Short!
Jonathon Delacour is Spirited Away.#
Does this need to impose meanings upon (supposedly) inanimate objects spring from our reluctance to acknowledge their innate—although arbitrary—beauty? Or is the desire to name the unknowable a defining characteristic of human behavior? In either case, it seems to me that the pleasure obtained from subjugating natural forms with names often comes at the cost of being blinded to the spirits that animate them.
Chun points to a profile of Kim Jong Il.#
The notion that a dictator like Kim can be coaxed to reform has no real historical precedent. The most notable totalitarian regimes of the modern era -- the ones developed by Stalin in the Soviet Union and by Mao Zedong in China -- were not reformed by the men who shaped them. Reform of such states requires a degree of repudiation that the authors of failure are loath to tolerate, mostly out of fear for their own survival. In essence, proponents of engagement hope Kim will begin a process that will lead to his downfall. It seems doubtful that he will be sufficiently selfless or stupid to do that.
Jim Moore quotes Ted Kennedy's speech on why he's voting against the $87 billion.#
So when the roll is called on this $87 billion legislation, which provides no effective conditions for genuine international participation and a clear change in policy in Iraq, I intend to vote no. A no vote is not a vote against supporting our troops. It is a vote to send the administration back to the drawing board. It is a vote for a new policy -- [a] policy worthy of the sacrifice our soldiers are making, a policy that restores America as a respected member of the family of nations, a policy that will make it easier, not far more difficult, to win the war against terrorism.
The amount of money is huge. It is 87 times what the federal government spends annually on after-school programs. It is seven times what President Bush proposed to spend on education for low-income schools in 2004. It is nine times what the federal government spends on special education each year. It is eight times what the government spends to help middle- and low-income students go to college. It is 15 times what the government spends on cancer research. It is 27 times what the government spends on substance abuse and mental health treatment. . . .
Richard writes on conferences and the social connection.#
It sucks not being an expert enough on something, or not doing a research project on something, or not being friends with important-enough people, etc. to be able to go to these conferences, have something to speak on, have some cutie notice how smart-but-awkward I might be, approach me, yadda yadda yadda, house in the suburbs with two and a half kids. But having described the scenario and having yadda yadda'd over the best part, it won't ever happen. It does happen though, and it only happens when you're not looking.
But not looking is hard. Really fucking hard. And it's even harder when people flaunt the fact that it's easy for them to get some, or even worse, pretend to be most about how much succcess they're having when I'm having none. At least there are proven steps to follow in order to never get laid, and I've already done a rather good job at following them before even knowing those steps existed.