Category: Thoughts

When I was in college, “another round” always referred to beer. When I began to work in startups, it referred to venture capital. This happens to a lot of words and acronyms and such. Today’s example: The phrase “The N Word.”

It seems that to some people “the N word” refers not to the expected racial slur, but to “nationalization.” It’s still a dirty word in US politics, but it’s not yet used with enough frequency to warrant the euphemism, really. Still, we are hearing talk of federal bailouts with greater frequency, even among those who are otherwise inclined to natter on about small government policies.

Are we in a recession? Yes.
Did I tell you so? Yes.
Did wiser folk than I say the same? Yes.
Were we all roundly ignored? Yes.
Do the folks who didn’t see it coming insist that nobody saw it coming? Yes.
Is this just like the Iraq war? Yes.

Adm. Fallon, the guy in charge of the US military in the Middle East, Africa, and central Asia (that is, CENTCOM), just resigned. Crooks & Liars was pretty sure he was on the way out, although they’re somewhat surprised he left of his own volition.

The story is that he’s out because he’s stated the obvious fact that invading Iran would be a terrible idea.

This is not good news for anyone opposed to quagmire, empire, or bad ideas.

It makes sense that there would be a baby simulator for the Nintendo DS. I mean, it’s just like a virtual pet. Only it’s a baby! And you can customize the color and gender! There are challenges like changing and diaper rash. It’s the same as any other sim game. And yet… creepier!

At least it doesn’t include simulations of exhaustion, post-partum depression, colic, vomiting, or shaken-baby syndrome.

NY Mag: “Encouraged to tell so many white lies and hearing so many others, children gradually get comfortable with being disingenuous. Insincerity becomes, literally, a daily occurrence. They learn that honesty only creates conflict, and dishonesty is an easy way to avoid conflict. And while they don’t confuse white-lie situations with lying to cover their misdeeds, they bring this emotional groundwork from one circumstance to the other.”

Important lessons: Honesty is for jerks.

Shocked, shocked I tell you!

I look forward to longer days all February. When the cats start shedding more, I actually enjoy it because it’s a sign that there’s going to be more light in my life. And when I read stories like this one, about a town that gets sunlight only from March to October, I thank my lucky stars I live somewhere that has at least a little natural light all year round.

A few days ago, Flynn showed me all these ultra-emo illustrations of drowning wolves that populate DeviantArt, and they seem to go so well with the Mountain Goats song “No Children,” but not perfectly. I mean, the lines “I am drowning, there is no sign of land, you are coming down with me, hand in unlovable hand” would make a great painting. Way better than just a lonely drowning wolf. A drowning wolf just says “everything sucks.” On the other hand, a drowning person pulling the rescuers down with him — that adds action and irony.

If you wanted to be particularly clever you could start with a reference to a certain other hand-in-unlovable-hand moment.

I know people like Ed Champion thought “Juno” was precious and not in a good way. I enjoyed it. I was not overwhelmed with joy and I did not go out and buy a hamburger phone after seeing it.

I certainly did not feel any sort of need for a hamburger dress. (Thx to Murketing).

The Specials song “Friday Night, Saturday Morning” isn’t a great piece of art. But it’s pretty good. I think I like the Nouvelle Vague version better… here’s the original in video form:

Tim Gunn insulted Hillary Clinton’s fashion choices on “Conan” the other night, and as frivolous as that is – a catty comment from a fashion expert on a late-night comedy show is not much of a sting for a grownup – I’m increasingly irritated with it. Yes, I expect Tim Gunn to talk about fashion, and everybody talks about what Clinton wears – even she does, and quite critically at times. She’s not a clotheshorse. She dresses appropriately for her job. Whatever. Can we get on with it?

I’m increasingly irritated by a misogyny that I’ve never really seen before. People can’t or wont take women seriously at the top level of politics, but I see it in tech, and virulently in film and media. Wolcott is on the case, of course, but that’s not exactly going to help much. Oh no, some guy from Vanity Fair is calling out the prejudices of our time.

And this Rocketboom video of general ignorance isn’t exactly encouraging. I can only hope it’s some kind of hoax.

Here’s the Tim Gunn clip, in which he smears Clinton as “mannish,” which he surely knows is about as classy as just out-and-out calling her a man-hating dyke: