Exasperated Calculator

Exasperated Calculator: Star Trek & Economics

  • Summer Carnival How To

    [How to win at carnival games](http://lifehacker.com/software/how-to/win-at-carnival-games-294437.php). It’s not that they’re fixed, really. It’s just that they don’t necessarily work the same way you’d think.

  • Mr Potato Psycho

    [The shower scene from Psycho acted out with Mr Potato Head](http://youtube.com/watch?v=iX7K9uSr6H0) Creepy. Possibly creepier than the original.

  • Caretaker Finale

    [How fast can you type](http://speedtest.10-fast-fingers.com/). The very last day of the caretaker period today, so enjoy. I got around 500 characters a minute with no errors after a few tries.

  • Election07: Terrible Twos Edition

    *Anouncements*: * ALP has [Resources](http://alp.org.au/download/071122___labors_plan_for_a_stronger_resources_sector222.pdf), [Energy](http://alp.org.au/download/071122___securing_a_sustainable_energy_supply_for_australias_future.pdf), [Fisheries](http://alp.org.au/media/1107/mspi220.php) and [phase out of full fee university degrees](http://alp.org.au/media/1107/msedut220.php). * Coalition has [sport](http://liberal.org.au/about/documents/SportsPolicy.pdf), [regional partnerships](http://liberal.org.au/about/documents/PartnershipsforRegionalGrowth.pdf), [women](http://liberal.org.au/about/documents/Women.pdf) and [foreign affairs](http://liberal.org.au/about/documents/ForeignAffairs.pdf). *Polls*: [AC Nielsen](http://www.smh.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/labor-on-course-for-win/2007/11/22/1195321946067.html?s_cid=rss_news) ALP 57. [Galaxy](http://www.pollbludger.com/743) ALP 52. Someone’s going to look silly on Sunday. *Line of the day*: The Chaser team, [responding to Jackie Kelly’s suggestion that an attempt…

  • The scariest thing in economics

    You know what phrase is most likely to scare an economist? “I’m an engineer, and have some thoughts about economics”. Something in the training of engineers seems to make them think that they can apply their knowledge to a completely different field. A prime example from [the National Review talking about the falling dollar](http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ODI1YzNkMjBmOWFhNDFkMGFiOTk3MjkyNWU1MTM5NTE=). After…

  • Ever have trouble finding the back of a napkin?

    [A notepad made up of napkins](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/inspirational/napkin-notebook-an-idea-so-good-it-must-have-been-written-on-a-napkin-325182.php). This would come in very handy during elections to do all the expenditure costings.

  • An Asian Space Race?

    [South Korea plans to orbit the moon by 2020](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/21/2096656.htm). Slowly but surely we’re turning our eyes back to space. I still hope to be able to go into space myself one day.

  • Best Printer Ever

    [The HP TJ8300](http://www.kottke.org/07/11/surreal-printer). It’s over 13 feet wide, but still looks like every other HP desktop.

  • Grade inflation?

    [Tokyo has more Michelin stars than Paris](http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/11/in-case-you-had.html). This isn’t very surprising for two reasons. First, Tokyo’s much bigger than Paris (35 million versus 9 million). And secondly, Tokyo has a much bigger financial sector giving a much larger population of people willing to spend too much money on Michelin starred restaurants.

  • Another seven

    [Seven Wonders of the Totalitarian World](http://www.esquire.com/the-side/opinion/7totalitarianwonders). Take *that*, Mount Rushmore.