http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/opinion/28douthat.html
Do you think a Palin candidacy would be a similar test? While her platform hasn't cristalized the way Cheney's has, she represents "real conservatism" to many on the right: tax cuts and "pit-bullish" foreign policy, a get-the-govt-off-our-backs mentality that seems akin to the bare-bones conservatism you attribute to Cheney. However, you can't ignore her Christian side, which is a powerful tool for her pro-life, anti-marriage equality stance...are these the kinds of social issues that Cheney doesn't have time for? While Palin does embody these issues, she seems to be less of a "compassionate conservative" in the way that Bush was with school vouchers and faith-based initiatives, unless her emphasis on special education turns into a full-fledged focus on social issues. Do you think we have evidence that she would turn out to be one kind of candidate or the other? And which one is the "real conservative?" The one that strips away social issues and religion, or the one that uses religion but in a limited way to push only a few core issues like abortion and gay marriage?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Town/Gown
http://www.middleburycampus.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=59f36067-e66b-40d3-b405-df2bf5b3fbe5
And the problem looks like it will probably get worse, with Addison County losing one of its essential advocates for people in need of housing: http://www.addisonindependent.com/?q=node/2079/lightbox2
I also think the article came off as insensitive, making a joke out of a serious and not uncommon situation. I hope the family found help, and I hope Public Safety did more than simply "escort them off campus".
That said, I probably would have treated the situation the same way when I was at Midd...if I could do it all over again, I would get off campus more. Duh, rural homelessness is a problem, but you don't really think about it when you're at Midd.
I hope the students involved in this incident (and the reporter) take it to heart and get more involved in the community. It was a little ironic to read this in the same issue of the Campus that reported on the "housing crisis" on campus. While the college does many wonderful things for the town, there are some ways that it exacerbates the town-gown relationship, and one of those ways is housing. Midd controls the number of students who live off campus, but the students and their generally large purses still have an effect on pushing up housing costs in the community. In many ways, it is worth it to the community to suffer housing cost inflation bc the college provides many well paying, steady jobs, but it would be nice if the students would take it upon themselves to mitigate their negative impact on the housing market by informing themselves about the community and getting involved with organizations like Hope, John Graham, CVOEO, and ACCT that are trying to combat rising home prices and enable the people who work in Middlebury to live here too. Many middkids already do, which is awesome bc you have a lot on your plates, but I think this article showed that there is room for improvement. It betrayed a certain level of ignorance, but it also showed empathy and a dedication to the community. So get out there!
And the problem looks like it will probably get worse, with Addison County losing one of its essential advocates for people in need of housing: http://www.addisonindependent.com/?q=node/2079/lightbox2
I also think the article came off as insensitive, making a joke out of a serious and not uncommon situation. I hope the family found help, and I hope Public Safety did more than simply "escort them off campus".
That said, I probably would have treated the situation the same way when I was at Midd...if I could do it all over again, I would get off campus more. Duh, rural homelessness is a problem, but you don't really think about it when you're at Midd.
I hope the students involved in this incident (and the reporter) take it to heart and get more involved in the community. It was a little ironic to read this in the same issue of the Campus that reported on the "housing crisis" on campus. While the college does many wonderful things for the town, there are some ways that it exacerbates the town-gown relationship, and one of those ways is housing. Midd controls the number of students who live off campus, but the students and their generally large purses still have an effect on pushing up housing costs in the community. In many ways, it is worth it to the community to suffer housing cost inflation bc the college provides many well paying, steady jobs, but it would be nice if the students would take it upon themselves to mitigate their negative impact on the housing market by informing themselves about the community and getting involved with organizations like Hope, John Graham, CVOEO, and ACCT that are trying to combat rising home prices and enable the people who work in Middlebury to live here too. Many middkids already do, which is awesome bc you have a lot on your plates, but I think this article showed that there is room for improvement. It betrayed a certain level of ignorance, but it also showed empathy and a dedication to the community. So get out there!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Stiglitz Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/opinion/01stiglitz.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1238594643-f9+hXpteoLkYq3OCVdVn4g
good article... i have a bunch of stiglitz books on my reading list. I just think everyone is stubbornly hoping that the assets are undervalued right now. Here is where Stiglitz's (more realistic) assumption differs from that perspective: "The real issue is that the banks made bad loans in a bubble and were highly leveraged. They have lost their capital, and this capital has to be replaced." What the administration (and lots of people) is stubbornly hoping is that banks have only "lost their capital" insofar as no one wants to buy the assets right now due to a lack of confidence (hence the whole issue with mark to market), but fundamentally the assets still have value. Stiglitz is saying get real, most of the assets are worthless (thanks, housing bubble), hence the collapse. Maybe the admin thinks that if it can prop up the housing market, then the assets will be worth something.
good article... i have a bunch of stiglitz books on my reading list. I just think everyone is stubbornly hoping that the assets are undervalued right now. Here is where Stiglitz's (more realistic) assumption differs from that perspective: "The real issue is that the banks made bad loans in a bubble and were highly leveraged. They have lost their capital, and this capital has to be replaced." What the administration (and lots of people) is stubbornly hoping is that banks have only "lost their capital" insofar as no one wants to buy the assets right now due to a lack of confidence (hence the whole issue with mark to market), but fundamentally the assets still have value. Stiglitz is saying get real, most of the assets are worthless (thanks, housing bubble), hence the collapse. Maybe the admin thinks that if it can prop up the housing market, then the assets will be worth something.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/opinion/26collins.html?_r=1
In summary, there appears to be only two constants in our ever-changing world. One is that Barack Obama is going to be on television every day forever. No venue is too strange. Soon, he’ll be on “Dancing With the Stars” (“And now, doing the Health Care, Energy and Education tango ...”)
hehe
can you imagine W on dancing with the stars? i think that would totally work. it would improve his ratings, and i think the Freedom Ballroom would be a much better legacy for him than the Freedom Library.
hehe
can you imagine W on dancing with the stars? i think that would totally work. it would improve his ratings, and i think the Freedom Ballroom would be a much better legacy for him than the Freedom Library.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Dear Mr. DeSantis...
Dear Mr. DeSantis,
I sympathize with your predicament, being scapegoated for something you didn't have a hand in directly. You know, not all taxpayers got out their pitchforks and demanded the return of your bonuses, either, but you seem intent on punishing us all with your resignation. Your public letter did earn some empathy from me, but it certainly didn't make me like you. I understand your legitimate desire to resign. Whether or not you "deserved" the full amount of the retention payment, it was a necessary payment and the contract should have been honored or at least renegotiated with notice and respect to you. However, it would have been a really big gesture, worthy of an op-ed in the New York Times, had your ultimate decision been to suck it up and get back to work.
I take solace in the fact that you apparently didn't know enough about credit default swaps to be a whistleblower for your division, which mitigates the loss of your efforts in unraveling them.
All the best in your new career,
A Taxpayer
I sympathize with your predicament, being scapegoated for something you didn't have a hand in directly. You know, not all taxpayers got out their pitchforks and demanded the return of your bonuses, either, but you seem intent on punishing us all with your resignation. Your public letter did earn some empathy from me, but it certainly didn't make me like you. I understand your legitimate desire to resign. Whether or not you "deserved" the full amount of the retention payment, it was a necessary payment and the contract should have been honored or at least renegotiated with notice and respect to you. However, it would have been a really big gesture, worthy of an op-ed in the New York Times, had your ultimate decision been to suck it up and get back to work.
I take solace in the fact that you apparently didn't know enough about credit default swaps to be a whistleblower for your division, which mitigates the loss of your efforts in unraveling them.
All the best in your new career,
A Taxpayer
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Rant for the Day
I like Meghan McCain. This is on the basis of having read maybe 3 of her articles and I'm sure we disagree on a lot of things, but I like her. Maybe because I can relate to her as a Class of 07 grad from a top tier school. In any case, my rant has not to do with Laura Ingraham's disgusting personal slur against her body image, but rather with ABC's coverage of the verbal back-and-forth between the two women. The issue here is first of all fixating on size in a public arena where it should be irrelevant, but also the issue of it being socially acceptable for a woman to make this kind of comment about another woman. (The backlash against Ingraham would actually suggest the opposite, that it is not socially acceptable; in any case the publicity is good for them both.) I'm ranting because Meghan responded gracefully about respecting women for their ideas, and ABC had the fucking nerve to title an article "GOP Catfight Gets Personal."
I understand they are in the business of grabbing attention with headlines. I don't care. This f-ing makes me sick. The news industry obviously needs to rethink it's entire business ethic for a number of reasons. Let's hope that whatever they come up with doesn't corrupt the news with vulgar commercialism.
I understand they are in the business of grabbing attention with headlines. I don't care. This f-ing makes me sick. The news industry obviously needs to rethink it's entire business ethic for a number of reasons. Let's hope that whatever they come up with doesn't corrupt the news with vulgar commercialism.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Good Reads
First, here's an op-ed about the financial crisis by David Smick, who is an impressive combination of incredibly smart and very easy to read. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/09/AR2009030902232.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Second, here's a site that tracks climate progress. I haven't explored it much yet, but there's certainly some heartening news on the homepage today, and we certainly could use some good news. http://climateprogress.org/
Second, here's a site that tracks climate progress. I haven't explored it much yet, but there's certainly some heartening news on the homepage today, and we certainly could use some good news. http://climateprogress.org/
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