Do you remember Katherine Harris? She's the erstwhile Florida Secretary of State (who threw the 2000 FL election results to her boss's brother, Dubya) and currently a Congresswoman who is now running for a US Senate seat from the Sunshine State.
Maybe a visual will help: she's the one who was all over the TV news in November, 2000, wearing positively garish makeup much too heavily applied. She looked like a cartoon. Or a strumpet. My mother thought she was a "forty-plus" something trying--unsuccessfully--to look like a college-age sylph. I can agree with that.
Well, she doesn't like that image of herself, poor thing. Judging from the black and white news photo accompanying the AP article in yesterday's paper, however, nothing has changed. Her lipstick is way, way too dark in color value, and even in black and white, her blush is visible.
But she claims that the newspapers "colorized her photograph[s]" and that she does not actually wear her makeup in the gaudy way "the Democrats" have lampooned. [How does one "colorize" a black and white photograph that way, I wonder?--Ed.]
She apparently never saw any rebroadcasts of her live TV appearances in 2000. If she had, she'd realize she couldn't use the "they colorized my photograph[s]" excuse. Her makeup was way too obvious, and way too heavy . . . while in contrast, absolutely everyone else on screen looked entirely normal. So my TV color wasn't out of adjustment, either.
Who is she trying to fool? Is she that clueless? Or is she angling for the "poor me, I'm so put upon" sympathy vote? I find it impossible to believe that anyone with even 1/2 a brain will take her seriously, but then again, P.T. Barnum was right: no one ever went broke underestimating the taste [read that "sense"--Ed.] of the American public.
Robert Burns must be laughing his ghostly head off over this! ("Oh would the power some giftie gie us, to see ourseles as ithers see us.")
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Happy Cows No Longer Come From California
OK--let me begin by saying I was half asleep when I heard what I think I heard on NPR this morning. So, what I am about to say may be merely the product of my fevered imagination. Nevertheless, . . .
Some group of scientists has tested the amount of pollution (methane, mostly) produced by cows in California, and determined that cows pollute more than cars now do.
As a result, the state is going to implement pollution-control requirements. Expensive pollution-control requirements. And the dairy farmers are most emphatically not happy about it. It may cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars, each, to comply.
A lobbying group for the dairy farmers has started lawsuits challenging both the measurement methods and the results in the hopes that the proposed requirements will not be forced on them.
Several Central Valley dairy farmers are threatening to take their cows and the jobs their farms provide and leave the state.
If this isn't "real California cheese," I don't know what is!
Some group of scientists has tested the amount of pollution (methane, mostly) produced by cows in California, and determined that cows pollute more than cars now do.
As a result, the state is going to implement pollution-control requirements. Expensive pollution-control requirements. And the dairy farmers are most emphatically not happy about it. It may cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars, each, to comply.
A lobbying group for the dairy farmers has started lawsuits challenging both the measurement methods and the results in the hopes that the proposed requirements will not be forced on them.
Several Central Valley dairy farmers are threatening to take their cows and the jobs their farms provide and leave the state.
If this isn't "real California cheese," I don't know what is!
The Bad News Bears Have Nothing On R. Palmeiro
I have been following the steroid-use controversy concerning Rafael Palmeiro with trepidation. Let me say first that when Rafael came up w/ the Cubs, I thought he was going to be a really good ballplayer, and I never did understand why the Cubs traded him.
My respect for him dwindled when he started hawking Viagra a few years ago.
My respect regrew once he quit doing that and when I realized the record-breaking hitting achievements he'd posted in the interim.
I was entirely stunned to learn of his suspension for steroid use. After all, back in March during the Congressional hearings on steroid use in baseball, he was adamant that he was not a user, despite what Jose Canseco wrote in his book. [I now hear echoes of "I did not have sex with that woman."--Ed.] At the time, I was not the only one to think that Palmeiro's stature increased to the same degree that Mark McGwire's decreased when contrasting Palmeiro's statements with McGwire's evasive testimony.
I was willing to give Palmeiro the benefit of the doubt about his testing positive: perhaps it was due to a minor ingredient in an over-the-counter concoction he'd taken. I knew he had nothing to gain and tons to lose (especially at this late stage of his career) by taking steroids and getting caught . . . and then I learned that the steroid in his system was stanozolol, the same steroid that felled Olympic and world-champion sprinter Ben Johnson. It is not something that just shows up in trace amounts in anything OTC.
The very next day, a Seattle Mariners pitcher (whose name escapes me at the moment) was also suspended for testing positive. He offered the same increasingly-lame-sounding explanation: "I have no idea how the steroids got into my system."
Right. And all unicorns will be destroyed if the guy doesn't share his Emerald nuts with his little girl.
All the facts must be revealed and evaluated in each and every case before we simply choose to ignore the accomplishments of the current major leaguers. Every little relevation, however, especially about someone so high profile due to his on-field exploits, chips away a bit more at my resolve to hear all the evidence before making up my mind.
Palmeiro eventually may still be elected to the Hall of Fame, but certainly not on the first ballot. Maybe not on the first five or ten ballots. Of course, if even more bad news comes out about his steroid use, he may have demolished his chances to be enshrined at all. We can but wait and see.
Contrast the weekend induction of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandburg into the Hall. Boggs's tribute to his mentor, his father, was incredibly moving. Sandburg's speech, focusing on how he approached everything he did to show his respect for the game, was genuinely inspiring. (I know the already-inducted HOF members liked Sandburg's speech a lot. They were nodding in agreement all the way through it.) Boggs was only the 41st player to be voted in on his very first eligibility; Sandburg should have been voted in on his first appearance on the ballot. Nevertheless, they both embody what baseball can produce when those who play the game play it right.
This week's suspensions cannot sully or tarnish the weekend's ceremonies, but they sure do muck up the game today.
My respect for him dwindled when he started hawking Viagra a few years ago.
My respect regrew once he quit doing that and when I realized the record-breaking hitting achievements he'd posted in the interim.
I was entirely stunned to learn of his suspension for steroid use. After all, back in March during the Congressional hearings on steroid use in baseball, he was adamant that he was not a user, despite what Jose Canseco wrote in his book. [I now hear echoes of "I did not have sex with that woman."--Ed.] At the time, I was not the only one to think that Palmeiro's stature increased to the same degree that Mark McGwire's decreased when contrasting Palmeiro's statements with McGwire's evasive testimony.
I was willing to give Palmeiro the benefit of the doubt about his testing positive: perhaps it was due to a minor ingredient in an over-the-counter concoction he'd taken. I knew he had nothing to gain and tons to lose (especially at this late stage of his career) by taking steroids and getting caught . . . and then I learned that the steroid in his system was stanozolol, the same steroid that felled Olympic and world-champion sprinter Ben Johnson. It is not something that just shows up in trace amounts in anything OTC.
The very next day, a Seattle Mariners pitcher (whose name escapes me at the moment) was also suspended for testing positive. He offered the same increasingly-lame-sounding explanation: "I have no idea how the steroids got into my system."
Right. And all unicorns will be destroyed if the guy doesn't share his Emerald nuts with his little girl.
All the facts must be revealed and evaluated in each and every case before we simply choose to ignore the accomplishments of the current major leaguers. Every little relevation, however, especially about someone so high profile due to his on-field exploits, chips away a bit more at my resolve to hear all the evidence before making up my mind.
Palmeiro eventually may still be elected to the Hall of Fame, but certainly not on the first ballot. Maybe not on the first five or ten ballots. Of course, if even more bad news comes out about his steroid use, he may have demolished his chances to be enshrined at all. We can but wait and see.
Contrast the weekend induction of Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandburg into the Hall. Boggs's tribute to his mentor, his father, was incredibly moving. Sandburg's speech, focusing on how he approached everything he did to show his respect for the game, was genuinely inspiring. (I know the already-inducted HOF members liked Sandburg's speech a lot. They were nodding in agreement all the way through it.) Boggs was only the 41st player to be voted in on his very first eligibility; Sandburg should have been voted in on his first appearance on the ballot. Nevertheless, they both embody what baseball can produce when those who play the game play it right.
This week's suspensions cannot sully or tarnish the weekend's ceremonies, but they sure do muck up the game today.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Praise The Lord, And DON'T Pass The Ammunition
According to the Associated Press on Thursday past, "[t]he Irish Republican Army [has] announced . . . it will renounce violence and resume disarmament in a declaration designed to revive Northern Ireland's peace process."
Well, Hallelujah!
The IRA has said it will not disband, but will limit its actions (starting at 4 p.m. Irish time on the 28th) to the political process. The IRA further said it would allow both Catholic and Protestant clergy to observe its disarmament work, and that its members must henceforth avoid all violent activities. Indeed, it has promised to use "exclusively peaceful means" from now on.
It's about bloody time!
I know that Protestants in Northern Ireland are skeptical, but I think this is for real. Why? Well, look at the world-wide response to the the Muslim attacks in London. The IRA has finally figured out that even when it warns of bombs and tries to limit/avoid civilian injury, the violence will not get it what it wants. All the violence ever did was harden resistance to the IRA's goals of true power-sharing in Northern Ireland.
I can just imagine a bunch of IRA leaders sitting around in a pub, drinking stout and bemoaning the fact that the Muslim terrorists have given "real freedom fighters" a bad name. But at least the IRA leadership finally got the sense to bow to the inevitable.
The British are taking it seriously, too. A follow-up article said the British Army has already begun closing/demolishing military installations in Northern Ireland. Three BA army positions in South Armagh (near the border with the Irish Republic) are already disappearing. They will keep 7 watchtowers on the border with the Republic, but that is half the number that were in place in 2001.
Of course, the Protestants in Northern Ireland are saying it's too much, too soon. They say until there is proof to back the IRA's words, "it's criminally irresponsible of the [British] government to do this." But the Catholic minority in Armagh is tired of the occupation, knowing that the British Army used the watchtowers to monitor people's movements and high-tech microphones on the towers to eavesdrop on private conversations. The Catholics say any reduction in the "Big Brother is watching you" atmosphere in Armagh can but move the peace process forward.
It's wonderful news. The one thing that irritates me about this is that the Omaha World-Herald did not see fit to publish it earlier than page 7 (Thursday's paper) and the follow-up on page 9 (Friday's). At least the articles were "above the fold," as it were.
Here's hoping that at least one troubled place in this world finally finds lasting peace.
Well, Hallelujah!
The IRA has said it will not disband, but will limit its actions (starting at 4 p.m. Irish time on the 28th) to the political process. The IRA further said it would allow both Catholic and Protestant clergy to observe its disarmament work, and that its members must henceforth avoid all violent activities. Indeed, it has promised to use "exclusively peaceful means" from now on.
It's about bloody time!
I know that Protestants in Northern Ireland are skeptical, but I think this is for real. Why? Well, look at the world-wide response to the the Muslim attacks in London. The IRA has finally figured out that even when it warns of bombs and tries to limit/avoid civilian injury, the violence will not get it what it wants. All the violence ever did was harden resistance to the IRA's goals of true power-sharing in Northern Ireland.
I can just imagine a bunch of IRA leaders sitting around in a pub, drinking stout and bemoaning the fact that the Muslim terrorists have given "real freedom fighters" a bad name. But at least the IRA leadership finally got the sense to bow to the inevitable.
The British are taking it seriously, too. A follow-up article said the British Army has already begun closing/demolishing military installations in Northern Ireland. Three BA army positions in South Armagh (near the border with the Irish Republic) are already disappearing. They will keep 7 watchtowers on the border with the Republic, but that is half the number that were in place in 2001.
Of course, the Protestants in Northern Ireland are saying it's too much, too soon. They say until there is proof to back the IRA's words, "it's criminally irresponsible of the [British] government to do this." But the Catholic minority in Armagh is tired of the occupation, knowing that the British Army used the watchtowers to monitor people's movements and high-tech microphones on the towers to eavesdrop on private conversations. The Catholics say any reduction in the "Big Brother is watching you" atmosphere in Armagh can but move the peace process forward.
It's wonderful news. The one thing that irritates me about this is that the Omaha World-Herald did not see fit to publish it earlier than page 7 (Thursday's paper) and the follow-up on page 9 (Friday's). At least the articles were "above the fold," as it were.
Here's hoping that at least one troubled place in this world finally finds lasting peace.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
If You're Rummy And You Know It, Raise Your Glass
Please tell me I am not the only person who thinks that Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld's lecturing the Iraqis earlier today on "politics requir[ing] compromise" is hypocritical bordering on ludicrous.
I can see it now--the Iraqis respond by saying that they watch how he and Dubya and all the minions behave in the US domestic political sphere, and inform Rummy that what they are doing is no different.
He then tells them that it is different, because he's just pandering to the extremists in his support base, that it's strictly for domestic consumption, and that when push comes to shove, he will compromise to get even part of his agenda accomplished (for "half a loaf is better than none") . . . and they respond by asking how that differs, exactly, from what they are doing.
Does anyone but me realize that the ironies of this situation are totally lost on the Rummy one?
I have a headache. I am going to take a huge quantity of Motrin (or a good stiff drink) and hide under a large pillow in a dark room. Wake me when the war is over.
I can see it now--the Iraqis respond by saying that they watch how he and Dubya and all the minions behave in the US domestic political sphere, and inform Rummy that what they are doing is no different.
He then tells them that it is different, because he's just pandering to the extremists in his support base, that it's strictly for domestic consumption, and that when push comes to shove, he will compromise to get even part of his agenda accomplished (for "half a loaf is better than none") . . . and they respond by asking how that differs, exactly, from what they are doing.
Does anyone but me realize that the ironies of this situation are totally lost on the Rummy one?
I have a headache. I am going to take a huge quantity of Motrin (or a good stiff drink) and hide under a large pillow in a dark room. Wake me when the war is over.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Oh, Me Of Little Faith! And A Few More Cobwebs To Blow Out, To Boot
Between the ridiculously high heat we've had here in Eastern Nebraska over the last few days and the Cubs winning their series against the Cardinals in St. Louis, I am thoroughly exhausted.
The heat index has been around 110° for the last three days. I have studiously avoided going outside to confirm that. But we are supposedly in for some big thunderstorms later today, and if we are lucky, things may go back to normal. That is, normal for this time of year. That is, highs in the high 80s and extremely muggy. I'm still not going to go outside if I can help it. Heck, once it's warmer than about 70°, it's too hot for me!
This year's edition of the Cubs will give me heart failure yet. It wasn't just that they took the series from the Cardinals; it was the way they did it. Last night's game is the perfect example. They go down by 3 runs early; they take the lead in the top of the 8th, only to lose it as St. Louis ties the game in the bottom of the 9th (with two out, by the way) . . . and then they get a grand slam in the top of the 11th and hold on to win 8-4.
Just thinking about it is exhausting!
Exhilirating, nevertheless
Boy, I hope they make the playoffs this year. Better yet, I hope they make the World Series this year. If they WIN the World Series this year, I will die from shock . . . but I will be a happy camper.
**********
Cobwebs? We don't need no stinking cobwebs!
Anyway . . . I've not yet commented on Dubya's nomination of Judge John G. Roberts to the USSCt vacancy lately created by Justice O'Connor's retirement announcement. There isn't a lot to say, except that I have to admire Dubya's instincts to play political hardball.
Judge Roberts is just the sort of jurist the Democrats cannot put up too much of a fight against, or they will pay for it come the next round of elections. As an advocate, Judge Roberts did what he had to do: articulately state the most extreme version of his client's positions (e.g., see his briefs on Roe v. Wade while in the US Attorney General's office during Bush pater's reign). As an appellate court judge, his opinions have been much more circumspect. Thus, Dubya has kept the radical right wing of the Republican Party happy, but he hasn't so outraged the Democrats and the populace in general that they can stridently protest Judge Roberts' nomination to fill O'Connor's seat.
Politically, the only way it could have been better for Dubya is if Judge Roberts had been a Latina.
And Roberts seems to know how to do the Senate-schmooze thing really well, too. He is no wild-eyed philosophically adamant Robert Bork . . . or at least, he doesn't come across that way . . . and thus his nomination most probably will be confirmed after some resistance. But the resistance cannot rise to much above the token level, or else Dubya's minions will have a lot of extra ammo to shoot at the Democrats come 2006.
I do think Dubya could have done better; I am forced to admit that he is getting exactly what he thinks he needs, politically, out of this nomination.
**********
And for all the people out there who say that passing laws banning all fireworks, say, "will do no good because people will just break the law," you are missing the point. Laws exist to give society an ostensibly rational way to deal with those who choose not to live in accord with general social standards of (dare I say it?) civilized behavior. Laws do not usually change people's behavior. The real reason Prohibition failed was that the system could not cope with the ridiculously vast numbers of people who chose to break that law.
Worse, due to the unwritten Law of Unintended Consequences, Prohibition gave organized crime the hook it needed to become the organized behemoth it since became. If people had in fact stopped drinking once Prohibition was the law, organized crime had nothing to organize around. But people wanted their booze, and if they couldn't get it legally, they'd get it howsoever they could. And so the mob bosses stepped in and supplied the demand. QED
**********
I just finished reading a book called History Lessons: How Textbooks from Around the World Portray U.S. History, by Dana Lindaman and Kyle Ward. Please let me commend it to your attention.
Reading the Cubans' version of the Cuban Missile Crisis is eye-opening, as is reading the North Koreans' version of the Korean War. Eye-opening and frightening, because they both are so totally at odds with what we think we know. And yes, both countries' official textbooks read like propaganda more than history . . . but that doesn't mean we can just ignore them. After all, this is what they are teaching their people. How in the world can we begin to improve our country's relations with these places when we are just talking past each other from the get-go?
Along those same lines, the Arab textbook telling of US history in the Middle East is downright scary. Even our putative allies present us as little more than 21st century Crusaders, bound on destroying them, their belief system, and their way of life. I dare to suggest that for most of us, the Crusades are "ancient history," old news, something to which we do not relate at all. But to the Muslims, the Crusades are quite immediate and still entirely relevant to how they perceive and interpret the West.
And that is deeply frightening. Because of their framework for their history, we cannot have any credibility with them at all, especially when we say we just want to "live and let live." That concept is foreign--literally--to their experience, and they will not believe us no matter how often we repeat it. And so they interpret our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq NOT as ending the threat of terror to us all, but as a means to impose our way of life on them. It doesn't help when we say we are just trying to strengthen democracy around the globe. They don't want it.
It doesn't make them right . . . but it does explain why we have so much trouble accomplishing our official aims. And while we officially interpret internal dissent as our strength, they interpret it as moral weakness, meaning we do not deserve to tell them what to do or how to do it.
This also demonstrates the trouble of our notion of establishing Arab peace with Israel. Arabs and Hebrews have been fighting each other for thousands upon thousands of years. It is naught but arrogance on our part to think that we can go in, wave the magic wand of "democracy," and solve everyone's problems.
We collectively need to get a better grasp of how the rest of the world sees us before we go running around telling everyone what to do and how to do it. Even though we do have the most bombs. Or else we are nothing but the playground bully much of the rest of the world already thinks we are.
The heat index has been around 110° for the last three days. I have studiously avoided going outside to confirm that. But we are supposedly in for some big thunderstorms later today, and if we are lucky, things may go back to normal. That is, normal for this time of year. That is, highs in the high 80s and extremely muggy. I'm still not going to go outside if I can help it. Heck, once it's warmer than about 70°, it's too hot for me!
This year's edition of the Cubs will give me heart failure yet. It wasn't just that they took the series from the Cardinals; it was the way they did it. Last night's game is the perfect example. They go down by 3 runs early; they take the lead in the top of the 8th, only to lose it as St. Louis ties the game in the bottom of the 9th (with two out, by the way) . . . and then they get a grand slam in the top of the 11th and hold on to win 8-4.
Just thinking about it is exhausting!
Exhilirating, nevertheless
Boy, I hope they make the playoffs this year. Better yet, I hope they make the World Series this year. If they WIN the World Series this year, I will die from shock . . . but I will be a happy camper.
**********
Cobwebs? We don't need no stinking cobwebs!
Anyway . . . I've not yet commented on Dubya's nomination of Judge John G. Roberts to the USSCt vacancy lately created by Justice O'Connor's retirement announcement. There isn't a lot to say, except that I have to admire Dubya's instincts to play political hardball.
Judge Roberts is just the sort of jurist the Democrats cannot put up too much of a fight against, or they will pay for it come the next round of elections. As an advocate, Judge Roberts did what he had to do: articulately state the most extreme version of his client's positions (e.g., see his briefs on Roe v. Wade while in the US Attorney General's office during Bush pater's reign). As an appellate court judge, his opinions have been much more circumspect. Thus, Dubya has kept the radical right wing of the Republican Party happy, but he hasn't so outraged the Democrats and the populace in general that they can stridently protest Judge Roberts' nomination to fill O'Connor's seat.
Politically, the only way it could have been better for Dubya is if Judge Roberts had been a Latina.
And Roberts seems to know how to do the Senate-schmooze thing really well, too. He is no wild-eyed philosophically adamant Robert Bork . . . or at least, he doesn't come across that way . . . and thus his nomination most probably will be confirmed after some resistance. But the resistance cannot rise to much above the token level, or else Dubya's minions will have a lot of extra ammo to shoot at the Democrats come 2006.
I do think Dubya could have done better; I am forced to admit that he is getting exactly what he thinks he needs, politically, out of this nomination.
**********
And for all the people out there who say that passing laws banning all fireworks, say, "will do no good because people will just break the law," you are missing the point. Laws exist to give society an ostensibly rational way to deal with those who choose not to live in accord with general social standards of (dare I say it?) civilized behavior. Laws do not usually change people's behavior. The real reason Prohibition failed was that the system could not cope with the ridiculously vast numbers of people who chose to break that law.
Worse, due to the unwritten Law of Unintended Consequences, Prohibition gave organized crime the hook it needed to become the organized behemoth it since became. If people had in fact stopped drinking once Prohibition was the law, organized crime had nothing to organize around. But people wanted their booze, and if they couldn't get it legally, they'd get it howsoever they could. And so the mob bosses stepped in and supplied the demand. QED
**********
I just finished reading a book called History Lessons: How Textbooks from Around the World Portray U.S. History, by Dana Lindaman and Kyle Ward. Please let me commend it to your attention.
Reading the Cubans' version of the Cuban Missile Crisis is eye-opening, as is reading the North Koreans' version of the Korean War. Eye-opening and frightening, because they both are so totally at odds with what we think we know. And yes, both countries' official textbooks read like propaganda more than history . . . but that doesn't mean we can just ignore them. After all, this is what they are teaching their people. How in the world can we begin to improve our country's relations with these places when we are just talking past each other from the get-go?
Along those same lines, the Arab textbook telling of US history in the Middle East is downright scary. Even our putative allies present us as little more than 21st century Crusaders, bound on destroying them, their belief system, and their way of life. I dare to suggest that for most of us, the Crusades are "ancient history," old news, something to which we do not relate at all. But to the Muslims, the Crusades are quite immediate and still entirely relevant to how they perceive and interpret the West.
And that is deeply frightening. Because of their framework for their history, we cannot have any credibility with them at all, especially when we say we just want to "live and let live." That concept is foreign--literally--to their experience, and they will not believe us no matter how often we repeat it. And so they interpret our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq NOT as ending the threat of terror to us all, but as a means to impose our way of life on them. It doesn't help when we say we are just trying to strengthen democracy around the globe. They don't want it.
It doesn't make them right . . . but it does explain why we have so much trouble accomplishing our official aims. And while we officially interpret internal dissent as our strength, they interpret it as moral weakness, meaning we do not deserve to tell them what to do or how to do it.
This also demonstrates the trouble of our notion of establishing Arab peace with Israel. Arabs and Hebrews have been fighting each other for thousands upon thousands of years. It is naught but arrogance on our part to think that we can go in, wave the magic wand of "democracy," and solve everyone's problems.
We collectively need to get a better grasp of how the rest of the world sees us before we go running around telling everyone what to do and how to do it. Even though we do have the most bombs. Or else we are nothing but the playground bully much of the rest of the world already thinks we are.
Friday, July 15, 2005
The Cobwebs In My Mind
Cleaning out the cobwebs in my mind is a lot more fun than cleaning out the cobwebs in my house, believe me! Which is why I am sitting here, posting this, and not doing my housework.
Anyway, cobweb the first: I am not surprised to hear that Chief Justice Rehnquist has said he will serve on the USSCt as long as his health will permit. Indeed, I suggest that you read that to mean "until his death." Don't forget that Rehnquist has an ego bigger than just about anything I can think of: after more than 200 years of tradition saying the Chief Justice is merely the "first among equals," who was the one and only (so far) justice to put chevrons on the sleeves of his judicial robes to make it plain that HE was in charge? Rehnquist, that's who.
I thought it was cheezy when he did it; I think it's cheezy now. But I have to admit, it does provide a useful bit of insight into our current CJ's mindset.
Cobweb the second: has anyone noticed how much Karl Rove and the late Senator Joseph McCarthy resemble each other? The same round head, the same double chin, the same evil mentality, the same desire to control by smearing the (in-fact) loyal opposition (OK, so McCarthy also had a receeding forehead and a permanent 5-o'clock shadow, whereas Rove has a high forehead and is just pasty-faced). Where, oh where, is our champion who will confront Rove directly and ask him, "At long last, sir, have you no decency?"
Cobweb the third: baseball, like all sports, provides useful instruction in how to approach life's more critical situations. Consider one example: the Cubs have been playing generally stinkily except when they are not expected (by even themselves) to win. Then, since all hope is already gone, they play loose, do not press, and behold! A miracle! They win! They have been losing a lot of the games their talent suggests they should win because then they are playing tight, as if they have something to lose . . . and so they do. Lose, that is.
So no matter what confronts you, act as if there is already no hope, and be loose. You may well be surprised at how favorable an outcome you'll then get. It's a Zen thing, really.
Cobweb the fourth: is anyone as ticked off as I am about how the media report the daily stock market fibrullations? What seems to matter most, as the media report in breathless tones, is whether the market went up or down on any given day. But wait! If you listen for the actual closing NUMBERS, the market is essentially flat. The media seem to believe that closing at 10,500 is a bad thing if the market went down to get there, but a good thing if it went up to get there. What the heck is wrong with this picture?
I think we'd all have a lot less uncontrollable stress in our lives if we looked more at the actual numbers and less at the day-to-day, moment-to-moment fluctuations of the market.
After all, despite what people say about businesses being rational, the market reacts quite emotionally to news of the day, every single day. Even the media recognize this whenever they report on the reasons the market did what it did on any given day. "Traders worried about high fuel prices . . ." is a classic. It is better to take a longer, calmer view. Zen strikes again.
Cobweb the fifth: I wonder whether the neocons will ever grasp the concept that while their means and methods differ, their aims are not dissimilar from any other fundamentalist group, even ones like the Muslim terrorists which they claim to hate. Each and every one of them wants everyone else to think just like they do, to be just like they are, and act only as they permit, or to suffer the consequences. A conundrum results. How can we tolerate the intolerant? Better yet, how can we get them to tolerate us?
Cobweb the sixth: Whenever people complain about "evolutionists" being reluctant to debate "creationists" or "proponents of intelligent design" or whatever they are calling themselves this week, I cringe. How can you have a rational debate with people whose essential precept is based on faith, on something that cannot be demonstrated experimentally in the first place? Especially when the creationists refuse to acknowledge correctly the evolutionists' positions. I am going to vomit the next time I hear someone dismiss evolution because "we did not descend from apes."
That is NOT what evolution posits. The anthropological and paleontological EVIDENCE indicates that both the apes and humans descended from a common ancestor that was neither exactly ape nor human.
So, all you creationists out there: get your facts straight, and then we may talk.
Besides, as I have said before, there's really no conflict between science and religion in the first place. Science asks "How?" Religion asks "Why?" What we could all use is a little more clear-headed thinking and a little less emotionalism. Look out! More Zen!
In any event, it's only the insecure who are so adamant about being the bringers of Revealed Truth on any subject. The only people who insist that their world view is the only correct one, no matter what that world view is, are the ones who deep inside are shakiest about whether they are correct. The only way they can find to live with their secret, inner doubts is to forestall any and all debate. Most of them probably don't even realize on a conscious level that this is what they are doing. The rest of us, however, are capable of living with some uncertainty and ambiguity. I ask again, how can we tolerate the intolerant? Moreover, how can we get them to leave us be?
Cobweb the seventh: How in the world can Dubya be so intractibly stupid? By continuing to claim that we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep from having to fight the terrorists here, he is not only insulting the British in the wake of the London bombings, he is utterly refusing to acknowledge the role that his own approach to US policy has had in heightening the risks of terrorism we all face in the first place.
Garry Trudeau is currently visiting "Rummyworld," and he makes the cogent point that our own (official, as a country) behavior is the best recruiting tool al-Quaida has ever had.
Which leads me to cobweb the eighth: this is not unlike the traditional British inability to see that their own behavior produced a lot of the IRA crap "up with which they had to put."
Do not get me wrong: I do NOT have any truck with terror or violence anywhere. I am a firm believer in non-violent resistance to social inequities. But I can understand why the violent react as they do. And I am sorry, Mr. Rove, but that doesn't make me an unpatriotic liberal wimp. It makes me a wise liberal thinker. It makes me someone who is capable of finding a real solution to the problems of terror, not someone whose intractibility knee-jerkingly increases the risks of terror to us all.
Cobweb the ninth: "popular" and "high quality" are not mutually exclusive terms, though in the short term, they can be. This is why we need a longer view--that's where we get history, literature, and great art, among other things, as opposed to the fads of the moment.
In other words, the test of time is the true test of greatness.
Cobweb the tenth: to whomever it was on NPR the other day who claims that all the recent home run and other baseball records should be stricken from the books because it's obvious that they were all steroid-driven and thus tainted: WHOA! Whatever happened to the concept of fair play? That everyone is innocent until proven guilty? That just looking at a lot of amazing numbers in the books is not, in and of itself, evidence of wrongdoing?
Did Babe Ruth take steroids? His records, in their day, were are remarkable and shocking as the more recent records are now. Did Lou Gehrig? Did Joe DiMaggio?
The fact is, when one considers the history of the game (there's that pesky historical perspective again!), every generation or so gets a lot of large leaps in the level of the records set. One cannot presume that all home run records are tainted and steroid-induced. Pitching is more diluted now than it was 50 or 60 or 70 years ago . . . there are a lot more teams, and the talent is more spread out than ever before. There are also a lot more people playing the game. Who knows what kind of records we'd have seen in the 1930s if there had been as many major leaguers from as many ethnic groups as there are today . . . conversely, there have been times when pitching dominated. Do the names Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax ring any bells?
The game changes over time. In its current incarnation, almost no one in the game steals bases the way Maury Wills did in the 60s.
Besides, the nature of what the fans want to see has changed, too, producing a "natural selection" of big fly hitters being at a premium in this day and age.
I am not saying that steroids are not and have not been a problem. I am saying that there are any number of other plausible explanations for at least part of the recent home run explosion, and that we cannot condemn anyone until we have actual evidence of steroid abuse. So let's just let the facts be determined, and let those facts be our guide, before we start trashing the record books because we can.
Cobweb the last (for the moment): and I do sincerely and deeply apologize for what I am about to say. My first reaction to the London bombings last week was to spend several tense hours tracking down my cousin who is in London taking some graduate international studies courses. Thank God she's OK . . . but she was in King's Cross Station less than an hour before the bomb there went off, so it was a close thing.
My second reaction, and the one for which I am so sorry, is that my next thought on hearing of the bombings was, "Well, Tube Steak has just taken on a whole new meaning."
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
Anyway, cobweb the first: I am not surprised to hear that Chief Justice Rehnquist has said he will serve on the USSCt as long as his health will permit. Indeed, I suggest that you read that to mean "until his death." Don't forget that Rehnquist has an ego bigger than just about anything I can think of: after more than 200 years of tradition saying the Chief Justice is merely the "first among equals," who was the one and only (so far) justice to put chevrons on the sleeves of his judicial robes to make it plain that HE was in charge? Rehnquist, that's who.
I thought it was cheezy when he did it; I think it's cheezy now. But I have to admit, it does provide a useful bit of insight into our current CJ's mindset.
Cobweb the second: has anyone noticed how much Karl Rove and the late Senator Joseph McCarthy resemble each other? The same round head, the same double chin, the same evil mentality, the same desire to control by smearing the (in-fact) loyal opposition (OK, so McCarthy also had a receeding forehead and a permanent 5-o'clock shadow, whereas Rove has a high forehead and is just pasty-faced). Where, oh where, is our champion who will confront Rove directly and ask him, "At long last, sir, have you no decency?"
Cobweb the third: baseball, like all sports, provides useful instruction in how to approach life's more critical situations. Consider one example: the Cubs have been playing generally stinkily except when they are not expected (by even themselves) to win. Then, since all hope is already gone, they play loose, do not press, and behold! A miracle! They win! They have been losing a lot of the games their talent suggests they should win because then they are playing tight, as if they have something to lose . . . and so they do. Lose, that is.
So no matter what confronts you, act as if there is already no hope, and be loose. You may well be surprised at how favorable an outcome you'll then get. It's a Zen thing, really.
Cobweb the fourth: is anyone as ticked off as I am about how the media report the daily stock market fibrullations? What seems to matter most, as the media report in breathless tones, is whether the market went up or down on any given day. But wait! If you listen for the actual closing NUMBERS, the market is essentially flat. The media seem to believe that closing at 10,500 is a bad thing if the market went down to get there, but a good thing if it went up to get there. What the heck is wrong with this picture?
I think we'd all have a lot less uncontrollable stress in our lives if we looked more at the actual numbers and less at the day-to-day, moment-to-moment fluctuations of the market.
After all, despite what people say about businesses being rational, the market reacts quite emotionally to news of the day, every single day. Even the media recognize this whenever they report on the reasons the market did what it did on any given day. "Traders worried about high fuel prices . . ." is a classic. It is better to take a longer, calmer view. Zen strikes again.
Cobweb the fifth: I wonder whether the neocons will ever grasp the concept that while their means and methods differ, their aims are not dissimilar from any other fundamentalist group, even ones like the Muslim terrorists which they claim to hate. Each and every one of them wants everyone else to think just like they do, to be just like they are, and act only as they permit, or to suffer the consequences. A conundrum results. How can we tolerate the intolerant? Better yet, how can we get them to tolerate us?
Cobweb the sixth: Whenever people complain about "evolutionists" being reluctant to debate "creationists" or "proponents of intelligent design" or whatever they are calling themselves this week, I cringe. How can you have a rational debate with people whose essential precept is based on faith, on something that cannot be demonstrated experimentally in the first place? Especially when the creationists refuse to acknowledge correctly the evolutionists' positions. I am going to vomit the next time I hear someone dismiss evolution because "we did not descend from apes."
That is NOT what evolution posits. The anthropological and paleontological EVIDENCE indicates that both the apes and humans descended from a common ancestor that was neither exactly ape nor human.
So, all you creationists out there: get your facts straight, and then we may talk.
Besides, as I have said before, there's really no conflict between science and religion in the first place. Science asks "How?" Religion asks "Why?" What we could all use is a little more clear-headed thinking and a little less emotionalism. Look out! More Zen!
In any event, it's only the insecure who are so adamant about being the bringers of Revealed Truth on any subject. The only people who insist that their world view is the only correct one, no matter what that world view is, are the ones who deep inside are shakiest about whether they are correct. The only way they can find to live with their secret, inner doubts is to forestall any and all debate. Most of them probably don't even realize on a conscious level that this is what they are doing. The rest of us, however, are capable of living with some uncertainty and ambiguity. I ask again, how can we tolerate the intolerant? Moreover, how can we get them to leave us be?
Cobweb the seventh: How in the world can Dubya be so intractibly stupid? By continuing to claim that we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep from having to fight the terrorists here, he is not only insulting the British in the wake of the London bombings, he is utterly refusing to acknowledge the role that his own approach to US policy has had in heightening the risks of terrorism we all face in the first place.
Garry Trudeau is currently visiting "Rummyworld," and he makes the cogent point that our own (official, as a country) behavior is the best recruiting tool al-Quaida has ever had.
Which leads me to cobweb the eighth: this is not unlike the traditional British inability to see that their own behavior produced a lot of the IRA crap "up with which they had to put."
Do not get me wrong: I do NOT have any truck with terror or violence anywhere. I am a firm believer in non-violent resistance to social inequities. But I can understand why the violent react as they do. And I am sorry, Mr. Rove, but that doesn't make me an unpatriotic liberal wimp. It makes me a wise liberal thinker. It makes me someone who is capable of finding a real solution to the problems of terror, not someone whose intractibility knee-jerkingly increases the risks of terror to us all.
Cobweb the ninth: "popular" and "high quality" are not mutually exclusive terms, though in the short term, they can be. This is why we need a longer view--that's where we get history, literature, and great art, among other things, as opposed to the fads of the moment.
In other words, the test of time is the true test of greatness.
Cobweb the tenth: to whomever it was on NPR the other day who claims that all the recent home run and other baseball records should be stricken from the books because it's obvious that they were all steroid-driven and thus tainted: WHOA! Whatever happened to the concept of fair play? That everyone is innocent until proven guilty? That just looking at a lot of amazing numbers in the books is not, in and of itself, evidence of wrongdoing?
Did Babe Ruth take steroids? His records, in their day, were are remarkable and shocking as the more recent records are now. Did Lou Gehrig? Did Joe DiMaggio?
The fact is, when one considers the history of the game (there's that pesky historical perspective again!), every generation or so gets a lot of large leaps in the level of the records set. One cannot presume that all home run records are tainted and steroid-induced. Pitching is more diluted now than it was 50 or 60 or 70 years ago . . . there are a lot more teams, and the talent is more spread out than ever before. There are also a lot more people playing the game. Who knows what kind of records we'd have seen in the 1930s if there had been as many major leaguers from as many ethnic groups as there are today . . . conversely, there have been times when pitching dominated. Do the names Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax ring any bells?
The game changes over time. In its current incarnation, almost no one in the game steals bases the way Maury Wills did in the 60s.
Besides, the nature of what the fans want to see has changed, too, producing a "natural selection" of big fly hitters being at a premium in this day and age.
I am not saying that steroids are not and have not been a problem. I am saying that there are any number of other plausible explanations for at least part of the recent home run explosion, and that we cannot condemn anyone until we have actual evidence of steroid abuse. So let's just let the facts be determined, and let those facts be our guide, before we start trashing the record books because we can.
Cobweb the last (for the moment): and I do sincerely and deeply apologize for what I am about to say. My first reaction to the London bombings last week was to spend several tense hours tracking down my cousin who is in London taking some graduate international studies courses. Thank God she's OK . . . but she was in King's Cross Station less than an hour before the bomb there went off, so it was a close thing.
My second reaction, and the one for which I am so sorry, is that my next thought on hearing of the bombings was, "Well, Tube Steak has just taken on a whole new meaning."
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
Saturday, July 02, 2005
And I Thought I Was Good At Coming From Left Field!
Associate Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has announced her retirement from that esteemed bench--sort of. She will continue to sit until her replacement has not only been nominated, but confirmed.
Justice O'Connor caught me, as she did nearly everyone else (including those in the White House if the news reports are correct), off guard. I fully expected ailing Chief Justice Rehnquist to resign soon, but not her.
The next several months will be fascinating. To begin, O'Connor, as the first female Supreme Court justice, probably cannot be replaced by an old white man. Dubya's going to have to find a nominee who can pass his litmus tests (otherwise he won't nominate that person) and yet not undo the Court's current gender and ethnic diversity. Most likely, Dubya will have to broaden it further. (Remember, everyone, the Court unofficially has a "Jewish" seat and a "black" seat and a "Catholic" seat and at least one "female" seat . . .) About the only way Dubya can nominate a man to replace O'Connor is if he gets yet another ethnic group into the mix. I thus suspect that he may push for current Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales to accept nomination even though Gonzales has already indicated he doesn't want it.
Back in 1981, when President Reagan appointed O'Connor, I felt (and still feel) that it was more important to women to have someone--male or female--of open judicial mind and temperment appointed than it was to have just any woman appointed. I was less than thrilled by her ascention to the nation's highest court. Nevertheless, she has proven to be reasonable and moderate in much of her judicial output. Indeed, in the vast majority of the Court's most provocative cases over the last 24 years, she was the crucial swing vote preserving key civil rights gains established in earlier Court decisions.
In other words, having a judicial conservative on the bench is not all bad when conservation means not overturning prior decisions willy-nilly. And most certainly by the standards of Dubya's favored potential nominees, O'Connor is downright moderate . . . hence, unacceptable.
Therefore, her resignation is much more troublesome than would have been CJ Rehnquist's. Dubya could nominate a replacement for him and it wouldn't change the Court's balance of power. Take away one neocon and add one neocon and you get one neocon. But take away one moderate and add one neocon, and you have trouble with a capital "T." O'Connor's replacement may be able to do tons of damage, especially if s/he does not care a whit about judicial restraint in its classic sense. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Finally, with the Senate's filibuster rules and "nuclear option" powers still in play (ref. my earlier post about when is a compromise not really a compromise), the confirmation process for whomever Dubya nominates is guaranteed to turn brutal.
But this is where O'Connor was smart. She isn't giving up her seat until her replacement is confirmed. She might still be on the bench come October, 2005. I never thought I'd say this, but that is not a bad thing.
Buckle your seatbelts, boys. It's going to be a bumpy flight.
Justice O'Connor caught me, as she did nearly everyone else (including those in the White House if the news reports are correct), off guard. I fully expected ailing Chief Justice Rehnquist to resign soon, but not her.
The next several months will be fascinating. To begin, O'Connor, as the first female Supreme Court justice, probably cannot be replaced by an old white man. Dubya's going to have to find a nominee who can pass his litmus tests (otherwise he won't nominate that person) and yet not undo the Court's current gender and ethnic diversity. Most likely, Dubya will have to broaden it further. (Remember, everyone, the Court unofficially has a "Jewish" seat and a "black" seat and a "Catholic" seat and at least one "female" seat . . .) About the only way Dubya can nominate a man to replace O'Connor is if he gets yet another ethnic group into the mix. I thus suspect that he may push for current Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales to accept nomination even though Gonzales has already indicated he doesn't want it.
Back in 1981, when President Reagan appointed O'Connor, I felt (and still feel) that it was more important to women to have someone--male or female--of open judicial mind and temperment appointed than it was to have just any woman appointed. I was less than thrilled by her ascention to the nation's highest court. Nevertheless, she has proven to be reasonable and moderate in much of her judicial output. Indeed, in the vast majority of the Court's most provocative cases over the last 24 years, she was the crucial swing vote preserving key civil rights gains established in earlier Court decisions.
In other words, having a judicial conservative on the bench is not all bad when conservation means not overturning prior decisions willy-nilly. And most certainly by the standards of Dubya's favored potential nominees, O'Connor is downright moderate . . . hence, unacceptable.
Therefore, her resignation is much more troublesome than would have been CJ Rehnquist's. Dubya could nominate a replacement for him and it wouldn't change the Court's balance of power. Take away one neocon and add one neocon and you get one neocon. But take away one moderate and add one neocon, and you have trouble with a capital "T." O'Connor's replacement may be able to do tons of damage, especially if s/he does not care a whit about judicial restraint in its classic sense. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Finally, with the Senate's filibuster rules and "nuclear option" powers still in play (ref. my earlier post about when is a compromise not really a compromise), the confirmation process for whomever Dubya nominates is guaranteed to turn brutal.
But this is where O'Connor was smart. She isn't giving up her seat until her replacement is confirmed. She might still be on the bench come October, 2005. I never thought I'd say this, but that is not a bad thing.
Buckle your seatbelts, boys. It's going to be a bumpy flight.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
The Best Tribute I Can Pay
Shelby Foote, noted novelist, esteemed historian, and thoroughgoing Mississippi gentleman, has died at the age of 88. I knew he'd been ill for quite some time; I had no idea just how serious it was.
He will be missed. He will not be forgotten.
Modern Library ranked his 3 volume The Civil War: A Narrative as # 15 on its top 100 list of the best nonfiction works of the 20th century. Truly a well-deserved accolade.
The best and nicest thing I can say is that it is impossible to read any of that work without actually hearing Shelby Foote's voice speaking his words.
For this we must thank Ken Burns, whose PBS series on the Civil War opened our eyes to Mr. Foote's existence in the first place.
The second best thing I can say about Shelby Foote is that he was no Southern sentimentalist: he did not approach his work with the attitude that the Confederacy was some idealized, romanticized Lost Cause. He stuck to facts. He hated slavery, racism, and all their implications. He was a voice of sanity and gentility in an increasingly crazy and stridently rude world.
As I said, he will be missed.
He will be missed. He will not be forgotten.
Modern Library ranked his 3 volume The Civil War: A Narrative as # 15 on its top 100 list of the best nonfiction works of the 20th century. Truly a well-deserved accolade.
The best and nicest thing I can say is that it is impossible to read any of that work without actually hearing Shelby Foote's voice speaking his words.
For this we must thank Ken Burns, whose PBS series on the Civil War opened our eyes to Mr. Foote's existence in the first place.
The second best thing I can say about Shelby Foote is that he was no Southern sentimentalist: he did not approach his work with the attitude that the Confederacy was some idealized, romanticized Lost Cause. He stuck to facts. He hated slavery, racism, and all their implications. He was a voice of sanity and gentility in an increasingly crazy and stridently rude world.
As I said, he will be missed.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Missed It By That Much!
Well, the results are in. According to Matt Lauer, the number one Greatest American, by a margin of less than one-half of one percent, or .444 %, of the votes cast, is Ronald Reagan!?!?
Yes, I lost my lunch. I told you to have a barf bag at the ready. I know I did.
Abraham Lincoln finished second; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was third; George Washington was fourth; and Benjamin Franklin was fifth.
In an interview done during the live broadcast revealing the Number One, even Reagan's son Ron said his dad would have voted for Lincoln. Get a clue, all you people who voted for Reagan. In fact, take two. They're small.
Let's reprise "One of These Things is Not Like the Others," shall we?
Reagan does most emphatically NOT belong anywhere in the top 5, let alone at Number 1.
Why? Well, there's Iran-Contra, for starters. There's also my argument that he didn't really end the Cold War. Besides, even if he did, the consequences for us have not been universally good, now, have they? Remember, there had not been any 9/11s while the USSR kept the lid on the fanatics in the Middle East. We should have let the USSR keep doing the dirty work. It would have saved us several thousand young American lives, among other things.
There's also the simple fact that Reagan was a Grade B actor delivering his lines, and not really a leader. He didn't want to move the country forward. He wanted to go backwards, and boy, have we been paying for it ever since. He dreamed of a WWII-era America, where no one could question that we were the good guys, and battleships ruled the waves, and Norman Rockwell was a realist, not an idealist. That world vanished a long time ago (if it ever really existed at all), and there is no bringing it back.
Now JFK was a leader. "Ask not . . .," the Peace Corps, and the space program are ample examples. Reagan was everybody's easygoing grandpa. I, for one, was energized by Kennedy's vision for the country. But I wanted to curl up into a ball and hide when forced to contemplate Reagan's. "Government is the problem, but we're making it even bigger at the same time we complain about it, so we are going in hock past our eyeballs. But isn't it good to be an American?" The hypocrisy and sheer stupidity of it still stun me.
Finally, and most telling of all: it's just too soon after Reagan's presidency to judge. As recently as the 1940s, American History courses stopped at the year 1877. Anything more recent was considered not history, but political science (if that). History needs time to render its final judgments. I would say we are just now getting far enough away from JFK's 1000 days to be able to evaluate his presidency properly. Reagan's administration is much too near in time to get more than the forementioned political-science-type treatment.
Reagan's selection as the Number One "Greatest American" actually proves the point. Americans have notoriously short attention spans. Enough of them remembered Reagan to vote for him based on his having been around during their lifetimes. In the broadcast that announced the top 5 candidates, at least one woman complained that the top 5 were all dead. ("Now there's someone with a keen grasp of history," she said, sarcastically.) The woman eventually threw her support to Reagan, illustrating my point: he was alive in her lifetime, and that is what mattered to her, so she voted for him.
Besides, the whole thing most probably was rigged to begin with. One allegedly could vote up to 3 times per mechanism PER WEEK for one's choice. By the Discovery Channel's own terms, I should have been able to vote again ON the 26th . . . but every time I tried, I was locked out; this at the very moment Matt Lauer was saying that the polls were still open. I smell a big rat.
But it doesn't really matter anyway. No one is taking this for any kind of scientific, or rational, or even reasonable, evaluation of the nominees. I mean, c'mon. We're talking about the same people who voted Elvis the # 8 all-time greatest American, and who wouldn't even list Duke Ellington in the top 100. It's disappointing to me because I always thought better of Americans in general than that. I should have listened to P.T. Barnum: no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. (By the way, which way to the egress?)
But the exercise does say a lot, and nothing good, about the state of education in America today. Apparently as long as all the children are limited to the same degree, no child is considered left behind. Scary.
It's also a very useful warning to anyone who expects to get the neocons out of office come the next election. They aren't going to be able to beat the neocons by saying "we're correct and you know it." About half the populace does NOT know it. The pols are going to have to come up with other tactics.
What those tactics might be, I have no idea.
Yes, I lost my lunch. I told you to have a barf bag at the ready. I know I did.
Abraham Lincoln finished second; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was third; George Washington was fourth; and Benjamin Franklin was fifth.
In an interview done during the live broadcast revealing the Number One, even Reagan's son Ron said his dad would have voted for Lincoln. Get a clue, all you people who voted for Reagan. In fact, take two. They're small.
Let's reprise "One of These Things is Not Like the Others," shall we?
Reagan does most emphatically NOT belong anywhere in the top 5, let alone at Number 1.
Why? Well, there's Iran-Contra, for starters. There's also my argument that he didn't really end the Cold War. Besides, even if he did, the consequences for us have not been universally good, now, have they? Remember, there had not been any 9/11s while the USSR kept the lid on the fanatics in the Middle East. We should have let the USSR keep doing the dirty work. It would have saved us several thousand young American lives, among other things.
There's also the simple fact that Reagan was a Grade B actor delivering his lines, and not really a leader. He didn't want to move the country forward. He wanted to go backwards, and boy, have we been paying for it ever since. He dreamed of a WWII-era America, where no one could question that we were the good guys, and battleships ruled the waves, and Norman Rockwell was a realist, not an idealist. That world vanished a long time ago (if it ever really existed at all), and there is no bringing it back.
Now JFK was a leader. "Ask not . . .," the Peace Corps, and the space program are ample examples. Reagan was everybody's easygoing grandpa. I, for one, was energized by Kennedy's vision for the country. But I wanted to curl up into a ball and hide when forced to contemplate Reagan's. "Government is the problem, but we're making it even bigger at the same time we complain about it, so we are going in hock past our eyeballs. But isn't it good to be an American?" The hypocrisy and sheer stupidity of it still stun me.
Finally, and most telling of all: it's just too soon after Reagan's presidency to judge. As recently as the 1940s, American History courses stopped at the year 1877. Anything more recent was considered not history, but political science (if that). History needs time to render its final judgments. I would say we are just now getting far enough away from JFK's 1000 days to be able to evaluate his presidency properly. Reagan's administration is much too near in time to get more than the forementioned political-science-type treatment.
Reagan's selection as the Number One "Greatest American" actually proves the point. Americans have notoriously short attention spans. Enough of them remembered Reagan to vote for him based on his having been around during their lifetimes. In the broadcast that announced the top 5 candidates, at least one woman complained that the top 5 were all dead. ("Now there's someone with a keen grasp of history," she said, sarcastically.) The woman eventually threw her support to Reagan, illustrating my point: he was alive in her lifetime, and that is what mattered to her, so she voted for him.
Besides, the whole thing most probably was rigged to begin with. One allegedly could vote up to 3 times per mechanism PER WEEK for one's choice. By the Discovery Channel's own terms, I should have been able to vote again ON the 26th . . . but every time I tried, I was locked out; this at the very moment Matt Lauer was saying that the polls were still open. I smell a big rat.
But it doesn't really matter anyway. No one is taking this for any kind of scientific, or rational, or even reasonable, evaluation of the nominees. I mean, c'mon. We're talking about the same people who voted Elvis the # 8 all-time greatest American, and who wouldn't even list Duke Ellington in the top 100. It's disappointing to me because I always thought better of Americans in general than that. I should have listened to P.T. Barnum: no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. (By the way, which way to the egress?)
But the exercise does say a lot, and nothing good, about the state of education in America today. Apparently as long as all the children are limited to the same degree, no child is considered left behind. Scary.
It's also a very useful warning to anyone who expects to get the neocons out of office come the next election. They aren't going to be able to beat the neocons by saying "we're correct and you know it." About half the populace does NOT know it. The pols are going to have to come up with other tactics.
What those tactics might be, I have no idea.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
My Brain Hurts!
Miscellany from the files inside my head:
I am still trying to recover from Nebraska's elimination from the College World Series. They lost on Tuesday to Arizona State, 8 to 7, in 11 innings, in a game that ESPN rightfully considers worthy of being an "Instant Classic." Lead changes, errors, dramatic three-run homers, strange decisions to steal, dropped foul balls, dramatic catches and other defensive gems . . . this game had enough excitement to replace any number of Viagra prescriptions.
My own take on why Nebraska lost is simple: they had a lot to play for; they were ranked # 3 in the nation coming into the CWS; and after previous CWS appearances both were 0-for-2 and out (also known as "oh-for-two-and barbeque"), they knew expectations were high. They didn't want to let the home state crowds down. So they were nervous, and they played like it. But they did beat Arizona State once before going down in flames to Florida then losing to ASU in the elimination game rematch.
[Just an aside: I still don't think I like this twin bracket, modified double elimination format. I much prefer the traditional round-robin double elimination, because then you didn't have to play the same team every other time you turned around. I do understand why the format was changed . . . the needs of TV. TV people must schedule with some certainty, and the old format could let things go on way too long for their abilities to plan. At least this way, we know for sure how long the CWS will last and when (w/in a 48-hour time frame) the final game will be played.--Ed.]
Arizona State, on the other hand, was not even ranked in the top 25 nationally coming into the CWS; they had nothing to lose and could play as loose as they needed to win. They are playing Florida right now in a rematch of yesterday's game to see which of them goes on to play Texas in the best of 3 Championship Series.
In watching the CWS, however, I missed the telecast of the American Film Institute's top 100 film lines of all time. I did see the list in the paper. I am pleasantly surprised to admit that with only 1 or 2 or maybe 3 exceptions, I had no quarrel with what was on the list . . . though I might have adjusted the rankings of some of them. Ferinstance: I think "You're going to need a bigger boat," from Jaws, should have been higher than # 35. I also think "Gentlemen! You can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" from Dr. Strangelove should have been much higher than # 64.
Oh, well. That's what makes all this list-making fun . . . debating the results.
Some friends have suggested that I start posting info about the books I am reading. I am taking that under advisement. Apparently people are reading this thing, even if they aren't posting comments. But I'd really like to see some comments! I started this not just to rant my rants, but to get some intelligent dialogues going. Agree w/ me, disagree w/ me, have suggestions for me--I don't care what you post as comments--just please post some comments!
Finally, don't forget to watch the Discovery Channel Sunday, the 26th, to find out who got voted as "The Greatest American." Keep a barf bag by your chair, just in case.
I am still trying to recover from Nebraska's elimination from the College World Series. They lost on Tuesday to Arizona State, 8 to 7, in 11 innings, in a game that ESPN rightfully considers worthy of being an "Instant Classic." Lead changes, errors, dramatic three-run homers, strange decisions to steal, dropped foul balls, dramatic catches and other defensive gems . . . this game had enough excitement to replace any number of Viagra prescriptions.
My own take on why Nebraska lost is simple: they had a lot to play for; they were ranked # 3 in the nation coming into the CWS; and after previous CWS appearances both were 0-for-2 and out (also known as "oh-for-two-and barbeque"), they knew expectations were high. They didn't want to let the home state crowds down. So they were nervous, and they played like it. But they did beat Arizona State once before going down in flames to Florida then losing to ASU in the elimination game rematch.
[Just an aside: I still don't think I like this twin bracket, modified double elimination format. I much prefer the traditional round-robin double elimination, because then you didn't have to play the same team every other time you turned around. I do understand why the format was changed . . . the needs of TV. TV people must schedule with some certainty, and the old format could let things go on way too long for their abilities to plan. At least this way, we know for sure how long the CWS will last and when (w/in a 48-hour time frame) the final game will be played.--Ed.]
Arizona State, on the other hand, was not even ranked in the top 25 nationally coming into the CWS; they had nothing to lose and could play as loose as they needed to win. They are playing Florida right now in a rematch of yesterday's game to see which of them goes on to play Texas in the best of 3 Championship Series.
In watching the CWS, however, I missed the telecast of the American Film Institute's top 100 film lines of all time. I did see the list in the paper. I am pleasantly surprised to admit that with only 1 or 2 or maybe 3 exceptions, I had no quarrel with what was on the list . . . though I might have adjusted the rankings of some of them. Ferinstance: I think "You're going to need a bigger boat," from Jaws, should have been higher than # 35. I also think "Gentlemen! You can't fight in here! This is the War Room!" from Dr. Strangelove should have been much higher than # 64.
Oh, well. That's what makes all this list-making fun . . . debating the results.
Some friends have suggested that I start posting info about the books I am reading. I am taking that under advisement. Apparently people are reading this thing, even if they aren't posting comments. But I'd really like to see some comments! I started this not just to rant my rants, but to get some intelligent dialogues going. Agree w/ me, disagree w/ me, have suggestions for me--I don't care what you post as comments--just please post some comments!
Finally, don't forget to watch the Discovery Channel Sunday, the 26th, to find out who got voted as "The Greatest American." Keep a barf bag by your chair, just in case.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
The Discovery Channel's Greatest American: Update
Well, it's now down to the top 5 in the Discovery Channel's search for "the Greatest American."
In alphabetical order, the top 5 are: Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and George Washington.
Everybody sing along: "One of these things is not like the others, . . ."
Dubya was said to be # 6. Gag me with a spoon!
Elvis was in the top 10 . . . and Walt Disney was ranked way ahead of John F. Kennedy in the top 25.
As I said earlier, many people do not seem to grasp the concept of "greatness." They're voting for some personal favorite, not for whom has done the most good for America. There is no other reason for Dubya to be anywhere on the top 100, and certainly no reason for Ronald McD--oops! I mean--Reagan to be in the top 5.
After all, Ann Coulter is defending both of them. Res ipsa loquitur.
In any event, the phone numbers with which you can vote (up to three times per week) have changed. To vote for Lincoln, call (toll free) 1-866-669-3103.
You can also vote online. Go to www.aol.com/greatestamerican and click just beneath Lincoln's picture. You can cast up to 3 votes per week by this method in addition to your telephone votes.
You can also get information at that web site on how to vote (again, up to 3 times per week in addition to the other methods) via text messaging. I am afraid I do not have a phone that text messages, so I neglected that. Mea culpa!
This is important, everyone--don't let the idiots and ideologues have their way. Cast serious votes for a proper candidate!
The final results are to be tabulated and revealed live on the Discovery Channel next Sunday, June 26th, at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central time.
Remember: vote early, and often!
In alphabetical order, the top 5 are: Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and George Washington.
Everybody sing along: "One of these things is not like the others, . . ."
Dubya was said to be # 6. Gag me with a spoon!
Elvis was in the top 10 . . . and Walt Disney was ranked way ahead of John F. Kennedy in the top 25.
As I said earlier, many people do not seem to grasp the concept of "greatness." They're voting for some personal favorite, not for whom has done the most good for America. There is no other reason for Dubya to be anywhere on the top 100, and certainly no reason for Ronald McD--oops! I mean--Reagan to be in the top 5.
After all, Ann Coulter is defending both of them. Res ipsa loquitur.
In any event, the phone numbers with which you can vote (up to three times per week) have changed. To vote for Lincoln, call (toll free) 1-866-669-3103.
You can also vote online. Go to www.aol.com/greatestamerican and click just beneath Lincoln's picture. You can cast up to 3 votes per week by this method in addition to your telephone votes.
You can also get information at that web site on how to vote (again, up to 3 times per week in addition to the other methods) via text messaging. I am afraid I do not have a phone that text messages, so I neglected that. Mea culpa!
This is important, everyone--don't let the idiots and ideologues have their way. Cast serious votes for a proper candidate!
The final results are to be tabulated and revealed live on the Discovery Channel next Sunday, June 26th, at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central time.
Remember: vote early, and often!
Thursday, June 16, 2005
A Correction (With A Caveat), A Postscript, And A Bit Of Foolishness
A Correction
Terri Schiavo's autopsy results show extensive brain atrophy from the lack of oxygen her brain suffered some 14 years ago, according to the medical examiner's report released yesterday. The report interprets this to mean that no amount of therapy could have helped her, seeming to vindicate her husband in his efforts to "let her die in peace."
OK, so I was wrong when I interpreted the video of Terri showing what seemed to be awareness and purposeful movement.
But I still say it was wrong to starve and dehydrate her to death. It was unnecessarily cruel. Every human will die without food and water, so withholding food and water is heinous in any circumstance where the person is otherwise alive. While I was wrong about Terri's prognosis, I maintain I was right to protest the means of her death.
A Postscript
The Bellevue Public Schools Board of Education announced at its most recent Monday meeting that it's sending a letter to College World Series, Inc., to get CWS to let the tournament teams come back to practice at BPS facilities.
Essentially, the Board of Ed. is pleading like a dog w/ its tail between its legs to get CWS to forgive its attempt to extort money from CWS this year by demanding outrageous fees for use of BPS facilities.
And oh, by the way, any grants CWS wants to give BPS for use of the facilities in 2006 and beyond will be accepted gratefully.
The motion to send the letter was passed unanimously by the Board; the letter will be signed by both the President of the Board of Education and by the Superintendent of the Bellevue Public Schools.
One of the Board of Ed. members said of its previous actions this year regarding the CWS, "I think we've been misunderstood and miscommunicated."
What's to misunderstand? As I said in a previous post, the Board tried a bit of legal extortion, got caught, and is now frantically backpedalling to undo the damage its greed caused.
But BPS is still money-grubbing; the Superintendent said BPS would in any event incur extra expenses in connection with the CWS and that the community of Bellevue should help raise the funds to offset those expenses. (This after the Mayor said "no, thank you" to BPS's suggestion that the City pay BPS the exhorbitant $10,000 per facility fee BPS initially tried to get from CWS, Inc.)
The Superintedent's position would be a lot more credible if he could state it without revealing the dollar signs in his eyes.
While I would very, very much like to see the CWS resume using BPS facilities for the tournament teams' practices, I also think it would serve BPS right if CWS never comes back.
A Bit Of Foolishness--Actually, Two Bits Of Foolishness
Bit the First: There's an alligator in Carter Lake! Carter Lake, for those who may not know, is an oxbow formed when the Missouri River changed course several decades ago; the surrounding community, also Carter Lake, is officially in Iowa though it's on the Nebraska side of the main river channel. (When the state borders were made official, Carter Lake was the main channel; after it became an oxbow, no one changed the status of the town as being in Iowa.)
Anyway, last week several fishermen discovered an alligator in the lake. Really. It's officially a 3-foot-long caiman; the informed speculation is that it was a pet that either escaped or was released when its owner tired of dealing with it. (Either way, it's illegal in both Carter Lake and Omaha to own such an animal and board it within city limits . . . unless you're the Zoo.)
No one is too worried. It may eat a few fish, but people and properly domesticated pets like dogs and cats are not at much risk. It won't survive the winter in any event, according to Dr. Lee Simmons, head of Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.
A humane trap was put out; the caiman was caught at one point and its jaws duct-taped shut . . . but it got away.
I do not know whether it freed itself from the duct tape; nor do I know whether further attempts have been made to recapture it. All I know is that I am not going swimming in Carter Lake in the foreseeable future.
Bit the Second: If I ever get a new (to me, at least) car, I must buy an Accord. I want to get personalized license plates that say "Fenry."
Get it? I'd then own the "Fenry Honda."
>>>ahem<<<
Terri Schiavo's autopsy results show extensive brain atrophy from the lack of oxygen her brain suffered some 14 years ago, according to the medical examiner's report released yesterday. The report interprets this to mean that no amount of therapy could have helped her, seeming to vindicate her husband in his efforts to "let her die in peace."
OK, so I was wrong when I interpreted the video of Terri showing what seemed to be awareness and purposeful movement.
But I still say it was wrong to starve and dehydrate her to death. It was unnecessarily cruel. Every human will die without food and water, so withholding food and water is heinous in any circumstance where the person is otherwise alive. While I was wrong about Terri's prognosis, I maintain I was right to protest the means of her death.
A Postscript
The Bellevue Public Schools Board of Education announced at its most recent Monday meeting that it's sending a letter to College World Series, Inc., to get CWS to let the tournament teams come back to practice at BPS facilities.
Essentially, the Board of Ed. is pleading like a dog w/ its tail between its legs to get CWS to forgive its attempt to extort money from CWS this year by demanding outrageous fees for use of BPS facilities.
And oh, by the way, any grants CWS wants to give BPS for use of the facilities in 2006 and beyond will be accepted gratefully.
The motion to send the letter was passed unanimously by the Board; the letter will be signed by both the President of the Board of Education and by the Superintendent of the Bellevue Public Schools.
One of the Board of Ed. members said of its previous actions this year regarding the CWS, "I think we've been misunderstood and miscommunicated."
What's to misunderstand? As I said in a previous post, the Board tried a bit of legal extortion, got caught, and is now frantically backpedalling to undo the damage its greed caused.
But BPS is still money-grubbing; the Superintendent said BPS would in any event incur extra expenses in connection with the CWS and that the community of Bellevue should help raise the funds to offset those expenses. (This after the Mayor said "no, thank you" to BPS's suggestion that the City pay BPS the exhorbitant $10,000 per facility fee BPS initially tried to get from CWS, Inc.)
The Superintedent's position would be a lot more credible if he could state it without revealing the dollar signs in his eyes.
While I would very, very much like to see the CWS resume using BPS facilities for the tournament teams' practices, I also think it would serve BPS right if CWS never comes back.
A Bit Of Foolishness--Actually, Two Bits Of Foolishness
Bit the First: There's an alligator in Carter Lake! Carter Lake, for those who may not know, is an oxbow formed when the Missouri River changed course several decades ago; the surrounding community, also Carter Lake, is officially in Iowa though it's on the Nebraska side of the main river channel. (When the state borders were made official, Carter Lake was the main channel; after it became an oxbow, no one changed the status of the town as being in Iowa.)
Anyway, last week several fishermen discovered an alligator in the lake. Really. It's officially a 3-foot-long caiman; the informed speculation is that it was a pet that either escaped or was released when its owner tired of dealing with it. (Either way, it's illegal in both Carter Lake and Omaha to own such an animal and board it within city limits . . . unless you're the Zoo.)
No one is too worried. It may eat a few fish, but people and properly domesticated pets like dogs and cats are not at much risk. It won't survive the winter in any event, according to Dr. Lee Simmons, head of Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.
A humane trap was put out; the caiman was caught at one point and its jaws duct-taped shut . . . but it got away.
I do not know whether it freed itself from the duct tape; nor do I know whether further attempts have been made to recapture it. All I know is that I am not going swimming in Carter Lake in the foreseeable future.
Bit the Second: If I ever get a new (to me, at least) car, I must buy an Accord. I want to get personalized license plates that say "Fenry."
Get it? I'd then own the "Fenry Honda."
>>>ahem<<<
Monday, June 13, 2005
California Criminal Court Conundrums, Part III
Michael Jackson was just acquitted on all 10 of the child-molestation-related charges against him.
Maybe he didn't do it, but as the Amish say, "It just doesn't look."
All that can be said with certainty is that he is not guilty--which is NOT to say that he is innocent [despite how it will be reported by the press, especially the print media--Ed.].
All that the verdicts mean is that the prosecution failed to prove its case to the jury "beyond a reasonable doubt." It doesn't even mean that the jury thinks Jackson didn't do it; it just means that the prosecution failed to convince the jury sufficiently that he did. In plain English, the DA botched the case.
[At least part of this is because the victim and his family looked like a bunch of money-grubbing extortionists . . . no one seems to care that even if they were, if Jackson did what they alleged, they were entitled to justice. Even a prostitute can say "No," and if she does but the guy proceeds anyway, it's still a rape.--Ed.]
Add this verdict to the Robert Blake and OJ Simpson verdicts, and you get a sum of poor prosecution of high-profile cases. I wonder when California DAs are going to realize that to succeed in high-profile cases, they'll have to be 100 times more thorough and careful than they'd have to be in a Joe Schmo case.
I also wonder whether the jury would have convicted Jackson if he had been Joe Schmo, and all other elements in the case were equal.
Not that any of this will matter in the popular media. There's going to be a great deal of spinning going on.
Batten down the hatches for a lot of talking head nonsense! And bring me a barf bag; I think I am going to be sick. I'm certain to be dizzy!
Maybe he didn't do it, but as the Amish say, "It just doesn't look."
All that can be said with certainty is that he is not guilty--which is NOT to say that he is innocent [despite how it will be reported by the press, especially the print media--Ed.].
All that the verdicts mean is that the prosecution failed to prove its case to the jury "beyond a reasonable doubt." It doesn't even mean that the jury thinks Jackson didn't do it; it just means that the prosecution failed to convince the jury sufficiently that he did. In plain English, the DA botched the case.
[At least part of this is because the victim and his family looked like a bunch of money-grubbing extortionists . . . no one seems to care that even if they were, if Jackson did what they alleged, they were entitled to justice. Even a prostitute can say "No," and if she does but the guy proceeds anyway, it's still a rape.--Ed.]
Add this verdict to the Robert Blake and OJ Simpson verdicts, and you get a sum of poor prosecution of high-profile cases. I wonder when California DAs are going to realize that to succeed in high-profile cases, they'll have to be 100 times more thorough and careful than they'd have to be in a Joe Schmo case.
I also wonder whether the jury would have convicted Jackson if he had been Joe Schmo, and all other elements in the case were equal.
Not that any of this will matter in the popular media. There's going to be a great deal of spinning going on.
Batten down the hatches for a lot of talking head nonsense! And bring me a barf bag; I think I am going to be sick. I'm certain to be dizzy!
Friday, June 10, 2005
On The Nature Of Greatness
I have to give it to the Discovery Channel: even when it ticks me off, it makes me think. I watched the first installment of "The Greatest American" last night, and I was appalled to see some of people included.
Actually, I should be mad not at the Discovery Channel, but at the bozos who voted some of the selectees onto the list.
In justifying my own ideas about who should not be on the list, however, I had to contemplate the nature of greatness itself. For too many people who voted, greatness seems to have more to do with being recently in the headlines or representative of some political point one wants to make--or of just being someone's favorite--than it has to do with real character or impact on the country as a whole.
It certainly is not the same as Time magazine's criterion for its Person of the Year. Time's editors require themselves to choose the person who, for good or for ill, has had the most impact on the world in the past year. Thus was Hitler selected, in 1937 I think.
Greatness is different. It necessarily implies a positive impact; the great American has done something to benefit the country and beyond that, the world, in a measurable and remarkable way.
Madonna, Michael Jackson, Brett Favre, Rush Limbaugh, and Michael Moore, among others, have all had massive effects on American society and culture . . . but those effects are not necessarily positive. They were all voted onto the Discovery Channel's list . . . none of them should have been.
Richard M. Nixon is quintessential. He'd have been an ideal Time Man of the Year, and he did do some important things, such as opening China and signing the Clean Air and Water Acts. But Watergate is his legacy. His total disregard for the true nature of our system of government and his utter disrespect for the US Constitution render him unfit to be considered a Great American.
Personal courage, dignity, and decency are all examples of American greatness in action, but I doubt anyone displaying these traits should be on the list just for showing grace under pressure. Lance Armstrong, for instance, is a man with a ton of grit, drive, competitiveness, and determination, not to mention skill and stamina . . . but is conquering his own case of cancer while winning 6 straight Tours de France enough to make him a candidate for Greatest American? I think not. His story is inspiring, but what has it done for America?
An aside: one person not on the list was Ernest Hemmingway. I am no fan of Hemmingway's work, but in my more raffish moments, I think he deserves to be on the list just because he inspired whomever first wrote: "Why did the chicken cross the road? To die. In the rain. Alone."
But that's just my sense of humor talking.
The other major question regarding the list is ranking. I find it very easy to name my own top two, and to name enough others to make for a sound list, but after the top two, ranking the others becomes impossible for me. Who can say, with comfort and certainty, that Edison belongs higher on the list than the Wright Brothers? Not I.
My top two are (1) Abraham Lincoln, and (2) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They both had stirring visions of what America could be, and they eloquently dragged the rest of the country along. Both were cut down for their efforts . . . and while martyrdom alone does not indicate greatness, it can indicate (by the way the country responds to an assassination) how deeply a person affected the country.
For that reason, I have no quarrel with either JFK or RFK also being on the list. And the eloquence thing means I have no quarrel with Mark Twain being on the list. The vision thing also justifies FDR's and Eleanor Roosevelt's both being on the list . . . and, I would argue, for adding Gene Roddenberry to the list (though at a lower ranking). He gave the nation a vision of a hopeful, decent, integrated, positive future in the original Star Trek that the country sorely needed at the time . . . and still does.
Thomas Edison clearly belongs on the list, just because I wouldn't be sitting here, doing this, if not for what others were able to build from his creations.
And Bill Gates does belong on the list, but more for what he has done with the ridiculous amounts of money he's made than how he made it. His and his wife's charitable foundation truly has bettered not just the country, but the world.
Ditto for Oprah Winfrey, who carries the additional cachet of being a superb role model for anyone.
Ditto for George Washington, who set the standard for the American Presidency: he would not become a king; nor would he serve more than two terms. Giving up power voluntarily is truly greatness in action.
But Martha Stewart? No way. Nor Henry Ford. No matter the effect their business empires have had on the country; they have personal shortcomings that disqualify them both. Likewise Charles Lindbergh.
Because to be a truly great American is not just to positively affect the course of America . . . it also has to do with personal decency. And for that reason, I can argue against JFK, Bill Clinton, and slave-holding Thomas Jefferson from being at the top of the list, even if I cannot keep them off it entirely.
Dubya? Not in a million years should he, his father, his mother, his wife, or anyone in his family be anywhere near the list, let alone on it. Why? If for no other reason, then try this: it is rightly said of the Bush family that its members are gracious--when they get their own way.
True greatness has a component requiring someone to be gracious especially when NOT getting his own way.
The Bushes seem to regard the country as their personal fiefdom and birthright, something they own, not something they serve. That's just wrong. And it should keep every last one of them off the list.
The Discovery Channel has fixed numbers 100-26. If you want to vote for the greatest amongst its top 25, go to www.aol.com/greatestamerican for details. You can also make a toll free call to 1-866-669-3117 to vote for Abraham Lincoln as the single greatest American.
Hey, I never claimed to be impartial!
Actually, I should be mad not at the Discovery Channel, but at the bozos who voted some of the selectees onto the list.
In justifying my own ideas about who should not be on the list, however, I had to contemplate the nature of greatness itself. For too many people who voted, greatness seems to have more to do with being recently in the headlines or representative of some political point one wants to make--or of just being someone's favorite--than it has to do with real character or impact on the country as a whole.
It certainly is not the same as Time magazine's criterion for its Person of the Year. Time's editors require themselves to choose the person who, for good or for ill, has had the most impact on the world in the past year. Thus was Hitler selected, in 1937 I think.
Greatness is different. It necessarily implies a positive impact; the great American has done something to benefit the country and beyond that, the world, in a measurable and remarkable way.
Madonna, Michael Jackson, Brett Favre, Rush Limbaugh, and Michael Moore, among others, have all had massive effects on American society and culture . . . but those effects are not necessarily positive. They were all voted onto the Discovery Channel's list . . . none of them should have been.
Richard M. Nixon is quintessential. He'd have been an ideal Time Man of the Year, and he did do some important things, such as opening China and signing the Clean Air and Water Acts. But Watergate is his legacy. His total disregard for the true nature of our system of government and his utter disrespect for the US Constitution render him unfit to be considered a Great American.
Personal courage, dignity, and decency are all examples of American greatness in action, but I doubt anyone displaying these traits should be on the list just for showing grace under pressure. Lance Armstrong, for instance, is a man with a ton of grit, drive, competitiveness, and determination, not to mention skill and stamina . . . but is conquering his own case of cancer while winning 6 straight Tours de France enough to make him a candidate for Greatest American? I think not. His story is inspiring, but what has it done for America?
An aside: one person not on the list was Ernest Hemmingway. I am no fan of Hemmingway's work, but in my more raffish moments, I think he deserves to be on the list just because he inspired whomever first wrote: "Why did the chicken cross the road? To die. In the rain. Alone."
But that's just my sense of humor talking.
The other major question regarding the list is ranking. I find it very easy to name my own top two, and to name enough others to make for a sound list, but after the top two, ranking the others becomes impossible for me. Who can say, with comfort and certainty, that Edison belongs higher on the list than the Wright Brothers? Not I.
My top two are (1) Abraham Lincoln, and (2) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They both had stirring visions of what America could be, and they eloquently dragged the rest of the country along. Both were cut down for their efforts . . . and while martyrdom alone does not indicate greatness, it can indicate (by the way the country responds to an assassination) how deeply a person affected the country.
For that reason, I have no quarrel with either JFK or RFK also being on the list. And the eloquence thing means I have no quarrel with Mark Twain being on the list. The vision thing also justifies FDR's and Eleanor Roosevelt's both being on the list . . . and, I would argue, for adding Gene Roddenberry to the list (though at a lower ranking). He gave the nation a vision of a hopeful, decent, integrated, positive future in the original Star Trek that the country sorely needed at the time . . . and still does.
Thomas Edison clearly belongs on the list, just because I wouldn't be sitting here, doing this, if not for what others were able to build from his creations.
And Bill Gates does belong on the list, but more for what he has done with the ridiculous amounts of money he's made than how he made it. His and his wife's charitable foundation truly has bettered not just the country, but the world.
Ditto for Oprah Winfrey, who carries the additional cachet of being a superb role model for anyone.
Ditto for George Washington, who set the standard for the American Presidency: he would not become a king; nor would he serve more than two terms. Giving up power voluntarily is truly greatness in action.
But Martha Stewart? No way. Nor Henry Ford. No matter the effect their business empires have had on the country; they have personal shortcomings that disqualify them both. Likewise Charles Lindbergh.
Because to be a truly great American is not just to positively affect the course of America . . . it also has to do with personal decency. And for that reason, I can argue against JFK, Bill Clinton, and slave-holding Thomas Jefferson from being at the top of the list, even if I cannot keep them off it entirely.
Dubya? Not in a million years should he, his father, his mother, his wife, or anyone in his family be anywhere near the list, let alone on it. Why? If for no other reason, then try this: it is rightly said of the Bush family that its members are gracious--when they get their own way.
True greatness has a component requiring someone to be gracious especially when NOT getting his own way.
The Bushes seem to regard the country as their personal fiefdom and birthright, something they own, not something they serve. That's just wrong. And it should keep every last one of them off the list.
The Discovery Channel has fixed numbers 100-26. If you want to vote for the greatest amongst its top 25, go to www.aol.com/greatestamerican for details. You can also make a toll free call to 1-866-669-3117 to vote for Abraham Lincoln as the single greatest American.
Hey, I never claimed to be impartial!
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Bellevue Been Bery, Bery Bad To Beisbol
Or, Still More Local Governmental Greed, Ineptitude, And Folly Offered For Your Consideration And Edification
As anyone reading this [IS anyone reading this?-Ed.] probably knows, Omaha hosts one of the most fun NCAA tournaments every year, to wit: The College World Series. As part of the annual festivities, the participating teams use area high school baseball fields for practice. It's a win-win: it's fun for the players to get to know the community to which they've come, the fans get to watch some of the best college baseball there is (even if they can't make it to the actual games), and the kids get to collect autographs and otherwise dream big dreams.
For the past twenty or so years, Bellevue Public Schools has offered its facilities. In return, CWS, Inc., which runs the College World Series for the NCAA, has made donations of varying amounts (from $0 one year to $10,000 in another) to BPS as an offset for the additional wear and tear on the local facilities that their extra use entails.
This year, however, some idiot in BPS decided to REQUIRE a $10,000 fee per location from CWS, Inc., for the teams to use Bellevue's facilities. CWS, Inc., quite rightly, said, "Hasta la vista, Baby." The College World Series teams this year will practice way out west, in Millard.
So Bellevue has lost another thing that made living here special. Real bright, BPS! (Just what is it about holding a position in government that makes some people lose the few brain cells they had to begin with, anyway?)
In a lame attempt to limit the damage, Superintendent of BPS John Deegan has proposed a 10-year contract between the city, BPS, and CWS, Inc. The city will pick up the $10,000 per field cost of providing the facilities. CWS, Inc., will resume using Bellevue facilities for the annual two-week event. And if CWS, Inc., awards any grants for use of the facilities, that money will go to BPS.
This is not going to work, nor even help.
For one thing, CWS, Inc., will never agree to a 10-year term. The NCAA extends Omaha's contract for the College World Series itself on a 3-to-5-year term, max. And that's even though Omaha has hosted the thing since its inception back in the 1940s. (I mean, come on; the theme song for the tournament is "Back Home In Omaha.") Furthermore, Bellevue Mayor Jerry Ryan isn't really keen on the idea. He correctly thinks that BPS should just pick up the added expense of letting the CWS teams practice in Bellevue because of the inherent value to the community in doing so.
All I can say is that BPS stupidy and greedily tried a bit of legal extortion, got called on it, and now we've probably lost CWS, Inc.'s goodwill forever. Not to mention the loss of the delight of participating in a unique aspect of the College World Series. Not to mention the added inconvenience to the tournament players--most of them stay in downtown Omaha hotels due to their proximity to Rosenblatt Stadium, the tournament site. Practicing in Bellevue was much closer than will be practicing out in Millard. Given the weather we've had lately, if I were a CWS player, I'd not want to have to spend an extra 40 minutes or more per day on a non-air-conditioned bus going out to practice if I didn't have to do so.
I hope everyone else in Bellevue is as disgusted as I am by this entire mess. Judging from the editorial column in this week's Bellevue Leader, and judging from the published letters to the editor of both the Leader and the Omaha World-Herald, I think they are. I don't know that that will do any good for Bellevue's chances of again getting to provide the CWS practice locations, but at least it means people are paying attention to their local government's follies.
As anyone reading this [IS anyone reading this?-Ed.] probably knows, Omaha hosts one of the most fun NCAA tournaments every year, to wit: The College World Series. As part of the annual festivities, the participating teams use area high school baseball fields for practice. It's a win-win: it's fun for the players to get to know the community to which they've come, the fans get to watch some of the best college baseball there is (even if they can't make it to the actual games), and the kids get to collect autographs and otherwise dream big dreams.
For the past twenty or so years, Bellevue Public Schools has offered its facilities. In return, CWS, Inc., which runs the College World Series for the NCAA, has made donations of varying amounts (from $0 one year to $10,000 in another) to BPS as an offset for the additional wear and tear on the local facilities that their extra use entails.
This year, however, some idiot in BPS decided to REQUIRE a $10,000 fee per location from CWS, Inc., for the teams to use Bellevue's facilities. CWS, Inc., quite rightly, said, "Hasta la vista, Baby." The College World Series teams this year will practice way out west, in Millard.
So Bellevue has lost another thing that made living here special. Real bright, BPS! (Just what is it about holding a position in government that makes some people lose the few brain cells they had to begin with, anyway?)
In a lame attempt to limit the damage, Superintendent of BPS John Deegan has proposed a 10-year contract between the city, BPS, and CWS, Inc. The city will pick up the $10,000 per field cost of providing the facilities. CWS, Inc., will resume using Bellevue facilities for the annual two-week event. And if CWS, Inc., awards any grants for use of the facilities, that money will go to BPS.
This is not going to work, nor even help.
For one thing, CWS, Inc., will never agree to a 10-year term. The NCAA extends Omaha's contract for the College World Series itself on a 3-to-5-year term, max. And that's even though Omaha has hosted the thing since its inception back in the 1940s. (I mean, come on; the theme song for the tournament is "Back Home In Omaha.") Furthermore, Bellevue Mayor Jerry Ryan isn't really keen on the idea. He correctly thinks that BPS should just pick up the added expense of letting the CWS teams practice in Bellevue because of the inherent value to the community in doing so.
All I can say is that BPS stupidy and greedily tried a bit of legal extortion, got called on it, and now we've probably lost CWS, Inc.'s goodwill forever. Not to mention the loss of the delight of participating in a unique aspect of the College World Series. Not to mention the added inconvenience to the tournament players--most of them stay in downtown Omaha hotels due to their proximity to Rosenblatt Stadium, the tournament site. Practicing in Bellevue was much closer than will be practicing out in Millard. Given the weather we've had lately, if I were a CWS player, I'd not want to have to spend an extra 40 minutes or more per day on a non-air-conditioned bus going out to practice if I didn't have to do so.
I hope everyone else in Bellevue is as disgusted as I am by this entire mess. Judging from the editorial column in this week's Bellevue Leader, and judging from the published letters to the editor of both the Leader and the Omaha World-Herald, I think they are. I don't know that that will do any good for Bellevue's chances of again getting to provide the CWS practice locations, but at least it means people are paying attention to their local government's follies.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Oops! I Did It . . .
In a recent posting [I Didn't Know Indiana Had A Wine Industry--Ed.], I mentioned that there was no longer a separate women's professional bowlers' tour. I swear I got the idea from what an ESPN announcer said. However, last night ESPN televised a WIBC match play final, so I surmise my earlier assertion was in error.
The correct situation seems to be this: the men's professional bowlers' tour has eliminated the "men only" restriction from its tournament rules. Any woman pro bowler who so wishes may compete in a PBA event against the men, and if she makes the TV finals, so much the better. But the women's tour still exists as a separate entity.
I apologize for any confusion my earlier confusion may have caused. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
The correct situation seems to be this: the men's professional bowlers' tour has eliminated the "men only" restriction from its tournament rules. Any woman pro bowler who so wishes may compete in a PBA event against the men, and if she makes the TV finals, so much the better. But the women's tour still exists as a separate entity.
I apologize for any confusion my earlier confusion may have caused. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!
Saturday, June 04, 2005
One Less Mystery Of Life
Former FBI Deputy Director W. Mark Felt has been identified as "Deep Throat," the mysterious anonymous source of much of the Washington Post's information used to unravel Watergate. He almost single-handedly saved this country from President Nixon's obsessive desire to control all aspects of our federal government and trample the US Constitution into dust.
Nevertheless, some of Nixon's old cronies are trying to trash Mr. Felt and the service he did for his country. Pat Buchanan, for one, claims that Nixon was brought down by "a snake in the FBI." Excuse me, Mr. Buchanan, but Nixon was brought down by his own illegal acts. It's not like Felt could have gone through channels to report what he knew--his superiors, FBI Director L. Patric Gray and Attorney General John Mitchell, both were implicated in Watergate themselves.
Charles Colson and G. Gordon Liddy, who both served time for their actions connected to Watergate, complain that Felt is just trying to make money and "violated law enforcement ethics." Talk about pots calling kettles black! They both have made lucrative livings by trading on their Watergate infamy . . . and Liddy, who engineered the 1972 break-in at the Democratic Party's National HQ in the Watergate building, has no business at all complaining about someone who violates law enforcement ethics. Breaking the law is far worse than violating ethics, especially when the violation results in justice being done: i.e., that the lawbreakers are found out and punished.
Some question Felt's motives. They claim he did what he did out of bitterness. He was passed over in favor of Gray to be FBI director when J. Edgar Hoover died. However, it's not like he made up what he told Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein. Even if he was bitter, and even if his bitterness prompted any part of his actions, he was telling the truth.
As a rule, I do not believe in the "either/or" scenario. To ask the question "was Felt a hero or a villain?" is improperly to limit the terms of the debate. There are normally more than two sides to any issue.
For those who insist on framing the debate as an "either/or" question, however, I for one will come down firmly on the side of Felt as hero. Who cares what his motives were? He did the right thing for the country when the country desparately needed it.
Nevertheless, some of Nixon's old cronies are trying to trash Mr. Felt and the service he did for his country. Pat Buchanan, for one, claims that Nixon was brought down by "a snake in the FBI." Excuse me, Mr. Buchanan, but Nixon was brought down by his own illegal acts. It's not like Felt could have gone through channels to report what he knew--his superiors, FBI Director L. Patric Gray and Attorney General John Mitchell, both were implicated in Watergate themselves.
Charles Colson and G. Gordon Liddy, who both served time for their actions connected to Watergate, complain that Felt is just trying to make money and "violated law enforcement ethics." Talk about pots calling kettles black! They both have made lucrative livings by trading on their Watergate infamy . . . and Liddy, who engineered the 1972 break-in at the Democratic Party's National HQ in the Watergate building, has no business at all complaining about someone who violates law enforcement ethics. Breaking the law is far worse than violating ethics, especially when the violation results in justice being done: i.e., that the lawbreakers are found out and punished.
Some question Felt's motives. They claim he did what he did out of bitterness. He was passed over in favor of Gray to be FBI director when J. Edgar Hoover died. However, it's not like he made up what he told Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein. Even if he was bitter, and even if his bitterness prompted any part of his actions, he was telling the truth.
As a rule, I do not believe in the "either/or" scenario. To ask the question "was Felt a hero or a villain?" is improperly to limit the terms of the debate. There are normally more than two sides to any issue.
For those who insist on framing the debate as an "either/or" question, however, I for one will come down firmly on the side of Felt as hero. Who cares what his motives were? He did the right thing for the country when the country desparately needed it.
No Wonder People Are Fed Up! Or, State and Local Governmental Incompetence, Part 2
I see that Gov. Heineman chose the Chimney Rock design for the upcoming Nebraska state quarter.
Great. Not only does it represent people passing through on their way to somewhere else; not only is it a total stereotype; it's also drawn so that the covered wagon is going the wrong way. So it's not only a cliche, it's embarrassing!
Gov. Heineman had a chance to do something truly impressive and select the Standing Bear design--he had a chance to show the rest of the country something about Nebraska that they probably didn't know, but should--but he copped out to his western Congressional 3rd District constituency, and foisted a worn out stereotype on us all. He denied that politics influenced his decision. The only reason he'd have to take the initiative to deny that, however, is if it were true in the first place.
Not that the westward migration was not important. We all know it was. But why settle for the story everyone knows when one could do something truly edifying and enlightening?
If it is true that people get the government they deserve, we are being punished, big time.
Further confirmation: the Bellevue City Planning Commission just denied the request of a local restaurant to relocate 1 block east of its present location. "That's Amore," a delightful pizza and pasta restaurant, and a great success in its 18 months of operation [They have a pizza called "The Pick of the Prince," with alfredo sauce, fresh basil and spinach, ham and feta cheese, that is heavenly--Ed.], right now is located in a little strip mall. Its back door is less than 50 feet away from the back side of a local Baptist church, which means the restaurant cannot have a liquor license under state laws and regulations.
The members of the church said they had no problem with That's Amore getting a liquor license. There is no provision for exemption from the 50' requirement under the law, however. The restauranteurs wanted the license to be able to serve wine with pasta and beer with pizza, not so they could foist a lot of drunks on the city. So moving just far enough away from the church to comply with the 50' limit seemed an obvious solution. But by moving 1 block east of its present location, That's Amore would be moving to a place with "inadequate parking" and closer to a residential area that would not like the added traffic flow and hassle the restaurant would bring.
The powers that be in this city are constantly whining about the need to revitalize Bellevue's historic "Olde Towne" business district . . . but every time a successful business wants to grow/expand/increase its success, the Planning Commission shoots it down.
What's up with that? Bellevue now has an official population of nearly 46,000, and it's still being run like a podunk town of 500 by an exceedingly parochial Planning Commission that wouldn't know a good idea if it bit them on their butts.
Willie is still in the world: what fools these mortals be!
Great. Not only does it represent people passing through on their way to somewhere else; not only is it a total stereotype; it's also drawn so that the covered wagon is going the wrong way. So it's not only a cliche, it's embarrassing!
Gov. Heineman had a chance to do something truly impressive and select the Standing Bear design--he had a chance to show the rest of the country something about Nebraska that they probably didn't know, but should--but he copped out to his western Congressional 3rd District constituency, and foisted a worn out stereotype on us all. He denied that politics influenced his decision. The only reason he'd have to take the initiative to deny that, however, is if it were true in the first place.
Not that the westward migration was not important. We all know it was. But why settle for the story everyone knows when one could do something truly edifying and enlightening?
If it is true that people get the government they deserve, we are being punished, big time.
Further confirmation: the Bellevue City Planning Commission just denied the request of a local restaurant to relocate 1 block east of its present location. "That's Amore," a delightful pizza and pasta restaurant, and a great success in its 18 months of operation [They have a pizza called "The Pick of the Prince," with alfredo sauce, fresh basil and spinach, ham and feta cheese, that is heavenly--Ed.], right now is located in a little strip mall. Its back door is less than 50 feet away from the back side of a local Baptist church, which means the restaurant cannot have a liquor license under state laws and regulations.
The members of the church said they had no problem with That's Amore getting a liquor license. There is no provision for exemption from the 50' requirement under the law, however. The restauranteurs wanted the license to be able to serve wine with pasta and beer with pizza, not so they could foist a lot of drunks on the city. So moving just far enough away from the church to comply with the 50' limit seemed an obvious solution. But by moving 1 block east of its present location, That's Amore would be moving to a place with "inadequate parking" and closer to a residential area that would not like the added traffic flow and hassle the restaurant would bring.
The powers that be in this city are constantly whining about the need to revitalize Bellevue's historic "Olde Towne" business district . . . but every time a successful business wants to grow/expand/increase its success, the Planning Commission shoots it down.
What's up with that? Bellevue now has an official population of nearly 46,000, and it's still being run like a podunk town of 500 by an exceedingly parochial Planning Commission that wouldn't know a good idea if it bit them on their butts.
Willie is still in the world: what fools these mortals be!
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
I Didn't Know Indiana Had A Wine Industry
Or is that a "whine" industry? There sure are a lot of sour grapes coming out of Indianapolis in the wake of Danica Patrick's wonderful 4th place finish in the Indy 500.
It seems a lot of the male drivers think Danica has an unfair advantage. She is so tiny that her car weighs less than theirs, which means she gets better fuel mileage and can run faster . . . so somehow her record-setting performance is not fair.
Right. I'll bet not a one of them ever complained about a smaller MALE driver having an unfair advantage. Besides, the race rules specifically take into account that drivers' weights will differ: the required maximum weight for the race car is specifically to be measured WITHOUT fuel or driver on board.
Furthermore, cars are not horses. I doubt we need a system to install lead weights into Indy cars to "equalize" the field. If we really wanted to make the field totally equal, we'd insist on all the cars being identical and all the drivers being of equal weight, age, experience, and so on. Silly. Variables are the entire point of the sport. Who squanders his/her advantage? Who overcomes his/her disadvantage? Those are the ingredients of competition. Those are the elements of the stories that make the events worth our time.
Besides, her being smaller makes for Danica having fewer physical resources on which to draw, which means she by definition will have less stamina . . . which should make the other, male drivers happy. The Indy 500 is as much a test of driver stamina as anything.
Let's face it: a lot of the male drivers are embarrassed and feel threatened by the fact that Danica did so very well in her first Indy 500 . . . better than most of them. When Anika Sorenstam competed last year in a male PGA event, a lot of the male golfers carped about her presence there, too.
And yet the Women's Pro Bowling tour has ceased to exist as a separate entity, and now the women compete directly against the men. And have even made the TV finals. I haven't heard the male bowlers griping. Egads! Does that mean that they are more enlightened than some of their fellows?
There is no real way to make the playing field perfectly level for everyone at every time. But when a sport relies more on skill and brain power than on brute strength, even though strength can be a component, there is no reason NOT to let the women compete at the same time on the same track.
So I say, "way to go, Danica!" Illegitimi non carbundum!
It seems a lot of the male drivers think Danica has an unfair advantage. She is so tiny that her car weighs less than theirs, which means she gets better fuel mileage and can run faster . . . so somehow her record-setting performance is not fair.
Right. I'll bet not a one of them ever complained about a smaller MALE driver having an unfair advantage. Besides, the race rules specifically take into account that drivers' weights will differ: the required maximum weight for the race car is specifically to be measured WITHOUT fuel or driver on board.
Furthermore, cars are not horses. I doubt we need a system to install lead weights into Indy cars to "equalize" the field. If we really wanted to make the field totally equal, we'd insist on all the cars being identical and all the drivers being of equal weight, age, experience, and so on. Silly. Variables are the entire point of the sport. Who squanders his/her advantage? Who overcomes his/her disadvantage? Those are the ingredients of competition. Those are the elements of the stories that make the events worth our time.
Besides, her being smaller makes for Danica having fewer physical resources on which to draw, which means she by definition will have less stamina . . . which should make the other, male drivers happy. The Indy 500 is as much a test of driver stamina as anything.
Let's face it: a lot of the male drivers are embarrassed and feel threatened by the fact that Danica did so very well in her first Indy 500 . . . better than most of them. When Anika Sorenstam competed last year in a male PGA event, a lot of the male golfers carped about her presence there, too.
And yet the Women's Pro Bowling tour has ceased to exist as a separate entity, and now the women compete directly against the men. And have even made the TV finals. I haven't heard the male bowlers griping. Egads! Does that mean that they are more enlightened than some of their fellows?
There is no real way to make the playing field perfectly level for everyone at every time. But when a sport relies more on skill and brain power than on brute strength, even though strength can be a component, there is no reason NOT to let the women compete at the same time on the same track.
So I say, "way to go, Danica!" Illegitimi non carbundum!
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Riddle Me This
I am saddened to learn of the recent deaths of Frank Gorshin, best known for his impressions (his Kirk Douglas was a gem) and his portrayal of "The Riddler" on the old Batman TV series, and of Thurl Ravenscroft, best known as the voice of "Tony the Tiger" and the man who sang "You're A Mean One, Mister Grinch" in the 1966 TV special "How The Grinch Stole Christmas."
Ravenscroft was born in Norfolk, NE, by the way. >>sigh<< Another great one gone.
It's weird how the strands of fate and history intertwine. I hope that Jim Carrey is lighting candles for both these eminent performers--after all, by playing The Riddler in a Batman movie, and the Grinch itself in that movie, he owes a lot to both of them.
*** *** *** *** ***
On the subject of riddles, here's a political one: when is a victory/compromise neither a victory nor a compromise?
When the "solution" does nothing to solve the problem. Witness the recent US Senate shenanigans, wherein 14 (7 GOP and & 7 Dems) senators agreed to let the entire Senate do an up-or-down vote on at least 3 of Dubya's judicial nominees in exchange for no filibusters (except under "extraordinary circumstances") nor use of the "nuclear option" to demolish the filibuster.
The truth be told, one man's "extraordinary circumstances" are another man's "walks in the park."
Besides, Senator Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader, has said the agreement doesn't apply to him. Furthermore, he's getting ready to use a filibuster to block Senate action on the House's proposal for expanded stem cell research funding.
Why aren't more people outraged at the blatant hypocricy of these people? "When you do it, it's bad and sinful and against the will of the people, but when I do it, it's a principled use of the reins of power" seems to be Frist's motto.
I would like to remind the GOP's extreme right and its supporters that (1) the judiciary is a co-equal, independent branch of the government, not some toy the winners get to play with. Furthermore, their argument that stalling Dubya's nominees is against the will of the majority is specious. Our entire system is set up to protect the minority from the will of the majority running roughshod over it. Doesn't anyone teach civics anymore? (2) What about the majority of the people who favor expanded funding for stem cell research?
It's no wonder so many people in this country do not vote. What's the point, when all you get for your trouble is partisan sniping and no genuine statesmanship?
Gads, I want to crawl under a rock and not come out!
*** *** *** *** ***
Have you seen the Burger King commercial wherein the Burger King and Darth Vader have a mask-to-mask staredown? A good friend of mine says the first thing he thought of was "Quien es mas macho?"
Please don't make me explain the reference; it will just remind me how old I am.
*** *** *** *** ***
Speaking of Burger King commercials . . . I was struck by conflicting emotions when I saw the one wherein Darth Vader tells the man who just won $1 million in the Burger King scratch-off game that Vader is his father . . . no, his uncle.
Believe me, I understand marketing ploys. And the commercial IS funny. But it is also sad, because we've taken one of the all-time great cinema bad guys and reduced him to a money-grubbing panderer. George Lucas, did you really need to OK this?
On the other hand, the dark chocolate M&Ms commercial, wherein Vader "convinces" Red and Yellow to go to the dark side, is extremely funny and entirely appropriate. The material is silly, but Vader does nothing out of character.
I have to put in my 2-cents'-worth and note that I didn't think either Star Wars Episode I or Episode II were as bad as a lot of the critics said. I have yet to see Episode III, but it looks good, entirely befitting the creation myth of the ultimate movie monster. Which in turn makes the monster's redemption in Episode VI all the more poignant.
I still get chills when I hear Darth Vader's theme in lento pianissimo pizzacato violin.
Ravenscroft was born in Norfolk, NE, by the way. >>sigh<< Another great one gone.
It's weird how the strands of fate and history intertwine. I hope that Jim Carrey is lighting candles for both these eminent performers--after all, by playing The Riddler in a Batman movie, and the Grinch itself in that movie, he owes a lot to both of them.
*** *** *** *** ***
On the subject of riddles, here's a political one: when is a victory/compromise neither a victory nor a compromise?
When the "solution" does nothing to solve the problem. Witness the recent US Senate shenanigans, wherein 14 (7 GOP and & 7 Dems) senators agreed to let the entire Senate do an up-or-down vote on at least 3 of Dubya's judicial nominees in exchange for no filibusters (except under "extraordinary circumstances") nor use of the "nuclear option" to demolish the filibuster.
The truth be told, one man's "extraordinary circumstances" are another man's "walks in the park."
Besides, Senator Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader, has said the agreement doesn't apply to him. Furthermore, he's getting ready to use a filibuster to block Senate action on the House's proposal for expanded stem cell research funding.
Why aren't more people outraged at the blatant hypocricy of these people? "When you do it, it's bad and sinful and against the will of the people, but when I do it, it's a principled use of the reins of power" seems to be Frist's motto.
I would like to remind the GOP's extreme right and its supporters that (1) the judiciary is a co-equal, independent branch of the government, not some toy the winners get to play with. Furthermore, their argument that stalling Dubya's nominees is against the will of the majority is specious. Our entire system is set up to protect the minority from the will of the majority running roughshod over it. Doesn't anyone teach civics anymore? (2) What about the majority of the people who favor expanded funding for stem cell research?
It's no wonder so many people in this country do not vote. What's the point, when all you get for your trouble is partisan sniping and no genuine statesmanship?
Gads, I want to crawl under a rock and not come out!
*** *** *** *** ***
Have you seen the Burger King commercial wherein the Burger King and Darth Vader have a mask-to-mask staredown? A good friend of mine says the first thing he thought of was "Quien es mas macho?"
Please don't make me explain the reference; it will just remind me how old I am.
*** *** *** *** ***
Speaking of Burger King commercials . . . I was struck by conflicting emotions when I saw the one wherein Darth Vader tells the man who just won $1 million in the Burger King scratch-off game that Vader is his father . . . no, his uncle.
Believe me, I understand marketing ploys. And the commercial IS funny. But it is also sad, because we've taken one of the all-time great cinema bad guys and reduced him to a money-grubbing panderer. George Lucas, did you really need to OK this?
On the other hand, the dark chocolate M&Ms commercial, wherein Vader "convinces" Red and Yellow to go to the dark side, is extremely funny and entirely appropriate. The material is silly, but Vader does nothing out of character.
I have to put in my 2-cents'-worth and note that I didn't think either Star Wars Episode I or Episode II were as bad as a lot of the critics said. I have yet to see Episode III, but it looks good, entirely befitting the creation myth of the ultimate movie monster. Which in turn makes the monster's redemption in Episode VI all the more poignant.
I still get chills when I hear Darth Vader's theme in lento pianissimo pizzacato violin.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Those Who Refuse To Learn--And Learn From--History Are Doomed To Repeat It
Dubya is at it again: ignoring Mark Twain's advice to keep his mouth shut and let everyone think he is an idiot rather than to open it and remove all doubt.
In his recent jaunt through the former USSR in honor of the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in WW II, Dubya insisted more than once that "America was at least partly responsible for the Soviet take-over of Eastern Europe," and that Franklin Roosevelt's acquiesence to Josef Stalin at Yalta was a shameful moment in US (and thus world) history.
I am sure I am not the only person to notice that Dubya got several facts wrong in his little paean to freedom. I do believe, however, that I am at least among the first to note certain similarities in Dubya's own behavior to FDR's . . . ones that have apparently escaped Dubya's own notice.
First, note that a lot of what Dubya said specifically about FDR can be explained by the neocon's article of faith that FDR was a traitor to his economic class. Thus, in the neocon world view, any chance to trash FDR, no matter how tenuous in reality, must be taken. Who cares that Dubya's comments were for international and not domestic consumption? FDR must be trashed!
Second, if FDR was guilty of anything at Yalta, it was the mistaken belief that since he'd established a personal relationship with Stalin, he could work with the man and curb some of Stalin's more egregious impulses. Of course, FDR had no idea he'd shortly be dead. He also was sick enough at Yalta (just look at the photos if you don't believe me) to miss the fact that Stalin was playing both him and Winston Churchill.
Except for the being physically ill part, Dubya's own behavior toward Vladimir Putin bears a striking resemblance to FDR's toward Stalin. And Putin's behavior has belied, time and again, Dubya's insistence that since he knows Putin and believes he can work with him, Dubya can "control" Putin's (and by extension, Russia's) tendency to excess.
Right. And I can fly without an airplane or illegal drugs.
Third, and finally, anyone who knows ANYTHING about Yalta and what the Big Three powers agreed to there knows that Stalin promised to ensure full and free elections for postwar governments in the countries of Eastern Europe.
Stalin reneged. Further, as a practical matter, the Soviet Army already occupied most of Eastern Europe, and to dislodge it would require a shooting war . . . something no one wanted as WW II was ending or in its aftermath.
[Which leads me to another of my pet theories, that maybe we in the West were collectively wrong in casting the USSR as pure, 100% unadulterated evil. After all, while the USSR controlled Eastern Europe and had alliances with most of the Arab states, it kept the lid on. No Kosovos happened under Soviet domination, for instance. Nor any terrorist attacks on US soil.
[We also have to remember that to live in a free society is to accept a certain amount of risk. You cannot have real freedom and at the same time be entirely free from the risk of terrorism. It is impossible to have 100% of both at the same time. Just another bit of reality that has escaped Dubya's notice.]
So to blame "America" for the woes of postwar Eastern Europe is wrong. And stupid. And typical of Dubya. Trashing FDR matters more to him than his stated goal of ensuring the spread of democracy worldwide.
What is Dubya going to do about North Korea, anyway?
In his recent jaunt through the former USSR in honor of the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in WW II, Dubya insisted more than once that "America was at least partly responsible for the Soviet take-over of Eastern Europe," and that Franklin Roosevelt's acquiesence to Josef Stalin at Yalta was a shameful moment in US (and thus world) history.
I am sure I am not the only person to notice that Dubya got several facts wrong in his little paean to freedom. I do believe, however, that I am at least among the first to note certain similarities in Dubya's own behavior to FDR's . . . ones that have apparently escaped Dubya's own notice.
First, note that a lot of what Dubya said specifically about FDR can be explained by the neocon's article of faith that FDR was a traitor to his economic class. Thus, in the neocon world view, any chance to trash FDR, no matter how tenuous in reality, must be taken. Who cares that Dubya's comments were for international and not domestic consumption? FDR must be trashed!
Second, if FDR was guilty of anything at Yalta, it was the mistaken belief that since he'd established a personal relationship with Stalin, he could work with the man and curb some of Stalin's more egregious impulses. Of course, FDR had no idea he'd shortly be dead. He also was sick enough at Yalta (just look at the photos if you don't believe me) to miss the fact that Stalin was playing both him and Winston Churchill.
Except for the being physically ill part, Dubya's own behavior toward Vladimir Putin bears a striking resemblance to FDR's toward Stalin. And Putin's behavior has belied, time and again, Dubya's insistence that since he knows Putin and believes he can work with him, Dubya can "control" Putin's (and by extension, Russia's) tendency to excess.
Right. And I can fly without an airplane or illegal drugs.
Third, and finally, anyone who knows ANYTHING about Yalta and what the Big Three powers agreed to there knows that Stalin promised to ensure full and free elections for postwar governments in the countries of Eastern Europe.
Stalin reneged. Further, as a practical matter, the Soviet Army already occupied most of Eastern Europe, and to dislodge it would require a shooting war . . . something no one wanted as WW II was ending or in its aftermath.
[Which leads me to another of my pet theories, that maybe we in the West were collectively wrong in casting the USSR as pure, 100% unadulterated evil. After all, while the USSR controlled Eastern Europe and had alliances with most of the Arab states, it kept the lid on. No Kosovos happened under Soviet domination, for instance. Nor any terrorist attacks on US soil.
[We also have to remember that to live in a free society is to accept a certain amount of risk. You cannot have real freedom and at the same time be entirely free from the risk of terrorism. It is impossible to have 100% of both at the same time. Just another bit of reality that has escaped Dubya's notice.]
So to blame "America" for the woes of postwar Eastern Europe is wrong. And stupid. And typical of Dubya. Trashing FDR matters more to him than his stated goal of ensuring the spread of democracy worldwide.
What is Dubya going to do about North Korea, anyway?
Monday, May 02, 2005
Dr. T And The Women--And The Men--Of Nebraska
Dr. Tom Osborne, Nebraska's Third Congressional District US Representative, and former University of Nebraska football head coach, announced this weekend that he intends to give up his seat in Congress to run for Governor of the State of Nebraska.
He will be running against a sitting governor of his own Republican party, John Heineman. Gov. Heineman was the Lt. Gov., and became governor when the elected governor, Mike Johanns, accepted Dubya's offer earlier this year to become US Secretary of Agriculture.
Why is Dr. Tom doing this? He says he is not trying to cause dissention in the party, and that he will never say a bad word about Gov. Heineman. Further, he is flying in the face of an early endorsement of Gov. Heineman by Nebraska US Senator Chuck Hagel--also a Republican. Hagel has announced that while he has nothing bad to say about Dr. T, he stands by his endorsement of Gov. Heineman. So, Dr. T, wazzup?
I think I know. Dr. T liked being in charge when he was the head football coach . . . and after he started beating Oklahoma (i.e., after Barry Switzer left) and won 3, count 'em, 3, National Championships, his nickname in these parts became "God." (His smallest winning percentage in his three runs for Congress was something on the order of 87%.)
In Congress, he is one of 435. As Governor, he'd be 1 of 1.
Besides, he'll get to move back to Lincoln. Heck, I'd live in Lincoln if my health and financial circumstances would permit it. Don't get me wrong. I love living in Bellevue; but Lincoln is where I went to college, and those days were in many respects the best of my life. I sometimes wish I had more immediate connections to them than I presently do.
For Dr. Tom, however, it's less about party loyalty and the need to solve Nebraska's problems (despite what he said in his announcement) than it is about his own ego, methinks.
After all, he retired from coaching on the advice of his cardiologists. The stress was too much on his heart. And yet he entered elective politics AFTER he was told to slow down and take it easy. He has served long enough to be getting some influence in Congress, too. Why would he abandon what he has built for a potentially divisive and disastrous (for his party) run for the governorship?
Under that mild demeanor may lurk the soul of a dictator. Dr. Tom evidently found being one of many unsatisfying; he seems to prefer the opportunity to be totally in charge.
This may bode well for the Democrats' chances to retake the governor's office. One can but hope.
He will be running against a sitting governor of his own Republican party, John Heineman. Gov. Heineman was the Lt. Gov., and became governor when the elected governor, Mike Johanns, accepted Dubya's offer earlier this year to become US Secretary of Agriculture.
Why is Dr. Tom doing this? He says he is not trying to cause dissention in the party, and that he will never say a bad word about Gov. Heineman. Further, he is flying in the face of an early endorsement of Gov. Heineman by Nebraska US Senator Chuck Hagel--also a Republican. Hagel has announced that while he has nothing bad to say about Dr. T, he stands by his endorsement of Gov. Heineman. So, Dr. T, wazzup?
I think I know. Dr. T liked being in charge when he was the head football coach . . . and after he started beating Oklahoma (i.e., after Barry Switzer left) and won 3, count 'em, 3, National Championships, his nickname in these parts became "God." (His smallest winning percentage in his three runs for Congress was something on the order of 87%.)
In Congress, he is one of 435. As Governor, he'd be 1 of 1.
Besides, he'll get to move back to Lincoln. Heck, I'd live in Lincoln if my health and financial circumstances would permit it. Don't get me wrong. I love living in Bellevue; but Lincoln is where I went to college, and those days were in many respects the best of my life. I sometimes wish I had more immediate connections to them than I presently do.
For Dr. Tom, however, it's less about party loyalty and the need to solve Nebraska's problems (despite what he said in his announcement) than it is about his own ego, methinks.
After all, he retired from coaching on the advice of his cardiologists. The stress was too much on his heart. And yet he entered elective politics AFTER he was told to slow down and take it easy. He has served long enough to be getting some influence in Congress, too. Why would he abandon what he has built for a potentially divisive and disastrous (for his party) run for the governorship?
Under that mild demeanor may lurk the soul of a dictator. Dr. Tom evidently found being one of many unsatisfying; he seems to prefer the opportunity to be totally in charge.
This may bode well for the Democrats' chances to retake the governor's office. One can but hope.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Unclean! Unclean!
Here's something I never thought I'd say: I find myself agreeing with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas about something.
>>>cough<<< >>>choke<<< >>>gasp<<< >>>wheeze<<<
He wrote the dissent in the Court's recently published decision allowing people convicted of a crime overseas to own a gun in the good ol' US of A.
The vote was 5 to 3 . . . Chief Justice Rehnquist was receiving chemo back in November, when arguments in this case were heard, and did not participate in the decision. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority decision. Joined by Justices Stevens, O'Connor, Souter, and Ginsburg, he said that a US law prohibiting felons convicted in "ANY court" (emphasis added) from owning guns applies to domestic crimes only. The majority thought that since protections for defendants are fewer and less effective overseas than they are in our own court system, it would be unfair to hold that against them here.
If Congress wanted the law to apply to foreign convictions, too, it should rewrite the law to say so, Justice Breyer concluded.
Justice Thomas, rightly in my opinion (and majorly shocking to me to admit that), said "any" means "any," which includes foreign courts. If Congress had meant for foreign courts to be exlcuded, it would have said "any domestic courts" (emphasis added). His exegesis of the statute's language certainly is less tortured--and less tortuous--than the majority's, and therefore preferrable to it. [It's rulings such as the majority's in this case that fuel the fires of complaint about "activist" judges. Why do we have to give the neocons ammunition? They shoot anyway. Making it easier for them to make their case is just plain stupid!--Ed.]
God help me, but he's right on this one!
The humor/irony/weirdness of the ruling in this case comes from this: the majority, with the exception of Justice O'Connor (who hails from Arizona, where bars have signs outside saying "Check your weapons at the door"), normally would be expected to limit gun possession wherever possible. The dissenters, on the other hand, usually prefer to felicitate access to guns, given their interpretation of the Second Amendment. The respective opinions in this case ensure the opposite real world outcome of the various justices' previously-acknowledged stances on gun control.
>>>cough<<< >>>choke<<< >>>gasp<<< >>>wheeze<<<
He wrote the dissent in the Court's recently published decision allowing people convicted of a crime overseas to own a gun in the good ol' US of A.
The vote was 5 to 3 . . . Chief Justice Rehnquist was receiving chemo back in November, when arguments in this case were heard, and did not participate in the decision. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority decision. Joined by Justices Stevens, O'Connor, Souter, and Ginsburg, he said that a US law prohibiting felons convicted in "ANY court" (emphasis added) from owning guns applies to domestic crimes only. The majority thought that since protections for defendants are fewer and less effective overseas than they are in our own court system, it would be unfair to hold that against them here.
If Congress wanted the law to apply to foreign convictions, too, it should rewrite the law to say so, Justice Breyer concluded.
Justice Thomas, rightly in my opinion (and majorly shocking to me to admit that), said "any" means "any," which includes foreign courts. If Congress had meant for foreign courts to be exlcuded, it would have said "any domestic courts" (emphasis added). His exegesis of the statute's language certainly is less tortured--and less tortuous--than the majority's, and therefore preferrable to it. [It's rulings such as the majority's in this case that fuel the fires of complaint about "activist" judges. Why do we have to give the neocons ammunition? They shoot anyway. Making it easier for them to make their case is just plain stupid!--Ed.]
God help me, but he's right on this one!
The humor/irony/weirdness of the ruling in this case comes from this: the majority, with the exception of Justice O'Connor (who hails from Arizona, where bars have signs outside saying "Check your weapons at the door"), normally would be expected to limit gun possession wherever possible. The dissenters, on the other hand, usually prefer to felicitate access to guns, given their interpretation of the Second Amendment. The respective opinions in this case ensure the opposite real world outcome of the various justices' previously-acknowledged stances on gun control.
To further the humor/irony/weirdness, the felon in question answered "no" to the question whether he'd ever been convicted of a felony on the federal form he had to fill out to get his guns in the US. At the time he filled out the form, he'd just been released on parole from prison in Japan, where he'd--get this!--done time for violating Japanese gun laws.
Should anyone with so little respect for law anywhere have any access to guns? I would hope not! The alternative makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
While the Supremes' majority decision in this case overturns our felon's conviction for possession of the guns, I do not know whether it had any effect on his conviction for lying on the form. The news reports once again were woefully inadequate. >>>sigh<<<
Sp the real world fallout from this case, while alarming, has yet to be fully felt. Nevertheless, it already makes me think of Cornwallis's army band playing "The World Turned Upside Down" at Yorktown. Or REM's "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." Except I don't feel fine. I feel as though I've fallen through Alice's looking glass into a wonderland where the Mad Hatter is named Breyer.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Existential Blues
Thus beginneth the great experiment. I prefer to have my thoughts in some semblance of order before posting, but at the moment, I have a lot of apparently unrelated things eating at me, so . . . here goes a probably lame attempt at stream of consciousness.
The deaths of Pope John Paul II and Terri Schiavo, and my own saga of debilitating health problems, have got me thinking about "The Nature of Life." I frequently wonder why our drive to survive is as strong as it is, given the general crap up with which we must put on a daily basis. In my own case, I think it's because I was a cat in a former life. Thus I cannot abide by not knowing how everything turns out. (Or one of my professors was right: I am a born historian.)
In my own case, when I am feeling the weight of the world, I surprise myself by the depth of my desire to survive. After all, I have been betrayed by my (now former) spouse, my (now former) employer, members of my family, some "friends," indeed, by my own body. It would be easier to just let go, it seems to me . . . but I am fiercely, viscerally, determined to go on.
Maybe I am just a glutton for punishment. Maybe I am just cussedly stubborn. Maybe I just have a good dose of that ultimate mystery of life: the will to survive. I just wish I knew whence it came.
***
I must confess to having had the peckish thought that the new pope should have adopted the name George Richard (i.e., Ringo).
***
I will lament the lament of Cubs fans everywhere: why the heck is it that the more things seem to change, the more they stay the same? I watched the debacle against the Cardinals yesterday, wherein Dusty Baker put in the pitcher Mike Remlinger against a Cardinals hitter with a lifetime .444 average against him, and of course he hit a home run that broke open what had been a 1-0 tight pitching duel in the bottom of the 8th inning, sparking the Cardinals to win 4-0.
Ugly.
And mystifying. What the heck was Dusty thinking? WAS Dusty thinking?
I apologize for not stating the Cardinals' hitter's name. At the moment, I cannot remember if it was Todd or Larry Walker, or someone else entirely.
Anyway, the Cubs are only 8-8, they are losing to the teams they have to beat if they want to make the playoffs, and the major causes are what they always are: bad managerial decisions, a weak bullpen, and spotty hitting in the clutch.
BTW, I have to crow a bit about calling Nomar Garciaparra's injury correctly in the precedding game about 5 minutes before any of the TV crew broadcasting the game did. They kept saying it was a hamstring, but I could see what parts of his anatomy he was clutching, and I knew it was a groin muscle tear.
I shouda been a sportscaster. Alas for me, I was born about 4 years too early for that to have been a viable career option for me to have pursued. Just my luck. I was born too early to get a posting to the Air Force Academy out of high school; I was born too early to have taken advantage of many of the modern improvements in dental hygene and care; I was born just late enough to take advantage of advances in medical technology--not late enough to be cured, mind you, but late enough to be kept alive with a debilitating and ultimately fatal pulmonary condition.
My dad always used to say if it weren't for bad luck, he wouldn't have had any luck at all. I seem to be in the same boat.
***
But I don't want this to sound like a pity party. I believe firmly in making lemonade when presented with lemons. I should open a stand. I could make a lot of money! (I have a lot of lemons!)
***
One of the great sadnesses of my life is that almost no one seems to get the strong irony in most of my humor. For even being aware of that, I cannot stop myself. The irony flows from me in rivers, in torrents.
Must be the Irish in my genes. I just saw a lovely epitaph: there were a lot of dry eyes at the moneylender's funeral.
***
One of my other most favorite Irishisms is this: every Irishman (and woman) is born with an abiding sense of tragedy which sustains him (and her) through temporary periods of joy.
***
Isn't it odd how doing something one enjoys, even when one is not looking forward to that particular instance of doing that thing, elevates one's mood? Ferinstance: I have been mulling for weeks over a lot of what I am saying right now, knowing I needed to post it for my own peace of mind, and yet dreading the process for some reason. But now that I am in the midst of it, my mood has brightened considerably.
***
I haven't posted anything about the cats in a while. It's past time I should. There is a tom cat in the neighborhood, about 3/4 grown, who is a lovely slim thing: he's primarily white, but in all the places where Siamese would have points, he is orange tabby--a pale, Creamsicle color. He seems to be well-cared for, though I question the wisdom of anyone who will let a housecat roam around outside. My kids are 100% indoor beings. Not that they always agree with that, but I do enforce it.
Anyway, I have some ground level windows, and I have seen this neighborhood tom sitting outside them, communing with my cats, which are sitting inside them.
Well, Lucy is communing. Linus seems ready to pound the little beggar.
Getting to watch this from outside the other morning was vastly entertaining. Linus' general posture was one of hunkered down hostility. I have now taken to calling him "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Doofus."
Lucy is more inscrutible. I cannot discern whether she is flirting with the tom or is luring him into a false sense of security so that she can pound him, too. My kids understand that the yard is their territory, even if I do not let them out into it.
***
I am suddenly drained of all punditry. I have not spoken recently of Washington politics because I am at the point of overload/crash and burn. I am thrilled, for example, that I got to watch the official dedication and opening of the new Lincoln Museum and Library in Springfield, Illinois this past week (C-Span, what would we do without you?)--but I found myself so distressed at some of Dubya's remarks trying to spin Lincoln into a fan of his that I had to turn off the sound.
I maintain that as a matter of principle, if Lincoln were alive today, he would NOT be a member of the GOP.
George Orwell must be laughing his head off somewhere (if he's not crying). He got the year wrong, but the heart of what he predicted in "1984" has most definitely come to pass.
Dubya has been tooting his own horn for his Clear Skies Initiative, especially today (Earth Day), but the substance of that Initiative is to let industry pollute more than it does now.
Black IS white.
***
And don't even get me started about the new bankruptcy laws. Let's see, we're going to take people who are already in crisis--mostly due to outrageous medical bills, according to several recent studies I've seen--and we are going to make their burdens more onerous by working them to death to make them pay, even under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which was designed to give them relief. At the same time, we are not going to demand of the super rich in our society that they pay even a marginal share of what they ought to keep our country running. What the heck does it matter that our society made it possible for them to accumulate their riches in the first place? Everyone seems to be pushing for rights without responsibilities, which is just plain wrong.
The Founding Fathers knew some things, including: (1) there is much to be said for self-restraint--just because you CAN do something does NOT mean that you SHOULD do that something; (2) we are all in this together--to be a society means that everyone has obligations to everyone else. Call it the social compact, the social contract, whatever you want, but it is there. Or else we are no longer a society and no longer deserve to survive.
***
But isn't that what the neocons want? Since they have the money, they are perfectly happy with instituting an "every man for himself" system, because they know it's to their advantage. That's why they are so eager to dismantle everything FDR did, and why they hate FDR and the Kennedys so much: they regard them as traitors to their (monetary) class. But FDR and the Kennedys are much more in line with the Founding Fathers than the neocons every could be.
The student of history in me tells me the pendulum will in fact swing back to at least the center, and that the destruction Dubya and his ilk are attempting will not in fact happen. But the pessimist in my wonders whether the pendulum will swing back in time, or if it is already too late.
As a lawyer friend of mine has said, "Even Rome fell." My answer remains, "Yes, but does it have to happen while I am around?"
The deaths of Pope John Paul II and Terri Schiavo, and my own saga of debilitating health problems, have got me thinking about "The Nature of Life." I frequently wonder why our drive to survive is as strong as it is, given the general crap up with which we must put on a daily basis. In my own case, I think it's because I was a cat in a former life. Thus I cannot abide by not knowing how everything turns out. (Or one of my professors was right: I am a born historian.)
In my own case, when I am feeling the weight of the world, I surprise myself by the depth of my desire to survive. After all, I have been betrayed by my (now former) spouse, my (now former) employer, members of my family, some "friends," indeed, by my own body. It would be easier to just let go, it seems to me . . . but I am fiercely, viscerally, determined to go on.
Maybe I am just a glutton for punishment. Maybe I am just cussedly stubborn. Maybe I just have a good dose of that ultimate mystery of life: the will to survive. I just wish I knew whence it came.
***
I must confess to having had the peckish thought that the new pope should have adopted the name George Richard (i.e., Ringo).
***
I will lament the lament of Cubs fans everywhere: why the heck is it that the more things seem to change, the more they stay the same? I watched the debacle against the Cardinals yesterday, wherein Dusty Baker put in the pitcher Mike Remlinger against a Cardinals hitter with a lifetime .444 average against him, and of course he hit a home run that broke open what had been a 1-0 tight pitching duel in the bottom of the 8th inning, sparking the Cardinals to win 4-0.
Ugly.
And mystifying. What the heck was Dusty thinking? WAS Dusty thinking?
I apologize for not stating the Cardinals' hitter's name. At the moment, I cannot remember if it was Todd or Larry Walker, or someone else entirely.
Anyway, the Cubs are only 8-8, they are losing to the teams they have to beat if they want to make the playoffs, and the major causes are what they always are: bad managerial decisions, a weak bullpen, and spotty hitting in the clutch.
BTW, I have to crow a bit about calling Nomar Garciaparra's injury correctly in the precedding game about 5 minutes before any of the TV crew broadcasting the game did. They kept saying it was a hamstring, but I could see what parts of his anatomy he was clutching, and I knew it was a groin muscle tear.
I shouda been a sportscaster. Alas for me, I was born about 4 years too early for that to have been a viable career option for me to have pursued. Just my luck. I was born too early to get a posting to the Air Force Academy out of high school; I was born too early to have taken advantage of many of the modern improvements in dental hygene and care; I was born just late enough to take advantage of advances in medical technology--not late enough to be cured, mind you, but late enough to be kept alive with a debilitating and ultimately fatal pulmonary condition.
My dad always used to say if it weren't for bad luck, he wouldn't have had any luck at all. I seem to be in the same boat.
***
But I don't want this to sound like a pity party. I believe firmly in making lemonade when presented with lemons. I should open a stand. I could make a lot of money! (I have a lot of lemons!)
***
One of the great sadnesses of my life is that almost no one seems to get the strong irony in most of my humor. For even being aware of that, I cannot stop myself. The irony flows from me in rivers, in torrents.
Must be the Irish in my genes. I just saw a lovely epitaph: there were a lot of dry eyes at the moneylender's funeral.
***
One of my other most favorite Irishisms is this: every Irishman (and woman) is born with an abiding sense of tragedy which sustains him (and her) through temporary periods of joy.
***
Isn't it odd how doing something one enjoys, even when one is not looking forward to that particular instance of doing that thing, elevates one's mood? Ferinstance: I have been mulling for weeks over a lot of what I am saying right now, knowing I needed to post it for my own peace of mind, and yet dreading the process for some reason. But now that I am in the midst of it, my mood has brightened considerably.
***
I haven't posted anything about the cats in a while. It's past time I should. There is a tom cat in the neighborhood, about 3/4 grown, who is a lovely slim thing: he's primarily white, but in all the places where Siamese would have points, he is orange tabby--a pale, Creamsicle color. He seems to be well-cared for, though I question the wisdom of anyone who will let a housecat roam around outside. My kids are 100% indoor beings. Not that they always agree with that, but I do enforce it.
Anyway, I have some ground level windows, and I have seen this neighborhood tom sitting outside them, communing with my cats, which are sitting inside them.
Well, Lucy is communing. Linus seems ready to pound the little beggar.
Getting to watch this from outside the other morning was vastly entertaining. Linus' general posture was one of hunkered down hostility. I have now taken to calling him "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Doofus."
Lucy is more inscrutible. I cannot discern whether she is flirting with the tom or is luring him into a false sense of security so that she can pound him, too. My kids understand that the yard is their territory, even if I do not let them out into it.
***
I am suddenly drained of all punditry. I have not spoken recently of Washington politics because I am at the point of overload/crash and burn. I am thrilled, for example, that I got to watch the official dedication and opening of the new Lincoln Museum and Library in Springfield, Illinois this past week (C-Span, what would we do without you?)--but I found myself so distressed at some of Dubya's remarks trying to spin Lincoln into a fan of his that I had to turn off the sound.
I maintain that as a matter of principle, if Lincoln were alive today, he would NOT be a member of the GOP.
George Orwell must be laughing his head off somewhere (if he's not crying). He got the year wrong, but the heart of what he predicted in "1984" has most definitely come to pass.
Dubya has been tooting his own horn for his Clear Skies Initiative, especially today (Earth Day), but the substance of that Initiative is to let industry pollute more than it does now.
Black IS white.
***
And don't even get me started about the new bankruptcy laws. Let's see, we're going to take people who are already in crisis--mostly due to outrageous medical bills, according to several recent studies I've seen--and we are going to make their burdens more onerous by working them to death to make them pay, even under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which was designed to give them relief. At the same time, we are not going to demand of the super rich in our society that they pay even a marginal share of what they ought to keep our country running. What the heck does it matter that our society made it possible for them to accumulate their riches in the first place? Everyone seems to be pushing for rights without responsibilities, which is just plain wrong.
The Founding Fathers knew some things, including: (1) there is much to be said for self-restraint--just because you CAN do something does NOT mean that you SHOULD do that something; (2) we are all in this together--to be a society means that everyone has obligations to everyone else. Call it the social compact, the social contract, whatever you want, but it is there. Or else we are no longer a society and no longer deserve to survive.
***
But isn't that what the neocons want? Since they have the money, they are perfectly happy with instituting an "every man for himself" system, because they know it's to their advantage. That's why they are so eager to dismantle everything FDR did, and why they hate FDR and the Kennedys so much: they regard them as traitors to their (monetary) class. But FDR and the Kennedys are much more in line with the Founding Fathers than the neocons every could be.
The student of history in me tells me the pendulum will in fact swing back to at least the center, and that the destruction Dubya and his ilk are attempting will not in fact happen. But the pessimist in my wonders whether the pendulum will swing back in time, or if it is already too late.
As a lawyer friend of mine has said, "Even Rome fell." My answer remains, "Yes, but does it have to happen while I am around?"
Friday, April 01, 2005
A Postscript
Terri Schiavo has died. No real surprise there. The doctors said she'd last about two weeks without any nutrition or hydration, and she died 13 days after her feeding tube was removed at her husband's insistance.
I remain entirely skeptical of his claims to have been acting in accordance with her wishes, for reasons I've already posted, reinforced by seeing his behavior at and after her death. He would not let her parents be in the room with her when she died. He insists that her post-autopsy cremains be buried in Pennsylvania, not in Florida (her parents wanted to be able to visit her gravesite easily . . . his decision puts an end to that). His words, through his spokesman/attorney, maintain that his sole concerns were to follow her wishes and give her peace and dignity. His actions, however, contradict that claim at every turn.
The whole thing leaves me very, very sad. No one should have to die by being starved and dehydrated to death. It is a matter of simple human dignity. We wouldn't let someone do that to a house pet; we certainly would prosecute anyone who did that to an enemy combatant, even a proven terrorist; how can we just look the other way when someone wants to do that to a spouse?
Everyone must eat and drink to live. If withholding food and water is the only thing that will kill someone, that someone has a life beyond machines, and that life should be allowed to continue till its natural end--not hastened by cruel starvation.
It would have been much different if Terri had been on a ventilator. In that case, she would not have been able to breathe without mechanical assistance . . . and in that case, I'd have no quarrel with removing the artificial stimulus keeping her alive. She would then either die or breathe on her own--a natural death or survival. Nobody needs a ventilator to live in the "regular" world. A decision to "pull the plug" in that case is understandable and defensible.
But to starve someone to death? That cannot be OK, even when done to someone supposedly in a persistent vegitative state. Look: her brain function was not entirely gone, else she would have needed a ventilator. Maybe she didn't have much if anything of higher brain function left. She had enough to be awake and to live without abnormal, intrusive, extraordinary mechanical assistance. Struggling through thirteen days of slow death by starvation and dehydration is neither peaceful nor dignified.
All our lives have been cheapened by what has befallen Terri. Beware! If you suffer a catastrophic injury, you might be next! After all, the first people the Nazis systematically destroyed were the physically and mentally ill.
Seriously: make and keep an up-to-date living will. Ensure that everyone knows about it. Don't just keep it in a safety deposit box--append it to your medical records at every place you have them. If you travel, take a copy with you. Remember: the reason they're called "accidents" is that they are not expected.
I remain entirely skeptical of his claims to have been acting in accordance with her wishes, for reasons I've already posted, reinforced by seeing his behavior at and after her death. He would not let her parents be in the room with her when she died. He insists that her post-autopsy cremains be buried in Pennsylvania, not in Florida (her parents wanted to be able to visit her gravesite easily . . . his decision puts an end to that). His words, through his spokesman/attorney, maintain that his sole concerns were to follow her wishes and give her peace and dignity. His actions, however, contradict that claim at every turn.
The whole thing leaves me very, very sad. No one should have to die by being starved and dehydrated to death. It is a matter of simple human dignity. We wouldn't let someone do that to a house pet; we certainly would prosecute anyone who did that to an enemy combatant, even a proven terrorist; how can we just look the other way when someone wants to do that to a spouse?
Everyone must eat and drink to live. If withholding food and water is the only thing that will kill someone, that someone has a life beyond machines, and that life should be allowed to continue till its natural end--not hastened by cruel starvation.
It would have been much different if Terri had been on a ventilator. In that case, she would not have been able to breathe without mechanical assistance . . . and in that case, I'd have no quarrel with removing the artificial stimulus keeping her alive. She would then either die or breathe on her own--a natural death or survival. Nobody needs a ventilator to live in the "regular" world. A decision to "pull the plug" in that case is understandable and defensible.
But to starve someone to death? That cannot be OK, even when done to someone supposedly in a persistent vegitative state. Look: her brain function was not entirely gone, else she would have needed a ventilator. Maybe she didn't have much if anything of higher brain function left. She had enough to be awake and to live without abnormal, intrusive, extraordinary mechanical assistance. Struggling through thirteen days of slow death by starvation and dehydration is neither peaceful nor dignified.
All our lives have been cheapened by what has befallen Terri. Beware! If you suffer a catastrophic injury, you might be next! After all, the first people the Nazis systematically destroyed were the physically and mentally ill.
Seriously: make and keep an up-to-date living will. Ensure that everyone knows about it. Don't just keep it in a safety deposit box--append it to your medical records at every place you have them. If you travel, take a copy with you. Remember: the reason they're called "accidents" is that they are not expected.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Hard Cases DO Make Bad Law
Terri Schiavo's plight is heart-rending. She is the Florida woman who suffered bleeding in her brain some 15 years ago, and who has been the source of a battle between her putative husband and her parents ever since. He says she is in a persistant vegitative state, and that she wouldn't want to be kept alive like that; her parents say she is in fact responsive to them, that she would not want to die, and thus should not have her feeding tube removed so that she can essentially be starved to death.
The courts have consistently ruled in favor of her husband. First the Florida legislature, and now the US Congress, have tried to intervene on her parents' behalf.
Let me say that I do not at all trust her husband's claims in this matter. He has had several affairs, including at least one that produced a child, while his wife has been afflicted. He just wants out of an increasingly burdensome (to him) marriage. [Why doesn't he just file for divorce? Perhaps under Florida law he cannot as long as she is unable to respond due to her medical condition. Or maybe he's waiting to collect on her life insurance.] There is no independent evidence supporting his claim that Terri would not want to be kept alive this way; there is a lot of film and videotape of Terri responding to her parents and other visitors . . . and indeed, if one looks into her eyes in those films and tapes, one can see that despite her difficulties in communicating, the lights are on. Terri is at home.
One thing I have not seen in any of the news coverage of this situation is whether anybody has thought to get Terri a guardian ad litem, someone who could give the court independent advice and information. Perhaps that was her parents' original legal tactic, but since they have an obvious interest in the case, they were not sufficiently independent and disinterested themselves to be named Terri's guardians. Why no one else has been appointed [and whether that's even been tried], I do not know.
The news media have neglected to report many pertinent facts about this case. It is certain, however, that the state and federal legislative attempts to rectify the situation are unconstitutional. They have been drafted to deal strictly with Terri's plight. Furthermore, they violate the separation of powers under our system. The legislature is not supposed to adjudicate, any more than the judiciary is supposed to legislate. A better legislative attempt to help might be to change Florida law to give the parents of anyone in such a situation equal say-so with that person's spouse as to what will or will not be done medically.
At the heart of the matter, in any event, is this: in Terri's case, removing her feeding tube is cruel. It will cause her a slow and painful death. Given the visual evidence of her condition, starving her is just plain wrong. Her husband should not be allowed to throw her away just because he has the legal power, being her husband, to do so.
Therefore, while I do not agree that either the Florida legislature or the US Congress has the power to intervene in the ways they have tried to do, I agree with them 100% in terms of morality. Terri Schiavo should not be condemned to die by having her feeding tube removed. Someone needs to find a legal way to get it reinserted before even more unnecessary damage is done to this poor woman.
The courts have consistently ruled in favor of her husband. First the Florida legislature, and now the US Congress, have tried to intervene on her parents' behalf.
Let me say that I do not at all trust her husband's claims in this matter. He has had several affairs, including at least one that produced a child, while his wife has been afflicted. He just wants out of an increasingly burdensome (to him) marriage. [Why doesn't he just file for divorce? Perhaps under Florida law he cannot as long as she is unable to respond due to her medical condition. Or maybe he's waiting to collect on her life insurance.] There is no independent evidence supporting his claim that Terri would not want to be kept alive this way; there is a lot of film and videotape of Terri responding to her parents and other visitors . . . and indeed, if one looks into her eyes in those films and tapes, one can see that despite her difficulties in communicating, the lights are on. Terri is at home.
One thing I have not seen in any of the news coverage of this situation is whether anybody has thought to get Terri a guardian ad litem, someone who could give the court independent advice and information. Perhaps that was her parents' original legal tactic, but since they have an obvious interest in the case, they were not sufficiently independent and disinterested themselves to be named Terri's guardians. Why no one else has been appointed [and whether that's even been tried], I do not know.
The news media have neglected to report many pertinent facts about this case. It is certain, however, that the state and federal legislative attempts to rectify the situation are unconstitutional. They have been drafted to deal strictly with Terri's plight. Furthermore, they violate the separation of powers under our system. The legislature is not supposed to adjudicate, any more than the judiciary is supposed to legislate. A better legislative attempt to help might be to change Florida law to give the parents of anyone in such a situation equal say-so with that person's spouse as to what will or will not be done medically.
At the heart of the matter, in any event, is this: in Terri's case, removing her feeding tube is cruel. It will cause her a slow and painful death. Given the visual evidence of her condition, starving her is just plain wrong. Her husband should not be allowed to throw her away just because he has the legal power, being her husband, to do so.
Therefore, while I do not agree that either the Florida legislature or the US Congress has the power to intervene in the ways they have tried to do, I agree with them 100% in terms of morality. Terri Schiavo should not be condemned to die by having her feeding tube removed. Someone needs to find a legal way to get it reinserted before even more unnecessary damage is done to this poor woman.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
That's The Way It Is, 24 Years Later To The Day
Tonight marks the final night, 24 years to the day whence he started, that Dan Rather anchors the CBS Evening News broadcast. It's been an occasionally bumpy ride, hasn't it?
Still, I'd rather (pun intended) not see Rather's legacy besmirched by the controversy over last year's debacle about the alleged documents concerning Dubya's National Guard "service."
The documents' authenticity has been successfully challenged, thus producing the debacle. But what everyone seems to be forgetting is that the veracity of the documents' contents has never been in doubt. Indeed, the secretary who informed Rather that the documents were not genuine went out of her way to note that what they had to say was, however, accurate.
And that those contents established beyond doubt that Dubya's service in the National Guard was less than sterling; further, that he received special treatment and protections not afforded to the average National Guard enlistee.
And we thought Ronald Reagan was the Teflon president!
Still, I'd rather (pun intended) not see Rather's legacy besmirched by the controversy over last year's debacle about the alleged documents concerning Dubya's National Guard "service."
The documents' authenticity has been successfully challenged, thus producing the debacle. But what everyone seems to be forgetting is that the veracity of the documents' contents has never been in doubt. Indeed, the secretary who informed Rather that the documents were not genuine went out of her way to note that what they had to say was, however, accurate.
And that those contents established beyond doubt that Dubya's service in the National Guard was less than sterling; further, that he received special treatment and protections not afforded to the average National Guard enlistee.
And we thought Ronald Reagan was the Teflon president!
Monday, March 07, 2005
Even A Stopped Clock Is Right Twice A Day, . . .
so I guess I should not be surprised when I find myself agreeing with an editorial in the Omaha World-Herald. But I am, for the paper's editorial policies tend to remind me more of Attila the Hun than of reasoned discourse.
Anyway, the subject of my astonishment is the choice of the design for the upcoming Nebraska state quarter (to be released approximately this time next year). The four final choices are: a Conestoga wagon crossing the plains, with Chimney Rock in the distance; the state capitol building in Lincoln; the Sower (the statue atop the capitol building); and Chief Standing Bear, a Nebraska denizen and the catalyst for the US Supreme Court ruling that "Indians are people too."
The World-Herald's editorialist favors the Chief Standing Bear design over the others, and so do I. The Conestoga wagon and Chimney Rock have become passe cliches--Nebraska can do better than that! Besides, Chimney Rock has deterioriated so much over just the past 36 years that I doubt any Oregon Trail travellers of the 1800's would recognize it today.
The state capitol building is a marvelous and unique bit of architecture, but its nickname (which I won't repeat here) is rather off-putting. And the Sower, while a graceful statue, seems too esoteric and limited a design to represent Nebraska to the rest of the country as the best thing we have to offer.
But Standing Bear is of great significance--after all, Nebraska's state motto is "Equality Before The Law" (honored more in the breach than in the keeping, but that's a subject for another day)--and Standing Bear's Supreme Court suit proved it. Plus, none of the other state quarters that have so far been released have had a Native American as their subject matter. Thus, the Standing Bear quarter would be a standout from several perspectives.
Still, the final decision is up to the US Mint. Let's hope the people there want to do more than perpetuate cliches.
Anyway, the subject of my astonishment is the choice of the design for the upcoming Nebraska state quarter (to be released approximately this time next year). The four final choices are: a Conestoga wagon crossing the plains, with Chimney Rock in the distance; the state capitol building in Lincoln; the Sower (the statue atop the capitol building); and Chief Standing Bear, a Nebraska denizen and the catalyst for the US Supreme Court ruling that "Indians are people too."
The World-Herald's editorialist favors the Chief Standing Bear design over the others, and so do I. The Conestoga wagon and Chimney Rock have become passe cliches--Nebraska can do better than that! Besides, Chimney Rock has deterioriated so much over just the past 36 years that I doubt any Oregon Trail travellers of the 1800's would recognize it today.
The state capitol building is a marvelous and unique bit of architecture, but its nickname (which I won't repeat here) is rather off-putting. And the Sower, while a graceful statue, seems too esoteric and limited a design to represent Nebraska to the rest of the country as the best thing we have to offer.
But Standing Bear is of great significance--after all, Nebraska's state motto is "Equality Before The Law" (honored more in the breach than in the keeping, but that's a subject for another day)--and Standing Bear's Supreme Court suit proved it. Plus, none of the other state quarters that have so far been released have had a Native American as their subject matter. Thus, the Standing Bear quarter would be a standout from several perspectives.
Still, the final decision is up to the US Mint. Let's hope the people there want to do more than perpetuate cliches.
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