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Wall Street's High-Speed Gambling
Rand was apparently driven cuckoo (a nest parasite) by the Soviets, so I sympathize with that paranoia. Her first novel, "We, the Living" wasn't all that bad, and "The Fountainhead" had its merits. But she got SO into believing her own fantasies that she went over the top. Demagoguery requires a coating of truth to get people to swallow the bullshit. Richard Neutra built a house for her in the San Fernando Valley that had a steel wall facing the street with searchlights and machine-gun mounts. Her converts were a bunch of hero-worshiping ribbon-clerks of pappyier-mashy so obsessed with individualism that they had no individuality. It would be ironic were it not for the absurdity of her higher Hitlerish demand of absolute fealty. The little creeps who step so carefully into her footprints are about as far from the Rand heroes as one could imagine, and unable to read between the lines or recognize any crucial distinction, they must rely upon quoting her. Why is this ringing in my ears? ". . . Roark was a friend of mine, and you're no J. Galt!"— August 25, 2012 9:22 p.m.
Wall Street's High-Speed Gambling
Time was, businessmen were in the business of PRODUCING. Then came the boy-wonders, MBA's who really thought they could MANAGE anything, whether or not they knew anything about the business. There were TRADERS, but they were conservative about trades. Now we have algorithms and metrosexuals of both sexes GAMBLING on quick-buck margins, driving prices up and down, faster and faster and faster. It's not even about SELLING anything of VALUE. ("Americans know the price of everything, but the value of nothing." --W. Churchill). But waaaay out there on the margins where the wheel actually meets the road, consumers are evaporating, drinking lattes for now, and watching blockbusters, disposable, but indispensable. But the millisecond "traders" know nothing of this and care nothing of this. (For some reason I see the computer-generated sign in the window above Wall Street proudly proclaiming to the protesters, the "99%" below: We ARE the 1 percent! It's ALL very naive. Welcome to "The Cowardly New World."— August 23, 2012 9:50 p.m.
UCSD's Gary Jacobson and Keith T. Poole predict political peace
For some reason, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge comes to mind. Once oscillation goes critical, there's no stopping it. Start growing kale and beans, and learn to love rabbit.— August 23, 2012 9:29 p.m.
UCSD's Gary Jacobson and Keith T. Poole predict political peace
CBO piece: http://m.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/deep…— August 23, 2012 4 p.m.
Another Iliad
JS: You're quite right, but I wondered whether or not she was reading the Greek or a translation. I have the pamphlet. Thanks for straightening me out on the translators. Sorry, my brain is crumbling, but I will mention again Edna St. Vincent Millay's essay on translation in the introduction to her and George Dillon's translation of "Flowers of Evil." I'll have to look up those by Pope and Fagel. Most of my early work was stolen from a garage I rented for storage when I went into the military. I have recently uncovered, quite by accident, some more recent, but still old writings of my own. It appears that not only have I not improved, I have declined. Let us hear more of your "youthful" work . . .— August 23, 2012 3:58 p.m.
Sweetwater Schools Chief Walks Away Before Q&A on Dirt
Go to meetings, but stand outside. Be specific, be brief, but be complete. When your own speakers begin to wander, babble, or just pop off, use a sense of the group vote to determine the length of time each speaker can speak, but let anyone speak for one minute. This will help control plants and fifth-columnists from eroding group credibility. Take the high road, but don't get sucked into spin.— August 23, 2012 3:36 p.m.
Wall Street's High-Speed Gambling
CBO piece: http://m.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/deep…— August 23, 2012 2:54 p.m.
La Jolla Playhouse stages An Iliad
On translation, read Edna St. Vincent Millay's essay in her and George Dillon's translation of "Flowers of Evil."— August 22, 2012 2:36 p.m.
Sweetwater Schools Chief Walks Away Before Q&A on Dirt
"Never give up, never, never, never give up!" --Winston Churchill H. L. Mencken said something like "The journalist's job is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted." Don't forget that either. Make a "scene" RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT! Zero tolerance for "no comment" from ALL public officials.— August 20, 2012 9:18 a.m.
Pop Quiz Answered
I'll take Genesis!— August 19, 2012 11:16 p.m.