3D

The organization I've been working with for the past 8 months finally is "going public", in other words the website is now up. Go have a look (link below)- if you have comments, questions, concerns feel free to let me know.

There is a space for you to comment on what makes you feel secure, feel free to add something or post a picture if you feel up to it. We've had some great success recently with a national poll and with some work with the Aspen Institute, but there's more info at the site itself.

Google's Halloween Logo

Interesting....

One Word..... Blisters

The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom
Slavomir Rawicz

1941, War rages across Europe, Hitler is beginning to exterminate people in vast numbers, Hirohito is planning an attack on the all too ambivalent and uninvolved United States. In Siberia, near Yakutsk, seven political prisoners escape from the vast Stalinist Gulag system and begin a trek southward. This book tells the first hand account of that escape and the subsequent journey to India nearly 4,000 miles away. The prisoners cross vast swaths of Siberia – near or on the infamous Road of Bones – Mongolia, the Gobi Desert and parts of western China, Tibet including a swath of the Himalayas and finally enter India near modern-day Bangladesh. Only four of the prisoners survive the harrowing journey. This book is at times difficult to read, difficult to imagine and difficult to believe (first western 1st person account of the Yeti - and many other instances that are uncomfirmable and doubtful, though often blamed on memory fragmentation due to trauma), but the author assures us it all happened. Though to be nearly starving is hardship enough for most, the journey, death and obvious fear at times is overwhelming. The book is inconsistently written (Ghost written by Ronald Downing), but readable throughout and quite engaging. The review from The London Times called The Long Walk, “Positively Homeric” and I can’t disagree.

Related:
Worldwalk - Stephen Newman
The First Circle – Solzhenitsyn
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Solzhenitzyn
Seven Years in Tibet - Heinrich Harrer

No one cares....

... about this but Tara, and even then only marginally....

but the new WRX (Tara's car) pictures have been released

on Amy Sedaris

"In short, I’m not sure what this author needs more — a round of applause or a fully licensed
professional to sit her down and tell her all about lithium." (NY TIMES)

There is also a semi-scathing review in the book section of the new Charles Frazier novel, which brings a great big smile to my face.

Bill Bryson update

Bill Bryson was on weekend edition this past Saturday promoting his new book. I always imagined his voice as sort of a jovial bass, it is in fact nearer to an overly educated (and enunciated) tenor - which was a bit disconcerting.

For the WV faithful

Yes they are now ranked #3 and may have a chance to play for the national championship.... I can hear the yelling now...

Uh Oh - our political and social capital has been spent

"If "Nice weather we're having" has been replaced with "It's about time someone shot your president" as small talk in Europe, don't worry about giving Americans a bad name if you convey your abhorrence." (from Slate)

My mother-in-law refers to me as "the devil" - so I thought I'd review something appropriate

This wonderful little (well not so little really) book tells the tale of two men; Daniel Burnham, the creator of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and H. H. Holmes, a notorious serial killer preying on the attendees thereof. In some sense it is a Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde type thriller with half the story set in the upper classes of turn of the century New York and Chicago and the other half in the seedy underbelly of the Windy City. The book is stunning for it's detail architecturally, and somewhat sickening in it's details of the murders. It barely manages not to be too voyeuristic, but close enough to make the reader have a hard time putting the book down. It is worth the read for the extremely interesting historical trivia that it provides as well as the exquisite prose style that the author uses. For those of you who despise traditional history and it's useless dates and mindless trivia though this book offers more: a story. That story is engaging, at times frightening and exposes the human (or inhuman) face of two men caught in the changing tide of industrialization.

A-

Making up for lost time....

....wait isn't lost time a symptom of a psychological disorder...

And speaking of psychological disorders today's reviews are of several Bill Bryson Books.




There are several ways to do this - of varying degrees of interest to the reader:
chronologically - in either the order I read them or the order in which they were written, which is boring.
alphabetically - which is pointless
geographically - but where do you put the book on the English language?
- or just in any old order where I can draw random connections.... yes - that's the way.

Bill Bryson, travel writer and former Hanover, NH resident, is a bit of a polymath. He's really interested in just about everything, and that makes his stories especially readable as you are bound to find something you like every few pages. That is truly more than can be said for some of the greats of literature (I'm talking to you Tolstoy!).
These books - in no particular order (other than how they are listed above) - cover Bill's walk of (part) the Appalachian Trail, his travels in Europe with his childhood pal "Steven Katz", his trip around America in his mother's loaned Chevette

, ramblings around Australia and his explorations into what makes English ... well ... English. They are at times - incomplete (note the "part of" above), annoying and mildly obscene, observant, and boring. But even in those brief moments of minor annoyance the books still continue to be entertaining. Particularly funny at least to my migraine addled memory are the stories in In a Sunburned Country. Most of the stories - in typical dark comic brilliance - revolve around the various and sundry ways you can die and the things that will kill you in Australia, which by odd and frightening coincidence is practically everything, and mind you it's a very big country.

I found Neither Here Nor There probably the least interesting because I have little remaining interest in Europe having read, traveled and thought about it for most of my upbringing. However, if that is your cup of tea and you like insulting Austrians (and who doesn't) then belly up to the book and enjoy. The Lost Continent, IMHO, was far more touching as the reminiscences of an ex-pat upon returning to the land of his birth are insightful and at times poignant. It is also interesting to see how he captures the essence of each place he visits. Finally A Walk in the Woods is quite a good read, although I am rather less than impressed with Bryson's stick-to-it-tive-ness as he cuts broad swaths of geography out of his hike by taking.... a car. On the trail this is called slack-packing, and it isn't all that impressive to read about.

Finally - The Mother Tongue - which now sits mournfully in our bathroom to be perused when comic books, light reading, or car magazines seem too trivial. Too much information no doubt. Frankly, I'm not through with it yet but it has promise. That said, it is a nice sort of piecemeal work that you can pick up - learn a fact or two - and then set down again. I have many such books - much to the structural detriment of our house.

And in other news, if you have any interest to see how much money you can waste to go as fast as a Mitsubishi Lancer click here

The Series of Unfortunate Events Goes Mennonite

"The Baudelaires and Count Olaf are drifting in the boat they climbed into at the end of Book 12; they are using spatulas as paddles. But once they shipwreck on an island run by a passive-aggressive, messianic “facilitator” named Ishmael (“Call me Ish”)......." (NYTIMES)

Daniel Handler's secret Mennonite agenda is exposed.

Saddlesore

20,000 miles on a BIG BMW (my dream bike) 120 days - ouch.

This book, "written" by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman and ghost written by Robert Uhlig, provides a greater degree of detail about the daily trials (or trails) of the three bikers. That's right - three bikers. Claudio von Planta, the cameraman, who got recruited the day before they left and was really the most reasonble and seasoned member of the trio gets very little mention in the book or the movie, but he is there. Some commentators noted that he may have slowed down Ewan and Charlie, but the book says that he has less accidents and problems than they do. Yes he wacks a rock in Khazakstan and cracks his pannier frame (which both the others do later in the journey - suggesting they may be overloaded... a bit) and is forced to ride a few thousand miles on a Russian street bike - which does admirably (at least considering it's $1000 price and it's limited reliability).

von Planta's experience globe trotting through war zones is rarely mentioned in the book, but his level head keeps the bikers somewhat focused as they are threatened, scared and otherwise harangued - not so much by the locals, but by "fixers", bureaucrats and other advisors.

In many ways the book story is a love story about motorcycles and freedom. Most of the motivation for the trip appears to have developed from a need to escape overwhelming fame (certainly more-so in Ewan's case... Charley who?). It takes well into the wilds of eastern Asia before this happens and even then brief annoyances occur. Ah, the joys of globalization. Their fame did allow them to undertake this long, arduous and at times very dangerous journey - almost at their whim so it can't be all bad. Ah, if only everyone had such opportunity, but alas life isn't fair.

The writing in the book hardly stands up to any sort of literary scrutiny, but is not necessarily bad. I have a feeling that the writer did extensive interviews with the actors, or at least got to watch all of the uncut tapes of the trip in order to get the feel for the way the two of them communicate. There is a distinct voice for both Charley and Ewan - the former a bit petulant and immature, and the latter more focused and at times egotistical (but not overly). There is also a very real sense that these two men missed their wives very much on this trip - which in a way is sweet.

The book is a nice read if you enjoy adventure travel, or motorcycles - or just want a view inside some moviestars lives. It's no Jupiter's Travels, but then again it's not as long (nor was the trip which took Ted Simon 4 years and covered considerably more distance).

The DVD is more worth the several hours that it takes to get through it - although there are many stories that are on the cutting room floor that get included in the book. Even Tara thought it was worth watching - and her standards are considerably higher than mine.

Thanks to Barb and Tab for a nice birthday gift! (they also gifted the aforementioned Jupiter's Travels too)

For more information, pictures and swag, visit the website.

And of course here's a funny clip of Ewan getting bitten by a dog.

UPDATE:
Charley competed in the Dakar rally this year - but failed to finish due to 2 broken hands (although he finished the whole ride the day he broke them) and has written a book and is producing another video about that too.... hint hint...

Also Ewan and Charley are planning on riding from Northern Scotland to Cape Town next year as a sort of sequel.

Monty Python Llama Sketch

That Llama sketch I keep mentioning....

12 Step Blogging Recovery Program

1. Bob admit you have a problem.

Apparently someone is a bit addicted to the blog and got somewhat manic without a week's worth of posts from me. Well this should give you your fix:

- Yesterday in an interview on NPR -Karl "Voldemort" Rove said that the Republicans would hold onto the House and Senate because he had polls from all districts up for elections not just the aggregate polls released to the news orgs - saying "You have your numbers, I have THE numbers." Well Karl, everyone has access to those polls.... and could actually do a fact check if they wanted. I so want this guy to be proven wrong, he's quite the despicable weasel.

-Antonin Scalia said that the courts should have nothing to say on the major social issues of the day - that it was the responsibility of the Legislature to deal with them. While this is partially true, especially from a strict constructionist viewpoint, it neglects the responsibility of the courts to act as a powercheck against the President and Congress when laws circumvent or oppose the basic rights of the individuals or groups (especially minorities) under the Constitution.

- Doonesbury introduces a new character to the administration's support staff, Fear Itself... and Trudeau makes the WP.

- Hospitals actually try something the Malcolm Gladwell suggested about a year ago.... [providing free preventative care to the poor is cheaper than treating the end result] ... hmm there must have been something to it.

- For the first time in ages small cars are outselling SUVs (stupid useless vehicles)

- Dogs can get hooked on toadlicking

- The spell checker in Blogger - the site I'm using - does not recognize the word "blog"

- Oh and Cornell beat York 11-1 at a hockey game I went to this weekend.... Cornell has some seriously demented chants.

Low Sulphur Diesel

Why low sulfur diesel is a good thing:

"The E.P.A. estimates that the greener fuel will ultimately save $150 billion a year in health and welfare costs and prevent 20,000 premature deaths annually." (source NYTIMES)

Ohh cheesy entertainment link....

(image from BBC)
So for you crazy Grey's Anatomy fans out there, above is a Sara Ramirez image from Spamalot. That's right Callie won a Tony.

In economics news...

So the government released inflation numbers (the ppi) yesterday showing a 1.03% drop (which would be stellar)..... but whoops when you include the price of oil dropping you get what economists call "Core Inflation".... Which shows a .6% increase (oh, whoops, that's bad news - actually 3x what everyone was expecting).

Numbers... not the cheesy NBC drama

OK, to answer the question Bob posed... How many people could we feed with the 350 billion spent in Iraq? (or even the 330 billion quoted by Rahm Emmanuel on NPR this morning).

Considering a meal in the developing world costs 19 Euro cents (according to the BBC), the current exchange rate (10/16/06), dollars to euros, is 1.2518 dollars per Euro.

Ergo: 279,597,379,773.13 Euros per 350 billion dollars or 263,620,386,643.23 per 330 billion.

If we take the lesser number that's 1,387,475,719,174 meals (the larger number provides 1,471,565,156,700 meals) there are roughly 6 billion people on earth - if everyone were hungry that would provide somewhere between 231 and 245 meals for everyone.

If we take the number the BBC gives (850 million) that are hungry each night and fed only them, the money would provide between 1632 and 1731 meals for everyone - almost a year and a half of 3 meals a day for 850 million people at minimum.

Hunger Quiz

Find out how much you know about global hunger.

I got 8 of 10 right, good luck.

We're Number 4!! We're Number 4!!

OK - so I'm definitely holding Wheaton back here... but hey -they ranked as the 4th fittist college in the country (Behind Dickinson, Colgate, and Boston College) by Mens Health

So they must have removed the make your own donut offering from the breakfast line....


Cornell didn't make the top 25 (but oddly Ithaca College did)

Serenity Now

Those Left Behind (Serenity)

A few years ago there was a short lived Fox TV show titled Firefly. The full run of shows never actually aired during the original span of it's short ill-fated life, but thankfully they have been syndicated and the dvds were released due to much fan pressure. The DVDs sold like hotcakes - enough to convince a major studio to produce a movie based on the series (Serenity). Unfortunately the movie did not do incredibly well in theaters, and did not pick up immediately where the show left off - leaving many to wonder how (and why) Book got off of Firefly and what was with the Blue-Gloved fiends. In steps today's fun review, written by Joss Whedon the show's creator, to fill in some of the details. This short animated book (think movie storyboarding, and you'll more easily accept it as genuine) has the same witty dialogue, the same manic dystopian vision and the same characters - and answers many questions that to be frank, I hadn't asked. (spoiler alert) It doesn't nearly fill in enough details, and surely the vast fan-base would love to see more of Mal and his crew, but it does not look like that will happen since they killed off some major characters in the movie. However, if you are a fan of the show the book is worth the small entry price and will keep you hooked. Although, to be honest, it is difficult to get the cadance of the speach down when you are forced to read it thinking of the actors.
Rating: B+

The dumbing down of just about everything

For the second time in a month the international edition of Newsweek gets a different cover and substantially more news than the domestic version. Is this because we are only interested in celebrity and sex? Probably, since that sells more magazine here. Just look at the other major weeklies out there: US, InTouch.....

(image courtesy of The Wonkette)

Technical Difficulties

Ok then...

Here's my rant for the day and it is twofold. (Kind of like the Spanish Inquisition skit of Monty Python my counting is suspect.)

1. iTunes (and subsequently iPod) and the whole stupid ibusiness is idriving me ibonkers. Steve Wozniak's new book iWoz even recognizes the tongue in cheek idiocy of all the "i"-ing of America. However, today's particular rant has to do with iTunes 7.0.1.8 - or just iTunes 7 for that matter. Apparently there were so many bugs in v 7.0 that it took apple nary a week to release the next version with fixes. Ok, who hired the QA staff from Microsoft? Among the many, many bugs in the software was a particularly annoying one that said my IPOD nano had gone belly up..... which it hadn't. Now, naturally this was also partially the fault of EMU whose antiquated IS architecture couldn't support a Commodore 64 running Tetris and kept assigning my iPod to an already assigned drive letter. But they don't yet get a rant number... Grrr Argh!

2. McNutcase hits McDreamy and I don't McCare. The Mc-ifying of American has begun - we will know the Apocalypse is upon us when people go to McMcDonalds.

3. Blogger, yes this very program into which I am typing what may be for some a very mild tirade. Nonetheless.... (which is a word I lothe with an unbridled passion, a type of passion seen in cheap romance novels and wine labels)... here I am ranting, quietly. Blogger has a feature in which you can email your entries to the site and they are "SUPPOSED" to post immediately. If you checked this site earlier, you may have noticed that yes, I did have two of the same posts up. This happened because I checked my site around mid-day and realized the previous post never made it..... and then I checked at 2 and bingo-presto-there-it-is.... twice.

Funny Daily Show Quote

“To accuse the democratic leadership of this country of being either strategic or tactical borders on libel.”

Nobel Prize

Orhan Pamuk, Turkish author and activist, has just won the Nobel Prize. His work Snow won much popular acclaim and was a bestseller here in the States. I have not read it yet, but will soon....

... from bad to worse

"Pyongyang's claim "constitutes a threat to international peace and stability", he said." - (BBC quoting President Bush, who is obviously a man with no sense of irony)

So as we gear up to do whatever it is we can to a country that once again has no economy, no free press, and a wacky little leader (marginally obscene but hilarious clip from Team America) our beknighted Secretary of Defense is again showing up as the cause of our little dilemma.

Rummy really knows how to make the news .... so not only did he buddy up to Sadaam in the 80's (and what about arming those Saudi's fighting the Russians in Afghanistan... yeah Donald, that's a good idea..) he also sold the nuclear material and 2 light water reactors to N. Korea as CEO of ABB in Zurich.... oh man, this guy is just dirty from top to bottom.

not funny at all

To quote the Wonkette "More than twice as many Iraqis have died violently since 2003, than in the previous 20 years under the Hussein regime." (source)

ha!

funniest thing all day:
“A well-functioning, competent, ethical government is boring. Vote for the GOP, vote for excitement.”

(ok so it's been a slow day)

Sickness and death - but not in that order...

Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
Though it won popular and critical ('97 National Book Award) acclaim upon it's release this book was not one that I particularly enjoyed. It appears to have all the makings of a great story, the Homeric journey of a returning soldier plagued by gods and man, all set in the vastness of the 19th century's wilderness and brutality. I hesitate to use the term "romanticism", and it is entirely possible that I have misread the author's intention - however my enjoyment was hampered by the feeling that Frazier was trying to elicit a canned response by means of imagery that appears to be mere cliche to me. Perhaps I just don't like the Southern Americana idiom; this may be the case as I am not particularly fond of Faulkner. That being said the story can be moving, if you are only looking for a good story this would be fine, and it is probably good vacation reading. However, this is not a particularly weighty or thoughtful book about America's bloodiest war, but rather a love story... and perhaps that is why I didn't like it. The movie captures the tenor of the book close enough - despite casting a Brit and an Aussie as the star-crossed southern lovers.
Rating: B-
Related:
The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara (very highly recommended)



The Coming Plague - Laurie Garrett
If paranoia is your bag (and yes I liked V for Vendetta, and The Matrix - so yes paranoia and suspected Machiavellian plotting are right up my alley) this book is for you. It traces what we know about the most virulent plagues around today, and what we don't know that might get us. The author was a NPR reporter prior to this cheery jaunt into virology and bacteriology. Given this background in our modern oral (aural perhaps - why focus on only the mouth half of the tradition - isn't hearing it as important as speaking it? I digress.) tradition her story telling skills are well honed, and her background research is astounding. Despite the grim, and at times frightening subject matter, Garrett manages to present a well crafted story with a variety of plagues as the main characters. This is probably not the best book to read prior to long journeys overseas - or if you have hypochondriac tendencies.
Rating: B+
Related: (see also Machupo, Ebola, AIDS, Yambuku, Swine Flu, Influenza, Typhoid, Malaria, etc etc etc....)
The Hot Zone - Richard Preston (and also The Demon in the Freezer by the same)
Where There is No Doctor (for those hypocondriacs out there)

if a then b

If you find this amusing, then you too should be driving a 68hp diesel.

(of course if you like an AWD Audi doing the same thing.... well then.... there's no hope... especially if you insist on painting it like the General Lee)

Interesting

The folks at Doonesbury are doing an interesting little online feedback forum for soldiers. I would encourage you to go and look, if you have time....

hmm?

So does this make me nervous about EMU and their contract process.... why yes... yes it does....

A good argument against Clauswitz....

Jarhead - Anthony Swofford

I have friends, relatives and even one neighbor who was a Marine. Some of them served during wartime, some were lucky enough to serve during the increasingly rare times of peace. This narrative takes us with a Marine Sniper to the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War (or the second... or the 34th, depending on how you count) in the early 90's.
To say that Swofford's account is bleak is to admit only to reading the mere surface of the story. What is ultimately worse is the deep destructive mentality that he lays out throughout this book. There are the obvious references to a childhood of abuse, an adulthood of avarice and the structures that promote some utterly vile behavior but the real story is the utter disillusionment that happened in the Gulf to Mr. Swofford.
Just a warning if you are planning on reading this the language is typical of most of the Marines I know, and the situations the author describes are often disturbing - at best.

Rating: B

just another manic monday

There is a wonderful interview with Desmond Tutu in the Post today. If anyone has time to read it.......

Also, Elizabeth wins the prize for knowing that Gessler, Hastert and Todd Beamer all went to Wheaton which is almost as disturbing, but not nearly as funny, as what Nick said.

Trivia

Scary little tidbit of information here.... Sept. 20th, 2001 Bush is giving a speech to Congress about 9/11 - talking about Tod Beamer - Flight 93 hero - D. Hastert is standing over his right shoulder, and Michael Gerson wrote the speech. ... Guess what all the characters in this little story (except Bush) have in common?



First person to post the correct answer as a comment wins my undying suspicion and a small cash prize*.






* cash prize not included

Geek example #1

Fun and nerdy party invite for you social science people - boy that would be a rager!


It'd be like this:


Mind you this is a picture of a Yale Prof., a Priest, a Natural Soap Maker, a "Missionary", and a blogger....

In an office on the 12th floor of the Acme building...

OK – so because I read this article today by Mr. Lake Wobegon himself I decided it might be nice to review one of his humorous books. Garrison Keillor is generally considered to be a National Treasure (at least by Gary Trudeau - though not by the National Review) for his weekly throw-back radioshow A Prairie Home Companion. I must admist to some degree of old-fogeyism as I do enjoy sitting down and listening to the show with the paper (not the DNR) and a cup of coffee, though it has been ages since I've done that(I think at the time I could honestly call myself a New Englander). Garrison, in addition to being a weekly radio host, is a rather prolific author with a series of Lake Wobegon books, articles from various literary journals and of course The New Yorker - and of course spoken word recordings, etc. etc. ... (though I actually prefer Willem Lange's recorded voice, alas to each their own)

This book is a rather thinly veiled mockery of the election campaign of Jesse "The Body" Ventura. The feud between Keillor and Ventura lasted through the entirity of the latter's term - and was the source of much amusement for listeners of PHC as Jesse was a frequent target of jokes, puns and other levity. The book is written in a very amusing style, and it is easy to see how Mr. "The Body" could take offense. But really, if you're a guy who's post Navy-Seal career led you to be a professional wrestler then neo libertarian politician you should be used to a certain degree of mockery.

The briefest possible plot summary: Jimmy "Big Boy" Valente narrates his autobiography full of wild tales, mad ramblings and frequent insults to Keillor.

The book has several things to recommed it: an easy flowing style, a humor that is both base and erudite, a length that is really more novella than tome, and a variety of identifiably likeable and dastardly characters.

Rating A-

Related:
Buck Wild Doonesbury - G.B. Trudeau

ouch

When a mob tears into Bill Kristol in (beat-the-rush-and-hate-)TEXAS(-now) things are really going bad for the administration. Bill's tough - and a good speaker - so this disruption is somewhat more surprising that what happened to Ann Coulter there several months ago.

Unfortunately - the mob was just a bunch of rowdy, disorganized and ultimately ill-informed college kids.... but still... interesting. There are reasons to dislike Bill Kristol who happens to be a bit of an objectivist himself, and weak points on which he can be countered - but the idea that he in any way planned 9/11 is probably ludicrous.

Morck visitation rites

Well we're off to say goodbye to the beloved Morck clan as they head to Ecuador. One last parting coffee at the cape shot for the rememberance of things past... and hope for the future...

Congress and other farsical bodies

Find out how much of a rebel you are:
- List of most often banned books (related article)

and something ghoulish for you.

Random Blog #1

Random Harrisonburg reference (nondescript..... well, ok, that's true) of the day - in a story about a "race" from Manhattan to New Orleans - in cars costing less than $250. My kind of race.

Texas Tea

More on the oil issue..... a fairly detailed explanation of the factors involved in the recent price drop (the gist of which being, for those who care, that the factors do not imply some sort of conspiracy, just luck)

Monday continued

So my car is still "en garage" where it ... yes you guessed it... starts just fine. They are waiting for colder weather so that when I have the heart attack upon receiving the bill my body will be easier to preserve until the ambulance makes it there. It's not good when your German trained diesel mechanic is flummoxed.

Upon hearing this somewhat ironic news Tara noted that she didn't, "know why you piss german engineering off so very much."

har har har....

Just becuase of exhibits (or non-running facsimilies of):

a)


(which does run but has some work that will be expensive ... oh and needs 4 new tires the cost of which was why I bought exhibit c ... for nearly the same cost)






b)

(which is technically no longer mine, but the guy hasn't come for it yet.... this is the car I wish ran)








c) (the non-running, black smoke belching, 68hp, 5000lb, TURD)
and

d)

(The bike I wish was back together - or sold.... but is at my parents)






All this doesn't necessarily mean that Germany, or their vehicles have anything against me.... well then again .....





exhibit e)




Also doesn't run, after 8 years of tinkering - well 3 years of tinkering and 5 years of neglect...

And that one is from Japan.

I think that perhaps the Axis powers are out to get me.

further blogs of baldy the bounty hunter

For those of you who saw Lord of War, which is an interesting, shocking and disturbing piece of work (just like Nicolas Cage), the writers should probably be sued for libel because this guy makes Cage's character seem like a saint. Although there is no indication that his brother looked anything like Jared Leto

Philosophy 201

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
"My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." - from the appendix

Knowing that you like or dislike a certain philosophical position is not nearly enough, you have to know why. I dislike Rand's idea of Objectivism, but why? Rational self-interest and ethical naturalism are too easily molded into economic or political fascism - that's why. That and egoism and objectivism seem to run counter to any sort of Judeo-Christian ethic.

Rand worked out her philosophy through her fictional work, as well as through some of her nonfiction works - of much less renown. The basis is (and please correct my perceptions if you know better) that each person has the ability to percieve objective reality and act upon it without an external moral framework as long as that action does not deprive anyone else by subjectively depriving them opposing or outside of this objective reality. Convoluted, I know... Basically, you can't defraud someone, or rob them of possessions or life, because that would be wrong (existence exists, consciousness exists, existence is identity ergo everyone has the right to that identity and therefore life). She rejected Kant (and doesn't want to now and again?) because his ideas represented, to her at least, too much self-sacrifice (although what you describe as sacrifice is arguable as Objectivism requires sacrifice as well). But she also grudgingly rejected Nietzsche; she liked the whole super-man idea/rejection of Christianity thing, just not the might makes right implications.

Though I dislike the philosophy, it is somewhat understanable considering her family's losses during the 1917 Russian revolution - the individual value, the capitalist leanings, the rejection of joint ownership, moral independence of the actor etc.

Anyway.... the book...

The book itself is a good read, and it has to be since it's a gazillion pages long. The premise of industrialists going on strike against an increasingly socialist and controlling government is stretched - but interesting. The plot is built upon Rand's idea that our country runs and in fact thrives on the shoulders of MEN (mostly - she was called a traitor to her gender) committed to their own well being sounds suspiciously like Reaganomics (no surprise as Alan Greenspan was an early Rand groupie). Ok, I know I know, it sounds like I didn't like the book - and I do certainly disagree with it's philosophical underpinnings - but darn it if I couldn't put the thing down. One critic at the time of publication called it melodrama... so I guess that's what my tastes have devolved to, but nonetheless it is interesting. The only particularly melodramatic portion I found (other than the mysterious John Galt) was the utopian ending.

Rating: B+ (for having to justify why I liked it)

.... must be October in an election year....

Oddly enough one of the better overviews of the upcoming election can be found on the BBC, because Brits need to be better informed about our electoral process than we do apparently.

We shall now forever more refer to even year Octobers as Scandaltober.

Though it was "interesting" how Foley was labeled a Democrat on the O'Reilly Factor.... subtle folks, real subtle.

The latest rumor being that the Dems knew about Foley, but didn't release that info until it could do the most harm. Anything is possible, but seriously now, the Dems couldn't organize a game of solitaire if they were left alone with a deck of cards and detailed instructions. If Hastert knew about the emails for 6 months and he is the speaker - who is more to blame - the person who tried to hide it, or the person who brought it up (admittedly late..) at an opportune time? Neither is right.

Even the Rev. Moon's wacky conservative publication that no one reads, The Washington Times, is calling for Hastert's abdication.

Oh my head!

Also of interest to car nuts: What is meant by "the Ferrari sound" and why I will always say Rally racing is the only real racing out there (and also that sound is why I want a Porsche)..... now I'll have to watch my back here in Nascarland.

Anthony wins, his day was worse...

If you thought I had a bad day... see the comment Uncle Boberino made

Go North.... or South - whichever you prefer, really I don't care

Since I missed yesterday's biography book I'll include it with today's general travel writings...




Winterdance by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen is generally a writer of children's books, some of which have garnered high praise and awards.... but alas this is not a kiddie book. Technically it isn't a biography, per se, but an adventure narrative that happens to be true and about himself. So that autobiographical tidbit qualifies it as a biography in my book.... and perhaps in his. The book covers Paulsen's humorous and touching preparation for the Iditarod; from soup to nuts - or in this case from near death to psychotic dogs. Being the proud "Food Guy"(owner is a bit too strong here - note the profile pic in which the dog is looking at me like a fine medium rare steak) of a Siberian Husky I could identify with many of the funnier points of sleddog "ownership" although the reality of racing over 1500 miles of near trackless wilderness behind half-mad dogs isn't my, or my dog's (I'm sure - the only thing she's that hard core about is sleeping), idea of a good time.

One particularly funny story involved his team of dogs taking off before he was really ready... and dragging him with temporarily unlit matches in his front pockets... hilarity and screaming ensued. The touching part comes toward the end of the book, and for people who have dogs be warned - it can be a bit rough.

Rating: A-

In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
Travel writing, like the previous entry above, is often a biographical tale of adventure and feats of daring. Even works that purport to retell adventure travels of the past are often just as much about the author doing a bit of adventure traveling themselves (Chasing Che comes to mind). Chatwin's fascination with Patagonia stems from a family member's long lost gift of a pound of prehistoric flesh from southern Chile (weekly requisite Shakespearean reference: check). Like that somewhat aprochryphal and bizarre gift the book holds the mysteries of Patagonia at arms reach, tantalizingly close but still unreachable. The author delves into the history of the region with relish and for the most part that adds to the charm of the narrative. Sometimes though the read is a bit too dry. I doubt I would make it through this book now, although I still highly recommend it. I read it when I was doing some work in Argentina and it seemed apropos at the time. Now I'm not sure I would be motivated to learn as much; a condition that is more my problem than the books'.

Rating B-
Related:
Chasing Che - Patrick Symmes
Jupiter's Travels - Ted Simon

Do Over

Ok, so once again I took a day off of the blog. But if you had the day I did, you'd not blog either. Or else the blog would receive a fine from the FCC...

Yesterday should be a do-over, a mulligan, a just-stay-in-bed and try to forget day.

To start the day I forgot things at the house - including keys to the other "car" - henceforth referred to as TURD - and had to return home after making it to school, had to have the TURD towed at outrageous expense to a garage across town.... and then walked back (that was nice, considering), and to top it off, ha ha, I had a clipper incident - which means my hair is now shorn clean off. Yup cue-ball. I look like Jesse Ventura - without the muscles

On the good news front we looked at a Honda Fit, which is a cool and impressive little car (can't quite afford the Camrys or Avalons like some folks ;) )... Of course we're months away from being ready to buy a car..... or so we tell ourselves.... (I on the other hand lobbied for this - to.... you know.... go exploring with...)