Re-paint

Last month I carefully sanded and painted the passenger side rear corner of our 2001 Dodge Caravan. It didn't look perfect, but it was more than passable. Yesterday someone scraped the same part of the same car while it was sitting on a parking lot. So tonight I rode the same bicycle back to the same auto parts store and the same guy sells me another can of the same type of paint as I stood there wearing the same bike helmet that I wore last time. "Have we met?," he asked. I explained, "Yes, you're the guy who insisted that I use grade 2,000 sand paper last time, and I refused, saying that it would make that part of the car look too nice--and it all would have been for naught. I explained why I had returned, then asked, "Did I CAUSE that jerk to scrape my car yesterday by choosing to paint it last month? He said, "Yes. That's how life works."

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How long is the iTunes terms and conditions?

How long are the iTunes terms and conditions? 32 feet. The set of iTunes disclosures was printed out in 8 pt font and measured by Omri Ben-Shahar's and Carl E. Schneider. They have written a new book on the failures of consumer disclosures titled: More Than You Wanted to Know. In the following video, Ben-Shahar characterizes mandated consumer disclosures as the "most common and possibly the least useful form of regulation." Watch the demonstration of the physical length of the iTunes contract here.

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Mayday: Our government is going down in flames

Are you tired of merely complaining about government corruption? Here's your chance to do something. I just donated a significant amount of money to the SuperPac Kickstart campaign created by Lawrence Lessig, a tireless leader in the election reform movement. Listen to his 5-minute presentation and then ask yourself, "Isn't this what I've been waiting for?" Please . . . PLEASE listen to this message and consider joining this movement. This approach has real potential to change the way Washington works. You'll need to get past the dark irony that it will take money to beat money. The battle cry is "Mayday"--our government is going down in flames. Become a proud player in this effort. Mayday PAC Launch from lessig on Vimeo.

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Conversing in a public library

Once a month I teach English as a Second Language at the St. Louis Public Library. I'm assigned a small corner of a big library and I teach English conversational skills to a group of up to eight adults at a time, people from all over the world. During this afternoon's class, a group of talkative men sat 20 feet away from our table. They weren't part of any group, just guys talking with each other. Those men made it somewhat difficult for my students to hear each other, forcing us to be louder than normal. Eventually the Library Security Guard briskly walked up to the table where I was teaching and told my class to stop talking. I told him I was teaching ESL, but he said he didn't care. He told me to quit talking. I showed him the sign designating our space (see the photo - "Conversation Practice") and told him "It is my JOB to converse with these students." He said that if I didn't stop talking he would throw all of us out of the library.

ESL sign

I found the librarian in charge, convincing him that the unauthorized loud talkers nearby should be quiet, so that we could continue with our class. Eventually, the librarian agreed while the security guard sulked. My English conversation lesson for the next 15 minutes was focused on making fun of the ignoramus security guard.

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