Archive for April 2007

The monthlies.

• In the News… My Father.

  Speaking of speaking with my father for a podcast, my father was interviewed following the Virginia Tech shootings for the local newscast in Buffalo. (My father has designed emergency response plans for universities and speaks at conferences on the subject.) The interview with my father begins at the 0:40 mark… [Note: I apologize about the [...]

• A Conversation With My Dad

  There was no better way to commence the new podcast portion of this blog than with a half-hour conversation with my father, a police chief who has been in law enforcement for over thirty-five years. After a shaky beginning (and I apologize, in advance, for my lingering-style of questioning — I’m new at this), I [...]

• Midmorning Politoon

  Toles on the White House’s spam filter… Image: Washington Post

• In the News

  - President Bush insisted that “Democratic leaders owe it to veterans and their families to pass the war-spending bill he wants.” And the president owes an explanation as to what his plan for success is in Iraq. The two go hand-in-hand, Mr. President. – The Democrats have their sights on the kingmaker as the “White [...]

• Quick Thought On Gun Massacre

  A quick thought on this morning’s tragedy (and then back to work on a busy, busy day, part of a busy, busy week). A shooting like this is more surprising to me at a college, than say at a high school (Columbine, etc.) because high schools are more clique-oriented (jocks, nerds, drunks, stoners, death-metal freaks, [...]

• We screwed up, and we’re trying to fix it.

  I’m still floored by the Bush administration’s we-screwed-up-and-we’re-trying-to-fix-it concession over the deleted Rove emails. Could you imagine the possibilities? Um, Mr. Bush, a question on Iraq… “We screwed up, and we’re trying to fix it.” And the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. “We screwed up, and we’re trying to fix it.” Could you discuss current [...]

• Enter Emailgate

  A few days ago I blogged that something big was bound to happen, and sometime soon. (No, Imus getting fired doesn’t count.) I think that my prediction lies with the Karl Rove email controversy, a story that has grown because of the Washington Post’s prolific blogger Dan Froomkin, who should probably be considered the king [...]

• In the News

  - While Imus is apparently the big news, Bush may slide again on Karl Rove’s “improper use of political e-mail accounts to conduct official government business,” which is huge. I mean huge, huge. This could be bigger than Watergate (or, at least I hope so). – Bush must think it is 2004 or something, as [...]

• In the News… So it goes.

  - kottke.org at its finest. (And I mean that. I’ve used “so it goes” like a crutch over the years; it is an absolute fitting sign-off for the greatest satirist of our time.) kottke.org links to this New York Times piece on Vonnegut’s passing. Image: ABCNews.com So it goes… – A suicide bomber has attacked [...]

• Vonnegut

  “Kurt Vonnegut, the satirical novelist who captured the absurdity of war and questioned the advances of science in darkly humorous works such as ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ and ‘Cat’s Cradle,’ died Wednesday. He was 84.“ Image: Reuters I wasn’t the biggest reader growing up. I mean I read like hell when I just learned how to, and I [...]

• No, Virginia, Feminism Died Years Ago

  Feminism is dead. That is what I have been telling my wife for years now (and my wife hesitantly agrees, at least somewhat). Case in point, my wife took my name when we got married. And so has almost everyone else I have known to get married; the women have all taken their husband’s name. [...]

• On the Road

  My Xterra is six miles shy of fifty thousand, and I should eclipse the milestone during this evening’s commute. How many miles should I expect my truck to reach? One hundred thousand? One hundred fifty? It has been a glorious fifty thousand, that is for sure, all under my watch. All around the bay area, [...]

• In the News… Improved Profits.

  - I am not suggesting that all people in business are soul-less, but most are. Nope, they all are. “Citigroup Inc., the U.S.’s largest financial institution, said Wednesday it will eliminate about 17,000 jobs as part of a companywide restructuring to reduce costs and improve profit.” I love it how a company lays off thousands [...]

• Declarative Statement

  I’ll tell you, you get one hundred people (from all backgrounds) to list their all-time ten best movies, based solely on their own opinions, with no effect from awards or critics or reviews, and I’m sure both The Big Lebowski and Dumb and Dumber would make the list, probably more than once. Anyone disagree?

• Live Natty

  The very talented Dan Meth, a former Daily Orange cartoonist from my days at Syracuse, emailed me his latest animation, a rip on the icons of today’s pop culture. I blogged a few of my thoughts on pop culture as part of a series called “Populist Culture.“

• Troubled English

  Why is ‘laughter’ pronounced “laffter” and ‘slaughter’ (‘laughter’ with an ‘s’ in front) pronounced “slawter”? How can you go fishing for ‘bass’ (pronounced “bahss”) in the morning and play the ‘bass’ (pronounced “base”) guitar in the evening? The english language does not make sense.

• In the News

  - A well known blogger/Web2.0 figure has proposed a blogger code of ethics. Blogging has officially gone mainstream. (I propose a blogger’s bill of rights. Actually, I should get on top of that.) – Barack Obama insists that the VP spot is absolutely out of the question, but it would have been political suicide to [...]

• The Legend of Tony Soprano’s Ringtone

  At 10:28pm last night I nearly shouted, “Oh shit, the Sopranos.” I forgot all about it. Having missed the two previously-aired editions (9pm EST, or 6pm reyonthehill time, on HBO east, and 9pm reyonthehill time on HBO west), I checked to see that the first episode of the season re-airs on HBO2 east at 10:35pm. [...]

• In the News… the Second Season.

  - Bush has renewed his efforts for an immigration reform bill, which in all honesty, is not so bad. The bill will most likely lie in the votes of conservative democrats. – The democrats are hounding the White House over GOP-issued laptops for administration officials, a system that “may have been used to conceal activities [...]

• Easter Memories And Thoughts On CCD

  It is Easter Sunday, whatever that means. Jesus rose from the dead today, almost two thousand years ago, or so goes the greatest story ever told. I remember waking up on Easter Sunday growing up and looking around the house for where the Easter Bunny hid the basket full of chocolate. My sisters and brother [...]

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