Archive for December, 2007
The BEAST : 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2007
I found this article in the blog-o-sphere and enjoyed their take on #9. It’s a bit more pessimistic (and downright mean) than my usual fair, but I think it makes some good points. After all, we (s)elected the #1 most loathsome person.
9. You
Charges: You believe in freedom of speech, until someone says something that offends you. You suddenly give a damn about border integrity, because the automated voice system at your pharmacy asked you to press 9 for Spanish. You cling to every scrap of bullshit you can find to support your ludicrous belief system, and reject all empirical evidence to the contrary. You know the difference between patriotism and nationalism — it’s nationalism when foreigners do it. You hate anyone who seems smarter than you. You care more about zygotes than actual people. You love to blame people for their misfortunes, even if it means screwing yourself over. You still think Republicans favor limited government. Your knowledge of politics and government are dwarfed by your concern for Britney Spears’ children. You think buying Chinese goods stimulates our economy. You think you’re going to get universal health care. You tolerate the phrase “enhanced interrogation techniques.” You think the government is actually trying to improve education. You think watching CNN makes you smarter. You think two parties is enough. You can’t spell. You think $9 trillion in debt is manageable. You believe in an afterlife for the sole reason that you don’t want to die. You think lowering taxes raises revenue. You think the economy’s doing well. You’re an idiot.
Exhibit A: You couldn’t get enough Anna Nicole Smith coverage.
Sentence: A gradual decline into abject poverty as you continue to vote against your own self-interest. Death by an easily treated disorder that your health insurance doesn’t cover. You deserve it, chump.
So there’s [one person's take] on what’s wrong with the masses. So how do we improve? Well, I’m glad you asked.
- Improve education! Yes, it’s a standard response. But we desperately need a stronger education system. The first thing I would change is to eliminate or radically modify the tenure system for teachers. With all due respect to my friends in the profession, I think it’s absurd that you’re virtually untouchable after just three years of teaching. In my job, I need to continually improve or I will be unemployed. Why do we treat teachers differently?
- Build strong communities! This one is a little trickier, because it runs counter to the popular concept of endless suburban sprawl. I fundamentally believe that it is impossible to foster vibrant, strong, diverse communities in low density suburban housing developments. We need to build (and zone) cities to offer mixed income, multi-use, walkable neighborhoods.
- Get the money out of politics! John McCain and Russ Feingold tried to reduce the influence of money in elections, but there is much more work to be done. Until we can fix the inner workings of our democracy to empower people and not lobbyists, we will never have a satisfied electorate. (Or, for that matter, a balanced budget!)
So there’s my take on what we can do to make get YOU off the 2008 list of the most loathsome people. What’s your take?
Filed under culture, education, politics : Comments (3) : Dec 28th, 2007
SNL Nostalgia
There was a time when Saturday Night Live was funny. Sadly, that time has passed. I remember as a little kid taping SNL (with a VCR!) then watching it on Sunday morning. It was a Johnson family tradition for at least a few years. Here’s a gem from the good ol’ days that I remember:
By the way, Hulu is pretty cool. Can’t wait for them to go fully public.
Filed under culture : Comments (0) : Dec 26th, 2007
What’s it like being an atheist?
Filed under culture, work : Comments (0) : Dec 19th, 2007
Ron Paul : An upset in the works?
Google released their annual Zeitgeist, a fascinating study of the state of global search. Flipping through their [nicely formatted] graphs, I stumbled up on this gem:
What does this tell us? That Ron Paul has a lot more popularity than his media coverage would suggest. You know that I’m a fan of Dr. Paul and have linked a number of his videos here in the past. What’s impressive is the scale and structure of his rise–he’s spent pennies compared to Millionaire Milt and Goldenboy Giuliani, yet he’s blowing them out of the water with search popularity. What’s different about the good doctor Paul?
Ron Paul attracts a different type of supporter. You will see many Ron Paul signs that are hand made by true supporters. He raised over $4MM in a day by evoking the legend of Guy Fawkes (”Remember, remember the fifth of November!”) with almost all of these donations in small increments. I suspect that his supporters are under-represented in national polls.
The biggest differentiator for Paul is his strong Libertarian principles. He’s the only candidate from the Republican field who is proudly anti-war, and is more consistent in principle-driven positions than anyone on either ticket.
Is he going to win Iowa? Probably not. But I would not be surprised by a New Hampshire upset. As goes Google, so goes the world. . .
Filed under politics : Comments (5) : Dec 18th, 2007
Holiday update
You may have noticed that I haven’t updated tadfad.com in a while. I’m a lot busier than usual right now and the ol’ blog-o-blog has fallen to the bottom of my priority stack. Here’s what I’m up to:
Quarter Close - I work for the IT department of a global company in an operations role. The end of each quarter, and especially the end of the year, is a very hectic time. Our sales, manufacturing, and finance organizations are working double time to close the quarter, so it’s imperative that the IT systems supporting them are available 24/7. Fortunately, we have a very good operations organization and our systems are performing [for the most part] as expected. Even so, it means long days for me.
Moving - On top of my obligations for work, I’m also moving apartments. Some might say that it was not the best idea to move in December, and they’re probably right. I’m about 80% done, with a few loose ends to tie up in the old place before the end of the month.
For those of you playing along at home, I’m still living in Milwaukee, and I’m still in the East Side neighborhood–just upgraded a bit to a nicer apartment with underground parking, nicer amenities, and a roommate.
Here’s to wishing all of you a happy, festive, and relaxing holiday season.
Filed under Uncategorized, work : Comments (2) : Dec 15th, 2007
This American Life : The Competition
First, a little media zen: My favorite satirical print media lampoons my favorite radio broadcast media and hilarity ensues.
This American Life Completes Documentation Of Liberal, Upper-Middle-Class Existence
Followed up by one of the best This American Life episodes I’ve heard in awhile: The Competition.
This captures what’s right in America and what’s wrong in America, and presents it in such a way that it makes me want to shout out loud with enthusiastic applause. (Which, coincidentally, I did while listening to the show on a run.)
If you don’t listen to this show, you’re missing out.
Filed under culture : Comments (2) : Dec 4th, 2007
From the archives : Science
I was browsing through some of the tadfad archives (available on the right-hand column) and found this gem I wrote a year ago:
Science is one of the few places one can find Truth. It is not based on conjecture, opinion, hearsay, myth, or faith. Science is not politics. Science is not journalism. Science is certainly not religion. Science is built exclusively on truths that combine to make Truth.
I think everything I wrote a year ago is equally apropos today. Fortunately, the anti-science Bush administration is on its way out. The next president will have enormous challenges that will require a strong understanding and appreciation for science. Will s/he understand?
Enjoy the associated image as well:
Filed under climate change, culture, politics : Comments (2) : Dec 2nd, 2007
The Simpsons : On Baseball Steroids
Sometimes, The Simpsons gets it so right:
Note : this clip is using Hulu, the new video site from NBC & FOX. It’s in private beta right now, so your results may vary.
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Dec 1st, 2007
