I watched Bobby last night. It is a good movie if you haven't seen it. He always spoke of poignant themes of equality and service.
Ted Kennedy gave RFK's eulogy. It is a beautiful speech.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The end of the world as we know it.
While I was sliding around the mountain last week, Samuel Huntington died. Among other things, Huntington created a political theory which has yet to replaced. Huntington's Clash of Civilizations is completely worth the time to read. Terribly interesting and relevant.
U.S. NEWS DECEMBER 28, 2008, 12:25 A.M. ET
Political Scientist Huntington Dies at 81
Associated Press
BOSTON -- Samuel Huntington -- a political scientist who argued that future conflicts would have their seeds in culture and religion rather than friction between nations -- died Wednesday on Martha's Vineyard, Harvard University announced Saturday. He was 81.
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, left, talked with Samuel Huntington before a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum on Feb. 3, 2002.
Mr. Huntington had retired from active teaching in 2007 after 58 years at Harvard. His research and teaching focused on American government, democratization, military politics, strategy, and civil-military relations.
Mr. Huntington began teaching at Harvard at age 23. For the next half century he served as a mentor to generations of students and fellow faculty members.
Mr. Huntington was best known for his views on the clash of civilizations. He argued that in a post-Cold War world, violent conflict would come not from ideological friction between nation states, but from cultural and religious differences among the world's major civilizations.
He identified those major civilizations as Western (including the U.S. and Europe), Latin American, Islamic, African, Orthodox (with Russia as a core state), and Hindu, Japanese, and "Sinic" (including China, Korea, and Vietnam).
He made the argument in a 1993 article in the journal Foreign Affairs, and then expanded the thesis into a book, "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order," which appeared in 1996. The book has since been translated into 39 languages.
In all, Mr. Huntington wrote 17 books including "The Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations," published in 1957 and inspired by President Harry Truman's firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and "Political Power: USA-USSR," a study of Cold War dynamics and how the world could be shaped by two political philosophies locked in opposition, which he co-authored in 1964 with Zbigniew Brzezinski.
His 1969 book, "Political Order in Changing Societies," analyzed political and economic development in the Third World.
"Sam was the kind of scholar that made Harvard a great university," Mr. Huntington's friend of nearly six decades, economist Henry Rosovsky, said in a statement released by the university.
Mr. Huntington was born on April 18, 1927, in New York City, the son of Richard Huntington, an editor and publisher, and Dorothy Phillips, a writer. He received his B.A. from Yale in 1946, served in the U.S. Army, earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1948, and a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1951, where he had taught nearly without a break since 1950.
Mr. Huntington is survived by his wife of 51 years, Nancy Huntington and sons Nicholas Huntington and Timothy Huntington.
Copyright © 2008 Associated Press
U.S. NEWS DECEMBER 28, 2008, 12:25 A.M. ET
Political Scientist Huntington Dies at 81
Associated Press
BOSTON -- Samuel Huntington -- a political scientist who argued that future conflicts would have their seeds in culture and religion rather than friction between nations -- died Wednesday on Martha's Vineyard, Harvard University announced Saturday. He was 81.
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, left, talked with Samuel Huntington before a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum on Feb. 3, 2002.
Mr. Huntington had retired from active teaching in 2007 after 58 years at Harvard. His research and teaching focused on American government, democratization, military politics, strategy, and civil-military relations.
Mr. Huntington began teaching at Harvard at age 23. For the next half century he served as a mentor to generations of students and fellow faculty members.
Mr. Huntington was best known for his views on the clash of civilizations. He argued that in a post-Cold War world, violent conflict would come not from ideological friction between nation states, but from cultural and religious differences among the world's major civilizations.
He identified those major civilizations as Western (including the U.S. and Europe), Latin American, Islamic, African, Orthodox (with Russia as a core state), and Hindu, Japanese, and "Sinic" (including China, Korea, and Vietnam).
He made the argument in a 1993 article in the journal Foreign Affairs, and then expanded the thesis into a book, "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order," which appeared in 1996. The book has since been translated into 39 languages.
In all, Mr. Huntington wrote 17 books including "The Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations," published in 1957 and inspired by President Harry Truman's firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and "Political Power: USA-USSR," a study of Cold War dynamics and how the world could be shaped by two political philosophies locked in opposition, which he co-authored in 1964 with Zbigniew Brzezinski.
His 1969 book, "Political Order in Changing Societies," analyzed political and economic development in the Third World.
"Sam was the kind of scholar that made Harvard a great university," Mr. Huntington's friend of nearly six decades, economist Henry Rosovsky, said in a statement released by the university.
Mr. Huntington was born on April 18, 1927, in New York City, the son of Richard Huntington, an editor and publisher, and Dorothy Phillips, a writer. He received his B.A. from Yale in 1946, served in the U.S. Army, earned an M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1948, and a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1951, where he had taught nearly without a break since 1950.
Mr. Huntington is survived by his wife of 51 years, Nancy Huntington and sons Nicholas Huntington and Timothy Huntington.
Copyright © 2008 Associated Press
Monday, December 29, 2008
Buehler, Buehler, anyone....
Well I'm back in DC.
First day back at work, not so fun.
There wasn't anything to do.
I went home for lunch, and walked out the door at exactly 5:30.
I have a few projects I could work on, but by in large, the involve someone else.
And no one else is working. Other than two conference calls sponsored by the Jewish lobby about the situation in Gaza, I don't have anything to do tomorrow either.
Good, great, fabulous.
First day back at work, not so fun.
There wasn't anything to do.
I went home for lunch, and walked out the door at exactly 5:30.
I have a few projects I could work on, but by in large, the involve someone else.
And no one else is working. Other than two conference calls sponsored by the Jewish lobby about the situation in Gaza, I don't have anything to do tomorrow either.
Good, great, fabulous.
Monday, December 22, 2008
I heart snowflakes
It's snowing something feirce today! The entire mtn is open tomorrow including the pomel lift to Clair's Run. There still isn't the base that there should be, but I'll make due. Tomorrow the snowbunny rides again...if I can get up the mountain.
Snow Conditions
New Snow 24hrs = 3"
New Snow 48hrs = 7"
7 Day Total = 20"
Mid-Mtn. Base = 30"
Road Cond.= red
Snow Conditions
New Snow 24hrs = 3"
New Snow 48hrs = 7"
7 Day Total = 20"
Mid-Mtn. Base = 30"
Road Cond.= red
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Snow, Snow, Snow.
I went up to the mountain today. It was lightly snowing, and the entire mountain wasn't open yet. My snowboarding yoda and I opted to stay on the lower lift and as we were chatting about the sub-par conditions (only half the mountain, only a 6 inches of fresh powder, kind of cold 25 degrees) we took stock of the situation and decided that we are spoiled.
I admit it. I am a spoiled Utah snowboarder who is grumpy with anything less than powder up to my knees and a high speed quad (and french fries and hot chocolate at the top of the mtn). I have never been riding on the East Coast, although I think maybe someday I'll try to poach the single chair lift at Mad River Glen.
But you ride with the snow you've been given, and as my snowboard Yoda always says, a bad day of snowboarding is better than a good day about anywhere else.
I admit it. I am a spoiled Utah snowboarder who is grumpy with anything less than powder up to my knees and a high speed quad (and french fries and hot chocolate at the top of the mtn). I have never been riding on the East Coast, although I think maybe someday I'll try to poach the single chair lift at Mad River Glen.
But you ride with the snow you've been given, and as my snowboard Yoda always says, a bad day of snowboarding is better than a good day about anywhere else.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Utah - Day 1 : no snow
Well, I'm in Utah. It is lovely, everything is great. Everything but one tiny detail. THERE IS NO SNOW. Powder Mt. is STILL not open during the day. (And I don't do night riding - it is just no fun to freeze.)
Today was cool. I hung with Mama Bunny. We ate at Rainbow Gardens, I had my jewelry cleaned by the nice people at Farr's Jewelry, we went to Layton to the Barnes and Noble to pick up a book for Mama Bunny and then hit the Albertsons for dinner fixins. All in all, a nice, chill day. I stayed in my pj's until 11 and never got around to washing my hair. Beautiful vacation I tell you.
But I'm starting to get a little stir crazy. Mama Bunny is reading a book called Grave Matters. It's all about green funerals and burials etc. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT get embalmed. Trust me on this one. Good book, very enlightening, but you don't want to know how they keep your eye lids shut or how much damage is done to the environment thanks to caskets which take a million years to decompose.
There is supposed to be a big storm tomorrow. I really hope that it's a big one. I have not NOT been riding on my birthday for as long as I can remember. I would really like this not to be the first year. I would be quite an unfortunate way to kick off 30.
Today was cool. I hung with Mama Bunny. We ate at Rainbow Gardens, I had my jewelry cleaned by the nice people at Farr's Jewelry, we went to Layton to the Barnes and Noble to pick up a book for Mama Bunny and then hit the Albertsons for dinner fixins. All in all, a nice, chill day. I stayed in my pj's until 11 and never got around to washing my hair. Beautiful vacation I tell you.
But I'm starting to get a little stir crazy. Mama Bunny is reading a book called Grave Matters. It's all about green funerals and burials etc. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT get embalmed. Trust me on this one. Good book, very enlightening, but you don't want to know how they keep your eye lids shut or how much damage is done to the environment thanks to caskets which take a million years to decompose.
There is supposed to be a big storm tomorrow. I really hope that it's a big one. I have not NOT been riding on my birthday for as long as I can remember. I would really like this not to be the first year. I would be quite an unfortunate way to kick off 30.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Oh to be a fly on THAT wall.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Must Adapt to a New Boss
New York Times
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
December 15, 2008
WASHINGTON— As President-elect Barack Obama convened the first meeting of his national security advisers on Monday, there was just one person at the table that the new president did not choose to have there: Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Admiral Mullen, who was selected by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for a two-year term, has been on the job for a year. Come January, he will face perhaps the biggest challenge of his career — pivoting from one commander-in-chief to another, in the middle of two wars. Friends describe him as an even-tempered, intellectually curious and politically astute presence who sees the world beyond the immediate battles of the Pentagon and White House — all skills they say will serve him well in the new administration.
“He’s not a jumper or a screamer, he looks at things to make them better for the long term,” said Adm. Dennis C. Blair, a retired Pacific Fleet commander who is expected to be named by Mr. Obama as director of national intelligence. “He’s an incredible networker, too.”
In the last year, Admiral Mullen has sought advice from the retired generals who revolted against former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, reached out to the former Army chief who was vilified for saying more troops were needed in Iraq and invited to dinner prominent Democrats like Gregory B. Craig, Mr. Obama’s choice for White House counsel. His efforts may have been an attempt to soothe the military after the cataclysmic Mr. Rumsfeld, or an anticipation of a change of administration — or both.
Admiral Mullen, the son of a former Hollywood press agent whose clients included Anthony Quinn and Julie Andrews, has a world view that friends say is closer to that of Mr. Obama than to Mr. Bush.
He was initially opposed to the Bush administration’s troop escalation, or “surge,” has long been in favor of diplomacy with Iran and considers Pakistan — where he traveled in early December to press military leaders to crack down on the terrorist group behind the Mumbai attacks — one of the most dangerous countries in the world. As the man in charge of training and equipping the military, Admiral Mullen’s desire to ease the strain on forces fighting on two fronts may well dovetail with Mr. Obama’s desire to draw down American troops in Iraq.
In short, Admiral Mullen, 62, could be more influential in an Obama administration than he has been in the Bush administration, where he has been overshadowed by the success and showmanship of Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of United States forces in the Middle East and the former top commander in Iraq. Friends say that Admiral Mullen sees an opportunity to assert himself in the traditional role of chairman, as the president’s top military adviser, particularly if General Petraeus, who joined his fortunes with President Bush to sell and oversee the surge, no longer has a direct line to the Oval Office.
So far, Mr. Obama has not met with General Petraeus, who is based at the headquarters of the United States Central Command in Tampa; Mr. Obama has met with Admiral Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, whom the president-elect has asked to stay on in the job.
“I’m encouraged by the fact that he said he’s going to listen to his military commanders,” Admiral Mullen said in a telephone interview this week, recounting a meeting he had with Mr. Obama in Chicago on Nov. 21. Mr. Mullen declined to discuss the substance of the conversation other than to say “it was a good initial meeting — we talked about a lot of things.” He discounted any concern on the part of senior commanders that Mr. Obama had not served in the military.
“By and large, I’ve found that those who really care about us and learn about us and are supportive of the military, having served in the military isn’t a requirement,” Admiral Mullen said.
In preparation for his new commander-in-chief, Admiral Mullen is overseeing the final stages of a comprehensive military strategy review of the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan — one of four such studies in the government — to guide Mr. Obama in his first days as president. More quietly, he has also had initial conversations with his top commanders about potential changes in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law that allows gay men and lesbians to serve in the military as long as they keep their sexual orientation secret.
Mr. Obama has taken a strong stand against the law as a moral issue, although his team has signaled that he will not push for repeal in the early months of his administration to avoid the kind of blowup that engulfed President Bill Clinton when he sought to lift an outright ban on gay men and lesbians in the military in his first days in office. (In a cautionary tale for Admiral Mullen, that 1993 storm raged in part because General Colin L. Powell, who was the holdover chairman of the Joint Chiefs from the first Bush administration, publicly disagreed with what became a Clinton compromise solution of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”)
Fifteen years later, Mr. Obama is of the view that “don’t ask, don’t tell” is long out of date and that it is time for gay men and lesbians to serve openly. “The president-elect’s been pretty clear that he wants to address this issue,” Admiral Mullen said in the interview. “And so I am certainly mindful that at some point in time it could come.” A friend of Admiral Mullen said that he had begun to think about practical implications like housing, but Admiral Mullen said there had been no formal planning or task forces on the issue.
In the meantime, Admiral Mullen’s supporters say that he is very different from his two predecessors, Gen. Richard B. Myers and Gen. Peter Pace, who were sometimes derided by critics within the military as “Stepford generals” because of their acquiescence to Mr. Rumsfeld.
“He’s not dogmatic or doctrinaire, and he’s also not a lap dog,” said Lt. Gen. Gregory S. Newbold of the Marine Corps, who retired in 2002 after objecting to Mr. Rumsfeld’s plans for a small Iraq invasion force and then aired his views in Time magazine as part of what became known as a “revolt of the generals” against Mr. Rumsfeld in 2006.
General Newbold is now consulted by Admiral Mullen, as is Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, who led the United States Central Command in the 1990s and was another retired general who called for Mr. Rumsfeld to step down.
“Under Myers and Pace, nobody wanted to talk to me, but I’ve heard from Mullen a lot,” General Zinni said.
Admiral Mullen’s Hollywood past would not seem to suggest a future as the nation’s top military officer — his father was also the press agent to Ann-Margret, Peter Graves and Dyan Cannon — but in the interview he said that his family taught him the importance of communications and the Fourth Estate, and that it was by and large a stable life of Catholic schools and relatively modest means. As the oldest of five children, Admiral Mullen needed a scholarship for college, and he got one when he was recruited to play basketball for the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
To the amazement of his family, he took to the life instantly. “I got there and met the best people I’ve ever been around in my life,” Admiral Mullen said. Among his acquaintances in the class of 1968 were Admiral Blair; Senator Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia; and Oliver L. North, the Reagan-era official who secretly sold weapons to Iran to support the anti-Marxist rebels of Nicaragua.
These days Admiral Mullen throws regular dinners at his 19th-century home on a small naval compound near the State Department, where the walls are not hung with medals but framed show bills from nearly every Broadway show that he and his wife have attended. Recent guests have included Brent Scowcroft, the national security adviser to the first President Bush who enraged the second when he publicly warned against war with Iraq. Mr. Scowcroft is now advising Mr. Obama.
Admiral Mullen has also reached out in recent weeks to retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, who was reviled by the Bush administration for saying publicly on the eve of the Iraq war that far more troops would be needed than had been committed by Mr. Rumsfeld’s Pentagon. General Shinseki has since been named secretary of Veterans Affairs by Mr. Obama.
So how hard is it to change commanders in chief in the middle of two wars? “Not that hard,” said Admiral Blair. “I think people way overestimate that.”
New York Times
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
December 15, 2008
WASHINGTON— As President-elect Barack Obama convened the first meeting of his national security advisers on Monday, there was just one person at the table that the new president did not choose to have there: Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Admiral Mullen, who was selected by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for a two-year term, has been on the job for a year. Come January, he will face perhaps the biggest challenge of his career — pivoting from one commander-in-chief to another, in the middle of two wars. Friends describe him as an even-tempered, intellectually curious and politically astute presence who sees the world beyond the immediate battles of the Pentagon and White House — all skills they say will serve him well in the new administration.
“He’s not a jumper or a screamer, he looks at things to make them better for the long term,” said Adm. Dennis C. Blair, a retired Pacific Fleet commander who is expected to be named by Mr. Obama as director of national intelligence. “He’s an incredible networker, too.”
In the last year, Admiral Mullen has sought advice from the retired generals who revolted against former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, reached out to the former Army chief who was vilified for saying more troops were needed in Iraq and invited to dinner prominent Democrats like Gregory B. Craig, Mr. Obama’s choice for White House counsel. His efforts may have been an attempt to soothe the military after the cataclysmic Mr. Rumsfeld, or an anticipation of a change of administration — or both.
Admiral Mullen, the son of a former Hollywood press agent whose clients included Anthony Quinn and Julie Andrews, has a world view that friends say is closer to that of Mr. Obama than to Mr. Bush.
He was initially opposed to the Bush administration’s troop escalation, or “surge,” has long been in favor of diplomacy with Iran and considers Pakistan — where he traveled in early December to press military leaders to crack down on the terrorist group behind the Mumbai attacks — one of the most dangerous countries in the world. As the man in charge of training and equipping the military, Admiral Mullen’s desire to ease the strain on forces fighting on two fronts may well dovetail with Mr. Obama’s desire to draw down American troops in Iraq.
In short, Admiral Mullen, 62, could be more influential in an Obama administration than he has been in the Bush administration, where he has been overshadowed by the success and showmanship of Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of United States forces in the Middle East and the former top commander in Iraq. Friends say that Admiral Mullen sees an opportunity to assert himself in the traditional role of chairman, as the president’s top military adviser, particularly if General Petraeus, who joined his fortunes with President Bush to sell and oversee the surge, no longer has a direct line to the Oval Office.
So far, Mr. Obama has not met with General Petraeus, who is based at the headquarters of the United States Central Command in Tampa; Mr. Obama has met with Admiral Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, whom the president-elect has asked to stay on in the job.
“I’m encouraged by the fact that he said he’s going to listen to his military commanders,” Admiral Mullen said in a telephone interview this week, recounting a meeting he had with Mr. Obama in Chicago on Nov. 21. Mr. Mullen declined to discuss the substance of the conversation other than to say “it was a good initial meeting — we talked about a lot of things.” He discounted any concern on the part of senior commanders that Mr. Obama had not served in the military.
“By and large, I’ve found that those who really care about us and learn about us and are supportive of the military, having served in the military isn’t a requirement,” Admiral Mullen said.
In preparation for his new commander-in-chief, Admiral Mullen is overseeing the final stages of a comprehensive military strategy review of the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan — one of four such studies in the government — to guide Mr. Obama in his first days as president. More quietly, he has also had initial conversations with his top commanders about potential changes in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law that allows gay men and lesbians to serve in the military as long as they keep their sexual orientation secret.
Mr. Obama has taken a strong stand against the law as a moral issue, although his team has signaled that he will not push for repeal in the early months of his administration to avoid the kind of blowup that engulfed President Bill Clinton when he sought to lift an outright ban on gay men and lesbians in the military in his first days in office. (In a cautionary tale for Admiral Mullen, that 1993 storm raged in part because General Colin L. Powell, who was the holdover chairman of the Joint Chiefs from the first Bush administration, publicly disagreed with what became a Clinton compromise solution of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”)
Fifteen years later, Mr. Obama is of the view that “don’t ask, don’t tell” is long out of date and that it is time for gay men and lesbians to serve openly. “The president-elect’s been pretty clear that he wants to address this issue,” Admiral Mullen said in the interview. “And so I am certainly mindful that at some point in time it could come.” A friend of Admiral Mullen said that he had begun to think about practical implications like housing, but Admiral Mullen said there had been no formal planning or task forces on the issue.
In the meantime, Admiral Mullen’s supporters say that he is very different from his two predecessors, Gen. Richard B. Myers and Gen. Peter Pace, who were sometimes derided by critics within the military as “Stepford generals” because of their acquiescence to Mr. Rumsfeld.
“He’s not dogmatic or doctrinaire, and he’s also not a lap dog,” said Lt. Gen. Gregory S. Newbold of the Marine Corps, who retired in 2002 after objecting to Mr. Rumsfeld’s plans for a small Iraq invasion force and then aired his views in Time magazine as part of what became known as a “revolt of the generals” against Mr. Rumsfeld in 2006.
General Newbold is now consulted by Admiral Mullen, as is Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, who led the United States Central Command in the 1990s and was another retired general who called for Mr. Rumsfeld to step down.
“Under Myers and Pace, nobody wanted to talk to me, but I’ve heard from Mullen a lot,” General Zinni said.
Admiral Mullen’s Hollywood past would not seem to suggest a future as the nation’s top military officer — his father was also the press agent to Ann-Margret, Peter Graves and Dyan Cannon — but in the interview he said that his family taught him the importance of communications and the Fourth Estate, and that it was by and large a stable life of Catholic schools and relatively modest means. As the oldest of five children, Admiral Mullen needed a scholarship for college, and he got one when he was recruited to play basketball for the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
To the amazement of his family, he took to the life instantly. “I got there and met the best people I’ve ever been around in my life,” Admiral Mullen said. Among his acquaintances in the class of 1968 were Admiral Blair; Senator Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia; and Oliver L. North, the Reagan-era official who secretly sold weapons to Iran to support the anti-Marxist rebels of Nicaragua.
These days Admiral Mullen throws regular dinners at his 19th-century home on a small naval compound near the State Department, where the walls are not hung with medals but framed show bills from nearly every Broadway show that he and his wife have attended. Recent guests have included Brent Scowcroft, the national security adviser to the first President Bush who enraged the second when he publicly warned against war with Iraq. Mr. Scowcroft is now advising Mr. Obama.
Admiral Mullen has also reached out in recent weeks to retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, who was reviled by the Bush administration for saying publicly on the eve of the Iraq war that far more troops would be needed than had been committed by Mr. Rumsfeld’s Pentagon. General Shinseki has since been named secretary of Veterans Affairs by Mr. Obama.
So how hard is it to change commanders in chief in the middle of two wars? “Not that hard,” said Admiral Blair. “I think people way overestimate that.”
Sunday, December 14, 2008
AHHHH!!!
Powder Mt. IS NOT OPEN.
HOW COULD THIS BE HAPPENING TO ME?
I do not want to go to Snow Bird or Park City. They won't let me into Alta or Deer Valley and I would rather sit by the fire and drink hot coco than go back to Solitude (because even though they let my 'kind' in, they really make you feel unwelcome. (Who has a electronic pass reader which is only on the left - I RIDE GOOFY, how in the tar-heel am I supposed to get my right leg over to the left side to swipe my pass???!!! And I know all of you SUPER smart skiiers are saying 'why don't you just put the pass in your left pocket silly?' BECAUSE my left leg is attached to the board and thus I cannot lift it off the ground to swipe my thigh to the reader. It's so much more complicated than it should be.)
Ok, so Powder Mt. is not yet open, but as always, I have faith. I have faith that the Snowbunny mountain elves will burn another pile of skis and appease the snow gods.
I hit Eutaw in 48 hours... let the snow countdown begin...
HOW COULD THIS BE HAPPENING TO ME?
I do not want to go to Snow Bird or Park City. They won't let me into Alta or Deer Valley and I would rather sit by the fire and drink hot coco than go back to Solitude (because even though they let my 'kind' in, they really make you feel unwelcome. (Who has a electronic pass reader which is only on the left - I RIDE GOOFY, how in the tar-heel am I supposed to get my right leg over to the left side to swipe my pass???!!! And I know all of you SUPER smart skiiers are saying 'why don't you just put the pass in your left pocket silly?' BECAUSE my left leg is attached to the board and thus I cannot lift it off the ground to swipe my thigh to the reader. It's so much more complicated than it should be.)
Ok, so Powder Mt. is not yet open, but as always, I have faith. I have faith that the Snowbunny mountain elves will burn another pile of skis and appease the snow gods.
I hit Eutaw in 48 hours... let the snow countdown begin...
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
61 - I vant to suck your blood
I tried to give blood today. I am a regular blood-giver, but have really tiny veins. I feel my donation is a double donation. Not only do I donate blood, my tiny veins turn into a learning experience for the technician as s/he enevitably has to call her supervisor for help. Generally, this is after she has given up on one arm and has moved on to the other. There has only been one experience when there was no trouble finding my vein - and it was at a children's hospital.
So, I waited in line to answer my questions... if I have ever had sex with a man who has had sex with a man (um, the answer is no) and sat down on the blue reclining chair thing and waited.
Well not only were my veins tiny, they were TOO tiny. I was turned away sans needle prick. At least I didn't have to go through the pain of having them prod around looking for my veins and THEN give up. The nice supervisor came over, tried to find a vein and then said, '61 this one - insufficent veins in both arms'.
Boo.
So, I waited in line to answer my questions... if I have ever had sex with a man who has had sex with a man (um, the answer is no) and sat down on the blue reclining chair thing and waited.
Well not only were my veins tiny, they were TOO tiny. I was turned away sans needle prick. At least I didn't have to go through the pain of having them prod around looking for my veins and THEN give up. The nice supervisor came over, tried to find a vein and then said, '61 this one - insufficent veins in both arms'.
Boo.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Trying to stay off the Red Bull
So, this blasted paper just may be the death of me.
I've been typing, typing, typing and I couldn't get to a decent number of pages. I was about ready to just turn in 24 pages and call it good. And then I looked at my paper and thought to myself, 'man thoes margins look awfuly small, wonder if they are a full inch'.
UM, NO, THEY WERE NOT.
I was working with .36 margins!!! I just adjusted the margins to the correct settings and POOF - just bought myself 5 pages.
There is a Santa, and he likes me.
I've been typing, typing, typing and I couldn't get to a decent number of pages. I was about ready to just turn in 24 pages and call it good. And then I looked at my paper and thought to myself, 'man thoes margins look awfuly small, wonder if they are a full inch'.
UM, NO, THEY WERE NOT.
I was working with .36 margins!!! I just adjusted the margins to the correct settings and POOF - just bought myself 5 pages.
There is a Santa, and he likes me.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Your Own Private Utah
And you all thought I was just obsessed because Ogden is my home town and Powder Mt. is MY mountain. (Currently taking reservations to MY mountain.)
Peak Conditions
Sleek or Scruffy Slopes? In Utah, Take Your Pick.
By William Triplett
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, November 30, 2008; P01
You don't often see ski resorts reflecting a town's dueling cultural influences, especially in Utah, which was founded almost exclusively by people of like minds and hearts.
But Mormon pioneers were not alone in settling Ogden, 35 miles north of Salt Lake City. Outsiders had an equal, and a most unwelcome, hand in the process.
Therein lies a tale of how two approaches to skiing can coexist in one area, occasionally a little uneasily but pretty much always to the benefit of every skier, from bunny-slopers to black-diamond demons and beyond.
The resorts of Snowbasin and Powder Mountain (east and northeast of Ogden, respectively) are about 30 minutes by car from each other. Both offer a rich variety of terrain: bowls, chutes, glades, groomers and more.
Apart from that, however, the two might as well be in different states, if not countries. It has much to do with Ogden's unorthodox and lurid history, traces of which are still evident. Things are far quieter these days, but local lore has it that mobster Al Capone once said Ogden was too wild for his taste.
* * *
Call Snowbasin an exercise in splendor. I'm a fan of big, wide, empty groomers that lope, snake and dip endlessly amid sweeping vistas and then deliver you to a mostly line-free chairlift. With 113 trails chiseled into the sides of six adjoining peaks, Snowbasin had plenty of these when I was there last Presidents' Day weekend. That's right: One of the most popular ski holidays, and I never saw more than maybe a dozen people at any lift.
At 2,800 acres, the amount of skiable terrain is respectable, though not huge. (Park City Mountain Resort, in the not-too-distant Wasatch Range, has 3,300 acres.) The lack of crowds probably has more to do with the fact that Ogden just doesn't have the cachet of Park City, and I suspect Ogden's regulars hope it never does.
Snowbasin's views can be breathtaking, particularly when you pause after coming off the tram to Allen's Peak (the second highest, at 9,500 feet). Looking off the back end, you can survey Ogden laid out below; off different vectors, you can catch glimpses of Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming in the distance.
Experts and would-be racers gravitate to the top of Allen's Peak mostly for two reasons: First, that was the starting point of the 2002 Winter Olympics downhill events; second, ungroomed, deep-powder trails with nearly 3,000 feet of vertical are accessible.
Only double black diamonds, the real expert trails, run from the top of Allen's Peak, but about a quarter of the way down you can gently carve your way onto a big blue (or intermediate) cruising trail that lets you glide to the multiple intermediate trails of Mount Ogden, the next peak over. Or stay on the diamonds and dive-bomb your way down to the base of the resort. The toughest trail I like is a single black diamond, which is why, after a highly embarrassing start on the men's downhill, I set sail for Mount Ogden.
Despite its abundance of snow and trails, what distinguishes Snowbasin is the Euro-style grandeur of its amenities and the state-of-the-art efficiency of its on-mountain equipment. The latest lift system whisks you to the tops of Snowbasin's peaks, and high-powered snowmaking machinery provides amply when storms, on rare occasion, fail to. Restaurants sport polished marble and wood decor, and Earl's Lodge, at the base, boasts elegant stone fireplaces and Venetian glass chandeliers.
Don't bother looking for such luxury at Powder Mountain. Don't even look for snowmaking gear. Or more than one high-speed lift. Forget about radicchio in your salad. Forget about a salad. (Snowbunny suggests the french fries and hot chocolate at the top of Hidden Lake.)
Powder Mountain is old school: You come for the plentiful snow dumped only by clouds over 5,500 acres of skiable terrain with 114 trails. You can lunch at any of four eateries -- on such no-frills fare as grilled sandwiches and chili. Indeed, compared with Snowbasin, Powder Mountain is a picture of austere localism. But it has a unique beauty and lives up to its name.
Topping at 8,900 feet, Powder Mountain is not as high as Snowbasin but is more spread out, and its trails seem to go on forever. With its Lightning Ridge Snowcat ($12 gets you a ride up to otherwise inaccessible and usually virgin terrain) and special tours for expert skiers who thrive on occasionally knee-deep powder (Snowcat Powder Safari, $300 per person with guide and lunch), this place draws the hard-core. But it also has more beginners' trails than Snowbasin, and its plentiful intermediate slopes cut through spectacularly wooded areas and powder bowls.
Again, it was a holiday week, yet for almost the entire time I spent on Powder Mountain, it could have been a normal Monday. Almost every trail I hit had untouched snow. When I stopped I could hear the softest of breezes in the trees. Maybe I had drunk the Kool-Aid, but there was often a real feeling of skiing the wilderness. I could see why Skiing Magazine not too long ago described Powder Mountain as "Your Own Private Utah."* * *
Why such a stark contrast? (Because Powder Mt. hasn't SOLD OUT TO EARL HOLDING. -sorry had to get it out.)
This relatively small patch of land would probably have been the exclusive province of Mormon settlers in the 19th century had it not been for the transcontinental railroad, which was completed just outside Ogden in 1869. With the railroad came workers from across the country, some even from abroad, who established camp on the edge of town.
And with the workers came drinking, gambling and prostitution. Not to mention brawling, bootlegging and drug dealing.
Mormon leaders eventually succeeded in shutting down the tent city, but its denizens moved into downtown Ogden, along 25th Street, which is near the major train station that was built to accommodate the transcontinental railroad and another line that passed through the area.
Ogden became the crossroads of the West. Passengers, usually rich, traveling between San Francisco and Chicago often stopped to visit.
To accommodate those outsiders, pricey hotels, restaurants, shops and other establishments proliferated. The houses of far less repute were eventually closed around the time of Prohibition, but the deluxe trappings and well-heeled visitors continued to be central to Ogden.
Locals kept to themselves.
Today, the train station is more museum than anything else, and much of downtown Ogden looks a lot like any other simple Western town: Banks and businesses line the streets; the skyline is relatively low and square. Family-style dining abounds.
The once rough part of town, 25th Street, is now called Historic 25th Street. The frontier-style architecture remains; mountains rise dramatically in the distance, adding to the Old West atmosphere.
The illicit trades may be gone, but an outsider joie de vivre still prevails, mainly in the form of boutiques, restaurants and bars. My favorite was the City Club, a two-story watering hole that boasts an amazing collection of Beatles memorabilia. Obscure posters, photographs and prints of the Fab Four adorn nearly every inch of wall space along with all the usual LP covers and buttons. Throw in at least one autographed guitar (by Paul), Beatles wigs and, of course, Beatles music, and you feel as though you're in a time warp with a cool backbeat.
One day when I decided to give the skis a rest, I had what I like to think of as a quintessential Ogden experience. It started with an afternoon drive outside town, amid blocks of modest single-family homes and then into open, rolling, snow-covered countryside. Before heading back into town, I stopped in the Shooting Star Saloon, a holdover from Ogden's unruly past. Built in 1879, it's said to be the area's oldest joint, and it looks it: scarred, stained wood paneling, stuffed elk and moose and even a St. Bernard on the walls.
Back in town, I checked out the Salomon Center, a mega-sports-entertainment-plex for families. Want to surf in winter? You can at the center's indoor facility. Teenagers seemed to love it. Maybe you'd like to check out the feeling of anti-gravity: Step inside the wind tunnel and float for a couple of minutes.
A few blocks away stands Peery's Egyptian Theater, built in 1924 in the image of Grauman's Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, in authentic Egyptian Revival style. Despite a sometimes troubled history, Peery's is still operating, and at a high level. I caught an extraordinary performance that evening of the internationally renowned Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company, which was on a U.S. tour.
Then I went to the City Club, where per state law I had to become a "member" in order to drink alcohol. The bartender sponsored me. Or was it the guy next to me?
Can't recall. I was too busy wondering what kind of crowd a Beatles concert would have drawn in Ogden.
Peak Conditions
Sleek or Scruffy Slopes? In Utah, Take Your Pick.
By William Triplett
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, November 30, 2008; P01
You don't often see ski resorts reflecting a town's dueling cultural influences, especially in Utah, which was founded almost exclusively by people of like minds and hearts.
But Mormon pioneers were not alone in settling Ogden, 35 miles north of Salt Lake City. Outsiders had an equal, and a most unwelcome, hand in the process.
Therein lies a tale of how two approaches to skiing can coexist in one area, occasionally a little uneasily but pretty much always to the benefit of every skier, from bunny-slopers to black-diamond demons and beyond.
The resorts of Snowbasin and Powder Mountain (east and northeast of Ogden, respectively) are about 30 minutes by car from each other. Both offer a rich variety of terrain: bowls, chutes, glades, groomers and more.
Apart from that, however, the two might as well be in different states, if not countries. It has much to do with Ogden's unorthodox and lurid history, traces of which are still evident. Things are far quieter these days, but local lore has it that mobster Al Capone once said Ogden was too wild for his taste.
* * *
Call Snowbasin an exercise in splendor. I'm a fan of big, wide, empty groomers that lope, snake and dip endlessly amid sweeping vistas and then deliver you to a mostly line-free chairlift. With 113 trails chiseled into the sides of six adjoining peaks, Snowbasin had plenty of these when I was there last Presidents' Day weekend. That's right: One of the most popular ski holidays, and I never saw more than maybe a dozen people at any lift.
At 2,800 acres, the amount of skiable terrain is respectable, though not huge. (Park City Mountain Resort, in the not-too-distant Wasatch Range, has 3,300 acres.) The lack of crowds probably has more to do with the fact that Ogden just doesn't have the cachet of Park City, and I suspect Ogden's regulars hope it never does.
Snowbasin's views can be breathtaking, particularly when you pause after coming off the tram to Allen's Peak (the second highest, at 9,500 feet). Looking off the back end, you can survey Ogden laid out below; off different vectors, you can catch glimpses of Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming in the distance.
Experts and would-be racers gravitate to the top of Allen's Peak mostly for two reasons: First, that was the starting point of the 2002 Winter Olympics downhill events; second, ungroomed, deep-powder trails with nearly 3,000 feet of vertical are accessible.
Only double black diamonds, the real expert trails, run from the top of Allen's Peak, but about a quarter of the way down you can gently carve your way onto a big blue (or intermediate) cruising trail that lets you glide to the multiple intermediate trails of Mount Ogden, the next peak over. Or stay on the diamonds and dive-bomb your way down to the base of the resort. The toughest trail I like is a single black diamond, which is why, after a highly embarrassing start on the men's downhill, I set sail for Mount Ogden.
Despite its abundance of snow and trails, what distinguishes Snowbasin is the Euro-style grandeur of its amenities and the state-of-the-art efficiency of its on-mountain equipment. The latest lift system whisks you to the tops of Snowbasin's peaks, and high-powered snowmaking machinery provides amply when storms, on rare occasion, fail to. Restaurants sport polished marble and wood decor, and Earl's Lodge, at the base, boasts elegant stone fireplaces and Venetian glass chandeliers.
Don't bother looking for such luxury at Powder Mountain. Don't even look for snowmaking gear. Or more than one high-speed lift. Forget about radicchio in your salad. Forget about a salad. (Snowbunny suggests the french fries and hot chocolate at the top of Hidden Lake.)
Powder Mountain is old school: You come for the plentiful snow dumped only by clouds over 5,500 acres of skiable terrain with 114 trails. You can lunch at any of four eateries -- on such no-frills fare as grilled sandwiches and chili. Indeed, compared with Snowbasin, Powder Mountain is a picture of austere localism. But it has a unique beauty and lives up to its name.
Topping at 8,900 feet, Powder Mountain is not as high as Snowbasin but is more spread out, and its trails seem to go on forever. With its Lightning Ridge Snowcat ($12 gets you a ride up to otherwise inaccessible and usually virgin terrain) and special tours for expert skiers who thrive on occasionally knee-deep powder (Snowcat Powder Safari, $300 per person with guide and lunch), this place draws the hard-core. But it also has more beginners' trails than Snowbasin, and its plentiful intermediate slopes cut through spectacularly wooded areas and powder bowls.
Again, it was a holiday week, yet for almost the entire time I spent on Powder Mountain, it could have been a normal Monday. Almost every trail I hit had untouched snow. When I stopped I could hear the softest of breezes in the trees. Maybe I had drunk the Kool-Aid, but there was often a real feeling of skiing the wilderness. I could see why Skiing Magazine not too long ago described Powder Mountain as "Your Own Private Utah."* * *
Why such a stark contrast? (Because Powder Mt. hasn't SOLD OUT TO EARL HOLDING. -sorry had to get it out.)
This relatively small patch of land would probably have been the exclusive province of Mormon settlers in the 19th century had it not been for the transcontinental railroad, which was completed just outside Ogden in 1869. With the railroad came workers from across the country, some even from abroad, who established camp on the edge of town.
And with the workers came drinking, gambling and prostitution. Not to mention brawling, bootlegging and drug dealing.
Mormon leaders eventually succeeded in shutting down the tent city, but its denizens moved into downtown Ogden, along 25th Street, which is near the major train station that was built to accommodate the transcontinental railroad and another line that passed through the area.
Ogden became the crossroads of the West. Passengers, usually rich, traveling between San Francisco and Chicago often stopped to visit.
To accommodate those outsiders, pricey hotels, restaurants, shops and other establishments proliferated. The houses of far less repute were eventually closed around the time of Prohibition, but the deluxe trappings and well-heeled visitors continued to be central to Ogden.
Locals kept to themselves.
Today, the train station is more museum than anything else, and much of downtown Ogden looks a lot like any other simple Western town: Banks and businesses line the streets; the skyline is relatively low and square. Family-style dining abounds.
The once rough part of town, 25th Street, is now called Historic 25th Street. The frontier-style architecture remains; mountains rise dramatically in the distance, adding to the Old West atmosphere.
The illicit trades may be gone, but an outsider joie de vivre still prevails, mainly in the form of boutiques, restaurants and bars. My favorite was the City Club, a two-story watering hole that boasts an amazing collection of Beatles memorabilia. Obscure posters, photographs and prints of the Fab Four adorn nearly every inch of wall space along with all the usual LP covers and buttons. Throw in at least one autographed guitar (by Paul), Beatles wigs and, of course, Beatles music, and you feel as though you're in a time warp with a cool backbeat.
One day when I decided to give the skis a rest, I had what I like to think of as a quintessential Ogden experience. It started with an afternoon drive outside town, amid blocks of modest single-family homes and then into open, rolling, snow-covered countryside. Before heading back into town, I stopped in the Shooting Star Saloon, a holdover from Ogden's unruly past. Built in 1879, it's said to be the area's oldest joint, and it looks it: scarred, stained wood paneling, stuffed elk and moose and even a St. Bernard on the walls.
Back in town, I checked out the Salomon Center, a mega-sports-entertainment-plex for families. Want to surf in winter? You can at the center's indoor facility. Teenagers seemed to love it. Maybe you'd like to check out the feeling of anti-gravity: Step inside the wind tunnel and float for a couple of minutes.
A few blocks away stands Peery's Egyptian Theater, built in 1924 in the image of Grauman's Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, in authentic Egyptian Revival style. Despite a sometimes troubled history, Peery's is still operating, and at a high level. I caught an extraordinary performance that evening of the internationally renowned Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company, which was on a U.S. tour.
Then I went to the City Club, where per state law I had to become a "member" in order to drink alcohol. The bartender sponsored me. Or was it the guy next to me?
Can't recall. I was too busy wondering what kind of crowd a Beatles concert would have drawn in Ogden.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Q & A with Caspar Weinberger
Q: How many books does it take to write a 30 page paper on the National Security Council?
A: Many
The Hidden-Hand Presidency - Eisenhower as a Leader
Henry Kissinger - Doctor of Diplomacy,
American Foreign Policy
For the Record - Donald Regan
In the Arena - Weinberger
Understanding central America
Dutch - A Memoir of Ronald Reagan
Military Law 2nd Edition
Taking the Stand - Testimony of Oliver North
The Tower Commission Report
Nixon - The Rise of an American Politican
Richard Nixon - In the Arena
Nixon and Kissinger - Partners in Power
Colin Powell - My American Journey
A: Many
The Hidden-Hand Presidency - Eisenhower as a Leader
Henry Kissinger - Doctor of Diplomacy,
American Foreign Policy
For the Record - Donald Regan
In the Arena - Weinberger
Understanding central America
Dutch - A Memoir of Ronald Reagan
Military Law 2nd Edition
Taking the Stand - Testimony of Oliver North
The Tower Commission Report
Nixon - The Rise of an American Politican
Richard Nixon - In the Arena
Nixon and Kissinger - Partners in Power
Colin Powell - My American Journey
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
It's called Democracy - get over it
I am a Democrat from Utah.
This means that I have lost my fair share of elections - arguably more than my fair share. I have been part of elections which were exercises in futility. State House races, US Senate races, races for governor etc. Let me tell you, it's been fun.
I was in Utah at my house in 2000 when they called Florida for Gore. I then got in my car and drove to Salt Lake. That drive will live in infamy, because somehow by the time I got to SLC Florida had switched to Bush. And everyone knows the name of the tune which followed.
I was in SIOUX FALLS SOUTH DAKOTA in 2004 (and had been there for 36 days knocking on doors). Let me tell you how FUN it is to have a man like Tom Daschle (the Majority Leader of the US Senate) get beaten by a guy like, insert your favorite expletive here-ing, Thune.
So you will have to forgive me if I am somewhat less than sympathetic to all of my friends, oh my favorite republicans and conservatives, who are having an existential crisis now that a democrat, no less a smart, articulate, educated, organized guy, gets elected to be the President.
'Oh, he will ruin the country, he will eliminate the military and we will lose in Iraq and the terrorists will win, he will make us all hug trees and force all married people to add a third person to their marriage - preferably someone gay.' SERIOUSLY PEOPLE.
Obama is not going to ruin the country - even if he tried.
TRUST ME - George W. Bush tried - and only half succeeded.
AND they are called elections. If you really are that unhappy, take more people with you to vote next time.
This means that I have lost my fair share of elections - arguably more than my fair share. I have been part of elections which were exercises in futility. State House races, US Senate races, races for governor etc. Let me tell you, it's been fun.
I was in Utah at my house in 2000 when they called Florida for Gore. I then got in my car and drove to Salt Lake. That drive will live in infamy, because somehow by the time I got to SLC Florida had switched to Bush. And everyone knows the name of the tune which followed.
I was in SIOUX FALLS SOUTH DAKOTA in 2004 (and had been there for 36 days knocking on doors). Let me tell you how FUN it is to have a man like Tom Daschle (the Majority Leader of the US Senate) get beaten by a guy like, insert your favorite expletive here-ing, Thune.
So you will have to forgive me if I am somewhat less than sympathetic to all of my friends, oh my favorite republicans and conservatives, who are having an existential crisis now that a democrat, no less a smart, articulate, educated, organized guy, gets elected to be the President.
'Oh, he will ruin the country, he will eliminate the military and we will lose in Iraq and the terrorists will win, he will make us all hug trees and force all married people to add a third person to their marriage - preferably someone gay.' SERIOUSLY PEOPLE.
Obama is not going to ruin the country - even if he tried.
TRUST ME - George W. Bush tried - and only half succeeded.
AND they are called elections. If you really are that unhappy, take more people with you to vote next time.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Word Association - National Security Edition
National Security Council
National Security Advisor
Condi Rice
Forbidden Rice
China
Japan
South Korea
North Korea
Axis of Evil
Iran
Iraq
CENTCOM
Secretary of Defense
Sec of State
National Security Advisor
National Security Council
National Security Advisor
Condi Rice
Forbidden Rice
China
Japan
South Korea
North Korea
Axis of Evil
Iran
Iraq
CENTCOM
Secretary of Defense
Sec of State
National Security Advisor
National Security Council
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Transition
Man, when they say 'transition' they really mean it.
This whole city is on its head.
All the Republicans are losing their jobs, (no nasty comments now, everyone has to provide for their families. I know elections have consequences, but what goes around comes around, so be nice, soon enough it will be your head on the block) R lobbyists are getting thrown out on their tushes for no other reason than they are elephants (and now going along with that consequence thing - completely and totally irrelevant - eek!!!), every R Hill staffer I know who still has a job is doing hourly alms down at the vending machine.
Dingell got ousted from his Chairmanship in the most unholy of ways. (So much for playing nice and getting along.) The Ds who have jobs all want different jobs. We are moving offices and may be changing subcommittee assignments.
Oh it's just way too much FUN.
This whole city is on its head.
All the Republicans are losing their jobs, (no nasty comments now, everyone has to provide for their families. I know elections have consequences, but what goes around comes around, so be nice, soon enough it will be your head on the block) R lobbyists are getting thrown out on their tushes for no other reason than they are elephants (and now going along with that consequence thing - completely and totally irrelevant - eek!!!), every R Hill staffer I know who still has a job is doing hourly alms down at the vending machine.
Dingell got ousted from his Chairmanship in the most unholy of ways. (So much for playing nice and getting along.) The Ds who have jobs all want different jobs. We are moving offices and may be changing subcommittee assignments.
Oh it's just way too much FUN.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Funny, funny, funny.
I'm not even sure who this person is, but it is a friend of a friend and MAN is s/he funny. Take a look. And even MORE funny if you are of 'The Faith'.
My Religious Blog
My Religious Blog
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The difference between the European Council and the Council of Europe?
Did you know...
...that in order to be on the European Commission (as a Commissioner / EUcrat)you must swear allegiance to the European Union. This means that even though you are sent to the EC from your home country, if you are caught helping your country directly you are nixed.
APPARENTLY, there was a scandal a few years ago and all the Commissioners resigned. I guess the Commissioner from France was funneling money to her dentist. How in the world did I miss this?
You just learn something new every day now don't you?!?
BBC News - EU Scandal of the day, thusly.
...that in order to be on the European Commission (as a Commissioner / EUcrat)you must swear allegiance to the European Union. This means that even though you are sent to the EC from your home country, if you are caught helping your country directly you are nixed.
APPARENTLY, there was a scandal a few years ago and all the Commissioners resigned. I guess the Commissioner from France was funneling money to her dentist. How in the world did I miss this?
You just learn something new every day now don't you?!?
BBC News - EU Scandal of the day, thusly.
Monday, November 10, 2008
I heart Grandma Bunny
Mr. Snowbunny's grandma had a stroke two days ago. She is really old and not doing all that well. Not so good. :(
She is doing a little better today and can say a few words. When presented with oatmeal this morning for breakfast she took one look and said, 'SHIT'.
Apparently Grandma Bunny doesn't care for oatmeal.
She is doing a little better today and can say a few words. When presented with oatmeal this morning for breakfast she took one look and said, 'SHIT'.
Apparently Grandma Bunny doesn't care for oatmeal.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
1.3 billion pictures of China
I'm listening to NPR stories about Iran and its neighbors finding background for my presentation in my Geostrategy class... such a wonderful time to upload pictures from China.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Election Day
I voted this morning.
It was a really neat experience. The guy in front of me was probably 75 years old, spoke broken English and needed an explanation on how to fill out the ballot. But he was there. He wanted to vote. I got a little choked up when I actually drew my little connecting line. I am a softie.
It reminded me of Denver, waiting in line to get into Bronco's stadium. It was almost 3 hours of security. There were people with walkers and canes who were going to wait for as long as possible to see Obama speak. That speech was worth every minute of that security line.
Peaceful transition is something Americans take for granted. I don't even really appreciate how magical it is to have an election, allow people to share their opinion and then have their opinion matter. I know, I know, it doesn't always work perfectly, but it works and it's pretty amazing.
I gave my Froggy dinner companions a tour of the Capitol during lunch today. It it a 'very special day' they kept saying to me. 'Yes, yes.' I responded. We were talking about America and the election and how important it is and then we walked into the dome. They stopped talking and looked up. It was a priceless moment. They were amazed like everyone who walks into the Capitol. It is more than just a building, it is a belief that all people matter and that we can all be better.
Tomorrow is a new day and I hope it will be a very good day - for everyone.
'You must be the change you wish to see in the world.' ~ Gandhi
Day 4
I had a dinner last night at the Darlington House with a lovely group of a dozen folks including 3 members of the French Assembly. It gave me the opportunity to practice my very limited French, oui?
It was a beautiful dinner with 6 courses (including a cheese course - always a good thing). The only problem is that it took everything I had to stay awake. Literally, I was falling asleep from the time they offered me the sweetbread appetizer (I passed - I'm not that much of a Francophile) to the pumpkin cheesecake (tasty, but not as good as Mutti's recipe).
Got home a little before midnight and actually slept through the night for the first time in 4 days. Vive la France.
It was a beautiful dinner with 6 courses (including a cheese course - always a good thing). The only problem is that it took everything I had to stay awake. Literally, I was falling asleep from the time they offered me the sweetbread appetizer (I passed - I'm not that much of a Francophile) to the pumpkin cheesecake (tasty, but not as good as Mutti's recipe).
Got home a little before midnight and actually slept through the night for the first time in 4 days. Vive la France.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Alive, but not awake.
Well, I'm back from China. It was a great trip.
I learned as much from the Chinese as one can from a passive-aggressive Communist country and took a few hundred pictures.
If I can stay awake for more than 4 hours at a time I'll post them and write a missive.
I learned as much from the Chinese as one can from a passive-aggressive Communist country and took a few hundred pictures.
If I can stay awake for more than 4 hours at a time I'll post them and write a missive.
Monday, October 20, 2008
China
Well, I'm off to China.
I'm not taking my blackberry, cell phone and have told everyone not to anticipate emails from me. (Pesky Chinese hackers.)
I have the Economist, The National Journal, two People magazines, an Amy tan novel, Geostrategy homework (Topic 19 - China [serious! hope I don't get arrested]) my ipod, and if all else fails, Ambien.
Still, 22 hours of travel is a new high bar for me.
Pictures to come!
I'm not taking my blackberry, cell phone and have told everyone not to anticipate emails from me. (Pesky Chinese hackers.)
I have the Economist, The National Journal, two People magazines, an Amy tan novel, Geostrategy homework (Topic 19 - China [serious! hope I don't get arrested]) my ipod, and if all else fails, Ambien.
Still, 22 hours of travel is a new high bar for me.
Pictures to come!
A Four Star walks into a voting booth...
I actually talked to my Army Colonel friend about this. I thought it was curious that he wouldn't vote, but he said in order to vote, he has to pay attention, and read, and be informed, and he doesn't want to have any opinion about the Commander-in-Chief.
As much as I advocate for folks to vote, I actually agree on this one. Although, there seems to be a difference of opinion between the Army guys and the Navy guys.
Curious.
CNN - The Situation Room
October 17, 2008
Top General Not Voting
BLITZER: It?s a common refrain: every vote counts. But are some of the nation?s top generals choosing not to vote in presidential elections? Let?s go to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. It?s an intriguing thought, Barbara. What?s behind this story?
BARBARA STARR: Well, you know, Wolf, we all understand that the U.S. military is not supposed to get involved in politics in this country. Some top commanders now taking it right all the way to the limit in obeying that rule.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ) [Presidential Candidate]: (From tape.) Thanks to this great general, David Petraeus and the troops who serve under him, they have succeeded.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL) [Presidential Candidate]: (From tape.) And Gen. Petraeus has done a brilliant job.
STARR: So who is Petraeus going to vote for? Neither of them. David Petraeus long ago stopped voting in presidential elections.
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS [Commander, CENTCOM]: (From tape.) I haven?t voted in elections in some time actually and it?s because I feel that senior officers in particular should try to be apolitical. As I said, it?s inevitable that I?m just carrying out the policy of the administration that is in office at that time.
STARR: In a “60 Minutes” interview, the general who replaced Petraeus in Iraq agreed.
GEN. RAY ODIERNO [Commander, Multi-National Force-Iraq]: (From tape.) I made a decision when I got promoted to colonel that I would no longer vote in national elections because I feel it?s my job to serve the commander-in-chief. So I have not voted, probably a bad American for not voting, but I made that decision because of the position that I?m in.
STARR: But with two wars, even acknowledging whether they voted at all has become sensitive at the top ranks.
ADM. MIKE MULLEN [Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff]: (From tape.) Hi, I?m Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, urging you to let your voice be heard this election year by exercising your right to vote.
STARR: Mullen would not tell CNN if he will even cast a vote, saying it?s too personal to publicly discuss. Gen. David McKiernan, the top commander in Afghanistan, told CNN the same thing. Some say voting doesn?t mean you can?t serve the commander-in-chief even if you didn?t vote for him.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.) [CNN Military Analyst]: (From tape.) It is your duty to be apolitical, especially on your advice. But I think, you know, voting is a right. Voting, I believe, is also a responsibility.
STARR: Now, Wolf, there?s not a lot of agreement on this issue. I spoke to a top U.S. Navy admiral who is in a current position to advise the president of the United States, and he said he votes, he?s always voted, and he plans to vote this year. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much, Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon, an intriguing story indeed, a very personal story.
As much as I advocate for folks to vote, I actually agree on this one. Although, there seems to be a difference of opinion between the Army guys and the Navy guys.
Curious.
CNN - The Situation Room
October 17, 2008
Top General Not Voting
BLITZER: It?s a common refrain: every vote counts. But are some of the nation?s top generals choosing not to vote in presidential elections? Let?s go to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. It?s an intriguing thought, Barbara. What?s behind this story?
BARBARA STARR: Well, you know, Wolf, we all understand that the U.S. military is not supposed to get involved in politics in this country. Some top commanders now taking it right all the way to the limit in obeying that rule.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ) [Presidential Candidate]: (From tape.) Thanks to this great general, David Petraeus and the troops who serve under him, they have succeeded.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL) [Presidential Candidate]: (From tape.) And Gen. Petraeus has done a brilliant job.
STARR: So who is Petraeus going to vote for? Neither of them. David Petraeus long ago stopped voting in presidential elections.
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS [Commander, CENTCOM]: (From tape.) I haven?t voted in elections in some time actually and it?s because I feel that senior officers in particular should try to be apolitical. As I said, it?s inevitable that I?m just carrying out the policy of the administration that is in office at that time.
STARR: In a “60 Minutes” interview, the general who replaced Petraeus in Iraq agreed.
GEN. RAY ODIERNO [Commander, Multi-National Force-Iraq]: (From tape.) I made a decision when I got promoted to colonel that I would no longer vote in national elections because I feel it?s my job to serve the commander-in-chief. So I have not voted, probably a bad American for not voting, but I made that decision because of the position that I?m in.
STARR: But with two wars, even acknowledging whether they voted at all has become sensitive at the top ranks.
ADM. MIKE MULLEN [Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff]: (From tape.) Hi, I?m Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, urging you to let your voice be heard this election year by exercising your right to vote.
STARR: Mullen would not tell CNN if he will even cast a vote, saying it?s too personal to publicly discuss. Gen. David McKiernan, the top commander in Afghanistan, told CNN the same thing. Some say voting doesn?t mean you can?t serve the commander-in-chief even if you didn?t vote for him.
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.) [CNN Military Analyst]: (From tape.) It is your duty to be apolitical, especially on your advice. But I think, you know, voting is a right. Voting, I believe, is also a responsibility.
STARR: Now, Wolf, there?s not a lot of agreement on this issue. I spoke to a top U.S. Navy admiral who is in a current position to advise the president of the United States, and he said he votes, he?s always voted, and he plans to vote this year. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much, Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon, an intriguing story indeed, a very personal story.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Now presenting...Debate Hangover political ads...
I agree that we should rebuild savings, grow investments and create energy independence. I also love puppies.
OR
OR
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
You know who Sarah Palin reminds me of...
Tracy Flick... just a little, when she gives the speech in front of the entire school and tells them that they are about to make a very important decision... right...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Xie xie (shay shay = thank you??)
So...I'm going to China for work.
The US Government needs me to go over there and see why they are shooting down their own satellites ...and to get some of our money back...just kidding. Hardy har har.
I am going for work, but I think they will probably just make me sit through a billion meetings with foreign ministers, and hopefully see a port or two, and the Great Wall, and perhaps Tianamen Square (apparently it is much smaller than you think it will be). And after all a billion meetings with foreign ministers is still a billion meetings with foreign ministers in China. I just hope when they serve me fish, they cut off the heads first.
I would offer to send you all post cards, but apparently they never make it out of China.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Baltimore update
mmm.... about an 11 minute mile again. Oh well, so much for running faster. I guess I need to do wind sprints or something.
This 6.8 miles was particularly hard.
I think it was something about the route. It was up and back and with the exception of the round about around Fort McHenry I was running on one side of the street as the really fast runners were coming BACK on the other side. You have no idea the toll this takes on your psyche. You are essentially running, trying to keep going, as all these runners have finished what you have yet to do. There is no barrier to just crossing the double yellow line in the middle of the road and running with them and just skipping a mile or two. Trust me, I thought about it.
But I didn't.
I ran all 6.8 miles and although they were hard, I feel fine today and think I'll go for a run tomorrow or Tuesday.
This 6.8 miles was particularly hard.
I think it was something about the route. It was up and back and with the exception of the round about around Fort McHenry I was running on one side of the street as the really fast runners were coming BACK on the other side. You have no idea the toll this takes on your psyche. You are essentially running, trying to keep going, as all these runners have finished what you have yet to do. There is no barrier to just crossing the double yellow line in the middle of the road and running with them and just skipping a mile or two. Trust me, I thought about it.
But I didn't.
I ran all 6.8 miles and although they were hard, I feel fine today and think I'll go for a run tomorrow or Tuesday.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Balmer Marathon
I'm running 7 miles of the Baltimore Marathon tomorrow. (Pronounced "Bal-mer" if you are a local, I am not from Balmer, but am from Warsh-ing-ten.) I'm running leg 2 which goes past Fort McHenry. For those of you who were asleep in 3rd grade, Fort McHenry at the ajoining harbor was where the Star-Spangled Banner was written.
As of late, I have been tangentially involved with the Star-Spangled Banner (creating a US Mint coin to honor it). But, unfortunately, have never actually been to the Fort.
It will be nice to see it. I just hope I don't end up passed out under a cannon.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
A Little Home Town Football
Wildcats Crack the Div.-I FCS Top 25
OGDEN, Utah -- For the first time since the 2000 season, Weber State's football team has broken into The Sports Network's NCAA Division l FCS top 25. The Wildcats come in this week at number 22 in the poll of the nation's FCS sports writers and sports information director. Weber State was one of four Big Sky teams in the top 25. Montana, which was ranked number three last week but fell to Weber State 45-28 in Ogden on Saturday, fell to 12th. Northern Arizona, with a 4-1 record and a 2-0 mark in Big Sky play, is 18th and Eastern Washington, which lost 36-47 at Portland State, fell from 11th to 23rd.
In 2000, the Wildcats got up to 19th before losing at home 28-30 to #1 ranked Montana and fell to 23rd, but ended up 18th in the final poll of the season. The last time WSU was ranked in the top 10 came in 1998, Jerry Graybeal's first season as head coach, when the Wildcats jumped out to a 5-0 record and were ranked 9th but lost at home to Montana State, 10-7.
Rolling Stone hits a sour note...
Make-Believe Maverick
A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty.
Tim Dickinson // Rolling Stone
A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty.
Tim Dickinson // Rolling Stone
Monday, October 06, 2008
Race Results - Army 10 Miler
So, I didn't die.
I ran at an 11 minute mile pace and finished in 1 hour 50 minutes.
I thought that was pretty ok, until I talked to some of my buddies who finished in an hour 25 - but they are nutty (and men). So I guess I'll take comfort in that.
I am running in the Baltimore Marathon this weekend. I'm running the second leg of the relay with some office folks. Hokie Girl is running the half marathon - go Hokie Girl!
I'm going to run the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race (registration opens in December) in the spring to improve my 10 mile time. In the interim, I think I'll run the Veterans Day 10K and the Jingle All the Way 10K... any takers???
I ran at an 11 minute mile pace and finished in 1 hour 50 minutes.
I thought that was pretty ok, until I talked to some of my buddies who finished in an hour 25 - but they are nutty (and men). So I guess I'll take comfort in that.
I am running in the Baltimore Marathon this weekend. I'm running the second leg of the relay with some office folks. Hokie Girl is running the half marathon - go Hokie Girl!
I'm going to run the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race (registration opens in December) in the spring to improve my 10 mile time. In the interim, I think I'll run the Veterans Day 10K and the Jingle All the Way 10K... any takers???
Friday, October 03, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Tunes???
Ok.
I'm going to run on Sunday. Ug.
But I only have 6 miles worth of good quality, AC/DC, You Shook Me All Night Long, Back in Black, Eye of the Tiger, I Need a Hero, music.
I need some help here.
Anyone have some good songs to get me through miles 6-10???
THANKS.
I'm going to run on Sunday. Ug.
But I only have 6 miles worth of good quality, AC/DC, You Shook Me All Night Long, Back in Black, Eye of the Tiger, I Need a Hero, music.
I need some help here.
Anyone have some good songs to get me through miles 6-10???
THANKS.
Monday, September 29, 2008
In other news - Army Strong (or not)
I am supposed to run 10 miles on Sunday in the Army 10 Miler.
I stopped training last Sunday when I ate pavement on my shortboard. My knee still hurts like a... a lot.
In an attempt to get back in the swing of things I ran 6 miles tonight and it was not pretty.
I saw a buddy down on the mall. We were waiting for a red light right before the World War II memorial. He said, 'come on, run with me'. To which I responded as I was getting a drink, 'no, you go ahead, I'll catch up'. Which in running lingo is the international phrase for 'you are WAY faster than I am, and there is no way in hell I'm running with you because I will die.' I saw him sprint past me on his way back... I was still a football field from the Lincoln Monument.
So, I made it, but oh my knees hurt. But, as my good Army COL buddy says, 'You can do anything. It just matters how bad you want to HURT the next day.'
I think I'm going to run on Sunday. But I am prepared to hurt really bad come Monday morning.
As they say in the Army, Hooah.
I stopped training last Sunday when I ate pavement on my shortboard. My knee still hurts like a... a lot.
In an attempt to get back in the swing of things I ran 6 miles tonight and it was not pretty.
I saw a buddy down on the mall. We were waiting for a red light right before the World War II memorial. He said, 'come on, run with me'. To which I responded as I was getting a drink, 'no, you go ahead, I'll catch up'. Which in running lingo is the international phrase for 'you are WAY faster than I am, and there is no way in hell I'm running with you because I will die.' I saw him sprint past me on his way back... I was still a football field from the Lincoln Monument.
So, I made it, but oh my knees hurt. But, as my good Army COL buddy says, 'You can do anything. It just matters how bad you want to HURT the next day.'
I think I'm going to run on Sunday. But I am prepared to hurt really bad come Monday morning.
As they say in the Army, Hooah.
To bail or not to bail...
Well the House rejected the bailout...because America was mad and we didn't do a good job explaining the solution (better than the disease, if only by a little)... and the dow dropped more than 770 points.
By way of not so nifty trivia, that is the LARGEST POINT DROP in HISTORY. (The week after 9/11 we lost 722 points.) We are going to come back on Thursday after the holidays and try again. (Happy New Year to all my Jewish friends - btw.)
So what's the bottom line? Let's put it like this, it's either infuse the market with fresh cash and warm everyone up so they will lend again, or go get your cash out of the bank (if you have any left), put it under your bed and break out the food storage.
House Rejects Wall Street Bailout
September 29, 2008, 2:36 p.m.
By Jennifer Bendery
Roll Call Staff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The House voted 228-205 on Monday to reject the financial sector bailout, sending stocks into free fall and dealing the Bush administration a devastating defeat.
Leaders held the vote open as they leaned on rank-and-file Members but failed to change votes. Members appeared to be looking for a strategy to bring up the bill again, though the details were uncertain. Democrats said the GOP had to deliver more votes.
Democratic leaders secured 141 votes for the bailout, which was in the ballpark of what they were predicting. But Republican leaders dug up only 64 votes, far short of the 100 votes they were seeking.
President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson had lobbied for the$700 billion package and warned of economic peril if it failed.
The bill was crafted over the weekend by a bipartisan group of House and Senate negotiators. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) all had urged Members to support the bill.
The bill, however, was opposed from the left and the right, as well as by vulnerable lawmakers who noted the public opposition to it.
Conservative Republicans opposed a massive government rescue of financial institutions and sought other plans. Progressives were unhappy with its lack of foreclosure provisions and with handing over hundreds of billions of dollars to the Bush administration.
Party leaders asked lawmakers to hold their noses and pass the bill in the name of averting a Wall Street meltdown.
“You want to go home, so I’m not going to list all of my concerns that I have with it,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi blasted the administration for waiting until the last minute to demand $700 billion and “czar-like powers” to stem a Wall Street crisis that crept up “so silently, almost on little cat’s feet.”
The administration’s original proposal was “almost arrogant and insulting,” said Pelosi, who pinned the meltdown squarely on the president’s “failed economic policies.”
Boehner made a last-minute plea to Members to support to the bill, saying shortly before the vote that the likelihood of it passing was “in serious doubt.”
“Nobody wants to vote for this. Nobody wants to be around it,” Boehner said. “But we have a product that may work if we can get the votes to pass it, which I don't have to tell any of you is in serious doubt.”
Boehner, who enlisted other GOP leaders to support the bill, called the proposal is a “mud sandwich.”
“These are the votes that separate the men from the boys and the girls from the women,” Boehner said. “These are the kind of votes that we have to look into our souls and ask, ‘What is in the best interest of our country?’”
Even Financial Services ranking member Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), a bill skeptic, said he would vote for the bill because he was not willing to put peoples’ pensions and college funds at risk.
“I’m not willing to put that bullet in the revolver and spin it. I’m not willing to take that gamble,” he said.
Asked about the next step, Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said it would be up to those who opposed the bill.
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