Can economics make you a better person? By Tim Harford, Dec. 22, 2007
Economists rarely make good forecasts, but let me venture one: Most readers of this column will eat and drink heavily over the next couple of weeks (as will its writer), and many of us will, on Jan. 1, vow to do better in the future. Can economics provide a little assistance in coping with this annual ritual?
...
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Getting to the Point... or the possiblity of getting to the point
I never got to the point in my last post. I've been a bit preoccupied, and I'm not even participating in the holidays this year. Maybe it was obvious to my readers, but I was trying to make the point that life, like art, is up to the liver (seasonal pun?), or artist, to decide. When I say I wouldn't die for anything, I am also saying that I don't expect others to either, but that is ultimately up to them.
The humor of the Onion article is probably obvious enough to this point. I just like to say things explicitly. It gets murky when you extrapolate staying alive to maintaining a relationship. History shows that, while I will fight tooth and nail to keep something going, I am also willing to walk away completely if I feel the situation isn't beneficial to me. That is, if a relationship isn't conducive to my goals, I choose me.
Who's to say which is better: pancakes, relationship, or life. I'll buy the argument conceptually that it depends on the quality of each. But in practice, I can't imagine compromising the life card. Afterall, it is my biological imperative to live as long as possible, reproduce and then keep my offspring alive as long as possible. I'm not going to argue with biology. It's bigger than I am and can beat me up.
The humor of the Onion article is probably obvious enough to this point. I just like to say things explicitly. It gets murky when you extrapolate staying alive to maintaining a relationship. History shows that, while I will fight tooth and nail to keep something going, I am also willing to walk away completely if I feel the situation isn't beneficial to me. That is, if a relationship isn't conducive to my goals, I choose me.
Who's to say which is better: pancakes, relationship, or life. I'll buy the argument conceptually that it depends on the quality of each. But in practice, I can't imagine compromising the life card. Afterall, it is my biological imperative to live as long as possible, reproduce and then keep my offspring alive as long as possible. I'm not going to argue with biology. It's bigger than I am and can beat me up.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Pancakes and Compromise
I have 2 strings going in my mind/scraps. One’s about dating. The other, money and government. Instead, I think I will talk about the meaning of life... I mean, meaning in life. I watched Stranger than Fiction the other day. It was ok, but I love any time I can spend with Dustin Hoffman. In the movie, his character speculates about if you had to choose between staying alive or having pancakes, you would probably choose pancakes… I mean… life. But it would depend entirely on the quality of each.
A while back, I listened to a radio show (it might have been This American Life) about choice, life and survival. I already blogged about it. After discussing it with lots of people, I found that my sense of survival, or lack of inclination to sacrifice myself, was greater than most of the people I and the radio program asked. Either I am more honest or more selfish than everyone else.
Someone sent the following Onion article out on one of my lists: 30 Miserable Lives Lost In Greyhound Bus Crash. I think it was meant to be an example of negative associations with public transit, but I was thrown back into asking myself these same questions. What’s the point? What’s worth it? What isn’t?
As I told my dinner companion last night: I have learned that almost everything is exactly like dating. When considering ending a relationship, one asks oneself: what is this relationship worth to me, and is that more or less than what my life is worth to me without it? Likewise, when considering beginning a relationship: what is my single life worth to me, and how could this relationship make my life happier? Or: what are the chances I will meet someone I like more than this person? What are the chances I will get what I need from this person? What are the chances this relationship will end up meaning so much to me that I will never recover if it doesn’t workout, and what are the chances of that happening? In the words of Anne Sexton in Snow, “Someone once said: Don’t bite until you know whether it is bread or stone.” Except sometimes it is really hard to tell; so, try biting softly?
That hasn’t always worked for me -- it's all so mushy. I have heard the theory that it takes half the length of a relationship to get over it… or the whole length… or twice as long. I was recounting my romantic history to someone recently, and I realized that, if I ever get over anything, it has taken about the length of the relationship. Grayson’s former coworker Maureen had the theory that you meet someone you like about every 2 years. Grayson said 5. I don’t know what my statistic is because I don’t know how to define “like”. But I do notice that if you set yourself up right, you can manage to absolutely never be free of emotional baggage.
It’s good to have goals.
Oh, look at that. I managed to get weave dating into my thoughts on the meaning of life. What a shock.
Knowing yourself is an important and tricky thing. I work really hard at it. I know that I would not be willing to die for anything. KT’s dating checklist concept is, I guess, supposed to guide us on when to give up our single lives. Except: all of relationships are pretty mushy; how do we know when we are “ready”; and what about when you just really like people who don’t check all the boxes (more than the people you meet who do check them)?
KT’s got me watching this web-based TV show called Quarterlife about these self-indulgent, creative-type 20-somethings. A couple “parts” ago, I typed up a quote from the show, “responsibility is compromise.” The narrator’s talking about the sacrifices we make to get what we want in the future like dieting or working late. Sometimes, I get all irritated when my art sells because it means I have to make more. But then I remember that I make art because I want to make art. Because when I don’t make art, I feel like death, and I am not willing to die for anything. So, selling art is a way that I force myself to be a happy person.
It’s like constructive procrastination, where you are supposed to be doing one thing, but instead you accomplish all kinds of other things to procrastinate. That’s really what my life is all about. I create little games for myself where I’m forced to do what I know will make me happy. I know myself that well.
The string on Quarterlife doesn’t end there. In the current episode, she makes the observation that we have no choice. “Life compromises for you.” I don’t believe in luck, because I don’t believe in good (or bad). I believe in hard work and intension, and I believe in chance. Taking a good look at any situation (job, relationship, etc.), parts make you happy or miserable and everything on either side and in between. So, when examining pancakes, potential boyfriends and jobs, and what to do with the afternoon, I guess having a list, or at least a guiding belief system or set of principals can help. Or not. I’m enough of a romantic (still!) to believe that my gut will guide me.
A while back, I listened to a radio show (it might have been This American Life) about choice, life and survival. I already blogged about it. After discussing it with lots of people, I found that my sense of survival, or lack of inclination to sacrifice myself, was greater than most of the people I and the radio program asked. Either I am more honest or more selfish than everyone else.
Someone sent the following Onion article out on one of my lists: 30 Miserable Lives Lost In Greyhound Bus Crash. I think it was meant to be an example of negative associations with public transit, but I was thrown back into asking myself these same questions. What’s the point? What’s worth it? What isn’t?
As I told my dinner companion last night: I have learned that almost everything is exactly like dating. When considering ending a relationship, one asks oneself: what is this relationship worth to me, and is that more or less than what my life is worth to me without it? Likewise, when considering beginning a relationship: what is my single life worth to me, and how could this relationship make my life happier? Or: what are the chances I will meet someone I like more than this person? What are the chances I will get what I need from this person? What are the chances this relationship will end up meaning so much to me that I will never recover if it doesn’t workout, and what are the chances of that happening? In the words of Anne Sexton in Snow, “Someone once said: Don’t bite until you know whether it is bread or stone.” Except sometimes it is really hard to tell; so, try biting softly?
That hasn’t always worked for me -- it's all so mushy. I have heard the theory that it takes half the length of a relationship to get over it… or the whole length… or twice as long. I was recounting my romantic history to someone recently, and I realized that, if I ever get over anything, it has taken about the length of the relationship. Grayson’s former coworker Maureen had the theory that you meet someone you like about every 2 years. Grayson said 5. I don’t know what my statistic is because I don’t know how to define “like”. But I do notice that if you set yourself up right, you can manage to absolutely never be free of emotional baggage.
It’s good to have goals.
Oh, look at that. I managed to get weave dating into my thoughts on the meaning of life. What a shock.
Knowing yourself is an important and tricky thing. I work really hard at it. I know that I would not be willing to die for anything. KT’s dating checklist concept is, I guess, supposed to guide us on when to give up our single lives. Except: all of relationships are pretty mushy; how do we know when we are “ready”; and what about when you just really like people who don’t check all the boxes (more than the people you meet who do check them)?
KT’s got me watching this web-based TV show called Quarterlife about these self-indulgent, creative-type 20-somethings. A couple “parts” ago, I typed up a quote from the show, “responsibility is compromise.” The narrator’s talking about the sacrifices we make to get what we want in the future like dieting or working late. Sometimes, I get all irritated when my art sells because it means I have to make more. But then I remember that I make art because I want to make art. Because when I don’t make art, I feel like death, and I am not willing to die for anything. So, selling art is a way that I force myself to be a happy person.
It’s like constructive procrastination, where you are supposed to be doing one thing, but instead you accomplish all kinds of other things to procrastinate. That’s really what my life is all about. I create little games for myself where I’m forced to do what I know will make me happy. I know myself that well.
The string on Quarterlife doesn’t end there. In the current episode, she makes the observation that we have no choice. “Life compromises for you.” I don’t believe in luck, because I don’t believe in good (or bad). I believe in hard work and intension, and I believe in chance. Taking a good look at any situation (job, relationship, etc.), parts make you happy or miserable and everything on either side and in between. So, when examining pancakes, potential boyfriends and jobs, and what to do with the afternoon, I guess having a list, or at least a guiding belief system or set of principals can help. Or not. I’m enough of a romantic (still!) to believe that my gut will guide me.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Timothy Olyphant
...is hot. We should definitely get to know each other. His face is handsome while his expressions are intensely weird. They seem to reflect a tortured inner life, and that's very attractive to me. My life of leisure included watching Catch and Release today, and I didn't like it.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Winterfest
Every year, the SF Bike Coalition throws an awesome holiday party. For the last 3 years, I helped with the silent auction. This year, my dear friend Brian was my date.
I love the photo booth. Here are the rest of them.
I love the photo booth. Here are the rest of them.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Transportation Ethics
Randy Cohen, New York Times Magazine’s acclaimed “Ethicist,” on Transportation
Quotes/paraphrases from the interview:
“Ethics are the effects of our actions on other people. …
“The word we ethicists use to describe (people who drive around the city) is “selfish”….
“What civilization is is a restriction on individual freedom….
“Public parking in the city: why is it good for the city for people to be able to store their private property in public space when public space is limited….”
Quotes/paraphrases from the interview:
“Ethics are the effects of our actions on other people. …
“The word we ethicists use to describe (people who drive around the city) is “selfish”….
“What civilization is is a restriction on individual freedom….
“Public parking in the city: why is it good for the city for people to be able to store their private property in public space when public space is limited….”
Chicken Feet
Do you think we have enough?
Oh, thank goodness! There are more over here!
These photos are from the super market in Shenzhen. I went there for the afternoon at Jason's suggestion to look at the city's planning and bicycle facilities. It's a special economic zone, a small fishing village that has grown up just in the last few years since China took control of HK. They thought they would try capitalism close by and see how it works for them. I took dozens of photos of the streetscapes, etc., but the short version is that it's a collision between China and Los Angeles with emphasis on the latter.
Oh, thank goodness! There are more over here!
These photos are from the super market in Shenzhen. I went there for the afternoon at Jason's suggestion to look at the city's planning and bicycle facilities. It's a special economic zone, a small fishing village that has grown up just in the last few years since China took control of HK. They thought they would try capitalism close by and see how it works for them. I took dozens of photos of the streetscapes, etc., but the short version is that it's a collision between China and Los Angeles with emphasis on the latter.
La Vie en Rose
A couple weeks ago, KT came over to catch up. We had a mellow but delicious dinner chez moi. She mentioned that she'd recently seen La Vie en Rose, and the adventures of Edith Piaf and her best gal pal reminded her of us. After dinner, we headed over to Luna Park for dessert and a cocktail. 
We were about to call it a night, when I suggested we take a look at Medjool bc she'd never been there. The roof bar is kinda cool. There we met random guy (whose name I remember, but I don't want to open that door. I didn't realize Medjool is such a pick up joint). Random guy bought us drinks, called me inauthentic, spun me around, and then moved on to other chicks.
As KT would say, Life is Absurd.
We were about to call it a night, when I suggested we take a look at Medjool bc she'd never been there. The roof bar is kinda cool. There we met random guy (whose name I remember, but I don't want to open that door. I didn't realize Medjool is such a pick up joint). Random guy bought us drinks, called me inauthentic, spun me around, and then moved on to other chicks.
As KT would say, Life is Absurd.
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