Meet and Greet

Today, roughly ten recall candidates met on the west steps of the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, to deliver letters of protest to Governor Gray Davis. This collaborative effort was spearheaded by recall candidate Lawrence Strauss, with help by recall candidates Cheryl Bly-Chester, Jon Zellhoefer, and Leonard Padilla. I'm a rather latecomer to these efforts to forge a common position on some issues amongst the recall candidates, since the efforts started while trying to come to a common agreement on how to approach the media, with respect to the Leno appearance on Sept. 22nd, and I had already decided not to attend that. But the idea of a common approach to matters we have in common still has appeal, and I'm glad to join - starting today, and tomorrow, with the USS Hornet meeting in Alameda.

These candidates are a fine group of people! Great, energetic people! Several other recall candidates were there too. I helped anti-recall candidate Chris Sproul arrange his interview with John Hancock over at the California Channel, across from the State Capitol. While there, I met recall candidate Chuck Pineda, who was just about to undergo John Hancock's grilling. Other candidates I met just briefly: Diana Foss and Patricia Tilley. And there may have been another candidate, but he was trying not to associate with us.

A great time, with more to come!

Mindless Entertainment

On Thursday, I went on a hurried journey to Mindless Entertainment Inc., located across the street from Paramount Studios in Hollywood, to audition for the Game Show Network's (GSN's) 'Who Wants to be Governor of California?', a debate among five pre-selected candidates, in a game-show format, to be filmed in late September and aired on Cable TV across the U.S. on October 1st. The interview went well - I hope very much that I'm picked. Not just because I want to win the $21,000+ campaign cash prize, but because I believe that GSN's approach actually represents THE major innovation of the campaign, perhaps a revolutionary development that can break the stranglehold Big Money has on campaigns nationwide.

What is it we miss most in American politics? Spirited political debate, the kind that thrived at saloons and debating clubs across America in the early 19th Century. Legendary debaters, like Clay, Calhoun, and Webster, the triumvirate that dominated the Great Compromise of 1850 Congressional debates, or Lincoln and Douglas, campaigning in the Illinois Congressional elections of 1858, were merely the tip of the iceberg of American rhetoricians.

After modern politics got its start, in the stump speeches of Bryan, and the Big Money approach of McKinley in 1896, the older art form steadily died. Throughout the 20th Century, newspapers, radio, and TV slowly strangled the art of political debate. Today, we have self-financed and pay-to-play campaigns, costing millions, run by people who couldn't argue their way out of a 19th Century saloon.

When you have an election with many candidates (like this recall campaign), however, it's possible to bring back the old art form, in a new guise. All you need is an ambitious media mogul and some money. First, you audition the candidates, and preselect the ones you want to compete. The competition can take any form. It can be a traditional debate, or it could be something else: a cookoff on a cooking channel, or a tournament on a golf channel, or perhaps a first date with a supermodel on a channel that focuses on relationships. The winner gets cash for their campaign, and then on to the next round of debates. The excellent free media exposure saves the candidates precious resources, the cash fuels the campaign, and the mogul exercises an indirect influence on politics. Cheaper than the current form of modern politics for the various candidates, the new approach strengthens candidates' rhetorical skills, and could well break the back of old-style campaigning. I want GSN's nod, just to see what I might be able to do with this new political toy. The future begins here, and it begins now! Farewell the old, stale, lesser-of-two-evils campaign (provided the old 2 candidate system can be dealt a death blow - that might be the hardest part).

After the interview, I had time to burn, so, following local custom, I energetically drove my rented car all around Hollywood. I visited a fabulous old bookstore on Melrose Ave., and wandered in-and-out of shops, up-and-down Melrose's wonderful youth-oriented shopping strip. What must it be like to go to high school at Fairfax or Hollywood High Schools, so close to all that glitters? If I was a teenage girl with shopaholic tendencies and a credit card, I'd probably go nuts. I drove past various interesting landmarks, like the Whiskey-a-Go-Go, the Will and Ariel Durant branch of the LA Public Library, the Valdez Guitar Shop, the CNN Tower, KNX Radio (I should have stopped in), and a zillion restaurants, travel agencies, and tattoo parlors. And, of course, despite the bustle, very few pedestrians. The sidewalks were eerily quiet, even by lazy Sacramento standards:

Artist : Persons Missing
Song : Walking In LA
Lyrics Available at Let's Sing It

Look ahead as we fast try to focus on it
I won't be fooled by a cheap cinematic trick
It must have been just a cardboard cut out of a man
Top forty cast off from the record stand

Walking in LA
Walking in LA
Nobody walks in LA
Walking in LA
Walkin in LA
Nobody walks in LA

I don't know could have been a lame jogger maybe
or someone just about to do the freeway strangler baby
Shopping cart pusher or maybe someone groovy
One things for sure he isn't starrin in a movie coz he's

Walking in LA
Walking in LA
Nobody walks in LA
Walking in LA
Walkin in LA
Nobody walks in LA

You won't see a cop walkin on the beat
You only see him drivin cars on the street
You won't see a kid walkin home from school
Their mothers pick them up in a car pool

Walking in LA
Walking in LA
Nobody walks in LA
Walking in LA
Walkin in LA
Nobody walks in LA

Could it be the smog's playing tricks on my eyes
Or it's a rollerskater in some kind of headphone disguise
Maybe somebody who just ran out of gas
Makin his way back to the pumps the best way he can

Walking in LA
Walking in LA
Nobody walks in LA
Walking in LA
Walkin in LA
Nobody walks in LA

All the King's Men

Campbell first. Can Hoon be far behind?

Now Am I Just Confused?

I thought the 45-minute claim referred to Iraqi attacks on Britain, not in Iraq.

A Quick Trip to So. Cal Seems Like a Good Idea

To check this out.

A 5-Minute Video

Courtesy of Steven Whetstone productions comes a video of me talking about my platform. I focus mostly on Proposition 13, but talk about other things as well. Steve Whetstone will place video links to myself and other candidates at this Web Site.

Headlines

Some headlines are just - so underwhelming!

Credit Card Companies Making Money Off Late Fees

Sexual identity study yields few surprises

Fun link regarding Arnold

Arnold 'Cleans Haus'. And some interesting analysis regarding Cruz's various dilemmas.

Peter Pan's Last Weekend!

DMTC's youth workshop Cast 2 presented Peter Pan last weekend. A fine show, with many strong performances, particularly Rachel Fader as Captain Hook. Also, Hannah Trost did very well as Mrs. Darling, and also last weekend as Tiger Lily. Unfortunately, Cast 2's Peter Pan, Emily Jo Seminoff, caught laryngitis, so Cast 1's Peter Pan, Julia Spangler, had to do Sunday's show. On Saturday evening, Emily excelled with her rendition of 'Beautiful Lady' - she reminded me of Matt Dunn, who did Peter Pan for Tokyo Disneyland a few years ago.

OK, Who IS Yoko Ono Anyway?

Things are getting a little absurd in Britain these days....

Visitors from New York Goeth

Robert Corddry of NewYork-based Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show' came over to the house with crew for an interview yesterday evening. Despite the threat of rain (in August???? in Sacramento???? it's that small upper level low parked off the CA coast, combined with SW monsoonal moisture, and what looks like a front along the Sierras), the backyard scenes went well.

The premise of the interview was: Marc Valdez - serious candidate for Governor, maybe just a bit wacky, but not wacky enough to be Governor of California without our help. Things went great, but it may be three weeks or so before the piece gets aired, since they are on the brink of their annual August vacation in New York. I hope to let you know when that happens....

On other fronts, I've noticed an upsurge of interest on my Web Log from New Mexico, after the Monday story in the Albuquerque Journal, and the Tuesday interview on KRQE TV.

Made a 1-minute radio ad for mammoth AM radio station KFI in Los Angeles. All the candidates have been offerred 1-minute slots for KFI's drive-time audiences. I also sent off a 5-minute tape (made with the help of friends) that hopefully will appear on obscure Cable TV channels in the LA area. And I'll be doing an interview on John Hancock's California Channel (a cable California governmental channel) on Monday morning.

And I declined the invitation to attend Jay Leno's Recall Candidate night, Monday September 22nd. I was annoyed by the nature of the invitation, and sensed all the recall candidates were being dissed a bit. Etiquette often revolves around small matters - trivial sometimes. My concern wasn't that my dignity was being violated as a politician, or even as a human being, but rather as a theater person. The Tonight Show violated standard, age-old theater etiquette with this invitation.

Since we are not guests in the standard sense, we can't take the stage. Fine. But we are to be seated in the studio audience. So does that mean we are members of the studio audience? No. We lose two rights that audience members have traditionally had - the right to decide when we attend, and the right of anonymity (a precious right of its own!) We are to be recognized 'as a group' (a form of honor which is usually done for technical crew and orchestra members, who must remain at their stations), yet we aren't seated as a group and we are not at stations. So what are we, exactly?

Almost all the other candidates who responded to my E-Mail complaints to the Tonight Show were dismissive, suggesting that I should view the invitation as a party invitation, and not whine so much. But we aren't party guests, because what are we celebrating, exactly? The recall? That party came and went with Arnold. Beats me what we are - an untouchable class? Circus freaks? Gladiators? I don't know! As far as I know, only myself and Ralph Hernandez from Contra Costa County, who felt we should all get stage time, are sulking.

I was chastised that I shouldn't moan and groan too much regarding an invitation, so I won't: but I won't attend either. I'll go another time, and enjoy the show as an anonymous audience member.

Many of the other candidates want to get together for alternative media events both before and after the Tonight Show event. That is a superb idea, and there's no reason why they can't mold this opportunity to suit their needs.

Visitors from New York Cometh

Jon Stewart's Daily Show will be here tomorrow! Or at least that's what the man on the phone said! It's too late - hyperefficient Persia has cleaned up the house to the point that it looks really strange - like a Smithsonian exhibit piece or something. She's so good - if she was put in charge of the State Capitol, she'd 'Clean Haus' so efficiently that it would be weeks before anyone could find the budget!

Dark Characters!

So Gilligan played a double game? Advantage Blair!

I Hate Surprises....

Don't You?

Mo Betterman

Funny guy - excellent host! Angela's triathalon fundraiser went swimmingly well tonight in Old Sacramento!

Sizing Up the Opposition - Mary Carey

On Thursday, I was at my health club, flipping through Sacramento News & Review, when I noticed that Mary Carey, the porn star candidate for California Governor, was going to be performing this week at Centerfolds, in Rancho Cordova, just outside Sacramento. I excitedly pointed this out to Tessie, my aerobics instructor, who grimaced and changed the subject (different tastes, I guess). Anyway, I figured that if Ariana Huffington and Peter Camejo can campaign together, Mary and myself could campaign together, on a beauty and brains platform (I tried to ignore the little voice in my head that said there was no incentive for her to join forces with me, and that my motives for even thinking about such an alliance were mixed, to say the least). Nevertheless, throwing caution to the winds, off I went, to catch the 11:30 p.m. Friday evening show at Centerfolds.

I paid the $19 cover charge (which covered all drinks) and entered the club. Many men, and a few women, sat at numerous tables scattered about two stages. Many pretty women strolled around in various, provocative states of undress. Some of the men seemed to be well known to the women, and were quickly dragged off to locations unknown. A pretty blonde waitress asked me what I wanted to drink, and I was surprised to learn the club is non-alcoholic. I got a Diet Coke and paid for it: since the drink was already paid for, she soon began buzzing around with replacement drinks every few minutes (my general, if limited, experience in these establishments is that if you tip liberally and indiscriminately, you will have a lot better time than if you try to be parsimonious).

Then the show started! Mary Carey came out in an orange jumpsuit, which was quickly doffed to reveal something much skimpier. Then she began dancing. Her dance was energetic enough, but was compromised by the slippery floor under her platform shoes, and the frequent stops to jam the faces of appreciative patrons between her ample breasts. When she lay down on her back and her legs traced opposing arcs to the floor, her platform shoes made distinctive clicking noises when they simultaneously touched down.

The announcer stated that the most enthusiastic fan shouting 'Mary Carey for Governor!' would get a free videotape of Mary Carey. Under most circumstances, I'd be that most enthusiastic patron, but given my own candidacy, I had a hopeless conflict of interest. Attention focused stage right, where a rather lackluster group of men tried to get her attention. Mary Carey indicated by semaphore that she wanted more enthusiasm, and started doing jumping jacks as a suggestion. One little guy in a white shirt starting doing jumping jacks with vigor, and to me it looked like the contest was over. But Mary Carey was not satisfied, and she indicated that she was going to fling the VHS tape into audience as if it were a garter at a wedding. She lost her grip with the first toss, and the tape landed flat on the stage. The second toss went better, but she brained three guys with the spinning tape before it finally came to a stop - the enthusiastic little guy lost out.

Then attention turned to a fellow named (appropriately enough) John, who was made to lie prostrate on stage, while Mary Carey used a rubber device and an unknown fluid to simulate several sex acts. About this time, I started talking to the pretty blonde waitress. I indicated that I was Mary Carey's rival - another candidate for governor. The waitress smiled and said she was for Schwarzenegger herself. I replied, rather defensively, "well, only if you're into that sort of guy." She asked if I was a politician, and I said no: science instead, specifically meteorology. Then she said: "I think this whole governor's race is a joke!" I started to argue with her, but given the new round of hooting and hollering stageside, I had to confess she had a point - I said, "well, it COULD be!"

I noticed several strange things about the club - it seemed to be violating an important rule of physics, namely the Conservation of Men and Women. Several times, parades of nubile women came down from the stage, and appeared to vanish into the house. I wondered if men were getting dragged off for lap dances, but there seemed to be just as many men in the seats as before, but still, the women were gone. I eventually concluded I just wasn't paying enough attention to understand what was going on in the house, distracted as I was by the action on stage, the pretty blonde waitress, the loud music, and my numerous Diet Cokes. The waitress let me know I could meet Mary Carey after her performance in the VIP lounge, but fearing the likelihood of making unintended contributions to the Mary Carey for Governor campaign, and the certainty that her unbelievably-large platform would overshadow my much-more-modest springboard, I demurred. So, I left without approaching the candidate, after spending only $25 in 35 minutes ($19 for the cover charge, and $6 for drinks - still, cheaper than a casino!)

Something about the experience suggests to me that Mary Carey is not a serious candidate for governor. Nevertheless, I look forward to her upcoming gubernatorial debate with mall security guard Gary Coleman on E!

Peter Pan This Weekend!

DMTC's youth workshop Cast 1 is presenting Peter Pan this weekend. Next weekend, Cast 2 performs. See both shows! Here is my favorite Peter Pan link. When my friend Carrie saw this she said:

"I do NOT believe. And I will not even go there about the green outfit."

Charlie of 666 - A Memoir of World War II

Finally finished this strong memoir of an artilleryman, Corporal Nathaniel Blumberg, in Charlie Battery, 666th Field Artillery Battalion. My father was in Baker Battery, so the memoir has a special place in my heart.

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six (The Revelation of Saint John the Divine, Chapter 13:18).

Several points seemed to stand out in my mind:

1.) The pre-war experiences he described at Utah State University, Logan, seemed very remote from the distance of more than half a century. I found that puzzling, because I once worked a year at University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and I've visited the campus at Logan, so there should have been some familiarity of place, if nothing else, but it just didn't seem to be there. I can only conclude that pre-and post-war college experiences - for everyone - were of quite different natures: the war changed everything, of course. And also, probably even in his own mind, the Logan years probably seem dreamlike and distant, given the European experience.

2.) Blumberg's descriptions about the Battle of the Bulge helped clarify impressions I had received as a child listening to my father's stories. I had been under the impression, from childhood, that my father had actually been trapped behind enemy lines, in hostile country, for nearly a week, but apparently that wasn't the case. Blumberg and my father had been thrust near the forefront of battle, with confused territories of control causing great apprehension, but never completely cut off from American control.

3.) Reading Blumberg's book, I now understand why my father ended up in Salzburg, Austria. It always seemed rather irrational that my father ended up there, so far from Belgium (but then no one ever said the U.S. military was necessarily rational). He described the great beauty of the place, and an adventure trying to learn to ski (hmmm.... in summer 1945? - maybe THAT was the problem), that made him swear off the slopes for the rest of his life.

4.) It was interesting reading Blumberg's reactions (and the reactions of the other soldiers) to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Myself, I co-wrote a letter of complaint to the Smithsonian Museum in 1995, complaining of revisionist, ahistorical efforts to portray the atomic bombings as exercises in racism, etc.

5.) Blumberg's epilogue, which describes coming to terms with forgiveness for the German soldiers who were once his bitterest enemies, was very moving.

I remember, as an 8-year-old child in 1964, being crestfallen because I finally learned that, despite popular TV shows like 'Combat', the U.S. was no longer at war with Germany. I'm sure Blumberg was relieved, however, that the war ended considerably sooner than that.

Dick Morris Bumbles Again

Morris is wrong: the problem with traditional newspapers and TV news isn't bias - people can usually read past and see through bias. The problem is lack of appropriate information. Despite the pretty pictures, what we get on TV, and often the papers too, lacks context so thoroughly as to approach meaninglessness. As an example, the looting of the Iraqi national museum was not as bad as first feared, but the national archives DID burn down, something nearly everyone fails to mention. Is that oversight an example of bias, or stupidity, or just ignorance? People get tired of trying to sort that out - their reaction is that it's time to change the channel, recycle the paper, and play with the dog.

The Tape Clarifies Little Yet

How many people work in the No. 10 Press Office?

Great Stuff on CSPAN-2

Defeating Militarism and the Politics of Fear. Watch it if you can! William Rivers Pitt gives one tub-thumping, stem-winding, barn-burning speech opposed to the war in Iraq.

For Those of You Who Love New Mexico

Tonight on KDVS radio from Davis, the funniest hour-long radio show ever (at least for those of us who grew up in New Mexico) was aired: Mars vs. New Mexico. The show is available (at least for the moment) in the schedule box for the Mick Mucus Radio Show, Tuesday evening, 6:00-7:00 p.m, at KDVS (please note there are a few announcements to start the show off first). Interestingly enough, the show was produced by KUNM, at UNM, in Albuquerque, and so if this link fails, it might be available there. In any event, for sheer weirdness, I think only the California Governor's recall race can come close to competing.

Yeah, that was really some impressive work. And the jokes were very specific to the university community. The biggest groans from the audience came when they announced that the Martians had destroyed the Frontier Restaurant (a very popular place just off-campus). I noticed they missed one opportunity. Several times they started singing the 80's hit '867-5309'. The telephone prefix '867' is, of course, specific to Bernalillo, NM, just outside Albuquerque, and the idea of sending Sullen and Mutter to Bernalillo to look for aliens (of whom there are probably many, just not outer space aliens) is just too rich.

Cali, Cali

Cute cartoons about the recall!

Background on Thunder Valley

United Auburn Indian Community, and some history regarding the development of the Thunder Valley casino.

Met the Deadline!

(see the Governor Weblog)....

The Laramie Project

Acme Theater Company in Davis is presenting "The Laramie Project", a theatrical presentation of the reactions of Laramie, Wyoming residents to the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student who hailed originally from out-of-town. The various interviews give local color to the show, but the real punch of the show is towards the end, as people gather for the funeral, when the vicious denunciations of the gay lifestyle by a hellfire-and-brimstone street preacher are met with determined street theater: lesbian 'angels', of all things. The show was really well done (remarkable, given the late hour of the performance I saw: 11 p.m. - 1:35 a.m., and the discomfort surrounding my fall, previously mentioned in this blog).

Several friends were in the show: Julia Robinson, who played (among other characters) the emergency room doctor who attended both the victim and one of the perpetrators (unknowingly, at the same time, in separate rooms); Jocelyn Price (under-used in this show because of rehearsal conflicts); James Henderson, who played the mountain biker who found the gravely-wounded Shephard; and Ian Rothman who helped tie the show together as quasi-narrator.

Interestingly enough, I found the show brought back warm memories. I once spent a weekend in the Snowy Range outside Laramie, doing snow experiments, and I once interviewed for a position at the University of Wyoming. The Snowy Range was mentioned several times in the show, and the motel I stayed at, the University Inn, was also mentioned.

After the show, I talked to Jocelyn Price, and mentioned an incident that once happened to me on the streets of Phoenix, when I was nearly gay-bashed. Instantly, waves of empathy, concern, caution, reserve, and sympathy crossed Jocelyn's face, like brilliant hues on an artist's palette (she is SUCH a wonderful and expressive actress!) I was surprised by her reaction, and then I realized she MAY have thought I might be "coming out" at that instant! No, no, no, I'm not gay, but you don't have to be gay to be gay-bashed!

On the night in question, in 1982, I was attending a ballroom dance convention in Phoenix at a hotel on North Central, when I decided to take a break and walk on the sidewalk outside. I was a graduate student at the University of Arizona at the time, and didn't have much money for newer clothes, so I was wearing old skin-tight 70's-era Angel Flight bell-bottom slacks. I'm certain, to some people, I looked gay enough. On the sidewalk, teenagers passing by in jeeps menaced me with words. I'm certain they would have followed up with deeds, except North Central is one of the busiest streets in the entire city of Phoenix, even at 10 p.m., when I was out there. So, I never faced Matthew Shepard's fate, but I felt the menace nevertheless.

The show finishes this weekend. See it if you can!

Davis Fiasco

Well, the planning commission meeting on Tuesday night didn't go as well as hoped. Still, I'm optimistic that only a two-month delay will result from the August 6th debacle.

Gerald Ford Redux

Tuesday night, I went to an 11 p.m. performance of "The Laramie Project", by Acme Theater Company, in Davis. These high school students did an excellent job (review to follow)! Returning from the second intermission, at about 1 a.m., I was descending the house-right steps when I stumbled and fell headlong down the steps. The audience of 60, or so, sat aghast for a few seconds, but I did my best to play it cool - I calmly picked myself up and returned to my seat with a smile. Jonathan Rothman (whose son, Ian, is in the show) made a couple of stale Gerald Ford jokes, just to see if I was still conscious. Today, I'm nursing the aching thumb and skinned knee, just glad that the damage wasn't even worse!

My friend says:

Happy Hiroshima Day! Boy, I almost forgot! I need to dig out my plastic model of the Enola Gay!

What Blair and Comrades Really Think

Spin, spin, spin.....

The Future Governors of California

Yesterday, I turned in some of my petitions with recall signatures at the Sacramento County Board of Elections. Even though it was just Monday, the small lobby was crowded with future governors of California. We were a bluff, hale, hearty self-confident group of folks, bumping into each other like Michelin men, wishing each other good fortune. I even started a round of hand-shaking. It was as if we were at a NASCAR rally, or sizing up quarter-horses at the State Fair, or playing golf. Going over to the Secretary of State's office this morning, I met one of the group again, a fellow named Leonard Padilla, father of Julie Padilla. At first, I couldn't remember who Julie Padilla was - I thought it was bail bond ads on TV - but after leaving the office, I now remember I've seen her name before, running in local political races, and generally getting praise in the media for her stands, despite lop-sided defeats. (My feeble memory for names, which has bedeviled me since age 38, is going to be a real handicap if this thing takes off.)

I really like the professional and friendly folks at the Sacramento Board of Elections. These days, I'm sure they are glad they work for the County, though, rather than the State.

"Seabiscuit" and the Shock of the New

Last week, I FINALLY saw a movie for the first time in months - "Seabiscuit", which I highly recommend. Because David McCullough narrates portions of the movie, parts have a feel of a PBS documentary, but the story is stirring, and the pictures of California are beautiful. I thought better of seeing a movie like "Tomb Raider", because I anticipated a video game/dungeons sort of feel, and I wasn't interested in that. Except that before "Seabiscuit" was shown, there were about 30 minutes of ads that had strange little 2 or 3 minute dramas, that seemed to me to be a cross of TV and video games, with their strange sensation of being able to change the outcome by changing a decision here or there. Perhaps these ads are standard now - given that I rarely go to movies these days, how would I know? - but it was the first time I had seen them, and I got a weird crawling sensation, as the hair rose on the back of my neck, that something new had entered the world, some new TV/video game hybrid unlike anything in the past. What did Alvin Toffler call it - 'the shock of the new'? Anyway, it was pleasing to enter the horse story and make that shocking new stuff go away for awhile.

Davis Planning Commission

Tomorrow night is the meeting of the Davis Planning Commission, when DMTC's application to have a conditional use permit for building the new theater at 607 Pena will be considered. I'm not worried - I think things will go well. Still, it'll be nice to have that out of the way.

Dithering Dinosaurs

The asteroid approaches, yet there is a difference of opinions about what to do. The mammals know just one thing - scramble!

Bob Hope

I lost my respect for Bob Hope in 1980, when I saw him live, on tour, in Albuquerque. In that venue (The Pit) he was NOT very funny. There was a lot of foul language and slashing, unfunny homophobic humor. I looked nervously around, wondering if any of the 10,000 people there happened to be angry homosexuals. At one point, Hope spotted some unauthorized person in the audience filming his performance, and he stopped the show for three minutes, petulantly whining all the time, until security hauled the offender away. I was relieved to get out of that hall, that's for sure.

Here's a British retrospective on Hope.

Interesting article

Regarding Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden, and other interesting topics.

Drawing inferences

Did Gilligan do as he says, or as it is alleged he did? I wonder?

Here's my head shot....

The photo we used for "A Chorus Line" at DMTC last January (without the glasses I usually wear). As I recall, I was perspiring from some dance activity at the time - and you can tell!



I was very impressed with the marketing skills of California gubernatorial candidate Georgy Russell; particularly her offer of thong underwear, to help raise money for her campaign. I'm so jealous - I've been racking my brain for a middle-aged-guy comeback for my campaign. Is anyone out there interested in some of my old briefs, particularly the colored briefs full of REVEALING holes (because according to Carl, colored briefs are out-of-fashion, and only a blockhead wouldn't know that by now)? No? Not at all? It figures.......

Just a few pictures.....

I thought I'd upload a couple of pictures of myself in unusual situations.





September 2000 - as King Simon of Legree, "The King and I", Capitol Opera
(a fun, but hot costume)



January 2003 - as Bobby, aka Henry Robery Joseph Mills III, in "A Chorus Line", DMTC
(in the foreground, captured in a bizarre pose during my monologue)

Blair's role in history

Rather the long view, but interesting nevertheless. Meanwhile, the rest of Britain awaits Lord Hutton's thoughts.

A Change of Direction

On Friday, I got the necessary papers to run for Governor of California in the special recall election scheduled for October 7, 2003. I need to start getting nomination signatures immediately. My intention is to start a sister blog to this one, in order to more fully develop my platform, with public input encouraged. After all, there are thousands of current and former employees of the State of California who might have valuable insights regarding the state's hazardous drift.

Advantage, Blair

What's Gilligan's lame-o excuse? (I bet Gilligan, not Kelly, was the source of the memorable quote "sexed up". Still, I think BBC will win this high-stakes political battle.

Regrets

The man who saved Hitler.

Interesting Debate

Complete exchange at Tim Blair regarding Michael Moore.

A Paean to Michael Moore

Posted this at Tim Blair today, regarding this critical article:

Michael Moore might have moments of intellectual dishonesty, but in "Bowling for Columbine" I was impressed with the mental cartoon he rendered of the Lockheed Martin rocket facility just outside Littleton, Colorado, USA, where I was once employed (1976/77). Moore portrayed the facility as a missile factory, and folks like SpinSanity howled that the facility is used to build rockets for communications satellites. Remember, my friends, that the Littleton facility USED to be a missile factory, until the retirement of the Titan II missile from the U.S. strategic missile arsenal in the mid-80's (when Klebold & Harris were children). So Moore's argument, that there was a pervasive atmosphere of sublimated violence in the town that affected Klebold and Harris' upbringing (and by extension, given the millions of people employed by the arms industry, many Americans), CANNOT be dismissed offhand. Paradoxically, that would be the DISHONEST low-road approach: the approach ALL Moore's conservative critics take! What Moore failed to mention (probably for simplicity's sake, although some may argue) is that the Littleton facility NO LONGER produces missiles.

Moore charms through simplicity and directness. It's a useful skill, leaving enough out of an argument to make it direct and easily digested. After "Bowling for Columbine", no one can look at Charlton Heston quite the same way again. Bye Moses, hello heartless creep.....

A big man with big shoes and big ambitions! Someone to watch!

Eat Healthy

My new diet begins today (courtesy Simone Koo).

Dispassionate Analysis

For some reason, this stuff seems to aggravate conservatives worse than anything. I once had a boss who studied the chemistry of cow farts. The University had cows, each with a rubber flap covering a portal over one of their stomachs, and you could open the flap and reach in and grab the stuff straight from the source. But it wasn't an exercise for those 'who need cognitive closure'.

Time to Find Some Lame Excuse to Visit Ira

Summer heat in Sin City.

Poison Darts

Bush's new campaign is running into trouble.

Krugman's Accusation

I'm surprised there isn't more in the press regarding an accusation (available to registered users) that Paul Krugman made in his NY Times column today. Krugman states:

And while we're on the subject of patriotism, let's talk about the affair of Joseph Wilson's wife. Mr. Wilson is the former ambassador who was sent to Niger by the C.I.A. to investigate reports of attempted Iraqi uranium purchases and who recently went public with his findings. Since then administration allies have sought to discredit him — it's unpleasant stuff. But here's the kicker: both the columnist Robert Novak and Time magazine say that administration officials told them that they believed that Mr. Wilson had been chosen through the influence of his wife, whom they identified as a C.I.A. operative.

Think about that: if their characterization of Mr. Wilson's wife is true (he refuses to confirm or deny it), Bush administration officials have exposed the identity of a covert operative. That happens to be a criminal act; it's also definitely unpatriotic.

So why would they do such a thing? Partly, perhaps, to punish Mr. Wilson, but also to send a message.

And that should alarm us. We've just seen how politicized, cooked intelligence can damage our national interest. Yet the Wilson affair suggests that the administration intends to continue pressuring analysts to tell it what it wants to hear.

I expected a bigger buzz on the Internet, but I only hear a 60 hertz B-flat hum from the fluorescent lights. Why is that? The matter is particularly germane now, with the chaos in Britain regarding Dr. Kelly's suicide.

And here's more interesting stuff regarding the timing of Hadley's confession that the CIA had indeed informed the White House about the shakiness of the uranium story from Niger.

Nostalgia

Responding to a post on this blog, I began yearning for days gone by....

I remember, around 1985, I hooked up an already-antiquated version of Pac Man to the black-and-white TV I inherited from my grandmother. The herky-jerky motion was really hard on the eyes and the brain. After an hour, I closed my eyes, turned away from the TV and looked at an open book: ALL the letters on the page started moving in all directions, in the same herky-jerky fashion!

You see, in MY day, we didn't HAVE eyewear, or even much common sense. We had to bust Coke bottles and grind the bottoms to the proper shape with whatever grit we could dig out of the back yard, and use twist-ties to attach them to our faces. And we were HAPPY about it!

In college, I remember talking to a friend and the subject turned to 'what is the worst thing you could ever imagine happening to you.' I started thinking about things like getting drenched in gasoline and set afire, but then my friend said:

"The worst thing that I could ever imagine happening to me is standing in the supermarket checkout line, getting to the cashier, and not having enough money to pay for the groceries."

My jaw hit the floor. Damn, I miss those complacent pre-Sept. 11th days of old!

What African Uranium Problem?

The U.S. military wasn't in that loop....

The Worm Turns

For once, Robert Scheer, nemesis of Andrew Sullivan, may be right. If they've got Kelly on tape, and if what Gilligan reported is even close to what Kelly said, then Blair, not the BBC, is doomed. And rightfully so.

Paul Wolfowitz Says....

"I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq." (as reported by Joe Conason).

Righteousness

Unfortunately Eoghan Harris' story is incidental to the Kelly scandal. Blair's complaints against the BBC concern its internal newsgathering culture's slanting of the news. Kelly may have seemed an inviting target, because he was unauthorized to speak to the BBC (was he?), but Kelly was also a loyal and decent scientist (was he?). Conflating Kelly and the BBC is the big error. In fact, standing firm against the BBC is what is getting Blair into the most trouble, because Blair's staunch opposition appears directed at Kelly personally. The stands of both Blair and the BBC are so firm that rigor mortis has set in. Blair appears ready to sacrifice Hoon and Campbell, to his own detriment. A calculated retreat by both parties is in order. Winner-takes-all could well mean Blair loses all - time for everyone to regroup. I predict the winner will be whichever party retreats the most gracefully.

Keeping Your Head When Others Lose Theirs

Amazing!

Gabe's Joke

A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of the dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a Broni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leaned out the window and asked the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"

The shepherd looked at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looked at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answered, "Sure."

The yuppie parked his car, whipped out his notebook and connected it to a cell phone, then he surfed to a NASA page on the Internet where he called up a GPS satellite navigation system, scanned the area, and then opened up a database and an Excel spreadsheet with complex formulas. He sent an email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, received a response.

Finally, he prints out a 150 page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized printer then turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1586 sheep."

"That is correct; take one of the sheep," said the shepherd.

He watches the young man select one of the animals and bundle it into his car.

Then the shepherd says: " If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my sheep?"

"OK, why not," answered the young man.

"Clearly, you are a consultant," said the shepherd.

"That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required," answers the shepherd. "You turned up here although nobody called you. You want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked, and you don't know crap about my business.

Now give me back my dog."

A Game of Catch, Anyone?

Shane's Out-of-Body Experience

Creationists Gone Wild!

Creation Science Fair (parody?)

Death of the Beast

Farewell to Highway 666! It had an interesting genesis and life!

My friend Jerry Steffens from Santa Clara, CA wrote the following (referring first to the first link in this post):

Hmmm, I wouldn't mind having one of those signs myself....

Lately, I've become interested in the U. S. highway system; one reason, no doubt, is that it is slowly disappearing -- highways that I remember from my youth are gone! For example, a few years ago, I went home (Indiana) for a visit and discovered that U.S. 33 no longer went through Mishawaka -- instead, I saw a sign that claimed that the road was Indiana 933. Why? What is the purpose? (I've discovered that these decisions are made by a shadowy government agency called the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officers.

My interest in highways was re-kindled recently on my way back from Indiana (I drove!). I stopped at a strange new museum along I-80 near Kearney, Nebraska called the Archway Monument -- it's an arch built OVER the freeway. Basically, it's dedicated to transportation in the region - Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, Pony Express, etc.) Mostly, it's pretty hokey -- sixth grade history combined with sound and lighting effects -- but they did have one interesting exhibit about the Lincoln Highway, which apparently was the first transcontinental automobile road in the U. S. One section of the road ran along U. S. 33 through Mishawaka -- I grew up about a block away from it (we called it "Lincolnway"). I had heard of the Lincoln Highway, but I wasn't aware of its extent or significance. What a wild trip that must have been! (The section from Salt Lake City to Ely sounds particularly significant -- it was never paved and never became part of the U. S. highway system (or even the state road systems, for that matter!)

Regarding Kelly

The first editorial to get the Kelly affair about right.

Newspaper stories always seem accurate unless you happen to know something about the subject - then all the holes and exaggerations are revealed. Gilligan didn't do anything different than reporters have always done - stretch the truth a wee bit, for effect - but the stakes here were very high. Kelly was savaged by the Blair government, and the Ministry of Defense didn't come to Kelly's aid (neither did BBC, but then Kelly didn't work for them). Caught between the irresistible force of the government and the immovable object of the BBC, and bereft of friends, Kelly despaired. Who wouldn't? But who should shoulder the most blame? Placing the blame mostly on Gilligan seems incorrect, because, unlike Hoon's goons, Gilligan didn't betray Kelly (or did he?).

My concern is that the controversy was so hot that Blair, Hoon et al. had lost all perspective, and that they pushed Kelly forward fully knowing they were going to rip Kelly into teensy-weensy bloody shreds - AND THEY DID NOT CARE IN THE LEAST - because by so doing, they got back at the BBC. Kelly was blind-sided, betrayed, crucified by his employers, the people Kelly had devoted his lifetime serving. As bad as Gilligan has been, especially regarding Iraq reporting, in this case, he wasn't doing much different than journalists always do - stretching the truth slightly. He apparently met his obligations to Kelly - namely, not naming Kelly publicly - but he may have hinted so broadly who his informant was that it was easy for the government to track Kelly down.

As Kelly himself said, "many dark actors."

Attack of the 50-Foot Tall Woman

Conversing via E-Mail with Deborah McMillion-Nering in Phoenix about a piece of art-work by fellow Sacramentan Scott Ray Randall, Attack of the 100 Foot Tall Radioactive Killer Flamingo, I began considering the plight of a 50-Foot Tall Woman (never did see the 50's sci-fi movie). I mean, it would be awful to be that tall. I remember, in 1976, watching the crowd at Cinderella City, a mall in Englewood, Colorado (south of Denver) using the mall's warrenlike nature to indiscreetly follow a 7-foot tall woman around as she shopped (according to ex-Coloradan Tony Davi, the mall has since been demolished, which was probably a good idea anyway). But if you are 50 feet tall, it's much worse - you can't shop, you can't go to restaurants, all you can do is sit on railway trestles and pout, and when trains come, you have no choice but to stand up, because 50-foot tall is still too short to pose much of hazard to a heavy locomotive and train weighing hundreds of tons. It's like being Godzilla, but even in Tokyo, you wouldn't get much respect, just lots of stares.

One of the things I love about my FAVORITE pop hero, Kylie Minogue, is her willingness to dabble in kitsch. One of the things she does in one of her Fever Tour songs (available on DVD) is to play upon her short stature (5'2") by stepping upon a hydraulic lift and BECOMING the 50 foot woman of kitsch lore. But it's hazardous: there isn't much she can do up there on the hydraulic lift. She shifts her weight to the right foot, then to the left. She shifts her rib cage right, then to the left. Then she moves her head around. Despite the elaborate set, flashing lights, great tan, and corps of hyperactive dancers, you see the problem: try to make it last longer than just one song, and it would become a yawner. So even Kylie had to be judicious about assuming that role.

I remember eating dinner with the Kubilius family back in high school. The entire Kubilius family was tall - Kendall was the shortest at 6' 8". As I recall, the dinnertime conversation was how short people never amount to anything in this world. But if you are 50 feet tall, the story is different. In my opinion, it's better to be short, and never have to answer that tedious question: "how's the weather up there?"

Three Beers

Went ballroom dancing for about an hour last night, at "The Ballroom." Saw a few old acquaintances, but things were pretty quiet. Maybe I should get private lessons from Lisa Lloyd or Grace Stewart? Hmmm..... Afterwards, blogged for a few minutes, then went to "Faces." Noisy, but not as crowded as I feared. Tried to strike up a conversation with a tall transvestite, but things were so cacophonous that I couldn't make myself understood. Had an amusing conversation with a garish woman whom I mistook at first for a transvestite. Proclaiming herself in a shy and demure mood (ha!), she chose to dance with her boyfriend instead. Danced with a shy woman who apparently had some sort of Mediterranean accent. When she said she didn't know how to dance the style of dance on the floor (some sort of urban rap mish-mash) I suggested she just make it up as she went along. What I wanted to tell her was that dance-wise, 90% of the people there did not have a clue about anything at all. Time to let those worries drop aside. Three beers into the evening, I certainly did. Afterwards, spun Sparky around the neighborhood, and then got some much needed rest (despite the heat-wave, I have yet to use my air conditioner this summer).

BBC's Role Revealed

So, Kelly WAS the main source for the BBC report, which means that Gilligan "sexed up" his "sexed up" dossier report - perhaps only slightly - an understandable (yet nevertheless a) common failing among the sensation-seeking press. So Kelly was forced to defend things that he never said to people who - nothing personal of course - fully intended to destroy his reputation whatever he might say. I might consider suicide myself under such circumstances.......

It's time for the politicians to stop playing such high-stakes games with people's lives (oh, sorry, that's what they've been doing all along anyway, isn't it?)

Spam

I'm getting tired of spam, especially the sort that takes valid names from your Contacts List and makes up a random subject line. Taking my co-worker's full name (abbreviated here as L.W.), a recent penis enlargement spamoid I received had a subject line that stated, "Boy, L.W. is sure going to be sore!"

This WMD Scandal Heats Up!

Reading this article, it looks like Kelly may have felt betrayed, because he expected the Ministry of Defense to come to his aid in defending his reputation before the Blair government, and they did not do so. Did Kelly tell MoD that Kelly WASN'T the main contact for Gilligan? Not clear, but Kelly probably thought by coming forth so readily, that was understood. Not so. Hoon sacrificed him, to defame the BBC. And of course BBC wouldn't come to his aid, because they're protecting their main sources. So Kelly was left to swing in the wind. The only option was suicide.

Politics ain't beanbag!

What's the Frequency, Paul?

I feel sorry for conservatives these days (well, no, not really, but bear with me). Various illusions about what was going to happen in Iraq once the war ended are being systematically demolished. Paul Wolfowitz bears a lot of responsibility for things going awry. Here is a prime quote:

"The so-called forces of law and order (in Baghdad) just kind of collapsed. There is not a single plan that would have dealt with that"

The PROBLEM is NOT that there was no single plan, the PROBLEM is that there was no plan AT ALL. Many outside observers predicted the chaos that removing the Baath party would cause - totalitarian societies depend on fear, and when you remove fear, order collapses (witness the old USSR). Here are various, thoughtful, older articles, by different writers, from just from one magazine (The New Republic) where our current difficulties were easily forseen (1, 2, 3). This is just the tip of the iceberg too. Except by the Administration, most everyone thought trouble was inevitable. Isn't it about time you got a clue, Mr. Wolfowitz?

LDS Dating Tips

The time for evasions had passed. I was between a rock and a hard place. Last year, at the California State Fair, against the recommendations of my friends, I signed up at the Mormon's booth for a free survey of my family's genealogy. "It's just a come-on," my friends insisted, "ignore these guys, and let's look at the dust mop demonstration instead." But no! I had to go ahead and sign up.

When the Mormons dropped off the survey, it was clear there was almost nothing in it that I didn't already know, with the exception of an address that might lead me to a branch of my mother's family that vanished somewhere in Nebraska or Kansas (what used to be called the Great American Desert) back in the 19th Century. But then the missionaries started calling. They tried several times. They even came the day I tried to evict Erlynda. Just as the police left, the Mormons arrived. I don't remember what what I said then - probably something along the lines of "not now, I have some domestic violence to attend to."

But they knew where I lived. They knew where I hid. They even knew my mother's maiden name. So it was time to talk to them. Because I finally had a question for them too.

They arrived Wednesday night. They had a clever visual aid, 20 or so paper cups in a pyramid, showing Jesus on top, virtues and ideals like charity, kindness, etc. below, and a base made up of 13 cups representing the Apostles, and how the LDS has attempted to replace the 13 dead Judean Apostles with 13 living Utahan Apostles, in order to restore the original heirarchy. I was alarmed because it looked like all the abstract virtues and ideals rested on a foundation of 13 fallible people, but then they explained that what they really should have done was dangle the cups on strings from Jesus, in order to show that everything radiated from Jesus, rather than rested on frail people (there is only so much you can do with paper cups, after all).

But then I said I had a practical question. What does the LDS think of a secular skeptic like myself dating a Mormon? What about marriages of mixed faiths, and what about the faith of the children? I waited for that famous rigidity that I've heard ascribed to Mormons, but surprisingly didn't encounter it. They talked about the need for the family to sort out within itself what to do about mixed faiths, and that there were plenty of such marriages in the LDS. The most important thing is mutual respect. They handed me a book of Mormon and we arranged another meeting (but I won't even look at it until I finish a WWII memoir I'm reading). "Remember," they said, "the most thing about the LDS - we aren't Catholics!"

Coherent Claudette

I'm impressed how well former Hurricane Claudette has stuck together - after almost a thousand miles, it still is a recognizable weather feature, and passing right now through Arizona. That big, summertime Bermuda high is really pushing it west! Unfortunately the Naval weather forecasts from Monterey don't feature it - the storm is small enough that it slipped in-between weather stations when the computers were being initialized, so as far as the computers are concerned, the storm is invisible. Reality says otherwise, of course, but that's the nature of weather forecast modeling - missing the fine points!

Ping-Pong, Matrix-Style

Wonderful!

Friend Peter Baldridge Made the Paper!

Better to be noticed than ignored, I suppose....

More Tales from Sacramento at Night

Sunday morning, at freakin' 2:45 a.m., several hours after dancing in "Show Boat" at DMTC, I walked my dog Sparky past a house that had always seemed devoid of life. Surprisingly, on the front door step, a beautiful woman dressed in a sarong was dancing a salsa step to soft music - apparently alone. So stunned was I by the magical vision that all I could muster was a sheepish grin and a hand wave. It occurred to me later that I should have danced a salsa past her, maybe drumming up a conversation about Cuban hip motion, but after "Show Boat" and everything, so late at night, I could hardly think clearly. I will pay more attention to this house from now on.

The night before, as I walked my dog Sparky near my house about 2 a.m., I looked in the window of a house and caught glimpses of a dressed male and an undressed female. "What's going on in there?", I thought, as I squinted through the distant portal. I stopped near a parked van and watched a moon pass from east to west, then from west to east. What's going on in there? Just then, pedestrians approached, and realizing I looked pretty foolish, I moved on. Sadly enough, I will probably pay more attention to this house too from now on.

California Air Quality

We are in the process of finishing up an article on California air quality for Sierra Research's monthly newsletter, CVS News. Already this summer, in the South Coast Air Basin, ozone levels have reached 0.216 ppm (sometime last week), after reaching only 0.169 ppm last year. A rather dramatic worsening of California air quality is apparently underway, probably driven by the lack of progress in developing air pollution control measures, plus population growth, with many more people driving ever so many miles. For the last several years, it's been fun to see whether Houston or LA would have the nation's worst air quality - the race would be SO close - decided by a nose! This year, LA, the Lance Armstrong of hacking coughs, may lap laggard Houston. Bad for California lungs, for sure, but probably good for Sierra Research's air quality business....

Music from "Show Boat"

Apparently the song "After the Ball" has quite an illustrious history.....

George Zoritch's CD

I took George Zoritch's CD of ballet barre music to my Sunday morning ballet class (class size, about 10), with Pam Kay Lourentzos. I gave the CD to her, in the expectation that after a review of the music she might play it the following week in ballet class, but to my surprise, she took the CD and started playing it directly. So we had an interesting class where we were all naive listeners, where no one including the instructor had any idea at all of what to expect from the music. Most comments were of the sort like "pretty music", or "very dramatic music", with one woman (Monica) laughing during degages that it reminded her of silent-movie accompaniment. I noticed that the class seemed to be working harder than usual, because we weren't switching CDs and because there was no wasted time between musical selections or when changing sides. In general, I think the CD made a very favorable impression on everybody. I anticipate it will become part of the standard repertoire of music in Pam's class. Next, I need to introduce it into Victoria Johnson's class. And with the third CD Zoritch provided gratis, I still have options.

"Show Boat" Closes

DMTC's "Show Boat" closed this weekend. I'm sad to see the show close - it was a pleasant experience. The cast was a real pleasure to work with. I don't have any pictures from James Stark yet, but I hope to have some soon.

Crossing a Few Lines in Vegas

Sport, the Hunter, and the Hunted.

Honor

A homeless man came up to me and, quite by surprise, gave me $100.

Let me explain.

Joe Coranado, the homeless guy who led the effort last September to paint my house, is no longer actually homeless - he has an townhouse apartment near Q and 16th. He's drinking quite a bit less too. But by both his estimate and mine, I overpaid him last fall, but I wasn't terribly worried about it. I figured I'd never see that money again, and I wasn't going to worry about it. But many months later, Joe still remembered. He tracked me down at Ron Cisneros' dance studio, called me out of class, and gave me a $100 bill. The only catch is that if times get hard again, say, sometime around Christmas, he wants somebody whom he might be able to touch for a little bit of cash. That's me. And so it goes, with debts of money and honor. Nice guy, Joe.

The homeless-guy painting crew was a real trip. I was lucky in getting a crew of mostly workaholic homeless guys (they really do exist: a hard-working but ill-organized gang of homeless guys). For example, "Dirty Steve" worked hard from sunup to dusk. People like "Irish" were a bit more of a problem. At one point, "Irish" was beginning to climb a ladder, and I thought, "What's wrong with this picture - a confirmed alcoholic with a bad leg standing precariously at the top of ladder, waving a paint brush around, on a blazing hot summer afternoon?" So we put "Irish" to work on something else.

Last November, Katherine Arthur's (and for a time too, my) cat, Ferguson, died. I promised to bury it. For a time, I drove around town with a dead cat in the back of my car, thinking to myself: "Not to stress too much about it, but eventually I'm going to have to bury this cat, or I'm going to be under even more stress. But no time! So I'll bury it when I can!" When burial day came, Joe Coranado happened upon me and helped me dig a hole for Ferguson's burial (right next to the small peach tree out back, under which Sylvie the cat is buried).

Joe was in a lot of pain as he dug the hole. He had been in a fistfight with several other homeless guys the night before, fighting side-by-side with "Irish" against former friends like "Dirty Steve". Joe had bruises on his head, his face, his ribs, and his hand was badly swollen, perhaps even broken. Joe put poor silent Ferguson in the hole, tamped the cat down with his foot, looked down at Ferguson, shook his head, and said "Shit Happens". I was aghast - what a horrible eulogy! Even a bad animal deserved better! But at least I understood where he was coming from. (If I die prematurely, Joe shouldn't preside over the funeral ceremony)......

Which reminds me of when Sylvie the cat died. The weather was warmer, so I put the cat in a translucent plastic grocery bag and put her away in the freezer. I left the house on a chore, but then Helga (who was renting the extra bedroom at the time and knew nothing about Sylvie's death) came home with her groceries, opened the freezer, and placed a gallon of sherbet right on top of chilly Sylvie! Funny in retrospect!

And I've seen "Irish" lately too. He's apparently got liver problems and he's looking less-healthy all the time. Looks like Joe and I might have to dig an extra-big hole before too long. And I worry about what Joe might say.....

A New Defensiveness

All these concerns regarding the honesty of G.W. Bush and his Administration regarding the Iraq War are beginning to affect conservatives. I notice a new defensive tone in their proclamations: I noticed it particularly today in the Lucianne Forum. Meanwhile beautiful, but utterly vile, Anne Coulter, has captured the hearts of many conservatives. Some people (not necessarily here) say that her book reminds them of Mein Kampf, except with Jews replaced by liberals. This seems to be the fate of modern right-wingers - go absolutely beserk because they have no strong enemies anymore, and then pronounce the remaining few to be unworthy of remaining alive (the penalty for 'Treason', of course, is....). Will they self-destruct? I certainly hope so, but maybe not - it looks like a race to the bottom.

Tower

Tried the swing dancing again tonight - it was fun, got there early, had a bit of their lesson. Last night, still schlepping beginning tango at TBTR. Harder there - fewer people, and more guys than girls. For some reason its hard to get in the dancing groove these days - out of practice I guess.

Watching Kylie Minogue

Watched her 2002 Fever DVD again for the 10th time last night (first song from the DVD available here). Very impressed by her self-possession and determination to tell HER version of pop culture and history, based on her particular idiosyncratic Anglo-Australian perspective. Definitely a leader, not a follower. Actually very few pop artists (e.g., Bob Dylan) have such a strong perspective. When Madonna does something, you can always tell that she intends to make a STATEMENT about something. When Kylie follows a few years later with something similar, it isn't to copy or to make a similar statement, but merely because it looks like droll fun, maybe with a bit of a tale (a pop tale, not a political tale) to tell too. Which means Kylie understands what pop culture is about better than Madonna, and better than almost anybody, really.

John Edwards

A good summary of why I like Edwards.

Just a Few Words About Ballet in General

What is it that makes ballet special? I think it's because ballet is a bit of an oxymoron, trying to impose a rational framework, a very French Cartesian 16th Century mechanistic framework, with opera house stages primarily in mind, upon an essentially irrational activity like dancing. And the framework is both sweeping, and arbitrary. For example, why the emphasis on turnout? One book I read pointed out that turned-out leg is more effective for stage work in general - people can see a turned-out leg more readily than a turned-in leg - and that's certainly a consideration, but there are plenty of other dancing traditions without turnout. And some folk dance elements are brought into ballet (pas de basque, tarantella) but others are more-or-less excluded (e.g. Celtic or Balkan dancing), which maybe has something to do with proximity to the European heartland, but maybe is just somebody's mad insistence. And yet. And yet..... It works! Ballet dancers, with their discipline, really push the limits on what the human body can do, and thus enrich dancing in general, even dancing done in spite of ballet. It's really a conundrum of an art. Wish I could master it!

Ricky Romero, Where Are You?

Had a scary dream, to go with the general sense of dread that permeates my life these days. The dream was triggered by Brian Forment describing his upcoming visit to Mexico City, to relatives who suffered a loss of one of their own about a decade ago to an armed robber at an ATM machine. I dreamed that I was in Mexico City, and a man dressed like a classic Mexican wrestler, but with panty hose over the usual head mask, casually walked up and shot a random newspaper boy. A mad panic ensued, and I unwisely started running up a steep hill. Then I awoke. What does it mean? Who knows? But I wanted someone like Ricky Romero, the TV wrestler hero of my Albuquerque childhood, to appear and make things right again.

Bad Bunny

It's interesting to share one's life with animals, whether they be dogs, or cats, or in my case, a dog named Sparky and a mini-lop rabbit named Cloudy. Rabbits are strange little creatures - they act like little autistic children, fussy about ritual, strange noises, and smothering hugs. I notice rabbits take three seconds, no more and no less, to make up their minds about what they are going to do. They get nervous if they don't have at least two avenues of escape, so they prefer to place themselves near doors, or other portals. They are very picky about the placement of furniture pieces, or other objects like shopping bags, and they'll go bonkers if objects keep moving, e.g., if the object named Sparky keeps running back and forth and barking. I've also read that rabbit brains are wired such that they learn things one side at a time, so if they learn something with one eye, they won't know it with the other eye unless the lesson is repeated. They get complacent and sometimes don't pay attention even to loud noises and abrupt movements.

Since I'm often not home, it's quite an event when I come home to lie on the couch and watch TV. Cloudy will climb the steps from the back yard where she usually spends her days, carefully approach me, drop a few pellets, gauge how far I can reach, position herself between me and the TV, so I can clearly see but nevertheless can't reach her, and pee. I jump up in mad chase, flinging one roll of paper towels (which I need to keep nearby these days) in her general direction as she runs to "base" under the kitchen table, and busily start to clean up with the other roll. Then a few minutes later, the game starts again. I don't know what territorial imperative or possessive impulse is driving her game, and it's exhausting after awhile, but she is so darn cute, in her little impish way, I can't bring the game to an end. I feel sorry for the unfortunate floor, and I'm buying a lot of paper towels these days, but that's about it.

How Could NASA Have Ever Got So Complacent?

Nothing like setting up a controlled experiment to see how the real world operates.....

George Zoritch

Received George Zoritch's memoir "Ballet Mystique" in the mail, and I've already lent it out to my ballet instructor, Pam Kay Lourentzos. He certainly had an interesting career - little did I suspect his subtle influence on the rest of my life when I entered his Beginning Ballet class in the fall of 1982.

John Edwards

Of the Presidential candidates so far, only John Edwards seems to me to have the populist rhetoric down right. Under the right circumstances, he could be the neo-Jimmy-Carter of 2004 (but less out-of-synch with his party than Carter was). But Edwards' campaign has been in turmoil, with high consultant turnover (the consultants snipe that Edwards needs to get a clue, but consultants being who they are, it probably just means that Edwards insists on being in charge). And Howard Dean is sucking all the oxygen out of the air at the moment. So, we'll see: an Edwards - Dean duel could be great fun.

Actors and Their Crazy Addictions

Maybe a 12-Step Platter of Finger Foods.....

About Town

Checked out three places last night. "815 L Street" - very little happening there, because it was early and it was a holiday. "Broadway" - I liked this place on Swing Dance Wednesday, but it was Hip Hop Friday, and the place was real different (actually it suffered from the same problem as the other place - not yet enough people, because it was early and it was a holiday). Then later, after 10:30 p.m., "Faces", which seemed in full swing, or at least in better swing than the other places had been. Enjoyed myself, but it was strictly a solo kind of affair for me: dancing alone and talking mostly to myself. But it was interesting to see what's going on around town. Wonder if I'll ever end up on this Web Site?

Laptops

With Steve's beneficent help, Katherine Arthur's laptop is finally up and running. Someone at Dell will have to stick their nose in the old one and find out where the burnt smell is coming from. These little devices look really handy - the technology is really sharp. But now the hard part - opening the bill, and seeing what the damage is.......

Hallelujah!

And hallelujah again!

Home Improvement

Well, after the repair, the back porch is now a little safer. No more can you feel the soft squish of rotten wood when you stumble down the back steps. Now all I have to do is replace the light over the back porch: stumbling down stable steps is only slightly safer than stumbling down squishy steps, when in complete darkness.

Independence Day

Well, looks like I'm getting "dumped." And no Manifest Destiny anywhere in sight.......

Howard Dean

Took a brief look at Howard Dean's blog. So far, I'm not impressed with Dean - he's a blowhard, and pompous to boot. But his methods are of great interest - actually using the power of the Internet, rather than just talking about it. The future starts here! Others have commented as well. O Brave and Glorious New World!

For The Doubters Among Us, A Sign From God

Hallelujah!

Show Boat

Well we've opened "Show Boat" at DMTC. I'm scared witless through most of the show, because of all the various set changes that can go wrong. No one stepped on Audrey Green during the opening weekend, thank goodness, but Doug Ackermann got an ugly rip in his hand, so there is still plenty of stuff that can derail. Plus, next weekend, we have dread 'second Friday', when the overconfident typically have their lungs ripped out for them. I play nasty Pete Gavin in the first act, and pleasant Jake the piano player in the second act, plus random dancing guy in both acts, and all-around thruster of furniture. It's a nice show - I hope James Stark's photos turn out well - I'll post a few when they are ready!

Looting the Iraqi National Museum

Here is an excellent post by Joe Conason regarding this subject. It's important to kick Andrew Sullivan in the teeth on this subject. Both he and Charles Krauthammer have disgraced themselves by giving credence to pro-Administration spin, spin not based in fact, and thereby currying abject favor with the Pentagon. Kick them, and kick them again hard!

Guns in the Home

An interesting critique of a study regarding the dangers of having guns in the home.

People should judge for themselves if they need a gun. If I ran a convenience market, I would own one, but since I don't, I won't. Even though studies criticized here may be flawed, the conclusion may not necessarily be wrong. A gun in the house increases the odds (as yet undetermined) of gunplay by children, ill-advised stands against drive-by shooters, and impulsive suicides, and if the danger posed by criminals isn't that large, best not to have them at all.

My sister Michelle has guns in the home, but I worry that her son Aaron might fall victim to a gun-related accident. My sister is fully trained and responsible with her guns, keeping them locked up and all, but tragedy is always a possibility. It's hard to balance low-occurrence risks - intruder vs. accident - which is more likely? Seems to depend mostly on an person's circumstances. I think most TV-addled people tend to exaggerate the danger of an intruder, and end up putting themselves in unnecessary danger. Besides, typical, free-lance Bad Guys usually have the advantage of surprise - better to flee, if one can, or fork over the dough, than fumble with the locks and get shot in the process.

Nothing helps assess a risk better than asking questions. How many people actually know:

1.) someone who confronted an intruder in their home?
2.) someone who confronted the intruder with a gun?
3.) what happened then?
4.) someone who had to make a citizen's arrest, or otherwise confront someone in public, with a gun, or other armament?
5.) someone who got shot in their home, as a result of an accident, or suicide attempt, of some kind?
6.) someone who got held up in public, with a gun or other armament?

(I need to invest some time and figure out how to allow commenters to contribute their two cents, like many bloggers do).

My only actual experience is with #6. I started following six strange guys dressed like ninjas in my neighborhood, and behold, they had a gun and held me up. In that case, if I had had a gun, it could have turned out very bad for me. But everyone has their own tales.

Blogging

A fun little comment regarding blogging. Wasn't it Orwell who said that what the world needed wasn't new novels, but rather more almanacs filled with tables of accurate statistics? To me, that is something like the function of blogging - worm's eye views of the world. A way of assessing events large and small, with words and tables, and linking to others with similar interests. I worry that some people will use blogs just to parrot others, and repeat stale ideas (increasingly large chunks of the conservative blogosphere are like that), but that's just a hazard of life - there's always room for creative others, and presumably they will get attention. Only about 10% of anything is any good anyway.