The Nobel
I think I would be remiss in not posting about the oddest piece of news I’ve heard in a long time. My first reaction was that the Peace Prize was given to Obama for simply not being George W. Bush. Despite my criticism below that Obama hasn’t accomplished much in office, he has made foreign policy and diplomacy a focus and I think he’s done it well. This is one area where a President’s “tone” and speeches are actually meaningful, and I think Obama’s performance has been great. But even so–has he accomplished enough to win a Nobel Peace Prize? Read more…
The Grandchild Rule
Regarding the idea of Washington taking into account posterity when considering his actions, the author seems to use this as a way to say, "Well, Washington wasn't being totally selfless here." Which is true, but at the same time, totally besides the point. We collectively seem to understand that if I help an old lady across the street in order to impress a pretty girl that's watching, I wasn't being selfless. But if I did it because I thought it was going to help me get into heaven, is that still a selfish act? Ellis refers to Washington seeking "secular Read more…
Russell Employees will add 374,000 hours to their commute …
Our analysis, which we shared with Russell, shows that in the aggregate Russell employees will spend an additional 373,880 hours per year in their cars (if the company left Tacoma). This is 474 more hours per commuter per year. Based on IRS mileage reimbursement rates, Russell employees would see an additional cost of commuting of $4.5 million per year. We used actual Russell employee zip codes so this takes into account the few people whose commutes will be shorter. In terms of miles traveled, the Seattle commute will result in 8,225,360 additional miles traveled annually by employees. via blogs.thenewstribune.com From Read more…
“His Excellency, George Washington”
My appreciation for George Washington rose after reading Joseph Ellis' book His Excellency, George Washington (which was actually his title during the Revolutionary War. The book is an attempt to reveal the character and the man of George Washington. In my opinion, it succeeded. One of the central questions it asks we take for granted now: why didn't George Washington make himself king after the war? It's a weird question, because of course we have mythologized him so much, it would be sacrilege to consider. But some people were afraid he would attempt to do so in the early 1780s. Read more…
I should add …
I think it’s important to add that I think Cherokee Nation is an absolute awesome song, even if 104.5 plays it too much. It’s exactly what I was missing from other stations. I’ve tried to create my own Oldies playlist on my computer. The Association, Jay and the Americans, the Beach Boys, The Supremes, The Chirping Crickets … but it’s certainly not complete. Catching and re- finding songs like Cherokee Nation on the radio is pretty great.
Cherokee Nation … over and over
When 97.3 stopped playing the Oldies, I lost a big swatch of music I grew up listening to. The Mountain and KZOK only go back to the mid-60s, I'd estimate. No Diana Ross and the Supremes. No Chuck Berry. No one-hit wonders. This summer I discovered 104.5 coming out of Covington. It's an Oldies station that carries all that music that I used to remember playing out at the lake cabin on rainy days playing board games with the family. There's a heavy nostalgic quality that I enjoy. So I've added it to my radio repertoire and am happy it's Read more…
SNL on Obama
For as much as I like Obama, the cold open from SNL is starting to feel a little close to home. Harsh, and it glosses over a lot, but still … [hulu id=OlZo4Fre6QDpvi0rsFwLgQ width=500]
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