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Futurama Super Happy Fun Show on DeviantART is a really awesome tribute to my generation’s adornment of Futurama and all things that make us laugh. There are still a few episodes I haven’t seen from way back, but my DVR is quickly catching me up.

Why do people allow others to rule over them despite constantly disagreeing with political agendas? Is being an American, a Canadian, a New Zealand Kiwi more or less important than a South African? Are American politicians, corrupt as they may be, actually guided by the invisible hand to guard my best interests because that in turn guards theres?

These are questions that Olson attempts to answer in his Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development article. Many things are implied or assumed that the reader will understand, and it would be to a reader’s advantage to examine the document closely and read it twice. While reading, ask yourself: “What has to be true for this to be possible?”.

The article explains the difference between roving bandits and stationary bandits. Before there were stationary bandits (dictators, presidents) there were roving bandits that would pillage communities and take from them what they wanted. The roving bandits eventually had a revelation and understood that they could get more from communities if they resided over them continuously and looked out after their well being and protected them. This so called monopolization of force enabled the stationary bandit to extract more money from these communities because the people had an incentive to work. The citizens knew that the bandit would protect them from other bandits.

I urge any student of politics or anybody interested in what is responsible for our current state to inspect the document.

Here is a link to the PDF for your inspection:

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0554(199309)87:3%3C567:DDAD%3E2.0.CO;2-H

I was recently asked what “Off the chain” meant at an event. I regretted that I did not have an answer. My response was that I was too white to understand what it meant. I searched for a more suitable answer to this question. It actually refers to a slave who has escaped confinement or has been freed from the chains of oppression. It can also refer to a worker who has left the chain of the assembly line and is out having fun.

I always assumed that an African American had created the phrase recently. I can see how someone who understands what it means may take insult by a white person using it in a certain way.

It does prompt me to inspect the roots of other African American vernaculars so that I can properly identify exactly what someone may be saying and understand what contexts may be off limits for me to use.

Here is a reference: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/off_the_chain

It’s Alright, It’s Alright

Everything is ok

Remember JFK, he tried to lead … tried to lead the way.

But, he was blown away … on a sunny day.

It’s a sad, sad story (2x)

Well I wonder, is she on the phone.

Well I wonder, is she all alone.

It’s a sad, sad story (2x)

It’s alright, it’s alright, everything is ok

Remember MLK, he tried to lead … he tried to lead the way.

But, he was blown away in the morning rain.

It’s a sad, sad story (2x)

Remember honest Abe, he tried to lead … he tried to lead the way.

But, he was blown away, while he was watching a play.

It’s a sad, sad story (2x)

It’s alright, it’s alright.

Everything is ok.