Billions Lost

It seems that the global economic downturn has even made paupers out of billionaires. Here is a top list, compiled by Forbes, of billionaire who lost billions of dollars from their net worth over the last year.

• Anil Ambani (was worth: $42 billion/current worth: $12 billion)
• Oleg Deripaska ($28 billion/$10 billion)
• Bjorgflur Gudmundsson ($1.1 billion/$0)
• Luis Portillo ($1.2 billion/$15 million)
• David Ross ($1.4 billion/$150 million)
• Tulsi Tanti ($3 billion/$500 million)
• Wong Kwong Yu ($3.5 billion/$2.5 billion)
• Larry Yung ($3 billion/$750 million)
• Konstantin Zhevago ($3.4 billion/$350 million)

You can read the full story on Billionaire Blowups of 2008.

Obama Is Here

Christopher Bridges, better known by his stooge name Ludacris, has recorded and released a song in support of Obama. The song is entitled ‘Politics: Obama Is Here.’ In song Ludacris states that the world is ready for change because Obamam is here, but the first thing he asks of Obama is special pardon from jail, and the VP office. This is not change, this is just like all other administrations. The supporters of the the President are just it to wit it.

The only change Obama wants, is to change his current address to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Obama will not be the first black president. It was said that Bill Clinton was the first black president. If Obama gets elected to president, Bill Clinton will still continue to be the only black president. Obama will be the first president to make everybody think he is black, his politricks are very whity.

Technorati Tags: obama, black president, whity, politics

Invisible Hand Down Your Pants

If Adam Smith was right, that there is an invisible hand, then there is also an invisible chain and cage, there is an invisible gitmo.

If Adam Smith was right, that there is an invisible hand, it is because that is all that is left after corruptalism disembodied the corpse.

Adam Smith was wrong, because his premise was wrong, there is no such thing as free markets, there are deceitful gouging corruptalist markets.

I feel like Adam Smith’s invisible hand just went down my pants and stole my money as I was paying for gas.

Technorati Tags: economics, gas, oil

Brain Rules

In his new book Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina describes 12 mental principles that will help in one’s life. Dr. Medina is a molecular biologist and basis the 12 principles he describes in his book on peer review research. His 12 principles can be stated as follows.

• Exercise boosts brain power.
• The human brain evolved, too.
• Every brain is wired differently.
• We don’t pay attention to boring things.
• Repeat to remember.
• Remember to repeat.
• Sleep well, think well.
• Stressed brains don’t learn the same way.
• Stimulate more of the senses.
• Vision trumps all other senses.
• Male and female brains are different.
• We are power and natural explorers.

Dr. Medina has made several interviews where he talks in detail about the 12 brain rules he describes in his book. You can find an audio interview of Dr. Medina on the Ruby on Rails podcast. There is also a presentation from Authors at Google.

Technorati Tags: brain, rules, medina, mind, evolution, cognitive, creativity

A Vision of Students

It seems soo 1999 to go to a class and learn off a black board. Even though classrooms have computers, the chalk is the most used technology in schools.

Here is an innovative collaborate video survey of 200 students at Kansas Sate University.

Here is some basic stats, from the students point of view, about college.

• My average class size is 115
• 18% of my teachers know my name
• I complete 49% of the readings assigned to me
• I will read 8 books this year

You can read more at Mediated Cultures.

Technorati Tags: kansas, culture, college, video, collaboration

Top YouTube Members

Barats and Bereta
Recent video documentary reveals God’s other son, Wesley, whom God sent in 2007 AD to save humanity. Unfortunately for humanity, Wesley ends up in a college fraternity.

Lisa Nova
Lisa Nova recently collaborated with Perez Hilton and other YouTuber’s in LisaNova does YouTube. The video seemed to have cause a lot of controversy in the the community of video nerds with allegation of spamming.

Happy Slip
This Pinay chick does interesting, whacky, skits where she plays all parts including her father, mother, auntie, and herself. If she hadn’t discovered YouTube she might have been committed for multiple personality disorder.

Chris Crocker
Recently, itschriscrocker pop up in most peoples radar for his know infamous LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE video that went viral.

Mia Rose
Some time back I wrote about Mia Rose. Mia is an aspiring singer working on her first record.

Perez Hilton
He doesn’t put out a lot of videos but I do check on his YouTube videos from time to time.

Here is the Most Subcribed YouTube members page to help you viewing. Now, let me pontificate a bit about YouTube members. In all honesty, YouTube members seem to take themselves way too seriously and strongly feel that they are building a new media. I just feel that YouTube benefits 100 times more than most members but with that said some people have used it as a vehicle to some sort of 15 minutes of fame, mostly within YouTube.

Technorati Tags: youtube, social, video, music, britney

Pick Your Best Man Carefully

Ladies and gentlemen raise your glasses to some of the funniest best man speeches out there. The first one start off “fornication, excuse me, for an occasion such as this…” As a married man the best man gave the groom some helpful advice, he and his wife don’t go to bed mad, they usually stay up all night and argue.

Be really careful when you pick your best man for your wedding. Your best man know all about you, he might reveal too much you in front of all your new in laws. In classic wedding humor the best man in this video outs the groom.

Here is another video of a hilarious best man speech. The best man starts off by saying, “Words can’t describe how I feel about these beautiful people so I prepared an interpretive dance…”

Technorati Tags: best man, funny, fun, humor, comedy, wedding, groom, bride

On Writers, Artists, and Bureaucrats

This post is part of my On Thoughts series. Here are some thoughts on writers.

It is my contention that Aesop was writing for the tortoise market. Hares have no time to read.
- Anita Brookner

He’s a writer for the ages - for the ages 4 to 8.
- Dorothy Parker

As a novelist, I tell stories, and people give me money. Then financial planners tell me stories, and I give them money.
- Martin Cruz Smith

Here are some thoughts on painters.

When one is painting one does not think.
- Raphael

I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music.
- Joan Miro

A painting in a museum hears more ridiculous opinions than anything else in the world.
- Edmond de Goncourt

Here are some thoughts on bureaucrats.

Bureaucracy, the rule of no one, has become the modern form of despotism.
- Mary McCarthy

Bureaucracy is not an obstacle to democracy but an inevitable complement to it.
- Joseph Schumpeter

Guidelines for bureaucrats:
1. When in charge, ponder.
2. When in trouble, delegate.
3. When in doubt, mumble.
- James Boren

Technorati Tags: quotes, thoughts, painters, writers, bureaucracy

Supermodel Adriana Lima

Here is an interesting interview with Brazilian fashion model Adriana Lima, and by interesting I mean you can check her out walking the cat walk. She talks about her favorite movies, her background, and how she got into the business.

Yet another video of Adriana on shot for Victoria’s Secret catalog.

Adriana was dubbed ‘The World’s Most Voluptuous Virgin’ by GQ magazine. Here is another special interview with Adriana where she talks about landing her first gig.

Technorati Tags: model, fashion, supermodel, adriana lima

On Thoughts

My favorite section of Forbes magazine is the Thoughts On the Business of Life, the last page, where they post several quotes on given theme. Here are some quotes from a past few issues.

Here are some thoughts on history…

Study men, not historians.
– Harry Truman

History repeats itself. Historians repeat each other.
– Philip Guedalla

Here are some thoughts on stress…

To reduce stress, avoid excitement. Spend more time with your spouse.
– Robert Orben

Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little order
– Hans Selye

And since Father’s Day is just around the corner, here are some thoughts on fatherhood.

To a hoarding father succeeds an extravagant son.
– Spanish Proverb

My father was frightened of his father, I was frightened of my father, and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me.
– King George V

Technorati Tags: quote, forbes, fatherhood, proverb