Obligatory music post

[VIDEO] It's interesting how in spite of my lack of interest in much at times, I always discover something that proves to be interesting. I only wish the music industry could produce this quality today although there is an apparently lack of hipness on my part therefore there's probably something out there worthwhile that's worth listening to.

Anyway, I got wind of a 34-year-old rap song by The Sugar Hill Gang - Rapper's Delight. Wow, blows me away and unfortunately I found the 14 minute version of this song. What's in the video above is the 12" single version.

What also helped bring the song to my attention was a artful rendition of this song shown on Tonight with Jimmy Fallon during their premiere week. Basically editing footage of NBC anchors Brian Williams and Lester Holt. [VIDEO]

BTW, if you're from Chicago you might remember Mr. Holt as an anchor at WBBM-TV.

ALSO, I've downloaded from iTunes a much shorter version of this song. So now I can carry it with me as long as I'm able to play this song! :)

VIDEO: The Economics of Sex

[VIDEO] Today in this snowy President's Day here in Chicago, we take a look at the economics of sex. I had an entirely different idea about the point made in the video. Therefore I had to rewrite this post because I thought the economics of sex involved today's economy. Not so, there's more to it than that and today's economy is not at all mentioned in this vid. So, this video above explores how difficult it is for women to seek a committed relationship with men and vice-versa!


It appears the New York Post writes about the video you see above and found via Newsalert!

BTW, this video is produced by the Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture!

The Atlantic: What College Graduates Regret

This makes sense, I wish I had been more serious about finding work whether a part-time job or an internship before finally getting my sheepskin. Who knows I'd have been a lot more focused if it has worked out that way.

A recent Pew study complicates this picture a little bit. It found that, yes, a third of college graduates who majored in social science, liberal arts or education regretted their decision. (In comparison, 24 percent of people with science and engineering degrees wish they'd studied something else.) But overall, when asked what they wish they'd done differently in college, "choosing a different major" wasn't the top answer. The most popular answer, given by half of all respondents, was "gaining more work experience." Choosing a different major was the fourth most popular response, after "studying harder" and "looking for work sooner."

A possible lesson here: Picking a major with a real-world application might be overrated, at least as college graduates themselves see it. What students really need is experience putting their knowledge to practical use while they're still in school.

I majored in political science, there certainly was a way to use my degree in that particular field surely. Only really used it once having worked polls doing exit polling during a research project. I wrote about it here.

In any case, it's not enough to say if you major in art history who's fault is that? Yeah you might have a better shot if you majored in business, a science or engineering. At the same time work experience counts, find a job in your field while you're still in school or if nothing else just find a job period.

It won't matter in the long run if you got the right degree because just coming out of college it will be about your work experience. Why not come out of school armed with it!

Via Instapundit another sign of the "higher education bubble"!

Daily Princetonian: Many people shouldn't go to college

Found this over at Instapundit with the quote: "So you've heard it from me, you've heard it from Barack Obama, and now it's the Daily Princetonian"

I'm assuming that the Daily Princetonian is a student newspaper and this column was written by a religion major. So therefore was it a matter of time before a college student or college newspaper write such an opinion. Some of the arguments here make sense:

Policymakers and university administrators have admirably worked to expand access to college over the past several decades. In terms of enrollment rates, their efforts have been successful — matriculation increased by thirty seven percent between 2000 and 2010. So, the good news is that we’re getting young adults on campus. But we are profoundly failing them as a country after that; America’s graduation rate sits at an abysmal 53 percent, including community colleges. This disparity betrays a critical disconnect, one not discussed often enough — that a large swath of those lured to college should never have attended.

Seemingly insurmountable odds work against the typical young American. A college graduate today has to contend with an average of nearly $30,000 in student loan debt. The overall jobless rate for those between sixteen and twenty four is fifteen percent, more than double the national average. That said, the reality is that a large number of college students have no business being at four year universities.

American culture aggressively pushes the college experience and dismisses skeptics as snobs. Master plumbers, for example, make roughly between $50,000 — approximately the national average — and $80,000 a year. So why is it considered so wrong to encourage people to pursue the profession, or another like it, instead of a college degree? One path all but ensures a life in the middle class; for far too many, the other only guarantees crushing debt and no degree.

Therefore those who are in college now, probably weren't ready or qualified for college. This is something you'd really have to want in the first place, expectation or no expectation. And you can't expect everyone else to take care of it for you, if you have no skin in the game anyway.

Of course skin in the game for me would mean cash money, if one is lucky no loans at all! Perhaps some grants and scholarships, but nothing would beat a part-time job while you're in school. Especially if you can't afford to go on your own.

So Detroit had made a bid for the 1968 games

While it appears that the winter olympics is about to start in Sochi, Russia this year Curbed Detroit took a look at plans for the 1968 summer olympics in Detroit. Unfortunately it didn't happen for them, but it pays to dream I suppose. What would've been if the Motor City had gotten the games?

BTW, ultimately for the 1968 Summer Games Detroit had lost out to Mexico City. As noted by Curbed the Mexico City games were noted by the Black Power salute of medal winning members of the US Track & Field team.

Classical liberalism superior to libertarianism?

The political philosopher in me is somewhat intrigued by this article found at Instapundit!. For a long-time I've considered myself a "classical-liberal" although there's not a certainty as to what that means. I've always equated that philosophy with libertarianism, however, it seems that you still can't. There are some differences as explored in this article.

One takeaway is that the discussion is centered around US Sen. Rand Paul who's only in his first term as a Senator and is something of a rising star. Let's not forget his father was Presidential contender and former US Congressman Ron Paul.

While I'm sure that this is not the only classical-liberal book out there, it's probably about time to read John Locke's Second Treatise of Government (which is a public domain book) again. Thankfully without the pressure of school! :P