I am surprised (and somewhat pleased) by all of the positive press Michael Jackson has gotten since his death. I think the media has done a good job in balancing the genius of his career with the oddness of his later years.
They don't really have to remind us of what a weirdo he was; the picture of his face will do that. They only real fault you can find with the media is the amount of coverage has been enormous.
The next year or so will be the biggest lawyer party since the death of Elvis, a comparison that could be relevant in several other ways.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Obama in the middle east
It's going to take more than one speech to make peace with the Muslim world, but this might be a good start.
What a lot of conservatives fail to realize is that we have done a decent job fighting the extremists, but we have done a terrible job of building bridges to the overwhelmingly moderate Muslim population. When Osama Bin Laden is considered an admirable leader by otherwise moderate muslims, this shows how much needs to be done.
A good example is Indonesia. The Indonesians are moderate and tolerant, but identify themselve as Muslim. We have done almost nothing to build bridges to these people, and as a result, and Arab Wahhabist ideology (which should be completely alien) has made inroads into a relatively secular Indonesian society, through the rhetoric of "Muslims everywhere are under attack".
Lets hope Barack can start a (long) process of reconciliation.
What a lot of conservatives fail to realize is that we have done a decent job fighting the extremists, but we have done a terrible job of building bridges to the overwhelmingly moderate Muslim population. When Osama Bin Laden is considered an admirable leader by otherwise moderate muslims, this shows how much needs to be done.
A good example is Indonesia. The Indonesians are moderate and tolerant, but identify themselve as Muslim. We have done almost nothing to build bridges to these people, and as a result, and Arab Wahhabist ideology (which should be completely alien) has made inroads into a relatively secular Indonesian society, through the rhetoric of "Muslims everywhere are under attack".
Lets hope Barack can start a (long) process of reconciliation.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tax credit
We are going to try to take advantage of the tax credit for energy efficient windows that you can use in 2009 and 2010.
You can get a tax credit of 30%, up to $1500 for installation of approved energy efficient windows. That means we can get $5000 worth of windows for $3500.
A lot of the windows in our house are pretty drafty, especially the 4 big windows in our north facing bedroom. It gets very cold in winter and the windows rattle in the wind. We even use plastic sheets over the window frame all winter long.
We are going to try to do this in both years, and save $3000 on windows.
You can get a tax credit of 30%, up to $1500 for installation of approved energy efficient windows. That means we can get $5000 worth of windows for $3500.
A lot of the windows in our house are pretty drafty, especially the 4 big windows in our north facing bedroom. It gets very cold in winter and the windows rattle in the wind. We even use plastic sheets over the window frame all winter long.
We are going to try to do this in both years, and save $3000 on windows.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
American Idol
I have been watching this nonsense lately because my 7 year old loves it and it is a good family bonding type TV show.
Last nights finale really summed up everything I dislike about AI.
1. 2 hours and 10 minutes of filler. A really cynical manipulation to milk every last advertising minute.
2. The performers are no good. The final 2 contestants are both in their 20's, been trying to make it in show biz for a long time, and have had no success. There is a reason for this: they suck. The finalists are only good in comparison to the others. Seeing these contestant paired up with Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Ritchie and Kiss really just points out how awful their voices are. I had to go and download "Every Picture Tells a Story" to remind myself of what a brilliant performer Rod Stewart once was.
3. The judges are buffoons. None of the judges has ever said anything helpful or insightful to any contestant. I know they are all in the music business, but they do not appear to be able to express a coherent thought.
4. Every arrangement sounds like the singer is doing a Broadway show tune. Even the Kiss number sounded like "Kiss on Broadway". Kris (the winner) has a passable voice, but Adam sounds like a kid who spent too many years singing along with "Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the local theater every weekend.
Last nights finale really summed up everything I dislike about AI.
1. 2 hours and 10 minutes of filler. A really cynical manipulation to milk every last advertising minute.
2. The performers are no good. The final 2 contestants are both in their 20's, been trying to make it in show biz for a long time, and have had no success. There is a reason for this: they suck. The finalists are only good in comparison to the others. Seeing these contestant paired up with Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Ritchie and Kiss really just points out how awful their voices are. I had to go and download "Every Picture Tells a Story" to remind myself of what a brilliant performer Rod Stewart once was.
3. The judges are buffoons. None of the judges has ever said anything helpful or insightful to any contestant. I know they are all in the music business, but they do not appear to be able to express a coherent thought.
4. Every arrangement sounds like the singer is doing a Broadway show tune. Even the Kiss number sounded like "Kiss on Broadway". Kris (the winner) has a passable voice, but Adam sounds like a kid who spent too many years singing along with "Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the local theater every weekend.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Shantaram
I finished this interesting book called "Shantaram" recently. It is about an Australian guy who escaped from prison and made his way to India, where he eventually became part of the Mumbai mafia. He learned how to make fake passports, smuggle weapons and lots more.
The story is a novel, but based on events in the life of the author. The story is currently being made into a movie starring Johnny Depp.
The story is a novel, but based on events in the life of the author. The story is currently being made into a movie starring Johnny Depp.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Layoffs
Layoffs almost seem inevitable now. I did get a raise and bonus this year, but I think it is quite likely that there will be layoffs at my company within the next few months.
Executives hate to be the only ones at the club who can't brag about how many people they have cut. So few of them can think for themselves that it is always safer for them to follow the herd, even if they don't have to.
Executives hate to be the only ones at the club who can't brag about how many people they have cut. So few of them can think for themselves that it is always safer for them to follow the herd, even if they don't have to.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Hudson river plane crash
Everyone has seen the pictures of that plane that crashed into the Hudson River yesterday.
An amazing scene, to see all those people standing on the semi-submerged wings of the plane. Kudos to the pilot, who happens to be an expert in the psychology of flight crews in emergency situations.
I still can't understand why the plane didn't sink. The cabin doors and emergency exits were open, and some people said the plane did take in water. I really wonder what kept it from sinking like a rock.
An amazing scene, to see all those people standing on the semi-submerged wings of the plane. Kudos to the pilot, who happens to be an expert in the psychology of flight crews in emergency situations.
I still can't understand why the plane didn't sink. The cabin doors and emergency exits were open, and some people said the plane did take in water. I really wonder what kept it from sinking like a rock.
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