Does Pollan have any qualifications for AgSec? This reminds me of when people stupidly wanted Jon Stewart to run for President just 'cause they like the guy.

It isn't really enough just to have an understanding of the problem. And it isn't even clear to me, having read Pollan, that he has a particularly good understanding of the problems at the level that would be necessary for something like this.

If we're going to fantasize, let's talk about Wendell Berry!
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 12:07 PM on November 17, 2008

The only point of sadness is the gay marriage ban in California

Not just a point of sadness, but an ironic comment on the election as a whole. The majority of African American voters in CA voted for the ban. The same folks who were voting for the first African American president. Obviously AA voters are not any more responsible for the ban than are any other voters who voted for it, but their myopia about bigotry is particularly striking from this... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 7:15 AM on November 5, 2008

The Folkways 2-cd collection is well worth it for the later Boggs, but the Revenant Reissue of the early stuff is truly extraordinary. The vinyl release is particularly beautiful, on clear vinyl. The color of moonshine.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:49 AM on November 3, 2008

Yes, pretty much everything on Revenant is outstanding. I'm actually bummed out that I'm not into Albert Ayler to have an excuse to get that set. The Charley Patton is incredible, if overpriced. You can get the music more cheaply through JSP, but it's a pretty cool package. I don't have it, but after seeing it I had to hunt down a copy of Fahey's book on Patton. That I now have xeroxed.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 8:17 AM on November 4, 2008

Hah! I spent the weekend record shopping, cataloging, and obsessing. Those are great.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 10:58 AM on October 14, 2008

Yeah, I've always liked his short stories quite well. His anti-Semitism, not so much.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 6:30 PM on July 22, 2008

It's more that Dahl had a period of being fanatically pro-Palestinian, one of those embarrassing radical chic things that happened a lot in the 70s.
Given that he did a lot more to fight for the Jewish cause than any of us ever will, being a pilot in WWII and a war hero, I think it's time to drop that label.

Yeah, that's bullshit. If he was a good writer, call him a good writer. If he was an anti-Semite call him an anti-Semite. I can't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 4:02 AM on July 23, 2008

That is -- the thesis always seemed to be "Charlie would be as worthless as those other kids if he wasn't too poor to be worthless."

That's exactly why I've always liked his books, and I quickly moved from his kid's books to his adult books. I read many of the short stories early enough that they still lurk in my subconscious as deeply disturbing ur-images that can pull me up short when they flash into my mind. He was clearly a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:50 AM on July 23, 2008

docpops: I am always curious about the trajectory from big to massive, from obese to "super-obese" as it is known now. That is, does one truly not notice the change, even without a scale, from 225 to 275 or something similar? Because when we weigh people in this range they express genuine, profound shock and amazement at the change, as if they truly had no idea or worse yet had no reason for alarm at 250 but now, at 310, well, maybe it's time for a change.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 5:06 PM on July 14, 2008

there is not a good study that shows that fat people eat more than thin people.

serazin--I find your position disturbing and problematic. You seem to be replacing a justified frustration at the difficulty with losing weight and maintaining weight loss with a dismissal of the extensive science that shows that increased calorie consumption leads to increased weight. One need not abandon a belief that this is a complex issue in order to admit that... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 7:51 AM on July 15, 2008

I feel like we're having the same argument here. CPAPs "work" in the sense that if you get patient compliance they will have a good outcome. CPAPs do not "work" in the sense that patient non-compliance is rife.

I agree (I also happen to work with a lot of medication compliance issues in my job), but I'm actually making a slightly different argument. While I think that because of the low compliance rates diet and exercise isn't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 9:20 AM on July 15, 2008

KirkJobSluder--I can tell by the periods after each capitalized word that you Really. Want. To. Emphasize. Your. Point, but perhaps if you looked at the comments I've responded to you'd have a better idea of who it is I'm addressing, and which arguments seem to me to encapsulate the notion that because losing weight is difficult, we should not expect people to be able to do it.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 10:20 AM on July 15, 2008

KirkJobSluder--There is two problems with "we should expect people to be able to do it." First of all, some people are not able to do it. So we need to accept that some will not, and that this is probably not a moral failing on their part.

I didn't say we should expect people to be able to do it, I said we should not not expect people to be able to do it. Those are significantly different statements. And I never made a comment on whether... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:49 AM on July 15, 2008

I don´t think we´re going to convince each other at this point. But thanks for your civility and thoughtfulness on this issue.

Likewise. Take care.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 2:16 PM on July 15, 2008

I have to say, as a psychotherapist treating indigent, heroin-addicted patients who pay $0 per hour, I'd be willing to test my ideals against some of these $600/hour folks.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:34 AM on July 9, 2008

But doesn't it seem clear from Pollomacho's story that the point isn't the 5 mil, as actual money, at all?
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:51 AM on July 9, 2008

I'm just not convinced, so far, that these shrinks have revealed any great insights into attitudes to wealth and the super rich that haven't come from the back of an envelope.

Indeed. While I'm not sure I agree with the rest of your comment, what's most striking about the article is that $600/hr seems to buy you some pretty pedestrian thinking, and that's a charitable reading. (At one point a therapist and his supervisor confuse an addiction for a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 10:10 AM on July 11, 2008

I haven't been reading super closely, but I wasn't sure that "we" were diagnosing their problem as too much money, as much as some people were suggesting that too much money was part of the problem with how committed they might be to therapy as we generally understand it. I tend to think the [a?] problem is that they 1) don't necessarily have problems they are trying to solve, and 2) the therapists they're going to aren't really helping them much (aren't effective). Trust me, the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:42 AM on July 11, 2008

As it happened, I had just started listening to a version of Teenage Riot by Sonic Youth that was the same length as that video, when I clicked through. They went great together.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:26 AM on July 11, 2008

"But the outcome was not what they expected."

They've been playing too much wiffleball and not paying enough attention to local news: this outcome was entirely predictable.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 7:10 AM on July 10, 2008

That was delightful.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 4:18 AM on July 10, 2008

This is a great post.

In 2006 the Washington Post ran an article on the Virginia ham industry's attempts to make some changes to their cure so that they can market their hams for raw eating.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 6:19 AM on July 9, 2008

I'm thrown off by the lack of a black background.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 1:04 PM on July 8, 2008

"I would like to see how Scientology tackles a person with this mindstate. Just for shits and giggles."

30 Rock Season 1 Episode 17, where Tracy Morgan is shopping for a religion and has already gotten turned down by the Church of Practicology. The clip doesn't seem to be on YouTube, but the look of horror on the Auditor's face as Tracy lists all of the crazy ass shit he believes in, is fabulous.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 3:34 PM on July 8, 2008

I've read about this in PG Wodehouse books.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 8:20 AM on July 8, 2008

Good post.

parmanparman, this is just as appropriately discussed here as most other things that make the front page. You have special knowledge in this area, and you seem to have an abiding feeling that these conversations require more care than is exercised on Metafilter, but many experts probably feel that way about their respective subjects. That doesn't make it true.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 4:09 AM on July 8, 2008

Whoa. I'm sorry to hear it.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 5:19 AM on July 7, 2008

It's tough to watch the Rocky one first, because it seems to be the best. Although the soccer one is also quite good, even accounting for editing, he's a good shot.

Nice post.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 10:08 AM on June 24, 2008

Thanks, fabulous.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 7:39 AM on June 23, 2008

No, I hadn't seen that, and I love it. It still has tonal problems, though, since any movie with Shelley Duvall in it is a horror movie.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 1:37 PM on June 20, 2008

I used to have a real mouse problem in my apartment. One night, sick of the constant stress and slaughter, and wanting to enjoy Lee Evans and watch Christopher Walken eat mouse shit, I rented mouse hunt. About halfway through I got up to get a drink, and as I stood a the sink with my glass of water, I noticed a mouse tail sticking out from underneath the cooktop on my counter. One of the little fuckers was taking the opportunity to roam around the kitchen while I was watching a mouse killing... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 12:44 PM on June 20, 2008

"The tracks in the soil are from Spirits wheels as it rolled through the area earlier."

Yeah, right.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 12:36 PM on June 20, 2008

Those friends that they see who are welfare are...partying on the town? Sporting the latest designer handbag? Living in an awesome neighborhood that's convenient to everything? Eating in restaurants? Having "fun?" Or are they demonstrating the easy breezy world of a having a happy munchkin to call their own, with adorable clothes and play dates at the park, and one of those giant strollers in which to idly stroll around the neighborhood, radiating warm fuzzies and sunshine... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 10:46 AM on June 20, 2008

Oh christ, what a shitty editorializing post about a shitty money-making scheme.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 9:47 AM on June 20, 2008

This is fabulous.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 7:14 AM on June 19, 2008

Interesting, the leading www in my url borks the search, which I tried a couple of different ways. It wasn't that great anyway, I just figured I'd post it so it seemed like I was doing something.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 5:41 AM on June 19, 2008

C'mon, guys, Zambrano (Zam-brain-o, amirite?) is only fighting fire with fire. Fucking embarrassing crazy fire with fucking embarrassing crazy fire.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 10:26 AM on June 17, 2008

Very very nice. Thanks.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 7:30 PM on June 16, 2008

I saw one picture of this yesterday and I was underwhelmed, but the whole thing is quite impressive and obviously a labor of love. Anyone who spends time tinkering with bikes is bound to be an alright kind of person.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 9:03 AM on June 16, 2008

I was wondering if you found it by way of BB and if you ever thought about adding something like "found by way of the good folks at Boing Boing?"

Jesus, how annoying. BoingBoing is fine, but a bunch of people more committed to pimping their own work and monetizing the work of others would be tough to find. They regularly post things (with small attribution, but still) that they see on MeFi, and they regularly trawl sites set up by MeFites... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 4:25 PM on June 16, 2008

This is one of the coolest (and most perversely exciting) things I've read in a long time. Thanks.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 5:19 PM on June 10, 2008

Hopefully this netroots exposure will completely take the wind out of the sails of any hack-job editing O'Reilly can do to the video to try to make him and his producer look good.

In this battle of new vs. old media, it's certainly new media FTW!

Do you really think that the folks who watch (and love) O'Reilly's edited slurs are going to care about the longform piece that shows Moyers to be sensible and calm? There's no... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 5:46 AM on June 9, 2008

Eponysterical
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 9:56 AM on May 29, 2008

What does?
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 10:43 AM on May 29, 2008

Yeah, that's an annoying friend, but no part of that is happening here. I'm not telling anyone not to stretch. You should certainly do whatever has worked for you. I am saying that stretching =/= warming up, and that there are studies (see Noakes) that suggest that stretching before warming up can lead to more injuries, but that isn't at all the same thing as saying not to stretch, and it's really a minor part of my larger point. My larger point is that recommending stretching to beginning... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:23 AM on May 29, 2008

I'm sorry, that's moronic, I don't care about your studies or your buddies. Moronic.

I'm sorry, too. I haven't felt the need to insult you or misrepresent your position, and so far, of the two of us, I'm the only one who has attempted to justify my opinion with reference to something other than solipsism.

Perhaps you should consider a different way of learning.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 12:02 PM on May 29, 2008

I honestly believe you are giving out bad information.

Oh, well I guess solipsism is as good an excuse for incivility as anything else.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 12:48 PM on May 29, 2008

Thanks, that's all the acknowledgment I was looking for. No need to withdraw over it, I'm happy to keep disagreeing.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 1:23 PM on May 29, 2008

Nice post.
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 11:59 AM on May 29, 2008

I've always wanted to do a study on squirrel behavior in urban vs non urban settings. Given their relatively fast generational turnover coupled with the huge impact of cars on their survivability, I always figured that we'd see the rise of car savvy squirrels in more urban areas. Considering how quickly those suckers learn to get around bird feeders, you think they'd be able to cross the street a little better.

I'm not a hunter, but a friend invited... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by OmieWise at 1:15 PM on May 29, 2008