Ideas

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Barack Obama vs. Adam Levine

Which of these is the greater triumph over adversity?

That the teenager shown in the photo below, born to a Kenyan father, educated in Hawaii and Indonesia, with dark skin and a liberal populist background, would one day become the President of the United States?

Barack Obama yearbook

Or that the teenager shown in the photo below, whose tattoos are his most prominent feature, and whose body Channing Tatum could bench-press with one hand, would one day become People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive and marry this woman?

Adam Levine acne

Both saw their parents divorce and attended elite high schools, though Levine’s college education was far spottier than Obama’s. I’d call it a toss-up.

But whatever the case may be, America has come a long way since the days of John F. Kennedy.

Also, the existence of this Proactiv ad made me realize that the company must have an employee whose job is to hunt down youth photos of adult celebrities, pick those whose acne looked the worst, call them up, and ask them to star in commercials featuring their terrible childhood acne. Is this unknown person some kind of private legend among famous people? A respected keeper of secrets? The real Most Hated Person in Hollywood?

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Belated Philanthropy

I’m trying to add more short posts to the blog, for fleeting thoughts that don’t warrant a manifesto. Short posts won’t be comprehensive, and they won’t bristle with defensive measures against potential criticism, but if you see something you don’t like, let me know. I like writing follow-up posts, and I’ll try to change my mind if you’re correct. (No promises.)

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I live in a city where homelessness is common, though I wouldn’t say “pervasive”. In a given week, I’ll encounter two or three people who ask me for money.

If I gave a dollar each time someone asked, I’d be out $40 or $50 by semester’s end. I could afford this; I spend that much on myself in a week or two.

Still, I’m reluctant to give to street solicitors, for the usual reasons: I’m not sure where the money will go, I’m wary of being asked immediately for more money (as often happens), and I believe that there are better forms of charity, both to help the homeless of New Haven and to help humanity.

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