Eye of the Storm

Opening day

2006-04-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

The six months that begin today make the other six months worth living.

To make it easier for you all to ridicule me at the end of the season, I will provide my predictions for my favorite teams.

Phillies: 88-74
Red Sox: 93-69

Wild card prediction for the number of times Greg will call me a carpetbagger this season: over/under of 20.

Feel free to post your predictions for your favorite teams.

Heart-stirring

2006-04-02T17:30:00.000-04:00

If these pictures of Jill Carroll's homecoming and reunion with her family don't give you chills, you're Vulcan-esque.

Genesis: Born again as an ironic hipster favorite?

2006-04-02T16:43:00.000-04:00

On Friday evening, I downed a couple I.P.A.s at one of Harvard Square's truly great destinations: Charlie's Kitchen. One of the few remaining elements of pre-gentrification Harvard Square, Charlie's Kitchen offers cheap food, great beer, and a brilliant jukebox in an atmosphere dominated by hipsters and punks.

The jukebox's brilliance stems from its general lack of cooler-than-thou bands while offering a healthy diet of great music. Spend an evening at Charlie's, and there's a good chance you'll hear the Ramones, Pixies, Clash, and Rolling Stones. If you had asked me a week ago to name a band that almost certainly would not be featured on the Charlie's jukebox, it is certainly possible that I'd say Phil Collins-era Genesis. So imagine my surprise when "Invisible Touch" began playing.

This got me to thinking: When did Genesis pass from the world of cheesy crap to ironic cheese, a la Neil Diamond and Journey? Did it happen on Friday or is this a less-recent development?

No shame

2006-03-28T21:10:00.000-05:00

So now we know why Dick Cheney enjoys watching the Fox News Channel. Check this out. Warning: you may not want to watch it at work.

Slow day at work

2006-03-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

I just learned that Marah was featured on NPR last week! Check it out.

Oh the humanity

2006-03-27T12:47:00.000-05:00

It is very difficult to justify the mass slaughter of human beings, unless they are somehow dehumanized. So, as more and more Iraqis continue to be murdered in Iraq--the vast majority of these killings are not the direct result of American action, although we certainly paved the way--one way war proponents can continue to support our decision to go into Iraq is through thoughts such as the following by the National Review's John Derbyshire:

We don't particularly care whether the Sunnis, Shias and Kurds of Iraq put down their arms. We only want them to put down their arms against us ... One doesn't want to be accused of inhuman callousness; but I am willing to confess, and believe I speak for a lot of [To Hell with Them Hawks] (and a lot of other Americans, too), that the spectacle of Middle Eastern Muslims slaughtering each other is one that I find I can contemplate with calm composure.

Thanks to the reporting of the New York Times's superb Jeffrey Gettleman, we know that Iraqis are human, too, and in many ways, no different from us.

Mohannad al-Azawi had just finished sprinkling food in his bird cages at his pet shop in south Baghdad, when three carloads of gunmen pulled up. In front of a crowd, he was grabbed by his shirt and driven off.

Mr. Azawi was among the few Sunni Arabs on the block, and, according to witnesses, when a Shiite friend tried to intervene, a gunman stuck a pistol to his head and said, "You want us to blow your brains out, too?"

Mr. Azawi's body was found the next morning at a sewage treatment plant. A slight man who raised nightingales, he had been hogtied, drilled with power tools and shot.

...

Mr. Azawi was the youngest of five brothers. He was 27 and lived with his parents. He loved birds since he was a boy. Nightingales were his favorite. Then canaries, pigeons and doves.

During Saddam Hussein's reign, he was drafted into the army, but he deserted.

"He was crazy about birds," said a Shiite neighbor, Ibrahim Muhammad.

A few years ago, Mr. Azawi opened a small pet shop in Dawra, a rough-and-tumble, mostly Shiite neighborhood in southern Baghdad.

Friends said that Mr. Azawi was not interested in politics or religion. He never went to the Sunni mosque, though his brothers did. He did not pay attention to news or watch television. This characteristic might have cost him his life.

On Feb. 22, the Askariya Shrine in Samarra was attacked at 7 a.m. But Mr. Azawi did not know what had happened until 4 p.m., his friends said. He was in his own little world, tending his birds, when a Shiite shopkeeper broke the news and told him to close. He stayed in his house for three days after that. His friends said he was terrified.

Mixed messages

2006-03-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

The lead item in the "Talk of the Town" section in this week's New Yorker discusses the growing body of evidence that global warming is a reality. It reports that Antarctica is losing ice and this past summer the Arctic ice cap had shrunk to the smallest area ever recorded.

The piece proceeds to report other ominous signs and then offers the conservative response to global warming, quoting the Wall Street Journal and National Review Online.

From the Journal:

The problems associated with climate change (whether man-made or natural) are the same old problems of poverty, disease, and natural hazards like floods, storms, and droughts....money spent on these problems is a much surer bet than money spent trying to control a climate change process we don't understand.

And from the National Review Online:

We can do more to help the poor by combating these problems now than we would be reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

To which the New Yorker responds:

The beauty of this argument is its apparent high-mindedness, and this, of coruse, is also its danger. Carbon dioxide is a persistent gas--it lasts for about a century--and once released into the atmosphere it is, for all practical purposes, irrecoverable. Since every extra increment of CO₂leads to extra warming, addressing the effects of climate change without dealing with the cause is a bit like trying to treat diabetes with doughnuts. The climate isn't going to change just once, and then settle down; unless CO₂ concentrations are stabilized, it will keep on changing, producing, in addition to the "same old problems," an ever-growing array of new ones.

So the message is clear: We need to cease adding CO₂ to the atmosphere.

Sixteen pages before that piece appears a can't-miss ad for the new 320-horsepower V8 Infiniti FX. On a 12-page insert, the reader is told relentlessly that this "SUV inspired by sports car design" is a marvel. The vehicle is "accentuated by distinctive, dynamic features that exemplify both elegance and power." It has a "muscular stance." It's "Brave. By Design."

The message is clear: We need to buy this vehicle which gets 18 mpg on the highway and add a big 'ol heap of CO₂ to the atmosphere.

Trivia, NCAA Tournament edition

2006-03-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

I apologize for my lack of posts recently. I've been, as they say in Boston, wicked busy.

So here's a factette for you: The area code of Lexington, KY--859--spells UKY on a telephone's keypad.

Recognition

2006-03-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

On of my favorite weekend activities is to visit my local coffeeshop and read the paper, a book, or a magazine. I'm lucky enough to live a three-minute walk away from a charming little place called True Grounds.

Yesterday, I noticed that a USA Today article about ten places in America to get a great cup of coffee had been taped to the counter. True Grounds made the cut. Pretty exciting.

While I was at True Grounds yesterday, I read the following passage in the latest New Yorker:

Democratization in both Afghanistan and Iraq, it was believed, would increase the pressure on the Iranian regime. And, if the threat of military intervention was required, U.S. forces would be well situated. James Dobbins, the Bush Administration special envoy for Afghanistan, told me that in the prewar planning for Iraq "there was an intention that the U.S. would retain troops in Iraq--not for Iraq stabilization because that was thought not to be needed, but for coercive diplomacy in the region. Meaning Iran and Syria." (Italics mine)

I think that passage goes a long way toward summing up what's gone wrong in Iraq.

From the archives

2006-02-26T12:13:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know that I freelance as a sports writer for the Cambridge Chronicle, a weekly newspaper that serves Cambridge, Mass. I don't advertise this because, frankly, I don't believe my articles would interest anybody who does not have a child who plays sports at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.

Exactly two years ago, though, the Chronicle published a story I wrote with a scope that appeals to more than a handful of people. For the first time since it was printed, I reread it on Friday, and I remain extremely proud of it. Normally when I read my old stories, I cringe throughout, but in this case, it happened only once. But that was because of lousy editing.

Here it is in its entirety--all 55 inches.

The story of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin boys basketball dynasty of the late 1970s and early 1980s begins on December 14, 1978, when an unknown freshman named Patrick Ewing took to the floor.

It wasn’t a pretty sight. In five minutes of action, Ewing scored one point and managed to foul out in a 17-point loss to BC High School.

Nearly four years later, as a senior, the memory of his debut was still fresh in Ewing’s mind. Prior to the final game of his high school career—in which he would face the same school that had embarrassed him as a freshman—Ewing told his friends he would score 40 points, plus one more as a nod to his debut.

And so the story ends on March 21, 1981, when Ewing, the most heralded high school player in the nation, fulfilled his promise and scored a career-high 41 points to lead Cambridge to its third consecutive state title.

A generation later, the impact of those legendary teams is still felt across the basketball universe. Ewing starred at Georgetown University, was the top pick in 1985 NBA Draft and his accomplishments with the New York Knicks earned him a place on the NBA’s exclusive list of the top 50 players of all time.

His coach at Cambridge, Mike Jarvis, went on to become one of the more recognizable figures in college basketball, leading George Washington and St. John’s to numerous NCAA Tournament appearances.

And Karl Hobbs, who starred on the 1980 championship team, played at the University of Connecticut and is now the head coach at George Washington.

As wonderful as those three years were—from the 77-1 record to the national recognition to the passionate local following—for those involved with the teams and for the lifelong followers of Cambridge basketball, the sweetest memories are reserved for the 1978-1979 squad that captured the state title 25 years ago next month.

'The one we remember most'

"The first is always the best," Jarvis said. "That first year was also special because what you saw was the beginning of one of the greatest basketball players in history of basketball. You had a young player of the future surrounded by older experienced players like Kevin Moore, Charlie Neal, Bill Ewing, David Dottin and Steve Heywood. It wasn’t the best of Patrick, and if not the best team, it’s the one we remember the most."

The nucleus of that squad formed the year before when the best talent from Rindge Tech and Cambridge High and Latin joined forces at the brand-new Cambridge Rindge and Latin.

There did not seem to be any athletic growing pains associated with the merger as the basketball team won 18 of its 20 regular season games before losing in the first round of the MIAA tournament to Lexington.

"We should have won it my freshman year but sometimes you have to go through defeat to put you over the top," Patrick Ewing said.

The players and the community were convinced they underachieved and lobbied for a coaching change. Although Tim Mahoney had been a well-respected coach, many followers of the team were convinced a better coach was already at the school. Enter Mike Jarvis.

Jarvis, a 1962 graduate of Rindge Tech, was teaching physical education at Rindge and Latin while also serving as an assistant coach at Northeastern. Prior to that, he coached at Harvard.

"The night that they gave Mike the job, me, Billy Ewing, Charlie Neal and David Dottin were at the school committee meeting," said Kevin Moore, a senior on the 1979 Championship squad. "I knew Mike would take us to the championship. We ran down the street, and we screamed, ‘We’re gonna win the championship!’ And we caught ourselves because we were so loud. But of course it came true."

No one-man team

Jarvis was very careful not to overemphasize Patrick Ewing (no relation to Bill). While he was keenly aware of Ewing’s ability and potential—correctly predicting before his sophomore year that he would become one of the best players in the nation by his senior year—Jarvis did not allow Cambridge to become a one-man team.

Instead, he ensured that the talented players surrounding Ewing—guys such as Bill Ewing, Moore, Neal and Dottin—were included in the mix. Not only did Jarvis feel that the team would be better served by a balanced approach, but that Patrick Ewing would be more likely to benefit in the long run.

"What Mike wanted was to have him not become a superstar right away and have him grow," said Les Kimbrough, currently a dean at Rindge and Latin and a former history teacher who has been at CRLS since the merger. "They had such a great team around him and didn’t need him to be a superstar."

While Patrick Ewing’s presence was certainly beneficial, the team’s depth was so strong that the Warriors—as Cambridge was known then—would not have lost much if Ewing hadn’t been there.

"Ewing could have sat on the bench and it wouldn’t have made a difference," said Len Johnson, a lifelong Cambridge resident and an avid follower of local basketball.

The Warriors cruised through the season and did not face many stiff challenges. By the middle of the season, they were receiving national attention and some had them ranked in the top 20. Although most of their opponents were blown out by large margins, that was often not enough for the local fans. They wanted to see Cambridge score 100 points every night and blow out its opponents by obscene amounts.

No chance of loss

Jarvis was concerned that if he allowed his team to get carried away, it might become overconfident. He wanted the team to be prepared for tough challenges that might present themselves down the road.

That's exactly what happened. In the state semi-finals, Boston Latin provided a scare and led by five points after three quarters, before Cambridge thoroughly dominated in the fourth quarter to win by 14 points. Then in the championship game against Holyoke, the Warriors won by only three.

"We were not going to lose a game," said Bill Ewing, who, like Dottin, Moore and Neal, was a senior that season. "It was just not going to happen."

Because the core of that squad graduated, new players moved to the forefront during the 1979-80 season—players such as Karl Hobbs and Kevin Headley. Cambridge continued to dominate the opposition, but the season did not go nearly as smoothly, as a recruiting scandal engulfed the team.

The seeds were planted during the summer before the 1978-79 season, when Moore and Hobbs—who had known each other for years—were casually talking on a lazy summer evening at Hobbs’ home in Dorchester. At the time, Hobbs was about to enter his junior year at the Jeremiah Burke School in Boston, but Moore encouraged him to consider transferring to Rindge and Latin for his senior year. But Hobbs didn’t believe he would be permitted to transfer.

"No one knows that I had that conversation with Karl," said Moore, who coached at Rindge at Latin before current coach Lance Dottin took the helm. "He was nervous about it. We talked about it all night."

Before his senior year, Hobbs chose to move in with family friends in Cambridge when his mother moved to Florida. The controversy began to simmer in the fall of 1979, but exploded as the season got underway in December. Initially, he was ruled ineligible to play by the MIAA.

"I was just trying to go to school and play basketball and enjoy high school and get a scholarship," said Hobbs, who played at the University of Connecticut. "I wasn’t prepared for all that. I didn’t think anybody would expect it to turn into what it did."

The controversy lasted the entire season and took many twists and turns. After Hobbs was later ruled eligible to play, the MIAA further investigated Cambridge on more recruiting charges.

At one point, the MIAA forced Rindge and Latin to forfeit the season and it appeared that the Warriors wouldn’t be permitted to participate in the postseason tournament. But the decision was ultimately reversed by the Middlesex County Appeals court.

The furor did not appear to have much of an affect the team’s performance, but their lone loss during the three-year period occurred during that time. They traveled to New Haven, Conn. to play the defending Connecticut state champions, Wilbur Cross, and had their winning streak snapped at 34.

Other than that, the Warriors handled the controversy amazingly well and defeated Worcester North for their second consecutive title.

Growing through adversity

"Any time you’re really, really good you must deal with envy and jealousy from a lot of people who don’t want to you be as successful," Jarvis said. "Those things make you tougher and stronger and sometimes it helps make your team that much more unified. It wasn’t easy, but only through the grace of God did we get through it. The kids grew through adversity."

By the following season, the controversy subsided a bit, but Rindge and Latin continued to be bombarded with another challenge—racism. As one of the few schools in the Suburban League to feature a predominantly black team, Cambridge was an easy target.

Patrick Ewing was especially ridiculed. Stories of his academic struggles spread throughout Eastern Massachusetts and during one game, fans unfurled a sign that read, "YOU CAN’T READ."

After Ewing announced that he would attend Georgetown and not Boston College, BC fans unleashed their animosity toward Ewing at a Cambridge game played on the Boston College campus.

"It was crazy," Moore said. "That’s when you got signs calling him a monkey. There were so many incidents. It was sad." Other incidents included the slashing of tires and the throwing of bricks and rocks through the bus windows.

But the team remained unfazed by the racism and the relentless pursuit of Ewing. By his senior year, he was clearly the most sought-after player in the country. Most of the top programs in the country expressed interest, including North Carolina and UCLA.

Clearly, they handled the distractions well, as the Warriors completed a perfect season that culminated with the defeat of BC High.

"There was a feeling of jubilation and joy and pride on the way into locker room and then within seconds, the feeling of emptiness and sadness cause these special kids would never be coached by me again," Jarvis said.

Now, more than two decades later, the memories are as fond as ever for those who experienced those years.

"All I know is that they were just great years," Patrick Ewing said. "We defied all the odds. Everyone was rooting against us and we kicked everybody’s butts."

Here are some little known facts

2006-02-23T20:52:00.000-05:00

The greatest part of my job may be its ability to impart me with a steady stream of useless information. I will share with you several trivial--yet fascinating--facts I've learned about the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Every Corvette is manufactured in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Louisville is located at the Falls of the Ohio River. Kentucky's early settlers chose that location because as they were traveling on the Ohio, their boats could not circumnavigate the falls. So the settlers had no choice but to land their boats.

The father of Louisville native Muhammad Ali, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., was named in honor of an influential Kentucky abolitionist of the same name. In the 1840s and 1850s, Cassisus Marcellus Clay was an outspoken critic of slavery and started an abolitionist newspaper called the True American.

A solo mission

2006-02-19T11:50:00.000-05:00

After my father picked me up from the airport Saturday afternoon, we took a trip to Trader Joe's. When the classic "The Glory of Love" from Karate Kid II began playing over the store's public address system, I oh so sarcastically commented to my dad that I adore Peter Cetera's work.

My dad recalled that before his solo career, Cetera led Chicago. This got my father to thinking: How many solo artists actually benefited artistically from leaving his band? I suggested that George Michael's solo work was superior to his work with Wham!, to which my father gave me a dirty look. I guess he feels that none of Michael's solo work could possibly compare to the brilliance of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."

When I gave the question more serious consideration, I couldn't think of many artists whose solo work is as good as or better than the music made with his band. I managed to come up with only three names: Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, and Michael Jackson.

Philly's got an awful marketing director

2006-02-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend I will return to the motherland to visit my parents, my grandmother, a friend, and the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Currently, the museum is featuring a special exhibit on Benjamin Frankin to honor his 300th birthday. To help promote it, some genius created the following slogan:

Philly's Got Benergy.

I kid you not.

I first saw this colossal embarrassment while traveling on Boston's T. Surely, my fellow commuters noticed the look of shame on my face and immediately deduced that I come from the Philly area. I thank them for not publicly ridiculing me.

Recenlty, I realized this is the latest example of Philadelphia's inferiority to Boston, which would never conjure up something so patently lame. Boston's superiority may date back to our country's early days. Consider the comments of John Adams:

Philadelphia with all its Trade, and Wealth, and Regularity is not
Boston. The Morals of our People are much better, their Manners are more polite, and agreeable -- they are purer English. Our Language is better, our Persons are handsomer, our Spirit is greater, our Laws are wiser, our Religion is superiour, our Education is better. (Italics mine)

Not only is the slogan eye-rolling, it's also grammatically horrid. Philly's Got...?!?! That's the sort of language that first graders are taught to not use. It should be "Philly Has Benergy."

It's as bad as the slogan that appeared on Pennsylvania license plates in the 1980s: "You've Got a Friend in Pennsylvania."

Become a pseudointellectual in five easy steps

2006-02-14T21:25:00.000-05:00

Want to impress your friends with your intellectuality? Want to make them think you're educated and smart while putting in a minimal amount of effort? Then follow my easy five-step guide, and you, too, will be a pseudointellectual!

1. Read the New York Times Best Seller lists every week.

There really is no need to actually read any books to make others believe you are well-read. Chances are, they don't read either. So simply glance over the lists and just mention that The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman is still doing well and you're set.

2. Mention an Anthony Lane movie review in the New Yorker.

Lane is just about the biggest schmuck out there. But his critic cred is damn high, and he writes for the epitome of liberal elitism. Bonus points if you say that he can't escape the shadow of Pauline Kael.

3. Utter the phrase "the neoconservative assault on American foreign policy."

No one will know what the hell you're talking about. That's the goal. They will simply assume that YOU know what you're talking about and will not ask any questions. Trust me.

4. Occasionally listen to a Terry Gross interview on NPR's Fresh Air.

NPR is the one-stop source for pseudointellectuals. And Terry Gross is an NPR icon. It's the perfect combination. But if you're in a hurry, you need only paraphrase their website: "Did you hear Terry Gross's interview with bioethics expert Christopher Thomas Scott, who explores in his new book Stem Cell Now the possibilities of what some consider the greatest discovery since nuclear fusion: the isolation of embryonic stem cells for research?"

5. Take a gander at the MoMA website from time to time.

For example, right now you could engage a friend in the following conversation:

You: I'm going to New York this weekend to check out the John Szarkowski exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art.

Friend: Who?

You: John Szarkowski. He is one of the most influential photography curators and critics of the twentieth century.

Friend: Oh. Really?

You: Yeah, he also took some stunning photos. Early on, most of his pictures were shot in his native Midwest. Later in his career, most of his photos were taken on his farm in upstate New York.

Friend: Wow. That's interesting.

I guarantee that this will be the end of the conversation. Your friend will be totally fooled.

*******

So there you have it. But I must warn you. Do not try these tips around true intellectuals. You will quickly be discovered for the fraud that you are.

Can Wikipedia be trusted?

2005-12-06T21:47:00.000-05:00

Regular readers of my blog know that I often link to Wikipedia articles. Wikipedia isn't just any encylopedia. Any reader has the ability to edit an existing article or post a new one. Because the entries are not written by scholars and are not vetted by editors, Wikipedia is a constant source of criticism.

Theoretically, falsehoods and other errors will be caught and corrected by Wikipedia readers; in other words, it's self-governing. However, some incorrect information--especially that which cannot be easily unsubstantiated--can remain undetected for some time.

Sunday's New York Times reported the story of John Seigenthaler, Sr., a former editor at the Nashville Tennessean. A Wikipedia entry about Seigenthaler explained that he "was thought to have been directly involved in the Kennedy assassinations of both John and his brother Bobby." The entry added that "nothing was ever proven."

This erroneous and libelous claim remained undetected for months.

Clearly, Wikipedia can not be trusted completely. So why do I use it as a resource and link to its articles? Because I find its information to be correct the vast majority of the time and because a completely trustworthy resource is nonexistent.

I work as a Social Studies textbook editor at Houghton Mifflin. Two of the resources I regularly use are Encyclopædia Britannica and Encyclopedia Americana, published by Scholastic, Inc. They are considered extremely trustworthy. Still, even they make mistakes.

Encyclopædia Britannica's entry on "Woman suffrage" says

By 1918, however, both major political parties were committed to woman suffrage, and the amendment was carried by the necessary two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate in January 1918 and June 1919, respectively. Vigorous campaigns were then waged to secure ratification of the amendment by two-thirds of the state legislatures, and on August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment.

For an amendment to be added to the Constitution, 75% of all states must ratify it. Yet, Encyclopædia Britannica tells us that "campaigns were then waged to secure ratification of the amendment by two-thirds of state legislatures." That is clearly false. They were seeking ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures. If the fact checkers at Encyclopædia Britannica had put a little work into it, they would have realized that 36 divided by 48 (There were 48 states at the time) equals .75.

Over at Encyclopedia Americana, their "Kentucky" entry tells us that

With its divided loyalties, Kentucky chose to remain neutral in the Civil War, hoping to preserve a spirit of conciliation between the opposing sides.

This information is only partially correct. Kentucky opted for neutrality in May 1861, just a month into the Civil War, when the Kentucky House of Representatives and Senate passed resolutions declaring neutrality. However, the legislature reversed itself in September 1861.

In A New History of Kentucky, Lowell H. Harrison and James C. Klotter wrote

On September 11 the House by a 71-26 vote instructed the governor to order the Confederates to withdraw from the state. Then, an a vote of 29-68, it defeated a motion to order both sides to withdraw. The Senate approved the Confederate-only expulsion order, 25-8. (Governor Beriah) Magoffin vetoed it, and the legislature swiftly passed it over his objection. He then issued the order as directed.

So, in other words, don't trust anything completely. Except me, of course.

Disaster awaits

2005-11-16T20:17:00.000-05:00

The Philadelphia Eagles are doomed. Not because Donovan McNabb is injured and will miss Sunday's game against the Giants, but because two Rutgers alumni--Mike McMahon and L.J. Smith--will be in the starting lineup.

McMahon "starred" at quarterback for the Scarlet Knights between 1997 and 2000, as Rutgers compiled an overall record of 9-35. In '97, Rutgers fans were made to suffer more than those digested by Sarlacc, as the Knights went 0-11. Two years later, they finished the season with a 1-10 mark.

After graduating from Highland Park High School, Smith, by moving to New Brunswick, made the journey from "Israel" to "Africa" (apologies to Gene Racz) and went to school On the Banks of the Old Raritan. During his stint from 1999-2002, the Scarlet Knights went 7-38, including a 1-11 showing when the tight end was a senior.

When the two played together, Rutgers went 4-18.

I would not be surprised if this is the first time in NFL history that two Rutgers alumni started for the same team.

Wrong number, bitch

2005-11-15T21:11:00.000-05:00

Cynthia, if you're reading this, I'd appreciate it if you refrain from giving my phone number to poor, unsuspecting guys you hope to never speak to again. Thank you.

By the way, my headline is a quote from my freshman year dorm mate, Rob. On a Saturday morning, at roughly 8:30 a.m., the phone rang. Upon discovering that the call was neither for him nor his roommate, Andy, Rob said to the caller, "Wrong number, bitch," and hung up.

Seconds later, the phone rang and when Rob answered, the caller testily said, "This is the United States Army. We deserve a little respect."

It was a classic college moment I shall never forget.

Perhaps we're doomed after all

2005-11-10T22:24:00.000-05:00

In my previous entry, my friend Pete commented on the Kansas Board of Education adopting standards that casts doubt on the theory of evolution.

While this is extremely disturbing, it doesn't come as a shock to me. Kansas has proven itself to be as backwards as the huckleberries in Tennessee who were aghast that John Scopes was teaching his students Darwin. What does shock me is this sentence from the Associated Press story:

In addition, the board rewrote the definition of science, so that it is no longer limited to the search for natural explanations of phenomena.

Read that again. The Kansas Board of Education is saying that ANYTHING can explain phenomena. If science is not limited to the natural world, I guess that means it can include the supernatural. So if I want to say the sky is blue because of ghosts, then so be it.

Why does the air contain oxygen? Because of little green men from Mars.

Are they going to teach children The Force in Kansas science classes?

Are they going to teach children that water freezes at 32 degrees farenheit because God decreed that it freeze at 32 degrees?.........Never mind.

There is hope for humanity

2005-11-09T12:53:00.000-05:00

From today's New York Times:

All eight members up for re-election to the Pennsylvania school board that had been sued for introducing the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in biology class were swept out of office yesterday by a slate of challengers who campaigned against the intelligent design policy.

Among the losing incumbents on the Dover, Pa., board were two members who testified in favor of the intelligent design policy at a recently concluded federal trial on the Dover policy: the chairwoman, Sheila Harkins, and Alan Bonsell.

Election day

2005-11-08T21:25:00.000-05:00

Today is election day. The feeling is very different from a year ago, when the American people inexplicably gave George W. Bush another four years in the White House. Only a handful of interesting gubernatorial races around the country--specifically in New Jersey and Virginia--are worth the national eye, but many communities held local elections.

Here in Ward 6 of Somerville, MA, a fascinating Alderman race reached its climax today. Twenty-seven year old Rebekah Gewirtz challenged Jack Connolly, who has served as Ward 6's Alderman for 22 years. The campaign was eye-catching because of its symbolic old Somerville vs. new Somerville dynamic.

For many years, Somerville garnered the same amount of respect as, say, South Amboy does in New Jersey. With its poor, working-class base, Somerville was snobbishly called "Slummerville." Somerville's make-up, especially in the Davis Square area in which I live, began to change about ten years ago. With the booming economy of the mid to late 90s, yuppies infiltrated Somerville. In 1997, Utne Reader named Davis Square one of "the hippest places to live" in this country.

On many levels, the Rebekah Gewirtz-Jack Connolly showdown represents the changing nature of this city. Look at the names--a very Jewish one and a very Irish one. Look at Gewirtz's website and look at Connolly's. Listen to their accents.

For Gewirtz to win, she depended on voters like me--young, professional...okay, yuppies (I hate admitting I'm a yuppie). I must say I was immediately attracted to her candidacy. For the first time, I could understand the mindset of the southern voter who only votes for southern candidates for president. Like the southerner who feels he can relate to the Bushes and Clintons of the world, I felt like I could relate to Gewirtz, who like me is young and Jewish.

But I didn't want to fall into that trap. I rarely follow local happenings, so I read the local newspapers, talked to a couple people, and learned that Connolly has done a good job. While some of his decisions may be open for criticism, it doesn't sound as though he deserves to lose his job. So I voted for Connolly.

Update: In a big upset, Gewirtz defeated Connolly.

Honoring a brilliant comic strip

2005-11-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

Back in my tumultuous middle school years, I was a relentless promotor of the brilliant Calvin and Hobbes. My friends at the time lacked my emotional maturity, and as a result, gave me a hard time. They thought it was weird that a stuffed tiger could talk. I'm sure they look back at that time and realize just how right I was, just as I'm sure they now realize I was correct about the unprecedented awfulness of Vanilla Ice.

A three volume hardcover anthology of every Calvin and Hobbes strip was recently released. This would look really nice on my bookcase. Too bad it costs nearly $100.

Today, Slate published a slide-show essay explaining the appeal and timelessness of Calvin and Hobbes. It's worth a gander.

Score one for the separation of powers

2005-11-02T21:20:00.000-05:00

As an unabashed liberal, last Friday's indictment pleases me on many levels, most of them admittedly vitriolic and unconstructive. But it did manage to satisfy me in a positive manner, as well.

I find it extremely comforting that one branch of the government has indicted a man from another branch of the government. It proves that despite all this country's problems, the system is still fundamentally sound.

Does David Brooks think I'm stupid?

2005-10-27T21:28:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, David Brooks wrote a column for the New York Times (I'd link, but it's stuck behind TimesSelect's walls) in which he argues that conservative criticism of George W. Bush, while understandable, is archaic and self-destructive. Bush, Brooks says, has "modernized and saved" conservatism, because classic small-government conservatism is unpopular with voters.

With the electorate preferring "Democratic ideas on issue after issue by 20-point margins," Bush

rejected the prejudice that the private sector is good and the public sector is bad, and he tried to use government to encourage responsible citizenship and community service. He sought to mobilize government so the children of prisoners can build their lives, so parents can get data to measure their school's performance, so millions of AIDS victims in Africa can live another day, so people around the world can dream of freedom.

"Government should help people improve their lives, not run their lives," Bush said. This is not the Government-Is-the-Problem philosophy of a governing majority party in a country where people look to government to play a positive but not overbearing role in their lives.

Brooks seems to think that Bush's brand of conservatism is good for the people. That notion offends me. Bush is saddling us with a massive deficit which must be paid back at some point. And who's going to have to help pay it? You and me. That's certainly not good for me, nor is it good for you.

Brooks never even makes a passing reference to the deficit. In his world, you can have it all--low taxes and government programs. And I guess I'm not supposed to question that.

I needed that

2005-10-25T22:35:00.000-04:00

At its best, live rock 'n roll possesses a healing power that the best medicine can never hope to attain. With the proper blend of melody, notes, rhythm, and most importantly, attitude and energy, a rock show has the power to cleanse the soul and mend the spirit.

Few bands have a clue how to reach those lofty levels. But one band that does masterfully impress and excite its fans with unrelenting energy is Marah. I saw them perform at T.T. The Bear's in Cambridge on Sunday, and they were, as expected, incredible.

I took some pictures, and while they can't possibly capture the show's vibe, they're still worth seeing.

Lead singer Dave Bielanko

Serge Bielanko wailing away on the harmonica

Dave and Serge share a mic.

Serge takes over lead-singing duties.

Understanding that rock 'n roll is about rebellion, Dave violates Cambridge's smoking ban.

Make yourself at home

2005-10-17T19:05:00.000-04:00

My weekend was thoroughly miserable. However, my good friend, Dip (aka Jason), had a much better time than I did.

Dip offers strong opinions, making him a worthwhile person. Please allow me to present to you his guest entry, with my comments in parentheses:

College Football
On Saturday I watched college football from noon until the end of the 3:30 games almost non-stop (with a little laundry and doing the dishes mixed in) for the first time in what seems like years. Normally it just isn't worth it anymore; being married and owning a house usually keeps me plenty happy to pick one game and watch it. It just so happened that this Saturday Val had a work seminar and there were enough interesting matchups to keep my attention.

I decided to head out to The Blue Monkey (I'd give a link, but their site is garbage) with the hope that Glen (Someday, you should tell us about Glen's 80's hair. He looks a little like Steve Perry. --ed.) would be able to meet me there. I got there around 12:30 and although they have probably over 50 TV's, the Rutgers game was nowhere to be seen. (This is very aggravating to me as RU is the closest BCS school to the area...64 miles from bar to Rutgers Stadium, 181 miles from bar to State College, PA, but that's a rant that I could go on about for hours) (Are you suggesting that the poor residents of the Lehigh Valley should subject themselves to the football equivalent of The Chevy Chase Show?--ed.)

They were nice enough to put it on and I was able to watch RU beat up on Syracuse. As that game was ending the Minnesota/Wisconsin game came to a great ending (so long as you're not a Minnesota fan) and the PSU and ND fans started to pack the bar. Since Glen wasn't able to make it, and I'm not into drinking 35 beers in a day anymore (I remember those days. Good times.--ed.), I decided to get out and watch the late afternoon games at home.

Everyone that watched or heard about the PSU/Michigan & USC/ND matchups already knows how exciting those games turned out to be. It doesn't get much better than watching Rutgers beat up on Syracuse and then watching Joe Pa's team crumble at the end of a game and lose on the last play (Dude, you gotta get out more.--ed.). It's a good thing I wasn't still at the bar or I could have ended up getting the crap kicked out of me by the Penn St. fans.

Rutgers
It's that time of year again, when Rutgers' fans fool themselves into getting excited about whichever of the major sports teams (football) seems to have a good chance at a productive season (bowl game). At 4-2, 3-2 for bowl purposes, the team is 3 wins away from bowl eligibility. You'd have to think that after not making it to a bowl in almost 30 years, if they get to 6 D-1 wins, they're in.

The problem is, we've seen this before. Just last year they started the season strong only to lose 5 straight games to end the year. Does RU have a shot to make a bowl this year...sure, will they do it....OF COURSE NOT! This is fair warning to all inexperienced or overly-optimistic Rutgers fans: Don't get excited; you'll only end up really depressed in the end. Hey, there's always basketball season. (As if the basketball season won't be disappointing? I'd say their 14-year drought from the NCAA tournament is almost as pathetic as the football team's bowl drought. As Jeff Goldman would point out, even St. Bonaventure has made the tournament during that span.--ed.)

Golf (No one cares about golf. :-) --ed.)
There were 2 disqualifications (that I know about) this weekend in professional golf tournaments. One was very high profile and one I can't even find an article about. Michelle Wie was DQ'd from her first professional tournament for dropping a ball about a foot closer to the hole than her ball was in its unplayable lie (actually the DQ was for signing an incorrect scorecard, but it was because of the drop) and Kevin Stadler was DQ'd because his pitching wedge (which he had not used) had a bent shaft. I have problems with both of these, but for different reasons.

Wie was disqualified after a reporter told the tournament directors that he thought her drop was illegal. I also remember hearing about a couple instances last year where spectators or TV viewers contacted the tournaments to report similar issues. This type of thing just seems ridiculous to me. Who is a reporter or spectator to be able to cause a penalty to a professional athlete? Is there another sport in which a non-participant can call a penalty on a player? Her drop was illegal, and she should have been penalized 2 strokes...if she, her caddy, another player or caddy, a rules official, or a tournament director noticed it when it happened. That way she could have been notified of the situation to decide if she wanted to sign her scorecard--with or without the penalty--and go from there.

It is my understanding that Stadler did not even use the club that caused the problem (if someone thinks I'm wrong about this let me know). When he took it out of his bag he saw that it was bent and called over a rules official. The official knew what the rule was and made several calls to see if there was any way he could get out of having to DQ Stadler. That in itself is enough to realize how stupid the rule is. You're allowed 14 clubs, if one is illegal and you don't use it, it just means you have one less club to use. Every year they seem to get rid of some stupid rules like this (like not being able to use your hat to clean stuff off the green) and more just keep coming up. The game is hard enough as it is.

--Jason

Sun King

2005-10-16T18:06:00.000-04:00

I never thought I'd be so excited to see my shadow.

Shut up

2005-10-10T22:16:00.000-04:00

Why must Fox pollute the airwaves with the wretched commentary of the worthless Tim McCarver?

Update: I just discovered this website.

It ain't over...blah blah blah

2005-10-06T13:10:00.000-04:00

The Red Sox find themselves down, 2-0, to the Chicago White Sox in the best-of-five American League Division Series. This means Boston will have to win three consecutive games to advance to the American League Championship Series. Two years ago, the Sox did just that in the ALDS against the A's. And who can forget Boston's resurrection after falling behind, 3-0, to the Yankees in last year's ALCS?

So I want to say anything's possible, but this year feels different. First of all, the Red Sox simply don't have the pitching. Two years ago, they had Pedro. Last year, they had Pedro and Curt Schilling. While Schilling is still on Boston's roster, he's not the same pitcher he was a year ago. And this team just doesn't feel as...magical. Don't ask me why. It's just a gut feeling.

I hope I'm wrong, of course. If I'm not, I'll simply pop in the DVD commemorating last year's championship run. That will surely make me feel better.

L'Shanah Tovah!

2005-10-04T21:56:00.000-04:00

The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah just ended. One of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah celebrates the new year. I spent 1 Tishri, 5766, with my family and made the annual trip to my parents' synagogue, Adath Emanuel, in Mt. Laurel, NJ. The Rabbi's sermons were fairly enjoyable and included the following two jokes:

Two Texans are sitting on a plane from Dallas and an old Jewish Texan is sitting between them.

The first Texan says, “My name is Roger. I own 250,000 acres. I have 1,000 head of cattle and they call my place The Jolly Roger.”

The second Texan says, “My name is John. I own 350,000 acres. I have 5,000 head of cattle and they call my place Big John’s.”

They both look down at the Jewish man who says, “My name is Irving and I own only 300 acres.”

Roger looks down at him and says, “Three hundred acres? What do you raise?”

“Nothing” Irving says.

“Well then, what do you call it?” asked John.

“Downtown Dallas.”

...........................

President Bush calls in the head of the CIA and asks, "How come the Jews know everything before we do?"

The CIA chief says, "The Jews have this expression - Vus tutzuch? - which in Yiddish means, 'What's happening?' They just ask each other and they know everything."

The President can't believe their network is that good and decides to personally go undercover to determine if this is true. He gets dressed up as an Orthodox Jew (black hat, long grayish beard), is secretly flown in an unmarked plane to New York, picked up in an unmarked car and dropped off in Brooklyn's most Jewish neighborhood.

Within three minutes a little old man comes shuffling along. The President stops him and whispers, "Vus tutzuch?"

The old guy whispers back ....

"Bush is in Brooklyn."

"L'Shanah Tovah!" by the way, essentially means "Happy New Year!" in hebrew.

A dilemma

2005-10-02T21:40:00.000-04:00

My parents forgot to send me a birthday card and feel bad about it, so they have offered to spend much more on a birthday present than they had originally intended. Initially, they were going to buy me a $50 iPod remote control. Instead, they are going to contribute $200 toward the purchase of a digital camera.

I have found the camera I want: the HP 5.1 MP Photosmart R707v Digital Camera

This camera generally costs $250, meaning I'd have to spend some of my own money to get it. But, at Walmart, it costs about $190. That's my dilemma. If I were to have my parents purchase it from Walmart, I wouldn't have to pay anything out of my pocket. But I'd be associating with a company whose awful labor practices are well-documented.

What to do, what to do?

(Please, no comments about the possible frivolousness of this purchase.)

Observations from the laundromat

2005-10-01T11:21:00.000-04:00

I was just at the laundromat, where the television was tuned to Fox News Channel. I couldn't hear what the pundits were discussing, but at the bottom of the screen I saw the following two headlines:

The Global Warming Myth?

Global Warming: A Big Lie?

They're dangerous, I tell you.

On this date...

2005-09-23T09:07:00.000-04:00

In 1949, Bruce Springsteen was born in Freehold, NJ.

Oh, and in 1976, I was born in Willingboro, NJ.

Bush league

2005-09-22T21:47:00.000-04:00

Today, in Salon.com's War Room blog, I read the following:

Is Bush back on the bottle?

Remember the bulge? Say hello to the binge.

Just about a year ago, we all poured our assumptions and fears about George W. Bush into a small lump of something or other that sat under his suit coat when he debated John Kerry. Was the bulge a portable defibrillator to save Bush from troubles with his heart? A listening device that had him connected to Karl Rove? After the election was over, the Secret Service leaked word that the bulge was actually a bulletproof vest, but White House Chief of Staff Andy Card specifically denied that possibility when we asked him about it at the time.

The truth is, we don't know what the bulge was, and it's possible that we never will. Which gets us right back to the binge. The National Enquirer is reporting that the president's troubles have literally driven him to drink. "Faced with the biggest crisis of his political life, President Bush has hit the bottle again," the Enquirer says.

As you might expect, the sourcing for the story is a little vague. In an odd sort of grammatical construction, the Enquirer says that "family sources have told" -- to whom, it doesn't say -- that the president was "caught by First Lady Laura downing a shot of booze" in Crawford, Texas, when "he learned of the hurricane disaster." "One insider" says that Bush "apparently" reached for a "Texas-sized shot of straight whiskey" when water flooded into New Orleans. Another "Washington source" says: "The sad fact is that he has been sneaking drinks for weeks now. Laura may have only just caught him -- but the word is his drinking has been going on for a while in the capital. He's been in a pressure cooker for months."

What does it all mean? Who knows? The National Enquirer ain't exactly the New York Times, but it isn't the Weekly World News, either. As Slate's Jack Shafer wrote last year in a piece titled "I Believe the National Enquirer," the tabloid usually gets its facts straight, even if it teases them into the most sensational story possible. But even Shafer warned against reading too much into Enquirer stories built around anonymous quotes, as this one is.

There's only one named source in the Enquirer piece, and it's Justin Frank, the Washington psychiatrist who wrote "Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President." The Enquirer quotes Frank as saying, "I do think Bush is drinking again." But Frank has no firsthand knowledge of the matter, only supposition based on his own long-distance diagnosis and the same news the rest of us have seen. His conclusions lend a kind of "it makes sense to me" plausibility to the Bush-on-the-bottle story, but they're nothing that you could call proof. "Alcoholics who are not in any program, like the president, have a hard time when stress gets to be great," Frank says. "I think it's a concern that Bush disappears during times of stress. He spends so much time on his ranch [sic]. It's very frightening."

-- Tim Grieve

In response, I just sent this letter to Salon:

To the Editor:

Until the launch of your War Room blog during the 2004 Presidential campaign, I thought I knew what to expect from Salon: a decidedly liberal publication that nonetheless offers excellent reporting with uncompromising journalistic standards.

While Salon has, for the most part, continued to satisfy my expectations, there have been some exceptions, especially in War Room. Your recent speculative entry about George Bush's drinking habits was the most egregious violation of these standards.

How could a supposedly professional outfit like Salon print something that doesn't come remotely close to passing journalistic muster? While intriguing, the suggestion that George Bush is drinking again is an extremely serious charge. If you're going to print something so shocking, you better be damn sure it's true. Sure, Tim Grieve attempted to cover his tracks by telling us that the National Enquirer may not be trustworthy. (Who knew?!?!) And he says that the information may not be true. But it doesn't matter how many caveats you use; the bottom line is that you put it out there.

It's the sort of piece that I expect to see in an average liberal blog. But because War Room appears in a publication that claims to pride itself on its journalistic integrity, it had no business being published.

If I see anything like that in Salon again, I will have no choice but to cancel my subscription.

Sincerely,
Dan Eisner

Stop!! Please STOP!!!

2005-09-20T12:50:00.000-04:00

The office building in which I work is located at the corner of Boylston Street and Berkeley Street in Boston. At one time, this building's showcase store was FAO Schwartz. It went out of business over a year ago, and that retail space will soon be occupied by iconic Boston jeweler Shreve, Crump & Low.

This two-story space is literally directly below my third-floor cubicle. As I write this, construction workers are preparing the space for the new tenant. This means that they are incessantly banging with a hammer. They are doing this loudly. And they won't stop. In fact, this has been going on for months. They are making me go crazy.

I believe Shreve, Crump & Low owes me one. I'd like you, my loyal readers, to click here and send them an email, requesting that they give me a piece of jewelry, which I would then pass on to Rachel.

Defending class warfare

2005-09-14T23:04:00.000-04:00

I have class issues. I've never been comfortable with wealthy people and the notion of wealth. I recently told someone that my feelings are a result of my hatred of the relentless pursuit of material wealth--a soulless endeavor which I believe does not cause happiness, despite society's claims. I explained that the lifestyles of the rich and famous first create envy. This is followed by the empty pursuit of wealth. The conclusion of this sad quest is frustration and unhappiness.

But I forgot why, about a decade ago, I came to hate vast wealth in the first place. I'll get to the explanation some other day. At any rate, though, I was reminded two weeks ago.

Like so many other people, I was disgusted to see that the poorest and neediest of New Orleans' residents were left behind to fend for themselves when Hurricane Katrina came ashore. We live in a nation in which some people can afford a $1390 handbag from Prada; we live in a nation in which certain wealthy people feel no qualms spending thousands on shoes; we live in a nation in which many are expected to spend exorbitant amounts of money on weddings. Yet we live in a nation that treats its most vulnerable citizens like sewer rats. This is morally reprehensible. It simply cannot be defended.

Here's one tale of horror:

Denise said she thought she was in hell. they were there for 2 days, with no water, no food. no shelter. Denise, her mother (63 years old), her niece (21 years old), and 2-year-old grandniece. when they arrived, there were already thousands of people there. they were told that buses were coming. police drove by, windows rolled up, thumbs up signs. national guard trucks rolled by, completely empty, soldiers with guns cocked and aimed at them. nobody stopped to drop off water. a helicopter dropped a load of water, but all the bottles exploded on impact due to the height of the helicopter.

the first day (Wednesday) 4 people died next to her. the second day (Thursday) 6 people died next to her. Denise told me the people around her all thought they had been sent there to die. again, nobody stopped. the only buses that came were full; they dropped off more and more people, but nobody was being picked up and taken away. they found out that those being dropped off had been rescued from rooftops and attics; they got off the buses delirious from lack of water and food. completely dehydrated. the crowd tried to keep them all in one area; Denise said the new arrivals had mostly lost their minds. they had gone crazy.

inside the convention center, the place was one huge bathroom. in order to shit, you had to stand in other people's shit. the floors were black and slick with shit. most people stayed outside because the smell was so bad. but outside wasn't much better: between the heat, the humidity, the lack of water, the old and very young dying from dehydration... and there was no place to lay down, not even room on the sidewalk. they slept outside Wednesday night, under an overpass.

Denise said yes, there were young men with guns there. but they organized the crowd. they went to Canal Street and "looted," and brought back food and water for the old people and the babies, because nobody had eaten in days. when the police rolled down windows and yelled out "the buses are coming," the young men with guns organized the crowd in order: old people in front, women and children next, men in the back. just so that when the buses came, there would be priorities of who got out first.

Denise said the fights she saw between the young men with guns were fist fights. she saw them put their guns down and fight rather than shoot up the crowd. but she said that there were a handful of people shot in the convention center; their bodies were left inside, along with other dead babies and old people.

Denise said the people thought there were being sent there to die. lots of people being dropped off, nobody being picked up. cops passing by, speeding off. national guard rolling by with guns aimed at them. and yes, a few men shot at the police, because at a certain point all the people thought the cops were coming to hurt them, to kill them all. she saw a young man who had stolen a car speed past, cops in pursuit; he crashed the car, got out and ran, and the cops shot him in the back. in front of the whole crowd. she saw many groups of people decide that they were going to walk across the bridge to the west bank, and those same groups would return, saying that they were met at the top of the bridge by armed police ordering them to turn around, that they weren't allowed to leave.

The amount of money Americans have donated in the wake of the hurricane to organizations such as the Red Cross is staggering. Their commendable generosity will undoubtedly help the victims of Katrina. However, these people have been victimized by society for years and nothing has been done. Think about it: While New Orleans's destitute were suffering, a wealthy American was probably shopping for a $55,000 Hummer. This person was able to frivolously waste money on a vehicle that will waste a colossal amount of fuel while poor New Orleans residents without cars were stuck in a soon-to-be war zone. How can this be? How can we treat them so callously?

Consider the following graph:

Source: Arthur B. Kennickell, "A Rolling Tide: Changes in the Distribution of Wealth in the U.S., 1989-2001"

This massive concentration of wealth at the very top fuels much of our economy. Because they are the captains of the economic ship, the wealthy are treated best. If we don't treat them exceptionally, they argue that they will become disenchanted and our economy will suffer. They are given absurd tax cuts and their corporations benefit from legislation that harms the general welfare of this nation. Therefore, the barons of industry are living the high life while many are struggling. So what if the bottom 50% struggles? They own less than three percent of the wealth, making their economic impact miniscule.

Of course, the captains still need passengers on their ship. These are the people who drive the consumer economy. Consider the following graphs:

Source: Washington Post

The people in the top fifth and, to a lesser extent, the fourth fifth, have always occupied more seats on the boat. As the wages of the top fifth continue to dramatically rise, these people become increasingly valuable in the eyes of the marketplace. Meanwhile, as the bottom fifth's wages become proportionally smaller, they are worth less in the eyes of the marketplace. Because America worships at the altar of the marketplace, the poor, therefore, are considered worthless people.

Allow me to use a different metaphor. The economic train will continue to run as long as enough people have an increasing supply of disposable income to fuel the train. The conductor doesn't care if the bottom fifth has no gas. He's getting plenty of fuel from the top two-fifths.

This information is no big secret. It's just that no one is paying attention. In fact, shortly before Katrina hit, while many Americans were still following the story of some inconsequential teenager in Aruba, the Wall Street Journal reported the following:

Although the U.S. economy grew robustly last year, the income of the median household slipped a bit, wages of full-time workers fell, the number of Americans living below the poverty line rose and more Americans went without health insurance, the Census Bureau said.

I know you must be thinking that I'm some kind of communist, advocating for an equal distribution of wealth. I'm not. I'm a fan of capitalism, and I believe a capitalistic system will inevitably cause wealth inequality. However, a civilized society must keep that under control. I don't know what the answer is, although I can tell you that abolishing the estate tax is not the answer.

Today on NPR, a fellow from the Brookings Institution offered a suggestion. It may be a start.

Update: I wanted to include this quote from Franklin Roosevelt, but forgot:

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough for those who have little.

The grope-inator

2005-09-12T09:05:00.000-04:00

I am still working on my diatribe. In the meantime, here's a funny cartoon.

A joke

2005-09-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

A driver is stuck in a traffic jam on the highway. Nothing is moving. Suddenly a man knocks on the window. The driver rolls down his window and asks, "What happened??

"Terrorists kidnapped President Bush and are asking for a $10 million ransom. Otherwise, they are going to douse him with gasoline and set him on fire. We are going from car to car to take up a collection."

The driver asks, "How much is everyone giving on average?"

"About a gallon."

Exciting is hardly the word I would use

2005-09-04T22:24:00.000-04:00

I just learned that a new Marah album will be released October 18. On October 23, I'll see them at T.T. The Bear's Place in Cambridge. This makes me happy.

Happy anniversary

2005-09-04T20:47:00.000-04:00

One year ago, I purchased my iPod, and one year later, the love affair continues. Sure, it's not as pretty as it once was; it's dirty and scratched and its silver back does not glow like it did the day I purchased it. But it doesn't matter to me. It is undoubtedly my most prized material possession--one that I cannot live without.

Better iPods have been released in the past year, and they will continue to improve, but my feelings about my iPod will not waver any time soon; I plan to own it for at least four more years.

Uplifting

2005-09-01T22:17:00.000-04:00

This makes me feel good.

Regrets

2005-09-01T20:15:00.000-04:00

The combination of this blog's name and my previous post about Katrina has led to an upsurge in page views on my blog. I'm afraid that many people have read that entry. Before posting something so glib, I should have considered the possibility that Katrina would be so devastating. I apologize.

This blog, also called "Eye of the Storm," is much better than mine. I hope many people have stumbled across it.

Islam, Iraq, and terrorism

2005-08-28T22:43:00.000-04:00

Last week, a Washington, DC radio station fired conservative talk show host Michael Graham after he called Islam "a terrorist organization."

It's unfortunate that he was fired because I'd love to hear his thoughts on the draft of the Iraqi Constitution. From Chapter 1, Article 2:

Islam is the official religion of the state and is a basic source of
legislation.

No law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam.

If the constitution is ratified, Iraq will be an Islamic country. And according to Graham, Islam is a terrorist organization. Therefore, if we were to follow Graham's line of thinking, Iraq will be a terrorist country.

I'd love to know what he would have to say about the idea that the Bush administration has helped create a terrorist country. But, alas, he's out of a job.

Office code

2005-08-26T12:51:00.000-04:00

I have just returned from our office cafeteria, where I heard the following exchange:

Sandwich maker: How are you?

Customer: It's Friday.

Anyone who has worked in an office setting has heard this refrain countless times. From elevators and cubicles to water coolers and subways, the comment "It's Friday" is as common as the faulty printer.

Just once, when someone is asked, "How are you?" I'd like that person to respond with, "It's Friday. This means that the misery-laden chasm of despair also known as my life is so utterly hopeless that I live for two days. However, when you think about it, Sunday is spent thinking about work. So, I really only live for one day, or 14 percent of the week. Now you're probably just as suicidal as I am."

I could be a cheesy television personality

2005-08-25T17:02:00.000-04:00

Somewhere in Florida, an anchorman must be opening a newscast with:

Floridians are not walking on sunshine this evening as Katrina and the waves bear down on the southeast coast of the state.

Telling it like it is

2005-08-23T15:02:00.000-04:00

In a piece on The New Republic Online today, Spencer Ackerman wrote:

In a speech to a Utah audience, President Bush again lied to the American people yesterday about Iraq's precarious political situation, dishonestly stating, "All of Iraq's main ethic and religious groups are working together on this vital project."

Where to begin?

2005-08-19T12:30:00.000-04:00

Normally, when I read an article that I want to mention, I have little difficulty finding a notable excerpt or two that is more powerful than the remainder of the piece. This is not the case with last Sunday's Washington Post story, "U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq." This report is oozing with eye-popping facts about the dismal situation over there. I encourage you all to read it, even those of you who disdain politics. However, I realize that some of my readers might not click that link, so here is my best shot at providing some of the more pertinent passages:

But the realities of daily life are a constant reminder of how the initial U.S. ambitions have not been fulfilled in ways that Americans and Iraqis once anticipated. Many of Baghdad's 6 million people go without electricity for days in 120-degree heat. Parents fearful of kidnapping are keeping children indoors.

Barbers post signs saying they do not shave men, after months of barbers being killed by religious extremists. Ethnic or religious-based militias police the northern and southern portions of Iraq. Analysts estimate that in the whole of Iraq, unemployment is 50 percent to 65 percent.

...

The ferocious debate over a new constitution has particularly driven home the gap between the original U.S. goals and the realities after almost 28 months. The U.S. decision to invade Iraq was justified in part by the goal of establishing a secular and modern Iraq that honors human rights and unites disparate ethnic and religious communities.

...

"We set out to establish a democracy, but we're slowly realizing we will have some form of Islamic republic," said another U.S. official familiar with policymaking from the beginning, who like some others interviewed would speak candidly only on the condition of anonymity.
...

On security, the administration originally expected the U.S.-led coalition to be welcomed with rice and rosewater, traditional Arab greetings, with only a limited reaction from loyalists of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. The surprising scope of the insurgency and influx of foreign fighters has forced Washington to repeatedly lower expectations -- about the time-frame for quelling the insurgency and creating an effective and cohesive Iraqi force capable of stepping in, U.S. officials said.

Killings of members of the Iraqi security force have tripled since January. Iraq's ministry of health estimates that bombings and other attacks have killed 4,000 civilians in Baghdad since Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari's interim government took office April 28.

Welcome

2005-08-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

I present to you one of the 100,000 new blogs that was created today: squawking VFR, by my good friend, Pete. I hope his comment that he may never update it is an idle one, as his blog offers the possibility of being highly entertaining. His first entry, about the disgraceful "Today" show on NBC, certainly is.

What are the odds?

2005-08-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

WEEI, which broadcasts Red Sox games on the radio, runs a contest during every game called the "Chevy Equinox Grand Slam Inning." The rules state that if the fourth batter in the Red Sox half of the fourth inning hits a grand slam, the contestant will win a brand new Chevy Equinox. So, if the fifth batter hits a grand slam, no dice.

I'm dying to know what the odds are of winning this contest. I know for a fact that several math geniuses read my blog. Perhaps one of you can provide an answer.

An afternoon of jazz

2005-08-15T13:25:00.000-04:00

I attended the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island yesterday. It isn't very often that I get to hear live jazz, so I had a very enjoyable time, and thanks to Rachel, who won free tickets from boston.com, it didn't cost me anything.

Here are three major observations from the afternoon:

Dave Brubeck is old. I mean, very old--84 years old, to be exact. And he wasn't exactly a spring chicken when "Take Five" was a big hit in 1960.

Despite New Englanders' reputation for being unfriendly, they are sometimes surprisingly capable of engaging in random acts of kindness. While Rachel and I were waiting in line for The Falafel Man to feed us, we were discussing the fact that the fried nature of falafel makes it the perfect vegetarian dish for me. The man behind us struck up a conversation about fried snickers and other fried foods. After we all received our orders, we parted ways.

Several hours later, the friendly gentleman went out of his way to track us down and saw that we were sitting far from the stage. He gave us both his tickets. We soon found ourselves sitting center-stage, four rows back.

He had given Rachel his business card, and we learned that he teaches at MIT. It turns out that he's a pretty accomplished guy. It's satisfying to know that a brilliant and ambitious person can also be down-to-earth and giving.

There were too many white people there. I was a bit upset to find less than five percent of the audience was comprised of black people. Why doesn't this form of music, which was created by black people, attract them any more? This interview provides some answers.

Franks and beans

2005-08-11T20:39:00.000-04:00

What were the designers of the Florida license plate thinking?

Who says baseball is boring?

2005-08-10T12:54:00.000-04:00

While I would rather have not spent 4 1/2 hours at Fenway Park, last night's contest against the Texas Rangers was quite the exciting affair, if I do say so myself.

And I have to thank my friend Cathy for dumping her boyfriend, an action that led her to inviting me to the game, instead.

Take me out to the ballgame

2005-08-09T12:49:00.000-04:00

One of my friends is doing just that tonight--she's taking me to the Red Sox game at Fenway Park. It'll be my first Sox game since April. I would have loved to have gone to more games this season, but so many pseudo-fans have jumped on the bandwagon that it's nearly impossible to get tickets. This is why I believe every potential ticket buyer must answer the following three questions about the Red Sox in order to qualify for a ticket.

1. Before their appearance in last year's World Series, in which previous two World Series did the Red Sox play?

2. Which Red Sox legend was the last Major League Baseball player to bat over .400?

3. Who was the dipshit of a manager who left Pedro Martinez in the game too long against the Yankees in the seventh game of the 2003 ALCS?

Greetings from Columbia, MD

2005-08-05T14:19:00.000-04:00

Today's edition of Eye of the Storm comes from scenic Columbia, MD, in the heart of the DC/Baltimore suburbs. Those of you who know me are aware of my utter disdain for suburban planning. Very few things are as alienating as a field of concrete, an evironment that blesses us at Columbia Crossing.

However, I must admit there is some merit to a lifestyle that encourages people to drive everywhere. Some of you might also know that I don't handle heat very well. To get around in the city, walking is required. After about 20 minutes of this, I feel like I need a shower. But in Columbia, I'm able to exit an air-conditioned environment, walk 30 seconds in the stifling heat, get into an air-conditioned car, drive to a parking lot, walk 30 seconds in the stifling heat, and enter another air-conditioned environment.

So whenver any of you hear me criticizing the 'burbs again, just remind me of this.

Not the American way

2005-08-03T13:55:00.000-04:00

How's this for non-sappiness? The following comes from a piece in today's Washington Post:

Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush was being stubborn with his American captors, and a series of intense beatings and creative interrogation tactics were not enough to break his will. On the morning of Nov. 26, 2003, a U.S. Army interrogator and a military guard grabbed a green sleeping bag, stuffed Mowhoush inside, wrapped him in an electrical cord, laid him on the floor and began to go to work. Again.

It was inside the sleeping bag that the 56-year-old detainee took his last breath through broken ribs, lying on the floor beneath a U.S. soldier in Interrogation Room 6 in the western Iraqi desert. Two days before, a secret CIA-sponsored group of Iraqi paramilitaries, working with Army interrogators, had beaten Mowhoush nearly senseless, using fists, a club and a rubber hose, according to classified documents.

This Huey Lewis believes

2005-08-01T13:10:00.000-04:00

Each Monday, NPR airs a new entry in its series called This I Believe. Today's addition is an excellent piece about the power of love.

Shockingly wrong

2005-07-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

Usually I'm right about most things. At least that's what I try to convince myself. However, I'm sometimes wrong.

And then there are times when I am so incredibly wrong, so amazingly off base, so egregiously mistaken, that I consider taking a vow of silence.

For those of you who haven't been following the news from the world of sports, Boston Red Sox leftfielder Manny Ramirez has been acting like a big baby recently. Here's the rundown:

He's asked to be traded because of a lack of privacy, despite allowing the Boston Globe Magazine to photograph his child's bedroom.

During a recent game, he went into the Green Monster to go to the bathroom while pitching coach Dave Wallace visited the mound. Ramirez barely made it back onto the field in time for the next pitch.

In a game against the Devil Rays on Tuesday, he failed to run out a groundball, potentially jeopardizing a Sox rally.

On Wednesday, he refused to play. During the weekend, he asked manager Terry Francona for a day off. Francona told him that it would make more sense if he sat on Wednesday, and Ramirez agreed. However, on Tuesday, rightfielder Trot Nixon injured himself, leaving the Sox short an outfielder. After the game, Francona asked Ramirez to reconsider his desire to take the next day off. Ramirez said he still needed the rest. It's important to note that during Tuesday's game, Sox pitcher Matt Clement was struck in the head by a line drive that left him motionless on the field for about 10 minutes.

On July 6, this email exchange took place between me and a friend:

Me: Manny is only three grand slams away from tying Lou Gehrig for the most in history.

Friend: He's a jerk.

Me: Based on what qualifications?

Friend: Based on his hanging out with enrique wilson after he didn't play in a game.

Me: Manny doesn't do that kind of stuff anymore. He's a changed man. Seriously. Ever since the Sox tried to literally give him away, he's matured. It really opened his eyes.

The joy of debunking

2005-07-25T20:39:00.000-04:00

I love when people forward me unsolicited emails that are brimming with misinformation. Seriously. I'm not being sarcastic.

Once upon a time—like yesterday—I hated them. It infuriated me to know that people's minds are being polluted with lies. Because the vast majority of these emails are sent in an attempt to influence (or reinforce) one's political beliefs, I was angered by the knowledge that people were possibly making ignorant political assumptions!

Today, a friend forwarded me this one about Social Security:

This may make you ill, so read with care!
We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.--Winston Churchill
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
1.) That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary,
2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the Program,
3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year,
4.) That the money the participants put into the independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the General operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other Government program, and,
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month -- and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the Federal government to"put away," you may be interested in the following:
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the independent "Trust" fund and put it into the General fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratically-controlled House and Senate.
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democratic Party.
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?
A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the "tie-breaking"deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice Presidentof the U. S.
Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants?
MY FAVORITE:
A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive SSI Social Security payments! The Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!
Then, after doing all this lying and thieving and violation of the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!
And the worst part about it is, uninformed citizens believe it!
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve.
How many people can YOU send this to?
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to first.
Actions speak louder than bumper stickers. Please forward this E-mailto others so that they can be informed of the truth. (italics mine)

I was a bit surprised that he sent it to me. He's an intelligent guy and is skeptical about nearly everything.

It clearly reeked of fabrication. It woke me up in a way that coffee never could. Quickly, I opened up a new browser window and directed it to snopes.com. There was nothing there. Undaunted, I googled the phrase "program would be completely voluntary."

The second result was a myth-debunking page from the Social Security Administration. Perfect! You can read it here.

I was so happy with myself. I had been in a bad mood because of yet another aggravating commute on the T. But this gave me a nice shot of adrenaline. I immediately forwarded the link to my friend, with the comment "I thought you knew better than to trust unsolicited emails of this nature." His response: "I didn't believe it at all. But I knew you would debunk it for me."

I'm glad I'm so predictable. He clearly knows how much I like to prove Republicans wrong. (Although I have also been known to debunk liberal propaganda.)

I was reminded of Randal Graves's comment to a video store customer in Clerks: "I hope it feels so good to be right. There's nothing more exhilarating than pointing out the shortcomings of others, is there?"

At about 3 p.m., I was coming off that high and was in the mood for a break, so I did some more googling and found this link. Once again, I felt great about myself.

So keep those fraudulent emails coming.

Above the law

2005-07-24T13:03:00.000-04:00

In a functioning democracy, loyalty to the rule of law must take precedence over anything else. But in the current administration, loyalty to the President seems to be the ultimate order of the day. So if a judge orders the administration to turn over documents that might make them look bad, they will simply ignore the order.

From yesterday's New York Times:

Lawyers for the Defense Department are refusing to cooperate with a federal udge's order to release secret photographs and videotapes related to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

The lawyers said in a letter sent to the federal court in Manhattan late Thursday that they would file a sealed brief explaining their reasons for not turning over the material, which they were to have released by yesterday.

The photographs were some of thousands turned over by Specialist Joseph M. Darby, the whistle-blower who exposed the abuse at Abu Ghraib by giving investigators computer disks containing photographs and videos of prisoners being abused, sexually humiliated and threatened with growling dogs.

...

In the letter sent Thursday, Sean Lane, an assistant United States attorney, said that the government was withholding the photographs because they "could result in harm to individuals," and that it would outline the reasons in a sealed brief to the court.

And yes, I guess this means I've returned to the blogosphere, or as my brother would call it, the bjournalsphere.

So, there!

2004-12-26T17:55:00.000-05:00

When I was a ninth grader living in the Devonshire development of the South Jersey township of Mt. Laurel, I used to play basketball with a sixth grader named Victor Hobson. Because he bore a resemblance to former Detroit Pistons guard Joe Dumars, we called him "Little Joe Dumars." He was a much better basketball player than me, but considering my lack of athletic ability, this isn't saying much. But at that age, defeating a player three years your senior is significant, so he constantly reminded us of our age difference.

At that age, it was already clear he was an excellent athlete. He was about my size and possessed a strong frame. I used this as the explanation for his superior skills, but in sixth grade, logic carries very little weight.

So what's Victor Hobson up to these days? Click here.

Farewell, Pedro

2004-12-13T20:48:00.000-05:00

It's all but official. Pedro Martinez is leaving the Sox and will sign a 4-year, $50 million contract with the New York Mets. Pedro provided countless memories to millions of Red Sox fans, including me. I will never forget seeing him pitch at Fenway on a May weekend in 2002*. The weather was absolutely miserable--temperatures were in the lows 40s and a cold drizzle persisted through the game.

Despite the frigidity of the air, it took Pedro no time to warm up. In fact, the weather didn't seem to bother him at all, as he struck out the side on nine pitches in the first inning. It was only the 11th time in American League history that that had happened.

UPDATE: This Jayson Stark piece from espn.com explains the gamble that the Mets are taking and nicely chronicles the weekend negotiations between Pedro, the Sox, and the Mets.

*-My original entry incorrectly reported that it was Memorial Day weekend.

“You’re a racist asshole”

2004-12-09T21:55:00.000-05:00

That insult was hurled my way while riding the T today.

"How does a nice, bleeding-heart liberal like you, Dan, become the target of such a nasty accusation?" you ask. I shall tell you.

I was telling my friend, Krista, about my plans yesterday evening to attend the Somerville Board of Aldermen meeting in which they would vote on a resolution to divest from Israel. I explained to her that this proposal, first sponsored by a group called the Somerville Divestment Project, would advise the Somerville Retirement Board to cease investing in companies that are connected to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. One company, for example, is Caterpillar, which makes bulldozers that have destroyed Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Gaza.

I explained to her that such an action would be disgraceful. The proposal, which ignores the complexities of this incredibly complicated issue, would place sole blame for Middle Eastern violence on the shoulders of the Israeli government. I did make it clear that the Israeli government certainly deserves condemnation for many of its actions against the Palestinian people. I specifically singled out the awful wall that has been built along the border between the West Bank and Israel.

But I argued that Israel is fighting for its survival. The Palestinian leadership—NOT the Palestinian people, I made clear—has been extremely vocal in its desire to drive the Jewish people into the Mediterranean Sea.
A man sitting two seats away from me and next to Krista was clearly eavesdropping on the conversation. But he said nothing. A minute before the train arrived at Harvard Square, he stood to prepare to exit. At this moment, he insulted me. Unsure of what he had said, I asked, "What’s that?" and he once again called me a "racist asshole."

When the train reached Harvard and he was leaving, I said, "Have a nice night."

I must say that felt good.

***

That was not the first time I was called a racist.

In December 2001, I was at the Harvard Coop with my girlfriend at the time, Sarah. A special table had been set up, stocked with books devoted to the September 11 attacks. She picked up a picture book, stocked with Associated Press photos presenting reactions from around the globe. One was of Yasser Arafat donating blood. This prompted Sarah to sarcastically say, "That must make him a great guy." We talked about this for a little bit, and a woman who was standing nearby angrily said, "If you two are going to be racist, can you keep it quiet?"

As I entered Somerville City Hall tonight, a woman offered me a sticker that said, "Support Democracy Support Israel." I happily accepted. They offered the same sticker to several women who had entered immediately after me. One said, "I don’t support racism."

The word racism is clearly bandied about with little regard to its meaning. It’s a great rhetorical device, meant to attack its target at an emotional level. Like calling George W. Bush a Nazi or comparing him to Hitler, it’s powerful. It’s also intellectually weak and dangerous.

When words are neglectfully misused in this way, it weakens their true meaning.

***

I entered the meeting hall and the tension in the air was palpable. Supporters and opponents of divestment amassed in very large numbers. Signs were everywhere. One said, "Another Jew for Divestment." Another said, "Anti-Divestment Anti-Terrorism."

I’m happy to report that the Board of Aldermen voted against the divestment resolution.

Another resolution was proposed to essentially ignore any future initiative to divest from Israel. Most of the Aldermen agreed that it was not their place to get involved with this issue. There are too many problems in Somerville to worry about violence in the Middle East. They were elected to address local concerns related to issues such as crime, zoning, and budget problems. We elect our congressmen, senators, and presidents to deal with foreign policy issues.

That resolution passed, which should put Somerville Divestment to rest. But somehow I doubt that.

At any rate, for at least one night, the good guys won.

Happy Chanukah/Chanuka/ Hannukah/Hanukah/Hanuka...

2004-12-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah. I lit the candles about an hour ago. It was a particularly special candle-lighting experience for me, because I am now using the menorah of my Grandmother, who passed away in February.

I thought I'd also use this moment to clear up a common misconception. Most Jewish children do not receive eight presents on Chanukah. And if they do, the gifts pretty much suck until the seventh or eighth night. For example, little Joel Cohenbergstein might receive a pair of socks on the first night, a dreidel on the second night, a pack of batteries on the third night (for the remote control car he'll receive on the eighth night), an ugly, oversized sweater from Aunt Edith ("You'll grow into it") on the fourth night, and so forth. The good gifts don't come until the last two nights.

I recall getting eight gifts only once. From what my mother tells me, I then became a rotten brat. So that was it for eight gifts. As much as I would have loved to have gotten more junk that would later get buried in my closet, I'm probably better off. If I had been spoiled more, I might not have become the anti-consumerism pinko that I am today.

The genius of William Shatner's kitsch

2004-11-29T20:55:00.000-05:00

From time to time, I see something that keeps me laughing for days. Two scenes in Team America: World Police had that affect on me. As did this clip, starring the incomparable William Shatner, who reinterprets Elton John's Rocket Man.

Tiptoe through the cranberries

2004-11-25T23:48:00.000-05:00

I spent my Thanksgiving this year in South Jersey with some friends of my Aunt's--people who were nice enough to allow total strangers into their home. The house was nice, the food excellent, and the company enjoyable. But what made this a truly special Thanksgiving was the homeowner's claim to fame.

So get this: he is the ex-husband of the ex-wife of Tiny Tim, one of the 20th century's truly great novelty acts.

On the front lines

2004-11-21T23:12:00.000-05:00

We often hear about the bravery of our soldiers. Justifiably, the accolades never cease to rain down. But we don't hear enough about the bravery of our war reporters. Like our soldiers, they choose to put themselves on the front lines and risk their lives for a great cause. While our commanders, captains, lieutenants, and privates fight to bring democracy to Iraq, a handful of our journalists are fighting to ensure that truth is not a casualty of war.

In today's New York Times, war correspondent Dexter Filkins provided us with a riveting account of the Battle of Fallujah. An excerpt:

More than once, death crept up and snatched a member of Bravo Company and quietly slipped away. Cpl. Nick Ziolkowski, nicknamed Ski, was a Bravo Company sniper. For hours at a stretch, Corporal Ziolkowski would sit on a rooftop, looking through the scope on his bolt-action M-40 rifle, waiting for guerrillas to step into his sights. The scope was big and wide, and Corporal Ziolkowski often took off his helmet to get a better look.
Tall, good-looking and gregarious, Corporal Ziolkowski was one of Bravo Company's most opular soldiers. Unlike most snipers, who learned to shoot growing up in the countryside, Corporal Ziolkowski grew up near Baltimore, unfamiliar with guns. Though Baltimore boasts no beach front, Corporal Ziolkowski's passion was surfing; at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Bravo Company's base, he would often organize his entire day around the tides.
"All I need now is a beach with some waves," Corporal Ziolkowski said, during a break from his sniper duties at Falluja's Grand Mosque, where he killed three men in a single day.
During that same break, Corporal Ziolkowski foretold his own death. The snipers, he said, were now among the most hunted of American soldiers.
In the first battle for Falluja, in April, American snipers had been especially lethal, Corporal Ziolkowski said, and intelligence officers had warned him that this time, the snipers would be targets.
"They are trying to take us out," Corporal Ziolkowski said.
The bullet knocked Corporal Ziolkowski backward and onto the roof. He had been sitting there on the outskirts of the Shuhada neighborhood, an area controlled by insurgents, peering through his wide scope. He had taken his helmet off to get a better view. The bullet hit him in the head.

At the movies

2004-11-20T00:55:00.000-05:00

I just saw Ray: The Return of Wicket/Willow. The film was quite entertaining, and Jamie Foxx's performance was as strong as has been advertised. But I don't really want to write about the movie.

Before the film began, I took my customary pre-movie trip to the men's room. Some of my female readers might not know this: advertisements are often strategically placed above urinals so that men can be inundated with commercial messages while doing our business.

The display I saw tonight was brilliant on several levels. An advertisment for Immodium A-D, it read:

"Are there more explosions in here than on the screen?"

Alright, alright!

2004-11-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the recent dearth of entries. I seem to be lacking in inspiration these days. But I did learn something today at work, so I shall share it with you.

One of the more famous quotes in American history is Calvin Coolidge's 1925 statement, "The business of America is business." The basic reason behind the widespread knowledge of this quote is quite obvious. It nicely sums up America's economic mission.

It took on greater significance during the Cold War, as Coolidge's feelings could be applied to the difference between the Soviet Union and the United States (communism vs. capitalism). Then, when the big government era began coming to an end under Reagan, the quote was once again appropriate.

But there's a problem with Coolidge's quote. He didn't say it. At least not exactly. Instead, he said, "The chief business of the American people is business."

Lighten up

2004-11-10T18:40:00.000-05:00

Because of the presidential campaign, many of my recent posts have been much too serious. In an attempt to lighten things up around here, I present you this AP story about Rock n' Roll's dumbest drummer, Tommy Lee:

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee said he's finding his experience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to be a lot of work.

In a news conference Sunday, Lee said he loves horticulture, but finds chemistry to be unbelievably hard.
Another shock: Learning he had to wake at 6 a.m. to be at Memorial Stadium for drum practice with school's band.

"This is the total fish-out-of-water experience for me," Lee said. "I didn't have the opportunity to go to college. I was busy touring since the age of 17. So this is completely strange and bizarre, but a lot of fun and a lot of work."

Lee, 42, is attending classes and activities during the filming of an NBC reality show, "Tommy Lee Goes to College." Filming began in early October.

"It's the real deal," Lee said of his studies. "I'm playing catch-up since we jumped in (during) the middle of the semester."

The "Smokin' in the Boys Room" rocker said he really is buckling down.

Executive producer Eddie October has even stored a picture in his cell phone of a sheet of paper he found taped to Lee's door last week. On it is written: "Do Not Disturb. Tommy is Studying (Seriously)."

You go, Arlen!

2004-11-04T21:30:00.000-05:00

The importance of the disappearing moderate wing of the Republican Party cannot be overstated. The few moderates that remain--people like Senators John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins--must work extremely hard to keep their party from falling off the right-wing deep end. It will be difficult, but they must save their party from itself.

Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, who was just reelected on Tuesday, wasted no time in speaking out against the president:

Specter, as presumptive chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary
Committee, suggested that he would block any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court who opposed abortion rights. Reiterating his position that a woman's right to choose is "inviolate," he said overturning Roe v. Wade today would be akin to trying to reverse Brown v. Board of Education, the court's 1954 landmark desegregation decision.

Barring unforeseen GOP objections, Specter, 74, should assume the committee chairmanship in January. He also sent an unsubtle message to the White House that he expects nominees for the federal bench to be of the highest caliber, and took a critical swipe at the stature of the current court.

At a news conference less than 12 hours after winning a record fifth Senate term, Specter wasted no time in asserting himself.

"If you have a race that is won by a percent or two, you have a narrowly divided country, and that's not a traditional mandate," he said. "President Bush will have that very much in mind."

"The number-one item on my agenda is to try to move the party to the center," Specter said. "I want to focus on the politics of inclusion."

I must say Specter's got a lot of balls, because he is sure to get lambasted by the growing Christian wing of the Republican Party.

Emotional swing state

2004-11-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

One week ago, I was flying high. The Red Sox had won the World Series, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Today, of course, I'm devastated.

Last night, as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep, I felt as though I was sprawled out on the canvass of a boxing ring. It was as though I had battled my way through a 15-round bout, only to get knocked out in the last minute of the fight.

I'm glad it's over. And, to echo my brother, I'm glad Bush won definitively. The American people have spoken, and that must be accepted. I may disagree with their choice, I may think they failed to understand the damage that George W. Bush has caused, I may believe their priorities are questionable--but, again, if I love democracy as much as I say I do, I must accept their decision.

It's a beautiful day

2004-11-02T19:07:00.000-05:00

It isn't very often that a line of people sends chills down my spine. But it happened this morning. While approaching the Davis Square T station, I saw a long queue of people patiently waiting for an opportunity to perform their civic duty and vote. It altered my plans--I certainly would have been late for work if I voted this morning as I had originally intended.

It was a beautiful. I have often believed that the citizens of this nation simply do not understand that the right to vote is an incredible priviledge. But if that line this morning and the news reports are any kind of indication, I'm dead wrong. When the stakes are high--when passions are inflamed--people will speak.

I voted about two hours ago, and as always, it felt wonderful. There's nothing quite like saying, "You're my servant."

Stunned disbelief

2004-10-28T02:21:00.000-04:00

The Red Sox won the World Series.

Those are seven words that simply do not belong together. Yet there they are. And it's not a joke.

It's such an amazing feeling. I've been a sports fan for 18 years, and never have I seen one of my teams win a championship. While my friends have seen a plentitude of champions--including one who's seen the Yankees win four times, the Giants win twice, and the Devils win twice--I had never experience that kind of overwhelming joy. Until now. Rarely does reality live up to the expectations. But not in this instance. This is as incredible as I imagined.

UPDATE: Two of my loyal readers have informed me that this post implies that I have been a Red Sox fan since 1986. That was not my intention. I have been a Sox fan for 4 1/2 years.

Bizarro Boston

2004-10-27T13:33:00.000-04:00

The Red Sox have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the World Series.

You read that right. The Red Sox--the team that hasn't won since 1918, the team that is cursed, the team that always finds new ways to lose--are pretty much guaranteed its fifth World Championship.

But, then again, are they? Like I just said, the Red Sox are the Picassos of creating new styles of losing. So if any team is capable of blowing a three-game advantage after coming back from a three-game deficit, it's the Red Sox. That's why I'm really nervous.

Last night, after the last out was recorded, a good friend put it best: "I think I'm gonna throw up."

The Amazin' Sox

2004-10-21T01:23:00.000-04:00

Words cannot possibly do justice to this euphoric feeling. Not only did we win the AL Pennant, not only did we beat the Yankees, but we beat the Yankees after a three game deficit. I can't wait to see the headline on the New York Post tomorrow.

And my dream may still come true.

A crazy man is running the country

2004-10-20T13:00:00.000-04:00

Like most liberals, my perception of Bush has been the following: He's incompetent and below average on the intelligence meter. But I never thought he was all that dangerous--until this week.

First, I read Ron Suskind's piece in the New York Times Magazine, in which Bush faith-based presidency is exposed in shocking detail. Bush supporters are arguing that Suskind has a political axe to grind.

But I don't see how the administration can dismiss this:

Pat Robertson, an ardent Bush supporter, said he had that conversation with the president in Nashville, Tennessee, before the March 2003 invasion. He described Bush in the meeting as "the most self-assured man I've ever met in my life."

"You remember Mark Twain said, 'He looks like a contented Christian with four aces.' I mean he was just sitting there like, 'I'm on top of the world,' " Robertson said on the CNN show, "Paula Zahn Now."

"And I warned him about this war. I had deep misgivings about this war, deep misgivings. And I was trying to say, 'Mr. President, you had better prepare the American people for casualties.' "

Robertson said the president then told him, "Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties."

Robertson, the founder of the Christian Coalition, is the last guy who would spread lies to defame the president's character.

When I read that, a feeling of sickness overcame my body. It is a shock to the system to read that the president of your country is delusional. I should be overjoyed right now. The Red Sox have remarkably forced a game 7 with the Yankees. Yet I can't help but worry for this country.

I understand why a person would not want to support Kerry. But I cannot understand how anybody can vote for George W. Bush.

WOW WOW WOW

2004-10-20T00:27:00.000-04:00

I'm speechless. The Red Sox have somehow managed to come back from an 0-3 deficit to force a decisive game 7 with the Yankees tomorrow night. This is literally unprecedented. No team in the history of baseball had ever done that.

I will be watching the game at a bar in Somerville, MA called the Thirsty Scholar, where I was supposed to watch last year's game 7. But it was full by the time I got there, so I went to a crappy nearby bar called the Kirkland. Needless to say, I will not be returning to that terrible place. To quote Quantum Leap, it's time to "make right what once went wrong."

Go see this movie

2004-10-16T11:05:00.000-04:00

Because last night's Red Sox game was rained out, I saw Team America: World Police. I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard.

Honesty is such a lonely word

2004-10-15T18:41:00.000-04:00

I really thought I had heard, seen, or read it all when it comes to our president. And so I really thought that it wasn't possible to be surprised by the things he says or does. But I was wrong.

At a campaign rally in Oregon on Thursday, he actually said the following:

Once again, last night, with a straight face, the senator said—well, shall we say, refined his answer on his proposed global test. That's the test he would administer before defending America. After trying to say it really wasn't a test at all, last night he once again defended his approach, saying, I think it makes sense. (Laughter.) The senator now says we'd have to pass some international truth standard. The truth is we should never turn America's national security decisions over to international bodies or leaders of other countries. (Applause.)

So let me get this straight. The President of the United States actually believes the truth is unimportant. That regardless of the veracity of the evidence, we should go to war if we want to. He is actually deriding Kerry for demanding that we be held accountable for our actions. I know I shouldn't be shocked, but I am. I'm pretty sure this is the most frightening thing he has ever said.

I've decided to hold a two-part contest. If there are winners, they will get a prize.

Part one: Give me an honest, intellectually-strong defense of this mentality.

Part two: Try to find a more frightening line from our president.

I think this speaks for itself

2004-10-12T19:28:00.000-04:00

Deja vu all over again

2004-10-12T13:47:00.000-04:00

From an e-mail exchange with my friend, Jay, a die-hard Yankees fan:

ME: I don't know if I can deal with Red Sox-Yankees again.

JAY: I know I can't deal with Yanks-Sox again.

I couldn't have said it any better myself

2004-10-07T13:51:00.000-04:00

For those of you who are still undecided--and for those of you who support Bush--I think this entry by blogger Andrew Sullivan is a must-read:

THE UNDERLYING FACT: I have to say I have been enjoying and learning from this campaign in many ways - not least from you, the readers, and from the twists and turns we have seen and will keep seeing. But now and again, it's worth looking at the big picture. The fundamental question in this campaign is the war in Iraq. Was it worth starting? Has it been conducted well? Will it make us safer? My answers to those three questions are, briefly, yes, no, and, it depends. But from a broader perspective, the following facts are simply indisputable. The fundamental rationale for the war - the threat from Saddam's existing stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction - was wrong. Period. In the conduct of the war, it is equally indisputable that the administration simply didn't anticipate the insurgency we now face, and because of that, is struggling to rescue the effort from becoming a dangerous mess. Period. So the question becomes: how can an administration be re-elected after so patently misjudging the two most important aspects of the central issue in front of us? It may end up as simple as that. Maybe, in fact, it should end up as simple as that.

It depends upon what the meaning of the word "most" is

2004-10-06T19:45:00.000-04:00

Unbelievably, Dick Cheney told another lie last night regarding John Edwards's Senate attendance record. Again, here's Cheney's quote:

"Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session."

It turns out that during his tenure as vice president, Cheney--out of a possible 127 Tuesday sessions--has presided over the Senate twice.

Here's the definition of "most" from the American Heritage Dictionary: Being one of a large indefinite number; numerous.

Now let's do some simple math. 2/127=.0157, or 1.57 percent.

I think that hardly qualifies as "most Tuesdays."

Newsflash!

2004-10-06T13:11:00.000-04:00

It turns out that members of the Bush administration actually lie!

During last night's debate, Dick Cheney said to John Edwards, "Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session.

"The first time I ever met you was when you walked on the stage tonight."

Now check this out.

Thanks to my brother for calling that to my attention.

Danny on the M(B)TA

2004-10-04T22:32:00.000-04:00

The e-mail I just sent to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority:

You know what I really love? I love when trains don't break down during rush hour. If they broke down at 2 p.m. that would be kind of okay. But I have some news for you. Are you ready?

8:45 a.m. is a really bad time for the train to break down.

And you know what rules? It rules when the trains run frequently enough in the morning so that the cars aren't packed by the time the train reaches Harvard. It's frickin' amazing. But that never seems to happen anymore. Like this morning, at Davis Square, the platform was packed with people. There used to be a time when you could be guaranteed a seat when boarding the train at Davis Square. What happened? Have you decided to run fewer trains? I think you have. And I don't like it.

But I'll tell you what I do like. I like when green line trains are spaced equally apart. Boy do I hate it when I'm wating at Park Street for, like, ever and there are no trains, and then suddenly they arrive one right after the other. It makes me unhappy.

But the best part is that I really liked it when I paid 85 cents for a ride and got better service than when I spend $1.25.

Bush's testiness

2004-10-04T21:01:00.000-04:00

I think the president's dismal performance in last Thursday's debate can be explained by this quote from Bob Woodward's Bush at War:

“I’m the commander—see, I don’t need to explain—I do not need to explain why I say things. That’s the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don’t feel like I owe anybody an explanation.”

Welcome back

2004-10-04T20:20:00.000-04:00

My favorite columnist, Thomas Friedman, returned to the op-ed page of the New York Times yesterday after spending the last few months writing a book. Friedman, who supported the decision to invade Iraq, bluntly assesses the administration's incompetent handling of the war.

Being president is really, really hard

2004-10-02T10:12:00.000-04:00

This sounded bad during the debate, but it looks even worse in print:

In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's incredibly hard. It's - and it's hard work. I understand how hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV screens how hard it is. But it's necessary work. We're making progress. It is hard work. You know my hardest, the hardest part of the job is to know that I committed the troops in harm's way and then do the best I can to provide comfort for the loves ones who lost a son or a daughter or husband and wife.

This is the best the Democrats can do?!?!

2004-09-29T13:06:00.000-04:00

"Yes, I would have voted for the authority. I believe it was the right authority for a president to have."

--John Kerry, August 9

"We should not have gone into Iraq knowing today what we know. Knowing there was no imminent threat to America, knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction, knowing there was no connection between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein, I would not have voted to support war."

--John Kerry, September 29

What is WRONG with him? Can't he get it through his thick skull that he is seen as a flip-flopper? And that he should stop contradicting himself?

I imagine Kerry would explain this latest gaffe by saying something to the effect of, "I repeat--I would not have voted to support war. But I would have voted for the authority, because the president needed the authority to put pressure on the UN."

Yes, I understand the logic. And in the Senate, I suppose the argument could be made that that kind of thinking is reasonable. But it's not reasonable on the campaign trail. ESPECIALLY when your opponent has successfully branded you as a flip-flopper.

Sheesh.

A prediction

2004-09-28T21:23:00.000-04:00

I just saw New York Times columnist Paul Krugman speak at the Cambridge Forum, a radio program recorded at a Unitarian Universalist church in Harvard Square in Cambridge (our fair city), MA.

He made a prediction, and I like writing predictions down so that they can be revisited. He predicts that if Bush wins, a week after the election--in an effort to finally squash the insurgency--the fighting will reach a whole new level of intensity. It will fail miserably, Krugman says.

You say it's your birthday

2004-09-23T09:13:00.000-04:00

One of the duties in my job is to write multiple choice test questions. Here's a timely one:

The following people were all born on September 23. Who doesn't belong?

A) Bruce Springsteen
B) Ani DiFranco
C) John Coltrane
D) Ray Charles
E) Dan Eisner

Death wish

2004-09-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

Walking through the Public Gardens in Boston yesterday after work, I saw three women trying to feed a couple squirrels. They walked right up to the squirrels, with food in hand. If they had known what I know about squirrels--that they are vicious agents of the devil--I highly doubt these women would have put their lives at risk.

Will wonders never cease?

2004-09-19T01:39:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, Johnny Ramone succumbed to cancer. In 2001, Joey Ramone also died of cancer, and in 2002, Dee Dee overdosed on drugs. So that leaves two surviving members of the Ramones--Tommy and Marky, the drummers.

I'm a believer

2004-09-18T13:46:00.000-04:00

I'm a fairly religious person. I attended Rosh Hashana services on Thursday, and I'll be spending Yom Kippur with my family. I keep a quasi-form of Kosher (I don't eat pork or shellfish, but I do mix meat and milk). I believe in God.

And I think the Bible, while flawed, teaches us many valuable lessons about life.

This is why I can't vote for John Kerry. Apparently, if elected, democrats will ban the bible. I had no idea. All this time, I've vocally suported Kerry; I even voted for him in 2002. But now that I know he is part of a liberal conspiracy to outlaw the bible, I'll have to reconsider my options for November 2.

It's about frickin' time

2004-09-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

Finally, Kerry is hammering Bush on his handling of Iraq.

From a speech Kerry gave to the National Guard in Las Vegas today:

True leadership is about looking people in the eye and telling the truth--even when it's hard to hear. And two days ago, President Bush came before you and you received him well, as you should. But I believe he failed the fundamental test of leadership. He failed to tell you the truth. You deserve better. The Commander in Chief must level with the troops and the nation. And as president, I will always be straight with you--on the good days, and the bad days.

Two days ago, the President stood right where I'm standing and did not even acknowledge that more than 1,000 men and women have lost their lives in Iraq. He did not tell you that with each passing day, we're seeing more chaos, more violence, more indiscriminate killings. He did not tell you that with each passing week, our enemies are getting bolder--that Pentagon officials report that entire regions of Iraq are now in the hands of terrorists and extremists. He did not tell you that with each passing month, stability and security seem farther and farther away.

He did not tell you any of this, even though--as the country learned today in The New York Times--his own intelligence officials have warned him for weeks that the mission in Iraq is in serious trouble. But that is the truth--hard as it is to hear. You deserve a president who will not play politics with national security, who will not ignore his own intelligence, while living in a fantasy world of spin, and who will give the American people the truth about the challenge our brave men and women face on the front lines.

UPDATE: The beauty of this speech lies beyond the criticism of the war. Kerry isn't simply addressing Bush's incompetence; he is also attacking his perceived strength--leadership. It's a page right out of Bush's campaign playbook. Kerry's perceived strength was his Vietnam service, and that's why the Swift Boat Veterans were deployed.

Now Kerry is giving Bush a taste of his own medicine. I imagine this will be a theme through the remainder of the campaign. But the talking points will change. At some point, I wonder if Kerry will say something to the effect of: "True leadership is about seeing a war through to its proper conclusion. The president failed to do that in Afghanistan, where the Taliban and al Qaeda remain a serious threat to America's well-being. A true leader will protect the American people. But as the situation in Iraq continues to spiral out of control, the likelihood of a terrorist attack increases."

Of course, playing the fear card would be another example of Kerry taking a page from Bush's playbook.

Say it ain't so

2004-09-16T16:12:00.000-04:00

I was a big fan of this website, which provides the electoral vote count if the election were held today. A visit to the site informs us that Bush would win, 311-223. That's not too encouraging.

Now imagine my dismay when I saw that the site puts my beloved home state of New Jersey in the "Barely Bush" category. New Jersey? For Bush? The state that Al Gore won by 15 points? By hovering the mouse over New Jersey, I learned that a Survey USA poll was used as its source, giving Bush a 49-45 lead. Sounded pretty dubious to me.

So I visited the website of the highly-regarded Eagleton Institute of Poltics at my alma mater, Rutgers University. For years, the Eagleton Institute has been teaming with the Star-Ledger of Newark to conduct polls, which are usually quite reliable. I don't know for a fact that the Eagleton Institute and Star-Ledger are more credible than Survey USA, but it strikes me as a logical conclusion.

Anyway, the latest Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers poll, conducted immediately after the Republican National Convention, gives Kerry a slim 43-39 lead.

The Survey USA poll was conducted from September 12-14, meaning that the convention bounce would most likely have faded. And Bush still has a four-point lead? Again, seems dubious.

Adding to my incredulity is the fact that, according to ABC News, Bush leads Kerry by just one point in Pennsylvania. In case you didn't know, unlike New Jersey, the Keystone State is actually considered to be a battleground state.

The point of this whole exercise? Take polls with a serious grain of salt.

I still like Ike

2004-09-14T11:21:00.000-04:00

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its stupidity."

--Dwight D. Eisenhower, January 10, 1946

Baseball's mysterious origins

2004-09-12T23:11:00.000-04:00

Bill Pennington, whom I had the fortune of meeting about nine years ago (he seemed like a nice guy), had a piece in today's New York Times--with the obligatory Doris Kearns Goodwin quote--about the origins of America's national past time.

In a nutshell, no one has a clue about where baseball was first played. The Abner Doubleday-Cooperstown connection was debunked years ago, leaving people to believe that the game was born in either Hoboken, NJ or lower Manhattan. But recently, a document was discovered in Pittsfield, MA to suggest that the game was first played there in 1791. However, there is evidence to indicate that the game goes as far back as 13th-century Spain, or maybe even ancient Egypt. It's all very fascinating.

Nice one

2004-09-11T09:50:00.000-04:00

At least somebody on the Democratic ticket has a good sense of humor.

In response to Dick Cheney's comment that employment indicators don't account for the people who make money off of eBay, John Edwards said in a statement, "If we only included bake sales and how much money kids make at lemonade stands, this economy would really be cooking."

Don't be like the squirrel

2004-09-08T20:20:00.000-04:00

So there I was, standing under a tree in Boston Common, avoiding the raindrops, eating a falafel sandwich, minding my own business. Then suddenly, I felt something abruptly hit my leg. Startled, I screamed, "AAAHHH!!" Looking down, I saw that a squirrel had attacked my leg and was trying to climb it. I instinctively kicked and managed to shake the squirrel lose. I walked away, but the squirrel followed me. Faster I walked, and still the blood-thirsty creature followed. Finally, he gave up the chase, and I finished off my falafel sandwich in peace.

I have a dream

2004-09-07T19:52:00.000-04:00

Whenever I feel like escaping reality, I let my mind wander and dream that on October 31 the Red Sox will win the seventh game of the World Series. Two days later, John Kerry will defeat George W. Bush. Then, on November 3, the biggest victory parade ever will hit the streets of Boston. It'll officially celebrate the achievements of the Sox, but unofficially it will also honor John Kerry, who would be sure to attend.

First the Patriots, then the Sox, followed by Kerry. Boston, the city of champions.