Song of the Day

I took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain and turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Till the landslide brought it down

Oh, mirror in the sky - What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
I don't know, I don't know

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
Because I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder, even children get older
And I'm getting older, too

So, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down
The landslide will bring it down
- "Landslide" written by Stevie Nicks

Quote of the Day

"A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them, for they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world."
– Sigmund Freud

What We Talk About When We Talk About Flooding

I don’t like network news, so I don’t watch it. I get everything I need from NPR and 99.9% of the time I don’t miss a thing. However, there have been so many natural disasters recently, that I do miss the visceral effect of really comprehending what it means when the man on the radio says “flood” or “tsunami.” One recent example of this is the horrific flooding in, of all places, Minot, North Dakota. A friend of mine grew up 90 minutes away, and this town was the closest place for her family to go shopping and pick up supplies. This means that Minot flooding not only impacts the town itself, but all the communities within in a 2 hour radius.

This friend forwarded on some links that really drove the disaster home. Check out this article from Minot resident and click here for photos of the town under water.

What’s incredible is that given the flatness of the terrain, the water is not planned to recede for quite some time, so the 10,000 people that were driven out of their homes will be mobile for the forseeable future. I can’t even imagine what that must be like. To give you some idea, North Dakota's National Guard estimates that it will will cost $90 million or more to repair roads, parks and other public works from damage.

Tips from the Rich

Barry Richoltz had an interesting article about the lessons he's learned from the very wealthy. They're astute, but my favorite one is the last: "It helps to be incredibly lucky." To me, that sums up the casino that is the stock market in a nutshell.

Link of the Day

Girl Talk's Ideal 154-Track Backyard-Barbecue Mix

Can't say I agree with all of these songs (to choose just one, Huey Lewis has MUCH better songs that "If This Is It"), but it's an interesting discussion!

Quote of the Day

Creativity has much to do with experience, observation and imagination, and if any one of those key elements is missing, it doesn’t work.

- Bob Dylan, Chronicles, page 121

Quote of the Day

Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.
– Carl Jung