I was just testifying in my mental moot court on the role of government in marriage/civil union and realized I never really understood how entrenched everyone's views are on these topics. It's kind a fun sliding scale to illustrate the same arbitrary balance point as you get on many moral/cultural issues when everyone agrees on something only because it's comfortable or pleasing to the majority. These are like consensus laws - no grounding in logic, just history.
The government vests a lot of different religious figures with the power to marry. They allow Christians, Muslims, Jews, Universal Life Church, whoever the fuck, to perform marriages between men and women. The idea there is that we're a pluralistic society - don't matter your stripes n all that...
But it's a little bit creepy that the government does vest these religious institutions with that power. It's not quite right that a judge can marry you, or a voodoo medicine man can marry you. We don't take this approach with your legal defense should you be charged with a crime, do we? You can use your public defender, hire a lawyer who passed the Bar, or... just bring your rabbi? I do seem to remember that you can choose to represent yourself, so maybe we do allow for some quirks more consistent that others related to personal freedoms.
If, from a legal standpoint, marriage is a legal arrangement, I'm not sure it matters who it's between. If it's about taxes and insurance beneficiaries and all that. Why should I not be able to enter into a legal contract with my roomate, my sister, or my three best friends? If we all agree to bear liability for each other, what's the difference?
Clearly it's something about the sex involved, right? We have a somewhat consistent and logical basis for most arrangements or partnerships that imply financial and legal obligations. Do people act so funny about marriage because the sex is implied in this one?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
When Animals Attack
There was a really well written article in GQ this month about animal attacks. I would paraphrase it for you, but Stevereads has basically synop-sized it for you. Totally worth checking out.
The animals are changing. We used to learn that the ability to use tools was the unique dominion of humans. Then we learned that chimps go fishing for ants. In David Attenborough's 'Life of Mammals' you can also see semi-domesticated chimps using manufactured tools - like a saw to cut wood.
As it turns out the definition was revised to allow that while certain animals can use tools, no other animal uses tools to hunt. Over the past 20 years, that too has slipped away. Chimps are now hunting using spears - and it seems that a younger generation is picking the skills up from one individual. This was the same deal with the nut-cracking technique in "Life of Mammals." If you don't learn it young, you can never master it. Kind of like a French accent.
One of the scariest things that's started happening according to this GQ article is the bird attacks. I find it seriously frightening. I guess I've always been a little scared of birds, but seriously - pigeons are everywhere in NYC. If this doesn't scare you...
The animals are changing. We used to learn that the ability to use tools was the unique dominion of humans. Then we learned that chimps go fishing for ants. In David Attenborough's 'Life of Mammals' you can also see semi-domesticated chimps using manufactured tools - like a saw to cut wood.
As it turns out the definition was revised to allow that while certain animals can use tools, no other animal uses tools to hunt. Over the past 20 years, that too has slipped away. Chimps are now hunting using spears - and it seems that a younger generation is picking the skills up from one individual. This was the same deal with the nut-cracking technique in "Life of Mammals." If you don't learn it young, you can never master it. Kind of like a French accent.
One of the scariest things that's started happening according to this GQ article is the bird attacks. I find it seriously frightening. I guess I've always been a little scared of birds, but seriously - pigeons are everywhere in NYC. If this doesn't scare you...
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Everyblock... creepy cool
Everyblock is basically geography based reporting. Described like this:
The easiest way to keep track of what’s happening on your block, in your neighborhood and all over your city — like restaurant inspections in Chinatown, crimes in the Loop or everything around 475 Kent Ave.
I messed around with it and found it eerily entrancing. It's all the great pseudo-stalker-y things that make the internet fun... Like that feeling when you first joined The Facebook and got to check everyone out. This is like that, but more real and intimate.
You get to check out all the forms of public information that you would never check - or even know existed. From restaurant inspections, to building violations, noise complaints, arrests... and that's just the background of the tapestry.
You also get the mentions in the news, the photos from flickr, and juiciest of all... the missed connections on craigslist.
From all of this, you get the sense of what's going on in people's homes. What's going on out on the street. Where you definitely need to stop eating. It's all there.
It's fascinating, but maybe not endlessly... I worry that it could fall the way of The Facebook. That after a few aggressive bouts of geo-stalking, and neighbrowsing, I might have enough.
There are probably practical reasons that this type of data bundling will be really valuable - like for realtors or people thinking of moving in. It could even be a great way to check out what's going on this weekend if I feel like going out... but not too far... if I went out...
The easiest way to keep track of what’s happening on your block, in your neighborhood and all over your city — like restaurant inspections in Chinatown, crimes in the Loop or everything around 475 Kent Ave.
I messed around with it and found it eerily entrancing. It's all the great pseudo-stalker-y things that make the internet fun... Like that feeling when you first joined The Facebook and got to check everyone out. This is like that, but more real and intimate.
You get to check out all the forms of public information that you would never check - or even know existed. From restaurant inspections, to building violations, noise complaints, arrests... and that's just the background of the tapestry.
You also get the mentions in the news, the photos from flickr, and juiciest of all... the missed connections on craigslist.
From all of this, you get the sense of what's going on in people's homes. What's going on out on the street. Where you definitely need to stop eating. It's all there.
It's fascinating, but maybe not endlessly... I worry that it could fall the way of The Facebook. That after a few aggressive bouts of geo-stalking, and neighbrowsing, I might have enough.
There are probably practical reasons that this type of data bundling will be really valuable - like for realtors or people thinking of moving in. It could even be a great way to check out what's going on this weekend if I feel like going out... but not too far... if I went out...
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Juno
Just saw Juno- and juno what? I really liked it. It felt honest and specific. The dialogue was really tight and snappy. Ellen Page was incredible. Michael Cera is the business, but he doesn't actually figure too large. Juno is the central character and she totally carries the movie.
I think specific is a good way to describe what I liked about this movie. When you feel like you're really stepping into a particular world or reality for a bit. It doesn't feel like the characters are archetypes put in a quirky situation. It's much more authentic than that. The story feels like it's driven by these particular quirky characters. Kinda like a Noah Baumbach movie.
I've heard a bunch of people debating back and forth whether this movie is pro-choice or anti-abortion. One of the greatest points I've seen on that is made by FWright in the New Republic Blog. It is hard to imagine a conservative motive when the alternative to abortion is a baby adopted by a single working mother.
I think specific is a good way to describe what I liked about this movie. When you feel like you're really stepping into a particular world or reality for a bit. It doesn't feel like the characters are archetypes put in a quirky situation. It's much more authentic than that. The story feels like it's driven by these particular quirky characters. Kinda like a Noah Baumbach movie.
I've heard a bunch of people debating back and forth whether this movie is pro-choice or anti-abortion. One of the greatest points I've seen on that is made by FWright in the New Republic Blog. It is hard to imagine a conservative motive when the alternative to abortion is a baby adopted by a single working mother.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Global Sandwich
There is no doubt that we're falling behind in the international sandwich race. In a more global economy, our classics are now competing with a broader range of potential sandwiches. We've got some classic models in the US - I think we're probably leading the volume question with offerings and exports like Subway, Quiznos and others. Our best offerings are going to for fresh soft bread - toasted - and loaded up with a whole variety of fixin's.
Vietnamese sandwiches are a totally different bird and gaining ground in the states. that's a more crusty bread with some killer flavor combinations - like a great funky pate pulled chicken - and interesting texture touches like shredded carrots.
Felafel offerings in sandwiches also offer some great options and are growing in popularity around here. Great sauces and realy nice textures from whatever you load in there. I think felafel - with all the loading up is a lot more like an american sandwich because of all the stuff we jam in there.
One of the big things these two other imports are getting right is on the cost of ingredients. We're getting some delicious sandwich options at much lower prices.
One of the annoying things about Quizno's - and to a slightly lesser extent - Subway is that they're almost $10 for a big-ole sandwich.
Felafel and Vietnamese sandwiches are real good, but rely on cheaper ingredients. Mmmm delicious.
Vietnamese sandwiches are a totally different bird and gaining ground in the states. that's a more crusty bread with some killer flavor combinations - like a great funky pate pulled chicken - and interesting texture touches like shredded carrots.
Felafel offerings in sandwiches also offer some great options and are growing in popularity around here. Great sauces and realy nice textures from whatever you load in there. I think felafel - with all the loading up is a lot more like an american sandwich because of all the stuff we jam in there.
One of the big things these two other imports are getting right is on the cost of ingredients. We're getting some delicious sandwich options at much lower prices.
One of the annoying things about Quizno's - and to a slightly lesser extent - Subway is that they're almost $10 for a big-ole sandwich.
Felafel and Vietnamese sandwiches are real good, but rely on cheaper ingredients. Mmmm delicious.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
