James Meisler

A favorite riddle of mine:

A son and father get in a car accident. They are rushed to two different hospitals. The son goes to get operated on and the surgeon says , “This is my son!” Who is the surgeon?

The reason I like this riddle so much is that it plays on the assumptions and stereotypes we make about gender roles.  This riddle also shows up in Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink.  Another answer I like is, “The boy is the son of  same-sexed parents.”  That way, we continue breaking common assumptions about gender roles and defy the status quo further…of course, we’re still making gender assumptions about surgeons.

Another riddle:

“Before you are two roads.  One road leads to the Land of Truth and one leads to the Land of Liars.  Each road is attended by a foot soldier.  The soldier from the Land of Truth will only tell the truth.  The soldier from the Land of Lies will only tell lies.  Given only one question, how do you ask the soldiers which way is the way to the Land of Truth?”

The answer to this one is fun: you ask one of them what the other would say.

If you had asked the one telling the truth he would tell say, “He would tell you to pick his road”

If you  had asked the one who lies, he would tell say, “He would tell you to pick my road”

Then you pick the other road because you know no matter what you’re being told,you are being lied to.  This method requires, at first, a lot of thinking.  However, there’s an easier solution, and I stole this from Werner Herzog’s “Kaspar Hauser.”  You ask one of them, “Are you a tree frog?”  Riddle solved.

Courtesy of NPR, a current events song, “Times is Hard” by Loudon Wainwright III. LGT the song and lyrics at NPR

Lyrics below the cut:

Read the rest of this entry »

Part 1 in a depressingly unending series:

From Amnesty International

From The Sudan Tribune

Okot Odhiambo, a senior leader of the Ugandan rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army has promised to surrender himself to Ugandan authorities and defect from the LRA, an armed rebel group formed in 1987 bent on creating a theocracy.  Its founder, Joseph Koney, believes himself a spiritual medium.  The LRA is responsible for numerous human rights violations including enlisting children to engage in hostility, rape, sexual slavery, murder and mutilation.

Obhiambo, who has been described as the most bitter of the group leaders, is said to have killed the most people.  The International Criminal Court issued warrants for his and other members’ arrests in 2005, but LRA leaders vowed not to surrender unless they are granted immunity from prosecution.  His arrest comes brings relief to nearly 2 million displaced Ugandans and the families of the more than 10,000 killed in the conflict.  However, there is concern whether he will be handed over to the ICC for prosecution.  Obhiambo has offered to defect if he is granted immunity from ICC proceedings.

Amnesty International has criticized the International Organization for Migration for facilitating the transfer of Obhiambo back to Kampala, Uganda instead of turning him over to the ICC for prosecution.

Ugandan officials believe they are close to apprehending Koney.

At least, I don’t until well into the year.  Since the election season is over, I’ve decided to use the next two months before the 2010 mid-terms begin reading alternative view points.  Most people don’t believe me, but I like to think of myself as fairly moderate.  So, to make sure that my news-reading remains balanced, I’m giving a list of where I get my political news.

1. The Fark Politics Page

Why I like it: Fark is one of the most diverse web communities out there.  The site is moderated very well and the nifty political thermometers help gage the political leanings certain articles.  Most of the comments are well reasoned and with a few exceptions, the dialog is civil and there are enough people posting and critiquing the comments and articles that factual inaccuracies, exaggerations, and logical fallacies are kept to a minimum.

Is it balanced? Yes.  Just look at the meters!

2. The Stranger/Slog

Why I like it: In two words, Dan Savage.  There are few issues where I will only take one side, and chief among them is same-sex marriage.  His column (and Lovecast) are phenomenal, too.  Additionally, I would really like to live in STL.

Is it balanced? No.  But think of it as a bottomless well of Dan Savage.

3. The Atlantic.

Why I like it: Recently, they decided to release all of their archives for free on their site.  That I like.  The literature and articles are some of the best I’ve ever read and as far as magazines go, I can’t think of one that presents balanced articles.  The January/February 2009 edition is an exception though, I think.

Is it balanced? Between Andrew Sullivan, Marc Ambinder, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, I’ll have to say, “Yes.”

4. Pew Research Center

Why I like it: I will be the first one to tell you there is no such thing as objectivity in reporting.  PRC is just about as objective as it gets.  I also use its News IQ quiz to measure my self-worth.  If I don’t score a 10/10, I’m pretty disappointed.

Is it balanced: My other “balanced” news sources are balanced in that they present multiple points of view with equally.  This source is mostly objective.

5. Charleston City Paper (The Southern Avenger/Jack Hunter)

Why I like it: Hunter is a local institution in my home town, Charleston, SC.  He is a classical conservative whose opinions are well-reasoned.  I often disagree with him, which is one of the reasons I like him so much.  There are few local columnists whose writing quality ever compare to the Avenger’s. His columns frequently depict local situations with international implications.  I used to listen to his spot on The Critic on 96 Wave.

Is it balanced? The Southern Avenger is certainly conservative, but I will keep him in this list to balance out Dan Savage.

6. National Public Radio – Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Market Place

Why I like it: I live in broadcast range of three NPR affiliate stations–between them there is usually something interesting on.  An NPR affiliate station is an integral part of its community, providing an outlet for information free of the profit-motive.  They bring emerging talent to their listening areas.  I spend two hours of my work day in the car, so it’s nice to get the variety that All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Marketplace have to offer.

Is it balanced? This is a point of contention.  Since, as an NPR liberal, my credibility here is shot, I’ll use science. Quarterly Journal of Economics finds that on a scale of 50-100: 50 being purely centrist and 100 being most liberal, NPR scores about 66.  It’s ranked 12th out of 20 other news outlets, which all average out to about 62.  So NPR is left of center, but not much so than most media outlets.  Also, it’s worth noting that in the most recent election cycle, NPR has more stories about McCain than Obama.  However, according to Pew, a higher percentage of McCain’s stories were negative by a margin of almost 2:1…but come on, everyone in the media had a field day with Palin. 

…There are many more sources that I will frequently post here or on my Twitter feed.