Frank this is for you

MACAFRAMA Trailer from MACAFRAMA on Vimeo.
A whole movie about the joys of riding a single speed bike---although in San Francisco rather than Redding.

Cuba

As you can see in this preview of the Nature show about the wild animals of Cuba, whenever they show a street scene you see wonderful old US cars of the 50's and 60's. Cuba is a treasure trove of collectible cars.
I think a good thing for Obama to do this week would be to stop the embargo on Cuba. This would be a painless stimulus. Travelers would go to Cuba on US airlines who would rapidly put in flights. Travel agencies would arrange tours. Car collectors would buy cars. And auto makers would find a ready market for the US cars currently sitting unsold in the US. Then we would also export the technology to repair those cars, since the days are long gone when I would lift up the hood of a car and take the air filter apart and bang around on various parts with a hammer and the car would start again. This stroke of a pen could be worth a few billion in stimulus.

Saving money

USPS may end Saturday mail delivery for an annual savings of 2.5 billion. A little less than it lost last year.

Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup

You knew there was some reason you did not like the High Fructose Corn Syrup that is in everything. It's that nice little hint of metallic flavor, mercury. Plants across the nation still make the caustic soda and acid used to make the corn syrup in electrified vats of mercury. The FDA sat on this since 2005. I am shocked to tears, but in some ways not surprised. It is just the latest episode in the ongoing saga of Still Bushed.

Time to invest?

We know that money invested in the stock market grows about 6 times better under Democratic presidents----that's if you exclude Hoover. It's really worse if you include Hoover. 10k=11k if invested under only Republican presidents including Hoover. 10k invested under only Democratic presidents = 300K.
So now is the time to invest. But you still have to be careful. Bank stocks are a bad idea. A good idea is tech companies that do hospital/medical information systems. Also some of the companies that sell cheap stuff are still doing well, Walmart and McDonalds. Do Grocery Outlet and SaveMart sell stock? Home security companies may still do well, but companies that sell security to the government will do less well as the government edges away from privatization. Companies that specialize in green energy may do well, but since many will be jumping into this field some will do well and some will fail. New energy technologies are a good bet, if you can find the right ones.
Add health insurance companies as a bad investment. Probably drug companies as well.

Glinda vs Elphaba

State Department staffers have a Glinda party for the arrival of Hillary as Secretary of State. Condoleezza was referred to as the Wicked Witch of the West for using the State Department for self glorification.

Obama Figurine

Most collectible kitschy Obama figurine wields two swords. Hiyah!!!!

Light Lane

For areas without a bike lane, you project your own laser lit lane.

A New Day

Obamicon.me

Finally got this to work. Go to Obamicon to make your own.

Born Again American

From Bill Moyers tonight a great challenge to become a Born Again American.

Live it up on the downside

with faux caviar.

Waitrose supermarket chain in Britain is selling something it calls Arenkha MSC with a similar texture and taste to the much-prized sturgeon roe but at a fraction of the price. It says it combines "smoked herring with squid ink, lemon juice and spices."

Yum?

Amsterdam and Ice

I was thinking about the cold that has settled on Europe and the children in Amsterdam when this icy picture came up on the rolling pictures on my Google sidebar. Think of these icy fingers running down your spine. (from Ice Fantasy in Bruges 07)

Prophetic Re Worlds

Well I hate to say I told you so. But my prediction of the addition of Brian Matter to the USA Worlds Cyclocross team was prophetic. But the switch to Blue Competition Cycles is harsh.

Out of Work?

Apply for the best job in the world as a caretaker at Hamilton Island at the Great Barrier Reef. The job is basically as a promoter of tourism at the various islands of the reef by blogging about your adventures and the great time you have on the island, but you get your own island home free of rent and ~$100,000 salary (paid as 70,000 pounds). The house is a

$5m villa perched 80 meters up a ravine, overlooking the narrow azure channel where humpback whales migrate in September.

A Bond villain-esque golf buggy sits idle in the drive, awaiting the arrival of its new owner, who must also become accustomed to travel by powerboat, jet-ski and yacht. Just around the corner, Whitehaven Beach is regularly voted among the top 10 in the world for its 98 per cent pure silica sand.

Candidates have until 22 February to apply at islandreefjob.com, submitting a 60-second (or less) video clip explaining why they should get the job. They must speak English and have "excellent communication skills", a "desire for adventure" and "passion for the outdoors". There is talk of a cut-off point at 30,000 applications...

So get busy on that video.

This reminds me of when dad and I applied for the job of teacher and island administrator of Pitcairn island in 1976. Except that would have been a lot of work and living conditions would not have been plush.

Herding Cats

Looks like despite his popular mandate with the people, Obama will not have an easy time with the Congress, as objections come up about his choice of appointees and his desired legislation. And not just from Republicans. The Repubs make the expected noises as they are now deficit hawks and are ready to hold appointees feet to the fire. Just like they did with Bush's legislation and appointees---Right. But Democrats are making all kinds of noise also. Didn't we work for a Democratic Senate and House so they could work with a Democratic President? I don't get it.

Grand Canyon for Anyone

Just watched a great film on PBS (we had recorded it) Right to Risk. It's about a group of disabled people who took a 15 day float trip down the Grand Canyon.

If they can do it, I can.

Cat Man Do

Naomi Klein Calls for Boycott

Yes, Boycott goods from Israel. Items can be identified with a bar code that begins with 729.

The Largest Moon

Tonight is the night that the moon is the largest of the year. It looks pretty small through the branches.

Let the bankruptcies begin

States will be going bankrupt soon. AZ apparently has 6 weeks of funds left. Then CA is headed down a bad road. Apparently NV is close and probably many others. Whoop Te Doo.

The Stump-Grinder Man

The stump-grinder man is here. Working on some of the stumps that need to be removed, leftovers from the logging operation.

Too Funny

See something wrong here? One of the stores in a fake brands shopping mall soon to open in China.

Faux Mincemeat

I felt like making a mincemeat pie, but I did not want to buy the canned kind. So I made some meatless mincemeat. I had just one pie crust. The curls on top are edge trimmings. It turned out pretty good.

GP de Ster Sint Niklaas Belgium

According to CXmagazine,

The U.S. had an impressive thirteen starters, with Ryan Trebon and Jonathan Baker finishing 12th and 13th, respectively.

That was one two for the USA. I have found no race pictures yet. Except the obvious ones of Bart Wellens.

Happy Cat New Year's Video