Thursday, June 16, 2011
NHL & Asterix
"The role of helmet protection has been stressed by the authors, especially in view of the fact that strap-fixation should have been taken more seriously by the Roman besiegers and others."
Who woulda thunk that one of my favorite cartoon strips (and the most effective way for me to learn French), Asterix, could have been the basis of a study of brain injury? What's next? The New England Journal of Medicine will be publishing findings on the Three Stooges? How does one get to be on these "fact"-finding missions? Does a childhood glued to the tv watching Moe, Larry, & Curly suffice as experience? Does still owning 5 of Asterix books (and parking them on a bookshelf next to Peter DeVries and Joseph Heller, humorists of a different age target) qualify me to sit in and opine?
And, now that the Stanley Cup has been awarded to the Boston Bruins who will be taking the Cup hither (Slovakia), yon (Germany), and elsewhere (Montreal, Vancouver...), will the NHL return to their investigation of concussive damage and perhaps relate them to the findings of the European Journal of Neurosurgery, Acta Neurochirurgica?
Well, I know what I'll be doing. Time to pull out those wonderful books and think back on the days when the only concern regarding head injuries were whether a solid whack by Asterix or Obelix would induce a "BAAFFFFFFF" or a "WHHHOOOP".
For my Canadian readers, I'm sure you remember that one character that now has been haunting the country for decades, Valueaddedtax. May he remain North of the Border!
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Friday, June 10, 2011
Value Subtraction Layers
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| (Photo from http://www.bastardette.blogspot.com/) |
In the NYT article, Carson Block, the 35 year old founder of Muddy Waters Research explains how the company got its name and the concept of "value subtraction layer".
"He explains by way of the firm’s name, Muddy Waters. It’s derived from a Chinese phrase that says the easiest way to catch fish is by muddying the water, forcing it to the surface.
"You kick up the silt, and they rush to the top of the water,” he said of the Chinese proverb.
“This explains a lot about how things work in China,” Mr. Block added. “Business deals are rife with value subtraction layers. The more opaque they make it, the easier it is for them to siphon off money.”
Another term for this methodology of disappearing money may be "financial quicksand".
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Yukon Goes (and goes for some more) Fishing
Well, just a pointer to a blogger that happens to be related. Da Son is out west running into various folks visiting his neck of the woods, including a fellow who was RV-ing and had inquired of him as to the availability of parking spots in Yellowstone. The inquiry was made shortly after the May 21st End of The World proclamation but before the next announced EOW...guy was simply trying to get some last view before he rides off into Infinity. Da Son seems to be dressed in a End of the World wardrobe, i.e., he sure doesn't seem to be expecting a visit from the Pope or the Queen. Way Out West wear is built for comfort not for show.
In other musings on his blog, he opines with scientific airs (and beyond my level of comprehension) on matters of the fluvial sort. He does me proud...especially when he offers graphs to illustrate his passion. I'm hoping Edward Tufte can come up with one of his magnificent relational graphs combining results of the respective successes of Fly-Fishing and Masters thesis writing, where-in there is a confluence of positive results....
.....Before the End of the World RV parks itself in his backyard.... Keep up the great blogging, Sir!
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Summer's Almost Here..
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| The Sedin Brothers a.k.a. the Dropsy Twins |
June 21st is almost upon us. I can tell as the Finals (finally) of the Stanley Cup are taking place. Not sure how much I'll be watching what with no Devils, nor Phlyers, nor Canadiens, nor reffing in the Finals. Sorry! I AM WRONG. There IS reffing in the Finals, unfortunately not fair refereeing as evidence in Wednnight's last second victory by the home team in Vancouver on a blatant non-call for offsides by the same home team. The only saving grace with that goal was that neither of the Dropsy Twins, was involved with the questionable goal. The last thing I'll say about the Bruins-That Other Team is, "Wait 'til you get to Boston." The fans there would make Philly proud.
Onto a more summer reflective sport, baseball. Great to read this weekend that PNC Park, the gorgeous Pirates baseball stadium situated on the Allegheny River, was picked as the best baseball venue, just easing past Fenway. If you've never had the chance to go there, GO. Great sight lines, absolutely gorgeous views of downtown Pittsburgh (you should go to a day game AND a night game to get the full experience), friendly and helpful staff, great food, and....uhmmm an almost major league team playing there. One of my favorite things about the way Pittsburgh deals with the Pirates games is that they shut down the Roberto Clemente bridge a few hours before game time (as well as the street feeding off of the bridge right in front of the Park) so you can walk around, beer and hot dog in hand and sink into the city experience. As regards the food...some minor issues exist, especially when you compare PNC Park with the Blue Jays' Rogers Centre.
The minute problems @ PNC Park pale in comparison to Citi Field, home of the Mets where the fans (and the rats) have deserted the ship....good to know, though, that the mice have decided to stay behind. Not sure if they're included in the "paid attendance" figures announced at the end of each game....
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Caught!
Please read some of the comments attached to the Guardian article. Quite a few appear (well, they DON'T appear) with the following message, "This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see our FAQs"
After all of these years, there is still a high level of emotion concerning Mladic.
Frankly, I never thought this day would come. I'd assumed that he would have survived to a ripe old age and simply died, unlike a lot of his victims, of natural causes. Per a Croatian newspaper, he was unarmed at the time of capture, did not have a beard, and seemed as if he'd aged quite a bit. Unlike Kardzic, he had not taken up alternative medicine prosletizing or excessive hair growth.
Now, let's see how long before he's off to The Hague. Extradition can be an adventure on its own timeline.
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Monday, May 23, 2011
@ Yankee Stadium, You Can't
The alleged reason, as put forth by the Yankee organization, is that some fan was beaned by a foul ball when he was reading his Kindle. So...reading a book, a souvenir media guide, or, God forbid, a newspaper will soon be banned as well. Keep in mind that this is the same organization that sold season tix to their fans without telling them that there may be a restaurant obstructing their view.
So......another reason to hate the Bronx Bombers is provided to you by their management team.
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
Per today's piece in Writer's Almanac, a lawyer is an alleged learned professional who can argue that a tomato is a vegetable. A lawyer can also present the case that the tomato is a fruit.
But that's only an argument; I can present the case that I'm Brad Pitt.
So, it's up to a judge to pronounce the final answer to such foolishness, right? So, what is a judge?
A judge is the epitome of accumulated human knowledge who can decide that (regardless of the science of botany) that the tomato is a vegetable.
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Monday, May 09, 2011
Eunuchs & Tax Collection
An excerpt:
"In a country of a hundred and eighty million people, fewer than two million citizens pay taxes, and Pakistan’s leaders are doing little to change the situation. In Karachi, the financial capital, the government recently inaugurated a program to appoint eunuchs as tax collectors. Eunuchs are considered relentless scolds in South Asia, and the threat of being hounded by one is somehow supposed to take the place of audits."
Imagine that. 1.1111% of Pakistanis pay income tax. The USA hands out over 1 billion dollars a year in aid (not counting the hard to track military aid given) to Pakistan. Just wondering if the late Osama bin Laden was one of the 1.111% contributing or was his "income" left untaxed?
Had the IRS been asked to get involved with bin Laden's capture I wonder if he would have been found earlier and suffered the same fate as Al Capone? (tongue firmly embedded in cheek, folks....)
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
281 Times
Ha!
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill, New Yorker
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Dissing the Hipster...
Seems that David Foster Wallace is getting a bad reputation and unfortunately he is no longer amongst us to defend himself thanks to the Hipster element. Boston's Phoenix fills in the facts. People Holding "Infinite Jest" provides photos and comments a la The Unhappy Hipster (h/t to Michael @ Execupundit for cluing me in the latter hilariously quippy site).
This post all started thanks to a tip from the Somerville Scout.
..so, if you're a DFW fan ( I confess...his verbal theatrics are a wonder), you may be wanting to read your Pale King at home or, if in public, wrap it in Kraft paper or discarded IRS forms.
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Friday, April 15, 2011
Some Issues
Since I have many relatives still over in the Old Country, I receive different information on matters over there. Certainly, some of it is biased, but a lot of it does not become revealed to the "unerring judgement of journalistic light" until much much later. A perfect example was the black market shenanigans of the U.N. troops sent over to "guard" the airport in Zagreb. I heard about the corruption early on in the conflict. Newspapers such as the NY Times and the Guardian did not tackle this touchy issue until a decade after the conflict was over. To my knowledge, no one from the U.N. participating countries has ever been prosecuted for the money-grubbing activity.
All I can say is that with my relative sources, the whole Gotovina matter rather stinks. The alleged culpable miscreants who started the whole mess are still rambling around and no urgency seems to be exercised in closing that end of the matter. Innocence, not truth, is the first casualty of war.
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Cooking Tiger Stew
More so than usual, as evidenced by my grades in my major, I tended to go through the stacks and pick out books I'd drag back to my carrel and proceed to devour rather than having my eyes stare at textbooks. I completed a self-directed major in Russian literature while in the McLennan; unfortunately my McGill degree did not acknowledge my "independent" studies.
So, I'm going with "Cooking Tiger Stew", soon to be on your Cook book and Animal Studies shelves in your local brick & mortar venues or Internet Book coves.
Hmmmm...on the other hand, perhaps I'll re-think that title.
Addendum: The Ever-Loving Wife, tired of my incessant commentating re. the hyper-apperance (don't believe me? Here are some links just from the NYT. One. Two.) of both "A Tiger's Wife", the book, and "A Tiger's Wife", the author, has decided to put a wet sock in my grousing by buying a copy and insisting I read it before I moan on. A short review of the book will eventually pay a visit to these "pages".
Addendum #2: It's Sunday morning, March the 20th and I'm reading the NYT Book Review. New books to be reviewed this week? Well, one would be Sarita Mandanna's "Tiger Hills". So, the tiger limbers on.
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Thursday, March 03, 2011
"The Information"
Personally, I'll be putting "The Information" on my Amazon Wish List, holding off the Buying Click for now. With shame, I'll pre-admit that the chances of my finishing reading Mr. Gleick's tome may be the same as those of my finishing Mr. Hofstadter's book...which has been in my possession for over 20 years.
None.
But, like Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, the effort will be there. Kindle or Hardcover? I'd swing toward the hardcover version. At times of frustration of comprehension (no matter how lucid Mr. Gleick may be), it is a better economic decision to chuck a book than a Kindle.
..and, yes, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Books has had me on their "to audit" list since way back in the last century when I first tackled Gödel
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Monday, February 21, 2011
Open City
However, there's that pile o' books bedside wearing that jilted look that shrivels one's heart...
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Two Guys Who Look Good In Hats Will...
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Wordle-Guess I've Been a Bit Excited 'bout Sharon Jones....
Friday, February 04, 2011
Sometimes It's the Direction of The Message...
...that matters.
A dear and wise friend sent this video.
If you have 2 minutes and 25 seconds of free time on your hands then....
1) Click on the "Enlarge to Screen" box in the lower right corner of the video.
2) Hit "Play".
3) Make sure to stay until the very end.....
If you don't have the 2 & 1/2 minutes...come back another time when you do. It is important to see your way through the whole thing.
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Thursday, February 03, 2011
If It Weren't Sad, It'd Be Funny
* 59 percent of women in the 27-member European Union are employed v. 46 percent of Italian women
* According to the 2010 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index, Italy ranks 74th out of 134 countries.
* In familycentric Italy, fewer than 10 percent of toddlers have access to preschool nurseries (I hear Maria Montessori turning in her grave).
* Italian women have come far in a country whose most entrenched power structures - the Roman Catholic Church and organized crime - remain male and secretive. For the first time, women now lead the industrialists’ association and Italy’s largest labor union. (“It took them nearly 100 years to appoint a woman, and they chose the worst economic moment,” Ms. Marcegaglia recently said about herself.)
I did a double take when reading the pairing up of organized crime and the Roman Catholic Church; I'd always missed the connection. What with the other issues the Church has been having the past 5 years or so, I'm wondering which of the two male dominated organizations feels more slighted being grouped with the other.
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Poor Artistical Timing
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
This Sunday... Who Am I Cheering For?
(Note: Video NSFGBF *)
Take a guess.
Game preparations include watching this DVD. Franco is still The Man...and a great Dad.
* NSFGBF: Not Safe For Green Bay Fan
Labels: 2011-Peaking Over the Mole Hill, Pittsburgh




