“Things that can’t go on forever, don’t.”
Paul Krugman: This Can’t Go On
When they do, he predicts “higher import costs, a cutback in spending on cheap foreign goods, rising inflation, perhaps chaotic financial markets, a lower standard of living.” Something to look forward to….
Just as the federal government is in no immediate danger of running out of money, our forces in Iraq are in no danger of outright defeat. But in both cases, current policies appear to be unsustainable: we can’t go on like this indefinitely.
Hostile learning environment
or hostile teaching environment
Latest “hostile learning environment” allegations: From the Arizona Republic:
Two Hispanic legislators on Thursday denounced a Glendale Community College math professor who circulated e-mail messages criticizing “diversity double-talk” and celebrating “the superiority of Western civilization.”The professor, Walter Kehowski, said he sent the messages in the community college system because he was upset at a recent Dia de la Raza celebration at which he felt students expressed racist attitudes toward non-Hispanics by praising separatism.
Without naming Kehowski, Dr. Rufus Glasper, chancellor of the Maricopa Community Colleges, issued a statement referring to a GCC faculty member whose correspondence he isound “insensitive.”
Glasper said academic freedom is important and the law restricts what administrators can do regarding faculty members’ speech outside the classroom. But he called the messages “abrasive and divisive.” . . .
Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, said Kehowski has created a hostile learning environment and used school resources “to promote his prejudice.”
Kehowski said ethnic groups should be assimilated into society but some activists use ethnic pride as an excuse for separatism. He said that’s what he was trying to convey in his e-mail messages, adding, “I don’t call them insensitive. I’d call them controversial.”
I’m glad that the college seems to acknowledge its obligation to protect faculty members’ academic freedom; but I’m troubled by the “hostile learning environment” rhetoric, which is classically an argument for legal censorship — since a “hostile learning environment,” the theory goes, constitutes “harassment,” and thus violates antidiscrimination laws, see, e.g., here.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the text of the e-mail, but the professor’s site, which the e-mail apparently linked to (see this opinion piece), is here.
Sun on Fire, Unleashes 3 More Major Flares
From Space.com
“The Sun cut loose with three severe flares in less than 24 hours through Monday morning, bringing to nine the number of major eruptions in less than two weeks.
Scientists have never witnessed a string of activity like this.
Colorful aurora are expected to grace the skies at high latitudes and possibly into lower portions of the United States and Europe over the next two or three nights. Satellites and power grids could once again be put at risk.”
Driver drove with man in windshield, police say
From SeattlePI
“The driver told police that he thought he hit something but said he was not aware it was a person.
Police later found the victim’s blood in the interior of the car, on the driver and on the driver’s cell phone.
The man drove a few more blocks before High somehow became dislodged from the car, Gracy said.”
Top 500 Websites
From Alexa Web Search, an Amazon.com Company.
Clark claims to be the big hit online
From Boston.com: “Retired Army general Wesley K. Clark’s campaign announced yesterday that it had reached a milestone — on Sunday, Clark’s website beat former Vermont governor Howard B. Dean’s website in Internet traffic.”
“Based on a web-ranking program called Alexa, Clark’s staff members say they had the 9,027th-most popular website in the world Sunday; Dean’s site was ranked 9,707th.”
NewMexiKen is trying to picture Abraham Lincoln’s campaign website.
‘Wash. Post’ Web Revenues Rise
Editor & Publisher Online: “There was some good news for online advertising in the earnings report from The Washington Post Co. issued Friday. Revenue from online ads in the third quarter was up 68%, the company reported.”
“For the first nine months of 2003, online revenues increased 29% to $32.6 million.”
More on warehouse aesthetics
From Dynamist Blog
I’ve never been to Sam’s Club, but I understand the difference between Lowe’s and Home Depot. It’s subtle but significant and has paid off mightily for Lowe’s. In the face of competition, even utilitarian environments can’t be downright ugly.
Top 10 Daily Newspapers
Newspaper Name; Circulation; Change from Year Ago
1. USA Today (M-F*) 2,154,539 0.9%
2. The Wall Street Journal (M-F) 2,091,062** 16.1%
3. The New York Times (M-F) 1,118,565 0.5%
4. Los Angeles Times (M-Sat.*) 955,211 (1.1%)
5. The Washington Post (M-F) 732,872 (1.9%)
6. Daily News, New York (M-F) 729,124 2.1%
7. New York Post (M-F) 652,426 10.6%
8. Chicago Tribune (M-F*) 596,667 No change***
9. Newsday, Melville, N.Y. (M-F) 580,069 0.2%
10. Houston Chronicle (M-Sat.) 553,018 0.2%
* Average calculated by E&P Online
** Figure includes online subscriptions for first time, estimated by Journal at about 686,000
*** Difference less than one-tenth of one percent
Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations FAS-FAX for the six months ended Sept. 30, 2003.
Source: Editor & Publisher Online
Kids’ grocery carts
“I don’t bribe her to go to the grocery store, unless she’s exceedingly cranky — then it’s the Big Grocery Store, where she can ride the carts with small truck cabs. Note to self: if I end up in hell, find the man who invented those carts. Deal with him.”
From James Lileks
Men’s BB Preseason Top 25
Crime in the Capital
“One illustration of what the city is up against comes from police reports detailing Washington’s many armed robberies.
Those reports show that in many D.C. neighborhoods, robbers do not feel the need to tell their victims, ‘This is a robbery.’
Instead, they merely show that they have a weapon, and let the victim know in street lingo that they are about to be held up.
One common phrase was used during a 1 a.m. holdup last month near the Howard University campus. The robber simply told his victim, ‘You know what time it is.’
The victim got the message: He gave up his earrings, watch and $40.
They don’t want to use the old cliche of saying, ‘This is a robbery,’ ‘ said Detective McKinley Williams of the 4th Police District. ‘It’s like . . . “If you see this gun, what do you think I’m here for?”‘”
From The Washington Post article: D.C. Leads Big Cities In Rate of Homicides.
Supermarket Aesthetics
From Dynamist Blog (Virginia Postrel)
The piece reminds me of something someone who wishes to remain anonymous told me Wal-Mart shoppers say in surveys.
What’s the best part of shopping at Wal-Mart?
Leaving the store.Or so I’m told. Low prices and a large selection do not, by themselves, make for a happy shopping experience.
Poll: Americans Want Action on Global Warming
National Wildlife Federation: “By a 4-to-1 margin, Americans want Congress to take action now to stop global warming…”
The Mouse That Roared
“America plans to spend $20 billion in Iraq next year—more than the entire world spends on aid to Africa, according to The Economist.”
From TOMPAINE.com:
The polls
From Garance Franke-Ruta at TAPPED
This means we now have polls showing Clark in the lead in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, California (PDF File), Illinois (among those closely following the race), Wisconsin and nationwide. He’s in second place in Arizona and third in New York, where Dean leads. Dean also leads in New Hampshire, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico (though this was a pre-Clark poll) and some polls nationwide. He is tied with or in second to Gephardt in Iowa. Gephardt leads in Illinois.
Kerry does not lead anywhere that I’ve seen — and if you’ve seen such a poll, feel free to tell me about it — though he is in second in New Hampshire. South Carolina was the only state where Edwards was in better than third place. Lieberman is still running a strong second in some states, and leads in Connecticut.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Good advice in life
as at Montezuma Castle National Monument
Great game
The Yavapai College RoughRiders, defending and four-time national champions, defeated the Chandler-Gilbert Community College Coyotes 1-0 in overtime Saturday evening to win the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference title game. It was Yavapai’s 15th consecutive Arizona championship.
The game’s only goal came at 3:51 of overtime. Until then spirited play by second-seeded Chandler-Gilbert stunned a Prescott crowd accustomed to easy victory.
Chandler-Gilbert finished the year 16-5, its first winning record ever in six seasons of play.
All Saints’ Day
From the Catholic Encyclopedia: All Saints’ Day:
Solemnity celebrated on the first of November. It is instituted to honour all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful’s celebration of saints’ feasts during the year.
[The vigil of this feast is popularly called “Hallowe’en” or “Halloween”.]
Happy Halloween
Just in time for Halloween: The Complete Far Side
Michael Dirda reviews The Complete Far Side
“Given the investment required of any purchaser of The Complete Far Side, even an irresponsible reviewer needs to answer one key question: As it’s now been nearly 10 years since Gary Larson stopped producing his panels, do they still seem funny?
Given that weird register Larson perfected — blending American gothic, baby boomer nostalgia and gallows humor, the marriage of ‘I Love Lucy’ and ‘The Twilight Zone’ — the answer is yes, emphatically yes.”
THE COMPLETE FAR SIDE
Volume One, 1980-1986; Volume Two 1987-1994
By Gary Larson. Andrews and McMeel. 644 pp.; 601 pp. $135
Bitter Beanie Babies, The Saga Continues
From OpinionJournal:
The plot thickens. TraderList.com, “the most complete source of good & bad collectible traders,” has a page titled “Complaints Against Drunken Sailor or Steven Kaye,” in which “glorybeeto,” who paid $860 for thedrunkensailor’s collection of Beanie Babies from his ex-wife, complains that the rare items in the set turned out to be counterfeits. (We noted the sale yesterday.)
Glorybeeto, whose real name apparently is J. O’Buck, says she was the eBay user called Taisha who wrote thedrunkensailor to warn him of the possibility of counterfeits (quotes are verbatim):He printed the message, without the “disclaimer” and “counterfeit” eBay rules I had included, and INCLUDED MY ID. He posted also that he had blocked me from bidding. I had also alerted eBay that the auction should be pulled because it was fraught with disclaimers. eBay paid no attention to its own rule and did nothing. I also alerted eBay that he had posted my ID, which is against eBay rules, and again, nothing was done.
From the tenor of the listing, I believed the seller to be an angry person, upset by his wife leaving him, but did question that if she was such an avid collector why she would leave behind the rare and valuable beanies. I checked his feedback with over 500 positives and no negatives, his “ME” posting, and later his name and address which checked out. Based on this I bid using my glorybeeto ID. I learned later that two friends asked him questions about the beanies and he did not respond. I did not question him with my bidding ID because I felt, in light of his obvious anger, he would block that ID as well. Had the beanies been genuine, the price I bid was very good. I felt I was behind the proverbial rock and a hard place because he could be telling the truth and I would miss out if I did not bid.
Pat Edgerton, a “mediator” for Tradelist, wrote Kaye on glorybeeto’s behalf, prompting the following response:
I have no idea who you are, or what your “tradelist” is. I find your comments threatening and offensive. I don’t care what J.O.Buck is demanding. I am demanding that you no longer email me. As I told him/her, feel free to call the police, FBI, Postal Inspector, and the Freaking Wildlife Organization that governs Blue Stuffed Elephants.You must be insane if you think I am going to take you seriously. If this complaint were even slightly valid, he/she should have brought it up through ebay, or paypal. But knowing full well that it has no validity he.she did not.
Last I checked, the “TradeList” was not in any position to threaten me with formal fraud charges. I will forward this email to my attorney as I find it offensive, harassing, and threatening.
If you want to play hard ball, then go get your bat and lets play.
I demand that you NO LONGER EMAIL ME for any reason, unless to apologize.
Our item yesterday prompted this e-mail from reader Bernard Levine:
Drunken Sailor’s opening gambit, claiming to know nothing about these items he got in some entertaining and mildly plausible way, is alas a common eBay seller’s ploy for presenting either fakes, or mixed lots of fakes and common items. I wouldn’t know a beanie baby if it leapt up and bit me on the ankle, but this is certainly true in the collecting arenas I do play in.All this may be true, but if the TraderList account is accurate, the buyer here can hardly claim to have been defrauded, given that she bought the items knowing full well that the seller didn’t vouch for their authenticity. Caveat emptor, we say.
Top Ten reasons why NewMexiKen
didn’t get his usual high score on The Week Quiz
10. Cubic grandchildren take three times more maintenance than regular flat ones.
9. Now that he’s retired he can’t afford a Halloween costume so he has to make his own.
8. Secretly working on Tuesday Morning Quarterback submissions.
7. Now that New Mexico is back on Standard Time he has one hour less daylight to work with every day.
6. He fell into a Memory Hole and can’t get back out.
5. Absent-mindedly missed one answer during a millisecond he was thinking about getting a dog.
4. He was out buying clothes pegs to attempt a new world record.
3. Too busy sweeping up clay kitten shards in backyard.
2. iTunes!
And the number one reason NewMexiKen scored below his Impressive average on the latest edition of The Week Quiz; actually all of his answers were correct but the solar flares corrupted them before they could be submitted.
Thanks to — you guessed it — Lee.