will you shut the fuck up? (seriously)

As a shout out to everyone who was near/with/around me at the Medeski, Martin, and Wood show at the Detroit Jazz Fest, and who might have had the pleasure of observing the balding tubbo greaser turn around and complain vehemently that I was disturbing him with my talking at a free, outdoor, attended by thousands Jazz Fest... I offer the following counter example:

When you are in a library studying, set your phone to silent/vibrate. If someone calls you when you're in the library, and you simply *must* answer it, please try to keep your voice down. And when that conversation appears to be going to continue for more than a minute, go out to the lobby, or outside, or how about... GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME.

I mean seriously, folks. I understand the ubiquity of telecommunication devices. I take pleasure in a couple of them myself. I realize that the world changes and we must change with it. I realize that as information is more and more available electronically from your computer at home, the nature of the library is also changing. I realize that the engineering library is used by students as a meeting place to work on projects together, and there's a certain amount of conversation that goes with that.

But I have to draw the line somewhere. Noise and interruption has permeated so much of our daily lives that we tolerate it far too much.If there were one public (secular) place left in the world where you can go and pore over books in peace and quiet, where is that? The library. Deep in the shelves, far away from the high traffic areas.

But today, across the table, this guy first of all has to call his buddy about this great story BBC-Online has (but apparently can't email to him). And then a few minutes later takes a call and proceeds to go on for over 10 minutes about this or that dance/social event organization. I didn't feel I was in a position to bitch him out there in public because I'm not a tuition-paying student, but now that my ire is up, I remember that I'm a taxpayer, and a guest of the University to boot. And next time I think I'm going to share my feelings with those that are telephonically manners-challenged. And fuck 'em if they don't like what I have to say about their annoyances.

the Tofu Offset

Overheard on the radio today, and in digi-print here... it's the Tofu Offset. A very 21st-century revitalization of 16th-century Roman Catholic indulgences.

The notion of carbon offsets and cap-and-trade ideas have always bothered me on a fuzzy and nebulous (yet fundamental) level, but it wasn't until the sarcasm and humor of the Tofu Offset came along that it was made clear. That what really bothered me was people believing they could de-guilt themselves financially.

I have to give credit to the people who invented these carbon trading companies - sounds like a pretty good way to make money off people's personal guilt... about their inability to actually make change in their life, about their desire to fit in with other people (regardless of the inanity), about their laziness in taking an easy way out. If you actually believe something is worthwhile, then how about actually DOing it?

Of course, this gets me in trouble all the time when I shoot my mouth off.... so there's that problem for me to work through.

There's an analogy in here somewhere about truthiness and that if something is said enough times and with enough conviction that somehow it changes the facts. But the end result is that you can't offset emissions in the physical world with cash in the abstract financial world anymore than you can offset your pudgy waistline with a Cheeseburger Offset.

Crapola. Haven't been too bike-thusiatic the past week or so, until this weekend. Went for a couple hours of ridin' in the dirt out at the Poto yesterday, and was all ready to be pavement-ey this morning. But it looks like it's gonna rain all damn day. Fricken-frack.

It's what I can't have that I want the most right now - dry pavement.

(still) too many

Yesterday on the Diane Rehm Show, author Alan Weisman was talking about his new book and associated topics. The premise of the book and conversation had to do with what the earth would look like if humans weren't around any more, how long it would take for ecologies to re-establish and stabilize, how long human monuments would remain... things like that. Along the way, the unavoidable issue of (over)population came up.

Overpopulation has been a long-standing gripe for me. There's a whole collection of problems that lead back to this one simple fact: there are too many humans on this planet, and they don't seem to notice that it's a problem.

We're producing ever-increasing debris and garbage. We're struggling (and even fighting wars) over sources of energy. We're gobbling up land needlessly and shitting all over it. And by "we" I mean all of us humans. And few notice or seem to care - everyone just wants to breed, breed, breed. When there is no food, no space, no peaceful places, one should not produce new children.

Consider China for a moment - about a billion people (uhh... I mean 'consumers'). 60 years ago, the government even put in place a one-child policy to avoid the pending meltdown that would occur due to over-population. Unintended consequence: with a preference for male children, China now has a large population of young and middle-aged single men, whose female counterparts may all have been married off already. I don't think I need to explain how a couple million rowdy boys can be a serious political stability problem. (it even makes a cameo appearance as a plot device in Shadow of the Hegemon) ... and that even before talking about all the other wacky situations China is facing.

Heck, even the Dali Lama knows it's a problem - though for him, it's more of a problem reconciling his environmentalism with his love for every human life (so he says, in "10 Questions for the Dali Lama"). Me, not so much with the paradox reconciliation.

There's just too many people on the planet. It was 6,000,000,000 in 1999. 7 years later, it's around 6,600,000,000. Think it's going to stop growing any time soon? If only...

Walmart-ification

The saddest thing about the Wal-mart-ification of America? Not that every product sold was outsourced overseas, has a design lifetime of 1 year, is non-repairable/disposable, and gives you cancer... and not that every job will be as either a cashier or a greeter at Wal-mart... it's that we'll all be shopping at Wal-mart, which, given what I've seen at their stores, means the average waist measurement of the population will be 52 and we'll have to use walkers and canes to walk because we'll have lost the ability to move under our own power.

buncha assholes

So here we are in the lovely Twin Cities of Minnesota, G and I... me with the lounging about town, her with the work, digging in the archives and public records. Staying with gracious hosts Fred and Mona for the week and cavorting about town on occasion. Yesterday morning, she's leaving in the morning to go out into the wild and woolly world when she comes back in with just a single sentence.

"The bikes are gone"

What? (the fuck?)

Her bike was missing along with one of Fred's. (After a phone call, it seems Fred rode into work, but hers was definitely gone.) We'd brought our bikes along as a way of getting around town (and me, I was of the mood to put on some miles too), and were parking them in the garage, right near Fred's bikes. The garage where Fred keeps all his bikes. And overnight, someone went to some trouble to break in, and took her bike. After more than a year of bikes being stored there, the fuckers pick THIS week to break in, when the out-of-towners are visiting. And while there's beau coup pricey bikes around once they were in the garage, they steal the one with the most sentimental value to it's owner. Fucking assholes.

We made a police report and all that but there's harsh reality - it's not likely to be recovered. There's just too many places it could go, so many bikes in this town, it's not so unique a bike it doesn't get lost in the multitude of other bikes, and cops don't exactly consider it as seriously as they would violent crime. Nevertheless, my font of anger bubbles about such things.

I think back to the days back at the shop I worked at in my youth. Occasionally, a bike belonging to a shop regular or employee would get stolen, a bike near and dear that was known around town. The word would go out on the street, and every now and then, bike people would get lucky and someone would see the bike somewhere. Revenge and reclamation ensued, whether it be a confrontation, a call to the police, or chasing the fucker down and knocking their sorry ass off it.

If it could happen more often, the Brutal Reclamation...

My angry self tells me this.

In the place where there used to be trusty transportation, a light breeze, and a smooth rolling along, there's sadness and pockets of anger.

But there's memories, too. Lots of old ones. And a couple of new fresh ones that are happy and good. There's more memories to come, with a bike that will come anew to a home that's already ready to welcome it.

Management and The Condor

A couple weeks ago I was giving some customer training to plant floor folks (hourly union skilled tradespeople) when the small talk in between training tasks drifted to the vagaries and ineptitudes of management. Since I'm in a position of getting supervised/managed and have had to be supervisory/managerial myself, I found my self fence-sitting and doing devil's advocacy work. And what I heard was something I have heard at least a dozen times before. That management has no idea what's really going on, middle managers get cycled in and out and have no experience, that they're just messing up the works. To which I ask: "Well, if you were in their position, how would you handle it? What would you do differently?" The response comes, like it always does: "Just get out of the way, stop trying to tell people what to do and just everyone do their jobs the way they know how."

On it's face, sure, there's not much to argue with... if people know their jobs, trusting them to be conscientious and diligent should result in a smooth running machine of industry. People are happy, the plant is productive, everyone wins, right? I don't doubt that it's possible for 10, 20, 50 people to work in an egalitarian environment, in a flat structure, where everyone contributes their experience to decision-making. There's plenty of examples of co-ops, kibbutzes, etc. where that works.

But put 1000 people on the same shift into the synchronized human/machine organism of industrial manufacturing, and there just have to be organizing principles. Someone to resolve disputes, someone to coordinate schedules, someone to decide between equivalent options, someone to look out for safety, someone to distribute paychecks. So even if the Standard Argument ("just get out of the way and let people do their jobs") were put into play, eventually the functions of management would evolve anyway out of necessity. And engineeering, and product development, and marketing, and accounting, etc.

It seems I'm siding with management today. Call me an pawn of The Establishment, but how often can one have revolution after revolution and not end up in a state of constant upheaval? And what makes revolutionaries think that they won't, in time, be revolted against themselves? That somehow their received wisdom is more perfect than that of those they overthrew?

Why, you ask, would I be blathering about this now? I saw "Three Days of the Condor" last night, and at the end, as Condor confronts Higgins about why all the killing went on, what possible purpose the cold war intelligence games have, and Higgins makes a relevant point:
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Condor: "What is it with you people? Do you think not getting caught in a lie is the same as telling the truth?"

Higgins: "No. It's simple economics. Today it's oil, right? In 10 or 15 years, food, plutonium. And maybe even sooner. Now what do you think the people are going to want us to do then?"

Condor: "Ask them."

Higgins: "Not now, then. Ask them when they're running out. Ask them when there's no heat in their homes and they're cold. Ask them when their engines stop. Ask them when people who have never known hunger start going hungry. You want to know something? They won't want us to ask them. They'll just want us to get it for them."
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I guess what I'm trying to say is that, when there's someone planning or anticipating the future, there will always be those who will pass judgment after the fact. But the question I ask is: If you were in their place, in the same situation, balancing the same issues, with the same pressures, what makes you think that you would have come to a better solution? One that is the best result, the least evil, and in the time required?

Hindsight is 20/20, and I'm as guilty as the next in Monday-morning quarterbacking, but I guess what I'm saying if that for Management to be able to trust Labor's intentions to "just do their job because they know what to do", Labor needs to trust Management's intentions the same way.

print media vs. bloggage - now I understand...

I've often been puzzled by the enthusiasm over the past few years - I mean, bloggers as a news source? Are you kidding me? I mean, seriously folks... who is kidding who? When boneheads like me can do something as silly as what is essentially composing an email to themselves (and then, in a fit of narcissism, showing the whole world), how seriously can you take it?

I was a hold out for the vaunted prestige of print journalism... until about 5 minutes ago. You see, I thought "These folks have the momentum of professionalism behind them - careers, printing presses, advertisers... the whole shebang. Surely they know what they're doing." Well, that was until today during my morning constitutional. I was reading a copy of Road Magazine that I picked up from a newsstand. I'll admit, I was enticed by the glossy shiny bike porn pictures. But when you actually read it, they have 8th graders writing the articles and interviews. Seriously. For a magazine that must pay gobs of money for the photos (and I'll admit, they're pretty damn good photos indeed), you'd think they would actually read what they're writing and realize how tepid, dry, and inane it is. If I want short, declarative sentences that describe nothing, I'll read Hemingway.

And this is when I realized that the Rise of the Blog is not necessarily because of its innate superiority, but more because most print media has set the bar so low.

At least some rags have decent online writing. And for the fun about dudes and dudettes riding bikes, it's Smithers, Vanderpoop, et. al. I might not live anywhere near Cali, but that Vanderhoot, he sure is fun to read.

And to make matters worse, the evening news no longer contains actual news - just crime, disaster, and scandal, followed by sports and weather (translated into emotional responses in the viewer of "be afraid, be afraid, be afraid, buy things you don't need, take an umbrella"). The same seems to be true of local newspapers. Every Monday, the Ann Arbor News newspaper delivery boy delivers free copies on my doorstep to try to get me to subscribe. It's the local rag, but it's a crappy paper (and I'm annoyed by the litter on my doorstep). The Detroit News and Free Press aren't much better. Where are the decent local newspapers? The Chicago Tribune ain't exactly local, but it's midwestern and decent. It might be in for some changes though... And going out to either the East or West Coast for news obviously is problematic in the context of "local".

Ok, damn, I'm blathering. Blue skies outside. Good time for a long ride.

... is/does not _____

They lend themselves to cliches, so I write them down. Sometimes, I even type them... these things, they creep into my head and somehow I manage not to say them aloud. I'm still pretty lucky about keeping them inside my head - I haven't said them to the people I thought them at.

Having Seniority does not mean necessarily having Skills.

Being there is not the same as working.

Training is not the same as education.

Education is not the same as intelligence.

Education is not the same as creativity.

Keep saying "not my job"... eventually none of them will be.

Alberto/Ollie/middle east, hate crimes, and seatbelts

I don't normally wax political, but I just can't resist.

A couple weeks ago, when Gonzales was testifying that he "can't recall" this, and "can't recall" that... surely the connection to the Ollie North testimony during Iran-Contra isn't lost. Didn't Ollie sort of have to fall on his sword on that one? How come Gonzo isn't? (I love this picture of Gonzo and Dubya, btw. All it really needs to complete the train is Cheney pulling Dubya's strings as Dubya manipulates Gonzo's.)

But wait... Iran-Contra? Wasn't Ollie selling weapons to the same country that Dubya is now saber-rattling with? And back a couple decades ago, wasn't there a significantly cozier relationship between Bush (41st) and Saddam Hussein? And now look at it... they just can't be friends anymore. Not to dig at a sore spot, but back when Afghanistan was all Soviet-ized and the U.S. was messing around with the Mujahideen to tinker with their government against the U.S.S.R., we found out 20 years later that it came back to bite us in the ass.

Call me crazy, but why the hell do we keep getting involved with countries/revolutions/cultures that we don't really understand? (By involved, I mean that in the teasing, flirting, no-strings-attached, "I promise I'll respect you in the morning if you just let me stick it in a little" kind of 'involved') And even worse, when it's nowhere ear a balanced relationship - culturally, economically, militarily, etc. Sure, we're all gushy over happy relations with Vietnam these days, but I don't see N. Korea being our friends any time soon. I really wonder what's kind of messed-up shenanigans are going on in Africa right now that we're going to hear about in 10-20 years. Maybe are we backing some rebels right now against some government, and along the way those rebels become brutal dictators themselves? Shee-it.
--------------------------------

And as the House passes the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, Dubya suddenly is making noises about keeping his veto pen warmed up? What the hell... the guy hasn't vetoed a damn thing in the first 6 years, and now all of a sudden he's poo-pooing everything that comes his way. Could this possibly be just to distract from all the other BS that seems to be falling down around his administration? Or is this just a last-ditch method of exerting republican legislative control - that the republicans can't control what's going on in Congress, but since democrats don't have a supermajority, the veto is still a potent tool to avoid actually having to communicate across the aisle in Congress.
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And it gives me great pleasure to hear NJ Gov. Corzine apologizing to his constituents for not wearing a seat belt in the crash that put some serious hurt on him. Sure, he was being driven by a NJ State Trooper, and troopers get lots of driving training, but still - no one is invulnerable. The thing that's most remarkable? Corzine broke ribs and legs and ended up on a ventilator. His driver, the trooper that was seatbelted, basically walked away from the accident with cuts and bruises. Of course, a trooper and governor getting into an accident driving 90 mph kind of adds to the whole notion of setting a bad example. It's not like they were trying to flee from paparazzi or anything.

Flandis sounding kinda weak

so said Floyd:

This is yet another in a series of malicious actions by USADA that tramples my right to have my case heard in fair and just way... I’m infuriated by the behavior of USADA and the LNDD. Together, they have turned this proceeding into a full-scale attack on my civil rights and a mockery of justice.

... persecution complex, anyone?

It's not your civil rights that are being attacked, buster. You're engaged in business arbitration. You haven't been arrested or charged with a crime, bound into slavery, or been prejudged based on race, gender, religion... you've been accused of cheating in a competition. There's a difference. I for one really hope he didn't do it, not because I care about Floyd, but because I want cycling to be a clean(er) sport (than it seems these days).

I do indeed hope the USADA arbitration comes quickly so this can go to the CAS... and then it'll be over. How much possible flailing about can there possibly be over a couple of cups of piss? Test it, confirm it, guard against error and fraud and technician bias... these are not difficult concepts.

tacky and obnoxious... a night at The Majestic

It all started off well enough... going to see The Ragbirds and Bump last night at The Majestic.

Ragbirds started off and were OK, but honestly? I've seen better shows of theirs. A fairly short set and a small early crowd. Nice enough, but not exactly ass-kicking, either.

Bump was new to me and didn't really grab me much. Sure, there were some interesting blends of electronica, groovish funkness, and (oddly) shred-like guitar, but it was far to much in the middle. Might have been mixed badly? Or my expectations were different? A steady wall of sound with no distinctive anything I could latch on to. No consistent groove, no noise sculpting, no driving bits... nothing I could grab hold of. Guitar/keyboard guy had lots of keyboards but didn't do much with them (which says to me that he's spending more time with gear than with sound). Bass guy was in the background and MIA, sonically as well as physically. Guitar dude with his astronautica-schtick was off somewhere else. Drummer was punchy, tight, but knows how to take a step back too ... definitely knows what he's doing.

I don't know if I'd pay much money to see them again, but technically we didn't pay to get in this time (yes, tickets were bought, but unused - anyone want some tickets? "I got two! Two tickets! Who needs em?!"). G and I walked into the wrong part of the bar-megaplex at first, so we had been "carded" and already had wristbands when we walked into the theater lobby. I just flashed it and kept walking, expecting the ticket-taking to be further up the way. I guess they assumed by either my decisive striding or the wristband that someone else had gotten our tickets. (Note to self - next show at the Majestic, get wristbands down the street and try this trick again. Gate-crashing helps offset overpriced skunky beer expense.)

Knowing that there was a middle-band (second opening act? or is the first band the opening band for the opening band?) Midtown Underground didn't seem like it would affect the other band experiences at the time, but I can't lie to you, dear readers... they stunk it up like a fart in an elevator. An elevator that's stuck between floors, with the fire department on strike and no hope of a rescue anytime soon. For the record: I don't need to hear any more shouts-out from the 8 white boys on stage about how they're gonna get the pahhty stahhted and kick it old skool, nowhahumsayin'? When the drummer doesn't realize he's got a bridge or a solo and he doesn't notice that we noticed that he didn't notice, and the sax player spends more time flailing and posing one-handed playing a single note, and the frontman's obnoxious ego is so large though he has no actual skill... yeah, they were that aggravating.

BUT, not nearly as aggravating as all the chippies about in their bar skank uniforms. What IS it about the oh-so-original black heels, jeans, black knit top, floozy hair and optional mini-purse over the shoulder and under the armpit? They were everywhere. And each and every one with a plastic cup in one hand, the other in the air, whooping it up in a half-constipated shuffle-dance to keep ridiculous shoes, unflatteringly tight jeans, a drink, a purse, and "whooo!" all in play, somehow still just "needin' to cut loose and get my groove on cuz it's Fri-dayyy! whoooo!".

Hey you - yes you... white girl with a stench of desperation about you - let's not kid each other. You're not actually having fun. You're pretending to have fun because that's what you think you're supposed to do and all your other blackshirtbluejean friends are here. But it's so much work, and I can see the strain it's putting on you. Put down your burden. It's OK, really it is. Take a rest.

I promise I'll still pretend to think you're cool if you just give up and... be yourself.

Literally, a cure for cancer

I just got out of a public forum/panel discussion at the library about the issue of HPV vaccine and legislation in Michigan for mandatory vaccination for 6th grade (11-12 year old) girls. While I respect that opinions, personal beliefs differ about vaccination, we're talking about literally A CURE FOR CANCER. (ok, a prevention, but still...)

The anti-science factions (and thanks to Dr. Timothy Johnson for specifically calling it what it is - which is a supernatural anti-science, anti-reason movement) that oppose vaccination neglect to notice that Polio is not longer an epidemic, and tetanus is no longer prevalent in the US. Some will ask "what's Merck's motivation, and aren't they just profiteering?" Yes, they are a company, and yes they need to make money. But I ask - what is the motivation of the anti-vaccine, anti-science crowd? To build a theocracy? I will be more than happy to deal with opposing a company - that's not scary. A country run by religious believers in the supernatural and lacking even the pretense of reason? That would DEFINITELY be scary.

They make their arguments about a vaccine that teenagers would get which might promote sexual activity... Hey, guess what - 77% of teenage girls under the age of 19 have had vaginal sex. And even if they're a virgin until their wedding night and maintain a monogamous relationship with their husband forever and ever, that doesn't mean that he hasn't been infected with HPV and could give it to her (resulting in her cervical cancer). Another applicable statistic: 80% of Americans, by the age of 50, are carrying some form of HPV around in their bodies. You, me, and those boys and girls over there. Think about that for a second. Oh yeah, and then there's the developing world, where even access to a pap smear is an issue. How many people are dying there that could be saved by a vaccine?

rumors of ordinances

I heard a while back that Flint, MI tightened up their truancy laws in the city - that kids picked up by the police who were supposed to be in school (and presumably are making trouble) would have to be picked up by their parents within 3 hours of the parents being notified, and that not picking them up would be a misdemeanor/ticket/fine for the parents.

I don't presume to know how to deal with juvenile crime or issues of family law or custody or parenting or any of that whole thing, but I can't help think that this generally a good thing for the community.

It might be inconvenient to be pulled out of work, it might be a financial burden to have to pay a ticket, and it might be embarrassing. But the bigger question is: why is your child not in school? If they live in your home, should be in school, but are out getting arrested instead, you should be held accountable for their misbehavior. (runaways are a different issue, but that's not what I'm talking about here)

Mind your children, or don't have them.

thought from "A Closer Walk"

A while back, I caught a screening of a film called A Closer Walk (ACW). I was part of a year-long event called "Ann Arbor/Ypsi Reads" where a topic is chosen, and throughout the year, various events are planned around that book/theme. This movie goes around the world, showing how HIV/AIDS is affecting the world on different levels - the lives and various struggles and accomplishments of those living with the disease, the families/communities/orphans left behind by those that succumb, and those that are working to effect change.

So with that introduction, I bring you the reactions/responses I had during the movie. (Yes, I take notes sometimes while watching movies) To wit...

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Sorrow/sympathy for the children affected by the disease?

I don't particularly care about the children.

I DO feel sorrow/sympathy for anyone that suffers so. Their age is irrelevant.

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I despise people who use children as weapons and resent that one might think it an effective rhetorical tool.

Not talking about child soldiers here, or even loading up a catapult and using them as projectiles. Talking about the ubiquitous "it's for the children" pulling on the heart strings, as if that gives free reign to say/do whatever outrageous thing you want as long as it's "for the children". (increasing the nuclear stockpile to protect our children's freedom, for example)

On the TV news, you can hear it in the description of the escaped fugitive being brought in, and how he is cooperating with authorities now that he got caught again because "he just wants to see his children before going back to jail". Well, if his children are so important to him, maybe he should have avoided jail in the first place... and even if he was wrongfully convicted and is a victim of the system, maybe he should have thought of his children before his escape attempt guaranteed his ineligibility for early release.

In ACW we meet a woman living with HIV/AIDS, her husband having died a year ago, and along the way you hear about crushing poverty and famine on top of the disease, and how her story is especially tragic because she'll leave her 4 children orphaned. She has this symptom... she has that symptom... she has 4 children. Maybe along the way, in a perpetually drought/famine-ridden area, when you have 3 children, a 4th might be a BAD IDEA. Or when you have 2, a 3rd might be a bad idea. And for stupid honkies in rich countries... when you have 5 children, having a 6th or 7th is a bad idea too. Don't complain about being strapped for cash constantly when you had all the fun breeding but couldn't be bothered to use a condom.

Why do people just ignore this and fail to connect this notion of over-population with strain on resources to feed that population? There are 6 billion people in the world. If you can't feed your kids, STOP HAVING MORE OF THEM. Yes, this will interfere with your god-given right to breed like bunnies, but if you exercise that god-given right recklessly, then you are assured of the god-given privilege of watching them starve and die if a drought comes.

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I get choked up/teared up by the tragedy of suffering of so many who are often powerless to protect themselves. But what have I done about it? Did I just go to a movie, have a weepy moment, and that's it? What's the point if that's all...

What's the point of all the little red ribbons that are such fashionable accessories? "Oh, I think I'll put on my Compassion Accessory to go out to the club tonight..."

Awareness is a start. Knowledge is the next step. Talk follows. But it's Action that's the place where it becomes real instead of just a warm feeling. I'm not an HIV/AIDS activist and don't plan to become one just because I saw a movie, but I think the progression applies to anything that you think you care about.

What-you-do carries more weight than what-you-think.

Random Rants and Revelations (the 3 R's)

A bunch of stuff: notions, thoughts, remarks, complaints - that haven't been big enough for their own posts... finally a critical mass of their own. The "tired of hearing..." section:

- I didn't watch/listen to the State of the Union address the other night, but have heard enough excerpts on the radio. I'm fairly tired of hearing the phrase "the way forward". It wasn't that insiprational when Bill Ford, Jr. used it to describe the re-structuring at Ford to try to get out of their death spiral, and it sure isn't that inspirational when Dubya says it. (side note: Ford just announced a record-breaking $12.7 Billion annual loss for 2006. Nice "way forward". Foreshadowing, anyone?)

- Fairly tired of hearing the phrase "...and just let the market sort it out" as an idea of conservatives to federal funding legislation/social programs. If you really and truly want the market to be the solution to problems, then admit to what kind of "sorting out" the "market" would do: it would never rebuild New Orleans - it would let it rot, and with the exception of oil derricks and entry to the Mississippi River, would be abandoned. "The market" would also ignore notions of standard weights and measures, and wouldn't give a hoot about truth in advertising. You think drug companies go willy-nilly these days? Think back to the days of snake-oil salesmen back before things like the USDA/FDA. The grocer with his finger on the scale would be the least of your worries when grandma is taking a mercury-laced emetic to help with 'the vapors'. Not to mention "the market" wouldn't give a shit about justice, other than to protect the banks and trading places. You think "the market" would have sorted out that slave trade back in the 1800's? Think about that next time you hear about what "the market" will or will not sort out.

- I'm definitely tired of hearing "we can't ____ our way out of ____". Whether it's "drill our way out of the looming energy crisis" (i.e. ANWAR, etc.), or "pave our way out of urban gridlock"

fire & pancakes

Last night I went to see a couple shows with G, and while it's been a pretty good run so far for bands seen over the past few weeks, I'll have to say that last night was... well, they just didn't have that spark that would last 'til the lights came on. Could've been cool. There was Hullabaloo (ska) at TC's a couple doors down from Fire Fabulon (fire performance art?) at The Elbow Room.

As far as Fire Fabulon goes, I'll just pat myself on the back for my prediction... either it'll be incredibly cool and well done, or it'll be over-hyped and pretentious, reminding us all of bad melodramatic poetry we wrote and then performed in high school at open mic night while wearing a beret and smoking Gauloises only days after our minds "like, were blown wide open, man" by reading Kafka. (hint: it was the latter) So yeah, I'm not a Burner, but apparently Fire Fabulon is. If it's typical of Burners, then I'm not missing much. The me-and-all-my-friends-are-so-freakish-and-cool-I-could-shit-myself Lollapalooza-esque mastubation fest. Don't get me wrong, I'm fond of freakish and masturbation, but play-freakish doesn't do much for me. And masturbation? When the only thing being stroked on stage is the group ego and if it cost money to get in the door, that kind of ego masturbation doesn't do much for me either. Add two things to that: The Elbow Room last night was one of the smokiest bars I've been to in a really long time. Add to that the fire performance, and the smoke/fumes coming off the diesel (or kerosene, or whatever), and my eyes started burning right after I walked past the doorman. Burnin' somethin' powerful.

Moseyed back to Hullabaloo after a while, which was far better. Unfortunately, they weren't as fun as Back Forty last week (which, though I've never been interested by bluegrass/funkgrass before, is my favorite new band). For some reason, the tired/sleepy impulse became powerful, and the fresh air/snacks impulse became even more powerful. Onward to home, and I really meant to make late night snacks (even went so far as to put a pita in the microwave to warm up)... but I got distracted. Needless to say I woke up this morning with a powerful hunger, so I made myself some pancakes. 9 of 'em. Talk about hittin' the spot with a pancake...

Neither child, nor adult.

Among the things I'm unfamiliar with, the boundaries of childhood and adulthood can be counted among them, but not for the usual reasons. Is it that I am more like one, the other, both, or neither? Today I went on my first guardianship investigation trip (a volunteer program through the Washtenaw County court system to periodically check in on the health and welfare of children/elderly/disabled that are wards of the court). While I know that my conversation skills with children isn't well developed, it seems that I'm also unacquainted with the conversation skills of adult non-academic professionals that are not engineers/businesspeople - in this example it's lawyers, social workers, etc. I kinda felt a little lost and uncomfortable for a bit, and it was weird. Maybe I just approach "serious life issues" with either complete aplomb or heightened tension (this would be my all-or-nothing approach to so many things), and the idea of calm pseudo-non-chalance in the face of health-and-welfare issues, (while maintaining vigilance I might add) is sort of an interesting trick that I don't quite know yet.

It's a lovely segue some of the other childhood/adulthood identification pet peeves of mine. Chip on my shoulder and opportunity to rant? You bet:

Why is it that somehow because I haven't married, bred children, or bought real estate that I'm somehow considered a non-adult? It's nothing overt, it's just that good ole "when you've lived as long/had the same experiences/had to go through what I've had to, you'll understand." holier-than-thou shit that bugs me.

Responsibility as a parent... what, you mean getting your girlfriend knocked up at 22? (a case where a history of safe sex is retroactively held against me) Or do you mean marrying someone out of familial pressure, or chronological pressure, or inability to live a life of your own? (a case where strong sense of self is held against me) Or that your incessant financial pressure is because you're in debt up to your eyeballs because you don't have a clue about the idea of saving for the future or spending less than your income, or other forms of consumer self-restraint? (a case where my sane financial choices is held against me.)

Don't worry, this isn't some sort of persecution complex shining through. This is just me having a moment. Bear with me, it'll pass...

hate to say it, but I told you so...

Shiny-happy people are doomed. To live a longer life, try being honest. With yourself and other people too.

"Every time a person is forced to repress his true feelings there are negative consequences for his health," said Professor Dieter Zapf, a researcher into human emotions.

Fake-smile practitioners take note: don't say I didn't try to warn you.

Spelt

What is it about spelt bread these days? I seem to be seeing it overflowing the bread shelves in quality food stores, and so I got some. Pretty crappy bread, if'n ya ask me, which you didn't, but whatever. Weak texture, no crust, non-existent flavor (puhleaze don't tell me "oh, it's *subtle* flavor you have to appreciate"), and not exactly very sturdy, either. The stuff I got falls apart easier than the Great Harvest crap-bread (that I don't like either). Makes crappy grilled cheese, that's for certain, too.

Must be another one of those "wonder plants" like hemp that is supposedly the cure for all our ills from acne to global warming, but really isn't that remarkable of a raw material unless you're making rope or smokin' up. Shee-it... even Zingerman's can get bread right... now if only their bread didn't harden up before I can finish what I bought.