Brown Motion

Trying something new is the spice of life.  Heck - no spice no life. So this weekend I got to explore a few new things.  And I must say I hit four for four on it. I like to take transit into the city to check out spots to take pictures. SF can offer that if you have the patience and temperament for it. China town in the heart of the city bordering the financial district gives an opportunity to photograph a civilization calling another continent their home.  One of the larger expat communities of Chinese, the SF locale is bustling with fruit and veg vendors along with smells of fresh dim sum.  This picture is of the edge of the financial district showing the now for sale Transamerica pyramid.  I traveled a new Muni Route and got rewarded for it. Sharp lines in the building hardware are broken by smiling 20 year old mural hiding in the shadows as I snapped it traveling down Stockton Street that runs south from North beach. Then it was back in my ho...

These days it is amazing what Wall Street hustle can produce.  Today a stationary cycle company called Peloton (meaning a group of cyclists in a race) hit the stock market in debut trading and attained a valuation (or market cap) of $7.5B ... Put that in perspective it is 20% the market cap of Ford Motor company.  Imagine that. For little over a million people who own this so called stationary bike the confusing world of valuations believes that they are worth a fifth the value of Ford Motor that has been moving people all over the world for the past 100+ years. Dang.  Henry what were you (not) thinking back then? LOL. The world today is made of whatever pipe dream you can sell to consumers of all kinds.  Whether it is to those that are vain and will pay up for any trick that promises instant weight loss and a jealousy inducing gram on Insta to those salivating on the idea of making quick bucks trading anything that IPOs on the exchange. I for one am clu...

A chip off the old block.  That is what people knew.  Like father like son et al. Nowadays there is a race to create a better chip. Latest buzz surrounds China's entry into artificial intelligence market by announcing their own chip. I saw what ho. I am introducing my very own chip made of pure fat and sugars which will make me guess what- naturally intelligent. Besides it tastes real good. I can make them in the millions.  And they are healthy for you.  I can make them lactose free, gluten free, and more importantly Made in the USA. Come one come all and try my new chip - for natural intelligence like you have never seen before.

Corporations entertain their staff in various ways to harness loyalty towards the company.  My employer recently raffled tickets to attend a Football game in our area between the SF 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers. I got lucky and won a spot to attend.  Not just a ticket to the game but to be part of something special.  Many companies rent out large lounge areas with some of the best viewing in the house to host client get togethers as well as employee morale build events.  My employer, as one of the marquee sponsors of the NFL franchise has a suite in the stadium.  This being the relatively new Levi's stadium in Santa Clara. I got to it by driving to a local park and ride and then riding in on a VTA train to the stadium. A swanking massive facility built at the south end of the SF bay it has been home to the 49er brand since their move out of their old Candlestick park on the northern end of the bay. Many businesses rent out specific square feet o...

The world we live in has rules.  And the citizens are expected to obey those rules.  Without order we get chaos.  Fighting entropy is hard.  Very hard. There was an entire TV series based on this notion called Law & Order.  Recently though there have been a spate of incidents where the watchers failed us.  From the near collapse of the capitalist economic system back in 2008 where the rating agencies failed at doing their job to the recent Boeing disasters where the FAA did not do theirs and 400 people paid with their lives, we are facing a scenario where the watchers need watching.  'Collusion' is a word making headlines these days. Coincidentally (I have started listening to podcasts on the way to work) a new podcast by one of my favorite authors, Michael Lewis has a show about umpires.  Or referees.  It is titled 'Against the Rules'.  It covers the topic of 'referees losing their authority'. Fairness and how humans enforce ...

Budapest.  Hungary's capital city.  Cross roads of eastern and western Europe.  Formerly a land of the Magyars it has been inundated with cultures of the invaders and rulers for over 1,000 years to give the country its modern face. From a visitor's viewpoint it can be tad overwhelming.  Depending on where you are coming from and what other places / countries you might have planned in your itinerary there are logistics for a budget minded person that can prove idiosyncratic at times. Currency - The Hungarian Forint is the national currency.  However, hotels often quote prices in Euros.  Euro is used by some of the nations adjacent to Hungary but locally they accept both.  If you come from the US you are left to figure out what it costs in your own money. Food - service fees on meals can vary.  No clear guide on what they are and how they apply.  Same with tipping.   As to the cuisine itself it is a mix of soups and goulash (a ...

Take stump.  It is a cricket equipment and has some specific connotation to the sport, yet it is used colloquially to indicate how vexing the English language can be. Language has one purpose.  To communicate.  Whether to the present audience or to one in the future.  It manifests itself in the form of pictures (going back in time) to audio signals (sent into space).  Most commonly it is the written format that we exchange information in. Here are some common word pairs in written form, where even the pros find themselves in a quandary.  This does not address the pronunciation aspect of words which I can write about in a separate blog. Grammar could take up a book unto itself. Not that I propound to be an expert at any of the above but as I have said before: my blog my rules. Speaking of using words that confuse us - Use or Usage Advice or Advise Principal or Principle Antivenom or Antivenin In spite or Inspite Watch or Clock Stay or L...