I’m a huge O’Reilly Media fan boy. I can’t hide it. I hear Tim O’Reilly speak at conferences and I think to myself, “Screw being president, I want to be Tim O’Reilly.” I’ve been a subscriber to their online book services called Safari Books Online for years. Every month I see the bill for $43 come through and I think to myself, “Self, that’s the best $43 you spent all month.
[caption id="attachment_775” align="alignleft” width="250” caption="Radiant Heat System. Not in my house… yet! “][/caption] My wife and I bought a foreclosed house a few months ago. This house had been part of mortgage fraud and we bought it at auction. Interesting life experience, to say the least. The finished basement was built with radiant heat tubing poured into the concrete. These pipes are designed to be hooked to a hot water heater so the warm water can provide radiant heat through the floors in the basement.
[caption id=”” align="alignleft” width="224” caption="Plymouth Rock… or something”][/caption] There’s an interesting article in the WSJ this week about poultry farmers who grow for Pilgrim’s Pride (PPC). PPC is in bankruptcy and have canceled grower contracts with 400+ poultry growers. In poultry farming the farmers own the chicken houses and provide the labor but the poultry company (Pilgrim’s Pride, Tyson, Perdue, etc) own the birds and provide the feed. The producers get paid for every pound they put on the flock and they get extra bonuses for efficiency.
[caption id=”” align="alignleft” width="140” caption="Sean Park”][/caption] I’m a reader of Sean Park’s blog, the Park Paradigm. It’s a good blog despite the fact that it has his face in the header and has the word ‘paradigm’ in the title. I know, I know, it’s an alliteration and that’s cool. Yes, if the domain name “MentalMastication.com” were not taken I would have had an alliteration too. But anyway, besides having a pretty face and a fancy blog, Sean’s a good thinker.