cosmonaut's New Writeups

laissez-faire capitalism (idea)

1999-11-13T14:15:19Z

Literally "leave-alone" capitalism. The idea that the government should have minimal interference with the economy. Generally, this means the reduction of taxes. People who have no pratical experience with reality usually think this is a good idea, but they're wrong. If you want to make them frustrated at their own stupidity, point out the government routinely bails out huge corporations like Chrysler from gigantic debt burdens. Then watch them squirm.

palm a coin (thing)

1999-11-13T14:14:18Z

Put a quarter in the middle of your palm.

Ever so slightly bring your thumb and pinky closer together. The quarter should fit nicely in the little pocket the muscles of your hand make.

Turn your hand over and pretend to drop the coin into your other hand. In reality, the coin stays in the pocket of the original palm!

Do a magic trick using this concept.

Atom Egoyan (person)

1999-11-13T14:14:15Z

A brilliant and highly underrated Canadian film director. His latest movie, The Sweet Hereafter, got a considerable amount of attention, even from the minstream press. But it's not nearly as good as his earlier work, especially Exotica and The Adjuster. Exotica looks like soft porn if you see it in a video store, but don't let that fool you; it's one of the best films of the 90's.

The Brothers Karamazov (thing)

1999-11-13T10:27:17Z

Probably the best book ever. Written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the story concerns three brothers, Dmitri, Ivan, and Alexei. One is a soldier, one is an intellectual, and the other is a monk. Their father is murdered, and Dmitri is charged with the crime. I won't spoil the ending by saying if he did it. Not that it matters, since the real themes of the book are morality, fidelity, love, hatred, apathy, and just about any topic that has ever concerned humanity. A work without peer.

Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (thing)

1999-11-13T10:27:14Z

Hunter S. Thompson's account of his experiences with a California chapter of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang. Interesting, although somewhat tedious. Draws a lot of parallels with the work of Jospeh Conrad. This book, written in 1965, was the book that first brought Thompson to national attention. He would later become famous for his work for Rolling Stone and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72 (thing)

1999-11-13T10:27:14Z

Hunter S. Thompson wrote this account of his experiences traveling with the press corps during the 1972 McGovern campaign. Fans of the Gonzo style of journalism will probably be disappointed by this book, as it features a lot of serious political analysis, and not much drug abuse. The book is historically interesting, however, since many of the events that were later brought to light in the Watergate scandal were occuring around this time, without Thompson's knowledge of course.