Spudlets
October 30, 2003
Today's Bleat (why bother hyperlinking?) had the following:
"That dude's right," said junior "Spud" Williamson, wearing camouflage pants and purple spiked hair, about Dean's assertion that the extra $87 billion Bush is seeking to rebuild Iraq could have bought health insurance for every American.
Although it's tempting to get into the ingnorance of this utterance (Lileks as usual does it better than I could hope to do), the proprietor of Spudlets does give his strongest assurance that the above "dude" is in no way connected to this humble blog or in any way part of the TaterBed. He does a grave injustice to all Spuds everywhere with his inanity.
Posted by MarcV, 4:08 PM link
Pretty good G-File today over at NRO. Jonah Goldberg starts it out with:
There is nothing this man won't do. He is immune to shame. Move past all the nice posturing and get really down in there in him, you find absolutely nothing . . . nothing but an appetite." — Jesse Jackson on Bill Clinton, 1992
The rest of the article deals with the mindset of Democrats/liberals against the funding of the Iraqi reconstruction just to oppose President Bush. Then there was this mention yesterday from Clinton's appearance at a NAACP event:
Former Memphis NAACP executive secretary Maxine Smith also received a Freedom Award as heroine of the Memphis civil rights movement…. Following her to the podium, Clinton said that as he watched an introductory video of Smith he couldn't help but think as he saw her at age 21, `My God, you're good-looking.’
As the audience laughed, Clinton was ready with a winking comeback related to his national apology after the Monica Lewinsky scandal:
`I did it. I confess,’ said Clinton, inspiring a bigger round of laughter."
Instead of having the title FPOTUS (former president of the US) Clinton should just be "Embarrassment" of the US, EOTUS. It's still amazing how he was elected for two terms. The backlash of Bush 1 raising taxes brought him in, and a great economy kept him in. It seems like we're paying for it now.
Posted by MarcV, 4:07 PM link
October 29, 2003
Most Important Asset?
LittleA has a good rant on that management chant of "People are our most important asset." For those of us who have been around the block a few times in the corporate world, we each have our horror stories of mismanagement. A company differentiates itself from their competition by very few ways: either they have a patented process, exclusive use of a controlled material or access to a marketplace, or they have people who are particularly knowledgeable at the process used to make a product. The first three ways are typically temporary. It's the last point where companies play games, trying to keep the talent yet not pay so much that they price themselves out of a market.
You also can't stand still, or the competition improves and your company is left behind. All of us want to think that we are special, bringing unique talents that should command large salaries. For the most part management looks at workers as interchangeable and commodities, confident that they can always find someone else if needed. In order to keep a job you have to: a) perform to some level of competence (usually), b) not have too high salary demands, c) play the office politics game.
Office politics frustrate many people, particularly the introverted ones who feel that they should be judged just on their output/effort. Workers who play the game well usually improve their job security and can even be considered for management positions. It's a social fact of life that you have to play along to get along.
So are workers the most important asset? They are a part of the profit puzzle, yet are pieces that usually can be changed out as needed. Your best bet is to cover your own asset and not rely on any one company for your future.
Posted by MarcV, 4:53 PM link
Top Ten
David Frum started it, and it looks like fun: name 10 things from 1950 to 2000 that will still matter two hundred years from now.
1. Duke Ellington - not only for the genius of his compositions that people will still be playing, but also his revolutionary idea of arrangements tailored to the strengths of soloists.
2. Setting foot on the moon.
3. The rise of the Internet and distributed computing, optical computing.
4. Elvis Presley - his music as well as his "uber" celebrity, being bigger after death than when alive.
5. Nixon/Reagan/Clinton - the impeached one, the liberator, and the almost impeached shenanigan-man.
6. Proliferation of pornography, drugs, abortions and other symptoms of the selfish 60's (that gave us disco!).
7. The rise of multinational corporations, particularly the M$/Windows/Gates phenomenon.
8. Prevalence of American/democratic/free-market political system.
9. Global Positioning System (stole that from Charles!).
10. Unraveling of DNA mystery
Honorable mentions: Coach Ditka and the Super Bowl Shuffle, Cubs still without a World Series championship, widespread gun ownership, Star Wars (the movies, not the defense system), John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, infomercials, racial riots (including the OJ Simpson mess), rise and fall of the Asian economic tiger.
Thanks to Charles Austin for the link.
Posted by MarcV, 4:52 PM link
The Cure?
Saw this at FoxNews and it got a Fisk-flex response. Democrats/liberals (libs) are really getting serious now, dag nab it!
WASHINGTON — A new left-wing think tank — the Center for American Progress — unveiled itself Tuesday as the Democratic vaccine to what center supporters say is a plague of conservatism now dominating America.
(You libs are the disease, but you're not the cure!)
"We think the debate has been unbalanced in the country," center president John Podesta, a former chief of staff to President Clinton, told Fox News. "The conservative movement has really built up an infrastructure of not just ideas, but the ability to kind of get out there and do the kind of hard communications work to sell to the American public," he added.
(If you can't get the word out after dominating the media these last 40 or so years, you're in trouble.)
"Going forward, we will need new labels and new ideas. Many of them will be created right here at the Center for American Progress," (presidential candidate Wesley) Clark said from New Hampshire in a speech beamed into the conference via satellite.
But conservatives say labels won't stick when they have nothing on which to back themselves up.(Yup!)
Podesta insists that conservative institutions like the Heritage Foundation don't have better ideas, but are merely better at marketing. He said he is confident his center can take over the marketplace of ideas with notable innovations such as a big media staff that will push the center's thoughts onto the Internet, television and radio.
(Hmmm, nobody controls the Internet, although conservative blogs seems to be more prevalent, talk radio is a given for conservatives, so that only leaves TV. Libs are watching that run through their fingers as the influence of TV networks and newspapers are replaced by cable and Internet sources.)
"We don't have a war room, but we do have a communications platform. We've got a lot of terrific talented people who's job it is in the end to get that product, that analysis, that critique — get it out there to the American public," Podesta said.
But Michael Franc of the Heritage Foundation said so far the center has proven to be "all war room and no think tank. "You don't start off a think tank with focus groups and a spin team before you figure out what you stand for. You have to. Think tanks begin with an idea, or a set of ideas, with a mission to advance coherent ideas in Washington," he said. Many Americans say they believe the media are already skewing (wrong tense - should be skewed) left of center, and Washington doesn't suffer a shortage of liberal-leaning thinkers perched inside established halls of research.
So let's see how much "ink" the Center for American Progress will be getting in the next year or so as we run up to another election cycle. If they are tieing their star to Wesley Clark, they could be looking at a crash and burn in the near future. Podesta does not seem like someone with a lot of influence, particularly since he briefly served Clinton, but I'm not very familiar with the inner "wonkings" of Washington.
Posted by MarcV, 8:00 AM link
Mmmmm, warm shower. Aaah.
Posted by MarcV, 8:00 AM link
October 28, 2003
It's been a rough 36 hours, with the work thingy keeping me hopping. Came home yesterday and wanted to shower after a sweaty day in the salt mines, and waited in the shower for the hot water. And waited. And waited. Finally got out and asked Lady Spud if she noticed anything. So I ended up crawling under the house where the (gas) water heater is located and had to shut off the water supply to the unit. It had died and was leaking. All day.
So yeah, no shower this morning, although I did warm up some water for a pseudo-shower. It's amazing how much of yourself you can clean with a couple of gallons of water. Ended up taking about 4 hours off of work, and a friend from church who happens to be a general repairman was able to hook us up with an electric water heater (with me as go-fer). I could have done the plumbing, but messing with gas lines and running a 230V line was something I would rather let someone with experience do. They don't make squat gas water heaters to fit crawl spaces, so we have to go with the more-expensive-to-operate electric heater.
I left before he was finished, so I can put in a few hours back at work and be able to pay the guy. You just don't appreciate the basics like a warm shower until you have to go without. Hopefully not too much longer ...
Posted by MarcV, 5:48 PM link
Cool Moms
Science is out to prove that "Motherhood not only makes females smarter, it makes them calmer under pressure and more courageous". Well, duh (this coming from a not-so-smart dad)! If you can survive an infant hollering all night after you've done everything you know what to do, if you can survive a 2 year old making a mess in his pants while you're out shopping, if your heart can survive losing track of a 4 year old in a crowd of people, then that makes sense. How do our genius scientists "measure" this seemingly qualititative measure?
Neuroscientist Craig Kinsley of the University of Richmond does his work with rats, but he said his findings probably apply to other animals and humans as well. Kinsley found that female rats that have had one or more litters are much less stressed out when provoked than rats without pups. When he examined their brains, he found much less activity in the fear centers of the brains of mother rats.
Writing in the journal Physiology and Behavior, he called the phenomenon "maternal induced neural plasticity."
I thought that "plasticity" had something to do with body parts stretched out from the pregnancy and birthing process. This thing about "activity in the fear centers" in the brain is fascinating. Wonder what other strong emotions have been mapped in the brain and found "active"?
Posted by MarcV, 5:36 PM link
With the Tuesday Morning QB released and on the waiver wire, SI.com - Writers - Peter King's MMQB is now the supreme wrap-up author for the week that was in the NFL. Yesterday's was one of his better ones as he got the chance to have an extended talk with Steve Beuerlein, who may have played his last game two weeks ago. For you dads (and moms too!)out there, this may touch your heart:
"Hey, I've been in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot," he said. "But I was a fourth-round pick. To last 15, 16, 17 years in the league, what can I complain about? I've lived the dream a long time. The only thing I'd change is how it ended."
And how he had to tell his son it's all over.
"Taylor's 7, and he's an emotional little guy," Beuerlein said. "I told him the other night, 'Daddy's probably not going to play football anymore. Daddy's hurt, and he's not one of the younger guys anymore.' And his lip quivered, and he looked so sad. He said, 'Does this mean I can't go in the locker room anymore?' "
Beuerlein probably wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. It's funny how much importance kids can place on some things and disregard the important issues, yet as a parent you want so much to give them what their heart desires. I'm sure they had a good hug after that exchange.
Posted by MarcV, 9:20 AM link
October 27, 2003
From last Friday's Opinion Journal Taste section:
The `60's making a comeback - uggh. Interesting note: the last car Janis Joplin owned wasn't a Mercedes Benz, but a Porshe with a psychedelic paint job. Ha ha.
Interesting story on the Episcopal Church. Besides holding back "contributions" to the national offices over the election of a homosexual bishop, some local churches will also wrestle them over ownership of the building and land. Could get messy in the courts. The Blithering Idiot has been blogging about this whole mess for quite some time. Go there and encourage him, and may he be blessed as he continues to stand up for biblical principles and glorify the name of God.
Posted by MarcV, 12:24 PM link
Good interview with Rush's brother: Q&A with David Limbaugh on Persecution on National Review Online concerning a book that he has written. He puts emphasis on the problems with public schools and how secularists continue to warp the minds of our children. As I was reading I kept thinking that if school vouchers ever get truly enacted across the board, public schools as we know them will be a thing of the past. With a voucher the private schools become much more affordable, and the private sector can better compete with that bloated bureaucracy. It may result in school Balkanization, but I don't see any other way around the mess that public schools are in. Here's a sample of the interview:
Lopez: How pernicious is K-12 anti-Christian persecution?
Limbaugh: The examples of anti-Christian discrimination in K-12 and the endorsement of opposing worldviews is so widespread that I devoted four chapters to it. And before the editing process began I had almost twice the material in this section, but had to cut it down to the make the book manageable. The examples are voluminous and reveal that the humanists have been largely successful in achieving their goal of taking over the public schools. From "comprehensive" sex education, to Western and Christian-trashing multiculturalism to history revisionism to death education, to the self-esteem movement, to undermining parental values, to New Age values to Fuzzy Math and Inventive Spelling — these "educational" ideas are just too bizarre to be justified on an academic basis. They have to be born of some ideological agenda. And the failure of public education can be traced directly to this nonsense. No amount of federal money is going to change this until parents wake up to the insanity that is pervading the schools.
Posted by MarcV, 12:13 PM link
Weekend Wrap-Up
Fairly quiet weekend. Saturday morning saw the Li'l Tater score his first soccer goal. He is at the point of dribbling (the ball, not drooling) quite well but does not like to kick it hard, because he's afraid the other team will take it away from him. This time he had the ball near the goal and kicked it just hard enough through an opening for a goal. GOALLLLLL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL! Seeing the big smile on his face makes you forget about everything else for a minute, just happy that he gets to experience scoring one. I got it on the digital video, but have not watched it yet. Hang on a second, I got some "dust" in the corner of my eye ...
After the game, smoke literally got in my eyes as I had the privilege that afternoon of burning a big pile of brush and branches. We still have more cutting/pruning to do in the next few weeks, so I'll have another pile to burn later. Lady Spud and the youngster took some visitors to the zoo, so after the burn and a shower I was able to relax in an empty house watching some football for a brief time, and even rested my eyes. That's a rare treat!
And speaking of rare treats, my beloved Bears won another one yesterday. At this rate they have a good chance of dropping down in the draft, but I'll always take a W over a draft position. The Bears played a bunch of rookies, yet had an old man at QB who actually threw downfield (gasp!). Too bad for those Auburn Tigers, who got whupped by some other Tigers from the swamps of Louisiana. That had to hurt - at least Alabama lost in OT.
Posted by MarcV, 10:55 AM link
October 24, 2003
I'm back. The State Fair was OK. After 150 years they have it down pretty good. You notice a few changes from year to year but it mostly stays the same. We had set aside $100 for the day but probably should have doubled that. Each ride the youngster takes is about $3, and would have been more if he had gone on "big kid" rides. We could not afford to go on any rides with him but he seemed to have fun yesterday, and as all parents know that's what counts.
Li'l Tater is getting better about hearing the NO word, but I still wanted to let him go on some more rides. A couple of $10 t-shirts would have also been nice, but just not enough money for that either. One thing I did notice was the popularity of turkey legs, where for $6 you could hoist around a big hunk of meat on a bone, eating and walking at the same time. Very civilized!
I chose a Thursday and burned a vacation day to avoid the Saturday crowds, but it turned out to be crowded anyways. They had a special deal where 4 cans of Winn-Dixie (local area supermarket) vegetables for the Food Bank paid for your admission. We didn't know about it until we got to the fair (would have saved us about $10). The ironic part is that we had stopped at a Winn-Dixie store on the way to Raleigh and picked up something else. At least the parking was free at the fair.
Posted by MarcV, 8:58 AM link
October 22, 2003
Busy day at work, so I'm burning midnight oil to feed the blog. Not much posting tomorrow either, since I will be taking my precious family to the NC State Fair (there's a Department of Agriculture in the title there somewhere) for my last vacation day of 2003. The fair is 150 years old, with a few breaks for things like the Civil War and two World Wars. I try to plan my eating route each year, but I don't know what I have a taste for tomorrow.
I just had my cholesterol checked last week, and it was normal, so I should just stick with the course that has gotten me to this point: bacon, doughnuts, ice cream and an occasional steak. Hmph, maybe those have something to do with my losing battle against the bulge. Mmmmm, maybe Italian sausage - if it's well-cooked and the onions/green peppers are quite brown!
Posted by MarcV, 11:36 PM link
Patently Absurd
In today's Wall St. Journal, a small company, Bluecurrent Inc., was awarded a patent covering Web-based asset management. They are in the business of automating the installation and updating of computer software and settings, and somehow they were awarded a patent on something as basic as upgrading a program via the World Wide Web. Here is part of the Summary of Invention:
The information resident on the computer, including information regarding the computer and the user's preferences, is downloaded to a remote storage medium through the World Wide Web. Once the information is downloaded, all information may be removed from the user's computer. Subsequently, the technician accesses another computer such as, for example, a new computer that has been assigned to the same user. The technician accesses the World Wide Web through the new computer and downloads the information previously stored on the remote storage medium. This information can then be used to install the user's prior applications, settings and preferences on the new computer.
Basically, anybody who transfers information from a computer by the Internet, and then uploads that information(by the Internet) to a computer falls under the patent. So far most companies are not too concerned, thinking that the patent is too broad and unenforceable. From the WSJ article:
...(Bluecurrent will) notify companies of potential infringement within 45 days. "We're going to go aggressively after companies that are infringing on our patent," said Shawn P. Thomas, CEO...
(they) intend to seek royalties of $10 to $25 for each time a new computer has software or other settings updated over the Web.
How could our US government have ever issued this patent in the first place? This is a ridiculous attempt at strangling commerce and denigrating the common good just because someone thought of applying for a patent on such a broad area. What they have patented is a common practice. This patent in no way is protecting some type of ingenious and unique invention. Are we granting patents to whoever applies a cleverly worded form to the Patent Office first? This continued pecking away at the Web will ruin it for everyone.
Posted by MarcV, 11:27 PM link
Not So Smart Bosses
For those of us who have been in the workforce for awhile, we have had our share of bosses who were not so bright, but have somehow secured a position of management. An article at CareerJournal has a few good tips on how you cope with a dumb boss. "It's an age-old problem: knowing more than your boss. It's also a tricky balancing act." They also gave a good technique which may be helpful for some of you:
And you can try to train a dumb boss, says Mr. Adams (creator of the popular "Dilbert" comic strip). One worker he knows offered her boss a piece of candy every time he stopped by her desk and said something positive. If the boss said something negative, he didn't get any candy. According to Mr. Adams, the number of negative comments the boss made plummeted.
That's a good boss, good boy, here's a treat! No word on how effective this technique is on making your boss roll over.
Posted by MarcV, 11:22 PM link
October 21, 2003
It's been out about a week, and I'm finally getting around to it. PC Magazine: Top 100 Web Sites is a good place to check out some sites that you may have not known. They have them broken down into 16 categories, and this year they have the links in a zip file so you can download them and check them out at your leisure, and it makes it easier to add to your favorites list.
Posted by MarcV, 3:01 PM link
Freebie
In case you have a performance review staring you in the face and you want to add some "pop" to your accomplishments, this state of the art pleading just came in my e-mail today. You can use it free of charge.
I am MBANTE OKON, the chairman of the Economic Recovery Committee (ERC) set up by the present civilian Government of Nigeria to review economic policies of government establishments/parastatals, and find out ways to reduce waste and maximise revenues allocated to them.
Now that's some fancy talkin', and from a Nigerian too! In case you don't know (it was a new one for me), parastatal: working with the government in an unofficial capacity. Not to be confused with paratrooper. I'm not giving you any more details about my "arrangement" with Mr. OKON, since I want the $25.2M all for myself. I will tell you this:
All logistics are in place and all modalities worked out for the smooth conclusion of the transaction within ten to fourteen days of commencement.
If you see this site go dark in about two weeks you'll know why. I love it when modalities work out.
Posted by MarcV, 11:19 AM link
For those who may have wandered over there before the Iraqi war, the Belligerent Bunny Blog has been back for a few weeks and she is cranking out great posts on the military, AoD and adoptable bunnies. She has a good one on why we should not make part of the money going to Iraq as a loan:
Let's not forget, Free Iraq is a big strategic goal in the war. In the future, it could be a model for the rest of the region. But right now, it's our unsinkable aircraft carrier right where we'd want one. It's the well from which we'll draw the extra, Arabic-speaking divisions we'll need the next time we cry havoc.
Rebuilding a Free Iraq ought to have an Apollo-level priority. It's that important. Asking for our money back? That's like recovering a load of moon rocks, and auctioning them on eBay: tacky.
Posted by MarcV, 11:17 AM link
October 20, 2003
Hairlock
I have been wondering about this since last year, and saw a mention of it in the paper this weekend. The NFL has made it "official":
The NFL has ruled it permissible to tackle tailback Ricky Williams by his dreadlocks.
An officiating tape recently distributed to the media shows a clip of Williams being tackled by his hair. NFL officiating director Mike Pereira, who did the commentary on the tape, described the play by saying, "You've got the hair being pulled and the locks are like the shirt, I guess. If you pull the locks, it's OK. If you're going to wear your locks out like that, you're the one that's at risk."
Williams has said he isn't going to cut his dreadlocks, which he has worn since high school.
Besides Ricky, I noticed some defensive backs on various teams, like that cheesehead Sharper, with the 'locks flying out and wondered what the ruling would be if someone grabbed them. If you did get them from behind and gave a good yank, the effect would be similar to a face-mask, where someone could get a serious neck injury. Apparently the NFL will let them keep the dreadlocks and the danger.
I'm surprised that they don't invoke a uniform rule, since everything they wear on the field is very strictly controlled. Remember when Jim McMahon (the punky Bears QB) got fined for wearing "outrageous" headbands? I'm wondering now if any running backs will use hair extensions and have a situation similar to lizards with the tails that break off. How are the refs going to rule when a running back scampers into the end zone and a defensive back is left holding a hair weave in his hands watching him score?
I can remember when tear-away jerseys were popular, but they made a rule against them. Perhaps tear-away hair would be a personal foul. Hopefully it won't get to the point where the team has to line up before a game and the ref has to check each player with dreadlocks. I recall something like that many moons ago for pee-wee football, where the ref would check everyone's arm pads to make sure nobody used hard/heavy metal inserts.
Posted by MarcV, 10:12 AM link
Weekend Wrap-Up
Lady Spud and I caught A Walk to Remember last night on DVD. It's pretty good, with some slow spots and the predictable outcome. It would be a good film for family night (WARNING: some swearing, slight violence) with teens/pre-teens, as it would give you a starting point to talk about peer pressure and the junk that can go on in schools. All of us (including Li'l Tater) went to see Finding Nemo, and it turned out to be a little better than I had expected. If you're a Dad, this is a good film to watch with the kids and remind them that you will always be there for them. I told that to my youngster and he said, "But Dad, I'm not a fish!" "I know, you're a monkey!"
Movie time was earned with extreme yard work. Lady Spud has wanted to "trim" a few things around the yard, so I visited the friendly folks at Sears and got a cheap chain saw. After cutting down an ornamental cherry/crabapple tree (about 15' high) and some small bushes in front of the house, it was on to the first of three forsythias. They had become overgrown, over six feet high and twice that in diameter, and they would need a "firm" pruning. The chain saw may left a few rough spots but some of the branches were over 1" diameter, so a regular trimmer would not have made it. Not being used to chain-saw trimming, we eventually reached the point of exhaustion and stopped after one bush. We will have quite a bonfire in the near future.
Did not get to see my beloved Bears play, but heard they lost it in the last minute. At least they're getting closer, and Chandler made it through the whole game. Bears have Lions-Chargers-Lions for the next three weeks, so it'll be a battle of the cellar-dwellers to see who gets to be the scum at the bottom. Final sports note: funny how the big media consensus is that it wasn't the ignorant interfering Cubs fan fault, that anybody else would have done the same thing. What a crock of cow dung! The team did lose it, but don't assume that other fans would not have done the right thing and allowed their team to make the play.
Posted by MarcV, 10:11 AM link
October 17, 2003
This should be my last baseball post for awhile, for my somewhat faithful reader who may be tired of the whole baseball thing. I was waiting for SportsGuy's take on the Red Sox collapse (Page2 - Paradise lost, again), and it was a goodie. A point on the Cubs, and then a good chuckler:
... the 2003 Cubs didn't lose because of a goat, and they didn't lose because of poor [ignorant interfering fan]. They lost because Dusty stupidly left Mark Prior in the game too long. They lost because their bullpen, shaky all season, imploded at the worst possible time. They lost because Gonzalez botched an easy ground ball, and because Kerry Wood didn't rise to the occasion in Game 7. That's why they lost.
...
My friend JackO (a Yankee fan) called me on Thursday to say, "No matter what happens, I'm a carcass right now." That's the perfect word. Carcass. Of course, he doesn't feel that way anymore, the b*. His team came through. Mine failed. Again. You know it's a bad loss when one of your friends is saying, "I just spent the last 15 minutes reflecting on everything that's good about my life, and I guess I just have to keep doing that for the next couple of days to get through this" (actual quote from my buddy Hench).
No, I'm not in that bad of shape or that torn up about the Cubs outcome. It's funny to hear about how seriously others take it, and how it influences their life. Thanks to those who have tried to cheer me up about the Cubs, but it's OK. I still have the Bears to look forward to ... oh no ... no ... AAAUGGGH!
Posted by MarcV, 1:47 PM link
He posts them and I link them. Today, Victor Davis Hanson on National Review Online starts with a good perspective on the Palestinian problem, and then goes a little deeper into world politics. He has a few things to say about America's growing weariness with the sacrifices we make and the resulting ingratitude from our "allies".
I have noticed this troubling trend, where industrialized nations continue to draw down their military and spend less on their national defense, relying on America as the enforcer. Emerging countries like India, Poland and others rent out their soldiers to the US, who basically fill out a uniform and hold a gun but don't have much training for high-tech weapons. The US would do well to encourage closer alliances with countries like India and Poland, and start to question the usefulness of countries like France and Germany.
The Senate recently changed a Republican-sponsored effort to give Iraq $20B in non-military aid, halving it to $10B grant and $10B loan. It's frustrating to think Republicans are supposed to have a Senate majority, yet the wishy-washy liberal Republicans (particularly the Northeast ones) keep shooting the GOP in the foot. Making part of that a loan is wrong, and sends the wrong message at the wrong time to those Iraqis who are trying to help the US clean up that country.
Any money coming out of oil sales needs to be used to build up Iraq and not to pay back loans. We will have enough headaches sorting out old debts from the Hussein regime and whether or not they should be honored, particularly with France and Russia and all of the equipment they sold and deals they supposedly made with Hussein. That oil money is needed for infrastructure improvements, and it will be at least 5-10 years before Iraq will be in a position to use oil profits for anything else. That country needs a big boost to start their economy going, and a loan only puts another millstone around their necks.
I can understand people's frustration with the US paying out and most of the rest of the world criticizing us and not helping in Iraq. Maybe we should look at spending less in other areas and continue to support the rebuilding of Iraq. It's a great investment for future peace in that region.
Posted by MarcV, 9:44 AM link
October 16, 2003
Good account from Eric Neel taking in last night's game from the right field bleachers at ESPN.com - Page2 - At the scene of the collapse. It helped me to chuckle over some of this stuff:
9:25 p.m.
Antonio Alfonseca throws a few pitches in the bullpen.
"Oh god! Oh no!" two people yell out almost simultaneously. Suddenly seeing Alfonseca can be jarring for any Cubs fan. "Oh, make it stop. My eyes are burning!"
9:35 p.m.
Veres relieves. His first pitch clocks in at 76 mph. "That was his heater," Oslwanger says.
The next pitch is 86. "Oh, the express!"
Soon, Alex Gonzalez singles to left off Veres to make the score, 9-5. Somewhere, Aretha Franklin puts down her ham sandwich and starts warming up. The fat lady is going to sing.
Posted by MarcV, 2:20 PM link
The Party's Over
My Friend. It was a good run, but the Cubs have fallen short on their quest for the championship. Kerry Wood did not have his "A" game, and the Cub deficiencies in relief pitching and hitting finally caught up with them. We also saw for the last two games the effects of using worn out pitchers in post-season. Dusty rode Prior and Wood hard all season, and they did not have the extra "oomph" when it was really needed.
The only Dusty second-guess I'll make is the reliance on tired and ineffective arms in the bullpen, when he had the option of going with Zambrano or Clement in relief once Wood sat down. McKeon played to win that game no matter what, but for Dusty it was "this is how I played it all season, no need to change now" approach. Even though he used Farnsworth last night (and he was ineffective then) he went with him in the fifth last night, so Farnsworth let one of Wood's men he inherited score as well as getting tagged for 2 more earned runs (another magic "3"). Zambrano would have been a gamble, but he throws hard and he could have pumped up the Cubs emotionally (notice how flat they were in the last half of the game?).
Beckett did not have his "A" game either, but the Cubs never took advantage of him, besides O'Leary, and were content to make loud warning track fly ball outs. At a time when slap singles/getting on base was called for, these yo-hos were swinging for the fences. That's a result of sad Sosa leadership.
It Was a Fluke:
- Even making it to post-season. The Cardinals made an uncharacteristic fold in September (injuries did them in), and the Astros stumble against weaker teams in the last week of the regular season was a big (but nice) surprise.
- Beating the Braves. Perhaps the Cubs pitched their guts out in this series and did not have enough left for the Marlins. We caught the Braves when they seemed to be going downhill, and having Smoltz hurt caused Bobby Cox to make some decisions he would not have ordinarily made.
- That the Marlins starters rose to the occasion. Besides Beckett, the Marlins starters are at best average, though their bullpen is pretty good. The starters looked like world-beaters, with the Cubs only getting one blow-out win. The lack of run production for the Cubs was well known, and it was a factor for them being eliminated.
The Magic Number is 3
- The year they almost made it.
- They were up 3-1 games, lost 3 games in a row.
- They lost the last game by 3.
- They only scored 3 in the second to last game.
- They put up 3 sorry relievers in the last game after Wood to lose it before JoeBo came in.
It was fun while it lasted, and Cub fans got more in October than they should have reasonably expected. I will be watching Hendry and crew this offseason to see who they keep as their core team, how many of the free agents are still hanging around, which of the younger players get a better shot next year (i.e. Choi), and who they go after and sign. I won't be watching any more baseball this year - too painful - but expect the numbers on Fox to be far lower than they would have been had the Cubs prevailed.
Which serves them right, considering the atrocious announcers they assigned for the Cubs series. Steve sicko Lyons and Thom Braying-man are worthless voices that should be assigned to minor league games. For Lyons to say that "anyone who says that they would not have gone for that foul ball down the line is a a hypocrite" is asinine. Then we get the sanctimonious Thom and his concern for the ignorant interfering fan (IIF), as well as his constant butt smooching of Marlin's players - just sickening. They really took much of the pleasure out of watching the Cubs battle. I envy those in the Chicago area that could turn on a radio simulcast of the game.
I know too much about the IIF, his name and job and how he coaches little league and how truly sorry he is. Don't care to know that much. He blew it when we needed every break we could get. Should the Cubs have taken care of business in spite of IIF's bungling? Of course, but the simple fact is it was a crucial play that went against the home team. I hate that he is getting so much attention, that the media has named him and is still hounding him. He should just be a nameless fan who reacted the wrong way at the wrong time and hurt the Cubs. He's part of Cub's lore now, and it will leave a bad taste in the mouths of many Cubs fans for a long time, no matter what the idiots on Fox say. Funny how fate can turn.
Posted by MarcV, 10:59 AM link
October 15, 2003
Home Field Advantage
I write this post before checking out any news sources or any other web sites, so this is from the hip.
Baseball, more than any other professional team sport, can be influenced by differences in the home field. While football fields may differ (especially with teams who still use a baseball field) and basketball courts and hockey rinks have strange bounces, baseball fields have their own nuances. Besides the astroturf vs. grass difference, you can have height and type of grass affecting the roll of the ball. You can rake the dirt down the first and third base lines to favor keeping a slow rolling ball fair or foul.
Some games have been lost simply because a visiting outfielder misjudged a bounce coming out of a corner. One field (Houston?) actually has an elevation at the last 10 feet on the edge of center field heading up to the fence. Pitching mounds can be altered based on the preference of the home team pitcher. In every field , though, each team plays under the same conditions.
Baseball has one significant distinction, in that a ball in play can occasionally be fielded in the stands. Here is where the home field advantage is significant. If a player for your home team is trying to make a play, fans can get out of the way and help your team. If it is an opposing player, you can interfere with him as long as you stay in the stands.
For those who saw the game last night, you heard the idiotic Fox announcers make excuses for the person who interfered with Alou. Oh, it was instinctive, oh he didn't know what he was doing, oh it was just one play, yada yada yada. WRONG WRONG - NO NO NO! In that situation you have to be aware of what is going on around you. If you see someone from your home team trying to make a play then GET OUT OF THE WAY.
I would hate to see a season turn around this one incident, but as a Cub fan I have a sick feeling in my stomach that it could be possible. If, in an alternate universe, Alou does make the catch, you would then have 2 outs and a man on second base. Even if Pudge hits a homer, you're still up by 1 and can yank Prior. Even if Pudge gets his single, then Cabrera hits the ball to Gonzalez who would not have had to try and make a difficult double play. Even if Gonzalez still boots the ball, it would be 3-1 with men on first and second. Giving up the double to Lee would have left the Cubs still tied, and not having to play games with intentional walks, instead just focusing on getting the final out with Farnsworth pitching.
Baseball can be an easy game to play "what-ifs", but catching that foul pop-up was crucial to the inning. I did hear on the radio this morning and from someone else in Chicago that the interfering fan has been named in the media with a big picture of him in the Chicago Tribune. While I do not wish him any physical harm, I do think he should be banned from Wrigley. To atone, he should relinquish any thing related to the Cubs, become a White Sox fan, and then at 7 pm CST tonight start wandering around the neighborhood and take a long walk. In this way he can become the scapegoat and release the Cubs oppression. I hope Cub fans are above some type of petty revenge on that ignorant interfering fan.
In the back of my mind I was wondering last weekend what I would do if there is a 7th game. After the disaster last night, I'll just do what I would do without the baseball game: work, eat, relax, go to church, get the young'n in bed. I'll watch the end of the game, and if we win great, if not just chalk it up as "it was not meant to be" this year and hope they do better next year. They say that the Cubs will be the ones with the pressure on them. If anything they should be pissed off and set their jaw to the goal they set at the beginning of the season, and not let the stupidity of last night have any effect on tonight's result.
Second Guessing Dusty
Having done this for the past several months, there's no reason to stop now.
- Kudos to his lifting Simon and pinch-hitting with Karros. Simon's defense nearly cost the Cubs twice, he was not hitting well and there's no way that Simon works Willis to a walk and wild pitch. The steady veteran helped the Cubs to a third run, even though he will not be credited with an RBI.
- He left Prior in too long. After the first out of the eighth inning, you could see Prior start to hang his pitches. No way should Pierre get a screaming double off Prior. After Pudge smashed the first pitch and nearly took off a few heads, I would have yanked Prior right there. Instead, Dusty left him in and they kept pounding him.
- Unless you have a "hot" power hitter coming up, it is dumb to give intentional walks with two outs. Last night they gave an intentional walk to a pinch-hitter coming up cold off of the bench, only to have Mordecai slam a fastball (which he supposedly does well) off of Farnsworth. I'm not too keen on intentional walks with one out, although sometimes you can get lucky and work a double play. I've also seen it extend an inning and allow the other team to score more runs (like last night).
- I hope he plays Miller tonight, since the PB's by PB (Paul Bako) really hurt the Cubs last night.
Posted by MarcV, 10:10 AM link
October 13, 2003
No big important posts today, just a couple of snippets:
- I'm wondering if Rush had planned all along to make that controversial comment on the Sunday morning ESPN show, knowing that the "stuff" was going to hit the fan that week, so might as well go out in a blaze of glory. If he had not made that statement about the media and McNabb, and still checked himself in for treatment, would he have still had that ESPN position available upon his return? I think he would have quit rather than trying to come back after his one month treatment.
- From the FoxNews Sunday show: It is scary to think the Sen. Jay Rockefeller is a vice-chair for Intelligence. Tony Snow repeatedly gave him quotes from a speech that the senator make from a year ago, refuting points that he was trying to make on the show (invading Iraq like we did was a mistake), and yet all that Rockefeller could say was that he "changed his mind". He also kept repeating the mantra that things in Iraq are worse than before the war. Tony Snow followed up by interviewing Sen. Mitch McConnell, who had just returned from Iraq, and had great things to say about the progress going on there as well as the need for the US to invest in the Iraqi infrastructure.
If the Dems want to keep shooting themselves in the foot over spouting lies about the situation in Iraq and the "need" for us bending over backwards to the UN, then let them.
- The Bears let another winnable game go due to their pathetic play. They are last in the league in sacks (allowing the most on offense, getting the least on defense). They have the late game (against Seattle) on Fox this Sunday, but I doubt they show them and risk losing what little viewership sticks around for the second game.
- The Cubs ran into a Beckett band-saw yesterday, and now go back to Wrigley for the chance to wrap up a World Series berth tomorrow. I like their chances, but the long-time fan in me is still worried, having to overcome decades of losing. I hope that we can change the nickname from lovable losers to lovable winners.
Posted by MarcV, 4:16 PM link
October 10, 2003
Found out (was reminded!) last night that my body has been reserved to see my niece cheer-lead tonight at the Clayton HS game. No way to see the Cubs. Taping the game is possible, but why bother? It's not like I have to scout the teams. I'm somewhat tempted to call and say that there's stuff at work that I have to take care of, and go on ahead without me. Oh well, they're on tomorrow too, and Sunday, so I'll just go for the weekend double. Maybe I'll wear my Cubs hat to the game tonight ...
Posted by MarcV, 3:58 PM link
Just caught this at NRO's Corner from Jonah Goldberg. Rush has a quick post on his site.
I first started taking prescription painkillers some years ago when my doctor prescribed them to treat post surgical pain following spinal surgery. Unfortunately the surgery was unsuccessful, and I continued to have severe pain in my lower back and also in my neck due to herniated discs. I am still experiencing that pain. Rather than opt for additional surgery for these conditions, I chose to treat the pain with prescribed medication. This medication turned out to be highly addictive.
He has tried to beat this twice before, so now he is going for #3 and will be off the air for the next 30 days as he checks himself in for treatment.
It was hard to believe that Rush could be addicted when the story first broke. When the denials were not forthcoming, and the rumors kept going, the reality of the situation started to sink in. He is no saint, but he is very good at what he does, a strong conservative radio voice. I hope he can overcome this addiction and learn how to manage his physical pain.
Posted by MarcV, 3:53 PM link
This is my first link to a Mark Steyn column, since everyone else does, but this is good enough to read through (located here). During this whole Plame blame game, I kept hearing about how some agents of the CIA are working against Pres. Bush, particularly Plame's husband. This may be a reason for some of the ineptitude that the CIA has been accused of. Steyn seems to connect many of the dots together. Once this leak investigation starts winding down and the media seems to be happy, then I hope Pres. Bush can start cleaning house in the CIA. He can rely on his dad for help.
Posted by MarcV, 10:10 AM link
Got called in again last night at 1 am. What joy to be woken by my cell phone at that hour! Not that I'm looking for any sympathy. Naah. Fortunately it was a ten minute fix and I was able to get a few hours of sleep in after getting back home, so maybe some more posts could be squeezed out of the Taterbed.
Posted by MarcV, 8:27 AM link
Friday Five
It's been awhile, but here we go again with Friday's five.
1. Do you watch sports? If so, which ones?
- Ummm, maybe I should list the ones I don't watch.
2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes?
- Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears, the Cubs, Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears, the Cubs, Da Bears, Da Bears (yes, I was a Superfan long before Saturday Night Live even thought of that skit). Butkus - Sayers are my two all time favorites, Santo and Bench from baseball (I pray for a speedy recovery for Ron Santo's cancer surgery yesterday), Rocket Rod Laver from tennis, Paul Mokeski from basketball (actually the almost-champ early 70's Bulls of Boerwinkle-Walker-Love-Sloan-Van Lier), Tom Watson from golf and Bobby Hull from hockey.
3. Are there any sports you hate?
- I do not hate it, but women's basketball just bothers me.
4. Have you ever been to a sports event?
- Ummm, yeah.
5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? How long did you play?
- I tried but was too small/slow for football, basketball, and rugby, poor eyesight held me back from excelling in baseball and tennis, started golf late in life and didn't like guys poking me in the groin with their hockey sticks. Soccer did not catch on until I was out of school.
Posted by MarcV, 8:23 AM link
Take Two
Here's todays sampling from the comedian Argus Hamilton:
Don Rumsfeld said Wednesday he doesn't mind Condi Rice heading reconstruction in Iraq. He insisted he's busy watching the Chicago Cubs in the playoffs this week. Apparently we're down to scanning the bleachers for any sign of Saddam Hussein. [You know that Saddam would be thrown back onto the field if any of the Cub fans caught sight of him.]
Judy Woodruff hosted a Democratic candidates debate in Phoenix Thursday. This took courage in Goldwater Country. If repealing tax cuts and opposing the war caused the audience members to hit the ceiling it's only because they were bad shots.
Posted by MarcV, 8:19 AM link
October 09, 2003
Like me you probably go there every day, but don't miss today's missive fromLILEKS (James) The Bleat. It may be the best one he has posted this year. He finally has the time, as well as feeling happy enough, to make a description of a stroll through Manhattan very enjoyable. He makes a point of telling us that he walked to the "hole in the sky" where the WTC used to be:
Walked with my editor a ways until he had to head towards home. Said goodbye and marched south, down to the hole in the sky.
Late Saturday afternoon, almost five. Hundreds of people looking up at nothing. Hundreds of people looking into the pit. Everyone had come to see what wasn’t there.
Flowers stuck into the fence; journals and candles, gifts, votaries, offerings, messages. The daily crop, removed at dusk.
2 years later and it still has that impact. If and when I go to visit, I'll probably do like he did and walk there. Taking the same paths as others who had run the opposite direction in fear. People who saw a cloud of death racing towards them and we're not able to move fast enough. Dust that turned day into night and choked the breath out of them. Everyday folks who sacrificed and displayed courage in the face of terror.
Manhattan is also a great city just to walk for those who visit. I can see taking the subway if you live there, but for the tourist there is so much to discover by foot. God willing and the bank account is healthy, I'd like to take the family just after Thanksgiving, when there is a nip in the air and the city is decorated for the holidays. I had the opportunity to live near there for 2 years, and Lady Spud and I honeymooned in the Poconos so we did the Broadway thing. Though I would never choose to live in a metropolitan area, there is something special about a trip to the Big Apple.
Lileks ends his Bleat by saying how he is "loathe" to go. I'm guessing he is just loathing the travel, because I have a hunch that any desire for NYC will melt away as he sees the faces he loves when he gets back home. There is nothing like a toddler greeting when you have been gone a few days.
[NOTE: PAX-TV is showing the old "America's Funniest Home Videos", and they had one extended segment of a woman waiting at the gate for her boyfriend. All I could think about was that this sucks (excuse my french), that the terrorists have taken away the pleasure of seeing someone just as you get off the plane. Part of the fun of flying was watching other people making scenes as they greeted each other off of the plane. Lady Spud used to make signs for our family who would visit. Now it's just a hug at the baggage claim carousel and then hunt for the luggage. Will our children lose this, not ever knowing the fun of meeting someone fresh off of the plane? Hope it's just temporary.]
Posted by MarcV, 1:09 PM link
May be light posting today, since I was at work earlier this morning (1-4 am), and then back at it by 9. It's rough being an almost one-man IT department. Not that I'm looking for a little sympathy ... well maybe a little ... thanks Mom!
Posted by MarcV, 10:26 AM link
Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:
California election officials expressed relief that no recount was necessary due to faulty equipment on Tuesday. The punch card ballots caused absolutely no problems in Los Angeles County. Hanging Chad spent all day surfing at Redondo Beach. [Keep him on the beach!]
The Agriculture Department began a probe into the tiger attack on Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy. They want to know if the tiger was mistreated onstage. Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't the only German to beat a white cat with a microphone this week.
Posted by MarcV, 10:20 AM link
CUBS WIN
CUBS WIN
The explosive Cubs offense tallied up a dozen last night, while Prior helped keep the dangerous Marlins down. Today is a travel day, then tomorrow Kid K (Kerry Wood) will hopefully continue to keep the Marlin bats at bay. Should be a hot one in Miami Friday night.
Posted by MarcV, 10:19 AM link
October 08, 2003
You know you may be getting middle-aged:
You're waiting in the doctor's office, enjoying the Frank Sinatra CD and trying not to laugh out loud when reading the jokes and anecdotes from Reader's Digest.
Posted by MarcV, 2:11 PM link
Cubs lose
Cubs lose
It was a thrilla, but ended in a chilla. With a breeze blowing out of Wrigley, you never know how things will end up, particularly if your pitcher's slider stays up. Oh well, Prior should be throwing tonight, even though I'll be missing it since it will be on FX rather than FOX. Just one little "O" makes that much difference.
Posted by MarcV, 9:09 AM link
Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:
The California Recall Election drew a huge voter turnout Tuesday. Exit polls had bad news for the Democrats. The early returns showed that four households out of five threw out the Los Angeles Times and replaced it with the Limbaugh Letter.
Gray Davis denied Monday leaking Arnold Schwarzenegger's past sexual antics to the Los Angeles Times. He also denied leaking old quotes of Arnold's which praised Adolf Hitler. Looks are everything out here, and it looks like Gray Davis studied acting under O.J. Simpson at the Rockingham School of Denial.
[BONUS!]
The National Funeral Directors agreed to set standards for crematoriums last week. No one really wants to know what goes on in there. Recently in Los Angeles a blonde died, and she had so much silicone that when they cremated her, she formed her own urn. [I love a good ceramic joke!]
NBC News reported Monday that Australian medical researchers in Sydney invented a male birth-control serum. So far it's worked perfectly. The contraception is taken by injection, and in six months of testing, not one man has gotten pregnant. [Yeah, that last one was kinda stupid, but its a chuckler.]
Posted by MarcV, 9:06 AM link
October 07, 2003
Found a blog by accident, probably will never visit there again, but she (visiting her parents with a broken leg) writes about something that the ladies can relate to:
Let me say this before I go any further: I adore my father. Love him. Wouldn't change a thing about him. He is a prince among men and you couldn't ask to be born to a better father and kinder person.
However, he has developed the male remote control obsession.
He re-arranged the television so that I could view it comfortably from the couch, helped me get situated in my weekend nest, turned on the television to The History Channel, and left me. Without the remote control.
I like The History Channel. BUT, there's a limit to how much History Channel, in fact, how much television, I can stomach. I waited for my mother to tend to an errand - I didn't want her to be at my beck and call over the remote and more to the point, I didn't want to drag her into what is obviously an ongoing issue of my father's dominance over the family room television. Then I hobbled over to his chair and side table to retrieve the remote.
Couldn't find it. My father HID the remote control.
He later meekly claimed "it must of fallen" behind his chair, but my mother and I know better. Even though he wasn't even in the house, he felt some Neanderthalic need to maintain dominance over the remote control.
Who leaves a person with broken leg on a couch with the television on, 120 channels of cable, hides the remote and leaves???!!!
Answer? A man.
I am able to laugh at this because I don't care about television and ended up turning it off. And because my father has never proved himself to be anything but a kind, generous, giving, considerate human being.
What this proves is that even the most wonderful man, father of the year, kind, generous to a fault, becomes a Paleolithic boob when it comes to the remote control.
To all the women out there who are citing "The Remote Control Issue" as a reason to break-up with (even divorce or kill) otherwise perfectly acceptable men: Stop it. Accept it and get over it.
Posted by MarcV, 11:43 AM link
Oh yeah ...
GO CUBS
GO CUBS
GO CUBS!
Posted by MarcV, 11:16 AM link
Faith Funk
Those of you who occasionally visit may have noticed (and even my faithful reader - thanks Mom!) posts on faith, religion or just even theology have been very low the last several weeks. While I visit other sites and expound on particular faith topics as the Spirit moves me, the Taterbed was intended to be a site that would honor the Lord. After "doing" this for a year and a half, I'm not sure how much blogs can affect a reader's faith, or if this is even a good place to argue theology.
I'm also personally struggling on the faith front. I have been stuck in Romans 7 living, knowing the promise of Romans 8 but not at the point to take that step of faith. Last Sunday morning my Pastor specifically addressed the problem of those stuck in Romans 7 and had an excellent discussion about predestination. I had never given much thought to predestination until the blogging habit directed me to Calvinist sites (and you know who you are!). Struggling with this concept, as well as still being sad over something from two years ago, have been factors in the funk.
There is hope (always), yet it is up to me to take hold of the reward promised to me. Part of me wants to post on the sermon notes from last Sunday with my own embellishments, but another part goes back to what I eluded to before: the usefulness of arguing theology in the blogosphere. As is usually the case, by writing on a topic I may be able to help myself with the doubts that I have. Perhaps someone could read it, have a small seed planted and help the Holy Spirit continue His work.
While honoring the Lord is a lifetime pursuit in our worship of Him, Spudlets is one of those scatter-brained blogs that posts on whatever happens to interest Spud Q. Tater. That's OK, knowing that I'll never get big readership, or be one of those "must check daily" sites since my writing is not that strong. I hope my writing has improved these last 18 months, regardless of the mistakes I make in verb tenses, run-on sentences and garbled logic. What keeps me going and outputting "li'l taters" is that every once in a while I can make a humorous post, or something that someone thought enough of and left a comment.
Humor is one of the most elusive creations and has a very short half-life. I'll keep trying, though. And maybe I'll even post on that predestination thing tomorrow.
Posted by MarcV, 11:14 AM link
Tech Tues
- Mike McBride, the 1 man IT department, gives a notice about an upgrade to OpenOffice, version 1.1 for those keeping count. I'll be trying it out later and giving my impressions hopefully later this week. You can't beat the price. I hope at the very least it keeps M$ on their toes by providing cheaper and better versions of Office.
- If you're thinking about going the wireless route and not sure about the technology, PC Magazine just published a great special edition about that with guides to help you set up and maintain a WiFi environment.
- Occasionally I will see a Toyota Prius (hybrid vehicle) on the road, and I saw my first Honda hybrid the other day (fairly ugly, but seemed to have decent acceleration). Those of you in large metropolitan areas probably see them much more than me. General Motors is still banking on hydrogen, even though they are coming out with a hybrid car next year.
But Larry Burns, GM's vice president of research, development and planning, said zero-emission fuel cell vehicles (FCV) will eventually make gasoline-electric hybrids obsolete, rejecting Toyota's view that hybrids will remain on the road even after FCVs become affordable for the average consumer."Optimistic" is being kind - more like wrong-headed. They may be doing this to win favor with the buying public, by being the car company associated with a zero-emission product. This fantasy has already been debunked: hydrogen cars make more emissions than just water, it takes more energy to produce the hydrogen than the output from the hydrogen itself in the FCV. Besides the efficiency and emissions problem, the generation/storage/distribution of large quantities of hydrogen and the scarcity of rare-earth metals used in the fuel cells will be very difficult obstacles to surmount. I'm too lazy to look up my previous posts on this, but rest assured that hydrogen cars may at best by another 50 years away. Hybrid vehicles seem to be the best alternative to the standard internal combustion engine, particularly in developing countries like India and China.
"The race needs to be judged with a long-term view -- the goal is to get automobiles out of the environmental debate altogether," he told Reuters in an interview. Hybrids use electric motors and battery packs to improve fuel efficiency, adding power during acceleration and reclaiming energy when braking and coasting, but still need gasoline to run.
GM has invested about $1 billion in developing fuel cells to power electric motors in vehicles, and wants to be the first auto maker to sell a million FCVs. It hopes to commercialize FCVs by 2010 -- one of the most optimistic targets in the industry.
Posted by MarcV, 11:08 AM link
October 06, 2003
Ahnold Support
Saw a brief mention of this blog over at NRO's Corner. It appears that I'm not the only tater in the blogosphere. fresh potatoes is written by a government lawyer from Oceanside, California. He's right in the middle of the recall election, so if you want the perspective of a non-media type, check him out.
Posted by MarcV, 10:32 AM link
CUBS WIN CUBS WIN!
Bears win Bears win !?!
I mentioned last Monday how great it would have been just enjoying the sports buzz in the Windy City. Well, today takes it to another level! The Cubs break the great drought and actually win a playoff series. Cub fans are currently giddy and breathless, yet I hope we're not satisfied with this, but take it as another step to the World Series. This article in the Wall St. Journal Friday speculated that World Series tickets could go for $10,000 each at Wrigley or Fenway. Hmmm, see the Cubs in Wrigley or a college education?
And oh yeah ... those almost lovable Monsters of the Midway actually pulled one out with a come from behind victory over the Raiders in the new and improved Soldier Field. Bear fans are breathing a half-sigh of relief. The fear of being the worst team in the league has been partially allayed, although it's still early in the season. A few more "W's" would help, although there is a strong sentiment for the team to fall flat on its face so that Coach Jauron and crew can be shown the door. After the Saints and Seahawks (probably losses), the Bears get Lions-Chargers-Lions. We'll see how we shape up after that.
Posted by MarcV, 8:41 AM link
October 04, 2003
Wow - over 250 hits yesterday! And all for just mentioning the supposed dealer to el Rushbo from the FoxNews article, this humble blog is #7 in the Google Search: Wilma Cline. If you look down a few posts, you will see my best guess at the location of that famous maid turned turncoat. A top 10 in a current events Google search - it just leaves you all tingly!
Posted by MarcV, 8:35 PM link
October 03, 2003
The "Master Historian", Victor Davis Hanson on War on NRO is at it again. Today he gives another rallying post on staying the course in the Mideast and not backing down and letting Iraq become another Lebanon. He also had this interesting observation about President Bush:
For all the hysteria about Karl Rove's supposed political calculations and machinations, I sense that the president doesn't care much what others think of him; indeed, for the price of winning this war he might even be willing to be a one-term president. In other words, this is a man who probably would not have withdrawn from Beirut, turned ships around off the harbor at Haiti at the sound of gunfire, or yanked Americans from Somalia as two-bit thugs dragged their corpses in the street.
For some reason or another he does not seem to crave future rave reviews from the New York Times, a late-night private dinner in Georgetown, or an obsequious phone call from a European apparatchik. Indeed, he seems to have expected the invective from the Europeans, the slander from our own media, and even the irrational, if not visceral, hatred of American elites as the inevitable wages that come with at last saying "enough is enough" and thereby dissolving in a moment the comfortable fraud that so many of us had invested so heavily in the last 20 years. How long his resistance will last in the face of slander and slurs of historic proportions is unclear; but for now he has again responded in a manner that his enemies would never have anticipated.
I wonder if this is what drives some liberals crazy and fuels their hatred of him. Here is someone who stands by his convictions, does not kowtow to Europe or worry about the liberal media perception. I type this yet I still worry about some of his domestic plans, particularly the nationalized drug plan, where it seems like he is trying to be the compassionate conservative rather than a limited-government conservative. I do agree with Mr. Hanson and Pres. Bush that we need to see this thing through in Iraq and Afghanistan by helping to establish citizen-led governments.
Posted by MarcV, 10:44 AM link
[ooops, forgot to post this yesterday!]
Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:
Democrat Cruz Bustamante told reporters Tuesday he is about to release a new TV ad. It shows the lieutenant governor hugging Bill Clinton. He had to get up pretty early to get a spot on the rope line but he may never live down the black wig. [No truth to the rumor that Cruz also had to show him some thong.]
President Bush denied knowing Tuesday which White House staffer leaked the name of a CIA agent. The scandal is illogical. For years Democrats said George Bush doesn't know anything, and now that he says he didn't know anything, they don't believe him. [The Democrats are the same party led by the woman who "can't recall".]
Posted by MarcV, 9:51 AM link
Welcome to Spudlets and look all you want for Wilma Cline. My last 20 (and probably further back then that) search results to here have been looking for that elusive maid. You'll find her on the beach in Miami, near the Westin Hotel Oceanfront, sipping a bloody mary and reviewing her script offers. She has a cell phone but only 2 people have her number, her attorney and her agent.
Posted by MarcV, 9:50 AM link
Ahnold Ahgony
A week before the election and allegations about Schwarzenegger's character all of a sudden pop up. Does this sound familiar? About 3 years ago, another popular Republican candidate had to fend off a last minute challenge to character: President Bush and the surfacing of a drunk driving charge. I'd like to think that this stoop into dirty politics is just another example of desperate people doing desperate things. Hope folks remember which party continues to use this tactic. In Arnold's case, it seems to be a case of sour grapes and whine (from FoxNews):
One source in the midst of this hoo-ha tells me: “There’s a giant army of support for these women [whom Schwarzenegger has groped]. He is so disliked. Every set in this city has a story about him.”
Imagine that, Schwarzenegger not liked in the city of liberal dreams! If the groping charges had been serious enough then they should have done something about it at the time and not be crying about it years later, especially in this day of "sue at the drop of a hat (or grope)". I don't approve of the groping, but I have to wonder how many of these women spoke up at the time of the alleged incidents. We'll probably get the standard excuse: he's so famous and powerful I was afraid to speak up. Until now.
Hey wait a minute. Wasn't there another powerful politician who liked to grope women, and they would defend him as saying it was a private matter, that that did not affect how he performed his job? Smells like a double standard to me. Just another example of the vast left wing conspiracy in action.
Posted by MarcV, 9:49 AM link
October 02, 2003
Worst Job?
You think you got it bad, sitting in your cubicle and blogging, well think again! Popular Science has surveyed over a 1000 scientists for the most "noxious" jobs, and then the staff voted on the ones entered. Here is the bottom 10:
- 1. Flatus Odor Judge
- Minneapolis gastroenterologist Michael Levitt ... paid two brave souls to indulge repeatedly in the odors of other people's farts. (Levitt refuses to divulge the remuneration, but it would seem safe to characterize it thusly: Not enough.)
- 2. Dysentery Stool Sample Analyzer
- Virginia Tech profs Tracy Wilkins and David Lyerly ... launched a company, Techlab, dedicated to making stool-analysis kits. Today, Techlab employs 40 people, 19 of whom spend their working hours opening sloppy stool canisters and analyzing their contents in order to test the effectiveness of the company's kits.
- 3. Animal Sp3rm Collectors
- Nuff said - go read it for yourself if you want details. Lady Spud had to lend a hand for this type of research when in college and working for the Animal Science department. It's not as much fun as it sounds.
- 4. Brazil Mosquito Researcher
- In the early evening, when mosquito activity is busiest, a mosquito dinner—er, researcher—finds a nice buggy area and sets himself up inside a mosquito-netting tent with a gap at the bottom. Mosquitoes fly in low and get trapped inside, where the researcher sits stoically, sacrificing his skin to science.
- 5. Hot-Zone Superintendent
- Bio-Safety Level 4 (i.e. ebola, anthrax testing) Superintendent has to fix equipment, clean up, and ensure that the lab is airtight. He also has to change the pathogen-saturated air filters on the top of the building and bake the deadly sewer effluent underneath
- 6. Isolation Chamber Tester
- At NASA, engineers responsible for life-support systems sign up to spend a few months in cramped captivity to test their equipment—for no additional pay. In one 91-day test at NASA, the crew re-cycled their urine into drinking water 13 times.
- 7. Fistula Feeder
- "There's a plug on the left side of the cow, about six inches around [a fistula, installed by a veterinarian]," says Dan Sehnert, animal facility manager at UC Davis. "It's easy. You just take out the plug and reach your hand in." Holey cow!
- 8. Prison Rape Researcher
- One in ten inmates in the survey had been the victim of a sexual assault.
- 9. Carcass Cleaner
- Natural history museums display clean white skeletons or neatly stuffed animals, but what their field biologists drag in are carcasses flush with rotting flesh.
- 10. Postdoc
- [Paraphrase] Usually boring research where you get paid a small amount to do grunt work.
That's how they picked them, but I'm sure there could be some other candidates for #10. Any suggestions?
Posted by MarcV, 4:44 PM link
Cubs lose ... Cubs lose
Zambrano did not seem to have his "A" game, and the Braves were able to get in and rough up the Cubs bullpen earlier than what Coach Dusty would have liked. Oh well, on to Friday and the marquee match-up of Prior vs. Maddux. I hope the Cubs launch a few against the former Cub Maddux, and that Prior gets a least a dozen K's.
Posted by MarcV, 9:33 AM link
Rush Cloud
I found out about the flap with Rush Limbaugh and Donovan McNabb a little late (Tuesday), but I did go to Rush's site and listen/watch the video on the now infamous comment he made about the Eagles QB. While I understand where he's coming from, and he's entitled to his opinion, all he had to do was say that McNabb was over-rated and gets preferential treatment from the media. Period. By injecting the race card, he weakens his own argument and invites personal attacks.
Because of the furor over this, Rush announced last night that he was resigning from the ESPN Sunday NFL show. I have a hunch it was one of those "IF you don't resign we'll fire you" situations. That's OK, since both Rush and ESPN will get along fine without each other, although Rush's former ESPN program did see a jump in ratings of 10% with him on the show. Another story was also reported that is even more troubling:
Not long after Limbaugh's resignation was announced, media reports surfaced saying he was under investigation in Florida for illegally buying and abusing prescription painkillers.
The New York Daily News, without identifying its source, reported in Thursday editions that Limbaugh was being investigated by the Palm Beach County state attoney's office. The newspaper said it had independently confirmed a story by the National Enquirer that was to be published Thursday.
The Enquirer had interviewed Wilma Cline, who said she became Limbaugh's drug connection after working as his maid, according to the Daily News.
The lack of the National Enquirer's veracity is well known, but I'm not very familiar with the NY Daily News. People in Rush's position get attacks like these on a fairly regular basis. As conservative as Rush is, it's hard to believe that he would fall into drug addiction. For being a celebrity as long as he has been, it's hard to believe that he would let himself be exposed by the maid. As connected as he is, he could surely find a doctor to help with his "medications" if he was having problems dealing with pain. This has the earmarks of a disgruntled employee being used by the vast "left-wing conspiracy".
Rush can either not dignify this by withholding comment, or he can come out swinging and explain where Wilma Cline is coming from and deny the drug connection. Somehow I think it will be the latter.
Posted by MarcV, 9:29 AM link
October 01, 2003
CUBS WIN CUBS WIN
More congrats for the Cubs, as they took the first game off of the Braves, 4-2, and have won for the first time on the road in the postseason since 1945 (or is it 1908?). Kerry Wood pitched a great game, and the bullpen made it interesting yet came through in the end to nail down the victory. Carlos Zambrano comes out tonight, and I hope he can pitch under control, yet tap into the fire that made him so effective.
Posted by MarcV, 10:55 AM link
Take Two
Today's double shot of funnies from the comedian Argus Hamilton:
Wesley Clark admitted Monday he voted for Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan in past elections. He's not exactly steeped in Democratic Party folklore. Wesley Clark went to a Huey Long Dinner in Louisiana thinking he was honoring a helicopter.
Laura Bush landed in Paris Monday where she charmed French president Jacques Chirac into two hand kisses. She issued an eloquent statement assuring France of American friendship. In one day, she ruined three years of Don Rumsfeld's hard work. [France has got to be concerned when "The Boss" is in town. The shenanigans WILL come to an end, and the kids will behave.]
Posted by MarcV, 10:54 AM link
