“It’s Ice” has always been one of my favorite Phish tunes. The Clifford Ball version recently distributed for free is crackling.
All posts for the month June, 2011
Another Switchboard Hit
Good content over there! This time on infrastructure banks:
Infrastructure banks in other parts of the world have proven to be largely successful in leveraging public money. The European Investment Bank (EIB), owned and funded by the European Union, finances investments worth $470 billion using only about $50 billion in government funds. That’s a ratio of more than 9:1 in private versus public funding. The bank, which has funded huge projects like the Port of Barcelona and the TGV rail system that connects France and Spain, consistently turns a profit and has had only negligible delinquencies over the past five decades, according to economists Robert Skidelsky and Felix Martin, writing in the New York Review of Books.
Posted by Gillies on June 29, 2011
http://gilli.es/2011/06/29/another-switchboard-hit/
6.9 Billion People in Texas
Switchboard relayed an interesting graphic today on how much space the world’s population would require, assuming everyone was lumped together at urban densities.
Posted by Gillies on June 28, 2011
http://gilli.es/2011/06/28/6-9-billion-people-in-texas/
Oh Great #nukes
Depuis l’accident de Fukushima, les rapports sur des complications survenues dans des centrales nucléaires se multiplient partout dans le monde. Le dernier en date, et non des moins alarmants, est une étude confidentielle sur l’état du parc nucléaire russe, présentée en secret au président Dmitri Medvedev par Rosatom, l’agence russe du nucléaire, le 9 juin, et divulguée par l’ONG norvégienne Bellona. Dans ce document de conclusion des stress tests effectués suite au tsunami japonais, l’agence nucléaire recense 31 failles sérieuses en termes de sécurité, du fait de déficiences de contrôle, d’entretien et de réparation, prouvant l’extrême vulnérabilité des onze centrales du pays en cas de catastrophe naturelle.
Posted by Gillies on June 27, 2011
http://gilli.es/2011/06/27/oh-great-nukes/
Chip Off the Old Block
Lefsetz writes about a recent Rush show:
That was what was positively stunning. You’d turn around and everybody knew the words. They were playing air guitar. My favorites were the father and son in the row behind me. The dad was one of those barrel-chested fortysomething guys drinking beer…and playing every note on his imaginary axe. But even better was his towheaded not even ten year old son. He was playing every lick too. And like his dad, singing every word!
Posted by Gillies on June 25, 2011
http://gilli.es/2011/06/25/chip-off-the-old-block/
Spork Snark
At REI.com, a comment about the Sea to Summit Alpha Light Spork:
Since I got my ACTION SPORK, I’ve earned the envy and respect of ALL of my coworkers. I wear my ACTION SPORK on my belt loop so I have it with me at all times. Why, just this morning I had an engaging conversation about whether or not I could take down a hyena with my ACTION SPORK. I think I could. It’s surprisingly lightweight and rigid, has a sexy anodized finish, and most importantly comes with a perfect tiny carabiner. When people see your ACTION SPORK on your belt loop, they’ll know you’re a man/woman of ACTION.
In the interest of completeness, I should mention that I have not eaten with my ACTION SPORK yet. But I’m confident that it’s fork enough to stab into a potato and spoon enough to provide a perfectly adequate sipping platform.
Posted by Gillies on June 21, 2011
http://gilli.es/2011/06/21/spork-snark/
