I'm glad that someone is defending bears out there!
Setting aside the merits or effectiveness of the policies in question, it's mostly just amusing that the one thing we can conclude about Obama's gun control policies is that they've led to more gun and gun-related purchases.
What kind of feminist (or anti-feminist) are you? (This is the story that accompanies that quiz. Also, I got "certainly not a feminist.")
Those guys at Uber are so innovative.
Responses:
1. That comment more or less sums up the problem with loneliness. I think it's so scary for people that any solution that isn't the magical discovery of a robust social network seems bleak. These people (especially the old people) are lonely in a way that doesn't seem possible to fix. They have makeshift solutions that will tide them over until the inevitable. That's a hard realization. Also, don't ever leave me! :P
2. What if you don't have those things???
3. If I just do what he says, can we not call him please?
4. I want that kitchen! Give me the kitchen!
5. That's a nice story, and it's nice that he'll have the legacy of his life's writings to pass on.
6. NSFW!
R2R:
2. That may have been a rash judgment. That said, I'd like for there to be a resolution to the refugee issue sooner rather than later. Even so, we can come up with some travel ideas.
3. Agreed. That argument proves too much.
4. That's a possibility, although it might be more expensive and disruptive since Verizon/Comcast/Time Warner would likely charge the a la carte rate for everything if done seasonally. It's certainly worth considering, though, as long as it wasn't disruptive to other viewing.
R2R2R2R:
2. When the U.S. government budget deficit is $500 billion, it's easy to feel as though your net worth is small. Something my mom's pastor told me that I thought was helpful was that, as an individual, you have to find the thing that you can do, your small contribution. Many progressives see big problems and require big solutions that are so expensive that they require other people's money. I think if we foster a belief that people can voluntarily come together to solve problems on a small scale, those small solutions will add up to something far bigger. But it's harder to persuade society than it is a majority of Congress.
3. You add it to yours, and I'll add it to mine. That's easy enough...
R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R:
1. That's a factual question at least in part, but the basic principle is that the media's job should be to inform the public about matters and events that impact their lives both personally and in their capacity as members of a self-governing republic. To the extent that reporting on these events contributes to or takes away from that, fair enough. That said, I don't believe in keeping people in the dark except if there is a risk of immediate incitement. Yelling "fire" in a crowded theater is the classic example of that. But some people want to argue that, for example, reporting on the San Bernardino incident is akin to doing just that, and in my view that's too attenuated.
The San Bernardino incident in some ways is a hard case, and I think it's much harder than, say, some serial killer operating far from the community whose news service is reporting it. In my view, the role of journalism school should be not only to help aspiring journalists to figure out how to report the news, but also to think about questions like the meaning of "newsworthiness" in a manner that can consider the factors that you and I have both raised.
B
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Resolutions
The first comment on this article on loneliness is: "I have to say, that what the writer describes as "Glimmers of hope" sound even more bleak than anything else in the article".
I loved this article as a way of saying - hey, we're all ok
this is pretty cool and random
I've seen a lot of apartment tours and this is my favorite of them all.
Inspiration for journaling
Bunny butt makes another appearance!
Responses
1. That was a nice article. I think weight loss is incredibly hard and should be cheered on, even if people who are always thin don't get congratulated on that. It's achieving a goal and improving oneself, which should always be applauded.
2. I thought the problem with going to Europe for us was terrorism...
3. I did appreciate the line "The Post generally does not identify people who are purported victims of sex crimes." The "purported" speaks volumes.
I also question the paragraph:
4. This person only pays for cable during her preferred sports seasons. Maybe you could do that too? It seems like all you watch is football and Netflix.
Also, I think it's kinda weird for a dad to buy his daughter a diamond bracelet. That seems like a husband kind of gift.
R2R
3. I thought it was interesting that the husband did that and the wife appreciated it so. I could easily see a story like that where the wife is like "I really don't like #8-10, that jerk!" It's nice when people are nice.
5. Just that it's one way to connect. My dad is an accountant after all. My dad and I also connect on sports, news, politics and car maintenance.
7. What made me sad is that the school was probably exultant that some of its students had been murdered. Yay we won't be shut down!
8. Of course I mean cute and adorable!
10. The formation is impressive but it looks painful!
R2R2R
2. What a sad way to live - to be a billionaire and think you didn't have enough money to change the world.
3. But wouldn't that require us to have a joint bullet journal? Should we discuss our bullet journal topics on our calls?
R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R
1. I think we agree on copy cat killers and that the media should change its reporting tactics. But one last question - you think reporting on such incidents is important for the citizenry to have an informed opinion when it comes time to voting for someone who proposes how to fix the problem. but what if the actual results of the reporting was fear and not added knowledge to the citizenry? what if the people who vote know enough already and the people who don't just get misinformed and scared? does reporting on these incidents have any intrinsic value then or should we weigh whether we think the media should report on this based on the results?
I loved this article as a way of saying - hey, we're all ok
this is pretty cool and random
I've seen a lot of apartment tours and this is my favorite of them all.
Inspiration for journaling
Bunny butt makes another appearance!
Responses
1. That was a nice article. I think weight loss is incredibly hard and should be cheered on, even if people who are always thin don't get congratulated on that. It's achieving a goal and improving oneself, which should always be applauded.
2. I thought the problem with going to Europe for us was terrorism...
3. I did appreciate the line "The Post generally does not identify people who are purported victims of sex crimes." The "purported" speaks volumes.
I also question the paragraph:
In court filings, Jackie’s lawyers wrote that she should not have to produce any of the requested documents because of certain legal protections for sexual assault victims. Jackie’s lawyers wrote that asking her to provide the information “constitutes exactly the abusive re-victimization that these protections were designed to prevent.”I wonder what legal protections those really are and if they prevent fake rape allegations from being successfully adjudicated.
4. This person only pays for cable during her preferred sports seasons. Maybe you could do that too? It seems like all you watch is football and Netflix.
Also, I think it's kinda weird for a dad to buy his daughter a diamond bracelet. That seems like a husband kind of gift.
R2R
3. I thought it was interesting that the husband did that and the wife appreciated it so. I could easily see a story like that where the wife is like "I really don't like #8-10, that jerk!" It's nice when people are nice.
5. Just that it's one way to connect. My dad is an accountant after all. My dad and I also connect on sports, news, politics and car maintenance.
7. What made me sad is that the school was probably exultant that some of its students had been murdered. Yay we won't be shut down!
8. Of course I mean cute and adorable!
10. The formation is impressive but it looks painful!
R2R2R
2. What a sad way to live - to be a billionaire and think you didn't have enough money to change the world.
3. But wouldn't that require us to have a joint bullet journal? Should we discuss our bullet journal topics on our calls?
R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R
1. I think we agree on copy cat killers and that the media should change its reporting tactics. But one last question - you think reporting on such incidents is important for the citizenry to have an informed opinion when it comes time to voting for someone who proposes how to fix the problem. but what if the actual results of the reporting was fear and not added knowledge to the citizenry? what if the people who vote know enough already and the people who don't just get misinformed and scared? does reporting on these incidents have any intrinsic value then or should we weigh whether we think the media should report on this based on the results?
Friday, January 8, 2016
New Developments
Bill Barnwell is one of my favorite sports writers (formerly of Grantland), but he wrote a very nice article about his weight loss over the course of 2015.
If this gets popular among U.S. airlines, perhaps we can make it back to Europe after all.
Here are more developments on the UVA lawsuit against Rolling Stone.
And here are more developments on how millennials have been spending their money.
Responses:
1. It won't make money in the short run, but I suspect they are relying on divorce data and high enough interest rates to cover the loans that won't be paid back. Moreover, they won't give the money to just anyone - I suspect that their rating system will give some loans to some pretty "undeserving" couples.
2. Wheel in the bacon!
3. That is a nice story. I'm glad that she was able to appreciate the kind gesture.
4. Maybe we can check it out after we check out the Chinese place you mentioned last time. :P
5. Is it that the topic of finances is a way for you and your dad to connect, or that it's the only way? I'm glad their relationship has improved with time, though. When there's hurt that you've started to heal from and you just want to be able to restart a relationship, it's nice to be able to find that one thing that serves as a way to get back in.
6. I imagine that the intensity, however short term, explains the preference among many young people. Short-term intense happiness vs. long-term consistency is the difference between social media and books. I think both are important, though. It doesn't make sense to have to choose.
7. The story of the guy who couldn't find a job to pay his loans after attending his crap college and instead attending law school and accumulating more loans makes me very sad. In my view, this provides evidence that the college method of higher education is lacking. This also reaffirms my belief that the problems should be fixed at the primary and secondary school levels before turning to higher education.
8. Do you mean cute and adorable? If so, then yes. :)
9. Mission accomplished!
10. Do you not like the cool formation? That took years of practice... :/
R2R:
2. They would not. One primary reason why many modern progressives prefer government action is that they insist that change is impossible without forcing all of society to participate. For all the money that, say, George Soros has and spends on political activities, he would insist that it's not enough to effect real change. See also the claims of people like Warren Buffett that they would support increasing taxes on millionaires and billionaires, despite the fact that literally no one is stopping them from just writing a check to the U.S. Treasury. Modern progressives respond to the collective action problem and the bias towards short-term thinking with government action, whereas many conservatives and libertarians respond by trying to align incentives with voluntary action. This is why conservatives would totally go for that plan while progressives would probably just scoff.
3. Add it to the Bullet Journal!
R2R2R2R2R2R:
1. The second paragraph was me questioning the role of the media, so I agree with you there. But the San Bernadino massacre is relevant to me inasmuch as it influences policy action on terrorism, gun control, foreign policy, and other issues, since policy action by our elected representatives is relevant to me in my role as a member of a society based on self-government and republicanism. You are right that I was not in immediate danger of being harmed by those gunmen, but if you believe that that incident reflects the potential for domestic radicalization of ordinary citizens (because of ISIS or other organizations), then that justifies the consideration of policy action. To be sure, I would be less inclined to agree if the reporting of the incident itself increased radicalization efforts, but that's a cost-benefit analysis that I hope that the media would consider. Also, I would not agree if the cause of the shooting was less relevant to policy considerations. And I acknowledge that almost any incident could have policy implications, but given the current debates about dealing with Syrian refugees, how and whether to intervene in Syria, the efficacy of domestic surveillance programs, etc., there seems to be a clear policy angle here.
The policy angle would not exist in your hypothetical regarding the Chinese miners. The policy angle may not even exist in the case of a similar hypothetical event regarding American miners (to the extent that, say, the mine accident was really just a freak accident).
I wanted to add an additional word about copycat killers. To the extent that the media is reporting on, say, serial killers, I think the concern for copycat killers outweighs any potential newsworthiness outside of the local area in which the murders are happening, and even then it would be close. To the extent that the news media needed to report in order to warn people to stay on high alert for a suspect - or if the media wanted to warn about his modus operandi in order to protect, say, the class of victims that was the target of the serial killer - I think there's an argument for reporting. But if the concern is how we as a society through our elected officials should respond in the face of a growing threat of radical Islam in America, then it seems irresponsible for the media to ignore these incidents, even if I would agree that the manner in which they report these stories should change (i.e., de-emphasizing the fame- and glory-related details and focusing on the facts and narratives that relate to the policy implications). If this leads to a greater potential for copycat killers or even publicity of the event in a manner that increases recruits, then that is the price we pay for self-government.
B
If this gets popular among U.S. airlines, perhaps we can make it back to Europe after all.
Here are more developments on the UVA lawsuit against Rolling Stone.
And here are more developments on how millennials have been spending their money.
Responses:
1. It won't make money in the short run, but I suspect they are relying on divorce data and high enough interest rates to cover the loans that won't be paid back. Moreover, they won't give the money to just anyone - I suspect that their rating system will give some loans to some pretty "undeserving" couples.
2. Wheel in the bacon!
3. That is a nice story. I'm glad that she was able to appreciate the kind gesture.
4. Maybe we can check it out after we check out the Chinese place you mentioned last time. :P
5. Is it that the topic of finances is a way for you and your dad to connect, or that it's the only way? I'm glad their relationship has improved with time, though. When there's hurt that you've started to heal from and you just want to be able to restart a relationship, it's nice to be able to find that one thing that serves as a way to get back in.
6. I imagine that the intensity, however short term, explains the preference among many young people. Short-term intense happiness vs. long-term consistency is the difference between social media and books. I think both are important, though. It doesn't make sense to have to choose.
7. The story of the guy who couldn't find a job to pay his loans after attending his crap college and instead attending law school and accumulating more loans makes me very sad. In my view, this provides evidence that the college method of higher education is lacking. This also reaffirms my belief that the problems should be fixed at the primary and secondary school levels before turning to higher education.
8. Do you mean cute and adorable? If so, then yes. :)
9. Mission accomplished!
10. Do you not like the cool formation? That took years of practice... :/
R2R:
2. They would not. One primary reason why many modern progressives prefer government action is that they insist that change is impossible without forcing all of society to participate. For all the money that, say, George Soros has and spends on political activities, he would insist that it's not enough to effect real change. See also the claims of people like Warren Buffett that they would support increasing taxes on millionaires and billionaires, despite the fact that literally no one is stopping them from just writing a check to the U.S. Treasury. Modern progressives respond to the collective action problem and the bias towards short-term thinking with government action, whereas many conservatives and libertarians respond by trying to align incentives with voluntary action. This is why conservatives would totally go for that plan while progressives would probably just scoff.
3. Add it to the Bullet Journal!
R2R2R2R2R2R:
1. The second paragraph was me questioning the role of the media, so I agree with you there. But the San Bernadino massacre is relevant to me inasmuch as it influences policy action on terrorism, gun control, foreign policy, and other issues, since policy action by our elected representatives is relevant to me in my role as a member of a society based on self-government and republicanism. You are right that I was not in immediate danger of being harmed by those gunmen, but if you believe that that incident reflects the potential for domestic radicalization of ordinary citizens (because of ISIS or other organizations), then that justifies the consideration of policy action. To be sure, I would be less inclined to agree if the reporting of the incident itself increased radicalization efforts, but that's a cost-benefit analysis that I hope that the media would consider. Also, I would not agree if the cause of the shooting was less relevant to policy considerations. And I acknowledge that almost any incident could have policy implications, but given the current debates about dealing with Syrian refugees, how and whether to intervene in Syria, the efficacy of domestic surveillance programs, etc., there seems to be a clear policy angle here.
The policy angle would not exist in your hypothetical regarding the Chinese miners. The policy angle may not even exist in the case of a similar hypothetical event regarding American miners (to the extent that, say, the mine accident was really just a freak accident).
I wanted to add an additional word about copycat killers. To the extent that the media is reporting on, say, serial killers, I think the concern for copycat killers outweighs any potential newsworthiness outside of the local area in which the murders are happening, and even then it would be close. To the extent that the news media needed to report in order to warn people to stay on high alert for a suspect - or if the media wanted to warn about his modus operandi in order to protect, say, the class of victims that was the target of the serial killer - I think there's an argument for reporting. But if the concern is how we as a society through our elected officials should respond in the face of a growing threat of radical Islam in America, then it seems irresponsible for the media to ignore these incidents, even if I would agree that the manner in which they report these stories should change (i.e., de-emphasizing the fame- and glory-related details and focusing on the facts and narratives that relate to the policy implications). If this leads to a greater potential for copycat killers or even publicity of the event in a manner that increases recruits, then that is the price we pay for self-government.
B
Monday, January 4, 2016
Short Stories Edition
I don't understand how this could make money
I've read many accounts of people who live to be very old and they all seem to eat bacon regularly
this was a nice story
This isn't too far from your place, reasonably affordable and interesting.
this reminded me of my dad. except for the deadbeat part.
buy stuff! the research
this is that sad article about how we are funding bad colleges
is this what our children will look like?
sometimes the heart just needs to be warmed
is it weird that they're all stacked on top of one another?
Responses
1. Ugh, this makes it worse knowing the exact stupidity. For a little while, I started thinking maybe this is actually as good as it can be given how the system was designed.
2. Ricky Ricardo and my piano teacher were the only Cubans I knew growing up. They all seemed very glamorous.
3. Tom Brady is doing a good job deflecting. The whole media frenzy for sports stars seems designed to make them slip up - to say something they shouldn't or make people hate them. He's smart for keeping mum.
4. I've always liked Justin Bieber.
R2R
2. It wouldn't require government money but I wonder if climate change crusaders would go for this idea. Will they realize that they have enough money to effect the change they want without paying for lobbying?
3. Whoops we forgot to check it out. =P
4. Lauren and Aprotim. I'm ok with more Annandale.
6. Oh my!
R2R2R
5. I guess I'm all for anything that creates more community.
R2R2R2R2R
1. I think as a citizen, I should question the role of the media. The San Bernadino massacre is not relevant to you. You live about as far as possible away and the gunmen are dead, with no sign of a bigger plot. It seems that this story, if only reported locally, might be better for the citizenship because it wouldn't spread widespread fear or paranoia and because copycats would be less likely to know about it around the nation. I think we've discussed this before - is the citizens' right to know more important than preventing copycat killers and giving killers the fame they desire?
Of course, 100 people dying in a Chinese mine would also be irrelevant to you and everyone else under this rubric in addition to being a bummer, doesn't have any salacious details.
I've read many accounts of people who live to be very old and they all seem to eat bacon regularly
this was a nice story
This isn't too far from your place, reasonably affordable and interesting.
this reminded me of my dad. except for the deadbeat part.
buy stuff! the research
this is that sad article about how we are funding bad colleges
is this what our children will look like?
sometimes the heart just needs to be warmed
is it weird that they're all stacked on top of one another?
Responses
1. Ugh, this makes it worse knowing the exact stupidity. For a little while, I started thinking maybe this is actually as good as it can be given how the system was designed.
2. Ricky Ricardo and my piano teacher were the only Cubans I knew growing up. They all seemed very glamorous.
3. Tom Brady is doing a good job deflecting. The whole media frenzy for sports stars seems designed to make them slip up - to say something they shouldn't or make people hate them. He's smart for keeping mum.
4. I've always liked Justin Bieber.
R2R
2. It wouldn't require government money but I wonder if climate change crusaders would go for this idea. Will they realize that they have enough money to effect the change they want without paying for lobbying?
3. Whoops we forgot to check it out. =P
4. Lauren and Aprotim. I'm ok with more Annandale.
6. Oh my!
R2R2R
5. I guess I'm all for anything that creates more community.
R2R2R2R2R
1. I think as a citizen, I should question the role of the media. The San Bernadino massacre is not relevant to you. You live about as far as possible away and the gunmen are dead, with no sign of a bigger plot. It seems that this story, if only reported locally, might be better for the citizenship because it wouldn't spread widespread fear or paranoia and because copycats would be less likely to know about it around the nation. I think we've discussed this before - is the citizens' right to know more important than preventing copycat killers and giving killers the fame they desire?
Of course, 100 people dying in a Chinese mine would also be irrelevant to you and everyone else under this rubric in addition to being a bummer, doesn't have any salacious details.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Modern History
The Metro is terrible, and here's how it happened.
For people growing up in the 50s, I Love Lucy was the single way they learned about Cuba, however distorted the show presented it.
It's nice to hear people who don't care about politics talking about politics because it reminds me that there is more to life.
This is a story that will make you like Justin Bieber more. It's still worth reading.
Responses:
1. The venom in those responses is excessive and excessively unhelpful. This stuff makes you just want to disengage, so I'm glad she wrote that article.
2. As long as the government isn't spending taxpayer dollars, I'm all for that idea.
3. Theirs is a nice story, and it's a great concept for a restaurant. We can check it out next week.
4. Do we know anyone who still lives in Los Angeles? If not, I like the idea of going to Annandale from time to time. We aren't usually disappointed. And that quesadilla looks intriguing.
5. Other than the lack of chairs and the sponsorship by Urban Outfitters, it seems like a nice life.
6. You have to give the people what they want.
R2R:
1. Only if something truly terrible happens.
2. I think I'm slowly getting caught up.
5. Curves probably still has a place in society, perhaps for the more fixed-mindset women out there. In my view, the real downside is the potential for inequality arguments. It costs a fair amount of money to participate in these classes. As most reasonable fitness buffs note, it is entirely possible to be fit without spending hundreds of dollars a year on classes, memberships, etc., in much the same way that it is possible to eat healthily without spending thousands of dollars a month at Whole Foods or on boutique smoothie chains. All that said, though, for as intense and crazy as my SoulCycle class was, and for as intense and insane as Cross Fit can sometimes be, it's all in service of a really good thing, which is affirmative dedication to physical health as both an aspiration and a way of life, rather than a chore.
R2R2R:
4. That makes sense. The reason I missed it was that, from now on, I associate the whole privilege conversation with bad, annoying people, and I happen to like John Mulaney.
R2R2R2R:
1. As I said, I suspect that the media in China will report it, assuming of course that it does not go against whatever reporting norms are imposed by the Communist Party there. Part of the reason I find it reasonable that such an event would not appear in a U.S. newspaper is that, in crappy countries (and for these purposes, China is a crappy country), disasters attributable to negligence or impoverished conditions are far more common, and the answers are not necessarily sensible to an outside audience (e.g. if 100 people died in a mine in the U.S., there would be in-depth media coverage, massive lawsuits, Congressional action, etc., in large part because we understand what our government and society will tolerate and, more specifically, we think we are too advanced for such accidents). So from a media narrative perspective, it's a "dog bites man" story. To be sure, the death of 100 people is certainly tragic, but the tragic nature of a story isn't why the media reports on it.
This all comes down to how you define news and the role of the media. To me, news includes (or ought to include) information that is relevant to our daily lives (e.g. weather and traffic), interesting from a cultural or social perspective (e.g. movie and restaurant reviews, community developments), and, most importantly, informative in service of the objective of fostering an informed people capable of self-government under the Constitution. On this last point, that would include developments in our respective local, state, and federal governments, as well as foreign developments that have an impact on our national interests (in a specific or general way). To me, 100 people dying in a mine in China would not fall within any of these spheres, but the San Bernardino shooting does, even if you do not live in San Bernardino or surrounding areas, because it will likely inform how politicians create policies related to immigration, terrorism, foreign affairs, gun control, etc. That does not diminish the (hypothetical) tragedy of the people who died in our (hypothetical) mine, but I have never viewed showing up in the newspaper as a sign of importance.
Of course, if you have a different view of the role of the media, that is completely reasonable (inasmuch as that view is reasonable), but I think we have to resist the temptation to interpret how the media (or any entity) does its job through our own subjective lens of how they should do it. In other words, we have to resist the taking the conclusion that the media "doesn't care" about the (hypothetical) mine and concluding something nefarious or ulterior.
B
For people growing up in the 50s, I Love Lucy was the single way they learned about Cuba, however distorted the show presented it.
It's nice to hear people who don't care about politics talking about politics because it reminds me that there is more to life.
This is a story that will make you like Justin Bieber more. It's still worth reading.
Responses:
1. The venom in those responses is excessive and excessively unhelpful. This stuff makes you just want to disengage, so I'm glad she wrote that article.
2. As long as the government isn't spending taxpayer dollars, I'm all for that idea.
3. Theirs is a nice story, and it's a great concept for a restaurant. We can check it out next week.
4. Do we know anyone who still lives in Los Angeles? If not, I like the idea of going to Annandale from time to time. We aren't usually disappointed. And that quesadilla looks intriguing.
5. Other than the lack of chairs and the sponsorship by Urban Outfitters, it seems like a nice life.
6. You have to give the people what they want.
R2R:
1. Only if something truly terrible happens.
2. I think I'm slowly getting caught up.
5. Curves probably still has a place in society, perhaps for the more fixed-mindset women out there. In my view, the real downside is the potential for inequality arguments. It costs a fair amount of money to participate in these classes. As most reasonable fitness buffs note, it is entirely possible to be fit without spending hundreds of dollars a year on classes, memberships, etc., in much the same way that it is possible to eat healthily without spending thousands of dollars a month at Whole Foods or on boutique smoothie chains. All that said, though, for as intense and crazy as my SoulCycle class was, and for as intense and insane as Cross Fit can sometimes be, it's all in service of a really good thing, which is affirmative dedication to physical health as both an aspiration and a way of life, rather than a chore.
R2R2R:
4. That makes sense. The reason I missed it was that, from now on, I associate the whole privilege conversation with bad, annoying people, and I happen to like John Mulaney.
R2R2R2R:
1. As I said, I suspect that the media in China will report it, assuming of course that it does not go against whatever reporting norms are imposed by the Communist Party there. Part of the reason I find it reasonable that such an event would not appear in a U.S. newspaper is that, in crappy countries (and for these purposes, China is a crappy country), disasters attributable to negligence or impoverished conditions are far more common, and the answers are not necessarily sensible to an outside audience (e.g. if 100 people died in a mine in the U.S., there would be in-depth media coverage, massive lawsuits, Congressional action, etc., in large part because we understand what our government and society will tolerate and, more specifically, we think we are too advanced for such accidents). So from a media narrative perspective, it's a "dog bites man" story. To be sure, the death of 100 people is certainly tragic, but the tragic nature of a story isn't why the media reports on it.
This all comes down to how you define news and the role of the media. To me, news includes (or ought to include) information that is relevant to our daily lives (e.g. weather and traffic), interesting from a cultural or social perspective (e.g. movie and restaurant reviews, community developments), and, most importantly, informative in service of the objective of fostering an informed people capable of self-government under the Constitution. On this last point, that would include developments in our respective local, state, and federal governments, as well as foreign developments that have an impact on our national interests (in a specific or general way). To me, 100 people dying in a mine in China would not fall within any of these spheres, but the San Bernardino shooting does, even if you do not live in San Bernardino or surrounding areas, because it will likely inform how politicians create policies related to immigration, terrorism, foreign affairs, gun control, etc. That does not diminish the (hypothetical) tragedy of the people who died in our (hypothetical) mine, but I have never viewed showing up in the newspaper as a sign of importance.
Of course, if you have a different view of the role of the media, that is completely reasonable (inasmuch as that view is reasonable), but I think we have to resist the temptation to interpret how the media (or any entity) does its job through our own subjective lens of how they should do it. In other words, we have to resist the taking the conclusion that the media "doesn't care" about the (hypothetical) mine and concluding something nefarious or ulterior.
B
Monday, December 14, 2015
Sleeping Polar Bear
I like that this lady gives IBM the benefit of the doubt
is this a possible way to save the earth?
this place seems worth trying
Consider this your primer for Sichuan food. I've tried everything except the chicken, which is apparently specific to this restaurant. And this is probably more specifically useful as this is my back yard. Or rather than braving the Asian restaurant lingo, we can try making this.
I want this person's life
did you know there's a camera watching you while you sleep?
Responses
1. Heavens, you think someday we will earn as little as $118,200/year? *gasp*
Still, that would be quite disappointing if the welfare state includes people making that much money. As a taxpayer potentially supporting such new initiatives, it didn't make me feel very good that the guy who won the lottery just moved from one apartment to another. It's as if the city thought, well he shouldn't have to live like that but it's ok if the next tenant who lives in his old apartment will. Even the most liberal people realize that rent control is not a solution. It's a very expensive way to solve the problem for 1% of the population that needs help.
2. Maybe I'm douchey but this didn't seem too douchey to me? Or maybe it's normal for women to discuss their clothing in this esoteric, rich person way even when the women themselves aren't rich. Or maybe I read too much Gwyneth Paltrow. And Esquire.
In any case, I know Bear is not doing anything wrong! He looks great and he shops at Brooks Brothers!
3. All I can say is I'm quite surprised that I'm getting my information on the color of the year from you. My fashion bona fides may be slipping.
4. I think this article raises a good point in that shaming others for niceties is eroding our society much more than failing to pass emergency gun legislation ever could. Like saying there's no worth in sympathy cards, kind gestures or even *gasp* meaningful changes to one's Facebook profile picture. I guess the gym is the last bastion of community we have left!
5. I think gym as community is a good thing. I think gym as religion is slightly weird. I also think the gender disparity is very interesting. Boutique fitness classes are the new Curves. I feel like this might lead to something insidious in the future - maybe fat shaming? women with no disposable income? - but I can't see anything too negative about this trend currently.
6. This is very interesting and I applaud Zuckerberg for trying something new. Some people see it as greed but I see it as innovation that could ultimately really help people and spur more people to invest in charity in the future.
R2R
3. I figured you'd agree with her =P but I thought it was interesting that she said that INTJs always marry ENFPs. That's not exactly us but it's very close. =P We were destined!
4. It's the logical extension of privilege in my mind. Privilege is this idea that life is just super easy for some people and super hard for others. And if life is super hard for a kid - they are very small and have no money - then maybe we should make accommodations for them in life so that their lives are easier. We can start by accepting explanations of their lack of privilege as answers on a test. So instead of x=3, we would accept, I'm poor.
Even so, I thought it was a very cute joke.
6. My bear really is around the corner!
R2R2R
1. Are you sure that if 100 people die in China, the media will report it? That seems like something we should very much not be sure of.
But I guess the point is, I see these stories in small articles in Western papers. Maybe people don't care because China is not part of Europe. But it's a little jarring to see the big headlines for 14 people killed in San Bernadino, next to a tiny article about 100 people being killed in a mine in China.
R2R2R2R
1. True. If you're against bullying, you should be against all forms of bullying, no matter the victim or the bully.
R2R2R2R2R
I think we are ultimately on the same page here. I feel like I should write a similarly lengthy response but I think we are on the same page. We just need more empathy all around when it comes to dating. I know Pauline was very fixed mindset for awhile about whom she wanted to marry and she ended up with Justin, who fulfills just a few of those traits (male, Christian, Asian). But they seem very happy. So even though she was legendarily picky, she came around, as I kinda knew she would.
In a related-to-empathy but kinda-tangential note, I just clicked on one of those ubiquitour "she had the greatest reply to someone who said this" articles. And I am always looking for wit but it always turns out to be a mean retort and a mean reply. I need to stop clicking on these articles because they're just empathy holes. And they're not witty.
is this a possible way to save the earth?
this place seems worth trying
Consider this your primer for Sichuan food. I've tried everything except the chicken, which is apparently specific to this restaurant. And this is probably more specifically useful as this is my back yard. Or rather than braving the Asian restaurant lingo, we can try making this.
I want this person's life
did you know there's a camera watching you while you sleep?
Responses
1. Heavens, you think someday we will earn as little as $118,200/year? *gasp*
Still, that would be quite disappointing if the welfare state includes people making that much money. As a taxpayer potentially supporting such new initiatives, it didn't make me feel very good that the guy who won the lottery just moved from one apartment to another. It's as if the city thought, well he shouldn't have to live like that but it's ok if the next tenant who lives in his old apartment will. Even the most liberal people realize that rent control is not a solution. It's a very expensive way to solve the problem for 1% of the population that needs help.
2. Maybe I'm douchey but this didn't seem too douchey to me? Or maybe it's normal for women to discuss their clothing in this esoteric, rich person way even when the women themselves aren't rich. Or maybe I read too much Gwyneth Paltrow. And Esquire.
In any case, I know Bear is not doing anything wrong! He looks great and he shops at Brooks Brothers!
3. All I can say is I'm quite surprised that I'm getting my information on the color of the year from you. My fashion bona fides may be slipping.
4. I think this article raises a good point in that shaming others for niceties is eroding our society much more than failing to pass emergency gun legislation ever could. Like saying there's no worth in sympathy cards, kind gestures or even *gasp* meaningful changes to one's Facebook profile picture. I guess the gym is the last bastion of community we have left!
5. I think gym as community is a good thing. I think gym as religion is slightly weird. I also think the gender disparity is very interesting. Boutique fitness classes are the new Curves. I feel like this might lead to something insidious in the future - maybe fat shaming? women with no disposable income? - but I can't see anything too negative about this trend currently.
6. This is very interesting and I applaud Zuckerberg for trying something new. Some people see it as greed but I see it as innovation that could ultimately really help people and spur more people to invest in charity in the future.
R2R
3. I figured you'd agree with her =P but I thought it was interesting that she said that INTJs always marry ENFPs. That's not exactly us but it's very close. =P We were destined!
4. It's the logical extension of privilege in my mind. Privilege is this idea that life is just super easy for some people and super hard for others. And if life is super hard for a kid - they are very small and have no money - then maybe we should make accommodations for them in life so that their lives are easier. We can start by accepting explanations of their lack of privilege as answers on a test. So instead of x=3, we would accept, I'm poor.
Even so, I thought it was a very cute joke.
6. My bear really is around the corner!
R2R2R
1. Are you sure that if 100 people die in China, the media will report it? That seems like something we should very much not be sure of.
But I guess the point is, I see these stories in small articles in Western papers. Maybe people don't care because China is not part of Europe. But it's a little jarring to see the big headlines for 14 people killed in San Bernadino, next to a tiny article about 100 people being killed in a mine in China.
R2R2R2R
1. True. If you're against bullying, you should be against all forms of bullying, no matter the victim or the bully.
R2R2R2R2R
I think we are ultimately on the same page here. I feel like I should write a similarly lengthy response but I think we are on the same page. We just need more empathy all around when it comes to dating. I know Pauline was very fixed mindset for awhile about whom she wanted to marry and she ended up with Justin, who fulfills just a few of those traits (male, Christian, Asian). But they seem very happy. So even though she was legendarily picky, she came around, as I kinda knew she would.
In a related-to-empathy but kinda-tangential note, I just clicked on one of those ubiquitour "she had the greatest reply to someone who said this" articles. And I am always looking for wit but it always turns out to be a mean retort and a mean reply. I need to stop clicking on these articles because they're just empathy holes. And they're not witty.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Spoiler Alert
This doesn't seem like the best deployment of scarce resources, even if we could one day stand to benefit.
This is classic Skadden. It also makes me think I'm doing something way wrong...
Get your paint cans ready.
I thought this was a nice response to the anti-prayer folks out there.
I like the term "sweat equity" to describe this.
Mark Zuckerberg's big donation of his stock is a bit different from the usual mode of philanthropy.
Responses:
1. That's not that morbid. It recalls the no-zero-days mindset.
2. I might be able to tolerate that flight. :P
3. I can identify with what she said.
4. How does it relate to privilege?
5. The first one describes my schools from pre-school to 12th grade (at least the use of fear). The second one is fantastic.
6. Your bear is around the corner, bunny!
R2R:
1. I suspect if 100 people die in China, somewhere in China someone picks up the story. That said, I've never read Chinese media, so maybe not.
R2R2R:
5. Yes!
R2R2R2R:
1. I am not pro-bank. But I'm also not anti-bank, and I suspect that there are many people out there who would say, "Maybe that was unfair, but they had it coming." In the same way that I would object to the IRS or DOJ jerking an individual around for no reason, I object to the CFPB or the Fed jerking a bank around for no reason. The bank - indeed, any corporation - is just people. To be sure, I would also object to a bank jerking around an individual for no reason, although my objections would look different since it wouldn't be government abuse of power.
R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R:
1. The last statement proves too little or too much. For starters, it's not about judging other people. It's about observing the world and coming to conclusions about what works and what doesn't, for your own benefit and for the benefit of the people in the world with whom you interact. Yes, there is a harm principle element that governs when we do judge people (e.g. if you slap me for no reason, I judge you insofar as I tell you that your actions are inappropriate). But as much as I make fun of Swan for her position on what it means to be a Christian, I do so not because I think it's inappropriate for her to say that to her friends, but rather because she's wrong on the merits.
This isn't about judgment as much as it is about forming opinions. It seems inappropriate to go up to a stranger and explain to him why he's living his life incorrectly, but how is that different from proselytizing? In my view, the primary difference is the merits. But more to the point, the differences between being judgmental and having and expressing opinions are humility and empathy. It's the humility to consider that the world from someone else's perspective might look different, as well as the empathy to try to put yourself in the person's shoes. So if you encounter a non-believer, you don't walk up to him and say, "You're going to hell if you don't do what I, oh and I guess God and Jesus, say." You instead find a way to understand what he is about (i.e. empathy), and you find a way to overcome his reasonable skepticism about the implicit notion that somehow you have the answers and he does not (i.e. humility).
Returning to the issue regarding idiosyncratic dating preferences, it certainly makes sense as an initial matter to assume that people structure their behavior in the face of information and a worldview that is formed by their experiences, and thus to presume that the decision to date or not to date a person because of some quirk is not necessarily wrong. But you would stop there, and I don't think that makes sense. We have the ability to make observations about the rationale of a person's decision, as well as to consider the all-too-true fact that many people have only a partial understanding of their own decision-making. We also have the ability to place the decision into our worldview, as well as place our decisions into theirs. We can reasonably evaluate these decisions even if we don't have all the information, as long as we reasonably investigate and remember that we don't have all the information (to the extent that we don't). And we can reasonably form conclusions about all of this, whether or not we think it prudent to share such opinions with the parties whose decisions we are evaluating.
As to whether a racist person should be more open-minded about his dating choices, I think the answer has to be yes because that means he is being less of a racist. I would not conclude that sincerely harboring racist feelings and nonetheless dating a person whom you hold in contempt for racist reasons counts as being less of a racist. But maybe the answer for that person is to take a step back from the question of whether he should keep dating approved-race people while he works through his racism and instead try to deal with the question of how to understand his feelings of hate, contempt, etc., for a whole class of people and how such hate juxtaposes with his alleged feelings of love towards the approved-race people. But I don't agree with the implicit idea that we should treat racist people as though they have a fixed mindset, or even assume that the only way to conclude that racism makes sense is if you have evil in your heart. I think that in itself is an unfair judgment without more.
So yes, I agree with the sentiment of your last sentence (indeed, in my previous post, I said, "...I think it's important that we acknowledge that we should not sit in judgment of others..."), but the belief that someone has made a bad decision is not judgmental without more.
B
This is classic Skadden. It also makes me think I'm doing something way wrong...
Get your paint cans ready.
I thought this was a nice response to the anti-prayer folks out there.
I like the term "sweat equity" to describe this.
Mark Zuckerberg's big donation of his stock is a bit different from the usual mode of philanthropy.
Responses:
1. That's not that morbid. It recalls the no-zero-days mindset.
2. I might be able to tolerate that flight. :P
3. I can identify with what she said.
4. How does it relate to privilege?
5. The first one describes my schools from pre-school to 12th grade (at least the use of fear). The second one is fantastic.
6. Your bear is around the corner, bunny!
R2R:
1. I suspect if 100 people die in China, somewhere in China someone picks up the story. That said, I've never read Chinese media, so maybe not.
R2R2R:
5. Yes!
R2R2R2R:
1. I am not pro-bank. But I'm also not anti-bank, and I suspect that there are many people out there who would say, "Maybe that was unfair, but they had it coming." In the same way that I would object to the IRS or DOJ jerking an individual around for no reason, I object to the CFPB or the Fed jerking a bank around for no reason. The bank - indeed, any corporation - is just people. To be sure, I would also object to a bank jerking around an individual for no reason, although my objections would look different since it wouldn't be government abuse of power.
R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R2R:
1. The last statement proves too little or too much. For starters, it's not about judging other people. It's about observing the world and coming to conclusions about what works and what doesn't, for your own benefit and for the benefit of the people in the world with whom you interact. Yes, there is a harm principle element that governs when we do judge people (e.g. if you slap me for no reason, I judge you insofar as I tell you that your actions are inappropriate). But as much as I make fun of Swan for her position on what it means to be a Christian, I do so not because I think it's inappropriate for her to say that to her friends, but rather because she's wrong on the merits.
This isn't about judgment as much as it is about forming opinions. It seems inappropriate to go up to a stranger and explain to him why he's living his life incorrectly, but how is that different from proselytizing? In my view, the primary difference is the merits. But more to the point, the differences between being judgmental and having and expressing opinions are humility and empathy. It's the humility to consider that the world from someone else's perspective might look different, as well as the empathy to try to put yourself in the person's shoes. So if you encounter a non-believer, you don't walk up to him and say, "You're going to hell if you don't do what I, oh and I guess God and Jesus, say." You instead find a way to understand what he is about (i.e. empathy), and you find a way to overcome his reasonable skepticism about the implicit notion that somehow you have the answers and he does not (i.e. humility).
Returning to the issue regarding idiosyncratic dating preferences, it certainly makes sense as an initial matter to assume that people structure their behavior in the face of information and a worldview that is formed by their experiences, and thus to presume that the decision to date or not to date a person because of some quirk is not necessarily wrong. But you would stop there, and I don't think that makes sense. We have the ability to make observations about the rationale of a person's decision, as well as to consider the all-too-true fact that many people have only a partial understanding of their own decision-making. We also have the ability to place the decision into our worldview, as well as place our decisions into theirs. We can reasonably evaluate these decisions even if we don't have all the information, as long as we reasonably investigate and remember that we don't have all the information (to the extent that we don't). And we can reasonably form conclusions about all of this, whether or not we think it prudent to share such opinions with the parties whose decisions we are evaluating.
As to whether a racist person should be more open-minded about his dating choices, I think the answer has to be yes because that means he is being less of a racist. I would not conclude that sincerely harboring racist feelings and nonetheless dating a person whom you hold in contempt for racist reasons counts as being less of a racist. But maybe the answer for that person is to take a step back from the question of whether he should keep dating approved-race people while he works through his racism and instead try to deal with the question of how to understand his feelings of hate, contempt, etc., for a whole class of people and how such hate juxtaposes with his alleged feelings of love towards the approved-race people. But I don't agree with the implicit idea that we should treat racist people as though they have a fixed mindset, or even assume that the only way to conclude that racism makes sense is if you have evil in your heart. I think that in itself is an unfair judgment without more.
So yes, I agree with the sentiment of your last sentence (indeed, in my previous post, I said, "...I think it's important that we acknowledge that we should not sit in judgment of others..."), but the belief that someone has made a bad decision is not judgmental without more.
B
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