Zingers By Martin Luther

I love this so much it should be illegal.

Monks Were Weird Dudes

At least the ones who drew these.

QOTD

“The image of myself which I try to create in my own mind in order that I may love myself is very different from the image which I try to create in the minds of others in order that they may love me.” — W.H. Auden

[via Futility Closet]

New Blog Link

Check out Scott Radimer's blog, over there on the right under "Visit My Friends." Do it. NOW!

Pictures From Space

 [via BuzzFeed]

My my my it's a beautiful world.

THANK YOU!

Dear readers,

With a week to go, I have passed my all-time record for hits in a month. While the number is still very, very small, it is nonetheless a happy thing for me. I'm sure, based on traffic sources, etc., that most of it is "noise," but hitz iz hitz. So, as a reward, here is a dog dressed like Yoda (I figured this is appropriate for Halloween).

Tales Of Private Sector Efficiency [UPDATED]

UPDATE: I have been humbled. Although, in my defense, my particular story is not what this is getting at, I still had to append this post because of it.

I work from home, for a Fortune 100 company. I know that because I am reminded of it all the fucking time, not because I give a shit about the Fortune 100. When my home office was set up, the company agreed to subsidize my internet service. That is great, I'm not complaining about that. In order to receive said subsidy, I have to submit a monthly expense report. At this point, it is already stupid, because they know I'm using the internet because I could not possibly work otherwise.

What I used to be able to do, until just now, was submit the expense and call it a recurring allowance, thus obviating the need to document the expense (via a copy of the bill). This makes sense, because it is an allowance, not a reimbursement. It was easy, and took me maybe 5 minutes, once a month, on the company website. Click, click, type, click, submit, done.

Things I Do Not Understand

Well, I suppose that could be the title of this entire blog. But, what I mean is, I hear people argue that the unemployed are lazy, and that they should do more to find work. We shouldn't give them UI benefits (even though it is insurance, not a handout). In thinking about this line of "reasoning," a question came up. Did we suddenly have a massive spike in laziness? Do people understand that when the unemployment rate when up 6% or so, it did not happen because people, en masse, began to think, "Hey, fuck work. I'll live on the dole, because the pay is so great, and I'd rather give up my job, the benefits, the gratification, and just be a bum?"

QOTD

[ via Warren Mosler]
From Twitter, Paul Myers FTW:

Dis And Dat

First, one of the best lines ever, from John Cole of Balloon Juice: "When I need a medical procedure done, I often consult two doctors, and then I check with a needle junky and a crack whore. Just so I have a wide array of opinions and can keep my options open."

Facebook Nonsense

If you try to "share a link" to facebook on facebook, it creates some kind of cosmic feedback loop that will cause tooth decay, or something. I may be fuzzy on the exact consequences, but I know it ends badly. Also, why can't you "friend" yourself? I mean, if you can't really be a friend to anyone else until you learn to be a friend to yourself, what does that say about your facebook friendships?

Death

There has been more of it this year around me (thankfully, not right around me) to shake me up a bit. I don't know how many people are honestly comfortable with the idea of mortality, but I'm pretty far from being one. Then I saw this:

USA! USA!

[via Balloon Juice]

After all, what do New Yorkers have to do with bin Laden?

The Decadent Left In Its Enclaves on the Coasts

Grief Is Clarifying

It has become crystal clear to me that the kindness and compassion that we exhibit are the ONLY things that matter in this life. Any other metrics you use to evaluate your life are misguided. I learned yesterday of the imminent death of a dear man. He is someone I have worked with my whole career. He is not only the best at what he does, he's also a real mensch. Only the good die young, indeed.

Please be good to one another. We're all we really have.

P.S. Fuck you, cancer. 

Let Them All Make Their Own Music [UPDATED]

[Update - the link is now bad. Bummer. It was a page where you'd click on things, and they'd make tones. The more clicks, the more tones, and you could essentially create a digital symphony. If anyone knows where to find such a thing, please leave a comment]


This is wonderful.

This Is Why I'm Not Working Right Now

The system IS down.

Random Thought

Fox News hates the U.N. so much that they deleted those letters from "Fair & Balanced."

I Suppose Some Introductions Are In Order

As of today, I have been invited by your gracious host Brian to contribute to this blog. I have a feeling this is due to a recent barrage of posts on Facebook that have most likely been slightly overbearing for most of my friends. Anyway, I am a recent college graduate in International Studies working part time, so I am left with a moderately unhealthy amount of free time as I seek the coveted "big boy job." Hopefully, this will be a mutually beneficial endeavor, both giving me something to do as well as bringing insightful and stimulating discussion. Looking forward to being read by you. Yes, you.

I've Gone International!

I suspect it is random internet noise or whatever, but I have 3 hits from the U.K., 1 from Denmark, and 1 from China. It should surprise no one who knows me, but the stats are the best part of blogging.

China?

Giving it a whirl

So, I have decided to wade into the heavily saturated, often murky, sometimes amusing, and mostly pointless world of blogging.

I thought of the name while shaving. Originally, this was going to be called "Nick." But I wanted something punny. I'll assume you get the joke.

Part of the impetus for doing this is the realization that most of my facebook "friends" don't give a dingo's nut-sack about what I post there. Another is the potentially amazing/pathetic fact that as much as I throw up on facebook (I know what I just wrote), it represents a fraction of what interests me. Here, I think I can indulge myself/torture you at greater length and in more detail. Think of it as the Guantanmo Bay to facebook's battlefield detention center. Lastly, this will allow me to more fully elaborate on the topics I find interesting enough to share.

I know nothing about the technical side of this blogging business, so for now, at least, this is strictly no-frills, low-tech self indulgence. Any input or advice is welcome.

Welcome, thanks for stopping by, and most of all, a very fine day to you.