The M.A.Y.A. Years

Playing with my magnetic balls...

2010-05-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Time for a M.A.Y.A. Years Commercial:

I met my friend Jennifer at Java Shack a little while back and she introduced me to MagneatoSpheres. I know, I know, I should go back to eating paste, but this is worth checking out. They're basically a bunch of small magnetic spheres. They stick together, you pull them apart, you build things. MagneatoSpheres may not hold all the mysteries of the universe, but they do show some of its power. As a 6mm rare Earth
metal, MagneatoSpheres pack a potent punch, yet are easy to play with and
use. These magnets are made of neodymium, iron and boron and are some
of the most powerful magnetic forces on Earth.

Take two spheres and throw them at each other across a flat surface.
They spin like whirling dervishes. Get all existential and create a 3D
sphere out of all the little spheres. Create a magnet mosaic, even
make a necklace and make some lame joke about someone being attracted
to you. Most of all, MagneatoSpheres are meant for fun. Use them for
science classes to teach about how magnets work or offer them as party
gifts at the company party.

For more information, go to www.magneatospheres.com. They are also
sold on Amazon and other product web sites. And for you visual learners, check out that YouTube video below:

Middle Aged No Longer...

2008-09-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well, just like that.

I'm closing out this blog. It'll remain up and please feel free to comment or whatnot, but this is done. If you want to get a decent sense of how I've felt the past few years, this is my public record. More so, I hope this shows a journey, perhaps a digression from one point to another. In my sorta-goofy way in calling myself a Middle Aged Young Adult, I hoped to find some resonance with others and ultimately, with what I felt myself. For that, I have succeeded.

For the first time in a very long time, I am content. I don't always feel content and judging as the end of the year is going to shape up, I might be quite frazzled. No matter. I am content in my decisions; what I decided and how I decided. I am content in my locale, in where I've ended up and how I got here. I am content in the possibilities and the probabilities. I am content with what I know and don't know, what I've learned and have yet to learn and what I have seen and what there is to see.

If peace is the awareness of everything you need to live life well, than I feel quite peaceful. After so much work in terms of education, shifting careers, moving toward the other side of the country, bad breakups, good rejections, lots of self-analysis and lots of silent and loud prayer amongst many a car drives, this is my time to slow down.

Thanks for reading and I'm sure we'll talk more soon.

A Stewart and a Wolfson met in a bar...

2008-09-01T18:58:00.001-07:00

In continuing my election coverage, I offer a Daily Show video:

and an article by former Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson.

You may return to the "Cindy and Laura" hour at the RNC Convention.

Is there an -ism we are forced to pick?

2008-08-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lull in this blog.

With the selection of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate, it opens up this election to a few interesting narratives.

The interesting part: Do you vote for someone because of race or because of gender? Of course, the acknowledged is that you don't vote because of race or gender or religion or sexual orientation or anything of the identity sort. You vote because of issues and policies and positions.

Yeah, right.

As much as we want to say it, we really don't vote on issues. The reason is simple: what is the issue during the election most likely won't be the issue during the crux of the presidency. For example, does anyone remember what the major issues were in 2000? Bush ran as a compassionate conservative, but what was his main policy planks? Same with Clinton, with Reagan, with anyone else? If anything, you might have to go back to Lincoln to find a presidency that was squarely dealt with the issues raised in a campaign. As the adage goes, presidents don't make history, but rather, history makes presidents.

Plus, while the president has power, presidents don't have all the power. Truthfully, Congress is the strongest branch in government. It's the most representative and democratic in nature and most of the legislative nexus has to originate and flow through both House and Senate. As much as we want universal health care and private social security or this or that, it's starts with laws. Honestly, Congress could enact universal health care, it's the "Medicare for All" act that Rep. Kucinich introduced a while back. It's still pending...

Therefore, what are we looking for in presidents? It depends solely on the times. Some times call for a Kennedy or a Lincoln, leaders that don't have the experience but have the leadership. Other times call for a Truman or an Eisenhower, who climbed the ladder and showed their grit. And, some times call for a forgotten president and sadly, some times call for a Bush.

So, this time is a time for change. The reality is that it's a generational change. Unless past times and past generations, this change is much more profound. Because of the striking difference on how life is viewed and lived and because of how wacky the Baby Boomers are, this difference comes with a completely different way at approaching life and politics. That's why Obama made it this far and honestly, why Gov. Palin just gave McCain his best shot at the Presidency. New age, new time, newer ways of thinking.

But back to the original question: Do you vote on race or gender? In America, racism is the original sin. In humanity, sexism is the ORIGINAL sin. As hokey as this sounds, racism is presented as a more pressing matter in the public consciousness than sexism. That's why the ERA never passed and why we didn't get a woman as the presidential candidate this time around.

However, there will be no racial majority in about 40 years in America. Most people are multi-cultural and multi-racial and there is no doubt we will have our first Latino and Asian president within 25 years. No doubt.

On the other hand, civilization is shifting back to a matriarchal society. There are more women being born than men and that simple fact alone will radically alter society in about five generations, tops. There is a growing crisis among boys in development and education (I think the latest numbers is that 60-65% of college graduates are women and that's increasing) and the blurring of the boundaries of manhood compels more women to fill the gap.

That's somewhat far off, but since Obama has proven himself to be perceived as presidential, his candidacy has open the flood gates. And if the governor can show herself as capable without the necessity to desexualize herself (that's a whole other issue that I'm surely not qualified to talk about), then that is a major, major victory. Maybe even more important than a McCain win.

Allowing all parts of me to catch up...

2008-07-30T19:02:00.001-07:00

I'm always amazed at the power of gravity.

What goes up must come down. In this case, the coming down is a giant let down.

When you complete a big task, filled with challenges, obstacles, failures and brick walls, it's exciting and thrilling. A great triumph and a fantastic achievement.
But then comes the depression. The goal is accomplished, the job is done. All the energy now is in limbo, waiting for another channel. That transition is just shitty.

That's where I'm at: I'm coming down from pushing with everything I had. Going against the grain requires a double-time effort. Two thoughts for one, two desires to do something different to one comfort zone. After a while, you're running on pure adrenaline and the faster heartbeat becomes second nature.

But you get up the hill, cross the valley and make it. The top is so pristine and beautiful and yet so jarring. The hardest thing about succeeding is not making it to the top, but staying there. That's why athletes briefly celebrate championships and quickly talk about next year. They have the luxury to run down the mountain and start the trek up again.

I've been looking for the item that I need. I'm in the right grocery store, in the right section and now, I'm in the right aisle and I found it. What next? What's the next item on my list? The satisfaction I felt about my accomplishment is now tempered with WHAT'S LEFT. I've been avoiding that like the plague, but now the air at the top is thin and as I look back and I squint forward, I realize how tired I am, how sad I am of all the roots I clung to as my identity are uprooted (and now further shaken by earthquakes and other acts of God) and how far I really am from home.

I'm slightly ashamed about how I got here. I'm embarrassed when I tell people that I just packed two suitcases, wore my maroon shorts with holes on the airplane and just came. I'm nervous to tell people how I did it, not because it's a feat of greatness, but just simple stick-to-it-ivness. I wish I had the gravitas to tell you about all the arguing I did while driving to and from USC. I knew I was leaving, but over and over and over, the question was asked. "Are you sure?" Can you do this? Do you want to do this? What if you fail? What if you really fail? What will everyone say? What will you tell yourself to keep going? Does God have a death wish against you?

When I finally heard a yes with resonance, it was faint, squeaky, like a 12-year-old going through puberty. It wasn't mature, but it wasn't the same anymore.

Having people say "wow, that's bold" or "you took a leap of faith" re-emphasizes not the strength of my faith or boldness but rather its fragility. As things slow down and routine takes a seat next to you on the Metro, there is a moment of sheer panic. Change is the bridge, not the journey. I have reteach myself to walk with the 9 to 5 and learn to replant. So hard, so hard.

Now I know why most people don't take risks and don't do things that require sacrifice: It's not the risk that's scary, it's the realization that you might succeed.

But I must say, I discovered a superb coffee house in Gettysburg, PA yesterday. Called the Ragged Edge. For that alone, I'm glad the vision came and I followed.

Different leadership

2008-07-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

RJ Eskow over at HuffPost wrote a great blog on Obama's leadership style. I think it's so important to change our perceptions on how we view politics. It's us as a general public that are bruised, betrayed, disappointed and cynical about our politics. When something new and better comes around, we have to have the hope to see it.

Here's the money quote:

Obama's been frustrating observers across the political spectrum lately. Progressive bloggers are debating whether he's driven by cynicism or centrism, while the rightwingers at Human Events claim there's a "Secret Plan Behind Obama's Move to the Right!" They're all missing the point. He's not moving to the Right. His political architecture isn't built on the old foundation of Right vs. Left -- or on Right vs. Wrong, for that matter. It isn't even binary. When it comes to policy he inclines toward the progressive position, but he's not thinking in terms of "winning" or "losing." His goal is group unity around the best possible realistic outcome. That means assess the situation, get what you can, then move to bring the parties together around a new consensus.

You read read the entire post here.

A statement for Monday

2008-07-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

At what point does one decide to slow down and ease in?

I for one have never known when that point comes and goes. It sometimes seems like I have two gears: fast and bloody faster. I celebrate by going faster, I get through crisis by getting faster and I move forward by finding new things to move faster towards.

That, combined with the curse of journalistic adrenaline and a penchant of always thinking the divine shoe is gonna drop, is why I have never felt I could slow down and ease in.

Whatever that means. I suppose that some day, when I'm a grown up and the gray hair is fully intact and the balding is abated and there is that point where I finally hit the point where I either am convicted/convinced/bribed into settling, I'll wake up each day with a sense of ease.

Until then, I'm offering a blanket apology to my current/former/future co-workers, friends, foes, sweethearts, exes and bankers sick of my phone calls. I'm moving fast. There might be a point where I hit a wall and I'll be forced to finally slow down, but do know that I enjoy every moment, every detail and by taking on a philosophy that everything in life is both a means and an end, my slowing down in one area means I'm going faster in another.

Slowly but surely, I am transitioning out of transitioning. I'll figure it out soon enough, I promise. Until then, bear with me, I'm still slightly antsy and visions of sugarplums are dancing in my head...

Off and working...

2008-06-18T18:11:00.001-07:00

I start at the CCCU tomorrow. Yay!
The M.A.Y.A. Years is going dark for a little bit, as I transition to a new schedule (that's on par with the majority of humanity! Yay!) and get going.
Word.

Help me Lord, I'm just trying for the sun...

2008-06-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

My parents owned tons and tons of old records and before they got burned for being an abomination to the Lord (sadly, that's not a joke), I got my hands on Fleetwood Mac. It would be until much later in my life that I truly would come to appreciate their greatness. In particular, Lindsey Buckingham is one of the best guitarists/singers. His last album Under the Skin, which came out I think two years ago, is one of the best accoustic albums that I have ever heard. I still listen to it religiously. One of the bests, "To Try for the Sun," has been my clarion call in this march toward Washington. Here is Buckingham playing it.

And for good sure, I'm adding "Trouble." This song used to play all the time in the Clause newsroom on WOLF FM and could never figure out who it was until I got to Texas and finally figured it out and got the album from Amazon. It's a nice song that brings up fond memories. (Notice the exceptionally tall man playing drums in the front of line. That, of course, is Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame.)

Ah, remember when music videos were so bad, they were so good?

Hopped on the lily pad...

2008-06-11T21:44:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay. I have a few things I'll blog about really soon. Honoring my sister's wishes, I'll wait until tomorrow for my Top Chef commentary, but I accepted an offer for a new job and start next week. Finally!

Well, at least Senate Republicans tout literacy...

2008-06-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Senate has been debating the Climate Change Bill, a robust legislation that would have instituted a cap and trade system, pushed for innovation and gotten governmental legs on the necessary and needed changes to our consumption and our energy policy.

Of course, the the bill didn't pass. Too many Republicans thought it was a tax increase and would raise gas prices and some Democrats believed that as well. But here's the funny part: As part of the stalling technique, GOP leaders made the clerk read the entire bill. All 500 pages of it that last about 9 hours. You can read about it here.

First, leaders should apologize to the clerks for making them read that thing. More so, it makes me scratch my head because I'm always wondering where people get the idea that government doesn't do anything. Hmmmm.

Not to diss the previous generation, but it's time for Boomers to step aside and leave their conflict-ridden narrative at home. We need SOLUTIONS, not CONFLICT.

Fired up!!!!

2008-06-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

And ready to go!!!!

Obama won the nomination, it's time to have a real discussion about the change we so, so, so, so need.

Truly Yours and my house...

2008-06-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

To read about one of my stupidest mistakes, go check out my latest FourStory article here.

In lieu of some Sex and the City drivel...

2008-05-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'll show this.
No fashion, but it's real.

Space: The Final Libido

2008-05-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

Horny little Trekkies, aren't they?

Polly want a President?

2008-05-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

All of God's creatures knows what's up.

God bless them, Alton Dalton...

2008-05-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well, this is too cool.

This is REALLY the right stuff?

2008-05-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

Had I only had kept the autographs of New Kids on the Block, I would be RICH and all the girls that dissed me in junior high would be all mine.
Just my luck.

Watch for www.politicsispoo.com...

2008-05-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

On a complete whim (as in writing that at 10 p.m. for a midnight deadline whim), I applied for a fellowship with Atlantic Media. Not really sure why, but it does with the current "shots in the dark" motif I have lately in terms of stuff. I totally didn't get it, the general email said 500 people applied for 10 positions. It was to create a new news website. Good luck on that one.

Anyways, this is what spouted out in 90 minutes. It needs a little more finesse, but I think it's funny. Thoughts welcome.

Atlantic Media Editors:

In the news, there is no new new. No matter the format: Print, online, TV, homing pigeon, the purpose is providing news to the readers. While it sometimes appears that Marshall McLuhan is the consultant for some of the ideas sprouting about the business these days, it is most important to prioritize content above all else. No matter the medium, it’s the messages that people want.
As one who was paid his dues in the window-less newsrooms gleefully cursing the creators of the CCI database system, I know the intensity and acidity of the debate regarding the future of newspapers. There are several able-bodied editors and executives that desperately want to innovate and see the yellow brick road going through the World Wide Web. In the meantime, print and TV outlets have taken the pre-modern medical approach of bleeding out the bad blood to fix the revenue ills. Cuts upon cuts upon cuts, then rinse and repeat.
In both situations, there is an intense desire to fix the problem. The problem is that no one is completely sure what the problem is, if there is a problem at all.
That’s a problem.
Now, the industry is saying that the journalism gods are casting Messianic lights on news websites. No dot com, big problem.
Borrowing from Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, news websites are in between the phases innovators and the early majority on its way to becoming an epidemic. Matt Drudge took his computer and used it to catch President Clinton with his pants down and got journalism’s attention. Even though it took a bit, Google, Yahoo! and AOL set the stage for the BOOM! that is getting information in a new medium.
Yet, it seems that the journalism community is still trying to gauge the innovators and leapfrog to the profitable majority. Most sites are morphing as quickly as possible and trying to run when it’s still crawling and drooling. In the midst of the corporate trying to tag on to tagging, there are a few innovators who are truly changing the pace of the game. Talking Points Memo is one of them. Since 2000, Josh Marshall and his Merry Minstrels are taking Pro-Am Journalism and making it work. TPM gained prominence with its investigative reporting of the firing of U.S. Attorneys under suspicious pretenses. The reporting earned the site a Polk Award, but more importantly, it earned the seal of credibility, complete with the Defense Department taking the site off its press release list for a time. Impressive.
The biggest strength of TPM is its informational hierarchy. The main site includes analysis by Marshall, David Kurtz and others, both written and visual, as well as the leading story at the moment in the top right-hand corner. The home page houses links to AP stories, “TPM Approved” bloggers and advertisements. TPM also is home to TPMMuckracker, the investigative wing of the site; TPMElection Central, which includes virtually every poll that has been taken, is being taken and will be taken about the Presidential Election. Greg Sargent is the main blogger for TPMHorse’s Mouth and TPMCafe features an eclectic array of bloggers and topics.
It is clear that readers are the foundation of Talking Points Memo. Readers recommend stories, make comments, contribute news tidbits (in fact, it was readers in New Mexico that noticed the firing of U.S. Attorney David Yglesias and told TPM about it that got the scandal abrewin’) and organize RSS feeds for whichever stories that are wanted/needed. By allowing readers to create accounts and highlight their comments in a predominate place, it bolsters the communal asset essential to making a niche news website float.
Marshall successfully parlayed his blog for venting purposes into a full-time job. In a recent New York Times article, Marshall said TPM is mostly an ad-generated site that sometimes asks readers for donations. TPM held fund-raisers to launch TPM Café and to pay for its Presidential Primary coverage. With a Manhattan newsroom and D.C. touch points, this is a no-pajamas allowed operation.
Structurally, the website is sound. It provides many options but doesn’t overwhelm the reader. The main blog on the page contains both little blurbs and substantial thoughts from Marshall and others. The design is clean and simple, with font and style variations for the separate components of TPM.
The biggest disadvantage of TPM is that of forward motion. Right now, the site is hoisted comfortably between the worlds of individual blogging and original journalism. TPM still has a blogger feel to it and while the level of sophistication of reader’s comments is higher than that of www.politicsispoo.com (I just made this up and I will be very disappointed with Atlantic Media if this is the address of whatever website you want to create), there’s still enough sense of renegade reactionaries to ensure that News Corp. isn’t poaching from the readers for new positions. Yet, with credibility comes responsibility. New changes are coming to TPM and it is quite apparent the site is moving toward more original reporting and most likely, more professional reporting.
That is a good segue into the biggest struggle for news websites who those that create them. The site is only as good as the content and if the content is professional journalists doing the work, then amateur bloggers automatically become the antithesis. Even while www.nytimes.com is a great website and now much more accessible than a year ago, those going to the site know exactly what they want. It is the same with the Atlantic Media and any one of the journalistic institutions that have created and sustained its positioning already. More often that not, the stories are exactly the same as the print version and while there are no news holes for designers to work around, there are the exceptionally pesky Google banner ads.
In other words, there is no new new.
Another downside to TPM and sites like it is that it is inherently a niche site. They cover politics and offer little else for anyone looking for non-political coverage. That might be why 75% of its readership (most likely, the readership that has accounts) are male and are more educated and have a higher income median. If TPM were to offer stories on women’s clothing, it wouldn’t stick. Frankly, that is the beauty of online journalism and the downfall of print journalism. Online means access and the accessibility allows for niche products to thrive. Not to go Long Tail on y’all, but sites like TPM, or Huffington Post or even Hugh Hewitt wouldn’t survive in print. They thrive online because low costs and low overhead allow for a specialized audience to galvanize and coalesce.
The current business model of most print papers require that newspapers be all things to all advertisers and most things to some readers. Since circulation is downgraded and advertisement is enhanced to near-ungodly levels of measuring success, it really doesn’t matter who the reader is in terms of print newspapers. For online, who the reader is is all that matters.
One final point. News websites that are successful recognize that they aren’t the only game in town. Odds are that readers of one site are readers of other sites, are using RSS feeds and email subscriptions or just check out Yahoo! or MSM news for general-interest stories.
In what should be a boost to the fragile egos of journalists, people wanting the news online will come to them. Eventually. If the website is accessible, offers quality information and provides opportunities for reader reciprocation, then it would be a success. That’s what makes Talking Points Memo a success and a worthy model for other news websites.
I don’t presume to offer any new ideas because as I stated, there is no new new. Therefore, the pot of gold at the end of the digital rainbow is filled with subscriptions and PayPal tip jars. If the industry is truly serious about succeeding in a new medium, it has to find a way to pay for content. While Google ads are pretty nifty, it has a lower ceiling for profitability than creating a tier of premium content and defining simple pay structures for them. Otherwise, instead of relying on bra ads from Macy’s, we’re relying on links to fake Macy’s cards and sites proving that Jesus Christ wasn’t a real person.
Enough with the Messianic lights already.

Assessment time

2008-05-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well, today is May 15 and in my internal calendar, it's assessment day.
I'm still here in D.C. and not in L.A. walking tomorrow at USC. Largely, I can't afford it and it was a case of either going to L.A. and staying there or staying here and trying to tough it out.
I almost have a sense of pride in how I've been able to step out in faith and have things work. Granted, everything is always working: it might not be as you want it to work or how it should work, but it is working. So, in that spirit, this is working. I took a step and and knowing that my life was changing and different, I went with it.
But, it's also not working and it's pretty disappointing at the moment.
Before I left L.A., I set up this date as my barometer as to the success or failure of this latest adventure. It worked because of graduation, the sublease was up today and it was a round number to the month.
In terms of work, I'm running right smack into the problem I thought I would run into. I'm in what's called middle hell. It's the reality that you're overqualified for entry-level positions and not qualified for the executive positions. It leaves a large gap with work experience. I knew that would be a problem with getting the masters now and trying to switch out of print journalism into something else. The masters does scare people because it means you want more money. Of course, I need more money so that I can pay off this ridiculous expense, but that's the screaming silence in the job interview.
Further combined is trying to get into something new and also being diametrically opposed in terms of location. I came here because this offers the best amount of options for some of the stuff that I wanted to do. While I got interviews upfront and was the running for two decent jobs, I'm now wondering if the advantages aren't working in my favor.
And it's a tough job market and it's tougher for men and it's harder for journalists because we care about everything and in the eyes of issues-based folks, that means we care for nothing. (Oh, and I can't even get anything with a temp agency!)
Thus, the ides of May.
I have no concept or clue of what is going to happen next. Right now, I need to buy myself more time, both literally and spiritually. Going back to L.A. isn't an option, so I move forward into more fog, hoping the sun is going to show up real soon.

Good night and good luck...

2008-05-15T08:11:00.001-07:00

This is Olbermann's best special comment. Ah, I can see the dawn beginning to rise on this great nation.

Here we come!

2008-05-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm still not sure if I qualify as Generation X or the Millennial generation. In any case, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert writes a great column about what's coming.
The money quote:

The upshot of all this is ominous for conservatives. The number of young people in the millennial generation (loosely defined as those born in the 1980s and 90s) is somewhere between 80 million and 95 million. That represents a ton of potential votes — in this election and years to come. And the American Progress study shows that those young people do not feel that they have been treated kindly by conservative policies or principles.
According to the study: “Millennials mostly reject the conservative viewpoint that government is the problem, and that free markets always produce the best results for society. Indeed, Millennials’ views are more progressive than those of other age groups today, and are more progressive than previous generations when they were younger.”

You can read it here.

What's cooler than being cool?

2008-05-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

I heard this version of Hey Ya by Obadiah Parker a little while back and I found it on iTunes this afternoon. Ah, so great.
Here's a vid.

Hey Bob, now we just need the Roy Ivey version to make it all right.

Back when Michael Stipe had hair...

2008-05-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is their network TV debut in 1983. By the way, Murmur is really a fantastic album.

This beats Geena Davis anyday...

2008-05-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to USC's Commencement because I can't find a job to give me money to fly back to LaLaLand. But after reading P.J. O'Rourke's advice, I'm good to go.

The money quote:

So, avoid politics if you can. But if you absolutely cannot resist, read the Bible for political advice -- even if you're a Buddhist, atheist or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those people who believes that God is involved in politics. On the contrary. Observe politics in this country. Observe politics around the world. Observe politics through history. Does it look like God's involved?
The Bible is very clear about one thing: Using politics to create fairness is a sin. Observe the Tenth Commandment. The first nine commandments concern theological principles and social law: Thou shalt not make graven images, steal, kill, et cetera. Fair enough. But then there's the tenth: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."
Here are God's basic rules about how we should live, a brief list of sacred obligations and solemn moral precepts. And, right at the end of it we read, "Don't envy your buddy because he has an ox or a donkey." Why did that make the top 10? Why would God, with just 10 things to tell Moses, include jealousy about livestock?
Well, think about how important this commandment is to a community, to a nation, to a democracy. If you want a mule, if you want a pot roast, if you want a cleaning lady, don't whine about what the people across the street have. Get rich and get your own.

Here's the article in the Times here.