Lookout Landing: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Sports blogs for fans, by fans.
New Blog: Sounder At Heart for Seattle Sounders Fans!

OTFPOTD: September 30th edition (Free toy with proof of purchase)

Tiny by BrianL on Comment 978 comments

In the news today:

Other potential discussion topics:

  • I haven't seen Ironman. Should I buy a copy on DVD?
  • Has anyone played anything on the PS3 that's not named Uncharted: Drake's Fortune or MGS4?
  • Why did I purchase a PS3 when it just sits on top of my desk never to be turned on and played with?
  • Any Doctor Who fans here?
  • Has there been confirmation that Robert is king of the gnomes?

Tags are incoming, you needy bastards.

0 recs  |  Comment 978 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Around SB Nation

Scouting Report: Justin Forsett

Apr 2008 from Field Gulls - 9 comments

Q&A With Trevor Laws

Apr 2008 from Field Gulls - 19 comments

Seahawks vs. Panthers: Blogger Chat

Dec 2007 from Cat Scratch Reader - 0 comments

Seahawks vs. Panthers: Keys to the Game

Dec 2007 from Cat Scratch Reader - 0 comments

Boldin May Miss Crucial Game Sunday

Dec 2007 from Revenge Of The Birds - 0 comments

Read More: who ya gonna call, seattlebruin refuses to blog through pain, seahawks, american football, i'm kind of sorry nola, jeff is awesome and you should buy him a case of beer, matthew and graham are pretty cool too

Comments

Display:

How long until there's a snowboard commercial involving Mars now?

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 7:42 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I have a friend with a PS3.

He has Uncharted (which he actually just sold) and Hot Shots Golf. That’s it.

Iron Man wasn’t that great of a movie.

by Phildopip on Sep 30, 2008 7:44 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I foolishly bought a PS3 thinking that at some undefined point in the future

I’d get to play FFXIII on it.

Then FFXIII when multi-platform (boy the fanboy fallout from that was amusing to watch). Now I have an expensive Blu-Ray player that occasionally plays video games.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 7:46 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Since many people here seem to use internet music suggester-type sites (there must be a name for this)

Perhaps you can answer my question.
Which is the best site:
Pandora
last.fm
slacker
or something else of which I’ve yet to hear?

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 7:48 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I don't use any of them

but I hear Pandora is fantastic.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 7:53 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I use Pandora

I have been happy with it. Be sure to use the ratings to keep it on track though. I know others have complained about its selections, but it yet to pick any song by Coldplay for me.

by Man From Nantucket on Sep 30, 2008 8:01 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The ratings can screw you up, though.

It seems like if you give it too much feedback, it will create a very specialized playlist for you and not play too much else. But if you keep switching up the stations, it’s pretty nice. Listening to Pandora right now, actually.

Bring back José Cruz Jr!

by darmok on Sep 30, 2008 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah pretty much.

I’ve been listening to Testament radio and i get them Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Exodus on infinite loop. Not complaining to bad but theres got to be more thrash out there than that.

by DCMariner on Sep 30, 2008 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I have a Coldplay station.

And I keep thumbs-upping music. Maybe THAT’s why everyone complains about getting too much Coldplay. All of my associations have overtaken the real similarities, and perhaps this has flooded the market.

Whoops. Hella sorry dudes…

:-)

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 2:27 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The real question is,

suggest some more so I can try and find one that’s not blocked

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:03 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I've been getting my music horizons expanded on KEXP.

Now and then a song blows me away so I note the time and check it out online. This method is probably a complete analog suggestion to your digital world question.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 30, 2008 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The new Ben Folds comes out today

so that might help somewhat. Ben Folds is good. Not that I’m a music expert, understand, I’m just a dude.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:25 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I like Ben Folds.

But I also have no patience. Therefore, I need something immediately accessible.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 8:25 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

MP3 download from Amazon isn't immediate enough?

kids these days.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:28 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Gotcha.

Don’t know what your predominant musical style is, but WFMU has many good shows that stream and have all their archives (and playlists) online - Three Chord Monte, Downtown Soulville, and the Glen Jones Radio Programme are three of my faves.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

My style is pretty much piano rock, but definitely thanks for this.

I have decided I will be performing a scientific experiment. I will create a Ben Folds station on Pandora, Last.fm and Slacker.
I will use one per day and then report the results on Friday. Because I’m sure y’all are interested.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 8:35 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I used launchcast before I got a mp3 player

and it only takes for you to admit that you like one song outside your bubble before they start serving up a bunch of freaky weird shit. Be careful of slippery slopes.

9=8

by JI on Sep 30, 2008 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

This is the main reason I stopped using launchcast.

I like one song by one artist and want to hear that song again, and suddenly it gives me dozens I have to ban.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

It does take a little bit of time for it to cater to your tastes.

I have a ton of ratings (10,500+) so all-in-all it’s pretty agreeable.

by Phildopip on Sep 30, 2008 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

So far on Pandora

It has played two Ben Folds, two Ben Folds Five, and two Guster.
I don’t know if I can stick out this experiment.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah. Agreed.

I keep switching around the “stations” though and this seems entertaining. Ess’ suggestion of Reindeer Section makes for a pretty darn good station for right now. Until Pandora starts playing the same playlist over and over and over again.

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

You should definitely see Iron Man

but you could probably get it from Netflix rather than owning it.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 7:55 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Agree, you should definitely see this if you haven't

I think owning it is a pretty good idea, though.

Bring back José Cruz Jr!

by darmok on Sep 30, 2008 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I love the word lackadaisical.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 7:59 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I entertain the masses with my tags

but I have a tearful confession to make. I’m not deserving of being best tagger. It’s acblue. I’ve been taking tagging enhancing coffee for all my great tags. I should give up my LLemmie.

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:05 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

You're still a pussy and I'm going to irrationally hate you

because I foolishly advocated trading five young bloggers for you and now I’m trying to hide that fact.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:14 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Not to mention he doesn't answer your stupid questions with stupid answers.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 8:15 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Seattlebruin is not accountable

because he doesn’t allow me to use him as a secret blog insider.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Bahahahahahahahaha

Yes, I’m Pepe Baker.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:16 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm eagerly awaiting your book calling out the M's blogosphere

ala “White Jays”.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I also eagerly await Graham's

three word, two sentence response:

“Wrong. Fuck off.”

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Graham is a cuddly panda.

And for the record, it was Robert that said this.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

D'awwwww.

I want to give Graham a hug.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:39 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Your own homoeroticism has already extended to Jeff.

I respectfully request that it stop on Matthew and not progress to Graham.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I've made it abundantly clear

that I will suck up to and verbally fellate all members of the holy triumvirate.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:49 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think the rest of us should make it abundantly clear

that we don’t really need a play-by-play of said fellation.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:49 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

“Thanks to this website, I’ve become acutely aware of my minimum sleep threshold necessary to still be a functional member of society the next day”
 - Jeff Sullivan, 9/27/08

I AM CURRENTLY BELOW THIS THRESHOLD

Tea count = 3. Tea Happiness equation for today – H = 1.5*(TC)^1.5 – [C-(10-S)]

H = Happiness
TC = Tea Count
C = Coffee Count
S = Hour of sleep

Currently H = something negative

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:02 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

:-(

this is Coach-level math

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:11 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

If it contains anything other than a plus sign or a minus sign

to me, it’s advanced level math.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:12 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

What about greater than signs

IE > Firefox
60,000 employees > 4 employees!!

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:13 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Those I can sometimes handle.

especially when it confirms the primacy of a company like Microsoft, with its legions of programmers turning out lean, nimble code that does exactly what it’s supposed to every time.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:15 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Iono, I made it up

it’s based on facts and stuff!

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:10 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yes

I was absolutely tripping the first half hour, but now I’m awake and reviewing documents

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:15 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Talk about niche: I can't answer any of those questions

So I’ll ask one that bruin sort of touched upon above: In light of Jeff’s reference to minimum sleep threshold, what’s your’s? Mine is about a hair over 5 hours.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 8:19 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Mine's actually about 7 hours

but I can survive on 5 for a day if need be. But if I get 5 one night, the next night I go to sleep at about 8pm.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:22 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Agree

If I get 5 hours, I need to get good sleep the next time or I’m in deep trouble.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

My threshold is whatever value of S leads to H > 0

so it’s a problem with many possible solutions.

This is assuming the more standard H = 2*(TC)^2 – [C-(10-S)] equation though.

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:21 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

It depends.

I can get by with about 3 hours of sleep if it’s just one night. But if it’s a week of less than optimal sleep, I can’t get by with fewer than 6 hours of sleep.

by Phildopip on Sep 30, 2008 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I've actually found I function best on 6.5-7 hours of sleep.

I can make it through a day on 4-5, but I’ll definitely be crashing early.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 8:26 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I usually only sleep every other night.

I feel worse if I sleep over 4 hours at a stretch than I do if I sleep 2. I’ve gone to doctors for insomnia, but all sleeping pills do is make me hyper.

2AM bike rides are awesome, though.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I used to work at a law firm in DC and we'd often work through the night if there was a trial or a deposition upcoming.

In so doing, I learned the following:

I can function for two days without sleep in between.
I can function for about a week on 3-4 hours of sleep a night.
I can function continuously on 5+ hours.

I go to law school. Therefore, I have no life.

by andrewgolfsalot on Sep 30, 2008 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Define functioning.

Does this mean not falling asleep in the middle of the day or does it mean able to move about in a normal fashion?

My answer would be ~5-6 hours. Sometimes I’m tired after 8 or 9 hours so I don’t really know.

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Also.

I never go to bed before 11. I’m basically tired from when I get up until about 9 PM. This saddens me.

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Ah.

I’d go with 3 or 4 hours. Not consistently. So ~5-6 hours per day.

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Not sure about the Gnome question but I do want to hear more about what drove you to these lengths
Hey Corco

my ex girlfriend dumped me to become a lesbian. Can I get you to exact revenge for me?

BrianL

by Robert on Sep 30, 2008 8:28 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Which speaking of all of this

Corco has secured a coffee date

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

she asked me

I’m just going to assume she’s not photogenic

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:51 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

who?

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:51 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

still don't get it

Who is Inga?

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:52 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

See my comment below

Inga is the animated welcomer on the site

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:53 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

yeah never mind then

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I like Generic Pop Group and Sellout Hip-Hop artist a lot

also, I like TV Show With Lots of High-School Drama – when’s it coming back again?

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:36 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

You're in luck.

90210 is getting a new lease on life.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sadly no.

I have yet to discover if Gossip Girl and ANTM are putting their shows on the internet again this year.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Oh man, I watched it all the time when I was a kid.

I still have an infatuation with Jennie Garth.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 8:57 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

My guilty pleasure...

My former college roommate and I (after we were no longer roommates) would meet at his place for donuts, beer, and 90210. Of course, we pretty much liked to mock the characters the whole time, so…

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I hope it never comes back

because TV Show was much better before.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I was at Costco yesterday.

They had Christmas decorations for sale.

It’s not even October yet.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:38 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

When I lived in Hartford

I went to Westfarms Mall over Labor Day weekend and they already had their Christmas stuff up. I haven’t seen any in Portland yet this year, thankfully.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The BJ's by me has had the blow-up Christmas decorations since August.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:09 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Wow, this is quite the word combination.

Like yesterday and the backseat not being used until you met your girlfriend…

by NOLAmarinergirl on Sep 30, 2008 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Both are true and non-sexual in nature,

unless you take them the wrong way.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Fuck 'em.

Fred Meyer, too. I was like “C’mon. September???”

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

They've been up since Memorial Day.

I caught myself looking at the display, and suddenly wanted to run from the store. It was an embarrassing moment.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 30, 2008 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The stupid stock market is going up.

C’mon, Dow, I want an 8000 close by year end!

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:42 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

You people are scary

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:44 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I have no real "portfolio" to speak of

I have a 401K that I rebalance once a year and forget about. I see no need to panic, because I made reasonable financial decisions and didn’t tie my entire economic future to a bunch of day-traded stocks and an overpriced house in a superstupid market; what’s happening now has needed to happen for several years, and if that means people go broke, so be it; most of those people shouldn’t have been in the market in the first place.

I still maintain that one of the worst things to happen to the American economy was to allow “average people” to invest in the stock market at will.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:48 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

"what’s happening now has needed to happen for several years"

Absolutely. At least the housing part.

The stock market is kinda different. I think anyone who can afford to store a percentage of their income in a 401(k) or IRA should be doing so, but through mutual funds or some other balanced investment. Putting everything you’ve saved into just a few stocks is insane.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I know this sounds incredibly selfish

but I’m kind of glad this housing crash happened. My parents can finally afford to buy the house they’ve always wanted (and in my mind have always deserved) without having to leave this area.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm not sure if this is terrible or really nice

I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt though

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I've felt that way all along.

I wish no ill will on people, but I just can’t afford a $500,000 two-bedroom converted condo and never will be able to. Most everyone else in San Diego can’t either. It’s an inflated market driven up by out-of-town investors, and it creates a weird situation where something like 76 percent of the people in this city can’t afford a median-priced home. So while I feel terrible that people are losing their homes and ruining their credit, it has to happen. It’s a natural market correction.

And if prices plummet even further to the point where those of us who were responsible with our money can finally buy a home, I can’t help but be satisfied. After years of being told that I was an idiot for not buying a home, I’m just kinda laughing now.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I so badly wish I had the money to buy a home right now...

Escondido and/or Mira Mesa have never looked so good…

If only I ever had a hope of affording something decent in La Jolla

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

It's a sad day when "not getting completely hosed" qualifies as a reward,

but yes, I guess it is quite nice to know that I don’t have a bad mortgage right now. I’m just hiding in my apartment, storing money and food and playing Xbox, waiting for the end days.

Has anyone read “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy? I’m pretty sure that will be the state of Earth by the time I’m 30, so I’m getting ready now.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Agree

Home prices just went sky high the last few years, and all because of outside investors who circled jerked home prices through the roof, combined with lenders who got too many people to bite off more than they could chew.

What shocked me were all the otherwise intelligent people who insisted there was no bubble, that nothing would burst. Uh… where is all this money coming from? The rules of supply and demand don’t change, and all value derives from the finity of one or the other. You can’t assume something so unnatural would last forever.

I can’t believe how many otherwise intelligent people defended this.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

It took a lot of stupid to make this happen.

I’m no financial expert, but since I graduated college and moved here in 2004 and started paying attention, it seemed extremely simple to me:

1. Actual people in our neighborhoods weren’t the ones buying most of these houses.

2. The people who were buying said houses were buying in bulk and renting them to suckers like me.

3. The locals who did manage to buy houses were lacking certain qualifications — like jobs.

4. Wages weren’t rising enough to justify this. Hell, they weren’t even rising period, when adjusted for inflation.

5. Oh, balls.

As has become pretty apparent by now, banks were blinded by easy money and regulators were either oblivious or impotent.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

My dad was looking at this market back when he was first looking at homes in 2005.

He gave up a few weeks later, telling my mom that “this market is going to crash and crash hard.”

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

This is the first time I've heard/read a person asses the situation like this.

My wife and I had many many conversations touching on most of the points you listed, and a couple not included. Up until about 3-4 months ago everything we read (about the Seattle market at least) was all wine and roses. Experts!

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 30, 2008 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Explain why 'average people' shouldn't invest 'at will'

But avoid politics!

Is it something more than: “People shouldn’t treat the stock market as an up-market dog track where they try and retire at 40 based on day trading and leverage?”
What about institutional investors – should pension plans invest in the stock market at will?

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Right, none of which says anything one way or the other

about plain vanilla investing. It’s probably a good idea for ‘average people’ or ‘investment banks’ to avoid products that swear they’re risk free even though the ultimate security is laughable mortgages.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah. All investment is a gamble at any level.

Average citizens as a whole did very little trading-wise to cause this… though their role lies in taking the bait on bad mortgages.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Average people shouldn't invest at will because they don't know what they're doing

Pension planners are trained to understand the ebbs and flows of a market over time. Average people panic when the Dow drops 100 points.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

If recent TV news programs are at all accurate

the people who are the most freaked out this week are institutional/professional investors. OK yes, the very-close-to-retirement folks are also panicky right now, but I understand that.

Still, I’m just not convinced that average people know dangerously little when it comes to this stuff. The people I worry about are those that have convinced themselves that there’s a system to day trading, or to investing in a few stocks to maximize profits. Most ‘average people’ buy mutual funds, index funds and the like. That’s 10 times better than the pros who yell a lot on TV – the ones who like to make Bold Claims about this or that commodity, stock or market trend.

The point is: don’t be a dumbass and the market is usually fine.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Maybe I'm naive

but couldn’t stock market crashes be avoided if people didn’t sell their stocks rapidly?

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, so naivete

I’m no stock expert but I’ve though this since I first heard about the Depression. Seems like common sense to me but I guess it doesn’t work if only one person is doing it.

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Well, yeah - not selling your stocks

means accepting a fairly high degree of risk . If it works, benefits are highly dispersed and if it doesn’t work, ha ha, sucks to be you.
Money + uncertainty leads people to behave in non-pareto optimal ways, but I don’t think that’s necessarily stupidity – it’s more like the necessary byproduct of fear.

A ‘smart’ person might reasonably wish to reduce risk as much as possible because, oh, they’re about to retire and don’t care if everything will be all right eventually. I still don’t get people who close their checking account in an FDIC insured bank because the news said “crisis,” but that’s perhaps a different argument.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

So thanks to whoever recommended the D-Link IP camera last week...

…but I got it home and tried to set it up and it’s not Mac-compatible. Anybody know of a Mac equivalent to the D-Link DCS 920? The D-Link site is almost spectacularly unhelpful.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:58 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Uh, yeah.

I’d check the Linksys ones, they should be OK with macs since they host their own webservers. You have to specify, most people on the internet are still Windows.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

According to Mac users I know, heres one that works.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AE9QQ4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=shopzilla_rev_412-20&linkCode=asn

Don’t like the brand name, but supposedly it works just fine.

I go to law school. Therefore, I have no life.

by andrewgolfsalot on Sep 30, 2008 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

'Cause chicks listen to crap?

I assure you, no man listens to Hollaback Girl.

Fear the NPE

by thewyrm on Sep 30, 2008 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yuck.

Remember when The Neptunes were good? I consider the second Clipse album to be their masterpiece, but they’ve been making some pretty bad music in the past five years.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs