I thought this article about phantom limbs was interesting, and may say something about how our brains are to a degree pre-wired to expect certain sensory input.
The patient was born with a deformed hand that didn't have several fingers. After a bad accident that required the amputation of that hand, she started having phantom pains of a 5-fingered hand that she had never had.
Click here for the article: "Phantom Finger Points to Secrets in the Brain"
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
First tomatoes
John Mayer's version of Crossroads
I was listening to my playlist today and John Mayer's funky take on the blues standard "Crossroads" came up. I really like Mayer's interpretation of this song. Here's a youtube video of a live performance with extended intro and solos from the Letterman show. I know some folks, especially blues fans, don't like to or want to give Mayer credit for his fretwork, but I dig his style.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Alternative Energy statistic
Alternative Energy stat of the day from solarindustrymag.com
"Renewable power, excluding large hydropower, accounted for 44% of all new generating capacity added worldwide in 2011 - up from 34% in 2010."
You don't see it as much yet, but it seems a tipping point is nearing wrt power generation. More and more applications are seeing alternative energy approaches becoming feasible.
The investment implications are still cloudy. I eventually want to be long in this space, but now there's so much competition that hardly anyone is making money.
"Renewable power, excluding large hydropower, accounted for 44% of all new generating capacity added worldwide in 2011 - up from 34% in 2010."
You don't see it as much yet, but it seems a tipping point is nearing wrt power generation. More and more applications are seeing alternative energy approaches becoming feasible.
The investment implications are still cloudy. I eventually want to be long in this space, but now there's so much competition that hardly anyone is making money.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Pet statistic that surprised me
I'm a shareholder of online Pet pharmacy PetMed Express PETS. I was reading their annual report and came upon this statistic for the United States which surprised me a bit: "The dog and cat population is approximately 165 million, with approximately 62% of all households owning a pet."
I found the 62% figure to be high. I don't have pets right now so I guess I tend to think that the majority of people are like me and don't have pets - but I'd be wrong. I guess I'm in the 38% minority that doesn't have pets.
Some more info on spending on pets: "According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, pet spending in the United States increased 5.3% to $51.0 billion in 2011. Pet supplies and medications represented $11.8 billion, or 23% of the
total spending on pets in the United States.."
If you do the math on that it works out to $11.8 B / 165 M = approximately $71.50 in average spending on each animals pet supplies and medications annually.
In total spending on pets it works out to $51.0 B / 165 M = $309 annual spending on each pet.
These annual spend figures really are pretty low and don't surprise me alot.
I found the 62% figure to be high. I don't have pets right now so I guess I tend to think that the majority of people are like me and don't have pets - but I'd be wrong. I guess I'm in the 38% minority that doesn't have pets.
Some more info on spending on pets: "According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, pet spending in the United States increased 5.3% to $51.0 billion in 2011. Pet supplies and medications represented $11.8 billion, or 23% of the
total spending on pets in the United States.."
If you do the math on that it works out to $11.8 B / 165 M = approximately $71.50 in average spending on each animals pet supplies and medications annually.
In total spending on pets it works out to $51.0 B / 165 M = $309 annual spending on each pet.
These annual spend figures really are pretty low and don't surprise me alot.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Noah/Grimmie duet
A friend posted a link to a viral video of Noah's cover of LMFAO's tune "I'm Sexy and I know it", which I thought was awesome, so I looked at some of his other tunes. I actually thought this cover of Gotye's "Someone that I used to know" was even better.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Hey Dad
Bill Gross quote
I read this quote from super-investor Bill Gross on Forbes' website today:
"The whales of our current economic society swim mainly in financial market oceans. Innovators such as [Steve] Jobs and [Bill] Gates are as rare within the privileged one percent as giant squid are to sharks, because the one percent feed primarily off of money, not invention."
Here's the full story: What Investors Can Learn From Apple, McDonald's And Wall Street's Blunders.
This quote encapsulates much of what I've come to believe about how the financial industry has become a parasite on the economy.
"The whales of our current economic society swim mainly in financial market oceans. Innovators such as [Steve] Jobs and [Bill] Gates are as rare within the privileged one percent as giant squid are to sharks, because the one percent feed primarily off of money, not invention."
Here's the full story: What Investors Can Learn From Apple, McDonald's And Wall Street's Blunders.
This quote encapsulates much of what I've come to believe about how the financial industry has become a parasite on the economy.