March 2012
23 posts
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Taxes and such
So I finally got my taxes done last night. Four years ago, I used an accountant and vowed never to file myself from that point on. Predictably, the following three years were all filed by myself due to extreme procrastination. But this year, I filed with an accountant again. And I’m super happy I did.
So far, I’ve always gotten money back, but I never know, so it always feels...
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How do you know when you're delusional?
So this is something I’ve been wrestling with for a while. Often times someone “knows” something erroneous. Example: A ton of people “knew” the world was flat for hundreds of years. When a person “knows” something as an absolute truth, it’s very hard to persuade them otherwise. It is possible for many people, but it takes a mountain of evidence,...
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What does your state read for news?
The most popular online news site by a state’s populus here. My home state of Minnesota reads……The Onion.
How a City goes Broke (NPR link) →
pegobry asked: Hi, thanks for your response to my Atlantic post! Re: whether lobbying works because of the "legislative subsidy" as I posit or because of some other reason, I would recommend reading Ezra Klein's article, which explains the concept very eloquently. The idea of a legislative subsidy is actually rooted in many years of research in political science--I didn't pull out of my hat...
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Another good DC trip plus frequent flyer...
I was in DC this past weekend as a member of my cousin’s wedding party. My girlfriend’s sister’s connections got my extended family and I a tour of the Capitol building, courtesy of Senator Reid of Nevada. Having now toured both the White House and the US Capitol, the Capitol tour was FAR more interesting. I can see touring the WH more as a thing to say you’ve done it, but touring the Capitol...
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A response to Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry of The...
PE Gobry recently wrote an article proposing that the way to “fix” the lobbying problems the US has with government was to give our Congressmen(women) a much bigger budget. For those interested, the link is here.
I think he’s wrong, but not on the wrong track. Mr. Gobry posits that the reason politicians listen to lobbyists is that the politician doesn’t have the...
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If we are ever the aliens...
If, in my lifetime, it ever turns out that Earth discovers an alien civilization of which we’re more advanced, I’m going to be the worst ambassador to humanity. I’ll constantly be hiding in a spaceship, hovering the aliens’ planet, then sneaking down and causing mischief everywhere. Stealing alien trash cans, swapping alien political signs in the yards, introducing a lone...
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We are all in the Matrix
For a number of years now, I’ve argued the case that the universe may just be some alien grad student’s simulation for his thesis. He’s probably failing, but that’s irrelevant. While the idea is a bit tongue-in-cheek, it serves as a very good base argument for a lot of things. It’s impossible to disprove which is fun in its own right, causing many a feather to be...
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Nothing like a good mixed metaphor
One of the most underrated aspects of the English language is a good mixed metaphor. People unknowingly mix metaphors all the time. Some people get upset by them or just assume the other person is an idiot (not a bad assumption by default). I love ‘em. I love hearing when people say them, and I really only bring attention to the error with children or people just learning English....
The latest crime wave...Stealing detergent? →
“The mayfly lives only one day. Sometimes it rains.”
– George Carlin
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How do you ship a horse to London? →
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I am a cyborg.
Cyborgs are a pretty popular thing in science fiction. For those who’ve been living in a cave for the past 80 years, a cyborg is part man and part machine. The Terminator was a cyborg.
I, too, am a cyborg. Well, I’m one step away from being a true cyborg. So are you. My smart phone is with me at all times. I use it to take pictures, look up information, schedule things in my...
How to Start a Start-up (from Y-combinator) →
How much of a year would you spend reading privacy... →
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Get off it already with your "killer" idea
Too often, I hear people talk about their killer ideas. They’re game changers. They’ll revolutionize the way we do X. I’ve got this amazing idea for a website, but I need someone to make it for me and I don’t want to spend money. Blah blah blah.
Ideas are the easy part, people. Everyone has great ideas. Some people act on them. Most don’t. It’s also...
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Markets in everything: let medical providers bid... →
Japanese Earthquake Proofing →
