In the Paper today (Globe 11-28-5) there is a story about a guy who has a mission to visit every Starbucks in the world. Some might regard this as an ambitious quest to do something no one has done before. Some might see it as a foolish waste of time - when there are so many starving children in the world. If you are from New York you cycnically suspect that the guy is secretly on the Starbuck's stealth marketing payroll.
To me, the guy is just a blogwhore, trying to get attention so he can cash-in on the ads everytime you click on his blog, which is littered with little marketing links and absolutely no substance.
Perhaps this is the evolution of the internet - to allow the fiends in marketing to bombard us with promotional messages everywhere we go.
Undoubtedly, the publicity afforded to this wanker will spawn a plethora of me-too "quests."
Geraldo visits every homeless veteran shelter in the US, A Quincy, Mass housewife who decides to visit every toe-fungus clinic in North America, ....that sort of thing.
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How can you be "Pro-life" and opposed to welfare?
When you do not see the irony of these competing issues, then you are truly a Conservative.
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Wayne Dyer:
When you change the way you look at things,
the things you are looking at change too.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Reprise of one of my favorites
Over The River & Across The Tracks
It was a chilly afternoon, as we headed to Granny Gert's house for the annual Thanksgiving Feast. We were bundled-up because Pap made Uncle Gelbert drive the old Pink and White Nash Rambler wagon while he sat in the shotgun seat with the window open. Pap was pretty hung-over and he kept ralphing out the window. We - Maw, Throck, and me sat in back. We were used to Pap's hangovers and the lingering smell of his vomit oneverything.
We were, of course, late. We were late for everything, except the time me and Throck were born back in Montana on the way to the hospital. That was the one time we were early for anything. Still, Maw always said we could've made it to the hospital except Pap was at the roadhouse when the first contractions came and she had to wait two hours before him to get home to take her to the hospital.
When we arrived at Granny Gert's trailer, we piled out of the car. Granny's dogs greeted us in the usual fashion - barking raucously,jumping up and down, and looking for a leg to hump. "Git back youlot!" She shouted coming down the steps waving a cattle prod. Me andThrock looked at each other wondering if she meant us or the dogs. The dogs thought it was them and they instantly fell into a tongue hanging heap near the trailer steps. Then she went over to where Pap and uncle Gelbert were standing. "Georgie! Gelbert! You two boys!" They eyed her suspiciously. "Give us a hug." She bellowed. They complied meekly. "I see you haven't changed your naughty ways, Georgie." she said to Pap, nodding to the flecks of puke dripping fromthe side and rear panel of the Rambler. He shrugged. We all went inside to warm up.
Maw had brought a package of frozen peas and another of frozen squash. Pap produced a 5th of Gallo Creme Sherry from a brown bag and waved itover his head like it was the US open winners trophy. We all applaudedapprovingly, except Gramps who hadn't even noticed us arrive. He sat in a ratty old chair facing the TV watching the football game on a small black and white screen. Granny, who was returning from the cupboard with a tray of jelly glasses, nodded towards Gramps with her head, "Somebody go and shake him. His hearing aid batteries went dead last month and he hasn't been much for conversation lately."
Pap went over and stood infront of him. "Hi dad," he grinned toothlessly. The old man looked at him, seeming not to recognize him for a moment. Then he broke into a big smile. "Georgie, hey, sit down. Watch the game. Did you bring anything to drink?"
Dinner was predictable. Granny heated a frozen turkey loaf in the microwave and poured a can of beef gravy over it. She had mixed-up a batch of instant whipped potatoes, and had fried the green peas in apan. Each little pea had a burn mark, which she instantly renamed 'black-eyed green peas". She proudly announced that she had bought new plastic utensils for the occasion and Chinette plates and cups. Even though we were 20 years old, me and Throckmorton had to take our plates to a card table in the living room while "the adults" - Granny, Gramps, Gelbert, Pap and Maw crowded around the breakfast nook. There was a hair in my gravy. But I wasn't hungry anyway. Halfway through the meal Granny remembered the Squash, which was thawing on the counter. "Save your plates everybody, we can have this for desert. And don't nobody throw away them new plastic cutlery!"
After all the remnants of the meal had been cleared and piled in thesink, we sat watching the end of the football game, cleaning our teeth with individually wrapped toothpicks, like the ones you get at the chinese restaurant.
It had gotten dark, so Granny turned on a few more lamps. We heard a truck pull-up outside. Young Billy came through thedoor, red-faced from the cold, but beaming. "Hi everybody, sorry I'm late. There was a wreck on the highway. Look what I got!" He held up a bloody wallet that looked like it was thick with a wad of bills, and a severed finger with a large diamond ring still on it.
Gramps stared at the swag and then asked hopefully, "Didn't you bring anything to drink?"
It was a chilly afternoon, as we headed to Granny Gert's house for the annual Thanksgiving Feast. We were bundled-up because Pap made Uncle Gelbert drive the old Pink and White Nash Rambler wagon while he sat in the shotgun seat with the window open. Pap was pretty hung-over and he kept ralphing out the window. We - Maw, Throck, and me sat in back. We were used to Pap's hangovers and the lingering smell of his vomit oneverything.
We were, of course, late. We were late for everything, except the time me and Throck were born back in Montana on the way to the hospital. That was the one time we were early for anything. Still, Maw always said we could've made it to the hospital except Pap was at the roadhouse when the first contractions came and she had to wait two hours before him to get home to take her to the hospital.
When we arrived at Granny Gert's trailer, we piled out of the car. Granny's dogs greeted us in the usual fashion - barking raucously,jumping up and down, and looking for a leg to hump. "Git back youlot!" She shouted coming down the steps waving a cattle prod. Me andThrock looked at each other wondering if she meant us or the dogs. The dogs thought it was them and they instantly fell into a tongue hanging heap near the trailer steps. Then she went over to where Pap and uncle Gelbert were standing. "Georgie! Gelbert! You two boys!" They eyed her suspiciously. "Give us a hug." She bellowed. They complied meekly. "I see you haven't changed your naughty ways, Georgie." she said to Pap, nodding to the flecks of puke dripping fromthe side and rear panel of the Rambler. He shrugged. We all went inside to warm up.
Maw had brought a package of frozen peas and another of frozen squash. Pap produced a 5th of Gallo Creme Sherry from a brown bag and waved itover his head like it was the US open winners trophy. We all applaudedapprovingly, except Gramps who hadn't even noticed us arrive. He sat in a ratty old chair facing the TV watching the football game on a small black and white screen. Granny, who was returning from the cupboard with a tray of jelly glasses, nodded towards Gramps with her head, "Somebody go and shake him. His hearing aid batteries went dead last month and he hasn't been much for conversation lately."
Pap went over and stood infront of him. "Hi dad," he grinned toothlessly. The old man looked at him, seeming not to recognize him for a moment. Then he broke into a big smile. "Georgie, hey, sit down. Watch the game. Did you bring anything to drink?"
Dinner was predictable. Granny heated a frozen turkey loaf in the microwave and poured a can of beef gravy over it. She had mixed-up a batch of instant whipped potatoes, and had fried the green peas in apan. Each little pea had a burn mark, which she instantly renamed 'black-eyed green peas". She proudly announced that she had bought new plastic utensils for the occasion and Chinette plates and cups. Even though we were 20 years old, me and Throckmorton had to take our plates to a card table in the living room while "the adults" - Granny, Gramps, Gelbert, Pap and Maw crowded around the breakfast nook. There was a hair in my gravy. But I wasn't hungry anyway. Halfway through the meal Granny remembered the Squash, which was thawing on the counter. "Save your plates everybody, we can have this for desert. And don't nobody throw away them new plastic cutlery!"
After all the remnants of the meal had been cleared and piled in thesink, we sat watching the end of the football game, cleaning our teeth with individually wrapped toothpicks, like the ones you get at the chinese restaurant.
It had gotten dark, so Granny turned on a few more lamps. We heard a truck pull-up outside. Young Billy came through thedoor, red-faced from the cold, but beaming. "Hi everybody, sorry I'm late. There was a wreck on the highway. Look what I got!" He held up a bloody wallet that looked like it was thick with a wad of bills, and a severed finger with a large diamond ring still on it.
Gramps stared at the swag and then asked hopefully, "Didn't you bring anything to drink?"
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Silver Moments
Tom West, the hero of “The Soul of a New Machine” by Tracy Kidder once said to his assembled “Eagle” developers, “There are no golden moments.” This was meant to convey to them that winning (against FHP, the competing Data General computer being developed in Research Triangle Park, NC) does not happen in an instant of time. It was to be a continuous process with few, if any, “Eurekas!”
George W. Bush has had no golden moments in his presidency other than possibly his visit to the World Trade Center rubble after 9/11. However, he has had a series of smaller victories that are slowly outlining his legacy:
1) The swift defeat of the Al Qaida in Afganastan.
2) The realignment of America’s anti-terrorism efforts and the resultant hiatus in terrorist attacks inside the U.S.
3) The swift defeat of Iraq’s military.
4) The movement of the Supreme Court (and lower courts) back towards “original intent.”
5) GWB’s steadfastness in his pledge to create a democracy in Iraq and in our efforts to quell the Iraqi insurgency. (With the aim of modernizing Middle-East politics.)
6) The reproachment between Isreal and Palestine.
7) The movement of the Pakastani government back into our association of allies
8) The “blinking” of Libya’s Quadafi and his resultant WMD disarmament.
9) The backpeddling of Syria vis a vis its Lebanon and Iraq interferances.
10) As a result of aggressive tax cuts, the continued growth of U.S. economy after 9/11, the bursting of the internet bubble, a wide litany of corporate scandals, and a vexing series of natural disasters. This economic growth has also included substantial employment expansion (over 4.5 million increase) from the low point in early 2002.
11) Numerous indictments and convictions in these corporate scandals.
12) The rearrangement of our armed forces away from cold-war bilateral posturing towards defeating “asymmetric” terrorists threats.
13) Tort reform and the rationalization of bankruptcy laws.
14) The growing isolation of Iran in the free world because of its nuclear posturing.
15) Despite “Green” opposition, the slow but steady progress toward a cogent U.S. energy policy.
16) As a result of our insistence on multilateral talks with North Korea, progress toward the removal of its nuclear threat.
17) At our instigation, the rumblings of a critical organizational restructuring at the U.N.
18) The Central American Free-Trade Agreement.
19) Despite the Libby indictment, the Bush administration has been one of the least corrupt in the last fifty years.
20) A national awareness of the looming crisis in the Social Security System.
21) The No Child Left Behind national educational improvement program.
22) A gradual erosion of the blatant biases in the traditional left-wing media (probably more their doing than Bush’s).
23) The refocusing of the American electorate toward morality and patriotism.
24) Our large national commitment and efforts in the battle against AIDS in Africa
25) The Medicare Drug benefit (a dubious achievment).
This is not to say that Bush has not had his negatives: inattentiveness to the growing budget and trade deficites, our illegal immigrant problems, our poor relationships with Russia and China, and the proper vetting of some of his appointments. Hopefully, he, with Congress’s and his staff’s help, will start to fix these failings before the end of his second term … and flesh out some of the above positives
George W. Bush has had no golden moments in his presidency other than possibly his visit to the World Trade Center rubble after 9/11. However, he has had a series of smaller victories that are slowly outlining his legacy:
1) The swift defeat of the Al Qaida in Afganastan.
2) The realignment of America’s anti-terrorism efforts and the resultant hiatus in terrorist attacks inside the U.S.
3) The swift defeat of Iraq’s military.
4) The movement of the Supreme Court (and lower courts) back towards “original intent.”
5) GWB’s steadfastness in his pledge to create a democracy in Iraq and in our efforts to quell the Iraqi insurgency. (With the aim of modernizing Middle-East politics.)
6) The reproachment between Isreal and Palestine.
7) The movement of the Pakastani government back into our association of allies
8) The “blinking” of Libya’s Quadafi and his resultant WMD disarmament.
9) The backpeddling of Syria vis a vis its Lebanon and Iraq interferances.
10) As a result of aggressive tax cuts, the continued growth of U.S. economy after 9/11, the bursting of the internet bubble, a wide litany of corporate scandals, and a vexing series of natural disasters. This economic growth has also included substantial employment expansion (over 4.5 million increase) from the low point in early 2002.
11) Numerous indictments and convictions in these corporate scandals.
12) The rearrangement of our armed forces away from cold-war bilateral posturing towards defeating “asymmetric” terrorists threats.
13) Tort reform and the rationalization of bankruptcy laws.
14) The growing isolation of Iran in the free world because of its nuclear posturing.
15) Despite “Green” opposition, the slow but steady progress toward a cogent U.S. energy policy.
16) As a result of our insistence on multilateral talks with North Korea, progress toward the removal of its nuclear threat.
17) At our instigation, the rumblings of a critical organizational restructuring at the U.N.
18) The Central American Free-Trade Agreement.
19) Despite the Libby indictment, the Bush administration has been one of the least corrupt in the last fifty years.
20) A national awareness of the looming crisis in the Social Security System.
21) The No Child Left Behind national educational improvement program.
22) A gradual erosion of the blatant biases in the traditional left-wing media (probably more their doing than Bush’s).
23) The refocusing of the American electorate toward morality and patriotism.
24) Our large national commitment and efforts in the battle against AIDS in Africa
25) The Medicare Drug benefit (a dubious achievment).
This is not to say that Bush has not had his negatives: inattentiveness to the growing budget and trade deficites, our illegal immigrant problems, our poor relationships with Russia and China, and the proper vetting of some of his appointments. Hopefully, he, with Congress’s and his staff’s help, will start to fix these failings before the end of his second term … and flesh out some of the above positives
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Connecting the Dots
Truth is the first casualty of war. The irony of this catch-phrase is that both sides (pro and anti) are unabashedly tossing it around to undermine the lying bastards on the other side.
Ordinary citizens are hopelessly un-served by the modern news-as-business mechanism.
The sound bytes, spins, headlines and pictures provide eye candy and mind candy, which leaves us uninformed - but often absolutely certain that we are right. Yet, hardly anyone in the business of news is getting paid for finding out the real facts. People get paid for selling newspapers, ads, magazines and clicks. Editors, reporters, analysts....Everyone is now in the info-tainment business.
Writers of news have always been in competition to break the big story, but I truly believe that the current generation of readers and writers is less bound by traditional constraints when it comes to Truth and Character.
One of the sad casualties of the commercial of news is factual evidence. The favorite game of talking head pundits is called "connect the dots." Invariably, they will cite several seemingly related speculations and then summarize with the connect-the-dots certification.
This plays to an inherent human penchant for filling in the blanks when given insufficient information. More often than not this leads to false speculation. And many folks are predisposed to accept "facts" that support what they already believe. The Shepherds flock: sheep.
We see it all the time in business. Everytime we see a good looking woman with great ta-tas getting the promotion we deserved, we begin to speculate about how she got the job (over coffee and jelly donuts with the other fat losers in the cafeteria). Pretty soon the rumor of her dalliance with Mr Big has taken on all the appearances of fact. The more people who repeat it the more likely it is to be perceived as true. Truth is, we are more attracted to the seamy explanations than to the more factual yet un-titillating details. She probably got her MBA sleeping with the profs, anyhow.
Those of us who want to know the facts are generally presented with some random dots and not much pith. Stay tuned for my next blog - which contains the cure for Your Disease!
Ordinary citizens are hopelessly un-served by the modern news-as-business mechanism.
The sound bytes, spins, headlines and pictures provide eye candy and mind candy, which leaves us uninformed - but often absolutely certain that we are right. Yet, hardly anyone in the business of news is getting paid for finding out the real facts. People get paid for selling newspapers, ads, magazines and clicks. Editors, reporters, analysts....Everyone is now in the info-tainment business.
Writers of news have always been in competition to break the big story, but I truly believe that the current generation of readers and writers is less bound by traditional constraints when it comes to Truth and Character.
One of the sad casualties of the commercial of news is factual evidence. The favorite game of talking head pundits is called "connect the dots." Invariably, they will cite several seemingly related speculations and then summarize with the connect-the-dots certification.
This plays to an inherent human penchant for filling in the blanks when given insufficient information. More often than not this leads to false speculation. And many folks are predisposed to accept "facts" that support what they already believe. The Shepherds flock: sheep.
We see it all the time in business. Everytime we see a good looking woman with great ta-tas getting the promotion we deserved, we begin to speculate about how she got the job (over coffee and jelly donuts with the other fat losers in the cafeteria). Pretty soon the rumor of her dalliance with Mr Big has taken on all the appearances of fact. The more people who repeat it the more likely it is to be perceived as true. Truth is, we are more attracted to the seamy explanations than to the more factual yet un-titillating details. She probably got her MBA sleeping with the profs, anyhow.
Those of us who want to know the facts are generally presented with some random dots and not much pith. Stay tuned for my next blog - which contains the cure for Your Disease!
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Blog Log
Out of curiosity (and ego) I recently Googled “Liddy AND Libby”, “Libby AND ‘blood lust’”, “Libby AND Valachi”, “Libby AND McDougal” and various other tripart combinations of same to see if I could turn up a reference to my latest post on this blog site. Each of these searches turned up many pages of recent references to these word key combinations (in as many as one hundred other sites). I kept refining these references trying to narrow things down to the “DumpF*cks” blog but nothing worked. My conclusion is that not only is this excellent blog site obscure, but also that my prose is also not as original as I had thought. What a downer!!
