We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Yes, yes, I know it's like Christmas came early, but there's another debate on tonight. What makes this one a little different is that this is the first debate aired on one of those old-timey 'broadcast' channels, often referred to as 'cave man channels' in the cable industry. I believe a roof antenna is required, if I remember my childhood correctly. Rabbit ears can be enhanced by wrapping balls of aluminum foil around the tips.
Of course, because microwave transmissions heat up the air and thus cause global warming, they can only broadcast for an hour at a time, so you might have to scramble if you want to watch the last half-hour.
The first hour will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network. Additional portions will be broadcast on Face The Nation, CBSNews.com, NationalJournal.com and will be available to CBS affiliate television and radio stations for a mere $5 fee.
It looks like it's being streamed on the CBS News site.
The good news is that the debate's main topic isn't something crashingly boring like economics or Social Security. Tonight's 'primary' focus (get it?) will be on national security, and I'm eager to see how Cain defends his plan to put electrified barbed wire along the top of the southern border wall. The moderators will probably label it 'cruel', but it's really just a matter of how much voltage is applied. A mild, paralyzing shock never hurt anyone.
It'll also be about foreign affairs, so all Ron Paul advocates within the reach of this blog site are strongly urged to miss this one at any cost. I'd suggest a small hammer blow to the forearm or hand, just enough to warrant an hour and a half visit to the hospital. I promise you, the pain you'll feel will be much less than if you'd stayed home.
The question is how the audience will respond when Paul outlines his plan to distribute America's nuclear arsenal to every country in the world so that all nations can be equal, thus ending war forever. The audience might go for that, but they'll probably stop short when he suggests we rename Washington, D.C. to Ahmadinejadville. That guy really knows how to push boundaries, doesn't he?
As far as who's hosting the show besides CBS, we're in luck. It's some magazine called the 'National Journal' and it appears from their web site to be quite fair and evenhanded, which is just what we need after the CNBC Attack Machine went into overdrive last Wednesday.
Hold on, let me grab a quick screen shot:
Yep, looks fair and balanced to me. Actually, I thought they went a little easy on Perry, but maybe they're trying to show that they're above picking on him just because he had a small memory lapse in the last debate, although it's doubtful any professional media organization would ever stoop that low.
The fair and impartial extravaganza begins at 8 pm EST on your local Cave Man Channel.
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . . Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori.
I usually don't get to include videos in the debate wrap-ups because of the time crunch, but since last Wednesday's debate wasn't streamed and I had to watch it on YouTube, I figured I'd take advantage of the opportunity and snip out a few choice moments. Rather than the usual debate wrap-up, this'll be commentary on the vids and a few side thoughts.
Now here's a surprise:
The debates are getting better.
Although I didn't catch it live, I eventually saw it on video and the gang was on. My guess is that the moderators coming right out of the gate with their attack program really woke everybody up.
That is, if you consider the second question as 'out of the gate'.
The first question sounded fairly innocuous; how will Italy's impending meltdown affect America, and should we do anything to help them? A fair and reasonable question, directed to Mr. Cain.
Cain responds as you'd expect, pointing out that we can't really help them, and we should be focusing, instead, on the domestic economy. And how does the moderator respond? She phrases it like a statement, rather than a question:
"So, to be clear, focus on the domestic economy and allow Italy to fail."
Yeah, that's it, Maria. Focus on the economy and allow Italy to sink into the fiery abyss of hell incarnate, thereby telling every Italian-American in the audience, "Hey, screw your grandparents! Let 'em die!" Not surprisingly, Cain didn't bite, and when the question was directed to Romney, he said the same thing; that Europe was perfectly capable of fixing itself, thankyouverymuch.
From that point on, I wouldn't say the candidates were particularly on their 'best behavior' with the moderators. Three or four times a moderator cut in during an answer and was rewarded with a snippy "Pardon me, but do you mind if I finish?", if not outright ignoring them. It wasn't 'antagonistic', but certainly no undue respect was given the moderators the rest of the evening.
In truth, I don't think the moderators were quite ready for what they were about to unleash.
Like Megan McArdle, I don't give a darn about income inequality or asset inequality as long as people do not starve in the streets, and have opportunity and freedom to make their own path in life, but, in many years of talking to people, the patterns and major causes of very low reported income - bottom 1-4% - just call it the 1% because Life has a bell curve for economics -are obvious to me:
- Youth, career beginning, and education debt - Single motherhood - temporary unemployment - Life style choice - Lack of marketable skills - Living where there are no jobs to match skills - Very bad luck - Mental illness, addiction, etc. - Lack of cultural mastery, whether via recent immigration or whatever - Chronic disabling illness - A history of poor decision-making and life strategizing - Low IQ - Character traits such as laziness, inability to get along with people, lack of organization, initiative, goals, self-discipline, or ambition, no discipline to save money, impulsivity, poor planning, lousy judgement, etc etc. - Income data gaps due to the numbers of people who work off the books (for a dramatic example, our clinic realised that there was a 30-woman prostitution ring working out of a nearby government housing project) - Choosing to work the welfare/disability/food stamp/child care etc. system (with a couple of kids, the all with full government benefits brings them up to a working class standard of living without working. That ought to be good enough, roughly equivalent to a $40,000 salary). Our support system will bring you close to $30,000/yr in cash and/or benefits including unlimited free medical care) - History of criminality or career criminality
Everybody knows these things, but they are never talked about. I think that list covers pretty much all of the income poverty that I have seen. I have been lucky, and have worked my butt off as a physician, and still am not wealthy. I work because I need to be useful. For wealth-building, being a traditional gal, I rely on my beloved hubby. I stand by my statement, however, that money isn't happiness. It just provides choices.
You have to have things and people that you love, independence, and integrity, to make a good life.
Jon Corzine left a few days ago, and turned down any funds he was due, as he should. He is no doubt positioning his defense. Is he any worse than Madoff? I certainly don't think he is any better. Yet another political figure, in this case of the Left, shames himself.
I don't want to take anything away from our Veterans, and Bruce's earlier posts, particularly regarding the link between St. Martin's Day and the end of WWI, were enlightening and enjoyable. Certainly, I am proud of my family's veterans (a picture of my stepfather receiving a drink from an Italian police officer is posted, sorry for the quality), and I have nothing but good things to say about those who serve.
But, for those of you willing to take a moment to chuckle, I would like to point out that 11/11/11 is "Nigel Tufnel Day".
The wonderful Nicole Gelinas has an essay up at City Journal which reviews the history of the idea of retirement (invented, as you know, during the Depression in an effort to move older folks out of the work force), and the financial challenges would-be retirees are facing today.
People, especially men, are postponing retirement.
As one of those cussed, cranky Yankee types who intends to die at his desk, I don't think much about it, but for those greying Boomers who aspire to exit the world of productivity, many of them have more debt and less assets than they thought they might have. A quote:
Thanks to Botox and treadmills, the boomers are aging well. Their finances? Not so much, as some Federal Reserve numbers show. Baby boomers, like most Americans, have seen no wage gains for two decades. In 2007, families headed by younger boomers—those aged 45 through 54—earned a median income of $64,200, almost exactly the same, in inflation-adjusted dollars, as families in the same age group earned in 1989. (The comparison doesn’t work well for the older boomers—those aged 55 through 64—because, as we’ll see, people are retiring later these days, which skews their incomes.)
Read the whole thing. I have often said that what people seek, more than retirement, is financial independence. When they have that, they enjoy working more.
Where poor students soar - What works at a school dealing with poverty and a lack of English fluency? Tough love, hard work and a laser focus on achievement.
The Five Most Infantile Beliefs on Display at the ‘Occupy’ Tantrums - Most of the lot are, we can be pretty certain, pure hope-dopers from the Obama Youth brigade – the in-your-face and up-yours gang – now come to flaunt their disillusionment with their adolescent president.
A clip from a series on History Channel about Vietnam experiences told by those who served. This clip expresses experiences shared by many of us returning to the States. Today and every day, better Veterans Days.
Is it just a coincidence that November 11 is the celebration of Veterans Day and St. Martin’s Day? I haven't found documented evidence that the two are connected. (The evidence of the connection may be in some memoir of decision-makers.) Yet, it does seem more than a coincidence, rooted in Christian and European culture.
St. Martin’s Day is widely celebrated in Europe, its roots going back to one of the earlier Christian saints, who as Wikipedia describes it:
The feast day is November 11, the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. It is understood that he was a kind man who led a quiet and simple life. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. That night he dreamed that Jesus was wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. Martin heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clothed me." …
St. Martin's Feast is much like the American Thanksgiving [a thanking for bounty harvest festival]…In many countries, including Germany, Martinmas celebrations begin at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of this eleventh day of the eleventh month….
In another Wikipedia entry, the widespread adoption of St. Martin as a saint to the military is described. “He was a brave fighter, knew his obligation to the poor, shared his goods, performed his required military service, followed legitimate orders, and respected secular authority.”
The armistice ending fighting (at least on the Western Front) was signed at 5AM on November 11, 1918, scheduled to take effect at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The diplomatic wrangling leading to the armistice had gone on for several months. So, the fighting didn’t end just because of St. Martin’s Day, but the timing of the signing and cessation very likely was a reach into a shared meaning in Christian and European culture.
Today’s Veterans Day, in the US, and similarly timed observances in other countries, owes its roots to Armistice Day, and even to St. Martin.The word “chaplain” – military clergy from the various religions -- traces back to the “capellas”, early churches that had relics of St. Martin’s cloak, later churches being named “chapels”.
President Woodrow Wilson's proclamation of the first Armistice Day is fitting: "To us in America, the reflections of armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations." Those who served, who we honor today, brought peace and justice at the ultimate sacrifices of comforts and, for many, of life. The eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is a well-fitting time to remember that.
Hot News: "Designers from Studio Roosegaarde, an interactive design firm in the Netherlands, has created dresses that react to the wearer’s body, as well as to those around her. One dress changes colors to the beat of the wearer’s heart, becoming more transparent based on close encounters."
Last night, I attended a 50th anniversary screening of "West Side Story". The event was for one night only, and having never seen it anywhere but on TV, my better half felt it would be fun to see on the big screen. As usual, she was right.
The film has been digitally remastered for the 50th anniversary release, with the sound and picture as crisp as if it were filmed today.
Prior to the feature there were short interviews of Russ Tamblyn, Richard Beymer, George Chakiris, and Rita Moreno. Turner Classic Movies then interviewed Chakiris, producer Walter Mirisch, and Natalie Woods' singing voice double Marni Nixon. Each preview offered insight to the casting, the production, the choreography and the amazing amount of training and effort that went into the production.
The seamless nature in which the singing was dubbed is not noticeable. Pitch, accents, and lip synching were all managed extraordinarily well. Meanwhile, the framing of the shots and choreography are phenomenal. This remains true today even if we compare "West Side Story" to movies which take advantage of modern film and audio technology.
I got a spanking in the comments on my college post yesterday from Dos Amigos, and perhaps did deserve it. (Well, everybody deserves a spanking anyway, just on general sinfulness principles.)
So let me inquire of our readers:
If a person comes to you with a college degree in hand, what, if anything, do you feel you ought to be able to expect them to know (besides how to bait a beaver trap)?
I have made it clear what I expect, and I am on our interview committee. Beware of me, new grads, because I am a demanding SOB who will ask questions you might not anticipate including math tricks to check your wit and quotes to check your knowledge, and will expect no less of you than I have expected of myself!
Just like Jefferson County, Alabama, you cannot borrow forever, and when you begin borrowing (as we have begun to in the US) to make your interest payments, it's a bad sign, not sustainable unless God intervenes.
In my view, all Euroland can do now is to pray that somebody strikes oil in Provence or Tuscany - and I don't mean olive oil. Problem is, they don't pray over there anymore. I think they are screwed, and it will affect all of us. A slo-mo death spiral.
The Euroland project is in hospice care, it seems to me, on oxygen and IV morphine. There is not enough money available in the world to cover their crappy debt from their crappy, lazy, hyper-regulated welfare states, and they will never be able to pay it back. Never. Furthermore, as my Wall St. friend tells me, defaults will trigger more CDSs than anybody in the world can cover. It's a shit show, as they say.
I would advise getting popcorn to watch the earthquake unfold, but it can hit us in the US with a financial tsunami here, across the pond.
Maggie: "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money." She never mentioned that you can run out of credit, too.
Here's the link to GoDaddy.com's video tribute to the USMC on its 236th birthday. GoDaddy's founder served as a Lance Corporal and, like all of us, is always a Marine.
Say, what was that silly thing I said yesterday about "apathy" and blog sites like Hot Air? Oh, right. Guess who didn't even mention last night's debate yesterday?
Hot Air.
Update: No, wait, I was wrong. I just discovered it this morning. One of the main bloggers, 'God's Critic', did, indeed, write about the upcoming debate. A half an hour before it started.
Well, alrighty, then!
The asshats at CNBC didn't stream it (the first debate that hasn't been), so I didn't see it. If nothing else, though, at least it finally answered that pesky question, "Is there a liberal bias in the mainstream media?". Can you imagine them not streaming a debate if Democrats were involved? If you'd like to tell them what a bunch of biased pigs they are, their contact page is here.
And no, I haven't seen the Perry video, despite it being thrown in my face all morning long. Quite frankly, I'm not into sadomasochism. I read the transcript and feel sorry for the guy. I'll take a look at where we stand in the next election post.
There will be others. Blue municipalities, tethered to their unions, are the grasshoppers. They will borrow to get re-elected until the money runs out, and leave the mess to others.
I've posted too many pics of particularly charming or interesting houses, and too few of the ordinary houses which constitute the bulk of the housing in the Northeast. This sort of simple, Foursquare-style frame house is everywhere, but this one is in Woodstock, VT. For snow country, I'd prefer a better pitch on the roof:
The Temple of Athena, the Virgin (Parthena) Goddess. A relatively small temple, by ancient Greek standards. They believed the goddess inhabited the temple.
I have stood there. Like some other famous and dramatic spots on the planet, you have to pinch yourself to make sure you're really there and that it's really real.
Iffy as an investment, especially in the liberal arts, but a good thing for a kid who is desperate to deepen his thinking and expand his mental life but who cannot do it on his own. After all, even Thomas Jefferson and Bill Gates took one or two years in college before they quit.
The Occupy Wall Street protestors are right to be angry about the failed promise of higher education. Colleges and universities have fallen down on the job of developing the human capital we need to improve our economy and civic life.
The villain is not the lenders who played an incidental role in providing capital to creative writing majors, however. It’s the tenured bozos who gave them Derrida and finger painting in their formative undergraduate years instead of Plato and Aristotle (or a good course in computer-aided drafting). The Zuccotti Park crew should drop their beef with the banks and demand change from academia instead.
WSJ: Is an Ivy League Diploma Worth It? - Fearing Massive Debt, More Students Are Choosing to Enroll at Public Colleges Over Elite Universities
Most people I know would rather hire a University of Indiana Physics major than a Harvard English Lit major.
A national Baccalaureate exam? Fine with me, as long as I get to design it - and as long as anybody can take it whether or not they attended college because it would be an exam on what is often regarded as post-high school academic knowledge, however acquired. I would not trust anyone to design this thing except me. Among other things, it would contain Trig and Calculus, Physics, Astronomy, Plato and Aristotle, Shakespeare, the Bible, Econ, mechanical engineering, Ancient Greece, Biochemistry, Music history and theory, Civics and American history, Anatomy, Geology, Roman law, Statistics, Architectural history, accounting, a sample essay...and many more things of substance and rigor which one typically thinks of a college grad as knowing, plus special sections on subjects of claimed expertise. There are smart and ambitious high school grads who could possibly pass the exam. This would be an elite degree representing broad and deep achievement, which people could make of it what they will, and not replace the shoddy, ordinary college degree which only means you paid your bills for four years. I doubt my Baccalaureate exam would mean much to the job market, but it would be a meaningful life credential to parade around and would be challenging enough to supercede a college BA and maybe even a Rhodes Scholarship. I'd aim for a Pass rate of around 2-10% of those brave enough to take it.
Well, I'll get to work on a sample exam right now - if there's any money in it for me. Or perhaps just a separate blog post.
Yale is responsible for introducing collegiate sports in the US, at first with rowing teams in 1843. And Yale's Walter Camp, of course, essentially invented the game of football.
When Yale Bowl was completed in 1914, it was the largest stadium built since the Roman Colosseum.
The wonderful 
In 2010, for the first time in our nation’s history, 
The Mameluke Sword
Toon via 
Iffy as an investment, especially in the liberal arts, but a good thing for a kid who is desperate to deepen his thinking and expand his mental life but who cannot do it on his own. After all, even Thomas Jefferson and Bill Gates took one or two years in college before they quit.