Nixta Rolls

Stocks react to non-news again

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:11:49 -0500

According to NPR’s audio article from this page, the stock market is reacting to figures showing that new housing has dropped. They’re still building new houses, just fewer than before.

Why is that an issue? If the market turmoil is because of poor investment strategies handing out home-loans to people who can’t afford them, then this represents an alignment between the availability of homes with the ability of the country to afford them. That is surely a good thing, no?

If the market reacts in these ways to things that make sense and show corrections in industry, then either (as many have asserted) the markets are being run by idiots OR they’re not the engines that they portrayed themselves as being when they wailed for a bailout.

I’m confused, and disturbed.

[ NPR’s written article doesn’t actually mention the housing figures, although the audio report starts off with it which is what triggered my confusion here ]

Microsoft to offer free security

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:03:10 -0500

Microsoft to offer free security:

I’ve been suggesting that Microsoft should do this for nearly 10 years now.

Reading more, it also seems that Microsoft actually aren’t doing anything. They’re providing anti-virus protection for low powered machines with limited bandwidth. That’s just market driven nonsense that they’re using as a blind for shutting down the ill-conceived OneCare program.

Almost any other consumer products business run the way Microsoft has been run for the past 5 years would have collapsed by now. When *will* they run out of money?

Ants! (via kottke)

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:58:02 -0500

Ants! (via kottke)

Evil, but I guess fairly funny if you can blank out the laughter...

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:07:14 -0500

Evil, but I guess fairly funny if you can blank out the laughter track and the Benny Hill soundtrack. Funny until someone has a heart-attack.

Thanks Tomsk.

BBC's most viewed goes back in time...

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:04:53 -0500

From time to time you see the BBC News’s most watched items include something from the past, and usually it’s relevant to some internet meme that’s just coming around again as its momentum dies off. Indeed, one of the three of the current top 5 most read today is just that:

“Snake bursts after gobbling gator“ from 2005.

But what about the other 2 of the 3?

“French healthcare is ‘badly run’“ from 2004.
“Rains only add to Ethiopian hardships“ from 2006.

What’s going on here? I don’t get it. I really don’t. Some internal glitch (in the time it’s taken me to write this, the Ethiopian story has dropped off the list for a current magazine piece)?

I’d be glad to entertain your suggestions in the comments. I’m confuuuuuuuuuuused.

The Sherman Foundation has been writing quite a bit about cereal...

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 14:52:05 -0500

The Sherman Foundation has been writing quite a bit about cereal brands. Or if not writing, we’ve been discussing it face-to-face, which as you all know never gets recorded on the internet. Ever.

Another Ad Council commercial, this time for Americans For The Arts.

Raisin Brahms.

These commercials have been coming up a lot during my Hulu...

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 14:39:02 -0500

These commercials have been coming up a lot during my Hulu watching of Arrested Development. Combined with the slightly grainy Hulu encoding for their ads it takes on a dreamlike almost nightmarishly surreal quality.

It certainly gives me the shivers.

The Ad Council is responsible for some excellent advertising campaigns. I’m sure they’re responsible for some utter dross too, but who isn’t?

With apologies to those of you abroad who can’t watch...

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:58:32 -0500

With apologies to those of you abroad who can’t watch Hulu, and with apologies to Barrett for not jumping on the bandwagon all those years ago when he first mentioned Arrested Development, and in coincidence with some chap named Kottke who also recently just started watching this on Hulu, the above is the most polished and complete pilot episode for a fledgeling show that I’ve seen. In almost every regard but the credits it’s a finished product. Better than Blackadder’s pilot, better than Mighty Boosh’s pilot.

I intend to watch all of these sometime soon. Currently up to series 1, episode 3.

John Hodgman continues to surprise and entertain me. What a...

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:46:00 -0500

John Hodgman continues to surprise and entertain me. What a great great talent.

If you know him only through the Apple commercials, shame on you.

John Hodgman - Hobo Matters (via zouyan)

Skip ahead to about 2 minutes. John Oliver cracks me up.

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:30:55 -0500

Skip ahead to about 2 minutes. John Oliver cracks me up.

Sigourney 'Bama

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:23:22 -0500

I’ve just realised, Michelle looks like Black Sigourney.

I just hope this doesn’t mean that David Icke was right.

Seriously, again, this country rules. I just wish we didn’t have to wait until January to get rid of Cheney. And I went to school with two kids named Cheney…

Please God, Fwd Wnd to Jan

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:48:44 -0500

Please.

Now.

Get the assclown out of our hair.

Doctor!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:28:59 -0500

America’s wang has turned blue!

Steps

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:16:18 -0500

Step 1: Fix the Supreme Court

Step 2: Fix the constitutional violations of the last 8 years

Step 3: Fix America’s standing in the world

Step 3a: Build a big wall around the red states

Congratulations America

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:12:21 -0500

For one thing, I don’t have to emigrate.

There are whoops and whooshes across New York.

This city clearly knows how it wants to vote.

It’s not as loud as the Superbowl though (but I think that’s because of the rolling commitment by the TV stations).

Congratulations, America. Well done!

A veto is just a vote for wrong people

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:25:22 -0500

I can’t vote, I’m so forrin and stupid. But I can certainly remind you Americans to vote.

And actually, I’m going to remind you to vote for Obama.

Vetos are just Community Chest cards for the White House.

P.S. CNN is about to put you, the readers, questions to Joe the Plumber. Can you believe it? Oh shit, where exactly *are* their studios, because I need to know where they live?

Why can’t R.E.M. write songs like this any more? And...

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:46:38 -0500

Why can’t R.E.M. write songs like this any more?

And what’s this video about? 1985 + R.E.M. = Video Budget: $25?

When I read “meta YouTube video art” my first...

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:39:03 -0500

When I read “meta YouTube video art” my first reaction was “sigh”.

But this is some fun and clever stuff. Check out the very last one if you don’t watch any others.

(via kottke)

Wow. Thanks, TSF.

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:20:15 -0500

Wow.

Thanks, TSF.

movies: This is a classic! MASTER OF THE INTERNET from...

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:37:14 -0500

movies:

This is a classic!

MASTER OF THE INTERNET from ScatManDeux