America's last living WWI veteran has died at the age of 110.
I'm not sure how America feels about WWI. It was sort of glossed over in high school history class and unless 'Legends of The Fall' is your favorite movie, people tend to forget that nearly 20,000 Americans went 'over there' and fought in the 'war to end all wars.' What we accomplished as nation in that war is certainly worthy of discussion- we might have 'made the world safe for democracy' but we also sowed the seeds for WWII in the process.
When I think of America and WWI I always think of that grand moment when General Pershing stopped at the tomb of Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette- and, being famously media averse, having an aide-de-camp deliver the immortal message: 'Lafayette, nous sommes ici.'
But there's a lot more to it than that- and America isn't all that good at history. We tend to forget and try and build Wal-Marts all over it until someone says 'hey wait a minute, something important happened here.' And WWI doesn't rate what WWII, Korea and Vietnam all rate in the cultural memory of the nation.
So kids, take a moment today: remember.
And never forget.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Colonel Nutbag Goes Viral
If this man wasn't a crazy, insane tyrant this might be a lot funnier. As it is an Israeli DJ has remixed one of Colonel Nutbag's long, weird speeches from last week, laid it down over a nice techno beat and added some stock footage of hot gyrating blonde women and it's gone viral on Youtube to the tune of nearly 500,000 hits.
What does strike me as funny is that this Israeli DJ, knowing it would be seen widely in the Muslim world, decided, in a nod towards Muslim sensibilities to thrown up a version without the hot gyrating blonde women. How many hits does it have?
50,000.
Some things you've just got to see for yourself.
Behold.
What does strike me as funny is that this Israeli DJ, knowing it would be seen widely in the Muslim world, decided, in a nod towards Muslim sensibilities to thrown up a version without the hot gyrating blonde women. How many hits does it have?
50,000.
Some things you've just got to see for yourself.
Behold.
Krugman Blathers
Good God.
1. You can't change math. I think sweetheart deals and tax breaks for business should be thrown out too along with every dime of corporate welfare. But at the same time, unions are asking A LOT. State budgets aren't in the state their in only because of the rich.
2. Education spending in the United States has increased something like 177% since the 70s and you know how much performance has increased? Not one little bit. It's flatlining. If teachers unions aren't producing results then that's a bit of union busting I might have less qualms about.
3. Not everything is a billionaire libertarian conspiracy. We need to enact fundamental changes to our society, government, education and health care systems and we need to do so NOW. Republicans at least are doing something. What, if anything do Democrats have to offer except more of the same- which fundamentally won't work anymore.
1. You can't change math. I think sweetheart deals and tax breaks for business should be thrown out too along with every dime of corporate welfare. But at the same time, unions are asking A LOT. State budgets aren't in the state their in only because of the rich.
2. Education spending in the United States has increased something like 177% since the 70s and you know how much performance has increased? Not one little bit. It's flatlining. If teachers unions aren't producing results then that's a bit of union busting I might have less qualms about.
3. Not everything is a billionaire libertarian conspiracy. We need to enact fundamental changes to our society, government, education and health care systems and we need to do so NOW. Republicans at least are doing something. What, if anything do Democrats have to offer except more of the same- which fundamentally won't work anymore.
Kristof Opines
Are the Arabs unfit for democracy? Kristof asks in the NY Times... I'd agree with his overall message: that no, they're not. Sure, there are some real worries about all these revolutions going on- but our policymakers need to remember. 2011 is NOT 1979. And it's worth noting that the same people protesting Mubarak in Egypt were organizing via Facebook and Twitter- just as the same as the young people in Iran.
Facebook, Twitter and the Internet are not Islamist friendly tools. And I think if anyone attempts to impose Islamist regimes in some of these countries, they'll be right back to square one...
Facebook, Twitter and the Internet are not Islamist friendly tools. And I think if anyone attempts to impose Islamist regimes in some of these countries, they'll be right back to square one...
Hitch Weighs In
Christopher Hitchens has weighed in with a truly scathing response to the Obama Administration's current actions in regards to Libya- and I have to say that I completely agree with him.
I understand that we held off a bit until we got our people out of there- but the EU, with MORE people in Libya than we had was being a lot harsher in terms of their rhetoric before we even got our people off the ground.
I understand that this President may be leery of throwing our military assets into another potential sinkhole in the Middle East.
But: Hitch has it right. It's time for some actual leadership on this issue. A no-fly zone keeps our people off the ground (rightfully so) would keep Colonel Nutbag from strafing his citizens with his own planes OR flying more mercs from sub-Saharan Africa in to reinforce himself. After decades of watching Colonel Nutbag rent out their country's natural resources to the highest bidder, it's no wonder Libyans are a bit leery- even pissed at foreign corporations and workers who they probably see as tools of the regime, to some degree- which is why a no-fly zone makes sense, because it keeps us off the ground.
The people of Libya are going up against a heavily armed lunatic armed with little more than their courage and whatever they can find. It's time for the International Community- no, it's time for the United States to step up and help 'em out.
I understand that we held off a bit until we got our people out of there- but the EU, with MORE people in Libya than we had was being a lot harsher in terms of their rhetoric before we even got our people off the ground.
I understand that this President may be leery of throwing our military assets into another potential sinkhole in the Middle East.
But: Hitch has it right. It's time for some actual leadership on this issue. A no-fly zone keeps our people off the ground (rightfully so) would keep Colonel Nutbag from strafing his citizens with his own planes OR flying more mercs from sub-Saharan Africa in to reinforce himself. After decades of watching Colonel Nutbag rent out their country's natural resources to the highest bidder, it's no wonder Libyans are a bit leery- even pissed at foreign corporations and workers who they probably see as tools of the regime, to some degree- which is why a no-fly zone makes sense, because it keeps us off the ground.
The people of Libya are going up against a heavily armed lunatic armed with little more than their courage and whatever they can find. It's time for the International Community- no, it's time for the United States to step up and help 'em out.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Albums2010 #35: Final Straw
How do you describe Snow Patrol? I listened to this album and decided that if such a thing were possible, it might be slightly beyond me. I guess they're sort of distant cousins to Coldplay and Keane- that sort of dreamy, piano-y Britpop that emerged in the early 00s. But the more you listen, the more you realize that they seem pretty emo. There's a touch of Dashboard Confessionals thrown in there for good measure. They're not dreamy piano wailers like Coldplay or Keane, yet they're not channeling too much eyeliner and teen angst like Dashboard.
So they're a bit of a puzzle. But that doesn't mean that they're incapable of making a good album. Sure, on Final Straw you find all the trimmings: angst, relationship drama, love, etc, but it's not whiny- there's a certain maturity to the lyrics that combines with a maturity of sound. What do I mean by that? Well, again, I think with a lot of these reviews I just make up some bullshit because it sounds like something you'd find in Rolling Stone or Entertainment Weekly. (Yeah, I just copped to that, kids. Sorry.) But let me take a crack at my original point: in a very real sense, this is emo for grown-ups, all the way through and through. The sound is big, orchestral, bombastic and from time to time, angry and driving. But there's also moments of delicacy thrown in as well. The lyrics match the sound nicely. This isn't a band singing about death and love sucking or whining about pale and empty life is: real life relationship drama provides the sparks to the lyrics and the sounds and it feels all so refreshingly, adult.
Most people- like myself, were probably introduced to them through a couple of random episodes of Grey's Anatomy- with 'Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking' and the other song, 'Chasing Cars' which is on their next album. Interestingly enough though, the band hails from Northern Ireland but struck it big while at University in Scotland- and had made two albums before releasing this one. Hence, the title: Final Straw was seen by many as their last roll of the dice- and I have to admit, if you're going to make one last roll of this dice, this was a glorious roll to make. This is a complete, mature, album- with a big, big sound and the band shows a refreshing ability to switch between big sounds and more delicate sounds that gives the album a lot of range.
Overall: A happy cross between emo angst and dreamy Britpop, Snow Patrol crafts a sound all it's own and owns it hardcore. I'd say, if you want to have a nice, mellow catharsis for a bad relationship, then Snow Patrol is the band for you!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
'Waiting For Superman'-- A Review
I was in a documentary kind of mood last night, so snagged a romcom for the Missus (the very palatable and amusing 'You Again') and this documentary for our second feature. I had seen a preview for this a few months back and was curious about what it would have to say about the state of our educational system. As it turned out, it had a lot to say.
'Waiting For Superman' takes a hard look at the problems with the current educational system while simultaneous following five students who are trying to get into charter schools. The cruelest part of our education system seems to be that the better the school you can get into too, the more chances of success you have at life. All of these kids that 'Superman' follows have big dreams and their parents are fighting hard for better educational choices for their children, yet are trapped in a system that, as the movie demonstrates, too often rewards failure.
Education is going to have to change. That much has been made clear to me this past few months- it's a huge sector of the economy and incredibly important to get right if we want to lay a foundation for prosperity for the future generations and yet we've spent a truly obscene amount of money on education since the 1970s and seen virtually no results to show for all the money. In other words, the current system is one, horrible investment to continue pouring money into. No Child Left Behind and all the reform efforts that the politicians have pimped over the years haven't seemed to work. So what do we do?
The movie isn't exactly clear on that point. And it's a bit of a love letter to charter schools and how 'amazing' they are and blah blah blah- which is something some people have an issue with, but one thing is for sure: a lot of the charter schools that it focuses on are a helluva lot better than the neighborhood public schools a lot of these families are stuck with- so naturally, these parents are desperate for a way out for their kids to secure them the best educational future possible, because the better school you go to, it seems, the better chance you have at getting ahead in life.
Between following the aspirations and hopes of five students trying to get into various charter schools, 'WFS' takes a hard look at reform efforts in D.C. schools lead by now Former Chancellor Michelle Rhee- who took on the system and actually managed to achieve something before being tossed out on her ass along with Mayor Adrian Fenty in the last elections. What proved to be the ultimate sticking point: teacher's unions. Running into blockade after blockade trying to improve the quality of teachers in D.C. schools, Rhee eventually proposed two options: teachers could keep the current contract or they could potentially earn twice as much under a merit based performance pay system while ending teacher tenure. The union wouldn't even allow a vote on it.
But the cruelest thing of all, to me, was watching as these kids see their future either become a lot brighter or potentially a lot trickier as these charter schools hold their lotteries. There was something fundamentally unjust about it, yet with not enough spaces and far too many applicants, charter schools usually have no choice. They have to hold a lottery. The question then becomes: why aren't our schools better and what can we do about it?
That isn't really answered by the movie. And certainly, although charter schools can be really amazing in some cases, compared to their public counterparts, data shows that most do about the same as public schools and others can do worse- while only some do better. So it's kind of hard to fall in love with the movie's obvious flirtatious romance with the charter school movement. Yet the movie convinces the viewer of an undeniable fact: something has to be done. It was insane, looking at the worst excesses of the teacher's unions- things like New York's infamous rubber room, where suspended teachers sit around, WITH PAY and BENEFITS and do nothing, pending a hearing on their case which could take months. BAD teachers are impossible to fire, so some school districts just shuffle them around, hoping that a change of scenery will somehow make them into a better teacher. And so the failures of the system and the resistance to change only reinforce what we've been doing for decades now. And what we've been doing isn't working anymore.
So can we blame teacher's unions for this? It's hard to say. Like with a lot of things, their original justification was a good one. Female teachers were getting paid a lot less back in the day, so yeah, teachers should have organized, gone on strikes, done whatever to ensure that they weren't getting diddled around for their hard work. But now? I understand that jobs are important, but quality in this case matters more than quantity. The average teacher's union protects quantity over quality and at the very minimum and end to teacher tenure and a commitment to protect and promote quality over quantity it was we need. But I'm afraid we might we well past minimum solutions.
On balance: 'Waiting for Superman' didn't change my life, as the preview purported that it would do- but it did hit one nail on the head: we gotta change things up, because right now the system is failing too many kids. However, I'm less convinced by their love affair with charter schools. I think those have their drawbacks too- personally, innovation should take more than one form. Everything idea, everything should be tried. Throw the whole pan o'pasta at the wall and see what sticks- because we need as many good ideas as possible.
Overall: A clarion call for change in our schools. But take it's prescription with a grain of salt...
'Waiting For Superman' takes a hard look at the problems with the current educational system while simultaneous following five students who are trying to get into charter schools. The cruelest part of our education system seems to be that the better the school you can get into too, the more chances of success you have at life. All of these kids that 'Superman' follows have big dreams and their parents are fighting hard for better educational choices for their children, yet are trapped in a system that, as the movie demonstrates, too often rewards failure.
Education is going to have to change. That much has been made clear to me this past few months- it's a huge sector of the economy and incredibly important to get right if we want to lay a foundation for prosperity for the future generations and yet we've spent a truly obscene amount of money on education since the 1970s and seen virtually no results to show for all the money. In other words, the current system is one, horrible investment to continue pouring money into. No Child Left Behind and all the reform efforts that the politicians have pimped over the years haven't seemed to work. So what do we do?
The movie isn't exactly clear on that point. And it's a bit of a love letter to charter schools and how 'amazing' they are and blah blah blah- which is something some people have an issue with, but one thing is for sure: a lot of the charter schools that it focuses on are a helluva lot better than the neighborhood public schools a lot of these families are stuck with- so naturally, these parents are desperate for a way out for their kids to secure them the best educational future possible, because the better school you go to, it seems, the better chance you have at getting ahead in life.
Between following the aspirations and hopes of five students trying to get into various charter schools, 'WFS' takes a hard look at reform efforts in D.C. schools lead by now Former Chancellor Michelle Rhee- who took on the system and actually managed to achieve something before being tossed out on her ass along with Mayor Adrian Fenty in the last elections. What proved to be the ultimate sticking point: teacher's unions. Running into blockade after blockade trying to improve the quality of teachers in D.C. schools, Rhee eventually proposed two options: teachers could keep the current contract or they could potentially earn twice as much under a merit based performance pay system while ending teacher tenure. The union wouldn't even allow a vote on it.
But the cruelest thing of all, to me, was watching as these kids see their future either become a lot brighter or potentially a lot trickier as these charter schools hold their lotteries. There was something fundamentally unjust about it, yet with not enough spaces and far too many applicants, charter schools usually have no choice. They have to hold a lottery. The question then becomes: why aren't our schools better and what can we do about it?
That isn't really answered by the movie. And certainly, although charter schools can be really amazing in some cases, compared to their public counterparts, data shows that most do about the same as public schools and others can do worse- while only some do better. So it's kind of hard to fall in love with the movie's obvious flirtatious romance with the charter school movement. Yet the movie convinces the viewer of an undeniable fact: something has to be done. It was insane, looking at the worst excesses of the teacher's unions- things like New York's infamous rubber room, where suspended teachers sit around, WITH PAY and BENEFITS and do nothing, pending a hearing on their case which could take months. BAD teachers are impossible to fire, so some school districts just shuffle them around, hoping that a change of scenery will somehow make them into a better teacher. And so the failures of the system and the resistance to change only reinforce what we've been doing for decades now. And what we've been doing isn't working anymore.
So can we blame teacher's unions for this? It's hard to say. Like with a lot of things, their original justification was a good one. Female teachers were getting paid a lot less back in the day, so yeah, teachers should have organized, gone on strikes, done whatever to ensure that they weren't getting diddled around for their hard work. But now? I understand that jobs are important, but quality in this case matters more than quantity. The average teacher's union protects quantity over quality and at the very minimum and end to teacher tenure and a commitment to protect and promote quality over quantity it was we need. But I'm afraid we might we well past minimum solutions.
On balance: 'Waiting for Superman' didn't change my life, as the preview purported that it would do- but it did hit one nail on the head: we gotta change things up, because right now the system is failing too many kids. However, I'm less convinced by their love affair with charter schools. I think those have their drawbacks too- personally, innovation should take more than one form. Everything idea, everything should be tried. Throw the whole pan o'pasta at the wall and see what sticks- because we need as many good ideas as possible.
Overall: A clarion call for change in our schools. But take it's prescription with a grain of salt...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Daily Show Fail
Poor camel.
A rare miss on the part of The Daily Show. Really? Camels in Wisconsin? In February? I mean, the whole patently obvious joke about Cairo and Madison, Madison and Cairo aside, I don't think the gag is worth seeing this poor guy be scared out of his mind, cold and trying to walk on snow and ice and failing. I'm glad there was a happy ending, but really?
Uncool. Political satire is political satire, but you shouldn't use a terrified animal as your punchline.
A rare miss on the part of The Daily Show. Really? Camels in Wisconsin? In February? I mean, the whole patently obvious joke about Cairo and Madison, Madison and Cairo aside, I don't think the gag is worth seeing this poor guy be scared out of his mind, cold and trying to walk on snow and ice and failing. I'm glad there was a happy ending, but really?
Uncool. Political satire is political satire, but you shouldn't use a terrified animal as your punchline.
Late Night Chronicles 78: The Ultimate Kick-Ass Six Pack That Will Solve Everything
Published on FB, 2/23/11
I've been struggling to condense my many thoughts on what's happening in Wisconsin into something managable and have failed utterly. Instead of subjecting you, dear reader to a manifesto of everything that's wrong with America today, I've decided merely to embrace my failure and ramble on about what I think about the situation- and hopefully not go on for too long. Basically, the way I see it is this:
We've got a 19th Century government, education system and the tattered remnants of a mass industrialized, 19th century economy while trying to compete and survive in a 21st century world in a post-industrial economy.
Now you see why this is hard to condense down into something manageable? It's a huge problem and solving it is going to require everyone to come together, talk, debate- and I'm sure shout, yell and scream, but ultimately we need consensus on a whole host of gargantuan issues. It's enough to make you want to emigrate to Fiji, really- do we really have to live through this? Do we really have to put with decades of this? The answer, kids is I'm afraid that yes, we probably do. Whether through our own voilition or because we literally have no other choice in the matter, change, that ever-so-sexy word of the moment is coming soon to a theater near you. So get ready.
Do I think the unions are wrong to protest? No, I really don't. If you've put in 20 years doing jobs that no one else wants to do and getting paid squat for it and you're staring retirement in the face only to find that everything the state has promised is in fact one big lie, then yeah, I'd be pissed off and yeah, I'd take to the streets. That's totally fair. Unfortunately though, I don't think Governor Walker is entirely incorrect either. You only have to look at what's left of our manufacturing sector to see what happens when management and unions can't find a healthy symbiosis that benefits both worker and company. Unions asked for more and more and more until finally corporations went to Mexico where pesky things like minimum wage and basic labor law didn't matter so much. You can call that classic corporate greed, which to a certain extent it is, but a company exists to make money- and without a company, no one has a job.
So it's a Catch-22- and it's made worse by the fact that public sector unions are harder to justify. FDR was against them, saying a strike of government workers amounted to an obstruction of government operations by the very people who had sworn to serve it. But even that, I'm not sure how the logic holds up. In the private sector, unions (the theory goes, anyway) exist to ensure that workers are given a just and equitable share of the company's profits. That's problematic when you start playing in the public sector because the state doesn't generate wealth. It feeds of our taxes and fines us, regulates us and another annoying things- but generate profit? Not so much.
But I understand the panic and the outrage. People are worried that they're going to get totally hosed while the politicians and the rich line their pockets and the Middle Class just bent over and doinked. Hard. Where it doesn't tickle all that much. That worry doesn't make people all that warm and fuzzy inside- and it's a worry that might not be unfounded. Public sector unions are the only game in town these days and they are the bedrock of the Democratic Party. You bust them, you neuter the Democrats. There's a spicy patina of ideological trench warfare, including Walker's somewhat loose ties to kajillionare Libertarian Soros clones, the Koch Brothers, that worries me about all of that. This should be about the public good. It should be about dragging this country kicking and screaming into the 21st century once and for all.
You can't do that, however, if everyone doesn't share in the pain.
1. Chop From The Top: politicians should get paid less and get a lot less sweetners to boot. I heard tell the Aussies purchased a huge apartment complex for their politicos and give them a free apartment and a free economy class ticket home every weekend. Smart people, the Aussies. The Watergate looks big enough for Congress, I think- and if they want to keep up two homes for 'lifestyle purposes' or whatever, they can. On their dime.
2. Tax Reform: I don't know enough about the FairTax to say for sure, but the thought occurs to me: we are a consumer-based society. So why not tax people according to what they consume? The more crap you buy, the more tax you pay- and if you're below the poverty line, you pay no tax at all. Sounds fair to me. No backdoors, no loopholes for corporations- just a simple formula: more crap you buy, more tax you pay. (Oh: and it goes without saying that if Big Bird and NPR go baby, every last dime of corporate welfare and useless subsidies goes as well. Right Republicans?)
3. Entitlements: To me, the whole point of the 'social safety net' is not to need it. The concept of a safety net implies that there's something there to catch you if you fall- but if you're doing it right, you shouldn't fall. This means, to me, that the days of beer and pizza for the Boomers should come to an end as soon as possible. The retirement age should go up to 70 and we should means test the shit out of all these programs- so that only the people that really, really need them get the help. (I know, I know: some Conservatives out there are going, 'but wait, isn't that MY money that I've worked so hard for?' My answer: Kind of. But when you start out, you don't know if you're going to die a pauper or a millionaire so again, everyone should contribute, in case we need it- but the idea should be not too.)
4. Pensions: defined contributions and no double-dipping all round! (This goes double for Our Perpetual Governor!)
5. Health Care: gives me a headache just thinking about it- but we need to tackle it. (It's all very well for Our Perpetual Governor here in Iowa to go on about cheap insurance was back in the 70s. Or the late Triassic period. Whenever. But what has he done about it since then? Not much.) I don't like the idea of a government run model. I've seen it up close and personal and as far I can tell the only virtue is that it's free- and free doesn't necessarily equal good and free and government run just sounds like a damn nightmare. Does anyone remember Hurricane Katrina and how well that went? Do we really want the 'best and the brightest' dealing with our medicinal system? Being the independent moderate that I am, I tend to favor a bit of both- I think health care collectives are fabulous and should be encouraged and we should break down health care monopolies so that people can buy insurance from wherever they want- actual real-life competition might encourage a race to the bottom, price-wise without sacrificing quality along the way. It's certainly worth trying. But for a lot of people out there, it still might not be enough. Some form of governmental system of tax credits or subsidies should be there to make sure all Americans have the coverage they need.
6. Education: I honestly believe that education has been the most resisitant to changes of any kind and we need to unload a can of radical whoop-ass on the entire system as soon as possible, from kindergarten all the way to college. First and foremost: we need year round school. There are a few rural districts out there where kids might still go help Ma and Pa plant the fields and if so, that's OK, but the vast majority of school kids out there don't need a 3 month break every summer. And we should break ties to buildings- in the age of online internet magic if your high school doesn't have a class you want to study, you should be able to take that class online at another high school and have it count for credit. As for higher ed: we should be getting people in, out and done as quickly and efficient as possible. If that means adding a third summer semester, then so be it. We need to inculcate a love of creativity and innovation so that every student will not stop learning or looking for that next big idea. We need change, radical change and we need it right now.
So do I stand with the workers of Wisconsin? Sure. But do I also see the Governor's point? I do. Business as usual is no longer acceptable- but the politics of trench warfare practised by either side can no longer apply. This has to be about the public good- and kicking and screaming, we've all got to drag everyone into the 21st Century.
I've been struggling to condense my many thoughts on what's happening in Wisconsin into something managable and have failed utterly. Instead of subjecting you, dear reader to a manifesto of everything that's wrong with America today, I've decided merely to embrace my failure and ramble on about what I think about the situation- and hopefully not go on for too long. Basically, the way I see it is this:
We've got a 19th Century government, education system and the tattered remnants of a mass industrialized, 19th century economy while trying to compete and survive in a 21st century world in a post-industrial economy.
Now you see why this is hard to condense down into something manageable? It's a huge problem and solving it is going to require everyone to come together, talk, debate- and I'm sure shout, yell and scream, but ultimately we need consensus on a whole host of gargantuan issues. It's enough to make you want to emigrate to Fiji, really- do we really have to live through this? Do we really have to put with decades of this? The answer, kids is I'm afraid that yes, we probably do. Whether through our own voilition or because we literally have no other choice in the matter, change, that ever-so-sexy word of the moment is coming soon to a theater near you. So get ready.
Do I think the unions are wrong to protest? No, I really don't. If you've put in 20 years doing jobs that no one else wants to do and getting paid squat for it and you're staring retirement in the face only to find that everything the state has promised is in fact one big lie, then yeah, I'd be pissed off and yeah, I'd take to the streets. That's totally fair. Unfortunately though, I don't think Governor Walker is entirely incorrect either. You only have to look at what's left of our manufacturing sector to see what happens when management and unions can't find a healthy symbiosis that benefits both worker and company. Unions asked for more and more and more until finally corporations went to Mexico where pesky things like minimum wage and basic labor law didn't matter so much. You can call that classic corporate greed, which to a certain extent it is, but a company exists to make money- and without a company, no one has a job.
So it's a Catch-22- and it's made worse by the fact that public sector unions are harder to justify. FDR was against them, saying a strike of government workers amounted to an obstruction of government operations by the very people who had sworn to serve it. But even that, I'm not sure how the logic holds up. In the private sector, unions (the theory goes, anyway) exist to ensure that workers are given a just and equitable share of the company's profits. That's problematic when you start playing in the public sector because the state doesn't generate wealth. It feeds of our taxes and fines us, regulates us and another annoying things- but generate profit? Not so much.
But I understand the panic and the outrage. People are worried that they're going to get totally hosed while the politicians and the rich line their pockets and the Middle Class just bent over and doinked. Hard. Where it doesn't tickle all that much. That worry doesn't make people all that warm and fuzzy inside- and it's a worry that might not be unfounded. Public sector unions are the only game in town these days and they are the bedrock of the Democratic Party. You bust them, you neuter the Democrats. There's a spicy patina of ideological trench warfare, including Walker's somewhat loose ties to kajillionare Libertarian Soros clones, the Koch Brothers, that worries me about all of that. This should be about the public good. It should be about dragging this country kicking and screaming into the 21st century once and for all.
You can't do that, however, if everyone doesn't share in the pain.
1. Chop From The Top: politicians should get paid less and get a lot less sweetners to boot. I heard tell the Aussies purchased a huge apartment complex for their politicos and give them a free apartment and a free economy class ticket home every weekend. Smart people, the Aussies. The Watergate looks big enough for Congress, I think- and if they want to keep up two homes for 'lifestyle purposes' or whatever, they can. On their dime.
2. Tax Reform: I don't know enough about the FairTax to say for sure, but the thought occurs to me: we are a consumer-based society. So why not tax people according to what they consume? The more crap you buy, the more tax you pay- and if you're below the poverty line, you pay no tax at all. Sounds fair to me. No backdoors, no loopholes for corporations- just a simple formula: more crap you buy, more tax you pay. (Oh: and it goes without saying that if Big Bird and NPR go baby, every last dime of corporate welfare and useless subsidies goes as well. Right Republicans?)
3. Entitlements: To me, the whole point of the 'social safety net' is not to need it. The concept of a safety net implies that there's something there to catch you if you fall- but if you're doing it right, you shouldn't fall. This means, to me, that the days of beer and pizza for the Boomers should come to an end as soon as possible. The retirement age should go up to 70 and we should means test the shit out of all these programs- so that only the people that really, really need them get the help. (I know, I know: some Conservatives out there are going, 'but wait, isn't that MY money that I've worked so hard for?' My answer: Kind of. But when you start out, you don't know if you're going to die a pauper or a millionaire so again, everyone should contribute, in case we need it- but the idea should be not too.)
4. Pensions: defined contributions and no double-dipping all round! (This goes double for Our Perpetual Governor!)
5. Health Care: gives me a headache just thinking about it- but we need to tackle it. (It's all very well for Our Perpetual Governor here in Iowa to go on about cheap insurance was back in the 70s. Or the late Triassic period. Whenever. But what has he done about it since then? Not much.) I don't like the idea of a government run model. I've seen it up close and personal and as far I can tell the only virtue is that it's free- and free doesn't necessarily equal good and free and government run just sounds like a damn nightmare. Does anyone remember Hurricane Katrina and how well that went? Do we really want the 'best and the brightest' dealing with our medicinal system? Being the independent moderate that I am, I tend to favor a bit of both- I think health care collectives are fabulous and should be encouraged and we should break down health care monopolies so that people can buy insurance from wherever they want- actual real-life competition might encourage a race to the bottom, price-wise without sacrificing quality along the way. It's certainly worth trying. But for a lot of people out there, it still might not be enough. Some form of governmental system of tax credits or subsidies should be there to make sure all Americans have the coverage they need.
6. Education: I honestly believe that education has been the most resisitant to changes of any kind and we need to unload a can of radical whoop-ass on the entire system as soon as possible, from kindergarten all the way to college. First and foremost: we need year round school. There are a few rural districts out there where kids might still go help Ma and Pa plant the fields and if so, that's OK, but the vast majority of school kids out there don't need a 3 month break every summer. And we should break ties to buildings- in the age of online internet magic if your high school doesn't have a class you want to study, you should be able to take that class online at another high school and have it count for credit. As for higher ed: we should be getting people in, out and done as quickly and efficient as possible. If that means adding a third summer semester, then so be it. We need to inculcate a love of creativity and innovation so that every student will not stop learning or looking for that next big idea. We need change, radical change and we need it right now.
So do I stand with the workers of Wisconsin? Sure. But do I also see the Governor's point? I do. Business as usual is no longer acceptable- but the politics of trench warfare practised by either side can no longer apply. This has to be about the public good- and kicking and screaming, we've all got to drag everyone into the 21st Century.
Late Night Chronicles 77: Spelling Counts
Published on FB 2/23/11
It's time to do something about Libya.
As I'm writing this, I'm really hoping that there will be some breaking news that will invalidate everything I'm about to propose- whether it's of his own voilition or whether it's because an angry mob hangs him from a lamppost, it's past time for Colonel Qaddafi to make an exit, stage right. I didn't actually listen to his speech yesterday- I was at work, where CNN is on mute on one of our many flatscreens, just in case World War III breaks out while we're trying to handle the usual morass of minutia and the crazy challenges that pop up on Campus in every given day and he looked, well, how do I put this? Oh I know: completely batshit crazy.
Twitter, Al-Jazeera and media outlets exploded with reaction as he really began to dig into the meat of his rant. Apparently, with military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan and a President that's such a war monger and so ready to step up and take decisive action on any given issue (yes, that is sarcasm), those planes that had been shooting his people down in their very own streets? US warplanes. Of course! Because with 9% unemployment and the post-WWII social compact starting to fray at the edges, we don't have problems of our own. We're just going to go and play skeet shoot with innocent Libyan civilians.
But wait, it gets better: the protestors? All of them are on hallucinogenic drugs! Now, I've never done LSD or any other hallucinogen (no, really)- but I'm going to take a wild stab and say it might be pretty hard to take over half of a country if you're seeing a rainbow of colors and talking salamanders everywhere. However, lest we forget our own sporting history, MLB pitching great Dock Ellis managed to pitch a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD, so I suppose that Colonel Qaddafi might be on slightly firmer ground on this score, if such a thing is at all possible at this juncture.
This guy is heading straight over the falls with bombast, panache and healthy dollops of paranoia and well, generally lunacy along for the ride- and he's got the potential to take his entire country with him. I think at this point, we can safely assume that Libya is most definately not Egypt. There's no Tahrir Square, no young, shiny Google Executives to expound passionately on CNN- and I only think the insular and closed off nature of the country is preventing the world from learning the full scale and horror of Qaddafi's crimes against his people. For all that he sounded nutty yesterday, there's a frightening ruthlessness to a man who would reportedly offer as much as $2000 a day to mercenaries to come and shoot his own people. Egypt's army refused to open fire on it's own people- Qadaffi wouldn't take that chance with Libya's.
And although there's hopeful news that protestors appear to have taken control of the city of Misurata- which, if true would be the largest city they currently control in the western part of Libya and there were more defections overnight as the Interior Minister and more of Libya's diplomatic corps resigned or defected to back the protestors, the response of the West has been lukewarm at best and downright useless at worse.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not advocating we go in there, put boots on the ground (although we've done it before. At least the Marines have) and knock this loony off once and for all- we've got commitments of our own and right now figuring out Afghanistan needs to take priority over what would be another lengthy occupation as Libya wouldn't get back on its feet overnight, but we can do more than talk. Everybody can do more than talk. As much as I appreciate Secretary Clinton's condemnation of the bloodshed (I haven't yet seen the President weigh in- and he should!) and the UN Security Council managed, in a minor miracle to get together and agree that Qaddaffi's war against his own people was a fundamentally bad thing, at the end of the day, the lukewarm, noodly response of the Western powers has been talk. Talk, talk, useless talk.
It seems inevitable at this point that Qadaffi is going to fall. The people of Libya have had enough and every hour will probably bring more news of fresh defections and I'm hoping more cities will fall under their control. The West can and should let the people of Libya finish the job as much as possible- but it should also give them the basic protections to do so. A No-Fly Zone over Qadaffi controlled Libya combined with humanitarian assistance to the protestor controlled areas of the country would do just that. Believe it or not, I'm no neo-conservative who advocates the righting of wrongs in the name of truth, justice and the American way. We're not Superman, the Justice League or (to mix my metaphors a bit) Captain America- it's unfair to expect Americans to spend their blood and treasure kicking ass and taking names in the name of righting the wrongs of the world. But with every report of a massacre or of Chinooks in Tripoli firing on civilians in the streets, I'm convinced that it's the height of irresponsibility not to do something.
The French have an aircraft carrier. It's time to get that sucker out and use it. The British (if they haven't sold them on Ebay) have aircraft carriers. It's time for the Royal Navy to saddle up and head down to the Med to help these people out a bit. In fact, if the EU is so damn concerned about the flow of refugees into Malta and Italy, it's time for Europe to nut up or shut up and get some air cover for these people. America (because we're cool like that) should certainly offer to pitch in- perhaps with an aircraft carrier of our own- but the West needs to grow a backbone and do more than talk. If there's no political will to establish a no fly zone (a fluffy concept that's not as easy as it sounds on CNN) over Qadaffi controlled Libya, then at the very least humanitarian assistance to these protestors should be forthcoming. The next few days- and hopefully not weeks or months, will see Qadaffi flushed down the toilet bowl of history where he belongs- when a whole nation rises up the tidal forces of history behind them are inevitable and cannot be stopped, even in the face of brutality.
The courage and bravery of the Libyan people to seize their own destiny from the grasp of the Despot who is attempting to grind them under his bootheel deserves more than just our talk.
It's time to do something about Libya.
As I'm writing this, I'm really hoping that there will be some breaking news that will invalidate everything I'm about to propose- whether it's of his own voilition or whether it's because an angry mob hangs him from a lamppost, it's past time for Colonel Qaddafi to make an exit, stage right. I didn't actually listen to his speech yesterday- I was at work, where CNN is on mute on one of our many flatscreens, just in case World War III breaks out while we're trying to handle the usual morass of minutia and the crazy challenges that pop up on Campus in every given day and he looked, well, how do I put this? Oh I know: completely batshit crazy.
Twitter, Al-Jazeera and media outlets exploded with reaction as he really began to dig into the meat of his rant. Apparently, with military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan and a President that's such a war monger and so ready to step up and take decisive action on any given issue (yes, that is sarcasm), those planes that had been shooting his people down in their very own streets? US warplanes. Of course! Because with 9% unemployment and the post-WWII social compact starting to fray at the edges, we don't have problems of our own. We're just going to go and play skeet shoot with innocent Libyan civilians.
But wait, it gets better: the protestors? All of them are on hallucinogenic drugs! Now, I've never done LSD or any other hallucinogen (no, really)- but I'm going to take a wild stab and say it might be pretty hard to take over half of a country if you're seeing a rainbow of colors and talking salamanders everywhere. However, lest we forget our own sporting history, MLB pitching great Dock Ellis managed to pitch a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD, so I suppose that Colonel Qaddafi might be on slightly firmer ground on this score, if such a thing is at all possible at this juncture.
This guy is heading straight over the falls with bombast, panache and healthy dollops of paranoia and well, generally lunacy along for the ride- and he's got the potential to take his entire country with him. I think at this point, we can safely assume that Libya is most definately not Egypt. There's no Tahrir Square, no young, shiny Google Executives to expound passionately on CNN- and I only think the insular and closed off nature of the country is preventing the world from learning the full scale and horror of Qaddafi's crimes against his people. For all that he sounded nutty yesterday, there's a frightening ruthlessness to a man who would reportedly offer as much as $2000 a day to mercenaries to come and shoot his own people. Egypt's army refused to open fire on it's own people- Qadaffi wouldn't take that chance with Libya's.
And although there's hopeful news that protestors appear to have taken control of the city of Misurata- which, if true would be the largest city they currently control in the western part of Libya and there were more defections overnight as the Interior Minister and more of Libya's diplomatic corps resigned or defected to back the protestors, the response of the West has been lukewarm at best and downright useless at worse.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not advocating we go in there, put boots on the ground (although we've done it before. At least the Marines have) and knock this loony off once and for all- we've got commitments of our own and right now figuring out Afghanistan needs to take priority over what would be another lengthy occupation as Libya wouldn't get back on its feet overnight, but we can do more than talk. Everybody can do more than talk. As much as I appreciate Secretary Clinton's condemnation of the bloodshed (I haven't yet seen the President weigh in- and he should!) and the UN Security Council managed, in a minor miracle to get together and agree that Qaddaffi's war against his own people was a fundamentally bad thing, at the end of the day, the lukewarm, noodly response of the Western powers has been talk. Talk, talk, useless talk.
It seems inevitable at this point that Qadaffi is going to fall. The people of Libya have had enough and every hour will probably bring more news of fresh defections and I'm hoping more cities will fall under their control. The West can and should let the people of Libya finish the job as much as possible- but it should also give them the basic protections to do so. A No-Fly Zone over Qadaffi controlled Libya combined with humanitarian assistance to the protestor controlled areas of the country would do just that. Believe it or not, I'm no neo-conservative who advocates the righting of wrongs in the name of truth, justice and the American way. We're not Superman, the Justice League or (to mix my metaphors a bit) Captain America- it's unfair to expect Americans to spend their blood and treasure kicking ass and taking names in the name of righting the wrongs of the world. But with every report of a massacre or of Chinooks in Tripoli firing on civilians in the streets, I'm convinced that it's the height of irresponsibility not to do something.
The French have an aircraft carrier. It's time to get that sucker out and use it. The British (if they haven't sold them on Ebay) have aircraft carriers. It's time for the Royal Navy to saddle up and head down to the Med to help these people out a bit. In fact, if the EU is so damn concerned about the flow of refugees into Malta and Italy, it's time for Europe to nut up or shut up and get some air cover for these people. America (because we're cool like that) should certainly offer to pitch in- perhaps with an aircraft carrier of our own- but the West needs to grow a backbone and do more than talk. If there's no political will to establish a no fly zone (a fluffy concept that's not as easy as it sounds on CNN) over Qadaffi controlled Libya, then at the very least humanitarian assistance to these protestors should be forthcoming. The next few days- and hopefully not weeks or months, will see Qadaffi flushed down the toilet bowl of history where he belongs- when a whole nation rises up the tidal forces of history behind them are inevitable and cannot be stopped, even in the face of brutality.
The courage and bravery of the Libyan people to seize their own destiny from the grasp of the Despot who is attempting to grind them under his bootheel deserves more than just our talk.
Perspective
Basketball, especially the college variety is a game that is increasingly demanding instant results from it's coaches and players with every passing year. A program might be down (like Iowa) and rabid fans expect- no, they demand a miraculous return to form as quickly as possible. For some programs, that means an NCAA title or bust- for others (like Iowa) it means getting back to the upper echelon of their respective conferences.
So, for all the blood-hungry, rabid balla fans out there: some perspective.
However slow your rebuilding plans are going just remember- it could be a lot worse.
So, for all the blood-hungry, rabid balla fans out there: some perspective.
However slow your rebuilding plans are going just remember- it could be a lot worse.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Libya Is Burning
First Mubarak and now Gaddafi (Khaddaffy, Qadafi, however you spell it) is under extreme pressure- and unfortunately, unlike Egypt, the government is shooting back in a big way- the situation is extremely fluid and with Libyan diplomats defecting and condemning their own government by the bucketload, the strain on the regime is growing by the hour. What little news is leaking out just sounds awful- my thoughts and prayers are with Libya tonight.
BBC
Al-Jazeera
Twitter
BBC
Al-Jazeera
It's All In The Wrist
People are still talking about Watson the IBM supercomputer besting two bad-ass Jeopardy champs what seems like weeks ago now- even though I think it might have been like a week and a half ago now. I'm not sure. People seem to be worried about the 'rise of the machines' and things of that nature, but really, while Big Blue and the Chess match versus Gary Kasparov was a better test, Watson vs. the Jeopardy Kings was a disingenous one. Knowledge is only one part of Jeopardy- the other part, as all the world knows, is how fast you can buzz in.
And I'm sorry, but a super computer is going to have a huge advantage over human reflexes when it comes to buzzing in. So I think maybe it was a nice ratings stunt, but a fair test? Not really.
And I'm sorry, but a super computer is going to have a huge advantage over human reflexes when it comes to buzzing in. So I think maybe it was a nice ratings stunt, but a fair test? Not really.
On Wisconsin
I'm torn.
Really and truly, I'm torn on this one. It's got to be hard for people who have been working ten, twenty, thirty years now to be told that, no, there's no beer and pizza waiting at the end of the rainbow and everything the government has promised you has been a flat out lie. People have a right to protest that and they have a right to be angry about that.
But, unfortunately, the party is over for much of the Boomer Generation (it didn't even begin for my generation, nor do I expect it too) and there's no use rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic pretending that the math is going to suddenly rearrange itself into something more palatable for everyone. We HAVE to make changes- and while I'm pleased that there are Governors and elected officials willing to step up and fight the big battles, I have some concerns.
First and foremost: this HAS to be about the public good. Althouse has made this point a few times in her great, ongoing coverage of the events in Madison and I'm in complete agreement with her. Battles with public sector unions are going to be intense and have to be fought to a certain degree, but there's no getting around the fact that if Republicans can break public sector unions, they will effectively neuter the Democratic Party as we know it. That might provoke some ideological revitalization of the Left, which I personally think is sorely needed, but still I worry about the implications of engaging in trench warfare designed to gut both budgets and your political opposition.
Second: while Walker's tilt at stripping public sector unions of their collective bargaining rights concerns me, there's a real case to be made against the need for public sector unions- and when no less a Democratic Titan as FDR was against them, it's hard for me to jump up and down in excitement about them. Basically, just read this and discuss amongst yourselves.
Third: the debate on collective bargaining aside, I'd like to see evidence of some forethought about this. Let's transition to a sane, sensible and more importantly sustainable level of government- workers my age should be able to read the writing on the wall. I don't think it's unreasonable for me to chip in for health insurance and I want to start my own retirement plan, separate from anything I've got at work with the Missus at some point this year, because I don't think I'm getting squat from the government. That said, if you're retiring in the next ten years, you should retire with what was promised you. The next ten to thirty years, you should be asked to do a little more, because you've got time to make those adjustments and then when you're my age, you should be asked to do still more, because you've got TONS of time to plan- and should.
Fourth: yes, a lot of public sector employees live way too high off the taxpayer hog, but I'm sick and tired of Republicans bringing a sledgehammer to a heart surgery when it comes to budget cutting- and this extends way beyond Wisconsin, by the way. Gutting everything in sight will essentially gut the middle class, because teachers, police officer, firefighters, nurses- all public employees, by the way, to me form the bulwark of the Middle Class, plain and simple- and if they're not the bulwark, then they're certain a wide swathe of the middle class and hitting them where it hurts cannot be good for the economy or the country, plain and simple. We need finesse, not a total mess- entitlement reform, tax reform and yes public sector union reform, but remember: we need and want SOME government. Corporatizing everything is only going to make life very, very expensive for all concerned.
P.S. In the battle of protest signs, I'm sorry, but it's Tea Party 1, Unions 0- I burst out laughing when, upon flipping through various photos of the Tea Party protests Saturday in Madison, I caught a glimpse of a sign that read: 'SCOTTY KEEP YOUR PIMP HAND STRONG' (Am gonna try and find a pic of this awesomeness. Didn't have much luck last night.)
Epic win, Tea Party. Unions: step it up! Comparing Republicans to Hitler is so passe.
Really and truly, I'm torn on this one. It's got to be hard for people who have been working ten, twenty, thirty years now to be told that, no, there's no beer and pizza waiting at the end of the rainbow and everything the government has promised you has been a flat out lie. People have a right to protest that and they have a right to be angry about that.
But, unfortunately, the party is over for much of the Boomer Generation (it didn't even begin for my generation, nor do I expect it too) and there's no use rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic pretending that the math is going to suddenly rearrange itself into something more palatable for everyone. We HAVE to make changes- and while I'm pleased that there are Governors and elected officials willing to step up and fight the big battles, I have some concerns.
First and foremost: this HAS to be about the public good. Althouse has made this point a few times in her great, ongoing coverage of the events in Madison and I'm in complete agreement with her. Battles with public sector unions are going to be intense and have to be fought to a certain degree, but there's no getting around the fact that if Republicans can break public sector unions, they will effectively neuter the Democratic Party as we know it. That might provoke some ideological revitalization of the Left, which I personally think is sorely needed, but still I worry about the implications of engaging in trench warfare designed to gut both budgets and your political opposition.
Second: while Walker's tilt at stripping public sector unions of their collective bargaining rights concerns me, there's a real case to be made against the need for public sector unions- and when no less a Democratic Titan as FDR was against them, it's hard for me to jump up and down in excitement about them. Basically, just read this and discuss amongst yourselves.
Third: the debate on collective bargaining aside, I'd like to see evidence of some forethought about this. Let's transition to a sane, sensible and more importantly sustainable level of government- workers my age should be able to read the writing on the wall. I don't think it's unreasonable for me to chip in for health insurance and I want to start my own retirement plan, separate from anything I've got at work with the Missus at some point this year, because I don't think I'm getting squat from the government. That said, if you're retiring in the next ten years, you should retire with what was promised you. The next ten to thirty years, you should be asked to do a little more, because you've got time to make those adjustments and then when you're my age, you should be asked to do still more, because you've got TONS of time to plan- and should.
Fourth: yes, a lot of public sector employees live way too high off the taxpayer hog, but I'm sick and tired of Republicans bringing a sledgehammer to a heart surgery when it comes to budget cutting- and this extends way beyond Wisconsin, by the way. Gutting everything in sight will essentially gut the middle class, because teachers, police officer, firefighters, nurses- all public employees, by the way, to me form the bulwark of the Middle Class, plain and simple- and if they're not the bulwark, then they're certain a wide swathe of the middle class and hitting them where it hurts cannot be good for the economy or the country, plain and simple. We need finesse, not a total mess- entitlement reform, tax reform and yes public sector union reform, but remember: we need and want SOME government. Corporatizing everything is only going to make life very, very expensive for all concerned.
P.S. In the battle of protest signs, I'm sorry, but it's Tea Party 1, Unions 0- I burst out laughing when, upon flipping through various photos of the Tea Party protests Saturday in Madison, I caught a glimpse of a sign that read: 'SCOTTY KEEP YOUR PIMP HAND STRONG' (Am gonna try and find a pic of this awesomeness. Didn't have much luck last night.)
Epic win, Tea Party. Unions: step it up! Comparing Republicans to Hitler is so passe.
Dear Republicans,
Dear Republicans,
I'm waiting to see your proposals for entitlement reform. If your budget contains none and if you collectively lack either the testicular or ovarian fortitude to take on entitlement reform then, by definition, your budget will be just as irresponsible and useless as the President's was.
yours truly,
The Cigar
p.s. I like this, though. Potential epic win in the making!
I'm waiting to see your proposals for entitlement reform. If your budget contains none and if you collectively lack either the testicular or ovarian fortitude to take on entitlement reform then, by definition, your budget will be just as irresponsible and useless as the President's was.
yours truly,
The Cigar
p.s. I like this, though. Potential epic win in the making!
Epic Win!
One piece of Republican stupidity has officially died. BTW, kids, John Seed from HuffPost (the big leagues of the Interwebs) contacted me today to ask me for some thoughts on the proposed sale of the Pollock Mural. This is what I said in reply:
Even though this latest attempt to sell the Mural has died, we've got to pull together and start planning for, fundraising for and building a Museum worthy of this amazing collection. It's inexcusable that so many Iowans didn't know what we had down here and we need to make sure every Iowan gets to see this amazing painting- and the rest of the collection for that matter, up close and personal.
John,
The first question is the more difficult of the two. I think especially in Eastern Iowa, more people have seen the painting- both at the Figge in Davenport and when it was on campus and were aware of it's iconic importance to the state than elsewhere in the state. There's a surprising lack of knowledge about just what an amazing art collection the University has- and while I believe the original building was built mainly through the monetary support of the community, that was at least three decades ago now and in the intervening time, the Art School and the Art Community just got comfortable with the way things were.
As a result, really and truly, the Pollock and the rest of the University's collection could accurately be called one of the best kept secrets in Iowa. Not a lot of people out there are aware of just how amazing the collection is- apart from the Pollock we've got one of the best African Art collections in the country, we've had pioneered methods in intaglio and foil printing, we've got PIcassos, Woods, Matisses- everything really. So how do Iowans feel? I expect some of them were surprised to learn just what an extensive and valuable collection we have- and even more surprised to learn just what some of these paintings were worth. And I think the more Iowans get to see the Mural and the rest of the collection, the more they'll value it as part of the state's cultural heritage.
As for the second question, I think a lot of people do care about the Pollock. Any other painting of this stature would probably be in a Museum far, far away from Iowa, so the fact that it's Iowa and not in say, New York City, only makes it more special to people around here- which I why I think you've seen such a passionate response to attempts to force its sale. It's a big deal that we have this painting- people should know about it and every Iowan should have the chance to see it for themselves.
As for me: I think the proposed sale is an unworthy solution for the times we live in. Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, we all know that money is tight and straining both family checkbooks and state budgets around the country. A garage sale of our prized cultural possessions is no solution at all. Higher education is especially bloated with administrators- there are far more productive things the Legislature could have chosen to target, yet they didn't. As a country we're living in a tumultuous time of transition as we move into a post-industrial, 21st century economy, yet our education and governmental systems are still stuck in the 19th century. If we're to grow the economy again for everyone, we need an education system that inspires creativity, innovation and a lifelong love for learning so that no student will ever stop searching for 'the next big idea'- and as we've seen over these past weeks, Mural has inspired discussion and controversy around the country- who knows which student, which legislature or even which person it will inspire next.
hope that helps.
Tom
Even though this latest attempt to sell the Mural has died, we've got to pull together and start planning for, fundraising for and building a Museum worthy of this amazing collection. It's inexcusable that so many Iowans didn't know what we had down here and we need to make sure every Iowan gets to see this amazing painting- and the rest of the collection for that matter, up close and personal.
Defending The Indefensible
...courtesy of Our Perpetual Governor in the DM Register. Let me be totally clear: there is no justification whatsoever for this kind of double-dipping. This should be a clear, easy and simple concept for everyone- including Our Perpetual Governor and I'm baffled why the Legislature is laying down on this issue. Very simple, kids- behold:
Retired: pension
Not Retired: no pension!
If Our Perpetual Double-Dipping Governor chooses not to seek his umpteenth term in 2014 and really retire, then I have no problem whatsoever with him getting his pension. He's put in his time and he's earned it. But he's still working- and most definately not retired. Therefore, no pension!
(Oh and: I don't want to hear any bullshit about fiscal sacrifice. Our Perpetual Governor dropped from 400K a year to 130K a year. Life can't be that hard and what with the free housing, I really doubt he's struggling to pay his bills. That's not sacrifice, it's a self-agrandizing paycut to fluff his ego as he rides into town with a bad combover and the same damn moustache he's had for three decades now to supposedly save the day. I'm unimpressed.)
Retired: pension
Not Retired: no pension!
If Our Perpetual Double-Dipping Governor chooses not to seek his umpteenth term in 2014 and really retire, then I have no problem whatsoever with him getting his pension. He's put in his time and he's earned it. But he's still working- and most definately not retired. Therefore, no pension!
(Oh and: I don't want to hear any bullshit about fiscal sacrifice. Our Perpetual Governor dropped from 400K a year to 130K a year. Life can't be that hard and what with the free housing, I really doubt he's struggling to pay his bills. That's not sacrifice, it's a self-agrandizing paycut to fluff his ego as he rides into town with a bad combover and the same damn moustache he's had for three decades now to supposedly save the day. I'm unimpressed.)
On Cheeseburgers
I miss Kwik Trip cheeseburgers. We zipped up to the Medium White North for a friend's birthday party this weekend and on our way out of town- fighting some nasty sleet, ice and snow which had fallen the night before we stopped to get gas, some Diet Dew and yes, a cheeseburger at the local Kwik Trip.
It's hard to describe just how awesome these cheeseburgers are, because they're not. That may seem like a total contradiction, but these things aren't going to win any Zagat awards anytime soon. The buns are usually squished down some, the meat patty is pathetically thin and the cheese has usually long since congealed to the top of your anorexic meat patty long before you even pick up the burger and take a long hard look at it. They're terrible. And yet, they're oddly delicious. There's something wonderful about the basic, cheap cheeseburger that is just so satisfying- I mean, they're cheap and usually they're 2 for $2.22- and they're great with onions and ketchup or just by themselves, bun, meat and cheese.
Maybe it's nostalgia. Maybe they just became like the go-to cheap food I always grabbed when coming back down to Iowa City from Mankato. But really and truly, proximity to these terrible, wonderful cheeseburgers might be enough to overcome my distaste for Minnesota winters should the Missus and I find ourselves looking at a move back northwards.
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