Or, why laissez faire doesn’t work.

To any game theorists out there who actually know their stuff: feedback appreciated.

Also, the NY Times piece was a interesting read, but I have to chuckle because since college, I’ve always carried a book everywhere I go (w. some minor exceptions) for on-the-go reading time. Doesn’t everyone? XD

I liked what a NPR political analyst said today (I’ll paraphrase) of a local school superintendant: “who do you think you are to censor the President of the United States if he wants to talk to the kids?”

Salaam Alaykum, young comrades! Today we prepare for a Jihad against God and capitalism, in the name of Allah the most merciful.

I call on you have gay sex, and abort any children that result!

I call on you to death panel some tea bagging grannies under a bus!

[and so on...]

Thank you, Allah Bless and Keep the AmeriCaliphate safe from the infidels!

Good thing he edited it, eh?

Oh no, not a jackass — geniuses who forced the President to “fix” the speech and materials. The Florida politician who promenaded on the media about how Obama was trying to indoctrinate children with his socialist agenda with the speech now says that the speech is fine, what a president should say to kids and he’ll let his kids watch it if their school chooses to show it, and that’s because the administration changed all the (imaginary) bad parts because of pressure from him and others. So he gets the media coverage that has him slurring the President, and then he gets media coverage for him being a reasonable man who made the President knuckle under and change his ways. You have to admire the spin strategy on that one.

“I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.”

Any conspiracy theorists want to speculate that Rupert Murdoch and Microsoft may be the masterminds behind the outrage?

And you are 100% correct… I wonder what they will say once the speech has been given and their children exposed to such radical ideals as hard work and responsibility…

In any event it should be interesting.

Rabid

I reply:
Wasn’t aware that I was, and even if I did I’m not your mother or your wife so who cares? :) I’m still kind of sore that I had to sell over half my books when the Better Half and I moved cross-country for his job, and an equally large house in the new neighbourhood was totally out of the question.

The funny thing is, I’m not a pack-rat, and even kind of envy people I know who can stuff their lives in a backpack and move on without a backward glance. And spring-cleaning the bookshelves is about the only housework I’ll do without duress.

– Or just be really fed up of people using big, scary words incorrectly, obscuring the real problems we actually need to deal with. I’m also real tired of people complaining about raised taxes who are not actually having their taxes raised, and in many cases are having their taxes lowered. I always argue with people who say that Americans are spoiled and clueless, but I’m beginning to have to concede it.