To second what jb said at the end, I found that the law of conspicous consumption gets reversed at the very top. I knew several kids from really "old money" who wore tattered clothes.
One girl for example, a friend of mine, had only a cheap portable stereo which had been repeatedly bandaged with masking tape to keep it from falling apart. Her father was CEO of a large, well-known corporation.
Thought I'd address a few things:
On further reflection, i cant imagine the truly rich kids would actually stay in a dorm when they could have their own apartment.
They do. The "dorms" or rather "Houses" are the center of undergraduate social life. A huge majority of students live on-campus. People who lived off-campus always seemed to be on the margins.
Speaking of SUV's, what is The Harvard Crimson's position on student parking? Do they urge a boycott of all parking lots?
Harvard is in an urban area. There are no student parking lots to speak of. Anyone (the few) who owned a car kept it in some garage somewhere or parked it on the street but there is no need to have one on campus.
Finally, as a former student I dont object to this at all. The Harvard I knew actually had very few class distinctions based on money. It was generally hard to tell who was super-rich and who was poor. Everyone wore the same clothes. Everyone lived in the same rooms and ate the same food. Sure, some people had nicer *gasp* stereos but nobody really cared. The important thing was who was doing well in their academic life.
Also, I remember as a freshman that, when the mom of one of my roommates came by she was aghast and wanted to try to get a maid to come in - not just for him but for all four of us. So, in that case, I as a non-wealthy student could have gotten a cleaner room.
Its a tiny issue. i dont know why the Crimson is making such a big deal of it. It almost feels like they have to invent outrage in order to have something to fill their editorial section.
Here's a challenge...
Develop a system that can control a 13,000 kg spaceship, orbiting at 3,500 kilometres per hour around the moon, land it safely within metres of a specified location and guide it back from the surface to rendezvous with a command ship in lunar orbit. The system has to work the first time, and minimise fuel consumption because the spacecraft only contains enough fuel for one landing attempt.
Do this with a computer that has barely 5,000 primitive integrated circuits, weighs 30 kg and costs over $150,000. In order to store your software, the computer doesn't have a disk drive, only 74 kilobytes of memory that has been literally hard-wired, and all of 4 Kb of something that is sort of like RAM.
-The Lunar Module Computer
In college, they stuck some visiting poet in a room down the hall from me. I'd see him all the time and he sometimes seemed to be a bit drunk. I kinda pushed him out of the way more than once, in the hallway, trying to get to my room. One night, he even tried to get into my room, having confused it for his. A friend of mine used to jokingly call him "Shameless" as a play on his real name.
I'd forgotten about him until I read years later that the guy, Seamus Heaney, was being awarded the Nobel Prize.
Also, one of my cousins was on Mexico's World Cup soccer team. Thats the probably the brush with fame I'd mention first in any country but the US. :)
I also hadn't realised how bland North Beach is in daylight.
i don't think thats it tracicle. Theres something else. Even Cortland st. looks eerily sterile in this picture. There almost no cars which is unusual (parking is hard during the day in NB and cortland). Also, theres so few people and things like phone and power lines seem to be gone or seem more subtle...
Yeah, definitely one of the top 10 sites on the Internet. It's non-commercial, it's gorgeous and you learn stuff. I always set it up as a start page.
Incredibly, they've been doing this non-stop since 1995.
To second what jb said at the end, I found that the law of conspicous consumption gets reversed at the very top. I knew several kids from really "old money" who wore tattered clothes. One girl for example, a friend of mine, had only a cheap portable stereo which had been repeatedly bandaged with masking tape to keep it from falling apart. Her father was CEO of a large, well-known corporation.
posted by vaca pinter 19 years ago
Thought I'd address a few things: On further reflection, i cant imagine the truly rich kids would actually stay in a dorm when they could have their own apartment. They do. The "dorms" or rather "Houses" are the center of undergraduate social life. A huge majority of students live on-campus. People who lived off-campus always seemed to be on the margins. Speaking of SUV's, what is The Harvard Crimson's position on student parking? Do they urge a boycott of all parking lots? Harvard is in an urban area. There are no student parking lots to speak of. Anyone (the few) who owned a car kept it in some garage somewhere or parked it on the street but there is no need to have one on campus. Finally, as a former student I dont object to this at all. The Harvard I knew actually had very few class distinctions based on money. It was generally hard to tell who was super-rich and who was poor. Everyone wore the same clothes. Everyone lived in the same rooms and ate the same food. Sure, some people had nicer *gasp* stereos but nobody really cared. The important thing was who was doing well in their academic life. Also, I remember as a freshman that, when the mom of one of my roommates came by she was aghast and wanted to try to get a maid to come in - not just for him but for all four of us. So, in that case, I as a non-wealthy student could have gotten a cleaner room. Its a tiny issue. i dont know why the Crimson is making such a big deal of it. It almost feels like they have to invent outrage in order to have something to fill their editorial section.
posted by vaca pinter 19 years ago
In "Ridiculously Old Computer Manual"
Here's a challenge... Develop a system that can control a 13,000 kg spaceship, orbiting at 3,500 kilometres per hour around the moon, land it safely within metres of a specified location and guide it back from the surface to rendezvous with a command ship in lunar orbit. The system has to work the first time, and minimise fuel consumption because the spacecraft only contains enough fuel for one landing attempt. Do this with a computer that has barely 5,000 primitive integrated circuits, weighs 30 kg and costs over $150,000. In order to store your software, the computer doesn't have a disk drive, only 74 kilobytes of memory that has been literally hard-wired, and all of 4 Kb of something that is sort of like RAM. -The Lunar Module Computer
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "Claim to Fame"
Also, I'd forgotten my best friend since childhood. His grandfather's sister was the subject of a painting by Picasso.
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In college, they stuck some visiting poet in a room down the hall from me. I'd see him all the time and he sometimes seemed to be a bit drunk. I kinda pushed him out of the way more than once, in the hallway, trying to get to my room. One night, he even tried to get into my room, having confused it for his. A friend of mine used to jokingly call him "Shameless" as a play on his real name. I'd forgotten about him until I read years later that the guy, Seamus Heaney, was being awarded the Nobel Prize. Also, one of my cousins was on Mexico's World Cup soccer team. Thats the probably the brush with fame I'd mention first in any country but the US. :)
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "Drunk American soaks crying Brazilian baby on airplane."
Thanks for the laugh, Wolof.
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "The Seamless City."
Oh and the blue sky has been edited out which also gives everything a drabber feel.
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
I also hadn't realised how bland North Beach is in daylight. i don't think thats it tracicle. Theres something else. Even Cortland st. looks eerily sterile in this picture. There almost no cars which is unusual (parking is hard during the day in NB and cortland). Also, theres so few people and things like phone and power lines seem to be gone or seem more subtle...
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "Liberally re-dubbed and re-edited GI Joe cartoons."
Best suited for those whose humor taste leans toward the bizarre and utterly random. This was great! Thanks!
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "Bhutan"
I'm also very interested in this: Travelers & Magicians a movie from bhutan made by one of its lamas.
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "Letz meet 'em and greet 'em Pleezed, I'm sure "
I had to scratch my #7 which used to say 'I don't succumb to peer pressure'
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "Filter 2.0"
*congratulates himself on being the last to squeeze in as a 2-digiter
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "The astronomy picture of the day,"
Yeah, definitely one of the top 10 sites on the Internet. It's non-commercial, it's gorgeous and you learn stuff. I always set it up as a start page. Incredibly, they've been doing this non-stop since 1995.
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In "I say we mutiny!"
I say the more parties the better.
posted by vaca pinter 20 years ago
In ""
Also see Odd Music
posted by vaca pinter 21 years ago
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