Pox Populi

Like everyone else in this fair land I've been a passenger on this ride we call America for the past few months. Thus far the most intolerable aspect of this entire Tilt-a-Whirl hasn't been the economy or the election. It's the incessant yapping of just about every corporate news source. Those who frequent this humble space know this has been one of my whipping boys from the start. But as I've said before, we seem to be exploring new ground. The sense of masturbatory glee, emanating from the endless exploration of the possible permutations of how each new development is going to make your life worse, is reaching a pitch I've only seen previously in church revivals. Earlier this week the Seattle Times (it's superiority to the AJC in skill and class can be measured in Angstroms) ran a front page picture of a Depression-era shantytown and went elbow-around-the-ass to tie it in to current events. Not to be outdone, a local television station dedicated the lead that night to the “Deepening Financial Crisis”, then spent 10 minutes waxing about how it was going to make your life worse. If the media were a religion right about now we would all be wearing Nikes, holding pudding cups, and searching the heavens for the comet. To which I ask one of my million rhetorical questions: What are they going to do when life doesn't cease to exist?

Meanwhile, I've been dedicating my unemployed time to self-productivity. Aside from playing a lot of Call of Duty: World at War I've been reading & researching. I recently finished Cool It, an updated and Cliff Notes version of The Skeptical Environmentalist by that modern Martin Luther, Bjorn Lomborg. Lomborg uses a phrase I absolutely love, Catastrophe Porn, in describing the fascination/fixation with doom, death, and destruction. Talking to people about Bjorn Lomborg reminds me of the Christians I knew growing up that abjectly refused to read Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not A Christian. Speaking of religion, up next on the reading stack is Heavy Metal Islam. Report to follow.

On the research side I've spent some time digging into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the stimulus that is currently making its way through the governmental large intestine that is congress. Kinda pathetic overall. I think I would entitle it the No Lobbyist Left Behind Act, but that title was already taken. High points: $1000 payroll tax cut for couples (gotta have a job for that to kick in), $7500 tax credit for first time home buyers (good luck getting financing), $102 billion for welfare/unemployment (probably gonna wear that one out), $30 billion for highway construction (doesn't buy a popcorn fart's worth of infrastructure, beside we did this x10 4 years ago), $19 billion for clean water & flood control (could always use that), $20 billion for health care information technology (so much for the private sector making it's product better), and $6 billion for weatherizing modest income homes (does that count condos that have been flipped a dozen times & can now be bought with a Sears card?). Those are just the high points. I'm sure there's a hemp research grant or interstate visitor center buried somewhere in there. One other key point: Only about 10% of the money actually gets spent in 2009. The rest over 2010 & 2011. Overall it doesn't give me a warm fuzzy, and I'm not alone. Rasmussen puts the latest approval for the plan at 42%.

And finally, lest we look too serious, we here at Ares and Athena offer a glimpse of our kinfolk. Just to clarify, our familia is the guy on the mower, not the cop.

Ares

Marmot Monday

One Last Kick

Economists Warn Anti-Bush Merchandise Market Close To Collapse

Marmot Monday

Marmot Monday

Refuse to Elaborate

Porn industry seeks $5 billion federal bailout. So many double entendres, so little time.......

Ares

Non sequitur

A very curious turn of phrase crossed my path this morning. I was doing a drive-by of iTunes, looking for song that's been stuck in my head. After selecting the song for download a lawyer-length disclaimer popped up that I had to agree to. Being unemployed and having a surplus of spare time I actually read the disclaimer. Towards the bottom I found the following sentence:

You also agree that you will not use these products for any purposes prohibited by United States law, including, without limitation, the development, design, manufacture, or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.

Alright, I surrender. How is some Barry White gonna be reengineered into a solid fueled, multistage rocket with a 600KT warhead sitting on top? My Chemical Romance can't be turned into Sarin, although it might feel like it when you're unwillingly subjected to the former. Is someone somewhere worried about Kim Jong Il's Touch being used to build bigger Dong's?

Ares

Don't Let the Door Hit You

Good tidings to pass along here at Ares and Athena. Vernon "We-gotta-darken-this-place-up" Jones is unemployed. This is change I can believe in. Joining the swelling ranks of the unemployed, Vernon said he plans to devote more time to his hobbies of kitten stomping and hamster baseball. Don't worry, though. Like a case of electoral Herpes Vernon will reappear from time to time in political life. He's too corrupt and base to actually hold down a legitimate job. Maybe he can get together with Cynthia McKinney and form a Coalition for the Socially Inept and Politically Autistic. (Possible branding suggestion: They could have the acronym pronounced 'septic'.) One thing that will definitely be on VeJo's agenda will be a driver's ed refresher. After being ferried around the county by a platoon of Praetorians for the last 8 years he's going have relearn basic rules of the road. As for the picture above, I couldn't resist. One good Photoshop deserves another.

Ares

Marmot Monday

Humna Humna Hamas

For the latest in deep thinking about the Israel/Palestine soap opera I point you towards the erudite Michale Totten. Personally, I think Hamas' biggest complaint is that they're getting their asses slapped around like a blow up doll at a steroid convention. All the money in the world via Iran and Saudi Arabia and they can't produce a single decisive victory. Makes me think they kind of enjoy the beatings.

Then there's this from Totten friend and regional guru Noah Pollak:

From the JPost:

[IDF officials] said that it was likely that a number of senior Hamas operatives and terror chiefs were hiding and conducting their operations from within Shifa Hosptial in Gaza City.

“Hamas operatives are in the hospital and have disguised themselves as nurses and doctors,” one official explained.

Now the Israelis have done it — they’ve forced Hamas leaders to dress up like nurses. Zionist cruelty knows no bounds.

Ares

Changes Great and Small

Apologies for the new paint job. I'm tinkering with the environment here. The new gadgets on the right are from a huge list of stuff you can add to your blog courtesy of Blogger. I figured a Shakespeare insult generator (for Athena) and a Homer Simpson picture of the day (for me) were the most tasteful additions I could embrace. I passed on the Monkey Poop Flinging Game, but only after great rumination.

I think it's pretty safe to say I'm settled out here in the northwest. The boxes are all unpacked, the books are all on the shelves, and the fridge is appropriately stocked with local microbrew. The first two weeks here were a bit sideways. An enormous snowstorm started the day I got into town & didn't let up for two weeks. Biggest snow hit the region has taken in over 50 years. The few plows they have utilize rubber blades instead of steel and they won't use salt on the roads because it kills the spotted owls or some such nonsense. (I hear you laughing Funky C.) Bottom line: One half inch or more of ice on all the roads for over two weeks. Overall it was fun to look at but everyone is glad its over.

Now that I've had a few weeks to catch my breath & look around the disparities between the regions are coming into focus. No right or wrong, just differences. First, the people are ruder. Very little eye contact and almost no acknowledgment. People just seem to be stuck in their own little bubble of thought. Second, lots of rednecks without the accent. My neighborhood has more full-sized pickups with lift kits and big tires than I ever saw in Georgia. And this is in the burbs, which are specifically lacking in mud bogs or streams to navigate. Third, traffic congestion is appallingly bad here. The environmentalists refuse to allow the expansion of major arteries (this is what locals tell me) so more cars are stuffed through the same pipe each year. Mass transit infrastructure is a fraction of what it consists of in the ATL, so unless you work Monday through Friday along a major route it's not an option. The bright note out here are the libraries, which are flippin sweet. My local branch has a fireplace with big comfy chairs alongside.

I could babble on but this a few lines longer than are usually prescribed. Gonna go watch the snow that's falling, again.

Ares

Another Year in Books

So unlike my esteemed colleague and sibling Athena I decided to actually wait until the end of the year to post my reading list. Mainly because there were one or two I was still trying to finish. That said, here we go.

A More Perfect Constitution by Larry Sabato. Well worth it, should be required reading for registered voters.

What Are You Optimistic About? by John Brockman. Sucked. I'm optimistic that the book was lousy.

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. Excellent in an acquired taste sort of way. Watch the movie instead.

House to House by David Bellavia. Excellent, but not recommended for those that can't suspend their politics about the war.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Excellent

Snow Falling On Cedars by David Guterson. Excellent and flawless. Made me want to move to the Northwest......oh wait.

Delta Force by Charlie Beckwith.

How To Work For An Idiot by John Hoover. More about overcoming your inner idiot. Funny and practical.

Cop In The Hood by Peter Moskos

Chechen Jihad by Yossef Bodansky. Screaming flapping piece of shit. Wanted my time back.

Lasso The Wind by Tim Egan. Excellent! Egan has skills.

Robert's Ridge by Malcom McPherson. Good but a tough read along the lines of Lone Survivor.

Retribution by Max Hastings. Exhaustive and exhausting but good. We're finally getting enough distance from WWII that some objective stuff is being written.

The Fourth Turning by Strauss and Howe. Great and a bit scary. Again, should be required reading.

The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. Good but an acquired taste.

Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile. Amazing guy that Wilson. Worth the time.

Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes. Psycho.

The Life & Times Of The Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. Fun read, Bryson never disappoints.

Beyond Band of Brothers by Dick Winters. Should be required reading for leadership courses.

Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk. Very acquired taste by an author people either love or hate. I think the readers know where I stand.

The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes. Kinda sucked. Amity needed an editor and a mission statement.

Communication Excellence by Brian Polansky.

Flushed by Hodding Carter. Fun look at the potty.

The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! Of Homer by Various. Right up my alley and well worth the time. Favorite chapter: Thus Spake Bart: On Nietzsche and the Virtues of Being Bad.

Overall a bit less than the previous year and a bit less diverse. This is something I intend to remedy this year, having access to an excellent library system and a lot of spare time.

ps. Happy New Year to all 3 of our readers.

Ares

What's an Antonym for Dignity

“All of us have voices in our heads, whispering insanities. Rep. Cynthia McKinney’s problem is that she lets hers speak.”

slate.com

Sorry for the extensive emptiness in this space. It's not a marmot-advocacy society or anything, I was just trying to keep the page moving. My favorite loon is back on the radar, literally. Cynthia much-ado-about-a-hairdo McKinney took her one person band of crazy on the road. Recognizing a kindred spirit in the perpetual Own Goal Society known as Palestine she decided to lend a hand. She stowed away in what looks like a pretty swanky yacht called the Dignity (too much irony, it burns) and attempted to bring the Palestinians some bandages and warm bodies. This didn't sit too well with the Israelis, so they decided to PIT the boat.

So much to topically tickle, so little time. In keeping with the ethic of the professionally oppressed she made sure there was room on the boat for a reporter. Mind you, they could have carried more medical supplies if the reporter hadn't been there, but then who would have documented her righteousness? Also, I noticed a distinct lack of Black Panther bodyguard types on this mission. Guess they aren't too enthusiastic about situations where the other side might actually shoot back. I think the part of this I love most is that its lost on Cynthia that if she were a woman in Palestinian society she'd be a barefoot, burka wearing, baby making machine that could be beaten just for opening her pie hole. Of course, the bigger picture here is now is our chance. She's out of the country, revoke her stinking passport & inflict her on the rest of the world. Let her be a true believer and go live amongst the people she champions. The backside bonus would be an increase in the national IQ and a bit of peace and quiet.

Ares

my year in books

Ares began this little exercise last year, and, inspired by a gift from L., my local book pusher, I decided to continue on with it myself. Following are all the books I’ve read this year, in order (mostly—I put down and picked up a few). For me, when it comes to books, all things are created equal, so there are vast swings from the canon to non-fiction to chick lit (its mostly crap, with a few exceptions) and back again. And when I discover a writer I like, I tend to read everything they’ve written (preferably in chronological order—yes, I know I have control issues, and I’m at peace with that knowledge).

So thanks, L, for the journal and for many of the books on this list!

The History of God, Karen Armstrong. Incredibly dense, full of good info.
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris. This is where it all began, for you True Blood fans.
Club Dead, Charlaine Harris
In the Company of the Courtesan, Sarah Dunant
Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris
Absolute Friends, John LeCarre
All Together Dead, Charlaine Harris
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky
U-Turn, Bruce Grierson. Ares recommended it, and I agree its worthwhile.
Secret Yankees, Thomas Dyer
Sweet and Deadly, Charlaine Harris
Last Scene Alive, Charlaine Harris
Undaunted Courage, Steven Ambrose. Fascinating account of the Lewis and Clark expedition--now I want to visit Montana.
What’s a Ghoul to Do? Victoria Laurie. Crap.
Sleeping with the Fishes, MaryJanice Davidson
How to Manage Your Mother, Alyce Faye Cleese. Good info for any situation, not just mothers.
Dead and Dateless, Kimberly Raye. Worse crap.
The History of Love, Nicole Krauss. Engaging.
The Alphabet Sisters, Monica McInerney
The Mission Song, John LeCarre
Coyote Waits, Tony Hillerman
Listening Woman, Tony Hillerman. Thanks for the Hillerman dose, Jayne.
On Beauty, Zadie Smith. I liked White Teeth better.
Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion. Extraordinary.
Small Favor, Jim Butcher. Love me some Harry Dresden.
Ultramarathon Man, Dean Karnazes. Dude is in love with pain.
From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
Undead and Unworthy, MaryJanice Davidson
Bottlemania, Elizabeth Royte
Natural Capitalism, Paul Hawken, L. Hunter Lovins, Amory Lovins. Very, very good ideas for improving our world--all of which are in use, not just conceptual.
Under Cover, MaryJanice Davidson
Brick Lane, Monica Ali
The Great Awakening, Jim Wallis
Things I Learned from Knitting, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Funny, but not her best.
Dog of the Marriage, Amy Hempel. Sublime haiku in fiction.
Collected Stories of Amy Hempel
Sea of Poppies, Amitav Ghosh. Lovely story
The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks. Sorry L., but its sentimental crap.

In progress, on the nightstand, at year’s end:
Your Money or Your Life, Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
A More Perfect Constitution, Larry Sabato (Ares’ copy)
The Cultural Creatives, Paul Ray, et. al. (beloved by a friend, but its just not blowing my skirt up)

So that's my year in books, though there's still room for one or two more. We'll see. I'm working on a knitting project with a deadline, so it may be more movies than books for the next week or so.

Athena

Marmot Monday

Marmot Monday

Marmot Monday

Marmot Monday

Sunday Quote

"Yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague of locusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered because they believed and were not afraid, we have still much to be thankful for. Nature still offers her bounty and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep, but a generous use of it languishes in the very sight of the supply. Primarily this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind's goods have failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have admitted their failure, and abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men.

True they have tried, but their efforts have been cast in the pattern of an outworn tradition. Faced by failure of credit they have proposed only the lending of more money. Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for restored confidence. They know only the rules of a generation of self-seekers. They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish.

The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit."

FDR's inaugural speech. More applicable than ever, 75 years later. Lifted from the quite readable Dr. Housing Bubble.

Ares

Marmot Monday

Sorry, been a bit slack in the marmot department lately.

Ares