my minatory friend jude informed me that he benched 135 for three sets of ten. that got me thinking about how manly jude is, which in turn got me to thinking about how manly i am. holy shit i'm manly. and i have a lot of manly friends. but little did i know that wednesday night while i was sitting around being manly, another friend of mine was about his business emasculating himself. i was watching the red sox defeat the cardinals. and while i watched, i scratched myself with a frequency that may have given an observer the visage of an unhealthy creature. during the fourth inning i filled up the cup of chew spit that i held in my right hand while i scrutinized a porno in my left hand. of course, i stopped staring at bare breasts and shorn beavers to watch the truck commercials. hemi.
meanwhile across town...
as you may have read on tim's blog, which masticated wednesday night's events, tim went over to the apartment of socialite liz connors, ever the gracious host who tries her best to entertain. “hey tim, let's go to a smoky bowling alley, drink beer, and hurl a heavy object to smash other objects.” tim just sat on the couch emoting rapid fire nays.
"no, no, no."
“hey tim, how about the vu, king of diamonds, or rick's cabaret.
"no, no, no."
“tim, do you want to stay here.” tim nods. “we could watch a action movie with ripping explosions, hundreds of cars twisted into mangled metal, decimating body counts, and rough romance scenes with supple women.”
"no, no, no."
“well how about a kung fu movie. how about the game.” both mentions for a moment drew a nonplussed reaction from tim.
“i want to watch sex in the city. aaaeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrroiiiiiiiinonononooiayneeeeeeee.”
when the reverberating noise of tim's tantrum ceased to echo in the apartment, liz offered a conciliatory “tim, we can watch whatever makes you happy and warm inside.”
“sex in the city, sex in the city, yay, yay” tim cheered as he pranced about the room like a high school cheerleader, the froufrou from his skirt and pom-poms filling the air. “the episode about balls, the episode about balls.”
see you at the dubliner tonight tim.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Thursday, October 28, 2004
flat-earthers, we salute you
elections are about character. so i want to take a moment to talk about character, specifically character traits that i admire in a person. i admire the resolute, the steadfast, the implacable. most of all i admire the flat-earthers. flat-earthers think the earth is flat. the earth is not flat. i was told and believe the earth is an oblate spheroid (math and maps). but you have to admire the tenacious conviction of flat-earthers and the higher truths of their belief, for example, their belief in the existence of earth.
marye told me about some fun facts she read in the paper this morning. in america forty years ago the average male was 5'8" and 166 pounds. today the average male is 5'9.5" and 181 pounds. forty years ago the average female was 5'3" and 140 pounds. today the average female is 5'4" and 164 pounds. forty years ago the average 10-year old was 11 pounds lighter. what's my point. i'm exotic.
calling all minnesotans. vote for the incumbent judge alan page. page's opponent is mandatory-ten-commandments-in-everyone’s-house crazy. go to the star tribune and find out who is on your ballot. work it real good.
"men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between them and the almighty." -abe lincoln
marye told me about some fun facts she read in the paper this morning. in america forty years ago the average male was 5'8" and 166 pounds. today the average male is 5'9.5" and 181 pounds. forty years ago the average female was 5'3" and 140 pounds. today the average female is 5'4" and 164 pounds. forty years ago the average 10-year old was 11 pounds lighter. what's my point. i'm exotic.
calling all minnesotans. vote for the incumbent judge alan page. page's opponent is mandatory-ten-commandments-in-everyone’s-house crazy. go to the star tribune and find out who is on your ballot. work it real good.
"men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between them and the almighty." -abe lincoln
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
great clips
today’s blog features three clippings from the star tribune. the first is a reader response about health care. the second loses focus sometimes but centers on it’s title “history doesn’t excuse terrorism, but it sure is relevant.” the third is about the record deficit.
*
Falsely positive
During the last presidential debate I heard George W. Bush say that our health care system is “the envy of the world.” This is an absurd and false claim, and here’s some proof.
The World Health Organization ranks the United States 29th in the world in healthy life expectancy and 38th in infant and child mortality. Moreover, the 28 countries that do better than we do spend, on average, about $2,500 less per capita per year. Given our population, that $2,500 difference amounts to $712 billion every year. One can only conclude that $712 billion must be going to something other than health care.
Those 28 countries all have some form of single-payer, universal health care. They treat health care as a fundamental human right rather than a business opportunity. So when a candidate says our system is the envy of the world, I think he is lying to protect the $712 billion stake of the insurance companies, the HMOs, and other businesses that profit from health care but provide none of it.
-Steven Boyer, St. Paul
*
History doesn’t excuse terrorism, but it sure is relevant
By Molly Ivins
Creators Syndicate
Austin, Texas – You open the paper and read the news from Iraq these days, and all you can say is, “Damn, damn, damn.”
I’m flat out of ideas about how we can fix this, but I maybe see a couple of wrong roads we should give a miss. I was much struck by a column by David Brooks of the New York Times written in an understandable rage against the perpetrators of the school massacre at Beslan, Russia. Condemning the perpetrators of Beslan with all the vigor at his command – hyperbole is impossible – leads Brooks to an unfortunate conclusion.
Brooks particularly blames the American media, which he argues are “averting their eyes” and being “quick to divert their attention away from the core horror of this act” by paying attention to what he regards as irrelevant: the grievance that served as a justification or pretext for these terrorists’ act of evil. In other words, he is so exercised at the utter, unmitigated evil of the terrorists, he thinks history is irrelevant.
History does not excuse terrorism, but it sure is relevant, if for no other reason than you have to understand an enemy in order to combat him. Of course we should pay attention to what shaped the Chechen terrorists – since when is learning about terrorists or trying to understand what motivates them the same as condoning them or their actions?
In the case of Chechyna, the history is so grim it draws dramatic attention to precisely how a cult of death can start. Chechnya has a long, bitter history of fighting Russia going back at least two centuries. Those of you who have been paying attention know that after World War II, Stalin deported almost the entire nation of Chechnya to Siberia and dumped most of them off in frozen fields with nothing. So most adult Chechens were born in Siberia. Because of the Chechens’ desire for independence, two hideous wars followed, one under President Boris Yeltsin and one under President Vladimir Putin.
Most of us remember the mind-numbingly desolate photos of Grozny, the capital, after the surrender – beyond Dresden. That’s how Chechen terrorism was born. Desire for independence is not something this country normally condemns.
Brooks blames the terrorism on the “death cult thriving at the fringes of the Muslim world.” At least in the case of the Chechens, that’s akin to blaming Catholicism for the IRA. On a larger plane, Brooks thinks we refuse to recognize the absolute evil of the Beslan terrorists because it “undermines our faith in the essential goodness of human beings.” Speak for yourself, Brooks.
Seems to me the one thing that does not change through history is human nature. Theologians and philosophers will continue to debate human nature. I’ve always like an observation about politics made by an old West Texas rancher: “I feel like I’m about equal parts good and bad. There’s just not many people appealin’ to the good in me.”
I think we’re all capable of evil under extreme circumstances. I do know that most humans are kinder and better people when they are healthy, well-fed, raised by loving people in a secure environment and taught it is wrong to kill. But that doesn’t change human nature.
One trouble with defining terrorism as absolute evil is, as the saying goes, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. Second, we appear to be stuck – permanently stuck – with war of unequal forces, since no country is dumb enough to declare war on the United States. So we need to learn every thing we can about how to fight these people effectively. Third, defining “terrorist” or any “other” as an absolute, irrational evil gives us a spurious and intoxicating sense of self-righteousness. We become the simon-pure contrast, thus missing any chance to consider if correcting or just changing our own conduct would be effective.
One of the things I know about human nature is that in order to kill strangers face to face – or, God forbid, their children – you have to either be very afraid or convince yourself that your enemy is completely evil, other, nonhuman. People seem far more capable of killing other people if they can’t see them, which is probably why war has gotten nastier as the technology has gotten better.
We have killed an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 Iraqis since “mission accomplished” and are bombing Fallujah today. For all I know, in some future I cannot envision, this will turn out to be the right thing to have done. Peace and democracy will flourish in Iraq, and we will all bow down to the great wisdom of Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz. But so far, no good.
According to opinion polls both in Iraq and in the larger Arab world, our invasion of Iraq has increased hatred of the United states and fanned terrorism. Ignorance and condemnation are not a strategy for dealing with that.
*
Record ’04 deficit puts government at debt capacity
By Jonathan Welsman
Washington Post
Friday, October 15, 2004
Washington, D.C. – The federal government reach its $7.4 trillion debt ceiling Thursday, forcing Treasury Secretary John Snow to delay contributing to one of the federal employees’ pension systems to avoid running out of cash and possibly defaulting on government debt.
The situation will probably prove temporary, as it has in the past.
Congressional leaders said that when they return for a lame-duck session after the election, they will raise the debt ceiling to allow the government to borrow the money it needs to pay its bills. At that point, any overdue contributions to the pension fund will be paid, with interest.
But it also underscores the political sensitivity of record government deficits during an election year.
When Bush came to office, the debt ceiling was $5.95 trillion and had last been raised in 1997.
Since 2002, Congress has raised the borrowing limit by more than $1.4 trillion, as the government ran increasingly large deficits of $158 billion in 2002, $375 billion in 2003 and $413 billion for fiscal 2004, which ended in September. On Thursday the Treasury Department released its final 2004 deficit figure, which came in below initial forecasts but still at a record level in dollar terms.
If Republicans had hoped to avoid the issue before the election, Democrats on Thursday sought to make them pay with a litany of accusations.
“This is a heck of a burden to pass on to the next generation,” said Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
Campaign aides of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry noted that Bush’s 2001 budget anticipated the debt ceiling would not have to be raised until 2008. And, they charged, the government has run up more debt in the last 17 months than was amassed under all the presidents from George Washington to Ronald Reagan.
But budget watchdog organizations took both Kerry and Bush to task for what they see as a failure to take the deficit seriously.
“Following the presidential debate where more attention was given to the candidates wives than to the budget deficit… it is hard to see where the leadership to put the country back on the path of fiscal responsibility will come from,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
*
Falsely positive
During the last presidential debate I heard George W. Bush say that our health care system is “the envy of the world.” This is an absurd and false claim, and here’s some proof.
The World Health Organization ranks the United States 29th in the world in healthy life expectancy and 38th in infant and child mortality. Moreover, the 28 countries that do better than we do spend, on average, about $2,500 less per capita per year. Given our population, that $2,500 difference amounts to $712 billion every year. One can only conclude that $712 billion must be going to something other than health care.
Those 28 countries all have some form of single-payer, universal health care. They treat health care as a fundamental human right rather than a business opportunity. So when a candidate says our system is the envy of the world, I think he is lying to protect the $712 billion stake of the insurance companies, the HMOs, and other businesses that profit from health care but provide none of it.
-Steven Boyer, St. Paul
*
History doesn’t excuse terrorism, but it sure is relevant
By Molly Ivins
Creators Syndicate
Austin, Texas – You open the paper and read the news from Iraq these days, and all you can say is, “Damn, damn, damn.”
I’m flat out of ideas about how we can fix this, but I maybe see a couple of wrong roads we should give a miss. I was much struck by a column by David Brooks of the New York Times written in an understandable rage against the perpetrators of the school massacre at Beslan, Russia. Condemning the perpetrators of Beslan with all the vigor at his command – hyperbole is impossible – leads Brooks to an unfortunate conclusion.
Brooks particularly blames the American media, which he argues are “averting their eyes” and being “quick to divert their attention away from the core horror of this act” by paying attention to what he regards as irrelevant: the grievance that served as a justification or pretext for these terrorists’ act of evil. In other words, he is so exercised at the utter, unmitigated evil of the terrorists, he thinks history is irrelevant.
History does not excuse terrorism, but it sure is relevant, if for no other reason than you have to understand an enemy in order to combat him. Of course we should pay attention to what shaped the Chechen terrorists – since when is learning about terrorists or trying to understand what motivates them the same as condoning them or their actions?
In the case of Chechyna, the history is so grim it draws dramatic attention to precisely how a cult of death can start. Chechnya has a long, bitter history of fighting Russia going back at least two centuries. Those of you who have been paying attention know that after World War II, Stalin deported almost the entire nation of Chechnya to Siberia and dumped most of them off in frozen fields with nothing. So most adult Chechens were born in Siberia. Because of the Chechens’ desire for independence, two hideous wars followed, one under President Boris Yeltsin and one under President Vladimir Putin.
Most of us remember the mind-numbingly desolate photos of Grozny, the capital, after the surrender – beyond Dresden. That’s how Chechen terrorism was born. Desire for independence is not something this country normally condemns.
Brooks blames the terrorism on the “death cult thriving at the fringes of the Muslim world.” At least in the case of the Chechens, that’s akin to blaming Catholicism for the IRA. On a larger plane, Brooks thinks we refuse to recognize the absolute evil of the Beslan terrorists because it “undermines our faith in the essential goodness of human beings.” Speak for yourself, Brooks.
Seems to me the one thing that does not change through history is human nature. Theologians and philosophers will continue to debate human nature. I’ve always like an observation about politics made by an old West Texas rancher: “I feel like I’m about equal parts good and bad. There’s just not many people appealin’ to the good in me.”
I think we’re all capable of evil under extreme circumstances. I do know that most humans are kinder and better people when they are healthy, well-fed, raised by loving people in a secure environment and taught it is wrong to kill. But that doesn’t change human nature.
One trouble with defining terrorism as absolute evil is, as the saying goes, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. Second, we appear to be stuck – permanently stuck – with war of unequal forces, since no country is dumb enough to declare war on the United States. So we need to learn every thing we can about how to fight these people effectively. Third, defining “terrorist” or any “other” as an absolute, irrational evil gives us a spurious and intoxicating sense of self-righteousness. We become the simon-pure contrast, thus missing any chance to consider if correcting or just changing our own conduct would be effective.
One of the things I know about human nature is that in order to kill strangers face to face – or, God forbid, their children – you have to either be very afraid or convince yourself that your enemy is completely evil, other, nonhuman. People seem far more capable of killing other people if they can’t see them, which is probably why war has gotten nastier as the technology has gotten better.
We have killed an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 Iraqis since “mission accomplished” and are bombing Fallujah today. For all I know, in some future I cannot envision, this will turn out to be the right thing to have done. Peace and democracy will flourish in Iraq, and we will all bow down to the great wisdom of Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz. But so far, no good.
According to opinion polls both in Iraq and in the larger Arab world, our invasion of Iraq has increased hatred of the United states and fanned terrorism. Ignorance and condemnation are not a strategy for dealing with that.
*
Record ’04 deficit puts government at debt capacity
By Jonathan Welsman
Washington Post
Friday, October 15, 2004
Washington, D.C. – The federal government reach its $7.4 trillion debt ceiling Thursday, forcing Treasury Secretary John Snow to delay contributing to one of the federal employees’ pension systems to avoid running out of cash and possibly defaulting on government debt.
The situation will probably prove temporary, as it has in the past.
Congressional leaders said that when they return for a lame-duck session after the election, they will raise the debt ceiling to allow the government to borrow the money it needs to pay its bills. At that point, any overdue contributions to the pension fund will be paid, with interest.
But it also underscores the political sensitivity of record government deficits during an election year.
When Bush came to office, the debt ceiling was $5.95 trillion and had last been raised in 1997.
Since 2002, Congress has raised the borrowing limit by more than $1.4 trillion, as the government ran increasingly large deficits of $158 billion in 2002, $375 billion in 2003 and $413 billion for fiscal 2004, which ended in September. On Thursday the Treasury Department released its final 2004 deficit figure, which came in below initial forecasts but still at a record level in dollar terms.
If Republicans had hoped to avoid the issue before the election, Democrats on Thursday sought to make them pay with a litany of accusations.
“This is a heck of a burden to pass on to the next generation,” said Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
Campaign aides of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry noted that Bush’s 2001 budget anticipated the debt ceiling would not have to be raised until 2008. And, they charged, the government has run up more debt in the last 17 months than was amassed under all the presidents from George Washington to Ronald Reagan.
But budget watchdog organizations took both Kerry and Bush to task for what they see as a failure to take the deficit seriously.
“Following the presidential debate where more attention was given to the candidates wives than to the budget deficit… it is hard to see where the leadership to put the country back on the path of fiscal responsibility will come from,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
andersonville
i found an article on kofi’s old neighborhood, andersonville in chicago. andersonville commissioned an economic impact study to elucidate the importance of small, locally-owned businesses. "for every $100 spent in 10 locally owned shops studied there, $73 stayed in chicago's economy. for every $100 spent in a chain with comparable products, $43 appeared to stay, according to the study by civic economics, a firm that penned an often-cited 2002 report comparing a chain to a local bookstore in austin, texas. the chicago study found that money spent in local stores stayed local because employees were paid more, owners used more local goods and services for their businesses and contributed more to local charities." read the summary of the study. do you remember the buy american / made in the usa movement back when we were kids. walmart touted that shit. vote with your dollars.
i raked leaves last night, twelve bags worth. i used a rake, not a leaf blower. if you use a leaf blower, you are a huge pansy. that's right alf.
Monday, October 25, 2004
somebody stanch the bleeding
nebraska 21 - kansas state 45
mossless vikings 20 - titans 3
WWJDD
what would johnny damon do
as the big fundamentals, i have been doing some basic reading on economics. this post is for my own good, repetition through typing concepts.
the federal reserve
the federal reserve has two main mechanisms for manipulating the money supply. it can sell treasury securities. when it sells treasury securities it reduces the money supply (because it accepts money in return for a promise to pay in the future). it can purchase treasury securities. when it purchases treasury securities it increases the money supply. finally, the federal reserve can adjust the reserve requirement. (reserve requirements stipulate the amount banks need to maintain to service customer needs.) when the money supply increases interest rates go down. when interest rates go down businesses and consumers have lower cost of capital and can increase spending and capital improvement projects. this helps the economy. conversely, when the money supply falls the interest rates go up and reins in the economy. the federal reserve increases interest rates to combat inflation.
treasury securities
treasury securities are bonds issued by the u.s. federal reserve. they are debt finance instrument of the federal government. there are four types of treasury securities. they are treasury bills, treasury notes, treasury bonds, and savings bonds. treasury statistics indicate that foreigners bought 58% of the securities that the treasury sold to investors. holy shit. some 60% of that 58% was bought by central banks. a large percentage of that went to the central banks of japan and china. this exposes the united states to financial or political risk if either bank stops buying treasuries or sells them heavily.
interest rates
in general, the prime rate is 3% above the federal funds rate. the federal funds rate is the interest rate at which depository institutions lend balances at the federal reserve to other depository institutions overnight.
Friday, October 22, 2004
squirt squirt
i admit, being president is difficult. it’s hard work. the president issues executive orders, nominates a bunch of peeps (cabinet, judges, etc.), prepares the budget, holds veto power, pardons dirty crooks and turkeys, initiates much of the legislation drafted by congress, and leads foreign affairs by staring deep into the eyes of foreign leaders, because eyes are windows to the soul.
but a lot of people get so excited about bush's exceptional handling of 9/11 that pee squirts out into their shorts. the point i want to make is that bush's response to september 11th was not exceptional. bush's braggadocio reminds me of lauding the fact that you wiped your ass after you took a shit. i expect you to wipe your ass, and i'm happy you do.
the response to 9/11 is one of reflex.
who would not:
1. provide succor to victims of the attack
2. prevent another attack
3. find and defeat the aggressor
who wouldn’t: have a day of prayer and remembrance. salute heroes. provide emergency funds. sympathize. stop all flights. improve airport security. assess current security and implement improved security measures. freeze terrorist assets and disable terrorist financial network. restructure intelligence agencies to improve efficacy. condemn the attacks. build international coalitions and reach out to world leaders. find those responsible and bring them to justice. make no distinction between the terrorists who committed the acts and those who harbor them.
what kind of warped expectations do we americans have.
if you want to take a stroll down memory lane, read the white house news releases and news briefings.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
service
from the onion
millions of american lips called to service in fight against poverty
In response to the record number of American poor, Secretary of the Treasury John Snow called millions of American lips to service Monday. "Poverty is a menace to society," Snow said. "As the ranks of the nation's poor grow and more social programs are scaled back, it is crucial that all able Americans talk about how something must be done." Snow then entreated all able-voiced men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 to volunteer to periodically mention that the current poverty rate of 12.5 percent is too high.
1. trade balance, deficit, national debt
the u.s. imports more than it exports. but negative trade balances are not necessarily terrible news. in particular, an effect known as reserve currency status makes it possible for dominant currencies to run significant trade deficits with limited economic impact. because the united states dollar is generally regarded to be extremely stable, dollars which are exported are held by persons overseas and there is no pressure to return them to the united states. furthermore, countries running large trade surpluses (e.g. china and japan) use these funds to purchase us treasury notes (which fund our budget deficit), essentially allowing the united states to export pieces of paper and get real goods and services in return. the pricing of oil in us dollars also forces nations and institution to hold some of their reserves in us dollars in order to hedge against the rapid rises and falls in prices of this all-essential energy source. if, as some economists are speculating, current weakness in the dollar were to cause the shift of foreign exchange reserves or oil pricing into another currency such as the euro, then the reserve currency advantage would also switch to the european union.
the asian times always has a less than sanguine forecast for the u.s. economy. here's an interesting article i read last year. asia fills her boots: dollar reserves skyrocket. if you are going to read something i link to, you should read about the balance of trade in the hitchhiker's guide to understanding exchange rates.
2. bush misled us on iraq war.
the intelligence misled bush. was bush honest about his reasons. in my opinion, no. bush was searching for and shifting reasons on the hunt for justification. was it WMDs. was it freedom for iraqis, democracy in the middle east. was it oil. was it al-qaeda. was it power. naturally, i’m sure the old answer is all of the above.
3. iraq is a quadmire.
again, bad intelligence. okay, a dash of hubris and pinch of cultural ignorance too.
4. scare tactics. safer under bush.
this is something that nobody seems to talk about. how difficult was it to be president after september 11th. the answer is, not difficult. how difficult is it to be president, seriously. i don’t feel like writing more about that now.
5. environment.
true.
6. death penalty, abortion, stem cell research, gay marriage, religion, etc.
the u.s. executes more juveniles than the rest of the world combined. i don’t have a good argument for abortion, but on a personal level i reserve the right to kill people whenever i fell justified. i kid. we all know i’m outraged by discrimination against gays. bush favors an old testament god, not the idol jesus. eye for an eye beeatch. open the earth to swallow people, bring fire down from the sky smite, spread pestilence to kill people, send hurricanes to drown people. there are a couple things i want to mention here. o'reilly is a freak. mary cheney is a lesbian. the o'reailly factor for lesbians. also, here’s an interesting web site about sodom and gomorrah. okay, one more thing. let us recall the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, wrath/anger, sloth, avarice/greed, gluttony, and lust. U-S-A, U-S-A. sins are bullshit. i haven’t sinned in years. but hypocrisy makes me chuckle.
7. assault weapons ban.
true.
millions of american lips called to service in fight against poverty
In response to the record number of American poor, Secretary of the Treasury John Snow called millions of American lips to service Monday. "Poverty is a menace to society," Snow said. "As the ranks of the nation's poor grow and more social programs are scaled back, it is crucial that all able Americans talk about how something must be done." Snow then entreated all able-voiced men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 to volunteer to periodically mention that the current poverty rate of 12.5 percent is too high.
1. trade balance, deficit, national debt
the u.s. imports more than it exports. but negative trade balances are not necessarily terrible news. in particular, an effect known as reserve currency status makes it possible for dominant currencies to run significant trade deficits with limited economic impact. because the united states dollar is generally regarded to be extremely stable, dollars which are exported are held by persons overseas and there is no pressure to return them to the united states. furthermore, countries running large trade surpluses (e.g. china and japan) use these funds to purchase us treasury notes (which fund our budget deficit), essentially allowing the united states to export pieces of paper and get real goods and services in return. the pricing of oil in us dollars also forces nations and institution to hold some of their reserves in us dollars in order to hedge against the rapid rises and falls in prices of this all-essential energy source. if, as some economists are speculating, current weakness in the dollar were to cause the shift of foreign exchange reserves or oil pricing into another currency such as the euro, then the reserve currency advantage would also switch to the european union.
the asian times always has a less than sanguine forecast for the u.s. economy. here's an interesting article i read last year. asia fills her boots: dollar reserves skyrocket. if you are going to read something i link to, you should read about the balance of trade in the hitchhiker's guide to understanding exchange rates.
2. bush misled us on iraq war.
the intelligence misled bush. was bush honest about his reasons. in my opinion, no. bush was searching for and shifting reasons on the hunt for justification. was it WMDs. was it freedom for iraqis, democracy in the middle east. was it oil. was it al-qaeda. was it power. naturally, i’m sure the old answer is all of the above.
3. iraq is a quadmire.
again, bad intelligence. okay, a dash of hubris and pinch of cultural ignorance too.
4. scare tactics. safer under bush.
this is something that nobody seems to talk about. how difficult was it to be president after september 11th. the answer is, not difficult. how difficult is it to be president, seriously. i don’t feel like writing more about that now.
5. environment.
true.
6. death penalty, abortion, stem cell research, gay marriage, religion, etc.
the u.s. executes more juveniles than the rest of the world combined. i don’t have a good argument for abortion, but on a personal level i reserve the right to kill people whenever i fell justified. i kid. we all know i’m outraged by discrimination against gays. bush favors an old testament god, not the idol jesus. eye for an eye beeatch. open the earth to swallow people, bring fire down from the sky smite, spread pestilence to kill people, send hurricanes to drown people. there are a couple things i want to mention here. o'reilly is a freak. mary cheney is a lesbian. the o'reailly factor for lesbians. also, here’s an interesting web site about sodom and gomorrah. okay, one more thing. let us recall the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, wrath/anger, sloth, avarice/greed, gluttony, and lust. U-S-A, U-S-A. sins are bullshit. i haven’t sinned in years. but hypocrisy makes me chuckle.
7. assault weapons ban.
true.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
you are probably a terrorist
here are some traffic fatality statistics from nhtsa in 2002:
total traffic fatalities: 42,815
alcohol-related fatalities: 17,419 - 41% of total
fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT): 1.51
rollover fatalities: 10,666
motorcycle fatalities: 3,244
large truck fatalities: 5,111
child fatalities: 968
pedestrian fatalities: 4,808
2.92 million injuries
highway crashes cost society $230.6 billion a year, about $820 per person.
also, when a big car gets in a fatal accident with a small car, the big car is much more likely to kill people in the small car.
data analysis:
if you increase your statistical odds of causing a traffic fatality, you are a ticking time bomb of a terrorist. that's right, if you speed, talk on your cell phone, drive under the influence, run red lights, etc., then you are a terrorist. when you tell me that you speed because you are a good driver and it is appropriate under the conditions, all i hear is an ideology of hate. i hear you say that you hate my freedom and the laws of the united states of america. you hate my freedom enough to kill me with your automobile.
leading causes of death from the cdc:
Heart Disease: 696,947
Cancer: 557,271
Stroke: 162,672
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742
Diabetes: 73,249
Influenza/Pneumonia: 65,681
Alzheimer's disease: 58,866
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 40,974
Septicemia: 33,865
data analysis:
the number of deaths in iraq isn't a big deal. think about how many people will die because of the inadequate supply of influenza vaccinations. think about the number of people who die smoking-related deaths. the september 11th world trade center casualties are not a big deal.
i'm not the first one making the statement about iraq casualties not being a big deal.
total traffic fatalities: 42,815
alcohol-related fatalities: 17,419 - 41% of total
fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT): 1.51
rollover fatalities: 10,666
motorcycle fatalities: 3,244
large truck fatalities: 5,111
child fatalities: 968
pedestrian fatalities: 4,808
2.92 million injuries
highway crashes cost society $230.6 billion a year, about $820 per person.
also, when a big car gets in a fatal accident with a small car, the big car is much more likely to kill people in the small car.
data analysis:
if you increase your statistical odds of causing a traffic fatality, you are a ticking time bomb of a terrorist. that's right, if you speed, talk on your cell phone, drive under the influence, run red lights, etc., then you are a terrorist. when you tell me that you speed because you are a good driver and it is appropriate under the conditions, all i hear is an ideology of hate. i hear you say that you hate my freedom and the laws of the united states of america. you hate my freedom enough to kill me with your automobile.
leading causes of death from the cdc:
Heart Disease: 696,947
Cancer: 557,271
Stroke: 162,672
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742
Diabetes: 73,249
Influenza/Pneumonia: 65,681
Alzheimer's disease: 58,866
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 40,974
Septicemia: 33,865
data analysis:
the number of deaths in iraq isn't a big deal. think about how many people will die because of the inadequate supply of influenza vaccinations. think about the number of people who die smoking-related deaths. the september 11th world trade center casualties are not a big deal.
i'm not the first one making the statement about iraq casualties not being a big deal.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
dole
there was an article in the star tribune yesterday about the widening wealth gap between white families and minorities. you can read the press release or the entire report from the pew hispanic center. net worth accounts for the value of items such as a home, car, checking and savings accounts, and stocks, minus debts such as mortgage, car loans, and credit card bills. minority homeownership is low, and homeownership is a great way to build wealth.
here's a little colon delimited table about net worth.
category: 1996: 2002: % change
hispanic: $6,961: $7,932: 14.0%
black: 7,135: 5,988: -16.1
white: 75,482: 88,651: 17.4
all households: 53,160: 59,706: 12.3
there was also an article in the star tribune about a debate raging over need-based financial aid at macalester. macalester may soon move away from a need-based financial aid system. macalester admits students based on criteria other than ability to pay and then pledges to meet full financial needs of students if they enroll. macalester has been using earnings from its endowment to pay for the enormous cost of financial aid. after the expense of financial aid, mac has little money for other costs: faculty, staff, construction, maintenance, utilities, etc. the argument follows that the quality of education will go down and students will lose interest. opponents of need-based aid also point to macalester's rather lonely status as a provider of need-based financial aid. naturally, idealistic students are pissed. who doesn't think need-based financial aid is great. but the reality is the school has to pay for it, somebody has to pay for it. think of macalester as a business. labor, materials, product, market. labor=faculty. materials=campus/facilities. product=education. market=students. a need-based system reduces the tuition paid per student, thus reducing revenue. so, what compensates for this loss of revenue. you can eat away at the endowment, stimulate increased alumni giving, and/or reduce costs by decreasing spending on faculty, staff, campus facilities, etc. the endowment is like the environment, you don't want to plunder it too much. mac alumni don't give enough money. and if faculty salaries and investment in campus facilities decrease, school quality decreases. are smart kids with money willing to come to a school with mediocre faculty and campus facilities in exchange for associating with the likes of me. ask their parents, they're paying. macalester wants to create a finite budget for financial aid, a budget which would still dole out a nice wad of financial aid.
tuesday's tenet: gay marriage is bad and should be decided by the people, not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of the minorities. let's go for two on this tuesday. gay marriage is bad because is sodomizes the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, thereby jeopardizing heterosexual marriages. i can speak to that. marye and i have often cursed the specter of gay marriage that has left us with a tenuous marriage.
Monday, October 18, 2004
singh owns blums
the venerable dr. simon messing was in town this last weekend for the wedding of a whilom childhood friend of his. ziyad and i had the pleasure of hosting our esteemed comrade. one of the topics discussed over the course of our conversation was the global competitiveness report, which ranks the world's economies. i recommend reading the executive summary if you have time.
1. Finland, 2. USA, 3. Sweden, 4. Taiwan, 5. Denmark, 6. Norway, 7. Singapore, 8. Switzerland, 9. Japan, 10. Iceland, 11. United Kingdom, 12. Netherlands, 13. Germany, 14. Australia, 15. Canada, 16. UAE
it is clear that moral laxity has destroyed nordic economies.
sports
macalester ran at the jim drew's invitational at la crosse. the next race is conference. can mac claim third place.
9. St. Olaf
34 Malcolm Richards, Sr 25:50.5
37 Kelly Fulton, Sr 25:57.7
49 Sam Hauck, Jr 26:10.6
55 Marc Ellingson, Jr 26:26.8
56 Tony Hoff, So 26:30.3
74 Jason Havey, Jr 26:56.9
83 Jesse Horst, Jr 27:10.1
Time = 2:10:55.9 Places = 231
10. Macalester
48 Bo Rydze, Sr 26:08.4
53 Dylan Keith, So 26:20.2
59 Eric Olson, Sr 26:32.8
63 Roscoe Sopiwnik, Jr 26:44.4
88 Nate Crider, Fr 27:18.9
95 Tim Stendahl, Sr 27:27.0
116 Derek Loudermilk, Sr 27:45.5
Time = 2:13:04.7 Places = 311
other notable performances:
237 Paul Singh, Sr 29:12.3
241 Martins Blums, Sr 29:17.1
259 Ben Johnson, Jr 29:39.3
nice race paul.
i had a nice string of runs last week. 12-9-18-12. then i got really tired and unbearably hungry. i thought, why the hell am i running so much. i couldn't come up with a good enough answer. then i saw an article in runner's world that said you can run faster by running only three days a week. perfect, i thought. and that's where it stands.
huskers 59 - baylor 27
vikings 38 - saints 31
and i was guilty of schadenfreude when i saw this score:
gophers 17 - michigan state 51
aaron, i am certainly not deriding you, but i am trying to disappoint your hopes by defying your view of bush.
hey alf, i just read on the ap wire that only two thousand americans are voting on november the second. all other potential voters struck deals with their political foils, agreeing that a trip to the polls was a waste of their ass-fattening time, since their votes would cancel each other out.
klinker, i remember fondly the last time i hunted pheasants. i also recall the time i dropped a fat man on a chump who insulted the huskers.
Friday, October 15, 2004
dewey defeats truman
people who complain about outsourcing remind me of people who complain about losing after they got a head start. outsourcing is good.
in my brief adult life i have yet to be affected by politics. government does not affect me. the only thing that suffers is the nation’s probity, as defined by me. that's why, like jude, i am not going to vote. i already pay monthly fees to the city of minneapolis for water, solid waste disposal, and sewer use. i tread on local streets, arterials, highways, and interstates. i'll pay for that. i currently pay to use public transportation when i bus to work. but if i have to drive, i will. i'll buy a fucking CXT and drive that shit through people’s yards. i live in a safe neighborhood with lower-income families providing a buffer between me and crime. if the government would allow me to buy shoulder-to-air missiles and nuclear weapons, i wouldn't need national defense. i'm never sick. my body can convert light into chemical energy. i don't care who gets elected. unless a communist is elected. look what communism has done to alf. alf’s blog sucks. alf sits in front of his computer for at least an hour every day staring at the screen, searching his memory for a shred of something interesting in his life, only to find that communism has left him with nothing.
in the united states, my blog has developed a huge following. my inchoate political diatribes have generated thousands of succinct hate emails. recently, the tone has changed to praise due largely in part to the poignant commentary of king klinker. in case you haven't been reading the comments, click here for the best of.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
rube cred for bush
well, i watched the third and final presidential debate last night. kerry did a good job, while bush demonstrated his lack of rhetorical skill and inability to fustigate kerry on domestic issues.
bush did tell a funny joke during the debate.
"hey ben, pete and repeat were on a boat. pete fell off and who was left."
repeat.
"pete and repeat were on a boat..."
it would be easy to create a political platform to present to the american people. it would be easy to surround yourself with a competent staff. however, creating a tangible platform is beyond my abilities. at my core i am probably a centrist most closely aligned with the dnc. i am not a libertarian because libertarians apparently refuse to admit that people are irresponsible, and that leads to naive policy.
but anyway, the purpose of this blog is not to present my clarion political platform. i will write whatever i please, whether i believe it or not. i think most people realize that.Wednesday, October 13, 2004
parties
the bus was a little early today and i don’t think i have much to say. so here it is dark and early in the morning.
list of political parties in the united states
the big two: republicans and democrats.
biggest third parties in the united states in alphabetical order: constitution party, green party, libertarian party, natural law party, reform party.
then there is the party of bane.
it's good to check out these sites. maybe they will focus your political platform.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
sebaceous fat ass
it's time to get away from politics and sports for one day.
the last book i talked about was The Turn of the Screw by henry james. in the meantime i have read four books. i read the acclaimed Daisy Miller by henry james. then i read Main Street by sinclair lewis, Three Came Home by agnes keith, and The Martian Chronicles by ray bradbury. the books were, respectively, bad, good, good, good. maybe i will talk about them another time. right now i want to talk about one of the books i am currently reading, All the King's Men by robert penn warren. there are some hilarious descriptions of the character tiny duffy. here are some excerpts:
Mr. Duffy debouched massively from the Cadillac.
There was Tiny Duffy, who was almost as big back then as he was to get to be. He didn't need any sign to let you know what he was. If the wind was right, you knew he was a city-hall slob long before you could see the whites of his eyes. He had the belly and he sweated through his shirt just above the belt buckle, and he had the face, which was creamed and curded like a cow patty in a spring pasture, only it was the color of biscuit dough, and in the middle was his grin with the gold teeth. He was a Tax Assessor...
It ain't any secret that Tiny Duffy is as sebaceous a fat-ass as ever made the spring groan in a swivel chair.
Duffy's features exhibited the slightest twitch of interest, but the twitch was dissipated into the vast oleaginous blankness which was the face of Duffy in repose.
here's a random sentence that a guy i know liked:
How life is strange and changeful, and the crystal is in the steel at the point of fracture, and the toad bears a jewel in its forehead, and the meaning of moments passes like the breeze that scarcely ruffles the leaf of the willow.
the last book i talked about was The Turn of the Screw by henry james. in the meantime i have read four books. i read the acclaimed Daisy Miller by henry james. then i read Main Street by sinclair lewis, Three Came Home by agnes keith, and The Martian Chronicles by ray bradbury. the books were, respectively, bad, good, good, good. maybe i will talk about them another time. right now i want to talk about one of the books i am currently reading, All the King's Men by robert penn warren. there are some hilarious descriptions of the character tiny duffy. here are some excerpts:
Mr. Duffy debouched massively from the Cadillac.
There was Tiny Duffy, who was almost as big back then as he was to get to be. He didn't need any sign to let you know what he was. If the wind was right, you knew he was a city-hall slob long before you could see the whites of his eyes. He had the belly and he sweated through his shirt just above the belt buckle, and he had the face, which was creamed and curded like a cow patty in a spring pasture, only it was the color of biscuit dough, and in the middle was his grin with the gold teeth. He was a Tax Assessor...
It ain't any secret that Tiny Duffy is as sebaceous a fat-ass as ever made the spring groan in a swivel chair.
Duffy's features exhibited the slightest twitch of interest, but the twitch was dissipated into the vast oleaginous blankness which was the face of Duffy in repose.
here's a random sentence that a guy i know liked:
How life is strange and changeful, and the crystal is in the steel at the point of fracture, and the toad bears a jewel in its forehead, and the meaning of moments passes like the breeze that scarcely ruffles the leaf of the willow.
Monday, October 11, 2004
good lord
mac competed at wartburg over the weekend. the meet was split into 4k and 8k races. in the 8k the top four carleton runners were in before bo rydze. carleton is solid. i would say the favorite to win conference unless the olies have a good peak.
nebraska 10 - texas tech 70
worst loss in the history of history
vikings 34 - texans 28
it deserves repeating: the vikings have the worst pass defense in the nfl.
the twins lost their series with the yankees 1-3.
kerry got his ass kicked in the friday night debate. he lost all the ground he gained in the previous debate, especially on iraq and terrorism. bush cogently repeated his impregnable stance and successfully proved kerry to be a flip-flopper.
aaron, you have a hard time believing anyone can support bush. anyone except the christian middle to right and people who like tax cuts. how can a majority of americans not support bush.
let me tell you why i will vote for bush.
1. i feel safer with bush
2. bush puts money in my pockets
3. i share the same values as bush
in retaliation for 9/11 bush attacked the taliban in afghanistan. 75% of al-qaeda has been captured. afghanistan recently held elections. saddam hussein, a man with a hostile history, exhibited the desire to develop weapons of mass destruction, and it is possible that those weapons could have ended up in al-qaeda’s hands. it is best to attack the enemy when they are weak. so we attacked iraq and captured saddam hussein. the world is safer without saddam hussein, is it not.
bush's tax cuts put money in my pocket. i wasn't angry. i didn't donate my tax cut to charity. plus, tax cuts help stimulate the economy. the shitty economy is clinton's fault and september 11th hurt the economy too. but the economy is rebounding thanks to tax cuts.
bush supports my christian values. tell me how abortion is not murder, seriously. and do i need to remind everybody that gays are bad.
so far, the case for bush is strong.
Friday, October 08, 2004
viernes gigante
here are three lengthy articles from the boston globe.
Back-room dealing a Capitol trend
Energy bill a special-interests triumph
Medicare bill a study in D.C. spoils system
here are sebastian's grad school classes:
Accounting and Financial Analysis
Global Economic Environment
Finance Theory
Quantitative Techniques
everyone in graduate school should email me with a list of their classes or a synopsis of projects they are working on. i would like to know. perhaps the request deserves a personal email, we'll see.
if you don't want bush to be elected, go online at about 9:30 central time tonight and place your vote on fox, abc, cbs, nbc, and cnn affirming kerry's debate victory.
i apologize to all the conservatives and extremists (liberals) who have been sending me hate mail for writing with such narrow perspective. i now have a new gmail account, courtesy of sebastian.
Back-room dealing a Capitol trend
Energy bill a special-interests triumph
Medicare bill a study in D.C. spoils system
here are sebastian's grad school classes:
Accounting and Financial Analysis
Global Economic Environment
Finance Theory
Quantitative Techniques
everyone in graduate school should email me with a list of their classes or a synopsis of projects they are working on. i would like to know. perhaps the request deserves a personal email, we'll see.
if you don't want bush to be elected, go online at about 9:30 central time tonight and place your vote on fox, abc, cbs, nbc, and cnn affirming kerry's debate victory.
i apologize to all the conservatives and extremists (liberals) who have been sending me hate mail for writing with such narrow perspective. i now have a new gmail account, courtesy of sebastian.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
my pre-debate interview with bush
president bush, do you believe senator kerry demonstrated he can take firm positions in the war on terror.
"Last week in our debate, he once again came down firmly on every side of the Iraq war," Mr. Bush said. "He stated that Saddam Hussein was a threat and that America had no business removing that threat. Senator Kerry said our soldiers and marines are not fighting for a mistake - but also called the liberation of Iraq a 'colossal error.' He said we need to do more to train Iraqis, but he also said we shouldn't be spending so much money over there. He said he wants to hold a summit meeting, so he can invite other countries to join what he calls 'the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time.'"
mr. president, do you believe senator kerry's statement that mexico is a country and is located on our southern border.
"of course mr. kerry would make a statement like that. cheney tells me kerry is vacillating, and that's disgusting. i personally think he's sitting on the fence, i mean, straddling the nuance. i've told the american people again and again that mexico is a country. but let me tell you something, they are not located on our southern border. if you listen to mr. kerry taking both sides, it just doesn't make sense. how can he lead when he doesn't make any sense."
mr. president, the second presidential debate shall be held as a town meeting in which citizens will pose domestic policy questions to the candidates. how do intend to respond after you disappointing first debate.
"you know, i've heard some people with their slogans say 'lick bush.' well, i'm gonna lick kerry tomorrow night. My opponent is a tax-and-spend liberal; I'm a compassionate conservative. My opponent wants to empower government; I want to use government to empower people. My opponent seems to think all the wisdom is found in Washington, D.C.; I trust the wisdom of the American people."
mr. president, please take a moment to discuss the central issues of domestic policy: health care, education, and environmental protection. we will not address tax cuts because tax cuts are good for every individual and the only way for a robust economy.
[HEALTH CARE]
"ben, I believe all Americans should have access to affordable, quality health care. I am working to address the root causes of rising health care costs, rather than shifting the costs to taxpayers or forcing Americans into an inflexible, one-size-fits-all bureaucratic system. my plan reduces the rising cost of health care; provides affordable coverage to those who need it most - low-income children and families, small businesses, the self-employed, and people who do not get health benefits through their job; and improves health care information, quality, and safety.
let me briefly list my accomplishments:
I established new, tax-free Health Savings Accounts (HSA) which allow Americans to own and control their own health care.
I have opened or expanded community and rural health centers with the goal of serving an additional 6.1 million people who live in underserved and rural areas.
I granted waivers and flexibility to states to extend eligibility under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to an estimated 2.6 million low-income Americans.
I implemented a new rule to lower drug costs for millions of Americans by strengthening competition between generic and brand-name drugs, saving American consumers more than $35 billion in drug costs over the next ten years.
And, I created a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit to help seniors pay for their medicines.
I will also support the death penalty for trial lawyers chasing frivolous lawsuits in an effort to sink the entire american economy.
[EDUCATION]
as for education, it is the key to opportunity and America's best tool in an increasingly competitive global economy. This means that every child deserves a world-class education and every worker deserves the support of a Government that makes a lifetime of learning a top priority.
The No Child Left Behind Act demands accountability in exchange for the record levels of Federal spending now going to K-12 public education, an increase of 49 percent since 2001. These reforms are already beginning to show strong results, but I want to take the next steps to ensure that all high school students are better prepared to enter higher education or the workforce.
again, let me list my current accomplishments and goals for my second term.
I have and will reform america's High Schools by providing $250 million annually to extend state assessment of student reading and math skills.
I will continue my efforts to improve early childhood education through the Healthy Start, Grow Smart program, including his proposal to strengthen Head Start.
I have and will Strengthen Head Start by focusing Head Start more clearly on school readiness, and allow states to integrate Head Start programs into their existing pre-school preparedness efforts in order to make better use of combined Federal and state resources. I will give priority consideration for funding to states that have a coordinated early childhood plan involving Head Start, pre-K, and child care services.
I Promote Literacy by training parents in early literacy through Head Start.
I have and will Continue to Fund Research to development of the most effective curricula and programs for teaching children early literacy and math skills; establish developmentally appropriate measurements; and identify effective adult and family literacy programs.
I have and will Expand the Reach Out and Read Program, which seeks to make early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care.
I have and will Expand Healthy Start, Grow Smart by continuing and expanding the distribution of Healthy Start, Grow Smart booklets to provide parents the information they need to enhance their children's early development.
I have and will engage Faith and Community-Based Organizations to help provide parents with the skills they need to advance their children's healthy development.
And lastly, I have and will increase Minority Outreach to minority families to better disseminate effective early childhood development strategies.
[ENVIRONMENT]
ben, I think my environmental record speaks for itself. Over the last four years, the air has become cleaner, our water more pure, and we have reversed the net loss of wetlands. In addition, our parks are better managed, better funded, and better protected. I have launched a series of climate change initiatives to improve scientific understanding and reduce emissions through the use of new, energy-efficient technologies. I have proposed several clean air initiatives that will dramatically improve air quality and public health.
In my first term I made a comprehensive, long-term energy policy a top priority. my goal was clear and far-sighted: to promote affordable, reliable, and secure energy supplies by increasing conservation, investing in new technologies, and exploring for new domestic sources of energy. That plan included over 100 specific recommendations - nearly half of which addressed conservation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.
I will work to secure passage of the Clear Skies Initiative to reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury by 70 percent and help the states meet tougher new air quality standards.
I will complete the Clean Air Interstate Rule, which will require the steepest emissions cuts in over a decade.
I was the first President to propose caps on emissions of mercury and he will finalize the rule that will cut mercury emissions from power plants by 70 percent. This rule will improve public health and protect children and pregnant women.
For Farm Bill Conservation Programs, I will aggressively implement programs that will dedicate a record $40 billion over a decade to restore millions of acres of wetlands, protect habitats, conserve water, and improve streams and rivers near working farms and ranches. This commitment will include early re-enrollment and contract extensions for the Conservation Reserve Program and expansion of quail and wetlands habitat.
To Initiate Environmentally Safe Exploration, I will seek to promote environmentally sound domestic oil production in just one percent of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which could provide up to 1 million barrels of oil a day for nearly 20 years.
To Ensure Greater Electricity Reliability, I will work to modernize our electricity grid, establish mandatory reliability standards, and encourage new transmission investment, in order to help prevent a repeat of last year's blackout that affected 50 million people.
To Encourage Use of Efficient Technologies, I will provide incentives for deployment of efficient technologies for storage and transmission of energy, further contributing to the reliability of our electric grid.
To Promote Conservation and Support Energy Technologies I plan to provide $4 billion in tax incentives to spur the use of energy technologies.”
[GOD]
wow, president bush. i’m impressed with your knowledge and frankly surprised by the extensive and positive impact of your administration. just one last question, what do you have to say to people who think you are a flamer.
“people want a president of strong religious faith with oblivious conviction. I am that man. god bless america.”
"Last week in our debate, he once again came down firmly on every side of the Iraq war," Mr. Bush said. "He stated that Saddam Hussein was a threat and that America had no business removing that threat. Senator Kerry said our soldiers and marines are not fighting for a mistake - but also called the liberation of Iraq a 'colossal error.' He said we need to do more to train Iraqis, but he also said we shouldn't be spending so much money over there. He said he wants to hold a summit meeting, so he can invite other countries to join what he calls 'the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time.'"
mr. president, do you believe senator kerry's statement that mexico is a country and is located on our southern border.
"of course mr. kerry would make a statement like that. cheney tells me kerry is vacillating, and that's disgusting. i personally think he's sitting on the fence, i mean, straddling the nuance. i've told the american people again and again that mexico is a country. but let me tell you something, they are not located on our southern border. if you listen to mr. kerry taking both sides, it just doesn't make sense. how can he lead when he doesn't make any sense."
mr. president, the second presidential debate shall be held as a town meeting in which citizens will pose domestic policy questions to the candidates. how do intend to respond after you disappointing first debate.
"you know, i've heard some people with their slogans say 'lick bush.' well, i'm gonna lick kerry tomorrow night. My opponent is a tax-and-spend liberal; I'm a compassionate conservative. My opponent wants to empower government; I want to use government to empower people. My opponent seems to think all the wisdom is found in Washington, D.C.; I trust the wisdom of the American people."
mr. president, please take a moment to discuss the central issues of domestic policy: health care, education, and environmental protection. we will not address tax cuts because tax cuts are good for every individual and the only way for a robust economy.
[HEALTH CARE]
"ben, I believe all Americans should have access to affordable, quality health care. I am working to address the root causes of rising health care costs, rather than shifting the costs to taxpayers or forcing Americans into an inflexible, one-size-fits-all bureaucratic system. my plan reduces the rising cost of health care; provides affordable coverage to those who need it most - low-income children and families, small businesses, the self-employed, and people who do not get health benefits through their job; and improves health care information, quality, and safety.
let me briefly list my accomplishments:
I established new, tax-free Health Savings Accounts (HSA) which allow Americans to own and control their own health care.
I have opened or expanded community and rural health centers with the goal of serving an additional 6.1 million people who live in underserved and rural areas.
I granted waivers and flexibility to states to extend eligibility under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to an estimated 2.6 million low-income Americans.
I implemented a new rule to lower drug costs for millions of Americans by strengthening competition between generic and brand-name drugs, saving American consumers more than $35 billion in drug costs over the next ten years.
And, I created a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit to help seniors pay for their medicines.
I will also support the death penalty for trial lawyers chasing frivolous lawsuits in an effort to sink the entire american economy.
[EDUCATION]
as for education, it is the key to opportunity and America's best tool in an increasingly competitive global economy. This means that every child deserves a world-class education and every worker deserves the support of a Government that makes a lifetime of learning a top priority.
The No Child Left Behind Act demands accountability in exchange for the record levels of Federal spending now going to K-12 public education, an increase of 49 percent since 2001. These reforms are already beginning to show strong results, but I want to take the next steps to ensure that all high school students are better prepared to enter higher education or the workforce.
again, let me list my current accomplishments and goals for my second term.
I have and will reform america's High Schools by providing $250 million annually to extend state assessment of student reading and math skills.
I will continue my efforts to improve early childhood education through the Healthy Start, Grow Smart program, including his proposal to strengthen Head Start.
I have and will Strengthen Head Start by focusing Head Start more clearly on school readiness, and allow states to integrate Head Start programs into their existing pre-school preparedness efforts in order to make better use of combined Federal and state resources. I will give priority consideration for funding to states that have a coordinated early childhood plan involving Head Start, pre-K, and child care services.
I Promote Literacy by training parents in early literacy through Head Start.
I have and will Continue to Fund Research to development of the most effective curricula and programs for teaching children early literacy and math skills; establish developmentally appropriate measurements; and identify effective adult and family literacy programs.
I have and will Expand the Reach Out and Read Program, which seeks to make early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care.
I have and will Expand Healthy Start, Grow Smart by continuing and expanding the distribution of Healthy Start, Grow Smart booklets to provide parents the information they need to enhance their children's early development.
I have and will engage Faith and Community-Based Organizations to help provide parents with the skills they need to advance their children's healthy development.
And lastly, I have and will increase Minority Outreach to minority families to better disseminate effective early childhood development strategies.
[ENVIRONMENT]
ben, I think my environmental record speaks for itself. Over the last four years, the air has become cleaner, our water more pure, and we have reversed the net loss of wetlands. In addition, our parks are better managed, better funded, and better protected. I have launched a series of climate change initiatives to improve scientific understanding and reduce emissions through the use of new, energy-efficient technologies. I have proposed several clean air initiatives that will dramatically improve air quality and public health.
In my first term I made a comprehensive, long-term energy policy a top priority. my goal was clear and far-sighted: to promote affordable, reliable, and secure energy supplies by increasing conservation, investing in new technologies, and exploring for new domestic sources of energy. That plan included over 100 specific recommendations - nearly half of which addressed conservation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.
I will work to secure passage of the Clear Skies Initiative to reduce power plant emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury by 70 percent and help the states meet tougher new air quality standards.
I will complete the Clean Air Interstate Rule, which will require the steepest emissions cuts in over a decade.
I was the first President to propose caps on emissions of mercury and he will finalize the rule that will cut mercury emissions from power plants by 70 percent. This rule will improve public health and protect children and pregnant women.
For Farm Bill Conservation Programs, I will aggressively implement programs that will dedicate a record $40 billion over a decade to restore millions of acres of wetlands, protect habitats, conserve water, and improve streams and rivers near working farms and ranches. This commitment will include early re-enrollment and contract extensions for the Conservation Reserve Program and expansion of quail and wetlands habitat.
To Initiate Environmentally Safe Exploration, I will seek to promote environmentally sound domestic oil production in just one percent of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which could provide up to 1 million barrels of oil a day for nearly 20 years.
To Ensure Greater Electricity Reliability, I will work to modernize our electricity grid, establish mandatory reliability standards, and encourage new transmission investment, in order to help prevent a repeat of last year's blackout that affected 50 million people.
To Encourage Use of Efficient Technologies, I will provide incentives for deployment of efficient technologies for storage and transmission of energy, further contributing to the reliability of our electric grid.
To Promote Conservation and Support Energy Technologies I plan to provide $4 billion in tax incentives to spur the use of energy technologies.”
[GOD]
wow, president bush. i’m impressed with your knowledge and frankly surprised by the extensive and positive impact of your administration. just one last question, what do you have to say to people who think you are a flamer.
“people want a president of strong religious faith with oblivious conviction. I am that man. god bless america.”
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
keep on rocking in the free world
last night marye and i went to the vote for change concert at the xcel energy center in st. paul. bright eyes, REM, bruce springsteen and the e street band, john fogerty, and neil young performed. REM was good. people love the boss. max weinberg is awesome. neil young is a crazy, crazy old man.
twins 2 - yankees 0
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
you are probably as good as gay
nebraska 14 - kansas 8
i was watching halftime of the gophers football game saturday night waiting patiently for a glimpse of the nebraska score when norm coleman* tried to unctuously banter with me. norm oozed "i knew someone who played for alabama under bear bryant." then he proceeded with insolence "alabama beat nebraska by forty points in the orange bowl." serenity now. nebraska has never lost by forty points. apparently norm was trying to recall the 1967 sugar bowl in which alabama beat nebraska 34-7, a 27 point margin in my estimation. admittedly, that is a rather humiliating defeat. but not quite as humiliating as the 1972 orange bowl in which nebraska throttled alabama 38-6 in a battle of #1 vs. #2.
*it wasn’t really norm coleman, it was somebody else
Felony Convictions Disenfranchise Many Voters
voter-disenfranchisement laws may be disproportionately affecting black men, many of whom have felony drug convictions that prevent them from voting. drug arrests are inherently discretionary. previous research has found that blacks do not use drugs more than whites. however, blacks are arrested more often on drug charges, and are convicted more often.
John Graham heads an obscure agency in the White House called the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which reviews draft regulations submitted by agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Forest Service and directs agencies to consider alternatives and analyze both benefits and costs of regulation. With Bush facing stiff opposition in Congress to his energy and environmental legislation, the White House turned to rule-making to push much of its agenda.
on a side note, i support drilling for oil all over alaska, especially in wilderness areas. do you think i give a shit about caribou, tundra, and marmots that i will never see. no, i don't. people always bitch about protecting the environment. why do you want to protect the environment.
tuesday's truism: homosexuality bad because god says so.
i spoke with god last night and gained some real insight.
god, a lot of people reading my blog want to know why homosexuality is bad.
"i hates gays."
god, hate is a pretty strong word.
"yes, it is true. actually i hate the sin, not the sinner."
god, what exactly is the sin of homosexuality. is it the love, public display of affection, pure carnal bareback action, holding hands, tongues in low places, a furtive affectionate glance across the room.
"obviously ben, gay sex bothers me the most. in fact, it angers me. the wrath builds up inside. i want to smite. i am also against pda. it makes me uncomfortable."
god, i am loath to ask this next question because i know we have seen your unswerving logic in physics revealed to us in wonderful dynamics like the conservation of angular momentum, but what is your logic behind your dislike of gay cunnilingus, fellatio, and anal sex.
“all those acts of sexual abomination deny creation, life, my most precious gift. sex is the unity of man and woman to bestow the gift of life by creating a child in my image.”
does it follow that if people are having sex without the goal of fertilizing the egg with a sperm, then they are as good as gay.
i was watching halftime of the gophers football game saturday night waiting patiently for a glimpse of the nebraska score when norm coleman* tried to unctuously banter with me. norm oozed "i knew someone who played for alabama under bear bryant." then he proceeded with insolence "alabama beat nebraska by forty points in the orange bowl." serenity now. nebraska has never lost by forty points. apparently norm was trying to recall the 1967 sugar bowl in which alabama beat nebraska 34-7, a 27 point margin in my estimation. admittedly, that is a rather humiliating defeat. but not quite as humiliating as the 1972 orange bowl in which nebraska throttled alabama 38-6 in a battle of #1 vs. #2.
*it wasn’t really norm coleman, it was somebody else
Felony Convictions Disenfranchise Many Voters
voter-disenfranchisement laws may be disproportionately affecting black men, many of whom have felony drug convictions that prevent them from voting. drug arrests are inherently discretionary. previous research has found that blacks do not use drugs more than whites. however, blacks are arrested more often on drug charges, and are convicted more often.
John Graham heads an obscure agency in the White House called the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which reviews draft regulations submitted by agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Forest Service and directs agencies to consider alternatives and analyze both benefits and costs of regulation. With Bush facing stiff opposition in Congress to his energy and environmental legislation, the White House turned to rule-making to push much of its agenda.
on a side note, i support drilling for oil all over alaska, especially in wilderness areas. do you think i give a shit about caribou, tundra, and marmots that i will never see. no, i don't. people always bitch about protecting the environment. why do you want to protect the environment.
tuesday's truism: homosexuality bad because god says so.
i spoke with god last night and gained some real insight.
god, a lot of people reading my blog want to know why homosexuality is bad.
"i hates gays."
god, hate is a pretty strong word.
"yes, it is true. actually i hate the sin, not the sinner."
god, what exactly is the sin of homosexuality. is it the love, public display of affection, pure carnal bareback action, holding hands, tongues in low places, a furtive affectionate glance across the room.
"obviously ben, gay sex bothers me the most. in fact, it angers me. the wrath builds up inside. i want to smite. i am also against pda. it makes me uncomfortable."
god, i am loath to ask this next question because i know we have seen your unswerving logic in physics revealed to us in wonderful dynamics like the conservation of angular momentum, but what is your logic behind your dislike of gay cunnilingus, fellatio, and anal sex.
“all those acts of sexual abomination deny creation, life, my most precious gift. sex is the unity of man and woman to bestow the gift of life by creating a child in my image.”
does it follow that if people are having sex without the goal of fertilizing the egg with a sperm, then they are as good as gay.
Monday, October 04, 2004
tcm
so marye and i watched twin cities marathon yesterday. we biked over to nokomis to await the runners' arrival just after mile eleven. 1-2 were out at course record pace and had a huge lead on 3-4, who in turn had a decent lead on the enormous pursuit peloton. after the runners floated by us, they did a lap around lake nokomis and we caught them again just as they turned onto minnehaha. we biked to the lake street bridge for our next vantage point. in the five or so miles from our last observance the proverbial shit had gone down. 1-2 had a diminished but solid lead over a new 3 and after that was a scattered, clumpy following. things were getting stretched out. the relatively muscle-bound 3 was on fire. he passed 1-2 around mile 23. rumor has it that he said something like "later bitches" when he passed the two frontrunners, demoralizing them with aplomb that forced 2-3 to drop out of the race, literally. i haven't looked at official results, but liz, andrea, and amanda had good races.
finally, official results from bolder dash 10k
1 M20 Chris Rogers, 26, Minneapolis, MN 34:26 5:32
2 M40 Kirt Goetzke, 43, Plymouth, MN 35:02 5:38
3 M20 Benjamin Knudson, 25, Minneapolis, MN 35:14 5:40
4 M20 Troy Stresemann, 28, Minnetonka, MN 35:31 5:43
i think it's worth pointing out that i saw chris rogers running a shitty marathon time yesterday.
the mac pack ran at the pre-nationals meet on white tail golf course in colfax, wisconsin.
the women handily beat stolaf and st. thomas. will they win the miac. if not this year, maybe next season when the entire top seven returns.
the mac men ran fast. stolaf ran faster.
1. St. Olaf
4 Malcolm Richards, Sr 25:51.4
6 Kelly Fulton, Sr 25:58.6
17 Sam Hauck, Jr 26:12.6
28 Marc Ellingson, Jr 26:30.6
30 Tony Hoff, So 26:32.4
45 Jason Havey, Jr 26:58.1
59 Mat Keller, Fr 27:13.7
Time = 2:11:05.4 Places = 85
5. Macalester
10 Bo Rydze, Sr 26:03.1
20 Roscoe Sopiwnik, Jr 26:23.7
23 Dylan Keith, So 26:25.6
36 Eric Olson, Sr 26:39.2
69 Jordan Selbo, Jr 27:25.1
70 Matt Wegmann, Fr 27:25.1
75 Nate Crider, Fr 27:27.1
Time = 2:12:56.5 Places = 158
rumor has it that jordan selbo ran with his hulk fists on.
mac was right behind nebraska wesleyan, ahead of st. thomas and st. john's, also ahead of gustavus adulterous, augsburg, concordia-moorhead, and bethel, which was named after a chapel for seamen (a bethel runner finished fifth, the second bethel finisher claimed 110th). saint mary's was way down toward the bottom.
other performances from the day
94 Tom Hammer, So 27:39.6 Macalester
98 Tim Stendahl, Sr 27:42.9 Macalester
from the blue race, a hotly contested, rancorous rivalry continued.
57 Martins Blums, Sr 29:34.5 Macalester
62 Paul Singh, Sr 29:45.9 Macalester
they both beat jeff doll (67 So 29:55.4 Saint John's), younger brother of disreputable chris doll, who's infamy extends from such acts as spraining his foot mid-season while trying to win a bet (which he did) by sticking his foot in his ass, and a police chase in pursuit of mr. doll in st. peter when he got lost while streaking the gustavus all-miac party--a chase which allegedly included mr. doll scaling fences, shaking off a brutal clotheslining, eluding police, knocking on some poor soul's door to ask for directions back to the party, and eventually rejoining the fracas only to pass out naked on an ottoman. true story. in the man’s own words, "i'm chris mother-fuckin doll. once you meet me you'll never forget me."
finally, official results from bolder dash 10k
1 M20 Chris Rogers, 26, Minneapolis, MN 34:26 5:32
2 M40 Kirt Goetzke, 43, Plymouth, MN 35:02 5:38
3 M20 Benjamin Knudson, 25, Minneapolis, MN 35:14 5:40
4 M20 Troy Stresemann, 28, Minnetonka, MN 35:31 5:43
i think it's worth pointing out that i saw chris rogers running a shitty marathon time yesterday.
the mac pack ran at the pre-nationals meet on white tail golf course in colfax, wisconsin.
the women handily beat stolaf and st. thomas. will they win the miac. if not this year, maybe next season when the entire top seven returns.
the mac men ran fast. stolaf ran faster.
1. St. Olaf
4 Malcolm Richards, Sr 25:51.4
6 Kelly Fulton, Sr 25:58.6
17 Sam Hauck, Jr 26:12.6
28 Marc Ellingson, Jr 26:30.6
30 Tony Hoff, So 26:32.4
45 Jason Havey, Jr 26:58.1
59 Mat Keller, Fr 27:13.7
Time = 2:11:05.4 Places = 85
5. Macalester
10 Bo Rydze, Sr 26:03.1
20 Roscoe Sopiwnik, Jr 26:23.7
23 Dylan Keith, So 26:25.6
36 Eric Olson, Sr 26:39.2
69 Jordan Selbo, Jr 27:25.1
70 Matt Wegmann, Fr 27:25.1
75 Nate Crider, Fr 27:27.1
Time = 2:12:56.5 Places = 158
rumor has it that jordan selbo ran with his hulk fists on.
mac was right behind nebraska wesleyan, ahead of st. thomas and st. john's, also ahead of gustavus adulterous, augsburg, concordia-moorhead, and bethel, which was named after a chapel for seamen (a bethel runner finished fifth, the second bethel finisher claimed 110th). saint mary's was way down toward the bottom.
other performances from the day
94 Tom Hammer, So 27:39.6 Macalester
98 Tim Stendahl, Sr 27:42.9 Macalester
from the blue race, a hotly contested, rancorous rivalry continued.
57 Martins Blums, Sr 29:34.5 Macalester
62 Paul Singh, Sr 29:45.9 Macalester
they both beat jeff doll (67 So 29:55.4 Saint John's), younger brother of disreputable chris doll, who's infamy extends from such acts as spraining his foot mid-season while trying to win a bet (which he did) by sticking his foot in his ass, and a police chase in pursuit of mr. doll in st. peter when he got lost while streaking the gustavus all-miac party--a chase which allegedly included mr. doll scaling fences, shaking off a brutal clotheslining, eluding police, knocking on some poor soul's door to ask for directions back to the party, and eventually rejoining the fracas only to pass out naked on an ottoman. true story. in the man’s own words, "i'm chris mother-fuckin doll. once you meet me you'll never forget me."
Friday, October 01, 2004
congrats tim
ladies and gents, i have the honor of announcing on this site that tim pavlish is the new owner of a beautiful house built in 1887 on the west side.
here's the address:
624 ohio street, st. paul, minnesota 55107
where it @
those of you who are erstwhile cross country runners will recognize the location, southeast across the river on smith, aka high bridge, four blocks from cherokee park. great proximity to the old man river cafe and newly resurfaced tennis courts. if tim doesn't have enough money to pay for food after he pays the mortgage, he can always head down to the river and catch a fatty muskrat.
tim is looking for renters for his duplex. that's right, it's a duplex folks. the upstairs has two bedrooms and the spacious downstairs has one bedroom. the availability of rental space depends on which level tim decides to occupy. tim is open to all renters, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bi, transgender, box turtle, etc.
*
who watched the debate last night. i thought it would leave me writhing painfully on the floor, but instead i was almost inspired to strut around the room doing the double fist pump. that's right, kerry kicked ass. not that it matters, because as ben said back in 2002, the passion of the bush will be re-elected. still, the debate is now my happy place.
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