Asymmetrical Information

Nah, Jane - it's where you do it and how much beachfront you OWN there that makes you a patrician aristocrat -- and/or if you fly down from Idaho for the afternoon of windsurfing.

Drudge had a montage of JFK's various outdoors activities which was pretty funny.

If an average person wanted to windsurf off Nantucket, they'd have to fly or take a boat there, perhaps get an expensive room, pay for overpriced lessons and equipment rental, etc. etc. $$$$$

Likewise with Kerry's mountaineering expedition. Snowshoes and skis cost money to buy or rent, you have to get to Idaho, and, the capper, a private escort with the head of the ski patrol (who was probably carrying Kerry's pack since in none of the pictures Kerry had a pack).

If Kerry had been smarter he would have gone out with a more plebian group, such as the Sierra Club.

Windsurfing off of Nantucket just underscores to the voters how Mr. Kerry is profoundly different from the average American.

Mr. Kerry windsurfing off of Ocean City MD = average guy. Mr. Kerry and Nantucket = insulated wealthy person.

Jane, you went to a private high school ranked among the best in the nation where tuition is more than the entire disposable income of a typical american family. So did at least one of your siblings.

And someone arranged for you to attend the world's most prestious school of business after which you have taken a series of low-paying low-responsibility jobs with few concerns about loans and solvency while you speculate about a career in public service.

Allow me to be the first to address you, Jane, as aristocratic, elitist, partrician Jane.

P.S. would you be willing to marry and support any of my wastrel siblings?

No one ever sees his own blind spots.

You don't see what a privileged life you've led.

You don't see the economic philosophy you've been spoonfed.

In Athens, Israel won its first-ever Olympic gold medal. It was in windsurfing, and Israel is a pretty macho country.

It's not as if Bush plays linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. The sports he participates in are jogging, brush clearing, and pre-emptive war.

I'm the first to admit that my early education was nothing like what the average American receives, but I'm afraid the latter part of my career is entirely financed by my own penury. I live in a closet, and sacrifice exotic, patrician activities like going to the movies in order to pay my student loans. I'm afraid there's barely enough left over for one hungry dog, much less wastrel siblings . . .

Hmm, haven't been windsurfing myself but since I live in Colorado rather than a coastal area, I have a pretty good idea what it would cost for me to actually do that, and I can see a replacement for my mechanically-failing 1988 Toyota in there somewhere along with a few student loan payments.

Shoot, as far as that goes, I live in the Denver, Colorado area, between thirty and ninety minutes' drive from multiple ski resorts, and I've gone skiing all of, oh, four times in my life (and only day trips at that). Such hobbies are expensive. Now, going windsurfing in Nantucket after traveling cross-country from one of my nice houses, a la Kerry? I can't even imagine myself doing that, because I can't ever see myself having that much money.

No, we won't start sentences with "patrician, aristocratic Jane. It's far too cumbersome. We will use a shorthand - perhaps PAJ. Example: "PAJ today come out in favor of using a touch of nutmeg when running puppies through blenders. She also recommended serving the mix in Reidl cognac snifters."

The sports he participates in are jogging, brush clearing, and pre-emptive war.

Cute. But, he's apparently given up jogging for mountain biking, which is indeed quite a macho sport. It's even more dangerous than most forms of rock-climbing. It's probably not as dangerous as high-altitude mountaineering or hang-gliding etc. but it's still not something to take lightly.

I've gone skiing all of, oh, four times in my life

Cheap trail shoes and a cheap pack would allow you to go out with a hiking group and bag one of the easier 14ers. A $40 harness, $20 (very used) or $80 new climbing shoes and friends with a rack would allow you to climb one of those rocks outside Boulder. Some things are more expensive than others.

You live in a closet too? Isn't that fun?

Comments are Closed.