Great Website

Eat LA. A lot of fun to peruse.

Hikes

LA Times readers upload their favorite hikes photos.

I'm feeling the NBA Playoffs cutting into my hike time.

Logging

Catching up: 30 Rock, The Office (Will Ferrell joins), Parks and Rec (Friday)

SUPER last night.

Friday Night Lights Returns

A nice little article on how Friday Night Lives managed to stay around for five seasons.

The DirecTV partnership allowed Friday Night Lights to shake off a disappointing second season—despised even by ardent fans for a nonsensical murder storyline, among other questionable character choices—and return to the quiet moments and small-scale dramas that it rendered so beautifully in its first season. Still, by the time season 3 kicked off, the show was straining credulity with the amount of time its teenage characters had spent in high school. Were we really supposed to believe that beefcake fullback Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch), who easily looked 25 in the pilot episode, was just a sophomore when the series started?

I trust this writer because she deftly picks up on the two biggest pieces of strangeness in the show in the above quote.

She does seem to miss the major thing FNL discovered - the coach. He didn't necessarily start as the centerpiece of the show - it was going to be about the football players and the chicks - Street, Riggins, Cerecen, Smash, Tyra, Lyla - but like the Simpsons began as a show about Bart and then discovered it was a show about Homer, FNL rather quickly discovered they had a couple around which the show could be based - coach and his wife.

Interesting

An online dating site for Ayn Rand followers.

It actually makes more sense to me for online dating sites to be narrower and self-selecting. The real world works this way just by virtue of ones choices about where they spend time. Like I could see an online dating site for athletes or country music lovers or something of this nature because it sort of narrows the gap and doesn't feel so large and there are automatic dates involved - Dodger Game or the Waylon Jennings concert. This poses a problem, however, for online dating sites because I believe they actually feed on the perverse notion that there is someone out there for everyone (and you just haven't found them yet). This is not true. It is a coping mechanism. But obviously untrue from any sort of objective standpoint. You could demonstrate this by looking at any sort of different variables - the number of divorces, the fact that good looking people have a ton more dating options than ugly people - etc. But in feeding on this idea, people are inclined to go to the biggest sites to cast the widest net. or maybe not, I don't know.

Nevertheless, it strikes me as being a step in the right direction for online dating to be narrower.

Maybe I Should Move

The per capita income of Qatar is $145,000 per year.

No wonder they are hosting the world cup. Oh yeah, and the article is about Obama wanting a cooler phone in the oval office.

Wish I Had This Opportunity

The founder of paypal is offering high aptitude kids money to stop going to school college.

The entire profile.

And pretty much rips Harvard to shreds here -

But Thiel’s issues with education run even deeper. He thinks it’s fundamentally wrong for a society to pin people’s best hope for a better life on something that is by definition exclusionary. “If Harvard were really the best education, if it makes that much of a difference, why not franchise it so more people can attend? Why not create 100 Harvard affiliates?” he says. “It’s something about the scarcity and the status. In education your value depends on other people failing. Whenever Darwinism is invoked it’s usually a justification for doing something mean. It’s a way to ignore that people are falling through the cracks, because you pretend that if they could just go to Harvard, they’d be fine. Maybe that’s not true.”

Ouch.

Oh L.A.

At Wholefoods tonight. Woman in front of me is middle aged, Mexican, buying just a key lime soda - the Whole Foods brand. Check out person - venice hippy chick. Women says to her "No 7-Up." Check out chick "You want 7-Up? Like regular 7-Up." Woman nods. She wears like a city maintenance worker type of uniform. Chick says "No 7-Up. Dollar store will have it." Maintenance woman gets this look like "What the fuck am I doing here." Check out chick goes "7-Up isn't organic. All our sodas are organic." "Oh. Organic" maintenance woman says. Hands over her 60 cents.

Patriotic Millionaires

A group of rich folks, including Doug Liman and Edie Falco ask to be taxed more.

But as Instapundit points out, what they actually mean is for other people to be taxed more since they can voluntarily make Treasury contributions themselves.

What a bunch of bullshitters.

Luck

Interesting article on luck.

Reading

I've developed an incredibly strange habit of reading four books at once. Right now, I'm reading Joan Dideon's RUN RIVER, some non-fiction book about Siberian Criminals, THE WORLD AT NIGHT by Alan Furst, and some graphic novels for work (those I'll finish quickly. Bad. Or good. I don't know.

Logging

TRAFFIC, Justified (latest episode), Archer (random episode).

Notes: Traffic really didn't hold up for me, actually almost found it bad this time around. Perhaps a testament to the style being influential and so much more advanced now with the gritty, real, panorama style of television. Justified is still enjoyable, but this was one of the worst episodes and I fear a Friday Night Lights season 2 style collapse in the storyline (okay, not that dramatic). Archer was surprisingly funny. Original tone.

Logging

I should have started this long ago, but I'm going to start logging what I read and watch. Inspired by Steven Soderbergh. Hat tip, Hatley.

4/11/11 - "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" by David Mamet, Hot Tub Time Machine (turned off), The Killing (ep. 3)

Funny...And Real

TAJIK MUSLIMS TO BAN TEXT MESSAGE DIVORCES: Tajik religious authorities say divorce by text message will soon be banned, as they seek to stamp out the practice in the mainly Muslim Central Asian nation. State religious affairs committee head Abdurakhim Kholikov said Monday that sending SMSs with the “triple talaq,” a Muslim ritual whereby a husband can end a marriage by reciting the term for divorce three times, breaches Islamic law. Divorce by text message has become common in Tajikistan, particularly among migrant laborers living abroad. Households in impoverished Tajikistan depend heavily on cash remittances and divorce usually dooms wives to deep penury.

I don't have a problem with this.

More on the Roth

Megan McCardle doesn't think your Roth is safe.

So I don't advise not saving. But I've started thinking about saving in ways that Uncle Sam won't be tempted to touch--like paying off your house early, maybe buying a vacation home (for cash) if you know where you're likely to want to spend a lot of time, and doing the kind of renovations that save you money in the long run--better insulation, higher-end energy-efficient appliances, etc. Paying now to lower your monthly costs later may have a better after-tax return than that "tax free" account.

Solid points, although someone in my position cannot take advantage because of how much investment is needed to buy real estate vs. the cost of the Roth. I mean, the limit being about $5000 per year - that'll buy you - ah, I suppose nothing in the real estate market. But for people already owning homes, I suspect this is good advice.

She makes the same point I did below that at some point in the fiscal future, the government is going to look around and need money and is going to punish those who saved early. I do agree that there should be limits on Roth contributions - it doesn't make sense to me why earners of over 100,000 are able to save in Roths. Then it becomes used as a tax shelter for estates versus a tool for middle class retirement. What we'll eventually get is something similar to the housing crisis where a combination of factors conspire to hurt middle class savers. Policies with good intentions and start with some early success get overused and abused and eventually cause strange incentives and unfair policies. Then, the government will over-correct in order to redress the problem and punish both the problem cases and the cases where it worked as designed.

Maybe So

Roth IRAs are a financial frankenstein. Maybe so, but they're indisputably a good deal for people like myself to invest in.

Mark my words - 30 years from now - there will be "progressives" clamoring for the tax money from Roth's. They will also be people who didn't invest in them.

True Indeed

Leaving messages.

And it occurred to me that in this new millennial life of instant and ubiquitous connection, you don’t in fact communicate so much as leave messages for one another, these odd improvisational performances, often sorry bits and samplings of ourselves that can’t help but seem out of context.

Hat tip, Robyn.

Preverse Pleasure

A strange look inside David Foster Wallace's private reading collection. Beware, this is a rather intimate look inside the man's mind and almost feels to me like an invasion of privacy.

So much is written about DFW, I find the discussion about him as a writer more interesting than his writing. Perhaps I'm just lazy, but I've always felt like he over-wrote, tried to cram everything in and it just gets tiresome. He has great moments of insight, but you need to read 5 pages to get those single paragraphs. Nevertheless, one of those moments appears as part of his unfinished novel, soon to be published (this must be why stuff about him is all over the blogosphere).

We've changed the way we think of ourselves as citizens. We don't think of ourselves as citizens in the old sense of being small parts of something larger and infinitely more important to which we have serious responsibilities. We do still think of ourselves as citizens in the sense of being beneficiaries–we're actually conscious of our rights as American citizens and the nation's responsibilities to us and ensuring we get our share of the American pie. We think of ourselves now as eaters of the pie instead of makers of the pie. So who makes the pie?

Very well put. Who makes the pie indeed - that's the question I've been pondering for years now.

And here is another smart point by the writer of the article:

I am making an informed guess that these things that we dwell on with our therapists—they may or may not be false, but almost necessarily, they're only the tiniest part of a picture that is so very much larger. To dwell on the terrible things is to miss the point. To fail ourselves, in a sense.

I am fairly public about my beef with therapized culture. This idea of incessantly talking about our preoccupations and breaking ourselves down into "root causes," etc, etc. is itself missing the point. I like how the writer puts it above. Now...this should not be confused with therapy to deal with trauma or acute problems with depression or whatever. I actually think therapy in these cases strikes me as a relatively cheap, risk-free, and useful. But I live in Los Angeles and work in the entertainment industry. Therapists in this culture - and they way they are presented - are more like friends all too happy to take loads of money and listen to problems that really aren't problems. But hey, everyone needs to make a living, right? I just don't see these people as adding to the pie-making process.

Convincing Argument

Sullivan makes a convincing case against intervention in Libya.

This is how many wars start - by initiating relatively minor interference with good, even noble intentions, before getting sucked into a far deeper role in an intractable conflict. Resisting that temptation will be the real test of Obama's strength. He is, after all, only president because he opposed a dumb war in Iraq. He surely doesn't want history recording that he started another one.

and also, this:

The Bush administration went into Iraq with a multitude of objectives, from finding and destroying weapons of mass destruction to building a new democratic country in the heart of the Middle East. But even at the highest levels, U.S. officials disagreed over how central the creation of a democratic Iraq was to American ambitions and interests.

This ambiguity of purpose helped create a serious dilemma: The United States undertook a complicated, multifaceted occupation and nation-building project without the planning and resources required for it to succeed. Yet, even after Obama’s speech Monday at the National Defense University, it remains unclear what the president considers an acceptable outcome in Libya.

Tough calls. They dynamic today is undoubtedly different that in 02 and 03. The biggest major difference is that Al Queda has been rolled back and we are not flush with cash anymore. So it makes less sense going out there to fight every two-bit dictator. Then again, there is the imminent genocide argument and we don't have time to discuss. There is also the hangover from Iraq. Tough to tell. When I look back on these things it become apparent - choices made in haste inevitably end up being bad choices. Often, it is better to just sit tight and as my history of jazz professor used to say, "save your money."

Ouch

Mocking Ulysses.

I can one-up Sullivan - I've never even tried reading it.

Personal Filmmaking

Personal filmmaking is emphasized in film schools and amongst cineastes all the world round as the only real antidote to the schlocky product created by Hollywood year in and year out. The best and most talented of filmmakers are able to bring fresh personal visions to tried and true genres, thus making original and timeless work. But is this really the case? I just watched HANNA, the Joe Wright film starring Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, and the young girl from Atonement. The previews looked good. I'll see most any action movie if given the opportunity and I was lazy today and wanted to get out. The movie starts all right, but as soon as we get away from the genre action-y stuff, we are thrust into the filmmakers personal preoccupations. Hooray, right! Wrong. Are we supposed to enjoy hanging out with a traveling hippy "family" in a camper? Are we expected to be mesmerized by gypsy campfire songs like some teenager on their first acid trip? Are supposed to be afraid of a bunch of gay-neo-nazis driving range rovers and wearing tennis outfits. Que?

Finally, we get back to the action and it turns confusing. If you've seen the preview, you'll know Hanna kicks the shit out of a whole shitload of top secret government people very early on in the movie and escapes an inescapable fortress. But later in the movie, she's running away from a schlubby gay guy that is like a bastardized version of Big Lebowski nihilists and the bad teenagers in Funny Games. And Cate Blanchett. I'm like - huh?

My point is this: we celebrate personal filmmaking when we like the movie. The rest of the time - most of the time - personal filmmaking sucks. Watch any number of these mumblecore movies. Better yet, read incoming manuscripts of books people have worked their whole lives writing. This is personal stuff. And you know what? It's BORING. And tends to be undisciplined and lousy art to boot. Joe Wright, it can be argued, makes personal films. In the same way Ed Zwick makes personal films. These guys are auteurs. Is this preferable to Unknown, or The Lincoln Lawyer, or Taken, movies that don't espouse to be personal visions, but straight genre exercises? I don't know. I just find this confusing because we all look at great work like Mean Streets or the Godfather and explain the excitement about those films being infused by the personal vision of the filmmakers. But if we are to be excited about this concept, we ought to examine the cases didn't work out as well as the ones that did.

Anyhow, one of the more interesting elements of the movie is that I'm sitting in row - this is Friday afternoon - theater about 1/3 full and the only two other people in my row are two hot women each seeing the movie by themselves one on each side of me. Riddle me that. Only in Los Angeles.

Brilliant

Zadie Smith tackles Facebook. She does a much better job articulating some of my fears than I do. My favorite tidbits:

When a human being becomes a set of data on a website like Facebook, he or she is reduced. Everything shrinks. Individual character. Friendships. Language. Sensibility. In a way it’s a transcendent experience: we lose our bodies, our messy feelings, our desires, our fears. It reminds me that those of us who turn in disgust from what we consider an overinflated liberal-bourgeois sense of self should be careful what we wish for: our denuded networked selves don’t look more free, they just look more owned.

And this:

It feels important to remind ourselves, at this point, that Facebook, our new beloved interface with reality, was designed by a Harvard sophomore with a Harvard sophomore’s preoccupations. What is your relationship status? (Choose one. There can be only one answer. People need to know.) Do you have a “life”? (Prove it. Post pictures.) Do you like the right sort of things? (Make a list. Things to like will include: movies, music, books and television, but not architecture, ideas, or plants.)

But here I fear I am becoming nostalgic. I am dreaming of a Web that caters to a kind of person who no longer exists. A private person, a person who is a mystery, to the world and—which is more important—to herself. Person as mystery: this idea of personhood is certainly changing, perhaps has already changed.

Gimme back that mystery over Facebook any day. Maybe the real reason I'm not on Facebook is not because I don't want people seeing me - maybe it's that I don't want to see people that way.

And...

...that's why I don't online date.

My Favorite

10 things that will happen with a government shutdown. Here is my favorite:

Word is getting around that a government shutdown doesn't actually save taxpayers money. For one, it will cost the government money to ensure a smooth transition to a shutdown. Then there's the lost revenue from a variety of sources, from government services to gift shops in government-run attractions such as Yosemite National Park and DC's National Gallery of Art.

Do You Know Who I Am?

Allen Iverson goes off to police.

If one has risen to a certain stature in life, one of the big perks, to me, is the day when it's all tumbled down and you catch yourself saying "do you know who I am!"

Welcome To The Future

We can't afford everything.

We’re not the dominant economy. And our pace of growth has moderated. Our ability to finance this is all limited.

Ironical

Obama makes an insensitive comment about gas prices.

Obama needled one questioner who asked about gas prices, now averaging close to $3.70 a gallon nationwide, and suggested that the gentleman consider getting rid of his gas-guzzling vehicle.

“If you’re complaining about the price of gas and you’re only getting 8 miles a gallon, you know,” Obama said laughingly. “You might want to think about a trade-in.”

Conservatives get up in arms about this. I find it amusing, as had GW Bush said the same thing, liberals would be up in arms about it. I wish they'd guys just say, "dude, I don't control gas prices."

Taxes

Why more people don't cheat on their taxes.

Not to be too cynical, but with the vast complexity of the tax system, those pre-disposed to cheat can likely find legal ways to do it.

Yikes

Disgraced politician John Edwards is said to be deeply depressed, to the point of being suicidal, over the prospect of a criminal trial that could end with him being jailed if found guilty. The 57-year-old former Presidential candidate reportedly told a close friend: ‘I won’t go to jail. I’d kill myself first!’ He has lost 20lb in the last year and is a ‘broken spirit,’ according to sources. ‘In early March, his legal team told him there was a strong chance he could be indicted, and John completely lost it. ‘He cried his eyes out.’ The former North Carolina senator has been under federal grand jury investigation since April 2009 for alleged payments to take care of Miss Hunter, his mistress, in violation of campaign rules. Probes have been carried out by both the IRS and the FBI.

Poor bastard. To be fair, I said I'd kill myself before internet dating, but I think people understood this to be hyperbolic.

Budget Crisis

My read on this: the Republicans are betting if they are able to shut down the government it'll benefit them politically. It'll make Obama look ineffective. Funny gamble as the last time the government shut down, Bill Clinton made it look like the Republicans fault and it carried him into a second term. But Obama is not Clinton and I think they spy his weakness: looking weak.

I'd say this is a pretty shitty thing to do, but it isn't like the Democrats didn't take advantage of a mismanaged war to gain political points. Now the Republicans are taking a mismanaged Federal Budget to do the same. Too bad. But that's the era we live in.

Obama Disappearing Act

Interesting liberal take on Obama's overall disengagement with issues.

This goes back to a reading of Obama by Virginia Postrel and Thomas Sowell during the campaign - of being a glamourous vs. charismatic figure. Charismatic figures are able to convince people of their own POV. Glamourous figures are those enigmatic enough for others to project their own desires upon. Movie stars are glamourous. Winston Churchill is charismatic. (so is Osama Bin Laden - charisma is always used for good). The problem (or maybe it isn't one) with Obama, is that whether he has any core principles or not, he doesn't seem willing or able to convince others to fight for them. His strategy seems to be to gauge what is popular/feasible to do in the moment and either help nudge that along or undermine it depending on the particular issue aligns with his stated policy beliefs or the beliefs of his advisors. Liberals are catching on.

And what could be more obvious than the decision to try KSM in a military court. Liberals are freaking out about this, and I'm no lawyer, but still don't see what the big deal with trying Al Queda in military courts is. We are at war with them.

Suspicious

This google ambassador program makes me suspicious.

Remembering An Awesome Scene

The brawl in the pool hall during Mean Streets while Mr. Postman plays...oh boy.

Worth Reading

50 crime writers worth reading.

Great Article

The 32 best players in baseball.

No surprise, no Oakland A's on there.

The article is full of interesting little facts, but I found this particularly noteworthy:

MVPs since the 1994 strike:

Texas: 5

Seattle: 2

Minnesota: 2

Boston: 2

Yankees: 2

Oakland: 2

Anaheim: 1

Chicago White Sox: 1

Strange how many MVPs are from Texas (theory: hitting ballpark), but also how so many MVPs came from those 5 other teams and so few from all the rest. And it's not one person is accounting for all those MVPs, I don't think...

Yep

You can trace these Arab uprisings to Iraq.

We have to admit, this is better than the alternative.

Single Life

Wait...this guy had a girlfriend?

A morbidly obese man is dead after he was found fused to a chair that he had been stuck on for two years.

The 43-year-old man from Bellaire, Ohio, was discovered unconscious on Sunday by his girlfriend.

I wonder where they met.

Yikes

VDH pours it on against Obama's intervention in Libya.

I'm pretty confused. I guess now the administration is saying we're just creating a no-fly zone implying Qaddafi can stay so long as he doesn't bomb rebels. Oh boy. It's pretty clear we aren't sure what we want. Maybe we are concerned that we don't really know who these rebels are - reputedly they have Islamicist elements.

Still, I'm one of those in favor of getting rid of dudes like Qaddafi, betting the unknown rather than the known. Even with the question of: what if the rebels are worse? Eventually Qaddafi or his successors will need to go - ruling regimes like that are unsustainable. So eventually we will need to deal with the vacuum of power, so might as well face it when there is momentum to do something about it and nudge it in the right direction. It's when we get caught flat-footed, like in the Iranian Revolution when things go to shit.

Ironies abound in this decision by Obama. The Republicans are going to have a field day, especially if Qaddafi survives and ends up empowered and confident having withstood Western bombing.

You gotta have clear aims if you're going to war. Give Bush a little credit on the Iraq thing - at least we knew what we were there to do.

Tricky

VDH on conservative reticence on Libya.

It should go without saying, the only acceptable outcome once bombing begins is to remove Khaddafy. The portion of Obama's speech I listened to said as much. Now there is some discussion about ending the bombing soon just to provide a no-fly zone. This doesn't really make sense. I suppose they are making the argument the no-fly zone was to prevent an imminent genocide and not to remove Khaddafy. Maybe. But I find this slippery logic rather confusing. If Khaddafy is guilty of planning a genocide, he ought to be treated like Milosevic - someone who needs to be brought forward in front of the world and tried. Also - why are the Germans and Turks against this, but the Arabs, France, and GB for it? Need to do some more reading...

Huh?

Is the reason we went to war in Libya because three women in Obama's cabinet pushed for humanitarian intervention?

Aye. Gates opposed it, Samantha Powers, etc were in favor of it?

I'm confused...is this a multi-lateral intervention? My understanding now is that the UN approved the use of force in the same way they approved the use of force against Saddam. But again, is it only going to be US troops. Help.

Funny

Keira Knightley answers fan letter way too quick.

Gay Cure App

I wonder if it works.

Counter Point

On why America can't intervene everywhere.

I have to agree Sullivan makes a sane point here. We are our own worst enemy.

Liberal Outrage

I'll try not to go crazy like most of the right wing blogosphere about the hypocrisy of the left with respect to the Libya war, however, it does bear pointing out, very, very few liberals seemed outraged with the Libya attack vs. their feelings regarding Iraq. It strikes me as something they need to explain. Where was the UN security council declaring war on this one? How is removing Khaddafy different from removing Saddam? The one major argument is that Libyans were rising up and actively fighting Khaddafy. Of course, this was also true of Saddam at one point, but then he used chemical weapons and put down the rebellion...not to mention the Kurds were in some respects actively opposing the Saddam regime in the north. Plus, Saddam was more of a world wide threat and in a more important country and just a tad more evil. So...what is it exactly? Two things: a dislike of Bush and bitterness over the 2000 election and because France's opposition to the war (later proved to be about money) gave "cover" to more legitimate war opponents.

Anyhow, I don't think it's quite worth rubbing in people's faces too much, I don't image they'll listen anyway.

Legalistic Reasons For Bombing Libya

Listening to the radio yesterday, I was struck by the legal approach to the Libya war. We argued Khaddafy was no longer a legitimate ruler of his country and he needs to go, ie regime change. Now, for those who care to remember, the legal framing for Iraq were a bit different - prove you do not have WMDs. Now liberals snark at the fact that no WMDs were eventually found. Fair enough. But that wasn't the argument - the argument was Saddam needed to prove to the international community he no longer had WMDs - since he had a past history of developing them. I even remember in the days before the war - Rumsfeld saying publicly - Saddam can stay in power if he lets in the weapons inspectors.

Khaddafy has no such option. Anything less than removing Khaddafy at this point will be considered a failure. Shouldn't be too difficult (although I realize that is an incredibly stupid thing to say).

Weak or Clever

Well, we're bombing Libya now. The only acceptable outcome is Khaddafy gone. And the US seems to be taking a supporting role.

The right wing blogs are going batshit mumbling about our weakness displayed in this crisis and comparing it to the Iraq War, etc, etc. I think there will be a time for such analysis, but I don't think that time is now. In fact, it strikes me, Obama might be outfoxing everyone - including our reluctant allies and two-faced Arab "friends" - into doing our bidding for a change. Usually, we are the ones doing the dirty work - like in Iraq from the first Gulf War to the Second Gulf War - while everyone else gets to sit around and publicly condemn us, while privately support us. We have take a backseat to the Arab League and France in this case and allowed them to take more of the lead (and hence bear more of the criticism). If the outcome is the same, with Khaddafy gone, we'll have achieved our goals and done with with broad support. I don't see this as a bad outcome. The right wing nutjobs are worried we look weak or indecisive...I think we look clever.

Evidence That People Are Stupid

From an article about the law school bubble.

But the biggest reason may be cultural, not economic. In the past year or two, scads of blogs have committed themselves to exposing law school as a "scam," and the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have devoted thousands of words to telling readers why law school is a bad, bad idea if you do not actually want to be a lawyer.

Wait...law school is a bad idea if you don't want to be lawyer? Who wouldda thunk? Cause I went to film school to become a doctor and that is working out magnificently.

LA Marathon, The Anti-LA Event

I braved the rain this AM to check out the finish line of the LA Marathon. I was not the only one. Tons of people were out, getting drenched to watch the runners. I have to admit, seeing people running and finishing was pretty inspiring. I missed the elite finishers, but saw the next group of runners, people who seemed like unbelievable runners, but not quite professional - people finishing between 2hrs30min and 3 hours. The timing and watching the end was pretty cool because at this level, the runners finish a little bit spaced out, and so it's like one runner every 30 seconds or so and the announcer announces them and their time and sometimes the announcer knew a little bit about the finisher. One guy, as a promotion, ate McDonalds for the last 30 days before the marathon (a sort of anti-Super Size Me for the Ronald McDonald charity). One guy ran the race barefoot. Most of these runners looked very in shape, except from one old slightly overweight Mexican dude who ran past and I was like - no way this guy finished a marathon this fast - I figured he hopped on somewhere during the last mile of the race...or...probably more likely scenario is that he is like a former Olympian or something crazy like that. A few women finished in this pack - the first qualified for the Olympics with her time. It was pretty awesome. I thought I was some sort of impressively motivated person for riding my bike all the way there in the rain, but there were thousands of people - families, kids, old folks - who did the same without much thought. Not to mention the runners who obviously train like madmen and women and then ran this crazy thing. Now...I will never run a marathon. This I know. But man, watching people finish, and seeing all these Los Angelinos supporting and cheering and watching these people do it. It is a different side of this city...one worth checking out.

Mutual Appreciation

I decided it was high time I watched a mumblecore movie. This weekend felt apt - not many plans - coming off a week that featured several nights out, including St. Patty's, and feeling as caught up as I can be on work (for the moment). And I'm injured, preventing any major sporting activities. I've been resistant to mumblecore movies because frankly, they don't sound very interesting or good. There are about 6 entire television shows, 10 novels, 40 real movies, and numerous sporting events, I would likely prioritize over watching any of the mumblecore movies if I based my decisions solely upon pleasure. That said, as a movie person, I feel an obligation to at least watch a little bit of this non-movement.

First things first - I actually have watched one mumblecore movie before - The Puffy Chair. I remember being impressed when I first saw it (after the first scene) and then never thinking about it again and if one were to ask me what happened in The Puffy Chair right now, I honestly can't remember. The distinguishing feature - it was made for $10,000 by the Duplass brothers. There was a chair in the movie and some dude who looked like someone I went to film school with.

I couldn't figure out what mumblecore movie was the one to watch. And I was limited by what was on Netflix instant (because I'm cheap and lazy). I started Hanna Takes The Stairs because Greta Gerwig was in it. I lasted 11 minutes and realized there was no way I was going to sit through the whole thing. When the most interesting moment in the first 11 minutes is a girl ignores a phone call from her boyfriend...yeah...I'd rather read a blog or write an email or watch a Charlie Sheen interview.

So, onto Mutual Appreciation, which I watched in full. And liked in parts. But boy, I can't really recommend these movies to regular people. I mean, these are almost not real movies...they are more like practice movies. It would sort of be like charging fans to attend my men's league soccer games. It is technically soccer, but it is more of a hobby than a profession. And that's fine, the difference being, in a hobby it is for the pleasure of the participants, whereas in a profession it is for the pleasure of the audience. I say this because when I think of joe-average-world citizen and the Platonic idea of "a movie" and what they associate with this idea, these films almost don't fit the bill. Maybe that is a crazy thing to say...maybe I've been in LA too long...and am becoming too indoctrinated by the system. But man, there is such a thing as blocking and camera moves and surprises and mystery and tension and irony. The story was just, I don't know, it felt like it was all just a pose. A style. And a cheap style at that. Ocean's 11 is all style, but at least it is good style. I felt like I was in some hipster second hand shop watching ugly over-educated people doing nothing and pondering banalities. I don't hang out in those store shopping for Doc Martins and corduroy jackets, so why would I want to spend 2 hours watching a movie in one?

But maybe that's just me. I really wonder who watches these movies. I can't imagine anyone outside the film biz or the hipster world pays any attention. Who has the time?

A Take On Netflix

On why Netflix is moving into original programming.

Note - content is - and always will be - king.

Interesting Point

Leslie Gelb says: if Arabs and everyone else wants a no-fly zone over Libya, they should do it themselves.

I like the positions I've heard Gelb expound recently - and they basically amount to - I'm tired of America being the sucker. Everyone is bullshitting us. In Afghanistan, the Pakis want us to stay, give them money and meanwhile fund the Taliban and provide them haven. We tell them to stop and they say, well, if you leave, we need to hedge our bets. Fuck you, Pakistan. You're not our friends. Same thing with the Arab League and the Euros - they don't give a shit about Libya. They want to get themselves off by taking a cost-less moralistic position and wait for the US to act. If we don't, they criticize our lack of support for Arab democracy, if we do, and it goes well, they say they supported it all along. It goes bad, oh well, it isn't their blood or money.

I am often persuaded by the moral arguments, but appreciate a candid realist position to really test myself.

Why Write A Book...

...when an article would suffice. I picked up a book at the library the other day that is essentially a Marxist critique of "diversity." The basic point is that liberals have embraced the idea of "diversity" as a good social goal and the widespread acceptance of it from colleges to employers is a dangerous trick to ignore the real issue in American society: economic inequality. He argues "diversity" is a clever trick - an end-run around the idea of reparations - by not appealing to redress historical wrongs - but rather to value a diverse racial make-up as an end goal in itself. His best point - it costs us NOTHING as a society to embrace diversity. Elite colleges simply pick top students from all the races and get to feel good about themselves as if they are making our society better rather than an accomplice in making the rich richer. Employers are able to hire diverse staff and continue to pay them a stagnant wage.

I am not going to read the whole book. I'm not sure why this is a book rather than an article, but he makes a few smart points. He also is startlingly honest about the issue of competition - the rich are able to out compete the poor. Rich students will be better than poor students - they have better schools, better habits, more fallback options, tutors, all sorts of things. So if you care about social justice - which liberals claim to - one can't simply ignore this issue or try to apply an easy, cost-less balm, like affirmative action, which basically just assists rich people of different races and genders.

Personal Finance

Personal Finance stuff is a lot simpler than people make it out to be. 10 ideas.

The gist - save your money. Don't spend on stupid shit. Pay your highest interest stuff first. I mean, a 7 year old can figure all this stuff out.

Smart Men, Dumb Women

A "smart" woman asks smart men why they date dumb women.

I think the guy makes some good points:

As Carney put it, "dumb chicks have both greater opportunities and greater incentives to try harder to date smart men than smart women do."

to which the interviewer (ie smart woman) responds:

Lapin goes on to dismiss the idea that men are interested in less intelligent women: "You guys think you want that, until you're bored to tears and melt her plastic bits. Until you need to take her to a State dinner and she can't smile her way out of it. Until you lose your Wall Street job and she still doesn't understand what you do enough to help you through it, as a partner, an equal, much less stand by a poor guy."

What a hag. First, she asks the question and rather than actually listening to the answer, dismisses it to fill in with her own answer. Further, she assumes less-smart=plastic. Here's another theory - women who define themselves as "smart" rather than say, caring, kind, pretty, pleasant, of good character, supportive, friendly, or any other adjectives which are better determiners of good relationships - may have trouble finding men because they suck. My theory on this stuff - be cool - look good - don't be crazy - and you'll do fine, chicks. Be bitchy, self-pitying, confusing, weird, needy, cold and you'll have trouble, even if you scored high on the SAT.

Libya

I'm certainly no expert on Libya, so it's hard for me to get too passionate about what we ought to be doing there. But I think this point is right.

It may well be that the best course has always been to do nothing. But if that is the case, what was the point of Obama’s pronouncement that Qaddafi ‘must’ go? If it is important that Qaddafi go, then why is the United States unwilling to lift a finger to bring about the event that ‘must’ happen? And how can a situation simultaneously be urgent, but not worth doing anything about?

More concerning to me is the UN handling of the situation. Clearly, Qaddafi is a madman and a lunatic. He has been for nearly 30 years and all the world knows it. Now there is an opportunity to actually stand together and do something about it and UN sits around twiddling it's thumbs and hemming and hawing despite pronouncements by many of member nations that Qaddafi ought to go and the Arab League's willingness to support a no-fly zone. Maybe the world ought to be like this and allow nations to fight their own battles and not interfere because the cost of intervening is often high. But then...what is the point of the UN? I mean, it would be a movie studio that doesn't make movies and just develops projects and talks about making stuff. Very puzzling. It seems like Qaddafi is going to crush the rebellion and 6 months from now we'll learn about some massive numbers of civilian murders and all sorts of horrific reprisals and torture and other morally offensive things that occurred in the name of keeping this loon in power. If I worked at the UN, I'd be pretty embarrassed at the impotence of the organization.

Smoking

I don't like smoking. It is a disgusting habit and it kills people. In fact, probably the biggest reason the life expectancy of Americans is the highest it's ever been is due to the various anti-smoking campaigns and general understand of the long term negative effects to health. That said, smoking in movies is awesome. It breaks up dialog and gives a good reason to pause when words are supposed to be taken in. It is visual and contributes to atmosphere and tone - if that's what you're going for.

Films

A fun list to peruse by genre.

Cool

ATLANTIS FOUND IN SOUTHERN SPAIN? : Perhaps Plato was right after all: American researchers say they’ve found the lost ancient city of Atlantis—whose existence has been debated for thousands of years—underneath the mud flats of southern Spain. The Greek philosopher first wrote about Atlantis 2,600 years ago, claiming it was gigantic ringed city that had been buried by a tsunami thousands of years earlier. Now, the U.S. team says they discovered its exact location by using radar, digital mapping, and underwater technology. Adding to their credibility is the discovery of several nearby “memorial cities” thought to be built by Atlantis’ refugees after the natural disaster destroyed the city.

Now we can check that mystery off the list.

More On Longevity

Another article about the living longer study.

Health advice has been mostly a public health failure. When John F. Kennedy became president he immediately began emphasizing the importance of physical health and the role of government in promoting fitness. Fifty-mile hikes became a fad. This was the same year that Dr. Ancel Keys, a prominent doctor who also happened to be a Terman subject, was featured on the cover of Time magazine telling Americans that they ate too much.

Now, half a century later, most segments of the American population are more obese and less fit than ever. This doesn't mean that President Kennedy's efforts were misguided or caused today's problems. But it does suggest that such traditional approaches—lists of recommendations, New Year's resolutions, and so on—are often ineffective over the long term.

You need to make changes that will be sustainable in the long term. We say, if you don't like jogging, don't jog! Instead, begin doing things that you really enjoy and can keep up, like a walk at lunchtime with a friend or vigorous gardening. Follow the healthy Terman participants, who grew up before gyms or running shoes even existed: develop those patterns, whatever they are, that get you up and out of your chair.

Makes sense to me.

Keys To Long Term Health

Interesting findings.

Work hard. Take things seriously. Hmmm. Sort of counter-intiative. That said, I find it easier to relax when I've been working hard. And more anxiety and guilt when I'm not. Also for men, get into stable marriages. Doesn't surprise me.

Fair Point

On the anxiousness of the liberal mind.

This too is an American trait — one professes global concern as a sort of psychological penance for one’s own worry that he wants nothing to do with politically incorrect problems. I might go so far as to suggest that the more one is animated that illegal immigration is not a problem, the more likely one is to be insulated from it. (Note the constant sermonizing from the Hollywood elite from the beaches of Malibu.)

I'm pretty sure this is true.

True Enough

Libya provides an interesting test case of how the world keeps spinning without American leadership.

One problem is that we can't be sure what outcome we prefer. I think in basically all these cases it is 60-40 preferable to see the guy go. I suppose in the Khaddafy case, it may be higher 80-20.

Oh Boy

An NPR executive was coaching the Muslim Brotherhood how to make an anonymous donation.

One thing we need to get straight people: The Muslim Brotherhood are bad guys. All this verbiage regarding war on terror, etc, has confused the issue with Al Queda, etc. Political Islam is a problem in the same way Communism was a problem. There are degrees to Political Islam - Al Queda is not the same as the Muslim Brotherhood tactically. The Brotherhood does not overtly support terrorism against the United States for instance. They have not declared war on us. But let's not mince words - Political Islam is an imperialist ideology and incompatible with minority points of view, pluralism, women and gay rights (and all individual rights, for that matter), a free press, basically most of the rights and privileges all Americans and Westerners hold dear. Any group or person who believes in putting all other values as subservient to Islam is problematic and incompatible with Western Values. I'm not saying we declare war on these people, just pointing out the obvious - they are the enemy.

I'd Watch This Film

Bring Me The Head of Charlie Brown.

Conundrum

Why do people not respond to evites? This question plagues me, because I pretty much always respond. In fact, I almost always respond yes even if I'm a maybe. The reason I do this is because when I view evites with very few "yes's" I'm less likely to WANT to attend. And I'm a huge fan of people who decide to host or throw events - since I recognize how much work goes into these things and how they are holding the glue of society together. But no one responds. In most evites, the majority of people never even bother to respond. Why?

One theory is that people are too busy. Bullshit. I know people read all that shit.

Another theory is that people don't know their schedule and want to keep things open-ended. This is a very Los Angeles-California-y thing to do. And I get it. But why not do like I do and respond yes and then keep it open-ended? Everyone knows if you grandpa dies, you aren't coming to the party. No one is holding a "yes" response to an evite over ones head like the Sword of Damocles.

The third theory is that people don't want to look over-eager and therefore do not respond and then forget about it.

My fourth theory is that people are waiting to see what other people do and then no one responds because no one else responds.

My fifth theory is that people are rude. Purposefully rude. Not responding due to any of the four previously mentioned items is in itself rude, so perhaps this one is redundant, but I separate the category because sometimes the asshole-ness of people trumps a practical explanation.

I'm not sure which theory accounts for the most non-responses. But in this day and age where people shamelessly spend their hours on facebook and internet dating, wasting their lives trolling meaningless blog posts and commentary and Charlie Sheen's twitter account, and perusing pictures of high school classmates weekends, you would think some more priority would be placed on the good old fashioned RSVPing to an ACTUAL PARTY or event where human beings gather and interact face-to-face. To me, the three useful elements of the internet are: email, evites, and blogs. Email is a great communication tool, a quick in-between to the phone call / letter / business package. It might be the most important single tool invented during my lifetime. Evites are a fantastic invention because it saves time and money and explication for organizing parties and events. It is similar to an email, but of additional use because of the group access to information of a specific event. Blogs end up filling gaps that were being systemically ignored by traditional journalism and op-eds.

All the rest of the internet inventions are of questionable value. Internet porn has made access to porn much easier and cheaper, but it isn't clear to me this is a good thing for society or male-female relationships. It certainly helps the relationship men have with themselves, but I'm not convinced that is a relationship in need of nurturing. Facebook is giant scam. Internet dating is bad (see other posts). Netflix and Amazon and other shopping sites are probably a net positive and will probably become more positive over the long run, especially with streaming and kindle, etc. So maybe I should add that to the good stuff about the internet.

Word to the Arabs

I keep going back and forth on the Libya thing and whether we ought to help the rebels. Here's the thing: don't mercilessly bash on America at every given opportunity and then expect our help when it suits you. Why do so many "liberal" Arab intellectuals criticize America and the West for X-Y-Z and then ask for our help? And when we give the help, they'll criticize the timing of it, the amount of it, the degree of it. It's really a no-win.

On the other hand, we have these autocrats like Mubarack, Qadaffi, etc, who are playing a double game by inflaming folks against us and then telling us - back off - you don't want those crazy people running things.

It really is a sick situation and I wish they didn't have all the oil.

A Betting Man

If I were a betting man, I would have bet against consequetive blog posts about Charlie Sheen and Winona Ryder in 2011....

Good News

Winona Ryder agrees to have sex with Generation X.

Children of the so-called Baby Boomers, Generation X has been characterized as a group unable to speak about anything unironically, while also possessing a mistrust of authority and a longing to have sex with Winona Ryder. According to Ryder, this demographic deserves to have "at least one" of its thwarted hopes and dreams for itself actually come true.

Thank you, Winona.

Good Job

Charlie Sheen is hiring a paid intern.

Wow.

Social Security

Some myths about the program.

Bought

These stories coming out about academics being paid by Kaddafi to help enhance his world profile are pretty repulsive.

It's one thing to be a PR firm or a lawyer or a defense contractor cashing in on blood money. It is morally questionable and likely corrupt. But at least their honest about who pays them. This smells worse. An academic - and academic institution - trades on their intellectual integrity and poses as speaking truth to power. What's perhaps even the most disappointing is these people worked for top notch institutions - LSE and Harvard - who seemingly wouldn't have to bottom feed for money. It just goes to show...

...actually, I don't know what it goes to show.

Preposterous

Part of this blog is supposed to be a log of things that happened. This weekend, I got into one of the most absurd, strange arguments of the many strange, absurd arguments of my life. Two of my friends argued Frasier was a better show than Seinfeld. It was an utterly absurd premise. I can understand people have diverse tastes (one may insert bad for diverse), and might "prefer" Frasier to Seinfeld. But no living human being can accurately argue that Frasier is "better" than Seinfeld from any sort of critical or cultural standpoint. To put it simply - I have never, ever, before this weekend, ever heard a single person ever recommend, talk about, discuss, reference, or otherwise mention Frasier outside of perhaps a guilty admonition that they wasted 30 minutes watching it. Ever. Seinfeld, on the other hand, now over 12 years off the air, still comes up almost every other day in some form of discussion - oh, that's just like when Jerry and Elaine did this and that - Seinfeld is part of the very fabric of American culture going far past the influence of what most television shows and movies ever hope to achieve. Now if that factor alone does not make Seinfeld a "better" show, fair enough. More people watch Jersey Shore than The Wire and probably "reference" it. Nevertheless, Seinfeld is to the sitcom what Michael Jordan is to basketball. The consensus best sitcom ever. Plenty of people disagree - there are arguments for Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlin, etc. But if you want to get into a dumb argument about "the best," it is asking folks not to take you seriously if you go out and try to claim Charles Barkley is the best basketball player ever. Barkley, sure, won the MVP once or twice while Jordan played. He was a rival to Jordan (like Frasier was to Seinfeld), but no sane person who knows the first thing about basketball or watched either of the two play, could seriously suggest Barkley was better than Jordan. There is zero objective evidence to even suggest Barkley was as good as Jordan. I'm sure there are people who prefer watching Barkley to Jordan, people who like Barkley more than Jordan (me), people who rooted for Barkley over Jordan, but he was not "better" than Jordan.

Frasier being better than Seinfeld is a laughable premise, not even worthy of this paragraph of discussion.

Good Paragraph

Found within an essay about megalomania in American Politics.

“As a member of the avant-garde who is capable of perceiving the conspiracy before it is fully obvious to an as yet unaroused public, the paranoid is a militant leader. He does not see social conflict as something to be mediated and compromised, in the manner of the working politician. Since what is at stake is always a conflict between absolute good and absolute evil, what is necessary is not compromise but the will to fight things out to a finish. Since the enemy is thought of as being totally evil and totally unappeasable, he must be totally eliminated—if not from the world, at least from the theatre of operations to which the paranoid directs his attention. This demand for total triumph leads to the formulation of hopelessly unrealistic goals, and since these goals are not even remotely attainable, failure constantly heightens the paranoid’s sense of frustration. Even partial success leaves him with the same feeling of powerlessness with which he began, and this in turn only strengthens his awareness of the vast and terrifying quality of the enemy he opposes.”

Freedom Agenda

Can it be said that Bush's Freedom Agenda is working?

Zizek on Egypt

Hadn't read this before, but it makes sense.

When President Obama welcomed the uprising as a legitimate expression of opinion that needs to be acknowledged by the government, the confusion was total: the crowds in Cairo and Alexandria did not want their demands to be acknowledged by the government, they denied the very legitimacy of the government.

and this

One of the cruellest ironies of the current situation is the west's concern that the transition should proceed in a "lawful" way – as if Egypt had the rule of law until now. Are we already forgetting that, for many long years, Egypt was in a permanent state of emergency? Mubarak suspended the rule of law, keeping the entire country in a state of political immobility, stifling genuine political life. It makes sense that so many people on the streets of Cairo claim that they now feel alive for the first time in their lives. Whatever happens next, what is crucial is that this sense of "feeling alive" is not buried by cynical realpolitik.

Something to think about.

Where is the UN on All This

On creating a no-fly zone in Libya:

Libyan rebels who requested Western assistance can dream on: That’s the message coming out of Washington now, as American leaders have cooled on the idea of a military intervention in Libya—even a no-fly zone. “Let’s just call a spade a spade: A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses,” Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Wednesday, while Clinton told two committees that the U.S. was not ready to commit to military action.

I understand we don't just want to hop into war. But isn't this why we have the UN?

Too Many Choices

Interesting article on why speed dating doesn't work.

"Overall, too much variety may mean, as suggested by our findings, that people put off making a decision," Lenton said. "Perhaps this is one reason why people today get married at a later age, especially in large cities where presumably there is a wider variety of options -- that is, greater diversity among people."

Fair point.

As Fine An Idea As Any

A new approach to therapy - a naked therapist. I always thought it would be cool to have a massage-psychologist, where you could go to get your back rubbed and talk about your problems. Add this into the mix and it makes it even a better idea. I suppose this occupation already exists, though, I think it's called a good girlfriend.

Charlie Sheen

Not To Belabor The Point

But the article below reminds me of a cruel truth...women want to be with men who are more successful and have higher status than them. Some will deny it and certainly there are exceptions, but let's be honest here - on the whole, it is what women want. And I'm not talking about gold digging swine - many perfectly good, healthy, put together women feel this way - and perhaps more importantly - act this way.

So do the math. If women seek equality in the work place and equal opportunity, they will, by definition, be limiting their own dating/marriage pool.

And men? Well, men are in a bind either way. If we seek status over women, we are misogynist pigs. If we don't, we are wusses.

This matters - because strangely enough - the propagation of the human species is dependent on men and women getting along. Or at least, getting it on.

Why Are Men So Angry?

Interesting article.

Never before in history have men been matched up with women who are so much their equal—socially, professionally, and sexually. By the time they reach their twenties, they have years of experience with women as equal competitors—in school, on soccer fields, and even in bed. They very reasonably assume that the women they are meeting at a bar or café or gym are after the same things they are: financial independence, career success, toned triceps, and sex.

That’s the bait; here comes the switch. Women may want equality at the conference table and treadmill. But when it comes to sex and dating, they aren’t so sure. The might hook up as freely as a Duke athlete. Or, they might want men to play Greatest Generation gentleman. Yes, they want men to pay for dinner, call for dates—a writer at the popular dating website The Frisky titled a recent piece “Call me and ask me out for a damn date!”—and open doors for them. A lot of men wonder: “WTF??!”

and this --

Women can take a Chinese menu approach to gender roles. They can be all “Let me pay for the movie tickets” on Friday nights, and “A single rose? That’s it?” on Valentine’s Day.

I just have only one thing to say -- and I say it unequivocally -- no girl has EVER been an equal competitor to me on the soccer field.

A Question For Liberals

Should American lead?

Per John McCain -

America leads. America is — here we’ve been to these countries and every place we go they are looking to America for leadership, for assistance, for moral support and ratification of the sacrifices they have made in defense of democracy. America should lead.

It isn't clear to me Obama and liberals believe America ought to lead. I've stated here a lot recently that it is important for America to understand these events going on in the Middle East are fundamentally NOT ABOUT US. However, we ought to weigh in on the sides we think are right and fall back upon our core values and the values of the free world. It is delicate.

How To Improve the Oscars

Virginia Postrel offers some ideas.

Egypt

Listening to NPR the other day, there was a good segment on why all this political unrest started in Egypt. Some major social and economic factors involving money, jobs, and marriage. Apparently in Egypt, most young people live with their parents until they can afford to get married, and then they move out of their parents and start families of their own. But it is very costly to get married in Egypt - you need a stake of money to get yourself started. In the last generation, basically, college-educated folks were guaranteed decent jobs (enough to pay for a family) and guaranteed good government benefits. Because of this, people started having large families. Now, those young folks are growing up - the population has doubled since the time Mubarack took office from 40mil-80mil and something crazy like 70% of those people are under 30. Not surprisingly, the government alone cannot guarantee jobs and benefits to all these people. They can't afford it. So young folks today are forced to work freelance type of jobs - jobs for which they are overqualified - and having trouble putting together a big enough stake to get married. Now, there are cultural implications here as well because being a conservative middle east/north african country, there isn't a vibrant "dating scene," or other ways for young folks to socialize and have a sex life. So you have this people in their late 20s and early 30s without strong job opportunities and without social and sex lives who are living with their parents and very little hope for the future. Now enter technology and seeing how other folks are living and organizing through facebook, etc, and it helps to explain this massive outpour of anger and frustration.

Obama Dithering

Does Hitchens have a point?

The Obama administration also behaves as if the weight of the United States in world affairs is approximately the same as that of Switzerland. We await developments. We urge caution, even restraint. We hope for the formation of an international consensus. And, just as there is something despicable about the way in which Swiss bankers change horses, so there is something contemptible about the way in which Washington has been affecting—and perhaps helping to bring about—American impotence. Except that, whereas at least the Swiss have the excuse of cynicism, American policy manages to be both cynical and naive.

One the one hand, it's fair not to make this about us, because the Arab people are doing this themselves. On the other hand, if Qadaffi is going to use his air force against his own people, I have no objection to taking out his entire airforce, army, and presidential headquarters while we're at it.

Injustice

You know it when you hear it.

Fonzo's son, Edward, was 17 and an all-star wrestler with a chance at a college scholarship at the time he landed in Ciavarella's courtroom on a minor drug charge. Though Edward had no prior criminal record, Ciavarella sentenced him to juvenile detention center for several months. As a result, Edward missed his senior year of high school and grew depressed and bitter. Last June, he committed suicide, at the age of 23.

The judge was taking bribes to send juveniles to a for-profit detention center. Yeah. Seriously.

No One Will Miss This Guy

An encounter with Qaddafi. In America, guys like this become 3rd rate rock stars. In the Arab world, they become leaders. No wonder the people are pissed.

Death of the Music Industry

Some insights via charts.

The big takeaway - people spend more on albums than they'll ever spend on singles. A smart industry would have foreseen this and not let the album die. Movie business - take note.

Aye Yye Yye

On why Microsoft, a company sitting on $40 bil in cash, borrows $2 bil in unsecured debt.

David Zion, a tax and accounting analyst at Credit Suisse, estimates that the companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index have "north of $1 trillion" in undistributed foreign earnings, or profits that have been parked overseas to avoid U.S. tax. Not all of that is cash; some is in the form of inventories or other assets.

You'd think that trillion bucks could be used making and building things by hiring people. Jeez.

Bye Bye Miss American Pie

Good article on the day the movies died. Hat tip, Naveen.

Just Weird

A 61 year old gives birth to her own grand-daughter.

On Saving For Retirement

Some pretty good ideas.

To be comfortable in retirement, you need to be saving a lot more, especially if you're planning to, I don't know, have an emergency, do anything large such as renovate the house, or put some kids through college. This is definitely possible--look at the income your parents lived on. How did they do it? Not because those were halcyon days when incomes were better and working men lived like kings. No, if you really think about it, you'll realize that they consumed less stuff than you, and you, especially, consumed less stuff than your kids.

Of course, this was easier to do, because other people were also consuming less stuff; living on less than you make when everyone else is leveraged to the hilt makes you feel poor. But it's the only way to make sure you survive retirement.

Hmmm. I'm already a cheap bastard, maybe I'll be a cheaper one.

Destruction of Human Capital

There is no cost for employers to discriminate against the unemployed.

What's happening to the long term unemployed is tragic. Not only are they becoming less employable as time wears on; they're also losing the economic and social capital that comes from holding a job in our society.

Yup. Handouts don't help the way jobs would.

Worth Noting

Jefferson's problem with debt.

Recent Movies

Winter's Bone - I enjoyed it. Sort of what I expect from a good indy film - exploring a world Hollywood won't enter. Good acting. Brisk plot. There was some confusing elements and a few miscast characters - but all that is to be expected in something like this. John Hawkes is having a dream career.

Breakdown - Kurt Russell loses his wife and must battle crazy truckers to get her back. A tight, old fashioned action movie. Suffers a bit from a totally absurd plan by the bad guys. Still, enjoyable as a man-needs-to-save woman in crisis movie.

Color of Money - A strange Scorcese film. I must have seen this as a youth, but don't remember it well. A good mentor-apprentice relationship with a hot chick. In watching it this time, if felt very predictable. The twists practically had neon signs waving "guess what, this is going to happen here."

My Own Private Idaho - only watched parts because the DVD was fucked up. Am I homophobic if I don't like this movie very much?

The Warriors - they made a version of the film I hadn't seen before. I think I've seen this film in parts as a youth as it used to be on TNT or other strange cable channels all the time and I would catch segments here and there. So I watched start to finish this time, but they did these strange comic book transitions that I really didn't like that I never remembered from seeing in my youth. "Warriors - you are good. "The best." Yeah!

Breaking Bad - if you've seen all the best HBO shows, Breaking Bad is the logical next step. It's good.

The Perils of the Digital

One of my favorite video stores, Vidiots, is having financial troubles. They are encouraging their members to rent movies, which I still do. I like the process of going to the store and picking out movies on impulse. I like the physical act. I don't like sitting around and having everything at my fingertips all the time. But there is a problem - more and more - the dvds at vidiots skip are scratched or otherwise fucked up. The other night, I saw Winter's Bone at the cheap Culver City theater. The print was old and there was some sort of wear mark across the middle of the screen. It wasn't huge, but it was slightly noticeable. It didn't bug me too much. Analog imperfections are tolerable. But digital imperfections are unwatchable. Dvds that skip or stop basically ruin the entire movie. Digital marks or buzz or whatever you call it looks horrible up on screen or at home. Digital purports to be a "perfect replica," yet we see the imperfections constantly. Computers die and stall and break. DVDs don't last. We get excited about the new technologies, the ipads and flat screens and blue ray, but how long will they work for? We spend hard earned money on these devises and they are designed not to last. Planned Obsolescence.

Interesting


How a small US funded program supporting election monitoring in Egypt laid some groundwork for the protests.

I hesitate about what to think about articles like this...on the one hand, I hate this idea perpetrated by the media that the US is the central player in these world-historic events. We need to acknowledge that we are a supporting role player and the causes of these big events are multilayered and variable and oftentimes inexplicable. On the flip side, I like how small unintended decisions or programs can lead to major events.

It is also interesting to see how US policy has evolved in both big and small ways post-9/11 where the philosophy shifted from backing strong horses for stability to democracy promotion in the region.

Tick Tock

Protests erupt in Iran. The Ayatollah's days are numbered. This social media and internet shit seems to really mess with their game. I'm no face of Facebook, but I'm less of a fan of the Ayatollah's.

Huge

Mubarak has resigned.

This could cause chaos. It could cause trouble. Donald Sensing thinks the Muslim Brotherhood will come out on top since there doesn't seem to be any other group with organization and will (other than the army).

But you know what? It is worth a try. I hope Egyptians will ask for our help and help from the rest of the world. There are ways governments can be built and function that are more responsive to the people. It isn't rocket science, but it is delicate.

Egypt

Lots of reasons for not blogging recently - mostly trying to finish up a tv pilot. Been reading some on Egypt. I hate the media hysteria surrounding big events like this - there is always an initial wave of "blame" assigned to the US government being caught "flat-footed" on the issue. You have these Monday morning quarterback pundit types who talk as if our government ought to have known these protests were going to erupt. Craziness. The lesson we ought to take away from the past 10 years of US foreign policy is that a lot of what happens in the world is NOT ABOUT US. We are more often an important side-character in these large dramas, but our news media is unable to portray us as anything other than the protagonist. Even 9/11 - which by all means - was a gigantic attack against the United States - is more rooted in an inter-Arab conflict than anything the United States has done to Arab countries.

The events in Egypt are exciting and full of promise. It is inspiring to see people rise up and try to take control of their countries and lives against an autocratic dictator whose time has passed. And it would be foolish not to see how this is connected to democratic reforms in Iraq and Tunisia. However, there is also cause for worry. Gigantic movements like these are often susceptible to clever manipulation by organized and armed groups. In Egypt this can mean the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamicist organizations. Egypt is the birthplace of the Islamicist ideology. Sayeed Qutb is the godfather of Islamicist thought and one of his young disciples was Ayman Zawahiri, Al Queda's number 2. Supposedly it was Zawarhi who got Bin Laden to focus on the "far" enemy (ie, the US), away from the corrupt ruling regimes in the region.

Our "goal" in Egypt should be to see the Egpytians replace their current government with a more democratic and transparent government that is not Islamicist. We ought to do what we can to assure Egypt does not descend into chaos or civil war and at the same time, not allow Mubarack to manipulate the situation and save his skin. The lesson with these thugs is when you get a chance, you need to replace them. You can't err on the side of stability. So I'm arguing at cross purposes...but there is no question...Mubarack needs to go. Then the second question is how to maintain enough stability in order for a functioning, stable government to blossom without empowering Islamicists and other radical organizations. Good luck.