Author Archives: mindless

A few weeks ago, I attended an amazing wedding in Jackson Hole. The ceremony took place on the banks of the Snake River and the bride rode in on a horse-drawn carriage. What impressed me even further is that the … Continue reading →

A few weeks ago, I wrote the following nerdy and somewhat-cryptic tweet: Abromowitz polarization variable: if(yr0,1,-1)) counts as 4 degs of freedom? http://j.mp/SbHyzx The “degrees of freedom” that I reference is the statistical term, which represents the difference between he … Continue reading →

Microfinance was a term that I heard bandied about in social situations but was generally unfamiliar with until a few years ago, when a friend gave me a Kiva gift certificate as a birthday present. I found Kiva’s model of … Continue reading →

Watching the BBC’s Sherlock Season 2 Finale has me in a crime-solving mood, so I devoured WaPo’s article on the Guggenheim assault. Here are my notes: Despite the paper calling the crime a “howdunit, a whydunit, a whendunit,” it’s highly … Continue reading →

Short version: I made this coaster out of scrabble tiles. The eight words (across and down) are all obliquely about beverages and/or water. Long version: I was visiting my brother and his expecting wife recently and part of the weekend … Continue reading →

Poli sci attracts the kids with world domineering obsessions Then they quit since its just theory plus multivar regressions

The Web does so much for me; today, I want to give back. First, here’s a music video that I think is astoundingly creative and beautifully executed, and which you may not have seen: (Thanks to Pandora for introducing me … Continue reading →

At the Supreme Court this week, the Obama Administration will defend its Health Care Reform Law. I have two pieces of advice for the Solicitor General. State a limiting principle. The Administration has been shockingly blasé about defining exactly why … Continue reading →

In browsing my Personal WaPo, I came across Ed Roger’s anti-debt rant. I call it a rant because rather than reasoned arguments, he tries to throw big numbers at you ($341,288!) and hope you’re sufficiently outraged. It occurs to me … Continue reading →

The New York Times has a head-turning story about a James Ross, whose “taxable income” rate is 102%. Before you take too much pity on Mr. Ross, I invite you to soak in these sentences: That doesn’t mean Mr. Ross … Continue reading →