Nothing Is a Vault

I learned yesterday that Twitter keeps any single person's 3,200 most recent tweets and then poof, it's gone. I feel stupid for not knowing this and particularly distressed (in a not really distressed and I realize I'm being dramatic sort of way).

I suppose 3,200 is a lot, but to think that in an age when storage costs virtually nothing, Twitter isn't playing the Google card of unlimited storage? I thought we had finally found something that would put moments in a vault and help us remember the time when we picked out all the marshmallows in the Lucky Charms to see if there was enough in a box to fill an entire bowl, and then spent the rest of the night snacking on the sweetest part and wondering if we were Lucky, Charmed, or both.

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If you like Postal Service, Vampire Weekend, and/or Ra Ra Riot you've got to check Discovery.

Discovery - "I Want You Back" (Jackson 5)

People I Wouldn't Kick Out of Bed for Eating Crackers

You may or may not have noticed, but I have added a new sidebar to the Lauren Proctor 32 blog. It's called "People I Wouldn't Kick Out of Bed for Eating Crackers," and it's basically my version of People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive." There isn't any rhyme or reason to the list except that it's in alphabetical order and it's a reminder of those who motivate me daily. I suppose you could also argue that incorporating food into my recognition list is perfectly aligned with my rhyme and reason, but that's not only obvious, but also an entirely separate argument unto itself.

All said and done, I suppose you could say that The Crackers List is simply another way of saying that I am an absolute sucker for people who I perceive as being:

1. Passionate
2. Intellectual
3. Brilliant

To me nothing is more beautiful or intriguing than passionate genius. So as you indulge in my blog I hope that when you avert your eyes slightly to the right (which will hopefully happen only after you've read every word of my blog), you will smile. Those who have made The Crackers List challenge me, seduce me, and make me proud to be a part of the human race.

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Marc Bianchi, the mastermind behind Her Space Holiday and also today's music pick, can eat crackers in my bed. His latest album "XOXO, Panda and the New Kid Revival" solidified his position on this list. The breadth of Her Space Holiday's music during his career is incredible, and I love unwinding with the easy, pop sound of this latest release. To add to his appeal, Bianchi repeatedly writes some of the most beautiful lyrics I've ever heard in my life.

When it comes to making simple moments sound profoundly beautiful, Her Space Holiday has you covered. Check it out and skip to his wonderful world, but listen carefully for lyrics that slyly unfold into pure brilliance.

Like Bianchi says in "The Boys and Girls," "We'll fill those tiny rooms with so much love that we'll have to sing."

Toshiko's Kitchen



"Goodnight"

The Idea of Libertarian Paternalism

A RANDOM MUSING

I was reading an excellent article about the postmodern idea of fluid identities ("Plural Sense of Selves") in The Atlantic by Paul Bloom, and in it I found an especially interesting term.

Bloom introduced the idea of "libertarian paternalism," which he defined as "a movement to engineer situations so that people retain their choices (the libertarian part), but in such a way that these choices are biased to favor people's better selves (the paternalism part)."  

Bloom illustrated this concept by proposing that individuals be automatically enrolled in retirement plans with the option to opt out (rather than the other way around which may leave indecisive or procrastinators without retirement funds).  By doing so policies can support default decisions that speak to the "better" and "more ideal" sense of self.

Another example of this had to do with organ donors and the idea that public policy and law might actually adapt to take into account this idea of libertarian paternalism.  Thaler and Sunstein, who both act as political advisers to Barack Obama, propose that this could take form, for example, when it comes to organ donors.  Public surveys show that most people approve of being donors, yet of this percentage that claims to support donating their organs, very few actually follow through with becoming donors on their driver's license.  Assuming that this isn't about people publicly portraying something they don't believe in, the way we write policy could change this significant gap for the better of our society.  If people had to opt out of the idea, Thaler and Sunstein argue, we would have a much larger percentage of donors and therefore more medical opportunities.

To me this is fascinating.  I won't provide too much commentary, but this seems to say so much about our society, not to mention how important wording is.  Frame something one way and people will react with a certain vehemence.  Manipulate the same concept though, and you might find yourself with a pool of people who will take what you've written perfectly for granted (or simply not offensive enough to do anything about it).

I'm curious as to what this says about the ways that we process information and accept certain things as is simply because there are "more important" battles to fight.  

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In the spirit of music for thought, or thinking for music, today's recommendation is Blind Pilot, a band that sounds like the way it might feel if David Gray and Jack Johnson crashed into each other in a warm, acoustic coffee shop.  

My favorite song off of his most recent album Three Rounds and a Sound is "One Red Thread" but everything from Blind Pilot is worth listening until you can feel the Oregon band's guitar strings cutting into your own fingers and flowing through you like the blood that is essential to life.

Blind Pilot - "One Red Thread"