nerdgirl

While I may disagree with some of his analyses, Mike's not dumb. If you're trying to argue for a position, insulting the other side is very rarely an effective tactic unless you want to appeal to your own side. (Doesn't mean it's not one used frequently.) And it would be a very hard case to argue that his attention span is short. Whether his head has an above average circumferance seems fairly easy to find out. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Largely concur. DPRK is dealing with a fomenting succession crisis. Domestic politics of the elite, which in this case is the military elite and the Kim family [in addition to the sons, there's a half-brother and uncle that are political players], are dominant. (China doesn't seem to want a monarchy either.) Neither domestic actors could be seen as being "soft" on the US, and at the same time the two reporters were not strategically significant. The DPRK gets a 'fly out of its hair' as well. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Fair enough. While perhaps you don’t/won’t, I find such difficult cases to be more interesting sometimes. When one dislikes either side … or less commonly, likes both sides, it can serve as a way to pull away the screen of our own domestic politics and identify -- or more realistically, grapple with -- the underlying strategic drivers and issues. As [Frenchy68] and I noted, the Uyghurs are separatist-nationalists. They’re not really interested in us. They’re most (overwhelmingly) interested in PRC/CCP leaving them alone. They have resources (oil, natural gas, & minerals) that the CCP wants, therefore that is unlikely to happen. (Xinjiang is also where Lop Nor, the Chinese nuclear test site, is located.) China’s interest in us these days seems more to do with its holdings of our debt. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Im-ever-ho, the folks who should be the most annoyed (to put it diplomatically) by that video editing are members of the USMC. Footage of them is being used by “therealrevo.com“ to drive someone else’s political agenda. The video was edited to intimate that members of the USMC are behaving partisanly. Rather than serving in order to support and defend the Constitution and the United States. Other video showing the very warm (to also put it diplomatically) reception Pres Obama received at Camp Victory, like President Bush received on his visits to Iraq. VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Well … not sure if there was evidence of motive or intent on the robot’s part ... maybe the robot didn't *want* to be fixed - it thought it was fine just the way it was, but “A Swedish company has been fined 25,000 kronor ($3,000) after a malfunctioning robot attacked and almost killed one of its workers at a factory north of Stockholm.” “Thinking he had cut off the power supply, the man approached the robot with no sense of trepidation. “But the robot suddenly came to life and grabbed a tight hold of the victim's head. The man succeeded in defending himself but not before suffering serious injuries. “‘The man was very lucky. He broke four ribs and came close to losing his life,’ said Leif Johansson [the Public prosecutor in the case].” /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

One alternative option is to investigate is doing both. Pay for skydiving and take student loans. Until retirement, in the greatest liklihood, you will not have as much free time as you will during school. The trick to making it work is being savvy and luck of the current market rates versus rates after you’ve graduated. Student loan repayment is deferred until at least 6 months after you leave school/graduate. (Can be deferred longer term if you go to grad school, post-doc, or get some fellowships.) If you’re savvy, you can ‘consolidate’ at a *very* low interest rate & take advantage of incentives like electronic deductions to pay, say ~2%. (Or you could.) Up until 18 months ago, an ING savings account was providing a higher rate of interest (>4%). Interest rates will come back up. Will they be back up there when you graduate is the financial crystal ball question. In order to make it work financially, you’ve got to be willing to manage actively your money/investments and choices/expenses wisely. Instant gratification value and other considerations of shiny new gear versus adequate, safe used gear, etc are a different mental calculus. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Is … or should? … the inverse be true? Should a good man who cares about his children’s future consider the earning power of a potential spouse/partner in choosing a partner? Speaking for myself – others can do whatever they want (within limits of civil/criminal and physical laws) – I can’t say that current or future salary has ever been a specific factor in men I choose/have chosen to date or not. Yes, I do ask what someone does … although I can’t think of an instance in which I’ve dated someone I didn’t have some idea of what he did before we went out. I am curious how he got to where he’s that at, (hopefully) what drives him to do what he’s doing, and why. But I can see how that curiosity could be interpreted as part of a notional litmus test. Hadn’t thought of it that way before. Thanks.

Agree. Very good read! /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Thanks - looks interesting to me! Am curious about the science behind some of the assertions contained in the author's quotes and implied/inferred statements in the book review, as well as the policy implications. E.g., "Instead of satisfying hunger, the salt-fat-sugar combination will stimulate that diner's brain to crave more, Kessler said. For many, the come-on offered by Lay's Potato Chips -- 'Betcha can't eat just one' -- is scientifically accurate. And the food industry manipulates this neurological response, designing foods to induce people to eat more than they should or even want, [that implies it was intentional design on the part of the prepared food industry ... that's a harder case to prove than unintentional correlation or result of other independent factors, like cheaper cost of some ingrediants. Until one can show intentional motivation, I'm more inclined to attribute it to a combination of cheaper cost and dumb luck - nerdgirl] Kessler found. "His theory [hypothesis seems more accurate based on the book review ... maybe he does show predictivity in the book - nerdgirl], born out in a growing body of scientific research, has implications not just for the increasing number of Americans struggling with obesity but for health providers and policymakers. "Kessler ... sees parallels between the tobacco and food industries. Both are manipulating consumer behavior to sell products that can harm health, he said." The review strongly suggests a neurochemical causation or attribution rather than a pure 'choice' issue:"'Highly palatable' foods -- those containing fat, sugar and salt -- stimulate the brain to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure center, he found. "In time, the brain gets wired so that dopamine pathways light up at the mere suggestion of the food, such as driving past a fast-food restaurant, and the urge to eat the food grows insistent. Once the food is eaten, the brain releases opioids, which bring emotional relief. Together, dopamine and opioids create a pathway that can activate every time a person is reminded about the particular food. This happens regardless of whether the person is hungry. "Kessler estimates that about 15 percent of the population is not affected and says more research is needed to understand what makes them immune. " He's suggesting medicalization of obesity, like one would not blame someone who came down with leukemia but instead treat it as a medical condition rather than result of normatively "bad" behavior. Whether I agree with the science (haven't looked at it) or not, not sure how useful that is for health policy. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I like pink. Pink stands out in a sea of green, blue, & khaki. It's a girl-thing. I'm not freaked out. I thought the JSOU User Agreement was acerbically pithy and unintentionally funny at the same time. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

On the subject of website user agreements, I had to go to the JSOU website earlier today, which required agreeing to the terms of the attached screen shot of the User Agreement in order to gain access. The terseness of the 4th dashed line made me chuckle: “security measures ... to protect USG interests - not for your personal benefit or privacy.” Aka, it's not about you. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I read mostly non-fiction. Currently reading: War 2.0: Irregular Warfare in the Information Age (which I have to do an ‘adult book report’ on , aka a book review) Civilian Surge: Key to Complex Operations The Radicalism of the American Revolution State Secrets: An Insider's Chronicle of the Russian Chemical Weapons Program. Back in 2004, had a colleague translate parts from a photocopy of the original manuscript in Russian that was being passed around (& photocopied repeatedly). Read/browse regularly a variety of journals, magazines, and newspapers, including international ones. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Concur, in principle. Good food & occasional indulgence is part of life, imo. Sometimes indulging _is_ fast food or comfort food. Thought that there was an interesting parallel discussion in the cover story from this past weekend's NY Times Sunday magazine cover story: "Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch" on how industrialization of food has impacted the American diet. (Parts were a lil' too constructivist for my taste, but thought the there were some significant points nonetheless.) Concluding lines: "... how, in an ideal world, Americans might begin to undo the damage that the modern diet of industrially prepared food has done to our health. '"Easy. You want Americans to eat less? I have the diet for you. It’s short, and it’s simple. Here’s my diet plan: Cook it yourself. That’s it. Eat anything you want — just as long as you’re willing to cook it yourself.'" The thesis put forth is that it takes more time, sometimes a lot of time, to make much of the food that today can be purchased prepared from the grocery store. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Uhm, how many people get that choice? Don't know. I do, so N = at least 1. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Maybe it’s a reflection of the Marines I meet, but I haven’t met one who I would describe as retarded or dumb. Like any other group of people, I’m confident that if one went looking one could find one or two who have made some really dumb choices. The last Marine I met (Friday) was a helicopter pilot who is now working on nuclear weapons policy. He asked quite a few questions that I would consider very smart. (Maybe I’m the dumb one?) One of my favorite Marines (now-retired) is completing his PhD in history at Oxford. One needs some level of intelligence -- & perseverance -- to complete a PhD in anything, never mind from Oxford. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

I was unemployed for 3 months in 2003 ... after I sold my stake in the first company I co-founded. Had my next job lined up in less than 3 weeks; it just didn't start for a couple months. Concur that it was one of the best things - becuase if I hadn't left that position I wouldn't be doing what I am now, which I love! Remember one of my skydiving friends commenting I worked harder unemployed than most people do employed. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

My experience was different. I remember much shorter tempers and overall attitudes being much lower in my childhood. I've noticed that generally, wealthier people have a smaller chip on their shoulders and tend to get "worry lines" twenty years or so later in life. One of my favorite aphorisms: money doesn’t buy happiness, but it goes a long way to alleviating misery. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Thanks for that one! /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Your post reminded me of an author I heard interviewed recently: Why I Got A PhD In Political Philosophy And Then Became A Motorcycle Mechanic “ Matthew Crawford got a PhD in Political Philosophy from the University of Chicago. Then he abandoned academia after a year, abandoned a Washington DC think-tank job after five months, and opened a one-man motorcycle repair shop. “He thinks more now than when he worked at think-tank. He's part of a vibrant, intuitive, well-educated community. He's proud of his work, which matters deeply to his customers. His decisions aren't arbitrarily changed by a superior. His job won't suddenly be shipped to India.” ---- --- - --- ---- In response to the OP, it depends on what the hard work is … so I guess I’m being slow today … cause I’m not sure what you mean by “hard work” either? Do I think I would like spending 12+hrs a day picking vegetables in the Central Valley in 90 degree heat with limited access to running water/toilet? No. A mix of random luck of my parents and geography and choices I’ve made throughout my life make that scenario unlikely. Does working hard mean working 65+hr weeks (sometimes more) on challenging problems and sometimes having to deal with challenging people if it’s something about which I am passionate? Absolutely! There’s a lot of room between the first scenario and the second. I'm not sure how many people would say "no" to the second scenario really? /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

This past week I thought of this exchange and the idea of "sin" tax as I was looking for something healthy to eat in the Atlanta airport. It's one anecdotal example of when it costs more to eat healthy as opposed to other choices. So it's not a "healthy tax" perhaps counter-inducement from a financial perspective. NB:I don’t think food choices are “sinful.” They’re just choices, and “sinful” food in moderation or occasionally can be blissful! Thursday night my flight to DC got cancelled. Was rebooked on a later flight with no problem. (Kudos to Delta.) But I was going to miss my dinner date. (Will be back in DC in 10 days, already rescheduled.

Starbucks liquor? Yes. Not available at Starbucks Coffee Shops tho. Some yummy sounding recipes. Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Don't forget the DoD w/r/t H1N1. Funding influenza vaccine and therapeutic research and response capabilities. The latter back to at least fall 2006. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Ooooh, maybe it's like a Speakers Corner version of the six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon? Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Congress has asked the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a quadrennial homeland security review (QHSR). Congress also mandates a 4-year of the Defense Department, since 1996. “QHSR” … just doesn’t flow as well as “QDR,” imo. As part of the QHSR, DHS is holding “3 week-long, web-based dialogues. Each dialogue will build on the previous one, allowing participants to view and comment directly on proposed elements of the review before they are made final. Your invaluable participation will directly inform the work of the DHS study groups [DoD has similar study groups – nerdgirl] conducting the QHSR—and ultimately, our Homeland Security policies and priorities over the next four years.” The first begins 3 August. “What goals and priorities do you think should inform our nation’s Homeland Security policies for the next four years?” Some potential candidates: Preventing conventional terrorism Preventing WMD terrorism Preventing cyberterrorism Illegal immigration Legal immigration, e.g., H1B visa quotas (e.g., skilled workers) Natural disaster preparedness – hurricanes, tornados, and/or H1N1 (“swine”) flu. What do you think of the idea of having public dialogues? Good for participatory democracy, recognizing that the US is technically a democratic-republic? Waste of time? It’s certainly novel. Btw: to not be left out, the State Department and USAID are conducting a “Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review” (QDDR). The proliferation of quadrennial reviews themselves may create some ‘interesting’ situations: e.g., if DoD identifies China as strategic conventional adversary of most concern (Asian peer competitor), if State indentifies China as a strategic partner, and DHS is concerned about cyber attacks launched from China. /Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying

Had coffee with Starbucks liquor last night, courtesy of Delta upgrade. Looks like I might get the same tonight.