NO, It's Not Hip to Be Round. I'm Calling 'Lazy.'

What a ridiculous premise this NY Times article has!
So, just because the economy is bad, we should forget about health and well-being. Since when was taking care of one's self a sign of decadence and having too much time?
I don't know Guy Trebay nor have I ever seen him in person but I would bet that he has, at least a mild form, of bicep-envy.

A bit says:

“I sort of think the six-pack abs obsession got so prissy it stopped being masculine,” is how Aaron Hicklin, the editor of Out, explains the emergence of the Ralph Kramden. What once seemed young and hot, for gay and straight men alike, now seems passé. Like manscaping, spray-on tans and other metrosexual affectations, having a belly one can bounce quarters off suggests that you may have too much time on your hands.

“It’s not cool to be seen spending so much time fussing around about your body,” Mr. Hicklin said.

And so guys can happily and guiltlessly go to seed.

No way, man, no friggin' way! How ridiculous is this?! Are the Times out of serious writers with credible stories and premises?
More here.

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A Question Bob Dylan Would Never Ask: "Don't You Know Who I Am?"

Tip of the hat to my cousin for the pointer.

While reading this story, I had the voice of Entourage's Johnny Drama in my ear when, in an effort to console his brother, Vincent, he says: "Ah, forget it, bro. The whole county's on meth!"

Bob Dylan was pulled over by, as Michael Chabon-inspired Grady Tripp would put it, the 'puberty police,' while he was innocently walking around a low-income neighborhood before a conference.

Bob Dylan needs to get inspired too, folks.
I was embarrassed for the policemen while reading this. Dylan is one of the strongest cultural signs of our times. I would very much doubt that the police would have resorted to the same tactic had Dylan been, oh, I don't know, Britney or some such pop culture sign. Somehow, I don't quite see Britney and some such artists looking for inspiration in the underbelly of America, however.

So, the tip of the BR hat goes to Dylan this morning for having a small ego and taking it all in stride.

A bit says: " A 24-year-old police officer apparently was unaware of who Dylan is and asked him for identification, Long Branch business administrator Howard Woolley said Friday.

"I don't think she was familiar with his entire body of work," Woolley said.

The incident began at 5 p.m. when a resident said a man was wandering around a low-income, predominantly minority neighborhood several blocks from the oceanfront looking at houses.

The police officer drove up to Dylan, who was wearing a blue jacket, and asked him his name. According to Woolley, the following exchange ensued:

"What is your name, sir?" the officer asked.

"Bob Dylan," Dylan said.

"OK, what are you doing here?" the officer asked.

"I'm on tour," the singer replied.

A second officer, also in his 20s, responded to assist the first officer. He, too, apparently was unfamiliar with Dylan, Woolley said.

Read more here.

Johnny Drama would sigh in disbelief here. As would many of us.

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The Economics of Living Together

Tip of the hat to MR for the pointer.
The following data come from Switzerland and not from the US. Very interesting read. A bit says:
"How large are the economies of scale of living together? And how do partners share their resources? The first question is usually answered by equivalence scales. Traditional estimation and application of equivalence scales assumes equal sharing of income within the household. This paper uses data on financial satisfaction to simultaneously estimate the sharing rule and the economy of scale parameter in a collective household model. The estimates indicate substantial scale economies of living together, especially for couples who have lived together for some time. On average, wives receive almost 50% of household resources, but there is heterogeneity with respect to the wives’ contribution to household income and the duration of the relationship."

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