Da Roostah

Not All Cultures Are Equal

2009-04-24T16:24:00.001-07:00

She called someone else "absolutely stark raving mad." Awesome, right?

Paper Bottles

2008-11-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

1.5 Terabytes, Stack the Memory to the Sky

2008-11-26T19:14:00.001-08:00

I've been trying to tell ya...

2008-11-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

My home state does it right, homeslice. Not always (see recently passed Proposition 102), but definitely on daylight savings time. We don't observe it because it doesn't reduce energy consumption. Turns out, it might actually do the opposite in Indiana (from WSJ):

Having the entire state switch to daylight-saving time each year, rather than stay on standard time, costs Indiana households an additional $8.6 million in electricity bills. They conclude that the reduced cost of lighting in afternoons during daylight-saving time is more than offset by the higher air-conditioning costs on hot afternoons and increased heating costs on cool mornings.

Those researchers, only days ago, said in a recent Times Op-ed, "Arizona, one of the hottest states, may have it right; it does not practice daylight time." Hottest, baby.

And BB says our new pres wants to axe it. Gobama!

100 Days

2008-02-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

Good morning,

I have so far supported Senator Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. But I am still curious about how he prioritizes the challenges that confront all of us? (The Economist is curious about the specifics too.) What does he do in the first 100 days of his presidency?

PS: I also engage in a very lazy form of news distribution: my Google Reader shared items. At least one of you has found it interesting. Get an inside track on high level politics, technology trends, and capital markets. Here you are. At least you would have known that house prices were almost certainly poised to fall. If a year too early. Thanks!

Temporarily

2008-01-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

I've re-registered temporarily as a Demoncrat to vote in the February 5th Arizona Primary.

The Green Demon

2007-11-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

Money enters campaigns through a new avenue, the Times pointed out yesterday. Basically, non-profits will buy TV advertisements to promote their issue, all the while promoting a particular candidate's work thereof, even when the issue doesn't merit the airtime:

The so-called Wounded Warriors Act, legislation intended to improve health care for veterans, has attracted nearly unanimous, bipartisan support in Congress. So why would the newly formed Foundation for a Secure and Prosperous America begin running a television commercial urging the citizens of South Carolina to tell Congress to pass it?

The answer lies in the commercial’s glowing images of Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican banking on a South Carolina victory to jump-start his cash-poor Republican primary campaign. The group that paid for the advertisement operates independently of Mr. McCain’s campaign, but was set up and financed by his supporters seeking to help him as much as possible up to the limits of the law.

Highlight of the whole business:

Mr. McCain has crusaded for years against just this sort of unencumbered political spending and has publicly called upon the foundation to stop the advertisement, a request competitors say seems half-hearted and the group’s leader has ignored.

I don't think it was a planned venture, but I'm not sure it matters. After someone knows that a group backs her/him because a particular stance, will they be willing to to reconsider given new information? Won't the carrot of continued support hold them in place? That's the problem with money in politics. Any ideas on how we're going to solve that? I hate the idea of federal finds, but it seems like one of those lesser evil things now.

Free Rice

2007-11-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

The site blows my mind. Participate!

This Gender Thing is History

2007-11-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

But let me tell you, this gender thing is history. You're looking at a guy who sat down with Margaret Thatcher across the table and talked about serious issues.
--George H. W. Bush

I don't know whether to be appalled or incredulous about the World Gender Equality rankings. Didn't we solve this question a number of years ago? I mean, there's only four areas of assessment: differences between men and women's salaries, access to education, political representation and health including life expectancy. Shouldn't we be doing better? It makes me wonder if there still people in the U.S. that would agree that it's permissible to pay women less for doing the same job.

Salaries, access to education, health? I'm willing to hear arguments about political representation and potentially consider that a person doesn't necessarily have to look like me to represent my beliefs, but the other standards are undoubtedly factors we talk about in the U.S. as points of pride, right? Maybe I've got this all wrong, but I'm pretty sure I learned in school, "America is better, cuz we're free and equal." Damn teachers, lied to me.

A Novel Take

2007-10-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

I have have spent some number of pixels on the Turk-American-Kurd issue. While the Kurds can carryout hit-and-run attacks against Turkish troops, I have been curious about the end game. How do the conflicting interests resolve? As usual, John Robb presents a plausible scenario, applying his global guerilla heuristic to the question.

Current tightness in the oil markets (peak oil?) has presented the PKK, the Kurdish guerrilla group fighting the Turkish government, with an amazing opportunity. It can become responsible for sending oil prices over $100 a barrel and sowing panic in global markets.

How? This objective can be accomplished through a series of attacks on the BTC pipeline that runs from Azerbaijan to the Turkish port of Ceyhan (in a fashion similar to earlier attacks that PKK has made on less substantial pipelines). With over 750,000 barrels of oil flow a day (1 m a day next year) over 1,092 miles of pipeline, ongoing disruption would result in [several consequential outcomes].

Please click through for the full text.

Pharrell Williams, etc

2007-10-28T01:37:00.000-07:00

It can't just be me. Pharrell is getting better. That's quite an achievement given the critic's judgement in 2006. From that spot, Mr Williams' "Blue Magic" is sincerely sinister. It plays like inevitability -- the drums sound like fate itself knocking from the speaker. A preliminary video is below. (Aside: "Blue Magic"'s drums require playback with deep bass. And volume. And a chip on your shoulder.)

Williams' versatility matches his excellence for expressing specific moods -- such as the vanity, fun, and exceptionalism, for which he's most famous. Timberlake party track? The Jam. He's got range. See 'despondent' under 'd' in his alphabetically sorted discography. Pharrell's lyrics amplify the sentiment: "I'm out of my mind, I'm running from guilt, but there's no one around". Despondent is cross referenced with 'saudade' in the 'S' section.

PS: My co-editor's claims to London compel me to keep the pulse of British hip hop: "acting immaturely in a hurry to be old" is an unforgettable irony. I follow New Orleans' best MC out of habit. Minnesota's Minne-appleseed continues to release hit records -- herewith Brother Ali (myspace):

"I just don't believe in quitin' time"

Brother Ali is label mates with Slug. Who is a label mate to Eyedea. Slug and Eyedea rap together. MTV's Sway was easily won over.

In conclusion, a link festival for Slug and Atmosphere: most accessible and pop-like, a good live performance("the patience is short and, of course, the pride is way too tall"), the song that originally turned me on in 1999 (the linked video was produced by a fan). With a live band, Slug slayed a Jimmy Kimmel Show performance in 2006:

"peace, make steps, on the run with BDP in tape deck"

Slug's rapped with lots of folks. In addition to Eyedea, he's recently hooked up with Los Angeles' Murs to create an entity named Felt. They worked well together -- the evidence is posted here for your review:

"but in the middle of the night, reached for a second helpin', got a handful of sheets, I was all by myself, and"

The second song in this couplet is a personal favorite. It's about gratitude.

Social Cartography

2007-10-28T01:26:00.000-07:00

Linked without commentary.

Portraits

2007-10-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

The New York Times gives character portraits of the presidential candidates holding JDs; NPR has been running a sometimes interesting series about the candidates' first campaign. One listens to these stories seeking a nugget of information that will inform performance in 2008.

Tomorrow's Forecast

2007-10-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

"[A] rising, not a setting, sun"
--Benjamin Franklin

(via Brad DeLong)

Continued Brilliance

2007-10-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the things that Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) comes up with. I'm beside myself after reading this Times article. Yesterday, he kept up his promise to America...

Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado, a Republican presidential candidate whose fierce opposition to illegal immigration is the center of his campaign, contacted the immigration service yesterday demanding that agents raid a senator’s news conference.
The afternoon event on Capitol Hill was held by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois and the leading sponsor of a bill that would give legal status to illegal immigrants who are high school graduates, if they attend college or serve in the United States military for two years. The bill is scheduled to come up for an important procedural vote in the Senate this morning.
Mr. Tancredo announced yesterday morning that he had contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency, calling for the arrest of illegal immigrants he said would attend the news conference.
“If we can’t enforce our laws inside the building where American laws are made, where can we enforce them?” Mr. Tancredo said in a statement.

Comedy Mondays

2007-10-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

How hot was Anderson as blogger? Those posts were so money, I've made him a permanent contributor. And in his honor, I give you E.R.A. Comedy Mondays. I loved it from his All The Riches Baby blogging days, and I'm importing it for the good of DR readers. Today's edition comes via Zach via Opinionator:

The political experts have found Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign to be less than a Delta Force for change, mostly because his money-raising has been Missing in Action. Now, however, comes an announcement that could lift Huckabee’s sails, or at least karate-chop them: Chuck Norris has endorsed Huckabee’s candidacy.

“Like most of you, over the summer and into the fall, I’ve been watching, listening, studying and praying about who could lead this country as our next president,” Norris writes at WorldNetDaily. He adds:

I won’t leave you in suspense. Though Giuliani might be savvy enough to lead people, Fred Thompson wise enough to wade through the tides of politics, McCain tough enough to fight terrorism and Romney business-minded enough to grow our economy, I believe the only one who has all of the characteristics to lead America forward into the future is ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Norris says he chose Huckabee for his “integrity, commitment, truthfulness and respect” and because Huckabee “is a compassionate Christian conservative. Though solid in his faith and standing for traditional family values, he’s not an uncaring extremist.”

Norris also compares the former Arkansas governor to, yes, King David:

Seven men were poised and paraded for the position of king, but David was left in the field shepherding because he wasn’t “a frontrunner in the polls.” They overlooked the best because they were too busy judging by outward appearance. But God appointed David king.

The folks who run The Palmetto Scoop think that Norris’s article will secure the White House for Huckabee: “Huckabee will now be unstoppable. And by unstoppable, we mean they face the wrath of a man who is rumored to have played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won and who reportedly grinds his coffee with his teeth and boils the water with his own rage.”

Norris’s endorsement is quite serious, though it isn’t being treated that way in blogland. But hey, if two of the stars of the action movie “Predator” – Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger — can become governors, why can’t the star of “Walker, Texas Ranger” become a presidential kingmaker?

On Friday

2007-10-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Why Now?

2007-10-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

I remain curious about the timing of Foreign Affairs Armenian genocide vote. All of the available evidence suggests that local politics principally informed the committee members' votes: election year plus Armenian constituents equals 'yay' vote.

George Harris, a former State Department analyst now at the Middle East Institute, said the machinations of domestic politics were playing a key role in the affair -- one year out from the next presidential elections.

"The Democrats won control of Congress and they have to show they can do something," he said, adding that Pelosi, like many others who support the bill have powerful constituents in the Armenian community.

I looked for district demographic data to support that, but it wasn't immediately forthcoming. Nevertheless, the "all politics is local" model seems sensible enough. And where the geopolitical repercussions were so apparent that even President Bush anticipated them, it's doubly disappointing. (After all, the President is a man that expected to spend $50B liberating Iraq -- one ninth of the spend to date.)

In end, I'm just happy to see that the responsibility of government isn't affecting the Democratic moralistic ethos:

The committee this week passed the bill to the full House floor after Lantos had called a vote of "conscience" and argued the United States had a moral duty to describe the killings as "genocide" despite the consequences.

Oh, brother.

The same "conscience" doesn't flinch at the sight of Turkish tanks rolling towards northern Iraq's Kurds, and the American soldiers there?

Atmosphere

2007-10-13T14:51:00.001-07:00

Square Hole, Round Peg

2007-10-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not saying that Sullivan is wrong here, maybe not even inconsistent, but it's still a curious calculus of facts, and negations. On the one hand, speaking of Congress:

The decision...to make...a point about the Armenian genocide of almost a
century ago is foolish in the extreme.

And of course, this type of recognition isn't an entirely novel thing in American history. Reagan equated the Armenian genocide with the Holocaust. On the other hand, speaking of that 1940's horror:

It is easy to become numb to an outrage. But what just happened in Tehran -
the Holocaust denial conference - really requires us ">not to give in to
numbness. Anyone who seriously wants to question the fact of one of the
greatest crimes in human history is a monster. Period.

So, it's wrong for the American Congress to recognize the American genocide; it's also wrong for the Iranian president to not recognize the Jewish genocide. Perhaps agnosticm of genocides is the safest position.

You may have noticed the ellipses in my excerpt of Sullivan. That deliberate rhetorical tactic modified this statement in Sullivan's original:

The decision to antagonize our most important ally in the war against Islamist
extremism to make a symbolic point about the Armenian genocide of almost a
century ago is foolish in the extreme.

Sullivan leaps to conclusions that warrant parsing. "The decision to antagonize" -- no. One of the effects of the Congressional decisions was to antagonize the Turks. At least if you accept the superficial facts. Why this? Why now? Middle Eastern politics, a storm of oil, money, identity politics, (and 150K American soldiers) begs those questions.

Even the most naive observer of the young Turks recognizes this gesture's insult. The Turks' backlash is fomenting. That diplomatic recall is likely prelude; escalations would see Turkish incursions into Kurdish controlled northern Iraq to relieve Turkey of long standing irritants. The United States has hitherto contained that violent impulse.

Underscoring that freshly possible scenario, Democrat Tom Lantos argued: "We have to weigh the desire to express our solidarity with the Armenian people... against the risk that it could cause young men and women in the uniform of the United States armed services to pay an even heavier price than they are currently paying."

The Congressional committee vote crossed party lines.

Some things just don't seem to fit where they should.

Full disclosure: I'm long energy interests. And apologies to those using feed readers.

Open Letter

2007-10-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Democratic Primary Voter in Iowa or New Hampshire,

I am concerned tonight. Should Gore go on to win the Nobel Prize, he would stand hardly a chance in an open, national election for the American presidency. I pray you remember: he's already i) associated with a premature withdrawl and ii) won an Academy Award. Adding an award from iii) an elite European institution group does him no favors. It's like adding injury to insult -- the third mark in a signature trifecta of "let the terrorists win"-ism .

Please vote for Biden. Or the black guy. I don't know if they're more electable, mind you. I just like them better all the same.

Thanks,
Eric

i) above comes with all the usual caveats. I wasn't in Florida, etc.

Update!: This is rich -- even for the National Review.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2007-10-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

a diagram by the ever cheeky indexable

Good Evening

2007-10-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

I'm taking the contrarian position on the too-briefly considered Pentagon weapons research to "create a hormone bomb that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and them more interested in sex" than warfare. It sounds like a splendid weapon. Under different circumstances, not infrequently achieved in San Francisco, such a "weapon" would popularly be considered a polite party favor.

Unfortunately, I think, the sexual orientation to be impacted scandalized us too much. I suppose the ideal ammunition would be orientation neutral, liberalizing sexuality more generally. Sullivan shows that there's latent, local demand among citizens of predominantly Islamic states. A soft power angle in the Long War? I should say so. And what of collateral damage -- perhaps only to ancient mores.

Such a weapon would impart lighter logistical burdens on us. The current best guess in this conflict, the military occupation of Iraq, has produced a scenario where it's hard to know what to do, and hard to do anything at all. The sunk costs are significant; the vested interests developed; the inert mass very, very heavy.

Watching them drive by at 30 miles per hour, would take 75 days. Bumper-to-bumper, they would stretch from New York City to Denver. That's how U.S. Air Force logistical expert Lenny Richoux described the number of vehicles that would have to be shipped back from Iraq when the current deployment is over. These include, among others, 10,000 flatbed trucks, 1,000 tanks and 20,000 Humvees.Even in an emergency, said Col. Richoux in DefenseNews, the evacuation of 162,000 troops in 23 ground combat brigades and millions of tons of equipment would take some 20 months. Military shipping containers, end to end, would stretch from New York City to the gates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The main resupply route for convoys that runs 344 miles from Kuwait (skirts Basra to the north) to Baghdad is already under the constant threat of hit-and-run insurgency attacks, including improvised explosive devices. Driving empty, on their way back to pick up another load in Kuwait, convoys are just as vulnerable.

Good Morning

2007-10-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

In lieu of high level discussion, I thought I might start here with a stunning picture from this morning's Sartorialist. That it pushes down the lady wearing a garbage can lid is a happy side effect.

A New E.R.A.

2007-10-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

I'll be in Brazil, so I'm handing the reins over to a more than capable blogger. It's my pleasure to present you Mr. Eric Robert Anderson. Sometimes, he blogs here. Check out his old stuff and you'll see why he's nonpareil.

A recent conversation I had via e-mail will also shed some light:

AJP:

bush's tues speech you think, signals we're attacking iran before he's out of office? [sic]

ERA:

My general rubric for predicting the Administration's decisions:

If decision x from decision set y causes the worst-case outcome, p=.7 that the Administration will decide x.

Part of the problem: I'm not sure what's the worst case outcome vis-a-vis the Iranian nuclear weapons program.

Enjoy the high level of discourse, humor, and information Eric brings.

Trash

2007-10-03T09:32:00.001-07:00

A model wears a creation by American fashion designer Jeremy Scott for his ready to wear Spring-Summer 2008 collection, presented in Paris on Tuesday.

More Goodies at the Dept of State

2007-10-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

AP via the AZ Republic:

WASHINGTON - Federal employees wasted at least $146 million over a one-year period on business- and first-class airline tickets, in some cases simply because they felt entitled to the perk, congressional investigators say.

A draft report by the Government Accountability Office, obtained Tuesday by the Associated Press, is the first to examine compliance with travel rules across the federal government following reports of extensive abuse of premium-class travel by Pentagon and State Department employees.

The review of travel spending by more than a dozen agencies from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, found 67 percent of premium-class travel by executives or their employees, worth at least $146 million, was unauthorized or unjustified.om a subordinate employee.

The State Department is among the worst offenders.

Many of the cases involved high-ranking senior officials or political appointees who claimed exceptions to federal travel rules by citing old medical records or questionable approval from a subordinate employee.

Teach For All

2007-10-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

At TFA's website, a press release announces:

NEW YORK, September 27, 2007—Today at the Clinton Global Initiative, Teach For America announced its commitment to launch Teach For All, a new organization that will support entrepreneurs in other countries who are pursuing the development of the Teach For America model locally. These local organizations will channel the talent and energy of their countries’ top recent college graduates against educational disparities facing tens of thousands of children in their high-poverty communities. Teach For All was created in partnership with Teach First, an adaptation of Teach For America in the U.K., and with significant start-up support from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the Amy and Larry Robbins Foundation.

How hot is that? More details at the Clinton Global Initiative here.

Diplomacy

2007-10-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Times, today:

In at least two cases, Blackwater paid victims’ family members who complained, and sought to cover up other episodes, the Congressional report said. It said State Department officials approved the payments in the hope of keeping the shootings quiet. In one case last year, the department helped Blackwater spirit an employee out of Iraq less than 36 hours after the employee, while drunk, killed a bodyguard for one of Iraq’s two vice presidents on Christmas Eve.
The report by the Democratic majority staff of a House committee adds weight to complaints from Iraqi officials, American military officers and Blackwater’s competitors that company guards have taken an aggressive, trigger-happy approach to their work and have repeatedly acted with reckless disregard for Iraqi life.
But the report is also harshly critical of the State Department for exercising virtually no restraint or supervision of the private security company’s 861 employees in Iraq. “There is no evidence in the documents that the committee has reviewed that the State Department sought to restrain Blackwater’s actions, raised concerns about the number of shooting episodes involving Blackwater or the company’s high rate of shooting first, or detained Blackwater contractors for investigation,” the report states.

McCain

2007-10-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

From Talking Points Memo:

The senator ran into additional religious trouble in a BeliefNet interview in which he said, "I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation." This despite the fact that the Constitution, which McCain has presumably read, does the exact opposite.

And as if that weren't enough, in the same interview, McCain suggested he wouldn't want a Muslim president.

"I admire the Islam. There's a lot of good principles in it," he said. "But I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith."

Apparently, McCain later realized he'd made a mistake, because the transcript of the interview added, "McCain contacted Beliefnet after the interview to clarify his remarks: 'I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values.'"

In other words, McCain was for discrimination before he was against it.

Former Bush White House aide David Kuo, now a BeliefNet contributor, said McCain was "pandering to what he thinks the Christian conservative community wants to hear" and predicted he "will have a lot of explaining to do about this interview."

Hear About HCZ

2007-10-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Bill Clinton was on Letterman recently talking about the Harlem Children Zone:

Founded in 1970, Harlem Children's Zone, Inc. is a pioneering, non-profit, community-based organization that works to enhance the quality of life for children and families in some of New York City's most devastated neighborhoods. Formerly known as Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families, HCZ Inc.'s centers serve more than 13,000 children and adults, including over 9,500 at-risk children. The emphasis of our work is not just on education, social service and recreation, but on rebuilding the very fabric of community life. The Children's Zone intentionally develops programs where other agencies are not located and poor children and families have no one, or even a place, to run for help.

From their business plan:

These twin principles — a critical mass of engaged, effective families, and early and progressive intervention in children's development — have led the Harlem Children's Zone in recent years to concentrate more of its activities on the families in a 24-block region of Central Harlem called the Harlem Children's Zone Project. Taking this concentration of effort to its logical fulfillment - reaching a greater percentage of residents in the Zone with a wider, more effective mix of services, particularly at earlier ages - is the first and most far-reaching of the imperatives of this Business Plan. In fact, most of the other imperatives flow from that one, and all of them rest on the same governing principles."

Music Fridays - Gym Class Heroes

2007-09-29T14:58:00.001-07:00

Go ahead an play it again so you can watch that little man dance.

Infected

2007-09-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

The miga from a BBC article yesterday:

The head of the Catholic Church in Mozambique has told the BBC he believes some European-made condoms are infected with HIV deliberately.
Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio claimed some anti-retroviral drugs were also infected "in order to finish quickly the African people".

and...

"Condoms are not sure because I know that there are two countries in Europe, they are making condoms with the virus on purpose," he alleged, refusing to name the countries.
"They want to finish with the African people. This is the programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not careful we will finish in one century's time."

Holding Out Hope

2007-09-25T15:02:00.001-07:00

Republican San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders

Best for Last

2007-09-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm late on publishing this post, but here's what I had written up about...well, you'll see:

I really enjoyed Buenos Aires, but the real gem of my trip was Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. It's my new second favorite city. The place is a UNESCO world heritage site, and it isn't hard to see why.

Important: I rode around on a moped all day (and now I want a motorcycle) and I took over a hundred pictures (84 of which I posted, the last new pictures that will show up there--links to new stuff here).

Begala Lays the Smackdown...

2007-09-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm interested to see where everyone stands on the now infamous MoveOn "Gen. Betray-Us" advertisement. I know many have come out to condemn it and our Congress sees fit to discuss it officially. Begala talks about why the focus shouldn't be engaging Bush on the repudiation. He gives it to us hard-hitting-like via the Huffington Post:

But perhaps the worst was what was done to John Kerry. Kerry earned five major medals in combat: the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. And yet supporters of Bush and Cheney decided to smear his war record. The despicable, dishonest Swift Boat attacks alleged that Kerry fabricated reports that earned him the Bronze Star. The Swifties also suggested that Kerry's wounds were insignificant - and that one was even self-inflicted. Kerry's wounds were certainly more serious than Mr. Bush's, who suffered a cut on his finger from popping a beer can while avoiding his duty in the Alabama National Guard. At the 2000 GOP convention, rich, white Republicans were photographed gleefully putting Band-Aids with purple hearts on their chubby cheeks. Mr. Bush refused to condemn the attack - blandly noting he didn't like 527 groups generally - and later nominated one of the men who financed the smear to be Ambassador to Belgium.

Mr. Bush is a coward and a bully. He knows he'll never be the kind of hero his father was. He knows he lacks the heroism of John Kerry or Max Cleland, so he overcompensates with bluster and bravado. In fact, he told bloggers recently that he wishes he were fighting in Iraq. The Washington Post's Dan Froomkin reported that Bush told a blogger in Iraq that he'd like to be carrying a 50-pound pack and an M-16, but, "One, I'm too old to be out there. And, two, they'd notice me."

So Mr. Bush is too old to fight in Iraq, and he was too rich and well-connected to fight in Vietnam. But he's itchin' for a fight with a progressive interest group. Does anyone believe he'd have the same outrage if a right-wing group were attacking war heroes? Of course not.

No Homo

2007-09-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

From the Times live-blog of the Iranian President's speech today at Columbia University:

Updated, 2:53 p.m. | Asked what he hoped to achieve when he expressed a desire to visit the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan, Mr. Ahmadinejad said he wanted to “show my respect.”

He added: “Regretfully, some groups had very strong reactions, very bad reactions. It’s bad to prevent someone from showing sympathy to the families of the victims of the 9/11 event, a tragic event.” He added that he was puzzled when told that some viewed his desire to visit ground zero as an insult. “This is my way of showing my respect,” he said. “Why would you think that?”

Updated, 2:51 p.m. | In response to a question about the treatment of homosexuals in Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad was initially evasive, instead talking about the death penalty, which, he pointed out, exists in the United States. “People who violate the laws by using guns, creating insecurity selling guns, distributing guns at a high level are sentenced to execution in Iran,” he said. “Very few of these punishments are carried out in the public eye.”

Pressed by Dean Coatsworth on the original question about the rights of gay men and lesbians in Iran, Mr. Ahmadinejad said: “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country. We don’t have that in our country.”

The audience booed and hissed loudly. Some laughed, uncomfortably.

“In Iran, we do not have this phenomenon,” Mr. Ahmadinejad continued, undeterred. “I do not know who has told you that we have it. But as for women, maybe you think that maybe being a woman is a crime. It’s not a crime to be a woman. Women are the best creatures created by God. They represent the kindness, the beauty that God instills in them. Women are respected in Iran.”

Zach's take via Gchat:

Zachary: right. yea "we don't have that problem here. end of story" i think that might give people in kansas a new argument [sic]

Burn...

2007-09-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

Michael Brindley at the Nashua Telegraph delivers some noteworthy embers on the Grand Old Party and education:

When Republicans were asked to name their most important issue, education didn’t even register enough responses to make it on the list.

and:

“So far, in four Republican nationally televised debates, there hasn’t been a single question on education. I find that appalling,” said Bramante, who is also the state co-chair for Republican candidate Mike Huckabee’s campaign.

and:

“It requires and deserves national leadership, and what we’ve had so far is a fair amount of lip service from the candidates.”

M-D is for Militarily-Driven

2007-09-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

New Maryland high school is a career academy focused on providing an education that will help students understand the "new reality" and prepare them for the world of homeland security:

Volrath maintains that Joppatowne High will remain above the fray. "The school's built around the marketplace that surrounds the defense industry," he explains, "but the program's not involved in war or peace. Still, there are some realities about good guys and bad guys that will surely be discussed."

Students might even get to learn "Arabic or some other nontraditional, Third World-type language." Then later they can be the kind of people Blackwater recruits, eh?

Things you can't believe...

2007-09-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

Sundays are for link parades, because you deserve ample reading material on Sundays. Today, things you can't believe:

- that people hate cilantro this much

- that Matt Taibbi's (Rolling Stone's) newest was this biting

- that goat sacrifices continue to this day

- that the Air Force is this inept

- that graphic history could be this interesting

- that if we're back on the 'gutting the military' charges I want to defect this much

Music Fridays: New Kanye

2007-09-08T15:04:00.001-07:00

That punk woulda liked this...

Music Fridays: Lupe Fiasco - Kick Push

2007-08-10T17:37:00.001-07:00

The Last of Good Air

2007-08-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Palermo, the neighborhood I stayed in was exciting, lively--it was seemingly the prime spot for nightlife. But the day in Buenos Aires belonged to La Boca (my pics here), by far my favorite neighborhood. Although touristy, La Boca has a charm that comes from more than just the colorful streets--it'll bring the gadabout right out of you. You might think its gaudy or tacky, at first, but the variegated scheme comes from the tradition of having used leftover paint from the shipyard to coat homes those that could otherwise not afford it.

The highlight of La Boca wasn't the Caminito or even stopping in at a random cafe and catching a tango show, but rather the most note-worthy book press I've yet encountered:

During the crisis Argentina’s middle class, which historically had been the largest in Latin America, collapsed. Half the population fell below the poverty line, and thousands of people walked the streets collecting scraps of cardboard and paper from the gutters and rubbish bins to sell for whatever they could get. They were, and still are, known as cartoneros – ‘cardboard people’. With most consumers finding it almost impossible to buy everyday household items, let alone luxury goods, Argentine publishing houses were struck particularly hard: imported books cost four or five times more after the great devaluation of the peso at the beginning of 2002.

Social experimentation, improvisation and cooperation occurred in neighbourhoods and cities across the country: factories started up again, run by shop-floor workers; a barter system evolved, in which millions of people participated; unemployed members of the middle classes and others began to create their own forms of self-government; street artists formed themselves into collectives. Since 2005 the country’s political institutions have been shored up, and a process of macroeconomic recovery has taken place. The period of greatest social crisis has passed, but it has left its mark; the government can no longer follow the neo-liberal approach of the 1990s. Yet while there has been a slight shift to the left, basically the system has recovered, and although there is less poverty, wealth is still mainly concentrated in the hands of the few. There is less unemployment, but people’s buying power has also decreased.

EC’s work began in this economic and political context. From the outset it bought cardboard from the cartoneros for five times the normal price. Several of Latin America’s most important writers or their literary executors waived the copyright on some of their works. The front and back cover of each of EC’s publications is produced by a group of cartoneros, cutting and painting and then attaching a little pile of photocopied text (although this is gradually being replaced by offset printing).

They kindly posed for my pictures, here.

Deadly Buenos Aires

2007-08-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

I don't want to drag this photo thing out too much longer, so, naturally, I will. But there's no way you'll get anything out of looking at 800 pictures of my Buenos Aires trip all at once. Not to mention the fact that you'll miss all the fun stuff. Today's mass dump includes photos of the hot Buenos Aires architecture, pictures from the inside the main Cathedral, which houses the corpse of San Martin, the Libertador of South America, and shots of the Cementerio de Recoleta--a real city of the dead, where you could easily get lots in the streets.

I've also posted photos from an estancia in San Antonio de Areco, in the Province of Buenos Aires (a few hours outside the city), where we were afforded an intimate look at true gaucho culture as part of our Fulbright Conference. You'll see us horseback riding, asado feasting, and playing pool (just like an Argentinian gaucho would).

Count It

2007-08-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

From the beasts that brought you Pluto, jeremiad-free news--Lowell found us a new planet called TrES-4. Remarks from the Republic:

"It is kind of an arduous process, in a sense, to go through discovery, confirmation and further observation," he said. "It takes a lot of collaborators, a lot of time and effort and telescopes."

Lowell's telescope that made the discovery is housed on the top of Anderson Mesa, about 15 miles southwest of Flagstaff. Scientists send the robotic telescope an e-mail every day, telling it where to look in the sky.

Lowell is world-famous for the discovery of Pluto in 1930. Other big discoveries over the years include the first detection of water in a planet outside our solar system's atmosphere and a means of determining the age of a star.

Lowell Observatory near Flagstaff, is located in the great state of Arizona. Believe it, por favor.

Aesthetic Aires

2007-08-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Buenos Aires is plentiful in museums, especially for the art-lover. My exegesis would be far too amateur, but I can tell, at least, that I enjoyed the art, and took as many pictures as I could covertly accomplish. But better than the art I saw in museums, was the public art. See some of it for yourself.

More Buenos Aires

2007-08-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Some of the other picture-worthy places I saw in Buenos Aires were the Japanese Gardens, Puerto Madero and the widest street in the world. Indeed, after seeing the Botanical Gardens, weak sauce--nothing on what we've got in Phoenix, the Japanese Gardens were quite a sight. But I think they'd have held their own weight. See for yourself.

Puerto Madero, the port neighborhood in BsAs, harbors some great views, delicious eats, and easy access to Uruguay. Harbors. Get it? Because...

Buenos Aires also has what Porteños refer to as "the widest street in the world." 9 de Julio was indeed quite difficult to cross. It took me 3 traffic lights.

Stay in the Know

2007-08-07T09:20:00.001-07:00

I Am Become Death

2007-08-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

A victim of the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare is seen in September 1945, at the Ujina Branch of the First Army Hospital in Hiroshima. The explosion's thermic rays burned the pattern of this woman's kimono upon her back.
Photo: Associated Press

From Wired:

Many historians believe that the real U.S. motive for dropping the bomb was to end the war quickly before the Russians could become involved, thereby denying them a postwar stake in the Pacific -- and, by practical example, to send a message to Stalin.

That we might remember, and learn.

Unwarranted Applause

2007-08-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

There's lots of inexplicable exaltation that happens in South America, in my opinion. I never understood why people in the U.S. would sometimes clap at the end of movies they enjoyed--the actors do not get to hear the applause, so really all you're doing is showing other people you approved of the film. And why should I care about your opinion? But here in Chile, people cheer at the end of movies they were only mildly pleased with, or sometimes not even at all. After a recent flick I asked someone, who was earlier clapping, what he thought of the movie. "It was okay. Not that good," he responded.

But it doesn't end there. At the beginning of my trip, one of the first movies I saw was Dear Wendy (trailer here), a criticism of gun violence and our cultural parlance on weapons. At points when major characters died, people clapped. Shocking! And at the end of particularly violent scenes you could hear laughing and wild applause. I simply didn't get it.

Probably the oddest clapping I hear is on flights. The largely U.S. customer base of my American Airlines flight arriving in Santiago was adulation-free. But my flight to Easter Island was rife with applause at the end of the trip. And flying to Buenos Aires a few weeks ago, it seemed like people were hesitant in their mitt pounding, until the taxi to the end of the runway ended, and people went into full ovation. For a turbulent flight, fully lacking in the expected services of flight attendants, no less.

Speaking of Buenos Aires, one of the best parts of was gastronomic--so much great ethnic food and entertaining bars to visit. A healthy plaudit for that. New rule: I'm clapping at the end of good meals. Check out some of the places I hit up.

Y vos...¿Conocés a Maradona?

2007-08-05T11:20:00.001-07:00

Just back from my trip to Buenos Aires, I can think of few better ways to commemorate my return from one soccer-crazed land to another than to introduce (or reintroduce, as may be the case for some of you) to the Argentine soccer god, Maradona. Why is the goal so important you ask?

1) It thrusts the Porteño from soccer fame into deity--literally there is a church based on his divinity (check the link you didn't click on).

2) It was scored against the British years after being humiliated in the Falklands War at their hands.

3) It's widely considered the most famous and best goal in the history of soccer. There's even a memorial to the goal.

4) I just got back from Argentina, a place where you may not ask who Diego Maradona is lest you should want to turn a very amiable group of hosts into an anti-gringo mob--trust me, I know this one from experience.

In other news, my first batch of Buenos Aires pictures is up, here. There are hundreds more coming.

Los Viernes Son Por La Musica

2007-08-03T14:58:00.001-07:00

I'm back. In the coming days I'll be posting about my fantastic Argentina-Uruguay trip, but first I want to thank The Killer Beaz for his efforts in multiplying DR's readership. To that end, we're birthing a new tradition: the weekly Jason S. Beazly 'Music Fridays' posts in honor of DR's first guest blogger. So to start your weekends off right, I'll be posting new music that I recommend you check out. Please believe.

Today, I want to throw it back to my first favorite Chilean band, Los Tres, with a little hit that every Chilean can sing, "Quien es La Que Viene Allí."

a bon voyage and a fond farewell my readers....

2007-08-01T00:16:00.001-07:00

So I am reading this great book about China right now and I found a gem for you guys:

"Perhaps the strangest panic occurred in 1993 in Chongqing, a huge riverside metropolis in central China. A tale spread that an American-made robotic zombie had gone out of control and escaped from the United Stated to Chongqing. "The zombie specialized in eating children wearing red clothes, and it was said to have devoured several kids already," reported the Chongqing Legal News, an official newspaper. In the resulting frenzy, many children refused to go to school. Parents protected their "little emperors" by fashioning crosses out of chopsticks and putting cloves of garlic in their book bags. The result was a sudden garlic shortage in Chongqing. The mayor's office was forced to address the issue and order a new round of "ideological work on teachers and students to calm them down and make them at ease about going to school.""

Nicholas Kristoff, former Beijing chapter chief for the NYTimes.

I figured since small children (especially school aged children) are afraid of AJP as well (particularly his 360 dunk) it was only appropriate to note one more thing he has in common with large, American, robotic zombies. You know?

FFAA: A few of his favorite things....

ties, maroon and gold, AZ, poker, Howard Zinn, David Sedaris, elephants, properly functioning radiators, d-blacks, march madness, not-Tucson, the interwebs, xmas and thanksgivings here (particularly at 2 in the morning), TeachForAmericans, fencing, Lewis Black, Chris Rock, 5th Grade, loose calls, people who pronounce "Draught" properly, microbrew rootbeer, peanutbutter and banana, nixon's, allpeers, weezer, 50, cake, deathcab, J5, outkast, toast on 22's, postal service, shakira, sufjan stevens, arcade fire, new beligums, the brain trust, naps, home cooking, and just about anything brown.

Anyway, it's been great sending out mindless words into the great oblivion we know as the interwebs (at least those who are witting know it as that, right MLR? (pronouced muh-lar)). AJP will return from Buenos Aires tomorrow and you will once again bask in the greatness of the bloggin-king atop his royal throne. It's been real.

the beaz.

ps: winner fo the AJP initial contest - Amy Mcbeth with "Almost Just Peed" FTW (for the win). Congrats. You win the satisfaction of knowing that AJP will have to hear that refrain repeatedly until someone comes up with a better one. Let's just say they have their work cut out for them. You can rest easy, Amy, rest easy indeed.

short and sweet, like akshai...except the sweet part..so just short.

2007-07-29T20:39:00.001-07:00

Did you know these interesting facts?

Chile claims about 1,250,000 square kilometers of Antarctica, or roughly 9% of its total size, as Chilean territory. They even show the weather forecast for it on the news.

Northern Chile is home to the world's driest desert: Atacama.

Almost half of the country's population lives in or around the capital city Santiago.

Chile's number one export is copper. The world's largest open pit mine is found at Chuquicamata in northern Chile.

A three-year-old Marxist government was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto Pinochet, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

(from http://www.joeskitchen.com/chile/facts/index.htm)

FFAA: Akshai has an extreme tie fetish. And by "extreme" I mean chronic. And by "chronic" I mean dude's got a problem.

jbeaz

two peas in a podcast...

2007-07-28T19:45:00.001-07:00

Ok, topic for the Day: Podcasts.

Here are my top five:
1) LSAT logic in everyday life.....seriously, it has very little to do with the LSAT
-explores current events, the arguments on either side and the fallacies abound
2) Kyle Butler's "BrainFood"
-explores questions of banal scientific interest and serious academic pursuit. Amazing. Period.
3) Grammar Girl
-discusses basic and complex linguistic usage and style preferences. All the grammar questions you have thought about but were too afraid to ask. (prolly for fear of being berated by the likes of....oh...I dunno...AJP)
4) BBC News and World Report
-'Nough Said
5) YogAmazing
-free yoga video podcast weekly. Pretty awesome.

You can download podcasts from the people's various websites or you can just look them up on ITunes and click subscribe and they will download automatically. So you can put away your tired Ace Of Base playlist and get informed. Betta axe sumbudy.

FFAA: Akshai once had his "man purse" stolen, containing his laptop. For the first month or so afterwards he would see that his screenname was signed in, since, like all good compnerds, he has it automatically set to do so whenever he boots up. So he would badger the theif with bribes and please to return the computer. Sadly, to no avail. Really, don't bring it up, it's a touchy subje...DOUGH!!! (Said in a homer simpson voice, in honor of the awesome, but also sad, release of the long-awaited Simpson's movie. Sad b/c Matt Groening, the show's creator, has said forever that he would never make a movie unless he intended on cutting it.)

52 flashlights and blue squares

2007-07-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Sent to me from TheTodd:

"These guys win everything.

Before you click on the link...

I want to emphasize how they made this.

They took a long exposure picture of a low-light scene, and then
walked around in the frame with a flash light. The flash light comes
out looking bright, with the background dim. Each of the frames in
the following animation was made by people walking around in a dark
room waving around flashlights. This an EPIC WIN because doing an
animation involves drawing the same thing frame to frame, with only
minor variations -- and repeating the exact drawing waving around a
flashlight with no spatial reference points has got to be really
fucking hard.

http://tochka.jp/pikapika/2007/03/pika_pika_2007_release_1.html"

FFAA: Akshai may or may not be a notorious poker player. However I am neither in a position to confirm nor deny the aforementioned supposed fact (or falsehood, as the case may be). Here's what I can say: the law of opposites is in effect whilst poker and Akshai are together--the more he likes you off the field, the more annoyed he will be with you on the field. So next time you're tossin' around the 52 Bicycles with AJMFP and he slaps you on the back and asks if you want another beer with a smile, you can post-mark your self-esteem to the garbage disposal.

interesting facts about the world and ajp

2007-07-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

No piece of normal-size paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
The first product to have a bar code scanned was Wrigley's gum.
Earth is the only planet not named after a pagan God.
A Boeing 747s wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.
The new 787 Boeing was revealed on 7/8/07 or July 8th, 07.
Every day is about 55 billionths of a second longer than the day before it
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
The Himalayan gogi berry contains, weight for weight, more iron than steak, more beta carotene than carrots, more vitamin C than oranges.
Fingerprints of koala bears are similar (in pattern, shape and size) to the fingerprints of humans
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
SCUBA divers cannot pass gas at depths of 33 feet or below
Pele has always hated his nickname, which he says sounds like "baby-talk in Portuguese".
As of 2006, 200 million blogs were left without updates
Urban birds have developed a short, fast "rap style" of singing, different from their rural counterparts.
The lion costume in the film Wizard of Oz was made from real lions.
Fathers tend to determine the height of their child, mothers their weight.
The Pope's been known to wear red Prada shoes.
Donald Rumsfeld was both the youngest and the oldest defense secretary in US history.
Coco Chanel started the trend for sun tans in 1923 when she got accidentally burnt on a cruise.
Up to 25% of hospital keyboards carry the MRSA infection.
In ancient Greece, children of wealthy families were dipped in olive oil at birth to keep them hairless throughout their lives.
Sex workers (Prostitutes) in Roman times charged the equivalent price of eight glasses of red wine.
As of 2006, more than one in eight people in the United States show signs of addiction to the internet.

FFAA: Akshai, the ever-glib, quick-tongued, fast talker, once made the mistake of trying to talk to an angry parent while he was sick and was without his ever melodic voice. This gave her free-reign over him and I'll leave it to your imagination to picture the hilarity that ensued.

Just thought I would put these back into the public discourse...

2007-07-24T20:54:00.001-07:00

Akshai's favortie plant.

Akshai's favorite bootcher-outer on mexico trips.

Akshai's favorite student.

Akshai's favorite Motto.

Akshai's favorite Birthday.

Akshai's favorite narcassit....and his many transmutations...

playing rambo...

with his kid...

the narcassits favorite food.

hahaha.

Ok, ok. and Just for the sake of humility....

I'm an idiot.

FFAA: Akshai's favorite month is March, with Februrary as a close second. March for one simple reason, Februrary for two. Three points to anyone who writes in with the correct reasons.

jsbeazforjssheaz

GoogleWatch yourself before you get GoogleSpied upon

2007-07-22T11:55:00.001-07:00

Two Gems from Fark.com, one with particular import for AJP (hint: AJP doesn't have Amp'd cellular service)

"Dear Amp'd customer. As of 12:01 a.m. July 24th Amp'd mobile will terminate service with all subscribers. We apologize and thank you for your patronage. P.S. we apologize for telling you this via a text message."

Take heed, lil' gangster wannabes: if you go around flashing goofy fake gang signs, make sure it's not around undercover gang officers or you might find yourself facing very real criminal charges

http://www.nysun.com/article/56475
- An article covering a recent uproar over Google's newest feature--GoogleView--where a GoogleVan rolls through major American cities with a 360-degree camera that allows people on the internet to take virtual tours of said cities. People captured on the watchful eye of the GoogleLens began filing complaints when they were shown doing something embarrassing--picking their nose, coming out of strip clubs, wearing U of A clothing, etc. Pretty interesting story from a serious viewpoint, and just great pictures for everything else.

Note on "Ocean's 13":
Ok, look. I feel morally compelled to preface any movie review with a note about the inherent subjectivity of the process. We all have our opinions and they are all equal, though some are more equal than others. In this case, mine is more equal. I have a repertoire and the credentials that fully and completely support the following claim: I know more about movies than you, therefore what I think is right. Okay, so I don't really think that is true, but I thought since I am writing on AJP's blog, I ought to employ a little AJP logic-----OH!!!! SNAP!!!!! PWNd. What!? (cough, cough, clears throat) hmm. Sorry.

Anyway, I saw "Ocean's 12+1" last night with the lovely, long-legged, luscious, Liz (I hate it when an attempt at solid alliteration brings you dangerously close to sexual harrassment, don't you?). I intentionally call it "12+1" because that is, in effect, what it is/was. I know most of you have probably seen it by now and are over it, but my stay abroad and the exuberant prices at movie theatres in China both put a hold on my ability to be as cool as you, so get over it. The film was worth seeing, I should start there. It is amazing to see the craftsmanship of someone who has perfected the art of whoring himself once every few years in order to make several projects near and dear to his heart. Steven Soderbergh, is like a hooker who pays her way through college with one month's worth of work in summer. But that's not all. Soderbergh has also found a way to do the BlockBuster-style film that is his proverbial meal-ticket on his own terms and with his own flare. Perhaps the convoluted plot lines aren't as complex as a Guy Ritchie's pieces (think "Snatch") and his heist style pictures may not be quite as noteworthy as Redford's "The Sting", but Soderbergh's films are unique. He has his own style, candor, cadence, editing, and narration technique that have all contributed to his status as a great writer/director. What's more, he has been able to bring those tools with him when he goes to do battle with the major studios, who are notorious for robbing any one individual vision to make it past the filters of uniformity and bland alignment with past successes (Think "Anything by Michael Bay"). So I applaud him there, but I have to say that this latest installment to the Ocean's series fell short of the usual punch carried in a Soderbergh project. In short, this film never got off the ground. The plot line was short and as a result the plot and plan was a bit too straight-forward and thereby predictable. There was less character-oriented points and other than the expected, usual, funny dialog between Clooney and Pitt. In sum, the whole film simply felt the ending of another film--rather than a complete film unto itself.

And just because I know I'll have to hear about it if I don't mention it: the one reason to definitely see this film involves Casey Afflect's character and the exchange: "Are you in yet?" "I hate that question." (happy liz?) haha

FFAA: Akshai....Drum roll please.....was homecoming king at the largest university in the nation (depending on how you count). Just thought I'd throw that out there. Bring it back into the mix. Google it.

peace, beazley

sheer/shear oblivion

2007-07-21T16:30:00.001-07:00

The funniest thing said last night came when I met my friend's father for the first time and he learned of my vegetarianism: "Well your body may be a temple, but mine is a dorm room." Bear in mind that I had said nothing about why I was a vegetarian. Later that night, when someone offered him a shot of tequila, he said: "Can't. Won't. Tequila is bad chicken, because when I drink tequila I become invisible and when I am invisible I do things that AMAZE people."

Additionally:

There are various theories about the origin of the word Chile. According to one theory the Incas of Peru, who had failed to conquer the Araucanians, called the valley of the Aconcagua "Chili" by corruption of the name of a tribal chief ("cacique") called Tili, who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest.^[1] Another theory points to the similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the Casma Valley in Peru, where there was a town and valley named Chili.^[1] Other theories say Chile may derive its name from the indigenous Mapuche word chilli, which may mean "where the land ends,"^[2] "the deepest point of the Earth," ^[3], or "sea gulls;"^[4] or from the Quechua chin, "cold", or the Aymara tchili, meaning "snow."^[5]^[6] Another meaning attributed to chilli is the onomatopoeic cheele-cheele—the Mapuche imitation of a bird call.^[2] The Spanish conquistadors heard about this name from the Incas and the few survivors of Diego de Almagro's first Spanish expedition south from Peru in 1535-36 called themselves the "men of Chilli." ^{[2]

(from wiki)

FFAA: While Akshai will prominently display his middle initial, he refuses to say it aloud to most people, for fear of how badly butchered their attempt at repeating it will surely be. Even if you promise not to repeat it, he will still refuse since you will still surely botch it up in your head.}

two letters, one hilarious, one amazing

2007-07-20T12:05:00.001-07:00

Over the past few months, as always, there have been numerous public letters written by various figureheads of our society. However, two such letters I found to be particularly noteworthy. One is from comedian and actor David Cross, and the other from writer (and activist?) Howard Zinn. The David Cross letter is a response to some comments made about him by famed "hick" comedian, Larry the Cable Guy--think: GIT-R-DUN! The Zinn letter is addressed to the American people, providing an all-to-needed reminder. Other than the fact that akshai likes both these people, I thought these would be worthy of your time:

David Cross: http://www.bobanddavid.com/david.asp?artID=183

Howard Zinn: http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0703-29.htm

Hope all is well.

FFAA: This one is a bit obvious for those of you who have known the Shai-Master for a while, but for those of you that don't, I think this is a vital Fun Fact About Akshai: He, his dad, and his sister, all drive the exact same car, in the same color too. White honda accords. All three of them. So when they are all at home getting whooped by their grandma in cards (she cheats, quite notoriously so, I might add), it looks as if honda is having a small convention or parade on the west side of phoenix. Ha.

From Fark.com, for Yesterday

2007-07-20T11:56:00.001-07:00

Jon Bon Jovi wants the owner of the Mijovi energy drink to change its name, arguing it is too similar to his famous moniker

Canada's crime rate is at a 25-year low, but this has nothing to do with last week's revelation that Canadians smoke more weed than any other country. "Dude, let's break into.... nah, let's twist another one"

German police spring into action after report from woman of a dangerous masked criminal trying to steal van. Turns out the criminal was a large toy beaver

Turns out Chinese news reporter faked that story about replacing meat with cardboard in buns. Will have different kind of meat in his buns when he goes to Chinese PMITA prison. Also, "Bangkok," huh, huh

Using hairspray, (like in Charlie's Angels) to detect the infra-red doesn't work. In fact, it will set off the alarm as these two teens found out

Stay classy, Dodge: New Nitro ad shows dog being electrocuted

Today's "man stabs wife with sword while shouting 'Show me the money'" story brought to you by Hudson, Florida

FFAA: the name, "Da Roostah" is actually lifted from David Sedaris Story out of, "Me Talk Pretty One Day" about his brother being a straight-up gangster from North Carolina, who goes by the moniker "Tha Roostah."

How Dis Be Goin Down

2007-07-18T09:58:00.001-07:00

Alright you little braniacs on the nerd patrol. Here's how we are going to do this: I agreed to "Build Lesbian Ogre Grenades" for akshizy, and that's what we're going to do. He may have been under the impression that "Blog" was simply a slang-term and not an acronym, but then he never has been very quick on the uptake. And, as everyone knows, the proper method of construction of a lesbian ogre grenade involves a medley of linguistic and literary hoola-hooping.

I will make an effort to post here everyday--if for nothing else, then to succeed where good ol' AJP hath failed. Each day, I will either post something from the internets (intentionally plural, btw) that I found particularly interesting, a random story from China, or a movie review. Additionally, each of my posts will conclude with a FFAA (pronounced ffffffffff-Ahhhhhh!!, with wild hand motions. Come on, do it with me now: ffffffff-Ahhhhhhh!! Lauren, that was terrible. And Liz? You're not even trying. :::::Shakes head disapprovingly::::) FFAA = Fun Fact About Akshai. Yes, that's right, I'm going there. If you have one in mind that you would like to see posted, or if you have an embarrassing or amazing picture of the Shai-Master himself, please send them to me at jbeazfosheaz@gmail.com so that I may post them all.

Last but not least, we will be having a competition since making this an interactive endeavor is probably the only way I can make this even half as interesting as our illustrious brown friend. Here's how it works: take AJP's initials and try to come up with the best three-worded phrase. For instance: "A Joke Professor" or "Asian Jello Pride" or "Anti-Jason Parade." You get the idea. You can also submit your own intial phrases, and when Shai gets back we will let him pick the winner of each category. Werd.

FFAA: Akshai's first piece of investigative reporting came at quite an early age. Early indeed. Woodward and Bernstein were only in their 30's when they cracked what could be called the most significant political corruption case of the last 200 years (With Ken Star and the Lewinski-Debacle a close second, haha). But our dear Akshai was only in Kindergarten when he cracked the legendary case of the mysteriously appearing saw-dust. One morning after a refreshing post-recess apple juice with the boys, as Akshai meandered back over to his desk he noticed the oddest of oddities: a large pile of saw dust had somehow accumulated beneath a fellow classmates desk. Surely, he assumed, this must just be some sort of freak of nature and it would be cleaned up tomorrow, but no. When he came back to class the next day it was still there. Akshai was smart enough not to ask the student himself, since if this other boy was involved in some intercontinental tunneling operation to liberate the Chinese, surely he wouldn't be at liberty to discuss such sensitive matters. But Akshai was persistent and intrepid enough to ask just about everyone else. And, by Jove, once he had thoroughly interrogated the teacher and the janitor who eventually came to clean it up, the first of many a light bulb popped over Akshai's head, he realized what sort of abomination had taken place, and instantly his innocence was gone. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how the Akshai we know today got to be such a jaded cynic of the worst sort. Sad, just sad.

jbeazfosheaz

Introducing: The Killer Beez

2007-07-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Loyal Readers,

I'll be touring Buenos Aires, for pleasure and a Quartdim Conference, for the next 2 weeks. My good friend, Jason "The Killer Beez" Beazley, will be blogging in my stead.

While DR hosts his authorship, enjoy the linguistic stylings!

Attentamente,

Akshai J. Patel

Two Helpings of Cynicism

2007-07-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

After sore disappointment from the Democratic debate, I expected the Republicans to make me ill. Indeed, it's take me this long to recover and finally post about the maelstrom. Indeed, it was contentious, but any free-willed person with even a dash of common sense would recognize that some of the GOP riff-raff on stage were beyond simply debatable options, and would better be described as ridiculous. And a special thanks goes out to CNN for broadcasting the nonsense worldwide, so everyone can think we've learned nothing from the last 8 years and half of our '08 choice is going to come from a crop of disappointing conservative politicos. Just the way we like it.

But the highlights were worthy of any political version of Sportscenter (read: CSPAN-the Ocho). Tancredo wants new Americans to cut ties with the past and assimilate until we no longer "have to press 'one' for English and 'two' for any other language." Because apparently a diverse population of speakers is a sign that WASPs are losing something. You know, because they don't occupy the top tier of socio-economic positions in the U.S., at the moment. That extra two seconds it takes Tancredo to choose his preferred language could have been saved, not allowing the market to do its job adapting to a changing population. If you don't build it, my friend, they won't come, right?

Huckabee, after admitting to only 'like kinda' believing in evolution, supports Tancredo, calling English the one element that holds us together, thereby requiring its preservation.

McCain, currently in the midst of an implosion that threatens to end it all, promised to "veto any bill with pork." And I promise everyone all the parties they want, no more homework, and teachers who make easy tests. Whooooooo! McCain for 6th grade class president. And he 'only kinda' wants to make English an official language.

Ron Paul makes a reference to the American Empire, as a good thing. A foreign policy genius will he make. He further informs us that "Roe v. Wade ruined it for the whole country."

Romney tells us he isn't anti-immigration, he loves immigration, but he says he hates it because he's just trying to get votes.

Giuliani takes credit for turning around all of New York City and believes that is proof that he can turn around Washington--invoking the age old mantra that will result in votes from conservatives because they only need to hear to believe. Seeing a plan is overrated.

Brownback does "not remember that document," the NIE (National Intelligence Estimate), that describes the intelligence we had about Iraq before going. The word choice and sentence fluency made it a very forgettable read, guys. After delivering his plan to cut into Iraq into 3 states, he only has to let us know that he's "been around the issue" of immigration. No actual ideas regarding it are needed. He's been around it, people. Chillax.

Thompson will use Bush to lecture youth on public service. Because he's very popular among youth. And Thompson hopes to reduce the number of youth who choose public service--gotta avoid those historical highs.

Hunter assures us that people want the jobs that illegals take, and we'd only have to pay them $18/hr. Plus, his plan has "got a big fence," so we can rest assured that it's something to be supported, because it can fix all the problems of undocumented immigration. Duh.

At least, after all the bickering over nothing, we came to some unanimity--allowing gays to serve openly in the military. Zero in favor. No need for discussion there.

The debate was very entertaining, if you aren't thinking about your civic duty and the fact that these people are running for serious office.

Of Questionable Merit

2007-07-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

To mirror the global vote on a new set of "7 Wonders of the World," the Arizona Republic conducted their own poll of readers to determine the "7 Wonders of Arizona." No doubt its heresy to try to limit oneself to only 7 wonders, but such is the nature of this silly game. The real error that is deserving of our most intense vituperations is what this vote actually came up with:

1. Ancient ruins of Canyon de Chelly
2. Hoover Dam
3. Montezuma Castle National Monument
4. Lowell Observatory
5. University of Phoenix Stadium
6. Chapel of the Holy Cross
7. London Bridge

Now don't get me wrong, I like a lot of things about Arizona (as if you didn't know that), and I even agree some of the things on this list--Canyon de Chelly (above) is on top of my list of things to do when I get home. But as much as I enjoy Pink Taco Stadium (and particularly that the initials are UPS--it has me regularly asking myself what brown can do for you), how can we really say it "reflect[s] the culture and history of the state." The London Bridge is a good story and all, but come on, people. Look what they seem to have beat out:

Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona: 2,064
Canyon de Chelly ruins, Navajo Nation: 1,543
London Bridge, Lake Havasu City: 1,457
Hoover Dam, 1,281
Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff: 1,275
Montezuma Castle National Monument, Camp Verde: 1,213
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale: 1064
Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson: 1,045.
Switchbacks up Oak Creek Canyon (Arizona 89A): 873
Grand Canyon skywalk,Hualapai Nation: 545
Route 66: 449
Hohokam irrigation canal system: 358
Cliff dwellings at Walnut Canyon National Monument, Flagstaff: 333
Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell: 297
Wupatki National Monument,Flagstaff: 287
Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix: 199
Tovrea Castle, Phoenix: 184
Biosphere 2, Tucson: 159
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Coolidge: 131
Hohokam ruins, Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park, Phoenix: 65

And there's a number of other wonders in Arizona that weren't even up for a vote. But before I get started on that, I'm asking readers to comment here on what they think should have been called a Wonder of Arizona and why. We aren't limiting ourselves to 7 here at DR.

Flaite

2007-07-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

I used to tell people, in complete jest, that I'd grow up to be a gangsta. To deny the cultural significance of gangstaism in the United States is to ignore an ~~American~~ U.S. reality. In Chile, my experience has been revitalized by my exposure to, and growing interest in, flaite culture. It arrived on my radar, almost providentially, when I needed it most. Urban Dictionary, the most relevant reference source in the modern world, defines the term thusly:

Flaite: a young male from the outskirts of big cities, like Santiago de Chile, dressed provocatively, aggresively and always "a la mode" (only that his fashion is van Diesel, Cromagnon-inspired) and whose language is always pre-cognitive and inherently obscene even when he tries to camouflage it like that of a normal human being.

His trousers are usually in imitation of the addidas - or other well-known brand - tracksuit, and with slippers imitation-nike and every single piece of clothing of highly doubtful legal origin (except perhaps, for the greasy, "elephant's condom" wollen cap,

The haircut is in the "small chamber pot" style and everything about him looks unenviably proto- (or post) delinquent.

Flaites are born-breeders and almost always end up by siring some poor baby that soon would become the substance which the malnutrition units in public hospitals are made of.

Indubitably humorous.

Under the tutelage of a few good men and women (linked picture to come), I've learned some puro flaite. Truthfully, insulting a person in Chile is a far more aesthetic endeavor than in the U.S. Check out my Facebook [nsfw] wall for a few examples of the grosería that are redound to show you the kind of verve you can find in Chilean flaitismo.

Paraiso

2007-07-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

I was recently reminded of one of my favorite poems. Published by the New Times, it starts:

You say Phoenix and Eden don’t mix,
That the PHX is more like the sticks.
But there are five million strong
To prove you wrong,
And if you don’t believe us, just listen to this:
In our Valley the sun never dies,
And winter, we think that’s a lie.
The cactus grow tall
The rain hardly falls
And though summer sucks, that’s no reason to cry.
(See, the gods made AC, so when it’s 100 degrees,
The cool air will make your blues go bye-bye.)

Now, Adam and Eve had it good
But did they eat Mexican food
Like that at Rosita’s?
Not even Mrs. Rita
Could predict tacos like those that we’ve chewed.

Ends on a particularly strong note:

Our Steve Nash is MVP for a reason,
Plus the Cards have a new home this season.
New arrivals come this way,
Sometimes hundreds a day,
There’s something about Phoenix that reels ’em.

The Zona is the new Promised Land,
Albeit one surrounded by sand.
It’s where the wise reside,
You might fault us our pride,
But whether for nice or for vice,
You don’t have to ask twice,

It’s the reason we call Phoenix “Paradise.”

Late, but Better Than Never

2007-07-13T10:19:00.001-07:00

I'm willing to overlook a serious (and seriously JV) grammatical mistake in band Peter Björn and John's name because the pop is infectious. If NPR says it, it must be true. After Ani g-chatted (that's right, I'm using 'to g-chat' as a verb here) me the link to the video for last year's hit, Young Folks, I realized I had heard these cats before. I'd even had the fortune of seeing the video here in Chile, back in the long gone days of TV (I now roll without). In addition, I heard it on an episode of Grey's Anatomy, since arriving.

Am I really that late, considering how long it took before The Funeral was on my playlist? This time around I'm only a year behind. And NPR only picked up the story at the end of April. Surely, that justifies the tardiness. And they performed Leno in mid-May, yo. Da me un bre-ak (give me a break; break read with a Spanish pronunciation--seriously, it's key here).

I say check it out. The most recent album, Writer's Block, earns A- honors from Stylus, and the biggest music snob I know was willing to admit that they there was at least one song she "really liked."

To justify the post, I'll offer up the fact that Stylus gives the most recent album, Write Off, an A-, a tough mark to earn from these very readable and high quality writers. Further, I'll direct you to Pitchforks rave review. And finally, I'll devastate you with the damning reality that even the harshest critic I know, EA Sports herself, is stamping a semi-mark of approval.

Fly in Any Weather

2007-07-12T06:15:00.001-07:00

Have you listened to enough Andrew Bird, lately? I think not, but I'll recommend so. Why enjoy "Imitosis," above, and other Birdman hits? Well, first introduced to me by a tried and true source of things de la ultima moda--including traveling the world, curing the sick, and listening to exceptional music--you'll find Bird's tunes can be described best as "farm boy folk rock." He earns a sought-after stamp of approval (B+) from my argotic idols over at Stylus Magazine, that boasts such descriptions as "prolific, long obscured folk-pop hybrid," "lyrical rhymes," "superior elegance," and one song in particular has an "ecstatic, achingly melodic finale."

If that's not enough, Pitchfork bestows the gift of truth: that his new album, "Armchair Apocrypha is ultimately another object of strange and unique beauty from this inventive songwriter and performer." And you'll forgive the fact that he's from the Second City, when you see they report that he's on Janet Reno's Song of America compilation, a patriotic lineup of songs that, in Reno's words are "focusing on key periods in American history, in order to tell our story to young people who might find joy in learning history through music."

Can I get two 'whats' for Birdman? One more for Janet proving the GOP doesn't have a monopoly on patriotism? And one more for good measure?

Why thank you; we appreciate it.

Ditat Musĭca

2007-07-11T12:08:00.001-07:00

That is, music enriches. And has enriched, especially lately. Expect a fair number of posts in the near future on music. To start with, here's a little tune I've been belting out for the last month and a half. Andando pato (literally, walking duck; colloquially, being poor), I didn't go to the Argentinian's concert when he came to Concepción, and I'm kicking myself for it now. But one of my students shared some Gustavo Cerati music with me anyway (I really like the two albums I have), and in the first few days of seeing this Viña Del Mar performance of my favorite Cerati hit, I was playing it on repeat, as you might have expected. Every time I hear old Cerati, or his former band, Soda Stereo, my ears perk up. Good stuff.

I had to post it. ¿Que otra cosa puedo hacer?

Updated: More Than Meets the Eye

2007-07-08T12:33:00.001-07:00

I thought I was excited to see the new Transformers movie, which I'm still dying to catch at a theater. Then I found out someone changed his middle name to Megatron. Seriously. Still, there's no doubt this theme song is hot. As good as the Limp Bizkit version of the Mission Impossible theme, no?

Update: The change, in case you didn't catch it, was that I added the link for the guy who changed his name to Megatron. Seriously. You should check it out. There are also Nike Transformers, now.

Last night I dreamt of San Pedro...

2007-07-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

...well, not exactly. More correct: my roommate was playing his Madonna CD (no this is not deja vu) and along came "La Isla Bonita." Of course, she isn't talking about San Pedro de Atacama, the oasis of the South American desert, but it made me think of my late April trip there and how much the landscape reminded me of Arizona. I've mentioned this before in conversations, but I realized I still hadn't shown anyone. That is, none of the 500 odd pictures I took there had been loaded to the internet. So this picture-updating bonanza continues with Days 1, 2, and 3 of my trip to northern Chile. Additionally, the much anticipated pictures of mountain biker and sand boarder Akshai are also finally available. Lastly, if you want to see more, the landscape and I make appearances in the San Pedro section of my friend, Meredith's public gallery.

Call It Macaroni

2007-07-05T07:21:00.001-07:00

You know what Yankoo Doodle did when he went to town. Well in Latin America, los yanqi didn't put a feather in their hat, but whatever they did, they called it imperialism. But when los yanqi get together on the Fourth at home, we celebrate. Here are some children of Apollo (extra-credit for anyone that catches the reference) celebrating by watching over Town Lake, finest body of water in all the land.

Some of us here tried to do the same at the Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura, and were sorely disappointed. However, we did manage to go out for pizza and beer. Still the Instituto wasn't their usual disappointing self because I managed to meet an Arizonan, reminisce about the great places my state offers visitors, and listen to a Chilean talk about the Declaration of Independence. The words sound just as beautiful and inspiring in Spanish:

Nosotros creemos ser evidente en sí mismo, que todos los hombres [las personas] nacen iguales y dotados por su Criador de ciertos derechos inagenables: que entre estos son los principales la seguridad de la libertad y la vida, que constituyen la humana felicidad: que para asegurar estos derechos se instituyeron entre los hombres los gobiernos, derivando sus justos poderes del consentimiento de los pueblos: que siempre que cualquiera forma de gobierno se haga destructiva de estos fines, toca al derecho imprescriptible de la sociedad alterarla, ó abolirla y escablecer otra nueva, zanjando sus fundamentos sobre aquellos principios, y organizando sus poderes de la manera que juzgue mas conducente para el efecto de su seguridad y felicidad.

More Pictures

2007-07-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

Haven't been blogging or uploading pictures, but in this one post I'll be satisfying your need for a Akshai-updates. In case you didn't notice, there's a sidebar link to my picture gallery on Picasaweb. Most recently, I've added pictures of an April trip to Viña del Mar and Valparaiso (Central Chile), including a visit to the beach, the casino, and a concert venue called "El Huevo" (The Egg). The highlight of the trip was the Pablo Neruda house in nearby Isla Negra, which is where I am while looking in a window here, popped collar, of course. Check them out.

The Technicolor Yawn

2007-06-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I thought it was important to check out the recent Democratic Presidential Debate. The donkeys debated Sunday night, purportedly about their policy positions on contemporary issues of contention, to the point of making me question my supposed civic duty to watch the drivel. I majored in Political Science because I enjoyed U.S. politics, and now here I am questioning the ~~American~~ U.S. political system to the point that I wonder if watching more debates is really going to help me make a more informed decision, and if I even care. All this while, in a place where no one likes politics in the U.S. to begin with (Latin America), and have a penchant for putting me in the position of trying to defend it.

But there were some exceptional highlights from every candidate there, including:

O'Bama - "I don't expect to do anything but complement the other candidates here on how similar we all are." (paraphrased)

Clinton - "We had a balanced budget and surplus and we did that the old-fashioned way--limiting spending and increasing revenue." (Because, you know, limiting spending is something the Clinton administration was known for, and increasing revenue is something they can take credit for. Not to mention, we feels a little like she bites that involved first spouse critique harder than Eleanor Roosevelt. Has she been a member of a presidential administration that she isn't distancing herself from, nowadays.)

Richardson - "I can't hear questions, so I will simply talk about what I want to." (paraphrased)

Edwards - "I don't know if I know what a rich person is, but..." (You know, because, he's never been rich.)

Gavel - "I would give the president line item veto." Because we've never tried that, and it's probably constitutional.

Kucinich - "I would cancel NAFTA and the WTO." Because we can stop that globalization stuff, ya know.

Biden - "To be president, you must occasionally be practical." Which is why I supported a 700-mile fence. It's a practical solution. (paraphrase)

Dodd - answering what he would do to get rid earmarks, "I wouldn't put us in that kind of rigid straitjacket."

Gore - Didn't show up.

Who do I think won? Nobody. I couldn't find anyone I liked more than I had before the debate started. Losers? No doubt Richardson looks so much less worthy of my future support, based on his performance, because if debate questions discomfit him, what happens when he gets real questions? And cowboy boots? A little reminiscent of someone else we have in office.

Mike Gravel loses before I ever knew his name. Why introduce yourself, to the biggest audience you've ever seen, as an unlikeable and completely arrogant nut? Why? Obviously he had potential for good ideas and instead he shows up as the termagant, there to set things straight. Not how you accomplish anything productive.

Overall I agree with The Fix on the night's feel:

a question asking each candidate to name the biggest mistake they had made in the past several years, the night has a bit of an "Oprah" feel to it. We were half-expecting the question: "If you were an animal, what animal would you be?"

Indeed. Cillizza further suggests that, "The format rewarded general policy pronouncements (end the war in Iraq, bring about universal healthcare) over specific proposals." I hadn't felt that way while watching, but I'll concede that it seems this way in retrospect. The only good debate to reward policy pronouncements is one that occurs in the printed media, which will not be well-read by the masses.

Folkloristas

2007-05-22T16:15:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday I was graced with the opportunity to attend prominent folklorists Inti Illimani's concert here in Concepcion. "Fue bien" (it went well), to say the least. The L.A. Times calls their music "floats within your soul, filling it with calmness and hope. Despite being a newspaper from l.a. (left intentionally uncapitalized), I can't say I disagree.

Probably the best part was the fact that every Chilean I talk to knows and loves Inti, which made it particularly odd to me that a band of such gravity would play such an intimate concert in Sala Dos (literally Room Two, but also the second, if not the third best venue for such an event). The historical context of their story lends a lot to why the band is so beloved, no doubt.

But for me, even if I don't understand every word, I can recognize that the music is just quality. Enjoy "Sobre tu Playa."

Ridicurous

2007-05-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Reading Slate the other day I noticed an interesting news short about an official Paper, Rock, Scissors Tournament in Las Vegas. The Times reported on it over the weekend, and the gem quote in the article came from the USA Paper Rock Scissors League Co-commissioner (because they would need to share responsibilities here?), when it was reported that he said in all seriousness:

“This is the greatest sport ever to sweep the United States of America.”

He incredulously continues:

“To me, this is a great sport,” Mr. Leshem said. “Right now it’s got a little bit more of a carnival atmosphere than perhaps we intend, but I can tell people are buzzing. There’s a lot of energy here, and we’re culling the field down to the best of them.”

Apparently even ESPN was there. Finally, near the end of the article, everything is better explained. And we can blame bad beer.

Anheuser-Busch is the engine behind the national tournament. Beer distributors organized tournaments at bars around the country, producing regional finalists, and the company put up the prize money and paid for each finalist and a guest to fly to Las Vegas for three days.
Many contestants were having a bit of trouble getting their heads around the idea that they were in Las Vegas, on a free vacation, just to play in a rock-paper-scissors tournament.

Indeed. And it doesn't end there. Leshem goes on to explain that the sport "unites people from all walks of life," and that it is one form of athletic competition where "if you really want to get good at [it], you can.” Thus, the title of this post. Ridicurous.

The Bay

2007-05-10T01:12:00.001-07:00

I'm not a Cali fan, but I dig the acknowledgment of problems and I know what's it's like to "hardly get the love cuz we close to L.A." But ya'll don't wanna hear me ya just want to chill to this music.

Vikings of Rexburg

2007-04-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

Did you know BYU has a campus in Rexburg, Idaho? Well, their thriving jazz culture, according to Wikipedia (take that as you will) prompted an international visit from their band to Concepcion, Chile. The Universidad de Concepcion sponsored a "Noches de Jazz" concert performed by Sound Alliance and Vocal Union, the jazz instrumental and vocal groups, respectively, from the BYU-Idaho campus who apparently tour exclusively in Chile.

The concert was a mixed bag. The Sinatra cover of "Fly Me to the Moon" was dazzling, however, not to disrespect the performers, the concert made me think of having heard music from African Americans rerecorded by whites for radio play. You'll recall that was a part of U.S. history. Anyway, there were some excellent renditions, but at the same time, some were a bit lacking in feeling. Altogether, an entertaining and economical experience.

More Gaps to Mind

2007-04-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Women aren't earning as much as men. But in the great state of Arizona, things aren't as bad as other states. The Republic reports, not all good news, but some:

For starters, you're working in the right state. In Arizona, a working woman earned 83.8 percent of a man's annual salary in 2005, well above the national average, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research.

Out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., Arizona's male-female salary gap was the second-smallest.

Only the gap in the District of Columbia was smaller.

That fact that there's a wage differential is weak sauce. That ours is more than 16% is nothing to be proud of. But hey, best state in the Union, right? Got to report that.

Vive Latino

2007-04-19T08:33:00.001-07:00

You've probably heard that a momentous occasion is coming this April. Rage Against the Machine will reunite. This one time only. I love Rage. Hot.

And the whole Coachella line-up is something to be annoyed about. Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, Ghostface, Kaiser Chiefs, Chilli Peppers, the Roots, Damien Rice, Kanye. Seriously people. This has really got my goat. Why? Can't go. Why? Because. Because I said so. I've been to Coachella before. Weezer and Coldplay (among plenty of others) rocked the casbah. But please. That'll be nothing compared to this line-up.

All this, not to mention that I'll be missing the likes of Ozomatli, Bright Eyes, and Modest Mouse, all playing in Phoenix in the coming weeks. So I had to take action.

Last weekend, I did, attending the Vive Latino music festival in Santiago (which interestingly headlined a very un-Latino band, Keane). I had a blast and got to know some great bands, which I hope to introduce to here. First up, Los Tres, right out of my temporary home here in Concepcion, Chile.

Sidenote: Vive Latino was like a mini-Coachella minus food and drink sales and with a self-pump sink system. Not a terribly good situation. But the music, and the Argentinian company, was good.

Only 9 Days Left...

2007-04-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

...to vote for your favorite design of Arizona's quarter. Voting closes at midnight on April 20. This is more than just 25 cents, this is Arizona's quarter, we're talking about people. 5,000 have already voted.

From my Governor:

It is difficult to condense the heritage and beauty of our great state onto something as small as a quarter. Arizona is a beautiful state, famous not only for its striking landscapes and remarkable sunsets, but also for our contributions to the United States. From the Navajo Code Talkers to John Wesley Powell’s famous expedition through the Grand Canyon, our rich heritage is something to be proud of. It’s our goal to have the Arizona Quarter reflect the myriad of influences that make our state so special. Each of the final five designs showcases Arizona’s unique beauty and rich heritage. Please tell me which design you would like to see in the pocketbooks of millions of Americans by ranking your favorite designs in order. The Arizona Quarter will be minted in May 2008. Let’s show the country and the world the natural beauty, charm, vision and historical contributions Arizona is known for.

Estadounidense

2007-04-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

A clear image of "American" (I rarely deign to use that word nowadays to describe people in the U.S.) doesn't exist. I'll argue that it's a good thing that we aren't all descendants of one race. But sometimes (if not generally) people at home find it hard to accept "Arizonan" as a response to "Where are you from?"

Chile is an exacerbation of this annoyance. I am apparently not permitted, as my white friends here are, to respond to "What are you?" with simply, "Estadounidense" (the Spanish noun for U.S. citizen or resident, you might translate United Statesian); at least not without further explanation. I know exactly what my name means, what language it comes from, and my parents' racial identity, but should I have to? And does it tell as much about me as does the fact that I live in Phoenix? For others, maybe. But for those of you that know me, you'll agree that it certainly does not. And where I was born (London) or where my parents are from (they were born in Kenya), gives you completely irrelevant information about my history. But those are the first questions people ask.

Even at the Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura, where they use an American flag in their logo, people share some level of this ignorance. I stopped by to see if I could pick up some extra cash teaching some of their English classes. I was quickly turned away: "We're only looking for North Americans, here." When pressed for further explanation, the secretary responded, "Well, Canadians would do, but we prefer people from the United States. We specialize in English from the U.S."

So, do I. But I wasn't prepared to offer her a tutorial on the U.S. as an immigrant nation. Nor was I going to show her my passport. When she told me she was from Chile, I had thinking to do. I wonder what continent she puts Mexico in?

Granted, I'm not pegged as a foreigner until I open my mouth. But when I do, a justification for the color of my skin is all but mandatory. When I got lost and stopped to ask for directions, I started to walk as directed. Two steps later, my generous helpers became interrogators (albeit well-meaning, curious people)--asking me if I was an Arab. I'm wasn't offended, as I think some with a darker complexion might be, but telling them I was from the U.S. didn't satisfy them.

Often I play dumb. I think it settles the point better sometimes. Why wouldn't I be estadounidense?

Volcanista

2007-04-08T12:00:00.001-07:00

Roostah's crowing like a clarion this weekend. I am pure city folk, but yesterday I added something very outdoorsy to my résumé: I climbed Volcan Villarrica (more pictures here) in Pucon, Chile. The transcript of the video clip:

So...ummm...I climbed the volcano. And I had to take a video to prove that I did it. Pretty hardcore.

Hardcore, to say the least. I've got a new callus on each palm from the ice pick, two bloody toes (one from a blister, one from the toe nail), and the story of a lifetime (the real roborant for the exhaustion). I climbed a volcano. To the summit. A volcano. It was hot.

To give you an idea of the taxing nature of the ascent, I'll tell you that I felt it was quite steep, not to mention the difficulty of hiking upwards on cinders--for every two steps forward, you slide back a step. To add to the challenge, I decided (along with two others of some 25 odd hikers who were much better prepared for it than I) against using the chairlift. Although I'm no Michigan State fan, I wanted to be a Spartan. I recently saw 300, the new Frank Miller flick, and have been inspired to awaken the Spartan in me. Sometimes this inspiration kicks in at the wrong time. This would have been one of those times.

I had hoped for sliding down, as many do, for the descent, but the ice was too hard. Instead, we trekked--which was nearly as difficult as the climb. But now, although they feel like putty, I expect my legs and backside are well-sculpted works of art. Not that they weren't before. But now, well, it's for sure.

Still, while some didn't make it, and one person told me it was the hardest thing she'd ever tried, the relentless pursuit in me didn't allow any backing down. You see, before a Spartan, I'm a Teach For American. And this definitely isn't the hardest thing I've ever done.

Rabid For A Win

2007-04-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Itinerant Dennis Erickson tells Tempe faithful (and the rest of Sun Devil Nation) that he plans to stay and make the finest state in the union, and the best city in history, his permanent home. ESPN gives us reason to hope:

"I can sit back now...this is a great opportunity to have success. People are dying for it around here...This is a good way to end my career."
Before you arch your eyebrow just so, consider that Erickson might be telling the truth. At Arizona State, Erickson has just about everything a coach could want: modern football offices, an indoor practice facility on the way and at least 43,000 season-ticket holders who remain [emphasis added] rabid despite a total of two Pac-10 championships in 29 seasons.

Did you know we went after this guy in 2002 after his Fiesta Bowl win with the Beavers (over a weak Irish team), along with the likes of one Trojan team, and neither of us were successful. He stayed (then later bolted for the 49ers). But that's proof right there that he won't be lured away from Kush Field unless he's got pro-football offers. And no pro team will offer him anything once they realize his proximity to the Cardinals. Right?

Español Para Extranjeros

2007-04-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

In keeping myself busy in Chile, I've signed up for 4 classes here at the U(niversity), the most important of which is Spanish for foreigners. But it wasn't until today that class, thanks to the unusual methods of my professor, became blog-worthy. After a review and worksheet activities on using the preterit indefinite and past imperfect tenses, we watched some commercials and were asked to explain what happened. One of the commercials was somewhat provocative, especially since we were asked to explain the subtext. We became giggling 8th graders. You will, too.

Comedy Tuesday

2007-04-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

You indubitably saw Google's April Fool's Joke, the Toilet ISP. This is funnier:

Google announced today that soon customers of their Gmail service will have their storage size increased to "infinity plus one." The announcement comes shortly after Yahoo's announcement that their Yahoo mail customers would be given unlimited storage.

How was this masterful move inspired, you ask? Simple playground logic:

Greg Tomkins, an engineer at Google, is credited with coming up with the "infinity plus one" idea. "I was out in the yard when my kids ran up to me yelling at each other. My son said to my daughter, 'I hate you to infinity.' She replied, 'I hate you to infinity plus one.' And right then I knew I had the solution to competing with unlimited storage," said Tomkins.

The response:

When contacted about the Google announcement, a Yahoo representative said, "We will be making an announcement shortly about our million-trillion-billion infinity storage," and added, "Neener, neener, neener."

Nash Equilibrium

2007-04-01T01:27:00.001-07:00

Big Rotten Apple

2007-03-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

Times reports police officers in New York City were conducting "covert observations of people who planned to protest at the [2004 Republican National] convention."

From these operations, run by the department’s “R.N.C. Intelligence Squad,” the police identified a handful of groups and individuals who expressed interest in creating havoc during the convention, as well as some who used Web sites to urge or predict violence.
But potential troublemakers were hardly the only ones to end up in the files. In hundreds of reports stamped “N.Y.P.D. Secret,” the Intelligence Division chronicled the views and plans of people who had no apparent intention of breaking the law, the records show.
These included members of street theater companies, church groups and antiwar organizations, as well as environmentalists and people opposed to the death penalty, globalization and other government policies. Three New York City elected officials were cited in the reports.

And from Intelligence Daily:

In October 2006, Bush signed into law the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. Quietly slipped into the law at the last minute, at the request of the Bush administration, were sections changing important legal principles, dating back 200 years, which limit the U.S. government's ability to use the military to intervene in domestic affairs. These changes would allow Bush, whenever he thinks it necessary, to institute martial law--under which the military takes direct control over civilian administration.

The lead-in quotation:

"Paradoxically, preserving liberty may require the rule of a single leader--a dictator--willing to use those dreaded 'extraordinary measures,' which few know how, or are willing, to employ." -- Michael Ledeen, White House advisor and fellow of the American Enterprise Institute, "Machiavelli on Modern Leadership: Why Machiavelli's Iron Rules Are As Timely and Important Today As Five Centuries Ago

Looking for an Arizona Millionaire

2007-03-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

In 1968, a Lake Havasu man bought the London Bridge for $2.46 million and transported it home to the desert. That's not the kind of Arizona millionaire I'm thinking of. Japanese millionaire Genshiro Kawamoto gave 3 of his Hawaiian mansions to homeless Native Hawaiians. From the Republic:

Kawamoto, one of Japan's richest men, said he plans to open eight of his 22 Kahala homes to needy Hawaiian families. They will be able to stay in the homes for up to 10 years, he said.

I'm waiting for an Arizonan to do the same--unfortunately, I don't think there's millions for me to make as a teacher. I might have an idea for how Jim Pedersen could actually win an election with his money.

Back that Thang Up

2007-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Conventional Wisdom: Back up files early and often. Save your work in multiple locations. Why? You know why. And so do the people of Alaska's Department of Revenue. From CNN:

Nine months worth of information concerning the yearly payout from the Alaska Permanent Fund was gone: some 800,000 electronic images that had been painstakingly scanned into the system months earlier, the 2006 paper applications that people had either mailed in or filed over the counter, and supporting documentation such as birth certificates and proof of residence.
And the only backup was the paperwork itself -- stored in more than 300 cardboard boxes.

In Case You Hadn't Heard...

2007-03-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

The Grand Canyon Skywalk, the new glass observation deck at the Grand Canyon and centerpiece of the Hualapai tribe's economic future, opened yesterday. Although I, among other VIPs, was invited, I was unable to attend the event. Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, there in my place, had this to say to Arizona Republic reporters:

Aldrin, who was paid a speaker's fee, said the experience was wonderful but no moonwalk. "It really doesn't compare that much to walking in space," he said. "Not exactly like floating on air, but a wonderful vision. A vision of hope for the future."

Come on Buzz. Fine job you've done in my stead. Everybody knows (I invite everyone to comment with their support) that the Grand Canyon is a far better trip than the moon. Just check out the pictures and news report from AZCentral.com (linked on the side of the page, the images at CNet, and the artistic rendition of the Skywalk.

The Liberation of Baghdad

2007-03-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

I'm liking the first photo I've seen from a new Sandow Birk collection. It reminds me of Slate's 9/11 cartoons in it's irony.

From LA Weekly, via Boing Boing:

The Liberation of Baghdad, says Birk, is about “what we were told would happen — happy, joyfully liberated Iraqis welcoming American troops as we free them from the shackles of oppression.”

Mind the Gap

2007-03-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

A Times article today highlights one severe problem in the teaching of history, both in Britain and at home.

The way history has long been taught here, Britain’s abolition of the slave trade on March 25, 1807, allowed it to claim the moral high ground in the struggle to end slavery in the New World.

But things are looking up.

Rather than dwelling on William Wilberforce, the feisty abolitionist who drove the reform through the British Parliament and is the subject of the film “Amazing Grace,” these shows are highlighting a far uglier back story: Britain’s deep engagement in the slave trade in earlier centuries and the fundamental role this played in forging the nation’s wealth and power.
With the support of the government and a $20 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, national museums and community groups across Britain have begun re-examining what a new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London calls these “Uncomfortable Truths.”
The mood may be ripe for such a reassessment. After years of waxing nostalgic about its lost empire, Britain is now daring to look more critically at its imperial record. At the same time there is fresh curiosity about the history and culture of the Caribbean, African, Arab and Asian immigrants who are changing the face of Britain.
There is also new transparency. Although Prime Minister Tony Blair fell short of an apology, in November he went further than any previous official by expressing “deep sorrow” for Britain’s role in the slave trade. “It is hard to believe what would now be a crime against humanity was legal at the time,” he noted.

I'm ready to vote for a political leader willing to make public apologies about the U.S.'s past. I'm also ready to find someone to build an International Slavery Museum in the U.S.

Like Whoa

2007-03-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Caliente (Hot)

2007-03-18T10:24:00.001-07:00

Ever walk away from conversations just thinking, "Damn, I look good!" I do. Often. And so did ethereal Michelle Pfeiffer (my favorite Catwoman), recently, after talking to a fan about her cupsize. I'm not big on celebrity gossip, but this is high quality literature that I can relate to. And relating to your reading is one of the most important strategies to becoming a better reader, right kids?

I say she should resurrect her LouAnne Johnson role from Dangerous Minds and start recruiting for Teach For America. Beats Hilary Swank like any lower seed meeting Tucson High in the early rounds of the Big Dance. They're supposed to win (both the Wildcats, and the younger Swank), but they just can't muster the talent to come up with a W. Boo U of A, hooray Michelle Pfeiffer.

A Real Pill

2007-03-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

In January, Pfizer Chief Jeff Kindler moved to cut 10,000 jobs. Friday, the AP reported his 36% raise. Sections of Peter Rost's open letter, from Question Authority:

You can't cut back and fire ten thousand hardworking people, and tell them about the new management style you're bringing to the company, and then accept a 36% raise in base pay

If you read what your employees are saying, such as this, you will realize you just lost their respect; they've stopped calling you Kindler and replaced that with Swindler.

You already made $11.4 million in 2006. You can afford to do the right thing.

Ouch

2007-03-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

An Ode to the Bracketmaster

2007-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

In case you hadn't gotten your fill of the madness, you can learn more about why they call it that, the wisdom of brackets (adapted from a book I've been looking for in Chile since Monday), an entertaining account of one writer's near $10,000-winning experience in ESPN's Tournament Challenge, and even participate in your own Ad Slogan bracket, among other great bracketology articles from Slate.

But the best article is about the death of bracketmasters. Listening to it is even more fun. It is a somewhat sad reality that one of the victims of technology is the bracketmaster of old. But someone's still got to collect and distribute the money, right? A prost: to those that run the office pool, everywhere.