Gucci Little Piggy

Kicking. Squealing.

Links

1.  A piece from Psychology Today:  More links between wheat and schizophrenia.

2.  Paul Sperry provides a concise reminder that, contrary to Obama’s rhetoric, it was Bill Clinton’s housing policies, called the National Homeownership Strategy, that have done the most damage to our economy.

3.  States with high numbers of illegal immigrants are also at the top of the list of states with the most income inequality.  Conn Carrol knocks down some of the other excuses, such as that the lack of unionization is the problem.  New York and California, both at the top of the list, are pro-union states.  Right-to-work states such as Iowa, Utah, and Wyoming have the lowest levels of income inequality.

4.  I’ve written before about how women suck at being roommates with each other.  Another example.

5.  Clockwork Orange Babies.

6.  Darden Restaurants has decided it will not limit its employees to fewer than 30 hours to avoid charges under Obamacare.  The company says it received negative feedback from customers. Idiot customers blaming a company for thinking about changing its behavior in response to a burdensome policy forced on them by the federal government.

7.  The apparent income inequality on display in the local toy aisle.

8.  Nate Silver predicts that Alaska will be a swing state.

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23 Responses to Links

  1. anon 12/10/2012 at 1:14 pm

    Re: #1
    Dr. Emily Burns, the writer of that article, has a very nice nutrition and mental health blog here http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/ if you’re interested in what a practicing Psych thinks about diet and supplementation.

  2. peterike 12/10/2012 at 1:19 pm

    The apparent income inequality on display in the local toy aisle.

    Ahhhh, the poor New York Times! If they only understood the concept of SWPLs and HBD they wouldn’t go around so befuddled and outraged at how the world works.

  3. FL 12/10/2012 at 1:34 pm

    Link #4: Several comments mentioned wanting to know if her roommate was really was “mean.” One specifically mentioned that “would help out alot.” Yeah, poisoning someone is fair play if they are a mean roommate.

  4. Camlost 12/10/2012 at 1:52 pm

    Women are much cleaner as roommates. And they won’t drink up all of your beer and liquor unapologetically.

  5. peterike 12/10/2012 at 2:00 pm

    Women are much cleaner as roommates. And they won’t drink up all of your beer and liquor unapologetically.

    Clearly you haven’t been to a college dorm lately.

  6. SOBL1 12/10/2012 at 3:04 pm

    #4 – I wonder if part of the problem is that women who think they are best friends room together. Men aren’t immune to roommate problems, but it might also be avoiding spairings at the start. I found the best success and witnessed good roommate pairings when the guys were good friends but not the best of friends.

    #7 – Gotta love that we live in such a plentiful society that even the poor kids have a section of the aisle of toys. The Latin American kids can just suck it with ‘ball in a cup’.

  7. Billy Chav 12/10/2012 at 3:12 pm

    #3: Under what economic model would importing millions of third world peasants not increase income disparity? This rivals the recent “Study shows: boys play more sports” for the Captain Obvious Mystery Decoder Ring Award.

  8. C.R. 12/10/2012 at 3:17 pm

    SOBL: perhaps women are more idealistic, thus the “they will change” mindset. men are more realistic and therefore avoid entering into circumspect roommate relationships.

  9. Georgia Boy 12/10/2012 at 3:21 pm

    The Betatimes’ toy article last paragraph: “The obvious counterpoint to these arguments is that there is no clear proof that toys intended to bolster cognitive abilities actually do so. At the very least, though, they signal to a child a parental investment in ambition and accomplishment, in active absorption over passive observation. It would take a very expansive view of the iCarly Truth or Dare Bear to believe it might do the same thing.”

    No clear proof? Try not a bit of evidence. And the kids are not thinking “Mommy and Daddy love me more” when they get the Mozart cube or whatever that thing was called. They’re thinking I wanted the Japanime toys the other kids are getting, why do we have to be so uncool? First world SWPL white guilt problems.

  10. SOBL1 12/10/2012 at 3:39 pm

    @Chuck – Bingo. I’d add the problem of women rotating through friends faster than men is also a part of it (at the average wedding, compare bridesmaids’ friendships with a bride to groomsmen with the groom).

  11. peterike 12/10/2012 at 3:50 pm

    No clear proof? Try not a bit of evidence.

    Hah hah! “Cognitive toyz.” What a laff.

    You want to give your kid some imagination and creativity? Here’s what ya do for boys. Get them a bunch of those little plastic soldiers. Or, if that’s too harsh on your peacenic mellow, some little plastic animals. Then get a giant pile of dirt — you know, soil — in your back yard. About five or six feet high, huge. Then send Johnny (or Ramon) out there to play in the dirt pile with the plastic figures, digging forts, making up stories. Weather permitting, add a hose to his muddy fun. Then notice how he’s suddenly gone all day long without pestering you that he’s bored. If you live in the city and can’t do the dirt pile, substitute a dozen boxes of different sizes, including at least one refrigerator sized box, if possible.

    For girls, get them some dolls and a nice doll house setup. And plastic cookware.

    Meanwhile, take every imagination destroying toy with a battery or a plug and hide it. This is especially true for any game consoles, which you should hide until Ramon and Bianca are 15 years old.

    The result? Endless imaginative play! Whoo hoo!

    Also, when Ramon’s little buddies come over for a “play date,” hand out lots of toy guns and plastic hand grenades. Nerf makes very enjoyable toys that shoot darts so harmless they won’t even offend Ramon’s guidance counselor (well….). Enjoy the hilarity that ensues. When Ramon and Paco get into a fight and start wrestling, allow it to continue until it stops of its own accord or one of them starts to bleed. At which point break up the fight, tell them both to shut up and stop crying, then make them shake hands.

  12. anonymous 12/10/2012 at 6:03 pm

    Women have no ability to operate as equals, they’re programmed to coexist either as members of a harem with a clear hierarchy. They don’t understand compromise and for the most part aren’t capable of it. Either total deference to a superior woman or total subjugation of an inferior one. Passive-aggressive shit like bleach poisoning is typical and expected female behavior in a situation like this.

  13. anonymous 12/10/2012 at 6:09 pm

    Not also, the fact that this girl feels COMPLETELY JUSTIFIED in attempting to murder (!) another girl because “she was mean” and there were some dirty dishes.

  14. K(yle) 12/10/2012 at 7:32 pm

    Toys R Us sells educational and “creative” toys, they just apparently don’t sell some trendy NYC-only toys. One of this Christmas’ must-have, trendy toys is a 3D maze, which is sold everywhere.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perplexus
    I’d say that is a “cognitive” toy.

    Building toys and arts & crafts stuff is likewise sold everywhere.

  15. Clarence 12/10/2012 at 8:10 pm

    If customers decide they want to only patronize businesses that actually give healthcare to their employees and/or don’t artificially limit their hours that is their right.
    If the customer is always right, then the customer is always right even when it would benefit the employees of a business.

    Of course Obamacare is only a salve to a festering problem…

  16. Promoting Justice 12/10/2012 at 8:13 pm

    Good job white boy clarence. Now wait for further instructions for fetching and polishing.

  17. culdesachero 12/10/2012 at 8:17 pm

    With CSPIA lording over everything aimed that “the precious children”, it’s surprising that there are any small manufacturers or independent toy stores left. http://overlawyered.com/tag/cpsia/

    With regards to food deserts and, now toy deserts, it seems to me that areas where people prefer Doritos and skittles over organic, free-range poultry and arugula are going to stock the said items. The same goes for whatever overpriced, gimmick being marketed to rich parents to guarantee their little Picasso or Einstein gets that into that prestigious advanced school program.

  18. C.R. 12/10/2012 at 8:21 pm

    yes, clarence, of course it’s their right. that’s a pointless statement.

  19. Clarence 12/10/2012 at 9:35 pm

    Chuck:
    Perhaps I didn’t understand what your point was, then.
    Was it that you hate Obamacare and those meanie customers should be shamed for helping to push Obamacare on a business?
    Hell, I HATE Obamacare. I don’t think it solves the issue of our country not having some form of Universal Health coverage, I think it was an example of political cowardice on Obama’s(and the Democrats in the Senate and House) part in how it got passed and what they left out (the public option), I think it’s a giveaway to the private insurance companies, I think many of its policies are stupid, I don’t think it will control costs (the main problem of the current system in addition to no real portability between jobs), and hell – I even think parts of it are Unconstitutional myself.
    But my point was whatever you think of Obamacare, I see many self-professed libertarians and conservatives who are all about how outsourcing (as an example, any one of a million other policies will do) saves money and is absolutely necessary and good because “the market” demands lower priced labor, and the market is the customer and the customer is always right.
    Except when the customers don’t like how a particular business deals with its employees or public opinion (which includes lots of customers) seems to be sympathetic to a particular union.
    Then suddenly the customer becomes an idiot.
    Now I’m going to give you more credit than that because not only are you intelligent but you work with customers nearly every day, and you know from experience that some customers ARE idiots.
    Still, I don’t think you disagree with the basic idea that businesses run best on the assumption that customers are always right, so what is your beef?

  20. Promoting Justice 12/10/2012 at 9:44 pm

    Now white boy clarence you will denounce racism. Then we will pat you on the head then we will have more assignments for you.

  21. Clarence 12/10/2012 at 9:58 pm

    Promoting Justice, you seem to want attention.
    I’m feeling generous today , so here:
    *gives you a cookie*.

  22. Promoting Justice 12/10/2012 at 10:54 pm

    Feeble boy makes feeble humor. your job white boy clarence is to denounce racism. There is nothing else you do well. So start denouncing.

  23. nick digger 12/10/2012 at 11:55 pm

    @Clarence: Except when the customers don’t like how a particular business deals with its employees or public opinion…seems to be sympathetic to a particular union. Then suddenly the customer becomes an idiot.
    The protesting customers (have they been proven to be actual customers of the target businesses?) are liars. They are not promising to patronize companies who provide healthcare, regardless of the price increases needed to pay for said benefits. They only promise to boycott if their proxy demands are not heeded. Other companies will make the necessary cuts, quietly, and without public policy announcement, to keep their prices lower and more competitive. Guess who will get the most business? Fewer customers at higher prices means fewer employees are needed to provide service, so the net result is the same: fewer hours clocked-in.

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