I am a fiscal conservative. That should surprise no one. I’m extremely careful with how I spend my money, and I get frustrated when I see corporations and governments do otherwise.
So it’s hard for me to stand back and keep my mouth shut while Washington talks about oil companies.
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2006/04/conservative-economics-vs-the-oil-crisis/
Chrysler criticized oil companies a couple of weeks back for padding their profits and not trying to do anything to help gas prices. There were some fallacies in their arguments; I’m not even going to try to touch it. I’d rather try to solve the problem: Figure out how to burn less gas.
I’ve got two cheap tricks that seem to work.
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2006/04/a-couple-more-ideas-for-saving-gas/
About the time my wife and I started dating, my mother-in-law bought a new computer. With an Athlon XP 2600+, that Compaq ought to be faster than anything I own. Even though it’s almost three years old now, it ought to still be pretty good.
It wasn’t. I fixed that.
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2006/04/upgrading-my-mother-in-laws-compaq-presario-s5140wm/
My buddy Todd brought over his dad’s American Flyer train today. It had been a gift from his dad on his first Christmas. It was from 1938.
That was a peculiar year, because it was the first year that A.C. Gilbert, of Erector fame, built American Flyer trains. Previously American Flyer had been an independent company in Chicago.
This model was a Gilbert design, and at most produced from 1938 to 1941.
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2006/04/recapturing-the-charm-of-someone-elses-dads-american-flyer-train/
Compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs are on sale at Kmart this week. I bought a bunch.
I’ve been gradually replacing the light bulbs in my house with CFs as they burn out. CFs cost enough that I wasn’t comfortable throwing out 30 perfectly good bulbs and buying all CFs in one hit, especially not at 2002 prices.
I’m glad I took that strategy, because today’s CFs are better and they’re cheaper.
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2006/04/stock-up-on-compact-fluorescent-lighting/
I enjoy reading Rob & Rany on the Royals, but I just can’t feel as negative as they do about the team. I know signing 5-6 free agents who are basically average players isn’t going to make them win the World Series, and I know the Royals lost 3-1 to the Tigers yesterday. But I’m encouraged.
They did the little things.
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2006/04/well-at-least-this-year-the-royals-showed-up-to-play/
A Gospel according to Judas?
I don’t know if I should be admitting I watched the segment on Primetime on ABC tonight about the alleged Gospel according to Judas. But I made a conscious effort to watch it.
You don’t get much depth in television sensationalism, er, news, not even in a 10-minute segment. So my reaction may be a bit unfair. Still, I’ll give it, for what it’s worth.
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2006/04/a-gospel-according-to-judas/