Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Obama and the BCS
President-Elect Obama is not a fan of the current structure of the BCS and wants a playoff system- thus gratifying most of America- and he's a serious hoops fan, which is pretty cool as well...
I think the problem people have the playoff system is the Bowl system. I know that seems kind of counter-productive, but people like the Bowls. People want their teams to get to a Bowl. And a playoff system would undermine that a bit- but there's a solution:
1. Detach all the bowls from any future playoff system- but make the national title game a bowl- have it rotate around like it does now.
2. Make it an Elite 8- that way you don't get bogged down with like 20 teams. You could still take into account things like strength of schedule and conference and not totally disenfranchise sports pundits everywhere. (So that way sports writers won't be asking Congress for a bailout.)
3. Leave the rest of the Bowls alone. This allows teams to still have the rewards of a seriously good season. Say you're a team like Minnesota or Northwestern- and maybe you're not going to make it into the Big Dance because your non-conference schedule is easy cheese, but you still have a kick-ass season. I think you should get to go to a bowl. Easy as pie.
It's kind of weird, but it keeps the traditions of the Bowl system, the elitism of the current BCS system (with Step #2) and keeps everyone happy. That's my take on it, anyway.
I think the problem people have the playoff system is the Bowl system. I know that seems kind of counter-productive, but people like the Bowls. People want their teams to get to a Bowl. And a playoff system would undermine that a bit- but there's a solution:
1. Detach all the bowls from any future playoff system- but make the national title game a bowl- have it rotate around like it does now.
2. Make it an Elite 8- that way you don't get bogged down with like 20 teams. You could still take into account things like strength of schedule and conference and not totally disenfranchise sports pundits everywhere. (So that way sports writers won't be asking Congress for a bailout.)
3. Leave the rest of the Bowls alone. This allows teams to still have the rewards of a seriously good season. Say you're a team like Minnesota or Northwestern- and maybe you're not going to make it into the Big Dance because your non-conference schedule is easy cheese, but you still have a kick-ass season. I think you should get to go to a bowl. Easy as pie.
It's kind of weird, but it keeps the traditions of the Bowl system, the elitism of the current BCS system (with Step #2) and keeps everyone happy. That's my take on it, anyway.
Eagles and Cardinals?
Wow. Hope no one put too much money on the NFC. Crazily enough, Arizona has advanced to the NFC Title Game and Philly beat the Giants to join them. This, I would not have predicted at all.
50 Years Later
The Day the Music Died, 50 years later- and the DM Register has special coverage. Iowa and rock n'roll apparently don't mix all that well. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper all died here (a fact that makes driving past Clear Lake somewhat interesting.) Manfred Mann had a song called 'Stranded in Iowa' and I think Slipknot hails from Iowa, but I could be totally wrong.
But in short, we're hardly a rock n'roll mecca here in the Tall Corn State- but I like to think that we do OK.
But in short, we're hardly a rock n'roll mecca here in the Tall Corn State- but I like to think that we do OK.
First Puppy Pick is Closer
The Obamas have it narrowed down to a Labradoodle or a Portuguese Water Hound...
Just so people can have an idea- I'm going to assume people have a vague idea of what a Labradoodle looks like- but if you don't, check here. And as for a Portuguese Water Hound, I've never heard of it. So check this out, here.
Just so people can have an idea- I'm going to assume people have a vague idea of what a Labradoodle looks like- but if you don't, check here. And as for a Portuguese Water Hound, I've never heard of it. So check this out, here.
Street Fighter IV...
Some preview video of Street Fighter IV. I have good memories of this game from back in the day- one of the few I was actually half-way decent at, not having grown up with a gaming system like most of my friends. I was especially annoying because as Chun-Li I was fairly successful in doing her weird, super kick thing. As E. Honda, I'd just do the slap and as Blanka I could do a bunch of things.
But this is recognizable and looks damn good- nice to see a new video game of an old classic looking like it's worth playing. I've heard the new Prince of Persia is crap. (And apparently you can't die. What's up with that?)
But this is recognizable and looks damn good- nice to see a new video game of an old classic looking like it's worth playing. I've heard the new Prince of Persia is crap. (And apparently you can't die. What's up with that?)
Column #2: Back In Town
If you ever want to view things in a totally different, life-altering kind of way, I recommend moving to Minnesota for two years. One of two things will happen if you do this: either you’ll discover the joys of hot dish, bars and hockey and you’ll never leave, or the climate will drive you back south, and during the slow process of thawing your brain and acclimating to warmer weather, you’ll discover that everything looks completely different.
At least- that’s what happened to me. Roughly two and a half years ago, I moved away from Iowa City firm in my belief that I couldn’t get away from the place fast enough. Now, two and a half years later, I find myself driving down familiar streets, past familiar sights- things that should be so familiar it should inspire nausea- yet, everything looks and feels new- and I like that. It makes coming back to your hometown feel like moving to a whole new city.
My life feels like a Thin Lizzy song. The lines and contours of every building seem sharper- the weather is certainly warmer- not tropical by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s a palpable difference between the mild hills of Eastern Iowa and the flat openness of Southern Minnesota.
In the week and a half since I’ve moved back, I’ve seen more Subarus on the streets that I have in the past three years. They’re everywhere in Iowa City- either because of the aging children of Aquarius that settled here in Iowa City and never left or because the rumors are really true- lesbians do drive more Subarus- but even I refuse to believe that there are that many lesbians in Iowa City. (Interestingly enough, the whole ‘lesbians and Subarus’ thing isn’t just a tiresome old stereotype- Subaru has been remarkably laudable in its outreach and targeting of LGBT consumers.)
I’ve seen the inside of a Moffat home, and liked what I saw: Moffat was a prominent Iowa City builder back in the late 40s, who littered the east side of town with little cottages and bungalows. They’re small, distinctive and each seems to have their own unique personality.
I took my parents to the Foxhead (one of Iowa City’s best bars- certainly a place where one can enjoy a great beer free of loud, thumping bass lines, sweat and college students dancing.) They were impressed, the beer was good and despite the smoking ban, decades of cigarette smoke still lingered in the air. And I hope that it never fully goes away.
The Coralville Strip seems twice as long as it used to be. Especially when you’re running late to work at your hourly starter job at the obscenely large Wal-Mart Supercenter that’s as far away from anything as it’s possible to be in this town. But there’s a Sonic now. And tater-tots have never tasted so good.
Jefferson Street still looks strange, two years after the tornado tore through Iowa City. Denuded of trees, every time I drive down it, it feels like something’s just a little off- something I can’t quite place my finger on.
Slowly but sure, the areas that were left devastated by the floods of this past summer are re-emerging. Open doors and open business- signs of life everywhere amidst the cold. With the New Year, a new job, a new place to live and new possibilities springing up everywhere, it’s safe to say that a new chapter has begun. What it’ll bring, has yet to be determined- but it’s exciting.
I’m back in town- and it’s never looked better.
At least- that’s what happened to me. Roughly two and a half years ago, I moved away from Iowa City firm in my belief that I couldn’t get away from the place fast enough. Now, two and a half years later, I find myself driving down familiar streets, past familiar sights- things that should be so familiar it should inspire nausea- yet, everything looks and feels new- and I like that. It makes coming back to your hometown feel like moving to a whole new city.
My life feels like a Thin Lizzy song. The lines and contours of every building seem sharper- the weather is certainly warmer- not tropical by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s a palpable difference between the mild hills of Eastern Iowa and the flat openness of Southern Minnesota.
In the week and a half since I’ve moved back, I’ve seen more Subarus on the streets that I have in the past three years. They’re everywhere in Iowa City- either because of the aging children of Aquarius that settled here in Iowa City and never left or because the rumors are really true- lesbians do drive more Subarus- but even I refuse to believe that there are that many lesbians in Iowa City. (Interestingly enough, the whole ‘lesbians and Subarus’ thing isn’t just a tiresome old stereotype- Subaru has been remarkably laudable in its outreach and targeting of LGBT consumers.)
I’ve seen the inside of a Moffat home, and liked what I saw: Moffat was a prominent Iowa City builder back in the late 40s, who littered the east side of town with little cottages and bungalows. They’re small, distinctive and each seems to have their own unique personality.
I took my parents to the Foxhead (one of Iowa City’s best bars- certainly a place where one can enjoy a great beer free of loud, thumping bass lines, sweat and college students dancing.) They were impressed, the beer was good and despite the smoking ban, decades of cigarette smoke still lingered in the air. And I hope that it never fully goes away.
The Coralville Strip seems twice as long as it used to be. Especially when you’re running late to work at your hourly starter job at the obscenely large Wal-Mart Supercenter that’s as far away from anything as it’s possible to be in this town. But there’s a Sonic now. And tater-tots have never tasted so good.
Jefferson Street still looks strange, two years after the tornado tore through Iowa City. Denuded of trees, every time I drive down it, it feels like something’s just a little off- something I can’t quite place my finger on.
Slowly but sure, the areas that were left devastated by the floods of this past summer are re-emerging. Open doors and open business- signs of life everywhere amidst the cold. With the New Year, a new job, a new place to live and new possibilities springing up everywhere, it’s safe to say that a new chapter has begun. What it’ll bring, has yet to be determined- but it’s exciting.
I’m back in town- and it’s never looked better.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Untold Heroes of the Flood
From the Press-Citizen, some unsung heroes of the past summer's flooding.
Glass Ceiling Broken in Ghana
Via Feministing, Joyce Bamford Addo was just named Speaker of the Parliament in Ghana- becoming the third most powerful person in Ghana- and joining Nancy Pelosi of the United states and Betty Boothroyd of the United Kingdom as becoming Speakers of a Legislature.
Another glass ceiling falls! Kick ass!
Another glass ceiling falls! Kick ass!
Sri Lankan Noose Tightens
The Sri Lankan Army has taken the Elephant Pass and now controls the land routes leading into the Jaffna Peninsula- and the Tamil Tigers are now left with one operational base on the east coast of the Island in Mullaitivu.
With military defeat looking near, the options are narrowing for the Tamil Tigers. I think the BBC gets it right by concluding that even if military victory is achieved on the battlefield, the demands for a separate Tamil state are unlikely to go away anytime soon. And that means that the Sinhalese have to break the cycle of ethnic outbidding and actually address this situation- a settlement is possible- even a just settlement is possible, but in order to do that, the Sinhalese have to be willing to engage and compromise- and I don't think that the Sinhalese nationalists are going to want to even consider that after this. They're going to think that they're in a better position to dictate terms to the Tamils rather than forge a settlement.
With military defeat looking near, the options are narrowing for the Tamil Tigers. I think the BBC gets it right by concluding that even if military victory is achieved on the battlefield, the demands for a separate Tamil state are unlikely to go away anytime soon. And that means that the Sinhalese have to break the cycle of ethnic outbidding and actually address this situation- a settlement is possible- even a just settlement is possible, but in order to do that, the Sinhalese have to be willing to engage and compromise- and I don't think that the Sinhalese nationalists are going to want to even consider that after this. They're going to think that they're in a better position to dictate terms to the Tamils rather than forge a settlement.
They Don't Like Sanjay
Obama's choice for Surgeon General, Dr. Sanjau Gupta is not being well received, by either Congressman John Conyers or just in general... NY Times Columnist Paul Krugman didn't like Gupta's on-air showdown with Michael Moore of his latest movie 'Sicko' and, even as Dr. Gupta was accusing Moore of inaccuracies on the air- it turns out that CNN were the ones that got it wrong.
But really- what does the Surgeon General do? Howard Dean (also a Doctor) did point out that the position was pretty much informing the public of current health issues and stuff, which is pretty much what Gupta does to begin with. So why not?
But really- what does the Surgeon General do? Howard Dean (also a Doctor) did point out that the position was pretty much informing the public of current health issues and stuff, which is pretty much what Gupta does to begin with. So why not?
Blago To Start Going... Today.
Yep. The Illinois House is voting on Impeachment today- and if the vote passes, as it's expected too, then Blago will be #8 on the list of Governors who have been impeached in the United States. (Only 8 though? That's kind of surprising...) So, at the very least, even if he does go to jail- he can comfort himself that he did make history.
Just not the good kind.
Just not the good kind.
What Kind of Cig?
So there was fire up in Farmington, MN which caused up to $1 million in damage at the American Legion up there. Investigators have concluded that the fire was caused by a man who was too much of weather weiney to go outside and huddle up with the rest of the smokers (rapidly become a fine tradition in the brutal arctic winters of Minnesota).
Now, here's the question I have: Minnesota (along with other states) have required the manufacture of supposedly 'fire safe' cigarettes that go out very easily- thus preventing the apparently many, many fires that are caused by abandoned lit cigarettes. (Interestingly enough, these supposedly 'fire safe' cigarettes require you to inhale a lot more just to keep 'em lit. Thus exposing you to more nicotine, I'd imagine...)
But anyway- so a $1 million fire was caused by a cigarette dropped into an air duct. So... what kind of cig was it? The supposedly fire safe kind? Or just a regular cancer stick?
Now, here's the question I have: Minnesota (along with other states) have required the manufacture of supposedly 'fire safe' cigarettes that go out very easily- thus preventing the apparently many, many fires that are caused by abandoned lit cigarettes. (Interestingly enough, these supposedly 'fire safe' cigarettes require you to inhale a lot more just to keep 'em lit. Thus exposing you to more nicotine, I'd imagine...)
But anyway- so a $1 million fire was caused by a cigarette dropped into an air duct. So... what kind of cig was it? The supposedly fire safe kind? Or just a regular cancer stick?
Bruno
Prepare yourselves- Bruno is coming and if this article is any indication, Sacha Baron Cohen is pulling out all the stops and might just top Borat.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Crucifixes are Scaaaaaaary!
A church in England has removed it's crucifix after the Vicar decided that it 'was scaring young children' and it's depiction of pain and suffering was 'putting people off.' If you go check out the article, then you'll find that as crucifixes go, it's a pretty hardcore one- but still, theologically, I'm a little nauseous about this one.
OK, I get it: people want to think about the Redemption of our sins and the fact that not only did Christ die for us, but he rose for us as well- that's fine. It's shiny, happy and we can all feel good about it. But it's not the whole picture. Part of the reason- other than it's stone age Catholic theology- that I objected to 'The Passion of the Christ' was that the picture that was painted was incomplete: Christ died for us, it seemed to say- feel bad, feel very, very bad. There was little or no context provided for the why- why would someone go through all that? What would posses them? What would their motivations be?
It's the same thing with this- even as with just the suffering of Christ, the picture is incomplete, with just the risen Christ, we forget the sacrifice that was made (theologically speaking) on our behalf. And more important, we risk forgetting that the crucifix and the suffering it depicts is not just a portrayal of an off-putting amount of suffering, but rather of supreme act of love. And the fact that, in the eyes of Christians, a complete stranger whom none of us knew personally went through all that for us, is indeed something that would probably put a lot of people off. We're just not comfortable with the idea- but that's what makes it important.
OK, I get it: people want to think about the Redemption of our sins and the fact that not only did Christ die for us, but he rose for us as well- that's fine. It's shiny, happy and we can all feel good about it. But it's not the whole picture. Part of the reason- other than it's stone age Catholic theology- that I objected to 'The Passion of the Christ' was that the picture that was painted was incomplete: Christ died for us, it seemed to say- feel bad, feel very, very bad. There was little or no context provided for the why- why would someone go through all that? What would posses them? What would their motivations be?
It's the same thing with this- even as with just the suffering of Christ, the picture is incomplete, with just the risen Christ, we forget the sacrifice that was made (theologically speaking) on our behalf. And more important, we risk forgetting that the crucifix and the suffering it depicts is not just a portrayal of an off-putting amount of suffering, but rather of supreme act of love. And the fact that, in the eyes of Christians, a complete stranger whom none of us knew personally went through all that for us, is indeed something that would probably put a lot of people off. We're just not comfortable with the idea- but that's what makes it important.
Now Porn?
OK, so if airlines get a bailout, banks get a bailout and the car companies, then why not the porn industry? Well, get this: crusty old pervert (and not in an endearing, Hugh Hefner kind of way) Larry Flynt and exploitative douchebag and Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis are asking Congress for just that.
A bailout.
For the adult entertainment industry.
Flynt said this:
Um, well, good look with that, fellas- that's all I can say. Congress (wisely for once) has yet to respond to their request. I would just ignore it- if you don't care about porn all that much, then who cares? If, however, porn is something you find objectionable (good for you) then take heart- the adult entertainment industry isn't reeling from the economic downturn- it's the awesome power of the internet- and more precisely, the awesome power of just one site:
YouPorn.
YouPorn is killing the adult industry, because why pay for porn when you can see it for free- and more to the point, make it yourselves? Yes, the internet has collided with porn and it's revealed to the horny masses that absolutely anyone can be a porn star if they want to be.
Oh, and there's the whole watching loads of porn for free, too. That probably has some mass appeal, I'd guess.
A bailout.
For the adult entertainment industry.
Flynt said this:
"With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind. It's time for congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America. The only way they can do this is by supporting the adult industry and doing it quickly."
Um, well, good look with that, fellas- that's all I can say. Congress (wisely for once) has yet to respond to their request. I would just ignore it- if you don't care about porn all that much, then who cares? If, however, porn is something you find objectionable (good for you) then take heart- the adult entertainment industry isn't reeling from the economic downturn- it's the awesome power of the internet- and more precisely, the awesome power of just one site:
YouPorn.
YouPorn is killing the adult industry, because why pay for porn when you can see it for free- and more to the point, make it yourselves? Yes, the internet has collided with porn and it's revealed to the horny masses that absolutely anyone can be a porn star if they want to be.
Oh, and there's the whole watching loads of porn for free, too. That probably has some mass appeal, I'd guess.
Real World First
Via Ain't It Cool, The latest edition of the Real World has been cast and the show's first transsexual roomie has been announced. I think that's a good thing- it would be breaking a barrier of sorts, and I'm generally in favor of such things- but really, I think the Real World is long past its expiration date. Back in the day, there was actually an element of the 'real' to it- like actual random people picked to live together in a house- now, it's almost become a parody of itself- which admittedly is a neat trick.
The Real World, I think fell victim to The Hills- semi-scripted reality shows that made superficial people far more important than they actually were in the cultural zeitgeist- now, cast-members of the Real World are all thin, beautiful and conform to an almost laughably predictable ethnic, socio-economic and sexual orientation mix. No fat people allowed. No ugly people allowed... no, well, real people allowed.
That last remark may not be that fair- after all, these telegenic gods and goddesses are people too- but they don't accurately reflect society today. The Real World is NOT that real... people don't have perfect skin, bodies and ripped abs. They just don't... and the show has long since ceased to have any meaningful reflection of reality to me- when you can't see yourself in a show or relate to anyone on that show, then it has become- a bad show.
Go figure.
The Real World, I think fell victim to The Hills- semi-scripted reality shows that made superficial people far more important than they actually were in the cultural zeitgeist- now, cast-members of the Real World are all thin, beautiful and conform to an almost laughably predictable ethnic, socio-economic and sexual orientation mix. No fat people allowed. No ugly people allowed... no, well, real people allowed.
That last remark may not be that fair- after all, these telegenic gods and goddesses are people too- but they don't accurately reflect society today. The Real World is NOT that real... people don't have perfect skin, bodies and ripped abs. They just don't... and the show has long since ceased to have any meaningful reflection of reality to me- when you can't see yourself in a show or relate to anyone on that show, then it has become- a bad show.
Go figure.
Gaza Truce?
There was brief lull in fighting today to allow for humanitarian supplies to get into Gaza (yay!) and Israel has agreed 'in principle' to a truce being pushed by France and Egypt, but fighting has resumed. Sounds like the sticking point is that Israel doesn't want Hamas left in a position where it could re-arm and do this all over again... which seems fairly reasonable to me.
But, there is movement on the diplomatic front. And that can be nothing but a good thing.
But, there is movement on the diplomatic front. And that can be nothing but a good thing.
"Whose House? That Person's House!"
Via Feministing, The Official Language of the House of Representatives is now gender neutral. That may seem like micro-politics run amuck to many people, but I think it's an important step forward, even if it a little one.
So yeah. Kick Ass!
So yeah. Kick Ass!
Joe the Plumber, War Correspondent?
Hmmm. He wants to let the Average Joes of Israel 'tell their story.' Hmmm. Well, if you're a Republican, you love this, Joe the Plumber somehow having obtained folk hero status. I don't see it, myself- but I will acknowledge that this guy is destined to be a super-hard question in many games of Trivial Pursuit in the future. And that ain't nothing...
But a war correspondent? Ummmmmmm... ok.
But a war correspondent? Ummmmmmm... ok.
Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General?
Hmmm, well I'm not sure what exactly the Surgeon General does- other than look like Colonel Saunders (C. Everett Coop) or making provocative statements about masturbation (Jocelyn Elders) so really, a TV Doc like Gupta? Well, shit- why not?
But Paul Krugman has a problem with him. Read for yourselves.
But Paul Krugman has a problem with him. Read for yourselves.
Burris In, Franken In Limbo
Well that didn't take long- sounds like as soon as Burris gets his paperwork in order, Senate Dems will most likely seat him. Al Franken, on the other hand remains up in the air pending the resolution of court challenges by the Coleman Campaign.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A Happier Happy Hour
Happy Hour will survive in Iowa City- at least for now!
Look, limiting bars, drink specials and even happy hour isn't going to solve the drinking problem. Mankato tried it- and will probably still continue to try it and it did precisely nothing to stem binge drinking deaths.
Diversifying and developing downtown is the solution however. The City Council has laid down on the job, quite frankly and let local business people be priced out of downtown by big city developers that want to bring a 'big city vibe' to downtown Iowa City that is completely out of touch with the needs of the community. The Northside Neighborhood around Linn Street and Dirty John's is worth developing and expanding a little more so that it can become its own, distinct shopping and eating district- if similar venture could be developed on the South Side of Downtown you would see a wider variety of options and businesses that could thrive and change the character of downtown.
We also badly need a movie theater downtown- in fact, a dollar theater would be an excellent addition to downtown, especially if University and City Officials are serious at providing alcohol-free alternatives to students downtown.
Happily, however, the City Council has backed off yet another half-assed solution to the problem they've never been able to solve!
Look, limiting bars, drink specials and even happy hour isn't going to solve the drinking problem. Mankato tried it- and will probably still continue to try it and it did precisely nothing to stem binge drinking deaths.
Diversifying and developing downtown is the solution however. The City Council has laid down on the job, quite frankly and let local business people be priced out of downtown by big city developers that want to bring a 'big city vibe' to downtown Iowa City that is completely out of touch with the needs of the community. The Northside Neighborhood around Linn Street and Dirty John's is worth developing and expanding a little more so that it can become its own, distinct shopping and eating district- if similar venture could be developed on the South Side of Downtown you would see a wider variety of options and businesses that could thrive and change the character of downtown.
We also badly need a movie theater downtown- in fact, a dollar theater would be an excellent addition to downtown, especially if University and City Officials are serious at providing alcohol-free alternatives to students downtown.
Happily, however, the City Council has backed off yet another half-assed solution to the problem they've never been able to solve!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Panetta to CIA
Obama picked former Clinton Deputy Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to head the CIA. Not sure if I like this- Panetta has no intelligence experience whatsoever and is yet another mouldy Clintonite. I acknowledge that a certain amount of cherry-picking from past Democratic Administrations is going to be inevitable- but I would have thought that he would want someone with just a touch more experience in the world of intelligence. Lord knows we need wholesale reform of those institutions and people who know their way around might be able to do that better than pure outsiders.
Just sayin.'
Just sayin.'
Tamil Noose Tightens
The Sri Lankan Army is continuing to advance on all fronts after the fall of the Tamil Rebel Capitol Kilinochchi last week- reports have them closing in on the Elephant Pass, which is the key bottleneck point on the Northern Jaffna peninsula. Should the pass fall, the Tamil Tigers would be left with only one operational base at Mullaitivu.
News from Gaza
Israel has followed air strikes up with a ground offensive and casualties are starting to mount- with at least 90 people, including 26 children having been killed since the ground assault began. By all accounts the humanitarian situation is going from bad to worse and supply lines for the civilians are getting increasingly stretched as medical facilities in the Strip are being overtaxed.
I can't say that I like civilians getting killed in large numbers, but at least the Israelis actually worry about that kind of thing before they fire off a bomb- I saw a figure quoted in the media as saying that Hamas had fired something like 8,000 rockets into Southern Israel- not giving a damn whether they landed on military targets or civilians ones. A palpable difference between the two sides, I think- plus, before people starting jumping up and down on Israel, let's all stop and think a minute: if someone dropped 8,000 rockets on the United States, what would we do? I think everyone know we would be PISSED OFF and BOMB something- because, like or not, that's just how we roll here in the United States- and I'm not going to piss all over Israel for doing essentially exactly what we'd do in the same situation.
As for the whole Hamas, Israel, Palestine mess- I like Joe Biden's take on it all:
That seems reasonable enough to me- after Hamas decided to contest the Palestinian elections, you knew this was going to be a choice they would have to make. Legitimacy amongst Palestinians had been won because unlike Fatah, they didn't pocket international aid for themselves, but gave it to the people. That's how they got support- but contesting the elections, they had to translate that support into democratic legitimacy and they failed. Miserably. And the people of Gaza are paying the price for their failure.
I can't say that I like civilians getting killed in large numbers, but at least the Israelis actually worry about that kind of thing before they fire off a bomb- I saw a figure quoted in the media as saying that Hamas had fired something like 8,000 rockets into Southern Israel- not giving a damn whether they landed on military targets or civilians ones. A palpable difference between the two sides, I think- plus, before people starting jumping up and down on Israel, let's all stop and think a minute: if someone dropped 8,000 rockets on the United States, what would we do? I think everyone know we would be PISSED OFF and BOMB something- because, like or not, that's just how we roll here in the United States- and I'm not going to piss all over Israel for doing essentially exactly what we'd do in the same situation.
As for the whole Hamas, Israel, Palestine mess- I like Joe Biden's take on it all:
“Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with a party that calls for its destruction, engages in terrorism and maintains an armed militia. Hamas must choose: bullets or ballots.” (January 2006)
That seems reasonable enough to me- after Hamas decided to contest the Palestinian elections, you knew this was going to be a choice they would have to make. Legitimacy amongst Palestinians had been won because unlike Fatah, they didn't pocket international aid for themselves, but gave it to the people. That's how they got support- but contesting the elections, they had to translate that support into democratic legitimacy and they failed. Miserably. And the people of Gaza are paying the price for their failure.
Feel the Illinoise!
Senator-Designate Roland Burris should be in Washington D.C. right now- I can't find anything on whether or not anyone cares about that or is even bothering to talk to him.
My take on this whole sticky situation is this: it's complicated. The whole debate over Burris is one of those debates where both sides have equally valid points- and they do and the guy is qualified and the United States Senate, while not as ghastly and reactionary as say the House of Lords in Britain is badly in need of some modernization (little less country club, little more legislative body, please?) but the fact remains that yes, Blagojevich is still Governor having not yet been impeached- thus having the power to make appointments and yes, the Senate can (and probably will) drag its feet on whether or not to seat Burris at all and they seemingly have the right to do that as well.
Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush seemed to want to make this a racial thing- pointing out that the Senate wouldn't and shouldn't refuse to seat a qualified African-American in a legislative body that has had an horrifically bad record at seating (or electing) minorities of any kind to begin with, but I think things have changed ever so slightly now. As a commentator (Clarence Page) on NPR pointed out this afternoon, Senator Obama didn't just vanished into nothing, he's going to be President- which means that trying to force white guilt into the debate might not just be as effective as Congressmen Rush would like.
In the end: if the Illinois State Legislature would have passed a law mandating a special election, we wouldn't be in this mess. If you want to blame someone, blame them.
My take on this whole sticky situation is this: it's complicated. The whole debate over Burris is one of those debates where both sides have equally valid points- and they do and the guy is qualified and the United States Senate, while not as ghastly and reactionary as say the House of Lords in Britain is badly in need of some modernization (little less country club, little more legislative body, please?) but the fact remains that yes, Blagojevich is still Governor having not yet been impeached- thus having the power to make appointments and yes, the Senate can (and probably will) drag its feet on whether or not to seat Burris at all and they seemingly have the right to do that as well.
Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush seemed to want to make this a racial thing- pointing out that the Senate wouldn't and shouldn't refuse to seat a qualified African-American in a legislative body that has had an horrifically bad record at seating (or electing) minorities of any kind to begin with, but I think things have changed ever so slightly now. As a commentator (Clarence Page) on NPR pointed out this afternoon, Senator Obama didn't just vanished into nothing, he's going to be President- which means that trying to force white guilt into the debate might not just be as effective as Congressmen Rush would like.
In the end: if the Illinois State Legislature would have passed a law mandating a special election, we wouldn't be in this mess. If you want to blame someone, blame them.
The Senat-ah from Minnesot-ah!
It's Franken. But people are already crying foul and raising a kerfuffle, so this could take awhile- but in the end, it's still going to be Franken, I'd imagine. He's better than Coleman, but that it's saying much.
And it's no skin off my nose at all. I voted for Barkley.
And it's no skin off my nose at all. I voted for Barkley.
Column #1: Far From Nobility
Editor's Note: This is (hopefully) going to become a regular feature here on the blog- once a week, a slightly longer piece devoted to whatever topic happens to interest me at the time. It's one of the many changes (hopefully good ones) you should start noticing around here as we start 2009 in earnest.
With the fall of the town of Kilinochi to the Sri Lankan Army this past week, the world’s eyes briefly turned once again to a forgotten conflict in South Asia- the long running, intractable and interminable Civil War between the Sinhalese majority on Sri Lanka and the Tamil Minority, with active resistance being spear-headed by the LTTE- or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam- the Tamil Tigers as they are more commonly known.
It seems that, at least in the short term, the Tigers are on the defensive and will likely be pushed into the hills and be confined to low-level terrorist attacks, I would imagine before the end of this year. At their height, they controlled a good chunk of Northern Sri Lanka, but the government has been steadily advancing and pushing them out of cities and towns again and again.
This fall of Kilinochi, the de facto capitol of the Tigers was given wide coverage on the BBC and in many foreign news outlets- but once again, the American media fell short in their coverage of the basic events of the world.
The conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamils is deeply entrenched in the Island’s politics and history. In his book Blowback, Neil DaVotta describes Sri Lanka as being caught in a process known as ethnic outbidding- meaning that Sinhalese political parties seek to ‘out bid’ each other for the favor of the Sinhalese nationalist movement- which is a key constituency on the island that can- and does swing elections. The first rule of politics being that of survival, no Sinhalese leaders have proven willing- or had the stature to take on the Nationalists and push for a just and lasting resolution to the conflict.
And here’s the rub: in the post 9-11 world- should they? The Tigers are, after all, a terrorist organization. Hours after the fall of Kilinochchi, they launched a suicide attack on the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Air Force. They actively resisted Indian intervention in the conflict in the late 80s- and it was a Tamil suicide bomber who was responsible for the death of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1992.
Despite this, the Tamil minority itself does have real complaints. Their language, their culture- their basic rights have been under attack by the Sinhalese majority for decades now. Does this justify terrorism? No- but if this conflict is ever to end, it would require, if not engagement by the United States, then certainly a greater degree of awareness.
But, it seems that with the fall of Kilinochi, this conflict will most likely be settled on terms more favorable to the Sinhalese than to the Tamils. In this we can draw parallels to the conflict on Cyprus: the worst thing to happen to Turkish Cypriots since 1974 was the entry of Cyprus into the EU without a comprehensive peace agreement- because now, Greek Cypriots hold a veto over the entry of Turkey to the EU- and they can and probably will demand some forced settlement to the issue of Northern Cyprus as a price for Turkish entry to the EU- should, of course, another country such as France or Germany not veto that notion as well.
In Sri Lanka, the increasing military disparity between the government and the Tigers means that the Tamils have less and less leverage over the government as the Tigers lose ground- so if there is to be a solution, it seems likely, barring a change in the strategic situation on the ground to be imposed upon the minority instead of negotiated.
With another rebel stronghold lost and government forces advancing, Tamil opposition lawmaker Mano Ganesan was quoted as saying: “The noble need of the hour is an honest political solution. But it looks that we are far away from nobility.” And with the Civil War running increasingly in the government’s favor, a solution imposed by the military victors of this conflict will neither be noble, just or ultimately effective.
With the fall of the town of Kilinochi to the Sri Lankan Army this past week, the world’s eyes briefly turned once again to a forgotten conflict in South Asia- the long running, intractable and interminable Civil War between the Sinhalese majority on Sri Lanka and the Tamil Minority, with active resistance being spear-headed by the LTTE- or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam- the Tamil Tigers as they are more commonly known.
It seems that, at least in the short term, the Tigers are on the defensive and will likely be pushed into the hills and be confined to low-level terrorist attacks, I would imagine before the end of this year. At their height, they controlled a good chunk of Northern Sri Lanka, but the government has been steadily advancing and pushing them out of cities and towns again and again.
This fall of Kilinochi, the de facto capitol of the Tigers was given wide coverage on the BBC and in many foreign news outlets- but once again, the American media fell short in their coverage of the basic events of the world.
The conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamils is deeply entrenched in the Island’s politics and history. In his book Blowback, Neil DaVotta describes Sri Lanka as being caught in a process known as ethnic outbidding- meaning that Sinhalese political parties seek to ‘out bid’ each other for the favor of the Sinhalese nationalist movement- which is a key constituency on the island that can- and does swing elections. The first rule of politics being that of survival, no Sinhalese leaders have proven willing- or had the stature to take on the Nationalists and push for a just and lasting resolution to the conflict.
And here’s the rub: in the post 9-11 world- should they? The Tigers are, after all, a terrorist organization. Hours after the fall of Kilinochchi, they launched a suicide attack on the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Air Force. They actively resisted Indian intervention in the conflict in the late 80s- and it was a Tamil suicide bomber who was responsible for the death of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1992.
Despite this, the Tamil minority itself does have real complaints. Their language, their culture- their basic rights have been under attack by the Sinhalese majority for decades now. Does this justify terrorism? No- but if this conflict is ever to end, it would require, if not engagement by the United States, then certainly a greater degree of awareness.
But, it seems that with the fall of Kilinochi, this conflict will most likely be settled on terms more favorable to the Sinhalese than to the Tamils. In this we can draw parallels to the conflict on Cyprus: the worst thing to happen to Turkish Cypriots since 1974 was the entry of Cyprus into the EU without a comprehensive peace agreement- because now, Greek Cypriots hold a veto over the entry of Turkey to the EU- and they can and probably will demand some forced settlement to the issue of Northern Cyprus as a price for Turkish entry to the EU- should, of course, another country such as France or Germany not veto that notion as well.
In Sri Lanka, the increasing military disparity between the government and the Tigers means that the Tamils have less and less leverage over the government as the Tigers lose ground- so if there is to be a solution, it seems likely, barring a change in the strategic situation on the ground to be imposed upon the minority instead of negotiated.
With another rebel stronghold lost and government forces advancing, Tamil opposition lawmaker Mano Ganesan was quoted as saying: “The noble need of the hour is an honest political solution. But it looks that we are far away from nobility.” And with the Civil War running increasingly in the government’s favor, a solution imposed by the military victors of this conflict will neither be noble, just or ultimately effective.
Friday, January 2, 2009
New Year's Resolutions!
Well, I'm back for 2009- we're going to be re-arranging the blog a bit and hopefully upping the content so there are more pictures, videos and just better content in general to look at. I know it's not much of a blog, but I'd like to build it into something that people actually want to check out every day.
But Allison and I (along with Moxie, Sampson, Sophie and Hawkeye) are officially back in Iowa City. When I left, I was eager to get away- and everything was too familiar and too stale for me to appreciate it. Now that I'm back, it turns out that Allison was very correct- I do see things with new eyes- and I appreciate everything that this incredible community has done for me over the years and want to (in the coming year) figure out a way to give back to the community somehow. (First of course, there is the small matter of acquiring a job and a place to live other than my parents' house.)
But in the spirit of the New Year, I thought I'd type out 10 Resolutions that I'm going to do my utmost to meet in the coming year:
1. Lose weight. When I moved to Mankato, I was fit, trim and hovering around the 190 mark- now, as of thirty seconds ago I was at about 234. I'd like to get down to 200 at minimum and maybe that 190-195 range at best. But for sure, this is the year I lose the Mankato weight.
2. Cook. I have this thought going through my head that I would like to, someday, maybe open a bar/restaurant- and to do that, I want to see just how good at cooking I really am- whether I'm just really good or whether or not I'm 'restaurant' good. Stay tuned- because I plan to share the results of my experiments right here on the blog.
3. Finish the MA: It's essentially down to the last dregs, but it has to be done. I have maybe .25 of a thesis to finish and defend by May and that's that with the whole school thing for awhile.
4. Blog: I think, thus far I have established the fact that I can blog- now I just want to be better at it and build this thing so it can get some readership going. There are, I think around 50,000 blogs created every day- I'm not saying this could be an Instapundit or an Althouse, but I'd like to try and take it places.
5. Be an Active Member of the Community: I don't just want to sit on the sidelines and commentate- I want to stand up for the things I care about in my community and work to get some problems solved. I'd like to do something to help the Arts Campus get back on its feet after the floods of last summer or maybe get the Art Museum re-established somewhere.
6. Write. Apart from the blog and the MA Thesis, I want to outline and start writing a novel. I have had the building blocks of a story in place in my head for a long time. Now I want to build it- and see if it's actually worth reading.
7. Photograph. Occasionally, when the time is perfect I take really good photographs. I'd like to become more consistent and maybe start building a portfolio of sorts- with an eye to seeing, once again, if it's something I'm seriously good at or just something of a hobby.
8. Refresh my languages and find ways to use them: I collected so many languages as an undergraduate and pretty much stopped using them once I hit grad school. I'd like to change that this year- and Iowa City, with its active international community might just be the place to do it. I won't even bother regaling you with the disaster of my ventures into Arabic- but French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili and Hindi I would like to find at least semi-regular uses for.
9. Find a job- like a $30,000 a year one.
10. Find a house. (I didn't really include a lot of detail on these last two resolutions, because as far as I'm concerned, they're both done deals. I AM going to find a job and we ARE going to find a house.)
I hope everyone had a fantastic (and safe) New Years! Congratulations to the Iowa Hawkeyes for stomping South Carolina 31-10 in the Outback Bowl yesterday! Hopefully, it's the harbinger of good things to come.
But Allison and I (along with Moxie, Sampson, Sophie and Hawkeye) are officially back in Iowa City. When I left, I was eager to get away- and everything was too familiar and too stale for me to appreciate it. Now that I'm back, it turns out that Allison was very correct- I do see things with new eyes- and I appreciate everything that this incredible community has done for me over the years and want to (in the coming year) figure out a way to give back to the community somehow. (First of course, there is the small matter of acquiring a job and a place to live other than my parents' house.)
But in the spirit of the New Year, I thought I'd type out 10 Resolutions that I'm going to do my utmost to meet in the coming year:
1. Lose weight. When I moved to Mankato, I was fit, trim and hovering around the 190 mark- now, as of thirty seconds ago I was at about 234. I'd like to get down to 200 at minimum and maybe that 190-195 range at best. But for sure, this is the year I lose the Mankato weight.
2. Cook. I have this thought going through my head that I would like to, someday, maybe open a bar/restaurant- and to do that, I want to see just how good at cooking I really am- whether I'm just really good or whether or not I'm 'restaurant' good. Stay tuned- because I plan to share the results of my experiments right here on the blog.
3. Finish the MA: It's essentially down to the last dregs, but it has to be done. I have maybe .25 of a thesis to finish and defend by May and that's that with the whole school thing for awhile.
4. Blog: I think, thus far I have established the fact that I can blog- now I just want to be better at it and build this thing so it can get some readership going. There are, I think around 50,000 blogs created every day- I'm not saying this could be an Instapundit or an Althouse, but I'd like to try and take it places.
5. Be an Active Member of the Community: I don't just want to sit on the sidelines and commentate- I want to stand up for the things I care about in my community and work to get some problems solved. I'd like to do something to help the Arts Campus get back on its feet after the floods of last summer or maybe get the Art Museum re-established somewhere.
6. Write. Apart from the blog and the MA Thesis, I want to outline and start writing a novel. I have had the building blocks of a story in place in my head for a long time. Now I want to build it- and see if it's actually worth reading.
7. Photograph. Occasionally, when the time is perfect I take really good photographs. I'd like to become more consistent and maybe start building a portfolio of sorts- with an eye to seeing, once again, if it's something I'm seriously good at or just something of a hobby.
8. Refresh my languages and find ways to use them: I collected so many languages as an undergraduate and pretty much stopped using them once I hit grad school. I'd like to change that this year- and Iowa City, with its active international community might just be the place to do it. I won't even bother regaling you with the disaster of my ventures into Arabic- but French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili and Hindi I would like to find at least semi-regular uses for.
9. Find a job- like a $30,000 a year one.
10. Find a house. (I didn't really include a lot of detail on these last two resolutions, because as far as I'm concerned, they're both done deals. I AM going to find a job and we ARE going to find a house.)
I hope everyone had a fantastic (and safe) New Years! Congratulations to the Iowa Hawkeyes for stomping South Carolina 31-10 in the Outback Bowl yesterday! Hopefully, it's the harbinger of good things to come.
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