casual_friday { virtuosity defined
Wells Cunningham - Caprice No. 24 [Niccolò Paganini]
4.04.2008
4.02.2008
law { unitary executive and torture isn't illegal when we do it
Well, the Pentagon finally released the John C. Yoo memo that pretty much signed off on any torture we wanted to conduct in the name of national security. Story here.
Memorandum Part 1 Part 2 [PDF].
(the memo is supposed to be 81 pages long but this is only 39).
My reaction:
1) The American Bar Association should immediately disbar John C. Yoo.
2) The University of California Berkeley Law School should immediately cancel any tenure and fire John C. Yoo.
3) John C. Yoo should be arrested and placed on a plane for the Hague for his war crimes tribunal
4) The U.S. Department of Justice should cooperate fully with his prosecution.
5) John C. Yoo should not be tortured or interrogated using harsh physical techniques he himself considered acceptable, because that is not how civilized, justice minded human beings operate, and because if we act with such disregard to legal and human rights, then we have no moral standing to demand that our enemies or even inconvenient Earth-mates do not do so as well
3.31.2008
3.26.2008
science/nature { First the bees, now the bats...
NYT Science article about the mysterious die off of bats around New York (this seems similar to the bee die off, which I believe was caused by a virus).
Wildlife biologists fear a significant die-off in about 15 caves and mines in New York, as well as at sites in Massachusetts and Vermont. Whatever is killing the bats leaves them unusually thin and, in some cases, dotted with a white fungus. Bat experts fear that what they call White Nose Syndrome may spell doom for several species that keep insect pests under control.
3.24.2008
3.23.2008
3.21.2008
response { KoN: "Obama's God Problem"
A great debate has been raging over on the virtual pages of Knight of Nothing's blog. Juicy stuff that goes straight to the heart of matters.
In order to not fracture the discussion I've posted my response there in the comments. I recommend others read and join in the discussion.
3.20.2008
war { 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War
Last night Nerdwife and I attended a candlelight peace vigil in remembrance of the 5th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. It was a walk around Silver Lake. The organizers were only expecting a dozen or so to show up, as it was a last minute thing, but more than 40+ arrived. We talked about the war, its cost. The future, hope. Hope that we as a people will put an end to the war and find a way to insure it will not happen again. It was a beautiful night.
literature { R.I.P. Arthur C Clarke
"My god, its full of stars."
Arthur C Clarke, died at 90.
May his travel be eternal.
3.18.2008
time { Wayback Machine: May, 1993
Age: 17
Place: International Science and Engineering Fair, Mississippi Beach, MS
This is where I met Nerdwife for the first time. Nights spent on the beach of the Gulf of Mexico. Swimming, sailing, science. Day trip to New Orleans, six teenagers left alone exploring the French Quarter. Gumbo. Hotels. Staying up late. Cable. Music. Angst. Excitement. We were young, we had our futures ahead of us. We were smart. We were nerdy. We played poker in hotel lobbies. I walked on water (literally, the tide was out and the water was a few cm deep, I have a picture where I am highlighted by the moon and it looks like I am walking on the ocean). Beach bums. Casinos. Teachers getting pooped on by seagulls. This is where my love of sailing started, when I was "captain" of a catamaran with three lovely swimsuit clad ladies. I was graduating in a few weeks from High School.
Here are the three videos I remember most that were on cable while we, the Northern/East Central MN delegation, were there. Thank you YouTube for this blast from the past:
'Sleeping Satellite' - Tasmin Archer
'Come Undone' - Duran Duran
'Living on the Edge' - Aerosmith
3.17.2008
3.15.2008
response { EB: "Davis: Walz Wrong to Support Tax Hikes"
Davis: Walz Wrong to Support Tax Hikes
Davis is a fool. He's pulling the usual election year tax B.S. How will the war and its aftermath be paid for? How will basic services be maintained or created? How will infrastructure be repaired?
I grow weary of this tired pablum from Republicans. Someone has to pay for things. And no privatization is not the answer.
I myself would rather pay in money than blood. Have a publically educated (and not Home Schooled, and have college education available) society. Drive on safe roads. Not have to worry about health care. We don't have this. We won't have this until people move beyond this idiocy of all this stuff comes magically. Taxes pay for these things.
The GOP, of which Davis is a part, also like to confuse 'American families' with 'the rich'. Look deeper into this proposed budget plan, it is non-binding and won't affect tax law. It expires the Bush tax breaks on the upper 5%, capital gains, and a lot of other sources and rates of income most 'American families' don't have.
Overall, the Democrats’ budget plans assume that at least some of Bush’s signature 2001 and 2003 tax cuts (PL 107-16, PL 108-27) will expire as scheduled in 2010. Others that have helped lower- and middle-income taxpayers would be extended but offset by spending cuts or tax increases elsewhere.
Democrats say added revenue from allowing taxes on the wealthy to increase would allow them to boost spending in areas they say have been neglected during the Bush administration, such as infrastructure and education programs.
Davis is just regurgitating the tired GOP party line and mudslinging.
The GOP is the one who is short sighted. Their "tax breaks now" mentality for re-election (or the bullshit Pawlenty's been playing since 2002) mean that someone, both us when we're older and our children and possibly our children's children will be paying for actions taken now. Cutting spending and axing, in what my opinion are important, social services can only get you so far.
I wonder how many have ever used MNCare? Or Medicare. Or served in Iraq or in the service and use VA benefits? The GI Bill? The Pell Grant?
His three talking points have issues.
A taxpayer bill or rights? Sounds awfully short-sighted. What if there is another national emergency? Another war? A new beneficial social initiative? While I applaud the idea of paying down our debt, the idea of returning the money to the taxpayers, which I am assuming in this case to be some kind of rebate, is flawed. That money is better spent paying down more of the debt, or benefiting taxpayers in some form of social service (roads, medicare, social security, education, etc.).
A 2/3 majority for tax increases is idiocy, as is making it Constitutional amendment. This would pretty much guarantee any tax increase would never be passed. Pawlenty plays that game with MN and its hurting us, imagine this on a national scale?
I also find his supporting a 'line item veto' interesting, since Republicans weren't too keen on it when Clinton had it in the 90s. Paradoxically they argued it gave the President too much power.
3.14.2008
food { Organic...Agri-Corps
Know which brand owns your favorite Organic brand. We buy from local producers as much as possible and directly from the farmer (via CSA or Farmer's Market) when in season, but I know the realities of economics. In a way this makes organic foods more available. In another way, it dilutes the meaning of the word organic. I doubt highly these corporations maintain high organic standards, and cut corners to maximize profits wherever possible, if not even pressure via lobbying to change the criteria for becoming organic certified to suit their needs. Choose your evil.
(originally encountered on boingboing.net)
musings { "Lets make some music, make some money, find some models for wives..."
From 'Time to Pretend' by The Management (aka MGMT).
This song was on a play list of random, loosely thematic songs I put together on a whim, and I don't remember doing it, but the play list name is in my naming style:
00aXsomething
1. "Under the Blacklight" - Rilo Kiley
2. "Time to Pretend (Radio Version)" - MGMT
3. "Road to Peace" - Tom Waits
4. "Law of Life" - Farah
5. "Lady Operator" - Mirage
6. "Lake of Dreams" - Mirage
7. "Computer Love" - Glass Candy (Kraftwerks remake)
8. "Flux" - Bloc Party
9. "Wanderlust" - Delays
10. "Yell Fire" - Michael Franti & Spearhead
11. "Infra-Red" - Placebo
12. "Meds" - Placebo
13. "Pierrot the Clown" - Placebo
14. "Metal Heart" - Garbage
15. "All Along the Watchtower" - Jimi Hendrix Experience
16. "Cannonball" - The Breeders
17. "Walking With A Ghost" - Tegan & Sara
18. "Morning Glory" - Oasis
19. "An Honest Mistake (Superdiscount Remix)" - The Bravery
20. "Army Dreamers" - Kate Bush
21. "God" - Tori Amos
22. "Guerrilla Radio" - Rage Against the Machine
23. "16 Military Wives" - The Decemberists
24. "Here I Dreamt I was an Architect" - The Decemberists
25. "Dashboard" - Modest Mouse
On this list, four songs are really resonating with me at the moment; "Here I Dreamt I was an Architect", "Dashboard", "Wanderlust", and "Time to Pretend (Radio Version)". They are all songs, rather existentialist in nature. They focus on the what if? the where am I? the why don't I? There is a sense of dreaming in them as well. A certain, let's leave all this behind and do something else. These have been thoughts and themes in my life a lot lately. Growing unrest and frustration with my job, feelings of stagnation in living in Rochester, general unease about the general state of things in America have often made me seek escapist thoughts. The sudden realization of adulthood. Dreaming of other places I've been. Thinking of places I would like to be again with Nerdwife, walking along Stinson Beach north of San Francisco, or riding the Aqua Bus to Granville Island to go to the market in Vancouver, or even just stand upon the shores of Lake Superior like we did on our honeymoon. My thoughts of places I'd rather be tend to drift to locations near large bodies of water. Some of the most "in the moment" I've ever been have been in these places. The only other memory I have of being so of that moment in time, was laying in a darkened hospital room, four days into the chemotherapy, Nerdwife dozing in a chair by my side, listening to my heart beat, the sounds of the room, it was late, or really early, night shift in the hospital. I often was awake at this time, it was peaceful, quiet, I really didn't worry about anything, or have any cares. Not even "will I live?" I was just there. I had a similar experience the other night. I was lounging on the floor, we were watching City of God, when I suddenly, I'm not sure why, I looked up at the ceiling and it hit me full force...this is our house...we bought it, we're paying the mortgage on it...I'm an adult. This may not seem profound or earth shattering to others. And really it wasn't, but it was a moment when the child inside me receded a little farther. I had never, up to that point ever thought about this situation like that before. Suddenly, it was like something caught up with me, and I'm not sure I was ready for it. But life is a journey, not a destination, while part of me stands on the road and looks at where I've been and at places I wish I could return, part of me looks forward and wonders what is around that next bend in the road?
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20
-Robert Frost
casual_friday { American Conflict WWII -> Present
As told by food of the countries involved, see war in its graphic absurdity.
and now for something completely different...but similar...sort of...
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