Adventures in My Mind
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Apr 30, 2007
Bush Foreign Aid Chief Resigns Over Escort Use
To continue on a theme, check out this little ditty from DemocracyNow:
In news from Washington, Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias has resigned after it was revealed he frequented an escort service tied to prostitution. Tobias served as director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and as the Bush administration’s de-facto AIDS czar. Tobias says he only used the escort service for massages. Tobias has previously come under criticism for promoting abstinence over condom use in the administration’s AIDS policies. As the top official on AIDS funding he was also responsible for a program that requires beneficiaries to renounce sex trafficking and prostitution.The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity. --Andre Gide
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 12:48 PM
Students Protest Attorney General
Hectoring Alberto Gonzalez is soon to become a national sport. From the Harvard Crimson.
This is my favorite quote from the article:“He can’t just come on campus and be celebrated as a model alum, because it is clear that what he has done with his HLS law degree is improper and criminal."Bravo!
Similar things are happening all across the country as commencement season is upon us and university big wigs are lining up Bush administration officials to give addresses. Here in Pittsburgh, many students at St. Vincent's, a small catholic college, are wondering whether or not the Deceiver in Chief best represents the catholic traditions that the school was founded as W. is set to give the commencement address there on May 11.
Perhaps public shaming is the only way we can hold this noaccount administration accountable for its misdeeds.0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 9:57 AM
Apr 24, 2007
Frank's Wild Years
Frank settled down in the Valley,
and he hung his wild years on a
nail that he drove through his
wife's forehead.
He sold used office furniture out
there on San Fernando Road and
assumed a $30,000 loan at
15 1/4 % and put a down payment
on a little two bedroom place.
His wife was a spent piece of used jet trash
Made good bloody-marys, kept her mouth
shut most of the time, had a little Chihuahua
named Carlos that had some kind of skin
disease and was totally blind.
They had a thoroughly modern kitchen;
self-cleaning oven (the whole bit)
Frank drove a little sedan.
They were so happy.
One night Frank was on his way home
from work, stopped at the liquor store,
picked up a couple of Mickey's Big Mouth’s.
Drank 'em in the car on his way to the
Shell station; he got a gallon of gas in a can.
Drove home, doused everything in
the house, torched it.
Parked across the street laughing,
watching it burn, all Halloween
orange and chimney red.
Frank put on a top forty station,
got on the Hollywood Freeway
headed North.
Never could stand that dog.
From the album and play of the same name by Tom Waits.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 2:48 PM
Apr 20, 2007
Marine Hero of the Day - Wonkette
This Devil Dog is a fine example of patriotic dissent. Oorah, marine!
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 12:30 PM
Apr 19, 2007
The Virginia Tech tragedy and the issue of gun control
These editorials and letters to the editor from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette speak frankly on the issue. Not surprisingly most writers from this area are strong advocates for 2nd Amendment rights. While a supporter of the entirety of The Bill of Rights, I have no issues with severely limiting the 2nd.
I wrote my own response, which may or may not be published by the paper. If not, here is what I wrote:Many who have responded on this page have talked about logic and the insensitive timing of the debate over gun control in the aftermath of the tragedy at Virginia Tech; I see none of the former and only self-serving platitudes coming from the latter.
Logic does not, as has been amply pointed out, blame a gun for the deaths of innocents. This deduction takes no kean mental insight or reasoning. It is simply a knee jerk response to the issue. Obviously, shooters kill people. Mr. Cho killed 32 and himself. The guns were simply his instrument of choice.
Logic does, however, question the ease in which he and common street criminals obtain guns. Legally or illegally, it doesn't matter. There are simply too many guns out there. And it is far to easy for a person with ill intent to get their hands on one.
Logic also states that if Mr. Cho couldn't have used hand guns in his attack that the number of victims would have been significantly reduced. One simply cannot kill 32 people at once with a knife or other deadly weapon. That fact alone cries for more restrictions on hand gun ownership.
Consider these facts published by the Open Society Institute:
- In Texas and five other states, there is no minimum legal age requirement for gun possession.
- In 48 states citizens can legally buy an assault weapon. In 43 states the purchase requires no license or registration.
- In 46 states there is no limit on the number of guns a person can buy at any one time.
- Only four states impose a limit of one handgun per month as a precaution against illegal gun trafficking.
Despite all of the regulations and restrictions that others have written about, these laws do little to protect us in events like this or the thousands of individual gun homocides that take place every year in this country. They just do not work well enough to be relied upon as the safety blanket that the gun lobby wishes them to be.
Logic suggests that, yes, we do need to do more to 1) restrict access to gun ownership, particulary hand guns and automatic weapons and 2) reduce the total amount of guns that are out there. The United States has the largest citizen owned armory in the world, somewhere around 235 millions guns. We also have the highest amounts of gun-related deaths of any developed nation. The correlation between those facts is not coincidental.
And as for showing sensitivity to the victims and their families by tabling the gun control debate until some predetermined period of grief is over, that sentiment is both disingenuous and absurd. What greater sensitivity can we show toward these victims than addressing one of the primary causes for their losses in the first place? That and addressing issues of mental health and our culture's dangerous obsession with celebrity and violence show more compassion and sensitivity than a million candle light vigils or crimson and orange ribbons.
Saying that we should talk about these issues later is nothing more than a way to stifle the debate. Yes, we are all grief stricken over this horrendous act of violence. But are we going to do about it? Will we sit in stunned silence with our heads bowed, only to raise them and hope that our shared grief will be a shield against the next attack? Or will we have the strength for discussions and debates that go beyond partisan sound bites and address the underlying issues?
Logic and sensitivity suggest that we act.
2 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 2:53 PM
Apr 18, 2007
Death to Comments. Long Live Comments!
Sorry to my regular posters, of which there are 3 by last count, but I've scrapped the Haloscan comments that I've used for about 5 years. I've decided to use the Blogger comments - not because I like the functionality that much better, but because my virus software will not allow my computer to link to Haloscan. I've changed permissions, granted exceptions, and even resorted to begging and pleading, but alas ...
So welcome Blogger comments. Don't worry readers. I have an archive of all your pithy, witty, and insightful posts.
4 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 4:51 PM
Save Internet Radio
Recently the Copyright Royalty Board approved a massive 300 to 1200 percent increase in music royalties payed by Internet broadcasters. If allowed to stand, this will guarantee two things: 1)The immediate death of hundreds of Internet broadcasters who could not afford the new payments retroactive to January 1, 2006 and 2) A further diminishment of diversity in musical voices available to the general public.
Visit SaveNetRadio.org and tell your Congress critters that you don't want to give up more of your choice to the RIAA and the Big Label Mafia.Labels: Action, Congress, Internet
5 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 9:39 AM
Apr 16, 2007
Endorse Barack for President
Endorse Barack
This site enables you to sign petitions to your state's elected officials asking them to officially endorse senator Obama for 08. Please take the time to visit and sign or create petitions for Barack Obama.0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 9:59 PM
Apr 13, 2007
The Sky is Falling ... No it was just Imus
Before I weighed in on the most recent unpleasantness that was Imus, I wanted to watch the reaction. And, boy, what a reaction it was!
The analysis. The hand wringing. The sophistry. The pageant of it all. It seemed that the TV stations just couldn't get enough talking heads to put their particular spins. The liberals condemned the culture and corporations that make money off of such vitriol. The conservatives decried the double standard that claims calamity when Imus says "nappy-headed hoes" but demures when 50 Cent or Chappelle say "nigger."
Others chimed in with the ever popular "And what will we learn from all of this?" setting the stage for a new round in the great race debate. You know just like the ones we had after Katrina and O.J. and Rodney King and Tewanna Brawley and Watts and Selma and ... Oh, yes how far we've come.
This weeks public stoning of a once powerful broadcast titan was brought to us not by a changing tide of race and sex relations in this country, but by poor judgement and Imus's inability to see that there has, indeed, been some positive steps in said areas.
Imus's failure was not in the language that he used but the target to which he applied it. Those great athletes did nothing to attract his attention other than compete for the greatest reward they could ever get in their athletic lives. Regardles of what is known about these young women, we know that they are talented and work hard at their sport. We also know that he treated them unfairly. They did nothing to set themselves up as targets for his scorn and satire. A fact that was disasterously lost on Imus.
And that inability to distinguish a fair target from foul was his ruination. Someone like him gets paid to know that difference. Well, at leat he used to.
Sure NBC and CBS want us to believe that they did the right thing by removing a bigot from their airwaves, but all they did was remove a liability. He went from being a cash cow to costing them money almost overnight. When advertisers like AmEx pull their dollars, the writing is, as they say, on the wall. Business is business. And business, at that level, has nothing to do with decency.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 10:20 PM
Apr 12, 2007
Feeling Ill-Humored Today
Here's why:
The Senate followed the House yesterday and voted 63-34 to expand federal funding of stem cell research. Many in the scientific community believe that stem cells are the key to treating and potentially curing some of the most debilitating diseases and conditions that we suffer. The Christian Right and George III believe otherwise."This bill crosses a moral line that I and many others find troubling. If it advances all the way through Congress to my desk, I will veto it."Yes. Stem cell research crosses a line, but starting wars for fun and profit doesn't.
Kurt Vonnegut died yesterday. So it goes. (NPR Story)(NY Times Story [free registration required])
His voice was nothing short of the antidote to the inanities of the status quo. At once challenging and accessible, his narratives were deeply skeptical of institutions that pass themselves off as the answer to all of life's ills: government, religion, family, etc. He often used the science fiction genre to express his most deeply-rooted arguments with the world. Through brilliant sarcasm, witty dialogue, and a zen-like approach to the human condition, you can almost hear his sighs between the lines and words of his works.
And a slew of other stories that've pissed me off as well:So it goes.
- White House "loses" potentially damaging emails in U.S. attorney scandal
- Already beleaguered armed forces get stays extended to 15 months
- Joliet cop beats up Sikh veteran, screaming "Fucking Arab!"
- The world hates Paul Wolfowitz, but he still has a job
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 10:31 AM
Apr 9, 2007
Guest Blogger, Sami Carroll, Reviews Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Vegas
No, he wasn't there. And, yes I heard someone asking if he was. His signature spicy food and interesting fusion of traditional and modern food combinations were - in full force. Mesa Bar and Grill at Cesar's Las Vegas was hoppin' even for a Wednesday night. The wait was around an hour for walk-ins. Less for those travel-savvy planners like myself and my group of colleagues on our way back from San Francisco to Pittsburgh. Call ahead seating is alive and well in Bobby's World. Just be prepared to give a credit card number so they can charge you even if you don't show.
Our waiter was good-French even though he looked Mexican (much to the dismay of the drunks at the table next to us who were trying to speak Spanish to him). He politely suggested that I take a take home menu instead of trying to steal the nice leather-bound one that he presented to me for my dinner options-Hey, at least I asked! I was just looking for a choice souvenir for the #1 Bobby Flay fan, my husband, Teddy, who certainly deserved to be there instead of me. Hey, I got front row at Springsteen too...guess sometimes my stars are just well-aligned.
So, the food. Wow. Yes, it is as good as it looks and sounds. And, yes, cabbage tastes good with pulled pork.
We started with two appetizers - the Pulled Pork Oaxaca Cheese Quesadilla with hot and sweet cabbage relish and the Tiger Shrimp and Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale with corn cilantro sauce.
The quesadilla was amazing with two types of sauces on it, one sweet and one spicy and both with a roasted flavor to them. The pulled pork alone was fantastic, the tortilla perfectly grilled. The Tamale was authentic, served with a side of husk. Only complaint is that there were only 4 shrimp in the entire dish...perfect since there were four of us, but left a little to be desired for someone with a shrimp jones. The sauce was a bit watery, but cooking shrimp and corn would be very challenging I suppose from a 'moisture-content' point of view.
For my entree, I had the Blue Corn Brook Trout with Shrimp-Smoked Bacon sauce and Watercress, which apparently is not part of the standard menu because it is not described in my take home menu that our waiter provided me, but it is on the menu I found online. It was butterflied and had a perfect and light blue corn crust and melt in your mouth fish perfectly cooked. The Sauce made it more of a bold dish and there were plenty of shrimp to be found. It was a fabulous dish.
My compadres had New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin in Bourbon-ancho Chille Sauce Sweet Potato Tamale and Crushed Pecan Butter and Ancho Chile-honey glazed Salmon with Spicy Black Bean Sauce and Roasted Jalapeno Crema. Both fantastic. Sorry, Teddy, but Bobby's Tenderloin was the best I've had with perfect color, texture and the Chille Sauce balanced it perfectly. The Salmon was perfectly cooked and again a great pairing with the heat of the Crema sauce. Unfortunately, I could not convince my fellow diners to order dessert - the gaming tables were calling.
A note on atmosphere...The restaurant is a beautiful splash of color and light-mixing glass and wood with 'candy-dot' graphics on glass. There was no private seating to speak of, so I'm not sure where those who wish to dine in private would sit, but alas, I was the one wanting to know if I could steal a menu, so I don't think it's something that would have been offered to me in any case.
Our waiter was not the most attentive I"ve ever had - maybe the menu thing set him off, or possibly the people trying to speak Spanish with him. Some of the tables had a visit from the sommiller, while we did not, which sort of put my knickers in a twist. Maybe we didn't look the wine-type, although I did order a glass from the waiter. The 'what do you mean you don't speak Spanish' table had a visit and she was pouring Frog's Leap, so her attendance definitely was not dependant on taste or expense. Frog;s Leap...pah-leeze. Hopefully they left him a tip! Cheapskates!
Overall, I'd give my Mesa Grill Las Vegas experience a 7/10. They were out of their famous Goat Cheese Queso Fundido, which was one of the main reasons my travel-mates wanted to go in the first place, so that was a bummer. I also noted that my plate was more warm than hot when it came, otherwise it would have been a 10.
Maybe next time when I take Bobby's #1 fan they'll have the cheesy goat dish and I'll request the wine wench. And, I'm totally taking the menu!
1 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 1:06 PM
Apr 6, 2007
Escape from Big Trouble in the Little Grindhouse
I'm a big Kurt Russell fan. That's right! I said Kurt Russell. So that's why I'm really looking forward to seeing QT's half of Grindhouse, Death Proof, which opens today. Thanks to 3 children, a wife who can only be so accomodating of my love for weird movies, and Robert Rodriquez's clunker opener, Planet Terror, I'll have to wait for the DVD. But it still doesn't dampen my enthusiasm for the cool concept of a double feature and fake trailers (NSFW!) for even more over-the-top movies.
While not a huge fan of Tarantino, I've always appreciated his writing and his unbridled love for genre and cult films. Always a little over the top, the same bravado that spoils his on screen appearances and off screen interviews is the same energy that fuels the best parts of his better films, Resevoir Dogs, (parts of) Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill, Vol. 2. So you take the good with the bad.
Anywy, back to Kurt Russell ...
First there was Snake Plissken.Then there was Jack Burton.
And now ... there's Stuntman Mike.
The trailers and the reviews suggest that Russell is great as Tarantino's latest iconic character. A skill that these three roles, as well as RJ MacReady in John Carpenter's The Thing and Tombstone's Wyatt Earp, show that Russell has in spaids.
And who else, other than Bruce Campbell in Bubba Ho-Tep, plays a better Elvis?
Russell as a young EP ...And the impeccable Bruce Campbell as a post Vegas EP ...
What's not to love?
I think I love these films and actors like Russell partly as a result of my film school years. We spent so much time studying the masterpieces of American, European, and Asian cinema that movies like this became guilty indulgences that we all watched when we got out of class. The rest I think is from all those years of Chiller Theater. All you Yinzers know what I'm talking about.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 9:53 AM
Apr 3, 2007
All the Better to Eat You With!
Yikes!0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 12:47 PM
Let's Make an End Run Around the Electoral College
E.J. Dionne Jr.: Power to the people
Actually, I would like to see the complete demise of the Electoral College, but barring a massive Constitutional movement that is not going to happen. And certainly not anytime while the illegitimate King George III sits in the White House.
Originally, the electoral college was about balancing power between populous and non populous states. Think of the power battle between Massachusetts and Virginia as an example. Massachusetts was an industrial/merchant-based state with heavy population concentrated around Boston. Virginia was an agricultural state with power concentrated in the hands of a few powerful land holders.
Not surprisingly, James Madison, one of the primary architects of the Constitution and a proud Virginian, wanted to make sure that large population centers in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York could not dominate presidential elections; hence the electoral college.
This of course is an elitist attitude. James Madison was no John Adams, but as a wealthy, powdered-wig white man, elitism was not beyond him. It suggests that the will of the people is not good enough to elect a president. That a group of appointed electors knows better in deciding who should sit in the White House.
It is also an idea that has been totally turned on its head. The more populous states in the U.S. are now being held hostage by the rural ones. Here is an example from Dionne's article:No matter how small, every state gets at least three electoral votes. The three electors from Wyoming, with a 2006 population estimated at 515,004, represent 171,668 people each. California, with a population of 36,457,549, gets 55 electors, each representing 662,865 people. Every vote cast in Wyoming thus has nearly four times the value of every vote in California.Put another way, the few hundred votes for Bush in Florida in 2000 counted more than the 500,000+ votes cast nation wide for Gore.
This is not democracy. One person one vote is the standard for all other elections in this country - federal, state, and local. The Constitution provides numerous other opportunities for states to exercise their will without needing to bow to the majority. The presidency should not be one of them.
P.S. I am looking for more information on the state initiatives that Dionne mentions in his article that will make the electoral college confirm to the popular vote. I will post more on this topic once I get it.Labels: Politics
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 11:16 AM
Apr 2, 2007
32 Surveilance Cameras Watch Orwell's Neighborhood
George Orwell, Big Brother is watching your house | This is London
Just remember what the good Republicans say, "If you haven't done anything wrong, then you've got nothing to worry about."
Also remember what Boing Boing's Cory Doctorow reminds us of Grand Inquisitor, Cardinal Richelieu, "If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him."
Quite.0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 1:58 PM
