Poker Tournament

At the suggestion of my brother-in-law, I ventured out last night to the Schoolhouse Pub on Santa Fe and participated in their free poker tournament, put on by The Poker Pub, Inc. I had no idea what to expect, but it was pretty much fun playing no-limit Texas Hold'em with a bunch of strangers. Except for the idiots at my table in the second round who almost got into a fight and who expressed their lack of compassion for the Tsunami victims.

Bolivia-Bound

Sorry for not posting. I've been reading The Rough Guide to Bolivia.

Why on earth would I be reading that? Because I found out on Christmas morning that I am going to Bolivia.

In October or November of 2005, Robin and I will be travelling to Cochabamba, Bolivia, as part of an Amizade Volunteer Program. For two weeks, we will do volunteer work in a part of the world I never, ever expected to see.

For readers who don't know me, this is totally out of character. We don't even camp. We don't speak Spanish (yet). We don't spend money on travel. We are typical, Euro-centric Americans who know little of South America. But, in a few months, we'll be in the Andes, visiting a city I had never heard of until Christmas morning.

By a huge margin, this trip is the wildest Christmas gift I have ever received. (Because Robin recently received a small inheritance, and because college aid policies make it more sensible to spend than to save, I was kind of expecting a slightly more generous package under the tree this year. I was expecting something more along the lines of golf lessons, though . . .)

I suppose some background is in order. Robin put her name in a drawing held at Waldeaux Wines & Liquors several months ago, and about a month ago, she got a call saying she had won a two week, all-expense-paid trip to Bolivia. She kind of laughed it off, and, even though I encouraged her to give it some thought, I didn't really expect her to do so. I suppose I underestimated her intrepidness (intrepidity?). She made plans for me to come along.

I am, of course, blown away by this totally unexpected opportunity. I've been reading up on Bolivia and Cochabamba, but still know very little.

I did learn that Cochabamba was the site of a revolt against the power of Bechtel - the 2000 Bolivian Water Revolt.

Before April 2000, few people outside of Bolivia had ever heard of Cochabamba, a city of 600,000, tucked away in an Andean valley 8,000 feet high. Four months into the new century that changed. Cochabamba became the front line in the growing international battle over the rules of economic globalization. Standing down soldiers, resisting a declaration of martial law, and rising up against a wave of worship the market economic theology, South America’s poorest people evicted one of the world’s wealthiest corporations and took back something simple and basic – their water.

Don't expect this blog to turn into a font of Bolivian knowledge - for that, I recommend Blog from Bolivia - but I will share more as I learn more.

Happy Holidays

Bill O'Reilly and the right-wing Christian whackos are politicizing the Christmas season by taking offense at people and businesses who use the phrase "Happy Holidays". I've used "Happy Holidays" ever since I first started hanging with Jewish people. If anyone I say "Happy Holidays" takes offense, I will be happy to revoke my greeting, and offer them the opposite.

(Muttering underneath his breath - "These Christian Taliban assholes are really starting to piss me off . . .")

Jim Talent Starves Children

This helps place Jim Talent's flower quilt in perspective:

In one of the first signs of the effects of the ever tightening federal budget, in the past two months the Bush administration has reduced its contributions to global food aid programs aimed at helping millions of people climb out of poverty.

With the budget deficit growing and President Bush promising to reduce spending, the administration has told representatives of several charities that it was unable to honor some earlier promises and would have money to pay for food only in emergency crises like that in Darfur, in western Sudan. The cutbacks, estimated by some charities at up to $100 million, come at a time when the number of hungry in the world is rising for the first time in years and all food programs are being stretched.

As a result, Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services and other charities have suspended or eliminated programs that were intended to help the poor feed themselves through improvements in farming, education and health.

"We have between five and seven million people who have been affected by these cuts," said Lisa Kuennen, a food aid expert at Catholic Relief Services. "We had approval for all of these programs, often a year in advance. We hired staff, signed agreements with governments and with local partners, and now we have had to delay everything."

Please don't eat the daisies.

Why Jay Nixon Makes Me Nauseated

Nixon asserted that the Democratic Party needs more candidates, nationally and in the state, who reflect mainstream America. For example, he said he was Missouri's only Democratic statewide candidate to embrace the state constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between a man and woman.

As ArchPundit points out, this is kind of like saying "Hey, I'm a Bigot and won so then more Democrats should be".

Nixon is one of those Democrats who keep me from voting the straight ticket.

Jim Talent - Republican Tax and Spend Hypocrite

Jim Talent is one of those skinny little geeks who likes to talk about "getting tough" on government waste. You just know that the last "tough" thing he did was win a spelling bee in 3rd grade.

It turns out that Jim Talent is a lying hypocrite. On Friday, this appeared in the paper:

Powell Gardens grows

Thanks in part to $250,000 in federal money announced Thursday, Powell Gardens will add a Heartland Harvest Garden to help teach children about the Midwest's agricultural heritage.

Sen. Jim Talent, a Missouri Republican, secured the money for the garden, which is scheduled to open in 2007.

“It's a one-of-a-kind educational garden,” said Talent, who attended the announcement. “The purpose is to show children the course food takes from seed to plate.”

Powell Gardens executive director Eric Tschanz said the 12-acre garden would be designed to teach about agriculture in a “fun, beautiful and educational manner.” Flowers will also be exhibited like a quilt, in geometric patterns.

I love Powell Gardens - it is one of the most beautiful spots in the Kansas City area - but I don't see why Jim Talent needed to misdirect government funds to get flowers planted like a quilt. Of course, Jim Talent also showed a little flair with his government pork by spending $50,000 of your tax dollars on a program for wild pigs. I guess he prefers domesticated pork.

Mercantile Madness and Sanity

Today is likely to be a day of mercantile madness for me and hundreds of thousands of others. I will, however, attempt to retain a modicum of thought in what I am doing with my dollars.

I happened to catch the always-enjoyable and thought-provoking Jim Hightower on Kansas City's Community Radio KKFI the other day. He advised us that "A group called AMIBA––American Independent Business Alliance––has organized the 'Indie Challenge,' urging We the People to rediscover the local businesses that make our towns special––from coffee shops to restaurants, book stores to hardware stores, pharmacies to farmers markets." It's a good idea, and the website for AMIBA looks like one worthy of visiting regularly for its Recommended Readings, Articles, and Links. Unfortunately, we here in Kansas City don't have a chapter at this time.

Placing the issue in a more global context, That Colored Fella has a thoughtful post on national efforts to help the "blue" companies.

As I spend my dollars today and in the coming week, I won't pretend that I am going to be "pure". I am certain that some mega-stores controlled by obnoxious Republicans are going to get a few of my dollars, and that some of the products I purchase will be produced by people with whom I deeply disagree.

That said, however, I will make a sincere effort to support local companies and companies that have a social conscience (the two are not necessarily the same, of course). Without tipping my hand for those who may be the objects of my gift-buying, I'd encourage people to consider spending some of their money at places like The Roasterie, SRO Video (don't they have a webpage?), Latin American Imports, the Reading Reptile, and even the non-local but employee-friendly Costco.

Who else should I list? If you're from another city, post your favorites with their locations, so we'll know where to go when we travel . . .

It's a Wonderful Life - in 30 Seconds

My holiday season is waaaayyy too busy to spend a couple hours watching Jimmy Stewart get over his bad day. Here's a faster, cuter way to get the same thing.

Clinton Confronts Accuser in Central Park

Because the story is so short, I'll quote the whole thing:

Former US president Bill Clinton still has the capacity to hold his own, as was seen when he was confronted by a man, who accused him of being an embarrassment to the whole country, during a stroll in Central Park. "You were an embarrassment to the office of commander-in-chief," the man reportedly taunted Clinton, reports The New York Daily Times. However, being the perfect diplomat, Clinton said: "Oh, really? I think I did a helluva job.... I'll admit I misled people about my personal life. And have even apologized for it, but I never misled the people about policy and I certainly never misled the people about going to war."

"I hope your children turn out to be as perfect as you are, sir," Clinton added.

Clinton also spent 45 minutes taking questions from some admirers who had gathered around and then walked to a car, where Hillary Clinton was waiting for him. (ANI)

There is so much to enjoy in this story - the fact that Clinton is able to take impromptu questions for 45 minutes (can you imagine W doing that?), the image of some jerk getting called on his Rush idiocy, and the reminder that we have a president in the White House now who has done so much worse for our country than anything Clinton ever dreamed of.

But as a flawed human being who happens to be a parent, I found Clinton's wish for the gentleman to be absolutely priceless - "I hope your children turn out to be as perfect as you are, sir." That has to be the meanest thing anyone could ever say to me!!!

Tort Reform - a Bad Idea but a Good Seminar

This should be a great seminar, and I encourage anyone in Kansas City who cares about individuals' rights and the corporatization of Missouri law to attend.

The Lawyers Association of Kansas City is proud to sponsor its first

Missouri Tort Reform Roundtable

Featured Speaker: Senator Matt Bartle
Head of the Senate Judiciary Committee shaping Missouri's Tort Legislation

Monday, December 20, 2004
12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m.
Kansas City Club, 918 Baltimore
Cost: $35 for LAKC members; $45 for non-members
(Lunch included in cost of seminar)
1.5 Hours of MO CLE

Senator Bartle will address the recent Tort Reform efforts in Missouri and the likely Tort Reform legislation that will be presented to Missouri's Governor in early 2005. Whether you practice primarily on the defense or plaintiff's side of civil litigation or do transactional work, the likely Tort Reform in Missouri will have a significant impact on your practice area, including: Product Liability, Class Action, Personal Injury, Worker's Compensation, Employment, Business Litigation, and Business Contracts.

Our Tort Reform panel, who will be present to share their views and
answer your questions will include:

Senator Matt Bartle
Berkowitz Stanton, et. al.

Steve White, White Allinder et. al.
Former President of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys

Dr. John O. Stanley, M.D.

Rik Siro, Siro & Moyer
Trial Attorney

Kirk Doan, Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP
General Counsel to the Metropolitan Medical Society

Patrick Stueve, Stueve Siegel Hanson Woody LLP
Roundtable Moderator

This seminar is limited to the first 100 registrants.

Please call 816-474-6444 or e-mail the Lawyers Association of Kansas City (lawyersassn@comcast.net) with your reservation today.

Insurance Companies are Evil, Part 2

How many planes do you remember hitting the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001? I distinctly recall one plane hitting a tower, and then, a few minutes later, a second plane hitting a second tower? Does that ring a bell for anyone?

GE Insurance Solutions remembers things differently. According to them, there was only one "event" on September 11. At stake is $237 million.

Remember, it's the insurance industry that complains about "frivolous litigation". I guess corporations arguing about millions of dollars is not "frivolous" - that label only applies when poor people seek justice.

Gay Adoption in Missouri - Legitimate News?

Missouri Lawyers Weekly recently published an article on gay adoption in Missouri. In a nutshell, the article reports that allowing an adoption to go forward is within the discretion of the judge, and that certain judges in Missouri allow gay couples to adopt. The adoption statute doesn't say one way or the other whether gays should be allowed to adopt - it takes the refreshingly even-handed approach of referring to potential adoptive parents as "persons".

As stated in the article, "Single men can adopt, so can single women. The overarching concern is the child's welfare, whether adoption is in his or her best interest. It is a question that a judge must ultimately decide and it is up to a lawyer to find a judge willing to entertain the petitions."

An interesting question that arose in the article is the fact that the people involved "admit it has been done in Missouri only under a cloak of secrecy," and "one said it would be 'unconscionable' even to write about the practice, fearing it will invite a crackdown by the Legislature."

Sadly, I can't disagree with the concerns, and a part of me wants to criticize Missouri Lawyers Weekly for publicizing the practice. If such adoptions are legal, and they happen in the ordinary course of business, why should the glare of publicity be shone upon them?

Ultimately, though, I side with the journalists, and agree that a free press should inform the citizenry of matters of public interest. If my reason for complaining about the article were that the topic is too dull and ordinary to be worth my time to read about, that would be one thing. Unfortunately, though, my real complaint would be based on my fear that some citizens and legislators may find this topic of real interest, and do something about it. In a democracy, public policy should not be decided in secret, even when it is policy with which I agree (which, by the way, is why the Bush administration should be forced to disclose who participated in developing its energy plan, but that's a different post).

Insurance Companies are Evil

This is one of the essential facts of modern life. Unfortunately, they are evil geniuses. They have convinced doctors to blame lawyers for the fact that doctors are underpaid by health insurers and then overcharged by malpractice insurers. Now, they're conspiring to screw lawyers more directly.

10 Important Books

I'm going to make my first trip to the new Kansas City Public Library today, and I thought I would take the occasion to jot down 10 books which have been important to me. (I was also motivated by Flip's announced intention to stop recommending books.) These are not necessarily my 10 favorite books, though most would rank in there, nor are they arranged in any order. But they are 10 books I highly recommend. The links are to Powell's Books, a fantastic place indeed, but, even better, buy them from a local independent bookstore, or check them out from your local library . . .

1. A Soldier of the Great War, Mark Helprin: The main character in this novel happens to be a veteran of World War I, but the great war is, in my opinion, the struggle for the human soul to see the beauty and feel the pulse of love. The prose in this book is rich and luscious, and my copy is dog-eared from where I marked passages I wanted to return and savor.
2. Catch 22, by Joseph Heller: This book changed my life. Doc Noonan introduced us to this masterpiece on the absurdity of modern life in general and war in particular during my senior year in high school. Its message of hope in an insane world is delivered with humor and a refreshing anti-establishment message.
3. Middlemarch, by George Eliot: I tried to read this hefty tome when I was in high school, and thought it was terrible and ponderous. Later in my life, I gave it another try and found it to be wise and the most humane, thoughtful and sympathetic book I’ve ever read.
4. A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving: This book had me laughing out loud in an airport, attracting stares. Irving serves up a rich novel full of allegory and meaning, while keeping it wildly enjoyable. Of all the books I’ve ever recommended, this one is the one that has been most generally enjoyed.
5. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: Hemingway was in complete command of the English language, and his short stories are polished diamonds of literature. They resist simplistic understanding, and echo with an emotional range that exceeds the stereotype of “Hemingway macho.” Read carefully and openly, they leave me aching and short of breath.
6. Why I am Not a Christian, by Bertrand Russell: Questions of faith are irresistibly attractive to me. For some reason, I am not content to accept, but feel the need to fight and wrestle with it. The family legend is that I wailed so loudly at my baptism that I could be heard blocks away. Similarly, I don’t take Russell at face value, but he challenges the reader to think hard.
7. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by William Shirer: Too many of my generation accept the rise of Hitler as some sort of distant, historical mass insanity. Shirer’s careful reporting is frighteningly clear, and makes it all the more terrible because it is all so understandable. It is more comforting to believe that what happened in Germany can never happen here or anywhere else, but it can, and may.
8. Shoeless Joe, by W.P. Kinsella: Perhaps you can’t judge a book by its cover, but I distinctly remember buying this book during finals week at law school, solely because it looked like something I would enjoy, even though I had never read or heard about it. This is a magical book that engages me on multiple levels.
9. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare: Damn. How was Shakespeare so good?
10. The Discoverers, by Daniel Boorstin: Boorstin was the Librarian of Congress, and this book is an erudite, insightful, and informative tour through the history of human discoveries. What was time like before clocks were common-place? The Discoverers is an intellectual playground full of moments where you’ll stop and ponder.

Well, friends, what are some books that would be on your list?

Update: The library is beautiful and the collection is extensive, but they won't let you browse through the CDs! Instead, you have to look up on one of their computers what they have, and ask at a glass-enclosed desk for someone to retrieve you selections. That's a huge disappointment for someone who likes to be guided by impulse.

Good Stuff this Week

It would probably be easier to come up with a list of rotten stuff to complain about during this week of turmoil, but I'm going to focus on the positive.

1. I brewed a batch of homebrew with my new equipment. Now, I have 10 gallons of my best shot at cloning Rogue's Mocha Porter finishing up fermentation, ready to put into my new kegging system. If the Republicans are going to drive me to drink, I may as well drink some of the best beer on the planet.

2. I got to show off my new iPod to the legendary Bobby Watson, one of my jazz heroes. That was, in a word, cool.

3. I shook the hand of Emanuel Cleaver, and thanked him for his willingness to go to Washington and represent us.

4. I had a meeting in St. Joseph, at impressive Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, where I caught up with several old and new friends. As an added bonus, I missed the turn for the museum and saw that a couple blocks away is a Maid-Rite restaurant! Oh, baby, I am SO going back soon for a longer museum visit and a loose-meat sandwich!

5. I got a 49.5 out of 50 on my Financial Management exam. Stupid math errors are all that stand between me and perfection!

6. I saw "Shall We Dance", with a packed house at the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport. It's been called a chick-flick, but I enjoyed it a lot. I have to admit, Richard Gere has it goin' on.

7. I met a few friends from my Rotary Club at George Brett's for an impromptu TGIF on the Plaza - a good wrap-up to a challenging week.

Terrible News About Danforth

I have written of my admiration for Jack Danforth. He is a sincere, thoughtful, serious person trying to accomplish good in this world. He is a Republican, but he is a Republican I can support and admire. The fact that Bush had appointed him as envoy to the U.N. provided a gleam of hope that perhaps the Bush Administration had room in it for someone reasonable and compassionate.

Jack Danforth is leaving his post after less than half a year. This is absolutely terrible news. Danforth has the rare kind of integrity that prevents him from "going along" with evil, even if it gives him power (some of us thought that Powell had that kind of integrity, too, though we were apparently mistaken). When I saw him speak a couple months ago, he stressed how he only agreed to serve because he believed that the Bush Administration was sincere in its efforts to work multilaterally in the international sphere.

The right wing will downplay the seriousness of this departure, and the lapdog press will play along. Danforth is using the excuse that he wants to spend time with his wife - while I am sure that he looks forward to more time with his spouse of many years, he did not take this important job without thinking through the personal commitment involved.

Most people don't know Jack Danforth, and most people won't care about his departure from a position they little understand. For me, though, this is one of the most depressing developments since 11/2. This means that Bush will be proceeding in a manner that Jack Danforth refuses to associate with. This means that the Bush Administration has no room for good men with independent minds. This means that even a supporter of Clarence Thomas and a life-long Republican is outside the circle of this administration.

If Jack Danforth is leaving the administration, it is because he could not stomach the evil they have planned. Stay tuned, and prepare for a draft.