Rumsfeld 'Shocks' Muqtada al-Sadr

Shock - and awe! And I'm puzzled as well. Why, precisely, are American troops there, if not to attempt to keep the peace? From Juan Cole:

Like many Iraqi and Arab observers, Muqtada was shocked when US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said last week that the US military would not intervene in an Iraqi civil war, leaving that to Iraqi forces.

"May God damn you," Sadr said of Rumsfeld. "You said in the past that civil war would break out if you were to withdraw, and now you say that in case of civil war you won't interfere."

"Ballets Russes"

I went and saw the film again. Roughly 15 people at the Crest (let's beef those numbers up so they extend the run!)

One point that impressed itself on me tonight was the importance of teaching in dance: dancers learn their craft under the tutelage of instructors, and the strength of the student/teacher relationship is crucial. Mia Slavenska was Maria Tallchief's teacher: what an extraordinary relationship that must have been! And George Zoritch's teacher (and one of the crucial figures of 20th-Century dance) was Olga Preobajenska.

Praise be to teachers!

Is Jon Zellhoefer A Shoo-In?

According to former 2003 California Recall gubernatorial candidate Daniel Watts, Assembly District 34 leans heavily Republican. Maybe Jon will get in after all!

Congratulations, Jon!

I Googled Assembly District 34, and it looks like you're a shoo-in if you can get through the primary (48% Republican to 33% Democrat).

Good luck with the campaign!

Services For Jane Katherine Arthur

The first one is tomorrow night:

Hello to Katherine's friends. Our sweet mama passed on, peacefully, surrounded by her family. She was very fortunate to have so many wonderful friends, and we hope to see some of you at one or both of these gatherings. She loved all of you very much, we will not forget her strength or laughter.

Love from her family.

Here is the latest on the celebrations of Katherine. There will be two different celebrations/memorials.

1. Tuesday, March 14 at 7:45 p.m. @ The Yoga Solution, 887 57th Street, #B, Sacramento, CA 95819, (916) 383-7933.

2. Sunday, March 19 at 2 p.m. @SGI., 1812 Tribute Road, Sacramento, CA (916) 564-4700.

Hopefully this will provide everyone who desires to be at one of the services an opportunity to do so. These celebrations are open to everyone and both SGI members and The Yoga Solution friends may go either or both services.

Again, please pass this on if you know someone who knew Katherine and who would like to come. Thanks.

Blessings, Jennifer

It's Later Than You Think!

Only three more nights for "Ballets Russes" at the Crest Theater!

George Clooney, Liberal

It's sad when valuable political advice has to come from outside the caste of politicians. Bloggers have been harping on this theme endlessly, but we need Hollywood actors like George Clooney to amplify what must be said. It reminds me of Vietnam, when students and preachers and, yes, actors were forced into the role of truthtellers:

Clooney exhorts the lily-livered Dems to stop being cowards and put some steel in their spines.

"It's not merely our right to question our government, it's our duty. Whatever the consequences," he lectures.

"We can't demand freedom of speech, then turn around and say, 'But please don't say bad things about us.' You gotta be a grownup and take your hits."

The actor vents frustration that "liberal" has become a dirty word. "Too many people run away from the label. They whisper it like you'd whisper, 'I'm a Nazi.'"

But as for Clooney, "I am a liberal. Fire away," he taunts.

For the record, my view is that an invasion of Iraq might have been appropriate only if WMD were there: otherwise, the opening of that diabolical Pandora's Box called Iraq would not have been worthwhile. By not demanding more WMD information at the time from the criminal Bush Administration, Democrats failed liberals - failed everyone. By May, 2003, it was clear there wasn't any WMD at all.

Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden who still refuse to denounce the Iraq invasion at this late date must be ostracized. Their fears will lead only to their own irrelevance. John Edwards ultimately turned his back on the Iraq invasion. Even gelatinous John Kerry finally came out against it (a year too late to have any effect on his campaign). Clooney is right:

"Which is why it drives me crazy to hear all these Democrats saying, 'We were misled.' It makes me want to shout, 'F— you, you weren't misled. You were afraid of being called unpatriotic.'"

TMI

I've always had trouble with the concept of TMI (Too Much Information): that nails-on-the-chalkboard moment when you reveal just a bit too much of your inner life to others, to general consternation.

Two moments recently illustrated my problems with finding that boundary.

I was nodding off at a recent DMTC Board Meeting, when Steve called out to me. Opening my eyes, I said, "Oh, I'm not falling asleep - actually I was wondering why I grabbed my crotch in aerobics class tonight. I mean, there I was, right at the front of the class, the only male student in a class of 35, or so, dance and swimming instructors, former cheerleaders, and state employees, and suddenly, for reasons I don't understand, I grabbed my crotch. I just hope, with all the exercise activity going on, that no one saw me." TMI! The meeting came to a halt for several minutes: Dian practically fell out of her chair with laughter.

Then there was today's TMI E-Mail exchange. N. took note of the recent case of the Berkeley man who was arrested for urinating in public, and the California court ruling that it is illegal to urinate in public:

N.: Urinetown really exists. Apparently, the musical was psychic.

Marc: I once peed in public in Berkeley. I would recommend it to everyone, except that we'd all get arrested.

N.: Only you could admit that. Um, thanks for the info. And for the record, it's a lot easier for guys. I think there are other gender-related issues that make it less appealing to women than to men.

M.: Wait a second... I could have been peeing in public all the time until just now? What the hell?! And do they ever mention THAT in school?!

Marc: What are the lyrics from 'Big Yellow Taxi'?

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
'Til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Misconstruing 'The Alien'

An 'Unrest Cure' at work:

E.: Your using paint thinner! I can smell it! You're dumping it in the yard!
A.: No ma'am, I'm using a concrete saw.
E.: You're staying here till midnight! I must get my sleep!
A.: It's 7 p.m., ma'am.
E.: You're making too much noise! It's too much!
A.: Ma'am, I don't think you realize the seriousness of the drainage problems here. I'm doing what I can. I'm sorry if it's a bit noisy at times.
E.: There's mud everywhere!
A.: That's correct, ma'am. It's wet down here.
E.: Don't touch my things!
A.: ?????

Standardized Tests

Stupid is as stupid does:

Mayra Ramirez thinks driver's ed is a waste of time.

And in her case, it is. She's blind.

But the 16-year-old and dozens of other visually-impaired sophomores are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam to graduate from Chicago schools.

That Sinking Sensation

Another "Titanic" weekend. A good weekend, with large houses. I messed up a line on Sunday, maybe partly because I was getting emotional and overwrought in 'To The Lifeboats.' When warned by gambler Jay Yates that I could expect him to cheat in our final card game as we sank, instead of saying, 'that's all right, I'm not going to pay you anyway,' I said 'that's all right, we're not going to make it anyway,' which lost a laugh from the gallows humor, but also yielded a sickening moment of dead-seriousness, so it kinda worked. You wouldn't think that kind of mistake would happen towards the end of the run, but strange things can happen onstage!

I wonder if my sadness regarding Katherine's death is affecting my performance?

Washington Post Plays Bush Defense

If ever there was a sign that there is no significant liberal media anymore, today's announcement by Ben Bradlee, Editor of the Washington Post, that he suspects Richard Armitage leaked Valerie Plame's name to the media, surely must stand out. Most speculation regarding the Valerie Plame leak has centered on Dick Cheney's office: Armitage was over at the State Department, and out of that circle. To me, it sounds like utter balderdash, the lamest of lies. Bradlee is doing everything he can to get Bob Woodward out of the hot seat for having done so much to tar Plame's reputation at the behest of the Bush Administration, and if he has to back the Bushies to the rafters, so be it.

Liberal media, RIP.

[Update: Digby apparently commented on this line of attack some time ago, and concluded that it doesn't much matter whether Armitage was involved, or not, in revealing Plame's identity to Woodward. What matters for a free American press is that the vaunted Washington Post feels compelled to protect Bush officials from their misdeeds, thus hopelessly compromising their reliability.]

Mingus Lakeside Panorama



March 12, 2006, from Deborah, who was exulting in the weather on Mingus Mountain (between Prescott and Cottonwood, Arizona.

How Does Enceladus Stay Warm?

Scientists offer wacky ideas:

An insulating shell of clathrate hydrates – a form of water ice containing trapped gas molecules – could help Enceladus retain more heat. Additional warming may come courtesy of the gravitational tug of war between Enceladus and Dione, a neighbouring moon.

View From A Portugese Village

George W. Bush (photo by Skip Kaltenheuser, with explanation, as posted at Steve Clemons).

Rain On Arrakis

1.57" storm total for Ahwatukee! Not bad for Arrakis!

Nevertheless, the terror continues. Conditions for rain will deteriorate, despite the presence of the trough in the West. It's important to lay down even more rain while we can, because as spring approaches, the jet stream will move north, and Cruel Empress April (typically the driest month of the year) will reign. The rainy season is nearly over, two days after it finally arrived.

Speed

Sounds like a made-for-TV kind of experience:

A motorist drove for 60 miles at speeds of 135 mph after the accelerator on his BMW car jammed and his brakes failed.

... "I was in tears most of the time on the phone to the police - I really could see myself dying," he told the BBC.

... "I hit the brakes. They were braking ok, they were keeping me at about 70 mph.

... Mr Nicolle said: "Then the brakes started burning out - I could see smoke coming from the brakes."

Jon Zellhoefer, Candidate

Jon Zellhoefer (R), former CA Recall 2003 gubernatorial candidate, announces that he is going to run for State Assembly District 34.

The best of good fortune, Jon!

Welcome News From Arizona

Deborah writes:

4 AM I woke to the sound of drumming on our skylight--RAIN!!!!!! GLORIOUS RAIN!!!

And it's still going, going, gloriously on. Big sigh of relief from all the saguaros on the hillsides--you can hear it soughing down through their needles. Wonderful relief.

Did I mention--rain!?!!!!!!!

The National Weather Service reports:

...24 HOUR PRECIPITATION FOR THE PHOENIX METRO AREA ENDING AT 12 NOON...

6 HR PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
OLDEST >>>>>>>>>>> NEWEST

ID STATION NAME NOON-6PM 6PM-MDNT MDNT-6AM 6AM-NOON 24HRTOTAL

MAHA3 AHWATUKEE 0.00 0.00 0.24 0.59 0.83

And not a minute too soon! Thank goodness it's a substantial rain - the desert will soak it up like a sponge. I was alarmed at the news stories about how badly damaged the desert wildlife has been by the severe drought. Now, it's necessary to follow it up with more-regular rain, so the desert can recover.

Today, in Sacramento, it's nice and pleasant!

"BALLETS RUSSES" WEEK STARTS FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE CREST THEATER!!!!!

Caption from MSNBC: This 1939 photo shows Frederic Franklin, center background, George Zoritch, center, and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in their production of "Rouge et Noir," which was choreographed by Leonide Massine. The production's sets and costumes were designed by Henri Matisse.

"Titanic" - Act II

More pictures from Sunday's show!

Left: "To the Lifeboats."

"Wake Up, Wake Up!" The youth of the third class lends a strikingly-modern look to the 'huddled masses' searching (unfortunately, in this case, in vain) for a better life in America. Left to right, Jim Farrell (Andy Hyun), Kate McGowan (Caitlin Kiley), Kate Mullins (Laura Stahl), Kate Murphy (Julia Spangler), Third-Class Purser (Scott Griffith).

"The Blame." Ismay (Ben Bruening), Tom Andrews (Michael McElroy), Capt. E.J. Smith (Richard Spierto), Bride (Robert Coverdell).

"To The Lifeboats" Barrett (Steven Ross), left, sings one last lament.



Finally comprehending the ship's weaknesses, Tom Andrews (Michael McElroy), the Chief Builder of the Titanic, goes raging, alone, into that dark night.

"Titanic" Pictures - Act I

On Sunday, March 5th, Steve borrowed my digital camera and took some pictures from the light booth of the musical in progress. Because of the low light and resulting slow shutter speed, about 80% of the pictures are quite blurred, but others are quite nice. Here are some pictures from Act I.

Above: On the bridge of the Titanic. Capt. E. J. Smith (Richard Spierto), Second Officer Charles Lightoller (Jabriel Shelton), and First Officer William Murdoch (Chris Neff).

"Doing The Latest Rag." Foreground left, Mr. Hitchens (Alex Powell); foreground right, Mr. Boxhall (Andrew Lemons); center, Mr. Hartley (Brian McCann, who also plays Mr. Etches).
"Doing The Latest Rag." Foreground, Mr. Boxhall (Andrew Lemons). First-class dancing couples: Upper left, Jabriel Shelton and Bethany Pederson; Upper Right, Dannette Vassar and Amber Lidskin. Disrupted first-class couple, Bridget Maguire and Chris Neff. Disrupting second-class passenger, Alice Beane (the inimitable Lauren Miller).
Discussing hypothetical family situations: Kate McGowan (Caitlin Kiley) and Jim Farrell (Andy Hyun).
Panoramic shot of the stage, just before "Autumn."




The First-Class Smoking Lounge. Center, Charlotte Cardoza (Mary Young). Left to right, in background: Mr. Etches (Brian McCann), Thayer (Hal Wright), Guggenheim (Rich Kulmann), Widener (Steve Lemons), The Colonel (Joshua Smith), Mr. Rogers, aka Jay Yates (J.P. Villa), and John Jacob Astor (Jon Beaver).

"No Moon, No Wind II." I don't see any ice - do you?

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

Charming appeal, sent by E-Mail, from DMTC:

Munchkins needed for Wizard of OZ

Enceladus Surprise

NASA announced today that Saturn's moon, Enceladus, has geysers of liquid water spouting into space. This is very strange. It is SO cold on that little moon that such a hypothesis seems far-fetched. To make something like that work, you'd need a source of substantial heat, plus well-insulated channels through the icy crust, to the surface. But maybe it happens!

The solar system is a strange, strange place.....

Ruptured DISC

I'm distressed hearing about these problems at Davis Indoor Sports Center (DISC). They are right across the street from DMTC, and I've always thought an excellent dynamic could be created between the sports-happy teens at DISC, and the theater-happy teens at DMTC.

Support DISC!

This Guy Needs Meds

Stat:

The chief of neurosurgery at Highland Hospital was wrestled to an operating room floor by deputies and arrested after allegedly throwing a drunken fit when a nurse refused to let him operate, authorities said.

... He "threw a fit" and began yelling and cursing at staff when they told him equipment for the procedure needed to be transferred from another hospital, according to the report. When the surgical instruments arrived, a nurse refused to allow Castro-Moure to operate until they could be sterilized.

Castro-Moure threatened the nurse by punching his fist in his hand. He took a swing at deputies after they were called to intervene.

"Do you know that I am a (expletive) doctor, and I'm going to do what I want," he said, according to a witness.

"Ballets Russes" Comes To Sacramento!

Left: Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, at the Opera Cinema in San Francisco, last December. Interestingly enough, according to SN&R, Goldfine was once Miss Teenage Sacramento, 1976. Let's give her a big welcome back!

"Ballets Russes," March 10 - 16, at the Crest Theater! A must see!

There have been several wonderful local preview articles in the local press. There was one in the Sacramento Bee recently, and, in the current issue of Sacramento News and Review, there is another. All of the previews have described the ballet documentary in glowing terms, even going so far as calling it a sleeper hit.

The SN&R article also makes an important announcement: Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, the filmmakers, who live in San Francisco, will be available for questions at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., Friday. Last December, when I saw the documentary in San Francisco, I was startled when both of them appeared for the showing. Their presence lends an entirely-new dimension to the cinematic experience, because you can get some of the backstory of the filmmaking process, firsthand, as well.

By all means, put this on your schedule. I will try to make the 5 p.m. question session (I have 'Titanic' performance later Friday evening, so this will be my only shot to pose stumpers.) Then, all next week, I will drag ALL my friends and acquaintances, dancers or not, to see the show. Then, I will go into the Pyramid Alehouse on K Street, and offer free drinks, but only to those who will come see the show!

See George Zoritch in his prime: the man prima ballerina Maria Tallchief described as "the best-looking man I ever saw in my life!"

"Dr. Who" Set Design

The Wikipedia essay on the TARDIS, Dr. Who's time machine, meant to look like an outmoded British police box.

Where The Law Stands

California courts have now weighed in on a matter that comes up, oh, every now and then:

A three-judge appeals panel said in a 20-page opinion that relieving oneself in public does not qualify as a littering crime under state law but does qualify as a crime of committing a public nuisance.

The court said public urination fit the definition of a public nuisance, described in state law as an act that is injurious to health, indecent or offensive to the senses and that interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property.

Justice Anthony Kline wrote, "There can be little doubt that urination on or near a busy commercial street interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of both life and property."

Kline continued, "The sight and smell of urine are vile and offensive, and those who use the public streets and sidewalks cannot be freely subjected to such unpleasantness."

The ruling applies to acts in public places such as the vicinity of a busy street.

The court noted that "there might well be circumstances in which a single, discreet act of public urination would not violate" the public nuisance law.

Kline wrote, "Thus, for example, a hiker responding to an irrepressible call of nature in an isolated area in the backwoods cannot reasonably be seen as interfering with any right common to the public."

Aoili's

Left: Michael Miiller welcomes everyone to the DMTC fundraiser at Aioli's.


A GREAT fundraiser last night for DMTC at Aioli's Bodega Española, recently opened at 808 Second St., in downtown Davis. Lots of people were there, including Mayor Pro Tempore Sue Greenwald. Many thanks to Michael Miiller, and the staff of Aoili's for arranging such a wonderful time!

As your DMTC Treasurer, today, I need to figure out how much we raised, and put it in the bank. There are several possible uses for the money, but probably first priority is putting deposits on royalties for next season's shows, in order to lock in the performance rights.

Nice restaurant!

Jane Katherine Arthur, RIP

July 13, 1947 - March 4, 2006

It took a few days for word to reach me..... A wonderful, wonderful person. Would that we could all share her spirit!

Examining An Iceberg

Even the pessimists would be surprised how big a problem it is:

The National Council on Problem Gambling kicked off an education campaign this week by noting that 2 percent to 3 percent of Americans - or about 6 to 9 million adults - have gambling problems.

Numbers can be worth a thousand words. They also can have political and social implications. That's why the National Council's estimate is bad news for the casino industry - it's two or three times as high as the 1 percent rate often cited by the industry.

The greater the percentage of problem gamblers, the tougher it is for the gaming industry to persuade states without casinos that the economic effect of gambling - jobs, tourism, and especially taxes - more than offsets the social cost of increased exposure to casino gambling.

... The 1 percent rate often cited by the casino industry represents only a narrow category of people defined by treatment experts as "pathological gamblers," he said. "It's a fairly limited number that doesn't represent the full scope of people with gambling problems."

The industry-cited number is taken from a 1997 study that collected and extrapolated from much of the previous available research on the subject.

... The 2 percent to 3 percent estimate cited by the National Council is based on a more representative group of people who showed signs of problem gambling behavior in the past year, not just "pathological gamblers" who exhibited the most severe problems, Whyte said.

... "The issue is whether there are questions that are raised that can't be answered using data that's five years old," Volberg said. "Presumably it's time.

"You didn't have Internet gambling available to the extent you have now,'' she said. "You didn't have the poker phenomenon you have now. Nevada has the highest immigration rate in the United States, so the population may be changing demographically in a way that can affect the numbers."

Toilets Down Under

Apparently they need to be stronger:

Standards Australia, a nongovernment group that establishes safety and design standards, is considering recommending strengthening loos for larger users, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Obesity levels have been rising for years in Australia.

Standards Australia spokeswoman Kate Evans said the current industry standard for toilet seats is just 100 pounds and that the group is looking to increase it to 330 pounds.

I remember reading an account, written by a young Australian girl, travelling in the U.S. She said one highlight of her trip was how entertaining the toilets were in the U.S. in comparison to the ones Down Under. Ours gush and swoosh and swish and burble: Down Under they simply go 'glug, glug.' Well, I guess we had to upgrade our standards and buy new toilets many years ago - our own obesity epidemic started way back then!

"Onward To Colorado City"

Actually, our battle cry was "Onward to Fredonia", in 1980, when my friends and I travelled through the Colorado Strip, the fairly-isolated area north of the Colorado River around the Arizona-Utah border, on the way to Zion National Park. Fredonia is a town right at the border. We were passing through, but of course, others settled this area. Despite the natural beauty of the area, its isolation has always been problematic.

Nearby Fredonia is Colorado City, AZ, and Hildale, UT, where a secretive Mormon cult, under the erratic leadership of fugitive Warren Jeffs, still practices polygamy, and where the dread genetic disorder, fumarase deficiency, is spreading rapidly. Indeed, more people with this rare disease are found in these two towns than anywhere on Earth.

John Dougherty at the Phoenix New Times has written an excellent feature article on the disease, and the reaction of the State of Arizona to it. One story regarded Dr. Theodore Tarby's efforts to educate people regarding what was going on:

Tarby says he explained to the gathering at Town Hall in Colorado City that the only way to stop fumarase deficiency in the community is to abort fetuses that test positive for the disease and for the community to stop intermarriages between Barlows and Jessops, Barlows and Barlows and Jessops and Jessops.

Tarby says members of the community made it clear that neither choice was acceptable.

..."They have to outbreed," [Dr. Kirk A.] Aleck says.

But this is a very unlikely scenario for FLDS faithful, who practice a religious doctrine that requires men to be strictly obedient to religious leaders and requires women to give birth to as many children as possible to increase the sect's numbers.

"Who [from outside the fundamentalist Mormon religion] would want to go in there and join their population?" Aleck asks. "It's probably hard to recruit into that environment."

Indeed, even if an outsider wanted to join the FLDS community, such a person would not be welcome.

"They are discouraging any new blood," historian [Benjamin] Bistline says. "They've got this idea that their blood is pure and that they want to keep it pure."

There is also a companion article regarding the collapse of the local economy and civic life in the two towns. It's so alarming, it almost makes one yearn for the hyper-efficient government of the nearby Indian Reservations instead:

In the months since the indictments, evidence that the economy of the polygamist communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, is plunging toward collapse is obvious. Many businesses have closed or moved out, the Colorado City and Hildale governments are facing serious financial problems, the electric utility jointly owned by both towns is in default on $21 million in bonds and the Colorado City public school district has been forced into receivership.

...

Residents already are constructing large walls made from block, steel, wood and stone around the perimeter of their residential lots and posting "no trespassing" signs on land they do not own.

...Unless the world does suddenly end, FLDS members in Colorado City and Hildale could face three difficult choices:

Defy their fugitive religious leader and pay property taxes to remain in their homes. Abandon the community they and their forefathers helped build and set off with their large families to Texas and elsewhere. Or refuse to pay property taxes or leave when authorities attempt to evict.

...

[Hildale Mayor David] Zitting, who will mark his 20th year in office in January, says there was a long period when living on UEP trust land and strictly adhering to the commands of FLDS religious leaders was a spiritual utopia.

...During last month's election, only 100 votes were cast for mayor in Hildale, population about 2,000, and he got all of them.

"It was a lower turnout than usual," Zitting says, as if that were the unusual aspect of the election.

One of three election judges overseeing the votes was a woman who, Zitting says, shares his household, which is a polite way of saying she is a plural wife.

... It is not as if Zitting was the only candidate who had a spouse judging the election. Patricia Jessop also sat as an election judge and shares a household with Hildale Councilman Dan C. Jessop, who, of course, also won reelection.

Such blatant conflicts would cause a firestorm of protest in most communities, and the election results would probably be voided. But these anomalies are a fact of life in the fundamentalist towns.

...As for Zitting, he is faced with the difficult task of trying to keep the Hildale town government in operation as it teeters on the verge of bankruptcy. Prophet Jeffs' order to FLDS members to refuse to pay property taxes is contributing to the financial woes gripping Zitting's town.

Reductio Ad Absurdum

Via Josh Marshall. This stuff is too good for comedy. Jack Abramoff has been convicted of bribing 'Representative Number One.' Speculation has it that particular person is Ohio Congressman Bob Ney. Ney's press spokesman Brian Walsh says that we can't believe Abramoff, not just because he's a (nonpracticing) trial lawyer, but because he's a convicted felon - convicted of bribing Walsh's own boss!

"When Jack Abramoff 'names names,' ‘Representative Number One’ will likely be first on the list," [Chillicothe Mayor and likely candidate] Sulzer said. "That is why I am calling on Bob Ney to resign immediately if Jack Abramoff names him. The ongoing investigation of Ney's corruption is keeping him from doing the job that we elected him to do."

Ney — through his spokesperson, Brian Walsh — called the announcement another in a series of negative attacks. He also hit at Sulzer’s connection with trial lawyers.

“Joe Sulzer has a history of siding with and taking money from trial lawyers so it's not a surprise that he would base his latest negative attacks solely on the tainted words of a slick trial lawyer and a convicted felon like Jack Abramoff,” said Walsh.

Blondes

(picture by Aerixis Prime at B3ta.)

I'm wondering whether this suggestive idea (that a new study strengthened) is correct; that blondeness evolved recently in Europe due to selective evolutionary pressure. Kind-of-like lactose tolerance, which is also fairly-new in human development, and not yet fully spread through the human population.

Blondeness is certainly a striking personal trait, but does it mean more kids who survive to produce their own kids (the acid test of evolution)?

Finally, A Break For Arizona

Deborah in Ahwatukee, just south of Phoenix, writes:

It sure looked like it would rain yesterday afternoon but if it did--it was not in the valley. I know it's a desert, but I do remember rain, snow up north just last year. This has got to break--you need to take that sledgehammer to the jet stream. What's up with that??

I respond:

All that the long-wave trough off the west coast of the U.S. has to do is move slightly east and AZ will have it made, with a series of storms lined up. Usually, these long-wavelength troughs move west instead, but AZ apparently will catch a break.

Episodic rain for the next week! All but guaranteed! If it doesn't rain soon, you can take a sledgehammer to my head (easier to reach than the jet stream).

Irresistible Forces Meeting Immovable Objects

James McElroy had a few more comments regarding collisions of ships with things:

I'd like to draw your attention to the rant by XHawkeye (05-12-05) on page 2 of the message board. This seems to be a recurring theme in accident investigations, first protect the guilty, then hang the grunts out to dry.

Here is a direct link to a photo of the bow of the San Franciso with the blue tarp missing. I assumed that the tarp was there to hide something militarily valuable, but apparently not. This series [the photo is one of a series of five] explains a lot. The first picture that I sent earlier had me wondering how they were oriented at impact, but these shots make it clear.

[Referring to a point made in comments on the previous post regarding the Titanic collision with an iceberg] Your point about the glancing blow is a good one. To minimize effort, concentrate less energy at a weak point. To inflict fatality on someone, hit them over the head with a concrete block, or slip a filet knife between their ribs. Much less effort, same result.

Ice daggers! The Titanic was mugged by the North Atlantic!

I was struck by the comments on the message board made by PeteRR, who was apparently at the scene as the on-watch Diving Officer:

The next thing to cross my mind was why am I pushing myself off of the SCP (Ship's Control Panel, the main instrument and control panel for steering and driving the submarine) and where the hell the air rupture in the control room come from? I didn't know it, but I did a greater than 3g spiderman against the panel, punched a palm through the only plexiglass gauge on the SCP and had my leg crushed by the DOOW (Diving Officer Of the Watch) chair that I had just unbuckled (seatbelts are normally worn at high speeds) from. The DOOW chair was broken loose by the QMOW (QuarterMaster Of the Watch) flying more than 15 feet into it and smashing my leg against a hydraulic valve and the SCP. I don't remember freeing myself from it. If I had been buckled in, I don't think I would be writing this.

It's scary to be a fragile human being at the mercy of irresistible forces!

Solar Minimum Has Arrived

So if you are looking for sunspots any time soon, you are out of luck.

Dusty Snowstorms

When I lived in New Mexico, I used to hate these windy storms - dirty snow in the mountains, dusty grit on the flat. They had one of these storms recently in the Four Corners area. Today, there are reports that Algeria, of all places, has been paralyzed by one of these storms, with 70 cm of snow (nearly 25 inches in places).

Ships That Go Bump In The Night - HMS Titanic, USS San Francisco, and Others

(Left, Original Captions): Apra Harbor, Guam (Jan. 27, 2005) The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) in dry dock to assess damage sustained after running aground approximately 350 miles south of Guam Jan. 8, 2005. The Navy former dry dock known as “Big Blue” is capable of docking ships that weigh up to 40,000 Long Tons. The Navy certified Big Blue for the one-time docking of San Francisco. San Francisco is the second fast-attack submarine to be attached to the forward-deployed Submarine Squadron Fifteen, home ported on board Naval Base Guam. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Mark Allen Leonesio (RELEASED)

(Also): On January 7, 2005, the USS San Francisco, while on its way to making a routine port visit to Brisbane, Australia, ran aground and hit the ocean floor, approximately 350 nautical miles (560 kilometers) south of Guam, in the middle of the East Marianas Basin. The incident reportedly caused one critical injury and a number of minor ones to 23 of the submarine's crew ranging from broken bones, lacerations, bruises to a back injury. The critically wounded sailor later died of his injuries. Initial reports indicated that the submarine's hull was intact and that the submarine's nuclear reactor plant had not been damaged. The submarine resurfaced following the accident and proceeded to return to its homeport of Guam.


Provoked by blog musings regarding The Titanic, James McElroy (Michael's father) composed a very interesting essay about ships at sea colliding into objects:

Your bringing up the recent Nuclear Sub incident near Guam relative to the Titanic Disaster got me thinking of other accident studies, so I did a little research on the relative magnitudes, and the investigations thereof. Anyway here are some thoughts on what I found. I'm afraid we live in a very non-linear world, and are in constant ignorance of what is going on about us.

The Titanic is much upon our minds these days, and it has been an obsession with many people for 94 years. Just think, in only six years we will "celebrate" the Centennial of the sinking of the Titanic. You should start right now to secure performance rights for the show on Apr 14, 2012.

Your comparison of the Titanic vs. Iceberg to the USS San Francisco vs. Seamount (the USS Scorpion was another incident, top secret, hush hush espionage, and all that [Marc: Sorry! I got the name wrong!}) caused me to ponder the physics of the collisions. First of all, here is a photo of the result of the latest (7 Jan 2005) maritime disaster, from a USN oriented message board. There is a lot of talk back and forth from a miscellaneous collection of readers about the accident. Interesting reading.

I acquired a couple of books from my local library, the classic reference "A Night to Remember" by Walter Lord, and "The Night Lives On" by the same author. The first was published in 1955 and made into a movie by a British Studio in 1958, both are still readily available from Amazon.com. The second was published in 1989, shortly after the discovery of the hulk of the Titanic in 1985. It did not fare so well and is out of print. It focused mainly on the various Hearings conducted after the sinking, the later lives of principle passenger and crew survivors, and some information about the discovery of the wreck. It was very interesting and useful, but the Internet makes these kinds of books a hard sell today.

The results of the various inquiries are interesting. It is almost a given that the Bureaucrats came out blameless, the Maritime Industry was verified to be doing its best to build and operate increasingly large vessels safely and the crews (while some lower level members were faulted) was faced with an impossible situation. Humph! Some interesting things did come out however and changes were made (without admitting any blame, of course). For one thing, on the very next voyage of the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic, the passengers refused to board the ship until enough lifeboats were aboard to carry all the passengers. As a result it was a very uncomfortable trip, with the boat deck very cluttered with, of all things, boats! There was tsk, tsking by the Board of Trade that this made the ships top heavy and less safe.

It became known at the hearings that the Titanic actually carried MORE lifeboats than were required by regulation. The number was a standard calculation based on tonnage, from the era of much smaller vessels. The justification was that larger ships took so long to sink (if they ever would) that they would be surrounded by rescue vessels and the boats would only be used to ferry passengers from the damaged vessel to the rescuers.

Was the Captain running the Titanic too fast, from pressure by an overbearing ship owner, or internal pressure to retire with the title of fastest ship on the crossing? At the hearings it became apparent that standard procedure of all captains was to go full out even at night, to shorten the turn around. Hopefully in fog they eased off a bit, though that wasn't discussed. Damage to ships from ice was infrequent, though the time between incidents was decreasing. All the ships in the North Atlantic trade could make many crossings before an unlucky one would earn a few weeks downtime for repairs.

In 1879 the Guidon Lines "Arizona" was the largest and fastest ship on the crossing (at the time). One midnight, in roughly the same area as the Titanic incident, while steaming at full speed it collided head on with an Iceberg. The first 30 ft of the bow was crushed, but the forward bulkhead was not seriously damaged. At slow speed it limped into St. John's Newfoundland, eventually repaired and put back into service. This event was used to justify the standard operating procedure of full speed in open ocean. Modern ships were just too big and strong to worry about a little ice.

It is instructive here to do a little comparison of various vessels involved in accidents. The "Arizona" was 5,750 Tons and capable of 17 knots. The USS San Francisco was (public data) 7,000 Tons and capable of 32 knots officially. Various people commenting on the message board stated that the Navy later admitted to 45+ knots for that class of submarine. The Titanic was 46,000 Tons, and capable of 24 knots. In case of a collision between a moving ship and an Iceberg (or seamount) the parameter of interest is it's kinetic energy which must be dissipated by crushing structure to bring the moving ship to a full halt.

Using the standard equation KE=M*V*V, where M is the mass in 1000 Ton units, and V is speed in knots we get:

Arizona KE = 5.75 * 17 * 17 = 1,662 (arbitrary units)
San Francisco KE = 7.0 * 42 * 42 = 12,348 (who knows how fast?)
Titanic KE = 46.0 * 24 * 24 = 26,496

Based on the photographic evidence of the USS San Francisco a collision with slightly less than half of the Titanic's Kinetic Energy is survivable. One must admit however that the structure of a Nuclear Submarine is a hell of a lot stronger than a 1912 Ocean Liner. This question actually came up in the Titanic Hearings in regard to the famous 37 seconds between warning until the bow began to move sideways. It was suggested that if the Titanic had hit head on, it would not have sunk. Maybe. A number was thrown out that the first 100 ft of the hull would have been crushed which would have taken out the first three, maybe four compartments, but left the engine room intact. Never saw any justification for the calculated number however. The Arizona lost 30 ft of structure with an impact of 1/16th of the Titanic's kinetic energy. No one could bring themselves to fault the helmsman's attempt to avoid the collision, however.

What happened in that 37 seconds? In the movie and theater versions there was the implication that the helmsman "froze" for several seconds and did not begin execution till later, but evidence given was that the execution was immediate. The order was "Hard to Port" and "Full Reverse". It would take a few seconds to swing the rudder to full and even more time to halt all that rotating mass and reverse the propellers. You don't change direction of a 882 foot steel beam moving in it's direction of least resistance easily. The iceberg must have been off center initially, and the turn made in the proper direction. It almost missed. The sad thing is that it turned just enough to maximize the damage. A little more and there would have been not a scratch, a little less and the crumple zone would have been determined. The fact is no one knew how the ship would respond to those commands.

Another thing that came out at the hearings was that the sea trials of this new leviathan were minimal at best. Of course it was the second of three sister ships. The Olympic had been in service for over a year. An emergency stop had been tested once, from 18 knots. It took 3 minutes 15 seconds and 3,000 feet from 18 knots. Turning tests were done, also at reduced and constant speed. At no time did testing occur at full speed, and certainly not at full load. The passengers on the maiden voyage were paying full price to participate in a Beta Test! The question was not raised during the hearings, but I can't feel but that the commands given, "Full Port Rudder" and "Full Engine Reverse" were contradictory. The rudder was straining to get the ship turned with a force proportional to the square of the water velocity over the rudder surface, while the reversing screws were modifying the water flow at the stern of the ship in a major way.

That the large propellers on the Titanic and it's sister the Olympic could do weird things to the water flow was undoubtable but apparently not appreciated. Both ships were involved in incidents which indicated that the effects of propeller wash was not understood. On it's first arrival in New York, the Olympic, for some obscure reason, reversed engines on one side at significant power and a tug working the ship to the dock was sucked under the stern, doing considerable damage to the tug and to the Olympic's propeller. On another occasion the Olympic and a Royal Navy Cruiser were proceeding side by side in a narrow channel, about 200 yards apart, when the Olympic increased power to move ahead and the Cruiser's bow swung into the stern quarter of the Olympic, doing considerable damage to both ships. At the inquest Naval Engineers presented evidence from model tank towing tests showing that the increased prop wash from the Olympic could cause the two vessels to impact. The Board of Trade harrumphed that boys playing with toy boats could not convince them the Navy helmsman was not at fault. As the Titanic left South Hampton on its maiden voyage with it's first load of passengers, another ocean liner was pulled from it's moorings as the Titanic passed, and a similar collision was avoided only by the heroic efforts of a passing tug, and reversing the Titanic's engine to swing the stern sideways.

Probably the correct action on sighting the iceberg would have been to leave the engines alone at full forward, and swing the rudder hard over. That would maximize the lateral force on the hull to execute a turn. Reversing the engines would reduce flow over the rudder surface. That was certainly the technique used by the Carpathia on it's mercy run toward the Titanic's reported position. The captain stated that he added as many lookouts as he could and swerved around any large ice reported. Of course his full speed was only 14 knots. After sunup, he said he looked back over his course into the area and noted many, many more icebergs than had been reported, and attributed his safe arrival to Divine Guidance. Too bad the Titanic didn't have some of that on board as well. It seems that no one on board really knew how the Titanic would respond to emergency maneuvers at full speed and load. If the Olympic had ever been tested under those conditions it was never mentioned at the hearings.

To put a more modern perspective on the numbers mentioned above it is instructive to look at the case of:

(1) a fully-loaded Boeing 747 impacting a mountain at cruise speed
437.5 Tons take off weight, 484 knots cruise speed
KE = 0.4375 * 484 * 484 = 102,487
Almost 4 times the impact energy of the Titanic!
No wonder there is so little left to pick up.

(2) a Ford Excursion, hitting a concrete bridge pier at 80 mph
3 tons gross weight at 69.4 knots
KE = 0.003 * 69.4 * 69.4 = 14.4
About 1/1000 the KE of the USS San Francisco
Ponder the survivability of that!

Once more it will be instructive to reread the book "You Must be Joking Mr. Feynman!", especially the chapter on his participation in the investigation of the Challenger disaster. The investigative board was getting bogged down in endless discussions of hypothetical minutiae when Feynman whipped out his little tabletop experiment demonstrating that the O-rings lost their seal at 0 degrees C, and when hot gases blew by they were gone. It became impossible to deny that the designers and management had screwed up in a big way.

Memories of 1972

Before the 1972 election, Henry Kissinger announced that peace negotiations with the North Vietnamese were near a breakthrough. The emptiness of that announcement - the cynical abuse of people's hopes for electoral advantage - became clear after the election, with renewed bombing at Christmas, and the U.S. incursion into Cambodia.

I was very much reminded of that time, this time in advance of congressional elections, by the latest Iraq announcement from Britain:

The United States and Britain are planning to pull all their troops out of Iraq by the spring of 2007, two British newspapers reported in their Sunday editions, quoting unnamed senior defense ministry sources.

The Sunday Telegraph said the planned pull-out followed an acceptance by the two governments that the presence of foreign troops in Iraq was now a large obstacle to securing peace.

"The British government is understood to be the driving force behind the withdrawal plan but all 24 coalition members are likely to welcome the move, given the growing international unpopularity of the war," the Telegraph said.

Heavy Artillery Movement

The Air Force has deployed frightening AC-130 gunships back into Iraq.

Infringing Patent

Damon Wayans apparently wants to patent the word "niggas":

He wants to put it on a product line of apparel and whatnot. So far, he has not been successful, but one can imagine young American kids wearing that word emblazoned on their apparel and listening to rap "songs" in which the N-word frequently appears, in conjunction with "bitches" and "hos," among other denigrations.

Diet Soda

Experts ponder diet soda:

Harvard pediatrician Dr. David Ludwig worries that diet soda is causing "infantilization of taste buds."

I drink more diet soda than I drink water. And as soon as I get the sippy cup, the pacifier, and the teething ring out of my mouth, I'll tell you more....

Dang Weather!

These Hawaiian floods, in a just universe, should have gone to Arizona!

Can't Quite Believe His Eyes

Good government liberal Josh Marshall can't quite believe how rapidly Brownie's post-Katrina reputation is recovering, but at least he understands why it's recovering. In comparison to Chertoff and Bush, Brownie looks more and more like a wizard every day! Digby has two posts for March 3rd on the same point.

VAPAC Troubles

I wonder why Sacramento Unified School District is being so rough with the VAPAC Performing Arts Charter School. Ostensibly, Sac Unified is concerned about financial irregularities, but the roughhouse approach they're following, attempting a hostile takeover - literally, a hostile takeover, where security guards are required - hardly seems calculated to inspire confidence. Schools require mutual confidence to thrive, and that confidence has been shattered.

Governmental agencies, no matter how benign, look with suspicion upon satellite groups, like charter schools, no matter how selfless, where both private and public funds are involved. Clean lines of authority get fuzzy. (Reminds me a little bit of DMTC and the City of Davis!)

I hate to see this battle, though: VAPAC is a very positive part of the Sacramento Performing Arts community, and we would sorely miss it!

Hoping For The Best!

Best wishes for a good second Friday! (picture from PsychoWardJester at B3ta).

Hungry Next Week in Davis?

A fundraiser at Dos Coyotes on Monday evening for Davis Senior High Symphony Orchestra:

Plus, of course, DMTC's fundraiser on Wednesday evening, sponsored by California Advocates and graciously arranged by Michael Miiller:

YOU ARE INVITED

". . .Splashed with rich earth tones and a warm European flair, and accented with murals and wine glasses suspended above the bar, serving as candle holders. It features hot and cold tapas, dinner and lunch entrées, . . . and a lengthy list of California and European wines.…” --Davis Enterprise on Aioli Bodega Española Restaurant

Aioli Bodega Española, is hosting a fundraising event for Davis Musical Theatre Company. Wednesday, March 8 from 5 to 7 p.m., 808 Second St., downtown Davis (formerly Cafe California.) Please join us at Davis’ newest restaurant, having the charm and romance of old Spain, and fill your belly with the finest sangria and intoxicating tapas.

$25 per person (covers admission, food and drink). All proceeds from this event benefit DMTC, a non-profit 501(c)(3) community theater company. The deadline for reservations is Sunday, March 5, 2006. Please RSVP to Michael Miiller at m_miiller@yahoo.com (Yes, that is two i’s in Miiller) or Jan Isaacson at jan@dmtc.org

DMTC gratefully thanks Aioli Bodega Española and California Advocates for their generous support of this event. As a non-profit organization, DMTC recently opened its beautiful, new 240-seat home, the Hoblit Performing Arts Center. Much of this million-plus dollar dream came true through the heroic efforts and generous support of dedicated community volunteers and friends. DMTC is now in the process of retiring its remaining debt. Your donation to DMTC is greatly appreciated to keep the dream alive and real.

Getting Stranger

Apparently the Department of Homeland Security is somehow mixed up with the mysterious car crash that destroyed an extraordinarily-expensive automobile along the California coast.

No one was injured when the rare Ferrari Enzo traveling 162 mph smashed into a power pole on Pacific Coast Highway. But the case continues to generate interest because the Ferrari is one of only 400 built, and detectives have struggled to understand what happened.

Eriksson told investigators he was a passenger in the Ferrari and that the driver was a man named Dietrich, who fled from the scene. But officials have been skeptical, noting that Eriksson had a bloody lip and the only blood found was on the driver's side airbag.

... Just as murky is Eriksson's connection to the San Gabriel Valley Transit Authority. The organization is a privately run nonprofit that has agreements with Monrovia and Sierra Madre to provide bus rides for disabled residents.

... According to the website, the organization also has its own police department with a chief, detectives and marked police cruisers. Sheriff's investigators said Eriksson told deputies that he was deputy commissioner of the department's anti-terrorism unit.

Bush Caves On Discouraging The South Asian Arms Race

Doesn't seem wise:

It appears that, to close the deal during his visit, Bush directed his negotiators to give in to India's demands that it be allowed to produce unlimited quantities of fissile material and amass as many nuclear weapons as it wants.

The agreement, which requires congressional approval, would be an important step toward Bush's long-held goal of closer relations with India. It would reflect India's status as a global power. And, not least of all, it would more firmly establish India as a military ally and bulwark against China.

Critics have long denounced such an agreement, saying it would reward India for its rogue nuclear-weapons program and could encourage other nations to do likewise.

But now the criticisms may focus on this question: By enabling India to build an unlimited stockpile of nuclear weapons, would this agreement set off a new Asian arms race?

And here's another question: Were Bush and his aides so eager for some good headlines -- for a change -- that they gave away the store?

Trained Seals

A rare Joint Session of the U.S. Congress was called in order to provide camera shots for the current Italian election campaign. Your elected representatives applauded like trained seals for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, even though he spoke entirely in Italian, and no Congress member had a freakin' idea what he was saying.

Blowin' In The Wind

B3ta's Question of the Week asks their readers to submit their best airport stories. Here's my submission:

The Boeing 737 was an hour late taxiing to the runway for takeoff in Albuquerque, NM, USA on a windy evening. Many passengers were upset that they might miss their connection in Phoenix, AZ that would take them to Orange County, CA. They would arrive in Phoenix with just minutes to spare to run through the airport to make their connection.

Looking out the window, I saw a tumbling plastic dry-cleaning bag, being blown by the wind, towards the aircraft. Abruptly, the plastic bag jumped off the ground and went right into the engine. The lights flickered and my heart filled with dread: was there engine damage? Were we doomed? I frantically began waving my arms at the stewardess, she informed the pilot, and he did a U-turn and rolled right back to the terminal for another hour of delay, while mechanics picked plastic out of the engine cowling.

It's funny, despite all the broken connections, not a single person complained about the additional delay. All the impatient people suddenly had the patience of Job.

Apples Are Better Than Pears

At surviving car accidents:

Moderately overweight males are more likely to survive serious car accidents than either the thin or the very fat. Apparently, a bit of extra padding -- but not too much -- provides extra protection, according to the study.

... For reasons that aren't clear, women don't get the same protection from extra weight: Being fat, thin or in-between didn't affect their likelihood of dying in a car accident, the study found.

Was It Something I Said?

In 2002, Randall Kennedy wrote an interesting book: "Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word." Here is an excerpt from a review:

Kennedy seems to be a strict interpreter of the Constitution. He surprises the reader with his conservative takes on several remarkable cases of N-word litigation. When discussing famous rulings that invoke the fighting-words and mere-words doctrines, he opts against the fighting-words doctrine because it "gives more leeway to insult a nun than a prizefighter since the nun is less likely to retaliate." He also comes down against the mere-words doctrine (where words alone are not sufficient for provocation) by adding, "I am persuaded that there should be no bright-line limits to the array of provocations that a jury is permitted to consider for the purposes of mitigation."

Even further, he sides against the regulationists, who advocate for laws against hate speech. He also opposes the eradicationists, who condemn all uses of the N-word -- even in art, literature or by comedians. Kennedy, who is black, has little problem defending Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn over the controversy regarding its use of the N-word 215 times, of which he says, "... Twain designed to subvert, not to reinforce, racism." Onto which he adds that "... [our] thought becomes stunted in the absence of any sense of irony."

I was reminded of when DMTC did "Showboat" in the summer of 2003. I played racist Pete Gavin, who opens the show with crude, nasty use of the N-word. Like with 'Huckleberry Finn,' the N-word was used in 'Showboat' in order to subvert racism, not promote it, but nevertheless, Director Jan carefully lectured the assembled cast that DMTC would not use the N-word in our show at all, in order to avoid offending any sensibilities.

Unfortunately, I wasn't paying much attention on that summer evening: I was doodling instead. So, when the time came, I faithfully followed the script: I used the N-word in a nasty, crude way to one of the lead actresses. It was the first time, and probably last time, I've ever heard an entire assembled DMTC cast fall, utterly, into aghast silence.....

Mississippi Sheriff Shows Initiative...

during Hurricane Katrina, and brain-dead feds prosecute him:

About 150 people gathered in support of Forrest County Sheriff Billy McGee on Sunday, outraged at federal charges against him stemming from a dispute over ice trucks in the days following Hurricane Katrina.

..."We had diabetic people who hadn't been able to put their insulin on ice for three days," said Lee Behrens, 53, chief of the McLaurin Volunteer Fire Department. "If it was up to FEMA, those trucks would still be at Camp Shelby."

McGee, 53, was scheduled to plead guilty Friday to a misdemeanor charge of interfering with, intimidating and impeding a federal officer, but the hearing was delayed indefinitely late Thursday. A new court date has not been scheduled.

McGee acknowledged to the Hattiesburg American on Thursday that he acted outside federal guidelines when he asked two ice truck drivers to follow him to distribution centers in the Brooklyn and Sheeplo communities.

... About 1,000 people relied on the McLaurin VFD for ice and water during those sweltering days, said volunteer firefighter Rhonda Hobson.

"I can hardly even describe the looks on people's faces when we had to tell them we couldn't give them anything," said Hobson, 37. "(McGee) did it for us, for the reasons we voted him in there - to protect us and take care of us."

...Charlie Sims, 47, of McLaurin asked sheriff's deputies to relay a request from the people of South Forrest County. "Would you please ask him to write a handbook for FEMA on how to make a decision?"

Las Vegas Musical Theater Lessons

Faced with Q-miliation, mogul Steve Wynn apparently has been bad-mouthing "Mamma Mia," but Michael Riedel at the New York Post (via blogger Richard Abowitz) has done some sleuthing regarding just how successful "Mamma Mia" is (and continues to be). Riedel comments:

People involved in "Mamma Mia!" think Wynn is trashing their show because he tried — and failed — to get it himself. He offered Judy Craymer, its producer, several million dollars for the exclusive North American rights. He wanted "Mamma Mia!" to forgo a U.S. tour, bypass Broadway and head straight to Vegas.

Craymer turned him down, a decision that has made her one of the richest women in England. The Broadway production and the U.S. tour have made tens of millions of dollars. All that plus the Vegas profits.

What Craymer understood instinctively — and what Wynn is now, only after his "Q" black eye, just beginning to grasp — is that for a show to be successful in Vegas, it must have a high profile. It must, says Wynn, "arrive in Vegas late in its life." "Mamma Mia!" criss-crossed the country and ran on Broadway for a year before playing Mandalay Bay. It was already a famous show by the time it got there.

The lesson theater people are drawing from the failure of "Q" and the success of "Mamma Mia!" is that the Vegas audience only buys what it knows and likes. When you're in Vegas, you take your chances with the slot machines, not with the price of theater tickets.

So That's What Happened!

I once had a VW Bug. I once had a cat. These days, I have neither, and now I know why.

Davis Enterprise Review of DMTC's "Titanic - The Musical"

Since there is no indication that Bev Sykes' review will even be archived by the Davis Enterprise, to allow paying readers to access it, so here is a JPEG of her review. Just copy and save it, and zoom in on it, to get readability.

Every technical annoyance she mentions did occur on opening night, and to my knowledge, has been fixed. Whatever annoyance she had with the singers can't be fixed so easily (except to note that many of us mercifully drown in icy North Atlantic waters).

"Wizard of Oz" Callbacks

Lots of talented people! I was surprised, actually. I expected this show to be a showcase for new, unknown talent, and there was some of that there, but many of the Sacramento Valley's young, experienced musical theater people were there as well. That will make casting decisions hard!

More On Kelly Daniells

Mentioned in passing in this Las Vegas Sun article. It's interesting how the reporter seemed to have no particular tag to put on Kelly (a community theater veteran) except "Annie Get Your Gun." Jumping into the professional world appears like a rebirth: talented people magically appear, fully trained, just out of nowhere! In any event, Kelly will become known to everyone soon enough!

The big rollout of the new "Mamma Mia" cast apparently happened last Thursday. Jason says the new cast was invited to the Mandalay Bay's posh Foundation Room for a party. More information should be available soon at Kelly's Weblog (address on sidebar).

Obecalp

Drug of choice these days at the VA for Gulf War Syndrome.

(Personal experience): Actually, Obecalp might be preferable to the usual VA approach, which is to prescribe mind-altering drugs, and then not follow up with a review of medications until after the side effects are bizarre enough to frighten small children.

Cool As A Cucumber

Panicked stewardess freaks out over Greenland.

Swindle's Maglev Express

The City Manager wants to connect Bernalillo, NM (3rd-oldest town in the U.S., and trailer park capital of the universe) with Rio Rancho, NM (exploding subdivisions from hell, characterless sheet-rock capital of the universe, but without trailers) with a Maglev rail line. I wonder if this is connected with Rio Rancho Mayor Jim Owen's megalomaniacal idea to push his exploding subdivisions all the way to Laguna Pueblo?

I remind these low-budget fantasists that Sacramento had to give up computer-driven light rail trains, because they kept crashing into cars and drunks and cows and any number of other inconvenient objects, on a routine basis:

Swindle believes it could happen with the urban maglev, a high-speed train that floats above its track on a magnetic field, transporting passengers above the metropolitan area without traffic congestion, expensive rail lines or even a driver.

It's a real technology, already carrying passengers in Germany and Japan. In the United States, maglev exists on test tracks in San Diego and Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo.

The stumbling block is the price. At an estimated $20 million per mile, Swindle's idea would cost $100 million.

But with support from neighboring Rio Rancho, Swindle hopes to find investors to help build a five-mile maglev system connecting the Bernalillo rail stop for the state's Rail Runner commuter train to Rio Rancho's downtown, which is under construction.

Medical Malpractice Crisis Is Over

For now....

....These kinds of volcanic eruptions in insurance premiums have occurred three times in the last 30 years — in the mid 1970s, again in the mid-1980s, and then again following the year 2001. The cause is always the same: a severe drop in investment income for insurers compounded by underpricing in prior years. Each time, insurers and the health care industry have tried to cover up their mismanaged underwriting by blaming lawyers and the legal system.

It's Not Racist To Be Concerned About Port Security

With the Senate majority leadership falling in line like little robots to support the port deal with the UAE, it's important to note that security questions remain:

That post-9-11 pressure has caused the UAE to switch sides is surely a good thing. But America has allies, and then we have allies. Our strategic partnerships with close democratic friends -- Britain, Germany, Japan, etc. -- extend across decades and involve presidents and prime ministers from all parties in both states, transcending personal ties or whims of the day and reflecting deep alignment of values and interests. Partnerships of convenience with friendly despots dating back to the early 21st century and reflecting handshake agreements between George W. Bush and the local monarch aren't the same thing, and there's nothing racist about pointing this out.

Plumb Forgot

I was supposed to be the expert involved, but I ended up going to the supermarket instead:

Scooter Libby, lawyer, foreign policy hand, author and Dick Cheney's personal one-man heat shield, has hired a memory loss expert to assist in his defense.

So, the Red Chinese Are Miffed

What are they going to do about it? Close the port of Los Angeles? Well, ..... yeah! They already run the port! Just a few phone calls and they could shut it down, if they wanted. Do we have enough National Guardsmen to keep the place functioning if we had to?:

Chinese President Hu Jintao denounced the Taiwanese president's decision to scrap an agency dedicated to uniting Taiwan with the communist mainland, and warned Tuesday that Beijing will not permit the self-ruled island to pursue formal independence.

Hu's criticism came amid a series of stern Chinese statements Tuesday that vilified Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian but refrained from repeating Beijing's frequent threats to attack the island, which it claims as part of its territory.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry called on the United States, Taiwan's only major ally, to block any moves toward independence for the island, split from the mainland since 1949.

Hu accused Chen of taking a "dangerous step" toward independence.

"We will continue to strive for the prospect of peaceful unification, but we will never allow Taiwan to be split from the motherland," state media quoted Hu as saying.

The high-level warning reflected the depth of Beijing's alarm at Chen's decision Monday to abolish the National Unification Council along with guidelines calling for uniting Taiwan with the communist mainland.

Pass The Bon-Bons

Oink, oink:

Half of Europeans are obese or overweight, but citizens do not see obesity as a major health threat, a food industry report said on Tuesday.

Bad Timing

Time for the blackboard:

I promise never again to have the gutters removed just before heavy rains.
I promise never again to have the gutters removed just before heavy rains.
I promise never again to have the gutters removed just before heavy rains.
.....................

Three Marsupial Night

I don't know whether they were freaked out by the winds, or excited by the smell of wet earth, but the streets of Sacramento were swarming with possums last night, in the early morning hours. Sparky thought it was invigorating fun to make these peculiar tree dwellers freeze right in their tracks.

YSG Valentine

On the evening of Friday, February 17th, I was leaving Old Spaghetti Factory with the DMTC borg, when teenagers abruptly stopped me and raved about the "Tommy" DMTC sweatshirt I was wearing. "I LOVE The WHO!," one girl exclaimed, "I saw them at the Hollywood Bowl!" I was surprised, since I thought The Who stopped touring years ago, but I was even more surprised to discover they were from the West Valley, or Hollywood, or somewhere down in the South Coast, in Sacramento for a YSG (presumably Youth in Student Government) weekend at the State Capitol. They gave me a little YSG Valentine, colored red, green and yellow (looks Italian, which is fitting for the restaurant).

I've since tried to confirm the YSG acronym on Google, but all I get is 'Young Solicitor's Group,' and 'Yap State Government,' and 'Yokohama Shakespeare Group," so I don't know for sure who they were, but I'm carrying around the YSG Valentine wherever I go.

Franklin Foer Named Chief Editor of TNR

Too late. That rag is headed to obsolescence. To think I subscribed for a quarter century too. Surprised I didn't get neoconservative scabies.

Right From The Heart

Assistant to the State Treasurer of Arizona resigns.

America Is Not Alone

And if we all could wedge ourselves out of the comfy chair, we could do something about it:

The Australian Bureau of Statistics national health survey, released yesterday, found 62 per cent of men and 45 per cent of women were overweight or obese.

However, only 32 per cent of men and 37 per cent of women saw themselves that way.

It also found Queenslanders are fatter, drink and smoke more and have higher levels of preventable diseases than the average Australian.

The 2003 Recall Candidates Respond....

To Gerald Gorman's candidacy:

Cheryl Bly-Chester: Good Luck on your Assembly Race - I agree - engineers know how to work through problems. - Fellow Historical Figure - Cheryl Bly-Chester

Marc Valdez: Engineers are good with most problems, but too quick to answer others: questions like 'do I look fat in this dress?' kinds of questions, the kind where the human element gets involved....

Diana Foss: Mark - I'm not an engineer, but you don't look fat in that dress. Don't worry - Diana

Marc Valdez: Thank you, Diana (whew!)

Christopher Sproul: Once again, I agree with Diana's judgment. And while we were in the minority in urging No on Recall, I trust that history will vindicate us on both Arnold and your attire. - Borrowing from Cheryl, Your Fellow Historical Figure, Chris

Nation's Wackiest Street Names

(Courtesy of Noel): results of a poll:

10. Tater Peeler Road in Lebanon, Tenn.
9. The intersection of Count and Basie in Richmond, Va.
8. Shades of Death Road in Warren County, N.J.
7. Unexpected Road in Buena, N.J.
6. Bucket of Blood Street in Holbrook, Ariz.
5. The intersection of Clinton and Fidelity in Houston
4. The intersection of Lonesome and Hardup in Albany, Ga.
3. Farfrompoopen Road in Tennessee (the only road up to Constipation Ridge)
2. Divorce Court in Heather Highlands, Pa.
1. Psycho Path in Traverse City, Mich.

Mister X

Has a blog.

A Day of Non-Sequiturs

Gabe notes that today is the anniversary of the Reichstag Fire. After throwing today's date around a bit, Gabe has a Guy Fawkes fantasy:

Future news flash: Marc Valdez was found naked behind the State Capitol after a stink bomb went off on December 13, 2006. The Governor declared a state of emergency, dissolved the Legisature, and the people cheered the end of governmental stalemate. Forever after the period of Utopia reigned, and from there on out, every December 13, Marc Valdez is set free on the Capitol grounds to throw a ceremonial stink bomb. After the air clears, the Governor appears to declare a year of prosperity with much rejoicing. Marc Valdez is shown by his side, with mouth gagged, to show a sign of the loyal opposition. With many cheers and hurrahs, Marc is put away for another year to star on a tv show strangely reminiscent of the 1960s: The Prisoner.

I respond: Hurrah, Progress! I like it! Especially the ceremonial part (being chased naked by a big balloon in public somehow excites me...)

Gabe responds with a Wikipedia reference to 'The Simpsons':

Another episode, "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes", had the final act completely based on The Prisoner. Homer became trapped on an island which was similar to the Village and Patrick McGoohan even reprised his role as Number 6 (Homer was Number 5). While on the island, some of the reasons for prisoners being there were revealed. Number 27 could turn water into gasoline, Number 12 knew the deadly secret behind Tic Tacs, and Number 6 invented the bottomless peanut bag. While trying to escape, Homer was pursued by Rover and easily popped it with a plastic fork. The episode ends with Homer returning to Springfield, only to be abducted again, this time with his family, but they find that life in The Island isn't that bad after all.

Gerald Gorman, Candidate

Former 2003 California Recall candidate Gerald Gorman is in the running again, for State Assembly:

Yep, I've got my hat back in the ring again. This time it is for the State Assembly seat that will be vacated by Joe Canciamilla at the end of the current term due to term limits. Interestingly enough, even though I ran for Mayor of San Bruno in 1991, and for Governor in 2003, and another time for a County Board of Education spot - the Contra Costa times still considers me to be a political unknown.

Now I realize that some of the things that I have said over the years have been very contraversial - and this may be problemetic insofar as how I should approach the current situation. My first instinct is to run a basic platform that I think that "political decisions would be better off being made by engineers than for engineering decisions to continue to be made by politicians" AND that "I have a track record of identifying (the critical) issues (that are most often overlooked by those suffering from a failure of imagination)"

Gerald has formidable memory skills: name a week in the last half-year, and he can tell you what the Super Lotto Megabucks number was for that week. If politics were like 'Jeopardy,' he'd win easily. But as we know, politics is a trickier game....

Tipping Point?

How forgiving will the voters be in 2006 regarding Bush Administration missteps? It's dangerous to provoke voters - witness how California Governor Gray Davis generated a massive backlash in 2003 with the 2001 electricity debacle and his ham-handed interference in the 2002 Republican gubernatorial primary. Voters can lunge for the pitchforks at times. Rhode Island's Republican Governor is a little more optimistic this year, though:

The Medicare program left several governors shaking their heads, though they said efforts to improve it were helping. "Probably the design of the plan could've been better," said Republican Don Carcieri of Rhode Island. Bush has called for steps to limit the confusion. Still, Carcieri was sure voters would forgive, both on the drugs and on the hurricane response. "They're more understanding of that kind of thing. They understand they're only human."

Well, in 2003, fickle California voters changed their minds and decided Gray Davis was an alien from Mars, with thin green blood. What will happen, this year, to Republican candidates?

A More Relaxed Schedule For 'Showgirl'?

Kylie's Australian tour may be stretched out to leave R&R time:

[T]he Showgirl show itself certainly won't be scaled down - quite the opposite, it looks set to be revamped and updated - but the tour schedule looks likely to be a lot more relaxed than previously, with large back-to-back blocks of shows being replaced with more spread out dates, giving Kylie chance to regain full health in between, and hence not tiring her out; we all know how Kylie has suffered from exhaustion due to the chaotic scheduling of previous tours. There is no word about exactly how the show will be updated yet, although we were excited to hear that William Baker had been spotted visiting Kylie in Melbourne, and Showgirl must certainly have been one of the many things they must have discussed.

A more-relaxed pace is a good idea. I remember the original schedule: finish in Brisbane and open in Adelaide: the next night! How would that even be physically possible? All that equipment, travelling a thousand miles, supposedly by truck? For everyone's sake, take some time!

Ebony and Ivory

Mixed race couple have twins. One baby is white and the other is black, the odds of which are about one in a million.

Disturbing Trend

Run as a Democrat, end up on the no-fly list.

First Weekend Complete

Opened the newspaper this morning: got a jolt!

"Titanic - The Musical" is off to a good start (well, as good a start as a sinking ship ever gets).

Just a few problems today: several bobbled lines, that's all. With experience, the show continues to improve! Second Friday approaches in a few days - usually the bane of community theater - so we'll have to continue to maintain our focus.

Amazing Coincidences

Steve just distributed this E-Mail he received to the cast of "Titanic - The Musical":

To the cast and crew of Titanic,

Dear cast and crew, I have just come off stage after seven full-house performances and have spent the day nursing bruises and reflecting on what has the best week of my life.

I have been searching the web for reviews of our shows following the verbal support that we have received. Imagine my surprise when I found you lot!

The reason is that I am a member of DMTC (Durham Musical Theatre Company) based in Durham City in the North East of England. Our home is the Gala Theatre in Durham and my aches and pains have been caused by the fact that last night was my last performance of the Northern premiere of Titanic! How weird is that!

Last November my colleagues and I visited Liverpool to see West Kirby's production of Titanic where I met my namesake Jonathan Taylor who played Etches, the part for which I was auditioning. I did not get the part of Etches, instead that of Charles Lightoller and have thoroughly enjoyed playing him in this show. I'm sure it is too much to assume that you too have a cast member named Jonathan Taylor!

Never have I experienced such powerful emotion and such a strong vocal bombardment. I have loved ever second of it and wish you all well in your forthcoming show.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan R Taylor
Second Officer Charles Lightoller

Brown Snow

In Colorado:

FRISCO, Colo. (AP) — Snow that some residents described as dark as chocolate brown was reported across parts of Colorado Thursday, a result of a wind storm in northern Arizona that kicked up dust that fell with the snow overnight, officials said.

"Titanic - The Musical: First Two Nights

Things are going swimmingly! (ha! ha!)

Considering everything, we are off to an excellent start. The stage issues have been resolved, to the extent that serious difficulties are increasingly remote, and maybe statistically improbable. As Michael McElroy notes, the stage is not loaded when it is moving, and blocks are positioned to carry the weight when the stage is stopped, so any chance of breaking cables is remote. In addition, the strengthening of the rear coupled timber with nails and steel plates went well, so trouble there is now highly unlikely.

Robert Rehmus is the best kind of Stage Manager: paranoid about making everything work right, serious and dedicated, with safety as top priority number one, even above the show itself.

There were some light programming difficulties the first night, some prop problems, and actors were dropping lines (myself included). But not bad - I've certainly seen worse. The biggest set flaw was not getting enough of the right kind of chairs, so we ended up with white plastic chairs in the dining salon. If they had had white plastic chairs in 1912, they would have been very popular marvels on board the Titanic, but they didn't actually have them, to our discomfort.

Interestingly, the Crow's Nest seems to be among the most-popular innovations of the entire show. This is the Mark II version of the Crow's Nest: Mark I, which Michael once described as 'the bane of my existence' was mercifully cannibalized - the 'Dream of Progress' realized.

Second night (tonight), I nearly got into serious trouble, right off the bat. In the opening scene, I apparently was staring directly into a light, so when I turned to make my exit, I was utterly lost, bereft of all bearings in the darkness. I took a step off a platform without knowing where I was. Fortunately, the surface below was flat and even, so no harm.

Some minor problems: Rich Kulmann made a late entrance (places may not have been called at the top of Act II); 'Murdoch' froze, 'Lightoller' scrambled geographic coordinates. Steve believes 'To The Lifeboats' still isn't intense enough. But the cart scene went well!

I've been hearing lots of good reactions to 'Edgar' and 'Alice'. It's a distinct pleasure working opposite Lauren McElroy: her sharp focus contrasts well to my pixellated blur, and helps sustain our couple-at-cross-purposes act. For 'Edgar' and 'Alice', it's good we look at things from different perspectives. Lauren really hams it up in 'The Latest Rag,' shamelessly stealing focus and hearts.

Time to recoup for tomorrow's matinee!

My Dog Is More Powerful Than The Sun

And maybe your dog too! San Francisco wants to use dog doo for power:

Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but the city's estimated 240,000 cats and dogs leave calling cards of their own. Norcal has decided to focus on dog doo because it is easier to collect, since dog owners frequent certain parks and could dispose of their pets' waste in controlled receptacles.