I know some complain that I am too pessimistic. Not so! I am guardedly pessimistic. Now Krugman, he is a lot more pessimistic than me. Here he compares Japan to the US.
A longer and more interesting interview with Stan Druckenmiller can be viewed here. His suggestion that another crisis worse than 2008 is one I agree with. I also like his suggestion that the government can contnue with the money printing far longer than we realize.
Several years ago I saw the documentary Super Size Me. The documentary focused on the antics of Morgan Spurlock who decided to eat only food from McDonald's for 30 days. He gained 30 lbs.
Recently I watched another documentary called Fathead where Tom Naughton decided to imitate his predecessor. The documentary pointed out that Spurlock ate 5000 calories. Anyone who eats 5000 calories will gain weight. Naughton decided that he would eat only fast food for one month. This documentary is his saga.
While I recommend the documentary, I have two disclaimers.
The first is that while it is obvious that people choose to eat what they eat, people are strongly influenced by advertising. If people weren't influenced, no one would advertise. Advertising is powerful. It can be defeated by knowledge. Rather than try to fight it, I have suggested watching fewer commercials. Here is an earlier blog post where I talk about advertising and food.
The second is the documentary’s lack of concern about saturated fat. Getting people wearing white coats talking about how great saturated fat is does not convince me that saturated fat is not a problem. While I agree with Naughton's premise that the food our ancestor's ate is the best food, he does not take into account that modern animal husbandry is designed to produce an unnatural fatty meat. Hunted game has a low saturated fat percentage when compared to our "normal" domestic meat.
So either eat game, like Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg, or do what I do and watch your saturated fat intake.
So keep these things in mind as you watch the documentary, Fathead. And as always think critically no matter what you watch.
Here is the latest and greatest computer from Apple.
The new iMacThe reason the parody works is that Apple does have a tendency to place style over function. The current computer is a fine example of this. In Apple's mania for thinness and proprietary accessories they have managed to produce a new computer with less functionality than the previous one.
Apple decided that in order to keep its desktops thin they would remove the DVD player. Why in the world does anyone need a thin desktop? I do not spend all day looking at the end of my computer marveling about how thin it is. Yes you can buy an accessory that plays DVD's, but that takes up valuable desktop place. In addition, I do not know about you but the last thing I need on my desktop is more cords. I was an early adopter of CDRoms, I feel like I am going backwards.
It is not that I am "old fashioned," as was said in the Apple Keynote announcing these computers, in my desire for a DVD player. I need one.
Another thing I wanted to do was put the computer on a swivel so I could move it around. I do not want to be aggressively fussy, but the decision of Apple to make that impossible by insisting on a non-industry standard arm mount attachment is annoying. The Apple wall attachment does not allow you to move the computer around like I want.
Will I go ahead and buy the new computer? Probably, as switching costs are high. But Apple is shooting itself in its foot by letting style overwhelm function.
This is a great song by Leonard Cohen with video from the Man from Uncle containing Lenoard Nimoy and William Shatner.
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed Everybody knows that the war is over Everybody knows the good guys lost Everybody knows the fight was fixed The poor stay poor, the rich get rich That's how it goes Everybody knows Everybody knows that the boat is leaking Everybody knows that the captain lied Everybody got this broken feeling Like their father or their dog just died
Everybody talking to their pockets Everybody wants a box of chocolates And a long stem rose Everybody knows
Everybody knows that you love me baby Everybody knows that you really do Everybody knows that you've been faithful Ah give or take a night or two Everybody knows you've been discreet But there were so many people you just had to meet Without your clothes And everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows
And everybody knows that it's now or never Everybody knows that it's me or you And everybody knows that you live forever Ah when you've done a line or two Everybody knows the deal is rotten Old Black Joe's still pickin' cotton For your ribbons and bows And everybody knows
And everybody knows that the Plague is coming Everybody knows that it's moving fast Everybody knows that the naked man and woman Are just a shining artifact of the past Everybody knows the scene is dead But there's gonna be a meter on your bed That will disclose What everybody knows
And everybody knows that you're in trouble Everybody knows what you've been through From the bloody cross on top of Calvary To the beach of Malibu Everybody knows it's coming apart Take one last look at this Sacred Heart Before it blows And everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows
Oh everybody knows, everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows
I never need to leave my chair! Hmm, that does not sound good.The iPad has become a basic part of my life. The ability to be on the Internet on the couch, in a parking lot in front of Marshalls, or driving down the street getting audible turn-by-turn navigation while driving is hard for me to overemphasize—but I will try. If I did not have it I would die. It is the only thing in my life that is working. I must buy the latest model, no matter what.
Er, um, not so much.
While the iPad has filled a niche I did not know even existed, the latest and greatest model is not really that much better than the last model. My transition from the iPad to the iPad 3 (technically they called it the new iPad) was not what I expected. I followed my usual iDevice procedure and skipped the iPad 2 and bought an iPad 3. The screen was better, but not that much better. On web pages it really does not matter. If I was watching a movie on my iPad, maybe the improved screen resolution is better. But I do not watch movies on my iPad. If I happen to do that, I push a button and the movie is instead played on my TV.
The iPad and the new, must have, magical iPad Mini! The original iPad actually had better Wi-fi reception than the new one—one of those couches in my house I mentioned earlier is not a good choice for iPad usage—poor signal. The old iPad in the same spot works fine. The original iPad's battery life was superior. You had to power that snazzy new screen somehow. For me from the iPad to the iPad3 battery life dropped from 9 hours (a little short of the promised 10) to 8 hours. The old iPad's battery life has now dropped to 7. This is normal as the battery ages. But that is not a problem, I just pop open the back and put in a new battery ... oh, wait, you cannot do that. None of the iPads have user accessible parts. While the stated rationale for this is to make the iPad look cool and thin (and to be fair, it is cool and thin), its real reason is to reduce the product cycle so you have to buy a new one—now with the A7 chip!
I am not saying not to buy one. If you do, you will be surprised how much you use it. It is an essential part of modern travel. In fact I use it so much that I no longer need—no, that is not right…I never needed one—no longer want an iPhone. But while I am not saying not to buy one, I am saying not to buy the newest and latest as long as the one you have works. Do not buy into the Babylon mindset. The one who dies with the most toys does not "win." In fact there is a good chance they "lost." Since Apple products have a good life span (I booted up a "fat" Mac from the 80's a few years ago and it still worked), my next iPad will not be a 4, nor a 5. There is no need.
On Friday I talk about my next computer. Tomorrow I have a music video, Leonard Cohen Meets the Man From Uncle. In the meantime here is some Kool Aid—Steve Jobs hype.
Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 3:01AM 
