The Ratnest

The Disadvantages of an Elite Education: an article by William Deresiewicz about how universities should exist to make minds, not careers | The American Scholar

2011-06-25T09:17:00.000-04:00

One of the great errors of an elite education, then, is that it teaches you to think that measures of intelligence and academic achievement are measures of value in some moral or metaphysical sense. But they’re not. Graduates of elite schools are not more valuable than stupid people, or talentless people, or even lazy people. Their pain does not hurt more. Their souls do not weigh more. If I were religious, I would say, God does not love them more. The political implications should be clear. As John Ruskin told an older elite, grabbing what you can get isn’t any less wicked when you grab it with the power of your brains than with the power of your fists. “Work must always be,” Ruskin says, “and captains of work must always be….[But] there is a wide difference between being captains…of work, and taking the profits of it.”

Tired of being insulted

2011-06-25T08:55:00.000-04:00

I've grown tired of being insulted by people who assume that I agree with them.

Tired of being demeaned by people who don't think contrary opinions are only held by "evil" people.

Tired of watching complicated issues being reduced to arguments that fit in a tweet or on a bumper sticker.

New York's recent passing of a Gay Marriage proposal has been causing me to grind my teeth as both sides fire snarky barbs across the internet on Twitter.

Between the Evil Homosexuals and the Evil Christians I don't know if there's anyone left to talk to. Is there any room for a person who thinks that people should be allowed to be happy, to have comparable rights to comfort their loved ones, but who understands the pain of having a sacrament defiled?

Am I evil because I don't think that a 2700 page health care bill with more loopholes than a stitching class is the right way to reform health care? Am I evil because I resent the constant encroachment of government into my choices?

Apparently, because I've been told that I'm evil and heartless for holding that opinion. I'd be open to having my mind changed if every discussion didn't start with my intelligence being demeaned.

Am I a racist because objective facts tell me that there are dangerous places to go? Detroit is considered a "black" city, and has one of the highest crime rates in the nation. If I were black, I don't think I'd hitch my identity to the city until it became a place I could be proud of. Pride should be something you have "because of," not "in spite of."

I'm not specifically religious, nor am I against religion. Nonetheless, because of that I've been accused of hating God. I've also been accused of being anti-atheist. I suppose it's more proof that "with us or against us" is a sentiment held on both sides of the aisle.

And of course the running joke with the one person who understands that is that I'm a "fence sitting libertarian." So at least there's one person I can talk to.

I am who I am, and if I'm a majority of one, so be it. Just don't expect me to sit here and listen to your vile vilification, don't expect me to agree with your demonization of people I don't agree with, and don't assume that because I don't hold your viewpoint I hold the diametrically opposed view.

Screw you and your pigeonhole. If you're not capable of seeing outside your little world of boxes that's not my problem. I'm only atypical from your point of view, and until you can understand that you can not understand me.

It's more important for me to respect myself than to respect your opinion of me.

2011-03-24T18:01:00.001-04:00

"Rights Are Curtailed for Terror Suspects" - ProfessorBainbridge.com

Good thing we got rid of that George Bush guy.

A film maker walks into Flint

2011-03-15T09:53:00.001-04:00

T-SHIRT OF THE DAY: “If I had a dollar for every time that capitalism was blamed for problems cause…

Petard, hoisted by

2011-03-07T13:44:00.001-05:00

The group hopes that Huffington will “do the right thing” and agree to their requests. However, Lasarow wrote that he would be unsurprised if “like the corporate titans of the American Right… Ms Huffington, whom I am certain has a good heart and only the best intentions, were to assume the obvious position: Who needs these people anyway?”

The thing that really amuses me of that even when the problem has nothing to do with the Right, they can't help taking that swipe.

AOL buys Huffington Post for $315 million | Geek Gestalt - CNET News

2011-02-07T03:21:00.000-05:00

Sounds more like AOL is buying Arianna Huffington to run their content. Next to the DailyKOS I can't think of a more partisan site, but time will tell.

AOL buys Huffington Post for $315 million | Geek Gestalt - CNET News: "In a shocking post-Super Bowl announcement, AOL said tonight it has agreed to pay $315 million for the Huffington Post and form a new media powerhouse by combining the content of both organizations.
The resulting new outfit, which will be headed by HuffPo co-founder Arianna Huffington, will be called Huffington Post Media Group and feature all the content from previous AOL acquisitions including Engadget and TechCrunch."

MORE ON THAT “UNLICENSED ENGINEER” SCANDAL AT THE NORTH CAROLINA DOT: North Carolina Transporation …

2011-02-07T01:52:00.000-05:00

Oh, this is good:

MORE ON THAT “UNLICENSED ENGINEER” SCANDAL AT THE NORTH CAROLINA DOT: North Carolina Transporation …: "
MORE ON THAT “UNLICENSED ENGINEER” SCANDAL AT THE NORTH CAROLINA DOT: North Carolina Transporation Secretary Doubles Down:

Bryant said Lacy was trying to intimidate Cox and his neighbors and suppress their rights to petition government officials.

“No one signed it as an engineer,” Bryant said. “They simply put together their feelings and their information. When we can’t do that without fear of potential criminal prosecution, that takes away our rights.”

A spokesman for Perdue said the governor, a Democrat, had pledged to take politics out of transportation planning. . . .

Transportation Secretary Gene Conti, a Perdue appointee, said the DOT has used residents’ feedback to change the Falls of Neuse project. He endorsed Lacy’s request for an investigation.

Disgraceful.

It's pretty obvious to me what happened here.

A bunch of talented and intelligent people put together some recommendations in the best format they could manage, and the guy in charge of the DOT engineers, who had no engineering knowledge himself, panicked when he couldn't intelligently answer their questions. "Quick, call the police! Somebody is about to make me look like the tool I am!"

Resistance

2011-02-04T18:56:00.001-05:00

Throughout my life I've come to a point where I intended to make a modest, or even major advance. In many of those cases something would happen that caused me to pull back, retreat, and conserve my resources.

It occurs to me that I've been going about this the wrong way. I am beginning to think that instead of throttling back I should try pushing forward, and seeing where determination and cunning take me.

I'll let you know how it works out this time.

The Danger of Print

2010-10-11T11:45:00.000-04:00

The President dodged a, er, book the other day:

Obama has book thrown at him at Philadelphia rally | Mail Online: "This is the astonishing moment a book was apparently hurled at the head of President Barack Obama during a campaign rally in Philadelphia.

The flying missile narrowly missed hitting the President yesterday.

It is not clear what the book was, where it came from in the crowd, or why it was thrown at Mr Obama - who did not appear to notice the danger"

Which is sort of a metaphor for his whole presidency.

Via Instapundit.

Subtle

2010-10-01T10:17:00.000-04:00

Seriously, if you're going to do this, it should probably be done in private. More sinister that way.

A Teary Emanuel Gets Dead Fish At White House Send-off - Political Punch

My reaction:

Will the Justice Department Be Authorized to Shut Down Internet Sites?

2010-09-30T14:48:00.000-04:00

That this is even being contemplated chills me to the bone.

Will the Justice Department Be Authorized to Shut Down Internet Sites?: "
On September 20^th, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced legislation — S. 3804, the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act — that seeks to give the Department of Justice the power to shut down websites anywhere in the world that are found to infringe on intellectual property rights. This would be accomplished by ordering U.S. domain registrars and registries to stop resolving infringing sites’ domain names. While this bill has the noble-sounding goal of preventing online piracy, handing the federal government authority over the Internet would set a troubling precedent that would imperil Internet freedom in America and across the world.

One disquieting issue is the lack of any requirement that these sites be found to violate the laws of the countries from where they operate. In fact, under this bill sites operating perfectly legally under the laws of their own nations could be shut down by the U.S. Justice Department.

America has been a pretty fair steward of critical internet infrastructure up until now, but we only deserve it as long as we respect the responsibility that power gives us. Pushing edicts across the planet is a lousy way to do that, especially over something as idiotic as copyright infringement.

Unintended Consequences

2010-09-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

The primary results in Delaware last week have generated some interesting consequences, such as this thoughtful and well written plea for Christians and Wiccans to come together.

Vodkapundit � Come Together: A Plea to Annoy Christians and Witches Alike!: "There’s some common ground here, where both sides could — and should — meet politically, if not spiritually. For that to happen, however, certain Christians (not nearly all of them) would have to drop their insistence that Wicca is equal to Satanism. And certain Wiccans (not nearly all of them, either) would have to abandon their childish liberalism."

I don't think anyone expected O'Donnell to be this polarizing, but there's a definite opportunity here. Could this be the start of a Wiccan right-wing?

Liberals vs Conservatives

2010-09-17T17:18:00.000-04:00

It's like he has a plasma lance of perspective. How have I not found this guy before now?

Perhaps he's just cynical, but he's smiling anyway.

So...Communism doesn't work?

2010-09-15T10:40:00.001-04:00

Cuba details plans to lay off 500,000

Sweeping reforms cut workers from payroll to save funds

Andrea Rodriguez and Paul Haven / Associated Press

Havana -- Cuba's communist leaders have already determined what soon-to-be-dismissed workers should do after they get pink slips in sweeping government layoffs, detailing a plan for them to raise rabbits, paint buildings, make bricks, collect garbage and pilot ferries across Havana's bay.

Many of the workers tossed from state jobs into the marketplace could see their new enterprises fail within a year, officials acknowledge.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100915/NATION/9150341/1020/Cuba-details-plans-to-lay-off-500-000#ixzz0zbp0kD8a

From the ground up

2010-09-08T15:42:00.001-04:00

John Ratzenberger may be best known for playing a knowitall, but don't discount the man because of the part. Here are some interesting disturbing statistics:

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 25 percent of the working population will reach retirement age by 2012, resulting in a potential shortage of nearly 10 million skilled workers. This heightens the price our nation is paying for dismantling so many in-school vocational training programs during the past few decades.
The current shortage already sharply reduces the growth of U.S. gross domestic product, contributing to our overall economic problem. America’s infrastructure is falling apart before our eyes. Municipal water and sewer systems are failing, and more bridges are unsafe to cross. Yet the nationwide shortfall of more than 500,000 welders is causing already-funded repair projects to be canceled or delayed.

Read the whole thing. I eagerly await this documentary.

Via Instapundit.

Gender Based Violence!

2010-09-02T17:46:00.001-04:00

More proof that men are more violent than women:

According to her complaint, she and fellow pledges were punched, slapped, kicked, slammed into walls, struck with a wooden spoon and a cane, and had books and coins thrown at them during a series of 16 nighttime initiation sessions. Howard recalled one evening when a sorority sister told her to close her eyes. She was then struck on the buttocks with what she later learned was a kitchen pot. The pledges were also frequently struck with a wooden paddle, Howard said, blows that left her with welts on her buttocks.

Oh wait...

Risk Dominates Fun

2010-09-01T14:11:00.001-04:00

Part of having fun is taking a risk. Unfortunately risks can lead to unpleasant consequences, and when those consequences lead to other people paying for your lack of judgement, they tend to remove the risk.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Elementary school playgrounds in one West Virginia county are losing their swing sets.
Swings are being removed from Cabell County schools in southern West Virginia in part because of lawsuits over injuries.
Cabell County schools safety manager Tim Stewart said Wednesday that a lot of parents are accusing him of being un-American, but he says the cost of maintaining a safe surface is too expensive.
Stewart says a lawsuit in the past year involved a youngster who broke his arm jumping off a swing like Superman. It was settled for $20,000.

I would be so pissed at the kid's parents.

Financially Forward

2010-08-27T11:28:00.002-04:00

GM is preparing an IPO that promises to be a real circus. I'm not certain at all that it's going to be the miracle that some are hoping for.

That didn't happen in this case, so the company has unfunded pension obligations to the tune of $27 billion whose bill is due in 2014. Long term, this puts it at a major competitive disadvantage against its non-unionized overseas rivals: Toyota ( TM - news - people ), Honda ( HMC - news -people ), Volkswagen ( VLKAF.PK - news - people ) and Hyundai.
Investors might overlook this if the company were otherwise sound and on a growth trajectory. That, however, is not the case. Indeed, in its application to the Securities and Exchange Commission--which, guess what, will come through just in time to make an IPO possible before the November elections!--GMadmits that its "disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting are currently not effective." And this "could materially affect our financial condition and ability to carry out our business plan."

He Should Be Golfing

2010-08-25T15:05:00.000-04:00

Putin seems to be going out of his way to be manly. Rotten Commie's turning into a Cowboy.

Putin fires darts at gray whale from crossbow - Yahoo! News: "MOSCOW – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin fired darts from a crossbow at a gray whale off Russia's Far Eastern coast on Wednesday in the latest in a series of man-versus-nature stunts designed to cultivate the image of a macho leader.
Putin held his balance in a rubber boat that was being tossed around in choppy waters off the Kamchatka Peninsula, and eventually hit the whale with a special arrow designed to collect skin samples.
'I hit it at the fourth try!' a beaming Putin, kitted out in black-and-orange waterproof suit and black beanie, yelled to a camera crew from the boat."

Juggling Chainsaws

2010-08-24T11:16:00.000-04:00

Dave Kopel argues that people should stop criticizing President Obama for his persistent golfing because President Eisenhower played a lot of golf too.

The Volokh Conspiracy � Stop Criticizing President Obama for Playing Golf: "However, President Eisenhower demonstrated beyond any doubt that there is no inherent contradiction between being a good President and being an avid golfer. Indeed, golf helps clear the mind, and hardly any�sport is�better at fostering humility in participants. �So unless�President Obama’s critics�are willing to state that President Eisenhower golfed too much, they should stop carping about President Obama’s golfing."

This strikes me as fallacious reasoning. Not everyone can smoke and juggle chainsaws at the same time, so you have to be careful with your priorities.

Come to think of it, maybe that's why Obama golfs so much...

Nobody's perfect

2010-08-18T16:06:00.000-04:00

Ann Coulter acknowledges that she doesn't agree with everything about every group she speaks to. Considering how opinionated she is, that sort of came as a surprise to me.

WorldNetDaily drops Ann Coulter from conference over speech to gay conservative group | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment: "According to WND, a site that regularly publishes articles about President Obama’s birthplace, Coulter told Farrah that their decision to drop her was misguided. “That’s silly, I speak to a lot of groups and do not endorse them,” she said. “…But in any event, giving a speech is not an endorsement of every position held by the people I’m speaking to. I was going to speak for you guys, I think you’re nuts on the birther thing (though I like you otherwise!).”"

All your gays are belong to us

2010-08-17T11:52:00.000-04:00

Signalling that there are some things more important than sexual preference, Right Wing News is sponsoring HomoCon 2010:

Classical Values :: the war against fun just got funnier!

I just learned that Right Wing News is the first sponsor of HomoCon 2010:

Today, I want to make an announcement: Right Wing News is the first sponsor of Homocon. We're going to be supporting the event, promoting it, and encouraging Republicans in New York to attend. Thanks toGOProud for giving us the opportunity and thanks to Ann Coulter for creating what's sure to be a memorable event that people will want to attend.

Check out the poster over at RWN.

Is the GOP looking to attract single issue voters? Will the focus be on fiscal conservatism and not social conservatism? Can they attract enough discouraged liberal and independents to make up for losing the base?

I certainly hope so. I don't really like the base of either the GOP or the DNC. But I'm a middlin' kinda guy.

MALINVESTMENT, visualized. “Below right is a photo taken of unused lumber hauling rail cars now par…

2010-08-17T11:38:00.000-04:00

Find your own allegory, I'm not going to connect the dots for you.

The question is: Is Atlas Shrugged visionary, or historical?

MALINVESTMENT, visualized. “Below right is a photo taken of unused lumber hauling rail cars now par…: "

MALINVESTMENT, visualized. “Below right is a photo taken of unused lumber hauling rail cars now parked on a closed railroad spur in Eastern Oregon, part of 20 miles of empty rail cars dedicated to hauling lumber to market. Most of these lumber hauling rail cars have been in mothballs since 2008 ….”

UPDATE: Reader Bruce Webster writes:

When I read your post and then went to the linked post, I immediately thought of these passages:

=========

Empty trains clattered through the four states that were tied, as neighbors, to the throat of Colorado. They carried a few carloads of sheep, some corn, some melons and an occasional farmer with an overdressed family, who had friends in Washington. Jim [Taggart] had obtained a subsidy from Washington for every train that was run, not as a profit-making carrier, but as a service of “public equity.” (p. 351)

=========

Six weeks ago, Train Number 193 had been sent with a load of steel, not to Faulkton, Nebraska, where the Spencer Machine Tool Company, the best machine tool concern still in existence, had been idle for two weeks, waiting for the shipment — but to Sand Creek, Illinois, where Confederated Machines had been wallowing in debt for over a year, producing unreliable goods at unpredictable times. The steel had been allocated by a directive which explained that the Spencer Machine Tool Company was a rich concern, able to wait, while Confederate Machines was bankrupt and could not be allowed to collapse, being the sole source of livelihood of the community of Sand Creek, Illlinois. The Spencer Machine Tool Company had closed a month ago. Confederated Machines had closed two weeks later.

The people of Sand Creek, Illinois, had been placed on national relief, but no food could be found for them in the empty granaries of the nation at the frantic call of the moment — so the seed grain of the farmers of Nebraska had been seized by order of the Unification Board — and Train Number 194 had carried the unplanted harvest and the future of the people of Nebraska to be consume by the people of Illinois. “In this enlightened age,” Eugene Lawson had said in a radio broadcast, “we have come, at last, to realize that each of of us is his brother’s keeper.” (p. 911)

============

I suspect you can guess what book those came from. ..bruce..

Indeed. An Army Of Eugene Lawsons!

Royal Oak to allow guns at Ford Arts, Beats & Eats festival | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

2010-08-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

The Freep does the impossible: It reports on a gun issue at a Royal Oak City Council meeting and manages to find a single quote supporting the council's decision to uphold Michigan law and not ban open carry.

And that quote makes the man look like a paranoid nutter.

Douglas Holloway of Westland said he would leave his gun at home if his safety and that of his family could be guaranteed at the event.
"I don't think anyone can do that," he told Royal Oak city commissioners. "You can't stop criminals.

Notice that it's a partial quote, with unquoted attribution.

Read the rest, an note the two GM employees and the university professor that sees the conspiracy that the "gun lobby" has cooked up.

Royal Oak to allow guns at Ford Arts, Beats & Eats festival | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Srsly?

2010-08-12T14:22:00.001-04:00

I'd really like to know where they found those 8%. I'm guessing in the White House Rose garden.

in reference to:

"Eight percent (8%) rate the economy as good or excellent while 55% say it’s in poor shape."
- http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Most-read-ever-Examiner-editorial-Time-to-admit-Obamanomics-has-failed-100335924.html (view on Google Sidewiki)