Few random things, completely unrelated...
Anybody heard of this book? The comic artist keeps reccommending books I'd already read (and liked), but this one is new to me. Should I devote part of my weekend to it?
From the Times:
In an effort to motivate our 7½-year-old grandson, Nathan, to call us, I decided on a monetary incentive: $1 for calling me in my office after school, $2 for calling us at home in the evening.
Recently, as I emerged from the Columbus Circle subway, my cellphone rang. It was Nathan.
He asked me where I was.
I replied that I had just left my office on 20th street and was a couple of blocks from our 60th Street apartment.
He paused for a moment, then asked, "Is this a $1 or $2 call?"
So, let me get this straight. In an effort to get more calls from her grandson, they've turned an action of love, or at least obligation, into a mercenary affair? And they clearly don't see anything wrong with it - it was sent it in as a cute comment that his very first question was "where are you?" and the second was "well, how much is this call worth, then?"
They'd like to have calls at any cost, I guess - even a cost greater than a subway fare, because it sounds like the cost is that he won't call unless he knows how much he's getting. Great plan. This, my friends, is a good example of the trouble with rewards.
An article on the "expectation of homophobia"
One on a German hip-hop band which uses Latin....
There is a demand to adopt children with Downs Syndrome (according to this article). Well, that's good.
On a group of people who are going electricity-free for a month to show solidarity with Iraqis.
And, for good measure, we've got the link on the Girl too Beautiful for Anti-Psychotics.
From the Times:
In an effort to motivate our 7½-year-old grandson, Nathan, to call us, I decided on a monetary incentive: $1 for calling me in my office after school, $2 for calling us at home in the evening.
Recently, as I emerged from the Columbus Circle subway, my cellphone rang. It was Nathan.
He asked me where I was.
I replied that I had just left my office on 20th street and was a couple of blocks from our 60th Street apartment.
He paused for a moment, then asked, "Is this a $1 or $2 call?"
So, let me get this straight. In an effort to get more calls from her grandson, they've turned an action of love, or at least obligation, into a mercenary affair? And they clearly don't see anything wrong with it - it was sent it in as a cute comment that his very first question was "where are you?" and the second was "well, how much is this call worth, then?"
They'd like to have calls at any cost, I guess - even a cost greater than a subway fare, because it sounds like the cost is that he won't call unless he knows how much he's getting. Great plan. This, my friends, is a good example of the trouble with rewards.
An article on the "expectation of homophobia"
One on a German hip-hop band which uses Latin....
There is a demand to adopt children with Downs Syndrome (according to this article). Well, that's good.
On a group of people who are going electricity-free for a month to show solidarity with Iraqis.
And, for good measure, we've got the link on the Girl too Beautiful for Anti-Psychotics.