abunchofrandom. joshua conner's weblog. - December 27th, 2004

Here's a list I've created of what I think are some of my best blog entries. Suggestions for posts to add to this list are always welcome, and you can get back to the list (which will be updated occasionally) at anytime by clicking on the link to My Best Blog Entries in the sidebar.

Some reminders to those about to leave for spring break.

Ask abunchofrandom: Why are my textbooks so expensive? A simple explanation of the economics of textbook pricing, complete with highly professional amusingly amateurish diagrams drawings. Part of the ever-growing Ask abunchofrandom series, which also includes "How can I search the NAU Website?", Why don't they ever cancel classes?" and "Why *did* they cancel classes?".

I went on record here with my belief that George W. Bush is much much smarter that most people think he is.

I tried to "go nocturnal" for a while, and documented my experiences in a series entitled "Nocturnal Emissions" here, here, here and here.

Rants: a religious one (based on this Snow Crash excerpt), a marriage one, and one on clever t-shirts.

I posted here on the fact that though the Cardinals are one of the worst franchises in the NFL, they practice in the nicest training camp site. I then calculated the odds that - if making or not making the playoffs was determined by coin flips - the Cardinals' spectactular 25-year-long run of not making the playoffs would be randomly repeated (hint: they're very slim). This was complicated by the fact that the Cards made the playoffs in 1998, so I posted revised odds. Then, I realized that the Cards also sort-of made the playoffs in 1982 so I posted more revised odds, as well as some discussion as to why they only sort-of made the playoffs.

In the run-up to the election, I posted three John Kerry for President Stats of the Day (JK4PSotD's): one on national security, one on education, and one on stem cell research.

I posted online the updated version of my critically acclaimed 25 Great Places to Eat in Flagstaff. Good reading, especially if you're planning on visiting Flagstaff. I also posted a restaraunt review of Flagstaff's very own New Jersey Pizza Company. (hint: I liked it. A lot.)

I've always been hawkish on the Iraq war, and I explain why in this post; be sure to scroll through the comments too, for more.

An explanation of how the rich don't really pay more taxes than the middle class. The regressiveness of taxes like the sales tax and property taxes (which are passed on, through higher rents, to non-homeowners, too) offsets the progressiveness of the income tax, dividend taxes, and capital gains taxes.

I posted a long excerpt (with apologies) from Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence; a wonderful demonstration of why social skills are as important as any other, more traditionally thought-of skills.

How our healthcare in America suffers because we don't pay for it. (Not directly, at least.)

An examination of so-called "pilfer resistant" tape.

Certsian Philosophy and how it relates to the Ra^thergate scandal (hint: it's not actually a branch of philosophy).

An open letter to John Kerry I wrote seems oddly prescient now, with a bonus discussion on how the pre-9/11 intelligence failures may actualy have helped Bush. I address this again, on a post about the Batman effect.

Thanksgiving stuffing and the Ron Artest incident.

And finally, in my greatest of low moments, I analyze an internet Urinal Test.