Year: 2005

MIT study on aluminum foil hats:
David Pescovitz:
Earlier this year, MIT engineers conducted an empirical study on the efficacy of aluminum foil helmets to block mind control rays. They’ve published the detailed results of their experiments online. From the abstract:

Rahimi Helmet Ali2Among a fringe community of paranoids, aluminum helmets serve as the protective measure of choice against invasive radio signals. We investigate the efficacy of three aluminum helmet designs on a sample group of four individuals. Using a $250,000 network analyser, we find that although on average all helmets attenuate invasive radio frequencies in either directions (either emanating from an outside source, or emanating from the cranium of the subject), certain frequencies are in fact greatly amplified. These amplified frequencies coincide with radio bands reserved for government use according to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Statistical evidence suggests the use of helmets may in fact enhance the government’s invasive abilities. We theorize that the government may in fact have started the helmet craze for this reason.

Link (via Fortean Times)
[from Boing Boing]

Driving back from Beaumont (where almost every house has a nice ‘blue roof’ (tarps covering storm damage from Rita), saw unleaded has now dropped to $2.139 at the TA truck stop, and many places with $2.199.

The following is by Russell Roberts, professor of economics at George Mason Univeristy, and author of the most-excellent The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism.

The Post Nails it:

Unlike the editors of the NYTimes editorial page who think that high prices and profits have no redeeming social value, their counterparts at the Washington Post (rr) nail the economics:

When oil prices spike, it is because of scarcity — for example,
scarcity caused by hurricane damage to petroleum infrastructure on the
Gulf Coast. The best way to manage that scarcity is for producers to
make a special effort to get oil to the market and for consumers to
make a special effort to cut back. Higher prices encourage both of
those responses; rather than complain of price gouging, Congress should
celebrate price signals. By contrast, controlled prices create no
pressure for extra production or conservation. They just create gas
lines: Witness the 1970s.

A tax on windfall profits is less counterproductive but still bad. For
one thing, it’s not as though the profits are socially useless. Even in
the absence of a special tax, they generate regular tax revenue for
both federal and state governments as well as dividends for retirement
plans. For another, the profits are a spur to new investment; taxing
them reduces the return that companies will expect to make on new oil
finds or refineries, with the result that there will be less oil and
gas available in the future and hence higher prices.

The title of the editorial is the lovely, “A Call to Inaction.”

Woke up about 7, then came down and played some blackjack. The first round was incredible: I had one push, and the rest were wins! I should have just stopped then, but, alas, I did not. It was nothing but ugly from then on. Over the next four hours, I proceeded to have my worst loss *ever*. Nothing went right. I’d have 20, she’d draw a 6 card 21; I’d double down with 11 versus her 6, and I’d invariable get a 2 while she drew to 18. After brunch, drove over to the Stardust, where I played to even after a couple of hours (thought it really hurt when I had split and double to four hands and didn’t win a wn. Went on downtown to the Plaza, where I proceeded to lose some more. Headed over to Binion’s to play some Omaha, got on the list, and decided to play while waiting…bad move…lost some more. Game never developed, so drove back to Luxor. Played for over 4 hours, hovering around even for the most part, then took another dive south. When I was really starting to despair, I managed to split/double out to 7 hands and won them all!, which brought me back to even (for the session, not the day, obviously). Came back to my room to find a very nice gift basket from Chris, my Casino Host. Made the day a little better. 🙂

Had breakfast with my folks, then dropped them at the airport and then went out to Red Rock Canyon. Parked at the Calico II area, then went scrambling. got up to the top of my selected peak by 1:30, but my efforts to find an alternate way down over the next hour proved to be in vain: after 3 or 4 tries that led to sheer drop-offs, I managed to find my way up to the top of the next peak, where I happened upon 3 folks enjoying their lunch: Frank, Purepar (sorry for mangling the spelling, will fix it if you email me), and Sam. They invited me to join them, which I most happily did. Frank, who is an experienced climber, led us back down, and showed me how to do some neat basic climbing techniques. [will post pics when I get home and have my cable…sorry!]

Once back down, we parted ways and I stopped off and got some Grey Goose as a thank you for Chris and Scott for getting me the room on such short notice. Grabbed a late burger and then promptly went to bed.

[Shari, I will get all the Props up before I go to bed Monday night, I promise]
Had breakfast at the Stage Deli (props to Mark Vane for introducing me to this place on his bachelor party), then I went back to the room to research a room for the weekend while my dad went back to the trade show and my mom went to the beauty parlor. Decided to rent a car, booked it online, then took the shuttle to the airport to pick it up. Got my mom, stopped by Merrill Lynch to make the deposit I didn’t have time to make Tuesday, then went downtown to play Blackjack and see how much of what I taught my mom about basic strategy stuck. Unfortunately, not much, but she still managed to win $10.86 for our whole sojurn! I won $30 at El Cortez, then took a bath at the Plaza (which seems to happen every time). Was down quite a bit, when I got a phone call from Rob at Main Street Theatre, offering me the role of Schulz and one of the psychiatrists in Pardon My English, which I immediately accepted. Woot! This signaled a turnaround in my card luck, too, and I ended up making up almost all of my losses. We then went to Binion’s, where I went well into the black, then got another phone call, this time asking me to callbacks for Secret Garden. Woot! We came back to the hotel, met up with my dad, and walked over to Venetian for dinner at Valentino’s, which was most excellent, and then saw the Blue Man Group, which was outstanding. Walked back to Caesar’s, decided to just break down and get a room at the Luxor, and was pleasantly surprised when they offered me two free nights in a Pyramid room! A very excellent day