Joe's Blog

Scenes From Turning 50 : The 34's

2010-05-20T12:09:00.002-05:00

Kari and I are cleaning out closets, attic and garage in preparation for selling our house later this summer. Decluttering our life is an arduous, sometimes painful but ultimately satisfying process. The timing of the project happens to coincide with my 50th birthday, so there is some emotional overlap between the cleanup project and a more general urge to take stock of my life at this milestone.

Decluttering involves reversing decisions made years ago not to throw things away. Kari is less sentimental than me, has no problem throwing things away, and therefore has much less old crap to sort through. I have tons of memorabilia (i.e., crap) that didn't get tossed when it should have. These things have followed me through many moves, slowly growing to fill available storage space each time I move.

I've seen reality TV shows where people with much more alarming packrat issues than me are coached through cleaning up, throwing away and letting go of their huge messes. Seeing others go through this has helped me get a handle on my own emotional ties to old crap. The most helpful advice is the 6-month rule: "If you haven't touched it in 6 months, you don't need it." There are exceptions to that rule, like old photos, but in general it's a good rule. In my case, I can extend it to 6 YEARS and still get rid of 90% of what's in our closets and attic.

Last week though, I hit a 6-year-rule conundrum. What to do with my 34-waist jeans and shorts?

In 2004 Kari and I went on the South Beach diet. We both did very well on it. I eventually lost 70 pounds over the course of that year. When we started I was on the verge of needing 42-waist pants. That was my motivation for the diet -- I couldn't bring myself to buy 42's. By the end of the year I was at my "ideal" weight and had a nice new set of 34-waist jeans and shorts. I hadn't worn 34's since college.

I kept most of the weight off for another year or so, when I found I needed to pull the 36-waist jeans back out of the bottom drawer. I've been on a gradual climb ever since, finally reaching my 2004 pre-diet weight this year.

I'm back in the gym these days, and back on the bike. I'm trying to get a handle on my eating habits once again. But turning 50, knowing myself and knowing what happened every time I've lost weight in the past, I have to wonder if I'm ever going to get back into those 34's. I haven't touched them in 5 years or so, so by my decluttering rules they need to go. But I felt so good when I could fit into them...

Trippin' Down Memory Lane

2009-07-19T20:16:00.011-05:00

Around the internets and on TV people have been noting the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing. Watching the launch and mission videos from that time has stirred deep seated, rarely disturbed memories. It's taken me all the way back to a little boy just turned 9, who's deepest desire was to be either Tyrannosaurus Rex or an astronaut.

In those days space missions were a big deal for everyone, but most of all for the 9-year-old demographic. All my friends and their families spent the week glued to their sets. This was a different experience back then, with color TV's just starting to gain popularity and only three channels.

The suspense had been building for years, with each mission getting closer and closer to a moon landing (and just as important for the grown-ups, keeping us ahead of the Russians). Dramatic pictures of the dark side and home-movie style video of Earth rising from behind the moon during Apollo 8 stunned the world. That mission came at a traumatic time, at the end of the year when Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. I remember my Dad saying at Christmas that it had been a very bad year, and we should all pray the next one was a lot better.

Along with it's many firsts, Apollo 8 will be remembered for the dramatic reading of the first ten verses of Genesis as the little spacecraft came around the dark side into full view of the fragile blue earth hanging so small and far away behind the barren moon. People around the world were transfixed. At the time it was the most-watched event in the history of TV.

By that next summer of 1969 I'd finished 3rd grade at Comanche Elementary and was ready to start 4th in the fall at Alamo, not far from my house. 4th grade was the year I discovered I needed glasses, so that summer would've been the last of me wondering why I sucked so bad at Little League. The first day of 4th grade I tried on Ned Allen's glasses as a goof, and the world has been a better place ever since.

Kids bedtime at our house was 9:00, but in the summer that would've been relaxed a bit, and for the first landing on the moon all rules were temporarily suspended. I remember the landing happening late in the evening, with the first steps on the surface coming far into hours I wasn't used to seeing. I'm sure I dozed a little during what seemed to a kid to be interminable periods with nothing happening.

I dimly recall they had problems with the picture, which at first was upside down. I remember turning upside down, almost standing on my head in front of the TV. Being so nearsighted I was right up close and in everyone else's way. Thankfully they got the orientation of the signal straightened out before Neil Armstrong stepped off the lander and into history, and before all my blood pooled in my head.

The moon landing meant many things to people, but for a 9-year-old it was pure adventure. My friends and I spent all day every day imitating every word the astronauts and ground control said, recreating the bouncy moonwalks, piloting and landing the spacecraft. This went on for years afterward.

One of the things we used to imitate was the launch sequence and countdown. We had it down, all the way to the little pauses in the announcer's voice, and "Ignition sequence starts" at the 8 second mark.

Watching the launch now, I see very different things. I think how my parents and other grownups must have viewed the launch, living with the Cold War and the arms race, with the jarring image of the astronauts perched atop a converted missile designed to deliver city-destroying warheads. Watching the launch today reminds me of Dr. Strangelove more than the start of a space adventure.

But those are my grownup eyes. My 9 year old eyes, though nearsighted, saw only the start of the greatest adventure ever.

The Blog Revives

2009-07-19T20:04:00.003-05:00

Lately I've noticed, while getting into a regular routine on Facebook, that I occasionally have something to say that's more than a short paragraph. That's a pleasant discovery. The reason this blog went dormant was because I couldn't think of anything worth posting on a regular basis. That was mostly just me psyching myself out, I'm normally not at a loss for words. But it kept me from writing anything for a long time.

Facebook has eased me back into putting my thoughts down on virtual paper. And now I find I want to say more sometimes than the brief updates allow. So I'll come back here for the longer pieces now and then.

Rant of the day

2007-10-26T16:15:00.000-05:00

Paul Krugman:

But the greater tragedy is the one facing borrowers who were offered what they were told were good deals, only to find themselves in a debt trap.
In his final paper, Mr. Gramlich stressed the extent to which unregulated lending is prone to the “abusive lending practices” he mentioned in his 2004 warning. The fact is that many borrowers are ill-equipped to make judgments about “exotic” loans, like subprime loans that offer a low initial “teaser” rate that suddenly jumps after two years, and that include prepayment penalties preventing the borrowers from undoing their mistakes.
Yet such loans were primarily offered to those least able to evaluate them. “Why are the most risky loan products sold to the least sophisticated borrowers?” Mr. Gramlich asked. “The question answers itself — the least sophisticated borrowers are probably duped into taking these products.” And “the predictable result was carnage.”

Rant of the day

2007-10-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

Today's (half) rant courtesy of Kung Fu Monkey:
(italics and bold are from the original)

... This is only half-rant. The honest question is, what in the
American character keeps us returning to this completely false
self-image? Seriously, how did we get to a point where this
report may as well have started: "Hi there, Carol, we're about
to talk to people twenty years older than the average American
living a lifestyle less than one in five average Americans live
... to find out what the average American thinks" and somehow nobody blinks an eye?

There are four times as many Americans living in urban than rural
areas. There are four times as many people sucking back coffee
in New York city alone than make a living farming. According to the Burea of Labor, there are just as many people employed in Architecture and Engineering as farming, hell, 3 million people working in Computer and Mathematical jobs. But when one of
these "What does America think about culture" pieces comes on,
do I ever see a mid-30's software engineer onscreen bitching about having to download BitTorrents of "The IT Crowd"? Fuck and no.
Four million people in the US play World of Warcraft. And yet, do I ever hear:
ANDERSON: We stopped by the gates of Ogrimmar in Durotar, on the east coast of Kalimdor, where one local told us Hollywood just can't relate to the level-grinding life.
UNIDENTIFIED ORC: They've never been back here, questing Razormane or Drygulch Ravine, y'know ... or farming for Peacebloom and Silverleaf. They're out of touch.
No. No I do not.

The Number One Issue

2007-10-24T15:59:00.000-05:00

As Garance sez, funny because it's true:

Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters

Red Sox fan in NYC

2007-10-24T13:20:00.000-05:00

Highly amusing:

(...found via Poor Man)

Tough Call at NASA

2007-10-23T09:55:00.000-05:00

I wouldn't want to be one of the persons having to make this decision.

This is a great article. You get a good feel for the history behind the current situation, and the different influences and pressures at play.

Although the launch advisory board is sticking to it's guns and recommending against the launch, I think even they are acknowledging that there are persuasive arguments on the other side. Everyone is being very civil about this (and that will last until something bad happens).

To me the most persuasive argument is that the shuttle commander has seen all the data and is in favor of proceeding with the mission, but it still seems to be a close judgment call.

Concert-palooza, part Three of Three

2007-10-22T11:13:00.000-05:00

Last night we caught Steven Wright at the Majestic in Dallas. The Dallas Majestic is a beautifully restored 1920's-vintage theater, similar to the Paramount in Austin. It's nice, but not nearly as awe-inspiring as the Majestic in San Antonio.

We got these tickets for Tom's birthday present. I hadn't heard much about Wright since he was on TV a lot in the '80's, so we didn't know what to expect. Not to worry, he was just as weird and hilarious as I remembered.

In a 100-minute show, there was no way to remember all the great jokes, but these one-liners stuck with me:

I'm addicted to placebos. I want to quit, but it wouldn't make any difference.

My friend has a trophy wife, but apparently it wasn't for first place.

Mrs. Joesblog didn't join us for this one, but she had a good excuse. The Red Sox had the bad timing to play game 7 of the ALCS at show time. Even though this was his birthday present, Tom wasn't offended. (He said if it had been one of his teams, he'd have skipped out too.)

Wright is from Boston; I wouldn't be surprised if he had a TV backstage for score updates.

"...Mrs. Roberts' underage companion..."

2007-10-21T14:44:00.000-05:00

For us fundy-haters this is just awesome. I couldn't stop reading till the end. I would give you some excerpts, but you have to skim it yourself to get the real flavor.

Bonus Annie!

2007-10-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

While we're anxiously awaiting part three of Concert-palooza, here's a bonus Annie clip, taken from the Freddie Mercury tribute concert. She was an inspired choice to sing Freddie's part on Under Pressure with the remaining members of Queen and, of course, the Thin White Duke. A classic.

Concert-palooza, Part Two of Three

2007-10-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

...Next up was Annie Lennox last Sunday at McFarlin Auditorium at SMU, what they call an "intimate venue". She was outstanding. I'd seen her once before with Eurythmics in Austin back at the beginning of time. I was hoping she'd sing a few songs from her incredible first solo album, Diva. Not to worry, Diva made up about half the show.

The show was well worth it even though, counting the encore, it was only about 1:15 long (Lyle played about double that counting encores). But I can't complain because she sang everything I really wanted to hear.

She finished the show with my favorite from Diva, and possibly her best song:

...Wait, maybe this was my favorite...

...But the real showstopper was Annie on solo piano for my favorite Eurythmics song:

Concert-palooza, Part One of Three

2007-10-20T20:49:00.000-05:00

This was a busy week for concerts. First up last Thursday, we caught Lyle Lovett and his Large Band at the beautiful Bass Hall in Fort Worth. This makes about the sixth time or so we've seen Lyle since moving to Dallas (all at Bass Hall except one time at the magnificent Majestic Theater in San Antonio with the McReynolds-Hollon clan).

Lyle played a lot from his new CD, plus a few old faves. Outstanding as usual. Here's a clip of a new song that looks a lot like the show we saw. Unfortunately the recording quality is shaky, but I like the clip anyway because it reminds me of the show.

Bruuuuuce!

2007-09-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

Several excellent clips of Springsteen on the Today show last week.
Preach it Brother Bruce!

Here's another one...

2007-08-17T16:38:00.000-05:00

... although this one's probably not officially band-approved:

And that reminds me of this:

Update: Seriously, the actual lyrics aren't a whole lot better.

"Oh So Good!"

2007-08-06T23:08:00.000-05:00

Playing around with YouTube imbeds; let's get into the Wayback Machine:

While not conclusive, this clip does nothing to dispel the notion that the little guy with the star on his knee might be God...

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction, continuing...

2007-07-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

Small story in Saturday's NYT, a humongous new telescope opens for business, Noteworthy only to astronomy nerds like me, if not for this:

Among those in La Palma for the opening was Brian May, the lead guitarist of Queen, the pop group. He did part of his doctoral studies in astrophysics at the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute.

[...]

Mr. May, who recently published “Bang! The Complete History of the Universe” with two astronomers, Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott, said that he was adding the finishing touches to a musical score for the telescope’s inauguration next year.

Very impressive. All he needs to master now is Nascar and neurosurgery to be like this guy.

Of course, a Texas telescope is still bigger:

The Great Canary Telescope [34-foot mirror] is among the world’s largest telescopes. [...] The Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which has a 36-foot mirror, is located at the McDonald Observatory in West Texas.

Retirement Hobby Idea

2007-07-10T13:25:00.000-05:00

Cheap, interesting, exciting:

Bend gas station owner Kent Couch spent last weekend as many do in Central Oregon - gazing at massive mountains, allowing nature to offer solitude and pretty much taking it easy.
It’s just that Couch decided to spend his free time in a flying lawn chair dangling at more than 11,000 feet off the ground.
Supported by balloons, yes balloons, Couch carried a global positioning system device, a two-way radio, a digital camcorder and a cell phone on his mission. He also had an altimeter, speed gauge and about four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as a balancing system. Essentially, Couch’s aircraft was a homemade hot-air balloon.
His destination was Idaho, but after nine hours of flight time, he came up just short. He ended up landing about 193 miles from Central Oregon, in a farmer’s field near Union, having crossed much of the state at 11,000 feet and higher, the Associated Press reported.
This was Couch’s second flight. In September, he got to 15,000 feet on a 6-hour trip, the AP reported.

Men lose their minds faster

2007-05-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

I suppose it's not because we use ours more?

Thank goodness I'm still young and don't have to worry about this.

Who sez the NYT doesn't cover sports?

2007-05-08T13:27:00.000-05:00

They do, and quite well, as long as you're not particular about which ones:

- A new sport I could get into if I can ever learn to ski.

- The latest yacht racing news.

- A devastating blow to a stellar career for one of my favorite bike racers.

Bonus: A NYT crossword where Bill Clinton came up with the clues.

Okay, maybe I wasn't back so soon...

2007-04-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

... except maybe by geological standards. But I am coming back, swear to God. Just as soon as I have something interesting to say.

In the meantime, you can amuse yourself by:

Trying to win the Ig Nobel prize!

Understanding the world around you with help from pretty colors!

Learning to play guitar the Buck Dharma way!
(More Cowbell!)

Trying to make some headway on these little problems!

Getting addicted to poker!

Becoming more limber!

Thinking up a name for your band!
("Los Number Two Dinners" remains my all-time favorite, although that's
not weird enough to make this list. Whatever happened to them anyway?)

Worrying!

I'll try to be back before you get done with all that.

Coming back soon...

2006-01-17T09:51:00.000-06:00

In the meantime, go pick up one of these guys' CD's (either Gorillaz or Demon Days, they're both great ).

The best Dubya photo ever

2005-04-15T00:34:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Wonkette:

And throw two three...

Friday Giraffe Blogging

2005-04-15T00:03:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Joesblog, along with her visiting brother and nephew, got these great shots on a recent visit to Fossil Rim. (click pics for closeups)

Next: OJ calls off search for The Real Killers

2005-01-11T18:51:00.000-06:00

In case anyone missed it (like if you get your news from Fox and Rush), the search for WMD in Iraq was officially called off in late December. **

Translation for the thick-headed: There are no WMD. There never were. The government has given up all pretense of even looking for them any more. They are not just hidden really really well. They. Do. Not. Exist.

You were lied to.

Many people knew there were no WMD. Intelligence reports to that effect were buried and ignored, and any flimsy reports indicating their presence were hyped mercilessly. All to scare you into backing a US attack on a country that the administration KNEW posed us no credible threat.

Those who thought some of us naive for suspecting this two years ago: you were wrong, we were right. Try to be smarter in the future. People are dying for no reason over this. Your ignorant views affect everyone else's world.

** Link may require free registration, or you can use mine: Login=joesblog, password=joesblog.

God: Needs Improvement

2005-01-09T22:26:00.000-06:00

At my company we do annual employee reviews where everyone is assigned a performance rating as follows:

1) Unacceptable
2) Needs Improvement
3) Meets Expectations
4) Exceeds Expectations
5) Exceptional

I have to give reviews, which is not my favorite part of the job. Every year it makes me a bit crazy, and Mrs. Joesblog has to endure a few weeks of me classifying everything I encounter in life as one of the above. So, the meatloaf Exceeds Expectations, the service at Sol's Cocina Needs Improvement, this morning's traffic and the cat's behavior are both Unacceptable, etc.

Here at my company we're coming up on annual review time again, which is perfect timing for this Slate piece on Jehovah's recent performance. Seems the author thinks God Needs Improvement :
Centuries of uncritical worship have clearly produced a monster. God knows that he can sit passively by while human life is wantonly mowed down, and the next day, churches, synagogues, and mosques will be filled with believers thanking him for allowing the survivors to survive.

[...]

It is a sad fact of human relations that unqualified adulation often produces from the adored one contempt and a kick in the chops, rather than gratitude and kindness. Apparently, the same applies to human-divine relations.

Hopefully God will take the hint after his review, because the next step after a bad review is, of course, a Performance Improvement Plan. God Almighty, you don't want to be put on a PIP, trust me.

(God's negative review should dispel the widely-held belief around here that you have to walk on water to get an Exceptional rating. Even if you do walk on water, you may still Need Improvement...)

Free Throw Science

2005-01-09T21:03:00.000-06:00

Props to eagle-eyed Mrs. Joesblog for spotting this article in Slate, which makes a very interesting proposal. Rather than waving wildly -- and randomly -- at opposing free throw shooters, NBA fans should try waving left and right more slowly and in unison. This should have the effect of disorienting the shooter a bit, possibly just enough to alter the shot.

The article contends that with everyone waving randomly, the background blends together and is perceived as visual white noise, which is easily disregarded. But if everyone leans left together, then leans right, it just might have a more noticeable effect. When the visual background relative to the shooter appears to be tilting left, then right, the shooter may unconsciously compensate, resulting in -- viola! -- a resounding clang off the rim for the opposition.

The Slate guy got Mavs owner Mark Cuban (of course) to try this for a few games, with promising but still ambiguous results. The article says Cuban dropped the idea, but Mrs. Joesblog and I attended Saturday's game vs. the Indiana Pacers, where we noticed one of the Mavs promotions people was still directing behind-the-basket fans in waving left and right together.

Fans being how they are, and it being Saturday night with beer on tap, some fans got with the program better than others. Still, they did sync up sometimes, and it seemed to us that the Pacers bricked a few free throws when that happened. (The Mavs sank a higher percentage of their free throws than the Pacers for the night, but they usually outshoot opponents from the line. The Pacers shot about the league average for the game overall.)

Will the NBA think this is legal and kosher? The Slate guy thinks legal, yes, kosher, maybe. He cites college basketball, where fans do stuff like this and much more.

My opinion is that if the idea caught on and appeared to work, the NBA would ban it. They allow the frantic waving only because it does not work, while at the same time it makes the fans feel involved (and a bit naughty).

Either way, it's nice to see reason and logic being applied to something this important...

Google Yourself

2005-01-05T11:30:00.000-06:00

Every now and then it can be amusing to Google yourself. I usually don't get much of interest, other than a Joe from Alabama who's a big wheel in the American Bonsai Society. Obviously not me; my only experience with Bonsai was getting a tree for my mom one Christmas, which my cat Opie used as a litter box until the poor little tree died. Bonsai Joe probably would not be amused.

(I still don't see this blog come up, although I registered with Google and Blogspot is operated by Google. Sigh... I suppose if I put more effort into it I might get more hits, and that might get me on Google's radar... Eh. Never mind.)

This time something new popped up though. A bay in South Dakota (a bay in South Dakota?) has been named after me. And not just any bay either; amenities at JoesBay include a fish cleaning station and a "vault toilet".

I of course am deeply honored, and wish to thank all the little people. My new goal in life is to someday see my bay.

Kind of a shame

2005-01-02T21:29:00.000-06:00

James Wolcott hits the high points of a chilling report in the Economist:

There's a Peter Cook-Dudley Moore routine, one of their woolgathering dialogues, where Dud asks Pete, "So would you say you've learned from your mistakes?" and Pete replies: "Oh yes, I'm certain I could repeat them exactly."

That seems to have been the Bush administration's approach to Iraq. Take the mistakes of Vietnam and repeat them exactly.

And at that you can't say they haven't succeeded.

More Fafblog genius

2004-12-03T14:20:00.000-06:00

If you have a tolerance for surreal silliness with a serious undertone, which you must if you're a friend of mine, I can't recommend Fafblog enough. Only on Fafblog would you find an exchange like this one between Giblets and Fafnir regarding the interstate commerce clause:

(...)
GIBS: The government is stupid! Giblets's sandwich is not commerce, it is Giblets's sandwich and he is going to eat it!
FAF: But just cause you're gonna eat the sandwich doesn't mean it's not commerce. How does the government know you're not gonna do somethin commercy with your sandwich like feed it to livestock or let it have sex with a prostitute? Wouldn't you be drivin down the price of sandwiches in the black sandwich market?
GIBS: What if the sandwich is MARRIED to the prostitute? Or to the livestock?
FAF: But you coulda faked your sandwich's marriage license. Your sandwich could be livin in sin. Or worse, livin in economic activity.
GIBS: Giblets isn't gonna sit here an listen to you smear his sandwich's good name!
FAF: The government doesn't know for sure Giblets. The government just doesn't know you anymore. You never call the government Giblets. You never talk to it.
GIBS: Every time Giblets talks to the government it's just nag, nag, nag! Why don't you go back to school! When are you gettin married! Let me confiscate your pot!
FAF: As long as you live under the government's roof you gotta live by the government's rules Giblets. An the government's rules say you gotta give up your sandwich.
GIBS: But Giblets NEEDS his sandwich. He needs it to LIVE.
FAF: The government can't tell the difference between medical an recreational sandwich use Giblets. How's the government sposed to know you aren't gonna snort or freebase the sandwich?
GIBS: Giblets has proof! He has a prescription from his sandwich shop!
FAF: It is too late Giblets. We have to take your sandwich away.
GIBS: This is corrupt oppression! You just wanna eat Giblets's sandwich!
(...)

Friday Catblogging: Cutey-pie edition

2004-12-03T13:31:00.000-06:00

For those with high expectations, sorry I haven't been able to maintain more than weekend blogging. I have much to say, just no time to say it. I'm working on that.

Today's catblogging edition catches us up on a few more cute pictures of the sisters Myra and Pearl from when their waistlines were thinner.

How to Eat Anything

2004-11-27T20:50:00.000-06:00

Slate has the skinny on this survival skill. Being a food critic is my idea of a dream job, so I'm studying this one closely.

Tasty excerpts:

I have always thought that people who keep a long list of certifiably delicious foods that they avoid are at least as troubled as people who avoid sex, except that the latter will probably seek psychiatric help, while food phobics rationalize their problem in the name of genetic inheritance, allergy, vegetarianism, matters of taste, nutrition, food safety, obesity, or a sensitive nature.

[...]

Nations are like people. Some are good at cooking, while others have a talent for music or baseball or manufacturing VCRs. ...Typical of the Greeks' modern cuisine are feta cheese and retsina wine. Any country that pickles its national cheese in brine and adulterates its national wine with pine pitch should order dinner at the local Chinese place and save its energies for other things. The British go to Greece for the food, which says volumes to me. You would probably think twice before buying a Russian or Algerian television set. I had thought for 10 years before buying my last Greek meal.

Harvard's Low Self-Opinion

2004-11-27T13:31:00.000-06:00

Heh heh. Yalie prank.

Why the internets is great: 100 Monkeys

2004-11-26T19:42:00.000-06:00

Ever hear the saying "Put 100 Monkeys at 100 typewriters for 100 years and one of them will eventually type the works of Shakespeare"? Actually, it turns out to be closer to millions of monkeys for millions of years, but it could still happen, probably.

This website is running a simulation to find out. You can participate just by visiting.

Friday Catblogging - Two for one special

2004-11-26T16:04:00.000-06:00

Today, courtesy of Mrs. Joesblog's nifty new Fujifilm digital, we bring you Myra (top) and Lady in their favorite poses.

Dialect Survey

2004-11-25T19:50:00.000-06:00

Another interesting timewaster. Sample questions:

What word(s) do you use to address a group of two or more people?

What do you call the long sandwich that contains cold cuts, lettuce, and so on?

What is the distinction between dinner and supper?

What is your generic term for a sweetened carbonated beverage?

Fafblog?

2004-11-25T19:46:00.000-06:00

Yes! Fafblog!

Back to Reality Monday

2004-11-22T13:22:00.000-06:00

The photographer who took the video of a Marine shooting an unarmed Iraqi has a blog. Here is his gut-wrenching open letter to the infantrymen he's been covering (found on Kos).

What comes through loud and clear in this and other thoughtful reporting on the war is that no one knows what to do any more. Even those of us opposed to the war don't know if getting out immediately, in the middle of chaos we created, is such a great idea.

Thanks again, Mr. President.

Why the Internet is Great, reason 102

2004-11-20T10:47:00.000-06:00

Ever worry that maybe you really are a liberal wacko? The Autorantic Virtual Moonbat (found here, via Burnt Orange Report) will make you feel centrist if not downright conservative (not to mention sane).

Ned Flanders, Anchorage school principal

2004-11-19T22:54:00.000-06:00

Okily dokily...

From the Anchorage Daily News*: (via Jesus General):
*If it asks, use my login... User: joesblog@hotmail.com Pwd: joesblog

Principal Steve Unfreid, who said he was inspired in his choice of disciplinary tactics by the actions of Jesus, asked teacher Joe Brost to whip him in front of two male students in the school's basement last month after the boys were caught kissing girls in the locker room for the second time in a week.

Unfreid, in an interview Friday at his home, acknowledged he should have called the boys' parents first but expressed no regret for his behavior.

The school's board of directors unanimously decided in a closed door session Sunday to fire Unfreid.

[...]

Unfreid violated school policy by not notifying parents before going ahead with discipline, particularly with "anything that unusual," school board president and acting administrator Scott Richardson said Friday.

[...]

When the two seniors, 17 and 18, got caught kissing girls in front of younger students in late October, Unfreid said that while contemplating what discipline to hand out, he woke at 3 a.m. and prayed how to avoid expelling them. He said that was when he remembered years ago he had cured his son of chronic lying by telling his son to hit him with a wooden ladle instead of spanking the youngster.

Later at school, Unfreid walked the boys down to a basement room with Brost. He told them, " 'Guys, this has gotta stop,' " he said. " 'I've let the atmosphere get too lax. I share in this discipline. This is a one-time deal.' "

Then the principal took off his belt, gave it to Brost, and instructed the teacher to "discipline me like you would discipline your own son," he recalled.

He told the teacher to stop only when the students acknowledged their mistake. The whole thing, starting with the trip downstairs, lasted 5 to 10 minutes, he said.

My Little Buddy

2004-11-17T21:49:00.000-06:00

This week's Friday cat-blog is a couple days early in memory of Opie, who passed away four years ago today at age 14. I still miss the little guy.

Opie was also known as Dopey, Opium, Open the Cat, Opener, Opmeister, Little Dude, Shithead, and...

"The best cat in the history of cats."
- Max

Bland Aid

2004-11-17T15:20:00.000-06:00

It appears that some British radio listeners don't think the new schlocky charity musical all-star collaboration lives up to the high standard of the old schlocky musical all-star charity collaboration. You remember, the one with musical legends like Siobhan Fahey and Rick Parfitt?

From The Guardian:

The first public broadcast of the Band Aid 20 single yesterday met with a cool reception.
Listeners e-mailing Radio 1's website after the premiere called the re-recording of Do They Know It's Christmas? "drivel", "incoherent", and "a pale imitation". Nevertheless, most said they would still buy it.

That last sentence cracks me up. I'm hoping it's because despite the musical, um... quality, it is for a worthy cause.

Incredibly, despite all of our singing, people are still starving in Africa. What if it turns out that western societies should have demanded that our governments work on this problem, rather than delegating the musicians to fix it? Too bad a foreign policy based on compassion and enlightened self-interest is still out of fashion.

Condi Rice is Angry

2004-11-17T15:05:00.000-06:00

As I happen across this type of link I'll add them to the Curiosities over on the left side of the page for future amusement.

(Thanks to Chris for the tip.)

Sleeping With Pets

2004-11-17T14:07:00.000-06:00

You just never know what they'll be talking about over on Slate. Among other things, we learn where Three Dog Night got their name. (Thanks to Susan for the tip.)

For the record, we have four cats, three of which sleep on the bed. It gets pretty crowded.

During the winter Myra joins the rest of us, but only for the body heat. At all other times she views the bed as the source of all evil. She frowns on all this snoozin' when we could be playing with Myra till all hours. Pure laziness, sez Miss Myra.

DeLay Circles the Drain

2004-11-16T21:29:00.000-06:00

Unbelievable story in the Washington Post* (found on Kos). The Reds are changing congressional rules so an indicted member can remain in a leadership post.

The punchline: the rule they're rescinding was made by the GOP, to kick disgraced Democratic papa bear Dan Rostenkowski while he was down.

I'm hoping it won't help the little Orkin man from Sugarland. Travis County bloodhound Ronnie Earle has picked up DeLay's stench and seems to be closing in; one small schadenfreude lollipop for a starved liberal.

The tawdry outrages seem endless, but there's no outrage in the media for the most part, and no outrage among about 51% of my fellow citizens. And they wonder why some of us dream of New Zealand.

*Requires free registration, or you can use mine:
user: joesblog@hotmail.com
pwd: joesblog

Kinda kinky

2004-11-16T21:19:00.000-06:00

smashmyphone.com (found on Wonkette)

Quote to live by

2004-11-13T22:11:00.000-06:00

Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.

- Neils Bohr

Late Friday Cat-Blogging

2004-11-12T21:11:00.000-06:00

Sister and brother snoozing peacefully. A rare decent photo of Lady (L) (who is never ready for her close-up, Mr. DeMille).

Mavericks watch

2004-11-08T23:47:00.000-06:00

How 'bout them Mavvies? Looking good so far...

Update: I just noticed they've yet to play a team who's beat anybody. We'll see how they do against Orlando tonight.

Be a family medical historian

2004-11-08T23:33:00.000-06:00

If you'll get to see your family this Thanksgiving, the Surgeon General thinks you should take some time to gather your family medical history. They've even come up with an online tool on the HHS website to aid with this.

The things statistically most likely to do us in have a strong hereditary correlation. It's probably worthwhile to get as much background info as you can to your doctor so he or she can make informed diagnoses.

Election aftermath

2004-11-08T23:18:00.000-06:00

Like everyone else I'm still licking my wounds and wondering what it all means. I'll try to think that through in subsequent posts, while resisting the temptation to daydream about Canada. In the meantime, there are plenty of other interesting things to highlight for a while.

Does this surprise anyone?

2004-11-06T21:48:00.000-06:00

Found this handy chart on Jesus' General, an ironic and hilarious site. There's more info and discussion of the chart from the original author here.

Mencken was ahead of his time:

Friday cat-blogging

2004-11-05T07:56:00.000-06:00

Today we bring you a study in black and white, courtesy of Lucky, a purse, and a shoe.

I Stand Corrected

2004-11-03T06:16:00.001-06:00

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.

H. L. Mencken

Enjoy Today!

2004-11-02T01:04:00.000-06:00

Oh yes, I am loving every second of it. Been waiting four years for these pig-headed arrogant bastards to be brought low.

From Tuesday's Washington Post:*

Bush's aides predicted victory when talking on the record, pointing to polls showing that the race remained a tossup, both nationally and in key states. But despite the insistence that all was well, the erosion in the moods of Bush's inner circle over the past two weeks was unmistakable. Several of his close advisers said they were concerned because the president had achieved no last-minute momentum, and Democratic turnout was looking as if it might swamp the Bush-Cheney campaign's projections.

A Republican official who is privy to Bush-Cheney strategy and polling said that as the incumbent, Bush should be further ahead of Kerry in polls. "Some of them have been moving in the right direction, but it isn't enough," the official said. "Karl [Rove] is a big believer in the bandwagon effect, but there has been nothing over the past week for the president to use it to turn it around."

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.

* You can use my login for WaPo articles if you want:
login: joesblog@hotmail.com password: joesblog
Tell it to remember the login info.

Mike's Message

2004-11-01T22:26:00.000-06:00

Things like this are why Michael Moore is such a great advocate, and why the wingers are so intent to smear, ridicule, marginalize and dismiss him.

Whether you are conservative, liberal, radical, apathetic, never-voted, a swing-stater or not, Moore has a good reason for you to get out and vote for change.

And if that doesn't motivate you, try this recent Doonesbury:

Who's Going To Win?

2004-11-01T13:55:00.000-06:00

My nuance-free opinion is that Kerry managed to get close enough over the past few weeks to allow the intensive work put into registration drives and get-out-the-vote efforts to pay off big. I think he (we) will sweep Ohio and Florida, win the Electoral College by a mile and the popular vote by maybe 5% or so. I'm optimistic that this will carry over into enough Senate contests to give the Dems a slight majority.

After years of voting for Democratic losers, I'm not usually this optimistic. Why the not-long face? Read on...

From Slate:

Here is the math that matters: If all the states in which the data lean discernibly to either candidate vote as the polls suggest, the election will come down to Florida and Ohio. If Bush takes both, he wins. If Kerry takes either, he wins. We assess the probability in each state independently, and we assume that neither state's turnout affects the other's. Since the odds in each of the two states are approximately 50-50, with a tiny edge to Bush, the combined probability of Kerry winning the election is about 70 to 75 percent.

...Although, in that article they narrowly call it for Bush. Go figure.

...Update 9:00 pm: Now they're calling a tie (which would go to Bush via the House).

You can check up on Slate's counts, or you can try Electoral-vote.com, which has Kerry up, or you can check the right-leaning RealClearPolitics average of polls (they're worried about the trend in Kerry's direction). For further fun, note that even Faux News' own poll is showing a Kerry lead.

Or you can wing it your own self with this handy self-service electoral vote calculator from American Research Group. Obsess away!

Red State Divorce Rate

2004-11-01T13:26:00.000-06:00

I get sick of self-righteous, gay-marriage-hating conservatives slamming what they suppose are the degenerate ways of "Massachusetts liberals", and of other more progressive regions.

Au contraire (to quote some Frenchman). Tammy Wynette was on to something. Red states have a much higher rate of D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

The state with the lowest rate of divorce? That would be Massachusetts, which also happens to be the only state which officially sanctions gay marriages.

E Street Veterans for Truth

2004-10-31T13:49:00.000-06:00

Link:

...While the real E-Street Band toured the nation and recorded countless hit records and CD's, this Springsteen imposter was wasting time racing in the street, stranded in the jungle, looking for work in refineries and taking a piss at fortune's sweet kiss.

The Osama Factor

2004-10-30T22:15:00.000-05:00

Here's the best summary I've seen of how the Osama tape fits into the puzzle of this election.

Right on the money, I'm afraid (emphasis added):
The only thing that keeps a clear majority of us from recognizing Bush as the worst president in memory is that history has graced him with such an ugly adversary. Bush hasn't had to do anything well. All he's had to do is point out that he's on your side and that the guy on the other side is a mass-murdering lunatic.
For a blissful month and a half, we managed to cut through that shtick and notice how badly Bush has run the country. Now Bin Laden has brought the shtick back. Bush can talk about his values instead of his record. He can stop running against John Kerry and go back to running against people who hate America and murder children.

Vote suppression: Their only hope

2004-10-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

Rove and the Rethuglicans are proving themselves capable of astonishing things in their last-minute desperation, but this one (found on Kos) stands out.

Friday cat-blogging

2004-10-29T16:55:00.000-05:00

I understand all the cool-kid bloggers indulge in Friday cat-blogging. (NYTimes link, might require you to sign-up for a free login).

Here's a shot of our younger cats, tuff grrl Myra (L) and daddy's girl Pearl, when they were kittens.

Awwwwww!

Happy Birthday Tom!

2004-10-28T14:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry Tom, I forgot to note your birthday yesterday. Welcome to the mid-forties club! Bifocals are just around the corner...

Tom is our good friend, cat nanny, house-sitter, realtor, sometimes-roommate, poker/chess/disc-golf champion, shotgun road companion, sailing crewman, and an all-around good guy. We're lucky to know him.

Come home Bill Buckner, all is forgiven

2004-10-28T09:33:00.000-05:00

Just wait till THIS year!

Congratulations to the Sox and their lovely and talented fans, especially Mrs. Joesblog. They couldn't have done it without you.

I've become a naturalized citizen of Red Sox Nation by marriage, so I'm happy too. I must say though, one reason I'm glad they finally won is so I don't have to feel sorry for a team that fields a playoff contender worth rooting for every year. I can save my sympathy now for teams that rarely even get close, like the Rangers and Cubs.

But you still have to admire the way the Sox did it. Letting the Yankees get within three outs of the World Series, then turning them into the biggest chokers in the history of baseball: priceless. Exposing A-Rod as an overpaid playoff bust: priceless. An AL team winning with pitching: amazing and priceless.

Breaking a hex during a lunar eclipse, while Stephen King is writing a book about your season: spooky and priceless.

And since everything has to be about the election... Giving us a good omen for another high-profile Bostonian next Tuesday: priceless.

Why the Internet is Great

2004-10-26T17:40:00.000-05:00

Reason 101:
There's a site devoted to the strategy and culture of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Since everything has to be about the election right now (mustn't lose focus!) I should mention that I found that link in a Slate article on how mathematical game theory applies to Kerry's and Bush's campaign choices this week.

I have a weakness for laymen's-level discussions of game theory. Much of it is counter-intuitive, but upon reflection it makes much sense (while still being far over my head). It provides useful guidance for situations from rock-paper-scissors to electoral vote pursuit.

Interesting point from the Slate piece:

...Rational behavior tends to be predictable, and in a game of strategy,
predictability will leave you with a decided disadvantage.

Hey, I can be irrational! Anyone up for a game of Texas Hold 'Em?

Find your own joke in this headline...

2004-10-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

...perhaps something about Bush in the National Guard?

From NewScientist.com:

Brain Cells In A Dish Fly Fighter Plane

An array of rat brain cells has successfully flown a virtual F-22 fighter jet. The cells could one day become a more sophisticated replacement for the computers that control uncrewed aerial vehicles or, in the nearer future, form a test-bed for drugs against brain diseases such as epilepsy.

SF Mayor's Wife Is Very, Very Accomplished

2004-10-25T20:32:00.000-05:00

You really can't make this stuff up. Viva Democrats!

I understand why the Dems think they have to imitate the Republicans on family values stuff, but sometimes I wonder if they'd be better off just admitting that they're more open-minded. Most Americans are too.

Just a little fantasy of mine.

Along with my new one about the SF major's wife...

Des Moines Register

2004-10-25T17:06:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from their Kerry endorsement (found on Andrew Sullivan's blog):

Yes, Kerry is liberal. But what's to fear from a liberal president? That he would run big deficits? That he would increase federal spending? That he would expand the power of the federal government over individuals' lives? Nothing Kerry could do could top what President Bush has already done in those realms.

What's Really Happening

2004-10-24T23:07:00.000-05:00

This election is too important and too close to trivialize what little influence we've each got left with a protest vote. It might have been understandable in 2000, after 8 years of prosperity and slow social progress, to cast a protest vote against the major parties, and to support a new party with an alternative vision to the shortsighted bland corporate uniformity that has drained the meaning from so much of our lives.

Understandable, but tragically wrong. We and the world will long be paying the price of our collective gamble on whether the presidency, and our role in filling it, was relevant any more. Turns out it was. Turns out, people who say the candidates are all the same, so might as well go for someone new or whomever you'd want over for dinner, are liars or at best seriously deluded.

Most rational progressives understand this. Former hero Ralph Nader has made himself a pariah by willfully, obtusely refusing to see it. Committed lefties like Michael Moore have gone so far as to support Wesley Clark, and then Kerry, anyone who might have a shot at stopping the ongoing disaster. Everyone understands we have to keep our eye on the ball this time around.

Having said that...

The most far-reaching and frightening political development in our lifetimes is even bigger than this election, bigger than the current economic situation, bigger than the threat of foreign and domestic terrorism. The Democrats are as affected by it as anyone and are certainly doing little about it. The press is no help whatsoever.

Eventually (not right now!), with the Dems or without them, we have to figure out what to do about the corporate takeover of politics in America.

I'll never cease to be amazed at how otherwise-rational people can be made to vote against their own economic interests by red-herring issues like gay marriage, school prayer, abortion, and now fear of terrorists. The corporate interests that increasingly govern our lives and set the limited options that remain to us have learned to use the media to sway socially-conservative voters to vote against their own well-being.

If you are inclined to vote for the candidate most against gay marriage and most tough-talking on defense, your candidate will surely also be for corporate breaks that end up raising your taxes, and for gutting of health and safety regulations that make your kids safer, and for taking away your right to sue a company that runs roughshod over you.

Why do those positions all have to go together? It might have something to do with the ease of convincing some people that things that are inconvenient for corporations are bad for them too.

It helps to be with those folks on issues they're emotional about. Most corporate honchos couldn't care less about abortion, unless fetuses could be sold at a profit. But if backing an anti-abortion candidate also gets them someone who will be with them on deregulation and tort reform, then guess who they're for?

Take a very brief step back from the current election (mustn't get distracted!), to be reminded by Molly Ivins of what's really going on, and what is at the root of our current political dilemma:

There used to be two basic remedies that the citizen had against an evil-doing corporation. One was government regulation -- the government had the power to step in and stop its depredations, whether against public health, public safety or the environment. But now the government is effectively a wholly owned subsidiary of corporate power, in the hands of people to whom "regulation" is a dirty word. The Republicans took over Congress promising to drastically reduce the terrible "burden of regulation" that afflicts our poor corporations.

A citizen's other option was to use his Constitution-given right to sue the slime balls. If a corporation sold you something that killed your child or dumped its toxic waste in your backyard, you could get your day in court. But now the corporations are mounting an all-out assault on this remedy as well. They spend millions to influence public opinion in favor of "tort reform," a charming euphemism that simply means "citizens lose their rights," particularly our right of access to our own courts.
None of this is to say that corporations are intrinsically evil. They are simply legal entities to create profits, and they are genetically programmed, as it were, to increase profits -- increasingly in the short term. This is neither good nor evil -- it simply is.

The question is what we the people, who have spent more than 200 years working slowly toward greater liberty and justice for all, should do with these powerful entities now shaping our lives and our polity. Corporations are not concerned with economic justice or with social justice -- it's not their job. It is our job. And we need to start thinking hard about how we integrate these strange legal entities into the scheme.

Red Sox Watch

2004-10-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

The Sox, led by the heroic Curt Schilling, hold serve. Mrs. Joesblog is cautiously optimistic...

Los Lonely Boys

2004-10-21T20:59:00.000-05:00

If you haven't bought a new CD in a while you might want to check out Los Lonely Boys. Sort of a cross between Stevie Ray Vaughan and Los Lobos, with maybe a little Santana and Hendrix in the mix.

The brothers Garza are from San Angelo, TX, out in the general area I hail from, and one of them is a dead ringer for my favorite old college roommate so I might be biased. I still think most people I know would love this CD though. (And hey, it's on sale!)

We caught them at the State Fair last week, where I got some decent pix. They were as great live as in the studio. Check them out if they come to town.

The Old Rugged Crossfire

2004-10-21T20:30:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen Jon Stewart administer an epic ass-whippin to Tucker "Sucker" Carlson and Paul Begala last Friday on CNN, don't deny yourself.

The funniest part is, these guys are so clueless about their own mediocrity they don't even realize that The Daily Show isn't there to satirize politicians. Politicians are only an incidental target. The show is a satire of the media, in particular self-absorbed blowhards like Carlson.

Possibly even funnier was Stewart's follow-up on his own show last Monday. "Tomorrow I'll go back to being funny, but you'll still blow."

Triumph in Spin Alley

2004-10-21T20:03:00.000-05:00

I'm not that big of a Conan fan, but I love the dog. He should have his own show.

Follow the mirror links from this Wonkette item to get to the clip. Warning: may induce incontinence.

Absurd quote of the year

2004-10-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

From The Note:

... corporate spokesguy Eric Anderson regarding his company pulling ads from Sinclair stations:

"Burger King wants to maintain neutrality during this election."

Well thank goodness for that.

The Sinclair Broadcasting smackdown has been a beautiful thing. Someone pointed out that Sinclair isn't listening to us; they're listening to Wall Street, who is listening to us. It ain't over, but the coordinated effort has been effective for once.

U.S. finishes a 'strong second' in Iraq war

2004-10-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

A tangy slice of Onion.

Back from the dead

2004-10-20T20:56:00.000-05:00

OK, so that little blog-break lasted longer than I meant to. Vacation, too much work waiting for me when I got back, yada yada.

Also, when we left in early September Bush was on the ropes. We got back, Kerry had somehow become a lost cause. I was too depressed to even read about politics, much less talk about it. Things are better now.

Last, it would be nice if I could keep up the posting pace I was keeping before, but I'm too dang busy. It'll be easier to maintain this pleasant hobby if I don't try to put something up every day.

Thanks to those who inquired. You suggested an interesting question: If I really had died, would this site have just stayed out there forever, frozen as-is? It's gonna happen someday...

Sorry For The Long Hiatus

2004-09-10T14:08:00.000-05:00

We were getting ready for our vacation, and then for the past week we've been on vacation in Switzerland. I planned to travel-blog the trip, and got our first day posted, then we hit a sparse patch for easy internet access. So, for the time being, check our travel blog, which we will catch up with recent pix as soon as we can.

Home with the Armadilla

2004-08-26T23:42:00.000-05:00

Mrs. JoesBlog and I had a nice time the other night at a fundraiser for local congressman Martin Frost at Gilley's. Excellent barbecue, a speech/pep-talk from Frost, and the highlight, a set from the legendary Gary P. Nunn. It was the first time I'd seen Nunn, and I'd forgotten that I used to like some of his stuff back when that redneck outlaw thing was a big deal. He's a great songwriter, but of course all I really wanted to hear was London Homesick Blues, which he delivered perfectly. Exactly the same as I remember from Viva Terlingua.

When a Texan fancies he'll take his chances
Chances will be taken, that's for sure.

Speaking of taking chances here in red-state ground zero, the Frost event with 1200 liberals parked on the same lot was the first place I've been lately where I wasn't half-expecting to get my truck keyed.

The Joemobile

Frost, a heavyweight congressman and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, is one of the prime targets of Tom DeLay's redistricting power grab. His formerly safe Irving-centered district was carved up, leaving him to run against a Republican incumbent.

I worked last election against Pete Sessions, the self-described "most conservative member of Congress" and son of former FBI chief William Sessions. He's a political hack and safe Bush vote with not much in the way of accomplishments (and a penchant for bizarre behavior), while Martin Frost is a national player and has been bringing home the bacon for his district for a long time.

This is looking like a surprisingly competitive race. It would be nice for a few of these moderate Texas Dems like Frost, Chet Edwards and Charlie Stenholm to hang on and stick it to DeLay. One of DeLay's stated goals is to eliminate as many moderate southern Democrats as possible, in an attempt to make the party's elected representation look out of the mainstream.

We aim to help Frost as much as we can, even though sadly we aren't in his district (ours is a non-competitive GOP lock). This is easy to do when we get great BBQ and "good country music from Amarillo and Abilene" in the bargain.

Josh Marshall on FIRE!

2004-08-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

This is so good from start to finish, I can't decide what to excerpt. Picking just one great point at random:

...On the balance sheet of moral bravery, as opposed to physical bravery, the two men are about as far apart as you can be on Vietnam. On the one hand you have Kerry, who already had doubts about whether we should be fighting in Vietnam before he went, and put his life on the line anyway. On the other hand, you have George W. Bush who supported the war, which means he believed the goal was worth the cost in American lives. Only, not his life. He believed others should go; just not him. It's the story of his life. That is almost the definition of moral cowardice.

The rest of the piece isn't all about Vietnam, it's really more about how Kerry and allies should be going after Bush right now. I strongly recommend reading the whole thing. (Thanks to Susan for the tip.)

Wake Up, Media!

2004-08-24T10:13:00.000-05:00

E. J. Dionne in the Washington Post (excerpt via Atrios):

The media have to do more than "he said/he said" reporting. If the charges don't hold up, they don't hold up. And, yes, now that John Kerry's life during his twenties has been put at the heart of this campaign just over two months from Election Day, the media owe the country a comparable review of what Bush was doing at the same time and the same age.
If all the stories about what Kerry did in Vietnam are not balanced by serious scrutiny of Bush in the Vietnam years, the media will be capitulating to a right-wing smear campaign. Surely our nation's editors and producers don't want to send a signal that all you have to do to set the media's agenda is spend a half-million bucks on television ads.
This is also a test of John McCain. When he ran against Bush four years ago, McCain was smeared mercilessly. When McCain protested to Bush about the attacks at one of their debates during the 2000 primaries, Bush brushed him off. "John," Bush said, "it's politics."
McCain snapped back, "George, everything isn't politics."

Blueberries lower cholesterol

2004-08-24T08:39:00.000-05:00

They also "may help fight cancer and ward off diabetes".

(And the best blueberries, of course, are from Maine.)

Is this a beer commercial or just Oklahoma?

2004-08-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

Burnt Orange Report has a classic.

Excerpts:

A few visitors to Arbuckle Lake got more than they bargained for as they witnessed two Sulphur women engaged in a brawl, tearing off each other's bathing suit tops. The incident occurred Friday, July 10...

...Witnesses told the ranger the fight continued for about five minutes during which time both of the women's bathing suit tops were again ripped off, exposing their breasts to the other visitors and children in the picnic area...

...Hamilton told the officer she couldn't remember what they had been fighting about, and their tops had come off accidentally. She said Fisher had bit her by the eyebrow, and there were visible teeth marks under her left eyebrow, according to the ranger's report.

Red Sox Watch: Making progress...

2004-08-23T12:35:00.000-05:00

Movin' on up...

Science Monday

2004-08-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Duck!

Whew, that was close! Looks like we were almost in a crappy Bruce Willis movie.

Maybe you're fine with this, but personally I am NOT happy that this happened in March and we're just now finding out about it. How can we possibly know to send Willis and Affleck to save the Earth with this kind of lackadaisical notification? These guy's time is valuable, and they can't be expected to save us without at least a little notice. Where do the prez candidates stand on funding for astronomy, our first line of defense?

Also, if you can get past the mental image of flies mating, this is kind of interesting. Might explain the, um, reputation of jet-lagged airline crews.

Says it all:

2004-08-22T23:55:00.000-05:00

Onion headline

2004-08-20T15:13:00.000-05:00

"Homosexual Tearfully Admits To Being Governor Of New Jersey"

Red Sox Watch

2004-08-20T14:38:00.000-05:00

One adds this topic to curry favor with Mrs Joe'sBlog. One knows what is good for one.

First installment: USAToday says the Sox are on the rise. (And the Rangers are hanging in there, still 1/2 game out )

If one is not a Red Sox fan, feel free to express one's views via the Comments...

NYTimes firmly links Swift Boat Jerks to Bush campaign

2004-08-20T11:16:00.001-05:00

Everything you need to know about the Swift Boat Veterans Against Truth. (With a handy diagram here.)

As if we didn't already know who dug them up and funded them. Maybe this will sway an independent or two though, if there still are any.

The Bushies know the fine line they're skirting here. All the wrapping of themselves in the flag, respect for the miltary, etc. looks mighty fishy if these chicken-hawks get caught trashing a war hero. I doubt Jane Q. America will approve of that, which I'm sure is why Bush keeps saying he will NEVER question Kerry's record. Right. He'll just make sure someone else does.

Update: Even Bill O'Reilly is creeped out by the SBVets.

Retro vs. Metro

2004-08-19T09:54:00.001-05:00

This is kind of cool. I hear it's funded by the guy who founded the online University of Phoenix.

These folks are adding to the general debate by running ads pointing out the real differences between so-called Red and Blue areas. Like for instance, Blue areas pay way more into the federal treasury and get way less back than Red areas (stop the Socialism!). Or that the main industries in Red states are supported by government subsidies far more than the main industries in Blue states. They even have this "dupometer", to combat some of the wing-nut myths the media has been too lazy to challenge.

In general, it's getting safer to admit you're a liberal these days. Even in Dallas, I've had anti-war and anti-Bush bumper stickers on my car for months and still haven't been vandalized. I've gotten several thumbs-ups and so far no birds. Howard Dean and MoveOn deserve a lot of credit. The improving atmosphere started some time last fall, when Dean was out there more or less single-handedly making it OK to say Our Leader is a miserable failure.

Elmer Bernstein, 1922 - 2004

2004-08-19T09:01:00.000-05:00

If you remember the theme from Gunsmoke or can hum the music from the old Marlboro commercials, or if you recall how much the music added to the fun of Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters, then you'll be a little sad to hear that Elmer Bernstein passed away yesterday.

New Yorkers, get your cameras ready!

2004-08-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

From TBogg via Wonkette:

If you're a New Yorker with a digital camera or a phone camera and better than average run-away speed, we'd love to see any pictures you might have of Republican delegates as they visit the big city...or massage parlors...or hotel lobbies with women who may not be their wives (Handy Tip: If she's attractive and isn't wearing a red white and blue elephant pin, she's probably not Mrs. Delegate from Possum Holler). Details (who and where) would be appreciated. If you've got pictures...we want 'em. If you want credit...you got it. Extra credit for shots in front of strip clubs. Extra extra credit if you catch a pundit. Extra extra extra credit if you catch Rick Santorum going into a pet store. Extra extra extra extra credit if you catch him coming out with Ann Coulter..

Fencing: very cool sport

2004-08-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

We caught this last night. Some of the points go by too quickly, but it's still exciting to watch.

Update: Drudge picks up Sessions story

2004-08-18T10:54:00.000-05:00

Drudge links to this story from a Houston TV station. Not on Google, The Note or Wonkette yet, but picking up steam...

Bush daughters to attend gay wedding on 9/11?

2004-08-18T10:43:00.000-05:00

NYDN Page Six, via Drudge:

When Washington-area beautician Erwin Gomez and his longtime partner James Packard celebrate their marital vows with 400 of their closest friends next month, two of Gomez's best customers will probably be in attendance: President Bush's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara.

Local GOP congressman caught stealing yard signs!

2004-08-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

In a replay of a previous controversy, Pete Sessions' campaign is back to it's old tricks, stealing Martin Frost's yard signs. Seems ol' Pete got caught doing the same thing back in 2002. Wasn't arrested though. Pity.

We're going to do what we can to help the Frost campaign this fall.

Re-Activist Judges

2004-08-17T16:24:00.000-05:00

Dahlia Lithwick is one of my favorite Slaters. This month she's been a guest columnist for the NYTimes. If she keeps coming up with stuff like this, maybe they'll keep her.

We have, at least as a matter of political language, internalized the fiction that liberal judges "make" law, while conservative judges "interpret" it.

Good one from the General

2004-08-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

Seems folks in windy Lubbock are against sculptures that blow. Check out the letters.

Signing On

2004-08-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

Testing 1, 2, 3.