Not A Mystery
About Life
Health Care Debate Is Not A Pretty Picture, Yet
One problem with our continuing health care debate is a lack of pretty graphs to explain complicated issues. Where is Ross Perot when you need him? Say what you want about the European model of heath care, but you have to concede that they are way ahead of us when it comes to pretty pictures. Take this … Continue reading
Onion Video: Politically Incorrect But Environmentally Sensitive
It’s now been a week since Valentine’s Day, which is a reasonable ‘cooling off’ period. So I shouldn’t get in trouble with the Valentine Police over this item. This breaking news story from The Onion News Network is hysterical. Make sure to listen to the words, since the images are a tad distracting. The subject is … Continue reading
There Should Be A Term For Corporate Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude is a kind of personal term. It’s what you feel when someone like Eliot Spitzer stumbles. But how do I feel when an entire industry gets what it deserves? Today the UK Guardian reported that, Vodafone boss Vittorio Colao has warned mobile phone executives about Google’s growing power in the online advertising and search market, … Continue reading
Room With A View, And Then Some
Whenever I check into a hotel I play “Pretend”. I imagine that the hotel’s owners and employees are all on my team, and we are working together to ensure that I experience a great room and a wonderful ‘stay’ experience. Of course this fits the common definition of insanity, where you do the same thing over and … 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
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
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
Yes Mr. Galassi, There WAS More To Publishing Than Met The Eye
I try not to beat dead horses. But in this case I will make an exception. Once again we have a book publisher railing against the rising tide of electronic editions. Yesterday’s Op-Ed page in the NY Times featured a column by Jonathan Galassi titled “There’s More to Publishing Than Meets the Screen” in which … 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 