Coyotes

Alex and I walked over to the arena today and took in an open practice that the Phoenix Coyotes were having. It's probably the only opportunity I'll ever get to actually be sitting in the front row right at the glass. We had a fun time and they gave Alex a puck.

The first picture is Shane Doan on the left. He was literally only a few feet away from us. Cujo (Curtis Joseph) was the goalie on our end of the ice and looked pretty good. The Coyotes are probably going to have to rely on him quite a bit as Brian Boucher was hurt during the exhibition game a few nights ago.

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School Pledge

There's a case making the rounds of the courts right now concerning the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in school. The contention is on the words, "under god". A federal judge recently ruled that the reciting of the pledge is unconstitutional because it violates school children's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."



A lot of Christians (and non-Christians) will say that those two words are not a big deal and people shouldn't make a big deal about them. While others will say that our country was founded on Christian principles and those that would take the words out would be unpatriotic. Both points of view would be wrong.

Those words are a big deal in many cases: you're atheist, you're agnostic, you're Christian but believe in the separation of Church and State, or perhaps you have a different religion. Public schools should not be a conduit for proselytizing. If the Pledge instead said, "We are one nation that denies God exists", people would raise holy hell. The irony seems to be lost on most, though.

Our founding fathers purposely kept references to God out of our constitution. Though the Right would have you believe Jesus himself blesses every move of our President.

I wonder how most flag-wavers would feel if they knew the original pledge: 1) Had no reference to God and 2) Was written by a socialist (that's too damn funny). From David Greenberg's article on Slate of a few years ago:

Given this tradition, it's not surprising that the original Pledge of Allegiance—meant as an expression of patriotism, not religious faith—also made no mention of God. The pledge was written in 1892 by the socialist Francis Bellamy, a cousin of the famous radical writer Edward Bellamy. He devised it for the popular magazine Youth's Companion on the occasion of the nation's first celebration of Columbus Day. Its wording omitted reference not only to God but also, interestingly, to the United States:

"I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

"Under God" wasn't added to the pledge and "In God We Trust" wasn't added to paper money until the 1950's. At that time, it was more of a reaction to the great atheist threat, Communism.

Would we be saying that people weren't patriotic before the 1950's because those words weren't there? Of course not ... and we shouldn't be now.

Absolute Morality

Another interesting discussion at Jewish Atheist ... this time about absolute morality.

Mob Mentality/Conventional Wisdom

Some posts on other blogs got me to thinking about the role of the "mob mentality" and "conventional wisdom" in many of society's opinions. Many of us are quick to criticize someone who posits an unpopular statement. Why is that? I believe it is the mob mentality. At the root of this is fear. We conform to society's beliefs. We don't want to rock the boat. We're afraid of being ostracized. I applaud people like the Dixie Chicks and Kanye West. I applaud people that buck the system, that give an unpopular opinion, that fight the power.

Promoting racial and gender equality were not popular opinions.

"... What we got to say
Power to the people no delay
Make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
Fight the Power ..." -- Public Enemy

• It was a mob mentality in Nazi Germany
• McCarthyism and blacklisting in Hollywood were mob mentality
• The bloodlust after 9/11 and during the Iraq war is a mob mentality
• Criticizing those against the war is mob mentality
• The media was cowed into perpetuating the lies of the administration by a mob mentality
  

"The public, with its mob yearning to be instructed, edified and pulled by the nose, demands certainties; it must be told definitely and a bit raucously that this is true and that is false. But there are no certainties." -- H. L. Mencken

• Conventional wisdom would have you believe that Iraq was linked to 9/11
• Conventional wisdom would have you believe there were WMD's in Iraq
• Conventional wisdom would have you believe only a godly man can be a moral one
  
  Don't trust conventional wisdom. Don't trust conformity.
  

"... Come on!
Yes I know my enemies
They are the teachers who taught me to fight me
Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission
Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite
All of which are American dreams ..." -- Rage Against the Machine

• If someone tells you the Rapture is coming ... be afraid
• If someone tells you that dissent is not patriotic ... be afraid
• If someone tells you that you need to give up some of your freedom to get security ... be afraid
• If someone tells you that killing in the name of God is OK ... be afraid
• If someone tells you that the press shouldn't be free ... be afraid
• If someone cannot give an opinion that wasn't given them by the church or talk radio ... be afraid
• If someone believes everything their leaders tell them ... be afraid
• If someone believes that you can do whatever you want to our environment and it won't matter ... be afraid
• If someone believes that the free market is the cure-all for all ills ... be afraid
• If someone believes that Ronald Reagan was the greatest president ... be afraid
• If someone believes that our country is safer now than before Sept. 11 ... be afraid
• If someone tells you that it's OK for us to torture but not our enemies ... be afraid. "He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself." -- Thomas Paine
• If someone tells you that you can't help the poor and needy and criticize their oppressors at the same time ... be afraid
  
  If someone tells you what you can think ...........
  

"Liberty is the possibility of doubting, of making a mistake,... of searching and experimenting,... of saying No to any authority - literary, artistic, philosophical, religious, social, and even political." -- Ignazio Silone, The God That Failed

ISU 23 -- #8 Iowa 3

A perfect Saturday:

- perusing the EXPO home design center to look at stuff that you can't possibly afford and would have to be seriously sick in the head to even want. $895 for a single lawn chair!! Please explain that to me. But we did see a jacuzi with a built-in 42" plasma TV. Very cool and completely pointless.

- strolling through Kierland Commons in Scottsdale to gawk and make fun of the rich, pretty people. Scottsdale is the Beverly Hills of Arizona ... where zip code and plastic surgery trump social conscience and intelligence.

- ending up at our alumni friend Scott's place in Tempe to watch college football ... specifically the dismantling of #8 Iowa by our Iowa State Cyclones!! My condolences to the Great White Bear as Michigan lost in one of the other games we watched.

- eating Ted's Hot Dogs and drinking Sierra Nevada Pale Ales while watching the games. Nothing like downing some empty carbs. Mmmmm. I think I'll have to do some serious hiking tomorrow to atone for this.

STFU nominees Sept. 4-10

Here are a couple of new ones:

"Price "gougers" save lives." -- ABC News's John Stossel, nominating price gougers for sainthood. Next he'll be praising serial killers for keeping the population under control.

Hurricane "finally cleaned out public housing in New Orleans" -- Rep. Baker of Baton Rouge. Unfortunately, the flood didn't take out the rats.

"The congressman likened their stay to being at camp and asked, 'Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?'" -- Tom DeLay, visiting evacuees in Houston. Like I said, this sad, sad man could be nominated for this award every day.

And our past nominees:

Tom DeLay on the government response
Pat Robertson on the good that the Hurrican has brought to John Roberts
Barbara Bush -- that matriarch of virtue and compassion

Post any other worthy nominees and we'll announce the winner late Sunday.

Katrina

Don't want to beat you guys over the head with encouraging you to contribute to the various relief efforts. But if any of you were still looking for a place to contribute, the person profiled in this story would be ideal:

She survived Hurricane Katrina, but battle against cancer continues


It's already a compelling story enough as it is. But to give you guys some perspective, the person in the story is our best friend Joanie's sister. Joanie is the wife of Eric (who's blog is on top of my list to the right). The Burleys have been our dearest friends for a long time. Eric and I used to work together but we became even better friends after our work carried us on to new companies. Through times of joy (the births of our children) and pain (the passing of loved ones), they have been the best friends that anyone could ask for and we love them dearly.

Joanie's sister's address is at the bottom of the article. Whether you can give or not, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks.

Lance

Oh no, Mr. Bill!!

Senator Mary Landrieu, after initially giving Mr. Bush too much leeway, has been steadily redeeming herself. Back in Washington, she asks the question that we'd all like to know the answer for, "How can it be," she asked, "that Mr. Bill was better informed than Mr. Bush?"

Tom DeLay

It's almost too easy to nominate someone who could really be nominated just about any day of the week, but today's nominee for the STFU award is Tom DeLay:

"The point is if you look at the big picture, it’s a phenomenal accomplishment by everybody involved. It’s unbelievable." -- Tom DeLay speaking to the House today concerning the government's response to Katrina. More here.

And for the opposite of the STFU award, I nominate this guy. He's awesome!

"Go fuck yourself, Mr. Cheney"

Making Faces

A few weeks ago, we had Alex sit for pictures at a place called Making Faces in Scottsdale. They pose you and then take simultaneous pictures from many directions at once. They then use those images to build a holographic image. That holographic image can then be used to create a bust, a 3-D picture, even a bobble-head.

We just got his bust back and it looks pretty good:


Click thumbnail to get larger image

Just an idea for those with young children that might want something a little different as a reminder of when they were small.

Fox News

Watch this. This is powerful stuff. From that great bastion of honesty, Fox News, some truth accidentally leaked out. Even Sean Hannity spinning as fast as a top couldn't counter what Shepard Smith and Geraldo were seeing on the ground:


Horror Show

That is one of the most surprising things to come out of all this ... the press has found it's indignation, it's voice again. From the exchange above to Anderson Cooper's interview to an MSNBC reporter's outrage, the press can't help but be touched by what they are seeing and by what the government is not doing. The Pendulum of Reporting on Katrina

And I hate to even bring this up, but will someone PLEASE severely hurt Pat Robertson? Another nominee (along with Babs Bush) for the "Just Shut the Fuck Up" award:

Robertson claimed that, in the wake of Katrina, Roberts can "be thankful that a tragedy has brought him some good"

"Give me a better idiot"

Great quote from the president of the Jefferson Parish (reprinted from Guardian Unlimited):

The Jefferson Parish president, Aaron Broussard, told CBS news that government would have to be held accountable for what had happened.

"Bureaucracy has murdered people in the greater New Orleans area and bureaucracy needs to stand trial before congress today," he said.

"Take whatever idiot they have at the top, give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don't give me the same idiot."

Barbara Bush

Isabella of the Hungry Blogger brought this our attention:

Barbara Bush: Things Working Out 'Very Well' for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans

I am utterly flabbergasted by her audacity, stupidity, lack of compassion ... you name it. It's no wonder the president we have considering what comes out of that pie hole on his mother's face. To pretend he represents the common man, yet has that Yale and Harvard education and that silver spoon so far up his ass, is laughable. Or it would be laughable if it were not for the ignorance of this cursed family causing thousands of deaths in Iraq and in our own country.

This has gone beyond a difference in philosphy. The incompetence exhibited this last week, the outing of a CIA agent, war profiteering, etc. are impeachable offenses. A great president was impeached for getting a BJ. It's time to send this one home for offenses that history will remember forever.

Thank you for growing a spine!

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has apparently redeemed herself somewhat after her hilariously sad interview with Anderson Cooper a few days ago. She has actually called Bush to task for using a tragedy as a photo op.


Right now I'm watching Silver City, a very good political mystery, comedy about a fictitious candidate, Dickie Pilager. But don't be fooled, it's about George Bush. From the political handler modeled after Karl Rove to the speaking affectations that are a spitting image of W, this is a Bush indictment. In a case of life imitating art imitating life, the movie begins with a hastily staged photo op on a lake front that begins the slow unraveling of a candidate.

I'm also watching The Fog of War, a documentary about Robert S. McNamara. I'll give a review of it and a more in-depth review of Silver City at a later time. But suffice to say, both are very relevant about today's political climate.

Outsourcing the Nigerian Email Scam

Jamison at BiteSoundBite posted this hilarious exchange:

Nigerian Email Scam

Cheers

I've been about as cheery as the Grim Reaper on my blog in the last week ... deservedly so. But I thought I'd break the monotony a little bit and query my regulars for their list of favorite ways to imbibe. GWB brought up the subject of beer in a post and Laura, wine. Some of you hoity-toity, cheese-tasting, upper-crust types can list your wines. But mine will be 5 fave beers:

Guinness Stout
Stone India Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Dos Equis Amber
Mississippi Mud Black and Tan



I'm interested to hear yours, especially if they're regional favorites that I haven't had before.

Be Charitable Locally

"Defer not charities till death; for certainly, if a man weigh it rightly, he that doth so is rather liberal of another man's than of his own." -- Francis Bacon

It's sad that it takes an event like this to remind us of it, but all that can should help out in their local communities as much as possible ... even if it doesn't directly affect those from Hurrican Katrina.

Today, with our friends the Burleys, we volunteered at the Westside Food Bank, sorting food. My wife's and the Burley's church regularly volunteer there. There are many other great organizations here and in other communities that are helping the needy.

Supposely, over 1000 refugees from the hurricane will be coming to the Valley. We've already offered our home through Moveon.org and would encourage anyone else in communities expecting refugees to do the same. But even if you don't, give of your time and your money to help those in need locally.

Salvation Army

This is sad and funny at the same time. We are in hell:

The Clueless-In-Chief

Low-Interest Loans?

Bush, you fucking moron! I'm tired of being politically correct and even-keeled about this. People are broke, dying, without a home, without food and the best that our Mayberry Machiavellian can do is say that there will be "low interest loans" for people to re-build. You don't understand! These people have nothing. Cut them a fucking check! The cost of rebuilding ($50 to 60 billion) is a drop in the bucket compared to what we've spent in Iraq. Are you giving the people of Iraq "low interest loans? You heartless demagogue. Low-interest -- you know what that means? Somebody will be making money off of these people's suffering. On top of that, check this out:

Halliburton gets Katrina contract, hires former FEMA director

Are we even surprised? Bush and Cheney's cronies are profiting off of people's pain, just like in Iraq.

And FEMA is clueless: The big disconnect on New Orleans

Maybe it's finally time that other Republicans are seeing this administration for what it is:

Senator Vitter gives the "federal government a grade 'F' for its response to the disaster so far"

"... puts into question all of the Homeland Security and Northern Command planning for the last four years, because if we cannot respond faster than this to an event we saw coming across the Gulf for days, then why do we think we are prepared to respond to a nuclear or biological attack?" -- Newt Gingrich

And the world is paying attention on this one too. No free pass like Sept. 11 for Bush:

"Casual to the point of careless -- UK

Storm brews around Bush leadership -- New Zealand

And to you koolaid drinking Righties who think you can somehow defend what has happened, bring it on.

Hastert/Shame

People are dying and all the Speaker of the House of the most powerful country in the world questions rebuilding New Orleans and says retarded things like:

"It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed..."

The day of the hurricane, when leadership and preparation would have made a difference, Bush is at a golf resort.

This government is an embarrassment: Politicians Failed Storm Victims

There have been many uplifting stories of rescues and good deeds by those local agencies in the area. The people of America have been amazingly supportive, generously donating, even offering their homes: Adopt a Family of Hurricane Katrina Program and Moveon.org. But history will not look back kindly on how this was handled from the top.

Hurricane

I'll preface this post by saying that our thoughts are obviously with all the families that have been displaced and that have lost loved ones as a result of the hurricane. Nothing we say or do can truly replace their losses.

However, by being prepared and by not misusing the resources we do have, these type of tragedies can be better handled. This is where I feel our government has woefully failed.

First of all, if our National Guard forces were not so depleted because of being deployed overseas, perhaps, looting could have been prevented. Food and water could have been delivered quicker to those in need. And this is not some wacked-out liberal opionion. From the Army Times: Overseas deployments hinder Guard hurricane presence

Secondly, this administration drastically cut funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: record $71.2 million reduction in federal funding. To quote the article from January of this year:

"The cuts mean major hurricane and flood protection projects will not be awarded to local engineering firms. Also, a study to determine ways to protect the region from a Category 5 hurricane has been shelved for now."

Sounds kinda prophetic. Bush will pinch a few pennies when it comes to saving lives but has no problem spending us into debt for a pointless war.

Laura (as usual) has a pretty good take on all this on her blog: Where Did Summer Go?

Kaibab Lake - Williams, AZ

The camping trip was a blast. Weather, scenery, food and fishing were all great. Here are some nice pics of us (Lance, Michelle, and Alex) and my folks:


Kaibab Lake

We were only there a little over a day but did try Isabella's grilled portobello mushrooms. My folks had never had portobello mushrooms and loved them.

Pardon me, your slip is showing

Is it just me, or is the Right getting just a tad bit nervous? They seem to not be doing as good of job of hiding their true nature. Just a few examples:

• American Legion Declares War on Protestors -- Media Next?
  
  Laughably, they argue that we are endangering freedom by exercising it. I've said it many times before, but blind nationalism is not patriotism. I know that the American Legion doesn't necessarily represent all veterans but it's certainly one of the major faces. What I do think is that broad proclamations like theirs will ultimately hurt their cause. There are enough veterans with an actual brain that will see through it.
  
  And it's so political in nature. They argued the exact opposite of their current position when Clinton was in office and we had troops in Yugoslavia.

• Pat Robertson: making friends in Latin America. His apology is almost as bad as his original statement. Why can no one on the right admit a mistake?

• John Bolton: making friends at the U.N.. And if anyone was surprised by this, they are clueless.

• Colin Powell: Former Powell Aide Expresses Regret Over WMD Speech. One would have to assume that Powell regrets it also. He has already admitted that the information he presented was false and from dubious sources.

Got Milk?

There has been yet another suspension in baseball for the ingestion of an apparently banned substance ... milk:

Suspended batboy mulling two offers

Who says crime doesn't pay?

Lucky Sevens

Per Laura's challenge at Sarchasm:

7 Things you plan to do before you die

1. Go to Europe
2. Write a book
3. Get my pilot's license
4. Run for public office
5. Raft the Grand Canyon
6. Jump out of an airplane ... again. Have done once before.
7. Get a philosophy degree. I have a BS in Aerospace Engineering ... how boring.

7 Things you can do

1. Begin a million projects (writing, graphics, video) and finish none
2. Disagree with my family on just about every meaningful political point ... and love them anyway
3. Be a good dad/husband
4. Read too many books at once
5. Get on my soapbox too often
6. Remember completely useless movie trivia and baseball stats
7. Fix computers

7 Things you can't do

1. Work for anyone besides myself
2. Dance
3. Tolerate racism
4. Tolerate hypocrisy
5. Suffer fools
6. Fix my car (except to change the oil)
7. Be consistent about exercising

7 Things that attract you to the opposite sex

1. Kindness
2. Honesty
3. Self Confidence
4. Wit
5. Patience
6. Intelligence
7. Huuuuge .... tracts of land (sorry, couldn't resist)

7 Things you say most

1. Alex!! (seems I have to say my son's name at least twice to get his attention)
2. God damn it (I know, go figure. From a humanist?)
3. Shit
4. Puto
5. Any Sid and Nancy or Monty Python quote
6. Moron
7. I love you

7 Celebrity crushes

1. Charlize Theron
2. Gwen Stefani
3. Kate Winslet
4. Helena Bonham Carter
5. Natalie Portman
6. Franka Potente
7. Halle Berry

7 Songs I like right now

1. B.Y.O.B -- System of a Down
2. Only -- Nine Inch Nails
3. Question -- System of a Down
4. Holiday -- Green Day
5. Vote With a Bullet -- COC
6. End of Hearthache -- Killswitch Engage
7. Evidence -- Faith No More

7 People you want to take this quiz - Like the woman said, anyone that wants to, feel free and post here or on your blog

Day After Tomorrow

Every day, it seems like there is new info out there suggesting global warming:


Melting Arctic a growing threat

One would almost not be surprised to see tornadoes in LA and a new ice age tomorrow. Just kidding. The point is ... the things they exaggerated in The Day After Tomorrow to make a point are not that far-fetched any more.

"House of Ill Repute"

"...Are you amazed at how little power the minority has, especially in the authoritarian House of Representatives? One shrewd contributor thundered against "the tyranny of the majority." He declared that "millions of Americans" were deprived of "their fair representation in the formulation of public policy" and that "the majority in the House has many ways to pass its pet legislation or stall other bills without due regard for proper debate and deliberation.""

Sounds like a quote from some disgruntled Democrat describing the current state of affairs in Washington. But if you thought that, you'd be wrong. It's Newt Gingrich in the book of essays, House of Ill Repute, that was published in 1987.

The great Washington Post writer, E.J. Dionne, has a nice article about it:

Corruption, arrogance run rampant in House of Representatives

So, don't get too comfortable. This too shall pass.

Sierra Club

While the wife and kid are visiting family in Iowa in October, this is how I'm going to spend my vacation:



Appleton-Whittell Audubon Research Ranch

I'm pretty excited about it. Have some fun and enjoy some great scenery while doing something that backs up the words that I spout all the time.

Vehicle Emissions

Thankfully not taking a cue from from the "see-no-evil" crowd in Washington D.C., the states of Oregon and Washington are adopting Cali's tough emissions standards:

Northwest states unite on car emissions

It's something I think you'll see more and more of. People here and abroad are not going to wait for the Bush administration to admit there is a global warming problem.

Garth Brooks

I know it's a little incongruous, but I've always liked Garth Brooks. I saw him in concert and I have several of his albums. I respected his bucking Nashville. He wasn't afraid to write controversial (for country music) songs. But today I am deeply embarrassed for him:

Garth Brooks a Wal-Mart Exclusive

What a fucking sell-out! In the first place, having an exclusivity deal like this with any retailer is bogus. But it just adds insult to injury for it to be Wal-mart. Parading around the shareholders meeting in a Wal-mart blue smock? I think I'm going to be sick.

Re-wilding

Interesting plan on the introduction of large mammals in parts of North America where there is more space and less population than in Africa:

Big game 'could roam US plains'

It sounds like a nutty idea but it would actually help to maintain ecosystems. Something to think about.

Frist

Please make the hurting stop! I said I was not going to write about ID any more ... but I can't resist. Evidently in a move to get himself back in good graces with Dubya after he bucked him on stem cell research:

Frist backs 'intelligent design' teaching

It's laughable how many people (including a so-called "man of science" like Frist) continue to equate general theories with scientific theories. They are not the same thing!

Vigil for Cindy Sheehan

My son Alex and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend the candlelight vigil for Cindy Sheehan at 24th St. & Camelback in Phoenix tonight. It was heartening to see 500+ people together in a common cause against this unjustified war. The great attitude of the attendees was expected ... it was the reactions by the traffic going by that I didn't expect. It was overwhelmingly positive!!


In a red state like Arizona, you can usually plan on more than a few expletives shouted out windows or people flipping the bird. But in the hour or so we were there, the worst thing I saw was someone driving by holding a Bush/Cheney sign out their window ... that was it. Everyone else waved, honked their horns, gave thumbs up, etc.


You really get the feeling that the middle part of the political spectrum is getting sick of the war and high gas prices. And it's not lost on them that a soft-spoken mother of a fallen soldier has scared the leader of the free world into his little hole in Texas.

Rolling Stones -- "Sweet Neocon"

Political song of the day:

You ride around your white castle,
On your little white horse
You lie to your people,
and blame it on your war of course

You call yourself a Christian,
I call you a hypocrite
You call yourself a patriot,
well I think you're full of shit

Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time for the atom bomb?

You parade around in costume,
Expecting to be believed
But as the body bags stack up,
We believe we've been deceived

The horror you've unleased,
Will backfire with more grief
When will you ever learn,
Sweet Neo Con, as the world burns?

Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time for the atom bomb?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
What path have you led them on?
Oh, sweet Neo Con,
Is it time to drop the bomb?

Proud Left-Wing Liberal

Great description by James Moore on the Huffington Post about what it means to be a liberal:

Proud Left-Wing Liberal

Intelligent Falling

My friend at the Jewish Atheist brought my attention to this great The Onion article:

Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity with New "Intelligent Falling" Theory

And, I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but here's one of the most comprehensive and cogent explanations of why Intelligent Design fails. Be warned, the article is fairly long ... but worth it.

The Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name

Jewish Atheist

In navigating among your guys' posts and posts to your blogs, I came upon The Jewish Atheist. This is a great blog that has many well-reasoned posts on the nature of religion and morals. The blogger also had an interesting perspective because of his time as a Modern Orthodox Jew. Check it out if you get the chance.

Categories listings updated

It's long overdue, but I updated the archived posts under the Categories listings.

Hybrids

Interesting article on hybrid mods:

Experimental hybrid cars get up to 250 mpg

Machinist

I watched one messed-up movie last night, called the Machinist. Without giving too much away, it tells the story of an insomniac machinist who has not slept in a year. Due to his lack of sleep, he becomes increasingingly paranoid. The narrative basically follows his attempts at figuring out who is after him (real or imagined).

It reminded me a lot of Memento because of the main character's disorientation with time and his surroundings. In Memento, the ailment was lack of long-term memory. In the Machinist, it is extreme insomnia.



The Machinist is also remininiscent of Hitchcock movies, especially Vertigo. Ostensibly it's a mystery, but ultimately the truth that is discovered says more about the main character than anything else.

The physical transformation of Christian Bale required for this movie makes that of Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones' Diary piddling in comparison. He went down to 120 pounds. In comparison, he weighed 220 when filming Batman Begins. He was so emaciated that he looked like a walking skeleton. He definitely took method acting to the next level ... a la Robert De Niro.

I recommend it but only if you like depressing character studies. I do.

James Dobson

Further proof that James Dobson is not only a moron but a dangerous moron:

Helping Boys Become Men, and Girls Become Women

It would be funny if he weren't serious. It's time to tell it like it is ... anyone who follows the beliefs and teachings of this man are completely disconnected from reality. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, has commentaries carried on about 3500 radio stations. It's scary to think how many people listen to him. Other organizations like the Family Research Council are just as bad, pushing a radical Christian right-wing agenda.

Arizona Chain Reaction

This is a great organization and site for letting you know the independent businesses in your own community(in Arizona) that you can shop at:

Arizona Chain Reaction

Retain chain stores takes jobs and tax revenue out of your community. I encourage all of you to find similar organizations in your state and shop locally. Knowing how most of your are, I'm probably preaching to the choir.

It's not just about keeping the money in your community. It's about getting a superior experience. Harkins Theaters and Bashas Groceries are two examples of local businesses that are every bit as good(or better) as retail chains in price and selection but offer an enhanced product.

"Attractive bodies"

Bush To Determine Scentific Curriculum Of American Schools Based On His Own Experiments

I'd never read this guy's blog before. GreatWhiteBear has a link to him. Too funny.

Compassionate Conservatism?

I hate to use blue state/red state descriptions and dislike painting with a broad brush, but as my pappy used to say, "If the foo shits ...":

On Immigration, The Right Loses All Compassion

When a right-wing governor like Huckabee even thinks it's too extreme, you know you've went overboard. But that's not the suprise, it's the public's reaction in Arkansas ... callers to the governor's office have been 1000-1 against his position. The fact that Clinton was governor of this state indicates that there is some hope for them, but if these callers are any indication of the rest of the state, "whoa, nelly".

Just Add Water

Voila! Instant backyard ... just add water. They finished the water lines, planted the trees and layed down the grass all today. That's it for now. We'll plant some small plants in spring and will probably bring in some gravel before then.

Jim Kelly

Very sad news in the world of sports: Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly's 8 year-old son Hunter died of Krabbe disease, an incurable nervous system disease. The Kelly's have been very active, raising over $6 million for neurological disease research, in trying to find a cure.

Hunter Kelly, 8, dies of Krabbe Disease

Whenever I hear of a young child dying for any reason, my heart aches for his/her parents and family. While I can't say I know exactly how they feel, I do know how it feels to worry every day if you child is going to live to the next day. Our son Alex, who is 4 now and the picture of health and energy, was born 10.5 weeks early and spent the first 6 weeks of his life in a hospital intensive care ward. Every day that we visited the NICU, we agonized over the news we hoped we'd never hear. I'm sure the Kelly's have went through that every day for 8 years. We've had several friends and family members that have also had premature babies or babies with physical issues and you can feel their pain.

Obviously, Hunter Kelly's death is no more important than any other child's death. But because of the prominence of his dad, it just reminds us that every child should not be taken for granted. Cherish every day you have with them because you don't know when they can be taken away. And not all families are as lucky as the Kelly's or ours to have the money and insurance to give the best care possible for their children. No child should go hungry. No child should be uninsured.

Landscaping

Finally, they've started on our backyard landscaping. We've be in the place over a year, so it's about time we got it done. They've put in the water lines and put in the curbing that will surround the grass. The grass and trees will be done in the next few days.

Stadium

Latest pic of the work on the new AZ Cardinals stadium:

Global Warming

How much more evidence do we need before this administration will admit there is global warming ... and to take the steps necessary to do something about it:

Antarctic ice shelf collapse linked to global warming

Environmental damage seen from shuttle

This rapture mentality that pervades some of the right allows them to discount any global warming talk because it won't really matter when Armageddon comes. There are others who may not believe in the rapture but still think you can do anything to the Earth because it will recover. They are right ... it will recover, long after we have exterminated ourselves.

As we have seen from previous posts, religion is not a substitute for science. That is not a criticism. It just means that you can have your beliefs but still respect the world you live in and those who live in it. Many churches, thankfully, are coming around to this way of thinking:

God’s Earth is Sacred

But unfortunately, some have not.

Novak goes postal

Our good friend Bob Novak is starting to show his ass more and more:

Novak Explodes

Church and State

Hello! Is anybody paying attention? This administration is ignoring our Constitution:

Group assails Bible study course taught at schools. What a shocker this happened in Texas.

Bush: Intelligent Design Should Be Taught.

Perhaps they need a reminder:

"...I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State..." - Thomas Jefferson

"Strongly guarded as is the separation between religion and Government in the Constitution of the United States, the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history." - James Madison

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." - 1st Amendment of the Consitution

**A great extension of this discussion is on Laura's blog: Unintelligent Design**

Kitt Peak/Kartchner Caverns

The weekend was a rousing success. We stayed the night in Tucson and took day trips to Kartchner Caverns and the Kitt Peak Observatories. (click on any images to get larger picture)

Our first visit was to the Caverns on Saturday. Sorry, but we have no pictures from that trip ... but for a good reason. Kartchner Caverns are what you call a "living cave" and as such, they work very hard to not mess with the conditions of the cave. They make sure that it maintains its 99% humidity through the use of double-air locks that you travel through and misters that add humidity to the air. Additionally, they try to keep as much extra light (for ex. cameras) out of the cave as possible so that photosynthesis doesn't occur with any organisms that may have accidentally been carried in. They've done a really good job here of maintaining a nice balance between allowing people to see it and keeping the cave pristine. I did scan a few postcards just so you get an idea of how it looks inside. The structures are fantastic.



Sunday was as fun as Saturday. We drove about an hour out of Tucson to Kitt Peak, home of the largest group of astronomical observatories in the world (23 of them). I've wanted to visit Kitt Peak for 20 years but never took the time. It exceeded my expectations. We toured 3 of the observatories ... the rest are closed to visitors because they have active research going on. The three that are open also do research but they've partititioned them off so there is no interference. And the visiting hours, 9-4, obviously don't interfere with the times that an astronomer would be using them.



This is a view of the 3.5 meter telescope, WIYN Observatory (completed in 1994)which is owned and operated by U of Wisconsin, Indian U, Yale, and National Optical Astronomy Observatories. It's octagon shaped to minimize the effects of temperature differences in air currents. These air currents severely degrade astronomical images.



The first one that we toured was the 2.1 meter telescope. It is the center telescope in the following picture:



This is the main part of the telescope ... with the mirror being in the middle structure:



We next toured the National Solar Observatory. It has the obvious distinction of being the only optical telescope on the mountain that operates during the day (there are two radio telescopes).



This is a view from within the observatory looking up through the diagonal structure:



The last observatory we toured was the 4.1 meter Mayall telescope (the largest mirror of any of the telescopes):



These are views from the observation decks 4 stories up with in that telescope:



And from within the room outside the telescope itself:



As you can tell by the previous pictures of Alex and the following one, he had a great time also:





P.S. Many thanks to E & J for watching Duchess and making this weekend possible.

Darn rain

You would think that rain would be the last thing we would have to worry about in AZ, but it's looking like we are going to get rained out of camping for the 2nd straight weekend. But it will not deter us from getting the hell out of dodge anyway. Many thanks to Isabella and GWB, respectively, for their camping recipes:

• "you can always grill veggies: eggplant, zucchini, portabello mushrooms, along with shrimp or fresh-caught fish. Baste with a good quality olive oil, s&p and some fresh minced herbs. It's simple but delicious. Good luck."
  # posted by Isabella di Pesto
• One Skillet Meals - Great White Bear

We will attempt camping again next week and use their recipes.

In the meantime, there is a good chance we are going to do a day trip to Tucson and partake of some of the high-country entertainment there:

• Kitt Peak National Observatory
• Colossal Cave Mountain Park
• Kartchner Caverns
  
  

HR 525

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Wilson 4

You know what they say, "All politics is local". Usually, when you're talking about Arizona, those politics aren't anything to brag about. Evan Mecham and the MLK holiday, Fife Symington, Prop 200, the Minutemen. etc. are perfect examples of the corruption and xenophobia all too prevalent here. And when I decided to write an entry about the Wilson 4, I was afraid I was going to have to add yet another rant. But thanks to an intelligent judge, these innocent kids were saved from an unjust deportation.

Judge throws out deportation case against 'Wilson 4'

These four former high school kids from Arizona were on a trip to Niagara Falls in Canada in 2002 and were detained for questioning by U.S. Federal agents who made moronic statements like, "Maybe in Arizona you don't stand out, but here in Buffalo, you do," and "Look, don't send your illegals to New York." The four were brought into the country illegally when they were toddlers but all of them graduated from high school and three are either enrolled or have graduated from college. They shouldn't be punished for the sins of their parents and for a government that doesn't really want to have any meaningful immigration reform.

It's NOT over!

Great article by Murray Waas at the American Prospect:

An Unlikely Story

The gist of the story is that Rove's alibis, or lack thereof, are getting him in hot water with the investigators because it proves that he mislead the FBI.

This whole affair may get to the point where the event that started it becomes trivial because the deception and cover-up afterwards exceeds it. What does that remind you of?

To all those talking heads and right wing bloggers who say "It's Over" because that's what the word on high said (talking points) ... wishful thinking. As Mark Wahlberg says in the Italian Job, "It's over when I say it's over".

Quote of the Day

"Democracy is not a state in which people act like sheep." - Gandhi

"What the hell is going on here?"

It's good to see that they're keeping the pressure on:

White House Press Briefing

... and they are actually catching the administration when it tries to spin something or re-frame it. While Bush tried to give the impression that he was reiterating a pledge of 2 years ago to fire whoever who was responsible, he was actually changing the wording from "leaker" to those who "committed a crime". And the press actually noticed the difference.

Reaganomics ... still B.S.

For those righties that were all tickled by the recent announcement that tax revenues had increased despite Bush's tax cuts ... and your assumption of that meaning the tax cuts were the cause, think again:

"Reaganomics" Still Wrong

Movie Reviews

I'm no Roger Ebert, but here's my humble take on a few of the movies that I've seen lately:


Crash - the best movie that we've seen this year. It addresses racism without being preachy. It shows that even those of us who don't consider ourselves racist still do and say things that betray our prejudices. Many of these prejudices are institutional. All races have prejudices against other races. Its non-linear story-telling and ensemble casting is like what I would imagine you would get from smashing a Robert Altman film into Magnolia. The cast is great. I believe it's probably the best thing Brendan Fraser has done outside of Gods and Monsters. It's certainly the best dramatic role that Sandra Bullock has done. Don Cheadle ... what can I say? This man is at the top of his game and I'd be hard-pressed to name a better American actor right now. Fresh off of Hotel Rwanda, he hits another one out of the park. The movie's directed by Paul Haggis, who wrote Million Dollar Baby. That's a pretty good track record for Haggis. Both movies are outstanding. Grade: A+

Finding Neverland - the story of the writer of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie. This is another great example of how Johnny Depp inhabits any role he takes. It's the story of how the people around the writer inspired the characters in Peter Pan. It rides the line between fantasy and reality, much like you feel the real Barrie must have in his life. Outstanding performances besides Depp's: Kate Winslet. I have a thing for all the modern British period piece actresses: Winslet, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, etc. Plus, the child actor Freddie Highmore (soon to be seen in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with co-star Depp) is fantastic. I believe him and Dakota Fanning are the great child actors of this generation. Certainly puts putzes like Jake Lloyd to shame. Grade: B

Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith - easily the best of the "new" Star Wars movies. While not coming up to the standard of the original and Empire Strikes Back, it does well in abandoning the cuteness of Phantom Menace and the painful romantic dialogue of Attack of the Clones. Writing and direction of dialogue scenes ... never a strong point of Lucas ... is shoved to the background and fantastic action and special effects are brought forward. I believe the movie does a good job of tying the end of the new movies into the beginning of the original Star Wars. No outstanding acting to mention except to say that Ewan McGregor, as always, is the best in anything he is in. He successfully channels the ghost of Sir Alec Guinness. Grade: B-

War of the Worlds - I went into this with, perhaps, unrealistic expectations. A classic story, a brilliant director, and an actor who, despite his other faults, usually stars in entertaining movies. And I had really liked Cruise and Spielberg's previous collaboration in Minority Report. Not to say this is a terrible movie ... it is not. It's just that it disappoints in many areas. It's partially hamstrung by the limitations of the original story which had an implausible ending. But more of the problem is tied to character development. I don't know if it's because I was projecting too much of Cruise's real life on to his character, but I never was able to identify or sympathize with the character. Dakota Fanning does well with the poorly written role she inhabits as the daughter. The older brother ... sorry don't know the name of the actor ... is not well written. His actions just don't seem to fit and are not well justified. The special effects are fine and Spielberg stays with the design of the robots as intended by H.G. Wells. The cinematography, as always, is done by Janusz Kaminski. I love his work. He favors a smoky, filtered feel to most of his movies and that is entirely appropriate in things like Schindler's List, A.I., Minority Report, etc. but I think it doesn't feel right in War of the Worlds. Grade: C

Batman Begins - the best popcorn movie that we've seen this summer and it rivals the Spiderman movies for best comic adaptation. Great casting in Christian Bale as Batman. If any of you ever get a chance to see American Psycho, rent it. It's one f**cked-up movie but gives an insight into the acting skills of Bale. I love movies where you don't know if you're supposed to root for the protagonist or not. But back to Batman ... a good reinvention of the character away from the excesses of Burton and Schumaker. This Batman is much more grounded in reality and they do a good job of establishing how he becomes who he is. Supporting roles for Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson and one of my all-time favorites, Gary Oldman. In what is a very understated role for him, he does a great job as detective (and later to be commissioner) Gordon. The director does a good job of not making the special effects the focus of the movie and uses them sparingly. Grade: B+

The Sea Inside - the winner of the best foreign film Oscar this last year. A fantastic movie! It's the "life story of Spaniard Ramon Sampedro, who fought a 30-year campaign to win the right to end his life with dignity." Javier Bardem is in the starring role. One would think that you would have difficulty expressing the different emotions and nuances of this character when you can only move your head (Sampedro was a quadriplegic) but Bardem does an amazing job. He has more acting ability above the shoulders that most of Hollywood have in the entire bodies. Regardless of how you feel about euthanasia, I believe you can get something from this film. And it certainly allows you to get a fresh perspective on contemporary cases like Terry Schiavo. Grade: A

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If any of you want, post your top 10 movies of all time in the comments to this post.
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Hypocrite of the Day

Oh , how we love those funny Republicans:

Dick Armey’s Hypocrisy on CIA Leak Case

It's so easy to go through life when you have no memory, no conscience, no honesty, no ethics, etc.

Hockey's Back!!

My hockey deprived friends will finally be able take the shotgun out of their mouths:

The NHL is back

I'm very excited about it too. We moved into our new house a year ago but because of the season being cancelled, we have never been able to take advantage of our close proximity to the Glendale arena (1 mile) ... walking distance. So any of you out of town hockey fans that find yourself in the Valley some day, let me know and we'll treat you to a Coyotes tailgate and game.

Milkbone Underwear

If you want a good chuckle, you HAVE to catch a video clip or transript of Monday's White House Press Corps briefing. It was some funny shit.

It was a shock to see that the Washington press weren't complete invertebrates. Somehow the ghosts of Woodward and Bernstein inhabited their bodies for a few glorious minutes and they all remembered what the press is actually there for.

For a few seconds there, I almost felt sorry for Scott McClellan ... but I got over it. It was like the great philosopher Norm (of Cheers fame) said, "It's a dog-eat-dog world and I'm wearing milkbone underwear". Well, today, McClellan was wearing the milkbone underwear. Witnessing him mining the depths of Orwellian doublespeak went beyond humorous into ludicrous.

You have to wonder if the combination of this and the Downing Street Memo may be the straws that broke the camel's back. We can only hope.

What I Believe

Nietzsche, Einstein, Gandhi, MLK, JFK, Kubrick, and Hawking, respectively


Who I Am

- I come from a long line of hard-working Midwesterners, mostly farmers. German primarily. Each with an independent streak and impatience that alternatively makes us gypsies (my dad), volunteers(my grandfather in the Peace Corps ... in his 60's!) or entrepreneurs(myself). I was the first one to ever graduate from college.

- I grew from a sci-fi reading, new wave listening nerd in high school to a philosophy reading, industrial listening nerd in college. I'm now a combination of both with a mix-in of political reading and jazz listening.

- I believe that you are not necessarily the views and opinions of your parents (or shouldn't be). You appreciate their love, their sacrifice, their ethics but ultimately we all have to be our own person.

- I'm a contrarian. I'm not afraid to be the dissenting view, the devil's advocate. I like making people examine why they believe the way they do.

On Heroes:

- I'm not into hero worship but I believe in the power of words ... the thoughts they represent. These people affected me because of what they said: Gandhi, MLK, JFK, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Biko, Nietzsche, Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking

On Movies, Music, Pop Culture:

- I believe that Kubrick is the best director ever. His movies, especially, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, and Doctor Strangelove are among the most brilliant, observant and timeless movies ever. And they influenced me profoundly.

- I believe that all good music, books, movies, etc. must say something about the human condition or society. Some of the books that influenced me: 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown, All the President's Men by Woodward and Bernstein. All of them read by me when I was still in high school but they are as relevant now as they were then.

- I believe that all good humor is political and ironic in nature: from Python to Jon Stewart. That is why many on the right don't find it funny. They don't understand they are the subject of the satire.

On Sports:

- With all due respect to Mark ... I believe that baseball is the one true sport. And Bull Durham is the best sports movie ever.

On Politics/Society:

- I believe that people are inherently good, but as they say in the Italian Job, "I trust everyone, I just don't trust the devil inside them."

- I believe that people will defy their own self-interest. My parents are 60, uninsured, with no retirement plan, yet will still vote Republican.

- I believe that too many people are afraid to question authority, afraid to think for themselves. People want to believe in something and will take as gospel (pun intended) anything that is said to them. Politics is being preached in our churches. Religion is being preached to us by our politicians.

- I believe that this country's current level of patriotism is jingoism. Blind nationalism is a scary path. I believe that questioning your government is not only a right but is patriotic.

- I believe in the Age of Reason, that the Enlightenment and the principles it brought forth are a pretty good starting point for any society.

- I believe in the Bill of Rights.

- I believe in a liberal arts education. An appreciation of the arts and music is essential to enlightened thought.

- I believe that racism is the product of ignorance. Of all things, racism is the one that I fathom the least and the one that I will absolutely not suffer by anyone.

- I believe that we are in a time of "gee-shucks, proud-to-be-a-redneck ... a stage of vague American values and anti-intellectual pride." And it starts at the top.

- I believe that apathy is the biggest threat to a free society. A forum where dissenting opinions can compete on equal ground is better than one where the "run-away bride" and Michael Jackson take time away from Iraq and Darfur.

On Religion:

- I consider myself a humanist, an agnostic, a thinker. My grandfather is very religious. My parents, for a time, were mildy so while I was being raised. But at no point was I a believer. A skeptic at age 5 and a trouble-maker in bible class, my curiosity and inquisitiveness precluded me from any future involvment in organized (or otherwise) religion. I respect and appreciate Native American spirituality ... but not in the godliness sense, but rather in its appreciation and harmony of nature.

- E.M. Forster: "I do not believe in Belief ... Tolerance, good temper and sympathy are no longer enough in a world which is rent by religious and racial persecution, in a world where ignorance rules, and Science, who ought to have ruled, plays the subservient pimp. Tolerance, good temper and sympathy - they are what matter really, and if the human race is not to collapse they must come to the front before long ... Faith, to my mind, is a stiffening process, a sort of mental starch, which ought to be applied as sparingly as possible."

- I believe, like Nietzsche, that "Christianity teaches men how to die but not how to live".

In General:

- I believe that the unexamined life is not worth living. So many of us walk around in a haze ... blessed with not the slightest lick of self-awareness.

- I believe in personal responsibility.

To quote E.M. Forster again:

"The above are the reflections of an individualist and a liberal who has found liberalism crumbling beneath him and at first felt ashamed. Then, looking around, he decided there was no special reason for shame, since other people, whatever they felt, were equally insecure. And as for individualism - there seems no way of getting off this, even if one wanted to ... The memory of birth and the expectation of death always lurk within the human being, making him separate from his fellows and consequently capable of intercourse with them. Naked I came into the world, naked I shall go out of it! And a very good thing too, for it reminds me that I am naked under my shirt, whatever its colour."

London

"We will fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here" -- George W. Bush

So how's that working out for you George and Tony? I suggest you read Imperial Hubris. Asses!

Our heart-felt sympathies go out to those who died, were hurt, and their families in the London bombings.

Nice post on dailykos that shows that terrorist attacks have increased under Bush ... not decreased.

But we've raised our alert level to orange. That's the Bush answer to terrorism ... stupid friggin' color coding. You'd have to think the $300 billion wasted in Iraq could have been used instead to actually protect us.