1. It looks like Giuliani may drop out if he doesn't win in Florida tonight. I don't think he will win, so that's one more jerk candidate out of the running. However, its kind of scary because Itchy-trigger-finger McCain is looking pretty strong. I'm glad I'm not Republican - how do you chose between crazy McCain and fake Romney.
2. Both Clinton and Obama really want an endorsement from Bill Richardson. He said that if he is going to endorse a candidate it will likely be by the end of the week and that "it's going to be a gut feeling. It's not going to be about statistics, about past ties." In the same article he tells a story about one of the debates where he stopped listening when a question was directed at another candidate, sort of taking a mental break, when the moderator directed the same question to him "So, Gov. Richardson, what do you think of that?" As he desperately looked for a clue before asking the mod to repeat the question Barack Obama went "Katrina, Katrina" saving Richardson's ass a bit. After what Billary has done in the campaign over the last few weeks do you think she would have helped or fed him to the wolves. I'm going with choice B. So I'm thinking that his "gut" might just tell him that Obama is the way to go.
3. I also think that, although Richardson barely got a word in during his last few debates he was trying to maintain some level of civility - another reason why I think he might choose Obama if anybody.
4. I also think he should choose wisely since I am hoping that he is on the top of the shortlist for VP possibilities. Imagine a VP with some actual positive international experience.
5. Bush did a good job highlighting his presidency last night: an economy crashing under the weight of lenders screwing over poor borrowers and nearly a trillion spent on a war started for false reasons, a Damoclean education program with lofty goals and no funding to back it, and the reputation of an imperialist internationally.
6. My pick for the Super Bowl? OK, its easy to pick the Patriots, but I will also say that the Giants will cover the 13-point spread and that betters should go with the "under" in the over/under, which I think is sitting at around 53 or so. I'm thinking 27-17 in an ungodly boring game.
7. It looks like the Galaxy will pick up another somewhat well-known European player. Celestine Babayaro played for 7 years or so for Chelsea and was last at Newcastle before being waved due to injury issues. If he becomes consistently healthy he will be part of a very solid backline with Abel Xavier, Ty Harden(maybe?), and an undetermined 3rd defender.
8. The proposed tax refund should get most people around $600 and couples around $1200. If you're getting that money, what would you do with it? I more or less spent it on a new Mac Mini that I haven't technically bought yet.
1. FYI: Its raining. A lot. That means you need to take it a little easy on the freeway. I saw one accident happen and 3 that had already happened on the freeway on the way to work today. I'm looking at you Mercedes and BMW drivers.
2. Since Derrick asked I will answer: Yeah, I think it sucks that there were a million people waiting to snap a photo of a bodybag with dead Heath Ledger. And I think the coverage of him, Britney Spears, Anna Nicole, et al goes way overboard. I don't blame the paparazzi though. They are doing a job, albeit a sleazy job, but they are only meeting the public's demand for that kind of shit.
3. Wow. Obama absolutely thrashed Hillary in South Carolina. I'm waiting to see if this changes some of the polls in other states. She needed to get her ass handed to her after the dirty campaign that she has been running. Bill needs to get his nuts put in the grinder as well. That whole week before the primaries shows exactly why I don't like her - she doesn't care about what is right, she only cares about what will get her success. Both of those douchebag Clintons should be ashamed of what they are doing. Slate's John Dickerson has a good article about it.
4. I went to Wal-Mart yesterday. No, I did not buy anything. I was only the driver on the trip and I felt like I should let my sister-in-law go where she wanted since it was her daughter in the hospital that brought me back to the 909 yesterday. In any case, that place is quite possibly the closest I will ever get to hell on Earth. Its dirty, crowded, unorganized, and I can't look at the employees without feeling the deepest sympathy for them. I see the t-shirt for $6 and know that it only needs to be $7 in order for the company to pay their employees fair wages and get them some kind of insurance.
5. I feel so much better about the universe today. I have in the past written about my students' poor taste in movies. This weekend many of them went to see "Meet the Spartans" and the majority said that they walked out during the movie and snuck into Rambo. I don't condone theater hopping, but I'm impressed with their decision.
6. On a hypocritical note - has anyone done the theater-hopping thing before. I don't mean buying tickets to one show and going to a different one. I mean you buy for one movie, watch that movie, then sneak into another theater for another movie. I think I might check that out one of these days, maybe check out 3 movies in one day. The problem is that I'm not sure if there will ever be 3 movies in theaters that I want to see at the same time.
7. Read this on a website that I can't find again: "Wolf [from American Gladiators] is the new Chuck Norris". Blasphemy.
So there is a certain actor that is allegedly crazy, we'll call him Com Truise. He did an interview about a certain religion that I will call Tienscology. Its really funny. So funny that the Tienscologists had it pulled from YouTube, but not this site. Check it out before they pull this one.
1. The quote in the title is by Ross Perot. Remember him? Ran for President in '92 as the Reform Party candidate? Big Ears? Well, he said this in reference to the current economy and the practice by large banks of borrowing money from foreign countries. Also talks a lot of shit about McCain. Kind of a funny article.
2. (got this from Lauri). Did you know that there is a person suing the government for 3 quadrillion dollars. Here it is in all its glory: 3,000,000,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros. There are actually almost 500,000 claims filed against the government for its failure to build good levees to protect New Orleans. One lawyer who represents a bunch of Katrina victims says that a lot of the suits are being filed just to make a point. I think there is a difference between making a point and making an ass out of yourself.
3. I want to give tons of recognition to Jamie Carragher. Most of you don't know who he is, but this week he played his 500th game for Liverpool. What makes this story better is that Liverpool is his hometown team that he supported as a kid and he has never played, nor likely will ever play, for any other team. That's pretty rare in sports these days.
4. Should I explain the Flying Space Monkey vs. Orangutan battle? Maybe, but I think a lot of the blame rests squarely on Lauri's shoulders.
5. Another funny quote from the Ross Perot article. Well, not so much a quote as it is a bumper-sticker that he got in the mail. "Monica Lewinsky's ex-boyfriend's wife for Pres."
6. If you haven't checked out The Onion recently you should think about it.
7. Who is going to check out Cloverfield? I'm getting tempted and may break down and see it this weekend.
8. Speaking of this weekend: U.S. vs. Sweden at the Home Depot Center Saturday evening. I may have two extra tickets and a few extra beers in the cooler. Let me know.
January 28th: Bush's last State of the Union Address. Drinks that night? Concensus says yes. (Read that phrase again. LAST State of the Union address.)
February 5th: Super Tuesday. Tons of primaries and caucuses. Candidates should be decided that night. The League of Space Monkey Voters is hosting a results watching gathering. We extend an invitation to our orangutan brothers in an effort to unite under the hopes for a good Democratic candidate. The show starts when you show up - but maybe not until after 5:00. The CA results should start rolling in at 8:00.
Every year I make the same lame-ass resolutions and break them by Martin Luther King Day, which is next week. I always say that I'm going to read more and watch less TV, then they put awesome shows on the air like American Gladiators, Ghost Hunters, Deadliest Catch, The Office, etc. I always say that I will work out more and lose some weight, but then In N' Out stays open and beer continues to be legal. I swear that I will do a better job keeping things clean and organized and then I break the other two amendments again.
Well this year I'm not only renewing all of those resolutions, but I am taking on a new one that I think everyone reading this should take on as well. I am going to be more green. It will be easy since Amanda has bought into the idea as well (thanks to Oprah, who always tells Amanda what to do). My challenge to all who read this is to be more green as well. Here are some of the ways that I am changing my lifestyle to be more environmentally friendly:
No more plastic or paper grocery bags. We already take re-usable bags to Trader Joe's. In fact, Amanda and I both have a set of three in our cars so either of us can do the shopping. How easy is it? The bags cost 99-cents at Trader Joe's and when you use them they enter you into a drawing for a $25 gift card. I know other places carry them as well. Americans go through an unreal amount of grocery bags and the plastic ones just sit in landfills forever or end up in the ocean. The paper ones just kill more trees.
High Efficiency bulbs. Pete and Lauri inspired me to take this one more seriously. I bought a package of these more than a year ago at Costco, but they weren't bright enough. Well, there are CFL bulbs out these days that have the same output as 100-watt incandescents. Yes, they cost more, but they are getting cheaper and they last forever and they supposedly have an effect on your electricity bill. By the end of January I will replace all of my old bulbs with CFL bulbs. Except the chandelier, which has small bulbs. I will replace those when I find small CFLs.
Use less paper products. We use way too many paper towels and paper napkins. We have more-or-less ditched the use of paper plates, but napkins are a great convenience. Our goal is to use more cloth napkins when eating, use sponges that can be re-used to wipe down counters, and cloth towels whenever possible.
Take shorter showers. This is easier said than done on cold winter mornings, but your water heater is one of the top 3 users of energy in your home. Plus, it looks like water shortages may be an issue in the years to come.
Unplug things that are not being used. Even when your appliances are turned off they are using power. We have started unplugging things like the toaster and coffee maker when we are not using them. An alternative would be to buy "smart strips" which are power strips that cut off all power to the appliances with the flip of a switch. I may not invest in these yet, but we are working on unplugging things.
I know that there are many more things that we can do to be more green, save energy, etc. I have already decided that my next car will be a hybrid. When we get a house we will look into solar panels. My feeling is that as "green living" becomes more popular companies will be more willing to produce more green products in large numbers, thus reducing their prices. In fact, you can already see this with the CFL bulbs.
What drove me to this resolution? Lots of things. I think that there are only a few foolish people left that are still doubting global warming - mostly because they have a lot to lose by doing so. I want to help with that problem. Also, I think that we have become so dependent on oil as an energy resource that we are held hostage by the price of a barrel and the countries that provide the oil we use. If we can transfer our dependence to more renewable sources (some of which are free like wind and the sun) then we won't need to keep feeding these sometimes sketchy oil barons. Global warming is not our only environmental problem despite its prevalence in the press. We are dumping tons of trash into the environment, especially the oceans. To see what got my attention on this issue check out the special that the L.A. Times ran last year about the oceans.
Again, I hope that many of you reading will also take up the challenge to be more green and get the people around you to do the same.
And don't vote Republican - that will help as well.
That's literally what I am doing right now. The band teacher is out and they couldn't get a real sub for him so I am sitting here in the dark band room while the students watch "Legend of Bagger Vance". What does that movie have to do with band? I don't know but that's what the teacher left for them. So, to fill the time, I am going to rant a bit.
First, have you realized that we are going to elect a new president this year?!? Nice. For me, I am almost as excited about the process of electing that new president as I am about the fact that we won't have Bush anymore. I'm pretty sure that most of you know that I am a pretty serious Obama supporter and I'm also pretty excited that there are a lot of people around me that I am jumping on board. Having said that, I want to give my view about where I think this thing is going.
Republicans: I guess its obvious that its down to Giuliani, McCain, Huckabee, and Romney. Let's get serious though. I think Rudy is done. 6th and 4th in the two big state contests doesn't spell victory. Also, I'm not sure he's "America's Mayor" anymore. My real surprise is still how any true Republican can take this guy seriously when he has so many liberal views on issues like abortion. In the end, I don't think Americans still believe in the politics of fear and 9-11 is still Giuliani's calling card. I also don't see much of a shot for Huckabee, but that's more of a hunch than a real theory based on polls or anything. That leaves McCain and Romney. Yesterday, Romney decided to shed a few tears of his own when talking about his father. Maybe they were legit and maybe he wanted to use the Hillary crying tactic. Either way people will see it as fake and that doesn't go well. Somehow Republicans are also ignoring the fact that McCain is crazy and should not be elected president. However, I don't really have a real opinion about who I think will win. I do think that Democrats are rooting for McCain because any debate between McCain and any Democrat ends with the fact that McCain still supports the war in Iraq.
Democrats: Unless something crazy happens in the next week its really down to Clinton and Obama. She won't be able to use the tears again, so that card is out. I'm also wondering how she feels legitimate using the desire for change as the basis for her campaign. Obama went with that back when he wrote his book. Now everyone is running with it. Also, I am still trying to figure out where her 35 years experience is. Obama is often called the inexperienced candidate, but he doesn't have that much less experience than Clinton. Also, he is really the only candidate that seems like he is really speaking honestly. The others seem scripted. I think it will come down to Obama's ability to motivate people and those people will be the ones that give him the nomination after Super Tuesday (February 5th).
That's my very disorganized view of the elections as they stand. I am signing off because the bell is going to ring and I hate the band room.
Today I became a Level 3 Answerer at Yahoo! Answers. Here is the answer that put me over the top. I am also proud that 25% of my answers have been picked as the best answer. Proud in a very nerdy way.
There is just one other thing about Christmas that drives me absolutely fucking nuts. People - do you really need 800 giant inflatable Christmas decorations on your lawn? Look, I know that the people in the 909 think that these things are classy. They're not. They're not even creative or unique. OK, I'll let the 909ers get away with one, but the rest of you have no excuse. I mean, do you really need the snowglobe AND Santa AND the Grinch AND Winnie the Pooh AND Rudolph AND a Christmas Tree? Did you walk into Home Depot and say "Give me one of every inflatable decoration that you carry"? I bet you did. Douche.
I'm a big fan of Christmas on many levels. As a Christian I like the idea of re-birth and the start of second chances and all that. As human I like the tendency of people to be a little nicer during the holidays. However, its clear to me that somewhere we decided to follow the dark path of obsessing over gift-giving instead of the focus on good-naturedness. How did this happen? Eartha Kitt. You heard me. Eartha "Santa Baby" Kitt. In 1954 she recorded the now classic Christmas song "Santa Baby" in which she sings to Santa in hopes of getting a bunch of expensive shit for Christmas. So I've decided to go through the lyrics of the song as a way to vent my anger against the commercialization this Christmas.
Santa baby, just slip a sable under the tree, for me OK, have you seen a sable? They're kinda cute, but this bitch wants you to kill a couple dozen to keep her warm. Been an awful good girl Santa baby so hurry down the chimney tonight What? Wait like the rest of us bitch. He's got a whole world to get to and you want him to hurry to your triflin' ass!?
Santa baby, a '54 convertible too, light blue, You can't just accept a free fucking car - you have to get all picky?! I'll wait up for you dear Now you'll wait? Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight Nevermind - I guess he should skip all of the children and hit you up first you greedy tramp
Think of all the fun I've missed, I have a feeling you haven't missed that much fun slut Think of all the fellows that I haven't kissed You didn't kiss them on the mouth but I bet you kissed something whore Next year I could be just as good If you check off my Christmas list See!?! She'll only be good if you give her a bunch of shit! Why not be good for the sake of being good. Oh, that's right. You're a filthy hooker
Santa baby, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot If its not a lot why don't you buy it with all the money you get giving $2 blowjobs in subway bathrooms Been an angel all year That's not what the starting line-up for the Detroit Pistons said Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight Holy Shit! He gets the point. He'll get there you gold-digging mattress jockey.
Santa honey, one little thing I really need, the deed To a platinum mine, OK, so you won't life a finger to get your own car but you'll somehow figure out how to get something from a platinum mine!?! Give me a break. What the fuck are you going to do with a platinum mine!?! Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight Hurry before you jump on the next guy in line doorknob?
Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex and cheques, Real Estate is actually a pretty smart decision, but can't you just take the checks that will come from the rent you charge? Nope, you need your greed fulfilled right now and with as little of your own effort as possible. Sign your x on the line on the contract giving up your soul... and your balls Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight How many times have we seen the hot slutty chick get all flirtatious with the old fat guy to get what she wants? I guess you've taken a page from Anna Nicole's book.
Come and trim my Christmas tree, Now that's what I'm talking about... a little "trimmin' the tree" for Santa! With some decorations bought at Tiffany's Nevermind... cocktease I really do believe in you, Let's see if you believe in me because its hard to believe that there are greedy skank bitches out there that will take advantage of horny fat dudes
Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring, You didn't forget, you just wanted to wait until he brought you all that other shit with the expectation of getting some ass and then you lay another demand on him hooker. I don't mean on the phone, Of course you don't a phone call doesn't cost enough Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight
Hurry down the chimney tonight Hurry, tonight. You better hurry and get ready to let Santa into your chimney and I don't mean the one made of bricks.
I've been pretty busy lately with work stuff so I beg your forgiveness for the lack of posts. I have several things to mention so I put them in a list.
1. Pete wants to know what a caucus is. Briefly, people meet according to their district/precinct and talk about the issues. In the case of the presidential election, they talk about the candidates and there is usually 1-2 people that make general statements about each candidate. I think the two parties do things differently, but what it comes down to is they don't vote individually for a candidate, but either choose one of the people present to attend the state convention OR take an unofficial vote on scratch paper and send their single decision to the state party. That's the extent of my knowledge, but I'm sure there's a Wikipedia entry for it. Either way I think its retarded.
2. Peter (from Pete the Elder) loves Giuliani. He had a rough time last week (maybe the week before?) which included getting caught paying for trips to cheat on his wife with city money and the discovery that his company runs security (or something like that) for some guy that helped hide/protect Osama Bin Laden. Added to his cop friend getting busted and the fact that he's an ass and you wonder why he's a leading candidate. Oh wait, I remember why - the rest of the candidates are even bigger ass-clowns. (Note: outside of his intensely evangelical beliefs I actually think Hukabee is their most reasonable candidate)
3. I took 15 of my students today to a breakfast with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. After his speech one of my students asked him why he always blames teachers for problems at schools. He didn't really know what to say and completely dodged the question. Turns out he's looking to run for governor.
4. Do people actually watch NBA Basketball?
5. I forgot how awesome Big Trouble in Little China is. Thanks for bringing that back Pete.
6. I kick ass at Wheel of Fortune, but I fucking hate watching it.
7. I'm going to start playing the lottery. I figure I throw away $1 here and there anyways so why not.
8. Here's the future:
Plasticware made from corn. It has been around for a while, but its becoming relatively cheaper since regular plastic is made using petroleum.
9. I chaperoned a trip Saturday to the Environmental Youth Conference with some students from my school. Not only did I get to see Fez and Tyrese (who I guess is in Transformers), but I got to talk to a lot of people about new projects looking to help the environment - including corn plastic. In fact, the City of Los Angeles is looking to be a "Zero Waste" city within the next 15-20 years or so.
10. I've you've never read anything by Nick Hornby you should. I just read "Long Way Down" and really enjoyed it. His memoir, Fever Pitch, was the basis of the lame-ass movie with Drew Barrymore and that one guy from Saturday Night Live. However, in his memoir he is not an obsessive Red Sox fan, but an obsessive Arsenal fan.
11. I'll admit it. I frequently listen to KOST since they are on the all-Christmas-music-all-the-time thing.
Three times in the last few days my eyes were assaulted by visions that no man should be confronted with.
First, my brother sent me a picture/text message with the title "Want to see what it looks like when a baby poops for the first time in 4 days?" and a picture of the world's largest pile of shit.
Then, I came across a homeless guy in front of a coffee shop in downtown L.A. as I walked from a train station to the place where I had a two-day conference on "Shared Inquiry". After asking me to buy him coffee and food he showed me the sores on his legs that came from sleeping in some god-knows-where filthy place.
Finally, as if I needed to see more, I walked in on two guys having sex in a bathroom in a Carl's Jr. I went into the Macy's Plaza as I was walking back to the train station after the meeting so I could take a leak. Carl's Jr. (which sold beer by the way) was the closest bathroom so I went to use it, but it had one of those coin deals so only customers could use it. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately in my case) it was actually open. It seemed weird when I walked in because there seemed to be more than one set of feet in the stall. I couldn't hear anything because I was listening to my iPod. I stepped to the urinal, took a leak and began to leave, but I heard weird sounds. I turned, and not only could I clearly see two sets of feet facing the same direction, but through the crack in the door I could see a guy's face at waist level (since he was bending over) and he was clearly grimacing as if...well, you get the point. I turned and got out of there as quick as possible.
Who knew that Carl's Jr. brought that kind of romance?
Have you ever wanted to ask someone why they did something stupid? I feel like most of the time that question goes unanswered purely for the sake of being tactful. I say fuck that. Here are some questions I would like to ask people for honest answers to:
William H. Macy - you are a great actor, why the fuck did you agree to be in Wild Hogs? Samuel L. Jackson - Were you fucking high when you agreed to be in "The Man"? George Lucas - JarJar Binks? C'mon. Who has pictures of you blowing a goat that could blackmail you into that decision? John Kerry: I know that you're kind of a tool, but why did you have to be such a pussy and back down from those SwiftBoat guys? Shit, why did you even go with the Vietnam war hero bit in the first place? Zach DeLaRocha: Was Rage not popular enough for you? Why'd you break the band up?
That's just a few that were brewing in my head today.
I frequently complain about how quickly stores turn to their Christmas decorations, but I also think that once Thanksgiving is gone then its all fair game. So I was thinking about the lame-ass Christmas presents that I have received over the years and want to pass along some info to gift buyers before they make the same mistakes that many well-intentioned gift givers made in buying me gifts. I will also give you alternative ideas similar to the bad one. Please don't give me the "its the thought that counts you greedy bastard" argument because I am simply looking out for the gift giver so you don't look like a douche on Christmas Day.
1. Beers of the World Gift Pack: I know what people are thinking when they buy this for a guy they know. "They like beer and this has all kinds of unique beers from all over the world. Here's the thing about the beers that come in these packs. #1: They usually aren't that unique. #2 They are in that pack because they are not good enough to stand on their own. #3 There is ALWAYS one beer in that pack that is completely nasty. ALTERNATIVE: Find out what their favorite beer is and get them a 6-pack or case of that. Even better, go to your local BevMo and pick out some beers on your own that you think look interesting. My brother did this for me a few years ago and I drank every one of them and enjoyed them.
2. Clothes: Guys buy their own clothes and don't want to be told that they buy crappy or ugly clothes. So don't think that buying them a few nice things will make them happy. EXCEPTIONS: anything sports related - like the jersey of their favorite team. You may also get away with buying a funny t-shirt like this one. ALTERNATIVE: if you really want to buy clothes get them something useful like a hoodie, jacket, or sports-related item.
3. Dance lessons: I don't think I have to explain this, but if the guy doesn't like to dance then he probably doesn't want dance lessons. Most of you know why I am saying this.
4. That thing that you think will help him be a better person: OK, so this goes back to the dance lessons gift that I got one year, but it serves well as its own category. I know someone (can't remember who) that got a book from an aunt or something about how to find the perfect job. At the time he was always moving from shitty job to shitty job. What did this gift accomplish? It reminded him, on Christmas Day, that his life was going nowhere. ALTERNATIVE: a bottle of gin because that will make him a better person and he can enjoy it.
5. Something that you think he will find useful: Chances are, if a guy needs something useful - like a buck knife, maglite, etc. - he probably already has it. ALTERNATIVE: Tools or gift card to buy tools. Guys always need tools.
The fact of the matter is guys are easy to buy gifts for. We like booze, action movies, adult cartoons (Family Guy, Simpsons, Aqua Teen), tools, ninjas, and things used to blow stuff up with.
OK, there's no such thing as Turkey wine, but I want to (belatedly) make some Thanksgiving wine suggestions. However, let me state up front that the best wine to serve on Thanksgiving is the one that you like and can afford.
First, in the world of whites I would go towards reisling. Reisling is the grape that everyone loves, but nobody buys. Generally, for me, the dry reislings are the way to go with Turkey dinner. Last year I brought a bottle of Eroica (note: not Erotica). My mother-in-law doesn't like white wine too much but loved the stuff. Eroica is a combined effort from Washington mass-producer Chateau Ste. Michelle and German reisling demi-God Dr. Loosen. Its been a staple reisling for me for 3 years or so, but the price keeps going up - now about $20-24 per bottle. However, it is readily available in all grocery stores. Hogue makes a cheaper ($6-8) reisling that is less complex, but would work better on a budget. Both of these are sweeter. Since nobody buys reisling you can get some top-notch German stuff for cheap. Look for the word "Kabinet" on the label. Its the easiest name of dry reisling to remember. If you like sweeter, look for "spotlese" (pronounced shpot-lay-suh).
Red. Look, everyone says to drink Beaujolais Nouveau with Thanksgiving. Its OK. But the best-known brand (whose name I forget, but it comes in a super-colorful bottle) is not that good. This is one time where you can justify buying Pinot Noir (which has been overpriced since Sideways). Go with Oregon if you are going with Pinot Noir. On the other hand, I will be bringing a zinfandel with me to the Kimball household on Thanksgiving. I like the more bold flavor of zinfandel, but its spiciness can go well with the sides.
In the middle you could also go with a dry Rose. Its hard to tell what is dry and what is sweet unless it says so specifically on the label so your best luck is to hit the wine shop.
After dinner? I say go with Pimm's Cup. Kind of herbal, kind of sweet. 1 part Pimm's with 2 parts ginger ale or Sprite.
This is an issue that I think I have brought up before, but since it has been in the news a lot lately I want to say more. The U.S. has a new Attorney General, Michall Mukasey, who was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate as a whole despite his dodging the question about the U.S. using torture. Several Democrats, including California Senator Dianne Feinstein, voted in his favor.
First, why did he dodge the question? Simply put, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he had answered that waterboarding was not torture, then he would likely not have been approved because he allowed torture. If he said that it was torture then he would have essentially been convicting the administration of torturing. So what did he answer? He said he did not know what waterboarding really was. Really? Really?!?!? I am a high school social studies teacher and I know what waterboarding is. He was a federal judge.
OK, so you may not really know what waterboarding is. I could explain my view of how it works, but I think this video may be better. In the video, Kaj Larsen - a former Navy Seal - agrees to go through a waterboarding demonstration. Now, this video is actually the second time this was done to him, the first time being part of his training. The video is about 10 minutes in its entirety and is sometimes split into two screens with one screen being the demo and the other interviews. Just a little warning. Its not really a pleasant thing to watch. There is nothing gory or bloody, but the people doing the demonstration are not being friendly with him.
Having seen that, here is my view on the issue of waterboarding specifically and torture in general. Waterboarding is torture. We will likely never get valuable information from torture that we could not get from other means of intelligence. We do not want the U.S. to be known worldwide as a country that tortures people.
First, I feel that the U.S. should not torture anybody for any reason. Waterboarding is, without a doubt, torture. If the video did not convince you of this, maybe this article will (check out the video as well). Daniel Levin, who at the time was acting Assistant Attorney General, volunteered to go through waterboarding to really see what it was like. His conclusion? Its torture. He said that even though he knew that no harm would come his way and that these were essentially his colleagues that he was very distressed. The result of his report? He was fired.
What could we possibly gain from using torture? At a Republican debate in May, the moderator proposed a hypothetical situation: there were several suicide attacks on U.S. cities and then some terrorists were captured off the coast of Florida who knew where further attacks would take place. He asked each candidate how aggressively they would interrogate. (In other words, would you torture?) This is the hypothetical situation that many in favor of using torture will turn to for their argument - we have to protect ourselves against terrorism at all costs. John McCain answered that hypothetical exactly as I would want a President to answer. "I, as the president of the United States, would take that responsibility... We could never gain as much from that torture as we lose in world opinion."
How is torture really considered an effective means of intelligence gathering? The hypothetical situation above is just that - hypothetical. It has not happened before and it will not likely happen ever. People, this is reality - not 24. The chances of that happening are probably the same as Jack Bauer jumping out of the TV to save us. If, by that point, we have not discovered the secret plans of the terrorists then we aren't going to figure it out by torturing them. In the CurrentTV video, Kaj says that, even knowing that it was a controlled situation and that he was in no danger, he would have said anything to get them to stop. I think this is what McCain was trying to say - what a torture victim says it not necessarily the truth. They are saying what you want to hear in order to get you to stop. For Christ's sake, in less than 30 seconds I can have a picture of my apartment taken from a satellite in outer space on my screen. We have that technology and we can't figure out terrorists without wiretapping our own citizens and torturing people? You've got to be kidding.
Finally, at some point we need to think about what our standing in the world is. Do we really want to be considered a country that violates human rights? I hope the answer is no. We are already hated all over the world for our policies - and rightfully so in my view. However, we could do a lot to improve that. Even facing dangers such as terrorism, we should take the moral high ground. This may take a great deal of sacrifice on our behalf, but what is ever worth getting without some sacrifice? We lost just over 2,700 on 9-11. We are approaching 4,000 dead in the war in Iraq. We are already making that sacrifice with nothing in return but the continuing death of our troops and the people of Iraq, the loss of credibility in the world, and over $400 billion of our dollars wasted at a time when they are losing value. Also consider this. Former Navy Seal instructor Malcolm Nance testified before Congress that, not only is waterboarding torture, but that if we subject our prisoners to torture we can be assured that our troops that are captured will find the same fate. Makes sense. If we say that it is OK to torture then we are saying that it is OK to torture our people as well.
I know that this is a long post and I thank you if you made it this far. If this issue bothers you as much as it bothers me then I hope you can write to your representatives (especially Feinstein) and make it clear to them that your vote depends on their decision to make human rights a priority again for the United States.
There are a few things that I have bought in the last couple of months that I think people should know about and consider buying for their own use. Its mostly food.
Trader Joe's Thai Noodle Salad: comes with a spicy peanut sauce - so mother f'ing good. Trader Joe's Flatiron steaks: lean and flavorful Yoplait Light Key Lime Yogurt then add some walnuts Trader Joe's marinated mahi mahi: meaty and flavorful Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Saucony running shoes - I'm on my 3rd pair. Comfortable, supportive, long-lasting Charmin wipes: OK, I know I'm going to get some shit for this, but they are awesome. They basically replace toilet paper. I first heard about them on SModcast and had their quality later verified by a reliable source. My ass has never been cleaner. Edit: SModcast is Kevin Smith's podcast. The same Kevin Smith that wrote and directed Clerks, Mallrats, etc. He uses the wipes. Is he gay? Hell no. Barkeeper's Friend: cleans the hell out of stuff unnamed stem cleaner: little brush for cleaning wine glasses (a.k.a. stems) that is made of a very unabsorbant foam so it doesn't load up on bacteris like sponges. Got mine at Sur Le Table.
I am a high school teacher that takes his job seriously. I speak 2 1/2 languages. I am a registered member of the Green Party although I am theoretically opposed to the idea of political parties. I vote in every election and actually research every candidate as well as read the full text of every proposed bill. I like to mix ground beef with Macaroni N' Cheese to make a meal that I call "Poor Man's Hamburger Helper". I spend a good part of my life watching soccer (at Home Depot Center, at a pub, or at home). I drink wine and read books. I like to start sentences with "I".
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