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Monday, February 28, 2005
When Being Bad Is So Very Good
Last night, my wife and I did not watch the over-hyped Oscars. Instead we found something vastly more entertaining to occupy our viewing time. Showgirls on VH-1. Laugh if you will, but understand that Showgirls is one of those rare movies that deserves the label "so bad that it's good." Achieving such a status is not as simple as it may seem. Sure, it's easy to make a bad movie. Anyone can do that. But to make a move that's so bad it's good requires a special idiot savant-like talent. You need just the right combination of bad acting, clichéd plotlines, overwrought directing, and turgid writing. Most importantly, you can't try to make a movie so bad that it's good. You have to be deluded enough to believe that you're putting out a real honest to goodness quality product. If a bad movie knows its bad and winks at the audience as a result, it's not the real deal. Sure some of those type of movies have camp value, but they're not the same as the authentic so bad they're good variety. The best thing about SBIG flicks is that you can start watching at any point in the movie and be entertained. I've only watched the entire SBIG classic Road House three times (quit looking at me like that). But while channel surfing, I've probably happened across Road House and tuned in to watch a scene or two over twenty times. In fact the more you watch these movies, the more entertaining they become as you pick up the little details that set them apart. In addition to Road House, I also recommend Tango & Cash from 1989, which features a priceless, cliché riddled opening scene with Sylvester Stallone. One of my favorite sleeper SBIG picks is 2001's Rock Star, which stars Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston and is on VH-1 about once a week. The bad hair alone makes it worth watching. Let me close with a bit of choice bit of dialog from Showgirls. Our heroine, Noma Malone, blankly played by Elizabeth Berkley, enters the hotel suite of musician Andrew Carver in a slinky outfit in order to seduce and then beat the hell out of him in order to avenge a girlfriend. Andrew Carver: I liked you better topless. Noma Malone: Wait 'til you see me bottomless. That, ladies and gentlemen, is entertainment.
Feeling The Need For Speed (to read)
In response to my post wondering about the merits of speed reading, I received a number of thoughtful responses (and one profanity laced e-mail from a John H. which advised, "You have to have an IQ over 50 to read a**hole. You don't qualify, you stupid s***") that featured a variety of opinions on the efficacy of speed reading. Paul calls it a scam: In high school my parents ponied up for a speed reading class. It really isn't reading. They tested me beforehand, and my comprehension at regular reading was fairly high, in the 95th or so percentile. My speed was above average for regular reading. The class convinced me that the thing was a scam. When I finished, my speed had increased 5 -8 times as fast as I had been, but my comprehension fell into the 50's. They claimed that as I used it more I would get better, but I just quit as I didn't enjoy feeling dumber. Craig says it works, but may not be worth the expense: I took the old Evelyn Wood class back in my college years. Yes, it works. Yes, It's helpful. No, it's not worth the money -- if you like to read. You can master the basics in a couple of hours, it takes hours and and hours of practice to make use of the fine points and for very little additional benefit. Basically, the course teaches you to read without subvocalizing the words. You start off by moving your finger at a steady pace under the lines of type (what you were told not to do in grade school). Keep your finger moving and you'll start to absorb words without "reading" them -- like you do when you see the 55 mph sign. Then you move you finger down the side of the column taking in whole paragraphs. Wizards make an x-shape across a page. The classes also teach ways to prep reading. Before actually reading, read the first and last paragraphs of a piece, read the bold-faced heads. Read the first sentence of selected paragraphs. Then read the piece. With context, you can read faster and absorb more. I still use the techniques to "read" research and the newspaper when I bother to sit at a table (required). You can't speed read with a martini in front of the fire. Most of the stuff I read, I love to mull over a good turn of phrase, so I don't use the skill -- and it is a "use it or lose it" skill. Back when I was taking the classes I was reading almost 1,500 words per minute at 90 percent comprehension, which is about average for people taking the class. Normally I guess I read around 300 words per minute (based on what I did in high school and slow down for age). Most people read around 220-250. Sean also took the Evelyn Wood course, but on someone else's dime: I read your post asking about speed reading. Several years ago I took a speed reading course from my company's training department. I have always been a good reader but I was being asked to read an enormous volume of technical data and it seemed like it might be worth the try. I found to my surprise that it actually worked. In a single day I was able to triple my reading speed, and my comprehension, as measured by simple tests, was improved. The course I took was the one from the Evelyn Woods school, which is one of the oldest around. It has been proven and improved over the years. To make a long story short, it was probably the single day of training that changed my life more than any other. This course included tests of reading speed before and after the class. I started out reading 700 words per minute, which is pretty fast. They promise to double your speed, but I was reading at 2000 wpm after the class. What I found is that if you push yourself you can actually read an entire page of text at a glance. It is, however, quite exhausting. It requires a lot of focus, and I don't recommend it for pleasure reading. However, some of the skills that you learn do transfer to all reading, and you can certainly improve your speed and comprehension of all reading if you take one of these classes. As with anything, moderation is important. You can suck in lots of information if you force yourself, but there is a difference between comprehension (basically memorization) and reflection. Steve claims that thanks to Evelyn Wood, "my reddin' has improvd 100 prcent": Evelyn Woodhead was right (despite the classic SNL bit I parrot in the title of this note). You practice and you get better at anything. I took a speed reading course in the late '70 when I was maybe 12 years old. My mother decided it would be good for the family to take the course together. My father opted out so it was me, my mother, sister and brother draggin' ass to the local community college every Tuesday night. I don't remember much about the course except we read excerpts from Leon Uris' Exodus. I wouldn't want my 12 year old to read that crap. I don't remember anything from the course and don't consciously use any of the techniques. I still read dramatically faster than my much smarter wife. I haven't measured my reading speed since then but I can plow through books very quickly and made it through law school, while working full time, without too much pain. I'll take that as an endorsement. I guess. pkoberg is also sold: I cannot help you with all of your questions, since the speed reading course I took was a part of the curriculum at the private school I attended 30 years ago. But I can say that the course was effective in increasing the speed at which I read. At my peak, I could read about 850 words a minute. I'm not sure what it is now, but I read about 3 times faster than everyone else I know. The class I took not only emphasized speed, but put a lot of focus on retention, too. That was the most important benefit to me. I tested out of that class reading 800 words a minute with an 85% retention rate. If you have to read in volume and retention of what you have read is important, try to find a course where retention is a major emphasis. As far as reading purely for pleasure, I am able to slow down the rate of speed to a point where I still get a lot of pleasure just from what I am reading, but still read quickly enough to be able to read more than I would have been able to before the course. Good luck. As is Greg: I am using the eyeQ program and have experienced a sustained improvement of about 38% in reading speed. I pop up over 100% and expect to continue improving as I work through the program. I use a single lesson for several weeks until I feel I plateau and then move to the next lesson. The program also tests speed against comprehension and these results are also significant. I have set a pretty high goal for the year and plan to use the program to get there. My reasons are similar to yours, much I want to read and too little time to get to it all. I started with the online program but moved to the program on my laptop because I travel all the time. When I am diligent at using the program my improvement is consistent. The only drawback is you have to have the CD in your computer in order to run the program. I would recommend this program and actually have purchased the 10 license version for my children to use. Jo is just about ready to take the same plunge: I saw your post regarding speed reading courses... As I finally ordered the one Eye-Q system that Prager keeps plugging, you would think I would have some input on this. I still need to take it out of its package. Damn, I'm surprised at my own laziness sometimes. As soon as I get going on it, I'll let you know what I think. Finally Jeff adds a new wrinkle to the discussion: See if you get any comments on photoreading. Their headquarters is near Minneapolis. I've never figured out if it's for real or not and I'd be interested to see if anyone tells you anything useful about it. Especially anyone with sober experience with it. Part of their book is online here. Sober experience eh? Sounds like a job for Atomizer. Meanwhile, I'll have to take in all this feedback and see where it leads me. It seems pretty clear that there are advantages to speed reading, but questions remain about the best way to learn the skill and how to employ it. I definitely have some more research to do.
Pope Nihilist I
Like a vulture circling a man hopelessly lost in the desert, the Nihilist in Golf Pants is preparing to pick the bones of the ailing Pope John Paul II. NIGP has launched his campaign to become the next pope by listing the eleven actions that he will take upon being fitted with the funny hat. It's a good start, but I have a few items that need to be added to what should be known as, "Nihilist's Contract For Catholics": - No shorts in church. I don't care how hot it is and how stuffy your church is, shorts in church is just plain wrong. Especially the baggy variety favored by today's youth. It's a church not a basketball court. Dress appropriately. - The Lord's Prayer should be spoken not sung. There's enough singing in church the way it is and most it is bad. Sing the hymns, say the prayers. While we're on the subject, the hand holding during the Lord's Prayer has to stop. I've noticed that it's fallen out of favor with most people, but there are still a few holdouts. If you insist on holding hands with your family members fine. Just don't expect me to grab your clammy paw. - No pre-Mass greetings. This annoying ritual crept into our church a few years back. It seems to have been stopped for the time being which is a welcome relief. I don't need to shake hands with my fellow church goers before Mass. There's this little thing called the "greeting of peace" that takes care of that. (Let's hope we never go back to the "kiss of peace.") - Although I understand that it's traditional and for some people can be quite moving, The Responsorial Psalm does nothing for me. I'm not saying that Pope Nihilist should change the structure of the Mass just to suit my tastes, but shaking up the line up every once in a while isn't a bad idea. - Insist that priests learn how to write and deliver good homilies. As I've mentioned before, I believe that the homily is the most important part of the Mass. The priest has your attention for ten to fifteen minutes and he needs to make it count. Those rote, recycled homilies that bore you to tears while saying nothing have to be stopped. Parishioners should have a chance to grade their priests on a variety of subjects in yearly surveys. Those failing to live up to expectations on homilies could be given extra training and advice on how to do it right. I'm fortunate in that the priest at my church delivers the goods in this area. But I've sat through enough crappy homilies to know that he is the exception rather than the rule. UPDATE: Elizabeth e-mails to add to the list: Priests should not subject their congregations to their own poetry. As a captive audience, there is not much that the congregation can do to escape. Vogons would all become priests if they attended my church.
No Smoke For You!
Mark e-mails with an update on the smoking ban: The MN. State Commerce Committee is hearing the bill on Wednesday 3/2/05 at 12:30 p.m. in room 200 of the State Office Bldg.Â. Hearings are open to the public, we encourage all against the ban to show up. Because the activists bring in busloads for the ban. Busloads of activists descending on the Capital? Imagine that.
Fraters Libertas Endorses...
...Josh Duerkop for February's Gopher Hockey Fan of the Month. Vote early, vote often. I skate with Josh on Thursday mornings, and he's a good guy. I also expect him to bring some of those free pizza leftovers to the rink. Mmmm...cold pizza.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
The I's Have It
Last year, when my wife and I traveled to Iceland, we wondered what was the secret to the apparent success of the Icelandic economy. An article in the Economist about Icelandic firms investing in Europe sheds some light: All this from an island of only 300,000 people. Not all the money is Icelandic: SIF, for instance, paid for Labeyrie partly via a syndicated loan in London. Yet it raised $300m, mainly from local sources, in a later share issue; and this soon after a Kaupthing issue had raised $550m. What is the source of Iceland's financial muscle? A broad answer is almost 14 years of deregulating and privatising government. Specifically, Iceland, like Luxembourg or Ireland, has become a friendly place for financiers and, like Switzerland, is not subject to EU tax-prying: Burdaras's biggest shareholder is Landsbanki's Luxembourg private bank. And corporate profits, taxed at 50% in 1991, and, after cuts, still at 30% in 2001, now pay 18%, the lowest tax-rate in the OECD after Ireland and Hungary. Few as they are, Icelanders are also feeling richer. After a slide in 2001-02, the economy is back to 4-6% growth. And, with inflation and interest rates mostly low, house prices, bonds and equities have soared in recent years, encouraging a sharp rise in household borrowing. Some of this has gone, indirectly, into investment overseas. Deregulation, privatization, and lower taxes? Imagine that. The same issue of the Economist also describes in an interesting twist on outsourcing in India. It's no longer just the jobs that are moving over there: It is a scene replicated in hundreds of huge offices across India: row upon row of young people behind flat-screen computer terminals talking to the other side of the world via their keyboards or telephone headsets. In the office of Tecnovate eSolutions in Delhi, the Swiss, Swedish, French, German and other flags give the d cor an original touch. Even more unusual are the blond heads and Swiss, Swedish, French, German and other faces. Instead of simply moving jobs to India, Tecnovate has taken the next step: it imports some of the workers, paying them Indian wages. Surely the whole point of outsourcing is that labour in places such as India costs a fraction of the wages paid in rich countries? Tecnovate has spotted that, for many young Europeans, a year or so in India seems attractive and even exciting. One-tenth of its 950 workers are Europeans.
Houston, Red Ryder Has Landed
A report from Rocket Team Vatsaas: Ralphie has made Blog History by being the first blog mascot to be hurled to an altitude of almost a mile high. It was a thing of beauty. Ralphie survived -- for the most part -- but based on the spiral flight trajectory either Ralphie skipped out on some of his pilot training or he was cavorting with the official Sommelier of California prior to launch. According the on board flight computer (yes, really!) Ralphie reached an altitude of 5100 feet above ground level, as well being punished by over 4 g's of acceleration. Max speed for the flight was 0.6 Mach (He has some ways to go before becoming the Chuck Yeager of dolls). Ralphie's rocket ship will also stuck a perfect 3 point landing. So all is well. Photos of the flight were taken with a high speed digital 35 mm camera, instead of digital so there will be some delay before online pictures are available. We are hoping someone got video of the flight. If footage is submitted to us, we'll pass it on.
They Can't Seem To Face Up To The Facts
From The Wichita Eagle comes testimony that Dennis Rader, the prime suspect in the BTK serial killings, just might possibly be a somewhat unlikable sort: He is arrogant, by-the-numbers, rude and confrontational...How incredibly refreshing. I'm sick to death of people telling me that the homicidal maniac living next door to them is "really a nice guy" who sort of "keeps to himself". While the piece linked to above does, in fact, contain a lot of similar praise for the accused BTK killer, the negative feelings expressed by people who actually knew the guy are conspicuous due to their rarity. Consider the following examples: Gary Leon Ridgway, The Green Mountain Killer, was "basically a nice person". One neighbor recalled that Ridgway was "...a nice guy, I didn't notice anything weird. I just saw him out mowing his lawn, and we'd talk." Ted Bundy was "intelligent, educated, personable, handsome, and charming..." Columbine killer Eric Harris was "...just an odd, nice guy..." while his cohort Dylan Klebold was "...not the kind of person he is being portrayed as. He was a nice guy." Hanna Rosin and David Plotz explore this issue and in this 1999 Slate article and postulate that: Neighbors attribute decency to the killer next door because the standard of behavior required for being a good neighbor is so extremely low.They also note that: ...not everyone fails to understand the killers in their midst. Those who genuinely knew America's mass murderers have supplied the insight the neighbors missed.This is where the sheer laziness on the part of the media in this country enters the equation (Who did you think I was going to blame? This is a blog, after all). After the apprehension of a deranged lunatic like Rader or Dahmer, the media swarm to the home of the accused and interview all of the neighbors that care to comment. They get their five second sound bites and then punctuate their cursory reports with the ominous warning that if Mr. Nice Guy Killer can hide his deep dark secret in the little town of Cluelessville it can happen anywhere...even in YOUR town! This, of course, is followed by the inevitable teaser like "Stay tuned to Action7 news to see how you can identify the serial killer next door...after weather, sports and today's Wacky Pet Photo". You're not going to get the real story on a guy from his neighbors. I could be living next to a serial rapist or a deranged cannibal or even a registered Democrat, for all I know. I see my neighbors for seconds at a time when I'm wheeling the garbage can to the curb or mowing the lawn or shooting small animals with my 22. We wave at each other, briefly mention the weather and then get on with our business. You have to talk to the people who actually have meaningful contact with the accused nutjob, as this BTK case demonstrates. The neighbors may offer the usual trite comments about Rader, but his former co-workers found him to be a real jackass. Of course, all one really had to do regarding Rader is look to the fact that he was a city code compliance officer. Those guys are all deranged lunatics.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Beauty And The Beasts
State Senator Michele Bachmann dropped by the NARN studios today and was gracious enough to pose for a picture with the boys:  Front row: King, Senator Bachmann, Hindrocket, Chad The Elder Back row: Mitch, Captain Ed, Saint Paul Who says the right-wing daisy chain is just too icky to look at?
What's In A Name?
Fresh off Chad the Elder's awakening to the news that there may be more than one David Johnson in town, Paul Demko finds out the hard way that the Minneapolis white pages is full of white guys named Jeff Hanson and Dan Wilson as well. The other night I stopped by the Turf Club to see Jeff Hanson, Dan Wilson, and Terry Walsh. The first guy to take the stage played "New Madrid" and some other covers and was joined by his father-in-law on banjo. It was pleasant enough. Apparently his name was Jeff Hanson, but it certainly wasn't the Jeff Hanson. The next guy up seemed awful nervous. He hesitantly strummed out some not-particularly-memorable folk-rock songs on his guitar. Apparently his name was Dan Wilson, but it certainly wasn't the Dan Wilson. Terry Walsh came on last. He played a swell set mostly devoid of Van Morrison songs. Last week I saw the Turf Club ad with Dan Wilson mentioned and I too thought it might be the Trip Shakespeare/Semisonic sensation doing some slumming. It was not, but I have to say it's brilliant marketing by that bar. Throw up the name of one of the most prominent and popular musicians in Twin Cities history on the marquee, without clarification, and see who shows up. Sure, once the other Dan Wilson hits the stage and starts nervously plunking out not particularly memorable folk rock on his guitar, it doesn't do a lot for building customer loyalty and generating repeat business. But for a one-night little bump in the till, it could be a highly successful strategy. If the Turf Club can find a full-time plumber/part-time guitar noodler from Brooklyn Park, who also happens to be named Paul Westerberg, they might really start drawing some crowds. Speaking of THE Dan Wilson, his Semisonic sideman, Jake Slichter, will be on the Northern Alliance Radio Network today. Jake, of course, is the drummer of Semisonic and author of the terrific "So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star." At least I think it's THAT Jake Slichter. I hope Chad verified that this isn't a life insurance salesman from New Brighton. Also THE Michele Bachman will be on. And there's only one Michele Bachman, the outstanding state Senator from Stillwater and now candidate for US House of Reps from the 6th district. The NARN starts at noon, Bachman at 1PM, Slichter at 2 PM. Catch it all on AM1280 the Patriot and streaming always here. .
Today on the Northern Alliance Radio Network, Jake Slichter, drummer from Semisonic, one of my favorite bands, will be joining us in the third hour. Jake is also the author of an excellent book on the music business, So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star: How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful of Record Executives and Other True Tales from a Drummer's Life. Tune in at 2pm central time to catch all the fun.
Labels: NARN (04-05)
Judge Not
It's Saturday, it's the Pioneer Press Letters to the Editor section, and that means only one thing: judgments on our immortal souls. Yes, it's Sainted and Tainted. The star of this week's show (with title by Yost, I believe): Thanks for the Heimlich Sainted: Some people are specially chosen to be at the right place at the right time. On Feb. 12, my husband and I were having dinner with three other couples at a restaurant near Stillwater. During our meal, I began choking on a piece of meat. A wonderful gentleman - Jess Maddox - came over and offered help. He used the Heimlich maneuver on me. Because of his quick action, I was able to breathe again. Of course, we're all very happy that the meat was extricated and the letter writer was able to breathe again. But .... ... it brings up the great fallacy of the Pioneer Press's exercise in anointing the angels and demons in our midst. Does one really have to be a "saint" to get off their ass and save someone's life? Furthermore, if Jess Maddox would have sat in his chair and pretended not to hear the gasping and wretching around him while he finished his blackened pork chop with chutney sauce, would he not have been a candidate for being "Tainted"? Is there no middle ground anymore in society? Why is the Pioneer Press trying divide us? Can't we all just get along - and let each other choke to death without being labeled? .
Friday, February 25, 2005
Check ignition and may God's love be with you
Exclusive photos of Ralphie at the launch site at an undisclosed location in the Arizona desert have been obtained by Fraters Libertas. Remember Dukakis in the tank? How about Ralphie in the rocket?  Be careful Ralphie, you'll poke your eye out.  Tomorrow is the big day and the papers will want to know whose pants he wears. Dockers of course.
Earth Below Him, Drifting, Falling, Floating Weightless...
Standing there alone The ship is waiting All systems are go Are you sure? Control is not convinced But the computer Has the evidence "No need to abort" The countdown starts Watching in a trance The crew is certain Nothing left to chance All is working Trying to relax Up in the capsule "Send me up a drink" Jokes Ralphie Doll The count goes on 4...3...2...1... Will Ralphie boldly go where no bobble-head has gone before? This is the weekend that he's scheduled to prove that he has the right stuff. Check back at the Rocket Team Vatsaas command center for updates.
State Senator Michele Bachmann, of Stillwater, Monday announced her candidacy for the Republican endorsement for Congress from Minnesota's 6th Congressional District.
The 6th District will be an open seat in 2006 due to the announcement last Friday by incumbent Congressman Mark Kennedy that he will seek the United States Senate seat being vacated by Mark Dayton. Check out the recently launched Students For Bachmann blog. On Saturday, Senator Bachmann will be a guest on the Northern Alliance Radio Network. The shows airs from noon until 3pm. She will be on at 1pm. Labels: Blogs-Local
Words of Wisdom
Patterico has some advice for mainstream media types who are feeling threatened by blogs: I have a very simple suggestion for mainstream media types who feel in any way threatened by bloggers: whenever you hear the word "blogger," think: "reader." After all, bloggers who aren't discussing your newspaper are irrelevant to you. And bloggers who are discussing your newspaper are simply part of your readership. In other words, they're your customers. And, while the customer may not always be right, the customer deserves to have his complaints heard. Sage advice indeed. Does anyone know any local members of the mainstream media who are threatened by blogs and might benefit from it? Anyone? Bueller?
Can't stop addicted to the shindig
It's been said many times before, but it bears repeating. If you live in (or near) the Twin Cities and have any interest in politics, media, blogging, engaging conversation, and just plain fun, then you belong at Keegan's Irish Pub for Thursday night trivia. Keegan's has become the nexus for an ever expanding gathering of local bloggers, hobby columnists, mainstream media types, radical tax protesters, and assorted fans, hangers-on, and groupies (Saint Paul's fan club). Last night was no different, and the assembled crew ran the gamut from wonks to chicks to Dogs. Three rookies also made their debut at Keegan's last night, with representatives from EckerNet, Psycmeistr's Ice Palace, and The Night Writer all on hand. The Fraters trivia squad (aided by Sisyphus, the real brains behind the Nihilist In Golf Pants operation) once again restored order in the universe by reclaiming our rightful position as champions (although LearnedFoot would be appalled that we missed an Iron Maiden question). As always, we were magnanimous in victory with Saint Paul even going so far as presenting the dethroned defending champions with a sympathy card. It was a thoughtful and heartfelt gesture, which shows once again why we are regarded as champions of the people. We know that you only boo because you love. Speaking of negative crowd response, last night was also a special night for Keegan's general manager and Thursday night trivia announcer, Marty Newton, who celebrated his forty-seventh birthday. With his youthful goatee and boyish gleam in his eye, you would swear that he's not a day over forty-three. The really big news regarding Thursday night trivia at Keegan's is that Thursday March 10th has been officially designated as Fraters Trivia Night. That's right, Terry Keegan is tossing us the keys to the trivia contest (which hopefully also unlock Keegan's liquor closet) and we will be getting the behind the wheel with style. All questions will be written by us. All questions will be read by us. All answers will be corrected by us. And all losers will be mocked by (in that regard it will be like most Thursday nights). If you've been thinking about coming to Keegan's for Thursday night trivia, you're gonna wanna mark March 10th on your calendar and plan to show up that night. Trivia starts at 8pm. Twenty-five questions. Teams of up to four people. It is THE place to be and you never know just who might show up.
Makin' Rain
King's going to use an e-mail I received from Tim in Colorado on public utility water pricing policies as a case study. Do I see a bottle of Armenian Brandy in my future? Mmmm...Armenian Brandy.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Aw... they're making faces at me cause I've had a couple of cafe lattes
Note to the uptight patrons at the Panera Bread in Eden Prairie who were giving me the disapproving eye because I lingered after lunch a bit too long for their tastes: I paid for my freakin' lunch and I can sit in this freakin' booth drinking freakin' coffee and surfing the freakin' internet as long as I damn well please, thank you very much! In fact, I think I'm going to have to get another refill just to spite you passive-aggressive a-holes! That is all.
We Could Always Use A Sergeant At Arms
Zero-Two-Mike Soldier has a roundup of the media coverage, as well as a couple of other good posts on the three Minnesota National Guard soldiers killed in Iraq on Monday. He's also the newest member of the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers.
The Gophers Future Is Not In Good Hands
The timing of this news could not be any worse: Minnesota goaltender Kellen Briggs is out indefinitely with an unspecified hand injury, the school said today. Briggs, a sophomore, has started 30 games this season, posting a 19-10-0 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. Briggs is 26-11-0 in his last 37 starts, dating to last season. In the WCHA, he is ranked fifth in GAA and save percentage, and sixth in winning percentage (.655). Senior netminder Justin Johnson is expected to start for the 12th-ranked Golden Gophers (20-12-1, 13-10-1 WCHA) this weekend in the home-and-home series against St. Cloud State. Freshman Brent Solei will likely serve as Johnson's backup. Briggs had a great first half of the season, and, even though he (and the team) have struggled of late, strong play from him between the pipes was considered essential if the Gophers had any hopes of a postseason run. With the end of their regular season this weekend, the WCHA playoffs on March 12th-14th, and the WCHA Final Five the following weekend, hearing that your starting goalie is out "indefinitely" is not real encouraging for the Gopher faithful.
He Gets It! He Gets It! Hey Johnny!
The Latest Initiative in Congress--Blogging: Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, has urged his colleagues to take advantage of blogging. At a West Virginia retreat for Congressional Republicans last month, Mr. Thune led a workshop on blogs that "generated a considerable amount of discussion," he said in an interview. For the moment, however, he does not have his own blog. Mr. Thune said he was considering creating one, but would wait until he finished moving into his new Capitol Hill office to make a decision. "It's a function of time," he said. "If you're going to keep it fresh, you have to be posting fairly regularly." Spoken like a man who understands the game.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Makin' All That Noise 'Cause They Found New Toys
This disturbing news came out of Orange County, Florida today: A 13-year-old student...was suspended for 10 days and could be banned from school over an alleged assault with a rubber band...The old "rubber band in the eye" maneuver, eh? This Gomez character is one truly devious little monster. It should come as no surprise, however. Schools throughout this country are literally teeming with similar weapons that could be considered even more life-threatening that the rubber band implicated in this specific attack...and most of them are provided to our nation's students at taxpayer expense. Take, for example, a typical algebra book. In addition to the obvious bludgeoning opportunities available to those in possession of this particular weapon, a student could very easily tear out a single page, roll it into a tight cone and ram it into the eyeball of an unsuspecting victim destroying not only their vision but possibly piercing the brain itself leading to massive and irreparable trauma or even death. The graphic nature of such likely injuries makes these textbooks very dangerous weapons indeed. What about your child's calculator? This seemingly innocuous device is truly one of the more sinister weapons available to young children today. The small batteries that power these killers can easily be surreptitiously dropped in an unsuspecting teacher's coffee cup and, when eventually ingested, can result in necrosis of the gastrointestinal tract and/or complete respiratory failure within minutes. Trace amounts of toxic materials present in these batteries make this weapon all the more frightening. Does your child's school have a safety lock on every single pencil box? They certainly should. Equipped with some miniature woodworking tools and a jeweler's microscope the average student can whittle a typical Dixon Ticonderoga Number 2 into a finely honed pointed stick capable of piercing scores of their classmates' jugular veins even before the day's first bell rings. Every one of these diabolical killing tools is currently in the hands of an alarmingly high percentage of both middle and high school students in your very own city. This growing crisis should therefore be a cause of great concern to all of you parents, teachers and school administrators out there. Don't wait until it's too late. Yes siree...the folks down there in Orange County really have their hands full with this Gomez kid. I really hope they throw the book at him. It just had better not be an algebra book.
...Like A Ten Year Old Boy (True Recall reference..as Larry the cable guy says "I don't care who you are, that's funny")
We smart alecks on the right like to mock the childish arguments, behavior (see idolization of Hunter Thompson as an example) and logic of our precious little friends on the left. As the Elder and I discussed the other day, their insistence on hypocrisy as the greatest evil (even when it is non-existent) is so "Your not the boss of me!" teenage that it's just laughable when you hear it. So I had to have a good laugh (followed by a long cry) at this pathetic piece that appeared on the front page (!) of today's Rochester Post-Bulletin (no, it isn't avail online): "Ten Year Old Fights Intolerance" As the youngest member of the Diversity Council in Rochester, ten year old Grant Eckhoff already is well versed in the value of creating an inclusive community where people are appreciated, not scorned, for their differences. "Our town is growing, and we need to learn about diversity because it helps us understand that if you are one color of skin, treating a person of different color of skin badly is not right." Eckhoff said Tuesday during the kick-off of the Diversity Council's annual fund-raising campaign and membership drive. What's amazing about hearing this child give his considered opinion on this subject is that the substance is no different than hearing some diversity consultant, HR director or Democratic member of the house say the same thing: "It's like, bad and stuff to like, not like someone because they are, you know, different." To continue with the piece... Grant and his dad Jon Eckhoff, who owns Venture Computer Systems are serving as co-chairmen of the campaign. Co-chairmen, with a ten year old boy. How quaint. Perhaps the old man was thinking of ways to spend more time with his son. Being a small business owner and all, he must be very busy. So why not bond on white guilt? Hell, who needs Playstation and all that manufactured fun when you can go around hitting up other business owners for dough to assuage their Southeastern Minnesota guilt? The goal is to raise $100k. The donations: ...will help the council stop racism and predujice faster and help the community become a better place, Grant said. There was no mention of adding a decent strip club, a sushi restaurant or bar that can mix an acceptable martini in this town--in other words, real improvements that would make this a better, more tolerant place to live. Grant's dad Jon is not what you might call a bashful, subtle or particularly humble individual: Jon Eckhoff said he hopes his son lends a powerful voice to the campaign by being an example of what one person can do in fighting intolerance. "Grant gets it. He's just one of those kids understands the Golden Rule. He always has." Always. What, since he was six, seven years old? The self-aggrandizement evident in that comment is so appallingly annoying, so arrogant that I hardly have the words to express myself. But being not terribly bashful, subtle or humble myself, I'll continue. This guy (the father) is a straight-out wanker. Indoctrinating your child with leftist politics that he isn't even close to old enough to understand it is beyond the beyonds. And parading him as a trophy of his father's enlightened perspective at a public meeting of the community is downright sick. What does Jon expect us to do when we read this, say "Oh, isn't that cute! A dad who cares about, you know, those minorities...and he's even teaching it to his son!" So we here at Fraters would like to raise a giant Cosmo (a drink we would never actually consume ourselves, but imagine the kindler, gentler souls like Jon enjoy daily) to Jon Eckhoff of Rochester, MN for taking the cake as the most self-absorbed and guilt-ridden New Age dad this side of Berkeley. Cheers!
'Maid Men
Mark Dayton dropped out of the US Senate race, but the Dayton vs. Kennedy blog soldiers on. Their official new name is delayed, pending the capricious dictates of the DFL faithful to decide on a candidate. But that hasn't stopped the boys on that site from continuing to provide the best coverage anywhere on the race so far. That includes today's inclusion of DvK contributor the First Ringer on board Kennedy's caravan to Mounds View. Yes, it was Mark Kennedy LIVE at the Mermaid. I dare say that place hasn't been so alive with electricity since the late 80's when DJ Mitch Berg was in the basement simultaneously knocking out the hits and knocking back watermelon kamikazes on Ladies Night. Granted, today's Kennedy appearance at the 'Maid didn't provide a lot of news (unless you consider a picture of the Congressman adjusting the cup holder in his mini van news). But the inside access earned by these bloggers, and the truly superior talent assembled among this group to write about the race, it leads me to believe Dayton v. Kennedy (or whatever) will be a must read in the months to come. The feelers of interest being extended, the jockeying for position, the promises, the begging, the pleading, the desperate groping for glory - it will all be documented. And that's just if the caravan comes back to the Mermaid for Ladies Night. .
Agent- Vikings trade Moss to Raiders:
The Vikings have agreed to trade Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders for starting linebacker Napoleon Harris, the seventh overall pick in the upcoming draft and a 2005 late-round pick. Trades can be worked out although not announced until next month, and Moss' agent, Dante DiTrapano, told the Pioneer Press on Wednesday that the deal is done. "Nothing is official until March 2," DiTrapano said. "But don't be surprised if Randy Moss is wearing the Silver and Black this upcoming season." Vikings vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski would only say, "We've had some discussions with them (the Raiders), but there is nothing to announce." If this is true, it's a bad move by the Vikes. Yes, Moss is a problem child extraordinaire. But he's also an incredibly gifted football player who has the rare ability to single-handedly influence the outcome of almost any game. He's a difference maker, the X factor, whatever cliche you want to throw out to describe that special type of player that comes along once in great while, Moss is all that and a bag of chips. And to toss this aside (baggage and all) for a starting linebacker, a seventh pick in the draft, and a throwaway pick is foolish. I'm sure a lot of Vikings fans are quite pleased with the news today, but they will come to rue this decision. Especially when Moss helps the Raidas win a Super Bowl someday. Here's another telling quote from Moss' agent: "Randy's desire to win a Super Bowl is enhanced with a move to a team like the Raiders, because the Minnesota Vikings seem to be in a constant rebuilding mode." Tell us about it. Labels: Football
Hitting Close To Home
Baghdad attack kills 3 state Guardsmen: They were three young National Guardsmen from western Minnesota, all recently married and trying to help injured soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq, when the roadside bomb blew up. Staff Sgt. David Day, 25, of Morris; Sgt. Jesse Lhotka, 24, of Appleton; and 1st Lt. Jason Timmerman, 24, of Cottonwood were killed Monday and eight other soldiers were wounded in the explosion, according to their families and friends. Day, Lhotka and Timmerman were members of the 151st Field Artillery based in Montevideo and were deployed overseas for 12 to 18 months last fall. All three men grew up in rural western Minnesota. One was a St. Louis Park cop, one a jokester-turned-businessman and the other a computer whiz and former schoolteacher. All married within the last two years. Too close to home. R.I.P.
Could the man who "knows stuff" be turning the corner on blogs? Just a few short months ago he was ridiculing and dismissing blogs in his column at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Today, on his local radio show, he had a guest on to discuss the Gannon/Guckert story (thus allowing him and his crummy little toady to throw in numerous gay sex innuendos and giggle like twelve year old boys). That guest was in fact a blogger. (Gasp!) A left wing blogger of course (whose name presently escapes me), but still a blogger nonetheless. Alert the media! Oh wait, he is part of the media. Of course since he's a real journalist with an ear for baloney, he wasn't about to let this hobby hack blogger off lightly and so peppered him with a serious of hard hitting questions that included: "Is the right-wing daisy chain just too icky to look at?" Labels: Media-Local (05-07)
The Case Of The Mistaken Johnson: Lessons Learned
Yesterday, I received an e-mail from Gregg Knorn, who is a student at the University of Minnesota. Gregg wished to bring to my attention a post on his blog The American View. The post concerned an e-mail that Gregg had received from a David W. Johnson on an article that Gregg had written for the Minnesota Daily. Mr. Johnson was using an account on the University's e-mail system, and, after what he now admits was a minimal amount of research, Gregg concluded that the author of the e-mail was Professor David W. Johnson. The e-mail was quite nasty and condescending in tone, and I, mistakenly assuming that Gregg was correct and that the author of the e-mail was in fact Professor David W. Johnson, put up a post (now corrected) taking Professor Johnson to task and including a link to his bio page at the University. Since then, I have learned that Professor David W. Johnson did not write the e-mail in question. I have pulled most of the original post, leaving in place a correction, an e-mail from Professor Johnson explaining that he was being unfairly blamed for the original e-mail, and an apology to him for the error. I also sent him a personal e-mail expressing my regret for any distress caused by the incident. Mea culpa. It should be noted that Gregg has also pulled his post at The American View and apologized to both Professor Johnson and "the gentlemen at Fraters Libertas" (he obviously does not know us very well). In order to ensure that we mend our fences with Professor Johnson, we are going to be adding twenty copies of his book Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills (7th Edition) to the prestigious Fraters Library collection, as well as letting him use Atomizer as a Guinea Pig for a series of lab experiments related to his Psychology of Conflict Resolution class. One of the sticky wickets of the every evolving standards of the blogosphere is when to use information that is posted on other blogs. Is there a duty to first confirm that the information is correct yourself or do you just assume that the other blogger has already taken care to verify it? The best answer is probably the word that you see tossed around quite a bit in these sorts of conversations: trust. If you know and trust the blogger in question, you can feel much better about going with what they are presenting without having to check it yourself. Otherwise you proceed at your own risk. In this case, I didn't know Gregg from a hole in the wall. And while he seems like a decent enough kid, I should have held off on weighing in on this matter until it was clear that the facts were in order. Lesson learned. While this is certainly an embarassing mixup, I still don't think it reaches the level of confusing conservative activitist David Horowitz with consumer activist David Horowitz, as Syl Jones did in a Star Tribune editorial a few years back. And, unlike the Star Tribune, we have been front and center about publicly correcting the error. At the end of the day, I guess the moral of the story is this: if you're going slap around a Johnson, make sure you've got the right one. P.S. I humbly accept the first of the 2005 BODies. Saint Paul likes me, Saint Paul really likes me!
Inconceivable!
This week brings the apex of the self-selected awards season with the Oscars being presented on Sunday night. Never one to allow the spotlight to linger long elsewhere, we might as well get a jump on the 2005 FL Blogs of Distinction Awards (the BODies). And I'm proud to announce the More Chins than the Shanghai White Pages Award goes to .... Chad the Elder .... for briefly forgetting there just might be more than one David Johnson in Minnesota sending emails to people. Sorry about that. But we're all learning the rules of the road on this information super highway. One of them clearly is, don't take at face value anything you read on obscure, inflammatory, partisan Internet sites. Instead, when looking for blogging material, rely solely on highly prominent, inflammatory, partisan Internet sites. Like startribune.com. Late comment on the Hinderaker email kerfuffle that was getting the extreme left all hot and bothered the past few days. It is absolutely absurd. Sure, John is a highly regarded professional and in his personal life a class act all the way. And his moment of rhetorical frustration might provide shameful glee to those who wish him ill. I understand that. Envy and wrath are as old as humanity itself. But, substantively speaking, is anybody really saying we can't write profanity-laced emails to each other anymore? Come on, this is still America, right? According to Ellis Island records, the exact reason my ancestors came to this country was the freedom to write profanity-laced emails to people. If that right gets taken away, by legislation or the shunning by the pious, Puritanical readership of the Daily Kos, then my friends, the terrorists (or is it John Ashkkkroft?) really have won. .
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Those Who Can't...
UPDATE II: Apparently, Professor David W. Johnson is not the one who wrote the e-mail to Gregg Knorn. In the comments section at Gregg's blog The American View, Professor Johnson has indicated that he did not send the e-mail. And in an e-mail with Atomizier he elaborated: I did not write the email. As a result of Gregg Knorn's blog and the subsequent article on the web site of fratersilbertas.com. I am receiving a considerable number of abusive emails from many parts of the country. To say the least, it is extremely distressing. I do not read the Daily, I do not know who Gregg Knorn is, and I have never read any of his articles. I have no idea how to set the record straight. I would like to sincerely apologize to Professor Johnson for any discomfort caused by this error. In light of this development, I am pulling the post. More later as time allows. Damned competitive pressures...
Stop The Madness
Iowahawk knocks it out of the park with his latest, Aid Pours in for Victims of Mommy Madness: The effort has also expanded internationally. From Sudan to Indonesia, thousands of women across the globe have heeded the call for feminist sisterhood and lined up with offers of support and solidarity. Typical is Ulaam Abdullah, 27, of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ulaam was so moved by the plight of American Supermom victims that she organized a local charity as soon as she received permission from her husband. "Here in the kingdom, we women don't have to worry about juggling career pressures and driver's licenses and voting, so it's easy for us to get complacent and spoiled," she says. "so I guess you could say it was a real wake-up call when I heard how these American women felt so many mixed signals and confusing choices."
Keep The Scent Subtle
St. Kate has some advice for the fellas when it comes to applying the smelly stuff: A man with a light touch of cologne is sexy. A little, mind you. Nothing worse than some Valentino you can detect before he crosses the room. And not all colognes are good. I have been accosted at the mall by bottle-wielding Stepford wannabes who want me to sniff potions that should only be sold in the varnish aisle at the hardware store. Keep that in mind next you break out the Ol' Spice there Captain. And knock off that annoying whistling.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Feeling The Need For Speed
If you listen to any amount of talk radio at all, you've probably noticed the number of self-improvement ads that you come across. They invite you to build your vocabulary, learn foreign languages, become financially independent, and earn that masters degree that you've always wanted. The one that I've noticed lately is a ad that promises to increase you ability to read, both in terms of speed and comprehension. Companies hawking speed reading have been around for years and I've usually found little appeal in the product. I enjoy reading a great deal and am able to get through material at a decent pace. I've always regarded speed reading as an unnecessary shortcut that would make reading too workmanlike, thus robbing the endeavor of much of it's appeal . But I'm now willing to reconsider. These days (actually for some time now) there seems to be so much that I want to read and so little time to do it. I'm always reading at least one book (usually two or three) but I never make much of a dent in my "to be read" backlog, to say nothing of my wish list of books waiting to be acquired. Throw in magazines and the Internet and my scarce time for reading is swamped with potential material. Unless there's a nuclear holocaust tomorrow and I'm the last man on earth suddenly blessed with all the time I need for reading (reason #156 that I'm glad I had that laser eye surgery ), I will never come anywhere near close to catching up. So, as I've said, I'm willing to take a new look at the whole speed reading concept. What I'd like to know from our readers is this: Has anyone tried one of these speed reading programs? Was it effective? Were you happy with the results? Was it worth the investment? And perhaps most importantly of all, did it have any impact on the pleasure you derived from reading? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Everything That You Wanted To Know About King Banian...
...but were afraid to ask is covered by Doug in this interview with the proprietor of SCSUScholars.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
MOB Rules: Addendum
After Saturday's NARN show, I got together with a couple of the other family heads from the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers (MOB) to discuss MOB business (since such conversation is not allowed at the dinner table). A couple of additional rules regarding MOB membership arose as a result of these summit talks: - If you attend a Thursday night trivia contest at Keegan's Irish Pub and introduce yourself to one of the Northern Alliance reps, you are automatically admitted to the MOB. - All other requests for membership must be submitted by the blogger who wishes to be admitted. We've been a little lax in this area in the past, but from now on we will not accept third party applications. - If you submit an application for membership to one of the Northern Alliance blogs via e-mail and are accepted into the MOB, you MUST attend a future MOB event to maintain your status. In other words, being accepted into the MOB is contingent on attendance at an upcoming MOB event. There is going to a huge MOB blowout this summer. Before then we'll also have a smaller event as well. Details will be forthcoming. If you've just joined the MOB, plan on hitting at least one of these affairs. We realize that these MOB events have been rather Twin City-centric, which poses challenges for some of the out-state MOBsters. We're looking into the possibility of having King host a satellite MOB event in St. Cloud to make the logistics a bit easier.
The Weekend At The College Didn't Turn Out Like You Planned
I've just polished off Michael Medved's great new memoir Right Turns. As would be expected from a man of such wit, there are several laugh-out loud moments. My personal favorite stems from when Medved was invited to interview for a faculty position at the University of Wisconsin? Stout. In less-than-exciting Menomonie, Wisconsin--about an hour and a half East of the Twin Cities. Circa 1975. To set the stage a little, Medved was living in "Beserk-ley" California at the time and wanted to get away from the "Dreary, decadent, dysfunctional, drug-infested demimonde." He figured a scenic small town in the upper Midwest offered just the change of pace he was looking for. He was invited to interview with the entire liberal arts faculty. They even agreed to pay for his trip, under the stipulation that if offered the job, he would accept. If he was offered the job and did not accept, he would have to pay his own way. After flying into the Twin Cities and renting a car, he made the drive to the house of the dean: I arrived in snowy Menomonie several hours later than expected and followed the directions to the home of the dean, who had hospitably suggested I come for lunch. As I got out of the car, the stabbing cold represented the first shock and I recoiled, physically, at a horrifying sight on the front steps of the house. Blocking the path to the door were the bloodied, frozen carcasses of five furry animals. As a newcomer to the Midwest, I knew nothing about the appropriate etiquette of entering homes by jumping past orderly displays of dead creatures. To call the Yale-educated, California-living Orthodox Jew a fish out of water in Wisconsin is a bit of an understatement. Upon entering the house, he soon realized his ordeal was just beginning. I walked into the warmth of his neat little ranch home, where the aroma of ham overwhelmed me. I hadn't eaten since the peanuts on the plane, but I'd been keeping kosher long enough to feel queasy over the sweet, pungent odor of fresh-cooked pig flesh. After suffering through the meal (and skipping the ham) he was escorted to the a dormitory that had been arranged as his overnight accommodation. Even in the late afternoon, the noisy brawling that echoed through the hallway reminded me of some Hollywood prison movie in which the frightened new inmate quickly realizes the danger of his situation. Despite my determined attempts to ignore the ruckus, I couldn't shut out the noise of snapping towels and smacking flesh in the Sunday evening showers, or the shouted arguments about the relative size and fragrance of the defecations that the eager students had produced. Later that night--after a disgusting meal of baked perch at placed called the Bolo Inn (named after a dead dog) he retired to the dorms once again to find: In general, the natives had progressed from towel fights in the shower and disputes over their bodily functions to drunken revelry complete with the noise of shattered glass and enthusiastic vomiting. He decided that night that he had to do everything in his power to avoid moving to Menomonie. The problem was that if he were offered the job and did not accept it, he would be out 600 bucks, an amount he describes as a large sum for him at the time. So he decided to take bag the interview. When I crawled out of bed after a restless night, I began planning to present myself in a manner so obnoxious, so disturbing, so utterly distasteful that any self-respecting faculty committee must feel forced to reject me. I courageously resolved on a course of minor self-mutilation: while shaving, I sliced a long, nasty gash along my chin, then blotted the blood onto my shirt. Growing gleeful at the appalling results, I grabbed a first aid kit and used iodine, a gauze pad, and adhesive tape to make my self-inflicted wound look incalculably worse than it was. Blinking at the horrifying reflection in the mirror, I felt proud and satisfied: I looked like a homeless psychotic. No university could possibly hire me. After showing up ten minutes late to the interview, he was warmly greeted by a dozen faculty members. One asked what happened to him. "I cut myself shaving. For some reason it happens to me a lot." Ignoring his oddball personal grooming habits, the chairman of the committee began the interview by asking Medved to provide a one-word answer of want he most wanted to bring to the University of Wisconsin-Stout. I paused for a moment, hoping to come up with a single pronouncement that could instantly erase my already dwindling chances. I finally burst into a broad smile as I came up with the ideal response. "If you want one word, if it has to be one word, then I'd have to say that word would be...drugs." "Drugs?" "That's right--recreational drugs. Marijuana, hashish, cocaine, maybe a little bit of LSD. You see, I've been struck since I've been here with how behind the times, how conservative this place seems to be. Remember, I'm from Berkeley, which is probably the opposite extreme. So if you want your students to begin to catch up with trends in academia, you're going to need much more of a drug culture here on campus. I have a friend back in Berkeley who made a film about a bunch of kids who do laughing gas together, then have a big orgy. Anyone know a dentist in town who can help us get the gas?" They greeted my little discourse with a long, pained silence, and glared back at me with open mouths. I went on in a similar vein (with a bloody shirt as my visual aid) for the rest of the interview, talking about the need for more political activism and student dissent, for more sexual experimentation, for more of the countercultural values that had taken hold everywhere else to begin sweeping away the traditionalism of Menomonie. I actually enjoyed the role playing, as I gave insipid, even sickening explanations for advancing ideas I actually hated. Feeling his ridiculous performance had guaranteed him a denial of the position and the attendant humiliations that living in Wisconsin would bring, he retired to an adjoining room to wait for the dean. After about fifteen minutes, the dean emerged from the boardroom with a big smile and an extended hand. "Well Michael," he beamed. "I think congratulations are in order. You got the job. Now we can start talking about trying to help you move." I tried hard to hide my shock and horror. "I got the job? I was afraid that some people might react poorly to some of what I had to say in there." "Oh you were controversial all right. But we think we need some controversy. This can be a pretty stodgy place. We're trying hard to send out a message that we're not just about industrial arts. Some of your ideas--about politics, the sexual revolution, all the rest of it--would really start to shake things up. Michael, you'll be a breath of fresh air. Out 600 samolians, Medved returned to Berkeley to consider other career opportunities.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Cool cars, intelligent radio, and free 'za. Does it get any better? Head over to the White Bear Lake Superstore today to catch the Northern Alliance Radio Network live from noon 'til 3pm. You'll find great deals on cars and trucks, prize giveaways, and free Green Mill pizza. You'll also have a chance to meet the man behind the voice that's been electrifying Patriot listeners for years.
That's right folks, WBLSS's President Paul Rubin will be on hand to share some of the magic that's made him a legend among radio advertisers in the Twin Cities. All the women want to talk with him; all the men want to talk like him. White Bear Lake Super Store is located on Highway 61, north of 694. Look for the big bear paw. Labels: NARN (04-05)
Union Jacked
In theory, I suppose trade unions have a legitimate place in a free economic system. And, according to bumper sticker lore, they brought us the weekend, or the eight hour work day, or the seven habits of highly successful people, or the three martini lunch, or something. Full disclosure, I've been never had to deal with a union in regard to my employment. And my informed opinion is, I never want to. Sure, divorcing my job security from the quality of my output would be great (hello shovel leaning!). But the chronic burden associated with collectivizing my personal efforts and potential, not to put too fine a point on it, but that just seems like a destructive influence on my development as a human being. When you get really get into a union's activities and see what they offer you, the net result seems to be nothing more than seething resentments and suspicions, rigorous formalization and abstraction of human relations, mountainous molehill complaint resolution, enforced (and faith-based) class conflict, and ultimately, loss of self-reliance and self-respect. None of which, by the way, are good for business. (Conducting business - remember that? The reason why someone hired you in the first place.) Lest we forget, POWER is the main goal of unions. At least it is for our example from yesterday, the Minnesota Newspaper Guild Typographical Union. And the desire for power acquisition doesn't seem to stop at the board room doors. For not only does the Union want power over those that own a company. They also want power over those who work for a company. Actually, they DEMAND such power, because without it, they'd have no reason to exist. The current contracts for the Newspaper Guild with the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press are posted online. Near the top of each are rather strongly worded provisions regarding the union membership requirements for any aspiring practitioner of the journalistic arts and sciences. You want to see an exercise of power? Here comes the pain: SECTION 5. Guild membership in good standing shall be required as a condition of employment for: a) All present members in all departments; (b) All employees who become members; (c) All employees hired after the effective date of this contract except in advertising and editorial departments, where at least four out of every five persons hired shall become members. SECTION 6. Employment of persons referred to in Section 5 shall be terminated by the Publisher within 30 days upon notice by the Guild of suspension or expulsion of such member for non-payment of Guild dues. Don't pay your union dues and you get the axe! Shouldn't somebody be writing protest songs or fasting until this oppression is ended? Free Ruben Rosario! If joining the union were such a beneficial thing, why does membership have to enforced at the point of a pink slip? Perhaps because acquisition of POWER is at fundamental odds with dissent. If history teaches us anything, it is to beware any institution dedicated to acquiring POWER which also has a distaste for individual free will. Unfortunately, these two dispositions usually go hand in hand. If you've got some extra time, and extra patience, browse through these contracts and see what kind of power gets yielded once the union is set loose on the workers. Here's an example of the critical protection deemed necessary for the the Star Tribune employees: 4) Seniority (service with the Publisher) will ordinarily determine the distribution of open parking spaces and changes in parking assignments except that, legitimate safety considerations will take precedence over seniority in making such decisions. The seniority and safety criteria will apply to all Star Tribune employees. d) An ongoing parking committee with Guild participation (pursuant to agreement on worker participation/employee involvement) will recommend future parking rates, consistent with the method used for determining rates; i.e., maintaining revenues sufficient to cover operating expenses and real estate taxes. The ongoing parking committee will continue to address all issues as they relate to parking. Ongoing parking committees. Now that sounds like a productive use of time. Can someone do the publisher of the Star Tribune a favor and get him the number of a good out sourcing broker? Or better yet, bring on the machines. You can program them to "know stuff" right? And they rarely demand to set up and participate in ongoing parking committees. Here's another example of the environment necessary for the functioning of the modern newspaper employee, this time from the Pioneer Press contract: 1) No writer shall be required to serve as a photographer, and no photographer shall be required to serve as a writer as a condition of employment subject to the following understandings: 2) Reporters may take pictures and photographers may write stories, but a reporter's competence shall in no instance be judged by his work with a camera and a photographer's work shall in no instance be judged by his work with a typewriter. Isn't that an excerpt from a Dr. Seuss story? Something about Star Bellied Sneetches or Harp-Twanging Snarps? These contracts are full of such ridiculous provisions, things entrepreneurs (aka job creators) or conscientious employees would never think of having to negotiate, formalize, and hammer out as contractual obligations. Regular, honest people, with abilities, and a sense of self-respect and self-reliance don't need to get a battery of lawyers or a Union to hammer out details on the procedures for administering parking spots. Much like all of life itself, with the details, you need to trust enough in yourself to work it out. And if you can't do that, you've got bigger problems than finding a place to park at work. I wonder if employees of these newspapers ever have moments of clarity and wonder what they're getting for their union dues. (How much are they paying? Inside sources, email me, let me know). Perhaps, for some, job security is enough to dispell such heretical thoughts. The protectionist nature of these contracts restrict job growth and artificially inflate wages (to the detriment of those not lucky or well connected enough to get hired and therefore to the larger economy as a whole). That buys a lot loyalty, I'm sure, even from these truth to power speaking journalists. But I wonder if there still aren't some prisoners of conscience there who realize the true nature of these entities. I suspect the union boss who negotiated in the compulsory membership clauses wondered the same thing.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Smoke Gets In My Eyes
Marcus Aurelius over at The Attic writes about this study of the nicotine levels at several bars and restaurants in St. Louis Park, MN. See if you can guess which bar on that list I frequent. Go ahead...
Union Blues
Earlier this week Julie Moos on Poynter Online addressed the potential for newspapers to better utilize blogs as a way to provide more depth of knowledge to their readers and a greater degree of ideological diversity in their coverage. Excerpt: Are there people of a particular faith (Jewish, Baptist, Catholic, other) who feel ignored? What if media organizations gave them blogs and let them reflect religious life in the community, under your banner? Are there people who believe your news report is too liberal? What if you gave them a blog and let them reflect conservative life in the community? Are there environmental groups upset that you don't spend enough time addressing a particular issue of importance to them? Same solution. As hard as the media tries to be inclusive, we cannot be all things to all people. So why not invite people to be all things to each other? To which Hugh Hewitt commented: ... it will be taken only very slowly because of the guild mentality among old media journalists, the sort of guild think that animated the Wall Street Journal's attack on amateurs working on the Eason Jordan story. Letting a thousand bloggers bloom is an admission that their skills are equal to the task of informing the public. I believe Hugh was using metaphor to describe the mentality of many professional journalists, the "guild think" that ascribes credibility to only those passing their self-selected, self-propagating barriers to entry. And he's right about that. But let's not forget, newspaper folks are also literally a guild. Locally, they're known as the Minnesota Newspaper Guild Typographical Union. And in this setting, all pretensions of being a profession are cast aside and the members behave exactly like a union. That is, first and foremost and always protecting their own self interests. To the exclusion of anything else, like the overall health of the enterprise employing them or the customers they're hired to serve. To put it more bluntly yet, their mission, as quoted from the union web site: The union exists for one reason: Power. We've achieved it through the work and dedication of Twin Cities Guild members over the past six decades. With the addition of the Typo Union 30, the first craft union organized in the state (in 1850), we have increased that power. That doesn't exactly inspire one to risk their money and effort investing in a newspaper, does it? At least not one with a unionized workforce. But, if your belief is that labor should own and control the means of production, then I suppose that mission statement fits just fine. Getting back to the Julie Moos question - why don't newspapers invite bloggers to help inform and guide their coverage of news - here's one possible answer: the Guild won't stand for it. This scenario presented itself while I was reviewing the back catalog of Twins Geek. It seems his one year (now terminated) tenure of hosting his terrific baseball blog on the Star Tribune Web site is still provoking protest from the Union bosses. This from the lead item in their Shop Talk newsletter (which also includes a protest against WCOO weather man Paul Douglas - and, believe it or not, it's not due to his use of the term "snizzle"): The first of what could be several cases taken to arbitration was heard Jan. 20-21. That case centers on the union's challenge of the company's assignment of meteorologist Paul Douglas to write routine front page weather stories, a violation of the union's jurisdiction. Close on the heels of the Douglas arbitration is a similar jurisdictional case involving the Star Tribune's contracting with a third party to write a daily web log, twinsgeek.com, for the paper's web site. It's not clear exactly what the nature of these union challenges are, but I suspect it has something to do with neither Douglas nor Twins Geek being members of the Guild and them having the unmitigated temerity of being talented enough writers to be chosen by management to be featured in the newspaper anyway. Those with Power might feel entitled to interevene in this arrangement, so as not to lose any of that Power. The end product be damned. John Bonnes, the Twins Geek, is in the dark on this one himself, as evidenced by his February 3rd reaction (no permalink available) to a reader's email informing him that he's a party to this action: I am? How can I be the last person to know about this? And why do I suddenly have this vision of Paul Douglas and I, with a hand clenched in defiance, racing in a convertible over a cliff? I'm not sure a lesbian suicide pact is in order just yet. But if you'd like to read more about this sorry tale of the hopeful new and resentful old media worlds colliding, check out Bonnes's final Star Tribune Twins Geek column and this analysis from baseball blogger Aaron Gleeman.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
It has come to our attention that there is some confusion regarding the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers (MOB). While the MOB is indeed a loosely affiliated group, it is not completely devoid of structure and order. After all, we're trying to have a civilization here.
The most common question regarding the MOB is how one becomes a member. There are two avenues to gain entry: 1. Attend an official MOB event. So far there have been three such affairs (yes, I'm counting the State Fair beer garden gathering) and more will be planed in the future. If you have show up at one of these events, membership status is automatically conferred. 2. Petition one of the Northern Alliance blogs to grant you membership. Our own Saint Paul is credited with coming up with the original concept of the MOB. It has since been picked up and promoted by the Northern Alliance of Blogs. Thus, the various Northern Alliance blogs have become the custodians of the MOB (Mitch usually ends up mopping up). Drop any of the Northern Alliance members a note expressing your interest in joining the MOB. After a thorough vetting process, involving criminal background checks, retinal scans, and psychological screening, they will either confirm or deny your request. Simple, isn't it? Another question that has arisen is over the official MOB blogroll. Andy from Echo Zoe put together a MOB blogroll, which he has graciously turned over to us (I believe Atomizer made him an offer that he couldn't refuse). So the official MOB blogroll is now maintained here. Go here for the code needed to display the MOB blogroll on your site. Please send any requests for changes/additions/deletions to the MOB blogroll to Saint Paul. Remember, this is the one true MOB. Finally, Derek from Freedom Dogs has designed an official MOB logo, which can be found here. Feel free to use if appropriate. Labels: MOB
The Blogchurian Candidate
The natural evolution of the blogosphere continues. The next link in the chain, from writing withering and anonymous social commentary in our underwear to running for office and serving in high level government positions ... in our underwear. Actually, I'm not sure about that last part (although it's one hell of a campaign promise and if you've got the legs for it, it seems like guaranteed electoral magic). But blogger/physician extraordinaire Babs, from Girl in Right, has officially thrown her hat into the ring. She's running for the City Council of Golden, CO and promises to make it an Internet friendly (that is, voyeuristic) experience: Never did I imagine that the power of the right wing blogosphere, the same that took down Dan Rather and Eason Jordan, not to mention the impact on Chad The Elder's choice of skating costumes, would sweep me into the land of no-turning-back. If I get clobbered now, I get clobbered in your basements and bedrooms, all for your entertainment while you sip the drink of your choice, surf the web, and ignite static electricity sparks while rubbing your fuzzy slippers against your shag carpet. So much for private humiliation. We of course heartily endorse the candidacy of Girl in Right. Smart, funny, professional conservatives are exactly the type of folks we need in government. It just so happens these kind of people are disproportionately represented in the blogosphere. And we hope MSM prejudices don't lead to any backlash towards Babs. But, in case of any McCarthyite investigations into her past associations, if Babs needs plausible deniability about ever being associated with Fraters Libertas as the "Golden Girl" we'll claim that was just the Atomizer, exploring his more feminine, and strangely also more athletic, side (the girl does have 2 NCAA rings). As recompense, we ask only to never have to worry about parking tickets in Golden, CO again. Run, Girl in Right, Run!
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
a self-perpetuating autocracy in which the working classes...
The crew at The Volokh Conspiracy got the Prof of the Vines going about whether group blogs could be considered general partnerships (in a very real and legally binding sense). Soon others had entered the fray, bringing up matters such as profit sharing, tax and legal liability, and dissolution. Whew. All the legal chatter from these law talking guys (and gal) is a bit overwhelming to the humble bloggers here at Fraters Libertas. Thankfully, all this partnership talk doesn't apply to us. Although Atomizer still thinks that we're an autonomous collective, the reality is that we're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. Does anyone know which IRS form covers that designation?
There's Somethin' Happenin' Here
The momentum for change in Iran appears to be gathering steam as support for the referendum movement grows. For the latest on this front, including a coming blogosphere campaign to promote the referendum, and all other developments in Iran, check out Regime Change Iran.
Just What The Doctor Ordered
Michael e-mails with a slightly different prescription for my recent illness: As a doctor of the malt, I must say that all the doses you took, while palliative, are not truly medicinal. The true elixir in these circumstances is Laphroaig - 10 year, unless you are the type who needs a more sweetness. Then the 15 will do, but its power is waning. I trust that you shall follow doctor's orders - take two and call me in the morning. Doctor of the malt? Now that's a title worth pursuing.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
I Aged A Month Today, Oh Boy: A Play In Two Acts
Apparently, I'm a little bit older today than I think I am. Yesterday I got an e-mail notifying me that my 2004 Federal tax return was rejected because the date of birth I provided did not match the information currently available on the very ominous sounding "IRS Masterfile". This Masterfile is purportedly based on information provided by the Social Security Administration as I was strongly advised to take the matter up with them. Being very eager to see my somewhat substantial tax refund returned to me as soon as physically possible I immediately phoned the nearest Social Security office. That phone conversation went something like this: Overpaid Government Worker #1: (in broken English) Social Security Administration. Me: Yes, your records have my birth date incorrect and I'd like to get that cleared up. OGW 1: Okay, what you need to do is apply for a new Social Security card. (Silence) Me: And...how do I go about doing that? OGW 1: Well, you need to fill out an SS-5 form and either mail it to us or bring it in with two forms of identification with your new birth date on them. Me: Ummm...it's not really a new birth date. It's the same one that I've had for quite some time now. I just need you guys to correct it in your files. OGW 1: You still need to fill out the form. Me: Okay. What forms of ID will you accept? OGW 1: We'd prefer an original birth certificate. Me: And if I don't have one? OGW 1: Then just bring in two forms of identification with your new birth date on them. Me: (Patiently ignoring repeated generality and semantic error) Such as....? OGW1: Drivers license, employee ID card, health insurance card, life insurance policy... Me: (Interrupting) Passport? OGW 1: Yes, passport is good. Me: Okay. So if I bring my drivers license and my passport in to the office you guys can correct this? OGW 1: If they have your new birth date on them. Me: It's NOT a new...never mind. Thanks for your help. So, today I head down to the Social Security office with my completed SS-5, drivers license and passport in hand. The conversation there went something like this: Overpaid Government Worker #2: What can I do for you? Me: My birth date is wrong in your records and I'd like to get it corrected. OGW 2: Your Social Security number? Me: ###-##-#### OGW 2: Birth date? Me: July 31, 1967. OGW 2: I have June 30, 1967. Me: Yeah...I know. That's why I'm here. OGW 2: You have to get that corrected. Me: (Audible sigh) OGW 2: Identification? Me: (With confidence) I have my passport and my drivers license. OGW 2: Ohhh...I don't think we can accept a passport. Me: (Audible groan) OGW 2: Let me check. Selma! Can we accept passports for changing a birth date? Overpaid Government Worker #3: (Shaking her head) Birth certificate. OGW 2: You need a birth certificate. Me: But I was told on the phone that a passport would work. OGW 2: (Suddenly blessed with the gift of omnipotence) If it were just a typo we could correct it, but our system says your birth date is June 30 so we need a birth certificate to change it. (Prolonged silence) Me: But, you see, it IS just a typo! My birthday is July 31 and it has been for 37 years! My passport verifies this and I needed a birth certificate to get that, you know. OGW 2: We need a certified birth certificate. Me: But I have a passport! It was issued by the U.S. Government!! It's a valid form of identification all over the world!!! I used one to cross into East Germany when I was 20 years old!!!! Those border guards were heavily armed and looking for a reason to send my ass back across the border fer cryin' out loud!!!!! You're just an overpaid pencil pushing bureaucrat whose job, nay, entire existence is a colossal waste of everyone's time!!!!!! I HAVE A PASSPORT, DAMMIT!!!!!!! (Portions of the previous statements may not have been verbally expressed) OGW 2: Next! The Iowa Department of Human Services said that it may take as long as two months for a certified copy of my birth certificate to reach me (yeah, I was born in Iowa...you got a problem with that?). This is pushing the limits of the tax filing deadline as it is and I haven't even taken into account the amount of time the SSA will take to process the information that they should have processed correctly 37 years ago. So, in the interest of speeding up my refund, I may have to simply refile my return using my "new" birth date. It's not like you can get into any trouble by lying to the IRS...right? THE ELDER ADDS: Sounds like Atomizer has signed up for Strom's Posse as a radical tax protester. Although he isn't obviously violent, the final result is just as dangerous.
'Cause He's Bloggin' For A Livin'
From the Economist.com: ROBERT SCOBLE, known in the blogosphere as "the Scobleizer", is a phenomenon not just because he has had an unusually strange career of late, but because his example might mark the beginning of the end of "corporate communications" as we know it. Mr Scoble is, first, a blogger--ie, somebody who keeps an online journal (called a "web log" or "blog") to which he posts thoughts and web links several times a day. But Mr Scoble is also an employee of Microsoft, the world's largest software company, where he holds the official title of "technical evangelist". Those two roles are intertwined. It was his blogging prowess that led to his job, and much of the job consists of blogging. Mr Scoble seems to be worth his salary. He has become a minor celebrity among geeks worldwide, who read his blog religiously. Impressively, he has also succeeded where small armies of more conventional public-relations types have been failing abjectly for years: he has made Microsoft, with its history of monopolistic bullying, appear marginally but noticeably less evil to the outside world, and especially to the independent software developers that are his core audience. Bosses and PR people at other companies are taking note. Sounds like a pretty good gig if you can get it. Here's Scoble's blog.
Illin'
Saturday afternoon, I began to notice the first signs of the cold/influenza-like illness that has afflicted so many of late. That night, I consulted with Doctors Glenrothes, Dalmore, Balvenie, and Hayden to attempt to stave off the contagion (I got a second and third opinion from Dr. Glenrothes just to be on the safe side). Alas the treatment was to no avail. Not that it wasn't an enjoyable regimen, but it proved quite ineffective against the oncoming affliction. Sunday, the symptoms were more noticeable but tolerable. Yesterday, I went through the ringer. Fevers, chills, body aches, head aches, you name the ache, I had it. Today, things are somewhat better and I think I can dimly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Oh, in case you're wondering, yes I do blame Hugh.
Monday, February 14, 2005
He Gets Around
You may know Mark Yost as one of the refreshing, bright young stars of the Pioneer Press editorial page and the conscientious chronicler of the bright young stars of the local blogosphere. But he's much, much more than that. He's also this town's answer to Marlon Perkins. Or is it Marlon Jackson? Which ever, he also travels to exotic places - and writes about it. This time in a little rag called the Sunday New York Times. Yost has a a fascinating article on affordable Colorado ski packages. Excerpt: In my class was Jay Morse, 37, of Lakewood, Colo. He had skied 20 years ago in Maine but not since. And then there was Welwyn Misquitta, a 48-year-old immigrant from India who now lives in Bartlett, Tenn. He, his wife and two sons were visiting because his oldest son was scheduled to go to Snow Mountain for a church retreat in mid-December and they wanted to check it out. "It's lovely," said Mr. Misquitta, who had never been on skis before. "It's the first time we've seen so much snow." Leave it to a Minnesotan (naturalized though he may be) to go to Colorado and bump into a guy from India named Mr. Misquitta. Mark Yost isn't the only local boy recently appearing in the nation's newspaper of record. Today in the NYT, The Northern Alliance's Captain Ed was put on the front lines of defending the legitimacy of the Eason Jordan story. As always, he acquits himself with substance and style. Regarding Ed, reserve a few extra well wishes for him and his lovely wife Marcia. She had a pancreas transplant today, and so far everything is going well. Good luck Ed and Marcia, our prayers are with you.
If there's one thing you can say about dictators, they tend not to work and play well with others. Give a guy complete control of everything and after the re-education camps and mass graves, the next thing you get are highly inconsiderate gestures. Such as:
Fidel Castro warned that the life of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in danger, and said he would blame the United States if his close friend and ally is killed. Castro's remarks came during a six-hour speech that lasted until 4 a.m. Saturday and closed an international globalization conference in Havana attended by hundreds of economists. 6 hours! According to reports, those in attendance were hoping the US would consider killing them as well, if it meant they could get out this conference. An audience for a leftist political rally hasn't been this bored since the coronation of Michael Dukakis in 1988 where a failed governor of a small state (as he was known then) turned in this performance: He made his first during the 1988 gathering in Atlanta, where he delivered a long and rambling keynote address that received its loudest applause from the restless convention crowd when he uttered the phrase: "In conclusion." Not to be outdone in the lack of social graces department, Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, the intended beneficiary of Castro's protective threats, had this say in response: "They are not going to succeed, my dear friend, you will see they will not," added the 50-year-old. "I will become an old man, like you." According to uncorroborated reports, Chavez added: "I'll be so old, I'll start to stink like a dead rat drown in an open sewer hole inside a Turkish prison, like you my friend." Castro's spokesman later attributed that particular odor to an overly fermented Cohiba. Labels: Cuba
Nobody's Monkey
There's a new band I have been listening to lately who call themselves Nobody's Monkey. They describe their influences as Merle Haggard, the Byrds and Ronald Reagan. What? A conservative band? How could there be such a thing? After agreeing to manage them and try to get them booked for various events and parties (I've always fancied myself a bit of a Colonel Parker) they were kind enough to send me the latest song they have recorded called simply "Nick Lied" (Nick? Who is this Nick?). Although the similarities to a certain Merle Haggard nugget called Mama Tried are hard to overlook, the tune is well-played and quite entertaining. But what do I know. Listen for yourself... NickLied.mp3
Friday, February 11, 2005
Breaking News: Jordan Quits!
No, not that Jordan. This Jordan. CNN News Executive Eason Jordan Quits: CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan quit Friday amidst a furor over remarks he made in Switzerland last month about journalists killed by the U.S. military in Iraq. Jordan said he was quitting to avoid CNN being "unfairly tarnished" by the controversy. (Thanks to David for the tip.) UPDATE: Jay Rosen has much more, including CNN's statement. Power Line reacts. UPDATE II: Professor Bainbridge says it's about time.
Say It Ain't So Jo!
Jo boards up her Attic. I have decided to shut down the Attic as I am putting my hat in the race for the open MN Senate seat. Yeah right... No, in all seriousness, I am closing the Attic. The way the blogosphere has changed the political landscape is exciting and impressive. Of course, I will continue to be a reader until the day I die. People that don't read blogs are just never going to get the full story or sometimes the story at all for that matter. Happy trails to you Jo. Until we meet again. Which hopefully won't be long.
Don't Deviate In '08
The Grey Zone pleads for Al Franken to run against Norm Coleman in 2008: On the other hand, I also hope and pray that Al Franken won't be similarly burdened with thoughts of what would be best for his political party in 2008, for the sheer entertainment value as well as gleefully watching another entertainment industry ego find out they're not nearly as important as they think they are.
Lions and Lambs Lying Down Together?
Craig Westover reports on a meeting between the Missionary Man of the blogosphere and some of the local mainstream media. The Hewitt-Beinart Debate wasn't the only stop on Hugh Hewitt's visit to the Twin Cites. Earlier in the day in met with The Pioneer Press Opinion Page Editor, Art Coulson, and Associate Opinion Page Editor, Mark Yost and myself. This was not a formal meeting for Hugh to plug his book "Blog" (but I will) or for the Pioneer Press Editorial Board to grill Hugh for an editorial piece on blogs and blogging. It was an informal discussion with a very specific agenda -- What is the best way to integrate the concept of blogs and blogging into the structure of the Pioneer Press? How might the Pioneer Press move forward to incorporate the "new media" within its current business model? How can the Opinion Page today, take advantage of the talent and resources available in the existing Minnesota blogging community?
Prophetic Separated At Birth?
Yugoslavian Vinko Bogataj tumbling on a ski hill in Oberstdorf, West Germany in 1970 and careening out of control in a moment immortalized by ABC's Wide World of Sports to represent the "agony of defeat" and... Californian Generalissimo Duane (shown here with his skipper) tumbling on a bunny hill in Burnsville, Minnesota later today and careening out of control in a moment sure to be immortalized by anyone with a video camera to represent the "thrill of victory" (for Jay Larson)? To see whether the prophecy comes true, swing by Buck Hill and join the fun which starts at 4:30pm. Hugh Hewitt will be broadcasting live from 5pm-8pm, his loyal producer Duane will be competing against David Wheaton in a ski marathon, and our own Atomizer will be on hand representin' for Fraters. Hugh will be the guy behind the mike. Duane will be the guy falling down the hill. And Atomizer will be the guy holding down the bar.
Hewitt-Beinart Debate Review
AM1280 The Patriot staged another unqualified success last night with the Hugh Hewitt-Peter Beinart debate at the Downtown Hilton. Hundreds of politically savvy and highly social Minnesotans got together for several hours of stimulating conversation, provocative idea exchanges, strong drink, and delicious, succulent chicken dinners. After which we settled in for the spirited debate on the future of the Democratic Party. Peter Beinart proved himself to be a genuinely earnest and affable guy and his presentation won the respect of all in attendance. But the master, Hugh Hewitt, won the day with his persuasive contention that the current leadership and activists in Democratic Party do not take the threats posed by Islamic fascism seriously. Instead, the primary enemy they're dedicated to defeating is the Republican party, the broader national interest be damned. Their behavior is too often motivated by a cynical suspicion of this country's motives and historical role in the world and too often their instinctual sympathies lie with the enemies of America. To quote the man himself: When liberals talk about America's new era, the discussion is largely negative--against the Iraq war, against restrictions on civil liberties, against America's worsening reputation in the world. In sharp contrast to the first years of the cold war, post-September 11 liberalism has produced leaders and institutions--most notably Michael Moore and MoveOn--that do not put the struggle against America's new totalitarian foe at the center of their hopes for a better world. Moore is the most prominent soft in the United States today. Most Democrats agree with him about the Iraq war, about Ashcroft, and about Bush. What they do not recognize, or do not acknowledge, is that Moore does not oppose Bush's policies because he thinks they fail to effectively address the terrorist threat; he does not believe there is a terrorist threat. For Moore, terrorism is an opiate whipped up by corporate bosses. In Dude, Where's My Country?, he says it plainly: "There is no terrorist threat." And he wonders, "Why has our government gone to such absurd lengths to convince us our lives are in danger?" Today, most liberals naïvely consider Moore a useful ally, a bomb-thrower against a right-wing that deserves to be torched. What they do not understand is that his real casualties are on the decent left. When Moore opposes the war against the Taliban, he casts doubt upon the sincerity of liberals who say they opposed the Iraq war because they wanted to win in Afghanistan first. When Moore says terrorism should be no greater a national concern than car accidents or pneumonia, he makes it harder for liberals to claim that their belief in civil liberties does not imply a diminished vigilance against Al Qaeda. Like the softs of the early cold war, MoveOn sees threats to liberalism only on the right. And thus, it makes common cause with the most deeply illiberal elements on the international left. In its campaign against the Iraq war, MoveOn urged its supporters to participate in protests co-sponsored by International answer, a front for the World Workers Party, which has defended Saddam, Slobodan Milosevic, and Kim Jong Il. When George Packer, in The New York Times Magazine, asked Pariser about sharing the stage with apologists for dictators, he replied, "I'm personally against defending Slobodan Milosevic and calling North Korea a socialist heaven, but it's just not relevant right now." Hard to argue with evidence and logic like that. Particularly since they were made by none other than Peter Beinart. They are excerpts from his excellent New Republic essay "A Fighting Faith" (soon to be expanded into a full book treatment). Perhaps it was the mentality of a man who thought he was under siege (I'd surmise their weren't more than a handful of sympathetic liberals in the audience), but at the podium Beinart seemed to shrink from these clear-eyed criticisms of his party. Instead of accepting his own premise that this does represent the leadership and the activist vigor of his party, last night he seemed to dismiss them as a minority view, increasingly in discredit by the Democratic base. During the meet and greet in the hospitality room before hand, I queried Beinart about Howard Dean and how he must be disappointed that a leading figure of the Democratic "softs," as he calls them, has risen to DNC chairman. Much to my surprise, Beinart dismissed that characterization of Dean, instead citing his support of interventions in Kosovo and Bosnia and the First Gulf War as evidence of his hawkish disposition. I must say I didn't follow Dean's career as a foreign policy analyst while he was Governor of Vermont, so I don't know the extent of or reasoning behind his alleged support of these interventions. But I do remember Presidential candidate Dean disparaging the Bush administration's efforts and motives with regard to Iraq and attempting to erode the will of the American people to keep up the fight. If one takes seriously the threat of Islamic fundamentalism and Iraq's vital role in helping to transform the region, Dean's actions can be viewed as nothing more than irresponsible and in spiritual harmony with the likes of Michael Moore and MoveOn.org. The failure of a smart and dedicated Democrat true believer such as Peter Beinart to recognize this illustrates the troubled future of the Democratic party as much as anything said last night. Speaking of illustrations, a couple of talented artists were in attendance last night. I met, in person for the first time, Dan Lacey and his lovely wife Chris from Faithmouse. Dan burned the midnight oil and has already composed a charming take on last night's activities. (Hewitt on the elephant with the lance, Beinart yanking the stubborn donkey on stage - brilliant). Last night during my strolling dinner table ambush interviewing on the Hugh Hewitt show, I happened upon on a 14-year-old George Bush impersonator. Little did I know he was a double threat. Young Thomas Mealy is also the proprietor of the web site Pea Planet. I encourage you to check it out - the graphics and playful interactivity of the site are outstanding. Although I did notice, most pages are still under construction. Come on Thomas, we know you're only 14, but you really need to devote more time to the Web site and less to your personal life. It'll be the perfect training for a blogger. Once again, thanks to AM1280 the Patriot, the Downtown Hilton and everyone who attended last night, a great time was had by all.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Alert the Media
A local subscriber to one of the Star Tribune Electronic Newsletters got this breath taking alert in her email inbox yesterday: From: Star Tribune Newsletters Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2005 12:46:57 -0600 (CST) To: quisling86@yagada.net Subject: News Alert for Feb. 9 startribune.com News Alert Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry plans a speech at noon in which he will concede the race to President Bush. The president is to address the nation at 2 p.m. Go to http://startribune.com Well now, that is some breaking news. Especially since I'm not aware the entire editorial staff of the Star Tribune has fully accepted Bush's election victory yet. But I'm glad to see the journalists aren't afraid to stick their necks out for a story they feel strongly about. And thank goodness they've got editors and standards over there, otherwise their newsletter subscribers might have been subject yesterday to an ALERT about Dewey defeating Truman. Then 26 minutes later, more Star Tribune breaking news arrived: From: Star Tribune Newsletters Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2005 13:12:54 -0600 (CST) To: quisling86@yagada.net Subject: News Alert for Feb. 9 startribune.com News Alert Dayton won't run for re-election Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., said today that he will not run for re-election in 2006. "I do not believe that I am the best candidate to lead the DFL Party to victory next year," Dayton said in a conference phone call with reporters. An earlier version of this newsletter was sent out mistakenly. Go to http://startribune.com Actually, for the Star Tribune, 26 minutes is a pretty good time for correcting mistakes. Given their typical standards of fact checking and accuracy, I can only imagine how many layers of bureaucracy and denial some poor slob on staff had to fight through in order to get this correction printed.
Local blogs are rife with speculation about who will replace Mark Dayton on the Democratic ticket in the '06 Senate race. Even nationally syndicated shock jocks are getting in on the action.
Laura from Edina has an angle that I've yet to see anywhere else: I think the bench is thin. Here's my play if I were DFL...what are the Wellstone boys up to? I can see the Green Bus now...raised like Lazarus. Plus their budget for bumper stickers would be cut in half since everyone still has them on their Subaru. It's almost frightening to imagine how some would react to that scenario. Although it would be hard to top today's news that Al Franken may throw his hat in the ring. The prospect of a Franken campaign has many of us drooling in anticipation. Some of our readers feel the same way. Rick e-mails with a suggestion: Seeing as we should be doing all we can to get Franken to run for Senate, Perhaps we should have an Informal contest for the best Al Franken for Senate Slogan and Bumper Sticker. To get this contest rolling, I am submitting the first entry.  The green and white color scheme is a nice touch. Reminds me of someone... UPDATE: We won't have Al Franken to kick around in 2006. Too bad really. The entries were just starting to flow in. Mike from Clan Keegan submits: I thought it a little similar to the very successful "I Like Ike" buttons. Could do a spinoff version of Al's Pals.  At least there's still hope for '08. UPDATE II: Tom Rosen, has a capital idea which he shares in a comment at Shot In The Dark: I say we try to draft Nick Coleman for Senate! He would be wildly popular (among the DFL), and would have no problem riding the Wellstone bus, since we has a history of riding busses while interviewing the "unfortunate" among us. And both papers could endore him! (Confilict of interest? What's that?) I'd be kinda cool, too, to have the Senators Coleman. Talk about too good to be true. Obvious campaign slogan: Nick Coleman-I Know Stuff. The obvious problem is that Coleman, as he reminds us ad naseum during his radio show, is...(must withhold derisive laughter)...non-partisan. Entries in the Draft Nick contest are now being accepted. Labels: Politics-Local (04-05)
Funnyman Al Franken to announce his candidacy for US Senate.
In related news, price of Dayton v. Kennedy blog common stock plummets further. Price of shares in Radio Air America remain steady. At zero. UPDATE: Franken announces his prospective bid in song, to the tune of George Michael's "Careless Whisper." UPDATE: Franken's first campaign promise, if elected, all Minnesotans to receive gentle shoulder massages from controversial Brooklyn street preachers. UPDATE: During his first term, Franken also pledges to "focus like a laser beam" on guys with bald spots. UPDATE: Franken wrapped up his announcement with the solemn vow: "read my lips .... flaverlooberleebleefullo." We welcome Al Franken to the race for US Senator from Minnesota and sincerely hope he can establish residency within the state's borders within the constitutionally mandated time frame. Labels: Politics-Local (04-05)
Hit & Misc
-Mark Tapscott proposes that Congress Should Post Bills on Web Before Voting: Requiring Congress to post proposed bills on the internet before voting on them is one of the easiest and least expensive ways of using the Internet to help citizens better understand what their government is doing or considering. Hard to argue with that notion. UPDATE: Rod points out that this appears to be exactly what Thomas already does. -DoctorZin from Regime Change Iran (your one stop shop for the latest on Iranian related news and views) reports on another victory for the 'sphere. -The best drama on television right now? Easily Masterpiece Theatre's Island at War, which chronicles the occupation of one of the Channel Islands (the fictional St. Gregory) by the Germans in World War II. Despite the problems I have with PBS, I gotta give them credit for this. Although this guy may not agree. -Drew from Conservative Friends wants to hold John Kerry accountable: One of the posters on my site has recently come up with a great idea and I'm hoping you might help me get the word out on it. Since Kerry has recently been heard on Meet The Press and the Imus show stating that he would sign a Form 180 to release his records, we should make sure that he does just that. -Scott e-mails on a post on stadium financing, which was prompted by a reader in favor of government support: I realize that a comment on a Friday post may not be timely, but I couldn't let this statement go: So it's rather irritating to me that despite the success we've seen with other similar controversial projects (Xcel Center, Target Center, the Metrodome, the Mall of America) The Mall of America is not at all relevant to the discussion of subsidizing sports stadiums. The number of people employed by sports teams is relatively small compared to those employed at MOA. Secondly, how can someone possibly throw the Target Center in as a comparison? It's been awhile, but wasn't that whole deal a public bailout of Harv and Marv when they over extended themselves? -The National Center For Public Policy Research reports that the Associated Press is not objectively reporting the facts on global warming: The Associated Press has recently run two global warming stories by AP Special Correspondent Charles P. Hanley that misrepresent objective facts about climate, apparently for the purpose of leading readers to believe that human activities are causing the planet to warm significantly. The good ol' AP? Imagine that. -Derek from Freedom Dogs points out an article by David Skinner regarding a book on "South Park Conservatives": I CALLED UP Brian Anderson yesterday to ask him a few questions about his forthcoming book, South Park Conservatives: The Revolt Against Liberal Media Bias. -Finally, the Daou Report has moved to Salon.com. As Peter Daou explains: I wanted to drop a quick note to the many bloggers whose work I admire and whose sites I link to: as many of you have noticed, the Daou Report has been picked up as a Salon.com feature. Since the primary purpose of the Daou Report is to draw attention to what I believe is a crucially important dialogue that takes place on blogs and other online discussion forums, I'm very excited about the opportunity to reach a new, larger, and more diverse audience. And no doubt equally excited to be reaching into Salon's larger pocketbook.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
The only saving grace to the local conservative blogosphere for losing the Mark Dayton for Senate campaign could be an Al Franken movement. Long time Franken observer Rick writes in with these thoughts:
Al Franken has been musing about challenging Norm Coleman for the "Wellstone Seat", but I think we ought to put the heat on him to run for the seat that Dayton is vacating. I can imagine the debates, Al's opponent challenges him about the Iraq and social security policy. In response, Franken demands his opponent to concede that Stuart Smalley is funny. As Rick eludes to, that was the strategy last time Franken had to face a Republican heavyweight in the court of public opinion. Although it can't be said to be a wholly successful strategy. Quoth Hinderaker: I can say without hesitation that it was the stupidest interview I have ever been involved in. THE ELDER ADDS: Talk about serendipity. I just happened to listen to the Al Franken radio show today for the first time in months. Franken was alleging that Brit Hume and Bill Bennett were playing fast and loose with an FDR quote on Social Security. He accused them both intentionally misstating FDR's views and was outraged that they were getting away their outright lying while Dan Rather was hammered for being guilty of nothing more than "insufficient skepticism." Yes, we will miss Mark Dayton. But having Franken to kick around for a campaign cycle might just make up for it. Labels: Politics-Local (04-05)
This is a must see for all visitors:
You've just been roaming the dimly lit subterranean corridors of the Cabinet War Rooms--the very space beneath Her Majesty's Treasury from which Winston Churchill directed Britain's war effort, spoke to Franklin Roosevelt by telephone and broadcast some his greatest orations--when you reach the threshold of the magnificent new Churchill Museum. There's a quote on the wall: "We are all worms," says Churchill from the grave, "but I do believe I am a glow worm." Welcome to the first permanent national exhibition dedicated to the life and achievements of the man voted by the British public in 2002 as the Greatest Briton ever. Housed in a long-abandoned storage area, the museum took £6 million ($11.1 million), and more than two years, to realize. Approximately 25% of the funding came from U.S. donors, along with several of the artifacts, including Sir Winston's polo pants, which were given by an unnamed American collector who "flew to London in his private jet," relates museum director Phil Reed, "and handed them to me over breakfast at the Ritz." I'm proud to say that I did my part, as I hit the tip jar when my wife and I toured the Cabinet War Rooms in November 2003. UPDATE: Here is a link to the museum itself. Happy now James? Labels: Britain
Once again the Northern Alliance Radio Network will be filling in for Hugh Hewitt on his nationally syndicated talk show. Tonight, it will be Mitch, Ed, and King behind the mikes.
KARE 11 will also broadcast a story on local bloggers on the 10pm news tonight, featuring the boys at Power Line as well as some footage of the NARN in action. Labels: NARN (04-05)
Collateral Damage
The award for shortest career as a mouthpiece for the Democratic party goes to ... Brian Lambert. That is, if you don't count his freelance Democratic party mouthpiecing during his previous 15 years with the Pioneer Press. But it was only 11 short days ago he got his mind and his paycheck stubs aligned. According to the Star Tribune: Sen. Mark Dayton has hired former St. Paul Pioneer Press media critic Brian Lambert as his senior media adviser, Lambert confirmed Friday. He won't be Dayton's spokesman, but he will "be working with the press in the Twin Cities and around the state, helping with op/ed pieces and writing speeches," Lambert said of his new job, which begins Monday. Writing speeches? I wonder if he was involved in crafting today's performance? According to King Banaian: I had two faculty members pretty much run to my office to tell me: Dayton does a five-minute press conference, reads his statement, and on the radio you could hear the phone click, indicating he ended the conference in some haste. Well ... in Lambert's defense, he only had his job for 11 days. What did you expect, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address? For a glimpse of the glory that might have been, we turn back the clock 11 days (again from the Star Tribune): "In many ways, Senator Dayton is not completely defined for the people of Minnesota," [WCCO-TV's Pat] Kessler said. Lambert's appointment "is a signal that he is going to be very aggressive in getting his message and his image out in the next two years." Or ... it's a signal he's about to quit. (But maybe it was done "very aggressively," I've yet to hear the tape.) Either way, we wish Senator Dayton and Brian Lambert the best in the future. According to show business precedent, there's always room for another paid mouthpiece in a ventriloquist act.
Breaking News
Dayton not running for Senate in '06. In related news, price plummets in Dayton v. Kenney blog common stock. UDPATE: More news here. According to this source, being a multi-millionaire and an incumbent just aint enough to cut it anymore for a US Senate candidacy. This exclusive photo shows Mark Dayton reacting to this shocking turn of events. UPDATE: Mark Dayton announces he's going to continue to serve America by joining cast of Up With Democratic People! UPDATE: Following their nationwide tour, he'll then debut his new ventriloquist act, featuring a lifesize replica of Andy Dick. UPDATE: Ultimately, he'll return to Minnesota to pursue his real dream, big time, professional bingo calling.
Breaking News As It Is About To Happen
Yesterday, there was a rumor that Mark Dayton's chief fundraiser had resigned to work for Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch. This fueled speculation that Dayton might not run for reelection in '06. Today, the Strib is reporting that Dayton expected to bow out of re-election bid (thanks Tom): Minnesota Democratic sources said they believe Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., will announce today that he will not seek reelection to a second term in the Senate. Two knowledgeable Democratic sources said Dayton was believed to have made the decision because of a series of events that darkened his reelection prospects. A new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll showed his approval rating had plummeted to 43 percent, and Republicans have already made the freshman Democrat their top target for ouster in next year's election. One source said Dayton told his staff in Minnesota and Washington of his decision shortly before noon today. Dayton has scheduled a telephone news conference at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. More as this story unfolds. Good news for Minnesota. Bad news for local bloggers who have enjoyed Dayton as a rich target of opportunity. REALLY bad news for one blog in particular. UPDATE: Saint Paul and I prove once again that great minds do indeed think alike (and receive the same e-mails from readers).
Posse Stromitatus?
David Strom is the President of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and a jovial, ebullient fellow. He gets a lot of flack for daring to stand up and protect Minnesota citizens and businesses from the groping, confiscatory paws of government. The local media has described David as a villain, compared him to the devil, and painted him as public enemy #1. For the most part, he revels in such abuse, regarding it (rightly) as a sign of the effectiveness of the Taxpayers League. But the latest smear to emerge against Strom and the Taxpayers League is no laughing matter. An article written by Corporal Timothy Jensen, President of the Minnesota State Patrol Trooper's Association compares Strom and the Taxpayers League with the Posse Comitatus (Latin: "power or force of the county"), a lunatic fringe racist organization with a history of violence: As radical as the Posse Comitatus is about protesting taxes, we have a radical anti-tax organization within our own state that advocates some of the same Posse principles Where the Posse uses violence and irrational right-wing beliefs to advance its cause, our Minnesota organization uses money, threats and political blackmail to enforce its anti-tax, anti-government agenda. The organization is proud of its "no new taxes" pledge it has blackmailed many of our elected officials into signing, and posts its conquests prominently on its website. Although the organization isn't obviously violent, its final result is just as dangerous. We have radicals dictating how our quality of life will be affected. Mitch Berg is all over this outrageous defamation and I strongly encourage you to read his analysis, especially the background of the infamous 1983 Posse Comitatus shootings in North Dakota. He also provides a copy of Jensen's article and suggestions of what we can do to express our displeasure with Corporal Jensen. Chumley at Plastic Hallway and Doug from Bogus Gold are also on the case. For me, Jensen's most egregious comment (other than his claim to be a conservative) is: "Although the organization isn't obviously violent, its final result is just as dangerous." When he says that the Taxpayers League "isn't obviously violent", his implication is that it has the capacity to be violent, but we just haven't seen it manifested yet. And the claim that the end result if the goals of the Taxpayers League and Posse Comitatus are achieved would be the same is ludicrous. The Taxpayers League: The Taxpayers League of Minnesota is a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots taxpayer advocacy organization which fights for lower taxes, limited government and full empowerment of taxpaying citizens in accordance with Constitutional principles. The Taxpayers League's mission is to represent Minnesotans who believe in limited government, low taxation, local control, free enterprise and the Constitutional principles set out by our nation's founders. The Taxpayers League is fighting to reduce and reform taxation, eliminate government waste, and improve efficiency. It serves as a strong voice for all taxpaying citizens in Minnesota. The Posse Comitatus: I ask you now to join with us, our duly elected Sheriff's and kindred in our plan to take back this nation county by county and force this domestic enemy, this non-white alien invasion from our shores. Hail YHVH and our Victory! and Since we, the people, the upright members of the body politic, are the rulers and masters in this self-governing REPUBLIC, is it right that our public servants should attempt to REVERSE ROLES with us? Is it right that they should tell us that THEY and the MASTERS and that WE are now the SERVANTS? If so - WHAT IS THE FINAL SOLUTION? (Interesting side note: one of the links on the Posse Comitatus web page is to the Earth Liberation Front. Talk about strange bedfellows. This gives me an idea. I'll write a post comparing ELF and the National Audubon Society, 'cause, you know, "the final results are just as dangerous.") Corporal Jensen's article is beyond the pale and nothing less than an immediate retraction and apology to David Strom and the Taxpayers League (perhaps live on this Saturday's Taxpayers League show on the Patriot) will suffice. This cannot stand.
The Smoking Ban Cometh
Hey, if it's good for Cuba, it must be good for Minnesota, right? The Minnesota Senate is currently considering a state wide smoking ban that would warm Fidel's heart. Be sure to check out Craig Westover for regular updates as another freedom goes slip slidin' away.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
In The Glass
I discovered a new drink this weekend. Don't know if there is a name for it, but it consists of Jim Beam Black, Apple Pucker and a splash of cranberry. It may sound a little on the cute side with the Pucker, but this thing has a kick. I slurped down two during the first quarter of the Super Bowl and began singing Harry Belafonte songs before the Doubtlessette cut me off (she said I was acting qoute-un-qoute "weird"). That's the funny thing about new cocktails: you never know what they might do to you. It's also part of the fun. Have I mentioned how good (and relatively cheap) the Jim Beam Black is? It is every bit as tasty as Makers Mark or Knob Creek, but it's 7-8 dollars a fifth less. It was so reasonable that I actually picked up one of those alcoholic-approved 175's the other day for 30 bucks. I've never bought such a quantity in one container and I must admit feeling somewhat sheepish when I brought it up to the counter. I feel like I may have crossed some kind of line with that purchase. It's like when a smoker buys their first carton or when a teenaged fat dude orders his first large pizza alone--there's just something about buying that much booze knowing that you will be the only one consuming it. And that something is FREEDOM! Gotta go now, I'm powerful thirsty!
A Shrug And A Plug
I am a glutton for punishment. For the past several days I have curbed my consumption of listenable morning radio, in the form of Bob Davis, to give a good listen to what the other side is saying. While torturing myself this morning I was left dumbfounded by the comments of a one particular female caller sympathetic to the host's view that the current Republican administrations (both in St. Paul and D.C.) are laying waste to everything from public schools in Minnesota to the environment on Mars. This obviously despondent caller actually said: "Do we have any other choices besides leaving the country or cutting our throats?" For all I care Little Miss Malaise and her ilk can go ahead and do both, but it confounds me as to why so many on the left cannot grasp the possibility that there are other options. How about taking back control of your own party so unbalanced chuckleheads like Howard Dean, George Soros, Michael Moore and Al Gore aren't turning off millions of Americans each and every election? How about pulling your heads out of your tear stained pillows long enough to finally get over the fact that you've lost two straight Presidential elections and get started on dealing with reality? How about coming to grips with the fact that, despite your bitter disappointment, there will be a future? Make your minds up to either make a meaningful contribution to that future or get the hell out of the way. Granted, I'm more than happy about the sorry state of the Democratic Party today. The more they continue on their tailspin towards insignificance the better. But the constant wailing and gnashing of teeth is getting very tiresome. Hopefully, we'll hear more than wailing and gnashing from Peter Beinart this Thursday when he squares off against shock jock Hugh Hewitt in Minneapolis. They'll be debating this very topic and, if Hugh's weekly conversations with Peter are any indication, it's going to be a very memorable evening...if Hugh can stay healthy, that is.
Hugh Hewitt On Ice IV: The Hills ARE Alive
He's been in an ice house on a frozen lake, on the ice at a hockey arena, and on a snowmobile whipping across a frozen lake with temps well below zero. And now for this year's version of Hugh Hewitt On Ice, to be held this Friday February 11th, he'll be appearing at... ...a ski hill? Okay, it's not really ice per se, but it is a winter sport and it is outdoors. Unfortunately, we've been experiencing unseasonably warm weather lately, and, even though the temps have dropped back down to wintery levels in the last couple of days, the forecast for Friday is for highs in the low to mid-thirties. Not exactly the Artic blast that we'd like to welcome a couple of California softies like Hugh and Duane. We'll have to see if we can hit 'em with a snow making machine to make sure they get a taste of ol' Man Winter. Come on down to Buck Hill in Burnsville (right off 35W) to catch all the action. Rumor has it that Duane is quite the gnarly airdog and that he'll be pulling nose manuals and ollies, rinsing the QP, and may even gap Jay Larson. Doing it all one-footy of course. Let's hope that the flamboyant weezy doesn't crater or get into a fraggle. Hugh meanwhile is a an ol' pops hoedad who likely won't leave the comfort of the shack, although I wouldn't be surprised if he squeezes in a ganjala ride if he gets a chance. (Let's see Google Ads put that in their half pipe and smoke it.) The fun starts at 5pm as Hugh will be broadcasting live from the chalet. Coffee and hot chocolate will be available and I wouldn't be surprised if Atomizer didn't show up hoping to be "rescued."
He Gets It! He Gets It! Hey Nicky!
Has he finally come over to the dark side? The stoic skeptics at Spitbull aren't so sure.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Tomorrow night, Saint Paul and I will be joining Mitch Berg as
On Wednesday night, local television news station KARE 11 will have a story on local bloggers, featuring the boys at Power Line as well as some footage of the NARN in action. Set your TIVOs now. UPDATE: The KARE story will air on the 10pm news. Labels: NARN (04-05)
The Devil We Know
David Strom and the Tax Payers League have been taking even more bashing than usual of late from all the usual suspects advocating increased government spending and largesse. The new legislative session has begun and higher taxes is Job One for most within in the DFL. And those who effectively stand in the way of not increasing taxes must be demonized - literally. The latest example is from the Sunday Star Tribune: Gov. Tim Pawlenty, like many members of the Legislature, wears his religion on his sleeve. He is also a supporter of gambling -- euphemistically called "gaming." Why does a good Christian like the governor support spending taxpayer dollars to build a casino? The answer is not redeeming: It's about money and ambition. Pawlenty made a pact with his own devil: the Taxpayers League of Minnesota. The above, bylined with: C. Ford Runge is distinguished McKnight university professor of applied economics and law at the University of Minnesota. Leaving aside issues of scholarly fairness in characterizing the heroes of the middle class and all around nice guys at the TPL as "Satan!" (cue Church Lady echo effect), what's this BS with having the word "distinguished" included in your title? "Distinguished," meaning: characterized by excellence or distinction; eminent. In a job title? It sounds more than a little grandiose to me. Or maybe it's something you get from your boss in lieu of even a cost-of-living increase in your salary for the fourth straight year. There I go again, thinking like a private sector employee (and a lousy one, at that). Apparently, in the realm of public employees (the University of Minnesota), the term "distinguished" is handed out in addition to a fat bonus: The purpose of the Professorship is to recognize and reward our most outstanding mid-career faculty. Recipients are honored with the title Distinguished McKnight University Professor, which they will hold for as long as they remain at the University of Minnesota. The grant associated with the Professorship consists of $100,000 to be expended over five years. 100 large? Nice little bump, C. Ford! If that's what he got, I can see why he might not be too concerned about tax increases in the near future. I'm not at all familiar with his career and I suspect neither are most readers of the Star Tribune editorial page. C. Ford Runge may very well be distinguished. But how do we know that? Superficial research shows he certainly appears to test well. He's a Rhodes Scholar, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (at least according to the distinguished conspiracy theorists at Illuminati Conspiracy Archive), and now he's getting commentary pieces published in a space often occupied by Syl Jones. All very impressive, indeed. But, I say, have a little confidence in your abilities man! Why insist on telling us you're distinguished when you could just as easily show us? My advice, drop the eminence front, leave the grandiose adjectives off the business cards, and demonstrate to us non professors of applied economics and law some actual distinguishing characteristics. I'm easily impressed, trust me. But equating honest, hard-working, and well-liked advocates for lower taxes with the Dark Prince of the Infernal Regions - bad start. That's not distinguished. And, really, more appropriate for the Illuminati Conspiracy Archive.
Living Vicariously?
White House Letter: Why is Bush reading Tom Wolfe? Don't ask: It is unclear exactly what Bush liked so much about the book, which is told from the point of view of a young woman from the God-fearing backwoods of North Carolina, Charlotte Simmons, the first in her family to go to college. Charlotte, who is at first shocked by the booze and debauchery she encounters at Wolfe's Dupont University, modeled on Duke among others, eventually succumbs in a chapter-long deflowering scene at the hands of a drunken fraternity rat. Then she sinks into depression. Bush, who was the hard-drinking, hard-partying president of the jock fraternity at Yale, Delta Kappa Epsilon, is also the father of two partying twins, Jenna and Barbara. Jenna graduated last year from the University of Texas and Barbara from Yale, and on neither campus is the milieu of Charlotte Simmons entirely foreign. Does Bush like the book because it is a journey back to his keg nights at Deke, or because it offers a glimpse into the world of his daughters' generation? Or does he like the writing? Or is it all of the above? Yeah, as if the smirking chimp really knows who to read. More spin from Rove's right wing noise machine.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
We Will Always Remember
Trey Jackson has put together a tribute to Ronald Reagan to help celebrate his birthday.
Bizarre Lefty Bumper Sticker Of The Day
Spotted in a Byerly's parking lot, with a green background and white letters: "God kept Wellstone honest" WTF? The less than clear nature of this message could lead some to come up with interpretations that I don't think were intended. UPDATE: Upon further review, this may have actually been a bizarre RIGHTY bumper sticker of the day. Craig e-mails: I think you're on the wrong side of the political spectrum. Isn't that a "righty" bumper sticker meaning Wellstone wasn't meant to go back on his promise not to run for a third term? This theory might be confirmed by Jim's comments: My first thought was, "too bad he wasn't his co-pilot."
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Objective Dearth Lamented
Following in the steps of Jay Benanav, Dave Thune becomes the second St. Paul City Councilman to notice the Pioneer Press editorial page is no longer in orbit around the local DFL headquarters. From the City Pages Letters section: Since our local daily paper became a partner in the chamber of commerce's effort to reelect the mayor [Randy Kelly], there has been a dearth of objective editorializing. I'm not sure what's funnier, the attempted demonizing of private business (does anybody hate the Chamber of Commerce anymore? Even City Pages readers?), the pining for the "objective" standards of the Ron Clark-Glenda Holste era of editorial control, or the fact that Dave Thune's final court of appeal is the Letters to the Editor section of the City Pages. UPDATE: In the Thune letter, Greg from What Attitude Problem? spots an oxymoron: What I want to know is wtf is "objective editorializing"? Isn't that a little like long shorts, jumbo shrimp, college education, et al? Yes, not to mention tight slacks, head butt, and living dead. Coincidently, all terms also occasionally associated with the St. Paul City Council.
The Picture of Dorian DeLuise
Frank Caliendo is one of the best comedians working in stand up today. And he is, bar none, the finest comedic impressionist of this generation. And, according to some, he looks strikingly similar to me, plus about 35 pounds. I consider myself extraordinarly lucky to have this celebrity doppelganger running around out there. How many others in this world have a comprehensive photographic record available of what they'd look like if really let themselves go? For example, if they started gorging on free burritos twice a week. Then started sacrificing all dignity for laughs? And then, worst of all, they started hanging out with a bunch of loud-mouthed AM radio shock jocks? With these stark warnings of what could be, I'm hopeful I can avoid these destructive behaviors and continue living clean and lean.
Friday, February 04, 2005
Speak Softly And Carry A Big Stick
For a true hockey fan, the free video clip available here is absolutely priceless. Talk about talking the talk. Not for the faint of heart or easily offended. Damn, I miss the NHL.
Random Rumblings
Tobin writes on the seemingly never ending stadium debate here in Minnesota: Coinciding with the end of the Vikings season, with this year's legislative session the stadium issue is bound to heat up once again. I'm a firm believer that the state benefits from having professional sports teams for many reasons. Since I'm not a Vikings or Twins fan (although I do cheer for the Timberwolves, Wild and Gophers) the primary reason I'm in favor of building stadium(s) is economic benefits. It's because of the Twins and/or Vikings that the Metrodome exists. And it looking at the history of that facility, it seems that it has been one of the best investments that state lawmakers have ever made. It was completed on time and under budget and was completely paid for years ago. The revenue that it has *produced* over the years couldn't have been duplicated by any other means: the tax revenue from players' salaries (both home team and opposing players) the economic benefit similar to what St. Paul has seen from the Xcel Center and the benefit from special events such as Final Four basketball tournaments (why else would people from North Carolina come to Minnesota in March?). So it's rather irritating to me that despite the success we've seen with other similar controversial projects (Xcel Center, Target Center, the Metrodome, the Mall of America) that the current stadium issue has stalled for so long. I have no doubt that if Red McCombs remains the owner of the Vikings he will attempt to move them out of the state if the current no-progress scenario is repeated. While this may not be material you want to discuss on the Fraters blog, I'm interested in your views. Public financing for professional sports stadiums is an issue that I've had a change of heart on in recent years. I was a proponent in the past, mostly for selfish motives. I wanted an NHL team in St. Paul and I wanted (and still do want) to be able to watch baseball games the way they were meant to be watched: outside. Since the State was already spending obscene amounts of money on other ventures that provided little or no benefit to me, why shouldn't some of my hard earned (and easily confiscated) tax dollars go to something that I would actually enjoy for a change? I also bought into the notion that stadiums were good for the local economies: revitalization of neighborhoods, multiplier factors and all that. Now, I've come to realize that public spending on pro stadiums is not an appropriate function for government and I oppose any and all stadium proposals that involve public financing on that principle. I may want to watch the Twins play in the open air, but I can't in good conscience call for government spending to make it happen. And almost every study on the subject (King could confirm this) has shown that there is no overall net economic benefit to building stadiums for communities. All you end up doing is diverting money from one place to another. Dean has some advice and a warning: I read your blog daily, love the radio show... I think you guys are getting too big for your britches however. I think you'se have Andrew Sullivan syndrome. 'Crainius Gigantus'. Keep thinking locally please! Anyway... It's easy to get past the www.startribune.com registration page. When you click on a link that brings you to the registration page, immediately click on the "back" button. If you click back and forward enough times, usually five or six times, you will get through to the article you want. Often you have to go back two levels to the Strib homepage and then forward again to the article. It always works for me. Andrew Sullivan Syndrome eh? That may explain the hiatus that JB's been on lately. Should I be worried about the rumor that he's looking into a timeshare in P- Town? Mike passes on a discovery: For reasons I won't disclose, I was searching Google Images for "passed out drunk", and guess who's first in line? Congratulations. Thanks Mike. Our parents will be so proud. Speaking of passed out drunk, Joshua from Three Knockdown Rule, submits this for our consideration: I didn't know which of the wunderkinds at your blog to mail this to, so if you aren't the right one, please forward it to the blogger with the most drinking experience. This article from the Drudge Report needs the commentary of a true expert in the field of alcohol consumption. Naturally Fraters Libertas sprang to mind. Naturally Atomizer sprang to mind. His response: "Sherry enemas? What a joke. Everyone knows that real men only use gin. There is nothing like the sensation of a Bombay Sapphire blast. Clears out your system and gives you a nice buzz to boot. Why do you think I also leave Keegan's early on Thursday nights? To see my wife?"
And That Foot Was Him
John Vernon is dead. Vernon is best known for his role as Dean Vernon Wormer in "Animal House", the movie about the original misanthropic frat boys of Delta Tau Chi. Vernon's passing got me to thinking (always a dangerous thing) about how "Animal House" might be updated to deal with some present day misanthropes. I envision one particularly memorable scence proceeding as follows: Hugh Hewitt: Generalissimo, what is the worst blog in the Northern Alliance? Generalissimo: Well that would be hard to say, sir. They're each outstanding in their own way. Hugh: Cut the crap, son. I've got their disciplinary files right here. Who dropped a whole truckload of fizzies into Hindrocket's pool? Who delivered the medical school cadavers to the SCSU alumni dinner? Every Halloween, Mitch Berg's trees are filled with underwear. Every time Lileks has them over, the toilets explode. Generalissimo: You're talking about Fraters Libertas, sir. Hugh: Of course I'm talking about Fraters Libertas, you twerp! Hugh Hewitt...what a tool.
Escalator to the Stars
Keegan's Thursday night trivia has slowly, but surely, grown into the best Thursday night party in town. More and more, folks from the local amateur Internet editorializing community have been appearing to attach smiling faces to their URLs. And regularly we're getting attendance from the finest and most affable of mainstream media types, politicians, political operatives, and trademark image thieves in the business. The crowd even includes at least a semblance of ideological diversity, with a few self selected token liberals making regular appearances. And, much to our surprise, they don't have horns and hooves and try to stick us with the tab every time (they only stick us with the tab some of the time). The attraction for all, I think, is the purely social context. Despite all of our great political interest, there are no presentations, no speeches, no calls to action, no pretentious common cause. Most of the time no politics at all intrude. It's drinking and talking and laughing, the most universal common causes of all. The pre-trivia banter, the during trivia scheming, ciphering, and vicious backstabbing, and the post-trivia celebration of the winners and consoling of the losers, it's all good stuff. Being among the gainfully employed demographic, most folks don't stick around too long after the pub quiz ends at 9 PM. Understandable, but those who leave don't know what they're missing. A chance to see the performance of, perhaps, the next Michael Hutchence. No, I'm not about to make a tasteless Marty Neumann autoerotic asphyxiation joke. (Or did I just make one?) Instead I refer to Keegan's regular Nathan Anderson. He's not theone who used to be on the Real World (that guy used to play on Tuesday nights). Nathan Anderson is the talented singer/songwriter/guitar player often seen on Thursday nights. And perhaps appearing soon on a TV screen near you. There's a new reality TV series in production, called Rock Star. Based on the Marky Mark Wahlberg (sans Funky Bunch) vehicle of a few years ago, its mission is to cast the new lead singer of INXS via a national talent show search. The producers of said program showed up at 1st Avenue this week and, according to the Pioneer Press, came across this aspirant: Nathan Anderson, 27, does contracting work during the day and plays clubs by night. Wearing standard street clothes and his company's hat, Anderson played an original, "Sweet Misery," in a breathy voice that suggested light-rock crooner John Mayer. "I blew off a 9 a.m. appointment to be here," Anderson said. "They're having callbacks on Thursday, and I think I've got better odds here than with a record label." I'm not sure Terry Keegan is going to appreciate his weekly wardrobe and hairstyling consultation being so cavalierly dismissed. But a guy's got to do what a guy's got to do. And Nathan has the talent, the drive, and a dream. And, as he says: "It seems like anyone can make it as long as the right opportunity comes along," said Anderson, as he grabbed his guitar and headed to his 9 a.m. appointment five hours late. Well, almost anyone can make it. Let's not be too hard on the ol' Nihilist in Golf Pants. He certainly tries hard enough and he's got a dream too. It just happens to be limited to having a few drinks and performing Elvis Presley impersonations at public functions (wedding receptions, bar mitzvahs, Irish wakes, traffic court, it doesn't matter). But maybe his dreams aren't so limited after all. Again, from Nathan Anderson: My musical life started when my mother bought a karaoke machine. She purchased only Elvis tapes and insisted that I "sing like the king," which was consequently the name of the tapes. I practiced and got enough courage to enter the school talent show. So I sang "In The Ghetto" and won. It was an awesome feeling being in front of all those people. If Nathan Anderson becomes the next Michael Hutchence, maybe the Nihilist in Golfpants can become the next Nathan Anderson? That would be Thursday night entertainment worth sticking around for. And Lordy, what Terry Keegan could do with his hair and wardrobe.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
When A Young Man's Thoughts Turn To Peter Beinart
We're only a week away from the highly anticipated, much talked about Wiltin' At The Hilton, a debate to end all debates between silver haired soothsayer Hugh Hewitt and the New Republic's boy wonder, Peter Beinart. The terrible twosome will be tangling over the future of the Democratic Party and its expected that this will be a gloves off, no-holds barred, bare-knuckled brawl. Tickets are still available and if you order now, you'll receive a free copy of Hugh's much praised and relentlessly plugged book, Blog : Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World. In keeping with the motto of the event, "Feel the Love with Hugh Hewitt and Peter Beinart", AM 1280 - The Patriot is also going to be giving away special romantic prizes such as hotel getaways, spa gift certificates, back rubs from Jay Larson, etc. Who says that the Patriot's promotions director never has any good ideas? The boys of the NARN will be in attendance as well, working the crowd, networking, trying to squeeze as many drinks on the Taxpayers League's tab as possible, and cheering for our dog in the fight. And for me that dog will be Peter Beinart. That's right. I'll be in Beinart's corner next Thursday night. Why? Because he's the plucky underdog. The David going up against Goliath. Think about what he's stepping into. He'll be debating in front of a hostile, mostly pro-Hugh crowd. And the moderator of the debate will be one of Hugh's ideological brethren, Scott Johnson from Power Line. That's like fighting Mike Tyson in his prime in a gym in Brooklyn with Don King as the referee. That takes guts. And I respect guts. So I ask those who will be attending the debate to join me in backing Beinart. It's not the popular thing to do, but in your heart you know it's the right thing to do. And if enough brave souls have the courage to stand alongside us, this is the scene that we may well see played out on February 10th: Audience: Boo! Boo! Hewitt: Generalissimo...are they booing me? Generalissimo: Uh, no, they're saying "Hugh! Hugh!" Hewitt: Are you saying "boo" or "Hugh"? Audience: Boo! Boo! Atomizer: I was saying "Hugh"...
Will Blog for Food
The recent talk of starving suburbanites puts in stark relief the scene witnessed outside the new Chipotle in Stillwater on Tuesday afternoon. Yes, another long line of people formed, waiting to get in and be fed. The wretched refuse, the tired, the poor, the huddled masses, yearning to eat free. It was a sad commentary on something. (Especially since I was in their number. Yes, I went back! And got huge, free burritos, and it was great!) But, through the clouded lenses of faith-based class conflict and lazy research, maybe these suburbanites were only lined up for free food because they had to be. Maybe it was all they could afford. I ain't no economics professor, but I think 'free' is going to be a difficult price point for any restaurant to sustain over the long haul. And if suburban starvation really is the next megatrend of the Bush economy, I have to expect our brand new, shiny burrito express to crater in the marketplace shortly. And that is the moment I will join in the plaintive wail of "your fast food franchises are burning!" and I too will march in lockstep coordination toward the bright red future of mass prosperity through higher taxes.
Old Wrestlers Never Die...
...they just hang out at reunions in Florida. Mark Yost has all the eye-gouching details in this piece at OpinionJournal. This has to be my favorite "where are they now?": Other wrestlers talked about how the sport has changed. "There's a lot of talking, a lot of wasted motion," said Ted DiBiase, 51, who wrestled as "The Million Dollar Man" and was famous for his "sleeper" hold that rendered opponents unconscious. Today he lives a quiet life in Mississippi with his family as an evangelical minister and spokesman for the Sunshine Foundation, which grants wishes to critically ill children.
Hands Down Winner
I had a hockey game tonight and was unable to take in the State of the Union in its entirety. I watched the first fifteen minutes at home, listened to the next half hour in the car on the way to rink, and caught the last fifteen minutes on a replay at home after the game. For detailed blow by blow analysis, check out Hugh, John, and Ed. Overall, I was quite happy with what I heard. There was not much pandering by SOTU standards and Bush was clear about where he stands on the major issues of the day. And there wasn't much of the "reaching across the aisle" crap either, at least not where it really counts. I know that there are some who feel that his plan for Social Security reform is a side show. And obviously, compared to the war it is. But for me it is a critical matter that has not been given the attention that I feel it deserves. Now that the President is making it one of his major policy initiatives, it gives me one more reason to back him. In the past my support for Bush has rested mostly on his conduct of the war and his tax cuts. Social Security reform has become a third strong pillar of support. The main problems that I have with the Bush administration are domestic spending and immigration, with immigration fast becoming my main concern. He talked the good talk on spending tonight, we'll have to see if he walks the walk. Unless I missed it, there was nothing in the SOTU on immigration which I suppose is okay since every time Bush opens his mouth on the subject I find myself wincing. Three on one hand (the war being the biggest), two on the other. Advantage GW. Oh, that little ink on the fingers thing by some of the Republicans? Cheesy, really cheesy guys. UPDATE: John a.k.a. PolicyGuy, points out that Bush did briefly touch on immigration in the SOTU: America's immigration system is also outdated -- unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want only to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing workers, and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists. (wince) Not calling it amnesty doesn't mean that it's not.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Can You Say That? Update
Apparently I was not the only one who noticed Dennis Prager's passionate profanity last week. Donovan at Blogovan captured it for posterity and if you ask nicely, you can listen to it here.
Pancaked By Reality
What happens when a well-respected economist hauling a truckload of facts slams into a hack columnist? Let's just say that it's not a pretty site. King examines a couple of claims of dire economic conditions made by Nick Coleman and finds (surprise, surprise) that they have no basis in fact. Will they never learn?
Smarter Than Your Average Bear
From today's Strib (I know, I know. The registration blows, but it's the only place I could find the story) we learn: While it's sometimes hard to puzzle through why we live here at all, Men's Health Magazine has determined that Minneapolis and St. Paul are among the smartest cities in the United States. In its current publication, the magazine listed Minneapolis No. 1 in "intelligence" and St. Paul No. 4 in its ranking of 101 cities. Criteria included the number of bachelor's degrees per capita, the number of universities, inhabitants' SAT scores, the number of Nobel Prize winners for physics and medicine born within the cities' borders, and state creativity scores as assessed by a group led by the man who wrote "The Rise of the Creative Class." A guy named Florida. Richard Florida. The rankings caught some by surprise. "Really?" said Jim Blackmore, national marketing director for MENSA, the international brainiacs' club. "Where does Boston fall in that ranking?" Answer: second. Denver was third. Seattle (5) and San Francisco (6) were the only other cities to receive A+ grades. Hmmm....I wonder where Los Angeles ranks? Or Cleveland? I tried in vain to find the complete list at the Men's Health web site, which is one of the poorest magazine sites that I've ever come across. Believe it or not, I used to subscribe to Men's Health some years ago, before realizing that it was nothing more than a male version of Cosmo. How many articles can you read about rock hard abs anyway? UPDATE- Paul e-mails with an explanation: They must have sent someone to Keegan's on a Thursday night.
In Good Company
A diary of a hostage at TCS: 31 January 2005: Today my captors took my picture outside, in front of a special banner that was deliberately repetitive and misspelled in order to honor the stuttering illiterates of Iraq. "Is good," said Evil Bert, sounding like a cross between Andy Kaufman and Dr. Nick Riviera. "Now decadent American press will see picture on our website and report that live American soldier held captive. Momentum from election blunted. Boxer-Kennedy win in 2008!" "No chance, you unibrowed monster," I growled. "There's no way that America's mainstream media would ever fall for such a ruse. The second you post that picture on the Internet, crack investigative teams from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and The New York Times and, above all, CBS News will be on hand to check facts, verify data, and offer uncompromising insights into the validity of your photograph, even if doing so will force them to lose a potential scoop while indirectly aiding the Bush administration." Let's just hope they send someone who knows stuff.
Bad Air, Indeed
I guess they're right about the air being bad in Minneapolis today. Nick Coleman has his own show on the local Air America affiliate. With no time to do any live blogging of the train wreck, I'll just give you some choice nuggets from Nick's mouth in the past 45 minutes: "The right wing doesn't believe in public education." "...right wing wankers..." "NPR is...like...for intellectuals." "I'm not in any party. I'm nobody's monkey" "The right wing noise machine has the upper hand." "You can't take a breath outside without having to put a bag over your head." "...right wing noise machine..." "I'm trying to counter the right wing noise machine." "I'm not going to shut up anymore." "I'm nobody's monkey." And...to a caller with an opposing view "Take a shower, get dressed and go get a job." Did I mention he said he's not a monkey? THE ELDER ADDS: More on the debut of Air Hysteria can be found here, here, and here.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
What Are You Really Trying To Say?
Back from Miami tanned, rested, and ready. Well not really tan. The weather wasn't all that great (a little rain with highs in the low to mid seventies) and my Irish/German background means that soaking up the sun leaves me looking more like a red than a bronze god. And spending four days with my five year old nephew and three year old niece wasn't all that restful either. Definitely fun, but not restful. Actually, the truth of the matter is that about all I'm ready for is a nice long nap. But I am back and that's gotta count for something. While I was in Miami, I intentionally avoided staying in touch with events of the day. I briefly flipped on the television Saturday night and Sunday to see how things were progressing in Iraq, but otherwise I avoided cable news. No talk radio at all. On Sunday I read the Miami Herald, which I found to be a most unimpressive newspaper. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were internet free days. On Sunday I checked my e-mail and briefly perused a few of the "must read" blogs. The fact that my in-laws have dial-up made withdrawal from blogging all the easier to bear. In this day and age, how can people live like that? This little sabbatical from the news cycle was welcome, and I would encourage everyone to take such a break on occasion. You need to step outside your media routine from time to time and realize that probably 97.6% of the stories that are being followed at any given time are insignificant chatter (the elections in Iraq being an obvious exception). I did get a chance to read Michael Crichton's State Of Fear on the trip. It's your standard Crichton fare: lots of suspense, breathtaking action, wafer thin characters, absurd plot twists, and an underlying message that is driven home with all the deftness of a B-52 strike. Subtlety thy name is not Crichton. The basic message in State of Fear is that the dire threats about global warming and the calls for immediate action to limit it, are grossly exaggerated. Even more so than in his previous works, Crichton never misses an opportunity (and creates several implausible ones) to pound away with this belief. If it's not a character preaching the truth to the unconverted, it's a slew of charts and graphs that hammer you over and over like Itchy taking a giant mallet to Scratchy's noggin. By the time you reach the book's climax, you're ready to cry, "No mas" and throw in the towel. I get it, I get it. Skepticism about global warming is warranted and environmental groups and the media have distorted the true nature of the threat. I'm with ya bro. Now, can we just get back to the story? Having said all that, I still like the book in spite of Crichton's ham-handed approach. It's not his best work, but it's a decent read and hopefully will open a few eyes to the sloppy science and scare tactics employed by much of the environmental movement these days. For the one thing that Crichton can't be criticized for in State of Fear is not citing sources to back up his claims. He's got loads of 'em and they span a wide spectrum including Penn and Teller's Bulls***! (which airs on Showtime). It's hard not to like a book that includes BS in its bibliography. We also don't have to worry about State of Fear being made into a lame movie (as much of the Crichton canon already has) either. With its skeptical take on global warming and it's skewering of celebrities, Hollywood's going to want no part of this one.
Behold, the Power of Free Burritos
The big news in the greater Stillwater metroplex is the opening of a Chipotle restaurant, in a strip mall over by the Walmart. More than just the easy access to huge, delicious burritos at a reasonable price, the denizens of this area have been driven wild by this location's opening two day promotional blitz. Free food. Yes, Monday and Tuesday this week, one free entree along with chips, salsa, and pop, all for the the low, low price of mucho nada. Or is that muy bupkis? My high school spanish skills have atrophied. Needless to say, the deal is creating a huge buzz in the city. Despite the expected mob scene, I went by last night to see if scoring a free meal was feasible. I drove by and cruised the establishment at a slow, contemplative pace. The front window revealed a muti-kinked snaky line of frugal gourmets inside, which ultimatley spilled its tail out the door and onto the sidewalk. My estimate was 100 hungry souls, maybe. All things considered, not too bad. I've seen crowds nearly as long during a normal dinner rush at the Ford Parkway branch in St. Paul, and that's without getting free food. And the thing about the Chipotle line is, it generally moves fast. Credit that to specialization of tasks in the prep line or the fact that the management and crew all speak the same language (Spanish, possibly Esperanto), but this line probably wouldn't take more than 30 - 40 minutes, 45 minutes tops. And that's nothin' hermanos. Remember, this is for free food! This quality of reasoning had me so convinced that I actually parked my car and was climbing out of the seat to head in, then a voice of reason was heard in my mind (strangely enough, using a Speedy Gonzalez accent - which is strange only because usually it's the voice of Foghorn Leghorn I hear). It queried, 'how can you justify idly standing around in a fast food line, burning away forever a precious 30 - 45 minutes of your short time on this Earth?' A deep, philosophical question. And let me tell you, if I would have had a newspaper with me, or there was a paper box outside the store, by golly that question would have been affirmatively answered (I'll read!) and I'd have feasted on free shredded pork and white rice in a soft shell this night. But a newspaper I had not, and there would be nothing to distract me from the tyranny of my own thoughts as I stood there in line and ruminated on my poor life choices, the most recent of which would be standing in line for up to an hour, in order to save what would be no more than 6 or 7 bucks. That value per minute calculation is what did it for me. Shield your eyes from the beautiful glare of FREE FOOD for a moment and all you're really gaining is a little extra walking around money. Which is great - but, upon further review, only great if it can be conveniently acquired. Which explains why I again plan to be a Metrodome regular during Wednesday night Twins home games. Yes, it's Hormel Dollar-a-Dog night! And there are dozens of stands offering them, meaning no more than about a 10 minute wait, shorter yet if you've got good seats. (Previous odes to Dollar Hot Dogs can be found here and here.) But if so-called free food has the hidden cost of opportunity tagged on as well, I'll have to take a pass. Meaning, I suppose, sloth is a more powerful deadly sin than gluttony. And if you want my patronage (as it were) fast food outlets - you need to offer me both. Closing thought for the multitudes who did stand in line and who earned their free burritos, the hard way. Why stop there? They've proven they are willing to put up with a lot for free burritos. To suffer a measurable diminution of their personal standards of living in order to secure their precious quarry. In fact, I bet many of them will do the double dutch treat of getting free burritos on Monday and Tuesday. But, again, why stop there? Why not take it all the way? Yes, work at Chipotle - get free burritos every day! From the Career Builder ad looking for an Assistant General Manager at Chipotle. Other Cool Perks : Free Meal during your shift. Sure the salary range offered (27K-32K) may not match up with the lifestyle expectations of the young, up-and-coming professional class of Stillwater. Getting that 42-foot inboard and and a third ATV may have to be delayed indefinitely. But, did I mention, you get FREE FOOD! And that's every day, friend. And if you work there, I bet you never even have to wait in line. More, from the job ad: We offer company-paid benefits for anyone working 32 hours or more per week. All you have to do is sign up when you begin the burrito life. Sloth and gluttony, all can be yours, if you're willing to accept the Burrito Life! Yes, come to me my children, come and dance the dark tango of the damned! Ha ha ha ha ha!
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