Holy crap.
The A/C in my lab area is broken. It is currently 85 degrees in there, and probably closer to 90 under my lab bench, which has incandescent bulb and some high heat output electronics under it.
It's currently 80 degrees outside, according to Weather.com.
I don't have many rules in life, but I think that one of my new ones is going to be 'any time it's a Friday, and the weather outside is nicer than the weather inside my lab, I'm going home.'
Friday, September 7, 2007
Sports and Schools
Okay, two things I should have said yesterday before making my posts. Firstly, I am an idiot, and so please take anything I say with at least 5 grains of salt. Secondly, the NFL has done a wondrous job of ensuring, via the way they structure contracts, that there is huge turnover on almost every team almost every year. Even when the starters stay roughly the same, it often seems like teams are trading whole benches every year (as a few years ago, when the Broncos signed the Browns entire defensive line.) So preseason predictions are worth about as much as the electrons it takes to make them appear on your monitor. Mine are, well, no different. Just less well-informed.
But the point of this post is to direct you to this diavlog between Brink Lindsey and Josh Cohen. These two always make for a good pairing. They are cordial and respectful, but both fairly well-informed, well-spoken, and disagree on lots of things. But they know how to let the other make a point and then respond, unlike some vloggers (*cough* Eli Lake *cough*) who conduct themselves with the snarky attitude of a teenager, belying some serious lack of confidence in their own arguments.
Anyhow, Brink and Josh spend most of the vlog talking about education and raising kids. There's too much to go into in any great depth while I'm pounding out a post during lunch break, but I did want to take the time to say that Brink, while he does a great job of expounding the libertarian viewpoint, is at the same time doing a great job of driving me away from it.
I find a lot that is admirable in the libertarian model, which is basically the idea of pushing liberty above any other concept when it comes to questions of governmental power. In particular, I appreciate their live-and-let-live attitudes towards questions of sexual orientation, gender roles, abortion, and most of the social conservative wedge issues. Also, their tendency to really doubt the efficacy of the military in effecting social change in foreign lands is a lesson we all would have done well to learn prior to 2003.
However, I have absolutely no respect for the attitude of 'do whatever's best for the top 30% (or 50% or even 80%) and fuck the rest.' Which is, not to put too fine a point on it, the general attitude of libertarians in too many places.
In this case, it's in a question about schools. Josh is eviscerating the Supreme Court's take on school districts' attempts to achieve some racial balance and diversity in their schools. The court's take, basically, was 'no using race as a deciding factor in any way, shape, or form.' To which Brink's response was that, in his ideal world, there would be no public schools, and instead there would be a series of private institutions responsible for educating our young ones, and the government would help cover tuition if needed.
Pardon my French, but this is absolute fucknuttery. The only reason private schools do a better job than publics of educating kids, to whatever extent they do, is because they get to pick who goes there. They kick out kids who don't make the grade, or fall behind, or cause trouble. For a variety of reasons, some good some bad, public schools don't have nearly as much freedom in this regard. And where are these kids going to go in a world without public schools? Well, they'll either all be stuck together in some sort of serious miscreant academy, which doesn't seem like it really gives them the best chance to get their shit together, or they'll end up outside the system altogether.
To which, I suspect, Brink would say something kind-and-gentle sounding, but which lacks any actual substance.
And so, I am ready to say this. In a world in which we have created perfect human beings, I think libertarianism is the ideal social model. In the actual world in which we live, which is tragically filled with actual human beings, it's hogwash.
But the point of this post is to direct you to this diavlog between Brink Lindsey and Josh Cohen. These two always make for a good pairing. They are cordial and respectful, but both fairly well-informed, well-spoken, and disagree on lots of things. But they know how to let the other make a point and then respond, unlike some vloggers (*cough* Eli Lake *cough*) who conduct themselves with the snarky attitude of a teenager, belying some serious lack of confidence in their own arguments.
Anyhow, Brink and Josh spend most of the vlog talking about education and raising kids. There's too much to go into in any great depth while I'm pounding out a post during lunch break, but I did want to take the time to say that Brink, while he does a great job of expounding the libertarian viewpoint, is at the same time doing a great job of driving me away from it.
I find a lot that is admirable in the libertarian model, which is basically the idea of pushing liberty above any other concept when it comes to questions of governmental power. In particular, I appreciate their live-and-let-live attitudes towards questions of sexual orientation, gender roles, abortion, and most of the social conservative wedge issues. Also, their tendency to really doubt the efficacy of the military in effecting social change in foreign lands is a lesson we all would have done well to learn prior to 2003.
However, I have absolutely no respect for the attitude of 'do whatever's best for the top 30% (or 50% or even 80%) and fuck the rest.' Which is, not to put too fine a point on it, the general attitude of libertarians in too many places.
In this case, it's in a question about schools. Josh is eviscerating the Supreme Court's take on school districts' attempts to achieve some racial balance and diversity in their schools. The court's take, basically, was 'no using race as a deciding factor in any way, shape, or form.' To which Brink's response was that, in his ideal world, there would be no public schools, and instead there would be a series of private institutions responsible for educating our young ones, and the government would help cover tuition if needed.
Pardon my French, but this is absolute fucknuttery. The only reason private schools do a better job than publics of educating kids, to whatever extent they do, is because they get to pick who goes there. They kick out kids who don't make the grade, or fall behind, or cause trouble. For a variety of reasons, some good some bad, public schools don't have nearly as much freedom in this regard. And where are these kids going to go in a world without public schools? Well, they'll either all be stuck together in some sort of serious miscreant academy, which doesn't seem like it really gives them the best chance to get their shit together, or they'll end up outside the system altogether.
To which, I suspect, Brink would say something kind-and-gentle sounding, but which lacks any actual substance.
And so, I am ready to say this. In a world in which we have created perfect human beings, I think libertarianism is the ideal social model. In the actual world in which we live, which is tragically filled with actual human beings, it's hogwash.
Let's Hear It For The Worms
Nice little op-ed this morning about worm composting this morning in the Times. Most people probably know that I have a worm bin in my basement. Apart from the times that the worms get too active and start putting off worm tea (a runoff which is basically the equivalent of liquid gold to houseplants) faster than I can use it, given my meager supply of houseplants, it's a pretty worry-free operation. I get to feel like I'm wasting a little less; especially since I eat so many fruits and vegetables, it's nice to see all those rinds and peels and scraps get used somehow. Plus I get nice compost at the end of it, which will help my garden in years in which my sprinkler system doesn't reset itself while I'm on a week's vacation.
I feel like worm bins are one of those things that lots more people could have, especially suburbanites with their wide-open lawns, that have no particular downside. They don't smell bad, can be built to look very official, and are a way of making a small, but tangible, environmental upside. More worms, better soil, less waste.
Have you hugged your worm today?
I feel like worm bins are one of those things that lots more people could have, especially suburbanites with their wide-open lawns, that have no particular downside. They don't smell bad, can be built to look very official, and are a way of making a small, but tangible, environmental upside. More worms, better soil, less waste.
Have you hugged your worm today?
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Color-Coded
As Faithful Reader S.S. points out, the color-coded (black and yellow for the Saints, blue and white for the Colts) "1st & 10" arrow is one of those fantastic innovations which adds absolutely nothing to my enjoyment of the game, is vaguely distracting, and also almost certainly cost several million dollars to create and implement. It's a classic result of decision-by-committee.
Go Buy Stuff
Two notes on NFL commercials:
1) They waited a whole 4 commercials before playing our first 'This Is Our Country' spot. Dear lord, it's awful. Not quite so bad as watching the NBA playoffs and having to put up with all the WNBA 'We Got Next' crap. But still. It's bad. Watch one here.
See? Didn't that make you want to go out and get a crowbar and get absolutely medieval on some poor pickup truck's ass? Me too.
2) The Bud Light opera commercial was damn funny. It's not posted to the 'net yet that I can find, but I'll be sure to get it here once I can find it.
1) They waited a whole 4 commercials before playing our first 'This Is Our Country' spot. Dear lord, it's awful. Not quite so bad as watching the NBA playoffs and having to put up with all the WNBA 'We Got Next' crap. But still. It's bad. Watch one here.
See? Didn't that make you want to go out and get a crowbar and get absolutely medieval on some poor pickup truck's ass? Me too.
2) The Bud Light opera commercial was damn funny. It's not posted to the 'net yet that I can find, but I'll be sure to get it here once I can find it.
Now With Pictures!
In lieu of an actual entry, some pretty pictures for you to look at:
1) How to be a professional libertarian. It's not really true, but it is, kinda, and it is definitely funny.
2) Realisticats. As opposed to lolcats (those stupid pictures of kitties with inane ungrammatical text written across them), realisticats give you a hint of what actual life with cats is like. I even made my own:
3) A map of the wall being built by Israel in the West Bank, along with the position of the 1949 Armistice green line and the location of Palestinian and Jewish settlements. As Ezra wrote earlier this week, the story that the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the military to tear down a portion of the wall which separated some Palestinians from their farmland represented both the best and the worst of Israel at once. The worst, because they built the wall like that in an unmitigated land grab. The best, because they are certainly the only country in the Middle East with a court independent enough to order the government around like that.
1) How to be a professional libertarian. It's not really true, but it is, kinda, and it is definitely funny.
2) Realisticats. As opposed to lolcats (those stupid pictures of kitties with inane ungrammatical text written across them), realisticats give you a hint of what actual life with cats is like. I even made my own:
3) A map of the wall being built by Israel in the West Bank, along with the position of the 1949 Armistice green line and the location of Palestinian and Jewish settlements. As Ezra wrote earlier this week, the story that the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the military to tear down a portion of the wall which separated some Palestinians from their farmland represented both the best and the worst of Israel at once. The worst, because they built the wall like that in an unmitigated land grab. The best, because they are certainly the only country in the Middle East with a court independent enough to order the government around like that.
Sports Sports Sports Sports
Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote. I wish I had an even remotely good excuse for that fact, but, well, not so much. Haven't had much time for reading or posting at work, and I've been busy having a social life. I can't really apologize for either, since I am being paid to work at work, and would really prefer fun nights with friends to sitting on the couch and posting to the blog.
So, you know. Deal. Like I tell my boss at work, if you want me to do better, start paying me more. Which, in this case, would mean 'any'.
Anyhow, what an exciting week in sports! I'm sad to have missed the Roddick/Federer match last night. I do occasionally miss having cable, especially nights like that. It sounds like it was pretty crazy exciting. Good to be able to read about Roddick playing so well, even if he lost in straight sets. 42 winners vs. 24 errors against the greatest player in the history of the game is pretty damn good, although of course not as good as Federer's 48 vs. 18.
I will not brook any argument about the question of whether or not Federer is the best tennis player of all time. Anyone making this argument is either being contrarian for the sake of argument, or a 'back in the good old days' kind of fogey, who is probably going blind and simply can't see the ball when Roddick booms a 142 mph serve right down the center line.
You can make your arguments about clay courts, and the fact that he hasn't won the French yet, but I call bullshit. The southern Europeans have become so specialized on clay, and are so good on it, that it's almost like a different game now (read this article to get some sense of what I'm talking about). I think a valid comparison is if the NFL champ had to go play a game on a sand field, against a team who trained specifically to play on sand. It just really changes the dynamics, much more than the grass/hardcourt shift.
In other sports news, baseball is still happening. Whoopee!
In other, actual, sports news, the NFL (a.k.a. Only Sport That Actually Matters) season kicks off tonight with a real humdinger, last year's Cinderella vs. the Galactic Champs.
I think the Saints are going to be right back in this thing this year. I like Payton as a coach, and obviously Brees is a money quarterback. If Bush continues to develop as the kind of playmaker they see him being, they could be the NFL's top offense this year. Hell, their top three offensive skill players (Brees, Bush, Marques Colston) were all new to the system last year, two of them being NFL rookies!
The Colts, on the other hand, are in for a fall this year. I think their defense will make a brisk return to the level of mediocrity that is their norm. Everyone forgets how terrible that defense was all last year, until suddenly discovering the concept of 'tackling' in Week 1 of the playoffs. I think they come back to earth this year.
Very quickly, my stock up/down ratings for the NFL, moving from west to east.
NFC West:
Up: Niners, Seahawks
AFC West:
Up: Raiders (as in, 'nowhere to go but up'), Chargers (if you can go up from a 14-3 season)
Down: Chiefs
NFC North:
Up: Packers
Down: Bears
Note: I want to pick the Lions to do well. But them, and the Cardinals, are in the 'I will believe in you after you win something. Anything.' file.
AFC North:
Up: Steelers, Bengals
Down: Ravens
NFC South:
Up: Falcons (I'm with Simmons here, I think they're a playoff team this year)
Down: Panthers
Note: I think the Buccaneers are the next-best sleeper team here. Their D is getting old, no doubt, but I really like Jeff Garcia playing under Jon Gruden. If Cadillac has a good season, that could be a point-scoring offense.
AFC South:
Up: Texans (see Raiders, above)
Down so far we'll be setting up candlelight vigils and taking the mine safety committee to task for letting this happen: Jags
NFC East:
Up: Fly, Eagles, Fly..., Redskins
Down: Cowgirls, Giants
AFC East:
Up: J-E-T-S-Jets-Jets-Jets
Down: Patriots. Every year, some team makes a big splash signing and is anointed the new favorite team (Miami in '06, for example.) I think the Pats are that team this year, with the troika of wideout signings. Just like taking Culpepper looked pretty solid, I can't fault, on paper, picking up Moss, Stallworth, and Welker. Besides, anytime I get to think about the face that Reche Caldwell had on when he found out he had been cut and giggle, that's good times. I can't say why the Pats are going to disappoint this year, but that new favorite team always does. Although, I do have to say that obviously Belicheck and Brady are much better than Saban/Culpepper, so don't be surprised if I've gotten this entirely wrong.
Playoff predictions:
NFC Divisions go to Seahawks, Saints, Packers, Eagles
Wildcards to Falcons, Niners
Championship game is Seahawks at Eagles
AFC Divisions go to Chargers, Colts, Bengals, Jets
Wildcards to Pats, Broncos
Championship game is Jets at Chargers
Super Bowl XLI (?) will be San Diego vs. Philly. I'll even predict a final score of 27-23, but I won't tell you who I think is actually going to win.
So, you know. Deal. Like I tell my boss at work, if you want me to do better, start paying me more. Which, in this case, would mean 'any'.
Anyhow, what an exciting week in sports! I'm sad to have missed the Roddick/Federer match last night. I do occasionally miss having cable, especially nights like that. It sounds like it was pretty crazy exciting. Good to be able to read about Roddick playing so well, even if he lost in straight sets. 42 winners vs. 24 errors against the greatest player in the history of the game is pretty damn good, although of course not as good as Federer's 48 vs. 18.
I will not brook any argument about the question of whether or not Federer is the best tennis player of all time. Anyone making this argument is either being contrarian for the sake of argument, or a 'back in the good old days' kind of fogey, who is probably going blind and simply can't see the ball when Roddick booms a 142 mph serve right down the center line.
You can make your arguments about clay courts, and the fact that he hasn't won the French yet, but I call bullshit. The southern Europeans have become so specialized on clay, and are so good on it, that it's almost like a different game now (read this article to get some sense of what I'm talking about). I think a valid comparison is if the NFL champ had to go play a game on a sand field, against a team who trained specifically to play on sand. It just really changes the dynamics, much more than the grass/hardcourt shift.
In other sports news, baseball is still happening. Whoopee!
In other, actual, sports news, the NFL (a.k.a. Only Sport That Actually Matters) season kicks off tonight with a real humdinger, last year's Cinderella vs. the Galactic Champs.
I think the Saints are going to be right back in this thing this year. I like Payton as a coach, and obviously Brees is a money quarterback. If Bush continues to develop as the kind of playmaker they see him being, they could be the NFL's top offense this year. Hell, their top three offensive skill players (Brees, Bush, Marques Colston) were all new to the system last year, two of them being NFL rookies!
The Colts, on the other hand, are in for a fall this year. I think their defense will make a brisk return to the level of mediocrity that is their norm. Everyone forgets how terrible that defense was all last year, until suddenly discovering the concept of 'tackling' in Week 1 of the playoffs. I think they come back to earth this year.
Very quickly, my stock up/down ratings for the NFL, moving from west to east.
NFC West:
Up: Niners, Seahawks
AFC West:
Up: Raiders (as in, 'nowhere to go but up'), Chargers (if you can go up from a 14-3 season)
Down: Chiefs
NFC North:
Up: Packers
Down: Bears
Note: I want to pick the Lions to do well. But them, and the Cardinals, are in the 'I will believe in you after you win something. Anything.' file.
AFC North:
Up: Steelers, Bengals
Down: Ravens
NFC South:
Up: Falcons (I'm with Simmons here, I think they're a playoff team this year)
Down: Panthers
Note: I think the Buccaneers are the next-best sleeper team here. Their D is getting old, no doubt, but I really like Jeff Garcia playing under Jon Gruden. If Cadillac has a good season, that could be a point-scoring offense.
AFC South:
Up: Texans (see Raiders, above)
Down so far we'll be setting up candlelight vigils and taking the mine safety committee to task for letting this happen: Jags
NFC East:
Up: Fly, Eagles, Fly..., Redskins
Down: Cowgirls, Giants
AFC East:
Up: J-E-T-S-Jets-Jets-Jets
Down: Patriots. Every year, some team makes a big splash signing and is anointed the new favorite team (Miami in '06, for example.) I think the Pats are that team this year, with the troika of wideout signings. Just like taking Culpepper looked pretty solid, I can't fault, on paper, picking up Moss, Stallworth, and Welker. Besides, anytime I get to think about the face that Reche Caldwell had on when he found out he had been cut and giggle, that's good times. I can't say why the Pats are going to disappoint this year, but that new favorite team always does. Although, I do have to say that obviously Belicheck and Brady are much better than Saban/Culpepper, so don't be surprised if I've gotten this entirely wrong.
Playoff predictions:
NFC Divisions go to Seahawks, Saints, Packers, Eagles
Wildcards to Falcons, Niners
Championship game is Seahawks at Eagles
AFC Divisions go to Chargers, Colts, Bengals, Jets
Wildcards to Pats, Broncos
Championship game is Jets at Chargers
Super Bowl XLI (?) will be San Diego vs. Philly. I'll even predict a final score of 27-23, but I won't tell you who I think is actually going to win.
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