Thursday, March 30, 2006

They're on their way!

The hummingbirds are on their way - time to put out the feeders.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Does Your Charity Need a Computer?

Blog cohort Three O'Clock in the Morning has a sweet Mac-compatible computer, loaded with software, he's wanting to give away to a deserving charity. Here's his post - put this computer to work! (And save a marriage.)

Selling Boardwalk and Park Place to pay the rent on Baltic

I played a lot of Monopoly when I was a kid. The worst part of losing in that game is the accelerating piecemeal process of having to sell all your good properties to pay the rent when you've landed on someone else's developed property. The rich get richer because they develop their land quicker, and the poor lose their land to the rich, so they can develop more.

Here in Missouri, taxpayers are being told we must sell off our assets because the Republicans have landed us in a bad spot. Bush and his Republican cohorts have come up with a plan to sell off 273 square miles of Mark Twain National Forest to developers.

This is a terrible, short-sighted idea, and, in my ever-humble opinion, is motivated more to get valuable land into the hands of corporations and Republican donors than to raise money. Even if you believe that selling precious forestland to settle a short-term debt is a good idea, why would you believe that Bush is capable of doing so without screwing it up?

Teddy Roosevelt anticipated the Bush administration when he wrote, "Shortsighted men...in their greed and selfishness will, if permitted, rob our country of half its charm by their reckless extermination of all useful and beautiful wild things."

Why aren't Jim Talent and Kit Bond leading a fight to protect Missouri?

"Legal Fairness"? Feels Like We're Getting Screwed!

Spin masters for the corporate world have announced that corporate lawyers (that fair-minded bunch) have ranked Missouri the 35th "most fair" state for business, up from 40th last year. The reason? Because Republican legislators have stripped Missourians of their right to get compensated when a corporation harms them.

"Legal fairness"?!?! This has nothing to do with fairness - this is a measure of how badly Missouri treats its own citizens in favor of big-money corporate interests.

I'm a fairly competitive guy, so I think we ought to try to be #1. To do that, all we will need to do is have all Missourians volunteer to be sex slaves for corporate lawyers with sadism fetishes. Why not? Our Republican legislators are already corporate whores. Bring on the lash, US Chamber of Commerce!

The Media, Immigration, and Stupidity

I am definitely not an expert on Latino affairs, or on immigration policy, but this open letter to the media made a lot of sense to me. I'm only quoting a few of the many points it makes - if you want to see the corporate media get skewered, read the whole thing.
1. The vast majority of Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. (75 percent of us) were born and raised here, including many of us who have roots here that predate the arrival of the pilgrims.

2. "Immigrant" is not synonymous with "Latino" and the media should stop pretending they mean the same thing.

3. The CNN analyst who said today "Keep in mind, Latino voters are LEGAL immigrants, not illegal immigrants" should be FIRED for sloppy thinking. MOST LATINOS ARE NOT IMMIGRANTS AT ALL, PINCHE CABRON.

4. Immigrants to contemporary USA come from EVERYWHERE. There are, for instance, 100,000 Nigerians in Houston, and tens of thousands of ILLEGAL Irish in Boston. If this debate is truly about immigration, as opposed to racist portrayals of Latinos, please curb your coverage to be more responsible.

5. Just because someone waves a Mexican or Colombian flag at a peaceful demonstration does not mean the demonstration is a "riot" or the people unAmerican. Lou Dobbs should get his panties out of a knot and realize it is no different than someone waving an Irish flag in Southie or an Italian flag in Queens. These flags are not waved as proof of national allegiance; they are waved in solidarity with a person's cultural heritage.
. . .
(Via Eschaton)

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Be Spontaneous!

If you're reading this blog this fine morning, perhaps you could use something a little more exciting in your life. How about coming by Mike's Tavern, on beautiful Troost Avenue to listen to David Basse, Gerald Dunn, and the Jazz Disciples this afternoon from 3-6? It's a fundraiser for Bobby Watson's UMKC Jazz Band's European Tour, but it will only cost you $5 to get in the door and witness some goings-on. You won't regret it.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

OMG! The Washington Post IS Liberal!

I'll admit that I have always thought the right-wingers complaining of left-wing bias in the media were a bunch of WATBs, but I was wrong. Despite the fact that the networks constantly play right-wing talking points, and Chris Matthews has a serious man-crush on Bush, and the New York Times and the rest of the media unquestioningly accepted every crazy excuse to attack Iraq, I was wrong.

Those crafty leftist bastards at the Washington Post have given a high-profile blog position to right-wing pin-up boy Ben Domanech. There is joy in Leftville, of a most cruel sort.

Derangement Syndromes and the ACLU

"Bush Derangement Syndrome" is a label right-wingers have used to attempt to trivialize criticisms of the President. Those of who raise concerns about his policies or express disapproval of him in any way are portrayed as crazed "moon-bats" who are incapable of rational discourse and are blind to our President's "sunny nobility".

As a teenager would say, whatever.

Regardless, the concept of "Derangement Syndromes" is an amusing one. I have earlier wondered about their apoplectic reaction to Hillary Clinton. Recently, I have come across another flashpoint for the right - the ACLU.

In one thread on a conservative blogger's site, I had a normally intelligent writer arguing that the ACLU is a communist organization, despite the fact that their bylaws specifically disqualify communists from membership, because they support free speech, which means they are trying to offend the American public to such an extent that the government can restrict all speech.

Cue the teen on the soundboard.

What other Derangement Syndromes do you see out there - on either side? What people or institutions cause certain persons to lose control of their mental faculties and start spewing thoughtless nonsense?

Friday, March 17, 2006

Politics

`In our time the destiny of man presents its meanings in political terms' - Thomas Mann

HOW can I, that girl standing there,
My attention fix
On Roman or on Russian
Or on Spanish politics?
Yet here's a travelled man that knows
What he talks about,
And there's a politician
That has read and thought,
And maybe what they say is true
Of war and war's alarms,
But O that I were young again
And held her in my arms!

By William Butler Yeats

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Jolie Justus for Missouri State Senate

I received a happy surprise in my mailbox today - an invitation to a campaign kick-off event at the Bulldog for Jolie Justus. Consider yourself invited - even if you aren't able to make a donation.

I've known Jolie for years - she's bright, enthusiastic, idealistic and unabashedly progressive. My most recent experience of working with her was on Election Day 2004, when she ran a bi-partisan voter support project.

If you're a conservative republican, you're probably going to disagree with Jolie Justus on a few points, but you would still like her. She's a real breath of fresh air, and I am simply thrilled that she is willing to go down to Jefferson City and represent Missouri's sane majority - a horribly under-represented "interest group" right now.

Right now, I have a conflict for the kick-off, but I hope to get out of it. Jefferson City is an embarrassment to sane people right now, and Jolie's candidacy offers an opportunity to do something about it. I hope to see you at the Bulldog next Thursday at 5:30.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Pat Robertson on the Missouri Taliban

Down in Jefferson City, the religious extremists have seized control of government, and are working to impose an extreme fundamentalist world-view on all Missourians, most of whom do not share their radical views.

These extremist theocrats want to officially recognize Christianity as the majority religion in the state. They want to ban contraceptive education in the schools. They want to deny court-awarded alimony to those who they believe are living in what they deem sin. They want to return women to the home from the workplace. They want to force all state employees to say "Merry Christmas". They want to allow insurance companies to deny treatment if the procedure or medication offends their "moral values". (Don't they realize that insurance companies are the antithesis of moral values???)

Fortunately, we have sagacious men with deep understanding who are willing to stand up to this attack on the American way of life. Pat Robertson, for example, took to the airwaves and described the Missouri legislature in strong, but accurate terms:
These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power; it is satanic; and it's time we recognize what we are dealing with. But, political correctness will not face one religious ideology with the strength of another because they don't have the strength of another. And, so, they're caving in before this vicious assault, and the goal of [Missouri's rightwing religious whackos], ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not, is world domination.
Thank you, Pat Robertson, for saying it like it is . . .

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Thank You, Fox!

I foolishly accepted an assignment to teach on Monday evenings from 6 until 9:50, thus occupying myself during the "24" timeslot for the next 10 weeks. While I haven't yet figured out how to convincingly work a weekly viewing of Jack Bauer into a Legal Research class, I was pleased to learn that Fox has a minute-by-minute plot synopsis of the show on its website.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

What I Saw at the Phoenix Yesterday

It was a Saturday afternoon at The Phoenix Piano Bar & Grill, and the Scamps were entertaining the crowd with their brand of good-natured, historical jazz. The sun was getting low in the sky, and the downtown buildings were taking on a golden glow. We had a table up front, and I had a Fat Tire in front of me. The Scamps are the longest-running musical group in the world, and they were having fun, as they have since 1946.

All is right with the world when you hear the Scamps and have good beer and good company. The red glow of the neon "Jazz" sign bathed the group in rosey tones that blended with the golden light outside.

A youngish man came in, carrying a case, and took a seat at the rail in front of our table. Nicely dressed, he ordered a Clausthaler and led the applause for the virtuoso solos.

At the break, the young man spoke up to Lucky Wesley - the leader of the band - and asked whether he could sit in and play a few songs on his fiddle. By way of credentials, he mentioned a few of the groups and individuals he had played with in the past. They met with Lucky's approval, and the youngish man was given a jack for his fiddle.

Together, the band and the youngish man ripped through 3 or 4 numbers, and the fiddle brought not only a great new sound, but also a heightened level of intensity among all the musicians. The Scamps are many things, but they are not a hot, flashy sensation - but when they were jamming with the new kid with the fiddle, they were back a few decades, and they were rolling with the sound. They rose to the challenge, and brought us all along.

The youngish man played a few numbers with the band, and won their respect. You could tell that the experienced saxophonist Dwight Foster was suspicious of the interloper, but, at the end of the jam, he extended a warm hand of jazz acceptance.

After a few great songs, the youngish man put his fiddle back in its case and left the Scamps to complete their set - back to themselves, but maybe a little heightened by the new sound.

I caught the name of the youngish fiddler. He is Edgar Gabriel, and he took full advantage of his opportunity to play with the Scamps. I'm glad I was there.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

4 Babies Laughing

This is the cutest video ever. Go laugh - it will be good for your soul.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Fred Phelps Makes Me Proud to be an American

How's that for a surprising headline?

But, seriously, Fred Phelps has done everything he can possibly do to test the limits of Americans' devotion to free speech, and he still has not provoked a violent response. His repugnant protests at soldiers' funerals have drawn gangs of bikers, not to whip him with chains as most, I suspect, would greatly enjoy, but to rev their engines and screen the grieving families and friends from his "God hates fags"' message.

The fact that Fred Phelps has not been beaten or worse is a wondrous example of what is good in American society.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Our Brand is Crisis - Carville, Bolivia, and the Limits of Democracy

While in New York, we caught Our Brand is Crisis a fascinating documentary about the election of "Goni" in Bolivia. In it, Rachel Boynton films (with surprisingly complete access) the participation of Clinton's and John Kerry's consultants, Greenberg Carville Shrum, in the successful campaign of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada ("Goni") to gain a plurality of 22%, and thus the presidency of that fascinating country.

This is no simple tale of political banter, though. The film starts with a clash between government troops and Bolivian protestors in the final days of Goni's presidency, before he resigned and fled to suburban Washington, DC, and that image of disaster colors the whole project. This film forces the viewer, in a direct and compelling manner, to face the consequences of the political game.

Other reviewers have seen the film as a work demonstrating that American-style political consulting can bring about disastrous results in other cultures. From Chris Barsanti, "What the film ably shows is how a band of Washington consultants can contribute to bloodshed and near societal collapse in a Third World nation whose politics can't be reduced to the same Beltway template now being exported around the world." From Timothy Knight, "Without ever getting strident or sanctimonious, the film vividly demonstrates the potential hazards of trying to export American-style democracy overseas." Those reviewers miss the point, as demonstrated by the clueless but on-to-something Kyle Smith of the New York Post - "Why shouldn't Bolivia be entitled to sophisticated polling advice?"

The problem exposed by the movie is a problem at the heart of democracy, and one which is exacerbated where a candidate can achieve leadership with a 22% plurality. At one point, Goni, while still on the campaign trail, dismisses the thought of relying on the voice of the people to decide a difficult and technical question of how to export Bolivia's vast stores of natural gas. Later in the film, Carville muses on the fact that Goni's popularity peaked on the day of the election, and that had the election taken place the day after or the day before, he may have lost. And, Carville admits, that sort of peak is like a climax - it's tough to control exactly when it will come.

So, on the day of the election, 22% of Bolivia's people happened to choose Goni, but he never had a majority of public support. After imposing an income tax that impacted the already-poor, and agreeing to export natural gas through hated neighbor Chile, Goni became the target of protests and demonstrations, led by those who came within a few percentage points of gaining his precarious seat of power.

"Our Brand is Crisis" shows some of the limits of democracy. Where, as in the United States, only a minority of people select the leadership, where is the guaranty that the true will of the people will be victorious? Beyond that, how does the will of the people play into solving complex issues that the average voter may not even be able to articulate, much less solve?

Uncomfortably, the villain of this challenging documentary is not Goni, or the political consultants, or Goni's opponents. The boy we see in a pool of blood at the beginning of the film was killed by a failure in democracy.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

New York, New York!

My blog silence was caused by a 4 day trip to New York, New York, to visit Sam. What a fantastic city! I was blown away by the new Museum of Modern Art, and had a great time wandering around in China Town. Photos and much more later.

But I almost cancelled my return flight when I saw this. Representative David Sater's work to get the Missouri legislature to promote Christianity makes me wonder if this is how the Taliban got started.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Great Music and Band Names

Thanks to those of you who helped me out with tips on finding new music recently. Today's your payback.

The South by Southwest Festival is a huge music and film festival held in Austin March 10 - 19, and their website includes a ton of free music samples from the performers. You can search by genre, read descriptions of the music, and link to the bands' websites. It's a great way to learn about different bands, including such notable names as:

Baboon
David Bavas and the Down Comforter
Blackalicious
The Boy Least Likely To
Cadence Weapon
Circle Takes The Square
Coach Said Not To
Cuff the Duke

And that's just A through C. There are over 1400 performers from all over the world. Go try out some new stuff.

Bush Lied - People Died

Bush has been caught on tape lying - not about a meaningless encounter in a closet of the Oval Office, but about his role in the deaths of 1400+ American citizens.

The day before Hurricane Katrina forever altered our nation's physical and moral landscape, Incurious George interrupted one of his countless vacations to sit through a briefing on the storm. And sit through it, he did, without asking for a single clarification or asking a single question. Given his passion for clearing brush, one wonders if his mind was wandering to the anticipation of clearing brush, or if he was basking in a post-brush-clearing after-glow.

Regardless, here's what he had to say to the state officials his administration later blamed for lack of preparedness: "I want to assure the folks at the state level that, uhhh, we are fully prepared to not only help you during the storm but we will move in whatever resources and assets at our disposal after the storm to help you deal with, uhh, with the loss of property and we pray for no loss of life, of course." He was lying. Lying. He was not fully prepared, yet he offered false reassurance to people in harms way. He has blood on his hands.

Here it is, six months after the event, and we are just now learning more about the depths of Incurious George's incompetence and inattention to the welfare of common
American citizens. We see the same behavior in Port-gate. We see the same behavior in the planning for the invasion of Iraq. We see the same behavior in pre 9-11 terror investigation.

If his lying and incompetence were an isolated event, and the obliteration of New Orleans was simply a momentary lapse, it would be tempting to forgive him and his supporters. Heck, the right wing couldn't forgive a man who tried to keep a blowjob secret from his wife and the American public, but the left wing is more generous than that. If we could get away with the only damage to our country resulting from this presidency being 1400+ Americans dead and the devastation of one major American city, we'd probably consider that to be a pretty good result. Unfortunately, we have almost 3 years left with this lying, incompetent, corrupt administration. God save us.