Spin the Football

The media love to hype things which are really unimportant, and Football is probably the most over-reported unimportant thing in the world, so in it's own way this makes sense:

The Green Bay Packers have apparently decided they need a little help on the public relations front when it comes to handling the ongoing Brett Favre saga.

FOXSports.com has learned that the Packers will employ former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer for one month as a consultant.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8409998/Packers-hire-Fleischer-to-consult-on-Favre-saga

Of course this means that we'll never know anything that's true about Favre, but I expect that we'll be hearing about WMD's in Chicago and Minnesota.

Odds, and a few Ends

* Well, my housing situation is stabilized (thanks to some help from an unexpected source. Thank you!) and I'll be in the same cave for another month. Not comfortable, but secure, which is better than being homeless. I'm desperately seeking a stable job and a stable new cave. Ah, the American dream.

* Now the media is finally acknowledging that the 2001 anthrax was from Fort Detrick. Due to my being involved in a peripheral part of the investigation (explained in the comments), I've known this all along. But it's awfully convenient that the prime suspect committed suicide before the story went to press. It's a sad side commentary that when I read the news, I assume that the government is lying.

* Can we simplify the 'Obama-McCain' debate? St. Sleazy McCain is REALLY, REALLY BAD! All of the worst of shrub, but with more temper. Obama is not the messiah, just another politician. But he seems to be intelligent and relatively decent. I'm not expecting miracles, just a functioning government. That would be a major step forward from what we have now.

* The indictment of Ted Stevens seems to be clogging up the intertubes. Since it was announced, all my connections have slowed down. Coincidence? I don't think so. At least I haven't been declared a "spam blog" like some have.

Another Friday, Another Boobie

Welcome to the month of August.

Party for Shanker

For all my local readers (both of you), there's going to be a party for AZ-01 congressional candidate Howard Shanker (http://www.howardshankerforcongress.com/) on Saturday at 5:00pm at The Green Room (formerly Mogollon), and you're all invited. Free buffet, live music, and a chance to talk with a real, live candidate.
This is my favorite type of political forum, as people get into real conversations about the issues that matter to them. I've gotten to know Howard well, and I'm happy to be a volunteer on his campaign, but a lot of folks haven't had the chance to find out about him. This kind of informal "meet and greet" is their opportunity. So if you're in the neighborhood, please stop by the Green Room, 15 N. Agassiz, Flagstaff, AZ. Should be a real good time.

I'm Jealous

I'm jealous...a whole bunch of my river gear is off running the Grand Canyon with a friend of mine, but I can't go with it due to extreme poverty. I hope my gear (and my friend) have a great time.

The Boobie is Back

For reasons that are entirely unclear to me (and I'm the blogger), the Boobie went AWOL last week. I do know that the Boobie wasn't making me any money while away.Anyway, to make up for it, here's an extra pair of Boobies:

St. Sleazy vs. Capt. Corruption

There's been a lot of talk about St. Sleazy McCain's temper, but when I read this one I had to laugh (and wish that it had been caught on video):

But how much of McCain's legendary anger streak does the public actually know? Judging from snippets of Cliff Schecter's new book "The Real McCain" - an advanced copy of which was obtained by the Huffington Post - the answer may be surprisingly little.

Take for instance the verbal-turned-physical attack McCain put on his fellow Arizona Republican, Rick Renzi, which Schecter uncovered through his research:

Perhaps the most remarkable story of McCain's temper involved Arizona Congressman Rick Renzi. Two former reporters covering McCain, one who witnessed the following events and one who confirmed the facts provided by the first, relayed it to me as follows: In 2006, the Arizona Republican congressional delegation had a strategy meeting. McCain repeatedly addressed two new members, congressmen Trent Franks and Rick Renzi, as 'boy.' Finally, Renzi, a former college linebacker, rose from his chair and said to McCain, "You call me that one more time and I'll kick your old ass." McCain lunged at Renzi, punches were thrown, and the two had to be physically separated. After they went to their separate offices, McCain called Renzi and demanded an apology. Renzi refused. Apparently this posture made McCain admire him, as they became fast friends.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/new-book-mccain-once-phys_n_95595.html

Capt. Corruption Renzi is a large man, and much younger, so St. Sleazy's judgement is certainly questionable. But due to a shared love of bribes they were able to bond and form a close friendship. Renzi wont go to trial until March, so he's staying until the end of his term, and McCain wont be called to the witness stand prior to the election. But they truly are 'birds of a feather' who deserve each other.

Still, I would have paid to see that fight.

Worth A Try

I've always had a certain fondness for inane types of protest and civil disobedience, so this caught my eye:

LONDON (AFP) - A climate change protester unsuccessfully tried to superglue himself to Prime Minister Gordon Brown at an event in the leader's residence, a government spokesman said Tuesday.

Dan Glass, a 24-year-old member of Plane Stupid, which campaigns against airport expansion, tried to attach himself to Brown's suit as he was about to shake hands with the premier at his Downing Street residence.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080722/wl_uk_afp/britainpoliticsprotestoffbeat

Too bad it didn't work.

Sorry I haven't been posting more. Real life keeps kicking me, even though I'm already down.

National Disconnect

A few thoughts that came to me as a result of listening to Al Gore and reading this depressing piece by Badtux:

Once upon a time, there was a can-do nation that could do, like, anything. Its President said that a country which had never flown a man in space, which had no idea what it would take to send a man into space, would send a man to the moon within nine years... and made it happen.

It has been thirty-nine years since Apollo 11 lifted off for the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Neal Armstrong set foot on the moon and made the famous statement, "one small step for man, one giant leap for Mankind".

Thirty-nine years later, the United States no longer has the capability to send a man to the moon. It is not just a lack of desire. The sad thing is that we could not return to the moon today if we wanted to. We no longer have the expertise, the technology, or the industrial base to pull off something that big. Twenty years from now, we’re going to look up at the moon, and watch it twinkle as the first Moon city shines in the dark. And erected over that city will be a red flag with a large gold star and four smaller gold stars.

Sadly, can-do America is can’t-do America nowdays. Can’t provide health care for all its people. Can’t solve the problem of homeless junkies shooting up in public restrooms. Can’t built a replacement for the Space Shuttle before the last Shuttle is junked. Can’t find Osama bin Laden. Can’t solve the problem of people’s jobs getting exported overseas. Can’t. Can’t. Can’t. It’s damned depressing, to tell you the truth, to live in a country that’s so obviously over the hill. About the only thing the United States can do nowdays is build military hardware, but even that capability is decaying… the United States, for example, could not build a new M1A2 tank today even if it wanted to. The industrial capacity isn’t there anymore. The gas turbine engine used in the M1 isn’t made anymore. The tooling for the rest of the tank was sold to Egypt. Etc. We’re living on stored Cold War gear, and that gear is going to run out sooner or later, and then what?

http://blog.badtux.net/2008/07/ode-to-nation-that-is-gone.html#links

I found myself (again) wondering what is wrong with America, and what will it take to fix it? As Gore called for an Apollo sized program to end our dependency on fossil fuels, I wondered if we still have the national strength and will to actually do any such thing.

The knowledge and technology already exist in alternative energy. We know how to make solar, wind, tidal, and biomass power. The challenges of making it more efficient are really rather minor if we make it our national priority.

But America seems to be set in continuing our old ways. We have a sort of national necrophilia, where we're sure that we can get one more ride out of the old corpse. Deficit? Borrow more. Oil prices? Drill more. Our once dominant industries have been sold off piece by piece in the name of shareholder dividends, rather than investing in a new infrastructure.

The mortgage crisis came as a result of people believing that more money could come without any real change in value. Credit became a ready substitute for a balanced budget. And this philosophy has extended throughout our national planning. Use up that last bit of offshore oil, regardless of future consequences, rather than change behavior. We know how to build a more efficient car (the Japanese have shown us that it can be done), but we'd rather shut down the assembly line and lay off the workers. It's more immediately profitable.

I fear that it will take a huge national crisis before we begin to build again.

For Sweaterman

Was talking to Sweaterman (post something, dammit) about the New Yorker cover cartoon, and he described his idea for a counter-cartoon satire of McCain. Damn if David Horsey didn't publish his idea today:



Sweaterman, I swear I didn't tell him about your idea...maybe you can ask for royalties.

My Housing Crisis

With all the problems in the world of mortgages, my problems as a single renter are rather minor. Except to me. I'm starting to take it personally.
I should preface this with a small history, that of the "Blue Palace" where I lived comfortably for almost six years. I didn't blog about the "Palace" while I lived there out of respect for one of the housemates who worried about his privacy (this town is small enough that the house was easily identified). The "Palace" was a five bedroom old dump of a house, but it was cheap. The five of us who lived there are all older bachelors of the quietly stable type. It was comfortable, in a leaky sort of way. But it finally came to an end when the landlord realized he could make a lot more money in the long run if he invested in upgrading the old house. Real estate has gotten a lot more expensive around here over the years.
So back at the first of June, I moved. It was a real challenge as my income has been unstable and rents around here are high. I scored what I thought was a good deal, renting a room from an older woman in an old house in the old part of town that I almost could afford.
If only it had been that simple...
I quickly learned that the old lady had "psychiatric issues", but given my background in mental health I was okay with that. What I hadn't counted on was her family. They are a real piece of work, and they're now using my presence as a tenant to try to get the old lady declared "incompetent". It's a thinly veiled effort to take the house away from her, and I'm doing my best to help her fight it (she's very much competent, by all legal definitions).
But the level of stress she's suffering has made it clear that I must move out for her sake. So now it's my stress level that is through the roof.
I'm trying to find a new cave that I can afford in a market that I can't.
God, I miss the "Blue Palace".

And the Boobie

Got so busy that I almost forgot the Boobie. Posting from the library with its time limits, so I had to work quickly.

Our Shrub, Ever the Diplomat

Most likely you've already read this, but I haven't seen it on CNN:

The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.

Mr Bush, whose second and final term as President ends at the end of the year, then left the meeting at the Windsor Hotel in Hokkaido where the leaders of the world's richest nations had been discussing new targets to cut carbon emissions.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/2277298/President-George-Bush-%27Goodbye-from-the-world%27s-biggest-polluter%27.html

Our Shrub, ever the petulant little twit, has again given the rest of the world the finger. It's a national shame that he hasn't been impeached.

Priorities

All you need to know about St. Sleazy McCain's priorities:

Only one Senator missed the vote today -- presidential candidate John McCain, who is busy on the campaign trail. McCain also missed votes earlier today on terrorism surveillance legislation. The Arizonan Republican's campaign did take the time this morning to lambaste Sen. Barack Obama for his alleged flip-flopping on
the surveillance issue, though at least Obama showed up for the vote today.

Yesterday marked the two- three-month anniversary of the last time McCain cast a Senate vote, on April 8. The Medicare vote marked the 76th consecutive tallyMcCain has missed.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2008/07/kennedy_returns_for_medicare_v.html

This man wants to be promoted to president, but has no interest in his current job of serving the American people. I may not be a huge fan of Obama, but at least I have reason to believe he'll show up for work most of the time.

Belated Boobie

Well, the Friday Boobie got delayed as the library was closed for some kind of holiday. Actually, I spent the holiday being politically active, walking in our local parade for Howard Shanker for Congress. Normally, I avoid Fourth of July parades as they tend to involve large numbers of children. But for a good political campaign they are pretty much required. We ended up being in a good position for the campaign, right behind the Obama campaign, and it all went smoothly (much to my surprise). I've come to expect Democrats to be disorganized, and the party parade folk didn't disappoint. Right up to the last five minutes before the parade began, the 'cat herding' party operatives were racing in every direction with no apparent plan. Over my many years of political involvement, I've grown used to this. But I wonder: Is there some rule somewhere that Democrats must be disorganized?

Local Tragedy, National News

Yesterday afternoon, I happened to be looking up at Mt. Eldon, when a puff of smoke turned into a billowing cloud. Talking with friends, we joked that another friend who's the fire lookout on the mountain finally had something to do. Then word came out that it was a helicopter crash.

Death rained from the sky over Flagstaff Sunday afternoon as a midair collision of two medical helicopters killed six and critically injured a seventh.

The aircraft were each carrying patients to Flagstaff Medical Center and went down at 3:49 p.m. on McMillan Mesa about a half-mile east of the hospital. An exploding fuel tank in one of the aircraft slightly injured two ground ambulance workers and touched off a 10-acre wildfire that was extinguished by local firefighters.

http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/06/30/news/20080630_front_176633.txt

First, I was worried about several people I know who work for one of the companies. Today the names of the victims were released, and I had a brief panic as one of the names was the same as that of a good friend. A river running buddy. But also a fairly common name. Luckily for me, it wasn't the same person. Not so lucky for the victim.
Living in Northern Arizona where 100's of miles separate people from hospitals, medical helicopters are our lifeline in an emergency. NTSB is investigating, and I hope they find out what went wrong quickly and take measures to prevent future accidents. A lot of people's lives depend on this service.

Sorry that it's only Boobies these days

Sorry about the lack of posts - still lack internet in the home cave. I'm going to again ask for donations (thanks, Megan), as the one that I recieved isn't enough by itself. With luck, Pygalgia will be back on politics soon.

Carlin and Baseball

In memory of George Carlin, because I'm a huge baseball fan, here's the all-time classic:

"Baseball & football are the two most popular spectator sports in this country. And as such, it seems they ought to be able to tell us something about ourselves and our values.

I enjoy comparing baseball and football:

Baseball is a nineteenth-century pastoral game. Football is a twentieth-century technological struggle.

Baseball is played on a diamond, in a park.The baseball park! Football is played on a gridiron, in a stadium, sometimes called Soldier Field or War Memorial Stadium.

Baseball begins in the spring, the season of new life. Football begins in
the fall, when everything's dying.

In football you wear a helmet.
In baseball you wear a cap.

Football is concerned with downs - what down is it? Baseball is concerned
with ups - who's up?

In football you receive a penalty.
In baseball you make an error.

In football the specialist comes in to kick.
In baseball the specialist comes in to relieve somebody.

Football has hitting, clipping, spearing, piling on, personal fouls, late hitting and unnecessary roughness.
Baseball has the sacrifice.

Football is played in any kind of weather: rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog...
In baseball, if it rains, we don't go out to play.

Baseball has the seventh inning stretch.
Football has the two minute warning.

Baseball has no time limit: we don't know when it's gonna end - might have extra innings.
Football is rigidly timed, and it will end even if we've got to go to sudden death.

In baseball, during the game, in the stands, there's kind of a picnic feeling; emotions may run high or low, but there's not too much unpleasantness.
In football, during the game in the stands, you can be sure that at least twenty-seven times you're capable of taking the life of a fellow human being.

And finally, the objectives of the two games are completely different:

In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.

In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! - I hope I'll be safe at home!"

Shit, Piss, Fuck, and other words...

My heroes are dropping like flies, these days. Doc Hunter a coupla' years ago, and now this morning, I hear that George Carlin has died. Not expired, not "passed on", not anti-livable, but died. Stone cold. Dead as a doorknocker. Motherfucking tits up, to use two of his words in a sentence.

The world is now a much less happier place.

For those who never heard George Carlin you missed an incredible comedy act. His ability to pull humor out of the most mundane, everyday observations influenced a huge sector of comedy stars from Steven Wright to Ben Stiller.

He will be best known as a legal footnote for his 7 words you cannot say on teevee or radio (wiki entry here), but I much prefer his observations and put-downs of religion, which, in my opinion, equal those of Mark Twain, another great satirist of religion.

What a way start a Monday morning. Fuck.

Another Friday (Still No Internet)

Still haven't been able to get internet (please consider a donation), but I'm getting busier on the political front. Tomorrow is the block party for my congressional candidate, Howard Shanker, and I hope to post something from it soon. Keep checking back, as Pygalgia isn't dead but merely dormant.