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October 1, 2005
9 Months!
October 8, 2005
The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations
When I heard that the White House was opposing legislation to make torture specifically illegal, I naturally expected the Republicans in congress to jump on board. This administration has had zero vetoes since they came in, because the congressional majority is kept so well in line these days (this is one of the side effects of having a number of full-time propoganda units in place, echoing the daily talking points).
So it turns out that the very first bill that the president is threatening to veto is a defense spending bill, entirely because of an amendment forbidding torture.
When I first read that 90 of 99 senators voted for the amendment, against the wishes of the president, I felt some stirrings of pride for our country. But then I came to my senses: The fact that 90% of the elected senate oppposes torture is nothing to be proud of (the numbers are expected to be even worse in the House). I realized instead that it's not pride I was feeling, but relief.
9 out of 10 senators still have some moral standard to show the world, an unwillingness to sink (knowingly) to the level of your average banana republic or Soviet gulag. Let us praise small victories.
October 9, 2005
Fun with Maps
I thought I might learn something by mapping the states of the pro-torture senators.
I didn't.
But hey, if anyone else spots a pattern, let me know.
October 14, 2005
Young Yeller
There once was a baby who cried
Her parents to comfort her tried
There's naught we can do!
Teething pain's got us screwed!
And out of exhaustion, they died.
October 22, 2005
Go Bears!
It appears I've been indexed: Searching for "Bears eat the id" on Yahoo brings up my home page. I guess the only thing left is to explain what it means.
Here's my story.
Back in 1986 or so, shortly after I arrived in Berkeley, the anti-apartheid protests flared up. The Berkeley campus hadn't seen large-scale protest for a few years, and an interesting blend of participants showed up. Some were passionate about the cause, others were eager to engage in the romance of rebellion. My motivations were mixed, but I was definitely trying to atone for my Reagan vote back in 1980.
There was an extended sit-in on the steps of Sproul Plaza. People slept on the steps, made signs, gathered into groups to plot strategy, and scoured the papers for any media coverage of the action (after all, what is peaceful protest for, if not to engage the conscience of the populace through the media?). We chanted and listened to speeches and danced on the steps after dark, and generally had a good time making our presence known.
I remember one morning, waking up early, seeing a few hundred sleeping bags scattered on the steps, protesters snoozing as the sun was coming up. Things came to life slowly, strangers from the night before waking up, meeting each other in the morning light, chatting, and watching early bird students stroll across the plaza en route to the library.
A couple guys near me were gathering their stuff, including a cardboard sign folded in half. I focused on the sign: Bears! eat the id! and puzzled over its meaning. I knew I was seeing only half of the sign, but I still couldn't figure out what the entire wording could possibly be.
I finally asked my neighbors to unfold the sign so I could read the entire message: "Go Bears! Beat Apartheid!" scrawled in 3 lines, folded in half so as to read: Bears! eat the id!
I should explain that the UC Berkeley football team is named the Bears, derived from the bear on the California seal.
So I've always thought Bears! eat the id! was kinda funny. Especially hilarious, however, is the fact that someone actually created a sign that said "Go Bears! Beat Apartheid!".
Anyhow, when casting about for a name for your weblog, there are several criteria to meet.
1. It must be unique -- you want to project a sense of rebellious creativity, and avoid domain fights.
2. It should be obscure. Nothing sells a weblog like a whiff of poetic wisdom.
3. Finally, do your best to make it funny. And honestly, what's funnier than bears?
But beyond these crass promotional considerations, I remain fascinated by the fortune cookie that fell into my lap 20 years ago. To quote Richard Dreyfuss looking at a pile of clay in Close Encounters : "This means something!"
So there you go.
Bears! eat the id!
October 24, 2005
RetroGen Ex-Post-Retro Update!
Anyone browsing the archives will find this post from June:
I always thought that stretching after a nap was something people picked up by example. As a kid, I remember thinking it was a strange quirk of "grownups", then eventually I found myself doing it too.
Guess what Genevieve doesn't do anymore?
So maybe my long-ago assumptions weren't so crazy?