DISQUS

Just found this on digg, btw:

12 of the Best Kids Show/Rap Mash-Ups

http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2008/12/03/12-of-the-best-kids-showrap-mash-ups/

Just found this on digg, btw:

12 of the Best Kids Show/Rap Mash-Ups

http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2008/12/03/12-of-the-best-kids-showrap-mash-ups/

I think this is the same video?

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2008/12/Cooking-by-the-Book-A-Lil-Bigger-Mix-613322.html

I think this is the same video?

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2008/12/Cooking-by-the-Book-A-Lil-Bigger-Mix-613322.html

Damn, the Lazytown clip is gone now. Is it available elsewhere?

Damn, the Lazytown clip is gone now. Is it available elsewhere?

Daniel, I've really enjoyed reading your blog over the past several months. I feel as if I've watched you undergo an amazing political transformation.

I really get your point about libertarianism being impractical. In fact, I had a friend years ago who said something like this to me: "In an ideal world, I'm a libertarian. But practically, I'm a Democrat."

I dunno . . . I guess I don't have much else to say. I'm still wired from the election, so I'm spending time reading blogs instead of sleeping.

Anyway, thanks for your candor, as always.

Daniel, I've really enjoyed reading your blog over the past several months. I feel as if I've watched you undergo an amazing political transformation.

I really get your point about libertarianism being impractical. In fact, I had a friend years ago who said something like this to me: "In an ideal world, I'm a libertarian. But practically, I'm a Democrat."

I dunno . . . I guess I don't have much else to say. I'm still wired from the election, so I'm spending time reading blogs instead of sleeping.

Anyway, thanks for your candor, as always.

We're talking about Congressional Martial Law, right?

We're talking about Congressional Martial Law, right?

Daniel, this is a great point that I've often struggled with.

Unfortunately, what I tend to find is that the people who exhibit the most extreme cases of confirmation bias (and other logical pitfalls) never think about stuff like this, at least not in reference to their own beliefs.

Most people simply aren't that introspective. They don't question their own beliefs and don't constantly try to assess their own objectivity (or lack of it).

Sadly, the truly thoughtful folks -- the ones that devote time and effort to being informed and having defensible positions -- are the only ones who engage in this sort of self-conscious hand wringing. So, we step back to examine what we believe and engage in what amounts to a masturbatory, neurotic exercise. I say it's masturbatory because I often find that our political opponents don't care that we've tried to maintain objectivity; our positions will still be derided as biased, partisan, and dogmatic.

Daniel, this is a great point that I've often struggled with.

Unfortunately, what I tend to find is that the people who exhibit the most extreme cases of confirmation bias (and other logical pitfalls) never think about stuff like this, at least not in reference to their own beliefs.

Most people simply aren't that introspective. They don't question their own beliefs and don't constantly try to assess their own objectivity (or lack of it).

Sadly, the truly thoughtful folks -- the ones that devote time and effort to being informed and having defensible positions -- are the only ones who engage in this sort of self-conscious hand wringing. So, we step back to examine what we believe and engage in what amounts to a masturbatory, neurotic exercise. I say it's masturbatory because I often find that our political opponents don't care that we've tried to maintain objectivity; our positions will still be derided as biased, partisan, and dogmatic.

Thanks for the clarification. I understand your perspective now, but I don't think that's what I'd call political correctness. That sounds more like liberal guilt or, to paint it in racial terms, what many call "white guilt." (To be clear, I don't think we're dealing with a racial issue so much as a class problem, but I think that phrase captures the idea.)

I agree that throwing money at a problem to "fix" it is a flawed approach, and addressing underlying causes makes more sense. There's nothing inherently PC or not-PC about that. However, it depends what you say the underlying causes are. For example, if someone told me that they thought "those people" committed crimes, sold drugs, etc. because "that's what those people do" . . . and then told me that they aren't allowed to say that because "it's not PC" . . . well, they'd be right in saying it's not PC, but they'd also be overtly racist (and wrong, IMHO).

Thanks for the clarification. I understand your perspective now, but I don't think that's what I'd call political correctness. That sounds more like liberal guilt or, to paint it in racial terms, what many call "white guilt." (To be clear, I don't think we're dealing with a racial issue so much as a class problem, but I think that phrase captures the idea.)

I agree that throwing money at a problem to "fix" it is a flawed approach, and addressing underlying causes makes more sense. There's nothing inherently PC or not-PC about that. However, it depends what you say the underlying causes are. For example, if someone told me that they thought "those people" committed crimes, sold drugs, etc. because "that's what those people do" . . . and then told me that they aren't allowed to say that because "it's not PC" . . . well, they'd be right in saying it's not PC, but they'd also be overtly racist (and wrong, IMHO).

Daniel, I've been following your blog for a while, and I usually find it very thought-provoking and insightful.

While I'm in agreement with you when it comes to being mindful of how things like this put us on a slippery slope to a police state, I really don't follow your logic when you say that political correctness is, at least in part, to blame for this. Can you elaborate?

Daniel, I've been following your blog for a while, and I usually find it very thought-provoking and insightful.

While I'm in agreement with you when it comes to being mindful of how things like this put us on a slippery slope to a police state, I really don't follow your logic when you say that political correctness is, at least in part, to blame for this. Can you elaborate?

I often use the bathroom while on conference calls. I'm always paranoid that my mute will fail and someone will hear me flush.

I can't do the "work in your pajamas" thing; I get up, shower, and get dressed every day.