Welcome to my World

(Sidenote 11Aug2007. Two+ years into retirement and I'm firmly convinced if I do nothing the rest of my life but read good writing, and read it thoroughly, my remaining years will be richly rewarded.)

(31Mar2011) Springtime in the Rockies. Granulated corn snow falling this morning at my undisclosed location in Summit County. 5" of fresh in the last 24 hours at Copper Mountain.

I finished reading Dismantling America. What's next? I'm on Lecture 15 of 24 on the DVD course The Art of Critical Decision Making. (Isn't that 99% of life, making decisions? One can never learn too much about that, and hopefully apply at least a fraction to one's life.) I just borrowed (from the local library) and started reading Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America by Ann Coulter. I've been wanting to read something by this acerbic Conservative wit. So far I'm not disappointed. In the immediate queue is The Confession by John Grisham and the DVD course The Secrets of Mental Math.

If you read this drop me at email at "KACEE at FREEDOMJOHN dot US", with the appropriate symbols replaced of course, and say "I read 31Mar2011 at Freedomjohn." Thanks.

(16Mar2011) I'm now reading Dismantling America by Thomas Sowell. Published last year it is a collection of his columns on very recent current events. It is very reasoned commentary and opinion. The format suits my attention deficits well. Each column/chapter is about 3 pages long. It is easy to absorb a few at a time and put the book down. There are a hundred or so chapters grouped into the topic areas of Government Policies, Political Issues, Economic Issues, Cultural Issues, and Legal Issues. Sowell is good.

(03Mar2011) I finally finished CAPITALISM: THE UNKNOWN IDEAL by Ayn Rand. I'd been struggling with it, because she writes with a precision and intensity on which my lazy reading style has difficulty focusing. Regardless, she nails it. I'll have to write a book about it sometime. I recommend it. Next up: DISMANTLING AMERICA by Thomas Sowell. He is no slouch either.

Skied my 4th day in a row today. 31 days so far this season. A total of 312 runs. That's an average of 10.0645 runs per ski day, for those of you in Rio Lindo.

(25Feb2011) Pow pow day today. That's skier baby talk for powder snow. 4-5" of fresh at Copper. Might as well have been 4-5' for my skills, but I LIKED it. Sooo soft and forgiving.

I also liked being on the lift at 9:05AM, five minutes after it opened. 5 minutes earlier and I might have gotten first tracks. These days that is tough to do unless you're up at the crack of dawn or ski a lot 'off-piste' (backcountry). I still skied a decent bit of untracked patches this morning. The more moguly (technical term) black diamond runs like Triple Threat had less skiers and more untracked patches. Skied that puppy twice. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" (James Cagney in the movie White Heat.)

I am still luvvvvvin' the new skis. They turned well in the powder and are much easier on the legs. Today was my 3rd day skiing in a row (a season record and major legs achievement in my small world). I made a short but fun day of it, as I had a snowy drive back to Denver for the weekend. Fun, fun, fun.

Yesterday was another good ski day. It was a bright blue sky, moderately breezy but with temps in the 20s(F), the chill factor nothing like the frigid Arctic temperatures of nearly a month ago. The ski runs at Copper Mountain were impeccably groomed as usual, almost to a fault. The snow was 'hard packed' with an inch or so of soft on top, but not hard-packed like ice, when it's so warm the snow has melted on the previous day and then frozen solid overnight. The hard packed snow caused skiers to kick up little puffs of snow spray on every turn, so riding up the chairlift and watching people ski down you'd get an eye-pleasing display of sprays reflecting in the sunlight.

My legs felt strong after a 5-day respite from downhill skiing (with some cross-country skiing and gym time mixed during the interim). Actually, I surmised they felt strong because they didn't feel weak as I skied. "Non-stops" all day long (no stopping during a run until the end of the run is reached), including a run down the normally challenging, for me, and moderately bumpy Triple Threat run.

All in all it was a good ski-day. Loved the blue skies, loved the I-Feel-Good skiing. (I AM a legend in my own mind.)

Skiing today was a little.. bit.. different. Colder, hazy/cloudy with very random sunshine, MUCH windier. Clouds were moving fast, with wind-blown whiteouts and peeks of sun toggling back and forth. The snow was better, softer, due to some snowfall and high winds blowing it around. It was a late start for me, getting on the ski lift at 12:15PM and concluding 9 runs and 2 hours later. The legs still felt good. I am skiing more moguls and skiing them better with the new short, short (162cm) Rossignol S86 skis. I already have 25 ski days in this season, which is more than I've skied in one season in a very long time. It's not about the number of days, of course, it's the quality of the skiing and the "fun quotient". This season that quotient is VERY GOOD!

(12Jul2010) Hmmm. What have I done in the last year? Traveled to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and stayed at the elegant Ritz Carlton! Traveled to Hawaii. Traveled to Gateway Canyon Resort in western Colorado and on to Moab, Utah. Was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had my prostate removed. Visited families for Christmas. Recovered well from surgery. Went on the Timberwolves WWII Europe Tour in May. Visited my mother and sister in Columbus, OH in June. Went to a REAL Greek wedding at the end of June. Read many books, essays, and articles throughout.

(25May2009) I recently finished The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism by Dr. Robert P. Murphy yet again. Comments on the BOOKS page.

Catch my recent photo albums on Windows Live. And blogs, Oh My!

(18Apr2009) I'M STILL HERE! (Although you couldn't tell from the frequency of my updates.) I played the World of Warcraft PC game for 3 ½ months straight until I canceled my online subscription in March and rejoined reality living. (…tooo …much …fun.) That is what occupied a lot of my time this winter. It was also a GREAT winter skiing in Colorado, for the 23 days I made it up to the mountains. Some of the BEST snow I have skied in many, many years.

I’m stilling working on my dieting and weight loss. One thing about playing WoW (World of Warcraft) constantly, you get so engrossed in the game that it is easier to go hungry. (Gamers have their priorities, after all.) The saga continues HERE.

(14Feb2009) I'M STILL HERE! (Although you couldn't tell from the frequency of my updates.) Weight is still heavily on my mind, but less so on my body. The saga continues HERE.

(16Jan2009) I'M STILL HERE! (Although you couldn't tell from the frequency of my updates.) I was away for the holidays the last 2 weeks of December. Our annual Christmas letter can be seen HERE. Since the holidays are and were yet another excuse to pig out and eat everything in sight, 2009 has started off as ALL ABOUT WEIGHT. I am SERIOUSLY working on losing some pounds AND keeping them off. Like everyone I've lost and gained weight all my life. My own family struggles with the same problem. My brother is WAYYYYYYY overweight and we are concerned about him. I'm trying to share my own situation with the family in the hopes each will do something positive for himself. We ALL have plenty of knowledge about diet and exercise, and each person has sole responsibility for making a difference. HERE is some of my sharing with the family.

(29Nov2008) Thanksgiving Weekend 2008. Dinner, Christmas decorating, first snow! Page may load slowly on slower internet connections due to the large number of photos. HERE.

(22Nov2008) Colorado Wine Country Photo Gallery - October 16-19, 2008. Page may load slowly on slower internet connections due to the large number of photos. HERE.

(19Nov2008) Photo gallery on an October visit to New Orleans. Page may load slowly on slower internet connections due to the large number of photos. HERE.

(10Nov2008) Though my book reading has slowed a bit lately, I recently completed The Street Lawyer by John Grisham.

(30Oct2008) Hope and Change? "...may we choose the candidate who will lead us into the future that is HOPE.” (???????)

(24Oct2008) I recently finished my second listen of the audiobook THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO THE CONSTITUTION by Kevin R. C. Gutzman. Outstanding book, but I really must buy the written word some day so I can review all the cases mentioned.

(05Oct2008) POLITICS! It wouldn't be a presidential election year without a few comments. "Senate bailout bill protects wooden arrows" and "Palin hits a home run!" HERE.

(28Sep2008) We had autumn today in the North Central Rockies. TLW and I drove to our old stomping grounds in Fairplay, CO and saw some of the prettiest colors we’ve ever seen in this area. Autumn may last a few days longer but we hit a good day for it. The following link is to some photos:

(22Sep2008) I read (sped through) the fictional Without Reserve - A Novel of the War on Terror by Steven B. Howery. (Amazon) The author is a USAR officer in Military Intelligence and gave an overview talk on the last 10-15 years in Afghanistan at my local library recently. Comments.

(20Sep2008) I finished the audiobook The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers By Mark Skousen (Audible.com) and the fiction work THE APPEAL by John Grisham. (Amazon). Comments.

(04Sep2008) TLW and I spent 6 days in Washington, DC last weekend, and with all the political conventions taking place elsewhere it seemed like there were NO POLITICIANS in town. With her parents we were attending the WWII reunion of her father's 104th Inf. Div. unit, the Timberwolves. Highlights of the visit were the WWII Monument, the Holocaust Museum, and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (entire Western Hemisphere Indians, that is). HERE are 4 pages of photos of our trip.

(01Sep2008) I sped through the gripping, suspenseful TOTAL CONTROL (Amazon) by David Baldacci during a recent weekend in Washington, DC. Great fictional escapism. A little high finance, a little high-tech, a whole lotta cliff-hanging suspense from start to finish. I highly recommend it for the genre, it just won't last long for you because you won't be able to put it down until you finish.

(23Aug2008) I finished God's Gold; the Story of Rockefeller and his Times (Mises.org) by John T. Flynn and The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Amazon) (Audible) by Lawrence Wright. Both were outstanding reads. My comments here.

(13Aug2008) I'm currently engrossed in 2 books: God's Gold; the Story of Rockefeller and his Times (Mises.org) by John T. Flynn (John D. Rockefeller that is, God's Gold being OIL) (published in 1932, before Rockefeller died in 1937), and The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Amazon) (Audible) by Lawrence Wright. I'm reading God's Gold on my computer as it's made available free by Mises.org, and I'm listening to Looming Tower from Audible.com. Both books are fascinating so far. In God's Gold I'm curious to find if this pious, tithing Baptist "robber baron" was really the corporate fiend history often makes him out to be. The Looming Tower is a detailed study of the men who preceded and eventually made up the core of the current radical Islamic fundamentalists (Qutb, Zawahiri, Bin Laden, and many others). Lots of facts. T.B.C.

(08Aug2008 1/2) I LOVE PARIS! Hilton, that is. Her response ad to the McCain-bashing-Obama ad is classic. McCain should capitalize on it and LIGHTEN UP. Paris' energy plan is not the worst: Hilton’s plan included “limited offshore drilling, with strict environmental oversight … while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars.” “I want America to know that I’m, like, totally ready to lead,” she says in the video. Paris for Secretary of Energy? (Can you name the current Secretary of Energy without looking it up? You wouldn't forget Paris!)

(30Jul2008) I finished The American President: A Complete History (Amazon) by Kathryn Moore, except I didn't read all the inaugural speeches, if you'll forgive me that omission. I also finished my first listen of the audiobook THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO THE CONSTITUTION by Kevin R. C. Gutzman. Comments here.

(29Jun2008) I struggled through the poor narration and finished the audiobook Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left (Unabridged) By: Jonah Goldberg. A scholarly work more suited to the perpetual student of politics, which I am not, but thought provoking. More stunning than the "liberal fascism" argument were the considerable National Socialist elements of the Democratic party during the Wilson, F.D.R., and Johnson eras of the 20th Century. Brrrr!

I'm currently reading, and immensely enjoying, The American President: A Complete History (Amazon) by Kathryn Moore. The short biographies are of course a refresher in American history. Oh my gawd, we have ALWAYS been ruminating about tariffs, monetary policy, and international strife. Who would have thought.

(8Jun2008) I highly recommend the audiobook format.

I finished the 52 hours of Atlas Shrugged (Unabridged) By: Ayn Rand in audiobook. It took 2 months of workouts at the gym, but at least my mind feels exercised. My comments are HERE.

I listened to about 6 of 16 hours of Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left (Unabridged) By: Jonah Goldberg, but I've given up on the rest due to the poor narration. My comments are HERE.

(27May2008) I am 30 of 52 hours into the ATLAS SHRUGGED audiobook. I am still enjoying it immensely, despite this being my third time through the book. (I read the hard cover copy twice.) The little details seem to "stick" better from the oral format, such as how many times Dagny "shrugs". READ or LISTEN to this book. (Most of my listening time is while I'm at the gym.)

I'm currently reading David Baldacci's SAVING FAITH (Amazon) . Better than his SIMPLE GENIUS, but not 'quite' as suspenseful as CAMEL CLUB, in my opinion.

I've also picked up EUROPE: A HISTORY (Amazon) by Norman Davies again. This is a massive book that makes ATLAS SHRUGGED look small. I'd read half of it previously, though my retention rate is near zero. It is sort of like "reading history" through 3 degrees at university. I doubt I'll ever finish it, let alone remember much, but it satisfies that occasional urge for perusing the past.

I'll also be acquiring the abridged version of John Adams:

John Adams By: David McCullough

(18May2008) I finished SIMPLE GENIUS (Amazon) by David Baldacci last week. (Relatively lightweight.) I have since read THE CAMEL CLUB (Amazon) by David Baldacci. (Superb!)

(10May2008) About a week ago I finished THE OMINOUS PARALLELS (ARI), (Amazon) by Lenoard Peikoff and THE TRUE BELIEVER: THOUGHTS ON THE NATURE OF MASS MOVEMENTS by Eric Hoffer. I'm now relaxing with SIMPLE GENIUS (Amazon) by David Baldacci (fictional, murder mystery, Secret Service\CIA\D.C. themed, thriller).

(26Apr2008) TLW and I spent 12-13 April sightseeing in Chicago. HERE are a small sample of photos.

I'm currently reading THE OMINOUS PARALLELS (ARI), (Amazon) by Lenoard Peikoff. "Each of the philosophic principles essential to the rise of Nazism in Germany has a counterpart in present-day America." Not a fun read, but a necessary one. First published in 1982, it is still both 'ominous' and 'parallel'.

I'm also re-reading THE TRUE BELIEVER: THOUGHTS ON THE NATURE OF MASS MOVEMENTS by Eric Hoffer. It too is timeless, and pertinent in this day of messianic election campaigns promising 'hope' and 'change'. Sieg Heil?

I'm nearly 14 hours (of 52+) into the ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand audiobook (Audible) .

I recently watched the JOHN ADAMS historical series on HBO (I recommend it) and it piqued my interest in the history of the foundations of U.S.A. I may get the audiobook version of David McCollough's JOHN ADAMS novel (30 hours unabridged). One user review I read complained it was boring because it was all facts. (Pity!) Another reviewer listened to the 10 hour abridged version and felt like he didn't miss anything. (Except 20 hours of facts?)

Perhaps I'll read David Baldacci's SAVING FAITH (Amazon) that I have on hand soon, for a little reprieve.

(04Apr2008) Woo Hooo! Just ONE MORE glorious day of skiing. Sunny, bright blue Colorado skies, cold temperatures in the morning at Winter Park ski resort, and 4-6 inches of soft powder and crud. It was great. I was great. A veritable legend in my own mind. As good as a ski day in January or February. By noon the snow was warming to that “shaving cream” consistency, and by one I was done. What a fabulous end to my ski season.

(02Apr2008) I have 6 pages left in Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (Amazon) by Thomas Sowell so I think I can report it as done. It is a long book (550+ pages) but very simply explained, which worked for me. It is well worth reading, so if you’re as inattentive as I am, just pace yourself and take your time. My comments in BOOKS, further notes on LESSON and BASIC HERE.

(29Mar2008) TLW and I went to the Denver Auto Show. Talk about an adult Disneyland\candy store. The economy ‘may’ be going to hell in a hand basket (I think not), but we are SPOILED for choice, cars included. Favorites? Too numerous to mention. TLW gave the Ford Edge a good going over as a future possible acquisition. It certainly shows well but I saw a dirty one on the road the other day and it looked considerably less distinctive. The Land Rover LR2, also impressive, is on TLW’s short list too. I thought the 2009 Nissan GT-R looked formidable (it tested well in Car and Driver magazine), the Lexus IS F looked sharp, and the BMW X6 Coupe was “distinctive” (is it a coupe, a crossover, wha’?). There were 3 Aston Martins at the show and a mintly restored Mercedes Gullwing.

I've listened to nearly 7 of 52+ hours of the ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand audiobook (Audible) . I'm into Chp. 6, The Non-Commercial. The book is almost poetic in spoken form. It makes me appreciate the quality of Ayn Rand's work even more. Although I've read SHRUGGED twice, the oral format adds considerably to my comprehension.

(27Mar2008) I finished PLAYING FOR PIZZA (Amazon) by John Grisham. It was fun! Pleasant, lightweight, no mystery or violence, and Grisham can sure write. I want to tear out all the pages with descriptions of Italian food and take them on my next vacation to Italy.

(25Mar2008) I'm currently (STILL) reading BASIC ECONOMICS (Amazon) by Sowell (it's actually getting more interesting), PLAYING FOR PIZZA by John Grisham, OMINOUS PARALLELS by Leonard Peikoff, and I've listened to 3 of 56+ hours of ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand in audiobook form I recently acquired from Audible.Com. I'm also painting the crafts room in the house. What could be more exciting?

(23Mar2008) I finished THE MESSENGER (Amazon) by Daniel Silva. As mentioned below it's thriller fiction about Israeli Special Ops chasing Arab terrorists for the purpose of "liquidation". (And I don't mean financial assets.) The book would be a good basis for a 100 minute action movie. Perhaps it also parallels modern-day situations? Hmmmm. Good read, regardless.

I visited Best Friends in Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego County, last weekend. They continue to plan and rebuild the house they lost in the wildfires last autumn.

(10Mar2008) Ahhh. Just ONE MORE DAY of glorious skiing. It was great. I was great. (Well, pretty good. Better than usual.) Legs felt good. The snow was cold and very un-Spring like. Carving mellow moguls while listening to economics lectures from EconTalk.Org and the Mises Institute. What could be better than that. I should quit while I'm ahead. The days I have skied this winter have been overall superrrrb.

I've started reading the fiction novel THE MESSENGER (Amazon) by Daniel Silva. It's a thriller! Faster paced than my last fiction THE CHARM SCHOOL. The hero is Israeli Special Ops on the trail of Jihadist. Published in 2006 it's timely and up-to-date with near-current events. I'm still working on BASIC ECONOMICS by Sowell. It is tedious going. The economics is written simply enough, which I greatly appreciate, but some of his explanations are so long and drawn out. I'll get through it though. In the meantime I'm hopping around to the economics lectures I mentioned in skiing as well as bits from The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics and The Library of Economics and Liberty. WOO HOO.

(06Mar2008) Ahhh. One more day of glorious skiing in my Walter Mitty, legend-in-my-own-mind way. It was as cold and crisp as a mid-January day at Winter Park, with windy wind-chill factors at the top of the mountain very likely in the sub-zero range. Cold soft crud and broken powder (that's snow to you flatlanders) was in abundance. The season is winding down, for me at least, but it's nice to get a few last licks in.

I received the lecture AYN RAND'S ETHICS by Darryl Wright, highly recommended by a friend. I transferred it to my MP3 player and will be listening to it soon.

(02Mar2008) I recently finished THE CHARM SCHOOL (Amazon) by Nelson DeMille. It's not a speed-read but it was entertaining. I'm back on BASIC ECONOMICS by Sowell.

I've finally gotten some ski days in and now it is Springtime in the Rockies. Slopes will be slowly warming through March, with heavy, wet snowfalls. The season goes by so fast.

(14Feb2008) Woo Hooo! Finally, I skied! Be-YOO-tiful day at Winter Park Resort yesterday. A few inches of powder. Loved it!

I finished ACT OF TREASON (Amazon) by Vince Flynn in 36 hours, beating my 48 hour time for SPLIT SECOND (Amazon) by David Baldacci. (Love that retirement schedule.) Both are great "beach books", but you must use plenty of suntan lotion as you may forget you are lying in the sun! I stopped by the library today, deciding that if I'm going to absorb many more mysteries as R&R between my books on economics, I might as well stop PAYING for them. (Note to self, use bookstore gift cards for KEEPERS, such as my econ books, and borrow the beach books from the libe.) I was looking for more Baldacci and Flynn but I brought home THE MESSENGER by Daniel Silva and THE CHARM SCHOOL by Nelson DeMille. I haven't heard of these two authors but they, and author Lee Child, were highly recommended by the librarians and patrons. I've started CHARM SCHOOL. It was published in 1988 and starts off in Moscow in pre-Glasnost times. I can relate to it as I visited Moscow around '89 or 90'. I don't think it will be the page-burner, -turner that Flynn and Baldacci were, but it is a good spy novel so far.

I have also re-embarked on Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (Amazon) by Thomas Sowell now that I've finished Hazlitt's book. No time like our present econ conundrum infested, recessionista times to brush up on some dollars and sense! BASIC ECONOMICS is easy reading for an econ book, just much larger tome than Hazlitt's.

(10Feb2008) I've read ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON (Amazon) by Henry Hazlitt. This book goes on my short list of absolute, must-reads. (I must consolidate and publish that list soon!) Economics doesn't get any simpler than this.

I WANNA SKI! With 0F temps and 60-80mph winds in the mountains for the better part of the last 2-3 weeks, a banner year for snowfall has been going to waste as far as MY skiing is concerned. Hopefully I'll get up there 2 or 3 times this coming week.

(04Feb2008) I finished SPLIT SECOND (Amazon) by David Baldacci. I told you it was a page-turner. I could only put it down when I was asleep. Good mystery, suspenseful, lots of action interspersed throughout, no "heavy" sociology or philosophy embedded and preaching at you. Thoroughly enjoyable with a satisfactory, wrap-up, conclusion.

I have also finished ONE listening of THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS by Ayn Rand. This is in MP3 audiobook form. Chp. 1, The Objectivist Ethics, is IMO Ms. Rand's essential explanation of Man's life based on 'rational' self-interest. Chapters on Man's Rights and Government Financing were particular outstanding. The entire book requires real LISTENING and I'll be doing so many times.

(03Feb2008) Super Bowl Sunday. HOO RAH! But seriously folks, I started reading Sowell's BASIC ECONOMICS and then received my order of Hazlitt's ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON. BASIC is very readable, but a somewhat weighty tome at 500 pages. Since Hazlitt's book is MUCH smaller, I started reading it as a primer instead. It too is VERY readable. I haven't finished it yet but it goes straight to my (soon to be published) list of absolute, must-read books, particularly for those like myself who find economics unnecessarily hard to understand. I have also started the mystery thriller SPLIT SECOND. It's my first Baldacci read and it is a gripping page-turner. I'll be finishing it very soon. (But what about those Super Bowl commercials? Lovvvvve that SAAB R8 in the takeoff on the Godfather, head-in-the-bed, scene. A car worthy of getting wealthy for!)

(26Jan2008)

Ahhh, the skiing is still glorious. Colorado is having a great year. The picture to the left (not my own shot but it makes great computer wallpaper, and you can click to enlarge) is from Winter Park, CO. I'm skiing WP and Copper Mountain resorts this season. I've even had a couple of light powder (3-5" and 6-10") days recently, which is as much as I can handle right now. Love it.

But enough about fun, what am I READING these days? (Well, reading is fun too, or, I assure you, I wouldn't be doing it.) Here is what is on hand:
1. Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy (Amazon) by Thomas Sowell. (I don't know where I found the reference to this one. It's a weighty tome but supposedly straightforward explanations directed to the common person, not unlike me. It has chapters such as The Role of Prices, Productivity and Pay, National Output, Money and the Banking System, International Trade, and International Transfers of Wealth. Greenspan and TURBULENCE have piqued my interest to explore economics further.)
2. ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON (Amazon) by Henry Hazlitt. Another primer, and an older one (1988), but recommended by Denver radio Conservative talk show host Mike Rosen. I need all the help I can get!
3. ACT OF TREASON (Amazon) by Vince Flynn. MYSTERY and political INTRIGUE! Gotta' have something light to throw in with all that ECON.
4. SPLIT SECOND (Amazon) by David Baldacci. Same as previous. Relax, and mix it up.

5. THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS by Ayn Rand. This is in MP3 audiobook form for my new PMP (portable media player). Chp. 1, The Objectivist Ethics, is IMO Ms. Rand's essential explanation of Man's life based on 'rational' self-interest.

(19Jan2008) Here are a couple of magazine articles that caught my attention recently:
Andy Grove's Last Stand The former Intel CEO spends a portion of his wealth in his own rational self-interest, promoting research in Parkinson's Disease (which he has).
Zero Tolerance For you control freaks out there (and you know who you are), cutting costs and raising productivity in the highly IN-tolerant world of airplane engine parts manufacture.

(17Jan2008) Another dowwwwn day on the market. An informative Schwab article is here. I've also been reading the Bernanke New York Times piece I mentioned yesterday. In addition to the info about the Fed Chairman the article is a refresher course on Federal Reserve and economy functions. I need all the help I can get.

(16Jan2008) Anyone following the stock market these days? There is a lengthy article in this coming Sunday's Times Magazine in The New York Times on current Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. (You may have to do a free registration to get to the New York Times article now available here, otherwise try Googling on the subject on or after 20 Jan.) Apparently Bernanke has read a lot of Milton Friedman. But I digress. What about those stocks and bonds? Following are a broad variety of articles on the economy I've stumbled across recently:

"The Greenspan put" (It's partially Alan's fault)
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/01/unraveling-the-mortgage-credit-crisis/

Mike Rosen on Warren Buffet's altruistic math:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/04/rosen-buffett-stick-to-investing/

“The stock and bond markets are going into panic mode,...” (I for one am certainly tired of the continual panic-driven market seesaw by "professionals".)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/business/05econ.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th

...and politics: (Who the Heck is Huckabee?)
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/05/time-to-ground-the-huckabee-balloon/

George F. Will knocks Huckabee and Edwards with accurate economic facts:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010403561.html
(I once waited table on George Will during my long-haired, bearded hippy days at a fine restaurant in Aspen, at which time he wrote for and I read him in Time Magazine. I greeted him by name and said I enjoyed his work. One of his guests leaned toward him and whispered "Who is that!", to which he replied, "A reader". I've always been proud for HIM recognizing ME.

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16Jan2008) Modern technology is incredible. TLW gave me a Phillips Digital PhotoFrame for Christmas. This thing is awesome. You can load 500+ digital photos to the internal memory or insert your own SD memory card for thousands of photos. From Sharper Image, the Phillips is one of the better ones available, IMO. You turn it on and display either a single photo or a slideshow of all the photos. The software has numerous fade sequences it uses to segue from picture to picture. The 2nd picture is darkly framed for photography purposes, but the PhotoFrame display is very bright, even in daylight.

I used other Christmas gift cards to buy an MP3 player. I researched all the various iPods (Nano, Classic, iTouch) as well as others (Samsung, SanDisk Sansa, Zune, Cowlon, etc.) but finally decided the relatively lowly Insignia, the Best Buy store house brand, would suit my purposes. It's awesome. The 8GB internal memory will hold thousands of songs, or podcasts, videos, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and photos. You can add your own SD memory card for additional storage. (4-8GB cards are currently the largest, with larger coming soon.) I've been listening to music on it and a LOT of radio-podcast Conservative Talk Shows (Mike Rosen, local in Denver, is my favorite). I've even skied while listening to Mike or music. Multi-tasking at its finest.

(13Jan2008) As mentioned, I completed THE AGE OF TURBULENCE (Amazon) by Alan Greenspan in early December. Was he foreseeing this past week in the stock market when he referred to TURBULENCE, or the entire year of 2008? It remains to be seen, but watch closely. Comments here on this and other books I've read in December.

The Official 2007 Christmas Letter is live and online here, for those of you who did not receive a copy. TLW and I visited our families in Columbus, OH and Kansas City, MO. during the holidays.

(02Jan2008) ...and I am STILL here. TLW and I traveled for 2 weeks over Christmas, visiting my family in Ohio and hers in Missouri. As soon as we got back we bought an exercise bicycle (Edge 595r)

in order to REALLY get serious about losing the poundage gained from consuming a lot of good food. (As of mid-January I've ridden 150+ miles, but only lost a pound or two. "Rome wasn't built in a..." etc.) I've completed reading THE AGE OF TURBULENCE, did a fast re-read of FREE TO CHOOSE (continuing the spirit of economics from TURBULENCE), and have nearly completed BOOK OF THE DEAD by Patricia Cornwell (her latest suspense-full novel in the Scarpetta series). More details later, just wanted to say hello.

(06Dec2007) In case anyone still checks this site, I'M STILL HERE. I went to Kansas City over Thanksgiving and I've been plodding through THE AGE OF TURBULENCE (Amazon) by Alan Greenspan for a month now. Fascinating read. News about the Federal Reserve and the global economy are actually starting to make "some" sense as a result. I'll be posting the annual Christmas letter soon too. Don't go away. I'LL BE BACK.

(01Nov2007) I read THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO PHILOSOPHY (Amazon) by Jay Stevenson, Ph.D. Comments here.

(22Oct2007) Sooo many updates to do, sooo little time. Lets get started with something simple, like good movies I've seen recently. I only list the good ones, not the runofthemill, less than mediocre, that streams before my eyes when boob tubing. Speaking of which, I saw BLOOD DIAMOND (Imdb.com) on HBO recently. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, it's about "conflict" diamonds. TLW (The Little Woman) and I saw ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (Imdb.com) last weekend. Superrrrrb. Brief comments here.

(06Oct2007) I read THE WAY OF ZEN (Amazon) by Alan Watts.

This is more\less funny\meaningful since reading about Zen:

(02Oct2007) LINK to scientific info about Polar sea ice, from recent news articles about melting ice in the Arctic.

(12Sep2007) Finished reading IN MY OWN WAY, AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY (Amazon) by Alan Watts.

(03Sep2007) And now for something completely different. Monty Python? No, ...FOOD. It's Labor Day and what better excuse for grilling some monster steaks.

(17Aug2007) Added notes and passages here on the DRE BOOK (John Ruskin, John Stuart Mill, business summaries such as The 80/20 Principle, and more) and here on SELF RELIANCE.

(14Aug2007) Finished my first read of the SELF RELIANCE Amazon essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

(10Aug2007) I'm not TOOO tardy in updating this site. Summer will be over soon and what have I DONE? My most recently completed read is ISLAND Amazon by Aldous Huxley, as in "island utopia". Thought-provoking social commentary and critique presented within a good story.

I've also read the DRE Management Book this summer, but that's a story in itself. You can read some passages and comments HERE.

(27Jun2007) HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (ebooks) by Douglas Adams.
(18Jun2007) LETTERS FROM THE EARTH (WebText) by Mark Twain.
Both of these are short reads, VERY funny, and thought provoking too. What could be better than that?

(04Jun2007) A COMPUTER REVIEW. It's about time for a change. I can't BEGIN to keep up with all the Issues and Politics in the world today (and I don't even WANT to). That's what the Internet has those tens of thousands of news and blogs sites for. At least people are TALKING. I recently bough a Dell Latitude D420 ultraportable laptop for a SPARE, and my review is HERE. Enjoy.

(03Jun2007) ISSUES has been updated with: POLITICS NEW! How can one laugh, cry, or pull one's non-existent hair out without politics?! First up, HILLARY, of course. (She opened her mouth. SURPRISE, SURPRISE!)

(30May2007) ISSUES baby! RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES. Chavez defends network decision, Morality might be hard-wired in brain, Green-card citizenship fees to increase July 30.

(27May2007) I finished reading PHILOSOPHY: WHO NEEDS IT (ARbookstore) by Ayn Rand a couple of days ago. Comments.

(21May2007) ISSUES and BOOKS have moved to their own page together. Things get serious as I comment on Islam, Illegal Immigration, and Global Warming Hysteria. Oh well, we can't be all fun all the time.

(13May2007) Last week I read War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back (Amazon) by Lou Dobbs.

(07May2007) The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to Islam (and the Crusades) by Robert Spencer. READ THIS BOOK TOO. This book is packed with facts. One can always debate the facts but at least they are there to be debated. There is an extensive recitation and reference to Qur'anic verse. Islam, Islamic "extremism", and Islamic "fundamentalism" may well be the most important issue effecting the world today. (It is centered in the Middle East, most oil comes from the Middle East, oil effects global warming and the economy, etc. Catch my drift?) I'll be discussing this in the Issues section at greater length soon. Ya'll REALLY need some facts under your belt on this one.

24Apr2007) Now that I've asserted myself by highly recommending a book (STATE OF FEAR below), I have to say the works of Ayn Rand are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me also. My comments are HERE.

READ THIS BOOK. STATE OF FEAR by Michael Crichton. GRRRRRREAT fiction mystery adventure thriller written around an abrupt climate change theme, AND it is educational and thought-provoking. Even the extensive bibliography, with comments by Crichton, is good. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by yours truly.

TLW (the little woman) and I visited Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks last weekend. I plan to post pictures and comments. Bee-yooo-tiful country. I love Mudder Na-chure and looking at rocks! It's so ... natural!

The Virginia campus shootings. Won't be discussing this much. I do wish such suicidal maniacs would take their own lives first and leave the rest of us out of it.

(7Apr2007) Life is not all politics and philosophy. There are GRANITE KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS in the house.

(4Apr2007) I feel so much better now that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has visited Syria and taken over foreign policy duties for Condoleezza Rice and the State Department. What a relief.

The 9Apr2007 issue of Time Magazine has the cover "The Global Warming Survival Guide, 51 Things You Can Do to
Make a Difference". I check out a couple in RANTS & ISSUES

(31Mar2007) Are you hot under the collar about global warming? In RANTS & ISSUES I've posted links to a highly scientific rebuttal to Al Gore's propaganda slideshow movie on the subject. Dare you read anything about the "other side" of the story from what Al says? From what I hear, all scientists opposing the global warming arguments are employed by oil companies.

(29Mar2007) I'm trying out some new web colors and formats this spring. (Remember this picture?) Let me know if you're PC blows up from the new style. (I'm not responsible.)
I might even get chatty every couple of months or so, sort of like an infrequent weB-LOG. I might tell you I've been reading and viewing a lot of Ayn Rand and A.R. Institute books and lectures again. In this modern world of chaos and discord I find Ms. Rand's works a still-pertinent oasis of reason.
For the current event oriented I plan to post links soon to scientific rebuttals of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" as well as links to info about Somali Muslim's attempts in Minneapolis to impose Islamic Sharia law on taxicab customers. (Is there no end to it all? Mmmm, think I'll read some Ayn Rand.)

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