The Pointy Collared Web Log

get a move on

2009-02-19T10:56:00.003-05:00

I was listening to NPR the other day on the way to work and heard them discuss the approval of a new regional economic growth plan called "Agenda 360", whose stated goals are:

At the core of this plan are three transformational, long-range goals. By the year 2020, the goal of Agenda 360 is to:
Add 150,000 additional 20 to 34 year-olds in the region's workforce, an increase of 50 percent.
Add 200,000 net new jobs in the region, representing an estimated 50 percent increase in the historical job growth rate in the region.
Create economic self-sufficiency for all, incorporating the United Way goal of income at a minimum of 250 percent above the federal poverty level for all households.

Of course, being smack in the middle of that demographic at 26 years old, and as a designer being a member of the coveted creative class, my ears perk up. Does this mean my city loves me?

So naturally, I'm wondering what kinds of stimuli they're scheming in order to attract people like me to the region. I had hoped more emphasis might be put on public transit infrastructure, but I wasn't surprised to learn that the only reference to such is support of the anemic streetcar proposal already on the books and a vague reference to future LRT plans without any real call to action. For shame.

Young creative urban types thrive on public transit. You want to revitalize downtown, get these kinds of people interested in moving here? Public transit enables the lifestyle of the demographic you're targeting. In purely economic terms, it makes it more affordable to live and thus more attractive to people just out of college or at the beginning of their careers with lower incomes.

Choo-choo time

2009-02-18T11:17:00.004-05:00

It's about freaking time. Let's hope this money doesn't get siphoned off by local transportation authorities for more road projects.

Map of Potential HSR Built by the Stimulus

habits

2009-02-12T16:15:00.004-05:00

So I have this odd habit of holding a glass with only three fingers sometimes. Apparently so does Barack Obama.

Nothing new here

2009-02-09T03:17:00.005-05:00

How do you stimulate an economy? A republican says cut taxes - help those who already have money keep more of it. A democrat says spend, spend - give money to people who don't have it. Nothing new here.

Republicans would like to see the economic stimulus package divided rather evenly between spending and tax cuts, since they don't think government spending is really the way to give the economy the 'ol jump start. The problem with that argument is that it assumes that a person has an income that is being taxed. Job losses were a record 598,000 in January alone. If you don't have a job, you can't spend money. If you don't spend money, the economy grows weaker, and businesses lose revenue. If businesses fail, more jobs are lost. It's a vicious circle. A tax cut doesn't do any good to someone who has little or no income to begin with.

On the other hand, if you create jobs by making money available for school construction or road repairs or new broadband infrastructure then, well, you've created jobs. Which in turn leads to more spending. Apparently the republicans do not agree. What got cut? Money for school construction, broadband initiatives, research, science, school nutrition. Typical things Republicans hate.

Check out Rachel Maddow's take on it. Oh, if only they could say "bullshit" on television.

Making the case

2008-11-30T21:30:00.005-05:00

For your perusal, the next installment in making the case against a suburban lifestyle comes from this insightful article in New York Magazine: Is Urban Loneliness a Myth?

I'm going to spoil the best line in the entire article right here, which occurs on page 5: "The presence of other human beings puts a natural limit on how freakily we can behave.". Well, it certainly hit the spot for me. Where do all those school shootings happen, and who perpetrates them? Freakishly antisocial kids in suburban schools in the middle of nowhere, or at universities in isolated locations.

The whole premise is how you live. Urbanites, whether single or married, have larger social circles, more social activity, and because of this are less likely to feel lonely, which affects physical health. Among other things, such as not driving everywhere and not sitting on your ass watching television every night.

What happened to Capitalism?

2008-11-14T17:55:00.004-05:00

What ever happened to capitalism? With all the critical remarks about socialism against Barack Obama after he made that fateful comment about "spreading the wealth", you'd assume that people in this country were staunch capitalists. Apparently that isn't the case at all. You'd assume at least the leaders of large corporations would be capitalists, after all they're the ones that scream the loudest when it comes to protecting their hard-earned cash. So why is it that the leaders of the big three automakers are suddenly groveling at the doorstep of the government asking for a handout like it's a soup kitchen? I guess that belief in the free market economy is easily set aside when the free market economy seems perched to throw you in the dumpster.

As you can tell, I'm infuriated at the hypocrisy here. I don't think those companies deserve a bailout at all. I think they need to get what's coming to them. They've been outperformed by companies that make better products and have bee unwilling to retool their product to compete. In the free market, that means you fail. What about the jobs, you say? Auto repair shops, auto parts shops, they'll all stay in business. People will still be buying cars in large numbers - they'll still need maintenance. What about the assembly line workers? Well, when Honda and Toyota suddenly feel the windfall of increased demand from the failure of these companies, they'll probably open more plants to produce more cars, and that means they'll be hiring. They already make all of those supposedly "foreign" cars right here in the United States anyway.

So let them fail. Fuck them. Bad business decisions, greedy unions, all of them should get what's coming to them. In the words of Republican senator Richard Shelby of Alabama,

“The financial straits that the Big Three find themselves in is not the product of our current economic downturn, but instead is the legacy of the uncompetitive structure of its manufacturing and labor force. The financial situation facing the Big Three is not a national problem but their problem.”

the joy of philosophy

2008-11-02T18:27:00.004-05:00

Kind of like the joy of cooking, but for your mind.

Alright, so the point of this is, I'm going to get back in the habit of philosophy. Definitely better than hard drugs, though some might disagree. I've been chatting with an old friend who has become interested in the sorts of thinking and writing I used to do three to five years ago, the sort of "why are things the way they are" brand of thinking. Something on the order of the ontology of everything. Though, as it relates to specific things like beauty, beer, subway cars and God.

I'm digging up some of the interesting essays I wrote before and during my stint studying philosophy, rewriting them, and we're going to have a good old fashioned blog-ring. You know, like the web rings of old. The dark ages, when web surfers wandered aimlessly without the guidance of the Great Google.

Anyways, look for some pretty wacky if not thought inspiring or rage-inducing articles in this web log soon :)

McCain doesn't want your vote.

2008-10-28T22:48:00.003-04:00

Apparently John McCain thinks it's highly unlikely that someone in their twenties would vote for him - so unlikely in fact that he's willing to bet that the only reason a college-age person would be at one of his rallies would be to protest. It's probably true that a larger percentage of twenty-something voters in this country are liberal-leaning and likely prefer Obama, but McCain seems to take this as fact. Here's an interesting example of profiling not based on race, but based on age - and an assumed political leaning.

Pre-emptive Ejection (Iowa State Daily)

He certainly isn't winning any young votes with this one. One person ejected from the rally even stated that she had already early-voted for McCain. It must have been quite a slap in the face.

Top-down economics

2008-10-08T10:54:00.001-04:00

Saw this coming a mile away:

AIG Execs go on Vacation

Ever wonder how a bunch of corrupt businessmen spend your tax dollars when you bail them out? This is how they show their gratitude. I also read today that Dick Fuld, the CEO of Lehman brothers, was punched in the face at a gym and knocked out cold. To catch you up on the story, he basically implicated everyone but himself in the failure of his firm and dodged questions about the $480 mil he's raked in from the company during his tenure as chief executive with esoteric financial lingo. Frankly, I'm glad someone had the cojones to knock him out.

Now check out the article about the AIG execs and how they spent your tax dollars after they were bailed out to the tune of $85 bil. This is why the dems were so adamant about tacking on stipulations about executive compensation to the bailout bill - because of corrupt assholes like this. Did you really expect these people to graciously accept our money and not throw a big party for themselves? I can't say I'm surprised.

Intersting

2008-10-02T16:16:00.003-04:00

When Sarah Palin is familiar with the issues she's talking about, she's an aggressive and formidable debater, it seems. Check out these excerpts from the 2006 Alaskan gubernatorial debates, she's on the ball and even acts like a jerk to the guy she's debating (sounds like McCain, eh?). Now, that says nothing about being qualified to be in a federal government position that requires much broader knowledge about world affairs, but Joe Biden might not have it so easy if she can debate like this and not come off like an idiot, as she's done in her interviews with Katie Couric. As I watched this video, I thought, Who is this? This isn't Sarah Palin!

Why Sarah Palin is a better debater than you think

Still doesn't make up for the comment about parents sending their kids off in backpacks as the only reason why someone would have visited a foreign country, though :) Or any of her other numerous crazy right-wing ideas and opinions.

Just for contrast, check out day 1 and day 2 of the CBS interviews here.

Katie Couric interviews Sarah Palin, day 1

Katie Couric interviews Sarah Palin, day 2

Terrorism in Ohio

2008-09-29T12:09:00.003-04:00

It's not Baghdad, it's Dayton. Check this out.

Muslim Children Gassed at Dayton Mosque After "Obsession" DVD Hits Ohio

I guess that goes to show that there are actually ignorant people out there who are succeptible to being manipuated by blatant propaganda. Scary thing is, they're practically my neighbors.

The road to the White House

2008-09-25T10:01:00.002-04:00

So, John McCain decides to suspend his campaign for the time being so that he can get to the business of fixing the economy. Instead of speaking my opinion on this, I'll defer to David Letterman, who says it so much more elegantly than I would.

David Letterman Reacts to John McCain Suspending Campaign

In short, don't lie about why you're canceling your appearance on Letterman, then proceed to do an interview on the exact same network. That's like bailing on a friend then going to get a drink with that friend's best friend. You think they won't talk to one another?

I do appreciate that Letterman only hints at the idea of a publicity stunt, but dances around it enough that you get the picture while complimenting him simultaneously. I'm a much more straightforward man and I wouldn'tve put it so nicely!

And I wonder what he implies when he says "the road to the white house runs right through me". Does this mean he'll endorse Obama? Or was it a conceited attempt to imply that as a television personality, he has the ability to sway opinion :)

places not worth defending

2008-05-20T10:46:00.006-04:00

If you're like me, a person of fervent opinions who often finds themselves at a loss for an eloquent or rational way to express them, and are an outspoken critic of suburban sprawl, you might find this speech interesting. Even if you're not a proponent of new urbanism, take a moment or twenty to listen to what this man has to say about places that are not worth caring about, and ones that are.

TED Talks: James Howard Kunstler, "The Tragedy of Suburbia"

The best part of the speech is perhaps the very last thing he says before closing:

Stop referring to yourselves as "consumers". Consumers are not the same as citizens. Consumers do not have obligations, responsibilities and duties to their fellow human beings.

Festivus, the royalty-free holiday

2007-12-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

I can't say I was surprised when I read this latest tidbit from the front lines of the copyright wars. In brief, the Performing Rights Society, Britain's copyright collections agency, sued a charity because the radio in their kitchen was loud enough to be heard in a public dining room, apparently constituting some form of public performance. Then, they proceeded to ask for more money because kids were singing Christmas carols there which were copyrighted.

To me, this is a ringing endorsement of Festivus. In addition to being the non-religious holiday, it's also the non-commercial holiday. No carols, no traditional songs, just an aluminum pole and plenty of alcohol and merriment to go around. Come to Festivus at the Herford and don't worry about having your pants sued off.

seeds and lemons

2007-06-16T16:40:00.000-04:00

So you're looking to spend some quality time with your dad this sunday, but you haven't yet thought of something the two of you could do together. Maybe you don't have enough in common, and the fear of awkward silences and conversations about superficial things like sports teams is weighing on your thoughts. If you're into local music, I have a solution, and it involves beer. Your dad might have to warm up to the bands, but everybody knows that beer helps to smooth out those rough spots in conversation. Plus, it is common knowledge that silences aren't as awkward when there is live music. The Seedy Seeds and Pomegranates are playing tomorrow night at Northside Tavern, and you should be there. It does not necessarily have to be a part of your plans with your dad, but it is required for any fan of Cincinnati music.

Also, lemonade. Who doesn't love lemonade? If such a person exists, I haven't met them. But I do know plenty of people who probably haven't yet tasted the best lemonade on the face of the earth. It is stored in a gigantic glass jar with lemons floating in it, and if you offer its keeper a dollar, he may just let you taste it. That is, if he hasn't run out of plastic cups. Go to Findlay Market, and at the center of the main building, you'll find it, along with jars containing other assorted cold, refreshing drinks with fruit halves floating in them. Delicious. And I'm serious about the one dollar.

late night

2007-05-18T10:44:00.000-04:00

So last night was fun. Stayed at work with Micah until midnight working on the Children's Museum of Manhattan project. Or shoud I say, progressed a little further while spending more than half the time just talking. I don't know how, but I actually do get some amazing things accomplished here. I think more working environments should be like this - however this week has been exhausting. I've gotten an extra project dumped on me that needs to be done by Saturday night, so I'm pretty sure Micah and I will be spending most of the day Saturday here.

In other news, as some may know, I'm in the market for a new computer, but I've been holding out until Apple can come up with something more aesthetically pleasing than the current line of MacBook Pros (or, the McBook with Fries, as opposed to the plain McBook). The grey plastic border and spray-painted keys just don't do it for me, Steve. And the wide screen bezel makes it look like a toy compared to the thinner, more squarish titanium. Dell agrees with me. Look at their Inspiron series - white metal border, black keys. So there, Steve, I just told you there's a Dell computer that looks sexier than yours (inspired by your own design no less) - what're you going to do now?

File a patent for a new case design, apparently.

For the win (from macrumors.com):

In the application, Apple acknowledges that while "current enclosure designs work well, in many instances it would be desirable to provide enclosures that are thinner, lighter, stronger and aesthetically more pleasing than current enclosure designs."

stadium lights

2007-04-22T20:49:00.000-04:00

It's another cool night outside on the supervisor shift. Tonight I'm spotlighted by the sterile glow and insectile hum of the stadium lights, pumping millions of watts of power to light the playing field for three people playing frisbee.

Saw The Selmanaires at the Comet for free last night, after filling my stomach with one of their delicious burritos and a Christian Moerlein lager. I was duly impressed with the intensity with which they banged out their unique sound, something I couldn't bring myself to compare to any of the indie rock mainstays or popular indie sounds. It's a bad habit, making comparisons. Something I've been trained to do by immitation. They were easily one of the best acts I've seen at the Comet thus far, a band that really had it together - even the interstitial spaces between their songs were filled with little repeating electronic background melodies while the band members switched places and instruments.

I also apparently have a standing marriage proposal, should I choose to accept. I was at Mac's Pizza Pub with Nate this evening, and the waitress, upon seeing my Seedy Seeds shirt, first words out of her mouth were a sarcastic "will you marry me". It's good to see someone else who loves good local music as much as I do. So we chatted about the band a bit, during which I informed her of the upcoming CD listening party previewing their first full-length release that the Seedy Seeds are having at Rohs Street on June 30th. There'll be free food, good music, and good people aplenty, so I encourage everyone that can attend to be there.

extensible

2007-04-03T10:46:00.000-04:00

So, this morning, I decided that for my current project at work, it was necessary to learn how to use XML data in Flash. Like in times past, I simply jacked into the Matrix, inserted the "Learn XML" disk and instantly learned everything there is to know.

Whoa. I know XML.

Not exactly. But I soaked up some juicy important fruity bits after reading for a solid hour and a half. Now, my mind is going insane. Dynamic content... in Flash? Oh, the possibilities! Apparently using XML socket servers is a great way to write chat applications that use Flash. I instantly thought of the project that Steve had in mind for me to work on, had I ended up working at UCit as my co-op, to create a website where UC students could get real-time help from employees of the libraries or IT departments. He was thinking PERL, of course, but now... pretty chat app in Flash? Makes me want to jump on that project the minute I get back to UCit.

You know the first thing I'm going to do is make a scoreboard for Asteroids.

groggy

2007-04-01T21:36:00.000-04:00

It's too nice of a night to be cooped up in the dungeons of Zimmer on my lazy sunday supervisor shift at UCit. I'm sitting in the middle of campus on a temperate, cool night with the vintage titanium powerbook enjoying some Highlander Grogg instead, to inagurate the new blog.

I think Campari Nights sounds like a decent, if somewhat kitschy title for a memoir of the years in Cincinnati. I was at Alchemize on friday when I discovered that they stocked that wonderful red liquor, and that Campari and tonic there was cheaper than some beers. That'll be me drink of choice next friday, when we celebrate the last weekend of the ill-fated club and bar. Hopefully there will be more people that decide to grace the dancefloor. They seemed to want to congregate out back that night, given the wonderful weather. It was a night of awesomeness.

I haven't been to the Poison Room in quite a while. There was a time when it was a weekly occurence, but now it seems there are some who lack interest because they think you can actually get tired of Pet Shop Boys and New Order. Or maybe it was the drama. It's always the drama, I suppose.

Oh well. Had fun with Jackie and portions of the west side gang at laser tag on saturday. Can you believe I'd never played laser tag before? My legs ache today, and I place the blame squarely on running around in that maze shooting teenagers.