Life Is Still Good

Like many citizens, I am disappointed, disgruntled, and disgusted by not only the vote on the health care bill, but also by the corrupt and secretive process leading up to it. I woke up this morning in a bad mood that went downhill as I waded through the aftermath. Then a couple of things happened...

First, I got a call from the Wyoming Wildlife Foundation. We travel to Wyo every summer to spend some time with friends who have a ranch up there. My wife's father was a rancher in Arizona, and back in the '40s and '50s the Wyo folks used to winter their stock next to her father's place, located in the accurately-named Skull Valley. I grew up in central and west Texas, which can be pretty desolate, but Skull Valley is the most God-forsaken place I've ever seen. Nothing but rock, sand, and cactus.

Anyway, my wife's parents and the Wyo ranchers became friends, and my wife's family began to visit the Wyo ranch in the summer to avoid the Arizona heat (this was before air conditioning became widespread). When I married into the family it was expected that I would become part of the "it's summer, time to visit Wyoming" tradition. To make a long story short, it's been great. Great country, great people, great times. I liked it so much I began going up there during hunting season whenever I could draw a tag.

So back to the Wyoming Wildlife Federation call. They have an annual fund raising raffle that offers an assortment of merchandise, including several firearms. They called me this morning to tell me I won a Weatherby .300 Win Mag. I've been contemplating an elk hunt, but have held off because my 'old faithful' rifle is a sweet-shooting .270 Remington BDL that I've had for 35+ years. It's been accurized by Hill Country Rifles to where I can cover three shots at 100 yards with a nickel (from a rest, of course - unfortunately, now I don't have an excuse for missing). I've used it to take whitetails, muleys, and pronghorns, but I've been a little reluctant to go after elk with it.

Some of my Wyo friends use .270s to hunt elk. They assure me that it's enough gun, but I still feel a little under-gunned. And yes, I know that bullet placement is the most important factor in hunting, but confidence in your rig is a close second. I just feel more confident with a heavier caliber than a .270 when hunting what I consider truly big game. Plus if I ever get to go to Africa I'm now prepared.

So to make this long story short, after the bitter bile of the health care debacle, my mood was brightened by the raffle results. Building on that, as part of my schedule Mondays are the day I drive from central Texas to Laredo, where I teach at the local university three days a week. I spent the last 10 days at home in CenTex for spring break, so I was a little bummed to have to leave. However, the weather today was wonderful - clear blue skies, comfortable temps, all that good stuff. Once I got about 30 miles south of San Antonio I found that Spring had come to south Texas.

All the plant life was green , and there were wildflowers everywhere. I'm not a flower guy, but there were Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush, and a bunch of other flowers dressed in pink, purple, violet, yellow, and white, all shimmering in the sun and rippling slightly in the breeze. Buffet and Bonnie Raitt were serenading me, and after the first 100 miles I yielded to the temptation and popped a brew.

Yeah, I know that drinking and driving is not cool, but I was only about 40 miles from my destination. I figured by the time the alcohol kicked in I'd be there. Besides, it's not like I was talking on a cell phone or anything.

Bottom line - take a step back from the nonsense in D.C. Gain a little perspective. Life goes on, and it's not bad. In fact, it's pretty damn good...

In Response to obamacare...

... a picture is worth a thousand words.

The Vote Is In...

... we are fucked.

Let's all pray for a glimmer of hope... (thanks to Harper at Passed Up Strange)

Health Care Debacle

I haven't posted much on the health care debacle that's currently being played out in congress. Others have done so more extensively, more passionately, and mo' better than I could. My little $.02 worth is that IMO a very basic and fundamental principal has been obscured by all the sturm und drang over specific provisions of the bill and the corrupt legislative processes being used to advance it. What is it, you ask...

Simply this. We supposedly live in a free country. Now, if this abominable bill passes, we will be forced under penalty of law to buy health insurance. No freedom of choice, no other options - either buy health insurance or go to jail. That is so, so wrong. The government is forcing me to spend my money on something I may or may not want. But either way, it should be my choice, not some faceless, soulless government entity.

What's next? Is the government going to force us to buy life insurance? Or a car? Or a house? Or something to support whatever cause the liberals next 'deem' worthwhile? The idea of being forced to buy something by the feds is so abhorrent that my stomach literally churns whenever I contemplate it.

And please don't trot out that tired old analogy about liability insurance for cars. That is so flawed. First, you only need liability insurance if you register a car to drive on public roads. If you don't have a car, like many city-dwellers (for example, according to the 2000 census over 1/2 the households in New York city do not own a vehicle ) you aren't required to purchase liability insurance. Similarly, in my neck of the woods, many people have ranch or hunting vehicles that aren't driven on public roads. No insurance necessary for them. Second, liability insurance is priced according to risk factors. Drive carelessly, as evidenced by citations or accidents, and you pay more. Will health care premiums be higher for people who are overweight, sedentary, abuse drugs or alcohol, or indulge in other self-destructive behavior? Of course not. That would require holding individuals accountable for their actions, something liberals find repellent.

The moral argument advanced in favor of universal health care insurance is equally flimsy. I'm all in favor of helping those in need. But any moral justification for doing so vanishes once it becomes mandatory. Would it be moral to require me to contribute to charity? Or tithe to a church? Or help little old ladies across the street? Of course not. So how is it moral to require people to buy health insurance?

I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea of establishing a social safety net. But the devil's in the details. Medicare and Medicaid are supposed to provide health care for those unable (or unwilling) to provide it for themselves (we'll save a discussion of Social Security for another day). Why not fix what's wrong with those programs, rather than cramming a new, monstrously unpopular, and fatally flawed federal program down the throat of an unwilling public? Why not? Because that would require congresscritters with intelligence and fortitude, something that's sadly lacking in the vast majority of the assholes currently populating congress.

Another argument against obamacare is the status of existing government health care programs. The VA does a terrible job of providing health care for those who deserve it the most - our veterans. Medicare and Medicaid costs consistently exceed expectations and place bureaucratic obstacles in the way of service delivery. It's reached the point where doctors and pharmacies are refusing Medicare and Medicaid patients. If the governement has proven incapable of managing health care in the past, whatever on God's green earth makes anyone think it can do so in the future?

Finally, consider the basic economics of supply and demand. obamacare would add somewhere around 32 million new patients to the nation's health care system. Where will the doctors and nurses come from to meet that staggering increase in demand? How difficult will it be to get an appointment in the future? The imbalance between supply and demand will result in de facto rationing, no matter what those lying assholes in D.C. say.

We can only hope and pray that this detestable bill goes down in flames. Failing that, let's hope the repubs come up with enough delaying tactics to stall things until the Nov. elections, when hopefully the balance of power in congress will change and the evil axis of obama-pelosi-reed will be stymied.

more 'Victimless'

The drug cartels in Mexico have become so powerful and brazen that they are now closing major highways near the U.S - Mexico border.

Imagine if gangs in the U.S. shut down the interstate between Dallas and San Antonio. That's what's happening to our neighbor in the south.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I've said it before. Drug use is not a victimless crime. If you use drugs - including marijuana - you share responsibility for the killings, torture, and terrorism that gangs and cartels inflict on innocent people.

More Spring Break

Okay, so maybe us professors do have a little fun on Spring Break. In the past we've done the skiing thing, the beach thing, and the roadtrip thing. Of course, with our kids along we're a little more restrained than the typical college student (usually...). However, yesterday and today were hard to beat.

Yesterday we went kayaking in the upper Guadalupe River. If you're not familiar with Central Texas that probably doesn't mean much to you, but to folks from around here the Guad-a-loop, as it's usually pronounced, is pretty close to holy water. The sky was that deep, deep bluebonnet blue of spring, unsullied by clouds. The air was crisp, the sun was warm, the water was cool, and the beer was cold. Almost heaven...

Today was almost as good weather-wise. I got in a leisurely round of golf, played better than usual, and won $10. Oh yeah, the beer was cold...

Skiing et al. are fun, but a nice, relaxing week at home with great weather, good friends, excellent food (I left out all the home cooking and barbecuing stories), and the family is what life's all about. It makes it worthwhile putting up with all the crap that resumes next week. Actually, some of the crap has spilled over into this week, but I haven't said anything about it because I'm practicing denial...

Spring Break - Continued

Despite my earlier post, Spring Break is not all fun and games for faculty. We have grading to do, papers to write, journal articles to review, grants applications to submit, and miscellaneous (and totally unnecessary) committee and service work to do.

On the plus side, we can do all this when and where we want. At home in sweats with either a cup of coffee or a beer, depending on the time of day, is my preferred dress code, time and place, and beverage of choice.

That's a synopsis of faculty life in general (excluding, of course, regularly scheduled classes and assorted administrative nonsense). Even when classes are in session it still beats the corporate world. I took a 30% pay cut when I transitioned from corporate America to academic America. I also work approximately the same number of hours - anywhere from 40 to 60 per week, depending on what's going on.

There is still administrative and bureaucratic b.s. to put up with, and academic politics make corporate politics tame by comparison. An old saying goes "Politics in academia are so vicious because the rewards are so small." I'm here to testify that there's a lot of truth in that.

Still, my schedule is pretty flexible (outside of the aforementioned classes). I traded in my suit and tie for my standard teaching uniform of khakis and Hawaiian shirts. Students can be a pain, but it's also incredibly fulfilling when you have kids that really want to learn, and when you see the light come on over their heads when they get it. And I'm much more relaxed and less stressed-out. I also get to spend more time with my wife and kids. So all in all, I'm glad I made the move.

As one of my mentors said, "The three best things about the academic lifestyle are June, July, and August."

And speaking of Spring Break, it is Spring Break, Hump Day, and St. Patrick's Day. Somewhere out there a beer is calling me...

Victimless? Bullshit!

Anyone who thinks smoking marijuana is a victimless crime needs to read this.

FWIW, I'm not rabidly anti-drugs. I don't believe that smoking marijuana leads to using hard drugs. Nor do I believe that recreational tooting makes one a slack-jawed drooling pothead. I do, however, believe that actions have consequences. Anyone who chooses to smoke marijuana has some degree of moral culpability in the deaths of not only Lesley Enriquez and Arthur Redelfs, and the orphaning of their baby, but also the deaths and downstream impacts of everyone else killed by the drug cartels.

I work three days a week in a Texas border town. Things happen down there that aren't reported outside of the local media, and often aren't even reported there. The cartels torture and murder government officials, law enforcement personnel, journalists (link1; link2 - note the quote "The Inter-American Press Association says a fifth [journalist in 2010] was recently killed in the border city of Reynosa, but media outlets there are too afraid to file a police report." - link 3), and even social workers and priests in the most gruesome ways imaginable, with no regard for innocent bystanders or collateral damage (11-month-old shot in the head; summary) .

Many of my students, and some of the faculty, live across the border and come to the U.S. to study or teach. They tell stories of hour-long gun battles in the streets, grenade attacks on police stations, and road blocks by cartel members - not police - for purposes of kidnapping, extortion, and intimidation (BTW - we can hear the shots and explosions from our side of the river). Once they cross the border into Mexico they go straight home and stay there until it's time to return for class. All their shopping and socializing is done on the U.S. side. It sounds like life in Baghdad or Kabul, not in a city that is literally a stone's throw from the United States.

So what's the solution? Well, to me it seems a lot like Prohibition. Organized crime got a big boost when alcohol was criminalized. Once it was legitimized the sale and consumption was regulated and taxed (God knows the government could use the income, the way obama and the dems are bleeding us dry - and I'll take the IRS against even the toughest, most vicious cartel), and the gangs turned to other sources of income (prostitution, gambling, loan-sharking, unions...). IMO we should learn from history and give legalization a try. It can't be worse than what's happening now.

And if you use drugs, you share in the responsibility for the abhorrent and cowardly violence that is desecrating Mexico and spreading northward...

Spring Break...

... isn't just for students. Woke up this a.m. with a pounding head, a dry mouth, and a fuzzy memory of running out of beer and moving on to wine. Water, aspirin, and a nap, in that order, are on the agenda - immediately!

Heal Thyself

At the most recent of an innumerable, interminable, and totally unnecessary string of committee meetings one of the attendees hacked, coughed, sneezed, and sniffled throughout our little get-together. I guess she thought she was so indispensable that we couldn't manage without her. Of course, like most of these damned meetings, we didn't accomplish much with or without her. But that's another story.

Two days later my throat was raw and my sinuses were both congested and dripping (how can they be both at the same time?). Why the hell didn't she just stay home?

Anyway, today I'm subsiding on cough drops, decongestant tablets, and Shiner. Who needs health care reform when one can self-medicate?

The More Things Change...

We spent a large chunk of yesterday visiting my 92-year old father and my 84-year old mother. They lived in their own place until Nov. 2009, when they moved into an assisted living facility. Mom has an advanced case of dementia, and Dad just couldn't take care of her by himself anymore, so that seemed the best solution.

It's worked out well so far. The place where they live now is quite nice, and staffed by people who seem to genuinely care abut the residents. Mon and Dad have adjusted well.

One of the nice things about the facility is that they have daily shuttle bus serve to local grocery stores, doctor's offices, Wal-Mart, etc. My sister and I usually get by there at least once a week to bring them things they need (I usually slip Dad a six-pack or a bottle of wine), take them out for meals, and so forth.

As a result, Dad has realized he doesn't really need to drive anymore, so he's passed on his 1995 Crown Victoria to our 15-year old son. The car's in great shape - clean, well maintained, and with less than 115K miles on it (my truck has more than that). It also has a top-of-the-line sound system (well, it was top-of-the-line in 1995). Son was quite mystified at the slot in the dash labeled "cassette player."

The boy is all excited, and very possessive, about the car, even though he only has his learners permit (he won't be old enough for his full license for 3 more months). He was quite put out when neither my wife or I would give up our garage spots so he could park his car indoors, instead of leaving it outside exposed to the elements.

It brought to mind the time when I got my first car. It was a 1962 Rambler station wagon, with well over 100,000 miles on it. No A/C, a 3-speed on-the-column manual transmission, and an AM radio. My father 'gave' it to me (in exchange for a summer's worth of above-and-beyond chores). It wasn't until many years later that I found out the new car dealer only offered him $50 as a trade-in allowance.

But none of that mattered. It was MY car. It gave me freedom, or so I thought. I conveniently overlooked the parental requirements that I would now drive my younger sister to her appointments and events. I also overlooked certain operational details like paying for gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs, registration...

I see the same thing happening all over again, but this time from the perspective of a parent. I'm trying to tell him the same things my father told me, but I can see it going in one ear and out the other, just like 40-some years ago. I only hope he doesn't repeat ALL the mistakes I made when I was his age.

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

Jumping Through Hoops

The university where I work recently went through a search process to hire a new faculty member in my department.

My discipline is Information Systems, a field in which there is a disproportionate ratio of non-U.S. citizens to U.S. citizens (regrettable, but a subject rich with issues for discussing at another time).

We posted an appropriate ad in an appropriate venue (thank you, HR [sarcasm]). After reviewing the responses, conducting phone interviews, and bringing the short-list survivors in for a campus visit, we hired the person we felt was most qualified for the job. He turned out to be a non-U.S. citizen. Not a surprise, given the previously mentioned imbalance of us vs. them (not being judgmental, just categorizing contestants like the Olympics) .

Anyway, the USCIS (gov't. agency that used to be the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS) requires that the hiring institution conduct an assessment to determine that a non-U.S. citizen is hired only if there is not an equivalently qualified U.S. citizen. So it would seem logical that all we need to do is go through our pool of applicants and compare the U.S. citizens to the person we eventually hired - right?

Not so fast, Kemo Sabe.

Seems there's another government agency, the Dept. of Labor, that feels it must justify its existence by getting involved. The DOL insists that we go back and review ALL the applications - all 100+ of them - and document why the selected applicant was better-qualified than each individual non-selected applicant. Which is what we did as part of the search process. But does that satisfy the DOL? Noooooo...

Because we are re-assessing the candidates to satisfy the USCIS, the DOL considers that a new search, and therefore we must go through the entire evaluation process again. (Bang head against desk repeatedly.)

Bottom line - we are complying with DOL requirements and thoroughly, meticulously, and painstakingly reviewing all the applications (wink, wink).

Celebrate Texas Independence

On March 2, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico and became a free and independent republic. About ten years later Texas annexed the United States.

Sam Houston, commander of the Texas Army, later president of the Republic of Texas, also a U.S. Senator from Texas and the governor of Texas, offered this timeless advice that makes even more sense today.

"Govern wisely, and as little as possible."

So celebrate Texas Independence Day with a cold Shiner, Lone Star, margarita, or other beverage of your choice. And while you're at it think a good thought about all those who sacrificed to make it possible.

Ungovernable? Nonsense

It's become chic these days to say that government is broken, that the country is ungovernable. Well, Charles Krauthammer delivers an excellent counterargument to that premise, reminding us of earlier times when the same claim was made. Excerpt below.

In the latter days of the Carter presidency, it became fashionable to say that the office had become unmanageable and was simply too big for one man. Some suggested a single, six-year presidential term. The president's own White House counsel suggested abolishing the separation of powers and going to a more parliamentary system of unitary executive control. America had become ungovernable.

Then came Ronald Reagan, and all that chatter disappeared.

The tyranny of entitlements? Reagan collaborated with Tip O'Neill, the legendary Democratic House speaker, to establish the Alan Greenspan commission that kept Social Security solvent for a quarter-century.

A corrupted system of taxation? Reagan worked with liberal Democrat Bill Bradley to craft a legislative miracle: tax reform that eliminated dozens of loopholes and slashed rates across the board — and fueled two decades of economic growth.

Later, a highly skilled Democratic president, Bill Clinton, successfully tackled another supposedly intractable problem: the culture of intergenerational dependency. He collaborated with another House speaker, Newt Gingrich, to produce the single most successful social reform of our time, the abolition of welfare as an entitlement.

It turned out that the country's problems were not problems of structure but of leadership. Reagan and Clinton had it. Carter didn't. Under a president with extensive executive experience, good political skills and an ideological compass in tune with the public, the country was indeed governable.

Mr. Krauthammer makes the point that the liberals and mainstream media can't believe - or bring themselves to admit - that the current situation is in any way a result of deficiencies in obama. Instead, it must be a failure of 'the system.'

Au contraire. The system is working just fine. The checks and balances slowed highly questionable and flawed legislation long enough for the will of the people to make itself felt.

Please do yourself a favor and read his entire column.

A Man After My Own Heart

Busy weekend coming up, so I'm going to cheat and post something I received via email. I don't know where it originated, but it serves as a heart-warming example of how bipartisanship can work - two people on opposite sides of the political spectrum interacting for the common good.

From a guy in Florida:

My neighbor is a "lefty" of sorts (Obama bumper stickers, gung-ho socialized medicine, "guns should be banned", etc.). So this past spring I put this sign up in my yard after one of his anti-gun rants at a neighborhood cocktail party.

The sign wasn't up more than an hour before he called the police and wanted them to make me take down the sign. Fortunately, the officer politely informed him that it was not their job to take such action without a court order and that he had to file a complaint "downtown" first, which would be reviewed by the city attorney to see if it violated any city, county, or state ordinances, which if there was a violation a court order would be sent to the offending party (me) to "remove the sign in seven days".

After several weeks he was informed that the sign was legal and there was nothing the city could do, which obviously made him madder. I tried to smooth things over by inviting him to go shooting with me and my friends at the hunt club but that seemed to make him even angrier.

I then asked him if he wanted to go to a Tea Party rally but again he declined my outreach efforts to bring about a better understanding between political and social opponents.

I am at a loss how to reconcile our long relationship (notice I did not say friendship), any suggestions would be welcome. Maybe I'll ask him if he want to go deer hunting, just a bunch of guys running through the woods chasing Bambi, then sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows, drinking beer, and singing our favorite country songs.

Anyway, here's the sign that upset him so. (Click on the picture for a larger view.)

Credit Where Credit's Due

As posted earlier, I submitted my Texas Concealed Carry License (CCL) renewal about 30 days ago. I was very pleasantly surprised to receive it in the mail a few days ago. Immediately after obama was elected there was such a flood of people applying that processing times were in excess of six months (much like the run on firearms and ammo). The Texas Department of Safety (the licensing agency here) was the subject of much criticism - some deserved, some not. In any event, it seems that they've got their act together and are now functioning with about as much efficiency as one can expect from any government agency. Props to DPS.

Of course, We the People really shouldn't have to jump through government hoops to exercise our Constitutional rights, but that's a whole 'nother story...

Screw You We're From Texas

Texans are special. If you haven't figured that out yet, screw you.

I don't know where the original originated from (how do you like that phrasing) but I let Allen at The Whited Sepulchre do the heavy lifting on this one. I did, however, add a second link with a different set of images.

Enjoy...

Male Adolescent Version





Texas Scenic Version



Music and Lyrics by Ray Wylie Hubbard.

Links to websites of various Texas singer-songwriters and their haunts are provided for visitors from out of state. If you're from Texas you shouldn't need them.

I got on my cowboy boots, jeans
And Hawaiian shirt, mirrored sunglasses
And a mobile phone
I guess I look like some Port Aransas
Dope dealer that's out on bail
Just trying to get home
Well I ain't in jail and I got me a guitar
Got a little band that's hotter than a rocket
Sometimes we're sloppy
We're always loud, tonight we're just ornery
And locked in the pocket

So screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
We're from Texas baby, so screw you

Now I love the USA
And the other states
Ahh, they're OK
Texas is the place I wanna be
And I don't care if I ever go to Delaware anyway
Cause we got Stubbs, and Gruene Hall and Antone's, and John T's
Country Store
We've got Willie and Jacky Jack, Robert Earl, Pat, Cory, Charlie and me
And so many more.

So screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
We're from Texas, screw you

Sing it with me--
Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
We're from Texas, screw you!

Now Texas has gotten a bad reputation,
Because of what happened in Dallas and Waco
And our corporations well they are corrupt
And the politicians are swindlers and loco
But when it comes to music my friend
I believe these words are as true as St. John the Revelator's
Our Mr. Vaughan was the best that there ever was
And no band was cooler than the 13th Floor Elevators.

So screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
We're from Texas, screw you!

Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
We're from Texas Screw you

Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
Screw you, we're from Texas
We're from Texas Screw you

We're from Texas Screw you...

Students + Directions = Failure

One of the courses I teach is delivered online, without any FTF class meetings. Obviously this means that the exams are conducted online as well. The way we do it is to make the exams open-book, and to make them available during a limited time window, so that everyone has an opportunity to fit it into their schedule. The course delivery software restricts the exam to a 60 minute time limit, with only one attempt per student. Right-click is disabled, meaning the students can't copy or cut-and-paste the exam. The exam questions are also randomly selected from a test bank (50 question on the exam, 200 in the test bank). The order of the questions and the order of the answers are randomized. All in all, it's a pretty secure way to conduct an exam.

The exam schedule and procedures are stated in the syllabus. I also post multiple reminders in the week leading up to the exam. Nevertheless, there's always - and I mean ALWAYS - some student who can't read, can't comprehend, or can't be responsible enough to follow the exam process. For example, here's a direct quote from an email received from a student who missed the exam.

"I was the email about the test but on friday i forgot to take it my boss from work called so i can go to work and i remember but the test right when i got out of work but it was 1 am it was too late. Can i get another chance to take the test?"

Another example: here's what I posted regarding exam availability.

"You can take the exam between noon Thursday and 11:00 p.m. Friday."

Email from a student:

"do we have till friday 11:59 am or 11:59 pm?"

Sigh...

I should note that most of the class completed the exam with no problems (other than their grades, but that's another story).

It Must Be Universal

The urge that some people have to control the behavior of others must be a universal condition. There are, unfortunately, many more examples than I have the time or energy to cite, but the most recent one just blows me away.

Indonesia's leading Muslim clerics are considering a fatwa (religious edict) against riding a motorbike without a helmet. I acknowledge that wearing a helmet is probably the right thing to do from a safety standpoint, but I adamantly claim that this is a personal choice, not one subject to edicts by any government or religious conglomeration.

I'm a motorcycle rider, currently bike-less, but still licensed. When I was dirt bike riding I wore a helmet. When I was cruising country roads I didn't. But in either case it was MY choice. If something happened to me I was willing to accept the consequences. As indicated on my driver's license, I'm an organ donor. So one could argue that if I became brain dead (some of my students would say I already am) it was a net benefit to society.

In any event, it seems somewhat ironic, not to mention frightening, that a religion known for curtailing freedom of choice would find itself in agreement with many of our state governments. Just another indication that our freedoms are being eroded in the name of safety and security.

I Take It Back

I tried, I really tried, to say something positive about obama. I supported him when he met with the Dalai Lama in spite of Chinese opposition. Then I saw the picture below. This is about as disrespectful and disgraceful a way to treat a guest as anything I've ever seen. Our bozo-in-chief bows to foreign leaders right and left, but then tosses this guy out the back door with the trash. Just another in a long line of obamanations.




















Speaking of being disrespectful, the next photo was taken in the Oval Office. Pictured are Lawrence Summers (Chief Economics Adviser), Rahm Emanuel (Chief of Staff) and three unidentified individuals, along with you-know-who. The desk is known as the Resolute Desk, a gift from Queen Elizabeth to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.

This picture is worth 1000 words in conveying obama's attitude of arrogance and entitlement. He domonstates yet once again that he is an immature self-centered narcissistic post turtle with no sense of honor, courtesy, or simple decency.

Give the Devil His Due

Obama met with the Dalai Lama in spite of Chinese objections. Good for him! Screw China, screw their abominable track record on human rights, and screw them for dumping all sorts of cheap, faulty, and even deadly products on the rest of the world (toothpaste, drywall, toxic toys v1.0 and v2.0, milk, dog food, and more).

Of course, much of the blame falls on 'us' (the buying public) due to our preference for low prices. Although I generally support the concept of limited government, this is one place where I'd welcome a little more comprehensive oversight. After all, one of the functions of government is to protect its citizens.

You get what you pay for...

It's Time

It's an idea whose time has come. Let's urge - no, let's DEMAND - that every person who runs for office in Nov. pledge to support passing the 28th Amendment to the Constitution, as stated below.

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.

Once this is ratified let's see how quickly those congress-weasels pass meaningful health care reform or fix Social Security when they're no longer subject to their gold-plated health and retirement benefits.

Fuck 'em all...

Barney Frank is an Idiot

I know this won't come as a shock to most thinking people, but the Frank-meister doesn't have a clue. Not only did he play a key role in causing the housing bubble that led to the recent recession, and not only did he pull a Pontius Pilate act and wash his hands of the whole thing, now he thinks the solution to the God-awful mess that is congress is to eliminate the filibuster rule. That'll really end the rabid partisanship that's driving the federal car off the cliff.

Personally, I think anything that slows down or stops congress from passing more laws is a good thing. As the saying goes, "No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session."

Thought for the Day

Why do we have to call judges "Your Honor"?

They're lawyers, and here in Texas most of 'em are elected, so that makes them politicians as well.

I see nothing honorable about either profession...

FOD

I have borrowed the spirit of today's post from the fine folks at Gotta Get Drunk First. Check out the truly inspirational pictures on their right-hand sidebar. However, in place of images, we're going to use text.

POST TURTLE

While suturing up a cut on the hand of a rancher whose hand had been caught in the gate while working his cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama, and his being our president.

The rancher said, "Well, ya know, Obama is just a Post Turtle."

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked, "What's a Post Turtle?"

The rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle."

The rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain.

"You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, he sure as heck ain't goin' anywhere, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put him up there in the first place."
















PARALLELS BETWEEN A. LINCOLN AND B. OBAMA

1. Lincoln placed his hand on the Bible for his inauguration. Obama used the same Bible.
2. Lincoln came from Illinois. Obama comes from Illinois.
3. Lincoln served in the Illinois Legislature. Obama served in the Illinois Legislature.
4. Lincoln had very little experience before becoming President. Obama had very little experience before becoming President.
5. Lincoln rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration. Obama rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration.
6. Lincoln was a skinny lawyer. Obama is a skinny lawyer.
7. Lincoln was a Republican. Obama is a skinny lawyer.
8. Lincoln was highly respected. Obama is a skinny lawyer.
9. Lincoln was honest; so honest he was called Honest Abe. Obama is a skinny lawyer.
10. Lincoln saved the United States from fracturing into pieces. Obama is a skinny lawyer.

Great Minds Think Alike

There's a common theme running through recent political punditry, to wit: the lack of mature and effective leadership in the White House. Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal got it started with her observation of the contradiction inherent in obama's State of the Union speech. First was the acknowledgment that Washington is "a sick and broken place:" a black hole where good ideas, good intentions, and good tax dollars go to die. This is something that most Americans, regardless of political philosophy, agree on.

The contradiction occurs when, notwithstanding the foregoing, obama continues to insist that Washington is the solution to all our problems. How in the name of all that's holy can the institutionalized train wreck that is the federal government fix what's wrong with this country, when it is the source of most of the tribulations we must endure?

It brings to mind Homer Simpson's classic toast: "Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

Noonan concludes by quoting a FOB (Friend of Barack):

"To heal our country we need to get the arrogance out of the White House and the elitists out of the Congress. We need tough love. We need a real adult in the White House because we don't have adults in the Congress."

Remember, this is a friend of obama speaking, not one of his detractors.

Even the mainstream media is echoing the call for adult leadership in the White House. Rick Klein of ABC News plaintively asks "… doesn’t someone have to be the grown-up around here?"

Others are going beyond the advice to grow up and imploring obama to "man up." Beg, borrow, or steal a pair of cojones and show some leadership. Rein in Pelosi and her pack of congressional dogs. If you can't control your own party, how the hell do you expect to have any influence over the rest of the country? As David Reilly put it, "Obama’s lack of resolve even makes comparisons to Carter seem charitable."

Finally, we have observations that point out a worrisome and growing "reality gap" between obama-world and the world the rest of us live in. One disturbing / alarming / shocking / terrifying / insert-your-own-adjective-here indication is obama's revealing insight on the Israeli-Arab conflict: "This is just really hard. This is as intractable a problem as you get."

Really? You're just now noticing that? Are you really that ignorant, or did you think that you're so gifted, so talented, so spectacularly better than anyone else in history that you can succeed in bringing peace to a region where they've been at each others throats since Biblical times? My God, what unfathomable arrogance.

As Thomas Paine wrote about John Adams:

“It has been the political career of this man to begin with hypocrisy, proceed with arrogance, and finish with contempt.”

Sound like anyone we know...?

Another One Bites the Dust

Following in his late father's footsteps (including stints in rehab for substance abuse problems) Patrick Kennedy is retiring from congress. For the first time in almost half a century there won't be a Kennedy's bloated behind wasting space in D.C.

At last, our long national nightmare is ending...

UPDATE (2/15/2010): Evan Bayh announced his plans to retire from the Senate. I don't know when political positions became family property (Birch Bayh begat Evan; John F. Kennedy begat (figuratively, not literally) Bobby, who begat Teddy, who begat Patrick (literally, not figuratively) ; Joe Biden begat Beau Biden; George H. W. Bush begat George W. and Jeb; etc. etc. etc.).

Scott Brown got it right. It's "the people's seat," not a family heirloom to passed down from generation to generation.

Couldn't Say It Better Myself

The t-shirt below makes the point so well that even a lib should get it, although I doubt if many of them will.



I particularly like the Rosie O'Donnell reference...

More Global Warming

The recent record snowstorms in the northeast are evidence, as we all know, of climate change (global warming is so passe). The good news is that all that snow has provided new recreational opportunities, as seen in the photo below.



Snorkeling in Massachusetts. Somehow I suspect that alcohol was involved...

Oh My Aching Butt

Two recent headlines:

Airport body scanners violate Islamic law, Muslims say

"Saying that body scanners violate Islamic law, Muslim-American groups are supporting a “fatwa” – a religious ruling – that forbids Muslims from going through the scanners at airports."

Fine with me. You don't want to be scanned, take the bus. Problem solved.


Feds push for tracking cell phones

"... the Obama administration has argued that warrantless tracking [of mobile phones] is permitted because Americans enjoy no "reasonable expectation of privacy" in their--or at least their cell phones'--whereabouts."

Of course, when the Bush administration conducted warrantless reviews of telco records (limited to overseas calls, not domestic ones) the libs screamed about invasion of privacy. To their credit, however, the ACLU and their brethren (excuse me - personren) are fussin' about this as well. In this case, at least, they're consistent.

Two Men Down - one good, one not so good

Two congressmen died recently, one active, and one former. I have similar sympathies for both their families, but totally different opinions of each.

The first, John Murtha (aka the King of Pork), generates diametrically opposed thoughts. Honor him for his service to our country as a U. S. Marine in Korea and Viet Nam. Excoriate him for his repugnant remarks about his brother Marines in Iraq. Despise him for his scandal-tainted and pork-wallowing terms in congress. Sounds to me like a good man who done gone bad. The country is better off for his military service, and better off now that he's gone.

On the other hand we have Charlie Wilson (aka Good Time Charlie). Almost a caricature of a small town politician and good ol' boy from Texas, Charlie was without a doubt fond of wine, women, and song. He was also without a doubt the primary U.S. architect of the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan. Immortalized in the book and later the excellent movie "Charlie Wilson's War," he was a bigger than life character the likes of which are fading from our political landscape, leaving us richer for having known him and poorer for his passing.

I have a weakness for good-time-loving good ol' boys from small Texas towns. Comes from growing up around 'em, I guess...

Oh Delicious Irony

EPW HEARINGS POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER (MASSIVE SNOWSTORM HITS D.C.)

February 9, 2010

EPW HEARINGS POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER

The following Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearings have been postponed due to inclement weather this week:

- The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing entitled, "Global Warming Impacts, Including Public Health, in the United States."

* * * * * * * * * *

(Note: The above was taken from the Senate's official website on Feb. 9, 2010 - link here - but somehow I doubt if it will stay there for long once 'they' realize how foolish it makes them look.)

The irony is just too obvious to comment on... (although that didn't stop one senator from tweeting "It's going to keep snowing in DC until Al Gore cries uncle."

A Better One

Another student excuse for missing an assignment (see below), but I'll probably accept this one. It meets all the criteria: it's compelling, verifiable, unlikely to reoccur, and best of all, entertaining.

"It happened 2 weeks ago but I had been over there since. When i got the call they told me that there had been a fight and that he had gotten stabbed. I had to rush home to see how he was doing, but as it turns out it was him that did the stabbing. He had been on the run for a while, but gave himself up to autorities. I know it won't happen again because he's gonna be in jail for quite some time."

That didn't take long

We've had the first dead grandmother of the new semester. It only took 4 weeks. That's a new record for me. The sad thing is that the student wasted a perfectly good grandparent in order to request an extension on a routine homework assignment. He didn't plan far enough ahead to use the poor thing to get out of an exam.

I wish I could have taken a picture of his face when I asked for her name and city so I could look up her online obituary. Expressions of disbelief, shock, and utter panic rapidly chased each other across his face before he muttered "Never mind" and fled.

If I was a better person I wouldn't take so much pleasure out of messing with my students. After all, it's not their fault that no one has challenged them or held them accountable before. I feel sorry for them, I fear for the future, but doggone it, it's just so much fun sometimes. It brightens an otherwise dreary day.

Bi-lingual

Living and working in a part of the country where there is a large number of people who speak Spanish, and a large number of people who speak English that try to speak Spanish to the Spanish-speakers, I've come to the conclusion that the graph below does a pretty good job of representing how they try to do so.


see more Funny Graphs

Hurray for Snow

Snow Storm Paralyzes Nation's Capital

Thank God!!! Now if only the paralysis would last for a while, the whole country would be better off.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

This whole "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) issue has opened a whole can of worms. I won't reinvent the wheel - others have produced ones far rounder than I can here and here - but I will add my $.02 worth.

First, a little background. I like to think I'm pretty tolerant when it comes to social issues. For example, I'm okay with gay marriage. As Kinky Friedman says, "I support gay marriage. I believe they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us."

Next, my military service was during the Viet Nam era, so I'm not all that familiar with conditions in today's armed services. Back then it was open squad bays, open latrines (that is, no stalls), open showers, etc.

I agree with those who say that a person's sexual orientation shouldn't matter, as long as they do their job. I could care less about the race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation of the person who is providing me cover fire, or dragging my fat ass back to the aid station, as long as they get the job done.

And yet, and yet...

Intellectual support for revoking DADT is one thing. Emotional reaction is another. The best example I can give of my visceral reaction is that of mixed-sex showering. How is gays and straights showering together different from men and women showering together? I respect and appreciate women. I can control my impulses and (non-automatic) reactions towards them, and trust that they can do the same towards me. (No, I don't think I'm God's gift to women, and I'm not concerned about being attacked in the shower by females who can't control themselves once they behold me in all my naked splendor. I'm more worried about them being able to control their gag reflexes.) I also think that most gays can control themselves when showering with straights.

The point I'm trying to make here is that there is a certain amount of uncomfortableness involved in performing bodily ablutions with individuals of a different sexual orientation. It's like my feelings towards snakes. I understand and respect their ecological role. I don't mind being around them under certain conditions. But there are other conditions where there is some unease (think Snakes on a Plane).

I've worked for and with gays - no problem. I've hung out with, socialized with, and partied with gays - again, no problem. So why the reluctance to overturn DADT? I honestly don't know.

I do know that I'm genuinely conflicted by DADT, and envy those who are so adamantly certain of their position, either pro or con.

What type of handgun are you?

Ran across this quiz while randomly strolling the Internet. Gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the results.

I'm a bit of a traditionalist, I have fairly large hands (the better to hold you with), and have a mesomorphic body type (the better to soak up recoil). So a 1911 and I get along great. The biggest drawback is that it's kind of difficult to comfortably carry concealed (say that quickly three times).

So I usually go out and about accompanied by a Springfield XD in .45 ACP. It has good ergonomics and a high-capacity mag (13 rounds, compared to the 1911's 7 or 8). With a 4" barrel it's a little less cumbersome.

Neither my 1911 nor my XD are high-end customized specimens. They're just good, solid, basic tools that get the job done.

Anyway, follow the link below and take the quiz for yourself. Might be interesting...

What type of handgun are you? Your Result: Colt Model 1911A1 ; Designed by John Browning and adopted by the US military in 1911, the 1911 has spawned countless variants and is one of the most popular handguns of all time. Many experts consider the 1911 the epitome of fighting handgun design. It is most commonly chambered for the famous .45 ACP cartridge. Shown above is an Ed Brown Special Forces Model.
Smith and Wesson Model 686	;
TC Encore	;
Springfield XD .45	;
Desert Eagle .50 Action Express	;
Glock 17	;
Heckler and Koch USP .40	;
Luger P'08 and Variants	;
FN M1900	;
Kel Tec P3AT	;
What type of handgun are you? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Updates

Dumb Birds:

Add another one to the grill. A couple more fluttered off with what must be major league headaches, judging from the thuds with which they hit.

Vagaries of Life:

Just found out that the oldest of the two kids my colleague and his wife accepted into their home is autistic. More karma points to them.

New Beginnings:

Regretfully, the new semester is living up to (down to?) expectations.

Student: "Can you post the due dates for assignments on-line?"
Me (thought): "RTFS."
Translation: Read the fucking syllabus. All the assignments and due dates are contained therein. Not only is it already posted online, I sacrificed a whole bunch of trees to print it and pass it out the first day of class, because if I don't you all piss and moan about the lack of handouts for you to ignore.

Student: "Is anything due next class?"
Me (thought): "RTFS."
Follow-up thought: This is a capstone course for graduating seniors. In a few months you all will be working in a professional capacity for some (luckless) (desperate) (hard-up) organization, and you still expect someone to lead you around by the hand and tell you what you need to do. No wonder the Indians, Chinese, and God knows who else are kicking our ass nowadays.

Me: What are the key points of the assigned case, and how are they relevant to the topic for today's class?
Students: Slack-jawed mouth-breathing glassy-eyed stares, while drool quietly drips from a corner of their mouths and pools on their desks.

I weep for our future...

Not Fun

Food poisoning is NOT fun.

Kicked in (or rather out) Tues. night.

Flat on my back all day Wed. Only got out of bed to, well, you know...

Rallied enough to teach class on Thurs., although with interesting sound effects from the digestive tract.

Back in bed on Fri.

Tottered around on Sat.

Felt better on Sun.

Felt good enough Mon. a.m to go to physical therapy (for recovery from the evil horse incident).

Should be able to resume normal activities tomorrow (Tues.). One week of my life down the tube, so to speak.

On the bright side, I lost 7 pounds...