A Dog Named Kyoto has a collection of winners from "The Sky's Not Falling" essay contest, in which mere children debunk the theory of global climate warming change. My favorite? This gem:
If Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth," is suitable for teaching about climatology, then Alfred Hitchcock's film the "The Birds," is a good candidate for teaching ornithology.
What? birds don't intentionally fly into windows head first, just to kill some humans?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Distractions
The noticeably diminished post rate will likely continue while we deal with the passing of Louie's dad. In the meantime, Yours Truly gets a little play at the Chisago County GOP blog. And in response, I will say only, "You're Welcome."
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Wild Are Sucking
Wild lose 3-2. I can hardly stand it. They worked so hard to get here and they get down 2-1 in the third and just give up.
It's not popular to say, but Marian Gaborik is playing like crap. And, does Eric Belanger have a religious objection to taking a wrist shot? If I have to watch him turn and wind up in tight quarters, only to see the puck poked away, I...I...damnit! Rolston seems determined to shoot everything into Avs' defenders' pads.
They pass when they should shoot, shoot when they should pass.
They're going to lose this series, I think. What a disappointment that will be after the work they put in to get the high seed.
It's not popular to say, but Marian Gaborik is playing like crap. And, does Eric Belanger have a religious objection to taking a wrist shot? If I have to watch him turn and wind up in tight quarters, only to see the puck poked away, I...I...damnit! Rolston seems determined to shoot everything into Avs' defenders' pads.
They pass when they should shoot, shoot when they should pass.
They're going to lose this series, I think. What a disappointment that will be after the work they put in to get the high seed.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Ha Ha, Rube
I had planned to post on how well the Wild are playing right now at some point today. But, why bother? If you want to know how well the Wild are playing, read the latest from Denver Post cry-baby columnist Mark Kiszla:
The only good thing that can be said about Minnesota's 3-2 overtime victory against Colorado was the game lasted so deep into the night that it ended past the bedtime of most kids who could be frightened by the way the Wild mauls all the beauty from the sport.
He must have missed the third period and overtime, when the Wild skill players totally dominated the Avs.
In Kiszla's tiny mind, the Wild are supposed to leave poor, banged-up Peter Forsberg alone because...well...he's banged up. (Note to Wild: Forsberg's hurt! Go get him!) I hope the Denver Post verified Kiszla was actually talking about hockey here. The way he describes it, it sounds more like badminton.
If hockey were about beauty and grace, it would be the ballet and we'd all bring tiny, decorative binoculars to the game and golf clap. This game is about scoring goals, something the Wild have done better than the Avs so far.
Maybe someday Kiszla will get his way and we'll all celebrate the team that looks the best while losing. Until then, excellence will have to be determined the old-fashioned way...the final score.
The only good thing that can be said about Minnesota's 3-2 overtime victory against Colorado was the game lasted so deep into the night that it ended past the bedtime of most kids who could be frightened by the way the Wild mauls all the beauty from the sport.
He must have missed the third period and overtime, when the Wild skill players totally dominated the Avs.
In Kiszla's tiny mind, the Wild are supposed to leave poor, banged-up Peter Forsberg alone because...well...he's banged up. (Note to Wild: Forsberg's hurt! Go get him!) I hope the Denver Post verified Kiszla was actually talking about hockey here. The way he describes it, it sounds more like badminton.
If hockey were about beauty and grace, it would be the ballet and we'd all bring tiny, decorative binoculars to the game and golf clap. This game is about scoring goals, something the Wild have done better than the Avs so far.
Maybe someday Kiszla will get his way and we'll all celebrate the team that looks the best while losing. Until then, excellence will have to be determined the old-fashioned way...the final score.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A Well Kept Secret
Just a reminder that there is plenty of action at the U-Blog, where Obama idiocy is getting plenty of play. Also, see the blog homepage for the rapidly expanding blog roster. As the in-house blog advocate, it has given me great satisfaction to see the role go from two to eleven, and still counting.
Discover what MisterC already knows. Stop on by.
Discover what MisterC already knows. Stop on by.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Limbo
Scroo-Loo's dad is still not doing well. We have been back and forth to United Hospital so many times in the last week I've lost count. Scroo-Loo has spent, I think, two nights at home out of the last seven.
How incongruous it was yesterday evening, leaving the hospital depressed and feeling hopeless, to see all those cheery Wild fans making their way to what would turn out to be a great game. (Yes, that's as close as I'm going to get to hockey blogging. Sorry.)
It seems like, when we're at the hospital, nothing happens. Of course the minute you decide to come home the calls start pouring in and everything starts happening at once.
I did get a chance to chat with Scroo-Loo's dad yesterday. It's the first time I've seen him awake since he was admitted and, for that matter, since our last social visit well before Christmas. Despite everything he is in good spirits and gave me a wonderful laugh when I told him he had to get better because the Democrats were going to need every vote they can get this fall.
He does seem determined to hang in there until Scoo-Loo's brother returns from Kosovo this summer, but I don't know. You put on the brave face, tell him you'll be back to visit in a couple of days when he's feeling better, and then you go sit alone in the bathroom and weep.
Something has to give here. When it breaks, we can only hope it breaks the right way.
How incongruous it was yesterday evening, leaving the hospital depressed and feeling hopeless, to see all those cheery Wild fans making their way to what would turn out to be a great game. (Yes, that's as close as I'm going to get to hockey blogging. Sorry.)
It seems like, when we're at the hospital, nothing happens. Of course the minute you decide to come home the calls start pouring in and everything starts happening at once.
I did get a chance to chat with Scroo-Loo's dad yesterday. It's the first time I've seen him awake since he was admitted and, for that matter, since our last social visit well before Christmas. Despite everything he is in good spirits and gave me a wonderful laugh when I told him he had to get better because the Democrats were going to need every vote they can get this fall.
He does seem determined to hang in there until Scoo-Loo's brother returns from Kosovo this summer, but I don't know. You put on the brave face, tell him you'll be back to visit in a couple of days when he's feeling better, and then you go sit alone in the bathroom and weep.
Something has to give here. When it breaks, we can only hope it breaks the right way.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Oil For Security Program
Must...not...steal...Glenn...Reynolds...literary...device. (But it's so ingenious.) Shouldn't...use..it. (It fits so perfectly though.) Can't....stop..my...self. (Oh go for it.):
They said if George Bush went into Iraq, it would be for oil.
And they were right!
(I feel much better now.)
They said if George Bush went into Iraq, it would be for oil.
And they were right!
(I feel much better now.)
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Taylor Gets the Nod
The Chisago County GOP blog is announcing that Don Taylor has been received the endorsement of the party to run against Rep. Jeremy Kalin this fall.
Taylor's Web site has yet to note the endorsement, but does have this from the candidate:
"There is a huge difference between the present representative and me. As a life-long Republican, the citizens of this county can count on me to be honest, to listen to their needs, to uphold the Republican platform and to always conduct myself as a gentleman. I will always remember that I represent the hardworking citizens of Chisago County. I will strive to make you proud that you chose me as your representative."
Them's fightin' words, and good to hear. It's going to take a strong candidate to be up for, and responsive to, the hyper-sensitive, word bending, tax and spend, and often less than honest Kalin camp.
For those of you in District 17B looking to put a stop to the endless tax increases that have resulted from Kalin and the current DFL majority, Taylor promises to be welcome relief. Give him a look.
Taylor's Web site has yet to note the endorsement, but does have this from the candidate:
"There is a huge difference between the present representative and me. As a life-long Republican, the citizens of this county can count on me to be honest, to listen to their needs, to uphold the Republican platform and to always conduct myself as a gentleman. I will always remember that I represent the hardworking citizens of Chisago County. I will strive to make you proud that you chose me as your representative."
Them's fightin' words, and good to hear. It's going to take a strong candidate to be up for, and responsive to, the hyper-sensitive, word bending, tax and spend, and often less than honest Kalin camp.
For those of you in District 17B looking to put a stop to the endless tax increases that have resulted from Kalin and the current DFL majority, Taylor promises to be welcome relief. Give him a look.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
80s Not So Bad After All
GD3 and I just sat through all five hours of VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" (yes, I'm serious). Remarkably, she recognized almost every one of the songs. A good portion of that can be attributed to her obsession with Adam Sandler movies, but still; she wasn't born until 1995.
Perhaps it's bias, but most modern rock/pop seems so incredibly forgettable, while so many of songs from the 1980s survived quite nicely. Prince's "Kiss," U2's "With or Without You," The Pretenders "Brass in Pocket," Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane," Hall and Oates "I Can't Go For That," Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll," and Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," among many, many others, remain truly great songs, and better than just about anything these days.
If there was a disappoint, it was that Billy Squire didn't earn a spot. "The Stroke" was an 80s icon.
If I remember right, the prevailing logic in the 90s was that the 80s were a black hole of decent music. Looking back on it now, it may have been one of the strongest decades for timeless music. And that doesn't even include the heavy metal scene, which was pretty much born and died in the 1980s.
Check the list and you'll see what I mean. There's plenty of suckage (Bobby Brown, "My Perogitive" comes to mind) but by and large it is an impressive list of timeless music.
The fashions, on the other hand, are an entirely different story. Kudos to Bono though, for his full-on embrace of the mullet.
Perhaps it's bias, but most modern rock/pop seems so incredibly forgettable, while so many of songs from the 1980s survived quite nicely. Prince's "Kiss," U2's "With or Without You," The Pretenders "Brass in Pocket," Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane," Hall and Oates "I Can't Go For That," Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll," and Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," among many, many others, remain truly great songs, and better than just about anything these days.
If there was a disappoint, it was that Billy Squire didn't earn a spot. "The Stroke" was an 80s icon.
If I remember right, the prevailing logic in the 90s was that the 80s were a black hole of decent music. Looking back on it now, it may have been one of the strongest decades for timeless music. And that doesn't even include the heavy metal scene, which was pretty much born and died in the 1980s.
Check the list and you'll see what I mean. There's plenty of suckage (Bobby Brown, "My Perogitive" comes to mind) but by and large it is an impressive list of timeless music.
The fashions, on the other hand, are an entirely different story. Kudos to Bono though, for his full-on embrace of the mullet.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Willful Suspension of Fact
Good news from Iraq:
A new classified intelligence assessment on Iraq says there has been significant progress in security since the last assessment was delivered in August, a senior military official said.
Bad news for Iraq:
Congressional Democrats are warning U.S. Iraq commander General David Petraeus, and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, not to attempt to minimize the seriousness of the situation in Iraq when they testify to Congress next week.
In other words, reporting "significance progress in security" will not be tolerated. It's an election year, after all.
A new classified intelligence assessment on Iraq says there has been significant progress in security since the last assessment was delivered in August, a senior military official said.
Bad news for Iraq:
Congressional Democrats are warning U.S. Iraq commander General David Petraeus, and the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, not to attempt to minimize the seriousness of the situation in Iraq when they testify to Congress next week.
In other words, reporting "significance progress in security" will not be tolerated. It's an election year, after all.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Clinch!
The answer to this question? They did. And giving the jerseys away at the end of the game was a classy move.
Home ice here we come.
Home ice here we come.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
More On Howard Dean Endorsed John McCain
James Taranto explores some of the differences between John Kerry and Howard Dean endorsed John McCain:
The description "blatant opportunist" really did fit Kerry in 2004. When he returned from Vietnam, he slandered his fellow veterans as vicious murderers and rapists. Decades later, when he thought it would be to his political advantage, he tried to hype himself as a hero, and then slandered the veterans who called attention to this inconsistency.
By contrast, so far as we know, McCain is uncomplicatedly a war hero, and being a war hero is certainly a point in his favor. Still, we hope he will not follow Kerry's lead and base his whole campaign on his service to the country 40 years ago. We suspect he knows better. And if John McCain opens his convention speech by saluting and saying "reporting for duty," we'll eat our hat.
The reminder of that moment is enough to make one shudder.
The description "blatant opportunist" really did fit Kerry in 2004. When he returned from Vietnam, he slandered his fellow veterans as vicious murderers and rapists. Decades later, when he thought it would be to his political advantage, he tried to hype himself as a hero, and then slandered the veterans who called attention to this inconsistency.
By contrast, so far as we know, McCain is uncomplicatedly a war hero, and being a war hero is certainly a point in his favor. Still, we hope he will not follow Kerry's lead and base his whole campaign on his service to the country 40 years ago. We suspect he knows better. And if John McCain opens his convention speech by saluting and saying "reporting for duty," we'll eat our hat.
The reminder of that moment is enough to make one shudder.
Home Ice...Maybe
It just occurred to me that, if Calgary - currently leading Edmonton 2-1 - and Colorado - currently losing 1-0 to Vancouver, both lose, the Wild clinch the Northwest Division and the third seed in the Western Conference playoff.
Edmonton and Vancouver, by the way, are both desperate for wins to stay in the playoff hunt, so it is likely that at least one will pull out the dubya.
On the other hand, if both Calgary and Colorado were to win, they would still trail the Wild in points; the Avs by two and the Flames by three.
The Wild's last two games? The Flames (here) and the Avs (away).
Worst case scenario: the Wild could clinch with a home win over the Flames on Thursday.
But will they?
UPDATE: It suddenly occurred to me that there could be a tie atop the division at season's end. What then? I thought I'd better find out:
The NHL standings are determined by total points, with the teams ranked in two conferences. If two or more teams are tied in total points, the tie is broken using the following criteria, in order:
Most wins. Most points in games against each other among the tied teams. The greater positive differential between goals scored for and against among the tied teams.
Never mind.
Edmonton and Vancouver, by the way, are both desperate for wins to stay in the playoff hunt, so it is likely that at least one will pull out the dubya.
On the other hand, if both Calgary and Colorado were to win, they would still trail the Wild in points; the Avs by two and the Flames by three.
The Wild's last two games? The Flames (here) and the Avs (away).
Worst case scenario: the Wild could clinch with a home win over the Flames on Thursday.
But will they?
UPDATE: It suddenly occurred to me that there could be a tie atop the division at season's end. What then? I thought I'd better find out:
The NHL standings are determined by total points, with the teams ranked in two conferences. If two or more teams are tied in total points, the tie is broken using the following criteria, in order:
Never mind.
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