Ezra Klein and I had the same reaction to Sarah Palin's resignation speech:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/07/sarah_palin_resigns.html#comments
Which is tangentially related to something I often think about this time of year: Ego, team work, and good writing. Jefferson and Adams.
In the HBO miniseries about John Adams, there is a great scene where Adams asks Jefferson to help author the Declaration of Independence. Adams, who is portrayed as a person of great ego, asks Jefferson to help because he's a better writer and well..... people like him better than Adams. Later, they show the back and forth between Adams, Jefferson and Ben Franklin in drafting the final document.
Two great clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Txi1687wo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrvpZxMfKaU&feature=related
There are a lot of great moments in American history when people with immense talent and ego recognize their limits and as Palin would say "pass the ball." Or better yet, as Harry Truman said: "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. "
If Palin can't even be bothered to pass the ball to a speechwriter, I think it's highly unlikely she will be part of any future great moments in history!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Books & Covers
At a fun little party over the weekend a friend teased a 10-year old girl, saying "books SHOULD be judged by covers, that's the rule." She, in wise 5th grade fashion, argued back and gave some good examples of terrible books she has purchased or borrowed based on attractive covers.
I thought about her today as I was trying to figure out why two current events are really under my skin:
1) The omnipresent adoration of Susan Boyle.
The girl's got pipes. No doubt about it.
But so do a lot of people on these reality talent shows.* Why are we so "inspired" by Boyle in particular? I watched the youtube clip where they pan to the audience before she sings. She's says she's 47. She undulates a bit to be silly. People grimace at the sight of her. Then she sings and they are magically transformed...."ahhhh! tears! cherubs! angels!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk)
Her popularity seems to be a function of the unexpectedness of her talent. But why was it unexpected? The very nature of these shows is that you can find talent anywhere. Anywhere, I suppose except in the single, dowdy fortysomething crowd. She is older, she is not traditionally pretty, she's overweight. But how do any of those characteristics affect someone's singing?
It's very cool that this person's life long dream is coming true. But as for taking inspiration from it? The whole thing had the opposite effect on me and reminded me of how moronic our culture often really is.
2) And speaking of morons.....it's Miss USA** time!
Miss California was asked about whether or not gay marriage should be allowed and she replied that she thinks it's just great that in America we can choose between same sex marriage and this interesting thing she's calling "opposite" marriage. (seemingly oblivious that the entire point of the question is that such a choice DOES NOT exist) But that for her, she thinks, marriage is between a man and a woman. (insert controversy here)
And of course it's all very funny because pretty girls are supposed to be stupid. Miss South Carolina and the maps for the Iraqs and what-not. Good times.
If you're traditionally beautiful, we will expect and take pleasure in your inarticulateness. If you're older and a little homely, you can't possibly have any sort of talent and if you do we will be SHOCKED! When is the last time you've seen this stereotype applied to men?
What does this say to our girls?
Is it really and truly still OK to judge books by covers?
.................................................................
* I loathe reality talent shows and this could account for the extra crispy crankiness of this rant.
** I loathe/despise/hate X 25 beauty pageants, which accounts for even more of the extra crispy crankiness of this rant.
I thought about her today as I was trying to figure out why two current events are really under my skin:
1) The omnipresent adoration of Susan Boyle.
The girl's got pipes. No doubt about it.
But so do a lot of people on these reality talent shows.* Why are we so "inspired" by Boyle in particular? I watched the youtube clip where they pan to the audience before she sings. She's says she's 47. She undulates a bit to be silly. People grimace at the sight of her. Then she sings and they are magically transformed...."ahhhh! tears! cherubs! angels!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk)
Her popularity seems to be a function of the unexpectedness of her talent. But why was it unexpected? The very nature of these shows is that you can find talent anywhere. Anywhere, I suppose except in the single, dowdy fortysomething crowd. She is older, she is not traditionally pretty, she's overweight. But how do any of those characteristics affect someone's singing?
It's very cool that this person's life long dream is coming true. But as for taking inspiration from it? The whole thing had the opposite effect on me and reminded me of how moronic our culture often really is.
2) And speaking of morons.....it's Miss USA** time!
Miss California was asked about whether or not gay marriage should be allowed and she replied that she thinks it's just great that in America we can choose between same sex marriage and this interesting thing she's calling "opposite" marriage. (seemingly oblivious that the entire point of the question is that such a choice DOES NOT exist) But that for her, she thinks, marriage is between a man and a woman. (insert controversy here)
And of course it's all very funny because pretty girls are supposed to be stupid. Miss South Carolina and the maps for the Iraqs and what-not. Good times.
If you're traditionally beautiful, we will expect and take pleasure in your inarticulateness. If you're older and a little homely, you can't possibly have any sort of talent and if you do we will be SHOCKED! When is the last time you've seen this stereotype applied to men?
What does this say to our girls?
Is it really and truly still OK to judge books by covers?
.................................................................
* I loathe reality talent shows and this could account for the extra crispy crankiness of this rant.
** I loathe/despise/hate X 25 beauty pageants, which accounts for even more of the extra crispy crankiness of this rant.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Pirates & Swimming in Radioactive Waste
As a person who with a perennial fascination with Special Forces and a devotee of the now defunct TV show "Alias," I let out a hearty "HOO-YA!" when I heard about this weekend's technically perfect rescue of the heroic ship captain being held by Somali pirates.
It's taken me two days, but it's finally sinking in: the three pirates simultaneously killed were *teenage boys.* Three women, somewhere out there, dead or alive, and probably my age, carried those boys for nine months and birthed them. Somewhere out there, people who loved those boys are grieving.
Now, don't get me wrong. The US Navy did the right thing. The captain, in protecting his crew and protecting his cargo (food aid for africa) did the right thing. The pirates did the wrong thing. But there is a context that I'm not seeing discussed in the mainstream media regarding how richer countries have exploited Somalia over the past 15 years and set up the context that shaped those boys actions:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/you-are-being-lied-to-abo_b_155147.html
I have often wondered: "Why *has* Somalia remained lawless for so long?" The same can be asked of a lot of neighborhoods in the U.S. The answer lies in the profit that springs from the absence of law: Environmental injustice, illegal drugs, political corruption, exploited cheap labor....the story of Somalia and the pirates isn't that different from places all over the U.S. and all over the world.
As we get whipped up into a further frenzy over the coming weeks about restoring order to Somalia, I hope we also get whipped up into a frenzy over social justice.
Who is responsible for dumping the dangerous chemicals that are killing Somalis? Who is responsible for illegal fishing? Let's bring order to Somalia but let's also bring justice....
A quote from an article in today's Washington Post:
In Somalia, in the pirate haven of Harardhere, where locals have benefited from millions of dollars in pirate ransom, the military operation seemed like a bewildering display of force against four errant young men. "It was wrong to kill those pirates," said Aisha Gurey, an Arabic teacher. "The international community is wrong, and the pirates are wrong. But in this case, the strong one has killed the weak one."
It's taken me two days, but it's finally sinking in: the three pirates simultaneously killed were *teenage boys.* Three women, somewhere out there, dead or alive, and probably my age, carried those boys for nine months and birthed them. Somewhere out there, people who loved those boys are grieving.
Now, don't get me wrong. The US Navy did the right thing. The captain, in protecting his crew and protecting his cargo (food aid for africa) did the right thing. The pirates did the wrong thing. But there is a context that I'm not seeing discussed in the mainstream media regarding how richer countries have exploited Somalia over the past 15 years and set up the context that shaped those boys actions:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/you-are-being-lied-to-abo_b_155147.html
I have often wondered: "Why *has* Somalia remained lawless for so long?" The same can be asked of a lot of neighborhoods in the U.S. The answer lies in the profit that springs from the absence of law: Environmental injustice, illegal drugs, political corruption, exploited cheap labor....the story of Somalia and the pirates isn't that different from places all over the U.S. and all over the world.
As we get whipped up into a further frenzy over the coming weeks about restoring order to Somalia, I hope we also get whipped up into a frenzy over social justice.
Who is responsible for dumping the dangerous chemicals that are killing Somalis? Who is responsible for illegal fishing? Let's bring order to Somalia but let's also bring justice....
A quote from an article in today's Washington Post:
In Somalia, in the pirate haven of Harardhere, where locals have benefited from millions of dollars in pirate ransom, the military operation seemed like a bewildering display of force against four errant young men. "It was wrong to kill those pirates," said Aisha Gurey, an Arabic teacher. "The international community is wrong, and the pirates are wrong. But in this case, the strong one has killed the weak one."
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Recession? Guns?
Yet still more shit going down in April:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/mass-murders-may-be-recession-related/shootings/
But I still haven't seen a mainstream media discussion about the seasonal connection to mental health disorders? Have you?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/mass-murders-may-be-recession-related/shootings/
But I still haven't seen a mainstream media discussion about the seasonal connection to mental health disorders? Have you?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
House!
Fans of the TV show House are sort of "huh?" this week about a very random plot twist, that to me, newly aware that suicides happen more in the spring, seems like a brilliant public health intervention....
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/04/08/2009-04-08_house_suicide_of_kal_penn_sparks_a_buzz_.html
I checked out some of the fake memorial site and while most of it is "this show is really getting stupid" (probably the adults who should be working instead of posting on fake memorial sites) there was a fair bit of "wow, I never really thought about someone seemingly normal committing suicide." (mostly written in earnest teenager speak)
It's a fictional discussion that's happening *exactly* when it should be happening.
I was thinking about the love-hate relationship people have with House and how most of the fans I know are 1) people who in real life possess a high tolerance for the misanthropic brilliant and 2) the real-life misanthropic brilliant.
Both key groups to reach in preventing "All the shit goes down in April."
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/04/08/2009-04-08_house_suicide_of_kal_penn_sparks_a_buzz_.html
I checked out some of the fake memorial site and while most of it is "this show is really getting stupid" (probably the adults who should be working instead of posting on fake memorial sites) there was a fair bit of "wow, I never really thought about someone seemingly normal committing suicide." (mostly written in earnest teenager speak)
It's a fictional discussion that's happening *exactly* when it should be happening.
I was thinking about the love-hate relationship people have with House and how most of the fans I know are 1) people who in real life possess a high tolerance for the misanthropic brilliant and 2) the real-life misanthropic brilliant.
Both key groups to reach in preventing "All the shit goes down in April."
Monday, April 6, 2009
More March/April Madness....
So two more things related to my "All the shit goes down in spring" hypothesis:
1) More craziness this weekend: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123887647672989879.html
2) Quick -- what's the peak month for suicide?
Yup, I said "December" too.
But according to this group, it's actually May:
http://www.priorygroup.com/pg.asp?p=SpringSuicideAlert
"It is a harsh irony that the partial remission which most depression sufferers experience in the spring often provides the boost of energy required for executing a suicide plan," explains Professor Thompson. "People coming out of depression have a higher suicide rate than those who are severely depressed and this is exacerbated by the season. Spring is a time for new beginnings and new life, yet the juxtaposition between a literally blooming world and the barren inner life of the clinically depressed is often too much for them to bear."
1) More craziness this weekend: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123887647672989879.html
2) Quick -- what's the peak month for suicide?
Yup, I said "December" too.
But according to this group, it's actually May:
http://www.priorygroup.com/pg.asp?p=SpringSuicideAlert
"It is a harsh irony that the partial remission which most depression sufferers experience in the spring often provides the boost of energy required for executing a suicide plan," explains Professor Thompson. "People coming out of depression have a higher suicide rate than those who are severely depressed and this is exacerbated by the season. Spring is a time for new beginnings and new life, yet the juxtaposition between a literally blooming world and the barren inner life of the clinically depressed is often too much for them to bear."
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Is April the Cruelest Month?
Or is it March?
..................
Talking about the news with a scientist friend the other night, I said, "yep, it's that time of the year where people go crazy. I wonder why all the nut jobs come out in March and April?"
He logically asked if there are data showing that all the nut jobs come out in March and April.
"I don't need data, it's obvious: Oklahoma City, Columbine, Virginia Tech...the list goes on and on," I said.
He said "yeah, and there's that thing that happened in September. Look, if you have a cool hypothesis, go prove it."
"I don't need to prove it, it's *obvious*" I said.
"That's why you're in *policy* and not *science,* he huffed.
.............................................
So I did something terribly scientific, I went to google and found a timeline of school shootings from 1996 to present (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777958.html). I marked down the distribution of events from each month and found the following:
Jan -4
Feb-8
Mar-11
Apr-7
May-4
June-1
July -0
Aug-1
Sept-7
Oct -4
Nov-5
Dec-4
I also went to the wikipedia entry for "events named massacres" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_events_named_massacres)and found:
Jan -4
Feb-3
Mar-9
Apr-7
May-6
June-2
July -4
Aug-5
Sept-7
Oct -3
Nov-4
Dec-5
Not every event had a month and I didn't look each one up to check, but again note that March is the highest month. This time, March/April/May is the 3 month window with the most carnage.
I started wading through "terrorism" but it's riddled with assassinations of individuals and detailed strikes against property, which, while certainly crazy, isn't the same craziness I'm talking about. And I'm not talking about straight up everyday crime such as individual murders, rapes, theft. If you've ever lived in a city, you know that stuff spikes when the weather gets warmer and/or the economy sucks.
.............................
So why do sick people do gruesome things like shoot up nursing homes, bomb day care centers and kill their classmates this time of year?
For Christians who observe Lent, it's a pretty dark and contemplative time (don't forget Jesus got whacked in March too, sort of the opposite of one person killing many people, but rather many people killing one person) Might the Easter story itself trigger a violence button in the insane brain? Consider the religious overtones of the Virginia Tech and Columbine shooters and their similar lines of justification that they were "persecuted."
Consider that Lent's origins probably had little to do with religion and more to do with trying to extend food supplies:
"The Lenten semi-fast may have originated for practical reasons: during the era of subsistence agriculture in the West as food stored away in the previous autumn was running out or had to be used before it went bad in store, and little or no new food-crop was expected soon (compare the period in Spring which British gardeners call the "hungry gap" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent)
Christian-dominated governments forcing people to give up meat and alcohol and to fast on certain days probably helped extend the communal food stores for an extra few crucial weeks.
Do people go crazy because there is some part of their lizard brain that thinks they will go hungry?
Do kids just hate being asked "So what will you do after graduation?" every spring? Pollen Allergies?!?!?
...................
I am very curious about this. If you have a thought, post it! If you want to tell me wrong and find more precise numbers, crunch 'em!
..................
Talking about the news with a scientist friend the other night, I said, "yep, it's that time of the year where people go crazy. I wonder why all the nut jobs come out in March and April?"
He logically asked if there are data showing that all the nut jobs come out in March and April.
"I don't need data, it's obvious: Oklahoma City, Columbine, Virginia Tech...the list goes on and on," I said.
He said "yeah, and there's that thing that happened in September. Look, if you have a cool hypothesis, go prove it."
"I don't need to prove it, it's *obvious*" I said.
"That's why you're in *policy* and not *science,* he huffed.
.............................................
So I did something terribly scientific, I went to google and found a timeline of school shootings from 1996 to present (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777958.html). I marked down the distribution of events from each month and found the following:
Jan -4
Feb-8
Mar-11
Apr-7
May-4
June-1
July -0
Aug-1
Sept-7
Oct -4
Nov-5
Dec-4
I also went to the wikipedia entry for "events named massacres" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_events_named_massacres)and found:
Jan -4
Feb-3
Mar-9
Apr-7
May-6
June-2
July -4
Aug-5
Sept-7
Oct -3
Nov-4
Dec-5
Not every event had a month and I didn't look each one up to check, but again note that March is the highest month. This time, March/April/May is the 3 month window with the most carnage.
I started wading through "terrorism" but it's riddled with assassinations of individuals and detailed strikes against property, which, while certainly crazy, isn't the same craziness I'm talking about. And I'm not talking about straight up everyday crime such as individual murders, rapes, theft. If you've ever lived in a city, you know that stuff spikes when the weather gets warmer and/or the economy sucks.
.............................
So why do sick people do gruesome things like shoot up nursing homes, bomb day care centers and kill their classmates this time of year?
For Christians who observe Lent, it's a pretty dark and contemplative time (don't forget Jesus got whacked in March too, sort of the opposite of one person killing many people, but rather many people killing one person) Might the Easter story itself trigger a violence button in the insane brain? Consider the religious overtones of the Virginia Tech and Columbine shooters and their similar lines of justification that they were "persecuted."
Consider that Lent's origins probably had little to do with religion and more to do with trying to extend food supplies:
"The Lenten semi-fast may have originated for practical reasons: during the era of subsistence agriculture in the West as food stored away in the previous autumn was running out or had to be used before it went bad in store, and little or no new food-crop was expected soon (compare the period in Spring which British gardeners call the "hungry gap" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent)
Christian-dominated governments forcing people to give up meat and alcohol and to fast on certain days probably helped extend the communal food stores for an extra few crucial weeks.
Do people go crazy because there is some part of their lizard brain that thinks they will go hungry?
Do kids just hate being asked "So what will you do after graduation?" every spring? Pollen Allergies?!?!?
...................
I am very curious about this. If you have a thought, post it! If you want to tell me wrong and find more precise numbers, crunch 'em!
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