Ryan Avent takes a look at Felix Salom’s arguments about the benefits of homeownership, but finds that sometimes, its societal benefits are a little overstated: It’s clearly right that homeowners take an active interest in local policy in an effort to protect and enhance local services and the value of their homes. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that homeowners are generating societal benefits. Take schools, for example. Homeowners take many actions to boost the performance of local schools, both because they’re interested in obtaining a quality education for their children and because school quality is capitalized into...
Continue reading...In Which I Fail to Violently Disagree With Ross Douthat
Wait, hold on: Ross Douthat wrote a column about feminism that didn’t leave me retching? Is it opposite day? As soon as I saw the headline– “No Mystique About Feminism,” I readied myself for the ensuing rage that invariably comes with reading Douthat’s commentary on the ladyfolk. And yet, the main point Douthat makes this time is one I kinda sorta agree with. He rehashes the feminist agitas over the female Republican candidates’ victories in last week’s primaries, and then announces that in actuality “their rise is a testament to the overall triumph of the women’s movement.”...
Continue reading...New York Times Columnist Line of the Day
If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas “Friedman’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose” Friedman, Gail “The Colander” Collins, Nicholas “The Dark Crystal” Kristof, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy. Today\’s is from Roger \”Life of the Party\” Cohen, who in...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Monday, 14 June 2010
Good morning, everybody. The U.S. and England tied 1-1, and Germany man-handled Australia. Now, your morning constitutional: President Obama will visit the Gulf region on Tuesday and address the nation on television about the Gulf oil spill on Tuesday night. In his address, the president will outline a plan to force BP to create an escrow account to compensate businesses and individuals affected by the oil spill. Over 200 have been killed in southern Kyrgystan in three days of violent clashing between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek groups. The U.S. has discovered possibly $1 trillion in mineral deposits...
Continue reading...Morning Constitutional – Monday, 14 June 2010
Good morning, everybody. The U.S. and England tied 1-1, and Germany man-handled Australia. Now, your morning constitutional: President Obama will visit the Gulf region on Tuesday and address the nation on television about the Gulf oil spill on Tuesday night. In his address, the president will outline a plan to force BP to create an escrow account to compensate businesses and individuals affected by the oil spill. Over 200 have been killed in southern Kyrgystan in three days of violent clashing between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek groups. The U.S. has discovered possibly $1 trillion in mineral deposits...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "The Hungry Earth"
Rory: “Can’t you sonic it?” Doctor: “It doesn’t do wood.” Rory: “That is rubbish!” Doctor: “Oi! Don’t dis the sonic!” “The Hungry Earth” felt very much like a setup for next week’s conclusion, “Cold Blood,” but there were some great moments and suspenseful scenes to enjoy. Intending to take Amy and Rory to Rio, the Doctor triumphantly throws open the TARDIS door…and discovers the landscape of Cwmtaff, Wales in the year 2020. Oops.
Continue reading...Things I Drink And So Should You
It is begun. The World Cup opened this morning with a 1-1 draw between hosts South Africa and fellow high altitude dweller Mexico. The altitude at some of the sites is something I meant to touch on but always forgot. There are some stadia on the coasts, which, obviously, are at or near sea level. But in the central area of the country, it’s mountainous, way up, the air drained of oxygen. Even the fittest team are going to have trouble keeping up their energy for 120 minutes plus penalties. That might bode well for teams that...
Continue reading...Florida Governor Charlie Crist vetoes anti-abortion measure
Wait, is this the new Charlie Crist? Because I think I like the new Charlie Crist: Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would have required women seeking a first-trimester abortion to pay for an ultrasound exam and, with few exceptions, view the image or have it described to them by their doctor. Crist, a former Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate as an independent, said in his veto message that requirement would put an “inappropriate burden” on women seeking abortions and violate their privacy rights.
Continue reading...Poem of the Week
I first discovered this poem freshman year of college in a Comparative Studies class that sometimes met outside (it was spring quarter). I loved that we would go outside, and that otherwise we would all sit around a huge table instead of at desks, but the class itself was only so-so. Still, thank you to the professor whose name I don’t remember for introducing me to Rita Dove. This poem is from Dove’s collection Grace Notes. And it definitely makes me yearn for tree-climbing days of yore. HORSE AND TREE by Rita Dove Everybody who’s anybody longs...
Continue reading..."The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."
It\’s like bringin a knife to a gunfight, pen to a test Your chest in the line of fire witcha thin-ass vest You bringin them Boyz II Men, HOW them boys gon\’ win? – Jay-Z, The Takeover When I moved to Boston, I lived in East Somerville. It\’s a working class neighborhood full of Brazilians and Portuguese, and in any other soccer story, any other match preview, I might write about the sounds and sights of East Somerville in June 2006. But this is a story about tomorrow\’s match, the first US match of this World Cup,...
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