Poltifact.com is an interesting site that provides a much needed breath of honest air in our national political debate. But they seem to lean away from the President bias-wise. One example: in calling out his "lie" that he wouldn't raise taxes on anyone making less than 250K they point out that the Health Care Reform bill imposes some forms of taxes on behaviors irrespective of income. To my mind they seem to be reaching. Here is one gem of analysis that particularly stood out:

Obama has made the case that the tax penalty for people who decline to buy insurance should not be considered a broken promise on taxes. If that tax, better known as the individual mandate, were the only new measure we were considering, we might be inclined to rate this a Compromise. But the fact is, if you're a happily uninsured smoker who likes to tan, you are facing a triple whammy.

Now, this may technically make a fibber out of the President, but it also seems like about the most reasonable policy I can imagine. As a tax-payer, I definitely want take a little something up front from this theoretical citizen (Charlie Christ by Christmas?) before they inevitably end up getting their chemo/radiation/oxygen/melanectomy/skin-graft/death-panel referral, etc. through the county ER.

Self Reflection

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be." I had a peak at the letter my Professor wrote to the judge today, and it got me thinking. This was not a letter of recommendation, but rather a note from an old friend. This was never intended for my eyes. The other clerks were looking through their files, and I thought I would peak at mine. This is a professor whose class I did very well in, and ended up TAing for in the fall. He had many good things to say, including, that I was a good citizen. He also had some interesting things to say that I had not expected. In his eyes I am rough around the edges, dont dress up, probably come from a unprivileged background, and have trouble with some social cues. This is coming from my favorite professor, the teacher I respected most. I do not even know why any of those negative aspects would be relevant to me being a clerk. He is right about a couple of things, I do not come from a privileged background and I never really cared about how I looked in class. Ok, I also might come off a little rough around the edges at first. However, I never really consider myself as having trouble reading social cues. But does it matter how I consider myself, or am I just what other people see me as? I had never had that many interactions with the professor, so I racked my brain trying to pin point where his idea could have gotten that idea. We had never interacted in social circumstances, all our interactions had been academically related. It is strange to see yourself in another persons eyes. Clearly me and the prof come from different backgrounds. I went to an small hippie liberal arts school and he went to Harvard for our undergrad. He is Catholic and I am Jewish and there must be many other cultural differences. I wonder if we have differing expectations of social cues. Perhaps we can never really know who we are until we see ourselves though someone else.

Sedars

It's been awhile since I last blogged. Two passover seders, a fantasy baseball draft and a brother's visit.

Things are good. The GF and I had two sedars, one at my parent's house and one at hers. Nothing special. At my families sedar, we tried to speed through everything to get to the food, because we wanted to eat at GF's parent's house we sped through everything, by normal standards to get to the food, because of toddlers and babies. At the GF's we didn't skip anything, just didn't do any of the haggadah after the meal.

The week before passover my brother came to town. He brought his baby and wife to visit. It was a nice visit, but my niece cried a lot. And I didn't get anything done.

My friend, D, got out of the hospital. So we have been talking again. Which is nice. He feels like a loser, because he has no job or girl. I think it's kind of ridiculous. When you get out of a hospital for a mental condition. I think just getting back to normal is enough of a goal. even if normal means volunteer work, or minimum wage part-time job and masterbating to porn on the internet. Doing those things and re-entering society is enough. Girlfriend? Most girlfriends require a steady paying job, no? Maybe he'll meet a girl that will love him for who he is. (and hopefully he'll love her back; but that isn't even the happy ending story in movies.)

Note: as I publish this, my friend Doug is feeling good again. Which is great. One week out and he seems fine. Hope this is his last visit to the Hospital.

Fantasy baseball season is happening, and I need to get a life. Fantasy baseball is all I think about, and want to talk about. I didn't draft well this year. So I'm doubtful I'll be able to defend my title. Wish me luck. Players that I shouldn't have drafted. Ben Sheets, Chris Coughlin, Nate McLouth. Wish me luck.

I won my college basketball bracket, but don't think I'll get paid. Which is just like George, even when I win, I lose; or at the least I don't win.

Peace out.

GCNOF

My Passover In Puerto Rico

Last year and this year were the first years I can remember when I did not make it home for passover. Last year the Jewish Law Student association had a Seder, and I made Matza ball soup for 50. This year I went to the Chabad house's Seder. They rented out a room in one of the fanciest hotels in San Juan, the El San Juan Hotel and Casino. There must have been over a hundred people at the Seder, including 15 or so kids who ran around the whole time. I had fun, and if nothing else the wine flowed like water during the Seder. I sat next to two Israelis who opened moved to Puerto Rico, and opened up a kiosk in the mall selling dead sea beauty supplies. On my other side was a clerk for the 1st Circuit court of appeals. There was also a family visiting their mother, from Buffalo, and a MIlF. Let me start off by saying that I had no idea how hot Israeli woman could be, at least the saphardic ones. I could not tell them apart from the Puerto Rican Jews. I need to go visit the holy-land. At some point I accidentally consumed gifilta fish thinking it was chicken. I quickly learned my mistake, but pretty much finished the fish anyways. However, I have no interest in ever consuming the stuff again. The Rabbi went a little to the conservative side when telling the story of passover. After the usual story he started to talk about Israel, and how we had to love and defend the country no mater what. He harped about the unfair view given of Israel by the other western countries. At one point he mentioned the killing of the Hamas member in Dubai, and how no one really know who killed the man, so it was unfair to point the finger at Israel. The two Israelis at the table looked at me and said it was the Massad, their faces saying duh. I tried to keep my liberal views from getting the best of me and kept my mouth shut. I just wanted to enjoy the Seder. After the meal the family across the table from me decided it was time to leave, and the grandmother, who lived in PR, started handing out her business card. All it said was her name, number, and consultant. I asked the MILF, who seemed to be in the know, who she was. The MILF winked at me, like we were both sharing a joke, and said she would tell me later. It turns out the grandmother was part owner of one of the biggest banks in PR. She is one of us so it clearly came as no surprise. I now have her card, but what would I need her consultation for, unless I wanted to get a loan in PR. Anyway I traded numbers with the Israelis, and hopefully I will hang with them before I go back. P.S. My dick parts the sea.