The Obama You Have vs. The Obama You Want

Browsing around Blogtopia (Y!SCTP), there's obviously a lot of dissatisfaction with President Obama. And that's just from the left; the right has hated him from day one. Apparently, a lot of progressives think he's turned into a continuation of shrub, and not the great liberal savior they were wishing for.
As I see it, this disappointment is a result of unrealistic expectations. There's been a lot of projection placed on Obama: "he's a good, smart man, so of course he should act strongly on the issues that I believe strongly in." Whether it be Afghanistan, Wall St., health care, gay rights, or a host of other issues, the left expected Obama to be a more progressive advocate. He isn't. Hey, I'm about as far to the left as possible, and I knew all along that Obama was no liberal.
In reality, Barack Obama has always been a moderate (as is Hillary, BTW). Don't be fooled by lofty rhetoric; every policy proposal made during the campaign leaned strongly toward the middle ground. Obama advocated "fixing problems", not "radical" changes (yeah, I know the slogan; the actual "change" proposed was minor). He's an 'establishment' manager rather than a revolutionary.
Maybe it's because I'm cynical to begin with, but I'm not all that disappointed in Obama's performance so far. He's done about what I expected (as opposed to what I might have wanted): he's been pragmatic and intelligent as he attempts to address the myriad disasters in front of us. Faced with a trashed economy, wars, and an opposition party that refuses to participate in governing, Obama has been able to make some small, steady progress. We may want a lot more, but it's unrealistic to expect it, and it may be impossible for Obama to actually change a situation that was decades in the making.
If you keep your expectations low, you're seldom disappointed. All I ever expected Obama to do was do a better job of governing than St. Sleazy McCain (or shrub) would do. What we've gotten is about what I expected.

(Added: Go over to No More Mister Nice Blog for some other views, especially in the comments, on the topic. It's a very lively, but civil, debate).

The Dynamite Prize

Many find it ironic that the president is accepting the "peace" prize while escalating a war. But the very prize is itself ironic. Alfred Nobel was the inventor of dynamite, which is not exactly "peaceful" by its very nature.

Eighth

Well, the town's slowly digging out. The storm wasn't the worst, but it was still pretty impressive:

This wasn't anywhere near the biggest storm recorded for Flagstaff -- 1967 still holds the record, with 7 feet of snow in a little more than a week.

But this week's storm did make the list for snowiest single days in the past century, as the 8th snowiest day on record for Flagstaff, according to Andrew Latto, meteorologist intern at the National Weather Service in Bellemont. From midnight on Sunday to midnight on Monday, 20.1 inches of snow was reported in Flagstaff. Also, winds during the storm reached 70 mph in Bellemont and 53 mph in Flagstaff, according to the National Weather Service.

http://azdailysun.com/articles/2009/12/09/news/20091209_front_208960.txt

Under the heading of 'things I'd rather not do', I have to make it to a doctors appointment. Wading through snow banks isn't as much fun as some would think.

Because I Want More Spaceships

I grew up loving NASA and reading sci-fi space stories, so I naturally love stories like this:

On Monday, Virgin Galactic took the cloak off SpaceShipTwo, which had been under secret development for two years. The company plans to sell suborbital space rides for $200,000 a ticket, offering passengers 2½-hour flights that include about five minutes of weightlessness.

"We want this program to be a whole new beginning in a commercial era of space travel," said Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson, who partnered with famed aviation designer Burt Rutan on the venture.

The British billionaire hopes to begin passenger flights out of New Mexico sometime in 2011 after a series of rigorous safety tests. Branson said he, his family and Rutan will be the first to fly on SpaceShipTwo.

SpaceShipTwo is based on Rutan's design of a prototype called SpaceShipOne. In 2004, SpaceShipOne captured the $10 million Ansari X Prize by becoming the first privately manned craft to reach space.

Since that historic feat, engineers from Rutan's Scaled Composites LLC have been laboring in the Mojave Desert on a larger design suitable for commercial use.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/dec/07/virgin-galactic-unveils-commercial-spaceship/

Sweaterman and I have an ongoing joke: "Where are our jetpacks, dammit!?" Here's hoping Branson and Rutan can take us into space!

Yes, It's Winter

Yup, this storm is living up to its billing. Lots o' snow. Walked down to my favorite pub (locals know it's a fairly short walk) to make sure my favorite bartender wasn't lonely. He wasn't.
You get to know a bit about the character of a town when you have bad weather. Which locals are out, and the stories of who they've helped while being out.
Myself, I ended up helping a mother and daughter who's car got squished. They were traveling from New Mexico to San Diego, and hadn't planned for a storm, when their car got creamed. I was able to (after medical clearance) secure them lodging, feed them, and direct them toward the best local car rental (already closed because of blizzard; maybe tomorrow) before I had a beer.
I think I like living here. People try to help each other out when things get tough.
(p.s. Home and warm with Bailey's and coffee is good, too)

December 7th

A day that will live in infamy. On December 7th, 1945, the microwave oven was patented. And history (or, at least cooking) will never be the same.

Blizzard Warning

The first real winter storm has begun. We've had a couple of snow dustings, but today we have a blizzard warning. Forecast for two feet of snow by tomorrow, with winds over 30mph. Currently it's snowing lightly, and the wind isn't bad yet. Glad my heater works well, and that I don't have to go anywhere today. Is it time to break out the brandy yet?

Of Course God Agrees With Me

I love it when a study confirms what I already believed:

Religious people tend to use their own beliefs as a guide in thinking about what God believes, but are less constrained when reasoning about other people’s beliefs, according to new study published in the Nov. 30 early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Nicholas Epley, professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, led the research, which included a series of survey and neuroimaging studies to examine the extent to which people’s own beliefs guide their predictions about God’s beliefs.

The researchers noted that people often set their moral compasses according to what they presume to be God’s standards. “The central feature of a compass, however, is that it points north no matter what direction a person is facing,” they conclude. “This research suggests that, unlike an actual compass, inferences about God’s beliefs may instead point people further in whatever direction they are already facing.”

http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2009/12/02/study-believers-inferences-about-gods-beliefs-are-uniquely-egocentric.html

"And in the beginning, man created God, and saw that it was good."

Added: as Sweaterman reminded me, William James explained this in "The Relative States of Religious Experience" about a hundred years ago. I should've thought of that.

Newsflash: Extra-Marital Affairs Happen

Normally, I have nothing to say when a celebrity or politician gets caught having sex with someone who is not their spouse. But I'm really tired of the media's obsession with a certain golfer who was caught being human.

Here's the simple fact: extra-marital affairs happen. I'm guessing that they started shortly after the first marriage, but there wasn't a media to obsess about it (unless there's a cave drawing somewhere that I'm not aware of). No one should care except the parties involved. Some things were never intended to be a spectator sport.

Maybe it's my liberal view, but whatever happens between consenting adults is nobodies business but the persons involved.

Except toe sucking...toe suckers are perverts who should be publicly shunned.

Boobies on the Rocks

Blog friend Lockwood of Outside the Interzone left a link in the comments to a National Geographic video, explaining how to make boobies sexier: don't let them have sex. Most entertaining.

Minor Frustrations

The past couple of days have hit me with a few frustrating situations. Not major, but thing that leave you grumbling with an urge to kick somebody.

I bought myself a new refrigerator, as my old one is dying. Bought online, taking advantage of post-thanksgiving sales. Only one minor problem: it doesn't work...at all. I suspected there might be a problem when I was taking out of the (very beat up) shipping carton, and found a large oil stain at the bottom. So a wonderful series of calls with the charming people at "customer service" later, I'm nearing a solution. My desire was rather simple: take the defective fridge back, and give me a working one. Apparently, that's awfully complex. First, having worked some tech support in the past, I understand their urge to start with basics, like "is it plugged in?" and "is the outlet working?", but at some point they should understand that I have RTFM'd and covered all the basics. No, I don't want a refund; I want a working refrigerator. After talking to several different departments, and holding for a long long time, I think we've got it taken care of, but there's still the potential for additional screw ups.

Then there's cars. I offered to take care of a minor repair on a friends car, a newer Chevy sedan. Dear Chevy: when did you decide to use the oddest size bolt heads imaginable? I know you want buyers to use dealerships for even minor repairs, but some of these were ridiculous. 13/32's? That socket hadn't been used in the 25+ years in my toolbox. Having some metric and some standard bolts on the same housing? What are you thinking? Repair completed, but they sure made it harder than it needed to be (especially when it was 26 degrees outside at the time).

Which brings me to a certain lady friend with a computer problem, specifically the "blue screen of death". I should know better than trying to explain to someone who's computer illiterate that the only solution is drastic: the "nuclear option". She didn't like that answer, and kept demanding that I find a simpler solution. She even offered multiple sexual favors if I could find an easier way to solve the problem. But sometimes reality bites. She's currently trying to find someone else who'll tell her what she wants to hear. Good luck with that.

And it's 8 degrees outside. Not exactly inviting.

Judd Gregg, Obstructionist

The health care reform bill has become a question of what (if anything) can be passed over the republicans obstruction. And to put to rest any doubt about the republicans intentions, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) put out a letter clearly describing a variety of obstruction tactics to be used:

Sen. Judd Gregg, (R-NH) has penned the equivalent of an obstruction manual -- a how-to for holding up health care reform -- and has distributed the document to his Republican colleagues.

Insisting that it is "critical that Republican senators have a solid understanding of the minority's rights in the Senate," Gregg makes note of all the procedural tools the GOP can use before measures are considered, when they come to the floor and even after passage.

He highlights the use of hard quorum calls for any motion to proceed, as opposed to a far quicker unanimous consent provision. He reminds his colleagues that, absent unanimous consent, they can force the Majority Leader to read any "full-text substitute amendment." And when it comes to offering amendments to the health care bill, the New Hampshire Republican argues that it is the personification of "full, complete, and informed debate," to "offer an unlimited number of amendments -- germane or non-germane -- on any subject."

The details of Gregg's outline are a clear reflection of the extent to which Republicans are turning to the Byzantine processes of the Senate chamber as a means of holding up reform.

...

Considering the already lethargic pace of health care reform, this is an illuminating reminder of how Republican's are putting their energy into dragging out the process rather than affecting the legislation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/02/read-it-gop-senator-pens_n_377386.html

(bolds are mine. complete text at the link)

Needless to say, this is not about policy or reform; this is about stopping any form of legislation out of fear that it might help the democrats. Sen. Gregg and his cohorts have no interest in serving their constituents; they only care about a partisan victory. Self-promotion trumps governance in their minds.
And, as a result, the senate has become completely dysfunctional. It's one thing for a minority party to oppose a policy by trying to modify legislation to reflect a different set of ideals. It's quite another thing to try to prevent the body from taking any action at all.
If we had an informed electorate, any senator engaging in this type of behavior, regardless of ideology, should and would be removed from office. To so blatantly say "I want to stop the government dead in it's tracks", rather than trying to govern in a way that you prefer, proves that you are unfit for office in government. Democracy, for all its flaws, requires that elected officials, in some fashion, represent the people who elected them. It's perfectly respectable to vote against a policy you disagree with; it's downright Un-American to prevent that vote from taking place.
(this is completely seperate from the debate as to what kind of health care reform would be best-I'm discussing the efforts to prevent any action at all)

Now the Shoe's on the Other...

Slightly delicious irony of the day: the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at shrub is now on the receiving end of a shoe toss:

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush has himself become the target of a shoe thrower.

While speaking at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, was nearly hit in the face by a shoe thrown by what appeared to be another Iraqi man.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/national/bush-shoe-thrower-120209

(video at the link)

If shoe tossing ever becomes an Olympic event, bet on the Iraqi's.

Speech Response

I'm going to disagree with my friend Justin a bit about Obama's Afghanistan speech. Not that I'm sold that the plan for Afghanistan is a good plan; it isn't. But it may be the 'least bad' plan that can realistically be implemented at this time.
Obama inherited a complete disaster in Afghanistan. The original goal of destroying Al Qaeda was abandoned in favor of a war in Iraq, and our forces in Afghanistan were left floundering for years without a strategy or the resources to carry out a plan. The puppet government is both corrupt and impotent, and the history of regional tribalism limits the potential for local allies. In short, we're in a hell of a mess.
But simply leaving Afghanistan would be even more dangerous. Aside from the humanitarian disaster that would follow, there is the very real threat of a terrorist haven on the border of a nuclear state that is itself unstable. Abandoning the Af/Pak chaos would greatly increase the risk of future attacks around the world.
So the situation is simply: damned if you leave, damned if you stay, damned if you escalate, damned if you draw down. Obama's plan has some of each; an escalation followed by a draw down, an increased focus on Pakistan, and an attempt to create a working government in Afghanistan. Stabilization, followed by a transition out of Afghanistan.
The speech itself was classic Obama. The tone was clear and somber, with a somewhat intellectual emphasis. While there were the requisite platitudes and rhetoric, Obama articulated his plans and goals with a level of clarity and honesty that the previous president was incapable of. As speeches go, it was strong and effective, and it probably pleased no one. Criticism is already pouring in from both the left and the right.
Will the strategy work? We'll see, but what we had been doing clearly wasn't working. Given the options currently available, Obama's choice is quite plausible. We'll see if it's workable.

A Cuban Umpire

I was tempted to title this post "Umpire Defects", but for baseball fans the discussion of defective umpires would be endless.
No, this post is about a Cuban umpire who's defected to the U.S. We've had a lot of Cuban players come here for fame and fortune, but this is the first umpire that I'm aware of:

A top Cuban umpire has defected to the United States.

The Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Herald reports that Nelson Diaz arrived in Miami on Sunday with his wife and two daughters.

Diaz worked in the Olympics and the 2006 World Baseball Classic. His 26-year career supposedly ended after he was picked to work the 2009 WBC in Japan but was told by Cuban baseball officials he couldn't go because they didn't trust him.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/baseball/story/1358803.html

Baseball might be one of the strongest arguments for moving toward more normalized relations with Cuba after 50 years of embargo. The Cuban people are passionate about the game, and the repression of the Castro brothers regime has driven their finest players to defection. If relations were more normalized, those players would return money to their home country, like Venezuelan and Japanese, etc. players do. An open baseball exchange would be a "win-win" for both the U.S. and Cuba.
And, lord knows that we could use better umpires.

Anatomy of a Shrub Up

As more information comes to light, we're reminded that a 'shrub up' goes much further than a 'fuck up' in terms of damage inflicted. Some of us knew at the time (despite the media's obfuscation) that shrub's mismanagement allowed Bin Laden to escape from Tora Bora. Now we're getting told exactly what transpired:

The report, based in part on a little-noticed 2007 history of the Tora Bora episode by the military’s Special Operations Command, asserts that the consequences of not sending American troops in 2001 to block Mr. bin Laden’s escape into Pakistan are still being felt.

The report blames the lapse for “laying the foundation for today’s protracted Afghan insurgency and inflaming the internal strife now endangering Pakistan.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/world/asia/29torabora.html?_r=1&ref=us

Couple this with the British investigation into the lead up to the war in Iraq, and the dishonesty that shrub and the poodle engaged in to sell the war. Here's some official bombshells:

The military timetable for an invasion of Iraq in 2003 did not give time for UN weapons inspectors in the country to do their job, the former British ambassador
to Washington told the Iraq inquiry in London today.

Sir Christopher Meyer said the “unforgiving nature” of the build-up after American forces had been told to prepare for war meant that “we found ourselves scrabbling for the smoking gun”.

For the first time in history, the entire world contemporaneously saw the blatant hypocrisy of war. The best PR money could buy was unable to convince the global audience that even a shred of legitimacy existed in the imperial invasion of Iraq. Only the most fearful Americans even bought it, though as usual that’s more than a majority. Plus of course Israel, to give credit where it’s due.

As usual, Scott Ritter tells the straight truth, and as usual, it ain’t pretty.

As if the 'shrub ups' hadn't done enough damage,not there's Draft Dick Cheney 2012. Just what we need.

No Comment

Anybody there? I'm starting to wonder, as I haven't gotten any comments recently (even when I give you beer). The ol' 'sitemeter' says folks are stopping by, mostly looking for the Boobies, but nobody comments. Consider this post a "de-lurking" beg, asking for feedback (even if it's just telling me how boring the blog is, or that the boobies aren't as young and firm as you had hoped for). Any comments?

More Beer News - "Tactical Nuclear Penguin"

Beer "news" is my favorite kind of news. And when I read about a beer setting a new world record, with a name like "Tactical Nuclear Penguin", I must share it with you:

The BrewDog team have pulled off our most audacious and ambitious project to date, and smashed a world record in the process. We have today, Thursday 26 November 2009, set a new world record after creating the strongest beer in the world. Weighing in at an ABV of 32%, BrewDog’s ‘Tactical Nuclear Penguin’ beats the previous record of 31% held by German beer brand Schorschbraer.

This beer is about pushing the boundaries, it is about taking innovation in beer to a whole new level. It is about achieving something which has never before been done and putting Scotland firmly on the map for progressive, craft beers.

This beer is bold, irreverent and uncompromising. A beer with a soul and a purpose. A statement of intent. A modern day rebellion for the craft beer proletariat in our struggle to over throw the faceless bourgeoisie oppression of corporate, soulless beer.’

The Antarctic name inducing schizophrenia of this uber-imperial stout originates from the amount of time it spent exposed to extreme cold. This beer began life as a 10% imperial stout 18 months ago. The beer was aged for 8 months in an Isle of Arran whisky cask and 8 months in an Islay cask making it our first double cask aged beer. After an intense 16 month, the final stages took a ground breaking approach by storing the beer at -20 degrees for three weeks to get it to 32%.

For the big chill the beer was put into containers and transported to the cold store of a local ice cream factory where it endured 21 days at penguin temperatures. Alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water. As the beer got colder BrewDog Chief Engineer, Steven Sutherland decanted the beer periodically, only ice was left in the container, creating more intensity of flavours and a stronger concentration of alcohol for the next phase of freezing. The process was repeated until it reached 32%.

A warning on the label states: This is an extremely strong beer, it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost.

You can buy yours here: http://www.brewdog.com/product.php?id=46

http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article.php?id=214

If any of you were wondering what to give me for Christmas, well, a bottle would be much appreciated. I promise to drink it responsibly.
(added: they only made 500 bottles, so I'm being facetious in asking)
(dedicated to badtux the snarky penguin)

Black Friday Boobies

Left Boobie: "Thankfully, we wont be shopping today."
Right Boobie: "And, thankfully, nobody mistook us for turkeys."

Happy Thanksgiving

(not a Turkey)

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I'll be spending the day with a gathering of friends at the home of the Flagsquatch*, as I did last year. I'm about to start cooking several side dishes to contribute to the potluck, which is a good thing. Griselda (my bird in the pic above) finds my cooking extremely entertaining and exciting, and she's already voicing her opinion on my kitchen activities. Thanksgiving is always a wonderful excuse to indulge my culinary creativity. Let's see if I can surprise some folks.
Thanksgiving used to be traditionally spent with family, but over the years the family has dwindled to the point that we're too few to gather. My sisters live in different states, and we really don't enjoy each others company enough to travel on a holiday. Exchanging polite phone calls is much easier.
It's always fun to join in a group of friends for a feast and some football (too bad this years games are such turkeys), and there will be beer. Hope you all have plenty of food, fun, and loved ones to share today!
Added: for my Native American friends, Happy "watch your immigration policy" day!

* the Flagsquatch is a rare local curiosity. He's larger than the traditional Yeti, but not quite as hairy.

A Turkey Story

Flagstaff icon and master storyteller Scott Thybony, with a fun one for Thanksgiving; the story of "Kathy", a wild turkey who lived in the Grand Canyon: Phantom Thanksgiving Well worth a listen.

Thought

In all the Kabuki theater that is the debate about health care reform, the republican position would best be summed up as "don't let the government come between you and your leeches."
That, or "death to the poor."

Marketing Bad Ideas

When you're selling a bad idea, I suppose that hiring a proven liar is a sensible marketing strategy:

College football's Bowl Championship Series, the system for selecting which two teams will compete in the national championship game, has hired former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer to improve its tarnished image among football fans.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/bcs-hires-ari-fleischer-to-improve-image.php?ref=fpb

The BCS system is pretty much universally hated by most college football fans. I doubt that even Ari can come up with a grand enough lie to make it popular.

Spending

Any questions?

11/22/1963

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)

Art

("Undercliff", a woodcut by Lynd Ward, 1948)

I have this woodcut hanging on my wall. It is among my favorite artwork.

Rewarding Good Works

Regular readers know that I'm frequently critical of my congresswoman, Ann Kirkpatrick. But in the interest of good government, I'm more than willing to compliment her when she takes positive actions. Her bill, H.R. 1834, has passed in the house. The bill provides aid to Native American small business:

The bill "amends the Small Business Act to establish in the Small Business Administration (SBA) the Office of Native American Affairs, administered by a new SBA Associate Administrator, to increase Native American entrepreneurship [and] authorizes the SBA's Administrator (acting through the Associate Administrator) to: (1) operate a Tribal Business Information Centers program that provides Native American populations with business training and entrepreneurial development assistance; (2) designate entities as centers; (3) contribute agency personnel and resources to the centers; and (4) make grants to the centers."

The bill was introduced by conservative Arizona Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, whose district includes the largest Indian reservation in the U.S. Every single Arizona Democrat voted for it, of course.

Given that this district includes a huge number of impoverished Native Americans, the bill could be a huge benefit throughout the region.
So, well done congresswoman! We thank you.

Serious Journalism

The WaPo's editor gets to what matters in This Fred Hiatt column:

And didn't candidate Obama promise to fix the college football Bowl Championship Series?

Many people indeed blame Obama not only for this year's lackluster football season but for all these other problems as well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/20/AR2009112002416.html

Obama hasn't fixed the BCS, so therefore his presidency is a failure. I'm glad Hiatt is covering the important news.
Added: Obama never said he'd fix the BCS; he said he'd prefer a playoff system. Ruling over the NCAA isn't really part of his job description.

UC Berkeley Protests

OK, it's not Mario Savio or Vietnam. But they still know how to have a protest:

A group of about 60 UC Berkeley students and supporters barricaded themselves inside Wheeler Hall early this morning in the most dramatic display of disobedience on the campus since the UC regents voted to raise student undergraduate tuition by 32 percent Thursday.

The group entered Wheeler Hall around 6 a.m. and three students were arrested immediately for burglary as they moved heavy furniture to block doorways on the second floor, according campus police.

Andi Walden, a student among those occupying the building, who spoke to The Chronicle by phone, said the protesters had enough food and water to last four days.

"We decided it was necessary to take action," said Walden, a Middle Eastern studies and political science major. "A lot of people have been saying, 'Who's university? Our university.' So we decided to put that into action."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/20/BA611ANSAB.DTL&tsp=1

A 32% hike in tuition will force quite a few students out of the University, so they have plenty of reason to act. You Go, Kids! Keep the Berkeley traditions alive!
(added on Sat. morning: The kids have been arrested. Bummer, but no surprise)

Resource Depletion Humor

We at Pygalgia are all too aware of resource depletion. We've read (ok, sometimes skimmed) all the reports and books and we know that air, water, oil, coal, metals (gold, silver, copper, platinum, phosphorous, etc) are close to running dry.

If you pick up any of these reports or texts, you'll be presented with the familiar and famous "Hubbert Curve" that depicts the general depletion of a particular resource base.

Many commentators in the world focus on plotting such resource depletion curves against things like GDP (US or World), or Per-Capita-Income, or some such measurement.

But there's something even more important: the collapse of oil production in relation to the collapse of the production of good rock-and-roll music.

The roots of "Rock" music can really be though of as starting in the 1950s, but didn't really gain ground until the 1960s (the growth and discovery years) and then continued on throughout the decades.

But, as the previous chart shows, basically rock-and-roll music shot its wad early and has declined precipitously ever since. That's why you were stuck with Toto during the late seventies and early eighties (that early eighties bump came not from the North Sea Field or Alaskan production, but from the influence of Punk Rock finally crossing the pond and gaining traction in the US).

Unfortunately, it's been on a decline ever since.

Now, I love the Beatles. I can still appreciate The Band, some good Clapton, The Dead, Three Dog Night or Creedence. Hell, because I can still appreciate them probably explains the fact that there's still so many "classic" rock stations around - the best, low hanging chords were strummed the first. Those previously mentioned bands lucked out because they were on the rise, at least in terms of production. Folks like the Boss or Elvis Costello had to ride the backside of depletion - it gives a lot more nuance to "Tramps like us, baby we were born to run" now doesn't it? And shit, half of Springsteen's songs were about the romance of the automobile anyways....

Hell, I might even appreciate something like John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy!" as looking for ways out of our energy decline in the late 1970s. Plowin', farmin', playin' the fiddle, being sustainable - he does even mention limos as being uncool.

Now, all jests aside, we understand the importance of resource depletion. The next twenty years or so, as the resource base depletes even more rapidly, are going to be challenging for everyone involved. As people have to get used to doing with less - and more importantly, accepting doing with less, there is the possibility that many folks won't take kindly to it, to use a phrase.

That's why humor can be so effective in certain situations, and why I'm trying to be a little bit funny in this post.

To me, probably the best consequence of the development of the immense frontal cerebral cortex in the mammilian ape was the concept of humor.

Humor can overcome so many situations - by causing all participants to view a situation (somewhat) objectively and to provide contextual comments (sometimes humorous) about it, that I think it is crucial to our species survival.

That's why I so much like the graph (completely unattributed, although I think I got it off The Big Picture & Barry would have the link(s)).

Please, everyone, although the backslide of the Peak may be disheartening, remember that it could be worse: you have no gas in your car, but the radio still works and all you can get is..."When you get caught between the moon and New York City..." from Christopher Cross. Or some Milli-Vanilli.

Which, strangely enough, is about the pablum that our energy polices have been these past few decades

I rest my case.

From Bad To Worse?

Living in Arizona, I get to be represented by two of the worst senators in the country (OK, that's just my opinion; there are a lot of lousy senators to choose from). Jon Kyl is slightly less intellectual than the average eggplant, and St. Sleazy McCain appears increasingly senile with each passing day. So, leave it to Arizona republicans to find an even worse option:

A new Rasmussen poll finds that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) could potentially be in trouble with Republican voters back home in Arizona, where he's often faced criticism from the right for his views on immigration.

In a potential Republican primary for his 2010 re-election, the 2008 GOP nominee for President is in a dead heat with former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a hard-line conservative who lost his seat in the 2006 Democratic wave.

The numbers: McCain 45%, Hayworth 43%, with a ±4% margin of error. A third candidate who is already in the race, former Minuteman leader Chris Simcox, gets 4%.

From the pollster's analysis: "For McCain, the GOP Primary appears to be his biggest challenge since no major Democrats in the state have stepped forward yet to run against him."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/poll-mccain-in-dead-heat-in-potential-2010-gop-primary-for-re-election.php?ref=fpb

That's right, J. D. Hayworth! A former sportscaster who's even dumber than Kyl (or an eggplant), a congressional loser who's opposed to everything after 1958 (I've met him, and I'm trying to be as kind as I can). Proving that no matter how bad you think it is, it could be worse (and don't get me started on Simcox). At least McCain is (sometimes) coherent.
Sadly, there's no democrat candidate (so far) who has a snowball's chance in Phoenix of winning the senate seat in 2010. Janet Napolitano was our most likely hope until she accepted the homeland security gig. So far, nobody else has come forward who's a serious challenger.
Dear America.
We apologize.
Sincerely,
Arizona Democrats (on the endangered species list since...forever).

Staring at a Boobie

It's not polite to stare at a Boobie. In fact, some consider it rude. But it seems to happen sometimes.

Culinary Assistance

This post is a follow up to a conversation that Sweaterman and I were having with some other folks last week. Both Sweaterman and I consider ourselves pretty good cooks (actually, Sweaterman is a great cook), and we were discussing how to make meals with minimal ingredients on hand. If you have a good feel for how foods go together, it doesn't take a whole lot to make a decent meal. But several of the other people who were part of the conversation were...how to say it politely...more culinarally challenged. One went so far as to say that she would never attempt to cook something without a recipe, while another resorts to fast food when unsure what to cook. So I'd like to share a wonderful resource with folks like them. Just go to Supercook.com and plug in whatever ingredients you have at hand, and it will spit out a recipe. It will also ask if you have certain other things available in order to offer additional ideas and options. While I don't personally need it, I've run some tests based on what I have in the cupboard and fridge and I've been impressed with the results. The recipes are all fairly simple and straightforward, not 'Julia Child' gourmet but easy, tasty, relatively healthy meals that most anybody can prepare.
(except Ducky, who has difficulty with the recipe for boiled water)

Palin: Even Dumber than Shrub

(pic from Album3)
I really would prefer to ignore her, but then she says something so mind numbingly stupid that my brain freezes and I must make a comment, if only to get un-stuck:

"We have allies who are as concerned about Ahmadinejad's actions as we are. We need to be working closer with France, and with Britain, and start, not just considering, but seriously taking steps towards the sanctions that we hear all about but we never see any actions towards, though.

"Cutting off the imports into Iraq, of their refined petroleum products. They're reliant -- 40 to 45 percent of their energy supply is reliant on those imports. We have some control over there.

"And some of the beneficial international monetary deals that Iraq benefits from -- we can start implementing some sanctions there and start really shaking things up, and telling Ahmadinejad, nobody is going to stand for this."

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/palin-crack-down-on-iraq-to-prevent-nuclear-iran.php?ref=fpb

As if Iraq hasn't suffered enough.
OK, we know this was a simple mistake. Ms. Palin probably merely misspoke. Unless she truly is unable to distinguish between Iraq and Iran, a distinction that even Shrub was able to grasp...barely.
(video at the link, just so you know that I'm not making this up)

Dot Connecting

Children's books often include exercises to "connect the dots". If you connect them properly, a clear picture emerges. Of course, if the dots are connected improperly all you get is a meaningless jumble.
In the investigation of the Ft. Hood shootings, the question that keeps being repeated is "was there a failure to connect the dots?" (For this post, I'm ignoring the issue of terrorism vs. mass murder. The problem of 'dot connecting' is the same regardless of motivation.) Could the slaughter have been prevented? Were there enough warning signs that authorities should have taken action?
We go through this process whenever a massive tragedy occurs. After the Virginia Tech shootings, there were revelations that the shooter was deeply disturbed. The investigation of 9/11 revealed that there were many pieces of evidence that the plotters were working up to something big. In the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing reams of evidence came out that Timothy McVeigh had spent months building up to a massive anti-government act. In all these cases there were many pieces that in hindsight were "dots"; the question is whether they should have been "connected" in such a way as to reveal the picture that would prevent the ensuing tragedy.
During the years that I worked as a mental health counselor, one of the most important parts of my work was suicide prevention. The population of psychiatric clients includes a very high percentage of people at high risk for suicide. Sadly, despite our best efforts and 'expertise', some clients did commit suicide. When a suicide did occur, the treatment team would meet to review the case; to try to "connect the dots". While the goal was to hopefully find ways to prevent future suicides, there was the natural human tendency to assign blame: somebody failed to "connect the dots".
As I'm watching the process unfold (again) with the Ft. Hood shootings, I'm remembering how difficult it is to actually connect dots. In hindsight, here are a whole bunch of disturbing signs; do they add up to a clear picture of impending violence? Is there enough evidence to take action to intervene? Is the goal to prevent future incidents, or to blame somebody for the incident that occurred?
Example: You have a neighbor, "Mr. X"; he's anti-social, often angry. He blames "Y" for all that is wrong in his world. He might have weapons. What signs would be clear enough for you to call the police about "Mr. X"? How do you differentiate between an eccentric crank and a potential killer? Remember that our society respects an individuals freedom (in theory, anyway), and that "Mr. X" hasn't done anything yet. How many dots connect and what picture (if any) do they reveal?
Intervention is a very inexact "science"; you never really know what might have been "prevented" because there is no way to measure a "non-incident". Maybe a tragedy has been prevented, but maybe prejudice and hysteria have needlessly disrupted a persons life or deprived them of there individual freedom.
I don't have any answers; I hope the investigation will focus on trying to find ways to prevent future tragedies by helping people who are deeply disturbed, rather than degenerating into finding someone to blame. The reality is that life is full of uncertainties and that tragedies occur daily. Preventing atrocities is an admirable goal, but not all dots connect into a clear picture.

Extreme Beer News

Anybody who knows me knows that I love a good hoppy beer. But in reading about some of the new "extreme" beers, I encountered one that sound like an "extremely" bad idea:

But don't confuse "extreme" with "strong," Koch says. "Extreme is bringing something new to the brewing process. It's like creating a whole new genre of music, as opposed to just playing the same music louder."

Nanny State, an "imperial mild" from the BrewDog microbrewery in Fraserburgh, Scotland, is the anti-Utopias, but just as extreme. It measures 1.1 percent alcohol; you'd be hard-pressed to get tipsy on a case of it. But it is crammed with hops. The brewer's claimed level of 225 international bitterness units is the most extreme I've ever heard. (IBUs measure a beer's level of alpha acids, the primary bittering compound in hops. For purposes of comparison, Budweiser measures about 12 IBUs; Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, 37; a typical imperial IPA, 75 to 100.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/17/AR2009111700693.html

Just the name "nanny state" is enough to keep me away, but 225 IBU's for 1.1% alcohol? Why bother? Just drink unfermented hop juice.
Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

Upcoming Right Wing Screaming Point

I'm slightly surprised that this one hasn't been exploited yet: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's American college years:

After just a semester at Chowan, Mohammed thought his English was good enough to move on. So he transferred to North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. It's Rev. Jesse Jackson's alma mater. And it's where Mohammed began studying mechanical engineering.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120516152

Yes! Jesse Jackson and terrorists all in one neat package! Coincidence? The wingers won't think so. I'm offering a (very small) prize for the first right wing pundit to make the connection.

The Tolerance of a Small Elephant

Over the years I've learned that I have a very high tolerance for drugs, and today's colonoscopy (no, I'm not going into any details) reinforced that. As with my surgeries in January and February, the amount of sedative that was supposed to "knock me out" failed miserably, and a second dose was required. And even that wore off too soon. After the procedure, the nurse insisted that I would be "impaired" for the next 24 hours by the sedative...you gotta be kidding me. I'm not even mildly buzzed. It's the same with all medications that "may cause drowsiness"; I'm more likely to fall asleep from reading David Broder. When I had the shoulder surgery, I maxed out on the allowable amount of morphine and spent the night beating the security guard at chess (to be fair, he wasn't all that good a chess player).
It was true with the illicit drugs of my youth, and it's true with pharmaceuticals today: I have the tolerance of a small elephant.

On This Day

LSD was first synthesized on November 16, 1938. Let's just say that I found it to be a wonderful discovery.

Sarah Who?

Sarah Palin's latest work of fiction comes out tomorrow. In an example of cosmic coincidence, I'm scheduled to have a colonoscopy tomorrow. Which is probably a more pleasant way to spend the day.

But it does give me an excuse to re-run one of my favorite Palin photoshops:

Afghanistan Assessment

I think that Steve Hynde of The NewsHoggers has a very good assessment of the administration's thinking on Afghanistan, so I'm passing it on:

There's been a substantial change in Obama administration rhetoric in the last week or two, which has only accelerated after Gen. Eikenberry put his spanner in the escalationists' works. Hillary Clinton, talking to ABC News this Sunday, gives the clearest indication yet that the administration is looking for an exit.

"We're not interested in staying in Afghanistan. We have no long-term stake there. We want that to be made very clear," she told ABC news.

"We agree that our goal here is to defeat Al-Qaeda. That has been a clear goal and a mission from the president ever since he made his commitment of additional troops back in the spring."

"And we understand that the Afghans themselves need help in order to defend themselves against the Taliban. Those are mutually reinforcing missions but our highest obligation is to the American people," she said.

Gone is any talk of being there for as long as it takes to defeat the Taliban, or of success being something that "we'll know it when we see it". Instead, the Taliban are clearly Afghanistan's problem and Al Qaeda is America's - and a "mission accomplished" banner can be hung around the latter, at least as far as Afghanistan goes.

Here's what I now expect when Obama finally announces his decision: Afghanistan will get "help in order to defend themselves against the Taliban", more troops but the bulk with a clear training mission, and at the same time Karzai will be handed a three to five year set of benchmarks and a timetable for U.S. withdrawal.

Obama has no intention of heading into the 2012 election with no end in sight on Afghanistan. Thankfully, political necessity in this case matches with the smart thing to do strategically.

http://www.newshoggers.com/blog/2009/11/hillary-prepares-the-ground-for-an-exit-timetable.html

By stressing the need for an exit strategy rather than endless escalation, Obama is clearly trying to stay (somewhat) true to his campaign positions. And trying to get re-elected in 2012.

Sometimes the Old Ways are Better

The FDA is looking into the dangers of drinks that combine alcohol with caffeine:

Companies that have begun marketing drinks that combine alcohol with caffeine will have to
answer to the FDA, the agency announced.

Caffeine is not on the agency's list of ingredients that may be legally added to alcoholic beverages, Sharfstein said in a telephone press conference.

In addition, he said, several recent studies have indicated that combining caffeine with alcohol is very unsafe. (See APHA: Mixing Alcohol and Energy Drinks Heightens Injury Risk and Energy Drink Labels Don't Predict High Caffeine Jolt)

The agency decided to investigate after receiving a letter signed by 18 state attorneys general and one city attorney urging the FDA to take action against such beverages.

The letter cited research indicating that the combination drinks heightened the risk of motor vehicle accidents and sexual assaults, Sharfstein said.

Under pressure from state authorities, two big marketers of alcoholic beverages, MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch, had previously agreed to pull combination drinks named Bud Extra, Tilt, and Sparks off the market.

However, smaller companies are still selling drinks with as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and up to 9.9% alcohol under such names as LiquidCharge, Joose, and Four Loko.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Addictions/16996

I've never tried the beverages under scrutiny, and the few "energy" drinks I've tried taste like (what I imagine to be) weasel piss. But what about Kahlua? Or a shot of Bailey's (perfect on a snowy morning) in your coffee? Back when I was bar tending, I learned to mix a whole slew of coffee drinks. Will the FDA be coming after those?
Wish they'd focus there energy on e. coli and such, instead.

But Why?

Walking down San Francisco St. yesterday, a car caught my eye: a somewhat beat up mid-90's Toyota, nothing unusual except the license plate. Australian plate (larger than state plates). And I had to wonder why someone would bother to bring this car from Queensland to Flagstaff (I knew the person didn't drive it over), given that you could buy such a car here cheaper than the shipping cost from Australia. I could see shipping a Mercedes or such. But a beater Toyota?
Still scratching my head about it.

Moonwater

When NASA 'bombed' the moon last month, I was on the San Juan river. We made a bunch of sarcastic comments about the implications of the moon bombing, but it appears to have worked:

It turns out there's plenty of water on the moon - at least near the lunar south pole, scientist said Friday.

"Indeed, yes, we found water. And we didn't find just a little bit, we found a significant amount," said Anthony Colaprete, a principal project investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center.

The discovery came from an analysis of data from a spacecraft NASA intentionally crashed into the moon last month.

Colaprete estimated the impact kicked up at least 25 gallons of water.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120387476

Most interesting, with the possibilities for further lunar exploration.
Now, where should we bomb next?

A Victory for Due Process

Perhaps, just perhaps, America is returning a nation where the "rule of law" is again supreme:

— Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and four other men accused in the plot will be prosecuted in federal court in New York City, the United States attorney general announced Friday.

The decision marks a milestone in the administration’s efforts to close the Guantánamo prison, something that President Obama announced shortly after taking office that he would do within a year, but that has proved difficult to achieve because of uncertainty about what to do with the detainees housed there.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/us/14terror.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1258135247-CHsa2/DgCh9zUX3Zn9We7A

Shrub and his crew of criminals used 9/11 to embark on a program of lawlessness, torture, and war without end, but now that they're gone we can regain some of our credibility by returning to the rule of law. This trial will be tainted by the torture of KSM, but the preponderance of evidence should be enough to gain a conviction. Legally.
Politically, this decision is going to generate a lot of screaming from the usual (never) rightwing rabble, but the simple fact is: it's the right thing to do.

Friday the 13th Boobies

Ain't superstitious. It's bad luck to be superstitious.

An Afghanistan Plan

Four plans were proposed. All four were rejected. All four plans were "escalation" plans, calling for different levels of troop increases, without any "exit strategy"; sort of "surge 2.0" with permanent occupation of Afghanistan as a result. Not what president Obama was looking for.

President Obama is pushing his national security team for more detail about an exit strategy for U.S. forces fighting in Afghanistan.

The president met with his advisers Wednesday to chart new strategy for the war. Obama went into this latest strategy session with what the White House had called four "final" options on the table.

Each involved sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, but would require different troop levels and would embrace different goals for the U.S. involvement there.

At the high end, there's the 40,000 or so troops that the top commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, says he needs to pull off a successful counter-insurgency. At the low end, an option of 10,000 extra troops, mostly working as trainers for the Afghan army and police force. One middle option would focus on a narrower, counter-terrorism mission, while another, said to be endorsed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, backs sending 34,000 or so extra U.S. troops while calling on NATO to contribute several thousand more.

After the 2 1/2 hour meeting Wednesday, two administration officials told NPR that the president does not plan to accept any of the options in their current form. The officials said the president pushed his team for more detail about an exit strategy for U.S. forces. They said he wants to make clear to the Afghan government that the U.S. commitment is not open-ended.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120336017

Here's the real question that needs to be answered: What the hell are we trying to achieve in Afghanistan? Are our goals realistic or attainable? Because just sending more troops in the name of "winning" is merely a repeat of the mistake of Vietnam. Professor Cole explains:

Obama is said to have rejected all the plans so far presented to him, insofar as none leads to a foreseeable end-game.

If AP is right, this development is encouraging. All along, the things missing from Washington's plans for Afghanistan have been a firm, specific set of goals, a detailed means of attaining them, and a way to know when they have been attained.

How unlikely the big counter-insurgency dreams of some military analysts are to result in success is apparent in this recent Frontline report, in which the US military outpost in a village in Helmand never succeeds in getting the locals to open a single shop in the bazaar under US protection, and never succeeds in stopping the constant sniping at them by Taliban forces.

http://www.juancole.com/

Cole: Let's back up and talk about what the goal is in Afghanistan. Your strategy and your tactics are going to come out of your goal. I'm a little bit afraid that, in regard to the goal, you see a lot of mission creep. The goal has become standing up an Afghan government and an Afghan military that's relatively stable and can control the country. There's a lot of state-building involved in that.

I am a severe skeptic on this score. I don't think that's a proper goal for the U.S. military. I think we are dealing with a tribal society of people who, as a matter of course, are organized by clan and have feuds with each other, and feuds with other tribes, and feuds with their cousins. I think that Washington misinterprets this feuding as Talibanism, and thinks that if you put a lot of troops in there, you can pacify the country and settle it down.

I just think it is a misreading of the character of the country. Afghanistan is a country where localism is important, where people don't like the central government coming in and bothering them. There's a sense in which the communist government of the 1980s, backed by the Soviet Union, wanted to drag Afghanistan kicking and screaming into the late 20th century, and to do that you had to impose central government policy on the countryside and on the villagers. And the villagers rose up and kicked the Soviets and the communists out. They were outraged, in part, against the centralizing tendency of Kabul.

So, I just think that Afghanistan is a country that needs a light touch. You just have to accept that there's going to be a certain amount of disorder in the countryside as long as people are organized tribally. And if you put 100,000 or 150,000 Western troops in there, that's just more people to feud with.

Finding an exit strategy for Afghanistan will be more challenging than it was for Iraq. At least Iraq had an infrastructure (albeit dysfunctional) prior to our invasion, so setting up a semblance of a government and leaving is actually attainable. No such infrastructure exists in Afghanistan, and it would be delusional to think we can build one. Again, Professor Cole:

Cole: If you are asking what I think is a plausible goal, I'd say it is training an Afghan army and police force as best you can. But you are just going to have to accept that it's going to be a weak government. You can shore it up to some extent, but you need to shore it up behind the scenes. It can't be seen to be a puppet government, because that will undermine its legitimacy.

A government that can provide more services to people is good. Road building is good. Encouraging the markets to open is good. But as far as fighting what the U.S. is calling Taliban, they are really just regional warlords. They might have a tactical alliance with the old Taliban of Mullah Omar, but it's a mistake to sweep them all up into a single category . . . '

As with Iraq, getting out will be much more difficult than getting in. Shrub, the idiot, was content to invade and then wage war without end, but now Obama is stuck with trying to clean up this mess. The reality is that there are no easy ways out of Afghanistan: simply pulling out would leave behind an 'opium and terrorist' incubator as well as a humanitarian hell, but blind escalation merely postpones the inevitable while further draining American lives and wealth. In the end, we will leave Afghanistan; the question is really what we leave behind and when we leave it. Not an easy choice.
So I support Obama's decision to reject the current proposals. I only hope he can come up with a workable plan that will actually work to get us out of Afghanistan.
(for the purposes of this post, I'm not addressing what a huge mistake it was to start these wars; the past cannot be changed: we're there. The question is what to do now.)

On Veteran's Day

Full honor and thanks to our veterans.
Now I dream of a day when we can stop generating so many new veterans, or damaging and disabling so many of those who are serving our nation.

Birds Don't Understand Physics

I assure you that my bird was not involved in this:

The Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful particle accelerator, just cannot catch a break. First, a coolant leak destroyed some of the magnets that guide the energy beam. Then LHC officials postponed the restart of the machine to add additional safety features. Now, a bird dropping a piece of bread on a section of the accelerator has, according to the Register, shut down the whole operation.

The bird dropped some bread on a section of outdoor machinery, eventually leading to significant over heating in parts of the accelerator. The LHC was not operational at the time of the incident, but the spike produced so much heat that had the beam been on, automatic failsafes would have shut down the machine.

This incident won't delay the reactivation of the facility later this month, but exposes yet another vulnerability of the what might be the most complex machine ever built. With freak accident after freak accident piling up over at CERN, the idea of time traveling particles returning from the future to prevent their own discovery is beginning to seem less and less far fetched.http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-11/bread-loving-bird-shuts-down-lhc

Maybe I'm wrong; maybe birds do understand physics, and were trying to prevent time traveling particles. Just a thought.

Understanding Priorities

Health care will be expensive. 78 billion, 80 billion, 91 billion per year are the numbers under debate. Perhaps 1 trillion over 10 years. Sounds like a hell of a lot of money.
The grand adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan have run between 108 and 140 billion per year over the past 8 years, with a total cost around 1.3 trillion so far (actual number is probably higher).
The annual defense appropriations bill passed a few weeks ago came in at 680 billion (they did have to work late on this, so it includes the cost for congressional pizza delivery), for 1 year.
Our priorities are clear. We'd rather spend our money on damaging bodies than on healing them. Bombs: they're more entertaining than colonoscopy's.

Video of an old Friend

Locals who were around the Flagstaff music scene a few years back will probably remember Dom Flemons, an extremely talented young man who's gone on to fame and fortune with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. He used to frequently play happy hour at the old Mogollon. I became friends with him, partly because I was amazed that this teenager knew all this old time folk-blues music that no one else his age would ever think of playing.
Here's a vid of him with Blind Boy Paxton and Frank Fairfield (Dom's the one singing, seated in the middle):

or go here for more:http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/06/nouveau-oldtime-jam.html
(yeah, I don't usually post videos...I'm making an exception)

Health Care Hash

The House passed the healthcare bill last night, 220 to 215. By the time all the amendments were done, it became a very mixed bag. The Stupak amendment restricting abortion funding is particularly odious; a real offense against poor women.
But there are some good points to the bill as well:
* coverage of as many as 36 million uninsured Americans
* ends subsidies of private insurers under medicare advantage
* closes the "donut hole" in medicare drug coverage
* allows medicare to negotiate drug prices
* prohibits denials based on prior conditions, and ends rescission's except in cases of fraud
* funds more education of doctors and nurses
* includes the seeds of a real public option
Do we deserve better? Yes. Is this as good as we can get at this time? Probably.
Speaker Pelosi said she had the votes, and in the end she did. My own congress waffle, Ann Kirkpatrick, ended up voting "yes" after much dithering, as I thought she would (and she actually had enough spine to vote against Stupak, which mildly surprised me).
With our current dysfunctional congressional system, this compromise is probably all we can get. But it really is a shame that women's rights were sacrificed to get it.
Now it's on to the Senate, where the circus will be even more ridiculous. Lord only knows what we'll be looking at by the end of that process.

Jasmine-Chocolate

Earlier today I dealt with laundry and lunch, so I walked downtown.
A distinguished, older gentleman says to me "Thank you for that Jasmine-Chocolate recipe. It was the greatest".
To which, I said "Huh?" as wisely as I could.
A case of mistaken identity, as you can tell.
But...
I wonder....
What the Turlock is...
"Jasmine-Chocolate"?

For Baseball Fans

The Yomiuri Giants defeated the Nippon Ham Fighters to win the series.
The GIANTS WIN!
(only certain readers will appreciate this)

For Bex

Happy (however young you are) Trip Around the Sun Day!

Time For A Boobie

Friday. Boobie. At least I'm consistent.

Maine

The voters in Maine rejected marriage equality, sadly. Someday, the public will grow up and realize that "equal rights" for all means just that, and that homosexuals are human, deserving the same rights as heterosexuals. It really should be that simple.
What I do find somewhat ironic is that this is Maine. The 'christian' opposition to homosexuality is based on Leviticus 20:13, which calls it an "abomination". Leviticus 11:9-12 calls shellfish an "abomination", but somehow I doubt that Maine voters would pass a law banning Lobster, would they?
What's that word? Um...'hypocrisy'?

Off Year Elections

There's been a shortage of political posts here lately. Sorry about that. I've had an enthusiasm deficit about the political circus: too many clowns, not enough trapeze artists in my humble opinion.
The pundits always say that off year elections are a referendum on the administration, and this year's will be no exception. Regardless of the results, the so-called "experts" will spend many hours discussing "what this means for Obama".
Allow me to disagree (not that my opinion counts for much). None of the three main elections today reflect on Obama very much. The candidates, issues, and agendas are quite different than those that decided 2008. It's a comparison of apples and coconuts.
The New Jersey governors race is a continuation of the unique political process that is "Jersey". John Corzine may be an incumbent Democrat, but he's hardly a liberal "poster boy" for Obama style politics. He's carrying all the baggage for a state government that is widely perceived as corrupt, and the only reason that this race is a toss up is that his opponent, Chris Christie, looks even more corrupt (shrubs AG scandal). Throw in a third party wacko, Chris Daggett, for laughs, and it's too close to call. But it's certainly not about Obama. Jersey's problems are bigger than which party is in power in DC.
Virginia's race for governor might look more like a referendum on the surface, but the results will more likely reflect the candidates than any agenda. The republican Bob McDonnell is already being touted as a rising star in the GOP, as he's (relatively) young, handsome, and glib. The democrat, Creigh Deeds, may be the most uninspiring, uncharismatic candidate in recent years. His speeches seem to have been written with the intent to hypnotize rocks, not to inspire voters. Given that Virginia is already a pretty conservative state, not even Obama has enough charm to make lemonade from this lemon.
Then we get the race that has has the most entertainment value: NY-23's congressional race. Not that any of the candidates really deserve a house seat, but it has been a truly bizarre race. The democrat, Bill Owens, is beyond "blue dog" conservative, but the republicans provided the real entertainment. The republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, was deemed 'too liberal' (or sane), and forced to drop out by the conservative party candidate, Doug Hoffman, an incredibly uninformed, disinterested, tea party hero who's equal parts arrogance and ignorance. The wingnuts love him for that. Regardless of who wins, neither Owens or Hoffman deserve a seat in congress. "None of the above" would be the best choice, and should win by a landslide.
So, despite all the pundit bloviating, none of these elections will have any real impact on the Obama administration. None reflect political "coat tails" or the administration's agenda.
In fact it's not all that entertaining, even for a political junkie like me. Too many clowns, not enough trapeze artists. Maybe 2010 will have a better circus.

Ultra Trivial Trivia

Watching the World Series, I've noticed that Fox Sports (the only good Fox) is using as 'bumper music' some very nice Widespread Panic (http://www.widespreadpanic.com/) clips. The two songs they've clipped are "Chainsaw City" and "Climb to Safety"...which leads to the trivia:
Both songs are originally by Jerry Joseph (http://www.jerryjoseph.com/main.aspx); Panic only covers them.

Thought for the day