Presidents, and Politics, and Voting, Oh My!

To me, politics is like a horrible car accident that I just can't look away from. There is nothing that I can do about the situation. The accident has already happened. I am a smart person who could get involved with the best intentions, to help, and provide support. But I would be in the way once the true professions are on the scene. I have strong feelings on what I think should happen, ideas to help all involved. But at some point people will have strong feelings that are contrary to mine, with a louder voice and the ability to lie with a straight face. I will find my openness and truthfulness that I have always considered a strength, a weakness. That is what politics is to me.
So why vote? Because I care, I want change, and the right to vote is still available to me in the limited fashion of the Electoral College.

Cat Fight!

Lemony is a crazy cat person. We have added a new kitten to the house, and boy are the other 2 cats MAD! Our Mau pure breed was the first cat because of the pretty coat and the personality of Maus is more like a dog. Then it was decided that he was lonely and we got a cat from a local cat rescue. She was not warmly welcomed by the other cat, but they get along well enough now.

So the cat rescue emailed Lemony and said they had a kitten like the one we had adopted and was wondering if we were interested. Long story short, we got the black one. Lets hope the other cats don't eat her.

Update on cats: Nobody got eaten. Feliway saved the day. Happy cats are here again!

Osiris, Shakira, and Halima.

Osiris and Halima share a cat nap.

Last Exile

When we first got Netflix a few years ago, I started watching a lot of anime. Last Exile was a series that I threw into the queue just because it had 4 stars. I found that Last Exile was not only beautifully done with a well thought out story line, but the thoughtful intelligence that is in each episode makes the series worth watching over and over.
I won't go into a full review, you can follow the link below and check the reviews given on Amazon. They give a more eloquent review than I could. I will however comment on the music in the series. In most anime that is translated over to English, they either butcher the music or it does not seem to fit the series at all. Last Exile is one of a handful that got the music right. If you like Anime, check this series out.



Note: Last Exile is also available on Netflix for Instant viewing. :)

Game Designers in Space

"Richard Garriott is the first game designer in space. The creator of the Ultima series of video games was launched into orbit 17 hours ago with a crew aboard a Soyuz TMA spacecraft." This is news worthy for the following reason. "Garriott is the sixth space tourist to fly a rocket into space, but his mission is likely draw a lot of attention from around the globe. As the son of NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, he’s the first second generation astronaut. You can track his progress on a web site."

Debt clock runs out of digits, Dow Loss, AIG still asking for more

“The digital counter marks the national debt level, but when that passed the $10 trillion point last month, the sign could not display the full amount. The board was erected to highlight the $2.7 trillion level of debt in 1989.”
If this isn’t a clear sign of a weak economy, maybe the fact that the Dow closed below 9,000 is the sign for you. But its all good, right? AIG still has access to money, using 70 billion of the 85 billion government loan. The 700 billion dollar bailout was signed after 110 billion of pork spending was basically added to the first bill plus the FDIC will now guarantee $250,000 in bank accounts. Wow, that was worth vetoing the first time.
Can we call this a depression yet? The current Government administration has been very careful not to call the economy over the last few years a depression, always referring to it as a recession. I think we can call it a depression now. Of course the next question is will it get worse? Yes it will. Why? Oil production will at sometime slow down (predicted in the next five years), we are still supporting large scale conflicts in the mid-east and most importantly no large scale changes are happening to alter these facts. Welcome to the new, new global world economy. Just beware of Chinese made goods.

FLL Missions With Note

This is the mission videos for FLL (FIRST LEGO League). (The FLL videos can be seen and downloaded here.) Our two eldest are in FLL this year. These 19 missions equal to about 7 seconds for each objective to be completed. Note the correction on insulating the house. In the Video it shows the blocks stacked. That is incorrect, both blocks must be touching the mat to score.

I will post more about FLL and how the team does in the future.

Pumpkins - Quick Post

Lemony has always enjoyed Halloween. This has passed on to the kids. To get everyone into the fall season, here posted are a few pictures of pumpkins that the kids and Lemony carved a few years ago.

Addendum, from Lemony: The next photos are from two years ago; my favorite Halloween costumes the kids have had so far. We love Halloween, but I like to keep the holiday focused on the original notion of "ancestor appreciation", so we try to stick with themes out of our History curriculum. Here are Bastet, Seeta (with Hanuman), and Ares, and a close-up of Hanuman:

Bastet's mask is a foam black panther mask, purchased from the gift shop at the zoo. We put a big gold hoop earring from the dollar store in the panther's left earlobe. Her hair is a Peggy Sue wig from a Halloween store. Her tunic was sewn by Wort, from pillowcases, with curtain tie trim. Her wedjat is made from air-dry clay, hand painted with cobalt blue acrylic paint and finished with tsuyadashi coating for origami (it's what I had on hand). The sistrum was made of metal coat hangers, floral wire, butttons, newspaper, masking tape, and paint. Seeta's saree was bought online from an Indian clothing store. She is also wearing a maang tika and bindi. The henna is Dover art tattoos. Ares' costume is a souvenir that Wort brought home from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He's also wearing thick cotton tights with socks underneath, and sandals. Hanuman (real name Pippo) wears shorts made from a recycled t-shirt. His heart is cut from the same fabric. The mace and crown are made of cardboard, tape, and paint. He carries a plastic gold ring.

The kids (and I) were mortified that no one at our community Halloween Block Party had a clue what any of their costumes were. The horror!

This year, Bastet wants to be a Cat Mummy, Seeta wants to be Cleopatra, and Ares wants to be a Medieval Knight. (They're pretty consistent.) Stay tuned!

He Said, She Said: The Anniversary Post

He said:

About 18 years ago, I met a girl in high school art class. She was smart, full of attitude, and really cute. We got to know each other in the next year, flirting, talking about the people we were seeing at the time, flirting some more, working on art projects, flirting…you get the point. I went off to college and we lost touch for a year. When I came back after the first year, her father was doing some work for my mother and he mentioned that I should give her a call. I did. That same night, we went to Friendly’s and caught up over Fribbles. I drove her home that night, and in her driveway, she gave me our first kiss. A little over 3 months later, I gave her an engagement ring, and 3 days shy of the anniversary of our first date, we were married.
After all the trials and tribulations, tears and fights, hurt feelings, moments of great joy and comfort, I would do it all over again. We did more than just stay together over the last 14 years; we grew up together. We grew to know each other and ourselves, and I like what I have become with her. I love who she has become with me. She is probably the only person who truly knows me.
If that was all I had, I would be happy, but 3 other things that we have added to our lives has made me feel complete in my life. My wife has given us three of the brightest, most beautiful, perfect children that were ever made. (In reality my kids are like any other kids, but as a parent it is part of the job to think that.) This post is to Lemony, my friend, my wife, the person I grew up with, and the person I want to grow old with.

She said:

Oh, elope with me in private and we'll set something ablaze,
a trail for the devil to erase... -- Belle & Sebastian, "Piazza, New York Catcher"

I followed him home one day, and he kept me. He always did have a special place in his heart for strays.


His brother toasted us at the wedding reception, quoting Yeats: "On this day, a terrible beauty is born". Andrew knew.

Two years later, we got in the car and drove to a different state, to start a new life. It was an almost spontaneous decision. Everything we owned fit in a Toyota Tercel, and that included the microwave and the dog.

When things were really hard between us, and we weren't sure we were going to make it, he spent his last dollar to take me to a theme park, and ride a bungee-like skycoaster ride. I liked to think of it as "taking the plunge" all over again. He hated that ride, but went with me anyway. I found that rather symbolic, and appreciated it, in every respect. The firstborn came soon afterward, which was a coaster ride of a whole different sort.

Together, we've learned how to be honest with ourselves and each other, and not take most things too seriously. We've faced parenthood, which is just about the scariest thing in the world, next to that other thing we weren't exactly expecting so soon--waiting for biopsy results.

He makes me laugh, he makes me cry. He brings me contentment, and he drives me crazy. He shakes me up, and yet he is my firm and solid ground. He's smart and sexy, and grows more so with each passing year. The kids and I have everything we need, and much of what we want, thanks to him.

Wort, you are the best man I've ever known. I'm grateful for every day I get to share with you.

The More I Understand, the Less I Get

I will start by saying that I have no formal educational in Economics, financial investments or Politics. I grew up being told that Republicans stood for small government, fiscal responsibility by the individual, and “trickle down economics”. Democrats were for big central government and government-managed retirement, and social programs as “safety nets”. Yes, I know that has changed. I follow the news with a mix of humor, despair, cynicism, knowing more bad news is reported than good, and the reality is that most of it will never affect me. I am not the smartest person I know, nor the dumbest. Considering myself as neither Republican nor Democrat, rich or poor, tall or short, young or old; I am a statistically average American Citizen.

So the more I learn about the “credit crunch” or the “bank bailout”, the more I wonder if really don’t understand things as well as I think I do. Why does the Government need to buy up to 700 Billion Dollars worth of shares to save private financial institutions? So, to keep things a little more simplistic I would like to refer to the following two articles linked off CNN to Time.

The first is “The Credit Crunch: Where Is It Happening?” By Barbara Kiviat. It talks about how the money has slowed in flowing down, the credit card companies has sent out less credit card applications, student loans will be harder to find and how that may affect ‘main street’. Please read the article, I will wait.

The second article is titled “Let Risk-Taking Financial Institutions Fail” By Ari J. Officer and Lawrence H. Officer. This touches on how the banks got into the situation and they use a phrase that I am very fond of. Follow the money. Please read the article, I will wait once again.

Why do I point out these articles? Well, as Steve Martin is quoted; "Let's face it, some people have a way with words...other people...uhhh...ohhh...not have way". But in a simplistic one page article I feel both of these sum up what is really going on better than I can. One article is talking about how these bank failures might affect you--what could happen if it gets worse. It is well written and connects on a personal level. The second article is about the facts of the issue and gives the reasons why the banks should be allowed to fail. The second article also mentions if it does get worse and the money does stop ‘trickling down’ then the government can still step in.

But Bush wants action, or else. Why? In my opinion, to save political face. Bush has been saying for years the economy is strong. The economy is strong, but all markets go through corrections. (I remember the early 80’s with Reaganomics with bank corrections and out of control government spending.) Not to mention the fact that the real people that will be affected by this are the people with the money invested that flows both ways between Wall Street and DC. That’s why both presidential nominees want this bailout.

But then again what do I know about Economics, Financial investments or Politics? I am a statistically average American voter.

China's First Spacewalk

"Three Chinese astronauts arrived Monday in Beijing to a homecoming parade after completing China's first spacewalk and putting the country closer to building a space station and landing a man on the moon."
China wants to send people to the moon by 2020. The last time anyone stepped foot on the moon was 1972. I wonder if the space race will be back at full speed by then.

Paul Newman 1925-2008

One of the first movies I saw that made an impression on me was "The Sting". I was only about 10 at the time but I still remember it making me interested in not just the cinematography of a movie but the acting of the people involved.
I also love his cookie. "Fig Newmans" have been a family favorite for a long time at our house.
RIP Paul Newman.

Bank Notes, and a Light Note

I once thought I understood the world, at least at a high level. In my cynical eyes, money runs the world. To a point, money buys everything. Power wins most everything else. So what happens when the people with money and power abuse it, misuse it and give it away for sub-prime mortgages? Then when they screw it all up, the people with the power say forget about it, 700 billion dollar do-over?
Rant done.
Seriously, I don’t understand why the government needs to bail out the largest and richest banks in the world. And then those failed banks give the executives million-dollar payouts because their contract said they deserved it. Seriously, if someone can please explain all this to me I would appreciate it.
Oops, did I say rant done?
On a lighter note, a co-worker told me today about a new t-shirt, found on an auction site:

Damn Rebellion.

Oil and Drugs and Sex Oh My

I will always be amazed on what topics stay in the news, and what topics don't. Any topic with anything to do with crazy celebrities saying or doing dumb things seem to stay in the news. If an issue comes up that is actually newsworthy and should be a campaign issue, it seems to disappear very soon.
"... the department's inspector general released three reports detailing how officials at the office had accepted gifts, steered contracts and engaged in drug use and illicit sex with employees of energy firms." Why doesn't this get more press? There are very few articles about this since this news was released, compared to other news posts.

I Guess I Was Not Clear On My Point

Forgive me if I was not clear in my post about Palin's email. Let me try to express my point again.
I am not complaining that Palin uses email. Good for her, welcome to the 90's.
I am not complaining that hackers got her into email. For better or worse, that is what they do.
I am not complaining that Palin emailed at work from a personal account. Its called work/life balance.
I am not complaining that Palin uses a free email like Yahoo. Who doesn't use free email; but you get what you pay for.

I am complaining about Palin refusing the turn over emails that she was subpoenaed for, which had to do with the current legal inquiry against her. (I know little of the inquiry so I will not comment about that at this time.) The reason was the same as Karl Rove's, when there was an inquiry about his emails sent a few years back. Rove never used the White House email systems. Instead he always used the Republican National Party's email systems and therefore maintained that the email was outside the subpoena.
I personally do not like much about Rove, but I do respect his intelligence. He used a secure email system.

I personally do not know what was in the emails that were stolen, but if there was any confidential State documents I hope that is at addressed at some level. I know of people fired for less.
I also hope that the people who did break into the account are exposed. I know of people jailed for less.

Hackers Access Palin's Personal Yahoo email account

I would be amazed by this if I didn't see this every day.
"A group of computer hackers said yesterday that they had accessed a Yahoo e-mail account of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, publishing some of her private communications to expose what appeared to be her use of a personal account for government business."
This does not surprise me, people use their personal email accounts everyday for business passing confidential and private information. Email is not a secure means of communication.
My favorite line in the article is the following;
"McLeod's Anchorage attorney, Donald C. Mitchell, said Palin declined to comply with a public records request in June to divulge 1,100 e-mails sent to and from her personal accounts, citing executive privilege."

Indian Woman Convicted of Murder By Brain Scan

I saw this on Slashdot.org and it just makes you think.
"Neuroscientist Champadi Raman Mukundan claims his Brain Electrical Oscillations Signature test is so accurate, it can tell whether a person committed or only witnessed an act. In June, an Indian judge agreed, using BEOS to find a woman guilty of killing her former fiancé. Scientific experts are calling the decision "ridiculous" and "unconscionable", protesting that Mukundan's work has not even been peer reviewed. How reliable should a test have to be, when eyewitnesses are notoriously fallible? Does a person have a right to privacy over their own memories, or should society's interest in holding criminals accountable come first?"