Mikrack Huckabama's recent surge in the polls became manifest when he simultaneously won both the Republican and Democratic caucuses in the soon-to-be-completely ignored state of Iowa yesterday evening. Known as a charismatic speaker with a gift for reaching his listeners on an emotional level, Huckabama is rumored to be a conglomeration of two completely different individuals who will separate by fission before the parties nominate him for President at their conventions, and afterwards will wage a war of words during the general campaign (against himself). After winning the caucuses, Huckabama reportedly said, "I love you, Iowa! Now go away!"
O.K., so that's a lot of nonsense, but so was this abject sham of an "election". True, I wanted the eventual winners, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Illinois senator Barack Obama, to be victorious, but their victories weren't accomplished through legitimately-run secret ballot elections. The rules for voter eligibility were almost nonexistent and the wheeling and dealing on the Democratic side by lesser candidates to throw their support behind a leading candidate in the second round was nothing short of absurd! And here I am in Florida, a state chastised by both political parties for holding its legitimate, secret ballot primary too soon (nearly four weeks from now)! And one more item: Iowa and New Hampshire both have to be two of the least ethnically-diverse states in the nation. And for them to have such a disproportionate say in how their parties' nominees for President are selected? Outrageous!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Favorite Songs of 1992
Throughout 1992, my main musical interest was in playing and replaying all of my favorite old Led Zeppelin songs. So it shouldn't be much of a surprise that my top favorite songs from that year were from the Led Zeppelin catalog: #1 Dazed and Confused (from Led Zeppelin I), and #2 No Quarter (from Houses of the Holy). But that's not to say there weren't plenty of great songs on the radio in 1992.
Speaking of Zeppelin, the band Soul Asylum had a hit I liked with their gloomy parody of that band in Somebody to Shove. REM came out with their incredible album Automatic for the People in 1992. Although I'd buy it later, at the time of its release I had only heard the intense lead-off track Drive. 1992 also marked the full invasion of the Seattle grunge rock movement, with several bands becoming famous. My grunge favorites were Nirvana's Come As You Are and Lithium (from Nevermind). Pearl Jam's album 10 featured tunes I liked in Even Flow, Black, and Jeremy. Later, I would purchase both albums, finding other great tracks from them (Stay Away from Nevermind and Oceans, my all-time #26 favorite song, from 10). The Australian group INXS, by this time beginning to wane in popularity but not in quality, produced my #21 all-time favorite song in 1992 with Not Enough Time. Spirit lifters from 1992 including Tom Cochrane's inspiring Life is a Highway and Snap!'s dreamy Rhythm is a Dancer. The Black Crowes, a promising band which ultimately disappointed me, did come out with two excellent, blues-laden pieces in Hotel Illness and Remedy. Richard Marx had a hit this year with the mysterious Hazard, while two real tearjerkers came out: Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, and, of course, Eric Clapton's touching memorial to his lost little boy, Tears in Heaven.
Speaking of Zeppelin, the band Soul Asylum had a hit I liked with their gloomy parody of that band in Somebody to Shove. REM came out with their incredible album Automatic for the People in 1992. Although I'd buy it later, at the time of its release I had only heard the intense lead-off track Drive. 1992 also marked the full invasion of the Seattle grunge rock movement, with several bands becoming famous. My grunge favorites were Nirvana's Come As You Are and Lithium (from Nevermind). Pearl Jam's album 10 featured tunes I liked in Even Flow, Black, and Jeremy. Later, I would purchase both albums, finding other great tracks from them (Stay Away from Nevermind and Oceans, my all-time #26 favorite song, from 10). The Australian group INXS, by this time beginning to wane in popularity but not in quality, produced my #21 all-time favorite song in 1992 with Not Enough Time. Spirit lifters from 1992 including Tom Cochrane's inspiring Life is a Highway and Snap!'s dreamy Rhythm is a Dancer. The Black Crowes, a promising band which ultimately disappointed me, did come out with two excellent, blues-laden pieces in Hotel Illness and Remedy. Richard Marx had a hit this year with the mysterious Hazard, while two real tearjerkers came out: Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, and, of course, Eric Clapton's touching memorial to his lost little boy, Tears in Heaven.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
24 Hour Businesses
When I first arrived in Gainesville in 1977, I was somewhat entranced by the fact that, in certain parts of town, there was a night life that went all the way around the clock. The best "24-hour" zone in town lay along NW 13th Street (US 441) from Jerry's around 16th Avenue up to Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips about ten blocks further north. In between were several all-night businesses. There was the great Mister Donut, whose donuts are, to this day, my all-time favorites. There were two 24-hour grocery stores: Pantry Pride and Skaggs/Albertsons (now just Albertsons). Eckerds operated a 24-hour store jutting out of the Gainesville Mall. And, for a few years, there was Skeeter's, a perpetually-open breakfast restaurant which eventually expanded its menu and even featured live musical acts. Closer to me at the University of Florida was Krystal on University Avenue . To the Southwest, on Archer Road, there was a Sambo's Restaurant. And a Waffle House and an International House of Pancakes on SW 13th Street. On North Main Street, The Clock was a compact, efficient little all-night restaurant.
I suppose that nowadays we still have our "night-life" in Gainesville, although it seems to me that places tend to close down earlier in general. There are two Steak-n-Shake restaurants, two Waffle Houses, the same IHOP, the Clock, and a new 24-hour restaurant replacing Denny's at the Holiday Inn on 13th Street and University Avenue. Walmart seems to have changed to a 24 hour operation, although trying to shop there in the wee hours can be challenging, with all of the stock work and maintenance presenting obstacles for the customers. Walgreens and Albertsons are also stores "always open". The Mister Donut, though, is long-gone. Krispy Kreme, however, has operated a continuously-operated establishment since I've been in Gainesville. The main problem I have in going there, though, is that the smell inside (of their processed doughnuts) is so strong that it actually stinks a bit. Still, Krispy Kreme is the most inviting of the all-night places for me to just walk in, buy a coffee, sit down, and collect my thoughts. And because of this (smells notwithstanding), I bestow the Irwin Award of 24-Hour Excellence to Krispy Kreme on NW 13th Street.
The supreme irony about my criticism of my hometown's apparent trend away from an all-night culture is that I myself have been shifting away from it as well. When I get off work at midnight, I just head on home and bypass any late-night establishments. For many years I worked the graveyard shift until I physically and mentally simply couldn't stand it anymore. So maybe the fact that I don't try anymore to visit late-night places factors into this current perception of mine about Gainesville "rolling up the sidewalks" in mid-evening. But I get the feeling that, even though we still have all-night places in Gainesville, the 24-hour culture that used to be an important element of life here seems to have died. Could be my imagination, though. In all fairness, though, there has been a trend toward eating establishments keeping their drive-through service open very late (and sometimes around the clock). But they want you to buy your food and then go somewhere else, away from them!
I suppose that nowadays we still have our "night-life" in Gainesville, although it seems to me that places tend to close down earlier in general. There are two Steak-n-Shake restaurants, two Waffle Houses, the same IHOP, the Clock, and a new 24-hour restaurant replacing Denny's at the Holiday Inn on 13th Street and University Avenue. Walmart seems to have changed to a 24 hour operation, although trying to shop there in the wee hours can be challenging, with all of the stock work and maintenance presenting obstacles for the customers. Walgreens and Albertsons are also stores "always open". The Mister Donut, though, is long-gone. Krispy Kreme, however, has operated a continuously-operated establishment since I've been in Gainesville. The main problem I have in going there, though, is that the smell inside (of their processed doughnuts) is so strong that it actually stinks a bit. Still, Krispy Kreme is the most inviting of the all-night places for me to just walk in, buy a coffee, sit down, and collect my thoughts. And because of this (smells notwithstanding), I bestow the Irwin Award of 24-Hour Excellence to Krispy Kreme on NW 13th Street.
The supreme irony about my criticism of my hometown's apparent trend away from an all-night culture is that I myself have been shifting away from it as well. When I get off work at midnight, I just head on home and bypass any late-night establishments. For many years I worked the graveyard shift until I physically and mentally simply couldn't stand it anymore. So maybe the fact that I don't try anymore to visit late-night places factors into this current perception of mine about Gainesville "rolling up the sidewalks" in mid-evening. But I get the feeling that, even though we still have all-night places in Gainesville, the 24-hour culture that used to be an important element of life here seems to have died. Could be my imagination, though. In all fairness, though, there has been a trend toward eating establishments keeping their drive-through service open very late (and sometimes around the clock). But they want you to buy your food and then go somewhere else, away from them!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Writing Stories: Day Zero
It has now been about nine months since I began writing this blog. And it's been a great ride so far! I plan to continue putting out entries for it at this same general pace indefinitely. But now, I believe that it's time for me to wade into some different waters as well. Yes, it's time for me to begin writing stories! And, of course, I plan to use this blog to help me get into the discipline of the daily production that is necessary to ultimately succeed in this genre. So I am adding another "eights" to this blog (entries eight weeks apart from each other). It will deal with the amount of stories I am writing as well as the number of pages I am producing. I don't intend to actually reveal my stories here, since my intention will ultimately be to submit them for paid publication! But I'm sure that I will have a few things to say (every eight weeks) about how I'm doing experiencing this new, challenging endeavor! I already have several core story ideas in mind, so I shouldn't have a problem with writer's block, at least for a while. My initial push will be to get my feet nice and wet, and just concentrate on "producing a product". And to take Stephen King's advice as well, which is for me to write primarily for myself!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday Newsbreak: 12/31
--It is with sadness that I note the passing of Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto through assassination. What a troubled place Pakistan is these days! The tragedy that began this sad progression of events, in my humble opinion, was the initial inability for Pakistan and India to remain united nationally when they achieved full independence after World War II. The conflicts that Pakistan endured with India as well as the mass migrations of Muslims and Hindus across the newly formed national boundaries in 1947 seem to have fueled a more militant, political form of Islam than in some other parts of the world. With 9/11 and the subsequent war in Afghanistan with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda fleeing into Pakistan, the situation has reached powder-keg proportions. And now this!
--Well, the Iowa caucuses are coming up this Thursday, and hopefully the results will cause some of those fringe candidates to finally see the light and drop out. I'm getting quite tired of them getting equal billing with the main candidates during this seemingly endless procession of televised debates. As far as I can tell, the only remaining viable candidates for the Democrats are Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards. Dennis Kucinich will never drop out because he's on his great, oh-so principled mission. But others like Joseph Biden (whom I would have happily supported over the others) and Bill Richardson should count their blessings and go on to more fruitful ventures. On the Republican side, though, the field is much wider, with five candidates (Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Fred Thompson) still in the hunt. For those who would say that Ron Paul should be included on this list, I say, "C'mon!" Both Giuliani and Clinton have been playing the "after 9/11, I'll protect you more than the others" card, with Giuliani utterly shameless about it. My pre-caucus endorsements (for all of you Iowans reading my blog with baited breath) are Mike Huckabee (with John McCain close behind) for the Republicans and Barack Obama (with Hillary Clinton acceptable) for the Democrats. I believe that an Obama-Huckabee race would crystallize the 2008 general election as a truer referendum on which direction our country needs to go, instead of a contest based on fear and character assassination.
-The National Football League regular season has ended, and now it's time for the playoffs. Two Florida teams (Tampa Bay and Jacksonville) made the playoffs, and that's two more than last year! New England went undefeated (boo-hoo) and Miami finally won a game (whoopee). Dallas, who I picked before the season to beat Denver in the Super Bowl, is still a favorite to reach it. But the mile-high Broncos failed to reach the altitude of their expectations this year, dismally failing to even make the playoffs (although I'll trade their record for Miami's any day).
--Well, the Iowa caucuses are coming up this Thursday, and hopefully the results will cause some of those fringe candidates to finally see the light and drop out. I'm getting quite tired of them getting equal billing with the main candidates during this seemingly endless procession of televised debates. As far as I can tell, the only remaining viable candidates for the Democrats are Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards. Dennis Kucinich will never drop out because he's on his great, oh-so principled mission. But others like Joseph Biden (whom I would have happily supported over the others) and Bill Richardson should count their blessings and go on to more fruitful ventures. On the Republican side, though, the field is much wider, with five candidates (Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Fred Thompson) still in the hunt. For those who would say that Ron Paul should be included on this list, I say, "C'mon!" Both Giuliani and Clinton have been playing the "after 9/11, I'll protect you more than the others" card, with Giuliani utterly shameless about it. My pre-caucus endorsements (for all of you Iowans reading my blog with baited breath) are Mike Huckabee (with John McCain close behind) for the Republicans and Barack Obama (with Hillary Clinton acceptable) for the Democrats. I believe that an Obama-Huckabee race would crystallize the 2008 general election as a truer referendum on which direction our country needs to go, instead of a contest based on fear and character assassination.
-The National Football League regular season has ended, and now it's time for the playoffs. Two Florida teams (Tampa Bay and Jacksonville) made the playoffs, and that's two more than last year! New England went undefeated (boo-hoo) and Miami finally won a game (whoopee). Dallas, who I picked before the season to beat Denver in the Super Bowl, is still a favorite to reach it. But the mile-high Broncos failed to reach the altitude of their expectations this year, dismally failing to even make the playoffs (although I'll trade their record for Miami's any day).
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Some Forms of Political Government
Anyone who has taken an elementary course in political science or history has probably (if they didn't doze through the entire course) encountered terms such as autocratic (also known as authoritarian), totalitarian, democratic, constitutional, and anarchic. Thus are usually described various forms of governments. The United States, for example, is known as being constitutional (with elected representatives passing laws instead of the people at large). The democratic elements of our political structure are permitted (and limited) by our Constitution. Burma (Myanmar) is widely recognized as being autocratic. Iran is totalitarian, although it calls itself democratic (as do virtually all totalitarian regimes). And many rural societies across the world, almost all of whom live within the borders of nations subscribing to other political systems, are anarchic in nature. Democracy is probably the most fragile and unstable of all of the above, usually having to combine with another system to survive in some form. For example, as previously stated, democracy in America is combined with constitutionalism. In places like Russia or Pakistan, on the other hand, it is more a combination of autocracy and democracy that seems to be more stable (although Pakistan seems to have problems with anything these days).
It strikes me that these political systems don't just apply on a national level: they also apply to groups and situations that we live out our lives in. Families in general have a varying mix of the totalitarian, autocratic, and anarchic. Workplaces are generally a mix of the autocratic and anarchic, although most companies deem themselves to be constitutional (with their company policies, or, if a union is involved, a collective bargaining agreement). Most churches are a mix of the autocratic and totalitarian, and it may be argued that their scriptures may serve as a sort of "constitution". And just driving around in traffic with others is simultaneously constitutional (traffic laws) and anarchic (everybody going to different destinations independently of each other). As a matter of fact, once you remove the top "icing" of constitutionalism, democracy, autocracy, or totalitarianism, much of the "cake" of a society underneath is essentially anarchy!
It is the family and the workplace, though, in which we spend most of our social time. One of the things that I find interesting about social systems is that, regardless of the imposed system, whenever that system breaks down, there seems to be an instinctive anarchic "backup" system that automatically kicks into play. Anarchy, as a political system, can simply be the breaking down of the "higher" systems to the lowest social level possible. Usually that means down to the family level, but not always. The closest thing to anarchy that we have as stated political philosophy, officially speaking, in America, is libertarianism. Both libertarianism and anarchy stress the sentiment that people know what's best for themselves and want to be left alone. To me that's fine in a perfect world, where people respect each other and don't cross their "lines in the sand". But we all know that this isn't the way things work, and we need a higher authority sometimes to protect us from each other.
Personally, I can handle various amounts in my life of constitutionalism, democracy, autocracy, and (my favorite) anarchy. But I absolutely LOATHE totalitarianism in any form. Any kind of social situation in which I find myself being compelled to give or do something that I do not want to give or do that also makes the demand that I behave as if I really DO want to give or do that thing is totalitarian. We instinctively cringe when thinking of totalitarian national governments, but sometimes it runs rampant on a smaller social level in environments like workplaces, schools, families, churches, and even among friends.
It strikes me that these political systems don't just apply on a national level: they also apply to groups and situations that we live out our lives in. Families in general have a varying mix of the totalitarian, autocratic, and anarchic. Workplaces are generally a mix of the autocratic and anarchic, although most companies deem themselves to be constitutional (with their company policies, or, if a union is involved, a collective bargaining agreement). Most churches are a mix of the autocratic and totalitarian, and it may be argued that their scriptures may serve as a sort of "constitution". And just driving around in traffic with others is simultaneously constitutional (traffic laws) and anarchic (everybody going to different destinations independently of each other). As a matter of fact, once you remove the top "icing" of constitutionalism, democracy, autocracy, or totalitarianism, much of the "cake" of a society underneath is essentially anarchy!
It is the family and the workplace, though, in which we spend most of our social time. One of the things that I find interesting about social systems is that, regardless of the imposed system, whenever that system breaks down, there seems to be an instinctive anarchic "backup" system that automatically kicks into play. Anarchy, as a political system, can simply be the breaking down of the "higher" systems to the lowest social level possible. Usually that means down to the family level, but not always. The closest thing to anarchy that we have as stated political philosophy, officially speaking, in America, is libertarianism. Both libertarianism and anarchy stress the sentiment that people know what's best for themselves and want to be left alone. To me that's fine in a perfect world, where people respect each other and don't cross their "lines in the sand". But we all know that this isn't the way things work, and we need a higher authority sometimes to protect us from each other.
Personally, I can handle various amounts in my life of constitutionalism, democracy, autocracy, and (my favorite) anarchy. But I absolutely LOATHE totalitarianism in any form. Any kind of social situation in which I find myself being compelled to give or do something that I do not want to give or do that also makes the demand that I behave as if I really DO want to give or do that thing is totalitarian. We instinctively cringe when thinking of totalitarian national governments, but sometimes it runs rampant on a smaller social level in environments like workplaces, schools, families, churches, and even among friends.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
My New TV Lineup
Just recently, I began subscribing to a larger cable television package from my cable TV company. As a result, I have several new stations to choose from, as well as some excellent radio stations. I didn't opt for the movie packages, so forget HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, or the Movie Channel. But I do get channels like Sundance and the various Encore movie channels (I was able to once again enjoy The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on one of them). I like sports, and although I didn't select the "sports package" either, there are a few new specialized channels dealing with specific sports like football, basketball, tennis, and soccer. But I've found that I am now concentrating my new viewing on just a few of the new stations.
The Discovery Channel has come out with some spin-off channels, and they usually feature interesting programming. I can now view the National Geographic's station as well. My favorite science/nature channel in the new lineup, though, is the Science Channel (it's usually one of the first channels I go to when I turn on the TV now). The History Channel's superior spin-off, History Channel International, is also now available. But, with the possible exception of the Science Channel, my favorite new station is AZN, a channel dedicated to the interests of Asian-Americans, with the spotlight on Asia itself. In the morning, they have a Hindi soap opera, followed by an excellent Japanese-language news show. Then, programming in Vietnamese and Chinese is usually available. Later in the day, I often see shows in Korean. And English-language programming is also widespread on AZN, particularly in regard to travel (in Asia) and (Asian) cooking shows. It's fun to watch AZN, even when I have trouble discerning what is being said!
I still like watching many of the "old" channels belonging to my original "basic" lineup, such as C-Span (One and Two), Spike, AMC, Sci-Fi, Univision, and TNT. My favorite news channel is MSNBC--that is, when they're not obsessing about prison life as they do for much of their late night programming. I think, though, that sitting back in my recliner surfing channels is not exactly the best use of my time. It would be better to check out the program schedule BEFORE I turn on the TV, and then restrict my viewing to shows selected in advance. Sometimes, though, I get surprised by a program that I wouldn't have picked this way. But still, I waste too much time the way I'm going (sounds like an impending New Year's Resolution, doesn't it?).
The Discovery Channel has come out with some spin-off channels, and they usually feature interesting programming. I can now view the National Geographic's station as well. My favorite science/nature channel in the new lineup, though, is the Science Channel (it's usually one of the first channels I go to when I turn on the TV now). The History Channel's superior spin-off, History Channel International, is also now available. But, with the possible exception of the Science Channel, my favorite new station is AZN, a channel dedicated to the interests of Asian-Americans, with the spotlight on Asia itself. In the morning, they have a Hindi soap opera, followed by an excellent Japanese-language news show. Then, programming in Vietnamese and Chinese is usually available. Later in the day, I often see shows in Korean. And English-language programming is also widespread on AZN, particularly in regard to travel (in Asia) and (Asian) cooking shows. It's fun to watch AZN, even when I have trouble discerning what is being said!
I still like watching many of the "old" channels belonging to my original "basic" lineup, such as C-Span (One and Two), Spike, AMC, Sci-Fi, Univision, and TNT. My favorite news channel is MSNBC--that is, when they're not obsessing about prison life as they do for much of their late night programming. I think, though, that sitting back in my recliner surfing channels is not exactly the best use of my time. It would be better to check out the program schedule BEFORE I turn on the TV, and then restrict my viewing to shows selected in advance. Sometimes, though, I get surprised by a program that I wouldn't have picked this way. But still, I waste too much time the way I'm going (sounds like an impending New Year's Resolution, doesn't it?).
Friday, December 28, 2007
Free Society?
America is reputedly a free country, where people can live under the protection of the Constitution and its Bill of Rights. But lately I've been reflecting on how free, as a whole, our nation really is.
We all pretty much know about the massive influx of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico but also from many areas spanning the globe, especially Britain, the Middle East, and China. For these people, walking the streets here is a different matter than for a citizen or "legal" resident. Seeking government protection for criminal or civil matters, doing anything involving filling out a detailed history, or just openly expressing oneself under the First Amendment can be a tricky matter for these millions of people living among us. Besides these, we have different strata of convicted criminals who have varying types of restrictions placed on their activities and expression. In a few states (including my Florida), convicted felons who have completed their punishments still are banned from exercising their right to vote. The probation and parole systems we have, ostensibly designed to keep convicts out of jails and more assimilated into society, actually serve the function of making the society that much more unfree, since these people, many of whom work and live around us, do not enjoy the same rights as do others. Increasingly, we also have certain criminals, such as arsonists and sexual predators, that have been adjudged impossible to fully rehabilitate, and hence must be limited in their movements and continuously pointed out in public (even after completing sentences). Besides all this, there is the gargantuan underground economy (drugs, gambling, pornography, prostitution), participants in which actually live within a parallel and brutally unfree society, compared to the "open" one that is supposedly represented by due process and fairness. If you are African-American, I probably don't need to tell about the phenomenon of racial profiling ("driving while black") that has continued to make many feel like second-class citizens. And why do prosecutors keep insisting on trying minors, not as minors, but as adults? Many arrests and convictions nowadays don't even involve real crimes and real victims, but instead are the state-manufactured results of sting operations. Ordinary citizens are encouraged to rat on each other to the government through many types of anonymous "snitch" lines that are creepily reminiscent of the old KGB police state era in the Soviet Union. And now we have people targeted for criminal investigation who end up being prosecuted not for the crime that they were suspected of, but for lying to an investigative body about their role. Maybe none of the above apply to you. But suppose you're just walking down the street minding your own business and the wind is blowing in your face. You just might not hear the policeman behind yelling at you before he or she sends a Taser's 50,000 volts into your body (and then shackling you and hauling you off to jail)! Sound farfetched? I would have thought so, too, until recently.
To remedy some of these problems involves taking some bold and admittedly politically risky steps. Many of the victimless crimes that are a hallmark of the underground economy need to either be drastically decriminalized or even legalized. We need a comprehensive plan, similar to the one that President Bush and the Senate approved, that allows undocumented immigrants to be able to openly participate in a free society. Convicts who have finished their sentences should be fully accepted back into society with a clean slate in order to really get a "second chance". If certain crimes are so heinous that offenders have to be constantly monitored and restricted after release, then perhaps the sentencing should reflect that by being much stiffer, without the post-release "gray area". And police and prosecutors need some judicial oversight to restrain them from excesses that undermine freedom and the general good of society.
We all pretty much know about the massive influx of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico but also from many areas spanning the globe, especially Britain, the Middle East, and China. For these people, walking the streets here is a different matter than for a citizen or "legal" resident. Seeking government protection for criminal or civil matters, doing anything involving filling out a detailed history, or just openly expressing oneself under the First Amendment can be a tricky matter for these millions of people living among us. Besides these, we have different strata of convicted criminals who have varying types of restrictions placed on their activities and expression. In a few states (including my Florida), convicted felons who have completed their punishments still are banned from exercising their right to vote. The probation and parole systems we have, ostensibly designed to keep convicts out of jails and more assimilated into society, actually serve the function of making the society that much more unfree, since these people, many of whom work and live around us, do not enjoy the same rights as do others. Increasingly, we also have certain criminals, such as arsonists and sexual predators, that have been adjudged impossible to fully rehabilitate, and hence must be limited in their movements and continuously pointed out in public (even after completing sentences). Besides all this, there is the gargantuan underground economy (drugs, gambling, pornography, prostitution), participants in which actually live within a parallel and brutally unfree society, compared to the "open" one that is supposedly represented by due process and fairness. If you are African-American, I probably don't need to tell about the phenomenon of racial profiling ("driving while black") that has continued to make many feel like second-class citizens. And why do prosecutors keep insisting on trying minors, not as minors, but as adults? Many arrests and convictions nowadays don't even involve real crimes and real victims, but instead are the state-manufactured results of sting operations. Ordinary citizens are encouraged to rat on each other to the government through many types of anonymous "snitch" lines that are creepily reminiscent of the old KGB police state era in the Soviet Union. And now we have people targeted for criminal investigation who end up being prosecuted not for the crime that they were suspected of, but for lying to an investigative body about their role. Maybe none of the above apply to you. But suppose you're just walking down the street minding your own business and the wind is blowing in your face. You just might not hear the policeman behind yelling at you before he or she sends a Taser's 50,000 volts into your body (and then shackling you and hauling you off to jail)! Sound farfetched? I would have thought so, too, until recently.
To remedy some of these problems involves taking some bold and admittedly politically risky steps. Many of the victimless crimes that are a hallmark of the underground economy need to either be drastically decriminalized or even legalized. We need a comprehensive plan, similar to the one that President Bush and the Senate approved, that allows undocumented immigrants to be able to openly participate in a free society. Convicts who have finished their sentences should be fully accepted back into society with a clean slate in order to really get a "second chance". If certain crimes are so heinous that offenders have to be constantly monitored and restricted after release, then perhaps the sentencing should reflect that by being much stiffer, without the post-release "gray area". And police and prosecutors need some judicial oversight to restrain them from excesses that undermine freedom and the general good of society.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Favorite Songs of 1993
During 1993, I was spending some time going back to some of the old albums of some of my favorite artists from the 1960s and 1970s. The group Yes was my main focus that year, and (to me) their most interesting works were the six album-side-long pieces that they recorded from 1973 to 1974 on three of their albums. The best of these, Close to the Edge, became my favorite song of 1993 (and my all-time #10), although it was first released way back in 1973.
I also kept up with the contemporary songs of 1993. REM's beautiful 1992 album, Automatic for the People, spawned a 1993 hit, Man on the Moon (a tribute to Andy Kaufman with a nod to Charles Darwin), that grew on me, as much for its great lyrics as for its poignant-but-eerie sound. Porno for Pyros put a whole new spin on the "aliens are going to come down and save us" myths with their satirical Pets. Sting's best solo work (in my opinion) was the lush 1993 love song Fields of Gold. The pared-down band (of one) Tears for Fears spoke about the beauty of decay with Break It Down Again. John Mellencamp put out a new CD with two compelling (but different-sounding) tunes: Human Wheels and When Jesus Left Birmingham. Beck burst onto the hit scene with his catchy-but-ultimately meaningless Loser. The Counting Crows and Sweden's Ace of Base each made their debuts with hits that I liked in Mr. Jones and All That She Wants, respectively. Tones of Home , by Blind Melon, was a catchy, jazzy piece of "scat-rock". And ex-Led Zeppelin stars Robert Plant and Jimmy Page (along with Whitesnake's David Coverdale) engaged in a "friendly" competition of sorts with concurrent releases. Plant's best from his Fate of Nations album was his melodic and mellow 29 Palms, while Coverdale/Page's self-titled album contained, surprisingly, several good tracks. My favorites were the long, slow Over Now and the very-Zeppelinesque Easy Does It. Too bad that this would be Page and Coverdale's one and only collaboration!
I also kept up with the contemporary songs of 1993. REM's beautiful 1992 album, Automatic for the People, spawned a 1993 hit, Man on the Moon (a tribute to Andy Kaufman with a nod to Charles Darwin), that grew on me, as much for its great lyrics as for its poignant-but-eerie sound. Porno for Pyros put a whole new spin on the "aliens are going to come down and save us" myths with their satirical Pets. Sting's best solo work (in my opinion) was the lush 1993 love song Fields of Gold. The pared-down band (of one) Tears for Fears spoke about the beauty of decay with Break It Down Again. John Mellencamp put out a new CD with two compelling (but different-sounding) tunes: Human Wheels and When Jesus Left Birmingham. Beck burst onto the hit scene with his catchy-but-ultimately meaningless Loser. The Counting Crows and Sweden's Ace of Base each made their debuts with hits that I liked in Mr. Jones and All That She Wants, respectively. Tones of Home , by Blind Melon, was a catchy, jazzy piece of "scat-rock". And ex-Led Zeppelin stars Robert Plant and Jimmy Page (along with Whitesnake's David Coverdale) engaged in a "friendly" competition of sorts with concurrent releases. Plant's best from his Fate of Nations album was his melodic and mellow 29 Palms, while Coverdale/Page's self-titled album contained, surprisingly, several good tracks. My favorites were the long, slow Over Now and the very-Zeppelinesque Easy Does It. Too bad that this would be Page and Coverdale's one and only collaboration!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Reset
After a Christmas "break" and coming up to the New Year, I think that it's time to make a few adjustments to this blog. The weekly "newsbreak" feature here will stay intact, and so will the various types of free-topic entries. I'm trimming down the "favorite songs of the year" feature to the writing parts and cutting out the long lists. And I'm going to add a couple of new "on the eights" features in the days to come. I plan to make this blog more visual by adding photographs from my new digital camera (once I figure out how to use it). I also intend to investigate some of those areas that Blogger provides for "blog enhancement". But the basic tone of Alone in the Clouds All Blue will remain the same: a more-or-less daily journal of one person's take on things. And who knows, maybe I'll begins to leave comments on others' blogs!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Pledge Drives
What do you think about pledge drives? There are many different types, of course, but the one that I'd like to discuss here is the local public television station pledge drive.
I've lived in Gainesville pretty much since 1977, and one of the bright spots in this college town is the local PBS station, WUFT-Channel Five. Aside from showing great PBS series like Cosmos and Connections, WUFT also showed the 1980s mini-series version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (by Douglas Adams) as well as a whole slew of British comedy shows. But one of my "special moments" with WUFT came on an evening in 1977. They were showing a string of Marx Brothers movies in order in induce people to donate money. They'd usually say something like, "If this is the type of programming you like to see on WUFT, then this is the time to call in with your pledge." Only for the rest of the year, they would never show the programming that they reserved for pledge nights.
This night, though, they were showing Marx Brothers flicks (the earlier, funnier ones), which as black-and-white movies came in real good on my black-and-white TV. The only problem was that, every few minutes, the station would interrupt the movie (usually at a completely inopportune moment) and then ramble on for several minutes with their guilt-mongering ("This is NOT free television!") and pleas to meet the pledge quotas. Finally, about halfway through the final movie, enough people were calling the station complaining about the interruptions (without making pledges) that one of the women conducting the on-air pledge drive suddenly lost her composure and angrily blurted out something to the effect that that was it, you unappreciative people out there. We don't want your complaints, we want your money. And we're not going to finish showing the movie, how do you like that?!! After a few awkward moments though, she was apparently overruled by her colleagues and the movie was quietly put back on to its completion.
I think public television is generally pretty good, but I have to admit that I haven't been one of its financial backers (except through my taxes, that is). Gainesville's WUFT has tried over the years to provide interesting programming for the area, though in recent years I haven't been too impressed with its program lineup. Perhaps they should try regularly showing the programs that they only put on when trying to attract financial donors.
I've lived in Gainesville pretty much since 1977, and one of the bright spots in this college town is the local PBS station, WUFT-Channel Five. Aside from showing great PBS series like Cosmos and Connections, WUFT also showed the 1980s mini-series version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (by Douglas Adams) as well as a whole slew of British comedy shows. But one of my "special moments" with WUFT came on an evening in 1977. They were showing a string of Marx Brothers movies in order in induce people to donate money. They'd usually say something like, "If this is the type of programming you like to see on WUFT, then this is the time to call in with your pledge." Only for the rest of the year, they would never show the programming that they reserved for pledge nights.
This night, though, they were showing Marx Brothers flicks (the earlier, funnier ones), which as black-and-white movies came in real good on my black-and-white TV. The only problem was that, every few minutes, the station would interrupt the movie (usually at a completely inopportune moment) and then ramble on for several minutes with their guilt-mongering ("This is NOT free television!") and pleas to meet the pledge quotas. Finally, about halfway through the final movie, enough people were calling the station complaining about the interruptions (without making pledges) that one of the women conducting the on-air pledge drive suddenly lost her composure and angrily blurted out something to the effect that that was it, you unappreciative people out there. We don't want your complaints, we want your money. And we're not going to finish showing the movie, how do you like that?!! After a few awkward moments though, she was apparently overruled by her colleagues and the movie was quietly put back on to its completion.
I think public television is generally pretty good, but I have to admit that I haven't been one of its financial backers (except through my taxes, that is). Gainesville's WUFT has tried over the years to provide interesting programming for the area, though in recent years I haven't been too impressed with its program lineup. Perhaps they should try regularly showing the programs that they only put on when trying to attract financial donors.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Monday Newsbreak: 12/24
--A Daytona Beach woman was reportedly Tasered by a policewoman on November 26 after she stepped out of a Best Buy store (where she had been shopping) to take an emergency phone call about her daughter. Apparently, this American citizen committed the unspeakable crime of talking back to a cop and using some profanity. She was not in the least bit violent, but was still subject to having 50,000 volts thrown at her, causing her to crumple down to the pavement. The local police chief defended his subordinate's action (of course). It appears that Tasering is becoming a routine tool for the police to handle the populace. The incident, by the way, was reportedly caught on video, so it's more than one person's word against another's. The police will continue to slide downward in the public view as long as they flippantly use something that is as dangerous as Tasering.
--Much ado has been made that current University of Florida president Bernie Machen will receive a salary of $1.2 million this year. But in recent years, I've grown quite accustomed to the top "leaders" in our society, be they in business, education, entertainment, athletics, or politics, raking in obscenely excessive incomes, far out of proportion to their actual contributions. It appears to me that America is rapidly becoming an entrenched plutocracy (rule by the rich).
--NASA is delaying the launch of an important probe to Mars by two years, simply because of a conflict of interest discovered in their contracting process. Can you imagine anything like this happening during the Mercury-Gemini-Apollo era of the 1960s? Oh, and the delay is supposedly going to cost up to an extra $40 million! This is indeed a sad situation with our once-heralded space program.
--Organizations like CAIR (Congress on American-Islamic Relations) routinely rail in the US about "Islamophobia" and how we should be more tolerant and less bigoted about Islam. I agree with that suggestion on its face. However, the picture being painted here about this great and significant religion is one of unity, which is obviously not the case. Islam, as it is practiced across the world, is fractured into different conflicting sects, most members of whom only want to live in peace and unity. But many nevertheless practice hatred and violence toward fellow Muslims with whom they have doctrinal or political differences. Just the other day, Al-Qaeda urged attacks on Sunni Muslims cooperating with the Iraqi (Muslim) government. And if I'm not mistaken, a large proportion of the victims of Al-Qaeda terrorism have been adherents of Islam. Conflicts going on in places like Palestine, Algeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan involve Muslims attacking Muslims. CAIR needs to refocus its attention on where the real persecution is coming from, without stepping back from its role as an advocacy group here.
--It looks as if perennial football know-it-all and all-around tough guy Bill Parcells is coming to the Miami Dolphins to kick some butt and straighten out the victory-challenged franchise. And if he gets tired of his new job in a couple of years (as is his pattern), I'm sure he'll once again be welcomed back into the television broadcast booth as an expert on the game.
--Much ado has been made that current University of Florida president Bernie Machen will receive a salary of $1.2 million this year. But in recent years, I've grown quite accustomed to the top "leaders" in our society, be they in business, education, entertainment, athletics, or politics, raking in obscenely excessive incomes, far out of proportion to their actual contributions. It appears to me that America is rapidly becoming an entrenched plutocracy (rule by the rich).
--NASA is delaying the launch of an important probe to Mars by two years, simply because of a conflict of interest discovered in their contracting process. Can you imagine anything like this happening during the Mercury-Gemini-Apollo era of the 1960s? Oh, and the delay is supposedly going to cost up to an extra $40 million! This is indeed a sad situation with our once-heralded space program.
--Organizations like CAIR (Congress on American-Islamic Relations) routinely rail in the US about "Islamophobia" and how we should be more tolerant and less bigoted about Islam. I agree with that suggestion on its face. However, the picture being painted here about this great and significant religion is one of unity, which is obviously not the case. Islam, as it is practiced across the world, is fractured into different conflicting sects, most members of whom only want to live in peace and unity. But many nevertheless practice hatred and violence toward fellow Muslims with whom they have doctrinal or political differences. Just the other day, Al-Qaeda urged attacks on Sunni Muslims cooperating with the Iraqi (Muslim) government. And if I'm not mistaken, a large proportion of the victims of Al-Qaeda terrorism have been adherents of Islam. Conflicts going on in places like Palestine, Algeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan involve Muslims attacking Muslims. CAIR needs to refocus its attention on where the real persecution is coming from, without stepping back from its role as an advocacy group here.
--It looks as if perennial football know-it-all and all-around tough guy Bill Parcells is coming to the Miami Dolphins to kick some butt and straighten out the victory-challenged franchise. And if he gets tired of his new job in a couple of years (as is his pattern), I'm sure he'll once again be welcomed back into the television broadcast booth as an expert on the game.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Running on the Eights: 12/23
For the past eight weeks, I've continued to confine my running to the treadmill at my local YMCA. Unfortunately, I haven't been running as often as I would have liked (which would have been every other day). And for the past week, I simply did not have the time (maybe I did, but I didn't feel like I did) to get down there for a run. To be perfectly honest, I don't really fancy running on the treadmill. For one, they usually play stinking-lousy music over the speakers in the YMCA workout room. For another, I often find myself sharing the air with people who train there while sporting very healthy colds, generously spreading their germs around in the holiday spirit! I'm also quite bored with the same old view. I prefer to be outside, covering actual distance and sucking in the wonderful outside air. But a few months ago, running on the ground contributed to a small ankle injury. So I first need to cushion my running shoes and then I will start, sticking with grass or dirt surfaces. Still, the treadmill at the Y is a convenient stop-over (very close to my home) and I'll probably continue to use it from time to time even after I resume running on the ground.
Philosophically, I want to get back into the old routine of running about a 2.5-3 mile outdoors course (not all on asphalt) and want to avoid becoming obsessed with my running times and competitiveness. That's another thing about the treadmill: I tend to get really hyped up about my times there! Well, at least it keeps me honest with my workouts, and I'll still time myself when I'm outside running as well. Here is my workout summary for the past eight weeks (all done on a treadmill surface):
DATE..DISTANCE(Miles).........TIME
11/01.........1.8........................13:53
11/06.........1.0.........................9:27
11/10.........2.0........................16:21
11/12.........2.0........................15:41
11/16.........2.0........................15:08
11/19.........2.5.........................20:41
11/24.........2.5.........................19:43
11/28.........2.7.........................20:48
11/30.........3.11.......................24:13
12/08.........1.5.........................11:28
12/12.........2.0.........................15:19
12/14.........1.0...........................7:20
12/16.........1.5..........................10:59
Philosophically, I want to get back into the old routine of running about a 2.5-3 mile outdoors course (not all on asphalt) and want to avoid becoming obsessed with my running times and competitiveness. That's another thing about the treadmill: I tend to get really hyped up about my times there! Well, at least it keeps me honest with my workouts, and I'll still time myself when I'm outside running as well. Here is my workout summary for the past eight weeks (all done on a treadmill surface):
DATE..DISTANCE(Miles).........TIME
11/01.........1.8........................13:53
11/06.........1.0.........................9:27
11/10.........2.0........................16:21
11/12.........2.0........................15:41
11/16.........2.0........................15:08
11/19.........2.5.........................20:41
11/24.........2.5.........................19:43
11/28.........2.7.........................20:48
11/30.........3.11.......................24:13
12/08.........1.5.........................11:28
12/12.........2.0.........................15:19
12/14.........1.0...........................7:20
12/16.........1.5..........................10:59
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Christmas Break
Due to the pressures and time constraints of my job at this time of year, I am going to take a short break from this blog. I'll be back around Christmas time!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Monday Newsbreak: 12/17
--Congress has been quietly working through and passing important legislation concerning home mortgage relief and energy conservation. Thankfully, at least in these areas the customary party-line gridlock and promised Presidential vetoes are nowhere in sight.
--Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barack Obama have surged in their respective parties' polls. I heard one analyst explain this by saying that people were tiring of the "establishment" candidates Giuliani and Clinton. But I believe that it's primarily due to the obvious fact that Huckabee and Obama both are better speakers who connect on a deeper level with their audiences.
--The United States and its allies are reportedly reevaluating their strategies regarding Afghanistan. It seems (to me) that one of the areas that they need to recognize is the fact that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are distinctly different entities and have to be treated in a very different manner from each other. This, I know, is a very bitter pill for many in the West to swallow. After all, the Taliban is known for being very repressive regarding women's rights. Making some type of peace with them which splits them apart from Al-Qaeda, though, will be the only reasonable way for the U.S. and its allies to extricate themselves from an increasingly untenable position without giving up in defeat.
--Some of the alleged drug-abusing baseball players named recently in the Mitchell Report were put on the list because they are believed to have used human growth hormone (HGH) to help recover from injuries, not to build up muscle mass and strength as is the case with steroids. If HGH is effective in helping recovery from injuries, then why is it illegal in baseball? And if it's believed to be ineffective, then why would anyone care whether or not a player uses it? In any event, I believe that those players singled out for HGH use (and not steroids) have been unfairly maligned.
--Wonder of all wonders, the Miami Dolphins finally won a football game, beating the Baltimore Ravens 22-16 in overtime. The way the Dolphins' players celebrated after the game, you'd think that they had won the Super Bowl! Kudos to Miami Coach Cam Cameron for not throwing in the towel for the season and instead playing competent quarterback Cleo Lemon, who played a good game. Now that they're on a "roll" with their win, would it be too much to ask for the Dolphins to ruin the New England Patriots' quest for a perfect season by beating them next week? After all, nobody else seems to be up to the task.
--Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barack Obama have surged in their respective parties' polls. I heard one analyst explain this by saying that people were tiring of the "establishment" candidates Giuliani and Clinton. But I believe that it's primarily due to the obvious fact that Huckabee and Obama both are better speakers who connect on a deeper level with their audiences.
--The United States and its allies are reportedly reevaluating their strategies regarding Afghanistan. It seems (to me) that one of the areas that they need to recognize is the fact that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are distinctly different entities and have to be treated in a very different manner from each other. This, I know, is a very bitter pill for many in the West to swallow. After all, the Taliban is known for being very repressive regarding women's rights. Making some type of peace with them which splits them apart from Al-Qaeda, though, will be the only reasonable way for the U.S. and its allies to extricate themselves from an increasingly untenable position without giving up in defeat.
--Some of the alleged drug-abusing baseball players named recently in the Mitchell Report were put on the list because they are believed to have used human growth hormone (HGH) to help recover from injuries, not to build up muscle mass and strength as is the case with steroids. If HGH is effective in helping recovery from injuries, then why is it illegal in baseball? And if it's believed to be ineffective, then why would anyone care whether or not a player uses it? In any event, I believe that those players singled out for HGH use (and not steroids) have been unfairly maligned.
--Wonder of all wonders, the Miami Dolphins finally won a football game, beating the Baltimore Ravens 22-16 in overtime. The way the Dolphins' players celebrated after the game, you'd think that they had won the Super Bowl! Kudos to Miami Coach Cam Cameron for not throwing in the towel for the season and instead playing competent quarterback Cleo Lemon, who played a good game. Now that they're on a "roll" with their win, would it be too much to ask for the Dolphins to ruin the New England Patriots' quest for a perfect season by beating them next week? After all, nobody else seems to be up to the task.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Multi-Level Marketing
During the last couple of decades this past century, the multi-level marketing industry exploded into the economy. The company that I became the most familiar with was Amway. Many years ago, I had a co-worker who was completely caught up with Amway. I’ve also been to two different Amway meetings that someone on the “inside” invited me to (without revealing to me that it was an Amway meeting). The idea was to get me involved in this company under someone who would be something of a mentor and who would also obtain a share of my profits. The push was not as much about selling actual merchandise as it was to get people to sign up “under” me, so that I, in turn, could bleed off profits from those below my level. The “dream of the future” that these meetings repeatedly expressed was that of free people (successful Amway associates) who could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted while going wherever they wanted, without being tied down to a job. And of course, for the relatively few “on top”, there was some truth to the possibility of fulfilling it, at least to a degree. But unless one was on top, then that sort of independence was unlikely to occur. In the meantime, in my opinion, the mindset from this organization gave people the impression that they were chumps for toiling at forty-hour-per-week jobs when they could be living high off the hog instead.
My perspective on this is that if Amway or a similar company appeals to you, then go for it! But don’t lose sight of the fact that there should always to a sense of dignity attached to the idea of getting up, going to work, producing a commodity or service that people want, and coming home with a sense of accomplishment. I’m not just picking on Amway or the other multi-level marketers. Those get-rich schemes through real estate or Internet infomercials that pervade late-night television pitch the same “you’re a fool if you work for a living” message that I am starting to find offensive. Of course, any “true believer” in these groups would tell you that they work hard at what they do as well. But their ads and promotional meetings convey quite a different take on things.
My perspective on this is that if Amway or a similar company appeals to you, then go for it! But don’t lose sight of the fact that there should always to a sense of dignity attached to the idea of getting up, going to work, producing a commodity or service that people want, and coming home with a sense of accomplishment. I’m not just picking on Amway or the other multi-level marketers. Those get-rich schemes through real estate or Internet infomercials that pervade late-night television pitch the same “you’re a fool if you work for a living” message that I am starting to find offensive. Of course, any “true believer” in these groups would tell you that they work hard at what they do as well. But their ads and promotional meetings convey quite a different take on things.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The Dreaded List of Doom
When I was in the sixth grade, I wasn't doing so well in school. The fact that there was very little structure to my classes had something to do with this. Another factor was that I was completely undisciplined regarding my study habits. But I think that the overriding reason for my difficulties was that the teachers there, by-and-large, were so negligent that they weren't quite aware of my existence! But be that as it was, my name one day somehow did come up for discussion among them. You see, in my fifth/sixth grade section in the school, the "innovative" faculty decided to separate the unmotivated and undisciplined students from the rest of the body. These students then took all of their classes together, under strict supervision, on the stage behind the multi-purpose room (known in normal circles as the cafeteria). "The Stage", as it came to be known, was actually one of the very few positive steps that I saw anyone take in my school to proactively try to help the students hands-on. But it came to have negative connotations among the rest of the student body. One day, about halfway through the school year, one of the teachers (who had been the school's principal the year before) made an announcement. It seems that the size of the "Stage" was going to be expanded to accommodate more students. And he held in his hands a list. On this list, he said, in ominous, threatening tones, were the new "candidates for The Stage". Any students whose names were read out were to report to him after the reading. Permission forms were to be sent out for parents to sign. Then this teacher read out the dreaded list. And my name was on it! Whoopee, I thought, I'm finally being recognized for something, but this wasn't what I had in mind. In fact, I was very fearful of my parents catching wind of my difficulties in school, so I simply ignored the command to meet with the teacher and obtain the permission form. And can you guess what happened to me? Nothing! No teacher ever called my name or came up to me asking why I didn't respond to the summons. It was as if I were once again invisible to them!
This memory came back to me as I listened to all of the hullabaloo about the much-heralded list from the Mitchell Investigation's report spelling out the names of the baseball stars who were allegedly consuming illegal performance-enhancing drugs. There are two parts to this: the build-up to the list's release, and then what happens after its release. For the buildup, there was all of the melodramatic talk about how anyone named would have his career forever ruined, all of his statistics "asterisked", and so on. And now comes the second part. Does it automatically follow that these players' careers are over, or, like me with the "Stage List" will it all wash over without major repercussions? This will be interesting to find out.
This memory came back to me as I listened to all of the hullabaloo about the much-heralded list from the Mitchell Investigation's report spelling out the names of the baseball stars who were allegedly consuming illegal performance-enhancing drugs. There are two parts to this: the build-up to the list's release, and then what happens after its release. For the buildup, there was all of the melodramatic talk about how anyone named would have his career forever ruined, all of his statistics "asterisked", and so on. And now comes the second part. Does it automatically follow that these players' careers are over, or, like me with the "Stage List" will it all wash over without major repercussions? This will be interesting to find out.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Theme Park Withdrawal
It's been a while since I've been to one of my regional theme parks and ridden their big thrill rides. Even the last time I visited Universal Studios, the most serious ride I could get was the relatively tame Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast! Next time, it will be an Islands of Adventure experience, and I aim to ride all of my old favorites: the Hulk Coaster, Dr. Doom's Fear Fall, Ripsaw Falls, Jurassic Park, and Dueling Dragons. I may even try Spiderman, which wasn't one of my favorites. It will be more pleasant once the weather really turns colder (at this writing, in the early afternoon, it is 88 degrees Fahrenheit here in Gainesville in mid-December). That heat can take a toll on me, walking so much around the park. I'd also like to get back and visit my other two favorite theme parks: Busch Gardens (Tampa), which has the best collection of thrill rides, and Wild Adventures (Valdosta, Georgia), which carries some sentimental value for me. For the next couple of weeks, though, I am working extra days and hours at the local post office processing Priority parcels for the annual Christmas season rush. But after that's over, watch out!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Favorite Songs of 1994
In the summer of 1994, I was looking forward to the release of REM’s new album, anticipating something along the line of their previous two blockbusters, Out of Time and Automatic For the People. The first track released for radio, titled What’s the Frequency Kenneth, was radically different. It was more of a hard piece, with a “wall of guitar” sound permeating the background throughout the song. When their new CD Monster was released soon thereafter, I immediately went out and bought it. I was stunned at the difference in this album from anything they had done (which was pretty good as well). Monster was a stark, loud, forceful album that is still one of my all-time favorites. And my favorite song of 1994, Let Me In, was on it as a deep track, buried deep near the end. Let Me In was a stirring lament that Michael Stipe wrote for Nirvana’s creative force Kurt Cobain, who had taken his own life earlier that year. Here are my favorites from 1994:
Cannonball (Breeders)
Buddy Holly (Weezer)
Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) (Us3)
Come Out And Play (Offspring)
Disarm (Smashing Pumpkins)
Down With Disease Pfish)
Gotta Get Away (Offspring)
In The Night (Real McCoy)
Longview (Motivation) (Green Day)
Mmm-Mmm-Mmm-Mmm (Crash Test Dummies)
Return To Innocence (Enigma)
Sabotage (Beastie Boys)
The Sign (Ace of Base)
Streets Of Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen)
Laid (James)
Today (Smashing Pumpkins)
Walls (Yes)
In The House Of Stone And Light (Martin Page)
Love Is Strong (Rolling Stones)
You Got Me Rocking (Rolling Stones)
Secret (Madonna)
Take A Bow (Madonna)
What's The Frequency Kenneth (REM)
Crush With Eyeliner (REM)
King Of Comedy (REM)
I Don't Sleep I Dream (REM)
Star 69 (REM)
I Took Your Name (REM)
Let Me In (REM)
Circus Envy (REM)
Leaving Las Vegas (Sheryl Crow)
All I Wanna Do (Sheryl Crow)
Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow)
There were many tearjerkers from 1994: the aforementioned Let Me In, Bruce Springsteen’s movie soundtrack hit Streets of Philadelphia, Elton John's Can You Feel the Love Tonight (from The Lion King) and Madonna’s elegant, poignant Take a Bow. But the Crash Test Dummies came out with one of the most heart-rendering songs I have ever heard in Mmm-Mmm-Mmm-Mmm, a piece describing the trials that children have to endure in life. Us3 sampled a famous Herbie Hancock piece with their “funky-funky” Cantaloop. Sheryl Crow made her “debut” with great tunes like Leaving Las Vegas and Strong Enough (another tearjerker). And the Rolling Stones, already being described in 1994 as having one foot in the grave, produced (in my opinion) their best album since 1978’s Some Girls with Voodoo Lounge. My favorite from it was the great, appropriately-named tune You Got Me Rocking.
Cannonball (Breeders)
Buddy Holly (Weezer)
Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) (Us3)
Come Out And Play (Offspring)
Disarm (Smashing Pumpkins)
Down With Disease Pfish)
Gotta Get Away (Offspring)
In The Night (Real McCoy)
Longview (Motivation) (Green Day)
Mmm-Mmm-Mmm-Mmm (Crash Test Dummies)
Return To Innocence (Enigma)
Sabotage (Beastie Boys)
The Sign (Ace of Base)
Streets Of Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen)
Laid (James)
Today (Smashing Pumpkins)
Walls (Yes)
In The House Of Stone And Light (Martin Page)
Love Is Strong (Rolling Stones)
You Got Me Rocking (Rolling Stones)
Secret (Madonna)
Take A Bow (Madonna)
What's The Frequency Kenneth (REM)
Crush With Eyeliner (REM)
King Of Comedy (REM)
I Don't Sleep I Dream (REM)
Star 69 (REM)
I Took Your Name (REM)
Let Me In (REM)
Circus Envy (REM)
Leaving Las Vegas (Sheryl Crow)
All I Wanna Do (Sheryl Crow)
Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow)
There were many tearjerkers from 1994: the aforementioned Let Me In, Bruce Springsteen’s movie soundtrack hit Streets of Philadelphia, Elton John's Can You Feel the Love Tonight (from The Lion King) and Madonna’s elegant, poignant Take a Bow. But the Crash Test Dummies came out with one of the most heart-rendering songs I have ever heard in Mmm-Mmm-Mmm-Mmm, a piece describing the trials that children have to endure in life. Us3 sampled a famous Herbie Hancock piece with their “funky-funky” Cantaloop. Sheryl Crow made her “debut” with great tunes like Leaving Las Vegas and Strong Enough (another tearjerker). And the Rolling Stones, already being described in 1994 as having one foot in the grave, produced (in my opinion) their best album since 1978’s Some Girls with Voodoo Lounge. My favorite from it was the great, appropriately-named tune You Got Me Rocking.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Neocon as Code Word
Everyone who regularly reads their newspaper has a ritual, tailor-made to their personal preferences. Some fly immediately to the sports pages. Others start on the front page and read straight on to the end of the paper. Still others start (and possibly end) at the comics page. For me, I habitually begin my daily journey through my local newspaper, The Gainesville Sun, by perusing the editorial page. In particular, I like to read the letters to the editor. A few months ago, I came across one letter (whose writer I don't know the name of) regarding the use of the term "neocon". In it, the writer expressed his view that "neocon" is an anti-Semitic code-word for "Jewish". I nearly fell off my chair when I read that, but being who I am, I felt the need to check out this strange-sounding accusation.
Neoconservatism, as I have come to understand it, was a "reinvention" of conservatism that was designed to throw off the anti-civil rights stigma that "traditional" conservatism had been tagged with. Neoconservatives, you see, were for an inclusive society (in a libertarian sense) where anyone could pull themselves up by their own bootstraps (without the big, bad government's help) and become a Horatio Alger success story. Those who wouldn't do this needed to be prodded into action by denying them government services. However, this anti-government philosophy always seemed to get turned upside-down whenever the discussion shifted to the military. And then it was, in the perspective of neoconservatism, axiomatic that anything that was perceived as being in the interests of the military had to be supported. As for foreign policy, neoconservatives tended to emphasize a tit-for-tat relationship whereby they supported those nations that have consistently stood by U.S. policies, while regarding enemies of our closest allies as our own enemies. As for the religious area of policy discussion, there seems (to me) a bit of division among neoconservatives as to how much traditionalism should be emphasized (as opposed to secularism). Also, it seems that the term "neoconservative" was coined by and on behalf of this political philosophy's adherents as a positive self-designation. Of course, nowadays it's used pejoratively by its critics.
So, where does the coded anti-Semitism come into play regarding "neocon" (the abbreviated form of "neoconservative")? I did some research of the Internet about this and could come up with only one possible explanation for that letter-writer's claim. Apparently, it seems to be common within Middle-Eastern journalistic circles to use the tag "neocon" whenever supporters of Israel are written about (with a negative connotation). Since I don't have any direct personal experience about this, I can't say for sure that this is actually the case. But even if it is, the individual who expressed his objection to the term's use here in America was, in my opinion, completely out of line with his all-encompassing interpretation of the term as being anti-Semitic. I personally have never read or heard "neocon" being used to signify "Jewish" per se, either in a derogatory or any other sense. I'm still scratching my head over this letter. If any of this blog's readers can add any information to help solve this puzzle, I'd appreciate it.
Neoconservatism, as I have come to understand it, was a "reinvention" of conservatism that was designed to throw off the anti-civil rights stigma that "traditional" conservatism had been tagged with. Neoconservatives, you see, were for an inclusive society (in a libertarian sense) where anyone could pull themselves up by their own bootstraps (without the big, bad government's help) and become a Horatio Alger success story. Those who wouldn't do this needed to be prodded into action by denying them government services. However, this anti-government philosophy always seemed to get turned upside-down whenever the discussion shifted to the military. And then it was, in the perspective of neoconservatism, axiomatic that anything that was perceived as being in the interests of the military had to be supported. As for foreign policy, neoconservatives tended to emphasize a tit-for-tat relationship whereby they supported those nations that have consistently stood by U.S. policies, while regarding enemies of our closest allies as our own enemies. As for the religious area of policy discussion, there seems (to me) a bit of division among neoconservatives as to how much traditionalism should be emphasized (as opposed to secularism). Also, it seems that the term "neoconservative" was coined by and on behalf of this political philosophy's adherents as a positive self-designation. Of course, nowadays it's used pejoratively by its critics.
So, where does the coded anti-Semitism come into play regarding "neocon" (the abbreviated form of "neoconservative")? I did some research of the Internet about this and could come up with only one possible explanation for that letter-writer's claim. Apparently, it seems to be common within Middle-Eastern journalistic circles to use the tag "neocon" whenever supporters of Israel are written about (with a negative connotation). Since I don't have any direct personal experience about this, I can't say for sure that this is actually the case. But even if it is, the individual who expressed his objection to the term's use here in America was, in my opinion, completely out of line with his all-encompassing interpretation of the term as being anti-Semitic. I personally have never read or heard "neocon" being used to signify "Jewish" per se, either in a derogatory or any other sense. I'm still scratching my head over this letter. If any of this blog's readers can add any information to help solve this puzzle, I'd appreciate it.
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