So Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) has admitted to pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges resulting from his "lewd homosexual conduct" in a men's room. This comes on the heels of Senator David Vitter (R-LA) explaining why his phone number was found with prostitutes, which came on the heels of mega-church pastor Ted Haggard being forced to resign his ministry over some tawdry homosexual and drug escapades, which came on the heels of the Mark Foley (R-FL) page scandal.
And just what do all these prominent men have in common? Why, all of them are "pro-family" conservatives who claim homosexuality is a sin. All are on record as opposing gay marriage. All of them excoriated Bill Clinton for his infidelities. All of them are stinking hypocrites. Although they're human hypocrites, with all their foibles and closet skeletons, and that at least makes them a bit less unlikeable in my book.
These men are great late-night fodder for Letterman and Leno, who must look upon the GOP as a veritable "gift that keeps on giving." But then it's hard not to pile on men who denounce in public what they keep doing in private. Well, at least sometimes it's in private.
Maybe Republicans will eventually figure this out, and just say what those of us on the left have long known: there is nothing wrong with homosexuality, gays aren't a threat to heterosexuals or their quaint customs of marriage, and it was wrong to roast Bill Clinton over a spit for cheating on his wife.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Nephew's Second Time In Dove Camp
sister <> wrote:
Hey Sid,
I should know the answer to this already, but what kind of shells does my son need, and how boxes should he bring? Could you send us directions to Dateland and to where he needs to go to get his license?
--Sis
Sis,
He needs 12 gauge 2 3/4" shells, field or target load, 7 1/2 shot or 8 shot. The way my nephew shoots, I would count on ten or twelve boxes per day.
Take I10 east all the way through Indio to Highway 86S. Take 86S all the way to Westmorland.
In Wesmorland, turn right (south) on Center Street. Center Street turns into Forrester Road. Take Forrester Road south to I8 east. This will save him about 45 minutes by bypassing Brawley and El Centro. I know, Brawley is the "garden spot" of the Imperial Valley, but he can see it another time.
Take I8 east to Dateland exit, about 66 miles east of Yuma. Turn right (south) off of the freeway, go past trailer park on right, and turn left (east) at dead end. In a couple of miles he'll see the trailer park on the right, over the railroad tracks. I don't remember what it's called, but he can't miss it. There's nothing else out there except cactus and meth labs.
For his license: they've opened a new Walmart in the east side of Yuma. Take I8 all the way through Yuma and exit at 32nd St. (this exit may be signed as East County 11th Street South, which immediately turns into 32nd Street. Arizona's road names are more messed-up than any other state's except California and Utah. In any case, it's the last exit before Fortuna Road). The Walmart is on 32nd Street (or maybe 11th Street South, the geniuses at Walmart weren't sure), on the south side of the freeway. You can see it from the Interstate.
A non-resident year-long license costs $151.25; a three-day is $61.25. For either he needs to buy the $4.50 migratory bird stamp. Make sure he fills out a Harvest Information Survey and gets the free Harvest Information stamp. He's got to have the license and both stamps to be legal. At those prices he might want to consider the new alternatives offered by Arizona for purchasing his non-resident license: a pound of flesh or his first male-born child.
Tell him not to assume the idiots working the counter at Walmart know what they're doing. It took me four phone calls to find somebody who could give me directions to the store, and even then they weren't sure if the exit was signed "32nd St." or "East County 11th." I'm assuming they all have bunks in the warehouse, since nobody who works there knows how to get there.
Tell my nephew we're gonna' eat doves on Saturday and spaghetti on Sunday. Dad's gonna' bring the sausage, but I made sure he got half hot and half sweet -- another batch of that hot sauce we choked down at Rock Creek probably wouldn't go down so well at 112 degrees in the shade.
I don't know what Dad has planned for Monday -- if my nephew can stay -- but I'm sure he'll get fed. I've got plenty of hot dogs and chili for chili/cheese dogs by the pool. He needs to bring his own munchies, drinks and beer.
Your brother,
Sid
Hey Sid,
I should know the answer to this already, but what kind of shells does my son need, and how boxes should he bring? Could you send us directions to Dateland and to where he needs to go to get his license?
--Sis
Sis,
He needs 12 gauge 2 3/4" shells, field or target load, 7 1/2 shot or 8 shot. The way my nephew shoots, I would count on ten or twelve boxes per day.
Take I10 east all the way through Indio to Highway 86S. Take 86S all the way to Westmorland.
In Wesmorland, turn right (south) on Center Street. Center Street turns into Forrester Road. Take Forrester Road south to I8 east. This will save him about 45 minutes by bypassing Brawley and El Centro. I know, Brawley is the "garden spot" of the Imperial Valley, but he can see it another time.
Take I8 east to Dateland exit, about 66 miles east of Yuma. Turn right (south) off of the freeway, go past trailer park on right, and turn left (east) at dead end. In a couple of miles he'll see the trailer park on the right, over the railroad tracks. I don't remember what it's called, but he can't miss it. There's nothing else out there except cactus and meth labs.
For his license: they've opened a new Walmart in the east side of Yuma. Take I8 all the way through Yuma and exit at 32nd St. (this exit may be signed as East County 11th Street South, which immediately turns into 32nd Street. Arizona's road names are more messed-up than any other state's except California and Utah. In any case, it's the last exit before Fortuna Road). The Walmart is on 32nd Street (or maybe 11th Street South, the geniuses at Walmart weren't sure), on the south side of the freeway. You can see it from the Interstate.
A non-resident year-long license costs $151.25; a three-day is $61.25. For either he needs to buy the $4.50 migratory bird stamp. Make sure he fills out a Harvest Information Survey and gets the free Harvest Information stamp. He's got to have the license and both stamps to be legal. At those prices he might want to consider the new alternatives offered by Arizona for purchasing his non-resident license: a pound of flesh or his first male-born child.
Tell him not to assume the idiots working the counter at Walmart know what they're doing. It took me four phone calls to find somebody who could give me directions to the store, and even then they weren't sure if the exit was signed "32nd St." or "East County 11th." I'm assuming they all have bunks in the warehouse, since nobody who works there knows how to get there.
Tell my nephew we're gonna' eat doves on Saturday and spaghetti on Sunday. Dad's gonna' bring the sausage, but I made sure he got half hot and half sweet -- another batch of that hot sauce we choked down at Rock Creek probably wouldn't go down so well at 112 degrees in the shade.
I don't know what Dad has planned for Monday -- if my nephew can stay -- but I'm sure he'll get fed. I've got plenty of hot dogs and chili for chili/cheese dogs by the pool. He needs to bring his own munchies, drinks and beer.
Yes, I said beer. I know he's only eighteen, but he needs to learn the ways, and I'm tired of him bumming beers off me. Besides he doesn't seem to approve of my taste. Just what's wrong with Pabst Blue Ribbon, anyways?
Give me a call if you have any questions. Tell my nephew I'll see him in Arizona.Your brother,
Sid
Monday, August 27, 2007
Gonzo Resigns
It would be easy this morning to pick on Alberto Gonzalez, George Bush's embattled now ex-Attorney General. Notwithstanding his bumbling perjury before Congress when discussing the burgeoning prosecutor firing scandal and his knowledge (or seeming lack thereof) of his president's illegal wiretapping program, Gonzo seemed way in over his head from the get go.
His Bush-like smirk couldn't hide his base incompetence. Morale at justice had sunk to new lows, and the entire department had become dis-functional. At some point he had to go, and better late than never.
Still, the fact that a boob like Gonzo got the job in the first place only illustrates a disturbing characterization of this administration: George Bush's seeming inability to choose people with any discernible talents beyond blind loyalty.
Bush ran as the first "CEO" president, promising to run the government more like a real business. Of course, based upon his stumbling forays in the real business world, the voters might have hired a more competent CEO. George has run the nation like a business all right: he's hired people unfit for their jobs and has watched idly by as they've run the company into bankruptcy. He's borrowed more money from foreign entities than all previous "CEO's" combined. He turned a profitable company (we had a surplus when he became "CEO") into a company bleeding red ink. For God's sake, he's turned Toyota into Chrysler. Good going, George.
And he'll end up with a golden parachute at the end of his term in the form of a sizable public-paid pension, a lifetime of medical benefits and some stock options in Haliburton.
His Bush-like smirk couldn't hide his base incompetence. Morale at justice had sunk to new lows, and the entire department had become dis-functional. At some point he had to go, and better late than never.
Still, the fact that a boob like Gonzo got the job in the first place only illustrates a disturbing characterization of this administration: George Bush's seeming inability to choose people with any discernible talents beyond blind loyalty.
Bush ran as the first "CEO" president, promising to run the government more like a real business. Of course, based upon his stumbling forays in the real business world, the voters might have hired a more competent CEO. George has run the nation like a business all right: he's hired people unfit for their jobs and has watched idly by as they've run the company into bankruptcy. He's borrowed more money from foreign entities than all previous "CEO's" combined. He turned a profitable company (we had a surplus when he became "CEO") into a company bleeding red ink. For God's sake, he's turned Toyota into Chrysler. Good going, George.
And he'll end up with a golden parachute at the end of his term in the form of a sizable public-paid pension, a lifetime of medical benefits and some stock options in Haliburton.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Terrorist Anglers
Citing terrorist threats to Los Angeles’ water supply, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) has permanently closed the Eastern Sierra’s Haiwee Reservoirs to fishing. Los Angeles aqueduct manager Gene Coufal was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying, "If contamination occurred at Haiwee, it would be a matter of hours before it got to L.A.”
Apparently, this means we can soon expect water officials to announce plans to close Lakes Powell, Mead and Havasu. The San Diego City lakes can’t be too far behind. And God forbid if terrorists hit the many dozens of miles of the L.A. Aqueduct above Haiwee that are still accessible. (Of course, DWP thinks it has that problem figured out: they covered up all the signs along Highway 395 that used to read "Los Angeles Aqueduct" because, hey, terrorists apparently can't read maps.)
Seriously, does the DWP truly believe the city’s water supply is in danger of attack by terrorists disguised as anglers? Will the closure of two reservoirs to fishing really make our lives any safer? Or is there perhaps some ulterior motive at work here?
First, a little background. The twin Haiwee Reservoirs, twenty miles south of the town of Lone Pine and part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct system, were closed to fishing from 1950 until April of 1994. During those years DWP personnel, backed by posted “No Trespassing” signs, routinely drove surreptitious anglers from the lakes under threat of arrest.
In 1991, members of a group called the Owens Valley Warm Water Fishing Association (OVWWFA) began openly flaunting the closure. Citing the California State Constitution, they refused to leave when told they were trespassing. (I'm proud to admit that, although I was never a member of OVWWFA, I, too, made a habit of sneaking in to Haiwee before it was "legal.") Local law enforcement officials, apparently on to something, refused to cite the anglers despite pleas from DWP personnel.
Article 1, Section 25 of the California State Constitution reads: “The people shall have the right to fish upon and from the public lands of the State and in the waters thereof . . . and no land owned by the State shall ever be sold or transferred without reserving in the people the absolute right to fish thereupon . . .” In effect, anglers had been illegally excluded from a legal fishing destination for nearly fifty years.
The right to fish at Haiwee was also a condition made by Inyo County when an agreement transferred land from the Bureau of Land Management to the DWP in 1983.
Still, the DWP dragged its feet for four years, ostensibly because of concerns over water quality, despite the fact they allow cattle to graze at the reservoirs, right to the water’s edge. Apparently cows are cleaner than people. They also cited nesting bald eagles as a reason for concern, though anglers and eagles coexist at dozens of lakes in the state. Many people felt (and continue to feel) the DWP’s real motive was preserving their own private fishing hole.
Finally, in 1994 the DWP relented to pressure from fishing organizations. Parking lots were constructed, toilets installed, trash cans provided and gates opened. Strict guidelines restricting body contact with water were established, and catch and release fishing was encouraged.
Now, just thirteen years later, the DWP has closed Haiwee to protect the city from terrorists, as if the exclusion of anglers will magically make any plausible threat of terrorism disappear. Yet no such announcement seems to be forthcoming regarding Lake Crowley, which the DWP also owns and is a popular fishing destination upstream from Haiwee. Are the Haiwee Reservoirs truly the one weak spot in the city’s water system? Or is the DWP only trying to get people out of a place they never wanted them to be in the first place?
In any case, time to sell those personal watercraft, skiing sleds and fishing boats while you still can. Diamond Valley Reservoir is sure to be next on the list, followed by Silverwood, Puddingstone, and Skinner. Those reservoirs in the Sierra foothills and the California Aqueduct surely must be at risk -- we've got to close them too. And if you’re out there, be sure to report any suspicious looking anglers.
Apparently, this means we can soon expect water officials to announce plans to close Lakes Powell, Mead and Havasu. The San Diego City lakes can’t be too far behind. And God forbid if terrorists hit the many dozens of miles of the L.A. Aqueduct above Haiwee that are still accessible. (Of course, DWP thinks it has that problem figured out: they covered up all the signs along Highway 395 that used to read "Los Angeles Aqueduct" because, hey, terrorists apparently can't read maps.)
Seriously, does the DWP truly believe the city’s water supply is in danger of attack by terrorists disguised as anglers? Will the closure of two reservoirs to fishing really make our lives any safer? Or is there perhaps some ulterior motive at work here?
First, a little background. The twin Haiwee Reservoirs, twenty miles south of the town of Lone Pine and part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct system, were closed to fishing from 1950 until April of 1994. During those years DWP personnel, backed by posted “No Trespassing” signs, routinely drove surreptitious anglers from the lakes under threat of arrest.
In 1991, members of a group called the Owens Valley Warm Water Fishing Association (OVWWFA) began openly flaunting the closure. Citing the California State Constitution, they refused to leave when told they were trespassing. (I'm proud to admit that, although I was never a member of OVWWFA, I, too, made a habit of sneaking in to Haiwee before it was "legal.") Local law enforcement officials, apparently on to something, refused to cite the anglers despite pleas from DWP personnel.
Article 1, Section 25 of the California State Constitution reads: “The people shall have the right to fish upon and from the public lands of the State and in the waters thereof . . . and no land owned by the State shall ever be sold or transferred without reserving in the people the absolute right to fish thereupon . . .” In effect, anglers had been illegally excluded from a legal fishing destination for nearly fifty years.
The right to fish at Haiwee was also a condition made by Inyo County when an agreement transferred land from the Bureau of Land Management to the DWP in 1983.
Still, the DWP dragged its feet for four years, ostensibly because of concerns over water quality, despite the fact they allow cattle to graze at the reservoirs, right to the water’s edge. Apparently cows are cleaner than people. They also cited nesting bald eagles as a reason for concern, though anglers and eagles coexist at dozens of lakes in the state. Many people felt (and continue to feel) the DWP’s real motive was preserving their own private fishing hole.
Finally, in 1994 the DWP relented to pressure from fishing organizations. Parking lots were constructed, toilets installed, trash cans provided and gates opened. Strict guidelines restricting body contact with water were established, and catch and release fishing was encouraged.
Now, just thirteen years later, the DWP has closed Haiwee to protect the city from terrorists, as if the exclusion of anglers will magically make any plausible threat of terrorism disappear. Yet no such announcement seems to be forthcoming regarding Lake Crowley, which the DWP also owns and is a popular fishing destination upstream from Haiwee. Are the Haiwee Reservoirs truly the one weak spot in the city’s water system? Or is the DWP only trying to get people out of a place they never wanted them to be in the first place?
In any case, time to sell those personal watercraft, skiing sleds and fishing boats while you still can. Diamond Valley Reservoir is sure to be next on the list, followed by Silverwood, Puddingstone, and Skinner. Those reservoirs in the Sierra foothills and the California Aqueduct surely must be at risk -- we've got to close them too. And if you’re out there, be sure to report any suspicious looking anglers.
Friday, August 24, 2007
More Random Thoughts On the Day's News
Wow, this is sure news. Our intelligence agencies are reporting that Iraq Prime Minister Maliki is, to quote the L.A. Times, "unable to govern his country effectively and the political situation is likely to become even more precarious in the next six to twelve months."
You think?
And George Bush's reaction is to compare Iraq to Vietnam, another country that was "unable to govern itself," at least until we had the wisdom to leave it.
The Times is also reporting that Southern California is in the midst of an earthquake "lull" that has lasted as much as 1000 years, and that when the lull ends we could experience quakes fifteen times larger than the Northridge earthquake of 1994. Gee, that's comforting. I guess it's time to again consider purchasing that beachfront property in Yuma.
A former Army Corps of Engineers employee has pled guilty to helping rig the bids to repair levees in New Orleans. There is no truth to the rumor the man is related to Dick Cheney.
The big story, of course, (as far as the mainstream media are concerned) is that Nicolle Richie only served 82 minutes of her four-day jail sentence for driving the wrong way on the Ventura Freeway. I'm guessing that won't do much to teach her not to be a talentless, treacherous menace to society.
You think?
And George Bush's reaction is to compare Iraq to Vietnam, another country that was "unable to govern itself," at least until we had the wisdom to leave it.
The Times is also reporting that Southern California is in the midst of an earthquake "lull" that has lasted as much as 1000 years, and that when the lull ends we could experience quakes fifteen times larger than the Northridge earthquake of 1994. Gee, that's comforting. I guess it's time to again consider purchasing that beachfront property in Yuma.
A former Army Corps of Engineers employee has pled guilty to helping rig the bids to repair levees in New Orleans. There is no truth to the rumor the man is related to Dick Cheney.
The big story, of course, (as far as the mainstream media are concerned) is that Nicolle Richie only served 82 minutes of her four-day jail sentence for driving the wrong way on the Ventura Freeway. I'm guessing that won't do much to teach her not to be a talentless, treacherous menace to society.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Bush Compares Iraq To Vietnam
So now President Bush is comparing Iraq to Vietnam, and says it's the reason why we should continue the insanity of occupying a nation we never should have invaded. "Whatever your position is on (the Vietnam) debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent victims whose agony would add to our vocabulary new terms like 'boat people,' re-education camps' and killing fields,' " he said.
Well, Mr. Bush seems to be guilty of a bit of revisionist history. Most historians believe the U.S. military killed between two and three million civilians during the Vietnam conflict, far more than died in the post-withdrawal meltdown. Moreover, by the time one year had passed after the fall of Saigon, the killing in Vietnam had largely ceased, and the country had largely returned to some kind of normalcy.
Today Vietnam is a stable, unified country, albeit a communist one. No more "dominoes" fell, and Vietnam is both a trading partner of the U.S. and a vacation destination of our citizens. Things seem to have turned out O.K. Indeed, I think most Vietnamese citizens would agree the best thing that ever happened to their country was us getting out.
No, Mr. Bush, the parallel with Iraq and Vietnam is this: we were lured into both illegal wars by deception and outright lying at the highest levels of our government. Both conflicts quickly devolved into quagmires of civil war that our very presence only made worse.
And the lesson of Vietnam, Mr. President, is this: get out. Get out now. Don't waste the life of one more American or one more innocent Iraqi civilian. Don't burn through any more of our treasury on a doomed and unnecessary occupation. Don't continue to serve as a recruiting poster for terrorist membership drives. Just leave.
Well, Mr. Bush seems to be guilty of a bit of revisionist history. Most historians believe the U.S. military killed between two and three million civilians during the Vietnam conflict, far more than died in the post-withdrawal meltdown. Moreover, by the time one year had passed after the fall of Saigon, the killing in Vietnam had largely ceased, and the country had largely returned to some kind of normalcy.
Today Vietnam is a stable, unified country, albeit a communist one. No more "dominoes" fell, and Vietnam is both a trading partner of the U.S. and a vacation destination of our citizens. Things seem to have turned out O.K. Indeed, I think most Vietnamese citizens would agree the best thing that ever happened to their country was us getting out.
No, Mr. Bush, the parallel with Iraq and Vietnam is this: we were lured into both illegal wars by deception and outright lying at the highest levels of our government. Both conflicts quickly devolved into quagmires of civil war that our very presence only made worse.
And the lesson of Vietnam, Mr. President, is this: get out. Get out now. Don't waste the life of one more American or one more innocent Iraqi civilian. Don't burn through any more of our treasury on a doomed and unnecessary occupation. Don't continue to serve as a recruiting poster for terrorist membership drives. Just leave.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Jesus Was a Democrat
What is it about the so-called "religious conservatives" that allows them to pick and choose which teachings of the Bible are the important ones? I mean, abortion is sin because it's murder but war is virtuous because . . . well, I can't quite figure it out.
Indeed, it seems religious conservatives tend to focus on two issues in particular -- abortion and gay rights -- to the exclusion of a whole host of other issues I think would have interested Jesus, were he alive today. Jesus most certainly wouldn't have approved of George Bush's unjust and unnecessary war. Jesus was big on providing for the poor, a political dead end with the Republican party. I think Jesus would be appalled that a whole segment of society has no access to health care benefits. He probably wouldn't think much of giving tax breaks to corporations that pollute his Father's creation, nor of giving tax breaks to the richest in society while the working class gets snubbed. And don't get me started on the Republican response to Katrina; let's just say Jesus would have been mortified.
I guess what I'm saying is that, during the next election cycle, Democrats would do well by again claiming, forcefully, the moral high-ground that is rightly theirs. The Democrats are the party of the common folk, the poor, the disenfranchised, the people Jesus championed in His time.
Moreover, I think people of religion who support the Republican Party should be ashamed that their politicians pay lip service to morality but tend not to follow through. And for all you folks out there with their WWJD T-shirts and bumper-stickers, why I'll tell you: He'd vote Democrat.
Indeed, it seems religious conservatives tend to focus on two issues in particular -- abortion and gay rights -- to the exclusion of a whole host of other issues I think would have interested Jesus, were he alive today. Jesus most certainly wouldn't have approved of George Bush's unjust and unnecessary war. Jesus was big on providing for the poor, a political dead end with the Republican party. I think Jesus would be appalled that a whole segment of society has no access to health care benefits. He probably wouldn't think much of giving tax breaks to corporations that pollute his Father's creation, nor of giving tax breaks to the richest in society while the working class gets snubbed. And don't get me started on the Republican response to Katrina; let's just say Jesus would have been mortified.
I guess what I'm saying is that, during the next election cycle, Democrats would do well by again claiming, forcefully, the moral high-ground that is rightly theirs. The Democrats are the party of the common folk, the poor, the disenfranchised, the people Jesus championed in His time.
Moreover, I think people of religion who support the Republican Party should be ashamed that their politicians pay lip service to morality but tend not to follow through. And for all you folks out there with their WWJD T-shirts and bumper-stickers, why I'll tell you: He'd vote Democrat.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Michael Vick Pleads Guilty
I usually try to refrain from commenting on sports. Not because I don't like sports -- I'm actually a big fan of the Rams, Cornhusker's football and the Anaheim Ducks -- but because at heart I believe sports are merely a diversion, and certainly not matters of any real consequence. With ESPN One through Ocho, Fox Sports Net, Jim Rome, countless blogs and even its own section of the local paper, I think sports gets pretty well-covered in this country, so I don't usually see the point of adding my two cents.
But this Michael Vick thing has me properly steamed. I see today where he agreed to plead guilty to running that dog fighting ring, despite his weeks-long protestations of innocence. I have two questions for Mr. Vick. First, how can you or your co-defendants, by any twisted sense of morality, come to the conclusion that fighting dogs to the death is a good thing? And second, what the hell were you thinking?
That second question is as old as sports, particularly since idiots like Steve Howe began throwing away their careers for drugs. But at least those guys had a semi-rational explanation: they're diseased. It's called addiction for a reason -- they can't stop, even though they know it could, and probably will, derail their professions and their lives.
But I have yet to see some talking head on the T.V. try to stake out the position that the desire to see dogs cleaving the flesh off of other dogs is some sort of addiction. Vick made a conscious decision here: I'm going to participate in a sadistic exercise, rightly abhorred by nearly everyone. And If I'm caught at it, this will almost certainly end my multi-million dollar career and any hope at ever endorsing any product ever again.
Maybe Michael Vick should have plead insanity, because from my point of view only a mad-man would have made his choices.
But this Michael Vick thing has me properly steamed. I see today where he agreed to plead guilty to running that dog fighting ring, despite his weeks-long protestations of innocence. I have two questions for Mr. Vick. First, how can you or your co-defendants, by any twisted sense of morality, come to the conclusion that fighting dogs to the death is a good thing? And second, what the hell were you thinking?
That second question is as old as sports, particularly since idiots like Steve Howe began throwing away their careers for drugs. But at least those guys had a semi-rational explanation: they're diseased. It's called addiction for a reason -- they can't stop, even though they know it could, and probably will, derail their professions and their lives.
But I have yet to see some talking head on the T.V. try to stake out the position that the desire to see dogs cleaving the flesh off of other dogs is some sort of addiction. Vick made a conscious decision here: I'm going to participate in a sadistic exercise, rightly abhorred by nearly everyone. And If I'm caught at it, this will almost certainly end my multi-million dollar career and any hope at ever endorsing any product ever again.
Maybe Michael Vick should have plead insanity, because from my point of view only a mad-man would have made his choices.
Owens Valley - An Environmental Irony
California's Owens Valley sits as a largely untrammeled outdoor paradise close by the towering eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Several smallish towns dot Highway 395 as it makes its way up the valley, providing gateways into the unspoiled Eastern Sierra back country and the Bristlecone Pine forest of the White Mountains. Yet other than these few slumbering bergs -- Lone Pine, Independence, Big Pine and Bishop, as one heads north -- the larger part of the Owens Valley looks much as it did five-hundred years ago.
The valley is home to dozens of fauna species, including the largest herd of endemic tule elk in the state, as well as dozens of endemic species of flora. As a transition zone between the Mojave and Great Basin deserts, the valley floor and the foothills of the Sierra, Inyo and White Mountains provide an amazing diversity of life not often found in such a harsh desert environment.
It's ironic, then, that had the City of Los Angeles not stolen the valley's water near the beginning of the last century -- an act thought of at the time as an unmitigated environmental and economic catastrophe -- the Owens Valley today might look a lot like Van Nuys. And sorry, Van Nuys, I don't mean that in a complementary way.
When he took over the L.A. City Water Department, William Mulholland saw that the key to continuing economic prosperity was water. With no reliable supply of water, the city's growth had become stunted. A man by the name of Fred Eaton thought he had the answer. During a family outing to the Sierras in 1904 he had travelled the length of the Owens Valley. The valley's major river, the Owens, tracked south through the valley towards Southern California before coming to an end at Owens Lake. He believed a canal could be built to bring that water to the San Fernando Valley, and would provide the answer to Mulholland's conundrum.
Just one little problem: the good people of the Owens Valley thought they had an agreement with the Federal Reclamation Service to build a project in their valley for their benefit. The project would transform the Owens into a verdant paradise of agriculture, commerce and economic prosperity. As he travelled through the area, buying any water rights along the valley floor not already belonging to the Reclamation Service, the citizens of the valley had no inkling Eaton planned all along to then sell those rights to the city of Los Angeles rather than Reclamation for use in the local project.
Construction on the Los Angeles Aqueduct began in 1908, and by 1913 the sweet water of the Owens River began to quench the thirst of the people of L.A. During the ensuing years the city purchased additional water rights in Long Valley north of Bishop and in the Mono Lake area, thereby in effect monopolizing water development in the Eastern Sierra.
And there sat the Owens Valley, all these years. With little water for local development or agriculture, the valley has largely remained as it was when the aqueduct first flowed in 1913, albeit with a dead river bed through which flowed only sand. But no more. After years of litigation the city of Los Angeles is again beginning to allow water to flow through the entire length of the Owens to its end at land-locked Owens Lake. Fish have begun repopulating the revitalized lower sections of river, and stream side vegetation has begun to take hold, providing wildlife habitat for elk, deer, rabbits and quail.
So tonight I will raise a toast to old Fred Eaton and William Mulholland, the men who stole the Owens River. Without them, a drive to Bishop Creek would take me through a concrete jungle and not the sage-covered raw beauty of a valley saved from ultimate environmental destruction: the development of the commons. Saved by the pure happenstance of an environmental irony.
The valley is home to dozens of fauna species, including the largest herd of endemic tule elk in the state, as well as dozens of endemic species of flora. As a transition zone between the Mojave and Great Basin deserts, the valley floor and the foothills of the Sierra, Inyo and White Mountains provide an amazing diversity of life not often found in such a harsh desert environment.
It's ironic, then, that had the City of Los Angeles not stolen the valley's water near the beginning of the last century -- an act thought of at the time as an unmitigated environmental and economic catastrophe -- the Owens Valley today might look a lot like Van Nuys. And sorry, Van Nuys, I don't mean that in a complementary way.
When he took over the L.A. City Water Department, William Mulholland saw that the key to continuing economic prosperity was water. With no reliable supply of water, the city's growth had become stunted. A man by the name of Fred Eaton thought he had the answer. During a family outing to the Sierras in 1904 he had travelled the length of the Owens Valley. The valley's major river, the Owens, tracked south through the valley towards Southern California before coming to an end at Owens Lake. He believed a canal could be built to bring that water to the San Fernando Valley, and would provide the answer to Mulholland's conundrum.
Just one little problem: the good people of the Owens Valley thought they had an agreement with the Federal Reclamation Service to build a project in their valley for their benefit. The project would transform the Owens into a verdant paradise of agriculture, commerce and economic prosperity. As he travelled through the area, buying any water rights along the valley floor not already belonging to the Reclamation Service, the citizens of the valley had no inkling Eaton planned all along to then sell those rights to the city of Los Angeles rather than Reclamation for use in the local project.
Construction on the Los Angeles Aqueduct began in 1908, and by 1913 the sweet water of the Owens River began to quench the thirst of the people of L.A. During the ensuing years the city purchased additional water rights in Long Valley north of Bishop and in the Mono Lake area, thereby in effect monopolizing water development in the Eastern Sierra.
And there sat the Owens Valley, all these years. With little water for local development or agriculture, the valley has largely remained as it was when the aqueduct first flowed in 1913, albeit with a dead river bed through which flowed only sand. But no more. After years of litigation the city of Los Angeles is again beginning to allow water to flow through the entire length of the Owens to its end at land-locked Owens Lake. Fish have begun repopulating the revitalized lower sections of river, and stream side vegetation has begun to take hold, providing wildlife habitat for elk, deer, rabbits and quail.
So tonight I will raise a toast to old Fred Eaton and William Mulholland, the men who stole the Owens River. Without them, a drive to Bishop Creek would take me through a concrete jungle and not the sage-covered raw beauty of a valley saved from ultimate environmental destruction: the development of the commons. Saved by the pure happenstance of an environmental irony.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Poor Tony Snow Is Out of Cash
One is almost tempted to feel a bit sorry for the president's spokes-liar, Tony Snow. After all, he is in a fight for his life, suffering from recurring cancer, and no one deserves that. Still when he says he's not going to stay with the Bush Administration to the end of Bush's term because of financial reasons, it's hard to feel a whole lot of sympathy for him.
For Pete's sake, Tony, you pull down $168K per year, with a sweet benefits package that I'm guessing completely covers your cancer treatments. Most Americans would jump at a deal like that, but you're crying "poor." It's unbecoming and in bad taste, particularly since real wages for most Americans have fallen dramatically during your boss's reign.
For sure, Snow made a lot more money when he did his lying over at Faux News, and tons of cash await him on the rubber chicken circuit, but it stinks of elitism for a man in his position by be playing the poverty card. Kind of goes to show just out of touch with every-day Americans this bunch is.
For Pete's sake, Tony, you pull down $168K per year, with a sweet benefits package that I'm guessing completely covers your cancer treatments. Most Americans would jump at a deal like that, but you're crying "poor." It's unbecoming and in bad taste, particularly since real wages for most Americans have fallen dramatically during your boss's reign.
For sure, Snow made a lot more money when he did his lying over at Faux News, and tons of cash await him on the rubber chicken circuit, but it stinks of elitism for a man in his position by be playing the poverty card. Kind of goes to show just out of touch with every-day Americans this bunch is.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Good Bye, Karl Rove
While I was holed up in the mountains, far from any news source, I see our good friend Karl Rove has announced his resignation. So this seems as good a time as any to reflect on his legacy, such as it is.
No political operative in recent memory was as reviled by the opposition party as was Karl Rove. Still, give the man his due: it's hard to argue with his electoral successes. After all, he managed to get a certified moron "elected" to the nation's highest office not once, but twice. His "divide and conquer" technique of solidifying the Republican base while refusing compromise with the Democrats forged a solid Republican majority for much of Bush's reign.
Yet, in the end, that tried and true technique failed him and his party. Despite the caging lists, the rigged voting machines and the general electoral chicanery designed to foster a "permanent Republican majority," the public soundly repudiated him and his ilk last November. If not for the rigged system, many of us believe the Republicans would have been completely routed instead of just removed from the majority.
It must have been a tough pill for old Karl to swallow. Now his party is shattered, his "permanent majority" gone, his president has Nixonian approval ratings, his war has gone south and his dream of dismantling the New Deal and the Great Society is finished. What he didn't understand is this: ignoring a large percentage of the electorate just to placate the base only works in the short term. True leaders must at least attempt to engage the oppostition, or face the wrath of the center. By ignoring that reality, Karl Rove has unwittingly doomed the Republicans to the electoral wilderness for at least a generation.
The barbarians are getting ready to storm the gates, Karl, and for the Republicans you so ably got elected -- despite the failed politics of their neo-conservatism -- there will be hell to pay. And in an ultimate irony, Karl, the unitary powers you helped George Bush accumulate are about to be handed to a liberal Democratic president. The joke's on you, Karl. Good bye, and good riddance.
No political operative in recent memory was as reviled by the opposition party as was Karl Rove. Still, give the man his due: it's hard to argue with his electoral successes. After all, he managed to get a certified moron "elected" to the nation's highest office not once, but twice. His "divide and conquer" technique of solidifying the Republican base while refusing compromise with the Democrats forged a solid Republican majority for much of Bush's reign.
Yet, in the end, that tried and true technique failed him and his party. Despite the caging lists, the rigged voting machines and the general electoral chicanery designed to foster a "permanent Republican majority," the public soundly repudiated him and his ilk last November. If not for the rigged system, many of us believe the Republicans would have been completely routed instead of just removed from the majority.
It must have been a tough pill for old Karl to swallow. Now his party is shattered, his "permanent majority" gone, his president has Nixonian approval ratings, his war has gone south and his dream of dismantling the New Deal and the Great Society is finished. What he didn't understand is this: ignoring a large percentage of the electorate just to placate the base only works in the short term. True leaders must at least attempt to engage the oppostition, or face the wrath of the center. By ignoring that reality, Karl Rove has unwittingly doomed the Republicans to the electoral wilderness for at least a generation.
The barbarians are getting ready to storm the gates, Karl, and for the Republicans you so ably got elected -- despite the failed politics of their neo-conservatism -- there will be hell to pay. And in an ultimate irony, Karl, the unitary powers you helped George Bush accumulate are about to be handed to a liberal Democratic president. The joke's on you, Karl. Good bye, and good riddance.
Rock Creek Trip Report
Or, My God Teenagers Can Eat!
Just got back from another "family oriented" mini-vacation made necessary by our unwillingness (some would say our cheapness) to send our son to camp the entire summer. This time a camping trip up Rock Creek in the Eastern Sierra, sans the wife, who gets the son next week when I go back to work.
We stayed at one of the numerous Forest Service campgrounds that line the road up to Rock Creek Lake. Anybody who knows me knows this isn't exactly my kind of camping. For one thing, I don't particularly like people, and the average Forest Service campground is practically teeming with them; bunches of inconsiderate, self-centered locusts doing their unconscious best to ruin the outdoor experiences of their fellow campers. But with my six year-old, my sister's family (including her two teenage kids and their two friends) and my Dad in attendance, developed camping was our only practical alternative.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. Rock Creek is the only east side drainage of the Sierras I'd never been to, and I wonder why it took me so long. The area is gorgeous, the creek lively and accessible, the lake picturesque and the hiking opportunities limitless. The campsites are spaced far enough apart to impart some sort of "solitude," if that's the right word. We caught some fish at Rock Creek Lake, my son had a great time floating his toy boat down the creek, and in general a good time was had by all.
I also caught a glimpse of what the wife and I are in for when my son reaches his teenage years. Good God, those kids can eat! Following is a list of what was consumed by four adults, four teenagers and a six year-old in just four days:
Nine rib-eye steaks, sixteen hamburgers, twenty-four hot dogs, three pounds of Italian sausage, two pounds of spaghetti, three pounds of stew meat, two large cans of Ranch Style beans, four cans of chili, three loaves of bread, three pounds of lunch meat, a pound of cheddar cheese, two large packages of American cheese, a loaf of French bread, three packages of English muffins, two pounds of bacon, two pounds of chorizo, 72 flour tortillas, ten pounds of potatoes, nine ears of corn, six bell peppers, twelve onions, a package of cherry tomatoes, several bottles of assorted condiments, enough Some-ores to wire an army with a week-long sugar rush, assorted crackers, cookies and candy, and an astounding 72 eggs. Oh, and two fresh-caught trout and four jars of canned lake trout my Dad brought back with him from Wyoming.
And we had zero leftovers. My nephew and his friend, in particular, reminded me of the old joke about Samoans: they didn't eat until they were full -- they ate until their jaws got tired.
So, as the camp cook, I spent much of my vacation standing over my old Coleman stove and the three grills required to cook that much food. Still, it was a fine four days, and the best proof was every one's attitude when it came time to pack up and leave: nobody wanted to go home.
Just got back from another "family oriented" mini-vacation made necessary by our unwillingness (some would say our cheapness) to send our son to camp the entire summer. This time a camping trip up Rock Creek in the Eastern Sierra, sans the wife, who gets the son next week when I go back to work.
We stayed at one of the numerous Forest Service campgrounds that line the road up to Rock Creek Lake. Anybody who knows me knows this isn't exactly my kind of camping. For one thing, I don't particularly like people, and the average Forest Service campground is practically teeming with them; bunches of inconsiderate, self-centered locusts doing their unconscious best to ruin the outdoor experiences of their fellow campers. But with my six year-old, my sister's family (including her two teenage kids and their two friends) and my Dad in attendance, developed camping was our only practical alternative.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. Rock Creek is the only east side drainage of the Sierras I'd never been to, and I wonder why it took me so long. The area is gorgeous, the creek lively and accessible, the lake picturesque and the hiking opportunities limitless. The campsites are spaced far enough apart to impart some sort of "solitude," if that's the right word. We caught some fish at Rock Creek Lake, my son had a great time floating his toy boat down the creek, and in general a good time was had by all.
I also caught a glimpse of what the wife and I are in for when my son reaches his teenage years. Good God, those kids can eat! Following is a list of what was consumed by four adults, four teenagers and a six year-old in just four days:
Nine rib-eye steaks, sixteen hamburgers, twenty-four hot dogs, three pounds of Italian sausage, two pounds of spaghetti, three pounds of stew meat, two large cans of Ranch Style beans, four cans of chili, three loaves of bread, three pounds of lunch meat, a pound of cheddar cheese, two large packages of American cheese, a loaf of French bread, three packages of English muffins, two pounds of bacon, two pounds of chorizo, 72 flour tortillas, ten pounds of potatoes, nine ears of corn, six bell peppers, twelve onions, a package of cherry tomatoes, several bottles of assorted condiments, enough Some-ores to wire an army with a week-long sugar rush, assorted crackers, cookies and candy, and an astounding 72 eggs. Oh, and two fresh-caught trout and four jars of canned lake trout my Dad brought back with him from Wyoming.
And we had zero leftovers. My nephew and his friend, in particular, reminded me of the old joke about Samoans: they didn't eat until they were full -- they ate until their jaws got tired.
So, as the camp cook, I spent much of my vacation standing over my old Coleman stove and the three grills required to cook that much food. Still, it was a fine four days, and the best proof was every one's attitude when it came time to pack up and leave: nobody wanted to go home.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Where Do Libertarians Go From Here?
When George W. Bush ran for president in 2000 as a "compassionate conservative" most people assumed that meant he would somewhat soften the hard edges of libertarianism. Libertarians believe the federal government long ago entered into areas that rightly should be left to the states. They cite such programs as Social Security, federal funding of education, Medicare and Medicaid, and the Environmental Protection Agency as examples of the feds treading on rights that should be left to the states and the market economy.
While many pundits have attributed Bush's victory to the rise of evangelical conservatism, I believe the libertarians have been given short shrift. I believe hard-core, Barry Goldwater, principled libertarians provided the very foundation upon which modern conservatism rose to power. And I believe George Bush has taken them for a ride.
Let us count the ways in which George Bush has been anything but a libertarian conservative:
Libertarians, above all, believe in fiscal responsibility. When George Bush entered office, the federal government was enjoying a rare budget surplus. Today, Bush presides over the greatest expansion of budget deficits in U.S. history. Bush's government has borrowed more money from foreign sources than the combined governments of every U.S. president in our nation's brief life.
Libertarians believe in a strong national defense combined with an unwillingness to use it unless provoked. Bush gave us an enormously expensive preemptive war against an "enemy" that posed us no threat -- a war with no apparent plan, no apparent purpose and no end in sight.
Libertarians believe in liberty, that the Bill of Rights is sacrosanct. Bush has trampled the bill of rights, suspending Habeas Corpus -- keeping so-called "enemy combatants" locked up with no due process -- and he's spied on citizens without the necessary warrants in place.
Libertarians believe the federal government should stay out of such arenas as education, health care and the market economy. Bush signed the "No Child Left Behind" bill that bullies state's educational systems and is largely unfunded. He also signed into law a prescription drug benefit for seniors costing us billions of dollars per year. This in particular must irk libertarians because they see "entitlements" as one of the most insidious forms of governmental intrusion. Government hand-outs like the millions in subsidies provided to the oil industry must be likewise abhorrent to libertarians.
Libertarians believe in smaller government. With his Homeland Security Agency Bush has overseen the largest increase in the federal bureaucracy since the EPA was formed.
Libertarians believe in the separation of powers. With his bid to form a "unitary executive," Bush has centralized power to an extent not foreseen by the framers of the Constitution and has appropriated numerous powers that were to be left with other branches of government.
On issue after issue Bush has pushed away libertarianism. That he still maintains a 28% approval rating stems from much of his base either not facing reality or not paying attention.
The question, then, is where do libertarians go from here? Do they splinter off and try to push back against the egregious actions of Bush and his ilk? Do they stay with the Republican Party and try to reclaim true libertarian conservatism from the Neo-conservative usurpers, hoping, against all odds, that the current crop of presidential candidates might turn out to be a true believer? Or do they just give up and go home? Only time will tell. I do know one thing: Barry Goldwater must be doing back-flips in his grave.
While many pundits have attributed Bush's victory to the rise of evangelical conservatism, I believe the libertarians have been given short shrift. I believe hard-core, Barry Goldwater, principled libertarians provided the very foundation upon which modern conservatism rose to power. And I believe George Bush has taken them for a ride.
Let us count the ways in which George Bush has been anything but a libertarian conservative:
Libertarians, above all, believe in fiscal responsibility. When George Bush entered office, the federal government was enjoying a rare budget surplus. Today, Bush presides over the greatest expansion of budget deficits in U.S. history. Bush's government has borrowed more money from foreign sources than the combined governments of every U.S. president in our nation's brief life.
Libertarians believe in a strong national defense combined with an unwillingness to use it unless provoked. Bush gave us an enormously expensive preemptive war against an "enemy" that posed us no threat -- a war with no apparent plan, no apparent purpose and no end in sight.
Libertarians believe in liberty, that the Bill of Rights is sacrosanct. Bush has trampled the bill of rights, suspending Habeas Corpus -- keeping so-called "enemy combatants" locked up with no due process -- and he's spied on citizens without the necessary warrants in place.
Libertarians believe the federal government should stay out of such arenas as education, health care and the market economy. Bush signed the "No Child Left Behind" bill that bullies state's educational systems and is largely unfunded. He also signed into law a prescription drug benefit for seniors costing us billions of dollars per year. This in particular must irk libertarians because they see "entitlements" as one of the most insidious forms of governmental intrusion. Government hand-outs like the millions in subsidies provided to the oil industry must be likewise abhorrent to libertarians.
Libertarians believe in smaller government. With his Homeland Security Agency Bush has overseen the largest increase in the federal bureaucracy since the EPA was formed.
Libertarians believe in the separation of powers. With his bid to form a "unitary executive," Bush has centralized power to an extent not foreseen by the framers of the Constitution and has appropriated numerous powers that were to be left with other branches of government.
On issue after issue Bush has pushed away libertarianism. That he still maintains a 28% approval rating stems from much of his base either not facing reality or not paying attention.
The question, then, is where do libertarians go from here? Do they splinter off and try to push back against the egregious actions of Bush and his ilk? Do they stay with the Republican Party and try to reclaim true libertarian conservatism from the Neo-conservative usurpers, hoping, against all odds, that the current crop of presidential candidates might turn out to be a true believer? Or do they just give up and go home? Only time will tell. I do know one thing: Barry Goldwater must be doing back-flips in his grave.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
O.K., Ebay, We Got It: You Hate Guns
So Ebay has just published new rules about what can and cannot be sold on their site:
They said they would no longer allow the listing of any firearm parts required in the firing of a gun. This will include bullet tips (their words), brass, shells (hulls), barrels, slides, cylinders, magazines, trigger assemblies, etc.
This change is apparently in response to the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech University. I suppose on some level it makes sense. After all, everybody knows that depraved mad-men buy all their reloading supplies on Ebay.
First off, this affects me personally, because there seemed to be an endless supply of suckers on Ebay willing to pay me 20 cents apiece for 28 gauge shotgun hulls I picked up for free at the local range. Now I'll have to go back to collecting aluminum cans for spending money I can hide from the wife.
Seriously, we all know those in power over at Ebay despise guns, but what good is it to exclude for sale legal products that don't require hazardous materials handling? Do they really think they can somehow prevent people from shooting their guns by restricting the sale of empty shotgun hulls?
And where does this stop? Is Ebay anti-hunting, too? Can I expect my Paypal account to be frozen if I try to sell some duck decoys on line? I notice there's lots of archery gear there. Is that next? After all, I imagine some kook with a compound bow could do some serious harm at the shopping mall were he so inclined.
What about all the other stuff sold on Ebay that could be turned into a weapon? Are they going to ban baseball bats the next time an enraged parent pummels his son's little-league coach with a Louisville Slugger because Junior didn't get enough playing time?
On a serious level I find this action by Ebay to be extremely counterproductive, because it just reinforces in every NRA member's mind that "those slime-balls on the left want to take away our guns." I've already noticed it at the many gun nut sites I frequent, and at least one is circulating a petition aimed at convincing Ebay to reverse the policy. This is another example of why most gun owners don't trust those of us on the left.
Which is unfortunate, because I've been arguing for years that, of those who own guns, hunters in particular really ought to be our natural allies. Both hunters and lefties want to protect the commons, lefties for its own sake and hunters so they will continue to have game to shoot. But every time the Sierra Club announces a hunter outreach program or Audubon Magazine publishes an ode to hunters some morons like Ebay come along and rip out the seedling alliance that has been sown. Good going, Ebay. Now I'm going to trip over to Gunbroker and see if anybody wants to buy some of these 28 gauge hulls I've got stored in my garage.
They said they would no longer allow the listing of any firearm parts required in the firing of a gun. This will include bullet tips (their words), brass, shells (hulls), barrels, slides, cylinders, magazines, trigger assemblies, etc.
This change is apparently in response to the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech University. I suppose on some level it makes sense. After all, everybody knows that depraved mad-men buy all their reloading supplies on Ebay.
First off, this affects me personally, because there seemed to be an endless supply of suckers on Ebay willing to pay me 20 cents apiece for 28 gauge shotgun hulls I picked up for free at the local range. Now I'll have to go back to collecting aluminum cans for spending money I can hide from the wife.
Seriously, we all know those in power over at Ebay despise guns, but what good is it to exclude for sale legal products that don't require hazardous materials handling? Do they really think they can somehow prevent people from shooting their guns by restricting the sale of empty shotgun hulls?
And where does this stop? Is Ebay anti-hunting, too? Can I expect my Paypal account to be frozen if I try to sell some duck decoys on line? I notice there's lots of archery gear there. Is that next? After all, I imagine some kook with a compound bow could do some serious harm at the shopping mall were he so inclined.
What about all the other stuff sold on Ebay that could be turned into a weapon? Are they going to ban baseball bats the next time an enraged parent pummels his son's little-league coach with a Louisville Slugger because Junior didn't get enough playing time?
On a serious level I find this action by Ebay to be extremely counterproductive, because it just reinforces in every NRA member's mind that "those slime-balls on the left want to take away our guns." I've already noticed it at the many gun nut sites I frequent, and at least one is circulating a petition aimed at convincing Ebay to reverse the policy. This is another example of why most gun owners don't trust those of us on the left.
Which is unfortunate, because I've been arguing for years that, of those who own guns, hunters in particular really ought to be our natural allies. Both hunters and lefties want to protect the commons, lefties for its own sake and hunters so they will continue to have game to shoot. But every time the Sierra Club announces a hunter outreach program or Audubon Magazine publishes an ode to hunters some morons like Ebay come along and rip out the seedling alliance that has been sown. Good going, Ebay. Now I'm going to trip over to Gunbroker and see if anybody wants to buy some of these 28 gauge hulls I've got stored in my garage.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
President Bush Is Classless
Either That, Or He Just Doesn't Care
In his statement this morning, President Bush segued directly from his heart-felt message to the people of Minneapolis to political hackery, whacking the Democrats for not completing the appropriations bills and including $22 billion of "extra" spending he said would cause us to "raise your taxes."
The bodies aren't even out of the water yet, but Bush can't pass up a chance to try and take the Democrats to the political woodshed. My first inclination is to think it's just another example of Mr. Bush's classlessness. But then I remember his Mom's comments during the Katrina fiasco about all the refugees trapped at the Superdome and how it was "working out well for them." Bush's comments about the Democrats on the heels of his words about the Minnesota tragedy stinks of the same inappropriateness.
So it seems more likely the Bush clan simply are missing the "compassion" gene. I don't think they care about the plight of other people, particularly those who are beneath their socioeconomic class. It explains his willingness to continue sacrificing our brave soldiers on the alter of an unnecessary and failed war. He doesn't really care about them, or their pain and suffering.
And incidentally, Mr. Bush, that extra $22 billion the Democrats want to spend is a drop in the bucket compared to the $1 trillion this war is going to cost us. I think we might have fixed quite a few bridges with that kind of money, don't you?
In his statement this morning, President Bush segued directly from his heart-felt message to the people of Minneapolis to political hackery, whacking the Democrats for not completing the appropriations bills and including $22 billion of "extra" spending he said would cause us to "raise your taxes."
The bodies aren't even out of the water yet, but Bush can't pass up a chance to try and take the Democrats to the political woodshed. My first inclination is to think it's just another example of Mr. Bush's classlessness. But then I remember his Mom's comments during the Katrina fiasco about all the refugees trapped at the Superdome and how it was "working out well for them." Bush's comments about the Democrats on the heels of his words about the Minnesota tragedy stinks of the same inappropriateness.
So it seems more likely the Bush clan simply are missing the "compassion" gene. I don't think they care about the plight of other people, particularly those who are beneath their socioeconomic class. It explains his willingness to continue sacrificing our brave soldiers on the alter of an unnecessary and failed war. He doesn't really care about them, or their pain and suffering.
And incidentally, Mr. Bush, that extra $22 billion the Democrats want to spend is a drop in the bucket compared to the $1 trillion this war is going to cost us. I think we might have fixed quite a few bridges with that kind of money, don't you?
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The Hualapai Nation Is Not Yet Ready for Prime Time
Or, My Vacation From Hell, Part Two
After braving the hoards of humanity at Grand Canyon National Park for the better part of two days, we headed back west for our visit to Grand Canyon West, better known as the Hualapai Indian Reservation. It is here the Hualapai have constructed the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a horseshoe shaped abomination of steel and Plexiglas that juts out over the canyon rim, allowing visitors to think they're walking on air. Although the Skywalk is asthetically unpleasing, I'm as much a sucker for cheap thrills as the next guy, so I was looking forward to checking it out. As this story shall show, the Hualapai might have done better to stick with the more traditional manner of relieving the white man of his money: steal it in Indian Casinos.
For starters, the road to Skywalk isn't yet paved. Now had I been driving my 4x4 Dodge Dakota instead of my wife's Charger this wouldn't have presented a problem. The Charger isn't exactly designed for off-roading, and my wife cringed noticeably every time a stray rock would strike the undercarriage. At that point, of course, she had no idea of how bad it would get.
When we pulled up at what passes for a visitor's center, my first impression was "this must be what Hanoi was like during the evacuation." A helipad with four or five idling helicopters sat right across from the center, and a landing strip featuring a constant drone of single-engine planes taking off and landing was just to the north. The Hualapai are apparently unaware of the invention of electrical transmission lines because the roar and stench of generators providing an interesting back-drop to the incessant racket and aroma of the aircraft.
Inside the visitors center there was what can only be described as chaos. There was no discernible line; just people, lots of them, wandering around with looks of either confusion or disgust. When I reached the ticket counter and asked about our room reservations I was met with a blank look that could only have meant "I have no idea what you're talking about." After talking with five or six of his co-workers I finally figured out why: the genius on the phone when I made the reservations had booked us into the Hualapai lodge in Peach Springs, a wide spot in the road two hours by jeep trail from Grand Canyon West. When they tried to hook me up with a phone to call the lodge and cancel our reservations, the phone went dead and couldn't be resuscitated.
Finally, we grabbed our tickets and prepared to get on the bus out to the Skywalk, only to be told by one of the flunkies they had closed it because of an impending electrical storm. We asked for a refund for the Skywalk portion of our tickets (twenty-five bucks a head), and were told to see the supervisor.
When we finally found the supervisor, he told us that no, the Skywalk was still open and we should catch the next bus out there. He told us that if the Skywalk did close we would indeed be reimbursed for that portion of the ticket.
When we arrived, we found that, indeed, the Skywalk was definitely closed, and probably would be for the rest of the day. We soon found out why. As we wandered around a bit, letting the kids play in the "authentic" tee-pees the tribe has constructed, it began to rain. Anybody who's ever lived in the Southwest will know what I'm talking about when I say it was a "gully-washer." We ran back to the bus, where the driver told us that "anybody with a low-clearance vehicle better get out of here, because the road is gonna' wash out."
When we got back to Baghdad -- I mean the visitor's center -- we tried in vain to find the supervisor who had misled us about the Skywalk being open. We later found out he was holed up in his office, afraid to brave the angry hoard of maltreated guests.
(I should probably stop here and explain the Hualapai Nation isn't exactly running things out there. They have hired some sort of "management team" and much of the staffing is in the from of folks who, shall we say, are not Native Americans. The various "managers" we spoke to are among the most incompetent individuals with whom I have ever had the displeasure of speaking. We never got the same answer twice, and they seemed completely unprepared for the types of eventualities that befall an enterprise such as this.)
After about half and hour we were finally able to find another supervisor. When she heard our story she said "I've lived here for years, and that road never washes out. Besides, the Skywalk has re-opened, so I can't give you a refund."
We explained we had just been there, it was raining, with thunder and lightening, and the Skywalk most assuredly had been closed. Moreover, we asked, why would her bus driver warn us to leave if the roads were fine? She remarked that they had "hired lots of new people, and some of them don't know what they're doing." "And just why should that be our problem?" retorted my co-traveler.
Anyway, they finally agreed, after another half hour, to give us our refund, but then they couldn't figure out how to credit my VISA card. So they gave us our paperwork and a phone number to call and sent us on our merry way . . .
. . . when we promptly saw a line of brake lights: cars stopped on the road because the gully-washer had washed out the dirt track. It was as if the supervisor felt obliged to tell us one more lie for the road. By the time the rain stopped and the rainwater had dropped enough for me to pilot my wife's Charger through the mud, a one-hour drive back to Kingman had taken us over three hours.
We managed to find a room in Kingman, where we collapsed on our beds, spent. (I do have to say I highly recommend the Kingman Hampton Inn Suites. The hired help was competent and cheerful. Of course, after our experience, maybe it was just the comparison that made them seem extra nice.)
Suffice it to say we won't be going back to Grand Canyon West to walk on the Skywalk anytime soon. I can only say in conclusion that the Hualapai Nation is definitely not yet ready for prime time.
After braving the hoards of humanity at Grand Canyon National Park for the better part of two days, we headed back west for our visit to Grand Canyon West, better known as the Hualapai Indian Reservation. It is here the Hualapai have constructed the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a horseshoe shaped abomination of steel and Plexiglas that juts out over the canyon rim, allowing visitors to think they're walking on air. Although the Skywalk is asthetically unpleasing, I'm as much a sucker for cheap thrills as the next guy, so I was looking forward to checking it out. As this story shall show, the Hualapai might have done better to stick with the more traditional manner of relieving the white man of his money: steal it in Indian Casinos.
For starters, the road to Skywalk isn't yet paved. Now had I been driving my 4x4 Dodge Dakota instead of my wife's Charger this wouldn't have presented a problem. The Charger isn't exactly designed for off-roading, and my wife cringed noticeably every time a stray rock would strike the undercarriage. At that point, of course, she had no idea of how bad it would get.
When we pulled up at what passes for a visitor's center, my first impression was "this must be what Hanoi was like during the evacuation." A helipad with four or five idling helicopters sat right across from the center, and a landing strip featuring a constant drone of single-engine planes taking off and landing was just to the north. The Hualapai are apparently unaware of the invention of electrical transmission lines because the roar and stench of generators providing an interesting back-drop to the incessant racket and aroma of the aircraft.
Inside the visitors center there was what can only be described as chaos. There was no discernible line; just people, lots of them, wandering around with looks of either confusion or disgust. When I reached the ticket counter and asked about our room reservations I was met with a blank look that could only have meant "I have no idea what you're talking about." After talking with five or six of his co-workers I finally figured out why: the genius on the phone when I made the reservations had booked us into the Hualapai lodge in Peach Springs, a wide spot in the road two hours by jeep trail from Grand Canyon West. When they tried to hook me up with a phone to call the lodge and cancel our reservations, the phone went dead and couldn't be resuscitated.
Finally, we grabbed our tickets and prepared to get on the bus out to the Skywalk, only to be told by one of the flunkies they had closed it because of an impending electrical storm. We asked for a refund for the Skywalk portion of our tickets (twenty-five bucks a head), and were told to see the supervisor.
When we finally found the supervisor, he told us that no, the Skywalk was still open and we should catch the next bus out there. He told us that if the Skywalk did close we would indeed be reimbursed for that portion of the ticket.
When we arrived, we found that, indeed, the Skywalk was definitely closed, and probably would be for the rest of the day. We soon found out why. As we wandered around a bit, letting the kids play in the "authentic" tee-pees the tribe has constructed, it began to rain. Anybody who's ever lived in the Southwest will know what I'm talking about when I say it was a "gully-washer." We ran back to the bus, where the driver told us that "anybody with a low-clearance vehicle better get out of here, because the road is gonna' wash out."
When we got back to Baghdad -- I mean the visitor's center -- we tried in vain to find the supervisor who had misled us about the Skywalk being open. We later found out he was holed up in his office, afraid to brave the angry hoard of maltreated guests.
(I should probably stop here and explain the Hualapai Nation isn't exactly running things out there. They have hired some sort of "management team" and much of the staffing is in the from of folks who, shall we say, are not Native Americans. The various "managers" we spoke to are among the most incompetent individuals with whom I have ever had the displeasure of speaking. We never got the same answer twice, and they seemed completely unprepared for the types of eventualities that befall an enterprise such as this.)
After about half and hour we were finally able to find another supervisor. When she heard our story she said "I've lived here for years, and that road never washes out. Besides, the Skywalk has re-opened, so I can't give you a refund."
We explained we had just been there, it was raining, with thunder and lightening, and the Skywalk most assuredly had been closed. Moreover, we asked, why would her bus driver warn us to leave if the roads were fine? She remarked that they had "hired lots of new people, and some of them don't know what they're doing." "And just why should that be our problem?" retorted my co-traveler.
Anyway, they finally agreed, after another half hour, to give us our refund, but then they couldn't figure out how to credit my VISA card. So they gave us our paperwork and a phone number to call and sent us on our merry way . . .
. . . when we promptly saw a line of brake lights: cars stopped on the road because the gully-washer had washed out the dirt track. It was as if the supervisor felt obliged to tell us one more lie for the road. By the time the rain stopped and the rainwater had dropped enough for me to pilot my wife's Charger through the mud, a one-hour drive back to Kingman had taken us over three hours.
We managed to find a room in Kingman, where we collapsed on our beds, spent. (I do have to say I highly recommend the Kingman Hampton Inn Suites. The hired help was competent and cheerful. Of course, after our experience, maybe it was just the comparison that made them seem extra nice.)
Suffice it to say we won't be going back to Grand Canyon West to walk on the Skywalk anytime soon. I can only say in conclusion that the Hualapai Nation is definitely not yet ready for prime time.
Thank God Hunting Season Is Almost Here
My wife figured out hunting season was coming soon when she found me in the garage the other day reloading shotgun shells. "I guess this means that for the next five months we'll only see you on weeknights," she observed.
September first brings us the opening of dove season here in the southwest. And no, not the white, "symbol of peace" doves, but the drab-gray mourning doves and white wing doves. They are an extremely challenging bird to shoot on the wing, and they are quite tasty, particularly when stuffed into a jalepeno with a slice of cheese and smoked on the BBQ.
So the first of next month me and my buddies will again make the trek across the desert to a little Arizona burg known as Dateland. We'll get up before the crack of dawn, brave the chill of the morning (it's usually around 90 degrees by 6:00 A.M.) and stumble out to our fields where we'll only get to hunt for about twenty minutes because that's about how long it takes to get a limit. Then we'll spend the rest of the day lounging around the swimming pool at the trailer park while imbibing our favorite adult beverages.
(As an aside, what genius decided to schedule my son's first Pop Warner game on the dove opener? I am actually going to miss my first opening day in thirty-five years to watch a bunch of six-year-olds running amuck, pretending to play football.)
I chase lots of bird species that require physical fitness, endurance and skill if I am to hunt them successfully. I'll be after chukar partridge later this fall, an insidious bird about which it's been said one hunts the first time for sport, and thereafter for revenge. In November I'll be slogging through wet alfalfa fields on the unlikely notion I'll get an opportunity to shoot a rooster pheasant. December and January will find me in the duck blind, where I will have hauled sixty pounds of decoys and my eight-pound 12 gauge through the mud for a chance to shiver in the sleet as the ducks largely ignore my spread.
So yeah, most bird species present a formidable challence. Doves aren't one of them. My wife seems to have caught on to this. The other day she told me she knows "dove hunting is just an excuse for you to go drink." That pretty much sums it up.
September first brings us the opening of dove season here in the southwest. And no, not the white, "symbol of peace" doves, but the drab-gray mourning doves and white wing doves. They are an extremely challenging bird to shoot on the wing, and they are quite tasty, particularly when stuffed into a jalepeno with a slice of cheese and smoked on the BBQ.
So the first of next month me and my buddies will again make the trek across the desert to a little Arizona burg known as Dateland. We'll get up before the crack of dawn, brave the chill of the morning (it's usually around 90 degrees by 6:00 A.M.) and stumble out to our fields where we'll only get to hunt for about twenty minutes because that's about how long it takes to get a limit. Then we'll spend the rest of the day lounging around the swimming pool at the trailer park while imbibing our favorite adult beverages.
(As an aside, what genius decided to schedule my son's first Pop Warner game on the dove opener? I am actually going to miss my first opening day in thirty-five years to watch a bunch of six-year-olds running amuck, pretending to play football.)
I chase lots of bird species that require physical fitness, endurance and skill if I am to hunt them successfully. I'll be after chukar partridge later this fall, an insidious bird about which it's been said one hunts the first time for sport, and thereafter for revenge. In November I'll be slogging through wet alfalfa fields on the unlikely notion I'll get an opportunity to shoot a rooster pheasant. December and January will find me in the duck blind, where I will have hauled sixty pounds of decoys and my eight-pound 12 gauge through the mud for a chance to shiver in the sleet as the ducks largely ignore my spread.
So yeah, most bird species present a formidable challence. Doves aren't one of them. My wife seems to have caught on to this. The other day she told me she knows "dove hunting is just an excuse for you to go drink." That pretty much sums it up.
200,000 Weapons Lost In Iraq
So the General Accounting Office is reporting our military has lost almost 200,000 weapons in Iraq since the start of the war and occupation. Presumably these are weapons given to Iraqi military and police personnel as we train them. These personnel then leave the military or the police, join their local militia, and use the training and weapons they got from us to kill and maim our soldiers.
Apparently this is part of Bush's plan to "fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here." After all, what better way to dissuade Iraqis from taking an American vacation than to train them, equip them and then paint bull's-eyes on the backs of our boys and girls?
Seriously, this is just another example of the old Republican mantra -- that government is incompetent -- becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy. They claim government is the problem and then go about proving it by their bad governing, time and again. Why the American public continues to elect leaders who seem intent on screwing things up is beyond me. Oh yeah, I forgot: we didn't really elect Bush, he was appointed King by the Supreme Court. My bad.
Apparently this is part of Bush's plan to "fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here." After all, what better way to dissuade Iraqis from taking an American vacation than to train them, equip them and then paint bull's-eyes on the backs of our boys and girls?
Seriously, this is just another example of the old Republican mantra -- that government is incompetent -- becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy. They claim government is the problem and then go about proving it by their bad governing, time and again. Why the American public continues to elect leaders who seem intent on screwing things up is beyond me. Oh yeah, I forgot: we didn't really elect Bush, he was appointed King by the Supreme Court. My bad.
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