These guys appear to be doing ok. Two British brothers who came to the US and fell in love with barbecue. They founded Brothers Barbecue in 1998 while I lived there. The first store, I think, was at Monaco and Leetsdale not far from my old home and right on the way home from my old office.
They appear to up to about ten different stores.
The best part about their stores is that they toured Kansas, Missouri, Texas and the South to learn about barbecue and serve specialties from each region at their stores.
The Texas style was only ok but I found the other styles pretty good. Silly animated bit at lower right hand of home page if you want to see their story.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Taylor is just a bit to the north of Elgin
And I drive past Louie Mueller's whenever I take the scenic route to Athens....wish he would open on Sundays.
There is just something wrong about these places having websites.
There is just something wrong about these places having websites.
Elgin Barbecue
Perfectly good words of which I tire:
surge..for the obvious reasons
transparency...though we could use a lot more of it still
normalcy...too Nixonian but apparently Harding caught a lot of flack for using it
commentator...one too many syllables, sounds like Samwise explaining to Gollum, "It’s a common ‘tater."
transparency...though we could use a lot more of it still
normalcy...too Nixonian but apparently Harding caught a lot of flack for using it
commentator...one too many syllables, sounds like Samwise explaining to Gollum, "It’s a common ‘tater."
Mustang Adoptions
Had hoped to make this my first cool, and extra-Texas video post but the video only allows me to copy the link as opposed to the embedded code.
From today’s Austin American Statesman:
ELGIN [about 20 miles east of Austin where I had a fantastic barbeque plate on Saturday]— Two hundred wild mustangs stamp and snort, eager to escape the 18-wheelers that have carried them on a two-day journey from rural Nevada to Central Texas.
With a clank and a rumble, the door at the back of one of four tractor-trailers rolls up. Fifty horses pause, curious. Then they charge down a ramp, pushing and shoving their way into a series of holding pens at Southwest Stallion Station, one of the largest equine breeding farms in Texas.
Here’s the link to the video. The little mustangs are awfully cute.
From today’s Austin American Statesman:
ELGIN [about 20 miles east of Austin where I had a fantastic barbeque plate on Saturday]— Two hundred wild mustangs stamp and snort, eager to escape the 18-wheelers that have carried them on a two-day journey from rural Nevada to Central Texas.
With a clank and a rumble, the door at the back of one of four tractor-trailers rolls up. Fifty horses pause, curious. Then they charge down a ramp, pushing and shoving their way into a series of holding pens at Southwest Stallion Station, one of the largest equine breeding farms in Texas.
Here’s the link to the video. The little mustangs are awfully cute.
Tammy Bruce
I was a little late getting to the office this morning and heard Tammy Bruce sitting in for Laura Ingraham. (My alternative would have been sports radio and listening to the report of the demise of the Horns to a much stronger Memphis team yesterday afternoon.) I read her The New Thought Police several years ago and while I enjoyed it, I was much more intrigued by the author. TNTP is essentially a book that could have been written by any number of conservatives as a rebuttal to what she (and I) perceives to be the left’s stifling (or desire to stifle) free speech. I can think of David Horowitz and Mike Adams as two who could have (and I think have) written similar books.
She was formerly the President of the Los Angeles NOW Chapter and while decidedly a Democrat, has some equally decidedly views from the right. From her website:
Tammy Bruce is an openly gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, voted-for-President Bush authentic feminist. A lifelong Democrat, in the 1990s she worked to help elect Senators Feinstein and Boxer, and aided the Clinton for President campaign.
It’s been a while since I’ve thought about her and she seemed pretty good in the ten or so minutes I heard her substitute for Ingraham. If you’re in the car tomorrow or Wednesday, give her a few minutes.
She was formerly the President of the Los Angeles NOW Chapter and while decidedly a Democrat, has some equally decidedly views from the right. From her website:
Tammy Bruce is an openly gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, voted-for-President Bush authentic feminist. A lifelong Democrat, in the 1990s she worked to help elect Senators Feinstein and Boxer, and aided the Clinton for President campaign.
It’s been a while since I’ve thought about her and she seemed pretty good in the ten or so minutes I heard her substitute for Ingraham. If you’re in the car tomorrow or Wednesday, give her a few minutes.
Obama takes Texas?
From the Austin American Statesman:
Obama won 2,471 delegates to the state convention, or 58 percent, in the Saturday caucuses, compared with 1,783 delegates, or 42 percent, for Clinton, according to an ongoing count Sunday by The Associated Press. More than 3,000 were still to be counted.
Obama's campaign predicted he would win the overall delegate race in Texas because of caucus support, even though Clinton won the popular vote in the March 4 primary
Obama won 2,471 delegates to the state convention, or 58 percent, in the Saturday caucuses, compared with 1,783 delegates, or 42 percent, for Clinton, according to an ongoing count Sunday by The Associated Press. More than 3,000 were still to be counted.
Obama's campaign predicted he would win the overall delegate race in Texas because of caucus support, even though Clinton won the popular vote in the March 4 primary
Barry - old style politico, ie, liar
"Once again, we have more evidence that Obama represents nothing more than the political winds. He has zero credibility, zero experience, and a penchant for telling people what they want to hear rather than any truth about what he actually believes. Either he lied to IVI or he’s lying now. In either case, it’s hardly the New Politics Obama has promised."
Sunday, March 30, 2008
To weight or not to weight
I'm watching an FSN show called Sports Science. They've just demonstrated that adding weights to a bat or a golf club for warm-up swings results in slower bat/club speed and less accuracy during subsequent unweighted swings.
Obama: Hold your forks
Contrary to Michael's assertion that Obama is done as a result of the flap over Rev. Wright, Gallup's Daily tracking poll shows Obama up by 10.
Of course, this is a snap-shot; it's national, rather than focused on states yet to vote, etc. Still, the trends are interesting. Obama's support looks stronger now than before the dust up.
Graph used by permission from Gallup. Their analysis is here.
HMMM
Just paste the embed code in this box but under the Edit Html tab? I see how easy it is to get the embed code but when I pasted the SNL code into the Edit Html field and then tried to compose, there was the code in the Compose tab field.
I'll play some more.
I'll play some more.
I grew up on government cheese; I prefer it
Testing embed from SNL:
[Update: I took movie embed out; it has served its test purpose, and I wonder whether it slows the loading of the SSJ page. Movie can be found here.]
[Update: I took movie embed out; it has served its test purpose, and I wonder whether it slows the loading of the SSJ page. Movie can be found here.]
Embedding trailers for movies
Here's a little blurb about embedding movie trailers. (I'm guessing that at least one of my blog brothers is thinking about posting trailers on occasion.)
The article notes that the trailers you find on YouTube are often pirated and likely to be yanked shortly after they go up. The author pleads for movie companies to make their trailers available for legal embedding, but as far as I can tell (from a cursory search of a few studios), it's still not common practice for the studios to make embed codes readily available.
The article notes that the trailers you find on YouTube are often pirated and likely to be yanked shortly after they go up. The author pleads for movie companies to make their trailers available for legal embedding, but as far as I can tell (from a cursory search of a few studios), it's still not common practice for the studios to make embed codes readily available.
Embedding movies is easy
Posting the movies is super easy. Don't be put off by unfamiliar lingo.
Html code is just text. It contains commands that are in the form of a word or letter ("tag") between less-than/greater-than signs. Because it's just text it can be selected, copied and pasted just like, well, text. The "embed code" is html code that will put a video in a web page.
For the videos, when someone posts a video on the web (in YouTube or elsewhere), it's common for the embed code to be made available too. Just look for the word "embed" somewhere on the page and then select and copy what's in that box or field. In YouTube, there's an "About This Video" box to the right of the video window, and the Embed box is at the bottom of that box.
In Blogger, when you compose, you have two options: "Compose" or "Edit HTML". Those are tabs on top of the composing box. Use the Edit HTML box and then just paste the embed code there. Voila.
With this method, the movie file doesn't reside on your computer nor do you upload it to Blogger. The embed code just references somewhere else on the web where the video is located.
It's actually less work than posting pictures.
(You can, of course, also post movies in the same way as pics, where the file is on your hard drive and you upload it to Blogger.)
[Update P.S.: Was everyone able to view the movies? I'm assuming it worked because it works on my computer.]
Html code is just text. It contains commands that are in the form of a word or letter ("tag") between less-than/greater-than signs. Because it's just text it can be selected, copied and pasted just like, well, text. The "embed code" is html code that will put a video in a web page.
For the videos, when someone posts a video on the web (in YouTube or elsewhere), it's common for the embed code to be made available too. Just look for the word "embed" somewhere on the page and then select and copy what's in that box or field. In YouTube, there's an "About This Video" box to the right of the video window, and the Embed box is at the bottom of that box.
In Blogger, when you compose, you have two options: "Compose" or "Edit HTML". Those are tabs on top of the composing box. Use the Edit HTML box and then just paste the embed code there. Voila.
With this method, the movie file doesn't reside on your computer nor do you upload it to Blogger. The embed code just references somewhere else on the web where the video is located.
It's actually less work than posting pictures.
(You can, of course, also post movies in the same way as pics, where the file is on your hard drive and you upload it to Blogger.)
[Update P.S.: Was everyone able to view the movies? I'm assuming it worked because it works on my computer.]
Saturday, March 29, 2008
SSJ
I'm officially the least capable of us four. You three are so much more savvy than I am. It's embarrassing but keep at it.
A movie test
I'm testing what looks like a different kind of movie embed. Picked a clip for Scooter:
Same process to put it here, though. Just copy the embed code; then paste it into the "Edit Html" window for creating posts.
From the Daily Show, Jan. 30, 2008.
[Update: taking movie down, in case having it embedded slows loading of SSJ page. But video of Peggy Noonan on the Daily Show can be found here.
Same process to put it here, though. Just copy the embed code; then paste it into the "Edit Html" window for creating posts.
From the Daily Show, Jan. 30, 2008.
[Update: taking movie down, in case having it embedded slows loading of SSJ page. But video of Peggy Noonan on the Daily Show can be found here.
Dims v Rethugs
This is a nice example of how they differ. Rethugs take positions based on big ideas; Dims cater to constituencies. Here's Gail Collins, silly Dim, on how she perceives McCain: "But give the man credit for telling it like he thinks it is. So far, he’s only alienated the homeowners, retirees and vacation-takers."
Friday, March 28, 2008
Film about Oil in ND (1953)
Part I
Part II:
This movie is in the public domain and is part of the Prelinger Archives.
Sandwich-eating for me. Apparently, the northwestern part of ND was settled by Norwegians.
[Update: But the movie says the winds blow west from the Great Lakes. I think they blow mostly from the west, northwest and north. So maybe it's wrong about the Norwegians, too.]
Part II:
This movie is in the public domain and is part of the Prelinger Archives.
Sandwich-eating for me. Apparently, the northwestern part of ND was settled by Norwegians.
[Update: But the movie says the winds blow west from the Great Lakes. I think they blow mostly from the west, northwest and north. So maybe it's wrong about the Norwegians, too.]
Re: Oil and Gas Jobs in ND
Regretfully, transportation is the area of my least experience. Pipelines can be really ugly when they leak. I can drive a truck, though. Driving around all day listening to right-wing radio sounds interesting. Not sure about a big rig with something extremely flammable.
Gosh, I've done O&G in TX, CO and WY, surely I can help in ND.
Gosh, I've done O&G in TX, CO and WY, surely I can help in ND.
Oil jobs in North Dakota
Posted on Monster.com:
POSITION INFORMATION
Company: Gas Transportation
Status: Full Time, Employee
Location: US-ND-Minot
Job Category: Energy/Utilities
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Sr. Business Specialist
Organizational Statement
Enbridge Liquids Pipelines, Inc., a leader in crude oil and natural gas transportation, gathering and processing, is currently seeking a Senior Business Specialist to be located at the Enbridge Minot, ND office.
Responsibilities
POSITION INFORMATION
Company: Gas Transportation
Status: Full Time, Employee
Location: US-ND-Minot
Job Category: Energy/Utilities
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Sr. Business Specialist
Organizational Statement
Enbridge Liquids Pipelines, Inc., a leader in crude oil and natural gas transportation, gathering and processing, is currently seeking a Senior Business Specialist to be located at the Enbridge Minot, ND office.
Responsibilities
- Provides the lead business development service for Enbridge Pipelines (North Dakota) LLC Market Development initiatives
- Identifies and develops specific liquid pipeline opportunities for Enbridge Pipelines (North Dakota) LLC
- Monitors market conditions and industry events along with political and business environments to assess the viability of business prospects.
- Markets prospective business ventures by promoting the Company's capabilities to governments and private companies. Must interface, negotiate and coordinate with customers, partners, agents and consultants.
- Develops project frameworks by preparing business strategies, negotiating preliminary contracts, providing letters of agreement and defining legal parameters.
- Coordinates technical, legal, tax, treasury and economic evaluations and models for contract development.
- Provides ongoing project support in the form of interpretation of contract detail and intent of agreement specifics to management, project partners, consultants and business unit operational staff.
- Develops and maintains a network of contacts within the producer, refiner and pipeline industry.
- Provides team lead on coordination of business development ideas amongst the Enbridge Pipelines (North Dakota) LLC groups such as Business Services, Engineering, and Operations.
- Assists the Business Service group on issues regarding Rules and Regulations, Oil Movements, and crude quality
Oil in North Dakota
Here's an excerpt from a NYTimes story about oil in North Dakota, from January 1, 2008:
STANLEY, N.D. — At dawn, people from faraway states huddle outside the Mountrail County courthouse here, the coldest ones leaving briefcases and books to secure their spots for the moment it opens.
It is a peculiar sight in Stanley, population roughly 1,200, one in a constellation of isolated and, in some cases, shrinking farm towns along North Dakota’s wide open western edge where few residents recall a traffic jam.
The early morning line hints at the sudden fortune that has arrived: Oil companies, saying that they located what may prove to be one of the largest recent oil finds in the United States, have begun drilling all through these parts. Fifty-two drilling rigs were at work in the state at the end of December; a count taken in October showed that 198 new wells had been drilled in a year, state officials said.
At the courthouse, the crush of people, known as landmen in the world of oil, spend their days scouring enormous old binders of deeds, each trying to sort out who owns the mineral rights to land that once seemed valuable mainly for growing durum wheat or peas.
There's been oil drilling in western North Dakota for as long as I can remember. In the North Dakota Badlands, outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, there are derricks (is that the word for the pumping thing or is that the word for the drilling thing?) sprinkled about, silently pumping away. I found them to be kind of beautiful. And the oil companies have built dirt roads in and through the badlands that are a hoot to drive and give you access to spectacularly beautiful land.
STANLEY, N.D. — At dawn, people from faraway states huddle outside the Mountrail County courthouse here, the coldest ones leaving briefcases and books to secure their spots for the moment it opens.
It is a peculiar sight in Stanley, population roughly 1,200, one in a constellation of isolated and, in some cases, shrinking farm towns along North Dakota’s wide open western edge where few residents recall a traffic jam.
The early morning line hints at the sudden fortune that has arrived: Oil companies, saying that they located what may prove to be one of the largest recent oil finds in the United States, have begun drilling all through these parts. Fifty-two drilling rigs were at work in the state at the end of December; a count taken in October showed that 198 new wells had been drilled in a year, state officials said.
At the courthouse, the crush of people, known as landmen in the world of oil, spend their days scouring enormous old binders of deeds, each trying to sort out who owns the mineral rights to land that once seemed valuable mainly for growing durum wheat or peas.
There's been oil drilling in western North Dakota for as long as I can remember. In the North Dakota Badlands, outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, there are derricks (is that the word for the pumping thing or is that the word for the drilling thing?) sprinkled about, silently pumping away. I found them to be kind of beautiful. And the oil companies have built dirt roads in and through the badlands that are a hoot to drive and give you access to spectacularly beautiful land.
200B barrels of oil in North Dakota?
This could be great news. H/t Michael Ledeen. Stephanie, let me know if y'all need an oil & gas lawyer. Does Texas have a reciprocal bar with ND?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Re: Wright's car
Full disclosure: my former church in Denver (lily-white and rich) works very closely with an inner-city church there whose former pastor drove an older Rolls-Royce. I was disheartened by that (thinking this expenditure was perhaps not the best example of "good stewardship") until by chance I drove by the pastor's house. The house was quite humble and his car just appeared to be a, somewhat expensive, hobby.
I attended maybe three services at this church over five years. While I never heard any "liberation theology," I would not be surprised if it were preached there though I hope not to Rev. Wright's extreme.
I attended maybe three services at this church over five years. While I never heard any "liberation theology," I would not be surprised if it were preached there though I hope not to Rev. Wright's extreme.
Re: Unemployment rates
I recall from my college days that most economists consider 4% to be "full employment." Theory being that those last 4% are just unemployable for whatever reasons.
Minnesota's unemployment
We're not doing so well here.
Minnesota's unemployment rate for February was 4.6 percent, up one-tenth of a point from January. The labor force participation rate slipped two-tenths to 72.4 percent and the employment-to-population ratio dropped three-tenths to 69.1 percent. These are the lowest both measures have been in Minnesota since 1989.
From the Minnesota Department of Employment
Minnesota's unemployment rate for February was 4.6 percent, up one-tenth of a point from January. The labor force participation rate slipped two-tenths to 72.4 percent and the employment-to-population ratio dropped three-tenths to 69.1 percent. These are the lowest both measures have been in Minnesota since 1989.
From the Minnesota Department of Employment
If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not giving enough
Stephanie’ post reminds me that I haven’t blegged for any of my for my favorite groups in a while. Links to each and text pilfered from their websites.
Secular:
Texas Lions Camp
Texas Lions Camp is a residential camping facility for children with physical disabilities, type 1 diabetes and cancer. The Camp is located on over 500 acres in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, and is designed to introduce the "Can Do" philosophy to children dealing with special medical conditions.
Children with special needs from all over the State of Texas are invited to attend one of 9 weeks, which we hope will become one of their life-long childhood memories. A week designed for fun, exploration and challenge.
Foundation Communities
Creates high-quality affordable housing and empowers low-income families and individuals with programs that educate, support and improve financial standing.
Not so secular ("sacred" always sounds so haughty):
Austin’s City School
The school provides a custom-tailored education that results in students who love to learn, learn to lead, and lead to serve. The school is accessible to students from most ability and income levels. City School parents and students are co-producers of a joy-filled education.
Community New Start
We are investing in the future of the St. John community by investing in the lives and families that live here. We believe that each caring relationship developed significantly adds to a community’s health. These relationships are built by expressions of service and commitment to the schools, churches, and people within the community. We use Biblical principles to guide us as we work to address the unique needs of the communities we serve, and these principles are constant. The methods have grown and changed through the past decade as we invest deeper into the strategies that have been the most fruitful.
Secular:
Texas Lions Camp
Texas Lions Camp is a residential camping facility for children with physical disabilities, type 1 diabetes and cancer. The Camp is located on over 500 acres in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, and is designed to introduce the "Can Do" philosophy to children dealing with special medical conditions.
Children with special needs from all over the State of Texas are invited to attend one of 9 weeks, which we hope will become one of their life-long childhood memories. A week designed for fun, exploration and challenge.
Foundation Communities
Creates high-quality affordable housing and empowers low-income families and individuals with programs that educate, support and improve financial standing.
Not so secular ("sacred" always sounds so haughty):
Austin’s City School
The school provides a custom-tailored education that results in students who love to learn, learn to lead, and lead to serve. The school is accessible to students from most ability and income levels. City School parents and students are co-producers of a joy-filled education.
Community New Start
We are investing in the future of the St. John community by investing in the lives and families that live here. We believe that each caring relationship developed significantly adds to a community’s health. These relationships are built by expressions of service and commitment to the schools, churches, and people within the community. We use Biblical principles to guide us as we work to address the unique needs of the communities we serve, and these principles are constant. The methods have grown and changed through the past decade as we invest deeper into the strategies that have been the most fruitful.
Re: Christian Capitalists
For Michael: Didn't I read that Rev. Wright drives a Porsche? There is no substitute.
Re: Christian Capitalism
As a Christian and a capitalist, I find these arguments (that somehow Jesus espoused capitalism) pretty weak.
Though not a very good Christian and no expert on economics, I’d have to say that the New Testament is pretty much neutral about economics.
Off the top of my head the only two economic concepts I can think of even being addressed are paying taxes and helping out the poor.
21"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
I’d have to say that the best argument a Christian can make for capitalism is one of implication. It is the capitalist system that has created the most prosperous (bottom to top) nation on the planet, how can that not be the system that does the most to help the poor? I think of my earlier Wal-Mart post. Any arguments that the NT, or Jesus’ teachings in particular, are capitalistic really stretch credulity.
George Will’s recent column on charity (spanking Austin) is not really on topic but is at least somewhat related if it can be presumed that conservatives are generally more pro-capitalism:
Reviewing Brooks' book ("Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism") in the Texas Review of Law & Politics, Justice Willett notes that Austin — it voted 56 percent for Kerry while he was getting just 38 percent statewide — is ranked by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as 48th out of America's 50 largest cities in per capita charitable giving. Brooks' data about disparities between liberals' and conservatives' charitable giving fit these facts: Democrats represent a majority of the wealthiest congressional districts, and half of America's richest households live in states where both senators are Democrats.
While conservatives tend to regard giving as a personal rather than governmental responsibility, some liberals consider private charity a retrograde phenomenon — a poor palliative for an inadequate welfare state, and a distraction from achieving adequacy by force, by increasing taxes.
I quickly concede that much of that giving is church related.
Though not a very good Christian and no expert on economics, I’d have to say that the New Testament is pretty much neutral about economics.
Off the top of my head the only two economic concepts I can think of even being addressed are paying taxes and helping out the poor.
21"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
I’d have to say that the best argument a Christian can make for capitalism is one of implication. It is the capitalist system that has created the most prosperous (bottom to top) nation on the planet, how can that not be the system that does the most to help the poor? I think of my earlier Wal-Mart post. Any arguments that the NT, or Jesus’ teachings in particular, are capitalistic really stretch credulity.
George Will’s recent column on charity (spanking Austin) is not really on topic but is at least somewhat related if it can be presumed that conservatives are generally more pro-capitalism:
Reviewing Brooks' book ("Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism") in the Texas Review of Law & Politics, Justice Willett notes that Austin — it voted 56 percent for Kerry while he was getting just 38 percent statewide — is ranked by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as 48th out of America's 50 largest cities in per capita charitable giving. Brooks' data about disparities between liberals' and conservatives' charitable giving fit these facts: Democrats represent a majority of the wealthiest congressional districts, and half of America's richest households live in states where both senators are Democrats.
While conservatives tend to regard giving as a personal rather than governmental responsibility, some liberals consider private charity a retrograde phenomenon — a poor palliative for an inadequate welfare state, and a distraction from achieving adequacy by force, by increasing taxes.
I quickly concede that much of that giving is church related.
Prosperous Touch Board Game
Sometimes I have a hard time understanding how capitalism jives with Jesus' teachings. I would say there's no reason it should, except that some people are enthusiastic about both so I seek to understand how this works.I've stumbled on a board game, described in U.S. Patent No. 7,021,626, that perhaps explains the connection. The Abstract describes that the game promises to be a "great blessing to believers of all ages, as it paints a real life picture of how trust in God and his principles can bring a person to a place of not only spiritual freedom but also financial freedom."
According to the rules of the game, one languishes in The Wilderness until one's passive income exceeds one's monthly expenses at which point one moves to The Promised Land where one's power to anoint [I'm presuming that means convert lost souls to Jesus] is multiplied.
"The first person to become financially free and win 100,000 souls to Jesus is the winner." Col. 6, lines 13-14.
A review of the board reveals a general, puzzling (to me) philosophy that souls can be purchased (and/or that there's a zero sum game between souls and money). Here's a sampling of the compromises a player must make between cash and souls (and an opportunity to teach kids to calculate ROI and make investments accordingly):
- "Start Christian airline" - 10,000 souls, cost $50,000
- "Start Christian version of MTV" - 20,000 souls, cost $350,000
- "Give church one million dollar check" -- 15,000 souls, cost $225,000 (hmmm)
- "Buy partnership in Christian fast food restaurant" - 5,000 souls, cost $125,000
- "Co-found Christian Amusement Park" - 100,000 souls, cost $500,000
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Not Peck's Chickens
Since I posted that one of Rev. Wright's sermons were inspired by something Admiral Peck had said, I'd best post this from HuffPo. Peck says he "would not endorse" Wright's sermon language and would have walked out. But, he says, there were "seeds of truth" in it, and he says he has only seen the clips of it and not the full sermon.
How is this even possible?
From the Chronicle:
LA JOYA, Texas — A La Joya woman believed to weigh at least 800 pounds has been charged with capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old nephew.
Myra Lizbeth Rosales initially told authorities she fell on Eliseo Gonzalez Jr. while he was left in her care. He was pronounced dead March 18.
This is tragic, if true (I'm not yet convinced), on a multitude of levels.Libraries
For several years, the Minneapolis libraries have been in a sorry state due to lack of funding. Many old neighbhorhood libraries were shut down, and all the rest have kept very short hours: each just 5 days per week, only open 6-8 hours at a time, and not open on SUNDAYS. Now, though, the city libraries have access to enough funding from a county-wide sales tax (that exists to build a new baseball stadium) to be open on Sundays.
How can you expect children to learn the art of procrastination if they can't go to the library on Sunday to write their reports that are due on Monday? I suppose kids don't need to use the sets of encyclopedias at the library to write reports these days, what with the internets.
How can you expect children to learn the art of procrastination if they can't go to the library on Sunday to write their reports that are due on Monday? I suppose kids don't need to use the sets of encyclopedias at the library to write reports these days, what with the internets.
Coyotes, real coyotes, not smugglers, in Austin
Poor Thor, poor Mr. Jingles.
From the Austin American Statesman:
Thor, a Chihuahua, barked as he charged out to his Shoal Creek backyard about 3 a.m. on a January morning. That was the last time his owner, Kay Aielli, saw him.
"All I heard was the dog yipping, and I could tell he was being carried down the bank of the creek and off to the other side," she said.
She said her other Chihuahua, Mr. Jingles, must have run out the door at the same time as Thor. He was also never seen again.
They may not be as pesky as Michael's feral hogs, but don't tell that to Thor.
From the Austin American Statesman:
Thor, a Chihuahua, barked as he charged out to his Shoal Creek backyard about 3 a.m. on a January morning. That was the last time his owner, Kay Aielli, saw him.
"All I heard was the dog yipping, and I could tell he was being carried down the bank of the creek and off to the other side," she said.
She said her other Chihuahua, Mr. Jingles, must have run out the door at the same time as Thor. He was also never seen again.
They may not be as pesky as Michael's feral hogs, but don't tell that to Thor.
Also on my office wall next to his picture...
"The fact that our econometric models at the Fed, the best in the world, have been wrong for fourteen straight quarters does not mean that they will not be right in the fifteenth quarter."
Alan Greenspan (1999)–Speech to the IMF
Alan Greenspan (1999)–Speech to the IMF
My Favorite Keynes Quote
"It is astonishing what foolish things one can temporarily believe if one thinks too long alone, particularly in economics...."
John Maynard Keynes (1936)
A General of Employment, Interest and Money
It hangs on my office wall next to his picture.
John Maynard Keynes (1936)
A General of Employment, Interest and Money
It hangs on my office wall next to his picture.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Sparrow
I'm pretty sure Scooter is talking about The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. My book club just read it a few months ago. Liked it pretty well. (There's a sequel, Children of God, that I have not read. The main priest who survives in The Sparrow returns to the planet.)
M.D. Russell recently wrote a forward for a reprinting of A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr., a book Michael read, and had me read, about two decades ago. It's vaguely similar to Sparrow in that it's sci-fi involving priests. I encouraged my book club to read Canticle largely because of Russell's enthusiasm for it (because they'd loved her WWII Italian resistance novel Thread of Grace), but they didn't enjoy it. I loved Canticle because it explores juicy themes about sin, redemption, cycles of violence, responsibility, religion, science, the quest for knowledge and its consequences.
[Update: I just realized Scooter said he read the second of a pair, so maybe he read Children of God.]
[Update: I just realized Scooter said he read the second of a pair, so maybe he read Children of God.]
Re: Book Club post...(kinda)
Stephanie's post got me thinking about a book I read while in a club in Denver (I was the only guy).
It was actually a book that was second of a pair. Set on another planet and authored by a woman whose name escapes me. My recollection is that the planet was inhabited by kangaroo type creatures. The planet was being visited by, I think, Catholic priests who were also astronauts. This sounds ridiculous but was very well written and I remember being appalled by the depictions of violence.
Does this ring any bells with anybody? I quickly scanned my liberry and can't seem to locate it.
It was actually a book that was second of a pair. Set on another planet and authored by a woman whose name escapes me. My recollection is that the planet was inhabited by kangaroo type creatures. The planet was being visited by, I think, Catholic priests who were also astronauts. This sounds ridiculous but was very well written and I remember being appalled by the depictions of violence.
Does this ring any bells with anybody? I quickly scanned my liberry and can't seem to locate it.
Global jihad got you down?
Cheer up with Paul Johnson’s ruminations on Russia and China:
Watching the run-up to the U.S. presidential elections from proud and self-indulgent yet weak and cowardly Europe, I am disturbed that so little attention has been paid to electing a President who will have the courage to provide leadership — and, if need be, resolute action — in an increasingly dangerous world.
...Which of the leading U.S. presidential candidates is likely to provide the kind of firm, consistent and cerebral policies that will contain and render safe this newly invigorated Russia? From a European viewpoint this is the key question of the election. It is linked to other factors that have been looming but are now moving to the center on the world chessboard: the burgeoning economies of China and India. What policies should the U.S. adopt regarding them, separately and together?
Watching the run-up to the U.S. presidential elections from proud and self-indulgent yet weak and cowardly Europe, I am disturbed that so little attention has been paid to electing a President who will have the courage to provide leadership — and, if need be, resolute action — in an increasingly dangerous world.
...Which of the leading U.S. presidential candidates is likely to provide the kind of firm, consistent and cerebral policies that will contain and render safe this newly invigorated Russia? From a European viewpoint this is the key question of the election. It is linked to other factors that have been looming but are now moving to the center on the world chessboard: the burgeoning economies of China and India. What policies should the U.S. adopt regarding them, separately and together?
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
I'm in a neighborhood women's book club. The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid, was a book club pick.
I keep re-writing this post to describe the book, but I didn't think much of it and have decided not to bother you with a plot summary and instead just note its style.
It's written as a monologue by a Pakistani man speaking to an American (who may or may not be carrying a gun; who may/may not be CIA; may/may not be trying to assassinate him) in a cafe in Pakistan.
The narrator occasionally notices and comments on the American's discomfort: "I see this makes you tense..." In my head, the Pakistani narrator was speaking English with a bad accent (since I can't do accents). Partly because of the bad accent, partly because of the discomfort of the American, partly because of the verbosity and creepiness of the narrator, I kept being reminded of Christopher Walken's Saturday Night Live character, the Continental. That pretty much ruined the suspense the novel promised to deliver.
Re: Re: Economic Stimulus Notice (cost)
The cost? Per Larry Kudlow:
By the way, this little IRS letter cost the taxpayers a cool $42 million.
A drop in the bucket, sure, but what a waste.
By the way, this little IRS letter cost the taxpayers a cool $42 million.
A drop in the bucket, sure, but what a waste.
So happy to have voted for her
Misspoke? Misspoke? We called them whoppers when I was a kid.
From ABC:
...Clinton said, "No, I went to 80 countries, you know. I gave contemporaneous accounts, I wrote about a lot of this in my book. You know, I think that, a minor blip, you know, if I said something that, you know, I say a lot of things -- millions of words a day -- so, if I misspoke, that was just a misstatement."
From ABC:
...Clinton said, "No, I went to 80 countries, you know. I gave contemporaneous accounts, I wrote about a lot of this in my book. You know, I think that, a minor blip, you know, if I said something that, you know, I say a lot of things -- millions of words a day -- so, if I misspoke, that was just a misstatement."
Monday, March 24, 2008
Reconsidering Jimmy Carter
At the time, as someone who really believed in the ideals behind the Olympics, I thought JC's boycott of Moscow short-sighted. I really believed at the time that those ideals could have great effect. I was naive.
I suppose I need to get ready to eat a 30 year old sandwich as I contemplate Tibet and China. I'm not really calling for a boycott but Bush should not go.
I suppose I need to get ready to eat a 30 year old sandwich as I contemplate Tibet and China. I'm not really calling for a boycott but Bush should not go.
David Freddoso echoes Scooter on the Stimulus Notice..
Steroid Testing at Texas High Schools Began Today
From last year's Statesman:
Legislative budget planners have set aside $3 million, which will allow the University Interscholastic League to test between 20,000 to 25,000 of the state's estimated 740,000 student-athletes. Those tested will come from a randomly selected pool of 30 percent of the state's 1,246 public high schools, making Texas' steroid-testing program the largest in the nation.
Why exactly is this a good expenditure? I know that kids on 'roids is a bad thing but why should taxpayers pay for this. If some high school golfer (I'm not kidding, they're testing all sports and both sexes, er, genders) wants to 'roid up so he can hit it a full 200 yards, shouldn't the parents be the ones who notice the huge head and emotional outbursts and spring for the test. Some reports today are saying that the statistics obtained from the early tests will determine how this is funded. Anybody operating under the assumption it won't be the taxpayer?
Legislative budget planners have set aside $3 million, which will allow the University Interscholastic League to test between 20,000 to 25,000 of the state's estimated 740,000 student-athletes. Those tested will come from a randomly selected pool of 30 percent of the state's 1,246 public high schools, making Texas' steroid-testing program the largest in the nation.
Why exactly is this a good expenditure? I know that kids on 'roids is a bad thing but why should taxpayers pay for this. If some high school golfer (I'm not kidding, they're testing all sports and both sexes, er, genders) wants to 'roid up so he can hit it a full 200 yards, shouldn't the parents be the ones who notice the huge head and emotional outbursts and spring for the test. Some reports today are saying that the statistics obtained from the early tests will determine how this is funded. Anybody operating under the assumption it won't be the taxpayer?
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Re: Converting Vinyl to CDs
Crosley Radio also has some turntables pretty cheap that record LPs to CDs. And they look pretty cool, too.
Atheists go to the movies, or try to
The American Atheists are convening in Minneapolis this weekend. Apparently some of them, including Richard Dawkins, attended a screening of the movie Expelled, the Ben Stein anti-evolution flick, at the theater at the Mall of America. A University of Minnesota-Morris biology professor, P.Z. Myers, was part of the movie-going group and was asked to leave. Here is his account of the episode, published on his website "Pharyngula: Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal".
Friday, March 21, 2008
Re: Re: Albums
Yes, Stephanie I still have almost all of my old vinyl. They are at my parents house in a closet in boxes. I haven't looked thru them in forever. I don't play vinyl anymore (don't even have a turntable), but I also don't want to get rid of them (why, I don't really know).
At one point, my "plan" was to gradually replace them with cd's, but my tastes were so eclectic and exotic that many of them still aren't easily available. I also have a feeling that if I were to listen to them these days, I would find many of them unlistenable crap.
At one point, my "plan" was to gradually replace them with cd's, but my tastes were so eclectic and exotic that many of them still aren't easily available. I also have a feeling that if I were to listen to them these days, I would find many of them unlistenable crap.
Ambassador Peck and his chickens
So big surprise. When viewed in context, Rev. Wright's "chickens coming home to roost" comment seems pretty benign. Sam Stein at Huffington Post details the whole thing. Rev. Wright was referencing Ambassador Edward Peck, a retired, white, career U.S. diplomat who served 32-years in the U.S. Foreign Service and was chief of the U.S. mission to Iraq under Jimmy Carter. Be sure to watch the video clip. Violence begets violence was the point.
Re: albums
What am I, chopped liver? Does LJ have Long John Baldry's It Ain't Easy?
I certainly bow to LJ but My vinyl is still taking up too much room.
I certainly bow to LJ but My vinyl is still taking up too much room.
Albums
LJ, do you still have your album collection? I recall, from the day I met you 25+ years ago, that it was substantial.
Re: Copyright Permission
Wouldn't one first get a "cease and desist" and opportunity to delete the image or to complete reprint of text? I hope my hero Walter E. Williams would give me the chance to correct before he comes after me.
Spring Wonderland
I would complain about winter hanging on, but it was just too gorgeous today. We got 4-6 inches of snow overnight. This is a huge wooded area by the river where dogs are allowed off leash. Camera battery gave out before I got to the best part, the Mississippi River Gorge where the river runs beneath rocky cliffs. Karma the Dog swam in the river a bit, much to her surprise, when she followed another dog into the water for a stick.
Since I'm the only one who had to work today...
The view (from left to right, and I know, I still have to figure out the camera) from Scooter's office:
Re: Barry's con
All of the continued Barry-bashing seems to presume that Wright spent all of every sermon spewing the kind of things that are presented in the 30-60 seconds of clips we've been seeing. There's no sign that that was the case. The services at TUCC were broadcast live every week and rebroadcast many times during the week. Trinity is a congregation within the UCC denomination that is 99% white. Had UCC found Wright's sermons objectionable, they would have canned him.
Barry's con?
As usual Krauthammer says it best: "Why did you give $22,500 just two years ago to a church run by a man of the past who infects the younger generation with precisely the racial attitudes and animus you say you have come unto us to transcend? "
Copyright permission
My episode with the City of Minneapolis maps illustrates a useful copyright pointer. You can often get permission to use material that's protected by copyright.
Thanks to Scooter for catching my illicit use.
There are statutory damages for copyright infringement of $50,000 per occurrence, so the fact that one doesn't make money off use of infringing material doesn't insulate one from having to pay out. (It's a factor in determining if a use is "fair", but it's not determinative.)
That woman on the toilet?
"I don't want to make light of this, but if a woman ever allowed me to sit on the toilet for two years and brought food and water to me to permit such a thing, I'd marry her. Just mount a flat-panel tv opposite the can and I'm alll good."
BigDog
Truly incredible robo-thing. Stay with the video at least to the middle where robo-thing slips on the ice and almost falls down, but doesn't. Via Ace.
Poll
I voted three times (once from the office, once from my laptop stealing a neighbor's WIFI, and once from the home PC) so the poll is looking better.
Copyright law for bloggers
You're not going to get me to spend my day off writing about copyright law. But I found this list of tips on copyright for bloggers that looks accurate and useful.
There's no distinction between text and images, by the way. But because it can be acceptable to use a portion of a copyrighted work, it's easier to make acceptable use of text, where you can use a small piece of a larger work, than of a photo where you're typically copying the whole of a photo.
There's no distinction between text and images, by the way. But because it can be acceptable to use a portion of a copyrighted work, it's easier to make acceptable use of text, where you can use a small piece of a larger work, than of a photo where you're typically copying the whole of a photo.
Re: Picasso of asininty
Scooter: it's worth linking. I've said before that I've found the right much more willing to think about the big issues than the left.
OPIP
I've corresponded with Stephanie about whether images are fair to post or not, and she has given me some direction (which I didn't like). I intended a couple of days ago (when the issue came up again) to ask her to post something about it and didn't so I am now: what can we put up? how are photos/images different from text? what is "fair use?" etc.
While I generally believe in following the law and respecting OPIP, posting a photo on SSJ seems much more like cutting out a picture in a magazine and putting it in a family scrapbook than stealing.
While I generally believe in following the law and respecting OPIP, posting a photo on SSJ seems much more like cutting out a picture in a magazine and putting it in a family scrapbook than stealing.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Foreclosures in Minneapolis
Home foreclosure sales in Minneapolis in 2002 on the left and 2007 on the right:
Maps are published by the City of Minneapolis and are posted here with permission.
Maps are published by the City of Minneapolis and are posted here with permission.
Spring
Just saw my first bluebonnet of the season.
I'll try to take some real pics this year.
Also noticed some activity at Zilker Park today.
I'll try to take some real pics this year.
Also noticed some activity at Zilker Park today.
More John Adams thoughts
I know this is not an original thought but it occurred to me as I watched some of the second episode of HBO’s John Adams again. What an extraordinary collection of individuals gathered in 1776 and 1787 and the surrounding years. I don’t count just those who fought or debated in Philadelphia and elsewhere, but count Abigail Adams (and others), too, though I probably wouldn’t have until recently reading Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis who included her as a brother.
By no means do I discount the two original sins of the founding, slavery and the Native American issue. From what I gather, most historians think the former simply not solvable in 1787 and the conscientious plan was to kick that can down the road 20 years to be addressed later. The latter was presumably to be handled through assimilation. That sounds rather like a Chinese or Borg tactic today but then was seen as charitable and probably inevitable.
Late 18th century and probably the most extraordinary piece of technology these folks commonly possessed were eyeglasses. (Apparently, Washington used his glasses to great dramatic effect later in life when he wanted to persuade by appearing somewhat frailer than he was...a heavy sigh while reaching into his pocket so that he could read what had been placed in front of him.) Population small compared to Great Britain. Economy almost nothing compared to the mother country.
By focusing on Adams, probably the most underappreciated of the group, and Abigail, players such as Washington, Franklin and Jefferson become their supporting cast and that just staggers. I’m sure that later in the series we’ll be similarly introduced to figures such as Hamilton, Madison, and Jay. And those are just the Big 8. I mentioned John Dickinson earlier, the Pennsylvania Quaker who agreed to be absent at the final vote so that Adams could persuade South Carolina to vote in the affirmative because there were no nay votes, only an abstention from New York. Dickinson did serve as an officer in the militia briefly even after arguing persuasively against the separation from Britain.
That these characters should all come together at the same place and time and get so much right just amazes me. We’ve got 300,000,000 now and the best we can come up with for 16 years is Bill Clinton and George W. Bush? What if the cast had been different?
Instead of Jefferson, Elliot Spitzer;
Adams, Rush Limbaugh;
Madison, James Carville;
Washington, Wesley Clark;
Franklin, Tom DeLay;
Abigail, Ann Coulter;
Jay, Ted Rall?
By no means do I discount the two original sins of the founding, slavery and the Native American issue. From what I gather, most historians think the former simply not solvable in 1787 and the conscientious plan was to kick that can down the road 20 years to be addressed later. The latter was presumably to be handled through assimilation. That sounds rather like a Chinese or Borg tactic today but then was seen as charitable and probably inevitable.
Late 18th century and probably the most extraordinary piece of technology these folks commonly possessed were eyeglasses. (Apparently, Washington used his glasses to great dramatic effect later in life when he wanted to persuade by appearing somewhat frailer than he was...a heavy sigh while reaching into his pocket so that he could read what had been placed in front of him.) Population small compared to Great Britain. Economy almost nothing compared to the mother country.
By focusing on Adams, probably the most underappreciated of the group, and Abigail, players such as Washington, Franklin and Jefferson become their supporting cast and that just staggers. I’m sure that later in the series we’ll be similarly introduced to figures such as Hamilton, Madison, and Jay. And those are just the Big 8. I mentioned John Dickinson earlier, the Pennsylvania Quaker who agreed to be absent at the final vote so that Adams could persuade South Carolina to vote in the affirmative because there were no nay votes, only an abstention from New York. Dickinson did serve as an officer in the militia briefly even after arguing persuasively against the separation from Britain.
That these characters should all come together at the same place and time and get so much right just amazes me. We’ve got 300,000,000 now and the best we can come up with for 16 years is Bill Clinton and George W. Bush? What if the cast had been different?
Instead of Jefferson, Elliot Spitzer;
Adams, Rush Limbaugh;
Madison, James Carville;
Washington, Wesley Clark;
Franklin, Tom DeLay;
Abigail, Ann Coulter;
Jay, Ted Rall?
Barry's foreign adviser is also a Hamas supporter???
"Robert Malley, a principal Obama foreign policy adviser, has penned numerous opinion articles, many of them co-written with a former adviser to the late Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, petitioning for dialogue with Hamas and blasting Israel for numerous policies he says harm the Palestinian cause.
Malley also previously penned a well-circulated New York Review of Books piece largely blaming Israel for the collapse of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at Camp David in 2000 when Arafat turned down a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and eastern sections of Jerusalem and instead returned to the Middle East to launch an intifada, or terrorist campaign, against the Jewish state.
Malley's contentions have been strongly refuted by key participants at Camp David, including President Bill Clinton, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and primary U.S. envoy to the Middle East Dennis Ross, all of whom squarely blamed Arafat's refusal to make peace for the talks' failure."
Malley also previously penned a well-circulated New York Review of Books piece largely blaming Israel for the collapse of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at Camp David in 2000 when Arafat turned down a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and eastern sections of Jerusalem and instead returned to the Middle East to launch an intifada, or terrorist campaign, against the Jewish state.
Malley's contentions have been strongly refuted by key participants at Camp David, including President Bill Clinton, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and primary U.S. envoy to the Middle East Dennis Ross, all of whom squarely blamed Arafat's refusal to make peace for the talks' failure."
Trinity supports Hamas???
"Sen. Barack Obama's Chicago church reprinted a manifesto by Hamas that defended terrorism as legitimate resistance, refused to recognize the right of Israel to exist and compared the terror group's official charter – which calls for the murder of Jews – to America's Declaration of Independence."
Coffin nail?
Coffin nail?
Jim Geraghty
... on Barry taking his daughters listen to Wright: "Would you ever take your children to listen to a man call for God to damn America? As a new dad, I can't imagine it. Sorry, Barack. That's a bridge too far." Via Dan Riehl.
Andrew McCarthy
... is stuck on two points I've made previously: "If I were inclined to look beyond the fact that he chose to immerse his young children in Wright's poisonous worldview, I'm stuck on the following: The Obamas, as they've repeatedly emphasized, are not people of great means. Yet, only a couple of years ago, they chose to give $22,500 of their own money to support Wright and his ministry. That's not guilt by association; that's active, material promotion. Did anything he said in the speech satisfy you about that? Me neither."
Is the toilet half full or half empty?
Dilbert (Scott Adams) sees the benefits of spending two years on a toilet, and of dating someone so situated.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Medved on HBO's John Adams
I'm quoting almost the whole thing but here's the link:
...
HBO’s epic eight hours on John Adams is precisely [a] sort of pop culture miracle: a lovingly-rendered tribute to the most misunderstood, most under-rated of our founding fathers. …the HBO miniseries offers perfect casting—with Paul Giamatti as an Adams who’s simultaneously brave, pompous, and selflessly patriotic. The luminous Laura Linney captures Adams’ wife Abigail, with dialogue based frequently on actual letters, providing a singularly moving portrait of a romantic, richly functional, lifelong marital partnership. The series also stresses the nobility of politics – without which, even battlefield heroism could come to naught. David Morse is appropriately noble, charismatic and dignified as George Washington while Tom Wilkinson enjoys the role of Ben Franklin nearly as much as Franklin himself enjoyed his long life. Every American over the age of ten should see this rewarding piece of work – while prepared to see brief, disturbing glimpses of war time violence.
...
...
HBO’s epic eight hours on John Adams is precisely [a] sort of pop culture miracle: a lovingly-rendered tribute to the most misunderstood, most under-rated of our founding fathers. …the HBO miniseries offers perfect casting—with Paul Giamatti as an Adams who’s simultaneously brave, pompous, and selflessly patriotic. The luminous Laura Linney captures Adams’ wife Abigail, with dialogue based frequently on actual letters, providing a singularly moving portrait of a romantic, richly functional, lifelong marital partnership. The series also stresses the nobility of politics – without which, even battlefield heroism could come to naught. David Morse is appropriately noble, charismatic and dignified as George Washington while Tom Wilkinson enjoys the role of Ben Franklin nearly as much as Franklin himself enjoyed his long life. Every American over the age of ten should see this rewarding piece of work – while prepared to see brief, disturbing glimpses of war time violence.
...
Sleeping with (crocheted) Afghans
I sleep nightly (in winter at least) beneath one my mom made for me.
Woo Hoo! My Economic Stimulus Payment Notice Came today
Why bother sending me a note to let me know it's on the way. How much did this genius cost?
Re: Re: 3 a.m. phone call
Without addressing McCain's particular assertions (busy day), there has been at least some connection between Iran and AlQ. References (the links take you to the sources they cite; I may be committing some kind of blogging sin here) from Michael Rubin and Katherine Lopez at NRO’s The Corner.
Music, Youth and Beauty
LJ posted about his plans to attend the Radiohead concert in May where he’ll be surrounded by “today’s youth and all that that implies”, so I'll share my recent concert experience.
I’ve completely given up paying attention to current music, but a couple years ago my husband happened upon a band called The Dropkick Murphys, a sort-of-punk band that has a bagpipe player. They’re from Boston and have a working-class ethos to some of their lyrics, like this from "The Worker's Song" on the album Blackout:
Worker's Song (Handful of Earth), written by Ed Pickford
This one's for the workers who toil night and day
By hand and by brain, to earn your pay
For centuries long past for no more than your bread
Have bled for your countries and counted your dead.
In the factories and mills, in the shipyards and mines
We've often been told to keep up with the times
For our skills are not needed, they've streamlined the job
And with slide rule and stopwatch, our pride they have robbed
(chorus) We're the first ones to starve, we're the first ones to die
The first ones in line for that pie in the sky
And we're always the last when the cream is shared out
For the worker is working when the fat cat's about.
And when the sky darkens and the prospect is war
Who's given the gun and then pushed to the fore
And expected to die for the land of our birth
Though we've never owned one lousy handful of earth
And all of these things the worker has done
From tilling the fields to carrying the gun
We've been yoked to the plow since time first began
And always expected to carry the can.
We felt pretty hip that we could still fall in love with music that the kids are listening to. When the Murphys came to town a few months ago we went to see them. It was our first concert in, oh, 15-20 years. Sure, we were the only people older than 30 and the only people without tattoos, but I wasn’t fazed by that. We’re young at heart, after all. We enjoyed two warm-up bands, but then the Murphys started playing and I felt as old as I am. It was LOUD beyond any loud I’d ever heard at a concert before. Worse than the decibel level, though, was that it was undifferentiated unmitigated blaring noise with no hint of a melody or chords or even rhythm. I was surprised and disappointed because their recorded music has great melodies. We lasted through two “songs” before we gave up and left, laughing at ourselves for having been so mistaken.
But we did get a lot of pleasure out of the evening. I had a great time watching the kids. They were just so beautiful to me. They had that fabulous lightness of being of youth. Of course, the lightness is partly physical; they have yet to gain weight at the rate of one pound a year over decades. But the lightness is also spiritual; they don’t have responsibilities; they haven’t failed at anything big yet; they haven’t disappointed anyone in any significant way; they haven’t experienced much loss.
I had just had a conversation the day before the concert with someone who assessed beauty based on particular facial features or proportions, and I kept thinking as I watched the kids that you’d miss out on so much beauty if you were hunting through the crowd for those particular qualities.
I’ve completely given up paying attention to current music, but a couple years ago my husband happened upon a band called The Dropkick Murphys, a sort-of-punk band that has a bagpipe player. They’re from Boston and have a working-class ethos to some of their lyrics, like this from "The Worker's Song" on the album Blackout:
Worker's Song (Handful of Earth), written by Ed Pickford
This one's for the workers who toil night and day
By hand and by brain, to earn your pay
For centuries long past for no more than your bread
Have bled for your countries and counted your dead.
In the factories and mills, in the shipyards and mines
We've often been told to keep up with the times
For our skills are not needed, they've streamlined the job
And with slide rule and stopwatch, our pride they have robbed
(chorus) We're the first ones to starve, we're the first ones to die
The first ones in line for that pie in the sky
And we're always the last when the cream is shared out
For the worker is working when the fat cat's about.
And when the sky darkens and the prospect is war
Who's given the gun and then pushed to the fore
And expected to die for the land of our birth
Though we've never owned one lousy handful of earth
And all of these things the worker has done
From tilling the fields to carrying the gun
We've been yoked to the plow since time first began
And always expected to carry the can.
We felt pretty hip that we could still fall in love with music that the kids are listening to. When the Murphys came to town a few months ago we went to see them. It was our first concert in, oh, 15-20 years. Sure, we were the only people older than 30 and the only people without tattoos, but I wasn’t fazed by that. We’re young at heart, after all. We enjoyed two warm-up bands, but then the Murphys started playing and I felt as old as I am. It was LOUD beyond any loud I’d ever heard at a concert before. Worse than the decibel level, though, was that it was undifferentiated unmitigated blaring noise with no hint of a melody or chords or even rhythm. I was surprised and disappointed because their recorded music has great melodies. We lasted through two “songs” before we gave up and left, laughing at ourselves for having been so mistaken.
But we did get a lot of pleasure out of the evening. I had a great time watching the kids. They were just so beautiful to me. They had that fabulous lightness of being of youth. Of course, the lightness is partly physical; they have yet to gain weight at the rate of one pound a year over decades. But the lightness is also spiritual; they don’t have responsibilities; they haven’t failed at anything big yet; they haven’t disappointed anyone in any significant way; they haven’t experienced much loss.
I had just had a conversation the day before the concert with someone who assessed beauty based on particular facial features or proportions, and I kept thinking as I watched the kids that you’d miss out on so much beauty if you were hunting through the crowd for those particular qualities.
Starting a new SSJ feature....
"What LJ is listening to." As the resident music aficionado, enquiring minds I'm sure want to know.
As I am want to do, when Oscar time rolls around, I try to see as many nominated films as possible. This not only includes those nominated for Best Film, but also those with Best Actor/Actress nominees. One of these films really piqued my interest, since I was only vaguely aware of the main character. I knew her name, but nothing of her life. My only real knowledge of her craft came from the jukebox at La Carafe in Houston.
Edith Piaf
It is amazing how many cd's of her music are available. The one I bought is of her concerts at Carnegie Hall in 1955 and 1957. One reason I chose this one was because she gives a brief introduction to the songs, to give you an idea of what the song is about. The other is that I like live recordings - you get to hear all the inflections, imperfections, emotion of the performance. Within a few songs, you can hear the pain and sorrow coming from her. The quality of the recording isn't always the greatest (the music at times is barely audible and her voice is garbled at times, especially with the 1957 recording). However, the pain, sorrow, sadness and emotion clearly comes through. One of my favorite songs is sung in English, "Heaven Have a Mercy":
No more smiles, no more tears
No more prayers, no more fears
Nothing left, why go on
When your lover is gone
Shout with one
Ring the bells
Throughout the towns
And the farms
Will the shouts and the bells
Bring him back to my arms
Must each man go to war
Evermore, evermore
While some lone woman stands
Empty heart, empty hands
When the time came to part
And he kissed me goodbye
From the depths of my heart
Came a great lonely cry:
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
Miners came
They carved his name
Upon a cross...
Heaven Have A Mercy
I remember the dance
Where we first fell in love
How we whirled 'round and 'round
While the stars danced above
We would walk by the shore
Watch the ships sail away
Lovers need nothing more
Just a new dream each day
So we dreamed of a home
With a garden so fine
And a son with his eyes
And a nose just like mine
Now it's done, why be brave?
Why should I live like this?
Shall I wait by the grave
For my lost lover's kiss?
Stop the bell! Stop the bell!!
I've no tears left to cry
Must I stay here in hell?
Lord above, let me die...
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
Another favorite is "C'est A Hambourg" - the inflections of her accent are enthralling.
As I am want to do, when Oscar time rolls around, I try to see as many nominated films as possible. This not only includes those nominated for Best Film, but also those with Best Actor/Actress nominees. One of these films really piqued my interest, since I was only vaguely aware of the main character. I knew her name, but nothing of her life. My only real knowledge of her craft came from the jukebox at La Carafe in Houston.
Edith Piaf
It is amazing how many cd's of her music are available. The one I bought is of her concerts at Carnegie Hall in 1955 and 1957. One reason I chose this one was because she gives a brief introduction to the songs, to give you an idea of what the song is about. The other is that I like live recordings - you get to hear all the inflections, imperfections, emotion of the performance. Within a few songs, you can hear the pain and sorrow coming from her. The quality of the recording isn't always the greatest (the music at times is barely audible and her voice is garbled at times, especially with the 1957 recording). However, the pain, sorrow, sadness and emotion clearly comes through. One of my favorite songs is sung in English, "Heaven Have a Mercy":
No more smiles, no more tears
No more prayers, no more fears
Nothing left, why go on
When your lover is gone
Shout with one
Ring the bells
Throughout the towns
And the farms
Will the shouts and the bells
Bring him back to my arms
Must each man go to war
Evermore, evermore
While some lone woman stands
Empty heart, empty hands
When the time came to part
And he kissed me goodbye
From the depths of my heart
Came a great lonely cry:
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
Miners came
They carved his name
Upon a cross...
Heaven Have A Mercy
I remember the dance
Where we first fell in love
How we whirled 'round and 'round
While the stars danced above
We would walk by the shore
Watch the ships sail away
Lovers need nothing more
Just a new dream each day
So we dreamed of a home
With a garden so fine
And a son with his eyes
And a nose just like mine
Now it's done, why be brave?
Why should I live like this?
Shall I wait by the grave
For my lost lover's kiss?
Stop the bell! Stop the bell!!
I've no tears left to cry
Must I stay here in hell?
Lord above, let me die...
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
Heaven have mercy!
Another favorite is "C'est A Hambourg" - the inflections of her accent are enthralling.
Re: Can anyone answer that 3am phone call?
McCain made the same mistake again today, this time in a written statement, as reported by Sam Stein at HuffPost:
For the third time in two days, the Arizona Republican has pushed the definitively false statement that the terrorist group Al-Qaeda was getting assistance from Iran, even though he was publicly ridiculed for the same false assertion on Tuesday.
This time, in a statement from his campaign honoring the fifth year anniversary of the war, McCain wrote:
"Today in Iraq, America and our allies stand on the precipice of winning a major victory against radical Islamic extremism. The security gains over the past year have been dramatic and undeniable. Al Qaeda and Shia extremists -- with support from external powers such as Iran -- are on the run but not defeated."
For the third time in two days, the Arizona Republican has pushed the definitively false statement that the terrorist group Al-Qaeda was getting assistance from Iran, even though he was publicly ridiculed for the same false assertion on Tuesday.
This time, in a statement from his campaign honoring the fifth year anniversary of the war, McCain wrote:
"Today in Iraq, America and our allies stand on the precipice of winning a major victory against radical Islamic extremism. The security gains over the past year have been dramatic and undeniable. Al Qaeda and Shia extremists -- with support from external powers such as Iran -- are on the run but not defeated."
Can anyone answer that 3am phone call?
Per CNN, seems McCain has a problem grasping the whole Iran/Iraq, Sunni/Shiite thing. Perhaps Scooter heard the interview on the HH show referenced.
Added: I read the transcript of the interview on the HH show. Read it here. For those who don't care to, here is the statement:
"As you know, there are al Qaeda operatives that are taken back into Iran, given training as leaders, and they’re moving back into Iraq. I think Americans should be very angry when we know that Iran is exporting weapons into Iraq that kill Americans."
I think he was confusing exporting weapons that terrorist use vs exporting the actual terrorists.
Added: I read the transcript of the interview on the HH show. Read it here. For those who don't care to, here is the statement:
"As you know, there are al Qaeda operatives that are taken back into Iran, given training as leaders, and they’re moving back into Iraq. I think Americans should be very angry when we know that Iran is exporting weapons into Iraq that kill Americans."
I think he was confusing exporting weapons that terrorist use vs exporting the actual terrorists.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Libraries
Are they just used for internet connections now?
I have a book buying addiction. Hello, my name is Scooter....
I had to buy a new bookcase this weekend and when I moved books there that had been clumsily stacked, I realized I need yet another bookcase. I'm turning into my mom.
Resolved, more use of my local library.
I have a book buying addiction. Hello, my name is Scooter....
I had to buy a new bookcase this weekend and when I moved books there that had been clumsily stacked, I realized I need yet another bookcase. I'm turning into my mom.
Resolved, more use of my local library.
Re: Star Trek v. Star Wars
My vote was for reasons entirely the opposite of LJ's though it was the same. I eliminate the Trek movies as just Paramount's bid for cash.
If Wars had stopped with the second movie or, if the remaining 4 1/2 movies had been completely different, my vote may have been for Wars. My vote was for the overall/total product/genre (I can't think of the right word but hope that gets me there).
Goodness knows that there were a handful of the the original Trek episodes that I adore, e.g, City on the Edge of Forever, The Trouble with Tribbles, but too many were just Roddenberry's view of 60's issues.
Next Gen, Deep Space 9, Voyager and Enterprise (thanks, Michael) were, overall, far superior to the last 3 1/2 Wars movies.
If Wars had stopped with the second movie or, if the remaining 4 1/2 movies had been completely different, my vote may have been for Wars. My vote was for the overall/total product/genre (I can't think of the right word but hope that gets me there).
Goodness knows that there were a handful of the the original Trek episodes that I adore, e.g, City on the Edge of Forever, The Trouble with Tribbles, but too many were just Roddenberry's view of 60's issues.
Next Gen, Deep Space 9, Voyager and Enterprise (thanks, Michael) were, overall, far superior to the last 3 1/2 Wars movies.
HBO's (and David McCullough's) John Adams
First 70 minutes a little slow and I could have lived without the tar and feathering. Last 90 minutes pretty darned good.
Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney (ok, maybe she was awful but I have a bias) both terrific but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of his respect for her intellect and her input into his thoughts and actions. And, at risk of moving the movie from HBO to Lifetime, more about their famous love for one another.
David Morse as His Excellency was perfect.
The governor from Oz/prosecutor from Law and Order and Homicide: Life on the Streets as the Quaker from Pennsylvania got a bit a short shrift. You never really quite grasp that he went on to be one of Washington's best officers in spite of his appearance in uniform on the horse at the end.
For those who haven't seen it yet and have digital cable, it's available on HBO on Demand for about another 8 weeks.
Update: my hopes may still come true for the relationship between John and Abigail and the Penn Quaker (John Dickinson, I think, maybe Dickerson), I didn't realize there are five or six more episodes to go. I thought it ended with the Declaration of Independence.
Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney (ok, maybe she was awful but I have a bias) both terrific but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of his respect for her intellect and her input into his thoughts and actions. And, at risk of moving the movie from HBO to Lifetime, more about their famous love for one another.
David Morse as His Excellency was perfect.
The governor from Oz/prosecutor from Law and Order and Homicide: Life on the Streets as the Quaker from Pennsylvania got a bit a short shrift. You never really quite grasp that he went on to be one of Washington's best officers in spite of his appearance in uniform on the horse at the end.
For those who haven't seen it yet and have digital cable, it's available on HBO on Demand for about another 8 weeks.
Update: my hopes may still come true for the relationship between John and Abigail and the Penn Quaker (John Dickinson, I think, maybe Dickerson), I didn't realize there are five or six more episodes to go. I thought it ended with the Declaration of Independence.
Hadn't heard this pet peeve in a while...
Caller on radio show said "mute" when he meant "moot." Drives me crazy.
One peculiar con
Here is what I can't follow about Michael's charge earlier of Obama being a con man:
If Obama were a raving white-hating lunatic who is dishonest and trying to fool white America into voting for him with soothing words and a gracious smile while he secretly hates them and the country, then would he not have left his church years ago to avoid the examination and criticism of the past few days?
After all, the services at Trinity United Church of Christ are broadcast live every week, with replays during the week, so what is said there has been available for all to see.
Surely, Obama could have found better cover -- a lily-white Lutheran church, for example -- once he no longer needed Chicago street cred to get elected (per Michael's post), if he were running a con.
Obama's speech on race
Here is Obama's speech on race and Rev. Wright. When was the last time a politician gave us such a thoughtful and true consideration of race in America?
In December 2006, I listed for Michael my reasons for supporting Obama. Amongst them was this:
3. Gifted at something that seems so simple but just is not — he pulls truth out of the air and puts it into words. Some might say it’s just meaningless rhetoric. But I think great rhetoric can move people. Such a rare gift and we haven’t seen it for such a long time. Did you hear his speech at the Dem convention? “We’re not red states and blue states...People in red states have gay friends and people in blue states care about national security . . ." And when he’s said something like this, it seems obvious that it’d be a good idea to say it — but no one was saying any such thing. And therein lies the genius. Distilling, crystallizing, recognizing. Hard to explain, but it’s what great writers do — find ways to convey truth.
I think he managed to do it again with today's speech on race.
In December 2006, I listed for Michael my reasons for supporting Obama. Amongst them was this:
3. Gifted at something that seems so simple but just is not — he pulls truth out of the air and puts it into words. Some might say it’s just meaningless rhetoric. But I think great rhetoric can move people. Such a rare gift and we haven’t seen it for such a long time. Did you hear his speech at the Dem convention? “We’re not red states and blue states...People in red states have gay friends and people in blue states care about national security . . ." And when he’s said something like this, it seems obvious that it’d be a good idea to say it — but no one was saying any such thing. And therein lies the genius. Distilling, crystallizing, recognizing. Hard to explain, but it’s what great writers do — find ways to convey truth.
I think he managed to do it again with today's speech on race.
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