ARCHIVES

November 2008

November/December photo: "Horses in the Valley of the Moon", (June 2005, Sonoma County, CA): This photo taken with Kodak B&W IR film with Tiffin 55 red filter at mid afternoon. The IR film reacts to light in the near infrared light spectrum. Thus the resulting print has a "negative" quality. The blue sky (which is the lightest value in the actual scene but has no red spectrum light) is rendered as black while the green foliage (which does reflect the IR spectrum in the sunlight) has a glowing, overexposed value. Note that this is not a true "negative" image as most of the black and white values in the photo, e.g., the horses, are rendered in their normal value and tone.

How times have changed (part 3): "Guitar Hero", Jeff Beck, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the second time at age 64(!). Beck was purportedly the model for the washed up rocker heavy-metal rocker, David St. Hubbins, in the movie satire, "This Is Spinal Tap" but he can still milk sounds out of a Fender Stratocaster that amaze. A.N. Other dimly remembers searching rain-swept London Soho backstreets to find a dingy nightclub where the original Jeff Beck Group (featuring unknowns Rod Stewart and Ron Wood) was playing circa 1973.

How times have changed (part 2): Once upon a time (1993 actually), L'Angelo Misterioso was a Disney computer animator using Silicon Graphics (SGI) workstations. SGI was founded by Silicon Valley legend Jim Clark (also creator of the original browser software,"Netscape") who was profiled in Michael Lewis's (Liar's Poker, Moneyball) The New New Thing. At one time SGI employed over 10,000 people and had a market capitalization of $7 billion. On April 2, SGI filed for bankruptcy. Disney is now more or less run by Steven Jobs and John Lasseter of Apple/Pixar.

How times have changed (part 1): Los Angeles, which railroad magnate Harry Hunnington described a century ago to be "destined to become the most important city in this country, if not the world", has suffered the most rapid municipal decline in American history.

Brit Wit (Part 3): "All comedy is about conflict." Eric Idle.

Brit Wit (Part 2): "The English love an insult--it's their only test of a man's sincerity." Benjamin Franklin.

Brit Wit (Part 1): "You think I'm an *******. I'm not. It' just that I'm British and you're not." Alan Rickman in "Bottle Shock".

Colours (Part 3): Q: "Have you ever seen a real sunset the way (English Romantic painter) Turner painted one?" A: "No, but I wish I had!" attributed to Spike Milligan.

Colours (Part 2): "I have never seen a faded colour that wasn't beautiful." John Ward, Royal Academy.

Colours (Part 1): "Colour is its own reward/The chiming of the perfect chord..." Crowded House.

Economics 101 (Part 3): "Economists are not scientists, they're historians." attributed to O. Butcher.

Economics 101 (Part 2): "Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent." British economist J.M. Keynes.

Economics 101 (Part 1): "Ya wanna play? Ya gotta pay!" attributed to Al Capone.

"Hedge I win, tails you lose..." (Part three): is the term "investment banker" now an insult?

"Hedge I win, tails you lose..." (Part two): Economist John Kay in his book, "The Long and the Short of It" estimates that if Warren Buffett had hired a hedge fund to run Berkshire Hathaway, his $62 billion fortune would be now worth only $5 billlion.

"Hedge I win, tails you lose..." (Part one): "Iceland is no longer a country. It is a hedge fund."

California Dreamin'...(Part three): is California the new France? On the other hand, UK Conservatives see Silicon Valley as a social/political model for Britain: they wish they could all be Californians now!

California Dreamin'...(Part two): a California Congresswoman earns 18% interest by lending her own campaign money...

California Dreamin'...(Part one): S & P has downgraded California's state debt rating to the lowest of 50 states. Lower than Arkansas, Louisiana, et. al.

States of Mind (Part 3): "Possessions trap a man, great wealth paralyzes him." Anon.

States of Mind (Part 2): The term 'Political Correctness' was first used ironically by journalists to describe is a "collective mass mania... surrogate religious faith... that hijacks brave opinions and turns them into unthinking, palid orthodoxy". (Stephen Bayley, "A Dictionary of Idiocy").

States of Mind (Part 1): A "pessimist"; someone who lives with an optimist. Anon

Funny Money (Part 3): "How Markets Really Work". This YouTube parody explains all.

Funny Money (Part 2): Madeoff whistle blower, Harry Markopolos, wrote to the SEC in November 2007 stating that, "The World Largest Hedge Fund is a Fraud." In his letter, he states that he is concerned for his personal safety and that of his family(!).

Funny Money (Part 1): The future Secretary of the Treasury, Tim Geithner, apparently doesn't know how to prepare his own taxes or even report basic information such as his income while self employed by no less than the IMF!

Political Animals (part 3, telling the truth): "I am humble enough to recognize that I've made mistakes but politically astute enough to forget what they are." Michael Heseltine, MP. "We should always tell the Press, freely and frankly, anything they can easily find out." Sir Humphrey Abbleby in "Yes, Prime Minister".

Political Animals (part 2, methods): "The way to succeed at politics is to promise everything and deliver nothing." Napoleon Bonaparte. "All political movements begin as a cause, then become a business, and end as a racket." Cato Institute.

Political Animals (part 1, character): "There are no true friends in politics. We are all sharks circling and waiting for traces of blood to appear in the water." Alan Clark, MP. "You can't use tack with a congressman. A congressman is a hog. You must take a stick and hit him on the snout." Henry Adams, historian.

Cool Xmas gifts (part 3): Henckels "S" (professional) 8" Chef's knife.These knives are made in Germany so it's no surprise that the blade is the ultimate in tempered steel. The other feature that chef's love is that the handle is much heavier than comparable knives.

Cool Xmas gifts (part 2): "Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott's" (iTunes download). Beck is one of the three legendary 60's British "guitar heros" along with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. This 2008 recording at the London jazz club, Ronnie Scott's, features Beck's pioneering rock/jazz fusion instrumentals. Beck never reached the fame of Clapton and Page but when "on form" even they considered him the most talented and innovative musician of his generation.

Cool Xmas gifts (part 1): "Armed America: Gun Owners in Their Homes" (with thanks to Ollie and Sopie Butcher) by photojournalist by Kyle Cassidy. Cassidy went on a trek around America to ask people one question, "why do you own a gun?" The photos are stark, unstaged photorealism. The real impact of the book comes from the remarkable diversity of gun owners interviewed--everyone from far-left anarchists to far-right survivorist to cancer victims.

Our Low Life correspondent (who has seen his share of "bent" coppers and politicians) says current events in Chicago bring to mind this conversation between Winston Churchill and Bessie Braddock: W.C., "Would you sleep with me for a million pounds?" B.B., "For a million pounds, yes I would." W. C., "Would you sleep me for a fiver?" B.B., "Winston, really! What do you take me for?" W.C., "Madame, we have already established what you are; now we are just negotiating the price..."

Bad news on climate change: futurist L'Angelo Misterioso reports that for the first time in a century, the sun has displayed no sunspots for an entire month. This is believed to be associated with a decrease in solar activity and the 'solar wind' which may be a leading indicator of global cooling.

If we are heading for a "mini ice age" then Iwan T. Moore suggests purchasing the iShares Global Energy Sector Index Fund (symbol: IXC) which invests in the most politcally unpopular--and thus most valuable--industry: oil!

Michael Lewis (author of the Wall Street classic, Liar's Poker) has declared that Wall Street's 'money culture' has reached "The End ".

Worried about the real estate crisis? Our Poison Pen correspondent recommends the following YouTube parody, "The Downfall".

Our economics correspondent, Iwan T. Moore quotes Robert Heinlein: "Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty. This is known as "bad luck.

Editor L'Angelo Misterioso highly recommends "Six Frigates", the facinating story of the founding of the US Navy. See "Rumors" section for his review.

Sick of pretentious politicians? Low Life recommends this JimJab video, "Time for Some Campaigning".

A.N. Other notes the passing of a WW II Polish fighter ace, Squadron Leader Michal Cwynan, who led a colorful and gallant life. The excellent movie, "Dark Blue World", provides a vivid retelling of these remarkable men who fled their occupied countries to Britain and carried on the fight against Nazi Germany in the darkest hours of WW II.

Editor L'Angelo Misterioso is fasinated with Japanese culture as his childhood was infused with Oriental influences. Perhaps the seminal sociological study of the divide between 'Western' and 'Oriental' culture is "The Chysanthimuium and the Sword" by Ruth Benedict. Commisioned in 1944 to prepare American military forces for the planned invasion of Japan, this work is still relevant to current events.

Worried about global warming? The late, great author Michael Crichton (Jurrasic Park, Adromeda Strain, CSI, ER, et. al.) suggests that you stop being paranoid about ecological apocalypse and "reach for your wallet" in this speech at the California Institute of Technology, "Aliens Cause Global Warming".

I beg your pardon? (part 3): According to the US Government Printing Office, the 20 voumes of the Y2006 Tax Code is 16,845 pages long. Thus the Title 26 Tax Code is estimated to be seven times as long as the Bible. The Declaration of Independence--the DNA of the American Republic--is approximately 3500 words in total.

I beg your pardon? (Part Two): In May, 2008, a conference of EU climate experts predicted the European ski industry would soon "grind to a halt" due to a lack of snow. Today, European alpine resorts report the best ski conditions in a generation. (Don't tell Al Gore, you'll only upset him.)

I beg your pardon? (Part One) On a recent trip to Safeway's supermarket in Windsor, CA Poison Pen spotted "steam distilled" water with floride additive for $1.59 per gallon. Supreme gas at the local Shell station costs $2.01 per gallon. Congress should act quickly to impose a windfall profit tax on all price gouging "water manufacturers"! Larry Kudlow estimates that the recent steep decline in gas prices represents a $350 billion tax cut for consumers.

Reasons to be Cheerful! (Part 3): financial bubbles, public manias, and other mass delusions are a normal part of human behavior according to "Pop Psychology".

Reasons to be Cheerful!(Part 2): Economic crisis? What economic crisis? Try living in Reykjavik, Iceland!

Reasons to be Cheerful! (Part One): Feeling gloomy about the economy? A.N. Other suggests that you try a bottle of Hartford Court pinot noir. See some of his photos from the winery in the "visual arts" section of this website.

© 2008 Robert Schirtzinger