But I got in just under that wire. At least I'm doing better than Donkey. I'm motivated to write some things, and I have some free time coming up. Exciting! For you, the reader(s).
I just wanted to plug my friend Carrie, and her book that's coming out next week. Check her out in the links on the right. Yay!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Saturday, December 06, 2008
facebook is trying to kill me
The other day, I went to sign into Facebook. In order to make sure that you're human, Facebook and other websites will sometimes give you a captcha, where you have to type the words generated in a picture. This is what it gave me.
Yikes!
Yikes!
Monday, November 03, 2008
the endorsement
A few months ago, I sat in a football stadium in Denver, enjoying the setting sun. I was waiting to watch Senator Barack Obama accept the Democratic nomination for President. Sitting there, gathered with over 80,000 others, I wrote the following email to myself:
It's now the night before the election.
It's not just that Senator John McCain is the wrong choice. Certainly, he is. Why? His selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. His erratic response to the crisis in the financial markets. His desire to form a "League of Democracies" that will alienate many countries we need to improve relations with. His apparent mission to attempt to isolate Russia - something we could likely not do with the cooperation of many others, let alone by flying solo. His inability to reconcile his position on our two wars with the comments of the commanders on the ground, despite his consistent pledge to listen to them. His abandonment of support for comprehensive immigration reform, broad energy policy, and campaign finance reform - I've said before that the McCain of 2000 - the Maverick - wouldn't vote for the McCain of 2008. The list goes on.
What turns me off most is his campaign. It's not just the unfounded smears and insinuations about Barack Obama's past. It's the Orwellian nature of his arguments. The McCain campaign seems to believe that it can make something true just by saying it. For example: It is true that Sarah Palin has no functional foreign policy experience. That is a fact. Instead of making a legitimate argument, the campaign says that, since Alaska is close to Russia, she's tested. That's not only nonsensical - it's embarrassing. It's grasping at straws. Why not argue that neither Reagan nor Clinton had foreign policy experience, either? Why not argue that the Vice President can learn that on the job? Those are legitimate arguments. They're not misleading, and they're not empty. Yet, this is the route that campaign has taken time and time again.
So, it's not all of that. It's that, despite my general cynicism, I truly believe a President Obama can make a real and meaningful difference in the direction of our country.
Do I agree with all of his policies? No. I'm not a protectionist, though I do believe that our trade agreements need meaningful and enforced labor, environmental and intellectual property standards. Generally, I would be opposed to raising taxes during an economic downturn, but I'm not opposed to restoring some sanity to the tax bracket for the upper crust to shrink the deficit and pay for infrastructure projects that are badly needed and create jobs. I was opposed to the financial rescue package as structured, but both candidates supported it, so that's a wash.
However, I herald the prospect of a meaningful energy policy, the end of a failed war in Iraq, real change to the way health care is delivered, respect for the GLBT community, an end to the "war on science" conducted in executive agencies, proper treatment for our military veterans (including psychological injuries and TBI) and the likely appointment of Supreme Court Justices who see the right to privacy I believe is implied in the Constitution. I could spend a few hours fleshing each of these out, but they're really pretty self-evident if you've been paying any attention.
I early voted for Barack Obama because he is a great choice, even in a vacuum. When you examine the alternative, the choice becomes even more clear.
As a side note, I've also closely followed three Minnesota races. I support Al Franken for Senate (I don't know what kind of Senator he would be, but I have my hopes - and I know what kind of Senator Norm Coleman is now), Ashwin Madia for Representative in MN-3 (Madia is the kind of moderate who is the logical successor to my favorite Republican, Jim Ramstad) and Elwyn Tinklenberg for Representative in MN-6 (he's a moderate who makes sense for that district, and he's running against a woman who is a constant embarassment to the state).
This election can be a seminal moment in modern American history. We sit at a fork in the road. One path leads to a government that is accountable to the people, that respects the Constitution, that makes the American dream possible again, and that, as President Clinton said last night in the convention hall, leads by the power of our example and not by example of our power.
Another path is an embrace of the politics of fear and smear, a rebuke of intellectualism, and an embrace of a damaged economy that favors the powerful to the exclusion of the working class.
There is a third option - which is no real option at all. That is to sit at that fork, idling. Not taking sides. Maybe even not voting. The result of that choice is to take the second path and preserve the status quo.
This is no time to idle. It is time to shift into gear and hit the gas. Volunteer. Talk to friends and coworkers. Drag everyone you know to the polls. Do whatever you can to ensure that we do not repeat the great mistakes of the past eight years and that we instead make a choice to renew the promise of America.
It's now the night before the election.
It's not just that Senator John McCain is the wrong choice. Certainly, he is. Why? His selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. His erratic response to the crisis in the financial markets. His desire to form a "League of Democracies" that will alienate many countries we need to improve relations with. His apparent mission to attempt to isolate Russia - something we could likely not do with the cooperation of many others, let alone by flying solo. His inability to reconcile his position on our two wars with the comments of the commanders on the ground, despite his consistent pledge to listen to them. His abandonment of support for comprehensive immigration reform, broad energy policy, and campaign finance reform - I've said before that the McCain of 2000 - the Maverick - wouldn't vote for the McCain of 2008. The list goes on.
What turns me off most is his campaign. It's not just the unfounded smears and insinuations about Barack Obama's past. It's the Orwellian nature of his arguments. The McCain campaign seems to believe that it can make something true just by saying it. For example: It is true that Sarah Palin has no functional foreign policy experience. That is a fact. Instead of making a legitimate argument, the campaign says that, since Alaska is close to Russia, she's tested. That's not only nonsensical - it's embarrassing. It's grasping at straws. Why not argue that neither Reagan nor Clinton had foreign policy experience, either? Why not argue that the Vice President can learn that on the job? Those are legitimate arguments. They're not misleading, and they're not empty. Yet, this is the route that campaign has taken time and time again.
So, it's not all of that. It's that, despite my general cynicism, I truly believe a President Obama can make a real and meaningful difference in the direction of our country.
Do I agree with all of his policies? No. I'm not a protectionist, though I do believe that our trade agreements need meaningful and enforced labor, environmental and intellectual property standards. Generally, I would be opposed to raising taxes during an economic downturn, but I'm not opposed to restoring some sanity to the tax bracket for the upper crust to shrink the deficit and pay for infrastructure projects that are badly needed and create jobs. I was opposed to the financial rescue package as structured, but both candidates supported it, so that's a wash.
However, I herald the prospect of a meaningful energy policy, the end of a failed war in Iraq, real change to the way health care is delivered, respect for the GLBT community, an end to the "war on science" conducted in executive agencies, proper treatment for our military veterans (including psychological injuries and TBI) and the likely appointment of Supreme Court Justices who see the right to privacy I believe is implied in the Constitution. I could spend a few hours fleshing each of these out, but they're really pretty self-evident if you've been paying any attention.
I early voted for Barack Obama because he is a great choice, even in a vacuum. When you examine the alternative, the choice becomes even more clear.
As a side note, I've also closely followed three Minnesota races. I support Al Franken for Senate (I don't know what kind of Senator he would be, but I have my hopes - and I know what kind of Senator Norm Coleman is now), Ashwin Madia for Representative in MN-3 (Madia is the kind of moderate who is the logical successor to my favorite Republican, Jim Ramstad) and Elwyn Tinklenberg for Representative in MN-6 (he's a moderate who makes sense for that district, and he's running against a woman who is a constant embarassment to the state).
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
economy fail
Paulson, Bernanke and a protester. From Getty Images via the Denver Post website via Phil.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
the candidate from arizona
I generally don't feel the need to write about politics in this space, because I spend my days working in the field and because nobody really wants to have that debate with me. Everyone who knows me ha had it before. Sometimes, however, you just can't let it go.
The McCain campaign has been increasingly silly. From casting Obama as a "celebrity" (despite McCain's numerous appearances on the Daily Show and cameos in 24 and Wedding Crashers) to simply making things up about Obama and his proposals then repeating them ad nauseum until the claims seem like they might be true.
Fortunately for McCain, the news media has loved reporting on his strategy, and has made this election about Barack Obama instead of about McCain's apparent plan to continue the Bush administration. Even more fortunate, the media has decided to report the election without doing any actual research. It seems that every article I read about the Presidential race follows this format: "The McCain campaign says [horribly misleading argument or bald-faced lie]. The Obama campaign responded that [correction of the facts]." In other words, the media has been merely reporting what has been said, and not determining the truth of the matter and reporting actual facts.
I used to really respect McCain. But the fact is, his wholesale position changes, lack of specificity in his proposals, and movement to the far right of most Americans have puzzled me. It makes me think that he's either become the political hack that the President and Senate Republican leadership has shown themselves to be, or that he's surrounded himself with hacks who are totally running the show. He's no longer the Maverick. The John McCain of 2000 wouldn't support the John McCain of 2008. I believe that the John McCain of 2000 wouldn't even VOTE for the John McCain of 2008.
Anybody who said that Kerry was a flip-flopper in 2004 needs to read this. I've never seen anyone make as many wholesale position changes on major issues, and do so many in such a short span. Even the Murdoch Journal has noticed.
And watch this video on the Georgia/Russia conflict, in which McCain says that "In the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations." I'm guessing that the Senator will now announce that he has changed his view, and that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake.
Given my background and regional knowledge, I could say plenty about McCain's totally absurd position on the Georgia/Russia issue (and on dealing with Russia generally) but I don't think that would be interesting to anybody. And besides, I'd rather spend my time trying to figure out when McCain became a neocon.
The McCain campaign has been increasingly silly. From casting Obama as a "celebrity" (despite McCain's numerous appearances on the Daily Show and cameos in 24 and Wedding Crashers) to simply making things up about Obama and his proposals then repeating them ad nauseum until the claims seem like they might be true.
Fortunately for McCain, the news media has loved reporting on his strategy, and has made this election about Barack Obama instead of about McCain's apparent plan to continue the Bush administration. Even more fortunate, the media has decided to report the election without doing any actual research. It seems that every article I read about the Presidential race follows this format: "The McCain campaign says [horribly misleading argument or bald-faced lie]. The Obama campaign responded that [correction of the facts]." In other words, the media has been merely reporting what has been said, and not determining the truth of the matter and reporting actual facts.
I used to really respect McCain. But the fact is, his wholesale position changes, lack of specificity in his proposals, and movement to the far right of most Americans have puzzled me. It makes me think that he's either become the political hack that the President and Senate Republican leadership has shown themselves to be, or that he's surrounded himself with hacks who are totally running the show. He's no longer the Maverick. The John McCain of 2000 wouldn't support the John McCain of 2008. I believe that the John McCain of 2000 wouldn't even VOTE for the John McCain of 2008.
Anybody who said that Kerry was a flip-flopper in 2004 needs to read this. I've never seen anyone make as many wholesale position changes on major issues, and do so many in such a short span. Even the Murdoch Journal has noticed.
And watch this video on the Georgia/Russia conflict, in which McCain says that "In the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations." I'm guessing that the Senator will now announce that he has changed his view, and that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake.
Given my background and regional knowledge, I could say plenty about McCain's totally absurd position on the Georgia/Russia issue (and on dealing with Russia generally) but I don't think that would be interesting to anybody. And besides, I'd rather spend my time trying to figure out when McCain became a neocon.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
i really love sports media
The ESPN coverage of last night's home run derby was disgraceful.
The ESPN anchors paid almost no attention to Justin Morneau during his first go-around, instead preferring to discuss Josh Hamilton's drug-induced dream that led him back to baseball. Great, guys. Can we talk about that when Josh Hamilton actually comes to the plate? Meanwhile, Morneau was hitting his way into the semifinals.
Then Josh Hamilton came to the plate, and blew everyone away by hitting a record 28 homers in the first round. Enough has been said about it that I don't need to analyze it here, other than to say that it was a sight to behold. Amazing.
So, Hamilton sits down, and the semifinals begin. Morneau proceeds to hit better than any of the other players this round, but nobody would know, since ESPN decided to spent his whole appearance interviewing Reggie Jackson. When the dust settled, Morneau had hit enough to make the finals As Deadspin put it, "Is Justin Morneau gonna have to start freebasin' in the batters box to get ESPN's attention?" Of course, they only get half credit, as Deadspin editor AJ Daulerio couldn't even spell the former AL MVP's name right, stabbing and failing with "Justin Moreneau."
So, the final round happens, and what do you know - Hamilton tired himself out in the first round, and Morneau hits more homers in the finals to win the whole gosh-durn Home-Run Derby. What does ESPN do? They interview Josh Hamilton. They literally have the reporter tell Morneau that they'll get to him in a minute, push him out of frame, and interview Hamilton. How insulting is that? They finally talk to Justin when they present him with a check to Boys and Girls clubs and a trophy (of course, to add an insult, one of the suits refers to him as "Jason"). What's the first question? It's about what it was like for him to watch Josh Hamilton. What a slap in the face.
Guys, we know you don't care at all about Minnesota sports. But some people do. And there are plenty of others who like sports in general, and are more interested in watching them and celebrating their few successes than listening to the same tripe you repeat ad nauseum.
Anyway, congrats to Mr. Morneau. Here is an article from MLB.com that doesn't totally blow it.
The ESPN anchors paid almost no attention to Justin Morneau during his first go-around, instead preferring to discuss Josh Hamilton's drug-induced dream that led him back to baseball. Great, guys. Can we talk about that when Josh Hamilton actually comes to the plate? Meanwhile, Morneau was hitting his way into the semifinals.
Then Josh Hamilton came to the plate, and blew everyone away by hitting a record 28 homers in the first round. Enough has been said about it that I don't need to analyze it here, other than to say that it was a sight to behold. Amazing.
So, Hamilton sits down, and the semifinals begin. Morneau proceeds to hit better than any of the other players this round, but nobody would know, since ESPN decided to spent his whole appearance interviewing Reggie Jackson. When the dust settled, Morneau had hit enough to make the finals As Deadspin put it, "Is Justin Morneau gonna have to start freebasin' in the batters box to get ESPN's attention?" Of course, they only get half credit, as Deadspin editor AJ Daulerio couldn't even spell the former AL MVP's name right, stabbing and failing with "Justin Moreneau."
So, the final round happens, and what do you know - Hamilton tired himself out in the first round, and Morneau hits more homers in the finals to win the whole gosh-durn Home-Run Derby. What does ESPN do? They interview Josh Hamilton. They literally have the reporter tell Morneau that they'll get to him in a minute, push him out of frame, and interview Hamilton. How insulting is that? They finally talk to Justin when they present him with a check to Boys and Girls clubs and a trophy (of course, to add an insult, one of the suits refers to him as "Jason"). What's the first question? It's about what it was like for him to watch Josh Hamilton. What a slap in the face.
Guys, we know you don't care at all about Minnesota sports. But some people do. And there are plenty of others who like sports in general, and are more interested in watching them and celebrating their few successes than listening to the same tripe you repeat ad nauseum.
Anyway, congrats to Mr. Morneau. Here is an article from MLB.com that doesn't totally blow it.
Friday, July 11, 2008
wordle
Check out wordle.net. It's a cool piece of software that allows you to input text or a url, and it will make a word cloud out of the most common words in that text or on that page.
Here's one I made using one of my all-time favorites, George Orwell's 1984. Click it to see a larger version on their website.
Here's one I made using one of my all-time favorites, George Orwell's 1984. Click it to see a larger version on their website.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
i love sports media
I've been critical of the national sports media before, and I think everyone I've ever talked to is aware of my thoughts on the subject, but this Brett Favre garbage has got to take the cake. The hero worship is unbelievable. From the front page of ESPN.com today:
Report: Favre sends text message to Packers GMWho cares? Nobody. Nobody cares. Okay, some people care. But most of us don't care enough to have it be a top story on ESPN.com.
Monday, June 30, 2008
long time no blorg. blorg? blog. i meant blog.
Lots of things can happen in a month.
- Got engaged. Yay! I took the lady to Vegas over an extended Memorial Day weekend, and proposed after a long day of exploring the strip, a sunset dinner at Alizé on top of the Palms, and Cirque du Soleil's Beatles-themed show LOVE. Gave her a ring and everything. It was a great time. I highly recommend staying at the Bellagio if you can get a reasonable rate.
- Future wife spent some time in the hospital while she had her appendix out. The doctors didn't know what the cause of her pain was, so they just decided to remove her appendix and hope that she felt better. Now, she feels better. A little scary there for a while, and I had to miss what was apparently a fantastic Pearl Jam show (with my DC favorite Ted Leo opening).
- I saw R.E.M. in concert for the first time. I made the trip with a member of The Rockist Society, who recounted it here. R.E.M. was fantastic and energetic. I also really appreciated The National, who are much more intense live than they sounds on their albums (though that wouldn't be hard).
- I bought Claire a Wii. We borrowed Guitar Hero from some friends and played that for a while. I enjoyed some Super Paper Mario while at home taking care of the appendectomy patient. Mostly, we like making little Miis that look like our favorite fictional characters.
Lots of other stuff too, presumably. I mean, it's been over a month. I've seen some movies and read some books that I've been meaning to write about, so maybe I'll get to that one of these days.
- Got engaged. Yay! I took the lady to Vegas over an extended Memorial Day weekend, and proposed after a long day of exploring the strip, a sunset dinner at Alizé on top of the Palms, and Cirque du Soleil's Beatles-themed show LOVE. Gave her a ring and everything. It was a great time. I highly recommend staying at the Bellagio if you can get a reasonable rate.
- Future wife spent some time in the hospital while she had her appendix out. The doctors didn't know what the cause of her pain was, so they just decided to remove her appendix and hope that she felt better. Now, she feels better. A little scary there for a while, and I had to miss what was apparently a fantastic Pearl Jam show (with my DC favorite Ted Leo opening).
- I saw R.E.M. in concert for the first time. I made the trip with a member of The Rockist Society, who recounted it here. R.E.M. was fantastic and energetic. I also really appreciated The National, who are much more intense live than they sounds on their albums (though that wouldn't be hard).
- I bought Claire a Wii. We borrowed Guitar Hero from some friends and played that for a while. I enjoyed some Super Paper Mario while at home taking care of the appendectomy patient. Mostly, we like making little Miis that look like our favorite fictional characters.
Lots of other stuff too, presumably. I mean, it's been over a month. I've seen some movies and read some books that I've been meaning to write about, so maybe I'll get to that one of these days.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
things that happen on the hill
Today, I was served ice cream by Connie Britton of Friday Night Lights.
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