Tuesday
Jan062009
Anything You Can Know, I Can Know Better.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 08:55PM
My husband and I are fairly intelligent. I would say that our levels of intelligence rarely intersect in terms of subject matter, though. I'm history, language, art, culture and psychology intelligent and he's math, science, physics, money, social shmoozing and economics intelligent.
In other words, he's the kind of intelligent that makes real money while I'm the kind of intelligent that makes people glad that I'm on their team during Trivial Pursuit or Cranium. Luckily, I was smart enough to enter into a parasitic relationship with his kind of smart. Plus, I love him. Yeah, yeah.
On any given day, you might find me repeating the following quote, "Ignorance of history causes us to slander our own times." (Laughing at myself because the truth is, on any given day, you'll probably hear me screaming, "What the ...?" But, humor me, people.)
Tariq's favorite quote? Hands down, "Free market capitalism is the only true path to prosperity."
Unfortunately, for the most part, we rarely recognize the complementary nature of our interests. We refuse to accept that together, we could be the smartest person alive. Or, at least, in the Top 10,000.
Instead, we argue.
Say, for example, when conversation veers toward global economy.
Tariq loves to elaborate on the impending Tiger-Dragon (India-China) domination of this planet. Something about how because labor is expensive in the United States.. How we don't actually produce a lot in the way of tangible goods. How our pesky rules (such as don't employ five year olds to make soccer balls at three cents a week) inhibit the practice of pure capitalism. So, he says, it only follows that we aren't going to be able to compete globally in the next fifty years.
I think he throws in a lot of other very interesting points about population explosion, an increasingly educated workforce abroad and industry diversification in there, but the sound of the "Star Spangled Banner" blaring in my head in defiance of what I perceive as anti-patriotic rhetoric makes it very difficult to concentrate fully on anything he's saying.
This photo I came across on my latest obsession FAILblog (thanks for that NYCWD) summarizes how I usually respond to all that "China this, India that" talk.
Bask in the eloquence that is me.
As for India... Permit me to boost their already magnificent public relations campaign in the U.S. by promoting the PBS special, "The Story of India." It's a six part series that began airing on January 6th. But, as always, with PBS there are plenty of encore presentations. Check it out. I'm way to excited about this show to be considered remotely cool anymore.
In other words, he's the kind of intelligent that makes real money while I'm the kind of intelligent that makes people glad that I'm on their team during Trivial Pursuit or Cranium. Luckily, I was smart enough to enter into a parasitic relationship with his kind of smart. Plus, I love him. Yeah, yeah.
On any given day, you might find me repeating the following quote, "Ignorance of history causes us to slander our own times." (Laughing at myself because the truth is, on any given day, you'll probably hear me screaming, "What the ...?" But, humor me, people.)
Tariq's favorite quote? Hands down, "Free market capitalism is the only true path to prosperity."
Unfortunately, for the most part, we rarely recognize the complementary nature of our interests. We refuse to accept that together, we could be the smartest person alive. Or, at least, in the Top 10,000.
Instead, we argue.
Say, for example, when conversation veers toward global economy.
Tariq loves to elaborate on the impending Tiger-Dragon (India-China) domination of this planet. Something about how because labor is expensive in the United States.. How we don't actually produce a lot in the way of tangible goods. How our pesky rules (such as don't employ five year olds to make soccer balls at three cents a week) inhibit the practice of pure capitalism. So, he says, it only follows that we aren't going to be able to compete globally in the next fifty years.
I think he throws in a lot of other very interesting points about population explosion, an increasingly educated workforce abroad and industry diversification in there, but the sound of the "Star Spangled Banner" blaring in my head in defiance of what I perceive as anti-patriotic rhetoric makes it very difficult to concentrate fully on anything he's saying.
This photo I came across on my latest obsession FAILblog (thanks for that NYCWD) summarizes how I usually respond to all that "China this, India that" talk.
Bask in the eloquence that is me.
As for India... Permit me to boost their already magnificent public relations campaign in the U.S. by promoting the PBS special, "The Story of India." It's a six part series that began airing on January 6th. But, as always, with PBS there are plenty of encore presentations. Check it out. I'm way to excited about this show to be considered remotely cool anymore.
Reader Comments (39)
I love it. Screw-China.
Of course now I feel like I need to go read up on this whole India-China thing. I mean I know I went all brunette and all but that didn't mean you had to go and make me smarter! Hehe.
together you two really are quite unstoppable (and damned adorable).
i need to steal that screw china picture and make it my wallpaper. BUY AMERICAN! hehe
love to you,
becky
Actually its not that the U.S. won't be able to compete globally due to its policies. It's that the Chinese have a 20 year plan (they're patient) to slowly spread retardation amongst the U.S. population through Chinese fast food.
I've been TiVo-ing the series, and can't wait until I can find time to watch it!
Me and my hubby don't see eye to eye on many world issues. Sometimes when he brings up a topic, I just say whatever he is saying just so I don't have to hear why I'm wrong when clearly HE IS WRONG! LOL
We're in such a panic, that anyone could come in and buy the rest of us up.
LOL! I love that picture. Thanks for cluing me in on that series. I will definitely try to figure out how to record it... seeing as how my husband is the electronics genius and he's going out of town. I'm a little s-l-o-w. ;-)
Thank you sooo much for the reminder. I need to go add that to my Tivo right now. I saw the promo for it and it looked really interesting. I can't wait to learn more about the culture and history, especially since I am already in love with Indian food. A greatly appreciated reminder and now I know what I am having for lunch today too. You are just too helpful.
Is history intelligent really a thing? I mean, knowing history is just so blase, really.
Leave it to FAIL Blog to put global economics in perspective so eloquently.
Will that series be available on DVD? I hope so.
Thats great!
Although i am a great lover of the concrete sciences (algebra, math in general), i would definitely fall into the trivial pursuit category as well...
Simply further proof that you and Tariq are made for each other, and that you are fucking brilliant.
Now, a question: Are you an information junkie like me? I just finished reading "General Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know Is Wrong," and now I can tell you where the driest place on earth is as well as what Hitler was hiding in his pants.
finn, you can't leave a comment like that and then walk away! get back here and tell me what was hiding in hitler's pants!
Faiqa,
i am so ridiculously behind on the veblogs and want nothing more than to go home and sleep for 2 years. will catch up properly with you soon, i hope. for now, just wanted to say that i giggled all the way through this post, which means you pretty much made my morning. clearly, you and your husband are UNSTOPPABLE ROCKSTARS together. love it! i need to find me one of those, too. thanks so much for the laughs, buddy! =)
@Sarah: Oh, don't read up on it. Ignorance is bliss. But, you may want to start learning Mandarin. Just in case.
@hello haha narf: These days, we need to change our slogan to "BUY, American!!" Get it? Because the economy is slumping... people need to spend money... no? Not funny. Sigh.
@Tariq:LOL. Remember that phase you went through last year when that was all you ate for lunch? Ha. That explains a lot of last year.
@Dave2: We're recording it, too, because it's on at 4a.m. here.
@Janelle: Clearly!
@whall: I vote for India.
@Geeky Tai-Tai: If you have NetFlix, they'll probably have it in a few months.
@noraisins: That *is* a good idea. I think I'll have Indian food for lunch, too. And dinner. Heh. The joke is that I was already going to have that... not much of a joke.
@Avitable: I know, it's not as impressive the intellectually challenging world of comic book collecting, masturbating and finding uses for your new night vision goggles.
@NYCWD: I think I saw the DVD on the PBS site. They better put it on DVD, how else do they make money?!
@Slyde: And that was an understated way of saying that you're a genius, isn't it?
@Finn: Let's put it this way, my nickname at home is "Discovery Channel." And, I second Becky's comment, get back over here and tell us what was in Hitler's pants!!
@yasmine: WOW!! Talk about making someone's day... I'm so glad to see you (metaphorically speaking, oc). Miss you! Giggling at my husband and I being rockstars!
Great blog Faiqa. You guys certainly rock together. The Elephant-Dragon domination has always been around for a long time. People forgot about it and they are seeing it now.The whole world wanted to go to India that is why you have Indians in America ( Columbus didn't any know better). Well humanity began there and Deccan is the place where 1st humans have been recorded.The per capita income in Shanghai in 1250 was higher than what is today and China has had larger naval fleets controlling the oceans than the NATO alliance. 200 years of history is too short to judge - 1,000 years is better. The Story of India on PBS is a decent show but goes even further back to the Mesopatamian civilization and Harrappa .India doesn't need PR - its pretty well entrenched in its glorious position . China is a threat to US domination. India is not - it doesn't like to threaten anything, it doesn't want to compete and be compared to - India just chills .
@Pankaj LOL Who knew you were *such* an ardent nationalist? Those are very good points. India and China have been part of the international landscape for far longer than most are willing to admit or imagine. In terms of Indian PR, though, I meant in *this* country, not in the whole world.
I've been here for 33 years and for about 25 of them nobody knew jack about India other than the fact that Indiana Jones went there to find the Temple of Doom. It was really only in the early 90's that average American citizens took a greater interest in the *real* non-Hollywood inspired culture/politics/economy of India. I think there has been a great deal of PR regarding modern India, much of which was sorely needed, within the U.S. and it has had the positive effect of teaching the general population about the realities of India.
Even still, there are a great deal of people who are unacquainted with the significant ways in which India (and other ancient cultures) have molded even the most everyday aspects of our lives.
That said, I still don't like China. They have a really mean government. LOL.
Thanks for commenting. Finally. ;-)
Yep. Tariq and my husband are the same man. Must be. Because the same stuff comes out of his brain. Exactly the same. :)
Haha that was an epic fail! :)
By the way, I've been looking for a decent Cranium partner forever. I got Cranium for Christmas from an ex and it still is unopened somewhere at my parent's house because NOBODY would play it with me :(
If you insist... one testicle and uncontrollable flatulence.
The master race indeed.
Hahahaha. OMG That was funny.
And may I recommend Louis Malle's "Phantom India' back at you?
Don't mind avitable. Everything he's stupid about is blase. That's his cop out.
(ducks)
Ha!
I just think that remembering facts about things long dead just is a less practical application of intelligence.
In other words: since you have a limited capacity to remember facts and details people who have the talent are of lesser value. No I get it.
I have 3 words for you Senor Practicality: *Night.* *Vision.* *Goggles.*
Oh. Wait. Is this one of those times where Avi acts like he feels one way when he really feels another way just so he can create a sh*t storm? OK, I'll play. History is not just remembering facts. It's the examination of change over time and an intentional endeavor to identify the cause and effect of not only events, but ideologies upon the human condition. It's integral to positive progress which is extremely practical. Everything that we do as a society that is good is done with acknowledgment to the past... so, {blows raspberry} Mr. Night Vision Goggles.
I wasn't playing the devil's advocate. I really think history is a waste of time.
And when zombies attack, we'll see how practical night vision goggles are!
Oh. Well, that's just dumb, Adam. I hope you're night vision goggles break while you're trying to fight off zombies and they start at your feet first. That way you'll feel the most pain possible. Although, HISTORICALLY, they go for the head first.
Ugh. I meant YOUR not you're. Unbelievable.
My FIL postulates the same theory: that by outsourcing all our manufacturing to China and India we are teaching them how to make their own stuff, and eventually they will form their own companies to make merchandise at cheaper prices without North American overhead and dominate the global economy. He has a similar argument for skilled workers such as programmers and engineers, how they come here for education and employment, but invest in their homeland.
However, the U.S. economy wasn't built by blue collar manufacturing jobs. It was built by innovators who created a product that necessitated those jobs. As long as innovation and creativity are encouraged, North America will compete in a global market.
Mmm-hmmm. That's what *I* say, too, right before I scream "Screw China." Heh.
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I must have some kind of bizarre virus that is change the time on everything for me because I didn't see this until just now. *sigh*
ANYway, that has to be Tariq's favorite quote. I've known him all of three days and have already had it used on me at least once.
just in case you guys missed it, capitalism just broke.
systems that are void of empathy will not only fail, but also leave people miserable.
case and point, our world.
Who is this Adnan person and when can I start calling him my favoritest person in the world at this exact second?
@adnan: OK, comrade... (Hushed tones) Actually, I kind of agree with you.
@Britt: Internet beatnik. Check out his site. One of my favorites.
@Coal Miner's Granddaughter: What? Polygamy? Someone is getting their butt kicked really bad when they get home.
@Sarcastica: I DOMINATE at Cranium. I'm ruthless. Seriously.
You're awesomeness personified! I watched the first 25 minutes of that PBS doc, then zonked out from sheer exhaustion. Ya know what I wish PBS would make a doc on? Israel and Palestine. I'm sadly very ignorant on their feud, mostly because I don't know which sources to trust.
@ Mistress Mom: Don't feel bad, I'm well versed on the subject and *I* don't know which sources to trust. Everyone has a little right AND wrong in them. I'll ask some of my former professors if they can recommend some good documentaries and e-mail that to you.