September 26, 2008
Four For Friday
Q1 - Special: In addition to standard menu items, many restaurants offer one or more specials of the day. If your waiter or waitress describes an appealing special but neglects to mention its price, would you order it without asking about the cost?
Q2 -Enawene: Earlier this year, pictures showing the Enawene Nawe tribe of Amazon indians aiming weapons at an airplane overhead made headlines across the United States. The photos, according to the producers of ABC's Nightline television show, inspired them to travel deep into the Amazon to meet the Enawene Nawe, a tribe that reportedly has never before been filmed for television. Do you think there is something inherently wrong with outsiders interacting with or filming never before seen indigenous tribes, or does studying their way of life outweigh any potential negative side effects caused by such actions?
Q3 - Housing: In describing the recent financial crisis here in the U.S., President Bush said: "Easy credit -- combined with the faulty assumption that home values would continue to rise -- led to excesses and bad decisions. Many mortgage lenders approved loans for borrowers without carefully examining their ability to pay. Many borrowers took out loans larger than they could afford, assuming that they could sell or refinance their homes at a higher price later on. Optimism about housing values also led to a boom in home construction. Eventually the number of new houses exceeded the number of people willing to buy them. And with supply exceeding demand, housing prices fell. And this created a problem: Borrowers with adjustable rate mortgages who had been planning to sell or refinance their homes at a higher price were stuck with homes worth less than expected -- along with mortgage payments they could not afford. As a result, many mortgage holders began to default." Do you believe homeownership is a privilege or a right?
Q4 - Television: What is your current favorite television show -- one that you make a point of watching during its regularly scheduled time as often as humanly possible?
Posted by Mikal at September 26, 2008 11:21 PM
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1) I always ask the price. And if the special is a filet mignon I always ask how many ounces. I don't like negative surprises associated with food.
2) If they think they can shoot an airplane down with an arrow I think they need help. Or, perhaps they have a superior arrow that can shoot down a plane. If that is the case, I think it's a national security issue, and they should be studied.
3) I believe we all have the right to pursue home ownership. I don't believe that right guarantees a home for everyone.
If a person exercises their rights responsibly, they are rewarded. Irresponsibly, they suffer.
4) I Tivo all the programs I care about, so I don't watch anything at it's regularly scheduled time. But my favorite is probably Mad Men.
1. I am too cheap and don't want to look cheap, so if they don't mention the price, I skip it. As they say, "if you have to ask, you can't afford it!"
2. ABC should never have gone into the area looking for that tribe. What are they now anthropologists? Journalists should stay out and respect the space and privacy of probably the last remaining tribe that has not been tainted by western materialism and corruption. But that's just one man's opinion.
3. Home ownership is overrated. It's not the great American dream to own a home. Besides, when something breaks down when your renting it is your landlord's problem. When you are a home owner, it is your problem and costs of maintenance, repairs, upkeep, plus a high mortgage that people can't really afford causes stress, anxiety, ulcers, and is not worth it!
4. Hmm, I'm a big fan of The Office.
Q1. No, I order after I know the price.
Q2. ABC is stretching it. Honestly, I don't what they are thinking - or, for that matter, most of the 'mainstream media' these days. What are these people thinking?
Q3. Bush's comments pretty much sum up the whole issue - that and the issue of derivative securities being created off of these bad loans by Wall Street.
Home ownership is a privilege. It's interesting to ask that same question of our generation, our parents and our grandparents - what do/did they say and how do the answers compare?????
Q4. The Office - it's a great show.
BTW, I am watching SNL now and my question is WHERE ARE ALL OF THE SKITS ON JOE BIDEN???? There is SO much material... hmmmm, we've got 'Stand up Chuck', FDR discussing/announcing the Great Depression on TV, Biden's disproval of the McCain email ad, Biden's racist comments at a Dunkin' Donuts oh and another recent one.... Biden telling a group in a PA coal town that the US would abolish coal production (to prevent against the horrors of China).
Back to the comments for Q2 - main stream TV outside of sitcoms is mostly crap.
mine is up, my answer is posted in my blog http://thefishgate.blogspot.com/2008/09/special-housing-television.html
A1. Considering the specials are always within range of other menu items, I typically order if I'm interested; unless it's "market price" speciality seafood, such as lobster or crab. That typically costs significantly more.
A2. Questionable whether there is a benefit of "making contact". The contact becomes an "object of study and investigation" (like a glass box) instead of true understanding and community. They, as a people, can stand firm and protect their way of life and I'm fine with not seeing them on tv.
A3. This is a difficult one. When you say "homeownership" - what is classified as homeownership? A minimum wage worker can not afford homeownership, but do they have a right to it? Absolutely. I think the flaw lies in the credit market. The system has a fundamental flaw and needs to be corrected. A system similar to the UK would be fairer. But, you can blame the present financial situation on homeowners who got 'easy credit'. The blame rests with mortgage companies, lenders, and politicians.
A4. nothing! Not enough time to watch it.
1. If I am paying, I would ask. What can it hurt to ask?
2. I thought I read that it was all a hoax. But whether it's a real "undiscovered" tribe or not, I say just leave them alone. There is no need to study them, they aren't bothering anyone. Leave them be. Have we learned nothing from the past? Look at how indigenous peoples the world over have been treated by the White Man. Maybe there is a reason no one knew of this tribe before. Maybe THEY don't need to know of or be known outside of where they live.
3. This is also part of the problem, people believe they have a right to buy a house because they want to have that American Dream. And while there is nothing wrong with the Dream, if you can't afford it, you can't buy it. That's why there is so much credit card debt. People want what they want when they want it, regardless of whether or not they can pay for it. I know some people who feel pressured to buy a house because their parents think it's a good investment, which it may be, but these people can't afford to buy a house right now. I think we in the U.S. have become so materialistic, we hurt ourselves just so we can have more things.
4. I like to watch Project Runway and Top Chef when they are on (Weds. 9:00 PM). Other than that, I don't usually watch TV.
Q1: No. In fact, I usually avoid "specials," because it seems that the price is not so "special" anymore. I think in the good old days, the word meant that the restaurant was offering a good deal. Now the word appears to mean that the restaurant is either offering something not on its menu or simply highlighting one of its selections.
Q2: Leave them alone. We've already screwed up too many cultures.
Q3: I believe that just about everything is a privilege you have to earn - even the so-called "right" to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is a privilege you need to earn by being responsible. By the way, I think Bush's summation of the problem was one of the clearest and most succinct explanations I've heard about the root causes of this mess... and one of Bush's clearest communications to the public of his entire presidency.
Q4: Now that I'm a member of Blockbuster Online, I watch very little television. I can get a movie for just about every night of the week. (I've been discovering some good oldies I never knew existed.) I'm also a bit of a Sudoku addict.
1- Not likely, I tend to order based on volume per dollar.
2- Nothing inherently wrong with outsider interference, that's pretty much what the entirety of human history has been about.
3- Home ownership is not an entitlement. It might be part of the American Dream, but you have to earn every bit of that.
4- Fringe, though I usually DVR it and start about a half hour late... I hate commercials.
Mine are posted at my blog.
Have a wonderful week.
Take care
Q1 - Special: Being that I don't own a bottomless bucket full of money, I never purchase anything without knowing the price first. I always ask if I'm interested.
Q2 - New Tribe: I don't see any reason not to go in and introduce ourselves and say, "Hey, did you know there's a mall up the street?" Personally, I would love to learn more about their culture and history.
Q3 - Housing: Owning a home is a right, just like owning a Ferrari is.
Q4 - Television: I really like the new show Life. But, like many others these days, I DVR it and watch it at my own leisure.
Q1 - I feel like 99% of the time I don't want the special. And having read 'Kitchen Confidential' and dating a person who has worked in a restaurant for 17 years of her life, you probably shouldn't want the 'special' either. That being said, I probably wouldn't ask.
Q2 - Not to burst the question's bubble, but the tribe was known: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/21/amazon?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
I don't think we should bother them. We bother enough people. Plus, they might have voodoo powers and make zombies out of us
Q3 - Owning a home is not a right, you should have to work hard to get one and to keep one.
Q4 - Nothing really holding my interest now. Heroes' season premier was nothing special. Too many things going on with too many characters and I hate time travel stories. I've got Mad Men queue'd up on my netflix but haven't delved into it yet. The Bears and White Sox are taking up my TV time right now.
Q1- Probably, depends on how hungry I am. I believe that sometimes you need to treat yourself and eat like the Gods, no matter the price...and then pay for it (literally/figuratively) later!
Q2- No real opinion
Q3- It, like most other things is a privilege. You shouldn't be able to own something if you can't pay for it. I may not know enough about this subject, but it seems that most financial institutions will loan almost anyone money (if they can pay it back or not) knowing/thinking/assuming/ that they will get their money back regardless. That is not right I don't think.
Q4- The Office. Love it! I used to be into Prison Break, but it started to get a little out site for me.
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