It's good to pause, momentarily, and thank God (or whomever you think is responsible) for the good things in your life. I've got a loving, caring, beautiful wife, who is one of the two great cooks in my life (the other, of course, being Mom). They're pretty much tied for top spot in my mind. Mom is generous with her recipies - at least with us. The other day, she e-mailed me a recipie for chicken enchiladas that we'd had when we were in Idaho for Christmas. Reeta immediately made it with some turkey from the freezer, but the recipie was actually pretty big - so we made two pans - one to eat that night, and the other to eat tonight. It's sitting in the fridge right now, waiting to be called into action at a moment's notice. I'm thankful for enchiladas.
I've got a great, wonderful, smart little girl, who picks up on everything I do. For example, this morning I was playing a couple of quick rounds of UT2k4, when I let slip a "dammit". Claire, who was nearby, asked what that meant. I quickly explained that it was a bad word. "Is that the F word?" she asked? To her, everything is the F-word. "No, honey. It's not as bad as the F word. Which you shall never use. Except perhaps under the most dire of circumstances, which at this point are so dire and so unfathomable as to defy description, so you will never use the F word." Which summed that up. The other day, at the behest of a friend, she cut the hair off some of her Barbies. Now we have a couple of Annie Lennox dolls. She knew what she did was wrong, so that she hid the dolls, and when we were looking for something later that evening, she wouldn't let me look in the little dollhouse she keeps them in. I'm grateful for a smart child, even if her friend isn't so high on my list right now, though ;-).
I have physically survived yet another year of law school. Just one semester yet to go. I'm grateful to have survived, not so sure I'm grateful for impending graduation. I'm also thankful that I've had such great professors who have helped prepare me for the life ahead.
We have health and a roof over our heads (Thanks to Reeta managing apartments). We have food to eat, clean water, and friends. I'm grateful for my friends. In particular, I'm grateful for those people who have supported me and befriended me throughout my law school career. A special mention goes to "The Firm". A very special mention goes to my blogparents - Mellow Drama, who has helped me with template formatting, comments, writing, etc., and The Menagerie, who has helped me by being a great example, and a wonderful blogger besides. I'm grateful for all my friends.
I'm grateful for the country we live in. How many times do we hear "Only in America"?
But everyone's grateful for their friends, and their family. When do we get to hear the unique stuff? Okay. I'm grateful that this year I finally wore Reeta down enough that she allowed me to get a 'Cube. I'm also grateful for my GBA:SP. And Pokémon. And FFT:A. Both of them have been a ton of fun. And I'm exceedingly grateful that Naruto the animé series hasn't been licensed yet. I'm grateful for Netflix, and if the post is running today, I'll have three new discs sitting in my box - RahXephon, Samurai Jack, and The Day After Tomorrow (nothing says New Year's like the end of the world, baby!) I'm grateful for eBay. And for the Star Wars figures my Mom bought us for Christmas. I haven't opened them yet, but it's only a matter of time. And I'm thankful for the MPAA and the RIAA. After all, suing the end user means one thing: job security for the lawyers.
Happy New Year!
Friday
Wednesday
Radio Report 2
Several Technical Difficulties tonight. But I think I got most of the bugs worked out. Tonight I had two listeners for most of the time, my wife, and someone else. Thanks to you both! Here is where you can download JetAudio, which allows for real time IRC chat during the broadcast, requests, etc. Although I'm looking for something else, JetCast is free, and comes bundled with the JetAudio. It's got a lot of nice features, (chiefly, it allows me to broadcast, and it's free), although I wouldn't recommend it as a normal audio player - try Winamp for that.
Radio Report
Had one listener last night, for about 1 minute. A little disappointing, but better than none. Played some good tunes. I'll be broadcasting again tonight. Maybe I'll just be doing this til New Year.
Tuesday
Tonight's project
So, I've decided that over the break, I'd try to do a couple of hobbies. Tonight, I'm broadcasting over internet radio. Go to JetAudio between 9:00 and 10:00 PM, Pacific time, and select Original Sound Track. You should be able to find Mad Poet Radio there.
Tonight, and for the next couple of nights, I'll be playing the song list I listened to while I was taking finals. A lot of animé music, some other things. And I'm also looking for some good public domain stuff. I only wish I could find "The Gnats!" from BYU. (Man, that takes me back - "Psycho on the Loose with a Wiffle Ball Bat", and "Cruisin' for Beehives in Josh's Volvo" were particularly good.)
UPDATE: If you download JetAudio, and use that for the broadcast, you'll also get to join in on real time chat while you listen, but Winamp, Windows Media Player, etc., should all work.
Tonight, and for the next couple of nights, I'll be playing the song list I listened to while I was taking finals. A lot of animé music, some other things. And I'm also looking for some good public domain stuff. I only wish I could find "The Gnats!" from BYU. (Man, that takes me back - "Psycho on the Loose with a Wiffle Ball Bat", and "Cruisin' for Beehives in Josh's Volvo" were particularly good.)
UPDATE: If you download JetAudio, and use that for the broadcast, you'll also get to join in on real time chat while you listen, but Winamp, Windows Media Player, etc., should all work.
Friday
Friday Animé Sampler: news and Gankutsuo
AnimeSuki recently got a letter from a Tokyo law firm indicating that all animé from a certain producer needed to be removed - a Cease and Desist, despite the fact that the series are not licensed for distribution here in the states. Animesuki has complied with those demands.
In the meantime, Suprnova has disappeared, and the MPAA has started suing people who run Bit Torrent trackers. Is this the end of fansubbed animé being distributed through the net?
The landscape has certainly changed in the last two years. With the success of various animé series on Cartoon Network's adult swim, the increase in manga distribution here in the States, Animé Network, etc., etc., etc., we're seeing manga and animé distributed here in the States faster and more broadly. That doesn't mean this weekly primer will change, though. If anything, with the flood of stuff that's out there for people to watch, it's more important to direct people to quality anim&eacte and manga.
With that in mind, one of the series that was removed from AnimeSuki is a recent discovery of mine - "Gankutsuo", a sci-fi animé re-telling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Trippy. Trippy as all get out.
Currently up to episode ten. It's not available on AnimeSuki, and who knows if the fansub groups will be continuing to distribute it. There's some heavy implication that the Count is a Vampire (different color skin, pointy ears, fangs, you never see him eating...), but nothing confirmed yet. The story actually starts after the Chateau d'If, at the point where the Count saves young Albert from kidnapping during Carnival. Told primarily from Albert's point of view, Gankutsuo is not appropriate for children.
The animation style is really, really interesting also. Almost impressionistic. Keep your eyes open, hopefully this will be available here in the States soon.
In the meantime, Suprnova has disappeared, and the MPAA has started suing people who run Bit Torrent trackers. Is this the end of fansubbed animé being distributed through the net?
The landscape has certainly changed in the last two years. With the success of various animé series on Cartoon Network's adult swim, the increase in manga distribution here in the States, Animé Network, etc., etc., etc., we're seeing manga and animé distributed here in the States faster and more broadly. That doesn't mean this weekly primer will change, though. If anything, with the flood of stuff that's out there for people to watch, it's more important to direct people to quality anim&eacte and manga.
With that in mind, one of the series that was removed from AnimeSuki is a recent discovery of mine - "Gankutsuo", a sci-fi animé re-telling of The Count of Monte Cristo. Trippy. Trippy as all get out.
Currently up to episode ten. It's not available on AnimeSuki, and who knows if the fansub groups will be continuing to distribute it. There's some heavy implication that the Count is a Vampire (different color skin, pointy ears, fangs, you never see him eating...), but nothing confirmed yet. The story actually starts after the Chateau d'If, at the point where the Count saves young Albert from kidnapping during Carnival. Told primarily from Albert's point of view, Gankutsuo is not appropriate for children.
The animation style is really, really interesting also. Almost impressionistic. Keep your eyes open, hopefully this will be available here in the States soon.
The Annual Great Holiday Migration
was a success. Even though we didn't get out of Portland until much, much later than I thought we would, we made record time.
Only stopping twice for fuel and biological needs probably helped speed us on our way. As it is, we made it in less than 11 hours, over 700 miles. Wah-hoo. And the car we're renting is sa-weet. Until about hour 8, when you really need to just GET OUT!
Only stopping twice for fuel and biological needs probably helped speed us on our way. As it is, we made it in less than 11 hours, over 700 miles. Wah-hoo. And the car we're renting is sa-weet. Until about hour 8, when you really need to just GET OUT!
Wednesday
Explosive Decompression
All done.
Now I can relax. Play some 'Cube and GBA. With no guilt. At least, very little guilt. Maybe I can finish Cryptonomicon. And get through The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged). And I'll get some much-needed exercise.
And I've got plans for something during the break. I'm not sure how many people will be interested in it, but it'll be a little break-hobby for me. Watch this space. But not tomorrow, as my head has probably already exploded, and I'm too tired to notice right now.
Now I can relax. Play some 'Cube and GBA. With no guilt. At least, very little guilt. Maybe I can finish Cryptonomicon. And get through The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged). And I'll get some much-needed exercise.
And I've got plans for something during the break. I'm not sure how many people will be interested in it, but it'll be a little break-hobby for me. Watch this space. But not tomorrow, as my head has probably already exploded, and I'm too tired to notice right now.
Tuesday
I'm ready to finish this out.
It's tempting, though it would be ultimately self-destructive, to just take the Entertainment final tonight. You know, get it over with. Of course, I haven't reviewed, it's closed book, closed notes. I haven't looked at the material for two weeks. So it's not a very good idea.
But it's very, VERY tempting. Ethics went all right. Just the one left, and that's it for this year.
But it's very, VERY tempting. Ethics went all right. Just the one left, and that's it for this year.
In the Thick of It
Two down, two left, two days to take them in. Ethics (finally) today, and Entertainment tomorrow. Just found out that Entertainment is closed book, closed notes. That shouldn't be a huge problem, because it's mostly stuff I've covered in other classes (copyright, contract, trademark). But I do need to review.
Meanwhile, a friend of mine told me about a new series he said I need to watch. Talk about Fatal Distractions! Less than 48 hours... and I can watch all the anime I want... less than 48 hours...
Meanwhile, a friend of mine told me about a new series he said I need to watch. Talk about Fatal Distractions! Less than 48 hours... and I can watch all the anime I want... less than 48 hours...
Saturday
Homespun Symposium V
Every week, Homespun Bloggers posts a new question, and solicits responses from its members. I've been late on this one because of finals, and it's a hard question for me to really tackle.
What do you believe is necessarry for true racial reconciliation to take place in American society?
Does your solution involve coercive governmental remedies?
Do you believe that Churches have an important role to play in this process?
I really can't respond to this. I grew up in rural Idaho, and there wasn't a person much darker than a good tan for miles in any direction. The African-American people I know are smart, capable individuals. They should be - they're going to law school. I spent two years in some pretty rural areas of the Philippines, where the people I met were loving, kind, generous, and smart. Some of them were poor as dirt, but they had a real zest for life - something I don't mind admitting I'm a little envious of. I don't know, maybe there's a race war going on that I don't know of.
But as for Churches having an important role to play in the process of racial reconciliation? I'd say that the service of individuals, rendered lovingly and without expectation of reward, regardless of the organization behind it, is uplifting and edifying to both the server and the served. Churches can do things that bring people together in a community - get people side by side. Maybe they'll paint a widow's house. Maybe they're weeding and gardening the lawns of their respective churches. Maybe they're helping with the local Special Olympics. Service of those in need, regardless of their skin color, will help bring our communities and our country together, build tolerance and love, heal differences, and create the kind of national unity that has made us strong in the past, and will serve us well into the future.
And it doesn't have to be a Church involved. Community service groups of course can be non-denominational. But the involvement of a Church implies that there are other things going on. Most churches teach that God loves everyone. That we are all equal in the eyes of our Deity. They teach that we should "Do unto others" as we would have done to ourselves. The involvement of a church leads an individual to a rich spiritual life - a source of strength that the individual can rely upon as they're reaching out in service to others.
Homespun Bloggers have consistently given good responses to these questions, and I'm sure that this will be no exception.
Dagney's Rant
Mud and Phud
A Physicist's Perspective
Bunker Mulligan
Weapons of Mass Distraction
Ogre's Politics and Views
Slarrow
The Commons at Paulie's World - Paulie
Major Dad 1984
Little Red Blog
Redhunter
What do you believe is necessarry for true racial reconciliation to take place in American society?
Does your solution involve coercive governmental remedies?
Do you believe that Churches have an important role to play in this process?
I really can't respond to this. I grew up in rural Idaho, and there wasn't a person much darker than a good tan for miles in any direction. The African-American people I know are smart, capable individuals. They should be - they're going to law school. I spent two years in some pretty rural areas of the Philippines, where the people I met were loving, kind, generous, and smart. Some of them were poor as dirt, but they had a real zest for life - something I don't mind admitting I'm a little envious of. I don't know, maybe there's a race war going on that I don't know of.
But as for Churches having an important role to play in the process of racial reconciliation? I'd say that the service of individuals, rendered lovingly and without expectation of reward, regardless of the organization behind it, is uplifting and edifying to both the server and the served. Churches can do things that bring people together in a community - get people side by side. Maybe they'll paint a widow's house. Maybe they're weeding and gardening the lawns of their respective churches. Maybe they're helping with the local Special Olympics. Service of those in need, regardless of their skin color, will help bring our communities and our country together, build tolerance and love, heal differences, and create the kind of national unity that has made us strong in the past, and will serve us well into the future.
And it doesn't have to be a Church involved. Community service groups of course can be non-denominational. But the involvement of a Church implies that there are other things going on. Most churches teach that God loves everyone. That we are all equal in the eyes of our Deity. They teach that we should "Do unto others" as we would have done to ourselves. The involvement of a church leads an individual to a rich spiritual life - a source of strength that the individual can rely upon as they're reaching out in service to others.
Homespun Bloggers have consistently given good responses to these questions, and I'm sure that this will be no exception.
Dagney's Rant
Mud and Phud
A Physicist's Perspective
Bunker Mulligan
Weapons of Mass Distraction
Ogre's Politics and Views
Slarrow
The Commons at Paulie's World - Paulie
Major Dad 1984
Little Red Blog
Redhunter
[Listening to: Brothers - Michiru Oshima, BEPA - Fullmetal Alchemist OST 1 (4:05)]
Krauthammer pounds one home.
Just Leave Christmas Alone (washingtonpost.com) Registration required, but Krauthammer is worth it. This is one I couldn't have said better myself.
FINALS UPDATE: ADR tonight at 6:00 pm. Comfortably optimistic. Ethics Monday, probably 1:00 PM, and Entertainment Law Tuesday at 6:00PM or Wednesday at 1:00, and then you can stick a fork in me, baby, 'cause I will be DONE!
UPDATE: Link fixed, thanks!
FINALS UPDATE: ADR tonight at 6:00 pm. Comfortably optimistic. Ethics Monday, probably 1:00 PM, and Entertainment Law Tuesday at 6:00PM or Wednesday at 1:00, and then you can stick a fork in me, baby, 'cause I will be DONE!
UPDATE: Link fixed, thanks!
Thursday
Double Standards
The L.A. Times (registration required to get the full story) reports that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will introduce legislature today to regulate the sale of violent and graphic video games to minors. The bills would make it a misdemeanor to sell or rent sexually graphic or violent games to anyone younger than 18, punishable by as much as one year in prison and a $5,000 fine per offense. Retailers would have to label the games in a similar way to the "Parental Advisory" warning and stores would have to post signs explaining the video game rating system.
I'm frustrated by this. The ESRB has gotten awards on its rating system, and there's a lot of literature out there that seeks to educate parents on what things are rated. Video games had descriptors long before movies did, explaining why games were rated the way they were. Treating games differently than movies is wrong. If you want to block sales to minors, have the same kind of system in place for R-rated movies.
Plus, what ten-year old kid has $50.00 to go plunk down for GTA:San Andreas? Really?
Video games are getting more mature as the playing audience gets more mature, which is natural. I agree that I don't want Claire watching, much less playing, a game like Hitman, but I don't want her watching Assassins either.
More on this later - I've got stuff to study.
I'm frustrated by this. The ESRB has gotten awards on its rating system, and there's a lot of literature out there that seeks to educate parents on what things are rated. Video games had descriptors long before movies did, explaining why games were rated the way they were. Treating games differently than movies is wrong. If you want to block sales to minors, have the same kind of system in place for R-rated movies.
Plus, what ten-year old kid has $50.00 to go plunk down for GTA:San Andreas? Really?
Video games are getting more mature as the playing audience gets more mature, which is natural. I agree that I don't want Claire watching, much less playing, a game like Hitman, but I don't want her watching Assassins either.
More on this later - I've got stuff to study.
Wednesday
I am one sick puppy
Took the cyberlaw final tonight, and I have to say I think it's the most fun I've ever had in an exam. Good questions, and the ability to look stuff up during the exam on the internet. I could actually pull up statutes and do an analysis! Yee-haw! Can't say anything about it until after finals period is over (Christmas Eve), but I had a good time. I may go ahead and take ethics tomorrow afternoon, it depends on when I wake up tomorrow.
In the meantime, ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNO-TOAD!
In the meantime, ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNO-TOAD!
Taking the oh-so-precious time to explain...
See, it's not like I have a choice about freaking out. At this point in my life, I've been worrying so much and so long that if I don't have anything to worry about, it worries me.
Freaks Reeta out.
Yes, I'm living my life in a state of near-constant panic. At least for the next week.
Freaks Reeta out.
Yes, I'm living my life in a state of near-constant panic. At least for the next week.
One... More... Lecture...
I've been recording all my lectures for the last month. I really need to get through one more tonight, but maybe I'll just go to bed.
For those of you who are interested, I've just updated my PGP key, so you may need to get the new one, maybe not. I just updated the underlying subkey for encryption. I've uploaded new versions to various keyservers, but I don't know if they communicate with each other to update themselves, and how often they might do that. But now it's a 4096-bit key that's attached to my gmail, hotmail, and school e-mail addresses. One key fits all. Or perhaps it's one key to rule them all.
UPDATE: What this means is, my signature is still good, but if you're sending me something encrypted with my PGP key, you need to get the new one.
For those of you who are interested, I've just updated my PGP key, so you may need to get the new one, maybe not. I just updated the underlying subkey for encryption. I've uploaded new versions to various keyservers, but I don't know if they communicate with each other to update themselves, and how often they might do that. But now it's a 4096-bit key that's attached to my gmail, hotmail, and school e-mail addresses. One key fits all. Or perhaps it's one key to rule them all.
UPDATE: What this means is, my signature is still good, but if you're sending me something encrypted with my PGP key, you need to get the new one.
Tuesday
A quick breath, then back into it.
Putting off ethics until next week. I have no idea why I'm freaked about it, it's not like I can possibly fail the course even if I totally, completely, 100% bomb the exam. Maybe I'll take it Thursday. But tomorrow - Cyberlaw! And ADR at the end of the week, leaving Entertainment law for next week - probably Tuesday.
Note to self - next semester, sit closer to front of class to aid in getting good quality recordings. And review said recordings earlier than day before exam.
Also, the study reward that doesn't slow me down, but doesn't make me feel deprived is... Wario Ware Mega Micro Games for the GBA or GBA:SP. Five minutes of saving circus performers from certain destruction, and matching bricks in a pyramid, and I'm ready to head back into the tangles of cyberlaw. Excellent!
Note to self - next semester, sit closer to front of class to aid in getting good quality recordings. And review said recordings earlier than day before exam.
Also, the study reward that doesn't slow me down, but doesn't make me feel deprived is... Wario Ware Mega Micro Games for the GBA or GBA:SP. Five minutes of saving circus performers from certain destruction, and matching bricks in a pyramid, and I'm ready to head back into the tangles of cyberlaw. Excellent!
Saturday
Gmail, PGP, and the End to End Solution
Yeah, I should be studying. But before I head to the library to piece together my responses to the other two possible questions on the ethics exam I'll be taking tomorrow, I thought I'd perform a public service by explaining briefly how to get PGP working with Gmail using free tools. That's right. You can protect your privacy using free tools with Gmail.
WHAT I'M USING:
Windows XP
Thunderbird 1.0, available for download at www.mozilla.org.
Windows Privacy Tools, available for download at SourceForge. WinPT comes with an open source encryption program, GPG, which is compatible with PGP-style encryption.
Enigmail - an extension for Thunderbird that allows it to work with GPG. It's available at enigmail.mozdev.org.
Gmail. Let me know if you need an invitation. I've got a couple.
Download and install Thunderbird, and WinPT. WinPT will walk you through the process of creating a PGP compatible key for your gmail account. Instructions for setting up Thunderbird to read gmail (because it's pop3 compatible) are at gmail, under "Settings", "Forwarding and POP". Enable POP, and click on the Configuration instructions link.
Now download and install Enigmail. You'll probably have to download Enigmail to your hard drive, then open Thunderbird and go to "Tools"->"Extensions". Select the "install" button. Point it to the location where you saved Enigmail, and let it install Enigmail. Now restart Thunderbird.
When Thunderbird re-installs, you'll need to configure Enigmail. If it doesn't pull up a wizard to walk you through that, you can configure it through the new "Enigmail" menu. Select "Preferences". Enigmail needs to know where the GPG executable is. It should be in the same folder where WinPT was installed, in the GnuPG folder. If you installed it with default settings in a windows system, that's "c:\program files\Windows Privacy Tools\GnuPG\gpg.exe"
And that's it. You have an e-mail program that handles PGP compatible keys (Thunderbird and Enigmail), set to send and receive gmail.
UPDATE 1/17/05. This is by far the most popular post on this site. I'd like to know how useful these ideas and tools are. If you use this process, please let me know what you thought of it by sending me a quick email to zach *dot* ricks *at* gmail *dot* com. Likewise if you found this process difficult/impractical/non-functional. Thanks!
WHAT I'M USING:
Windows XP
Thunderbird 1.0, available for download at www.mozilla.org.
Windows Privacy Tools, available for download at SourceForge. WinPT comes with an open source encryption program, GPG, which is compatible with PGP-style encryption.
Enigmail - an extension for Thunderbird that allows it to work with GPG. It's available at enigmail.mozdev.org.
Gmail. Let me know if you need an invitation. I've got a couple.
Download and install Thunderbird, and WinPT. WinPT will walk you through the process of creating a PGP compatible key for your gmail account. Instructions for setting up Thunderbird to read gmail (because it's pop3 compatible) are at gmail, under "Settings", "Forwarding and POP". Enable POP, and click on the Configuration instructions link.
Now download and install Enigmail. You'll probably have to download Enigmail to your hard drive, then open Thunderbird and go to "Tools"->"Extensions". Select the "install" button. Point it to the location where you saved Enigmail, and let it install Enigmail. Now restart Thunderbird.
When Thunderbird re-installs, you'll need to configure Enigmail. If it doesn't pull up a wizard to walk you through that, you can configure it through the new "Enigmail" menu. Select "Preferences". Enigmail needs to know where the GPG executable is. It should be in the same folder where WinPT was installed, in the GnuPG folder. If you installed it with default settings in a windows system, that's "c:\program files\Windows Privacy Tools\GnuPG\gpg.exe"
And that's it. You have an e-mail program that handles PGP compatible keys (Thunderbird and Enigmail), set to send and receive gmail.
UPDATE 1/17/05. This is by far the most popular post on this site. I'd like to know how useful these ideas and tools are. If you use this process, please let me know what you thought of it by sending me a quick email to zach *dot* ricks *at* gmail *dot* com. Likewise if you found this process difficult/impractical/non-functional. Thanks!
Roaring Party
Had a great time last night. Steak was, unfortunately, about on a par with the chicken - crusted with black pepper and herbs. Garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. Then, créme brulée. That was really good. I turned to my wife and told her I felt like I was on the Iron Chef. Then I launched into critique.
"The bitterness of the burnt sugar contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the underlying custard."
That had a guy at the table laughing out loud. "That is spot on!"
There was a raffle, based on beads around the wine glasses. (If you had a letter, you won). Neither of us won. But then the owner of the company came by, saying that she had a winning glass, and wanted to trade. Done and Done. $20.00 gift certificate to Fred Meyers. (I was hoping for the Kitchen-Aid mixer. Oh well.) Off we went to Freddie's to buy my parents' Christmas present. They read this, so I can't say what it is here.
So, it was a great time. Claire spent the night at a friend's house, so we came home to an empty house (except for the kitty). Then we walked over to Hollywood Video, and rented a couple of videos. And... I saw Returner for sale for $10.00. Yee-haw!
Expect a review later of the movie we rented. In between now and then, we're going to the show for Claire's B-day, and I'm gonna study somewhere in there.
"The bitterness of the burnt sugar contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the underlying custard."
That had a guy at the table laughing out loud. "That is spot on!"
There was a raffle, based on beads around the wine glasses. (If you had a letter, you won). Neither of us won. But then the owner of the company came by, saying that she had a winning glass, and wanted to trade. Done and Done. $20.00 gift certificate to Fred Meyers. (I was hoping for the Kitchen-Aid mixer. Oh well.) Off we went to Freddie's to buy my parents' Christmas present. They read this, so I can't say what it is here.
So, it was a great time. Claire spent the night at a friend's house, so we came home to an empty house (except for the kitty). Then we walked over to Hollywood Video, and rented a couple of videos. And... I saw Returner for sale for $10.00. Yee-haw!
Expect a review later of the movie we rented. In between now and then, we're going to the show for Claire's B-day, and I'm gonna study somewhere in there.
Friday
Friday Anime Primer: DBZ and Rah Xephon
Fridays are for fun (even in law school, and even during finals). So, without further ado, here's today's Anime Primer.
First, Son Goku, from Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT are the work of Akira Toriyama, world-renowned mangaka. (Manga writer/artist). The anime of Dragon Ball spans three series (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT). The original series features our Hero, Goku, as a kid searching for the magic Dragon Balls, which will grant the user one wish, once a year. But once the balls are used, they're spread throughout the earth, so you have to find them again. Goku turns out to be an alien sent from a civilization that wants to conquer the earth, we find out in the episodes, and he becomes the universe's greatest fighter ever. Goku himself is cheerful, enjoys a good fight almost as much as he enjoys a big dinner. A great big dinner. DragonBall, DragonBall Z and Dragonball GT videos and DVDs are available at your local retailer. DragonBall and DragonBall Z graphic novels are published here in the states by Shonen Jump.
Second, Rah Xephon
Rah Xephon is (described by one of my friends here at the school) what Neon Genesis: Evangelion COULD and SHOULD have been. Ayato is a boy living in Tokyo. He believes that civilization was destroyed in a great war some years past, leaving only the area immediately around Tokyo intact. When the city is attacked by strange looking jet fighters, and a super-weapon appears to destroy them, a strange girl leads him to an underground temple where a giant robot-like thing emerges from an egg, and the adventure goes on. Suffice to say, everything is not as it seems. Currently airing on The Anime Network (I see it on Comcast On Demand), and they're currently up to episode 5.
BTW, Anime Network is showing some pretty good stuff - there'll be future samplers on things I'm watching there, like Azumanga Daioh, and Chrono Crusade when it starts up. They're even running old Battle of the Planets episodes starting in January. Time to pass the popcorn... (after finals!)
First, Son Goku, from Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT are the work of Akira Toriyama, world-renowned mangaka. (Manga writer/artist). The anime of Dragon Ball spans three series (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT). The original series features our Hero, Goku, as a kid searching for the magic Dragon Balls, which will grant the user one wish, once a year. But once the balls are used, they're spread throughout the earth, so you have to find them again. Goku turns out to be an alien sent from a civilization that wants to conquer the earth, we find out in the episodes, and he becomes the universe's greatest fighter ever. Goku himself is cheerful, enjoys a good fight almost as much as he enjoys a big dinner. A great big dinner. DragonBall, DragonBall Z and Dragonball GT videos and DVDs are available at your local retailer. DragonBall and DragonBall Z graphic novels are published here in the states by Shonen Jump.
Second, Rah Xephon
Rah Xephon is (described by one of my friends here at the school) what Neon Genesis: Evangelion COULD and SHOULD have been. Ayato is a boy living in Tokyo. He believes that civilization was destroyed in a great war some years past, leaving only the area immediately around Tokyo intact. When the city is attacked by strange looking jet fighters, and a super-weapon appears to destroy them, a strange girl leads him to an underground temple where a giant robot-like thing emerges from an egg, and the adventure goes on. Suffice to say, everything is not as it seems. Currently airing on The Anime Network (I see it on Comcast On Demand), and they're currently up to episode 5.
BTW, Anime Network is showing some pretty good stuff - there'll be future samplers on things I'm watching there, like Azumanga Daioh, and Chrono Crusade when it starts up. They're even running old Battle of the Planets episodes starting in January. Time to pass the popcorn... (after finals!)
Reading Days
Had a nice walk with Reeta yesterday, up to the Post Office (uphill) and to Albertson's for butter (downhill - much nicer). Got to exercise tonight. And STUDY. But Reeta's company is doing their annual holiday banquet tonight - with S-T-E-A-K. And the possibility of big prizes. Reeta said that they gave her the choice of steak or chicken, and she thought "What? Why would someone choose Chicken when they could have Steak?" It just makes me wonder if the two are actually comparable in quality. You can have really bad steak (and I've had really bad steak), and you can have really good chicken (I'm thinking a roasted quarter with some garlic, herbs, and just a little butter would equate to at least a mid-grade steak - maybe even better).
I don't know - any thoughts?
And I swear I was going to study today. I had the best of intentions. Alas, now it appears that I am, indeed, on the road to hell. Good intentions actually give a nice ride, and the playlist (heavy on the Van Halen) is providing a nice soundtrack to the rolling countryside. It's been pretty steady here in the computer lab with people with computer problems. Not easy problems, most of them, but at least I was able to help a couple of people with their connections. Tomorrow - I'm going to the library to study cyberlaw.
I still have fudge, so if you can get here by 6:00 PM... Otherwise I'll have to take it home with me, and just wind up eating all of it myself, and gain even more weight. Ugh!
I don't know - any thoughts?
And I swear I was going to study today. I had the best of intentions. Alas, now it appears that I am, indeed, on the road to hell. Good intentions actually give a nice ride, and the playlist (heavy on the Van Halen) is providing a nice soundtrack to the rolling countryside. It's been pretty steady here in the computer lab with people with computer problems. Not easy problems, most of them, but at least I was able to help a couple of people with their connections. Tomorrow - I'm going to the library to study cyberlaw.
I still have fudge, so if you can get here by 6:00 PM... Otherwise I'll have to take it home with me, and just wind up eating all of it myself, and gain even more weight. Ugh!
The Mighty Chicken!
I don't know why my confidence is low on this exam, but I decided to wait until Monday for the ethics exam. That puts ethics on Monday, probably Cyberlaw on Tuesday, and one more on Friday, either Entertainment law or ADR, leaving one last exam for Tuesday of next week.
Still, I do have fudge. Everything's better with fudge.
Still, I do have fudge. Everything's better with fudge.
Thursday
Take your lumps
Citizen Smash has a great letter to Pablo Paredes, a young man who refused to board ship for his deployment. I've got a brother who will be graduating from medic training in Texas, then he'll be shipped out. We don't know where yet, though. He's got a wife and kid, but no matter where he's sent, I can't imagine him doing something like this.
Good luck, and God speed, Steve!
Good luck, and God speed, Steve!
Beware of Fans!
ABC News: Gunman Kills 4 at Ohio Heavy Metal Show
The first guy killed was the former Pantera guitarist, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. The gunman himself climbed on stage during the first song, apparently screamed something, and shot Abbott several times at close range. Then he shot a bouncer, and started shooting into the crowd, killing two. He had a hostage in a headlock, and looked like he was going to shoot that guy when he was himself shot by local police.
Think this will change the way concerts and venues operate? I can't help but think that this is another case of someone off his meds. My heart goes out to the families of the deceased, and the survivors, who may think twice before going to a concert in a small venue like the nightclub mentioned above. I wonder what the lawyers will do with this one.
h/t Google News
The first guy killed was the former Pantera guitarist, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. The gunman himself climbed on stage during the first song, apparently screamed something, and shot Abbott several times at close range. Then he shot a bouncer, and started shooting into the crowd, killing two. He had a hostage in a headlock, and looked like he was going to shoot that guy when he was himself shot by local police.
Think this will change the way concerts and venues operate? I can't help but think that this is another case of someone off his meds. My heart goes out to the families of the deceased, and the survivors, who may think twice before going to a concert in a small venue like the nightclub mentioned above. I wonder what the lawyers will do with this one.
h/t Google News
Fudge Alert!
Reeta is making fudge for a church function.
That means I'll have fudge on Friday.
I'm taking an ethics final that morning, and in the afternoon, I'll be in the computer lab. If you feel the need for finals fudge come on by. I'll take donations. (Send my family to the movies for Claire's Birthday!)
That means I'll have fudge on Friday.
I'm taking an ethics final that morning, and in the afternoon, I'll be in the computer lab. If you feel the need for finals fudge come on by. I'll take donations. (Send my family to the movies for Claire's Birthday!)
Tuesday
Fractured Lenses
Homespun Bloggers question for this week comes from Arthur Chrenkoff.
The difference is one of perspective. Most people have seen the picture of the old lady/young woman, and how the picture changes for you depending on your point of view. I think that the current war on terror is an exercise in that same vein on a global scale. Keep in mind that countries, governments, etc., are made up of people, and everyone has their own read on a situation.
I think what they're looking at, what is driving this schism in politics is NOT, in fact, the war on terror.
I think it's the U.S.
To some, the U.S. is a largely benevolent culture. We've got a thriving economy, out of which we pay millions in foreign aid. Our universities and educational institutions are, by and large, the envy of the world, and centers of invention and innovation. Our military strength is unquestioned. We allow our citizens a huge amount of freedom to do what they want, and go where they want. To these people, the U.S. is good, and its way of life should be defended.
To others, the U.S. is a parasite - a sinkhole of consumerism. We take up more resources, our citizens are viewed as uncaring about other countries and peoples. Our culture spreads like a virus - we spawned McDonald's and let it and all its commercial brethren loose on an unsuspecting world. Our military is seen as a possible tool of aggressive imperialistic expansion. To these people, the U.S. is evil, and it was only a matter of time until something happened.
That something being 9/11. When the towers came down, there was a tremendous outpouring of sympathy from all sides. Of course there was. For pro-Americans, it was a time of horrible loss. For anti-Americans, perhaps it was an unfortunate price tag on humbling the Americans. And people saw that as a coming together. And when we attacked Afghanistan, that was on the one hand, just retribution for an act of war, and on the other, it was part of that price tag. Someone had to take the fall.
When we decided to invade Iraq, and actually make this a war on terror, anti-Americans realized that we hadn't been cowed or humbled. We'd been incensed. And when they realized that the U.S. was going to continue to pursue an anti-terror war, they were even more convinced that we were pure, unadulterated evil. Hence the division we see today, and the effort of anti-Americans to remove the justifications for the war in Iraq - the lack of reporting on the Iraq Oil-For-Food scandal, the lack of mention of Saddam's funding of Palestinian terror, and the lack of reminding the people of the U.S. that Saddam was just waiting for the sanctions to be lifted so he could become a nuclear power. And instead, we get Abu Ghraib reporting for months on end, and shots of Marines in combat situations taken out of context.
This schism will only be rectified when the U.S. finally drowns in a sea of self-loathing, and we withdraw from the world stage in a flurry of placation. Here's hoping that day never comes.
I try to make a point not to read others' responses before putting my own down, it'll be interesting to see how my ideas compare. Here's the other responses so far:
Mud and Phud
Dagney's Rant
A Physicist's Perspective
Bunker Mulligan
Chrenkoff
Nathan Hale at Paulie's World
Radical Centrist
Redhunter
Litle Red Blog
The war on terror and the war in Iraq have caused deep fissures through the international political landscape, but arguably not simply and predictably "left" versus "right"; after all, President Bush is allied with a social democrat Tony Blair and ex-communists of Eastern Europe, while the anti-war coalition is also a motley crew of American and British paleo-conservatives, European right (France) and left (Germany) and many others.
So what does it all mean? What is the new divide in international politics? And will it last?
The difference is one of perspective. Most people have seen the picture of the old lady/young woman, and how the picture changes for you depending on your point of view. I think that the current war on terror is an exercise in that same vein on a global scale. Keep in mind that countries, governments, etc., are made up of people, and everyone has their own read on a situation.
I think what they're looking at, what is driving this schism in politics is NOT, in fact, the war on terror.
I think it's the U.S.
To some, the U.S. is a largely benevolent culture. We've got a thriving economy, out of which we pay millions in foreign aid. Our universities and educational institutions are, by and large, the envy of the world, and centers of invention and innovation. Our military strength is unquestioned. We allow our citizens a huge amount of freedom to do what they want, and go where they want. To these people, the U.S. is good, and its way of life should be defended.
To others, the U.S. is a parasite - a sinkhole of consumerism. We take up more resources, our citizens are viewed as uncaring about other countries and peoples. Our culture spreads like a virus - we spawned McDonald's and let it and all its commercial brethren loose on an unsuspecting world. Our military is seen as a possible tool of aggressive imperialistic expansion. To these people, the U.S. is evil, and it was only a matter of time until something happened.
That something being 9/11. When the towers came down, there was a tremendous outpouring of sympathy from all sides. Of course there was. For pro-Americans, it was a time of horrible loss. For anti-Americans, perhaps it was an unfortunate price tag on humbling the Americans. And people saw that as a coming together. And when we attacked Afghanistan, that was on the one hand, just retribution for an act of war, and on the other, it was part of that price tag. Someone had to take the fall.
When we decided to invade Iraq, and actually make this a war on terror, anti-Americans realized that we hadn't been cowed or humbled. We'd been incensed. And when they realized that the U.S. was going to continue to pursue an anti-terror war, they were even more convinced that we were pure, unadulterated evil. Hence the division we see today, and the effort of anti-Americans to remove the justifications for the war in Iraq - the lack of reporting on the Iraq Oil-For-Food scandal, the lack of mention of Saddam's funding of Palestinian terror, and the lack of reminding the people of the U.S. that Saddam was just waiting for the sanctions to be lifted so he could become a nuclear power. And instead, we get Abu Ghraib reporting for months on end, and shots of Marines in combat situations taken out of context.
This schism will only be rectified when the U.S. finally drowns in a sea of self-loathing, and we withdraw from the world stage in a flurry of placation. Here's hoping that day never comes.
I try to make a point not to read others' responses before putting my own down, it'll be interesting to see how my ideas compare. Here's the other responses so far:
Mud and Phud
Dagney's Rant
A Physicist's Perspective
Bunker Mulligan
Chrenkoff
Nathan Hale at Paulie's World
Radical Centrist
Redhunter
Litle Red Blog
Personal Best
Posting here will be light over the next few weeks: finals. But I was doing some reading today, and listening to OCRemix versions of one of my favorite games ever: Square's classic SNES RPG, Chrono Trigger. There are so many great moments in that game it's impossible to list all of them. But I can at least mention a few of my favorite gaming moments. Not a long list, not complete, and not based on anything but my own personal experience/taste/whathaveyou.
Chrono Trigger: The first Lavos battle in the Kingdom of Zeal, 12,000 BC. That fight, and its surprising ending was a huge shock. The resolution of that situation is absolutely awesome. Likewise, there's a moment in Chrono Cross that's foreshadowed in the opening sequence which, when you see it in the gameplay, makes the ominous feeling you get from the foreshadow pay off in a big way. Still waiting for Chrono Trigger to come to the GBA.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Ah yes, the infamous twist. Who would have thought? And the cutscene that goes back to earlier conversations you had just makes sense as all the pieces fit together.
Soul Calibur 2: Playing this with Claire is just a lot of fun. Usually, betting is an integral part of our SC2 play. "If I win, I get to eat your ice cream sandwich!" "No!" "If you win, then you can stay up as late as you want." "Ummmm..." I always end up letting her have the ice cream sandwich anyway.
I'll update this as more come to mind.
Chrono Trigger: The first Lavos battle in the Kingdom of Zeal, 12,000 BC. That fight, and its surprising ending was a huge shock. The resolution of that situation is absolutely awesome. Likewise, there's a moment in Chrono Cross that's foreshadowed in the opening sequence which, when you see it in the gameplay, makes the ominous feeling you get from the foreshadow pay off in a big way. Still waiting for Chrono Trigger to come to the GBA.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Ah yes, the infamous twist. Who would have thought? And the cutscene that goes back to earlier conversations you had just makes sense as all the pieces fit together.
Soul Calibur 2: Playing this with Claire is just a lot of fun. Usually, betting is an integral part of our SC2 play. "If I win, I get to eat your ice cream sandwich!" "No!" "If you win, then you can stay up as late as you want." "Ummmm..." I always end up letting her have the ice cream sandwich anyway.
I'll update this as more come to mind.
Monday
A Grand Time was Had By All
Last night was the annual Law School staff holiday Party. It's the first time I've ever been invited to it, and it was fun. I got to interact with a couple of profs in a more social environment, see their families, and talk gaming with a couple of people. Good turkey, and the salad wasn't bad, but the rest of dinner was fairly regrettable. Except for the Tillamook ice cream. Awful hard to screw up Tillamook ice cream. I mean, sure, it's no Magnolia (Ice Cream of the Philippines! Try the Corn Cream flavor! Or the Surprisingly Good Purple Sweet Potato), nor is it Bluebell (a nod to the Texans in the crowd), but it's a good ice cream.
Claire and Reeta got their faces painted. And though Reeta tried really really hard to get me to do the same thing, I was able to successfully emerge with my face unpainted. In the process, I realized that I really do know what my Indian name is: Stick-in-Mud. (Trust me, it's better than my college roommate's name, "Screams-Like-A-Woman").
Just prior to the event, I got a huge distraction out of the way. I finished Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Took me about a week of good hard game play to get that done. And I'll admit I had to go through one scene a couple of times to get the ending I wanted. The one annoying thing about the ending was, unfortunately, the end sequence when they pinned a medal on my character. They kept going on about me being "the savior of the galaxy", and telling my story from the "Core to the Outer Rim". And I kept saying, out loud to the computer, "Oh, that's really not necessary".
"We'll tell the story of the Prodigal Knight"...
"Oh, I'd really rather you didn't."
"Here's the Cross of Glory"
"I assume this comes with a large cash prize...? What? No check? Okay, well, I'm taking the ship, then. And don't come knocking on the ramp next time you need the Universe saved unless you've got one of those great big cardboard checks with a lot of zeros on it. I mean, a LOT of zeros".
Jedi's gotta pay the bills, too. Know what I mean?
UPDATE: Name of Texan ice cream fixed.
Claire and Reeta got their faces painted. And though Reeta tried really really hard to get me to do the same thing, I was able to successfully emerge with my face unpainted. In the process, I realized that I really do know what my Indian name is: Stick-in-Mud. (Trust me, it's better than my college roommate's name, "Screams-Like-A-Woman").
Just prior to the event, I got a huge distraction out of the way. I finished Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Took me about a week of good hard game play to get that done. And I'll admit I had to go through one scene a couple of times to get the ending I wanted. The one annoying thing about the ending was, unfortunately, the end sequence when they pinned a medal on my character. They kept going on about me being "the savior of the galaxy", and telling my story from the "Core to the Outer Rim". And I kept saying, out loud to the computer, "Oh, that's really not necessary".
"We'll tell the story of the Prodigal Knight"...
"Oh, I'd really rather you didn't."
"Here's the Cross of Glory"
"I assume this comes with a large cash prize...? What? No check? Okay, well, I'm taking the ship, then. And don't come knocking on the ramp next time you need the Universe saved unless you've got one of those great big cardboard checks with a lot of zeros on it. I mean, a LOT of zeros".
Jedi's gotta pay the bills, too. Know what I mean?
UPDATE: Name of Texan ice cream fixed.
Friday
Note to sensitive readers
Yeah, I know the robot picture below is too big.
So?
UPDATE: Okay, so it wasn't showing the blog correctly with IE. Robot picture has now been fixed.
So?
UPDATE: Okay, so it wasn't showing the blog correctly with IE. Robot picture has now been fixed.
Friday Animé Sampler: Samples A-Go-Go
Fridays are for fun, and because I missed last week's Friday Animé Sampler, I thought I'd make up for it today by doing an authentic sampler.
It's honestly been a while since I had time to sit down and watch some animé (I'm in law school!).
From Gundam Seed, and Gundam Seed: Destiny, Athrun Zala - friend of Kira Yamato, the hero of the series, Athrun is actually fighting against Kira in the original series, after having pledged never to go to war. That changed, however, when the Earth military killed his mother in a brutal nuclear strike on an orbiting space colony. That attack sparked the war Kira gets involved with in Gundam Seed. When Kira kills one of Athrun's friends in a battle (in self-defence), Athrun goes a little nuts, rams Kira's Gundam with his own, and hits the self-destruct - ejecting just in time to save himself. Later, though, they make up. Gundam is like that.
From GitS:SAC, Aramaki. He's the head honcho of Section 9, and probably one of the most formidable minds in fiction. The two lessons you take away from GitS:SAC are typically, don't mess with the Major, and BTW, don't mess with Aramaki either. A strict sense of honor, a sharp mind, the unswerving loyalty of a group of largely amoral cyborgs, Aramaki's got a lot going for him, and he can get the dirt on just about anyone.
From Naruto, Sakura. Naruto has a crush on her, she has a crush on Sasuke, and Sasuke has a crush on... well... killing his brother. Long story. Reeta's consistently frustrated by the fact that she seems so much weaker than the other two members of her team, but immediately following this picture (from ep 103), she turns around and rips the mast out of the floor of the boat, and uses it to swat five or six bad guys. Heretofore unknown legendary strength. Probably a +4 modifier on D&D stats at least. Also arguably the most intelligent member of her team.
And for you old schoolers out there.
Here's a Destroid from Robotech. I used to have one of these as a kid. I believe it's an "Excalibur". Unfortunately, they're not as mobile or as useful as a Veritech Fighter, but just look at the size of those guns. This was one of several models used by FASA when they did their "Battletech" series. They were then sued by the makers of Robotech, and were forced to come up with some new designs of their own. (I believe the Vulture and MadCat models are also modified Robotech robots. See them here.)
It's honestly been a while since I had time to sit down and watch some animé (I'm in law school!).
From Gundam Seed, and Gundam Seed: Destiny, Athrun Zala - friend of Kira Yamato, the hero of the series, Athrun is actually fighting against Kira in the original series, after having pledged never to go to war. That changed, however, when the Earth military killed his mother in a brutal nuclear strike on an orbiting space colony. That attack sparked the war Kira gets involved with in Gundam Seed. When Kira kills one of Athrun's friends in a battle (in self-defence), Athrun goes a little nuts, rams Kira's Gundam with his own, and hits the self-destruct - ejecting just in time to save himself. Later, though, they make up. Gundam is like that.
From GitS:SAC, Aramaki. He's the head honcho of Section 9, and probably one of the most formidable minds in fiction. The two lessons you take away from GitS:SAC are typically, don't mess with the Major, and BTW, don't mess with Aramaki either. A strict sense of honor, a sharp mind, the unswerving loyalty of a group of largely amoral cyborgs, Aramaki's got a lot going for him, and he can get the dirt on just about anyone.
From Naruto, Sakura. Naruto has a crush on her, she has a crush on Sasuke, and Sasuke has a crush on... well... killing his brother. Long story. Reeta's consistently frustrated by the fact that she seems so much weaker than the other two members of her team, but immediately following this picture (from ep 103), she turns around and rips the mast out of the floor of the boat, and uses it to swat five or six bad guys. Heretofore unknown legendary strength. Probably a +4 modifier on D&D stats at least. Also arguably the most intelligent member of her team.
And for you old schoolers out there.
Here's a Destroid from Robotech. I used to have one of these as a kid. I believe it's an "Excalibur". Unfortunately, they're not as mobile or as useful as a Veritech Fighter, but just look at the size of those guns. This was one of several models used by FASA when they did their "Battletech" series. They were then sued by the makers of Robotech, and were forced to come up with some new designs of their own. (I believe the Vulture and MadCat models are also modified Robotech robots. See them here.)
Thursday
Response
Taranto has a great comment in today's Best of the Web responding to the piece I commented on yesterday re: Democrats feeling like battered wives. The comment is from David Bricker, who says that he's a "psychologist who specializes in marital therapy". Since there isn't a link to it, I'm reposting here what Taranto has.
Gilles takes the position that the Democrats are looking a lot like a battered wife, and there is something to this. Some of the behaviors do overlap. But the logic breaks down immediately. Gilles sets it up so that the partner in this analogy is the Republicans, who defeated them. And she suggests that the 56 million Kerry voters form a kind of really big support group to get by. But where does this lead? And specifically what are they going to do about the next election? Is Gilles suggesting that they secede and only deal with good folks like themselves? Because if they come back to contest the next election, they are going back to the abusive spouse, something that no one in the domestic violence field is ever going to feel too good about.
A better analogy is that the partner is the country as a whole. The marital analogy is a good one if we see the Democrats as the rejected spouse and the U.S. as the rejecter. This makes much more sense. The insistence on recounts is like the husband who stalks his ex-wife, who doesn't understand what "no" means. The denial, the rationalizations, the vilification, the aimless depression are all typical of someone who's in the early stages of rejection and can't figure out what to do next. Likewise, Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton experimenting with finding religion look a lot like someone trying anything to get the partner back. "Maybe if I get a hairpiece, she'll come home."
Gilles also errs in assuming that since the Democrats are acting battered that someone must be battering them. It doesn't work that way. As the saying goes, "If you walk around with a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail." Closer to home, if you walk around with control issues everyone looks like a bully.
Wednesday
Not in the Face!
Taranto's Best of the Web turned my attention to this article, where we're told that Democrats are like the beaten wives in an abusive marriage. That they have a mandate to be as radical, liberal, and steadfast as they want to. That there is nothing wrong with them, and that they are... well... right.
"You must admit you are a victim" claims this article. And that is, bar none, the biggest, stuipdest, outright shameful excuse of a lie that I have ever heard. You fought hard, you fought well. You lost. There's another game in a couple of years. Pick yourselves up, dust yourselves off, and fight again. But to claim that you are a victim casts yourselves in a position where you have no power. "We didn't lose, someone did this to us!" That's a cop out. It's a lie. It's giving up. And it's totally wrong.
If I'm playing a game with someone and I lose (something that happens with amazing regularity when playing MtG:Online), it's easy to get discouraged. But you can't do that. You can go back, and see how you were beaten. Maybe it wasn't in the cards. Maybe the other person just had a better hand. Maybe you made a stupid mistake. Maybe the other guy made a mistake, and you failed to pick up on it. Figure it out. Build a better deck. Get back in the game.
And enjoy the game. Life's too short not to love what you're doing. Who loves being a victim? Nobody. At least, no healthy person I know. Who enjoys running around filled with rage and hate all the time? Again, no healthy person I know does that. Winning and losing both require a measure of dignity, respect, and grace. Show that you have them, and you'll do better next time. On the other hand, wrap yourself in the victim title long enough, and people will start to believe it. Is that what you really want?
"You must admit you are a victim" claims this article. And that is, bar none, the biggest, stuipdest, outright shameful excuse of a lie that I have ever heard. You fought hard, you fought well. You lost. There's another game in a couple of years. Pick yourselves up, dust yourselves off, and fight again. But to claim that you are a victim casts yourselves in a position where you have no power. "We didn't lose, someone did this to us!" That's a cop out. It's a lie. It's giving up. And it's totally wrong.
If I'm playing a game with someone and I lose (something that happens with amazing regularity when playing MtG:Online), it's easy to get discouraged. But you can't do that. You can go back, and see how you were beaten. Maybe it wasn't in the cards. Maybe the other person just had a better hand. Maybe you made a stupid mistake. Maybe the other guy made a mistake, and you failed to pick up on it. Figure it out. Build a better deck. Get back in the game.
And enjoy the game. Life's too short not to love what you're doing. Who loves being a victim? Nobody. At least, no healthy person I know. Who enjoys running around filled with rage and hate all the time? Again, no healthy person I know does that. Winning and losing both require a measure of dignity, respect, and grace. Show that you have them, and you'll do better next time. On the other hand, wrap yourself in the victim title long enough, and people will start to believe it. Is that what you really want?
Barbarians at the Gates
This week's question from Homespun bloggers comes from Bill's Big Bloviating Blog. The question is "What, in your mind, represents the single greatest long-term threat to the United States of America, and what should be done about it?"
The single greatest threat to the United States is the corruption of our ideals. Moral relativism makes it extremely difficult to argue against things like terrorism. "Oh", say the moral relativists, "from their point of view, blowing up that bus full of civilians was justified." Moral relativism has become the ultimate goal. It has replaced, for some, any sense of right and wrong. In fact, it becomes the measure of right and wrong. Now, the "right" view is the one that rejects "old-fashioned" ideas of right and wrong. And anyone who holds to those ideals is wrong, dangerous, a radical. Or a bigoted redneck. Or a brainless idiot on the intellectual level with paramecium. Take your pick.
My favorite poem of all time is Rudyard Kipling's "The Gods of the Copybook Headings". With what I regard as amazing prescience, Kipling attacks the "religions" of pacifism, sexual revolution, and socialism/entitlement. My fear for this country is that we're heading into a moral morass which will rob us of our will to defend ourselves. And, to quote the last bit of Kipling,
"And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return."
What do we do about this? It seems that the forces that are pushing us toward relativism are well organized. They're in our schools. They're lobbying Washington. They're holding protests and rallies. Do we organize? Do we fight protest with protest? Can we even protest if we're in the majority (as I think people generally don't ascribe to views of moral relativism)?
I don't know. But I think talking about it (both here and in realspace) is a good place to start.
Read the other answers listed here. Lots of great thoughts on this question.
The single greatest threat to the United States is the corruption of our ideals. Moral relativism makes it extremely difficult to argue against things like terrorism. "Oh", say the moral relativists, "from their point of view, blowing up that bus full of civilians was justified." Moral relativism has become the ultimate goal. It has replaced, for some, any sense of right and wrong. In fact, it becomes the measure of right and wrong. Now, the "right" view is the one that rejects "old-fashioned" ideas of right and wrong. And anyone who holds to those ideals is wrong, dangerous, a radical. Or a bigoted redneck. Or a brainless idiot on the intellectual level with paramecium. Take your pick.
My favorite poem of all time is Rudyard Kipling's "The Gods of the Copybook Headings". With what I regard as amazing prescience, Kipling attacks the "religions" of pacifism, sexual revolution, and socialism/entitlement. My fear for this country is that we're heading into a moral morass which will rob us of our will to defend ourselves. And, to quote the last bit of Kipling,
"And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return."
What do we do about this? It seems that the forces that are pushing us toward relativism are well organized. They're in our schools. They're lobbying Washington. They're holding protests and rallies. Do we organize? Do we fight protest with protest? Can we even protest if we're in the majority (as I think people generally don't ascribe to views of moral relativism)?
I don't know. But I think talking about it (both here and in realspace) is a good place to start.
Read the other answers listed here. Lots of great thoughts on this question.
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