I think both sides feel vaguely insulted

From a New York Times article about black Republican Senate candidate Michael Steele:

Joe Trippi [a Democratic political consultant] paints a sort of developing nightmare for his party. "The Republicans are like the Chinese — they think in terms of like a 50-year plan," Trippi, who was an architect of Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign, told me. "Their goal is permanent realignment. What we have in Maryland is a national strategy against a party that is not strategizing at all."

I'm not sure who'd be more outraged - Republicans being likened to the Chinese, or the Chinese being related to the party of Lincoln.

Location of Springfield

Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, has been very coy about the true location of Springfield. As a result, fans of the show have fielded guesses for years. Some claim it's near Aspen because of Springfield Mountain. Some are convinced that Springfield lies near Charlotte because the ocean features prominently in many episodes. Some have seen the mountains of burning tires and are convinced it's LA. Whatever.

I'm pretty sure that Mr. Groening is a perverse old cuss. When it's all said and done, I think the actual location of Bart and Lisa's hometome will be: Topeka, Kansas. Why do I think this? I don't really know...

The Sinister Urge

Well, the alarmists and the jackals are busy chipping away at the moral distinction between Big Tobacco and Big Food. Kraft, Pepsico, General Mills and the rest have been accused of ... making snacks taste too darn good. According to this article, the old Lays slogan 'betcha can't eat just one' has taken on a sinister new meaning.

There's a syllogism ringing in my ears. Tobacco companies were held liable for re-formulating an addictive substance to ensure consumer loyalty and stimulate demand. Consumer packaged food companies also develop products that people want to eat. Big Food should be held liable.

What? Food isn't addictive? Well I don't know of any living person who has been able to kick that habit. Other than Kate Moss that is.

The scientists at consumer product companies apparently figured out that: people enjoy different flavors, salt tastes good, and that consumers like value. Armed with this knowledge, The Industry carefully designed products that people would be unable to stop buying, the helpless wretches.

Consumers are cattle, mere cogs in this oily machine. We are helpless animals who robotically do what we're told, just like Rush Limbaugh listeners.

Hey! Don't get mad at me - I didn't say it; our high-priced 'defenders' in the legal profession did.
Incidentally, I wonder if Michael Jacobson and the rest of the food nazis even believe in the bull that they're espousing. I get the feeling that these people also publicly defended 'trickle down' economics. I don't know...maybe it's me.

Bull! Pat Robertson

Your favorite loon (and mine) struck again today, calling Islam a religion bent on world domination and saying that muslims are motivated by Satan.

I don't know whether Pat Robertson believes in what he's saying. I don't know if he truly believed God struck down Ariel Sharon for surrendering 'the promised land'. I don't know if he really wants Hugo Chavez dead - assassinated mind you. And I'm not sure if he really thinks that the Prince of Lies is the motivating factor behind the Nation of Islam.

I'm not sure of any of these things, but I'm pretty certain that it's not the point. Patty isn't saying this out of genuine feeling, but out of a desire to ignite 'the base' and catch headlines. Unfortunately, what he's done is... ignite the base and catch headlines.

The fact is that the people most likely to be offended or turned off by statements like this aren't really the Christian Right's target audience anyway. It's a simple calculus.

My only real question: how many true believers really listen to Pat Roberts' ideas rather than watch out of some Jerry Springer-esque voyeurism? (Oh mah Gawd what's he gonna say next? And whut's he doin' with that CHAIR?)

In any case, it's all bull!

Any story where you can use this as the tagline...

"Espinosa told reporters he was glad his wife had suffered burns, while Contreras [Espinosa's wife] said she was only sorry she had not "hacked off his manhood" during the fight."

Dinner at their house must be exciting.

One Genuine Man

In a world that is admittedly chock full of bullshit, there is one genuine man. And a politician at that.

An independent candidate for Texas governor was recently sighted (but not cited) in a Saint Patrick's Day parade with his trademark black hat, cigar - and a Guinness beer.

Yes, Kinky Friedman, we love you.

On Bullshit

I just finished reading one of my favorite little books. It's called On Bullshit, written by Harry Frankfurt. Frankfurt is a philosopher and it tweaks my funnybone to read a formal logical treatise with the word 'bullshit' sprinkled liberally on every page.

But it's not simply a chuckle, it's an examination of the nature of bullshit. I'm most impressed by the thoughtful argument that bullshit is actually more corrosive to civil society than outright lies because bullshit has no concern for the truth. (At least lying has a firm regard and respect for the truth, even if lying aims only to conceal it.)

I think it's easy to lose sight of the bullshit in society today - it's just as hard to see 'England' when you're standing in Trafalgar Square.

This isn't to say that I don't do my part to generate bullshit; after all, I toe the company line regardless of whether I fully believe in it. And that (needless to say) is what makes it bullshit - the deliberate disregard for truth.

So I propose to start a little karmic bullshit exchange here At the Tap... In exchange for the bullshit that I proclaim in my life, I will take a moment here to call attention to and revile various elements of bullshit in society at large.

Well, if it makes them think twice..

True story: the Wexley School for Girls spray painted the following message in its handicapped parking spaces just before their prom...

Tabula Rasa

So my back is a little sore.

I went back up to the ancestral homestead this past weekend to spend some time with the family. I got the chance to split wood while I was up, which is something I really enjoy. (I'm honest enough to admit that there is an inverse correlation between my enjoyment of splitting wood and my dependancy on it for light heat and power.) I'm not sure why I get such a kick out of it.

There's simply something calming, peaceful even about being able to focus on something entirely physical. No mental distractions - even, no physical distractions out in the woods - just complete attention on that block of wood, scanning it for knots and subtle cracks. Then the heft and whistle of a 10-pound maul.

Concentration, you see, is a key element of splitting wood with a 10-pound maul. All it takes is one little glance, one slight waver and the best case scenario is that you just chip the block, or thud it into a knot (damn you white oak!). Worst case, of course, is that you bury it in your foot. Concentration is key.

So my back is a little sore. It's worth it.

It Helps To Have A Little Perspective

Of course, there are worse governments and institutions around.

The Danes Are Coming!

I've been following the furor surrounding the purchase of US port management by a company owned by the government of Dubai. I admit to being a little mystified. Folks must be getting upset because the ... Dubaiians? Dubia? Dubians? anyway, because they're muslims.

Just like Rising Sun, I think this drama completely misses the point. We shouldn't be asking ourselves whether a Middle Eastern company has the right to manage some of the United State's largest ports, we should be asking ourselves why the government contracts out port management and inspections in the first place.

This isn't the only case of the government's outsourcing control of critical elements of our infrastructure. Take the Wackenhut Corporation. Who, you ask? The Wackenhut Corporation is the american subsidiary of Group 4 Securicor, the second largest security company in the world.

Group 4 Securicor is a Danish company (Denmark has 270,000 muslims) that is based in England (1.6 million muslims). They hire American citizens of all backgrounds (America has 7 million muslims). Wackenhut is a large private security and investigation company. They've got many contracts with different levels of the US government: they secure transportation hubs, ROTC bases, schools and other government buildings and every nuclear facility in the United States.

Now, I know some people who work for Wackenhut. They seem honest enough; in fact, many are ex-US military. I'm sure they do a fine job doing what they do and the facilities they guard are appropriately secure. (And they're not the only contractor providing security services to the US government - check out the competition.)

What does this have to do with the people of Dubai and US port authority?

One of the basic responsibilities of the federal government is to provide for the protection and maintenance of its facilities, borders and arsenals. Frankly, the fact that Party of National Defence surrendered the US Government's monopoly over armed force is an irony that I do not enjoy.

Not that I doubt the good will of Mike Chertoff and the boys over in the Department of Homeland Security, but unfortunately we've got rent-a-cops running half of the show. I feel like a Dane watching Fortinbras march up. Where's Jack Bauer when you need him?

Untitled

Now this is one video that I never want to see. 'Kid Rock' and 'sex tape': now that's a combination that makes my skin crawl.

It's Official!

I received the promotion - I'm now a Senior Resource! No snipes about getting older--

Deliverance, Utah-Style

Whoah. Just, whoah.

Necessary Evil

Unions are an unfortunate reality in today's world. They're expensive and inefficient. After all, every union member pays for a superstructure - advocates & lobbyists - that takes a bite straight from the paycheck. Contracts also strictly limit the interactions between management and worker, often preventing efficiency in the name of jobs, adding costs to the employer.

Oftentimes they also foster an 'us against them' mentality of worker vs. management when it would be more effective to have a 'both of us against the competition' attitude.

That being said, stories like this really turn my stomach. As I said, unions are an unfortunate, but still necessary, evil today. If companies would only stop "illegally intimidating, firing, threatening and spying on workers", the union movement would simply dissolve

Such corporate behaviors are simply shortsighted. Happy and healthy workers are productive. Scared and angry employees are likely to turn on their bosses.

Want to learn more?

Strange Bedfellows

The son and confidant of a megalomaniac tyrant comes out in support of the democracy that the son of the man who worked for the man who killed his sister is trying to build.

The point? Perhaps none.

At this rate, I fully expect the US and North Korea to come together in 2006 to support the demilitarization of China.

NAR Sleeps, Uneasily and With Foreboding

Another example of the Internet as a 'disrupting' technology. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has had a love-hate relationship with the online world since its rise in the late 90's.

On the one-hand, NAR has lobbied heavily against so-called 'discount realtors', which are primarily based online. They've spent millions to pass laws (or prevent laws from being passed) that support their substantial control on home sales.

NAR has tried to also co-opt the informational power of the Internet via websites like www.realtor.com, which (according to some studies) 75% of home buyers now visit before making a purchase.

There have been some disturbing developments of late in Realtor-land, however. The first is the rise of www.redfin.com, which is one of the first true independant online brokers. They offer to reduce the 6% realtor commission by splitting part of it with the seller. Another new site, www.zillow.com has opened a massive database of comparable home prices. The consumer now has the ability to pull up lists of comparable home prices based on address or geographic area as well as estimated real estate values. Real estate comparison shopping!

Perhaps more disturbing are sites like www.fsbo.com and www.forsalebyowner.com. These sites promise to do away with realtors completely by enabling sellers and buyers to communicate directly.

While I'm sure that Realtors will still be in business many years in the future, these developments may challenge current business models and, gradually, chip away at the standard commission rates.

Common Ground

Finally, the US and Iran have found something they can agree on!

You know, we've been on the other side of the table from Iran a lot in the recent past. We invaded Iraq, and Iran opposed it. Now that we're trying to stabalize Iraq, Iran has decided to send spies and explosives to Shia groups. The US supports Israel's right to exist; Iran supports their own right to destroy it.

Talk about po-tay-to and po-tah-to! Iran even thunders about its right to possess nuclear weapons while the US opposes autocratic, brutal theocracies having nukes (ourselves excepted of course).

On one subject, however, Iran and the US speak with a united voice: ban the queers from speaking at the UN. As an American, I'm glad to see the US standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with elightened regimes like China, Cuba, Sudan and Zimbabwe in muzzling the voices of almost half a billion people worldwide.

Perhaps now we can start talks on eliminating women's rights, and overturning centuries of scientific progress?

Oh wait - as in so many things, the US government is ahead in those fields, too.

Not Evil, But Not Above a Little PR

Google has taken quite a bit of flack lately for its decision to 'censor' its Chinese website (purging search results of rows of tanks sitting in Tiananmen Square, for example). I'm not here to comment on the relative merits of that decision (or how Google is just the latest example in a long line of compromises that western businesses have made to do business with the Middle Kingdom).

Rather, there's another article that caught my attention. Apparently Google has removed a specific BMW page from its search results because it redirected searchers to another page with flashier advertising.

The article strikes me not for being significant, but for being incredibly banal. I can only imagine that this same scenario plays out hundreds of times per day with companies that are far less well-known. So why did Google kick out a press release on action with BMW now?

Perhaps the company that has famously ignored the whims of the stock market is trying to burnish its image. As the old saying goes: 'If you're going to bow to the Chinese, you can at least stick it to the Germans.'

Why Apologize?

You're damn skippy.

No, that doesn't make sense - it doesn't have to. As a 21st century Shakespeare might have said: 'the link's the thing'!