Lessons learned from Vietnam, as told by Robert McNamara

1. We misjudged then — and we have since — the geopolitical intentions of our adversaries … and we exaggerated the dangers to the United States of their actions.
2. We viewed the people and leaders of South Vietnam in terms of our own experience … We totally misjudged the political forces within the country.
3. We underestimated the power of nationalism to motivate a people to fight and die for their beliefs and values.
4. Our judgments of friend and foe alike reflected our profound ignorance of the history, culture, and politics of the people in the area, and the personalities and habits of their leaders.
5. We failed then — and have since — to recognize the limitations of modern, high-technology military equipment, forces and doctrine…
6. We failed as well to adapt our military tactics to the task of winning the hearts and minds of people from a totally different culture.
7. We failed to draw Congress and the American people into a full and frank discussion and debate of the pros and cons of a large-scale military involvement … before we initiated the action.
8. After the action got under way and unanticipated events forced us off our planned course … we did not fully explain what was happening and why we were doing what we did.
9. We did not recognize that neither our people nor our leaders are omniscient. Our judgment of what is in another people's or country's best interest should be put to the test of open discussion in international forums. We do not have the God-given right to shape every nation in our image or as we choose.
10. We did not hold to the principle that U.S. military action … should be carried out only in conjunction with multinational forces supported fully (and not merely cosmetically) by the international community.
11. We failed to recognize that in international affairs, as in other aspects of life, there may be problems for which there are no immediate solutions … At times, we may have to live with an imperfect, untidy world.

Good thing we learned those valuable lessons in the 70s.

The Night of the Deceased!

I haven't posted in a while, so I need to play a little catch-up. First and foremost...

I saw Deceased Saturday night at legendary NYC club CBGB's. Wow, what a show.

It turned out to be Mike Smith's last night touring with the band (he's going to continue on ina Brian Wilson/Beach Boys kind of way), so they played for over two hours, busting out a lot of old tunes and covers (3 songs off of Fearless Undead Machines!).

King Fowley, the lead singer, who used to also be the drummer before he lost one of his lungs to complications from a blood clot he had, got behind the set towards the end of the show for the band's cover of Voivod. He hadn't played drums live in over 4 years. They also covered Kreator's Tormentor, and closed the show with Venom's Black Metal.

Here's a conversatin my friend and I had, right after the band played The Funeral Parlour's Secret.

friend: So, uhh, what is the funeral parlour's secret?
bub: I dunno.
(pause)
bub: It can't be good.

Here's a Deceased video off of their Supernatural Addiction album called Elly's Dementia.


If that wasn't enough for you, here's It's Alive:

Time to Play B-Sides

I'm obsessed with this song of late. Not quite Brian Wilson listening to Be My Little Baby 100 times a day, but getting there. I hear this song in my sleep. And I don't sleep that much.

How (and a touch of Why) You're Being Lied to About the Effect of Tax Cuts

The declarations coming out of the White House of increased revenue success caused by the Bush tax cuts, even though the deficit is still well over $200B, flies in the face of statements made by two of Bush's former chiefs of his Council of Economic Advisors.

from Brad DeLong (I emboldened some parts):

Suppose you cut taxes. By how much do you have to cut spending in order to keep the budget deficit from growing? Gregory Mankiw--chosen by George W. Bush to chair his Council of Economic Advisers and be his chief economic adviser in 2003-2004--and his coauthor Matthew Weinzierl provide us with their answers to this question in "Dynamic Scoring: A Back-of-the-Envelope Guide". Mankiw and Weinzierl say that, initially, you have to cut spending by almost the entire amount of the tax cut. But if you do so, they say, you find that the economy does grow faster with lower taxes: people work more, people hide less income, and more is saved and invested. In that long run that economists love so much, you only have to cut spending by five dollars out of every six in order to finance a cut in taxes on labor, and you only have to cut spending by one dollar out of every two in order to finance a cut in taxes on capital.

This is ex-Bush CEA Chair Gregory Mankiw's view. It is in accord with the consensus of professional economists: tax cuts that do not unbalance the budget do increase economic growth, but not to the extent that you don't need to cut spending at all.

What if you cut taxes but don't cut spending? There the consensus of economists is equally clear. A tax cut without accompanying spending cuts does not raise but lowers economic growth. In the end taxes must be raised, and raised to a higher level than they were initially. As Ben Bernanke--whom George W. Bush chose to succeed Greg Mankiw as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, and then chose again to chair the Federal Reserve--puts it:

"The tendency of government budget deficits to reduce investment spending is called crowding out. Reduced investment spending implies slower capital formation, and thus lower economic growth.... This adverse effect of budget deficits on economic growth is probably the most important cost of deficits, and a major reason why economists advise governments to minimize their deficits..."

Hold on tight to both of these views. They are Republican--spotlessly Republican. They are, however, the views of reality-based Republicans, a remnant that are much scarcer on the ground these days than even wild quail.

So why, then, is the Bush administration holding a big press event this afternoon (Tuesday) in order to claim that because of its supply-side policies the 2006 budget deficit will be about $300 billion, much lower than the $423 billion the Bush administration forecast last February? That its 2003 tax cuts have more than paid for themselves? That the tax cuts have accelerated economic growth enough so that they produced a net gain in revenue?

Do they think that reporters won't ask the first obvious question--that back in February your forecasts already included the effects of the 2003 tax cuts on revenue, and do you really think your audience is too stupid to realize that revisions in the forecast since February come from things that have happened since February and not from things that happened three years ago? Do they think that reporters won't ask the second obvious question--that Republicans like Dick Cheney claimed that the 2001 taxcut wouldn't create a deficit, that the 1993 tax increase wouldn't reduce the deficit, and that the 1981 tax cut wouldn't increase the deficit; shouldn't people who are 0 for 3 be less sure of themselves?

Well, actually, yes.

They do think reporters won't ask the obvious questions--or that even if they do the stories that will get written about the press event will be "he said, she said" stories about how "experts" differ, and who knows who is right. Paul Krugman has the best line about the elite Washington press corps's coverage of the Bush administration: if it were to announce this afternoon that the Earth was flat, tomorrow's headlines would read "Bush, Democrats Views on Shape of Earth Differ."

If you read page A1 of last Saturday's New York Times you saw evidence that the Bush administration's expectations of the press corps are not completely wong, as they snookered the generally-reliable Edmund Andrews, who wrote:

"White House officials are expected to announce that... the deficit will be about $100 billion less than what they projected six months ago. The rising tide in tax payments has been building for months, but the increased scale is surprising even seasoned budget analysts.... Tax revenues are climbing twice as fast as the administration predicted in February, so fast that the budget deficit could actually decline this year..."

Andrews makes no mention of the fact that the Bush forecast of six months ago was deliberately highballed by $60 billion or so--precisely so that the administration could claim now that recent news on the deficit has been very good. As non-partisan budge analyst Stan Collender wrote half a year ago, "The Bush administration held a conference call... to say that the 2006 deficit would be $400 billion or more.... [T]his president has a well-established history of overstating the deficit early in the year and then taking credit when it turns out to be lower than projected, even if it has done nothing to make that happen..."

In July 2003 the fiscal 2003 deficit was estimated at $459 billion; the actual outcome was $378 billion. In February 2004 the fiscal 2004 deficit was estimated at $521 billion--more than $100 billion higher than the Congressional Budget Office's contemporaneous estimate, and $108 billion higher than the actual fiscal 2004 deficit of $413 billion. In January 2005 the adminnistration's forecast for the fiscal 2005 deficit was $427 billion--the deficit came in at $318 billion. And in each case the Bush administration trumpeted the "progress" on the deficit made relative to the benchmark set by its own highballed previous forecasts.

How did the Repulican Party ever get into the business of claiming that tax cuts in America today don't just expand the economy enough to make back some of the revenue lost, but expand it enough to make back all? It's not because any group of reality-based Republican economists believed it--they muttered about "charlatans and cranks... fad economics... voodoo economics... snake-oil salesm[e]n... trying to sell a miracle cure..." It's because a Republican journal of ideas called The Public Interest thought it would be a politically convenient claim to make. As its editor [Irving Kristol later explained (here)], his "own rather cavalier attitude toward the budget deficit and other monetary or fiscal problems" arose because "the task, as I saw it, was to create a new majority, which evidently would mean a conservative majority, which came to mean, in turn, a Republican majority--so political effectiveness was the priority, not the accounting deficiencies of government."

Call it a game of Dingbat Kabuki. There has been good news about economic growth and tax revenue this year, but not $120 billion worth. By highballing early estimates of the deficit, and claiming that lower deficits than their own previous forecasts show that tax cuts pay for themselves, they can keep the big-spending and the low-taxes and the balanced-budget Republicans all inside the tent for just a little longer. That is what is going on here.

But if you are actually interested in what is good for the country, and what the effects of tax cuts on the economy are? You will learn nothing from the administration's press event. Remember: "political effectiveness was the priority, not the accounting deficiencies of government."

How can you not love that Krugman quote?

Why Are Nerds Unpopular?

by Paul Graham

I read this a while back, and I thought it was very well done. For some reason or another I was reminded of it today.

Uncle Bub

As of Saturday night, I am officially an uncle!

A trip down to see the new baby is happening 8/3. Have your people call my people.

Lost in the Urinal

This is a surprise even Bill Parcells wouldn't think of

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana

as do intelligent designers (like Kirk Cameron!)

'70s Desert Island Album Draft Results

Remember the '90s Desert Island Album Draft in which I was involved? Think 20 years earlier. There were more participants this time, so the draft was very intense (almost 400 albums got picked!)

My 70s Island Discography (with youtube links):

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath, NIB, Behind the Wall of Sleep, The Wizard

Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Paranoid, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom, Planet Caravan, Planet Caravan (covered by Pantera), War Pigs (covered by Faith No More)

Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
Children of the Grave, Into the Void, Lord of this World, After Forver

Black Sabbath - Vol. 4
Snowblind, Laguna Sunrise, Changes, Supernaut

Black Sabbath - Sabotage
Symptom of the Universe, Hole in the Sky

Ramones - Leave Home
Sheena is a Punk Rocker, California Sun

Ramones - Road to Ruin
I Just Wanna Have Something to Do, I Wanna Be Sedated, She's the One

Frank Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh
My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama (covered at G3 w/ Steve Vai, Satriani, & Eric Johnson)

Frank Zappa - Over-nite Sensation
Camarillo Brillo, I Am the Slime (on SNL featuring Don Pardo!), Montana

Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (')
Cosmik Debris, Cosmik Debris (covered by Project Object)

The Beach Boys - Sunflower
Forever (covered by John Stamos) (OK I'm ashamed here)

The Beach Boys - Surf's Up
Surf's Up, Long Promised Road, Cool, Cool Water

Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
The Green Manalishi (with the Two Prong Crown), Diamonds & Rust (ironically done acoustically)

The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope
Stay Free, Safe European Home, Tommy Gun

Rush - A Farewell to Kings
Closer to the Heart, A Farewell to Kings, Xanadu (synched to Citizen Kane...wtf??)

Rush - Hemispheres
The Trees, La Villa Strangiato

KISS - Alive II
God of Thunder, Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, Shock Me, and for those who bought the Peter Criss album first: Beth

Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame
Meeting of the Spirits, The Dance of Maya

Comus - First Utterance
There's nothing on youtube, but search here for Comus, and you can hear some clips there.

The Sex Pistols - Great Rock N Roll Swindle
My Way, The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle, Belsen Was a Gas

entire draft:

1.01 Simey - The Who, Who's Next
1.02 John Madden's Lunchbox - The Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks
1.03 TU - The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street
1.04 Marco - Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV (Zoso)
1.05 TBone - David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
1.06 Print is Dead - The Allman Brothers Band - Eat a Peach
1.07 Uruk Hai - Stevie Wonder, Innervisions
1.08 Northern Voice - The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers
1.09 bub - Black Sabbath, Master of Reality
1.10 Bonzai - Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks
1.11 Scott Norwood - Marvin Gaye, What's Going On?
1.12 Eephus - The Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers
1.13 JZilla - Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti
1.14 DrPill - The Beatles, Let It Be
1.15 Pskov - Miles Davis, Bitches Brew
1.16 Uncle Humuna - Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
1.17 Nigel Tufnel - Pink Floyd, Animals
1.18 Zamboni - Television, Marquee Moon
1.19 Saintfool - The Velvet Underground, Loaded
1.20 Musesboy - Jimi Hendrix, Band of Gypsys (Live)

2.01 Musesboy - Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures
2.02 Saintfool - Bob Marley and the Wailers, Burnin'
2.03 Zamboni - Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
2.04 Nigel Tufnel - The Who, Quadrophenia
2.05 Uncle Humuna - The Allman Brothers, Live at the Fillmore East (Live)
2.06 Pskov - Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
2.07 DrPill - Neil young, After the Gold Rush
2.08 JZilla - Pink Floyd, The Wall
2.09 Eephus - Parliament, Mothership Connection
2.10 Scott Norwood - Neil Young, Harvest
2.11 Bonzai - Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
2.12 bub - Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath
2.13 Northern Voice - CCR, Cosmo's Factory
2.14 Uruk Hai - Funkadelic - One Nation under a Groove
2.15 Print is Dead - Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy
2.16 TBone - Miles Davis, A Tribute to Jack Johnson
2.17 Marco - Stevie Wonder, Talking Book
2.18 TU - Derek and the Dominoes, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
2.19 John Maddens Lunchbox - The Clash, The Clash
2.20 Simey - The Band, The Last Waltz (Live)

3.01 Simey - Van Morrison, Moondance
3.02 John Maddens Lunchbox - The Ramones, The Ramones
3.03 TU - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd
3.04 Marco - Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings and Food
3.05 TBone - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
3.06 Print is Dead - Pink Floyd, Meddle
3.07 Uruk Hai - The Cars, The Cars
3.08 Northern Voice - AC/DC, Highway to Hell
3.09 bub - Black Sabbath, Paranoid
3.10 Bonzai - Lou Reed, Transformer
3.11 Scott Norwood - The Stooges, Fun House
3.12 Eephus - Big Star, #1 Record
3.13 JZilla - Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life
3.14 DrPill - Gang of Four, Entertainment
3.15 Pskov - David Bowie, Low
3.16 Uncle Humuna - Bob Marley, Exodus
3.17 Nigel Tufnel - David Bowie, Hunky Dory
3.18 Zamboni - Queen, A Night at the Opera
3.19 Saintfool - The Police, Regatta de Blanc
3.20 Musesboy - Neil Young, Rust Never Sleeps

4.01 Musesboy - Talking Heads, Fear of Music
4.02 Saintfool - Iggy Pop, Lust For Life
4.03 Zamboni - Traffic, John Barleycorn Must Die
4.04 Nigel Tufnel - Grateful Dead, American Beauty
4.05 Uncle Humuna - The Doors, Morrison Hotel
4.06 Pskov - Patti Smith, Horses
4.07 DrPill - Miles Davis, On The Corner
4.08 JZilla - Kiss, Alive! (Live)
4.09 Eephus - The Specials, The Specials
4.10 Scott Norwood - Van Halen, Van Halen
4.11 Bonzai - Iggy and The Stooges, Raw Power
4.12 bub - The Beach Boys, Surf's Up
4.13 Northern Voice - Tom Petty & The Heart Breakers, Damn the Torpedoes
4.14 Uruk Hai - Deep Purple, Machinehead
4.15 Print is Dead - Grateful Dead, Europe '72 (Live)
4.16 TBone - Santana, Abraxas
4.17 Marco - Elvis Costello, This Year's Model
4.18 TU - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Deja Vu
4.19 JML - The Saints, (I'm) Stranded
4.20 Simey - The Doors, LA Woman

5.01 Simey - Elvis Costello, Armed Forces
5.02 JML - Michael Jackson, Off The Wall
5.03 TU - Elvis Costello, My Aim is True
5.04 Marco - John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band
5.05 TBone - Bob Dylan & The Band, Before The Flood
5.06 Print is Dead - Bob Dylan, Desire
5.07 Uruk Hai - Bootsy's Rubber Band, Player of The Year
5.08 Northern Voice - The Eagles, Hotel California
5.09 bub - Frank Zappa, Over-Nite Sensation
5.10 Bonzai - Nick Drake, Pink Moon
5.11 Scott Norwood - Ramones, Rocket to Russia
5.12 Eephus - Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady
5.13 JZilla - Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
5.14 DrPill - Blondie, Parallel Lines
5.15 Pskov - Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
5.16 Uncle Humuna - The Who, Live at Leeds
5.17 Nigel Tufnel - Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
5.18 Zamboni - George Harrison, All Things Must Pass
5.19 Saintfool - Curtis Mayfield, Superfly
5.20 Musesboy - Paul McCartney & Wings, Band on the Run

6.01 Musesboy - Led Zeppelin, Presence
6.02 Saintfool - Brian Eno, Another Green World
6.03 Zamboni - Rush, 2112
6.04 Nigel Tufnel - Jethro Tull, Aqualung
6.05 Uncle Humuna - The Police, Outlandos D'Amour
6.06 Pskov - Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music For Airports
6.07 DrPill - Roxy Music, For Your Pleasure
6.08 JZilla - Peter Frampton, Frampton Comes Alive
6.09 Eephus - Nick Drake, Bryter Later
6.10 Scott Norwood - Allman Brothers, Idlewild South
6.11 Bonzai - John Lennon, Imagine
6.12 bub - The Ramones, Road to Ruin
6.13 Northern Voice - Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water
6.14 Uruk Hai - Carole King, Tapestry
6.15 Print is Dead - Boston, Boston
6.16 TBone - Randy Newman, Sail Away
6.17 Marco - T. Rex, Electric Warrior
6.18 TU - Brian Eno, Here Come The Warm Jets
6.19 JML - Jeff Wayne, War of the Worlds
6.20 Simey - Janis Joplin, Pearl

7.01 Simey - Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection
7.02 John Madden's Lunchbox - The B-52's, The B52's
7.03 TU - Todd Rundgren, Something/Anything?
7.04 Marco - The Kinks, Lola Vs. the Powerman & the Money-Go-Round, Pt. 1
7.05 TBone - Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs & Englishmen
7.06 Print is Dead - Parliament, Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome
7.07 Uruk Hai - Hank Williams Jr., Whiskey Bent & Hell Bound
7.08 Northern Voice - Aerosmith, Toys in the Attic
7.09 bub - Judas Priest, Unleashed in the East
7.10 Bonzai - Devo, Q: Are we not men? A: We are Devo
7.11 Scott Norwood - MC5, Back In The USA
7.12 Eephus - Cheap Trick, Live at Budokan
7.13 JZilla - Aerosmith, Rocks
7.14 DrPill - Bob Dylan & The Band, The Basement Tapes
7.15 Pskov - Wire, Pink Flag
7.16 Uncle Humuna - The Rolling Stones, Some Girls
7.17 Nigel Tufnel - Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
7.18 Zamboni - Steely Dan, Aja
7.19 Saintfool - Iggy Pop, The Idiot
7.20 Musesboy - David Bowie, The Man Who Sold The World

8.01 Musesboy - The Jam - All Mod Cons
8.02 Saintfool - Talking Heads - Talking Heads: 77
8.03 Zamboni - Alan Parsons Project - I Robot
8.04 Nigel Tufnel - Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage
8.05 Uncle Humuna - Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
8.06 Pskov - James Brown - Sex Machine
8.07 DrPill - Sly & the Family Stone - There's a Riot Going On
8.08 JZilla - Yes - Close to the Edge
8.09 Eephus - Graham Parker & The Rumour - Squeezing Out Sparks
8.10 Scott Norwood - Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman
8.11 Bonzai - Neil Young - Live Rust
8.12 bub - The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope
8.13 Northern Voice - The Guess Who - American Woman
8.14 Uruk Hai - Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies
8.15 Print is Dead - Marshall Tucker Band - Searching for a Rainbow
8.16 TBone - Brian Eno - Before and After Science
8.17 Marco - David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
8.18 TU - Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (DAMMIT!)
8.19 JML - Derek and Clive - Come Again
8.20 Simey - Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More from the Road (live)

9.01 Simey - Queeze, Cool for Cats
9.02 JML - Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene
9.03 TU - Billy Joel, The Stranger
9.04 Marco - Tom Waits - Closing Time
9.05 TBone - Miles Davis - Live Evil
9.06 Print is Dead - James Gang - Rides Again
9.07 Uruk Hai - Commodores, The Commodores
9.08 Northern Voice - Neil Young - Tonight's the Night
9.09 bub - Rush - A Farewell to Kings
9.10 Bonzai - Richard Hell and the Voidoids - Blank Generation
9.11 Scott Norwood - In the City - The Jam
9.12 Eephus - Joni Mitchell, Hejira
9.13 JZilla - Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy
9.14 Drpill - The Congos - Heart of the Congos
9.15 Pskov - Neil Young - On The Beach
9.16 Uncle Humuna - Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
9.17 Nigel Tufnel - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
9.18 Zamboni - Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow
9.19 Saintfool - Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (1)
9.20 Musesboy - Television - Adventure

10.01 Musesboy - The Stranglers - No More Heroes
10.02 Saintfool - Can, Ege Bamyasi
10.03 Zamboni - New York Dolls - New York Dolls
10.04 Nigel Tufnel - Cure - Three Imaginary Boys
10.05 Uncle Humuna - Joni Mitchell - Blue
10.06 Pskov - The Velvet Underground - 1969: The Velvet Undergound Live
10.07 DrPill - Al Green - Let's Stay Together
10.08 JZilla - Judas Priest - Stained Class
10.09 Eephus - Sweet - Desolation Boulevard
10.10 Scott Norwood - Agents of Furtune, Blue Oyster Cult
10.11 Bonzai - The Damned - Damned Damned Damned
10.12 bub - Kiss, Alive II
10.13 Northern Voice - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle
10.14 Uruk Hai - Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac
10.15 Print is Dead - Eric Clapton - Slowhand
10.16 TBone - Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson
10.17 Marco - John Prine - John Prine
10.18 TU - Stevie Wonder - Fulfillness' First Finale
10.19 JML - XTC - Drums and Wires
10.20 Simey - Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night

11.01 Simey - Muddy Waters - Hard Again
11.02 JML - Kraftwerk - The Man Machine
11.03 TU - Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky
11.04 Marco - Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge of Town
11.05 TBone - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
11.06 Print is Dead - ZZ Top - Tres Hombres
11.07 Uruk Hai - Grand Funk Railroad, Caught in the Act (Live)
11.08 Northern Voice - Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
11.09 bub - The Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame
11.10 Bonzai - Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel
11.11 Scott Norwood - The Byrds, Untitled
11.12 Eephus - Marvin Gaye, Let's Get It On
11.13 JZilla - Ramones, It's Alive
11.14 DrPill - Fela Kuti - Zombie
11.15 Pskov - *
11.16 Uncle Humuna - Tom Waits - Small Change
11.17 Nigel Tufnel - Kansas - Left Overture
11.18 Zamboni - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - 4 Way Street
11.19 Saintfool - neu!, neu!
11.20 Musesboy - Motorhead - Bomber

12.01 Musesboy - The Fall - Dragnet
12.02 Saintfool - Big Star, Radio City
12.03 Zamboni - KISS - Destroyer
12.04 Nigel Tufnel - The Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station
12.05 Uncle Humuna - Al Green - I'm Still in Love With You
12.06 Pskov - *
12.07 DrPill - Bob Marley - Natty Dread
12.08 JZilla - Rush, All The World's a Stage
12.09 Eephus - Lou Reed, Rock N Roll Animal
12.10 Scott Norwood - The Jackson 5, ABC
12.11 Bonzai - Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger
12.12 bub - Comus - First Utterance
12.13 Northern Voice - Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story
12.14 Uruk Hai - Van Morrison, Tupelo Honey
12.15 Print is Dead - Grateful Dead - From The Mars Hotel
12.16 TBone - Patti Smith - Easter
12.17 Marco - Curtis Mayfield---Curtis
12.18 TU - Deep Purple - Made in Japan (Live)
12.19 JML - Adam & the Ants - Dirk Wears White Sox
12.20 Simey - Dr. John - In the Right Place

13.01 Simey - The Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead
13.02 JML - Radio Birdman - Radios Appear
13.03 TU - David Bowie - Heroes
13.04 Marco - Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
13.05 TBone - Al DiMeola - Elegant Gypsy
13.06 Print is Dead - Bob Marley & The Wailers - Catch a Fire
13.07 Uruk Hai - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors
13.08 Northern Voice - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
13.09 bub - The Ramones - Leave Home
13.10 Bonzai - The Band - Rock of Ages
13.11 Scott Norwood - Richard Pryor - That ######'s Crazy
13.12 Eephus - Lee "Scratch" Perry, Super Ape
13.13 JZilla - The Cars - Candy-O
13.14 DrPill - Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
13.15 Pskov - SKIP*
13.16 Uncle Humuna - B.B. King - Live in Cook County Jail
13.17 Nigel Tufnel - Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage (Acts II and III)
13.18 Zamboni - Yes - Fragile
13.19 Saintfool - Public Image Limited - Public Image
13.20 Musesboy - Hawkwind - Space Ritual (live)

14.01 Musesboy - Magazine - Real Life
14.02 Saintfool - Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
14.03 Zamboni - Neil Diamond - Hot August Night
14.04 Nigel Tufnel - The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers and Sisters
14.05 Uncle Humuna - Joe Jackson - Look Sharp
14.06 Pskov - SKIP*
14.07 DrPill - X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents
14.08 JZilla - Heart - Dreamboat Annie
14.09 Eephus - Mott the Hoople - Mott
14.10 Scott Norwood - James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
14.11 Bonzai - The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out
14.12 bub - Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (')
14.13 Northern Voice - Bob Seger - Night Moves
14.14 Uruk Hai - Parliament - Motor Booty Affair
14.15 Print is Dead - Dire Straits - Dire Straits
14.16 TBone - Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
14.17 Marco - Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
14.18 TU - TO*
14.19 JML - Motörhead - Overkill
14.20 Simey - Badfinger - Straight Up

15.01 Simey - Supertramp - Breakfast in America
15.02 JML - Abba - Abba
15.03 TU - SKIP*
15.04 Marco - Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material
15.05 TBone - Foreigner - Foreigner
15.06 Print is Dead - Little Feat - Dixie Chicken
15.07 Uruk Hai - The Doobie Brothers - The Captain & Me
15.08 Northern Voice - Journey - Infinity
15.09 bub - Black Sabbath - Sabotage
15.10 Bonzai - The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F.
15.11 Scott Norwood - Motörhead - Motörhead
15.12 Eephus - Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes - Hearts of Stone
15.13 JZilla - The Undertones - The Undertones
15.14 DrPill - Can - Tago Mago
15.15 Pskov - SKIP*
15.16 Uncle Humuna - Traffic - The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
15.17 Nigel Tufnel - Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same
15.18 Zamboni - Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Trilogy
15.19 Saintfool - David Bowie - Station to Station
15.20 Musesboy - Jonathan Richman - Back In Your Life

16.01 Musesboy - Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds
16.02 Saintfool - King Crimson - Red
16.03 Zamboni - Jimmy Cliff - Wonderful World, Beautiful People
16.04 Nigel Tufnel - Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother
16.05 Uncle Humuna - Willie Nelson - Stardust
16.06 Pskov - SKIP*
16.07 DrPill - Ornette Coleman - Science Fiction
16.08 JZilla - Spirit - Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
16.09 Eephus - Keith Jarrett - The Köln Concert
16.10 Scott Norwood - David Bowie - Young Americans
16.11 Bonzai - Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs
16.12 bub - The Sex Pistols - The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle
16.13 Northern Voice - Paul Simon - Paul Simon
16.14 Uruk Hai - Heatwave - Too Hot Too Handle
16.15 Print is Dead - AC/DC - High Voltage
16.16 TBone - Vangelis - Opera Sauvage
16.17 Marco - Roxy Music - Country Life
16.18 TU - SKIP*
16.19 JML - Blondie - Eat to the Beat
16.20 Simey - Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup

17.01 Simey - Marvin Gaye - I Want You
17.02 JML - The Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus
17.03 TU - SKIP*
17.04 Marco - Kris Kristofferson - Kristofferson
17.05 TBone - Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy
17.06 Print is Dead - Cream - Live Cream
17.07 Uruk Hai - Bachman Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile
17.08 Northern Voice - Gordon Lightfoot - Summertime Dream
17.09 bub - Black Sabbath - Vol. 4
17.10 Bonzai - The Faces - A Nod Is As Good As A Wink ... To A Blind Horse
17.11 Scott Norwood - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Pendulum
17.12 Eephus - Montrose - Montrose
17.13 JZilla - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
17.14 DrPill - Faust - Faust IV
17.15 Pskov - SKIP*
17.16 Uncle Humuna - The Grateful Dead - Blues For Allah
17.17 Nigel Tufnel - Genesis - Trespass
17.18 Zamboni - UFO - Lights Out
17.19 Saintfool - Phillip Glass - Einstein On The Beach
17.20 Musesboy - Siouxsie and the Banshees - The Scream

18.01 Musesboy - Punishment Of Luxury - Laughing Academy
18.02 Saintfool - Monty Python - The Album of the Soundtrack of the Trailer of the Film of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
18.03 Zamboni - Fripp & Eno - No Pussyfooting
18.04 Nigel Tufnel - Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
18.05 Uncle Humuna - Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks - Striking it Rich
18.06 Pskov - SKIP*
18.07 DrPill - Wire - Chairs Missing
18.08 JZilla - Golden Earring - Moontan
18.09 Eephus - The Wild Tchoupitoulas - The Wild Tchoupitoulas
18.10 Scott Norwood - Queen - News of the World
18.11 Bonzai - The Dictators - Go Girl Crazy
18.12 bub - The Beach Boys - Sunflower
18.13 Northern Voice - Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
18.14 Uruk Hai - Grand Funk Railroad - Shinin' On
18.15 Print is Dead - The O'Jays - Backstabbers
18.16 TBone - Genesis - Trick of the Tail
18.17 Marco - Madness - One Step Beyond
18.18 TU - SKIP*
18.19 JML - Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery
18.20 Simey - Jimmy Buffett - You Had To Be There (live)

19.01 Simey - The Allman Brothers Band - Wipe The Windows, Check The Oil, Dollar Gas (live)
19.02 JML - Split Enz - Frenzy
19.03 TU - SKIP*
19.04 Marco - The Slits - Cut
19.05 TBone - AC/DC - Powerage
19.06 Print is Dead - Johnny Cash - Sunday Morning Coming Down
19.07 Uruk Hai - The Isley Brothers - Go For Your Guns
19.08 Northern Voice - Foreigner - Double Vision
19.09 bub - Rush - Hemispheres
19.10 Bonzai - Big Star - Sister Lovers
19.11 Scott Norwood - The Dead Boys - Young Loud & Snotty
19.12 Eephus - Bob Marley & The Wailers - Live
19.13 JZilla - Blondie - Blondie
19.14 DrPill - John Cale - Paris 1919
19.15 Pskov - SKIP*
19.16 Uncle Humuna - Kiss - Love Gun
19.17 Nigel Tufnel - Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill
19.18 Zamboni - Queen - Live Killers
19.19 Saintfool - Fela Kuti - Afrodisiac
19.20 Musesboy - The Mekons - The Quality Of Mercy Is Not Strnen

20.01 Musesboy - Bill Nelson's Red Noise - Sound On Sound
20.02 Saintfool - Fela Kuti, Shuffering & Shmiling
20.03 Zamboni - Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
20.04 Nigel Tufnel - Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
20.05 Uncle Humuna - Duke Ellington & Ray Brown - This One's For Blanton
20.06 Pskov - MIA*
20.07 DrPill - Peter King - Shango
20.08 JZilla - The Rutles - The Rutles
20.09 Eephus - Elvis Presley - Having Fun With Elvis On Stage
20.10 Scott Norwood - Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
20.11 Bonzai - Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick
20.12 bub - Frank Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh
20.13 Northern Voice - Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell
20.14 Uruk Hai - LTD - Togetherness
20.15 Print is Dead - Hot Tuna - Hot Tuna
20.16 TBone - Chick Corea - Return to Forever
20.17 Marco - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
20.18 TU - MIA*
20.19 JML - Sherbet - Howzat
20.20 Simey - Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack

* - Pskov and TU just disappeared from the draft in rounds 11 & 14, respectively

Why Not?

Just finished this one up (not ALL that recently, but hey I haven't blogged in a while).

Why Not?

The book was light and incredibly fun. It talks about a couple devices that are useful in solving problems.

Essentially the four methods are:
1) How would we solve it without constraints?
2) Play with externalities to align incentives and actions
3) Where else might the solution work?
4) Would it work backwards?

where 1 & 2 look for solutions to problems and 3 & 4 look for problems to fit solutions to.

Examples included everything from mildly sweetened iced tea, real estate insurance, virtual strikes, auto insurance by the mile, making toothbrushes out of lolilpop holders, and more.