Democrats in the Senate held hearings on contracting abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is a woefully under-reported topic in our media. Some of the companies operating in Iraq have a deplorable record of over-charging the government, providing sub-standard and possibly even dangerous services to our soldiers, and abusing Iraqi civilians. Some of these companies make the war profiteers form the Second World War and the Civil War look like pikers by comparison.
The video for the hearings can be found here.
April 29th, 2008
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General, Politics, Economics, Iraq, How Capitalism Will Ruin You |
no comments
Because I like to talk about writing and stuff.
- The Art of Alchemy by Ted Kosmatka. Not a bad piece to start off the issue. In plot and idea, it is a fairly standard action-adventure piece centered n a fairly standard notion of how economics and new technology interact. The plot moves along at a fun clip and manages to be not quite predictable and not opaque. The writing was very nicely done and there were several very nice, very compelling moments between the main characters. Plus, the setting was in a part of the country I know fairly well and the author didn’t make too many obvious mistakes. B-
- The Salting and Canning of Benevolence D by Al Michaud. I gathered that this was supposed to be an amusing story, a kind of made-up folk story that Mark Twain was so accomplished at, with perhaps a bit of satire thrown in for good measure. If that was the author’s intent, he failed miserably. The plot centers around a group of friends and acquaintances who set off to end a haunting in an alternate America where Native American and European folk lore have bended together. In the hands of someone like Twain or Terry Pratchett, this could have been very good. In Michaud’s hands it was interminable and depressingly predictable. The characters almost all spoke like refugees from Gasoline Alley and the plot points could be seen lumbering toward the readers from miles and miles away. easily the worst piece in the issue. Still, the apparent recognition by one of the characters of just how asinine the rest of the characters apeared did lend some levity to the pice and the writing was solid if not spectacular. D-
- Litany by Rand B. Lee. This piece is a much better example of how to do made up myths. It blends hints of New age mysticism with Old Testament horror and a compelling main character. The story is about a man trying to find a way to escape a curse, or a sentence, and what prices aren’t worth paying. It is suspenseful, has many well drawn characters and is well written. It feels like a myth, like a story told to teach children lessons and remind adults of wisdom they had forgotten. It was my second favorite piece in the issue. B+
- Fegus by Mary Patterson Thornburg. This was my favorite piece in the issue. It’s not much of story, really, short on plot and action. It is more of an emotion. But its powerful emotion and it was presented well. Parents, I think, will understand. B +
- Character Flu by Robert Reed. In the same way Fergus was less of a story and more of an emotion, Character Flu is less of a story and more of an idea. It’s a semi-interesting idea told professionally enough to make me wish the author had written an actual story. But he didn’t, so the experience is pretty underwhelming. C
- Monkey See by P. E. Cunningham. This is a fun little action story set in a magical, samurai-era Japan centered around the danger of giving monkeys too much power. The piece is fun and light, written in a fast-paced, breezy style that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It was a fun read. B-
Beyond the stories, the two book review columns both convinced me not to buy any of the books reviewed. Which, I suppose, means they did their job. Lucius Shepard was in full-on Lord of the Curmudgeons mode for is movie review column, making himfunnier than anything ese in the magazine. All in all, a solid effort. Two very good stories and only one stinker in the lot.
April 29th, 2008
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General, Reviews |
no comments
The Sunday “why aren’t you wearing a flag pin?” edition of the TennViews intermittently weekly blog roundup showcasing the best bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about…
• 55-40 Memphis: I’m a Hillary-hater now
• BlountViews: Republican County Mayor charges Sunshine Law violation against commissioners helping citizen investigate county finances. Plus: Local paper discovers blogs, interviews yours truly.
• Carole Borges: Hillary please do go gently into that good night
• The Crone Speaks: Abstinence Only Doesn’t Work, and Barrack’s Senior Problem
• Cup of Joe Powell: Search For Terrorism in TN Nets Seatbelt Violations , plus: this is not a pipe.
• The Donkey’s Mouth: Tennessee’s Republican Congressional delegation votes against Medicaid Safety Net, TN GOP doesn’t get the memo and blames Bredesen.
• Enclave: Beth Harwell has no interest in protecting Tennessee kids from dangerous toys (wonder why?), and any effort to regulate dangerous toys at the state level usurps the federal government’s right to not regulate dangerous toys.
• Fletch: See Chattanooga on a Segway, plus Temple of the Gods: When the temple is occupied, the gods will command a magnificent air-conditioned vista of downtown, the Tennessee River, and Lookout Mountain, while processing the paperwork and making life and death financial and health decisions for the mere mortals down below who pay their tithes to the gods.
• KnoxViews: Straight talk about real life, plus McCain wins Pennsylvania primary. Bonus: KnoxViews voted best local blog by Metro Pulse alt-weekly readers. (Instapundit was a runner up.)
• Lean Left: McCain Opposed To New Benefits for Veterans, plus: Lean Left: You don’t stop doing business with Pizza Hut because you don’t like their corporate policies. You stop doing business with Pizza Hut because they have sh**ty pizza.
• Left of the Dial: No Deal
• Left Wing Cracker: It’s time for some MISSIONARY work, my Democratic brothers and sisters, plus: Democrats for LAMAR!
• Liberadio: Steve Gill’s Gas Problem, and Phil Valentine’s Lying Problem
• NewsComa: Now famous in Pakistan.
• Progressive Nashville: Lamar Alexander Votes To Deny Justice to Tennessee Workers: Alexander and Corker both feel safe in their seats, so they had the freedom to vote party line over common sense. They should both be ashamed. Plus: What do coral snake bites and German rooftops have in common? Hint: the so-called free market.
• Resonance: Is Conspicuous Consumption Out? Plus, People Get Outraged Over The Silliest Things: And somewhere near the bottom of the list would be the horror of having my precious snowflake exposed to a few seconds of Spanish over the school public address system one day a year.
• RoaneViews: Becky Ruppe Officially announced her campaign for State Senator
• Russ McBee: McCain’s Pander Bus stops in New Orleans, lies to the Lower 9th. Plus: happy blogiversary!
• Sean Braisted: Let the Caveats Begin: John McCain is backtracking on his tough talk over earmarks… Plus: Willie Horton Part Deux
• Sharon Cobb: Reverend Jeremiah Wright Gives First Interview: I bring all of this up to underscore how much your average white person does not know about the black churches, and how Rev. Wright is going to get his words twisted. Plus: Hillary Clinton Runs Her Campaign Like A Republican, And It Will Backfire
• Silence Isn’t Golden: Dear Senator Obama: Hi. I know you’re busy right now, and you’ve got a lot on your mind. But if you can spare a few minutes, then for God’s sake, call this woman! Bonus: Awesome spring break, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. (And the amazing thing is, she still found time to blog for Obama!)
• Southern Beale: Rep. Jim Cooper recounts an embarrassing trip aboard Air Force One (”These are astronaut mattresses!”) Plus: Back to the Kitchen!
• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Chelsea Clinton at Duke On Hillary’s Position On Feminist Issues: In the video clip below, Chelsea Clinton campaigns at North Carolina’s Duke University (on Equal Pay Day) and points out that numerous feminist, um, human rights bills fail to pass in even a Democratic Congress. Plus: NY Times Whines: Hillary Made Politics Mean!
• TennViews: Democratic Convention 101, Plus: Fight higher grocery prices: Buy local
• Vibinc: Harrowing Healthcare Hedge, And: Whiners and Hand Wringers
• Whites Creek Journal: WhitesCreek Journal: No She Can’t: Ohmygod!!! Obama is Willard Scott! Plus: Pictures from the Morning Hike: My yard is a bit unusual, lying in three counties and two time zones, and having over 800 feet of elevation change from bottom to top.
• Women’s Health News: Drug-Addicted Women Need Medical Care, Not Jail Plus: Happy Earth Day - Alternative & Reusable Menstrual Products
April 28th, 2008
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General |
no comments
I know, the games have started, but I haven’t looked at the scores.
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
- Flyers vs. Canadians Montreal did not look particularly good against the Bruins, but the Flyers almost gave upa 3-1 series lead, and probably would have if Ovechkin had chosen to take that shot. The Flyers don’t score particularly well and while thier defense is good it is not great. Montreal’s young goalie will probably give away a game, but the Habs offensive will eventually overpower the Flyers. Habs in Six
- Rangers vs. Penguins The Penguins just might be the best tam in the East right now. The big question is how much the long layoff has hurt them, though that is ususally overrated. The Penguins have a lot of firepower, but they also play solid defense and have, at least, above average goal-tending. They wont be pushed around by the Rangers and they will have to many offensive weapons for the Rangers to cope with. The Rangers might have the goalie playing better right now, but even if they do, the difference wont be enough. Penguins in Six
Western Conference Semi-Finals
- Avalanche Vs. Red Wings This should be a great series. These are both tough, veteran teams with a decent amount of firepower. They are both solid on the blue lines and have forwards who will score regardless of how much abuse they have to take to do it. There is a lot of bad blood between the franchises and so the games should be tight and exciting, filled with big hits and big plays. Much has been made of how old the Avs best players are, but I think Foresberg in particular is rounding into mid-season shape. In the end, I think that this comes down to goal-tending. Osgood had a nice last couple f games agaisnt the Predatos, but they played a good chunk of that time without there best offensive weapon. Considering that Osgood is a not-quite great goaltender and that Theodore is playing like a great goalie, and I think the edge has to go to the Avs. Avs in Seven
- Stars vs. Sharks Earlier I said that the Sharks were playing the best hockey in the league. Either the Flames were playing the second-best hockey in the league or the Sharks were exposed a bit. I think the Sharks were exposed a bit, but I also think they found their form in the last couple of games. Dallas is a little bit under rated, I think. The addition of Richardson (who should have been a Blackhawk, damn it) has made their offense more effective and they are a solid defensive team with solid goal-tending. But they are just a solid team; when the Sharsk starting clicking, though, they are just this side of unstoppable. Sharks in Six
April 24th, 2008
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General, Sports, NHL |
2 comments
Ann VanderMeer knows …
Mermaid - A: “No, for the obvious reasons.” EM: “What if you marry one? Is that kosher? Will a rabbi marry you?” A: “Kosher is a term about eating, not about sex.” EM: “I’m not talking about sex–I’m talking about marriage!” A: “If the mermaid is Jewish, the rabbi will probably marry you. But only if you’re Jewish too. But you’ll definitely have to find the right rabbi…”
Mongolian Death Worm - A: “No, because you cannot eat anything that crawls on its belly.” EM: “Does that mean an injured kosher animal that is crawling along isn’t kosher any more?” A: “Yes, because you can’t eat an animal that’s been injured or is sick.” EM: “It’s a wonder you haven’t all starved to death.”
April 21st, 2008
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General, Culture, Humor |
no comments
I have hardly ever agreed with McCain on the issues, but I don’t think I have every held him in contempt. Until now
Disappointingly, Sen. John McCain, presumptive Republican candidate for president, so far declines to back the measure. He seems to be responding to concerns of the military brass that enhanced educational opportunities could negatively affect retention rates. Not only is it wrong to want people to stay in the military because they have no alternatives, but such thinking ignores the advantages enhanced educational benefits offer in recruitment. To meet recruitment goals, the military has offered bonuses and lowered some of its standards. Imagine being able instead to promise possible recruits a first-class college education.
these are combat veterans we are talking about. We owe these men and women every bit of help adjusting back to civilian life we can possibly give them and we certainly owe them the chance to improve their station in life. Unlike McCain, not every vet is going to be able to marry an heiress. But McCain doesn’t support this bill? Why: becasue he thinks it will hurt retention. McCain is afraid that if we actually reward soldiers who have risked their lives in the service of their country that they wont have any incentive to stay for extra tours.
McCain is afraid, at the end of the day, that if we treat our veterans with the decency they deserve and provide them with the opportunities due them from a grateful nation that he won’t have enough soldiers left to stay in Iraq for a hundred years or fight the wars he apparently confuses with “national greatness”. And so tough luck boys and girls: Johnny McCain needs you back on the front lines, not home with your families and certainly to in a college classroom backing a better life for you and yours.
April 21st, 2008
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Politics |
one comment
My Lord, that was awful. The first hour contained not a single question on any matter of policy. Not one. They asked about flag pins for crying out loud. They asked no questions, as far as I could tell, about the torture memos, about FISA, about health care, about deregulation, about the housing mortgage crisis, the world food crisis, global warming, al Qaeda or Pakistan. Not only did Gibson frame is economic question entirely in the terms of the discredit supply-side economics, he then argued with the candidates about their answers! They gave each person one minute to talk about gas prices! This was the worst debate I can remember watching. It was a complete travesty, a two hour object lesson in the complete and utter collapse of American media.
April 16th, 2008
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General, Politics |
3 comments
Geoff Davis, Republican from Kentucky, callled Obama a boy:
“I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button,” Davis said. “He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”
Then, when the furor erupted, he “apologized”:
My poor choice of words is regrettable and was in no way meant to impugn you or your integrity. I offer my sincere apology to you and ask for your forgiveness.
Though we may disagree on many issues, I know that we share the goal of a prosperous, secure future for our nation. My comment has detracted from the dialogue that we should all be having on legitimate policy differences and in no way reflects the personal and professional respect I have for you.
Notice what is missing? An apology for calling Obama “boy”. Boy, in that context, is a racist remark, period. Boy is what people in the South say when they want to say n*gger but don’t want to get called on it. It is as racist as it is possible to be, and yet Davis did not apologize for it. Lee Atwater would have been proud: not only did Davis blow the dog whistle but he then refused to mute it by apologizing for it.
This is going to be an ugly campaign. The GOP clearly intends to yell “n*gger, n*gger” or “b*tch, b*tch” for the entire campaign in a desperate attempt to divert attention away from the complete mess they have made of the country. If they did not, McCain wouldn’t have chuckled when the a questioner called Clinton a b*tch. If they did not, McCain would have fired the staffer that spread the email rumors about Obama instead of just suspending him/her. If they did not, Davis would have actually apologized for his use of racist terminology. But none of that happened.
Expect it tog et worse, folks. This kind of base “us and them” destructiveness is all they have left and they obviously feel no shame in using it.
April 15th, 2008
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General, Politics, Culture |
82 comments
I did not see all of the forum, so I something may have happened that would change this opinion, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the “compassion forum” CNN held last night. It seemed to me that the quality of the answers, if not necessarily the questions, was much, much better than during a normal debate. Debates have denigrated into a series of stupid “gotcha” questions and talking point regurgitation that very often have little to do with the actual issues facing the country. I think the format allowed for much more detailed, thoughtful responses that you usually find in a political setting. Yes, it did seem at times that Clinton was filibustering, but there did seem to be less pre-canned responses and fewer talking points. I would really like to see a couple more of these kids of discussion on different topics. I think a forum like this on foreign affairs, science, and the economy could be very useful.
April 14th, 2008
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General, Politics |
3 comments
The Sunday “spring has sprung but why is it so cold?” edition of the TennViews weekly blog roundup showcasing the best bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about…
• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Add my voice to the “Bredesen Blew It” Chorus: Disappointing is becoming a real habit for you.
• 55-40 Memphis: Scary: In fact, some days I’m not absolutely certain he’s black, but I’ll take Obama’s word for it.
• Aunt B.: Why Does Nashville Have Such a High Incarceration Rate?: So, why is our jail a quarter full of illegal immigrants and Memphis’s jail not?
• BlountViews (yellowdog): TDOT Still Backwards After All These Years: The TDOT people and the consultants they hire are stuck in old and irrelevant system of transportation planning rules, and it will take public outcry and active engagement at the level of the regional transportation planning organizations (TPOs) to change it.
• Carole Borges: Mandated health insurance causing problems in MA: One thing we certainly don’t need in America is another law that involves the government making choices for citizens. The crisis in MA should make people stop and think before they jump on the mandated health insurance bandwagon. It just might be going nowhere.
• The Crone Speaks: Uninsurance Third Leading Cause of Death for Near-Elderly: How many people should die because they don’t have health insurance, before we recognize the need for a Medicare for All program?
• Cup of Joe Powell: Devilish Details In TN Cable Franchise Legislation: But it’s rather obvious the state legislature has crafted a plan to serve the needs of business first and residents second. Given the solemn claim by Tennessee House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh to push this plan through, your voice and the voices of other Tennessee residents has little impact, and this proposal will likely become the law in Tennessee.
• Don Williams: As KnoxVoice reinvents herself, so am I: I’m optimistic or naive enough to believe our old world and country are headed for a gentler blooming. Springtime is the season for hope, renewal, for celebrating touchstones and anniversaries.
• The Donkey’s Mouth: One more reason why Lincoln looks strong in ‘08: It does seem fishy that Lankford lives outside of the district and will probably be self-financed. A New York Times article, “Short of Funds, GOP recruits rich to run,” talks about the significant dearth of fundraising and legitimate recruits at the RNC.
• Enclave: Senate’s Foreclosure Prevention Act Forecloses on Families: Once again, in a crisis the U.S. Senate is going to come down on the side of the people who are hurting least in the housing industry. And as Republicans, the Senators of Tennessee can do no other.
• Fletch: Lackluster and Luster
• KnoxViews: State funded luxury hunting lodge audit findings: Apparently, most of the funds have gone to build a luxury hunting lodge and payment of Bittle’s salary. (Bittle sponsored the bill that created the specialty license plate and directed the proceeds to his foundation while he was a member of the Tennessee House.) The state audit recommends changes to state law to require better accounting of how such funds are spent.
• Lean Left: Lean Left: They have violated laws and common decency with impunity. They will probably get away with it — our press refuses to cover it and our Democratic leadership refuses to act. Plus: Petraeus and Crocker: Iraq Wrong War with No Way Out
• Left of the Dial: No Thanks: I received an offer to interview either Sean Astin or John Grisham tomorrow about their support of Hillary Clinton. I passed. I’m all for Hillary but, sorry, no free ad time.
• Left Wing Cracker: Stunning news from the Election Commission: This changes everything, folks, stay tuned…
• Liberadio: This week’s Liberadio(!) podcast You know what else John McCain’s not so strong on? Giving Martin Luther King his props., plus more.
• Loose TN Canon: Colin Powell supports Iraq withdrawal and praises Obama
• NewsComa: Meeting Mike Padgett: an extensive report
• Progressive Nashville: Closed-minded legislators: The Tennessee legislature, which has spent an inordinate amount of time this session trying to close records and operate in secret, is at it again with a plan to make it more difficult to obtain public records. Plus: Thompson floated as veep
• Resonance: “Success” In Iraq: Here’s my definition…
• RoaneViews: A Letter to Tommy Kilby, and His response: Don’t exclude “limited resource waters” from “waters” of the state
• Russ McBee: On the Olympic torch protests: Although the Olympics are supposed to be beyond politics and are supposed to rise above international disputes, the Chinese government itself is assuring that this cannot happen.
• Sean Braisted: Alexander and “Big Oil”: Bob Tuke, in an appeal for contributions, takes Sen. Lamar Alexander to task for being in the pockets of “big oil”. Plus: DSCC Forgets Tennessee
• Sharon Cobb: Hey Tennessee, Jon Stewart is coming To Nashville, plus: Total Bullsh*t That Hillary Calls On Boycott Of Olympic Games Now: While I am in total agreement that the entire planet should boycott the Olympics in China, why didn’t Hillary Clinton call for a boycott before this week?
• Silence Isn’t Golden: Silence Isn’t Golden: The Bitter Irony: Of all of the faux outrage over Obama’s statement, this has got to be the most ironic. Plus: Define “Women’s Issues”
• Southern Beale: Gus Puryear: Still A CCA Crony: Why is Democrat Thurgood Marshall Jr. endorsing Gus Puryear, Bush’s controversial pick for the federal bench in Middle Tennessee? Plus: Energy Saved Is Energy Found
• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Governor Rendell (D-PA): Obama Should Pay Keith Olbermann, plus: Photos of NYC Protest Against Hillary-Hating Media Bias
• TennViews: TN Senate 08 wrinkle: Questions arise whether Overbey is qualified to be on the ballot v. Sen. Raymond Finney. Plus: Republicans defeat Rural Health Act.
• Vibinc: Free Ride: The Tennessee Bush Dogs are on their way to re-election, some with less opposition than others.
• Whites Creek Journal: George W. Bush Should Stay Away from the Olympics!: No, I’m not proposing a boycott… I just don’t want George W. Bush representing America any more. Plus: Stoopid Human Tricks: A close second behind coal burning in the stupid human tricks department is damming rivers.
• Women’s Health News: 1) Think About Sex. 2) Design Undies. 3) Win!
April 14th, 2008
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General, Bloggin |
no comments
In 2002, high ranking officials — including Rice, Cheney, Ashcroft, and Powell — met to approve torture tactics:
Highly placed sources said a handful of top advisers signed off on how the CIA would interrogate top al Qaeda suspects — whether they would be slapped, pushed, deprived of sleep or subjected to simulated drowning, called waterboarding.
The high-level discussions about these “enhanced interrogation techniques” were so detailed, these sources said, some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed — down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic.
The advisers were members of the National Security Council’s Principals Committee, a select group of senior officials who met frequently to advise President Bush on issues of national security policy.
At the time, the Principals Committee included Vice President Cheney, former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft.
As the national security adviser, Rice chaired the meetings, which took place in the White House Situation Room and were typically attended by most of the principals or their deputies.
…
Bush approved of those meetings and their objective:
“Well, we started to connect the dots, in order to protect the American people.” Bush told ABC New s White House correspondent Martha Raddatz. “And, yes, I’m aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved.”…
Bush said the ABC report about the Principals’ involvement was not so “startling.”
At the highest level of government torture was planned and approved. Not even the smallest detail of the torture was left unexplored. They went so far as to choreograph individual torture sessions. Can’t you just see Cheney sitting there, watching someone act out the torture of another person in exquisite detail, Cheney leaning forward intently, bit of drool at the corner of his mount, shrivillveled little heart beating harder and harder as the grotesque play was acted out in front of him?
These are the acts of war criminals, of miniature monsters. They have abandoned all morality n their desperate attempt to prove to themselves that they aren’t the pathetical little cowards they know themselves to be. They have violated laws and common decency with impunity. They will probably get away with it — our press refuses to cover it and our Democratic leadership refuses to act. But hiding our collective heads in the sand wont change a thing. These people are tin-pot thugs and they have acted in the most despicable and cowardly fashion. They know it, their supporters know it, the world knows and we aren’t going to forget it.
This is what it means to be a Bush supporter today: so terrified by Al Qaeda that they turned themselves into cut-rate Pinochets. I have said this before, but Al Qaeda has beaten these people. They are so afraid that they willingly abandon the best of America and behave exactly as Al Qaeda wants them to behave. Pathetic is a good word to describe them. So is evil.
April 13th, 2008
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General |
5 comments
Yes, I know that the games have started, but I swear I have no idea what their scores are. Hockey predictions with a dash of analyses:
EAST
- Bruins vs. Habs It is tempting, very tempting, to pick Boston. They just seem to have the kind of defense that can pull off this upset. And, frankly, the Habs haven’t impressed me when I have seen them play. Add in the rivalry and this seems lie a good upset special pick. Having said that, the Canadians are the top seed in the East, they have the best offense in the legue and they did demolish the Bruins this year, taking all eight games. Habs in 6
- Penguins vs. Senators Not much to say here: The Penguins can score almost t will and Ottawa has looked terrible the last couple of months. Which, of course, probably means that the Senators will win in four. The Senators did take four from the Penguins this season, but the Penguins are truly dangerous well rounded team. I am sticking with the odds here. Penguins in 6
- Capitals vs. Flyers This will be Ovechkin’s coming out party. He is on fire and the Flyers will try and skate up and down with the Capitals. They wont be able to. Capitals in 5
- Devils vs. RangersThis should be a good series. The rivalry is intense and the talent is pretty evenly matched. In fact, in head to head matches, the Rangers have dominated. The Devils just don’t seem to be able to score and they came into the playoffs reeling. Brodeur could get super hot and carry them, but I don’t think even he is enough to overcome the obvious offenses deficiencies of the Devils.Rangers in 7
WEST
- Red Wings vs. Predators I know the Predators have been an amazing story, and I personally hope they do well and so justify keeping the team in Nashville. And I know that the red Wings are banged up. But the red Wings are still more talented and deep than the Predators. I just don’t see Detroit going out here. Red Wings in 6
- Sharks vs. Flames I want the Flames to win — I have a soft spot for Canadian underdogs in the NHL — but it just won’t happen. The Sharks are probably the best team in the league right now and the Flames, well, let’s just say they aren’t. Sharks in 4
- Wild vs. Avalanche These are two pretty evenly matched teams, with the Wild’s division title the reason for the gap in seeding. However, the Avalanche now have Forsberg and Forsberg in the playoffs will probably be enough to get the Avalanche past a rather average Wild team.Avalanche in 6
- Ducks vs. Stars The Ducks play a style that its fans call gritty and everyone else calls loathsome. The Stars have not finished well, but they got Richardson for the express purpose of being the difference in the playoffs. I think he will be. I think that the Stars will have just enough offense, Turco will be slightly better than the Giguere, and the Stars will be able to contain the secondary players and that means the Ducks wont have enough offense to pull out the series.Stars in 7
There you have it. If you bet based on these predictions you will lose all of your money and I will laugh at you.
UPDATE: I have no idea why I wrote Canucks instead of Flames. See, I told you the analysis would be wrong.
April 9th, 2008
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General, Sports, NHL |
5 comments
That was horribly depressing testimony yesterday. Crocker and Petraeus might have tried to put a sunny spin on the matter, but at the the end of the day the only thing you conclude was that the US is fighting in the wrong place and doesn’t have the first clue how to get itself out of this mess.
When Ambassador Crocker was asked which Al Qaeda group he would consider most important to eliminate, the real Al Qaeda or the splinter group Al Qaeda in Iraq, he choose the real Al Qaeda in Pakistan:
SEN. BIDEN: Mr. Ambassador, is Al Qaeda a greater threat to US interests in Iraq, or in the Afghan-Pakistan border region?
AMB. CROCKER: Mr. Chairman, Al Qaeda is a strategic threat to the United States wherever it is, in my view–
SEN. BIDEN: Where is most of it? If you could take it out? You had a choice: Lord almighty came down and sat in the middle of the table there and said ‘Mr. Ambassador you can eliminate every Al Qaeda source in Afghanistan and Pakistan, or every Al Qaeda personnel in Iraq,’ which would you pick?
AMB. CROCKER: Well given the progress that has been made again Al Qaeda in Iraq, the significant decrease in its capabilities, the fact that it is solidly on the defensive, and not in a position of–
SEN. BIDEN: Which would you pick, Mr. Ambassador?
AMB. CROCKER: I would therefore pick Al Qaeda in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area.
SEN BIDEN: That would be a smart choice.
Crocker tried to make it seem as if we have struck a massive blow against Al Qaeda in Iraq and so we could now turn our attention to Pakistan/Afghanistan. Some war defenders may rush to use that hedging as support for the notion that even if Crocker admits that iraq is not the central front in the war against Al Qaeda that it once was. That, of course, is nonsense. Al Qaeda in Iraq did not exist until we invaded so it could not have been an important front in the fight against Al Qaeda until our own stupidity allowed Al Qaeda the opportunity to make it so. And if Crocker is right, if we have had significant enough success against Al Qaeda in Iraq that we are free to turn our attention to Pakistan, why, precisely, is there still so much violence in Iraq? It must be because of other factions, factions that have nothing to do with Al Qaeda in Iraq. But both Crocker and Patreaus said we cannot leave Iraq, so, by Crocker’s own words, Iraq is a colossal distraction from the real fight: Al Qaeda.
Crocker admitting that Iraq is preventing us form dealign with and defeating Al Qaeda is bad enough, but Petraeus and Crocker had even worse news In essence, they have no idea what victory would look like. When Asked by Senator Clinton what victory would look like, General Petraeus gave this rambling answer:
With respect to the conditions, Senator, what we have is a number of factors that we will consider by area as we look at where we can make recommendations for further reductions beyond the reduction of the surge forces that will be complete in July. These factors are fairly clear. There’s obviously an enemy situation factor, there’s a friendly situation factor with respect to Iraqi forces, local governance, even economic and political dynamics, all of which are considered as the factors in making recommendations on further reductions.
Having said that, I have to say that again it’s not a mathematical exercise. There’s not an equation in which you have co- efficients in front of each of these factors. It’s not as mechanical as that. At the end of the day, it really involves commanders sitting down, also with their Iraqi counterparts and leaders in a particular area, and assessing where it is that you can reduce your forces so you can, again, make a recommendation to make further reductions.
And that’s the process, again.
He cannot say what conditions would trigger a draw down of troops — apparently his field commanders would just one day magically know that everything was friendship and light and flowering ponies and they could all go home. Saying now what that magical land of happy-happy would look like is, apparently, impossible. Just trust in the Mighty Power of the Patraeus and He will come down from the mountain and present us with the Ten Dates For Withdrawal.
Crocker was just as bad. When asked by Senator Obama what constituted success, Crocker replied:
CROCKER: And that’s because, Senator, is a — I mean, I don’t like to sound like a broken record, but this is hard and this is complicated.
I think that when Iraq gets to the point that it can carry forward its further development without a major commitment of U.S. forces, with still a lot of problems out there but where they and we would have a fair certitude that, again, they can drive it forward themselves without significant danger of having the whole thing slip away from them again, then, clearly, our profile, our presence diminishes markedly.
But that’s not where we are now.
Again the double talk: we will leave when things are good but we cannot tell you right now how things will look when things look good. Success in Iraq is just like pornography: it is whatever Republicans are pointing to when they say “victory”.
But it gets even worse. When Senator Levin specifically asked Petraeus what the number of troops would be at the end of the year if everything goes according to his plan, Petraeus could not answer:
LEVIN: Now, next question, if all goes well — if all goes well, what would be the approximate number of our troops there at the end of the year?
Let’s assume conditions permitted things to move quickly. What, in your estimate, would be the approximate number of American troops there at the end of the year?
Can you give us a — just say if you can’t give us an estimate.
PETRAEUS: Sir, I can’t — I can’t give you an estimate on that.
LEVIN: All right. You’re not going to give us an estimate on that.
They don’t have a plan beyond hope. If they had areal plan, they would be trumpeting it and would take every opportunity to tell a disgusted and worried American public “here, here is what the end looks like and here is how we intend to get there.” Crocker and Petraeus bobbed and weaved like Ali in his prime every time someone tried to get them define success and victory. People who know where they are going aren’t afraid of questions about the destination. Clearly, all they have is the vague hope that if they hang around long enough, things will somehow sort themselves out.
By the end of the day Crocker and Petraeus had made it clear that the war in Iraq was not keeping the country safer, they don’t really have any idea what they are trying to accomplish in Iraq but we cannot leave no matter the cost until they have accomplished the accomplishment that they cnanot define.
April 9th, 2008
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General, Politics, Iraq, Terrorism, Iran |
10 comments
TennViews has put together a directory of every candidate that they are aware of running for state office in the state of Tennessee. It is a great resource if you live in the state or are interested in Tennessee politics.
April 7th, 2008
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General |
one comment
I don’t have a lot of time, but I wanted to say something today. Forty years ago, Dr. King was assasinated in Memphis, TN. The country lost perhaps its greatest citizen (even if John McCain couldn’t see that in 1983) and a sure moral compass at a time when it needed that compass desperately. We are a worse country than we would be because we lost Dr. King too soon.
Something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee — the cry is always the same: “We want to be free.”
We don’t have to argue with anybody. We don’t have to curse and go around acting bad with our words. We don’t need any bricks and bottles. We don’t need any Molotov cocktails. We just need to go around to these stores, and to these massive industries in our country, and say, “God sent us by here, to say to you that you’re not treating his children right. And we’ve come by here to ask you to make the first item on your agenda fair treatment, where God’s children are concerned. Now, if you are not prepared to do that, we do have an agenda that we must follow. And our agenda calls for withdrawing economic support from you.”
And so, as a result of this, we are asking you tonight, to go out and tell your neighbors not to buy Coca-Cola in Memphis. Go by and tell them not to buy Sealtest milk. Tell them not to buy — what is the other bread? — Wonder Bread. And what is the other bread company, Jesse? Tell them not to buy Hart’s bread. As Jesse Jackson has said, up to now, only the garbage men have been feeling pain; now we must kind of redistribute the pain. We are choosing these companies because they haven’t been fair in their hiring policies; and we are choosing them because they can begin the process of saying they are going to support the needs and the rights of these men who are on strike. And then they can move on town — downtown and tell Mayor Loeb to do what is right.
And then I got into Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?
Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop.
And I don’t mind.
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!
And so I’m happy, tonight.
I’m not worried about anything.
I’m not fearing any man!
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!
April 4th, 2008
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General, Culture, Race |
2 comments
The “evidence” for this was always rather weak and now the very mechanism by which it was supposed to happen has been pretty strongly shown to be incorrect:
The Svensmark hypothesis is that when the solar wind is weak, more cosmic rays penetrate to Earth.
That creates more charged particles in the atmosphere, which in turn induces more clouds to form, cooling the climate.
The planet warms up when the Sun’s output is strong.
Professor Sloan’s team investigated the link by looking for periods in time and for places on the Earth which had documented weak or strong cosmic ray arrivals, and seeing if that affected the cloudiness observed in those locations or at those times.
“For example; sometimes the Sun ‘burps’ - it throws out a huge burst of charged particles,” he explained to BBC News.
“So we looked to see whether cloud cover increased after one of these bursts of rays from the Sun; we saw nothing.”
Over the course of one of the Sun’s natural 11-year cycles, there was a weak correlation between cosmic ray intensity and cloud cover - but cosmic ray variability could at the very most explain only a quarter of the changes in cloudiness.
And for the following cycle, no correlation was found.
The kicker? It never made any bloody sense to begin with:
The Svensmark hypothesis has also been attacked in recent months by Mike Lockwood from the UK’s Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory.He showed that over the last 20 years, solar activity has been slowly declining, which should have led to a drop in global temperatures if the theory was correct.
New rationalization for ignoring human created climate change coming in 5 ..4 …3 …
April 3rd, 2008
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General, Politics, Climate Change |
26 comments
The Bush Administration apparently believed that the 4th amendment did not apply to military operations inside the country:
“Our office recently concluded that the Fourth Amendment had no application to domestic military operations,” the footnote states, referring to a document titled “Authority for Use of Military Force to Combat Terrorist Activities Within the United States.”
So, once again, the Bush Administration decided that they could ignore the Constitution as long as they took some minor, cosmetic step. Here is the Fourth Amendment:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
I don’t notice any qualification about which branch of the government people are supposed to be secure in their persons from. Again, the Bush Administration has chosen to steal powers from another branch of the government for the express purpose of making you less free. They hold democracy in contempt and seem to truly believe that they were elected as a Royal Court, able to do whatever struck their fancy. Defending them is simply not possible if one actually cares about things like liberty and democracy and personal freedom.
Someone should ask McCain exactly what he thinks of these memos. Let’s find out if his “National Greatness” means a monarch in the White House.
April 3rd, 2008
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Politics, Legal Issues |
3 comments
That is what the GOP thinks the President really is:
The Justice Department sent a legal memorandum to the Pentagon in 2003 asserting that federal laws prohibiting assault, maiming and other crimes did not apply to military interrogators who questioned al-Qaeda captives because the president’s ultimate authority as commander in chief overrode such statutes.
The notion that the President can ignore any law, break any treaty, abandon any restraint as long as he claims he is doing it in the name of national defense is repugnant to the conscience of any decent person and completely at odds with the foundational principles of democracy, liberty and our government. Defending this marks one as the most servile of men, so far gone in fear and hatred and the need for an illusionary father-figure to protect you from the dangers of the world as to render your opinion on how to handle anything more dangerous than a housefly meaningless. Alternately, I suppose you could just be a monster, a person who so revels in the notion of causing others pain that he would throw away three centuries of hard-earned wisdom about the nature of governments and power and freedom to ensure that he could go to bed a night assured that someone was being tortured on his his behalf somewhere.
And save your pixels if you wish to inform me that I am being mean or contemptuous. I am being mean and contemptuous. Contempt is the least of what is owed people who order such practices and people who defend such practices. One of the clearest lessons of history is that unchecked, unsupervised, unaccountable power is the death of individual liberty and personal freedom. Our Revolution was fought over the exercise of just such unchecked powers and our constitution was specifically designed to prevent anyone from accruing unchecked powers under any circumstances. But the Bush Administration and its disgusting little toadies like John Yoo are perfectly content to throw away all of that accumulated wisdom and the modern conservative movement is perfectly willing to defend them. Why, Dear God, am I supposed to treat this frontal assault on the core principles of democracy with respect?
These people have declared war on the very underpinnings of freedom and democracy. They have advocated a legal regime that would have made George III and Pinochet nod their heads in approval. They argue that a President can do anything he wants to anyone one he wants anywhere in the world he wants as long as he says the magic words “national security” first. They want to elevate the President to a kind of elected dictator and give him powers that would make a 17th century European Monarch giggle with glee. When I call these people servile, disgusting, and enemies of justice, morality, decency and democracy I am not insulting them. I am describing them.
April 2nd, 2008
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General, Politics, Legal Issues, Torture |
24 comments
Imagine a man on vacation, riding an ordinary bus on his way to the ordinary airport where and ordinary airplane is waiting to take him back to his ordinary life. Imagine that the bus tops, short of the ordinary airport, and this man is taken off the bus by an ordinary police officer. But the ordinary police officer has an extra-ordinary reason for taking the man: a cash bonus for every “terrorist” he turns in. Imagine the ordinary man riding, in chains, on a quite extraordinary airplane to a prison where he is kept outside, in the freezing cold and asked daily about things no ordinary man knows of. Where are the terrorists? What are their plans? Who do you know and what are you training to do?
Imagine that our ordinary friend is tortured on a regular basis, so that the torture becomes ordinary. Hung from his arms for days at a time. Beaten with his head underwater so that he is forced to inhale water. Electrocuted so that his body went numb. All to find out the extraordinary things our ordinary man does not and could never have known.
Imagine being sent to another prison, where the ordinary rules of justice and decency don’t apply. Imagine the very extraordinary notion of not being allowed to talk to a lawyer, of never being charged with a crime, of being beaten and deprived of sleep and human company on a regular basis. Imagine police forces — three of them — outside the walls of the prison doing the very ordinary investigations and coming to the unanimous conclusion that our ordinary man is, indeed, an ordinary man with no connection to terrorism at all. Imagine our ordinary man kept in that extraordinary prison, where they beat and freeze and mistreat him to find the answers to questions the police already know he cannot answer, for three and one half years after the police have made that determination. Imagine being let go only after the head of the man’s government personally asked for his release. Imagine the ordinary man being asked to sign a confession stating that he is, indeed, a terrorist as he is being escorted home.
When Kafka wrote about a man caught in a court system that would not tell him what he was imprisoned for an did not give him an opportunity to defend himself against the charges, they called him a surrealist and turned his name into an adjective to describe the peculiar horror he wrote about. Today, that horror is an every day part of the official policy of the government of the United States of America. The government, egged on by people who, in their fear or their racism or their innate viciousness, apologized for torture and threw away concepts like innocent until proven guilty and habeas corpus and independent oversight, abused its power. Imagine that.
March 31st, 2008
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Politics, Legal Issues, Torture |
4 comments
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