Sometimes a group becomes so unhinged that you're not sure whether to laugh or cry.
For example, a blogger at the conservative The National Review decided to compare Sen. Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler.
Many other elements of the far right (like this guy) have compared Obama to Hitler's appeaser, British prime minister Neville Chamberlain.
Hysterical and historically inaccurate invocations of Chamberlain are the militarists' fallback position when they don't have a real argument to make, which is, of course, most of the time.
But you have to be amused (or frightened) at the intellectual dexterity of a group that can compare someone to both Hitler and Chamberlain without the slightest hint of irony.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
More legalized corruption in NYS
If you support a progressive agenda, then support a progressive candidate.
Less than a month after stepping down as majority leader of New York's Senate and less than a week after retiring from the legislature, Joe Bruno parlayed his influence as the most powerful Republican in the state into a cushy new job. The Glens Falls native has been hired as chief executive of CMA Consulting Services, a company which provides information technology to many clients... including the state of New York.
I thought the legislature passed some rule a few years ago requiring that retired legislators wait a certain amount of time before becoming a lobbyist or taking a job that otherwise does business with the state. I guess I was wrong.
Maybe he needs the money to pay for lawyers related to the ongoing FBI investigation into his business dealings.
Joe Bruno has already diverted enough of our tax dollars toward gargantuan corporate welfare giveaways and grandiose projects like a baseball stadium named after himself, I guess he wants to start putting some of it directly in his own pocket.
This sort of legalized influence peddling is precisely what helps make Albany home the most dysfunctional state legislature in the country.
Update: I neglected to mention that the other key figure in this company is the wife of the late state Sen. Ron Stafford, one of the most influential North Country legislators of the last half century and probably the only person in state history who delivered more pork than Bruno himself.
Less than a month after stepping down as majority leader of New York's Senate and less than a week after retiring from the legislature, Joe Bruno parlayed his influence as the most powerful Republican in the state into a cushy new job. The Glens Falls native has been hired as chief executive of CMA Consulting Services, a company which provides information technology to many clients... including the state of New York.
I thought the legislature passed some rule a few years ago requiring that retired legislators wait a certain amount of time before becoming a lobbyist or taking a job that otherwise does business with the state. I guess I was wrong.
Maybe he needs the money to pay for lawyers related to the ongoing FBI investigation into his business dealings.
Joe Bruno has already diverted enough of our tax dollars toward gargantuan corporate welfare giveaways and grandiose projects like a baseball stadium named after himself, I guess he wants to start putting some of it directly in his own pocket.
This sort of legalized influence peddling is precisely what helps make Albany home the most dysfunctional state legislature in the country.
Update: I neglected to mention that the other key figure in this company is the wife of the late state Sen. Ron Stafford, one of the most influential North Country legislators of the last half century and probably the only person in state history who delivered more pork than Bruno himself.
'Europe's bin Laden' arrested
I receive CNN news alerts in my email. Most of their 'breaking news' stuff is celebrity titter or vapid political chit chat of the kind that suffocates cable news. Every once in a while, though, a story comes out that truly makes my jaw drop.
The man known by some as the Bin Laden of Europe, and the world's most infamous fugitive, has been arrested. Former Bosnian Serb president and indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic was detained yesterday by Serbian authorities after almost 13 years of avoiding capture.
Additionally, the man accused of being the mastermind of the worst atrocities of the 1990s Balkans' wars has reportedly been ordered by a Serbian judge to be sent to the UN tribunal in The Hague.
According to the BBC, Karadzic was practising alternative medicine and living in Serbia's capital, Belgrade and was sporting what one Serb official called a "very convincing disguise".
Whether this is true or just an excuse for why he was free for so long, the fact remains that Karadzic's arrest is one of the most significant steps forward for the nascent international justice system, especially in the wake of the indictments recently handed out against Sudan's dictator. Just as importantly, it is vindication for Karadzic's many victims.
It is also an important step by the Serbian state that had faced years of international criticism for not aggressively pursuing Karadzic and his military commander Gen. Ratko Mladic (who remains free and an indicted war criminal). It is noteworthy that Karadzic was arrested not by UN forces but by the Serbian security forces.
It is a courageous move by Serbian president Boris Tadic, especially considering the fate of his friend and predecessor. Then-prime minister Zoran Djindic was assassinated after sending Slobodan Milosevic to the Hague Tribunal.
The man known by some as the Bin Laden of Europe, and the world's most infamous fugitive, has been arrested. Former Bosnian Serb president and indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic was detained yesterday by Serbian authorities after almost 13 years of avoiding capture.
Additionally, the man accused of being the mastermind of the worst atrocities of the 1990s Balkans' wars has reportedly been ordered by a Serbian judge to be sent to the UN tribunal in The Hague.
According to the BBC, Karadzic was practising alternative medicine and living in Serbia's capital, Belgrade and was sporting what one Serb official called a "very convincing disguise".
Whether this is true or just an excuse for why he was free for so long, the fact remains that Karadzic's arrest is one of the most significant steps forward for the nascent international justice system, especially in the wake of the indictments recently handed out against Sudan's dictator. Just as importantly, it is vindication for Karadzic's many victims.
It is also an important step by the Serbian state that had faced years of international criticism for not aggressively pursuing Karadzic and his military commander Gen. Ratko Mladic (who remains free and an indicted war criminal). It is noteworthy that Karadzic was arrested not by UN forces but by the Serbian security forces.
It is a courageous move by Serbian president Boris Tadic, especially considering the fate of his friend and predecessor. Then-prime minister Zoran Djindic was assassinated after sending Slobodan Milosevic to the Hague Tribunal.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Amateur hour
I've written before about amateur hour over at the building on Cooper and Lawrence Streets in Glens Falls, but The Post-Star's blunders keep on coming. There are times when I wonder if there are copy editors at the paper or if the journalists' work just gets published without being looked at by another set of eyes.
From a report about a local college league baseball game:
It was the kind of moment Glens Falls Golden Eagles left fielder Jonathan White has always dreamed of: his team down a run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the bases loaded.
Every instinct in his body was screaming to go for the deep bomb -- two high foul tips into the bleachers showed that.
But sometimes in the game of baseball, not swinging the bat can be just as powerful.
Facing a full count, White allowed the final pitch to blow by for the fourth ball and the win.
It may not this player's dream to score two runs with a walk, but it's pretty darned impressive feat.
Too bad that it's also impossible.
Then you have this piece on the case of the missing local boy Jaliek Rainwalker.
The subtitle: Maternal grandmother pleads not guilty after arrest
The first line of the story: The adoptive grandmother of Jaliek Rainwalker was charged with burglary Tuesday for going into the missing boy's home last week without permission.
So is this woman the maternal or adoptive grandmother of the boy?
From a report about a local college league baseball game:
It was the kind of moment Glens Falls Golden Eagles left fielder Jonathan White has always dreamed of: his team down a run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the bases loaded.
Every instinct in his body was screaming to go for the deep bomb -- two high foul tips into the bleachers showed that.
But sometimes in the game of baseball, not swinging the bat can be just as powerful.
Facing a full count, White allowed the final pitch to blow by for the fourth ball and the win.
It may not this player's dream to score two runs with a walk, but it's pretty darned impressive feat.
Too bad that it's also impossible.
Then you have this piece on the case of the missing local boy Jaliek Rainwalker.
The subtitle: Maternal grandmother pleads not guilty after arrest
The first line of the story: The adoptive grandmother of Jaliek Rainwalker was charged with burglary Tuesday for going into the missing boy's home last week without permission.
So is this woman the maternal or adoptive grandmother of the boy?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Localism is the way to go
Last night, Crandall Public Library and Red Fox Books (along with goodies provided by Rock Hill Bakehouse) hosted an interesting talk with author Bill McKibben.
The author, who lives in Vermont and the Adirondacks, spoke about his new book Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future.
McKibben talked about how global climate change and increasing strain on resources is going to require the economy, both in the US and worldwide, to regain a more local emphasis. The massive scales of production that have driven economic growth especially in the last half century is more and more unsustainable. He cited the rise of the localism movement as an example of the sort of paradigm shift that's going to be required on a much larger scale.
He said that while smaller actions, like changing light bulbs, carry a useful symbolism, fighting climate change before it's too late for humans will require a concerted governmental effort. And he opined that it was necessary to build a mass popular movement to force that governmental action. McKibben highlighted the website 350.org as part of a way to build that grassroots movement.
Interestingly, the author pointed out that while the percentage of Americans who described themselves as 'happy' peaked in 1956. The standard of living has increased significantly in that time, at least by the traditional economics-only measurements, so this illustrates just how much we've degraded our environment to achieve it. More stuff, less enjoyment. Unlivable cities and unsustainable suburbs aren't a good combination.
Updates: In related stories, a Los Angeles Times' op-ed wonders if California's water crisis will lead to the end of the its ubiquitous sprawl and, by extension, what has become the state's way of life.
Matt's Biased Commentary blog offers a link to recipes that can be made with stuff from your local farmers' market.
The Albany Times-Union has a story on the increasing commutes in New York's Capital District and the effects it's having on locals. This is part of the daily's series on the area's suburban sprawl.
The author, who lives in Vermont and the Adirondacks, spoke about his new book Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future.
McKibben talked about how global climate change and increasing strain on resources is going to require the economy, both in the US and worldwide, to regain a more local emphasis. The massive scales of production that have driven economic growth especially in the last half century is more and more unsustainable. He cited the rise of the localism movement as an example of the sort of paradigm shift that's going to be required on a much larger scale.
He said that while smaller actions, like changing light bulbs, carry a useful symbolism, fighting climate change before it's too late for humans will require a concerted governmental effort. And he opined that it was necessary to build a mass popular movement to force that governmental action. McKibben highlighted the website 350.org as part of a way to build that grassroots movement.
Interestingly, the author pointed out that while the percentage of Americans who described themselves as 'happy' peaked in 1956. The standard of living has increased significantly in that time, at least by the traditional economics-only measurements, so this illustrates just how much we've degraded our environment to achieve it. More stuff, less enjoyment. Unlivable cities and unsustainable suburbs aren't a good combination.
Updates: In related stories, a Los Angeles Times' op-ed wonders if California's water crisis will lead to the end of the its ubiquitous sprawl and, by extension, what has become the state's way of life.
Matt's Biased Commentary blog offers a link to recipes that can be made with stuff from your local farmers' market.
The Albany Times-Union has a story on the increasing commutes in New York's Capital District and the effects it's having on locals. This is part of the daily's series on the area's suburban sprawl.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The dingbat of the week award goes to...
... North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole for trying to name an HIV-AIDS relief bill after her predecessor, the late Jesse Helms.
Bear in mind, this was the same progressive-minded Sen. Helms who uttered such pearls of wisdom as "There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy" and who opposed re-funding of an anti-AIDS program because they got sick via their "deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct."
The "revolting conduct" committed by the 12 year old boy after whom the program was named was receiving a tainted blood transfusion.
This is the paragon of progressive thinking on AIDS that Sen. Dole wants to honor.
Then again, in a world where George W. Bush can be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize....
Bear in mind, this was the same progressive-minded Sen. Helms who uttered such pearls of wisdom as "There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy" and who opposed re-funding of an anti-AIDS program because they got sick via their "deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct."
The "revolting conduct" committed by the 12 year old boy after whom the program was named was receiving a tainted blood transfusion.
This is the paragon of progressive thinking on AIDS that Sen. Dole wants to honor.
Then again, in a world where George W. Bush can be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize....
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The non-political entry
TRIPPING
I was just tabbing up my bike usage and I've biked 1553 (excluding the last two days) in the last almost 13 months. That works out to about 5 miles a day which actually seems low but then you figure that it takes into account the several months of winter during which even when I do bike, it's minimal. During the good weather season, it works out to 7-8 miles a day typically.
Perhaps more interestingly is that I've biked during 311 of the last 384 days. The 73 non-biking days (about 19 percent) is pretty good considering that it takes into account both the notoriously harsh upstate NY winters and rainy days.
***
NO WONDER THE FORESTS ARE DISAPPEARING
I work at a media company. There is so much paper wasted, it's unreal. A sports channel will basically waste 300 pages of paper and countless printer ink to say what I can summarize in one sentence: "Will air our sports news program every half hour all summer."
**
STEVE JOBS CAN LICK MY APPLES
I no longer have an iPhone. I was talking with a colleague of mine about my intention to get the new 3G iPhone when it came out. Not necessarily the instant it came out but shortly thereafter. He said he'd buy the old one off me.
There was a catch.
The new iPhone came out last Friday. He went on vacation last Wednesday. He badly wanted the iPhone to bring with him on his trip. He proposed lending me his girlfriend's phone for the few days until I got the new iPhone. Against my better judgment, I accepted. I had a gut feeling that it wasn't a good idea. Maybe I should've listened.
I got to the AT&T store at 9:30 on Friday. The place opened at 8:00 but I figured the line would be shorter at 9:30. By 10:00, they were sold out of their stock. The best part is that they had no idea when they were going to get more.
On Sunday, I went there again to try to see if they had a better idea of what was going on. They said the store would probably get another shipment "at some point" this week. But they added that they didn't think they'd last very long given all the phone calls they'd received about it.
They said if I wanted, I could special order one. This would guarantee me an iPhone... but it would take 3 weeks to fulfill... and I couldn't cancel the special order if a sufficient regular shipment came into the store.
In other circumstances, this would be a minor annoyance, not a big problem. Normally, I could just wait the few weeks. I'm not one of those guys who HAS to have every new toy the second it comes out.
But I'm using a borrowed cell phone. I'm sure my friend's girlfriend would want it back when they got back from vacation, not at some indeterminate point in the future.
The other, more serious problem is that, for whatever reason, I can't access my contacts or my calendar on it. I'd have to re-input them all on to the phone, which I'm loathe to do since it's a borrowed cell phone.
This is even more problematic since, again, I have absolutely no clue when I'd be able to get a new iPhone.
In fact, I even called every single AT&T store within a 50 mile radius on Friday afternoon and they were all out. The only exception was the Apple store in a mall in Albany but by Saturday morning (the earliest I could've gotten down there), they too were out. Again, none of them had a definitive idea when they were going to get more... or how many.
I decided to say screw it and ordered another phone instead.
It doesn't have the "cool" factor of the iPhone but it does most of the key stuff I need it and some other things I want that the iPhone doesn't. I would've preferred to stay with the iPhone but I was so pissed off at Apple and I didn't want to remain in limbo for who knows how long.
I love Apple as a concept. I love the edginess and their think outside the box mentality. But they also have a tendency to do so real dumbass things... things that make me think thrice about getting an Apple computer. And their idea of customer service makes the airlines look like paradise.
Apple is so maniacally proprietary that they often ending up shooting themselves in the foot. Their refusal to let anyone else work with the operating system is what led to the vastly inferior Microsoft Windows/PC model to become the dominant player in the computing arena and really made Apple almost irrelevant until the release of the iPod.
On a smaller level, the headphone jack for the original iPhone was slightly different than a regular jack, such that regular headphones would not work in it without an adapter.
Apple released the iPhone is something like 77 countries around the world at the same time AND released a major update for existing iPhone users... and were shocked (SHOCKED) that the iTunes server crashed almost immediately.
That combined with ridiculously low stocks for a product they had hyped massively and knew was going to be ridiculously popular is yet another example of piss poor planning on Apple's part.
And it cost them at least one customer.
Though I'm sure their too cool to care.
I was just tabbing up my bike usage and I've biked 1553 (excluding the last two days) in the last almost 13 months. That works out to about 5 miles a day which actually seems low but then you figure that it takes into account the several months of winter during which even when I do bike, it's minimal. During the good weather season, it works out to 7-8 miles a day typically.
Perhaps more interestingly is that I've biked during 311 of the last 384 days. The 73 non-biking days (about 19 percent) is pretty good considering that it takes into account both the notoriously harsh upstate NY winters and rainy days.
***
NO WONDER THE FORESTS ARE DISAPPEARING
I work at a media company. There is so much paper wasted, it's unreal. A sports channel will basically waste 300 pages of paper and countless printer ink to say what I can summarize in one sentence: "Will air our sports news program every half hour all summer."
**
STEVE JOBS CAN LICK MY APPLES
I no longer have an iPhone. I was talking with a colleague of mine about my intention to get the new 3G iPhone when it came out. Not necessarily the instant it came out but shortly thereafter. He said he'd buy the old one off me.
There was a catch.
The new iPhone came out last Friday. He went on vacation last Wednesday. He badly wanted the iPhone to bring with him on his trip. He proposed lending me his girlfriend's phone for the few days until I got the new iPhone. Against my better judgment, I accepted. I had a gut feeling that it wasn't a good idea. Maybe I should've listened.
I got to the AT&T store at 9:30 on Friday. The place opened at 8:00 but I figured the line would be shorter at 9:30. By 10:00, they were sold out of their stock. The best part is that they had no idea when they were going to get more.
On Sunday, I went there again to try to see if they had a better idea of what was going on. They said the store would probably get another shipment "at some point" this week. But they added that they didn't think they'd last very long given all the phone calls they'd received about it.
They said if I wanted, I could special order one. This would guarantee me an iPhone... but it would take 3 weeks to fulfill... and I couldn't cancel the special order if a sufficient regular shipment came into the store.
In other circumstances, this would be a minor annoyance, not a big problem. Normally, I could just wait the few weeks. I'm not one of those guys who HAS to have every new toy the second it comes out.
But I'm using a borrowed cell phone. I'm sure my friend's girlfriend would want it back when they got back from vacation, not at some indeterminate point in the future.
The other, more serious problem is that, for whatever reason, I can't access my contacts or my calendar on it. I'd have to re-input them all on to the phone, which I'm loathe to do since it's a borrowed cell phone.
This is even more problematic since, again, I have absolutely no clue when I'd be able to get a new iPhone.
In fact, I even called every single AT&T store within a 50 mile radius on Friday afternoon and they were all out. The only exception was the Apple store in a mall in Albany but by Saturday morning (the earliest I could've gotten down there), they too were out. Again, none of them had a definitive idea when they were going to get more... or how many.
I decided to say screw it and ordered another phone instead.
It doesn't have the "cool" factor of the iPhone but it does most of the key stuff I need it and some other things I want that the iPhone doesn't. I would've preferred to stay with the iPhone but I was so pissed off at Apple and I didn't want to remain in limbo for who knows how long.
I love Apple as a concept. I love the edginess and their think outside the box mentality. But they also have a tendency to do so real dumbass things... things that make me think thrice about getting an Apple computer. And their idea of customer service makes the airlines look like paradise.
Apple is so maniacally proprietary that they often ending up shooting themselves in the foot. Their refusal to let anyone else work with the operating system is what led to the vastly inferior Microsoft Windows/PC model to become the dominant player in the computing arena and really made Apple almost irrelevant until the release of the iPod.
On a smaller level, the headphone jack for the original iPhone was slightly different than a regular jack, such that regular headphones would not work in it without an adapter.
Apple released the iPhone is something like 77 countries around the world at the same time AND released a major update for existing iPhone users... and were shocked (SHOCKED) that the iTunes server crashed almost immediately.
That combined with ridiculously low stocks for a product they had hyped massively and knew was going to be ridiculously popular is yet another example of piss poor planning on Apple's part.
And it cost them at least one customer.
Though I'm sure their too cool to care.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Nader on domestic spying
If you support a progressive agenda, then support a progressive candidate.
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader gives his opinion on the Democratic Senate's approval of immunity for illegal activity committed by telecommunications companies and the expansion of domestic spying. Sen. Barack Obama supported this unconstitutional legislation.
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader gives his opinion on the Democratic Senate's approval of immunity for illegal activity committed by telecommunications companies and the expansion of domestic spying. Sen. Barack Obama supported this unconstitutional legislation.
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