Deane’s Personal Blog By Deane Barker • This blog is very sporadically updated. Also, note that this is my personal blog. You might want my technical blog instead. Out on Zzyzx Road DateDecember 29, 2020 Words1,927 The story of a few minutes I spent on the side of a road. Dropping Mics DateDecember 22, 2020 Words1,560 We don’t need to actually be right. We just need to feel like it. The Media and The Truth(s) DateJuly 20, 2020 Words1,423 There is no one truth about anything. Everything is filtered. On Local Food DateNovember 12, 2019 Words720 I try to have “authentic” culinary experiences while traveling, but it’s not that simple. The Nicest Thing Anyone Has Done For Me DateOctober 20, 2019 Words421 A story about an act of kindness done to me, and how hard it might have been for the giver. On Moral Hazard DateOctober 19, 2019 Words696 “As I write this, America is embroiled in the Ukrainian impeachment crisis. The claim is that Donald Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine in exchange for a political favor – he wanted them to investigate Joe Biden’s son, who is likely to be Trump’s democratic opponent in the 2020 election. The…” Breaking The Tyranny of Three Meals a Day DateMay 18, 2019 Words1,038 “I’m a terrible eater. I generally eat too much, only to be partially saved by very good gym habits. I’ve been actively trying to cut back my caloric intake. While counting calories get a bad rap, the fact remains that most people in The First World consume far too many calories daily. Left to my…” I Miss You DateApril 13, 2019 Words1,826 Thoughts on middle-age male friendship, or the lack thereof. Anecdotes vs. Principles DateMarch 25, 2019 Words598 “I’m reading The Secret World: A History of Intelligence, which is the history of espionage around the world. It’s a magisterial work – some 800 pages. I’m struggling with it, and here’s why: it’s basically a collection of episodes and anecdotes. Each chapter is about some country or intelligence…” Doing Something Poorly DateMarch 5, 2019 Words455 “I heard something that resonated with me the other day : Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. This, of course, is a play on this common saying: Anything worth doing is worth doing well. But, rather than making fun of an earnest, feel-good aphorism, what the former is saying is this: some…” The Core Ideological Conflict: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up DateOctober 3, 2016 Words1,036 “At its absolute core, the difference between conservatives and liberals seems to boil down to one thing: liberals believe that society can be fixed by grand architecture, while conservatives believe it can only be fixed by individual action. Call it the difference between ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up.’…” Why the Wealthy Subsidize the Tax Burden of the Middle and Lower Class DateFebruary 10, 2016 Words815 “I have a theory: the U.S. economy requires a significant number of Americans to be stupid with money. If we ever all got our crap together and started managing our personal budgets responsibly, the economy might fall apart. Consider this article from Bloomberg this morning:Americans Can’t Help…” The Conservative Case for Drug Price Controls? DateJanuary 24, 2016 Words323 “Reading a book called Rise of the Robots about the increasing role of automation in our lives. The author takes a bit of a detour in the chapter on health care to discuss how the markets are broken. I’m not sure how related to automation this is, but he makes this interesting point: …every other…” Feeding Children in Mali DateDecember 26, 2015 Words367 “I read a book recently called Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts. The book was just okay, but it contained a chilling story that I don’t want to forget. The book was written by a motivational speaker, and a master of the story and anecdote. We apparently volunteered in the Third World, and…” New Word: “Variegated” and In-Group/Out-Group Bias DateNovember 29, 2015 Words166 “An adjective which seems to related originally to colors: Varied in appearance or color; marked with patches or spots of different colors; varied; diversified; diverse. It seems to just be another way to state ‘varied,’ perhaps with more emphasis on a series of discrete states or gradients. Found in…” Not All “Likes” Are Created Equal DateJanuary 5, 2015 Words511 “I quit Facebook about a month ago. I still have an account because I need it for work – a surprising number of business comes in through Facebook, and I maintain 3-4 Facebook Messenger conversations on any given day. However, I stopped posting updates back in November and even went to the trouble…” Embedded Racial Bias DateJanuary 4, 2015 Words218 “Racial Bias, Even When We Have Good Intentions: A good roll up of studies which show that embedded, perhaps subconscious racism is alive and well. Lots more in the article, including some analysis as to why this happens.” Reading Shakespeare DateDecember 25, 2014 Words684 “My reading goal in 2014 was 52 books . I ended up reading 66 . My tentative goal for 2015 is to read all of Shakespeare’s 38 plays. I started early with The Merchant of Venice. I read the text first – it’s quite short, but slow, slow going. Shakespeare being Shakespeare, the writing is…” Teaching True North DateDecember 10, 2014 Words943 “My mother died five years ago. I was 38 when she died, an adult with kids of my own. My oldest was a teenager. Since then, I’ve watched my son graduate high school and start his second year of college. Watching one of your children leave the house is a sobering experience. You have moments of panic…” Where is your Iceland? DateDecember 6, 2014 Words505 “I just finished ‘Brave New World,’ a novel written in 1932 that describes the ‘perfection’ of society through science. Parallel to the advancement of science, ‘Brave New World’ deals with the retardation of creativity and individuality. Humans in a civilized society are expected to fit in. ‘Everyone…” States’ Rights and the Scope of Government DateNovember 28, 2014 Words1,976 “There’s a constant debate in this country about the appropriate size, scope and strength of government. This debate has raged since all the country was founded and shows no signs of letting up. Conservatives think all forms of government should be smaller in scope. And while Liberals don’t…” Charity and Personal Responsibility DateNovember 20, 2014 Words1,108 “One of the defining characteristics of your political view is how you think a government should balance charity against personal responsibility. Charity is the government giving aid in the form of social programs for the economically challenged: welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, mortgage debt relief,…” Why Labels Matter DateNovember 14, 2014 Words806 “We’ve talked a bit about the ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’ labels, but you might be wondering why they matter. Indeed, why wouldn’t a politician just eschew labels and say ‘I’ll do what’s best for the country in all situations’? Wouldn’t that be great? The problem is that politicians have to get…” The Politics of Getting Re-elected DateNovember 14, 2014 Words2,420 “One would hope that politicians always act in ways which they think will directly benefit the country. But, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they do things that actually go against their better judgment. Sometimes they do this in a specific situation, and sometimes they just adopt long-term positions…” Labels and Contexts DateNovember 13, 2014 Words664 “When discussing labels like ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal,’ it needs to be acknowledged that there are different contexts in which they apply. People can be both conservative and liberal at the same time, about different things. There are three major contexts in which you might apply these labels:…” On the Interestingness and Usefulness of Books DateNovember 12, 2014 Words931 “I’m reading more now than at any time in my life. I set a 2014 goal of one book per week , and as of the second week in November, I’m at 58. Additionally, I’ve been keeping track of my reading at Goodreads, and I try to write a short review of each book when I finish it. This has the effect of…” Evaluating Externalities DateNovember 8, 2014 Words1,052 “What can get mystifying about politics is that opposing politicians can have such different opinions about political issues. It seems like they can never agree about what to do about a given situation even though both sides are presented with the same facts. A large part of politics is about…” The Individual vs. The Community DateNovember 7, 2014 Words568 “Your personal political philosophy is highly influenced by how you view the way individuals relate to their larger community. For example: Conservatives view the individual as the prime mover. The individual is the engine of the economy and the engine of the community as a whole. Liberals view the…” Effort and Potential DateOctober 15, 2014 Words1,070 “Almost everybody has heard of ‘The 10,000 Hour Rule,’ which says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master anything. I actually read the original study last year. But I’ve often wondered about the limits of this theory. Does there exist people who simply will never master something, no matter…” The Human Connection and the Lack of Corporate Morality DateOctober 13, 2014 Words1,529 “I own 25% of Blend Interactive, which is a significant percentage. This chunk of ownership binds me to this company, in the sense that I see the company as a sort of extension of myself in many ways. I’m not a minor owner – I’m a significant part of the day-to-day operations, and my input goes a…” Why Marketing Bothers Me DateOctober 9, 2014 Words305 “I was thinking about marketing this week while I was on a trip, and two things occurred to me that I find distasteful about the discipline. I’m not claiming all marketing is like this, but I’d call it a majority, certainly. Marketing is often about lying. A lot of marketing is simply overstating…” Gratifying Narrative Syndrome DateOctober 6, 2014 Words825 “As human beings, we chronically suffer from what I call ‘Gratifying Narrative Syndrome,’ or a desire to confirm narratives that we find emotionally or psychologically gratifying. You see these all the time – stories and paradigms that click with us for some reason, and that we very much want to be…” The Rich and Their Effect on the Cost of Living DateOctober 5, 2014 Words560 “I’m not an economist, but I’m fairly confident in a couple of economic principles. Inflation tells us that when there’s more money chasing the same amount of goods, prices will go up. Supply and demand tell us that when demand increases, prices will also go up. I read an article that I think…” The Myth of Water Consumption DateOctober 4, 2014 Words458 “I enjoyed this article about the myth of water intake: You Don’t Need 8 Glasses Of Water A Day. This idea has been floating around for decades: you must drink more water – specifically eight glasses per day. This threshold appears to be a long-standing medical myth. It’s not even clear where it…” The Validity of The Lesser of Two Evils DateOctober 2, 2014 Words486 “Here’s an article which has reinforced a paradigm that I think gets ignored too often by the environmentally conscious: when considering an optional you find lacking, always consider the alternative or the default, and weigh the option against that. Because, no matter how much you don’t like what’s…” Defining It DateOctober 1, 2014 Words358 “When I was in my first political science class at Augie, I remember the first paragraph of the text tried to define ‘politics.' It went something like this: Politics is what happens when people are forced to live together. This is true, but the base definition is even deeper. I’m convinced that…” RIP Phil Hartman DateSeptember 30, 2014 Words197 “I loved this profile of Phil Hartman written by Jack Handey, who was an SNL writer for decades . He could do any accent. He could play menacing or frightened He could basically do it all. You’d hand him the ball and he’d punch it over the goal line. If he couldn’t, the ball you handed him was…” The U.S. Economy is Complex and Slow-Moving DateSeptember 27, 2014 Words822 “I saw two animated statistical graphics recently that reinforced and sharpened a belief that I’ve had lurking in my head for years. Links to the graphics are below : Percentage of adults with less than a high school diploma Unemployment rate by state Both are fascinating to watch – each has colors…” What is Newsworthy? DateSeptember 26, 2014 Words414 “In college, I took Journalism 101 , which I just loved. I maintain it was the best class I took in college, and the one that has provided me more practical value than anything else I took. In it, I learned about the gatekeeper effect, which is the idea that the media – newspapers, TV, radio, etc. –…” Why Johnny Can’t Find a Job DateSeptember 25, 2014 Words349 “This video was shown at a Rotary lunch by the president of the local technical school. It lays out a solid case that college isn’t for everyone, and you shouldn’t go ‘just to go.’ Rather, you should find something that you like doing, and that has a good income potential, whatever that might be, and…” Adventures in Litigation Financing DateSeptember 24, 2014 Words410 “This New York Times article has introduced me to something I didn’t know existed: litigation financing. Lawsuits are expensive, and investors will fund your legal fees if they think you can win, and then take a cut of the proceeds. Wall St. Bankrolls Ex-Executive as He Sues Over A.I.G. Bailout The…” Risk Compensation: Why We’re Not As Safe as We Feel DateSeptember 23, 2014 Words431 “Another note from Jeff Speck’s book: risk homeostasis, or risk compensation. Risk compensation is a theory which suggests that people typically adjust their behavior in response to the perceived level of risk, becoming more careful where they sense greater risk and less careful if they feel more…” Road Capacity, Traffic Problems, and Induced Demand DateSeptember 20, 2014 Words416 “I’m reading Walkable City, by Jeff Speck . In it, he talks of ‘induced demand,’ which he says is the thing that everyone in city planning understands but doesn’t talk about. Basically, if you build it, they will come. He mentions a meta-study called ‘Build More Highways, Get More Traffic’ by Randy…” Why Fun Isn’t Always “Fun” DateJanuary 1, 2014 Words1,050 “A friend and I were discussing fun the other day. Specifically, what do we do for fun? We’re both in our early 40s with young kids . We were lamenting the fact that we have very few hobbies and don’t really do much for pure fun anymore. I’ve been thinking that the problem is that ‘fun’ gets…” Muscles, Movements, CrossFit, and Zombies DateMarch 24, 2013 Words1,436 “Once, when I was in the military, I was doing a PT with the Marines. I was 19-year-old gym rat at the time, never far from my copy of Muscle and Fitness, and I thought it wise to explain to the drill sergeant that sit-ups were inefficient. They used too much of the hip erector muscles, not the…” The Illogic of Red Light Cameras DateMarch 19, 2013 Words314 “I don’t believe in traffic cameras. These are the contraptions that take a picture of cars that speed or run red lights, then send the owner a ticket in the mail. These things need to end. I’m not opposed to them because of privacy concerns. I’m not on a high horse about too much government. I’m…” The Plight of the Christian Democrat DateNovember 4, 2012 Words373 “I enjoyed this post and agree with it in large part. Why I am a Beautiful Christian Democrat At some point – the 1964 Republican Convention, say some – the Republican Party established itself as the Christian face of American politics. What followed was a general ostracizing of Christian Democrats,…” Individual vs. Group Focus DateMay 30, 2012 Words204 “The Neal Boortz Commencement Speech: This supposed commencement speech by Neal Boortz is incendiary as hell, but I appreciated for articulating a point that I find very true: the difference between a focus on the group and a focus on the individual. Liberals feel that their favored groups, have…” The Power of the Persona You Give Yourself DateFebruary 18, 2012 Words1,185 “In any driving course, when learning how to recover from a skid, the instructor will always hammer the same thing into you: ‘Look where you want to go because you tend to go where you look.’ it’s good advice, and I can vouch that it works . The same thing is true of your self-image, I’m learning….” Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack DateJanuary 22, 2012 Words459 “Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack : If you see left-wing conspiracies everywhere, then best to stay far away from this essay. it’s a discussion about the generally unacknowledged racial privilege given to whites, written by a professor Al Wellesley who has also examined the gender privileges given to…” The Imperfections of Freedom DateJanuary 14, 2012 Words363 “I just finished Ron Paul’s book Liberty Defined. it’s a collection of essays on ‘50 essential issues that affect our freedom.’ There’s everything from Abortion to Zionism , with all sorts of other stuff in between – the CIA, torture, moral hazard, envy, unions, etc. It was…okay. I agree with him on…” Why Money Can Kill Motivation DateJanuary 2, 2012 Words275 “The Overjustification Effect: This is a good distillation of what motivates us, and why money isn’t always a good motivator. According to the research, in modern America the average income required to be happy day-to-day, to experience ‘emotional well being’ is about $75,000 a year. According to the…” Statutory vs. Effective Tax Rate DateDecember 31, 2011 Words694 “I’m learning the difference between the statutory tax rate and the effective tax rate. it’s an important distinction. The statutory tax rate is the tax imposed by law . This is expressed as some percentage. The effective tax rate is what percentage of our income we actually pay in taxes. The…” Why Taxes are Going to Go Up DateDecember 26, 2011 Words403 “Americans don’t really want spending cuts: This article is brutally honest, in two places. First, this is an important point to note: Any truly meaningful debt reduction plan must include Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Why? For the same reason criminals rob banks: That’s where the money…” Lowering Taxes Does Not Raise Revenue DateNovember 26, 2011 Words825 “I try to give all political opinions a fair shake, but there is one conservative assertion that just makes me hang my head with embarrassment. This is the assertion that cutting taxes actually increases government revenues. No, it doesn’t. Not at the present rate of taxation, anyway. And now I have…” The Ranger Test DateNovember 20, 2011 Words676 “Okay, it’s time to commit to my next fitness goal. Here it is – At the age of 40, I intend to pass the U.S. Army Ranger entrance exam. This is the physical fitness test you have to pass to be considered for Ranger School. Why do I want to pass this? I have no idea, really. it’s just a good set of…” Political Representation Among the Lower Class DateAugust 28, 2011 Words242 “Economic Inequality and Political Representation: Here’s some light reading for the weekend. I examine the differential responsiveness of U.S. senators to the preferences of wealthy, middle-class, and poor constituents. My analysis includes broad summary measures of senators ‘ voting behavior as…” Finishing the Story DateJuly 30, 2011 Words371 “I find this really interesting. Bush explains 9/11 classroom reaction Former President George W. Bush says what some people took as his apparent lack of reaction to the first news of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was actually a conscious decision on his part to project an aura of calm in a crisis. […]…” Why I Love “The Incredibles” DateJuly 19, 2011 Words546 “I love ‘The Incredibles.’ it’s one of my favorite movies, and when it’s on, I drop everything and glue myself to the couch. I tried to figure out why I love this movie so much, and I came up with a number of reasons: I love the story of Mr. Incredible’s rebirth. He’s living a boring, everyday life,…” When the Majority Feels Oppressed DateMarch 5, 2011 Words565 “Here are two things I’ve learned: I’ve wondered about this phenomenon for a long time, and I’ve come to this conclusion: it’s considered somehow inappropriate for a majority to campaign for their majority views. There are more whites than non-whites in this country, and more straight people than gay…” Rules Are Rules DateMarch 5, 2011 Words849 “I’ve been thinking a quite a bit lately about consequences, and how today’s society tries to qualify everything – ‘well, I know it was against the rules, BUT…’ Brigham Young University recently dismissed a star player from their basketball team. Brandon Davies was kicked off the team because he…” Run, Donkey, Run DateFebruary 24, 2011 Words417 “A bunch of Democratic senators are on the the run from Wisconsin so they don’t have to vote on what appears to be a union-busting bill sponsored by the governor. According to this CNN article, this isn’t the first time Democrats have done this: The catch-me-if-you-can tactic was pioneered by Texas…” Life Doesn’t Come with Cheerleaders DateFebruary 9, 2011 Words650 “My 9-year-old daughter Gabrielle was making our bed yesterday. It’s her only chore. She has to do it every weekday. When it was done, it was horrible. The bedspread was all askew, the pillows were a mess, etc. She had totally phoned it in. Now, I’m not anal-retentive by any means, but, at the same…” Fixing the System DateJanuary 28, 2011 Words1,235 “Here’s an amazingly interesting article about the possible future of health care. This is an actual, practical manifestation of the ‘let’s make health care more efficient’ pipe dream. Lower Costs and Better Care for Neediest Patients A doctor in Camden, New Jersey decided to try and fix their…” The Stupidity of the Rooney Rule DateJanuary 4, 2011 Words392 “The NFL’s Rooney Rule is ridiculous. It says that teams have to interview minority coaches for open coaching positions. This leads to ridiculous situations like this: Another indicator [that the 49ers have hired Jim Harbaugh] is that the 49ers are rapidly trying to interview Oakland OC Hugh Jackson…” Which political party is the “Christian party”? DateDecember 23, 2010 Words371 “This is a really interesting point in a really interesting article. Over the last few decades , the Republican party has become the ‘Christian’ party in politics. Walking Away From Church During the 1980s, the public face of American religion turned sharply right. Political allegiances and religious…” The Battle for Health Care Cost Savings DateNovember 22, 2010 Words492 “I’ve been following this case for about a month now. It’s a good demonstration of how cutting health case costs is going to be harder than it seems. Case against Blue Cross shows difficulty of cutting health costs You see, if you cut costs – even in ways unrelated to patient care, like becoming more…” It’s All About Perspective DateNovember 18, 2010 Words432 “Craig Wilson points out that people need to put stuff in perspective before they start complaining too much. I was reminded of this the other day when I listened to all those folks on that stranded cruise ship off the coast of Mexico. The ship had a fire and lost its power. No air conditioning. No…” Agriculture in South Dakota DateOctober 10, 2010 Words401 “We were driving out towards the middle of the state this weekend for my son’s soccer tournament. it’s harvest time, so the farms were pretty active. My wife started asking me about the crops planted in fields…and I was embarrassed to admit I didn’t know much about them. So, I did a little research…” Tax Cuts for the Wealthy DateSeptember 12, 2010 Words1,428 “This is such a loaded phrase: ‘Tax cuts for the wealthy.’ Every election season, it’s thrown around like a weapon. And it’s never questioned – it’s constantly accepted as patently bad, even downright evil. If any politician had anything anything to do with ‘tax cuts for the wealthy,’ they should be…” The Next Bubble DateSeptember 10, 2010 Words373 “Student loan debt exceeds credit card debt in USA: I think the student loan bubble is the next one to burst: Total student loan debt exceeds total credit card debt in this country, with $850 billion outstanding […] […] With tuition far outpacing inflation for the past 20 years, student borrowing has…” The Sad Truth About Climate Change DateSeptember 2, 2010 Words608 “I’ve come to some peace about climate change. I wasn’t obsessing about it before, but I do think about it quite a bit. The debate rages over the source of climate change – is it something we’re doing, or something natural? Someone would say the debate is settled, and the only people denying it are…” The Byrd Rule DateAugust 16, 2010 Words455 “Why Are the Bush Tax Cuts Expiring in the First Place?: Here’s why Bush’s tax cuts are set to expire – the income tax cuts and the estate tax cuts. If Republicans love their tax cuts so much, why didn’t they enact them for perpetuity? Because they didn’t have enough votes, thanks to an obscure…” The Supreme Court Should Be Blameless DateJune 28, 2010 Words441 “I get annoyed when people ‘applaud’ the Supreme Court for decisions, or vice-versa. John Thune just did it on Facebook: I applaud the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in McDonald v. Chicago. The decision affirms that Second Amendment protection for individuals’ right to bear arms also extends to…” My Song for the Girls DateMay 16, 2010 Words76 “Here’s a song I’ve sung to the girls since they were babies. They have it memorized, and were singing it back to me this morning. It’s sung to the chorus of ‘O Solo Mio . The endings of all the lines are greatly exaggerated, which I suspect is the part they like the most. Pavarotti wishes he could…” The Unbundling of “Marriage” DateMay 12, 2010 Words928 “Marriage is a bundle. It is, all at once, a contract, a romance, and a spiritual institution. But I don’t think it’s going to stay this way. Marriage is actually three structures, layered on top of one another. As it’s most basic level, marriage is a contract. When you get married, you are entering…” David Copperfield and the Disappearing Audience DateMay 5, 2010 Words594 “So Annie and I went and saw David Copperfield tonight at the Washington Pavilion. It was a good show. I honestly couldn’t figure out a lot of the tricks. As with many magicians, a lot of the show revolves around random people in the audience. He had some neat methods to pick these people. You always…” Me and My Gas Guzzler DateApril 26, 2010 Words674 “I drive a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee. it’s a weird story about how I came to be driving this vehicle, but suffice it to say that I love it. I’d like to drive it until the wheels fall off. The only drawback? Gas mileage. It gets about 13 mpg. I thought perhaps something was wrong with it, but I went…” Why 51% Shouldn’t Be Enough DateMarch 21, 2010 Words398 “I don’t want to get too political, but Here’s my feeling on the process Congress is going through right now to get this health care bill passed. This is a huge bill, both in raw dollars and in the way it will change the relationship of the citizen to the state. it’s probably one of the most…” Thoughts on Avatar DateMarch 21, 2010 Words579 “So, I saw Avatar the other night. I was finally prompted to go because it’s coming out on DVD in about a month, so I figured this was my last chance to catch it in the theater. Alec came with me, though he had already seen it. I was mildly disappointed that I couldn’t see it in 3D – that version had…” Leverage DateMarch 21, 2010 Words670 “I’ve become awfully smitten with the TNT series Leverage. it’s a dramedy about a team of five con artists who play Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and powerful and returning money to those they’ve wronged . I figured out why I like it so much: it’s the re-incarnation of The A-Team. The team…” The (Original) Problems of Haiti DateJanuary 15, 2010 Words372 “I’m more than a little amazed that I stumbled on this article. A divided island: the forces working against Haiti: For years, I have wondered about this very question: why has the Dominican Republic done fairly well, while Haiti is a trainwreck, given that they share the same island? Last year I…” Excerpts from “Casino Royale” DateNovember 17, 2009 Words902 “I just got done reading ‘Casino Royale’ for the third or fourth time. This is the original novel, from 1953. It was the first James Bond novel, written by Ian Fleming from his estate in Jamaica. There are four excerpts I always remember about the book. I often page through to find them, so I figured…” Gate F11 at O’Hare DateNovember 4, 2009 Words343 “Gate F11 at O’Hare is epic. If you fly United from Chicago to any one of dozens of smaller Midwest destinations , you’ve been here. It has six sub-gates, A through F. You descend down an escalator into it from Terminal F above. It’s kind of like Dante’s Inferno. it’s about 10 degrees hotter than the…” Core Human Skills DateAugust 8, 2009 Words155 “Do You Have These Core Human Skills? : I’ve really enjoyed this list of ‘core human skills.’ These are actual skills that make you a more effective human being. Click through to read deeper descriptions of each skill. If you’re interested in improving the quality of your life and work, there are…” My Appendectomy DateAugust 1, 2009 Words1,170 “I had lunch yesterday about noon. Somewhere around 2 p.m., I started to get intense abdominal pain – it was a burning/pressure-type pain high in my abdomen, just under my sternum. Eight hours later, I was on an operating table getting my appendix removed. About ten hours after that, I sit here, in…” High School Memories DateJuly 19, 2009 Words562 “Very off topic: Why I won’t be at my high school reunion: This was a hard post to read, because I identified so closely with it. This guy is faced with his 25th high school reunion. High school was not easy for him. I’m can’t even pretend that I wasn’t an easy target, or that I didn’t respond in a…” The Sad State of Political Commentary DateJune 24, 2009 Words550 “The O’Reilly Procedure: Ebert writes about a pet peeve of mine – political commentators, both on the right and the left. They drive me nuts. Ebert discusses Bill O’Reilly in particular. Understand that Ebert is a self-admitted liberal, but his points hold true for about anyone. I am not interested…” How Companies Can Encourage Employee Health DateJune 20, 2009 Words490 “How Safeway Is Cutting Health-Care Costs: Here’s an interesting article about what the supermarket chain Safeway is doing about health care costs. First, they start with an important point: the only way to curb health care costs in this country is for us all to get healthier. Health-care spending…” Why Health Care is So Expensive DateJune 7, 2009 Words855 “This is brutal article, which, if accurate, is a damning indictment of the business of medicine. The Cost Conundrum The writer went to McAllen, Texas, which has the highest cost of medical spending in the country, to find out why medical care is so expensive. The bottom line turns out to be that the…” The Demonyms of the United Kingdom DateJune 7, 2009 Words184 “I kept hearing about Susan Boyle being ‘Scottish.’ Then I was reading the Wikipedia page on Bonnie Tyler and she was described as ‘Welsh.’ I was confused. Weren’t these people British? I consulted my buddy Chris for assistance. Britain comprises three major geopolitical areas: England, Wales, and…” The High Cost of Being Poor DateMay 21, 2009 Words272 “A sobering summary of how hard it is to be poor, and why it’s so hard to break out of poverty. You don’t have a car to get to a supermarket, much less to Costco or Trader Joe’s, where the middle class goes to save money. You don’t have three hours to take the bus. So you buy groceries at the corner…” Exactly who do you think your knee belongs to? DateMay 13, 2009 Words318 “Javon Walker recently had surgery outside of the Raiders organization, which is a big no-no. Your team paid good money for your body, so you don’t do anything without prior approval. This article sheds some light on the relationship between players and their team doctors. Many veteran players feel…” The Corrupt Saga of Kwame Kilpatrick DateMay 13, 2009 Words1,059 “I’ve been reading the Wikipedia article about Kwame Kilpatrick, the disgraced mayor of Detroit. I’m honestly wondering if there has been a more blatantly corrupt and dishonest politician in recent history. This guy was just unbelievable. I’ll give you the top level summary of what has been an highly…” Real Food in a Fast Food World DateApril 11, 2009 Words624 “I worked at Hardees in high school – back in the 80s. Hardees is a fast-food chain specific to the Midwest, I think. At the time, I didn’t recognize how high-quality the food was. I don’t whether this still holds true, but let me give you a couple examples of how good the food really was. We cut up…” Adam vs Danny DateApril 11, 2009 Words308 “A showdown is looming on American Idol which I think is going to be pretty interesting to watch. The top two contenders – the two I firmly believe will fight it out in the last episode – could not be more opposed in terms of lifestyle. We have… Danny Gokey, a widowed church music director from…” The State of Aid in Africa DateApril 4, 2009 Words275 Foreign aid sometimes backfires and makes things worse over the long term. Thoughts on Monotheism DateApril 2, 2009 Words272 Some people believe the monotheistic faiths are all worshipping the same God. My Art Deco Connection DateMarch 11, 2009 Words148 I have always loved Art Deco, and there might be a weird reason why. I Miss Real Fire DateMarch 1, 2009 Words315 A reflection on burning wood. A Family Picture DateJanuary 9, 2009 Words392 Thoughts on why taking pictures matters. Needless Sex in Film and TV DateJanuary 8, 2009 Words451 I’m not against nudity in media, so long as it has a point. The Dark Side of Roger Ebert DateJanuary 4, 2009 Words1,310 Ebert was best when a movie pissed him off. Arrested Development DateDecember 28, 2008 Words434 A celebration of a great TV show. The Rise of Atheism DateDecember 27, 2008 Words480 Religion is diminishing for large segments of the population. “Downtown, where all the lights are bright.” DateDecember 26, 2008 Words1,218 If we had to re-make cities from scratch, would they have downtowns? Al, Give Me Absolution DateDecember 25, 2008 Words739 I know climate change is a problem. Tell me how I’m doing. Seven Things DateDecember 24, 2008 Words312 A response to a meme. “hard work needs a PR campaign” DateDecember 24, 2008 Words334 Not everyone needs to go to college. My Encounter with an Enzo DateJuly 6, 2006 Words336 One day, I drove up on a million-dollar car. Diplomas and Value Judgments DateJune 28, 2006 Words442 Not graduating from high school causes people to judge you, for all sorts of reasons. Of Tumors and Borders DateJune 17, 2006 Words339 The human condition is universal. Clinically Proven DateJune 17, 2006 Words93 A rant about the dumbest phrase in marketing. Solving the Working Poor DateApril 15, 2006 Words721 Improving the plight of the working poor can be a trickier problem than you think.