Panamanian Platinumness

For those that say that bailouts and central banks are the only way to "control" the ebbs and flows of markets, Reuters has a short and sweet article that goes to the heart of why, in my humble opinion, we have a crisis going on. Panama's banks are in a somewhat literal sense, platinum....

Greenberry's, a secret platinum stronghold...

Based upon aforementioned compliance standards at the office--i.e. keeping the always platinum promise--I regret to inform you that I cannot inform you about this wonderful new platinum joint I just encountered--Greenberry's Coffee (ampersand) Tea Company. If I were to tell you about it, which I definitely won't right now, I would likely say that my sole encounter is through a friend who offered to bring me a cup as a + externality from her own purposeful venture. I of course agreed. Turn down coffee, not I! ... said the surprisingly homogenous office worker.

If I were to not rate it on a platinum scale due to said aforementioned compliance standards, I would definitely not tell you that I give it two platinum thumbs high in the air and a surprise frown/raised eyebrow. Which is quite a bit for having not really told you anything.

Likely sources also provide scant evidence for citing of famed blogger Tyler Cowen at said coffee shop, of which I am definitely not even talking about right now.

So if you get a chance you should not head to Greenberry's Coffee (ampersand) Tea Company during work hours. Such an action would be outside platinum principles and I would be forced to refer anyone who blames such an action on me to this here post. So as to further imply that in no way do I endorse heading to Greenberry's for a delicious cup of glory juice in such a way that hinders platinumdum and in no way am I even talking about this right now.

To Vote or Not Vote?

The question that has persisted in me since the latter part of my junior year in college has been how to engage in the political process. First and foremost the question has always been what is the lowest level of political activity I can engage in while getting the biggest bang for my buck(i.e. time + my standards for ethical human behavior). Seeing actual advocacy of an individual politician as being much better than parties, which in America have few principles and even less integrity, I've consistently been on the lookout for individuals who I'd be willing to vote for.

Sophomore year of college, before the 2004 elections and as a part of my job requirement as an RA, I put on a (poorly attended) speaker panel where students and professors at the school spoke on the question of "Should You Vote." Although sparsely attended due to my lack of planning, I thought the panel involved some of the most interesting discussion about the role of voting in a democracy that I've ever seen. Since then, I've been incredibly conflicted about when, how, and who I should vote for in any year.

Therefore, I'm here to announce that at this moment I have found a politician I feel slightly(and this is me going out on a limb) willing to support....Adrian Fenty. While I believe that Fenty knows pretty little about the ways to stimulate the DC economy and even less about why the size of government can probably be attributed to the complete poverty that many of his constituents live in, I also note that most mayors don't have to contend with the U.S. Congress when it comes to their budget. All that aside, the one area that I could not give Fenty more credit for is with respect to is taking control of DC Public Schools away from the school board and choosing Michelle Rhee to be school Chancelor. His unflinching support of her and her work in DCPS is nothing short of a miracle in the politics of public education. Articles abound about her and him, but this video does a nice job of summarizing what's currently going on. Needless to say, this blogger thinks MR is very platinum and arguably one of the most skilled politicians I've ever seen.

Alas, Fenty is not up for re-election and I live in VA. The previous paragraph was pretty much a waste of your time in that case. I apologize.

In the end, I'm really not sure if I will vote, or if I do vote will I just leave that box blank. I suppose the only real thing left to do is learn more about the local elections where I live. Does anyone have anything helpful to say about any of this? Is there ANY real platinum political activity?

On the road again...

Sorry for the long delay, friends!

This is something I can’t pass up posting about: Ford MyKey.  It eerily reminds me of the GPS tracking devices that came out a couple of years ago—black boxes installed in a teen’s car—to monitor the speed, seat belt usage, and yes, even a curfew.

Ford MyKey, which will be equipped on a certain number of select models in 2010, allows parents to program a teen’s key to not only monitor but prevent the teen from driving above 80 mph, chime when the teen drives above 45, 55, and 65 mph, and it even offers a noise level control to prevent the teen from increasing the volume past a certain point.

I can’t help but echo the following from an interviewee in the article: “If your parents are holding your hand, you’re never going to learn.”  But that could be because of how I was raised, and maybe because someday I’ll raise my children with a little more room for a trusting relationship to grow between us. 

What I really want to ask is: Does this really protect teens?  Does loud music make teens more prone to accidents?  What about texting while driving?  Do most accidents involving teens occur when a teen is driving in excess of 80 mph?  If not, then why have the limit at all?  It seems like a gimmick with a false sense of safety to me.

Consider the following.  According to AP, “Ford's research shows that parents would be more likely to let teens use their vehicles with the system, Sherwood said, and if it gets them the car more often, the number of teens objecting [MyKey] drops by nearly half.”  More teens out driving because of this system than there otherwise would’ve been in its absence?  Isn’t that even more dangerous?  The likelihood of dying or getting injured in a car accident is one of the greatest risks we face on a daily basis.  And to play a little Devil’s Advocate here, what about increased traffic congestion and the accompanying dreaded pollution emissions?

I’m thinking this could be very nonplatinum, but who knows what the results will be for sure.  Thoughts?

Tao of the Dow is made of platinum...

The team and I have been taking bets for where the Dow closes on a day-to-day basis at work. We all bet around 10,000 today, which was expected after other markets did well over the night... The day ended up being an adventure where we were statistically trying to map the progress of Wall St.'s finest, it looked something like an episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." The gang becomes Investment Bankers...  Anyway, this is what the newspaper reported for our little race in the next day daily. (and by newspaper I really mean me writing a mass email)

Jen and toxic takes the cake in a truly remarkable sweep. The first part of the day showed promising growth as the market rallied to a high of 10,124.03. Both Karl and Hannah thought for sure they were going to be on the underbelly of capitalism's angelic bull as she soured towards the heavens, but the reality of government intervention proved unproductive yet again; looks like uncle Sam’s safety net has some serious holes in it. Momma Dow explored the sub Atlantic trenches as she ended with a 9,447.11. Putting new feelings to the old classic song lyric "Get Low." Drop it like its hot Dr. Dow. Here we were thinking the roller coaster was gong to start but it's still falling… This is going to be awesome!!

Reporters say that when Jen heard the news of her victory earlier this evening she apparently started beating her chest and shouting, "You think you can mess with Pen!! You don't know me!! Say My NAME B&%*@!!" Onlookers and co-workers alike fled the scene as she grew to an unusual size and proceeded to pillage the town. Which was a complete non-sequitur for the cute little Asian girl she had us think she was: and she never looked better.

Congrats Jen.

Don't register to vote in DC... try it, I dare you.

My Aunt just reminded me (yet again) to register to vote... Many of you--locals--may be aware of the massive campaign to rock the vote (i.e. Ba-rock the vote, partisan?) that has hit the metro like a fire at Metro Center (historic reference #1). If you are not, than you must either: be richer than me, never leave the house, or never watch MTV. I, of course, am none of the above. If I were richer than me, then that would be a pretty cool party trick. The point being, that voter promotion campaigns have hit the streets like an LA riot (historic reference #2) and I, a poor independent, was less than prepared (me < prepared) for the shock of having to explain a not so well developed political perspective to hordes of voter enthusiasts barracking me in the face with civic duty (pun so intended). My caring Aunt got wind of this and offered her wisdom, which was followed weekly prompts and prods to get off of my button and register. Not many times in my life do I associate well with an angry mule, but this being one of them I felt the need to respond to her with the following message.

"Yea I registered to vote. ‘Ended up being that I couldn't not register to vote. Every time I hit the metro some overly excited cute girl had a clipboard and a smile waiting for me. No decent person who took the metro in the past 3 months could escape their powers. I felt like a dolphin in a tuna net: it was very strategic of them... I resisted at first, signaling that had somewhere to go, very Scrooge of me. But after copious attempts at faking somewhere important to be... my defenses broke down like a west coast football team and they reeled me in, not even the catch of the day. (I felt dirty, and used, and registered)."

Maybe its because I'm disillusioned with politicians, maybe its because I'm becoming a grumpy old man, or maybe its because to the best of my own capabilities I really can't resist a good conversation with a cute girl, but the legend has it that Lincoln's heart did not grow three sizes that day. Fact it stayed the same because its made of platinum.

Dad on a Metro

I was on the Metro about a week ago and saw a man and his young (8-10 year old) son. The son was attempting to figure out where the Metro was taking them using the maps inside the car. The father lifted the son up, showed him the point at which they were starting and told him what was their end stop. The father then asked the son to tell him how many stops they needed to go and what was the route they would need to take to get there. The father sat down and the son, standing on the seat, worked out the problem. When he had the answer, the son promptly turned and enthusiastically told his father. When the father asked him why he hadn't chosen an alternative path, the son looked at the father incredulously and said, "Because that's not the fastest way Dad! This one is much better."

When I see people doing things like this with their kids, I can't help but smile.

Brunch at Whitlow's on Wilson

In an effort to expand the influence of platinumdom in our local community Kaylin and I have started what we hope to be a long standing tradition in the greater platinum community: the process by which we hold others up to metaphorical standards that they don't know about. Sounds pretentious, because it is. Look we're just keeping it... well, you know.

So we hit up brunch at Whitlow's and it was sweet.

Kaylin Wainwright's take:
Ambience: Gold. We were seated outside so that made all the difference in the world. The interior is dingy and perfect for their late night cover bands, but for brunch I was happy we had the opportunity of sunshine. In regards to the other patrons: there were hung-over, slovenly types (so Lincoln fit in) and cute yuppies (so I fit in).
Service: Platinum. The hostess did lead Lincoln astray with her assertion that the biscuits and gravy were rated a 9, but she was friendly and prompt. Likewise the server was nice without being annoying, prompt without rushing us, and attractive without being slutty.
Food: Silver. I ordered the eggs florentine which was good, but failed to rock my face off. The homefries were quite good, however. Lincoln was disappointed with his biscuits and gravy, in part because the hostess was suggestive about their platinum potential. He noted that they needed more salt and pepper. I pointed to the salt and pepper on the table. Also, the bacon was overcooked. The mimosas were not platinum, but I would be interested to try their bloody marys.
Company: Aluminum. Just kidding, Lincoln, the company was platinum.
Overall brunch at Whitlow's is not platinum, but I'd be willing to try it again (particularly because of affordability) and see if their other dishes are better.

Lincoln McLain's take:

Prologue:
After not eating much and spending most of the morning propped up in bed watching football I got the delightful ring from one do-gooder on her way back from church. "Wanna get brunch."
I respond with "affirmative" and slip into my robo-trousers before performing morning-bear-yawn-calisthenics. A morning ritual of sorts ever man does that gets seldom mentioned in today’s biased media.
We walk together to Food St. (i.e. Wilson) and begin the long menu shopping process. Being of the poor persuasion I find it easier to look like I am a snob who is discussed with the content of the menu rather than the prices presented. This doesn't ever get far though as my stomach reminds me that it is on the boarder of cannibalism, less it gets satisfied soon.
Whitlow's was the first we saw so Whitlow's was where we ate.

Durelogue: (just made that word up)
Said waitress did say the biscuits and gravy was a 9. and those biscuits and gravy were no such 9!!! With out deceptive comment I would give them a 7. They did separate out the gravy from the biscuits, so you could pour the gravy over the biscuits (G.D. I am getting pretty hungry right about now). This sounds nice but it really didn't have the greatest effect. I am more of a soaked in gravy kind of guy. That's really where I see myself in life. Deceptive comment included I give them a 6.51.
Secondarily, said bacon was too crispy. This usually isn't a problem less the fact that when it is poor quality bacon to begin with it looses all it's pizzazz after being over cooked. The bacon was a disappointment.
Needless to say I kept my composure and managed to pull a buzz out of the mimosa, as was pointed out to me by my faithful companion. Cheers!
Service was nice and I did like eating outside.

Epilogue:
All and all, I give Whitlow's a sub-platinum rating. Though, I do not appose the idea of eating there again. Platinum is big. It's not easy to get. Come on Whitlow's, wow me!

And We Have A Winner!

Long time no see, Platinum-lovers. I apologize for the hiatus, but we here at KeepinItPlatinum believe in quality over quantity, much like our friends.



Well, for the contest I posted a week ago, we didn't have a super number of entries, but there was quality in each idea. In the end, big kudos go to S-Rod for identify ESPN's actual database of songs used when players come up to bat. Of particular interest was the number of players who had either no music or a different song everytime they went to bat. Unfortunately, none of the suggestions made me get that tingley feeling that amazing players get when they know they're about to dominate. For that reason, I've come up with my own list of several songs, all of which would be mood specific. I'm definitely interested in comments. Therefore, in line with my communitarian beliefs, we are ALL winners! Enjoy!



1. Best double entrendre song for a baseball after it just got hit and something we don't need to describe



2. Best song with a chorus that you just cannot resist cheering out loud



3. Best song for after there's been a rain delay



4. Song that you will inevitably hear at any St. Louis sporting event



5. Newest best alternative to The Final Countdown





And here is my choice. It's a song that not many people would recognize, but would still be my choice. If you know me, you'll understand why this song would be my choice, despite violating several of the rules that I laid out in the contest. Sorry everyone. National political parties don't have to be consistent, why should I? (HT Scot)

The Nuances of Platinum DJing

I'm back from the midwest after a long, relaxing, and rather outmazing weekend that ended with my purchase of a rather platinum fedora hat. Before I go on, I'd like to take a moment to share my new title: Vice President to the Facilitator of Social Activity and Spontaneous Order.

I liked the direction that Raph's previous post was going, and it reminded me of a similar conversation we'd had on the nuances of platinum DJing. As any host/DJ would know, the atmosphere and ambience of a party is critical to its success. Music selection is the impetus of that achievement.

To begin, know your audience. Put your audience's tastes before your own in music, and you'll have a better time--everyone will. While having a core music playlist on hand is essential and easy to replay at future parties, it is also important to customize that list so that each event has a subtle but individual musical flavor. Also, customize it to the event you're staging--this goes hand in hand with your audience's preferences--for example, retro '80s may or may not be platinum for a wine and cheese party, but again, that depends on your audience.

Secondly, go with something everyone knows. This usually spans from classic rock to '90s, and even some intermittent recent songs (avoid those overplayed). This is the base of your music list, and it's extremely adaptable to any one individual's musical taste. People bond when they sings songs together, even if they don't care for the song. And TIP: well-known songs can break the ice for you single folks out there.

Also--it's important to pick songs that are generally "up-beat"--meaning, even if everyone knows the wishy-washy love song you're considering playing, you won't want to compile your entire music list with this particular tempo or attitude, which brings me to another finer point...

Shuffle the genres and the ages: if you just played Kanye's "Stronger," you should go with something disconnected next like Journey's "Small Town Girl." And never repeat songs unless it's strongly requested: you should have a music list long enough for the planned length of the party, with room for error. Arbitrary music lists are useful in keeping the crowd interested in the playlist instead of lulled into one music niche, no matter how up-beat it is.

Finally, if you insist on implanting your own tastes, do so with caution, and very sparsely into the list. If that song, or any that may have made the list, changes the general positive mood be sure to change that song as soon as possible. I'm sure there's something going on at a psychological level here, but parties with good vibes from great music last longer, or at least give a lasting impression that you know how to host a platinum party.