Stoner County

I thought stoner rule number 1 was don't call your mom when you are getting stoned.  Apparently, this teen forgot that rule, and ended up with a large search and rescue effort in the mountains.

It is interesting to see the progression of the story as new information is released.  The first article on the search describes it as a successful search and rescue of a man who got lost hiking.  Of course, I'm sure the rescuers already knew that the teen was "gorked" when the found him.

Food is expensive because the poor are eating more

I don't know how the NYTimes could have let this little diddy slip through - in the editorials, one Roger Cohen was expounding on the myths behind the rising prominence of biofuels as the source of all things miserable, just as rising commodity prices and the destruction of the Amazon rain forests.

About halfway down, he states that:

Hundreds of millions of people have moved from poverty into the global economy over the past decade in Asia. They’re eating twice a day, instead of once, and propelling rapid urbanization.

That's right.  The world is in such a mess because the poor are not eating twice a day instead of once a day.  And that must be a step in the wrong direction.

Looking for a good job?

Are you looking for employment right now that promises to be easy?

Here is a step by step guide courtesy of Henry Blodget:

Here's how it works:

* Take job after an economic downturn, when your predecessor is forced out after presiding over the loss of billions in bad-debt and trading write-offs (don't worry, your predecessor won't starve in retirement).

* Immediately take huge additional write-offs and reserves and blame them on your predecessor. Clean up balance sheet so your performance bar is so low you could fall over it.

* Announce "new era" in which Your Bank will focus on conservative, fee- and spread-based businesses in which you will grow steadily and prudently.

* Sit in your chair for two years while economic recovery (and your earlier write-offs) deliver strong earnings to the bottom line.

* Smile for the cameras. Have PR people place Fortune cover story entitled "The Wizard Who Turned Around [Your Bank"]

* Renegotiate contract extension from position of strength. Include new provisions that tie your comp directly to earnings and stock performance.

* Announce that, given the huge opportunities in the markets, Your Bank will take a bit more risk (prudent, of course) to improve return on equity.

* Encourage your traders to make huge bets.

* Sit in your chair for three years and collect at least $50 million a year during rest of bull market while those bets pay off.

* When market finally turns (sorry, it always does), briefly deny that the downturn will affect Your Bank.

* When it's clear that your traders were just bull-market geniuses and have gambled away all the "profits" Your Bank booked in the previous three years and more, blame them and express disappointment. Then hang around to see whether market cares.

* If market demands resignation, resign, collect $500 million severance, and join private equity firm.

* If market yawns, re-up for another cycle and do it all over again!

Overreactions

There are rumors circulating that the Government of Canada is about to declare that BPA (Bisphenol-A), a chemical that is used to make polycarbonates, is toxic for humans based on animal data.

Overreaction?  I think so.  Is there a reason why we are focusing on this chemical rather than something else that affects the lives of people much more frequently than this?  Well, this article from Slate nicely sums up my thoughts and opinions.  Instead of sensationalizing the possible effects of cellphone radiation on brain cancer, why don't we focus on HPV, HBV, or some of the other public health issues that are known to cause cancer.

Maybe because saying herpes or hepatitis just isn't sexy and it doesn't sell newspapers. 

Tough Times

MGM Mirage, one of the larger purveyors of gambling entertainment in Las Vegas, is having some slowdowns in their business.  There must be tougher times ahead when this industry is responding to the economy by shrinking.

Two points of notes - they are laying off 400 middle managers in a move expected to save $75 million annually. Since the word "annually" to me implies recurring costs such as salaries rather than the one time cost of severence, it struck me that I should try to get a job as a middle manager in Vegas.  $75 million by 400 employees is an annual compensation package of just under $190K a year.

Second - we'll know how bad of a recession is coming up by monitoring what the liquor companies report in earnings.  If their sales start to suffer rather than grow, then we know it is going to be bad. 

Weekend Blues

Wonderful weather for San Francisco this weekend, and I had to come down with a mild cold.  It was great to be reminded of the illnesses suffered in Tucson, where your nose would be runny and your throat would be sore and the temperature outside is a balmy 80 and sunny.

Even better was trying to go ride a bike while wiping said runny nose.

Or trying to enjoy the chocolate samples at the Chocolate Festival while having trouble smelling, tasting, and swallowing.

Grrr.

At least it is a mild sickness.  No limbs have fallen off and no organs have failed yet. 

Who Needs Caffeine?

Nature just published the results of an informal poll asking scientists if they use any known mental enhancement drugs - survy here and summary article here if you don't.

Interesting to see that one in five scientists admit to using drugs to enhance mental ability.  Athletes take performance enhancing drugs.  Scientists take them too.  When do we reach the point where these things become acceptable, because societal norms currently seem to be swinging over to the acceptable category right now. 

If it isn't acceptable, then how long until we start asking the high school chess team to pee in a cup?

Olympic Torch

I must admit that I have been enthralled by the whole spectacle of the Olympic Torch run here in San Francisco.  The mayor and the police chief pulled a rope-a-dope on the crowd by changing the route of the run at the last minute.

It was also interesting to see the response on the net, with the newspapers trying to cover the new route but unable to update the information enough.  Of course, I guess the television networks probably did a better job of covering the action, just like the news cameras following OJ's Bronco as he drove through LA.

In the end, goodbye to the torch, thanks for the visit, maybe I'll see you again if I decide to pay attention to the Olympics this year.