Well, the last couple days, actually. Catching up.
Overweening Generalist: On (Some) "Educated" Liberals and Their Knee-Jerk Dogma Over "Conspiracy Theories": "Robert Anton Wilson, still to my mind the greatest thinker about conspiracy theory I've ever read, once said in an interview with Philip H. Farber in 1997, "I am one hundred percent in favor of studying conspiracy theories because, next to quantum mechanics, they represent the best test of how well you can handle ambiguity and uncertainty." ...Their minds are closed about Sandy Hook (some really good reporting by Salon writers on the heinous a-holes fomenting conspiracies that a lot of it was faked so Obama could crack down/take away guns), Salon is also officially closed about 9/11, and I'd just guess also: the JFK/RFK/MLK hits, the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments, the Reichstag fire, Gulf of Tonkin, that J. Edgar knew about Pearl Harbor before it occurred and FDR may have also, how the CIA tried to kill Castro, Watergate, Nayirah, Operation Northwoods, MK-ULTRA, Project Paperclip, and that the CIA was involved with the Contras and cocaine trafficking. Such conspiracy theorists and their lowbrow ideation! My word and land o-goshen! Whatever has happened to our educational system! 'Tis a cryin' shame, just a shame!"
Tag Team Reader Mailbag: « delicioustacos: "“As a non-drinker, I encountered an absolutely galling situation…” As a paraplegic, I’ve noticed my 100 meter time is behind that of my competitors…. As an elderly blind woman, I’ve noticed my MMA career is not progressing as I’d hoped… As an Earthworm, I’ve noticed my road to the Presidency of the United States has been unusually difficult… Why don’t you drink alcohol? Are you religious? God does not exist. Drink alcohol. Family history of alcohol abuse? They abused it for a reason: it’s awesome. Drink alcohol. Afraid of damaging your organs and blunting your wits? A healthy liver and the ability to recall who played The Beastmaster are no reasons to go through life miserable."
Entitled to Sabotage | Mark's Daily Apple: "How many people justify bad eating habits because they tell themselves they deserve the treat? “Can’t I just enjoy a little pleasure in life?” “Aren’t I entitled?” Sometimes it takes on context. “With all I put up with…” “Why can’t I just have this one thing?” “This is the one thing I do for myself.” Treating ourselves. When the noun morphs into the verb, there’s a subtle but significant distinction. Treating ourselves invites us to step outside our normal life for the promise of something of sweeter – and “better.” On occasion, it can be a lighthearted dalliance. For too many people, however, it becomes a continual path of self-sabotage. We all want to believe we deserve more, deserve better than what we come to feel is the mundane. Advertisers leap on this low hanging psychological fruit."
Netflix original series 'House of Cards' could change TV - WTOP.com: "Now, it's the new series "House of Cards," starring Kevin Spacey ("The Usual Suspects") as House Majority Whip Francis Underwood, a manipulative politician who will do whatever it takes to become President of the United States. The real novelty of "House of Cards" is its place as the first original series by Netflix, the online video rental and streaming service that's now throwing its hat in the ring as a bona fide content creator."
LA Archbishop Relieves Retired Cardinal of Duties - ABC News: "Cardinal Roger Mahony, who retired with a tainted career after dodging criminal charges over how he handled pedophile priests, was stripped of duties by his successor as a judge ordered confidential church personnel files released. The unprecedented move by Archbishop Jose Gomez came less than two weeks after other long-secret priest personnel records showed how Mahony worked with top aides to protect the Roman Catholic church from the engulfing scandal."
Not Just Another Movie - By Amy Zegart | Foreign Policy: "If you're going to see Zero Dark Thirty, I'd suggest skipping the first frame and reading this instead: This film is a work of fiction that tells the story of the hunt for bin Laden from one imaginary CIA officer's perspective. Some of the events depicted are real. Many are not. You won't be able to tell the difference. Plus we made up a lot of shit about torture. We arrogantly contend that this motion picture is the first draft of history even though actual history says otherwise. But don't judge us: it's just a movie."
Shit Jobs: McDonald’s « delicioustacos: "Not one second wasted. They will get as much out of you as possible for as little as possible, and rightly view human interaction between employees as wasteful. This is good management. Some companies call this “time theft,” talking to the people you work with. They own time. They own your life, and you are stealing it. The value of work."
All fruit diet lands Ashton Kutcher in the hospital – The Marquee Blog - CNN.com Blogs: "“First of all, the fruitarian diet can lead to like severe issues,” Kutcher said after the “Jobs” screening at the Sundance Film Festival, via USA Today. “I went to the hospital like two days before we started shooting the movie. I was like doubled over in pain. My pancreas levels were completely out of whack.” In 2004, Jobs announced that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer."
What the what? '30 Rock' cast on their favorite show moments - CNN.com: "On changing comedy: Adsit: (The show) kind of opened the door for really dense comedy. A DVR comedy is what I would call it, in that it goes by so quickly, and all the jokes are so densely packed one on top of the other, that you almost have to rewind to catch everything. I have friends who say they watch the show but are constantly rewinding it because they're laughing through the next three jokes. So maybe we're training the world to think faster. That'll be our legacy."
Seven Myths About Obesity | DietDoctor.com: "A whole bunch of obesity experts have just published an article in The New England Journal of Medicine about myths, presumptions and facts about obesity. Surprise: I agree on all points! Some common dietitian or Weight Watcher claims are found among the myths, i.e. things that have been proven wrong. For example myths #1-3: Myth #1: Small changes in energy intake or expenditure will produce large, long-term weight changes. WRONG. Small changes in lifestyle will only produce small effects on weight. Myth #2: Setting realistic goals is important. WRONG. Setting ambitious goals will produce at least equally good results. Myth#3: An initial rapid weight loss is associated with poorer long-term results. WRONG. Rapid weight loss will produce at least equally good results. They also debunk various presumptions that are often put forward as facts, but are lacking support, for example the following: Unproven presumption #1: Regularly eating breakfast is protective against obesity. Unproven presumption #3: Eating more fruits and vegetables will result in weight loss."
One Out of Four Prisoners Worldwide is in America - Hit & Run : Reason.com: "One out of every four prisoners in the world is held in the United States. Drug crimes are the primary cause of imprisonment on the federal level, followed closely by immigration violations and weapons offenses."
Fat Head » The Latest “Meat Kills!” Study: "This isn’t the first time these researchers dug into the data they collected for the purpose of publishing a paper. Here’s the conclusion from another study using the same dataset titled Mortality Among British Vegetarians: The mortality of both the vegetarians and the nonvegetarians in this study is low compared with national rates. Within the study, mortality from circulatory diseases and all causes is not significantly different between vegetarians and meat eaters, but the study is not large enough to exclude small or moderate differences for specific causes of death, and more research on this topic is required."
Overweening Generalist: On (Some) "Educated" Liberals and Their Knee-Jerk Dogma Over "Conspiracy Theories": "Robert Anton Wilson, still to my mind the greatest thinker about conspiracy theory I've ever read, once said in an interview with Philip H. Farber in 1997, "I am one hundred percent in favor of studying conspiracy theories because, next to quantum mechanics, they represent the best test of how well you can handle ambiguity and uncertainty." ...Their minds are closed about Sandy Hook (some really good reporting by Salon writers on the heinous a-holes fomenting conspiracies that a lot of it was faked so Obama could crack down/take away guns), Salon is also officially closed about 9/11, and I'd just guess also: the JFK/RFK/MLK hits, the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments, the Reichstag fire, Gulf of Tonkin, that J. Edgar knew about Pearl Harbor before it occurred and FDR may have also, how the CIA tried to kill Castro, Watergate, Nayirah, Operation Northwoods, MK-ULTRA, Project Paperclip, and that the CIA was involved with the Contras and cocaine trafficking. Such conspiracy theorists and their lowbrow ideation! My word and land o-goshen! Whatever has happened to our educational system! 'Tis a cryin' shame, just a shame!"
Tag Team Reader Mailbag: « delicioustacos: "“As a non-drinker, I encountered an absolutely galling situation…” As a paraplegic, I’ve noticed my 100 meter time is behind that of my competitors…. As an elderly blind woman, I’ve noticed my MMA career is not progressing as I’d hoped… As an Earthworm, I’ve noticed my road to the Presidency of the United States has been unusually difficult… Why don’t you drink alcohol? Are you religious? God does not exist. Drink alcohol. Family history of alcohol abuse? They abused it for a reason: it’s awesome. Drink alcohol. Afraid of damaging your organs and blunting your wits? A healthy liver and the ability to recall who played The Beastmaster are no reasons to go through life miserable."
Entitled to Sabotage | Mark's Daily Apple: "How many people justify bad eating habits because they tell themselves they deserve the treat? “Can’t I just enjoy a little pleasure in life?” “Aren’t I entitled?” Sometimes it takes on context. “With all I put up with…” “Why can’t I just have this one thing?” “This is the one thing I do for myself.” Treating ourselves. When the noun morphs into the verb, there’s a subtle but significant distinction. Treating ourselves invites us to step outside our normal life for the promise of something of sweeter – and “better.” On occasion, it can be a lighthearted dalliance. For too many people, however, it becomes a continual path of self-sabotage. We all want to believe we deserve more, deserve better than what we come to feel is the mundane. Advertisers leap on this low hanging psychological fruit."
Netflix original series 'House of Cards' could change TV - WTOP.com: "Now, it's the new series "House of Cards," starring Kevin Spacey ("The Usual Suspects") as House Majority Whip Francis Underwood, a manipulative politician who will do whatever it takes to become President of the United States. The real novelty of "House of Cards" is its place as the first original series by Netflix, the online video rental and streaming service that's now throwing its hat in the ring as a bona fide content creator."
LA Archbishop Relieves Retired Cardinal of Duties - ABC News: "Cardinal Roger Mahony, who retired with a tainted career after dodging criminal charges over how he handled pedophile priests, was stripped of duties by his successor as a judge ordered confidential church personnel files released. The unprecedented move by Archbishop Jose Gomez came less than two weeks after other long-secret priest personnel records showed how Mahony worked with top aides to protect the Roman Catholic church from the engulfing scandal."
Shit Jobs: McDonald’s « delicioustacos: "Not one second wasted. They will get as much out of you as possible for as little as possible, and rightly view human interaction between employees as wasteful. This is good management. Some companies call this “time theft,” talking to the people you work with. They own time. They own your life, and you are stealing it. The value of work."
All fruit diet lands Ashton Kutcher in the hospital – The Marquee Blog - CNN.com Blogs: "“First of all, the fruitarian diet can lead to like severe issues,” Kutcher said after the “Jobs” screening at the Sundance Film Festival, via USA Today. “I went to the hospital like two days before we started shooting the movie. I was like doubled over in pain. My pancreas levels were completely out of whack.” In 2004, Jobs announced that he was being treated for pancreatic cancer."
What the what? '30 Rock' cast on their favorite show moments - CNN.com: "On changing comedy: Adsit: (The show) kind of opened the door for really dense comedy. A DVR comedy is what I would call it, in that it goes by so quickly, and all the jokes are so densely packed one on top of the other, that you almost have to rewind to catch everything. I have friends who say they watch the show but are constantly rewinding it because they're laughing through the next three jokes. So maybe we're training the world to think faster. That'll be our legacy."
Seven Myths About Obesity | DietDoctor.com: "A whole bunch of obesity experts have just published an article in The New England Journal of Medicine about myths, presumptions and facts about obesity. Surprise: I agree on all points! Some common dietitian or Weight Watcher claims are found among the myths, i.e. things that have been proven wrong. For example myths #1-3: Myth #1: Small changes in energy intake or expenditure will produce large, long-term weight changes. WRONG. Small changes in lifestyle will only produce small effects on weight. Myth #2: Setting realistic goals is important. WRONG. Setting ambitious goals will produce at least equally good results. Myth#3: An initial rapid weight loss is associated with poorer long-term results. WRONG. Rapid weight loss will produce at least equally good results. They also debunk various presumptions that are often put forward as facts, but are lacking support, for example the following: Unproven presumption #1: Regularly eating breakfast is protective against obesity. Unproven presumption #3: Eating more fruits and vegetables will result in weight loss."
One Out of Four Prisoners Worldwide is in America - Hit & Run : Reason.com: "One out of every four prisoners in the world is held in the United States. Drug crimes are the primary cause of imprisonment on the federal level, followed closely by immigration violations and weapons offenses."
Fat Head » The Latest “Meat Kills!” Study: "This isn’t the first time these researchers dug into the data they collected for the purpose of publishing a paper. Here’s the conclusion from another study using the same dataset titled Mortality Among British Vegetarians: The mortality of both the vegetarians and the nonvegetarians in this study is low compared with national rates. Within the study, mortality from circulatory diseases and all causes is not significantly different between vegetarians and meat eaters, but the study is not large enough to exclude small or moderate differences for specific causes of death, and more research on this topic is required."
Poor People Are Happy: "R: “You are not the first person to tell me that poor people are happy. Do you have an idea of why this is?”
SWPL: “I don’t.”
R: “It’s a self-defense mechanism.”
SWPL: “Explain.”
R: “It is inherently unfair that you have 1000 times more than another human being who, through the bad fortune of having been born in the wrong place at the wrong time, will never have a comfortable life that you take for granted, no matter how hard they work. If in your travels you were to see this and accept it for what it is, you would break down in tears at the horrible plight of many billions of people on this earth, but when you convince yourself—in fact delude yourself—into believing that poor people who live on $1 a day are happier than you, you are able to push away this realization so that your travels are uninterrupted by the cruelness of humanity, so that you can upload photos of dirt children on Facebook and receive the likes from your friends who comment on how happy the children seem to appear.”
SWPL: “I didn’t think of it that way.”
R: “If you were unable to trick yourself into thinking that hungry children are happier, how do you think that would change your travel plans?”
SWPL: “I would stop visiting poor countries, I guess.”
R: “Or you would just close your eyes to the poverty, as I have. Poverty is not your fault, but spreading the idea that poverty is happiness, or is somehow romantic, is an insult to those who are experiencing it.”
SWPL: “But I feel guilty that I have so much more than those kids.”
R: “Do you really?”
SWPL: “Yes. I wish they weren’t so poor.”
R: “How much money do you have saved up?”
SWPL: “Only $2,000. It’s my emergency fund.”
R: “Poor people live in perpetual emergency. Donate that money to a poor village. Let it go to their water and food. Do it now if you care about them!”
SWPL: “I can’t. I need it.”
R: “They need it, too.”
SWPL: “But I worked hard for it!”
R: “I thought you wished they weren’t so poor.”
SWPL: “Yeah but…”
R: “Do you still think poor people are happy?”
SWPL: “Not really.”
R: “Are you going to do anything about their plight?”
SWPL: “No.”
R: “And neither am I. Now go forth and continue your search for happiness. Work hard and pay off those student loans. Maybe soon you can afford another vacation.”"
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