Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Deep Thought
Nobody could've predicted that electing a black man president would drive this country completely fucking insane.
The Stupid Is Strong
Republican on medicare is worried about government health care because nobody can compete with the government. He does, at least, recognize that Medicare is a government program, he just doesn't think most people should have it as good as he does.
Two Cheers
Normally I don't cheer on falling ridership, but as a fairly regular user I will say that fares had crept up so much that I was starting to take the SUPERBUS instead.
Volt
Sad thing is that where they're most practical - in urban hellholes like mine - people are least likely to have conveniently located outlets.
Crazy People
I'm only getting it from the captioning, but there are lots of crazy people talking to Arlen Specter right now.
Used to be the "crazy people" at these things were single payer advocates, and the media ignored them.
Used to be the "crazy people" at these things were single payer advocates, and the media ignored them.
And Did I Mention He Was Black?
Ah, the FT. I do so want to like you.
President Barack Obama reminds me of Felix the Cat. One of the best-loved cartoon characters of the 1920s, Felix was not only black. He was also very, very lucky.
Local Stadia
So I took the 4 train uptown a few stops to see the Yankees play the Blue Jays.
I liked the old Stadium. This one, not so much.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Nice Work
I am not a tax attorney and I do not play one on TV, but such sweetheart deals are, AFAIK, considered to be taxable compensation. Just in case someone forgot.
What Words Can We Use?
A commenter at MY's place says:
Obviously there is a false dichotomy, but it's difficult in "good enough for a short blog post" terms to write about things without using simplifications. Not all suburbs are the same, and not all cities are either. Some cities just suck for the various reasons we think of cities as sucking, some big cities are, in large part, quite suburban in character, and some suburbs, particularly older ones, have plenty of urban characteristics while still being identifiably suburban.
But, roughly, "city" and "urban" places are more dense and have greater walkability/less car dependency, while "suburban" places are less dense and are more car-centric. The former can include everything from Manhattan to the small towns of yore or college/resort towns of today, while the latter includes everything from Long Island to various "exurban" spots.
Can we stop with this false-dichotomy suburb/city thing?
Obviously there is a false dichotomy, but it's difficult in "good enough for a short blog post" terms to write about things without using simplifications. Not all suburbs are the same, and not all cities are either. Some cities just suck for the various reasons we think of cities as sucking, some big cities are, in large part, quite suburban in character, and some suburbs, particularly older ones, have plenty of urban characteristics while still being identifiably suburban.
But, roughly, "city" and "urban" places are more dense and have greater walkability/less car dependency, while "suburban" places are less dense and are more car-centric. The former can include everything from Manhattan to the small towns of yore or college/resort towns of today, while the latter includes everything from Long Island to various "exurban" spots.
Endowments
Obviously having some level of endowment makes sense for colleges and universities, as insurance against various downturns. And one can also see endowments as investments in future expansion plans or tuition reductions. But, yes, just what is the point of all that cash?
To Make My Concerns More Explicit
On those not very frequent occasions that I actually drive, I worry about hitting badly behaving cyclists. No matter how much it's reasonable to expect that drivers should have better awareness of cyclists, it isn't reasonable to expect that drivers have 360 degree awareness constantly. After years of driving experience we all instinctively know when we need to look to the left, to the right, in our rear view mirrors, etc. I think it's perfectly reasonable that cyclists demand (successfully or not) that car drivers get used to them being on the road when they're riding with traffic and roughly obeying lights and stops, but if you're blowing through lights or driving the wrong way down one way streets I might hit you!
And, as a pedestrian, I find that the more cyclists are behaving badly the more likely they are to not notice pedestrians, because they're too busy looking out for the cars.
I don't actually care if cyclists follow the rules 100%, I just expect them to be sensible with an understanding that pedestrians exist, too, and that they cannot have unrealistic expectations of driver awareness. I of course J-walk, but try to do so only if it won't cause a change in driver behavior. Drivers shouldn't have to worry about people running out in front of them.
So, yes, stop at red lights and then proceed if there's no oncoming traffic. At 4-way stop sign intersections of one-way streets, where a lack of pedestrians and cars is clearly visible, blow right through it. It isn't that I demand people obey everything pointlessly, I just think they should be considerate and sensible. Plenty are! Many are not.
And, as a pedestrian, I find that the more cyclists are behaving badly the more likely they are to not notice pedestrians, because they're too busy looking out for the cars.
I don't actually care if cyclists follow the rules 100%, I just expect them to be sensible with an understanding that pedestrians exist, too, and that they cannot have unrealistic expectations of driver awareness. I of course J-walk, but try to do so only if it won't cause a change in driver behavior. Drivers shouldn't have to worry about people running out in front of them.
So, yes, stop at red lights and then proceed if there's no oncoming traffic. At 4-way stop sign intersections of one-way streets, where a lack of pedestrians and cars is clearly visible, blow right through it. It isn't that I demand people obey everything pointlessly, I just think they should be considerate and sensible. Plenty are! Many are not.
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