You might think that non-Asians were offended by the name "Roundeye Noodle Bar," as roundeye is a derogatory term Asians use to describe non-Asians. You would be wrong. It was Asians who were offended, apparently because they couldn't see or hear "roundeye" without being reminded of its opposite, "slanteye." The noodle bar was run by two non-Asians who came up with the name to poke fun at themselves.
That's akin to blacks being offended by the restaurant "Cracker Barrel" because the derogatory term "cracker" reminds them of its opposite, "nigger."
We already knew that blacks can use the word "nigger" and white people can't, and we were pretty sure that "slanteye" was out of bounds for whites, (but probably not for Asians), but now we also know that it's probably fairly OK for Asians to call non-Asians roundeyes (I don't know a lot of whites crying into their soup about it), but not OK for roundeyes to call themselves roundeyes. I'm having trouble following the logic. Wouldn't that also mean that it's not OK for niggers to call themselves niggers?
Everyone is so exquisitely sensitive nowadays. You can't even keep a scorecard, because the rules change at the whim of the most easily-offended.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
The Subsidized Contraception Flap
Aside from the completely unconstitutional attempt to force religious institutions to fund behavior that is prohibited in their religion, the entire basis of the mess -- government subsidized contraception-- is an ethical, constitutional mess even aside from religion.
It's entirely antithetical to the underlying foundation of this republic to take money from some people to subsidize other peoples' product purchases. Contraception is cheap and freely available in the market. There's no reason to subsidize it. The idea that promoting widespread use of contraception is somehow an overriding public benefit is both questionable and beside the point. The daily use of toothpaste is an undeniable public health benefit of gargantuan proportions, but nobody promotes government subsidies for toothpaste.
Subsidy of elective regular purchases is also not what insurance is supposed to be for. In no other area of insurance would this be considered sane. Insurance is supposed to insure you against the unexpected catastrophe, not planned expenditures. That's why auto insurance doesn't cover oil changes and wiper blades, and homeowners insurance doesn't cover vacuuming your carpets.
It's entirely antithetical to the underlying foundation of this republic to take money from some people to subsidize other peoples' product purchases. Contraception is cheap and freely available in the market. There's no reason to subsidize it. The idea that promoting widespread use of contraception is somehow an overriding public benefit is both questionable and beside the point. The daily use of toothpaste is an undeniable public health benefit of gargantuan proportions, but nobody promotes government subsidies for toothpaste.
Subsidy of elective regular purchases is also not what insurance is supposed to be for. In no other area of insurance would this be considered sane. Insurance is supposed to insure you against the unexpected catastrophe, not planned expenditures. That's why auto insurance doesn't cover oil changes and wiper blades, and homeowners insurance doesn't cover vacuuming your carpets.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Odd Simultaneous Beliefs #1
There are a number of common sets of beliefs that people hold simultaneously that seem very incongruous to me. More as they occur to me.
- Violent and sexual video games have no adverse effects on the people who play them or society as a whole -- but -- Political advertising is so powerful that the first amendment has to be violated to protect us from them.
- Executing killers makes us morally no better than the killers themselves. -- but -- Killing unborn children is perfectly fine.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Nut-Wing Extremist
The media is still characterizing Anders Behring Breivik as a right-wing extremist. In truth, he's nothing but an extreme nut. While he is superficially "right-wing" in his hatred of Islam, terrorism and the mass slaughter of innocents is not a characteristic of the western right in any sense.
I know some might object with a rejoinder such as "Hitler engaged n terrorism and the mass slaughter of innocents." However, Hitler was not a man of the right. Like all the great mass murders of the 20th century, Hitler was a leftist. I think Jonah Goldberg makes that case more completely than I ever could in his book Liberal Fascism.
I know some might object with a rejoinder such as "Hitler engaged n terrorism and the mass slaughter of innocents." However, Hitler was not a man of the right. Like all the great mass murders of the 20th century, Hitler was a leftist. I think Jonah Goldberg makes that case more completely than I ever could in his book Liberal Fascism.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Big Numbers Are Hard
People really don't get big numbers do they? Astronomers just found a planet in the habitable zone and note that it is a "mere" 22 light years from earth. Mere. The voyager probes are moving at about 37,000 miles per hour. At that speed, if I have my math right, they'd cover 22 light years in about 399,000 years. Just a jaunt.
The headline says the planet "is perfect for life."
Somehow I doubt that the consequences of having a 28-day orbital period would be trivial.
The headline says the planet "is perfect for life."
Somehow I doubt that the consequences of having a 28-day orbital period would be trivial.
The Volt Wishes It Was As Popular As The Edsel
PowerLine did a recent article on the Volt's embarrassingly bad sales
GM sold just 603 Volts in January 2012. Its best ever month was December 2011 with 1,529 sales. Back in July 2011 only 125 volts were sold. The car is a dramatic, epic failure, and each car sells with a $7,500 government purchase subsidy -- almost enough to by a traditional economy car (certainly enough for the down payment and a major chunk of the principle).
Searching for some perspective, I happened across this MotorTrend article on Ford's September 2011 sales numbers:
Ford sold 54,410 F-series trucks that month alone.
Plus:
19,510 Fusions
11,680 Edges
11,336 Explorers
Even the venerable Crown Victoria, a true gas guzzler, moved 3013 units that month alone!
The Volt is a sales debacle that puts the Edsel to shame, and it's on the taxpayer's dime.
There's an old joke where a business man is explaining his company's sales strategy "We lose money on every sale, but we're making it up in volume!" The joke is, of course, that you can't make up losses in volume when you lose money on every sale. Once upon a time, this was supposed to be a joke. It's reality for the Volt.
Except the reality is even worse: the Volt doesn't even have good volume.
GM sold just 603 Volts in January 2012. Its best ever month was December 2011 with 1,529 sales. Back in July 2011 only 125 volts were sold. The car is a dramatic, epic failure, and each car sells with a $7,500 government purchase subsidy -- almost enough to by a traditional economy car (certainly enough for the down payment and a major chunk of the principle).
Searching for some perspective, I happened across this MotorTrend article on Ford's September 2011 sales numbers:
Ford sold 54,410 F-series trucks that month alone.
Plus:
19,510 Fusions
11,680 Edges
11,336 Explorers
Even the venerable Crown Victoria, a true gas guzzler, moved 3013 units that month alone!
The Volt is a sales debacle that puts the Edsel to shame, and it's on the taxpayer's dime.
There's an old joke where a business man is explaining his company's sales strategy "We lose money on every sale, but we're making it up in volume!" The joke is, of course, that you can't make up losses in volume when you lose money on every sale. Once upon a time, this was supposed to be a joke. It's reality for the Volt.
Except the reality is even worse: the Volt doesn't even have good volume.
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