It's Finally Here!!!!!

The Tauntaun sleeping bag that started out as an April Fools' Day joke received so much positive feedback that it has finally made it through licensing and into production. See the main description here.

I signed up for updates to know when the dream became reality and this is what I received.

A message from Mr. F.M. Tauntaun, c/o ThinkGeek
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My friends in the Rebel Alliance,

Remember me? The ThinkGeek April Fools Day joke, a little movie 
called Star Wars? 

Yes, it's me, the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag, and I've arrived safely 
at ThinkGeek HQ after a long and harrowing journey from Hoth to 
Jokeland to Licensingville to Realitytown.

Turns out the monkeys here are even more excited about me than I 
was about finally being unpacked--'cause if you think I smell bad 
on the outside, just imagine after a long trip in a box. The 
attached photos might explain it better.

Anyways, everybody here wants to hang out and catch up, so I'm 
sorry about having to make this quick. Just wanted to let you 
guys know that I've survived the trip and I'll keep you posted 
on the next phase of my saga!

XOXO,

First Manufactured Tauntaun Sleeping Bag 

P.S. Apparently you guys can compete for me by entering 
ThinkGeek's Halloween Pumpkin Template Contest, and you've got 
until 10/29/09 to submit an entry. (No Tauntaun template 
yet? Hmm.)


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Personal Finance

I came across this website and was impressed with how well it concisely covers a lot of very basic financial topics. It is worth checking out and bookmarking as a reference.

http://www.extension.uidaho.edu/personalfinance/

Frank and Ernest as Economists

These are some of my favorite Frank and Ernest jokes about economics.

 

Anagram-Agar Man

One of the young adult novels I read this summer, An Abundance of Katherines, is a story about a prodigy named Colin with a penchant for dating and being dumped by girls named Katherine: nineteen Katherines, nineteen times exactly. After Katherine XIX breaks his heart, his devastation inspires him to prove his Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, a "mathematical formula that predicts which of two people will end a romantic relationship and when..." etc.

Anyway, Colin possesses a prodigious talent for anagramming, and reading the novel led to the discovery of an amusing website (if you don't think it's cool, remember that I am easily amused): Internet Anagram Server, which incidentally can be anagrammed, "I, Rearrangement Servant." Type in your letters and in three seconds, behold the first 1000 anagrams.

So, if you ever get bored, or have too much time on your hands, check it out.

Sarita Clara Rich: Archaic Lira Star, Satirical Car Rah, Racial Chair Tsar, Tarsal Circa Hair, A Carat Liars Rich, Rascal Chair Rat I

Jesse Thomas Rich: Cremates His Josh, Chimeras Set Josh, Achier Jests Mosh, Macho Heirs Jests

Enjoy! http://wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html

LeftRightLeftRightLeft

So Coldplay has made available a free download of a new album they have put together from a live concert called LeftRightLeftRightLeft. It can be downloaded after visiting their website here. The songs included in the album are:

Glass of Water
42
Clocks
Strawberry Swing
Hardest Part/Postcards from Far Away
Viva La Vida
Death Will Never Conquer
Fix You
Death and All His Friends

It's definitely worth downloading since it's free.

Geithner on Meet the Press

I'm glad he doesn't give up on trying to get him to respond to the actual question. Unfortunately, he never does answer the question.

Where the Wild Things Are

Check out the new movie trailer.

(The song is "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire)

Financial Policies

At first I thought Timothy Geithner might be able to do a good job as Treasury secretary. I thought that with all the bright people Obama has surrounded himself with that he would have a plan. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I don't often agree with Paul Krugman, but here is a link to a good article who wrote on the disastrous financial policy we have had so far.

Winter Break

I've finally decided to put up some pictures from our winter break vacation when we visited CA, went to Magic Mountain, and visited the Huntington Library in Pasadena.