Monday, December 31, 2007
After her last day at daycare with the Lutherans, Maya soaks up the sun
As 2007 comes to a close, we prepped Maya to upgrade to her new daycare center in our new neighborhood. I hope y'all head into 2008 with as much pleasure as we do while saying a fond farewell to our Lutheran friends in Ballard.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Dubya's priorities...
Pakistan should be front and center on everyone's plate today. But we live in a silly time and place, so tiger attacks and year-end lists top the slate for many. I'll return to the point and offer a few quick thoughts on yesterday's tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto. First of all, I was shocked to wake up early yesterday morning (aided by Maya's demands just after 5am to get the day started), turn on CNN and NPR @ 5:10...and soon learn that I had been briefed approximately 20 minutes before Dubya. What does the leader of the Free World watch @ 7:30am on his "ranch"? My bet is well-worn SpongeBob SquarePants DVDs. Snark aside, I have a theory about this whole mess. The Musharraf government is telling the truth. It was al-Qaeda that orchestrated the plot. Conspiracy theorists are playing off the worst fears of Pakistanis - Musharraf had Bhutto whacked. That's easy to ignite in the public imagination since the population of Pakistan is largely illiterate and given the recent crackdown on the formerly independent media, sourced only by state-controlled or compliant lackies. But I suggest you think about it through this prism for a moment - kill the opposition leader supported by the Americans and you accomplish two things. 1) Cause anarchy. 2) Ruin both the hopes of the Bushies to calm Pakistan and undermine any future claim of Musharraf's legitimacy. I'm sad to say that I believe we've once again been gamed by the "terrorists" our leaders have spent so many lives and so much treasure to demonize. In one fell swoop, we've once again lost a country that we supposedly bought at the Pottery Barn years ago.
The last hypocrisy that I can mention today is just now percolating over the wires. Dubya has threatened through surrogates to veto the Pentagon funding bill for this fiscal year over a convoluted rationale that I strongly believe he and his minions will regret almost immediately. In a nutshell, language in the bill allows victims of Saddam Hussein's rein to seek compensation from the current Iraqi government. How we have jurisdiction over this, I have no freakin' idea. Somehow, the current Iraqi government turned the screws on the Bushies to set up this fight. As a result, Dubya has thrown his Executive Branch veto power down as the gauntlet once again. One question to all those Congressional Staffers that I know hang on my every word - can you please plan to split this ripe melon wide open given the changes in Pakistan and omnibus domestic appropriations compromises to justify full hearings on all aspects of this massive Defense bill? Fact check - as best as I can glean, the Defense bill amounts to $459Billion, and the ominbus domestic/debt-servicing/Medicare/Medicaid/SSI bill was tagged at $555Billion. Which do you think deserves a closer looksie? Maybe Dubya did us all a favor on this flub.
Hope your own budgets are signed, sealed and delivered today. Rock on.
The last hypocrisy that I can mention today is just now percolating over the wires. Dubya has threatened through surrogates to veto the Pentagon funding bill for this fiscal year over a convoluted rationale that I strongly believe he and his minions will regret almost immediately. In a nutshell, language in the bill allows victims of Saddam Hussein's rein to seek compensation from the current Iraqi government. How we have jurisdiction over this, I have no freakin' idea. Somehow, the current Iraqi government turned the screws on the Bushies to set up this fight. As a result, Dubya has thrown his Executive Branch veto power down as the gauntlet once again. One question to all those Congressional Staffers that I know hang on my every word - can you please plan to split this ripe melon wide open given the changes in Pakistan and omnibus domestic appropriations compromises to justify full hearings on all aspects of this massive Defense bill? Fact check - as best as I can glean, the Defense bill amounts to $459Billion, and the ominbus domestic/debt-servicing/Medicare/Medicaid/SSI bill was tagged at $555Billion. Which do you think deserves a closer looksie? Maybe Dubya did us all a favor on this flub.
Hope your own budgets are signed, sealed and delivered today. Rock on.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas Day run garb. New teddy bear from Grandma required.
Originally uploaded by emaggie
Sunday, December 23, 2007
A man you all would've loved to meet - Dale Short
Blogging is vapid. The impermanence, the snarkiness, the self focus - yuk, yuk, yuk. Don't get me wrong - I've been guilty of the crime for years. Yet as much as I strongly believe in what I have to say, there are days when I couldn't care less about the immediacy and momentary nature of the forum. Such as today. I lost a man I admired beyond words today. Dale Short. My godfather.
Dale was a business man, a family man, a veteran, a pilot and an all-around larger than life stud in my eyes. For the first time ever, I Googled him today after my Mom called to say that he'd died early this morning. I found nothing. Not surprising, I suppose. Dale was a product of a different era that couldn't care less about casual exposure to random mentions. Dale leaves behind a full family, a rich history and assuredly volumes of stories. But I need to offer my own. Maybe this will bridge some sort of gap. Define it however you see fit.
One particular summer I went to stay for a week with my godparents, Dale and Margie. I must have been about 8-years-old. Surely no more than 10. So I was an idiot. Cute as hell, to be sure. But an idiot. I remember clear as if it happened yesterday the night before I went back home. I rode into town with Dale to buy among other things something that I'd never seen before - coolies. C'mon, you know what I mean - those insulating can coolers that in the 70s were made only of styrofoam and are now so varied and ubiquitous that they don't even seem to have a name anymore. But for an 8-year-old riding in his godfather's Cadillac back to the farm, they seemed like an enigma that I couldn't even begin to consider. I remember Dale explaining that they could keep drinks cold. I remember Dale being as excited as me to try them out. I remember taking them into Dale and Margie's screened porch, where we were joined by a friend of Dale's who had dropped by. They each got a beer out of the fridge. I got a "pop" - a Fresca or, possibly, a Rondo (if it had been introduced by that time). Dale and Margie were too good at parenting to give a kid caffeine that close to bedtime, but they could sure as hell understand what a treat a "pop" on a Friday night would be. Dale gave me one of the new coolies. As surely as I can see the keyboard in front of me, I remember looking into that silly styrofoam coolie and seeing a hole in the bottom. But I was trying to be cool. I was hanging out with my godfather, after all. So I poured the entire can of Fresca into the coolie and, subsequently, through that hole and onto my lap. I was mortified. Dale's friend started to laugh. But - here's the point - without missing a lick, Dale reached over and took the can and coolie and said "it happens to all of us." I'll never forget that moment of kind reassurance. Dale was one helluva man.
Hope you remember those you'll never forget today. Rock on.
Dale was a business man, a family man, a veteran, a pilot and an all-around larger than life stud in my eyes. For the first time ever, I Googled him today after my Mom called to say that he'd died early this morning. I found nothing. Not surprising, I suppose. Dale was a product of a different era that couldn't care less about casual exposure to random mentions. Dale leaves behind a full family, a rich history and assuredly volumes of stories. But I need to offer my own. Maybe this will bridge some sort of gap. Define it however you see fit.
One particular summer I went to stay for a week with my godparents, Dale and Margie. I must have been about 8-years-old. Surely no more than 10. So I was an idiot. Cute as hell, to be sure. But an idiot. I remember clear as if it happened yesterday the night before I went back home. I rode into town with Dale to buy among other things something that I'd never seen before - coolies. C'mon, you know what I mean - those insulating can coolers that in the 70s were made only of styrofoam and are now so varied and ubiquitous that they don't even seem to have a name anymore. But for an 8-year-old riding in his godfather's Cadillac back to the farm, they seemed like an enigma that I couldn't even begin to consider. I remember Dale explaining that they could keep drinks cold. I remember Dale being as excited as me to try them out. I remember taking them into Dale and Margie's screened porch, where we were joined by a friend of Dale's who had dropped by. They each got a beer out of the fridge. I got a "pop" - a Fresca or, possibly, a Rondo (if it had been introduced by that time). Dale and Margie were too good at parenting to give a kid caffeine that close to bedtime, but they could sure as hell understand what a treat a "pop" on a Friday night would be. Dale gave me one of the new coolies. As surely as I can see the keyboard in front of me, I remember looking into that silly styrofoam coolie and seeing a hole in the bottom. But I was trying to be cool. I was hanging out with my godfather, after all. So I poured the entire can of Fresca into the coolie and, subsequently, through that hole and onto my lap. I was mortified. Dale's friend started to laugh. But - here's the point - without missing a lick, Dale reached over and took the can and coolie and said "it happens to all of us." I'll never forget that moment of kind reassurance. Dale was one helluva man.
Hope you remember those you'll never forget today. Rock on.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
America must choose...
Mike "I'm not saying all Mormons are bad" Huckabee's Jesusmas ad?
Or Barack Obama's?
Hope your own polls are on the rise today. Rock on.
Or Barack Obama's?
Hope your own polls are on the rise today. Rock on.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
R.I.P. - The Crocodile Cafe
It's very appropriate that Seattle is suffering through an especially dreary day given the news that the Crocodile Cafe has shut down. For those that joined me in the corner booth in the back bar (you know who you are), glasses are being raised in respect. The place was a glorious dump. Everyone went there. The owner (Stephanie Dorgan) recently divorced what was assuredly the club's cash cow (Peter Buck from R.E.M.). Stories earlier this month chronicled how they were bouncing checks and losing valued employees. It's sad. Really. I remember too many shows there over 5 years in the 90s. I remember seeing Tad passed out in another corner booth. I remember the Lovely Diane flirting constantly with my friend Bob over months and months of inaction. I remember the time I saw some dude blow a guy on the stage just before the exhaltant, impromptu end of a set (the above pictured bassist for "The Dwarves"). Said blowing amounted to my last live show in Seattle before moving to Dallas, Texas where I believe seeing a guy get blown by another guy is still a capital offense. Then I remember seeing The Hold Steady there a year ago after I'd moved back to Seattle, intermingling with the friendliest crowd I can remember since, well, ever becoming a part of a crowd in a music venue. It was as if nothing had changed. But it's now obvious that something changed. I remember the Croc. I'm sure I won't be the only one who can't - or won't - forget.
Hope your own venues are booked for the foreseeable future. Rock on.
Monday, December 17, 2007
"Next up - an interpretive dance meant to describe Mike Huckabee's stance on health care reform!"
Big Holidaze partying weekend for us here in Seattle. As I'm sure most experienced, aside from those candidates stinkin' it up in Iowa and elsewhere. It started for us with a Jesusmas program at Maya's daycare center on Friday night. Pretty standard fare - carols, Lutheran doctrine, condemnation of the National Endowment for the Arts, illegal campaigning from the pulpit - just what you'd expect to get the pyres burning to cast a glow on the Season. But seriously, Maya performed well, remembered all the words, and we bolted before the social hour for some BBQ chicken and all the fixin's across the street at her fave, Smokin' Pete's. For those demanding pics, I'll do my best to glean something clear and cute from the mix. Rest assured - she was fully decked out even though the halls were poorly lit.
Thereafter, we spent the weekend hitting the work party circuit like Paris Hilton with a brand new bikini-line tattoo ready to show. Three gatherings over Saturday and Sunday. Maya was on fire - so sugary-cute and charmingly in your face that I think she gave a half dozen people cavities. Except for whenever a family dog entered the frame. I think she ripped a vein out of the back of my neck leaping to safety on at least one occasion. She's definitely freaked by our so-called "best friends" even though we've had no real incidents to point to for the origination of the trauma. I blame it on some sort of genetic mutation from my childhood spent covered in animal hair and much much worse back yonder in 'Sconi. When she gets over it, you'll be the first to know.
More fun for Packers fans this weekend - Favre set another record for yardage and generally looked as good as he does in those surprisingly sexy Wranglers commercials. I'd be willing to bet that one of every three boys born in Wisconsin from now through mid-January is named Brett. One in four girls, as well. Extra points will be awarded to that breed of maniac that actually names a child Favre. For them, I suggest "Farven" - kinda like "Marvin" - which might even be justifiable for the foreshortened version. But make sure you add one of those trendy offbeat color names for the middle moniker (Sienna, Hunter, Burnt Orange). If you need other parenting suggestions, you know where to reach me.
Hope your own teams have a bye week lined up for the New Year. Rock on.
Thereafter, we spent the weekend hitting the work party circuit like Paris Hilton with a brand new bikini-line tattoo ready to show. Three gatherings over Saturday and Sunday. Maya was on fire - so sugary-cute and charmingly in your face that I think she gave a half dozen people cavities. Except for whenever a family dog entered the frame. I think she ripped a vein out of the back of my neck leaping to safety on at least one occasion. She's definitely freaked by our so-called "best friends" even though we've had no real incidents to point to for the origination of the trauma. I blame it on some sort of genetic mutation from my childhood spent covered in animal hair and much much worse back yonder in 'Sconi. When she gets over it, you'll be the first to know.
More fun for Packers fans this weekend - Favre set another record for yardage and generally looked as good as he does in those surprisingly sexy Wranglers commercials. I'd be willing to bet that one of every three boys born in Wisconsin from now through mid-January is named Brett. One in four girls, as well. Extra points will be awarded to that breed of maniac that actually names a child Favre. For them, I suggest "Farven" - kinda like "Marvin" - which might even be justifiable for the foreshortened version. But make sure you add one of those trendy offbeat color names for the middle moniker (Sienna, Hunter, Burnt Orange). If you need other parenting suggestions, you know where to reach me.
Hope your own teams have a bye week lined up for the New Year. Rock on.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Be kind, please rewind.
Almost all of today's newshole will be filled with George Mitchell's newly released report on all the closeted roidheads in Major League Baseball. Sadly, even the widely beloved Milwaukee Brewers will need to address questions, largely surrounding their otherwise beefy off-season acquisition of relief pitcher, Eric Gagne, who was identified as one of the minions of dorks using human growth hormone over the last bundle of years. What I see from the spectacle thus far is simple - even the ESPN commentators are saying that this report is largely grounded in heresay. As if Jon Kruk went to law school. I say that the public has already decided. The "Steroid Era" will taint all those who played therein, sadly. Roger Clemens is obviously the biggest fish caught in this loose net. I've perused the Mitchell Report and I suggest that all baseball fans do likewise. Heresay or not, the overall dump smells stinky.
Sure to be largely lost in today's shtick is follow-through on today's last Presidential Debate before the Iowa Caucases. This time the Dems lobbed softballs at each other. From what I've seen it was largely a yawn. But one exchange was a stunner. Barack Obama got questioned about his emphasis on "change" with a few prominent Bill Clinton Administration advisers on his staff or otherwise associated with his campaign. Hillary Clinton piped in before Obama could answer with her trademark cackle and the comment that "I'm looking forward to hearing that." Obama, who looks like he's in the zone and the much younger, stronger person in the mix, waited a perfect downbeat and responded with "Hillary, I'm looking forward to you advising me as well." The crowd roared. Hillary looked like she knew just how hard she got slammed, vaguely obscured by a time-tested political smile. Sites like the Huffington Post were immediately all over it. And slowly the drip, drip, drip of Hillary's melting support pools at the feet of her staff in Iowa, New Hampshire and beyond.
Hope your own interrogation tapes don't get returned by mistake to the vid store in that overdue "Notting Hill" case. Rock on.
Sure to be largely lost in today's shtick is follow-through on today's last Presidential Debate before the Iowa Caucases. This time the Dems lobbed softballs at each other. From what I've seen it was largely a yawn. But one exchange was a stunner. Barack Obama got questioned about his emphasis on "change" with a few prominent Bill Clinton Administration advisers on his staff or otherwise associated with his campaign. Hillary Clinton piped in before Obama could answer with her trademark cackle and the comment that "I'm looking forward to hearing that." Obama, who looks like he's in the zone and the much younger, stronger person in the mix, waited a perfect downbeat and responded with "Hillary, I'm looking forward to you advising me as well." The crowd roared. Hillary looked like she knew just how hard she got slammed, vaguely obscured by a time-tested political smile. Sites like the Huffington Post were immediately all over it. And slowly the drip, drip, drip of Hillary's melting support pools at the feet of her staff in Iowa, New Hampshire and beyond.
Hope your own interrogation tapes don't get returned by mistake to the vid store in that overdue "Notting Hill" case. Rock on.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Maya looked a bit overwhelmed by the options at our local Xmas tree lot.
Maya looked a bit overwhelmed by the options at our local Xmas tree lot.
Originally uploaded by emaggie
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
What didn't Dubya know, and when didn't he know it?
Everyone's contorting the release of the Iran "National Intelligence Estimate" to meet their own needs. Obviously, we'll get no more consensus out of this than that for the college football Bowl Championship Series. But a few of my favorite rabble-rousers are focusing on what I also believe was the most shocking "admission" from Dubya's presser yesterday. Namely, his claim that he was only briefed on the NIE last week. He was told of it's formation by National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell in August. Sy Hersh reported over a year ago about this upcoming NIE. Hell, even Israeli Prime Minister Olmert was briefed on the NIE last week. Does anyone believe Dubya on this one? I'm mean, REALLY believe? If he lied yesterday, he should be held to account for it. As if. If he actually didn't know (or request to know), then I surmise he's one of two possible versions of the Dubya we all think we've seen time and time again. 1) Scandalously incurious and incompetent. Or 2) Purposely kept out of the loop. I can't bring myself to comment on which version is worse for the Nation.
Weather-wise here in the Northwest, you've all probably seen the endless aerial TV coverage of the flooding in Chehalis, Warshington where the I-5 was under 10-feet of water. I thought a different reference photo might help.
This is Maya and yours truly during a picnic break in a Chehalis park just off that flooded part of the highway in July, 2006 during our move up to Seattle from San Francisco. I think the water level in this area was up over the rooftop of the community center you can see in the background. Thankfully, we had no issues in our part of Seattle. Loads of rain, to be sure. But everyone's safe, dry and hardly even musty smelling. Or at least normalishly musty smelling.
Hope your own basements stay dry all day. Rock on.
Weather-wise here in the Northwest, you've all probably seen the endless aerial TV coverage of the flooding in Chehalis, Warshington where the I-5 was under 10-feet of water. I thought a different reference photo might help.
This is Maya and yours truly during a picnic break in a Chehalis park just off that flooded part of the highway in July, 2006 during our move up to Seattle from San Francisco. I think the water level in this area was up over the rooftop of the community center you can see in the background. Thankfully, we had no issues in our part of Seattle. Loads of rain, to be sure. But everyone's safe, dry and hardly even musty smelling. Or at least normalishly musty smelling.Hope your own basements stay dry all day. Rock on.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Robert Zimmerman mooched off Sigma Alpha Epsilon for a whole semester at the University of Minnesota before moving to NYC
December's come to Seattle like a drunken Santa, kicking over everything in his crooked path. Slushy snow over the weekend, big blustery rain today, forecasted showers of flaming kittens and poisonous tadpoles probably next. We, however, cut against the grain yesterday and had a very nicely attended Housewarmer Brunch. Thanks to all who came, chatted, ate our food and didn't even think of barfing in our bathrooms. If you didn't get an invite, um...well let's move onto a few newsie items.
Another National Intelligence Estimate came out this morning dealing specifically with Iran's appetite for noo-cu-ler arms. The threat? Not so much. Our own agencies say they stopped the weapons research and development in 2003. They may be able to acquire a weapon between 2010-2015. Which is like saying the Bush Twins might win a Nobel Peace Prize sometime before 2015. Highly dubious and impossible to logically support. Now just watch how this gets spun by the Bushies who are already in full-on obfuscation mode. I'm sure we'll all be amazed by just how dangerous the Whirled once again just became.
Hillary is swinging high and hard at Obama, deciding to attack his integrity. Which is like Chuck Norris making cracks about your haircut. This load of shingles just ain't gonna cover the roof. But thanks for giving us all a chuckle, Hill.
In overdue movie reviewingness, we caught a couple flicks when we were in Santa Barbara for TurkeyDaze. "No Country For Old Men" by the almost always interesting Coen Brothers is a spot-on adaptation of Cormac McCarthey's pulp thriller. Even the squeamish will find plenty to love in this one. But it's almost too spare, too smart and too perfect to be an A-level flick, if you can believe it. My rating - a strong B-plus.
But the Todd Haynes flick inspired by the mythologizing of Bob Dylan, "I'm Not There", is brilliant magic realism. Best movie I've seen thus far this year. Arm yourself with just enough awareness of Robert Zimmerman's character - real or otherwise. Suspend disbelief. And you'll be stunned. Haynes has always been a fave of mine - ever since he made the disturbing yet astonishing "Poison" adapted from a bunch of Jean Genet stories (big, gay French dude who wrote prison erotica). And if you've got an underground vid store that doesn't fear lawsuits, "The Karen Carpenter Story" was how Haynes made his reputation while still a college age arty-farty type back yonder at Brown. Blah blah blah. "I'm Not There" will either wow you or piss you off. I was wowed - big full A-rating.
Hope your own housewarmers leave dozens of mini-cupcakes just lying around. Rock on.
Another National Intelligence Estimate came out this morning dealing specifically with Iran's appetite for noo-cu-ler arms. The threat? Not so much. Our own agencies say they stopped the weapons research and development in 2003. They may be able to acquire a weapon between 2010-2015. Which is like saying the Bush Twins might win a Nobel Peace Prize sometime before 2015. Highly dubious and impossible to logically support. Now just watch how this gets spun by the Bushies who are already in full-on obfuscation mode. I'm sure we'll all be amazed by just how dangerous the Whirled once again just became.
Hillary is swinging high and hard at Obama, deciding to attack his integrity. Which is like Chuck Norris making cracks about your haircut. This load of shingles just ain't gonna cover the roof. But thanks for giving us all a chuckle, Hill.
In overdue movie reviewingness, we caught a couple flicks when we were in Santa Barbara for TurkeyDaze. "No Country For Old Men" by the almost always interesting Coen Brothers is a spot-on adaptation of Cormac McCarthey's pulp thriller. Even the squeamish will find plenty to love in this one. But it's almost too spare, too smart and too perfect to be an A-level flick, if you can believe it. My rating - a strong B-plus.
But the Todd Haynes flick inspired by the mythologizing of Bob Dylan, "I'm Not There", is brilliant magic realism. Best movie I've seen thus far this year. Arm yourself with just enough awareness of Robert Zimmerman's character - real or otherwise. Suspend disbelief. And you'll be stunned. Haynes has always been a fave of mine - ever since he made the disturbing yet astonishing "Poison" adapted from a bunch of Jean Genet stories (big, gay French dude who wrote prison erotica). And if you've got an underground vid store that doesn't fear lawsuits, "The Karen Carpenter Story" was how Haynes made his reputation while still a college age arty-farty type back yonder at Brown. Blah blah blah. "I'm Not There" will either wow you or piss you off. I was wowed - big full A-rating.
Hope your own housewarmers leave dozens of mini-cupcakes just lying around. Rock on.
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