jenk

From Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal:

First I read about adult education focused on getting women the math skills they need to start businesses or enter trades.

Then I started working out the key for Sunday's Foxtrot...

...and iTunes started playing "Mandelbrot Set".

(Of course, if you know the characters you can probably predict the first 8 letters of the message... ;)

From The New York Times:

Although people who describe themselves as happy enjoy watching television, it turns out to be the single activity they engage in less often than unhappy people, said John Robinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland and the author of the study, which appeared in the journal Social Indicators Research.

“We looked at 8 to 10 activities that happy people engage in, and for each one, the people who did the activities more — visiting others, going to church, all those things — were more happy,” Dr. Robinson said. “TV was the one activity that showed a negative relationship. Unhappy people did it more, and happy people did it less.”

But the researchers could not tell whether unhappy people watch more television or whether being glued to the set is what makes people unhappy. “I don’t know that turning off the TV will make you more happy,” Dr. Robinson said.

Google also turned up the UMD press release. I have no idea if this will be confirmed by other research. I just thought it was funny. :)

The Stranger, Seattle's leftist pro-sex, pro-transit, pro-gay marriage, pro-porn alternative weekly edited by Dan Savage (yes, that Dan Savage) has its endorsements out.

I loved this bit on the Lieutenant Governor race...

In the primary election, we endorsed "anybody but Brad Owen," noting the incumbent lieutenant governor's ridiculous crusade against high-school potheads and his membership in a crappy-ass rock band. We described one of his challengers, Republican Marcia McCraw, as an "empty bag of chips."

In response, McCraw sent us several dozen bags of chips.

We had no choice. We convened an emergency SECB meeting, passed the talking stick around, dug into the chips, and reflected on our previous endorsement. We noted that McCraw is the kind of Republican who not only wants to legalize pot, but sends bags of chips to potheads. She's also pro-choice, and she served on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council. In other words, she's very nearly a Democrat—which is more than you can say for Brad Owen.

Full article is here. Warning: If you are tired of politics or voting for McCain, you may not want to follow that link.

"Moms of kids who are embarrassed that the moms have a Facebook"

How much vitamin B₁₂ is enough? What happens if you don't get it? This naturally caught my eye because I don't absorb enough from food. (dianthus also spotted that using antacids or Prilosec regularly can decrease your B₁₂ absorption too.)

This article on affluent teenagers coping with sudden frugality has it's funny moments (used clothing is "gross" because other people have worn them? Perhaps the child needs to be introduced to a washing machine?) but it also has its interesting parts, such as when a parent decided to show her teenagers the monthly bills: "The teenagers were stunned. When her son saw the mortgage bill he thought it was an annual payment."

Also relating to personal finance is an interesting post about what it means to be rich from JD at Get Rich Slowly.

“How does it feel to be rich?” [his accountant asked]. “Has it changed you?”

“What do you mean?” I said. “I’m not rich.”

But then I paused and thought about it. “Oh,” I said. “Maybe I am.”
[...]
The truth is, I live in a nicer home than my parents ever owned. I’ve saved more money than they ever saved. I earn more money than most people earn. I have more Stuff than I’ll ever need.

Note, he's not independently wealthy. Income is necessary to maintain. But he's got a cushion to see him through emergencies and he's saving for retirement. Is that rich, poor, or middle?

A Twitter exchange:

WadeRockett:	Posted part 3 of 4 of Father John's lectures on spirituality and post-traumatic stress disorder. http://tinyurl.com/5ntzjw
WadeRockett:	If you're looking for some light listening this evening.
Jenk3	@waderockett Lighter than the Republican National Convention?
WadeRockett:	@Jenk3 The Republican National Convention sounds fun. Especially the cosplay and filking.

So...

What would be your hall costume at the RNC?
What song would you sing in the filk circle?
What panel would you want to be on?

ETA: I generally don't do much costuming, but I'd wear the shirt siouxiequeue tie-dyed for me (Celtic cross with pagan imagery - it's a fantastic Rorschach shirt), sing Mal's Song, and would chair a panel on Applying Lessons Learned In Software Testing To The Legislative Process.

From Becoming a Black Man, about transgender people of color. I'm not qualified to comment on the overall article, other than to note that it made me think. But this note on how one man teases teenage boys "who talk about "fags" and refer to women as "bitches"" made me giggle:

He pulls the teenagers aside and uses a bit of reverse psychology, telling them that it’s okay if they’re gay. When the teens protest that they’re not, [he] says, "You have no respect for women, and you’re fixated on gay men. What am I supposed to think?"

Monopoly cards we'd like to see.

Misinspirations :)

Top 10 Reasons to Date an Entrepreneur. Right :)

Gun safety instructor shoots a hole through his pants during a gun safety classs, presumably breaking at least 3 of 4 rules of gun safety. Think that will reinforce the 4 rules for the class or not?

[Poll #1190480]

Tried the Snickers "Adventure Bar". Disappointed to discover coconut flavor. The wrapper includes "Limited Edition" and picture of Indiana Jones aka Harrison Ford, but no mention of coconut. Probably no room for it.

takhisis' Sims are much more entertaining. I'm not sure if it's more surreal than listening to Heather Alexander and Alexander James Adams sing "The Holly & The Ivy" though...

This cartoon, however, is wonderfully accurate :)