record of m.

how we hurt ourselves

<![CDATA[ The federal government's intelligence community has released a new National Intelligence Estimate, which notes that terrorists have profited from U.S. efforts to combat terrorism. I don't know if the administration will believe such a report, but it does bring a couple of items to the front of my mind:

1. The article notes that at this point, both the U.S. and al-Qaeda consider Iraq as the center of the current "war". As an opponent of our invasion, I have to wonder who considered it first -- I'm guessing the U.S. al-Qaeda has been able to use our (over)reaction to great effect in hindering our efforts to establish a stable government and infrastructure.

2. An anonymous intelligence officer is quoted as saying that one of the problems with U.S. strategy "is that we focus on the terrorists and very little on how they are created." In my line of work (IT support), we're usually behind the curve if we're being solely reactive to current situation; we can be effective only when we combine our responsiveness with the ability and drive to anticipate new issues and prepare accordingly. I can't see why we would want to be more thorough in supporting Microsoft Word than in protecting ourselves and others from the radical and hateful ideology that al-Qaeda espouses.

Over at the Washington Times, they don't mention the NIE, but do include John McCaslin's "Inside the Beltway", where he proclaims that the Guantanamo prisoners are well-treated because we spend more money on food for the prisoners than on food for the troops and because we provide basic dental and optical care for those we've imprisoned. Of course, he doesn't mention how much is spent on food per person -- that may muddy his argument. He also doesn't compare this to what we spend in potentially similar arenas (i.e. federal prisons). Unfortunately, people will come away with the feeling that it's good times in Gitmo, when we know differently. ]]>

starting anew

<![CDATA[ For the first time in my post-collegiate career, I'm about to start working in a new place. I believe these things:

1. I left my last organization for the right reasons for me.

2. I chose a company that I can learn and grow in.
3. I'm nervous and excited about starting off in a new organization.

Now it's time to see which of my beliefs are correct. ]]>

(two hundred) thirty today

<![CDATA[ So it's my birthday today, number 30. I think I'm supposed to attach some sort of importance to the round number and reflect on what I did with my 20s:

• met and married my life partner
• graduated from college
• moved along on my chosen career path
• gone back to school
• learned to play guitar and write songs (available here, if you weren't sure)
• established a more meaningful relationship with my mother and brother
• traveled to Europe

So, so far, so good. Any regrets I may have are far outweighed by the list above and the other positive moments of the past ten years.

Oh -- it's also our nation's birthday today -- enjoy the day off. ]]>

how can we ensure that we are the minority?

<![CDATA[ What's wrong with the Democratic Party?

The main question of the article revolves around the party's identify: liberal or centrist? Since "the middle" moves around a lot, the party should take a stronger stand in its core principles rather than continue along its "we're not them!" model. Unfortunately, I don't think that will happen; nor will the Dems muster up enough righteousness to go on the attack, even when they have a shot at winning something for the first time in 6 years.

One note: the article credits Jeffrey Goldberg with this statistic: the GOP's base is one-third of the country; the Democrats' base is one-fifth. This leaves 47% for "the middle." This seems pretty similar to the Conservative-Labour-Liberal Democrat breakdown in the UK -- I wonder how a third party for the middle 47% would change the political landscape here in the U.S. ]]>

insuring against the inevitable

<![CDATA[ In another "triumph" for unfettered capitalism, the insurance industry is pulling away from insuring residents of Atlantic and Gulf coastal areas. In some cases, insurers are canceling existing policies. Predictably, a lobby group has formed to shift the industry's liability to the federal government, presaging a political battle that should outlast this year's hurricane season.

This directly speaks to the need for effective and meaningful government action (and associated funding) to step in and protect its citizens. It's not enough to fund an already-bloated Homeland Security department and spend money on defense gadgets that have little meaning in today's world -- nature has a way of doing more (predictable) damage to us than anything else, yet we never seem prepared in July or August. I'd bet that most people in this country wouldn't mind adding a few dollars per year in taxes if they knew it would go toward helping people in times of disaster instead of some irrelevant pork tacked onto a Senate or House bill. ]]>

alternate reality

<![CDATA[ My usual MO with television shows is to wait until they're about to end (or be canceled), then get really interested. This holds especially true for Aaron Sorkin-created shows. After having missed Sports Night on both network and syndication, we picked it up on DVD. After racing through both seasons, it turned into one of my favorite shows.

So now it's The West Wing. Virginia got the first two seasons for me last Christmas, and I finally opened it earlier this month. It's slower going, but two things keep coming to the front:

1. It's a really well-written and well-done show.
2. Why is the show the alternate reality, and our world the actual reality?

Michael Brown, who managed to preside over the worst national disaster in recent memory, is back in business. The Iraq-related expenditures are expected to be up to $320 million. And finally, our president is hypocritically calling for tax breaks for oil companies to end, having championed those breaks in the first place.

Can I have the alternate reality, please? ]]>

no child left with knowledge

<![CDATA[ So now our nation's schools are cutting back on subjects other than reading and math in order to continue receiving funds under the No Child Left Behind law. As a result, many kids are getting either reduced or no exposure to the vast body of knowledge -- science, history, languages, and the arts -- that our society has to offer. Instead, they get to grind through hours per day of reading and math. I agree that these are bedrock skills to master, but I can't agree that this lack of variety is anything but damaging to a person's desire to learn.

One principal is quoted as saying that there has been minimal complaint from the students about taking two subjects. I wonder if these kids, already frustrated with their struggle to do well on standardized tests, even believe that providing feedback will lead to any changes in their education. I also wonder about the context of who is taking this altered curriculum at these schools, and whether this ultimately fuels a larger divide between the haves and have-nots in a world increasingly reliant on brainpower. ]]>

good friends, good times

<![CDATA[ A close friend and I have been trying to reconnect lately by making a habit of getting together every week. We work at the same place, but you know how that isn't really the same. In any case, it's working out great. We went to see Jason Narducy (of Rockets Over Sweden) play an acoustic covers set at The Hideout last night. Jason's been touring a lot lately -- he played bass on Bob Mould's tour last year; he's now touring with Bob Pollard of Guided By Voices fame. I generally recommend any music that Jason's involved in, including his own band, the current tour, and any time he can get on top of a bar and serenade an unwilling victim with "I Want You To Want Me." ]]>

march = madness

<![CDATA[ This is on two counts: the NCAA tournament and my final exams (completed yesterday). I feel bad for some of my classmates, who seemingly live and die by how their undergrad alma mater does in the brackets. As I went to a Division III (no scholarships) school, I can watch the tournament without too much emotional turmoil. Not so for my friends that went to Illinois.

Some links:

• George Will has a satisfying view on Iraq, 3 years later.
• A fun little doom-and-gloom about the upcoming elections and Bush's abysmal approval ratings.

]]>

life after bush? finally!

<![CDATA[ With Bush's numbers in the basement, the G.O.P. is circling the wagons. My favorite theme is the ol' "hate the sin, love the sinner" routine -- everyone praises Bush and decries the deviation from traditional conservative values. As several of the "successors" are U.S. Senators who supported the White House's spendthrift ways, I find the sentiment a little hard to swallow. My current consolation is that, McCain aside, the potential heirs are almost as interesting to listen to as Kerry. ]]>