well, they did it, part 2

Sparing the local citizenry the dignity of a quiet end to the season, the Kansas City Chiefs have tripped over themselves into the AFC playoffs.

How this happened requires quite a bit of faith and knowledge of statistics and arcane rules of football, (no, make that the NFL), but by golly, they did it. As of noon today, four things had to happen for the Chiefs to be the best of the worst, the first being that they had to win over Jacksonville, (they did, hence the trip-over-themselves remark), and the Denver Bronco's had to lose, (they also did, in overtime, to the 49'ers, who hadn't seen snow since, well, a long time).

So, be sure to watch next week at the Chiefs visit Indianapolis. We will see what they are made of then...

well, they did it...

Saddam Hussein met his forecasted end tonight, (US time). I feel no sense of loss for the man, as he was as brutal as Hitler in his own way, and as willing to trample over the lives of anyomne or any institution in his way.

I do feel a sense of purposelessness at the continuing war in that country. Getting rid of that S.O.B. is small compensation for all that has been lost.

another rung on the evolutionary ladder

I know that evolution as a concept carries some political, ideological and religious baggage, but it is not the 'man descended from apes' argument that I am bringing up here.

The FDA has announced that its studies show that milk and meat from cloned animals is safe for human consumption--a very significant step towards actually allowing such products to come to the American market.

It remains to be seen what the social ramifications are, for instance, is this the next big 'stem cell' type issue? It also remains to be seen as to whether such products will be successful in the marketplace. (The issue of labeling of these goods, or conversely, the labeling of non-cloned products is still up in the air.)

My question is why? Is there a shortage of milk and meat producing animals, or has the normal reproductive chain been jepopardized by some unknown circumstance? What would the benefit of using these products be? Will they be measurably better? Cheaper? The FDA did not say as much, but it appears that the ruling found the products to be indistinguishable from products produced in the traditional manner. It has been reported that producing an animal for meat or dairy product can run as much as 7-8 times the cost of producing one the old fashioned way, so what is the advantage?

Just so I can say that I told you so, you will see a market emerge for 'natural' products, (like what we have now), at inflated prices, whereas the 'scientifically' produced goods will be no cheaper than what we are getting now.

And how is this evolutionary? We, as a species, (or possibly a subset of the species), are manipulating our own 'environments' and lifestyles in ways that force the natural environment to change. This is evident in global warming, the emergence of new and deadly bacteria and disease, the exponential increase in cancers and chronic illnesses and the list goes on. We are (apparently) inadvertantly creating a new ecosystem of sorts, one that rewards the manmade values of efficiency and profitablility over those values rewarded by the biological world, diversity and adaptability.

Chew on that for a while. With all that is happening in the world, this issue, which has the potential to eclipse all others, might just slip past unnoticed.

Stay focused.

..why didn't we think of that?, or, hindsight is always 20/20

I see on the web news that noted meanie Saddam Hussein's death sentence has been upheld by the longstanding and respected Iraqi judicial system, and that he is to be executed within 30 days.

It makes me proud when I consider that we helped to establish justice in that backward country, and strengthened the carefully balanced judiciary that now holds forth. I was intrigued by the statement that Saddam will die whether or not the President and two Vice-Presidents sign the death warrant. I was also impressed that an appellate court was able to send a case back to be reconsidered because the sentence of life-imprisonment was too lenient.

Nothing like impartiality and due process.

I want you to know that I have no feelings at all for Mr Hussein, and the fact that he will die has no bearing on things at all, but right now I get the feeling that our actions have done exactly nothing to help the Iraqi people, (or, frankly, ourselves--the real intended beneficiaries of Operation Iraqi Freedom). Our actions are and have been, in fact, a lot like the rantings of another noteworthy meanie, Kim Jong Il. Anything that he says or does is not really taken seriously, and only hardens the attitude of those aligned against him, in short, he impresses not too many besides himself. And that is where we are. Nothing we do makes a difference, it only serves to stir the pot a bit more. The government that we favor appears to be something less than what we had hoped for, and its position is by no means secure.

As late as last friday, my opinion was that Iraq will be the focal point of the next cold war, much like Germany was for fifty years following the last world war, but I no longer believe that to be the case. Iraq, for our interests, is lost. If we get what we want in the region, they will only hate us in a slightly less malevolent manner, and will certainly not cut us any slack in any significant way, (you know, O * I * L). Today, I am not as sure, (not that I ever am), I think that the economic assetts of that country are about to fall under the influence of the regime to the east, and the rest of the country will become just another impoverished enclave.

Just so I am on the record, the best thing that could happen for that embittered and embattled country is for Saddam and his henchmen to be spared the gallows and allowed to live, in solitary confinement, in a public prison. The people that he oppressed should be able to view his cell and to express their outrage, around the clock. Wishing him a long life in those cisrcumstances would be as much justice as this world can muster. I know that won't happen, and I expect to see copious video of his long drop to the end of the short rope available on the 'net within 31 days.

I look back, not quite to 9/11, when the 'finish the job' fervor really took root in Washington, but to the day that Hussein was captured. He had a pistol at the time, but apparently not the nerve to save himself the anguish of a trial. It goes without saying that the marines that captured him were also armed, it is too bad that just one of them had not the foresight to shoot the man while he was resisting capture.

It would have saved us, and the Iraqi people, much.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, yada yada ...

This is probably my last appearance on these pages before going over the river and through the woods and all that shit.

Please, everyone, stop and take a breath, relax a little, and be nice to somebody that you don't know, for no reason, (except maybe to confuse them).

Drive carefully, work safely, have fun, enjoy yourself. Chances are whatever irons you have in the fire now will still be there next week.

I have enjoyed posting, commenting, chatting, emailing all of you.

Come back around on tuesday, we will see what mischief we can cause then.

Until then, I am,

the Eccentric Recluse

I don't know what to call this

Well, the news this past week has been interesting, a (Republican) congressman is all bent out-of-shape about a Muslim being sworn in this coming January, stating categorically that we will see quite a bit more of this unless we do something about immigration, (there are, apparently quite a few Muslims swimming the Rio Grande and hiding in cargo containers from China...).

I don't know, but suspect that if the newcomer in question had been a member of the GOP, or a white guy, he wouldn't have been singled out. Frankly, this is a pretty lame shot across the bow of the Democratic 'machine'. I guess he couldn't find any overt corruption (that he wasn't also involved with), or evidence that the Muslims promote gay marriage, drug use, or the socialist-welfare-state, so he decided on this 'issue' as his political anchor. You can read about Rep. Virgil Goode and his tirade here and here, and if you are inclined, the response of Rep.-elect Keith Ellison here.

Elsewhere, the sitting lame-duck is having a bit of trouble deciding what to do. I am sure that he is aware that he, all by himself, cost his party plenty last month, (nevermind the collateral damage done by the other GOP-er's who were tripping over themselves as well as their words in distancing themselves from damn near everything); and this lack of political unity (spelled c*o*v*e*r), is making it difficult to enunciate the direction that he wants the country to take, as it regards the conflict in Iraq. On the one hand, we have a situation where our troops are stretched very thin, and are operating on a day-to-day basis, putting out whatever fire seems most threatening rather than implimenting a strategy to stabilize the socio-political landscape to the benefit of the indiginous peoples (as well as, you know, us). That would seem to call for beefing up our forces, and the President is likely to do that, but the stalwarts of the party are not rushing to his side in a show of patriotic unity. Many, including (notably) former Secretary of State and Chairman of the JCS Colin Powell are saying publicly that throwing more troops at the situation won't help, all but saying that it is time to go.

The Baker-Hamilton report, issued last month is being pretty much ignored by the administration, and the term malaise seems to apply to the general trend of thinking from the capitol city.




A representative of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has hinted that it would 'talk' with the US over its predicaments in the region, and intimated that such contacts would be necessary for the west to extricate itself from these 'entanglements'.

Thanks guys, we are real anxious to meet you someplace, and discuss some things.

So, where are we going with this. I am going to state once again that it is very important to separate the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq, they are not the same and the crcumstances of our involvement are poles apart.

Victory is possible, and necessary in Afghanistan. That conflict is the true war on terror. That conflict was, in my estimation, the product of a gross miscalculation on the part of this President and his advisers, who may have thought that this would be a short, relatively sweet operation to finish the job started in the first gulf war.

What we need to hear from this administration is a coherent plan to address the worst of the circumstances in Iraq, as well as the measure of success or failure and a plan to leave the situation to the native peoples to work out. And we need to hear it right away.



Stay focused.

we all know somebody like this...

Thanks to JB for this one...

business as usual

Apparently, VP Dick "Ol' Gutshot" Cheney will be called to testify in the perjury/obstruction trial of I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby. The prosecution announced that they would not call the VP, so the defense promptly announced that they would. Mr Libby & Mr Cheney go back quite a ways, since the Ford administration, and they are considered to be close friends.

I wonder what the VP will say? He will be under oath, but can probably invoke executive privilege if he is backed into a corner. Truth is, the case was already tried, it was called 'the election'. Its value has already been exploited and expended, though it is possible that there could be some hay to be made in tarring the GOP in preparation for '08.

I will pay some attention to this as it happens, but I really don't expect much more than a ritual closing of this particular chapter in GWB history.

off the easel

I got this in the email from special correspondent JB. Kinda illustrates the problems that any candidate will have in establishing themselves as a viable entity, unbeholden to any special interest group...

tagged again

This is a Christmastime assignment from Mika. She tagged me, with the following instructions:

1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123 and go down to the fifth sentence.
3. Post the text of next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Name the book and the author.
5. Tag some people.

OK, here we go. Read at your own risk.

He tried writing, poems and short stories. His college letters are those of a literary man more than of a scientist. He would keep his literary skills and they would serve him well, but he acquired them first of all for the access he thought they might open to self-knowledge.

-Richard Rhodes, writing of J. Robert Oppenheimer, "The Making of the Atomic Bomb".

OK, the lucky taggee's are:

Pud
Woozie
Anne
Roy
Leelee

All hand on deck, let's see whatcha got!

there he goes again

Our old pal, Kim Jong Il is back at work, spreading his own brand of holiday cheer. With the resumption of the six party talks aimed at curbing his regimes nuclear appetite, he has presented the gathered dignitaries with a list of demands that pretty much amounts to saying "shove it".

The thing is, he can't lose on this. No matter what happens, (short of actual war), the plight of his people or regime will get no worse and probably even improve a little bit. That is our best case scenario. The UN will do nothing more than it already has, (which is approximately nothing), South Korea is in no hurry to lose out on their own investments in some North Korean industries, China & Russia have little to gain by crippling Kim's regime, (indeed, they have much to lose, considering the influx of refugees across the very porous borders of the DPRK). Japan is game, but its normal stance on the DPRK is already the toughest in the world, all they can do is build their own bomb to counter the little runt across the Sea of Japan. That leaves us, and we have a history of giving away the store in exchange for promises (usually) not kept.

It's high time to take a firm stand and then simply ignore them. Allow no trade, make life a bit harder for those who do trade with the rogue regime, (nothing substantial, a few technical or labor difficulties at the ports where goods enter the US). It is clear that without military intervention we cannot stop the North, so, leave them be. Any economy that can build this type of weaponry and the associated delivery system should do just fine.

Here is something to chew on

For political junkies, (and we are), two years is a long time between fixes. Thus we have the drama of the possibility that the Senate may change hands, ( I think it is a longshot----the story seems to be more from the newsroom than from the hospital room ), owing to the illness of Sen Tim Johnson, as well as the many little drama's that we have been and will be exposed to over the weeks until the next election cycle begins.

So, here is something to think about.

The LA Times, (yep, them again), reports that according to polling data, Sen John McCain would woop Sen Hillary Clinton if they went head-to-head in a Presidential race. Not a good thing to think about, but it makes me wonder if Sen Clinton is really running for the office, or merely positioning herself as the Democrat to go to when you need help. She has to know where she stands among the American people. The Democratic base loves her, the Republican base hates her, and the other 60% of the population are a HUGE wildcard. In setting herself up for a run, she positions herself to be the kingmaker, (or queen, as the case may be), and that may be her objective. In a Democratic Congress, (if it can be held), she may wield a lot more influence and power than she would from the Oval Office, having a strong say in all legislation, the makeup of the federal judiciary, as well as being a strongly felt presence in the Pentagon and the White House situation room(s).

Read the article. I realize that all this is conjecture, based on a poll, and, as Mark Twain noted, "there are lies, damn lies, and statistics", but polling data is what fuels the DC engines in lean times, and what gives one candidate 'momentum' while chaining others down.

The race for the White House will be interesting, entertaining and frustrating all at once. The outcome of that election will be significant for the way that candidates are vetted and selected as much as anything else.

Stay tuned. Stay focused.

only in Texas

According to a report published in the LA Times, the state legislature is considering bills that would allow visually impaired persons to hunt. With guns. The bills under consideration would tighten the definition of 'legally blind' and allow such persons the use of special technical equipment, (laser sights and comparable equipment), that are disallowed for the average sighted hunter.

As a hunter myself, I am sympathetic to the desires of all to be able to participate. Really, I am.

To the Texas legislature, I have a resounding WTF? for their consideration. Perhaps they would consider allowing these people to drive their harvest to a check station as well....

headlines

What, you ask, is on the worlds mind today?

Well, there may be some anxiety in some parts of the world over the makeup of the new Congress. Apparently, a Democrat Senator was taken ill yesterday and his prognosis has not been disclosed. He is from a state that is governed by a Republican, and it is they who will pick who fills the seat in the event that the Senator is unable to go on.

In the overall scheme of things, will it matter? If the GOP takes back the Senate, (in a literal and figurative sense), it may be the best thing that happened to the Dem's since asparin the day after the election. The GOP will then be robbed of the catbird seat, being able to sit back and watch the other team not score. If they have the Senate, they will have some responsibility and will have to do something, lest they be in the 'obstructionist' spotlight each and every day.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian will apparently be released from prison in Michigan next June.

I hope my HMO doesn't add him to the 'Preferred Providers' list....

Sales on the popular iTunes site are down, or maybe not, or the business is collapsing, or doing rather well, depending on who you ask.

I think it means that Apple might only be raking money in with one fist. And what does it matter anyway? Has iTunes and the iPod replaced agriculture and steel futures as an economic bellwether?

Yoko Ono was alledgedly threatened and was being blackmailed.

My, my, somebody else doesn't like the remix of the White Album....


That's all I know right now. More as I hallucinate .....

What can, what should be said?

I have been going around and around with myself trying to comment on the conference in Tehran on the Holocaust. I have written a fairly lengthy posting, it is currently in draft form for editing, but I don't know where I will go with that.

It is not enough to condemn this conference, (I liken it to a circle jerk of the worlds leading hate-mongers and ideologues), but it is so much more than that. I go off on tangents wondering why people attend these things, or even believe that they have any credibility. That question alone is beyond me.

The conference is being attended by a variety of characters from around the world, including several Jews, (who incidentally, do not deny the Holocaust), and David Duke from Louisiana, who, bless his heart, is walking proof that the first amendment is still alive.

I wonder, how do we as a people deal with this kind of thing? The motives of Iran, who is hosting the event are fairly transparent. They seek the dissolution of the state of Israel, by whatever means necessary. But what of the other participants?

What drives the hatred of the Jews, as a people, a religion and as a political entity?

Beware!

Yesterday was Microsoft Update day, a time (almost weekly), when we modify our computers to provide the corporate giant with some degree of plausible deniability.

I do not indulge in automatic updates, I select those that I believe to be necessary and prudent and install them, (after building a System restore point). yesterday, I installed nine new fixes. Between then and now, my PC ran a lot like molasses and the web was very difficult to access. I just finished going back to the time before the updates, and I seem to be running a lot better.

Be careful.

you too, can be an MBA candidate

this from special correspondent JB:



Folks, there is a lot more truth here than many will appreciate. Thanks JB!

this might just be the first of many

The incoming Democratic-Party controlled Congress was handed a large plateful of steaming crap this weekend when William Jefferson was re-elected to the Congress from his home district in New Orleans. Mr Jefferson is under investigation by the FBI on bribery/corruption allegations. Earlier this year, he was found to have about $90,000 stored in his freezer. It is important to note that he has not been indicted or accused of wrongdoing as of this date, but the cloud over his reputation still lingers. The load-of-crap aspect of his reelection presents itself to the new Speaker, who now must deal with a party member who is facing the prospect of indictment, but who has been vetted by his own constituency and found worthy. Mr Jefferson was stripped of his committee assignment when the allegations surfaced, the issue facing the incoming speaker is whether or not to restore his position, (knowing all the while that he might become an albatross at a later date).

I don't know what to think.

If this was Mr Joe Anybody in almost any other situation, I would unequivocally side with him, but this is not the typical man-on-the-street, this is a United States Congressman, and a member of a party that ran on anti-corruption sentiment, (if not a formal platform).

What should the Speaker-designate do here?

Mr. Jefferson has every legal and moral right to take his seet in Congress, he was lawfully elected by his constituents to represent them and their interests. If the day comes when he is no longer qualified, (by that I mean convicted of a felony), he should step aside or be removed, in a manner prescribed by law. But that day has not yet come, and may not. His presence in the House is not a reflection of the institution or the party, it is the expressed desire of a portion of the population.

The issue of influence, committee assignments and party position is another thing. It is not right that even a hint of impropriety can sideline a political career, but it is a fact, (look at Gary Condit). Should, for the good of the country and the party, the new leadership keep him at arms length? Or, at the opposite extreme, should the man be given all benefits of the doubt and reinstated into his previous positions?

This is a difficult question, I admit that I don't have an answer at the moment, but as I type I am thinking that this illustrates the notion that nuance is completely lost in the public political arena. This is why we had to put up with an impeachment of a President over a very private act, (depends on how you define 'act'), why the Senate Minority whip had to step down after he publicly praised a segregationist, and why the new Congress will be held to a very rigid standard indeed, 9the one they used on the old Congress...).

The axiom "may you live in interesting times" could not possibly have envisioned the times we are wading through.

Stay focused.

Twenty-three

I am spending (most of) today with Mrs. Recluse, in various activities observing our twenty-third anniversary.

The thought occurs to me, that if I had shot her rather than marry her, I would be making parole about now....

You too, can be a Republican...

Apparently, its pretty easy to do. All one need do is learn to talk the talk, (and possibly disguise/obfuscate/hide the walk).

An article appearing on Slate's web page tells of a study done of the various news media to detect one particular political slant or another. The study is limited to a right-left comparison, (Dem-GOP), but it is not inconceivable that it could be broadened and sharpened to detect leanings on particular issues.

This particular effort sampled the language used by various media outlets reporting on various topics to make a guess as to any ideological slant that might be present, then compared the results of the analysis to a well known yardstick of bias---speeches presented on the floor of the US Congress. The analysis picked out certain phrases and assigned them either right or left leaning biases, then applied that scale to the language of the media. If you are interested in beefing up your Democratic or Republican credentials, (or possibly going undercover), the list of catchphrases can be found here.

The study that drives this delightfully Orwellian tome, also goes deeper into perceived slants in the media, comparing any potential bias with other data, such as the demographics of political donations in the coverage area of an outlet. Not surprisingly, it found a definite correlation between the leanings of the consumers of news and the leanings of the news outlets.

I read the study far enough to note that at least one of the authors compared news to entertainment, in terms of its playing to its target audience, as well as in terms of the content of its offerings.

It doesn't surprise me too much.

Right now, I believe that there is too much news, in terms of recitations of fact, but not enough perspective. Some things are factual but not really relevant to anything. Other things are factual and shocking, but not really significant in the overall trend of events. We need news sources that can be concise, brief, and put things into perspective.

We need less news right now, and more quality to make up for the drop in volume.

One more sign of the impending collapse

Today's tune, Green Onions, is dedicated to Taco Bell, and its parent corporation, Yum.

There has been yet another outbreak of e coli in the US, and its source has been traced back to a batch of green onions used by the fast food chain. What's next, homogenized milk that really isn't, pasteurization that just doesn't quite reach the temperature/pressure mark that makes it effective?

It's hard to say.

I used to think that the economy was bloated because there were too many hands on every product and service. I still think that is true, but now it is complicated by the appearance of not enough involvement, in this case in the produce industry. It remains to be seen as to why this outbreak occurred, but the last one, involving lettuce, was due in part to inadequate washing of the produce as it was packed. The washing was deemed inadequate because the produce went through a machine whose mechanisms were not fully functional owing to a lack of regular inspections and maintenance. As we move forward in the twenty-first century, it seems that more and more processes are becoming more and more automated. Human intervention, when it actually occurs, is way past the point where a situation has developed.

I am not sure what to say about this, but I believe that it will become more and more common, as costs 'are driven from the business' and more and more faith is placed on technological and automated processes.

I am not sure, but this seems to call for some simplification in our national life. What do you think?

what exactly do you mean, weird?

Hat's off to my friend leelee, who has tagged me to identify six weird things about myself. (She can't help it, she's from New Jersey....).

My first inclination is to report that there are no weird things about me, I am the paragon of normal in a weird world, but I suppose that I cannot get away with that, so....

1) I am a packrat. I have bundles and boxes of the oddest things, and actually remember what most are for.

2) I remember snippets of things that I have read many, many years ago. I cannot quote verbatim, but remember the main points, as well as minor details.

3) I am, basically, shy, however those that I have flipped off and cursed (screaming) at in rush hour might disagree.

4) I walk through the house and turn off lights, close doors and sometimes drawers.

5) I am a procrastinator's procrastinator. I'll think about doing it later tomorrow.

6) I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

There.

Now, Mika! Come on down! You are the next taggee on "6 Weird Things About Me" venture!

FESS UP!!!

OK, who out there owns a Mac? Preferably one of the newer ones, with Intel processors. I have questions in need of answers.

I took the opportunity to stop today at the local Apple Store, to peruse the offerings on display. Those folks sure are proud and sure of themselves, and the product. I asked a few questions to a couple of the reps's, and while the answers were not contradictory, they really weren't answers to my questions, just the standard party line.

Does anybody out there know if documents created on say Apple Works are compatible with MS Word, (used by about 99% of the planet)? How about spreadsheets? Are they compatible with Excel?

I made inquiries on a couple of software titles, and was advised that no, they had not yet been reissued in an Intel compiled format, but the existing versions would run via an (included) emulator. Does anyone have any experience with running apps compiled for the PowerPC platform on an Intel machine? How do they run, in terms of speed, time needed to start the program and open a file, etc? For that matter, how does Microsoft Office for the Mac run? Does anyone know if there is an Mac/Intel-specific version of that package available? Finally, (and this is a biggie), I am looking for a nice audio processing platform. On the PC I have copies of SoundForge and Adobe Audition. Is there anything comparable for the Mac?

What I learned on my visit is that the MacIntosh platform is, you know, cool. I don't know if it will do a lot of the things that I use my Dell for, but it is definately cool. Cool people have them. Cool things are done with them, (and I am so anxious to share my photo's with the world too !!!!!!!!). It is entirely possible that, for me to be, you know, cool, I may be required to purchase a Mac. I wish they would do something with that shade of embalmed white though...

why I am ambivalent about the season ...

There are many reasons why this is my least favorite time of the year. My bud Woozie has a few observations on "the Holidays", (the sterilized non-offensive term used by business that caters to a large and diverse clientele that covers Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and whatever else is celebrated in the general time frame), as well as "the War on Christmas" as enunciated by Bill O'Reilly.

I don't like this time of year because of the heightened expectations of enrichment by the commercial community, the ease of borrowing money as presented by the bankcard community, and the notion, held by some members of the general community that they are held in such esteem that nearly everyone will want to sign up for their christmas wish list, or, in the same spirit, nearly bankrupt themselves in buying something for the children of these esteemed beautiful people.

Get a grip on it, OK.

I had a short conversation with a relative today and the time was nothing but catching up and reminiscing on how long we have been, well, family. I recall a time when I would pick this now 30-something person up, and toss her into the air, letting her touch the ceiling, then catching her and collecting my hug or kiss. That, is what the holiday season should be, a few weeks of low stress, no expectation catching up, just to re-orient ourselves to who we are and where we are going.

An hour or so later, I had an even shorter conversation with an acquaintance who just had to give me the scoop on what her kids wanted for Christmas and what I could be counted on for. I thought I had that beat, gently circling the issue conversationally, when she told me that the times we were in, (she said we, she was aiming at me) were the product of the choices we had made. Like my circumstances are the product of choices, but her's are a gift from God to everyone to be able to indulge her kids.

Get real will ya?

I think gifting is nice, I just don't wish to have somebodies wish list, (besides those of my own extended family), stuck down my throat.

Then there is the social aspect of the season. Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men? I would sooner be a border patrolman in Gaza than work at the mall parking lots. And when we get past that, there is nothing but rushing to be done in the mall. If you don't keep up with the crowd, you get trampled. I am willing to bet that I passed through the field of vision of at least twenty people that know me, (and claim it), who either did not notice or were focused on other objectives.

And that word, objective, to me, is anethema to what is generally accepted as "the Holiday spirit". That, Mr O'Reilly, is the true 'war' on Christmas, and it is just as much a war on the other holidays. Stick that down your chimney.






Now that I have that off my chest, it leads me to my next post, which is both a rant and a request to be informed....

maybe they should form a union....

This from special correspondent JB:


Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, the Maryland Democrat who will become House majority leader and is writing the schedule for the next Congress, said members should expect longer hours than the brief week they have grown accustomed to.

"Keeping us up here eats away at families," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who typically flies home on Thursdays and returns to Washington on Tuesdays. "Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families -- that's what this says."


It brings a tear to my eye, just to think that these dedicated souls are working soooo hard and such long hours, all for the benefit of, eh, themselves.

Stay focused.

If you really want to have fun, find out when your representatives typically flies in and out of DC and meet them sometime at the airport, just to say hello and that you are paying attention.

It's always something

There has been a military coup in Fiji.

Really.

The governments of Australia and New Zealand have protested, and have threatened to impose sanctions, so let me first say that I take the right of self-determination of all peoples seriously, and it is with the deepest respect for the Fijiian people that I continue this post.

(yawn).

What happened, did a couple of guys in a Ford Bronco with an M-1 and a tackle box crammed behind the seat show up and announce that they were taking over?

The term military coup makes this sound ominous, but really, what is the status and strength of the military on this small collection of South Pacific islands?

From all the reports that I have read, this does not seem to be causing a great upheaval among the general population, and the biggest impact that this may have might be a dip in the Christmas holiday tourist season.

This is the fourth overthrow of the government in 20 years. Until I see a bit more on this, I am going to assume that this is a p*ssing contest between some old rich guy who is a general and another old rich guy who is a politician. They are probably neighbors, owning adjacent pineapple or cocoanut plantations. As a British protectorate, they fall under the Supreme Authority of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. (Check Google News---the Brits are apparently real excited about the whole affair...). If she would just knight one or both of the guys, they would probably just go away and stroke their sceptre's......

Pay close attention to this. At least as much as the indigenous population appears to be.

Living in a Uni-Polar World

I came across a couple of news blips this past week that concerned reactions to the participation in a conference on AIDS, sponsored by a well known evangelical group, by two potential presidential candidates, Sen. Sam Brownback & Sen Barack Obama.

First, I believe that one has to recognize that these appearances were more to benefit the candidates than the issue(s), and thus assign whatever significance is appropriate, but I was surprised at the flack that came up because Sen. Obama was given some recognition. (Democrats, you know, are widely known as wanton baby killers and sodomizers and all that).

One also needs to recognize that this conference was sponsored and hosted by a very solid evangelical association, (evangelical is also spelled R*E*P*U*B*L*I*C*A*N), and the fact that it was protested by other similar groups seems to throw some light on something, but I am unsure of how to enunciate it. The protesters were concerned that Sen. Obama's views and/or assistance were not required or wanted as he is not in agreement with their positions on stem cell research, abortion, and gay rights. The national Clergy Council pronounced it immoral for Christians to work, in any capacity, with people who support abortion rights.

In a similar development, the newly elected president of the Christian Coalition resigned, before his term actually began, because he wanted to expand the agenda of the group beyond the boundaries of abortion and gay marriage, much, apparently, to the displeasure of his constituency.

What is our society coming to when issues and causes are owned by one partisan wing or another. If one of these indignant protestors required an ambulance, or medical care, would they first demand to know the views and voting records of paramedics or surgeons, before they would allow the temple that is them to be examined or worked on in some way? (Ask yourself if the GOP would invalidate a vote for them if it came from a gay or lesbian voter.) Perhaps a constitutional amendment to deny voting rights to liberals, eh, excuse me, non-correct thinking individuals is in order here....

This sort of 'boxing in' is not limited to the political right, or to politics for that matter. In the past month, I have seen this type of attitude at work in my own neighborhood, in the church that I (sometimes) attend, as well as in many facets of the political scene. It is not enough to attack a problem or an issue, it needs to be done with the backing of a broad range of the public, no matter what party or belief that they espouse or affilliate with. Without that element, no change is permanent---there can be no progress that cannot be undone with the stroke of a pen at the ballot box.

So, what can be done? (This is the place where you, the readers, either of you, sprout off).

I am sure that I will have more to say on this, and I may even append this post, but right now, I need some coffee.

Stay focused. Write your (new or used) legislators and tell them what you think. And follow up, frequently.

OK, here is your chance

Take a quick look at my profile picture. It is a representation of me, as rendered by Anne. I think that she did a pretty good job, considering that she has never seen me, or a picture of me, and was working with the scantest of descriptions.

First, the picture doesn't really look like me, but I still like it.

I want to ask, what does the pic say to you? What kind of impression would you draw of the blogger represented here? Would you buy a used car from this person?

Does the pic remind you of anybody else?

Cut yourself loose, I will move on Monday.