A More Literate Government

I'm back from a couple of months interpreting code, where I stumbled - er - came across the following site.

The IRS says it can publish select Capone files under FOIA under the theory that since he never filed tax returns, there was nothing to keep confidential. In a less charitable mood, it strikes me that the released files are a good advertisement for a more glamorous line of work. It also strikes me that, at least in days gone by, a more literate approach to work was taken. Did our government really talk like this?

This could have been lifted from a James Ellroy novel:

"That Al Capone is shrewd, there is no doubt, which, togehter with his native Italian secretiveness, has made this case a most difficult on to handle. Al Capone never had a bank account and only on one occasion could it be found where he ever endorsed a check, all of his financial transactions being made in currency. Agents were unable to find where he had ever purchased any securities, therefore, any evidence secured had to be developed through the testimony of associates or others, which, through fear of personal injury, or loyalty, was most difficult to obtain."

Nice on the substantiation.

Also, the end of the document there is a neat recreation of Capone's income detailing partnership income allocations to his partners, including "town officials", income attributed from his wife (the IRS neatly created a joint return) as well as providing for deductions of somewhat obscure origin - $1.00 "for all years".

Yes. Marketing Not Backed By Logic.

The August 28th Economist makes my points for me. I don't recall the newspaper (its description - not mine) coming out with a stated position against green incentives, but it seems to me there has been one of late.

Why fluorescent lighting is not energy efficient:

Assuming that ... solid state lights will be about three more times efficient than fluorescent ones and that the price of electricity stays the same in real terms, the number of megalumen-hours consumed by the average person will, according to their model, rise tenfold .... The amount of electricity needed to generate that light would more than double. Only if the price of electricity were to triple would the amount of electricity used to generate light start to fall by 2030.

In short, for fluorescent or LED light bulbs, making them available increases the demand for their product: light. The more light is used, the more energy is used. This is similar to the observation that increasing the size of roads leads to more congestions. As more cars get drawn to the highway, the collector streets get jammed. Or as you increase the size of your desk, the paperwork starts to back up.

Do I need to point out that we need to re-tool factories to make the lights? Isn't that an energy expenditure that needs to be considered? It is not readily apparent to me that building/re-tooling an industry is particularly "green" (though it surely is good for jobs). Also, I can't recall a discussion where the problem of disposing of all the outmoded incandescent and, in particular, fluorescent bulbs has been addressed.

Lady's A Hero

Can't resist the story. Reminds me of a story within a story from Le Carre, where one of the old hands does a good turn by telling the parent's of their ne'er do well son, recently deceased, about how his stories of working for the secret service were true. He shows them a medal (not the son's) and tells them they can lok at it, but they cannot have it n the interest of national security, etc.

Drum roll for this (H/T the Guardian online):

Wartime spy laid to rest

22/09/2010

Last week, penniless Eileen Nearne was just another little old lady who died alone in her seaside flat. But yesterday hundreds turned out to honour the heroine whose daring life as a wartime spy was revealed after she died last week.

The Church of Our Lady in Torquay, Devon, was packed and loud speakers were set up outside. Modest Eileen, who never spoke about her life as a secret agent in the Second World War, was described as "the bravest of the brave".

Two British Legion pipers greeted the coffin, which then passed through a solemn guard of honour. Eileen was captured three times by the Gestapo but details remain top secret. It is thought her files at the National Archives in London will be opened following her death.

Read more here.

Randolph Scott My Ass

Wikipedia says a bisexual actor named Randolph Scott was the inspiration for the Raiders Logo.

Here's the logo:



That can't be right. It was clear to me as a six year old and it is still clear to me. The Raiders logo is circa 1963.

Here's Space Angel, a cartoon series dating from 1962:





There really is no doubt. All the raiders did was move the eye patch from the right eye to the left.

Is someone trying to avoid an obvious TM infringement claim? Or is a small bit of cartoon history being lost?

iPad Dump

Very funny but in a much trimmed down size (and color pages - kinda like the improved WSJ but not really) and at $5.99 an issue, not Cheap!, but still cheap laughs.

Alternate Reality

H/T to Prof. DeLong and commentors who note the following rules: (i) Paul Krugman is always right and (ii) if you don't think he's right see rule (i).

Naked with Diamonds

h/t d denby who introduced me to Debra Paget.

Are There

enough data points to infer the President was, basically, well-raised by a single mom? He appears to be a man very comfortably surrounded by powerful women.

Nice Swim

H/T Tony who links from I know not where.

Clapping on Landing

I've wondered what happened to this for years. When I was much younger, I remember the passengers clapping on the landing of the airplane I happened to be riding on. I recall particularly landings at HNL. For reasons I will not go into, from about the age of ten until I was eighteen, I didn't fly much, and since then have noticed no clapping. What happened? Was this the end of a certain carefree attitude by traveling public? Was I remembering some holdover ritual from the good old days when all you needed to do to drink and drive was to turn on your hazard lights?

Turns out the Landing Clap (there is a name for it!!) is not dead. I checked Google and there are sites devoted to the topic. Apparently the topic hides a hitherto un-guessed at divide. Here is one example:

Dear Plane Landing Clapping People, I Hate You.
2009 FEBRUARY 24
tags: douchebags, people I'm smarter than, plane clapping fucksticks
by the llama
Riddle me this assholes, why would one clap for an individual when all they’ve done is do their job correctly? Granted, landing a plane is not an easy task but it is 1 of 2 primary tasks bestowed upon the aircraft’s pilot. I want you to think about how foolish it would be if you applied this response to some of the other professionals you encounter throughout your day. For instance, do you clap after you finishing paying the tranny hooker that just blew you on the D train? No you don’t. You thank it for it’s services and go on your merry fucking way. Next time, just grab your goddamn carry-on and your stolen copy of Air Mall magazine and get off the fucking plane.

Here is the link to that cheery soul.

A better explanation, at least one I had not considered, is found in a NYTimes article from 1997: the author views it as an expression of relief by international travellers returning home. That could be right. Did I say much of my travel back in those days was between Europe and the US? That would make sense. I have a dim recollection of some clapping on a later flight to Europe in 2001 or 2004. Maybe.

At any rate, I'm glad to know people still clap. Even though there has been little to clap for in air travel since about 1980.

Wonderment in Newcastle

This sums it up: especially the graceful part.



That last bit reminds me of the last time I got dragged across the rocks at some beach in Ventura.

Winter Swell

Got locked out of the pool after I got there 15 minutes late. Was a little miffed at that. I can see having a late policy, but when all of the normal weekend pools are closed and there is only one Sunday practice, it seems more flexibility is in order. Bad SCAQ, bad!

So I drove south and took a look at the waves coming in at the MB Pier. The morning sun was beginning to peek out and there was a swell - possibly in advance of the storm that is rising as I write this. Water temp a cool 59-60 degrees as posted by the lifeguard tower on the pier. That felt about right.

Waves were good, but too many boogie boarders and surfers on the north side of the pier. I thought surfboards were not allowed there. Maybe there is a time limit, like no surfers after 10:00 (if there are swimmers or body boarders in the water too)? Anyway, the waves WERE good, but I kept getting thrown off by boogie boarders with priority, or gave the wave to a rider who looked like he would catch it, only to pull out as the wave got to me (I have to sit more inside).

Is it too much to ask that you actually catch the wave you try for? Wasted waves. I had to get out after about a half hour as it was just too cold and I wasn't getting enough waves.

As a side note, surfers are dangerous. I bet more people would swim in the ocean if they didn't have to contend with surfer competition. Is there an economic term for this? The problem is akin to monopoly. The existing market is skewed to the current participants and the barriers (too few swimmers to push out the surfers and too great risk for most to go it alone) to entry are high. In this case, it also appears that government regulation is either nonexistent or is not enforced.

Quick Movie Review

Up: Ed Asner can only carry a cartoon so far.Up: Ed Asner can only carry a cartoon so far.

Passing of a Legend

He still holds the record for swimming every day for eight years at coney island. Stuck down by a minivan. God I hate minivans.

Eloquent Nude

Here.

20.11.2009 Charis Wilson who used to swim in the kelb beds on the northern California coast.