Movies

We finally saw The Da Vinci Code. Here's my take on it and other movies I've seen recently. I'm way overdue on giving some reviews, so here goes. Short and sweet.


The Da Vinci Code - very good suspense movie. As some of you have already mentioned, it is very faithful to the book. There is an absolutely first-rate cast including, Tom Hanks, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany and Alfred Molino. But most outstanding would be Ian McKellan as Sir Teabing and Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu. I've never seen McKellan do a bad role and this is no exception. His performance exudes the erudition and humor of the character in the book to a tee. And add my voice to the chorus of supporters for Tautou. I loved her in Amelie and she's great in this. I actually read a review by some moron who complained that her French accent was too heavy and detracted from the movie. Hello!! She IS French. I understood her just fine. And I have a thing for women with foreign accents. Stupid comments like that from the reviewer give weight to the caricature of the "ugly American". They'd have you believe that if everything is not homogenized and Americanized, it isn't worth watching. And they would be wrong.

The settings in the movie are fantastic. Like in the book, they are practically a character by themselves.

I liked how the codes that Langdon sees in the paintings and elsewhere are illuminated like similar codes were shown in director Ron Howard's film A Beautiful Mind. This could have been something that would have been hard to illustrate visually, but they do a good job with it.

If I could find a weakness with the movie, it would be that it tries too hard NOT to offend the church. There are various instances (including one near the end of the movie) where Langdon goes into a monologue out of the blue stressing how the Priory and the Holy Grail, the marriage of Jesus, etc. are all just speculation. He comes off as much more of a skeptic than he does in the book. In real life, that would be fine. Those things are just speculative. But in the book, he did not have as many doubts as the movie would lead you to think. I think the movie could have been made much more controversial than it was. As it is, in a fictional setting, it can still make people think. If at the least, it makes people question tradition and dogma, good for it.

I really fail to see what all the controversy is about. The Da Vinci Code comes off as a well-paced whodunit that happens to be set in a religious setting. But no one would mistake it for a documentary or scholarly work. To those that are actively and vociferously protesting this movie ... especially if you haven't seen it ... get a life. Grade: B+

For some inciteful reviews and discussions of the movie, see:

Laura at Sarchasm
- Movie Review: The DaVinci Code

Cyberkitten at Seeking a Little Truth
- Da Vinci code nun 'not genuine'
- India Catholics target Da Vinci
- Catholics form Da Vinci film team
- Church acts against Da Vinci film

Jewish Atheist
- Why the Success of The Da Vinci Code is a Good Thing


American Dreamz - The tagline from the movie gives a pretty good heads-up on it's plot: "Imagine a country where the President never reads the newspaper, where the government goes to war for all the wrong reasons, and more people vote for a pop idol than their next President." The story follows a fictional program called American Dreamz (an obvious parody of American Idol) and it's intersection with American life and the President. In the first half-hour of the film, I was disappointed because it seemed like it was hitting the easy targets and painting with just a little wide of a brush. President Staton is played with the same affable southern stupidity that has marked a lot of movies (too many) over the last couple of years (Perry King in Day After Tomorrow and Sam Rockwell in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, to name a few). Mandy Moore plays the Kelly Clarkson-type starlet. Hugh Grant plays the Simon Cowell-like host of the show. I was initially disappointed because it seemed like it was taking a shortcut and was not going to be a deeper satire. While it didn't completely redeem itself, the over-the-top nature of the characterizations were apparently done for a reason. They force you to analyze the nature of stereotypes. And the arc which some of the characters take end up being suprising, especially that of the President. Towards the end, he stops listening to his handlers, starts reading, and becomes human. To our real-life president, we can only hope this happens. Grade: B-


Thank You for Smoking - a great satire. From IMDb, "Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son". A much better satire than American Dreamz in that it's targets are not as obvious. It seems to be attacking the tobacco industry and the promotion of smoking in society, but in reality it's attacking both sides of the debate. Not just the way bad things are spun but also how political correctness goes overboard sometimes.

Some of the funniest scenes are with Eckhart's character and the representives from the gun lobby and the alcohol lobby. They meet frequently at a bar and discuss how many people each of their vices kill. Appropriately, they call themselves the MOD Squad (Merchants Of Death).

It has a very nice cast, especially Aaron Eckhart as the lead and William H. Macy as the Senator. I strongly recommend this movie. It's probably the best satire I've seen in a few years. Grade: A-


Mission: Impossible III - good, clean fun. I enjoyed it in the same vicarious way one would enjoy a James Bond film. I like the implausible espionage stuff and exotic locales. Having a first-class actor play a villain (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) adds to the fun. It includes other top-notch talent like Laurence Fishburne and Billy Crudup. Being directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Robert Orci and starring Greg Grunberg, the movie definitely has an Alias feel to it ... to it's credit. Even though I've liked some John Woo-directed films (Face/Off and some of his Hong Kong films), by the time he did MI-2, the slow-motion jumping sideways and shooting at the same time scenes were getting damn tired. So this MI is a step up from MI-2.

The main quest of the movie, the search for a weapon, "Rabbit Foot", reminded me a lot of the Maltese Falcon in that it doesn't matter to the story that the object may not have value or that you don't really know what it is. It's all about the quest. Grade: B-

Random Thoughts

The controversy of The Da Vinci Code got me to thinking of the Left Behind movie of a few years back. If they are banning and boycotting The Da Vinci Code around the world for it's controversial religious content and accusing Dan Brown and Ron Howard of pawning it off as truth, why didn't people do the same with those atrocious movies made of the Left Behind series? Making a movie based on Rapture sci-fi that evangelical Christians just eat up would be reason enough for a protest. But wait ... there's more. They starred evangelist-in-the-making and former teenage hearthrob, Kirk Cameron. I think I'm going to be sick. I love this review of the first Left Behind movie by Washington Post's Desson Howe: "...a blundering cringefest, thanks to unintentionally laughable dialogue, hackneyed writing and uninspired direction. The more this movie tries, the worse it gets. Its sincerity ends up becoming a bulging bull's-eye for rotten-tomato throwers." Classic. Please explain to me how Left Behind is any better than L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth?

I guess people have protested in their own way ... by not going to see them. Unfortunately, these movies continue to be made. They've even invited a parody on the Simpson's: Thank God It's Doomsday


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Here's my vote for who should run in '08

Stewart/Colbert '08

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A lot was made of the multiple guilty verdict counts in the Enron trial of Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. For good reason. But what was missed (and what is always missed by the mainstream media) is who is not mentioned ... Dubya. From Mother Jones and Digby:

[T]he reality, as established by a wealth of historical record and recent disclosures, is that Lay and Enron were instrumental in Bush’s rise to power – and Bush played an important behind-the-scenes role in advancing Enron’s aggressive deregulation agenda, which helped the energy trader ascend to its lofty perch as the seventh-biggest U.S. company.

The Bush-Lay coziness earned the Enron chief a nickname from Bush as "Kenny Boy." But more importantly for Enron, Bush pitched in as governor and president whenever the energy trader wanted easier regulations within the U.S. or to have U.S. taxpayers foot the bill for loan guarantees or risk insurance for Enron's overseas ventures.

Imagine if this relationship had involved Clinton instead of Bush. It would have been Kenneth Starr's wet dream. But it didn't and instead we hear a deafening silence. Good job media. Where are the original Woodward and Bernstein when you need them? Even Bob Woodward has forgotten them.

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From local AZ blogger friend Vern's Blog:

Bush Snubs Gore Film on Global Warming

"If you asked me to name the three scariest threats facing the human race, I would give the same answer that most people would: nuclear war, global warming and Windows." -- Dave Barry

In a very telling indication of what exactly is wrong with George Bush and with the "stick-your-head-in-the-sand" Republicans, President Bush replied to a question on whether he would watch Al Gore's documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, and said, "Doubt it." This is how Bush responds to any kind of truth that he doesn't want to face. Ignore something is happening and it will go away. Al Gore, who was already one of my heroes, is on his game right now and as comfortable in his own skin as I've ever seen him. And he replied to Bush's lack of vision brilliantly:

WASHINGTON - Is President Bush likely to see Al Gore's documentary about global warming? "Doubt it," Bush said coolly Monday. But Bush should watch it, Gore shot back. In fact, the former Democratic vice president offered to come to the White House any time, any day to show Bush either his documentary or a slide show on global warming that he's shown more than 1,000 times around the world.

"The entire global scientific community has a consensus on the question that human beings are responsible for global warming and he has today again expressed personal doubt that that is true," Gore said in an Associated Press interview from France where he attended the Cannes Film Festival ...

Gore's documentary chronicles his efforts to bring greater attention to the dangers of climate change.

"New technologies will change how we live and how we drive our cars, which all will have the beneficial effect of improving the environment," Bush said. "And in my judgment we need to set aside whether or not greenhouse gases have been caused by mankind or because of natural effects and focus on the technologies that will enable us to live better lives and at the same time protect the environment ..."

"... Why should we set aside the global scientific consensus," Gore said, his voice rising with emotion. "Is it because Exxon Mobil wants us to set it aside? Why should we set aside the conclusion of scientists in the United States, including the National Academy of Sciences, and around the world including the 11 most important national academies of science on the globe and substitute for their view the view of Exxon Mobil. Why?"

"I'm a grandfather and he's a father and this should not be a political issue," Gore said. "And he should ask the National Academy of Sciences ... whether or not human beings are contributing to global warming ..."

Who sounds more presidential now? On one side you have an intelligent, compassionate person who leads with ideas. On the other side, a petulant simpleton who's afraid to admit a fault. Thank you for that, Supreme Court.

"There is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyze the causes of happenings." -- Dorothy Thompson

Immigration

I'd been skirting this issue a bit. Not because I was afraid to talk about it but just because I wanted to be as educated about it as possible before putting my foot in the pool. It's not a black and white issue and proponents of both sides are finding odd bedfellows. One of my friends forwarded me his letter that he sent to the RNC concerning Bush's stance. I thought a critique of it would be a good starting point for a discussion. My friend is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative who prays at the altar of Rush and Krauthammer and Hannity. He's fun to have arguments with because he is fairly well-educated(albeit, misinformed) on his stance. And he doesn't take criticism personally. First of all, here's his letter in it's original context:

Mr. Mehlman,

I'm sorry I cannot sign the petition. While I do agree that our immigration system is broken, I cannot support the President on his agenda. I feel that any immigration reform must start with security first. The President wants a comprehensive plan that deals with all aspects of immigration. This will fail, just like it did under Reagan's amnesty program. Under Reagan's program, there was supposed to be tighter security and employer penalties for hiring illegal workers. None of that happened. All we got was 3 million law breakers made into citizens.

The President wants to give amnesty to those that are here illegally without shutting down the border first. I strongly disagree with this policy. Yes, it's amnesty, no matter what type of spin the President wants to put on it. Allowing those that broke our laws, that demonstrated in our city streets DEMANDING legalization, is a slap in the face to every legal U.S. resident and the millions around the world that are trying to come here through legal channels. Without shutting down the border, we'll be looking at another 30 million or more in the next 20 years. No, I do not believe the 11 to 12 million figure. The President stated that the U.S. has detained and deported 6 million illegal crossers under his watch. Since the U.S. Border Control admits that they catch less than half of those coming in, do the math. If they did catch half, that means 6 million have gotten through at a minimum. That's 6 million in 5 years and this has been going on for 20 years. This doesn't even take into account the children born here to illegal aliens (we need to change that part of the Constitution as well and get rid of the anchor baby status).

There are laws on the books now that deal with employers that hire illegal workers. Here's an idea, enforce them. We do not need another law for this, just enforce what we have now. This would be easy to do if the President and members of Congress weren't afraid of losing big business political donations.

The President spoke of the catch and release policy. Why is it they we immediately send back all OTM (other than Mexicans)? Why release all or most of the Mexican law breakers? They will never show up in court. All of this talk of these illegal aliens "living in the shadows" is a joke. Maybe the President didn't see the millions of illegal aliens protesting over the last few months. They didn't seem to be hiding in the shadows as they demanded their rights. They have no fear of being sent home because the local police cannot detain them unless they are committing a crime.

Yes the system is broke and a big part of it is the President's unwillingness to shut down the border. Does he actually think sending 6000 National Guard troops down to the southern border in a SUPPORT role will make us forget that he has ignored this issue for over 5 years? Why is the President so afraid of Mexico's President Fox? He went out of his way to emphasize that the United States is not militarizing the border. We aren't we? We have a huge problem here. Fox's government is threatening lawsuits if the National Guard directly detains any Mexican entering our country illegally. Am I missing something here? Mexico can militarize their border but we're racists if we do the same? For all the President's talk on security and life after 9/11, it's inexcusable and appalling that he has done nothing to secure our borders. If he really wanted to, the southern border could effectively be shut down within a week. He is selling out this country to Mexico.

I've been a strong support of the President on most issues, but on this one, he is dead wrong. The people of the country demand a secure border. We demand that our laws are followed. We do not want people who broke our laws rewarded with citizenship. It does not matter if they've been here for 15 years, that only means that they've broken our laws for the last 15 years. These people got here illegally, they can certainly return to their country legally and apply for either a guest worker program or one of the other 30 something work visas we already have.

The McCain-Kennedy-Bush amnesty bill would be a devastating blow to this country. While I do agree that we need some type of guest worker program, anything that gets passed in Congress that does not effectively shut down the border to stop the millions of illegal crossing is doomed to failure. I simply do not understand the Republican's short sightedness on this issue. Thankfully we have people like Rep. Tancredo, Rep King, Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Kyl fighting for the will of the American people. I just wish one of them would run for President. The Republican's that support this amnesty will be very sorry come election time. The conservatives will not vote for them ever again under any circumstance. MCain has no chance of being President now. If it's McCain vs. Hillary, most conservatives will stay home and Hillary will win. I hope the GOP is ready for that. Bill Frist has turned his back on the conservatives as well. I'm waiting to see how Mr. Allen votes. He could be the last one standing.

It's a sad day when the demands of illegal immigrants are more important to our elected officials than our laws, our sovereignty and the will of the American citizen.

Now, I'll begin with what I agree with:

"I feel that any immigration reform must start with security first." - Without beefed-up security, any changes in policy could affect the influx of illegal immigrants. The administration needs to go beyond talking about beefing up security to actually funding it. Congress authorized hiring of 2000 new agents yet Bush has supported hiring only 210. Additionally, the responsibility needs to be a federal one. The governor of Georgia recently signed into law a measure that would have local law enforcement detaining people on federal immigration law violations. This is the wrong way to handle it and a dangerous precedent. Local law enforcement is already tasked with maintaining the peace. Having this added burden would hamper their ability to maintain useful relationships with immigrant populations and would be opening law enforcement up to charges of racial profiling and civil rights violations. Governor Napolitano of Arizona saw the folly of a similar measure and vetoed it.

"There are laws on the books now that deal with employers that hire illegal workers. Here's an idea, enforce them." - a very valid point. The biggest obstacle to these laws being enforced is that a large percentage of businesses that support Bush and Republicans don't want it enforced. They make their profits on the backs of underpaid illegal immigrants.

And what I disagree with:

"... we need to change that part of the Constitution as well and get rid of the anchor baby status." - The 14th Amendment states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.". From Wikipedia, "According to Congressional records of the original debate on the Amendment, the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" was specifically inserted to make it clear that a person is not a citizen simply by the location of their birth. The intent being that children born to foreign citizens would fall under the jurisdiction of their parent's respective governments, unless their parents are entirely under the jurisdiction of the United States." If I am understanding the amendment, it is written correctly. It is just not being enforced. So the amendment would not need to be changed. I believe this amendment was originally created to grant citizenships to children of slaves. But I may be wrong.

"They have no fear of being sent home because the local police cannot detain them unless they are committing a crime." -- There is a funny little thing called "due-process". Are you sure that you want to open up the can of worms that allows police to apprehend people without knowing they've committed a crime? That is where neo-cons and the Patriot Act are leading us.

"Thankfully we have people like Rep. Tancredo, Rep King, Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Kyl fighting for the will of the American people. I just wish one of them would run for President." -- He-he. That statement is just scary. Here are some of the highlight statements by these Neanderthals:

Tancredo:
"We will never be able to win in the clash of civilizations, if we don't know who we are. If Western civilization succumbs to the siren song of multiculturalism, I believe we're finished."

"Well, what if you said something like "if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites," Tancredo answered.

"You're talking about bombing Mecca," Campbell said.

"Yeah," Tancredo responded.

Peter King:
" The world is safer today because of George Bush, 'cause of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya.'"

John Cornyn:
" It does not affect your daily life very much if your neighbor marries a box turtle. But that does not mean it is right. Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife."

John Kyl:
Too many to mention. He blindly parroted the neo-con line and pushed lies to get support for the war. Here are just a few: Wrong as Wrong Can Be

"It's a sad day when the demands of illegal immigrants are more important to our elected officials than our laws, our sovereignty and the will of the American citizen." - It's a sad day when neo-cons think they know what the will of the American people is. And could he be any more melodramatic? Sovereignty only seems to come up when they're talking about immigration. They seem to conveniently forget about it when pushing democracy on other sovereign states.

All in all, he puts his points forward decently within the framework of what he believes. He has some valid points. He has some misguided ones. Tying it all up in a nice bow and calling it immigration reform just seems to be "polishing a turd". It's still xenophobia or outright racism. They oppose amnesty because it rewards those who "break the law". Breaking the law to get a below minimum wage job is wrong ... breaking the law to steal millions from retired people (Enron) or Native Americans(Reed, Abramoff, DeLay) is OK. Illegal wiretapping is OK too in their book. There is no consistency in conservative beliefs.

My conservative friends seem to be fairly constant fodder for my posts. And for that, I apologize to them. But I'd rather talk about stuff that is personally relevant to me and that I hear about on a daily basis. I'm not trying to hide any of my opinions. I'm not afraid to defend or admit I'm wrong on any point that I've tried to make in person or in writing on my blog. If my opinions are fodder for my conservative friends' blogs (if they have them), more power to 'em.

And I don't want to make these discussions into a personal issue. It's not. I still like my friends, but I have a profound philosophical difference with them on some things.

Maybe I'd trust my friend's intentions more if not for his history. He fired off this missive in an e-mail a few years ago: "There are plenty of things wrong with our justice system. How about 25% of the prison population in AZ being ILLEGAL immigrants. They'll just let them go after their sentence is up to go out and commit more crimes or suck more tax dollars from everyone that is here legally. Hey, here's a thought...send them back to fucking Mexico. Put them all on a plane (or as many planes as it takes) and fly them to the most southern airport available in Mexico. Drop them off at the airport and say "Adios"." I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say his opinions have matured. But a part of me thinks that the neo-conservative movement just uses fancy terms like "immigration reform", "No Child Left Behind", and "school vouchers" to hide their racism.

I do find it amusing that true hard-core conservatives are having problems with Bush, Frist, McCain, etc. They usually aren't this cannibalistic. Hopefully it will translate into big changes in November.

Fox News ... White House Press

This pretty much puts to bed any doubts as to whether FOX News is the mouthpiece for the White House. From Crooks and Liars:

MR. SNOW: Well, as I pointed out -- I mentioned this yesterday, and for -- let me see if I can find my quote, because I pulled it out. Chuck Hagel, as you may recall, made a fair amount of news over the weekend when he first said that -- let's see -- "Well, I want to listen to the details and I want to listen to the President," said Senator Hagel -- he said this on "This Week" on a competing network. But I would say this: I think we have to be very careful here. That's not the role of our military, that's not the role of our National Guard." That's what Senator Hagel said on Sunday.

"Fair and Balanced" .... rigggghhhhhtttt. You betcha.

Growing up ...

The little one is growing up ... and I am growing old.

Alex's T-ball season is over:



And he graduated from pre-school last night. I didn't even know there was such a thing. One of Alex's numerous girlfriends. He so much more of a ladies-man that I've ever been. :-)

Favorite Concerts

I was looking through some old concert ticket stubs the other day. I've kept them for every concert that I've ever seen. Probably just a silly compulsion. But when I look at them, it momentarily carries me back to that little slice of time. Music seems to have that ability to attach itself to events in your life. Kind of like a soundtrack.

I thought I'd try to figure out what I considered to be the 10 favorite concerts out of the 100+ that I'd attended. Couldn't narrow it down. So we have a baker's dozen (13). Not necessarily the best sounds or the best performance. It doesn't have to be the best lineup or venue ... though in some cases it was. These were the ones that I considered to be the best "experiences". A combination of band, performance, venue, songs, who I was with, how I was feeling that day. Here goes, in chronological order:

Def Leppard/Tesla -- Hilton Coliseum in Ames, IA -- November 7, 1987
This is the first concert that I ever went to. I was a freshman at Iowa State University and attended this with my brother. I was still in the process of working out of my pop music/new wave phase that I'd endured in my teens. At this point, I was somewhere in between Duran Duran and Ministry. I certainly won't try to tout Def Leppard as being anything other than it was ... catchy pop metal. But we had a blast. Seating was "in-the-round" with the stage in the middle of the arean. We were in the first row of the first deck. Probably only about 60 feet from stage. This was on the Hysteria tour and they played all the obligatory anthems off of that and Pyromania.

Metallica/Cult -- Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA -- June 11, 1989
By this time at college, I was fully immersed in my heavier music stage, listening to a steady dose of Metallica, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, etc. And this was the first time that I got to see Metallica. This was on the ... And Justice for All tour. They played for a long time and had great imagery and props, including a collapsing statue of the classic image of justice. (per anon. request, here's a scan of the ticket)




Clash of the Titans -- Civic Auditoreum, Omaha, Nebraska -- June 6, 1991
One of the best lineups of a show that I'd ever been to: Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth and Alice in Chains. When you first see Alice in Chains listed there, you think they are a bit out of place. They were an up-and-coming band at the time. They could have been easily intimidated by the more established and loud fans of the other bands, but they were up to the task and played awesome. I'm glad I got to see them then as they very rarely toured because of singer Layne Staley's numerous drug rehab stints (and eventual death).
Slayers fans are a completely different breed and were by far the loudest. If there was a house band for hell, Slayer would be that band. They were incredible. Anthras was great too and was the most party-oriented band there. The day of the concert, my brother and I saw the drummer Charlie Benante at a record store in old town Omaha and we went up and got his autograph.
Megadeth was the main band that we were going to see and we were able to work our way up to the stage for their set. Great performance and I think my ears are still ringing.



Red Hot Chili Peppers/Pearl Jam/Smashing Pumpkins -- C.Y. Stephens, Ames, IA -- October 19, 1991
As they say, it's sometimes better to be lucky than good. We bought tickets for this show as soon as they went on sale because the venue was small (about 1500 seats) and the Chili Peppers were very popular at the time. We didn't know much about the opening bands at the time and almost showed up late for that reason. Luckily, we did show up on time and caught awesome sets by two little bands you may have heard of ... Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins. This was the tour for the Pepper's Mother's Milk, PJ's Ten, and Pumpkins' Gish albums. Like I said, we were morons but lucky morons.

Prong -- The Roxy, Phoenix, AZ -- October 26, 1994
Prong for many years was my pet band. I saw them probably half a dozen times in little over a year. I had first been exposed to them in college accidentally. My college roommates and I were visiting a hole-in-the-wall record shop in Iowa City (home of the University of Iowa) and I saw a Prong CD single with artwork by the classic metal artist Pushead. You usually see his work on Metallica t-shirts. Anyway, having never even heard of Prong, I bought the CD, went home and listened to it and was hooked. It was very primal, bare-bones metal. Post-industrial.

This show at the Roxy was particularly good and we got right up to the front of the stage and I was able to shake singer/guitarist Tommy Victor's hand.



Tammy Wynette -- Don's Celebrity Theatre, Laughlin, NV -- February 11, 1995
I know ... this listing seems kinda incongruous, but there's a reason. We went to this show with my folks at the Riverside Casino in Laughlin Nevada. This is one of those classic dinner theaters that you would imagine Frank Sinatra appearing at. It was nice being able to sit at a table, have a drink or two and enjoy the show. My parents bought the tickets. We had a suprisingly good time. The highlight was actually getting to meet Ms. Wynette after the show and get her autograph. She was very nice and had none of the usual celebrity trappings.

R.E.M/Luscious Jackson -- Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ -- May 5, 1995
The only time that I have seen R.E.M. Blockbuster (now Cricket Pavilion) is an outside venue that can hold 20,000 or more. It was a bit warm even in May. But it was worth it as R.E.M played for 2 hours plus and were consummate showmen.

Ministry -- Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa, AZ -- May 11, 1996
I've never seen so much black clothing in one location. Ministry was the first heavy band that I liked in college but they never came to Ames when I was there. I finally saw them in Mesa and was not disappointed. Pure aggression.

Lollapalooza -- Compton Terrace, AZ -- July 27, 1996
Dusty, hot, windy, sweaty pit in the middle of the desert. We had thunderstorms and 108 degree weather. Not my favorite venue but it seemed oddly apropos with a band lineup of Rancid, Devo, Ramones, Soundgarden, Metallica. My only band disappointment was the abreviated set by Soundgarden. They were irritated that some fans had booed the Ramones, who had preceded them. And I agree with SG on this one. It was my first chance at seeing either SG or the Ramones and was appreciative of the opportunity. The Ramones only performed 5 more concerts in their career after this one and I was lucky enough to be there. To be able to see both the Ramones and Devo together was special.

Rage Against the Machine/Foo Fighters -- Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa, AZ -- September 26, 1996
Another show in one of my favorite venues. This was the perfect combination of two great bands at the height of their game and with similar political leanings. One of the great things about them, though, is that they would never do political posturing during a show. They would let their music speak. I've heard much more poltical garbage and jingoism at the few country concerts that I've attended.

The highlight of the show was the surprise appearance of local resident Maynerd Keenan of Tool (he lives in Jerome, I believe) during Know Your Enemy.

Bruce Springsteen -- Gammage Auditorium, Tempe, AZ -- October 21, 1996
Great sound. This was on his one-man acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad tour. Just him and a guitar. Very evocative of a Bob Dylan show. Ghost of Tom Joad is probably my favorite album of his. The title is an obvious reference to the John Steinbeck classic, The Grapes of Wrath. And the songs are all similarly relating to the plight of the working man. The only other person to appear on stage at this show was his longtime guitarist Nils Lofgren (who lives in Scottsdale) who played for a song or two.

Faith No More -- Electric Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ -- October, 1997
Another great venue. The stage is at the bottom of a bowl in the middle. No seat in the house is more than 75 feet from stage. I had loved Faith No More since college but this was the first time that I got to see them. Opening band Limp Bizkit was understandably forgettable. This was before they hit it big. Their cover of George Michaels's Faith was high-energy and entertaining enough. But the real reason that I came was Faith No More. I believe they were one of the most underrated bands out there. They consistently suprised with every album. Never sticking to a formula and never pandering to the mainstream. Interesting side note: I saw Michael Moore in this same venue prior to the elections of '04.



Slipknot/Lamb of God/Shadows Fall -- Glendale, AZ -- April 6, 2005
Slipknot are fellow corn-fed Iowa boys. You wouldn't know it from seeing them. They are a scary 9 piece band straight from the bowels of hell. I'm fairly large (6'1", 225) but I feared for my life at this show. It was awesome. See here for a review. Shadows Fall and Lamb of God also performed.

I'd be curious to hear some of your favorite concert experiences.

Hypocrisy

"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be." -- Socrates

As you know, I like writing about hypocrisy. And today I'm going to write about one of the biggest hypocrites I know ... ME. Mine is the worst kind because I actually have some control over it. Casting aspersions on others and ignoring my own shortcomings would be no way to live. Here goes:

I tout the advantages of communal living and criticize urban sprawl yet live in what many would consider the suburbs. It's especially tough when you have a kid. You are trying to balance everything ... cost, schools, access to employment, etc. But they are all just excuses. I truly believe in the merits of higher density city living. At some point in my life, I'd like for us to to move nearer the city center of a major city.

I like to think my wife and I are environmentalists yet we hold jobs that involve each of us driving 70+ miles a day. If I could figure out some way of getting to all my clients in a timely manner riding the bus, I'd do it. But with the large area of the valley, it is impossible logistically and time-wise. Solution ... I need to get a different job. Someone needs to pay me gobs of money to stay home and write. I can dream, can't I? We have little 4 cylinder cars. But we could do better. I'd love for us to both have hybrids. We're working towards getting me one within the next year.

I espouse the merits of patronizing local businesses but I still go to places like Target and Costco. Again, this is where a lively urban center would be an advantage. You would have many businesses of all types ... locally owned ... within walking distance. Money would be staying in your community. There would be less pollution because of less driving. When it comes to the big box stores, I do try to pick the lesser of two evils. See my earlier post on Costco. If faced with several undesirable choices, at least know what is going on with your money. This is a good site for checking on businesses: BuyBlue.org

I completely understand why it is good both personally and globally to consume organic foods, yet I don't take advantage of the numerous resources (whole food markets, farmers' markets, etc.) as often as I should. There are starting to be quite a few inexpensive supermarkets that offer organic foods:

• Whole Foods


• Trader Joe's


• Sprouts


• Henry's

No real excuse for me to not to use them other than being a lazy sod.

We try to be charitable and volunteer when we can, but I don't think we do enough. We give quite a bit, but you can always give more. We've volunteered for voter registration drives, at the food bank and at Michelle's church, but there are many more opportunities to help. Again, this is a case where you try to balance raising a child, running a business and being a good citizen. If I wasn't so chicken-shit, I'd just sell our house, liquidate all of our 401K's and IRA's and go join the Peace Corps or do some kind of huminatarian work in another country. And I think it would be a unique life experience for us all. It would certainly provide a different perspective to Alex that Michelle and I did not get exposed to growing up in small town Iowa. There are times where I really, really think that's what I should do. Most of the rest of the time I think maybe I can do more good by continuing to work as hard as I can for the next 15 years or so, retire and then volunteer extensively for the rest of our lives.

So what does it all mean? It means none of us are perfect. As long as we are trying to do good and trying to do better, there is hope for us. Never be content that what you are doing is enough.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." -- Socrates

I Love South Park ...

Taking a cue from Sadie, I Hate South Park But ..., I made myself into a South Park character:



Check it out at South Park Studio. Thanks for the link Sadie. It was pretty amusing.

Lies, Lies, Lies ... Yeah!

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." -- Adolph Hitler

A former co-worker and friend of many years forwarded the following e-mail to me (and several hundred of her dearest friends) in the last week:

Dr. Dobson & CBS Response

Apparently we are to be allowed to watch TV programs that use every foul word in the English language, but not the word "God." It will only take a minute to read this and see if you think you should send it out

DR. DOBSON'S PLEA FOR ACTION

CBS discontinued "Touched by an Angel" for using the word God in every program. Madeline Murray O'Hare, an atheist, successfully managed to eliminate the use of Bible reading from public schools a few years ago. Now her organization has been granted a federal hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC.

Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America.

They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools!

You as a Christian can help! We are praying for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat their effort and show that there are many Christians alive, well and concerned about our country. As Christians we must unite on this. Please don't take this lightly.

We ignored this lady once and lost prayer in our schools and in offices across the nation. Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together we can make a difference in our country while creating a way for the lost to know the Lord.

Please press "forward", and forward this to everyone that you think should read this. Now, please sign your name at the bottom (you can only add your name after you have pressed the "Forward"). Don't delete any other names, just go to the next number and type your name and state. Please defeat this organization and keep the right of our freedom of religion.

REMEMBER! : Our country was founded on freedom of religion and our Constitution is based on the 10 Commandments.

People that forward this kind of crap are the worst kind of morons (sorry ... you're a friend but in this case, you are either naive or a moron or both). It illustrates the following:

• -- You will believe anything especially if it is religion-related and even more if James Dobson is associated with it.

• -- You are gullible and will do anything if asked to in an e-mail.

• -- You apparently don't have the time to take 2 seconds to go to snopes.com and double-check something before spamming everyone in your address book. Variations of this e-mail have been bouncing around the internet for 10 years: Petition to Ban Religious Broadcasting

• -- You assume that everyone in your address book cares about whatever subject you are sending. It is your public service responsibility to enlighten us.

• -- You are part of a huge majority yet continue to try and pawn off yourself as a persecuted minority. If I hear one more time that you can get in trouble for saying Merry Christmas, I will personally hunt you down and I may have to resort to violence ... even though I'm a pacifist.

• -- Lies and hyperbole are apparently just as good as facts. I couldn't help thinking of Stephen Colbert's line from this last weekend: " ... and reality has a well-known liberal bias."

"People do not believe lies because they have to, but because they want to." -- Malcolm Muggeridge

Change of Heart

Thanks to all the kind wishes by everyone. My mom's surgery went great and she should be released from the hospital tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. The folks were thrilled (and suprised) that my brother and I had made the trip up. I'm glad we did.

Now ... while these are not quite as amusing or disgusting as Laura's recent arterial pictures, we can agree that the results are happier:

This is a picture of the problem area prior to the surgery (click any of the images to get a larger picture):



A picture of the actual stent:


The artery after the surgery:


From Wikipedia:

... a stent is either an expandable wire mesh or hollow perforated tube that is inserted into a hollow structure of the body to keep it open.

The main purpose of a stent is to overcome important decreases in vessel or duct diameter. Stents are often used to diminish pressure differences in blood flow to organs beyond an obstruction in order to maintain an adequate delivery of oxygen. ... the most popular use of stents is linked to the coronary arteries.

Prior to deployment, a stent is collapsed into a small diameter; current stents are self-expandable or can be dilated using an inflatable balloon. After expansion, stents are affixed to the vessel or duct wall by their own radial tension. These devices are most commonly inserted under fluoroscopic guidance or endoscopy, procedures that are generally less invasive than conventional surgery.

... general anesthesia is usually not required for stent insertion. For these reasons, stents have offered clear benefits over conventional surgery that include, overall, shorter recovery periods and hospital stays.

Mom

My mom's having heart surgery on Tuesday. My parents say it's nothing. I know they don't want us (my brother and I) to worry. And they certainly don't want us to come up to the hospital. Just a simple procedure to put a stent in. Less than 50% blockage in one artery. Only have to stay over night. Doctor says not to worry. The folks say not to worry. Why does everybody keep telling us 'not to worry' if there is nothing to worry about? Is there such a thing as "simple" or "routine" when you are talking about the heart?

Mom's healthy otherwise. She quit smoking a few years ago after having smoked for over 40 years. I never thought she would be able to that. Did it cold turkey.

It's not that we see them a lot ... maybe once a month. Talk to them once a week. We don't rely on them ... they're retired and living in Kingman. But you always knew they were there. Then something happens to make you wonder if they always will be.

It's not just about me being worried about losing my mom. I'm worried what it would do to my dad. My folks have been married for 40 years and are so completely entwined. Some would say they are old-fashioned and they are. Dad has always worked and brought home the money. Mom took care of us kids and ran the house. But they were content in their roles. Dad would have a hard time taking care of himself. I don't think my dad could boil water on his own ... let alone fix a meal.

My dad's not overly emotional ... but he's not cold. He has a good sense of humor. But I've only seen him cry once or twice in my life. I know losing mom would absolutely destroy him.

Mom and I haven't always got along perfectly. We're probably too alike in a lot of ways. We get too emotional about things. We both have a tendency to worry too much about what other people think. But our relationship has been pretty good for the last year. You get a little older and you forgive some of those things that you've always held against your parents. Like you, they're not perfect. Heck, my mom and her twin brother reconciled this year after not having spoken for 20 years. If that wall came down, our problems are nothing in comparison.

I feel guilty for even worrying. Michelle's dad passed away last year, was younger, and had went through a lot more before he passed. A lot of my friends have either lost a parent or are children of a divorce. Maybe I'm just being a baby. I've been spoiled by having healthy parents. You don't want to think about your parents' mortality because you don't want to think about your own.

I know I'm just being silly. But it's too late to think about these things after something happens.

Mouth of Sauron

Least suprising news of the day:

Fox anchor named Bush press secretary

... and in other news, birds fly and the sky is blue. Is it just me ... but I thought Fox News already was the White House Press Office? Is this what you would call a lateral move? :-)

These people truly have no shame.

Worst President in History?

"Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation." -- Abraham Lincoln

"Worst President in History?" ... certainly a lot of people (especially liberals) try to make that case about Bush. Is it just partisanship or is there something more to it. A recent article that shares the views of a large group of historians with no particular axe to grind leads one to think it isn't just political name-calling:

One of America's leading historians assesses George W. Bush

Some highlights:

"... Now, though, George W. Bush is in serious contention for the title of worst ever. In early 2004, an informal survey of 415 historians conducted by the nonpartisan History News Network found that eighty-one percent considered the Bush administration a "failure." Among those who called Bush a success, many gave the president high marks only for his ability to mobilize public support and get Congress to go along with what one historian called the administration's "pursuit of disastrous policies." In fact, roughly one in ten of those who called Bush a success was being facetious, rating him only as the best president since Bill Clinton -- a category in which Bush is the only contestant. "

" ...The lopsided decision of historians should give everyone pause. Contrary to popular stereotypes, historians are generally a cautious bunch. We assess the past from widely divergent points of view and are deeply concerned about being viewed as fair and accurate by our colleagues. When we make historical judgments, we are acting not as voters or even pundits, but as scholars who must evaluate all the evidence, good, bad or indifferent. Separate surveys, conducted by those perceived as conservatives as well as liberals, show remarkable unanimity about who the best and worst presidents have been.

Historians do tend, as a group, to be far more liberal than the citizenry as a whole -- a fact the president's admirers have seized on to dismiss the poll results as transparently biased. One pro-Bush historian said the survey revealed more about "the current crop of history professors" than about Bush or about Bush's eventual standing. But if historians were simply motivated by a strong collective liberal bias, they might be expected to call Bush the worst president since his father, or Ronald Reagan, or Nixon. Instead, more than half of those polled -- and nearly three-fourths of those who gave Bush a negative rating -- reached back before Nixon to find a president they considered as miserable as Bush. The presidents most commonly linked with Bush included Hoover, Andrew Johnson and Buchanan. Twelve percent of the historians polled -- nearly as many as those who rated Bush a success -- flatly called Bush the worst president in American history. And these figures were gathered before the debacles over Hurricane Katrina, Bush's role in the Valerie Plame leak affair and the deterioration of the situation in Iraq. Were the historians polled today, that figure would certainly be higher."

"...No other president -- Lincoln in the Civil War, FDR in World War II, John F. Kennedy at critical moments of the Cold War -- faced with such a monumental set of military and political circumstances failed to embrace the opposing political party to help wage a truly national struggle. But Bush shut out and even demonized the Democrats. Top military advisers and even members of the president's own Cabinet who expressed any reservations or criticisms of his policies -- including retired Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni and former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill -- suffered either dismissal, smear attacks from the president's supporters or investigations into their alleged breaches of national security. The wise men who counseled Bush's father, including James Baker and Brent Scowcroft, found their entreaties brusquely ignored by his son. When asked if he ever sought advice from the elder Bush, the president responded, "There is a higher Father that I appeal to." "

I think that Bush genuinely believes he is making history ... in a good way. That is what is scary about the neo-conservative agenda. The broadening American presence in the Middle East is a planned agenda ... not a reaction to Sept. 11. Sept. 11 was just a convenient event that they could use to further that agenda.

No one can truly say how history will judge this President and this administration. But the signs are not encouraging. If this was just about the historical legacy of a single person, that would not be a big deal. It's a big deal because his legacy will affect the future of our country and the world.

"History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce." -- Karl Marx

Earth Day

Easy Ways to Make a Difference this Earth Day

WASHINGTON - April 19 - This Earth Day, April 22, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) -- the largest conservation organization in the world -- challenges everyone to try some of these simple actions that can make a big difference.

1. Don't leave the water running. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or washing the car. Fresh water is one of our most precious natural resources.

2. Flick off the light when you leave the room. Power plants burn fuels to create energy for your light bulb. Burning fuel makes smog that pollutes the air and adds to global warming. The less energy you use the less they need to make. Plus you'll save on your energy bill.

3. Print on both sides of the page at work. It's easy to change your printer settings -- you'll use half the paper and save trees.

4. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water. It works just as well as hot in your washing machine and cuts back on energy use.

5. Ditch the paper cups. Bring in a glass to keep at work instead of using the paper ones by the water cooler.

6. Use the right settings on your appliances. Many appliances, like your dishwasher and refrigerator, come with energy-saving settings. Make sure they're turned on.

7. Turn off your computer at the end of the day. A monitor left on overnight uses enough energy to print 5,300 copies.

8. Give your loose change to an environmental charity. After checkout at the supermarket, instead of tossing the coins into your pocket drop them into a Coinstar Center(r) to donate to WWF. Just select the "donate" option from the menu and choose WWF as the charity. There's probably a machine right in the store so it's an easy stop on your way out.

9. Pay attention to labels. Buy paper items with the "recycled" emblem over the ones without. Also, look for the Energy Star symbol when buying new appliances.

10. Sign up for an e-newsletter. Get updates on environmental issues and solutions emailed to you and glance through at your leisure. The WWF e-newsletter is easy to sign up for and comes out once a month, so it won't crowd your inbox. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to sign up now.

For more information on World Wildlife Fund and how you can make a difference this Earth Day and every day, World Wildlife Fund for their special Earth Day coverage.

About World Wildlife Fund

World Wildlife Fund is the largest conservation organization in the world. For 45 years, WWF has worked to save endangered species, protect endangered habitats, and address global threats such as deforestation, overfishing, and climate change. Known worldwide by its panda logo, WWF works in 100 countries on more than 2,000 conservation programs. WWF has 1.2 million members in the United States and nearly five million supporters worldwide. For more information on WWF, visit World Wildlife Fund

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of a Low Price

We finally had a chance to see Wal-Mart: The High Cost of a Low Price. For a great review of it, see Sadie's blog. I'll try not to repeat the points she made ... as she did a nice job.

It's not that Wal-Mart tries to make money. Money drives our economy. It's not they can't provide healthcare for all their workers. Many companies have that problem. It's not that they are successful. There are a lot of successful companies that do not garner the negative attention Wal-Mart does. It's not that they offer inexpensive products. After all, who isn't looking for a bargain?

So what is the problem with Wal-Mart?

• -- They are the most successful retailer and one of the most profitable companies in the U.S., yet they do not pay their workers a living wage. Associates and cashiers, their most common jobs make wages well below the poverty line.


• -- They have agressive union busting practices.


• -- They have unsafe environmental practices ... some of which are highlighted in the movie.


• -- They champion themselves as a marketer of "Made in the USA" products while being the largest importer of Chinese products. Many of which are produced with slave labor.


• -- They have substandard healthcare offerings and actually encourage their employees to get assistance from the government as a substitute.


• -- Wal-Mart seeks and receives over a billion dollars in incentives to come into towns. The result of which is a double-whammy. Cities are subsidizing the failure of their own businesses because Wal-Mart drives out small retailers.


• -- They have been guilty of management practices that are racist and that descriminate against women.

For a more detailed listing of Wal-Mart's problems: The Real Facts about Wal-Mart

The odd thing about it is that it doesn't have to be this way. Costco is just one example of a company that is doing it differently ... and successfully. From The Costco Challenge: An Alternative to Wal-Martization? (July 5, 2005):

Costco Wholesale Corp., now the fifth-largest retailer in the U.S. While Wal-Mart pays an average of $9.68 an hour, the average hourly wage of employees of the Issaquah, Wash.-based warehouse club operator is $16. After three years a typical full-time Costco worker makes about $42,000, and the company foots 92% of its workers’ health insurance tab.

How does Costco pull it off? How can a discount retail chain pay middle-class wages and still bring in over $880 million in net revenues? And, a cynic may ask, with Wal-Mart wages becoming the norm, why does it bother?

A number of factors explain Costco’s success at building a retail chain both profitable and fair to its workers. But the basic formula is one the labor movement has been advocating for decades: a loyal, well-compensated workforce means a more efficient and productive one.

Though only about 18% of Costco’s total workforce is unionized, union representation creates a ripple effect and helps determine labor standards in all stores. The Teamsters represent about 15,000 workers at 56 Costco stores in California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. Workers are covered by West coast and East coast contracts, negotiated in February and April of last year.

“The agreements lock in wage and benefits packages that are the highest in the grocery and [discount] retail industries,” said Rome Aloise, chief IBT negotiator for Costco and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 853 in San Leandro, Calif.

Costco passes on similar compensation packages to its non-union workers; the contracts act as templates for other stores’ employee handbooks.

“The union contracts raise the bar and set the standard for all employees,” explained Aloise. “Still, while the company extends wage and pay raises to non-union employees, only union members enjoy benefits like seniority-based promotions, a grievance procedure and minimum hours for part-time workers,” he added.

Strong union representation isn’t the only reason Costco jobs are so well compensated; the company itself has an unusually forward-looking corporate philosophy.

Costco CEO Jim Senegal has said: “We pay much better than Wal-Mart. That’s not altruism. It’s good business.”

Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti explained: “From day one, we’ve run the company with the philosophy that if we pay better than average, provide a salary people can live on, have a positive environment and good benefits, we’ll be able to hire better people, they’ll stay longer and be more efficient.”

A 2004 Business Week study ran the numbers to test Costco’s business model against that of Wal-Mart. The study confirmed that Costco’s well-compensated employees are more productive.

...By compensating its workers well, Costco also enjoys rates of turnover far below industry norms. Costco’s rate of turnover is one-third the industry average of 65% as estimated by the National Retail Foundation. Wal-Mart reports a turnover rate of about 50%.

... Other analysts of the retail industry agree that happier, well-compensated workers help generate bigger profits. George Whalin, president of Retail Management Consultants in San Marcos, Calif., disagrees with many of Wal-Mart’s critics, but said: “There’s no doubt Wal-Mart and many other retailers could do a better job taking care of their employees. The best retailers do take care of their employees — Nordstrom’s, Costco, The Container store — with fair pay, good benefits and managers who care about people. You have fewer employee issues, less turnover and more productivity. It lessens costs to the company.”

... After California Costco workers ratified their Teamster contract last March, CEO Jim Sinegal said Costco workers are “entitled to buy homes and live in reasonably nice neighborhoods and send their children to school.”

“When companies like Wal-Mart are setting the standard, we have to ask: Do we want to live in a country where the largest employer pays below poverty-level wages, whose workers cannot afford health care?” says Paul Blank, chief spokesperson of Wake Up Wal-Mart, the United Food and Commercial Workers’ new campaign to change the company’s practices. “Or do we want Americans to enjoy a decent income and a sense of security in return for their work?”

Costco v. Wal-Mart: How They Stack Up

Global Workforce
Wal-Mart: 1.6 million associates
Costco: 113,000 employees

U.S. Workforce
Wal-Mart: 1.2 million
Costco: 83,600

U.S. Union Members
Wal-Mart: 0
Costco: 15,000

U.S. Stores
Wal-Mart: 3,600
Costco: 336

Net Profits (2004)
Wal-Mart: $10.5 billion
Costco: $882 million

CEO Salary + Bonus (2004)
Wal-Mart: $5.3 million
Costco: $350,000

Average Pay
Wal-Mart: $9.68/hour
Costco: $16/hour

Health Plan Costs
Wal-Mart: Associates pay 34% of premiums + deductible ($350-$1,000)
Costco: Comprehensive; employees pay 5-8% of premiums

Employees Covered By Company Health Insurance
Wal-Mart: 48%
Costco: 82%

Employee Turnover (estimate)
Wal-Mart: 50%
Costco: 24%

As citizens, we are supposed to have a say in how we are governed. But we all know how that turns out usually. Money is ultimately the only thing that decides anything. So if it has to be that way, then vote with your money. If you continue to shop at Wal-Mart despite the preponderance of evidence of their practices, then we know how you are voting. And that is your right. But don't do it without knowing the truth. Don't believe me. Don't believe the director of this movie. Research for yourself. And then decide. We can decide how companies behave. They listen to our money. And there is some evidence that we are having some effect on Wal-Mart's practices. But there is a lot more to be done.

Worldwide Suicide -- Pearl Jam

One of my favorite bands, Pearl Jam, made a rare TV appearance on SNL this last weekend. As usual, they rocked. One of the songs they performed was a new song, "World Wide Suicide". They've never been afraid to be political and this song is no exception:

I felt the earth on Monday. It moved beneath my feet.
In the form of a morning paper. Laid out for me to see.

Saw his face in a corner picture. I recognized the name.
Could not stop staring at the. Face I'd never see again.

It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over

It's the same everyday in a hell manmade
What can be saved, and who will be left to hold her?

The whole world...World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

Medals on a wooden mantle. Next to a handsome face.
That the president took for granted.
Writing checks that others pay.

And in all the madness. Thought becomes numb and naive.
So much to talk about. Nothing for to say.

It's the same everyday and the wave won't break
Tell you to pray, while the devils on their shoulder

Laying claim to the take that our soldiers save
Does not equate, and the truth's already out there

The whole world,... World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

The whole world,... World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

Looking in the eyes of the fallen
You got to know there's another, another, another, another
Another way

It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over

It's the same everyday and the wave won't break
Tell you to pray, while the devils on their shoulder

The whole world,... World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

The whole world,... World over.
It's a worldwide suicide.

I'm going to post a more detailed account of Pearl Jam in the next week with my favorite political songs of theirs.

A frequent collaborator with Pearl Jam, Neil Young, is also set to release an album with his take on our government: Impeach Bush

The subject of pointed and political lyrics had came up recently with the discussion of lyrics off of Pink's new album (thanks to Sadie). Several commenters had attested to the quality of that album. Check out the discussion here.

Easter

More Easter fun with Alex (and cousins) at the Eggosaurus Hunt, put on by Phoenix Parks and Rec:


They do a great job and the kids really have fun. Free egg hunts and a craft area for everyone to get artistic.


And Alex at home. Notice we come at Alex from both directions with the gifts (dinos and Narnia). :-)


Last year's festivities, Easter '05, show just how much Alex has changed.

Quote of the Day

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." -- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

Bumper Stickers

A comment by my wife the other day about a bumper sticker we saw got me to thinking: What are people really trying to say with their stickers and magnets? So, as a public service, I am going to translate some of the ones that I have seen recently:


This is the one that my wife brought to my attention. She said, "Oh, isn't that sweet? That lady's husband loves her so much that he has a bumper sticker saying it." Not quite. My translation: "I love my wife ... not my domestic partner, not my lover, not my longtime companion. If you do, then you are going to hell."


To continue on that theme, don't you think this one could have made a good poster for Brokeback Mountain? :-)


People with this one are O.G. Bushies. They're keeping it real and kickin' it old school. They're so hard core that Bush could tell them they had WMD's in the arse, and they would buy it. Actually, I had a college roommate who I could swear had WMD's in his ass ... but I digress.


It says, "Support Our Troops". It means, "I'm too cheap to give money to an organization that will actually help troops and their families ... or better yet bring them home. I'd rather plop this "Made in China" magnet on my gas guzzling SUV and feel superior and 'holier than thou'."


"Bush Youth" ===>>> "Hitler Youth"?


Sorry. What was the question?


Yeah, I think that must be a Ghandi quote.


We can only hope there will be some convictions.


These people have evidently never seen Dr. Strangelove. They'd be the ones hootin' and hollerin' like Slim Pickens riding the bomb. They'll bring marshmallows when the planet is roasting.


This one serves two purposes. First, it's for people that are still in denial that it all happened. Secondly, it makes sure you don't mistake them for a Bushie. BTW, I still have this bumper sticker on my truck.

Buh-bye

That's it. I had to vote a couple of you off the island (my list of blogs). My dear friend JC at Masterpiece in Progress has been somewhat less than prolific and does not appear to be visiting any of our blogs. If you are out there JC, let me know. We pretty much agree on nothing, but I miss our debates.

Also, Alpha Liberal appears to be DOA.

But, I'd like to welcome two frequent visitors to Cyberkitten's blog, Seeking a Little Truth, to my list:

Vancouver Voyeur at Vancouver Calling

and

Aginoth at Aginoth's Ramblings

Both are intelligent and irreverant and worthy of your visit.

A-Z Meme

Tagged by Jewish Atheist


Accent: Have moved around a bit too much to have a very pronounced one. Have lived significant amounts of time in the Pacific Northwest, Southwest and Midwest.

Booze: Like JA, a bit of a liberal elitist on beer. Prefer micro-brew pale ales and imports. Favorites being Stone IPA and Guinness. But I grew up white-trash, so I'll throw back a few Milwaukee's Beasts when visiting the folks. Trying to become a wine snob but have no real knowledge so I just buy the bottles that look cool.

Chore I hate: Not a big fan of cleaning bathrooms.

Dogs/cats: Dogs. Cats are independent uncaring bastards. :-)

Essential Electronics: Computer. DVD, decent home theater.

Favorite Perfume/Cologne: No you don't. Not going to peg me as a metrosexual.

Gold and silver: Not much for bling.

Hometown: I'd like to be clever and secretive and protective of my identity like JA, but I believe I blew that a long time ago. Live in Phoenix, grew up in Iowa.

Insomnia: Sometimes. Don't obsess about things as much as I once did.

Job Title: Computer Consultant -- have my own business

Kids: 1. Alex rules.

Living Arrangements: Own a new house in suburbia. I make myself sick sometimes.

Most Admired Trait: Thoughtful.

Number of Sexual Partners: 3. Sorry, not the stud-muffin you all thought I was.

Overnight Hospital Stays: Nope.

Phobia: Can get claustrophobic at times.

Religion: No thanks. I gave at the office.

Siblings: 1. Younger brother.

Time I usually wake up: Determined by my clients. Usually 7ish.

Unusual Talent: Interested in everything. Master of nothing. Decent at chess.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: Will pretty much eat them all.

Worst Habit: I start too many concurrent projects and then jump back and forth between them.

X-Rays: Like JA, of my chompers.

Yummy Foods I Make: Chili, Mushroom Soup.

Zodiac Sign: Aries ... but it don't mean a thing.

I tag GWB, Isabella, and Eric.

I'm Confused

I'm not going to beat a dead horse with the Libby/Bush classified leak thing ... as all of us have read plenty about it. But could you guys clear a few things up for me? Riddle me this:

Why does the Right make a big deal about someone coming across the border to get a sub-minimum wage job with no benefits while lauding crooks like Kenneth Lay who bilked thousands of people of millions of dollars of retirement funds?

Why is lying about a consensual sexual encounter (Clinton) a bigger problem than consistently and repeatedly lying about the release of classified information for political gain?

Why are corrupt men (Abramoff, DeLay) whose string of behavior ranges from unethical(political pranks) to illegal(fraud, political favors, possible murder) viewed admiringly by Republicans?

You know why? They use the cloak of religiosity and piety and fool a surprisingly large number of Christians. As Abramoff has said: God had chosen him to return American to a "biblical worldview." And they lap it up.

People that voted for Bush and continue to give him a free pass because of religion or some perceived strength he has in fighting terrorism are not merely harmless dupes. They are complicit and are as guilty as those carrying out the crimes.

Cyberkitten had a great quote in a recent comment:

"In order for evil to prosper, it is enough that good men do nothing".

In my view, people that continue to stand by are not good men. You cannot claim to be pious and allow this to continue.

"America's Blinders"

Excerpted from Howard Zinn's America's Blinders in The Progressive:

" ... President Woodrow Wilson—so often characterized in our history books as an “idealist”—lied about the reasons for entering the First World War, saying it was a war to “make the world safe for democracy,” when it was really a war to make the world safe for the Western imperial powers.

Harry Truman lied when he said the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima because it was “a military target.”

Everyone lied about Vietnam—Kennedy about the extent of our involvement, Johnson about the Gulf of Tonkin, Nixon about the secret bombing of Cambodia, all of them claiming it was to keep South Vietnam free of communism, but really wanting to keep South Vietnam as an American outpost at the edge of the Asian continent.

Reagan lied about the invasion of Grenada, claiming falsely that it was a threat to the United States.

The elder Bush lied about the invasion of Panama, leading to the death of thousands of ordinary citizens in that country.

And he lied again about the reason for attacking Iraq in 1991—hardly to defend the integrity of Kuwait (can one imagine Bush heartstricken over Iraq’s taking of Kuwait?), rather to assert U.S. power in the oil-rich Middle East.

Given the overwhelming record of lies told to justify wars, how could anyone listening to the younger Bush believe him as he laid out the reasons for invading Iraq? Would we not instinctively rebel against the sacrifice of lives for oil?

A careful reading of history might give us another safeguard against being deceived. It would make clear that there has always been, and is today, a profound conflict of interest between the government and the people of the United States. This thought startles most people, because it goes against everything we have been taught ... "

Zinn's article gives an interesting perspective on how we have been led into war throughout history. It seems we are doomed to repeat our past mistakes. Hopefully, our information age and 24 hour news culture won't allow these things to happen as much. As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant." The reek emanating from Washington sure could use some disinfecting.

Clash/Zep ... Terrorists?

From Yahoo News:

LONDON (AFP) - A love of punk and hard rock anthems by The Clash and Led Zeppelin reportedly led to a British man being hauled off a plane bound for London by police on terrorism fears.

Indian-born Harraj Mann, 23, played "London's Calling" by The Clash and Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" through the stereo of a taxi he caught to Durham and Tees Valley Airport in northern England.

The taxi driver, however, grew suspicious of his passenger after listening to the lyrics of his chosen songs and alerted the authorities after they reached the airport.

Two police officers boarded Mann's flight to London's Heathrow airport shortly before take-off last Thursday.

"I got frogmarched off the plane in front of everyone, got my bags searched, asked every question you can think of," Mann, a mobile phone salesman, told his local newspaper, the Hartlepool Mail, on Monday -- a story that was picked up by the national press on Wednesday.

"I was being held for questioning under the Terrorism Act," he said.

By the time Mann was set free his plane had already departed.

The offending lyrics by The Clash include the lines: "London calling from the faraway towns, now war is declared and battle come down.

"London calling to the underworld, come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls."

"Immigrant Song", for its part, starts: "The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands, to fight the horde singing and crying Valhalla, I'm coming!"

A spokeswoman for the Durham Police confirmed that a man was escorted from the London-bound flight, questioned by police and released without charge.

"Safety is paramount and we respond to concerns from members of the public in the way they would expect us to," she said.

"In this case the report was made with the best of intentions and we would not want to discourage people from contacting us with genuine concerns regarding security."

Is the culture of fear that Bush and Blair are fostering making us all just a little bit jumpy? 1984 and V for Vendetta look more and more real every day. I'd be locked up for years for half the stuff that I listen to. Hell, even the titles would probably get me in trouble:

Vote With a Bullet -- Corrorosion of Conformity
Stigmata -- Ministry
Bullet in the Head -- Rage Against the Machine
Fuck Tha Police -- N.W.A., Rage Against the Machine

Free thought and free speech are not crimes.

Air America Phoenix Strikes Back!

As many of you know, Air America Phoenix 1010 KXXT went off the air about a month ago under dubious circumstances. But thanks to a great station manager and staff and a very enthusiastic group of libs in the land of Goldwater ... Air America Phoenix has a new home, KPHX 1480 and is scheduled to be back on the air April 3rd!!

It's been a strange month because I drive around the Valley a lot in the course of my job and I listen to a lot of radio. For about a year and a half, it had been almost exclusively tuned to Air America. But with the sinking of KXXT, I was forced to listen to NPR for the last month. That's not so much a complaint. I love NPR. It's just that in trying so hard to be neutral, sometimes they don't take a story as far as it needs to be taken. But they also bring to light international stories that you don't hear elsewhere. So, in the grand scheme of things, if the temporary lack of Air America got me to get back to listening to NPR occassionally, that's OK.

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I'm a busy guy. Work a lot. Read a lot. Blog entirely too much. Coach my son's T-ball team. Don't take many vacations. So what do I do? ...... I sign up for 5 different fantasy baseball teams!!!!!!!!!! I'm a moron. I had a life once ... I swear.