Thursday, September 30, 2010

Blog Larceny

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I had to copy this interview excerpt from Barack Obama wholesale from Deb's blog because it's just so true. I love this guy, still:


from http://www.rollingstone.com/
politics/news/17390/209395


OBAMA: Well, on the economic front, [the Republicans'] only agenda seems to be tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. If you ask their leadership what their agenda will be going into next year to bring about growth and improve the job numbers out there, what they will say is, "We just want these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, which will cost us $700 billion and which we're not going to pay for."

Now what they'll also say is, "We're going to control spending." But of course, when you say you're going to borrow $700 billion to give an average $100,000-a-year tax break to people making a million dollars a year, or more, and you're not going to pay for it; when Mitch McConnell's overall tax package that he just announced recently was priced at about $4 trillion; when you, as a caucus, reject a bipartisan idea for a fiscal commission that originated from Judd Gregg, Republican budget chair, and Kent Conrad, Democratic budget chair, so that I had to end up putting the thing together administratively because we couldn't get any support — you don't get a sense that they're actually serious on the deficit side.
. . .

When I talk to Democrats around the country, I tell them, "Guys, wake up here. We have accomplished an incredible amount in the most adverse circumstances imaginable." I came in and had to prevent a Great Depression, restore the financial system so that it functions, and manage two wars. In the midst of all that, I ended one of those wars, at least in terms of combat operations. We passed historic health care legislation, historic financial regulatory reform and a huge number of legislative victories that people don't even notice. We wrestled away billions of dollars of profit that were going to the banks and middlemen through the student-loan program, and now we have tens of billions of dollars that are going directly to students to help them pay for college. We expanded national service more than we ever have before.

The Recovery Act alone represented the largest investment in research and development in our history, the largest investment in infrastructure since Dwight Eisenhower, the largest investment in education — and that was combined, by the way, with the kind of education reform that we hadn't seen in this country in 30 years — and the largest investment in clean energy in our history.

You look at all this, and you say, "Folks, that's what you elected me to do." I keep in my pocket a checklist of the promises I made during the campaign, and here I am, halfway through my first term, and we've probably accomplished 70 percent of the things that we said we were going to do — and by the way, I've got two years left to finish the rest of the list, at minimum. So I think that it is very important for Democrats to take pride in what we've accomplished.
. . .

Over the past two years, what I probably anticipated but you don't fully appreciate until you're in the job, is something I said earlier, which is if a problem is easy, it doesn't hit my desk. If there's an obvious solution, it never arrives here — somebody else has solved it a long time ago. The issues that cross my desk are hard and complicated, and oftentimes involve the clash not of right and wrong, but of two rights. And you're having to balance and reconcile against competing values that are equally legitimate.
. . .

Having Paul McCartney here was also incredible. He's just a very gracious guy. When he was up there singing "Michelle" to Michelle, I was thinking to myself, "Imagine when Michelle was growing up, this little girl on the South Side of Chicago, from a working-class family." The notion that someday one of the Beatles would be singing his song to her in the White House — you couldn't imagine something like that.
. . .

One closing remark that I want to make: It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election. There may be complaints about us not having gotten certain things done, not fast enough, making certain legislative compromises. But right now, we've got a choice between a Republican Party that has moved to the right of George Bush and is looking to lock in the same policies that got us into these disasters in the first place, versus an administration that, with some admitted warts, has been the most successful administration in a generation in moving progressive agendas forward.

The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible.

Everybody out there has to be thinking about what's at stake in this election and if they want to move forward over the next two years or six years or 10 years on key issues like climate change, key issues like how we restore a sense of equity and optimism to middle-class families who have seen their incomes decline by five percent over the last decade. If we want the kind of country that respects civil rights and civil liberties, we'd better fight in this election. And right now, we are getting outspent eight to one by these 527s that the Roberts court says can spend with impunity without disclosing where their money's coming from. In every single one of these congressional districts, you are seeing these independent organizations outspend political parties and the candidates by, as I said, factors of four to one, five to one, eight to one, 10 to one.

We have to get folks off the sidelines. People need to shake off this lethargy, people need to buck up. Bringing about change is hard — that's what I said during the campaign. It has been hard, and we've got some lumps to show for it. But if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place.

If you're serious, now's exactly the time that people have to step up.
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Jay Tries to Explain Evolution to Christine O'Donnell



Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Finding Nouf

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Mystery lovers looking for a new series, here's a good one. Finding Nouf is the first in the series, and the second, City of Veils, just came out.




Monday, September 27, 2010

Frick Collection

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Art for Dummies listed the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore as, work for work, the best museum in America because the ratio of great art to square footage was so strong. But New York's Frick Collection is probably even better. Right on 5th Avenue across from Central Park, it's a Golden Age mansion with more masterpieces than I've ever seen in a handful of rooms. Photos can never do these works justice, but here are a few:

Bronzino:




Holbein's portraits of rivals Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell, staring at each other across the fireplace:





Remember the film All the Vermeers in New York? Three of them are at the Frick:




The one that is most tragically uncapturable in reproduction is Bellini's St. Francis in the Desert. The original painting is stunning: 

















Sunday, September 26, 2010

Never Let Me Go

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Beautiful poster for this upcoming movie. I have high hopes, based not only on the fantastic novel it's based on but also the great cast.






Fennel Soup

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About two months ago, my friend Eve started raving about a fennel soup that she had made. It sounded simple, and good enough, but I didn't feel the need to rush out and make it. Then she made it for my friend Mary and me for Mary's birthday. O. M. G. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever put in my mouth. I urge you to try this:

Eve's Fennel Soup

1. Chop up a bunch of fennel bulbs (and some of the ribs if you like), along with chopped onion.
2. Saute in butter till pretty tender. Take your time with this.
3. Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer till really tender.
4. Puree and return to pan.
5. Add a little milk or cream and serve.

If you want to freeze some, do so before adding the milk or cream.




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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Band, Novel, or Horse

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This is a game that Jay and I devised in NY this weekend. You offer up a phrase or word, and the other person has to vote on whether it would be a good name for a band, a novel, or a horse. So far results on this have been pretty consistent across guessers---that is, people agree on whether it sounds like the name of a band vs. novel vs. horse. If you are up for it, vote on the phrases below, and I'll report on the consistency of results. You can vote by emailing me or leaving a comment. But don't look at the other comments until you've made your choices!

1. Itchy Livestock
2. Who Is Vay-ber?
3. Many Types of Tarts
4. Dueling Controls
5. Stop for Gas

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Are You Hungry? Are You in New York?

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Loved the restaurant Robert on the 8th floor of the Museum of Art and Design:













And Bottega di Vino on 59th St. BEST DESSERTS I'VE EVER HAD.

And this link doesn't even list the many tartes of unbelievable tastiness available:




Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ernest Beaglehole

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I came across this distinguished individual whilst working on one of my books. Further research unveiled:

Ernest Beaglehole, 1906-1965

Ernest Beaglehole was born in Wellington on August 25, 1906. He attended Mount Cook School and Wellington College. He also went to Victoria University College where he  graduated with a first-class Masters Degree in 1928 (Ritchie 2002). He then traveled to London to do research for his PhD. He conducted this research at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Beaglehole published his thesis, entitled Property in 1931. This piece was well received and his research techniques were copied by many.


Beaglehole became a consultant to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. He completed his work, and married Pearl Malsin, a fellow social anthropologist, on May 24, 1933.  Peter Buck, a Professor at Yale University, "arranged for the Beagleholes to go to Pukapuka, a remote northern Cook Islands atoll, as part of his comprehensive Pacific island ethnographic survey," (Ritchie 2002). Ernest and Pearl spent a year in Pukapuka gathering research, and then moved to Hawaii to write of what they saw.

Beaglehole won the Hector Memorial Medal and Prize in 1950 from the Royal Society of New Zealand, of which he was a member (Ritchie 2002). He was also a member of other prestigious societies: the Polynesian Society, the British Psychological Society and the American Anthropological Association. He died October 23, 1965 at the age of 59. He was survived by his wife Pearl and their two children.

*

All of this is, of course, fascinating. But what's more is that it has led to a new set of useful terms in the Kissel-Weber household. For example:

--When Rocky has been bad:  "Go to your beaglehole!"

--When Rocky is threatening to run away from home:  "I'm going to my beaglehole!"

--When one of us receives a complimentary email from a colleague:  "I'm putting it in the beaglehole for safekeeping."

--When we promise not to tell a soul:  "It's in the beaglehole!"  (Cf. "vault.")

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Monday, September 20, 2010

Vampire Academy Series

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I, like the rest of the reading world, have been reading YA (young adult) novels like crazy recently. Twilight started it, The Hunger Games stoked it, and the huge number of YA series, especially those with supernatural or apocalyptic milieux, has fueled it ever since.

A lot of these series are just okay, but the one that has stood out the most for me has been the Vampire Academy series. The protagonist is a vampire guardian named Rose, a teenage Nikita who curses, beats up rivals, and lusts after her trainer. Although I sometimes react against girl heroines who are made tough, as if a girl has to be a superhero in order to be feminist, I really do like Rose. I'm on the second novel now, Frostbite, and it's just as good as the first.

















It's interesting to think about what makes one series work and another not. Most of the series are very similar, made up of the same cohort of elements: danger, supernatural characters, frustrated love, conflict between duty and desire, the bad boy, the safe boy. But some leave me cold and some engage me. Everyone knows that Stephenie Meyer is the worst stylist of the bunch. But it's equally obvious that she's the best novelist of the bunch too. No other YA novel, and few novels of any kind, have gripped readers the way her novels do. If I were a vampire and had all the time in the world, I'd try to identify the secret structure of good storytelling. (Yes, sad to say, this is actually what I would do with eternity. At least after the first century or so.)

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Friday, September 17, 2010

I'll See You at the Mall

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The Rally to Restore Sanity

Don't forget your picnic lunch!

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Intruder in Huntsville

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I know everyone and their grandmother has seen this video, but I still have to post it. This brother and sister are the least victimized crime victims in the world. This video makes me happy every time I see it.



Monday, September 13, 2010

VMAs

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Something strange has happened to the Video Music Awards on MTV in recent years. It's become something to watch. In the early days of the award show, the tone was dominated by rockers who felt impudence and an underlying discomfort at being their own bad selves in front of a mainstream TV audience. It's hard to conjure up how unusual this was at the time. They didn't know how to dress, they didn't know how to be, they didn't want to come across as courteous or conformist, but they couldn't find any space between that and outright vulgarity. It was kind of painful to watch.

The last few years, though, have been kind of amazing to me. I finally got Eminen in all his brilliance when he performed "We Made You" on the show. The clothes became less silly and more creative. The performances became energized.

One of the things I most liked about the show this year was the visual design. There were cool stage sets and fantastic lighting, esp. of the performances. Years ago I read something by a writer on culture (might have been Camille Paglia) about how we don't grasp how incredibly visually rich our world is. For a long, long time in human history, we had the nature around us and whatever artwork was in our local church. That's it. No photographs. No images of far-off places, friends and family, art from the next town over. No electricity. Very little visual stimulation at all. Now, every day, we are exposed to an array of visual artistry that would knock a medieval man off his feet.
     This writer also proposed that the art from our culture (20th-century Western culture, that is) that would survive and be bequeathed to future generations is not paintings or "video art" (the kind you see in a little curtained-off room in a museum). Rather it would be the undeniably beautiful and visually amazing products of our consumer culture. Traditional artists may be able to dick around with video pieces of a man standing in a white room breathing for two hours. But commercial artists have to pour all their talent and imagination into creating something irresistible. She mentioned in particular the famous Herb Ritts photo of the supermodels of the 1990s (Stephanie Seymour, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Tatjana, and Christy Turlington) in all their nude beauty. These are the Madonnas, the Botticellis, of our time.



















When I think about the art that will endure from our era, I have to think about the most innovative media (as in artistic mediums, not "the press") as well, the media that came into being in our time and attracted the most creative minds. This would be photography and film but also light itself. My favorite sculptor of the 20th century is Dan Flavin, whose light sculptures make you feel like you stepped into the world's most beautiful chapel, the sense of beauty and holiness is so great:








































All of which is to say, I liked the visual designs of the VMAs this year:


















































As for the performances, I liked a lot of them, including the Florence + the Machine piece above and, as usual, Eminen. But the most memorable performance was by Taylor Swift singing her amazing response to Kanye, "You're Still an Innocent":
















Yes, she's blond and pretty, and her songs have simple production values. But there's something really profound about her work. Love her.

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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Mamie at Morgantown, 1981

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Report from Charlotte

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Mamie is now resting in bed, hooked up to what is popularly known as "the torture machine." Its technical name is the constant passive motion (CPM) machine, and a post-op knee patient puts their leg in it while the machine gently lifts the leg up and down in order to increase the knee's range of motion. Mamie was in severe pain for the first 2-3 days after her knee replacement, but she has done amazingly well since. She finds the torture machine to be "soothing" and she is scooting around the house with her walker at an ever more spritely pace.

Mame is like her siblings in being able to tolerate long periods of bedrest with equanimity. She has a tall stack of fun magazines, the first volume of The Hunger Games trilogy, and the TV set on HGTV. She's received lots of flowers and a steady stream of zucchini bread. I straighten up, wash her hair, and "spot" her as she gets in and out of chairs. Steve hauls the CPM around, runs errands, and grills. He's very attentive to Mamie and makes her feel cared for.

On a shelf near the kitchen I discovered a photo of Mamie and Steve at Morgantown. They're about 24 years old, and Mamie looks like a model. She's got the cutest hair cut, is thin as a toothpick, is wearing a hot pair of shorts that falls about two inches below her butt, and her legs go on for miles. Of course, having been in charge of hospital-gown closure in the hospital, I can attest that Mame still looks pretty hot.

It's also fun to go around the house looking at all the photos of Jared and Keith when they were little. I wish I could still pick them up and squeeze them!

The weather in Charlotte is mild and sunny---absolutely gorgeous. Dad is on his way to take over auxiliary help duties tomorrow as I head home. 
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Friday, September 10, 2010

True Story

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So I'm here in South Carolina driving my sister's SUV around on some errands. I come back home, pull into the garage, and try to close the garage door. I'm pressing buttons on that box like crazy and just can't get it to work when I realize I've been trying to close the garage door with my sister's taser.


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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Headed to Charlotte

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Where my eldest sister, once known as Gimpy McWaddle, is showing off her brand-new knee.
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Friday, September 3, 2010

Sgt. Pepper's

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It struck me listening to this recently that the Beatles, past their first few albums, don't sound dated at all. The Rolling Stones, The Who, their music is great but it sounds like it was made in the 60s. Not so Sgt. Peppers.

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