ABC News reported yesterday that the presidential election in November could result in a tie. They called this possibility the "doomsday scenario." (cue scary music here)
"Given how close it's been in the last couple years, there are some reasonable scenarios that you could get to a tie," said John Fortier, a political scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and author of "After the People Vote: A Guide to the Electoral College." "It's not the most likely scenario, but the states can add up that way where you have nobody getting to 270."
Under the sometimes wild and woolly American system of democracy, a presidential candidate must achieve at least 270 votes in the 538-member electoral college to win the White House.
If, for example, Obama wins all the states Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., won in 2004, and picks up Iowa, Nevada and New Mexico, McCain and Obama would each win 269 electoral college votes -- locking the presidential election in a tie.
Yes, that's the frightening scenario that has put ABC News into a tizzy, declaring that it would be Doomsday. Why, we would have to--gasp!--look at the Constitution to see what to do next.
Under the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, if one candidate does not get 270 votes, the decision gets kicked to the House of Representatives, where each state gets a vote -- a formula that would likely guarantee an Obama victory.
So why is ABC News so upset? Their guy would win. They should be hoping for a tie.
The only Doomsday I can see is if the House can't get its act together and ends up in a tie, and then the Senate can't get its act together to select the Vice President, then the normal succession would kick in and put in Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as acting President until either the House or Senate or both figure out how to break the tie.
Which would be the worse Doomsday, Barack Obama or Nancy Pelosi in charge of the country? I can't decide.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Dutch Windmills Making a Comeback
The International Herald-Tribune reported yesterday that windmills are returning to the Netherlands.
The Dutch are building windmills again. Up and down the coast, out from port cities like this one, you can see them: white and tall and slender as pencils, their three slim blades turning lazily in the North Sea breeze.
These ones generate electricity, of course, rather than grinding grain. The government has already built one enormous farm of mills far off the coast, where they are inoffensive to tourists, and plans a second.
That's only because Ted Kennedy doesn't have a home on the coast of the Netherlands. ("These ones"??? Is that proper British English? Because it sure isn't correct in American English.)
Yet it is also building, and rebuilding, mills like the squat, homely ones that have seemingly always dotted the Dutch countryside and reflect as much the nature of the country as do tulips or Gouda cheese.
But the fast pace of change in (sic) is reviving interest in the old mills. As immigration changes the face of Dutch cities and globalization spreads its veil of uniformity over life in the Netherlands, many among the Dutch are looking for their roots. "It's a little bit of national pride," said Lukas Verbij, whose company, Verbij Hoogmade, is a leading mill builder and restorer.
Some of the renewed interest in mills is driven by the search for traditional food and drink. Patrick Langkruis, whose bakeshop, Het Bammetje, features 28 kinds of bread and 35 different rolls, uses only flour ground by a traditional mill. "The taste is fuller, there's more flavor," he said. "It's also because the grains are ground slowly."
The article describes more of the restoration of the mills and doesn't devote as much space to the wind turbines offshore.
Curiously, though the revival of the mills is a back-to-the-roots thing, many customers are natives of a wide range of countries, Streumer said, including Ethiopia, Morocco and Turkey. "Eighty percent of my customers are not natives of the Netherlands," he said.
One of them is Samson Tesfai, whose restaurant, The Taste of Africa, specializes in dishes of his native Eritrea, which he fled in 1986 because of the fighting between his homeland and Ethiopia.
Each week, he said, he buys mashela, sorghum, ground corn and wheat flour from Streumer to use in the ethnic dishes he prepares. "We can find it elsewhere," said Tesfai, 43. "But this is a good address, with a good product, so why go somewhere else?"
We hear so much about immigrant problems in Europe, which is understandable since bad news gets reported and good news only gets mentioned once in a while. So it's good to see a story that shows not just a peaceful co-existence among cultures in a European country, but a place where the cultures come together to benefit each other.
Let the windmills (and the wind turbines) turn...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Criticizing the Boy Scouts in Philadelphia
Stephen A. Glassman's column in the Philadelphia Inquirer last Thursday took Rick Santorum to task over his support for the Boy Scouts. In spite of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the Boy Scouts have the right to decide who they allow in leadership, Glassman wants the Boy Scouts to pay for their "discrimination" against gays.
The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations enforces the Fair Employment Practices Act, which requires that we treat all people fairly and equally in the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. We are very fortunate to live in Philadelphia, the nation's first capital, where liberty and freedom ignited the flames of revolution for which our forbearers fought and died in a war of independence.
The Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, for example, is headquartered right here in Philadelphia. They are apparently looking for a new home. Therefore, I propose a novel solution to this problem. Why not give the Boy Scout's headquarters, which they have occupied rent free for the last 80 years, to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters who welcome everyone into their programs to help young people in need of positive role models, and let the Boy Scouts pay fair market rent in the location where the "BIGS" are currently located?
Glassman's selective reporting is misleading, to put it mildly. Here's how the Boy Scouts describe the way they occupied their headquarters "rent free for the last 80 years:"
A move to evict the Cradle of Liberty Council also would unjustly enrich the City at Scouting's expense. Boy Scouts built the Council's headquarters in 1929 using its own funds and in the 79 years since has invested millions of dollars to renovate and maintain the building. The Council spent more than $1.5 million of its charitable resources for substantial renovations in 1994, and presently spends about $60,000 each year just to maintain the historic building.
Maybe if the city of Philadelphia reimbursed the Boy Scouts for the millions spent on the building, that would be fair. Or the Big Brothers/Big Sisters could buy the building from the Scouts. But taking it without any compensation would be wrong.
Of course, for Glassman the whole point is to punish the Boy Scouts for taking a constitutional stand to protect young boys from harm. He's not interested in fairness.
Update (07/17/2008):
Here's an article on the Philadelphia/Boy Scouts issue from the International Herald-Tribune of December 6, 2007. It has some good detail on both sides of the question.
The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations enforces the Fair Employment Practices Act, which requires that we treat all people fairly and equally in the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. We are very fortunate to live in Philadelphia, the nation's first capital, where liberty and freedom ignited the flames of revolution for which our forbearers fought and died in a war of independence.
The Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, for example, is headquartered right here in Philadelphia. They are apparently looking for a new home. Therefore, I propose a novel solution to this problem. Why not give the Boy Scout's headquarters, which they have occupied rent free for the last 80 years, to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters who welcome everyone into their programs to help young people in need of positive role models, and let the Boy Scouts pay fair market rent in the location where the "BIGS" are currently located?
Glassman's selective reporting is misleading, to put it mildly. Here's how the Boy Scouts describe the way they occupied their headquarters "rent free for the last 80 years:"
A move to evict the Cradle of Liberty Council also would unjustly enrich the City at Scouting's expense. Boy Scouts built the Council's headquarters in 1929 using its own funds and in the 79 years since has invested millions of dollars to renovate and maintain the building. The Council spent more than $1.5 million of its charitable resources for substantial renovations in 1994, and presently spends about $60,000 each year just to maintain the historic building.
Maybe if the city of Philadelphia reimbursed the Boy Scouts for the millions spent on the building, that would be fair. Or the Big Brothers/Big Sisters could buy the building from the Scouts. But taking it without any compensation would be wrong.
Of course, for Glassman the whole point is to punish the Boy Scouts for taking a constitutional stand to protect young boys from harm. He's not interested in fairness.
Update (07/17/2008):
Here's an article on the Philadelphia/Boy Scouts issue from the International Herald-Tribune of December 6, 2007. It has some good detail on both sides of the question.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
On Flags and Skin
La Shawn Barber's post yesterday on dinosaurs (of the non-biological variety) raised the issue of the Confederate flag, and my response to one of the commenters got me to thinking about larger questions.
The flying of the Confederate flag has two meanings, according to the media. To blacks in America, the flag is racist. It screams to them that the people flying it are longing for a return to the days of slavery. To the Southerners who fly it, their flag stands for states' rights and has nothing to do with slavery.
I believe both sides are missing the real reason the Confederate flag flies.
I've watched Braveheart quite a few times, and I identify a little with the story because my paternal grandfather was in love with being of Scottish ancestry. We come from the MacDonald of Sleat clan, which included Flora MacDonald, the woman who smuggled Bonnie Prince Charlie out of Scotland by disguising him as her maid.
The much earlier story of how William Wallace, followed by Robert the Bruce, united the clans of Scotland would likely not have happened if the Scots hadn't had a common enemy: England's King Edward I. Without his (or similar) invasion, the clans would likely have destroyed each other. Fighting was what they did best. Instead, though, they unified against England and after pushing out the English, Scotland got her first king, Robert the Bruce as King Robert I. Scotland remained independent for a few hundred years, until James IV of England also became Scotland's king.
Even though Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales are all part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Scots (and I suppose the Irish and Welsh) remain fiercely non-English. My take is that, having once tasted glory, a people group will resist even the slightest hint of assimilation into the conquering culture.
This is true for Texas as well. For a period of nine years there existed an independent country called the Republic of Texas. In 1845, the United States of America annexed Texas, and although a majority of Texans approved the merger, they still retain the collective memory of their nationhood even to this day.
In Texas people fly the state flag, which by strange coincidence is identical to the Republic of Texas flag. There are at least as many Texas flags flown in Texas as there are American flags flown.
My theory is that people cling to their highest glory. High school football stars hold on to their trophies. Somewhere in a box is the bronze medal I won at the big speech tournament my senior year of high school. And Texans, who are now just ordinary Americans like the rest of us, fly the flag that reminds them they were once a free nation.
I think that's what stirs Southerners to fly the Confederate flag. It's not racism or a desire to return to slavery. It's a desire to recapture a former glory. Once, for four brief years, they were revolutionaries, independent, fighting against the tyranny of a Congress stacked against them. They had their own president. They had their own heroes. They had their own flag. They were a free people ruled by no one but themselves, and it was glorious.
And then they lost the war. Their flag was taken away and replaced with the flag that symbolized the tyranny they had rebelled against. Their way of life was destroyed, their homes taken, and their independence turned into only a memory, but a memory that still stirred their hearts, a memory they passed down to their children. The Confederates may have been the losers, but their children and their children's children fly the flag of remembered glory.
For blacks in America, however, there is no shared glory to remember. Thrust into slavery by enemies in West Africa, shipped across the ocean, and forced into hard labor for life in a new world, most blacks here knew only loss and hardship. Even after slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War, blacks weren't permitted real equality in much of the country. Individual blacks rose to prominence, but as a group they've had no shared moment of greatness.
Until Barack Obama became a serious contender for the presidency.
There are reports that black conservatives are considering voting for Obama in November. This despite Obama's record as the antithesis of conservatism. This paragraph describes the issue well (emphasis added):
Another "very likely" McCain vote, but a more moderate one, will come from Richard Ivory, founder of the blog HipHopRepublican. Ivory has a different view of the Republican Party, one that downplays the past and focuses on building the party up from a local level and bringing in urban African-American voters. "My blog was about starting a dialogue—basically get people to understand some Republican concepts from an urban perspective," Ivory says. And like Varner at Howard University, Ivory finds that some are miffed by his Republicanness and don't quite understand why he would support a "white old guy." But with the general election in full swing, he has found a good way to express his feelings: "I tell my friends, my heart is with Obama, and my brain is with McCain," Ivory says.
For many blacks in America, Barack Obama is the flag of Scotland, the flag of Texas and the flag of the Confederacy rolled into one. He is the hope of glory for a people who have had no such hope before, and as such he may be irresistible.
Update (07/16/2008):
Check the comments for more on this topic, especially with THEBIGDODDY and ChuckL. In combination, their comments have prompted me to remove the Confederate flag from the top of this post. As Chuck said, "I still would not fly or publicly display a nazi banner (I do not own one). And because of the mixed messages and ease of misunderstanding, neither would I fly a Confederate flag."
He's absolutely right. Even though I believe there's much more going on in the hearts of the Confederate flag wavers than pure racism, the hurt that flag stirs in other hearts is too great. I will not be displaying the Confederate flag again.
The flying of the Confederate flag has two meanings, according to the media. To blacks in America, the flag is racist. It screams to them that the people flying it are longing for a return to the days of slavery. To the Southerners who fly it, their flag stands for states' rights and has nothing to do with slavery.
I believe both sides are missing the real reason the Confederate flag flies.
I've watched Braveheart quite a few times, and I identify a little with the story because my paternal grandfather was in love with being of Scottish ancestry. We come from the MacDonald of Sleat clan, which included Flora MacDonald, the woman who smuggled Bonnie Prince Charlie out of Scotland by disguising him as her maid.
The much earlier story of how William Wallace, followed by Robert the Bruce, united the clans of Scotland would likely not have happened if the Scots hadn't had a common enemy: England's King Edward I. Without his (or similar) invasion, the clans would likely have destroyed each other. Fighting was what they did best. Instead, though, they unified against England and after pushing out the English, Scotland got her first king, Robert the Bruce as King Robert I. Scotland remained independent for a few hundred years, until James IV of England also became Scotland's king.
Even though Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales are all part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the Scots (and I suppose the Irish and Welsh) remain fiercely non-English. My take is that, having once tasted glory, a people group will resist even the slightest hint of assimilation into the conquering culture.
This is true for Texas as well. For a period of nine years there existed an independent country called the Republic of Texas. In 1845, the United States of America annexed Texas, and although a majority of Texans approved the merger, they still retain the collective memory of their nationhood even to this day.
In Texas people fly the state flag, which by strange coincidence is identical to the Republic of Texas flag. There are at least as many Texas flags flown in Texas as there are American flags flown.
My theory is that people cling to their highest glory. High school football stars hold on to their trophies. Somewhere in a box is the bronze medal I won at the big speech tournament my senior year of high school. And Texans, who are now just ordinary Americans like the rest of us, fly the flag that reminds them they were once a free nation.
I think that's what stirs Southerners to fly the Confederate flag. It's not racism or a desire to return to slavery. It's a desire to recapture a former glory. Once, for four brief years, they were revolutionaries, independent, fighting against the tyranny of a Congress stacked against them. They had their own president. They had their own heroes. They had their own flag. They were a free people ruled by no one but themselves, and it was glorious.
And then they lost the war. Their flag was taken away and replaced with the flag that symbolized the tyranny they had rebelled against. Their way of life was destroyed, their homes taken, and their independence turned into only a memory, but a memory that still stirred their hearts, a memory they passed down to their children. The Confederates may have been the losers, but their children and their children's children fly the flag of remembered glory.
For blacks in America, however, there is no shared glory to remember. Thrust into slavery by enemies in West Africa, shipped across the ocean, and forced into hard labor for life in a new world, most blacks here knew only loss and hardship. Even after slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War, blacks weren't permitted real equality in much of the country. Individual blacks rose to prominence, but as a group they've had no shared moment of greatness.
Until Barack Obama became a serious contender for the presidency.
There are reports that black conservatives are considering voting for Obama in November. This despite Obama's record as the antithesis of conservatism. This paragraph describes the issue well (emphasis added):
Another "very likely" McCain vote, but a more moderate one, will come from Richard Ivory, founder of the blog HipHopRepublican. Ivory has a different view of the Republican Party, one that downplays the past and focuses on building the party up from a local level and bringing in urban African-American voters. "My blog was about starting a dialogue—basically get people to understand some Republican concepts from an urban perspective," Ivory says. And like Varner at Howard University, Ivory finds that some are miffed by his Republicanness and don't quite understand why he would support a "white old guy." But with the general election in full swing, he has found a good way to express his feelings: "I tell my friends, my heart is with Obama, and my brain is with McCain," Ivory says.
For many blacks in America, Barack Obama is the flag of Scotland, the flag of Texas and the flag of the Confederacy rolled into one. He is the hope of glory for a people who have had no such hope before, and as such he may be irresistible.
Update (07/16/2008):
Check the comments for more on this topic, especially with THEBIGDODDY and ChuckL. In combination, their comments have prompted me to remove the Confederate flag from the top of this post. As Chuck said, "I still would not fly or publicly display a nazi banner (I do not own one). And because of the mixed messages and ease of misunderstanding, neither would I fly a Confederate flag."
He's absolutely right. Even though I believe there's much more going on in the hearts of the Confederate flag wavers than pure racism, the hurt that flag stirs in other hearts is too great. I will not be displaying the Confederate flag again.
Monday, July 14, 2008
President Bush Lifts Ban on Offshore Oil Drilling
President Bush lifted the Executive Order banning offshore oil drilling today. That won't make a practical difference, since Congress has an offshore-drilling ban in place and so far has refused to lift it.
Putting pressure on congressional Democrats to back more exploration for oil, President Bush on Monday promised to lift an executive ban on offshore drilling that his stood since his father was president.
But the move, by itself, will do nothing unless Congress acts as well to lift its own drilling ban. There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and another by executive order signed by the first President Bush in 1990.
"For years, my administration has been calling on Congress to expand domestic oil production," Bush said. "Unfortunately, Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal. And now Americans are paying at the pump."
The full text of President Bush's statement is here.
Over at the Capitol, the Don't Drill Democrats are in fine form. PhysOrg.com reported the Congressional leadership's response today.
But Democrats who control both houses of the US Congress rejected Bush's mostly symbolic appeal, effectively dooming a proposal that appeared to enjoy broad US public support some four months before the November elections.
"The Bush plan is a hoax. It will neither reduce gas prices nor increase energy independence," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who urged Bush to bring some of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve stockpile to market.
"We cannot drill our way out of this problem," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who charged that big oil companies are "not using more than half of the public lands they already have leased for drilling."
Bush's announcement came two weeks before lawmakers leave for their month-long August recess, at a time when four out of five Americans tell public opinion surveys that sky-high gasoline prices cause considerable economic pain.
"As the Democratically controlled Congress has sat idle, gas prices have continued to increase. Failure to act is unacceptable. It's unacceptable to me, and it's unacceptable to the American people," he said.
That's right. Fat lot of good having it be unacceptable does, though.
Pelosi and Reid have a lot of chutzpah calling oil drilling "a hoax" and saying "we cannot drill our way out of this problem." They have to know the only way to get more oil is to drill for more oil--unless they're stupid, which I'd believe of Nancy Pelosi (though she's not as stupid as Barbara Boxer, who is wisely keeping her mouth shut at the moment).
The only explanation for the Democrats' recalcitrance about drilling is that they want to keep oil prices high so they can blame Bush (and McCain by association) and use the issue to help get Obama elected. Then they might (but I wouldn't hold my breath) start drilling and declare themselves the saviors of the American driving public.
Putting pressure on congressional Democrats to back more exploration for oil, President Bush on Monday promised to lift an executive ban on offshore drilling that his stood since his father was president.
But the move, by itself, will do nothing unless Congress acts as well to lift its own drilling ban. There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and another by executive order signed by the first President Bush in 1990.
"For years, my administration has been calling on Congress to expand domestic oil production," Bush said. "Unfortunately, Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal. And now Americans are paying at the pump."
The full text of President Bush's statement is here.
Over at the Capitol, the Don't Drill Democrats are in fine form. PhysOrg.com reported the Congressional leadership's response today.
But Democrats who control both houses of the US Congress rejected Bush's mostly symbolic appeal, effectively dooming a proposal that appeared to enjoy broad US public support some four months before the November elections.
"The Bush plan is a hoax. It will neither reduce gas prices nor increase energy independence," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who urged Bush to bring some of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve stockpile to market.
"We cannot drill our way out of this problem," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who charged that big oil companies are "not using more than half of the public lands they already have leased for drilling."
Bush's announcement came two weeks before lawmakers leave for their month-long August recess, at a time when four out of five Americans tell public opinion surveys that sky-high gasoline prices cause considerable economic pain.
"As the Democratically controlled Congress has sat idle, gas prices have continued to increase. Failure to act is unacceptable. It's unacceptable to me, and it's unacceptable to the American people," he said.
That's right. Fat lot of good having it be unacceptable does, though.
Pelosi and Reid have a lot of chutzpah calling oil drilling "a hoax" and saying "we cannot drill our way out of this problem." They have to know the only way to get more oil is to drill for more oil--unless they're stupid, which I'd believe of Nancy Pelosi (though she's not as stupid as Barbara Boxer, who is wisely keeping her mouth shut at the moment).
The only explanation for the Democrats' recalcitrance about drilling is that they want to keep oil prices high so they can blame Bush (and McCain by association) and use the issue to help get Obama elected. Then they might (but I wouldn't hold my breath) start drilling and declare themselves the saviors of the American driving public.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Tony Snow, R.I.P.
Tony Snow lost his battle with colon cancer this morning. The Washington Post has the story and describes Snow's career and personality better than I can (HT: Hugh Hewitt).
I loved watching him on Fox News, and I loved watching his press briefings when he was President Bush's Press Secretary. Not too many press secretaries reveal the kind of wit and love of the job that Tony Snow brought to the post. He will be missed.
Update:
Michelle Malkin has more, including an excerpt from this article Tony Snow wrote for Christianity Today last year.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Throw the Democrats Out
(HT: Hugh Hewitt)
This chart is sadly out of date by now. The cheapest Arco station near me has just dropped two cents to $4.359 from a high of $4.599 not too long ago. I haven't seen a "3" at the start of a gas price in way too long.
Bottom line: The Democrats want you to keep paying higher gas prices. The Republicans want to bring the gas prices down. If you have a gas tank that needs filling up once in a while, then let your vote reflect which side of the gas price question you're on.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wild Goose Chase
I've been looking for work. Every Thursday, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) sends out a list of job openings they have in an email distribution in the form of a spreadsheet. I got on that mailing list a while back, and today when it came I spotted a really cool job that doesn't involve either IT or administrative work.
Apparently Legoland in Carlsbad is opening an aquarium attraction in August, and they need people who will do a variety of work there, including leading groups of children and their teachers around the aquarium and teaching them about the undersea critters on display. Part of the job description said the right people would have to be able to put their hands in fresh or salt water for extended periods of time and be nice as they handle the creatures. They would also have to be okay with creature-poop and the stink that can come from there.
Well, I've raised kids and I take nursery duty at church once a month, so I can handle stink. And I absolutely love to tell people about things like how to get out of quicksand, exploding toads, and swans that fall in love with gigantic swan-shaped boats. I'm sure I could learn stuff to tell about the fish and crustaceans they'll have on display at Legoland's aquarium, called "Sea Life."
The job description said to "apply in person" on Mondays and Thursdays between 2 and 5 pm at Legoland's Human Resources, so I checked mapquest (never having gone to Legoland before) to find the way. I updated my resume a bit to say that I like to do this kind of work (even though most of my working life has been at a desk), got dressed up nice, and took off for Legoland.
The directions took me TO Legoland, the part where they want people to pay $10 to park. Seeing that I was trying to get a job, I didn't think I should have to pay to park, so I showed the lady in the booth the job sheet from the EDD's CalJobs website and asked her where Human Resources was.
She said I was in the wrong place. I needed to make a U-turn, go back to the traffic circle, turn left, then turn left on another street and one more left (I started losing track of the street names), and I would see a sign saying, "Legoland Human Resources." She didn't make me pay.
I followed her directions the best I could, but most of the buildings in that business park area were nameless. I drove all around, looking for Legoland, and then got stuck in a left turn lane that put me on a road I knew was the wrong one and that had a center island to keep me from turning around anytime soon.
When I could, I headed back to the business park and drove some more, until I had gone past every building in the area. Finally I stopped and asked a lady, who was taking a giant gift basket out of the back of her minivan, where the Legoland Human Resources building was. She said it used to be around there, but it isn't anymore. She suggested I go back to the main entrance to Legoland.
Well, that seemed pointless, since that's where I started, but I didn't have a lot of options.
Back at the same booth with the same lady, I told her that I couldn't find the building she sent me to, so she told me to follow that green line around the parking lot, and it would lead me to a brown booth, and I should ask the people there to tell me where I should be going. She still didn't make me pay.
I followed the line, which stopped a couple times, and I stopped at the same spots to look around for it to start up again. At one point, I passed a pale (not brown) security shack that looked deserted, but the green line kept going, so I did too. And then the green line stopped for good in the middle of the parking lot, not near any buildings, so I turned around and went back to the nearest parking spot to the security shack, parked, and walked over to the door of the shack.
A security guard was inside, and I showed him the job listing and asked if I was in the right place. He said it was the right place, but they weren't holding open applications now, since a lot of the positions have been filled. He called over to (I presume) Human Resources (wherever they are) to ask what he should do with me. Should he send me in, or send me back home?
The answer was that I should definitely not come in. The security guard gave me a little business card with the website address on it and told me to fill out the application online. So I walked back to my car and drove to the place where the Exit sign pointed, but there was a gate-arm across it, and the arm didn't lift. So I backed up and drove around the parking lot some more until I saw an Exit sign pointing in a different direction and went that way, where the road was open and I could get out and go back home.
I got home a little before 5:00.
But the day wasn't a total loss, because I met a friend for dinner at 5:30, and she had invited another friend as a surprise. The three of us used to carpool together back when all our kids were little (they're all in their 20s now). So we had a wonderful time of catching up over great food and laughter.
Even after all the wild-goose chasing, I have to say: Life is good.
Apparently Legoland in Carlsbad is opening an aquarium attraction in August, and they need people who will do a variety of work there, including leading groups of children and their teachers around the aquarium and teaching them about the undersea critters on display. Part of the job description said the right people would have to be able to put their hands in fresh or salt water for extended periods of time and be nice as they handle the creatures. They would also have to be okay with creature-poop and the stink that can come from there.
Well, I've raised kids and I take nursery duty at church once a month, so I can handle stink. And I absolutely love to tell people about things like how to get out of quicksand, exploding toads, and swans that fall in love with gigantic swan-shaped boats. I'm sure I could learn stuff to tell about the fish and crustaceans they'll have on display at Legoland's aquarium, called "Sea Life."
The job description said to "apply in person" on Mondays and Thursdays between 2 and 5 pm at Legoland's Human Resources, so I checked mapquest (never having gone to Legoland before) to find the way. I updated my resume a bit to say that I like to do this kind of work (even though most of my working life has been at a desk), got dressed up nice, and took off for Legoland.
The directions took me TO Legoland, the part where they want people to pay $10 to park. Seeing that I was trying to get a job, I didn't think I should have to pay to park, so I showed the lady in the booth the job sheet from the EDD's CalJobs website and asked her where Human Resources was.
She said I was in the wrong place. I needed to make a U-turn, go back to the traffic circle, turn left, then turn left on another street and one more left (I started losing track of the street names), and I would see a sign saying, "Legoland Human Resources." She didn't make me pay.
I followed her directions the best I could, but most of the buildings in that business park area were nameless. I drove all around, looking for Legoland, and then got stuck in a left turn lane that put me on a road I knew was the wrong one and that had a center island to keep me from turning around anytime soon.
When I could, I headed back to the business park and drove some more, until I had gone past every building in the area. Finally I stopped and asked a lady, who was taking a giant gift basket out of the back of her minivan, where the Legoland Human Resources building was. She said it used to be around there, but it isn't anymore. She suggested I go back to the main entrance to Legoland.
Well, that seemed pointless, since that's where I started, but I didn't have a lot of options.
Back at the same booth with the same lady, I told her that I couldn't find the building she sent me to, so she told me to follow that green line around the parking lot, and it would lead me to a brown booth, and I should ask the people there to tell me where I should be going. She still didn't make me pay.
I followed the line, which stopped a couple times, and I stopped at the same spots to look around for it to start up again. At one point, I passed a pale (not brown) security shack that looked deserted, but the green line kept going, so I did too. And then the green line stopped for good in the middle of the parking lot, not near any buildings, so I turned around and went back to the nearest parking spot to the security shack, parked, and walked over to the door of the shack.
A security guard was inside, and I showed him the job listing and asked if I was in the right place. He said it was the right place, but they weren't holding open applications now, since a lot of the positions have been filled. He called over to (I presume) Human Resources (wherever they are) to ask what he should do with me. Should he send me in, or send me back home?
The answer was that I should definitely not come in. The security guard gave me a little business card with the website address on it and told me to fill out the application online. So I walked back to my car and drove to the place where the Exit sign pointed, but there was a gate-arm across it, and the arm didn't lift. So I backed up and drove around the parking lot some more until I saw an Exit sign pointing in a different direction and went that way, where the road was open and I could get out and go back home.
I got home a little before 5:00.
But the day wasn't a total loss, because I met a friend for dinner at 5:30, and she had invited another friend as a surprise. The three of us used to carpool together back when all our kids were little (they're all in their 20s now). So we had a wonderful time of catching up over great food and laughter.
Even after all the wild-goose chasing, I have to say: Life is good.
Iraqis Mopping Up al Qaeda
The Times Online (UK) reported Sunday that the Iraqi Army is leading the final purge of al Qaeda in Iraq.
American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.
After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.
A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.
Operation Lion’s Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans’ 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects.
The group has been reduced to hit-and-run attacks, including one that killed two off-duty policemen yesterday, and sporadic bombings aimed at killing large numbers of officials and civilians.
American and Iraqi leaders believe that while it would be premature to write off Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Sunni group has lost control of its last urban base in Mosul and its remnants have been largely driven into the countryside to the south.
Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s prime minister, who has also led a crackdown on the Shi’ite Mahdi Army in Basra and Baghdad in recent months, claimed yesterday that his government had “defeated” terrorism.
“They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it,” Maliki said. “But thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them.”
The number of foreign fighters coming over the border from Syria to bolster Al-Qaeda’s numbers is thought to have declined to as few as 20 a month, compared with 120 a month at its peak.
This is excellent news. Of course, it comes from a UK news source. What do the American papers have to say about the al Qaeda situation?
Umm... I don't see anything about it in the Washington Post or the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times. Maybe they have more important things to report.
American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.
After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.
A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.
Operation Lion’s Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans’ 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects.
The group has been reduced to hit-and-run attacks, including one that killed two off-duty policemen yesterday, and sporadic bombings aimed at killing large numbers of officials and civilians.
American and Iraqi leaders believe that while it would be premature to write off Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Sunni group has lost control of its last urban base in Mosul and its remnants have been largely driven into the countryside to the south.
Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s prime minister, who has also led a crackdown on the Shi’ite Mahdi Army in Basra and Baghdad in recent months, claimed yesterday that his government had “defeated” terrorism.
“They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it,” Maliki said. “But thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them.”
The number of foreign fighters coming over the border from Syria to bolster Al-Qaeda’s numbers is thought to have declined to as few as 20 a month, compared with 120 a month at its peak.
This is excellent news. Of course, it comes from a UK news source. What do the American papers have to say about the al Qaeda situation?
Umm... I don't see anything about it in the Washington Post or the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times. Maybe they have more important things to report.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Offending Muslims With a Puppy II
As I reported this past Thursday, Muslims in Scotland were offended by a postcard with a picture of a puppy on it. My warning was that capitulation would mean dhimmitude.
Well, as reported yesterday by the Times Online (UK), dhimmitude there is now complete.
Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence.
Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives. The guidelines, to be published this year, were designed to cover mosques but have been extended to include other buildings.
Problems faced by the use of sniffer dogs were highlighted last week when Tayside police were forced to apologise for a crime prevention poster featuring a german shepherd puppy, in response to a complaint by a Muslim councillor.
Police dogs at present are issued with footwear only at scenes of explosions to prevent them injuring their paws on broken glass.
If the Muslim houses have broken glass, by all means put the dogs in booties, but there's no need for booties otherwise.
Ibrahim Mogra, one of Britain’s leading imams, said the measures were unnecessary: “In Islamic law the dog is not regarded as impure, only its saliva is. Most Islamic schools of law agree on that. If security measures require to send a dog into a house, then it has to be done. I think Acpo needs to consult better and more widely.
“I know in the Muslim community there is a hang-up against dogs, but this is cultural. Also, we know the British like dogs; we Muslims should do our bit to change our attitudes.”
I like this guy! He is now officially my favorite imam. People who move to Britain should be willing to adapt to British society. People unwilling to adapt to British society should not move there. It's that simple. (Same goes for America.)
Besides, since doggie-slobber is the problem for Muslims, how will rubber booties help? Better they should put slobber-cups (does anybody make those?) on the sniffer dogs in Muslim homes and leave their feet alone.
Well, as reported yesterday by the Times Online (UK), dhimmitude there is now complete.
Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence.
Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives. The guidelines, to be published this year, were designed to cover mosques but have been extended to include other buildings.
Problems faced by the use of sniffer dogs were highlighted last week when Tayside police were forced to apologise for a crime prevention poster featuring a german shepherd puppy, in response to a complaint by a Muslim councillor.
Police dogs at present are issued with footwear only at scenes of explosions to prevent them injuring their paws on broken glass.
If the Muslim houses have broken glass, by all means put the dogs in booties, but there's no need for booties otherwise.
Ibrahim Mogra, one of Britain’s leading imams, said the measures were unnecessary: “In Islamic law the dog is not regarded as impure, only its saliva is. Most Islamic schools of law agree on that. If security measures require to send a dog into a house, then it has to be done. I think Acpo needs to consult better and more widely.
“I know in the Muslim community there is a hang-up against dogs, but this is cultural. Also, we know the British like dogs; we Muslims should do our bit to change our attitudes.”
I like this guy! He is now officially my favorite imam. People who move to Britain should be willing to adapt to British society. People unwilling to adapt to British society should not move there. It's that simple. (Same goes for America.)
Besides, since doggie-slobber is the problem for Muslims, how will rubber booties help? Better they should put slobber-cups (does anybody make those?) on the sniffer dogs in Muslim homes and leave their feet alone.
Identifying Baby Racists
The Telegraph (UK) reported today that the British government has new bureacratic guidelines aimed at identifying racism in children as young as age 3.
The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care.
This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food.
The guidance by the NCB is designed to draw attention to potentially-racist attitudes in youngsters from a young age.
It advises nursery teachers to be on the alert for childish abuse such as: "blackie", "Pakis", "those people" or "they smell".
Staff are told: "No racist incident should be ignored. When there is a clear racist incident, it is necessary to be specific in condemning the action."
Nurseries are encouraged to report as many incidents as possible to their local council.
I hope the NCB has poured plenty of funding into the country's local councils to help them handle the deluge of baby racism reports. Little kids say "Yuck!" to all kinds of food, especially vegetables, foreign or otherwise.
I can understand the desire to be alert for overt racial name-calling, because that can indicate prejudices instilled by the parents. My nephew, when he was almost two years old, knew what he wasn't, because his dad taught him:
DAD: Son, are you an Aggie?
SON: (Horrified) NOOOOO!!!!
An Aggie, by the way, is not a race. It is someone at/from Texas A&M, and as far as I know, this exchange will not get my nephew or his dad into any trouble with anybody except Aggies. But if my nephew had been taught to be horrified by being a "blackie" or a "Paki" and mentioned it in nursery school by calling the dark-skinned kids these names, then that would be a problem.
I'd go along with having the nursery school teachers gently correct the racists-in-training that "We don't use words like that," but reporting them to the local councils is going way too far.
Will the teachers be reporting the Pakistani and black students who call the white kids "those people"? Will they report foreign-born toddlers who say "yuck" to haggis as racists?
The drive to stigmatize our kids as racist in the interest of stopping racism is absurd. What's next? Giving a criminal record to babies who squint ("See? He's a hater.") in their brand-new newborn photos?
The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care.
This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food.
The guidance by the NCB is designed to draw attention to potentially-racist attitudes in youngsters from a young age.
It advises nursery teachers to be on the alert for childish abuse such as: "blackie", "Pakis", "those people" or "they smell".
Staff are told: "No racist incident should be ignored. When there is a clear racist incident, it is necessary to be specific in condemning the action."
Nurseries are encouraged to report as many incidents as possible to their local council.
I hope the NCB has poured plenty of funding into the country's local councils to help them handle the deluge of baby racism reports. Little kids say "Yuck!" to all kinds of food, especially vegetables, foreign or otherwise.
I can understand the desire to be alert for overt racial name-calling, because that can indicate prejudices instilled by the parents. My nephew, when he was almost two years old, knew what he wasn't, because his dad taught him:
DAD: Son, are you an Aggie?
SON: (Horrified) NOOOOO!!!!
An Aggie, by the way, is not a race. It is someone at/from Texas A&M, and as far as I know, this exchange will not get my nephew or his dad into any trouble with anybody except Aggies. But if my nephew had been taught to be horrified by being a "blackie" or a "Paki" and mentioned it in nursery school by calling the dark-skinned kids these names, then that would be a problem.
I'd go along with having the nursery school teachers gently correct the racists-in-training that "We don't use words like that," but reporting them to the local councils is going way too far.
Will the teachers be reporting the Pakistani and black students who call the white kids "those people"? Will they report foreign-born toddlers who say "yuck" to haggis as racists?
The drive to stigmatize our kids as racist in the interest of stopping racism is absurd. What's next? Giving a criminal record to babies who squint ("See? He's a hater.") in their brand-new newborn photos?
Friday, July 04, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
Soldiers' Angels Germany posted these pictures (actually the same picture) June 25, 2008 (HT: Michelle Malkin). The caption reads:
U.S. Army Task Force Regulators 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment Staff Sgt. Fred Hampton, of Lexington, Ky., kneels on a knee to talk with a young Iraqi boy at the future site of Regular 6 Park in the Thawra 1 section of the Sadr City District of Baghdad on June 20. Photo: Tech Sgt. Cohen Young, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.
Time after time we see pictures like this, of Iraq's children wanting to be with America's soldiers. They trust our military, as evidenced by the closeup below of the boy's feet.
The NRCC is asking Americans to fill in the blank: "I'm proud of my country because ______." (also HT: Michelle Malkin)
I'm proud of my country because, despite her flaws, America is the greatest force for liberty in the world. May we truly celebrate the great blessings we have living in the United States of America.
Happy Independence Day!
U.S. Army Task Force Regulators 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment Staff Sgt. Fred Hampton, of Lexington, Ky., kneels on a knee to talk with a young Iraqi boy at the future site of Regular 6 Park in the Thawra 1 section of the Sadr City District of Baghdad on June 20. Photo: Tech Sgt. Cohen Young, Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.
Time after time we see pictures like this, of Iraq's children wanting to be with America's soldiers. They trust our military, as evidenced by the closeup below of the boy's feet.
The NRCC is asking Americans to fill in the blank: "I'm proud of my country because ______." (also HT: Michelle Malkin)
I'm proud of my country because, despite her flaws, America is the greatest force for liberty in the world. May we truly celebrate the great blessings we have living in the United States of America.
Happy Independence Day!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Preparing for the Fourth
Yes, tomorrow is Independence Day. That means picnics, and "picnic" in some areas means yellow jackets. So in the interest of helping you, I remind you of what I learned from the caterer at my mom's high school reunion last year.
As a caterer/restaurateur, however, her concern was less about the honeybees and more about the yellow jackets, who are the scourge of outdoor eating events, which is what my mom's reunion was. And indeed it was a yellow jacket going for the candy corn. But she has (through much trial and error) discovered a highly effective way of keeping the yellow jackets away from the party:
Before she unwraps the food, she takes a piece of meat and hangs it from a tree away from the party but close enough to attract the yellow jackets. When she sees that the pesky creatures have congregated on the meat, she knows they'll leave the party alone, and she unveils the food. One or two strays may hang out at the party, but the rest stay occupied for the night. She said the yellow jackets devour the piece of meat by the end of the evening (like flying piranahs), but by then, she's cleared all the dirty dishes and cups, so they won't attract the bugs back to the party.
It's a slick trick, and I offer it to you as a public service announcement. A bowl of apple juice will also attract them, where they'll drown (or at least not be able to get back out). And fishermen can toss a small fish--one not worth bothering to clean and eat--to the side to keep the yellow jackets away from the keepers.
After the picnic, as sunset approaches, look to the western sky. Two planets and a star will be in alignment, giving a lovely show:
I'll be working at the Del Mar Fair, and my job will have me facing east. So I'll have to turn around and take a peek behind me once in a while to catch a glimpse. Provided the marine layer of clouds doesn't decide to get in the way.
As a caterer/restaurateur, however, her concern was less about the honeybees and more about the yellow jackets, who are the scourge of outdoor eating events, which is what my mom's reunion was. And indeed it was a yellow jacket going for the candy corn. But she has (through much trial and error) discovered a highly effective way of keeping the yellow jackets away from the party:
Before she unwraps the food, she takes a piece of meat and hangs it from a tree away from the party but close enough to attract the yellow jackets. When she sees that the pesky creatures have congregated on the meat, she knows they'll leave the party alone, and she unveils the food. One or two strays may hang out at the party, but the rest stay occupied for the night. She said the yellow jackets devour the piece of meat by the end of the evening (like flying piranahs), but by then, she's cleared all the dirty dishes and cups, so they won't attract the bugs back to the party.
It's a slick trick, and I offer it to you as a public service announcement. A bowl of apple juice will also attract them, where they'll drown (or at least not be able to get back out). And fishermen can toss a small fish--one not worth bothering to clean and eat--to the side to keep the yellow jackets away from the keepers.
After the picnic, as sunset approaches, look to the western sky. Two planets and a star will be in alignment, giving a lovely show:
I'll be working at the Del Mar Fair, and my job will have me facing east. So I'll have to turn around and take a peek behind me once in a while to catch a glimpse. Provided the marine layer of clouds doesn't decide to get in the way.
Offending Muslims with a Puppy
I have a fondness for puppies. "Puppy" is part of my blog name. Puppies are adorable, and it's hard to go wrong when you align yourself with puppies. But that's no longer the case.
The Daily Mail (UK) reported Tuesday that Muslims in Scotland are outraged by this puppy:
A postcard featuring a cute puppy sitting in a policeman's hat advertising a Scottish police force's new telephone number has sparked outrage from Muslims.
Tayside Police's new non-emergency phone number has prompted complaints from members of the Islamic community.
The advert has upset Muslims because dogs are considered ritually unclean and has sparked such anger that some shopkeepers in Dundee have refused to display the advert.
Dundee councillor Mohammed Asif said: 'My concern was that it's not welcomed by all communities, with the dog on the cards.
'It was probably a waste of resources going to these communities.
'They (the police) should have understood. Since then, the police have explained that it was an oversight on their part, and that if they'd seen it was going to cause upset they wouldn't have done it.'
I understand that the unclean-to-Muslims part of a dog is its saliva, and I find dog drool offensive as well. But a photo of a puppy has no drool, and the puppy in the photo is not drooling, so really!
If the police department gives in on this, they'll have officially become dhimmis. Stand firm, Tayside Police! Keep Rebel on the postcards!
The Daily Mail (UK) reported Tuesday that Muslims in Scotland are outraged by this puppy:
A postcard featuring a cute puppy sitting in a policeman's hat advertising a Scottish police force's new telephone number has sparked outrage from Muslims.
Tayside Police's new non-emergency phone number has prompted complaints from members of the Islamic community.
The advert has upset Muslims because dogs are considered ritually unclean and has sparked such anger that some shopkeepers in Dundee have refused to display the advert.
Dundee councillor Mohammed Asif said: 'My concern was that it's not welcomed by all communities, with the dog on the cards.
'It was probably a waste of resources going to these communities.
'They (the police) should have understood. Since then, the police have explained that it was an oversight on their part, and that if they'd seen it was going to cause upset they wouldn't have done it.'
I understand that the unclean-to-Muslims part of a dog is its saliva, and I find dog drool offensive as well. But a photo of a puppy has no drool, and the puppy in the photo is not drooling, so really!
If the police department gives in on this, they'll have officially become dhimmis. Stand firm, Tayside Police! Keep Rebel on the postcards!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Cane Toads Killing Crocs
Photo credit: Mike Letnic/ University of Sydney
New Scientist reported June 27, 2008, on a wave of deaths of freshwater crocodiles in Australia.
Dead freshwater crocodiles in Australia's Northern Territory were once a rare sight. But since 2005, locals have witnessed mass die-offs in some semi-arid regions of the territory. Researchers now say the toxic and invasive cane toad (Bufo marinus) is to blame.
Two surveys, in 2005 and 2007, suggested that the mass croc deaths have progressively moved inland from the mouth of Victoria River, at a pace that matches that of the cane toad invasion. The toads secrete a milky-white toxin which is lethal to many predators from glands behind their eyes and on their backs.
Mike Letnic of the University of Sydney and his team say a massive 77% of some populations of freshwater crocodiles – or "freshies" – have died since 2005.
The numbers are particularly worrying, says Letnic, because removing top predators like freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni) can boost the number of their prey and trigger a cascade of ecosystem changes that are difficult to predict.
Scientists haven't positively identified the cane toads as the cause of the crocodile deaths, because crocs digest amphibians quickly. But the circumstantial evidence is pretty clear.
Cane toads were introduced to Queensland in 1935 in the hope that the toads would eat cane beetles that were harming the sugar cane crops. I don't know if they were successful in helping the cane crops, but the toads thrived in their new home and began to spread.
What the crocodiles need is for someone to find a profitable use for cane toads. Maybe some cane toad cowboy boots and purses, or cane toad venom as a botox substitute. If there's enough money in it, the trappers will descend on the amphibian pests and snatch them away from the jaws of double-death.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Noises in the Neighborhood
For several months now, the neighborhood mockingbird has been seranading us all night long. That's OK with me, because I'm not a light sleeper. Once I'm asleep, Mr. Mockingbird can't wake me up.
The past several weeks have given those of us who live near Camp Pendleton some booming of artillery during the daylight and early dark hours. It can be startling at times. At other times, though, it's simply a background sound of bass drumming.
Just over a week ago, I went to my church in the late afternoon. The church is up on a hill that looks out toward Camp Pendleton, where a fire was burning, no doubt started by the shelling.
My daughter's friend has a Marine boyfriend, and he just left for Africa somewhere to prepare for his coming deployment to Iraq. The artillery noise coming from Camp Pendleton seemed to slow down about the time he left for Africa, but that's not on his account, because he's in a maintenance/support unit.
I don't mind the noise from base unless it's especially loud. Like the mockingbird's singing, it doesn't keep me awake. There's an understanding that comes with the artillery sounds, that our Marines are being trained and prepared for battle, so when the fight comes to them in Iraq, they'll be ready to hold their own and take out the enemy. I like that thought.
The past day or two I've heard the neighbor dogs going nuts. This isn't just the usual terrier-mutt dog across the street who doesn't like anybody and tells you about it something fierce if you come near his gate. No, it's the chorus of howling dogs that starts when sirens go by, except there haven't been any sirens. I don't know if some kid on summer vacation got himself a painful dog whistle for entertainment or what, but those dogs sound like they're hurting for the short time they howl.
The worst noise, though, is a neighbor cat in heat. I don't know why the cat's owners don't keep her in the house. That would be really nice for the rest of us, but maybe they can't stand hearing their cat yeowling in the enclosed space of their house. But that's no excuse for letting her go outside.
I say, if you can't stand your cat's heat-yeowling, GET HER SPAYED!!! Your neighbors might learn who her owners are, and you don't want to know what they'll do when they find out!
The past several weeks have given those of us who live near Camp Pendleton some booming of artillery during the daylight and early dark hours. It can be startling at times. At other times, though, it's simply a background sound of bass drumming.
Just over a week ago, I went to my church in the late afternoon. The church is up on a hill that looks out toward Camp Pendleton, where a fire was burning, no doubt started by the shelling.
My daughter's friend has a Marine boyfriend, and he just left for Africa somewhere to prepare for his coming deployment to Iraq. The artillery noise coming from Camp Pendleton seemed to slow down about the time he left for Africa, but that's not on his account, because he's in a maintenance/support unit.
I don't mind the noise from base unless it's especially loud. Like the mockingbird's singing, it doesn't keep me awake. There's an understanding that comes with the artillery sounds, that our Marines are being trained and prepared for battle, so when the fight comes to them in Iraq, they'll be ready to hold their own and take out the enemy. I like that thought.
The past day or two I've heard the neighbor dogs going nuts. This isn't just the usual terrier-mutt dog across the street who doesn't like anybody and tells you about it something fierce if you come near his gate. No, it's the chorus of howling dogs that starts when sirens go by, except there haven't been any sirens. I don't know if some kid on summer vacation got himself a painful dog whistle for entertainment or what, but those dogs sound like they're hurting for the short time they howl.
The worst noise, though, is a neighbor cat in heat. I don't know why the cat's owners don't keep her in the house. That would be really nice for the rest of us, but maybe they can't stand hearing their cat yeowling in the enclosed space of their house. But that's no excuse for letting her go outside.
I say, if you can't stand your cat's heat-yeowling, GET HER SPAYED!!! Your neighbors might learn who her owners are, and you don't want to know what they'll do when they find out!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday at the Fair II
Oops! I forgot to talk about my second Friday working the Fair. Last week, after work was finished, I looked through the photography and home & garden buildings.
This week, I got to the Del Mar Fairgrounds/Racetrack early and went in search of live animals. I found some in the cattle barn.
At the end of an aisle between two pens of cows was this birthing pen. Someone said the calf was only a couple hours old. He (I didn't get a definitive confirmation of his maleness, but it helps to call him a "he" so I can call the mom a "she" and avoid confusion) was still wet, and his mom repeatedly licked him.
After a short time, he started testing his legs and gave a wobbly scamper, but it must have scared him, because he didn't try to scamper again while I was there. Instead, he began looking for some supper, nosing along his mom's ribcage toward her front legs.
When that didn't prove sucessful, he worked his way back and eventually found what he was looking for, but my picture of that was too blurry to post.
That was all the time I had there, so I washed my hands (they had hand-washing posts by all the exits with signs saying we were required to wash when leaving the barn), and reported for work at the other exit from the one where I worked last time.
For my break I went to the stands nearby and watched some of the motorcycle-jumping exhibition. Unfortunately, I was facing into the sun, but I captured a couple of the jumps.
I made sure to stop at the ladies restroom that has the swallow's nest on the ceiling. The baby faces are toward the left and their tails are to the right.
Their mom flew in one time, and all the beaks popped open in unison, but I wasn't quick enough to get the picture. Here they are, though, waiting for more.
It was a pleasant day, not nearly as hot as last time, and my sole co-worker had the same first name as mine! Very unusual, but it sure made it easy to remember her name.
Next week, I work twice as long on the Fourth of July and finish my shift about an hour before the fireworks should start.
This week, I got to the Del Mar Fairgrounds/Racetrack early and went in search of live animals. I found some in the cattle barn.
At the end of an aisle between two pens of cows was this birthing pen. Someone said the calf was only a couple hours old. He (I didn't get a definitive confirmation of his maleness, but it helps to call him a "he" so I can call the mom a "she" and avoid confusion) was still wet, and his mom repeatedly licked him.
After a short time, he started testing his legs and gave a wobbly scamper, but it must have scared him, because he didn't try to scamper again while I was there. Instead, he began looking for some supper, nosing along his mom's ribcage toward her front legs.
When that didn't prove sucessful, he worked his way back and eventually found what he was looking for, but my picture of that was too blurry to post.
That was all the time I had there, so I washed my hands (they had hand-washing posts by all the exits with signs saying we were required to wash when leaving the barn), and reported for work at the other exit from the one where I worked last time.
For my break I went to the stands nearby and watched some of the motorcycle-jumping exhibition. Unfortunately, I was facing into the sun, but I captured a couple of the jumps.
I made sure to stop at the ladies restroom that has the swallow's nest on the ceiling. The baby faces are toward the left and their tails are to the right.
Their mom flew in one time, and all the beaks popped open in unison, but I wasn't quick enough to get the picture. Here they are, though, waiting for more.
It was a pleasant day, not nearly as hot as last time, and my sole co-worker had the same first name as mine! Very unusual, but it sure made it easy to remember her name.
Next week, I work twice as long on the Fourth of July and finish my shift about an hour before the fireworks should start.
Bill Clinton is a Classless Act
The Telegraph (UK) reported Sunday that former President Bill Clinton has joined his wife in offering support to Barack Obama. It's not the offer of support that makes Clinton classless. It's that he did it with his usual "charm."
The Telegraph has learned that the former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence.
A senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support.
Funny, but it's only for the people on the left that Clinton risks damaging his reputation. For those of us on the right, Clinton's reputation has for years been as soiled as Monica's dress.
It has long been known that Mr Clinton is angry at the way his own reputation was tarnished during the primary battle when several of his comments were interpreted as racist.
But his lingering fury has shocked his friends. The Democrat told the Telegraph: "He's been angry for a while. But everyone thought he would get over it. He hasn't. I've spoken to a couple of people who he's been in contact with and he is mad as hell.
He's never going to get over it, because he believes he deserves to be back in the White House, regardless of what it takes to get there. The man is a petulant, bitter, self-absorbed... three letters with an O in the middle (I'll let you decide which one is more appropriate), and the left is only figuring that out now.
I've noticed that the left likes to think of people on the right as being stupid. Maybe they should look in the mirror the next time they feel like finding someone who's clueless. They've been that way about Clinton for a very long time.
The Telegraph has learned that the former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence.
A senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support.
Funny, but it's only for the people on the left that Clinton risks damaging his reputation. For those of us on the right, Clinton's reputation has for years been as soiled as Monica's dress.
It has long been known that Mr Clinton is angry at the way his own reputation was tarnished during the primary battle when several of his comments were interpreted as racist.
But his lingering fury has shocked his friends. The Democrat told the Telegraph: "He's been angry for a while. But everyone thought he would get over it. He hasn't. I've spoken to a couple of people who he's been in contact with and he is mad as hell.
He's never going to get over it, because he believes he deserves to be back in the White House, regardless of what it takes to get there. The man is a petulant, bitter, self-absorbed... three letters with an O in the middle (I'll let you decide which one is more appropriate), and the left is only figuring that out now.
I've noticed that the left likes to think of people on the right as being stupid. Maybe they should look in the mirror the next time they feel like finding someone who's clueless. They've been that way about Clinton for a very long time.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
How to Slice an Avocado
People, even strangers, often come up to me and ask, "How can I get perfect slices from an avocado?
It's not that I'm secretive about it, but it's hard to tell someone without showing how it's done. So here it is, my Public Service Announcement, with pictures (although the copyright says "SkyePuppy," the photos were taken by my daughter under duress).
First, remove the little stem piece. Don't use a major knife, because some delicate work is called for. I like to use a slender steak knife. Start at the top and cut down until the knife stops at the seed, then tilt the knife forward, cutting the skin downward toward the bottom (click to enlarge any of the pictures):
Then tilt the knife back toward you, cutting the skin around the front and the bottom:
Keep going, turning the avocado, until your cut meets up with your first cut:
Give it a little twist:
And voilà:
Take the half without the seed and cut it almost in half, stopping just before breaking the knife through the back part of the skin:
This is the delicate part. Run the knife through the avocado several times, with the knife tip brushing but not cutting the skin:
Your avocado is now sliced:
Bend the skin back to release the slices. Sometimes the skin isn't flexible and breaks apart in little annoying pieces. As an alternative, you can use a spoon to scoop out the slices. This time, the skin cooperated perfectly:
Here are the slices from the first part:
And from the rest of this half:
If you're not going to eat the whole avocado at once (for example, when you're sandwiching alone), then you'll want to keep the second half from turning brown or black until you get back to it. Air will blacken an avocado much too fast. Keep the seed in place and drip some lime or lemon juice on top of the exposed avocado and slip it into a sandwich bag. Remove as much air as possible and store in the refrigerator:
When you're ready for the second half, remove from the bag, poke the tip of the knife into the seed near the avocado flesh, and pry the seed out:
Then slice as above.
Amaze your friends! Impress your enemies! Have perfect avocado slices from now on.
It's not that I'm secretive about it, but it's hard to tell someone without showing how it's done. So here it is, my Public Service Announcement, with pictures (although the copyright says "SkyePuppy," the photos were taken by my daughter under duress).
First, remove the little stem piece. Don't use a major knife, because some delicate work is called for. I like to use a slender steak knife. Start at the top and cut down until the knife stops at the seed, then tilt the knife forward, cutting the skin downward toward the bottom (click to enlarge any of the pictures):
Then tilt the knife back toward you, cutting the skin around the front and the bottom:
Keep going, turning the avocado, until your cut meets up with your first cut:
Give it a little twist:
And voilà:
Take the half without the seed and cut it almost in half, stopping just before breaking the knife through the back part of the skin:
This is the delicate part. Run the knife through the avocado several times, with the knife tip brushing but not cutting the skin:
Your avocado is now sliced:
Bend the skin back to release the slices. Sometimes the skin isn't flexible and breaks apart in little annoying pieces. As an alternative, you can use a spoon to scoop out the slices. This time, the skin cooperated perfectly:
Here are the slices from the first part:
And from the rest of this half:
If you're not going to eat the whole avocado at once (for example, when you're sandwiching alone), then you'll want to keep the second half from turning brown or black until you get back to it. Air will blacken an avocado much too fast. Keep the seed in place and drip some lime or lemon juice on top of the exposed avocado and slip it into a sandwich bag. Remove as much air as possible and store in the refrigerator:
When you're ready for the second half, remove from the bag, poke the tip of the knife into the seed near the avocado flesh, and pry the seed out:
Then slice as above.
Amaze your friends! Impress your enemies! Have perfect avocado slices from now on.
Following Up On Zimbabwe
I started this post several days ago, but I've been pretty busy lately, and each time I came back there was more news from Zimbabwe that changed the direction I was going. So here's a wrap-up:
When last we heard, Robert Mugabe's opponent in the presidential election, Morgan Tsvangirai, had withdrawn from the runoff election scheduled for yesterday.
On June 23, the AP reported that Tsvangirai took refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare after a police raid on his party's headquarters.
Dutch officials said Monday that Tsvangirai sought shelter in their embassy in Harare following his announcement Sunday that he was withdrawing from the runoff, but said he did not ask for political asylum.
Tsvangirai "asked if the Dutch Embassy could provide him with refuge because he was feeling unsafe," Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told the British Broadcasting Corp.
At a news conference in Harare late Monday, Zimbabwe's police commissioner, Augustin Chihuri, said neither Tsvangirai nor his party had reported any threats, and police were not seeking the politician.
"Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai is under no threat at all from Zimbabweans and he should cast away these delusions," Chihuri said.
I'm glad the Dutch embassy was willing to offer Tsvangirai safety, because--Chihuri's statements to the contrary--Tsvangirai is at risk. Naturally, there would be no reason to report any threats to the police, when the police were the ones doing the threatening and the carrying through with some of those threats. The only "delusions" are that people would believe him.
Paul Wolfowitz offered some good analyis of Zimbabwe's situation Wednesday.
Since Mr. Tsvangirai's withdrawal announcement, criticism from African governments has become stronger – even from Angola, one of Mugabe's closest allies. This provides an opening for a more active role by the international community.
Words of condemnation help to deny Mugabe's claims of legitimacy, but words alone are not enough. Specific sanctions against some of the leaders of the violence may also be useful, but their impact will be limited. Broad economic sanctions will only increase the suffering of Zimbabwe's people, whose misery has already been increased by Mugabe's refusal to accept emergency food assistance from the U.N.
The international community should commit – as publicly and urgently as possible – to provide substantial support if Mugabe relinquishes power. Even if Mr. Tsvangirai were to become president tomorrow he would still face a daunting set of problems: restoring an economy in which hyperinflation has effectively destroyed the currency and unemployment is a staggering 70%; getting emergency food aid to millions who are at risk of starvation and disease; promoting reconciliation after the terrible violence; and undoing Mugabe's damaging policies, without engendering a violent backlash.
He has more, but I don't think the international community is able to generate more than a bunch of hot air. I won't be holding my breath.
The Times Online (UK) reported yesterday that Mugabe was running unopposed in the runoff rather than canceling the meaningless election.
Addressing his last rally before polls open for the surreal one-horse race, Mr Mugabe told supporters that he would be magnanimous in victory and willing to talk with the opposition.
“Should we emerge victorious, which I believe we will, sure we won’t be arrogant, we will . . . say ‘Let’s sit down and talk’, and talk we shall,” he told the crowd on the outskirts of Harare. “So there it is, let the MDC reject it or accept it. We will continue to rule this country in the way we believe it should be ruled. This is an African country with responsible leaders.”
Such a reasonable, responsible leader!
Then came the election. The AP reported yesterday that citizens were being harassed and led to the polls to vote.
Paramilitary police in riot gear deployed in a central Harare park Friday, then began patrolling the city. Militant Mugabe supporters roamed the streets, singing revolutionary songs, heckling people and asking why they were not voting.
"I've got no option but to go and vote so that I can be safe," explained a young woman selling tomatoes.
The voters had their say, though. The Telegraph (UK) reported today on the voter protests.
Despite threats from Mr Mugabe's thugs to beat those who refused to vote, many polling stations in the capital Harare had not seen a single ballot cast three hours after opening.
Others remained virtually empty and many of those who did vote simply spoiled their ballot papers.
Mr Mugabe's militiamen warned they would launch "Operation Red Finger", targeting anyone whose left little finger is not stained with the ink used to indicate who has voted.
One man in Harare's suburb of Belvedere spoiled his ballot in protest against the regime. Holding up his coloured finger, he said: "It's just to be safe. I have got to vote, they have been saying 'We will spill your blood if you don't'."
But he marked two crosses on his ballot paper, beside both Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai: "You have to put two crosses, if you leave it blank they will fill it in themselves," he said.
Others did not even bother going to the polling booths. A waiter with a red fingertip admitted: "I did it myself, with a ball-point pen. It's better to be safe."
Throughout the day, state television insisted that a huge turnout was taking place, attributing the absence of queues to a hitherto unknown efficiency among election officials.
There isn't much hope for change in Zimbabwe, except change for the worse. But it's good to see that at least some of the Zimbabweans still have their spirits intact. Maybe in the longterm, after Mugabe leaves the scene, these will be the ones who have the heart to begin the almost-impossible work of rebuilding that once great country.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Supreme Court OKs Gun Ownership
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the total gun ban in D.C. is unconstitutional.
The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns and imperiled similar prohibitions in other cities, Chicago and San Francisco among them. Federal gun restrictions, however, were expected to remain largely intact.
The court had not conclusively interpreted the Second Amendment since its ratification in 1791. The amendment reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
The basic issue for the justices was whether the amendment protects an individual's right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somehow tied to service in a state militia, a once-vital, now-archaic grouping of citizens. That's been the heart of the gun control debate for decades.
The answer: Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia said that an individual right to bear arms exists and is supported by "the historical narrative" both before and after the Second Amendment was adopted.
La Shawn Barber is celebrating:
Woo-hoo! Ding, dong, the ban-witch is dead!
I’m happy to announce that today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns is unconstitutional. (Source) Individuals have a right to bear arms, so says the court, and this DC resident is about to start bearing, baby!
You go, La Shawn! And all the other DC residents who can go out and get a gun now.
This is great news, and it highlights how important our choice of president will be. The next president will be nominating Supreme Court Justices. We will either get liberal, activist justices who believe in legislating from the bench and looking at international law for inspiration, or we will get justices who believe in checking the Constitution to see what it actually says before making decisions.
Choose wisely when you vote.
The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns and imperiled similar prohibitions in other cities, Chicago and San Francisco among them. Federal gun restrictions, however, were expected to remain largely intact.
The court had not conclusively interpreted the Second Amendment since its ratification in 1791. The amendment reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
The basic issue for the justices was whether the amendment protects an individual's right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somehow tied to service in a state militia, a once-vital, now-archaic grouping of citizens. That's been the heart of the gun control debate for decades.
The answer: Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia said that an individual right to bear arms exists and is supported by "the historical narrative" both before and after the Second Amendment was adopted.
La Shawn Barber is celebrating:
Woo-hoo! Ding, dong, the ban-witch is dead!
I’m happy to announce that today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns is unconstitutional. (Source) Individuals have a right to bear arms, so says the court, and this DC resident is about to start bearing, baby!
You go, La Shawn! And all the other DC residents who can go out and get a gun now.
This is great news, and it highlights how important our choice of president will be. The next president will be nominating Supreme Court Justices. We will either get liberal, activist justices who believe in legislating from the bench and looking at international law for inspiration, or we will get justices who believe in checking the Constitution to see what it actually says before making decisions.
Choose wisely when you vote.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Obama's Lead Over McCain
The Los Angeles Times reported today that Barack Obama is 12 points ahead of John McCain in the presidential race.
Buoyed by enthusiasm among Democrats and public concern over the economy, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has captured a sizable lead over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at the opening of the general election campaign for president, the Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll has found.
In a two-man race between the major party candidates, registered voters chose Obama over McCain by 49% to 37% in the national poll conducted last weekend.
Obama's advantage, bigger in this poll than in most other national surveys, appears to stem in large part from his positions on domestic issues. Both Democrats and independent voters say Obama would do a better job than McCain at handling the nation's economic problems, the public's top concern.
Anybody who thinks Obama can handle our economic problems has already checked his or her brain at the door. I'm sure they'll get their brains back when they realize that Obama's decision to ban oil development (can you say $10 gas?) at the same time he pours billions into developing an engine powered by dilithium crystals, on top of raising taxes of all kinds, has sent our country into an economic tailspin. The difference between Bush's economic problems and Obama's disastrous economy should be obvious to all but those whose heads are firmly buried in the sand.
One commenter, PHP87, had this to say about the accuracy of the polling:
According to Gallup, the makeup of Registered Voters looks like this: 37% Dems 34% Indys 28% GOP So Dems have a 9% advantage over Republicans. But the LA Times and Newsweek, which both have Obama ahead by 12-15%, are over sampling Dems and under sampling Republicans. LA TImes: 39% Dems 27% Indys 22% GOP Newsweek: 38% Dems 35% Indys 23% GOP Any wonder they're coming up with double-digit leads of Obama? Because their polls have a built-in, near double-digit bias for Obama. Take out the bias, and Obama has a 3-4 pt. lead, which is in line with legit polls like Gallup and Rasmussen.
Figures.
Of course, none of this really matters, since the Electoral College is what determines the winner. You have to go state-by-state and add up the electoral votes.
Here's a state map with the "safe" states already filled in (My vote in California won't count). You can play with possible results and see who wins. I tried it by setting the swing states to the party that won in 2004, with Wisconsin (an apparent tie) thrown to the Democrats, and McCain pulls off a big win.
Buoyed by enthusiasm among Democrats and public concern over the economy, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has captured a sizable lead over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at the opening of the general election campaign for president, the Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll has found.
In a two-man race between the major party candidates, registered voters chose Obama over McCain by 49% to 37% in the national poll conducted last weekend.
Obama's advantage, bigger in this poll than in most other national surveys, appears to stem in large part from his positions on domestic issues. Both Democrats and independent voters say Obama would do a better job than McCain at handling the nation's economic problems, the public's top concern.
Anybody who thinks Obama can handle our economic problems has already checked his or her brain at the door. I'm sure they'll get their brains back when they realize that Obama's decision to ban oil development (can you say $10 gas?) at the same time he pours billions into developing an engine powered by dilithium crystals, on top of raising taxes of all kinds, has sent our country into an economic tailspin. The difference between Bush's economic problems and Obama's disastrous economy should be obvious to all but those whose heads are firmly buried in the sand.
One commenter, PHP87, had this to say about the accuracy of the polling:
According to Gallup, the makeup of Registered Voters looks like this: 37% Dems 34% Indys 28% GOP So Dems have a 9% advantage over Republicans. But the LA Times and Newsweek, which both have Obama ahead by 12-15%, are over sampling Dems and under sampling Republicans. LA TImes: 39% Dems 27% Indys 22% GOP Newsweek: 38% Dems 35% Indys 23% GOP Any wonder they're coming up with double-digit leads of Obama? Because their polls have a built-in, near double-digit bias for Obama. Take out the bias, and Obama has a 3-4 pt. lead, which is in line with legit polls like Gallup and Rasmussen.
Figures.
Of course, none of this really matters, since the Electoral College is what determines the winner. You have to go state-by-state and add up the electoral votes.
Here's a state map with the "safe" states already filled in (My vote in California won't count). You can play with possible results and see who wins. I tried it by setting the swing states to the party that won in 2004, with Wisconsin (an apparent tie) thrown to the Democrats, and McCain pulls off a big win.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sports Bra Saves Stranded Hiker
The AP (Shhh! Don't tell!) reported today that a stranded hiker used her sports bra to call for help. Not a direct quote, because I can't afford to pay for excerpts:
Jessica Bruinsma, 24, used her sports bra to signal for help after she got lost in the Swiss Alps and fell 15 feet to a rocky ledge. She dislocated her shoulder and couldn't climb her way out, so she stayed on the ledge and drank water from a supply box that was either already on the ledge waiting for her or that fell with her (the AP story is unclear, so I don't know why anybody would quote directly from it anyway).
Jessica, from Colorado, was able to reach a loose timber-transport cable, so she removed her sports bra and attached it to the cable, retaining her shirt and coat for warmth. Later, when a repairman fixed the cable and got it moving again, they were surprised to see the bra. Having heard that people were searching for a woman, the workers notified the proper authorities, who found Jessica and airlifted her in a helicopter. Her ordeal lasted 70 hours, and because she was in good shape (training for a marathon), she is on the road to recovery.
Ladies, let this be a lesson. If you need to get a man's attention, there's no better way than removing your bra and using it as a signal. A signal for what, I'll let you decide...
Jessica Bruinsma, 24, used her sports bra to signal for help after she got lost in the Swiss Alps and fell 15 feet to a rocky ledge. She dislocated her shoulder and couldn't climb her way out, so she stayed on the ledge and drank water from a supply box that was either already on the ledge waiting for her or that fell with her (the AP story is unclear, so I don't know why anybody would quote directly from it anyway).
Jessica, from Colorado, was able to reach a loose timber-transport cable, so she removed her sports bra and attached it to the cable, retaining her shirt and coat for warmth. Later, when a repairman fixed the cable and got it moving again, they were surprised to see the bra. Having heard that people were searching for a woman, the workers notified the proper authorities, who found Jessica and airlifted her in a helicopter. Her ordeal lasted 70 hours, and because she was in good shape (training for a marathon), she is on the road to recovery.
Ladies, let this be a lesson. If you need to get a man's attention, there's no better way than removing your bra and using it as a signal. A signal for what, I'll let you decide...
Mugabe Wins in Zimbabwe
No, he didn't win the runoff election. He won through intimidation.
MSNBC reported yesterday that Robert Mugabe's opposition pulled out of the election.
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Sunday he is pulling out of this week's presidential runoff because of mounting violence and intimidation against his supporters.
Tsvangirai announced his decision during a news conference in Zimbabwe's capital after thousands of ruling party militants blockaded the site of the opposition's main campaign rally.
"Conditions as of today do not permit the holding of a credible poll," Tsvangirai said. "Given the totality of these circumstances, we believe a credible election is impossible. We can't ask the people to cast their vote on June 27 when that vote will cost their lives. We will no longer participate in this violent sham of an election."
The runoff election will come Friday, but the results this time are a foregone conclusion. More woe is ahead for the people who remain in Zimbabwe.
MSNBC reported yesterday that Robert Mugabe's opposition pulled out of the election.
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Sunday he is pulling out of this week's presidential runoff because of mounting violence and intimidation against his supporters.
Tsvangirai announced his decision during a news conference in Zimbabwe's capital after thousands of ruling party militants blockaded the site of the opposition's main campaign rally.
"Conditions as of today do not permit the holding of a credible poll," Tsvangirai said. "Given the totality of these circumstances, we believe a credible election is impossible. We can't ask the people to cast their vote on June 27 when that vote will cost their lives. We will no longer participate in this violent sham of an election."
The runoff election will come Friday, but the results this time are a foregone conclusion. More woe is ahead for the people who remain in Zimbabwe.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Empowering Iraqi Women
Photo credit: Lance Cpl. Albert F. Hunt
See-dubya at Michelle Malkin's blog posted Friday about new training in Iraq, referencing a press release from the Marine Corps, dated June 5, 2008. Hmmm. I wonder if the mainstream media will pick up the story.
From the press release:
The training program designed to strengthen Iraqi Security Forces and employ women in the fight against terrorist activity has expanded in Al Anbar province as several new recruits graduated and became the Sisters of Ameriyah-Ferris here on June 5.
The Sisters participated in classes held near the towns of Ameriyah and Ferris. 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines was augmented by the female search teams of Combat Logistics Battalion 1 who came out and taught the five-day training.
To thoroughly train the new Sisters to assist Iraqi Police, the Sisters studied topics such as police ethics, human rights, women’s issues, working in a terrorist environment, female searches and first aid. The Sisters also performed live-fire training with AK-47 rifles and 9mm pistols as a confidence booster. The final stage before graduation involved putting their newly learned skills to the test with on-the-job training at entry control points to Ferris Town.
One of the new graduates said the Iraqi Police of Ferris Town told her about this job opportunity. She said this is her first job and it is a new challenge that she is happy and brave enough to take on.
“I joined to help the Iraqi Police and to help my family,” she said. “I’m proud to get this job. I’m proud to help the Iraqi Police. I’m going to make the city safer. I can prevent illegal passengers in the city. I’m so proud, I’m so happy.”
And the best part is that she can shoot a gun. That's real Girl Power. The feminists in America must be so pleased.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Congress Wants to Spy on Your Finances
WorldNetDaily reported yesterday on a provision the Democrats slipped into their housing bill.
A freedom-focused grassroots organization has issued a nationwide alert about a plan in Congress that would require credit card companies, eBay, Amazon, Google and other companies to report what you buy to the federal government.
FreedomWorks chairman Dick [Armey] said the privacy implications are "breathtaking."
"This is a provision with astonishing reach, and it was slipped into the bill just this week," he said. "Not only does it affect nearly every credit card transaction in America, such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, but the bill specifically targets payment systems like eBay's PayPal, Amazon and Google Checkout," he said.
FreedomWorks said the provision is "hidden deep in Sen. Christopher Dodd's 630-page Senate housing legislation." It was added by the bill's managers without debate and calls for a tracking and reporting system "on nearly every electronic transaction."
"At a time when concerns about both identity theft and government spying are paramount, Congress wants to create a new honey pot of private data that includes Social Security numbers. This bill reduces privacy across America's payment processing systems and treats every American small business or eBay power seller like a criminal on parole by requiring an unprecedented level of reporting to the federal government. This outrageous idea is another reason to delay the housing bailout legislation so that Senators and the public at large have time to examine its full implications," FreedomWorks said.
The Democrats in Congress delayed renewal of FISA legislation for months because they didn't want the government spying on terrorists. It finally passed the House yesterday. But those same Democrats think it's a good idea to collect all of your eBay transactions (I don't shop there, so eBay won't be reporting about me) and all of my American Express transactions. And they think it's such a good idea for the American people that they did a stealth maneuver to bury it in over 600 pages of unrelated legislation.
No wonder the Congressional approval numbers are lower than the President's.
A freedom-focused grassroots organization has issued a nationwide alert about a plan in Congress that would require credit card companies, eBay, Amazon, Google and other companies to report what you buy to the federal government.
FreedomWorks chairman Dick [Armey] said the privacy implications are "breathtaking."
"This is a provision with astonishing reach, and it was slipped into the bill just this week," he said. "Not only does it affect nearly every credit card transaction in America, such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, but the bill specifically targets payment systems like eBay's PayPal, Amazon and Google Checkout," he said.
FreedomWorks said the provision is "hidden deep in Sen. Christopher Dodd's 630-page Senate housing legislation." It was added by the bill's managers without debate and calls for a tracking and reporting system "on nearly every electronic transaction."
"At a time when concerns about both identity theft and government spying are paramount, Congress wants to create a new honey pot of private data that includes Social Security numbers. This bill reduces privacy across America's payment processing systems and treats every American small business or eBay power seller like a criminal on parole by requiring an unprecedented level of reporting to the federal government. This outrageous idea is another reason to delay the housing bailout legislation so that Senators and the public at large have time to examine its full implications," FreedomWorks said.
The Democrats in Congress delayed renewal of FISA legislation for months because they didn't want the government spying on terrorists. It finally passed the House yesterday. But those same Democrats think it's a good idea to collect all of your eBay transactions (I don't shop there, so eBay won't be reporting about me) and all of my American Express transactions. And they think it's such a good idea for the American people that they did a stealth maneuver to bury it in over 600 pages of unrelated legislation.
No wonder the Congressional approval numbers are lower than the President's.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Friday at the Fair
I had a job interview yesterday at a really good company in San Diego. They said they still have more people to interview, and then late next week they'll narrow it down and bring in the top two for a second interview. It seemed to go well well, but there's no way to know right now.
I'll be doing it again the next two Fridays, so I picked up some SPF 70 and applied it before I left home. It seems to have worked beautifully.
After my shift, I went through the photography exhibit (no cameras allowed). The winning photos were so incredibly good, I was intimidated. Still, by the time I finished looking at everything, I gathered up the nerve to ask about how to enter something for next year. The lady said that in March, the website should have the rules for entering. I'll try to remember.
The Home & Garden building had a bunch of cool stuff for sale (most of the cheesy stuff was sold in booths outside), and I chatted with lots of the salespeople, even though I can't spend money on anything. A nice lady wanted me to refinish my kitchen cabinets, but I like the ones I have. A friendly man tried to sell me some shutters. None of the spa salesmen talked to me, though. Just as well.
There were some surprises, for me anyway. A guy selling purple cleaner cleaned my sunglasses, which needed it, because I got sunscreen on them, and then he shined up my Isaiah 54 ring with the purple and a toothbrush. He said he's been selling the product for ten years and travels all around the country, living in Alaska, the Seattle area, Southern California, and Florida. I can't imagine that kind of a vagabond life. I like having a place where I belong.
I learned about a square composting setup with worms (although the guy didn't have any worms on hand that I could see), some easy-fold-up lounge chairs (it felt so good to sit down!), and some frangipani plants that the lady assured me even I could grow. Another man was demonstrating some really expensive cookware to an audience of over a dozen. Hard to believe that many people would watch cookware, but maybe they were just grateful for the chance to get off their feet for a while.
Then I saw an enormous collection of models made of hardwood and polished to perfection. Helicopters, planes, cars, vases, trains, and talking frogs. I took some pictures, but they turned out blurry, because I turned the flash off when I took pictures of my fabrics and never turned it back on. Here's his website, so you can see what he had, but the website doesn't look nearly as impressive as seeing dozens of vehicles and aircraft lined up in neat, polished rows.
Foreigners were present as well. A New Zealander was selling a great invention to use on a weed-eater instead of string spools. Invented by another Kiwi, the gizmo is called a Littl' Juey. I could have used that the last time I tried to mow the weeds--before I broke the shaft of my weed-eater.
And a man from Manchester, England--who thinks soccer is the game that rightfully should be called "football," since you use your feet to play it, as opposed to American football which you play with your hands--was selling some nice outdoor furniture and yard decorations made of bamboo. He stopped in the middle of our conversation to stand on top of a bamboo table for another lady who expressed surprise that the table was only $20. Even with his impressive demonstration and the low price, she still didn't buy it. But it was good to talk to him. His accent lingers after 20 years here in the States and is a welcome change from the ordinary sound of our language.
When I come back next Friday, maybe I'll look at the animals. I might even turn on the flash.
So I took a small temp job working at the Del Mar Fair today. My job was standing in the sun by one of the entrances, handing out coupon books for three and a half hours, like these people in the matching turquoise T-shirts.
I'll be doing it again the next two Fridays, so I picked up some SPF 70 and applied it before I left home. It seems to have worked beautifully.
After my shift, I went through the photography exhibit (no cameras allowed). The winning photos were so incredibly good, I was intimidated. Still, by the time I finished looking at everything, I gathered up the nerve to ask about how to enter something for next year. The lady said that in March, the website should have the rules for entering. I'll try to remember.
The Home & Garden building had a bunch of cool stuff for sale (most of the cheesy stuff was sold in booths outside), and I chatted with lots of the salespeople, even though I can't spend money on anything. A nice lady wanted me to refinish my kitchen cabinets, but I like the ones I have. A friendly man tried to sell me some shutters. None of the spa salesmen talked to me, though. Just as well.
There were some surprises, for me anyway. A guy selling purple cleaner cleaned my sunglasses, which needed it, because I got sunscreen on them, and then he shined up my Isaiah 54 ring with the purple and a toothbrush. He said he's been selling the product for ten years and travels all around the country, living in Alaska, the Seattle area, Southern California, and Florida. I can't imagine that kind of a vagabond life. I like having a place where I belong.
I learned about a square composting setup with worms (although the guy didn't have any worms on hand that I could see), some easy-fold-up lounge chairs (it felt so good to sit down!), and some frangipani plants that the lady assured me even I could grow. Another man was demonstrating some really expensive cookware to an audience of over a dozen. Hard to believe that many people would watch cookware, but maybe they were just grateful for the chance to get off their feet for a while.
Then I saw an enormous collection of models made of hardwood and polished to perfection. Helicopters, planes, cars, vases, trains, and talking frogs. I took some pictures, but they turned out blurry, because I turned the flash off when I took pictures of my fabrics and never turned it back on. Here's his website, so you can see what he had, but the website doesn't look nearly as impressive as seeing dozens of vehicles and aircraft lined up in neat, polished rows.
Foreigners were present as well. A New Zealander was selling a great invention to use on a weed-eater instead of string spools. Invented by another Kiwi, the gizmo is called a Littl' Juey. I could have used that the last time I tried to mow the weeds--before I broke the shaft of my weed-eater.
And a man from Manchester, England--who thinks soccer is the game that rightfully should be called "football," since you use your feet to play it, as opposed to American football which you play with your hands--was selling some nice outdoor furniture and yard decorations made of bamboo. He stopped in the middle of our conversation to stand on top of a bamboo table for another lady who expressed surprise that the table was only $20. Even with his impressive demonstration and the low price, she still didn't buy it. But it was good to talk to him. His accent lingers after 20 years here in the States and is a welcome change from the ordinary sound of our language.
When I come back next Friday, maybe I'll look at the animals. I might even turn on the flash.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Emotional Stages of Aging
Bekah, at Bekah's Bits, has turned thirty. I'm not giving away any secrets, because she told us herself when it happened.
Then today she revealed that the physical effects of no longer being in her twenties have begun. She's had to switch to decaf in the evening.
That got me thinking. There are the very famous Kübler-Ross stages of grief, which are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Dr. Kübler-Ross described these stages primarily as they relate to people who are facing their own terminal illness. People who are grieving the loss of a loved one may skip a stage or two.
Bekah's recent Caffeine Crisis has brought up an entire realm of untapped psychological analysis, which I will attempt without any scientific study whatsoever, I'm that good. So here they are, the SkyePuppy Stages of Aging Milestones:
Confusion: Something's different, but you're not sure what. And even when you think you've identified the problem, you know that's not something you struggle with, so you try to force things back to normal.
Mortification: Extreme embarrassment at having an Old People's Problem (OPP). This reveals itself in public places, particularly in stores when you're forced to look at shelves that have OPP remedies. The most common symptom of this stage, after reddening of the cheeks, is the wearing of disguises when shopping.
Depression: The sense that any meaningful life is over. You are OLD now and wear the proof every day in the form of reading glasses or the ache of bursitis or the ordering of decaf with your dinner. This stage is optional.
Acceptance: Most often accompanied by a sense of humor. Recognition that limitations do not prevent joyous living. Acceptance brings a return to normal, with a couple extra quirks along for the ride. This stage is optional.
So when you find yourself facing another Aging Milestone, know that you'll be going through most of these stages. The last two, though, are up to you. You can choose to go through both Depression then Acceptance. Or you choose one and stay there. I recommend you don't choose to stay in Depression. It's too depressing, and life is too short for that.
Then today she revealed that the physical effects of no longer being in her twenties have begun. She's had to switch to decaf in the evening.
That got me thinking. There are the very famous Kübler-Ross stages of grief, which are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Dr. Kübler-Ross described these stages primarily as they relate to people who are facing their own terminal illness. People who are grieving the loss of a loved one may skip a stage or two.
Bekah's recent Caffeine Crisis has brought up an entire realm of untapped psychological analysis, which I will attempt without any scientific study whatsoever, I'm that good. So here they are, the SkyePuppy Stages of Aging Milestones:
Confusion: Something's different, but you're not sure what. And even when you think you've identified the problem, you know that's not something you struggle with, so you try to force things back to normal.
Mortification: Extreme embarrassment at having an Old People's Problem (OPP). This reveals itself in public places, particularly in stores when you're forced to look at shelves that have OPP remedies. The most common symptom of this stage, after reddening of the cheeks, is the wearing of disguises when shopping.
Depression: The sense that any meaningful life is over. You are OLD now and wear the proof every day in the form of reading glasses or the ache of bursitis or the ordering of decaf with your dinner. This stage is optional.
Acceptance: Most often accompanied by a sense of humor. Recognition that limitations do not prevent joyous living. Acceptance brings a return to normal, with a couple extra quirks along for the ride. This stage is optional.
So when you find yourself facing another Aging Milestone, know that you'll be going through most of these stages. The last two, though, are up to you. You can choose to go through both Depression then Acceptance. Or you choose one and stay there. I recommend you don't choose to stay in Depression. It's too depressing, and life is too short for that.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Associated Press Charges Bloggers for Excerpts
Michelle Malkin reported yesterday that the AP has billed big-name bloggers for excerpting from AP stories.
The Internet firestorm over the Associated Press’s heavy-handed attempt to bully bloggers over fair use article excerpts has been absolutely schadenfreude-licious. Now, it’s time to turn the tables. If your blog or blog commenters have ever been quoted by the AP, listen up: It’s time to prepare a bill and demand payment.
First, a quick recap: AP showered a left-wing site with cease-and-desist letters, prompting many political and tech sites to boycott AP content. The latest uproar involves the AP’s pricing scheme charging bloggers $2.50/word and then scaling for excerpt usage. Here’s a screenshot of the media giant’s web usage agreement:
They want to charge people to quote five words??? Come on!
Michelle Malkin has come up with a formula for calculating the bill to charge the AP when they quote from her blog. So far, she figures they owe her $132,135. Not too shabby.
I'm going to have to be more careful, though, since I've quoted from the AP before. The next time I see a good AP story, I'll have to summarize instead of quoting, along the lines of: "The AP reported today that something happened. It was fascinating, and hearts were broken. Write your Congressman!"
Yes, that'll work...
The Internet firestorm over the Associated Press’s heavy-handed attempt to bully bloggers over fair use article excerpts has been absolutely schadenfreude-licious. Now, it’s time to turn the tables. If your blog or blog commenters have ever been quoted by the AP, listen up: It’s time to prepare a bill and demand payment.
First, a quick recap: AP showered a left-wing site with cease-and-desist letters, prompting many political and tech sites to boycott AP content. The latest uproar involves the AP’s pricing scheme charging bloggers $2.50/word and then scaling for excerpt usage. Here’s a screenshot of the media giant’s web usage agreement:
They want to charge people to quote five words??? Come on!
Michelle Malkin has come up with a formula for calculating the bill to charge the AP when they quote from her blog. So far, she figures they owe her $132,135. Not too shabby.
I'm going to have to be more careful, though, since I've quoted from the AP before. The next time I see a good AP story, I'll have to summarize instead of quoting, along the lines of: "The AP reported today that something happened. It was fascinating, and hearts were broken. Write your Congressman!"
Yes, that'll work...
Hen Lays World Map Egg
Weird Asia News reported Monday on an unusual egg.
One very interesting and amazing egg has been laid recently by a hen in Zaozhuang City, China.
The egg looks very similar to a world globe. The patterns on the egg show the seven seas and all four oceans, as well as Greenland and Hainan Islands in China.
I can understand how a Chinese chicken would know about the Hainan Islands, but how would she know about Greenland? Amazing!
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