Saturday, February 28, 2009
facebook bad ad
I never click on any of the dumb facebook ads. I know they need to pay the bills. I made the mistake of clicking on one that had the triangle quiz and did a silly little quiz and then they wanted my phone number so I closed it but somehow I ended up stuck in one of those virus weird webpages that won't let you close it and it keeps reopening, shows you popup windows that you can't close, ugghhh. I would not expect a site like facebook to allow those bad type of ads.
dude
You know that facebook has become totally uncool when one of the coolest guys from jr high and high school is now facebook friends with his mom. This was the total rebel guy who smoked weed before anyone, introduced me to Dr. Who and Monty Python before anyone.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
did you take something for that?
Listening to an old RadioLab show on Placebo effects. WOW, if you are a doctor, an nurse, a medical policy person, a person who takes medicine, a parent, a person who ever goes to the doctor, YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS SHOW
Everyone knows there is a real placebo effect but this show really makes you think. Some of the experiments are mind blowing. The power of the mind is very complex and hard to understand.
Questions and thoughts.....
can the placebo effect work in reverse for side effects, if the bottle of pills says you can have dizziness, will you get dizziness?
not only does the person receiving the treatment need to believe that the treatment can work, but the person administering the treatment needs to believe it (sometimes).
Dr. Albert Mason's story is remarkable. Im addition to the reason that he said it stopped working, I also think that since he thought the guy had warts which he had seen be treated using a hypnosis and then, he found out it is not warts, he questions whether hypnosis would work. Also, the reason it did not work on others may have had to do with the fact that other people with the disease were told it was incurable and the young kid had not heard that before and did not know if he could be treated.
As a result, to really utilize this whole effect to help people, we would need to, in some cases deceive patients and doctors. (This goes on now to a large extent with some of the big pharma drugs that are used everyday. Docs think they work, patients think they work, and voila.)
The idea that the receptors for (all/ most) drugs are in the brain now and that the body can produce the effects of drugs without actually taking the drugs is an awesome idea with so much potential.
What about the placebo effect in kids? Some kids take drugs and they do not know the real reason they take them. Should we tell kids the truth as to why they are taking certain drugs?
ONE RADIOLAB NOTE: I really like the show but it is very different in the way it is edited and produced than any other radio show and takes a bit of time to get used to it. It is weird at first but don't let the weird clips and sounds turn you off.
Everyone knows there is a real placebo effect but this show really makes you think. Some of the experiments are mind blowing. The power of the mind is very complex and hard to understand.
Questions and thoughts.....
can the placebo effect work in reverse for side effects, if the bottle of pills says you can have dizziness, will you get dizziness?
not only does the person receiving the treatment need to believe that the treatment can work, but the person administering the treatment needs to believe it (sometimes).
Dr. Albert Mason's story is remarkable. Im addition to the reason that he said it stopped working, I also think that since he thought the guy had warts which he had seen be treated using a hypnosis and then, he found out it is not warts, he questions whether hypnosis would work. Also, the reason it did not work on others may have had to do with the fact that other people with the disease were told it was incurable and the young kid had not heard that before and did not know if he could be treated.
As a result, to really utilize this whole effect to help people, we would need to, in some cases deceive patients and doctors. (This goes on now to a large extent with some of the big pharma drugs that are used everyday. Docs think they work, patients think they work, and voila.)
The idea that the receptors for (all/ most) drugs are in the brain now and that the body can produce the effects of drugs without actually taking the drugs is an awesome idea with so much potential.
What about the placebo effect in kids? Some kids take drugs and they do not know the real reason they take them. Should we tell kids the truth as to why they are taking certain drugs?
ONE RADIOLAB NOTE: I really like the show but it is very different in the way it is edited and produced than any other radio show and takes a bit of time to get used to it. It is weird at first but don't let the weird clips and sounds turn you off.
populist tax plan may not bring home bacon
Part of the way Obama wants to fund his budget, his health care plans, the cost of the stimulus, & the wall street bailout is through higher taxes on the very wealthy. This was a big part of his campaign and is a very popular populist notion today. According to this MSNBC report, the budget antcipates $630 billion to come in from these new revenues.
Unfortunately I would guess that for the next few years, the very wealthy of this country are going to have much less income and tax liability than in the past. The reason is not their incomes from their jobs but from their investment income, the rich have lost huge amounts in the market and have been selling many securities at a loss. Also, dividends and interest from money market funds, stocks and mutual funds are way down resulting in much less income to tax. The result is that the huge amount we would have received from taxing those making over $250,000 at a higher rate will be far less.
I would image that there are people who make say $300,000 in their job income but in past years had to report $200,000 in other income now have a $100,000 loss from selling stocks far below cost, resulting in less tax revenue.
Unfortunately I would guess that for the next few years, the very wealthy of this country are going to have much less income and tax liability than in the past. The reason is not their incomes from their jobs but from their investment income, the rich have lost huge amounts in the market and have been selling many securities at a loss. Also, dividends and interest from money market funds, stocks and mutual funds are way down resulting in much less income to tax. The result is that the huge amount we would have received from taxing those making over $250,000 at a higher rate will be far less.
I would image that there are people who make say $300,000 in their job income but in past years had to report $200,000 in other income now have a $100,000 loss from selling stocks far below cost, resulting in less tax revenue.
A Superhero Story by my son
Here is a story my son asked me to transcribe for him....age 3
Once upon a time, there was a superhero named Crackerman and Batman came by and said hello. The bad guy came and took your hammers, went to work, and hit them down. And then, The Incredible Hulk came and said hello. The Superheros boomed down the bad guys and then The Thing came by and said hello. And then Pretzelman came by and said hello and he boomed the bad guy down.
I never should have gotten those Superhero Popsicles.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Great Weeds Quotes
Some of the lines in Season 3 are so f-ing funny.
"Holy Shit I think they shot Peckers of the Caribbean Here" firefighter on seeking the grow house that was used to shoot porn in earlier episodes.
"We've really got to go - Fire just took our the Olive Garden"
The writing for this show is great and the dialoge is clever but not rushed. If you have not seen the show you should watch it. Funny Funny stuff.
It is pouring
Ok, I know this is depressing but I am home watching Oprah. She is doing a story about the crappy economy and how it impacts real people. Oh my lord, this is a powerful show. The situation we are living in is so bad and getting worse and these stories are very moving. I am very blessed and lucky to have a good job and a home.
I turned it on to see Lisa Ling interviewing middle age people living in tent cities in Sacramento. Huge number of folks (estimated 1200 in Sacramento) there are living in these and most they found are white folks who used to have jobs and homes. These are not hippy college kids or drug addicted nuts.
Then I caught a part where they were interviewing a professional woman with young kids who lost her home and is out of work. Now they have an older couple who lost their home and now live in their office without a shower. It is a bit odd because they seem pretty happy but the rent must have been much cheaper in the office I guess.
Another segment showed a family having problems who decided to try home sharing and rent out a room to a mom and her teen daughter. The show made it sound like a win win and everybody is having fun. They are only two weeks in but that seems like a better option that moving out.
One lesson of all this is.....save your money for a rainy day. Everyone was living beyond their means and did not have much savings or equity in their home. The problem seems obvious, that people got used to a certain lifestyle and enjoyed themselves and when the revenue went down a lot they did not have plan B they could not scale back. Give the amount of credit card debit, home equity loans and the uncertain economy, it is amazing that people still go on lavish vacations, shopping sprees, going out for expensive dinners, etc.
Oprah did a great job with this show. I am really afraid that the economic meltdown is going to get worse before it gets better. Much much worse. One of the biggest problems we have yet to feel completely is that the stock market has tanked and so many people have lost huge amount of their savings and retirement money. That will have huge impacts as those folks buy less, travel less, retire later, etc. Many are just hoping it goes back up but if it doesn't this impact will last for years.
One thing I can't imagine is being like the woman who has been out of work looking for jobs beneath her skill level and experience and trying to compete with 100s of applicants for jobs like bank tellers, etc. There must be so many qualified people who could do jobs like that. How could you stand out, how could you make your skills seem relevant to a different sort of job. Many college educate folks probably think, well there are lots of things I could do if I lost my job but how would you get the chance to do them. We are in scary scary times.
I turned it on to see Lisa Ling interviewing middle age people living in tent cities in Sacramento. Huge number of folks (estimated 1200 in Sacramento) there are living in these and most they found are white folks who used to have jobs and homes. These are not hippy college kids or drug addicted nuts.
Then I caught a part where they were interviewing a professional woman with young kids who lost her home and is out of work. Now they have an older couple who lost their home and now live in their office without a shower. It is a bit odd because they seem pretty happy but the rent must have been much cheaper in the office I guess.
Another segment showed a family having problems who decided to try home sharing and rent out a room to a mom and her teen daughter. The show made it sound like a win win and everybody is having fun. They are only two weeks in but that seems like a better option that moving out.
One lesson of all this is.....save your money for a rainy day. Everyone was living beyond their means and did not have much savings or equity in their home. The problem seems obvious, that people got used to a certain lifestyle and enjoyed themselves and when the revenue went down a lot they did not have plan B they could not scale back. Give the amount of credit card debit, home equity loans and the uncertain economy, it is amazing that people still go on lavish vacations, shopping sprees, going out for expensive dinners, etc.
Oprah did a great job with this show. I am really afraid that the economic meltdown is going to get worse before it gets better. Much much worse. One of the biggest problems we have yet to feel completely is that the stock market has tanked and so many people have lost huge amount of their savings and retirement money. That will have huge impacts as those folks buy less, travel less, retire later, etc. Many are just hoping it goes back up but if it doesn't this impact will last for years.
One thing I can't imagine is being like the woman who has been out of work looking for jobs beneath her skill level and experience and trying to compete with 100s of applicants for jobs like bank tellers, etc. There must be so many qualified people who could do jobs like that. How could you stand out, how could you make your skills seem relevant to a different sort of job. Many college educate folks probably think, well there are lots of things I could do if I lost my job but how would you get the chance to do them. We are in scary scary times.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Back Status = Day 4
It doesn't hurt much at all when laying on my side and only a bit when sitting on the edge of a chair. Took my first outing last night to walk in mall, felt fine walking. Sitting in the car hurt, I could not put my back against the seat at all. Getting in and out of car hurt. It is hard to bend and twist and I am trying not to. Even getting something from a low drawer is not easy. I have had more peace and quiet than I have had in years. I can't lay on my back, too much pain. Getting up and down hurts, but better than first few days.
Walked stairs today, not too hard.
Just noticed today how they shaved my back, weird. Should I shave the rest? what will it look like in few months come pool time? Pain meds help and help me sleep. I am tired and have been napping some but trying not to a lot so I can sleep at night. Feel bad not working but I don't have the energy to dig in yet, maybe in a few days.
Walked stairs today, not too hard.
Just noticed today how they shaved my back, weird. Should I shave the rest? what will it look like in few months come pool time? Pain meds help and help me sleep. I am tired and have been napping some but trying not to a lot so I can sleep at night. Feel bad not working but I don't have the energy to dig in yet, maybe in a few days.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Jad Abumrad Rocks!
I have listened to some of the outstanding RadioLab shows from WNYC and I am completely impressed. I just listened to one of the finest episodes, which is on Sleep. Mind blowing, thought provoking, and also produced with the Radiolab unusually effective approach.
For those of you who are new to the program, the two hosts Jab and Robert do shows on science but try to make it interesting by using stories, creative sounds, music and analogies to help communicate the main points. They also sometimes repeat the important parts and dialogue about them to help the listener understand why they are important. In most radio and TV shows where you have a professor on, it gets pretty dry pretty quick and looses the non-scientist audience quickly. These guys edit a lot and try to bring out the key points. They also go places and listen to things being done, they don't just talk to some prof on the phone. They travel to Indiana University and listen to the iguanas being studied and simulate drilling into their brains.
The number of ideas and questions that go through you head as you listen and think about this program is huge.
some thoughts, I was worried when I had kids that I would not hear them if they got up in the night but this show makes me think that we humans can sleep deeply in some cases and be on alert in others. If you kid is sick you are different state of mind that if not. Also, it makes you think about people who have to sleep in war zones, in jail, in concentration camps, etc. How the hell would you adapt to that?
Dreams, wow, that is really interesting. The tetris experiment seems so amazing and provides a view into how our minds work. Not just how we sleep but how we process our experiences, what type of experiences should we have. It sounds like we should be climbing mountains and doing puzzles. What does music do to the mind? So if you play games and climb mountains and dream about them at night, what about the other things you are doing the next day, reading, talking, working, etc. How does the focused dreams impact other thoughs and actions we do.
Oh and Jab the host, seems so smart and funny. Jab is the man!
For those of you who are new to the program, the two hosts Jab and Robert do shows on science but try to make it interesting by using stories, creative sounds, music and analogies to help communicate the main points. They also sometimes repeat the important parts and dialogue about them to help the listener understand why they are important. In most radio and TV shows where you have a professor on, it gets pretty dry pretty quick and looses the non-scientist audience quickly. These guys edit a lot and try to bring out the key points. They also go places and listen to things being done, they don't just talk to some prof on the phone. They travel to Indiana University and listen to the iguanas being studied and simulate drilling into their brains.
The number of ideas and questions that go through you head as you listen and think about this program is huge.
some thoughts, I was worried when I had kids that I would not hear them if they got up in the night but this show makes me think that we humans can sleep deeply in some cases and be on alert in others. If you kid is sick you are different state of mind that if not. Also, it makes you think about people who have to sleep in war zones, in jail, in concentration camps, etc. How the hell would you adapt to that?
Dreams, wow, that is really interesting. The tetris experiment seems so amazing and provides a view into how our minds work. Not just how we sleep but how we process our experiences, what type of experiences should we have. It sounds like we should be climbing mountains and doing puzzles. What does music do to the mind? So if you play games and climb mountains and dream about them at night, what about the other things you are doing the next day, reading, talking, working, etc. How does the focused dreams impact other thoughs and actions we do.
Oh and Jab the host, seems so smart and funny. Jab is the man!
doctor, will I be able to slam dunk a b-ball?
I am home from the hospital - I had a double lumbar micro diskectomy on Thursday. According to the doc everything went well - they took out a lot of disk material that had ruptured, which was pressing on the nerve. He said that during the surgery, as they took out the bad disk material, my leg started to twitch. I am glad it is over, the anticipation was hard. Because both herniated disks were leaking on opposite sides and the fact that I had two means unfortunately that the surgery was longer, the incision is larger than a normal one, and my recovery will be harder.
I had the operation with an epidural instead of general anesthesia with some sedative meds and that seemed like a good way to go. A was much more awake and not groggy after surgery. It did take them a while to get a good spot in my spine to put in the epidural which was a bit upsetting even thought I could not feel it. I was worried that I would hear them talking and they'd say something like - "oh man look at that one!" or "oops" but none of that. It was like I was awake but not really. The last thing I do remember was them putting me in the position for the surgery which I thought must have not been a pretty sight for the crew, laying on my stomach with my legs down on something. I am sure they covered it up, but for a while I think the 10 people got to check out my lovely hairy tush.
How do I feel? my leg pain and numbness is gone. I can stand straighter than before. When laying on my side it is not so bad for pain but rolling over or getting up and down hurts like a motherfucker. I can't lay on my back, too painful. I can walk without much pain (around the house), I have not tried many stairs yet. It is hard not to bend and twist.
RR- I spent one night in the hospital which was not too bad, it was quiet and I had a room with a view. Glad I had a book, magazine, and iPod with some good podcasts (check out RadioLab "Sleep" awesome). Then did not bother me too much during the night but the morning routine started quite early, 5 am nurse, 6 ish resident rounds, etc.
I am not sure how long I will be home and how long it will hurt. Sitting is not very comfortable for more than 15 min. I hope that I will improve quickly but am fairly uncertain about what I can and can't do, what I should do, etc. when should I cook, pick up small things, etc. The docs and nurses are pretty general about what to expect and give a big range.
I had the operation with an epidural instead of general anesthesia with some sedative meds and that seemed like a good way to go. A was much more awake and not groggy after surgery. It did take them a while to get a good spot in my spine to put in the epidural which was a bit upsetting even thought I could not feel it. I was worried that I would hear them talking and they'd say something like - "oh man look at that one!" or "oops" but none of that. It was like I was awake but not really. The last thing I do remember was them putting me in the position for the surgery which I thought must have not been a pretty sight for the crew, laying on my stomach with my legs down on something. I am sure they covered it up, but for a while I think the 10 people got to check out my lovely hairy tush.
How do I feel? my leg pain and numbness is gone. I can stand straighter than before. When laying on my side it is not so bad for pain but rolling over or getting up and down hurts like a motherfucker. I can't lay on my back, too painful. I can walk without much pain (around the house), I have not tried many stairs yet. It is hard not to bend and twist.
RR- I spent one night in the hospital which was not too bad, it was quiet and I had a room with a view. Glad I had a book, magazine, and iPod with some good podcasts (check out RadioLab "Sleep" awesome). Then did not bother me too much during the night but the morning routine started quite early, 5 am nurse, 6 ish resident rounds, etc.
I am not sure how long I will be home and how long it will hurt. Sitting is not very comfortable for more than 15 min. I hope that I will improve quickly but am fairly uncertain about what I can and can't do, what I should do, etc. when should I cook, pick up small things, etc. The docs and nurses are pretty general about what to expect and give a big range.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Not A Good Way to Bring in Bucks
WSJ reports today that Governor Doyle's budget will include a 75 a pack cigarette tax increase, good idea, but he is also proposing a statewide smoking ban, another great idea. Unfortunately for the state tax payers I would bet that the smoking ban, plus the increased price will lead to less smoking and purchases of cigarettes = less revenue. Even still, this sounds like a great idea to me to get some more money and protect people's health.
Breastfeeding Risk
Althouse linked to an interesting article from the BBC by Clare Murphy "Breastfed baby risk investigated" about how they are studying a rare but serious problem where some breastfed babies are not eating enough and coming into the hospital with severe hypernatraemic dehydration. Take a look at the commentary on the Althouse blog. Some personal stories, funny comments on formula vs breast milk poop, and some very sound advice, nothing too obnoxious (as I sometimes find on Althouse). My conclusion from the article and the comments is that parents need more information about this risk and need to closely monitor the baby's feeding, diapers and weight for the first month or so to make sure they are getting enough to eat.
Folks in Madison mostly seem to be so pro-breast feeding they question why even talk about it anymore but I think that this article points to one problem which could occur and also a statistic in the article from England was very surprising it said that the current recommendation over there is 6 months and goes on to say "Less than 1% of women actually breastfeed their baby for this long, and NHS research suggest a significant number experience problems in the first few weeks - with insufficient milk supply and baby's failure to suckle properly cited as the main problems." Wow.
Just looking at the Althouse comments, there are many cases when things do not go well and mothers still need more information and support to encourage this healthy practice.
Folks in Madison mostly seem to be so pro-breast feeding they question why even talk about it anymore but I think that this article points to one problem which could occur and also a statistic in the article from England was very surprising it said that the current recommendation over there is 6 months and goes on to say "Less than 1% of women actually breastfeed their baby for this long, and NHS research suggest a significant number experience problems in the first few weeks - with insufficient milk supply and baby's failure to suckle properly cited as the main problems." Wow.
Just looking at the Althouse comments, there are many cases when things do not go well and mothers still need more information and support to encourage this healthy practice.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Bagel Battle
So Madison now has two locally made bagel companies: The old favorite Bagels Forever and now Gotham Bagels is growing. I noticed that Gotham opened a second store on Park st. in Saint Mary's hospital. I have been enjoying Bagels Forever - forever, since we first moved here are lived a few blocks behind the place. I was so close I could smell the blueberry bagel smell as I walked around. I tried my first Gotham bagel yesterday because they now sell them in Sentry (yes I go there sometimes) in the same spot that they used to have the Bagels Forever's.
Bagels Forever - great name, great fresh. Not huge but just the right size for an adult or child. Lots of good choices, nice chewy, not too doughy. While maybe not a classic Jewish deli bagel, I have grown accustomed to them and like them more than the chains (Einsteins and Brugglers)
Gotham - they seem like bagels on steroids, wow, they are really large. At Sentry they only had a few flavors, plain, everything and pumpernickel. Me and the kids like poppy seed and sesame. Maybe they were out or maybe they could not fit many more in the box. My 3 year old enjoyed one but he only ate less than 1/4 of the thing. They are good, a bit of a sweet flavor, and maybe more like NYC bagels (what do I know - I am from the Chicago burbs) but it may be more than I can handle. Not sure it can be an everyday bagel but good for an occasional change. I need to try the resturant - menu looks good.
Bagels Forever - great name, great fresh. Not huge but just the right size for an adult or child. Lots of good choices, nice chewy, not too doughy. While maybe not a classic Jewish deli bagel, I have grown accustomed to them and like them more than the chains (Einsteins and Brugglers)
Gotham - they seem like bagels on steroids, wow, they are really large. At Sentry they only had a few flavors, plain, everything and pumpernickel. Me and the kids like poppy seed and sesame. Maybe they were out or maybe they could not fit many more in the box. My 3 year old enjoyed one but he only ate less than 1/4 of the thing. They are good, a bit of a sweet flavor, and maybe more like NYC bagels (what do I know - I am from the Chicago burbs) but it may be more than I can handle. Not sure it can be an everyday bagel but good for an occasional change. I need to try the resturant - menu looks good.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Joaquin Phoenix = Andy Kaufmann ?
did you see the Joaquin Phoenix clip from Letterman?
Is he on drugs? being a jerk? or is it stunt? a comment on the Huffington Post -
"It's a stunt. Dave was in on it.
Casey Affleck was there filming footage for the mockumentary they have been filming about Joaquin becoming a hip hop singer.
Joaqin almost started laughing at one point but kept it together."
Is he on drugs? being a jerk? or is it stunt? a comment on the Huffington Post -
"It's a stunt. Dave was in on it.
Casey Affleck was there filming footage for the mockumentary they have been filming about Joaquin becoming a hip hop singer.
Joaqin almost started laughing at one point but kept it together."
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The waitress said well no, we only have it iced
I really like the song Punk Rock Girl by the Dead Milkmen- the funny lyrics crack me up and the annoying voice of the lead singer seems so unmusically right. I like the suburban teen punk vibe.....
We went to the Philly Pizza Company
And ordered some hot tea
The waitress said well no, we only have it iced
So we jumped up on the table and shouted anarchy
And someone played a Beach Boys song on the jukebox
It it was "California Dreamin"
So we started screamin
On such a winter's day
Monday, February 9, 2009
How Pure is Pandora?!
I have been listening a lot to Pandora at work and I really like it. What I wonder however is if the program that picks which songs to play includes any marketing or promotional component (like real radio stations). They say that the song choice is based on the listener's preference which uses the data from the Music Genome Project. One observation is that it doesn't usually dig very deeply into an artists catalogue of songs. If you choose U2, Talking heads, the Police, you usually get the top hits from the bands. I know that they sell ads which pay for some of the cost but I would think that some record labels would love them to put certain artists (especially those with new albums out or who are going on tour, etc.) in higher priority than others. Also, by playing the best of songs, it gives people the most familiar best tunes from an artists which would more likely get the listener to go to iTunes and buy it. If they picked some odd weird tune, it could turn off listeners from an artist. I would like to go deeper for the artists I like but it seems too only play top songs. Also, some of the bands that they say are similar to the ones that I am listening to seem like an stretch. My Police station played Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bob Marley?!
EXTRA- I have found that my Beastie Boy station is playing a lot of De La Soul. While "Three Feet High and Rising" is a great album, Pandora plays a lot of songs from other albums which are not so great and are very popular. Also, they are not that much like the B-Boys. Is their label getting Pandora to market them up?
EXTRA- I have found that my Beastie Boy station is playing a lot of De La Soul. While "Three Feet High and Rising" is a great album, Pandora plays a lot of songs from other albums which are not so great and are very popular. Also, they are not that much like the B-Boys. Is their label getting Pandora to market them up?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
he's got radioactive blood!
My son has been obsessed lately with watching old superhero cartoons on youtube including the sweet introduction to the spider man cartoon from the 1970s. The music (especially the first few seconds) and lyrics are awesome.
I have heard of a friendly neighborhood cafe but a freaky looking guy in a body suit?
They got me pegged
So I did the big 25 random things on Facebook. I also read a few of the funny articles about the lists but here is a seriousish one from the NY Times that deconstructs the psychology of the choice of things. The article in The LEDE by Amy Harmon kind of make anyone who does one of these a feel like a predictable rat.
The one that really got me exactly is:
"20. If you have kids, a) cite weird names you wanted for them and how your more rational, if less creative, spouse rescued them from a lifetime of torture"
The thing that gets me lately about FB is the friends who don't do status updates and don't comment on stuff and in some cases who don't even reply to messages. It is a bit of a tease in that here is an old friend who I would like to reconnect with but they don't care to. It seems weird to just friend request an old friend from years back without any email back and forth.
One observation from FB is the importance someone was in my life is different than the importance I was in their life. And visa versa. There are people who I barely remember and would never have looked up on FB who went out of their way to find me; something about our relationship meant something to them. Others who I wanted to reconnect with were not interested in doing so at this time.
The one that really got me exactly is:
"20. If you have kids, a) cite weird names you wanted for them and how your more rational, if less creative, spouse rescued them from a lifetime of torture"
The thing that gets me lately about FB is the friends who don't do status updates and don't comment on stuff and in some cases who don't even reply to messages. It is a bit of a tease in that here is an old friend who I would like to reconnect with but they don't care to. It seems weird to just friend request an old friend from years back without any email back and forth.
One observation from FB is the importance someone was in my life is different than the importance I was in their life. And visa versa. There are people who I barely remember and would never have looked up on FB who went out of their way to find me; something about our relationship meant something to them. Others who I wanted to reconnect with were not interested in doing so at this time.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Wrong Headling
I noticed the USA Today headline and the radio had a story about how there was a slight decline in traffic deaths this year. The story is not however a slight decline but the fact that so many people are killed and seriously injured each year in traffic accidents. Cars are death machines and I am becoming increasingly frustrated that no one in this country seems to really care and they accept this as part of life. We can do soooooo much more to prevent serious traffic accidents.
How about this for a headline "In the past 10 years nearly 500,000 mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents died in preventable accidents on our roads and highways."
We need a comprehensive broad based approach to consider everything that can be done to cut this number down. I have been thinking for a long time that the limited efforts being done now (cell phone bans, stiffer drunk driving penalties, progressive drivers licenses) on this are missing some larger issues that can really knock down this problem.
How about this for a headline "In the past 10 years nearly 500,000 mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents died in preventable accidents on our roads and highways."
We need a comprehensive broad based approach to consider everything that can be done to cut this number down. I have been thinking for a long time that the limited efforts being done now (cell phone bans, stiffer drunk driving penalties, progressive drivers licenses) on this are missing some larger issues that can really knock down this problem.
Murphy Brown Mommy Wars
Just heard a great interview on Stephanie Miller where Steph tore apart Mona Charan for a piece she wrote in in the National Review. The article is titled "And Baby Makes 14 -The tendency to create celebrities of parents who give birth to multiple babies is misbegotten."
The part of the article that got Stephanie so upset was that Charan compared the lady who had octuplets to Rep. Linda Sanchez who at age 40 recently announced she is pregnant with her first child with her fiance. Steph was awesome in how she defended Sanchez and did not allow her too be lumped together with every single woman who has a kid. She left Charan babbling about honorable doctors and honorable men.
The part of the article that got Stephanie so upset was that Charan compared the lady who had octuplets to Rep. Linda Sanchez who at age 40 recently announced she is pregnant with her first child with her fiance. Steph was awesome in how she defended Sanchez and did not allow her too be lumped together with every single woman who has a kid. She left Charan babbling about honorable doctors and honorable men.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Why are Women Having Babies when they are? Don't Ask the Wall Street Journal
I agree with Lynn Harris who commented on two related pieces in the Wall Street Journal claiming "Women Are Opting To Have Babies Younger". In the Salon Broadsheet piece, Ms. Harris questions whether there is anything to back up this "trend" or just a few anecdotal examples that don't jive with the statistics. The two WSJ articles by Sue Shellenbarger are here and here.
Basically the article starts of by siting a new demographic study:
Shellenbarger includes two real factors that help to explain the trend:
"-rising numbers of Hispanics, who tend to start families earlier.
- Also, older teens ages 15 to 19 posted a 4% increase in first-birth rates in 2006, helping drive the trend."
But the article doesn't care about teen mothers, the WSJ is interested in trends among educated women. The rest of the article trys to make a case that more educated women are choosing to start a family at younger ages and why they would do this. If the rise in teen mothers and a larger proportrion of Hispanic families in the population is part of the story, it is likely that the average age of first child birth is continuing to go UP among college educated women.
I do not want to discount the issue and it is important and interesting to think about why women have children when they do, how that impacts careers, health, economics, etc. but I am sure you can easily find many antidotes which support a continuation of women waiting later and later to start a family. I personally do not see much change in people I know, I still know very few college educated people who have their first child before 30.
The anecdote in the article about basketball star Candace Parker, who announced her pregnancy last month at 22 seems the most silly thing about the article. She seems to be a very unique person in that she is a professional female athlete married to another professional athlete. While interesting, I am not sure what Ms. Parker's life or choice to have a baby has to do with the millions of post college married people siting in cubicals considering to put a bun in the oven.
There are older parents who are suggesting that women start earier for a number of reasons, espeically those who experience age related infertility, but suggestions from the elders or the WSJ editorial board are not trends.
Basically the article starts of by siting a new demographic study:
The average age at which women give birth for the first time has posted the first decline since the government began tracking the data in 1968, the National Center for Health Statistics says. As reported in today’s “Work & Family” column, mothers’ mean age at their first birth was 25.0 years in 2006, the latest data available, down from 25.2 in 2005. The turnaround was led by women in the 20-to-24 age bracket, who posted a 5% increase in the rate of first births.This .2% decrease may be accurate but this is an average for all women from 15 to 50 and changing trends may vary significantly among different age and socioeconomic groups.
Shellenbarger includes two real factors that help to explain the trend:
"-rising numbers of Hispanics, who tend to start families earlier.
- Also, older teens ages 15 to 19 posted a 4% increase in first-birth rates in 2006, helping drive the trend."
But the article doesn't care about teen mothers, the WSJ is interested in trends among educated women. The rest of the article trys to make a case that more educated women are choosing to start a family at younger ages and why they would do this. If the rise in teen mothers and a larger proportrion of Hispanic families in the population is part of the story, it is likely that the average age of first child birth is continuing to go UP among college educated women.
I do not want to discount the issue and it is important and interesting to think about why women have children when they do, how that impacts careers, health, economics, etc. but I am sure you can easily find many antidotes which support a continuation of women waiting later and later to start a family. I personally do not see much change in people I know, I still know very few college educated people who have their first child before 30.
The anecdote in the article about basketball star Candace Parker, who announced her pregnancy last month at 22 seems the most silly thing about the article. She seems to be a very unique person in that she is a professional female athlete married to another professional athlete. While interesting, I am not sure what Ms. Parker's life or choice to have a baby has to do with the millions of post college married people siting in cubicals considering to put a bun in the oven.
There are older parents who are suggesting that women start earier for a number of reasons, espeically those who experience age related infertility, but suggestions from the elders or the WSJ editorial board are not trends.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
It's a trip it's got a funky beat and I can bug out to it
I feel old, one of the best records by one of the best artists around, the Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique....downtown Brooklyn is 20 years old. They launched a cool website with some funky stuff - check it out.....
Don't Waste Your Time
The Obama team apparently plans to include provisions in the 2nd part of the banking bailout to limit executive compensation. This is a silly exercise that will not help anything. What we need is more transparency in what these companies are doing with their money, what are their losses and profits, etc. Open the books and share with us everything about how they run. If these companies are facing serious financial hardship and we are giving them government money we should not set up rules about how they should pay their employees but should require that they let us know all about the shady financial schemes they get into, the junkets and perks they give and get, everything.
If we say that some firms we are helping can't pay their executives a lot, then many of those senior managers will go to work for other smaller entities, hedge funds, private equity groups, financial consulting outfits that can pay whatever they want because they are not public companies and are not taking government money. Then the best and brightest folks from the bailed out companies will move on to get other jobs leaving behind those who are not the best and brightest in the industry.
If I had a Harvard MBA and 15 yrs experience at a senior level at a big bank or insurance company, I would not want my pay drastically cut and I would leave to find other work at another insurance company not being bailed out or many of the smaller investment banks and other financial entities that are not subject to these restrictions and scrutiny.
What I am more outraged by than the huge bonuses and pay of the top folks at these firms is the fact that these firms are using this federal money and they continue to lobby the government extensively. This has been well described by Paul Soglin on his blog. In addition to that they continue to wine and dine clients and go to expensive "training" at warm weather resorts, and to sponsor sports teams, stadiums, think tanks and who knows what other you scratch my bay I scratch yours deal that they come up with.
I think if the light of day were shined on all these firms, the media, the blogs, the Politicians would pressure these firms to control their operations without any requirements.
If we say that some firms we are helping can't pay their executives a lot, then many of those senior managers will go to work for other smaller entities, hedge funds, private equity groups, financial consulting outfits that can pay whatever they want because they are not public companies and are not taking government money. Then the best and brightest folks from the bailed out companies will move on to get other jobs leaving behind those who are not the best and brightest in the industry.
If I had a Harvard MBA and 15 yrs experience at a senior level at a big bank or insurance company, I would not want my pay drastically cut and I would leave to find other work at another insurance company not being bailed out or many of the smaller investment banks and other financial entities that are not subject to these restrictions and scrutiny.
What I am more outraged by than the huge bonuses and pay of the top folks at these firms is the fact that these firms are using this federal money and they continue to lobby the government extensively. This has been well described by Paul Soglin on his blog. In addition to that they continue to wine and dine clients and go to expensive "training" at warm weather resorts, and to sponsor sports teams, stadiums, think tanks and who knows what other you scratch my bay I scratch yours deal that they come up with.
I think if the light of day were shined on all these firms, the media, the blogs, the Politicians would pressure these firms to control their operations without any requirements.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Prison Life is Rough and Can Take a Toll on A Man
I guess I should not laugh at this but it is pretty funny....
(from Althouse)
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