After spending 10 weeks in Greece and a weekend in Paris, I couldn't help but notice how much safer it felt (and actually was) to be out really late at night--and, on top of this, a completely different attitude towards alcohol, where the idea isn't to drink as much as you possibly can so that you end up wasted, but rather to have good drinks and at the very least enjoy what you're drinking (they don't do screwdrivers in Greece; I'm taking this as an 'if you don't like it, why would you drink it at all?'...also the cocktails were fantastic).
Now, in America....
Half the people I know don't like alcohol because all they've ever had is either shitty party beer or straight-up vodka because the main point of drinking in college (and, I assume, in high school) is to get drunk.
That's what the culture teaches us.
Now, what about the concept that alcohol is not simply something to be imbibed because of its effects, but something to drink for the flavor? I have to wonder if we'd have half the problems with ER visits and all that if this were the case. Not to mention that kids could come clean about drinking too much or if they had a friend drinking too much if it were legal and they didn't have to worry about being arrested.
Also, driving. The assumption that this activity requires even the mental capacity of a sixteen-year-old is ridiculous. Height, maybe. But seriously, this is one of the most boring and easy things to do, and if I'd started driving when I was younger I have a feeling that I wouldn't enjoy speeding so much. (Actually, since it's me, I probably would. All hail country roads. 70-90mph, yesplz--although gas efficiency drops off sharply after 65mph....) Anyway, at the least I'd have more experience.
But yeah. I think that, instead of having a system where privileges are granted based on something as arbitrary as age, we should have a system where you start off with full privileges and then lose them if you screw up.
For instance, if a twelve-year-old is caught speeding then they lose their license for a whole year: that's a long damn time. I don't think they'd take that risk lightly (and what sort of stupid-ass parent lets their twelve-year-old kid go drive in a city or the 'burbs in the first place?). As for drinking, any ER visit revokes that privilege for five years, and getting caught for a party....
I know none of these changes would ever happen because they're a little too fundamental, and the system we have in place today is only open to minor modifications (hello? We couldn't even get rid of the Electoral College), but it's fun to think about.
7.30.2009
7.28.2009
Despite all my rage....
I am surrounded by squeaking, nearly-blind idiots whose only aim in life seems to be to eat, excrete, and run in circles, possibly while doing one of the first two things. To make it worse, these creatures' only usefulness is in how short their lifespans are. One flash of glory, and then they're out, tossed into God knows what--a pit or whatever. And whenever I try to let them out, let them see more of the world or make their days just a little bit brighter, I am met with opposition--more meaningless squeaking, whatever they can manage. It's as if they don't even want to have any experiences!
Philistines.
...Okay, okay. All of this is literally true, and if you know the song by the Smashing Pumpkins you might have a better idea of what I'm talking about.
I'm suddenly worried about the day when emo children find themselves working in a lab.
Philistines.
...Okay, okay. All of this is literally true, and if you know the song by the Smashing Pumpkins you might have a better idea of what I'm talking about.
I'm suddenly worried about the day when emo children find themselves working in a lab.
7.27.2009
I Hate Treasure Island
And its stupid, pretentious ass-logo. "Most European supermarket"?! This is a contradiction from the start, as Europe doesn't really do supermarkets.
Also, a) their prices are ridiculous and b) they don't include tax in them, which is one of the most basic European principles: make sure the consumer knows how much they are actually paying!
So, anyway. This stupid grocery store has made my pretentious university even more pretentious. I avoid shopping there whenever I can.
Free samples, on the other hand....
Also, a) their prices are ridiculous and b) they don't include tax in them, which is one of the most basic European principles: make sure the consumer knows how much they are actually paying!
So, anyway. This stupid grocery store has made my pretentious university even more pretentious. I avoid shopping there whenever I can.
Free samples, on the other hand....
7.21.2009
Reduce and Reuse
Anyone else remember when there were three R's?
As much as I love recycling, I think--at least in America--it's starting to become a huge distraction from all the other things we should be doing, much the way that people equate 'organic' (whatever the hell that means, according to latest FDA regulations) with 'earth-friendly,' when in fact the Earth doesn't give a fuck about the modifications to its species and would be way better off if foods traveled shorter distances--so, basically, buy local.
But yeah. People feel so good about recycling things that they often forget that there's other stuff they can do. As little as I do with them, I still love websites that tell you how to use old shit lying around your house to make things you'd ordinarily pay lots of money for. We need to bring back manual labor as a skill. And what about that house built out of beer bottles in Arizona (well, somewhere in the southwest) that also runs mostly on solar, etc.? Why aren't all houses today expected to make some effort at alternate energy sources, including green roofs, or at least meet LEED certifications? (Actually, for all I know, they are....)
So, anyway. Buy only what you need, and reuse as much as you can. Being cheap is being green.
As much as I love recycling, I think--at least in America--it's starting to become a huge distraction from all the other things we should be doing, much the way that people equate 'organic' (whatever the hell that means, according to latest FDA regulations) with 'earth-friendly,' when in fact the Earth doesn't give a fuck about the modifications to its species and would be way better off if foods traveled shorter distances--so, basically, buy local.
But yeah. People feel so good about recycling things that they often forget that there's other stuff they can do. As little as I do with them, I still love websites that tell you how to use old shit lying around your house to make things you'd ordinarily pay lots of money for. We need to bring back manual labor as a skill. And what about that house built out of beer bottles in Arizona (well, somewhere in the southwest) that also runs mostly on solar, etc.? Why aren't all houses today expected to make some effort at alternate energy sources, including green roofs, or at least meet LEED certifications? (Actually, for all I know, they are....)
So, anyway. Buy only what you need, and reuse as much as you can. Being cheap is being green.
7.20.2009
Who Cares About the Moon?
The public is obsessed with the glamor of things that sound cool. In this case, landing on the moon. I, for one, see it in a similar light as particle physics or the entire branch of mathematics: cool, yeah, especially if you actually care about the topic...but what's the point? (Okay, yes, I am joking a little about mathematics. But seriously, you guys might want to try going outside occasionally; it'd probably help with the crippling social ineptitude.)
SO...yeah. Screw the moon, and definitely screw Mars. They're big fucking wastes of money, at least as long as we still have unexplored depths. Do you really think that knowing how water may have once formed on Mars is going to cure AIDS (well, more to the point, are not a pharmaceutical and therefore have some human interest in seeing it cured)?
As for Earth, global warming, while generally shitty, is opening up previously sealed areas, like an untouched lake in Antarctica teeming with bacteria that are thousands of years old. And, of course, it's killing the rainforest, so maybe we should work on that first, y'know? Y'know.
SO...yeah. Screw the moon, and definitely screw Mars. They're big fucking wastes of money, at least as long as we still have unexplored depths. Do you really think that knowing how water may have once formed on Mars is going to cure AIDS (well, more to the point, are not a pharmaceutical and therefore have some human interest in seeing it cured)?
As for Earth, global warming, while generally shitty, is opening up previously sealed areas, like an untouched lake in Antarctica teeming with bacteria that are thousands of years old. And, of course, it's killing the rainforest, so maybe we should work on that first, y'know? Y'know.
7.19.2009
To Industrialize or Not to Industrialize--Do You Really Have a Choice?
So India and China are both refusing to meet global demands to cap carbon emissions. According to this article, it seems like India's--and China's--main reason to refuse to cap their emissions is that they haven't had a chance to industrialize first, and that it's inevitable they will exceed caps while going through the process.
It's difficult to assess the fairness of this argument. For starters, it's basically the fault of the West that China and India didn't industrialize earlier (colonization, anyone?), but at the same time, shouldn't India have done something to cap its population long ago--I assume the population within China is slowing its rate of growth, but obviously it's hard to trust any available data on things like infant mortality, life expectancy, etc.? Basically, why should these nations be allowed concessions for an excess of population they shouldn't even have? But why can't the over two billion people in these countries enjoy the same amenities that the 300+ million people in the United States do? (Well, obviously, not all of them. If you are poor in America then you're pretty fucked; everyone's more interested in helping other countries' poor. I'm only sort of kidding here.)
But yeah. Should the G8 lower their caps even more to allow China and India to industralize, or should green options during the process of industrialization be mandatory from the beginning? I'd think the latter would make more sense, and could be combined with a better use of the massive manpower available there.
It's difficult to assess the fairness of this argument. For starters, it's basically the fault of the West that China and India didn't industrialize earlier (colonization, anyone?), but at the same time, shouldn't India have done something to cap its population long ago--I assume the population within China is slowing its rate of growth, but obviously it's hard to trust any available data on things like infant mortality, life expectancy, etc.? Basically, why should these nations be allowed concessions for an excess of population they shouldn't even have? But why can't the over two billion people in these countries enjoy the same amenities that the 300+ million people in the United States do? (Well, obviously, not all of them. If you are poor in America then you're pretty fucked; everyone's more interested in helping other countries' poor. I'm only sort of kidding here.)
But yeah. Should the G8 lower their caps even more to allow China and India to industralize, or should green options during the process of industrialization be mandatory from the beginning? I'd think the latter would make more sense, and could be combined with a better use of the massive manpower available there.
7.17.2009
Making Money Off of Other People's Stuff
So first PostSecret, and now FMyLife, have published books that are compilations of stuff that people have posted on their websites. (I'm sure there's more, but these are the only two I've ever visited.)
I'm trying to figure out if this should be allowed or not. On the one hand, this is technically other people's property and I'm pretty sure neither of those websites have clear disclaimers on the use of your material or, more importantly, the fact that ownership of your material is being transferred over to them--so shouldn't the posted content technically belong to you (or to whatever IP address you posted from)? On the other hand, you're posting content that is clogging their servers, and quite frankly I think most posters are also doing it for the privilege of just being seen (anonymously)....
Also, anyone want to step up and demand royalties for their published content? :D
I'm trying to figure out if this should be allowed or not. On the one hand, this is technically other people's property and I'm pretty sure neither of those websites have clear disclaimers on the use of your material or, more importantly, the fact that ownership of your material is being transferred over to them--so shouldn't the posted content technically belong to you (or to whatever IP address you posted from)? On the other hand, you're posting content that is clogging their servers, and quite frankly I think most posters are also doing it for the privilege of just being seen (anonymously)....
Also, anyone want to step up and demand royalties for their published content? :D
7.15.2009
The Brain Will Kill Us
It's an interesting idea that I often see in movies or popular literature (okay, newspapers/magazines) and all that jazz...basically, people are getting too smart for their own good, and at the rate things are going we're going to finally just set off the goddamn nuke that takes out every single city on the planet....
I disagree.
If anything, science is making people live longer.
Which is actually the problem.
The purpose of an individual in a species is to procreate and basically maintain the kind of genetic diversity necessary for survival. But if we're living longer, it means we're basically consuming resources that should be going to our descendants. Not to mention the fact that edumacated people tend to have less children (and relationships...) than non-edumacated people. (Maybe this is correlated to the fact that educated people are also less religious. Someone should study that.)
But anyway.
Science is, ironically, killing our species by simultaneously muddying and narrowing the gene pool.
If you read this the wrong way, I sound like an advocate of eugenics.
If you read this the wrong way, you are a silly face. And I don't believe in eugenics, I believe in no-genics! It's the only way to make the Earth happy again!
I disagree.
If anything, science is making people live longer.
Which is actually the problem.
The purpose of an individual in a species is to procreate and basically maintain the kind of genetic diversity necessary for survival. But if we're living longer, it means we're basically consuming resources that should be going to our descendants. Not to mention the fact that edumacated people tend to have less children (and relationships...) than non-edumacated people. (Maybe this is correlated to the fact that educated people are also less religious. Someone should study that.)
But anyway.
Science is, ironically, killing our species by simultaneously muddying and narrowing the gene pool.
If you read this the wrong way, I sound like an advocate of eugenics.
If you read this the wrong way, you are a silly face. And I don't believe in eugenics, I believe in no-genics! It's the only way to make the Earth happy again!
7.13.2009
Wisconsin
...is secretly Canada. I am officially convinced of this by things like the strange road and city names, the weirdly low prices (I got a giant ice cream cone for insanely cheap...hail 5% sales tax forever), the strange red building that was simultaneously an armory and a gym (how efficient!) and the nice people.
Also, the fact that the weather was way better than Chicago. What the hell, July. (Not that it's easy to complain about the lack of obscene heat.)
Reasons to have a Jewish wedding: glass breaking, spontaneous singing, crazy circle dance, and being lifted up on chairs. On the other hand, Manischewitz ew, so it's best to not combine this with any sort of religion at all.
P.S. I'm pretty sure Sarah Palin left to avoid having to deal with a state that did not have a budget surplus.
Also, the fact that the weather was way better than Chicago. What the hell, July. (Not that it's easy to complain about the lack of obscene heat.)
Reasons to have a Jewish wedding: glass breaking, spontaneous singing, crazy circle dance, and being lifted up on chairs. On the other hand, Manischewitz ew, so it's best to not combine this with any sort of religion at all.
P.S. I'm pretty sure Sarah Palin left to avoid having to deal with a state that did not have a budget surplus.
7.08.2009
Infertile Men Having Children
This story on scientists allegedly creating sperm from stem cells was just too good for me not to do something longer about it (and yeah, I really do see Twitter as a micro-blog and RSS 3.0 all in one)....
Well, the idea is that infertile men could have children. But here's the thing...they used embryonic stem cells...admittedly, this says nothing about the source of the 'father' DNA, but imagine a craaaazy world where the sole, eight-year-old heir to the fortune somehow ends up with a kid!
Nah, that's a little too far out there. I have no particular desire to read the journal article, unless you find it for me, so...yeah.
But I am going to do something I never do and ask you if you'd approve of a world in which gay or lesbian partners, or even singles who basically want a kid with their and only their DNA, can have children (in some cases with the help of a surrogate mother, or while we're in this crazy future world an artificial womb)?
I really don't have an answer to this one, but I don't think it would bother me if the parents went through the ideal world's (a.k.a. not horribly biased) screening for anyone who wants to be a parent. Also, seriously, there are enough babies in the world already...adopt!
Also, raise your hand if you hate it when the media publish science-based articles before any refutations have been made and without even linking to the original journal article.
Well, the idea is that infertile men could have children. But here's the thing...they used embryonic stem cells...admittedly, this says nothing about the source of the 'father' DNA, but imagine a craaaazy world where the sole, eight-year-old heir to the fortune somehow ends up with a kid!
Nah, that's a little too far out there. I have no particular desire to read the journal article, unless you find it for me, so...yeah.
But I am going to do something I never do and ask you if you'd approve of a world in which gay or lesbian partners, or even singles who basically want a kid with their and only their DNA, can have children (in some cases with the help of a surrogate mother, or while we're in this crazy future world an artificial womb)?
I really don't have an answer to this one, but I don't think it would bother me if the parents went through the ideal world's (a.k.a. not horribly biased) screening for anyone who wants to be a parent. Also, seriously, there are enough babies in the world already...adopt!
Also, raise your hand if you hate it when the media publish science-based articles before any refutations have been made and without even linking to the original journal article.
7.07.2009
land where my fathers lied
Well, maybe they were all politicians.
I realize that I forgot to post my customary 4th of July rant about how they got the day completely wrong--the Declaration of Independence was just this throwaway document justifying war against Britain, should we really be celebrating that; we should be giving more attention to the Constitution (May 15, 1781) considering how schools are always bitching about how kids don't know jack shit these days--well, it's obviously because you've been teaching them this stupid nonsense....
And then my friend pointed out that July is a much better time for celebration than May (at least in this hellhole part of the world). Seems pretty reasonable to me.
But, seriously, responsibility, people. One of my favorite things about President Obama is that he insists on making sure people look in the mirror before they find a nice lawyer to sue the mean, nasty corporations for them.
More on that, eventually.
I realize that I forgot to post my customary 4th of July rant about how they got the day completely wrong--the Declaration of Independence was just this throwaway document justifying war against Britain, should we really be celebrating that; we should be giving more attention to the Constitution (May 15, 1781) considering how schools are always bitching about how kids don't know jack shit these days--well, it's obviously because you've been teaching them this stupid nonsense....
And then my friend pointed out that July is a much better time for celebration than May (at least in this hellhole part of the world). Seems pretty reasonable to me.
But, seriously, responsibility, people. One of my favorite things about President Obama is that he insists on making sure people look in the mirror before they find a nice lawyer to sue the mean, nasty corporations for them.
More on that, eventually.
7.05.2009
Tasty Chicago
I went to the Taste of Chicago on July 4 and 5...the first in the rain, primarily to listen to Guster (who are pretty damn awesome live! Concerts are the best when the band members have personalities and aren't afraid to demonstrate them...especially when said personalities are kind of nerdy! Also they played "Amsterdam" which is such a greeeeat song! I like to go to concerts, is it obvious at all...even if I had my umbrella up most of the time and also three people who are having fun but can't dance trying to grind all together (uh, seriously, at least one person needs to lead) and an insane/mentally compromised person for like 5 minutes ruining on the music, except not "Amsterdam") and maybe it's time to end this sentence.
So. The Taste of Chicago.
Considering how many vendors backed out of it, no surprise that it wasn't as fabulous as the Chicago Tribune makes it sound (or maybe they're just full of lies), but still...the amount of people buying pizza was just...seriously?! I mean, this is supposed to be a festival about trying, y'know, new things....
I had some tasty things (some of them just samples of friends' things)...sweet potato pie, banana chocolate egg roll, mango/cumin french fries with date chutney, key lime pie (why do they only make it in the summer...), dream cup (which is like a dreamsicle but made with actual ice cream), a dessert with a pretentious name that was basically a coconut-covered brownie, a really good cheese-covered (and none of that bullshit frozen sprinkly cheese, we're talking pizza cheese here) garlic bread thing and...this is all I can remember...Sierra Mist new stuff (we got to be sunwashed! It was kind of the most ridiculous experience EVER). The things were surprisingly non-ripofftastic, provided you get lots of taste portions and stay the hell away from full options, unless of course they're desserts.
Also, the Sensodyne booth gave us free toothpaste and bags with the Sensodyne logo, proving my point that people will give you all sorts of free stuff if it means they get to advertise their name.
I don't actually approve of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid, but I pressed the support button 3 times because I wanted to hear all the sound effects, and then I signed the thing so I could get a free rubber bracelet. Free stuff is awesome.
Oh, yeah, SUNWAAAASHIIIIIIING. Free sample booth! Which was perfect in the insane heat following the ridiculous crowd level of July 5 (last day, muuuuch better weather than the day before, that sort of thing). We got to walk through swishy fuzzy feather boa things that were yellow while listening to people with the right timbre cooing(?) "SUUUUUUNWWAAAAAASHIIIIIING" and then walk through, well, some pretty trippy but weirdly entertaining stuff.
WHY won't Guster release album versions of their music that sound like the live stuff..."Satellite"'s many crazy electric guitar solos are so much more emphasized there.... And also they have this one song where the lead does this totally crazy voice, but I have no idea which one it is.... P.S. he really can play the harmonica, too. Sweet!
AND. Fireworks in Chicago are best on July 3, even though they're still around July 4 (this part is directed at crazy, not-super-intelligent P.M.S.ing lady who called Chicago "fucking unpatriotic").
So. The Taste of Chicago.
Considering how many vendors backed out of it, no surprise that it wasn't as fabulous as the Chicago Tribune makes it sound (or maybe they're just full of lies), but still...the amount of people buying pizza was just...seriously?! I mean, this is supposed to be a festival about trying, y'know, new things....
I had some tasty things (some of them just samples of friends' things)...sweet potato pie, banana chocolate egg roll, mango/cumin french fries with date chutney, key lime pie (why do they only make it in the summer...), dream cup (which is like a dreamsicle but made with actual ice cream), a dessert with a pretentious name that was basically a coconut-covered brownie, a really good cheese-covered (and none of that bullshit frozen sprinkly cheese, we're talking pizza cheese here) garlic bread thing and...this is all I can remember...Sierra Mist new stuff (we got to be sunwashed! It was kind of the most ridiculous experience EVER). The things were surprisingly non-ripofftastic, provided you get lots of taste portions and stay the hell away from full options, unless of course they're desserts.
Also, the Sensodyne booth gave us free toothpaste and bags with the Sensodyne logo, proving my point that people will give you all sorts of free stuff if it means they get to advertise their name.
I don't actually approve of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid, but I pressed the support button 3 times because I wanted to hear all the sound effects, and then I signed the thing so I could get a free rubber bracelet. Free stuff is awesome.
Oh, yeah, SUNWAAAASHIIIIIIING. Free sample booth! Which was perfect in the insane heat following the ridiculous crowd level of July 5 (last day, muuuuch better weather than the day before, that sort of thing). We got to walk through swishy fuzzy feather boa things that were yellow while listening to people with the right timbre cooing(?) "SUUUUUUNWWAAAAAASHIIIIIING" and then walk through, well, some pretty trippy but weirdly entertaining stuff.
WHY won't Guster release album versions of their music that sound like the live stuff..."Satellite"'s many crazy electric guitar solos are so much more emphasized there.... And also they have this one song where the lead does this totally crazy voice, but I have no idea which one it is.... P.S. he really can play the harmonica, too. Sweet!
AND. Fireworks in Chicago are best on July 3, even though they're still around July 4 (this part is directed at crazy, not-super-intelligent P.M.S.ing lady who called Chicago "fucking unpatriotic").
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