Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Hello!?! Is anyone out there?
I have lately come to realize that another side-effect of the social networking craze affects people who check email often and is affected by people who don't. Allow me to explain.
Even before the days of Facebook and Classmates and Twitter and Whatever, when having only one email address was the norm, these folks might take weeks to respond to any email message sent to their lone email address.
But now with many forms of email and messaging available via all their social networking pages, these same folks are, oddly enough, just as disinclined to respond quickly (if at all), so the problem is multiplied as more senders have more avenues to capturing more recipients' inattention.
Sending four messages to a person who normally doesn't check email regularly anyway simply gives that person three more opportunities --- and perhaps three more reasons, three more rationales --- to be disinclined to respond. If you talk to a deaf man who can't read lips, he can't help you; if you yell at him, he still can't help you; if you yell at him multiple times, he still can't help you.
My admittedly bordering-on-obsessive behavior when it comes to checking and answering email (and this is my problem, I admit) simultaneously does and does not scale well in a socially connected world populated with routinely disconnected people.
It does because I'm made for this era. It doesn’t because others aren’t.
Either everyone who doesn’t check email regularly has to come around soon, or I do.
Which do I think is most likely? Hmmm... let me think about it and I’ll send you an email.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Say so long to Summers...
Not that my opinion matters one whit, but I've never liked this guy.
From the time he got into all that trouble at Harvard, I never liked this guy. He seems like a pompous jerk who has issues with women.
He treated Brooksley Born like crap when she tried to blow the whistle on the pending derivatives mess --- and she's probably forgotten more about derivatives than Mr. Summers will ever know.
And now that Elizabeth Warren has been appointed --- yet another wicked smart woman Mr. Brilliance doesn't think much of --- he's heading home like a pouting child taking his football with him. What a jerk.
So long Mr. Summers. No one is going to miss you. Don't let the exit door hit your ass as you walk through it. Harvard is just so lucky to have you back.
From the time he got into all that trouble at Harvard, I never liked this guy. He seems like a pompous jerk who has issues with women.
He treated Brooksley Born like crap when she tried to blow the whistle on the pending derivatives mess --- and she's probably forgotten more about derivatives than Mr. Summers will ever know.
And now that Elizabeth Warren has been appointed --- yet another wicked smart woman Mr. Brilliance doesn't think much of --- he's heading home like a pouting child taking his football with him. What a jerk.
So long Mr. Summers. No one is going to miss you. Don't let the exit door hit your ass as you walk through it. Harvard is just so lucky to have you back.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Which Christine O'Donnell is witch...
The media dust-up that will no doubt blow in from Bill Maher's recent revelation (you've just gotta love this guy) will completely cloud the real point here: Ms. O'Donnell will be simultaneously forgiven and damned for her past by those who claim to be her supporters, and it's precisely this brazen hypocrisy that is at the heart of her weirdly flawed fall to fame.
It takes one to know one, after all, and we've probably all behaved hypocritically at times in our lives, especially during our misspent youths; however, O'Donnell's brand of it is special; it's like no other; it's positively stunning; and... wait for it... it's on videotape.
I never thought I'd ever say this, but Karl Rove is entirely correct in calling this woman's sincerity into question (even though he's not exactly a beacon of sincerity himself). And I love that Karl's now suggesting Ms. Palin campaign for Ms. O'Donnell. Riiiiight.
That she can so boldly make the claims she's made, then follow them up with equally bold claims that espouse the exact opposite viewpoints is just astounding, but it shouldn't be at all surprising because she's nothing but a political loser, a professional campaign joiner, a rank opportunist who's now transformed herself into her latest avatar, a Sarah Palin clone who is pandering to Ms. Palin's base just so she can win an elective office she has absolutely no inherent ability to hold (just like her mentor).
"We the people," my ass. It's completely clear from her record that this young woman will say anything, about anything, to anyone. But who knows, maybe she's under a spell she cast on herself back in the good old days of the 90s, when the odd admixture of abstinence, religious fervor, masturbatory fear, and witchcraft took up much of her clearly short attention span. I mean really... did she not understand the concept of videotape back then? Does she now think it will all magically disappear? This woman doesn't have skeletons in her closet, she has an entire bone yard!
So you go, Christine! Keep on bewitching all those mesmerized Tea Partiers into believing your B.S. But if you don't stop with the blatant hypocrisy, they just might realize you're jerking them off and will abstain from you.
And then... twinkle, twinkle, POOF!!! ...your political career will disappear like Darrin Stevens' pants.
It takes one to know one, after all, and we've probably all behaved hypocritically at times in our lives, especially during our misspent youths; however, O'Donnell's brand of it is special; it's like no other; it's positively stunning; and... wait for it... it's on videotape.
I never thought I'd ever say this, but Karl Rove is entirely correct in calling this woman's sincerity into question (even though he's not exactly a beacon of sincerity himself). And I love that Karl's now suggesting Ms. Palin campaign for Ms. O'Donnell. Riiiiight.
That she can so boldly make the claims she's made, then follow them up with equally bold claims that espouse the exact opposite viewpoints is just astounding, but it shouldn't be at all surprising because she's nothing but a political loser, a professional campaign joiner, a rank opportunist who's now transformed herself into her latest avatar, a Sarah Palin clone who is pandering to Ms. Palin's base just so she can win an elective office she has absolutely no inherent ability to hold (just like her mentor).
"We the people," my ass. It's completely clear from her record that this young woman will say anything, about anything, to anyone. But who knows, maybe she's under a spell she cast on herself back in the good old days of the 90s, when the odd admixture of abstinence, religious fervor, masturbatory fear, and witchcraft took up much of her clearly short attention span. I mean really... did she not understand the concept of videotape back then? Does she now think it will all magically disappear? This woman doesn't have skeletons in her closet, she has an entire bone yard!
So you go, Christine! Keep on bewitching all those mesmerized Tea Partiers into believing your B.S. But if you don't stop with the blatant hypocrisy, they just might realize you're jerking them off and will abstain from you.
And then... twinkle, twinkle, POOF!!! ...your political career will disappear like Darrin Stevens' pants.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Elizabeth Warren gets the nod...
This story heralds great news for US citizens (notice I didn't say "consumers") who have been pushed around and generally abused by the credit industry for far too long.
To say Elizabeth Warren is wicked smart doesn't begin to describe it. She excels at plain speaking. She translates gobbledygook into simple, easy-to-understand statements. She is the right person for this job.
When he interviewed her on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart famously said, "I know your husband's back stage, but I still wanna make out with you."
She has this effect on people. She speaks so confidently and so logically that it's nearly impossible not to be drawn to her intellect, her reason, but most importantly, her reasonableness.
Doris Kerns-Goodwin has a similar effect on me. Whenever she appears on a program, I listen intently and always come away wiser for the time spent. These women each understand their respective fields and can express this plainly, without hesitation.
The financial industry is not happy about Warren's appointment, and with it, having their way with all of us just might become a bit tougher for all of them.
We can only hope.
To say Elizabeth Warren is wicked smart doesn't begin to describe it. She excels at plain speaking. She translates gobbledygook into simple, easy-to-understand statements. She is the right person for this job.
When he interviewed her on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart famously said, "I know your husband's back stage, but I still wanna make out with you."
She has this effect on people. She speaks so confidently and so logically that it's nearly impossible not to be drawn to her intellect, her reason, but most importantly, her reasonableness.
Doris Kerns-Goodwin has a similar effect on me. Whenever she appears on a program, I listen intently and always come away wiser for the time spent. These women each understand their respective fields and can express this plainly, without hesitation.
The financial industry is not happy about Warren's appointment, and with it, having their way with all of us just might become a bit tougher for all of them.
We can only hope.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Golf Rx from Johnson & Johnson
If Corey Pavin pairs Dustin Johnson and Zack Johnson at any point during the upcoming Ryder Cup competition, I predict we'll hear someone on the Golf Channel (Kraig Kann, Mr. Segue) make some Johnson & Johnson pun about it.
It'll have something to do with "they're a prescription for the team" or something similar along this line.
It'll have something to do with "they're a prescription for the team" or something similar along this line.
The Newt rides his fear Express straight into Hateville...
Newt Gingrich, everyone's favorite extreme right-wing goof-ball and perpetual political loser has done it again, but this time he's outdone even himself.
What a complete jerk this guy is. I even feel sorry for his wife (or should I say his current future ex-wife).
How rude to suggest the president is a con man. How typical to continue with the same right-wing birther B.S. regarding President Obama's nationality, but to now escalate it to a whole new level of fear and loathing?
It's just breathtaking.
If anyone, left or right, doesn't see this garbage as pure and simple campaign-year politics and as a desperate appeal to a base (and let's not forget that "base" has a double meaning), then they deserve The Newt and his hatefully narrow-minded fear-mongering.
Naturally all of Newtboy's butt-buddies on the right will pick this one up and run with it, but if they were smart, even they would run away from this guy like he's radioactive, because this tactic won't work well for anyone who champions it.
What a complete jerk this guy is. I even feel sorry for his wife (or should I say his current future ex-wife).
How rude to suggest the president is a con man. How typical to continue with the same right-wing birther B.S. regarding President Obama's nationality, but to now escalate it to a whole new level of fear and loathing?
It's just breathtaking.
If anyone, left or right, doesn't see this garbage as pure and simple campaign-year politics and as a desperate appeal to a base (and let's not forget that "base" has a double meaning), then they deserve The Newt and his hatefully narrow-minded fear-mongering.
Naturally all of Newtboy's butt-buddies on the right will pick this one up and run with it, but if they were smart, even they would run away from this guy like he's radioactive, because this tactic won't work well for anyone who champions it.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Dove World or Bird Brains?
Just who does this guy think he is? More importantly, just who does the US media think this guy is? He's drawing the attention of a sensation-loving swarm intent on scooping a story that really isn't anything like a story.
What this is, is a tiny group of fundamentalist Christians (led by Mr. Jones) who are pissed about an equally tiny group of fundamentalist Muslims (led by Osama bin Laden) and who want to castigate and blame and smear the whole of the Islamic faith that doesn't align itself with terrorists in any way and just wants to practice its faith.
To make its case, Dove World wants to burn Qurans, which is like someone who's pissed about a tiny Christian militia group wanting to burn Christian bibles as protest for the militia group's bad behavior, cruelty, and stupidity.
What makes this even more stupid is the clumsy, ham-handed conflation of what Dove World is doing to the proposed construction of a Muslim community center on Manhattan Island.
RrrRRR?
The First Amendment offers some protections for the practice of religion, but I'm fairly certain book burning isn't what Mr. Jefferson and his pals had in mind.
These two things have as much to do with one other as Newt Gingrich has to do with marriage counseling or as Sarah Palin has to do with literacy or as Sean Hannity has to do with fair or balanced.
To conflate the Muslim community center to the burning of someone's holiest book, is the slimiest, purest, foulest form of campaign-season pandering to one's base. The disconnect is just too obvious, the venality just too perfect.
Dove World Outreach obviously doesn't get that all it's doing here is publicly slamming an entire religion (Islam) simply because a few of Islam's radical members are behaving like complete assholes, and in so doing, Dove World is practicing religious intolerance by demonstrating that freedom of religion works only when it's not their own religion being ignited.
Wow. What good Christians the Dove World folks are. So tolerant. So loving. So kind.
Look, the Dove World Christians have the same right to practice their faith as Muslims have, as Catholics have, as Baptists have, as Mormons have, as Hindus have, as Buddhists have, and every other religion has. But should we view all of Christianity through Dove World's nearly oblique prism? Should we see all Christians as a bunch of book-burning wing-nuts because of Dove World's breathtakingly goofy pettiness and narrow-mindedness?
If your response is anything but "No, of course we shouldn't," then I'll pay for your travel to Gainesville via stock trailer so you can join Mr. Jones' flock, because you're clearly as much of a sheep as the fools flocking to this even bigger fool.
Ba-a-a-ah!
P.S. As of early this morning, Mr. Jones says he will suspend his plans... for now. But I contend he should just forget his plans, recant his original position, and go back to worshiping with his followers in the privacy of their Gainesville, FL church.
P.P.S. As of early this morning (9/11/2010), Mr. Jones says he will never burn Qurans. OK. Bravo! Good for him! (But I do think Mr. Jones needs to seek professional help.)
P.P.P.S. As of 9/14/2010, Mr. ones says God has told him not to burn the Qurans. See what Jon Stewart had to say about this revelation at the Daily Show Website; look under "Islamophobiapalooza." It's hysterical.
What this is, is a tiny group of fundamentalist Christians (led by Mr. Jones) who are pissed about an equally tiny group of fundamentalist Muslims (led by Osama bin Laden) and who want to castigate and blame and smear the whole of the Islamic faith that doesn't align itself with terrorists in any way and just wants to practice its faith.
To make its case, Dove World wants to burn Qurans, which is like someone who's pissed about a tiny Christian militia group wanting to burn Christian bibles as protest for the militia group's bad behavior, cruelty, and stupidity.
What makes this even more stupid is the clumsy, ham-handed conflation of what Dove World is doing to the proposed construction of a Muslim community center on Manhattan Island.
RrrRRR?
The First Amendment offers some protections for the practice of religion, but I'm fairly certain book burning isn't what Mr. Jefferson and his pals had in mind.
These two things have as much to do with one other as Newt Gingrich has to do with marriage counseling or as Sarah Palin has to do with literacy or as Sean Hannity has to do with fair or balanced.
To conflate the Muslim community center to the burning of someone's holiest book, is the slimiest, purest, foulest form of campaign-season pandering to one's base. The disconnect is just too obvious, the venality just too perfect.
Dove World Outreach obviously doesn't get that all it's doing here is publicly slamming an entire religion (Islam) simply because a few of Islam's radical members are behaving like complete assholes, and in so doing, Dove World is practicing religious intolerance by demonstrating that freedom of religion works only when it's not their own religion being ignited.
Wow. What good Christians the Dove World folks are. So tolerant. So loving. So kind.
Look, the Dove World Christians have the same right to practice their faith as Muslims have, as Catholics have, as Baptists have, as Mormons have, as Hindus have, as Buddhists have, and every other religion has. But should we view all of Christianity through Dove World's nearly oblique prism? Should we see all Christians as a bunch of book-burning wing-nuts because of Dove World's breathtakingly goofy pettiness and narrow-mindedness?
If your response is anything but "No, of course we shouldn't," then I'll pay for your travel to Gainesville via stock trailer so you can join Mr. Jones' flock, because you're clearly as much of a sheep as the fools flocking to this even bigger fool.
Ba-a-a-ah!
P.S. As of early this morning, Mr. Jones says he will suspend his plans... for now. But I contend he should just forget his plans, recant his original position, and go back to worshiping with his followers in the privacy of their Gainesville, FL church.
P.P.S. As of early this morning (9/11/2010), Mr. Jones says he will never burn Qurans. OK. Bravo! Good for him! (But I do think Mr. Jones needs to seek professional help.)
P.P.P.S. As of 9/14/2010, Mr. ones says God has told him not to burn the Qurans. See what Jon Stewart had to say about this revelation at the Daily Show Website; look under "Islamophobiapalooza." It's hysterical.
Friday, September 3, 2010
I... UGH!... can't watch... UGH!... tennis.
I have tried several times in the last few years to watch pro tennis. I just can't do it.
The athletes seem completely capable, the strategy can be exciting, the shots are often brilliant. But so many players are just so noisy. Why?
Who decided it was a good idea for a gorgeous tennis player to make an ugly sound every time she hits the ball?
And it's not just the women: the men have their special sounds as well. Regardless of gender, it's annoying, and I can't believe I'm alone in thinking this.
I love golf. I watch golf. I play golf. But unless my golf ball heads toward water/trees/ravines/gorse/heather/hazards of any kind after I hit it or my lumbar disc injury reminds me its still there and objecting to what I just did to it by swinging a little too hard, I don't make noises when I hit it.
In fact, I can't remember the last time I watched a baseball player at the plate or a field-goal kicker on the 20-yard line shout "Ugh!" when hitting or kicking. These sports are often violent. People smack into one another. So why do tennis players, who don't collide with people as a part of their sport, have to make so much noise while they play it?
Does it hurt to hit a tennis ball?
Are they mad at their rackets?
Are they trying to intimidate (read "irritate) their opponents?
Or, as I suspect, are they trying to annoy the people who watch them play? Well even if they aren't trying to do this, they're succeeding in doing this.
I've tried to watch tennis and I just can't do it. It makes me want to say "Ugh!" as I change the channel for a less noisy sport.
The athletes seem completely capable, the strategy can be exciting, the shots are often brilliant. But so many players are just so noisy. Why?
Who decided it was a good idea for a gorgeous tennis player to make an ugly sound every time she hits the ball?
And it's not just the women: the men have their special sounds as well. Regardless of gender, it's annoying, and I can't believe I'm alone in thinking this.
I love golf. I watch golf. I play golf. But unless my golf ball heads toward water/trees/ravines/gorse/heather/hazards of any kind after I hit it or my lumbar disc injury reminds me its still there and objecting to what I just did to it by swinging a little too hard, I don't make noises when I hit it.
In fact, I can't remember the last time I watched a baseball player at the plate or a field-goal kicker on the 20-yard line shout "Ugh!" when hitting or kicking. These sports are often violent. People smack into one another. So why do tennis players, who don't collide with people as a part of their sport, have to make so much noise while they play it?
Does it hurt to hit a tennis ball?
Are they mad at their rackets?
Are they trying to intimidate (read "irritate) their opponents?
Or, as I suspect, are they trying to annoy the people who watch them play? Well even if they aren't trying to do this, they're succeeding in doing this.
I've tried to watch tennis and I just can't do it. It makes me want to say "Ugh!" as I change the channel for a less noisy sport.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
It's official...
OK. It's official. Sen. John McCain is a mealy-mouthed, fork-tongued fool and is as much of a maverick as I am a Republican Senator.
Like his Repo pals who foisted the war on everyone, he completely ignores the truth: we never should have gone into Iraq in the first place, we only did so because evidence for doing it was completely manufactured and false, and thousands on both sides died for essentially nothing.
The after-the-fact rationales for doing it were moving targets and all pure BS:
If we don't have President Obama to thank for getting us out of Iraq, we have John (and his buds) to thank for getting us into Iraq in the first place and for making Afghanistan the place it is today.
Obama was absolutely right to have voted against going into Iraq, and you can't spin history or the facts, John.
Sucks to be you.
Like his Repo pals who foisted the war on everyone, he completely ignores the truth: we never should have gone into Iraq in the first place, we only did so because evidence for doing it was completely manufactured and false, and thousands on both sides died for essentially nothing.
The after-the-fact rationales for doing it were moving targets and all pure BS:
- WMD? Nope.
- Take down Sadam? Could've been done far more easily.
- Spread freedom and democracy? Riiiiight.
If we don't have President Obama to thank for getting us out of Iraq, we have John (and his buds) to thank for getting us into Iraq in the first place and for making Afghanistan the place it is today.
Obama was absolutely right to have voted against going into Iraq, and you can't spin history or the facts, John.
Sucks to be you.
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