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Bear Droppings |
Thursday, February 06, 2003
Man wants to end use of public funds for lobbyingNice idea in concept, but difficult in reality, I haven't seen the proposed language, but I have a sneaking suspicion such law would not pass a 1st amendment smell test. I can imagine many circumstances that would cause trouble. You have a non-elected government worker who has a blog and takes a stance on the issue, opps they aren't on leave boss finds out and has to fire them. Or even more realistic that person works for a state agency and runs for the local school board, they get put on suspension or fired. Again not going to pass muster, yes eliminating lobbyists would be nice, but I can't help but wonder if Mr. Bond believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny too.
Off beat the war drums... From the Professor this morning It followed from all this that the hawks were the only Westerners not surprised by September 11. The attacks that day fitted with how they thought the world was going, and they were therefore ready with the analysis and with the counter-attack. The "war against terrorism" and the "axis of evil" were not mere phrases - they were formulations of doctrine. Regular readers know I am not a hawk, I'd prefer peace but sometimes it's a necessity, in war nasty things happen and people die, it ain't pretty no matter how many times CNN or someone else tries to make it look like a video game. September 11th shocked my senses on the level of death, destruction, and pain, but sadly it did not surprise my intellect as in Charles Moore's assertion. Students of the body politic knew this was a possiblity the US. Terrorism experts had been predicting that we would be eventually hit by a event since the late 1970s, we had gotten lucky. The luck ended that day. Much like facing the Soviets post World War Two this will not be over tomorrow, these terror networks operate on tribal and feudal level that require human intel, something that has been a second or third tier career track since the mid-1970s. It's going to take a generation at least in my person estimation. And it won't be the clear Soviets Bad/ America good line in the sand, because it involves human intel most of the battles will be in the shadows and in the relhm of the grey. Most Americans will likely forget in their day to day mind that we are still out there fighting within five to ten years, but the battle will rage on. Efforts to establish structures of freedom may help this fight, but establishing them among regions of ancient tribal conflicts, corrupt leaders, and fanatical leadership will be difficult at best. But before we let this myth transform into accepted fact, follow your history and it's not a surprise, just a sad fact in this world in which we live. (Off the soapbox)
Warren Zevon I got a few hits looking for the Warren Zevon story in the New York Times magazine, it's here if people are interested. Some great moments are captured in the story like.. Letterman asked Zevon if his condition had taught him anything about life and death. ''How much you're supposed to enjoy every sandwich,'' Zevon answered. or the movitation to write ''People write because it seems like it'll be an easier job than carpet laying, that they might meet more girls,'' he says. ''And they write because the world strikes them as being a marvelous place, and they want to keep bringing that to everybody's attention. You know, a scary place, a menacing place, an exciting place because it's scary and menacing. But mainly, kind of glorious.'' Lastly this line caught my attention One song they recorded was ''Prison Grove,'' which got started, like many Zevon songs, with a title phrase that struck him as both odd and singable. It reminded me a lot of a friend I lost around the time Zevon's cancer was announced, 'your body's the prison' so very true in my friends case, those of you who knew him take a few minutes to read the story I think you'll find it familar. Reminds me to get busy, you never know how much time is on that clock ticking inside. Wednesday, February 05, 2003
Fast internet connection, a pipe full of tobacoo, roaring fire and Ghost Dog on the dvd player, life is good.
Quick Movie Reviews When I moved into the cabin I was determined no cable for the first six months, try to spend more energy writing and it was a good idea. I am writing a bit, though none of it really has shown up here yet. I did break down and trade my brother for a dvd drive. It made sense though I had no player, I had 5-6 movies I had gotten while at my last place, going to waste. So I occasional watch a movie in the evening here are some quick reviews of what I have seen Ronin - Post Cold War Mercenery Thriller, guns, action, and the French countryside. One of my favorite films in the last 5 years. The Replacement Killers - Guns, Mira Sorvino, and some guy named Chow Yun-Fat, oh and did I mention Mira Sorvino? Death to Smoochy - Robin William beats up a Barney, nuff said. Robin is incredible, Edward Norton does a good job as Smoochy, but the script falls apart in the last act. Hollywood Ending. Reality Bites - GenX anthem o sorts, but then they all got jobs for dot coms and looks folks they are unemployed again ;) Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - This was the one I really wanted to see, I knew how it would end, but I loved the story. Urban theme, mixed with mafia and eastern theology. Go see it if you missed it.
Poetry Wednesday This time inspired by a sunset in Flagstaff. Light blue skies darken, Tuesday, February 04, 2003
You have to love small town newspapers When a Williams man was found intoxicated in his truck that had just been struck by a train in Williams Sunday, his answer to police who asked him if he'd been drinking was, "When -- before or after I got stuck?"
End of a Guilty Pleasure Oh well, another reason not to get a tv or cable at the cabin, Dawson's Creek is being cancelled. While I have freely admitted to it being a guilty pleasure show of mine I have not seen much of it this year, between the move and the like. Truth be told it lost it's direction since graduation. They try to keep the characters lives intertwinned and they are not pulling it off well, the lives would be going in different directions so probably for the best to put the show to bed. I'll have to add the season dvds to my Amazon list :) (Thanks to David for pointing it out) Monday, February 03, 2003
PromoGuy's Monday Mission 3.05 1. Do you remember the first LP, 45, CD or CD single that you bought? Recreate the scene for me. LP, cassette tape and the like don't stand out in my mind, though I do remember my first CD it was Queen's the Miracle, I bought it from music store outside of Paradise Valley mall in Phoenix as I recall I got there in this cool little blue Fiat, well it was cool the 10 minutes a month it was running. 2. What was the last CD or song that you actually paid money for? Division of Laura Lee, Black City. I was in Flagstaff a few weeks ago and I heard it playing in the indy music store, it reminded me of Death Cab for Cutie, but a little more punk influence, it has not grown on me as DCFC did, but maybe in time, I only have heard it a few times. 3. It is my personal opinion that "Munchos" and "Funions" are the most perfect snack food ever. What do you think is the best snack food ever? Beef Jerky 4. Comedian George Carlin once pointed we consider the things we like to keep around us to be our "stuff," whereas other people's stuff is just junk to us (ok, he used more colorful language, but you get the idea). What "stuff" do you have that someone else might just throw away if they were cleaning out your house? Not much at the moment, having just moved, I have gotten rid of alot of suff recently. 5. Do you think it is wrong for people to rush to e-Bay and start selling Space Shuttle Columbia collectibles? Yes, but it's a free country and I hate the tendency to want to fix everything wrong with passing another law. If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's as simple as that, I don't like Springer or tv media talk shows, so I don't watch them, enough people get the same idea and they will drop off the air *shrug* 6. Does it bother you when President Bush speaks about God and invokes scripture quotations from the Bible during his speeches? Not really Presidents have been doing it for 200+ years. 7. I have a friend who think's she's being photographed in public restrooms. What paranoid delusion do you have?* Austin Powers: There are only two things in this world that scares me and one is nuclear war. Bonus: Can't you feel the weight of my stare? Nope. Saturday, February 01, 2003
Shuttle My brother called me and told of the shuttle crashing, but I can say I was not as much in shock, since the Challenger, at least in my generation we have accepted it as a possibility. As I think back we have never really lost any craft in landing among them so the chance it would happen would occur sooner or later. It saddens me no less, but it just doesn't have the surprise it would have before Challenger.
Avast ye land lumbers Bloody Tom Vane here, if ye be wanting to know yer own pirate name follow this link. (Thanks Robert) Friday, January 31, 2003
Busy Day My telecommute project is coming to an end so I spent the day in job interviews. One is a computer person and jack of all trades for a jeep company the other is being government affairs manager for a local group. Of the two I'd rather take governments affairs job, it's more inline with my interests and it seemed to go very well. Details to follow as I learn more... Thursday, January 30, 2003
French Multilaterialism in action, R-I-G-H-T! Look closely at the protesters signs. A shame we won't likely get involved, or perhaps it's for the best.
Google Google is a wonderful tool, most folks who I know who use the web could not live without it. I am no exception the funny thing about having a weblog is seeing what google brings to you, sometimes odd, sometimes disturbing, but very often entertaining. As Lex and Tom Cheng and many others can attest. This morning brought me something different an echo from the past, so if your are at a German University and would like to discuss a former student at the same school, send me an email, I'll tell you what I know. |
