On...Words of Freedom

From the Washington Post

Just a little article by Anne Applebaum on "WORDS THAT MATTER," as we near 2009. I wish these articles could be longer and more detailed but it's a nice appetizer to think about. The end has a nice comparison of the historical flow of the USA and that of Russia.

On...The Best Music of 2008

The Best Music of 2008
Brought to you by Snow Day and The Sleeping Claires

Here is my List of the Top 40 songs of 2008
Many of the songs might be new to you so you can spend hours listening to some great tunes on ITunes or Napster or Amazon or wherever. Granted the list is a bit heavy on Alternative, Rock, Indie/College Rock, with a little Electronic, Folk, and Pop mixed in but that's what I like.

Please email me or post any comments or songs that would make your list. I post a collection of them (if I get any.)

40) Grafton Street by Dido
39) Signs by Bloc Party
38) AEIOU by Charlotte Sometimes
37) Black & Gold by Sam Sparro
36) Spiraling by Keane
35) Lucid Dreams by Franz Ferdinand
34) Runaway by Ladytron
33) I'm not going to Teach your Boyfriend how to Dance by The Black Kids
32) I Kissed A Girl by Katy Perry
31) Mercy by Duffy
30) Darlin' Don't You Fear by Brent Dennen
29) It's Amazing by Jem
28) Buildings and Mountains by The Republic of Tigers
27) Falling Down by Oasis
26) Detroit by Black Gold
25) Black River Killer by Blitzen Trapper
24) Night Reconnaissance by The Dresden Dolls
23) Id Engager by Of Montreal
22) Mykonos by Fleet Foxes
21) In a Cave by Toyko Police Club
20) Go On, Say It by Blind Pilot
19) Highly Suspicious by My Morning Jacket
18) Into the Summer Sky by the Smoking Popes
17) We Won't Break by Zoot Woman
16) Funplex by the B-52s
15) The World Should Revolve Around Me by Little Jackie
14) Waiting for a War by The Morning Benders
13) My Mistakes Were Made for You by The Last Shadow Puppets
12) Shut Up and Let Me Go by The Ting-Tings
11) Ready for the Floor by Hot Chip

and the Top 10

10) Light & Music by Cut Copy
9) Human by The Killers
8) Flame by Bell X1
7) You Don't Know Me by Ben Folds and Regina Spektor
6) You, Me, & The Bourgeoisie by The Submarines
5) Olympic Airwaves by The Foals
4) Song We Sang Away by Low vs. Diamond
3) I'm Good, I'm Gone by Lykke LI
2) The Geeks Were Right by The Faint
1) Old Enough by The Raconteurs

BEST 5 ALBUMS

Though I believe this is a dying concept, since most people just buy singles now, I will list my Top 5 Albums of the year, which is certainly saying something because it is rare for an entire album to rock.

5) My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges A really unique blend of old school rock and eclectic new wave pop. A few songs are duds but overall it is bold edition.
4) The Killers: Human The glam boys of Vegas are back and they don't disappoint. Perhaps not as dynamic as their last couple of outings, but a fine listen.
3) Bell X1: Flock I listened to their single Rocky Took a Lover all year, but it wasn't until a week ago that I got a hold of the whole album. The best late year surprise by far.
2) Charlotte Sometimes: Waves And Both Of Us Best pure pop album of the year. She's only nineteen or there about, but she has fine ear for sound. Should be bigger than Katy Perry, but there is no justice in the world of pop music. Solid album from track one to track twelve.

1) Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs Hands down the best full album of the year. Yes, I have a soft spot for DCFC but they came through. I had high expectations for Ben Folds, Kaiser Chiefs, and Keane, but they all disappointed. DCFC nailed it. Give it a few listens. Once I warmed up it was on high rotation on my listening schedule.

And a few side notes.

• Best Rediscovered Song: Venice is Sinking by Spirit of the West. I loved this song in college and played it a lot on the Guten Morgen Morgen Show on 87.1 WIDR FM. But I could never find it and my brain forgot the title. Luckily 93.9 The River played it two months ago and I heard it. It is a beautiful song.
• Best Discovered Classical Music: Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Upon listening to it I would never would have thought it was from the 1870s. Really magnificent and a bit haunting. Beautiful work from a tragic man.
• Best Song on a Cold Night Roasting Marshmallows: Flame by Bell X1. Just listen to this cool song and you'll understand.
• Biggest Disappointment: Ben Folds; Way to Normal. Only a couple of songs are really good. I'm still shocked.
• Weirdest Euro Video (Yes, the still produce videos): I'm Good, I'm Gone by Lykke Li. Just have to see it. SEE HERE
• Best Baroque Reissue: Joshua Bell and The Academy of St. Martin of the Fields and Vivaldi's Four Season. A fine recording for those Vivaldi fans.

I'll post my Best Films of the Year in a few days and anyone's recommendations. Later.

On...SNL takes a few shots at NY Gov. Paterson

SNL has stirred some controversy (translate as some people with no sense of humor have a problem with their disfunctioning humor gland) over their Weekend Update sketch which takes a few hard shots at current accidental-governor of New York David Paterson. Just in case you didn't know, he is legally blind.

Check it out for yourself below.

On...Move over Ponzi...

There's a new fraud in town.

Meet Bernard Madoff. The news about him is just beginning to trickle in among the Big Three Loan to Nowhere battle. He may be the biggest swindler in history, akin to the notorious Charles Ponzi. However Ponzi might end up being a rank amateur when all is said and done. $50 Billion is a lot of moola.

Here are two articles to catch you up.

London Times Online

Yahoo! Finance

On...Humor...Ask a Ninja

Just in case you are behind the times like me you might not know about Ask A Ninja.

It's pretty funny, especially the Ask A Ninja's review of Pirates of the Caribbean 3.
Enjoy

ASK A NINJA

VDH's Take On...The Humanities

Victor Davis Hanson's Essay from City Journal on the Future of the Humanities and the difficulty of obtaining a classical education from many public universities.

On...Greg Maddux

Greg Maddux

The best pitcher of his generation is hanging up the cleats. 355 game winner Greg Maddux is retiring at 42 years old even though he is clearly in good enough shape for a few more years and a few more wins. But every career must come to an end. Even you you have that many wins, 4 consecutive Cy Young Awards and 18 Gold Glove Awards (the most by anyone ever). He is also 10th all time in Strikeouts (3,371) and only Walter Johnson and Warren Spawn have more wins since 1900. And 17 straight seasons with at least 15 wins or more. That there is amazing.

I've enjoyed watching Maddux since I was a kid loving the Cubs and their ace, Mad Dog in the late 80s and early 90s. A nickname by the way which is clearly a joke. The guy is nice, almost vanilla, but he could paint the corners and tear apart a batting line up. I still admired him when he went to the Atlanta Braves (and yes helped beat my Cleveland Indians in the 1995 World Series). By the way he was 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA. That too is freaking amazing. And the year before his ERA was 1.53. He did make it back to Chicago for a few years before finishing his career with the Padres and Dodgers who gave him little run support. He should have at least 10 more wins.

He is a first ballot Hall of Famer and should get one of the highest percentages of all time in the voting. No one can deny Greg Maddux the halls of Cooperstown. Later Mad Dog.

ESPN has a nice article HERE about Maddux

Career stats HERE

Plus the classic and hilarious "Chicks Dig the Long Ball"
Nike ad from the 90s with fellow Brave Tom Glavine.

ON...Best Game Ever?

Empire: Total War, coming out in Feb 2009 looks unbelievably awesome!!

I'm going to lose a lot of hours playing this bad boy.

VIDEO TRAILER HERE

On...the Power of Money

Cash cow

In the final stretch of the 2008 election, Obama had 4x the money to spend than McCain.

Wow, how could you not lose? That is a huge advantage, especially in reaching fence-sitters through ads.

Just shows the enthusiasm of the Obama supporters compared to the McCain supporters. Too many conservatives stayed home on election day and closed their wallets all fall. Which on one hand I understand (McCain 2008 wasn't McCain 2000 enough) but on the other hand you stay home because you don't like McCain and you get someone who appeared clearly left-wing. So you get nothing close to what you want. There's level 1 thinking for you.

I'm still amazed McCain scored 47% of the vote.

More on the data of cash from Bloomberg's

On...Surviving a Terrorist Attack at your Local Hotel

Interesting piece from Atlantic blogger Jeffrey Goldberg

How to Stay Alive in a Terrorized Hotel

On...Bombay

The Hot Spot

I don't pretend to really know all that much about India and its diverse culture and long history/rivalry with Pakistan but I do know that it will play no-small role in the future. As for the terrorist attacks in Bombay the war against Islamic-fascism knows no rest. I've included a number of article for your enjoyment regarding the latest battle.

First Christopher Hitchens on why India is a very important ally and what we need to do to assist them.

Second a brief article from SLATE on why Bombay's name was changed to Mumbai and why I will continue to call it Bombay just as I will call Burma Burma and not that other name.

Third is from Robert Kagan on what the USA should do regarding Pakistan. From the Washington Post

President-Elect Obama rattled the sabers pretty hard regarding Pakistan, it's soon going to be game time. Now that he firmly has a centrist (almost center-right) foreign policy team (Hillary, Gen. Jones, Gates, Biden) I wonder if the moonbats are having indigestion yet.

Rich Lowry of the NY Post mirrors much of my take on Obama's Alpha Team HERE

On...Hugo Chavez

President as Socialist Talk Show Host

I encourage everyone to take some time to watch PBS's new episode of Frontline on Venezuela's "Presidente" Hugo Chavez. The official title is "The Hugo Chavez Show." It is utterly fascinating and unbelievable. It touches upon so many issues just not on an international scale but on a human scale. Just watch it.

If you can't DVR it (I'm sure it will be replayed often) you can watch it in chapter clips on You Tube. I look forward to any discussion (in person or online).

PART ONE OF THE HUGO CHAVEZ STORY

The first part is mostly overview and background on his rise to power. The middle is the most interesting, once he's in power.

On...A Couple of Quotes

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."

~Thomas Jefferson


"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism."

~ Winston Churchill

On...Cliff Lee Part II

Mowing 'em down

Yes baseball is over for the winter, but it's award season and the bright spot of the Cleveland Indians this past year, Cliff Lee, has won the American League Cy Young for best pitcher. Well deserved. Congratulations to this lefty who was sent to the minors in the 07 season only to return healthy and dominant. He finished the year 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA. This was also the first time the Indians have won the AL Cy Young in back to back years. Hopefully 09 will be an improvement in the standings.

More On CLIFF LEE

On....Music

For the new music lovers out there I recommend checking out the following singles that have been getting a lot of play from my various music devices.

"The Geeks Were Right" by The Faint

"I'm Good, I'm Gone" by Lykke Li

"Song We Sang Away" by Low vs. Diamond

"Human" by The Killers

"The World Come on" by The Dandy Warhols

"Krieg" by Farin Urlaub Racing Team

On...RNC Chair...from Michigan?

I don't know this guy at all but the Michigan Republican Party is a huge joke and has been since I've lived in this state (1993) I mean really pathetic. What makes anyone think Saul Anuzis can run the National Party?

Granted I will give the guy the benefit of the doubt and maybe he has good "national" ideas but really. The GOP can't win anything in this state. No organization, no communication, no ideas, no focus, and apparently no candidates, and when they get a half decent one (Michael Bouchard) they have no idea what to do with them or how to really support them. The Michigan Republican Party is provincial and stagnant. And if anyone can prove otherwise please let me know.

NEWS BLURB

On...Pirates

Kristen B had requested once more info on the Somalian pirates. Well, here's the latest news story I've come across.

ROYAL NAVY IN FIREFIGHT WITH PIRATES

On...Short Stories: A March Chore

Those who follow the blog know that I have shared original poems in the past. I haven't published any short stories here because they were too long and narrow when posted. Now that I have discovered Google Docs I can post them there then link them from here.

So here goes...

I wrote A March Chore about eight years ago or so. I've dusted it off and updated it. I think it is much better now than it was. Hopefully you will enjoy it too. It is infused with melancholy, but since we had our first snowfall of the year today I find it fitting to publish it now.

Hitchen's Take On...Reality

From Slate.com.

Christopher Hitchens's take on The (Non) Honeymoon of President Elect Obama and a little historical insight on his election.

Barack to Reality

Obama's victory didn't magically eliminate America's problems and enemies.

By Christopher HitchensPosted Monday, Nov. 10, 2008, at 11:30 AM ET

On...Hits

FYI: I had a surge in visits to my McKinley Assassination Site around the Election. I had over 142 hits on election day alone--the highest single day yet. I guess people had the election and Presidents on their minds.

From Oct 8th until Nov. 7th I have had over 1,700 hits on that site. The blog has chalked up about 170.

On...swept away

There is something heartbreaking when just about everything you supported is swept away.

From...SNL

If you missed John McCain on SNL here's the link to his QVC opener. Funny stuff.

McCAIN on SNL

Don't forget to VOTE tomorrow!

On...The Congo

If you've missed this bit of news since our media is very preoccupied with the election.

Violence in Congo

Falling apart, again

Oct 31st 2008 | KIGALI
From Economist.com

Another humanitarian disaster is unfolding in eastern Congo

From...Political Cartoons

Instead of sharing candy I thought I'd share a few political cartoons with you all.

I really like the first one.

On...Can Obama Deliver?

Can Obama Deliver?

I mean this in a couple of ways.

1) Can he close? Can he not be like other Democrats gunning for the big show and actually win down the stretch? We'll see.

2) Can he live up to expectations once elected? There are pockets of Americans who are ready to explode in a joyous orgasm at his victory. They do understand this is only one guy right? They understand we are not electing a King with absolute powers, right? Yeah, he's got Hope and he's got Reform, but it is so vague even the pundits don't know exactly where he stands. Is he a unity centrist or a dividing leftist or will he try to be a uniting leftist? Who knows? He has done little and says less. He's not Bush and that seems to be enough. He still (miraculously) has that new car smell. I can't believe it has lasted this long but it can't last forever. Can it last until Tuesday?

Obama can still be anything to everyone, that's his cool genius. He is still the enigma. However you can't govern as an enigma. You can't vote present in the White House. Obama needs to be someone finally and when he finally comes out of his cocoon the people expecting him to be a butterfly will be shocked he's a moth (or vise-versa). He can't be all things to all people. There is going to be disillusionment from somewhere. It is inevitable. Does he go to war to defend Israel from Iran? Does he widen the war in Afganistan into Pakistan? Does he demand a renegotiation of NAFTA even though our partners don't want it? Does he raise taxes? Will he actually cut middle class taxes? Can he deliver Health Care? Will he be pushed around by Pelosi and Congress? Will the economic crisis hobble him? Voters may want fantasy and superman but they are going to get a big dose of reality.

Maybe we are ready for intellectual aloofness but I feel the public will tire of him if doesn't descend from Olympus (then again if he does come down others will dislike him for not being a god.)

The Presidency

Why anyone would want this job is beyond me. The American Presidency and Democracy in general grinds you up and spits you out. Look at Clinton and Bush after 8 years. In my historical estimate only 3 presidents in the last 100 years have left the office alive with their reputation intact or enhanced and only barely. 2 were Eisenhower and Reagan and they bore major wounds. The last was Coolidge and he only escaped because he didn't seek reelection so he avoided most of the blame for the Great Depression. We'll give him a 1/2

Let's take a look shall we?

1901--McKinley beloved but shot. Reputation pretty intact, but dead.
1909--Teddy Roosevelt leaves the White House in good shape, but sullies it with a Party splitting run in 1912 that allows Wilson and the Democrats to take over.
1913--Taft is denied reelection with a sorry 3rd place finish.
1921--Wilson, stroke and all, has no political pull left after the Treaty of Versailles defeat and his strong-arm tactics during the war (nationalization of the Railroads, the Creel Committee, & the Espionage Acts among many others). His party is creamed in the 1920 election by Warren "Normalcy" Harding.
1923--Harding dead. Reputation ruined by all the corruption scandals that came to light after his death.
1929--Coolidge escapes the Great Depression by retiring back to Vermont. Smart move.
1933--Hoover, Great Depression, nuff said.
1945--FDR, beloved but dead.
1953--Truman, would have been crushed by Ike, retires with Bush-like approval ratings after the Korean War turns stalemate.
1961--Ike survived the slings and arrows but his VP Nixon is defeated in a close election. Probably would have won a third term if that had been possible.
1963--JFK, dead.
1969--LBJ doesn't seek reelection, trapped in the White House as Vietnam and the Great Society leave a real bitter taste.
1973--Tricky Dick, Watergate, Smoking Gun, Resigns
1977--Ford, Pardons Nixon, S Vietnam falls, defeated by unknown southern governor.
1981--Carter, Iran Hostage, Stagflation, Energy crisis, Panama Canal giveaway, denied reelection in landslide.
1989--Reagan, Iran-Contra Aside and a massive debt would have been reelected had that been possible and he was younger. VP wins.
1993--Bush, Cold War ends, Gulf War victory, but Recession, Tax-hikes, and Perot deny him reelection.
2001--Clinton--Impeached--a black mark if there ever was one, though I hate to say it may have been reelected for a third term.
2009--GW Bush--you get the idea.

This is what Obama has to look forward to. Hey, 2 1/2 out of 19 ain't bad!

On...Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts

Simply put, Republicans (for various reasons) typically buy into the system. They tend to believe the system works and they can be successful and happy and safe within the system. They feel a part of the system. They understand that the system is not perfect and it can always be tweaked, but fundamentally it is sound. A Republic of Liberty supported by Free Markets and protected by individual duty and an overwhelming military is about as good as its going to get. Yes, there have been problems in the past and nothing is perfect but we should always be moving forward, in small, thoughtful ways. But for the most part if it's not broken leave it alone. They get mad or frustrated when they see the system being tampered with or unfairly criticized or pushed to its limits or reconfigured. Government should be under the people, not above it. The citizens are the adults and not the children of the government. The government should not "take care" of the people.

Democrats (again for various reasons) tend to believe in the system to a point, but believe it is broken and needs to be fixed or that it has been corrupted by larger than life forces (be it Big Oil or Wal-Mart or Karl Rove or Dick Cheney). Or they believe they are not part of the system. They feel like underdogs or outsiders. They are invited to the party but not really accepted. This is either real or imagined. Some are part of the system, but don't like the fact that others are not apart of it. They feel guilty about a whole collection of injustices, again some real and some exaggerated and some purely imagined. That's why they seem to want to change everything all the time. There is also the sense that we as a nation missed a turn a few decades ago and if could just get back on the highway things would be better. They have a sense of uneasiness about the system--that it could be better, much better, only if people would just work together and help out the little guy we could create the ideal system, one where no one was a loser or poor or had their feelings hurt. If we just embraced hope and change we could still be that city upon a hill. Everyone would be liked and the dirty, cruel aspects of being human could be eliminated or at least lessened. Democracy is fine but it could be better. Free markets are okay if we could only remove the hardship of failure. Equality of opportunity is fine, but equality of outcome is better. If only people had more civic virtue and were willing to sacrifice more for the common good. If only people listened to them since they have all the answers.

Of course both parties have cranks or followers who are just in the party because they are.

Theorizers

The problem lies in human nature. Humans are selfish creatures. When that selfishness can be harnessed it can create a better world. When the selfishness is caged, people will seek an outlet. There are never enough good, wise people to oversee every aspect of an amazingly dynamic nation/economy/government. Some people however think that people are or should be selfless martyrs--they should be alturistic.

A problem with the theorizers of a better system, according to Adam Smith was that

the man of system...is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government, that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it.... He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chess-board.

From Theory of Moral Sentiments

As the state grows it is infected with this notion--that we can make things so much better. Obviously this doesn't mean you stop trying new things, but dictating every move is impossible. The greater control you weld over more people, the greater the problems will manifest themselves. Spontaneous order is often more effective. Give people the rule of law and allow them the opportunity to live their life as they see fit, not as someone else believes they should live. If they are self-destructive, teach them. Do not use the rod of coercion to instill your plans. They will hate you for it. Some people (especially Americans) are stubborn and do not like being told what to do.

From...Michael S. Malone

Media's Presidential Bias and Decline

Columnist Michael Malone Looks at Slanted Election Coverage and the Reasons Why

ABC'S Bio of Michael S. Malone is one of the nation's best-known technology writers. He has covered Silicon Valley and high-tech for more than 25 years, beginning with the San Jose Mercury News as the nation's first daily high-tech reporter. His articles and editorials have appeared in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, the Economist and Fortune, and for two years he was a columnist for The New York Times. He was editor of Forbes ASAP, the world's largest-circulation business-tech magazine, at the height of the dot-com boom. Malone is the author or co-author of a dozen books, notably the best-selling "Virtual Corporation." Malone has also hosted three public television interview series, and most recently co-produced the celebrated PBS miniseries on social entrepreneurs, "The New Heroes." He has been the ABCNews.com "Silicon Insider" columnist since 2000.

On...Clint Eastwood

Is Clint Eastwood the man or what? 78 and still churning out movies. Changeling opens next week and Gran Torino in December. And I tell you what he's still a bad-ass at 78. Check out the Gran Torino trailer to see for yourself.

On...Not Knowing When To Zip It

The Pretty Boys (Or I thought the GOP was only full of old codgers like these Two)

I imagine it is very difficult for any presidential candidate to keep their old peers in line but the Obama camp needs to tell a few loudmouth congressmen to shut up or they are going to blow the whole deal. I know the Democrats are beside themselves with glee just thinking of the possibilities of a November windfall, but the deal isn't done yet and if they keep mouthing off they might just pull off the impossible and lose. The Democrats are known for pulling a loss out of the jaws of victory.

I speak of both John Murtha of PA and Barney Frank of MA.

Murtha's 'racist' and 'redneck' lines may cost him his seat and maybe even Pennsylvania for B.O. (wow I just realized that's Barack Obama's initials. Funny, in a juvenile way)

And Barney Franks' desire to cut 25% out of the defense budget in the first session of Congress and "eventually" raise taxes, which to a lot of liberals is probably a fine idea, but for a candidate already a little thin on military/foreign policy credentials and being hit with the tax and spend line this can't help much.

Even if it's the truth B.O. needs to tell them to stop talking (which they have probably done).

From ...George Weigel

Real quick post from Newsweek and Catholic Theologian George Weigel (Pope John Paul's biographer)

Flawed Thinking

Why pro-life Catholic intellectuals are wrong

On...Thanks to New Jersey

I really haven't had the chance to blog recently with parent conferences and a new baby and all so I will have to get back to Kristen B on the Hitchens/Buckley Obama endorsements and the definition of socialism (But everyone do check out Jeff P's comment on socialism if you get a chance).

But I want to give a big irrelevant thanks to New Jersey for being the state that has visited my McKinley Website the most. Since I have placed the Google Analytics tracking in my site on Oct 6th, I've had over 655 hits, with New Jersey (for some reason) leading the way with 70 visits. Go Garden State!

PS: The McKinley site waaaay out performs Trexler's Take with about 9x the visits per day. Oh well.

On...A Glimpse into the Future?

The Fourth Coming of the Nanny-State?

Last week I had a post about the next Presidency if Barack Obama is victorious along with a Democratic Super-Majority. Anything can happen in politics so of course this may not be the path.

The Wall Street Journal has written an article that clearly articulates what could possibly happen in the next year when New Deal 2.0 or The New New Deal or The New Great Society Deal comes to be.

When people talk of change and vote for change I really hope they know exactly what they they are voting for. My guess is that most Americans who will vote for Obama in November have little idea what is really coming down the pike. This is the overall issue that McCain should be hammering away at.

A LIBERAL SUPERMAJORITY

Get ready for 'change' we haven't seen since 1965, or 1933. (And I would also include the Progressive free-for-all of 1913 under Wilson)

POST-SCRIPT add 10/18/08: Finally McCain shows some gumption--McCain suggests Obama tax policies are socialist (FINALLY!)

On...Becoming Canadian under President McCain

Slate.com has just posted this public service video commercial just encase McCain wins in November.

From...Joel Stein

Ah, the sweet relief of humor

Joel Stein used to write for Entertainment Weekly, but now writes for the LA Times. Most of his editorials are focused on serious issues, but laced with humor and satire. (He's friends with Simpson writers!) Generally good stuff. He tends to make a lot of folks mad, which is always a good sign in my book--stir up the masses. He always pledges never to read his reader's email rants. And I'm not really sure what his political allegiance is, which is a pretty good position for a man of humor. If I had to guess I would say a right-center Democrat or Independent. Hey, you can't live in LA and be a Republican and walk around.

His latest is a little memo to the undecided voter entitled
Still undecided? Then just don't vote.

Other past gems include:

How to make fun of Obama, among the tips are such nuggets: He's a nerd, He's manorexic, and, his name is weird. (From July)

What's so bad about foreign oil?

&

He's got Obamaphilia, his insight back in February about the Cult of Obama. This was the article that got my attention.

On...Politics and the Economy

What's the Deal?

This is when I wished I was a real expert on the Great Depression. Is this what the average person felt in those lonely days of October (October eh?)? Did they not see the real pain coming? As of right now I know the market is tanking and everyone at the top is either running around foaming at the mouth or sprinting with their heads lobbed off while their head babbles on the ground. But, and I hate to use this term, Main Street has not yet felt the pains. Gas is tumbling, which is good. I bought $2.99 gas yesterday and it felt fantastic. Ford stock is below $2 a share and that seems like a real good deal. I assume many others in 1929 and 1930 might have felt the same way then looking at RCA stock. Ford can't go away can it? Not Ford. Buy low when everyone else is selling like Warren Buffett always states. Hmm. Should I? Or should everyone panic?

Panic would be really bad. Everyone must keep their head and believe in the system. Because if not, what is the alternative? It's not like the USA is the only one on the chopping block. We're all in this together. Even the Communists will get whacked to some degree. What I fear most is war, especially as oil prices drop. Sweet irony, eh? Iran, Russia, and Venezuela only stay above water because of oil money, but if that dries up will that make they more or less aggressive? They could take it out on their neighbors to prop up their failing regimes.

I hope the parallel goes no further. I can't wait to see my next 403b report, ouch! The last 5 years gone. I can't help but feel a little bad for the boomers who put most of their retirement eggs in the stock market. Let's see what comes next.

Post note: Both candidates should only talk about this situation. With all their advisers you can't tell me they can't lay out first the problem and second the possible solutions in a clear and succinct manner? And do it without fear or sophomoric hope? Whoever shows their resolve and calm on this issue will win the election.

Related Articles

*A Short Banking History of the United States: John Steele Gordon

When Fortune Frowned: The Economist

The End of American Capitalism: Washington Post

We Have the Tools to Manage the Crisis: Paul Volker, WSJ

Moment of Truth: Paul Krugman, NYT

Crisis Marks Out a New Geopolitical Order, Financial Times

On...The Next Administration-Democrat Style

President Obama?

Hugh Hewitt's piece on what an Obama presidency would look like got me thinking a bit. Most of it is a little too emotional (and right-wing wishful-thinking) for my taste but there was a core idea that I wanted to explore a little more.

Hewitt wrote:

The Left is planning for a huge sweep, and a big party, and...

Then what? Obama-Pelosi-Reid will not be able to resist the massive tax hikes that have lurked behind their every scheme for the past 28 years since Reagan wrested the government from the last group of statists. The unions have wanted protectionism since Bill Clinton signed on to NAFTA. The environmentalists want the sort of global warming regime that will not merely curb but positively punish economic growth, and the anti-nuclear reflex within the Democratic Party is so deep that while Obama can make a few noises about the need for new nuke plants, none would begin under his tenure. Obama said last night that we need new oil exploration off-shore. Does anyone really believe that will happen? Energy shortages would go from a predicament to a policy overnight.

High taxes, falling trade, declining energy use: These are the macro issues.

Now I find this very interesting on some levels, of course all this assumes a big win for Obama and solid growth in Congress for the Democrats. Chuck Schumer needs 9 big wins out of 12 for the Senate to be filibuster proof. If all that happens they have something. And the nation potentially has big problems. If Obama-Pelosi-Reid can work together. Luckily I don't think they can. [Excuse my emotionalism but Reid is a tool. I have no idea how he became Majority Leader]

The big question will be what type of president will Obama be. Is he the uniter? Bush ran on a very similar idea. Is he the centrist with the new ideas? If so please comment with some links as evidence, anyone. Or is he what the right-pundits like Hewitt fear, a statist with a good tailor and a smooth voice?

Let's go down Hewitt's list and then I want to add one of my own.

1) Taxes. I actually trust that we will see some sort of tax cut for the middle class. Obama has said this so much he has to at least try and the Dems in Congress will go for something. But at the same time they will make major changes elsewhere in the tax structure, i.e. raising them on the rich in numerous ways. I'm far from rich but the graduated income tax is and has been a gross inequality for almost a hundred years. That aside, can they raise taxes on investors and corporations (which simply passes them on to consumers via higher prices) without bursting our already unsound economic bubble? But without higher taxes Obama won't even begin to have the resources to fund any of the many plans he hopes to enlarge the powers and reach of the state i.e. universal health care.That will be a cherry on top. Can you imagine? Whew!


2) Protectionism. Now Obama has said quite a few things from each side of the issue. Who knows what he really thinks or how he will really act? My gut is he is not really a protectionist and only says these things to blindfold the Unions. Unions lust for tariffs. So he must lie to them and give them lip service, just like a politician (no change there). Tariffs are ridiculous and would be deadly to the economy. I hope Obama knows this. If Obama raises taxes and raises tariffs across the board I don't know how he gets re-elected.

3) Global Warming. I basically could repeat the last paragraph and replace Unions with environmentalists and tariffs with the numerous Green bills that could come and cripple our commercial and industrial capacity. If there is man-made global warming then it needs to be solved by private citizens and private corporations, not knee-jerk coercive reactions by big government that have dubious consequences in other areas (i.e. ethanol). I don't follow this issue enough so I really don't know what Obama-Pelosi-Reid would do. Probably a lot of pandering. Anyone?

4) Nuclear Power. The bottom line is this is the future. This has been the future for thirty years +, but we have sat on our collective hands on this one. Democrats and Republicans need to both get all over this and move now. Many in the GOP are getting on board. The Dems are too loosy-goosey on this one. Obama could make a difference if he believes in it. Drilling too. We'll see.

5) Foreign Policy. I'm adding this one because it is huge and since the war in Iraq has been doing well and the stock market not so much, most Americans have tuned it out even more so. There is too much to risk politically and militarily to pull out of Iraq. That's not going to happen. The moonbats will scream bloody murder, but Democrats have a way of being half-way responsible once in power. Destabilizing Iraq now at the brink of victory after so much struggle would simply be a crime. Also Obama would lose all credibility in the eyes of the military, especially the Petraeus and Odierno wing. Iraq probably will not be the glowing representation of democracy the idealistic Bush wanted but it can be a viable ally in the Middle East--along with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan a firm buffer against the desires and expansion of Iran.

As I'm writing this there is so much more: the Afgan-Paki War, North Korea, China, the old big Bear Russia. The next president will have his hands very full. Regardless what Obama's ads say, the next president (whoever it is) is serving Bush's third term, if they like it or not.

I certainly don't fear President Obama, history has taught me too much to be paranoid, but President McCain would make me sleep a little easier. We as a political people have elected two untried and untested presidents in a row. Both have turned out to be mediocre at best and divisive hacks at worse. We don't need to go for a third.

Postnote: Tying Obama to Ayers and all that is a dead-end. McCain is wasting his time with this type of attack.

On...The McKinley Assassination Historical Site

McKinley

Just letting everyone know about my other website, if you don't know already. I've fixed it up and corrected some errors (fixing dead links, centering issues, typos, etc). So if you have any interest in the Assassination of President William McKinley this is the place to go. It is currently the number one site of its kind on the web (at least according to Google). Take that Wikipedia! The link is below. I average over 30 hits a day, so that's over 10,000 hits a year. I too am surprised that that many people a year look up this event but there you have it.

The McKinley Assassination Historical Site

Enjoy!

On...The Future of Capitalism

Bailouts and Purges

If nothing else the whole bailout, stock market hiccup, etc is giving the nation a small economic lesson. Unfortunately the professor is a hungover drunk with a failing marriage and a hodgepodge degree in Marxist-Adam Smith tomfoolery. Which is the wonder of Economics. Nobody really knows much and everyone is tampering with the thing. Poking and prodding the carcass. Many suggest leaving it alone is best (see Joel Stein in LA Times), others praise the bailout (A Bill that Deserved to Pass), others look at the big picture and realize the painting has already been ripped off the museum wall and stuffed in a trunk. What is the common man to do? According to many of the political commercials they should be really scared and angry at Big Oil and Wal-Mart and Evil Banks. Ah, the 1930s all over again.

I myself am not astute enough in economics to make real observations that I feel are accurate at this point, and I don't like chasing black swans, but anyone else is free to get a dialogue going on that. But I do have the sense that old systems are shifting and the capitalists are running to the socialists in government for security.

Our politicians should have done what the founders have always suggested--do nothing rash. Sit on it, let our passions cool, then make formative decisions. The bailout bill was a total rejection of Enlightenment coolness of mind. It was a panic-filled free-for-all and buy-off. Instead using logic, we are further blending the state and the market in an orgy of passion and fear. The trudge towards the socialist twilight is usually not a good thing. It puts too much power in too few of hands, especially politician and bureaucrat's hands. We will take a further step in that direction is Barack Obama wins and a Democratic congress injects an European health care system into our bloodstream. If our economy is truly on the brink like so many doom and gloom pundits believe, this will be a potentially troubling move. I tend to be an optimist and believe it is hard to bring down a $14 trillion economy, but universal health care should not be in the cards at this moment (if ever).

I also want to say the whole Wall Street vs. Main Street simplicity is juvenile. Us versus Them. Nice. I love how the populists use the term Main Street as a good thing. They might want to check out where the term really came from--Sinclair Lewis' Main Street (1920). A scathing satire on the idiocy and backwardness of small town life. Clinging to guns and God fits the Main Street motif nicely. But oh, the wisemen will come and show them the light. Fun stuff. Further discussion on the impact the economy is having on the working class can be found in Ross Douthat's new blog posting HERE

Jacob Weisberg from Slate.com has a interesting dissection of the labeling of our new economic arrangement. The article sortof jumpstarted this blog.

Also two excellent economic websites are RealClearMarkets and The Skeptical Optimist.

On...Entertainment News

Captain America, Tron 2, Dracula, Harry Potter, and 500 Best Films of All Time
What do they have in common? Well, not much besides there's news about each of them this time around.
Just some bits from the world of entertainment:

Captain America: Brief story on the plot for the new feature film The First Avenger

Interview with Jeff Bridges: And yes, Tron 2 does come up.

The Un-Dead: The official sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula will be hitting the bookstores.

Harry Potter Pics: This site has their hands on a few stills from the upcoming (delayed) film.

Also the British Entertainment Magazine, Empire, has posted their list of the Top 500 films of all time.

On...Poetry: The Haywain

Background on The Haywain and Bosch

The following poem I'm pretty proud of. It is inspired by the 15th century Triptych by Hieronymus Bosch. A triptych is a three-paneled painting usually used as an altar piece during the Renaissance. Bosch was a Dutch painter of the High Renaissance or Late Gothic period. The Triptych was painted sometime between 1485 and 1490. He is known for his surreal and shocking images that are usually loaded with symbolism, especially Christian symbolism. Sin and punishment tends to be a central theme to his surviving paintings. He is best known for his monstrous images of Hell.

The Haywain is based on an old Flemish proverb, "The earth is a haystack, and each man plucks what he can." The metaphor is pretty clear. We all grasp and struggle for temporal things and relish in sin, which leads to damnation. But if we just slow down and cast our eyes above, Christ and salvation is just not within reach but all around us.

So my poem goes along with the Triptych. Having some background to the painting I feel heightens its power. Pictured above is the center painting of the Haywain. I couldn't find a complete pic large enough to give the whole triptych justice so I have not shown the whole painting. The smaller painting on the left is an image of Heaven and the right is an image of Hell.

The Haywain
by Mark A Trexler

Each obsessed with earthly gain
All piled in battle upon the wain.
Gold and silver clutched in hands
Jewels and silks and emerald bands.

In Heaven above Christ's eternal love soars
Ridiculed below by atheists and whores.
All snatching and hoarding what they can
Ignorant of the crucified savior of man.

Avarice hearts and fastidious clothes
Cannot compare with wine and loaves.
Turn from sin and redemption seek.
Salvation for the just and meek.

Fall to your knees and hold the righteous way
All these earthly riches, nothing more than hay.

From...Education Next:The Early Education of Our Next President

Here's a link to an article from the education journal, Education Next that breaks down the early schooling of McCain and Obama. There is also a pretty neat chart that shows every Prez since Lincoln and their pre-college education. Enjoy

The Early Education of Our Next President
by Peter Meyer

On...100 Years of Futility

100 Years of Futility

Well, there's no joy in Chi-town or anywhere else lurks a forsaken Cubs fan. After obtaining the best record in the National League and securing their second straight Central Division title, the 2008 version of the Chicago Cubs have been swept out of the playoffs. Being at Wrigley Field this summer there seemed to be a sense that this year might be different. We could do it. Lesson learned.

That lingering sensation was hope and for better or worse it springs eternal. There's the ancient cliche of wait till next year. Well, it's tough to wait until next year. Actually its quite tedious. I've loved the Cubs for a long time, but now after your heart is broken for so long and the years blend and fade together there really can't quite be the same longing. (1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008 all failed attempts to even get to the World Series during my lifetime.) And now they have lost 9 straight playoff games dating back to 2003 when they were up 3-1 on the Marlins and needed only one more win to reach the Series. Nothing but blundering baseball since.

I for one didn't feel like this was the year. Yes, the Cubs played really well and it was the arbitrary 100 years since the last championship but it didn't seem to be in the cards. I wasn't even that excited about the prospect of the playoffs this year like I was for the Indians last year. There was a lack of passion in my soul or the dead-eye stare of people who have been through all this before. It was like a date with an ex-girlfriend that you know is just going to turn out bad.

So the Cubs fell apart, dismantled by the Trolley Dodgers (LA-style) and their own ineptitude (walks, errors, no timely hitting, you know stuff that wins championships). There wasn't even time to get excited. 100 years for the Cubs, 60 for the Indians. How on earth did I get put in this position? I have to make sure my daughter roots for a team that actually wins it all once in a lifetime.

Time to pull the plug

I've said it before and I stand by it now. There should be a clause in Major League Baseball that says if you can't win a championship ONE TIME in 100 years then you need to pack up the franchise and put it on the shelf. That's it for the Cubs. I've loved them since I've been 8 and cried on the deacon's bench out front of my parents house when they lost game 5 against the Padres in '84, but enough's enough. Put the Cubs in Cooperstown, keep Wrigley Field, and start anew. New colors, new history, new mascot. The Chicago Grays or The Chicago Americans or The Chicago Riot, anything. Start over. Most Cubs fans will disagree with this blasphemy and it will never happen but I think it needs to be considered. The Cubs and their curse or whatever should be banished to the dustbin of history. It is time to move on, really.

So until next year, Go Cubbies.

From...A Glimpse into China's Slave Empire

When 1 billion slaves isn't enough.

This is a powerful article on China's mad dash into Africa and the Hell and slavery they are bringing with it. Journalist Peter Hitchens was extremely fortunate to live and tell his tale of brutality, greed, and a dark glimpse of the 19th century come to roost in the 21st.

How China has created a new slave empire in Africa by Peter Hitchens From The Daily Mail/UK

On...David Foster Wallace

This post is not about the recent debate that currently is the blogosphere's hot topic. It is about an author I was not aware of until his recent death. But since his death I have encounter numerous articles about him. [see below]And I'm intrigued. Perhaps it's his death or perhaps the high regard the articles lay about his fresh grave. The name did ring a bell, but that was it.

Again the amount of novels and films and music our culture produces is immense and continuous and much of it is sludge at the bottom of a contaminated lake. So ultimately I'm not surprised that I miss some of the good stuff, especially in the world of fiction, which I find the hardest area of the culture to really keep up with. This is doubly sad as I consider myself a writer and hopefully will be able to add to the cultural richness of American letters (and not the sludge part, though I guess that's not all bad either).

His defining novel (he only wrote 2), Infinite Jest, is huge (over 1000 pages) and since I haven't tackled Thomas Pynchon yet (except for the novella The Crying of Lot 49) I'm not sure I will be getting around to it any time soon. Though his collection of short stories is definitely on my target list. So little time to absorb the good stuff and create your own.

So what's the point of all this? I guess the point of this blog is simply recognition of a life, even an invisible life. Billions of people making a go at the good life. So few make a mark. It doesn't have to be writing or sports or any of the tangibles. And ultimately I don't know if Wallace achieved that, perhaps not. Suicides I feel are not posterchilds of the good life. But for others to "know thyself" we have to examine each of the dark corners of this world, even the invisible one's, which are certainly the hardest to breakdown. Maybe someone will find a lesson, no matter how small in looking at one man's work and struggle. So here's to spreading a little more knowledge about the invisible life in our quest to achieving the good life.

The Rest is Silence by Julian Gough from Prospect. She makes some interesting points, especially about the crippling embrace of academia and teaching in general.

Legacy by Entertainment Weekly, where I first discovered DFW.

Collection of Articles and Stories from Harper's to sample his prose.

On...Weird Al

Didn't think I'd post on Weird Al ever, but Wired has pretty nice piece on his career and influence in musical satire. He does have a new album coming out soon. Can't wait. :)

Click HERE for the article and numerous YouTube clips of his career.

Adding...Ross Douthart

I've added Atlantic commentator Ross Douthart to my list of bloggers. I've enjoyed a number of his recent posts on the election and baseball. So consider him worthy. His September 25th post "The Election about Nothing" I feel sums up quite a lot about the election going into tonight's debate.

From...Andrew Klaven

The final segment from Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson and his interview with novelist Andrew Klaven (Empire of Lies, True Crime). It's eight minutes of discussion on The Dark Knight, George W Bush, ridicule, the role of the artist in society, the suburbs, and being cool. Just sharing the cool.

HERE

On...The Value of Education

I would be interested if anyone has any views on this debate, the attached article focuses mainly on the English College system, but can be applied to the US college system as well.

The following is the main focus article.

Making it pay

Sep 18th 2008
From The Economist print edition

Is a university degree still worth the time and money it takes?

The Article from the Economist is HERE. Also there are a number of really good comments made by others, which is shocking since most comments from readers are inane, emotional, or highly political. Perhaps the Economist has a higher grade of reader. Some of the better ones are these--What People Make III, PROF, and, Market Failure. I'm sure there's more.