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Arthur Levitt — Again
Re: Hayek/Keynes Behavioral Economics is what's going to be taught in our best universities, leaving both Hayek and Keynes looking quaintly outdated. As Don says, we must evolve a new system. Behavioral economics doesn't tell you what, but it does give insights on how... See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_economics http://harvardmagazine.com/2006/03/the-marketplac… http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0502/features/econom…— April 18, 2009 12:35 a.m.
Chapel of Happiness on Broadway too noisy for neighbors
Spliff trolls wonderfully, doesn't he? Back to the topic at hand, is there any update? Have the cops been round to put the fear of God into this crowd of squawking crows?— April 12, 2009 10:20 p.m.
In the Middle of the Biggest Housing Glut in History WHY is San Diego Evicting An Entire Community of Elderly Residents to Build MORE Condos?
Dan Soderberg's videos are essential. He's doing a great job exposing the shady deals in San Diego. When will we the people of San Diego stand up and demand change? It's truly outrageous that our city will trample on the law, evict old-folks from their homes, and make our housing troubles worse -- all so we can SUBSIDIZE the crooks at Archstone Smith and Lehman Brothers! I hope this deal gets cancelled. Otherwise, I hope the seniors will gang together, head downtown enmasse, and bring along some pitchforks and torches...— April 7, 2009 7:14 a.m.
Life in Tijuana under drug cartel violence
I second Rickey. This "war on drugs" has gone on long enough. It's a war on ourselves and our neighbors. Time to stop already. Re: Post #1 from Refriedgringo: You're a good enough writer. Sit yourself down at the keyboard and submit a story. If it's any good, the Reader will probably publish it. You've commented elsewhere on the poor quality of reporting from your home city, and you seem well qualified to rectify the situation. Go for it...— April 2, 2009 8:43 a.m.
UCSD pays for trans-species project.
Tina, Your own words prove my point. My point was NOT that gender issues are irrelevant. Clearly, they are relevant to many people, including you. My point was that the gender issues get in the way of explaining the research Micha is conducting. The Press release says: "Becoming Dragon questions the one year requirement of Real Life Experience that transgender people must fulfill in order to receive Gender Confirmation Surgery (Sexual Reassignment Surgery), and asks if this could be replaced by one year of Second Life Experience to lead to Species Reassignment Surgery." That's four references to gender in the first sentence. That's a distraction rather than an explanation. Now, don't tell me that my taking the trouble to point this out is somehow an attack on you and the entire LGBT community. In the first place, I just spent a year working on issues near and dear to my LGBT friends. Go back and have a look at what I've written both here and elsewhere, and then tell me with a straight face that I'm somehow your enemy, motivated by religious hatred. Tina, I'm the biggest most aggressive atheist on this site. I've lost job prospects because of my political activism. Notice that I even use my entire real name here...unlike you. I'm telling you (and Micha) this because I honestly think the experiment itself is potentially worthy and important. I would like to see some more news devoted to exploring it, especially its technical aspects. I'm telling Micha to lay off the heavy-handed gender stuff because it's getting in the way of her story. Look back at your comments here. It's almost all about gender, gender, gender, gender...enough, Tina. We got it already. You'd attract more interest, and more sympathetic journalism, by muting the gender focus and enhancing the technological aspects of this story. Think instead about the recent District 3 race for the city council. Two gay men ran. As a result, it wasn't even a part of most news stories that their sexual orientation happened to go one way or the other. Instead, the news was on city-wide issues like redevelopment abuse and levels of police funding. I would hope Micha would take this to heart, and basically not even mention the transgender aspects because they aren't that important compared to the technological possibilities. At the moment, it's clearly the MOST important aspect of this whole project to her and you. So long as that's the case, people will fail to see the deeper aspects here. So stop beating us all over the head with your gender diatribes. Just assume we get it, alright? Put your focus on the very interesting technology, and we'll see for ourselves how it's additionally relevant to discussions of gender...and you win your point without driving people off. That's my advice to you. Take it or leave it. But please stop calling me names. Like the lovely Viola, I'm a friend, not an enemy. Okay? Thanks. Fred— April 1, 2009 5:36 a.m.
UCSD pays for trans-species project.
Viola, you've summed things up nicely. Micha, journalists aren't there to tell the story you want, and if you insist on bombarding them with annoying drivel about your gender-angst, they shouldn't take you seriously. Get off yourself, and start figuring out how to clearly and compellingly explain your work. That's what real artists do, my friend. They get out from in front of the work and let it speak for itself. Only posers rattle on and on about their inner turmoil to somehow excuse the shallowness of their work. Now your work has some real promise...but only if you get your overly indulged personality out of the way and let the work evolve. I recommend you write a concise explanation of your work. No more than 500 words, where the word "I" does not appear even once. Give that to every journalist from now on. It will provide the context and background facts so that it's always included in the story, instead of buried under yet another tangential explanation of your gender issues. I offer you my best wishes, because your work could be interesting and innovative. Please, let it be so...— March 31, 2009 12:29 a.m.
The Padres’ Mystery Lineup
Tiki, you know I've always been deeply attracted to your wit and classiness... Now just agree that Bruce Henderson was right all along and we should accord him respect and admiration for persevering through all the sneers and trying to do what was best for our city. The slime balls behind the Padres and Chargers ripoffs of this city have prospered with their lies and corruption. It's time we put the spotlight on them. What they cynically did to destroy a good man's reputation while fleecing the city makes an excellent case for why San Diego is in such trouble today. Anyone who persists in blaming Henderson for our troubles is indeed both classless and moronic.— March 31, 2009 12:15 a.m.
UCSD pays for trans-species project.
Micha, Have you considered that KUSI decided against interviewing you because you distract from, rather than add to, the story? The interesting thing here is human computer interaction. Frankly, your gender blather is so old and boring that we've all had quite enough of it. Nobody cares, Micha, if you want to identify yourself as he/she or "dragon". A lot of us care about the interesting technologies being explored...but you're so wrapped up in your precious little navel gazing that you obscure anything that isn't about your oh-so-special gender. Can you stop staring at your genitals for a few minutes and just explain what you're doing? Nobody cares if you self-identify as a he/she/it. Get over yourself. YOU are not the story. Oscar Wilde and Alan Turing aren't famous primarily for being persecuted gays, but for the important work they created in their lifetimes. Once you recognize that, you'll stop attacking journalists and start being thankful that your experiment is getting so much press. I, for one, would really appreciate some technical information about what you've learned and how it could be applied to other areas...but I have not the slightest interest in your personal story. When you begin behaving like a researcher who is interested in the pursuit of knowledge, I believe you'll find the reporters begin treating you with more respect. But as long as you present yourself as yet another boring adolescent moaning about your feelings of gender confusion...we're going to ignore the important work you may be contributing to the world.— March 30, 2009 6:02 a.m.
Dog Eat Dog...Or, Prisoner
Far from being the most liberal person on the planet, I'm a former member of the San Diego Crime Commission. I strongly support good policing, especially when it's community oriented and aimed at preventing crimes. That's not what we have in San Diego today. I have never said that ALL police use of deadly force is wrong. But I have repeatedly said that there are too many cases where there has been no proper investigation, where cops cover up for each other instead of looking for the truth, and that the police have developed a very dangerous "us against them" mentality. Rickey and Josh, are you claiming that ALL police actions are always justified and that ALL police are ALWAYS above question? This is the sort of simplistic crap that destroys any honest attempt at finding the truth. If you both automatically assume that all cops are always right 100% of the time, it's a complete waste of time to try to change your minds. It's the same when others claim that all cops are always corrupt. Neither of these are true. What is true is that the training and discipline of our cops is at a low point. They've been trained to consider civilians as the enemy. The disciplining of even very bad cops is non-existent in San Diego. They're on a hair-trigger and if you don't knuckle under to any demand they make, no matter how unreasonable, you can be killed with impunity. We have HIGH rates of steroid abuse on our force, and who knows how many innocent people are right now in jail because of abuses suffered at the hands of cops who are completely out of control...yet they are defended by the likes of Josh and Rickey as if they are saints. True Americans would never tolerate this nascent police state. Real patriots stand up and denounce abuse of authority, we don't celebrate it and blame the victims. In this case, an innocent man was killed. Cops lied to cover it up. A small settlement was offered and reluctantly accepted, and then Josh blames the family of the dead man. Believe me, if the cops had ANY defense whatsoever, no settlement would have been offered. They shot an innocent man and lied about it afterwards. That's why the settlement was made. The bigger question is, why are these cops still on the job?— March 30, 2009 5:47 a.m.
UCSD pays for trans-species project.
Bluenwhite, I know that book! But damn me if I can find it anywhere...those tri-legged/tri-sexed swashbucklers...right? Good call. Another tri-sexual/trans-species book was by Octavia Butler, and again I cannot recall the name, but it also was quite interesting and provocative. There's another sci-fi I recently read that goes more into the gender aspects..."When Gravity Fails" by Effinger. And of course, John Varley wrote a lot about this, including in his book "Steel Beach". As to the 2nd Life aspects, one cannot forget "Snow Crash", which first introduced the world to the concept of a walking talking penis in virtual reality... None of this stuff is new to sci-fi fans.— March 29, 2009 11:42 p.m.