History and Technology

That is a photo of the card catalog of the Library of Congress around 1918. Now, many of us carry all that information and more around in our pocket. Less than a century later.

Which is why I'm always skeptical when I hear someone projecting what the future will be like in more than a fairly short period. Especially economists.

If someone in 1918 said "in less than a century, we'll fit all this onto something the size of a small book" they'd most likely land in an asylum.

(Prompted by a conversation today with a person who was quite adamantly telling me about the future of technology. I'm not saying that he was wrong; just that I'm skeptical that his predictions will be the actual reality.)

(Also, I thought Sweaterman would like the pic.)

Latest Sign of the Apocalypse

OK, not really. But it is a break with one of those traditions that had been true throughout my life:

Hoping to boost sagging revenue, the U.S. Postal Service on Monday abandoned its longstanding rule that stamps cannot feature people who are still alive and is asking the public for suggestions.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_STAMPS_ALIVE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

It was a concrete rule that the only way to get on a postage stamp was to die. And it was a sacred truth that anybody on a U.S. stamp was dead.

And now that I think about it, a Lady Gaga postage stamp could really be a sign that civilization is doomed.

Dormant; Not Dead, But Changing

This old blog has been suffering from an abundance of inactivity lately, I know. There's a reasonably good reason for this, at least in my mind: I've been making major life changes. While I rarely post much 'personal blogging', I'll share this update.

For a variety of reasons, I've moved from my beloved Flagstaff, AZ, to Minnesota. It was a difficult decision, as I have many dear friends in Flag. Not to mention Minnesota winters, which I'm not really looking forward to. But after 17 years in Flag (city motto: poverty with a view), my life had become quite stagnant. Here in Minnesota I've got good job prospects and a good woman to share my life with. And I really needed to get out of the rut my life was in.

I have no idea whether this change will lead to more blogging or even less, but at least the politics will be better. Heck, in the senate alone I just traded John McCain and Jon Kyl for Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken. Which is a damn good trade when you think about it.

Obligatory 9/11 Post

There is no 'win' in a war against a verb.

Presidents and Chess

Read a very interesting article on which US Presidents played chess. I happen to enjoy a good game of chess, myself. I'm not saying that playing chess means that you are smarter-I know plenty of smart people who don't play-but it is a game where intelligence matters.

(sorry, I tried to post the table, but the formatting is royally screwed up. Just go to the link to see.)

http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7474

Now, what first struck me is the party breakdown among those who have been President during my lifetime. Every Democratic since LBJ has been a chess player, while Dwight Eisenhower was the only Republican who played (and the last decent Republican President in my opinion) during my lifetime.

Doesn't prove anything, but it is an interesting (at least to me) division.

Hurricane Advice

With hurricane Irene bearing down on the east coast, blog friend Jack of What Would Jack Do has posted A few tips on hurricane preparation for the uninitiated, and it's a great read. My favorite tip:

4. Alcohol (and limes). I can’t stress this enough. No self-respecting human being should EVER have to face an approaching tropical storm of ANY strength without a sizable supply of alcohol and associated accoutrements.

Seriously though, this looks like a very real threat and I urge all my east coast readers to take all appropriate precautions.
Added: Here's FEMA's Hurricane preparedness page.

Could Be Worse

Haven't felt like posting anything about the stupid bullshit debt ceiling debate as the whole process has been disgusting and depressing. A crisis ginned up by thugs to force a choice between cutting federal spending during a recession (a very bad idea) or defaulting and blowing up the whole global economy (a really, really, really very bad idea) ain't much of a choice.

So now we've got a "compromise" that's only 'very bad' as opposed to a total disaster. The rethugs get to expand their policy of "death to the poor", the dims continue to be weak and useless, and the recession will grind on even longer. No new jobs for anyone, even though that is what the economy actually needs.

The only good thing in the whole process was Rep. Gabrielle Giffords makes first return to House since Jan. 8th shooting to cast vote in favor of debt deal. Everything else was dismal.

Added: Passed the senate 74-26. Now we get another "bi-partisan commission", and we all know that those always work wonders.

Pics that made me happy

My beloved San Francisco Giants being honored at the White House.

I wonder if 'The Beard' could help with the debt ceiling negotiations?

Congrats, New York

Gay people are getting married in New York, and that's a great thing. My view on gay marriage is really quite simple: 'equal rights' means equal rights for all.

I'm reminded of Branch Rickey's statement on the integration of baseball, "I truly believe that future generations will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about."

Current Budget Priorities

(click for big)
The above graphic comparing the cost of going to The moon vs. Afghanistan(the moon landing was cheaper, even after adjusting for inflation) got me thinking about how much America's priorities have changed in my lifetime. While the comparison between the space program and our current wars is more "apples to hubcaps" than "apples to oranges", it still is a clear example of changes in government expenditures. The end of America's manned space program and the shuttle program is a fact; the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are future hypotheticals at best.
As congress and the administration engage in kabuki theater around the budget and deficit, parsing away on how much they should kill the 'American dream' by (one side wants it completely extinct, while the other side would leave a small sliver on life support), I despair at the choices being made. We've gone from "anything is possible" to "everything is impossible" in a few short decades. The future is most certainly not what it used to be.
Which is why I rarely feel like blogging anymore...
Added: here's a good read: Social Security's Been Successful For Eighty Years. Reaganisn's Been A Failure For Thirty.

Charming Fellow

(Cloud over Flagstaff. Photo by George Breed)

My local Congressman, Paul Gosar, is a pretty typical wingnut repub. But he's usually just clueless and not particularly notable. However, one of his staffers has resigned after a series of violent tweets that sound very disturbing for anyone here locally:

A staffer in the Flagstaff office of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) who used his Twitter account to trumpet the downfall of former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) resigned Friday after Roll Call discovered violent messages he tweeted.

Roll Call learned on Friday that Blake Schritter, a caseworker and office manager in one of Gosar’s district offices, had posted messages about drunken exploits and his desire to gun down professors and postal workers.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/rep_gosar_staffer_quits_after_violent_twitter_posts-207127-1.html?pos=htmbtxt

For example, he wants to shoot NAU professors:

"I can’t believe how unprofessional liberal professors can be. I’m sitting here, cleaning my gun, thinking...this is a classroom!!!” Schritter, a graduate student in Northern Arizona University’s criminology program who also graduated from the school's criminal justice program, posted on June 23.

And the local postal workers (many of whom are friends of mine):

On June 2 he tweeted: “The line at the post office is moving at a glacial pace. I’m ready to open fire with a handgun to get some damn service!”

Come election time, it might be a good idea to remember the kind of charming people Rep. Gosar chooses to employ to staff his local office.

Also, this being Arizona, this guy is free to carry his guns all around town, concealed if he so desires.

Truth

This one is for Fearguth at Bildungblog, who makes me jealous.

One Last Time

Atlantis had a successful liftoff this morning, the last space shuttle flight. The end of thirty years of service.

What makes this such a melancholy moment is that this is the effective death of America's manned space program. As someone who grew up with the glory of the race to the moon, space was always exciting. We believed that we could do anything; that science, technology, and invention were our future.

But America is now a dying empire, and this is our last big show of our prowess. We can't build anymore manned spacecraft programs. The simple fact that a thirty year old vehicle is the best we have (and are retiring) makes me sad. Thirty years without advancing any further, nor any plan to advance ahead.

Another dream from our childhood now dying, and it's all downhill from here.

How Exciting

For the most part, I've been ignoring the republican presidential primary contenders. A circus only made up of clowns has very little entertainment value. But now that Thaddeus McCotter is filing his presidential paperwork today and plans to formally announce tomorrow, I just might have to take interest. He's such an exciting candidate, after all. Right?

< /satire >

Beer History

File this under "jobs I wish I had":

The Beer Archaeologist

Really interesting for us beer fans.

The 40 Year War

On June 17th, 1971, Richard Nixon declared a "war" on drugs. It really should have been called a "war on some people who use some drugs", as pharmaceuticals have obviously been given a pass. Fourty years later we have the worlds highest rate of incarceration, drug gangs, and millions of lives ruined, but plenty of 'illegal' drugs available. Could we declare 'peace' now? Because this war will never be won.

Long time blog friend badtux the snarky penguin has a great piece, An anniversary on the topic. Well worth reading.

(Also, I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I just really haven't felt much like blogging about stuff recently.)

Hullabaloo

Spending the day at Flagstaff Hullabaloo (www.flagstaffhullabaloo.com), a "celebration of all things Flagstaff", which includes the reunion of iconic local band Onus B. Johnson. This should be fun.

Ancient History

File under "things that make me feel old": Today would be John F. Kennedy's 94th birthday, were he still alive. Because of that day in Dallas, I'll always remember him as a 'young' man, and wonder how our history might have been so different had he lived a long, full life.

Buster Broken

This is a very sad day for all of us Giants fans. Buster Posey suffered a broken ankle in a collision at the plate in last night's game. Posey was an essential key part in the Giants quest to repeat as world champions, not only because he's a great hitter but because of the way he handles the Giants pitchers. It's hard to see the Giants succeeding without him.

Damn!

Added: a link Posey likely out for season with ankle injury

Another Failed Rapture

Once again, an 'end of the world' prophecy has been proven wrong. That makes five or six apocalypses I've lived through (not counting the shrub administration).

Rapture Flow Chart

(Click for big enough to read)
As this chart clearly shows, you are not going to be raptured. Of course, the mere fact that you are reading this blog is proof of impure thoughts, so you will be "left behind".
Also, I really wish the rapture were true. It would be nice to be rid of all those self-righteous evangelicals.
More beer for the rest of us...

Please, Bring on the Rapture

I know I'm a bad blogger. I'm actually kinda hoping that the 'Rapture' actually does happen tomorrow. It won't, but I wouldn't miss some of the crazy fundies. Of course, most of them are way too hypocritical to actually meet there purity standards. A lot of "Christians" aren't going to be happy come Sunday.

The Running of the Newt

Now that the slimy Newt is an announced candidate in the 2012 GOP goat rodeo, we need a good conspiracy theory for him. I demand an investigation!

Happy 80th, Kid

Willie Mays, the "say hey kid", turns 80 today. It is not an exaggeration to call him the greatest baseball player of all time. And certainly one of the classiest.

On afternoon back in May of 1964, I was sitting in a grade school classroom, when my Father showed up. He told my teacher that I had a dentist appointment, and took me out of class. But he didn't take me to the dentist. Instead, we went to Candlestick Park, where my Dad got us center field bleacher seats. My first baseball game. Dad told me to watch Willie, as he was (according to Dad) "the greatest ballplayer you'll ever see." 47 years later, Dad was still right. I've never seen another player who's as good at every facet of the game. Willie Mays remains the greatest baseball player I've ever seen.

If you doubt me, take a look at the Willie Mays page at Baseball Reference. Other players may have been better at one part of the game or another. But Willie was among the best at hitting, power, speed, fielding, and throwing of all time. He was the complete package.

So, Happy Birthday, Willie. Thank you for letting me watch, and learn to appreciate, the greatness of baseball.

5/5

I don't care what day you say it is. I am not putting my mayonnaise in my sink.

Keeping it Simple

Seems like the whole (never) right wing is freaking out that Obama got Osama. They feel that shrub should be getting the credit.
Here's the simple response:
Shrub disbanded the CIA's bin Laden task force in 2005.
Obama reinstated the bin Laden task force shortly after taking office in 2009.
Those are the facts. Deal with it, wingnuts.

Geek Humor

May the Fourth be with you!

A Few More Thoughts on bin Laden's Death

Obviously, this is major news. But like most major news stories, the killing of Osama bin Laden will have ramifications and repercussions that will take time to play out. Still, I have some thoughts that I want to express.

First, a little personal background: I first took interest in bin Laden in the late 1990's after the African Embassy and U.S.S. Cole bombings. I'd been interested in Middle East politics and history for many years, and began trying to learn Arabic in 1995. As I read more of bin Laden's fatwas and began to understand more about Al Qaeda's brand of Wahhabi extremism, I became convinced that his threats were quite real. Osama was a quite complex man, an extremely wealthy, western educated Saudi elite who embraced a primitive fanaticism for an Islamic caliphate coupled with extreme anti-Americanism. In his many fatwas, he was strikingly clear about his plans for jihad against the U.S. and the types of tactics he intended to utilize. When 9/11 occurred, my immediate reaction was "damn, bin Laden pulled it off" (ask Sweaterman, who was stuck listening to my rants hours before the media made the Al Qaeda connection) as it was the type of attack I had been expecting. Really, he told us what he intended to do long before he actually did it, in accordance with Islamic laws of war, but it certainly seemed that the shrub administration ignored his words as the 'ravings of a madman'. Which was a frustrating issue; it was easy to dismiss bin Laden's threats because they sounded 'crazy' to our world view, but I never doubted that he was honest about his intentions nor doubt his capabilities.

Obligatory reading: the much more knowledgeable Juan Cole at Informed Comment has posted his thoughts titled Obama and the End of Al-Qaeda, which has both a very complete history of bin Laden and a thoughtful look at the implications of his death. A small sample:

Then he and his number two man, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, came to the conclusion that the reason they could not overthrow the governments of Egypt (Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorship) and Saudi Arabia and so forth was that these were backed by the United States. They decided it had been a mistake to hit the “near enemy” first. They decided to hit the “far enemy” on American soil. Bin Laden thought that if only he could entice the US into the Middle East, he could do to it what he thought he had done to the Soviet Union.

http://www.juancole.com/2011/05/obama-and-the-end-of-al-qaeda.html

One salient fact that most Americans don't understand, and would vehemently deny: Osama bin Laden is winning his war. He made quite clear that his strategy was to destroy the American economy, and thereby empire, by dragging us into a prolonged occupation and warfare in the Islamic Middle East. Shrub did exactly what Osama desired by invading Iraq, and the subsequent draining of the American economy has been exactly what he intended to achieve. His death does nothing to change that reality.

After 9/11 and the invasion of Afghanistan, bin Laden ceded all operational control of Al Qaeda. He became a figurehead who hoped to inspire the offspring of multiple regional splinter groups, and again he has been successful. Killing him may seem like a symbolic victory for America, but his martyrdom is also the symbolism he intended. The only way this will benefit America will be if it hastens our withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, and if we change our counter terrorism strategy away from military intervention towards greater intelligence gathering and very carefully targeted operations.

Killing Osama was necessary for the American psyche, but we're still in the same mess today as we were yesterday.

Finally

Interesting that Osama bin Laden has finally met justice. I'm surprised by a few of the details. Near Islamabad. In a mansion. In a firefight. Lengthy intelligence operation.

The media seem to forget that bin Laden issued his Fatwa against America long before 9/11. They do remember shrub saying "dead or alive", but will they notice that it was actually Obama who got Osama? And if what Obama said is anywhere close to the truth, they're actually engaging in useful intelligence. And some old fashioned spywork.

One big factor is that ISI was clearly involved. That will have some serious political implications in both Pakistan and Afghanistan,

Al Queda will still exist, but without bin Laden it will be weaker. So today's news is good.

May Day

Sorry about the paucity of posts. Between 'blogger malaise' and my internet service being down repeatedly, there hasn't been much activity here. Just a brief note to Verizon: 'upgrading' is a term that usually means improving service in some way, not making it crash every other day.

25 years since Chernobyl

Earth Day Boobies

Boobies are one of the nice things about Earth. Also, happy 'above average' Friday.

'More War' McCain

So good ol' St. Sleazy McCain has made his way to Libya, and guess what he thinks should happen there:

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — U.S. Sen. John McCain, one of the strongest proponents in Congress of the American military intervention in Libya, said Friday that Libyan rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi's troops are his heroes.

The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee made the remark after arriving in Benghazi, a city that has been the opposition capital in the rebel-held eastern Libya.

McCain said he was in Benghazi "to get an on the ground assessment of the situation" and planned to meet with the rebel National Transition Council, the de-facto government in the eastern half of the country, and members of the rebel military.

...

But as the U.S. handed operational control over to NATO — and withdrew U.S. combat aircraft — McCain criticized the administration.

"For the United States to withdraw our unique offensive capabilities at this time would send the wrong signal," McCain said. He said the U.S. must not fail in Libya and said he spoke as someone experienced in a lost conflict, a reference to his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, where he served as a Navy pilot.

McCain also has pushed for arming the rebels, saying the U.S. and its partners cannot allow Gadhafi to consolidate his hold on one section of the country and create a military deadlock.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j1PbaTcWtkYOVonh-uifB9-UePXA?docId=b8d2a3be474641fcb2cbdf92011d8bd2

One would think that his time as a POW would have curbed his enthusiasm for wars, but instead he's taken the opposite view. Which is why we should all be glad that he isn't president. If he were, lord only knows how many wars we'd be in by now.

Surprise! Brewer Does the Right Thing!

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't expect this: Gov. Brewer Vetoes Birther Bill, Guns on Campus. Ol' Jan is usually very right wing and pro gun, so it's significant that the bills coming out of the state legislature went too far for her.

PHOENIX - Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has vetoed two controversial bills passed by both the Arizona Senate and House -- the guns on campus bill and the 'birther' bill.

Guns on Campus Bill: SB 1467

- Would've allowed guns to be carried on public rights of way at public university and community college campuses
- Applies only to "rights of way" -- not inside classrooms
- University presidents opposed the bill
- Student support was mixed

"This bill was very sloppily written and drafted... and we can't even find out a definition, what is a right of way? It just wasn't defined to be able to tell the courts or the policeman how they are going to enforce a law like that," Governor Brewer told us.

Sen. Ron Gould is the bill's sponsor. He says he's disappointed.

'Birther' Bill: HB 2177

- Would've required President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove they are U.S. citizens before their names can appear on the state's ballot
- Arizona would've become the first state to require such proof
- 13 other states have considered similar proposals this year. The proposals were defeated in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maine and Montana

As for her decision to veto this bill, Gov. Brewer said in part: "I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for President of the greatest and most powerful nation on earth to submit their 'early baptismal or circumcision certificates'… this is a bridge too far. This measure creates significant new problems while failing to do anything constructive for Arizona."

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/politics/state_politics/brewer-vetoes-birther-bill-guns-on-campus-4-18-2011

The state of crazy in Arizona, when Jan Brewer starts looking sane by comparison.

Fresh Boobies

Have a wonderful Friday!

Practical Religion

There are many things about religion that confuse me. But I do understand the urge to pray to a god for intervention when a situation is going badly. So I understand why these folks in Dublin, GA are asking god for help:

A Dublin church group plans to gather pump-side Saturday and pray for the gas prices to drop.

Mabry says he can remember when gas jumped from under $1 to $1.50 and says, now, with prices reaching almost $4, he says he plans to ask God for help.

And this isn't the first time his congregation has gathered at Kroger's gas pumps.

"If it doesn't drop down to nothin' but ten cents, I'm happy with that. But what I really want to believe God to do is drop down $1.50, hey, I'm glad with that, too," says the pastor.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=124242

Of course, it isn't going to work. They fail to understand one simple fact: oil companies bought off god a long time ago.

Lovely Spring Weather

And by "lovely spring weather" I mean "winter storm warning" with sleet and overnight snow. Forecast calls for "up to" a foot of snow by tomorrow night (although forecasts don't mean anything around here). Anyway, here's some Boobies.

"Death To The Poor"

We should be making it very clear that the current GOP agenda truly is "death to the poor". The latest example is the very “serious” Ryan budget plan: destroy medicare and medicaid while further cutting taxes for the wealthy. Throw in the impending government shutdown, and the GOP is clear about where their priorities are. One good read: Paul Ryan and the New Politics of Sadism:

The object of his politics is to render political liberty subservient to economic exigencies, to render it an unaffordable luxury item available only to the wealthy, because only the wealthy are competent enough to exercise it. Ryan has come to the unremarkable intellectual conclusion that more people would rather inflict pain — even vicariously, even through his greasy sadist’s smile — than receive it. He has seen that dynamic in action. Even the White House, occupied for the nonce by a putatively progressive Democrat, has signed on in a gentler way to the notion that “austerity” is the way out of our current economic morass, and “austerity” is fairly defined in this context as making other people hurt so you’ll feel better about yourself. Unemployed workers, whose pensions were looted by Wall Street sharpers, rage against the pensions of public workers, not because those pensions are so gloriously lavish, but because they exist at all. Somebody has something you don’t and they must pay for that. Small wonder that Paul Ryan thinks he can grin his way to the dystopic wasteland that he sees when he dreams of a free country.

What is even worse is that Obama and the Dems are reacting with unfettered timidity. They should be screaming about the GOP''s direct assault on the vast majority of the American people, not cowardly attempting to "compromise" with these extremists. The "Ryan budget" should be the biggest political club used to bludgeon the repubs on a daily basis. It's a very simple message: "the republicans want to take money from you and give it to the wealthiest 1%." Sadly, that will not happen. I do have a personal stake in Ryan's attempt to destroy medicare: Ryan propose a voucher system for those currently under age 55, which could be used to get 'private insurance'. I'm currently 52, and while I'm in reasonably good health right now I have a very long list of 'pre-existing conditions' that will only get worse as I get older. In short, the Ryan plan would condemn me (and a huge number of people like me) to an early death. Steven D of Booman Tribune shares his tragic story GOP Wants to Kill Me (and You). I hope you'll read it. It's really beyond time to say "enough is enough" to the GOP's assault on us, the people. If we want American society to survive, we must stand up to the oligarchs efforts to reduce us to serfs.

Seafood

I love seafood. It's literally my favorite food group. So the past year has been really depressing. First the BP oil spill contaminates the gulf, which will impact the food chain for decades. Then we get the radioactive water from Japan's reactor disaster spilling into the Pacific. I'm not an alarmist by nature, but the long term impacts of these two events will be huge. Despite the authorities 'reassurances' that the oil spill 'wasn't that bad' and that the radioactive water will 'disperse', anyone who understands pollution of an ecosystem knows that the total effects from these spills will take years to spread through the food chain. The bottom feeders will be the first contaminated; shellfish and halibut for example. The pollutants will then be spread to larger predator fish like tuna, snapper, and the like. Given that stocks of the 'food' fish were already in decline, safe seafood is well on it's way to scarcity and the price will soar into luxury status. Which really pisses me off. I'm not going to panic yet, but the thought of a future without eating scallops or sushi is depressing.

All Fool's Friday

So here's a...wait a minute. That's not a Boobie!

That's not either. Newt Gingrich may be a boob, but he's not a Boobie.

Ah, that's more like it. Happy Friday!

It's A National Holiday

Yes, it's the opening day of Baseball! It's my second favorite holiday, and I fully intend to celebrate properly. Oh, and my beloved San Francisco Giants are the proud owners of this:

Please Don't

Not as big as the national or world news, but I really didn't need to read that Ann Kirkpatrick is looking to run for congress again:

Former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a freshman Democrat ousted in last year's Republican tidal wave, is angling for a rematch against Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. She told AZ/DC Tuesday that she has made the decision to run for her seat again in 2012.

Kirkpatrick, a Flagstaff resident, said she has heard from her former constituents that Gosar, a Flagstaff dentist, is not responsive to the 1st Congressional District's priorities.

"It's clear to me, now that Paul Gosar has a record, that he is toeing the party line rather than serving the district," she said. "The real key for me is the number of people who I've been hearing from in the district -- and this is Democrats, independents, Republicans and even folks who are actively involved in the 'tea party' -- that they feel he is deeply out-of-touch with the district."

Kirkpatrick said she hopes the 2012 political climate will be more hospitable to her candidacy because it is a presidential year and likely will have a bigger turnout.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/azdc/123758

Look, I like you, Ann. But you were totally ineffective during your term in congress. You're not a very good campaigner, which you proved by losing to an absolute whacko Paul Gosar. And I'm not saying this just because you turned me down when I volunteered for your campaign in 2010 due to our previous disagreements. It's that if you run, you will lose again.

We need a stronger candidate in AZ-01 for 2012.

There Were Giants In Those Days

Joe Bageant, 1946-2011

After a vibrant life, Joe Bageant died yesterday following a four-month struggle with cancer. He was 64. Joe is survived by his wife, Barbara, his three children, Timothy, Patrick and Elizabeth, and thousands of friends and admirers. He is also survived by his work and ideas.

According to Joe's wishes, he will be cremated. His family will hold a private memorial service.

I hate it when I can't sleep and go online to news like this. R.I.P. Joe, you will be missed.

Friday Boobies

Regardless of all other world events, Friday's should have Boobies.

While My Opinion Doesn't Matter

Yeah, I'm a lousy blogger. And I've held off on commenting about things like Libya, Japan, Wisconsin, and...(fill in blank), but I have an excuse: I'm still waiting and seeing.
But I will say a few things on Libya here.
First: while I'm as antiwar as anybody, this is not "America at war". It's another fornicating 'military action', which is not a good thing, but still less than a war.
Second: Please throw all Iraq comparisons out your window. This isn't a pointless, unprovoked invasion. At least, I hope. Obama is much smarter than Shrub.
Third: This really wasn't a military action that was started by America. The UN initiative was more a result of European pressure. Europe is much more dependant on Libyan oil than we are. Prolonged instability of a civil war in Libya would seriously hurt the Euro, so intervention was inevitable. The French and British had no choice.
Fourth: Yes, it is about oil. The tsunami in Japan threw the world in "crisis mode" and any urge to let Libya "resolve itself" became untenable on the world market. Which is why everybody involved will work for a quick resolution. Europe wants stability even more than we do.
Fifth: I do think that Obama has done a fairly good job of walking a fairly fine line. Being cautious is not a bad thing, nor is acting when the time is advantageous.
Sixth: Dear media: Libya is not in the "Middle East"; it is in North Africa. In Fact, Tripoli is the main North African port.
Seventh: Know at least something before you speak: I happened to hear one of the Sunday talkers say "then why aren't we going into Bahrain?" (I forget which one) and I wanted to scream at my TV. The simple reason we aren't "going into" Bahrain is that we're already there. Our Fifth Fleet is based there. I realize this may come as a surprise to some idealists, but we do treat allies of convenience differently than we do 'enemies'.

That's a Tomahawk missile. They cost around a million bucks apiece. We just gave Libya over a 120 of them for "free" if you look at the federal budget. Next time a repub wants to cut anything that helps American people, ask how he feels about giving cruise missiles to foreigners.

(click to enlarge)

Qaddafi has been a "bad guy" for almost thirty years. He's the original 'terrorist', and nobody should be surprised by his brutality. When the tide of change in the region washed over him, he behaved in the way that everyone should have expected. He should have run away while he had the chance. But he's a dumb, crazy brute who only understands crushing. And, as a result, he will be crushed.

World "realpolitik" is bigger than Obama and Qaddafi combined.

Spring (Training) Boobies

A fine Friday. Sweaterman and I are taking the trip down to the valley to catch a spring training baseball game, thereby proving that winter is over.

So many things that I haven't blogged about lately. Major events in so many different spheres that I find myself taking a "wait and see" attitude, but most everything looks bad right now. The latest simple example: we have the house republicans defunding public radio in the name of "austerity" (yes, I know it's really about ideology), but we have plenty of money in the budget to send a bunch of 'free cruise missiles' to Libya. It's nice to know what the priorities are.

I'll leave you with an Arizona joke:

"Even with the huge cuts to the states education budget, Arizona kids will still learn their 'A,B,C's'. They'll just have to go to another state to learn the other 23 letters."

Craziest Speculative Story of the Day

Let me be clear: I try to avoid anything and everything associated with Sarah Palin. The very fact that she is somehow considered relevant is evidence that American politics may be too stupid to survive.

But then I read this example of extreme insanity:

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, we learned earlier this week, is rumored to be planning to base her hypothetical presidential campaign in Scottsdale, but GOP sources tell New Times the one-time darling of the Conservative movement might be coming to the Grand Canyon State for a different reason: to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Senator Jon Kyl.

Sadly, it makes sense.

Arizona is the Mecca of Conservative kookdom, so it would be much easier for someone like Palin to get elected here than it would be for her to get elected nationally -- where the far-right-wing agenda is much less popular.

GOP sources tell New Times Palin fell in love with Arizona while campaigning with Senator John McCain during the 2008 presidential race, and that she already owns a home here. Although, no record of any Sarah Palin-owned property in Maricopa County is found on the County Assessor's website (there are, however, four homes owned by people with the last name Palin, and homes owned by people with the same names as Palin's sister and father).

Not to mention, Palin's daughter Bristol's inexplicable move to Maricopa, which we'll now assume had more to do with her mother's future plans than her desire to see Mexico from her back porch.

Congressman Jeff Flake is the only declared candidate for the seat, however, former TV pitchman J.D. Hayworth, fagala-fearing Congressman Trent Franks, and several other local GOPers have expressed an interest in the seat.

Palin's capable of raising a lot of money, which spells trouble for other Republicans looking to run. Hayworth and Franks would likely bow out (although, watching three crazy people argue over who's crazier could be fun).

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/03/is_sarah_palin_considering_a_s.php

I've always doubted that Palin would actually run for president due to her own greed and sloth. Simply put, I don't believe that she would take the pay cut or accept the work load involved. So I seriously doubt that she'll actually run for senator here. But the scary reality is that if she did run here in Arizona it's quite likely that she would win.