Quibbles and Bits, Looking Up And Down And All Around Edition

They're in the air, on the ground, in the water, and from my head onto this page.   More morsels for your mental-culinary discernment:

>> Check out this picture from NASA, a rare, clear, beautiful view of Sarah Palin's home state.  
With this picture, we can now say with a clear conscience that we can see almost all the way to mainland Russia.  

It's a beautiful picture, all right - and terrifying.

This much of Alaska should not be this cloud-free this time of year.    The accompanying article mentions areas well-north of Anchorage with high temperatures into the upper 90s.   

Don't believe in human-caused global climate change yet?    Check this out...

>> Imagine being able to swim at the North Pole.  You can do that now, as the beacon that serves as the marker for 0-degrees North is now doing double-duty as a buoy.   There's a nice-sized lake up there now,  smallish to be sure, but time to break out your swimsuits and suntan lotion.   

This is what happens when we allow corporations to purchase our government.   

What Lessons did Trayvon Teach Us?

I just got word a few minutes ago, about the Trayvon Martin verdict.  

This is going to be a strange blog entry, as I honestly don't know what to make of this.    I feel for Trayvon.   I feel for the family and the supporters.  I feel for those who felt that justice was not served.  And I feel for the jurors. 

I was a foreman for a jury trial last year.   Being put in a position of juror for a criminal (or for me, civil with criminal overtones) case, especially one with as much emotional payload as this, puts the jurors into a lose-lose, damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't, situation.    Someone is going to be upset with this verdict, regardless of which way it went.     Had George Zimmerman been found guilty, then the gun nuts and the entirety of the right wing would be up in high dudgeon, trumpeting their anger and racism from on the heights of 1211 Avenue of the Americas and elsewhere.   The white supremacists would have likely come out in force.   

But that's not what happened.   

But here's the truth -  I wasn't at the courtroom.    I don't know what the judge allowed or disallowed for evidence.   I don't have the transcripts, and I could not observe how the jurors (only 6??  For a criminal case?  I find THAT interesting...) were acting during the course of the trial.   I know that in some areas of the trial, such as that involving whose voice was on the tape, there were conflicting claims as to whose voice it was screaming.    The bottom line is - I only know what the press filters out to the public, and that's not sufficient to potentially put a person behind bars for life.

I could speculate till all things that go "moo" come home.    I suppose that in the coming weeks, we'll be hearing about "Flori-duh" and the culture down there as far as race relations are concerned, and about the police, and about George Zimmerman being the right wing's new hero, and about "stand your ground", and about how this verdict opens the floodgates for race-based murder disguised as "stand your ground" self-defense, and on, and on, and on.    But guilt or innocence is not what I'm concerned with here.

I'm concerned about our country's love of sensationalism.  It sells - at the expense of all of the affected parties;
I'm concerned that "stand your ground" will now be opened for misuse, especially with our nation's sordid history of race relations;
I'm concerned that this case will form a stone paving the path to future race-related violence;
I'm concerned that our justice system will now be seen by more as an unfunny farce.  

The only winners here are George Zimmerman, the American Right Wing, and the 2nd-Amendment-Solutions crowd.    Nobody else is celebrating in the zero-sum game we play in the Gladiator's  Stadium of America.   

Eastern Seaboarding

I've been away for the last week, between self-guided walking tours of New York City and Boston and homework when I can get to it.  By the way, my adventures in these cities are detailed here, at my travel log blog, Beyond Highway 99.   I'm refining it as I go along, and will include photos, links to recommended places, and other things learned along the way as a relatively novice traveler.  

In my travels, I did find a few nuggets which I think of as relevant in this here progressive-leaning blog.     You'll see 'em soon - I think I might actually have a couple of doozies for you.   

So before I knock off for now, I'll let you know about a couple of topics I won't cover here, outside of what you see below:
1. The case against former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez - he may be as guilty as hell, but at least let him have his day in court;
2.  The crash of the Asiana Airlines flight at SFO, especially in light of the possibility that the flying fickle finger of blame may be pointed squarely in the flight crew's direction when all is said and done.   No rush to judgement, please;

More later.  

Putting the Boot to John Galt

It isn't typical that a professional athlete speaks out publicly on politics, current affairs, or much else that doesn't relate to their chosen profession.   What gets in the news, as we know, is the sensational stuff, much like the sensationally idiotic tweetings of Lolo Jones regarding the Trayvon Martin case.  

But its nice to see exceptions to that rule.    Chris Kluwe, former Minnesota Vikings punter now with the Oakland Raiders, has long been noted as a supporter of gay marriage.   I can only wonder how much his outspokenness on this issue led to his dismissal from the Vikings roster - the Vikings said it didn't, so well...OK.    What caught my attention is this post in Salon magazine regarding the shortcomings of the Ayn Rand philosophy which serves as the bedrock for modern Conservatism.   It's a short article, just a few paragraphs, but he gets right to the heart of what's wrong with Rand - a severe case of social myopia, and a delusional perception of a dream world existence.     Check it out.  

Righteous Indignation

Normally, I usually let some time pass between posts.   It allows my brain to sift through the news and events, and shape something which I hope makes sense.

But I couldn't pass this up.    Rep. Tammy Duckworth is, and always has been, an unfailing, stalwart supporter of our military veterans - especially since she left her legs and part of the use of her right arm on the battle field herself.  While I don't always agree with her stances on fiscal issues (too "Blue Dog" for my tastes), when it comes to veterans, she's a special kind of warrior in my book.

It takes a special kind of scum sack to declare that his foot injury, sustained playing prep school football, somehow qualifies him for veteran's disability classification and the resultant windfall of government cash for his business.   It speaks volumes that he's been able to get away with this for as long as he apparently has.  What's truly sad, however, is the political culture in Washington that fosters this kind of system-gaming.   This character is probably just the tip of the iceberg.   

The way that Rep. Duckworth conducted herself, in a case which I'm sure was personal to her as an injured veteran, is to be commended.   The fact that she was able to keep it together, even through her voice shaking toward the end of her time at the mic, is remarkable.    My father was a veteran (Navy), and I've known many who have served in various capacities in our nation's military.    I'm not so sure they would be so, well, civil if they were to be confronted by a leech like the contractor witness.

Let's just say - words might fail them.  

UPDATE - 7/1/2013:  Note Darrel Issa's response after Rep. Duckworth's remarks.    Apparently he let her go over time, and noted that it was "time well spent."   I guess he's had lots of practice recognizing crooked behavior.   Trying to make amends, eh, Rep. Issa?

Quibbles and Bits, Snowed In Edition

Morsels of varying sizes and shapes.   Bon Appetit!

>> I'm amazed at the division that the Edward Snowden affair is causing on the left side of the political spectrum.    I've seen and heard what seems to be an equal number of supporters, as there are detractors.    Democratic Underground has made for especially interesting reading over the last couple of weeks - and the detractors are in full force, at times reading like only slightly-better-educated versions of the typical right-wing hack.    Many progressive radio show hosts have not taken kindly to him, either: listen to Stephanie Miller on a given morning over the last couple of weeks.    I'm sure that all this division is causing the Republicans to just jump for glee at whatever hideout serves as their headquarters these days - because that's ultimately who this whole brouhaha is benefiting.  

By the way, those on the left that are raising Cain over Snowden and demanding his head on a plate:  who are you really trying to protect?   I suspect that they know that all of this is a reflection on President Obama, and their real concern is the potential impact on the 2014 and 2016 elections.   We cannot afford to have disillusionment drive down turnout and thus benefits the Repubs, but can you blame people for not being especially enthusiastic about casting a vote for a party that betrayed them?   Chris Hedges lays it all out in Death Of The Liberal Class - read it. 

>> Edward Snowden is being accused by this Administration of espionage.    Here's the question:  spying on whose behalf?????   If this was truly a case of espionage, and he's acting as an agent for somebody, would any of his revelations have seen the light of day?   He could have sold this information to an interested nation, with it likely being kept secret,  and be paid quite handsomely for it, so I don't think that personal enrichment was his motivation for going public.   

>> Not to overstate the obvious, but Mr. Snowden will not get a fair trial in this country.    Hong Kong knows that.   So does China and Russia, not to mention any other country not completely in America's waning sphere of influence.    Honestly - would Hong Kong have made their statement that our extradition request didn't completely meet their legal requirements 15-20 years ago?  How about Ecuador's public reminder that Snowden's extradition request will be evaluated based on Ecuador's constitution and laws?   The international community is standing up to us, and I say, GOOD!  It's high time.  

BTW, perhaps the Emperor isn't completely naked - yet.    But the skivvies are certainly in full view - and the Moon Over American Exceptionalism is on the rise.   See below.  

>>I actually think that we're having a discussion that should have been had for a long time - how much are we willing to let any third party, whether that be government or corporate (these days, is there any difference?), intrude and pry into our personal lives and data?   From what I'm seeing, especially on the left, we're willing to put up with A LOT of it.    Too much, in my opinion.   Remember what Ben Franklin was quoted saying, that those who sacrifice freedom for security shall get neither?  

How easily intimidated we Americans are.

>>Lastly, a bit of a departure, but perhaps related somewhat: the subject of American Exceptionalism.   In my view, American Exceptionalism can be likened to a big, round, plump pair of butt cheeks, between which the collective heads of much of the American population have their heads shoved up and firmly between.   In America, we're born with our heads shoved up this space, kept there by the media and the jingoism and belligerent nationalism (which we mistake for patriotism) we were raised with.   It's education, experience with other cultures and countries, and a cultural commitment to open mindedness, that begins the prying-out process.  

Time to start pulling, ladies and gentleman.   And be sure to take a shower afterward - lest the stench wafts around.      

Piecing Together The Ransom Note

Over the last few weeks, whenever I read or watched the news I always felt like I'm reading one of those archetypal ransom notes, where the words and letters were cut out of various magazines, newspapers, and other sources, and taped/glued together in a hodgepodge.  

I've been following the events going on in Turkey over the last couple of weeks, and found myself being reminded quite vividly about how the #Occupy movement was treated with a similar level of brutality.   I've read various items on the internet and in the friendly neighborhood Barnes and Noble that seem to carry a common theme: learn to live with and be happy with less, finding fulfillment with less, etc. etc. etc.   This message is also implied in proclamations like that recently issued by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who seems to think that the reason for the college debt crisis is that there are too many people going to colleges and not enough getting into the trades like plumbing and carpentry.   It's especially galling when that message, as well-meaning as it might be, is being issued by the "money press" like CNBC, with admonitions about "resourcefulness", and the old canard about how necessity is the mother of all invention and innovation.    And to hear politicians (even Republicans, from whom a message like this is par-for-course) say that the automatic increase in student loan rates is a good thing because personal responsibility is "cool" - don't get me started.  

Anything, so that Corporate America and the rich don't have to pay one more dime to the Government, which they now own anyway.   They've already "gone Galt", in a financial sense.  

And if they own the Government, and if "We The People" are supposed to BE the Government in a "democracy", then who does Corporate America, by extension, own? 

That's right, WE THE PEOPLE.   They own US.

The ransom note is becoming increasingly easy to decipher.   It's varying fonts and cut-out words and phrases are now seen for all:

Dear People:

SIT DOWN, & SHUT the F**K UP.

Behind the Mask...

Yes, I know, it's been a few months.   I added the title "college student" to my collection of personal stick-ons, and as a result, have been taking courses that have my butt unable to be planted anywhere.  

So I'm back.   And I'm pissed. 

A few posts back, I posted what Las Vegas and other communities are doing about their respective homeless issues - specifically, shipping them out of town by bus, and criminalizing helping those that remain in any way, shape, or form.   

Now, check this out.    Apparently, ahead of the approaching G8 Summit in Northern Ireland, the Fermanagh County forefathers found it appropriate to create the illusion of economic prosperity in the host townships by supplying large "stickers" of seemingly full store inventory to place in the shuttered storefronts and doors.   Now, we would not want to give the dignitaries any possible thought that their Friedmanist bullshit doesn't work, do we?

But that's part-and-parcel of our society today.   Truth means squat - literally.    Perception, on the other hand, is everything.   

Between The Scan Lines...

The Network For Church Monitoring website posted this link regarding 14 propaganda techniques found on Foxymoron News.   It's a fascinating read, and calls to memory much of the work done by media observers like Robert Greenwald.   On a darker note, it's also reminiscent of the work of Joseph Goebbels - the techniques noted (bullying, projection, etc.) are time-tested, and have been used by propagandists through the ages to attempt to bend and sculpt popular opinion toward a desired direction.  

Articles like this - those that alert us as media consumers - are becoming increasingly relevant in this era of media consolidation.   It pays to keep in mind who owns what in this American society, in that our government (at all levels), is owned by those that contribute the most "lubricant" (money) to the machine.   Those that own the media machine in this country, also own the government through their lobbyists and campaign contributions.   There is almost no separation between the two camps now - and when corporate and governmental interests and functions merge, what do you have?

Fascism.  

Quibbles and Bits, Bowled Over Edition

A few leftovers from Sunday's festivities...

>> I had a sense of foreboding the day before the game, that the 49ers (whom I've rooted for since 1979 and the Steve DeBerg era) were coming home from this endeavor empty-handed.   Michael Silver, in his column on Yahoo Sports, seemed to have a "feeling" about the Ravens, that there was "something" about that team, that told him it was their time.    It was one of those articles that gave me the dual emotions of "yeah, he might be right", and "shove it up your kiester, Mr. Silver!".   He was right;

>>Ray Lewis will now take his two Super Bowl rings to ESPN, so lets hope he keeps the preaching and proselytizing  to a minimum.   Heck, Mr. Lewis - start a ministry, like the late, great Minister of Defense, Reggie White - then you can put on your dance and let the waterworks flow for a receptive, captive audience;

>>The Niners lost this game in the second quarter.   They dug themselves into a 22-point hole that they ultimately could not dig themselves out of, though they came to within 7 yards of doing just that at the end of the game.   You can't spot your opponent that kind of a lead, plus rely on field goals rather than touchdowns, and expect to win.  

>>The Ravens and their fans earned this victory - congratulations.   They should enjoy it while it lasts, because they're not a dynasty.   Ray Lewis is gone, and Ed Reed is resembling a mastodon.   Their team has been built on defensive dominance, and with those two players gone, expect this house of cards to collapse by mid-2013.  

>>The Super Bowl is not intended to be a place to learn one's craft - it's a place to apply what you've already learned.    But there are a lot of lessons to be drawn in this game, especially for second-year pivot Colin Kaepernick.   He's proved to be a quick study and a hard worker, so combined with these hard lessons, his youth, and a host of returning veterans eager to avenge this loss, I fully expect the Niners to be back next year.   The Niners, in fact, may be the NFL's next dominant team with their current collection of key players.  

>>When it comes right down to it - does a football team's success or failure reflect on my ability to pay my mortgage or rent, or to feed myself or support my lifestyle?   It doesn't.   It's only ENTERTAINMENT.   The players get paid regardless of victory or defeat, and the payoff for me is bragging rights or water cooler conversation, nothing else.  

>>Finally, better to be in San Francisco (5-1) than in Buffalo (0-4), Cincinnati (0-2), or Detroit (0-0, they've yet to go).  

I now close the book on my Niners' commentary for the 2012 season.  A season unfinished, incomplete, but still successful and memorable.  

More later.  

Quibbles and Bits: Auld Lang Sighing Edition

Yeah, yeah, I'm late on the draw for the New Years, not so new anymore now that were almost half-way into January.    So here are a few morsels to chew on:

>> I'm not surprised in the slightest about the sale of Current TV to Al Jazeera.   The channel has struggled since its inception, and despite the chameleon-like reinventions over the years, it never was able to capture a substantial viewership.    It was a good idea, but I suspect that like Air America, it was mismanaged and under-capitalized.   I hope that Al Jazeera keeps the best of what Current produced - Vanguard documentaries are the first thing that come to mind.   Even an occasional, back-to-the-future viewer-produced video production wouldn't be a bad thing - those home-videos were the freshest feature of the network when it started up, and I'm sure that more than a few careers were started by those video submissions.    The programs on the air now - Stephanie Miller and Bill Press, Jennifer Granholm, etc., will likely remain on the air for another few months, but I suspect that by the end of April, Current will be no more.    RIP. 

>> I've been watching RT's news offerings lately.   So far, I'm impressed - even though the leftward slant is noticeable among the feature hosts (Thom Hartmann, Abby Martin, et. al) and the anchors.  The channel's shows do lob a fair number of journalistic bombs at those that represent themselves as left-leaning, though - such as what is seen in Abby Martin's Breaking The Set.  Check it out here.

>> I will be expanding the subject matter of this blog a bit, as music will be making an appearance as a topic.   Expect some posts in the coming months.  

More later.