On Being Over 40

teh
The Post:

…your late night thread involves discussing novels which should be read at a particular age. I'm especially curious if there are any novels which should be read when you are actually older – 40+…


The Comment:

Read books? I can't even read a menu now without holding it at arm's length.
watertiger | Homepage | 03.02.06 - 11:33 pm |

Bathroom Etiquette

teh
Academia is once again on the cutting edge of ideas.

Here is where I would like to offer suggestions for bathroom etiquette. If you have to go number one: Approach the urinal, flush, take care of business, flush again, run finger tips (at the very least) under the faucet, then exit restroom. If someone else is present - maintain proper urinal distance, make no eye contact and only speak if eye contact is made in the mirror while washing hands. If you have to go number 2: Enter the stall, flush (this ensures a working toilet), line the seat with toilet paper and when you are finished, flush your deposits to include the seat lining paper. Look back before you exit because sometimes a double flush is required. Wash your hands and leave the restroom.

If you experience unforeseen problems during your visit, please administer the "courtesy flush." This says to others, "hey, sorry about the smell, but I am not finished." Plus, when timed properly, the "courtesy flush" can mask any loud noises.

I think the test flush concept is a good one except that you are doubling your water usage (perhaps tripling it if using the noise-covering technique as well). And what ever happened to urinal troughs that guys would all pee into and then every so often water would come down washing away any residuals. Now those were water savers.

Fuel For Thought

teh
My biggest criticism of Barack Obama as Senator has been his seeming lack of legislative initiative. (I say seeming because I’m relying on media reports, a dangerous thing to do). But Kevin Drum points us to a Knight Ridder article on a new energy proposal Obama has devised.

WASHINGTON - Trying to jump-start gains in auto fuel efficiency after decades of
inaction, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is proposing an unusual swap for the Big Three U.S. carmakers: Washington would pay some of Detroit's multibillion-dollar health costs in exchange for it making cars that get higher gasoline mileage.

The federal government would pay 10 percent of the $6.7 billion in annual health costs for retirees that are weighing down General Motors, Ford and Chrysler if they'll commit to building more fuel-efficient cars, Obama proposed in a speech Tuesday before a panel at the National Governors Association conference. He called it a "win-win proposal for the industry."

[snip]

"We look forward to working with the senator in finding solutions," said Mike Moran, a spokesman for Ford.

Car industry lobbyists were caught off-guard by Obama's proposal and said they needed time to think about it.

Kevin details some of the other aspects of Obama’s proposal given in a recent speech (transcript of that speech here). Obama wants to “raise fuel economy standards by 3% a year over the next fifteen years, starting in 2008” and promote bio-fuel efforts including:

Ramp up new fuel standards that will result in production of 65 billion gallons of alternative fuels per year by 2025.

Mandate that the federal government buy only flex fuel vehicles.

Within ten years, mandate that every car in America is a flex fuel vehicle. Include a $100 tax credit per vehicle to ease the pain.

Put yellow gas caps on all flex fuel vehicles.

Provide a $30,000 tax credit to any gas station that installs E85 pumps (i.e., a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline).

There’s nothing very sexy here so I’m not sure how much attention the media is going to pay to this. I think the proposal to be fairly modest but it certainly would move things in the right direction. And it’s good to see Obama taking the lead on something. Given his political superstar status I think he would have a better chance than many to get his message out. I hope we soon see more initiatives.

Blagojevich Defender

teh
Oh great. CBS News’ Blogophile web page (scroll waaay down) catches me coming to the defense of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Ooops! Someone forgot to tell Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich that The Daily Show spoofs the news. Granted, with hundreds of thousands of viewers, the program's mission is hardly secret. But it was news to the governor when he sat down for an interview that ended up poking fun at the Democratic governor.

[snip]

But the duped governor has some defenders. “As much as it pains me to defend Rod Blagojevich, I have to say he is far from being the only politician to not realize they were not being interviewed by a real reporter for The Daily Show. I am continually
amazed at the number of officials, newsmakers and celebrities that have no idea The Daily Show is fake news,” The Eleventh Hour blogged.

Should I be expecting a State contract in the near future?

President Big Boy

teh
Ha, ha. Republican Senator Trent Lott responding to the President’s threat to veto any legislation stopping the sale of U.S. port facilities to the United Arab Emirates:

"OK, big boy, I'll just vote to override your veto.”

That’s classic. And damn near gay.

A Great Day to Be a Dave

teh
Happy St. David’s Day!

Fall From Grace

teh
Anyone who can’t stand Nancy Grace and her self-righteous smugness (me, me, me) should read this.

Link via Atrios.

Planning Deficit

teh
It looks like Illinois isn’t doing a very good job of providing easy access to contraception and family planning services. According to the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute, the state is ranked 42nd in the nation. Every one of our neighboring states, save Indiana (go figure), does a better job.

Hat tip to Kevin Drum.

Out With the New

teh
Ahhh! Richard Roeper identifies a pet peeve of mine:

…I popped a DVD of "Die Another Day" into the computer -- and then I had to weed through all kinds of previews and menus and commands and stuff, just to get to the damn movie.

This happens with just about every DVD. You can't just pop it in and play the film. You have to sit through the FBI Warning in English and in French, you have to wade through coming attractions, you have to wait while the menu loads -- and then you have to navigate around until you can find the "Play Movie" command. Sometimes you can fast forward or skip ahead, but more often than not, you get that little red slash sign and the "BONG" sound effect that tells you the "Operation is Prohibited" at that particular moment.

At least with the old-school VHS, you could just fast forward to the start of the movie.

No kidding! I think that same thing every time I start a DVD and have to sit through the FBI warning and more. “Bring back VHS”, say I. But once the show begins it’s all worth it in terms of quality and even quantity as most DVDs have lots of extras you never got on tapes. Besides, DVD will soon be obsolete (Bill Gates says so) and something better will come along to piss me off.

Selling Like Paninis

teh
I like Lean Cuisines. They are just right portion-wise for me, especially if eaten with a salad. I’ve been eating them for more than a dozen years now on a fairly regular basis. They’re easy to pop into the microwave, aren’t bursting with fat and they keep me from over eating. As such, I was pleased to try their new Panini sandwiches. They’re great for lunch when I REALLY crave sandwiches.

But I’ve been having a hard time finding them in the grocery store lately. I figured I was just shopping at times when some things just hadn’t been restocked. But tonight at Jewel, I noticed a sign the store had but up on the freezer case in front of the Lean Cuisines. It indicated the Paninis may be sold out due to popular demand, Stouffer's (who makes Lean Cuisines) was having trouble keeping up with demand and that they should have the supply problem solved by June of 2006. Why June, I haven’t a clue.

In all my years shopping for food, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a sign. It’s hard to believe there has been such a run on microwave sandwiches. Has there ever been a food item so popular it took the manufacturer 4 months to meet demand?

Update: Or is this just a sly marketing ploy? After reading the sign in the store, I bought two more Paninis (they might run out!) even though I have some and home and had not inteded to buy more right away.

You've Got Propaganda!

teh
A Pontiac, Illinois gas station is the target of one of those completely false emails that gets unthinkingly forwarded by your gullible (and usually right wing) friends. The sense of victimhood is so prevalent in conservative America that they have to make shit up just to get their daily adrenalin fix.

The gist of the email is that the “Pakistani” owner of the gas station is refusing to sell merchandise to members of the U.S. armed forces or their families. For good measure, and predictably, the email contains a good dose of anti-immigrant sentiment with a touch of racism. The vigilante ending is exciting too.

I’m not sure why partisans, who are surely convinced of the rightness of their cause, find it necessary to come up with bullshit propaganda to advance their agenda. If your world view is so correct, wouldn’t the truth be witness to this?

Vote Early, If Not Often

teh
I’m glad to see people are taking advantage of the new early voting law. But given the fact that the only place you can vote early here in Sangamon County is at the County Clerk’s office, I’m wondering what the real advantage is. I mean, it’s always been possible to vote absentee if you thought you were not going to be able to make it to the polls on Election Day. I voted absentee once years ago and I don’t remember it being a big hassle other than actually getting my ass into the County Clerk’s office. I’m certainly not opposed to the early voting in any way, but given that convenience, I think, is often a huge factor in who votes, I’m just wondering if it’s going to make a real difference if it’s virtually the same as voting absentee.

Let’s Support the Troops

teh
But how can we support the troops when they obviously hate America? It seems most of them want to cut and run. They must hate our freedoms.

Mission Accomplished!

teh
The medical malpractice insurance "crisis" is over. Of course, it never really existed except in the minds of Republicans on the anti “trail lawyer” snipe hunt. Fortunately, no one got shot in the face on that hunt.

Life During Wartime

teh
I hadn’t been checking in with Riverbend, the Iraqi blogger living in Baghdad, in recent months but when things began to melt down there last week I revisited her blog. As usual her posts were very revealing.

First, this post seems to suggest, from her perspective, Iraq may not be poised for all-out civil war. She lives in a mixed neighborhood (Shiites, Sunnis and Christians) and doesn’t sense a lot of hostility between her neighbors. Now, this may be the situation across Iraq or, by virtue of the fact her neighborhood is mixed and therefore more tolerant, it may be an anomaly. Let’s hope for the former.

Second, she has an amazing account of what it is like to face nighttime raids by the military in search of insurgents. In this case it was a sweep being conducted by Iraqi forces. But the fear her family experienced, even though they had nothing to hide, is vividly portrayed. Amazing. And heartbreaking.

The Next Governor of Illinois…

teh
Rod Blagojevich.

February 25, 2006--With his administration freighted by scandal, Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich (D), is a well-funded but controversial incumbent. He has yet to reach the 50% level of voter even the weakest Republican in the field. That's a sure sign of potential vulnerability.

The governor has nonetheless gained ground since our last poll, when he did not reach even 40% support in a match-up with the strongest Republican candidate, State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.

Blagojevich now leads Topinka 42% to 36%. He leads businessman Jim Oberweis 49% to 37%, leads businessman Ron Gidwitz 47% to 33%, and leads State Senator Bill Brady 47% to 29%.

It’s hard for me to believe Blago’s going to lose. He gets a lot of negative press for doing some negative things, but outside of state workers I don’t think he’s pissed off enough people to not be reelected. But I could be wrong.

Department of Incoherency

teh
Ah-nold speaks; you no comprende. From today’s all-Republican day on Meet the Press:

RUSSERT: ….Ports. Do you believe that this deal should go forward to allow the United Arab Emirates company control six American ports, operate them?

SCHWARZENEGGER: …And it's a very complex issue, because, you know, we have the globalization, we want to do trades with everyone all over the world, but at the same time, globalization crosses with terrorism now, and there's that whole fear. And then we have villainized the Arab world also so much that now Arab country -- or company taking over our ports and maybe have some influence in our security, it freaks everyone out, and rightfully so.

It freaks me out that anyone is seriously asking Arnold Schwarzenegger about this. But he makes a few good points: we do have “the globalization” and we do “want to do trades”. This guy could be George W. Bush’s ad-lib writer.

See Ya, Barn

teh
The mass departure from this earthly plane by 1960’s TV stars continues unabated. Don Knotts passed away Friday.

I guess I wasn’t anything close to being a huge fan of Knotts or the Barney Fife character, but I remember watching an A&E Biography on him about a year ago that was really interesting. Actually, it was Knotts that was interesting. Watching his life story, it was hard to reconcile the man with his often lame characters.

Just as a side note, one of the most disturbing movies I saw as kid was The Incredible Mr. Limpet.

I’m not sure what it was but Knotts’ character, both as fish and human, really creeped me out. It still sends a shiver up my spine just thinking about that movie.

Oh, and don’t even get me started on Mr. Furley.

Still, there’s no doubt about Knotts’ icon status. He led a good life, brought joy to -well, billions I suppose- and certainly gave more than he took. It really is hard to see these guys go.

Nothing to Crow About

teh
Damn.

Sheryl Crow underwent surgery for breast cancer earlier this week, forcing her to cancel a concert tour that included a March 31 performance to open the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.

The prognosis for a full recovery is excellent, her publicist reported Friday.

The singer-songwriter had the surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday and is recovering without complications, said Dave Tomberlin, her publicist.

I know I haven’t said it here lately, so here goes: Fuck Cancer.

I also haven’t said this often enough: The terrorism that affects most Americans doesn’t grow out of the Middle East, it grows in the form of tumors and affects every family in this country. You want a war on terror? I’ve got one you can spend billions on that might actually make a big difference and it ain’t in Iraq.

Get well, Sheryl.

Meanwhile, Down on the Farm...

teh
Anyone distraught about what the hurricane season of 2005 was doing to the insurance industry can put away their hankies. Bloomington based State Farm Insurance posted a 3.2 BILLION dollar profit last year.