I want MY money back

I’ve just gotten a little fed up with the people in charge, from the administrators at my college to the people on Wall Street.  And I’m equally pissed at the people who think all these protestors are whining liberals.  So:

Dear 53%, 1%, 100%, Santa Claus, Wall Street, etc.

I work multiple jobs to make ends meet. I give way more to the government than I get. I don’t like giving money to the government. On the other hand, the top 1% paid $318 billion in taxes in 2009 but indirectly got it back via the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street. So Wall Street not only got the 1%’s money (i.e. their own), but they also got MY money and YOUR money and they’re not doing anything with it other than hoarding it while the economy tanks. And THAT’S why I’m pissed. I want MY fukcin’ money back, a$$holes.

Guest blogging at FQXi

I have a guest blog post over at FQXi that talks about some of the same things I talked about in a few of my recent posts over here.  Nevertheless, for interested readers, here’s the link.

Geoffrey West on complexity (and a sad goodbye to Steve Jobs)

As I was sitting down after dinner this evening news came through the interwebs that Steve Jobs had passed away.  Given that he had lived seven years with a form of pancreatic cancer, it’s pretty amazing he made it this far.  As cantankerous as he was – and whether you love or hate Apple products – you can’t deny that he changed the world of personal electronics.  He was a true visionary.

Anyway, on to other matters.  At the recent FQXi conference on time I had the pleasure of sharing a Zodiac with Geoffrey West while bouncing around Åbyfjorden, Sweden (the patch under my ear in the picture below is what kept me from vomiting all over Geoffrey).  Anyhow, he gave what I think was my favorite talk at the conference.  I’ve linked to it below the picture (and note that if you catch site of me around 34 minutes or so, I am not sleeping!).  It is worth a watch.  In fact I think it ought to be required watching for just about anyone.  It’s solidified my intention to start doing more research in complexity theory.  I think physics provides the perfect means by which complexity can be studied, meaning that its reductionist methods tend to be ideal for solving complex problems – take it apart and put it back together again, piece by piece.  Anyway, watch the video.

Here’s the video: