Ah, a typical day here at the ranch, where things can go from being frustratingly quiet to frustratingly busy in the blink of an eye. So here’s some late lunchtime news chum, on a busy day before I head off to a conference:
- Military Enthusiasm. There are many things that make us proud of our military services. To me, one of them is how changes made in response to problems are often embraced. We’ve seen this with the Marines since DADT was dropped—they are now enthusiastically going after the best gay recruits they can get. Another problem was the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where life was difficult for the non-Christian. This article shows how that problem is being corrected, in an enthusiastic manner. It’s a great start.
- Food Enthusiasm. As we’re taking about embracing change… here’s an interesting article from the NY Times about the gluten free revolution, and how one mainstream vendor has decided to enthusiastically embrace the G/F community.
- Managing Expectations. It’s the time of year where people visit Santa or write letters. But times are hard, and “Santa” may not be able to deliver. Here are two interesting articles: first, an article from Time on how mall Santas are learning to manage the expectations of children and their wish lists. Hard times have hit the North Pole, it seems. In the second, it appears that the bad economic times are being reflected in the letters being written to Santa; this is seen in Operation Santa, where people can volunteer to help anonymously meet the needs of children hoping that Santa can help them.
- Relationship Advice. An interesting article from WSJ: can a planner and a wing-er ever have a happy relationship? I know this one well: I’m the type that likes to plan everything (you see this in my theatre schedule) and be places early; my wife is more spontanous and more laid back about time. It’s about the only thing we disagree about.
- Grammy Playoffs. The Grammys have put in new rules eliminating a number of categories, and people are upset about it. Personally, I think the Grammys (and other award shows) should go to a playoff system, based on the notion that genres are meaningless, and there is either good or bad. Add in all the genre awards, but then do bracketing. Have the winners in each genre face off, picking the best song across different genres to become the song of the year. Best of the best, as it were. I think that is win-win.
- These Are The Only Ones Of Which The News Has Come to Harvard… Names are proposed for Elements 114 and 116.
A few quickies in closing. First, it is confirmed that Jim Parsons (“Sheldon” in Big Bang Theory) will soon be on Broadway as Elwood P. Dowd in “Harvey”. Second, the fact that you can’t use Siri on the iPhone 4s to find an abortion clinic was simply a software error; in related news, a faction within the Republican party has come out in favor of software errors. Lastly, next week is ACSAC, so it is off to a hotel for me. Should I follow these check in tips for your hotel stay?
