The U.S. Sardine Industry Dead @ 135 Years

Another long-time U.S. industry dies: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/after-135-years-last-us-sardine-cannery-closing/article1534564/

Math Quiz

It is said that only people with an IQ 120 and over are able to figure this out.

If:

2 + 3 = 10

7 + 2 = 63

6 + 5 = 66

8 + 4 = 96

Then:

9 + 7 = ?

Even Value of the White House Drops in Value

This post over at CNBC is amusing: http://www.cnbc.com/id/34956652 It just underlines the fact that no one has been been immune to this economy!

Morality vs. Legality

Here's a good example of where 'the law' separates from common morality:

http://www.theindianalawyer.com/html/opinions-pdf.asp?pdf=01121003mpb.pdf

The case focuses on a man, who applies for a credit card, charges up an amount, then ultimately never pays his account. The credit card company sells it to another company that is in the business of buying bad debts & trying to collect them, and they go after the man. In the end, the man wins because the statute of limitations is invoked on collecting the debt e.g. they waited too long to collect.

So, boys & girls, the moral of the story is this:

In America, it's not what's morally right or wrong, it's just what the 'letter of the law' says.

Easy Money

This type of 'legalized' theft has to stop, as it’s purely the rich stealing from the poor:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/12/21/daily32.html?ana=yfcpc

I've seen the shareholders of various companies over the past several years far victim to this, where an investment company buys an undervalued company. In some cases, they've used the method of loan the target company money via a convertible note, later exercising, and voting all of the shares 'yes' to sell to themselves for a ridiculously low price (think: Conseco several years ago vs. a small insurance company they acquired via this method).

Mark my words, too: the buyer will take it private for a year (maybe two) and then do an IPO, once they've parted off anything they can in their 'chop shop'.

The victims? Those are the long-term investors, who believed in the original company & trusted the Board of Directors with their hard-earned savings. It's call 'fiduciary responsibility' and more Boards need to learn this.

[End of Rant]

Happy New Year!

May everyone have a very Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Have a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Modern-Day 'Cavemen' Inherit Billions

Here's a quirky rags-to-super riches story: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3584037.html

Deep Thoughts @ McDonald's

Exactly what type of fish makes up the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish?

The New York Times answers this question & more here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/science/10fish.html?no_interstitial

Who knew?!

Internet Speeds

Interesting new results about Internet speeds: http://www.speedmatters.org/content/2009report/

E-Mail Forward Wisdom

Today's Thought of the Day:

If 'con' is the opposite of 'pro' in the English language, is Congress the opposite of progress?

It's Not Coal, It's a Mastodon!

The Chicago Tribune, Indianapolis Star, & Terre Haute Tribune Star newspapers are all reporting stories of coal miners recently finding the fossil remains of a mastodon at Vectren’s Black Panther Mine in Sullivan County, Indiana. The miners are being praised for stopping operations and setting aside the soil surrounding the remains for review by scientists.

Here are links to the news stories:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-mastodonbones,0,7063154.story
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090818/NEWS/908180373
http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_230115433.html

More info on mastodons can be found here at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastodon

Indiana & the Tomato

The 'Who knew?' factoid of the day: Indiana ranks second in tomato production in the United States.

Not So Finger-Licking Good

I think I'll eat in tonight after reading this: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6737005.ece

Low-Calorie Diet Extends Lifespan

Put down the bag of cheesy Doritos and jug-o-cola and read this: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124718227356220229.html#mod=todays_us_nonsub_page_one

Fellow Lintonian Inventors of Yesteryear

I've become infatuated with Google Patents http://www.google.com/patents lately. So, I decided to look up some inventors of local interest. Doing a search for ‘Linton, Indiana’ yielded some local patent holders of yesteryear, as shown below. Who knew!

Inventor: Marion N. Thayer
Subject: Improvements to Umbrella
Patent number: 912206
Issue date: Feb 1909
Google URL: http://www.google.com/patents?id=kllNAAAAEBAJ&printsec=description&zoom=4

Inventor: George F. Chapman
Subject: Screw-Threading Implement
Patent number: 938973
Issue date: Nov 1909
Google URL: http://www.google.com/patents?id=PrZXAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4

Inventor: Earl T. Aikin
Subject: Burial Casket Plate
Patent number: 1602185
Issue date: Oct 5, 1926
Google URL: http://www.google.com/patents?id=ZbNSAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4

Inventor: William H. Stewart, et al.
Subject: Improvements to Surface Mining
Patent number: 1872016
Issue date: Aug 1932
Google URL: http://www.google.com/patents?id=fkhkAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4

Sullivan Gentlemen Add to Mining in 1915

A little earlier in the patent history for mining tools, specifically in 1915, two local Sullivan County gentlemen received a patent on certain improvements to acetylene lamps too. Here’s the patent: http://www.google.com/patents?id=X5BkAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0

Jasonville Inventor - circa 1924

For all of you local coal mining historians & enthusiasts out there, on March 11th, 1924, Samuel G. Thomasson of Jasonville, Indiana received a patent on improvements to the acetylene lamp. Here is the patent from Google Patent Search: http://www.google.com/patents?id=R0FHAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0

Jefferson's Code Finally Cracked

Interesting article in the WSJ Online about breaking a 200 year old code used by Thomas Jefferson: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124648494429082661.html

Madoff Gets 150 Years!

Multi-billon dollar investment schemer, Bernard Madoff, was sentenced to 150 years this morning. For his victims, however, that is probably still not enough time in prison.