10 Things We Learned About Blogs

As I was sitting on my balcony today, reading, I came across something that may be of interest. A friend of mine called me a popular intellecutal* today (specifically because i like tv and play video games), and I had never heard the term before. I didn't know whether to be insulted or excited (that someone called me an intellectual). The gift and the curse. But oh well, on to more pressing business.



In the year end issue of Time (where the accidental president, George W. Bush was featured), there was a nifty description of blogs, and the 10 things the eminent mag thought were important to know. So without further adieu... (by the way, blog was the most searched for definition this year according to Merriam-Webster).

1. Blogging Can Get You Fired
2. Bloggers Get Scoops Too
3. Bloggers Keep News Alive
4. Bloggers Can Be Titillating
5. Bloggers Can Be Fakers
6. Bloggers Make Money (not us of course)
7. Most Bloggers Are Women (again, not us)
8. Candidates Love Blogs
9. Pets Have Blogs Too (don't click this link)
10. Anyone Can Do It Obviously this isn't rocket science... "Blogs wouldn't be such a democratic medium if they weren't so easy to set up. The most popular service, Blogger, owned by Google, boasts features like push-button photo-blogging. Microsoft has launched a trial version of its own blogging service."

So if you have a blog (wink, wink), let us know and we'll post a link. Share and share alike.

*Correction - The previous statement was a gross error, and unrepresentative of the sentiments my friend was trying to convey, I apologize.

Money Markets

Brain research shows that continuous, focused attention (even for adults) is virtually impossible for more than 10 minutes. Which helps to explain why its taken me 4 months to read "Development as Freedom" by Amartya Sen.

Here's a quote, that's particularly resonant. "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love" - Adam Smith

Cheery, eh? (and yes, i am currently an insomniac and feeling a twinge of existentialist angst)

California Dreamin'

Let me start by saying that I am extremely heisitant to bump the greatest IM conversation of all time, but i've been itching to write for a minute. Plus, the season finale of Lost was extremely suspect, so I figured I would do something to quickly relieve my stress.

As you may or may not know, my travel schedule has been especially ridiculous lately (with me taking about 8 trips in 7 weeks), but somehow I made it to beuatiful nothern California. More specifically, I had the extremely fortunate experience to stay at the majestic Skywalker Ranch in San Rafeal. This is the hideaway that George Lucas (creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones), created when he became a gazillionaire.



I really wish I could convey the enormity of this incredible place, but i did see what ungodly amounts of money can do for your real estate game. The centerpiece of the ranch is a victorian mansion with 13 fireplaces, 15 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a soundproof entertainment room, the most beautiful library i've ever seen, Darth Vader's original lightsaber, Indian Jones whip and hat, a Norman Rockwell original, and a partridge and a pear tree....

The grounds also include a solarium, a 400 seat digital theater (where I was fortunate enough to see a screening of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith), and an organic garden. There is also a baker on staff who makes the best almond mango muffins ever created. Every meal I ate there was probably one of the top 20 meals I've eaten all time (sometimes I'm prone to exaggeration). So, I can die now, knowing that I've seen paradise (again, exaggeration).



P.S. Go buy Common's album
P.P.S. San Francisco's airport, extremely average

Kindred Spirtis 3? / Greatest IM Conversation of All-Time

I have gone back-and-forth as to whether I should post something of this nature (personal blog rules) but the following conversation is just too amusing. While names have been protected from undesired exposure, if the non-Generalist - possible faulty assumption, so, non-blogger - engaged in the following conversation is a reader of this blog as they suggest they are, then they will likely recognize this past instant messenger exchange (in this life and times, really, is there any other), or given the sarcasm that follows, maybe they won't. Furthermore, any needling is meant purely in good fun and I am quite sure that the non-blogger will take no offense while the greater purpose of this posting is the fact that this conversation could exist at all.

The following has been edited for shortening and clarifying purposes only. Editor's and emphases additions are indicated as such:

Presumed Reader: what’s the link to your blog? [editor’s note: given the very first question, is the assumed name really appropriate?]
a Generalist: http://narcissus-blog.blogspot.com/, why?
Presumed Reader: cause I was trying to explain to [a friend] what a blog is and why yours is so funny
a Generalist: ok...it's funny?
Presumed Reader: it is funny…I mean, its thoughtful, insightful and funny [editor’s note: overstated, but appreciated]…its also funny cause I can hear you saying it
a Generalist: saying what?
Presumed Reader: "Day of Reckoning," your (emphasis added) Tuesday post, that joint just sounds like you
a Generalist: wasn’t me
Presumed Reader: although, the first few entries on this joint don’t sound like you…the end part was
a Generalist: “Day of Reckoning” wasn’t me
Presumed Reader: that was [friend of a Generalist with no previous connection to this blog site]?
a Generalist: no
Presumed Reader: I’m confused, it sounds like you
a Generalist: lol, I’m sure it does
Presumed Reader: who is it?
a Generalist: it might be me, it might not
Presumed Reader: okay but you ARE the generalist--correct? (now that I’m totally confused)
a Generalist: maybe I am, maybe I’m not
Presumed Reader: its you, whatever
a Generalist: how confident are you that its me?
Presumed Reader: Nina Simone and Coldplay? THE ART OF FREAKIN HAPPINESS! yeah that’s you
a Generalist: this is humorous to say the least
Presumed Reader: y?
a Generalist: how confident are you that its me?
Presumed Reader: 80% and I would have said 95% but you are making me question myself which may just be a game to you but its working…it always works when you do it and by the end of this conversation, it may be 50%…30%…5%…but see, "trying to find what’s real in the world" could be you, could very well not be…are you amused?
a Generalist: incredibly
Presumed Reader: plus, the airport lists
a Generalist: what about?
Presumed Reader: all the damn random quotes…its YOU…and I’m SO glad you are entertained…plus, you like hearing yourself talk…so…why not – ha!
a Generalist: interesting
Presumed Reader: you do…I mean, I like hearing you talk too and if I can’t hear it, I’ll read it…clearly people actually go to this shit (emphasis added) so you should be proud that your opinions are ones cats actually want to sift thru, even if only every once in a while
a Generalist: "clearly people actually go to this shit"
Presumed Reader: they do [editor's note: best. response. ever.]…isn’t there a place where you can track it? I mean, I know [a friend] reads it and so does [another friend] and I do…we’re people
a Generalist: there is a counter at the bottom of the site that started last week…and, I see how observant you are (emphasis – as well as the extra emphasis – added)
Presumed Reader: "Paranoia, my little office buddies, paranoia" – that’s ALL you – “my little office buddies”…everyone is your “little ________”

The point of all this:

1. Even with seemingly ostensible clues, the individual blog content of possible kindred spirits (loosely termed) can be masking.
2. Simply put, this was all extremely funny to me but admittedly, this post was hard to construct to convey that humor.
3. Aristocrates should probably step his profile game up.

Come On

"I want to make sure I'm dancing and not shuffling,"

-- Dave Chapelle

(i'm rootin' for ya brother)

Thankless Job

As I'm floating around one of my favorite cities (DC) this week, I had the opportunity to witness possibly the most thankless job in America. Famished, I wandered into Dupont Circle, and decided to pop in Potbelly's for a sandwich. It was the lunch rush, so it began to get crowded, and I saw someone climbing a ladder out of the corner of my eye. WHAT?!?! That's right ladies and gents, there was an unseen woman, sitting on the top of a bunk bed playing acoustic guitar in a casual sandwich shop. I know you're thinking to yourself, the Generalist must be lying. But if you knew me, you would know I'm not creative enough to make something up like this. And if you get a chance, pop over to Potbelly's (at 12:00) on Connecticut in Dupont Circle and see Tracy Chapman in action...

Sweet Vindication

Malcolm Gladwell, the uber-author of the 21st century (and my co-contributor's personal god), endowed with a special gift for writing in an easy-going, plain folks style, has published an article that will undoubtedly vindicate millions of video-game addicts. He writes about a new book published by Steven Johnson, entitled Everything Bad is Good for You.

The premise of the book is based on the notion that James Flynn uncovered in the mid-eighties, that human beings were consistently increasing their IQ scores over time. More specifically, "a person whose I.Q. placed him in the top ten per cent of the American population in 1920 would today fall in the bottom third." Flynn mentions a number of explanations for this rise including economic prosperity, better nutrition, etc... but Mr. Johnson attributes at least some of the consistent IQ gains to the evolution of pop culture and video games (yeesssssssssssssssss!!!)

Johnson lists the complicated nature of popular television shows (like the sopranos, the simpsons, seinfeld, etc.) which force the viewer to play an active role in following multiple plot lines and character development. These cognitive demands on viewers, Johnson posits, allow them to to increase intelligence.

Even more interesting, is the capacity of video games to increase intelligence. Johnson juxtaposes video games with books, which are consistently mentioned as a more refined way to past time. Books are fairly linear, the author argues, which doesn't give the reader the opportunity to participate in the narrative in a meaningful way. I was watching "What the Bleep Do We Know" and one of the eerie talking heads, mentioned that individuals who grow up in contemporary culture want to be creators. Expansive video games (like the oft-mentioned Grand Theft Auto series, and the criminally underrated Mercenaries) gives players the opportunity to create their own narrative (within certain boundries of course). More eloquently put:

"Playing a video game is, in fact, an exercise in constructing the proper
hierarchy of tasks and moving through the tasks in the correct sequence. It’s
about finding order and meaning in the world, and making decisions that help
create that order."

So go to sleep clutching your video game controllers a little more tightly tonight kiddies... The end is extremely fucking neigh (video games being acknowledged as a tool for increasing intelligence, has to be the 1st sign of the apocalypse)...

Veiled Optimism

Coming off the heels of a pretty sucessful weekend, I feel a renewed (cautiously) optimistic view about existence (sometimes i'm slightly prone to exaggeration). In light of this refreshed view, I've decided to provide some links to stuff that picks me up.... Previously called, "Things That Black People Sleep On," this iteration will have an upbeat* feel to it...

• Six Feet Under - seasons 1-3, after that it becomes especially weird
• Joanna Newsome - definitely an acquired taste. her voice oscillates between an 8 year old girl, and an 80 year woman. Not for the faint of heart.
• Interpol - Especially Evil, C'mere, & Slow Hands. "Can't you see what you've done to my heart and soul, it's like a wasteland nowwwwww"
• Solaris Sdtk. - The steel drums provide a good ambient sound, if you're looking to fly to outerspace or do LSD. Don't Blow It
• Navan or Meukow Vanilla - Nice sippin' to fight off the blues (albeit artifically)

*this post was slightly tongue-in-cheek...

Pandemic Rap Lyrics: 1.1

Firstly, I didn't pen the post, but here is just one personal musing why The Game achieved "overrated" status on the G-List. What follows is the chorus from Dreams:

"Russian and this 40 ounce, lettin the ink from my pen bleed
Cause Martin Luther King had a (dream)
Aaliyah had a (dream), Left Eye had a (dream)
So I reached out to Kanye and (I brought you all my dreams)
(Cause I love you, I love you, I love you)(I love you)"

...Now, if Martin Luther King, Aaliyah, and Left Eye were somehow grouped together in a SAT/GRE type question, I wouldn't choose "dreams" as the unifying concept. "Tragic" death is a possibility, but I don't see "dreams."* But maybe, its just me.


The Game probably should have had Hov ghostwrite some lyrics for him, say maybe:

"I'm pulp fiction, colt 4-5th and, young homies that blast-for-me (blasphemy), no religion." - Hov

You've seen it before folks, and you will see it again, but if you drop a double entendre that works so well and fits so perfectly like that, it's well deserved. Sick...flu...and as it was said...Pandemic.


*Why is "see" italicized in "I don't see dreams?"...because the phrase has a personal application in another sense altogether (though I'm trying to change that - I'm trying to see). So, for future reference, there are hidden messages everywhere.

Airport List 1.2

Not to beat a dead horse, but the topic is appropriate and it proves that I am alive in the post-world (I like that potential double meaning). This list includes all airports this generalist has used within the past year:

1. Seattle – extra clean, efficient with the main terminal in the center and all of the concourses equidistant in a hub-and-spoke set-up with two satellites, Starbuck’s (and other worthy competitors), Quizno’s (do not sleep folks), aptly placed powerwalks
2. Atlanta – ingenious recharging station, especially given it’s a hub for connecting flights; Chick-Fil-A; might drop if I experience one of its connecting delays that I often hear about
3. Birmingham – given its location and my expectation, it just gets the job done
4. Orlando – initially, the airport that served the "House of the Mouse" was non-descript but then right smack-dab in the middle of my terminal was an Outback Steakhouse - both in the form of a restaurant and quick carryout: Kookaburra wings = top 5 for the kid
5. Detroit – shocker yes...but the restaurant lineup is rather sick (Sushi/Japanese, Sports Bar) and there is a train that runs inside the terminal which looks cool if nothing else; drawbacks are that it has a flat horizontal design instead of the hub-and-spoke as preferred by yours truly, the rental car offices are a nice shuttle ride away from the terminals, and the passenger pickup is extra-congested but because I don't normally have to pick up anyone, I don't have much comparison
6. Reno - probably what Las Vegas should be - an airport at which you don't mind being because you can also gamble; it's a perfect time-killer further enhanced by the picturesque mountains of Tahoe surrounding the area
7. Newark – it could be #2 just because its relative to freaking La Guardia and JFK though it is relatively efficient, more than enough self check-ins, and the food court is in between the multiple gate corridors for easy access; but THE kicker: when my man sings either tunes or instructions at the security check-point, straight up, he can blow; drawback – if I’m not flying on the company, the air-tran is slow as hell, travels in the worst possible order, and the price went from $2 to $5 = rip-off
8. St. Louis – with the exception of my freshman year debacle (did not get on two consecutive flights, spent 8 hours at the airport) I've never had a problem; good use of curb-side check-in, and making Southwest its own terminal was the smartest thing it could do
9. Boston - it's a decent experience given this is a major city plus the clam chowder is bangin (naturally) and I've caught a beer special or two (naturally) during my waits
10. Sacramento – cousin to Birmingham but not on its level because America West’s curbside check-in rules are absolutely absurd - when I flew they said you could only use curbside if you were flying direct with no connection – HELLO! America West is supposed to be the gateway to the west, most people are going to have a connect…so while there was a snake line inside 6 layers deep, the 2-3 three guys “working” outside were doing nothing my entire half-hour in line because almost NO ONE could use their check-in
11. Charlottesville – I don't know where to put this because I don't even know if you can consider this an airport; it has 4 maybe 5 gates, all planes are extra small commuter jets (not for those who have even a small fear of flying), and you must walk on the runway when you get off the plane; its probably the size of a typical public library - it just is, so I just threw it in the middle
12. Los Angeles - it's stupid big but I have yet to have a bad experience; for now, it receives a decent rating because the weather is almost always nicer here when you walk out of the airport than the one from which you came
13. Greensboro – I don't know where to put this either because its pretty non-descript, no traffic to the airport gets it put in the middle
14. Baltimore-Washington – given the alternatives, its location is decent and has less traffic to and from while the airport is easily navigable; however, it is very prone to extra long security lines that on some days have stretched back to neighboring terminals - if JFK can get them done BWI should be able to as well
15. Washington Dulles – another flat horizontally designed airport that makes for mad long walks and then given that the power walks used to ameliorate the long walks require taking escalators down and then back up to what amounts to 3-4 floors leaves yet another Washington, D.C. area airport on the wrong side of #10
16. Washington National – good lighting indeed, its open aired enclosed by glass all around - has a feel and look that new recreational centers are moving toward (away from the dark dungeons); I tend to dislike rental car dropoffs that require a shuttle to get to terminals and its necessary in some cases here; though I have avoided it, I also know that it could be hell getting through traffic to get to its location
17. Chicago Midway - the centrally located and reasonably priced Potbelly gives this place some legs and similar to Newark serving New York, its relative to god-awful O'Hare, but its also the first place where the Southwest Airlines folks weren't completely on point; moreover, many ATA flights in-and-out of this airport and I cannot stand ATA
18. Miami - blah; I just like the fact that MIA is the abreviation both for Miami and for Miami International Airport - I'm obviously searching here
19. Milwaukee – I don’t remember anything at all about the airport, though I did fly Midwest Express to get there and loved it – flights equipped with big leather seats and they served up delicious freshly made chocolate chip cookies
20. San Jose - ditto though I do remember the car rental being a shuttle ride away and you know that's a pet peeve though it's likely deserving of a weather bumb as well
21. New York JFK – in terms of service, I rate it above La Guardia but I tend to fly LGA because its closer – JFK’s drawback = it seems so freaking far from Manhattan; surprisingly, its security is relatively quick and the partitioning of airlines across multiple terminals aid that
22. Phoenix – America West’s hub and I’m not the biggest fan of that airline so it loses points off the break; the signage (America West, again) is inadequate; the gates are ALL long walks even if your plane departs from the first one; the security lines are always long (its better to be selected for a thorough search – and I know, its happened to me 4 out of 5 times); and, of course, the rental car companies are an additional 10-15 minute shuttle ride from baggage claim
23. New York La Guardia – it's ugly, you expect a delay; if it’s a busy day you might see a bunch of bags simply stacked on each other leaving you thinking, “how the hell will my bags arrive?” positive: the flight path over NYC is a sight to see especially at night (except when you see it 5 times over while circling)
24. Chicago O'Hare - it's another stupid big airport with misleading signage though unlike The Generalist I haven't had a really horrible experience their yet; it does have a lot of eating spots but then again it has to
25. New Orleans – traffic to the airport is too congested (special shouts to my taxi driver for her creative driving), security check line extended back to the Mississippi, and some parts of the airport look like a middle school
26. Oklahoma City – I don’t remember much other than it being an eyesore due to an overwhelming amount of construction – that’s all that sticks out and that’s unfortunate

815,162. Las Vegas – This previously said: "I’ve never been (as an adult) but it has gambling - and by default, when you deal with The Generalists, its #1." Well, I definitely needed to go as an adult. Yes, you can gamble at the airport but naturally it's all slot machines and The Generalist is the one who gets all kinds of slot love (ALL KINDS - it's crazy to me). I, on the other hand, get murdered on the slotty slots. More importantly, after my reservation was missing for about a half-hour on the worst airline in existence (that's you America West), and I stood in the worst arranged security line I've ever seen, I missed my return flight. Luckily, I was able to parlay this into a first-class seat on a direct red-eye flight an hour later. I understand it was probably the worst time to have a flight leaving from Las Vegas (New Years Day) but to have four security lines all converge into one on the left (I was in the farthest right and thus, most disadvantaged) is just stupid; all of the above was further reinforced during All-Star Weekend where it was clearly unprepared though admittedly I should be more grateful given I went unscathed; I'll get over all of this one day and appreciate the fact thats it is literally (a healthy) walking distance from the strip

Day of Reckoning

Excerpt...

"Government leaders are even more quiet about a social and financial problem that is more immediate than the Social Security crisis and that probably dwarfs it in scope: what to do with the underclass. The nature of the economy has shifted so that unskilled jobs pay less and there are many fewer of them. Although the American has a remarkable record of job development, there are more than enough displaced workers, women reentering the job market, and immigrants to absorb the new vacancies. Companies don't run large-scale training programs to help the underclass, because, by and large, they don't have to. Inner-city schools hit or miss enough, that millions of young people emerge upon the world essentially hopeless. Whatever the future fluctuations of the economy, there is unlikely ever to be a place for them. There are large numbers of Americans for whom America has no meaningful place." - William Henry

Trust me, this is going to be the major problem of the next 30 years. Simply put, there aren't going to be enough jobs to provide a reasonable quality of life for increasingly significant amounts of people. Rifkin, a futurist, writes about this in The End of Work, and Friedman alludes to it in his new book (currently bouncing around the talk circuit). As this productivity phenomenon coincides with the current political trend to concentrate wealth in the elite (even more so than usual) inequality is increased. Which ultimately means, life for poor people is gonna get a lot rougher.