With All Due Respect...

...To Smallholder,

The Demon Rum has been blamed/to blame for congressional shennanigans for much longer than he assumes. But that's all water under the bridge.

Silly, Yet Strangely Intuitive.

Boy, Howdy! to Cabin Mistress at Uncle Sam's Cabin.

The Easiest Personality Quiz you'll ever take:

You Are a Root Beer Jelly Bean

You are truly All American and down to earth. You don't have fancy tastes, and you don't apologize for who you are. You enjoy tradition and proven quality.

What Flavor Jelly Bean Are You?

Musical Geography Question(s) of the Day

(EVERYONE BUT VIC!):

1. Where are the boys thirsty?

2. Where is there beer?

This is a Test

Just checking the changes to the comments.

Without Further Ado

The new blog name. I hope you like it.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

If that stretch down south won't ever stand the strain if it snows, what are you?

A couple of neat things happened today related to school. First of all, I aced my Oregon State Food Handler's exam. This isn't really a major accomplishment -- it requires missing no more than 8 questions on a 32-question exam, all of which are multiple choice. I missed 1, and feel dumb about that one. It's scary to think how much worse than me some people have done and yet are legally serving me food when I eat out. I'm proud of Oregon in many ways, but not about our status as one of the states with the laxest health departments in the nation. But by the end of the term, if I've passed my class, I'll have passed the exam to become Servsafe certified, which is a more stringent standard than any stae health department in the nation.

Second, I received a package in the mail from Amazon.com -- my used (but in good condition) copy of Webster's New World Dictionary of Culinary Arts. It was expensive ($65 new for the full-sized copy), but it's the same culinary dictionary that Chef Chris (my professor) has used since his days as a culinary student. Heck, this sucker even has the definition of Mr. Brown in it.

I'm really starting to get into the groove of culinary school. I even enjoy wearing brigade -- I can feel the way it identifies me as a member of the culinary arts. It's not easy, it's tiring and demanding and at times intimidating, but the Good Lord as my witness, it feels right -- like I'm finally doing something with my life.

That Which We Call a Rose

I'm seriously changing the name of this blog, and wondered what my loyal readers (all 5 of you) would think.

I actually came up with the name "Memento Moron" before I had committed to blogging, and the fact that I was able to come up with a name that was, in my own mind, suitably clever, was one of the reasons I decided to take the leap.

But the name was chosen at a time when my bolgging was primarily of a political and current affairs nature. While I still weigh in on subjects that fire my passions occasionally, the blog has become far more of a catch-all for my meanderings, personal events, daddyblogging, school blogging, etc., and I'm not sure the theme that the name sets matches the tone of the majority of my entries.

I don't want to give away the new name I have in mind, but it would reflect a couple of my passions -- including cooking and certain musical tastes. If I decide to make the change, I'll probably start by changing the name in the heading, but keeping the old Memento Moron URL, until enough time has passed for people to get used to the new name.

So what does everyone think?

That's Kinda Weird....

Late last night (early this morning, actually) I had to call 911 to report a brawl down the block from our place (yay Springtucky!). It was dark, and I couldn't find the house phone, so I just used my cell.

Today, when I went to use my cell, it was on "Restricted use, emergency calls only". I had to press the * and the # keys to take it out of that mode. I can't help thinking the two events are related, but I've never heard of such a thing, have you?

Good (Sports) News Just Keeps Rolling In

Padres clinched a playoff berth. Also, thanks to their head-to-head record this season vs. the Dodgers (suck), a win by the Padres or a loss by the Dodgers (suck) and the Padres have the penant NL West.

Did I mention that the Dodgers suck?

This Time, Not So Close

Oregon 45 48, Arizona State 13.

Suddenly, the Pac-10 isn't a 1-school conference any more. If Oregon can beat Cal next weekend, USC had better be paying attention.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

If, in early memory, Mission music was ringing round your nursery door, from where were you?

Bar Pickup Lines Bite Back

Suddenly "Hey, baby, what's your sign?" takes on a whole new meaning.

Musical Geography Trick Question of the Day

If you wanna hold her tight all through the night, but all she wants to do is dance, where is she from?

Now That I'm Awake...

Yesterday I was pretty useless to the world, resting up from two days of school. Here's my schedule now:

Monday:
TFR's Day Off
8:00 AM-1:50 PM: Intro to Cooking Theories I (we get a couple of breaks including half an hour for lunch)
2:30-3:50 PM: Restaurant Operations (no mid-class break)
After class, TFR picks me up and we have the rest of the afternoon together.
Tuesday:
8:00 AM-1:50 PM: Intro to Cooking Theories I (we get a couple of breaks including half an hour for lunch)
2:30-3:50 PM: Restaurant Operations (no mid-class break)
Meet The Lad and TFR on her lunch break around 4:00-4:30, care for The Lad until TFR gets off work at 8:00
Wednesday:
TFR Goes to work at 12:00, care for The Lad the rest of the day (TFR gets off work at 8:00).
Thursday:
10:00 AM-12:50 PM: Human Relations at Work
TFR Goes to work at 3:30, care for The Lad the rest of the day(TFR gets off work at 8:00).
Friday:
TFR Goes to work at 3:30, care for The Lad the rest of the day(TFR gets off work at 8:00).
Saturday:
TFR Goes to work at 9:00, care for The Lad until she gets off work at 7:00.
Sunday:
TFR's Day Off.
Family day

(Homework gets fit in there somewhere)

So as you can see, my days, especially Mon-Thur, are pretty busy. But I'm truly happy. I feel like I belong there, like I'm among peers, and like I'm actually accomplishing something worthwhile. It's a good -- no, a giddy feeling.

I'm Home....

And among friends.

Musical Geography Question(s) of the Day

If, in 1958, you drove an old V8:

From where were you heading?

To where had you made it to within a mile from?

Quote of the Day

"The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star."

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Like Father, Like Son

From the time The Lad was a very tiny baby, I would hold him while cooking. And it's already rubbed off on him. Kitchen utensils (no, not the sharp ones -- I know how you people's minds work) are among his favorite toys. And after TFR made a comment to him about the whisk with which he was playing this morning, he's added a new word to his vocabulary -- "roux".

That's my boy.

The First Cut is the Deepest

Another day of classes has passed, and it finally feels like we're actually culinary students. It was our first day in full brigade. It was the first day where homework was due. It was the first day we actually got to do hands-on work in the kitchen, practicing using our steels and then peeling and dicing onions.

And most importantly, it was the day that First Blood was drawn. One of my classmates went to loan her knife to another, and forgot to hand it to him grip first. Voila! Two stitches on his index finger. I helped him out of his apron and toque and escorted him to the school clinic (interesting that it's situated only one building over from Culinary Arts).

It was the first wound of our school careers, but I'm sure it won't be the last. Though at least the suspense is over.

The part that bothered me and some of my fellow students was that the young woman who handed the knife improperly took offense when one of us said something to her. Perhaps she felt it wasn't his place as a classmate to say something, but the fact is, he was right -- she SHOULD have practiced proper safety techniques.

You Asked for It...

So here it is, my culinary uniform (aka "brigade", pronounced "BruGawd"), including "funny hat" (culinary toque):



Today was my first day of classes. It was exhausting, but exciting. I've already made some friends, and one girl has already made enemies -- she wants to get degrees in the cullinary arts AND journalism and become *spit* a food critic *spit*.

Hells Bells

Save #479, baby.

I love Oregon, and I don't regret moving back here for a minute, but sometimes I do miss going to Padres games. I hated calling it Qualcomm, to my dying day the stadium in Mission Valley will be the Murph, and I'm happy that they got such a beautiful new park. I'm just sorry I wasn't there to enjoy such a special occasion.

Oh, and the Dodgers still suck.

Fantasy Football: Week 3

Early showings:

I'm up 19.7 to 12.7, so definitely not out of the woods. Grossman's hit a wall vs. the Vikings Defense, and my opponent has Mark Bulger coming up for him later today. My best hope is another good showing by Seattle's offense (Morris and Jackson start for me) and Baltimore's defense.

Update:

An ugly win is still a win. My team had the worst showing yet, but I won because my opponent failed to bench his players who were off for a bye week. Oh, well. At least I'm 3-0.

Play MST for Me

Inspired by comments by readers Nightfly here and Angie Schultz at It Comes in Pints, I give you one of my favorite Mystery Science Theatre 3000 shorts ever:

UPDATE:

Oops, wrong one. Here ya go:

Dissent is the Highest Form of Patriotism

Except, of course, for dissent amongst the dissenters.

(Thanks for the Memory to Steve-O at The Llama Butchers)

Lead, and I Will Follow

Thanks for the Memory to Rachel Ray.

I want to work for this man!

Greg Higgins, owner of Higgins restaurant in Portland, believes in using local ingredients, and his menus highlight the foods and flavors that make the Northwest great. It was a joy watching the episode of $40/day that featured him, and to see our region, my state, and the foods about which I'm passionate being featured.

Quote of the Day

"The subtlest of deceptions is to tell the truth unconvincingly."

American of Middle Eastern Descent Persecuted for His Views on 9/11

That Damned BushHitler and his Rethuglican stormtroopers!

Right?

Thanks for the Memory to Dr. Vinnie Huskerfan at the Jawa Report.

She's a Very Freaky Rodent....

I'd heard the legends, but until today I'd never experienced the horror...

I feel so dirty.

Sympathy for the Devil

Thousands of Americans took to the street today, rioting in protest of Hugo Chavez' speech at the UN, in which he said of U.S. President George W. Bush, "The Devil was here yesterday. You can still smell the sulphur."


In Mobile, Alabama, members of American Legion Post 1234 burned an effigy of Chavez, along with a Venezuelan flag and their Citgo gas cards.


Cletus T. Dukeboys, of Deliverance, Georgia, leads a group of proestors in a chant of, "Y'all 'r infidels, Y'hear?"

Oh, wait... Never mind.

The Devil is in the Details

Update:

Thanks for theMemory to Hot Air via Ace of Spades:

I originally posted this on December 7 of last year (interesting choice of dates, eh?). The reason I'm updating it today has to do with new information put out in the above blog entries, and I will address it as an update withing the post:

Thanks for the Memory to Bluto over at Blogfather Rusty's.

MSNBC reports on the interesting results in an AP-Ipsos poll:

Most Americans and a majority of people in Britain, France and South Korea say torturing terrorism suspects is justified at least in rare instances, according to AP-Ipsos polling.

Note the "At Least" part. Of that majority, as Bluto points out, the breakdown is 27%% supporting torture "often", 11% "sometimes", 23% "rarely, and 36% "never".

I've been avoiding commenting on this issue for some time, because I wanted to make sure I was expressing myself clearly when I did, and because the issue is so emotionally charged that most of the traffic regsrding it has far too low a signal to noise ratio. But the results of this poll lead me to believe that perhaps many more of my fellow countrymen feel as I do than I first suspected. Do we support torture? That depends.

Part of the problem I have with the debate, or at least, with one side's argument in the debate, is failure to address what I consider to be some important questions. How do we define torture? Do we delineate between different degrees of coercive techniques that fall short of that definition and true torture? Do we recognize varying extremes even among those measures we do define as such? Do we hold to different standards of treatment based on the status of the individual detainee, particularly their prior actions before capture? Do we hold to different standards of treatment for punitive measures than we do for interrogation? For enforced compliance or subdual of disruptive captives?

My position is one of answering "Yes" to all those questions. It seems, at leat to me, that many on the other side of the debate are inclined to answer "No" to most if not all of them. The extreme of this is the reaction people wo agree with me receive when they point out the difference between much if not all of the treatment for which the US has recveived criticism, and the actions of our enemies (both the former Baathist regimes plastic/people shredders and the current "insurgency's" fondness of beheading). The almost universal and instantaneous response is that such comparisons are nothing more than moral equivalence. The argument goes something along the lines of, "So you're saying that since Saddam tortured people worse than we torture people, then torture's ok?"

No, that's not what we're saying. That's a straw man, and furthermore, it's a hyperbolic oversimplification of the issue that adds nothing to the discussion. Yes, we would argue that because our actions are less extreme, they are less deserving of criticism than Say, Hussein's or Pol Pot's, but it's a little more complex than "He started it, mom!" Let me try to lay it out:

There are a variety of methods that have been and used by governments and other entities to punish individuals, extract information from individuals, for subduing violent or unruly individuals, and for coercing individuals into complying with the will of those employing these methods. These methods range in the amount of force employed and the effects rendered all the way from something as simple as fining an individual for failure to comply with a jaywalking law to killing a criminal who fails to comply with a police officer's order to drop his weapon. Some of these methods can be defined as torture as it is understood by any reasonable person, and some cannot. However, there are some methods whose definition as torture is open to debate among all but those holding extreme views of torture and it is also arguable that even among those methods that clearly fall into the category of torture, there are varying degrees of severity.

It is furthermore my belief and contention that like all other methods of enforcement, the question of whether torture is justifiable or not depends on many factors, including the severity of the torture, the ends of which the torture is being employed as a means, and the identity and status of the subject. Just as it is reasonable to argue that deadly force or incarceration is justified in some cases but not in others, so it is reasonable to argue that the amount of discomfort, displeasure, and even pain and anguish which is justified varies depending on the circumstances. And while I don't believe there is any hard, fast set of criteria, I do believe that some general guidelines can be outlined:

1. I believe that the level of guilt or innocence of the subject of such treatment is the most important underlying factor. The treatment of innocents who find themselves caught up in circumstances not of their own making should be far, far gentler than the handling of a hardened, murderous terrorist. Between the two are shades of gray.

2. With regards to punitive measure, here is where I come closest to agreeing with the other side. I believe that the application of torture for no other purpose than to punish should be very limited in scope at the extreme. That's not to say I don't think that some treatments defined by some people as torture aren't legitimate means of punishment, but my limits here are much stricter than in other cases. However, it is to be remember that the line between punishment as an end in itself and punishment as a means to cause compliance is a blurry one.

3. That brings us to coercion. It is my belief that unpleasant punishment techniques and even some techniques considered torture, when used to force a subject to comply, should vary according to the following criteria: The level of guilt of the subject; the level of resistance of the subject, and the consequences of failing to obtain compliance. If I need someone to move so I can see the stage, I'll say "excuse me. If I need the Al Quaeda member we captured this morning to get in his cell to help quell a riot, I'm going to beat him with my baton. Again, there's a lot of territory to be covered in the middle.

4. Subdual of the unruly or violent I consider to be a subset of coercion, and I have nothing to add.

5. When it comes to interrogation and information extraction, again, I believe that that depends on who has the information, how immediate the need for the information is, what other sources of the information are available, and what the results of failure to obtain that information will be. If Joe (or rather, Muhammed) the Janitor knows where they dumped the documents from a bioweapons program, I'm not going to be as harsh on him as I am on Andy (or Ahmed) Al Quaeda, who knows the time and place of the next IED attack.

There are some who add to their argument against torture the claim that "Torture Doesn't Work". My first response was to reply that that is a separate point from whether or not it is justified. But I have to acknowledge that if torture doesn't work, it goes from being a means of coercion or interrogation and is nothing more than a form of punishment, and that would diminish its justice. I am not advocating vindictive cruelty just for the sake of satisfying one's own lust for vengeance.

Of course, the real problem with that argument is that it is as broad and generalizing as "Torture is wrong". What do you mean, torture doesn't work? Are you saying that no form of torture ever accomplishes any of the ends for which it is intended? That's ridiculous. You might as well say "Force doesn't work". But while it is true that certain forms of torture have been used for certain ends, and failed miserably, there are also stories of certain coercive techniques, of varying levels of severity, accomplishing their intention. I'd argue that the effectiveness of torture, like its morality, is dependent entirely on the situation, the subject, the ends, and the means employed.

UPDATE (as promised): And here's where the latest information is important to consider: In an interview with Bill O'Reilly, ABC Correspondent Brian Ross admits that the interrogation methods used by the U.S. on individuals like Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, some of which qualify as "torture" by many definitions of the word, worked.

So if you ask me if I am for torture, my answer is, it depends. Who is being tortured? What do you mean by torture? Why are you torturing them? I've already established that I am not opposed to using force, even violent force, to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Like Churchill, now I'm "just negotiating a price". The Devil is in the Details.

That'sh Shwell, Shweetheart....

Did I mention that during the last term of my second year at culinary school (Spring 2008), one of the elective courses will be Culinary Competition? I'm looking forward to taking that one, especially considering my knack for coming up with recipes on the fly. Tonight was no exception. Lately I've been too busy playing Mr. Mom to do any serious recipe developing, but TFR is on vacation. Tired of the same old dishes, we went to the store to shop for tonight's dinner. She had no idea what she wanted, so it fell onto me to develop a recipe. This is what I came up with while scrambling around Fred Meyer (yes, the same store that I developed the port chocolate recipe in):

4 bone-in pork loin chops, medium cut
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup Chardonnay
2 tbs apple sauce
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp dried rosemary
salt
pepper
1 tbsp minced garlic

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add onion. While the onion is sauteeing, season the pork chops with the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and rosemary. When the onions are transparent, add the pork chops. Brown pork chops on both sides, then remove from skillet. Deglaze skillet with Chardonnay or other dry white wine. Stir in applesauce and dried cranberries. Return pork chops to skillet, simmer 5 for 5 minutes. Turn chops and simmer 5 more minutes. Plate chops and spoon sauce over the top.

I paired this with baked potatoes, sauteed green beans, and the same Chardonnay I used for the deglasse', and it was delicious.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

Where were we when we said there'd be no room for doubt?

The Sooner You Get a Life, The Better

Please, Oklahoma fans, seriously -- seek help.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The instant replay official whose failure to overturn a bad call led to a narrow victory for Oregon over Oklahoma said he feels like he is under siege after receiving menacing phone calls and a death threat.

A little background for those not paying attention: On Saturday, Oregon came from being down 33-20 to defeat Oklahoma 34-33. The pivotal play of the comeback was an onside kick after Oregon scored a touchdown with 1:12 left in the fourth to make the score 33-27. Oregon recovered the onside kick, and went on to score another touchdown, winning the game 34-33. The problem is, that footage revealed that an Oregon player touched the ball before it had gone 10 yards, as required by the rules. If that had been caught by the officials, Oklahoma would have received the ball, and the game would have ended with Oklahoma winning 33-27. Unfortunately, neither the officials on the field or in the replay booth saw things that way -- they ruled that the ball was first touched by Oklahoma, and the call stood. It was only after the game was over that the mistake was revealed.

I can understand the frustration of the Sooner fans -- it was a bad call, and I'll be the first to admit that if it had been made correctly, we would have lost. But that's the way things go in football -- referees make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes cost teams points -- earlier in the same game, for instance, the refs failed to flag OU for Delay of Game on a play that got them out of a deep hole and led to one of the scores that UO had to overcome later. Sometimes bad calls cost a team a game. It shouldn't happen, but it does. This isn't the first time it has happened, and it won't be the last.

But Oklahoma -- both the University and its fans -- need to get some perspective. Oklahoma is threatening to cancel a game with Washington unless the PAC-10 changes its rules for who officiates home games ("We'll take our ball and go home!"). They also requested that the game be stricken from the records as neither a win nor a loss for either team.

Here's an idea, first suggested by my friend Lurch: How about a joint resolution by the Pac-10 and the Big 12 that IT'S JUST A GAME!? Seriously, this is the biggest case of being sore losers I've ever seen. I'm also a Seahawks fan, and to this day believe that crappy officiating cost them the superbowl. But you know what? That's the way it goes. The Pittsburgh Steelers won that game, and they're the Superbowl champs -- not the Seahawks. Sportsmanship means you accept the outcome of the game, and you strive to make sure that next time it doesn't happen like that again. I agree with the PAC-10's suspension of the officials who made the call, and there's a valid argument for reviewing how officials are assigned. But threatening to cancel games? Pretending they just didn't happen? DEATH THREATS?????

You really do need to get a life.

Apparently, I Don't Know Jacks

TFR and I were just watching an episode of one of Rachel Ray's 1,294 shows, $40 a Day, I think, and she was in Antigua. At one point she approached a young man with a very Commonwealth sort of accent, and asked him for lunch advice. His boat had an interesting ensing -- obviously from somewhere very British, but I can't figure out from where. It wasn't Gibraltar, Malta, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Antigua, Nevis, St. Kitts, or the British Virgin Islands. I'm hoping someone (maybe my Tory friends at the Llama Butchers) can ID it for me. It was a red ensign with the Union Jack in the upper Left. In the main area of the red field was a yellow cross, with equidistand arms, thin and square.

Avast!

In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I shall today refer to changing The Lad's diaper as "Swabbing the Poop Deck".

Musical Geography Question(s) of the Day

1. Where can you find tropical trees and the salty air?
2. What's waiting for you there?

Fantasy Football: Week 2

What a difference a week makes.

During the last week, I managed to make some significant changes to my team. Taking Jim in KFalls' advice, I picked up Matt Leinart, but I'm waiting to see if he actually gets any playing time. I dropped Jake Plummer and benched Kerry Collins. I managed to pick up the Bears' Rex Grossman, put him right in as my starter, and wham bam thank you ma'am, he goes 20 of 27 for 289 and 4 TD's. At kicker, I dropped Janikowski, benched and acquired John Carney -- and again, I see a huge improvement in performance at that position.

But the improvements in performance at offensive positions where I held tight, and another solid (no, make that dominating) performance by the Ravens defense also helped. Both the Seattle WR's that I own are doing better than last week -- especially Jackson. The same goes for Tampa TE Todd Heap. The only disappointment so far has been at running back, where both Mike Alstott and Michael turner had a drop in performance. But at least Turner has a quarter left to pick up the pace.

Even with my runners letting me down a bit, the improvements I saw, coupled with a bit of a slip by my opponent's players (remember last week she dominated her game) means that it's almost a shoe-in that I'll win: I only have three players left in games that are not yet final, she only has two, and I'm up 105.4 to 59.3.

I'm feeling pretty vindicated in most of my choices, both in who to cut and who to give another chance to. I'm going to give my RB's the same chance to improve I gave to my WR's. The only concern I have now is the fact that I have no WR on the bench. Fortunately, I am 3 deep in QB's, so I have some wiggle room. The question is who to cut -- Leinart or Collins? Leinart has promise, IF the Cards ever give him the helm, but that's a big "if". Collins is putting in another dismal performance, but if anything were to happen to Grossman, at least Collins is putting in playing time -- a pittance of points is better than none.

A Few More Thoughts on College Ball This Week

How do you spell overrated?
N-o-t-r-e D-a-m-e.

I love it when cocky teams get knocked down a peg. Read this article, how the game started, and how it ended. The fact that it happened to Miami, a team I've never liked and a perennial darling of the East Xoast sportswriters, makes it all the sweeter.

As someone else has already said, if this is "rebuilding", the rest of us need to be afraid. Very afraid.

Speaking of overrated, Cal found a team it could beat. In Division 1-AA.

Sooner or Later

Payback was due.

GO DUCKS!

People Unclear on the Concept of "Irony"

Thanks for the Memory to AubreyJ.

From BBC News:


Some Indian Muslims burnt an effigy of the world's Roman Catholic leader who quoted remarks which linked Islam to [get this] violence.

(Blockquote comment and bold highlight mine)

That'll show him.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

If the puzzled Moon is wearing a frown, over which city is it lingering?

All Four Stanzas

Thanks for the Memory to Ken S at It Comes In Pints? for reminding me of one of my favorite essays, by Isaac Asimov.

Read it.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

I fired off an E-mail to my friend Ken from It Comes In Pints, ribbing him about the fading of the lead his Dodgers have over My Padres, only to hop over to his blog and discover that his Aunt had passed away.

I feel like such a Jerk. Sorry, Ken, and know that you have my deepest sympathies. I've been there, man.

Musical Geography Question(s) of the Day

From where did Sam McCord leave in '92, and where did he go?

For Smallholder

Yesss...... Give in to your hatred....

Strike me down and your journey to the Dark Side will be complete.

PS
To answer your question, since I don't trust comments at Naked Villainy: They're in the jungle somewhere.

Snake Flag Blogging

Thanks for the Memory to The Maximum Leader at Naked Villainy.

Interesting:

You Are a "Don't Tread On Me" Libertarian

You distrust the government, are fiercely independent, and don't belong in either party.Religion and politics should never mix, in your opinion... and you feel opressed by both.You don't want the government to cramp your self made style. Or anyone else's for that matter.You're proud to say that you're pro-choice on absolutely everything!

What's" Your Political Persuasion?

The Incredible Hulk Was a Dad.

As evidenced by an earlier post, I' m not a big fan of Nancy Grace. However, TFR is. Tonight, the coverage is, as usual, about a missing/abused/murdered child. In this case, the child of a woman who has since killed herself.

A couple of thoughts:

If things are so bad that you are considering harming your child and then taking your own life, and you won't seek help, I suggest doing things in the reverse order: Kill yourself first, then address The issuer of your child.

If any harm comes to The Lad at the hands of another person, I guarantee that I will not kill myself. Rather, I will devote myself to living long enough to make sure that that person dies a slow, agonizing death -- at my hands.

Seriuously, isn't that what parenthood is about ? Isn't one of our jobs as a parent to be willing to die or kill for the sake of our child? Isn't that the most appropriate resonse conceivable? How can a person even consider parenthood unless they are prepared to undergo that transformation, to become a monster towards others if necessary, to place your offspring before all other considerations, to die, to suffer, to kill, to fight, to be vicious or tender or strong or any damned thing it takes to provide your child, that perfect, sweet, beautiful little human with whatever he/she needs to be happy, healthy, alive, successful?

I can't understand people who neglect or abuse their children. And I don't want to.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

If you're trying to get in touch with Marie, where are you calling?

Five Years Ago

In July of 2001, tired of the Southern California ratrace, TFR and I move back to my home state of Oregon -- no jobs lined up, just up and left. We were living in a 24-foot motor home while we looked for work. Times were not good to begin with, especially since my father had died suddenly just before the move.

On September 11, I was working a temp job doing filing for a company in Eugene that sells supplies to first responders -- police equipment, breathing apparatus, first aid supplies, stuff like that. Things were strangely quiet when I came in that morning. The TV was turned to the coverage of the attacks, and the phones were eerily silent. I thought quickly and called TFR at the RV to let her know what was going on and that all the flights were domestic, since her parents were fluying home from Turkey that day -- I didn't want her worrying (they ended up stuck in Amsterdam for several days).

The quiet didn't last long. Within hours of the attacks, the phones were ringing off the hook -- fire departments all up and down the eastern seaboard and eastern midwest were calling in and stocking up, while the NYC area departments were already ordering resupply for all the stuff they'd already expended. Most of the reps calling were actual firefighters, and some of the FDNY guys were placing orders while not knowing where all of their crews were.

It was surreal, and until today, I'd let myself forget the utter disbelief, the horror I felt, the sinking feeling as it became clear that there wouldn't be any more survivors, and the anger -- the white hot desire for justice, vengeance, to make whoever did this pay, make them suffer the way all those victims suffered. For years I've avoided watching too closely the footage from that day, I haven't watched any of the movies on it. But the last couple of days, I've remembered. I've remembered how angry I am, and why.

I remember going to the impromptu vigil held in downtown Eugene that night. I remember how sad people were, how we all needed to do something, say something, to express our grief. But I also remember knowing, and having it confirmed for me that night, that many in this town just didn't get it. That very night, a lot of the talk among the people there was about peace. While I can sympathise with those people, they were wrong. They were wrong to think that all we have to do is act peacefully and no one will ever harm this. It's like they had forgotten or failed o earn the lessons taught just that morning. I became even more contemptuous when, within a week, they were holding demonstrations opposing any military action against anyone as a result of 9/11 -- not even the Taliban, who were sheltering Al Quaeda. They wanted no war, but we already were at war. When an enemy attacks you, refraining from fighing back isn't peace, it's surrender.

It's alright to desire peace. But when war comes upon you unbidden, the proper response is to be angry, and resolute. Be angry not just because they did this to us, but because they'll do it again, or worse, if given the chance.

I miss the innocence I lost on September 11, 2001. But to pretend that things are the way they were would not be reclaimed innocence, it would be folly.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

If it was looking so right it was giving you chills, where were you?

Fantasy Football: Week 1

I decided, on a whim, to join a fantasy football league. Fox Sports has free leagues you can join. We're deep into week 1, and while I'm winning handily (currently 46.1 to 6.4), I have a few concerns, and after today I'm going in to 2 weeks where I face the teams who look the best (next week's opponent is currently up 89.9 to 10.9). Due to family responsibilities, I missed the draft and my team was picked randomly, though I did get a few of the people I wanted.

First, the good news. The league's scoring rules allow you to select individual offensive players but an NFL team's entire defense. I drafted Baltimore, as requested, who had an amazing day against the Bucs. I had a feeling the Ravens defense was going to be underrated -- they picked op one of my favorite Ducks, Haloti Ngata, and I'm hoping that a strong D-line will free their LB's to help more on pass coverage. Today, they've provided more of my fantasy score than my entire offense combined.

Now, on to the offense:

My QB position is weak. Kerry Collins got off to a rocky start today, but he's starting to fight back. I'm going to give him another week at least, but I'm tempted to drop Jake Plummer from my bench and go shopping. I was stupid enough to drop Hasselbeck based on reports that he wasn't healthy, and I'm kicking myself for it.

My WR corps is direct from the Seahawks, and while they were disappointing today, I think they'll pick up steam as the season progresses.

Running Backs are Michael Turner (the Chargers play later) and Mike Allstott, who had a mediocre day, but considering he was playing against the Ravens, I'll reserve judgement. I do have Maurice Morris on the Bench, so if need be I can make a switch.

Tight ends don't strike me as being as important in fantasy football as in real football (where they also block, etc.), but I have Todd Heap (who played well today) and George Wrightster on the bench. I traded away Justin Peele (my favorite TE in real life) for a receiver, Burleson.

Kicker: I benched Josh Brown based on fantasy scouting reports that said Janikowski was looking improved, and then he ended up being the only Seahawk to score. I'll have to watch the SD-Oakland game and make some decisions.

I definitely think QB is my weak position, but unfortunately most of the good ones are taken at this point. We'll see what I can pick up this week.

My Son is a Luna-tic

The Lad's love of the book Goodnight Moon has transformed into an obsession with the moon in general. He points at it on every page of the book. When outside or looking through a window, he is always looking for the moon, and he's become very good at spotting it, even in daylight hours. I think I'm going to encourage this particular infatuation -- books about the moon, etc. Maybe by the time he's an adult, he'll actually be able to travel there.

Musical Geography Question(s) of the Day

1. What state did you leave back in '49?
2. Where did you go, and to do what job?

A Close Shave

Skin of our teeth, baby.

Hello Brisket, My Old Friend....

It's been a while since I developed any new recipes, but this one just kind of hit me the other day.

One of the ramifications of barbecueing a serious cut of mat like a brisket for a small family like mine is the huge amount of leftovers. So any time I can come up with a good leftover brisket recipe (like my Brisket Chili), I'm a happy man.

The latest idea has several inspirations: we frequently make brisket nachos. When I lived in San Diego, I was a huge fan of a local Mexican-Americn fusion dish, Carne Asada French Fries. And who isn't a fan of chili fries? So, I combined the ideas and came up with:

Nachos Americano

1 platter steak fries
1 cup barbecue style baked beans
2 cups barbecued brisket, chopped
1/2 cup shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup sweet yellow onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook fries using preferred method. While the fries are cooking, prepare the beans and brisket. The beans can be reheated in a saucepan, the brisket warmed ina skilled with a little dry rub or barbecue sauce. Place freshly cooked fries on an oven-safe platter. Dollop on beans, add brisket. Sprinkle cheese over top and place in oven until cheese melts. Remove from head, drizzle with barbecue sauce, sprinkle on onions to taste. Serves 2-6 depending on appetites.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

I just realized, this is the 25th installment of this particular theme on my blog.

When will you never see my face or hear the sound of my feet?

It Was Bound to Happen Sometime

Every parent makes this mistake.

We gave The Lad sugar tonight.

Anybody have the number of a good exorcist?

Musical Geography Question of the Day

Where can you do a half a million things, all at a quarter to three?

Fly the Flag on 9/11

I received the following e-mail, and along with forwarding it, I'm posting it here:

There are so many people that seem to have forgotten all about 9/11 and are saying we should not be trying to wipe out terrorism.

Whether you feel we should be in Iraq, or not, we still should take at least one day to show that we support our troops, wherever they are, and that we remember what happened five years ago. God bless America!

Please join us in this FLY THE FLAG campaign and PLEASE forward this email immediately to everyone in your address book asking them to also forward it. We have a little less than one week and counting to get the word out all across this great land and into every community in the United States of America. If you forward this email to least 11 people and each of those people do the same...you get the idea.

THE PROGRAM IS THIS:

On Monday, September 11th, 2006, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Individuals should make it their duty to display an American flag on this fifth anniversary of our country's worst tragedy. We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

Action Plan:

1) Forward this email to everyone you know (at least 11 people). Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.

2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11 if you don't already have one flying. Make it a priority for this day.

Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America!

Musical Geography Question of the Day

From where to where did Bill Campbell and John Austin walk?

TFR Is Right

Considering all the deadly animals he dealt with in his career, it seems ironic that Steve Irwin was killed by one that normally isn't known as a killer.

"Croc Hunter" Steve Irwin Killed By Stingray

Thanks for the Memory to Robin at Robin's Nest.

Sad, but not so suprising, considering how he's made a career of taking risks around deadly wildlife:

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the “Crocodile Hunter,” was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition, police said. He was 44.

Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state when the accident occurred, Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site.

His wife is originally from the Eugene are. My prayers are with her and their families tonight.

Damn You, Chris Muir...

Damn You.

UPDATE:

All is Forgiven. Just don't do it again.

That's Gonna Leave a Mark

Final: Oregon 48, Stanford 10

Nice way to start the season. I almost feel sorry for Stanford. Oh, wait, no, I don't.

Quote of the Day

"There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him."

- Robert A Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Musical Geography Trick Question of the Day

Read carefully:

If your traveling companion is the child of your first marriage, to a landmark in what city and state are you going?

Arsenal of Democracy

Thanks for the Memory to Smallholder and Maximum Leader at Naked Villainy:

You scored as United States. Your army is the American army. You want your home front to support the G.I.'s in their pursuit to liberate world from more or less evil tyrants. British and the Commonwealth 75% Italy 75% Poland 75% United States 75% France, Free French and the Resistance 69% Finland 69% Soviet Union 44% Japan 38% Germany 0% In which World War 2 army you should have fought? created with QuizFarm.com

Fitting picture to represent the US Army -- the signpost says Bastogne, where the 101st Airborne stood up to the Germans and earned itself a place of honor besides units like the 20th Maine.

Whaddaya Think?

A little editing of an existing image:

I have the Body of a God

Unfortunately, the god in question is Buddha.

Glenn Ford, 1916-2006

RIP, Admiral Spruance.

Thanks for the Memory to Ken S. at It Comes in Pints?

Sometimes I Hate Myself for Loving the Northwest

Thanks for the Memory to Ace of Spades and Vultures Row:

National Guardsman Brutally Attacked In Pierce County

[That's Washington.]

PARKLAND, Wash. -- The Pierce County Sheriff's Department is searching for five people who allegedly attacked a uniformed National Guardsmen walking along 138th Street in Parkland Tuesday afternoon.

The soldier was walking to a convenience store when a sport utility vehicle pulled up alongside him and the driver asked if he was in the military and if he had been in any action.

The driver then got out of the vehicle, displayed a gun and shouted insults at the victim. Four other suspects exited the vehicle and knocked the soldier down, punching and kicking him.

“And during the assault the suspects called him a baby killer. At that point they got into the car and drove off and left him on the side of the road,” Detective Ed Troyer with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.

I hope they find these scumbags and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

Hot Dang!

Slumping Red Sox send Wells to San Diego

Only three games out of first, and we've got Wells back. It's gonna be a fun September.

Dodgers Suck.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

If you ran out of things to say, where are you?

UPDATE:

Boy, I screwed this one up. Kudos to Vic for guessing it nonetheless and to Ken for correcting me.

And the Nominees Are...

I recently picked up a great CD compilation: Elvis Presley Hitstory. It's a great compilation of his hits. And after listening to it over and over, I've reached a conclusion. With all due respect to Ace of Spades, Will Farrell, and Blue Oyster Cult, I would like to submit my nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award for Best Use of Cowbell in a Song: The JXL Radio Edit Remix of The King's A Little Less Conversation. The bass is kicked up and the beat much more pronounced than the original.

Now, normally I abhor such remixes, viewing them as somewhat... blasphemous. But this one works, and for the most part, I think that's because Elvis' original performance is so Slick, so forveful, so masterful, that it doesn't get lost in the remix. Instead of taking over the song, the remix almost can be viewed as paying homage to the original, and the beat certainly does drive the point of the song home.

The Happy Pitfalls of Fathering a Child Who's Developing a Love of Classic Literature at an Early Age

*sigh*

Oh, well. I suppose if he's going to insist he be read the same freaking book before bed every freaking night and every freaking naptime, he could have chosen far worse than Goodnight Moon.

See The World

Thanks for the Memory to Dave at It Comes in Pints?

Here is a map of the world with all the countries I've visited in red:



create your own visited country map


Not very impressive, yet. But I still hold out hope of travelling more. My only criticism of the website that does the map is the fact that they list Turkey as being in the Middle East. That must be news to the residents of Istanbul and the rest of Thrace, who live in Europe!

Musical Geography Question(s) of the Day

1. Where did the hairy-handed gent run amok?
2. Where had he been overheard lately?

Things You REALLY Don't Want to See on TV

A news report on a local attempted kidnapping/pedophilia case at the apartment complex where you lived only two years or so before having a child.

Seriously, folks, I need to restock on 12-gauge ammo.

Nancy Grace's Voice...

Or an Ice Pick in the Eardrums?

Tough call....

Our State Fair is a Pretty Good State Fair

As I mentioned in the comments, we spent the day yesterday at the Oregon State Fair in Salem. It was a good day, and we enjoyed the fair, but while I wasn't exactly disappointed, neither was I blown away.

Before yesterday, I'd never been to a State Fair. My only experience with fairs had been the Twin Falls County Fair & Rodeo (in Filer, ID), the Douglas County Fair (In Roseburg, OR), and the Del Mar Fair (San Diego's county fair). Each had a different flavor to it.

The Twin Falls County Fairs is amazing, especially considering it's held in a sparsely populated county in one of the least populous states in the Union. But it is also in a county that is an agricultural wonder -- when I was a kid it was the nation's center for the development of new strains of beans, and was in the heart of Idaho's sugar beet country. Farms there are so big that there are people who make a huge success out of the business of "Custom Farming" -- they own farming equipment but no land, farm owners pay them to help with the planting and harvesting. The 4H and FFA programs are huge there, and each had its own building as big as the entire livestock barn at the OSF. The rodeo, which is held concurrently with the fair, is a major stop on the PRCA circuit. Quilting, baking, canning, as well as several other crafts and hobbies, each have their own small display buildings.

The Dougls County Fair was a smaller version of the same thing, with more of a focus on arts crafts and a smaller livestock exhibit.

The Del Mar Fair was huge, as big as a State Fair, but it was far more commercialized, with several buildings taken up with vendors (who only had one building each at the other two fairs I've mentioned). It seemed far more commercialized than the other two.

I'm not sure what I expected from a State Fair. I didn't like being funneled from the entrance through the carnival just to get to the exhibits -- just the opposite of the layout of the county fairs I'd attended, where the rides and games were off to one side. But while the exhibits by competitors were smaller, I realize that's because only the best from each county fair makes it to the State Fair, and I was impressed by their quality -- especially the woodworking and photography exhibits. There was a cedar strip canoe built by some high school students that was absolutely GORGEOUS! I also was impressed by the statewide talent competition, at least the little bit we got to see while eating our food. And of course, it had all the fair food items we considered required eating -- grilled corn on the cob, bratwurst from Mt. Angel (a German community near Salem), elephant ears, bedspring fries, caramel apple. There was a barbecue being held, with two huge pit smokers that made Old 97 look like a Weber Lil' Joe, but I figured I can throw down the 'Q as good as anyone, and opted for items you only get at the fair.

I was also proud of the fact that most of my fellow fairgoers made good use of the trash and recycling receptacles dotting the grounds, as well as the way people treated each other. I may not always agree with the popular politics in my home state, but Oregonians are, on the whole, a polite, respectful, considerate bunch, and they showed it yesterday.

We left early, because The Lad was getting tired, so I missed the art exhibit, but on the whole, it was a good day. No, it wasn't a seasonal, homespun Disneyland experience, but it was the most fun I've had in a while.

This is Sitting, This is Standing -- I'm Standing

Thanks for the Memory to the LlamaButchers:

What Veggie Tales character are you?

Bob
Take this quiz!

Progress(?)

Well, as of two months ago, The LAd WAS walking. He isn't anymore.


He's running.

Seriously, he has two speeds: Asleep and Balls-to-the-Wall.

Did you other parents know about this? Thanks for the warning. Thanks a lot.

Food Talk

I'm gonna cover a few food-related topics, so let's get started:

1) Wanda, a longtime friend of TFR (and mother of the second cutest toddler on the planet) asked for a synopsis of orientation day, so here goes:

Orientation started in the gymnasium of Lane Community College at 10:00 AM this morning, and after a brief welcome, we broke out into groups based on major. From 10:20 or so until 1, we had a general orientation for the college and a campus tour. Our orientation leader was not someone directly associated with the culinary program, so a lot of what she told us was completely irrelevant, and a total waste of time. But at least we discovered on the tour (and had confirmed later) that a lot of the planters around our building are planted with herbs. That will prove useful.

I made a couple of friends, guys I clickedwith right away, and I plan to eat in their restaurants some day. I found myself early on evaluating people (based on appearance, demeanor, body language, etc.): "Executive chef, exec, sous, dropout after 4 weeks, sous chef, exec...." Along with the Culinary Arts program, the college also has an excellent hospitality mamangement program, and some of our classes overlap, so I plan on starting my networking while still in school, so that some day I'll have contacts to run/staff the front AND back of the house when I open my own place.

General orientation, which was supposed to go till 1, was done before noon, so before we split for a 2-hour lunch, we went around the room introducing ourselves to each other, name, why we were there, and favorite dessert. It was interesting to watch a group of people who are all crazy about food react to each other, agreeingwith each other's thoughts and favorite desserts: even if they weren't our own favorite, they were damned good points. It was almost like a religious experience. Creme Brulee, Cheesecake, chocolate, etc... one classmate wants to own a wedding cake business. My favorite dessert, old school rustic blackberry cobbler, also got a good reception.

I'm more intimidated by the business end and the fast pace of production in a restaurant environment than I am about the technical skills and artistry of creating food. But I didn't make this big a leap because I had no other options -- I did this because I love food, I love to cook, and I'm damned good at it, and by God, one day you'll be able to order my food from a menu.

2) I'm no fan of Pate, but I applaud my felloe culinarians for taking this stand for freedom. I personally do not cook or eat veal, pate, or certain other dishes for ethical reasons, but I draw the line at banning those foods. I also find it highly ironic that the people who would ban pate tend to be on the end of the political spectrum that fights for the right to abort babies. Would you like a nice glass of hypocrisy to go with your double standard

3) As I mentioned in my criticism of Red Agave, some of the best food you'll ever taste is not high cuisine. And if you're willing to forgo delightful atmosphere, lovely presentation, and pampering service, you can get some %$@*& amazing tasting food for dirt cheap. My favorite example of this is the best Goram pizza I've ever had in my life:

Back in 2000, when TFR and I lived in San Diego, she had to take her state boards to practice esthetic (spa skincare), and the closest place to take them was in HelL.A. The test was in two parts over two days, so we spent the night in a cheap motel a couple blocks off of Wilshire. We got there pretty late in the evening the first day after her first session, and were famished. We went to the front desk and asked for advice on where to eat. the manager/owner, and Indian fellow, asked what kind of food we wanted, the started showing us all the brochures for places that were advertising through the motel desk. In a sudden, brief, and all-too-rare moment of brilliance, I suddenly stopped him and asked, "No. When YOU order food, where do YOU order from?"

He stopped and smiled at me with the same sly kind of smile I suppose Socrates or Buddha or Jesus might have smiled when one of their disciples had a moment of enlightenment, yet at the same time, it was the same sly, conspiratory look someone might give to a fellow member of a secret society after the handshake has been exchanged. Looking around as if to avoid detection by the KGB, he reached unter the counter and pulled out a well-worn, grease-stained menu for a place called Roman's, which billed itself as a Mexican-Italian-American Takeout & Delivery establishment. We ordered Pepperoni Pizza which took an hour or more to deliver due to police roadblocks of most of the surroung streets as the result of a high speed chase (California's official state sport).

Oh. My. Dear. Lord.

This pizza thin, almost New York thin, but with gallons of sauce on it. It was still hot. The crust was a perfect consistency -- not too soft, not too hard, with a mysterious combination of crisp bottom, and light, chewy upper crust. The cheese was perfect -- completely melted and bubbling, but substantial enough that you felt your teeth go through it. I took a bite of it and discovered what I thought was a bone (weird/scary), only to discover that it was the secret to the Nirvana-transporting flavor of the pie: the stem from the fresh oregano used in the sauce. It was... well, Lord, it was 6 years ago, I freaking HATE California, hate LA even worse, and I'm still getting nostalgic for that night. That pizza was perfect. That pizza ruined me, and every pizza I've ever had since has been judged based on how close it comes to being that good.

UPDATE:

Oh, yeah, a couple more cool, culinary-related personal notes:

As I mentioned, on her visit, my mother brought along some items I inherited from my family, as well as a few gifts she purchased for us. Among them were my great unvle's filet knife (razor sharp, old school hand-ground stainless steel), my grandparents' food/meat grinder (electric), and an apron she bought for me -- it's black denim, and it has a pirate's skull embossed on the chest. I've always been fascinated by pirates, and it's an appropriate apron since I've also taken an interest in hard core barbecue, and the word barbecue and buccaneer both come from the same root word: boucan.

I'm as Excited as a Little Schoolgirl

...er, Schoolgeezer, in this case. Scholl starts in a month, and this morning I'll be attending Freshman Orientation. I'll also be fitted for my uniform -- Black pinstripe pants and a white chef's tunic. I can't believe this is finally happening! I just hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew -- TFR has already told me that my housekeeping skills suck. At least she acknowledged that I'm being a good father.

Tom Jumps the Shark from Oprah's Couch

Paramount Pictures has severed ties with Tom Cruise, citing creative differences with Tom's Thetans Cruise's erratic behavior.

It Worked!

I managed to goad Smallholder into another post on Immigration.

Unfortunately, I don't trust the comments over there to work yet, so I'll just respond here.

Smallholder writes:

(Self-congratulatory note to self: Bush and Congress did exactly what I predicted. Absolutely nothing of substance. Sure, we might have sent a few thousand guardsman to the border and generated a few headlines for the November election, but Congressmen are smart enough to know that illegal immigrants are good for the economy, regardless of what they tell their innumerate constituents during campaigns.)

Congratulations. You were right about Bush. Sadly, so was I. Please note that I never expressed support for the President's position on the issue. We may disagree about what should be done, but we did agree on what would be done under the current administration. Why do you think I have been so angry about it the whole time?

For the record, I think Memento is misguided, not racist. Characterizing the opposition to illegals as boiling down to "brown people are icky" was too broad of a stroke in the same way as "liberals hate America" is too broad of a stroke.

And yet, it is exactly the stroke YOU painted in an earlier post. Just holding you to your own words.

Seriously, Brian, I consifder you to be one of those exceptions: I don't think you are a racist. Can we bury the hatchet, please?

Only if you'll make me a promise: When addressing Illegal Immigration in direct response to any post of mine, can you please try not to bring that canard up at all? If it doesn't apply to me, it's not germain to rebuttals of my arguments.

Dealing with a) first. I guess Brian is still trying to fight the FBI. You see, when everyone was jabbering about the crime caused by illegals, I linked to the official government report by the FBI. Law enforcement data shows that illegal aliens are slightly less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens.

Ah-HA! I was hoping you'd trot this argument out again. PLEASE go back and read that FBI study to which you linked again. As I've pointed out before, and as you've NEVER addressed. the study addresses crime rates among immigrants, it never addresses Illegal immigrants. Now, repeat after me: Immigration and Illegal Immigration are not the same issue.

There are a few hardened narco-trafficers, but there are also native-born narco-trafficers.

Please don't tell me that you honestly believe that the only criminal element sneaking across our borders is "hardened narco-trafficers". I know you're not stupid, but you certainly are accepting that assumption uncritically.

Despite what law enforcement says

Most law enforcement sources I have read contradict YOU, Mark, including the LAPD and most agencies on the West Coast and in Texas, where II's are the most prevalent. And the one source you rely on is irrelevant, since it addresses Immigrants, not illegal immigrants. The FBI, which SH quotes, seems reluctant to make the distinction and single out illegals. But others have offered some thoughts you might want to consider -- see the links in the comment by Lurch, where he is responding to this post.

the answer from the anti-illegal side is "nuh-uh."

I find it highly ironic that Smallholder would use this particular criticism of his opponents. In earlier discussions of the issue, when he was provided with evidence, either by me or by Naked Villainy readers like Polymath, that most economists who study the issue have concluded that even taking into consideration positive benefits of illegal immigration like lower prices on goods produced by II's and the (somewhat suspect) claim that they contribute to tax revenues on an equal level with legals, that illegal immigrants constitute an economic burden on the U.S. economy, Smallholder's response has been that these economists must not really be counting all the benefits (as if people become well-respected economists by practicing bad math), and that their findings are wrong -- in other words, "Nuh-uh" -- the very criticism he has of us for not kowtowing to his claims because of one (misquoted) FBI study. Sauce for the goose, my friend.

Others go back to the old canard: If they are willing to break one law, they will be automatically break another law.

Um, no. You've done this before in this debate -- taking an actual argument used by his opposition, exaggerating it, and then refuting the exaggeration. While I'm of a belief that this particular argument, while valid, is the weakest of the crime-related arguments in favor of tougher border and immigration enforcement, I'll address it nonetheless. The REAL argument, not Smallholder's strawman facsimile of it, is "If they are willing to break one law, and find that they can do so with impunity, many will be more incline to break another law." That's quite different from "all will automatically". Furthermore, I'd argue, that the truly evil criminal element in other countries, when they observe how easy it is for anyone to cross the border into the US illegally, avail themselves of that easy opportunity and use the porous border to prey both on the US and on their weaker, less violent fellow illegals.

This belief conflicts with reality - the government's own statistics show this.

NO, no they don't. The only government statistics you've referenced address immigrants in general, not illegals.

I'd like to take a moment to address more specifically the point made in that FBI study, and why I think in reality it comes closer to supporting my position than Mark's:

The report points out that statistically, immigrants are less likely to commit crime than native born US citizens. Quite frankly, not only do I not refute this claim, I am unsurprised by it. In a moment I'll explain why that conclusion seems not only plausible, but intuitive.

But first, I'd like to repeat and belabor the point that the study addresses immigrants, and that at no point does it make the claim that these statistics are for illegal immigrants. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that the crime rates among legal immigrants is even lower than the rate listed in the study, and the rates among illegals higher, and that the rates listed in the study either apply to only legal immigrants, or if they apply to both, are an average of two. I'd argue that not only is it unreasonable to think that the same rates of crime apply to both sets of immigrants, it is unfair to legal immigrants to suppose that they are only as law-abiding as their illegal immigrant counterparts. Here's why:

Legal immigrants to the US, whether temporary or permanent immigrants working towards citizenship, have, by the very act of going through the immigration process, submitted themselves to a very rigorous process of application, and must jump through some very strenuous hoops to get and to stay here. This tells me that they are people who are willing to play by the rules, no matter how hard and unfair those rules may (or may not) be. This speaks volumes as to their propensity for law abidingness. Furthermore, for the entirety of the time they are here as an immigrant, whether that be until they attain citizenship or until their visa expires, they are under the scrutiny of the INS. They do not have the same level of privacy and freedom of movement that a US citizen has, and they are not shadow entities like illegal immigrants. They know that if they break the law, they will most likely be deported and all of the effort they have gone to will be in vain. For this reason, it is logical and unsurprising that immigrants in general are more law-abiding than even native citizens.

Ilegal immigrants don't live under the same constraints. They are hiding from the government to begin with, and quite successfully, so it is easier to hide other crimes as well. Furthermore, they have snuck in once, they know they can do it again, so while they desire to avoid deportation, it doesn't hold the same level of loss and risk that it does for someone who has been working for years to stay here legally.

Of course, the study doesn't support or refute my assertions about illegals vs. legals, but then, neither does it support nor refute Smallholder's -- it merely states that immigrants in general have a lower crime rate. Good news for those of us who support legal immigrants, but useless for sorting out the illegal immigration debate.

As for the rest of the paragraph in question:

In addition, the "illegals are more lawless and will steal your car" types are also blind to their own hypocrisy. I would wager that the vast majority of our readers (yes, you!) have, at one time or another, committed a victimless crime. This does not make us all more likely to commit armed robbery. The Minister of Propaganda, for instance, has violated 43 states' restrictions on extra-marital hanky-panky. Yet he has not, to my knowledge, been knocking over liquor stores in his spare time. Absolutists who demand law enforcement and harsh punishment for every violation of law - "down with illegal border crossers for illegally crossing the borders" have yet to explain their plan for prosecuting the Minister of Propaganda's sluttishness. Or, for that matter, prosecuting Polymath and my "experimentation" with alternative fuels.

A couple points:

A) Illegal Immigration is not a victimless crime. Smallholder wants to believe it is, but he has yet to provide satisfactory proof of his claim that ILLEGAL immigrants (not immigrants in general) provide a net gain to the economy, and his argument that any American jobs lost to illegals are lst because American workers are lazy smacks of "The victim(s) had it coming, so it's as good as victimless".

B) Just because All A are B does not mean all B are A. While it is certainly true that not everyone who has at some point committed some minor offense goes on to become Babyface Nelson, I'd be willing to wager that most hardened criminals started out with much less extreme offenses -- very few people who've never commited any crime wake up one day and say "I think I'll knock over a 7-Eleven today". Furthermore, we're not talking about people who have committed an occasional criminal act, however minor. We're talking about people who are intentionally and actively pursuing a lifestyle that is in violation of the law. And while many may stop at that, the fact that they are allowed to do so means that they and we are developing a subculture that neither respects our laws nor fears the consequences of breaking them. It should come as no surprise that many decide to break other laws besides those pertaining to immigration.

Memento Moron, who refuses to accept the validity of the government statistics

I accept their validity, I refuse to accept, and believe I've quite ably refuted, their relevancy. Again, the statistics you used spoke of immigrants in general, not illegals.

using a weak piece of datum to reinforce his own (erroneous) belief in the lawlessness of illegals reminds me of a quote I heard from Joel Salatin this weekend:

"Science can never convince. We only believe science when it agrees with our heart."

True words.

Sort of like... refusing to accept the analyses of experts regarding hte economic impact?

Pot... Kettle...

As for statistic, again, find me some that address illegals specifically, then get back to me.

But let me try one more time to lift the veil from Memento's eyes. (I know that it is pointless, but hell, I'm a teacher.

Oh, a personal insult, nice. So much for burying the hatchet.

When the San Bernadino policemen, trained officers of the law, suspect someone is an illegal alien, they check to see if they are. Surprise, surprise, 500 of 600 suspected illegals are indeed illegal. Is this the whole sample of criminals?

Actually, yes. Sorry if I stated it poorly, but the report seemed to indicate that all incoming inmates pass by these screeners, and that 500 out of 600 was the ratio of illegals to all incoming inmates. If I misunderstood, and this is not the case, then I retract the point.

As for part "b," I'm gobsmacked that Memento would even bring this weak crap.
Correlation, my friend, does not imply causation.

Again, my fault for not presenting the report properly. The report did go onto say that the CDC had reason to believe there was causation. I'm not sure what that reason or reasons were, but the report made it clear that the CDC did believe that illegal immigrants were the primary source of the higher levels of the disease.

Didja miss me?

Until you decided to add personal insults and condescension to the mix, yes.

I still think you mean well. But you insist on repeating certain tropes that I have refuted, and then either acknowledge my point, but go on with the same error (such as your tendency to use Immigrant and illegal immigrant interchangeably), or ignore my counterpoint altogether (I pointed out months ago that the FBI report only addresses the general immigrant population). You've used Ad hominems (the "icky" argument), non sequiturs (Using data on immigrants in general to support your claims about illegal immigrants), and straw men (misrepresenting or exaggerating the position taken or argument made by my side of the argument and then refuting that exaggeration). You know, you call yourself a "squishy centrist", but with that debating style, you'd fit right in amongst the "hard left" at DU.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

Where are there people who care a little about me and won't let the poor boy down?

And Behold, I Saw a Rider

Riding on a blue horse, and his name was Yeargh!

Blog Etiquette Question

When does a concept or entity merely merit the definitive article "the", and when does it attain "teh" status?

When Geeks Marry Non-Geeks

A while back(hell, long before The Lad came along), TFR and I were at a local restaurant having drinks and appetizers. I ordered calamari, and when I noticed that the rings included tentacles, I held a tentacled ring to my mouth and said to her, "I'm Cthulhu!" She didn't get it.

Maybe an Admiral Ackbar reference would have worked better.

A Milestone Passed and Missed

Sometime within the past da or so, I passed 50,000 visitors. Hell, I know of bloggers who get that much traffic in a week, but... well, you guys make me feel pretty....

Win/Win

If you're a pro-American, pro-defense conservative who doesn't give a crap about party labels as long as America wins, this article by Saleena Zito should cheer you up.

UPDATE:

Salena, not Saleena. Sorry, Ma'am.

TV Viewing Musings

1. The Feared Redhead insists on watching AFV AMW (Thanks for pointing out the error, Lurch), which insists on highlighting crimes against women and children. All I can say is, it's a good thing there's no such thing as superpowers, because if I were a hero, I wouldn't emulate Spiderman, I'd be The Punisher. Some of these people don't need prison, they need baseball a la "The Untouchables", IfYouKnowWhatIMeanAndIThinkYouDo....

2. Just watched a local news station roundup of the week in news, and the focus was on immigration. It highlighted two interesting developments:

a) San Bernadino County, CA, in response to jail overcrowding, has instituted a new program where sherriff's deputies are trained to interview incoming inmates and screen for illegal immigrants and turn them over to the INS. Since the program was instituted, the county has interviewed 600 inmates, 500 of whom turned out to be Illegals.

b) The Center For Disease Control reports that juvenile hepatitis cases are far higher in the western and border states, which have higher illegal populations than the rest of the U.S.

I guess those two articles, and my decision to blog on them, proves that I, the San Bernadino County Sherriff, and the CDC are latent racists who think brown people are.. um, what's the word? Oh, yeah, "Icky".

Musical Geography Question of the Day

Special rule: Vic of Darth Apathy and Bob of Eugene Rants must sit this round out. NO COMMENTS FROM THE TWO OF YOU!!!!!

If you waved a diesel down outside a cafe, how far was he goin'?

If no one gets this one, I have another reference to the same place from another song that will make it easier.

Straight From the Horse's Mouth...

Right to the Old Gray Mare Lady.

Thanks for the Memory to Fox News.

An American soldier who has been serving in Iraq has written a letter to the editors of the New York Times, criticizing them for the effect heir reporting has on our troops in the field. I don't think I could say it better or with more authority, so I'll let him speak for himself:

Mr. Keller,

What ceases to amaze me about your paper is the lengths you are willing to go to make headlines and sell papers. Who cares if those headlines help the enemies of America, you guys are making money and that is what it is all about in the end right?

Your recent decision to publish information about a classified program intended to track the banking transactions of possible terrorists is not only detrimental to America but also to its fighting men and women overseas. I know because I am a sergeant in the army on my second tour to Iraq. As I am sure you don’t know because you aren’t in Iraq, and I am sure never will be, terrorism happens here everyday because there are rich men out there willing to support the everyday terrorist who plants bombs and shoots soldiers just to make a living. Without money terrorism in Iraq would die because there would no longer be supplies for IEDs, no mortars or RPGs, and no motivation for people to abandon regular work in hopes of striking it rich after killing a soldier.

Throughout your article you mention that, "the banking program is a closely held secret," but the cat is out of the bag now isn’t it. Terrorists the world over can now change their practices because of your article. For some reason I think that last sentence will bring you guys pleasure. You have done something great in your own eyes-you think you have hurt the current administration while at the same time encouraging "freedom fighters" resisting the imperialism of the United States. However, I foresee a backlash coming your way. I wish I had a subscription to your paper so I could cancel it as soon as possible. But alas, that would prove a little tough right now since I am in Iraq dealing with terrorists financed by the very men you are helping.

Thank you for continually contributing to the deaths of my fellow soldiers. You guys definitely provide a valuable service with your paper. Why without you how would terrorists stay one step ahead of us? I would love to hear a response as to why you deemed revealing this program a necessity, but that will probably come as soon as the government decides to finally put you guys behind bars where you belong.

Tim Boggs
http://www.boredsoldier.blogspot.com/

Well said, Sgt. Boggs. Thanks for speaking out, and thank you for serving. Keep your head down, and go with our prayers.

Diverted Flight: Conflicting Information

Fox News is reporting that different sources are reporting different information regarding the United flight 923 from London to D.C. that has been diverted to Logan International in Boston: One source says that an FBI agent has told them the incident involved a female passenger becoming frantic from claustrophobia. Another source says the woman was confronted because she was carrying banned and suspicious items, including a screwdriver, matches, a jar of Vaseline, and a note referencing Al Quaeda.

R.I.P.

Bruno Kirby 1949-2006

Bruno Kirby, a veteran character actor known for playing the best friend in two of Billy Crystal's biggest comedies "When Harry Met Sally" and "City Slickers," has died. He was 57.

Kirby died Monday in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, his wife Lynn Sellers said in a statement Tuesday. He had been recently diagnosed with the disease.

I always liked Kirby and his characters. He did a good job of playing The Nice Who Tries Too Hard, a role that struck home for me. He will be missed.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

If Joy was just a thing that you were raised on, and love was just a way to live and die, in what state were you raised?

Putting Lipstick on a Pig

Thanks for the Memory to the Diva via Cassandra at Villainous Company.

Cosmetics may be intended to make people beautiful, but the latest rant by MAC Cosmetic's spokesthing Sandra Bernhard is one of the ugliest, nastiest pieces of hate to come from the Left yet.

That's a GREAT marketing campaign, there, MAC: "Buy our products or become a "little freaked out, intimidated, frightened, right-wing Republican thin-lipped bitch"! Because, you know, alienating women sells makeup.

I'm sick and tired of hearing the Left tell me that conservatives are hate-mongers, then from the other side of the same mouth, spew this kind of bitter putrescence at us.

What really sucks for me is that TFR works at a spa that uses and sells only Aveda products. Aveda is a division of Estee Lauder, who also owns, you guessed it, MAC. A list of their other product lines is here. We may boycott them personally, but she has no choice but to keep using them at work.