Wednesday, March 31, 2004
i was in the campus center this morning and looked to my right and saw a sign that said 'call for entries'.
but you know what i thought it said when i first glanced at it?
'call for entrails'.
so i stopped and pondered who was calling for entrails, and what for. i thought it was weird.
but you know what i thought it said when i first glanced at it?
'call for entrails'.
so i stopped and pondered who was calling for entrails, and what for. i thought it was weird.
oh, wait. i remembered something funny and awesome and completely full of crap to tell everyone.
a fellow student pointed me to last week's 'bi-college news' because of a story about the graduate school here and something exceptionally silly that was said towards the end of it. boy, was he right. i quote, in toto, then, the third-to-last paragraph:
'With the high quality of Bryn Mawr's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and its competitive nature, it seems unlikely that any less than serious students would apply. Crystal Henry, BMC '05, however, has her doubts, claiming to have spoken with other students who question "the seriousness of male grad students in terms of studies." The question then, seems to be, [sic] would male students pay over $25,000 a year to be surrounded by Bryn Mawr women?'
i won't comment on the absurdity of the last sentence. most grad students i know couldn't afford to pay $25,000 a year to be surrounded by ANY women.
oops. i just commented on it.
and i don't know what student crystal what's-her-face '05 talked to, but i would question her "seriousness of dexterity in terms of making observations". perhaps the two of them could get together with richard clarke and write a book, go on 60 minutes and expose all of us for what we really are. and with all the money they make, they can start a scholarship fund for 'non-serious graduate students desiring to be surrounded by bryn mawr women'.
a fellow student pointed me to last week's 'bi-college news' because of a story about the graduate school here and something exceptionally silly that was said towards the end of it. boy, was he right. i quote, in toto, then, the third-to-last paragraph:
'With the high quality of Bryn Mawr's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and its competitive nature, it seems unlikely that any less than serious students would apply. Crystal Henry, BMC '05, however, has her doubts, claiming to have spoken with other students who question "the seriousness of male grad students in terms of studies." The question then, seems to be, [sic] would male students pay over $25,000 a year to be surrounded by Bryn Mawr women?'
i won't comment on the absurdity of the last sentence. most grad students i know couldn't afford to pay $25,000 a year to be surrounded by ANY women.
oops. i just commented on it.
and i don't know what student crystal what's-her-face '05 talked to, but i would question her "seriousness of dexterity in terms of making observations". perhaps the two of them could get together with richard clarke and write a book, go on 60 minutes and expose all of us for what we really are. and with all the money they make, they can start a scholarship fund for 'non-serious graduate students desiring to be surrounded by bryn mawr women'.
a couple of points of interest:
at the moment i am listening to a recently acquired copy of richard buckner's 'live at schuba's'. it is in all sincerity so sweet i can hardly explain it. thanks to ronald mchenry for this fantastic plastic action.
i heard 'wish you were here' on my way home tonight. i send it out to all those friends corporeally in absentia but present in spirit. or something.
'And did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?'
i hope not.
i also heard the original version of 'ballroom blitz', which is so much better than the tia carrere version from 'wayne's world' that i can hardly believe it. i also heard 'you can't always get what you want' by the stones.
'but if you try sometimes, you just might find--you just might find you get what you need.'
so these probably weren't all that interesting. but i don't care because this richard buckner cd is SO GOOD.
i will try to think of something funnier to say next time.
or not.
but please feel free to send me comments that say how awesome you think i am, because gratuitous superficial praise is what i'm looking for.
so please make a donation to my self-esteem balloon.
at the moment i am listening to a recently acquired copy of richard buckner's 'live at schuba's'. it is in all sincerity so sweet i can hardly explain it. thanks to ronald mchenry for this fantastic plastic action.
i heard 'wish you were here' on my way home tonight. i send it out to all those friends corporeally in absentia but present in spirit. or something.
'And did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?'
i hope not.
i also heard the original version of 'ballroom blitz', which is so much better than the tia carrere version from 'wayne's world' that i can hardly believe it. i also heard 'you can't always get what you want' by the stones.
'but if you try sometimes, you just might find--you just might find you get what you need.'
so these probably weren't all that interesting. but i don't care because this richard buckner cd is SO GOOD.
i will try to think of something funnier to say next time.
or not.
but please feel free to send me comments that say how awesome you think i am, because gratuitous superficial praise is what i'm looking for.
so please make a donation to my self-esteem balloon.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
announcement: i seem to have figured out how to add a 'comments' button to the posts. that means that you all get to put your 2 cents in now, too. i don't know how thrilled i am about that, because i think it will screw up my hegemonic discourse, but there you have it.
so with that, i hereby officially institute 'grooving on davebergman'.
so with that, i hereby officially institute 'grooving on davebergman'.
hi kids. i just took this indie music quiz from d. mch.'s live journal. i found out that i am open-minded, which (1) i knew already, (2) you knew already and (3) makes me totally awesome.
i am open-minded!
How indie are you? test by ridethefader
You're pretty knowledgeable about music in general. You like indie music, sure, but that's only part of it.
You'll listen to any old shit as long as it sounds good to you. You're not snobby about music at all, you
just like what you like. How boring. Curiously, this makes you popular with the opposite sex.
How indie are you? test by ridethefader
You're pretty knowledgeable about music in general. You like indie music, sure, but that's only part of it.
You'll listen to any old shit as long as it sounds good to you. You're not snobby about music at all, you
just like what you like. How boring. Curiously, this makes you popular with the opposite sex.
here is a joke from my teabag today: The Arctic is the land of frozen assets.
ha!
ha!
oh, man--bob seger just came on my radio. you might be tired of hearing about him by now.
big deal.
i'm kicking back and allowing the lush waves of brilliance to warm me.
that last thing, by the way, is a mixed metaphor. it shows that i am not thinking clearly. i learned from george orwell that those are bad. by the way, matthew--that essay was quite enjoyable.
oh, yes--'born to run' by the boss just came on. i am a happy young rock 'n roller.
big deal.
i'm kicking back and allowing the lush waves of brilliance to warm me.
that last thing, by the way, is a mixed metaphor. it shows that i am not thinking clearly. i learned from george orwell that those are bad. by the way, matthew--that essay was quite enjoyable.
oh, yes--'born to run' by the boss just came on. i am a happy young rock 'n roller.
Monday, March 29, 2004
a few items of note. first of all, a more fulsome directive for the design of the seger t-shirt: as dennis has pointed out to me, it is clear that the shirt should be, as horace says of a young lady's hair, 'simplex munditiis', just as bob's music is.
next: i realize that bodine did not find the 'homer reading group' article funny at all, but believe you me--that will not keep ME from posting about classics-related items. as some of you may know, i spend a large part of monday in classes, and inevitably there arise some humorous moments, and today there were several. the first was that [j.d.] dennis[ton] pointed out to me that, if you read the middle initial of our greek prose comp professor as part of his last name, you actually get the word prose. to wit: gilbert p. rose becomes gilbert prose. we are now all enrolled in gil prose composition. get it? you have no idea how hard i laughed about this. think about it for a minute. it's hilarious. if you're not laughing about it yet, smack yourself with a wet palm and keep thinking.
speaking of gil prose, he said a couple of memorable things today. in discussing our assignment for next week, he said, 'those of you who have not read Thucydides will find it jarringly unpleasant'. indeed. but the fun has not even begun yet. later in class, when musing upon conditional sentences, a student tried to point out that he thought a certain construction might be a future-less-vivid condition. gil did not quite hear him, and after a moment he returned to himself from the whimsy of greek grammar. he apologized and said, 'i was kind of still grooving on future-more-vivid'. you might not have know that you can 'groove' on greek conditionals, but you can. it's a lot like listening to otis redding. finally, my roman satire professor made passing reference to a 'gratuitous flock of eunuchs' in a letter of jerome. i am certain that i do not need to explain why this is funny. again, think about it. and again, if that doesn't work, continue to smack yourself, this time with your roommate's dirty underwear.
i believe that it is time for me to get back to work. i hope i hear some sweet music on the way home. this morning i heard 'stay, just a little bit longer' (but is that the actual title?) by jackson browne, which some of you claim never to have heard, though i suspect you are LYING. oh, and also--
hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?! today i learned that the song 'a whiter shade of pale', about which i wrote the other night, is not if fact by willie nelson! it's by procol harum. that sort of sounds like latin, huh?
next: i realize that bodine did not find the 'homer reading group' article funny at all, but believe you me--that will not keep ME from posting about classics-related items. as some of you may know, i spend a large part of monday in classes, and inevitably there arise some humorous moments, and today there were several. the first was that [j.d.] dennis[ton] pointed out to me that, if you read the middle initial of our greek prose comp professor as part of his last name, you actually get the word prose. to wit: gilbert p. rose becomes gilbert prose. we are now all enrolled in gil prose composition. get it? you have no idea how hard i laughed about this. think about it for a minute. it's hilarious. if you're not laughing about it yet, smack yourself with a wet palm and keep thinking.
speaking of gil prose, he said a couple of memorable things today. in discussing our assignment for next week, he said, 'those of you who have not read Thucydides will find it jarringly unpleasant'. indeed. but the fun has not even begun yet. later in class, when musing upon conditional sentences, a student tried to point out that he thought a certain construction might be a future-less-vivid condition. gil did not quite hear him, and after a moment he returned to himself from the whimsy of greek grammar. he apologized and said, 'i was kind of still grooving on future-more-vivid'. you might not have know that you can 'groove' on greek conditionals, but you can. it's a lot like listening to otis redding. finally, my roman satire professor made passing reference to a 'gratuitous flock of eunuchs' in a letter of jerome. i am certain that i do not need to explain why this is funny. again, think about it. and again, if that doesn't work, continue to smack yourself, this time with your roommate's dirty underwear.
i believe that it is time for me to get back to work. i hope i hear some sweet music on the way home. this morning i heard 'stay, just a little bit longer' (but is that the actual title?) by jackson browne, which some of you claim never to have heard, though i suspect you are LYING. oh, and also--
hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?! today i learned that the song 'a whiter shade of pale', about which i wrote the other night, is not if fact by willie nelson! it's by procol harum. that sort of sounds like latin, huh?
finally: we are now accepting designs for the 'i'm eager for seger' t-shirt. this will be so sweet that it will spin your head around on its axis so fast that it will have 37 asteroids suddenly in its orbit in the shape of a heart. please address all theses, hyphotheses, texts, subtexts, metatexts, ubertexts, liminal discourses and just plain old totally awesome ideas to: akook@brynmawr.edu. to distinguish this group of emails from the plethora of other electronic musings he is receiving, please make the subject line say: 'i want to cover myself in melted cheese'.
so i was listening to 'little steven's underground garage' tonight, and i heard 'that's how strong my love is' by otis redding. it was quite possibly one of the sweetest songs i've ever heard.
in other news, i heard the new jay-z song twice today.
i also heard 'all night long' by the eagles. and 'hotel california'.
i did not, however, hear any bob seger songs, which was a bit disappointing.
but i'll tell you what i DID do. i sat in the sun and read jerome for awhile.
'imagine' by john lennon just came on. i have to admit, i find this song poignantly annoying.
in other news, i heard the new jay-z song twice today.
i also heard 'all night long' by the eagles. and 'hotel california'.
i did not, however, hear any bob seger songs, which was a bit disappointing.
but i'll tell you what i DID do. i sat in the sun and read jerome for awhile.
'imagine' by john lennon just came on. i have to admit, i find this song poignantly annoying.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
by the way, the 2004 detroit tigers lost a close one today to the montreal expos. the final score was 3-2.
well, i decided to take matthew's advice and check out that orwellian action. here is one of my favorite passages so far, coming right before the passage quoted by matthew earlier. it comes from the section labeled 'meaningless words', and perhaps will find sympathy with those now involved in educating their cerebral cortices. it reads as follows:
In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning. Words like romantic, plastic, values, human, dead, sentimental, natural, vitality , as used in art criticism, are strictly meaningless, in the sense that they not only do not point to any discoverable object, but are hardly ever expected to do so by the reader. When one critic writes, "The outstanding feature of Mr. X's work is its living quality," while another writes, "The immediately striking thing about Mr. X's work is its peculiar deadness," the reader accepts this as a simple difference opinion. If words like black and white were involved, instead of the jargon words dead and living, he would see at once that language was being used in an improper way. Many political words are similarly abused. The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies "something not desirable." The words democracy, socialism, freedom, patriotic, realistic, justice have each of them several different meanings which cannot be reconciled with one another. In the case of a word like democracy, not only is there no agreed definition, but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides. It is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic we are praising it: consequently the defenders of every kind of regime claim that it is a democracy, and fear that they might have to stop using that word if it were tied down to any one meaning. Words of this kind are often used in a consciously dishonest way. That is, the person who uses them has his own private definition, but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different.
In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning. Words like romantic, plastic, values, human, dead, sentimental, natural, vitality , as used in art criticism, are strictly meaningless, in the sense that they not only do not point to any discoverable object, but are hardly ever expected to do so by the reader. When one critic writes, "The outstanding feature of Mr. X's work is its living quality," while another writes, "The immediately striking thing about Mr. X's work is its peculiar deadness," the reader accepts this as a simple difference opinion. If words like black and white were involved, instead of the jargon words dead and living, he would see at once that language was being used in an improper way. Many political words are similarly abused. The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies "something not desirable." The words democracy, socialism, freedom, patriotic, realistic, justice have each of them several different meanings which cannot be reconciled with one another. In the case of a word like democracy, not only is there no agreed definition, but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides. It is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic we are praising it: consequently the defenders of every kind of regime claim that it is a democracy, and fear that they might have to stop using that word if it were tied down to any one meaning. Words of this kind are often used in a consciously dishonest way. That is, the person who uses them has his own private definition, but allows his hearer to think he means something quite different.
today for your enjoyment i have some grammatical information. it comes from strunk and white's 'the elements of style'. i am including it for two reasons. first, i thought it was hilarious. the second reason is: i include it for the pleasure of aaron kook, who aspires to the lofty himalyan peaks of clarity and precision in language. his favorite soap-box on which to perch himself and declaim is the one labeled: 'the difference(s) between "can" and "may"'. his second-favorite is: 'the transitive evolution of the verb "to be"'. so, without further ado, here is the strunk and white entry for the word 'like':
'Not to be used for conjunction "as". "Like" governs nouns and pronouns; before phrases and clauses the equivalent word is "as"....The use of "like" for "as" has its defenders; they argue that any usage that achieves currency becomes valid automatically. This, they say, is the way the language is formed. It is and it isn't. An expression sometimes merely enjoys a vogue, much as an article of apparel does. "Like" has long been widely misused by the illiterate; lately it has been taken up by the knowing and the well-informed, who find it catchy, or liberating, and who use it as though they were slumming. If every word or device that achieved currency were immediately authenticated, simply on the ground of popularity, the language would be as chaotic as a ball game with no foul lines. For the student, perhaps the most useful thing to know about "like" is that most carefully edited publications regard its use before phrases and clauses as simple error.'
if i could fine one person (just one!) who feels 'liberated' by using the word 'like' incorrectly...well, i think it would be, like, sweet.
right now the willie nelson song 'a whiter shade of pale' is on in my room. some of you might not like willie nelson. but you also MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
i apologize for my lack of posts during friday and most of saturday. i know how much this all means to you.
enjoy being totally awesome.
'Not to be used for conjunction "as". "Like" governs nouns and pronouns; before phrases and clauses the equivalent word is "as"....The use of "like" for "as" has its defenders; they argue that any usage that achieves currency becomes valid automatically. This, they say, is the way the language is formed. It is and it isn't. An expression sometimes merely enjoys a vogue, much as an article of apparel does. "Like" has long been widely misused by the illiterate; lately it has been taken up by the knowing and the well-informed, who find it catchy, or liberating, and who use it as though they were slumming. If every word or device that achieved currency were immediately authenticated, simply on the ground of popularity, the language would be as chaotic as a ball game with no foul lines. For the student, perhaps the most useful thing to know about "like" is that most carefully edited publications regard its use before phrases and clauses as simple error.'
if i could fine one person (just one!) who feels 'liberated' by using the word 'like' incorrectly...well, i think it would be, like, sweet.
right now the willie nelson song 'a whiter shade of pale' is on in my room. some of you might not like willie nelson. but you also MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
i apologize for my lack of posts during friday and most of saturday. i know how much this all means to you.
enjoy being totally awesome.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
here's something i wrote the other day:
'i would also like to point out that the influence of plato and his pet socrates has become so ubiquitous that i just heard someone say on a radio commercial, 'i don't even know that i don't know'. i guess that places him one rung below socrates on the epistemological ladder.'
here's some illumination from my friend, the first duke of lake beauchamplain:
'I've heard this phenomenon referred to in a computer science journal as "Second-Order Ignorance", First-Order Ignorance being the Socratic type. Some executives at a certain mortgage company that will here go unnamed seem to suffer from the former.'
so there.
'i would also like to point out that the influence of plato and his pet socrates has become so ubiquitous that i just heard someone say on a radio commercial, 'i don't even know that i don't know'. i guess that places him one rung below socrates on the epistemological ladder.'
here's some illumination from my friend, the first duke of lake beauchamplain:
'I've heard this phenomenon referred to in a computer science journal as "Second-Order Ignorance", First-Order Ignorance being the Socratic type. Some executives at a certain mortgage company that will here go unnamed seem to suffer from the former.'
so there.
anyone with even a passing interest in classics (or who is just really, really cool) MUST go to this link: http://www.theonion.com/opinion/index.php?i=1&o=2. i don't care if i'm a geek. i think it's funny.
more jokes!
Bush Pokes Some Fun During Media Dinner
Thu Mar 25,12:31 AM ET
By SIOBHAN McDONOUGH, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) poked fun at his staff, his Democratic challenger and himself Wednesday night at a black-tie dinner where he hobnobbed with the news media.
Bush put on a slide show, calling it the "White House Election-Year Album" at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association 60th annual dinner, showing himself and his staff in some decidedly unflattering poses.
There was Bush looking under furniture in a fruitless, frustrating search. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere," he said.
There was Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites), a frequent butt of gentle Bush ribbing, holding his fingers a few inches apart. Bush said, "Whenever you ask him a question, he replies, 'Let's see what my little friend says.'"
And there was Bush again, in an odd contortion in front of his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites). He said he was trying to explain to her the foreign policy of Democratic challenger John Kerry (news - web sites).
Bush showed himself playing cards on Air Force One and cracked that he was on his way to an international summit and using a special deck to help him bone up on the names of the leaders he was about to meet.
His slide show segued into a somber ending, showing a group of special forces troops in Afghanistan (news - web sites) at the site where they buried a piece of the fallen World Trade Center in commemoration of the dead from Sept. 11.
The late NBC News reporter David Bloom, who died in April from an apparent blood clot while covering the Iraq (news - web sites) war, was remembered. His wife, Melanie, talked of her husband's passion for journalism.
About 1,500 guests attended the dinner.
Bush Pokes Some Fun During Media Dinner
Thu Mar 25,12:31 AM ET
By SIOBHAN McDONOUGH, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) poked fun at his staff, his Democratic challenger and himself Wednesday night at a black-tie dinner where he hobnobbed with the news media.
Bush put on a slide show, calling it the "White House Election-Year Album" at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association 60th annual dinner, showing himself and his staff in some decidedly unflattering poses.
There was Bush looking under furniture in a fruitless, frustrating search. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere," he said.
There was Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites), a frequent butt of gentle Bush ribbing, holding his fingers a few inches apart. Bush said, "Whenever you ask him a question, he replies, 'Let's see what my little friend says.'"
And there was Bush again, in an odd contortion in front of his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites). He said he was trying to explain to her the foreign policy of Democratic challenger John Kerry (news - web sites).
Bush showed himself playing cards on Air Force One and cracked that he was on his way to an international summit and using a special deck to help him bone up on the names of the leaders he was about to meet.
His slide show segued into a somber ending, showing a group of special forces troops in Afghanistan (news - web sites) at the site where they buried a piece of the fallen World Trade Center in commemoration of the dead from Sept. 11.
The late NBC News reporter David Bloom, who died in April from an apparent blood clot while covering the Iraq (news - web sites) war, was remembered. His wife, Melanie, talked of her husband's passion for journalism.
About 1,500 guests attended the dinner.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
first: i heard 'night moves' by bob seger on the radio today.
ok, actually i only heard half of it. see, i was totally rocking out to nirvana on this other station designed primarily for the hip kids, but when that ended, i flipped over to classic rock just in time to catch the second half. it gave my heart wings.
second: my roommate nick told me that he heard a bob seger song on the radio last weekend. he didn't comment on whether he thought it was sweet or not, but i know he did. i know he thought it was cooler than songs by puddle of saliva stains, or whatever modern rock band has creed's lead singer now.
third: the friend whose life was changed by finding out about bob seger's preference for james brown over the beatles had one of the sweetest ideas i've ever heard. he thinks we should make t-shirts that say 'i'm eager for seger'. i think he's totally right on. that would be so awesome. if you think it would be awesome too, i'm starting a petition drive to convince...well, myself, i guess. which doesn't make any sense, since i'm already convinced... .anyway, if you want to contribute to the petition, please send an email to akook@brynmawr.edu. this time, he requests that you make the subject line say 'eric is SO COOL i can hardly believe it'.
finally: anyone who thinks there's been another band that has made better use of the clap track than boston is full of crap.
ok, actually i only heard half of it. see, i was totally rocking out to nirvana on this other station designed primarily for the hip kids, but when that ended, i flipped over to classic rock just in time to catch the second half. it gave my heart wings.
second: my roommate nick told me that he heard a bob seger song on the radio last weekend. he didn't comment on whether he thought it was sweet or not, but i know he did. i know he thought it was cooler than songs by puddle of saliva stains, or whatever modern rock band has creed's lead singer now.
third: the friend whose life was changed by finding out about bob seger's preference for james brown over the beatles had one of the sweetest ideas i've ever heard. he thinks we should make t-shirts that say 'i'm eager for seger'. i think he's totally right on. that would be so awesome. if you think it would be awesome too, i'm starting a petition drive to convince...well, myself, i guess. which doesn't make any sense, since i'm already convinced... .anyway, if you want to contribute to the petition, please send an email to akook@brynmawr.edu. this time, he requests that you make the subject line say 'eric is SO COOL i can hardly believe it'.
finally: anyone who thinks there's been another band that has made better use of the clap track than boston is full of crap.
what?!? go to this link: http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/03/23/kindegarten.marijuana.ap/index.html
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
thought this was interesting, given that i'm generally skeptical of the political views of people who merely are trying to sell books, especially when said person perhaps contradicts earlier statements and positions (notice i said 'perhaps'; i'm not judging anyone else's credibility, due to my aforementioned pre-eminent open-mindedness) (from yahoo! news)...
Clarke Praises Bush in Resignation Letter
By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The White House, seeking to cool criticism from a former top anti-terror adviser, said Tuesday that Richard Clarke's resignation letter praised President Bush (news - web sites)'s "courage, determination, calm and leadership" on Sept. 11, 2001.
"It has been an enormous privilege to serve you these last 24 months," said the Jan. 20, 2003, letter from Clarke to Bush. "I will always remember the courage, determination, calm, and leadership you demonstrated on September 11th."
The letter was stamped "the president has seen" the next day.
Clarke, who left the Bush administration in March 2003 after 30 years in government service and 11 years at the White House, has written a book in which he criticizes the president and his administration for ignoring repeated warnings about al-Qaida before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and acting ineffectively afterward, primarily because of a preoccupation with Iraq (news - web sites).
On Monday, the day Clarke's "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror" hit stores and the day after he promoted it in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," the White House went to great lengths to dismiss Clarke's accusations. Administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), appeared on television and radio to argue that Clarke was inaccurate, politically motivated, disgruntled over bureaucratic changes that reduced his influence, merely trying to sell books — or all four at once.
That White House campaign continued Tuesday with the release of Clarke's letter announcing his intention to step down.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan suggested Clarke's praise belies his later criticism of Bush's handling of the crisis.
"At this time period, when he was leaving, there was no mention of the grave concerns he claims to have had about the direction of the war on terrorism, or what we were doing to confront the threat posed by Iraq, by the former regime," McClellan said.
But the letter contains no praise of Bush's anti-terror actions before or after the attacks —only on the day of. Clarke does commend Bush for his "intuitive understanding" of the importance of cybersecurity.
Clarke's job as the White House's counterterrorism chief was split in two early in the Bush White House, with Clarke put in charge of cybersecurity and others brought in for the anti-terror role.
"You had prescience in creating the position of Special Adviser to the President for Cyberspace Security and I urge you to maintain that role in the White House," Clarke wrote.
Also, even though the White House argued that Clarke's memoir was released to do the maximum political damage to Bush in a presidential election year, McClellan would not say when the required national security review of the book was completed, allowing its publication to proceed. Publications by administration officials are routinely vetted to make sure that nothing is released that compromises classified information or national security.
Clarke Praises Bush in Resignation Letter
By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The White House, seeking to cool criticism from a former top anti-terror adviser, said Tuesday that Richard Clarke's resignation letter praised President Bush (news - web sites)'s "courage, determination, calm and leadership" on Sept. 11, 2001.
"It has been an enormous privilege to serve you these last 24 months," said the Jan. 20, 2003, letter from Clarke to Bush. "I will always remember the courage, determination, calm, and leadership you demonstrated on September 11th."
The letter was stamped "the president has seen" the next day.
Clarke, who left the Bush administration in March 2003 after 30 years in government service and 11 years at the White House, has written a book in which he criticizes the president and his administration for ignoring repeated warnings about al-Qaida before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and acting ineffectively afterward, primarily because of a preoccupation with Iraq (news - web sites).
On Monday, the day Clarke's "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror" hit stores and the day after he promoted it in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," the White House went to great lengths to dismiss Clarke's accusations. Administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), appeared on television and radio to argue that Clarke was inaccurate, politically motivated, disgruntled over bureaucratic changes that reduced his influence, merely trying to sell books — or all four at once.
That White House campaign continued Tuesday with the release of Clarke's letter announcing his intention to step down.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan suggested Clarke's praise belies his later criticism of Bush's handling of the crisis.
"At this time period, when he was leaving, there was no mention of the grave concerns he claims to have had about the direction of the war on terrorism, or what we were doing to confront the threat posed by Iraq, by the former regime," McClellan said.
But the letter contains no praise of Bush's anti-terror actions before or after the attacks —only on the day of. Clarke does commend Bush for his "intuitive understanding" of the importance of cybersecurity.
Clarke's job as the White House's counterterrorism chief was split in two early in the Bush White House, with Clarke put in charge of cybersecurity and others brought in for the anti-terror role.
"You had prescience in creating the position of Special Adviser to the President for Cyberspace Security and I urge you to maintain that role in the White House," Clarke wrote.
Also, even though the White House argued that Clarke's memoir was released to do the maximum political damage to Bush in a presidential election year, McClellan would not say when the required national security review of the book was completed, allowing its publication to proceed. Publications by administration officials are routinely vetted to make sure that nothing is released that compromises classified information or national security.
and now for today's bob seger fact: bob seger played at the detroit pop festival on april 7, 1969, with, among others, the mc5 and the amboy dukes. i'll take THAT over the 'summer of love' any day.
by the way, something has gone rank in our kitchen. i don't know what it is, but it smells like diapers.
i would also like to point out that the influence of plato and his pet socrates has become so ubiquitous that i just heard someone say on a radio commercial, 'i don't even know that i don't know'. i guess that places him one rung below socrates on the epistemological ladder.
the stones are rocking their faces off (and mine) on my radio right now.
i would also like to point out that the influence of plato and his pet socrates has become so ubiquitous that i just heard someone say on a radio commercial, 'i don't even know that i don't know'. i guess that places him one rung below socrates on the epistemological ladder.
the stones are rocking their faces off (and mine) on my radio right now.
first of all, the eagles are on right now, which is AWESOME,and it's giving me a 'peaceful, easy feeling'.
second of all, did you know that when bob seger was growing up, he liked james brown better than the beatles? i told somebody that today, and it practically changed his life.
third of all, today in my satire class, somebody tried to reference a previous class she'd had with our professor on women in medieval literature. the professor replied: 'it's time to get over being the bride of Christ'. well, i don't know about THAT.
hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?! i learned what a stereopticon is. it is a magic lantern, especially one made double so as to produce dissolving views. i learned this because i looked it up in the wonderful american heritage dictionary. don't confuse it with a stereoscope, which is an optical instrument used to impart a three-dimensional effect to two photographs of the same scene taken at slightly different angles and viewed through two eyepieces. also, could someone explain to me what a magic lantern is?
second of all, did you know that when bob seger was growing up, he liked james brown better than the beatles? i told somebody that today, and it practically changed his life.
third of all, today in my satire class, somebody tried to reference a previous class she'd had with our professor on women in medieval literature. the professor replied: 'it's time to get over being the bride of Christ'. well, i don't know about THAT.
hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?! i learned what a stereopticon is. it is a magic lantern, especially one made double so as to produce dissolving views. i learned this because i looked it up in the wonderful american heritage dictionary. don't confuse it with a stereoscope, which is an optical instrument used to impart a three-dimensional effect to two photographs of the same scene taken at slightly different angles and viewed through two eyepieces. also, could someone explain to me what a magic lantern is?
Monday, March 22, 2004
here's part of an interesting story from timesleader.com...
Punch halts murder trial
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA - A man accused of raping and murdering a young girl punched his defense attorney in the face Monday, bringing his jury trial to a halt.
Court officers tackled the defendant, Malik El-Shabazz, 20, then led him quickly from the courtroom at Philadelphia's Criminal Justice Center. The attorney, public defender Fred Goodman, was not seriously hurt, officials said.
Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan immediately declared a recess and sent jurors home. It was unclear whether the attack, which was unprovoked and came without warning, would result in a mistrial.
Punch halts murder trial
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA - A man accused of raping and murdering a young girl punched his defense attorney in the face Monday, bringing his jury trial to a halt.
Court officers tackled the defendant, Malik El-Shabazz, 20, then led him quickly from the courtroom at Philadelphia's Criminal Justice Center. The attorney, public defender Fred Goodman, was not seriously hurt, officials said.
Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan immediately declared a recess and sent jurors home. It was unclear whether the attack, which was unprovoked and came without warning, would result in a mistrial.
if i told you bob seger was on the radio in my room right now, i wouldn't be lying.
and if i told you it was SO SWEET YOU COULD HARDLY BELIEVE IT, i wouldn't be lying about that, either.
and if i told you it was SO SWEET YOU COULD HARDLY BELIEVE IT, i wouldn't be lying about that, either.
in the words of herman melville:
"...and Heaven have mercy on us all-- Presbyterians and Pagans alike-- for we are all dreadfully cracked about the head and desperately in need of mending."
"...and Heaven have mercy on us all-- Presbyterians and Pagans alike-- for we are all dreadfully cracked about the head and desperately in need of mending."
there is NO EXCUSE for listening to indie rock when you could just listen to the cars instead.
by the way, i just heard a boston song. if my hands weren't busy typing, you better believe i would have been playing the air drums.
and in other news--did you know that at one point in his high school career, bob seger could run a 5:05 minute mile? that's fast!
by the way, i just heard a boston song. if my hands weren't busy typing, you better believe i would have been playing the air drums.
and in other news--did you know that at one point in his high school career, bob seger could run a 5:05 minute mile? that's fast!
Sunday, March 21, 2004
from telegraph.co.uk--
Reporter following trail of corruption in EU arrested
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in Brussels
(Filed: 20/03/2004)
Police arrested a leading investigative journalist yesterday on the orders of the European Union, seizing his computers, address books and archive of files in a move that stunned Euro-MPs.
Hans-Martin Tillack, the Brussels correspondent for Germany's Stern magazine, said he was held for 10 hours without access to a lawyer by the Belgian police after his office and home were raided by six officers.
"They asked me to tell them who my sources were. I replied that was something I would never do. Now they have all my sensitive files, so I suppose they'll find out anyway," he said last night.
"The police said I was lucky I wasn't in Burma or central Africa, where journalists get the real treatment," he added.
Mr Tillack said the raid was triggered by a complaint from the EU's anti-fraud office, OLAF. He was accused of paying money to obtain a leaked OLAF dossier two years ago, which he denies.
The European Ombudsman has already come to his defence, issuing a harsh criticism of OLAF's campaign to silence him.
Mr Tillack, who describes himself as a "pro-European federalist", has been OLAF's most vocal critic, accusing it of covering up abuses within the EU system.
As the author of a recent book on EU corruption, he has the greatest archive of investigative files of any journalist working in Brussels.
OLAF was created to replace the old fraud office UCLAF, which was accused of covering up abuses by the disgraced Santer Commission. Many UCLAF staff were transferred to OLAF.
Reporter following trail of corruption in EU arrested
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in Brussels
(Filed: 20/03/2004)
Police arrested a leading investigative journalist yesterday on the orders of the European Union, seizing his computers, address books and archive of files in a move that stunned Euro-MPs.
Hans-Martin Tillack, the Brussels correspondent for Germany's Stern magazine, said he was held for 10 hours without access to a lawyer by the Belgian police after his office and home were raided by six officers.
"They asked me to tell them who my sources were. I replied that was something I would never do. Now they have all my sensitive files, so I suppose they'll find out anyway," he said last night.
"The police said I was lucky I wasn't in Burma or central Africa, where journalists get the real treatment," he added.
Mr Tillack said the raid was triggered by a complaint from the EU's anti-fraud office, OLAF. He was accused of paying money to obtain a leaked OLAF dossier two years ago, which he denies.
The European Ombudsman has already come to his defence, issuing a harsh criticism of OLAF's campaign to silence him.
Mr Tillack, who describes himself as a "pro-European federalist", has been OLAF's most vocal critic, accusing it of covering up abuses within the EU system.
As the author of a recent book on EU corruption, he has the greatest archive of investigative files of any journalist working in Brussels.
OLAF was created to replace the old fraud office UCLAF, which was accused of covering up abuses by the disgraced Santer Commission. Many UCLAF staff were transferred to OLAF.
and now it's time for...'hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?!'--today i learned what some of the manners were in augustine's house. in the words of peter brown, commenting on the account of augustine's life offered by possidius, his biographer: 'Possidius will dwell, rather, on the life that Augustine had created for himself and others in his bishop's house: on how he had written verses on the table to prohibit malicious gossip; on how anyone who swore would forfeit his glass of wine; on how they ate with silver spoons, but off simple crockery, 'not because they were too poor, but on purpose.''
Saturday, March 20, 2004
yeah, i think the U.N.'s a GREAT organization...why NOT let them run the world?
Associated Press
KUWAIT CITY — America is looking into reports that Saddam Hussein diverted money from a U.N. aid program for Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell (search) said Saturday during a stopover in Kuwait.
U.S. congressional investigators have charged that Saddam's regime amassed $10 billion through oil smuggling, illegal surcharges and kickbacks from the U.N. oil-for-food program. An Iraqi newspaper has published a list of about 270 former Cabinet officials, legislators, political activists and journalists in about 46 countries suspected of profiting from the scam.
"We are concerned, deeply concerned, that money that was supposed to be going to help the Iraqi people was diverted by Saddam Hussein (search), once again demonstrating the nature of that regime," Powell told reporters.
"That money was not used for food or health care or clean water," he said. "It was used for palaces and debauchery."
Powell said Washington would assist the investigation that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (search) proposed Friday.
The oil-for-food program, which ended in November, was set up by the U.N. Security Council to enable the Saddam regime to sell oil on condition that the proceeds were used to buy humanitarian goods for the Iraqi people and pay reparations for the 1991 Gulf War.
Associated Press
KUWAIT CITY — America is looking into reports that Saddam Hussein diverted money from a U.N. aid program for Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell (search) said Saturday during a stopover in Kuwait.
U.S. congressional investigators have charged that Saddam's regime amassed $10 billion through oil smuggling, illegal surcharges and kickbacks from the U.N. oil-for-food program. An Iraqi newspaper has published a list of about 270 former Cabinet officials, legislators, political activists and journalists in about 46 countries suspected of profiting from the scam.
"We are concerned, deeply concerned, that money that was supposed to be going to help the Iraqi people was diverted by Saddam Hussein (search), once again demonstrating the nature of that regime," Powell told reporters.
"That money was not used for food or health care or clean water," he said. "It was used for palaces and debauchery."
Powell said Washington would assist the investigation that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (search) proposed Friday.
The oil-for-food program, which ended in November, was set up by the U.N. Security Council to enable the Saddam regime to sell oil on condition that the proceeds were used to buy humanitarian goods for the Iraqi people and pay reparations for the 1991 Gulf War.
and now for an interesting story from the 'daily press' with some michigan connections...
Teen's right to wear sweatshirt is restored
Denbigh High responds to letter threatening lawsuit
By Angela Forest
Daily Press
March 19 2004
NEWPORT NEWS -- A Denbigh High School student prevented from wearing an anti-abortion sweatshirt in school last month by a school administrator now can wear it after a Michigan law center raised the possibility of a lawsuit.
An assistant principal told Daniel Goergen on Feb. 18 to remove the sweatshirt or turn it inside-out. Printed in white letters on the front of the black, hooded sweatshirt are the words "Abortion is homicide." The back reads "You will not silence my message / You will not mock my God / You will stop killing my generation."
"It was kind of irritating, it was bringing me down a little," Goergen said of the assistant principal's decision. "I respected (the assistant principal's) opinion and did what she said because she's an administrator. Then I got a lawyer to explain to her the right for me to wear it."
Many students at the school have shown support for his actions, he said.
In response to a letter from the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Chief Deputy City Attorney Leonard Wallin sent a letter March 12 informing Goergen's lawyers that he could wear the sweatshirt at school.
Wallin, who represents the school division, said based on the details of the case presented to him, Goergen was within his rights to wear the sweatshirt. He added that these types of situations must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
"The fundamental question is whether or not wearing some garment with a message on it is going to create a disturbance, an immediate disturbance," Wallin said. "If there isn't a reasonable belief that it's going to create a disturbance (school officials) can't ban the message even if they turn out to be wrong after the fact."
The law center requested a response from the school system by today, or else the Goergen family could file suit in federal court, according to its letter.
When he went to Denbigh High on Feb. 26 to ask why his son could not wear the sweatshirt, Martin Goergen said he was shown the derogatory written materials section of the student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
It says that any written material or pictures "that convey an offensive, racial, obscene, or sexually suggestive message" is prevented.
"Danny had worn that shirt (to school) for about 2 1/2 years," without incident, Martin Goergen said. "We were pleased that the school system responded (to Thomas More) in about 48 hours." Daniel Goergen wore the sweatshirt in school Tuesday without encountering problems, his father said.
The law center, a public interest law firm that defends Christian religious freedom, argued the school violated Daniel Goergen's constitutional rights. It based its argument on a 1969 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the rights of three students suspended from two Iowa public schools for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War, said Edward White, associate counsel for the law center.
The law center has an arrangement with Rock For Life - a pro-life youth organization that sells the black sweatshirt and other anti-abortion merchandise - to represent students and others free of charge who are challenged or harassed while wearing similar items. The law center is a non-profit organization.
"Whenever a student buys their merchandise, they get a letter from us defining their constitutional right to wear the (item) and to call us if they run into problems," he said.
Wallin said administrators aren't required to seek legal counsel before deciding to keep a student from wearing items.
Angela Forest can be reached at 247-7863 or by e-mail at aforest@dailypress.com
Copyright © 2004, Daily Press
Teen's right to wear sweatshirt is restored
Denbigh High responds to letter threatening lawsuit
By Angela Forest
Daily Press
March 19 2004
NEWPORT NEWS -- A Denbigh High School student prevented from wearing an anti-abortion sweatshirt in school last month by a school administrator now can wear it after a Michigan law center raised the possibility of a lawsuit.
An assistant principal told Daniel Goergen on Feb. 18 to remove the sweatshirt or turn it inside-out. Printed in white letters on the front of the black, hooded sweatshirt are the words "Abortion is homicide." The back reads "You will not silence my message / You will not mock my God / You will stop killing my generation."
"It was kind of irritating, it was bringing me down a little," Goergen said of the assistant principal's decision. "I respected (the assistant principal's) opinion and did what she said because she's an administrator. Then I got a lawyer to explain to her the right for me to wear it."
Many students at the school have shown support for his actions, he said.
In response to a letter from the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Chief Deputy City Attorney Leonard Wallin sent a letter March 12 informing Goergen's lawyers that he could wear the sweatshirt at school.
Wallin, who represents the school division, said based on the details of the case presented to him, Goergen was within his rights to wear the sweatshirt. He added that these types of situations must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
"The fundamental question is whether or not wearing some garment with a message on it is going to create a disturbance, an immediate disturbance," Wallin said. "If there isn't a reasonable belief that it's going to create a disturbance (school officials) can't ban the message even if they turn out to be wrong after the fact."
The law center requested a response from the school system by today, or else the Goergen family could file suit in federal court, according to its letter.
When he went to Denbigh High on Feb. 26 to ask why his son could not wear the sweatshirt, Martin Goergen said he was shown the derogatory written materials section of the student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
It says that any written material or pictures "that convey an offensive, racial, obscene, or sexually suggestive message" is prevented.
"Danny had worn that shirt (to school) for about 2 1/2 years," without incident, Martin Goergen said. "We were pleased that the school system responded (to Thomas More) in about 48 hours." Daniel Goergen wore the sweatshirt in school Tuesday without encountering problems, his father said.
The law center, a public interest law firm that defends Christian religious freedom, argued the school violated Daniel Goergen's constitutional rights. It based its argument on a 1969 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the rights of three students suspended from two Iowa public schools for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War, said Edward White, associate counsel for the law center.
The law center has an arrangement with Rock For Life - a pro-life youth organization that sells the black sweatshirt and other anti-abortion merchandise - to represent students and others free of charge who are challenged or harassed while wearing similar items. The law center is a non-profit organization.
"Whenever a student buys their merchandise, they get a letter from us defining their constitutional right to wear the (item) and to call us if they run into problems," he said.
Wallin said administrators aren't required to seek legal counsel before deciding to keep a student from wearing items.
Angela Forest can be reached at 247-7863 or by e-mail at aforest@dailypress.com
Copyright © 2004, Daily Press
Friday, March 19, 2004
mr. kook has sent in the following remarks in response to the question posed earlier--remarks stunning in the wash of their philosophical and rhetorical beauty. I strongly encourage you to bathe in them, and to drink deep from the well of his wisdom.
he states:
In case you are being serious, I thought i should chip in with some
facts for your blog. Please edit out all truth and leave in only what
sounds nice since that's all that matters.
I remember reading somewhere that Polar bear fur is really clear, not
white, but that the sun refracts onto the fur and makes polar bears
LOOK white.
That's an interesting factoid. I think its also the case that if you
look closely at a snowflake right as it lands on your hand, close up,
it also looks clear. But then, what do we say about snow? Is it white
or is it clear? Can we say about snow - at one time - that it is not
white - and at another time - that it is not clear and if so, can one
say about snow that it both is and is NOT white?
The arrogant and unruly among scientist types think that the closer
you look at something, the more you have uncovered its essence. This
is the passion of Modernity, to think that as we experience more, we
know more and realize that whatever we saw before is DISCARDABLE
information. They will say "I thought, upon first encounter, that the
snow was white. Now I know I was wrong. The snow is really clear."
Phenomenologists take this as their point of departure and say, "well,
the whiteness still has meaning of SOME SORT! Let us bracket both
statements and their implied contraries. In THIS bracket, we have an
experience at time X - [the snow is white, there is no clearness here]
and in THIS bracket we have another experience at time Y - [the snow is
clear, there is no whiteness here.] Now that they are bracketed we are
valuing everybody and everybody's opinion, right? And we know that just
because there are two experiences that contradict that does not mean
that one statement about the world need be right and the other be
wrong."
Right, as long as time and experience need have nothing to do with
logic. The fact that one can say at one time a statement contradicting
another stated at another time is not an EXPLANATION of how logic and
experience work together, but is the posing of the problem of their
disjunction. As for a solution, I am as clueless as the next guy.
Any thoughts?
he states:
In case you are being serious, I thought i should chip in with some
facts for your blog. Please edit out all truth and leave in only what
sounds nice since that's all that matters.
I remember reading somewhere that Polar bear fur is really clear, not
white, but that the sun refracts onto the fur and makes polar bears
LOOK white.
That's an interesting factoid. I think its also the case that if you
look closely at a snowflake right as it lands on your hand, close up,
it also looks clear. But then, what do we say about snow? Is it white
or is it clear? Can we say about snow - at one time - that it is not
white - and at another time - that it is not clear and if so, can one
say about snow that it both is and is NOT white?
The arrogant and unruly among scientist types think that the closer
you look at something, the more you have uncovered its essence. This
is the passion of Modernity, to think that as we experience more, we
know more and realize that whatever we saw before is DISCARDABLE
information. They will say "I thought, upon first encounter, that the
snow was white. Now I know I was wrong. The snow is really clear."
Phenomenologists take this as their point of departure and say, "well,
the whiteness still has meaning of SOME SORT! Let us bracket both
statements and their implied contraries. In THIS bracket, we have an
experience at time X - [the snow is white, there is no clearness here]
and in THIS bracket we have another experience at time Y - [the snow is
clear, there is no whiteness here.] Now that they are bracketed we are
valuing everybody and everybody's opinion, right? And we know that just
because there are two experiences that contradict that does not mean
that one statement about the world need be right and the other be
wrong."
Right, as long as time and experience need have nothing to do with
logic. The fact that one can say at one time a statement contradicting
another stated at another time is not an EXPLANATION of how logic and
experience work together, but is the posing of the problem of their
disjunction. As for a solution, I am as clueless as the next guy.
Any thoughts?
and now for some stupidity from florida (from local6.com)...
City Bans Outside Smoking In Front Of Kids
Violators Face Jail, $500 Fine
POSTED: 6:29 am EST March 17, 2004
UPDATED: 7:28 am EST March 17, 2004
City council members in Port Orange passed a controversial law that bans outdoor smoking in front of children at public parks and recreation properties, according to Local 6 News.
Port Orange council members said the smoking ban is to protect kids from second-hand smoke and to prevent them from starting in the first place.
The law was passed unanimously Tuesday night and goes into effect Wednesday morning. It reportedly includes city funded sites including playgrounds, ball fields, and amphitheaters.
Several people who smoke told Local 6 News that they should be able to decide when and where they can light up while they are outside.
Officials say they will politely ask smokers to put out their cigarettes up to three times -- then they'll call police.
Repeat violators could be arrested and spend up to 60 days in jail and face a $500 fine.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
City Bans Outside Smoking In Front Of Kids
Violators Face Jail, $500 Fine
POSTED: 6:29 am EST March 17, 2004
UPDATED: 7:28 am EST March 17, 2004
City council members in Port Orange passed a controversial law that bans outdoor smoking in front of children at public parks and recreation properties, according to Local 6 News.
Port Orange council members said the smoking ban is to protect kids from second-hand smoke and to prevent them from starting in the first place.
The law was passed unanimously Tuesday night and goes into effect Wednesday morning. It reportedly includes city funded sites including playgrounds, ball fields, and amphitheaters.
Several people who smoke told Local 6 News that they should be able to decide when and where they can light up while they are outside.
Officials say they will politely ask smokers to put out their cigarettes up to three times -- then they'll call police.
Repeat violators could be arrested and spend up to 60 days in jail and face a $500 fine.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
yesterday my roommate nick asked me the essential existential question. that question was: why is snow white? it's a good question. i mean, why isn't it clear? water is clear. ice is clear. how come snow has a color--nay, every color (since we all remember from elementary school that that's what 'white' really is)? how does the 'making snow out of water' process add not only unique shape, but also a new color where there was none before? subquestion: how does 'making snow out of water' relate to 'making loving out of nothing'?
once again, i invite you to address any suggestions to: akook@brynmawr.edu. please make the subject line of your email read, 'why aaron cook is an ontological mystery'.
i invite a wide and diverse range of opinions. any responses will be published on the site, AFTER they have been censored and edited to ensure that they ACCORD PERFECTLY with my opinion, whatever that happens to be.
once again, i invite you to address any suggestions to: akook@brynmawr.edu. please make the subject line of your email read, 'why aaron cook is an ontological mystery'.
i invite a wide and diverse range of opinions. any responses will be published on the site, AFTER they have been censored and edited to ensure that they ACCORD PERFECTLY with my opinion, whatever that happens to be.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
i just saw a bumper sticker that read 'stab baseball'. i'm not kidding. first of all, i don't really understand what it means, nor do i know if it's even possible to 'stab baseball'. and even if you could, why would you want to? you certainly wouldn't want to do it if the 1984 detroit tigers were anywhere in sight.
from yahoo! news:
Calif. Professor Suspected of Vandalism
Wed Mar 17,11:49 PM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!
CLAREMONT, Calif. - A professor who claimed she was targeted in a hate crime that stirred student protests at the Claremont colleges is suspected of staging the vandalism herself, police said Wednesday.
Kerri F. Dunn's car was vandalized and covered with racist, anti-Semitic and sexist epithets on March 9, leading faculty to cancel classes and students to stage rallies the following day.
Two witnesses interviewed by police investigators allegedly saw Dunn, a visiting professor of psychology at Claremont McKenna College, commit the vandalism, police said in a statement.
Dunn also gave inconsistent statements during two interviews conducted jointly by the Claremont Police Department and the FBI (news - web sites), said police Lt. Stan Van Horn.
Police will forward their findings to the district attorney's office Thursday, Van Horn said. One charge that could result, he said, is a misdemeanor count of filing a false police report.
Dunn could not immediately be reached for comment. She was not taken into police custody.
Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said she had no comment because prosecutors have not received the case.
The consortium of seven independent institutions includes undergraduate colleges Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Pomona College and Scripps College, as well as the Claremont Graduate University and the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences.
Claremont is about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Calif. Professor Suspected of Vandalism
Wed Mar 17,11:49 PM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!
CLAREMONT, Calif. - A professor who claimed she was targeted in a hate crime that stirred student protests at the Claremont colleges is suspected of staging the vandalism herself, police said Wednesday.
Kerri F. Dunn's car was vandalized and covered with racist, anti-Semitic and sexist epithets on March 9, leading faculty to cancel classes and students to stage rallies the following day.
Two witnesses interviewed by police investigators allegedly saw Dunn, a visiting professor of psychology at Claremont McKenna College, commit the vandalism, police said in a statement.
Dunn also gave inconsistent statements during two interviews conducted jointly by the Claremont Police Department and the FBI (news - web sites), said police Lt. Stan Van Horn.
Police will forward their findings to the district attorney's office Thursday, Van Horn said. One charge that could result, he said, is a misdemeanor count of filing a false police report.
Dunn could not immediately be reached for comment. She was not taken into police custody.
Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said she had no comment because prosecutors have not received the case.
The consortium of seven independent institutions includes undergraduate colleges Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Pomona College and Scripps College, as well as the Claremont Graduate University and the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences.
Claremont is about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?! today's segment of this much-beloved institution goes out to n. george blackwell (that's right, this is a shout-out-slash-dedication). today i learned that an isotope, according to the american heritage dictionary, is one of two or more atoms, the nuclei of which have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. and if you were guessing that this word is etymologically in love with greek words, you get 5 points.
i, however, am not keeping score.
also, you will want to note that i heard 'don't cry' by guns 'n roses on my way home again tonight. if axl rose was not a poet, then neither was vergil.
finally, while not agreeing with matthew's assessment of CCR vs. the eagles, i delightedly accept his view, since i am pre-eminently open-minded.
i hope that your hair is lying down the way you want it to.
i, however, am not keeping score.
also, you will want to note that i heard 'don't cry' by guns 'n roses on my way home again tonight. if axl rose was not a poet, then neither was vergil.
finally, while not agreeing with matthew's assessment of CCR vs. the eagles, i delightedly accept his view, since i am pre-eminently open-minded.
i hope that your hair is lying down the way you want it to.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
from click2houston.com:
Survey: 'The Passion' May Be Reducing Anti-Semitism
POSTED: 11:11 a.m. EST March 16, 2004
A new poll suggests fears that "The Passion of the Christ" would trigger anti-Semitism were unwarranted.
A nationwide survey conducted for the Institute for Jewish and Community Research finds that 83 percent of Americans familiar with the film say it's made them neither more nor less likely to blame today's Jews for Jesus' crucifixion.
Nine percent said Mel Gibson's film actually has made them less likely to blame today's Jews, while less than 2 percent said they're more likely to fault modern Jews or Jewish institutions.
The Institute's president, Gary Tobin, added that discussion of the issue has probably been good for Christian-Jewish relations.
Survey: 'The Passion' May Be Reducing Anti-Semitism
POSTED: 11:11 a.m. EST March 16, 2004
A new poll suggests fears that "The Passion of the Christ" would trigger anti-Semitism were unwarranted.
A nationwide survey conducted for the Institute for Jewish and Community Research finds that 83 percent of Americans familiar with the film say it's made them neither more nor less likely to blame today's Jews for Jesus' crucifixion.
Nine percent said Mel Gibson's film actually has made them less likely to blame today's Jews, while less than 2 percent said they're more likely to fault modern Jews or Jewish institutions.
The Institute's president, Gary Tobin, added that discussion of the issue has probably been good for Christian-Jewish relations.
go here: http://www.detnews.com/2004/entertainment/0403/16/entertainment-93448.htm
hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?! i learned that antonio vivaldi composed over 500 concertos.
that's a lot!
that's a lot!
Monday, March 15, 2004
someone in my satire class just asked the following question of perennial import: what makes a husband a pimp?
if you have any conjectures, please feel free to email them to akook@brynmawr.edu.
or just drop him a line to say hi.
if you have any conjectures, please feel free to email them to akook@brynmawr.edu.
or just drop him a line to say hi.
Sunday, March 14, 2004
by the way, please keep in mind that i can dance to music from ANY era.
and now it's time for...'hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?!' ok, i didn't technically learn this today--i learned it a few days ago; sue me. so, i learned that the president likes to crack a joke from time to time, and is not bad at it. here he is, as quoted in national review: 'The other party's nomination battle is still playing out. The candidates are an interesting group with diverse opinions: for tax cuts and against them; for NAFTA and against NAFTA; for the Patriot Act and against the Patriot Act; in favor of liberating Iraq and opposed to it. And that's just one senator from Massachusetts.'
speaking of that senator and ridiculous things that either he or people related to him say, here is his wife (also quoted in NR): 'I think he's a man who likes complexity, understands it, and doesn't shy away from looking sometimes as though he is saying one thing and doing another when in fact, anybody who understands this knows exactly what he means. I think only people who like simple notions or simple solutions--well, simplification, let's say--would expect that to be so. I find complexity interesting and so does he. And we do live in complex times.'
what? i'm not really sure what all that means, but i do have one request. let's please not abuse the terms 'simple' and 'complex', both of which i find neat. i'm sure you like 'complexity', teresa heinz kerry, and enjoy trying to reflect that in your oratory. but if you're going to speak garbled english that doesn't make much sense, would you mind if we simpletons just call it 'garbled english that doesn't make much sense'?
speaking of that senator and ridiculous things that either he or people related to him say, here is his wife (also quoted in NR): 'I think he's a man who likes complexity, understands it, and doesn't shy away from looking sometimes as though he is saying one thing and doing another when in fact, anybody who understands this knows exactly what he means. I think only people who like simple notions or simple solutions--well, simplification, let's say--would expect that to be so. I find complexity interesting and so does he. And we do live in complex times.'
what? i'm not really sure what all that means, but i do have one request. let's please not abuse the terms 'simple' and 'complex', both of which i find neat. i'm sure you like 'complexity', teresa heinz kerry, and enjoy trying to reflect that in your oratory. but if you're going to speak garbled english that doesn't make much sense, would you mind if we simpletons just call it 'garbled english that doesn't make much sense'?
guess what? i'm back.
i know you're all ecstatic.
whoopty-do.
i drove over 500 miles today and didn't hear ONE bob seger song. can you believe it? but since the last posting, i DID hear 'against the wind', 'turn the page', 'hollywood nights' and a live version of 'the fire down below'. all were luscious. also, my girlfriend asked me to make special note of the fact that SHE PERSONALLY loves every single bob seger song she's ever heard. she was afraid her status as a fan might be doubted, and wanted to put all fears to rest with his induction to the rock 'n roll hall of fame coming up on monday.
i also heard some AWESOME eagles songs. some of you might not like the eagles, but don't be deceived--I DON'T CARE. i don't even care what the big lebowski says--i'll take the eagles over CCR any day.
i know you're all ecstatic.
whoopty-do.
i drove over 500 miles today and didn't hear ONE bob seger song. can you believe it? but since the last posting, i DID hear 'against the wind', 'turn the page', 'hollywood nights' and a live version of 'the fire down below'. all were luscious. also, my girlfriend asked me to make special note of the fact that SHE PERSONALLY loves every single bob seger song she's ever heard. she was afraid her status as a fan might be doubted, and wanted to put all fears to rest with his induction to the rock 'n roll hall of fame coming up on monday.
i also heard some AWESOME eagles songs. some of you might not like the eagles, but don't be deceived--I DON'T CARE. i don't even care what the big lebowski says--i'll take the eagles over CCR any day.
Monday, March 08, 2004
so turn me up in your headphones: i was driving tonight and i heard 'the fire down below' by bob seger. my girlfriend was with me and she LOVED it. i'm serious. you can ask her. i'll give you her phone number if you want.
snap.
snap.
bob seger songs i've heard so far on this trip:
old time rock 'n roll
rock 'n roll never forgets
night moves
the fire down below
absolutely breathtaking.
old time rock 'n roll
rock 'n roll never forgets
night moves
the fire down below
absolutely breathtaking.
Friday, March 05, 2004
awesome, matthew. AWESOME!!!
i'm away for a few days, but will try to update when i can. all i can say is that i heard some AWESOME rock 'n roll while driving across pennsylvania and ohio that last couple days. and what was it?
wouldn't you like to know!
the only hint for now is that it rocked my face. speculations are welcome.
i'm away for a few days, but will try to update when i can. all i can say is that i heard some AWESOME rock 'n roll while driving across pennsylvania and ohio that last couple days. and what was it?
wouldn't you like to know!
the only hint for now is that it rocked my face. speculations are welcome.
Thursday, March 04, 2004
in the words of some kid on seinfeld--'do you hate me because of my lazy eye?'
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
and now it's time for...'hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?!'
today i learned from john o'sullivan that coptic Christians believe that later in his life pontius pilate converted to Christianity and became a martyr. who knew?
well, obviously some people did, like, say, coptic Christians--but it was news to me!
today i learned from john o'sullivan that coptic Christians believe that later in his life pontius pilate converted to Christianity and became a martyr. who knew?
well, obviously some people did, like, say, coptic Christians--but it was news to me!
man, i just heard bob seger on the radio again. you can just ask aaron how sweet it was. it was 'hollywood nights' again, but still...if they would just play 'rock 'n roll never forgets' one time, i would crank it up so loud and roll the windows down and sing along that you would practically be inspired to love bob seger.
it would be tight.
it would be tight.
my friend nick asked me to add a new segment to davebergman (n.b.--any other post-er may feel free to contribute to this segment as well). it's called 'hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?!' herein, i shall tell the viewing audience something that i learned on that particular day (n.b.--there will ALWAYS be two question marks and two exclamation points, IN THAT ORDER. i think the exclamation points really help to convey excitement.). nick said he wanted everybody to be able to experience my growth as a person, which i think is a complete load of crap.
anyway, hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?! i learned that carlo rossi wine, which comes in a giant glass jug and is one of the more affordable fermented products of the sweet grape, tastes better and better the more you let it age. when you first twist off that classy cap, it's got a little bit of a bite to it. but give it a couple weeks--you won't be disappointed! i'm enjoying a glass of the chianti right now, and i must say--this is the best wine i've had since that unmixed falernian, which my colleague aaron kook especially likes. so the next time you're on your sabine farm feasting on beans and cabbage, raise high a glass of carlo for dear old maecenas!
anyway, hey, hey--guess what i learned today?!?! i learned that carlo rossi wine, which comes in a giant glass jug and is one of the more affordable fermented products of the sweet grape, tastes better and better the more you let it age. when you first twist off that classy cap, it's got a little bit of a bite to it. but give it a couple weeks--you won't be disappointed! i'm enjoying a glass of the chianti right now, and i must say--this is the best wine i've had since that unmixed falernian, which my colleague aaron kook especially likes. so the next time you're on your sabine farm feasting on beans and cabbage, raise high a glass of carlo for dear old maecenas!
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
here's something john kerry actually said, as quoted by the associated press: "President Clinton was often known as the first black president. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second."
now...oh, nevermind.
in its absurdity, it reminded me of these words of jesse jackson, as quoted by msnbc: 'no one has inspired more blacks for hope in america than i have.' this pronouncement was made on the occasion of martin luther king jr.'s birthday.
in other news, i DID hear a couple stones songs today, and they were sweet.
now...oh, nevermind.
in its absurdity, it reminded me of these words of jesse jackson, as quoted by msnbc: 'no one has inspired more blacks for hope in america than i have.' this pronouncement was made on the occasion of martin luther king jr.'s birthday.
in other news, i DID hear a couple stones songs today, and they were sweet.
Monday, March 01, 2004
speaking of rock and roll...
a friend just told me the following funny anecdote. he was riding the campus shuttle one day (no, not a rocket ship; think oregon trail, only made of metal) and the driver said, 'hang on, i gotta take a piss' and hopped out (i don't know why so many of these posts lately revolve around micturation, but there you go). this egress coincided perfectly with the start of a song by john mellencamp. after he came back, my friend said, 'hey, at least you missed john mellencamp.' the driver said, 'are you KIDDING me? i LOVE john mellencamp. i've seen him like TEN TIMES!'
shout it loud and proud, dude, and remember--it's good to rock out sometimes.
a friend just told me the following funny anecdote. he was riding the campus shuttle one day (no, not a rocket ship; think oregon trail, only made of metal) and the driver said, 'hang on, i gotta take a piss' and hopped out (i don't know why so many of these posts lately revolve around micturation, but there you go). this egress coincided perfectly with the start of a song by john mellencamp. after he came back, my friend said, 'hey, at least you missed john mellencamp.' the driver said, 'are you KIDDING me? i LOVE john mellencamp. i've seen him like TEN TIMES!'
shout it loud and proud, dude, and remember--it's good to rock out sometimes.
