hot pants college II

"It was over the last century, says Cain, that society began reshaping itself as an extrovert’s paradise—to the introvert’s demise. She explains that before the twentieth century, we lived in what historians called a “culture of character,” when you were expected to conduct yourself morally with quiet integrity. But when people starting flocking to the cities and working for big businesses the question became, how do I stand out in a crowd? We morphed into a “culture of personality,” which she says sparked a fascination with glittering movie stars, bubbly employees and outgoing leadership."

"The kicker for me from the NYTimes piece is that it wouldn’t cost Apple that much more per iPhone to make it in the United States. Cost isn’t the problem. The problem is one of infrastructure. We don’t have enough people with the right knowledge and/or skill sets necessary to compete. We don’t have the supplier chain scale or companies who can make things like screws or other machined parts and make them quickly. Systemic failure to adapt. This failure starts with education and reaches deep into the pysche of this nation starving for jobs and wanting to build things at home. It’s hard to look in the cultural mirror sometimes, but these stories are fantastic examples telling us we must look. And we know before we do, what we see will be difficult to grasp at its most full."

"Grim agrees that the life of these dogs and cats can be hell: “Right now I have 500 to 600 dogs in our system, and 70 percent of them have gunshot wounds.” Starvation is never far off (when temperatures drop below freezing, thirst can also be a problem). Disease claims even more of them, and humans are the biggest threat of all, as the fiasco in Harrisburg shows."

"We elected Barack Obama at least in part because he was a relative newcomer who wasn’t yet steeped in Washington culture (“I haven’t had the hope boiled out of me,” he used to say on the campaign trail.) We thrilled to his family because they seemed like regular middle class people (even if the president’s book earnings had made them newly rich) who wanted to live their values. But then they’re criticized when they act normal and try to maintain their own lives – because they take date nights, for instance, or because the president tries to eat dinner with his family five nights a week."

"Also, do we want to be purposely desensitizing people to the sight of a baby face-down in the pool? *puffs cigarette* Ahhh, fuck it. Probably a doll. I saw a sign about it once. Let’s go get nachos."

"Yet only children aren’t so tragic. They not only tend to do as well or slightly better academically than their siblinged counterparts, they also have just as many friends. And in a 2010 Time magazine story, Lauren Sandler mentioned a groundbreaking study that showed “the personalities of only children were indistinguishable from their peers with siblings.” The study, by the way, was published 25 years ago. You’d think it would have sunk in by now."

"However, we have a profound and professional disagreement with Bloom concerning the practice of “good journalism.” We do not believe, as he does, that good journalism entails scathing attacks on powerless people, nor do we endorse any work riddled with inaccuracies and factual errors and based on sweeping generalizations and superficial stereotypes."

"For that price, you get several delightfully tiny jars full of protein and fiber powder, a “probiotic anti-microbial,” “herbal anti-microbial” and “strong probiotic,” and doses of insulin regulator, digestive enzymes, and “liver support,” all of which will combine to keep your loose assemblage of sloppy organs and Beef Jerky odds-and-ends from totally collapsing while Paltrow’s powder GOOPs the goop right out of you. And when it’s all over, you’ll be left with a clean, sparkling colon that meets with Gwyneth Paltrow’s approval, so long as you continue to insist on having one. Perhaps next year you may see your way to finally upgrading to a shaft of infinite shimmering light."

"I’m asking because there obviously needs to be a real cultural conversation about population growth and how many kids we should all have. But I don’t think that a conversation about how much damage more children would cause is the answer. I don’t think guilting and shaming each other helps."

"Glanville, whose marriage to Eddie Cibrian ended in 2010 when he took up with LeAnn Rimes, surely knows the difference between a loving commitment and something you do because you couldn’t get tickets for Cirque du Soliel. And a woman who cheerfully – and constantly — refers to herself as a “hot mess” and ends every tweet with either an exclamation point or a smiley face isn’t someone who takes her own antics seriously. But is “just for fun” really an acceptable excuse for a wedding, especially in a state where same-sex couples still can’t do the same? When did getting married become the go-to stunt, not just for crazy teens or those desperate for a green card, but for 39-year-old moms?"