Julia spent a week at her mom's house, helping to sort things out for mom's move to Oregon following Roberto's death. Julia's brother lives in Oregon and mom feels that is the best move for them.
The house belonged to Roberto and Paula, who have both died. The son, Julia's nephew, is sixteen. So Julia's mom is living in a house to which she has no legal connection. Someone said, "I guess she's a squatter." They do not think there is equity in the house, so she will let the finance company have it when they get around to it.
Paula collected Beanie Babies. Julia's nephew did not want them. Julia agreed to see what she could get for them on EBay.
Lots of stuff went into a box of mementos for the nephew, like Roberto's medals and his favorite watch.
We ended up with a laptop that may or may not work. Before I went to get Julia at the end of the week, I took the middle seat out of the van so we could fit everything in. We ended up bringing home the smaller storage bench, rather than the larger storage chest, so we had more than enough room.
Julia's mom gave us this little cooking gadget. It had never come out of the box--in fact, there were two of them in the box. She said, "Roberto was so looking forward to using that, but it was delivered after he died."
Julia remarked that so much stuff accumulated. At one time it was important to the people who collected it.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Piazza
My gang of three group met. B. J. is somewhat stuck at her current place in the novel, so she skipped some scenes. The result was great. She had some great action, capped off by a description that conveyed such attitude that I had to laugh. "Bror dropped the body into the hole, kicking the dirt over it, contemptuously, like a dog marking its territory."
Barbara's scene had people playing a tense card game in which the players' wagers attack each other so that if the betting does not end soon, the stakes may vanish. "Tense" is the key--she does great description of the battle of wills.
They critiqued Founder. As I mentioned before, reading it makes my head buzz and spin, so I was not sure how others would read it.
Barbara liked it a lot. Since it was much shorter than what I usually write, it was easier to like because it was less work. I think she got involved with the characters. She liked the minimalist style and foggy perceptions of the first person narrator.
B. J. had problems with both main characters, but she did not think that the whole thing was a hopeless mess--which I considered a distinct possibility. I am mulling her suggestions. I think I agree with her, and can redirect things with a couple of words here and a clause there.
Barbara's scene had people playing a tense card game in which the players' wagers attack each other so that if the betting does not end soon, the stakes may vanish. "Tense" is the key--she does great description of the battle of wills.
They critiqued Founder. As I mentioned before, reading it makes my head buzz and spin, so I was not sure how others would read it.
Barbara liked it a lot. Since it was much shorter than what I usually write, it was easier to like because it was less work. I think she got involved with the characters. She liked the minimalist style and foggy perceptions of the first person narrator.
B. J. had problems with both main characters, but she did not think that the whole thing was a hopeless mess--which I considered a distinct possibility. I am mulling her suggestions. I think I agree with her, and can redirect things with a couple of words here and a clause there.
Monday, October 6, 2008
No, You Can't Watch It Here
Yesterday I said I was shocked that Saturday Night Live told the truth about the bailout. Apparently the truth was too shocking for somebody. NBC pulled the sketch from the web site. The sketch has been posted and removed multiple times from YouTube. The transcript and screen shots are here--but it is not nearly as funny.*
The Blogosphere rumor is that the Sandlers--a real couple that the sketch depicts--demanded that it be taken down. They, like George Soros, give lots of money to their favorite political causes. Perhaps the Sandlers threatened to sue. From what I have read, they built a huge business on subprime loans of the most laughable** sort, then sold that business to Wachovia, helping to bring the banking giant down. Here is a blogger who makes that claim.
Let me make it clear that I have no independent knowledge of this. I have previously been sued for libel and that was enough for me.***
Telling too much truth can be funny, but hazardous.
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*Michelle Malkin is a conservative blogger. I am only a conservative in a narrow, classical sense. I am also liberal in a narrow, classical sense. My opinions do not fit within the usual orientation--and heck no, I'm not an "independent."
**If they were not so sad.
***The plantiff's case was dismissed with prejudice by the state court of appeals.
The Blogosphere rumor is that the Sandlers--a real couple that the sketch depicts--demanded that it be taken down. They, like George Soros, give lots of money to their favorite political causes. Perhaps the Sandlers threatened to sue. From what I have read, they built a huge business on subprime loans of the most laughable** sort, then sold that business to Wachovia, helping to bring the banking giant down. Here is a blogger who makes that claim.
Let me make it clear that I have no independent knowledge of this. I have previously been sued for libel and that was enough for me.***
Telling too much truth can be funny, but hazardous.
--------------------
*Michelle Malkin is a conservative blogger. I am only a conservative in a narrow, classical sense. I am also liberal in a narrow, classical sense. My opinions do not fit within the usual orientation--and heck no, I'm not an "independent."
**If they were not so sad.
***The plantiff's case was dismissed with prejudice by the state court of appeals.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Shocked
Saturday Night Live did a sketch on the Wall Street bailout. You can watch it here. It shocked me. If you do not want to have it spoiled, watch it before you read on.
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The SNL writers told the truth. The entertainment industry typically buys the liberal line. In this case, the liberal line is, "Wall Street melted down because of greedy lenders who made predatory loans to people who could not afford to borrow." But this does not pass the smell test, since institutions do not like to make loans to those who cannot pay. Apparently at least one SNL writer smelled a rat and found the real story, which I have previously told here.
Excellent work. I did not think they had it in them.
----------------
----------------
The SNL writers told the truth. The entertainment industry typically buys the liberal line. In this case, the liberal line is, "Wall Street melted down because of greedy lenders who made predatory loans to people who could not afford to borrow." But this does not pass the smell test, since institutions do not like to make loans to those who cannot pay. Apparently at least one SNL writer smelled a rat and found the real story, which I have previously told here.
Excellent work. I did not think they had it in them.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Darker Side of Boredom
In my little town the cable television provider seems to think we have C-SPAN, that channel that televises such boring things as congressional debates. One channel comes up as C-SPAN on the television's display, but C-SPAN is not there.
I love C-SPAN. Without C-SPAN, news channels are the most boring stuff that I can inflict on my family.
We are now visiting my mother-in-law, who actually has C-SPAN. I have watched two hours of people who wrote books on Abraham Lincoln. I am not watching slick History channel documentaries. I am watching scholars drone on endlessly on obscure aspects of Lincoln's life, correcting all the myths that History propogates.
I have achieved nerdvana.
I love C-SPAN. Without C-SPAN, news channels are the most boring stuff that I can inflict on my family.
We are now visiting my mother-in-law, who actually has C-SPAN. I have watched two hours of people who wrote books on Abraham Lincoln. I am not watching slick History channel documentaries. I am watching scholars drone on endlessly on obscure aspects of Lincoln's life, correcting all the myths that History propogates.
I have achieved nerdvana.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Steampunk, Lincoln, John Brown, and Mormons
My latest story idea involves having a genius among the Utah territory Mormons discover and use uranium as nuclear fuel for steam engines. Invention in the territory zooms forward, but the society has remained relatively insulated, with only scattered wild tales emerging.
One of the Mormon inventors heads east on a religious mission in a nuclear/steam powered tank and encounters Bleeding Kansas, in the person of John Brown.
Also in the mix is Abe Lincoln who suffered a crushing depression, chucked his former life, and headed west to make a new life. In Kansas he became the leader of an abolitionist mob.
Both sides of the battle over slavery try to get access to the Mormon's inventions, but Abe has his own agenda, related to his views of the economy.
There will be plenty of bombs and blood and butchery by both sides--and some humor-- to chug and clank and rattle the story along.
One of the Mormon inventors heads east on a religious mission in a nuclear/steam powered tank and encounters Bleeding Kansas, in the person of John Brown.
Also in the mix is Abe Lincoln who suffered a crushing depression, chucked his former life, and headed west to make a new life. In Kansas he became the leader of an abolitionist mob.
Both sides of the battle over slavery try to get access to the Mormon's inventions, but Abe has his own agenda, related to his views of the economy.
There will be plenty of bombs and blood and butchery by both sides--and some humor-- to chug and clank and rattle the story along.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Too Far To Reach
Something that a colleague said this week reminded me what a different reality that some of us live in.
It was my first time to meet with a particular committee. I told them I was an economist, so they asked me what caused the current mess. After they assured me that they really did want to hear two minutes of economics stuff I told them the story about the government forcing financial insitutions to make loans to people who could not afford to pay, then getting Fannie and Freddie to securitize those loans.
One member of the committee said, "The rest of the story is that most of those poor people are poor because they could not afford to pay their medical bills."
I have lived in cities with high poverty rates. My friends who lived on "the wrong side of the tracks" were not confused about what caused the persistent problem in their neighborhoods. The government gives checks and other benefits to people who do not work.
After the meeting I looked up poverty rates, bankruptcy rates, and how often medical bills are cited as the cause of bankruptcy (1/2 the time!). But those bankruptcy numbers do not make up a significant portion of the poverty numbers, as I had suspected. Consider inner city poverty--housing projects. Lots of medical bankruptcies? Laughable.
But, at the time my colleague said it, I knew that he was too far to reach. So I smiled and nodded.
It was my first time to meet with a particular committee. I told them I was an economist, so they asked me what caused the current mess. After they assured me that they really did want to hear two minutes of economics stuff I told them the story about the government forcing financial insitutions to make loans to people who could not afford to pay, then getting Fannie and Freddie to securitize those loans.
One member of the committee said, "The rest of the story is that most of those poor people are poor because they could not afford to pay their medical bills."
I have lived in cities with high poverty rates. My friends who lived on "the wrong side of the tracks" were not confused about what caused the persistent problem in their neighborhoods. The government gives checks and other benefits to people who do not work.
After the meeting I looked up poverty rates, bankruptcy rates, and how often medical bills are cited as the cause of bankruptcy (1/2 the time!). But those bankruptcy numbers do not make up a significant portion of the poverty numbers, as I had suspected. Consider inner city poverty--housing projects. Lots of medical bankruptcies? Laughable.
But, at the time my colleague said it, I knew that he was too far to reach. So I smiled and nodded.
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