Jason Heldenbrand's MessageStream

Camo Beer Cans...

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-11-05T09:17:34Z

Some things just put a big smile on your face...like stumbling into a western Virginia convenience store and finding a 12...

Read the complete blog post here

Test

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-11-05T08:52:11Z

TES...

Read the complete blog post here

Take 4 - Another Test

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-10-31T09:13:20Z

Take 4...no askimet

This is a test of the Message Dance Wordpress re-configuring system. This is only a test. BEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Take 2 - Another Test

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-10-31T09:11:10Z

Take 3...

This is a test of the Message Dance Wordpress re-configuring system. This is only a test. BEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Another Test

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-10-31T09:02:55Z

Take 2...

This is a test of the Message Dance Wordpress re-configuring system. This is only a test. BEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Test

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-10-31T08:59:09Z

This is a test of the Message Dance Wordpress re-configuring system. This is only a test. BEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Alan Greenspan...naive?

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-10-09T13:11:00Z

The New York Times recently printed a story examining Alan Greenspan's responsibility for the current economic crisis. While it seems clear there are many reasons for the current situation and there is much blame to go around, in my opinion, one principle is responsible for much of the calamity.

It is the notion that the enlightened self-interest of individuals will ensure that the financial markets will act responsibly. I believe this notion is naive and has failed to provide the level of trust that is critical to the free market.

The financial sector is a common, in the Garret Hardin sense. Without proper management, we allow free-riders to pollute the common and ruin the collective good. People act in pretty much the same way whether in financial markets or in society at-large. We don't allow society to regulate itself and we shouldn't let the financial markets do so either.

Let's use income taxes as an example. I would be led out of town on a rail if I suggested that citizens be allowed to self-regulate in paying taxes. There is a reason we have a tax code, speed limits, prohibitions against murder, and police officers who up-hold those laws. Few people would disagree that the rule of law and the enforcement of those laws is anything but critical to our free society.

How is it then that Alan Greenspan believes Wall Street Executives would behave more nobly than people in society, at-large. The notion that society could regulate itself is as naive as believing the markets can regulate themselves. The concept of Laissez-faire doesn't work on the streets of New York nor does it work in New York's corporate boardrooms. Both society and Wall Street need cops and regulators to give the public the confidence that they won't be mugged on the way the grocery store and taken to the "bank" by Wall Street con-men.

Mr. Greenspan recently said, "In a market system based on trust, reputation has a significant economic value. I am therefore distressed at how far we have let concerns for reputation slip in recent years."

The strength or fragility of the market should not rest on the faith that Wall Street will accurately report financial statements and liabilities. Transparency should not be expected, it must be required.

Markets function freely when there is transparency and fairness. Alan Greenspan had both the power and responsibility to ensure the bond rating agencies accurately valued derivatives and other instruments and forced more transparency and disclosure in the assets held by corporations. I think that history will demonstrate that this great bull market would have been much stronger and much longer if individuals like Alan Greenspan had placed less faith in Wall Street's reputation.

I admit that I feel somewhat uneasy writing this post knowing that the iconic status of Alan Greenspan is probably well deserved. I also admit that I have not read his memoirs, "The Age of Turbulent," so I can't claim to understand his world view. Despite my respect for Mr. Greenspan, I do believe that the philosophy of laissez-faire government has had it's day in all sectors of society and we need to work harder to find a balance between government regulation and government intrusion.

Government has a legitimate role in our society well beyond providing for the common defense. It can help and it can hurt and we must work to find a better balance.

Field of Weeds, I mean wheat.

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-07-07T07:45:15Z

For dad.

Furniture Re-finishing 101

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-07-01T12:37:18Z

Refinishing furniture in your New York apartment is not for the faint of heart. Two tarps, 6 quarts of stripper, 4 million dead brain cells, one angry landlord, and several very hot and sweaty days later, the furniture is done. It came out much better than I expected and we are proud of the results.

Sheena bought the furniture a couple of years ago and had always wanted to refinish it. It was designed in the 50's or 60's and painted with white enamel and adorned with dainty hardware and gold colored trim. Despite being very solidly built, the original finish was beginning to chip and yellow with age.

It took us a while to decide what we wanted the furniture to look like. At first, Sheena and I discussed painting the furniture a dark blue, but I was somewhat concerned about there being too much blue in our bedroom and she agreed. We settled on a beautiful dark mahogany stain.

With only two weeks to pull this off, we had to move everything in Sheena's old apartment, sans the bedroom furniture, into the new apartment and lay down tarps in her old bedroom in order to strip, sand and finish the furniture. We started with a chemical stripper and eventually sanded all of the surfaces with 120 and 220 grit sandpaper.

Unfortunately we chose a product that combined the stain and the polyurethane. If I refinish furniture again, I will stain the furniture first and polyurethane it after I've evened out the color. The combination product left streaks and made it difficult to get an even finish. Here are some pictures of the before, during, and after.

What does it cost to live here?

Jason Heldenbrand (heldy14) — 2008-06-25T20:05:27Z

This is one of the coolist architectural innovations I've ever seen. The floors of this 80 story tower individually rotate .

Website Snapshot

Gulfnews: Revolving tower on Shaikh Zayed Road

The online version of UAE based newspaper Gulf News covering breaking news, polls, opinion, pictures, live weather, sport and features from the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah), the Middle East and the world. Gulfnews.com also features advice on the law in the UAE, visa advice and a resident’s guide.