Quips: Quick commentary on politics, technology and life, I think.

Wednesday, July 28

More speeches, with sound and even some fury

So while I provided some guidance last night about some of the recent speeches at the Democratic National Convention, I did it mostly through the hometown newspapers of the speakers, which might not work for those of you who haven't registered at as many web sites as I have.
  To rectify that, and spread some love around the web, I'd like to mention PBS' NewsHour (good combination transcript-and-audio pages), NPR's coverage (with lots of speech links along the right) and C-Span, which specializes in video (thanks to SHN at Projo)

Posted by jb, 10:13 PM :: :: #

Tuesday, July 27

Words of Wisdom from Boston

I'm sure you're all watching intently all the pronouncements and pontificating from the podium at the Fleet Center, but I figured I'd do my part to point out some of the highlights. Plenty of reading opportunities:

• Jimmy Carter: "First, we cannot enhance our own security if we place in jeopardy what is most precious to us, namely, the centrality of human rights in our daily lives and in global affairs. Second, we cannot maintain our historic self-confidence as a people if we generate public panic. Third, we cannot do our duty as citizens and patriots if we pursue an agenda that polarizes and divides our country. Next, we cannot be true to ourselves if we mistreat others. And finally, in the world at large we cannot lead if our leaders mislead."
• Bill Clinton (from the DNC site, includes video highlights): "Tonight my friends, I ask you to join me for the next 100 days in telling John Kerry's story and promoting his plans. Let every person in this hall and all across America say to him what he has always said to America: Send Me."
• Barack Obama: "My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or 'blessed,' believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential. They are both passed away now. Yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with pride. ... " And a little bit more:

  ... It's that fundamental belief-I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper-that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.
  
  Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America-there's the United States of America.
  
  There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.
  
  There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

• Ron Reagan: "But it does not follow that the theology of a few should be allowed to forestall the health and well-being of the many. And how can we affirm life if we abandon those whose own lives are so desperately at risk?"

Posted by jb, 11:20 PM :: :: #

We... have made fire

There's been a bit of a delay, but here, at long last, are some photos from our recent cook out on our newly decked-out patio. To be sure, we have some work to do (haven't found that perfect table, chairs and umbrella set yet), but the new fire bowl is quite a nice addition. And the tiki torches worked surprisingly well at both illumnation and repelling bugs. As an added benefit, the Christmas-present cooler got its first workout and performed admirably as well. Guess we'll have to throw a party at some point.

Posted by jb, 9:37 PM :: :: #

Wednesday, July 21

iPod as recruiting/learning tool

Duke University will be doling out 1,650 20-GB iPods to incoming freshmen this fall. Loaded with orientation info and the academic calendar, the students will be expected to download course content like language lessons, recorded lectures, audio books and, oh yeah, music. "The iPod project will encourage faculty to experiment with adding elements such as music, foreign language and poetry to class curricula," Lynne O'Brien, director of Duke's Center for Instructional Technology, told the BBC. And I'm guessing it might attract a few students, too.

Posted by jb, 6:48 PM :: :: #

Beagle wisdom

From Peanuts: "If you think about something at three o'clock in the morning and then again at noon the next day, you get different answers..."

Posted by jb, 9:24 AM :: :: #

Tuesday, July 20

Oh, the headlines I must reference

• As Police Use of Tasers Rises, Questions Over Safety Increase
• President Is Still Mum on Agenda For Second Term
• For Voters, Osama Replaces the Common Criminal
• Hourly Pay in U.S. Not Keeping Pace With Price Rises
• And finally, from the New Yorker: "As a quick-thinking senatorial aide switched on the Senate's public-address system and cued up the infamous 'Seven Minutes of Funk' break, Mr. Leahy and Mr. Cheney went head-to-head in what can only be described as a 'take no prisoners' freestyle rap battle."

Posted by jb, 10:56 PM :: :: #

Wednesday, July 14

Why people like McCain

Proving there are clear-thinkers on both sides of the aisle:

"The constitutional amendment we are debating today strikes me as antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans. It usurps from the states a fundamental authority they have always possessed, and imposes a federal remedy for a problem that most states do not believe confronts them."
  — Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona

Posted by jb, 1:52 PM :: :: #

Headline roundup

• Saw a story in the LA Times that reinforces why I think trial lawyers, professionals who fight for the little guy who's been injured, are still a very necessary part of the system: Damage Cap Hits Some Hard: Savings from a state medical malpractice law limiting awards often come at expense of the most injured, study says — Juries are smarter than the medical lobby would have you believe since 55% of juries' pain and suffering damage awards fell below the state cap of $250,000. "It's clear those who are most catastrophically injured pay the biggest price," said Robert Peck, president of the Center for Constitutional Litigation
• More News Is Not Necessarily Good News: Whether a more partisan news environment undermines or enhances the cognitive diversity of American culture - or diminishes the "gut rationality" of the public - remains to be seen.
• Kerry Has a Deep, Dark Secret: Soccer
• Despite calls for policy to based on sound science: Experts in Sex Field Say Conservatives Interfere With Health and Research
• Horse Stories Lose by a Nose: What happens when the Triple Crown is covered like a presidential campaign? — And what if we covered politics like we covered horse racing (gambling)...
• A new web site I think I might learn to like: Winning Argument
• And, from the Onion: U-M Implicated In Checks-For-Degrees Scheme

Posted by jb, 8:07 AM :: :: #

Friday, July 9

A weekend in Iowa

The NYT pays a visit to the old abode, Iowa City, suggesting visits to Prairie Lights, the Mill and the Bread Garden among others.

Posted by jb, 11:56 AM :: :: #

Wednesday, July 7

Lessons in sports economics

Detroit is having a tough time paying for the upkeep on its old baseball stadium.
  Cincinnati isn't getting as much from its stadium-supporting sales tax bump as it wanted, making it difficult to pay off the $647 million the county borrowed to build two stadiums and a joint parking lot.
  And there's a piece about soccer being more American than baseball, at least where the capitalism vs., shall we say, socialism debate is concerned.

And this seemed like a good opportunity to mention that I've started a sports-centered blog. There's more on this post over there.

Posted by jb, 10:47 PM :: :: #

 More in the archives.

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