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October 31, 2005
Flying back to earth
If you are wondering why I haven't updated since 27 Oct (and you're probably not), it's because of a few factors:
- It's time-consuming keeping up the reputation of Cluster Y on campus (see previous post)
- I've been spending far too much time on Google Earth, which is Google's controversial new sattelite photo tool. The image quality varies dramatically. It's possible to see individuals walking across Tiananmen Square, but the Olympic Village in Sarajevo is far too blurry to be seen. It helps to know the cities one is searching, but certain things like the Kremlin (ground pics here) are fun to look at anyway. I'll post some screenshots at some point.
Posted by adrianjo at 06:03 PM
October 27, 2005
If it's in the newspaper, it must be true
Columbia's student newspaper has declared that Cluster Y is "fast becoming known as the most sexually active cluster on campus." As Chairman of Cluster Y, I can assure mom and dad that I have nothing to do with this reputation.
Perhaps some of it comes from the emails we've exchanged where two cluster members invited us to see them "demonstrate mating." Then there was that long discussion on who has a bigger apartment (a serious concern in New York), which climaxed when a female cluster member wrote, "Who am I to talk about whether apartment size matters? I just have a hole in the wall."
Posted by adrianjo at 03:31 PM
Sexuality, race, and close quarters
The guy who wrote this letter to the editor in the Post-Tribune initially sounds like a crazy bigot, then you realize he has a point:
My wife and I were avid watchers of the just recently ended "Big Brother 6" TV show. I wonder if anyone else noted, that to be politically correct, the producers had a black in the house group. However, this black was a gay male.I believe that a gay was selected because he would not have been a threat to the white female members of the group. This way, the producers were able to stay politically correct, while appeasing the bigoted viewers who surely would have objected to seeing a macho black male involved in such close quarters with the white females, who were at times very sexily attired.
Not only was a black gay male selected, but the "Big Brother" show last year also had a gay black male.
On various occasions when producers add a black male, they will also add a black female, or vice versa, who hopefully will attract the black male.
We in America still have a long, long way to go before true democracy without discrimination occurs, if ever.
Wendell W. Levister, Gary
Posted by adrianjo at 10:08 AM
October 25, 2005
Soaked money
The Ritz-Carlton Cancun, typically considered the best hotel in Mexico and among the world's top 100, has closed for two months because of damage from the hurricane. That's quite sad, given the beauty that must have been destroyed. News is sketchy, except this:
"The damage to our hotel was pretty bad, but there's no communication, no electricity, no nothing, so we're going to assess," said Tim Sylvester, vice president of engineering for the Ritz-Carlton hotels, as he waited in a two-mile line to get into Cancun.Sylvester was carrying food, medicine and generators for the Ritz hotel staff of 30.
Here are some pictures, pre-hurricane. I'll search for post-hurricane pics:
Yes, this is me on the beach there:
Posted by adrianjo at 11:37 AM
It's time for some pictures
This page has been picture-less for some time. Fortunately KB and TH have helped by sending some along. The first two are from the China trip in August, both aboard trains, interestingly.
1) Aboard Hong Kong's Island Line subway
2) Yes, this train is really going 430 kph, or 267 miles per hour. That makes it the world's fastest train; it runs between downtown Shanghai and the Airport. Sure beats the A-train to JFK, which clocks in at 90 minutes and an average speed of perhaps 15 mph.
3) TH has some fun cuddling with a big Republican
4) I cuddle with a member of the immediate family
Posted by adrianjo at 01:15 AM
October 24, 2005
Trick-or-Treat starts early
The Halloween Trio was trick-or-treating in Harlem this weekend: Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Freddy Ferrer. Freddy, the Democratic candidate for Mayor, trails Michael Bloomberg by some 30 points, and this was before Bloomy was endorsed by the far-left New York Times editorial board:
If he continues his record of accomplishment over the next four years, [Bloomberg] may be remembered as one of the greatest mayors in New York history....
Fernando Ferrer, the former Bronx borough president, has run a creditable race, but his major campaign point - the existence of two New Yorks, rich and poor - actually argues Mr. Bloomberg's case. No mayor has devoted more effort to improving the schools, the poor children's lifeline. The city's public hospitals have been transformed in many neighborhoods. And if Mr. Bloomberg stole a page from Mr. Ferrer's playbook in his recently announced plan for building more affordable housing, it was a good page to hijack.
It's heartening to see that the Times picked-up on how improving schools, which entails providing school choice and battling teachers' unions--is a civil rights issue. Perhaps we might see others on the Left take-up the same argument.
As for the Halloween trio, it's hard to believe that anyone listens Revs Al or Jesse. After Rev Al decided at a BBQ party in my neighbor's backyard that Freddy was the lesser of several evils, a poll found Al's endorsement caused more people to vote against Freddy than for Freddy. From what I heard listening by my window, Al said that Freddy was an idiot but was blacks' only hope of keeping alive an "alliance" with Hispanics. If Al cared for Ferrer, he would crawl into a hole until after the election; Al is only talking for his own sake. Can Jesse--a political opportunist just like Al--have much different an effect than Al?
Al and Jesse can't even keep their stories straight. Consider the Times' coverage:
Mr. Jackson ... [called Bloomberg] a "financier of the right wing of the Republican Party."Mr. Sharpton argued that if Mr. Bloomberg wanted widespread Democratic support, he could have rejoined the party, which he left to run for mayor in 2001.
One bozo (Jesse Jackson) claims that Bloomy is a "financier of the right wing" and the other (Rev Al) claims that Bloomy is really a Democrat. No wonder more than half of blacks claim they'll vote to reelect Bloomberg. I don't think that black voters are as stupid as Revs Jesse and Al take them to be.
UPDATE: The latest poll shows that Bloomy is headed towards a landslide, gaining double the votes of Freddy.
Posted by adrianjo at 11:16 PM
October 23, 2005
I'm away this weekend, sorta
Things I've heard this weekend:
"New Yorkers are the only people who would stay in a hotel in their own city."
New York has so many great hotels, why travel to the ends of the earth to enjoy a good hotel? Isn't a $20 cab ride sufficient?
"You said that with the perfect level of disdain for those other people."
In the words of Monty Burns, Excellent!
Posted by adrianjo at 12:34 AM
October 19, 2005
How much for that studio with no window?
In Manhattan, maybe $2000. Add a window and a studio apartment might run $2500. Indeed, the average Manhattan homeowner, according to some consulting firm, pays over $146K/yr in housing expenses, making Manhattan the most expensive place in the country to own a home.
That's swell, but surely they didn't consider the costs up here in Harlem, where a one-bedroom apartment costs less than half what a studio would cost in midtown.
Posted by adrianjo at 01:25 PM
October 18, 2005
Gongs have been ringing
The Princess of Bhutan, who was a student at Columbia's SIPA school, has married her boyfriend, also a SIPA student. Her Royal Highness Ashi Chimi Yangzom Wangchuck married Dasho Sangay Wangchuck on October 13. Incidentally, both are named "Wangchuck," though this name is very common, roughly equivalent to "Jones" in Bhutan. [Read more]
Posted by adrianjo at 09:10 AM
Eating too fast?
I have written previously about how one needs only two grocery stores (Whole Foods and Wal-Mart) and how Whole Foods is the best place in New York to pick-up a runway model. (Just watch her eyes as she scans both you and your basket.)
Now Business Week is chiming in, wondering where the growth spurt for Whole Foods will end. The company's supply chain is wholly local, and the produce selection in New York has been sub-par recently. The company still needs a doorman at the Columbus Circle store to keep out the tourists and other nincompoops who wander in looking for a coke and Doritos.
Posted by adrianjo at 12:23 AM
October 17, 2005
Some overdue shout-outs
Here's a shout-out to Morgen, writing in Morgen's Blog o' Dewm, for mentioning my visit to Indiana this weekend.
Also a shout-out to Allison, with whom I had dinner on Thursday, plus Lauer and Big Red. Also Doc and Gordana, who I saw at school on Friday.
In other news, Frank Rich, the liberal New York Times op-ed columnist, is coming to my journalism class tonight. Let's hope nobody gets hurt. I'll post my latest writing here tomorrow.
Posted by adrianjo at 05:02 PM
October 16, 2005
Hola amigos, it's been a long time since I rapped at ya...
I could talk today about Maria Bartiromo's interview with Antonin Scalia or quote Jim Anchower's latest column, titled "I guess I got a girlfriend."
You may think that my life is pretty sweet, and who could blame you? Usually, Jim Anchower drives where he wants, drinks what he wants, tokes when he wants, and doesn't take much shit from anyone unless he absolutely has to.
Jim is, of course, a loser. The irony is that he probably has less freedom than one who does occasionally take shit. But that's neither here nor there.
In this week's column, Jim discovers that having a girlfriend sometimes means that one can't toke when he wants to toke. Read it all.
Posted by adrianjo at 07:12 PM
October 14, 2005
Coming Untied
VALPARAISO, IN -- More evidence today that when something bad happens at the airlines, it's survival of the fittest. I arrived at EWR (Newark) at noon for a 1.30 flight on United. Another flight to Chicago had been delayed two hours and was scheduled to leave at 12.51. I got myself aboard that flight, and although the only seat left was a middle seat, last row, I was happy to save 40 minutes. Then the cockpit radio broke. Then the altimeter broke. Then a near riot broke-out as the pilot exhorted passengers to "maintain some semblence of order." At 1.30, many of us chose to leave the plane and, as the gate agent advised, "try your luck on getting to your destination." In other words, they just couldn't accomodate 120 of us--it was every man for himself.
Some people went to the 1.30 flight's gate to try their luck, others queued with me at customer service, where we were advised that the 1.30 flight--the one I was originally scheduled for--was full. As it turned out, anyone who didn't get on the 1.30 flight was delayed a minimum of 5 hours total.
In fact, the 1.30 flight was not full. I rang-up customer service, who told me that because the 12.51 flight never left, I still was listed as holding a seat on the 1.30. It's now 1.40. I ran to the 1.30 flight's gate, found a gate agent who said they were expecting me, entered a code, and let me on the plane. There were even empty seats at take-off. Everyone who ran to the 1.30 gate was aboard; anyone who didn't go to that gate waited at Newark for several hours. I made it to Chicago only 7 minutes delayed.
A few lessons:
- Despite any attempts to democratize it, air travel is still survival of the fittest. Who knows where the next flight departs and can get there fastest?
- Queue only at the point of distribution for a product. Everyone who ran to the 1.30 gate got home quickly, everyone else waited. When a flight is canceled, run to the gate of the next depature *and* call customer service to rebook.
- "Full" flights have empty seats. Being nice to a gate agent helps one to snag one of those empty seats.
Posted by adrianjo at 12:15 AM
October 10, 2005
Attention wireless listeners
I recorded a radio program tonight for War News Radio. I will post it as soon as I have a copy. It will probably be broadcast in a few weeks.
This isn't the first time I was on the radio; the first was live in college at the university station, where we had a ribald conversation that probably should have brought on an FCC fine, were anyone listening. I remember something about Deep Throat. I was thinking of the watergate guy and apparently the hosts were talking about sex. It reminds me of when Mr. Burns went on the radio trying to convince people he's not evil:
Rude: How are you doing, Mr. Burns? Jerry Rude. Welcome to the show.Burns: I'm pleased to--
Rude: Alright, let's get this geezer out quick so we can bring in the lesbian gladiators.
Burns: Now, Mr. Rude, I just want you to know I'm a good sport, so if you want to make fun of my legendary love of cashews, you have at it!
Rude: Uh-huh... Alright, how many times a day do you go to the can?
Burns: Oh, about 40, I suppose. When are we going on the air?
Rude: We're on the air now, Skeleton.
Burns: What?!
Rude: Question two: How long is your wiener, seriously?
Burns: Great heavens! What kind of radio show is this?
Rude: How about this -- when was your first gay experience?
Burns: Oh, well, when I was six, my father took me on a picnic. That was a gay old time! Oh-ho, I ate my share of wieners that day.
Rude: Oh, that sounds lovely. [coughs "queer"] Um, ever murder anybody?
Burns: Murder? Well, mistakes have been made.
Rude: Monty, I've heard you're a pretty flatulent guy. Any comment on that?
Burns: Oh, now see here--[Rude presses a button making fart noises] Stop that! Attention wireless listeners, most of the sounds you are now hearing are not being made by me! Oh stop! Stop! Won't someone please stop the farting! [collapses on the floor]
Rude: Don't worry, folks, he's not dead. I still hear some faint sounds of life. [makes fart noises]
The improvement in radio technology is amazing. We edited the program to splice different versions in the middle of words (e.g. "scandal"), take out breathy sounds, enlongate certain words, and change the pitch of others.
For my national television debut in May 2005, click here. Unlike in radio, in TV it's not particularly easy to edit out the "ums."
Posted by adrianjo at 10:57 PM
Pop made the front page
Pop made the front page of the local paper today:
CHICAGO -- Michael Jones eventually moved his way up to the starting line at Sunday's 28th Chicago Marathon, smiled for all, took a giant step forward, then hobbled off Columbus Drive on his crutches.His day was over.
Jones finished his 50th marathon/ultramarathon last month. And then he got careless. He went water skiing at Valparaiso's Pine Lake on an unusually warm day Sept. 12.
"Somehow, my knee gave out and I fell. I looked down and my knee was bent (at a 90-degree angle). It was hanging on by just one ligament," said Jones.
During surgery, doctors considered amputating.
"I tore three ligaments and I crushed the tibia into my femur," said the 56-year-old Jones. "I've done 14 Chicago Marathons in a row. I had this entry and I really wanted to get across the starting line.
"I haven't been on my leg this much since the accident. I've been off work, mostly laying down with it elevated. I hope to be doing light jogging in 24 weeks from the surgery."
Jones was among several inspiring stories from the more than 200 Lake and Porter County runners representing Valparaiso's Opportunity Enterprise, a nonprofit organization aiding special needs adults and children.
Posted by adrianjo at 02:35 PM
October 09, 2005
Voted in by Lewinsky, Paula Jones, Flowers
There's a headline on CNN right now:
"Clinton Inducted into Women's Hall of Fame"
Really? I know that Slick Willy got his way with a lot of women and Hillary never dumped him, but it migth be a bit excessive to induct him into their hall of fame.
Posted by adrianjo at 05:18 PM
You've missed a few there...
Forgive me for sounding like a snotty New Yorker here, but this list of the "Most Expensive Restaurants" in the US is full of it. Some $55 place in Detroit made the list, while a bevy of New York places that break the bank aren't mentioned. For example, consider the prices of the dinner tasting menus--before tax, tip, and wine--at these places: Alain Ducasse ($150 per person), Atelier ($128), Daniel ($120), the Four Seasons ($120), Jean Georges ($118), or Picholine ($125). None of these fine eating establishments makes the list, but some $50 buck place in Wahoo does.
Forbes could easily make a list of the country's most expensive restaurants by flipping to page 283 of the 2005 New York Zagat guide (source of the above prices) and adding Le-Bec Fin in Philadelphia, French Laundry in Napa, Charlie Trotter in Chicago (and soon NYC), and maybe one or two others. At the rate they were missing places, if Forbes the list extended much further, we may well see Cosi show up.
Posted by adrianjo at 12:57 AM
October 08, 2005
Fording ahead
Tom Ford is entering the men's clothing market, with what might be a very exciting launch:
What Ford is most excited about is infiltrating the men’s style market. “An Armani suit has a certain look and Armani does a wonderful job with menswear. In other respects, you have Ralph Lauren, who also does a wonderful job. But there is not a strong men’s designer in between those two that gives you something that’s somewhat classic, yet very sexy and sophisticated,” he says, pointing out that men have no modern day equivalent to Chanel couture. “I think men are thinking and acting more like women in the way they choose things. You see straight guys checking out their butts in a pair of pants, which you would not have seen twenty years ago.”
Posted by adrianjo at 02:16 PM
October 07, 2005
Why I'm not a Christian
Everyone who tried to make me accept Jesus into my life, here is a good reason why I'm not a Christian. Reports the Washington Post:
Lifelike female mannequins dressed in rhinestone garters, fishnet stockings and feathery thongs had been posed in suggestive positions when the [Victoria's Secret] store opened last week. The displays of tiny underwear caused an uproar among some parents and shoppers, who have planned a protest for this morning."We will still be there," said Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, a Christian conservative group. "We don't know if they are going to do this again. People are very upset about it. And the fact that they would do it once shows they lack judgment and that there is a moral deficit at Victoria's Secret."
If these people had their way, women would be wearing cover-all black burqas and be beaten on the streets by religious police. Christianity is not appealing if it's merely Islam-lite.
Posted by adrianjo at 12:18 PM
Whacky airline pricing, Volume LXVII
I have written previously about how airlines are generally screwed-up. An example was how JAL offers in-flight internet on the 14-hour Kennedy-Narita route, but there are no power plugs to run laptops. Here is another. The cheapest fare from NYC-CHI for 13 Oct - 16 Oct is $271. I have checked every day this week. However, one can go to a last-minute site and book this fare plus get a rental car for an all-in total of $260. See everyone in Chicago/Valpo.
Posted by adrianjo at 02:49 AM
October 06, 2005
Little shop of whores?
America's Puritans are up-in-arms over an underwear display at Victoria's Secret in Tyson's Corner, Va. Reports the Washington Post:
"Little Shop of Whores," huffed one woman standing outside the new Victoria's Secret in Tysons Corner Center. "Slut wear," declared the father of a teenage girl, looking at a feathery-thong-clad mannequin bent over as if she were adjusting her spike heels."I walk the mall. I've been walking the mall for nine years," said Jana Spencer, 53, of Vienna, who said she has three grown children. "This is shocking. This is semi-pornographic. This is insulting."
Lawd have mercy! Because I care about visitors to this blog, here is a big picture of the "offensive" display:
Insulting? To what? To a prude's fragile mores? And what sort of henpecked man could put up with a shrew like that old mall-walker? Maybe a guy who gets his fix from porn rather than his wife?
Thank goodness not all women are as prudish as the old mall-walker. One told the Post:
"I love it ... I like the dark side of Vicky's. Every woman has a little bit of the dark side in her. ... I have a husband, and I know he would love this. This is what keeps you happily married."
Hallelujah!
Posted by adrianjo at 10:49 AM
October 05, 2005
Beggars can't be choosers
Right at the top of the list of annoyances of living in the city are beggars. It's not uncommon to get several requests a day for money, everywhere from Malcolm X Drive to the Times Square subway stop. One could easily give out $1000 if he gave a buck to everyone who asked for it. Many are quite aggressive, including the black beggars who call me "racist" because I won't support their drug habits. When I point Harlem beggars to a nearby soup kitchen, the reaction isn't much better.
The head of Penn's Christian Association has an op-ed in the Penn student newspaper with a message that boils down to 'don't give money to beggars' and instead 'support programs that eliminate the root cause of homelessness.' Here are some good excerpts:
Drug use screws up people's lives as well. But giving money may keep them drug-dependent. For many, their dysfunctional backgrounds and horrible previous experiences have contributed to their current state. And, while one can be sympathetic, ultimately each of us must personally triumph over the rough starts we are given. And lastly, some of their own bad choices have led them to their current plight. That, too, is not a problem that usually can be solved by a few dollars.
And
To act ethically or morally you do not have to respond to panhandlers by handing them the contents of your wallet or by taking them home with you.To avoid being manipulated, think in advance what kind of moral response is right for you. Don't be duped by sad stories, but do stay compassionate. Don't give money out of guilt, but out of concern. And do take action on their behalf, but do so in ways that will make a difference. It may mean giving money. Usually, however, it is by putting some effort into real solutions.
I would add a story I witnessed in Chicago, where beggars were also a major problem. A woman was in a deli trying to return a custom-made sandwich. Why? "I bought it for the homeless man outside, but he doesn't like this flavor." Hey, beggars can't be choosers!
Posted by adrianjo at 12:17 PM
October 04, 2005
It's getting hot in here
The Mt. Morris Historic District, the Manhattan neighborhood where I live, has been in the papers several times as rowhouse sale prices exceed $2M. I covered the move-in of a well-known film director recently. Here is an article from the Daily News with a typical tidbit:
In 1989, Humphrey Stephenson, a muscular, soft-spoken, 56-year-old printer, bought a brownstone on W. 119th St. for $65,000. It was a block plagued by murders.Today he's refusing multiple offers for it, most recently $1.8 million. He wants $2 million, since the house across the street sold for that.
"I worked very hard on this place. In the '80s, no one wanted to live in Harlem," he said. Today, his neighbors are doctors and lawyers, most of them white.
"All of Harlem is hot, but some of it is scorching," said veteran broker Willie Kathryn Suggs.
Hamilton Heights and Mt. Morris Park are drawing black, white and foreign buyers hungry for big, historic houses with easy subway access to downtown, said Spencer Means, a vice president with Corcoran Realty.
Sounds like an internet stock.
Posted by adrianjo at 06:08 PM
Roll over, Lion, Roll over!
Not all professors make equal contributions to the Columbia community. Some go above-and-beyond. That's why it's sad to receive an email like this:
I'm sorry to announce that the 8th annual Juran Tailgate Party is cancelled. Despite diligent efforts by a competent and well-connected team of MBA '07s, we have been unable to secure a place at Baker Field for the party.This is a little sad, because I always thought the tailgate party was a good way to achieve several useful objectives:
- Introduce MBA students to the special experience that is Ivy League football
- Introduce international students to the unique American tradition of tailgating at football games
- Promote interaction between the business school and the greater university
- Spend some time with my students and alumni outside of the classroom
- Support the Lions
- Have some fun
(And we have effectively supported the Lions - at the previous seven tailgate parties Columbia has a winning record of 4-3, or 57.1%. Over the same seven seasons, without Juran tailgaters on hand, the same Lions were 15-48 for a 23.8% winning percentage. Coincidence? I don't think so.)
I still think these are all worthy goals, but this year it just doesn't seem to be working out. I am reluctantly pulling the plug on the October 15 event and making plans to go backpacking on the Appalachian Trail instead.
The root cause of all this is the new Athletic Department policy, under which parking passes for the Baker Field tailgate area are no longer for sale to regular students or faculty, as they have been in the past. Up until last year, one could walk up to the cashier in the Dodge Fitness Center and by a parking pass for a home football game for $25.00. We would drive to the game, bringing tables, grills, and coolers, and enjoy the Columbia version of a football ritual that plays out all over America on Saturdays in the fall.
Details are vague, but it sounds like the Athletic Department is (a) trying to reduce the university's exposure to liability related to underage drinking, and (b) increase the revenue it earns from athletic events, under the direction of the new Athletic Director, Dr. M. Dianne Murphy. So only "high profile" donors to the university (or those with better connections than we have) can get a parking pass, and regular students and faculty can't bring in their own food and drinks.
Here is the Catch-22:
"Patrons with reserved parking passes may transport alcoholic beverages into the Baker Field Athletics Complex"
"For the upcoming season, reserved parking at the Baker Field Athletics Complex is not available."
Believe it or not, those two statements come from the very same page at the Athletic Department's official web site:
http://gocolumbialions.collegesports.com/genrel/091905aac.html
We've tried our best to find a way around this, looking for other groups who might share their space at Baker Field with us. We have MBA students and alumni who have contacts as Columbia College alumni, former varsity athletes, fraternity and sorority members, but no one was successful. None of the three contacts given to me by the Athletic Department has responded to my messages asking for help or suggestions (Ken Catandella of the Columbia College Alumni, Eric Furda of the University Alumni, and Bill Ebner of the Athletic Department).
I want to thank the current students, led by Julie Morris A'07 and Alex Gumbs G'07, who tried to make this happen. I also want to thank Coach Al Carlson of the Athletic Department, who has always been helpful to us in the past. Maybe things will be different next year, and we can try again.
Some supplemental reading for those who are interested:
The Athletic Department's announcement:
http://gocolumbialions.collegesports.com/genrel/092105aad.htmlColumbia Spectator, Jake Olson September 21:
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/09/21/4331049f4c94aAbout our new Athletic Director:
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20040824.085149&time=10+22+PDT&year=2004&public=1
This is not the way to convince fans to come watch football. If fans aren't allowed to tailgate, it's a good reason not to trek 100 blocks from campus (118th st) to the athletic fields (218th st).
I remember my freshman year at Penn, when the team won the Ivy championship and celebratory fans threw a goalpost into the Schuylkill River. Someone near me remarked, "so this is what it feels like to have a real football team!" It would be swell to have that feeling at Columbia and not vicariously through an affiliation as a Pennsylvania alumnus.
Ivy League liberal intellectualism, which has deep roots at Columbia (outside the refreshingly-conservative business school), includes distrust of both students having fun and athletes. So, in the name of risk management, the university has banned tailgating by anyone who doesn't pay at least $2500/yr in donations, thereby also assuring that Columbia won't have a "real" football team anytime soon.
The unintended consequences include at least one professor trying to spend time with his students and being shot-down. One would think that the university would be bending over backwards to help professors meet students outside the classroom and support university activities. Instead, it's the professors who have to go to extraordinary means--and still fail--if they want to do something besides giving lectures.
The game was to be against Penn; anyone who wants to go to the Penn Club and watch, let me know.
Posted by adrianjo at 10:18 AM
October 03, 2005
Miers isn't so bad
There has been great disappointment in the surprise Miers pick for Supreme Court. Social conservatives in particular have been harshest, such as this Pat Buchanan rant and Powerline's reaction. SCOTUSblog.com decried Miers as a Bush crony, which may well be the worst the Democrats can muster. Bush is testing my faith that he can surround himself with smart people. Beyond that, I have two reactions:
(1) The move was to appeal to the business base of the Republican party, the part of the base that does the financing. Social conservatives won one on Roberts and lost one here. Indeed, CNBC was generally positive, and the US Chamber wasted no time putting out a positive endorsement. The court lacks a jurist with a good business background, and Miers's presence might help generate more much-needed decisions like State Farm, which capped punitive damages.
(2) The failure to pick a better judge with more judicial experience reflects the sea change created by the 22 Democrat nays to Roberts and the Democrats' shameless attacks during the Bork and Thomas confirmation hearings. Now the chief qualification for the court appears to be not having a paper trail rather than having lengthy experience as a fair and principled judge. Expect more mealy appointments going forward, from Democrats too. That said, if Miers gets a 98-0 vote, Bush will have wasted a good opportunity to go even further right.
Posted by adrianjo at 10:06 PM
Take a bite out of this
One of the most profound changes in Harlem has been the huge drop in crime since Republican Rudy Guiliani was elected. For instance, muggings are down 80% since their peak, such that there are only about 2 muggings a day now in Harlem.
Harlem's own Columbia University is also participating in reducing crime, according to this "high importance" email I received today:
October is Crime Prevention Month & McGruff the Crime Dog's Birthday:Although October is Crime Prevention Month, at Columbia we celebrate Crime Prevention every day.
Don't miss CU Public Safety's Security Awareness day & McGruff's Birthday on:
Wednesday, October 5th, 2005
From 10AM - 2PM @ the Morningside Campus College Walk W116 Street.
"We celebrate crime prevention every day." That's a way to take a bite out of crime! On a similarly juvenile note, Jean Teasdale now has a site of her own. Screw it. Read this about the person who writes Jean's columns.
Posted by adrianjo at 02:51 PM
October 02, 2005
17 Habits that Mormons like Covey don't care about
Wine Society had an event recently with WR Tish, who would have been a stand-up comic if he didn't start editing Wine Enthusiast. He went to that school in Cambridge, but that's forgivable because they are so unavoidable. And you don't often see Harvard guys putting fork-glasses on their faces.
I particularly recommend his "17 Habits of Highly Effective Wine Drinkers."
Posted by adrianjo at 12:05 PM
October 01, 2005
Square root of Paris
There is still hope. Reports US Weekly:
NEW YORK, September 30, 2005; 7:40ET — Paris Hilton tells Us Weekly exclusively that she has ended her five-month engagment to Greek shippping heir Paris Latsis.In a statement to Us late Friday evening, Hilton said, “I'm sad to announce that I've called off my engagement. Over the last couple months I've realized that this is the right decision for me. We remain best of friends, and I'll always love him. I hope people will respect my privacy during this emotional time.”
The couple had met each other as teenagers at a nightclub in Monaco. Then Hilton, 24, and Latsis, 22, became romantic last December soon after reuniting at Latsis' birthday party in Los Angeles. Latsis proposed to Hilton in April at his Hollywood Hills mansion. “I'm so in love and grateful to have found such an honest and loyal person” Hilton told Us at the time.
Rumors of their breakup surfaced in the last several weeks after Hilton, who had received a 24 carat, $5 million diamond engagement ring from Latsis, was rarely seen in public with her camera-shy fiance. “They really broke up a month ago,” says a friend of the couple. “They are just very different people. But Paris hoped things would get better. They didn't so she decided it was best to move on.”
Read here why I like Paris.
Posted by adrianjo at 06:35 PM