March 3, 2008

March 1, 2008

  • Top Xangans

    Someone wrote me and asked if anyone on Xanga had ever done a "Top Xangans" contest before, showing the best writers or the "hottest" Xangans or whatever.

    I've seen a bunch over the years, but none of them are coming to mind now.  Anyone remember any contests like these, or have any links to them lying around?

February 28, 2008

  • Fire Island

    Someone suggested I check out Fire Island, off the coast of Long Island.  You can take the LIRR out there, and a one night stay on Saturday wouldn't be too expensive?  At least, I hope not.

    Does anyone have advice for a trip out to Fire Island?  It'd be awesome if there was a nice bed and breakfast that someone knew about or had stayed at...  I know it's pretty cold out, so it shouldn't be too busy over there (I hope).

    Also, any thoughts/advice on what to do on Fire Island on a cold winter day?  I'm hoping to find a place with a fireplace and maybe a hot tub.  This could be wishful thinking on my budget.  Please advise!

  • Weekend Getaway

    I need some suggestions for a one day weekend getaway - somewhere relaxing near NYC I can go with my wife.  I'm trying to save money, so I don't want to spend a ton of cash.

    An example: in the past, we've taken a bus about an hour and a half upstate to a bed and breakfast called Inn at Lake Joseph.  It's really nice and relaxing, and there are boats, hiking trails, and indoor ping pong tables.  But we've been there twice, and it's also fairly expensive.

    I'd consider a day trip with no night stay, if there's somewhere fun nearby to relax.  We did some research into hot springs in NY, but couldn't find any.  I've been to the Russian Baths in the city, and they are pretty dodgy (plus I don't know if they are coed).

    Any ideas?

February 18, 2008

  • Transparency

    I always thought that transparency in government was an unqualified good thing.  But check out this quote from Fareed Zakharia's book, The Future of Freedom, about what happened after Congress opened up committee hearings:

    [Before] when an interest group came in, you would say, "Gosh darn, I tried to support you.  I really did.  The chairman bent my arm."  Then, to protect yourself, you would tell the chairman that when those guys came in, to tell them that you really fought hard on their issue.

    But once lobbyists knew your every vote, they used it as ammunition.

    I hear a lot of people say that special interest groups are destroying America.  But at the same time, there seems to be a consensus that transparency in government is a good thing.  But the two seem to be at odds?

    I'm worried about the future of democracy in America.   It's very hard to be an effective politician these days - you have to raise money like crazy, and then everything you do is transparent to the special interest groups.

    The big hope seems to be millionaires (billionaires?) and the internet.  Ahnold and Bloomberg use their own money, so they're not as beholden to special interest groups.  And Obama is able to raise money from small donors, which kinda creates the same solution.

    Does it seem weird to anybody that it takes a billionaire (or a genuine political phenomenon) to have a chance of governing impartially in this country?

February 16, 2008

  • Democracy

    I love democracy.  A question for you though. 

    • The President of the United States is democratically elected and has a 28% approval rating.
    • Congress is democratically elected and has a 20% approval rating.
    • The Supreme Court is the least democratic branch of government and yet has over a 50% approval rating.

    You can quibble and say that the Electoral College means that the Presidential elections aren't purely democratic.  No matter how you cut it though, the Presidency and the Congress will always be more democratic than the Supreme Court.

    How is it that the least democratic branch of government is the most popular?

February 11, 2008

January 31, 2008

January 29, 2008