Yoga Pop: Volume 3

Designed to play for the duration of a 75 minute vinyasa yoga class/practice.

Song.Artist.Album
(Order is important)

1. Prologue. Kraftwerk. Tour De France Soundtracks
2. Valley Of The Dolls. Mylo. Destroy Rock & Roll
3. Hairy Trees. Goldfrapp. Black Cherry
4. Flutter. Bonobo. Dial "M" for Monkey
5. Ramble On. Various/Led Zeppelin. Pickin' On Zeppelin Tribute
6. O Mexico. Dosh. The Lost Take
7. Collarbone. Fujiya & Miyagi. Transparent Things
8. Leyendecker. Battles. Mirrored
9. I Am The Sub-Librarian. Piano Magic. Low Birth Weight
10. Noah's Ark. CocoRosie. Noah's Ark
11. Don't Think. Lali Puna. Scary World Theory
12. Disaster Location. Julian Fane. Special Forces
13. Random Summer. Mum. Yesterday Was Dramatic Today Is Ok
14. Distractions. Zero 7. Simple Things
15. Bluebird of Happiness. Ulrich Schnauss/Mojave 3. Spoon and Rafter
16. Onsay. Fennesz. Venice
17. Hands Playing Butterfly. Efterklang. Under Giant Trees

10 Things I Learned in Berlin

1. According to young Berliners people from Munich are shit and the music they listen to is shit.
2. Pre-made cocktails are sold at gas stations in 12 oz aluminum cans.
3. In former East Berlin the WALK street light symbol is characterized by a striding leprechaun.
4. The TV tower isn't filled with TVs.
5. Techno music IS popular (We were all correct).
6. Most dancing-music-type clubs don't "get going" until around 4am.
7. Berlin's obsession with Andy Warhol and his Velvet Underground banana image is REALLY annoying.
8. "Dark" restaurants are cool.
9. Nine out of every ten Berliners between the ages of 20 and 30 is a graphic designer.
10. Half of Brooklyn has already moved to Prenzlauerberg (Kiev is the new Berlin).

Yoga Pop: Volume 2

Designed to play for the duration of a 75 minute vinyasa yoga class/practice.

Song.Artist.Album
(Order is important / Time crops noted)

1. I Saw Drones. Boards of Canada. Geogaddi
2. Ivyhouse. Saint Etienne. Places to Visit
3. This. Brian Eno. Another Day On Earth
4. Lex. Ratatat. Classics
5. Light Pattern. Bonobo. Dial 'M' for Monkey
6. You And Me In Time. Broadcast. Tender Buttons
7. So Easy. Royksopp. Melody AM (3:45)
8. Birds of a Feather. Herbert. Scale
9. Mer du Japon. Air. Pocket Symphony
10. As Serious as Your Life. Four Tet. Rounds
11. Everyone's A V.I.P. To Someone. The Go! Team. Thunder, Lightning, Strike
12. Where. Colder. Again
13. The Valleys. Electrelane. The Power Out
14. Silence and Little Melodies For. Cyann & Ben. Happy Like an Autumn Tree
15. The Light. The Album Leaf. Into The Blue Again
16. Beauties Can Die. M83. Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (8:00)

Most / Least Desirable NYC Restaurants (Hype Adjusted)

--Most desirable restaurants after adjusting for hype--
360
Aki
Anyway Cafe
Apizz
Bozu
Cafecito
Cha-an
Chiyono
Downtown Bakery II
Fette Sau
Franny's
The Good Fork
Kori
Little Giant
Locanda Vini E Olii
Los Dos Molinos
Marlow & Sons
Moto
Natori
OMS/B
Pizza Gruppo
Pho Bang
The Queen's Hideaway
Tides

--Least desirable restaurants after adjusting for hype--
'Inoteca
9th Street Market
Cafe Habanna
Clinton Street Bakery
Da Silvano
Danal
Dos Caminos
Frank
Katz's Deli
Koi
Kuruma Zushi
Lombardi's Pizza
Mama's Food Shop
Momofuko Noodle Bar
Morimoto
Tomoe
Veniero's
Waverly Inn (Note: I've never actually eaten here)
Una Pizza Napoletana
Union Square Cafe

Favorite Music of 2006

My favorite album releases of 2006, in order.

1. Camera Obscura: Let's Get Out of This Country
Scotland : Pop : Merge

2. Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies
USA : Singer/Songwriter : Merge

3. Midlake: Trials of Van Occupanther
USA : Rock/Lo-Fi : Bella Union

4. Figuirines: Skeleton
Denmark : Rock/Pop : Control Group/TCG

5. Casiotone For the Painfully Alone: Etiquette
USA : Singer/Songwriter : Tomlab

6. The Brother Kite: Waiting for the Time to Be Right
USA : Rock/Pop : Clairecords

7. Peter Bjorn & John: Writer's Block
Sweden : Rock/Pop : Wichita/V2

8. Electric President: Electric President
USA : Electronic/Pop : Morr Music

9. Mojave 3: Puzzles Like You
UK : Rock/Pop : 4AD

10. Lonely, Dear: Sologne
Sweden : Singer/Songwriter : Dear John

.Other Much Liked Albums
The Fiery Furnaces, Junior Boys, Herbert, The Pipettes, Grizzly Bear, The Mountain Goats, Math and Physics Club, The Hold Steady, Sunset Rubdown

.Favorite Live Shows
1. Daft Punk: Coachella Music Festival (CA), May
2. Sufjan Stevens: Allen Room @ Lincoln Center (NYC), January
3. The Editors: Mercury Lounge (NYC), January
4. Jens Lekman: Bowery Ballroom (NYC), July
5. Figurines: Mercury Lounge (NYC), June

.Favorite Album Cover
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone: Etiquette

.Favorite Lyrical Verse
The Mountain Goats: Get Lonely - Wide Sage
"And some days I don't miss my family...
And some days I do.
And some days I think I'd feel better if I tried harder...
Most days I know it's not true."

.Favorite Song
The Long Blondes: Giddy Stratospheres

Gentrify Gripe

Houston between 2nd Avenue and Bowery.

David vs. Goliath.

East Village Restaurant Files

I'm very keen on updated my tired list of East Village & vicinity DELIVERY / TAKOUT staples. Listed below are my current "go-to" places surrounding my home near 1st avenue and 9th street. If you have suggestions to improve this situation please write me. (Help me.. Help me please)

*Japanese/Sushi*
Ginger
Natori

*Pizza*
Pizza Gruppo
Una Pizza Napoletana
Two Boots

*Italian*
L'il Frankies

*Latin*
Caracas Arepas

*Pan Asian*
Tara Thai
Republic
Pukk
East Village Thai
Kai Kai
Why Curry?
Cafe Himalaya
Thai on Two

*Indian*
Banjara
Royal Banglandesh

*Mexican*
Downtown Bakery
Paquitos
Benny's Burritos

*Middle Eastern*
Cafe Rakka
Moustache

*Chinese*
Red House

*Misc*
Westville East
Atomic Wings
Wai Cafe
Quantum Leap

How I Made Some Easy Sheckle on Osama Bin Ladin

I've been asked to explain this SO many times that I've finally decided to write it down.

One by-product of society's current obsession with gambling and auction style commerce are "current event" markets. Just apply the protocols of sports betting to other uncertain topical outcomes like elections, judicial rulings, weather, or military incursions and you've got yourself a near endless supply of wagerable events!

Trading contracts are assigned to event that have binary outcomes due at a predefined expiration date. At expiration the contract is either worth $0 or $100, depending on the outcome. While the event is still uncertain the contract price will fluctuate according to the probability of that event occurring.

Let's take an example:

Bird Flu <> 31Mar06
This contract will be valued at $100 if by 31mar06 a confirmed case of bird flu is reported in the United States. If no cases are reported the contract will expire at $0.

Currently the market for this contract is 12.5 @ 15

This market is implying that there is a 13.75 percent chance that this event will occur (just average the 2 numbers above). The market above also tells you that someone is attempting to "buy" the contract @ 12.5 while someone else is trying to "sell" the contract @ 15. Just as in the stock market or any similar dutch style auction there are always buyers and sellers, and when a buyer and seller agree to a price there is a trade. Remember that in this type of market participants wager WITH EACH OTHER. There are no bookies, oddsmakers, or intermediaries involved here. The exchange makes money by charging a commission each time you roundtrip a contract.

Here's how it breaks out:
You can buy 1 contract @ 15 (there is someone attempting to sell a contract @ 15)If no bird flu occurs you lose $15 (the contract expires @ $0)
If bird flu occurs you win $85 (the contract expires @ $100 so you've won $100 minus the initial price)

You can sell 1 contract @ 12.5. Note that you don't have to previously own a contract in order to "sell" or "go short" it.
If no bird flu occurs you win $12.5
If bird flu occurs you lose $87.5

Make sense?
Now to Osama Bin Ladin...
Osama Bin Ladin <> (assume that today is 20Mar03)
A. 31Jun03: 37 @ 38
B. 31Dec03: 38 @ 40
C. 31Jun04: 39 @ 41
So what's wrong with this market? Remember that if at anytime Osama Bin Ladin is captured all of these contracts will be worth $100. But if he is not captured by each expiration that contract will expire at $0. The trade opportunity here was pretty obvious - sell contract A and buy contract C in equal amounts. Let's say today is 20Mar03 and you are able to sell $1000 worth of contract A and buy $1000 worth of contract C.
You sell $1000 of A @ 37 (risking $630 to win $370 if Osama is not captured)
You buy $1000 of C @ 41 (risking $410 to win $590 if Osama is captured)

As 31Jun03 approaches contract A will slowly leak towards zero if Osama is not captured while contract C will retain most of its value since expiry is still so far in the future.

So here is a snapshot of the market on 31Jun03...

Osama Bin Ladin <> (assume that today is 31Jun03)
A. 31Jun03: 0 @ 0
B. 31Dec03: 25 @ 27
C. 31Jun04: 36 @ 38
So we've made $370 by betting that Osama would not be captured by 31Jun03 (by selling contract A @ 37). And on contract C that we bought @ 41... Well, it's now only worth 36 but we can sell it out @ 36 at a loss of only $50. You can repeat this trade by selling contract B and buying contract C, but it's no longer as attractive because the term structure has correctly "steepened" back out. Originally the term structure was too "flat" assigning too little probability for the same event but with more time until expiry.

Favorite Music of 2005

2005 Favorite 10 Album Releases (in order)

1. Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die
Australia : Pop : Bar None

2. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
USA : Singer/Songwriter : Asthmatic Kitty

3. Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs
USA : Singer/Songwriter : Righteous Babe

4. The Rosebuds - Birds Make Good Neighbors
USA : Pop : Merge

5. M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
France : Electronica/Shoegaze : Mute

6. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
UK : Post-Punk : Atlantic/Wichita/V2

7. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
USA : Pop : Polyvinyl

8. Mice Parade - Bem Vinda Vontade
UK : Post-Rock : Bubble Core/Fat Cat

9. The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers
UK : Pop : Capitol/Heavenly

10. Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites
Denmark : Pop : Sony/BMG

Other much liked albums:
Sigur Ros, The National, Antony & The Johnsons, Fischerspooner, Vitalic, Mountain Goats, Menomena, Bright Eyes

Favorite 3 Concert Performances:
1. The Dears @ Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ (March)
2. M.I.A. @ Coachella Music Festival - Palm Springs, Ca (May)
3. Arcade Fire @ Coachella Music Festival - Palm Springs, Ca (May)

Favorite Cover: Take Ecstasy with Me - Magnetic Fields covered by !!!

Favorite Remix: It's Not the Worst I've Looked - Two Lone Swordsmen remixed by Lali Puna

Favorite Lyrical Verse: Banking on a Myth - Andrew Bird
"Deals in commodities of the abstract sort
Buys them in bulk but then he sells it short
Talent, genius, love, even signs of affection
He floods the market, there's no price protection"

Favorite Song: Hope There's Someone - Antony and The Johnsons

Notable Icelandic Quotes

19oct05

@ Airport as Kh & MA were about to miss their flight (then not miss, then miss, then not miss...)

"Wanna just go to another country (like Sweden)?"

-M

20oct05

"I have no integrity"

-Anonymous

21oct05

@ Endless line to see Architecture in Helsinki

"Pass me my viking suit!"

-M

"Have there ever been any deaths associated with crowds at this music festival?"

-K

"No, but there were 2 flying monkeys last year."
-Heavycoat #3

22oct05

@ Krua Thai Restaurant

"... Yes, it does look like you go to the gym, you are very fit"

-K

"Yes, I am fat, I recently had a baby"
-Restaurant owner very matter of factly

"No no, FIT not FAT!"

-K

@ Endless line to see Zoot Woman, Clap Your Hands, Ratatat, ...

"We're running out of liquid courage."

-M holding empty Stella bottle

Regarding Icelandic tapwater

"They said it's the purest water you can drink."

-K
"Yeah, they said a lot of things."

-M

@ Kaffibarin ~3am

"You're holding all the cards!"

"You're holding all the cards!"

-Anonymous Icelandic hipster

"Stop saying that, what do I do?"

-K

23oct05

@ Hotel Klopp ~11am

"It's an earring, right?"

-K

24oct05

@ Geysir ~1pm

"I think those girls are British"

-K

"I'm gonna say something in a British accent, see if they turn around"

"A big boo for Man United!"

-M

"How many photo do you need of this thing!"

-Anonymous frustrated young British girl

"Ok, now let's go and get 8 types of Salmon."

-K

25oct05

@ Sirkus ~12:42am

"Our only hope now is to walk up, order a drink between the two of them in English, and pray."

-K

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Top 5 Bands We are Glad to Have Missed

1. Cynic Guru

2. Hjalmar

3. Dr. Disco Shrimp

4. Ske

5. Dr. Mister and Mr. Handsome

Top 5 Bands We Came to See but Couldn't

1. Architecture in Helsinki

2. Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah

3. Zoot Woman

4. Ratatat

5. Jeff Who?