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?

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

I wish you wouldn't say shit like this. Yeah, he didn't have to resign. No one ever has to resign. We know the reality of why he resigned. If it were as you said, clear and inevitable, he wouldn't have asked for an inquiry. His request was rejected by those that decided he needed to be over. He was forced out. But, whatever. I'm sick of this shit.

TM

A Judge I Could Get Behind
 

Ms. Akke has thrown her hat into the ring to be appoint to a Nevada trial court in Las Vegas. She was 3rd in her US law school class, is also a Dutch attorney, works for a top civil firm in LV, and was a dancer at Crazy Horse de Paris and a showgirl at the Stardust. That is a true Las Vegas story.

https://www.morrislawgroup.com/team-view/akke-levin/

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

I could be wrong, but my recollection was that it had been referred to the ethics committee but he resigned before the review happened. I don't think any request was rejected. But, yeah, a very large number of his colleagues said, Al, just leave, because we're sick of this shit.

but again, this is all a footnote to the fucking declaration of emergency to subvert the legislature's constitutional powers today

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Correct. The request wasn't rejected, the chorus just pushed him out before the review occurred.

Can't wait for Republicans to talk about how the next Democrat President is a mad king when he or she declares actual national emergencies relating to gun control, climate change, white nationalist/supremacist groups, and voting rights.

TM

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

You know, people might take you more seriously if you noted that you are one of her constituents...

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Check and mate, mate.

TM

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

This was a much more tolerant response than I expected.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Physical therapists these days need to go get PhDs. It's the standard. And it's getting ridiculous.

I've been working at an institution of higher education for nearly 17 years now. Mine is slightly different than most in that it's also a massive clinical enterprise as well. Our highest paid folk are definitely faculty members, but they're also physicians. What I've seen over the years is a massive decrease in state and federal funding at all levels. It's scary, especially, in the funding of basic sciences. Do we really, as a society, want the corporations funding all of our scientific inquiry? Research dollars, allocations for education from the state, general government funding is harder and harder to come by. Living in a "business friendly" state means that we struggle to come up with revenue to pay for K-12, let alone help out our institutions of higher education.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

As a mother, I think .....

LessiJasper, where it was -20 last night.

Re: Doesn’t Matter Who Wins the K Race; We’re All the Same
 

Unrelatedly, i'd like to run this by y'all. Shouldn't they all be impeached for incompetence?
https://www.mintpressnews.com/search...istory/253272/

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

For a true NYer you really don’t know how to cross streets.

It’s not so different from crossing the street in Manhattan. Substitute scooters for Citibikes. You dash out when there’s space.

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

A380. I don’t get to use the G5. Just pay for it.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Interior decorators need licenses in some states. When I was vetting HR directors for someone a few years back, the list of mindless credentials behind each name went on forever. I never asked what any of them meant and never gave a shit. And I don't think anyone else did either. Except the little robots in HR who winnowed out all the candidates without these stupid letters after their names.

I bet I could apply for endless positions electronically and just submit random strings of capital letters occasionally separated by commas and get invited to interviews.

It's a barrier to entry that keeps the poor kids, or the people who couldn't be bothered to acquire a credit from some academic gatekeeper with no real world knowledge, at a disadvantage to kids whose folks could pay for the tutors or test classes, and less talented people who are willing to spend time collecting credentials. I have one friend who's already retired with cuckoo cash. Person has neither an MBA nor a CFA. Deemed both of them wastes of time -- things to do while he focused on generating returns. He's the one lucky bastard of the crowd. Everyone else I know burns untold hours studying for these certifications and degrees at tremendous opportunity costs. But here's the thing... If you discuss markets with this person, he's far more knowledgeable than anyone I've met with an MBA or CFA.

I acquired an utterly useless post-grad degree many years ago for the sole reason of using it to generate a pay raise. It worked. I doubled my money. I learned almost nothing, but the investment paid off. One hiring manager told me I showed commitment by pursuing additional education. You never fully realize how completely different the inside of another person's head can be until your hear something like that. The immediate thought is This person is amazingly credulous. Then you realize, perception is reality. And some people actually believe that what they see on the resume, and the ludicrous facade one presents, approaches the reality within the applicant's head.

The corporate world, as it automates more and more, is becoming frighteningly similar to a Matrix. Affluent little robots, taught to take tests, going through the ticky tack motions in the ticky tack world.

We need to prescribe LSD, mushrooms, and meditation to these kids. But, then again, if one never grasps that it's all a game, maybe he's better off. I'd never give up enlightenment, but ignorance delivers a lot more happiness.

Regarding the research institutions, I agree with you. I don't think it's good to have corporations take over that role. All we'd wind up with is newer forms of faster acting Botox and hard-on pills. I don't want corporations to take over academia at all. I just want academia to operate more like a corporation in terms of providing value, rather than acting as monopolists with an endless supply of fed backed loan income.

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

If you have a G5 and you're still working, you either need to get rid of the G5 and the other items that require you to keep working or go to a terminal cancer ward and make the following inquiry to patients:

"How much do you regret not spending more time at the office?"

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

You mean to get a job? That's because there is are way toooo many- it was the "easy" way into medical. As an oldish guy who runs, trust me, I know PT- I have never been exposed to any other profession that is so full of hacks. Once I found a good PT I followed him everywhere, but I bet I went through 10 before finding him.

I look back on engineering school and I remember my cleanest realization- I got a 65% on a test and it translated to class average, a B+. For awhile I was afraid of driving on bridges, realizing a "good" engineer is wrong 1/3 of the time. Then I realized the same math probably applies to doctors AND engineers at least work with a group, no one is second guessing the doctor.

Sometimes standing on the grand entrance to some massive federal courthouse I wonder what this will all look like in 50 years. Unless something major changes how can the US Gov ever build stuff like this again?

Re: Thanks for the Recommendation
 

Bangkok is not like Manhattan, or Queens, or even Brooklyn- I think the equivalent is to crossing the road in the Bronx?

Conf to Icky: I remember being in a tok-tok (sp?) on say a 8 lane highway- four going North and 4 south (they're metric, right? what is the metric equivalent of N/S? Anyone still talking to Penske?) And the highway is packed- then suddenly the lane going the opposite way was empty: vehicles going the way we're going just take it. now there are 5 going our way and 3 the other way. I wonder if it would flip to 6/2 but didn't see that. that place is crazy- in Singapore people would get whipped for that shit!

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

I think it's still part of the initiation, yes.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Two ways I can see:

War occurs and we wind up on top once more, controlling global economy and sucking all the money out of it like we did after WWII. Unlikely.

Private money is put to use to build these things, as is done in Europe. Also unlikely because we're too addicted to the idea that all such projects require exclusively public money, which means large tax increases.

But also ask this question: Why do we need these grand edifices? Why do we need skyscrapers? Why so much commercial r/e at all? We're interconnected as though we're standing next to each other by a little device that sits in our pockets. Why waste so many natural resources building structures we don't need? Why not just focus on the essential infrastructure (bridges, roads, dams, water treatment plants, sewer systems, airports, train lines, etc.)?

There's a giant set of Comcast buildings in downtown Philly. Ugly as fuck testaments to the Roberts' families' egos. Carbon footprint is staggering. Why? And why two? Was one giant phallus (a lot of which is wasted empty space, btw) that'll be ripped down in 80 years not enough?

California can't justify high speed rail, but all across this nation we're putting up office buildings for workers who increasingly work from home? For what reason? So more people can wreck the environment commuting to some plastic chair in an office suite constructed of petroleum based products?

AOC's Green New Deal is pie in the sky, but she has a point on air travel, car travel, and office buildings. Why not think big again and develop high speed rail to criss-cross the country, and upgrade the regular rail we already have? Not only is this environmentally friendly, but it would also help the dying hamlets in flyoverland. Create some jobs for the people who'd otherwise expire in opioid dens.

In 50 years, if people still have to "show up at the office" and do anything close to a 40 hour work week, we'll have totally lost any hope of realizing the benefits of technology Keynes envisioned. And we'll have certainly proven the axiom that natural selection does not favor the smartest or fittest, and evolution does not improve the human race, but can actually degrade the shit out of it... If the right dumb people remain in the right positions, supporting the same stupid policies -- most notably, The Protestant Work Ethic, the idea every minute you're not being productive is a minute of life wasted, and the notion every CEO should have the right to leave a Pyramid behind.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

We have the money, we just need congress to do what it is supposed to do.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

We don't build those things anymore either, and we won't unless and until we break the Reagan/Thatcher fever of believing government is always bad and inefficient and lower taxes are good in all instances. The basic notion that government can do things is, in this country, a radical socialist thought.

Complaining the about existence of private-funded buildings is weird.

Carbon footprint is certainly vastly lower than the same square footage done in any other way.

I'm a huge believer in rail, but not even I think it will work to criss-cross the country. It's too big and too empty.

But there are shorter, busier clusters where rail could mostly replace air travel if we were willing to build real high speed trains (like the rest of the developed world, ETA: except the UK). We aren't because it's "too expensive" and requires hard choices and Americans are in love with the "freedom" of cars.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

It's much too important that it all go to defence contractors and tax cuts for rich people.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

Big buildings and good transit systems to get people to them are better for the environment than sprawl and congested highways.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

2. Amtrak Detroit to Chicago is a suckers game. It stops in 8 cities and is very unreliable as to arrival time.

But the other problem is that very few cities have mass transit once there. Once you get to Chicago's rail station you are fine. But once you get to Detroit? You need a car.

Re: Northam, Warren, Fairfax...
 

That's the same whether you arrive in a plane or train, though, no?

It's pretty easy to look at a map and see Chicago as a hub of high speed connections.