Wherein I Ramble On For a Country Mile

Ech. Politics.

I watched a few hours of the DNC on Monday. Then I watched it yesterday, and also much of today. As it happens, I'm a bit of a masochist.

I'm guessing that it was once a quaint pep rally sort of affair, but now it's morphed into something decidedly more creepy. Granted, I initially caught it early in the day, so the convention hall was half-empty. The house band played tired hits from the 70's, as aging yuppies pretended to have fun. Speaker after speaker intoned the magic words, "...our next president of the United States of America, Barack...OBAMA!!!!", and the crowd went wild. Over and over again. It got better as the crowd got bigger, and the two Clintons gave great speeches. Even John Kerry came ready with a decent speech. It was all very exciting.

I took a quiz on some website that claimed to be able to match you up with the ideal candidate, based on your response to "policy" questions. Those who know me probably know that I am: 1)anti-stupid-warmongering, but not anti-military--we need to have some teeth and claws, 2)pro-choice, especially for cases that involve a medical necessity, 3)supportive of minority rights, but somewhat conflicted on affirmative action as it stands today, 4)supportive of teachers' unions and higher pay for police and firefighters, 5)generally OK with gun ownership with some sensible restrictions, 6)disgusted with the "war on drugs" as a huge waste of resources, 7)someone who sees no reason to restrict gay marriage or adoption, and 8)very interested in subsidizing research into alternative energies to break the addiction to fossil fuels. All of these issues are addressed by most candidates. As it turns out, my strongest matches are the Green Party's Cynthia Mckinney, and the Socialist Party's Brian Moore! (followed by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Ralph Nader. McCain was at the bottom of my list).

I researched a bit of the top two candidates, and realized that I couldn't cast my vote their way. Mckinney just lacks the necessary experience, and appears to be too closely tied to her personal fight for African American equality. I'm just not sure how much more can be legislated in this area--the main problem is in the hearts of people, and the only cure is time. In her time in congress, she introduced 5 pieces of legislation, one of which was a call for the expeditious release of documents pertaining to the death of Tupac Shakur. Seriously? On the socialist front, Moore calls for the closure of all overseas military bases. This strikes me as such a singularly bad idea as to make me question his overall judgement.

This leaves Obama and Nader. Obama seems nice, and he appears to be doing all the right things to get elected. However, he's still just a Democrat, and the Dems haven't really done anything to make me swoon in awhile. Over the last eight years, the adjective that keeps springing to mind is 'inept'. They rolled over more times than I can count, so there's no guarantee that they won't do it again in the future. They couldn't even defeat GW Bush in 2004.

Nader is often touted as a 'waste of your vote'. He's quite intelligent, but not very charismatic--I'm actually more impressed with his running mate, Matt Gonzalez. I don't think that a vote for Nader is a wasted vote, nor do I think that it necessarily hands the election to McCain. I live in a deep blue district, so my vote for Nader would register as "disaffected", or "none of the above", and wouldn't touch Obama's ready victory here. However, even if Nader was elected, he wouldn't survive to his inauguration; he has some proposals about reducing or discontinuing specific military hardware (mostly airplanes) that would affect the livelihood of some large and powerful military suppliers. These types of proposals are more dangerous than having the wrong color skin in this country, as foretold by D.W. Eisenhower.

I am disaffected. I despise the way politics works in this country, in that both sides want to control the ball, but neither side wants to move it. There is no honor at all, only lies and half-truths. One possible answer is a strong third party, but it would take such extraordinary effort to make that a reality, and even then, after all that hard work, it could end up being subsumed by one of the old parties. I can't see any way for a third party to worm its way in to access the pressure points of Washington power, most of which are simply very influential people who are beholden to the current system. So we're stuck with the two-party system.

The one issue that is really important to me as I watch my daughter grow older--an issue that has not come up once in 365+ days of campaigning, and probably won't come up in any of the pretty speeches in Denver over the next two days--is the increasing strength of the executive branch. Clinton got the line-item veto. Bush, Jr. has been using signing statements whenever Congress goes against his will. For those who are unfamiliar, a signing statement is when the president grudgingly signs a bill that was passed by congress, but includes some text that indicates that he will reserve the right to ignore the legislation if he feels like it. This is legal, but Bush has used this perquisite more often than all other presidents combined. Additionally, he's used the office of the Attorney General to shore up even more power for the executive branch by using the twin strategies of executive privilege and national security. It's completely disgusting, and it undermines our basic checks and balances. No one is talking about this. Why should they, when all they have to do is talk about "the American dream" and gas prices to get the populace riled up. We're getting farther away from a representative government with every election.

Rant OFF.

Congratulations to the German Equestrian Team

Mmmm. I'm enjoying a tasty beer right about now. This here beer has a few things going for it. First, it's a nice, sweet Belgian ale. Also, it comes in six-packs, instead of a 750 ml bottle with a cork. Penultimately, it is spicy, with creamy bubbles, and has a sane alcohol content of 6.6%. And finally, it wasn't insanely expensive. It's called Leffe, and it's a Genuine Abbey Ale. Here's the flavor text:

Savor the Mystery of the Ages--Award-winning Leffe Blonde is a full-bodied deep golden ale that is surprisingly subtle and delicate. Belgium's classic abbey ale is best served in its own chalice-shaped glass, accentuating the ale's aroma and creating the perfect head.

Chalices and perfect head aside, I would agree with most of the rest. I didn't find it particularly subtle or delicate. It's what I would classify as a great gateway to the Belgian beer style, much like Duvel or Chimay Red, only slightly more watered down (Ohhh!! That must be the subtle and/or delicate part).

How 'bout that Russia - Georgia conflict? First, Eighties music comes back. Next, we (ok, they)restart the Cold War. What's next, breakdancing on cardboard? Parachute pants? Polo by Ralph Lauren seeping out from the heavy threads of an Izod that is tucked into Dockers shorts and secured by a leather weave belt, accessorized with jet black wayfarers and boat shoes at a dance club???

I was watching the Olympics yesterday. My whole life, I've found myself too busy or too disinterested to watch much Olympics, but now I find the competition to be entertaining. Even more interesting, I find that my attitudes toward other countries has changed. I used to only pull for the English-speaking countries -- USA, Great Britain, Australia, Canada -- but yesterday I was watching the Aussies go for their 3rd or 4th straight team equestrian Gold, and I said to myself, "You know what? Screw Australia. I HOPE the Germans win." Maybe it's because I became friends with a few Germans while living in Ann Arbor, or maybe I crossed a point where I can admire superior preparation and execution, no matter where it originated, but it felt good. Today, I watched the Chinese just destroy the USA in synchronized diving (wtf?), and I honestly enjoyed the beauty of the much, much better Chinese divers. Don't get me wrong, I am clinging to the joy and heartache offered, respectively, by the US men's swimming and women's gymnastics squads, but I also appreciate the achievements and disappointments of the other nations involved.

I'm going to update my sidebars soon, so keep a lookout for new stuff (finally) there. Talk soon, 'kay?

Gabbling

Here is a bullet list of recent thoughts and observations

-I've only seen Mt. Ranier once since I've been here, despite the fact that it looms over the entire region. My mouth gaped open as we traveled down a local highway, 1 mile from my home. It feels like we live in Pompeii.

-Seattle is just chock full of plump Asian girls. Or women. Chicks? How do I say that without being offensive? Is it "Asian"? Either way, the plumper they are, the more likely they are to wear black clothing with bright splashes of pink or purple.

-Jill and I haven't discussed it much, but we really miss all of our family and friends back East. There's a big you-shaped hole inside of us, I think the expression goes.

-Thanks to Jonathan for pimping that Penny Arcade comic. I've been through some of the archive, and it's quite good.

-I would have no problem voting for Obama if he got Bill Richardson to be on his ticket. I would not vote for him if the Clintons were on his ticket. They would be too disruptive to his presidency. If it's just the Clintons versus McCain, I'd have to look at it more closely. They both voted to go into Iraq. Of course, if it's a McCain/Romney ticket, I'd suck it up and vote Hillary.

-Elaine is totally hilarious much of the time.

-The Right and big business have been working hard to counteract the effects of Gore's documentary. Turns out the thousands of scientists that, amazingly, came to a rough consensus that we humans are having an effect on the global climate are just saying what it takes to keep their funding. (Ignore for the moment that the funding comes from the government, and recall the hostility the Bush administration showed to science in general.) The crux of the arguments seem to be that we can't actually know anything about our effect because of questionable measurement metrics over too short of a time, and that the planet goes through natural cycles of warming and cooling. To me, this is a red herring, because we have two basic problems that require immediate attention: the trees that reduce CO2 and produce oxygen are being wiped out at an exponential rate, and the pollution of our rivers and streams that is finding its way into the water tables and other organisms that we eat.

-Ever daydream about what you'd do with a nice, round figure like $10 million? I do, sometimes...

-Buy a house somewhere nice, with a goodly spread of land for my disc golf course. Oregon, maybe. Montana, too. Also, a flat in a major city (Manhattan, London, Amsterdam, Barcelona...)

-Move my parents and whoever Jill wants on her side of the family to wherever they want.

-Travel (By train if possible, but definitely first class on planes)

-Figure out a way to help a lot of people out here in the US. Become the Anonymous Philanthropist Vigilante!

-Open a brewpub with attached game store (duh).

What's your $10 Mil list?

Shell Games

My, aren't I the unusually prolific one! Guess I should take a few days off after this.

There were two news items that I read with some amount of cynicism yesterday. First, the report that Iran had "halted" it's nuclear weapons program. Second, that Hugo Chavez had been dealt a "defeat". Much has been made of both items. The Venezuelan vote was sans monitors, and is probably Chavez' way of saying, "Hey, look. Would I fix this referendum to narrowly FAIL? Of course not! Democracy is alive and well in my dictatorship. Go away now.", prior to a series of subsequent referendums in which he narrowly wins. Still, evidence of a healthy backbone in the Venezuelan populace is quite heartening.

Regarding the Iranian "Hugs not Bombs" story, the Democrats here are using it, clumsily, as an election year whomping stick. Harry Reid, et al, are calling for a rethink of US/Iranian relations based upon one report -- a report that contradicts a previous report. Not only is this dangerous and irresponsible, it's transparent enough that it could end up hurting the Dems in next year's general election. The candidates now have to be extremely careful. I see the Republicans coming out looking much better on this issue. I generally align with Democratic policy, but those in charge now are largely tone-deaf, gutless, mewling incompetents.

My So-Called Dollar

I have little to no practical knowledge of macroeconomics, so I ask for your patience here. There was a feature on an NPR show this past weekend about how the rise of the Euro over the dollar was actually helping some sectors of the retail economy. Specifically, major city destinations, such as New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, etc., were doing very well this holiday season. People from the UK and Europe were arriving with empty suitcases and filling them with electronics and luxury items because of the exchange rate. Even cities bordering Canada were experiencing an uptick in international traffic because of the historic alignment of the $CA and $US.

Two things occurred to me: First, the relatively high sales in these specific sectors are going to drive up the national numbers, which may lead to an increase in consumer confidence, even in the less fortunate areas. Second, many of the products that are being purchased were made in China, spurring the retailers to replace their inventory, which benefits Chinese manufacturing. So even when our economy is shitty, the pain is not passed along to our main supplier of retail goods. Or at least, the pain is attenuated.

Is it well past time to engage in a bit of protectionism vis a vis our lopsided trade status with China? Would this sort of action be devastating to our most poor? Who decided that we don't need a manufacturing class here in the US?

I think it was Clinton or Bush the First who first talked about restructuring our economy to be more based upon creating a new kind of job -- the so-called "knowledge-based" economy. While this is a laudable goal, it doesn't account for the fact that many people have no interest in working with computers or advanced technology, and who would be miserable attending college or university. The fact is that many people really are happiest using their hands and backs to earn a living, and may not be successful or happy if forced back into school. I'm thinking specifically of those aged 45 and up.

The economic reality, I think, is that manufacturing and farming jobs provide national stability, and it is important to protect these jobs with tariffs and other protectionist strategies.

Now, I await the better-informed to tell me what's wrong with my thinking. I'd really like to understand this a bit better.

The Nobel Prizes

At this point, most people know that Albert Gore, Jr. and the IPCC won the Nobel Peace Prize today for "their efforts to build up and disseminate knowledge about man-made climate change". The rumors swirling around the announcement were that the committee intended to focus on climate change this year, since many emerging and future conflicts will probably have their roots in evolving local climates. I'm pretty sure that many people with much more to lose (like their lives) have been engaged in this conversation for a long time. Rachel Carlson, Lois Gibbs, the Sierra Club, countless missionaries and priests in South America, Asia, and Africa, the Chipko movement, and lobbies in North America and Europe who have worked on debt relief for poor nations so they have the option of saying "No" to lumber and mining companies. Thus, it strikes me that this year's award has more to do with visibility than results. They might have well given it to Bono. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Gore is proving to be an effective spokesperson who has a long reach, and he is probably capable of pulling more money and political clout towards this cause than anyone else alive.

I'm not sure, but this may be the first time that the prize has been awarded in anticipation of results, kind of like a Power-up for the protagonist in a video game. So, will Gore, brimming with glowing energy, do some damage with this advantage, or will he run around fruitlessly, wasting money and time until the power blinks out, and he's just another shmoe again.

The answer? None of the above. I was just enjoying my analogy a little too much. Environmentalism starts with you, Mr. Gas-powered lawnmower, and you, Dr. Leaves-all-the-lights-on-all-the-time (that's me), and YOU, Mrs. Throw-your-damn-cigarette-butts-out-the-window!

As far as the other awards go, I was pleasantly surprised that I had some rudimentary knowledge of them (conceptually) before they were announced. Medicine: Gene targeting is an essential biological tool that provided me with important reagents for my thesis work. Physics: Clearly, if you're reading this, you get that improving the efficiency and storage capacity of hard disks is important. Chemistry: The surface chemistry work laid the groundwork for modern superconductors and many industrial catalysis applications. Literature: I have no idea, however, who Doris Lessing is, or if I need to read anything by her. Economics: To be announced on Monday, but I predict that I will (a) never have heard of the winner, and (b) not grasp the importance of the celebrated work/findings.

Addendum

So the poster below is sponsored by the Young America's Foundation. If you order one poster, you get a free poster of George W. Bush! Did you hear that, kids?

I tried to get a list of the dignitaries on the poster, but the YAF online store was down for maintenance. I'm sure it had something to do with people flooding in to take advantage of that great offer.

Another website, Shelley the Republican, which I recommend visiting if only to see their take on this poster, lists John Ashcroft, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Robert Novak, Ward Connerly, Dinesh D’Souza, Walter Williams and many more. Seriously, check out that site.

Defining my audience

So, what am I doing with a blog?

I'd hate for it to become a gratuitously narcissistic diary thing. I think that I'd prefer to edge down the scale toward moderately self-absorbed. Mostly, I'll be sounding off on my various opinions, interests, life events, and etceteras in a conversational style blog that will end up being interesting to only a few folks.

Hey, I just defined my audience! A few folks, who likely just want to know what I'm up to, and would possibly be interested in some of the things that interest me. Now that that's out of the way, here's a sampling of what to expect:

I plan to do my entries as discrete units on a single topic, instead of ramblings about my day. So most entries will be either reviews of things in which I'm interested, or thoughts about important parts of my life.

First, I enjoy beer. The making, pouring, smelling, consumption, and discussion of beer makes me happy. I will share recipes and solicit your favorites. Do not try to hold back key ingredients, because I will know, and I will glare furiously at your recipe.

You might know that I have a respectable collection of board games and card games. When I am enjoying beer with friends, I will often suggest a board or card game. Here in this place, I will share my boardgaming experiences, reviews, and holiday gift suggestions. I sincerely hope that your life, and your heart, has room for board games.

My amazing grad student lifestyle has encouraged me to fall into a deep rut, in terms of what music I enjoy. Prior to grad school, I was in another musical rut of my own design, listening almost exclusively to jazz and rock like Blues Traveler, Sublime, and Dave Matthews. With the advent of online music tasting sites like iTunes, I've encountered a lot of great music from the now, as well as music that I missed from the 90s. While I appreciate the doors that iTunes opened for me, I now buy all of my music in hard copy from my local store. You will be treated to what I consider to be the best in music from just off the beaten path, as well as reasoned diatribes against music that I consider to be not-so-much the best.

I have liberal politics, which means that I believe in less of a rigid interpretation of the U.S. Constitution by the congress and judiciary. I have a strong belief in social justice, and in the individual rights of citizens, and I believe that lawmakers and judges should err on the side of these considerations. I believe that large corporations should be viewed as valuable, if untrustworthy. I am willing to concede to a more conservative interpretation of law as it applies to perpetrators of violent crime or sexual abuse, as I am a fan of polite society. I am glad that the ACLU exists, but they piss me off sometimes.

My religiosity is confusing. Raised Catholic, I attended a Catholic church for the last 6 years, until a few months ago. I was last seen in a Unitarian Universalist church...er, building. More on that later this week.

I am not a fan of the current US administration or its war policies. Too many wonderful people have died because of stupid politicians. I don't know who I will support in the next election.

I am a husband and a parent. So weird.

I have a healthy fear of crows, en masse.

To recap: a lot of commentary on boardgames, beer, music, possibly disc golf, and maybe a bit of molecular biology is what you should expect. My liberal politics and religious hand-wringing should help buffer all of that action, and I'll try to slip in some Kinkaid-esque "hearth-warming" stories of my beautiful daughter as she sorts out basic control of both her neck muscles and her talons of fury.