Dana Rohrabacher, an ultra-conservative against immigration, argues that prisoners can do the jobs vacated by deported immigrants:
"I say, let the prisoners pick the fruits."
This is so mind-bogglingly brilliant that I can’t even wrap my head around it. My only concern is that I’m not sure I want convicted felons picking my bananas. Anyone agree?
Much of life is persuading people to do certain things. The psychology behind persuasion is fascinating. How much do you know about the psychology of influence? Take this little quiz, and check out the instructive answers. Anyone who sells anything should do this.
(Hat tip: Guy K.)
What a beautiful, classic memoir. I’m reading a lot of memoirs nowadays to get tips on how people write about their own lives — Wolff is among the best.
Favorite quote:
"When we are green, still half-created, we believe that our dreams are rights, that the world is disposed to act in our best interests, and that falling and dying are for quitters. We live on the innocent and monstrous assurance that we alone, of all the people ever born, have a special arrangement whereby we will be allowed to stay green forever."
Thanks Rob Urstein at Stanford GSB for encouraging me to read this.
I don’t know much about investing. But I’m learning fast. Now that I’m a majority citizen, I’ve been setting up credit cards, high interest saving accounts, checking account, and a long-term investment account/portfolio. I’m not doing this because I obsess about money. I’m doing it because with a little financial savvy starting at age 18 I will have better life options when I’m 30.
Until Winning the Loser’s Game: Timeless Strategies for Successful Investing I had not read any books on the stock market, investing, saving, etc. I’m happy to say this was an excellent first book. It’s definitely geared to the individual investor who’s fairly green. I totally buy Ellis’ premise that investing smartly is your game to lose — the key is to mitigate risk, be rational, and think long-term.
Here are three pages of notes I took on the book so I remember all that I learned.
David Brooks is my hero for being both a force of intelligence and humor, a rarefied combination that can take anyone anywhere. (And as such I’ve lost the ability to critically analyze anything he says since I take it all as pure gospel.) With that disclosure, he speaks to me in his column today.
Leaked documents reveal Dick Cheney’s suite demands are telling — the TV must be tuned to Fox News in every one of his hotel rooms. John Kerry doesn’t like celery and his Cobb salads must have ranch dressing. Brooks:
In the first place it’s interesting to watch politicians and their staffs try to come up with lists of items intended to produce sensual pleasure. People who go into politics tend to be the sort of hyperambitious workaholics who have repressed the Dionysian side of their natures in order to become high school tools, college applicant all-stars and twenty-something mentor magnets, in pursuit of their dreams of someday becoming deputy under secretary of commerce. Then they flock to Washington, a city with an erogenous zone the size of a pea. These are not people with highly developed hedonism skills.
What they come up with, as they contemplate pleasure, is a sort of dweeb decadence. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll are beyond them. Their fantasies run in the direction of really well-selected energy bars. Their memos call for an orgy of decaf, a Mardi Gras of bottled water, a Caligulan binge of chamomile tea. It’s like watching the Taliban production of "Entourage."
Well, I can’t say I aspire to be the deputy under secretary of commerce, but I do certainly obsess about my energy bars and have essentially zero hedonism skills. I should hire Cheney’s staffers and get some tips on how to find true pleasure in life.