Economics Made Animated

     John Law (there was a real John Law?  Who knew!) and the Mississippi Bubble.

John Law and the Mississippi Bubble by Richard Condie, National Film Board of Canada

     (May not work.  If not, follow the link.)

     Relatedly: Eric S. Raymond on why he doesn't blog about politics very often these days: "The big-state system is like Coyote run off a cliff, frantically windmilling its legs in the air. The moment it looks down it’s going to fall, long and hard. Nothing I could write is going to make any difference to that outcome, any more."

     Ouch.

     (Unrelatedly: I swan, this year I will make time to visit General Lew Wallace's study.  How could one live so close and not?)

The Ordinary Rider Overdid It

     I think I went too far -- literally.

     Yesterday afternoon -- I had some volunteer work in the morning -- I installed the new stainless hardware on my pennyfarthing bike basket (thank you, PDW!), and found that a heavy application of beeswax on the bolt threads completely prevented galling, hooray!

     Then I set out on a Journey: a mile-plus through Broad Ripple proper, with excursions to some of the finer junk retro shops and quick check to see if Petite Chou was back (it is; the Broad Ripple Flood -- a sewer backup in heavy rain -- of some years back had shut them down for an extended period, to my regret).  Then a mile-plus out and over to another section of Shoppes, including a new and very kewl one that specializes in not specializing; among the second-hand clothes, old cameras, art and mil-surplus, they had a scattering of Art Deco table lamps that on close inspection are made of cocktail shakers, colanders, and other such appurtenances -- and very well-made at that.  I was still feeling pretty chipper, so I rode around a bit more before heading home.  Five miles, perhaps?  Had a nice dinner, looked at Teh Toob, went to bed early and woke up...with a headache and sore shoulders.

     Made coffee, took ibuprofen and laid down for "just a bit."   Couple of hours later, Tam getting ready woke me.  She asked if I wanted to go shooting today and I allowed how I'd make my own way to the range* maybe -- and fell back asleep.

     Woke up when I heard the door slam later, realized my shoulders were S-O-R-E, set a heat pad and fell asleep again.

     And now here I am.

     I did manage to sneak in a load of laundry on the two previous wakings, so the morning's not a complete loss.

     But maybe I need to work my way up to longer rides.
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* Tam and SB delight in a hearty breakfast and a full morning at the range.  I'm best off choosing one or the other.

They're Lying If Their Lips Are Moving

     Senator "Uncle Joe" Donnelly's office is denying the Indiana Senator has taken Mayor Bloomberg's shilling over the so-called "expanded background checks" law (that's the law that makes you a Federal felon for loaning a gun to your unmarried roommate or lodger -- feel safer already?).  Meanwhile, the most recent press release on the subject to be seen at our junior Senator's website implies he's all about the background checks.

     My guess?  He'll run with the hares and hunt with the hounds just as long as he can, lifting a finger -- or a hind leg -- to the breeze until he's certain which way the wind blows.

     There's you a man of deep conviction and commitment: commitment to bite off the heads of whatever chickens it takes to stay in office.  If he keeps hangin' around MAIG, he'll learn all about conviction, from men who know it well -- and indictment and prosecution, too.  Better bring a long spoon, sir; the one you're using now ain't nearly long enough.

If I Win The Lottery

     ...Especially if I win one of the really big prizes (for which the odds are so lousy that my not buying a ticket doesn't materially reduce my chances of winning -- someone could give me a ticket, or I could find one), at the big-deal winner's press conference, when they turn the mikes on me I'm going to be so tempted -- so terribly, terribly tempted -- to say just one thing:

     "Twenty thousand dollars to the first reporter who punches another reporter in the throat!"

     Man, there is way more than $20,000.00 in entertainment value in the first fifteen seconds alone.

     (Yeah, I'd feel real bad about it later.  Just awful.  But how many times have they shoved a mike and a camera in some grieving person's face, standing at the scene of some horrible calamity, and droned, "How do you feel?" milking the moment for cheap sensation.  It kinda begs payback.  It feels like a punch in the throat, is how it feels, okay?)

Tam K Cancer Update

     A note for those of you who chipped in: while it is incredibly difficult for Tam to even think about looking in a mirror with the bandage off her nose at present, I've been doing her dressing changes.  I've got to look.

     She's healing well.  Her surgeon's work strikes me as damned good.  It's early days even now; this is a skin graft we're talkin' about and if it was your nose, a square inch or so -- call it around the diameter of a quarter -- would not be small.  It'll take time to heal. 

     But here's the skinny: she still looks like Tam under that bandage.  The Doc replaced his divot very neatly indeed.

Joe Donelly Sells Indiana Out

     Indiana's junior Senator Joe Donnelly has thrown gun-owners under the bus.  He caved to pressure from New York City's Mayor Bloomberg (or at least the not-yet-indicted remnants of "Mayors Against Guns" claim he has), as you can read in the Californa newspaper article linked above.  Way to represent Indiana, Joe!   --Oh, wait: not.

     Help let him know he has done wrong.  (Even beyond the simple misjudgement of siding with the MA[I]G den of criminal behavior.)

     MA(I)G has added a chortling "thanks" to our sellout Senator in their dreadfully unsafe TV ads, in which a bearded, flannel-shirt-wearing fool with his finger on the trigger of a horizontally-held shotgun -- aimed in the general direction of playing children! -- hectors the viewer about "gun safety" while breaking the most basic rules thereof.  Gee, Senator Donnelly, are you sure that's something you want to be associated with?

     Meanwhile, Senator Dan Coats is facing pressure from the same well-oiled (if slightly felon-riddled) machine.  We need to remind him to stand firm again any new anti-gun laws, including the deceptive "expanded background checks" law, which would criminalize normal, innocent behavior.

Huck The Cat, Caught Napping

     He's just rolled on his side, to get warm all over (there's an electric blanket under the quilt!)

     Notice the fang.

Portland Design Works

     They've got a good notion of "customer support."  In response to an e-mail inquiry about the galled-solid stainless hardware on my bike basket, Portland Design Works is sending out new bolts, nuts and washers. 

     Considering that it is stainless steel, they would have been on firm ground charging for the hardware and shipping, and telling me to consider it a learning experience.  Instead, they were quite gracious about it.  Y'wanna know how to get over $100 for a bike basket?  One, offer a good product (and this one is very nicely made); two, be helpful when nitwit customers make mistakes in installation.

     (I'm totally saving up for a set of these, an upgrade to the pennyfarthing's original grips.)

Hooray For Kershaw!

     True to their word, two springs and a full set of machine screws for my Kershaw "Needs Work" daily carry knives arrived Monday.  As soon as I'd found a pair of Torx T6 drivers (note to self, buy a couple more good quality T6 bits), it was a matter of moments to restore both knives to full function.

     Total cost to me, the price of writing a quick note.  Now that's service!  Kershaw makes a quality product and supports it well; I'm happy to recommend them to you

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     I was asked by another blogger if I found the tips of these blades fragile.  They're certainly not screwdrivers or prybars; the blade shape and profile are such that the very end of the tip is quite fine.  The blade becomes much more substantial around 3/8" back.   If you were planning on using a pair to scale a wall, you will need to drive them in deeply (this use probably voids the warranty, BTW).  As knives, they're just right for me; the slender shape of the tip spares me having to carry a penknife for fine work.  When I have been inadvertently rough on the blade end, I was able to bend it back with a vise and a bit of effort, which is impressive resilience for a blade that holds an edge as well as these do.  (The little Japanese carpenter's knives I carry as a backup and for precision wire stripping take a slightly keener edge -- and snap like glass under bending stress.)  YMMV; there are plenty of choices and you should fit your knife to how you'll use it.

     As the old adage has it, "Two is one and one is none."  The reason I keep using the plural is my daily carry knives are pairs: one in my pocket, one stored at home in case of loss or damage.  I carry two knives (of different sizes) plus a Leatherman "Wave."  The first rule of having a knife when you need one is to have a knife.

Sun, Snow, Meltage, Fake Tornado?

     Yeah.  Sure.  Why not?   Just to cap off the last few days of this-goes-to-11 weather, Indiana's statewide tornado drill will happen Wednesday.  Twice, even -- once in mid-morning and again about dinner time, the sirens will sound, the TV and radio station will sound off, and J. Random Everyman (and woman) will head to the storm cellar complain about the TV shows, hit tunes or talk-show bloviators being interrupted.

     It's for your own good, more or less.  But maybe not like you'd think: the entire chain of alarums and alerts is only tested as a complete system just this once, each Spring.  It's only slightly automatic; there's a lot of human intervention -- or out at the ends where you and I notice it, sometimes far too little human intervention in the form of  maintenance.*  This is the one chance to catch the more egregious faults before tornado season starts.  If you notice it enough to be a bit annoyed, that's a good thing: it means it worked.  Heading to the basement is optional.
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* Some years ago, the city of Kokomo found their siren system had major gaps in the form of failed units and shifting population, and after crunching the numbers, realized it was more cost-effective to hand out a weather radio to everyone in town!  Hey, whatever works.

About IU

About Indiana University?  "You can trust Psi Corps.  Psi Corps is your friend."  Riiiiight.

Yep, Still Snowing

     Now officially 8 inches of snow and still falling.

     Compare and contrast with the only-a-few-hours-earlier photograph below.