Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Yellowstone

Today is the Thirtieth of December. On this day in 1865, Rudyard Kipling was born.

In 1922, the USSR was formed.

In 1978, two large geese prevented customers from entering the Birdhouse Inn in Edinburgh. After they had chased away customers all morning, the manager was able to lure them into a van with cheese sandwiches.


It's probably nothing, but still- Yellowstone caldera is a real hot spot. When it goes up, as it will at some point-- it's going to be big.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Elephants in the room

Today is the Twenty-ninth of December. I can feel the days getting longer, already. On this day in 1852, Emma Snodgrass was arrested in Boston for wearing pants.

And in 1936, Mary Tyler Moore was born.

Interesting idea here. Not entirely sure I agree, but by the same token, I'm not entirely convinced that it couldn't (or won't) happen. After all, no one took seriously the possibility that the USSR could collapse, in 1988. The part I really don't agree with, is Panarin's assertion of foreign control over what's left. Cute, maybe even quaint, but Canada's history hardly suggests a future as a colonial power, and Mexican control of Texas is -well, at this point, laughable. Mexico can't even control Tijuana, not to mention Chihuahua, or Chiapas.

Still, how might this come to pass? Panarin offers some theories, but one thing he doesn't consider is the impending water crisis. The entire southwest quarter of the United States is problematic in this sense: it is a desert by any standard, populated relatively densely by people who are very fond of green lawns (which need a lot of water) and swimming pools. Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix... all of these major urban centers get their water from the Colorado River. At one time the largest river west of the Rockies, the Colorado River is now so diverted for agricultural, industrial and personal use that it no longer reaches the sea. In some sense, we have reached its limit -our limit. Any further growth in the region now is tentative and completely reliant on borrowed time. We're looking at a future water bubble, and the inevitable crash is not going to be strictly financial. There will be blood. Right here in river city.

But it's a big world, and we don't exist in a vacuum. What happens in Africa, Iceland, the Caucasus, the Carribbean, and the Hindu Kush, is going to have a big effect on what happens in the U.S. over the next couple of years. China is already heavily invested in Africa, and is increasing its presence in South- and Central America- oil and agriculture weigh heavy on Chinese minds these days as its population begins to exceed its ability to provide for itself (nascent colonialism). Canada is building multiple new naval bases on their Arctic coastline. An independent Greenland (with reserves of both petroleum and fresh water) would change the political dynamic of the Arctic, Europe, and NATO alike.

It may be a big world, but resources are limited. Populations are generally not inclined to limit themselves passively, and we all need the same things, so heightened conflict is coming. The only question is, when?

If it's possible to avert this scenario, it will be through slow and natural population reduction. Homosexuality is the answer: we don't make babies. And yes, I'm a recruiter. Sign up now!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Happy winter!

Today is the Twenty-eighth of December. On this day in 1832, Vice President John Calhoun resigned, due to difficulties with the President, Andrew Jackson.

In 1849, M. Jean Baptiste Jolly discovered dry-cleaning with a little help from his maid, when she spilled a mixture of turpentine and oil on his dirty clothes and he noticed a cleaning effect.

In 1869, William Semple filed the first patent application for chewing gum, though he didn't invent it.

In 1889, F.W. Murnau was born.

In 1895, the Lumiere brothers had their first paying audience for their motion pictures, at the Grand Café.

I may never fly again. Right before the storms hit here, I rode the train down to San Jose to see my friend John. He had offered to give me his old car if I could drive it home, so off I went. It was a great excuse to get away and see a good friend.

But as I said, I may never fly again. Riding on the train was a blast. From the very beginning it was nice: even the architecture of the train station was comforting somehow- details to take in everywhere, so unlike airport architecture (designed to keep you looking straight ahead and moving along like cattle in a slaughterhouse). I stood in line for about a minute until I reached the ticket counter, where the clerk printed my ticket and directed me to another queue. This one was a long one; I expected to be waiting there for an hour, but it moved quickly and within ten minutes I was crossing the tracks to my train, seat number in hand.

If you haven't ridden on an Amtrak train, they might surprise you. Seating is very roomy- I'm not sure I could have reached the seat in front of mine with my feet, while sitting down. Lots of room overhead. The bathrooms were spacious too. And unlike the Balkan Express, Amtrak trains have running, potable water on board. Not to mention a dining car AND a snack bar. With beer and wine!

Not enough room in your seat? Or maybe you don't like who you're sitting next to? Take a walk to to the lounge car- big huge windows, and even roomier seats -these facing out so you can take in the scenery without turning your head. It's like a moving coffee house (coffee available downstairs in the snack bar). One guy was just sitting there, sketching other passengers and giving them the sketches.

Never mind that it took 19 hours. It was 19 pleasant, effortless hours during which I didn't have to worry about airport security, getting bumped to another flight, missing my flight because my connecting flight was late or canceled, losing my luggage, losing my lunch due to turbulence, outrageous ticket prices, confusing airport design, being treated like livestock, not making it off the runway or tumbling out of the sky. Or even getting uncomfortable in my seat, because you can walk around the train all you want.

And it was only a little late getting in to San Jose.

John and I had a great time; it has been way too long since we got to really hang out. We drove in to San Francisco after he showed me their house. We had a little lunch in the Castro district, then explored a little more before we found the park where the hang-gliders play. We poked around there for a few minutes, met an older guy who answered some questions we had, before one guy strapped his glider on and walked up to the edge of the cliff. I guess the wind that day wasn't ideal, so he stood there for a few minutes gauging it, flexing his knees, and then he just started running toward the edge of the cliff. Step, step, step ...then he was flying, right there. I think it might have been the most beautiful thing I've ever seen a human do. To this day, I don't have the words to describe it. I'm not sure I could do it myself, but I'd love to watch again. Incredible.

We drove across the Golden Gate with the top down. It was a little chilly, but very sunny in the city, so that was great.

He even got me to play a video game, believe it or not. Yes, I played "rock band," and I have to admit, it was really fun. I did not know how social and interactive a video game could be; now I'm perhaps not quite so anti as I was. Don't get your panties in a bunch though- I'm not running out to buy a Wii or anything, and my (nearly antique) GameBoy Advance (or whatever it's called) is still packed away safely, and not going anywhere, haha.

I had to leave the next morning, ready or not. John had work to do (and a volunteer art-teaching gig at his daughters' school), and I had to get home in time to meet Jeremy at the Portland airport. Storms were hitting the Oregon-Washington coast as I left San Jose, so I knew that the trip home might be tricky. Reports from northern California/southern Oregon said lots of snow, so I ended up buying tire cables in some little town just south of the mountains in California.

I drove in to the mountains expecting the worst, though the weather in the valley was clear and relatively warm. Turns out, it stayed that way well into the mountains- clear skies, and though there was a lot of snow on the ground, there was almost none on the road. Until Oregon, anyway.

Almost as soon as I crossed the border, the weather turned, but it didn't get really bad until I passed Salem or so. After that, the roads started to get snowy and icy, but the main issue was traffic. I hadn't thought about it before, but I realized that I-5 is the only north-south corridor west of the Rockies and north of Sacramento, so everybody driving north in Oregon was on I-5 at the same time, and I think they were all rushing to get home to Portland. More than even the snowy mountain roads, that part of I-5 was the part that made me think I might not make it home.

But I thought about Phil, and Kava and Socrates and even Raoul; I imagined myself pulling up to the house and unlocking the front door, and soon enough, there I was. It might have been the happiest solstice ever.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Thawing, melting

Today is the Twenty-sixth of December. Forget Boxing Day-- Wren Day sounds more fun, and Junkanoo might be even more fun than that.

In 1791, Charles Babbage was born.

In 1893, Mao Tse Tung was born.

In 1921, Steve Allen was born.

In 2004, a tsunami was caused by an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Over 200,000 people were killed.

Blood diamonds; blood gadgets. The cost of that convenience may turn out to be the existence of wild gorillas. Doesn't seem worth it, to me.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

So this is christmas

It's the Twenty-fifth of December. Christmas was first celebrated on this day in 354 CE (common era). No, it's not Jesus's birthday.

It is Humphrey Bogart's birthday, though (1899, and note the great portrait by Yousuf Karsh on the Wiki page), as well as that of Rod Serling (1924), Carlos Castaneda (1925), and Jimmy Buffet (1946).

In 1776, Gen. George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River, to win an engagement against Hessian troops.

In 1868, Andrew Jackson granted unconditional pardons to all persons involved in the “southern rebellion.”

Richard Starkey got his first drum kit on this day in 1959.

In 1985, James McDonnel of NYC returned home after 15 years, having been believed dead for at least seven. His fugue started in 1971 after two car accidents: he complained of a headache, went for a walk, and did not return. He found himself in a Philadelphia street, knowing only that his name was James, and took the name 'Peters' off a nearby store sign. On Christmas Eve in 1985 he bumped his head, his memory returned, and he looked up his wife's name in the phone book. She, luckily, was still living in the same house.

In 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union. The USSR would dissolve the next day.

I hope you enjoy your holiday.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Night of the Radishes!

Today is the Twenty-third of December. Night of the Radishes!

In 1908, portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh was born. See some of his brilliance here.

In 1980 a Saudi Arabian Tristar flying from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan had a hole blown in it by a retracted wheel exploding, and the sudden decompression sucked out two children, Samina, 10, and Ahmed, six. An immediate search was made for them with no result. Three years later, a Pakistani visiting a small Saudi port met the two children, who had been found floating in the sea by a fisherman who thought they were a gift form God and cared for them. The Saudi authorities were alerted about the children, but the fisherman and his charges had moved on.

Politics and small aircraft mix like oil and water. Maybe more like oil and fire.

Melissa Etheridge meets Rick Warren. Good news. Good readin'! This is still a bit troublesome, but I'm now willing and prepared to listen to his explanation.

Benny the Rat: Church needs money. Keep making babies!
Me: Homosexuality is part of the ecology of man. There are simply too many of us already- the human population on Earth is unsustainable, and homosexuality is a natural, ecological response. We don't reproduce.

I know this sounds foolish, but I had cash to spare right now, I'd consider stock in Ford. Call it a hunch, I dunno, but it's cheap, and my hunch says Ford isn't done yet. I've been right before, you know.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Jesusism and the cult of human sacrifice

Today is the Twenty-second of December. I have returned from my mission. It was an adventure (meaning, I thought I might die. It's not a real Adventure until you think you might not make it through).

On this day in 1849, the execution of Fyodor Dostoevsky was cancelled at the very last second (that would count as an adventure, yes). Some sources suggest that this was a mock execution, designed to scare the proto-revolutionaries, but the Tsar (Nicholas I) was known to be prone to paranoia and autocratic whims.

In 1990, Lech Walesa was sworn in as President of Poland.

Paul Krugman steps up to the plate, to answer my question about the difference between Madoff's crime and the economy at large. Thanks, Professor! (Quick answer: there is no difference. I was right!)

If you're wondering how I feel about Obama's choice of pastors to swear him in to office: yeah, I was a little miffed. Warren is a homophobe, plain and simple. Caring for gay people in order to change them, is homophobic. Caring for gay people because you think you're supposed to care for 'the unfortunate' is not only homophobic, but self-righteous and prideful.

But
...

As the President-Elect has said, America is a country of opinions, and we should be boisterous with them. Warren is entitled to his opinion, however much it might contradict his supposed religious beliefs. Obama is assembling a 'cabinet of rivals,' a group of advisors who openly disagree, not only with Obama but also each other. Why, then, shouldn't he pick a pastor with whom he disagrees on a point or two?

I suppose my problem with it, is that Obama himself doesn't openly support my side in the present civil rights struggle. Mr. President-Elect, what part of "separate but equal" don't you understand here?

To my Christian friends:
best to stop reading here today, unless you're extremely open-minded. Skip to the green stuff at the end. I am not implicating you in anything written below; what follows is a critique of modern, contemporary religiosity, and not your personal beliefs and practices. I do not believe that any of my friends practice or condone human sacrifice. But I do know that contemporary Christian parents have been known to try to kill their children in the name of God. It happens, and this is why.

Christianity is digging its own grave, while money-grubbing and power-hungry charlatans are taking over the pulpit. Rev. Warren: as far as anyone knows, Jesus never said anything about homosexuality. Jesus never said anything about caring for the less fortunate but only if they try to be more like you. In fact, I think he said something like "judge not, lest ye be judged," right? Hmm.

Today's 'christianity' has nothing to do with Jesus except fetishizing his image, which is why I call it 'Christianism,' or 'Jesusism.' Didn't Jesus throw the moneychangers out of the Temple? Didn't Jesus tell you to pray privately? Didn't Jesus preach tolerance and acceptance? Jesus never said "go worship me in a stadium every sunday and fork over the cash." No, he said "do it like I do," which is to say (being Jewish himself): don't work on Saturday, and quietly observe the (Jewish) holy days. Not Christmas, not Easter: Passover, Rosh Hashana. Maybe even Hanukkah. But never his own birth, and certainly not his own death.

How positively ghoulish.

The "God" of the Old Testament is a bloodthirsty monster. The "God" of the New Testament is invisible and has nothing to do with the world as we see it, unless you want to think of Him as the one who orchestrated Jesus's death, in which case he's still vengeful and bloodthirsty, and demanding human sacrifice. We're told to "worship" an image of a man being executed.

Jesus is rolling over in his grave.

All that aside, we have managed to do one good thing with this season, and that's to have turned it into a celebration of charity, the best thing we can do for each other. I hope your winter celebrations are filled with love and warmth and caring and consideration and respect for one another, whatever holiday you choose to celebrate (yes, even Christmas). May the next year be more peaceful and prosperous for us all (to the extent that we can all prosper at once).

Love!

Why is my finger twitching as I aim for the "publish post" button...?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Krampus


Today is the Seventeenth of December. On this day in 1786, Karl Maria von Weber was born.

In 1903, the Wright brothers flew their unlikely contraption.

In 1977, a mystery blob of molten metal [PDF] fell at Big Lake Park, Council Bluffs, Nebraska. 'Officials' branded it a hoax, despite several reports of a 'bright trail' in the sky that night. A USAF test indicated 'it was neither meteor nor part of a space satellite'. Further blobs fell on Council Bluffs on 5 July and 10 July the following year. In the last case, firemen were called to douse a small blaze and discovered a mass of splattered metal about three feet in diameter lying in a small impact crater.

I'm leaving on a secret mission today. I'll report back on -no I can't tell you, haha!-- I'll report back later.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Anodyne

Today is the Sixteenth of December. On this day in 1773, some 50-60 Sons of Liberty, dressed as Indians, dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor in defiance of the Tea Act of 1773 (which gave monopoly power to the British East India Tea Co. in the colonies). This monopoly power amounted to taxation without representation (because East India could then charge whatever it wanted, without fear of being undercut by the Dutch).

In 1811, the ground beneath New Madrid, Missouri began to shake. Tremors continued on and off until at least February of 1812, the most severe coming on February 7, later estimated to have been greater than an 8.0 on the Richter scale. It was felt as far away as Boston, possibly even Maine. Among other startling results of this event, the Mississippi River flowed backwards for a while.

In 1916, Gregory Rasputin was killed.

In 1917, Arthur C. Clarke was born.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Rubicon


Today is the Fifteenth of December. On this day in 1943, Fats Waller died. A year later, Glenn Miller was lost over the English Channel.

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association declared that homosexuality is not mental illness (whew!).

In 1989 -one urban legend goes-- a huge effigy of Father Christmas was made with conscientious attention to detail for one of Tokyo's largest department stores. The staff were delighted, but got their western festivals confused. Father Christmas was put on the roof and crucified.

In 1990 members of the Truth Tabernacle Church in Burlington, North Carolina, staged a mock trial, charging 'Satan Claus' on 10 counts, including child abuse, impersonation of St Nicholas, Baal idolatry and falsification of Christ's birthday. He was found guilty and hanged in effigy.

The world is about to change dramatically, no matter the degree to which we succeed or fail to restore our hegemony after Obama takes office. The next few months are likely to be like the first few months of the Bushcheney regime, with news of radical changes to our social, foreign and economic policy coming every other day. Hopefully, this time around, those changes won't be the sort of draconian, nepotistic, fascist, self-serving changes that Bush and Dick made. Otherwise, we'll end up with more of this, and if that looks good to you, ask Greece how it feels.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Happy Days (with the Ponz)

Today is the Thirteenth of December, the beginning of the Halycon Days, when kingfishers ('halycon' in Greek) nested on the calm waters and all sailors were safe. This period of tranquillity was supposed to last for two weeks.

In 1545, the Council of Trent convened.

In 1903, Italo Marcioni did not patent the ice cream cone. Rather, he patented a machine that made them.

In 1928, the clip-on tie was invented.

Keep an eye on Detroit: it is poised to become the new West Village, the new San Francisco, the new SoHo, the new Pearl District. Historically, low rent has drawn artists to certain areas (like the west village in NY, Soho in London, San Francisco in the '60s, and downtown Portland), and for this reason, I suspect Detroit could be the next big hipster city. Imagine the loft/studio space! The trick is always to beat the developers to the deal, but as I said, artists are frequently the first ones to re-colonize abandoned areas, making them habitable again by sheer force of artistic will. Meanwhile, I'm not so sure that civil war is really over: certain Southern Republican senators seem a little too eager to decimate the North's capacity for industry, not to mention the capacity of slaves -erm, I mean workers-- to stand up to the plantation owners. Erm, I mean "management." Of course. Of course.

Robots. Cool idea, scary reality? Or maybe this is evolution in process, and I'm just a backward-thinking Homo? I'll admit: some robots in some circumstances seem to be helpful. But many robots in many circumstances are not. Humans work; it's what we do, it gives our lives meaning. Robots work too, it's all they do, and they do it better, and without complaining about long hours or no overtime pay or insurance. They will take our jobs, even if some of those jobs are replaced by companies making new robots. This much is bad news for Homo sapiens. If robots make us feel threatened with obsolescence as a species or even as isolated populations, violence will result.

Breaking news: A Catholic Bishop makes sense! Seriously. What better reason to marry, than to establish some stability in your life? "Love" should be an active verb, not a noun used to signify a feeling or emotion, because feelings and emotions change of their own accord. Love actively, love urgently: let "love" be what you do, not just what you feel. And let's be clear: now more than ever before, sex is not Luv, it's just friendly affection. Get over it and have some fun.

Credit, debt, and money. Unless you function on cash alone, and keep your cash under your mattress, all you really have is credit and debt. So we all really play this big Ponzi scheme, in which we pay our debtors with credit, in the hope that we'll be able to keep the credit/debt balance in our favor until we die. Or in other words, we pay off one debtor with credit from another, just like Bernard Madoff did. Just like any other entity that plays in our economy. Madoff's mistake was that he bet on the wrong horse. So why is everyone so bent out of shape over this? Did a bunch of publishers and editors lose money here? Seriously- if you understand this differently than I do, and can explain to me how our economy is not a big Ponzi scheme, I'd love to hear it.


Friday, December 12, 2008

Hot times at the North Pole (and we're not talking global warming, for once)

Today is the Twelfth of December. Catholics call it the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, because on this day in 1531, the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared for the apparent benefit of Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin.

It's funny- I started blogging because I found that I had to spend all day reading foreign news sources to hear anything substantial about what the Bushcheney administration was really doing. Now, though, they're even on the outs with their old lap-dogs at Fox, so the blackout on news seems to have been lifted. I really enjoyed harping on Bushcheney, too, damnit.

I'm saying this now so that you don't expect to find the same kinds of news here, after the Obama administration takes over: I started blogging to dis on Bushcheney, and to help my friends find some real news. In one sense at least, my job here is done.

In 1792, Ludwig van Beethoven took his first composition lesson from Franz Joseph Haydn.

In 1857, a ship passing St Helena on its way from Liverpool to Bombay saw what appeared to be an enormous sea serpent. The captain and senior officers noted the creature's appearance as 'a huge marine animal, which reared its head out of the water, within twenty yards of the ship...we conclude that it must have been over two hundred feet long. The boatswain and several of the crew who observed it from the top-gallant forecastle, stated that it was more than double the length of the ship, in which case it must have been five hundred feet.'

In 1863, Edvard Munch was born.

In 1939, Finland defeated the Soviet Union in the Battle of Tolvajärvi, in the Winter War.

In 2000, the Bush junta took power in the U.S. when the Supreme Court decided to hear a private citizen's complaint about a matter of Florida election law. The Court decided for Bush in Bush v. Gore, sidelining the populace and the Electoral College, instead of allowing the election to proceed.

Nice, but is it art? Could be. I mean, often when humans perform obscure, indecipherable activities for no apparent reason, other humans call it art.

Our entire economy is a Ponzi scheme. Let's back up a few steps and take a look: Credit is not money. It's a promise of money, nothing more. We borrow credit from one source to give to another- no one has any money anywhere: it's all fluid credit unless you're buying with gold coins. Who is innocent here, anymore?

This is huge. Right now, five countries have claims on the Arctic Ocean: Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the U.S. Until now, this hasn't been a big deal, but when the Northwest Passage opens up (as it will in future ice-free arctic summers), the world of shipping will change forever. Who controls the Arctic Ocean, controls trade between Europe and East Asia, because this trip will shave months (and thousands of dollars in portage fees at the Panama Canal) off a previously very long and expensive trip. Add a sixth player to the game, and the complexity of the problem increases. If this independence move doesn't go smoothly, things could get very hot in the Arctic, very soon.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Water for Elephants

Today is the Eleventh of December. On this day in 1803, Hector Berlioz was born.
In 1882, Fiorello LaGuardia was born.

I've been buried in administrative work around here; it's not very exciting to talk or write about, so I haven't had much to say. When I've had a chance to break from that, I've been doing similarly unremarkable things like pruning the fruit trees, and printing cards. Lots of activity, but not much to talk about.

I did just finish a fantastic book though- Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. I'll just say it takes place mostly in the 1930s in a train circus, but is told as a flashback. The history is fascinating and vibrant, the present is crushing, and the characters spring right off the page. It'll make you gasp with surprise. It made me cry, but in the end I was crying because it ended so well. I'm now trying to steel myself enough that I can force my way through the last Harry Potter book. No, I'm not one of those who think Rowling's a good writer- frankly I think she needs a good editor, haha, but her stories and ideas are fun, even if getting through them can be a chore. Still, she's the one with seven (oops- now eight) published books under her belt, so maybe I'm not the one to be offering criticism.

I've done a good job this year of not opening too many boxes at once. By 'boxes' I mean projects, of course, and so by limiting myself, I've been able to be much more productive and organized. As a result, I'm looking back at the last couple of years and wondering what the hell I was thinking. All I can say is: Just because I forgot what I was doing ten minutes ago, doesn't mean I was finished ;)

It might look like a deficient memory to you, but I assure you, it's all there. It's just not organized conventionally.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Just the facts

It's the Tenth of December. Happy birthday to the metric system! (sort of). Following a scientific conference in 1799, France adopted permanent standards for the meter and the kilogram as based on models made from platinum.
In 1822, CĂ©sar Franck was born.
In 1830, Emily Dickinson was born.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Ol' Brer Goat

Today is the Ninth of December. In Sweden, it's Anna’s Day. Everyone named Anna is celebrated. Don’t forget to start the Lutefisk now for Christmas Eve!
In 1842, Peter Kropotkin was born.
in 1848, Joel Chandler Harris was born.
In 1872, P.B.S. Pinchback becomes Governor of Louisiana, the first African-American Governor of a U.S. state.
In 1905, Dalton Trumbo was born. He wrote one of the best books I've ever read: Johnny Got His Gun. If you haven't read it, I cannot recommend it too highly. Unlike any other book I've ever read.

Party on Earth, pass it on!

Monday, December 08, 2008

Goo goo goo joob

Today is the Eighth of December. On this day in 1879, Paul Klee was born.
In 1941, Japan invaded Hong Kong, Malaya, the Philippines and Singapore. The U.S. Congress declared war on Japan.
In 1980, John Lennon was murdered (by a Manchurian Candidate?). Immature elements in our society have altered the Wikipedia entry on John Lennon today (harmless stuff- changing his middle name; attributing "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" to him, etc), so I'm directing you elsewhere.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

We sail tonight for Singapore

Don't fall asleep while we're ashore...

Today is the Seventh of December. On this day in 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States.
In 1917, the U.S. declared war on Austria-Hungary.
In 1928, Noam Chomsky was born. If you only know Chomsky on the basis of his political commentary, you're missing the big story of how he almost single-handedly changed the fields of Linguistics and Psychology in one fell swoop. Not the most stimulating writer ever, but a truly massive figure in terms of philosophy and legacy.
In 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
In 1942, Harry Chapin was born.
In 1949, Tom Waits was born. Rain Dogs remains my favorite of his work, and one of my favorite recordings, ever. Check it out.

This land war in Asia that we're losing... I still don't know what the hell to make of it. Why is Afghanistan so important? Seems it's been 'important' since Alexander the Great tried (and failed) to take it. The British wanted it too (and couldn't take it). Given time, the Nazis would have tried (Hitler had suspicions about supernatural activity in the Himalayas). Lord knows the Soviets tried to control it, and we all know what happened to them. I know we're not there because of 9/11, because I know that we were staging an invasion of the country in June of 2001, three months before the event (I read about our preparations in the India Times in 2001, but can't find the link anymore -and that's to say nothing of the fact that none of the supposed hijackers were from Afghanistan, and that we were in negotiations with the Taliban government at the time). So, what are we doing there, and why are we so intent on staying? It doesn't appear to have any vitally necessary resources; it doesn't appear to be on any major trade routes; it doesn't appear to be key to any material strategy at all. This situation has the potential to break us, in the same way that it broke the Soviet Union. How difficult is it to imagine a post-United States world? It's bound to happen, some day. I'm sure Konstantin Chernenko didn't forsee the collapse of his country, when he turned the reins over to Gorbachev. This is trouble brewing, folks. Mark my words.

And speaking of brewing, I've been trying to distill my thoughts on marriage rights for a long time now. It's a very complex situation, given everyone's emotional attachments to their particular versions of Marriage, but this Newsweek article handles it well, and beat me to the punch on most of the points I'd have wanted to make. Love and respect, people: all we ask is a little love and respect.

Capitalism is bad for children. I've said it before; I'll say it again, and no, I'm not being sarcastic.

We have a President again. I know that's not news, in and of itself, but it's nice to see someone taking charge. I haven't slept this well in eight years.

What this radio really needs is a fuse...

Saturday, December 06, 2008

12/6

Today is the Sixth of December. On this day in 1239, Batu Khan’s Mongols swept into Kiev and burned it.
In 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified, outlawing slavery in the U.S.
In 1933, Henryk GĂłrecki was born.
In 1964, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” first aired on TV.
In 1973, House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford (R-MI) was sworn in as Vice-President, after the resignation of Spiro Agnew.

Too much happening to write about, at home.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Day of the Ninja


It's the Fifth of December: Day of the Ninja!
On this day in 1901, in presumably unrelated incidents, Walt Disney and Werner Heisenberg were born.
In 1933, the 21st amendment was ratified, repealing the 18th amendment. Prohibition was over (except in Kansas).
In 1945, Flight 19, a squadron of Navy bombers, disappeared off the coast of Florida, in what would become known as the Bermuda Triangle.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Lava Canyon

Lava Canyon, Washington. This canyon was created long ago, then hidden for ...who knows how long, under a blanket of ash and mud. When St. Helens erupted in 1980, mudflows from the eruption swept through the area and cleaned out the canyon, making it visible again. No one knew it even existed until then. It's not an easy place to photograph. Challenging. Significant portions of the trail were closed when we were there last week, presumably because of winter. We'll be checking it out again this summer (the road leading to it has been closed since we moved here, three years ago).

Today is the Fourth of December. On this day in 771, following the death of King Carloman of Austrasia, his brother Charlemagne, King of Neustria, assumed sole rulership of what became the Frankish Empire.

In 1866, Vassily Kandinski was born.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Flat Stanley goes to Voodoo Doughnuts

Flat Stanley loves Voodoo Doughnuts (official site here).

Today is the Third of December. On this day in 1803, Hector Berlioz was born.
In 1857, Joseph Conrad was born.
In 1883, Anton von Webern was born.
In 1961, Julianne Moore was born.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

chemistry


Today is the Second of December. Happy St. Bibiana's day! It's also Georges Seurat's birthday (1859).

Blow up your TV.

2,700 year old stash http://www.torontosun.com/news/weird/2008/11/27/7557641.html

More natural than alcohol; more natural than corn ferchrissakes*. And no, it doesn't kill brain cells; it actually helps make them.

The closest wild relative of modern maize is "too small and hard to obtain to be eaten directly, as each kernel is enclosed in a very hard bi-valve shell" (wikipedia).

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

It's NOT a 'bailout,'

it's a loan. The domestic auto industry is asking for a commercial loan, and make no mistake about this: it is essential for the short- and long-term health of our country and its economy.

If we were in better times, I might agree that we could let the industry fail, so that the workers might seek employment in other, newer, greener industries. But there are a few problems with that scenario:
1) Times are hard already. There are no other jobs for those millions who work in and support the auto industry (machinists, assembly-line workers, engineers, management, sales staffs in every small town in the country, parts manufacturers, etc). And not only are there no jobs, there is no viable social support network left after eight years of Bushcheney mismanagement. Most of those people are living paycheck-to-paycheck already.
2) Other jobs aren't there for them because these new greener industries haven't been given infrastructure support from government, for the simple reason that we've given all of that infrastructural support to the auto industry for the past eighty years or so. It would be great if all those people could find work making and selling wind turbines, or in recycling, or green energy, but let's face it: there are simply not enough jobs in those industries to go around. Yet, anyway: maybe if our government started showing some long-term support for such industries, this would change, but that's not something we can bank on in the short term. And here, the short term matters. Should these millions of workers suddenly find themselves out of work, it won't be long before they'll be unable to feed themselves and their families, and soon enough they'll be on the street, unable to care for even a common cold. It's not hard to imagine the impact of a potential flu epidemic on a situation like that. Not hard to imagine, but terrifying all the same. Remember 1918.
3) A collapse of our auto industry will affect every corner of the country, no matter how remote. Nearly every town in this country has a car dealership, not to mention automotive supply stores. Every state in this country depends desperately on taxes from new vehicles and vehicle sales. Unemployment will go through the roof, everywhere, while tax revenue will dwindle. That of course means a rise in demand for government support exactly when the government will be least able to provide it.

No one -I repeat: no one- would be served well by letting this industry fail. Don't get me wrong: I'm no fan of cars or big industry. But the magnitude of the short-term disaster would be such that we as a country might never recover. Millions of jobs will be lost. Millions of families will be affected- losing their health care, their health, their homes, their sense of well-being. These CEOs are not asking for a handout. They're not looking for free money. They're asking for a loan, something they can pay back (like Chrysler did, and quite unlike AIG or Goldman-Sachs ever will). How can we deny them that?

Friday, November 14, 2008

Moral compass?

Branch of the Seine near Giverny, Claude Monet, 1897.


On this day in 1263, Aleksandr Nevsky died.

In 1840, Claude Monet was born.

In 1900, Aaron Copland was born.

In 1919, according to the Fortean Times, an inquest in Shoreditch, London, established that a needle had been found in the heart of Rosina Newton, aged 13 months. 'There was no skin wound to show where it had entered the body.' The parents had no recollection of any injury to her.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

c'est la vie




On this day in 1381, The
Order of Fools was established by Adolphus, Count of Cleves. For centuries the members, mostly from the Flemish upper classes, held a week-long grand court every year and planned acts of charity. They wore the figure of a fool or jester embroidered on their mantles. The last reference to the Order is in some verses appended to Sebastian Brand's celebrated Navis Stultifera (Ship of Fools), published in Strasbourg in 1520.

In 1833,
Aleksander Borodin was born.

In 1859,
Jules Leotard performed the first Flying Trapeze act.


Thursday, October 30, 2008

Smile

I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: "O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And God granted it.
-- Voltaire

Ridiculous enough yet?
How about this?

Who is Ted Stevens?

Don't forget to vote. Vote early if you can- avoid the rush.

Going down.

Disturbing. Oy vey... first we ignored them and let them be raised by television and video games, then we relegated them to anonymous slots in over-crowded, under-funded classrooms, then sent them out into an economy that neither had enough jobs for all of them, nor paid them a living wage. So then we trained them to kill while telling them they were being trained as peacekeepers, then sent them to where they were utterly unwelcome and greeted with hostility, ...and now they're home. I'm horrified, but not entirely surprised at what's happening.

Here's the deal: we are all human, and we all need a little love. Maybe I'm being simple-minded, but people only act anti-socially when they feel excluded. Maybe I'm being naive, but it seems to me that -more than anything else-- these people need to remember that we're all human, and most importantly, all in this together. Reach out to someone who's not expecting it, today.

Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant? Um... I've always been a purist, as far as group identities go: minor changes in the lineup of small combos make for major differences. I suppose I see such bands as entities in and of themselves: Pink Floyd without Roger Waters is like watching a headless zombie: you have to admire how it moves, but it doesn't say anything worth listening to. Imagine the Beatles without John Lennon --what?? The Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger? Queen without Freddie Mercury? It's just not the same- it'd be like ...well, it'd be like listening to Van Hagar. I mean, why bother?

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Like father, like son?

Rather, like mother, like daughter. Though it does remind me of W's foreign policy...

The bubble to end all bubbles.

When I find I'm not as eloquent as my thoughts and ideas demand, I remain quiet.

On this day in 1787, “Don Giovanni” premiered in Prague. In 1884, Bela Lugosi was born. In 1923, Turkey became a republic, with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk as its founder and first President. In 1929, this was Black Tuesday, the worst day of 1929's stock market crash. In 1969, the first-ever computer-to-computer link was established via ARPANET.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Lollipops and moonbeams


Our economy, our entire material culture really, is a tower with a roof of solid gold, built on a foundation of balloons and soap bubbles. Now we're supposed to be surprised that it's collapsing.

You probably don't remember this, but for years and years and years, nobody called what happened in VietNam a war. "No no," they'd say. "It wasn't a war, it couldn't be; America doesn't lose wars." No, it was just a conflict. The VietNam Conflict. Isn't that nice? Nice.

I wonder when we'll stop calling this mess in Iraq a "war"? We're not winning anything there, and we never will, because of course it's not a war, it's an occupation.

Why didn't we call our engagement in SE Asia a 'war'? Lots of reasons: we had just recently fought a real war with real enemies (WWII) and the pain of loss was still tangible; we were still mired down in Korea (that other 'conflict'); we had just suffered a series of horrible tragedies (all the assassinations of the '60's- JFK, MLK, RFK, Malcolm X, plus the attempts on George Wallace and others); ...but primarily because it just wasn't war, and we knew it. It was an occupation, plain and simple (and that's what all those Hippie protests were about- not anti-war: anti-occupation).

On this day in 1838, in response to what he termed "open and avowed defiance of the laws, and of having made war upon the people of this State,” Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs declared that “... the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace—their outrages are beyond all description." This came three days after disaffected church leaders Thomas Marsh and Orson Hyde attested in an affidavit to Joseph Smith’s intention to conquer the world. Theodore Roosevelt was born on this day in 1858, and John Cleese was born in 1939.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

A cautionary tale

Where your $700 billion in bailout money is going:
banker's pockets
other bankers' pockets
And not at all to where we need it.

This is a fun one- I laughed out loud. Just scroll over elements and click on them ...you know the routine.

And this is just ...interesting. And I mean really interesting.

Today is
St. Crispin’s Day. Saint Crispin is the patron saint of shoemakers! *cough*

In 1825, Johann Strauss II -the Waltz King- was born.

In 1838, Georges Bizet was born.

In 1881, Pablo Picasso was born.

In 1917, Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky seized power in Moscow, from the provisional government of Alexander Kerensky, who had assumed power in July, indirectly following the abdication of Nicholas II in March. Nicholas turned power over to his brother Michael, but even as early as the 1905 uprising, all hope for the ruling Romanovs was lost. Michael hoped to hold an election, with “universal suffrage,” in which he would be elected leader of Russia, but the dice had been rolled long before. Historians differ as to whether Michael was ever actually Tsar. If he was, it would have been for only a day.

In 2002, Senator Paul Wellstone was killed under mysterious circumstances in the midst of a hotly contested election.

In 2005, Vice President Dick Cheney was revealed to have been the leak of Top Secret information regarding the identity of deep-cover CIA operative Valerie Plame.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Our country is ill.

It has cancer.

Is this what 'victory in Iraq' looks like? 'Coz it looks an awful lot like ignominious defeat, to me. Or maybe more like a dog running away from a fight with his tail between his legs.

From the New York Times:
As tough as the times are, the selection of a new president is easy. After nearly two years of a grueling and ugly campaign, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has proved that he is the right choice to be the 44th president of the United States.

Mr. Obama has met challenge after challenge, growing as a leader and putting real flesh on his early promises of hope and change. He has shown a cool head and sound judgment. We believe he has the will and the ability to forge the broad political consensus that is essential to finding solutions to this nation’s problems.

In the same time, Senator John McCain of Arizona has retreated farther and farther to the fringe of American politics, running a campaign on partisan division, class warfare and even hints of racism. His policies and worldview are mired in the past. His choice of a running mate so evidently unfit for the office was a final act of opportunism and bad judgment that eclipsed the accomplishments of 26 years in Congress.

Given the particularly ugly nature of Mr. McCain’s campaign, the urge to choose on the basis of raw emotion is strong. But there is a greater value in looking closely at the facts of life in America today and at the prescriptions the candidates offer. The differences are profound.
Read the rest of that here.

Another intelligent conservative endorses Obama

Maybe, finally, a step in the right direction for the economy?

And some fun video:
Jon Stewart on Republican divisiveness
Ron Howard shows his stripes
The ultimate (un-)endorsement

On this day in 1260, Chartres Cathedral was dedicated.

In 1929, George Crumb was born. Economists call it "Black Thursday," but not because of Crumb; they wouldn't have heard his weird music yet.

In 1945, the UN was born.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Priceless


Oh yeah, Reagan "won" the cold war. What's all this, then?

This kinda bothers me. How is it going to be helpful to erase memory? What will that do to the lessons learned from the experience? "This occurred without impacting the animal's ability to recall any other memories, the scientists say." How do they know? Did they ask the mouse? How would it know what it didn't remember? This is not only dumb science, it's dangerous: more like tinkering with your calculator to see what it'll do when you drag a screwdriver across the circuits than anything actually resembling Science, or intellectual analysis. The brain is not a toy. Not even a mouse's brain. Respect, people: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect consciousness in all its forms.

In 1752, Nicolas Appert was born. He would live to invent the bouillon cube, and develop a new method of storing food, in cans.

In 1940, Pele was born. 1,281 goals in 22 years of soccer.

In 1958, Belgian cartoonist Peyo introduced the Smurfs.

In 1959, “Weird Al” Yankovic was born.

In 1998, Swatch Internet Time was introduced.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Apples

Warm wishes to the Senator's grandmother and family.

Al-Qaeda endorses McCain while Ben Bernanke goes with Obama

Alaska funded Palin kids' travels

Keith Olbermann on fire

REPUBLICAN voter fraud ...the only kind anyone can find.

On this day in 4004 bce, at 6pm, God created the Heavens and the Earth, according to Bishop James Ussher.* Creation began at nightfall, around 6pm, but wasn’t official until the next day, a Sunday, natch. And in 1811, Franz Liszt was born.

We have apples coming out of our ears. These trees are dropping apples the size of volleyballs (well ok, not really volleyballs, but easily the size of croquet balls). I did not know apples would get that big. They do! We've tried two apple pie recipes so far, and made more applesauce than either of us thought we would eat (but we did, already). Admittedly, most of them have a bug or two, and a lot get nibbled by critters before we can get to them, but that still leaves us a LOT of apples to deal with. The city picks up yard waste every other week in a 60-gallon barrel- we've filled ours probably six times this summer, it's full now, and there are probably another 20 gallons of apples on the ground, and that's to say nothing of the big bucket of good apples I've picked that are just waiting to be made into something. I had been thinking that we might want to spray the trees for bugs next year, but now I'm almost afraid of getting more apples than we could even get rid of. As Phil said- at least they're not hedgeapples! Mmmm hedgeapplesauce....

No, still no pics of the new work yet: I've been busy takin care of more urgent business. Soon though, soon. I'm working on it!


Tuesday, October 21, 2008

El Dia de la Nacho


Feast day of Saints Hilarion and Ursula (and her 11[000?] virgins).

International Day of the Nacho (U.S. and Mexico).

In 1760, Katsushika Hokusai (printmaker: “Thirty-six views of Mt. Fuji”) was born.

In 1772, Samuel Taylor Coleridge (“Kubla Khan,” “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”) was born.

In 1805, Vice Adm. Horatio Nelson, leading the British fleet, defeated a French-Spanish alliance at the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson was injured, but just lived to see the end of the battle, after which his crew preserved his body in rum.

In 1917, John B. “Dizzy” Gillespie was born.

I had the privilege of seeing Dizzy play once, in a park near 12th and Vine streets in downtown Kansas City. He had probably played in clubs within blocks of there, fifty years earlier when it was still the heart of the city (the neighborhood was just beginning a renaissance at the time I saw Diz). He walked slowly; you could tell the stairs to the stage weren't easy, but once he got up there, he smiled and lit up like a firework. It was a great time.

I'm still working on shooting my recent work. It's hard to do without proper lights!

Monday, October 20, 2008

You deserve a break


So, no political news today.

Horse stuck in a tree. No kidding.

You got yer Neolithic, and yer Paleolithic, and then you got yer stone age...

On this day in 1890, Ferdinand
“Jelly Roll” Morton was born. In 1973, President Nixon, in a last-ditch, selfish attempt to save himself from exposure to “the whole Bay of Pigs thing,” that the Watergate investigation threatened to reveal, overstepped his reach and ordered the dismissal of Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy AG William Ruckleshaus resigned in protest. Solicitor General Robert Bork later did the dirty work. This was the Saturday Night Massacre.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Coming up


Why do scandinavian countries have smaller prison populations?

On this day in 1973, helicopter pilot Laurence Coyne and three crew noticed a bright red light that seemed to be pacing them. Then a cigar-shaped metallic grey object with a red light in the 'nose' hovered in front of them. From the bottom emanated a green beam which suddenly filled the cockpit with green light. Then the object shot off and made a 45 degree change of course. The sighting had lasted about five minutes, and the object had appeared on the radar screens at Cleveland Hopkins Airport.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Let the sun shine in


About this Acorn thing.

Look for pics of some of my recent work tomorrow. I've been having some fun, playing in my scrap pile. I guess that means I need to shoot some pics today, though. I'll do that while the bread is rising. At some point, I have to climb up onto the roof and take a branch off the neighbor's walnut tree which is rubbing on our eaves.

We made a bunch of applesauce and a beautiful apple pie the other day. Yum! This year's garden was a bit of a dud, so it's been nice to have some produce come in. I hope next year's garden is half as productive as these apple trees have been: we'll be swimming in veggies! I've already gathered enough apples (in the three days since we baked the pie) to make as much applesauce again, and two more pies. We almost have to use them, too, because the yard-waste bin is full already (with bad apples and trimmage from some out-of-control shrubbery) and doesn't get picked up again for another week. Having found some plans online, I hope to build a small cider press next year. In the meantime, I expect to spend at least half the winter pruning the trees into a more manageable shape.

A major, major redesign of masteristvan.com is underway as we speak. It's finally in the hands of a professional. I have no idea what to expect, aside from something better/more functional/more accessible than I have now. I'm excited! Not only is it exciting to have the benefit of someone else's point of view; it's one less job I have to worry about doing by myself. She even understands marketing. Hallelujah!
Time for a new hobby!? HAHAHAHAA

On this day in 1931, Al Capone was convicted of two counts of tax evasion and sentenced to eleven years in prison. In an unrelated incident, Arthur Miller celebrated his 16th birthday.

And in 1967, "Hair" opened in an off-Broadway theater.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Un-FOX news


Palin revels in her popularity among the base

Judge sez "Not so fast, Gov'nor, there's some unfinished business here..."

The Republican Legacy, or, How Trickle-Down Economic Theory Came Home To Roost
Lower federal tax rates lead to higher local tax rates, because the money's got to come from somewhere. Just because Congress or some President says we can pay less, doesn't mean it costs less to make roads, move your garbage, provide clean water, police your street, protect your house from fire, protect your children from avaricious capitalist thugs, or insure your bank deposits. I'm so tired of harping on Reaganbushonomics. TAXES MAKE THE SYSTEM WORK. Pay your damn share already, geez.

Thomas Friedman is a hard-right Conservative, bordering on Neo-Con. So the harshness of this criticism -by him, of Sarah Palin-- is more than a little surprising. Refreshing, even.

It's Grover the muppet's birthday today. Happy birthday, Grover!

On this day in 1066, Saxon King Harold took an arrow in the eye, losing his life –and his kingdom- to William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings.

In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt, former president and the Bull Moose Party candidate, was shot at close range by anarchist John Schrank while greeting the public in front of the Hotel Gilpatrick in Milwaukee during his campaign for the presidency. He was saved by the papers in his breast pocket and still managed to give a 90 minute address in Milwaukee after requesting his audience to be quiet because “there is a bullet in my body.”

In 1930, Ethel Merman held a high “C” for sixteen bars of “I Got Rhythm,” in her Broadway debut in George Gershwin’s “Girl Crazy.”

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Gonna be a bright sunshiney day



On this day in 1547, Miguel de Cervantes was born.
In 1813, Guiseppe Verdi was born.
In 1835,
Camille Saint-Saens was born.
In 1855,
Joshua Stoddard patented the first calliope.
In 1919, the Chicago
White Sox “lost” the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in a fix that would later become known as the Black Sox scandal: eight members of the White Sox colluded with gamblers to throw games.
In 1940, John Lennon was born.
In 1986, “
Phantom of the Opera” premiered in London.