Friday, May 6, 2011
Well...what do you think about?
While men thought about sex just over once an hour, compared to women about once every two hours, they also considered food and sex just as often, according to researchers at Ohio State University.
1997 was a great year
I did not even think about ho great a year that is was. How could I not have? In 1997, in addition to all those other bands, Radiohead released the greatest album of all time. (MHO, but I am willing to argue it.)
What is your favorite year for music? (I know my brother would argue that it is 1973. He is odd.)
They watched so you didn't have to.
Most Crowd-Pleasing One-Liner:
Herman Cain, in defending his lack of any political experience, notes that Washington is full of people with political experience, and "how's that working for you?"
Best Non Sequitur:
"I'm not in favor of a timetable. I'm in favor of tomorrow, and I realize that tomorrow may take several months." — Gary Johnson, on withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Biggest Dodge:
Herman Cain doesn't have a position on Afghanistan because he's not president yet.
What You Missed in the Primary Season's First Republican Debate -- Daily Intel
Herman Cain, in defending his lack of any political experience, notes that Washington is full of people with political experience, and "how's that working for you?"
Best Non Sequitur:
"I'm not in favor of a timetable. I'm in favor of tomorrow, and I realize that tomorrow may take several months." — Gary Johnson, on withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Biggest Dodge:
Herman Cain doesn't have a position on Afghanistan because he's not president yet.
What You Missed in the Primary Season's First Republican Debate -- Daily Intel
Thursday, May 5, 2011
My perception is my reality
To see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift. Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves. - Aldous Huxley
(NB: This may run counter to other things I have written over the years, and it probably does, but what can one say? While I strive for consistency, I also recognize that as I get older, the less sure I am about what I know, and more open to an evolution of ideas.)
Over the past couple of weeks, I have had a number of interactions where my perception of a situation was different from what other's perception was. This is not to say my perception was incorrect, thereby my reality, but that the empirical information that I was working from was incomplete (possibly through my own fault, though no interaction exists in a vacuum) and my parsing of available data was flawed because the dataset was incomplete. So, with all these failures/holes in my knowledge and understanding, does this mean that my knowledge was not empirically gained but based on supposition? Is my knowledge of my interactions therefore synthetic a priori?
Why is this a big deal? (Or as someone else has stated: "Get to the point!")
I guess the point is that I have always (often enough to be always) depended on how I see the world to help maintain my clarity of vision, content in the belief that when someone says something, they mean it, and when I witness something, it is free of subtext and therefore the truth. But...
(and that is a huge but. Ginormous. Put white pants on that but and you have a suitable place to show Casablanca)
What if I am wrong?
If I am wrong, I have made decisions based on something (my reality) so flimsy that it becomes an excuse rather than a decision making tool?
Why am I putting this out there? Well, part of it is so that I know that I can admit when I was mistaken, and part of it is to ask if I am alone in making these suppositions about actions and reactions. Would I be a hypocrite if I denied it?
(And, yes...if you are wondering if these are the voices that I hear at three in the morning, this is what they are...or part of it.)
I am looking for answers where none exist and asking questions that cannot be answered.
This is the very definition of futility, is it not?
(NB: This may run counter to other things I have written over the years, and it probably does, but what can one say? While I strive for consistency, I also recognize that as I get older, the less sure I am about what I know, and more open to an evolution of ideas.)
Over the past couple of weeks, I have had a number of interactions where my perception of a situation was different from what other's perception was. This is not to say my perception was incorrect, thereby my reality, but that the empirical information that I was working from was incomplete (possibly through my own fault, though no interaction exists in a vacuum) and my parsing of available data was flawed because the dataset was incomplete. So, with all these failures/holes in my knowledge and understanding, does this mean that my knowledge was not empirically gained but based on supposition? Is my knowledge of my interactions therefore synthetic a priori?
Why is this a big deal? (Or as someone else has stated: "Get to the point!")
I guess the point is that I have always (often enough to be always) depended on how I see the world to help maintain my clarity of vision, content in the belief that when someone says something, they mean it, and when I witness something, it is free of subtext and therefore the truth. But...
(and that is a huge but. Ginormous. Put white pants on that but and you have a suitable place to show Casablanca)
What if I am wrong?
If I am wrong, I have made decisions based on something (my reality) so flimsy that it becomes an excuse rather than a decision making tool?
Why am I putting this out there? Well, part of it is so that I know that I can admit when I was mistaken, and part of it is to ask if I am alone in making these suppositions about actions and reactions. Would I be a hypocrite if I denied it?
(And, yes...if you are wondering if these are the voices that I hear at three in the morning, this is what they are...or part of it.)
I am looking for answers where none exist and asking questions that cannot be answered.
This is the very definition of futility, is it not?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
New York, Stand Up
When I heard the news Sunday night, this song popped in my head.
(The fact that I use it as the ringtone for my father makes it even more awesome.)
There is something cathartic about this song as well as it being a huge "F*** You" to people who think that once you are down, you stay down.
Obviously, that is never that case.
Thanks, Ghostface.
(The fact that I use it as the ringtone for my father makes it even more awesome.)
There is something cathartic about this song as well as it being a huge "F*** You" to people who think that once you are down, you stay down.
Obviously, that is never that case.
Thanks, Ghostface.
The Id Driven Royal Wedding
The Daily Show admitted that their coverage of OBL's death was completely id driven (and there isn't anything wrong with that...there is a need for catharsis and the scolds offering "but it was a human life" were banal (at best)) but it also meant that they did not offer any commentary on the Royal Wedding.
They waited until Tuesday to do this.
Wow.
Just watch the reenactment.
There may be Hitler, a strap-on and a riding crop.
Worth the watch and the laughs.
I Blue Myself
Tobias always makes me laugh, especially at 8:00 am.
He was the first to combine analysis with therapy.
I will not believe it until it passes and even then, I will still doubt
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, closely allied with the Senate Republican majority that once blocked gay marriage, said Tuesday he's now optimistic it will be legalized in New York.
"I know it's failed before, but I think this is a different day," Cuomo said. "I'll bring more urgency in the next few weeks."
The Democrat says he believes the Senate will produce the 32 votes needed for passage in the six weeks remaining in the legislative session. The GOP majority in the Senate has strongly supported Cuomo's fiscal platform, including cutting state spending, a 2-percent cap in the growth of property taxes and rejection of tax increases. Now Cuomo needs help to pass one of his highest priority policy goals.
"I know it's failed before, but I think this is a different day," Cuomo said. "I'll bring more urgency in the next few weeks."
The Democrat says he believes the Senate will produce the 32 votes needed for passage in the six weeks remaining in the legislative session. The GOP majority in the Senate has strongly supported Cuomo's fiscal platform, including cutting state spending, a 2-percent cap in the growth of property taxes and rejection of tax increases. Now Cuomo needs help to pass one of his highest priority policy goals.
Unsurprising...but it will not last
The glow of national pride seemed to rise above partisan politics, as support for the president rose significantly among both Republicans and independents. In all, 57 percent said they now approved of the president's job performance, up from 46 percent last month.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The Cut and Paste Society
But it's also worthy to note that if you're going to spread a somewhat contrarian idea in the face others' celebrations, you might want to make sure it's attributed correctly.
(Yes, I do see the irony.)
Hearts and Minds...indeed.
The celebrations in American cities of the news also drew jihadi scorn. "Just look at those beer-drinking, hog-eating, incestuous, red-necks, uncle sams, house negros...all celebrating outside the White House," one commenter wrote. "It's like a holiday for them. Really a sad bunch of people. I'm just waiting for the Chocolaty Muslims, Talafies [fake Salafi Muslims], and those borderline murtad[apostates]/moderates to join the ugly bandwagon of cheering this so-called victory." Another opined, looking down on Americans: "The celebrations are amusing. Cheer all you want kuffar, you only have a limited amount of time in this dunya [present world] in which to do it. And then you will see the reality of this life."
The bin Laden aftermath: The Internet jihadis react - by Aaron Y. Zelin | The AfPak Channel
The bin Laden aftermath: The Internet jihadis react - by Aaron Y. Zelin | The AfPak Channel
Where Men Win Glory
Everyone knows the story of Pat Tillman. (At least, I hope that you do. TEA may not know the story, but he is also 8. He was not born when Tillman left the NFL and enlisted in the Army. He has an excuse. I am sure that there are a handful who do not know who is he and do not care. This is not for you then. Or maybe it is.)
This past week, the New York Times had a review of a new history of the Union's involvement in the Civil War (Or as I want to call it, the War of Southern Asshatedness) and in the article, there was this important passage:
I just read the expanded Where Men Win Glory about the life and fratricide of Pat Tillman and the above quote made me think of him, especially why Tillman chose to enlist after 9-11.
Since Into Thin Air, I have been a fan of Krakauer and this book did nothing to do dissuade me of that (Interesting note: I link to the New York Times review of WMWG which was written by Dexter Filkins, who wrote The Forever War, another author and book that I really enjoyed, Filkins savaged Krakauer and his book in the review. Hence, the reason I decided to link to it. Blogging is a process, folks, and as part of my process, I think about which link I am going to use as well as having long nonsensical parentheticals in the middle of otherwise interesting passages.)(Not that I am saying that I have written anything interesting, yet.) even though there was quite of bit of it being too much of a glowing hagiography and less of a story about the things that I wanted to know. It did have the benefit of reading incredibly quickly though.
Gah! Distracted.
So, Tillman worked hard, made his own decisions, and chose to serve based on an idea. Not quite an idea of American Exceptionalism, though there is part of that in Krakauer's narrative, but the concept that ideas are important enough to fight for, especially when you do not have a religious faith.
This got me thinking about the power of ideas and the need for all Americans to understand what our experiment is really about. (I redacted a lot of this. Not because I did not believe it but because I did not want to share. Americanism is the closest I have to a religion, and I still get goosebumps when I hear the Star Spangled Banner, and...you know what...make up your own minds. Most of you reading this have been required to take some sort of ethics of Government class, and most of you have used your franchise, so you know what it is about. You understand what this grand experiment means.)
Therefore, when you think about being asked to sacrifice, something that Rep. Ryan only wants certain people to do, ask yourself, what would they have said in 1861? What would have Pat Tillman said?
Edit: The majority of this was written early Sunday night before the announcement regarding OBL. I redacted roughly five hundred words because as I said above, I am keeping my opinions to myself.
*Yeah, he went to Union! Go Dutchmen!
This past week, the New York Times had a review of a new history of the Union's involvement in the Civil War (Or as I want to call it, the War of Southern Asshatedness) and in the article, there was this important passage:
They fought because they regarded the United States as a unique experiment in democracy that guaranteed political liberty and economic opportunity in a world overrun by tyranny. Saving the Union, in the words of Secretary of State William H. Seward*, meant “the saving of popular government for the world.”
At a time when only half the population bothers to vote and many Americans hold their elected representatives in contempt, Gallagher offers a salutary reminder of the power of democratic ideals not simply to Northerners in the era of the Civil War, but also to people in other nations, who celebrated the Union victory as a harbinger of greater rights for themselves.
I just read the expanded Where Men Win Glory about the life and fratricide of Pat Tillman and the above quote made me think of him, especially why Tillman chose to enlist after 9-11.
Since Into Thin Air, I have been a fan of Krakauer and this book did nothing to do dissuade me of that (Interesting note: I link to the New York Times review of WMWG which was written by Dexter Filkins, who wrote The Forever War, another author and book that I really enjoyed, Filkins savaged Krakauer and his book in the review. Hence, the reason I decided to link to it. Blogging is a process, folks, and as part of my process, I think about which link I am going to use as well as having long nonsensical parentheticals in the middle of otherwise interesting passages.)(Not that I am saying that I have written anything interesting, yet.) even though there was quite of bit of it being too much of a glowing hagiography and less of a story about the things that I wanted to know. It did have the benefit of reading incredibly quickly though.
Gah! Distracted.
So, Tillman worked hard, made his own decisions, and chose to serve based on an idea. Not quite an idea of American Exceptionalism, though there is part of that in Krakauer's narrative, but the concept that ideas are important enough to fight for, especially when you do not have a religious faith.
This got me thinking about the power of ideas and the need for all Americans to understand what our experiment is really about. (I redacted a lot of this. Not because I did not believe it but because I did not want to share. Americanism is the closest I have to a religion, and I still get goosebumps when I hear the Star Spangled Banner, and...you know what...make up your own minds. Most of you reading this have been required to take some sort of ethics of Government class, and most of you have used your franchise, so you know what it is about. You understand what this grand experiment means.)
Therefore, when you think about being asked to sacrifice, something that Rep. Ryan only wants certain people to do, ask yourself, what would they have said in 1861? What would have Pat Tillman said?
Edit: The majority of this was written early Sunday night before the announcement regarding OBL. I redacted roughly five hundred words because as I said above, I am keeping my opinions to myself.
*Yeah, he went to Union! Go Dutchmen!
Zombie Awareness Month
Why?
From the Zombie Research Society: Supporters of Zombie Awareness Month wear a gray ribbon to signify the undead shadows that lurk behind our modern light of day. From May 1 through May 31, Zombie Research Society Members and friends take this small step to acknowledge the coming danger.
These rules may be helpful:
"Cardio"
"Double tap" ("Ziploc bags" in a deleted scene)
"Beware of bathrooms"
"Wear seatbelts"
"Cast iron skillet"
"Travel light"
"Get a kickass partner"
"Bounty paper towels"
"Bowling Ball"
"Don't be a hero"
"Limber up"
"Avoid strip clubs"
"When in doubt, know your way out"
"The buddy system"
"Check the back seat"
"Enjoy the little things"
"Swiss army knife"
"Clean socks"
"Hygiene"
Helpful Links:
Glib & Superficial: Zombie Awareness Month
The Horror Society
Monday, May 2, 2011
It's okay...to not like things
I think that I am just going to link to this every time someone is a dick on the interwebs.
It made me laugh!
H/T to MAZ
What does the CD really need?
Every time someone asks the question, "What is Albany missing?" someone (often "Me too"'d) always responds with "An Ethiopian restaurant".
Really?
That's what Albany needs?!?
Now, I like Ethiopian food. I do. Honestly. I get a craving for it once or twice a year, but it is not a strong craving. It is not like heroin, or puppies' blood, but more like watching M*A*S*H reruns after a night of imbibing. Something that is fun at the time, but never necessary.
An Ethiopian restaurant is a nice to have, but what does the area need to have?
I have suggestions (of course).
Really?
That's what Albany needs?!?
Now, I like Ethiopian food. I do. Honestly. I get a craving for it once or twice a year, but it is not a strong craving. It is not like heroin, or puppies' blood, but more like watching M*A*S*H reruns after a night of imbibing. Something that is fun at the time, but never necessary.
An Ethiopian restaurant is a nice to have, but what does the area need to have?
I have suggestions (of course).
- Public Transportation that runs later as well as serving more areas. Think of a late night/early morning bus that runs from Albany to Saratoga? Would you be more willing to party in Saratoga?
- Jobs. We should be working to create a culture that can provide jobs for all the students that matriculate in the area, so those who want to stay can. Think about the great students from Siena, Union, RPI, and Skidmore that we lose every spring. (SUNYA kids can go back to Long Island and tan and tear up neighborhoods down there, and I am not going to say anything about St. Rose.)
What do you see as a need for the region?
My Dinner With Ashley
As you may be vaguely aware of, I had a contest to have dinner with me at NWBB and Ashley won with one of the funniest things that I have ever read. It was mean, it was cruel, and it was awesome. Of course she won with something like that.
Earlier in the week, we had decided that Friday night worked for both of us. (Quick side note here: Last week, I posed a question wondering if anyone had ever had a dream and then operated on that dream as if it were reality. Well, it happened again this past week. I dreamed that I had made the reservation at New World and when I was thinking about it, I realized that it was "just a dream" and Patrick Duffy was still alive. Luckily, we were able to get a reservation for later than I wanted but for Friday nonetheless.)
It was a great dinner, for the record, and nothing was less than excellent.
Of course there were starters.
We went with the oysters of the day (I was talking with someone about oysters and beer earlier in the week and it was the only think that I had wanted) and a Caseula of Olives (which were divine). Ashley was drinking a Pinot Noir and I started with a flight of four fairly hoppy beers.
For the mains, Ashley had the gnocchi of the day (with ramps) and the gnocchi (which is hard to do well and easy to screw up) was as good as I have ever had.
For my dinner, I decided to go with pizza and wings (I know, I was keeping it classy.) I went with the Tie Dye Pie (with Purple Haze sauce)(an eight on the NWBB scale) and Oobe Chicken Wings (a five on the NWBB scale). The pizza was spicy, almost too spicy after the first bite, and I warned Ashley that the heat sneaks up on you, but very well done. The wings were excellent, but finding good wings, even gourmet wings in Albany is like finding water when you are in a boat. Ashley was still drinking Pinot and I had decided on the NWBB Imperial 2X IPA.
For dessert, which I was not excited about, but...Ashley was. I went with a Chevre Truffle (dusted with chili and cinnamon). Words can not describe how surprisingly tasty this was.
Ashley went with the Creme Brulee, which was well done. I do not personally like Creme Brulee because more than once, the custard has been less custard and more scrambled eggs, which is not the consistency I prefer in a dessert.
Because it was a "date", I felt the need to share my truffle. Ashley thought that my cutting it in half to share with her (without any prompting) was gentlemanly. The funny thing about this is that she knows me well enough to understand that I am a superficial douche, but I also believe in fairness.
As you can see, the desserts went down easily.
It was one of the most enjoyable meals that I have had in a while. The food was splendid, the company was wonderful and it was a great experience on a spring Friday evening.
Special thanks to All Over Albany for the gift certificate!
Earlier in the week, we had decided that Friday night worked for both of us. (Quick side note here: Last week, I posed a question wondering if anyone had ever had a dream and then operated on that dream as if it were reality. Well, it happened again this past week. I dreamed that I had made the reservation at New World and when I was thinking about it, I realized that it was "just a dream" and Patrick Duffy was still alive. Luckily, we were able to get a reservation for later than I wanted but for Friday nonetheless.)
It was a great dinner, for the record, and nothing was less than excellent.
Of course there were starters.
Ashley went with the Creme Brulee, which was well done. I do not personally like Creme Brulee because more than once, the custard has been less custard and more scrambled eggs, which is not the consistency I prefer in a dessert.
It was one of the most enjoyable meals that I have had in a while. The food was splendid, the company was wonderful and it was a great experience on a spring Friday evening.
Special thanks to All Over Albany for the gift certificate!
Four years ago, BHO made this pledge.
"I understand that President (Pervez)Musharraf has his own challenges," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said of the man who was then president of Pakistan, "but let me make this clear: There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again. It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out an al Qaeda leadership meeting in 2005. If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will."
Hoping to Prove His Mettle, Candidate Obama Pledged Willigness to Conduct Precisely This Kind of Military Action - Political Punch
Hoping to Prove His Mettle, Candidate Obama Pledged Willigness to Conduct Precisely This Kind of Military Action - Political Punch
Got Brass...In Pocket
Who doesn't love the Pretenders?
I mean, who doesn't?
For some reason, Brass in Pocket stuck in my head on Friday and it stayed with me all weekend long.
I remember seeing them in 90s at SPAC (opening for The B-52s) and loving when Chrissie Hynde walked through the crowd and to the grass while singing this song.
Then, ScarJo sing it in Lost in Translation further solidified it as one the songs that just made me feel...good.
Anyway, if you are going to get a song stuck in your head, can you think of a better one?
I mean, who doesn't?
For some reason, Brass in Pocket stuck in my head on Friday and it stayed with me all weekend long.
I remember seeing them in 90s at SPAC (opening for The B-52s) and loving when Chrissie Hynde walked through the crowd and to the grass while singing this song.
Then, ScarJo sing it in Lost in Translation further solidified it as one the songs that just made me feel...good.
Anyway, if you are going to get a song stuck in your head, can you think of a better one?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
From the White House Correspondents' Dinner
Posted everywhere, but...if you don't want to go looking.
Both the President and Seth Meyers brought the funny.
Both the President and Seth Meyers brought the funny.
Don't Blame the Teachers
When we don't like the way our students score on international standardized tests, we blame the teachers. When we don't like the way particular schools perform, we blame the teachers and restrict their resources.
Compare this with our approach to our military: when results on the ground are not what we hoped, we think of ways to better support soldiers. We try to give them better tools, better weapons, better protection, better training. And when recruiting is down, we offer incentives.
We have a rare chance now, with many teachers near retirement, to prove we're serious about education. The first step is to make the teaching profession more attractive to college graduates. This will take some doing.
Compare this with our approach to our military: when results on the ground are not what we hoped, we think of ways to better support soldiers. We try to give them better tools, better weapons, better protection, better training. And when recruiting is down, we offer incentives.
We have a rare chance now, with many teachers near retirement, to prove we're serious about education. The first step is to make the teaching profession more attractive to college graduates. This will take some doing.
Dave and I go to Eggy's
All Over Albany had a piece about Eggy's this week.
(Here is my full disclosure part of the blog: I have been enjoying to food of "the Egg Man" for years. Ever since I moved back to the area, so...fourteen years now. I also worked with his brother. And, once or twice a month, I will go and grab one of his egg sandwiches.)
So, when Dave and I were looking for lunch on Friday, I thought of the Egg Man, largely because the AoA piece did not have a picture of the pulled pork sandwich (with the coleslaw on top of the sandwich) and I wanted to see it, and try it, because...well...I have never had anything but eggs from the Egg Man.
The Pulled Pork (Or the Dirty Pig as Egg Man refers to it) was incredible.
Dave got the Cowboy Special, which he loved, and it did not leave him filled but pleasantly happy after a good meal.
Plus, as the post on AoA stated, he is cheap, and cheap enough that those of you who eat on the plaza should take a little bit of a walk and try some great cart food in a really weird location.
It is close to Wolff's (and soon, Stout) as well as Thatcher Street Pub and Habitat...(hint: come in and check out the ReStore.)
So, when Dave and I were looking for lunch on Friday, I thought of the Egg Man, largely because the AoA piece did not have a picture of the pulled pork sandwich (with the coleslaw on top of the sandwich) and I wanted to see it, and try it, because...well...I have never had anything but eggs from the Egg Man.
Dave got the Cowboy Special, which he loved, and it did not leave him filled but pleasantly happy after a good meal.
Plus, as the post on AoA stated, he is cheap, and cheap enough that those of you who eat on the plaza should take a little bit of a walk and try some great cart food in a really weird location.
It is close to Wolff's (and soon, Stout) as well as Thatcher Street Pub and Habitat...(hint: come in and check out the ReStore.)
Bumper Gawking
The folks at AoA love Bumper Gawking.
When I saw this...I had to take a picture and post it.
How awesome is that?
When I saw this...I had to take a picture and post it.
How awesome is that?
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