One of the things I find most amusing about hippies is that they tend to be hopelessly unaware of the degree to which their anti-establishment views are instilled and fostered by corporate America, and how much these companies profit from them.

However, the tea-baggers have taken this delusion to a whole new level. It seems that Glenn Beck has A Plan which he will be explaining in a new book which will go on sale next year. In order to publicize the book, he will be staging a march on Washington, and I’m sure a lot of his fans will “do their civic duty” by showing up.

Putting Red/Blue politics aside for a moment, this is an astounding example of the near perfect annexation of political dissent. It almost seems like satire. Going to a protest has become no more significant than going to a Miley Cyrus concert.

When you look back in history at the various causes that have resulted in large protests, you can’t help but be struck by the sacrifices, the sufferings and the vision of the people behind them. I think this has been true whether the issue found its support on the right or the left.

So it seems that political dissent has been reduced to a PR event. It’s like equating Miley and Mozart because we call them both “musicians”.

Oh yes, and if this little stunt was not offensive enough in the abstract, Beck has scheduled his book release march for August 28, 2010 at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial — the 47th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

I was cruelly denied my lunchtime workout today. Gold’s Gym closed for the day because the elevator was out of order. The fact that it was closed did not piss me off half as much as the fact that none of the dejected looking gym members milling about saw the utter stupidity in this.

It’s a gym for christsake! The customers are (or at least should be) perfectly willing to walk up a few flights of stairs. If that’s too much for you, fine! Walk up as far as you can and then go back down. Congratulations, you just finished your workout.

When I go back tomorrow, I’m sure they will be apologizing and handing out little sugary snacks for every one to chew on as they wait in line to use one of the StairMasters.

My friend Jim sent me an interesting article on “What Startups are Really Like”

It’s a worthwhile read, but I had to chuckle at the author commiserates with one of the entrepreneurs he was interviewing about how hard it is to get a date.

Unfortunately this extends even to dating:
It surprised me that being a startup founder does not get you more admiration from women.

I did know about that, but I’d forgotten.

Rubbish! The whole “I quit my job because that’s no way to spend a life, and now my friends and I are going to change the world.” thing goes over phenomenally well with women.

Ebisu Baccarat Chandelier

Last week Ebisu Garden Place (our local shopping mall) put up their version of the Christmas tree; the “Baccarat 250 Chandelier” which is made from 250 different crystal lights. It’s impressive, I suppose, but it never struck me as very “Christmasy”. It seems kind of sterile behind all that plate glass.

The Japanese, however, adore the thing and come out in droves each year to ohh, ahh and take photographs. This year Ebisu was plastered with big red signs imploring passers by to “Feel the Experience” or the “Eternal Lights” visible only until January 11th.

If you can’t make it out, here’s an awesome interactive view, check out this site. You might even see me on my way home.

Is a lot harder than it seems. Last December I decided to bring my 104 cm waistline down to 90. The first 8 cm came of pretty quick, but the last four a proving to be annoyingly stubborn.

OK. I’m getting up from the computer and going out for a run.