Bamboo Covered Pits

The Olympics start with Friday's Opening Ceremonies, but are they a trap?

Mad on Monday

Obama's emergency economic plan has me pretty steamed. Read about it at IRF.

The Wall Street Journal also has this to say on the matter:

The "windfall profits" tax is back, with Barack Obama stumping again to apply it to a handful of big oil companies. Which raises a few questions: What is a "windfall" profit anyway? How does it differ from your everyday, run of the mill profit? Is it some absolute number, a matter of return on equity or sales -- or does it merely depend on who earns it?

Read more if you like. Economic idiocy at its most obvious.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXXII

I dare you not to laugh. Give it a moment.



Pretty evil, eh? (spotted at Eric Snider's blog).

On an unrelated note, here is an excellent teaser trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter film:

Quake (AweVidSat bonus)

Lacy and I are always talking about which state is more dangerous to live in- Florida or California? Obviously I point to earthquakes and she to hurricanes. Since there was recently a quake in Southern Cal I thought I would post some funny videos (one new, one old) of what happens when a quake hits).

This was during a taping of Judge Judy:



This is a hilarious bit from an old episode of David Letterman. That second anchor clearly is the inspiration for Ron Burgundy:

Obama Taxarama

Sorry about the title, but I couldn't resist.

This is the most comprehensive review of the impact of Obama's economic policy that I've read. As Mr. Boskin points out, this is not change we need.

Missionary Football

This is a good article from the Miami Herald about the LDS missionary service of 4 current Miami Dolphins. The most notable of the four is John Beck, 2nd year quarterback. Beck had a bad year last year, but sums up how his missionary experience had prepared him:

I always say when you're on the mission, you have to face a lot of rejection. A lot of people don't want to talk to you. When you walk down the streets, people throw stuff at you, they cuss at you. Where I was at in Portugal, some people liked to swerve their cars in front of us, kind of joke around like, `I'm going to hit you.' Ridicule, all that kind of stuff, it was just normal, you just had to work through it.
Let's take that into last year where a lot of things were going bad for us. It was tough, but we had to just keep on working kind of with the goal in mind that even though it's tough, we're going to keep working and things will be good. That's kind of how it is on a mission.
You'll sometimes work, work, work, work, day after day after day, tons of rejection, tons of rejection, then you find one person who really does want to talk to you, who it really does matter to, that makes it all worth it. For me, last year was a tough year, but I'm still working, I've still got my nose to the grinder, because this year could be good, and it'll all be worth it.
This year will be good, and it'll all be worth it.

I hope so.

¡Tres años!

Brand New
6 months or so.
Almost a year
Two years
Two weeks ago.

This little guy makes my day, every day. Happy Birthday Joseph!

Tourist or Expert?

Does Obama's trip to Europe and the Middle East/Afghanistan give him credibility in foreign policy? In today's Wall Street Journal Richard Allen makes a case against that idea.

What's very telling to me is the way that Allen describes the pre-presidential visits abroad made by previous presidents-to-be. He uses the word "quietly." There is nothing quiet about Obama's trip, nothing subtle. Other than the political imagery which is useful in the campaign context there is no real strategic value to a trip that puts a front-running candidate out in front, exposing him as a man with no secrets.

In foreign policy secrecy has its benefits, even with our allies. I don't think Obama realizes this, but that just illustrates naivete. In the interest of international cooperation and goodwill Obama is giving the world a sense for who he is. Unfortunately it may ultimately be at the expense of our own best interests

Getting better all the time

From a London Times article on the situation in Basra, Iraq:

There is an interesting piece of graffiti on a bridge near Basra. A fleeing militiaman has scrawled “We'll be back”; underneath an Iraqi soldier has scribbled in reply “And we'll be waiting for you”.

Read the article for more on the success of the war effort in that formerly embattled city.

Family

I put some pics of family time at the beach over at Lacy's blog.

The Dark Knight

I give this film my strongest possible recommendation. Outstanding, riveting, devastating yet inspiring.

I may add more later.

It's no gas

In yet more proof that our lawmakers lack basic understanding of economics they are considering a fuel tax increase. This is their reasoning:

Just three years ago, that trust fund enjoyed a surplus of $10 billion. Even without a tax freeze, the fund is projected to finish 2009 with a deficit of $3 billion. That could grow as Americans drive less and buy less gas because of higher pump prices.

I don't disagree with the need to fund our infrastructure. I do wonder why lawmakers think that adding a fuel tax, at this point in time, will help increase receipts. Classic Washington thinking.

Castillos (Castles)

I have a habit of building sand castles whenever I am in Marco Island, FL. The sand there is perfect. I blogged about last year's effort, and this year I have had two that I am pleased with.

This one was made my first stretch here. A simpler design. I favor a deep moat.

It's fun to build a tunnel into the large center mass.

This is #2. Wall on the inside of the moat (more logical). You can't see in the pic, but there is a dead crab on top. We had a huge storm, he didn't make it, so now he adorns the top (or did until it rained today).

The above castle actually survived overnight, so I added the taller "keep" and connected castle in front. Overnight someone had ringed it with shells. It was a nice touch and may have kept it from being destroyed by passersby.
Joseph and Millie are playing in a ramp I dug out for Joseph's monster trucks.

I dug out this bridge for the forward part. I was inspired by some stuff Walmir and I did for Joseph's trucks last week. I don't have a good pic of it though. I had a much bigger sand bridge for the first castle, but went too deep and the sinkhole effect claimed it.

This is a view of the village I added to the side of the castle. Many castles had villages surrounded by a smaller city wall. If trouble came people would flee to the more secure castle.

This is a closer view of the village. There is a road, a stream with a small brige over it, and a portcullis of sorts to protect the town.

A different view of the same.

Perhaps when I get back next week I will better the design. I wanted to add a port to it, but an early afternoon rainstorm has reclaimed it (I think).

Yes, I am a sand castle nerd.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXXI

2 Music videos today:

As Feist shows on her Sesame Street appearance, learning can be cool for grown-ups:



This is pretty sweet. A music video without cameras, from Radiohead of course:



This video below explains how they did it:

Tony Snow

He was well-known to people that follow politics, less so to others. He was a good man, a good conservative, and his death is a loss to all. Of course, it is his young family that will miss him most. It seems he lived a life that they could be proud of.

For a brief glimpse read this.

Go for Broke

I attended the 99th Annual Rotary Convention in Los Angeles in the latter part of June. When I was there we were hosted by two local clubs, the Rotary Clubs of San Gabriel and Alhambra. They took us to the Japanese-American Museum and while there I became acquainted with several veterans of World War II. They were among the homogenous units of Japanese-Americans that served with tremendous distinction during that war. Their deeds were immortalized in film and there is an impressive monument near the museum. Both are located in Little Tokyo.

I enjoyed immensely my conversation with them and felt honored to know them, considering the tremendous good accomplished. To learn more about them visit the website of the Go For Broke National Education Center.

Micro-credit & the Poverty Industry

This article is from the WSJ and despite being 2 weeks old is worth your interest. Micro-credit is a phenomenon I've addressed before, and as a means of helping people leave poverty it has been extremely successful.

In Mexico its success has been threatening to some non-profits who business lives and dies on the continuance of poverty. Surely some charities would like nothing better than to close up for lack of need. Others feel threatened by models that render them obsolete.

This is a great example of the private sector filling a void and making it viable economically, independent of taking anyone's money but private investors. That is as it should be.

What the Iraqis say

This is an interesting article (a little old) talking about Iraqi expatriates and their estimation of the war effort and its impact on their country. I like their optimism.

Winning the War

It's happening.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXX

I like foreign commercials. This one is from Thailand, for lightbulbs.

Ganando (Winning)

One of the reasons why I have supported ambitious (and imperfect) missions in Iraq and Afghanistan is that I believe we can win. It may take time, include some failure, but ultimately we will win.

The decades-long fight of the Colombian government against the Marxist FARC is an endeavor like that. For years the government has failed to make headway of any significance. Now, under the leadership of Uribe they have struck yet another blow against that terrorist organization with the rescue of hostages, including several Americans and the prominent Ingrid Betancourt (read details here).

In today's Wall Street Journal there is some commentary and details into how the operation worked and what role the U.S. played in it. On the latter subject here is an excerpt:

U.S. involvement in the mission underlines the close ties between Washington and Bogotá, the Bush administration's closest regional ally. Colombia is the third-biggest recipient of U.S. military aid behind Israel and Egypt, receiving some $5.4 billion in U.S. aid since 2000. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and President George. W. Bush speak regularly by telephone, Colombian officials say. Trust between both sides is so strong that Mr. Uribe told Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, who visited Colombia this week, about the mission on Tuesday night, the night before it took place.

Uribe has been insistent in his aggressive and militaristic action against the FARC. For years this was an unpopular approach with many other governments:

But things changed dramatically March 1, when the Colombian military killed the FARC's No. 2 man, Raul Reyes, in a bombing raid on his camp just across the border in Ecuador. Laptop computers that belonged to Mr. Reyes showed that Mr. Chávez and the FARC were using the negotiation process to try to gain international legitimacy for the rebels and force Mr. Uribe to call off his military offensive.
Emails in the laptops also revealed that the FARC had no intention of releasing either the three Americans or Ms. Betancourt, calling her their most valuable negotiating card. But in one dramatic stroke this week, the rescue mission won support for Mr. Uribe's get-tough approach.
"I have to recognize that the strong hand has prevailed," said human-rights activist Robert Menard, founder and secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders. "Our insistence on the need to negotiate with the FARC, hoping they would release their most valuable card, was foolish."
Governments from Havana to Caracas to Paris moved closer to backing Mr. Uribe's campaign against the FARC. In Cuba, retired dictator Fidel Castro on Thursday praised the Colombian action and said the hostages should never have been held to begin with. Such a "cruel" detention was not justified by any "revolutionary purpose," Mr. Castro said.

To have Castro say such a thing is remarkable. FARC has been left for dead, and dead they should be. I hope other terrorists are taking notes. This is an inspiring success.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXIX

Andy Kaufman was a famous comedian in the 1970's and 1980's. His unusual form of comedy included appearances like this, where he was able to act out a character without people realizing it, the proto-Borat. Here he is on "The Dating Game:"

SPOTD #141

This edition comes to you on a beautiful day in sunny Marco Island, Florida. Related news relates to the potential danger of wearing flip-flops too much.

Visit the blog for more interesting content.

Today's Phrase:
From Thomas Jefferson:

Actual:
El Dios que nos dio la vida nos dio la libertad al mismo tiempo.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Ell Dyose kay nose dyo lah vee-dah nose dyo lah lee-bare-tahd all meese-moe tyem-poe.

Translation:
The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.

Wall-E
We saw this movie last weekend, taking Joseph for his second time at the movies. It was great fun and a great film. My friend Jake (who works at Pixar) sent me this great article about the director Andrew Stanton. Stanton talks about how his beliefs influence his filmmaking, and about how what really matters is making a great story.

Graveyards
This is a cool set of pictures of airplanes that have been mothballed or decommissioned. King of haunting.

McKay
Jim McKay was a great, old-school broadcaster. He came from a time when broadcast journalism, especially sports broadcasting was still somewhat new and a sort of insurgent element. Now it is the fat cat, relatively lazy by comparison. This article is a view of a better time.

Delfín
This is old news by now, but the Dolphins have been in a bit of a kerfuffle over the status of All-Pro defensive end Jason Taylor. This is Dave Barry's take on the situation

'08 & Taxes
This is what President Obama would mean for taxes.

Dharma
You have a special opportunity to join the Dharma Initiative. Sign up at Octagon Recruiting for more information.

Link of the Day
Today in Baghdad more than 1,000 servicemen and women participated in the biggest reelistment ceremony in history, Follow the link for more, including video.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXVIII

Whether your message gets across is determined by the presentation. An example:

I Dare to Bear (Arms)

It's a thing of beauty...

That is a picture of the Smith & Wesson M&P .40 caliber handgun, the newest member of my family. I actually bought it a few months ago, but wanted to save this post for the very important Supreme Court decision in DC v. Heller (complete majority opinion found here). An excerpt from the beginning:

1. The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. Pp. 2–53.

It may surprise some of you that there could be disagreement on the question, as 73% of Americans already believed in an individual's right to own firearms, but in the 70 years since the last major court opinion on the 2nd Amendment that very question had emerged.

I decided to purchase a gun in part because of my belief in this right. I'm not concerned for my safety, nor do I live in an area where crime is a real problem. I just wanted to exercise my right to own a firearm. So I did, and now the Supreme Court has (according to the majority) simply affirmed a long-standing right. From the SCOTUS Blog:

The individual right interpretation, the Court said, “is strongly confirmed by the historical background of the Second Amendment,” going back to 17th Century England, as well as by gun rights laws in the states before and immediately after the Amendment was put into the U.S. Constitution.
What Congress did in drafting the Amendment, the Court said, was “to codify a pre-existing right, rather than to fashion a new one.”

SCOTUS blog also has an interesting roundup of quotes here. I also happen to believe this.

In most democracies gun rights are not enshrined and are often severely limited, if not eliminated. Author and legal analyst Dave Kopel discusses whether gun control presents a danger to human right in this article. It is an interesting concept to think about.

It will be interesting to see the many questions that come from this ruling. Already the National Rifle Association has sued to overturn Chicago's ban on firearms. As someone said today, the job security of 2nd Amendment lawyers is pretty good right now.

Roadtrippin'

I am in Newcastle, Wyoming on the third day of a trip that has taken me from Gainesville, FL to where I sit in a delightful Pizza Hut. Tomorrow we will arrive in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where one of my best friends, Justin Palmer, will begin to practice dentistry with his father and brother.

We've covered about 2000, with almost 1000 miles to go. Good food, weird places to stay, and some beautiful sights.

More to come when we reach the end.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXVII

I've only watched/listen to a little bit of these guys, but this video made me laugh so hard.



Recycling is important.



Funny stuff. Not all of their is family friendly, but these two shouldn't be a problem.

He smells the coffee

Even Hugo Chavez can be influenced. It turns out the way to do this is not diplomacy, but consistent and dogged pressure on activities that he should not be engaged in, such as his support for Colombia's rebel FARC. Chavez said the following, as reported in the NYT:

You in the FARC should know something. You have become an excuse for the empire to threaten all of us.

Of course, this is coming after some very damaging episodes that have made clear Venezuela's support for the Colombian terrorists. The FARC's days seem at an end, with the death of Manuel Marulanda and Raul Reyes and the increasing stability of Álvaro Uribe's Colombian government. This is a good thing.

Bush no Lie

McLellan to the contrary, the case that George Bush lied prior to the invasion of Iraq cannot be substantiated with the evidence at hand. Fred Hiatt of the Washington Post elaborates at the WaPo's website.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXVI

This video discusses an interesting story, a very unflattering chapter in the public service of Monica Conyers, the wife of Congressman John Conyers. I think it's safe to say that she embarasses herself pretty definitively.

SPOTD #140

I've been out of town, and it's been a while, but I have some good stuff for you.

Today's phrase:
One of those idioms that doesn't translate exactly.

Actual:
Con el dinero baila el perro.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Cone ail dee-nair-oh by-lah ell pay-roe.

Translation:
With money the dog dances.

It is an idiom, and the English meaning would be "With money anything is possible." You may not agree, but its a cool idiom.

Still Running
This is a great story about an Iraq vet who continues to play lacrosse despite losing his leg in the war.

Pirate?
This is a great story about a woman who is fighting back against the RIAA's efforts to prosecute music sharers.

So Hot
This is one of my all-time favorite cars, the McLaren F1. I saw one in London when I was 12 years old and it remains unique to this day.

Donate
High School blood donors are more likely to face complications, but they are also among the best source for donated blood in a time when more and more people are getting tattoos and piercings that can inhibit your eligibility to donate.

Jet Packs!
Who doesn't love jet packs? Honestly!

Link of the Day
This is a really fascinating story about an untouched Indian tribe in the Amazon.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXV

Japanese Commercials are awesome.

Here's Ah-nuld for Cup O' Noodles:



This one is vintage, brought to you by Maxell and WHAM!



Just two guys having fun, right?

The Role of Business

I've written about government and the oil companies at In Rare Form.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXIV (On Wednesday)

I just saw this video over on Eric Snider's website. It is from Weezer, and it is a kind of salute to YouTube all-stars. You can follow this link it you want to follow all the various YouTubery contained in the video.

Enjoy.

Good News

Manuel Marulanda, the longtime leader of the FARC, died in March according to several reports. I'd like to see a body, but as that may never happen let me just say that he was a bad man who deserved to die.

Good riddance.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXIII

This is a fantastic spoof of The Office from last week's Saturday Night Live.

Saru mo ki kara ochiru.



Also from SNL, this funny bit by Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain.

Priorities

Bjorn Lomborg is known for his work focusing on ROI (return on investment) for efforts to combat the world's problems. He wrote an op-ed that appeared in yesterday's Wall Street Journal. It is a must read. An excerpt:

Research for the Copenhagen Consensus, in which Nobel laureate economists analyze new research about the costs and benefits of different solutions to world problems, shows that just $60 million spent on providing Vitamin A capsules and therapeutic Zinc supplements for under-2-year-olds would reach 80% of the infants in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with annual economic benefits (from lower mortality and improved health) of more than $1 billion. That means doing $17 worth of good for each dollar spent. Spending $1 billion on tuberculosis would avert an astonishing one million deaths, with annual benefits adding up to $30 billion. This gives $30 back on the dollar.

Lomborg has always been skeptical about the amount of money being poured into combating climate change. Current efforts often cannot be justified based on the return"

Acknowledging that some investments shouldn't be our top priority isn't the same as saying that the challenges don't exist. It simply means working out how to do the most good with our limited resources. It will send a signal, too, to research communities about areas that need more study.

Indeed. By the way, here is further evidence that Global Warming, whatever its cause, duration, or serverity, is not responsible for a higher number of hurricanes. In fact:

warmer temperatures will actually reduce the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic and those making landfall, research meteorologist Tom Knutson reported in a study released Sunday.

Very interesting.

Da Da Da Daa! Da Da Daa!

So a movie that I've been expecting for 18 years finally arrives, and I feel like it was worth the wait. There are a few ways to judge the film:

1. What if there had never been any previous Indiana Jones films. Would this be an enjoyable movie?

Yes. Definitely. Not a perfect movie, but I laughed out loud, clapped with joy/astonishment/horror. As a film experience it was a really good one.

2. How does this movie fit in with the rest of the series?

Very well. It does homage and adds to the legacy. It takes a few minutes to feel "in the swing" but after that it feels like an Indy movie.

I'm not a film critic, but I think I have a pretty good sense for what makes a good film. This is a crowd-pleaser, prompted the right amount of nostalgia, and brought fire back to one of my all-time favorite actors.

If you never liked Indiana Jones, or found a movie like National Treasure unenjoyable, you should probably skip it. If you have a soul, you'll probably like it. Pretty straightforward that way.

Protection for the Protectors?

Michael Yon posted an interesting and disappointing notice on his blog. It is from the Dept of Transportation Federal Transit Administration:

Here are a few friendly reminders of personal protective measures that can help you to stay safe:
-If possible, do not commute in uniform (military members) -Do not display DoD building passes, "hot cards", or personal identification in open view outside of the workplace -Do not discuss specifics about your occupation to outside solicitors
-Always try to remain in well lit, well populated train cars if traveling via metro -Be vigilant at all times!

Where do you think this advice applies? Washington D.C.! It seems absurd, but military personnel have been the subjects of harassment while on the Metro. Not cool.

Fiscal Irresponsibility

One of our biggest domestic threats comes from looming entitlement obligations. Follow the link for more.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/126234.html

Counting Down

We're just a few days from the premiere of Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls. Much of the buzz has been positive. Tuesday I will finish my Indiana Jones Film Festival with The Last Crusade.

From the perspective of a dispassionate film critic the movie may not be perfect. I won't be looking at it that way. Spielberg and Lucas have given me back part of my childhood. That makes it worth the $9 and 2 hours of my day.

Si Camina Como Pata

As I read this article I realized that I have never expressed the full depth of my contempt for Hugo Chavez.

He is an enemy of democracy. He is a socialist. He is a friend to Fidel and Ahmedinejad. Like all dictators he has based his rule on cronyism and the weakening of opposing forces and institutions.

Now it appears that there is evidence linking him directly to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). FARC is a terrorist organization. They kidnap, extort, and murder for gain. Computers seized from a FARC camp were examined by Interpol and found the following:

Venezuelan officials set up contacts with Australian arms dealers and arranged for missile training in the Middle East, according to the documents, which were on computer hard drives seized by Colombia.
Venezuela's ties to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, came under further scrutiny Thursday when Interpol said it had concluded that the Colombian government hadn't tampered with the seized computers.
Interpol's report bolsters Colombia's claims that the computers contain evidence of meddling by Venezuela in its neighbor's war with FARC. Venezuela has asserted the files on the computer are bogus, and on Thursday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez denounced the Interpol report as "ridiculous."

Read the article for more. I'm disgusted.

Peak Oil

Ever heard of "Peak Oil?" What does it mean? This guy has some answers.

Uribe v. Pelosi

I'm pulling for Uribe. Here's more on how Colombia continues to act in good faith, despite the disrespect paid to it by the Democratic leadership.

The Beast Gets His Bite Back

I was at my Rotary Club meeting last week and our speaker was Dr. Don Goodman, the director of Gainesville's Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. Several years ago he lost his right arm to MoJo, a massive American alligator that made its home there. As is the practice when an alligator attacks a human, MoJo was killed, not only as a protective measure but also to see if Dr. Goodman's arm was salvageable. Unfortunately it was not.

Now that several years have passed Dr. Goodman has come to the conclusion that MoJo's behavior is part of a trend that began when animals like the alligator fell under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Alligators had learned to fear humans because an encounter with a human meant a very real chance of death. After years of protection, alligators don't really have to fear humans for their survival. They know most of us are unarmed and more aggressive behavior seems one likely by-product of that, even as endangered status no longer applies.

A few days later I saw this post at Instapundit. Glen Reynolds highlighted some cases of coyotes acting more aggressive in L.A. suburbs and elsewhere. This seems to be supportive anecdotal evidence of what I learned last week.

Just something interesting to think about.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXII

I don't usually watch late-night television, but a blog posted these videos from the White House Correspondents dinner. Craig Ferguson was the featured entertainment and I think he was pretty funny. You can't go wrong with a Scot. The video is in three parts.

Thankful for Freedom

This is an astounding account of what life can be like in a place that has none of the protections and freedoms that we take for granted everyday.

Here's what it can be like to be a journalist in a place like Zimbabwe.

Go Joe!

There are a lot of cool pictures of characters from the upcoming GI Joe film. Dennis Quaid is playing General Hawk:

Not Changing a Bit

The Economist has a brief piece about Raúl Castro's Cuba. Raúl claims to want to move beyond Cuba's original communist leaders, but appears to be using them even more than his brother. There have been some changes, but nothing of real import:

Since becoming president, Raúl has taken cautious steps to allow more private farming and eased a few petty restrictions that burden Cubans' everyday life. These have included lifting the bans on ownership of some consumer purchases, such as mobile-phone connections.
There has been no relaxation of political control. The message from the party would seem to be that there is not likely to be any—at least before the congress. Raúl has avoided building up a younger leadership. Yet oddly, by freezing the gerontocracy in place, he has made his new regime look impermanent.

No new tricks from these old dogs.

March of the Penguins?

You can't deny that there have been, are, and will exist fluctuations in climate. This young British woman wanted to see the impact of climate change on the North Pole. She intends to make a documentary of it, as the youngest woman to reach the Pole on skis.



I don't post this because I dispute what she observed. I post it because the MSNBC video includes penguins, who definitely do not live at the North Pole.

Also May 22

I've already got my tickets for the 7:15 show:

I'll be there July 18

SPOTD #139

This is a long edition. I had some time to do some music reviews and other things that I wanted to share. As always I encourage you to visit the blog. I've been focusing on Latin American issues to a greater degree, which has been relatively easy considering the amount of attention being given to the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

I also posted a video from the set of Twilight, a movie that I know some of you are eagerly aniticipating.

Today's phrase:
From Plato:

Actual:
La música es para el alma lo que es la gimnasia para el cuerpo.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Lah moo-see-kah ess pah-rah ell ahl-mah low kay ess lah heem-nah-syah pah-rah ell cware-poe.

Translation:
Music is for the soul what gymnastics is for the body.

Música
I've purchased some new music lately that I wanted to share. Some of these were actually bought several months ago, so I'm playing catch-up.
-Wyclef Jean's new CD has some good numbers. Nothing will compare to The Carnival for me. That was one of my most frequently listened-to CD's during my freshman year in college, as the guys who knew me then can attest. To some extent, I think the inclusion of guest performers on almost every song has actually weakened the quality of the music, which I thought was best served by Wyclef's own abilities. Then again, I'm not a millionaire singer/songwriter/producer. I can't vouch for the disc as family-friendly, as I haven't listened to the whole thing. One nice track to download would be Any Other Day with Norah Jones.
-Gnarls Barkley released a new CD, and with little fanfare considering the success of their first album. The new one is also pretty great. Cee-lo has such a distinctive voice.
-Paolo Nutini showed up as a recommendation on iTunes. I downloaded one of his songs, New Shoes, and really liked it so I decided to buy the rest. New Shoes is the peppiest song on the album, but I like the whole thing. It's a good set to have on in the background and just listen to while you're hanging out, driving, whatever.
-Bossa N Roses is one of the best finds I've made lately. It is a cover album consisting of electro-bossa nova versions of Guns N Roses' most well-known songs. My favorite is definitely Patience, but Sweet Child of Mine is pretty good as well. It helps you appreciate the excellent melodies of GNR's songs, and is another album that can be in the background without overpowering your ears or freaking out the kids. Can't necessarily say the same of the originals. I'm not saying these are better, but they're enjoyable like the Easy All Stars.
-Radiohead released their latest, In Rainbows, quite a while ago. I was late to the show on this one, which is silly because I've enjoyed everything that they've done, even if it took a little work to "get." I think it's a strong effort, a nice mix of electronic and more traditional instruments.

Travel Notes
-I ate at a restaurant that I'd never tried before, J Alexander. I met my friend, the recently engaged Lisa Chau, and her fiance. The portions are enormous and quite good. Even better than that, J Alexander surprised me in another impressive way. I have long felt that the best restaurants are those that have the Sports section affixed to bulletin boards over the urinals. You guys will understand. J Alexander has small LCD televisions over each station! Fantastic!
-Atlanta Hartsfield International airport has never been a favorite of mine. 90% of the flights that I have taken since moving to Gainesville in 1989 have gone through Atlanta. I had one of the longest nights of my life there in 2001, spending 8 hours in a plane that never left the ground due to bad weather. Well, this last trip that I took was the first where Atlanta was actually my final destination. Knowing Atlanta's reputation as one of the busiest airports in the U.S. I was prepared for the worst. I was wrong. Painless bag retrieval. Painless transport from the airport. Painless check in and very fast security lines.

Nostalgia Corner
-I saw a huge Indiana Jones poster at the Atlanta airport. Less than one month. This movie will be outstanding, I can feel it. When is the last time that Spielberg made a "fun" movie? The last one I can think of is probably The Lost World, although that film was not his best effort. Harrison Ford has always been a favorite actor of mine, so I'll be there opening night, the 7:15 showing.
-Transformers was one of the most enjoyable movies of last summer for me. It wasn't the best movie, not by a longshot, but I enjoyed every moment. This trip I borrowed my brother's DVD to watch it again. The film's flaws became more apparent, but I enjoyed it just as much.
-GI Joe is currently in production. This WAS my favorite cartoon as a child, with Transformers being second and He-Man third. I'm sure I'll post more info in the future.

Wow
David Blaine held his breath for 17 minutes. Have you ever seen some of the stuff this guy can do? I think he has a deal with the devil.

Link of the Day
I admire elite-level athletes, but this story is one of the special ones.

We killin' some people

This one's for the ladies (and guys) who like the Twilight series.

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Summer Season

I am very excited about several movies this summer, most notably Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Dark Knight. I already have my tickets for Indy for opening night, but will have to bide my time for the latter, seeing some more pictures of Batman.

Here they are.

¡Ayúdela!

More Colombia stuff:

• This is an Op-Ed from the Wall Street Journal by former Secretary of State James Baker. It is further repudiation of the FTA's politicization.
• The announcement of a biofuel agreement between the US and Colombia is welcome news. Although relatively small in scope ($1 billion) anything that helps an improving democracy strengthen itself against regression to a a more violent time is a good thing.

Streakin'

The University of Miami saw its 14th straight year of having at least one first round pick in the NFL Draft. This is the continuation of their record streak, one that seemed less sure until the selection of Kenny Phillips with the last pick in the 1st Round.

The Miami Herald's Manny Navarro has a retrospective on Miami and the draft. Miami has produced 47 1st rounders since 1984, more than any other school. In addition to that, many have been extremely productive, and often in their first seasons.

Go Canes!

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXI

These are two funny videos. The first one is a nice commentary on the silly way that many people get up-in-arms about book-to-film (or comic-to-film) adaptations.



I almost didn't post this one because it may cross the line into poor taste. Still, I laughed, so here goes.

Wow

A Raulity Check

My interest in Latin America coincides so well with Mary Anastasia O'Grady's weekly Americas column in the Wall Street Journal. This week she analyzes the real impact of the Raúl Castro government's supposed reforms.

In terms of a real improvement in Cuban liberty, there hasn't been one. Fortunately, in the tradition of oppressed people everywhere some Cuban's aren't waiting for the government to save them. From a recent event given by Ricardo Alarcón, communist bigwig:

Student Eliécer Ávila got most of the international attention with a line of inquiry he read from a notebook. He wanted to know why workers are paid in a worthless local currency, while things they want to buy, like shampoo, are priced in "convertible" pesos, which have the value of dollars. Why are hotels and resorts off limits to locals? Why can't Cubans travel to Bolivia to see where Che Guevara died?
Alarcón seemed stunned. In a rambling, 30-minute response, he defended the hotel ban by saying that as a Hispanic he had been barred from hotels in New York City. He also gave a bizarre explanation for the travel ban: "If all the world, some six billion people, could travel whenever they wanted, the jam in the skies would be enormous."

That last quote is hilarious. Either Alarcón is a complete idiot, or he thinks the Cuban people are.

Warming Shwarming Update

Some proponents of the more alarmist sect of Global Warming have attempted to make a link between climate change and recent hurricane activity.

Not so fast.

The only thing we know is that we don't know much.

SPOTD #138

Howdy folks. I hope all is well.

Today's phrase:
Whatever we're going through, chances are we've been there before. From Lord Byron.

Actual:
El mejor profeta del futuro es el pasado.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Ell may-hore pro-fay-tah dale foo-too-row ess ell pah-sah-doh.

Translation:
The best prophet of the future is the past.

Perfection
Only 4 more months until the college football begins. This is a very positive article about the BYU Cougars and the resurgence of the program as led by Coach Bronco Mendenhall. It's been fun.

Music
This is a very interesting transcript from a short segment on NPR.

Bruta
This is a great review of the Porsche GT2. It is blazing fast. It never ceases to amaze me what Porsche can do with a 6 cylinder engine.

Eric's Bad Movies
Eric Snider is my favorite movie critic. A few weeks ago he began a feature where he reviews bad movies. This one is for Superman IV, a movie I enjoyed a great deal as a kid but now find mostly unwatchable. It's a good review.

Infrastructure
Popular Mechanics has pointed out several aspects of US Infrastructure that need attention. Soon.

Dad's No Dummy
Advertisements portraying fathers as stupid are neither effective nor creative.

Link of the Day
Speed Racer looks crazy, and I think it will be awesome. Here's a little clip.

Sit and think about it...

As my brother Chris reminded me, everything comes down to it.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXX

I came across thing on a blog somewhere. It's always funny.

When Fools lead the Blind

This is an important post.

I wish I could say that the Politicians pushing for the death of the U.S.-Colombia Free-Trade Agreement were merely ignorant. Instead I would say that it rises to a level of ideological corruption that indicates the real stuff that Pelosi, Obama, and Clinton are made of. Their stance is opposed by many other Democrats, as shown in today's Wall Street Journal.

Among the reasons given by the FTA's opposition is a stated concern about the union worker. This Boston Globe editorial by Edward Shumacher-Matos explains how the pact would actually benefit U.S. exports into Colombia by lowering tariffs on U.S. goods significantly:

US goods, however, still face tariffs of 35 percent and higher. Under the new agreement, 80 percent of US auto parts, medical equipment, and farm and other products will be duty free immediately. The rest will be phased in over 10 years.
The Colombian government is making the bigger sacrifice because a permanent agreement removes uncertainty for investors. Trade, combined with US support for Colombia's military and justice system, have helped Colombia beat back a leftist insurgency, largely demobilize right-wing paramilitaries, and spark a boom that has reduced poverty, unemployment, and the economic weight of drug mafias.

In fact, many Colombian Unions are in favor of the pact. Mary Anastasia O'Grady had a must-read article in yesterday's WSJ. The FTA will bring investment and should promote economic stability. In spite of the competition that it may expose them to, they recognize the net benefit of freer trade. For more see the video below.

I've had an interest in Colombia for many years. It's sad that this issue has been politicized to the point of jeopardizing the tremendous progress made in that country during this decade.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXIX

Just because I can, here is the most recent episode of The Office. There are some really funny moments. Enjoy.

SPOTD #137

It has been a long while since the last SPOTD, although I have posted here at the blog (http://blog.spotd.net) regularly. The blog is less dependent on my laptop, which was un poco enfermo until last week. It is a short one, but I hope you enjoy.

Today's phrase:
We were invited to the house of some friends for dinner last Sunday. They made a fantastic meal of authentic mexican food- rice, refried beans, and best of all- tamales. Real, homemade tamales. These take hours to make. It was a treat, and gives rise to this thought:

Actual:
Panza llena, corazón contento

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Pawn-zah yay-nah core-ah-sewn cone-tain-toe.

Translation:
Full stomach, happy heart.

Películas
I enjoyed this Spanish-language film Ladrón que roba a ladrón (Thiefs steals from thief). It is an Oceans 11 style film about some thieves who plan a major heist using immigrants. It's short, humorous, and clever. It should be available at your local Blockbuster. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it was entertaining.
We took Joseph to see Horton Hears a Who and it was surprisingly (to me) enjoyable. I recommend it.

Golf
I haven't played golf in months, and have little time to do so as it is, but this article makes me want to keep at it. It's a nice story about that beautiful game.

Moses
I was saddened by the passing of Charlton Heston. This is a nice interview with him done by Entertainment Weekly in 1999.

Arthur Clarke
I'm a lifelong fan of Science Fiction, and Arthur Clarke was one of the pioneers of that genre. What is so interesting about writers like him is the tremendous impact that they've had on actual science and technological development. Get a sense for his life here.

Link of the Day
I thought this was a pretty great advertisement for BMW. I found it through Instapundit, who provides some interesting technical background into how they shot it.

Props for Property

I think that Mary Anastasia O'Grady does a great job in her weekly Wall Street Journal article "The Americas." This week discusses the tremendous task of liberalizing Mexico's economy.

Mexico has real troubles ahead if they are unable to address their tremendous problems with property rights and monopolistic practices. Watch the video for more.

Good News from Iraq

Check out this post from Michael Barone on the Kagan report.

RIP Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston has died. From a young age he impressed me with his presence as an actor. I appreciated his politics as well.

Entertainment Weekly has a brief look at some of his notable roles. The man had some good times.

BLOG UPDATE

UPDATE: Lappy's back. Breathe a sigh of relief why don't you.

My laptop is in the shop, so the purpose of the post is to explain that in its absence most of my posts will be shorter. I use my laptop to blog and write SPOTD's at night, but without it I will likely have shorter posts than normal, as I am generally too busy at work. I hope you can survive until then.

NEW POSTS will appear below this one until "Lappy" returns home.

Feats of Engineering.

A Saudi prince plans to build a tower ONE MILE HIGH. That is more than twice as tall as the tallest buildings in the world. This graphic from the U.K. Daily Mail illustrates:

I wish them luck.

El Plátano

This interesting book review has almost inspired me to read 300 pages about the Banana.

Ever thought about how there are many apples or oranges and only one banana?

Cubans

I enjoyed this article from Pajamas Media about the supposed but apparently non-existent ideological shift between old and young cubanos. Apparently we are just as conservative as our parents.

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/cubanamerican_generational_shi/

McCain, the Conservative?

There are three interesting articles demonstrating some things that I like from John McCain. He's growing on me, and I hope that continues. A lot will depend on his choice for Vice President.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120645482100762421.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120640701463560977.html?mod=hps_us_inside_today

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120657642878567071.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks

Colombia, Liberty, & Trade

I think U.S. support for Colombia's liberalizing government is vitally important to our economic and national security in this hemisphere. Democrats are abandoning Colombia at a critical time, in a ploy to shore up support among opponents of free trade. This is a bad idea, but continues Democrat's long tradition of doctrinal inconsistency.

Read the following for more:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120631596510858221.html?mod=todays_columnists

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120640555842961083.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks

Awesome Video Saturday XXXVIII

I give you...the Saga of Bumbo! (Thanks Gladys!)

Part II



Part III

Not so Super

The Wall Street Journal has this great editorial about the very murky nature of the Democrat's process of selecting their nominee for President. It is not at all consistent with the way they have assailed Republicans in 2000 and 2004.

Saddam & Terror

It appears that Saddam Hussein DID have extensive ties to terror and terror networks.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXVII

This video is truly AWESOME. That is why it gets its very own AweVidSat.

A Mystery

This is an interesting article from NPR. It talks about the difficulty that scientists are having interpreting data on seawater temperature. It's not getting warmer. Hmmm. Could this mean that understanding of climate change is imperfect? Unsure?

Seems to be the case.

Iraq, 5 Years hence

More than 5 years have passed since the U.S. invasion of Iraq. I remain convinced that going to war was the right thing to do and that long-term success is both possible and likely.

Slate is an online magazine that is predictably left-leaning. Notwithstanding those tendencies, several of their writers supported the decision to invade. Like many erstwhile supporters of the war, many have changed their mind. Like me, Christopher Hitchens has held fast. I think that his column to that effect is an excellent one. His conclusion:

There is, however, one position that nobody can honestly hold but that many people try their best to hold. And that is what I call the Bishop Berkeley theory of Iraq, whereby if a country collapses and succumbs to trauma, and it's not our immediate fault or direct responsibility, then it doesn't count, and we are not involved. Nonetheless, the very thing that most repels people when they contemplate Iraq, which is the chaos and misery and fragmentation (and the deliberate intensification and augmentation of all this by the jihadists), invites the inescapable question: What would post-Saddam Iraq have looked like without a coalition presence?
The past years have seen us both shamed and threatened by the implications of the Berkeleyan attitude, from Burma to Rwanda to Darfur. Had we decided to attempt the right thing in those cases (you will notice that I say "attempt" rather than "do," which cannot be known in advance), we could as glibly have been accused of embarking on "a war of choice." But the thing to remember about Iraq is that all or most choice had already been forfeited. We were already deeply involved in the life-and-death struggle of that country, and March 2003 happens to mark the only time that we ever decided to intervene, after a protracted and open public debate, on the right side and for the right reasons. This must, and still does, count for something.

Invading Iraq was just the right thing to do.

A Fantastic Trip

Out of the more than 200 pictures that I took this past week, these are some that I wanted to share. I'm sure that Lacy will post some on her blog as well, as will the Palmers and Da Costas. We had a fantastic time, enjoyed wonderful hospitality, and saw some beautiful sights.

We had a lot of gear with us. How do you like that beard?

We enjoyed taking the kids for walks.

Joseph was excited to see his Mom ski.
At the top of the mountain at Kicking Horse. An incredible view.

Remembering our trip in 2002., when we stayed at these Kicking Horse River Chalets with Matty Matt Nielsen.
Beautiful Lake Louise, frozen with ice 3 feet thick. Joseph liked to slide around. It was very, very cold.
Lacy spotted this impressive elk when we stopped in Banff.
Two bee-u-tee-ful ladies. I am one lucky man.
We went ice fishing and Joseph liked examining the catch (rainbow trout).
Joseph on an ATV with Mom at Lanny & Mark's. Lanny is Justin's mom.
Here is Mark at his restaurant in Turner Valley, Alberta. Excellent food. Route 40 Soup Company. Their chips (french fries) are incredible.

It snowed most of our last 2 days in Calgary. That was the SWEET Suburban we rented. Nice to have 4 wheel drive out there. This pic is at Mark & Lanny's ranch.
On a cold, cold day in Calgary it was time to come home. We flew on Westjet, had a great experience (direct flight) and look forward to our next trip to Calgary.
This is a panoramic shot that I put together from photos at the top of the mountain. This was our prettiest, clearest, and last day to ski.

Perhaps I'll post some video later.

Going, going, back, back to Cal(gary)

During the 2002 Winter Olympics I fled Utah's magical atmosphere for beautiful Canada. With two of my best buds, Matt & Justin, we visited Calgary and then Golden, British Columbia for a great week of skiing and relaxation.

Today I am going back. This time it will be with Lacy, Joseph, & Millie along with the Palmers & Da Costas. There will be less skiing and more sledding, less late nights and more early mornings. We are very excited.

This will be the first long trip I have been on for quite some time where my computer will not be accompanying me. Between kids, skis, and winter clothes my hands will be quite full. So I don't plan to post while I'm gone unless I end up with free time and a computer.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXVI

From the Mouths of Babes, Star Wars Episode 4. Pretty awesome.

Worth your Time

For the past 2 years I have been involved with the Leadership Gainesville program of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. My class, LG 33, is promoting a charity 5k race to benefit to very worthy causes, Tyler's Hope and Junior Achievement.

I have personal connections to both of these charities and am excited for us to make some money for them.

The race is $25/runner, $23 if you register early on active.com. I am sponsoring a team through our company. If you are in Gainesville and want to run the race you only need to pay $20. I'll cover the rest for anyone who wants to run. It will be fun, there will be food and music, and it is for a good cause.

It is at 6:30 on April 16, 2008. Check the link for more information.

Bush in Africa/Projection

I cited a few links in SPOTD #136 about President Bush's visit to Africa and the very positive views about him held by many Africans. There was also praise from Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof. Geldof has written a longer piece for TIME. It was very interesting, but revealed something about Geldof (and I think many other people) that he has not noticed.

Geldof's praise for Bush in Africa is matched by Geldof's criticism of Bush in Iraq. Why the difference? On Africa they agree and on Iraq they don't. Seems pretty simple, doesn't it? When someone agrees with you, and does things that you advocate/admire, they are brave, courageous, a genius. When you they act contrary to your opinion they are ignorant, stupid, or perhaps even malicious. Geldof does a poor job, a non-effort really, to reconcile the dichotomy. I'm not just criticizing liberals like Geldof. This extends to the folks that like the president on terror but hate him on immigration. He must be in league with the construction companies or "big agriculture."

This tendency to view proponents of policies we disagree with through the prism of good/evil is often incorrect and just as frequently is the source for today's acrimonious political discourse. Sometimes people just disagree. It is as simple as that. Win the battle with superior ideas, not ad hominem attacks that betray at best a lack of sophistication and at worst the exact kind of malice that one may be projecting on the target of their ire.

More trouble from Chavez

I was dismayed by this report about troop mobilizations by Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. He has moved units to the Colombian border following that country's successful killing of a top FARC leader. As I've written before, Chavez has recognized FARC as a legitimate political actor, despite the fact that they are funded through illegal and immoral activities. He did this to undermine the Uribe government in Colombia, a close ally to the United Statets.

I mentioned that I was dismayed, but that is less so at the behavior of Chavez (hardly surprising) than at that of Congress which failed to approve enhanced trade relations with Colombia. Colombia has greatly improved over the last several years, but politicians in Washington don't seem to understand how tenuous that success is.

The death of Raul Reyes and 16 of his comrades is the death of more terrorists. We all know how I feel about that.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXV

Michael Bay... AWESOME



Ouch.