Two Peas in a Pod
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Trump / ABC / Roseanne
If Trump REALLY wanted to go after Disney, he'd draft legislation to limit copyright of The Mouse to 25-30 years rather than the current 75 years. And he wouldn't be wrong. Copyright is a legal cartel designed to benefit Disney and other major corporations at the expense of creators trying to make something new and fresh. It's not an accident our iconic characters and brands are old and constantly reused.
If Trump REALLY wanted to go after Disney, he'd draft legislation to limit copyright of The Mouse to 25-30 years rather than the current 75 years. And he wouldn't be wrong. Copyright is a legal cartel designed to benefit Disney and other major corporations at the expense of creators trying to make something new and fresh. It's not an accident our iconic characters and brands are old and constantly reused.
Monday, May 28, 2018
Tailspin
Elite overproduction and the rise of inequality.
I'd say the Trump election was reflective of this - many Americans instinctively understand - even without clear evidence - that the "meritocratic elite" get up to the top and pull all the ladders up just like all other elites before them. But what's particularly frustrating about the meritocrats is that they claim they aren't doing it, but practice all sorts of cartel-like behavior to have a stranglehold over the good jobs, etc.
Elite overproduction and the rise of inequality.
I'd say the Trump election was reflective of this - many Americans instinctively understand - even without clear evidence - that the "meritocratic elite" get up to the top and pull all the ladders up just like all other elites before them. But what's particularly frustrating about the meritocrats is that they claim they aren't doing it, but practice all sorts of cartel-like behavior to have a stranglehold over the good jobs, etc.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Rising China
On how China ends wars. Not well, it turns out.
Been reading a lot on China's military build up. China is way overconfident about their centrality to the world and their military prowess. They want to project power into the sea. Okay. Have they ever won a maritime battle? What institutional knowledge and experience can they draw upon? I'd be very careful if I were them. As for us - we should be prepared.
On how China ends wars. Not well, it turns out.
Been reading a lot on China's military build up. China is way overconfident about their centrality to the world and their military prowess. They want to project power into the sea. Okay. Have they ever won a maritime battle? What institutional knowledge and experience can they draw upon? I'd be very careful if I were them. As for us - we should be prepared.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Nanny Tax
I find this to be an interesting and relatable subject.
To reveal how dumb our current politics are, all one needs to do is focus on a specific issue.
In this case of nanny taxes - 80% of people don't pay them. Guess who those 80% are? Liberal families in SF, LA, and NYC, the exact type of folks who clamor for higher taxes to provide a social safety net. These people don't even provide a social safety net for the people who work for them!
The cognitive dissonance is stunning. So what do I think? Of course, paying payroll tax, etc, is bad for everyone involved. Nanny is a strange job with strange requirements. Decent families, I think, actually do provide decent social safety nets for good nannies by giving extra hours when needed, provided extra clothes, extra food, use of other resources, etc, that far exceed in efficiency and usefulness of what a govt program would provide. And guess what would happen if you added payroll taxes, etc? People at the margin wouldn't hire nannies! An already expensive household cost would go up and the jobs would go down. I can speak from experience.
I've found Liberals often hold Liberal positions on subjects they know little about, and veer into more conservative/libertarian ideas on subjects they know something about.
I find this to be an interesting and relatable subject.
To reveal how dumb our current politics are, all one needs to do is focus on a specific issue.
In this case of nanny taxes - 80% of people don't pay them. Guess who those 80% are? Liberal families in SF, LA, and NYC, the exact type of folks who clamor for higher taxes to provide a social safety net. These people don't even provide a social safety net for the people who work for them!
The cognitive dissonance is stunning. So what do I think? Of course, paying payroll tax, etc, is bad for everyone involved. Nanny is a strange job with strange requirements. Decent families, I think, actually do provide decent social safety nets for good nannies by giving extra hours when needed, provided extra clothes, extra food, use of other resources, etc, that far exceed in efficiency and usefulness of what a govt program would provide. And guess what would happen if you added payroll taxes, etc? People at the margin wouldn't hire nannies! An already expensive household cost would go up and the jobs would go down. I can speak from experience.
I've found Liberals often hold Liberal positions on subjects they know little about, and veer into more conservative/libertarian ideas on subjects they know something about.
NY Times and Peterson
They say a good writer reveals his/her characters and a bad writer reveals him/her self.
The NY Times Peterson piece reveals more about the writer than Peterson himself. She purposefully doesn't define what he means by "enforced monogamy." Now, I don't actually know what he means, but I know what he doesn't mean - and that is some type of slave arrangement for monogamous marriage -- and of course, this is what she implies. All he means, I'm sure, is the social system we actually already have, where you - socially speaking - aren't supposed to sleep with other people's husbands and wives.
The most telling moment is when she laughs at him when he ponders: what about the 50% of men who "fail" by not procreating? (SIDE BAR: I don't think I'd characterize all men (or women) who don't procreate as "failures." Modern society is a wee bit more complicated than that. For example - are men who breed a lot of children - Shawn Kemp-like, but do nothing in terms of raising them, successes? That seems like a strange bar. Not to mention biology is only one arena of human endeavor. Are tyrants with a lot of children "successful?" Is Socrates not because he had no children? Etc)
To me the most telling moment was when the writer reveals, in her laugh, her utter contempt for the "loser." This is the equivalent of a high school dude laughing a fat girl. And it tells you everything about where she is coming from and who she is that she feels no sympathy for the 50% of men who struggle to find emotional and sexual connection in their lives. But beyond whether she CARES about these people, she should very much care what the impact of so many "unsuccessful" men could have on society. What happens to these guys? I'll tell you what - depression, excessive risk taking, and fantasies of violence. Now maybe we can solve those things with video games, pizza, porn, and sports, but I wouldn't but all my eggs on those potential solutions.
They say a good writer reveals his/her characters and a bad writer reveals him/her self.
The NY Times Peterson piece reveals more about the writer than Peterson himself. She purposefully doesn't define what he means by "enforced monogamy." Now, I don't actually know what he means, but I know what he doesn't mean - and that is some type of slave arrangement for monogamous marriage -- and of course, this is what she implies. All he means, I'm sure, is the social system we actually already have, where you - socially speaking - aren't supposed to sleep with other people's husbands and wives.
The most telling moment is when she laughs at him when he ponders: what about the 50% of men who "fail" by not procreating? (SIDE BAR: I don't think I'd characterize all men (or women) who don't procreate as "failures." Modern society is a wee bit more complicated than that. For example - are men who breed a lot of children - Shawn Kemp-like, but do nothing in terms of raising them, successes? That seems like a strange bar. Not to mention biology is only one arena of human endeavor. Are tyrants with a lot of children "successful?" Is Socrates not because he had no children? Etc)
To me the most telling moment was when the writer reveals, in her laugh, her utter contempt for the "loser." This is the equivalent of a high school dude laughing a fat girl. And it tells you everything about where she is coming from and who she is that she feels no sympathy for the 50% of men who struggle to find emotional and sexual connection in their lives. But beyond whether she CARES about these people, she should very much care what the impact of so many "unsuccessful" men could have on society. What happens to these guys? I'll tell you what - depression, excessive risk taking, and fantasies of violence. Now maybe we can solve those things with video games, pizza, porn, and sports, but I wouldn't but all my eggs on those potential solutions.
This Writer Does Not Know Los Angeles
Comparing SF to LA.
Comparing SF to LA.
So she turned her sights southward, from the foggy city to the smoggy city.I know of no one in LA who talks or thinks about smog anymore. Beijing on the other hand...
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Astonishing
Lately I talk a lot about race on the blog and it's usually with an anti-BLM and anti-diversity slant, but this little tidbit of information in an Atlantic article is astonishing:
I have young children. I can't imagine raising one, let alone more, with such a non-existent net worth. There is literally no safety net.
Why are we talking about using Starbucks restrooms? Why are we talking about police tactics? None of any of this stuff matters if you have $8 to your name and you're trying to raise children.
It's not about race, it's about class.
Lately I talk a lot about race on the blog and it's usually with an anti-BLM and anti-diversity slant, but this little tidbit of information in an Atlantic article is astonishing:
A 2015 study in Boston found that the wealth of the median white family there was $247,500, while the wealth of the median African American family was $8. That is not a typo.Is this possible? And if so, THIS -- THIS -- is a great cause for concern. The median wealth of an African American FAMILY is $8? I don't know how this can even be possible. But let's ask - if it is true - or even close to being true - how do we not lead with this fact in EVERY SINGLE discussion about race in this country? This should be cause for absolute panic.
I have young children. I can't imagine raising one, let alone more, with such a non-existent net worth. There is literally no safety net.
Why are we talking about using Starbucks restrooms? Why are we talking about police tactics? None of any of this stuff matters if you have $8 to your name and you're trying to raise children.
It's not about race, it's about class.
Monday, May 14, 2018
How About Building More and Cheaper Housing?
Incel issue is about more school required to succeed in knowledge economy and living at home than any other factor.
Conclusion is that it's harder to figure out solutions, but is it? Build more housing.
Incel issue is about more school required to succeed in knowledge economy and living at home than any other factor.
Conclusion is that it's harder to figure out solutions, but is it? Build more housing.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
CalPERS
Interesting article about pension plans wielding buy side market power.
I see CalPERS as a unique and good source of bargaining power on behalf of workers.
Interesting article about pension plans wielding buy side market power.
I see CalPERS as a unique and good source of bargaining power on behalf of workers.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Protesting Cannes
Biting the hand and fighting windmills.
The irony is multifold: if the film biz was what these actresses desired, none of them would be actresses. Moreso, there might not be a film biz.
Biting the hand and fighting windmills.
The irony is multifold: if the film biz was what these actresses desired, none of them would be actresses. Moreso, there might not be a film biz.
Bet
I wish I could put money on this.
Bush was racist and the devil, followed by McCain being racist and the devil, followed by Romney being racist and the devil, and now Trump is racist and the devil.
I wish I could put money on this.
Bush was racist and the devil, followed by McCain being racist and the devil, followed by Romney being racist and the devil, and now Trump is racist and the devil.
Friday, May 11, 2018
England
Is figuring out how to send people to jail for online posts. This is a terrible development, of course, and where all this PC stuff is headed. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, and Orwell. Shame on them.
Is figuring out how to send people to jail for online posts. This is a terrible development, of course, and where all this PC stuff is headed. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, and Orwell. Shame on them.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Mute R Kelly
TimesUp claims it's first scalp.
Tyler Cowen got me to look up Entartete Kunst.
Artists going after other artists extra-legally and financially. Doesn't strike me as a good idea, knowing the artists I know.
Never enough for these folks to privately protest R Kelly, or add solar panels to their own homes -- what they really want is to insist on YOU not listening to R Kelly and YOU putting solar panels on YOUR home. Scumbags.
Also, is this an argument for physical media? How much will Cosby show DVD collection be worth in 10 years? Chinatown? Rosemary's Baby? Thriller?
TimesUp claims it's first scalp.
Tyler Cowen got me to look up Entartete Kunst.
Artists going after other artists extra-legally and financially. Doesn't strike me as a good idea, knowing the artists I know.
Never enough for these folks to privately protest R Kelly, or add solar panels to their own homes -- what they really want is to insist on YOU not listening to R Kelly and YOU putting solar panels on YOUR home. Scumbags.
Also, is this an argument for physical media? How much will Cosby show DVD collection be worth in 10 years? Chinatown? Rosemary's Baby? Thriller?
Wednesday, May 09, 2018
So Dumb
CA Energy Commission to mandate solar panels on all new housing construction in state.
Because the one thing CA really needs is more expensive housing.
Never mind that rooftop solar is one of the least efficient manners to collect solar energy. Typical poor political decision making - implement a policy that won't provide benefit, but sounds good to constituents. No cost to the decision makers.
CA Energy Commission to mandate solar panels on all new housing construction in state.
Because the one thing CA really needs is more expensive housing.
Never mind that rooftop solar is one of the least efficient manners to collect solar energy. Typical poor political decision making - implement a policy that won't provide benefit, but sounds good to constituents. No cost to the decision makers.
Tuesday, May 08, 2018
This Is America
Armond White on the Donald Glover video, if you're interested in reading anything other than fawning praise.
My thoughts: clever visual idea and execution of a nihilistic message. I watch and I feel a confused despair and less enlightened. I feel like it's the video equivalent of a Ta-Nehisi Coates article.
If you'd like to feel something different - like life - I suggest this sequence from Holy Motors.
Armond White on the Donald Glover video, if you're interested in reading anything other than fawning praise.
My thoughts: clever visual idea and execution of a nihilistic message. I watch and I feel a confused despair and less enlightened. I feel like it's the video equivalent of a Ta-Nehisi Coates article.
If you'd like to feel something different - like life - I suggest this sequence from Holy Motors.
Tuesday, May 01, 2018
Upside Risk to Trump
I've always said there was a chance Trump could end up being a really good President, and also a chance he could destroy us all. Wasn't worth the risk to me, but at least I'll acknowledge his outside the box approach could work in some cases.
So, if he somehow denuclearizes NoKo and they have McDonalds on their streets (I'm skeptical for the record), that's an objectively greater accomplishment than anything Obama did, right? And I've heard people say Obama was the greatest President ever. So...
I've always said there was a chance Trump could end up being a really good President, and also a chance he could destroy us all. Wasn't worth the risk to me, but at least I'll acknowledge his outside the box approach could work in some cases.
So, if he somehow denuclearizes NoKo and they have McDonalds on their streets (I'm skeptical for the record), that's an objectively greater accomplishment than anything Obama did, right? And I've heard people say Obama was the greatest President ever. So...
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