Saturday, July 30, 2011
Pathetic
Apple now has more cash on hand than the United States Government does. Grrrrrr... they better do something about the debt nonsense!
The Heroes Game
Iowa and Nebraska will be playing in the annual HEROES GAME!!!! Where not only will there be a yet-to-be-designed-and-hopefully-not-totally-lame trophy but a heroic citizen of each state will be honored during the game and both teams will partner with someone to try and do something heroic themselves.
The cynical part of me thinks this is as sappy as a Lifetime movie covered in sugar, but the non-cynical part of me thinks this might OK... I'm cautiously optimistic about it. Just don't make the trophy lame and we'll be OK. (I think a gigantic ear of Corn? The Corn Cup? Like the Stanley Cup? Lots of room for both teams and heroes on one that big...)
The cynical part of me thinks this is as sappy as a Lifetime movie covered in sugar, but the non-cynical part of me thinks this might OK... I'm cautiously optimistic about it. Just don't make the trophy lame and we'll be OK. (I think a gigantic ear of Corn? The Corn Cup? Like the Stanley Cup? Lots of room for both teams and heroes on one that big...)
NFL Feeding Frenzy
Now that the lockout is over, a mad dash of free agency is still ongoing and it's producing some interesting surprises:
Donovan McNabb is going to Minnesota.
Ochocino and Albert Haynesworth are going to the Patriots.
Vince Young got dumped by the Titans and is going to Philly to back up Michael Vick.
And please, God, let this be a twisted fragment of Rick Reilly's imagination.
Donovan McNabb is going to Minnesota.
Ochocino and Albert Haynesworth are going to the Patriots.
Vince Young got dumped by the Titans and is going to Philly to back up Michael Vick.
And please, God, let this be a twisted fragment of Rick Reilly's imagination.
Klinsmann To Coach
I like this move- after a stinging loss to Mexico when the US Men's Team blew a 2-0 lead in the Gold Cup Final last month the US Soccer Federation decided first to fire Bob Bradley- after giving him a contract extension and then they brought in Jurgen Klinsmann as his replacement.
I'll say it again: I like this move. I think Bradley took the US Men's Team about as far as he could go with it, but who better than Klinsmann, a guy who's won World Cups, to help the US learn how to finish out games and win? This is a smart move. Let's hope it pays off in 2014!
I'll say it again: I like this move. I think Bradley took the US Men's Team about as far as he could go with it, but who better than Klinsmann, a guy who's won World Cups, to help the US learn how to finish out games and win? This is a smart move. Let's hope it pays off in 2014!
Friday, July 29, 2011
1,000
This marks my 1,000th post on this current incarnation of my blogging adventures. There have been others- regrettable short-lived ones that I never really stuck with, but this one I did stick with and I'm glad I did. Looking back over old posts, I'd like to think that I can see a development in the quality of writing that's evolved over the past couple of years and I'm hoping that the few people out there that read this on a regular basis will continue to do so- and tell their friends about it! (Because I too, want to have a giveaway should I get to 100 followers.)
But I poked back through the archive and found some stats:
Began: 2/1/09
Obituaries: 17
Movie/TV Reviews: 21
Album Reviews: 44
Book Reviews: 26
Facebook Notes: 58
There have also been a number of 'features' that I played with and ultimately abandoned for various reasons:
New Job Chronicles: my quest for a new job upon our move down to Iowa City. Obviously discontinued, since I found one.
Wild Whiskey Wednesdays #1: this was a distance cousin of my original whiskey review feature 'Hooch, Man' It was abadoned due to a lack of whiskey and I think will become, once again, 'Hooch, Man'
Big Night Out: Was going to chronicle/review various bars and restaurants the Missus and I happened to visit. Hopefully I can do more of these.
Guilty Pleasure Wednesdays: are just what they sound like. Yet I only did one of them... hmmm... Maybe they'll come back too.
Television You Should Be Watching: merged with my movie reviews... (technically now movie/TV reviews)
Dispatches from Studio Arts: brief chronicle of the late shift out at Studio Arts- now retired, since I moved up to Dispatch.
Required Reading: an odd little feature. I might play with it again.
As you can see, the first 1,000 posts here at The Cigar contained a lot of experimentation that didn't go anywhere as I was trying to find something of a voice- I think I'm gotten more of an idea of my 'voice' so to speak, but I think there's still work to do. I love music, movies, TV and books, so expect to see more reviews of those- and as a political science major, I keep an eye on international and national events, so expect commentary on those as well. I think I've done a better job and injecting more local news into The Cigar, but I think an interview here or there could really help build readership.
If I do have a goal for the next 1,000 posts it's to build more of a local presence and get some regular readership built up- I also want to get my camera back up and running so you guys see more photos on the blog and maybe even play with vid-blogging now and again. I think 1,000 posts from now, I'll be able to look back and see even more development as I strive to make this blog as relevant and enjoyable as possible for everyone who reads it.
thanks for the support, these past 1,000 posts.
Tom
But I poked back through the archive and found some stats:
Began: 2/1/09
Obituaries: 17
Movie/TV Reviews: 21
Album Reviews: 44
Book Reviews: 26
Facebook Notes: 58
There have also been a number of 'features' that I played with and ultimately abandoned for various reasons:
New Job Chronicles: my quest for a new job upon our move down to Iowa City. Obviously discontinued, since I found one.
Wild Whiskey Wednesdays #1: this was a distance cousin of my original whiskey review feature 'Hooch, Man' It was abadoned due to a lack of whiskey and I think will become, once again, 'Hooch, Man'
Big Night Out: Was going to chronicle/review various bars and restaurants the Missus and I happened to visit. Hopefully I can do more of these.
Guilty Pleasure Wednesdays: are just what they sound like. Yet I only did one of them... hmmm... Maybe they'll come back too.
Television You Should Be Watching: merged with my movie reviews... (technically now movie/TV reviews)
Dispatches from Studio Arts: brief chronicle of the late shift out at Studio Arts- now retired, since I moved up to Dispatch.
Required Reading: an odd little feature. I might play with it again.
As you can see, the first 1,000 posts here at The Cigar contained a lot of experimentation that didn't go anywhere as I was trying to find something of a voice- I think I'm gotten more of an idea of my 'voice' so to speak, but I think there's still work to do. I love music, movies, TV and books, so expect to see more reviews of those- and as a political science major, I keep an eye on international and national events, so expect commentary on those as well. I think I've done a better job and injecting more local news into The Cigar, but I think an interview here or there could really help build readership.
If I do have a goal for the next 1,000 posts it's to build more of a local presence and get some regular readership built up- I also want to get my camera back up and running so you guys see more photos on the blog and maybe even play with vid-blogging now and again. I think 1,000 posts from now, I'll be able to look back and see even more development as I strive to make this blog as relevant and enjoyable as possible for everyone who reads it.
thanks for the support, these past 1,000 posts.
Tom
Not Good, Part II
The Cedar Rapids Police Department is just not having a good summer. Now a longtime veteran officer has been arrested for theft of 2 dogs.
And the Keokuk County Sheriff has been arrested for OWI. (Washington County is going to be handling the investigation to avoid any conflict of interest.)
And the Keokuk County Sheriff has been arrested for OWI. (Washington County is going to be handling the investigation to avoid any conflict of interest.)
Atheists Sue...
...over WTC 'cross.'
Sigh. I'm perfectly willing to respect the right of any individual not to believe in God- or to believe in God or many Gods or Mother Earth or whatever works for you, but (and I'm sorry about this) Atheists can just get so tiresome after awhile.
Why, why, why, do you have to sue over every little tiny mention of God? Isn't there room for everybody to just get along? If they want a plaque or an atheist symbol of some kind, I'm totally cool with that, but in this case, I don't think they've got a leg to stand on.
It'd be different of someone had physically made this 'cross' out of the wreckage of the WTC. But they didn't. The fact of the matter is that this was a fused steel beam that just happened to be in the shape of a religious symbol. And in the aftermath of September 11th, when people I'm sure we're looking to find some meaning or comfort, the sight of a recognized religious symbol being pulled from the wreckage probably proved to be quite comforting to a lot of people. If someone had made it, I'd probably be down with the Atheists and their lawsuit- but since it was just a random piece of wreckage it can be interpreted as such by non-believers and interpreted as something else by believers.
Why then do these atheists buy into the symbology of the religion they seem to despite? Why not just insist that's it's a piece of the WTC?
Sigh...
Really, I think we should just have a National Atheist Day and be done with it. I don't think they'd be quite so litigious if they had their own holiday.
Sigh. I'm perfectly willing to respect the right of any individual not to believe in God- or to believe in God or many Gods or Mother Earth or whatever works for you, but (and I'm sorry about this) Atheists can just get so tiresome after awhile.
Why, why, why, do you have to sue over every little tiny mention of God? Isn't there room for everybody to just get along? If they want a plaque or an atheist symbol of some kind, I'm totally cool with that, but in this case, I don't think they've got a leg to stand on.
It'd be different of someone had physically made this 'cross' out of the wreckage of the WTC. But they didn't. The fact of the matter is that this was a fused steel beam that just happened to be in the shape of a religious symbol. And in the aftermath of September 11th, when people I'm sure we're looking to find some meaning or comfort, the sight of a recognized religious symbol being pulled from the wreckage probably proved to be quite comforting to a lot of people. If someone had made it, I'd probably be down with the Atheists and their lawsuit- but since it was just a random piece of wreckage it can be interpreted as such by non-believers and interpreted as something else by believers.
Why then do these atheists buy into the symbology of the religion they seem to despite? Why not just insist that's it's a piece of the WTC?
Sigh...
Really, I think we should just have a National Atheist Day and be done with it. I don't think they'd be quite so litigious if they had their own holiday.
Not Good
Rebel Commander Abdel Fattah Yunis has been killed in somewhat shady circumstances following a hearing before a judicial committee in Benghazi investigating his possible continued links to weapons smuggling to the Gadaffi regime.
This is not good. Not good at all- I've got my fingers crossed that the NTC can get through this and keep going, but Yunis was the highest profile professional soldier they had and with his absence, there's a real chance that what little momentum they had could vanish completely.
Really hoping they can get through this- these guys have been fighting hard and if they hang together, I think they're a month, maybe 2 away from wrapping this thing up and taking Tripoli. But only if they can hang together...
This is not good. Not good at all- I've got my fingers crossed that the NTC can get through this and keep going, but Yunis was the highest profile professional soldier they had and with his absence, there's a real chance that what little momentum they had could vanish completely.
Really hoping they can get through this- these guys have been fighting hard and if they hang together, I think they're a month, maybe 2 away from wrapping this thing up and taking Tripoli. But only if they can hang together...
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Albums2010 #44: Legalize It
The first time I heard Peter Tosh, I liked him. After all, the first song I heard was the title track from this album- and since it called for the legalization of marijuana (Dear Washington, if you want to fix our debt problem, how about ending the titanic money pit that is the War on Drugs? Just a thought) I figured I should probably do some more listening and see what he's about.
(Just as a quick sidenote: I recently hopped onboard Spotify to see what it was all about and was very impressed. No idea what the pay packages are like, but free access to 15 million songs? Including this album? Pretty damn cool, if you ask me...)
Anyway, Tosh along with Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley initially formed the nucleus of what would become Bob Marley and the Wailers which lasted until 1974, when Tosh struck out on his own, releasing this album (his solo debut) two years later in 1976. He provides an interesting contrast to Marley in that he seems (at this point) to have a more cynical, political hard edge to him that Marley lacks which makes me want to explore more of his music.
But, I think listening to this album, you can slot him up there right next to Marley in terms of talent- and one of the highlights of the album is, in fact, his collaboration with Marley himself on the beautiful track 'Why Must I Cry.' In fact you can say that this album is a perfect showcase for a reggae master's talent- starting with the profoundly political 'Legalize It' (what else do you think it could be about?) and going through such catchy tunes as 'Ketchy Shuby', 'No Sympathy' and 'Burial.'
Discovering Peter Tosh was a pleasant surprise. I've always enjoyed reggae- but haven't really stepped much beyond Marley until recently, dipping my toes into little pieces of Toots and the Maytals and Jimmy Cliff, but Tosh seems to the harder, more cynical ying to Bob Marley's uplifting, one love yang. It's an interesting and masterful contrast that I'm eager to explore more of.
Overall: **** out of 4- This is a reggae master just getting started- put him right up there with Marley on your shelf and if there's such a thing as a 'must buy' this would be it. Can't wait to listen to Equal Rights.
Stating The Obvious
The headline read: Attorney: Landlords in Iowa City take advantage of renters.
The article, kids, wasn't much better. At issue is a proposed class-action law suit against local property management company Apartments Downtown alleging that they had been forcing tenants to sign 'illegal leases' which forced automatic cleaning upon move out and made tenants liable for damage in common areas. It wouldn't surprise me all that much if the allegations did, in fact, turn out to be true, but come on now. It's Iowa City. A college town. Of course landlords will be taking advantage of tenants! It's what they do- and in Iowa City, which seems hell-bent on immolation these days as Coralville and North Liberty open their doors as wide as possible to business and commercial development that Iowa City apparently wants no part of, needs the cash.
Slum-lording is big money here in Iowa City. It's a fact of life, so get used to it. (And I don't think he's going to get his class action law suit. Not in this county- the local ex-hippy greybeards may not like cops, but they like whiny college kids even less.)
The article, kids, wasn't much better. At issue is a proposed class-action law suit against local property management company Apartments Downtown alleging that they had been forcing tenants to sign 'illegal leases' which forced automatic cleaning upon move out and made tenants liable for damage in common areas. It wouldn't surprise me all that much if the allegations did, in fact, turn out to be true, but come on now. It's Iowa City. A college town. Of course landlords will be taking advantage of tenants! It's what they do- and in Iowa City, which seems hell-bent on immolation these days as Coralville and North Liberty open their doors as wide as possible to business and commercial development that Iowa City apparently wants no part of, needs the cash.
Slum-lording is big money here in Iowa City. It's a fact of life, so get used to it. (And I don't think he's going to get his class action law suit. Not in this county- the local ex-hippy greybeards may not like cops, but they like whiny college kids even less.)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Albums2010 #43: Dusty In Memphis
If Adele, Joss Stone, Duffy and Amy Winehouse had a 'musical' grandmother, so to speak, it'd be Dusty Springfield. Most people of my generation probably remember 'Son of a Preacher Man' from Pulp Fiction- which did spark something of a renewed interest in her music in the mid-90s, but if you go back a bit further, you find that there's more than just one sixties pop song on offer.
And with her iconic album, Dusty In Memphis, you get a taste of the real range of this remarkable talent. There's an interesting blend of what I would consider very '60's' music- the sort of big orchestral sounds that bring to mind Burt Bacharach and Phil Spector (which makes sense, since she recored 'I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself' which Bacharach in 1964) and more straight up soul-blues type of a sound (typified by 'Son Of A Preacher Man' and 'That Old Sweet Roll') It seems sort of crazy and might sound a little dated at first, but the fact is that her voice is just amazing- one of those iconic voices that's smooth as butter and appropriately if you couldn't describe it as 'dusky' or 'smoky' you could probably get away with describing it as 'dusty.'
Her voice alone makes this album worth a listen- but if you love the Swingin' 60s and all the music contained therein, then this becomes something of a must have. Little stabs of memory jump out all over the place- Springfield's version of 'The Windmills Of Your Mind' (versions of which were used in 1968's The Thomas Crown Affair and the 1999 remake with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo) shows up- and I know I've heard 'Make It With You' in some old movie. And Springfield's recorded her versions of the 60s classic as 'Wishin' and Hopin'' and 'I Only Want To Be With You' and with her platinum blonde hair and beehive hairdo, she is a musical icon of that decade- a one eminently worth of the title.
And if that isn't enough for you, then let me add this little bit of trivia- it was none other than Dusty Springfield, while recording this album, who made a phone call to her record company recommending they sign this up and coming band called Led Zeppelin. Not having actually heard the band and largely on her recommendation, they did so- and the rest, as they say, is history. (Plus, as an added bonus- both Randy Newman- though I don't know if I'd consider that a bonus- and Carole King- a sure fire bonus both worked on writing songs for this album.)
Overall: **** out of 4 Blues, Soul and 60s Perfection- a smoky, sultry voice and mind-blowing talent holds it all together. If you want to kick it old school now and again, Dusty Springfield will never let you down.
Albums2010 #42: Back To Black
I can't remember what I thought when I first came across Amy Winehouse. She seemed like a breath of fresh air and yet oddly, she wasn't. The beehive hairdo, the retro soul sound- it was like something straight out of Motown and the 1960s and at the time, it was a perfect throwback to an earlier sound. It helped, of course that her voice was one of a kind and she was dripping in talent- all of which was on fine display in her breakout album, 2006's Back To Black.
Where to begin? The now somewhat melancholy first single, 'Rehab' was a monster hit- and quickly was followed up by 'You Know I'm No Good', 'Back To Black', 'Tears Dry On Their Own', 'Love Is A Losing Game' and 'Just Friends.' There's honestly not a 'dud' to be found in any of the released singles from the album- though to me, 'Tears Dry On Their Own' was one that stood out right away. It samples from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's 1967 classic 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' but instead of an uplifting song, it sort of inverts itself and instead carries a lot of melancholy about the end of a relationship.
'Me and Mr. Jones' is another favorite of mine off this album- it's just pure smooth soul goodness wrapped up in perfection... listening to this album all over again in the wake Winehouse's passing only makes her death even more melancholy. This was a rare musical talent who fell prey to the excesses of fame before she could really show the world just what she was capable of.
This album is a lot like a long cool drink of beer and a cigarette at the end of a long night- in the right circumstances, there's just nothing better out there.
Overall: **** out of 4- a gem of an album from an amazing musical talent that died far too young. Tragic, melancholy, dark and smokey beauty at it's finest.
We Don't Need Roads...
There's still time Back To The Future fans... 2015 is still a wee bit off yet. And there's this to ponder as well. (Gracias a Instapundit, as always.)
What About Vietnam?
An intriguing question caught my eye: Did Captain America really sleep through Vietnam? In the comics, he didn't- he woke up in 1964 and had to struggle with the tumult of the times, eventually dropping the shield and becoming Nomad for awhile, but for the purposes of the modern movie franchise, he apparently did.
And tentatively, I think I'm OK with that. Marvel picked the right director for Captain America this time around and the movie was excellent- I just hope that if the start digging into our current protracted war in later movies, they exercise some thought- thoughtful discussions of modern-day America would be nice. I think Marvel can pull of a kick-ass Cap sequel and mine some of the same territory.
And tentatively, I think I'm OK with that. Marvel picked the right director for Captain America this time around and the movie was excellent- I just hope that if the start digging into our current protracted war in later movies, they exercise some thought- thoughtful discussions of modern-day America would be nice. I think Marvel can pull of a kick-ass Cap sequel and mine some of the same territory.
Seriously?
People have way too much time on their hands.
P.S. Thanks for destroying my childhood! I mean, of course there are going to be imperialist undertones- when these books were originally written, the British Empire was still alive and kicking. I think it's a little sad that someone has taken the time to do a detailed, rigorous analysis of a flippin' fictional island and a bunch of talking train. This not only reveals one of the many problems with academia today, but it also reveals that there's a certain amount of bias aimed at eliminating worldviews that academia doesn't like. So, for your kids, the hippie, solar panel loving, pro-environmental Bob The Builder is OK. But Thomas the Colonialist Tank Engine is evidence of the racist and sexist past we're trying to escape.
What about Beatrix Potter? Or Harry Potter for that matter? Or The Hunger Games? Why not pick every piece of literature out there apart and replace it with carefully crafted politically correct bullshit?
In the meantime, I know damn well what I'm reading my kids to bed EVERY STINKIN' NIGHT! Choo to choo, bitches. All aboard!
P.S. Thanks for destroying my childhood! I mean, of course there are going to be imperialist undertones- when these books were originally written, the British Empire was still alive and kicking. I think it's a little sad that someone has taken the time to do a detailed, rigorous analysis of a flippin' fictional island and a bunch of talking train. This not only reveals one of the many problems with academia today, but it also reveals that there's a certain amount of bias aimed at eliminating worldviews that academia doesn't like. So, for your kids, the hippie, solar panel loving, pro-environmental Bob The Builder is OK. But Thomas the Colonialist Tank Engine is evidence of the racist and sexist past we're trying to escape.
What about Beatrix Potter? Or Harry Potter for that matter? Or The Hunger Games? Why not pick every piece of literature out there apart and replace it with carefully crafted politically correct bullshit?
In the meantime, I know damn well what I'm reading my kids to bed EVERY STINKIN' NIGHT! Choo to choo, bitches. All aboard!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Head On Over...
to my friend Jade's blog at Chasing Empty Pavements- she's having a super cool giveaway!
Somebody Is Always Watching
Just as a note: this is a rarity for me. My job requires a certain amount of discretion that precludes me from blogging about it, so to be safe, I usually make it a policy to steer clear of law enforcement-dispatch related topics, just to be safe. But this was unusual enough, I felt it was worth the write-up.
My Dad mentioned this incident to me a couple of days ago- and surprise, surprise, the Great Guru Instapundit is also on the case, so I followed his link to actually get some footage of this and found it to be frankly, a little dubious.
What's the hubub? Well in Ohio, if you have a Concealed Carry Permit, you're supposed to verbally inform any police officer you encounter- such as, for example on a traffic stop as we see in this case. The problem this gentlemen encountered was that the officer in question didn't let him get a word in edgewise (as well as, I'm sorry, acting like a giant tool pretty much most of the time.)
That said, it's important to note that along with domestics, traffic stops are amongst the most potentially dangerous things that cops do. They're trained to know that and they're trained to pay attention and stay alert while they're doing them. Throw in the fact that these guys were working very late at night in a very bad part of town and they were probably even more on edge. That doesn't excuse the behavior in any way shape or form, if this stuff is on the level- but a few things jumped out at me.
First of all, they leave the driver in the car while they search it. This made me do a double take right off the bat. I'm not a cop but if you work around them long enough, you pick up on how things are supposed to work and leaving that guy in the car struck me as a major no-no and a huge officer safety issue. (Part of the reason I think this particular cop loses his shit when he realizes the guy has a CCW and they had just searched the car with an armed subject inches away from their heads.)
Second of all, I want to hear the audio recordings of this call, but something funky was going on in Dispatch. First of all, it takes them 11 minutes to let the officers know that the registered owner of the vehicle has a concealed carry permit. Yet curiously they can't get the guy back when they run him? Hmmm... that makes no sense to me. If the driver is the RO of the car and they ran him and found a CCW permit on file- then why can't they get the name he gives the officer back? There's a discrepancy there that's worth exploring. Never mind the fact it takes them 11 minutes to let them know he's got a permit to carry- usually things like that pop right away at you (at least they do on our system) and it's an officer safety issue all over again. I'm not going to speak to the policies of that particular agency, but I know if I find information like that, I let the officer know right away. It's an officer safety issue.
I'm not going to go right out and say this is a crock of shit that somebody made up- as it appears the officer in question for Canton PD was suspended from all duties because of it, but there's something not quite right about this video. It seems a little too good to be true (an opinion shared by the one of the LTs I mentioned this too who had seen it)- and I don't care if you're the crappiest cop on God's green earth. Barney Fife wouldn't have left that driver in the car if he had to search the vehicle.
Even if the video seems a little dodgy, it's still a good point. Notification laws are silly- if they must do it, they should have something on the DL or another card that just gets handed to the officer right away, right off the bat without the mandate for any verbalization. As this video demonstrates, there's a real safety issue that has to be considered- for both gun users and police officers. (And as Instapundit notes- it's a good lesson for police officers and one they should already know: 'Do the job like your grandmother is watching.')
My Dad mentioned this incident to me a couple of days ago- and surprise, surprise, the Great Guru Instapundit is also on the case, so I followed his link to actually get some footage of this and found it to be frankly, a little dubious.
What's the hubub? Well in Ohio, if you have a Concealed Carry Permit, you're supposed to verbally inform any police officer you encounter- such as, for example on a traffic stop as we see in this case. The problem this gentlemen encountered was that the officer in question didn't let him get a word in edgewise (as well as, I'm sorry, acting like a giant tool pretty much most of the time.)
That said, it's important to note that along with domestics, traffic stops are amongst the most potentially dangerous things that cops do. They're trained to know that and they're trained to pay attention and stay alert while they're doing them. Throw in the fact that these guys were working very late at night in a very bad part of town and they were probably even more on edge. That doesn't excuse the behavior in any way shape or form, if this stuff is on the level- but a few things jumped out at me.
First of all, they leave the driver in the car while they search it. This made me do a double take right off the bat. I'm not a cop but if you work around them long enough, you pick up on how things are supposed to work and leaving that guy in the car struck me as a major no-no and a huge officer safety issue. (Part of the reason I think this particular cop loses his shit when he realizes the guy has a CCW and they had just searched the car with an armed subject inches away from their heads.)
Second of all, I want to hear the audio recordings of this call, but something funky was going on in Dispatch. First of all, it takes them 11 minutes to let the officers know that the registered owner of the vehicle has a concealed carry permit. Yet curiously they can't get the guy back when they run him? Hmmm... that makes no sense to me. If the driver is the RO of the car and they ran him and found a CCW permit on file- then why can't they get the name he gives the officer back? There's a discrepancy there that's worth exploring. Never mind the fact it takes them 11 minutes to let them know he's got a permit to carry- usually things like that pop right away at you (at least they do on our system) and it's an officer safety issue all over again. I'm not going to speak to the policies of that particular agency, but I know if I find information like that, I let the officer know right away. It's an officer safety issue.
I'm not going to go right out and say this is a crock of shit that somebody made up- as it appears the officer in question for Canton PD was suspended from all duties because of it, but there's something not quite right about this video. It seems a little too good to be true (an opinion shared by the one of the LTs I mentioned this too who had seen it)- and I don't care if you're the crappiest cop on God's green earth. Barney Fife wouldn't have left that driver in the car if he had to search the vehicle.
Even if the video seems a little dodgy, it's still a good point. Notification laws are silly- if they must do it, they should have something on the DL or another card that just gets handed to the officer right away, right off the bat without the mandate for any verbalization. As this video demonstrates, there's a real safety issue that has to be considered- for both gun users and police officers. (And as Instapundit notes- it's a good lesson for police officers and one they should already know: 'Do the job like your grandmother is watching.')
The End of Compact Discs?
I think we'll see more of this over the next few years- but Ford has announced that they're scrapping CD players in theirs cars in favor of USB ports to allow drivers to access and use digital media devices such as iPods for musical purposes.
I'm not sure I like this- yet. I think 10 years down the road, when I look around and realize that all I have is digital music I'll probably be hip to it, but for now, I like CDs. I like making mix CDs and drawing purty pictures on them- even though apparently I've been guilty of overloading my mixes with Sara Bareilles and Rascal Flatts. (Both 'Love Song' and 'Bless The Broken Road' have been served with a lifetime ban from all future mix CDs as a result.)
I'm not sure I like this- yet. I think 10 years down the road, when I look around and realize that all I have is digital music I'll probably be hip to it, but for now, I like CDs. I like making mix CDs and drawing purty pictures on them- even though apparently I've been guilty of overloading my mixes with Sara Bareilles and Rascal Flatts. (Both 'Love Song' and 'Bless The Broken Road' have been served with a lifetime ban from all future mix CDs as a result.)
Monday, July 25, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
It's A Bird, It's A Plane...
It's SUPER CONGRESS! RUN FOR YOUR DAMN LIVES!
I hate this idea. I hate this idea with every single fiber of my being- creating some silly, unelected cross-chamber panel to pass a debt ceiling increase? Mother of Cheeseballs, people- get off your asses and do your damn jobs!
I hate this idea, but I get it. It's a way of essentially creating a commission that is not quite as accountable and vulnerable to the attacks of special interests and allows them to make unpopular decisions with a simple majority and make some tough calls to secure the fiscal future of the country.
But it's also worth noting that if the political class would get off it's ass and actually act like grown-ups, we could achieve much the same thing. Everybody knows we have a spending problem in Washington. Everybody knows we need some kind of reform to our entitlements. Everybody knows that the Federal Government is too damn big- and as much as I appreciate the New Deal and the Great Society, our contemporary government is not up to the task. (Remember Hurricane Katrina? Do we really want the government expanding its role in our lives?)
I suppose if the alternative is a default and a massive economic clusterf**k, then I guess I can reluctantly go along with this. But results count! Creating a 'Super Congress' that does nothing will not endear the political class to the people of this country- and given the fact that most voters seem to hold the political class (at least on the national level) in a great deal of contempt as it is, making the situation worse can only bode ill for the country.
If you must do it, get something damn well done.
I hate this idea. I hate this idea with every single fiber of my being- creating some silly, unelected cross-chamber panel to pass a debt ceiling increase? Mother of Cheeseballs, people- get off your asses and do your damn jobs!
I hate this idea, but I get it. It's a way of essentially creating a commission that is not quite as accountable and vulnerable to the attacks of special interests and allows them to make unpopular decisions with a simple majority and make some tough calls to secure the fiscal future of the country.
But it's also worth noting that if the political class would get off it's ass and actually act like grown-ups, we could achieve much the same thing. Everybody knows we have a spending problem in Washington. Everybody knows we need some kind of reform to our entitlements. Everybody knows that the Federal Government is too damn big- and as much as I appreciate the New Deal and the Great Society, our contemporary government is not up to the task. (Remember Hurricane Katrina? Do we really want the government expanding its role in our lives?)
I suppose if the alternative is a default and a massive economic clusterf**k, then I guess I can reluctantly go along with this. But results count! Creating a 'Super Congress' that does nothing will not endear the political class to the people of this country- and given the fact that most voters seem to hold the political class (at least on the national level) in a great deal of contempt as it is, making the situation worse can only bode ill for the country.
If you must do it, get something damn well done.
It's On...
...in New York. Congrats to all the happy couples!
(Interesting aside- presumed Presidential Candidate, Texas Governor Rick Perry said that States' rights trumps any of his personal opposition to same sex marriage. Which is the closest thing to a halfway sensible position that I've heard any Republican take on the issue, I have to admit- though that's not saying much. In a bit of bad news (maybe?) Perry has been left off the official Iowa Straw Poll Ballot next month- but write-in candidates are allowed.)
(Interesting aside- presumed Presidential Candidate, Texas Governor Rick Perry said that States' rights trumps any of his personal opposition to same sex marriage. Which is the closest thing to a halfway sensible position that I've heard any Republican take on the issue, I have to admit- though that's not saying much. In a bit of bad news (maybe?) Perry has been left off the official Iowa Straw Poll Ballot next month- but write-in candidates are allowed.)
Worst Day Ever?
What was it about yesterday?
The death toll keeps rising in Norway.
Amy Winehouse died.
Former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs John Shalikashvili died.
And now, there's been a shooting at a roller rink in Texas.
Let's aim for a better Sunday, world!
The death toll keeps rising in Norway.
Amy Winehouse died.
Former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs John Shalikashvili died.
And now, there's been a shooting at a roller rink in Texas.
Let's aim for a better Sunday, world!
Take My Breath Away (Literally)
Again, hat-tip to the Great Guru Instapundit on this, but I have to chime in:
The FDA is set to ban Primatene inhalers because they use CFCs as a propellant to get the medicine out of the inhaler into the person. For peeps that may not be familiar- Primatene is pretty much the only inhaler you can buy over the counter in this country. The big heavies like Albuterol, you need a prescription for and although Primatene may not be the best inhaler out there, (the prescription ones are better) but if you're in dire need of an inhaler, Primatene has been readily available at the nearest pharmacy.
And there was one particular occasion when I was very thankful for that- one winter, I had my usual sinus infection-head cold combination going on that migrates from my head (with pounding pressure headaches and all the fun stuff that comes with them) to my chest (where going up two steps makes me huff and puff like a 90 year old man) and I needed to breathe. It was night, I was miserable and I needed relief. Primatene was there. And held me over nicely until I could get some heavy duty stuff at the Doctor's office a couple of days later.
I hate CFCs and styrofoam as much as the next person, but if we get them out of hairspray, then how much impact can Primatene inhalers really have? I call epic fail. Sometimes people with asthma- either chronically or just occasionally, like myself, need relief that's easy to find. Primatene was that relief. Banning it does no good for the people that it can genuinely help.
The FDA is set to ban Primatene inhalers because they use CFCs as a propellant to get the medicine out of the inhaler into the person. For peeps that may not be familiar- Primatene is pretty much the only inhaler you can buy over the counter in this country. The big heavies like Albuterol, you need a prescription for and although Primatene may not be the best inhaler out there, (the prescription ones are better) but if you're in dire need of an inhaler, Primatene has been readily available at the nearest pharmacy.
And there was one particular occasion when I was very thankful for that- one winter, I had my usual sinus infection-head cold combination going on that migrates from my head (with pounding pressure headaches and all the fun stuff that comes with them) to my chest (where going up two steps makes me huff and puff like a 90 year old man) and I needed to breathe. It was night, I was miserable and I needed relief. Primatene was there. And held me over nicely until I could get some heavy duty stuff at the Doctor's office a couple of days later.
I hate CFCs and styrofoam as much as the next person, but if we get them out of hairspray, then how much impact can Primatene inhalers really have? I call epic fail. Sometimes people with asthma- either chronically or just occasionally, like myself, need relief that's easy to find. Primatene was that relief. Banning it does no good for the people that it can genuinely help.
Captain America: The First Avenger-- A Review
Can Marvel do no wrong? I'm actually nervous for The Avengers movie next year, because Marvel just keeps knocking out not just good solid, superhero movies with major box office success, but the quality, the acting, the writing of their movies has taken a notable step upwards. I think somewhere along the way, someone realized that a 'paint-by-numbers' superhero movie wasn't good enough anymore. The quality of the story and the acting mattered.
And Captain America: The First Avenger continues Marvel's winning streak unabated. The story (in case people don't have a passing familiarity with it) is about Steve Rogers, a small, skinny Brooklyn kid who just wants to enlist as America enters World War II, but due to his size, his asthma and a variety of other medical conditions he keeps getting rejected as 4-F, but still persists in his attempts to enlist, just wanting to serve his country, even as his best friend Bucky Barnes ships out to join the fighting in Europe.
When Bucky takes Steve to the Modern Marvels of Tomorrow exhibition (coincidentally MC'd by Daddy Iron Man, Howard Stark- played by Dominic Cooper) Steve attempts to enlist one more time- only this time, he is overheard by Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci) who sees something genuinely good in his fervent desire to fight for his country. Soon enough, Rogers is sweating it out and not doing so well compared to his fellow soldiers commanded with pitch perfect aplomb by Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones)- yet soon wins selection for a special Super Soldier trial and he is transformed into the well-muscled Captain America that soon becomes a hero.
But not at first. First, he's sent on a USO tour to try and drum up support to sell war bonds. But when a tour of wartime Italy lands him near the front when his best friend Bucky Barnes is captured by the mysterious Hydra Division headed by scientist (Toby Jones) and the deliciously evil Red Skull (Hugo Weaving.)
Hydra has been seeking out occult technology, preferring to concentrate on the Norse side of things (finding a magic cube, which, if you've watched Thor, gives you a clue on just how Thor is going to get back into our plane of existence.) They find ultimate power, ray guns and all kinds of badass things that make them formidable enemies until Captain America (now newly badass and ready to kick ass) gets on their case with his buddies. The usual titanic, final confrontation occurs and Captain America sacrifices himself by crashing the Red Skull's super plane into the ice to save New York City- leaving his waiting love interest (Hayley Atwell) waiting for him.
Seventy years later, he's woken up- and they try to ease him into the news by sticking him on a 1940s era movie set with audio of a Dodgers game on the retro radio. Unfortunately, the jig is up quickly as Cap actually went to the game in question back in the day and soon he's loose in NYC of today until Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) finally breaks the news to him that he's been asleep for 70 years. He somewhat sadly notes that he had a date that he missed.
First of all, I have to commend Marvel for picking Joe Johnston to direct this movie- he directed the 1940s period piece 'The Rocketeer' (remember that movie?) and he was the perfect director for this movie- bringing a level of detail and care into creating 1940s America that many other director might have missed out on.
Second of all, wow, Chris Evans. Wow. I suppose like many comic book fans, I was afraid that the cockiness of The Human Torch would bleed through, but hold the presses everyone, Chris Evans has some acting chops- because he plays Captain America just about perfectly!
Hugo Weaving also gets props for his portrayal of the Red Skull. (I also liked the two funny references to 'Raiders of the Lost Ark') Weaving, someday, will undoubtedly get his considerable acting talents into a role that has Oscar bait written all over it and probably win it going away. (The other scenario would be the Academy getting over its genre snobbery, but I'm not holding my breath.)
The other thing that struck me is that there really isn't a better movie for this summer. I mean, Captain America- the symbol of American exceptionalism and pride- and yes, maybe even a touch of nationalism, kicking ass and taking names for the good old US of A. He maybe a fictional character, but there's a certain patriotic surge of pride to see the guy in action on the silver screen. Even as we're trapped in a mindless childish farce of a political process trying to fend off an economic collapse, there's this shining, fictional, cultural icon that holds out the dim hope that America can do better.
Overall **** out of 4: I will have no problems whatsoever purchasing this movie once it is out on DVD. Awesome- Marvel sets the bar extremely high for next summer's Avengers movie. Now they just have to clear it.
Amy Winehouse, 1983-2011
Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her London apartment at the age of 27. Officially her cause of death is listed as unexplained.
I think, like many people, this isn't all that surprising- her struggles with drugs and alcohol were well-known, but it is sad. She had a great deal of talent and potential than will sadly, go unfulfilled. In her tragically young death, she joins Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain as a member of the infamous 27 Club.
I think, like many people, this isn't all that surprising- her struggles with drugs and alcohol were well-known, but it is sad. She had a great deal of talent and potential than will sadly, go unfulfilled. In her tragically young death, she joins Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain as a member of the infamous 27 Club.
DuVerger Be Damned!
The never-ending charade of the debt ceiling 'talks' had a 'breakdown' last night and of course, both sides are blaming each other. Never mind that this is like the twelth 'breakdown' in the 'talks' in the past two weeks.
They'll get something done. It'll be half-assed and probably entirely lacking in anything in the way of a meaningful solution, but they'll get something done. But the childish idiocy amongst our leaders continues to grow by the day- underlining my repeated point:
DuVerger Be Damned! We need a third party!
They'll get something done. It'll be half-assed and probably entirely lacking in anything in the way of a meaningful solution, but they'll get something done. But the childish idiocy amongst our leaders continues to grow by the day- underlining my repeated point:
DuVerger Be Damned! We need a third party!
Dear Iowa City,
Coralville is planning to snap up even more retail space.
What are we going to do about it?
love,
The Cigar
What are we going to do about it?
love,
The Cigar
Place Your Bets
...on how long Assad will last in Syria. Like Qadafi, he's a tough son-of-a-bitch with a lot of power behind him, but it seems like the more people his guys kill, the more people he ends up pissing off, so I don't think this assessment is wrong.
It's certainly not wrong when it comes to it's harsh assessment of the Administration's Middle East policy. It's rage inducing, buttock-clenching incompetence is getting quite tiresome- it was tiresome in Egypt when the Administration hemmed and hawed about what to do for weeks before finally deciding to give Mubarak the old heave-ho. It was tiresome in Libya when we hopped onboard the British and the French push for armed intervention only to participate enthusiastically for five minutes or so before retreating, hat in hand to a supporting role. And it's tiresome in Syria, the Administration seems unable to take a position at all.
Basically- and pardon me if this is somewhat crude, but it's time for the Administration to shit or get off the pot. This wishy-washy bullshit is making me crazy.
It's certainly not wrong when it comes to it's harsh assessment of the Administration's Middle East policy. It's rage inducing, buttock-clenching incompetence is getting quite tiresome- it was tiresome in Egypt when the Administration hemmed and hawed about what to do for weeks before finally deciding to give Mubarak the old heave-ho. It was tiresome in Libya when we hopped onboard the British and the French push for armed intervention only to participate enthusiastically for five minutes or so before retreating, hat in hand to a supporting role. And it's tiresome in Syria, the Administration seems unable to take a position at all.
Basically- and pardon me if this is somewhat crude, but it's time for the Administration to shit or get off the pot. This wishy-washy bullshit is making me crazy.
Cy-Hawk Trophy To Be Retired
To be honest, I don't even know what the Cy-Hawk Trophy looks like. When things like this come up, I tend to wish desperately for the schools involved to search for a truly representative trophy that has character, like Paul Bunyan's Axe or Floyd of Rosedale- but unfortunately, we live in the age of corporate sponsorship and political correctness, so I'm willing to bet we're going to end up with something like this..
Which is utterly uninspiring.
Which is utterly uninspiring.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Stop The Train, I Want To Get Off
Now Illinois is getting pushy! Lt. Governor Sheila Simon pushed Iowa to hurry up and make a final decision on the status of the passenger rail debacle currently being proposed to link Iowa City to Chicago.
Let me make this easy for everyone. Say No. Why?
Well unless,
1. The train stops at O'Hare
2. It's on tracks specifically graded for high speed rail.
3. Has a maximum speed of 180-200 mph
It will be a titanic waste of taxpayer money- it takes money away from investing in high speed rail that we actually are going to need at some point and will continue to push money into the black hole that is Amtrak until someone says no.
Megabus is cheaper and I doubt there will be a huge influx of people desiring to take a long, boring train ride to Chicago.
Let me make this easy for everyone. Say No. Why?
Well unless,
1. The train stops at O'Hare
2. It's on tracks specifically graded for high speed rail.
3. Has a maximum speed of 180-200 mph
It will be a titanic waste of taxpayer money- it takes money away from investing in high speed rail that we actually are going to need at some point and will continue to push money into the black hole that is Amtrak until someone says no.
Megabus is cheaper and I doubt there will be a huge influx of people desiring to take a long, boring train ride to Chicago.
Explosions In Norway
2 explosions have been reported near government buildings- including one housing the Prime Minister's offce in Oslo, Norway. Some injuries are being reported, no casualties as of yet.
Hope everyone is safe- and stays safe!
UPDATED: 1 confirmed casualty is being reported- and the BBC has a live blog going if people want to keep up to date. The area is reportedly being sealed off by security forces for fear of further explosions.
Nothing is being confirmed yet, but speculation is rife that this was an act of terrorism.
MORE UPDATES: A gunman has opened fire at a Youth Camp about 50 miles outside of Oslo, killing 7. Police believe there is a connection between the two attacks- and now it looks like terrorism is being confirmed by some sources, the reasons given are, of course, Norway's presence in Afghanistan and the decision by some of its paper to reprint the controversial Mohammad cartoon that appeared in a Danish newspaper in 2005, I believe.
4:45 PM, now it's leaking out that the man in custody at the site of the youth camp shooting is actually a Norwegian. The focus is shifting towards domestic terrorism now, as the death toll from this tragedy keeps rising.
7/23/11: More details are emerging about the man police arrested for the attacks- whose death toll is climbing into the 90s as of this morning. Anders Behring Breivik is being described as a right wing extremist and Christian fundamentalist 'has a deep hatred of the multi-culturalism in his country.'
This underlines a couple of points worth making: violence can come from anyone, anywhere on the political spectrum, first of all. I'm tired of people jumping to conclusions whenever there's violence in the world about who could be behind it and I'm even more tired of members of our radical right raging about Jihadis, when Christian fundamentalists over here shoot abortion doctors and have committed other acts of violence in the past.
The conclusion we can draw from this? Fundamentalism is bad. I don't care what particular variety you practice, but fundamentalism is bad. It's a threat to our freedom, our democracy and in this case, people's lives. Something I hope someone somewhere thinks about the next time people start shrieking in moral outrage about the latest perversion to wreck society.
Hope everyone is safe- and stays safe!
UPDATED: 1 confirmed casualty is being reported- and the BBC has a live blog going if people want to keep up to date. The area is reportedly being sealed off by security forces for fear of further explosions.
Nothing is being confirmed yet, but speculation is rife that this was an act of terrorism.
MORE UPDATES: A gunman has opened fire at a Youth Camp about 50 miles outside of Oslo, killing 7. Police believe there is a connection between the two attacks- and now it looks like terrorism is being confirmed by some sources, the reasons given are, of course, Norway's presence in Afghanistan and the decision by some of its paper to reprint the controversial Mohammad cartoon that appeared in a Danish newspaper in 2005, I believe.
4:45 PM, now it's leaking out that the man in custody at the site of the youth camp shooting is actually a Norwegian. The focus is shifting towards domestic terrorism now, as the death toll from this tragedy keeps rising.
7/23/11: More details are emerging about the man police arrested for the attacks- whose death toll is climbing into the 90s as of this morning. Anders Behring Breivik is being described as a right wing extremist and Christian fundamentalist 'has a deep hatred of the multi-culturalism in his country.'
This underlines a couple of points worth making: violence can come from anyone, anywhere on the political spectrum, first of all. I'm tired of people jumping to conclusions whenever there's violence in the world about who could be behind it and I'm even more tired of members of our radical right raging about Jihadis, when Christian fundamentalists over here shoot abortion doctors and have committed other acts of violence in the past.
The conclusion we can draw from this? Fundamentalism is bad. I don't care what particular variety you practice, but fundamentalism is bad. It's a threat to our freedom, our democracy and in this case, people's lives. Something I hope someone somewhere thinks about the next time people start shrieking in moral outrage about the latest perversion to wreck society.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Witness Tampering, You Say?
Interesting from Instapundit:
Did Senator Harkin's office engage in witness tampering?
The answer isn't exactly clear, but it looks like in the course of his ongoing push for stronger oversight for for-profit schools, some of the witnesses that Senator Harkin called might have been reading from a script- which looks a little shady at best and potentially witness tampering at worst.
Instapundit's issue with all of this is, of course, the perceived 'war' on for-profit schools. I halfway agree with him on it- by going after for-profit schools, it enables their state funded counterparts to escape stronger, much needed scrutiny- especially given the exploding cost of getting a four year degree.
However, where I depart from Instapundit is on the quality of the for-profit schools themselves. Having worked as a financial aid counselor for a for-profit school, my experience has been that the product they are offering is obscenely overpriced and extremely low quality. Many of these online schools so heavily advertised on television really are little more than degree mills that coincidentally profit heavily off of student loans, while at the end of the day, students are saddled with debt that cannot afford and even less hope of a decent job than their mainstream counterparts.
If there are good examples of for-profit schools out there that provide a quality educational product, I'd like to hear about them- but while Instapundit is to be lauded for calling for the proverbial net to be cast a little wider, Senator Harkin isn't wrong either- the abuses at some of these degree mills are worthy of a closer look by someone in authority.
Did Senator Harkin's office engage in witness tampering?
The answer isn't exactly clear, but it looks like in the course of his ongoing push for stronger oversight for for-profit schools, some of the witnesses that Senator Harkin called might have been reading from a script- which looks a little shady at best and potentially witness tampering at worst.
Instapundit's issue with all of this is, of course, the perceived 'war' on for-profit schools. I halfway agree with him on it- by going after for-profit schools, it enables their state funded counterparts to escape stronger, much needed scrutiny- especially given the exploding cost of getting a four year degree.
However, where I depart from Instapundit is on the quality of the for-profit schools themselves. Having worked as a financial aid counselor for a for-profit school, my experience has been that the product they are offering is obscenely overpriced and extremely low quality. Many of these online schools so heavily advertised on television really are little more than degree mills that coincidentally profit heavily off of student loans, while at the end of the day, students are saddled with debt that cannot afford and even less hope of a decent job than their mainstream counterparts.
If there are good examples of for-profit schools out there that provide a quality educational product, I'd like to hear about them- but while Instapundit is to be lauded for calling for the proverbial net to be cast a little wider, Senator Harkin isn't wrong either- the abuses at some of these degree mills are worthy of a closer look by someone in authority.
Iowa Is Slipping
Local reaction is pouring in following a state issued 'report card' which shows that Iowa schools are declining in nationwide rankings in both math and reading. Parents are a little baffled as from where they're sitting, the schools don't look half-bad and School Districts across the state are defending their respective public schools as high quality and high performing.
No question, I think we need to do something about public education not only in Iowa but across the country. However, I think overall, Iowa's in a pretty good place. We've got a tradition of valuing education and producing good, quality public education- that's a foundation we can build on. And those superintendents are correct- it's not that education is broken, it's just that it needs to be restructured and changed for the 20th Century.
Making the school year longer would be a good start. Making it easier for qualified professionals to join the ranks of teachers would also be a good start- and raising their pay. (No way do I want to run up 2 more years of student loans and then take a substantial paycut just to teach! I want to teach at some point in my life, but there's just got to be a way to make it easier.)
However to me, a far more revolutionary change would involve harnessing the potential of online distance learning to break the geographical chains that high school students are forced to have with their local schools. For instance, if West Des Moines Dowling offers Japanese and your school does not, why shouldn't you be able to take advantage of distance learning to learn the language you want to learn? This would apply to other subjects as well- it can apply to anything and everything and has real implications for raising the quality of especially our rural education. With more and more rural high schools being forced to consolidate, I see no reason to deny rural students or any students for that matter the option to take AP or a wider variety of courses offered at different high schools throughout the state.
Implementing this idea would have its share of difficulties- some basic statewide measure of high school credit hours would have to established if it had not been already and the technology may not be in place to implement an online network of distance learning classes easily or quickly. But such an effort would be a worthy investment in this state's educational future- and could spur public schools to offer a wider variety of course options and pursue more innovative teaching methods. The future of education relies on the willingness of policymakers to breakdown the existing model and force it's evolution to suit the needs of tomorrow's students.
Let's get started!
No question, I think we need to do something about public education not only in Iowa but across the country. However, I think overall, Iowa's in a pretty good place. We've got a tradition of valuing education and producing good, quality public education- that's a foundation we can build on. And those superintendents are correct- it's not that education is broken, it's just that it needs to be restructured and changed for the 20th Century.
Making the school year longer would be a good start. Making it easier for qualified professionals to join the ranks of teachers would also be a good start- and raising their pay. (No way do I want to run up 2 more years of student loans and then take a substantial paycut just to teach! I want to teach at some point in my life, but there's just got to be a way to make it easier.)
However to me, a far more revolutionary change would involve harnessing the potential of online distance learning to break the geographical chains that high school students are forced to have with their local schools. For instance, if West Des Moines Dowling offers Japanese and your school does not, why shouldn't you be able to take advantage of distance learning to learn the language you want to learn? This would apply to other subjects as well- it can apply to anything and everything and has real implications for raising the quality of especially our rural education. With more and more rural high schools being forced to consolidate, I see no reason to deny rural students or any students for that matter the option to take AP or a wider variety of courses offered at different high schools throughout the state.
Implementing this idea would have its share of difficulties- some basic statewide measure of high school credit hours would have to established if it had not been already and the technology may not be in place to implement an online network of distance learning classes easily or quickly. But such an effort would be a worthy investment in this state's educational future- and could spur public schools to offer a wider variety of course options and pursue more innovative teaching methods. The future of education relies on the willingness of policymakers to breakdown the existing model and force it's evolution to suit the needs of tomorrow's students.
Let's get started!
Libya Rolls On
The Libyan Rebels look to be launching a wave of fresh offensives across the country as their five month conflict with the Qadafi regime continues. In the east, rebel forces are consolidating their hold on Brega, having recaptured it for the first time in months. In the West, rebel forces are pushing towards Zlitan from Misrata and forces in the Nafusa Mountains are waiting on word to launch a fresh push towards the major crossroads town of Al-Garyan- a key point to securing the main road towards Tripoli.
With the rebels gaining recognition from the United States and other countries and more importantly access to regime funds that had been frozen in various banks world wide, Qadafi's regime is coming under increasing pressure and it's clear to me that victory may be slow- but a test of wills between rebel resolve to keep fighting and Qadafi's will to keep resisting can only favor the rebels the longer this goes. They seem to have slow momentum that's building, they're being a lot more careful and thorough than they used to be and given the fact that this is a fight they can't lose- Qadafi's revenge would be predictable and bloody. If it's win or die for the rebels (and it is) I think they're the sure bet to win this thing.
At home, the controversy surrounding US involvement continues unabated. As far as I know, the Obama Administration has yet to seek formal approval from Congress of any kind and it remains controversial. For my part, I have supported our involvement and continue to do so for basic national security reasons: Qadafi has threatened our national interests, citizens and national security before and is perfectly capable of doing so again. Removing his regime can only benefit American interests throughout the region. If pragmatism isn't enough for you, then let's consider the fact that one less brutal dictatorship in the world can only be a good thing.
If people want to be liberated, anywhere in the world, I say it can only be in our interests to at least assist them in some way. Throw people a bone, weapons- we've got plenty of guns! And it'd be nice to have the United States remembered as a friend who helped people overturn tyrants than a bankroller and supporter of them. Yet unfortunately, the Obama Administration started out strong, firm and decisive and has retreated into a minor support role and contented itself with cutting checks and refueling British and French fighter jets. The precedent of Europe taking responsibility for it's own security is only one I can approve of- but those images in late February of French fighter jets over Benghazi sent the message across the world that America is no longer as strong as it was. Re-engaging more forcefully in the Libya conflict could mitigate that and could also bring our involvement to an end in a more timely fashion. Liberal respect for international institutions aside and although the UN should be commended for actually doing something for once, sometimes even hastily cobbled together coalitions can use a good kick in the ass.
If a speedy end to our involvement in this conflict is called for, the Obama Administration should consider applying such a 'kick.'
With the rebels gaining recognition from the United States and other countries and more importantly access to regime funds that had been frozen in various banks world wide, Qadafi's regime is coming under increasing pressure and it's clear to me that victory may be slow- but a test of wills between rebel resolve to keep fighting and Qadafi's will to keep resisting can only favor the rebels the longer this goes. They seem to have slow momentum that's building, they're being a lot more careful and thorough than they used to be and given the fact that this is a fight they can't lose- Qadafi's revenge would be predictable and bloody. If it's win or die for the rebels (and it is) I think they're the sure bet to win this thing.
At home, the controversy surrounding US involvement continues unabated. As far as I know, the Obama Administration has yet to seek formal approval from Congress of any kind and it remains controversial. For my part, I have supported our involvement and continue to do so for basic national security reasons: Qadafi has threatened our national interests, citizens and national security before and is perfectly capable of doing so again. Removing his regime can only benefit American interests throughout the region. If pragmatism isn't enough for you, then let's consider the fact that one less brutal dictatorship in the world can only be a good thing.
If people want to be liberated, anywhere in the world, I say it can only be in our interests to at least assist them in some way. Throw people a bone, weapons- we've got plenty of guns! And it'd be nice to have the United States remembered as a friend who helped people overturn tyrants than a bankroller and supporter of them. Yet unfortunately, the Obama Administration started out strong, firm and decisive and has retreated into a minor support role and contented itself with cutting checks and refueling British and French fighter jets. The precedent of Europe taking responsibility for it's own security is only one I can approve of- but those images in late February of French fighter jets over Benghazi sent the message across the world that America is no longer as strong as it was. Re-engaging more forcefully in the Libya conflict could mitigate that and could also bring our involvement to an end in a more timely fashion. Liberal respect for international institutions aside and although the UN should be commended for actually doing something for once, sometimes even hastily cobbled together coalitions can use a good kick in the ass.
If a speedy end to our involvement in this conflict is called for, the Obama Administration should consider applying such a 'kick.'
I'm Intrigued...
...by The Amazing Spider-Man Trailer.
I must admit when I heard they were 'rebooting' the series I thought it was a somewhat strange idea. I can understand if a franchise has been around forever and needs a fresh look (like Star Trek, for instance) but Spider-Man had 2 amazing, blockbuster breaking movies (that were also pretty good, to boot) and an unfortunate 3rd movie that I didn't really like all that much.
So why reboot at all? But now having seen the trailer, I'm cautiously open to the idea. It seems darker, less friendly, more willing to dig a little into the characters in question. About the only thing I hated about the trailer was the first-person shooter type sequence of him running across the roof doing his Spider-Man thing.
It looks strangely appealing. Now if only they can do something similar with The Fantastic Four...
I must admit when I heard they were 'rebooting' the series I thought it was a somewhat strange idea. I can understand if a franchise has been around forever and needs a fresh look (like Star Trek, for instance) but Spider-Man had 2 amazing, blockbuster breaking movies (that were also pretty good, to boot) and an unfortunate 3rd movie that I didn't really like all that much.
So why reboot at all? But now having seen the trailer, I'm cautiously open to the idea. It seems darker, less friendly, more willing to dig a little into the characters in question. About the only thing I hated about the trailer was the first-person shooter type sequence of him running across the roof doing his Spider-Man thing.
It looks strangely appealing. Now if only they can do something similar with The Fantastic Four...
Why Not?
I didn't think he was going to, but what the hell, right? Let's throw another Republican Candidate into the mix... people:
Buddy Roemer is running for President!
He says he's focusing on two main issues- corruption in the political system and campaign financing. The guy won't take any donations larger than $100 which almost makes me want to scrap up a few pennies to send him.
As always, the intentions of Rick Perry and Sarah Palin remain a mystery.
Buddy Roemer is running for President!
He says he's focusing on two main issues- corruption in the political system and campaign financing. The guy won't take any donations larger than $100 which almost makes me want to scrap up a few pennies to send him.
As always, the intentions of Rick Perry and Sarah Palin remain a mystery.
Cedar Rapids--A Review
I went into this movie expecting a lot. From the previews I had seen it looked funnier than hell and I was expecting a raucous, raunchy 'let's corrupt the vanilla insurance agent' type of a comedy that would keep the laughs coming non-stop and have more than it's requisite share of dick and boob jokes. In the end, I was almost disappointed but still pleasantly surprised- because what you think will be a raunchy laugh riot turns out to be a raunchy, sort of sweet coming of the age comedy that is a ton and a half of entertaining fun.
The story revolves around Tim (Ed Helms) the naive, nice guy Boy Scout insurance agent who loves his job does a decent job at it, hooks up with an older woman- his newly divorced ex-teacher Macy (Sigourney Weaver) and generally has a pretty average life. When the superstar insurance agent at their firm Roger Lemke (Thomas Lennon) dies due to auto-erotic asphyixiation, Tim's Boss, Bill (Stephen Root) decides to send him to the big insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to see if they can snag another of the coveted Two Diamond Awards that Tim's agency has won for three years running now.
Once Tim arrives in Cedar Rapids, things start to go downhill for him. First he meets his two roommates, Ronald (Isiah Whitlock) and Dean (John C. Reilly) who immediately set about to try and corrupt his naive ways and after some initial rough patches, Tim soon fits right in, making friends with a prostitute that works in front of the hotel (Alia Shawkat) and engaging in increasing amounts of flirtation with the female member of their happy little band, Joan (played by the very lovely Anne Heche). The sexual tension between Joan and Tim eventually reaches a peak after a night of drunken debauchery and they have sex...
In short, Tim quickly loses his innocence, his girlfriend, his inhibitions about drinking and doing drugs and soon discovers the shady underside of the insurance business- but realizes that he has the time and the talents to succed on his own merits and with the help of his new found friends, does exactly that.
Like I said, this movie wasn't what I was expecting but it was still a good movie overall. John C. Reilly steals the show as the hilariously raunchy Dean Ziegler and Ed Helms manages to bring a sense of dorky naivety to the proceedings that adds a healthy amount of heart to the movie. The movie itself gentley pokes fun at the somewhat vanilla nature of the Midwest (witness the moment where Ed Helms meets his African-American roommate Ronald- probably the first African-American his character has ever met) but overall remains true to its coming of age-finding yourself-raunchy-sexy-comedy thing.
If I have one gripe about this movie, it's that the vast majority of it wasn't actually filmed in Cedar Rapids. There are tantalizing glimpses of the City of Five Seasons here and there but they're few and far between and a quick check of Wikipedia reveals that the movie was actually filmed in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I get that the lack of a film tax credit is what prompted the decision on the part of the filmmakers, but in a city still recovering from the Floods of 2008 (which get a shout-out courtesy of Ed Helms at one point in the movie) the publicity could have been a real economic boost for them. But that's a small gripe, as gripes go.
Overall ***out of 4: Adjust your expectations a bit and what you have is a raunchy, funny, sweet, entertaining coming-of-age-finding-yourself-getting crazy story about insurance agents. It sounds like it should be boring as all git out, yet surprisingly, it's hilarious.
The End Of An Era
The Space Shuttle Atlantis had a perfect touchdown today, coming back to Earth and ending the 30 year shuttle program on a high if somewhat mournful note. What America's next step in space exploration is going to be is unclear at this point but for now, it's all Russia and China bay-bee, because America is out.
And it's hard not to see why. After all, we have political incompetence, fiscal insanity and an economy that's barely breathing to tackle so the eyes of the nation are most definately Earthbound at this point- but I'm really hoping not for long.
There is a small but growing number of private companies attempting to break into space- Elon Musk, the Internet Kajillionaire was so committed to the idea of living on other planets that he founded SpaceX and is trying to make space travel more affordable to bring that vision to life.
That's the biggest barrier to extending humanity's reach into space- the cost. The sheer effort it takes to escape Earth's gravity well is the hardest part. Once you do that, anything is theoretically possible and if pioneers like Musk and his SpaceX company don't do it, space elevator technology is bound to come along at some point.
Some see the end of the shuttle as an end to America's ambitions, which I can't say is wrong. We seem to have lost the plot, so to speak, as a nation and it may sound corny to say it, but at the end of the day, we put a man on the moon, won World War II and got through the Cold War without sending humanity into fiery extinction- we can do anything! And hopefully we can rediscover that attitude in the next few years- but I think the shuttle's time had come. It was confining us to low orbit and the International Space Station was built largely to give the shuttle something to do- it was time to move forward, not stay in one place as we had been doing for three decades.
So what do I want? I want us to go to Mars and back to the Moon and establish a permanent presence on both. That's probably asking a lot for my lifetime, so I'll be happy if I can see people on both the Mars and the Moon before I die! (Technology has a way of doing that do you, you know that? It's going to be 2015 in four years and there is no sign of flying cars OR hoverboards. I guess where Doc Brown will be going, he will need roads.)
Ultimately though, there's nothing like looking up at the stars to make you realize how small you are. And then you think about the millenia of history, civilization and beautiful things that humanity is done (yes, I ignore the horrible things in this case, I know) and you realize how small they are- and how easy it would be for a comet or an asteroid or a superflare to just fry us all and wipe it all out. And then it occurs to you: if we can go to other planets and live there, all of those things- they could be remembered forever. And as a species, we would survive...
And it's hard not to see why. After all, we have political incompetence, fiscal insanity and an economy that's barely breathing to tackle so the eyes of the nation are most definately Earthbound at this point- but I'm really hoping not for long.
There is a small but growing number of private companies attempting to break into space- Elon Musk, the Internet Kajillionaire was so committed to the idea of living on other planets that he founded SpaceX and is trying to make space travel more affordable to bring that vision to life.
That's the biggest barrier to extending humanity's reach into space- the cost. The sheer effort it takes to escape Earth's gravity well is the hardest part. Once you do that, anything is theoretically possible and if pioneers like Musk and his SpaceX company don't do it, space elevator technology is bound to come along at some point.
Some see the end of the shuttle as an end to America's ambitions, which I can't say is wrong. We seem to have lost the plot, so to speak, as a nation and it may sound corny to say it, but at the end of the day, we put a man on the moon, won World War II and got through the Cold War without sending humanity into fiery extinction- we can do anything! And hopefully we can rediscover that attitude in the next few years- but I think the shuttle's time had come. It was confining us to low orbit and the International Space Station was built largely to give the shuttle something to do- it was time to move forward, not stay in one place as we had been doing for three decades.
So what do I want? I want us to go to Mars and back to the Moon and establish a permanent presence on both. That's probably asking a lot for my lifetime, so I'll be happy if I can see people on both the Mars and the Moon before I die! (Technology has a way of doing that do you, you know that? It's going to be 2015 in four years and there is no sign of flying cars OR hoverboards. I guess where Doc Brown will be going, he will need roads.)
Ultimately though, there's nothing like looking up at the stars to make you realize how small you are. And then you think about the millenia of history, civilization and beautiful things that humanity is done (yes, I ignore the horrible things in this case, I know) and you realize how small they are- and how easy it would be for a comet or an asteroid or a superflare to just fry us all and wipe it all out. And then it occurs to you: if we can go to other planets and live there, all of those things- they could be remembered forever. And as a species, we would survive...
What Killed Borders?
Slate.com has some thoughts on the matter and reading them over, I have to say they seem to have hit the nail on the head. I'm not a business major but given the changing nature of the book market and the publishing world, it seemed inevitable that there would be casualties- I tended to worry more about smaller, independent bookstores (like our own Prairie Lights) than the super-big-box titans such as Borders and Barnes and Nobles.
I loved Borders though. I remember whenever we went to Chicago, there was that gigantic one right across the street from the Wster Tower Place which was a close to heaven as I thought I could get as a kid. (The other place: Waterstone's. Any of those stores in the UK...) There were whole floors of books and music and I was like a kid in a candy store.
Yet, ironically, I never really purchased all that much from Borders. I think I snagged a Piers Anthony Xanth Novel (whose endless punning amused me at the time but whose appeal quickly faded for his more adult fare like the Incarnations of Immortality) and a Deep Space Nine Episode Guide. (I was young, I was a dork, so sue me.) Other than that, I didn't get to Borders all that much. There weren't any around Iowa City- only their smaller cousins of B. Dalton (long since closed in the Old Capitol Mall) and Waldenbooks (only recently closed- my first bookstore! It still hurts a teensy bit!).
But I still believe in bookstores. I know people are freaking out because Kindles and Nooks are so cool and they're the 'up and coming' thing, but I think they have limits to their appeal. I'm not going to buy every book I own all over again just so I can have it on a Kindle or a Nook. Personally, I think any book worth buying on one of those things is going to be worth going to a bookstore and picking up in physical form.
And besides, bookstores still have one thing that Amazon.com doesn't have: they have a location. There is nothing like a bookstore to me in the world... dump me in one and I'd be happy for hours on end browsing through all the racks and seeing what's interesting. Even if I don't buy anything, just the smell of books is enough to balance my chi and make me smile. They are serene, peaceful islands of knowledge in an increasingly bleak world and as long as people want to learn something or just read a good book, bookstores will last for a long time to come.
I loved Borders though. I remember whenever we went to Chicago, there was that gigantic one right across the street from the Wster Tower Place which was a close to heaven as I thought I could get as a kid. (The other place: Waterstone's. Any of those stores in the UK...) There were whole floors of books and music and I was like a kid in a candy store.
Yet, ironically, I never really purchased all that much from Borders. I think I snagged a Piers Anthony Xanth Novel (whose endless punning amused me at the time but whose appeal quickly faded for his more adult fare like the Incarnations of Immortality) and a Deep Space Nine Episode Guide. (I was young, I was a dork, so sue me.) Other than that, I didn't get to Borders all that much. There weren't any around Iowa City- only their smaller cousins of B. Dalton (long since closed in the Old Capitol Mall) and Waldenbooks (only recently closed- my first bookstore! It still hurts a teensy bit!).
But I still believe in bookstores. I know people are freaking out because Kindles and Nooks are so cool and they're the 'up and coming' thing, but I think they have limits to their appeal. I'm not going to buy every book I own all over again just so I can have it on a Kindle or a Nook. Personally, I think any book worth buying on one of those things is going to be worth going to a bookstore and picking up in physical form.
And besides, bookstores still have one thing that Amazon.com doesn't have: they have a location. There is nothing like a bookstore to me in the world... dump me in one and I'd be happy for hours on end browsing through all the racks and seeing what's interesting. Even if I don't buy anything, just the smell of books is enough to balance my chi and make me smile. They are serene, peaceful islands of knowledge in an increasingly bleak world and as long as people want to learn something or just read a good book, bookstores will last for a long time to come.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Absolutely Fabulous Series 1--A Review
How this ended up on our Netflix list is something of a mystery. Having viewed it, I'm convinced that I would never have added this sober and the Missus is convinced of the same thing- whichever one of us added this British sitcom must have been drunk when they did it. My initial memory of this show is a rather vague memory of watching a Christmas special at my Aunt and Uncle's cottage near Cambridge one year. It seemed vaguely amusing then- and it remains so in the present day.
I'll be fair to this show though- they probably weren't aiming at me as their target demographic when they made it. A sitcom about a fashion obsessed PR-agent and the superficial life she chases in an attempt to feel young? Yeah, that's going to have me rolling on the floor with laughter, because as people who know me can confirm, if there's one thing that I'm about, it's fashion.
But seriously: the show revolves around the misadventures of Edwina Monsoon, the aforementioned PR-agent who is pretty much an alcoholic drug user chasing weird fads she perceives as 'hip' in a vain and foolish attempt to recapture her youth. She's played with vim, vigor and pouty petulance by Jennifer Saunders (best known to American audiences as the Fairy Godmother from Shrek 2). Her co-pilot in her many misadventures is Patsy (Joanna Lumley) who encourages her in every way possible and snipes constantly Edina's long-suffering daughter Saffron (Julie Sawalha) who seems to be the only adult in the room most of the time. Various vaguely comedic situations ensue, laughs (at least for me) were somewhat infrequent and generally this was a middling British sitcom that came nowhere close to the heights of such classics as Black Adder or Fawlty Towers.
Again, if I'm hating a little too much for people, forgive me. But this show seriously wasn't my thing. There were a few outrageous moments that made me laugh, but I found Edina annoying, Pats bitchy and felt a lot of sympathy for Saffron, who essentially had to be the adult in her life and take care of her mother- who was perfectly capable of pulling her head out of her ass and doing the job herself. I found it annoying at worst and only vaguely amusing at best- I was deeply disappointed and usually I'm better at stumbling across good television than this, but I suppose everyone is entitled to strike out now and again.
I will say this, though: Jennifer Saunders is seriously funny- if her character weren't quite so annoying, I think I would have been able to get behind this show quite a bit. But if she was going for a vicious, brutal satirical sendup of the superficiality of the fashion world and how much bullshit can be involved in it, she nailed it. Seeing her in a few more things here and there wouldn't bother me a bit. And Joanna Lumley is always going to be OK in my book, because she campaigned long and loudly to get Gurkha veterans of the British Army the right to settle in the UK- and got the job done!
Overall: ** out of 4: Please don't hate me, any fans of this show reading this. I respect the talent and the actors behind it, but I have to be honest- I just didn't find it all that funny. But I'm pretty freakish like that- I thought Seinfeld was just boring.
It's Kind Of A Funny Story-- A Review
The great thing about the movies is that every so often, you'll stumble across a movie that just makes you feel happier about things. Life, liberty, the pursuit of whatever- you just watch it and when you're done, you can't help but smile and think about how good life really is.
It's Kind Of A Funny Story is one of those movies. (The other that springs to mind, at least for me, is Love Actually.) It is the story of a depressed teenager, Craig (Keir Gilchrist) who is stressed, miserable and depressed to the point where he's considering suicide- and decides to check himself into the local psych ward for a week.
Initially, he tries to back out and claim he's better- but eventually he decides to commit to giving it a try and make some friends as a result. The first is Bobby (Zach Galifianakis) who is in the ward for crippling depression and despite having a daughter has attempted suicide six times. The two strike up a friendship and attempt to help each other out a little bit- Bobby helping Craig find the courage to ask a girl out, Craig helping Bobby see that life is worth living- at least for his daughter.
Craig also meets Noelle (Emma Roberts) who is in the ward for self-mutilation and develops a crush on her. Over the course of the week, Craig comes to grips with the pressure to succeed and the stress in his life that is making him so depressed and comes to the realization that he doesn't want to be a high-powered lawyer or banker- he wants to pursue his passion for art. He comes to realize that his stay hasn't cured him, but has given him perspective enough on life that anything else he'll be able to get through with the help of his friends and family.
(Of course there's more to the story than this. But I don't want to spoil anything for anyone... go see the movie!)
Overall: ***(out of 4) This is a good, solid movie that's worth a peek- and double kudos to this movie for managing not to get weighted down with emo cliches and darkness. Worth a RedBox run if you're looking for something to watch this weekend...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Miss Cleo Says... (Migraine Edition)
Well, this is interesting: Michelle Bachmann has surged to second place in some of the latest polls, but someone has found out that the Congresswoman suffers from crippling stress-related migraines that can reportedly leave her incapacitated for 'days at a time.' It's hard to see how this is going to play out in the campaign yet, but after a month riding high, Bachmann 2012 has found its first major snag.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is heading to Iowa, which will undoubtedly spark a fresh round of Presidential speculation...
Texas Governor Rick Perry's flirtation continues- but it looks increasingly likely that he too will jump in at some point.
Sarah Palin, as always, remains a mystery, despite a documentary opening in theaters nationwide and a puff piece from Newsweek.
As for me, it's looking increasingly likely that I'm going to have to shop around for an independent candidate to support. President Obama has been a grave disappointment, from his timid stance on gay marriage to his recent flip-flop on medical marijuana, to his handling of the economy and even his weak-kneed foreign policy. As of right now, I'm open to arguments for a second term, but they're going to have to be very good ones.
All of the Republican candidates are non-starters for me at this point. I cannot support their stances on social issues, not because I feel that those issues are especially important to me- some of them are, but not all of them, it's just that I feel on those issues the government needs to but out. It's cloaking a big government philosophy in morality and hiding it behind a Bible and it makes me crazy. This race is about the economy and radically transforming our government for the 21st Century reality that we're coming to grips with. No one has a plan to do that- when someone does, they'll have my attention.
(Interesting aside: both Texas Governor Rick Perry and President Obama inherited an economy from George W. Bush. Obama handled it his way. Perry handled it his- and guess where the bulk of the economic activity is happening now? That's right, Texas. If Perry gets in- he's going to get very big, very fast.)
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is heading to Iowa, which will undoubtedly spark a fresh round of Presidential speculation...
Texas Governor Rick Perry's flirtation continues- but it looks increasingly likely that he too will jump in at some point.
Sarah Palin, as always, remains a mystery, despite a documentary opening in theaters nationwide and a puff piece from Newsweek.
As for me, it's looking increasingly likely that I'm going to have to shop around for an independent candidate to support. President Obama has been a grave disappointment, from his timid stance on gay marriage to his recent flip-flop on medical marijuana, to his handling of the economy and even his weak-kneed foreign policy. As of right now, I'm open to arguments for a second term, but they're going to have to be very good ones.
All of the Republican candidates are non-starters for me at this point. I cannot support their stances on social issues, not because I feel that those issues are especially important to me- some of them are, but not all of them, it's just that I feel on those issues the government needs to but out. It's cloaking a big government philosophy in morality and hiding it behind a Bible and it makes me crazy. This race is about the economy and radically transforming our government for the 21st Century reality that we're coming to grips with. No one has a plan to do that- when someone does, they'll have my attention.
(Interesting aside: both Texas Governor Rick Perry and President Obama inherited an economy from George W. Bush. Obama handled it his way. Perry handled it his- and guess where the bulk of the economic activity is happening now? That's right, Texas. If Perry gets in- he's going to get very big, very fast.)
Trends In Playgrounds
Playgrounds used to be different, back in the day. I suppose one would feel a certain sense of nostalgia for the playgrounds of our youth, but you've noticed how they've changed, right? Gravel gave way to woodchips and woodchips to ground up tires- heights were dropped, corners rounded off and everything became carefully safe.
I've hated the trend for awhile now- and it turns out, I'm not the only one. I think bumps, bruises and falls are part of growing up. You don't know fear until you look down halfway across the monkey bars and see gravel below...
And learning how to deal with fear is part of growing up...
I've hated the trend for awhile now- and it turns out, I'm not the only one. I think bumps, bruises and falls are part of growing up. You don't know fear until you look down halfway across the monkey bars and see gravel below...
And learning how to deal with fear is part of growing up...
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Heartbreak
The United Staets women went down in penalty kicks to Japan in the Women's World Cup Final today, losing 3-1 in the shootout.
This one was a punch right in the gonads. The USA was playing agressively and with intensity that they hadn't yet shown in the tournament and Japan was lucky to get to that 2-2 after the end of regulation and overtime because there were at least 3 chances the USA had that were agonizingly close to being goals.
But they hung on! They hung on through overtime- went ahead 2-1 and still, Japan would not go away, coming back to tie it at the end, which sent it to penalty kicks. I know what happened then is going to analyzed and picked over for years to come, because the United States, shockingly, missed it's first three PK's. Japan didn't- and got a well-deserved win!
I would have liked to see the USA triumph (obviously) but I can't begrudge Japan this win... they're a lot of fun to watch, their players always seem to be smiling and goodness knows the country of Japan could use a reason to celebrate- especially after the year they've had. Well done to them!
This one was a punch right in the gonads. The USA was playing agressively and with intensity that they hadn't yet shown in the tournament and Japan was lucky to get to that 2-2 after the end of regulation and overtime because there were at least 3 chances the USA had that were agonizingly close to being goals.
But they hung on! They hung on through overtime- went ahead 2-1 and still, Japan would not go away, coming back to tie it at the end, which sent it to penalty kicks. I know what happened then is going to analyzed and picked over for years to come, because the United States, shockingly, missed it's first three PK's. Japan didn't- and got a well-deserved win!
I would have liked to see the USA triumph (obviously) but I can't begrudge Japan this win... they're a lot of fun to watch, their players always seem to be smiling and goodness knows the country of Japan could use a reason to celebrate- especially after the year they've had. Well done to them!
Boswell Home Invasion
Randomly stumbled across this on HuffPost... looks like Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell had a home invasion on his farm near Lamoni last night- an armed man came in and attacked his daughter, demanding money. Boswell went after the guy (he's 77! Impressive- though if it were my daughter, it wouldn't matter what age I was either) and his grandson grabbed another shotgun and pointed it at the guy- who ran away.
No word yet on if they have him in custody- and I'm glad no one was hurt.
No word yet on if they have him in custody- and I'm glad no one was hurt.
The State of Higher Education
Ex-Board of Regents Member Michael Gartner has spouted off with a 'candid' assessment of the three state universities and what he believes are the problems that need to be fixed over the course of the next ten years or so. For the most part, he gets it right: the stuffy, snobby attitudes of entrenched academia need to be shaken up, professors need to teach more and Universities cut back on 'research centers' and the less popular majors. Gartner is right that Universities cannot be all things to all people, but misses the biggest factor of all:
Administrative bloat... the proliferation of administration throughout academia. Consider this- (via Instapundit)
A real approach would involve several basic steps. First, it would be nice to de-politicize the Board of Regents itself. With Our Glorious Leader pressuring not one but two members to resign so he can pack the Board with two of his cronies and Mr. Gartner's obvious biases towards Iowa especially a Board that's more apolitical and concerned with management that pushing agendas would be a good first step.
Second, I think it begins and ends with administrative bloat. There is plenty of fat to be cut at Universities and you might as well start at the top. One less administrator can save you probably about five custodial jobs when you get right down to it.
Third, you need to make efficiency a central tenet of the mission. College students aren't here to party, they're here to get a high quality degree in the most efficient way possible. Yet for three months in the summer, campus comes to a virtual standstill. Classes should be offered year round, Professors should be teaching year round and admissions should be on a rolling basis year round.
Fourth, this is where you get to degree consolidation. There is a trend in academia to promote ridiculous specialization that needs to be fought against. We don't want to turn college into a job training factory but we want critical thinkers and lifelong learners and it's incumbent upon every Department in every University to think of ways that their students can be more marketable in today's job market. Some of them do a piss-poor job of it.
But this also means that academic assets need to be left alone. Gartner shows a complete lack of vision when he wades into this now tiresome territory:
This kind of attitude makes me crazy. No one down in Iowa City is suggesting we sell off parts of Iowa State, yet members (well, ex-members anyway) of the Board of Regents persist in this foolishness, when there are plenty of savings that are more worthy of consideration. And if making college affordable is the goal, then it should be the goal for all students, not just Mr. Gartner's privileged few worthy enough to reap the benefits of his proposed idiocy. If it doesn't benefit everybody, it's not worth doing.
Fifth (and finally): it's time for folks in Des Moines to speak up about what we need and act accordingly. What jobs are critical to Iowa's future? What degrees to we need more of? What avenues of research and education should we be exploring? And the state should be willing to invest in our Universities to get the results that we need.
There are other ideas out there, of course- dig a little on the internet and you can find everything from Texas Governor Rick Perry's $10K College degree idea to the rather intriguing idea of separating funding for teaching and research- though what that might do isn't clear. Everything though, needs to begin and end with the layer of administrative lard at the top of the pile.
Administrative bloat... the proliferation of administration throughout academia. Consider this- (via Instapundit)
“Based on data in the California State University Statistical Abstract, the number of full-time faculty in the whole CSU system rose from 11,614 to 12,019 between 1975 and 2008, an increase of only 3.5 percent. In the same time period the total number of administrators rose 221 percent, from 3,800 to 12,183. In 1975, there were three full time faculty members per administrator, but now there are actually slightly more administrators than full-time faculty.”This trend isn't just applicable to California- it's a nationwide thing and it's a problem that needs to be addressed far more than any of the things Gartner is spouting off about. If you cut administrative positions, especially useless ones- which most of them are, then that money can be better redirected towards lowering tuition costs.
A real approach would involve several basic steps. First, it would be nice to de-politicize the Board of Regents itself. With Our Glorious Leader pressuring not one but two members to resign so he can pack the Board with two of his cronies and Mr. Gartner's obvious biases towards Iowa especially a Board that's more apolitical and concerned with management that pushing agendas would be a good first step.
Second, I think it begins and ends with administrative bloat. There is plenty of fat to be cut at Universities and you might as well start at the top. One less administrator can save you probably about five custodial jobs when you get right down to it.
Third, you need to make efficiency a central tenet of the mission. College students aren't here to party, they're here to get a high quality degree in the most efficient way possible. Yet for three months in the summer, campus comes to a virtual standstill. Classes should be offered year round, Professors should be teaching year round and admissions should be on a rolling basis year round.
Fourth, this is where you get to degree consolidation. There is a trend in academia to promote ridiculous specialization that needs to be fought against. We don't want to turn college into a job training factory but we want critical thinkers and lifelong learners and it's incumbent upon every Department in every University to think of ways that their students can be more marketable in today's job market. Some of them do a piss-poor job of it.
But this also means that academic assets need to be left alone. Gartner shows a complete lack of vision when he wades into this now tiresome territory:
Thus, it's strategic and financial folly for the University of Iowa to own a $150 million painting (which hasn't been on campus for three years and probably won't be for another three) when that money could be redeployed into full-tuition scholarships for about 1,000 Iowa undergraduates each year till the end of time. Similarly, why do universities own golf courses?While Mr. Gartner raises a good point about golf courses, I have to vehmently disagree (once again) with his stance on the Jackson Pollock painting. That painting give the Art Program some of it's national reputation even as printers like Virginia Meyers and Mauricio Lasansky give the print school a national reputation. If you're talking about strategic and financial folly, selling an asset that is a major selling point for the University's art program makes no sense whatsoever- and that's assuming you can get the full asking price for it, which in these economic times is hardly a given. And if someone is foolish enough to force it's sale, then Iowans everywhere would lose a priceless piece of this state's cultural heritage. Such an action would undoubtedly bring short term gains for some, but long term pains for others. And is Mr. Gartner willing to buy us all flights to Dubai so we can go see it there? (Because that is where it will undoubtedly end up.)
This kind of attitude makes me crazy. No one down in Iowa City is suggesting we sell off parts of Iowa State, yet members (well, ex-members anyway) of the Board of Regents persist in this foolishness, when there are plenty of savings that are more worthy of consideration. And if making college affordable is the goal, then it should be the goal for all students, not just Mr. Gartner's privileged few worthy enough to reap the benefits of his proposed idiocy. If it doesn't benefit everybody, it's not worth doing.
Fifth (and finally): it's time for folks in Des Moines to speak up about what we need and act accordingly. What jobs are critical to Iowa's future? What degrees to we need more of? What avenues of research and education should we be exploring? And the state should be willing to invest in our Universities to get the results that we need.
There are other ideas out there, of course- dig a little on the internet and you can find everything from Texas Governor Rick Perry's $10K College degree idea to the rather intriguing idea of separating funding for teaching and research- though what that might do isn't clear. Everything though, needs to begin and end with the layer of administrative lard at the top of the pile.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Carmageddon...
...has apparently failed to occur. Good news for Angelenos I guess. And if you've ever been dying to know who would get from Burbank to Long Beach faster- a bike or a plane, MSNBC.com has the answer for you.
UPDATED: Hey, there's apparently more to this bike vs. plane thing than I was previously aware of- there were cyclists, a dude who walked and used public transport and a roller blader- all of which beat the JetBlue Traffic Busting flight from Burbank to Long Beach. Hopefully someone, somewhere important in the Los Angeles hierarchy notices this- because it seems that there's more than one way to beat the freeway.
UPDATED: Hey, there's apparently more to this bike vs. plane thing than I was previously aware of- there were cyclists, a dude who walked and used public transport and a roller blader- all of which beat the JetBlue Traffic Busting flight from Burbank to Long Beach. Hopefully someone, somewhere important in the Los Angeles hierarchy notices this- because it seems that there's more than one way to beat the freeway.
$25
Kids, I'm in a pickle. Basically, the crux of this pickle is as follows: it's been ten years since I graduated high school, so some enterprising people have decided we need to have a reunion of some kind, presumably so we can all remember why exactly we didn't like each other in high school- only this time with healthy amounts of booze to help us deal with that.
I had a mild, morbid curiosity about the effects of the passage of time upon my fellow Class of '01ers, so when it was proposed, I was open to the idea. I put my two cents into the handy-dandy discussion wall on Facebook and promptly forgot all about it, figuring I would be informed when the time was right.
Well, that time was yesterday. It's November. At the high falutin' happenin' 1st Avenue Club in good old Iowa City. (Oh, you noticed the mild sarcasm? Good!) And the price of admission... $25 per person.
Hmmm... well now this was a conundrum. I consulted with the Missus who informed me that her classmates, being the enthusiastic lovers of casserole and hot dish that they are (she graduated in the Medium White North, after all) had decided to have a potluck, so her class reunion was free. But she hastened to assure me that her Mom (Best Mother In Law Ever Because She Throws Me Bottles of Templeton Rye Whenever She Finds Them or... BMILEBSTMBOTRWSFT as she'll be known hereafter) had to pay a similar amount for her recent reunion. Anything left over, she said, they put towards the next big one.
I examined the Facebook event with some care. Apparently there would be free beer and wine, but a cash bar for liquor drinks? Come on, now! And the place is conviniently located remarkably close to my house. It's entirely possible that with the right weather gear the Missus and I could get blind stinking drunk and stagger home without having to worry about the bother of driving.
But $25? I enjoyed high school. Once I escaped from the Catholic School That Shall Not Be Named (The Quiet Man and I both pissed on the side of their building some years later. Probably in high school. Eff that place.) City High was like a breath of fresh air. The lack of snotty rich people was wonderful. The fact that if there were assholes you didn't like, you could go whole days without laying eyes on them in that wonderfully, large school was also a plus. I found a corner where I (somewhat) fit in and have a load of good memories as a result.
However, I wouldn't say high school defined me all that much. I didn't live the dream in high school, looking back on it. I didn't have a girlfriend, I didn't drown in pussy, I wasn't all that popular and I didn't play any sports. I was as far away from the All-American high school cliche as you can get and I'm fine with that- because I've got good memories. Just not life defining ones.
Take The Pale One, for instance. When he, The Libertine and the S.I.L get together, it's like a circular firing squad of nostalgia- though The Libertine is better than the other two about it. How awesome high school was. How amazing and wonderful it was. Oh and do you remember so and so, she got pregnant and then... it's the same catalogue of stories over and over again, ad naseum. And while I can't deny them their trips down memory lane (whatever makes you happy, after all, kiddos) I think I'm comfortable saying that there's more to my existance than high school.
All of which begs the question: if there aren't some seriously cool people going to this thing, do I really want to pay $25 to go?
There are people I wouldn't mind catching up with... but then again there are people I'd be perfectly happy never seeing again. I think, kiddos, I'll have to watch the Facebook event wall and keep track of who's coming for a bit and weigh my options from there. But, I think, at the end of the day, the lure of free beer might be too much to pass up.
I had a mild, morbid curiosity about the effects of the passage of time upon my fellow Class of '01ers, so when it was proposed, I was open to the idea. I put my two cents into the handy-dandy discussion wall on Facebook and promptly forgot all about it, figuring I would be informed when the time was right.
Well, that time was yesterday. It's November. At the high falutin' happenin' 1st Avenue Club in good old Iowa City. (Oh, you noticed the mild sarcasm? Good!) And the price of admission... $25 per person.
Hmmm... well now this was a conundrum. I consulted with the Missus who informed me that her classmates, being the enthusiastic lovers of casserole and hot dish that they are (she graduated in the Medium White North, after all) had decided to have a potluck, so her class reunion was free. But she hastened to assure me that her Mom (Best Mother In Law Ever Because She Throws Me Bottles of Templeton Rye Whenever She Finds Them or... BMILEBSTMBOTRWSFT as she'll be known hereafter) had to pay a similar amount for her recent reunion. Anything left over, she said, they put towards the next big one.
I examined the Facebook event with some care. Apparently there would be free beer and wine, but a cash bar for liquor drinks? Come on, now! And the place is conviniently located remarkably close to my house. It's entirely possible that with the right weather gear the Missus and I could get blind stinking drunk and stagger home without having to worry about the bother of driving.
But $25? I enjoyed high school. Once I escaped from the Catholic School That Shall Not Be Named (The Quiet Man and I both pissed on the side of their building some years later. Probably in high school. Eff that place.) City High was like a breath of fresh air. The lack of snotty rich people was wonderful. The fact that if there were assholes you didn't like, you could go whole days without laying eyes on them in that wonderfully, large school was also a plus. I found a corner where I (somewhat) fit in and have a load of good memories as a result.
However, I wouldn't say high school defined me all that much. I didn't live the dream in high school, looking back on it. I didn't have a girlfriend, I didn't drown in pussy, I wasn't all that popular and I didn't play any sports. I was as far away from the All-American high school cliche as you can get and I'm fine with that- because I've got good memories. Just not life defining ones.
Take The Pale One, for instance. When he, The Libertine and the S.I.L get together, it's like a circular firing squad of nostalgia- though The Libertine is better than the other two about it. How awesome high school was. How amazing and wonderful it was. Oh and do you remember so and so, she got pregnant and then... it's the same catalogue of stories over and over again, ad naseum. And while I can't deny them their trips down memory lane (whatever makes you happy, after all, kiddos) I think I'm comfortable saying that there's more to my existance than high school.
All of which begs the question: if there aren't some seriously cool people going to this thing, do I really want to pay $25 to go?
There are people I wouldn't mind catching up with... but then again there are people I'd be perfectly happy never seeing again. I think, kiddos, I'll have to watch the Facebook event wall and keep track of who's coming for a bit and weigh my options from there. But, I think, at the end of the day, the lure of free beer might be too much to pass up.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Could I Just Say...
...I'm ridiculously excited for this movie! It reminds that I need to sit down and finish the last of the first trilogy- and revel in the old school blend of science fiction and fantasy that Edgar Rice Burroughs brings so beautifully to life.
Is North Dakota Really A State?
They're not taking any chances- so they're going to fix the issue. And just what is the issue, you ask?
Get a load of this:
Interestingly enough, the Beeb picked up on this as well- and also incorrectly identified Fargo as the setting for the movie 'Fargo.' (True story, kids- if you watch the movie, only the first scene in the bar actually takes place in Fargo. The rest is in Minnesota. A fact I helpfully pointed out to the Beeb via email. They haven't responded yet- I'm sort of crushed by that.)
Get a load of this:
The misunderstanding stems from one word that was omitted in the state constitution that was written up in 1889, Rolczynski told msnbc.com.So in other words, they missed out one tiny word and North Dakota might not have been a state all this time? We've been living in a fantasy land, people- we've had 49 states this whole time!
Rolczynski, who was born in North Dakota and taught history there for years, was offered the chance to write a book on his state. It was during research for the book, in 1995, that Rolczynski found the error.
"When I found the flaw, I was having dinner with a friend. I called him over and said, 'Look at this! They forgot the word executive!'" Rolczynski told msnbc.com from his Grand Forks elder care home. "The next morning, we made an appointment and we drove 70 miles to Fargo to talk to the U.S. attorney there."
Article XI, Section 4 of the state constitution declares each official in the "legislative assembly and judicial department" must take an oath before starting office.
But the U.S. Constitution, Rolczynski said, mandates that senators, representatives, state legislators and "all executive and judicial officers" take an oath to uphold the Constitution. By not including that line, North Dakota defied the U.S. Constitution, according to Rolczynski.
Interestingly enough, the Beeb picked up on this as well- and also incorrectly identified Fargo as the setting for the movie 'Fargo.' (True story, kids- if you watch the movie, only the first scene in the bar actually takes place in Fargo. The rest is in Minnesota. A fact I helpfully pointed out to the Beeb via email. They haven't responded yet- I'm sort of crushed by that.)
Henges All Around!
This is kind of cool. Twice a year in NYC if you're in the right spot, the setting sun is perfectly framed between the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Apparently it's crazy popular with amateur and professional photographers and everyone wants to catch a glimpse of this magical phenomenon...
Except it loses a bit of luster, because obviously, if Manhattenhenge (yes, they call it that. At least on the Beeb they do) happens because of the sun's alignment with the skyline, then it follows that any city with a skyline is going to have days like these...
Henges all round I guess.
The Farce Continues
The disgusting posturing and political theater continue in Washington D.C. this afternoon. Why did we have to have this financial crisis heading into an election year? Seriously now. Everyone down in D.C. is playing CYA for 2012 and ignoring the bigger, structural problems we need to confront as a nation.
The facts are pretty grim- I think I read somewhere that something like 49% of Americans don't pay any tax at all. The tax code is insane, bureaucratic and completely incomprehensible and has created a situation where taxes aren't actually raising much revenue at all. To me, the heart of this mess is tax reform. I don't care how big or small you want the government- I think we can all get onboard with the notion that we'd like some government and we'd like that government to do certain things and how do you pay for that in a fair and equitable way?
I keep coming back to the consumption tax. We are, after all, a nation of consumers- and the more disposable income one has, the more one can presumably consume. Basically, the more shit you buy, the more taxes you pay. Obviously things like food would be exempt from this- and there's even the potential for a free economic boost every year if you would say, declare August a tax free month for the purposes of back-to-school shopping. I'm not an economist or a tax lawyer so there are probably a bunch of good arguments out there against this, but to me, this is simple, it's fair, it's guaranteed revenue for the government and more importantly it encourages people to think about what they buy a little bit. (FairTax has a whole load of more professional, intelligent sounding information on this- it's well worth a peek.)
And now where are we? Same place we've been all along- nowhere. The House is going to vote on $2.4 trillion debt ceiling increase and $2.4 trillion in cuts to balance it out, cap expenditures and vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment. President Obama went on television this morning and... well, I don't know. His assertion that 80% of Americans want higher taxes to solve the deficit crisis is a bit questionable to me and the reactionary ideology that permeates the Left continues to frustrate me greatly. When is liberalism going to move into the 20th Century? Why do they insist on defending the policies of the 1930s and the 1960s? I want liberalism to move beyond the New Deal and the Great Society and figure out what's next. The 'Left', such as it is, has never had a period of intellectual retrenchment similar to what Conservatives went through in the 50s and 60s. It's a generational discussion, a generational debate- only no one is talking.
In short, everybody is failing. It's a total group effort up in Washington and it's frustrating. We don't need big, bloated, 20th Century government anymore. We don't need small, tiny privatized government either. We need a lean, mean, flexible machine for the 21st Century. President Obama keeps talking about 'smart government.' When are those words going to stop being rhetoric and start being the real change in Washington that he promised us?
The facts are pretty grim- I think I read somewhere that something like 49% of Americans don't pay any tax at all. The tax code is insane, bureaucratic and completely incomprehensible and has created a situation where taxes aren't actually raising much revenue at all. To me, the heart of this mess is tax reform. I don't care how big or small you want the government- I think we can all get onboard with the notion that we'd like some government and we'd like that government to do certain things and how do you pay for that in a fair and equitable way?
I keep coming back to the consumption tax. We are, after all, a nation of consumers- and the more disposable income one has, the more one can presumably consume. Basically, the more shit you buy, the more taxes you pay. Obviously things like food would be exempt from this- and there's even the potential for a free economic boost every year if you would say, declare August a tax free month for the purposes of back-to-school shopping. I'm not an economist or a tax lawyer so there are probably a bunch of good arguments out there against this, but to me, this is simple, it's fair, it's guaranteed revenue for the government and more importantly it encourages people to think about what they buy a little bit. (FairTax has a whole load of more professional, intelligent sounding information on this- it's well worth a peek.)
And now where are we? Same place we've been all along- nowhere. The House is going to vote on $2.4 trillion debt ceiling increase and $2.4 trillion in cuts to balance it out, cap expenditures and vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment. President Obama went on television this morning and... well, I don't know. His assertion that 80% of Americans want higher taxes to solve the deficit crisis is a bit questionable to me and the reactionary ideology that permeates the Left continues to frustrate me greatly. When is liberalism going to move into the 20th Century? Why do they insist on defending the policies of the 1930s and the 1960s? I want liberalism to move beyond the New Deal and the Great Society and figure out what's next. The 'Left', such as it is, has never had a period of intellectual retrenchment similar to what Conservatives went through in the 50s and 60s. It's a generational discussion, a generational debate- only no one is talking.
In short, everybody is failing. It's a total group effort up in Washington and it's frustrating. We don't need big, bloated, 20th Century government anymore. We don't need small, tiny privatized government either. We need a lean, mean, flexible machine for the 21st Century. President Obama keeps talking about 'smart government.' When are those words going to stop being rhetoric and start being the real change in Washington that he promised us?
About Time
The United States and the other 30 or so nations that make up the Libya Contact Group have recognized the rebel National Transitional Council as the sole legitimate authority of the Libyan people!
Finally!
This is a spot of good news for the folks in Benghazi, as it opens up access to a lot of regime assets that had been sitting frozen in US Banks... and I think it signals a sea change in what the international community is really thinking about the situation on the ground in Libya. Two months ago, the US refusal to recognize Benghazi was irritating, but understandable- you don't want to back the wrong horse. It was a bit of a hedging of bets, but I could reluctantly understand it.
Now, things are different. Slowly but surely, the rebels have been grinding it out against Gadafi and his thugs and now that they've gotten a little cohesion and organization together, they're inching forward towards Tripoli. The time it takes may frustrate a lot of people, but I think a rebel victory is inevitable.
Finally!
This is a spot of good news for the folks in Benghazi, as it opens up access to a lot of regime assets that had been sitting frozen in US Banks... and I think it signals a sea change in what the international community is really thinking about the situation on the ground in Libya. Two months ago, the US refusal to recognize Benghazi was irritating, but understandable- you don't want to back the wrong horse. It was a bit of a hedging of bets, but I could reluctantly understand it.
Now, things are different. Slowly but surely, the rebels have been grinding it out against Gadafi and his thugs and now that they've gotten a little cohesion and organization together, they're inching forward towards Tripoli. The time it takes may frustrate a lot of people, but I think a rebel victory is inevitable.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Carmageddon Is Coming
Los Angeles is bracing for a shutdown of the 405 this weekend... but there are no parties allowed!
It's kind of amusing just how many people are freaking out because of this- I mean, it's the weekend. If I were an Angeleno, who had to wrestle with the freeway every damn day on my way into work, this would be a no brainer. Stay the eff away from the freeways this weekend. Of course, people who have to work weekends pretty much get the shaft in that regard anyway.
If cars aren't your thing, then get this: JetBlue is offering a $4, 20 minute flight between Long Beach and Burbank. Which has sold out! (Per Mapquest, that's roughly 34 miles. And a lot of carbon emissions, I would imagine. Where's Al Gore's outrage when you need it?)
It's kind of amusing just how many people are freaking out because of this- I mean, it's the weekend. If I were an Angeleno, who had to wrestle with the freeway every damn day on my way into work, this would be a no brainer. Stay the eff away from the freeways this weekend. Of course, people who have to work weekends pretty much get the shaft in that regard anyway.
If cars aren't your thing, then get this: JetBlue is offering a $4, 20 minute flight between Long Beach and Burbank. Which has sold out! (Per Mapquest, that's roughly 34 miles. And a lot of carbon emissions, I would imagine. Where's Al Gore's outrage when you need it?)
Now It's Starting To Get Real
The Shutdown in the Medium White North is entering its third week and now people are going to start to notice. MillerCoors has been ordered to pull its beer off the shelves (that's stuff like Miller, Miller Lite, Miller HighLife, Coors, etc) which accounts for about 38% of the beer market in the state.
Things go from bad to worse for the Medium White North, because bars across the state will be slowly running dry, as they're unable to renew their state mandate liquor purchasing cards.
I'm interested: if this goes long enough, does that mean the whole state is gonna run dry?
UPDATED: Did I speak too soon? Drudge threw this up- and StarTrib confirms.
Things go from bad to worse for the Medium White North, because bars across the state will be slowly running dry, as they're unable to renew their state mandate liquor purchasing cards.
I'm interested: if this goes long enough, does that mean the whole state is gonna run dry?
UPDATED: Did I speak too soon? Drudge threw this up- and StarTrib confirms.
Waltz With Bashir--A Review
The genre of the 'war movie' is one that I've always been interested in. What do filmmakers get right about World War II? (See: Flags of Our Fathers, Iwo Jima) and what do they get wrong? (See: Saving Private Ryan with it's complete lack of any other Allies and U-571 with it's complete butchery of history.) When has enough time passed to make a good movie about a conflict? And we tend to think of the 'war movie' genre in exclusively American terms- after all, what would the History Channel have to show during the week if it wasn't for World War II? But what do 'war' movies look like when it's another country's war?
'Waltz With Bashir' written and directed by Ari Folman is hard to pin down at first. Technically, it's an animated documentary recounting Folman's search for his lost memories from Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon. But it doesn't feel like a documentary- the photo-realistic style of animation combines with the music to create a haunting and harrowing portrait of the horrors of that particular war.
It opens with one of Ari's friends describing a dream he had of being chased by 26 dogs- the exact same number of dogs he had killed during the course of the war. This, in turn, brings back a fragment of a memory for Ari about where he was in Beirut and what he had seen- he witnessed some of the massacres in the refufee camps at Sabra and Shatila- but he cannot remember more than that and is unsure of the reality of his memory. Advised to talk to his friends and people who were there at the time to track down the truth, he embarks on a journey to discover his memories from the war and what he really saw that day in Beirut.
I think if people have a casual familiarity with the contemporary history of the Middle East, it helps with this movie- but it's not a requirement either. The horrors of war and the coping mechanisms people use to deal with that, if they aren't universal themes, they are certainly things that cross all frontiers. But you can see that the trauma of Israel's invasion of Lebanon left it's mark on not only the soldiers involved, but the psyche of that country as a whole. At the time, the goal seemed simple enough: drive to West Beirut, kick the PLO out and go home- which they managed to do, but they were invading a country that was ripping itself apart in a brutal Civil War at the time and got caught in it, as their Christian Phalangist allies committed the massacres at Sabra and Shatila. The reverberations from this invasion continued for a generation- Israel only withdrew the last of its forces from Southern Lebanon in 2000.
This was a profound, haunting look at the horrors of war- even though it's not a war that may hit home for a lot of Americans. But when Folman finally remembers what he saw after the massacres at Sabra and Shatila and the animation dissolves into actual footage from the camps, the horrors of war become all too real.
Overall: This was a haunting, brilliant movie. The animation was excellent, the music complimented it perfectly and it provided a glimpse of what happened to the soldiers themselves during a controversial and bloody war.
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