Smoke Signals
by tom acox on December 13, 2011
I feel like this bodega is sending mixed signals…
HT: Josh R
Why people don’t like Occupy Wall Street
by tom acox on December 12, 2011
I am generally sympathetic in that I think the system is broke and at least these people are engaging in an attempt to have a conversation about it. But, this drives me crazy. This is like a citizen’s arrest meets reverse eminent domain.
Dear New York MoveOn member,
Occupy Wall Street, having been violently evicted from Zuccotti Park, is desperately searching for a new home in Lower Manhattan. Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church has a vacant lot just a mile away that could be an ideal location.
As a group of Occupiers put it in an open letter, “We have asked the Church time and time again to grant us political sanctuary on their unused lands. It is time for Trinity to decide whether it is a Church or a real estate company.”
The group began a hunger strike at the site over the weekend, and Trinity responded by calling the New York Police Department and having the protesters arrested.
That’s why I created a petition to the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Rector of the Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church, on SignOn.org, which says:
With Occupy Wall Street facing a crackdown from the Bloomberg administration, the faith community needs to continue standing with the 99%. Trinity Church, don’t let the NYPD arrest any more people on your property—offer sanctuary to Occupy Wall Street!
Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=
268566&id=33637-10383768-WM% 3DHOFx&t=2 Thanks!
–Nick Sementelli, Faithful America
Markets in Holiday Girlfriends
by tom acox on November 30, 2011
Be my girlfriend for the holidays. And only for the holidays.
How it works:
You reply with a picture and a brief bio (250 words max. To give you an idea, this posting is 499). If it seems like a good fit we’ll set up a casual mini-date (coffee, beer, or whatever). If that’s a success and we’re both feeling it, we’ll date until 11:59PM, January 2nd, 2012. After that we can still be friends (unless we hate each other, then we can downshift to the occasional drunken booty call).The benefits:
• You have someone to keep you company on these witch-tit-cold San Francisco nights. Did I mention I’m an excellent cuddler? (I have references.)
• I like to cook. Especially for others. Nothing too fancy, but always tasty and satisfying. As long as you’re an omnivore, you win.
• Having done it professionally for some years to pay for school, I know my way around a bar. Same goes for wine cellars and beer coolers. Homemade winter warmers? Done.
• Hate holiday music? Me too. Seeing as every other establishment or event you step into will be playing it, I’ll spare you the excess.
• Love taking photos? Sweet. Let’s wear gaudy holiday attire and make ridiculous Xmas postcards to send your friends and family. Just for the lulz.
• Worried about finding someone to kiss on New Year’s Eve who doesn’t look (or sound) like Sloth’s cousin? Boom! Got you covered.
HT: Amelia
Addendum: Apparently, Amelia is also on the market for a holiday boyfriend.
Yao Ming Likes Cabernet
by tom acox on November 28, 2011
Mr. Yao’s appreciation for wine grew in parallel with its acceptance in his home country—wine consumption in China doubled from 2005 to 2009. But wine imported into China came predominantly from France, and he spotted a market opportunity for Californian wines.
Sidenote: I didn’t realize Yao was only 31 and retired already.
Yao Ming Courts China’s Wine Boom
Foo Fighters and The Ticket Market (Plus Two Videos!)
by tom acox on November 16, 2011
Last night two interesting things happened.
1. I took two awesome videos at the Foo Fighters concert. Note: I am thoroughly impressed with the sound quality captured using only an iPhone 4S and no special features.
2. There was an extremely strange situation in the market for tickets being resold around the venue.
In order to justify posting #1 (see below) I am going to discuss #2.
I showed up with three extra tickets for seats in the 101 section. Not floor. But decent. Tickets were going between $35-$130 on Stubhub prior. Immediately, walking over I was bombarded by people selling floor tickets for anywhere between $20 and $60.
I tried for about 25 minutes with absolutely zero interest from other sellers and potential concert-goers. The market was flooded with cheap floor seats.
Interesting possibly related facts:
- The floor wasn’t even that crowded.
- Foos had played a NJ show at the Izod center about a month ago.
- They had played across the river at Madison Square Garden the night before.
- It was a Monday, the night when only real fans go to concerts.
- Most of the parking lots around the arena are valet and thus people were not hanging out in them tailgating.
- I was told there is a law that tickets can’t be resold within 100 feet or 100 yards (this is obviously not verified) of the arena.
Also, if I am on my smartphone standing within 100 feet of the building purchasing a ticket am I technically breaking the law?
Thoughts on what happened? Other possible conclusion: some snafu with Ticketmaster/the venue?
And now here Foo Fighters and Bob Mould covering Tom Petty’s ‘Breakdown’ and Dave Growl playing ‘Wheels’ dedicated to some Germans in section 103.
InfoGraph: Tuxedo/Dancing Edition
by tom acox on October 20, 2011
Everyone knows that a party that is too fancy does not have awesome dance moves and that a party is not classy enough has trashy dancing. The best dance moves are broken out when there are just the right amount of tuxedo-clad folks involved.
I give you…the equilibrium party point.
PS Happy wedding to the Deegan/Donahue clan.
The Culture That is India: Election Edition
by tom acox on October 17, 2011
Again, no clue why I am getting these but they are [mildly] interesting.
This is to inform you that our Chennai offices will be closed on Monday, 17th October 2011 on account of local body elections in the State of Tamil Nadu where we are located.
The notification from the Government of Tamil Nadu declaring it a statewide holiday was made known to us only this morning and hence the short notice.
We are doing everything possible to ensure that there is little or no impact on deliverables.
We will be back at work on Tuesday, 18th October 2011.
Steve Jobs and the market
by tom acox on October 7, 2011
Everyone has something to say about Steve Jobs. At Forbes, Art Carden has the best coverage in terms of economics and what Jobs accomplished in the market place.
The point is that Steve Jobs was a participant in a process whereby suppliers compete with one another for the affections of demanders and demanders compete with one another for the affections of suppliers. When we don’t mess it up too much and when we extend to people the courtesy and responsibility that comes with commerce, we get iProducts, Kindles, and electronic toothbrushes that can all be had for “steadily decreasing amounts of effort,” to quote Joseph Schumpeter.
