Peony Tour

Erin and I went to visit a peony farm today.

You'd think that a post about colorful flowers would have color photos. But it doesn't! Ha!

Malacosoma disstria

On the East Bank, near the alumni center.

Yeast Gravy

Delicious, believe it or not. The jar to the left is barbeque sauce, also home-made by Erin and also delicious.

From the Department of Stupid Warning Labels

On the power cord of my electric razor, purchased this afternoon.

Weekend To-Do List

• Vacuum, sweep, mop
  
• Blog some photos
  
• Clean off table
• Clean out e-mail
• Clean out Google Reader
• Install towel rod
  
• Plant sunflowers
• Mow lawn
  
• Shop for clothes
• Go to Target
• Go to ATM
  
• Read books
• Date night with lovely wife
• Play computer games
• Fix DVD drive
• Organize fun time
• Go on peony tour with lovely wife
• Get rid of crappy griddle
• Make slice listen on port 443
• Figure out Bluetooth headset
  
• Phone call
• Muck with door
  

Alley Sunset

I sure do enjoy making photos and then having them on the blog a few minutes later.

Weekend To-Do List

• Blog some photos
• Vacuum, sweep, mop
  
• Figure out Firefox config for transfer to work computer
• Clean off table
  
• Install additional tires on bike
• Date night with lovely wife
• Fix sander (hopeless, unfortunately)
  
• Clean out e-mail
• Clean out Google Reader
• Figure out headset
• Run
• Mow lawn (lovely wife did it)
  
• Go to library
• Plant sunflowers
  

I Am Funny

I am extremely funny. Here is an example. My wife thinks this one is not so funny, but it's my blog, so ha!

Economics Is Bullshit

I recently read a very interesting and powerful book, Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. Basically, it's an accessible tour through all the science that shows -- contrary to the basic assumption of standard economic theory, which underpins basically everything we do as a modern financial and political society -- that people do not act rationally when making decisions. We can pretend they do, and make policy decisions accordingly, or we can look at the science, which says they don't, and make policy decisions accordingly.

From the last chapter:

Standard economics assume that we are rational -- that we know all the pertinent information about our decisions, that we can calculate the value of the different options we face, and that we are cognitively unhindered in weighing the ramifications of each potential choice.... [T]he standard economics perspective suggests that we will quickly learn from our mistakes either on our own or with the help of "market forces." On the basis of these assumptions, economists draw far-reaching conclusions about everything from shopping trends to law to public policy.

But, as the results presented in this book (and others) show, we are all far less rational in our decision making than standard economic theory assumes. Our irrational behaviors are neither random nor senseless -- they are systematic and predictable. We all make the same types of mistakes over and over, because of the basic wiring of our brains. So wouldn't it make sense to modify standard economics and move avail from naive psychology, which often fails the tests of reason, introspection, and -- most important -- empirical scrutiny?

Wouldn't economics make a lot more sense if it were based on how people actually behave, instead of how they should behave?

Now, the books doesn't argue against standard economics quite as vigorously as the title of this post does... but with billions of dollars of self-interest (i.e., greed) slobbering over the bogus notion of people as consistently rational actors, I think it's time to strongly advocate for reality.

Weekend To-Do List

• Blog some photos
• Spread more goop on walls in bathroom and entry
  
• Vacuum, sweep, mop
  
• Figure out Firefox config for transfer to work computer
• Clean off table
  
• Install additional tires on bike
• Date night with lovely wife
• Install towel rod (fail)
  
• Prepare draft of CIFellows application
• Clean out e-mail
• Clean out Google Reader
• Blog how funny I am on Facebook
• Blog book review
• Go to library
• Figure out headset
• Run
  

Weekend To-Do List

• Date night with lovely wife
  
• Mow lawn
• Fix weed whacker
  
• Weed-whack lawn
  
• Do dishes
  
• Blog some photos
• Spread more goop on walls in bathroom
• Vacuum, sweep, mop
  
• Figure out Firefox config for transfer to work computer
• Clean out e-mail
• Pay bills
• Clean off table
  
• Play some fun computer games
• Phone calls
• Install additional tires on bike
• Do some work
• Clean out Google Reader
• Read some fun books
  

Aquamira Enhancement Kit

Two-part chlorine dioxide (Aquamira) is much smaller and lighter than water filters and works better than other chemical water treatment systems. However, the kit as sold has two major usability flaws: it requires lots of extremely tedious drop-counting, and treating multiple water bottles is difficult as the mixture needs to sit for 5 minutes before use and you only get one little container for sitting.

I have solved these problems with my Aquamira Enhancement Kit, pictured above. Click through for details.

Weekend To-Do List

So the weekend has already started, since I took Friday off, but here we go.

• Install sheetrock at friend's house
• Mow lawn at friend's house
• Don't blow up friend's house
• Go to dump
  
• Secret jobs item
• Date night with lovely wife
  
• Mow lawn
• Put weed-whacker back together (needs battery???)
  
• Weed-whack lawn (hard to do when weed-whacker is still broken)
  
• Do dishes
  
• Blog some photos
• Spread more goop on walls in bathroom
• Vacuum, sweep, mop
  
• Some stuff from Remember the Milk lists
• Figure out Firefox config for transfer to work computer
• Clean out e-mail
• Pay bills
• Clean off table
  
• Play some fun computer games