(I’m still) Living in a Box
May 26, 2007
I’m a huge fan of one hit wonders. One of my favorites (that came to mind to tonight) is Living in a Box by, you guessed it, Living in a Box.
Enjoy.
A Voice of Reason (or This Guy is Good)
May 26, 2007
I ran across the blog Back Talk today in my daily search for newspaper articles/blog posts on debts and deficits (thanks Steve, aka The Skeptical Optimist).
I’m impressed. His posts are well thought out, well written and researched. A moderate voice in an increasingly shrill world.
I’ve just begun reading so I’ll suggest these recent posts:
The US Economy in Perspective
Lack of Access to Health Care in America
How the Left Actually Thinks about Iraq
From the Iraq post:
It seemed to me that the cognitive dissonance between the usual self-image of someone on the left (in which goodness and decency often loom large) and the horrific sectarian carnage that would ensue upon our departure could only be resolved by adopting the firm belief that Iraq is fated to suffer that outcome no matter what we do. That way, one can favor immediate withdrawal without feeling any challenge whatsoever to one’s morally superior sense of self.
That’s good; really good.
Kitty, kitty part 2
May 25, 2007
Sorry, I just can’t help myself.
Is Chandler funny in China?
May 25, 2007
I learned something new today. The Chinese language doesn’t have a word for sarcasm.
THE END IS NEAR (maybe)
May 25, 2007
I’ve always been an optimistic person. Even when things are total
shit in my life, I’m still happy to wake up on this side of the
sod. That’s what gets me about the people
who obsess over the cloud the the silver lining is in.
A recovering doom peddler has this great article which makes so much sense (H/T BizzyBlog).
It starts:
Hi, I’m Gary and I’m a recovering Apocaholic. I am currently Apocalypse free for nearly 18 years. I left the church of the Religious Apocalypse in 1976, over 30 years ago, and I resigned from the secular church of the Financial Apocalypse in 1989. Yes, I still feel the urge to proclaim the end of all things, from time to time, but I white-knuckle my way to a history book for a little perspective, and then I breathe easier. If you wish to join AA, the only requirement is that you give up the adrenaline rush of media-fed fantasies.
A must read for anyone tired of the naysayers.
Myth buster
May 24, 2007
This article should make anyone think twice about the myth that America doesn’t “make” anything anymore.
The money quote:
The nation has shed 5 million manufacturing jobs in three decades, but higher-skill factory jobs, like Starr’s goal, increasingly go unfilled as employers deal with applicants with poor reading and math abilities and a bad attitude about blue-collar work.
The problem is not the lack of good manufacturing jobs, but the lack of good employees.
Brood XIII
May 24, 2007
Sounds scary, doesn’t it. But there is nothing I can do to stop the invasion. What is Brood XIII? They are the 17 year cicadas that will soon debut in this part of the woods. Nature at its weirdest.
From the article:
“Periodical cicadas are dormant longer than any insect in the world,” said Richard Grantham, entomologist at Oklahoma State University. “The adults emerge, they never feed, they have a big orgy, and they die.”
Because of the massive amounts of these weird and loud (louder than a blender) insects, party planners are in a panic. God forbid if you planned an outside June wedding in Illinois.
I’m a little nervous (and excited, yes I’m a nerd) about the whole event. (BTW, pets love to eat the little buggers, what a joy)
Kitty, kitty
May 23, 2007
As a kitty lover, this is one of my favorite sites. Franklin, here, snorted too much of a good thing.
My neighbor is an asshole.
May 23, 2007
I couldn’t think of a good opening subject for my first post so I’m going with what happened tonight. My barking dog was out on the deck for her nightly break and my new neighbor yells “SHUT UP” at the top of his lungs into my backyard. OK , I get my dog’s barking is annoying. If you have a problem with me or my dog, the neighborly thing would be to talk to me or even leave a note on my door. (I honestly don’t even hear the dog; like parents with their own children, you tune out the noise after a while). But to yell at the dog (who pays no mind) seems pointless. Yea, I will be more conscious of my dog barking now but I will positively be less friendly (more hostile?) to my fat fuck of a neighbor.
