Constructive Construction

During my brief time in Chicago between LA and Shanghai roads were being reconstructed all over Chicago. It was a tremendous pain in the ass. To commute was to understand the infinite wait ahead of you. It was a Zen exercise that helped Chicago commuters appreciate the joys of completed infrastructure. I have been in Shanghai just over 2 months now. They have ripped apart and resurrected the sidewalk in front of my building 3(!!) times. When I return from the land of one man one jackhammer, I'm going to need to find a Sharper Image (who knew a struggling economy would turn its back) that sells a ratchet noise machine. Strangely this is not uncommon in Shanghai. Everything in the city is under construction. The streets are under construction. The sidewalks are under construction. The buildings are under construction (with badass bamboo scaffolding). But the odd thing is the construction is done quickly. The construction is efficient. Then the following week they rip it all up. They start over again. The World Expo is about 1 year from today. The Expo explains the construction. The Expo does not explain the repetition of construction. It feels like a Soprano's episode. In the analogy the Chinese Government is the Soprano Family. In this analogy I am every innocent bystander who is afraid to say anything or gets beaten with a lead pipe. I can't say China lacks for a commitment to strong infrastructure. I'm afraid to say they lack for insight on what to do with government directed labor forces (oops). Keep em busy, keep em happy. China may be onto something. The unemployment rate in the US is 8.5%. Perhaps it is better to keep people unnecessarily busy.

Outraged to the Point of Apathy

Has America gone through so much shit that we no longer realize when we've gone from waist to neck deep? At this point I don't blame anybody for their apathy. Its exhausting to continually invest in the melancholy that has surrounded the United States since Shrub took office in 2000. Nonetheless it bears on me as an inheritor of this country to feel that the checks and balances system is starting to feel like a rigged carnival game. I've attached two articles; if you're in a swell mood avoid them.

Glen Greenwald
Greeenwald continues to establish himself as a premier journalist in a period where they are most needed and least valued.

Robert Scheer
A former professor of mine and a STORIED journalist. For a journalist of this caliber, who has covered and experienced what he has, to be this outraged by the current occurrences does not bode well for the current entangled state of politics and financial institution.


Post Script: The country (and world) must take a sigh of relief and give itself its due credit for doing what they could with their voice by electing Barry. Without him at the helm this could and would be a bleaker picture. He has inherited a system that does not want reform nor does it look on itself as anything other than an incestual club of mirrored masturbators.

Our outrage is justified but insular. Newspapers are dying. Journalism is on the decline. People can literally consume media all day and learn nothing (my favorite website is hulu.com). But our shared responsibility is to stay involved. Be a quarter, an eighth, a hundredth as involved in everyday politics as the bullshit that comes with the presidential elections and we may have a shot of actually making politicians fear their constituencies. And isn't that what we the people want, a government that is scared shitless of we the people.

Possibly The Greatest Writing Team Ever Assembled (After 1789)

Carell, Colbert, Louis CK, Kaufman, Robert Smigel, Odenkirk. Jesus Christ its sarcasm's wet dream. Kaufman? Charlie Kaufman in a writers room is a Cuisinart of fear and intrigue. Can you imagine the discourse between him and Colbert? Yeah, me neither. The outcome of this Avengers/Team America workforce, 6 episodes and a fuck off. But allow me take this time to congratulate "Two & a Half Men" on its 6th season; keep up the sub-par work fellas.


Good luck Daniel.

The Man Behind the Man Behind the Man Running the Country

This is the man who will be blueprinting our country's budget for the next four (hopefully eight) years. Also the New Yorker did an interesting piece on him and the budget that is worth having a gander at.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Peter Orszag Pt. 2
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Post Script: Kudos to Jon Stewart on his continued excellence in the field of faux News. The opening paragraph in the New Yorker article does him more justice then I could.

Where in World is Nick Lafferty Update

Jesse White has obtained 2 recent pictures of "Nick" that should help with this global effort. Again if you have any information about this enlarged man-baby please contact el Blanco at whereintheworldisnicklafferty@whogivesashit.com. Thank you & god bless.

Have You Seen This Man?

Missing 4 days. Presumed dead. Russian ex-comrade wanted for questioning. If alive "Nick", as he responds to, will most likely be frequenting numerous eateries with this expression plastered on food depository. If you have any information regarding this debonair gentleman please contact The White at whreintheworldisnicklafferty@whogivesashit.com. It takes a village; lets find him. Updates coming.

Cheaper than a Cup of Coffee in Heels

Ayi is Chinese for maid. I have an ayi. I pay her the equivalent of three dollars an hour. She cleans my apartment in high heels. She does not wear these high heels over to the apartment. She leaves the high heels at my apartment. She comes over in normal flats, enters the apartment, removes her flats and puts on the high heels that have been sitting there since the last time she cleaned. I did not request that she clean in high heels. I will from now on request that all cleaning people (yes people) wear high heels. My ayi is comfortably in her 60s. I am perplexed. I would gladly up her wage to 4 dollars an hour. I am going to smoke a cigarette.