America's last living WWI veteran has died at the age of 110.
I'm not sure how America feels about WWI. It was sort of glossed over in high school history class and unless 'Legends of The Fall' is your favorite movie, people tend to forget that nearly 20,000 Americans went 'over there' and fought in the 'war to end all wars.' What we accomplished as nation in that war is certainly worthy of discussion- we might have 'made the world safe for democracy' but we also sowed the seeds for WWII in the process.
When I think of America and WWI I always think of that grand moment when General Pershing stopped at the tomb of Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette- and, being famously media averse, having an aide-de-camp deliver the immortal message: 'Lafayette, nous sommes ici.'
But there's a lot more to it than that- and America isn't all that good at history. We tend to forget and try and build Wal-Marts all over it until someone says 'hey wait a minute, something important happened here.' And WWI doesn't rate what WWII, Korea and Vietnam all rate in the cultural memory of the nation.
So kids, take a moment today: remember.
And never forget.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Colonel Nutbag Goes Viral
If this man wasn't a crazy, insane tyrant this might be a lot funnier. As it is an Israeli DJ has remixed one of Colonel Nutbag's long, weird speeches from last week, laid it down over a nice techno beat and added some stock footage of hot gyrating blonde women and it's gone viral on Youtube to the tune of nearly 500,000 hits.
What does strike me as funny is that this Israeli DJ, knowing it would be seen widely in the Muslim world, decided, in a nod towards Muslim sensibilities to thrown up a version without the hot gyrating blonde women. How many hits does it have?
50,000.
Some things you've just got to see for yourself.
Behold.
What does strike me as funny is that this Israeli DJ, knowing it would be seen widely in the Muslim world, decided, in a nod towards Muslim sensibilities to thrown up a version without the hot gyrating blonde women. How many hits does it have?
50,000.
Some things you've just got to see for yourself.
Behold.
Krugman Blathers
Good God.
1. You can't change math. I think sweetheart deals and tax breaks for business should be thrown out too along with every dime of corporate welfare. But at the same time, unions are asking A LOT. State budgets aren't in the state their in only because of the rich.
2. Education spending in the United States has increased something like 177% since the 70s and you know how much performance has increased? Not one little bit. It's flatlining. If teachers unions aren't producing results then that's a bit of union busting I might have less qualms about.
3. Not everything is a billionaire libertarian conspiracy. We need to enact fundamental changes to our society, government, education and health care systems and we need to do so NOW. Republicans at least are doing something. What, if anything do Democrats have to offer except more of the same- which fundamentally won't work anymore.
1. You can't change math. I think sweetheart deals and tax breaks for business should be thrown out too along with every dime of corporate welfare. But at the same time, unions are asking A LOT. State budgets aren't in the state their in only because of the rich.
2. Education spending in the United States has increased something like 177% since the 70s and you know how much performance has increased? Not one little bit. It's flatlining. If teachers unions aren't producing results then that's a bit of union busting I might have less qualms about.
3. Not everything is a billionaire libertarian conspiracy. We need to enact fundamental changes to our society, government, education and health care systems and we need to do so NOW. Republicans at least are doing something. What, if anything do Democrats have to offer except more of the same- which fundamentally won't work anymore.
Kristof Opines
Are the Arabs unfit for democracy? Kristof asks in the NY Times... I'd agree with his overall message: that no, they're not. Sure, there are some real worries about all these revolutions going on- but our policymakers need to remember. 2011 is NOT 1979. And it's worth noting that the same people protesting Mubarak in Egypt were organizing via Facebook and Twitter- just as the same as the young people in Iran.
Facebook, Twitter and the Internet are not Islamist friendly tools. And I think if anyone attempts to impose Islamist regimes in some of these countries, they'll be right back to square one...
Facebook, Twitter and the Internet are not Islamist friendly tools. And I think if anyone attempts to impose Islamist regimes in some of these countries, they'll be right back to square one...
Hitch Weighs In
Christopher Hitchens has weighed in with a truly scathing response to the Obama Administration's current actions in regards to Libya- and I have to say that I completely agree with him.
I understand that we held off a bit until we got our people out of there- but the EU, with MORE people in Libya than we had was being a lot harsher in terms of their rhetoric before we even got our people off the ground.
I understand that this President may be leery of throwing our military assets into another potential sinkhole in the Middle East.
But: Hitch has it right. It's time for some actual leadership on this issue. A no-fly zone keeps our people off the ground (rightfully so) would keep Colonel Nutbag from strafing his citizens with his own planes OR flying more mercs from sub-Saharan Africa in to reinforce himself. After decades of watching Colonel Nutbag rent out their country's natural resources to the highest bidder, it's no wonder Libyans are a bit leery- even pissed at foreign corporations and workers who they probably see as tools of the regime, to some degree- which is why a no-fly zone makes sense, because it keeps us off the ground.
The people of Libya are going up against a heavily armed lunatic armed with little more than their courage and whatever they can find. It's time for the International Community- no, it's time for the United States to step up and help 'em out.
I understand that we held off a bit until we got our people out of there- but the EU, with MORE people in Libya than we had was being a lot harsher in terms of their rhetoric before we even got our people off the ground.
I understand that this President may be leery of throwing our military assets into another potential sinkhole in the Middle East.
But: Hitch has it right. It's time for some actual leadership on this issue. A no-fly zone keeps our people off the ground (rightfully so) would keep Colonel Nutbag from strafing his citizens with his own planes OR flying more mercs from sub-Saharan Africa in to reinforce himself. After decades of watching Colonel Nutbag rent out their country's natural resources to the highest bidder, it's no wonder Libyans are a bit leery- even pissed at foreign corporations and workers who they probably see as tools of the regime, to some degree- which is why a no-fly zone makes sense, because it keeps us off the ground.
The people of Libya are going up against a heavily armed lunatic armed with little more than their courage and whatever they can find. It's time for the International Community- no, it's time for the United States to step up and help 'em out.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Albums2010 #35: Final Straw
How do you describe Snow Patrol? I listened to this album and decided that if such a thing were possible, it might be slightly beyond me. I guess they're sort of distant cousins to Coldplay and Keane- that sort of dreamy, piano-y Britpop that emerged in the early 00s. But the more you listen, the more you realize that they seem pretty emo. There's a touch of Dashboard Confessionals thrown in there for good measure. They're not dreamy piano wailers like Coldplay or Keane, yet they're not channeling too much eyeliner and teen angst like Dashboard.
So they're a bit of a puzzle. But that doesn't mean that they're incapable of making a good album. Sure, on Final Straw you find all the trimmings: angst, relationship drama, love, etc, but it's not whiny- there's a certain maturity to the lyrics that combines with a maturity of sound. What do I mean by that? Well, again, I think with a lot of these reviews I just make up some bullshit because it sounds like something you'd find in Rolling Stone or Entertainment Weekly. (Yeah, I just copped to that, kids. Sorry.) But let me take a crack at my original point: in a very real sense, this is emo for grown-ups, all the way through and through. The sound is big, orchestral, bombastic and from time to time, angry and driving. But there's also moments of delicacy thrown in as well. The lyrics match the sound nicely. This isn't a band singing about death and love sucking or whining about pale and empty life is: real life relationship drama provides the sparks to the lyrics and the sounds and it feels all so refreshingly, adult.
Most people- like myself, were probably introduced to them through a couple of random episodes of Grey's Anatomy- with 'Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking' and the other song, 'Chasing Cars' which is on their next album. Interestingly enough though, the band hails from Northern Ireland but struck it big while at University in Scotland- and had made two albums before releasing this one. Hence, the title: Final Straw was seen by many as their last roll of the dice- and I have to admit, if you're going to make one last roll of this dice, this was a glorious roll to make. This is a complete, mature, album- with a big, big sound and the band shows a refreshing ability to switch between big sounds and more delicate sounds that gives the album a lot of range.
Overall: A happy cross between emo angst and dreamy Britpop, Snow Patrol crafts a sound all it's own and owns it hardcore. I'd say, if you want to have a nice, mellow catharsis for a bad relationship, then Snow Patrol is the band for you!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
'Waiting For Superman'-- A Review
I was in a documentary kind of mood last night, so snagged a romcom for the Missus (the very palatable and amusing 'You Again') and this documentary for our second feature. I had seen a preview for this a few months back and was curious about what it would have to say about the state of our educational system. As it turned out, it had a lot to say.
'Waiting For Superman' takes a hard look at the problems with the current educational system while simultaneous following five students who are trying to get into charter schools. The cruelest part of our education system seems to be that the better the school you can get into too, the more chances of success you have at life. All of these kids that 'Superman' follows have big dreams and their parents are fighting hard for better educational choices for their children, yet are trapped in a system that, as the movie demonstrates, too often rewards failure.
Education is going to have to change. That much has been made clear to me this past few months- it's a huge sector of the economy and incredibly important to get right if we want to lay a foundation for prosperity for the future generations and yet we've spent a truly obscene amount of money on education since the 1970s and seen virtually no results to show for all the money. In other words, the current system is one, horrible investment to continue pouring money into. No Child Left Behind and all the reform efforts that the politicians have pimped over the years haven't seemed to work. So what do we do?
The movie isn't exactly clear on that point. And it's a bit of a love letter to charter schools and how 'amazing' they are and blah blah blah- which is something some people have an issue with, but one thing is for sure: a lot of the charter schools that it focuses on are a helluva lot better than the neighborhood public schools a lot of these families are stuck with- so naturally, these parents are desperate for a way out for their kids to secure them the best educational future possible, because the better school you go to, it seems, the better chance you have at getting ahead in life.
Between following the aspirations and hopes of five students trying to get into various charter schools, 'WFS' takes a hard look at reform efforts in D.C. schools lead by now Former Chancellor Michelle Rhee- who took on the system and actually managed to achieve something before being tossed out on her ass along with Mayor Adrian Fenty in the last elections. What proved to be the ultimate sticking point: teacher's unions. Running into blockade after blockade trying to improve the quality of teachers in D.C. schools, Rhee eventually proposed two options: teachers could keep the current contract or they could potentially earn twice as much under a merit based performance pay system while ending teacher tenure. The union wouldn't even allow a vote on it.
But the cruelest thing of all, to me, was watching as these kids see their future either become a lot brighter or potentially a lot trickier as these charter schools hold their lotteries. There was something fundamentally unjust about it, yet with not enough spaces and far too many applicants, charter schools usually have no choice. They have to hold a lottery. The question then becomes: why aren't our schools better and what can we do about it?
That isn't really answered by the movie. And certainly, although charter schools can be really amazing in some cases, compared to their public counterparts, data shows that most do about the same as public schools and others can do worse- while only some do better. So it's kind of hard to fall in love with the movie's obvious flirtatious romance with the charter school movement. Yet the movie convinces the viewer of an undeniable fact: something has to be done. It was insane, looking at the worst excesses of the teacher's unions- things like New York's infamous rubber room, where suspended teachers sit around, WITH PAY and BENEFITS and do nothing, pending a hearing on their case which could take months. BAD teachers are impossible to fire, so some school districts just shuffle them around, hoping that a change of scenery will somehow make them into a better teacher. And so the failures of the system and the resistance to change only reinforce what we've been doing for decades now. And what we've been doing isn't working anymore.
So can we blame teacher's unions for this? It's hard to say. Like with a lot of things, their original justification was a good one. Female teachers were getting paid a lot less back in the day, so yeah, teachers should have organized, gone on strikes, done whatever to ensure that they weren't getting diddled around for their hard work. But now? I understand that jobs are important, but quality in this case matters more than quantity. The average teacher's union protects quantity over quality and at the very minimum and end to teacher tenure and a commitment to protect and promote quality over quantity it was we need. But I'm afraid we might we well past minimum solutions.
On balance: 'Waiting for Superman' didn't change my life, as the preview purported that it would do- but it did hit one nail on the head: we gotta change things up, because right now the system is failing too many kids. However, I'm less convinced by their love affair with charter schools. I think those have their drawbacks too- personally, innovation should take more than one form. Everything idea, everything should be tried. Throw the whole pan o'pasta at the wall and see what sticks- because we need as many good ideas as possible.
Overall: A clarion call for change in our schools. But take it's prescription with a grain of salt...
'Waiting For Superman' takes a hard look at the problems with the current educational system while simultaneous following five students who are trying to get into charter schools. The cruelest part of our education system seems to be that the better the school you can get into too, the more chances of success you have at life. All of these kids that 'Superman' follows have big dreams and their parents are fighting hard for better educational choices for their children, yet are trapped in a system that, as the movie demonstrates, too often rewards failure.
Education is going to have to change. That much has been made clear to me this past few months- it's a huge sector of the economy and incredibly important to get right if we want to lay a foundation for prosperity for the future generations and yet we've spent a truly obscene amount of money on education since the 1970s and seen virtually no results to show for all the money. In other words, the current system is one, horrible investment to continue pouring money into. No Child Left Behind and all the reform efforts that the politicians have pimped over the years haven't seemed to work. So what do we do?
The movie isn't exactly clear on that point. And it's a bit of a love letter to charter schools and how 'amazing' they are and blah blah blah- which is something some people have an issue with, but one thing is for sure: a lot of the charter schools that it focuses on are a helluva lot better than the neighborhood public schools a lot of these families are stuck with- so naturally, these parents are desperate for a way out for their kids to secure them the best educational future possible, because the better school you go to, it seems, the better chance you have at getting ahead in life.
Between following the aspirations and hopes of five students trying to get into various charter schools, 'WFS' takes a hard look at reform efforts in D.C. schools lead by now Former Chancellor Michelle Rhee- who took on the system and actually managed to achieve something before being tossed out on her ass along with Mayor Adrian Fenty in the last elections. What proved to be the ultimate sticking point: teacher's unions. Running into blockade after blockade trying to improve the quality of teachers in D.C. schools, Rhee eventually proposed two options: teachers could keep the current contract or they could potentially earn twice as much under a merit based performance pay system while ending teacher tenure. The union wouldn't even allow a vote on it.
But the cruelest thing of all, to me, was watching as these kids see their future either become a lot brighter or potentially a lot trickier as these charter schools hold their lotteries. There was something fundamentally unjust about it, yet with not enough spaces and far too many applicants, charter schools usually have no choice. They have to hold a lottery. The question then becomes: why aren't our schools better and what can we do about it?
That isn't really answered by the movie. And certainly, although charter schools can be really amazing in some cases, compared to their public counterparts, data shows that most do about the same as public schools and others can do worse- while only some do better. So it's kind of hard to fall in love with the movie's obvious flirtatious romance with the charter school movement. Yet the movie convinces the viewer of an undeniable fact: something has to be done. It was insane, looking at the worst excesses of the teacher's unions- things like New York's infamous rubber room, where suspended teachers sit around, WITH PAY and BENEFITS and do nothing, pending a hearing on their case which could take months. BAD teachers are impossible to fire, so some school districts just shuffle them around, hoping that a change of scenery will somehow make them into a better teacher. And so the failures of the system and the resistance to change only reinforce what we've been doing for decades now. And what we've been doing isn't working anymore.
So can we blame teacher's unions for this? It's hard to say. Like with a lot of things, their original justification was a good one. Female teachers were getting paid a lot less back in the day, so yeah, teachers should have organized, gone on strikes, done whatever to ensure that they weren't getting diddled around for their hard work. But now? I understand that jobs are important, but quality in this case matters more than quantity. The average teacher's union protects quantity over quality and at the very minimum and end to teacher tenure and a commitment to protect and promote quality over quantity it was we need. But I'm afraid we might we well past minimum solutions.
On balance: 'Waiting for Superman' didn't change my life, as the preview purported that it would do- but it did hit one nail on the head: we gotta change things up, because right now the system is failing too many kids. However, I'm less convinced by their love affair with charter schools. I think those have their drawbacks too- personally, innovation should take more than one form. Everything idea, everything should be tried. Throw the whole pan o'pasta at the wall and see what sticks- because we need as many good ideas as possible.
Overall: A clarion call for change in our schools. But take it's prescription with a grain of salt...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Daily Show Fail
Poor camel.
A rare miss on the part of The Daily Show. Really? Camels in Wisconsin? In February? I mean, the whole patently obvious joke about Cairo and Madison, Madison and Cairo aside, I don't think the gag is worth seeing this poor guy be scared out of his mind, cold and trying to walk on snow and ice and failing. I'm glad there was a happy ending, but really?
Uncool. Political satire is political satire, but you shouldn't use a terrified animal as your punchline.
A rare miss on the part of The Daily Show. Really? Camels in Wisconsin? In February? I mean, the whole patently obvious joke about Cairo and Madison, Madison and Cairo aside, I don't think the gag is worth seeing this poor guy be scared out of his mind, cold and trying to walk on snow and ice and failing. I'm glad there was a happy ending, but really?
Uncool. Political satire is political satire, but you shouldn't use a terrified animal as your punchline.
Late Night Chronicles 78: The Ultimate Kick-Ass Six Pack That Will Solve Everything
Published on FB, 2/23/11
I've been struggling to condense my many thoughts on what's happening in Wisconsin into something managable and have failed utterly. Instead of subjecting you, dear reader to a manifesto of everything that's wrong with America today, I've decided merely to embrace my failure and ramble on about what I think about the situation- and hopefully not go on for too long. Basically, the way I see it is this:
We've got a 19th Century government, education system and the tattered remnants of a mass industrialized, 19th century economy while trying to compete and survive in a 21st century world in a post-industrial economy.
Now you see why this is hard to condense down into something manageable? It's a huge problem and solving it is going to require everyone to come together, talk, debate- and I'm sure shout, yell and scream, but ultimately we need consensus on a whole host of gargantuan issues. It's enough to make you want to emigrate to Fiji, really- do we really have to live through this? Do we really have to put with decades of this? The answer, kids is I'm afraid that yes, we probably do. Whether through our own voilition or because we literally have no other choice in the matter, change, that ever-so-sexy word of the moment is coming soon to a theater near you. So get ready.
Do I think the unions are wrong to protest? No, I really don't. If you've put in 20 years doing jobs that no one else wants to do and getting paid squat for it and you're staring retirement in the face only to find that everything the state has promised is in fact one big lie, then yeah, I'd be pissed off and yeah, I'd take to the streets. That's totally fair. Unfortunately though, I don't think Governor Walker is entirely incorrect either. You only have to look at what's left of our manufacturing sector to see what happens when management and unions can't find a healthy symbiosis that benefits both worker and company. Unions asked for more and more and more until finally corporations went to Mexico where pesky things like minimum wage and basic labor law didn't matter so much. You can call that classic corporate greed, which to a certain extent it is, but a company exists to make money- and without a company, no one has a job.
So it's a Catch-22- and it's made worse by the fact that public sector unions are harder to justify. FDR was against them, saying a strike of government workers amounted to an obstruction of government operations by the very people who had sworn to serve it. But even that, I'm not sure how the logic holds up. In the private sector, unions (the theory goes, anyway) exist to ensure that workers are given a just and equitable share of the company's profits. That's problematic when you start playing in the public sector because the state doesn't generate wealth. It feeds of our taxes and fines us, regulates us and another annoying things- but generate profit? Not so much.
But I understand the panic and the outrage. People are worried that they're going to get totally hosed while the politicians and the rich line their pockets and the Middle Class just bent over and doinked. Hard. Where it doesn't tickle all that much. That worry doesn't make people all that warm and fuzzy inside- and it's a worry that might not be unfounded. Public sector unions are the only game in town these days and they are the bedrock of the Democratic Party. You bust them, you neuter the Democrats. There's a spicy patina of ideological trench warfare, including Walker's somewhat loose ties to kajillionare Libertarian Soros clones, the Koch Brothers, that worries me about all of that. This should be about the public good. It should be about dragging this country kicking and screaming into the 21st century once and for all.
You can't do that, however, if everyone doesn't share in the pain.
1. Chop From The Top: politicians should get paid less and get a lot less sweetners to boot. I heard tell the Aussies purchased a huge apartment complex for their politicos and give them a free apartment and a free economy class ticket home every weekend. Smart people, the Aussies. The Watergate looks big enough for Congress, I think- and if they want to keep up two homes for 'lifestyle purposes' or whatever, they can. On their dime.
2. Tax Reform: I don't know enough about the FairTax to say for sure, but the thought occurs to me: we are a consumer-based society. So why not tax people according to what they consume? The more crap you buy, the more tax you pay- and if you're below the poverty line, you pay no tax at all. Sounds fair to me. No backdoors, no loopholes for corporations- just a simple formula: more crap you buy, more tax you pay. (Oh: and it goes without saying that if Big Bird and NPR go baby, every last dime of corporate welfare and useless subsidies goes as well. Right Republicans?)
3. Entitlements: To me, the whole point of the 'social safety net' is not to need it. The concept of a safety net implies that there's something there to catch you if you fall- but if you're doing it right, you shouldn't fall. This means, to me, that the days of beer and pizza for the Boomers should come to an end as soon as possible. The retirement age should go up to 70 and we should means test the shit out of all these programs- so that only the people that really, really need them get the help. (I know, I know: some Conservatives out there are going, 'but wait, isn't that MY money that I've worked so hard for?' My answer: Kind of. But when you start out, you don't know if you're going to die a pauper or a millionaire so again, everyone should contribute, in case we need it- but the idea should be not too.)
4. Pensions: defined contributions and no double-dipping all round! (This goes double for Our Perpetual Governor!)
5. Health Care: gives me a headache just thinking about it- but we need to tackle it. (It's all very well for Our Perpetual Governor here in Iowa to go on about cheap insurance was back in the 70s. Or the late Triassic period. Whenever. But what has he done about it since then? Not much.) I don't like the idea of a government run model. I've seen it up close and personal and as far I can tell the only virtue is that it's free- and free doesn't necessarily equal good and free and government run just sounds like a damn nightmare. Does anyone remember Hurricane Katrina and how well that went? Do we really want the 'best and the brightest' dealing with our medicinal system? Being the independent moderate that I am, I tend to favor a bit of both- I think health care collectives are fabulous and should be encouraged and we should break down health care monopolies so that people can buy insurance from wherever they want- actual real-life competition might encourage a race to the bottom, price-wise without sacrificing quality along the way. It's certainly worth trying. But for a lot of people out there, it still might not be enough. Some form of governmental system of tax credits or subsidies should be there to make sure all Americans have the coverage they need.
6. Education: I honestly believe that education has been the most resisitant to changes of any kind and we need to unload a can of radical whoop-ass on the entire system as soon as possible, from kindergarten all the way to college. First and foremost: we need year round school. There are a few rural districts out there where kids might still go help Ma and Pa plant the fields and if so, that's OK, but the vast majority of school kids out there don't need a 3 month break every summer. And we should break ties to buildings- in the age of online internet magic if your high school doesn't have a class you want to study, you should be able to take that class online at another high school and have it count for credit. As for higher ed: we should be getting people in, out and done as quickly and efficient as possible. If that means adding a third summer semester, then so be it. We need to inculcate a love of creativity and innovation so that every student will not stop learning or looking for that next big idea. We need change, radical change and we need it right now.
So do I stand with the workers of Wisconsin? Sure. But do I also see the Governor's point? I do. Business as usual is no longer acceptable- but the politics of trench warfare practised by either side can no longer apply. This has to be about the public good- and kicking and screaming, we've all got to drag everyone into the 21st Century.
I've been struggling to condense my many thoughts on what's happening in Wisconsin into something managable and have failed utterly. Instead of subjecting you, dear reader to a manifesto of everything that's wrong with America today, I've decided merely to embrace my failure and ramble on about what I think about the situation- and hopefully not go on for too long. Basically, the way I see it is this:
We've got a 19th Century government, education system and the tattered remnants of a mass industrialized, 19th century economy while trying to compete and survive in a 21st century world in a post-industrial economy.
Now you see why this is hard to condense down into something manageable? It's a huge problem and solving it is going to require everyone to come together, talk, debate- and I'm sure shout, yell and scream, but ultimately we need consensus on a whole host of gargantuan issues. It's enough to make you want to emigrate to Fiji, really- do we really have to live through this? Do we really have to put with decades of this? The answer, kids is I'm afraid that yes, we probably do. Whether through our own voilition or because we literally have no other choice in the matter, change, that ever-so-sexy word of the moment is coming soon to a theater near you. So get ready.
Do I think the unions are wrong to protest? No, I really don't. If you've put in 20 years doing jobs that no one else wants to do and getting paid squat for it and you're staring retirement in the face only to find that everything the state has promised is in fact one big lie, then yeah, I'd be pissed off and yeah, I'd take to the streets. That's totally fair. Unfortunately though, I don't think Governor Walker is entirely incorrect either. You only have to look at what's left of our manufacturing sector to see what happens when management and unions can't find a healthy symbiosis that benefits both worker and company. Unions asked for more and more and more until finally corporations went to Mexico where pesky things like minimum wage and basic labor law didn't matter so much. You can call that classic corporate greed, which to a certain extent it is, but a company exists to make money- and without a company, no one has a job.
So it's a Catch-22- and it's made worse by the fact that public sector unions are harder to justify. FDR was against them, saying a strike of government workers amounted to an obstruction of government operations by the very people who had sworn to serve it. But even that, I'm not sure how the logic holds up. In the private sector, unions (the theory goes, anyway) exist to ensure that workers are given a just and equitable share of the company's profits. That's problematic when you start playing in the public sector because the state doesn't generate wealth. It feeds of our taxes and fines us, regulates us and another annoying things- but generate profit? Not so much.
But I understand the panic and the outrage. People are worried that they're going to get totally hosed while the politicians and the rich line their pockets and the Middle Class just bent over and doinked. Hard. Where it doesn't tickle all that much. That worry doesn't make people all that warm and fuzzy inside- and it's a worry that might not be unfounded. Public sector unions are the only game in town these days and they are the bedrock of the Democratic Party. You bust them, you neuter the Democrats. There's a spicy patina of ideological trench warfare, including Walker's somewhat loose ties to kajillionare Libertarian Soros clones, the Koch Brothers, that worries me about all of that. This should be about the public good. It should be about dragging this country kicking and screaming into the 21st century once and for all.
You can't do that, however, if everyone doesn't share in the pain.
1. Chop From The Top: politicians should get paid less and get a lot less sweetners to boot. I heard tell the Aussies purchased a huge apartment complex for their politicos and give them a free apartment and a free economy class ticket home every weekend. Smart people, the Aussies. The Watergate looks big enough for Congress, I think- and if they want to keep up two homes for 'lifestyle purposes' or whatever, they can. On their dime.
2. Tax Reform: I don't know enough about the FairTax to say for sure, but the thought occurs to me: we are a consumer-based society. So why not tax people according to what they consume? The more crap you buy, the more tax you pay- and if you're below the poverty line, you pay no tax at all. Sounds fair to me. No backdoors, no loopholes for corporations- just a simple formula: more crap you buy, more tax you pay. (Oh: and it goes without saying that if Big Bird and NPR go baby, every last dime of corporate welfare and useless subsidies goes as well. Right Republicans?)
3. Entitlements: To me, the whole point of the 'social safety net' is not to need it. The concept of a safety net implies that there's something there to catch you if you fall- but if you're doing it right, you shouldn't fall. This means, to me, that the days of beer and pizza for the Boomers should come to an end as soon as possible. The retirement age should go up to 70 and we should means test the shit out of all these programs- so that only the people that really, really need them get the help. (I know, I know: some Conservatives out there are going, 'but wait, isn't that MY money that I've worked so hard for?' My answer: Kind of. But when you start out, you don't know if you're going to die a pauper or a millionaire so again, everyone should contribute, in case we need it- but the idea should be not too.)
4. Pensions: defined contributions and no double-dipping all round! (This goes double for Our Perpetual Governor!)
5. Health Care: gives me a headache just thinking about it- but we need to tackle it. (It's all very well for Our Perpetual Governor here in Iowa to go on about cheap insurance was back in the 70s. Or the late Triassic period. Whenever. But what has he done about it since then? Not much.) I don't like the idea of a government run model. I've seen it up close and personal and as far I can tell the only virtue is that it's free- and free doesn't necessarily equal good and free and government run just sounds like a damn nightmare. Does anyone remember Hurricane Katrina and how well that went? Do we really want the 'best and the brightest' dealing with our medicinal system? Being the independent moderate that I am, I tend to favor a bit of both- I think health care collectives are fabulous and should be encouraged and we should break down health care monopolies so that people can buy insurance from wherever they want- actual real-life competition might encourage a race to the bottom, price-wise without sacrificing quality along the way. It's certainly worth trying. But for a lot of people out there, it still might not be enough. Some form of governmental system of tax credits or subsidies should be there to make sure all Americans have the coverage they need.
6. Education: I honestly believe that education has been the most resisitant to changes of any kind and we need to unload a can of radical whoop-ass on the entire system as soon as possible, from kindergarten all the way to college. First and foremost: we need year round school. There are a few rural districts out there where kids might still go help Ma and Pa plant the fields and if so, that's OK, but the vast majority of school kids out there don't need a 3 month break every summer. And we should break ties to buildings- in the age of online internet magic if your high school doesn't have a class you want to study, you should be able to take that class online at another high school and have it count for credit. As for higher ed: we should be getting people in, out and done as quickly and efficient as possible. If that means adding a third summer semester, then so be it. We need to inculcate a love of creativity and innovation so that every student will not stop learning or looking for that next big idea. We need change, radical change and we need it right now.
So do I stand with the workers of Wisconsin? Sure. But do I also see the Governor's point? I do. Business as usual is no longer acceptable- but the politics of trench warfare practised by either side can no longer apply. This has to be about the public good- and kicking and screaming, we've all got to drag everyone into the 21st Century.
Late Night Chronicles 77: Spelling Counts
Published on FB 2/23/11
It's time to do something about Libya.
As I'm writing this, I'm really hoping that there will be some breaking news that will invalidate everything I'm about to propose- whether it's of his own voilition or whether it's because an angry mob hangs him from a lamppost, it's past time for Colonel Qaddafi to make an exit, stage right. I didn't actually listen to his speech yesterday- I was at work, where CNN is on mute on one of our many flatscreens, just in case World War III breaks out while we're trying to handle the usual morass of minutia and the crazy challenges that pop up on Campus in every given day and he looked, well, how do I put this? Oh I know: completely batshit crazy.
Twitter, Al-Jazeera and media outlets exploded with reaction as he really began to dig into the meat of his rant. Apparently, with military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan and a President that's such a war monger and so ready to step up and take decisive action on any given issue (yes, that is sarcasm), those planes that had been shooting his people down in their very own streets? US warplanes. Of course! Because with 9% unemployment and the post-WWII social compact starting to fray at the edges, we don't have problems of our own. We're just going to go and play skeet shoot with innocent Libyan civilians.
But wait, it gets better: the protestors? All of them are on hallucinogenic drugs! Now, I've never done LSD or any other hallucinogen (no, really)- but I'm going to take a wild stab and say it might be pretty hard to take over half of a country if you're seeing a rainbow of colors and talking salamanders everywhere. However, lest we forget our own sporting history, MLB pitching great Dock Ellis managed to pitch a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD, so I suppose that Colonel Qaddafi might be on slightly firmer ground on this score, if such a thing is at all possible at this juncture.
This guy is heading straight over the falls with bombast, panache and healthy dollops of paranoia and well, generally lunacy along for the ride- and he's got the potential to take his entire country with him. I think at this point, we can safely assume that Libya is most definately not Egypt. There's no Tahrir Square, no young, shiny Google Executives to expound passionately on CNN- and I only think the insular and closed off nature of the country is preventing the world from learning the full scale and horror of Qaddafi's crimes against his people. For all that he sounded nutty yesterday, there's a frightening ruthlessness to a man who would reportedly offer as much as $2000 a day to mercenaries to come and shoot his own people. Egypt's army refused to open fire on it's own people- Qadaffi wouldn't take that chance with Libya's.
And although there's hopeful news that protestors appear to have taken control of the city of Misurata- which, if true would be the largest city they currently control in the western part of Libya and there were more defections overnight as the Interior Minister and more of Libya's diplomatic corps resigned or defected to back the protestors, the response of the West has been lukewarm at best and downright useless at worse.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not advocating we go in there, put boots on the ground (although we've done it before. At least the Marines have) and knock this loony off once and for all- we've got commitments of our own and right now figuring out Afghanistan needs to take priority over what would be another lengthy occupation as Libya wouldn't get back on its feet overnight, but we can do more than talk. Everybody can do more than talk. As much as I appreciate Secretary Clinton's condemnation of the bloodshed (I haven't yet seen the President weigh in- and he should!) and the UN Security Council managed, in a minor miracle to get together and agree that Qaddaffi's war against his own people was a fundamentally bad thing, at the end of the day, the lukewarm, noodly response of the Western powers has been talk. Talk, talk, useless talk.
It seems inevitable at this point that Qadaffi is going to fall. The people of Libya have had enough and every hour will probably bring more news of fresh defections and I'm hoping more cities will fall under their control. The West can and should let the people of Libya finish the job as much as possible- but it should also give them the basic protections to do so. A No-Fly Zone over Qadaffi controlled Libya combined with humanitarian assistance to the protestor controlled areas of the country would do just that. Believe it or not, I'm no neo-conservative who advocates the righting of wrongs in the name of truth, justice and the American way. We're not Superman, the Justice League or (to mix my metaphors a bit) Captain America- it's unfair to expect Americans to spend their blood and treasure kicking ass and taking names in the name of righting the wrongs of the world. But with every report of a massacre or of Chinooks in Tripoli firing on civilians in the streets, I'm convinced that it's the height of irresponsibility not to do something.
The French have an aircraft carrier. It's time to get that sucker out and use it. The British (if they haven't sold them on Ebay) have aircraft carriers. It's time for the Royal Navy to saddle up and head down to the Med to help these people out a bit. In fact, if the EU is so damn concerned about the flow of refugees into Malta and Italy, it's time for Europe to nut up or shut up and get some air cover for these people. America (because we're cool like that) should certainly offer to pitch in- perhaps with an aircraft carrier of our own- but the West needs to grow a backbone and do more than talk. If there's no political will to establish a no fly zone (a fluffy concept that's not as easy as it sounds on CNN) over Qadaffi controlled Libya, then at the very least humanitarian assistance to these protestors should be forthcoming. The next few days- and hopefully not weeks or months, will see Qadaffi flushed down the toilet bowl of history where he belongs- when a whole nation rises up the tidal forces of history behind them are inevitable and cannot be stopped, even in the face of brutality.
The courage and bravery of the Libyan people to seize their own destiny from the grasp of the Despot who is attempting to grind them under his bootheel deserves more than just our talk.
It's time to do something about Libya.
As I'm writing this, I'm really hoping that there will be some breaking news that will invalidate everything I'm about to propose- whether it's of his own voilition or whether it's because an angry mob hangs him from a lamppost, it's past time for Colonel Qaddafi to make an exit, stage right. I didn't actually listen to his speech yesterday- I was at work, where CNN is on mute on one of our many flatscreens, just in case World War III breaks out while we're trying to handle the usual morass of minutia and the crazy challenges that pop up on Campus in every given day and he looked, well, how do I put this? Oh I know: completely batshit crazy.
Twitter, Al-Jazeera and media outlets exploded with reaction as he really began to dig into the meat of his rant. Apparently, with military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan and a President that's such a war monger and so ready to step up and take decisive action on any given issue (yes, that is sarcasm), those planes that had been shooting his people down in their very own streets? US warplanes. Of course! Because with 9% unemployment and the post-WWII social compact starting to fray at the edges, we don't have problems of our own. We're just going to go and play skeet shoot with innocent Libyan civilians.
But wait, it gets better: the protestors? All of them are on hallucinogenic drugs! Now, I've never done LSD or any other hallucinogen (no, really)- but I'm going to take a wild stab and say it might be pretty hard to take over half of a country if you're seeing a rainbow of colors and talking salamanders everywhere. However, lest we forget our own sporting history, MLB pitching great Dock Ellis managed to pitch a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD, so I suppose that Colonel Qaddafi might be on slightly firmer ground on this score, if such a thing is at all possible at this juncture.
This guy is heading straight over the falls with bombast, panache and healthy dollops of paranoia and well, generally lunacy along for the ride- and he's got the potential to take his entire country with him. I think at this point, we can safely assume that Libya is most definately not Egypt. There's no Tahrir Square, no young, shiny Google Executives to expound passionately on CNN- and I only think the insular and closed off nature of the country is preventing the world from learning the full scale and horror of Qaddafi's crimes against his people. For all that he sounded nutty yesterday, there's a frightening ruthlessness to a man who would reportedly offer as much as $2000 a day to mercenaries to come and shoot his own people. Egypt's army refused to open fire on it's own people- Qadaffi wouldn't take that chance with Libya's.
And although there's hopeful news that protestors appear to have taken control of the city of Misurata- which, if true would be the largest city they currently control in the western part of Libya and there were more defections overnight as the Interior Minister and more of Libya's diplomatic corps resigned or defected to back the protestors, the response of the West has been lukewarm at best and downright useless at worse.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not advocating we go in there, put boots on the ground (although we've done it before. At least the Marines have) and knock this loony off once and for all- we've got commitments of our own and right now figuring out Afghanistan needs to take priority over what would be another lengthy occupation as Libya wouldn't get back on its feet overnight, but we can do more than talk. Everybody can do more than talk. As much as I appreciate Secretary Clinton's condemnation of the bloodshed (I haven't yet seen the President weigh in- and he should!) and the UN Security Council managed, in a minor miracle to get together and agree that Qaddaffi's war against his own people was a fundamentally bad thing, at the end of the day, the lukewarm, noodly response of the Western powers has been talk. Talk, talk, useless talk.
It seems inevitable at this point that Qadaffi is going to fall. The people of Libya have had enough and every hour will probably bring more news of fresh defections and I'm hoping more cities will fall under their control. The West can and should let the people of Libya finish the job as much as possible- but it should also give them the basic protections to do so. A No-Fly Zone over Qadaffi controlled Libya combined with humanitarian assistance to the protestor controlled areas of the country would do just that. Believe it or not, I'm no neo-conservative who advocates the righting of wrongs in the name of truth, justice and the American way. We're not Superman, the Justice League or (to mix my metaphors a bit) Captain America- it's unfair to expect Americans to spend their blood and treasure kicking ass and taking names in the name of righting the wrongs of the world. But with every report of a massacre or of Chinooks in Tripoli firing on civilians in the streets, I'm convinced that it's the height of irresponsibility not to do something.
The French have an aircraft carrier. It's time to get that sucker out and use it. The British (if they haven't sold them on Ebay) have aircraft carriers. It's time for the Royal Navy to saddle up and head down to the Med to help these people out a bit. In fact, if the EU is so damn concerned about the flow of refugees into Malta and Italy, it's time for Europe to nut up or shut up and get some air cover for these people. America (because we're cool like that) should certainly offer to pitch in- perhaps with an aircraft carrier of our own- but the West needs to grow a backbone and do more than talk. If there's no political will to establish a no fly zone (a fluffy concept that's not as easy as it sounds on CNN) over Qadaffi controlled Libya, then at the very least humanitarian assistance to these protestors should be forthcoming. The next few days- and hopefully not weeks or months, will see Qadaffi flushed down the toilet bowl of history where he belongs- when a whole nation rises up the tidal forces of history behind them are inevitable and cannot be stopped, even in the face of brutality.
The courage and bravery of the Libyan people to seize their own destiny from the grasp of the Despot who is attempting to grind them under his bootheel deserves more than just our talk.
Perspective
Basketball, especially the college variety is a game that is increasingly demanding instant results from it's coaches and players with every passing year. A program might be down (like Iowa) and rabid fans expect- no, they demand a miraculous return to form as quickly as possible. For some programs, that means an NCAA title or bust- for others (like Iowa) it means getting back to the upper echelon of their respective conferences.
So, for all the blood-hungry, rabid balla fans out there: some perspective.
However slow your rebuilding plans are going just remember- it could be a lot worse.
So, for all the blood-hungry, rabid balla fans out there: some perspective.
However slow your rebuilding plans are going just remember- it could be a lot worse.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Libya Is Burning
First Mubarak and now Gaddafi (Khaddaffy, Qadafi, however you spell it) is under extreme pressure- and unfortunately, unlike Egypt, the government is shooting back in a big way- the situation is extremely fluid and with Libyan diplomats defecting and condemning their own government by the bucketload, the strain on the regime is growing by the hour. What little news is leaking out just sounds awful- my thoughts and prayers are with Libya tonight.
BBC
Al-Jazeera
Twitter
BBC
Al-Jazeera
It's All In The Wrist
People are still talking about Watson the IBM supercomputer besting two bad-ass Jeopardy champs what seems like weeks ago now- even though I think it might have been like a week and a half ago now. I'm not sure. People seem to be worried about the 'rise of the machines' and things of that nature, but really, while Big Blue and the Chess match versus Gary Kasparov was a better test, Watson vs. the Jeopardy Kings was a disingenous one. Knowledge is only one part of Jeopardy- the other part, as all the world knows, is how fast you can buzz in.
And I'm sorry, but a super computer is going to have a huge advantage over human reflexes when it comes to buzzing in. So I think maybe it was a nice ratings stunt, but a fair test? Not really.
And I'm sorry, but a super computer is going to have a huge advantage over human reflexes when it comes to buzzing in. So I think maybe it was a nice ratings stunt, but a fair test? Not really.
On Wisconsin
I'm torn.
Really and truly, I'm torn on this one. It's got to be hard for people who have been working ten, twenty, thirty years now to be told that, no, there's no beer and pizza waiting at the end of the rainbow and everything the government has promised you has been a flat out lie. People have a right to protest that and they have a right to be angry about that.
But, unfortunately, the party is over for much of the Boomer Generation (it didn't even begin for my generation, nor do I expect it too) and there's no use rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic pretending that the math is going to suddenly rearrange itself into something more palatable for everyone. We HAVE to make changes- and while I'm pleased that there are Governors and elected officials willing to step up and fight the big battles, I have some concerns.
First and foremost: this HAS to be about the public good. Althouse has made this point a few times in her great, ongoing coverage of the events in Madison and I'm in complete agreement with her. Battles with public sector unions are going to be intense and have to be fought to a certain degree, but there's no getting around the fact that if Republicans can break public sector unions, they will effectively neuter the Democratic Party as we know it. That might provoke some ideological revitalization of the Left, which I personally think is sorely needed, but still I worry about the implications of engaging in trench warfare designed to gut both budgets and your political opposition.
Second: while Walker's tilt at stripping public sector unions of their collective bargaining rights concerns me, there's a real case to be made against the need for public sector unions- and when no less a Democratic Titan as FDR was against them, it's hard for me to jump up and down in excitement about them. Basically, just read this and discuss amongst yourselves.
Third: the debate on collective bargaining aside, I'd like to see evidence of some forethought about this. Let's transition to a sane, sensible and more importantly sustainable level of government- workers my age should be able to read the writing on the wall. I don't think it's unreasonable for me to chip in for health insurance and I want to start my own retirement plan, separate from anything I've got at work with the Missus at some point this year, because I don't think I'm getting squat from the government. That said, if you're retiring in the next ten years, you should retire with what was promised you. The next ten to thirty years, you should be asked to do a little more, because you've got time to make those adjustments and then when you're my age, you should be asked to do still more, because you've got TONS of time to plan- and should.
Fourth: yes, a lot of public sector employees live way too high off the taxpayer hog, but I'm sick and tired of Republicans bringing a sledgehammer to a heart surgery when it comes to budget cutting- and this extends way beyond Wisconsin, by the way. Gutting everything in sight will essentially gut the middle class, because teachers, police officer, firefighters, nurses- all public employees, by the way, to me form the bulwark of the Middle Class, plain and simple- and if they're not the bulwark, then they're certain a wide swathe of the middle class and hitting them where it hurts cannot be good for the economy or the country, plain and simple. We need finesse, not a total mess- entitlement reform, tax reform and yes public sector union reform, but remember: we need and want SOME government. Corporatizing everything is only going to make life very, very expensive for all concerned.
P.S. In the battle of protest signs, I'm sorry, but it's Tea Party 1, Unions 0- I burst out laughing when, upon flipping through various photos of the Tea Party protests Saturday in Madison, I caught a glimpse of a sign that read: 'SCOTTY KEEP YOUR PIMP HAND STRONG' (Am gonna try and find a pic of this awesomeness. Didn't have much luck last night.)
Epic win, Tea Party. Unions: step it up! Comparing Republicans to Hitler is so passe.
Really and truly, I'm torn on this one. It's got to be hard for people who have been working ten, twenty, thirty years now to be told that, no, there's no beer and pizza waiting at the end of the rainbow and everything the government has promised you has been a flat out lie. People have a right to protest that and they have a right to be angry about that.
But, unfortunately, the party is over for much of the Boomer Generation (it didn't even begin for my generation, nor do I expect it too) and there's no use rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic pretending that the math is going to suddenly rearrange itself into something more palatable for everyone. We HAVE to make changes- and while I'm pleased that there are Governors and elected officials willing to step up and fight the big battles, I have some concerns.
First and foremost: this HAS to be about the public good. Althouse has made this point a few times in her great, ongoing coverage of the events in Madison and I'm in complete agreement with her. Battles with public sector unions are going to be intense and have to be fought to a certain degree, but there's no getting around the fact that if Republicans can break public sector unions, they will effectively neuter the Democratic Party as we know it. That might provoke some ideological revitalization of the Left, which I personally think is sorely needed, but still I worry about the implications of engaging in trench warfare designed to gut both budgets and your political opposition.
Second: while Walker's tilt at stripping public sector unions of their collective bargaining rights concerns me, there's a real case to be made against the need for public sector unions- and when no less a Democratic Titan as FDR was against them, it's hard for me to jump up and down in excitement about them. Basically, just read this and discuss amongst yourselves.
Third: the debate on collective bargaining aside, I'd like to see evidence of some forethought about this. Let's transition to a sane, sensible and more importantly sustainable level of government- workers my age should be able to read the writing on the wall. I don't think it's unreasonable for me to chip in for health insurance and I want to start my own retirement plan, separate from anything I've got at work with the Missus at some point this year, because I don't think I'm getting squat from the government. That said, if you're retiring in the next ten years, you should retire with what was promised you. The next ten to thirty years, you should be asked to do a little more, because you've got time to make those adjustments and then when you're my age, you should be asked to do still more, because you've got TONS of time to plan- and should.
Fourth: yes, a lot of public sector employees live way too high off the taxpayer hog, but I'm sick and tired of Republicans bringing a sledgehammer to a heart surgery when it comes to budget cutting- and this extends way beyond Wisconsin, by the way. Gutting everything in sight will essentially gut the middle class, because teachers, police officer, firefighters, nurses- all public employees, by the way, to me form the bulwark of the Middle Class, plain and simple- and if they're not the bulwark, then they're certain a wide swathe of the middle class and hitting them where it hurts cannot be good for the economy or the country, plain and simple. We need finesse, not a total mess- entitlement reform, tax reform and yes public sector union reform, but remember: we need and want SOME government. Corporatizing everything is only going to make life very, very expensive for all concerned.
P.S. In the battle of protest signs, I'm sorry, but it's Tea Party 1, Unions 0- I burst out laughing when, upon flipping through various photos of the Tea Party protests Saturday in Madison, I caught a glimpse of a sign that read: 'SCOTTY KEEP YOUR PIMP HAND STRONG' (Am gonna try and find a pic of this awesomeness. Didn't have much luck last night.)
Epic win, Tea Party. Unions: step it up! Comparing Republicans to Hitler is so passe.
Dear Republicans,
Dear Republicans,
I'm waiting to see your proposals for entitlement reform. If your budget contains none and if you collectively lack either the testicular or ovarian fortitude to take on entitlement reform then, by definition, your budget will be just as irresponsible and useless as the President's was.
yours truly,
The Cigar
p.s. I like this, though. Potential epic win in the making!
I'm waiting to see your proposals for entitlement reform. If your budget contains none and if you collectively lack either the testicular or ovarian fortitude to take on entitlement reform then, by definition, your budget will be just as irresponsible and useless as the President's was.
yours truly,
The Cigar
p.s. I like this, though. Potential epic win in the making!
Epic Win!
One piece of Republican stupidity has officially died. BTW, kids, John Seed from HuffPost (the big leagues of the Interwebs) contacted me today to ask me for some thoughts on the proposed sale of the Pollock Mural. This is what I said in reply:
Even though this latest attempt to sell the Mural has died, we've got to pull together and start planning for, fundraising for and building a Museum worthy of this amazing collection. It's inexcusable that so many Iowans didn't know what we had down here and we need to make sure every Iowan gets to see this amazing painting- and the rest of the collection for that matter, up close and personal.
John,
The first question is the more difficult of the two. I think especially in Eastern Iowa, more people have seen the painting- both at the Figge in Davenport and when it was on campus and were aware of it's iconic importance to the state than elsewhere in the state. There's a surprising lack of knowledge about just what an amazing art collection the University has- and while I believe the original building was built mainly through the monetary support of the community, that was at least three decades ago now and in the intervening time, the Art School and the Art Community just got comfortable with the way things were.
As a result, really and truly, the Pollock and the rest of the University's collection could accurately be called one of the best kept secrets in Iowa. Not a lot of people out there are aware of just how amazing the collection is- apart from the Pollock we've got one of the best African Art collections in the country, we've had pioneered methods in intaglio and foil printing, we've got PIcassos, Woods, Matisses- everything really. So how do Iowans feel? I expect some of them were surprised to learn just what an extensive and valuable collection we have- and even more surprised to learn just what some of these paintings were worth. And I think the more Iowans get to see the Mural and the rest of the collection, the more they'll value it as part of the state's cultural heritage.
As for the second question, I think a lot of people do care about the Pollock. Any other painting of this stature would probably be in a Museum far, far away from Iowa, so the fact that it's Iowa and not in say, New York City, only makes it more special to people around here- which I why I think you've seen such a passionate response to attempts to force its sale. It's a big deal that we have this painting- people should know about it and every Iowan should have the chance to see it for themselves.
As for me: I think the proposed sale is an unworthy solution for the times we live in. Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, we all know that money is tight and straining both family checkbooks and state budgets around the country. A garage sale of our prized cultural possessions is no solution at all. Higher education is especially bloated with administrators- there are far more productive things the Legislature could have chosen to target, yet they didn't. As a country we're living in a tumultuous time of transition as we move into a post-industrial, 21st century economy, yet our education and governmental systems are still stuck in the 19th century. If we're to grow the economy again for everyone, we need an education system that inspires creativity, innovation and a lifelong love for learning so that no student will ever stop searching for 'the next big idea'- and as we've seen over these past weeks, Mural has inspired discussion and controversy around the country- who knows which student, which legislature or even which person it will inspire next.
hope that helps.
Tom
Even though this latest attempt to sell the Mural has died, we've got to pull together and start planning for, fundraising for and building a Museum worthy of this amazing collection. It's inexcusable that so many Iowans didn't know what we had down here and we need to make sure every Iowan gets to see this amazing painting- and the rest of the collection for that matter, up close and personal.
Defending The Indefensible
...courtesy of Our Perpetual Governor in the DM Register. Let me be totally clear: there is no justification whatsoever for this kind of double-dipping. This should be a clear, easy and simple concept for everyone- including Our Perpetual Governor and I'm baffled why the Legislature is laying down on this issue. Very simple, kids- behold:
Retired: pension
Not Retired: no pension!
If Our Perpetual Double-Dipping Governor chooses not to seek his umpteenth term in 2014 and really retire, then I have no problem whatsoever with him getting his pension. He's put in his time and he's earned it. But he's still working- and most definately not retired. Therefore, no pension!
(Oh and: I don't want to hear any bullshit about fiscal sacrifice. Our Perpetual Governor dropped from 400K a year to 130K a year. Life can't be that hard and what with the free housing, I really doubt he's struggling to pay his bills. That's not sacrifice, it's a self-agrandizing paycut to fluff his ego as he rides into town with a bad combover and the same damn moustache he's had for three decades now to supposedly save the day. I'm unimpressed.)
Retired: pension
Not Retired: no pension!
If Our Perpetual Double-Dipping Governor chooses not to seek his umpteenth term in 2014 and really retire, then I have no problem whatsoever with him getting his pension. He's put in his time and he's earned it. But he's still working- and most definately not retired. Therefore, no pension!
(Oh and: I don't want to hear any bullshit about fiscal sacrifice. Our Perpetual Governor dropped from 400K a year to 130K a year. Life can't be that hard and what with the free housing, I really doubt he's struggling to pay his bills. That's not sacrifice, it's a self-agrandizing paycut to fluff his ego as he rides into town with a bad combover and the same damn moustache he's had for three decades now to supposedly save the day. I'm unimpressed.)
On Cheeseburgers
I miss Kwik Trip cheeseburgers. We zipped up to the Medium White North for a friend's birthday party this weekend and on our way out of town- fighting some nasty sleet, ice and snow which had fallen the night before we stopped to get gas, some Diet Dew and yes, a cheeseburger at the local Kwik Trip.
It's hard to describe just how awesome these cheeseburgers are, because they're not. That may seem like a total contradiction, but these things aren't going to win any Zagat awards anytime soon. The buns are usually squished down some, the meat patty is pathetically thin and the cheese has usually long since congealed to the top of your anorexic meat patty long before you even pick up the burger and take a long hard look at it. They're terrible. And yet, they're oddly delicious. There's something wonderful about the basic, cheap cheeseburger that is just so satisfying- I mean, they're cheap and usually they're 2 for $2.22- and they're great with onions and ketchup or just by themselves, bun, meat and cheese.
Maybe it's nostalgia. Maybe they just became like the go-to cheap food I always grabbed when coming back down to Iowa City from Mankato. But really and truly, proximity to these terrible, wonderful cheeseburgers might be enough to overcome my distaste for Minnesota winters should the Missus and I find ourselves looking at a move back northwards.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Teachers Are Important...
...but if you earn 50K a year, you can chip in and help pay for your health insurance. I earn 20K less and I'd still be willing to do that, provided it doesn't totally screw me over.
Two questions: statistics lie. Are these stats true?
and... well, maybe I don't have a second question.
Two questions: statistics lie. Are these stats true?
and... well, maybe I don't have a second question.
Wisdom
Ninety eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.
Lily Tomlin
A Question
while Conservatives everywhere are jumping up and down in glee over the prospect of neutering public sector unions, despite the fact it will essentially put a sledgehammer to large chunks of the comfortable middle class in this country, I gotta ask:
Why aren't we gutting the political class?
Don't get me wrong: there are (some) very dedicated public servants out there, but people who make a lifetime of politics are part of the problem, not the solution. You only have to take a hard look at the House of Representatives to realize that- there's little to no turnover and if you can win 2, 3 elections at most, then you're essentially set for life, unless you take meth and kill puppies with a gay hooker on the sly or something. This little Wisconsin brouhaha just proves my point- no one has the right answers!
Yes, things have got to change. I'm sorry, but the days of wine and roses are over for the Baby Boomers and they're just gonna have to deal. We can't afford everything that's been promised to you! Like the wise man said, there's one born every minute and this is a generational swindle that the Boomers have been totally complicit in and it undermines a large section of Progressive thought in this country that I've yet to see a decent counter-argument too: we can't AMEX our way to Nirvana. Suck it up and deal.
That said, though: let's not pretend this about fiscal conservatism. It's not. The bedrock of the Democratic Party rests on unions and the only game in town anymore are the Public Sector variety. This is about neutering the entire Democratic Party. Fiscal conservatism is just how Republicans get to sell it to taxpayers. But what's the answer? We need SOME government. People aren't going to be happy when we fire cops and firefighters and the streets are less safe and their houses burn down. They won't be happy when we fire teachers and the quality of education their kids are getting goes straight down the toilet. It's a real problem with all this happy union-busting that Republicans are NOT answering. You can't just GUT the middle class. It's going to kill the economy.
Some random thoughts: slice the pay of every politician in this country in half. Make them pay for their own health insurance and no, they shouldn't get a dime in pension money, because kids, they shouldn't be retiring as politicians! Public service, we're being told is all about sacrifice. It sure would be nice if the politicians would take one for the team.
Why aren't we gutting the political class?
Don't get me wrong: there are (some) very dedicated public servants out there, but people who make a lifetime of politics are part of the problem, not the solution. You only have to take a hard look at the House of Representatives to realize that- there's little to no turnover and if you can win 2, 3 elections at most, then you're essentially set for life, unless you take meth and kill puppies with a gay hooker on the sly or something. This little Wisconsin brouhaha just proves my point- no one has the right answers!
Yes, things have got to change. I'm sorry, but the days of wine and roses are over for the Baby Boomers and they're just gonna have to deal. We can't afford everything that's been promised to you! Like the wise man said, there's one born every minute and this is a generational swindle that the Boomers have been totally complicit in and it undermines a large section of Progressive thought in this country that I've yet to see a decent counter-argument too: we can't AMEX our way to Nirvana. Suck it up and deal.
That said, though: let's not pretend this about fiscal conservatism. It's not. The bedrock of the Democratic Party rests on unions and the only game in town anymore are the Public Sector variety. This is about neutering the entire Democratic Party. Fiscal conservatism is just how Republicans get to sell it to taxpayers. But what's the answer? We need SOME government. People aren't going to be happy when we fire cops and firefighters and the streets are less safe and their houses burn down. They won't be happy when we fire teachers and the quality of education their kids are getting goes straight down the toilet. It's a real problem with all this happy union-busting that Republicans are NOT answering. You can't just GUT the middle class. It's going to kill the economy.
Some random thoughts: slice the pay of every politician in this country in half. Make them pay for their own health insurance and no, they shouldn't get a dime in pension money, because kids, they shouldn't be retiring as politicians! Public service, we're being told is all about sacrifice. It sure would be nice if the politicians would take one for the team.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
There (Should Be) A Girl In My Hammerlock
...the State Wrestling Tournament is underway here in Iowa, which, if you live in Iowa, you probably already know, unless you've been living under some kind of rock. 2 female wrestlers qualified for State this year- first two ever and today, Cassy Herkelman of Cedar Falls won when her male opponent Joel Northrup of Linn-Mar in Marion declined to wrestle her.
Now kudos to Cassy and Megan Black, the other female entrant for getting her done, knocking down a couple of gender stereotypes and getting to the State Tournament, but, while it's obvious Northrup agonized over his decision, I gotta throw it out there:
Really a matter of conscience? Or a little bit of disrespect because he didn't want to wrestle a girl?
I think it's a fair question to ask. The flip side of this debate is that if a girl is qualified enough to get to State and take me on, then yeah, I'd wrassle- see how good she really is.
So kids, thoughtful, agonizing decision.... or.... he didn't want to wrassle a girl?
Discuss.
Now kudos to Cassy and Megan Black, the other female entrant for getting her done, knocking down a couple of gender stereotypes and getting to the State Tournament, but, while it's obvious Northrup agonized over his decision, I gotta throw it out there:
Really a matter of conscience? Or a little bit of disrespect because he didn't want to wrestle a girl?
I think it's a fair question to ask. The flip side of this debate is that if a girl is qualified enough to get to State and take me on, then yeah, I'd wrassle- see how good she really is.
So kids, thoughtful, agonizing decision.... or.... he didn't want to wrassle a girl?
Discuss.
Angry Badgers Everywhere
Wisconsin is in turmoil today as State Employees protested new Republican Governor Scott Walker's plan to essentially strip them of their collective bargaining rights- they, needless to say are pissed off. Senate Democrats in Wisconsin are nowhere to be found, because without at least one Democrats present, they have no quorom and therefore can't vote and impressively, Governor Walker hasn't blinked.
Here's my take:
This is will happen elsewhere, so get ready.
No one has the right answer yet. (What are Wisconsin politicos doing to lead by example? Cutting their own salaries and benefits? Because if not, then this is ideological union busting and not a real solution. Elected officials seem to forget that they are state workers too.)
The ideological death throes of the Baby Boomers have officially begun. I'm a Millenial Worker and I genuinely feel- and want to contribute to my own retirement and yes, to a certain degree, I'd be willing to do that for Health Insurance as well. I refuse to live in a fantasy dreamworld of hippy flower power where I delude myself into thinking that the government will pay for everything and wine and cheese will fall from the sky. I want to help. I should help. So to Governor Walker- and to Our Perpetual Governor, should he happen to be reading this: please don't forget younger workers. We (well me, anyway) want to help- so try not to totally screw us, please?
Post-War Liberalism? It's gonna die. Finally, the 30 year-old 'Weekend At Bernie's' party we've been having with liberalism as we know it will implode against the plain fiscal reality that we can't afford to pay for it all. Democrats: don't go to Illinois. Give us answers. Don't let the Republicans gut everything in sight without some kind of a reality-based response, please!
UPDATES:
This didn't take long.
And, if you're going to go on the lamb and hide out somewhere- there are worse places.
Here's my take:
This is will happen elsewhere, so get ready.
No one has the right answer yet. (What are Wisconsin politicos doing to lead by example? Cutting their own salaries and benefits? Because if not, then this is ideological union busting and not a real solution. Elected officials seem to forget that they are state workers too.)
The ideological death throes of the Baby Boomers have officially begun. I'm a Millenial Worker and I genuinely feel- and want to contribute to my own retirement and yes, to a certain degree, I'd be willing to do that for Health Insurance as well. I refuse to live in a fantasy dreamworld of hippy flower power where I delude myself into thinking that the government will pay for everything and wine and cheese will fall from the sky. I want to help. I should help. So to Governor Walker- and to Our Perpetual Governor, should he happen to be reading this: please don't forget younger workers. We (well me, anyway) want to help- so try not to totally screw us, please?
Post-War Liberalism? It's gonna die. Finally, the 30 year-old 'Weekend At Bernie's' party we've been having with liberalism as we know it will implode against the plain fiscal reality that we can't afford to pay for it all. Democrats: don't go to Illinois. Give us answers. Don't let the Republicans gut everything in sight without some kind of a reality-based response, please!
UPDATES:
This didn't take long.
And, if you're going to go on the lamb and hide out somewhere- there are worse places.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Rest Easy, America
Justin Bieber has finally weighed in.
On Health Care:
And On Abortion:
I will sleep better tonight, knowing where the Biebs stands.
On Health Care:
You guys are evil," he told the magazine, out on February 18th. "Canada's the best country in the world. We go to the doctor and we don't need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you're broke because of medical bills. My bodyguard's baby was premature, and now he has to pay for it. In Canada, if your baby's premature, he stays in the hospital as long as he needs to, and then you go home."
And On Abortion:
"I really don't believe in abortion. It's like killing a baby?" And as for extenuating circumstances, such as rape? "Um. Well, I think that's really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I guess I haven't been in that position, so I wouldn't be able to judge that."
I will sleep better tonight, knowing where the Biebs stands.
Let's Play A New Game!
Now, you too can try and fix the deficit- with both simple and complex modes. I've been playing with this a little bit and it's both good and bad- good because it gives you an idea of just how maddeningly complex this system really can be... some basic things I would do:
GOVERNMENT ITSELF
Cut Congressional and Presidential Salaries and Benefits in half.
Make Double-Dipping On Pensions Illegal- for absolutely everyone. (You get a pension when you retire. If you come back to work, you are unretired, therefore, no pension- how does this not make sense to people?)
End The War On Drugs
Strip Down The Department of Education. (If K-12 Education in this country is built on the principle of local control, why do we spend gobs of money on it at the Federal level? This is for states to deal with. Plus, I'd restore consumer protections to the student loan industry and penalize colleges for default rates. Time to fight for students, not loan companies and teachers unions.)
Abolish the Department of Homeland Security. (From what I can tell, this is a bureaucratic snakepit. Money could be better spent actually defending our borders- plus, I think we need to knock heads and give serious consideration to consoldating our intelligence capabilities.)
Statehood for D.C.
Statehood (or broad autonomy) for Native Americans, Alaskans, Hawaiians, etc.
Tax Reform: End All Loopholes and give serious consideration to a national sales tax. (More shit you buy, more tax you pay. Seems pretty progressive to me, but in all fairness, I need to learn more about FairTax before I totally jump on board.)
End Corporate Welfare (what do they need it for?)
Combine Interior and Agriculture. (They're both about land.)
Abolish Department of Commerce (Commerce happens every day in this country anyway. We don't need a whole department devoted to it.)
Strip Down Department of Labor (I'd like to reform Taft-Hartley and break down this big, godawful bureaucratic unions that benefit union bosses more than workers. But workers deserve some love, so OSHA and worker protection agencies can stay.)
Give The VA back to Defense (I don't want to cut benefits, but DOD should handle this, as the vets are their soldiers. We don't need a whole 'nother department.)
Speaking of Defense: End All Waste and End The Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as quickly as possible- they're bleeding us dry.
If they're not on a defined contribution pension system already, move all Federal employees to one. Ask for all Fed employees to contribute to their health insurance, but don't mess with salary increases.
ENTITLEMENT REFORM:
Raise Social Security retirement age to 70. (Or better still, tie it to life expectancy)
Means test Social Security- if you're wealthy, you don't need it.
Allow people to invest up to 40% of their social security funds into nice, stable things like bonds.
Medical Tort Reform
Allow People To Buy Insurance Across State Lines
Encourage Health Care Cooperatives
Put Money Into Preventative Health Care
Mandate Midwifery Standards and push safe, home birth wherever possible.
P.S. These are just rough notes- any would-be deficit hawks out there, I'd invite you to take a crack at balancing the budget. It's damn near impossible to do- and I have no idea if any of my ideas are viable much less sensible. But no matter how you look at it: cutting spending and the size of government is nowhere near as easy as people think.
GOVERNMENT ITSELF
Cut Congressional and Presidential Salaries and Benefits in half.
Make Double-Dipping On Pensions Illegal- for absolutely everyone. (You get a pension when you retire. If you come back to work, you are unretired, therefore, no pension- how does this not make sense to people?)
End The War On Drugs
Strip Down The Department of Education. (If K-12 Education in this country is built on the principle of local control, why do we spend gobs of money on it at the Federal level? This is for states to deal with. Plus, I'd restore consumer protections to the student loan industry and penalize colleges for default rates. Time to fight for students, not loan companies and teachers unions.)
Abolish the Department of Homeland Security. (From what I can tell, this is a bureaucratic snakepit. Money could be better spent actually defending our borders- plus, I think we need to knock heads and give serious consideration to consoldating our intelligence capabilities.)
Statehood for D.C.
Statehood (or broad autonomy) for Native Americans, Alaskans, Hawaiians, etc.
Tax Reform: End All Loopholes and give serious consideration to a national sales tax. (More shit you buy, more tax you pay. Seems pretty progressive to me, but in all fairness, I need to learn more about FairTax before I totally jump on board.)
End Corporate Welfare (what do they need it for?)
Combine Interior and Agriculture. (They're both about land.)
Abolish Department of Commerce (Commerce happens every day in this country anyway. We don't need a whole department devoted to it.)
Strip Down Department of Labor (I'd like to reform Taft-Hartley and break down this big, godawful bureaucratic unions that benefit union bosses more than workers. But workers deserve some love, so OSHA and worker protection agencies can stay.)
Give The VA back to Defense (I don't want to cut benefits, but DOD should handle this, as the vets are their soldiers. We don't need a whole 'nother department.)
Speaking of Defense: End All Waste and End The Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as quickly as possible- they're bleeding us dry.
If they're not on a defined contribution pension system already, move all Federal employees to one. Ask for all Fed employees to contribute to their health insurance, but don't mess with salary increases.
ENTITLEMENT REFORM:
Raise Social Security retirement age to 70. (Or better still, tie it to life expectancy)
Means test Social Security- if you're wealthy, you don't need it.
Allow people to invest up to 40% of their social security funds into nice, stable things like bonds.
Medical Tort Reform
Allow People To Buy Insurance Across State Lines
Encourage Health Care Cooperatives
Put Money Into Preventative Health Care
Mandate Midwifery Standards and push safe, home birth wherever possible.
P.S. These are just rough notes- any would-be deficit hawks out there, I'd invite you to take a crack at balancing the budget. It's damn near impossible to do- and I have no idea if any of my ideas are viable much less sensible. But no matter how you look at it: cutting spending and the size of government is nowhere near as easy as people think.
Cynical and Jaded
Today, I am cynical and jaded. I might as well just make it official. I grew up in Iowa, I had wanted to raise a family here in Iowa but in the past week and a half, there's just been body blow after body blow to way I see things around here. When I was growing up- and maybe this is an incorrect impression on my part, but when I was growing up, Republicans seemed to be obsessed with fiscal responsibility and family values. They would practice the former and preach the latter. It was irritating, but it wasn't soul-crushing hypocrisy on their part.
This week though… turns out that Our Perpetual Governor is a double dipper, raking in 130K plus 50K in pension payments from his previous time as Governor. He doesn't think it's right, but he also doesn't seem to be in a hurry to do anything about it.
Republicans in the State House are busy thrusting a radical right wing social agenda down our throats- and no, I don't care if it's going to die in the Senate, it's still damn scary when this bill might outlaw any and all kinds of contraception and IVF, never mind abortion itself. So if the Missus and I need the help of science to start a family, as some people do, then I guess we can't have kids in this state if the Republicans get their way.
And then there's the Pollock. One of the most iconic, important pieces of art in American history and it's right here in Iowa. Not in Venice, not in New York City or Japan, but right here in Iowa. And what do they want to do with it? Sell it. Never mind that it's no real solution to the problems of funding in higher education. Never mind that, it's art. Silly, frilly, liberal art. And we can't be having that either.
I didn't vote for a radical right wing social agenda. If I must have conservatism, I want it to be sensible and concentrate on saving jobs, not pushing a radical social agenda straight into my bedroom. I wouldn't want that from the Left and I don't want it from the right and after this idiocy with the Pollock, the Radically Insane Abortion Bill that's crawling it ways through the House now and then the news of Our Perpetual Governor's double dipping, you know what I thought?
I can't wait to move back to Minnesota.
It's sad, but there it is. This isn't the state that I grew up in anymore, it seems and I want a state where younger workers and families are valued, not driven away- which is what the Republicans in Des Moines seem hell bent on doing.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Epic FAIL
Our Perpetual Governor earns 130K plus 50K in a pension from his earlier service as Governor. Hypocritical bullshit artist that he is, he's going to be busy cutting preschool, state services, paychecks, pensions and jobs all over the state- BUT NOT HIS OWN?
Say it with me kids: WHAT THE F**K!
Excuse my profanity, but I can't stomach any more sermons from Our Perpetual Governor about fiscal responsibility until he steps up and demonstrates that he actually understands what SACRIFICE means. No wonder he's been strangely silent about pensions, only one of the biggest unfunded liabilities that is threatening state budgets across the country- he's cleaning up under the current system! Double-dipping, like so many other leeches on the public sector do. Gee, I wonder who guaranteed his pension? Wouldn't it be ironic if it was a union contract? Please tell me that- it'd be so awesome!
This is the worst kind of hypocrisy I can imagine. I'm sorry, but it's fucking nauseating. Police officers and their pensions are the problem? Teachers and their salaries are the problem? State funded preschool is the problem? How about political hacks that take advantage of the pension system to clean up and line their own pockets!
The money quote of course:
Ah, I see- pension goodies for me and not for thee! Awesome awesome awesome. (Oh and I love how he's so willing to give up his pension, but state law prohibits him from doing so- and he'd 'support legislation' to do so. Yet he doesn't seem to be in that big of a hurry to get that legislation passed. And I love his sacrifice of going from a 300K salary to a 130K salary- life must be so hard for Our Perpetual Governor.)
If any of our alleged leaders in Des Moines happen to reading this: step up and practice what you preach, please! End double dipping and close that damn loophole- fast!
Say it with me kids: WHAT THE F**K!
Excuse my profanity, but I can't stomach any more sermons from Our Perpetual Governor about fiscal responsibility until he steps up and demonstrates that he actually understands what SACRIFICE means. No wonder he's been strangely silent about pensions, only one of the biggest unfunded liabilities that is threatening state budgets across the country- he's cleaning up under the current system! Double-dipping, like so many other leeches on the public sector do. Gee, I wonder who guaranteed his pension? Wouldn't it be ironic if it was a union contract? Please tell me that- it'd be so awesome!
This is the worst kind of hypocrisy I can imagine. I'm sorry, but it's fucking nauseating. Police officers and their pensions are the problem? Teachers and their salaries are the problem? State funded preschool is the problem? How about political hacks that take advantage of the pension system to clean up and line their own pockets!
The money quote of course:
The Republican's salary will not reduce his retirement benefits, unlike other retired state workers under age 65 who return to service, because of a provision he signed into law as governor in 1992 that exempts retirees who return as elected officials from pension cuts.
Ah, I see- pension goodies for me and not for thee! Awesome awesome awesome. (Oh and I love how he's so willing to give up his pension, but state law prohibits him from doing so- and he'd 'support legislation' to do so. Yet he doesn't seem to be in that big of a hurry to get that legislation passed. And I love his sacrifice of going from a 300K salary to a 130K salary- life must be so hard for Our Perpetual Governor.)
If any of our alleged leaders in Des Moines happen to reading this: step up and practice what you preach, please! End double dipping and close that damn loophole- fast!
Budget Battles Underway
The President released his budget today. I think people were universally underwhelmed by it.
Blogging Scandal
How much truth can teachers tell? An interesting kerfuffles has broken in Philly, where a public school teacher has gotten herself in some trouble for what she thought was a discreet blog where occasionally, she would vent frustrations about her job, her administrators and yes, some of her students. I haven't perused the offending posts in question, but apparently they were quite blunt- which brings me back to my original question:
How much truth can teachers tell? It's the age old dilemma we face in the age of the internet- anything you write on here, anything at all, is out there for all the world to see... and education is damn tricky. Like economics and health care, I don't think there's any certainty about what the right answer is- and nor are there any silver bullets. But we gotta ask: has the quality of our teachers declined over the years? Or have we been so concerned about the self-esteem and feeling of our children that we forgot to set some basic expectations about actual learning and things like effort?
Don't get me wrong: when I have kids, I don't want to be a crazy person about it- but you should have an idea about what your child is capable of and then ask them to live up to their potential. That's not unreasonable I think.
Kids, follow the link, read and discuss.
How much truth can teachers tell? It's the age old dilemma we face in the age of the internet- anything you write on here, anything at all, is out there for all the world to see... and education is damn tricky. Like economics and health care, I don't think there's any certainty about what the right answer is- and nor are there any silver bullets. But we gotta ask: has the quality of our teachers declined over the years? Or have we been so concerned about the self-esteem and feeling of our children that we forgot to set some basic expectations about actual learning and things like effort?
Don't get me wrong: when I have kids, I don't want to be a crazy person about it- but you should have an idea about what your child is capable of and then ask them to live up to their potential. That's not unreasonable I think.
Kids, follow the link, read and discuss.
Let's Play Our Game
This wonderful thing from the Des Moines Register has fast become a near obsession of mine as with the census data now officially out we can discover neat and wonderful things about ourselves, like how diverse and urban we've become over the past decade. And how despite all that, we're still losing a Congressional seat.
So, I've been playing- and this is what I came up with following some loose rules I set up in my own head-
1. I wanted to try and balance urban-rural as best I could.
2. I wanted to try and achieve some sort of a balance size wise as well.
3. Polk County is a massive pain in the ass. It's too big and too many people live there, thus spoiling my fun when attempting to re-doodle the 3rd District into something sexy that I like.
So kids, behold what Iowa would look like if The Cigar was in charge of redistricting:
Let's take it one district at a time:
The First District: A nice little, compact district that has all the earmarks of being a Democratic safe seat, yet thanks to Scott and Clinton Counties can't be counted as an automatic pick-up for the Dems. Is it urban? Yes. But Iowa City and Cedar Rapids should be balanced out by The Quad Cities and Dubuque, where urban, at least in my experience doesn't necessarily equal liberal.
The Second District: Should make Republicans very happy, because while there's Waterloo-Cedar Falls this looks to be a pretty Conservative leaning district, ripe for a pick-up for whomever wants to take on Braley in 2012
The Third District: Polk County is a massive pain in the ass when you're doing this, you know that? Too many people live there and I didn't want to make another uber-urban district, so we strung it north and hung Mason City and Clear Lake on top of the District. This is another poachable one for Republicans, but then again it has been for about a decade and a half now and Boswell just keeps winning. In a battle royale of Latham versus Boswell however- presuming neither retires or decides to take on Harkin I think it's a totally open race, with maybe the Conservative Des Moines 'burbs pushing it Latham's way. If the powers that be decide to follow my lead, it should make for an interesting race.
The Fourth District: No one lives in Western Iowa and Steve King (unfortunately) isn't going anywhere.
The way I see 2012 shaking out under this scenario:
1st: Loebsack, probably.
2nd: If it's Miller-Meeks v Braley, I think it might be third time lucky for Miller-Meeks
3rd: If it's Boswell v. Latham, I'd put this as too close to call. Might be the race to end all races, given how comfortable Iowans seem to get with their elected officials.
4th: Steve King ain't going nowhere, fool!
So, I've been playing- and this is what I came up with following some loose rules I set up in my own head-
1. I wanted to try and balance urban-rural as best I could.
2. I wanted to try and achieve some sort of a balance size wise as well.
3. Polk County is a massive pain in the ass. It's too big and too many people live there, thus spoiling my fun when attempting to re-doodle the 3rd District into something sexy that I like.
So kids, behold what Iowa would look like if The Cigar was in charge of redistricting:
Let's take it one district at a time:
The First District: A nice little, compact district that has all the earmarks of being a Democratic safe seat, yet thanks to Scott and Clinton Counties can't be counted as an automatic pick-up for the Dems. Is it urban? Yes. But Iowa City and Cedar Rapids should be balanced out by The Quad Cities and Dubuque, where urban, at least in my experience doesn't necessarily equal liberal.
The Second District: Should make Republicans very happy, because while there's Waterloo-Cedar Falls this looks to be a pretty Conservative leaning district, ripe for a pick-up for whomever wants to take on Braley in 2012
The Third District: Polk County is a massive pain in the ass when you're doing this, you know that? Too many people live there and I didn't want to make another uber-urban district, so we strung it north and hung Mason City and Clear Lake on top of the District. This is another poachable one for Republicans, but then again it has been for about a decade and a half now and Boswell just keeps winning. In a battle royale of Latham versus Boswell however- presuming neither retires or decides to take on Harkin I think it's a totally open race, with maybe the Conservative Des Moines 'burbs pushing it Latham's way. If the powers that be decide to follow my lead, it should make for an interesting race.
The Fourth District: No one lives in Western Iowa and Steve King (unfortunately) isn't going anywhere.
The way I see 2012 shaking out under this scenario:
1st: Loebsack, probably.
2nd: If it's Miller-Meeks v Braley, I think it might be third time lucky for Miller-Meeks
3rd: If it's Boswell v. Latham, I'd put this as too close to call. Might be the race to end all races, given how comfortable Iowans seem to get with their elected officials.
4th: Steve King ain't going nowhere, fool!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Slicing and Dicing
You know, we do need SOME government. That's the thought that keeps ringing in my head over and over again as Republicans everywhere- including our very own group of wunderkinds in Des Moines start slicing and dicing their way through budgets across the nation. Yes, we are at a transition point in American history. We've got a 19th Century economy and a 19th Century government in a 21st Century world and it just doesn't work all that well anymore. Old manufacturing jobs are falling away and we need an education system and a governmental system that promotes creativity and innovation across the board- that's how we're going to get those shiny new jobs that President Obama likes to talk about so much.
Problem is: how do you educate and inculcate creativity and innovation in students? Go on, design a curriculum that's going to produce hundreds of little Mark Zuckerburgs, all ready to change the world with their 'big idea.' Because that's what we need. We need an economy, a government and an education system that's all geared to finding that next big idea.
Word out of Des Moines is that Our Perpetual Governor is on the march: he wants public sector employees to pay for their health insurance and he's talking getting rid of step increases all together. Once again: Conservatives take aim, fire and hit the wrong target entirely. I'm happy with my job and I'm happy with what I get paid- and if I have to wait longer for a pay raise, that's cool. If I have to pay for health insurance, that's cool too- but the long term risk and costs to the state are going to come with paying for everyone's retirement. And yes, I know iPers has recovered somewhat of late, but it's still going to be the straw that could potentially break the camel's back far more than my salary or health insurance costs. What's Our Perpetual Governor doing about that?
I want to pay for my own retirement. I don't want to rely on Social Security or any state pensions because quite frankly, I don't think they're going to be there for me. I'm willing to take that hit- in fact, I'd like to take that hit. Leave my damn insurance alone- and if you're not willing to do that, then at least give me a bienniel payraise- even if it is just a shade above covering inflation.
So I am displeased- an outright butchery of government ignores the real problem we face: how to encourage innovation and creativity in the 21st Century. Personally, I'd like to see major tax reform and if Conservatives had any sense they'd be making a serious attempt to push government out away from Washington and down to the states, cities and local level.
As for Our Perpetual Governor:
1. What are you doing about pensions? Pick one, please- health insurance or salaries then tackle pension reform. You say you want 'stability' and 'predictability' in education funding, how about we make sure iPers is strong for the rest of this century and get employees into the game of helping pay their way for retirement- and even raising the retirement age for younger workers might not be a bad idea. That's reasonable to me- if I live longer, I'm willing to work longer.
2. Where's YOUR pay cut? I'm not taking you seriously until you cut your salary in half and do the same for the legislators. Fiscal responsbility begins at the top and if you want us all to make sacrifices- as we should in times like these, some leadership by example would be nice.
3. About those pesky Universities... two words: ADMINSITRATIVE BLOAT! You want to know why tuition keeps going nuts? Too many Chefs in the kitchen, that's why- if you think you and the legislature are a nice layer of gristle on top of the state budget, take a hard look at how many administrators the Regents Universities have- I think you'd be surprised at how much savings are to be had.
Basically: I'm tired of Conservatives slicing at budgets with machetes. We need scalpels. Efficiency should be the order of the day- even when it comes to the cutting of the actual budgets.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Game On
I was alive when the Berlin Wall came down, but I'm not really sure I remember watching it. It's one of those iconic clips you've seen replayed over and over again so much the line between what you might have seen back then and what you do see now gets a little blurry. I've often wished I would have been old enough to understand and appreciate just what exactly was going on in 1989- I remember thinking how cool it was that there were so many new countries and capitols to learn- (back then I was a geography FREAK. Ruled the Regina High School Geography Bee for at least three years in a row and went to State twice!) But I never really understood what history was going on around me back then. I never got to watch it up close and personal.
Until today.
Like so many around the world, I'd been watching events unfold in Egypt trying desperately to hope for a peaceful, happy result for citizens that just wanted their basic democratic rights. I'd been disgusted by fear-mongering on the part of some of the same right wing ideologues that had been preaching the virtues of freedom and liberty while sending our troops into Iraq just a few short years before. I'd been flabbergasted by the sheer lunacy of Glenn Beck's conspiracy theory about the world 'going to a darker place' and that 'the Muslim takeover had begun.' How can anyone who looks at footage of thousands of people celebrating in sheer joy right now think that something truly bad could come of this?
I know it's not that simple. Revolutions, true ones, take time and don't always end up the way we'd want them to, but this is different. There aren't bearded Mullahs waiting in the wings to takeover. This wasn't Iran in 1979, this is Egypt in 2011, where Facebook and Twitter played pivotal roles in organizing these protests and it was the young, people my age, my one world-wide wired generation that were prime movers in these protests- the rest of a nation tired of corruption, lies and dictatorship joined the ride and the rest is history.
That's not to say that I don't think there are potential pitfalls ahead, but I refuse to believe that one less dictator in the world can be seen as anything less than a fundamentally good thing. Something good happened today. Really, genuinely good- and it's not often you get to say that- much less watch it on television.
Am I crazy about the military taking over? Yes and no. I think it was probably inevitable. The appointment of Suleiman as VP was too little, too late and every concession Mubarak made only served to embolden the protestors because they still hadn't gotten what they wanted out of the situation- which was his resignation. The military remained apolitical throughout- refusing to fire on the protestors and then when Mubarak's thugs attempted to drive them out, they firmly maintained law and order by protecting the protestors. Whatever last night's charade was, it was the last chance Mubarak had to leave on his own terms and by his own accord. After last night, it was only the military who could have moved him- and although there's been no confirmation yet, I'm almost certain that's exactly what happened.
Now the real work begins- and we get to see just how apolitical the military really is. If they transition to elections and a civilian government quickly and without too much fuss, I think we can chalk this up as a win. Whether they start to really dismantle some of the structures of this regime or not- all of which remain, despite Mubarak's departure is another big question- but if they can do those two things and do them in a timely, stable and efficient manner than yes, I'm going to chalk this up as a win.
I've mentioned it before, but I will say it again: we need to shake loose the Cold War realists from our foreign policy establishment. Our response was muddled at points, abstract at best and completely useless at other times all of which was not needed at all. We can no longer ignore the democratic aspirations of any given people anywhere in the world at one time- when protests like these happen we need to fundamentally come down on the side of what's right- and recognize that our continued support of whatever dictator will only serve to alienate and piss off the people who will follow him. Our interests would have been best served by talking tough when necessary and offering Mubarak a graceful, honorable exit from the situation. President Obama likes to talk about how much he admires Reagen: in this case he wasn't Reagen dealing Marcos in '86. He was Carter dealing with Iran in '79. Not that kind of foreign policy moxie you want to show heading into an election cycle.
(And although in America, Facebook and Twitter maybe nothing more than useful ways to waste ones time, elsewhere in the world they have become so much more than that. It was quite the sight watching the Twitter feed almost explode off my computer screen when the news of the resignation broke. Someday, somewhere, somehow, I have no doubt that America will move beyond Farmville and actually USE Facebook, Twitter and company.)
So what now? If Egypt is the center of the Arab world as we know it, then what can the rest of the region be thinking right now? As I'm writing this, word is starting to break on Twitter that police in Algeria are trying to stop a celebratory march from taking place. Hezbollah and the Iranians are trying to hail this as a great victory for them, which I think might be their way of saying 'yes, we're awesome, please don't hurt us' to their respective populaces. Nothing from Yemen, Jordan or Syria yet.
Here's what I think: Algeria and Yemen might pop up again- and on Yemen, home base of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the right wingers may be on slightly firmer ground with their worries. There might be moves to some more democratic reforms in Jordan, but I doubt it will be anything as drastic as what just happened in Egypt. What I'm really interested to see is what, if anything happens in Syria… and even hopefully Iran.
Whatever happens, watch the news tonight, hop on Twitter and see what pops up and more importantly, kids- saddle up because I have a sneaking suspicion that now, it's going to be game on.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Late Night Chronicles 75: The Ultimate Face Palm
Originally published on Facebook today- I'm sure all of you are wondering if I can count properly, because I skipped from 73 to 75- 74, while a nice little rant on my part dealt with House Study Bill 50, ostensibly designed to protect freedom of conscience which has since been withdrawn from consideration. Backers of the bill are promising to keep working at it, but for now, that little piece of ridiculous idiocy has gone. Hence, I skipped that note.
OK, I've got to ask and I know other people out there are starting to wonder themselves: did House Republicans in Des Moines decide to collectively drop acid before starting work on their legislative agenda? I mean, let's look at the high points thus far: there's the Marriage Protection Whatever, presumably designed to protect and institution that's been around for thousands of years from the ravages of committed gay and lesbian couples getting married themselves- we're told that this will protect marriage. Yet curiously, committed gay and lesbian couples have getting married for quite some time now and I've yet to see any effects, good or bad on my marriage whatsoever. (Could it be perhaps that there ARE no detrimental effects on marriage? I'm thinking maybe.)
That was a good start. For an encore, however House Republicans decided that this was not enough- we need to protect the consciences of people across this state who were offended by gay marriage by making it legal for them to deny services and outright discriminate against pretty much anyone we don't like. (No word if this extends to House Republicans themselves as of yet- oh and I still think an amendment protecting people from idiotic, laughable laws such as this one is protection that every citizen of Iowa deserves.) Happily this law was too stupid to go anywhere and has died a quiet death- but they'll work out a way to bring it back, apparently. Oh goody.
But were House Republicans done? Oh no, kids- they were just getting started, because now, apparently, they want to have a fire sale of the state's prized cultural possessions, starting with the famed Jackson Pollock Mural that's owned by the University. House Study Bill 84, proposed by House Appropriations Chairman Scott Raecker of Urbandale (what is with people from Des Moines trying to poach our art collection? First it was DM Regent Michael Gartner and now this guy...) would require the University to sell the painting to set up an endowment to fund scholarships for resident students who want to study art and the University of Iowa.
Smack. That sound- that sound right there kids, is the sound of my palm impacting my face. What a spectacularly stupid idea! Let's have a bake sale and sell one of the most important cultural possesions the state has. People only come here from around the world to see it. Yes, I'll say that again- people come from AROUND THE WORLD to OUR STATE to see this amazing painting. If we sell it, you can add all the little stipulations you want about us getting it for 3 months at a time, once every 4 years, it won't matter- people won't be coming here to see it, they'll be going to New York City to see it. The real tragedy here is that so few Iowans are aware of the treasure trove of amazing art that got flooded out in 2008. We have one of the best African art collections in the country. We have pieces by Matisse and Grant Wood and other amazing artists from across the world and yes, we have the Pollock. Which helps to draw students from around the country, if not the world to Iowa, because if art is your passion, what an amazing opportunity it would be to study one of the most iconic paintings in American history up close and personal.
Selling it for pocket change would be an act of outright cultural vandalism and for what? Scholarship money? The way the legislature keeps cutting funding to higher education and the way tuition keeps shooting up, how long do you think that money is going to be there? And once it's gone, what then? Then we'll look around and realize that one of the great cultural treasures of this state is gone forever. And we'll wonder why we were so short-sighted and gave it away so quickly. Sure, maybe to a lot of people out there, it's just a few swirls of paint on a canvas. But too few Iowans have gotten the chance to see this painting for themselves- and we shouldn't deny them that chance forever. This is an amazing thing that's right here in our state and is worthy of protection. It shouldn't be treated like an old rug you put out at a garage sale. Would we sell the covered bridges of Madison County? Would we sell the Effigy Mounds- or the Ocheydan Mound for that matter? What about Hilton Colliseum or Kinnick Stadium? I'm not hearing a rousing chorus of 'oh, what a great idea' to selling any of those things- and yes, although it may be hard to believe that a mere painting could be as iconic as Hilton, Kinnick or the Bridges in Madison County, this one IS.
I get it though: House Republicans are trying to get the state on a secure financial footing for the future. But with something like 900 million in a rainy day fund still, we need to take a breath and realize that we're not Illinois. We haven't hit the iceburg and the band isn't playing as the ship goes down and Kate and Leo aren't going to get frozen to death in the North Atlantic anytime soon. There are practical things that we should be doing now to secure financial stability for the long term- reforming pensions, tackling administrative bloat and cost inefficiencies in higher education, tax reform, education reform as a whole- all of which would have bigger long term payoff than selling the Pollock would. Of course, truly if House Republicans were truly principled, then they'd go one step further and remember that in the Golden Age of Pericles, public service didn't bring home the cheddar the way it does today- oh no, back then it was something that was inflicted upon a citizen, like herpes or the syph. I wonder how much money we could save if the legislature spent less time legislating silliness like this and didn't get paid a dime for it?
I don't know, but I'm betting it would make one helluva scholarship fund. Who's with me?
OK, I've got to ask and I know other people out there are starting to wonder themselves: did House Republicans in Des Moines decide to collectively drop acid before starting work on their legislative agenda? I mean, let's look at the high points thus far: there's the Marriage Protection Whatever, presumably designed to protect and institution that's been around for thousands of years from the ravages of committed gay and lesbian couples getting married themselves- we're told that this will protect marriage. Yet curiously, committed gay and lesbian couples have getting married for quite some time now and I've yet to see any effects, good or bad on my marriage whatsoever. (Could it be perhaps that there ARE no detrimental effects on marriage? I'm thinking maybe.)
That was a good start. For an encore, however House Republicans decided that this was not enough- we need to protect the consciences of people across this state who were offended by gay marriage by making it legal for them to deny services and outright discriminate against pretty much anyone we don't like. (No word if this extends to House Republicans themselves as of yet- oh and I still think an amendment protecting people from idiotic, laughable laws such as this one is protection that every citizen of Iowa deserves.) Happily this law was too stupid to go anywhere and has died a quiet death- but they'll work out a way to bring it back, apparently. Oh goody.
But were House Republicans done? Oh no, kids- they were just getting started, because now, apparently, they want to have a fire sale of the state's prized cultural possessions, starting with the famed Jackson Pollock Mural that's owned by the University. House Study Bill 84, proposed by House Appropriations Chairman Scott Raecker of Urbandale (what is with people from Des Moines trying to poach our art collection? First it was DM Regent Michael Gartner and now this guy...) would require the University to sell the painting to set up an endowment to fund scholarships for resident students who want to study art and the University of Iowa.
Smack. That sound- that sound right there kids, is the sound of my palm impacting my face. What a spectacularly stupid idea! Let's have a bake sale and sell one of the most important cultural possesions the state has. People only come here from around the world to see it. Yes, I'll say that again- people come from AROUND THE WORLD to OUR STATE to see this amazing painting. If we sell it, you can add all the little stipulations you want about us getting it for 3 months at a time, once every 4 years, it won't matter- people won't be coming here to see it, they'll be going to New York City to see it. The real tragedy here is that so few Iowans are aware of the treasure trove of amazing art that got flooded out in 2008. We have one of the best African art collections in the country. We have pieces by Matisse and Grant Wood and other amazing artists from across the world and yes, we have the Pollock. Which helps to draw students from around the country, if not the world to Iowa, because if art is your passion, what an amazing opportunity it would be to study one of the most iconic paintings in American history up close and personal.
Selling it for pocket change would be an act of outright cultural vandalism and for what? Scholarship money? The way the legislature keeps cutting funding to higher education and the way tuition keeps shooting up, how long do you think that money is going to be there? And once it's gone, what then? Then we'll look around and realize that one of the great cultural treasures of this state is gone forever. And we'll wonder why we were so short-sighted and gave it away so quickly. Sure, maybe to a lot of people out there, it's just a few swirls of paint on a canvas. But too few Iowans have gotten the chance to see this painting for themselves- and we shouldn't deny them that chance forever. This is an amazing thing that's right here in our state and is worthy of protection. It shouldn't be treated like an old rug you put out at a garage sale. Would we sell the covered bridges of Madison County? Would we sell the Effigy Mounds- or the Ocheydan Mound for that matter? What about Hilton Colliseum or Kinnick Stadium? I'm not hearing a rousing chorus of 'oh, what a great idea' to selling any of those things- and yes, although it may be hard to believe that a mere painting could be as iconic as Hilton, Kinnick or the Bridges in Madison County, this one IS.
I get it though: House Republicans are trying to get the state on a secure financial footing for the future. But with something like 900 million in a rainy day fund still, we need to take a breath and realize that we're not Illinois. We haven't hit the iceburg and the band isn't playing as the ship goes down and Kate and Leo aren't going to get frozen to death in the North Atlantic anytime soon. There are practical things that we should be doing now to secure financial stability for the long term- reforming pensions, tackling administrative bloat and cost inefficiencies in higher education, tax reform, education reform as a whole- all of which would have bigger long term payoff than selling the Pollock would. Of course, truly if House Republicans were truly principled, then they'd go one step further and remember that in the Golden Age of Pericles, public service didn't bring home the cheddar the way it does today- oh no, back then it was something that was inflicted upon a citizen, like herpes or the syph. I wonder how much money we could save if the legislature spent less time legislating silliness like this and didn't get paid a dime for it?
I don't know, but I'm betting it would make one helluva scholarship fund. Who's with me?
Mubarak Holds On
I was excited today. There I was plugged into three live blogs and a Twitter feed, watching every single move that was being made in Egypt. For one, brief glorious moment it appeared that we were going to bear witness to an incredible moment in world history and one with titanic implications for the Middle East. Then, President Mubarak showed himself, spoke and then made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere.
People. Were. Pissed.
The scale of our response, however has been deeply disappointing thus far. It's not hard to understand why: Mubarak has been an island of stability in a sea of well, it's the Middle East, so a lot of instability for 30 years now. There's a Peace Treaty with Israel to worry about, the Muslim Brotherhood lurking in the wings, so it's understandable that our initial instincts are to be cautious. We don't want to, nor can we afford to screw this up. But that said, it's time- past time for the President to actually stand up and do something. Indicate our displeasure in mass produced, hen-pecked statements isn't enough, we need action. We need to make a choice and actually take some real action for once.
All the usual fault lines are visible: there's the desire not to be associated with any of the 'Freedom Agenda' or other neo-con tendencies leftover from the Bush Administration. There's old school realists who think we make like Tammy Wynette and 'stand by our man' and new school hipsters pushing to stand with the people demanding their basic rights. But there's a simple, simple action we can and should take and then step back- cut all foreign aid to Egypt. $1.3 billion will hit Mubarak where it'll hurt the most- namely his pocketbook. Just tell them, 'No more foreign aid until there's a freely elected civilian government in place' and then step back from the situation.
There are strategic considerations: our tight relationship between our military and the Egyptian military and the close alliance between our intelligence services that has become especially close after September the 11th. Friendship has to take a back seat to political reality and the political reality is that Mubarak pretty much pissed all over our faces tonight. It's time to throw an elbow- not just to prod events into a direction we live with- an end to chaos and the transition to an elected government- as well as making it perfectly clear to President Mubarak that if you piss all over our face, we take away your toys.
People. Were. Pissed.
The scale of our response, however has been deeply disappointing thus far. It's not hard to understand why: Mubarak has been an island of stability in a sea of well, it's the Middle East, so a lot of instability for 30 years now. There's a Peace Treaty with Israel to worry about, the Muslim Brotherhood lurking in the wings, so it's understandable that our initial instincts are to be cautious. We don't want to, nor can we afford to screw this up. But that said, it's time- past time for the President to actually stand up and do something. Indicate our displeasure in mass produced, hen-pecked statements isn't enough, we need action. We need to make a choice and actually take some real action for once.
All the usual fault lines are visible: there's the desire not to be associated with any of the 'Freedom Agenda' or other neo-con tendencies leftover from the Bush Administration. There's old school realists who think we make like Tammy Wynette and 'stand by our man' and new school hipsters pushing to stand with the people demanding their basic rights. But there's a simple, simple action we can and should take and then step back- cut all foreign aid to Egypt. $1.3 billion will hit Mubarak where it'll hurt the most- namely his pocketbook. Just tell them, 'No more foreign aid until there's a freely elected civilian government in place' and then step back from the situation.
There are strategic considerations: our tight relationship between our military and the Egyptian military and the close alliance between our intelligence services that has become especially close after September the 11th. Friendship has to take a back seat to political reality and the political reality is that Mubarak pretty much pissed all over our faces tonight. It's time to throw an elbow- not just to prod events into a direction we live with- an end to chaos and the transition to an elected government- as well as making it perfectly clear to President Mubarak that if you piss all over our face, we take away your toys.
House Study Bill 84
Gang, this is an email I sent in response to House Study Bill 84- which would require the University to sell the famed Pollock Mural for scholarship money… a spectacularly bad idea.
Dear Representative Raecker,
I was extremely upset to log onto the Gazette Website last night only to learn that you were proposing House Study Bill 84, which would require the University of Iowa to sell the famed Jackson Pollock Mural in order to pay for scholarships for resident students who wish to attend the University of Iowa. While I'm more than willing to recognize that as a state, we must seek a path towards long-term fiscal stability, selling the Pollock would provide only a short term gain with significant long term pain.
First of all, it's not at a clear to me that what you're proposing can actually happen. When this idea was first brought up in 2008, the Regents studied the issue and released the following report:
http://www.regents.iowa.gov/news/Pollockquestions1008.pdf
Which stated, amongst other things, that the University could indeed sell the Pollock, but that the proceeds would have to be used to purchase more art. They could not be used for other purposes without putting the accreditation of the University of Iowa Museum of Art at risk- and the loss of such accreditation would be a shattering blow to the prestige of the University's standing a credible public institution.
Second of all, this is just a bad idea plain and simple. Too few Iowans know or have had the opportunity to see this magnificent iconic painting up close and personal- and they shouldn't be denied that opportunity for scholarship money that will undoubtedly vanish quickly as tuition costs keep spiraling out of control and further out of the reach of the majority of Iowans. People come to our state from all around the world to see this iconic painting- and the fact that's it's here at Iowa helps bring students from around the country here to study art- I mean, think about it: if art is what you're passionate about, would you pass up the opportunity to study and be inspired by one of the most important paintings in American history?
When economic times are tough, I understand and despite occasional bouts of snarky cynicism on my part, actually appreciate that the Legislators such as yourselves are trying to give this state some measure of financial stability for the future- but having a fire sale with our cultural treasures is not the path to long term stability. It may produce a short term benefit for many students, but once we sell this painting, it's gone forever. Iowans will never get a chance to see this amazing painting and be proud of the fact that it's here in our state instead of in some big Museum in New York City. All of our treasures, natural and otherwise need protection in times like these so we can build a strong future for generations to come.
Thank you for your time,
Tom Nixon
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Foreign Language Appreciation...
I both like and don't like this all at the same time: mandatory Arabic classes are coming to a school district in Texas, thanks to a federal grant of some kind or another after it was declared 'the language of the future.'
While I like the mandatory foreign language class, I'm not down with the appaulling lack of menu options for parents and students to choose from. There seems to be a real aversion to sticking with foreign languages in this country, so it's good they want to really emphasize it- but Arabic as the language of the future? Eh, I'm not buying that so much. The language of 'any government job you could possible want' perhaps, but hardly the language of the future. From an American point of view I'd say the following languages will be important in the next century or so:
Spanish
Portugese
Chinese
Hindi
French
Those would be the ones I would seriously target for foreign language education grants. Spanish should be an obvious choice and probably doesn't need the help- but increasing influence of Brazil, especially in the agricultural markets could make Portuguese a good choice for students in farm states like Iowa. China and India are primed to be the economic giants of Asia, if not the world this century, so emphasizing those two languages would also be good. And then there's French- still widely spoken in Africa, where there are also oppotunities to be had in the coming decades.
Arabic and Farsi, while important languages if you have your eye on the field of diplomacy or intelligence are hardly what I would call 'languages of the future.' If we ever get serious alternatives to fossil fuels perfected and into mass production (both prospects are debateable at this point) then the Middle East will essentially be a backwater, especially if no one needs to buy oil anymore. The cynic in me says that will probably be well, never, but should that day come then it won't be Arabic and Farsi we'll need to speak all that much.
While I like the mandatory foreign language class, I'm not down with the appaulling lack of menu options for parents and students to choose from. There seems to be a real aversion to sticking with foreign languages in this country, so it's good they want to really emphasize it- but Arabic as the language of the future? Eh, I'm not buying that so much. The language of 'any government job you could possible want' perhaps, but hardly the language of the future. From an American point of view I'd say the following languages will be important in the next century or so:
Spanish
Portugese
Chinese
Hindi
French
Those would be the ones I would seriously target for foreign language education grants. Spanish should be an obvious choice and probably doesn't need the help- but increasing influence of Brazil, especially in the agricultural markets could make Portuguese a good choice for students in farm states like Iowa. China and India are primed to be the economic giants of Asia, if not the world this century, so emphasizing those two languages would also be good. And then there's French- still widely spoken in Africa, where there are also oppotunities to be had in the coming decades.
Arabic and Farsi, while important languages if you have your eye on the field of diplomacy or intelligence are hardly what I would call 'languages of the future.' If we ever get serious alternatives to fossil fuels perfected and into mass production (both prospects are debateable at this point) then the Middle East will essentially be a backwater, especially if no one needs to buy oil anymore. The cynic in me says that will probably be well, never, but should that day come then it won't be Arabic and Farsi we'll need to speak all that much.
Brian Jacques 1939-2011
Noted children's author Brian Jacuqes died at the age of 71 this past weekend from a heart attack. Author of the famed Redwall series, he was also a former merchant marine and a noted radio broadcaster.
Personally, I think I can credit the Redwall series with making me a devoted reader of books of all kinds as well as plugging me into the world of fantasy and to some degree science fiction- and I'm not the only one. There was a point in elementary school where the Redwall books were wildly popular with just about everyone. Everyone and I mean everyone seemed to be reading them- especially the first core trilogy of Mossflower, Redwall and Mattimeo- of course, me being me, I went onwards and upwards from there. Redwall lead me to stalwarts like Eddings and Tolkein and then to McCaffery and beyond. No other author, I think has spurred my love of fantasy more and given the fact that I was the prototypical non-conformist, geeky kid, the escapism offered by his richly detailed world and the other worlds I eventually found (including Elfquest! Can't forget that) proved to be very comforting to me at several points growing up.
He came to Iowa City when I was in 5th Grade and starstruck, gathered in the gymnasium at Hoover Elementary School, I had the opportunity to ask him what would have been a really intelligent question, prompted by, of course, my Mom. She had noticed- and with reason, that descriptions of sumptuous feasts and good food were quite common in all the Redwall books and wanted to know if perhaps he had a culinary background. Offered a chance to ask such a profound question, the fifth grade me, starstruck and probably more than a little shy managed to blurt out: 'Do you like to eat?'
Not quite what I was hoping to do. He replied graciously that he did and I sat down, still slightly awestruck. I'd always secretly hoped I'd have a chance to ask that question again, only this time in a slightly more intelligible manner, but it looks like, unfortunately, I won't get too.
This guy helped to shape my development as a reader and to some degree a writer as well, (though how far I'll develop on the writing side of it has yet to be determined)- and hopefully, somewhere in Mom and Dad's basement, those Redwall books are still around. Someday, I'm going to have kids of my own- and I'd like to introduce them to wonderful world of Redwall.
Personally, I think I can credit the Redwall series with making me a devoted reader of books of all kinds as well as plugging me into the world of fantasy and to some degree science fiction- and I'm not the only one. There was a point in elementary school where the Redwall books were wildly popular with just about everyone. Everyone and I mean everyone seemed to be reading them- especially the first core trilogy of Mossflower, Redwall and Mattimeo- of course, me being me, I went onwards and upwards from there. Redwall lead me to stalwarts like Eddings and Tolkein and then to McCaffery and beyond. No other author, I think has spurred my love of fantasy more and given the fact that I was the prototypical non-conformist, geeky kid, the escapism offered by his richly detailed world and the other worlds I eventually found (including Elfquest! Can't forget that) proved to be very comforting to me at several points growing up.
He came to Iowa City when I was in 5th Grade and starstruck, gathered in the gymnasium at Hoover Elementary School, I had the opportunity to ask him what would have been a really intelligent question, prompted by, of course, my Mom. She had noticed- and with reason, that descriptions of sumptuous feasts and good food were quite common in all the Redwall books and wanted to know if perhaps he had a culinary background. Offered a chance to ask such a profound question, the fifth grade me, starstruck and probably more than a little shy managed to blurt out: 'Do you like to eat?'
Not quite what I was hoping to do. He replied graciously that he did and I sat down, still slightly awestruck. I'd always secretly hoped I'd have a chance to ask that question again, only this time in a slightly more intelligible manner, but it looks like, unfortunately, I won't get too.
This guy helped to shape my development as a reader and to some degree a writer as well, (though how far I'll develop on the writing side of it has yet to be determined)- and hopefully, somewhere in Mom and Dad's basement, those Redwall books are still around. Someday, I'm going to have kids of my own- and I'd like to introduce them to wonderful world of Redwall.
Worth A Read
The New Yorker has a fascinating, detailed profile of noted Hollywood writer Paul Haggis, who is also a recent defector from the Church of Scientology that makes for an interesting read. Don't think I've ever taken a hard look at Scientology and have read this, can't say that I really want to. Sounds like a cult at worst, a superficial celebrity fad religion at best- and either way, if you have to pay your way to enlightenment I think that's the worse thing a 'religion' can do- and, as the Catholic Church found out with the selling of indulgences, it can eventually really piss people off.
But the article's good: well worth a read.
But the article's good: well worth a read.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Albums 2010 #34: Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets
Anyone who has seen Donny Darko knows who Gary Jules is. 'Mad World' probably one of the most haunting, best covers of any song ever made pretty much made that soundtrack- but if you were expecting more haunting piano driven music from Mr. Jules on an actually album, well then kiddos, then you're in for a pleasant surprise.
Jules is more of a folk rock guy, think a man with a piano and an acoustic guitar- and there are plenty of shades of music that has gone before him. There's a touch of harmonizing in the early tracks that sounds like CSNY. There's the delicate guitar work and subdued vocals that made me instantly think of early Genesis and Wishbone Ash and even Jehtro Tull- you know, all the titans of 70s English Prog Rock.
But Jules takes the sound and makes it his own. There's nothing that I would really term 'derivative' or unoriginal about this album- it's beautiful, mellow music that's really nice for a glass of wine on a Sunday afternoon. (Which, ironically enough is where I first heard this album before deciding to give it a more thorough listen tonight.) Like Jack Johnson, it's pretty inoffensive, laid back stuff, which works if that's what you're in the mood for.
Some stand out tracks: the more uptempo 'DTLA' stood out as a surprisingly peppy tribute to the joys of Downtown Los Angeles, which, if you've been to Cali, you'd know is sorely in need of some lovin. LA action tends to be elsewhere, methinks.
Another one that stood out: 'Princess of Hollywood Way.' This one had me thinking of Wishbone Ash. Listening to the lyrics, it seems to be the story of a modern day fairytale of woe at some upscale party in LA with a nice, chiming sort of guitar- and this is how you know that I'm completely crap at music, because I couldn't tell the difference between the guitars he uses. There might be no difference at all, but they sound different and hey, this time, it's chimey. Like medieval epic, Wishbone Ash concept album type of a sound which worked really well.
Two more: Patchwork G and Barstool and then, at the end, is of course, Mad World.
Overall: This is a nice little, relaxing gem of an album. Folk rock at it's best- and if you're looking for a nice mellow album to chillax to, then Gary Jules and his guitar won't let you down.
Bookshot #18: DIY U
I loved this book. I only wished that I would have read it before I trundled off to college with everyone else, but then again, when you think about it, 2001 was a far different place, higher ed wise than 2011 is today. Opportunities and innovation are expanding in every single direction and the reinvention of education as we know it is underway and many of them- but not all of them can be found within the pages of this compact, slim, jam-packed knowledge filled volume.
Where to begin? First of all, the author, Anya Kamenetz isn't new to the topic, having written and blogged extensively on the issue of student loan debt with her work, 'Generation Debt.' Second of all, wow, wow, wow are there so many awesome things out there that I wish I would have known about YEARS ago. From MIT's open course ware initiative, to innovative reforms and strategies being pursued by institutions ranging from the Western Governors University to the University of Maryland and beyond- there is good work being done right now to help make higher education- and education in general better.
But, there's still work to be done. Education, especially the traditional, ivy covered variety is especially resistant to change and innovation, preferring to stay trapped in an endless cost spiral which sees states cut funding and those cuts be passed onto students in the form of higher tuition rates which are becoming more and more unreachable to more and more people- college was never meant to be a luxury good and it certainly wasn't meant to cost quite as much as it's starting to cost now. We need to start thinking different about education and not be afraid to break out of traditional modes of thought of it can make education cost-efficient, open and more affordable to everyone.
Some things that peaked my interest: Ball State cut the length of time for a BA from 4 years to 3 for a cost-savings of 20-25%. BYU-Idaho is a private liberal arts university that's seeing annual costs decline, while raising total enrollment- through finding and recruiting faculty that actually want to teach- and making them teach as well as keeping campus open year round, enrolling people on a fall-spring, spring-summer, summer-fall basis. College of the Ozarks, a k a Hard Work U sees a whopping 95% of students graduate with NO DEBT WHATSOEVER. That is INSANELY cool.
But there's more than just a diverse menu of options to choose from out there, it's increasingly moved away from going from high school to college and then to a job, suburban house, kids, death, etc- it's about finding something that you're passionate about and pursuing it to the best of your ability. If you're like me, then you enjoy writing, but you also know that unless you go for journalism, writing isn't going to make you the big bucks in the way medicine does. Which is why I got a kick out of the story of the Sackett Street Writer's Workshop- whose founder went from a $10K job as an Adjunct at Hoftra to pulling down $40-50K doing what she loves. Awesomeness all round- and maybe it's an exception to the rule instead of the rule right now, but if you think creatively, I really believe that you find something amazing to pursue for yourself in life- and this book pretty much proves it. (I also think creative life design will eventually become THE rule as a posed to the exception to THE rule.)
Overall: If you're in H.S., college, or even in that weird point in your life post-college when you really have no idea what to do with yourself, getting ahold of this book, STAT. It's a compact little volume about the future of higher education, where innovation is starting throughout the higher ed system- but more important, it's a resource guide with tons of websites and resources out there for you if you want to start thinking creatively about your life and what you want to do with it. This is a must read for anyone and everyone who's trying to figure out their own personal, big picture...
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