Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

And OAN for Christmas I got a book of short stories written by Tom Hanks- I love him as an actor I think all the time so I really wanted to like his writing. Man cannot write, like the stories would never have made it out of the slush pile w/o the star name. Disappointed.

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

I’ll update later. Here for 2 days then Chiang Mai then back. Midst tour now. Thailand is so inexpensive.

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

Was just in the ultramodern empty airport to transfer. Ps I don’t think there’s a single traffic light or stop sign or yield sign in Bangkok.

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

My best memory is trying to inch our way across a 5 lane highway- couldn't even figure how to start- finally just walked next to a mom holding an infant and walking a 2 year old- she knew the score.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

The idea of seizing something for political opportunity suggests that she is somehow insincere; I don't think that's right. You may disagree with her, you may diminish her arguments (I don't), but do you really this is not an issue she cares deeply about? She's been in the fray on every sexual assault issue in front of the Senate (the debates between her an Claire McCaskel on some of these issues are worth paying attention to). One of my friends has done a couple documentaries on rape in the military and on campus, and Gilli was very helpful on them, including in opening up doors to get them access.

Look, Franken clearly engaged in bad behavior, he's admitted it and apologized for it. There were also a lot (and I mean a lot) of allegations he didn't admit to but generally indicated he didn't remember. They were coming out in a consistent stream, and his attorney was trying to dismiss them because he was acting like an "entertainer" instead of a politician (should we start talking Harvey Weinstein and whats acceptable in entertainment here?)

If he had stuck around for the investigation, I suspect the incidents would have kept coming for a while. People started to cry "enough", and Gilli was definitely at the lead of those within the Senate, but I suspect Franken also realized that resigning was the way to get it to stop and retain some dignity. And its convenient to blame the people calling him on the shit instead of himself for doing all the shit.

I'm fine with giving people some room, but I also think it was clear that Franken was going down and it was a relief that he chose to cut it short.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Hey, you dissin' my family?

(Yeah, even we don't read that stuff, but it makes him happy).

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Yes you are, you just don't like it.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

That's a damn good article.

Generally, we need to break the stranglehold that big education is using to extort money from kids. At the same time, we need to get rid of the current student loan system.

Credentialism has gone way too far in this country. Kids study for the test so they can satisfy the criteria demanded by HR departments. Every position needs some moronic certification or degree, and most these certifications and degrees aren't worth shit. They're entirely academic and largely inapplicable to what one is doing in the real world. And yet, corporate America, lazy as it is, uses these silly measures to winnow out applicants.

Peter Thiel is wrong about a lot, but he's dead right in suggesting that many bright kids should bag college and go straight into the workforce. Tech seems to embrace the idea of talent over credentials as well. Hopefully, this trend will continue.

As to student loans, they should be dischargeable up to 50% in bankruptcy. No 18 year old should have to suffer a miserable existence because when she was immature she was allowed to take out a loan for $150k for a degree in social work or modern dance, or because she decided to do the right thing and get a STEM degree only to find that everyone else did that same thing and she found herself graduating into a job market glutted with STEM degree holders.

When the loans become dischargeable, you'll see the Feds act more prudently in lending. You'll see the private lenders exit the market entirely. This will force Big Education to provide value, rather than sushi bars in the student union. This might, if we're lucky, compel Big Education to run like an actual corporation -- to fire the dead weight on its employment rolls, stop wasteful spending on shiny new dorms to attract more govt backed loan money, and refocus on providing education at a reasonable price.

This will, of course, require a house cleaning of most of the management at universities as well. Having dealt with education professionals on projects, I can say, and would probably find much agreement here, that there is nothing more dangerous and clueless than a lifelong educator with an MBA. These people should be barred from all budgets and all funds save perhaps petty cash.

I believe Warren may make student loans dischargeable for at least millenials. That's one of the reasons that I like her, despite having strong reservations about many of her other policy prescriptions.

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

My family member told me the airport people apologized profusely that they did not have a BMW or Mercedes to ferry them to the hotel. They were embarrassed they had to provide some lesser SUV.

Residents get something like $200k every new year's day. Like Alaska... only 20X better.

You fly the A380? Or the G5?

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

TM is right. I'd not heard Beto speak or debate. I was going off his platform, which looked like it was all lovely things for all lovely people, and quotes, some interviews I'd read, and articles about him.

He still seems too polished to not have had aid of consultants. There are pros behind this guy. They might not be taking salaries, but there's some assistance.

Calling him a McCandidate may be an overstep, but I still don't think he has legs in a national campaign. We're not entering a situation in which a somewhat green candidate like Obama could offer hope as a counter to eight years' of Cheney-like darkness.

Bush/Cheney was the Empire. Obama was the Rebel Alliance. Trump is not the Empire striking back. He's like Jabba the Hut and a pack of crazed Boba Fet-like mercenaries somehow overran the Death Star and took control, and neither the Rebels nor the Empire are sure how to regain control of it. This time around, I think people will eschew "new" in favor of "steady" and "adult." Harris and Warren are progressive, but also pros. They've institutional knowledge adequate to stabilize things.

All this is offered with the giant neon caveat that I Confidently Said Hillary Would Beat Trump (by 9 points in PA).

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

I don't think anything I've said indicates that I think she was being insincere. I think it is an important issue to her. But I also think that (i) she wanted to make this her thing and forcing Franken out was part of that and (ii) I don't think she was particularly thoughtful about Franken in particular.

If I ask whether or not Franken should be heard and investigated, and if the behavior warrants banishment (as compared to other types of harassment), and you respond, "I can't tell my son it's okay to touch someone here, but not here," you are giving me a bullshit answer. Period. I watched her do it. She wanted to own the issue, but she didn't want to deal with any nuance whatsoever. Maybe that's not particular to her; maybe that's just what politicians do. But refusing to engage in a thoughtful discussion about how we deal with different levels or types of harassment and leading the charge to oust someone no matter what, is not what I want in a politician.*

Yeah. It's incredibly difficult to remember circumstances surrounding completely anonymous accusations. To the extent they weren't I believe Franken was completely respectful of the accusers and did not simply dismiss them. I do think he wanted an opportunity to dig in to them a bit and address them. He was not given that opportunity.

Are you fucking kidding with this shit?

You say this like you're not just redrafting your entire argument. Franken clearly wanted an inquiry and a chance to address the allegations formally. Gillibrand (and others, but her, the most and loudest) didn't want to give him that opportunity. I think that's wrong. You don't. I honestly don't understand how anyone (especially on this board) can be advocating for punishing people without giving them some sort of opportunity to get to the bottom of the truth and an opportunity to defend themselves.

Notice I have yet to defend Franken. You keep saying I'm blaming Gillibrand. That's kinda true, I guess. But I'm blaming her for trying to sweep the guy out before an ethics inquiry was carried out. That's what she tried to do and what she helped achieve.

It is only clear that he was going down because Gillibrand and a chorus of others decided that was what was going to happen. If Gillibrand and Bernie and Harris had said, "These allegations are extremely concerning. Let's conduct a thorough investigation before rushing to declare our colleague persona non grata. Make no mistake, he will not receive special treatment as a Democrat, friend, or colleague. Etc., etc., etc." it would only be clear that he was going down based on the results of the inquiry.

TM

*That said, if she's the nominee, she'll get all of my support.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Fair enough, asshole. I don't like it and I think you're wrong to apply different standards of what constitutes justice based on what a person's job is.

TM

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

Yes. You might even be surprised how cheap the hookers, ladyboys, and 13 year-olds are. Go to Patpong or Soi Cowbow if you want to see 60 something expats is all their sleazy glory.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Look, I'm not going to address all your points, because who has the time.

You were viewing her as an opportunist. I think she, like Franken and every other politician, has done some opportunistic things in the past - her past sins on immigration are the ones that actually bother me most. But here I think she was advancing something she believes in deeply. I think her anger was righteous, not opportunistic.

There were multiple non-anonymous accusations. Some of them looked potentially politically opportune and motivated by people with partisan axes to grind. Others didn't. Then there were the anonymous ones - and, yes, we can't take those as seriously without more information of some sort.

Nobody made him resign. Franken could have done what Northam is doing. He would have had to have borne some slings and arrows, and he'd probably have a lot fewer supporters today, because it would have been ugly.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Why the fuck aren't we talking about this national emergency bullshit.

We're suddenly a 1960s style banana republic. Fuck it, do two bit Latin American dictators even declare states of emergency any more?