I've returned from the Dark City in the Swamp (aka Washington, DC), where I was attending a fancy tour event related to the Civil War. The tour was connected to Ken Burns, who made that marvelous and artistic Civil War series. We saw some of the usual suspects, but also some sites that are a bit hard to see and hard to understand fully without a good guide. The Frederick Douglass house in the outer zone of the city was particularly good as it is fully preserved.
Next week: my impressions of the Dark City.
Actions
Ms. Market is being a bit flighty and flirtatious, leading us on and then slapping our faces when we get too bold. Running the numbers for Krypto this morning, I see that for all the turmoil, the spreadsheet has changed very little from last Friday. My guess is that I missed a weak buy signal in European and Emerging Markets stocks midweek. Sighhhhh. Time marches on, though. For now, Krypto is snoozing on a fine sheepskin on the couch.
Explanation
Mrs. B wanted me to stop posting the fact that I am away for security reasons: I obeyed, hence the absence of any activity here all week. When there is no post with at least a Word of the Day, you should assume that either the Google blog site is a mess or I am traveling. I rarely travel for more than one week.
Word of the Day
"Veristic" - adjective [$10] from "Verism" - noun [$10]
Verism means a realism in literature or art.
Veristic means related to or having a quality of verism.
Sentence: By using photographs of actual people and places, and letters they wrote at the time of the events, Ken Burns produced a highly veristic film about the Civil War not possible with other methods.
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Just returned from a 5 day visit to Amsterdam and some other parts of the Netherlands, I can strongly say that these are very pleasant and enjoyable and intellectually rewarding places to visit. I recommend them highly.
First, almost everyone seems to understand enough English so you don't have to struggle with a phrase book or stick with a guided tour all the time. The weather was very mild - about 65F and little heavy rain. We had some sporadic drizzle, but nothing that an umbrella could not deflect. Amsterdam is a great walking city - one can walk to all the main tourist sites with ease. It's flat and the streets have sidewalks and are safe.
The locals ride bicycles everywhere. There are more bicycles than people. That's one thing your do have to watch out for - the bicyclists. Bicyclists seems to peddle in a carefree manner, disregarding rules for cars and pedestrians, so look both ways in crossing. Why bicycles ? One of our drivers - a young man with a trip to NYC under his belt - said that parking permits have a five year waiting list. And parking costs 5 euros an hours IF you can find a space. Since spaces aren't available even at stores, etc., what's the point of having a car unless one lives in the suburbs. With flat terrain, bicycling is easy, too. We were told people bike in all weathers.
The Dutch are taller than the average American. The average height of an American man is about 5' 10". A Dutch man averages 6' 0.5". I'm 6' tall and there were many Dutch men who were taller than me - far, far more than for US men. The same applies to women. Also, Dutch women are rather attractive in general - they are not too thin nor fat. The ultra-thin fad does not seem prevalent there; Dutch women seemed to mostly have nice figures. Maybe it's the bicycling.
Normal Dutch food seems a lot like normal American food. Lunches in cafes were mostly indistinguishable from a similar cafe in NYC. I had several excellent club sandwiches for lunch with a fine glass of Dutch beer (large, of course).
The art in the Netherlands is spectacular. we visited the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Mauritshuis in The Hague and the Franz Hals Museum in Haarlem to see the great masters of the 17th century. All were incredibly good collections and the audio tour guides were simply the best I've ever encountered anywhere on earth. Another must stop is the Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House) - the restored home of Rembrandt. It's a wonderful example of both 17th century life and how the artist lived.
Walking around Amsterdam, one can see fine old churches and many, many fine homes from the 17th and 18th centuries. A few gates from the old city walls exist, too. Amsterdam and The Netherlands are dream places for those interested in art and old architecture. The Dutch do a fine job preserving both.
First, almost everyone seems to understand enough English so you don't have to struggle with a phrase book or stick with a guided tour all the time. The weather was very mild - about 65F and little heavy rain. We had some sporadic drizzle, but nothing that an umbrella could not deflect. Amsterdam is a great walking city - one can walk to all the main tourist sites with ease. It's flat and the streets have sidewalks and are safe.
The locals ride bicycles everywhere. There are more bicycles than people. That's one thing your do have to watch out for - the bicyclists. Bicyclists seems to peddle in a carefree manner, disregarding rules for cars and pedestrians, so look both ways in crossing. Why bicycles ? One of our drivers - a young man with a trip to NYC under his belt - said that parking permits have a five year waiting list. And parking costs 5 euros an hours IF you can find a space. Since spaces aren't available even at stores, etc., what's the point of having a car unless one lives in the suburbs. With flat terrain, bicycling is easy, too. We were told people bike in all weathers.
The Dutch are taller than the average American. The average height of an American man is about 5' 10". A Dutch man averages 6' 0.5". I'm 6' tall and there were many Dutch men who were taller than me - far, far more than for US men. The same applies to women. Also, Dutch women are rather attractive in general - they are not too thin nor fat. The ultra-thin fad does not seem prevalent there; Dutch women seemed to mostly have nice figures. Maybe it's the bicycling.
Normal Dutch food seems a lot like normal American food. Lunches in cafes were mostly indistinguishable from a similar cafe in NYC. I had several excellent club sandwiches for lunch with a fine glass of Dutch beer (large, of course).
The art in the Netherlands is spectacular. we visited the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Mauritshuis in The Hague and the Franz Hals Museum in Haarlem to see the great masters of the 17th century. All were incredibly good collections and the audio tour guides were simply the best I've ever encountered anywhere on earth. Another must stop is the Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House) - the restored home of Rembrandt. It's a wonderful example of both 17th century life and how the artist lived.
Walking around Amsterdam, one can see fine old churches and many, many fine homes from the 17th and 18th centuries. A few gates from the old city walls exist, too. Amsterdam and The Netherlands are dream places for those interested in art and old architecture. The Dutch do a fine job preserving both.
For food, we mostly dined on Indonesian food. Indonesia was once a Dutch colony so many people with experience in Indonesian food brought it to The Netherlands. It's very tasty and nutritious - a bit like a combination of Indian food and Southeast Asian food. We had the "Rijsstaffel" every night - that's a "rice table". It's a combination meal of numerous small servings of all the styles and types offered by the restaurant. depending on the size, one gets 12-18 different meat or vegetable servings with different spices and cooking styles, and both yellow and white rice. All were delicious. Portions were very large. That meal goes well with either fine wine or Dutch beer.
Amsterdam and The Netherlands are fine, fine places for a vacation - very enjoyable.
Word of the Day
"Inanition" - noun [$10]
Inanition means 1. emptiness; 2. exhaustion from lack of nourishment.
Sentence: The American people's increasing sense of inanition in Obama's regime will likely bring major changes in November.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Back in the Saddle
I returned from a fine trip to Amsterdam. I'll write a lot more later, but Amsterdam is very enjoyable city to visit - friendly people, wonderful sites, superb food and easy to get around. I recommend it for a vacation to anyone. We also saw Haarlem and The Hague on day trips - both were equally fine visits.
Soccer
Mrs. B and I both enjoyed watching a number of soccer games in the evenings after a long day of touring and a fine dinner. I suppose I am now as much of a soccer fan as I am of other major sports. [That's not a high bar, btw.] Soccer is an exciting sport to watch once one gets familiar with the rules and how goals are set up. In excitement, I compare it to baseball or hockey - both often have low scoring and long set-ups for explosive moments. Rugby is a better game, but ...
And to commemorate this conversion, I composed a triad of poems that also might qualify for a record short collection of poems. They are below, with titles in bold italics.
Goals
Nil.
Score 1st Half
Nil,
Nil.
Final Score
Still,
Nil,
Nil.
[I could not resist having a bit of fun at the expense of soccer :)))) ]
Actions
I checked the model this AM and Krypto might soon want to sell some emerging market stocks to put into cash. The model says do it, but I might wait another day or two to get a stronger signal.
Word of the Day
"Madstone" - noun [$1000]
Madstone means a stone supposed to have the power of allaying or curing the madness caused by the bite of a "mad" animal.
Sentence: Perhaps the next team Le Bleu of France should all wear charms containing a madstone to avoid the vicious infighting and dissension that seems to have been their downfall in this World Cup.
Soccer
Mrs. B and I both enjoyed watching a number of soccer games in the evenings after a long day of touring and a fine dinner. I suppose I am now as much of a soccer fan as I am of other major sports. [That's not a high bar, btw.] Soccer is an exciting sport to watch once one gets familiar with the rules and how goals are set up. In excitement, I compare it to baseball or hockey - both often have low scoring and long set-ups for explosive moments. Rugby is a better game, but ...
And to commemorate this conversion, I composed a triad of poems that also might qualify for a record short collection of poems. They are below, with titles in bold italics.
Goals
Nil.
Score 1st Half
Nil,
Nil.
Final Score
Still,
Nil,
Nil.
[I could not resist having a bit of fun at the expense of soccer :)))) ]
Actions
I checked the model this AM and Krypto might soon want to sell some emerging market stocks to put into cash. The model says do it, but I might wait another day or two to get a stronger signal.
Word of the Day
"Madstone" - noun [$1000]
Madstone means a stone supposed to have the power of allaying or curing the madness caused by the bite of a "mad" animal.
Sentence: Perhaps the next team Le Bleu of France should all wear charms containing a madstone to avoid the vicious infighting and dissension that seems to have been their downfall in this World Cup.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Dutch Masters
I'm not talking about cigars.
Over the next few days, we plan to visit the major art museums in Amsterdam, Haarlem and The Hague which have collections of the great Dutch Masters of the 17th century. To get the most benefit from this vacation, I listened to a CD course on this subject in preparation from The Teaching Company [ http://www.teach12.com/ ]
And I'm looking forward to some fine Dutch beer. I've also read that Indonesian cuisine is particularly fine in the Netherlands at it was once a Dutch colony. I expect we will have more than one meal of Indonesian food.
Actions
I'll check the numbers for Krypto this morning; if anything needs to be done, I will post a "PS".
PS
I checked and the numbers say to buy some TIPs. Those are still overvalued by a lot, so that recommendation can wait.
Word of the Day
"Philippic" - noun [$10]
Philippic means a bitter verbal attack or denunciation [from the Greek name of Demosthenes' speeches against Philip II of Macedon, and Cicero's against Mark Antony].
Sentence: Obama's philippics against BP accomplish nothing for either combating the spill or to compensate people for losses; they are delivered simply to keep his political ratings up.
Over the next few days, we plan to visit the major art museums in Amsterdam, Haarlem and The Hague which have collections of the great Dutch Masters of the 17th century. To get the most benefit from this vacation, I listened to a CD course on this subject in preparation from The Teaching Company [ http://www.teach12.com/ ]
And I'm looking forward to some fine Dutch beer. I've also read that Indonesian cuisine is particularly fine in the Netherlands at it was once a Dutch colony. I expect we will have more than one meal of Indonesian food.
Actions
I'll check the numbers for Krypto this morning; if anything needs to be done, I will post a "PS".
PS
I checked and the numbers say to buy some TIPs. Those are still overvalued by a lot, so that recommendation can wait.
Word of the Day
"Philippic" - noun [$10]
Philippic means a bitter verbal attack or denunciation [from the Greek name of Demosthenes' speeches against Philip II of Macedon, and Cicero's against Mark Antony].
Sentence: Obama's philippics against BP accomplish nothing for either combating the spill or to compensate people for losses; they are delivered simply to keep his political ratings up.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Back in the Saddle
Ahhhhh ... home again.
Rome is a great, wonderful place to visit. The city is loaded with fine sites of antiquity, fine paintings and sculptures, fine food and the people are quite friendly and helpful. It's easy to get around, too, as much is within walking distances. And did I walk ... up and down the seven hills of Rome. Or at least up and down a few of them many times. Mrs. B strongly prefers walking over taxis and so I obeyed.
We had fine weather every day except some rain on half of one day. The temperatures were comfortable at 75-80F midday when sunny, which was most of the days. I'll write more later about Rome. Also, this "one city" or "one country" method is really the way to travel if one expects to do it a lot over a decade or two. Staying in one hotel and then using walks and tours to see the area is really comfortable and not stressful at all.
OK, I admit I did not live as a "common man" on the vacation. Regarding the flight, "business class" is about 90% of what "first class" was in the 1980s when I experienced it with frequent flyer miles on a few long flights overseas. So it's really worth it if you have the extra money [quite a lot, actually] or can get the seats with mileage awards.
I did not eat at McDonald's, but went into one to see. The place was fabulous with a Travetine marble floor, and sold fine coffees, gelato [a form of ice cream] and the usual foods. There were places to sit and enjoy the coffee, etc. Prices were high vs. Bunkerman's town, but about equal to NYC Manhattan prices. One of our guides said, jokingly, that churches and McDonalds were everywhere in Rome. But I asked and the Vatican state has no McDonald's.
Markets
I hear that AIG re-invigorated the financial bears ... sigh. Why did anyone believe that company ? They can manufacture whatever numbers they wish from the bag of assets.
The S&P is about where it was when I left for Rome. Hope all enjoyed the beefer ping-pong games.
Core CPI is at 2.3% year over year - very low inflation. The BLS has it right. Energy and food prices rises are purely supply and demand related. Energy price increases are due to the emerging market demand bumping into no new supply growth. Food is weather-related and idiotic US ethanol policies.
The monetary base is growing about 1-2% - there is no money fueled "inflation". The Fed should really force that to grow faster to accomodate growth.
Word of the Day
"Moloch" - noun [$10]
Moloch means 1a. a Canaanite idol to whom children were sacrificed; 1b. a tyrannical object of sacrifices; 2. a grotesque spiny slow moving Australian lizard.
Sentence: [from "Shah of Shahs" by R. Kapuscinki, pg. 64 - a really fine book, ref the corruption of the Shah of Iran in the 1970s] "As prices rose, the bribes got bigger and ordinary people complained that more and more of their earnings went to feed the moloch of corruption."
Rome is a great, wonderful place to visit. The city is loaded with fine sites of antiquity, fine paintings and sculptures, fine food and the people are quite friendly and helpful. It's easy to get around, too, as much is within walking distances. And did I walk ... up and down the seven hills of Rome. Or at least up and down a few of them many times. Mrs. B strongly prefers walking over taxis and so I obeyed.
We had fine weather every day except some rain on half of one day. The temperatures were comfortable at 75-80F midday when sunny, which was most of the days. I'll write more later about Rome. Also, this "one city" or "one country" method is really the way to travel if one expects to do it a lot over a decade or two. Staying in one hotel and then using walks and tours to see the area is really comfortable and not stressful at all.
OK, I admit I did not live as a "common man" on the vacation. Regarding the flight, "business class" is about 90% of what "first class" was in the 1980s when I experienced it with frequent flyer miles on a few long flights overseas. So it's really worth it if you have the extra money [quite a lot, actually] or can get the seats with mileage awards.
I did not eat at McDonald's, but went into one to see. The place was fabulous with a Travetine marble floor, and sold fine coffees, gelato [a form of ice cream] and the usual foods. There were places to sit and enjoy the coffee, etc. Prices were high vs. Bunkerman's town, but about equal to NYC Manhattan prices. One of our guides said, jokingly, that churches and McDonalds were everywhere in Rome. But I asked and the Vatican state has no McDonald's.
Markets
I hear that AIG re-invigorated the financial bears ... sigh. Why did anyone believe that company ? They can manufacture whatever numbers they wish from the bag of assets.
The S&P is about where it was when I left for Rome. Hope all enjoyed the beefer ping-pong games.
Core CPI is at 2.3% year over year - very low inflation. The BLS has it right. Energy and food prices rises are purely supply and demand related. Energy price increases are due to the emerging market demand bumping into no new supply growth. Food is weather-related and idiotic US ethanol policies.
The monetary base is growing about 1-2% - there is no money fueled "inflation". The Fed should really force that to grow faster to accomodate growth.
Word of the Day
"Moloch" - noun [$10]
Moloch means 1a. a Canaanite idol to whom children were sacrificed; 1b. a tyrannical object of sacrifices; 2. a grotesque spiny slow moving Australian lizard.
Sentence: [from "Shah of Shahs" by R. Kapuscinki, pg. 64 - a really fine book, ref the corruption of the Shah of Iran in the 1970s] "As prices rose, the bribes got bigger and ordinary people complained that more and more of their earnings went to feed the moloch of corruption."
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