An Ideal Place

I'm just thinking out loud today. As an immigrant, I don't have deep roots in any country or particular place. Consequently, while others say that they'd never move out of a particular place because their family has been there for generations, I am more geographically open-minded. I often think about what my ideal place would be, and I've come up with a basic list of its characteristics:

1. 5 mins (by car) near a YMCA.

2. 5 mins (by walk) near a small park with a basketball court.

3. At least two Vietnamese/pho restaurants.

4. A community college or university within 30 mins that has a good speakers series.

5. Little to no natural disaster risk.

6. A diverse age demographic.

7. Little to no air pollution.

8. Low crime rate.

9. Reasonable prices for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1200 to 1500 sq ft house.

10. Located in a county that voted for President Obama in the 2008 election. I am not a registered Democrat, and I did not vote for President Obama in the national election; however, I prefer to live in a county where a majority of people rejected Sarah Palin's brand of conservatism and the Iraq war.

Additional considerations: a Dave and Buster's nearby would be nice.

It appears that Minneapolis, MN and Milwaukee, WI are two major cities that meet my criteria. Columbia, MO also meets my criteria. Newark, CA might make the list if housing prices deflate. (Some places within Newark, CA appear far enough from the Hayward Fault Line.) Others have suggested Lawrence, KS and Bloomington, IN. There must be a city in Iowa that meets my criteria, but I can't seem to find one that is safe from natural disasters. If you have other suggestions, please post a comment.

CalAware

Most people know about the EFF, but what about CalAware? Kudos to them for helping keep California government open and transparent.

The Cost of the Protected Class

Hat tip to Mish.

Michael Moore's Capitalism

Michael Moore, from the movie Capitalism (3/5 stars):

In the land of the brave, nothing works better than good old-fashioned fear.

When it comes to acerbic wit, Mr. Moore is quite good.

Funny?: Getting Kicked in the Gonads

If someone takes the time to post an insightful comment, I usually check out his or her profile. If I'm lucky, the profile will lead me to the commenter's blog. Here's an interesting blog post from "Matt," who appears to be Indiana-based. I'm going to share one of his funny Q&As with you:

What does being kicked in the balls really feel like?

Like being kicked in the balls. To those who know, no explanation is necessary. To those who do not know, no explanation is sufficient. I won't claim women are incapable of experiencing comparable pain (you'd NEVER get me to go through childbirth!) but there's really no adequate frame of reference to _explain_ the feeling more specifically than "it hurts. A lot. Way more than you'd think it would. Be glad YOUR gonads aren't hanging around outside your body, OK? Evolution wants us to protect them even slightly more than it wants us to _survive_, so when we fail to do so, it punishes us."

Original Q&As here (Warning: no pictures, but probably NSFW).

Movie Recommendation

If you're looking for a movie to watch this weekend, consider 2009's The Art of the Steal. It's about what happens when a man's principles confront financial issues, politicians, and the law. My hero Julian Bond participates in the film.

"One man's conspiracy is another man's political consensus." -- from The Art of the Steal

Funny: Chain Emails

The British seem preternaturally blessed with wit, and the following two email chains prove it:

http://www.27bslash6.com/p2p2.html

http://www.27bslash6.com/missy.html

Hilarious stuff, isn't it? I liked the first one more than the second one--the second one seemed more mean-spirited to me, even though I know it's all fake.