makeup and wherever it may lead

I don't know what women look for in make-up, but I've been noticing make-up ads lately and I don't think they're as effective as they can be.

For example, here's a makeup ad:

Here's another one:

I don't understand.

Maybe the makeup is working, or maybe these women would look just as good without makeup. How am I supposed to know?

If makeup manufacturers really want to consumers to see what their products can do, shouldn't they use before and after pictures?

Wouldn't it make more sense to show the product in action?

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(I started reviewing Fifty Shades of Grey, but I think it deserves its own post. Stay tuned.)

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Here's a clip from an interview with former CIA Director Jose Rodriguez who admits that the CIA tortured terrorism suspects after 9/11 and defends the practice as being effective.

Some of the torture methods involved were waterboarding, slapping, sleep deprivation, confinement to small spaces with insects, stress positions, and humiliation. Rodriguez argues that the suspects had information critical to national security and weren't going to give it up without being tortured. And not only that, but many of the suspects were so determined that it took prolonged torture to get them to talk.

Ok, I hate to be the one to say this, but I imagine it's what we're all thinking, so here goes:

Wouldn't these methods be more effective if instead of torturing the suspects, we made them watch while we tortured their mothers?

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What do they call black people in Europe?

I always enjoy listening to Juice rant about the term African American.

"Where the fuck would I go in Africa? I don't know shit about Africa. That's a big ass continent and I don't know anything about anyone on it --- except Nelson Mandela."

It's not like he's rooting for Angola in the Olympics. It's not like he's going out to Ethiopian restaurants. Black people have been here longer than most white people, there's gotta be a better way to describe their race. Maybe the only real Americans are the ones whose ancestors were here before the revolution.

Plus, if we're going to discriminate against people, shouldn't we be discriminating against Irish and Italians?

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I'm reading at Storylab later this month. It's a show where people read personal stories, I've gone to watch a few times, it's an interesting show. I love watching amateurs telling true stories, I feel like professional/experienced memoirists become a little too skilled in embellishing.

I must admit, I'm tempted to write something extremely boring and read it the night of the show to see how people react.

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Game of Thrones is a great show. If you haven't watched the first season, don't click on this link, but if you have, this is probably my favorite scene.

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Here's kind of a funny/serious article about Edward Conrad's new book that might as well be called "In Defense of Income Inequality." It's funny because although he makes some good points ---- he doesn't mischaracterize anything about the need for risk taking and how discovering efficiencies benefits society and how those who invest in the discovery of efficiencies deserve to be disproportionately rewarded (I agree with all of that ) ---- but he also shows how crazy you have to be to want to get out there and compete for those "rewards" these days:

 “God didn’t create the universe so that talented people would be happy. It’s not beautiful. It’s hard work. It’s responsibility and deadlines, working till 11 o’clock at night when you want to watch your baby and be with your wife. It’s not serenity and beauty.”

The funny thing about listening to people who believe they know the one true economic theory is hearing the crazy assumption that holds it all together --- like Conrad's which is essentially, "Look, we all have to be miserable to make it work, but as long as we're ok with that, it'll work."