A Veneer of Certainty

Now that subprime is shaking itself out, I'm curious as to whether another credit problem is showing up: student loans. I see these TV spots for easy student credit and can't help but wonder if that's the next big bite and how much these private lenders are regulated. I worry that lenders are using the fears of rising costs of a college education to draw in desperate borrowers.

I'm somewhat curious to see how the jury verdict on Priscilla Slade's misappropriation trial turns out. My guess is probably a Martha Stewart-like conviction with some menial jail time. At the end of it all she might look for a book deal, but given her proclivity for fine furnishings she might be better off pitching a HGTV show about outfitting your home via creative means.

After 4-5 visits to the place I feel pretty confident about posting a review of Cafe Piquet, a local Cuban restaurant. In a word: fan-freakin-tastic. The food and service is impeccable. The ropa vieja, roast pork and tostones are particularly good and the black beans & rice just rock. The DW swears that the calamari appetizer is the best she's ever tasted.

If you want a great food experience, go there...now.

(A repost from a comment I entered on the Chronicle's article comment section)

If we want illegal labor to go away then don't count on remedies from government, we have to make it happen ourselves. And since the problem stems from economic incentives it makes sense to respond in kind.

- Don't hire illegal labor (lawn care, maids, concrete for that new patio, etc.)
- Don't do business with any company that uses illegal workers.
- Be ready & willing to pay more for goods and services from companies that employ only "legals".

The point is to remove the underpinnings that attract and keep illegal labor in the US. If we're not ready to accept that costs and responsibilities that come with the effort then we may as well get used to the status quo and quit whining about it.

Every once in awhile, serendipity strikes. The combination of a Friday with beautiful weather is augmented by this: Turd Bobby Davis has been taken back into custody for some unknown reason. This is a welcome development in light of Elizabeth Shelton recently getting off easy on her intoxication manslaughter charge.

$10 says that right about now Turd Bobby is wishing he had been drinking that night.

Update: He was hauled in because he violated some of the terms of release.

There was a time when I would have been considered a social liberal, given my eagerness to provide a helping hand and safety net to when I perceived as the downtrodden and disenfranchised. Now, with responsibilities and property ownership and really busting my ass to achieve something better in life, I'm a little less Kumbaya and a little more willing to protect what I've worked for. Maybe this is what is happening to areas of San Francisco WRT changing attitudes about the homeless. The telling part, I think, is here:

"One sample doesn't make a trend, but it is telling," says Latterman. "C'mon, they live in the upper Haight. They're liberal by definition."

But they are also, in many cases, homeowners and thus have a sense of ownership and emotional investment. That's another part of what has caused this sea change in thinking. From TIC (tenants in common) units, to condominiums, to luxury townhouses, the city has created the potential for an influx of buyers, despite the downward trend in home sales in much of the country.

At any rate, I think I understand their discomfort insofar as expecting to be at a better place after much hard work and preparation. And I hope they find it.

As for myself, I'm still ever ready to provide a helping hand, with the expectation that it's a hand up and not a handout.

(h/t Lou Minatti)

I cannot overstate how much I enjoy reading Balloon Juice. The content is incisive, the comments are hilarious yet pointed, and both are simply something that must be seen to be believed. I learn a little bit more about politics and humanity with each visit.

Go there. Now.

A recent bill caught my attention, one that lumps chess into the same game-of-chance classification as poker.

Under the Skill Game Protection Act, games of skill, such as, poker, mah-jong, bridge, chess, and others will be classified by law as games of skill.

To begin with, I fail to understand how Wexler could even remotely considered chess a game of chance. Players start with the same pieces and pawns. The board is completely open and visible for the duration of the game, and the only surprises are from your and your opponent's skill (or lack of it). Can the day-to-day variance in a player's ability be considered chance? Possibly but I doubt it. At its heart, there is zero degree of chance built into the game itself.

In poker, on the other hand, it sure seems like chance is a big part of the game. I've played a little poker and it has always galled me that I could play a hand perfectly then get t-boned by the flop or, on the other hand, pleasantly rewarded on the turn. There is a balance between skill (play decisions about your hand, betting strategies) and chance (randomization of the deck, flop/turn/river). But to state that chance is not a factor and poker is purely a skill game is patently ludicrous. If poker were as much about skill as Wexler and the bill's supporters believe, then the heavy hitters would be lasting far longer into tournament play than some do.