Gentle Reader -- You are welcome to peruse my web-based journal. I assure you that my contributions to this medium will be both infrequent and inconsequential. Read on!

THE LEROY CAFE

We quite liked the decor of some places we saw in BP (all new since I lived there). Several places were suspiciously similar, however, perhaps indicating that they were owned by the same group. Here's the first one that we visited:



Molly's side:



My side (we were sitting at the same table, at the dividing line between the two rooms):



And yes, I look like ass. posted by Carlton at 9:19 PM

MORE PIX



I simply have to take a rest amidst the topiary! (Mere steps from the big Maria Theresa statue in Vienna.)



Molly shopping for something she just can't get at home . . .

posted by Carlton at 9:12 PM

IN THE LAIR OF THE SHROUDED SKULL

Here's the first of (possibly) many photos from our recent trip:



Molly made a new friend at the Matthias Church in Buda. For whatever reason, the cloth and unreadable (to us) plaque made the skull much creepier than it might otherwise have been. We've all seen skulls, right? posted by Carlton at 9:06 PM

RE: MY AWESOMENESS

Recently I wrote that:

I have felt that we were in a (deep breath) Golden Age of television. More sophisticated viewers, better effects technologies and production values, and competition from edgier cable channels had lifted all boats.

So, in the cover story from the March 31 issue of Entertainment Weekly, the author writes (in the first lines) that

The premise is that we're living in a new golden age of television. The proof is in the next six pages.

So, I don't know whether this means that I agree with him or he agrees with me, but we agree. And the point isn't really that I'm awesome (any more than the point of any blog post by any blogger is about anything else) but that I'm glad to see that I'm not alone.

Actually, an evolving point of this blog is that Carlton is little more than an eager consumer of the information that is readily available through the media. I may have the occasional insight or nuanced perspective on something (or I may not -- "paean to my own cleverness" charges are both exaggerated and on the money). So that when *I* know something -- like that the levees would break in a hurricane or that the Iraq war would turn into an uncontrollable, bloody mess -- there is no excuse for people in charge not knowing the same thing. That's especially true for those who purport to be experts on a subject. I'm not an expert on any subject,and I'm kind of an idiot besides. So -- you had better know it too, Mr. Expert. If the information has reached us way out here on Planet Carlton, I know it's reached you, too.

(And if I were really awesome, I'd have fewer typos.) posted by Carlton at 2:17 PM

ANOTHER DAY OFF

IRS HQ closed on Thursday as well.

I might have to go buy more Newtons. posted by Carlton at 10:25 PM

DAY OFF

I was getting ready for a conference call, when . . .

Internal Revenue Service closed its main building Wednesday after an electrical fire in the basement. There were no injuries. Employees evacuated the building, located on Constitution Avenue, early Wednesday. The building remained closed for the day due to smoke and a lack of electrical power. About 3,000 people, including the IRS commissioner, work in the building.

Yeah, they did. I was injured, in that I had to go home and spend the afternoon eating Fig Newtons and swilling diet soda. Pity me, people. posted by Carlton at 3:40 PM

DING!

Here's a groovy (scary?) video by some german band Seeed.

I'm getting awfully Euro in my old age. Can you tell we watched a lot of the music channels in the hotel?

In case you couldn't tell, the video stream was presented by Warner Musik. posted by Carlton at 8:17 PM

WHEN YOU'RE A FAMOUS BOY, IT GETS REALLY EASY TO GET GIRLS

Fun song + video by UK group The Streets. posted by Carlton at 8:03 PM

BORING INVESTMENT QUESTION

Here's a question for the vast brain trust that is my readership: dollar cost averaging. What is it?

Yes, I know the basic definition:

Instead of investing assets in a lump sum, the investor works his way into a position by slowly buying smaller amounts over a longer period of time. This spreads the cost basis out over several years, providing insulation against changes in market price.

Essentially, it's just buying stocks (or whatever) incrementally instead of plopping it all down at one go. But here's my question: does DCA assume that you already have the lump at the beginning, and are simply investing it using a different strategy, or is it the same as periodic investing, in which you buy small amounts of stock (or whatever) over time as you get the money to do so?

For example: you have $10,000 in your bank account and want to invest it in Stock A. You could just make the buy at one time, in a lump, and buy a set number of shares based on the price on the date of purchase. With DCA, you would take that $10,000 and, say, buy $100 worth of A per week for 100 weeks, as it goes up and down in price. If you buy into the DCA religion, you iron out some of the risk by doing this. (You'd also have to figure out how much you lose by having all that cash sitting in your checking account instead of something better, but whatever.)

But what if you don't have it all at one time? What if you contribute that $100 a week from your paycheck on an ongoing basis (which I think is how most people do it, via a 401k or IRA)? Is that DCA?

My suspicion is that it is NOT DCA, and doesn't have the theoretical benefits of DCA. If I get to name it, I'll call it "piggy-bank" investing -- you get home and put your pocket change in the piggy bank, and one day it turns out that the pig is full and you have enough on hand to take the wife to dinner at JP Seafood. If that's the case, and piggy-banking really isn't DCA, I'm tempted to say that I think that DCA is bunk, or at least not worth the hassle. But I'm no expert. (This guy thinks it's bunk too. He also thinks it's not the same as piggy-banking, but is the only commentator I've seen make this distinction. )

That's all. Aren't you glad you visited Planet Carlton today? posted by Carlton at 1:39 PM

WE HAVE RETURNED

Back from the wilds of Central Europe, none the worse for wear (though light one suitcase, which the airline just can't seem to find . . .)

More to come, maybe even some pictures. Since it's obligatory to talk about the weather on your vacation, here's the report: It was not so cold in Budapest or Vienna as we had feared, and it was not as warm here in Virginny as we hoped when we returned. posted by Carlton at 1:36 PM

MAP

Maybe I'll just keep posting until I drive those blasted maps off the front page. They take forever to load, and they are NOT. WORTH. IT. posted by Carlton at 11:20 PM

BUDAPESTRE

Molly and I are off on Friday for a week in Budapest and Vienna (three days in each). Hope it's not too cold! Anyway, this means that I'll probably be silent here for that time -- which is a big change, I realize. Try to cope.

This should be an interesting traipse down memory lane for yours truly. In honor of our trip, I'd like to make reference to one of Hungary's historical curiosities: It happens to have been the situs of the worst hyperinflation ever, in the history of the world. The currency at that time was the pengo (with a weird diacritical mark over the 'o' that Blogger can't handle). It is now the forint.

Here's some info from Wikipedia:

The pengo lost value after the Second World War, suffering the highest rate of hyperinflation ever recorded. The pengo was revalued. However, this did not stop the hyperinflation and prices continued spiralling out of control, with ever higher denominations introduced. The denominations milpengo (1,000,000 pengo), and bilpengo or b.-pengo (1,000,000 milpengo) were used to cut down on the number of zeroes needed on the notes.

The largest denomination produced was 100 quintillion (1020) pengo, denominated as 100 million b.-pengo on the notes. The note was issued in 1946, and was at the time worth about US$ 0.20.

Notes for one sextillion (1021) pengo, denominated as one milliard b.-pengo, were printed but never issued.

The Hungarian economy could only be stabilized by the introduction of a new currency, and so, on August 1, 1946, the forint was introduced at a rate of four hundred octillion (4×1029) pengo, or, written, 400,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pengo. The adópengo was replaced at a rate of two hundred million to the forint (hence the 2×1021 ratio, mentioned above). The exchange rate for the US dollar was set at 11.74 forints.

A Hungarian friend related her grandmother's tales of sweeping banknotes out of the street with a broom, they were so worthless. Imagine all your savings, obliterated (and all your debts, meaningless!). Crazy!

posted by Carlton at 11:01 PM

BATTLESCAR GAFRACKTICA

Saw the season finale -- it was pretty awesome. Yes, they did change the basic premise of the show in the last half hour, but I'm OK with that. Even if they totally screw up the show, it's been good, and good shows simply don't last forever. I don't think they will screw it up, however. I admire them for taking the risk. posted by Carlton at 10:58 PM

MOVIE REVIEW

I recently went out and saw The Matador, starring that guy, you know, and that other guy. Without being great, it managed to be quite good. Laughs were had throughout. I especially liked the scene where Julian was wearing the sombrero. Three crowns out of five.
posted by Carlton at 9:31 PM

TV ROUNDUP: ENNUI EDITION

Recently, I have felt that TV has abandoned me. For the past couple of years, I have felt that we were in a (deep breath) Golden Age of television. More sophisticated viewers, better effects technologies and production values, and competition from edgier cable channels had lifted all boats. But now . . . I'm just tired of it all.

1. House, MD is still good, but is pre-empted so often by American Idol (spits) that it's almost canceled in my heart.

2. Battlestar Galactica has been really uneven this season, with some big ol' highs (The Captain's Hand, Downlaoded) balanced out by some deep lows (nameless, but in the middle of the season, in case anyone cares). And the lows really bum me out, yes they do. And for some reason I can't figure out, I didn't like the last episode (Lay Down Your Burdens) at all.

3. I missed Lost for a couple of weeks in a row, and now every time I turn it on it's a rerun from last season. Add to that my general agnosticism about where the show is going/whether anyone has any idea what is happening, and I almost want to quit it. Oh yes, I DO know how to quit you Lost. This is why they make DVDs.

4. The Sopranos is coming back, but I just can't get excited about it.

5. Where's my Deadwood, anyway?

6. The one bright spot . . . once the Battlestar season is over, the new Doctor Who will be showing in its place! Now THAT is exciting.



Except, somehow ... Nope, still filled with ennui.

I wonder if the fact that I was so happy about TV there for a while is what engendered this letdown. Never love anything, people. Love just makes you sad. (Hi, Molly!) posted by Carlton at 9:12 PM

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

Just reading a recap of the Doctor Who serial, The Deadly Assassin, 'cause I'm a giant nerd and am extremely excited about the new season showing on Sci Fi:

The Doctor realises that the Master sent the Doctor the premonition of the assassination through the Matrix, a vast computer which turns thought patterns into virtual reality. He decides to enter the Matrix as a means of tracking the Master. Engin warns him that if he dies in the virtual world, he will die in the real world as well.

Later, the Master attempts to kill the Doctor's body while it's hooked into the Matrix interface. This serial was aired in 1976.

So were the W Bros "quoting" or "stealing"? posted by Carlton at 4:35 PM

GO ME, PART THE THIRD

Part of me thinks this is pretty pitiful, part thinks it's OK.

It is what it is, I suppose.

(This map makes it look like I went across Siberia to Vladivostok, which is not the case -- just a short visit to Moscow, izzall.)



create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands posted by Carlton at 3:31 PM

GO ME, AGAIN

Just to be clear, I only count states that I have actually visited. Airports don't count, nor does driving across a state and not stopping except for gas.



create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks. posted by Carlton at 3:28 PM

TIP OF THE ICE 'BURG

The good ol' Hattiesburg American has a story about a Forrest County (Hattiesburg area) Sheriff who has been prosecuted for stealing two trucks of ice from federal custody and distributing them to locals during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The trucks were sitting idle and no person could be found to authorize their release. Evidently, the sheriff decided to allocate the valuable resources himself (with some help from his deputies). A bit of a scuffle resulted with a National Guardsman, who was not injured (though he was arrested by the deputies).

My response:

1. Stealing the trucks was wrong. In an emergency situation, a lower level officer cannot be allowed to appropriate emergency resources on his own initiative. You can see that the next step down that road is utter chaos. What if the county sheriff and the Hattiesburg police chief had both wanted to send the trucks to different places? Would there have been a shoot-out? What if he had stolen the ice and sold it? More importantly -- what if the ice was being held in reserve for some important purpose? They were FEMA's trucks, and should have been left to FEMA to allocate.

2. Stealing the trucks was right. FEMA's response was a disaster in itself. The temperatures were in the 90s, and people were desperate for ice and water. The elderly were in danger of death. The Sheriff tried to go through proper channels, but it became apparent that no one was competent properly to distribute the ice or direct the trucks. The sheriff did what he had to do to help the people of his community. No one was harmed, and many were helped.

What's the correct result? You decide. posted by Carlton at 8:42 AM