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Saturday, March 21, 2009
Videos of the Week
Monday, March 16, 2009
Seppuku at AIG
Quote of the Day:"The first thing that would make me feel a little bit better towards them if they’d follow the Japanese model and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say I’m sorry, and then either do one of two things — resign, or go commit suicide."
-Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), on the AIG executives who are receiving $165 million in bonuses even though their company just reported the largest quarterly corporate loss in American history ($62 billion for fourth quarter 2008) and has to date received more that $170 billion in federal bailout funds.
Top Ten Worst Places to Buy Real Estate
All excerpts from Real Clear World: World's Most Dangerous Cities
10) London - For the past several years, the city has been increasingly plagued by knife-related crime and violence…despite disputed statistics, even conservative estimates show knife-related violence in London occurring at a rate of every 52 minutes.
9) Saskatoon - Saskatoon earned such infamy by placing first in aggravated assault and robbery, fourth in homicide and sexual assault, 20th in breaking and entering, and 21st in vehicle theft among Canadian cities.
8) Norilsk - How does Norilsk, a city of 134,000 on Russia's far-flung frozen tundra, make our list? Well, this is how Time magazine described it: Norilsk was founded in 1935 as a Siberian slave labor camp, and life there has pretty much gone downhill since. Norilsk is home to the world's largest heavy metal smelting complex, with little or no regulartory oversight. Polluted water and air make life expectancy in this city around just 40 years. Within 30 miles of the city, there is not a single living tree.
7) Johannesburg - In South Africa, one of the ongoing topics of discussion is which of the country's two major cities - Johannesburg and Cape Town - is the more likely to get your car hijacked or your wallet taken. While crime has ebbed and flowed throughout all of South Africa in recent years, the city of Johannesburg has earned a special distinction for theft, robbery and violence.
6) Rio de Janeiro - Plagued by violent gun crime, assassinations and drug-trafficking, nearly 50,000 people have died of crime-related violence in Rio between 1978 and 2000.
5) Detroit - The dysfunction starts from the top. Kwame Kilpatrick, after a 7-year stint as Detroit mayor that was plagued by all sorts of allegations of impropriety, just served 99 days in prison for obstruction of justice. The current president of the city council, Monica Conyers, is noted for her thuggish behavior and is also currently under FBI investigation for bribery. A separate FBI probe into city hall corruption is also ongoing. Detroit's violent crime rate nearly triples the national average.
4) Caracas - Since [Hugo Chavez’s] election in 1998, the homicide rate in Caracas has more than doubled, earning the city the 2008 award for 'Murder Capital of the World' by Foreign Policy.
3) Linfen - A number of Chinese cities could've made this list for the same reason - pollution - but Linfen takes the cake because it has the dirtiest air in the entire world…a result of being one of China's largest coal mining hubs.
2) Ciudad Juarez - The city of 1.5 million has already experienced 1,800 murders since January and is the epicenter of a violent battle between rival drug cartels, smugglers, kidnappers and criminals. Among the city’s grim statistics, over 400 women have fallen prey to “sexual homicide” since 1999. Dismembered bodies and large “common graves” stuffed with corpses have inspired the CIA and Pentagon to begin contingency planning for a “failed state” on America’s southern border.
1) Mogadishu - The capital of Somalia is nearly synonymous with chaos and violence…Just yesterday, 11 people were killed in a clash between Islamist groups. Over a million of the city’s residents have reportedly been displaced, with tens of thousands fleeing the "city of death" altogether.
10) London - For the past several years, the city has been increasingly plagued by knife-related crime and violence…despite disputed statistics, even conservative estimates show knife-related violence in London occurring at a rate of every 52 minutes.
9) Saskatoon - Saskatoon earned such infamy by placing first in aggravated assault and robbery, fourth in homicide and sexual assault, 20th in breaking and entering, and 21st in vehicle theft among Canadian cities.
8) Norilsk - How does Norilsk, a city of 134,000 on Russia's far-flung frozen tundra, make our list? Well, this is how Time magazine described it: Norilsk was founded in 1935 as a Siberian slave labor camp, and life there has pretty much gone downhill since. Norilsk is home to the world's largest heavy metal smelting complex, with little or no regulartory oversight. Polluted water and air make life expectancy in this city around just 40 years. Within 30 miles of the city, there is not a single living tree.
7) Johannesburg - In South Africa, one of the ongoing topics of discussion is which of the country's two major cities - Johannesburg and Cape Town - is the more likely to get your car hijacked or your wallet taken. While crime has ebbed and flowed throughout all of South Africa in recent years, the city of Johannesburg has earned a special distinction for theft, robbery and violence.
6) Rio de Janeiro - Plagued by violent gun crime, assassinations and drug-trafficking, nearly 50,000 people have died of crime-related violence in Rio between 1978 and 2000.
5) Detroit - The dysfunction starts from the top. Kwame Kilpatrick, after a 7-year stint as Detroit mayor that was plagued by all sorts of allegations of impropriety, just served 99 days in prison for obstruction of justice. The current president of the city council, Monica Conyers, is noted for her thuggish behavior and is also currently under FBI investigation for bribery. A separate FBI probe into city hall corruption is also ongoing. Detroit's violent crime rate nearly triples the national average.
4) Caracas - Since [Hugo Chavez’s] election in 1998, the homicide rate in Caracas has more than doubled, earning the city the 2008 award for 'Murder Capital of the World' by Foreign Policy.
3) Linfen - A number of Chinese cities could've made this list for the same reason - pollution - but Linfen takes the cake because it has the dirtiest air in the entire world…a result of being one of China's largest coal mining hubs.
2) Ciudad Juarez - The city of 1.5 million has already experienced 1,800 murders since January and is the epicenter of a violent battle between rival drug cartels, smugglers, kidnappers and criminals. Among the city’s grim statistics, over 400 women have fallen prey to “sexual homicide” since 1999. Dismembered bodies and large “common graves” stuffed with corpses have inspired the CIA and Pentagon to begin contingency planning for a “failed state” on America’s southern border.
1) Mogadishu - The capital of Somalia is nearly synonymous with chaos and violence…Just yesterday, 11 people were killed in a clash between Islamist groups. Over a million of the city’s residents have reportedly been displaced, with tens of thousands fleeing the "city of death" altogether.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Oh Stewardess, I Speak Jive
Some highlights from the Politico article: Blacks, Whites Hear Obama Differently“Black English, especially the cadence, is becoming America’s youth lingua franca, especially since the mainstreaming of hip-hop. Its sound conveys warmth, authenticity and a touch of seductive danger.” [-John McWhorter]
Beyond speech, blacks have picked up certain of Obama’s mannerisms, particularly his walk, that signal authenticity. Bush had his cowboy strut, and Obama has a swagger — a rhythmic lope that says cool and confident and undeniably black. It was most noticeable on his first post-election trip to the White House, some said.
“The swagger was out of control, dragging the left foot, it was like, ‘Barack, you have got to calm down,’” said Melissa Harris-Lacewell, a Princeton University professor who teaches courses in politics and black studies. “The swagger thing just got worse and worse during the campaign ... I am sure David Axelrod told him to stop swaggering.”
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has used phrases recently like “bling bling” to describe the stimulus package and “off the hook” to describe the new RNC outreach plans, at a time when he is trying to step up the party’s appeal to African-American voters.
After reading this article I have several questions:
1) Where can I pickup a “Black English” Dictionary? I'd like to learn a few catch phrases so that I can verbally convey “warmth” along with “seductive danger.”
2) At what point during the campaign did Obama’s swagger reach the optimum level of blackness? I want to be sure I review videos of Barack walking from the correct time period so that I can mimic him to attract potential African-American friends as I stroll through urban areas. I’ve got to be careful because apparently, when one’s “rhythmic lope” becomes too exaggerated there is a backlash.
3) Does a video exist of David Axelrod cautioning Obama to pull back his swagger? I can almost hear Axelrod’s coaching: “Whoa, Barry. They’re not gonna like all that lateral movement in Western Pennsylvania. Here, try to copy me; I’m really white.”
4) Can you imagine if during the campaign John McCain had, like Michael Steele, peppered his speeches with alleged black catch phrases to try to appeal to African-American voters? “Booya, my friends!”
5) Why did/does Barack Obama (according to Politico) have to use speech and physicality to “signal” that he is authentically black? I mean, didn’t both Clintons tell us he was black at least a couple dozen times during the election?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Unnatural Selection
Today would be Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. So, Chuck, for your birthday we Americans are giving you the present of collective blind ignorance…
From Gallup
PRINCETON, NJ -- On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, a new Gallup Poll shows that only 39% of Americans say they "believe in the theory of evolution," while a quarter say they do not believe in the theory, and another 36% don't have an opinion either way. These attitudes are strongly related to education and, to an even greater degree, religiosity.
From Gallup
PRINCETON, NJ -- On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, a new Gallup Poll shows that only 39% of Americans say they "believe in the theory of evolution," while a quarter say they do not believe in the theory, and another 36% don't have an opinion either way. These attitudes are strongly related to education and, to an even greater degree, religiosity.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Facebook, In Translation
My apologies to my loyal reader(s) (thank you, honey, for regularly checking 3POP on multiple workstations so that I’ll have more than one hit a day) for briefly abandoning the blog. I signed up for a Facebook account just over a week ago and it has sucked up all my energy. Who knew that you could spend so much time on a website with no overt pornography?
Overall, my rookie week on Facebook has been a positive experience. However, I’ve discovered that there is a glaring discrepancy between the actual written messages you receive from old friends, and the underlying meaning conveyed through your memory of said friends. Observe:
What she says is: “I haven’t seen you in sooooo long. I’ve really grown up a lot since high school.”
What she means is: I’m really embarrassed about that time after the party with all those Jell-O shots, when I tried to give you road head on the way home but ended up throwing up on your crotch and all over the car. That doesn’t happen anymore (the throwing up part).
What he says is: “New York is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! I really love living in Chelsea. I am out at bars almost every night. ;-)”
What he means is: I now have sex with men—often. But since we went to a very conservative high school, I want to gauge your tolerance level before I share the pictures of me at last year’s Pride Parade dressed as Carmen Miranda.
What she says is: “I absolutely love being a mom!!!! I don’t miss being the youngest vice president and highest paid woman at XYZ Corporation at all.”
What she means is: As I was the epitome of a Type-A overachiever in high school, I now miss the sense of control that only a high-powered career could provide. And it turns out to be kind of a bummer to have a little dependant who’s always drooling, soiling himself, and constantly wanting to suck on my nipples. Reminds me of when we used to date.
What he says is: “It’s really cool seeing my boy play Little League on the same field we all used to play on. I take the time to go to all his practices.”
What he means is: As a failed athlete who desperately wanted to play ball in college but could not cut it, I now intend to live vicariously through my son even if it means forcing him to take his meals in the backyard batting cage I built, holding him back two grade levels to ensure his athletic dominance, and affixing a bat to his palm with industrial adhesive one night in a tearful drunken rage.
Overall, my rookie week on Facebook has been a positive experience. However, I’ve discovered that there is a glaring discrepancy between the actual written messages you receive from old friends, and the underlying meaning conveyed through your memory of said friends. Observe:
What she says is: “I haven’t seen you in sooooo long. I’ve really grown up a lot since high school.”
What she means is: I’m really embarrassed about that time after the party with all those Jell-O shots, when I tried to give you road head on the way home but ended up throwing up on your crotch and all over the car. That doesn’t happen anymore (the throwing up part).
What he says is: “New York is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! I really love living in Chelsea. I am out at bars almost every night. ;-)”
What he means is: I now have sex with men—often. But since we went to a very conservative high school, I want to gauge your tolerance level before I share the pictures of me at last year’s Pride Parade dressed as Carmen Miranda.
What she says is: “I absolutely love being a mom!!!! I don’t miss being the youngest vice president and highest paid woman at XYZ Corporation at all.”
What she means is: As I was the epitome of a Type-A overachiever in high school, I now miss the sense of control that only a high-powered career could provide. And it turns out to be kind of a bummer to have a little dependant who’s always drooling, soiling himself, and constantly wanting to suck on my nipples. Reminds me of when we used to date.
What he says is: “It’s really cool seeing my boy play Little League on the same field we all used to play on. I take the time to go to all his practices.”
What he means is: As a failed athlete who desperately wanted to play ball in college but could not cut it, I now intend to live vicariously through my son even if it means forcing him to take his meals in the backyard batting cage I built, holding him back two grade levels to ensure his athletic dominance, and affixing a bat to his palm with industrial adhesive one night in a tearful drunken rage.
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