iPod FM module

I have been jonesing for public radio since I got the iPod nano. Just bought the iPod FM module, and I think I like it since the sound quality is excellent.

Let me take stubby on the train.

Link:
Apple Support: iPod Radio Remote: Frequently Asked Questions.
Macworld: Review: Apple iPod Radio Remote.

The Olden Day

I miss the time when cynicism was still running wild and Mortgage Pig was cute.

Update:
Calculated Risk: Congress keeps hammering on the Paulson's plan, no CEO knee capping yet.
Calculated Risk: Meanwhile WAMU is picked up by JPMorgan.

I need to start keeping tab of market cap of JPMorgan, Citi and BOA.

Congress Goes Dark On Bailout Plan

No wonder I didn't hear much today, it is still the same rant. Looks like Paulson might buckle, since the constituents are flooding their reps with rage.

OTOH: papa bear comes out with a speech that similar to his Iraq war sales pitch. FUD no substance. Remember guys: it was just a matter of emphasis.

Link:
Calculated Risk: videos.
NY Times: Paulson Works the Hill, Trying to Close the Deal.
NY Times: Lawmakers’ Constituents Make Their Bailout Views Loud and Clear.
NPR: Lawmakers Hear From Voters Angry About Bailout.
CNBC: Paulson Agrees to CEO Pay Limits in Bailout Plan. <- more good stuff in here besides the pay limit. Pointed out by Calculated Risk.

Gmail Webmail Push

Every time I send email to my Gmail account, it pops up on the web client once it arrives.

Push in action.

Shifting ItemTo The Top When It Is Viewed

This is a nice feature of Google Reader, when an item is viewed, it will shift the item to the top of the view.

Open any item: it will be shifted to the top.



Hit 'j', it will open the next item and shift it to the top.



This actually helps me with quick scanning the items: instead of hitting page down to expose the next headline, I always see it and immediately hit 'n' to skip it.

Mr Paulson and Mr Bernanke Testify Before Senate Banking Committee

Apparently the blackmail doesn't work. What do you expect from a plan that doesn't have accountability? Not to mention 'moral hazard'.

Links:
NY Times: Buyout Plan for Wall Street Is a Hard Sell on Capitol Hill.
The blogs are a blazed with outrage Krugman, CR, Freakonomics, even Tyler is cynical with hanky-panky.

T Mobile G1 Announcement

Didn't have time to check the video of the first android phone.

Link:
Video here.

Two Largest iBanks Go cBanks

Two largest investment banks (GS and MS), the last of the big 5 ibanks (GS, MS, LEH, MER, BSC), decided to restructure it selves into commercial banks. Need liquidity.

Link:
Market Place: Last 2 investment banks throw in towel
NY Times: Starting a New Era at Goldman and Morgan

Looks like we are alone.

Relevant news:
NY Times: Europe and Japan Balk at U.S. Request on Bank Aid
Russia (Putin) won't deal with lame ducks.
The middle-easterners were burned when they bought the shares of banks last March.
It is all quiet at China's front.

Paulson Bailout Plan

Pointed by Krugman.

I, as non economist, don't like this:

Sec. 8. Review. Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority
of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and
may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.

Great, now I want to be the Secretary of Treasury.

Link:
NY Times: Text of Draft Proposal for Bailout Plan

Update: comment by boing2: Hank Paulson's bailout 419 letter
Update: relabeled as 'hanky-panky'

Short List

It's amusing to watch the Free Market warriors are turning to the government to 'regulate' or bluntly: halt the shorting of financial stocks, yet it is LMAO, reading other companies (such as: General Electric Co., American Express, Capital One) are fighting their way into the list.

The free market rules are being rewritten nowadays.

Links:
NPR: SEC Bans Short Selling Financial Stocks
Calculated Risk: Non-Short List Companies: Me Too! Me Too!

Setting Up Display On Dell Dimension 3100/E310

Get the graphic driver:

1. Go to Dell.com
2. Click Drivers & Downloads
3. Enter Service Tag
4. Download Intel video driver that applies to 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family
5. Run the executable file (R126541.EXE)
6. For ViewSonic vx1935wm, set the resolution to 1400x1050, 16bit and 75Hz refresh rate.
   

Love The Automated News Harvester

I love it when machine makes mistakes:

1. Automated News Crawling Evaporates $1.14B: 2002 calls, wants United Airlines to bankrupt again.
2. Google News Has Russian Army Invading Savannah, GA: apparently there is only one Georgia in Google News' mind.
   

Concentration Of Credits

As more banks fail, coins are being concentrated to lesser institutions.

BOA has:

1. Picked up Countrywide to bolster their mortgage division
2. Picking up Merrill Lynch to create security brokerage division

Merger through docile takeover ...

Sumiya Japanese Charcoal Grill

5160 Moorpark Ave.
San Jose, CA 95129
(408)-973-0604
http://www.sumiyakitori.com

Liver and grilled scallop with wasabi sauce...

John Wayne Airport Is Not Friendly

Pro:

1. Close to office.
   
2. Lots of chairs.

Con:

1. Horrible TSA line: one TSA person per line (experience/casual/business).
   
2. No electrical outlets.
   
3. No free wi-fi.
4. Wi-fi (t-mobile or admiral room) signal is horrible at gate 6.
5. Airline ticket via SNA could be expensive, LAX or ONT is cheaper.
6. Parking is expensive (the cheapest one is $14/day).

Bitching circumstance:

1. The TSA manager made us walk to the entrance at Terminal A from B.

The Economist Redefines Recession

From the economist.com:

To the average person, a large rise in unemployment means a recession. By contrast, the economists’ rule that a recession is defined by two consecutive quarters of falling GDP is silly. If an economy grows by 2% in one quarter and then contracts by 0.5% in each of the next two quarters, it is deemed to be in recession. But if GDP contracts by 2% in one quarter, rises by 0.5% in the next, then falls by 2% in the third, it escapes, even though the economy is obviously weaker. In fact, America’s GDP did not decline for two consecutive quarters during the 2001 recession.

However, it is not just the “two-quarter” rule that is flawed; GDP figures themselves can be misleading.

Thus:

This suggests that it makes more sense to define a recession as a period when growth falls significantly below its potential rate.

I really don't like "potential rate" slapped at the end, I believe I like "expected rate", in which tightly coupled with population growth and "realistic" prevailing wages.

Related link:
Bernancke Refuses To Say R....

Busy Fall

Monday

• Top Gear (BBCA) 20:00 or 23:00
  
• Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicle (FOX) 20:00
  

Tuesday:

• House (FOX) 20:00
  
• Fringe (FOX) 21:00
• The Shield (FX) 22:00

Friday:

• Clone Wars (Cartoon) 21:00
  

Blogs I Am Following

... is another bad implementation of Google's recent spark of enhancement.

I saw double entries in my Google Reader when I add a blog from it. Plus - why is it accepting entries such as boing2.net?

Abominable!

Francophile

Yes, it's oxymoron, but consider these:

1. Metric system
2. Gastronomy
3. Liberté, égalité, fraternité

The Google Chrome: Lame!!!

Several thoughts about this announcements of Google Chrome:

1. OS is not Browser, vice versa.
   
2. OMG, let's go move on - I thought the browser war has ended: when FF was released, while Webkit and Opera were suckling on the mobile market.
3. Google is lamer, each day.
   

Relevant links:
Google OS Is Actually a Browser: Google Chrome
A fresh take on the browser