Bill O’Reilly Surprises
What he has achieved in his 48 years is simply astounding,” writes the Fox News host. “Consider the odds. The United States is a nation of more than 300 million citizens. Only one person is currently the Commander in Chief. That man had no fatherly guidance, is of mixed race, and had no family connections to guide him into the world of national politics. via cbsnews.com Bill O’Reilly, who gave a grudgingly good review of Obama after an interview last year, surprises again. I’m not saying the O’Reilly likes the guy. But still … surprising. (That seems to be the Read more…
BarCamp this Saturday!
This Saturday will find me at Suite133 for BarCampTacoma, a participatory tech event. If you come, you have to help. I'll be presenting on business and entrepreneurship, calling on my experience with a few different companies–from Suite133 and Exit133 to The Horatio and Mary Holste Design. Should be fun! Click the link above for more information and to sign up.
The Getting-Things-Done President
it looks like Obama is having a checklist presidency. Yes, his agenda is being passed, but much of it feels compromised. The president appears to be delegating far too many details to Congress in order to keep Getting Things Done. via thebigmoney.com This article goes after Obama for being too focused on passing legislation than on passing “good” legislation. I think that that argument has some merit, so what I really want to say is that the article is a misreading of GTD. The goal of GTD is not to just cross things of the list. It’s to have something Read more…
Travel as a Political Act
I've read a smattering of articles and essays that deal with the philosophy of travel, so I was intrigued when Mary picked up Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves. I picked it up as soon as she finished it. Steves lays out a pretty basic premise: travel to see how other people live, and evaluating your own society because of what you learn, is a fundamentally political act. The book is at its most interesting when Steves shares his own experiences of traveling in El Salvador, Iran, the Balkans, Turkey, and Morocco. Oddly, it's less interesting when Steves Read more…
(500) Days of Summer
(500) Days of Summer is a very good movie. Legitimately funny with sweetness and remorse. It’s also a wonderful piece of filmmaking, with creativity in its creation, storytelling, and visuals. And yet for all that, it’s well grounded in real emotions, and doesn’t betray its characters or emotions. Zooey Deschanel, who I thought was great in Elf and Almost Famous, can’t really hold up to the character’s description (after all, how many people can legitamately be described as drawing “18.4 double-takes per day” while also looking like a normal person who could be someone’s secretary.) She’s good. It’s a very Read more…
Jurassic Park still pretty dang good
Mary had an inspired idea to watch Jurassic Park, as a sort of summer blockbuster in the heat of summer. We had a great time re-watching it–and it makes me want to pick up the book again, which I haven't read since 7th or 8th grade. Here's a pretty great "adaptation." I remember this was on TV long ago, although I don't remember the context. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTJEPevcswk?wmode=transparent]
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