Not A Mystery
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A Great Tax Idea Whose Time Hasn’t Come, Yet
A few years ago when talking with a Brit friend I learned that the UK’s equivalent of our IRS, known as the Inland Revenue, filled out his tax returns automatically without even asking his permission. Wow, I thought, this is socialism to the extreme! But when you think about it for a second, perhaps it’s … Continue reading
Bubble Wrap Turns 50 … Pop, Pop, Pop
Milestones are, well, milestones. And this month we mark the official 50th. birthday of Bubble Wrap. Which shouldn’t pass without mention. Although we should note that the product itself precedes the corporation it spawned by a few years. Details. Bubble Wrap was created by two engineers, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, in 1957. The term is a … Continue reading
Strategic Defaults And Altruism Can Only Take You So Far
Normally what would make an interesting blog post is the connection of two seemingly unrelated events. But that’s not happening today. Instead we have two non-intuitive findings that remain just that … non-intuitive. Our first discovery is a conundrum. Why don’t more people who are ‘underwater’ on their mortgages, and can’t get their lender to negotiate … Continue reading
You Really, Really, Shouldn’t Try This At Home
Hard as it may be to believe, I had never heard of David Blaine before today. Well, I had seen some of his stunts reported in the press, but didn’t have a name or personality to go with the news stories. But now I do. Blaine talked about endurance at the TedMed conference that was … Continue reading
It’s Always Nice To Be At The Top Of The Charts
It’s alway nice to be Number 1. For example, I’m terrifically proud that I purchased my current home at the absolute peak of the real estate bubble. And I feel equally puffed up over this chart from the Economist showing that we in the US are supporting Big Pharma in their quest for profits. Shame on those Health … Continue reading
Bob’s Pasta Homage to Ron Popeil, Master of “The Turn”
Last night I made Pasta. And whenever I make Pasta I thank Ron Popeil, Pitchman Extraordinaire who perfected the Infomercial and made pasta a part of my life. I knew I loved Ron Popeil, but I didn’t know how much until I read the first chapter in “What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures” by … Continue reading
Is Big Mac 2010 Still The Gold Standard?
Time flies. It’s the Economist Big Mac Index for 2010. That’s pronounced “Twenty-Ten” F2u Rio Linda. Just to review, The Economist has been publishing their (not so tongue-in-cheek) Big Mac Index since 1986. It’s a reality check on world-wide currency exchange rates, based on the concept of Purchasing-Power Parity. Purchasing-Power Parity (PPP) says that exchange rates are … Continue reading
Stephen King Conjures up Jack Reacher In “Under The Dome”
I’m a huge fan of the author Lee Child and the character he created, Jack Reacher. (By the way Reacher even has his own Wikipedia entry.) And it turns out I’m not alone. A [for the moment] better known author shares my taste. Stephen King put a Jack Reacher Easter Egg in his new novel “Under The … Continue reading
Let’s All Just Get Small And Mobile
Great news for NotAMysterians with smart-phone addled brains (like me). Not A Mystery works perfectly on mobiles! Kind of takes your breath away, n’est-ce pas? How do they do that you might wonder? I’ll go with this saying: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguable from magic. Arthur C. Clarke, “Profiles of The Future”, 1961 Actually … Continue reading
And When Pigs Can Fly, Multi-Tasking Will Be Safer Than Driving
Question: What has Big Auto learned from Big Tobacco? Answer: Nothing. We now know that Big Tobacco knew of the addictive and harmful medical properties of cigarettes for years but kept that knowledge secret, while publicly denying the facts. That story didn’t have a happy ending for either the Tobacco Industry or their customers. The only … Continue reading
Celebrities, Roles, Tony and Warren (Not Buffett)
I’m late to this party and probably over my head but that’s never stopped me before. Let’s talk about Art and Celebrity. What got my attention the other day was reading the lyrics to a Nora Jones song. I can’t remember which particular song, but it doesn’t matter. The point was that the words themselves … Continue reading
Just Another Mystery
- Weaving A Different Kind of Necklace
- Jumping into Spring
- The Art of Using Natures Bounty to Dye Cloth
- A Shibori Stitched and Felted Wrap
- Faux Fur, Vogue and Verve
- The Perfect Dance, Part 2
- The Perfect Dance
- The Vest That Mysteriously Turned Into A Purse
- Vintage Kimono Baby Booties
- Zipper, Keys, and a Linen Belt Buckle
Sterling Jewelry & Gifts
Not A Mystery 