Awkward Phrasing
"Obama Will Give You $2,500 To Go To School."
Really? It seems to me the future taxpayers are paying for it, not Obama himself. The headline ought to read - "The US Government Will Force Your Future Self To Give You $2,500 To Go To School." Something very strange about how suddenly everything seems to be about Obama -- the line that struck me as weird in the State of the Union "I WON'T QUIT." Gee, really. Is this something that needs to be stated? If someone in my office went around saying "I WON'T QUIT," my immediate reaction would be, "Were you considering it?"
And quit what? When I'm being sexually harassed (which happens a surprising amount, dear reader) and the harasser says, "I WON'T QUIT," it isn't exactly what I was hoping for. Or when we're talking about the President spending my tax money to bail out Wall Street Bankers who were taking unnecessary risks and he says, "I WON'T QUIT," again, it's not something I'm pleased with. Or "I WON'T QUIT," holding beer summits. See...the whole "I WON'T QUIT," presumes he's doing the right thing. In which case, it is pretty much a statement of the obvious.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Are You Kidding?
Obama administration is looking into the legality of the BCS.
Jesus, you'd think they have something more important to do. Didn't Obama make a joke about this during the campaign? Oh vey.
Obama administration is looking into the legality of the BCS.
Jesus, you'd think they have something more important to do. Didn't Obama make a joke about this during the campaign? Oh vey.
Bourbon
I could see myself starting to drink it.
When I was young, my grandparents used to come visit from Chicago every Christmas for a week or two. I remember every day at 6pm, they'd each grab a glass of bourbon with ice and a splash of water, some form of salty snack, and watch the news. Our generation will never develop this habit as we all get our news via email and twitter and blogs.
Our loss.
I could see myself starting to drink it.
When I was young, my grandparents used to come visit from Chicago every Christmas for a week or two. I remember every day at 6pm, they'd each grab a glass of bourbon with ice and a splash of water, some form of salty snack, and watch the news. Our generation will never develop this habit as we all get our news via email and twitter and blogs.
Our loss.
What a Phony
From LeVine News.
This guy is such a douche bag. He doesn't give a shit about climate change or hiroshima or any of this shit. He's a loser trying to be popular by glomming on to cheap anti-Americanism. Too bad he's just charismatic and rich enough to get other losers to sign on with him and kill themselves and as many of us as possible.
From LeVine News.
BIN LADEN BLASTS U.S. FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has called for the world to boycott American goods and the U.S. dollar, blaming the United States and other industrialized countries for global warming, according to a new audiotape released Friday. In the tape, broadcast in part on Al-Jazeera television, bin Laden warned of the dangers of climate change and says that the way to stop it is to bring "the wheels of the American economy" to a halt. He blamed Western industrialized nations for hunger, desertification and floods across the globe, and called for "drastic solutions" to global warming, and "not solutions that partially reduce the effect of climate change." Bin Laden has mentioned climate change and global warning in past messages, but the latest tape was his first dedicated to the topic. The speech, which included almost no religious rhetoric, could be an attempt by the terror leader to give his message an appeal beyond Islamic militants.
This guy is such a douche bag. He doesn't give a shit about climate change or hiroshima or any of this shit. He's a loser trying to be popular by glomming on to cheap anti-Americanism. Too bad he's just charismatic and rich enough to get other losers to sign on with him and kill themselves and as many of us as possible.
Salinger
Interesting Time article on Saliger. Hat tip, Phil.
Money bit:
Interesting Time article on Saliger. Hat tip, Phil.
Money bit:
Here's his character Franny Glass outlining the dilemma of someone like Salinger who wants to abandon the ego, the will to "succeed."
"Just because I'm so horribly conditioned to accept everybody else's values, and just because I like applause and people to rave about me, doesn't make it right. I'm ashamed of it. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody. I'm sick of myself and everybody else that wants to make some kind of a splash."
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Good Take
It's almost more interesting to read commentary on the State of the Union than to listen to whole darn thing myself.
It's almost more interesting to read commentary on the State of the Union than to listen to whole darn thing myself.
Last Fridays
The first last Friday event starts tomorrow on Main St in Santa Monica. I will be checking it out.
The first last Friday event starts tomorrow on Main St in Santa Monica. I will be checking it out.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
One 'Dem Good Problems
There are such things as good problems such as "What do I do with all this money?" or "I can't decide which hot chick to bone" or "Should I go to Europe or South America for summer vacation." See? These are good problems.
Are the problems in American today actually "good problems?"
Certainly not superficially. We feel broke. We feel like we're involved in two endless wars. We've got massive pressure on the middle class from jobs, to college cost, to healthcare cost to retirement costs. But let me posit another thesis - all of these problems are actually good problems.
Healthcare. The reason healthcare is a problem is cost. But the reason it costs so much is that we have some really awesome procedures, knowledge, and technology that allows us to live a lot longer. Living longer is more expensive than dying young.
Take the example of Lasik surgery. It is costly, something like $5000. For a middle class person, that is a lot of money. I personally could use Lasik, but don't want to spend the money. Is this a tragedy? No. Can you imagine someone with awful eyesight from the 1930s being launched into the future and explaining this problem to him. "The problem is this - I'm a low paid Hollywood assistant. It really isn't practical for me to get this medical procedure that would be useful. I'd have to save up a bunch of money for like a year or two and maybe even borrow a little from my parents..."
"Hold on a minute...what is this procedure you need?"
"Lasik surgery. It fixes your eyesight."
"What do you mean, fixes your eyesight? Like a pair of glasses? Are glasses that expensive now?"
"No, no. You get a laser procedure that gives you 20/20 vision. No glasses. It literally fixes your vision."
"You mean, so you can see perfectly?"
"Yes."
"How much does this cost?"
"$5000. A couple months salary."
"So you're telling me you can completely fix your eyesight for the rest of your life at the cost of a couple months salary."
"Yes."
A good problem.
To be continued...
There are such things as good problems such as "What do I do with all this money?" or "I can't decide which hot chick to bone" or "Should I go to Europe or South America for summer vacation." See? These are good problems.
Are the problems in American today actually "good problems?"
Certainly not superficially. We feel broke. We feel like we're involved in two endless wars. We've got massive pressure on the middle class from jobs, to college cost, to healthcare cost to retirement costs. But let me posit another thesis - all of these problems are actually good problems.
Healthcare. The reason healthcare is a problem is cost. But the reason it costs so much is that we have some really awesome procedures, knowledge, and technology that allows us to live a lot longer. Living longer is more expensive than dying young.
Take the example of Lasik surgery. It is costly, something like $5000. For a middle class person, that is a lot of money. I personally could use Lasik, but don't want to spend the money. Is this a tragedy? No. Can you imagine someone with awful eyesight from the 1930s being launched into the future and explaining this problem to him. "The problem is this - I'm a low paid Hollywood assistant. It really isn't practical for me to get this medical procedure that would be useful. I'd have to save up a bunch of money for like a year or two and maybe even borrow a little from my parents..."
"Hold on a minute...what is this procedure you need?"
"Lasik surgery. It fixes your eyesight."
"What do you mean, fixes your eyesight? Like a pair of glasses? Are glasses that expensive now?"
"No, no. You get a laser procedure that gives you 20/20 vision. No glasses. It literally fixes your vision."
"You mean, so you can see perfectly?"
"Yes."
"How much does this cost?"
"$5000. A couple months salary."
"So you're telling me you can completely fix your eyesight for the rest of your life at the cost of a couple months salary."
"Yes."
A good problem.
To be continued...
Unbelievable
This is the best article I've read on the Middle East in years. It reframes 9/11, America's role, and all the subsequent events- ie Iraq, etc through the lens of Arab politics and how Arab security services use terrorist groups and Islamic organizations to further their own regional goals.
I'm reading the book.
This is the best article I've read on the Middle East in years. It reframes 9/11, America's role, and all the subsequent events- ie Iraq, etc through the lens of Arab politics and how Arab security services use terrorist groups and Islamic organizations to further their own regional goals.
I'm reading the book.
Word of Mouth
Did you hear about the itablet?
Three people already today.
Why do people get such a boner over Apple? Whatever IT is, Apple has it.
Did you hear about the itablet?
Three people already today.
Why do people get such a boner over Apple? Whatever IT is, Apple has it.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Ugly
Tidbits from the Hillary campaign. They tried to use race as a factor. Had the Republicans tried to pull this, Democrats would be flying out of their seats in anger. Why the double standard?
Tidbits from the Hillary campaign. They tried to use race as a factor. Had the Republicans tried to pull this, Democrats would be flying out of their seats in anger. Why the double standard?
Monday, January 25, 2010
Steriod Externality
It is obvious many if not the majority of NFL players are on steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. Beyond the obvious ethical issues of cheating, the issue of being role-models, and long term health questions, there is another problem - they are making the game too violent. Not only are the guys who take the 'roids shrinking their balls and giving themselves teenager-like acne, the speed and strength these drugs collectively give to the players are causing the game to be become too fast and too violent. Did you see how hard Favre and Warner were getting hit by the Saints defenders? Everyone knows I sports hate Favre, but he was taking an absolute beating out there in the 1st quarter. Safeties were flying in on delayed blitzes - it looked like a car accident. Combine astroturf, the good pads, the raw talent, and mix in the juice, and these guys are going too fast. They modified the rules to protect the QB and the pass interference rules to protect the receivers, but these are bad fixes to bigger problem. A) they are not good for the flow of the game and b) they are bandaid solutions to larger problems of inhuman speed and strength caused by performance enhancing drugs.
It is obvious many if not the majority of NFL players are on steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. Beyond the obvious ethical issues of cheating, the issue of being role-models, and long term health questions, there is another problem - they are making the game too violent. Not only are the guys who take the 'roids shrinking their balls and giving themselves teenager-like acne, the speed and strength these drugs collectively give to the players are causing the game to be become too fast and too violent. Did you see how hard Favre and Warner were getting hit by the Saints defenders? Everyone knows I sports hate Favre, but he was taking an absolute beating out there in the 1st quarter. Safeties were flying in on delayed blitzes - it looked like a car accident. Combine astroturf, the good pads, the raw talent, and mix in the juice, and these guys are going too fast. They modified the rules to protect the QB and the pass interference rules to protect the receivers, but these are bad fixes to bigger problem. A) they are not good for the flow of the game and b) they are bandaid solutions to larger problems of inhuman speed and strength caused by performance enhancing drugs.
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