The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has helpful guides to effecient appliances like room air conditioners for one.
July 29, 2006
July 25, 2006
Education Debts
In response to Myshele Goldberg’s article The Real Tragedy of Student Debt, I cannot help but shake my head. The author complains of an education debt totalling a whopping $70,000. She points out, reasonably, that this is no way to start a working life. No shit, Myshele. I quote:
Yet I made my choices based on the values I had been taught — that helping others is more important than making money for yourself, meaningful career is more important than net worth, and brains, determination, and charisma are the key ingredients of success. I realize now that I subscribed to the fantasy of an equal society, when in fact everyone’s options arise from class, race, gender, and a thousand other subtle differences in our experiences, assumptions, and privileges.
Unfortunately, she failed to take a very basic fact into account: you can only pay back what you earn. Taking out tens of thousands in education loans in order to secure an MA and a low-paying job is bad business no matter how you slice it. The fact of the matter is the vast majority of ‘meaningful’ jobs pay such low wages that they are only open to the independently wealthy. This may be inconvenient, but it is the truth.
July 23, 2006
Et tu, Owen
Is Steely Day really peeved at Owen Wilson for ‘borrowing’ the theme of the song “Cousin Dupree” for the Hollywood travesty You, Me, and Dupree. Who knows, but the open letter to Owen’s brother Luke is pretty funny regardless.
July 18, 2006
Crazy from the heat
If the heat is making you as crazy as its making me, you probably want an air conditioner. If you can’t afford one, you can always improvise.
July 14, 2006
How to tie a necktie
In 1997, these authors produced a paper regardinga mathematical model of possible necktie knots used to tie a necktie, in essence creating a “Theory of Tie Knots.” Naturally a book followed. They discovered 9 aesthetic necktie knots and presented their finding in Nature. I found the site looking for the Pratt Knot, a unique necktie knot that produces a thicker and more symmetric knot than the traditional four-in-hand.