A Small Wager

Amber and I have a bet on. I have bet her $50 that she can't find an adult who will honestly say they wish they had studied less while in school.

My confidence in winning this bet is bolstered by the fact that Amber seems to think that her teachers will be a good place to go to get the anti-studying message.

More Questionble Media

The Oregon Daily Emerald (my source for news to know) ran a sports article today by Josh Norris calling for the immediate dismissal of Michael Vick from the NFL. He is alleged to be heavily involved in a dog fighting ring. I was, at first, ready to dismiss the author's claim that Vick's actions were more heinous than anyone else's in the NFL (remembering here that Ray Lewis helped kill a guy), but I was convinced.

What Vick has allegedly done is breed these pit bulls, otherwise capable of being gentle and loving, for no other purpose than to later watch them rip into each others' throats for hours on end with the inevitable result being death, either by a shotgun blast outside of the dogfighting arena or through a more merciful injection of euthanasia when it is determined the dog can no longer fight.

But then Norris had to take it too far and ruin the whole thing.

Even worse, money is allegedly bet on these dogs. Not a couple of hundred dollars, either. As reported by Dohrmann, among others, a source familiar with Vick and what goes on at his house says that Vick was "one of the heavyweights" of dogfighting and that sometimes the purses surrounding the fights reach as high as $10,000.

I'm not sure how the betting of a collective $10,000 is worse than raising a dog to kill or be killed, and I am almost sure that Norris didn't mean this either, but Christ, how about a little editing?

Ruben Watch Part 1

Hey all, the Register Guard is running a new (to us) columnist out of the San Diego Tribune I think in lieu of Jonah Goldberg. He's already driving me crazy, so I thought I'd share.

Today Ruben tackles immigration reform. He's for it:

This legislation represents an intricate give-and-take. The fact that the right and the left each found plenty to love and hate in this agreement attests to its fairness. No one got the better of anyone. And that's a good thing.

I love this line of argument. I say anything that splits the line between moderate and crazy right-wing must be fair! There's no right or wrong, only compromise!

He loves the guest worker program. Why? Because there are just some jobs Americans won't do. Now, you are probably familiar with this line. Bean picking, bed making, programing computers, these are jobs Americans just won't do. You may also be familiar with some of the counter arguments citing statistics about unemployment, stagnant wages, etc. I won't bore you with them because Ruben doesn't bore you with them. He gets right to the source of the straight dope...the small business owner, or, better yet, someone who knows a small business owner.

A reader in Vermont wrote that his neighbors are "making a big deal about the illegals working in the dairy farms" and "claim that they are taking their jobs." Yet, the reader noted, "the dairy farmers claim no one here wants to work on dairy farms."

Cow milking is not the only job 'mericans won't do. We also won't wash dishes. Not even for unheard of wages.

The same goes for those who own and manage restaurants, said the woman who called into a radio show I was on recently. She said she hired illegal immigrants at what she considered a good wage -- $15 per hour -- because she couldn't find Americans who wanted to be cooks or dishwashers.

Now you may be thinking, "Holy fuck! I would have been happy to wash dishes for twice the minimum wage when I was younger." That was you and me, my friend, and were of a different generation than these young folks today. Made of hardier stock we were. Getting the young to put out for twice the minimum (or three times the federal) just doesn't happen any more.

As for those jobs that Americans won't do, they're everywhere in this economy -- especially if you're talking about young Americans. This generation of 20-somethings was raised to have high self-esteem, to choose careers they love, to get plenty of education and to value their time. Many have no interest in being hired hands.... a work force full of people who act like they're doing you a favor by working for you. Numerous employers tell me that this arrogance applies even to low-skilled workers, the very folks that some Democrats say will be hurt by a guest worker program.

Now, I reach back into the memory banks to my time as an undergrad and I seem to recall something about the invisible hand of the market. As I remember, it solves all problems. In this case, it would seem that if employers have trouble finding employees to work for them at a certain wage, the solution would be to raise wages until the employer could attract the number of employees that they need. But I guess I misremember. Apparently, if you can't attract employees at a certain wage, import them, deny them political agency, then ship them back. No wonder I got a 'D' in that class.

So what is the solution to the problem of these arrogant low-skilled workers?

I suggested to the commerce secretary that the message we ought to be giving the low-skilled is to stop blaming others for their problems and go get more skills. He agreed.

"If there is one piece of advice you can give people today," Gutierrez said, "it is to increase your skills. And do it every single year. It's not a matter of doing it once like before and you're set. ... The bottom line is that when you have more skills, you're making more money. ... It could be a vocational skill. It could be an electricians' skill. It could be the skill to fix air conditioners. Something. But you need to have skills."

I assume these skills could be picked up at your local community college. Where you could learn about the free market.

What's Your Fantasy?

This pretty much says it all.

And immediately after reading this, I check my team and start pumping my fist because Torii (yes, with two eyes) Hunter hits a double driving home runs 3 and 4 against my friend Kevin Maier's pitcher. Too bad for him, so good for me.

Fantasy baseball is especially hard when you're competing against friends. Normally a major topic of conversation around the office, things get awkward when one of us is smashing the tar out of another of us.

Political Prognosticating

I'd watch out for Newt. And that Fred Thompson really seems to have some mo. Both are probably wise to skip the debates. I can't imagine how having debates this early will help any of the candidates. I still believe that everyone will grow very tired of the "I was there on 9-11" schtick that Guilliani is running on. McCain is over, right?

Savy

When I suggested that Steve Novick should have a slogan like "Let's give Gordon Smith
the hook," the looks I received from my dinner companions were not supportive. I offer this and a "fuck you" to your horrified, condescending looks:

You can make it up to me by giving this guy $25.

A Little Hope

This is from the UMass Graduate School graduation last Friday. Former Bush Chief-of-Staff Andy Card was receiving an honorary degree in public service. The faculty and students let the admin know what they think.



I am amazed by what was pulled off here and a hardy hats off to our brothers and sisters at UMass and in GEO. This video has to be proof positive about the disconnect between university administrators and the faculty of our universities.

Wisdom from the Net

The YouTubes has taught me that the opposite of "funny" is "gay."

So Painfully Awesome

Two Space War

It is six hundred years in the future and mankind has learned to move between the stars . . . by going into Two-Space, the vast realm where sentient wooden ships travel beneath canvas sails in a universe that is corrosive to technology.

As they charged headlong into the galaxy, humans discovered others who were already there: The elven Sylvans who live in the vast forests of low-gravity worlds, the dwarven Dwarrowdelf who thrive deep in the mines of high-gravity worlds, and other, far more alien races. The ancient Sylvan race is enchanted by the human culture, embracing Tolkien as prophecy and taking classic human science fiction as a guide.

Against this stellar backdrop, Lt. Thomas Melville's ship is mortally wounded in a cowardly surprise attack. With his captain killed, Melville must capture a feral, sentient enemy ship, then must fight his way across the galaxy to warn of the vast invading armada. In an odyssey of turmoil and battle he forges his ship and crew into a mighty weapon of war and earns the love of an alien princess.

Now, if he can only survive the attacks of two very angry alien empires, and avoid being court martialed by his own nation of Westerness for getting them involved in a vast intergalactic war, he might live to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dave Grossman is a retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel, West Point Psychology Professor, Professor of Military Science, Army Ranger, and lifelong SF fan. He started his military career as a paratrooper and a sergeant before attending OCS. Colonel Grossman is the author of the Pulitzer nominated book, On Killing, which is used as required reading in courses at military academies, police academies, and colleges worldwide. He has written many other scholarly and popular works, and since his retirement from the military in 1998, he now travels the world almost 300 days a year, training elite military and law enforcement organizations.

Besides Leo Frankowskis popular Cross-Time Engineer series for Del Rey, which has gone through six novels to date, with frequent reprintings and translated editions in Italy, Spain, and Poland, he has written the novels A Boy and His Tank,The Fata Morgana and Conrads Time Machine for Baen. Frankowski was nominated for the John W. Campbell award for best new writer. His occupations have ranged from scientist in an electro-optical research lab to chief engineer to company president. His work in chemical and optical instrumentation has earned him several patents. Currently a writer and consulting engineer, he lives in with his new Russian wife and teenage daughter in Tver, Russia.

Mark Your Calendar

Today is National Missing Child Day, so if you know a missing child, be sure to call 'em up and say "hey."

I Joined a Union Today (Oh, Boy)

I am again a union member, having joined the IWW. Did I do this because I have come to believe that, in my heart, I am truly an anarcho-syndicalist? Those who know me know that the answer is a "no." One, I don't have the patience to try to figure out what exactly that might mean and, two, I can't believe that any political philosophy is quite expansive enough to encompass both post-modern and Victorian Dave. Even one that tries as hard as anarcho-syndicalism.

I was attracted to the IWW in a general knowledge/historical affection/want to join a union that is not AFT, but have no other options-type way. I read up on their current philosophy and could find little to disagree with in this section of their One Big Union philosophical statement. Those of us advocating for an organizing model approach to unionism should admire the following:

* The job is the only place where you can win your demands.
* Organization does not just happen; it is made to happen. Do your part.
* The person next to you should be in the union. Have you tried?
* The I.W.W. is practical. Let people know about it.
* Union literature in your pocket is lying idle. Take it out and put it to work.
* If every Wobbly gets a new Wobbly every month, we would have a 4 hour day in a year.
* If meetings aren't being held in your locality, you can arrange them.
* The activity of the rank and file, and not the "leaders," will advance the cause of labor.
* Don't send for a delegate when you can do it yourself.
* One who fears is enslaved. To understand the I.W.W. is to know that industrial unionism will guarantee your protection.
* Even on a job that can't be unionized for now there is always something that can be improved, and collective action can lay the ground work for later organizing.
* The strength of workers lies in solidarity.

As far as I can tell, the IWW advocates for all the things "we" advocate for, so i joined up for a six-month stint. I have even pledged to myself to try to go to meetings, even though I know that they'll be dominated by Old-Left Johnson and his merry band of hippies/marxists. I will, of course, keep you all informed.

Oh yeah, you, too, should join the IWW.

Links

Hey all,

Mike recently linked to a Kentucky labor blog. It occur to me that there may be many, many small labor-related blogs out there worth reading. Can you post your favs in the comments section and, assuming this goes well, I'll put 'em up as a section in my links.

Bye, Bye Wolfie

Bush on Wolfowitz:

"I regret that it has come to this."

Major League II, et al

Why are the Indians playing the White Sox at Camden Yards?

Why is CNN doing a show about Asian stereotypes where the question is asked, "When are Asian actresses going to stop taking stereotypical roles in movies ans on tv? When are they going to say, 'no, I want to play a mainstream role'?" and the questioner was not beaten challenged.

More GOP

McCain just asserted that everyone knows that the number one issue that the next President will deal with is the rise of extreme fundamental Islam. Sounds like bs to me. You?

Has Tommy Thompson seen himself lately? Would he vote for a guy that looks like that?

Thanks Jeebus the Dems got the hell out of the Fox debate. The moderators are attacking the candidates more than they are each other.

The respect for life is what makes us unique as Americans. Islamic jihadists celebrate death. Theirs is a culture of death. -- Mike Huckabee

From the GOP Debate

"Congress spends money like John Edwards at a beauty salon."

GOP Debate

It's pretty fun to watch the Republicans tear into each other. Seriously, it's pretty hilarious, as long as you don't take them seriously.

I've learned that 9-11 was not caused because of US intervenionalism, as one guy bravely suggested, but rather because "it is a part of their religion" to attack us.

Also, Rudy and Mitt would do "whatever it takes" to get information from terrorists, except torture. "Anything it takes........except torture." All of them have to say "except torture," because McCain is there. Now McCain is firing back. And I've got to go organizing. :(

And does Gulianni really think he can become President by linking every damn thing to 9-11? Really?

Day 2

I can't really blog about what I am doing, as for some reason there is a total kibosh on, although I think half of Oregon knows what we're doing, but two quick things...

I don't hate organizing.

White Hunter, Black Heart is on and I love this freaking movie.

Good News, Bad News

I am away, in an unnamed town, working on a project for an unnamed group that is not my beloved GTFF. I've only just arrived and I have a status update.

I am staying at a Comfort Inn. The hotel has certain interesting features, but I have stayed in worse. A certain hotel in Detroit comes to mind, but since a friend of mine has strenuously implied that any criticism of this particular hotel amounts to racism, I will leave it at that.

The hotel sits in the middle of a strip mall, a veritable ocean of concrete and food on the fast and cheap. A Taco Bell sits next door and across the expanse of blacktop I see a restaurant that proudly displays "Buffet" on its signage. What promises to be gut-busting Chinese sits across the way.

There is no Versus in the hotel, so no hockey for me, unless I wander out. I have basketball playoffs, but, meh. I do have two HBO channels and Showtime, so I guess that's something. 'Course, there's a movie theatre in the blackness, but Lord only knows what's playing and when. I did bring my own entertainment enhancers, so that may be an option.

I have wireless access and it seems plentiful, so much blogging can be done (lucky you).

Oh yeah, I keep forgetting. There's a casino in this town. As I was driving in, I saw a bowling alley and thought to myself, "there's something to do," but then I remembered there's a freakin' casino about a mile down the road. Tomorrow night is a $100 poker tourney. I think that my time will largely be my own, but blowing off the first night of home visits for some hot poker action might be frowned upon.

On a side note, how sad is it that my decision on what to do at night might come down to which activity I feel less awkward about: organizing, which I nominally do for a living, or going to a casino. Those that know me well will already be well aware of my fear of casinos. Well, not casinos per se, but engaging in any activity that I don't already know how to do. Let's find out what happens.

Alright, since I'm already contemplating heading down to the casino before tonight's meeting, I can guess which will win out. Will my bank account hold out?

Can't wait for my friend to get here.

Let's Organize 'Em!

Gold farming...discuss

Sound as a Pound

You don't freak the monkey. You freak Dr. Quarters.

The Progressive

Does anybody know the magazine The Progressive? I picked up the May issue because I wanted something to read during lunch and it promised me an article about the WalMart and Andy Stern "Health Care Fix." Unfortunately, the article is 50% about the current health care crisis (I guess people who read TP don't know these things), 24% about how some people on the "left" think Andy has gone crazy, 24% about how some people on the right think WalMart has gone crazy, and 2% about the "health care fix." Okay, 2% might be pushing it. I know that it's not "single-payer," it's "government run" and I know that business would never go for those two things, but that's about all I know. Tantalizingly, the article mentions that the AFL-CIO executive committee recently endorsed "Medicaid for all" and that this has gotten no press play, but then it is given no more press play. So essentially TP, and the rest of the American press, seems to think that the largest labor federation in the US comes out in favor of single-payer government-run health care equals *yawn*, but a labor splinter group allies with big business to propose more of the same equals cover story.

Of course, what comes through loud-and-clear is the ambivalence/fear/hope people like the people who write for/read TP have for Andy Stern. Here is a guy that proclaims loudly that he is going to change the labor movement in America! Organize women! Minorities! Democracy! Alliances with business! Private health insurance for all! Unions concerned about the shareholders! Globalization is here to stay! Secret deals with nursing homes! I've already decided how I feel about this guy, I sense other people are coming around.

Who The Hell Else Would It Be About?

The first time I've made the You Tubes.

I Blame Barney, As Well

Truth from a online gambling blog:

Every opinion poll known to mankind confirms American families believe Frist has failed miserably in leading his party in the Senate. Undeterred, he still believes government needs to be the caretaker of your family. You are too dim-witted to know online gambling is the greatest affront to the American family since that effeminate dinosaur Barney started emasculating our children thanks to tax supported PBS.

!Emosewa

I'm not sure this helps. 'S part of a campaign being run by ??? in order to use the hip technologies to reach out to the kids. Because, you know, they desperately want to be part of a middle-class family.



or as the Descendents said it:

For Those Keeping Score

I have a new guru.

We Could Take It Back Up

Too bad we all quit smoking because this is awesome.

One of these days we'll all have to have a discussion about unions, America, and love. Not today though.

Uh Oh

This little bit of news is bad for those of us on the left of the labor movement.

It's Not Much

You know what I want for my fucking birthday?

I want a white 1964 Plymouth Belvedere with the license plate "M. Falcon" with a bumper sticker that reads "No mystical energy field controls my destiny."

Lil' Baby AB

So Amber asks me the other day, "Can you inherit weirdness?"
To which I reply, "Do you mean is 'weirdness' genetic?"
She says, "Yeah, is it in your genes?"
I say, "No. I think it's environment on that one."
Amber again, "You mean it's, like, learned."
As I was saying "yeah," she kind of realized that she's fucked both ways.

She was cleaning the racks to the oven and when she was done she asks me if she should just put them back in the oven. I said, "Sure, what else would you do with them?" She says, "Well I didn't know. I thought they might cause a fire or something as they dry."

Amber let's me know she hates the new floor.
"I hate the new floor," she says. "It's too slick."
"Slicker than what?" I ask.
"Slicker than everybody else's floor," she relates.
I ask, "How would you know? Do you go over to your friends' houses and stand around admiring their floors?"
"No," she says, " I look at their silverware and ovens, but not the floors."

One for the Ages

What if Tuition Waiver and Health Care were to battle it out for the title of "Most Important Benefit of Being a GTF"?

That would be a titan clash!

R.I.P Tom Poston

Sorry for being a day late with this.

NJ in the House!

Alright!

Empirical Hockey (Updated)

The Sabres were robbed last night. With 13.4 seconds left, they put in the tying goal against NY, only to have it disallowed. I will give the NHL credit, they review every close play at the net and often take a significant amount of time doing it. They try their best to get it right and I havn't heard a single peep about how technology is ruining the game, a la football. Now on this goal, the NHL get sit wrong, but they get it wrong because the NHL doesn't believe in science.

The video below is the best footage I could find of the goal.



Here's the thing. In the NHL, there has to be conclusive video evidence that the entire puck has crossed the line. As almost everyone commenting on the game admitted, given the angle of the camera and the momentum of the puck as the keeper's pad goes over it, it is easy to conclude that the puck went over the line. BUT, you cannot "conclude" that the puck went over the line. There has to be a picture of it going over the line, or you "can't know for sure."

So, the NHL, apparently, lives in a purely empirical world where observation is everything and deduction is nothing. Apparently, we "can't know for sure" because geometry is still pretty suspect and logic stops at the blue line.

UPDATE: Yes, yes, feel free to comment on the hair of the commentator, Ginger can't get enough of it.