned in to quiet a man yelling “Fascist.” Mogelnicki did not anticipate charges being pressed. “The county said everyone left voluntarily,” he said.

“We wanted to allow people to exercise their First Amendment rights,” said county spokeswoman Lee Catlin. “Monticello asked them to leave because that’s private property.”

Anyone speaking at Monticello inevitably invokes Thomas Jefferson, and Bush was no exception. He noted that the third president made only two public speeches, and he also cited the principles of Jefferson: “All men are created equal with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

“What about the Iraqis?” yelled Murphy, earning another rebuke from a polite Monticello staffer: “Ma’am, if you can’t be quiet, you have to leave.”

Bush joined Judge James P. Jones in welcoming the new citizens, shaking hands with everyone— unless they got a hug or a pat on the back or a kiss. Young Julia White Freeman was picked up by the president when she went to receive her certificate of citizenship.

The day was particularly poignant for Thomas Jefferson Foundation president Dan Jordan, for whom it was the last Fourth of July after 23 years of leading Monticello. His son, Daniel Porter Jordan III, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District, was on the platform with the other judges.

Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals mentioned that he’d been to college with Bush— both attended Yale— and that the future president was “widely liked and widely admired,” but Wilkinson did not mention that his classmate didn’t nominate him for the Supreme Court in 2005.

Wilkinson also told the new Americans that his favorite part of the Fourth of July is hearing their stories, and encouraged them not to be embarrassed because the president was there, and to “speak from your heart.”

They did. Mary McFadyen came from Scotland 30 years ago and thanked Bush for “giving me the inspiration” to go through the naturalization process.” Another said, “Good morning. No demonstrations, please. I am proud to be an American.”

~

3:21pm update: Some protest video.

Yesterday I wrote a letter to the editor at the Daily News Leader with the hope that it would be published in today's paper. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything from the editorial staff, and my letter was not published. Nevertheless, my message will be heard today...

The Frontier Culture Museum has done an excellent job of preserving the culture of our ancestors, and the Museum exemplifies Staunton's ideals and values. However, the Frontier Culture Museum's new retail development, The Centre at Staunton, seems contradictory to the Museum's preservation efforts as it threatens the City's economic, environmental, and cultural fabric.

The Centre at Staunton is a clear case of private benefits versus public costs. The Frontier Culture Museum will benefit from its property leases and the influx of patrons to the Museum. The City will benefit from the increase in retail sales and the rise of tourism. Local residents will benefit from the variety of new shopping and employment opportunities.

Unfortunately, the long-term costs of the development will be shifted to the general public and future generations. The new stores will increase traffic and greenhouse gas emissions since it is only reachable via car. The new rooftops and parking lots will increase the stormwater runoff into our local streams and stormwater drains. The new retail center will be another piece of the haphazard strip of development which visually disconnects Richmond Road from the rest of the City. The retail center will detract from downtown Staunton as shoppers abandon the local businesses in favor of the more familiar national chains and big-box stores.

The City and its residents have invested endless amounts of time, money, and energy into the renovation of downtown Staunton, and we should work to protect our investment. In an age of rising energy costs, global climate change, and economic turmoil, does it make sense to develop in areas that lack infrastructure and people?

In the memory of our forefathers and Independence Day, I would like to see the Frontier Culture Museum engage the citizens of Staunton in an open, democratic forum to discuss the issues of the new development. We owe it to ourselves, our predecessors, and future Stauntonians to evaluate the best land use for the Frontier Culture Museum's property.

"Allows you to test your eyesight without going to the doctor."

Black or White.

$38.13.

Cortney and Stephen got married on Wednesday at the Boar's Head Inn.  Keeping it simple and as stress-free as possible while having a meaningful experience with the highest quality services was top priority for this busy couple (she's a doctor and he's an engineer).

Their Weekday Wedding package included everything they needed and wanted for their small (15 guests) weekday event: professional photography, accommodations, a cocktail hour and dinner for their guests, a beautiful ceremony under the willow tree, live music by Terra Voce (a cello and flute duet) and more. 

It was a lovely day for Stephen and Cortney and their family and friends... congratulations on your new marriage!

If you would like to consider a small weekday wedding package visit The Weekday Wedding Company of Central Virginia or call me at 434-296-9885.

We are putting a wonderful home on the market about 8 minutes to Charlottesville. This home is wonderful and has a very private pool!

 

Situated on almost 5 acres of stunning wooded land with a river at the rear of the property. This home is idea for a family who wants to be close to town but still in the county.

 

As a special benefit, there is a second home on the property that is currently leased. So this offering has a built in income!

 

Contact me for specifics and watch the MLS for details!

 

Charles McDonald
Associate BROKER, RE/MAX Assured Properties
Licensed to sell Real Estate in Virginia

“Your Outstanding RE/MAX Agent in Charlottesville Virginia” 

 

Today, this Independence Day, as we pause to think of the things that make America great, it behooves to take some time to ponder one of our best known exports: loud, incredibly stupid, over-saturated action movies. With the migration of a number of music video-influenced directors to Hollywood in the 1990s, this genre fully took flight during the Clinton years. And so, it is time to list the

Entertainment Scientists Warn Miley Cyrus Will Be Depleted by 2013

Reuters is reporting that former Senator Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) is dead at the age of 86.

Coulrophobes everywhere breathe a sigh of relief.

I've just been reminded to post a link to a lowercase liberty classic (aka a "rerun") for the 4th of July: "anarchist shadow holiday"

Disney and Pixar — who ought to know — say it's "WALL•E."

End of discussion.

Right?

Not quite.

Some media organizations are having difficulty getting their heads around the new world.

For example, the New York Times uses a dash instead of a dot and can't bring itself to capitalize letters after the first:

The Wall Street Journal uses all caps but can't manage the dot, instead opting for the Times-ish dash:

The Washington Post does it right:

Why is it a problem to simply use the name given by the namer?

Simple.

The Grey Lady has its own internal punctuation and style standards that trump the actual name chosen for a product.

Thus, a Times headline begins

instead of iPod.

This is not the cause of the Times' ongoing, accelerating collapse but, rather, a symptom, somewhat like the refusal of the paper to print email addresses for every reporter under their byline.

I emailed Bill Keller, executive editor of the paper, a few years back and pointed out to him that Podunk publications like my hometown Charlottesville Daily Progress were already doing this and maybe it was time for his ocean liner to change course.

He responded that they were "looking at this" but I guess the visual field must be really large 'cause it still hasn't happened.

e.e. cummings, call your office — your capitalization is ready.

Sun Domingo - photo by squidtank
(more…)

I thought this comment from Miklos Hollender on blog.Mises.org about the article "WALL-E: Economic Ignorance and the War on Modernity" was very interesting:

I generally agree with pretty much everything in this article, what I would like to point out that terminology can sometimes be very confusing. Here you use the word "modernity" in a positive sense (technological progress), from where I am coming (Oakeshott, Voegelin etc.) modernity is used in a negative sense (regression in philosophical thought, social sciences). This movie "criticizes" modernity in the technological sense, however in the other sense this movie IS modernity, it's very modern, because this sort of nonsense is very characteristically modern. The bourgeois of 100-200 years ago, however ignorant they were, generally happened to have the right prejudices and would have not accepted such a nonsense.

From the Autumn/Winter 2008 Azumi & David collection.

[via tolin.cn]

Here’s a little something for all you Hunter S. Thompson fans out there.  Today (July 4) marks the limited release in theaters of a brand new documentary that centers around the career and larger-than-life persona of the Gonzo journalist and whacked-out novelist Hunter S. Thompson.  For his part, Thompson became famous for his political coverage of American affairs in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine as well as for his cult-classic novels including Hell’s Angels and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  Thompson died in February of 2005 from a self-inflicted gun shot to the head.  He was 67 years old.

The documentary, titled “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson”, is directed by Alex Gibney (”Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”, “Taxi to the Dark Side”), and features interviews with those who knew Thompson (Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, writer Tom Wolfe) as well as with the politicians he covered over the years (Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, George McGovern).  And as you would expect, there are loads of archival film footage collected from Hunter’s own life.  Johnny Depp, who famously portrayed the writer in Terry Gilliam’s film adaptation of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, serves as the film’s narrator by reading passages from Thompson’s work throughout the film.

Again, the film opens today in a limited release in theaters across the country.  At the time of this post there are no scheduled listings for Charlottesville theaters (Vinegar Hill being the best bet if it does come to town), but it is showing in Arlington beginning this weekend and will begin showing in Richmond on July 18.  [You can check out the trailer for the film after the break].  Anyone interested in seeing this one besides myself?  I’m hoping it comes to C’ville…soon. (more…)