John McCain, where did you go wrong. Hear his stirring rendition of Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran, to the tune of the Beach Boy's Barbara Ann. I don't think I need to explain why this is creepy.
So, remind me again why everyone is so goddamn eager to get into wars?
Special thanks go out to the dipshit using a speakerphone on the 45 this morning. You, sir, are a scholar of the highest order.
A couple of interesting Chicago bits, in honor of Chicago's Olympic bid (courtesy of Gaper's Block)...
• The Library of Congress has an amazing collection of Chicago media (photos, sounds... even a 110 year old video accredited to none-other-than Edison himself!). I good starting point is a collection of photos from the defunct Chicago Daily News
• Compare and contrast: City vs. Suburbs. If you're a vain gas-guzzling comfort seeker, then yes, do move to the suburbs (the Suburbs article is an urbanist's nightmare in words).
Cue incoherant rant (before any of you get your undies in a wad, yes, this is the product of own imagination)
The City article also highlights the distinction between Chicago and Los Angeles (and yes, I'm working in typical stereotypes). See, Chicago is all about the self-made man—the person that took their destiny into their own hands and made their own fortunes. In contrast, the LA mindset seems to be "I'll show up and get discovered," which is essentially the opposite—hope someone else makes you into something. I think this speaks to the greater changes in the American psyché—a solid, productive work ethic replaced with the something-for-nothing mindset. And I think this frivolity is responsible for many of today's problems—a consumerist nature where the next dream product will make you happy (it won't) or a quest for fame satifying your needs (it doesn't). This obscures the real things that really make people happy, that your life really needs—hard work (and reaping the corresponding rewards) and community (connection with the world and loved ones)—these things are much more rewarding than a second toaster or an appearance on American Idol. What do you walk away from American Idol with? A nation of people judging, making you—you're not you, you're what people have made you to be. That's not something you're resposible for, something you've created—in the end, it's empty because you're not reaping the benefits of your own labors. Happiness doesn't lie in fame—it's in living, in fulfillment, in finishing a task that was worthwhile. Nothing is more impressive than seeing the human—nay, American—shear force of will in action. We're a country of doers—and we've lost our way.
What does it mean to live well?
Submitted by Dean.
Get up, do something that you love, sleep tight. Do it all over again the next day.
With Kurt Vonnegut exiting stage left, the folks at Mother Jones dusted off a commentary he wrote in 1983 about Ronald Reagan. Sounds vaguely familiar... Why is it that Republican presidents sound like a broken record?
Sandals + socks = bad. Flip-flops + socks = wrong. Very wrong.
Everyone has an opinion about Twitter. There's been a lot of buzz about it and I'm feeling like the only one with a clear enough head to debunk the damn thing. Twitter is perfect for...
1) Computer people. They have constant access to the internet and therefore the ability to update their status and check others at will.
2) Insecure people. Because, seriously, do you honestly believe that people need to know what you're doing at this exact instant?
3) Creepy people. That public timeline? Hit refresh every 20 seconds and you've got a whole new batch people to look at. Problem is that you'll stuck peering at the people on this list.
4) Obsessive people. Because, seriously, do you really have to know what someone (everyone) is doing right now?
Looking at that list (which is only the tip of the iceberg), I take it all back... I've just described a huge portion of the population. I guess it's a validation fix for information junkie voyeurs everywhere. Maybe I don't get it because I have a million things to do (see Ze Frank's Brain Crack). Maybe it also has something to do with my sad truth...
So... what?
Here's what does make Twitter interesting: Twitter's actually about what you can't do. It strictly enforces a character limit and only does text posts—no images, no YouTube integration. I'm sure it can technically support all of these things, but instead, in the name of ideology, it limits you. That is fascinating.
If you want Twitter with images and movies and RSS integration, you could just do a tumblog (a.k.a. Tumblr). But guess what that is? It's also just a blog with yet another ideology driving it. The technology here is essentially the same. It's a format, not a technical revolution.
My conclusion?
Stop talking tech ideology—you're just throwing around jargon and branding blah-blah-blah. Here's what I want: cool stuff from interesting people. I don't care if its called a podcast, tumblog, donkeysmack, imeme, or pumpkinsquat. Stop it with the terminology—you're obscuring the real stuff that people care about: content.
What is it about riding the train that turns Giants fans into total fuckwits?
Demanding chastity? A demonstration to show that you're not going to cave in to the world's demand that you have sex? A rebellion against ungodliness?
What Do We Want? Chastity! When Do We Want It? Now!
I give this the supreme "what the fuck?"
Choice is not forcing you to do something—it's the abilitiy to do it. That's what's absolutely bizzare about these people and their "movement." No one's forcing them to not be chaste—you want it, go for it—but it's not for everyone. And for those not choosing chastity, they should be allowed to do as they please.
We're not forcing you to have sex—we're letting you!
