This JUST In...

Really. Gerard put it up today. And like he said, it was fun while it lasted.


All kidding aside...can you visualize life without the 'net? Me, neither.

Yet Another in a Long Line of Placeholder Posts...

Via Lex, Lex on Lex. And blogging, milblogging, the military, politics, the war, and life in general…as interviewed by one Juan Devis on behalf of KCET (NPR in Los Angeles). The interview is 38 minutes, 13 seconds, in mp3 format. Worth your while, to say the very least. And you get a bonus, too—interviews with three other well-known milbloggers, Sean Dustman (Doc in the Box), Army Girl (of Desert Phoenix), and Colby Buzzell.

This is yet another placeholder post. I haven’t completed this morning’s rounds (nor the coffee...and yeah, I know full well it ain’t morning any longer), and if you follow the link above you may understand why. Over forty minutes were spent cruising around just one site this morning and listening to Lex talk about a lot of stuff, as well as reading the opinions and POVs of the commenters over at his place. Time consuming, it was, but it was time well spent.

Today’s Pic: The setting sun in Old Town ABQ catches the bare limbs of a gnarled tree. I really wish underground utilities were more prevalent in America…those frickin’ wires just ain’t good for the aesthetics, ya know.

ABQ. January, 2004.

Delay, Snark, and a Puzzle

Stop Presses! This just in… Well, not really “just in.” Yesterday afternoon a work crew from Yucca Telecom’s fiber-laying contractor were wandering around the perimeter of El Casa Móvil De Pennington, looking a bit puzzled and irritating the Hell out of the neighbor’s dog…who was barking madly while snarling, leaping, and straining at the rope she’s tied to. Much noise, in other words. I opened the window and asked “Whatcha guys doin’?” I got a question back in return: “Is your neighbor home?” Well, I think not, as Tara (the dog) had been barking for…oh…six minutes straight (my neighbor would never allow Tara to go on like that). I answered in the negative and asked “whatcha doin’?” again. Silly me… I assumed the crew had arrived to (a) install the on-premise equipment for my long-overdue fiber connection and (b) turn me up. Coz it IS mid-July and my fiber connection was due back in January. Or so.

But no.

Fiber-layer: We need to get to the pedestal in your neighbor’s yard.
Me: That could be a problem, what with the dog.
Fiber-layer: We noticed.
Me: Whatcha gonna do at the pedestal? Run a connection to my RV?
Fiber-layer: Oh, no. We have to take the fiber OUT.
Me: WHAT? Take it OUT?
Fiber-layer: Yeah, they put the wrong fiber in; we have to tear it out.
Me: I suppose this means my connection is delayed. Again.
Fiber-layer: Yeah. But don’t worry. A crew will be right behind us to install the right fiber.
Me: Mmmm-kay. Have fun!

So. My neighbor comes home about an hour later, the crew comes back and mucks around at the pedestal, and goes away. I never did see the follow-on guys. My best guess is this lil glitch will add about another month before I get my connection, what with installation, QA, testing, and “lighting up” the fiber. Which begs at least one question, Gentle Reader…where was QA when the fiber was put in the ground back in January/February? And why did it take so danged long for Yucca to realize the wrong fiber was in the ground?

This whole fiber-to-the-prem project is beginning to look a lot like an episode from the Keystone Cops…

Via Chap…a short, maximum-snark take-down of the Beeb in the most-recent Sunday Times (UK). Excerpt:

And Jana Bennett, the BBC's director of vision - whatever the hell that means - let the genie out of the bottle by calling for producers to inform her of any other programmes that may somehow have misled the public. Oh dear.

By lunchtime on Friday the queue of contrite producers outside Bennett's office stretched down Wood Lane and into the Goldhawk Road. The team behind The Crouchers and several other situation comedies confessed to having misled the public into believing that their programmes might contain some humorous element, when this was very far from the case. The executives behind the reality shows Celebrity Dog Handlers on Ice and I'm an Exhibitionist Moron, Give Me Some Money admitted suggesting that their programmes came under the heading public service broadcasting and were therefore worthy of the statutory licence fee, rather than ratings chasing dross.

Controllers of a host of BBC wi-fi hi-definition digital internet radio channels nobody anywhere - including Bennett - had heard of (available only in Islington) were forced into similar admissions about the “public service core broadcasting remit” of the BBC.

Then came the television news teams ’fessing up that they may have inadvertently misled the public over the single European currency, the inherent competence and decency of Hamas, Fatah and the Taliban, the desirability of unconstrained immigration and the notion that bunging loads of money in aid to Africa would solve that continent’s problems.

“Director of Vision.” Now there’s a frickin’ title for you! I don’t doubt for a second that there actually IS a “Director of Vision” at the Beeb. I scoured the innernets looking for a picture of Ms. Bennett, and this is the BEST I could come up with, Gentle Reader…

Vision. Every state-owned broadcaster needs it. Few, if any, actually have it.

“One of these things is not like the other…” (All y’all can hum along, if you like) See if you can tell which item is different. Found while chasing another Site Meter Google MSN-search link. Danged if I know how that got in there… Oh, those wacky guys in Redmond!

OK, it’s past noon. Time to cut off the disorganized surfing and post.

Milestone

I’ve been playing around with Site Meter. Again.

What does this mean?

Exile in Portales: December 2005

Wakkanai was a surveillance site, with a (then) state of the art system known as a FLR-12. The FLR-12 had a huge antenna farm. ...

exileinportales.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_archive.html - 551k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

It’s the Google search that resulted in EIP’s 25,000^th visitor last night (actually at 0051 hrs, 7/17/2007). All the way from Hessen, Germany. It’s a milestone, of sorts, and at the very least it’s a nice round number. I kinda wish it would have been one of the regulars, ya know.

It's Past Noon, Pennington. Where's Your Post?

… And didn’t I tell you to get a frickin’ haircut? What’s up with you, lately?

Yessir. No excuse, Sir. I’ll do better, I promise.

Well, you better. I’m watching you, ya know.

The opening paragraphs in an op-ed in today’s WSJ:

While the number of Americans who self-identify as "libertarian" remains small, a substantial proportion agree with the core stances of limited constitutional government in both the economic and social spheres--what is sometimes called "economic conservatism" and "social liberalism." But if they watched the Republican presidential debate on May 15, many Americans might resist the libertarian label, because they now identify it with strident opposition to the war in Iraq, and perhaps even to the war against Islamic jihadists.

During that debate, the riveting exchange between Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul about whether American foreign policy provoked the 9/11 attack raised the visibility of both candidates. When Mr. Paul, a libertarian, said that the 9/11 attack happened "because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years," Mr. Giuliani's retort--that this was the first time he had heard that "we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. . . . and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11"--sparked a spontaneous ovation from the audience. It was an electrifying moment that allowed one to imagine Mr. Giuliani as a forceful, articulate president.

And the closing grafs…

Still, there are those pro-invasion libertarians who are now following the progress of Operations Phantom Thunder and Arrowhead Ripper. They hope that the early signs of progress in this offensive will continue, so that American and Iraqi forces can achieve the military victory necessary to allow the Iraqi government to assume responsibility for protecting the Iraqi people from terrorists, as well as from religious sectarian violence. They hope this success will enable American soldiers to leave Iraq even before they leave Europe and Korea, and regain the early momentum that led, for example, to Libya's abandonment of its nuclear weapons program.

These libertarians are still rooting for success in Iraq because it would make Americans more safe, while defeat would greatly undermine the fight against those who declared war on the U.S. They are concerned that Americans may get the misleading impression that all libertarians oppose the Iraq war--as Ron Paul does--and even that libertarianism itself dictates opposition to this war. It would be a shame if this misinterpretation inhibited a wider acceptance of the libertarian principles that would promote the general welfare of the American people.

Why, yes, now that you mention it, that would be me… I’m not refusing to self-identify with the Libertarian label, I just don’t identify with that nut case Ron Paul. I wish many more Americans understood what Libertarians are all about, and Ron Paul ain’t helping things one tiny bit. And, as Mr. Barnett notes, Mr. Paul’s views, opinions, and stated policy on the war actually HURT the Libertarian cause.

I suppose I better get my flame-retardant underwear out and put it on, coz you know what happens if one mentions the words “Ron Paul” in a blog. They swoop in out of nowhere…like bats in the moonlight. (Associate those last five words in any manner you choose.)

Some encouraging news on the status of Internet Radio (you may read that as “Radio Paradise”):

NEW YORK - Internet radio broadcasters and the music industry appeared to be moving closer Monday to resolving a dispute over a new system mandating higher royalty fees for streaming music online.

Participants described the negotiations as constructive and said they hoped to build on the momentum achieved last week, when both sides promised quick progress on the issue at a closed-door Congressional meeting held by Rep. Ed Markey, D.-Mass.

The talks were continuing past a July 15 deadline, when a new set of royalties mandated by a panel of three copyright judges went into effect. The judges made the ruling in May after the music industry and Webcasters were unable to agree on a new royalty system to replace a previous set of agreements that expired at the end of 2005.

I said “somewhat encouraging,” didn’t I? (ed: No, you didn't. Oh. My Bad.) Well, at least they’re talking…

And then there’s this on RP’s main page:

Thanks to the tremendous outpouring of support we received about the royalty rates that the big record companies were trying to impose on Internet radio stations like RP, the US Congress has intervened and told the RIAA guys that they had to play fair and negotiate a rate with webcasters that won't bankrupt our entire industry.

All of the dust hasn't settled, but it looks like we will continue to pay the highest royalties of any class of broadcaster in the US — but not the absurdly high rates that the record companies had wanted (and that the US Copyright Office had rubber-stamped). For all of the details, see last Friday's edition of Kurt Hanson's RAIN newsletter, or this Wired blog post.

If you’re interested. Me? I’m just glad RP is still alive and kicking playing kick-ass music.

Anniversaries

Well, I almost made my noon posting deadline. But Hey! deadlines are oh-so-arbitrary these days.

Reader Bec dropped a link in the comments to The NYT's Defeatism that should be on EIP’s front page. So, herewith is the link to “Here is the news (as we want to report it),” from The Telegraph. The subject is a recurring meme here at EIP…BBC bias. The article is written by former BBC producer Antony Jay, and is an abridged extract from 'Confessions of a Reformed BBC Producer,' which is due to be published in Britain today. Here’s Mr. Jay’s conclusion:

Media liberal pressure has prompted a stream of laws, regulations and directives to champion the criminal against the police, the child against the school, the patient against the hospital, the employee against the company, the soldier against the army, the borrower against the bank, the convict against the prison - there is a new case in the papers almost every day, and each victory is a small erosion of the efficiency and effectiveness of the institution.

I can now see that my old BBC media liberalism was not a basis for government. It was an ideology of opposition, valuable for restraining the excesses of institutions and campaigning against the abuses of authority but it was not a way of actually running anything. It serves a vital function when government is dictatorial and oppressive, but when government is ineffective and over-permissive it is hopelessly inappropriate.

I can't deny that my perceptions have come through the experience of leaving the BBC. Suppose I had stayed. Would I have remained a devotee of the metropolitan media liberal ideology that I once absorbed so readily? I have an awful fear that the answer is yes.

I’ve given you the destination right up front but it’s the journey, Gentle Reader, that is illuminating and entertaining. Which is a left-handed way of saying the usual: “read the whole thing.”

Kris (in New England!) is celebrating her 24^th wedding anniversary today. Why don’t you take a minute and drop by her place to wish her a Happy? She has a beautiful wedding picture posted, too. Just another lil incentive, ya know…

A New Mexico claim to fame… Today is the anniversary of the first nuclear explosion in history, which happened on this day in 1945. Trinity occurred 35 miles southeast of Socorro, New Mexico, on what is now White Sands Missile Range. White Sands hosts an “open house” at the Trinity site twice a year; the next one is scheduled for October 6 of this year. I think I’m gonna go.

Today is also the anniversary of the installation of the first parking meter.

The world's first installed parking meter was in Oklahoma City, on July 16, 1935. Mr. Magee had been appointed to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce traffic committee, and was assigned the task of solving the parking problems in downtown Oklahoma City. Apparently, folks who worked in the area were parking on downtown streets, staying all day, and leaving few spaces for shoppers and others who visited the central business district.

I don’t know which anniversary (of the last two...certainly not Kris'!) is the greater tragedy.

Today’s Pic: An SN3 baby pic from the archives. Taken by TSMP, the caption could be “Look Mom, I got one out for ya!”

Perinton, NY. June, 1998.

The State of the State

Outside: 88 degrees, light rain, calm (yes…you read that correctly. It’s calm. Amazing.).

Inside: Coffee nearly finished (note the post time…I’m such a slug today), ditto the “normal rounds,” motivation lacking. News of the World unattended to and will likely remain so. Because, Gentle Reader, it’s Sunday.

Item of note: As promised, SN2 has put up more wedding pictures.

I may or may not be back today, depending on what I find in my miscellaneous meanderings.

All three pics taken about ten minutes ago. Pic Number One is the general environment; Pic Number Two is looking northeast...where the WX is pretty clear; Pic Number Three is looking southwest, where the rain is coming from. I do believe it's gonna rain off and on all day. Not good for the nine-to-fivers, but I'm totally ambivalent...not to rub it in, or anything. {insert smiley face thingie here}

Wedding Photos

I don’t want to steal Sam’s (SN2) thunder, but… I just had to share at least ONE wedding photo with all y’all. There are many more photos (five, to be exact... with more promised) at the link. Stasia was indeed a beautiful bride and Alex (her Beloved) is dashing in his dress blues. Those Jarhead uniforms are impressive; I’ll have to give them that. And SN2 is pretty impressive in his uniform, too.

You should go.

Stranger than Fiction

Here’s the strangest story I’ve read in a looong time, in today’s WaPo:

A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home, sipping red wine. Suddenly, a hooded man slid in through an open gate and put the barrel of a handgun to the head of a 14-year-old guest.

"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he demanded, according to D.C. police and witness accounts.

The five other guests, including the girls' parents, froze -- and then one spoke.

"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina "Cha Cha" Rowan, 43, blurted out. "Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?"

The intruder took a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry and said, "Damn, that's good wine."

You just have to read the rest. I’d say (a) the dinner party guests were extremely fortunate and (b) I’m gonna go looking for some Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry. That’s gotta be great wine.

The NYT's Defeatism

Victor Davis Hanson, writing in New York’s City Journal:

On July 8, the New York Times ran an historic editorial entitled “The Road Home,” demanding an immediate American withdrawal from Iraq. It is rare that an editorial gets almost everything wrong, but “The Road Home” pulls it off. Consider, point by point, its confused—and immoral—defeatism.

I saw the NYT editorial in question this past Sunday. It seemed like the entire ‘sphere was on about it, in one way or another (Shorter Left: “See? Told ya so!” Shorter Right: “Typical NYT. Terrorist lovers/enablers!”), so how could one miss it? As VDH notes, the editorial was “historic,” and not in a good way. I chose not to blog about this, but simply shook my head and thought “this really, really sucks.” The editorial, speaking as it does to the NYT’s core constituency (Blue America), certainly didn’t speak for me or to me…other than to demonstrate, as VDH notes, the sheer immorality of preaching defeat while the war is still in progress, not to mention the fact that the US’s new strategy has just now begun to be fully implemented and, oh-by-the-way, is showing positive results. As to the last point, VDH says:

We promised General Petraeus a hearing in September; it would be the height of folly to preempt that agreement by giving in to our summer of panic and despair. Critics called for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, a change in command in Iraq and at Centcom, new strategies, and more troops. But now that we have a new secretary, a new command in Iraq and at Centcom, new strategies, and more troops, suddenly we have a renewed demand for withdrawal before the agreed-upon September accounting—suggesting that the only constant in such harping was the assumption that Iraq was either hopeless or not worth the effort.

The “summer of panic and despair.” Interesting phraseology, that. I don’t think we —the nation— are in a “panic and despair” mode. I think Bush’s foes, and they are legion, smell blood in the water and are moving in for the kill. Panic and despair are just two emotions Bush’s enemies are using to manipulate public opinion into backing a premature withdrawal. It appears the strategy is working, now that the NYT has officially, rather than tacitly, signed on. It's a damned shame that Bush's political enemies are putting their partisan interests ahead of the nation's best interests. I never thought I'd see the day...

It’s getting uglier and uglier. And it certainly isn’t easy or fun being a member of that 30% or so of Americans who simply aren’t willing or able to accept an American defeat in Iraq. Especially when it looks like we can win it, if we want to. And that’s become the salient question: Do we want to win? It sure doesn’t look like it…

And now, Gentle Reader, I have to go out to Cannon Air Plane Patch for a doctor’s appointment. I’ll be back later.

Linkage

One the day’s more interesting reads, via Chap…a short biographical sketch of Robert Heinlein in Reason Magazine. July 7 was the centennial of Heinlein’s birth.

Heinlein venerated the armed forces, most notoriously in his 1959 novel Starship Troopers, which celebrated an elite military order. Just two years later, he was publishing the counterculture classic Stranger in a Strange Land, with its simultaneously beatific, sexy, and heroic vision of Martian-inspired communal living. A rich mix of bohemian and straight-arrow values, Heinlein's unique take on American individualism made him the bridge between such disparate '60s icons as Barry Goldwater and Charles Manson.

[…]

This one-two punch of curious, powerful novels (ed: Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land) seems to indicate two opposing strains of thought. But to Heinlein, these dueling visions-a world of sinister alien bugs fought off by powerfully disciplined soldiers, and a beatific Man from Mars teaching humanity how to love freely-had the same message, as he once wrote to his fellow S.F. writer Alfred Bester: "That a man, to be truly human, must be unhesitatingly willing at all times to lay down his life for his fellow man. Both [novels] are based on the twin concepts of love and duty-and how they are related to the survival of our race."

That quote, from a man so proud of his love of freedom he once joked that "Ayn Rand is a bloody socialist compared to me," shows yet another side to the Heinlein paradox. As a literary influence on the emerging libertarian movement, Heinlein was second only to Rand.

My dog-eared copy of Stranger in a Strange Land disappeared many, many moons ago after accompanying me most of the way around the world. While I didn’t read any of Heinlein’s books in “hard cover” (i.e., when they were first published), I had a huge collection of his works in paperback. I read Heinlein not because he was a master of science fiction, but because he (a) was a wonderful story teller and (b) I bought his philosophical vision of the world hook, line, and sinker. The man just made sense. I’m quite sure there’s not a single American male in my generation (and many more than a few women, as well) who hasn’t read at least one book by Heinlein. I’d put serious money on that bet.

Oh and by the way…Chap attended the Heinlein Centennial conference mentioned in that Reason article. His AAR is here. Interesting stuff, this.

Via Lex…Ralph Peters interviews General Petraeus in the NY Post. Excellent stuff. EXCELLENT.

Via Gerard…entries in Nikon’s “Nikon International Small World Competition” micro-photography contest. Some truly amazing photography here…and you can vote for your favorite!

The Nikon International Small World Competition first began in 1974 as a means to recognize and applaud the efforts of those involved with photography through the light microscope. Since then, Small World has become a leading showcase for photomicrographers from the widest array of scientific disciplines.

A photomicrograph is a technical document that can be of great significance to science or industry. But a good photomicrograph is also an image whose structure, color, composition, and content is an object of beauty, open to several levels of comprehension and appreciation.

[…]

The official judging for the 33rd Annual Small World Photomicrography Competition took place on May 10, 2007. The winners will be announced this fall, but we’re giving you the chance to pick your favorites among this year’s top entries. Click on the “Start Voting” button below to begin. You will be presented with a random image, which you may rate on a scale of 1 star to 5 stars (5 being the best). Have fun, and check back in this fall to see which of these images were the top selections of our distinguished judges panel.

My fave? This one: it’s Dr. Stephen Nagy’s photo of “Navicula clavata var indica (Greville) Cleve (375x).” Which is one of many (speculating, I am) Montana diatoms…I only know coz the brief explanation accompanying the photo sez so. At any rate, if you’re into photography, you’ll enjoy this.

Gerard has lotsa other good links, as well, including this one (looks like I quit smoking too soon) and this highly entertaining “Periodic Table of the Internet,” which ranks web sites in an unusual and interesting way.

Good News

Good news for both Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt and the US Marine Corps: The AP reports the outcome of the Article 32 investigation surrounding the events in Haditha in November of 2005…the events described by Congressman Murtha as “cold blooded murder” (I paraphrase). The AP:

The government's theory that Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt had executed the three men was "incredible" and relied on contradictory statements by Iraqis, Lt. Col. Paul Ware said in the report, released Tuesday by Sharratt's defense attorneys.

"To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, and sets a dangerous precedent that, in my opinion, may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and mission in Iraq," Ware wrote.

On the other hand, just who was it that developed the government’s case, to begin with? I ask because this isn’t the first time an Article 32 inquiry has rejected courts martial for the alleged crime(s) committed at Haditha.

It is the second time an investigating officer has recommended charges not continue to trial in the killings. In the case of Marine lawyer Capt. Randy W. Stone, the investigating officer recommended his dereliction of duty charge be dealt with administratively.

Our efforts to wage a “kinder and gentler” sort of war are admirable, according to Western classical liberal values, less so to jihadists and their sympathizers. And much less so when these “kinder” efforts get in the way of actual…you know…war fighting. Thank GOD for the UCMJ and its processes and procedures that guarantee the rights of the accused. And while I’m at it, thank God for the integrity of the officers charged with examining the facts and making appropriate recommendations, especially in this case. Other wise, Murtha and the media would have strung these Marines up at least a year ago.

Now the question being asked all over the Right side of the blogosphere is: “Will Murtha apologize?” Sure he will…and Satan his-own-self will be distributing pitchers of ice water in Hell around the same time.

Today’s Pic(s): Another ride I lust after, from the same car show I posted a pic from yesterday. This time it’s an early Corvette (1956, I think) done up in a questionable color scheme. Orange? ORANGE? What was GM thinking? And why did people actually buy orange ‘Vettes, when there were other, much more pleasing colors produced that year (the aqua/white combination comes to mind…more colors here)? I suppose it all goes to prove that taste is indeed in one’s mouth…

Amarillo, TX. March, 2004.

Update: I found a '56 Vette brochure and orange wasn't a production color scheme in 1956. So this means this particular car either isn't a 1956 Vette or the owner repainted the car and installed orange seats, mats, etc. That's a lot of work and is a pretty rare occurrence in the Vintage Car game; most owners elect to keep restorations of the sort pictured here "stock." I'm leaning toward the opinion this particular car is a '57...or a '58... Whatever. Orange is still a crappy color IM(not so)HO.

Dream Car

Well. Today’s self-imposed post-by-noon deadline has been well and truly blown, nu? I don’t have much to offer in the way of excuses, aside from the usual late-night and other variations on that theme. Well, one slight addition: I spent the morning outside, taking advantage of the cooler temps, drinking coffee, and batting the breeze with the neighbor lady, which activities were both refreshing and entertaining.

The upshot is I haven’t really paid attention to the usual blog-fodder, e.g., the outrage of the day and other such subjects. So, just for a change of pace: a flight of fancy.

Pictured is my Dream Car…in yellow. If I (a) bought tickets and (b) actually won a significant lottery prize, I’d have one of these babies…in black. Or maybe green like the Green Hornet. It would be a small-block…the 302…not the 427. Coz I’m all about balance. And keeping my license. And not buying rear tires every 1,000 miles or so. It should go without sayin’ that the car would be a genuine Shelby, and not one of the thousands of ersatz Cobras (read that: kit cars; not that there's anything wrong with kit-cars) that roam the highways and byways in the US of A.

I saw the car in the pictures at a car show in Amarillo and got to chat a bit with the owner. The man was as proud of that car as he is of his kids…and said so. I suppose I would be, too.

Amarillo, TX. March, 2004.

PSAs are Different in Europe...

Note: you might not want to view this at work. While there is no nudity or naughty bits on display, the theme is most definitely sexual in nature.


PSA being, of course, Public Service Announcement. By the way, this clip has been viewed 3,237,209 times (as of this writing) and provoked 665 comments...not all of which I've read.

My reaction? Meh. So what, already?

h/t: Cassandra

Would Someone Turn Down the Heat? Please?

It's hot...89 degrees at 1145 a.m. And it's gonna get jes a lil bit hotter before it's all over today. But it ain't as hot in P-Town as it is in some places here in the US of A...

So…I wander off to the Daily Mail’s site today to read yet another snarky article about Live Earth (“Live Earth has been branded a foul-mouthed flop”) and what do I find? Gossip about Jack Nicholson. Good gossip. With photos of Jack and friends (all female) letting it all hang out (in Jack’s case, not the friends, unfortunately) in the south of France.

I just couldn’t resist, Gentle Reader, coz I luvs me some Nicholson. Didja ever see “Five Easy Pieces?” Early Jack, CLASSIC Jack. One of his best. There sure is a world of difference between the Nicholson of 35+ years ago and the Nicholson of today. But Hey! We all get older. Would that we all could holiday in the south of France in the company of Sweet Young Thangs.

Just sayin’.

Speaking of Live Earth… “Skeptical of Performers’ Motives, Public Tunes Out Live Earth Event.” No comment; I’ve wasted enough bandwidth on this subject. No, I didn’t watch…in real-time OR via streaming vid.

World Net Daily, one of the… uh …more interesting… British tabloids has a good article on Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Party of Liberation, backed up with audio clips of speeches and interviews with several Islamist radicals. It’s the audio clips that are worth the going. While the article claims “nearly 3,000” Muslims attended a rally outside a London mosque featuring radical Islamist speakers, the audience in the clips sounds like it’s composed of tens, perhaps hundreds, of people responding to the speakers’ exhortations. Still and even, this is chilling stuff.

Today’s Pic: A whimsical fish sculpture that caught my eye while at a gallery outside of Tucson, AZ. As always, click for larger.

February, 2004.

Biding Our Time, Talkers, and Another Late Night

Maybe we should just wait for the mullahs to self-destruct. That’s the thrust of this Forbes article on Iran.

Oil provides more than 70% of the revenues of the government of Iran. The rise in oil prices has been a bonanza for the regime, allowing them to subsidize all sorts of welfare programs at home and mischief abroad. And one of the chief subsidies is gasoline prices.

Gasoline costs about $.34 cents a gallon in Iran, or 9 cents a liter. You can fill up your Honda Civic for $4.49. In the U.S. it costs almost $40. In neighboring Turkey it costs almost $95. Iran is spending 38% of its national budget (almost 15% of gross domestic product) on gasoline subsidies!

And this situation is likely to get worse. Let's look at a rather remarkable peer-reviewed study done for the National Academy of Sciences by Roger Stern of Johns Hopkins University late last year. Stern's analysis is somewhat political, in that he is critical of current U.S. Iranian policy, but this is just one of several studies that show the same thing:

"A more probable scenario is that, absent some change in Irani policy ... [we will see] exports declining to zero by 2014 to 2015. Energy subsidies, hostility to foreign investment and inefficiencies of its state-planned economy underlie Iran's problem, which has no relation to 'peak oil.' "

Given the reaction to the recently imposed gas rationing one can surmise the pressure cooker will blow when the subsidies go away for good, as they most certainly will. Yet that will probably be a temporary reaction and it’s anybody’s guess if higher gasoline prices will really be enough to topple the government. It’s but one issue in an economy that has been seriously mismanaged and is almost totally lacking in foreign investment and associated technical expertise.

I’m heartened by the article. But it also brings to mind the ol’ cliché… “be careful what you wish for.” In this case, however, it’s pretty hard to conceive of any alternative to the theocracy as being worse for the Iranians or ourselves.

Myth busters?

WASHINGTON, JUL 6: A team of researchers found there is not much difference between the sexes when it comes to talking when you actually count the words.

The researchers placed microphones on 396 college students for periods ranging from two to ten days, sampled their conversations and calculated how many words they used in the course of a day.

The score: Women, 16,215. Men, 15,669. The difference: 546 words: “Not statistically significant,” say the researchers in Friday’s edition of the journal Science.

[…]

They were surprised when a magazine article asserted that women use an average of 20,000 words per day compared with 7,000 for men.

If there had been that big a difference, he thought, they should have noticed it.

They found that the 20,000-7,000 figures have been used in popular books and magazines for years. But they could not find any research supporting them.

Mmmm-kay. If you say so. Me? I’m going with my gut on this one. And my gut tells me the UT researchers are wrong.

Just sayin’. (In as few words as possible.)

So. Another late night, Gentle Reader. But this time there was a reason…I got caught up in The History Channel’s broadcast of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart and didn’t get to sleep until after the movie was over at 0200 hrs this morning. I’m not generally a movie guy, but this one grabbed me. Old news for those of you who are movie people, I’m sure. Aside from enjoying the Hell out of the movie, the upshot is I poured today’s first cup shortly after 1100 hrs. Half the day was gone before it even began…

Today’s Pic: Mucking around in the depths of the archives, again. Here’s SN3 and I, and Bob-O ain’t too very pleased about being retrieved from his puddle-stomping fun during a summer rainstorm on the Fourth of July…nine years ago.

Perinton, NY. July, 1998. (As always: click for larger.)

I Said I Might. Well, I DID...

Stay with it to the end...

It Ain't Easy Being Green

In the “For What It’s Worth” Dept… London’s Daily Mail has an analysis of how green (or not) the Live Earth concerts are. I learned something by reading this… (a) Live Earth ain’t green at all (the promoters are purchasing one million Pounds Sterling worth of carbon off-sets to compensate for LE excesses) and (b) Madonna owns a Maybach, two Range Rovers (models unspecified), an Audi A8, and a Mini Cooper S. OK, she ain’t Jay Leno. But those are still some serious gas hogs. And she’s gonna tell me how to reduce my carbon footprint or otherwise Save The Planet? YaGottaBeKiddingMe.

Mark Steyn, at The Corner:

I want to bequeath the wonders of this earth to the next generation, but I worry that my grandchildren will never know the feeling that you've totally demonstrated your tremendous concern and commitment to taking action just by going to a concert and staying until halfway through the George Michael set when he started doing stuff from the new album. I worry that my grandchildren will never know the thrill of being hectored by Bono and Bob Geldof, and that many already rare species will simply vanish from the earth - Seventies supergroups who've not yet had a long-awaited charity-gala reunion, hot young acts who haven't had the chance to cover "Imagine" with the lights down and everybody in the stadium holding disposable lighters, Eighties girl groups who've not yet reunited for a Playboy shoot, the last three celebrities who haven't duetted with Elton John, bald-headed Eagles doing the 50th anniversary performance of "Hotel California"...

Oh. One more thing. Will I be watching? I’m undecided at this point. Probably not.

And now for something REALLY stupid… Will Her Face Determine His Fortune? Is this the New York Times or The National Enquirer? OK, the prose gives it away, I suppose. But, still. A newspaper with pretensions of being “serious” actually asks the question “Is America ready for a president with a trophy wife?” Must be a slow news day.

But, Hey! Mrs. Fred is a stunner. That’s about as far as I’d go, other than having an occasional private fit of jealousy. I mean...the man is two years older than me. Why am I not with a woman like that? (The question is rhetorical: snarky answers in comments will be deleted.) (OK, not really. The "delete" bit.) (Snark away, if'n it serves ya.)

Here’s some good news on the technology front… “New battery packs powerful punch.”

A new type of a room-size battery, however, may be poised to store energy for the nation's vast electric grid almost as easily as a reservoir stockpiles water, transforming the way power is delivered to homes and businesses. Compared with other utility-scale batteries plagued by limited life spans or unwieldy bulk, the sodium-sulfur battery is compact, long-lasting and efficient.

Using so-called NaS batteries, utilities could defer for years, and possibly even avoid, construction of new transmission lines, substations and power plants, says analyst Stow Walker of Cambridge Energy Research Associates. They make wind power — wildly popular but frustratingly intermittent — a more reliable resource. And they provide backup power in case of outages, such as the one that hit New York City last week.

We’re talking about megawatt-plus batteries here. And they ain’t cheap, yet. Mass-production is expected to bring costs down, and that’s a good thing.

Venus Williams wins Wimbeldon…the men’s final is tomorrow. Ms. Williams was the 23^rd seed; this is her fourth Wimbeldon title. Good on her!

Today’s Pic: Scraping the bottom of the archives…again. Here’s an old photo I e-mailed to SN3 back in 2004, that being YrHmblScrb and one of his best buddies, at the time. The Best Bud is Dandy, the ex-GF’s cocker spaniel. Someday I might post a video of him running around the house destroying things.

Clovis, NM. February, 2004.

Doings on The Fourth

You may have heard the U.S. military had a large re-enlistment ceremony, followed by an equally large naturalization ceremony, at Camp Victory in Baghdad Wednesday. Fox News had a brief segment on the affair yesterday. Here’s an excerpt from the CENTCOM press release:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Hundreds of troops gathered at Al Faw Palace for the Multi-National Force-Iraq Reenlistment, Naturalization and Independence Day Ceremony July 4 at Camp Victory.

During the ceremony, 588 troops reenlisted and 161 were naturalized as American citizens. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general, MNF-I, gave opening remarks before administering the Oath of Enlistment.

[…]

"This morning we pay tribute to the American ideals we all hold so dear in several significant ways,” he said. “First, by conducting what surely is the largest reenlistment event ever held in Iraq and perhaps in our Armed Forces’ history, then by celebrating the granting of American citizenship to a group of troopers who have already pledged their loyalty to our nation by putting their lives on the line for it, and finally by observing the 231st birthday of our great country.”

Petraeus said the troops who reenlisted on Independence Day, most while serving on a second or third deployment to a combat zone, have made a decision based on far more than any bonus they may receive.

“No bonus, no matter the size, can adequately compensate you for the contribution each of you has made and continues to make as a custodian of our nation’s defenses,” he said. “Nor can any amount of money compensate you adequately for the sacrifices you make serving here in Iraq or the burdens your loved ones face at home in your absence. And we certainly cannot put a price on the freedoms you defend or those we are trying to help the Iraqis establish and safeguard here in the land of the two rivers.”

Petraeus then dedicated the Independence Day ceremony in honor of two Soldiers who died fighting for America before they could be sworn in as citizens.

“Sgt. Kimel Watt and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi, who would have been in your ranks here this morning, were lost in recent combat action, giving the last full measure of devotion for a country that would have become fully theirs today,” Petraeus said. “Words can not express the admiration I feel for these two men or the sadness I feel for our nation’s loss and their families’ sacrifice.”

Petraeus said the deaths are reminders that freedom comes at a very high cost, which must never be forgotten. Like these two Soldiers, who fought and died with the American flag on their shoulders, he said the troops being naturalized as U.S. citizens were most deserving.

That’s a lot of troops re-upping in a single place, and, as General Petraeus indicates, it may well be a record for a mass re-enlistment. I’m also awed by the fact that 161 troops completed the requirements for citizenship and are now naturalized citizens. Those men and women have earned their right to be called Americans.

Congratulations to all, but especially to the newly-minted United States citizens.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco… The Fourth of July celebrations took an entirely different tack. You can’t make this stuff up. Much, much more at ZombieTime’s place, from whence I took this illustration.

The mind boggles, it does. I mean, on the one hand 588 troops re-enlist in our armed forces, in Iraq. And on the other? Some "artist" creates krep like this, not to mention the other , more spectacularly offensive abominations on public display? And there's actually an audience for stuff like this?

Words fail me, they really do.

Wish I'd Have Found This Yesterday...

We’re not all of us language-people. But…for those who just might be such a person, I offer “The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence.”

The Declaration of Independence is perhaps the most masterfully written state paper of Western civilization. As Moses Coit Tyler noted almost a century ago, no assessment of it can be complete without taking into account its extraordinary merits as a work of political prose style. Although many scholars have recognized those merits, there are surprisingly few sustained studies of the stylistic artistry of the Declaration.(1) This essay seeks to illuminate that artistry by probing the discourse microscopically--at the level of the sentence, phrase, word, and syllable. By approaching the Declaration in this way, we can shed light both on its literary qualities and on its rhetorical power as a work designed to convince a "candid world" that the American colonies were justified in seeking to establish themselves as an independent nation.(2)

[…]

Like the introduction, the next section of the Declaration--usually referred to as the preamble--is universal in tone and scope. It contains no explicit reference to the British- American conflict, but outlines a general philosophy of government that makes revolution justifiable, even meritorious:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Like the rest of the Declaration, the preamble is "brief, free of verbiage, a model of clear, concise, simple statement."(11) It capsulizes in five sentences--202--words what it took John Locke thousands of words to explain in his Second Treatise of Government. Each word is chosen and placed to achieve maximum impact. Each clause is indispensable to the progression of thought. Each sentence is carefully constructed internally and in relation to what precedes and follows. In its ability to compress complex ideas into a brief, clear statement, the preamble is a paradigm of eighteenth-century Enlightenment prose style, in which purity, simplicity, directness, precision, and, above all, perspicuity were the highest rhetorical and literary virtues. One word follows another with complete inevitability of sound and meaning. Not one word can be moved or replaced without disrupting the balance and harmony of the entire preamble.

I don’t know just how many times I’ve read the Declaration of Independence, but it’s been more than a few. One cannot read the document without a sense of wonder at the magnificence of the words and the way they’re put together. That said, I’ve never read an analysis of the style, thought, and historical/political precedents that went into the composition of the document. This “Stylistic Artistry” essay is one of those rare things one finds on the ‘net: A Keeper. Duly saved in my “Important Stuff” directory.

A BIG hat tip to Gerard for this…it’s on his sidebar.