Homercles: Space Monkey Man of Tomorrow
Number crunching
Jan 31
Day 23 (133 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:04:00
2004 total 22:41:00
Let's see, that's 23 workouts divided by 4 3/7 weeks, giving me an average of about 5.2 workouts per week. Not bad.
1361 minutes divided by 23 workouts yields an average of 59 minutes, 10 seconds per workout.
Can't believe I've stuck with it this long.
Heh. With my luck, I'll look and feel exactly the same as I do now this time next year. Won't know, though, until I try.
Weasel Oil, Part 2
Instapundit references another blogger who points out that the whole oil bribe thing may be a bust. It's not that Saddam didn't try to bribe France, et al, with oil, the argument goes. Rather, like the WMD program he thought for sure he had, his underlings took the oil money, told Saddam that the bribes had been delivered, then pocketed it.
First of all, I don't think Saddam's WMD program was a snowjob. That's the prevailing theory now, isn't it? Saddam's goons assured him that the money was going into WMD, so he thought he actually did have something to hide from the UN.
Or, consider a more likely scenario: the WMDs are in Syria. Syria has been playing both sides of the fence this whole time; they've been collecting foreign aid from us ('cause they're our allies, right?), and they've turned their border into a sieve, allowing terrorist nutballs to "infiltrate" Iraq. They gather modest intelligence for us, yet have also given asylum to B'aath Party bigwigs, and even Saddam's family. I think they're involved in this up to their asses.
Second, if the oil bribes never made it to their intended destination, then why does the list of supposed oil recipients correspond exactly with the nations and groups who agitated the loudest against the war? Coincidence?
Why was France so desperate to stop us? They threw everything they had into this, and they lost. Altruism, maybe? Like how they helped us in the American Revolution? No, that didn't have anything to do with screwing Britain over, I'm sure. France only gambles when there's something to gain.
Maybe I should remain skeptical, but this coincidence feels awfully contrived.
Jan 30
Day 22(134 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:04:00
2004 Total: 21:37:00
Well well well
Iraqi Gov't papers: Saddam Bribed Chirac
UPI - Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 9:53:41 AM EST
BAGHDAD, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Documents from Saddam Hussein's oil ministry reveal he used oil to bribe top French officials into opposing the imminent U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The oil ministry papers, described by the independent Baghdad newspaper al-Mada, are apparently authentic and will become the basis of an official investigation by the new Iraqi Governing Council, the Independent reported Wednesday.
"I think the list is true," Naseer Chaderji, a governing council member, said. "I will demand an investigation. These people must be prosecuted."
Such evidence would undermine the French position before the war when President Jacques Chirac sought to couch his opposition to the invasion on a moral high ground.
A senior Bush administration official said Washington was aware of the reports but refused further comment.
French diplomats have dismissed any suggestion their foreign policy was influenced by payments from Saddam, but some European diplomats have long suspected France's steadfast opposition to the war was less moral than monetary.
"Oil runs thicker than blood," is how one former ambassador put his suspicions about the French motives for opposing action against Saddam.
Al-Mada's list cites a total of 46 individuals, companies and organizations inside and outside Iraq as receiving Saddam's oil bribes, including officials in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Sudan, China, Austria and France, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian Communist Party, India's Congress Party and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
--
Copyright 2004 by United Press International.
All rights reserved.
--
If nothing else, this war is serving as one hell of a moral litmus test. And just look at the veritable Who's Who named in the documents. If my memory serves, weren't these the very same people who seized the moral high ground in this whole debate?
Filthy, stinking, hypocrites.
Of course, I'm still looking for confirmation at ccn, msnbc, foxnews, etc. No luck yet.
NCLB redux
My last post on the subject was, admittedly, written in a fit of pique, as some might say. I guess I get cranky, sometimes, especially when my career may be at stake.
Tusk and Talon has an update, which addresses my concern regarding norm-referenced tests to meet a criterion-referenced need, among other things. Some thoughts:
1) I am not alone in my willingness to accept a measure of accountability for what I do. I think there's rather a lot of us (at least at my school), but the overriding concern is regarding the form of assessment. Personally, I think a measure of accountability is necessary if I am to get the respect I deserve for my work. So it's a price I'm willing to pay.
2) We've enjoyed an excellent education system here in Iowa. Going to a public school doesn't carry the same onus as it would in Arkansas, or DC. I think a lot of us have the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, precisely because our schools are an oasis compared to the rest of the nation.
3) Alas, I think the notion that teaching is about "buiilding self-esteem, and giving A's" is all too prevalent. It's a sympton of the same social malaise that makes parents think that their job is to be their kid's best friend.
4) I'm still concerned about the testing of MDE, MDT, and sever/profound students. I mean, let's be realistic here. A student with moderate to severe brain damage is NEVER going to master Algebra, or reading, for that matter, no matter how much time, effort, or money we put into their education. It is simply unfair to expect a child with that kind of disability to accomplish anything other than semi-autonomy in life. They shouldn't be tested like a normal student, and their scores shouldn't be figured into the average.
Better
Jan 27
Day 21 (135 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:04:00
2004 Total: 20:33:00
Worst. Workout. Ever.
Egad, I'm a wuss tonight.
Jan 26
Day 20 (136 to go)
Cardio
Time: 0:47:00
2004 total: 19:29:00
I am disrespectful to fat!
My own, that is.
Jan 25
Day 19 (137 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:04:00
2004 Total: 18:42:00
Life on display
I didn't work out last night, as real life got in the way. First, I attended a birthday party for a friend's beautiful baby daughter. She turns one year old tomorrow. Then, I chaperoned a dance for my school.
January 26 of last year, I was at St. Luke's, visiting some very weary friends, and welcoming their daughter into the world. Seeing her, in her little transparent bed, so small and fragile and beautiful, I was transfixed. She was, I think eight hours old when I first caught sight of her.
You know you are in the company of true friends, when you are moved to tears, and nothing ill is said of it.
Months before, I helped to paint the baby's room, stenciling little stars on the ceiling, painting over them in glow-in-the-dark paint. The significance of what I was doing caught up with me that day in January.
Almost precisely one year later, she's walking and talking, both in little stutters at first, then in torrents. She laughs and smiles, and loves. Watching her thoroughly make a mess of her first birthday cake, it occurred to me I may as well turn in my man card; given the depth of emotion I feel, I'll probably be watching Steel Magnolias any time now.
Fast forward a few hours to the dance. Spend an hour at a high school dance, and you can witness a lifetime's worth of emotion. Connections are made, and hearts are broken. Success and futility. Embarrassment and triumph.
It's the age. They live like every moment is the most important of their lives, because tomorrow may be an attainable concept, but living another sixty years is not easily imagined.
Every body in that gym carried the potential for near infinite choices. Some went home smiling, some crying. Some went out with friends, or hosted an after-dance party. And though it gives me the heebie-jeebs, I'm sure there was some drinkin', druggin', and screwin' going on long after I went to bed. At my advanced age (in their eyes anyway), I've seen where every possible road leads, and I've traveled on some of them. But despite my fears of a Lost Generation, I know most of them will work things out on their own. It just may take a little longer for some of them.
So tired. So very, very tired
Jan 23
Day 18 ( 138 to go)
Cardio
Time: 0:57:00
2004 Total: 17:38:00
Rebel Yell Part 2
This just occurred to me; it may seem silly, but consider this:
If you're a public figure, it's not over when the media focuses relentlessly on something you did. No sir, it's not until the media focuses on itself focusing too much on something you did that you've truly jumped the shark.
I don't believe in a vast Left-wing conspiracy. It'd be too much like real work. But I do believe that the idea has spread that Dean's going to lose the nomination. The fact that Governor Dean is now fair game for criticism from the mainstream press is very telling. Depending on how New Hampshire goes, it's possible all these Deanisms that have been confined to the conservative press may bubble up to the rest of the world.
The honeymoon is over, I think. The media will search for a new darling to challenge Bush.
Just a random thought. If true, I may have to re-think my predictions.
Oh, and for the record:
Jan 22
Day 17 (139 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:01:00
2004 Total: 16:41:00
The more I think about it,
the more the Dean scream becomes less and less of an issue.
Honestly, if this is the reason you choose not to vote for Howard Dean, then you really haven't been paying attention. He's been guilty of jackassery enough times to have committed political suicide ten times over. The much-ballyhooed howl was probably the first thing out of his mouth that wasn't total bullshit.
Personally, I don't care about it, one way or the other. I'd already made up my mind about Dean a while ago, and he hasn't done anything to sway me yet. In my mind, it's neither credit nor debit.
That doesn't stop me from enjoying the fun at Dean's expense provided
by others:
And you know something? You know something? Not only are we going to Tatooine, we're going to Coruscant and Mos Eisley and Datooine and Dagobah and Bespin! We're going to Endor and Echo Base and Kessel! And we're going to Mos Espa and the Cantina and Mon Calamari and Cloud City! And then we're going to the Death Star! To take back the Galactic Senate! YAAARRRRRRHHHH!
I'm showing my inner geek, aren't I?
And for those with a more litery bent:
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the Red Roof Inn victory scream looking for an angry fix,
pinheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the thumbhead dynamo at the microphone podium,
who dreadlocks and birkenstocks and hollow-eyed trustfunds sat up smoking Djarums in the supernatural darkness of campaign volunteer cabins floating across the tops of Iowa City contemplating techno,
who bared their brains to Heaven under I-80 and saw Mohammedan angels staggering on Guantanamo roofs illuminated,
who passed through universities with radiant eyes hallucinating Arkansas and PoMo gibberish among the scholars of peace,
incomparable salted streets of shuddering snow removal trucks in the mind leaping towards Gallup polls of New Hampshire & Vermont, illuminating all the motionless world of primaries between,
who sank all night in submarine light as partial results floated out and sat through the stale organic beer desolate Fugazzi MP3s, listening to the crack of doom on the FoxNews jukebox,
who talked continuously seventy hours from Dubuque to Indianola to Council Bluffs to Madison County Bridge bitching about Kerry attack ads,
a lost batallion of platonic conversationalists jumping down the stoops off fire escapes off windowsills off Hotel Fort Des Moines,
yacketayakking screaming vomiting whispering facts and memories and anecdotes and promising travels to many states,
whose intellects disgorged in total freakout for seven days and nights on a campaign bus to hell,
who vanished into nowhere Zen New Hampshire leaving a trail of ambiguous email addresses on Days Inn napkins,
who wandered around and around at midnight in the Sioux City Trailways station wondering where to go, and went, to the Jeff Gordon Pepsi machine that eats their change,
who jumped in a Cedar Rapids airport limousine with the smelly juniors from Evergreen State on the impulse of winter midnight streetlight smalltown rain,
who howled on their knees in a Mason City Subway and were dragged off the roof by Jared waving placards and manuscripts,
who howled some more at the KFC and Pizza Huts of political despair to the scowls of bourgeois assistant managers,
You know something? You know something?
Howard Dean
I am with you in New Hampshire, in South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico,
Howard Dean
I will go to California and Texas and New York and go to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan,
Howard Dean
I will go to Washington, D.C.. seeking jazz or sex or soup, taking back the White House,
Because Bush Knew and I have next semester off
Burma Shave
No workout tomorrow
I have a prior work commitment.
Jan 20
Day 16 (140 to go)
Cardio
Time:1:02:00
2004 Total: 15:40:00
So this is where they get it from!
Courtesy of
Dean's World, I give you the
GW Bush Conspiracy Generator.
Click "random conspiracy," and you get gems like:
George W. Bush caused the Cubs to lose to the Marlins in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series so that oil companies could kill The French.
George W. Bush rigged the 2000 election so that oil companies, the Jews, and big corporations could oppress minorities.
George W. Bush has not captured Osama bin Laden so that Ann Coulter and gun owners could conquer minorities.
And of course, whatever it generates, it's all completely true.
Apparently it wasn't just me
Reaction among co-workers to the previously mentioned World News Tonight
journalistic turd, was about the same as mine.
Our general consensus, among Democrats (the majority), Republicans (the minority), and outraged centrists who advocate a Draconian foreign policy and fiscal responsibility (that would be me), was that this was a prime example of a journalistic circle jerk.
Keep it up, Mr. Jennings, et al! You really are bringing people of all parts of the political spectrum together.
Ooooh, snarky!
Gwyneth Paltrow moves to London, cites "weird, over-patriotic atmosphere over there."
NEW YORK — Gwyneth Paltrow is "Shakespeare Outta Love" with America.
And "blimey" — saying her homeland is too dangerous and has a "weird, over-patriotic atmosphere," she's raising her new baby in London. The Oscar-winning actress lives there with her husband, Brit Chris Martin of Coldplay.
Did Madonna (search) have anything to do with this?
Paltrow says, "I worry about bringing up a child in America. At the moment there's a weird, over-patriotic atmosphere over there, like, 'We're No. 1 and the rest of the world doesn't matter.'"
No. 1 is certainly something Paltrow hasn't seen at the box office in quite a while. Her alleged comedy, "View From the Top," was a huge bomb last year.
And her recent portrayal of Sylvia Plath in the downbeat "Sylvia" failed to excite audiences or get award nominations from the Golden Globes or Screen Actors Guild.
Is she living in exile?
"It's pretty amazing how the anti-American sentiment is in a lot of ways," she says of the U.K. "They call Tony Blair the vice president."
Does she have any idea how frikkin' arrogant she sounds? Well, no, probably not. I don't begrudge celebs their wealth; they've worked hard for it, and have sacrificed a lot of personal privacy for it. But all that luxury, man, it does disconnect you from what we like to call reality.
All of this according to the World Entertainment News Network. She also voiced concern about guns in American schools.
Paltrow did say she loves America and completely stands behind the country. She's just doing it from another one, I guess. Will all of this hurt her career? She'll have to resurrect it first, then we'll see.
*snicker*
Still going
Jan 19
Day 15 (141 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:08:00
2004 Total: 14:38:00
Yeah, I know I'm working a lot harder than I have to. At the rate I'm going, I could reach my goal of 156 days in 6 months. But I know how I am, and I know I'll likely falter at some point, so I want to work like heck on it while I'm motivated.
Is it just me?
Or was the wrap-up piece on Iowa featured on ABC World News Tonight the most condescending piece of garbage yet?
For those of you that missed it, let me provide a little Peter Jennings to English translation. (Note:these are NOT the actual words used in the piece. Only the tone is the same.)
"Truly, these strange folk called Iowans are a simple people. Their ways are strange to us, but any civilized visitor will recognize that their quaint customs should be tolerated.
"A quiet, simple people, they tend the sacred Earth, and care not for the outside world. They make a joyful noise in their worship temples, praying for the mercy of the snow gods.
"Clad in cast-off two-year-old JC Penney sweaters, no doubt traded to them in exchange for maize, or "corn," as the indigenous people refer to it, they trudge through the cold to their holy meeting places, waiting to stand in the corner of their candidate, likely worshipping them as gods.
"Some of the more worldly of the savages may recognize that the caucuses have little or any effect on the civilized parts of the nation, but who will be heartless enough to take away their precious illusion?"
Grr.
Flee this flyover country while you can, Mr. Jennings, lest you go native. It'll kill your demographics if you start wearing Osh Kosh B'gosh overalls, and saying "warsh," instead of "wash." Our primitive ways can be seductive to more worldly types like yourself.
Errata
As has been pointed out to me,I implied on Saturday that the Iowa caucuses are held solely in Des Moines. This is an incorrect statement on my part, for which I apologize. Chalk it up to not proofreading before I posted.
Hoo-rah! Part Deux
Jan 18
Day 14 (142 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:05:00
2004 Total: 13:30:00
Caucus schmaucus
I don't ordinarily do requests, but I suppose that has something to do with the fact I've never gotten any requests before.
Anyhoo, the Iowa Caucuses are imminent (as if you hadn't heard). Some random thoughts:
1)It's not scientific, but judging by the lawn signs I see as I travel to and fro, the poll numbers indicating a tight four-way race seem pretty accurate. Although I have seen a few more Kucinich signs than what I'd expect.
2) In my part of Iowa, Dean and Kerry have done a helluva job mobilizing volunteers. The Deanie-babies have been everywhere the past couple of weeks, and the Kerry squads have also established a presence.
3) Personally, I don't place a lot of stock in the Caucuses. Granted, they do weed out the weakest candidates in a hurry; given the actual procedure involved, however, the Caucuses seem more like an exercise in logistics than an actual indicator of the people's will. Whichever candidates have managed to bus the most supporters to Des Moines will emerge as the winners.
4) Having said that, I think Dean, Kerry, and Edwards will come out the strongest. I know Gephardt's supposed to have a strong showing here, but outside of the aforementioned lawn signs, I haven't seen much of a presence from him. Kerry and Dean have the organization in place, and the fervent hordes willing to take the slog to DM. I haven't seen much of Edwards, but I think his positive campaigning will lure some of the less slavishly devoted to his corner.
5) Looking ahead, I think that Dean will probably be the nominee for the Dems. Andrew Sullivan has commented to the effect that he'd like to see Dean v. Bush, because it would bring the cultural war of words between right and left into the national spotlight. He argues that in the long run, such a debate will be healthy for both parties.
I don't do it too often, but I have to disagree. I think Dean's nomination will be a disaster for the Democratic Party. In terms of appeal, Dean slants waaaaayyy to the left. Problem is, if the Democratic Party slants any further left, only the far left will vote Democratic. I've made my feelings about the modern Left very clear, but let's say it again for the record. They have two planks on their platform: 1) Bush is the anti-Christ, and 2) Everything is America's fault (or, given the topic, Israel's). I'm reasonably sure point 1 is wrong, and point 2 is flat-out bullshit. Point 2 amounts to nothing more than the verbal masturbation of aging hipsters who have run out of legitimate things to protest.
A cursory overview of the blogosphere will show that there are more than a few people who, like myself, think that the party has shifted too far to the Left, and is no longer inclusive. Indeed, the Democratic Party seems increasingly detached from any sort of objective reality.
As the party grows more and more into a sick parody of itself, it will lose voters, and it will lose power. I'm not interested in living under a one-party system, even if it's the party I currently side with, but more and more it seems like a distinct possibility.
Accurate or not, Dean personifies the far Left. If it becomes Bush v. Dean, Dean will get the hardcore lefty-bots, and NO ONE ELSE. Of the two, Bush at least has some centrist appeal.
6) Speaking of centrist appeal, I'd like to see Lieberman get the nod. Like most of the nation, he supported the war in Iraq, and at the very least, I think he'd have the fortitude to make sure we finish what we started there. Everything else is negotiable.
The problem with Lieberman is that while he'd be a hit with centrists and conservative dems, a big chunk of the party would vote Green, or Communist, or Independent, or whatever. The very things that make Lieberman palatable to moderates would make him worthless to the fringe elements. And I hate to say this, but, the farther left you go, the more anti-semitism is de rigeur. A person of Jewish heritage hasn't even a snowball's chance in Hell of gaining favor with the Chomskyites. (Incidentally, the next time I hear someone say "I'm not anti-semitic, I'm anti-zionist," I will not be held accountable for what I say in reply.) Strangely enough, it's the center who would be willing to break boundaries, given the right candidate.
A centrist in one party tends to pull the opposing party to the center. A centrist Democrat in the running would also therefore be good for the Republican Party, and for America itself.
We'll see how this all pans out.
No workout yesterday
Fell asleep watching TV. I'm a bad monkey.
Today, however, is a different story.
Jan 17
Day 13 (143 to go)
Cardio
Time: 0:53:00
2004 Total: 12:25:00
L'Esprit Eschalier
Translated literally, the phrase means "the spirit of the stairs." Taken less literally, it refers to the internal burn one feels when a person comes up with the perfect statement to win an argument that's already over.
It's not as delightful a term as "schadenfreude," which translates roughly as taking joy in another's pain, but it'll do. "Schadenfreude," incidentally, has been liberally bandied about in the comments section of Little Green Footballs, particularly in the post where Rachel Corrie was granted the "Idiotarian of the Year" award. A link on OpinionJournal.com insured that the trolls would come and play, taking the regulars to task for their gleeful mocking of Miss Corrie's idiotic demise. Hence, schadenfreude.
(Note to self: Do not act as a human shield for noble Palestinian weapons smugglers. Also, do not sit in path of moving imperialistic Israeli bulldozer.)
Anyway, back to "l'esprit eschalier." I witnessed a conversation between two students today. Student A expressed some excitement over the forthcoming Iowa Caucases. Student B queries A about which candidate she's behind.
"Anybody but Bush."
B responds with disbelief, asking how she thinks things would have turned out if Gore had been in charge, how he would have responded to the September 11 attacks.
"9/11 was Bush's fault. It wouldn't have happened if someone else had been president."
At this point, I can't resist jumping in. "You do realize, of course," I say, "that al Qaeda began planning for 9/11 back when Clinton was president."
"Maybe," replies A. "But the only reason they attacked was because Bush was president."
B sighs in exasperation, and returns to his Geometry homework. At a loss for words, I drop it. Only now, burning with l'esprit eschalier, do I have the comeback.
Ahem.
Okay then, what about the Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1982? Or the first WTC attack in 1994? Or the USS Cole bombing in 2000? What, were those just practice? Did they know of the Great Republican Conspiracy (you know, Operation Screw the Florida Voters and Inviegle Our Way Into a Bush Autocracy) almost 20 years before anyone else? Did the Iranian students who overthrew the Shah, and took dozens of Americans hostage, act because they knew, down the road that the very reincarnation of Hitler would someday seize power?
(Hitler, hmmm. Founder of National Socialism, hated the Jews, created a nation where dissent was not tolerated. Far as I can tell, he should be the poster child for the far Left. But, anyhoo . . . )
For fifty years now, we've tolerated the lunacy of Wahabbist Islam. First, out of necessity, then out of some outrageous parody of "tolerance." Tell me, would we "tolerate" an American beating his wife for daring to wear makeup, or appear in public without a hijab? Would we "tolerate" the practice of taxing people of a different religion solely because of their beliefs? We rightly pitch a fit when some right-wing nut blows up an abortion clinic, yet we're supposed to act like the suicide bombing of Israeli civilians on a bus or in a restaurant is somehow noble?
Well, fuck that.
The Middle East needs an enema. From the time of Mohammed to the Renaissance, Islamic scholars were pioneers in literature, Mathematics, and Science. Since then, they've done jack shit. The entire culture is living proof of the notion that if you isolate yourself too much, you lose touch with reality. They want the power, and the technology, that Western democracies enjoy, but without the personal and philosophical growth that went with it for us.
Many Muslims live in an inferiority-complex-driven, monolithic culture, where there is no freedom, except the freedom to die. Life is cheap, and death is cheaper. Their culture is the child who feels humiliated, no matter how innocuous the circumstance may be. When said child goes mental, and shoots up a school, it is no one's fault but his own, despite our best attempts to psychoanalyze and navel-gaze.
Envy, lack of respect for life, and a grudge against those parts of the world that actually made something of themselves. That's a volatile cocktail that we are still suffering from today.
In the morally ambivalent world of an Al Gore, or a Howard Dean, we can't call it as it actually is. We're supposed to feel sympathy for a people who hold themselves back from greatness. We're supposed to believe that Israel and America are the root of Palestinian misery, and not the Palestinian Authority, who has hoarded the money given to them by the UN. Nor is it the monarchies or the dictatorships or the theocracies, who control vast wealth, but keep 99% of the population poor and stupid. Nor is it the nations adjacent to Israel, who have expelled Palestinian refugees from their land at every opportunity.
Nope, it's Israel's fault. It's America's fault.
Had the September 11 attacks occurred on Clinton's watch, we would held hands in a candlelight vigil, and felt each other's pain. We would've filed a federal indictment in a DC courthouse, and maybe convicted Mohammed Atta's cousin of prior knowledge of a felony. We would've lobbed some cruise missiles at the godforsaken caves of Afghanistan.
And then we would've called it done. Until the next attack.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Bush is no fiscal conservative. He is certainly not well-informed on domestic matters, as evidenced by No Child Left Behind, and this immigration fiasco waiting to happen. In terms of pure foreign policy, Bush is, however, the right man behind the wheel at the right moment in history.
I said earlier that the Middle East needs an enema. Well, consider it to be in progress. Until Muslims are freed from the chains of self-limitation, until Israel is free from terror, it must continue.
But that's not THE TRUTH.
We're supposed to drink the Kool-Aid and accept that Bush is evil. It's a duh notion to the rest of the world that we should accept our Muslim brothers as is, and chalk their murderous rage up to the frustrations of being oppressed. Like, say, India under the British crown, or blacks living under segregation. The fact that the Indians achieved independence, and that blacks achieved victories in civil rights, due to civil disobedience and NON-VIOLENT protest apparently doesn't enter into it.
It's quite obvious to the rest of the world that the Palestinians deserve a homeland. Why exactly is that? Because they're oppressed. How are they oppressed? They've been removed from their land. Which land? The land established by the UN, or the land that Israel has offered them several times? Is it the land where they can own their own home, earn a living, practice the religion of their choice, protest the actions of the government freely, and be treated peacefully as long as they reciprocate? You mean THAT land?
But that's the conventional wisdom. Directly contrary to, hell, spitting in the face of, common sense and common decency, we're supposed to accept it as gospel truth.
The tragic part is that so many of us do.
It has been drummed into us for so long and so often, that these views seem quite natural. Folks, that's called conditioning. Hitler himself (the real one, mind you) once commented that if you say it loudly enough, and often enough, then people will believe the lie.
That's the world I live in. A world where people believe none of this would ever have happened if that evil Bush hadn't been elected. A world where people, in their own forum, are accused of schadenfreude for mocking the apparent canonization of a woman who acted with enmity to her own country, and to the only other democracy in the region. This same woman's death has become a rallying cry for those who believe the lie, irrefutable evidence of THE TRUTH.
Mock it, though, at your own peril.
Neocon.
Brown-shirt
Nazi.
Fascist.
To all the survivors of the Nazi and Fascist atrocities: I apologize on behalf of everyone who ever used these words to describe someone speaking out in favor in democracy. It cheapens the potency of the words, and mocks all that you've suffered. Schadenfreude, indeed, albeit of a subtler making.
That's what I should've said. Admittedly, the bell would've likely rung about the time I reached "The Middle East needs an enema," but it would've been worthy to try. On reflection, though, I can at least take comfort in that for every A who believes the lie, there just might be a B who knows better.
Hmm, comments don't appear to be working anymore
Feel free to e-mail instead. I'll try to check it once a week or so.
Jan 15
Day 12 (144 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:03:00
2004 Total: 11:32:00
Still Going
Jan 14
Day 11 (145 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:01:00
2004 Total: 10:29:00
I'm off tomorrow
No workout tomorrow. Real life calls.
Jan 12
Day 10 (146 to go)
Cardio
Time: 0:52:00
2004 Total: 9:28:00
Dean gets snarky, hilarity ensues
Howard Dean
berated an Iowa man for his request that Dem candidates establish a platform other than "Bush sucks."
Yeah, this is exactly the kind of level-headed, cool under pressure, kinda guy I want to have his hand on the Button.
Iowahawk
takes the ball and runs with it.
Oelwein, Iowa - Taking issue with a voter's request that he be "more neighborly" with President Bush, Howard Dean kneed the elderly man in the nards at a Town Hall meeting here Sunday.
Dale Ungerer, a retiree from nearby Hawkeye, Iowa, had berated the former Vermont governor for nearly three minutes during a voter information forum at the Oelwein Rotary Club, accusing Dean of "negative mean mouthing," "anger" and "tearing down his neighbor."
"Well now I've got a question for you -- shut the fuck up," said Dean, tearing off his apron and hurling a pancake skillet as he rushed the unsuspecting man.
Protesting that "nobody accuses me of that shit and gets away with it," Dean cornered the man against a shuffleboard table, kneed his groin, and then hit him with his walker.
"Welcome to MY neighborhood," he said as the retiree slumped to the floor.
"What's that? You wanted to say something else?" asked Dean. "I didn't think so."
Campaign spokesman Emily Reese expressed hope that the episode would help silence further questions about Dean's emotional fitness for office, "at least in public."
Hoo-Rah!
Jan 11
Day 9 (147 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:12:00
2004 total: 8:36:00
A Clarification Is In Order
Or an enhancement, maybe.
Yesterday I voiced an objection to being taxed "to some ridiculous extreme so that I can support every lowlife who'd rather sit on their ass than get a job." I stand by those words, but I thought I'd try to explain what I mean.
I don't mind paying taxes. Really. My payroll taxes pay for myriad things I take advantage of, like state and national infrastructure, police, fire, and our armed forces, all of which are vital to preserving the nation. My property taxes pay for schools, and for teacher salaries, including my own. Sales taxes further fund the state, and allow for things like school renovations and expansions. No, I don't object to footing the bill for these things.
What I object to, specifically, is the idea of supporting people who refuse to work. I'm not talking about people who are genuinely disabled, and physically or mentally incapable of supporting themselves. I am talking about people who simply won't work.
Before you can even think that I'm just parroting some right-wing meme about some abstract group of people I've never actually met, let me assure you I am in fact talking about people I know. Some cases that spring to mind:
1) Several times in my career, I've encountered people who live off of lawsuits. They enroll their kid in school, negotiate a ridiulously complex IEP, then charge that their daughter's or son's IEP is not being followed. They sue, and the school district settles. Now, time to move on to the next district. Repeat ad infinitum. (Luckily for me, I've followed the IEPs to the letter. Somehow, I've managed to avoid doing anything actionable.)
2) I have students who can't hold on to a job for a week. When asked about it, it almost always boils down to them being asked to perform a task (appropriate to the job) that they don't want to do. I've seen adults do the same thing, only with the added twist of milking unemployment compensation in between these abortive attempts at working.
3) A person in my own family does not work. He was injured at work a decade ago, due to his own drunken stupidity, and he's milked that for all it's worth, sometimes even having to choose between different entitlements to get the best deal. Right now, at this very minute, he is likely in his rented house, sitting on his couch, drinking his lunch, watching cable TV; he is currently supported almost entirely by his relatives, with the government chipping in a little. Strange how he can walk 1/2 a mile to the nearest bar, but he's too frail to work.
That's what I'm talking about.
Why should I pay to support any of the people I listed above? We're not talking about people who want to work and can't; these are people who could work, but don't want to.
Hell, I'll admit it. It's easier to live off the state. It's easier to live off other people, than it is to support oneself. When you work, you give up time and energy. You invite stress into your life, and let it have some fun with you. You're confined to a schedule that you don't have much say in. Worst of all, there's always someone above you, calling the shots.
But look at the other side of it, for a moment. I own a house, a car, a fairly nice home theater setup, a ridiculously large collection of books, video games, and DVDs. All of these things were paid for by me, with the money I earned. They are my toil and effort transformed into creature comfort. The average taxpayer may pay my salary, but he or she didn't just fork it over, and get nothing in return.
I contribute to the economy, both by spending, and in my work itself. Whether you build a better mousetrap, or even help empower the person who will someday build a better mousetrap, your labor improves the quality of life for all concerned.
Most of all, though, is the purpose work has given me. When it's all said and done, and my time is almost gone, I'll at least know that I gave back to society, instead of just take, take, taking.
There's a lot of "me" statements going on here, but I know I'm not the only one. Millions of people got up today and went to work; maybe some of them hate their job, but everyone who works gets something out of it, and gives something back to society. We are the backbone of the economy; we pay for the things that everyone needs, and we keep the economy flowing along nicely, thank you.
Why should we, why should I, pay to support people who give nothing back? Why should I pay to support people who take and take and take, yet give nothing in return? No labor, no money, no ideas. I may as well be throwing my money into the fireplace; at least that would give me a few moments of heat in return.
Long story short: people who can and do work keep the economy alive. People who want to work but are unable to do so due to physical or mental ailment deserve our compassion and support. People who can work but don't, well, if I had my druthers, they'd get bupkus. Those are the people that impede the economy, and limit the prosperity of the rest of us. They're the black hole that sucks money away, never to be seen again.
That's what I object to. And that's what I refuse to pay for.
Back in the saddle
Jan 10
Day 8 (148 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:02:00
2004 Total: 7:24:00
Well, this sucks
A man who survived the battle of Mogadishu, as well as testicular cancer,
was among the fatalities in the recent helicopter crash in Iraq.
Despite his frailty, he asked for the deployment in Iraq.
Such is the courage and tenacity of our soldiers.
May God watch over his family.
Take Cover!
The Deany-boppers are combing the neighborhood today, proffering their special Kool-Aid. Frankly, I'm surprised any of them could put down the bong long enough to hit the streets. Kudos to them.
Why, yes! I'd love to elect a president who will make our armed forces the lapdog of the UN. Can he also tax me to some ridiculous extreme so that I can support every lowlife in this town who'd rather sit on their ass than get a job? He can? Great! Where do I sign up?
BTW: no workout yesterday. Fell asleep at around 8:30 last night, and didn't wake up til 6:30 this morning. I must've needed the night off.
No news yet
Still working off some Twinkies.
Eventually, though, I'd like to take some time, and post about Bush's impending space initiative. Quick version: if he can find the money to do it without further sinking us into debt, I'm all for it.
Jan 8
Day 7
Cardio
Time: 0:50:00
2004 Total: 6:22:00
Bait and Switch
Changed my mind. Was going to post about the op/ed from the Seattle PI, but decided instead to showcase
this piece (found via Little Green Footballs).
For about a year, Republicans and Democrats agreed on the need vigorously to prosecute the war on terror.
No longer. Nearly all the Democratic presidential contenders as well as other heavyweight Democrats have spoken out against the war on terror, preferring it to be a police action against terror.
Because it worked so well before, obviously.
Jan 7
Day 6 (150 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:00:00
2004 Total: 5:32:00
Maybe tomorrow
I've been meaning to get to an op/ed I read that basically states that Bush enjoys a majority approval rating because Americans are stupid. Where did it appear? Not in al Jazeera, nor in Le Monde.
It appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
I'll likely get to it on my next night off of exercising; I'm too tired tonight to vent my spleen.
Fucktard.
Okay, so I had a little pep in me yet.
Jan 6
Day 5
Cardio
Time: 1:00:00
2004 Total: 4:32:00
TV is watching me
Both of these lingered in my mind, as I am trying to stick to my New Year's resolutions.
Saw a bit of TV9's Live At Five (more commonly known as a 30-minute commercial for the six o' clock news) about schools trying to encourage good eating in high school students. Blah blah blah epidemic of obesity yadda yadda yadda. Voice over footage of high school students eating, as they are wont to do. Then, a lingering shot of some poor wretchedly obese girl from Washington, as she eats her school lunch.
If I were that girl's parents, I'd be having a conniption. Yeah, that's classy, singling out a girl who lives in this town in a piece about fat high school kids. It's a fair bet a significant number of her peers caught the piece, as well as the context.
I wonder, did she sign a release, to allow footage of her to be shown? I guess that would make all the difference, in my mind at least.
Five minutes later, I catch a piece on E! News Live about actresses battling Hollywood's obsession with skinny women. Kate Winslet was featured and given face-time. Which doesn't really prove the point they're trying to make. Sure, Kate's full-figured. But she's no Camryn Manheim.
And another point they missed entirely: aren't male actors also held to an unreasonable standard of beauty? Name five actors who could wear my size 38s comfortably, and you get a fabulous prize. Or, at least, you get to prove me wrong.
Oh, and because I want to live up to that unreasonable standard, lest I be banished to the land of the terminally unattractive:
Jan 5
Day 4 (152 to go)
Cardio
Time: 0:50:00
2004 total:3:32:00
We'll see how long this lasts
The real test is after tomorrow. I won't be able to exercise tomorrow, as I have one of those long, drawn out affairs my family is famous for. Monday, I go back to work. Can our hero's resolve hold out? Will he resist the seductive allure of Krispy Kremes and all things chocolatety? Will our hero keep going, or will he retire to the land of fat asses?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Jan 3
Day 3 (153 to go)
Cardio
Time: 1:04:00
2004 total: 2:42:00
2 Down, 154 to go
Jan. 2
Day 2
Cardio
Time Exercising: 0:50:00
2004 Total: 1:38:00
Le pant Le sweat Le weeze
Have I mentioned I'm going to smack the next person that glibly says, "I have a fast metabolism! I can eat what-ev-er I want!"
Just for the record
Jan. 1
Day 1
Cardio
Time Exercising: 0:48:00
2004 Total: 0:48:00
Yes, I know it seems anal. But keeping track of my time exercising helps keep me motivated. So there.
A Probable Exercise in Futility
Also known as making New Year's resolutions. But what the hey, we'll give it a shot. If I learned anything from taking 7 Habits, it's that a person has to set goals, and when he screws up, to get back on his feet, and keep trying.
1) I resolve to maintain positive relationships with my friends and family. Family is tougher than friends, that's for sure.
2) I resolve to continue watching what I eat. Understand please, my idea of dieting is stopping at seconds, instead of fourths. It's really not a strict regimen, but it's working, albeit sllllooowwwwwlllyyy.
3) I resolve to exercise 156 days this year, with an emphasis on cardio. That's an average of 3 times per week times 52 weeks. Definitely doable. And even if I fall short, I'll still be healthier for having tried (1 down, 155 to go!).
4)I resolve to say "yes" more often, when invited to go places. After all, I'm never going to meet the love of my life staying home and playing video games.
5) I resolve to vote this year. Attention, Democratic Party. You have ten months to get your act together, and show me a worthwhile candidate. I'll tell you right now, I wouldn't vote for Howard Dean for head dog catcher.
6) I resolve to read and write more often. TV is fun, but it's making me stupider.
Well, there it is. We'll see how it goes. Happy New Year to y'all, and may you have to fortitude to stick to your resolutions.
