An article on the Washinton Post's website today shows that Senator Obama is the only one of the three presidential candidates who has seen first hand what repealing a gas tax for any amount of time can do. As an Illinois state senator, he helped pass a six month repeal of the state's 5% gas tax in 2001. During that six month period, the state lost $175 million in revenue. The overall average price of gas only fell 3% during that time, which means that in real terms, the gas prices still went up 2%. The tax repeal just didn't work.
This puts Obama on even more solid footing when it comes to opposing McCain's foolish plan. Illinois is suffering from a major budget crunch all around, but especially when it comes to infrastructure. That extra money that the gas companies ended up keeping back in 2001 would be mighty helpful right about now. Let's make sure that we as a nation don't end up with the same problem.
Interestingly, last night NBC Nightly News began a series of reports on the nation's crumbling infrastructure. You can see the video here.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
How about rolling back the stupidity tax for the summer?
John McCain has said multiple times that he doesn't understand economics as much as he should, and after reading about his latest economic plan, I'm inclined to agree. A cornerstone of the plan is a three month repeal of the federal gas tax, which is currently 18.4 cents per gallon (and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel). There's a great article over at Wired that highlights the economic issues that this would create- it would short the government $9 billion in revenue (in a department which already has a $3 billion shortfall in funding), therefore killing highway improvement projects, which in turn means that even more people would lose jobs.
Wait- I see the genius of this plan now- more people out of work means fewer people on the roads, thus reducing the demand for gasoline, after which prices will naturally fall! My god, it's brilliant.
Sarcasm aside, this is one of the most ridiculous ideas to come out of Washington in some time. It provides no real tax relief to the average person, and as our transportation systems fall further and further into disrepair, it ends up creating more problems than it solves. Surely, no self respecting Democrat, representing a party that has said that fixing our national infrastructure should be a top priority, could support this entirely impractical political scheme? Right?
Not so fast, my friends! According to the Wall Street Journal, Senator Clinton indicated just the other day, “I would also consider a gas tax holiday, if we could make up the lost revenues from the Highway Trust Fund.” Of course, there's no chance that Congress would support increasing revenues in one area to fund a temporary tax cut in another. McCain has indicated that he would pay for this by increasing the debt, a measure Clinton would theoretically oppose.
Here's the thing though- despite her highly qualified support for McCain's idiocy, now she's attacking Obama for not throwing his support behind the idea. Obama, to his credit, is sticking to his guns:
I've been waiting to see some real separation in the views of the two Dems that makes me feel like we're not choosing between two automatons who agree with each other on just about everything. And I think we're starting to see it- she's gone negative like never before, and she's questioning Obama's electability, while at the same time endorsing the ideas of her potential November opposition.
I still believe that Obama is the right one for the Dems, and the right one for the country. He's a leader, and he's not out there spouting the same old rubbish. I'm not sure what else we can ask for.
Wait- I see the genius of this plan now- more people out of work means fewer people on the roads, thus reducing the demand for gasoline, after which prices will naturally fall! My god, it's brilliant.
Sarcasm aside, this is one of the most ridiculous ideas to come out of Washington in some time. It provides no real tax relief to the average person, and as our transportation systems fall further and further into disrepair, it ends up creating more problems than it solves. Surely, no self respecting Democrat, representing a party that has said that fixing our national infrastructure should be a top priority, could support this entirely impractical political scheme? Right?
Not so fast, my friends! According to the Wall Street Journal, Senator Clinton indicated just the other day, “I would also consider a gas tax holiday, if we could make up the lost revenues from the Highway Trust Fund.” Of course, there's no chance that Congress would support increasing revenues in one area to fund a temporary tax cut in another. McCain has indicated that he would pay for this by increasing the debt, a measure Clinton would theoretically oppose.
Here's the thing though- despite her highly qualified support for McCain's idiocy, now she's attacking Obama for not throwing his support behind the idea. Obama, to his credit, is sticking to his guns:
To my mind, Clinton is starting to show her desperation. She's anxious to separate herself from Obama in some way, while trying to show Dems that she can draw in some of the same voters that McCain does. But she's picked the wrong issue here. For starters, it's something that Bob "Viagra" Dole tried to raise unsuccessfully during the 1996 election cycle against her husband, and then backed down from because it was so amazingly unpopular with Congress. Add to that the effect more driving has on our infrastructure, and the extra burden that a loss of federal revenues would have on the already strained and suffering budgets of public transit systems across the country, and this is a no-brainer. It's bad policy that's bad for America.
“We’re talking about 5 percent of your total cost of gas that you suspend for three months, which might save you a few hundred bucks that then will spike right up,” Obama said. “Now keep in mind that it will save you that if Exxon Mobil doesn’t decide, ‘We’ll just tack on another 5 percent on the current cost.’”
I've been waiting to see some real separation in the views of the two Dems that makes me feel like we're not choosing between two automatons who agree with each other on just about everything. And I think we're starting to see it- she's gone negative like never before, and she's questioning Obama's electability, while at the same time endorsing the ideas of her potential November opposition.
I still believe that Obama is the right one for the Dems, and the right one for the country. He's a leader, and he's not out there spouting the same old rubbish. I'm not sure what else we can ask for.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Street Art Thursday
Just discovered the Dirty Third Streets site, which covers a lot of street art down south. I love this piece, from Austin, TX:
Friday, April 04, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Oh jesus, not again.
So in my ever growing quest to Get The Hell Out Of The Apartment, a few months ago I shot an email off to the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company offering my services as a volunteer.
For the uninitiated, in one of my past lives, I spent a lot of time in the theatre; it was one of several reasons I dropped out of college, and then I served as Master Carpenter and then Technical Director for the Actor's Company of Pennsylvania (now part of the Fulton Opera House)waaaaay back in the mid 90's. Then there was a summer as Master Carpenter at Ephrata Playhouse In The Park, and an unsuccessful attempt to move to New York City. Anyways, long story short (and believe me, there's a whole lot of story there), I burned myself out. But I've always held a soft spot in my heart for theatre and theatre folk. Thus, to bring this full circle, I emailed CUTC and said I was more than willing to help.
I was welcomed with open arms, as every community theatre loves a volunteer who has been around the block a couple of times. Then they told me what the first show was- Jesus Christ Superstar. I'm not one to throw words like this around, but I'll be honest, I blanched a little. You see, back in college, my big set design debut was a student production of JCS. And just like every other student production, it was a bit of a fiasco. We ran out of money, had a lighting designer walk out, and I managed to have a seven foot tall ladder caddy fall on my heel, hobbling me for the three days of production. It was SO bad that my assistant on that show wrote a play about it. Lordy.
But enough about the past. This production has been quite a lot of fun to work on. The set construction was smooth as silk, and I got to stretch out my mad theatrical carpentry skills a little bit. Now we're ready to go live! The show opens this Thursday (April 3) at 7:30 and closes with a 2:30 matinee on Sunday (April 6). I was there for rehearsal last night, and I'll vouch for it- this isn't the easiest show to sing, but they've rounded up a really good cast that does it justice. I'll be backstage for the show, but if you get there early enough (doors open 1/2 hour before showtime), you might actually get to see me hamming it up. Tickets are available here or at the door. Come out and support local theatre!!!
For the uninitiated, in one of my past lives, I spent a lot of time in the theatre; it was one of several reasons I dropped out of college, and then I served as Master Carpenter and then Technical Director for the Actor's Company of Pennsylvania (now part of the Fulton Opera House)waaaaay back in the mid 90's. Then there was a summer as Master Carpenter at Ephrata Playhouse In The Park, and an unsuccessful attempt to move to New York City. Anyways, long story short (and believe me, there's a whole lot of story there), I burned myself out. But I've always held a soft spot in my heart for theatre and theatre folk. Thus, to bring this full circle, I emailed CUTC and said I was more than willing to help.
I was welcomed with open arms, as every community theatre loves a volunteer who has been around the block a couple of times. Then they told me what the first show was- Jesus Christ Superstar. I'm not one to throw words like this around, but I'll be honest, I blanched a little. You see, back in college, my big set design debut was a student production of JCS. And just like every other student production, it was a bit of a fiasco. We ran out of money, had a lighting designer walk out, and I managed to have a seven foot tall ladder caddy fall on my heel, hobbling me for the three days of production. It was SO bad that my assistant on that show wrote a play about it. Lordy.
But enough about the past. This production has been quite a lot of fun to work on. The set construction was smooth as silk, and I got to stretch out my mad theatrical carpentry skills a little bit. Now we're ready to go live! The show opens this Thursday (April 3) at 7:30 and closes with a 2:30 matinee on Sunday (April 6). I was there for rehearsal last night, and I'll vouch for it- this isn't the easiest show to sing, but they've rounded up a really good cast that does it justice. I'll be backstage for the show, but if you get there early enough (doors open 1/2 hour before showtime), you might actually get to see me hamming it up. Tickets are available here or at the door. Come out and support local theatre!!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
On Ethics and the Workplace
Late last year, the ethics committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued an opinion paper titled "The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine". This is well worth the read- it addresses some of the core issues of the "conscientious refusal" movement that is so popular with wingnuts who happen to have a "Dr." in front of their names these days. Most pointedly, it asks the question- is it right for a doctor to impose their personal beliefs on a patient who may not share those beliefs?
Of course, the Bush administration couldn't resist being all buttinsky about the suggestion that doctors might have a greater moral obligation to put the well being of their patients before their supposed personal beliefs. HHS secretary Michael Levitt shot off a letter to the director of ACOG, stating in part:
Let's step into the real world for a minute. Let's say my company entered into a contract to buy a chain of steakhouses. Naturally, as a vegan and generally ethical person, I have a strong moral objection to this, so I mention my objections to my supervisor, and ask that I be allowed to not participate in this transaction. He'll sit there patiently, hear me out, thank me for my input, and then wish me luck in finding a new job. Michael Levitt would not write him a letter begging him to reconsider, I'd bet.
The bottom line is, doctors (especially obstetricians and gynecologists) and pharmacists and their ilk shouldn't get a pass here. Their job is to operate in the public interest and in the interest of their patient, however personally distasteful they might find the patient's choice or the most logical treatment. If they don't find that the job suits their "conscience", they need to find another line of work.
And yet, Congress continues to prop up this notion that health care workers are somehow different from the rest of us when it comes down to doing our jobs. The Hyde-Weldon Amendment, inserted annually into a budget appropriations bill near you (gee, how'd that get in there?) codifies the following statement:
Anyways, to wrap this lengthy rant up, the government should not be in the business of telling organizations what their ethics should be, and health care professionals should decide what's best for their patients based on communication and medical knowledge, not their fear of where they might end up in some mystical afterlife. It's that simple really. And if you agree, I encourage you to let your health care providers and government officials know how you feel at every given opportunity. You are paying for their Mercedes and third vacation homes, after all. :)
Of course, the Bush administration couldn't resist being all buttinsky about the suggestion that doctors might have a greater moral obligation to put the well being of their patients before their supposed personal beliefs. HHS secretary Michael Levitt shot off a letter to the director of ACOG, stating in part:
I am concerned that the actions taken by ACOG and ABOG could result in the denial or revocation of Board certification of a physician who -- but for his or her refusal, for example, to refer a patient for an abortion -- would be certified.In other words, the Secretary is concerned that a doctor who fails his or her duty to present all available options to their patient, and in the end do what is best for the PATIENT, might lose their license. These doctors, the Secretary is arguing, should be able to pick and choose what parts of their job they really want to do, and the big mean bossman shouldn't force them to do the other parts.
Let's step into the real world for a minute. Let's say my company entered into a contract to buy a chain of steakhouses. Naturally, as a vegan and generally ethical person, I have a strong moral objection to this, so I mention my objections to my supervisor, and ask that I be allowed to not participate in this transaction. He'll sit there patiently, hear me out, thank me for my input, and then wish me luck in finding a new job. Michael Levitt would not write him a letter begging him to reconsider, I'd bet.
The bottom line is, doctors (especially obstetricians and gynecologists) and pharmacists and their ilk shouldn't get a pass here. Their job is to operate in the public interest and in the interest of their patient, however personally distasteful they might find the patient's choice or the most logical treatment. If they don't find that the job suits their "conscience", they need to find another line of work.
And yet, Congress continues to prop up this notion that health care workers are somehow different from the rest of us when it comes down to doing our jobs. The Hyde-Weldon Amendment, inserted annually into a budget appropriations bill near you (gee, how'd that get in there?) codifies the following statement:
no federal, state, or local government agency or program that receives federal health and human services funds may discriminate against a health care provider because the provider refuses to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortion.Oh, Henry Hyde. How we miss you- always hiding your anti-woman agenda in giant bills completely unrelated to the subject at hand. It's like a little easter egg hunt!
Anyways, to wrap this lengthy rant up, the government should not be in the business of telling organizations what their ethics should be, and health care professionals should decide what's best for their patients based on communication and medical knowledge, not their fear of where they might end up in some mystical afterlife. It's that simple really. And if you agree, I encourage you to let your health care providers and government officials know how you feel at every given opportunity. You are paying for their Mercedes and third vacation homes, after all. :)
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Deep Thoughts.
Not really deep thoughts, just some random stuff that I've been thinking about or seen lately.
Baseball:
Spring training tests a sportswriters' ability to wring a story out of nearly non-existent material. Sometimes, just sometimes, they're on to something. A couple of weeks ago, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel did a profile on first baseman Prince Fielder, who has evidently become vegetarian, but not in a bid to gain power; he's doing it for ethical reasons! Good on him. I'll be curious to watch him through the season- Prince is a big boy (6', 260 lbs.), and the longer he stays veg, he might just become a little more lean. (bonus appearance in the article by former Red Sox third base coach Dale "Go! Go! No, wait, stop!" Sveum)
Manny Ramirez has always been hesitant with the media, and frankly I don't blame him. But, whether it's because he's in a contract year or he's just getting older, he's been a lot more open lately. There's a neat piece here about the changes he's made to his life and his off season preparations. Confession- I do get shivers thinking about a fully healthy Papi and a prepared Manny in the middle of the Sox order. :)
Music:
I would frankly give my left arm to be able to go see the Dropkick Murphys and Ted Leo show tomorrow in South Boston. Holy crap, would that be a to-do. Oh, sure, I'd settle for the motherf**king Pogues (with Shane!) and Billy Bragg in NYC on St. Patrick's Day eve. Ugh.
On a happier note, last night I went with friends to see a Harpcore4 show at U of I- great fun! Four harpists using their imposing instruments to pluck out very entertaining covers of everything from the Cure to Elton John to Leonard Cohen. I'm always impressed by harp players- their fingers are always flying so fast, in seemingly random ways, but making lovely sounds.
Politics:
I have no earthly desire to even think about politics at this point. Wake me when the conventions are over.
Baseball:
Spring training tests a sportswriters' ability to wring a story out of nearly non-existent material. Sometimes, just sometimes, they're on to something. A couple of weeks ago, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel did a profile on first baseman Prince Fielder, who has evidently become vegetarian, but not in a bid to gain power; he's doing it for ethical reasons! Good on him. I'll be curious to watch him through the season- Prince is a big boy (6', 260 lbs.), and the longer he stays veg, he might just become a little more lean. (bonus appearance in the article by former Red Sox third base coach Dale "Go! Go! No, wait, stop!" Sveum)
Manny Ramirez has always been hesitant with the media, and frankly I don't blame him. But, whether it's because he's in a contract year or he's just getting older, he's been a lot more open lately. There's a neat piece here about the changes he's made to his life and his off season preparations. Confession- I do get shivers thinking about a fully healthy Papi and a prepared Manny in the middle of the Sox order. :)
Music:
I would frankly give my left arm to be able to go see the Dropkick Murphys and Ted Leo show tomorrow in South Boston. Holy crap, would that be a to-do. Oh, sure, I'd settle for the motherf**king Pogues (with Shane!) and Billy Bragg in NYC on St. Patrick's Day eve. Ugh.
On a happier note, last night I went with friends to see a Harpcore4 show at U of I- great fun! Four harpists using their imposing instruments to pluck out very entertaining covers of everything from the Cure to Elton John to Leonard Cohen. I'm always impressed by harp players- their fingers are always flying so fast, in seemingly random ways, but making lovely sounds.
Politics:
I have no earthly desire to even think about politics at this point. Wake me when the conventions are over.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Albums You Should Own: Erin McKeown- Sing, You Sinners
To continue our occasional series:
I first became aware of Erin McKeown when she opened a couple of Nields shows that I saw back in the day (Nields bass player Dave Chalfant has produced several of her albums); her guitar stylings, jaunty and jazzy, instantly drew me in. Her voice was not of the times- she's always sounded like she should be fronting a jazz combo, not trying to make her way in the rock-folk world.
Well, you can imagine my joy, then, when she released Sing You Sinners, an album of well known (and not so well known!) jazz standards. With herself on guitar (and banjo!), Todd Sickafoose on bass, Sam Kassirer on keyboards, and Allison Miller on drums, she creates the atmosphere of a tight combo playing their hearts out in a club for ten or fifteen people. Her voice is crisp and full as she takes old favorites like "Get Happy" and "Paper Moon" and owns them in such a way that you forget that anyone else has ever sung them. And as though to prove she's not just a pretty voice, her guitar work on "They Say it's Spring" is note perfect, but laden with emotion at the same time.
But my favorite part is the dancing- oh, the dancing! The middle of the album, with "I Was A Little Too Lonely (You Were A Little Too Late)", the title track, and "Rhode Island is Famous For You", is so peppy, that I defy you to not want to get up out of your chair and dance around the room. I actually bought this album for my mom because of this part of the album- she wanted something that would lift her spirits on the ride home from work. Mission accomplished! Although I did have to warn her about dancing and driving...
I recommend this album for fans of : smiling, dancing, having a good time, french cafes, nearly perfect sound mixes
Side story: I had just purchased this album, and was listening to it constantly on my commute, when my car was broken into and the stereo was stolen, with the CD in it. This almost made me sadder than losing the stereo. When I got an iPod a couple of months later, I repurchased the album on iTunes, so as to make it harder for someone to take away from me a second time. :)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
You may never understand...
No, seriously, if you're not vegan (or lactose intolerant), you may not understand the excitement inherent in the following clip:
(the librarians among you can argue whether the use of a live version of das Scorpions "Rock You Like a Hurricane" in this instance falls under fair use, but do it somewhere else. K-thnx :) )
As a bit of background, the folks at Chicago Soy Dairy are the geniuses behind Temptation vegan ice cream, which is frankly the best product of its kind on the market. They've now taken on the challenge of a vegan cheese that actually melts easily and well. And I, for one, can't wait to taste the results.
(the librarians among you can argue whether the use of a live version of das Scorpions "Rock You Like a Hurricane" in this instance falls under fair use, but do it somewhere else. K-thnx :) )
As a bit of background, the folks at Chicago Soy Dairy are the geniuses behind Temptation vegan ice cream, which is frankly the best product of its kind on the market. They've now taken on the challenge of a vegan cheese that actually melts easily and well. And I, for one, can't wait to taste the results.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Wait, what?
I just saw this story on the wire:
Turkey Plans to Invade Northern Iraq
I can't even begin to understand the vagaries of middle eastern politics, I admit it (and if some of our elected officials had admitted it seven years ago, we wouldn't be in this mess, but that's a whole other story). But I feel as though 50,000 troops amassing on a border aren't just poking their nose in to see if there's any naughty terrorists lying about. The secular Turks hate the Kurds, and the Kurds hate the secular Turks, regardless of whether they're part of the army or a "terrorist organization". And hate makes people trigger happy.
We really don't need more innocent people killed in Iraq, or Turkey, or anywhere. I long for the day when we have a government who realizes this and has the moral fortitude to step in and mediate these disputes without guns and missiles.
Wishful thinking, I realize.
sigh.
Turkey Plans to Invade Northern Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- The Turkish military said it is setting the ground work for a large-scale ground invasion into northern Iraq targeting the Kurdistan Workers' Party.I'm sorry, did I miss something? Shouldn't the invasion by a sovereign nation of a country we are occupying be bigger news? I can't be the only one who sees a high likelihood that US or coalition troops will accidentally get in the way here. And incidentally, isn't one of our main missions in the middle east to defuse and keep under control sectarian conflict???
The military said the ground operation is the final strike against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, known by its Kurdish language initials of PKK. The operation follows airstrikes on the group in late 2007 and military officials said the operation is scheduled for mid-March, the English language Turkish daily, Today's Zaman said Monday.
Military sources told the newspaper that the operation would be on two fronts; one along the Turkish border with Iraq and one inside Turkey in its southeastern provinces.
Israel gave the Turkish military unmanned surveillance drones that military officials said will provide key intelligence about PKK activity.
The Turkish military deployed about 50,000 troops along the border with Iraq and the newspaper said military officials will keep the same amount of troops in the region for the March operations.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
I can't even begin to understand the vagaries of middle eastern politics, I admit it (and if some of our elected officials had admitted it seven years ago, we wouldn't be in this mess, but that's a whole other story). But I feel as though 50,000 troops amassing on a border aren't just poking their nose in to see if there's any naughty terrorists lying about. The secular Turks hate the Kurds, and the Kurds hate the secular Turks, regardless of whether they're part of the army or a "terrorist organization". And hate makes people trigger happy.
We really don't need more innocent people killed in Iraq, or Turkey, or anywhere. I long for the day when we have a government who realizes this and has the moral fortitude to step in and mediate these disputes without guns and missiles.
Wishful thinking, I realize.
sigh.
Monday, February 11, 2008
I'm finally ready.
A full week has passed and I'm finally prepared to face my feelings about Super Bowl XLII. But since I think cursing a blue streak in a blog is in poor form, I'll let Fitzy from Townie News do it for me:
(TOTALLY NSFW, but f**kin hilarious and dead on)
His last point is especially apt- no, not the part about "Go f**k yourself", before that- the part where he thanks the Pats haters for giving us a way to get back to our old self-hating, waiting for the other shoe to drop, chip on the shoulder, Aaron F**king Boone, Bucky F**king Dent, Ulf F**king Samuelsson selves.
We're not winners by nature, see? Raised in a fickle climate, with soil inhospitable to farming
and drivers inhospitable to pedestrians, there is something about a New Englander that loves the underdog, that needs to approach all situations from the position of being disregarded instead of favored. We're just not comfortable any other way. We like our wins to be pleasant surprises, not ho-hum forgone conclusions. I could go on, but you get my point.
Anyways, Super Bowl XLII will go down in my memory as just another game. The same way Super Bowl XX, Super Bowl XXXI, game six of the 1986 World Series and losing to the Lakers in game six in 1987 are just games- filed away in the back, although you always know they're there.
(TOTALLY NSFW, but f**kin hilarious and dead on)
His last point is especially apt- no, not the part about "Go f**k yourself", before that- the part where he thanks the Pats haters for giving us a way to get back to our old self-hating, waiting for the other shoe to drop, chip on the shoulder, Aaron F**king Boone, Bucky F**king Dent, Ulf F**king Samuelsson selves.
We're not winners by nature, see? Raised in a fickle climate, with soil inhospitable to farming
and drivers inhospitable to pedestrians, there is something about a New Englander that loves the underdog, that needs to approach all situations from the position of being disregarded instead of favored. We're just not comfortable any other way. We like our wins to be pleasant surprises, not ho-hum forgone conclusions. I could go on, but you get my point.
Anyways, Super Bowl XLII will go down in my memory as just another game. The same way Super Bowl XX, Super Bowl XXXI, game six of the 1986 World Series and losing to the Lakers in game six in 1987 are just games- filed away in the back, although you always know they're there.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Manny being Manny.
This, friends, is Manny Ramirez lifting weights. Yes, that Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox outfielder. The one who wears uniforms fifteen sizes too big and is known for not hustling when it might be called for.
And if seeing a picture of him lifting weights that big a few weeks before a contract year starts doesn't make you a little bit giddy, then you're probably not a Red Sox fan. :)
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Election ennui.
I promised an election post on Tuesday, but to be frank, the whole night ended up being humdrum and boring. But I am excited about how the rest of the primary season will break out- it's not normal for the Dems to be in the state they're in- two candidates that their base can be excited about, running neck and neck.
My only concern is about Clinton's electability; the Repugs are licking their lips at the prospect of bringing all the Clinton mud to the surface and scaring the hell out of the middle of the road electorate. I think Obama has a much broader appeal- if you watch him speak, he gives you (good) chills no matter how you feel about his policies. Don't hate me for saying this, but I feel like it's the same sort of charisma that Reagan had- you end up trusting his leadership skills and feeling comfortable without knowing any of the details. And I feel like the general public is ready for that feeling again. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I'd much rather someone with his charisma be on my side than the other.
One thing I did come out of the Super Tuesday race realizing- not only is John McCain batshit crazy, but he can't read a teleprompter with anything approaching a natural style. This is a few minutes of his speech from Tuesday. If that was my first introduction to the man, I'd think he had just won an election for city comptroller, not a presidential primary. Yikes.
My only concern is about Clinton's electability; the Repugs are licking their lips at the prospect of bringing all the Clinton mud to the surface and scaring the hell out of the middle of the road electorate. I think Obama has a much broader appeal- if you watch him speak, he gives you (good) chills no matter how you feel about his policies. Don't hate me for saying this, but I feel like it's the same sort of charisma that Reagan had- you end up trusting his leadership skills and feeling comfortable without knowing any of the details. And I feel like the general public is ready for that feeling again. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I'd much rather someone with his charisma be on my side than the other.
One thing I did come out of the Super Tuesday race realizing- not only is John McCain batshit crazy, but he can't read a teleprompter with anything approaching a natural style. This is a few minutes of his speech from Tuesday. If that was my first introduction to the man, I'd think he had just won an election for city comptroller, not a presidential primary. Yikes.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Because we all need a laugh.
I know, I know, it's Super Tuesday. I've already voted, and I'll probably get something election related up later today. But more importantly, I'm still in grief after Sunday. So I thought I might post something to lighten the mood a bit. It's moderately NSFW- you might want to use headphones.
I'll be honest, Sarah Silverman is very hit or miss for me. But this is comedy gold.
I feel a little better now.
I'll be honest, Sarah Silverman is very hit or miss for me. But this is comedy gold.
I feel a little better now.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Like a punch to the gut.
There are few things that can be said after the Pat's crushing defeat last night. Few positive things, at least; few things that aren't loaded with expletives. But I'm taking two things, two things that I will cling to until the Pats can start on their next tear through the NFL:
1. Now all the bandwagon jumpers who have only experienced the three Super Bowl wins and an undefeated regular season know what being a New England sports fan really feels like, felt like for all those years before 2002- you put all of your hopes and dreams on the backs of your team, and they inevitably, horribly, collapse under the weight. The days and weeks to follow will see an inevitable thinning of Pats fans in North Dakota, Nebraska, California. And that's probably a good thing. You've got to have strong stomach to put up with this stuff.
2. As of this writing, pitchers and catchers report to Red Sox training camp in 9 days, 23 hours and 39 minutes. I'm ready for that.
Oh, and Chili con Chocolate is amazing- we made some for our gathering. I'll post pictures later.
1. Now all the bandwagon jumpers who have only experienced the three Super Bowl wins and an undefeated regular season know what being a New England sports fan really feels like, felt like for all those years before 2002- you put all of your hopes and dreams on the backs of your team, and they inevitably, horribly, collapse under the weight. The days and weeks to follow will see an inevitable thinning of Pats fans in North Dakota, Nebraska, California. And that's probably a good thing. You've got to have strong stomach to put up with this stuff.
2. As of this writing, pitchers and catchers report to Red Sox training camp in 9 days, 23 hours and 39 minutes. I'm ready for that.
Oh, and Chili con Chocolate is amazing- we made some for our gathering. I'll post pictures later.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Braggadocious.
On my way to the coffee shoppe this morning, this song came on the radio, and as it did so many times back in the day, instantly got stuck in my head. So of course I wanted to share. Enjoy!
Billy Bragg- Sexuality
Billy Bragg- Sexuality
Monday, January 07, 2008
News Flash: Politician admits to language faux pas, has a good laugh.
How do you know when you're in the driver's seat as a political candidate? When you can make statements like this.
I will say this- I've listened to quite a few of Obama's speeches on C-SPAN, and he is incredibly impressive. I may be alone in this, but back in the day, when Bill Clinton would give one of his more impassioned speeches, I would get chills, and feel very emotionally connected to what he was saying. Obama gives me a lot of the same feelings. My only real questions around him are his policy items. He talks a good game, but where does he actually stand? With a February 5th primary here in Illinois, I intend to find out soon.
I'll say this- I really feel that if the general election comes down to Obama and McCain (as some have predicted), it's going to be like watching Clinton-Dole- you're just going to feel sorry for the old guy as the youngster runs circles around him.
"I've been campaigning a lot," he said. "And you know I say, 'The time for change has come.' The other day I said, 'The time for come has changed.' And I have to admit, everybody still clapped."
I will say this- I've listened to quite a few of Obama's speeches on C-SPAN, and he is incredibly impressive. I may be alone in this, but back in the day, when Bill Clinton would give one of his more impassioned speeches, I would get chills, and feel very emotionally connected to what he was saying. Obama gives me a lot of the same feelings. My only real questions around him are his policy items. He talks a good game, but where does he actually stand? With a February 5th primary here in Illinois, I intend to find out soon.
I'll say this- I really feel that if the general election comes down to Obama and McCain (as some have predicted), it's going to be like watching Clinton-Dole- you're just going to feel sorry for the old guy as the youngster runs circles around him.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Street Art Thursday.
It's been a crazy day- I almost completely forgot about my bloggerly duties...
Today, a piece from Banksy, from the Santa's Ghetto project:
There are some amazing pieces as a part of this project. Definitely worth checking out.
Today, a piece from Banksy, from the Santa's Ghetto project:
There are some amazing pieces as a part of this project. Definitely worth checking out.
Monday, December 10, 2007
In which I finally make peace with 'Fredo.
One of my favorite dinners, pre-veganism, was a nice fettuccine alfredo. Unfortunately, even before going vegan, my lactose intolerance set in, making it impossible to enjoy it without consequence. You might even say, it betrayed me.
(Waits for groans to subside)
Anyways, faced with a miserable night and a nearly empty (vegan) larder this weekend, I checked the internets for a vegan alfredo sauce recipe, on a lark. Lo and behold, I found a recipe via In a Vegetarian Kitchen that not only used ingredients we didn't need to leave the house for, but it was freakin delicious too. And it's dead simple to prepare:
Now, we used plain soymilk, and didn't use the sundrieds or steamed greens, but those two items will be a must the next time. It's just as rich and yummy as you remember alfredo sauce being, without all the folderol that comes with the real thing. Yum!!!
(Waits for groans to subside)
Anyways, faced with a miserable night and a nearly empty (vegan) larder this weekend, I checked the internets for a vegan alfredo sauce recipe, on a lark. Lo and behold, I found a recipe via In a Vegetarian Kitchen that not only used ingredients we didn't need to leave the house for, but it was freakin delicious too. And it's dead simple to prepare:
Pasta with Enlightened Alfredo Sauce
6 servings
- 2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated margarine
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- One 12.3-ounce container silken tofu
- 1/2 cup rice milk, or as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 12 ounces pasta (see Note)
- Steamed greens (spinach or Swiss chard) for topping, optional
- Sliced sun-dried tomatoes for topping, optional
Cook the pasta in plenty of steadily boiling water until al dente, then drain.
Meanwhile, heat the margarine in a small skillet. Add the garlic and sauté over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Remove from the heat.
Combine the sautéed garlic and margarine with the tofu and rice milk in a food processor. Process until completely smooth and creamy.
Combine the pasta and sauce in a large serving bowl and toss together. Season with pepper and taste to see if you’d like to add more salt. If the mixture needs to be moister, add a small amount of additional rice milk and toss again. Serve at once, passing around greens and/or dried tomaotes for topping, if desired.
Now, we used plain soymilk, and didn't use the sundrieds or steamed greens, but those two items will be a must the next time. It's just as rich and yummy as you remember alfredo sauce being, without all the folderol that comes with the real thing. Yum!!!
Thursday, December 06, 2007
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