January 2008 archive

The Secretary of State of New Hampshire has announced that they will do a statewide recount. Finally a state is taking sane steps to reassure its people that they in fact participated in a valid election and putting the controversy to rest. It’s about time. A lot of people have been shouted down as conspiracy nuts because they suspected otherwise. I am puzzled and a bit angry that it is controversial for progressives to insist on anything less than mandatory recounts of paper ballots for at least a random selection of districts in EVERY election. The burden is on the state to prove that the election results are correct, yet I read person after person insisting that we should be quiet. It is absurd to think that the burden of proof rests on the citizens.

Jamiroquai took the feel good seventies funk vibe and ran with it.  Last June they set up their own web site: http://www.jamiroquai.com/ with lots of funky stuff to check out.  On the top right they have some new songs to listen to.

I saw the Live in Montreaux concert on TV and was blown away.  Jay’s voice is very easy to listen to with incredible range and subtlety.  He’s fun to watch and makes you want to get up and dance too. It looks like they are just wrapping up a Japanese Tour.  

Play (press play on the media box) or download Space Cowboy for free from Archive.org

Check out all the related links, clubs and fun things to do at Jam Party People.  Have a great weekend everyone!  

Well, the big three only supporters have their wish.  The January 15 debate will now be a three centerist candidate confab!

I like to write this series spontaneously so that it is timely.  I usually write it on Friday right before it publishes on the Front Page of Docudharma.

Tonight I read Robyn’s Friday Philosophy essay right when I logged on to the intertubes.

She speaks of fairness and games and such.

I think that’s an interesting conversation and I’d like to continue it here.

Robyn writes:

To many people I suppose that makes me appear to be a fool. If that’s how you see it, so be it. I still believe it is more important that a good game played fairly is more important than who wins or loses. I revel in Tiger Woods and Ernie Els going stroke for stroke in the President’s Cup until it is too dark to play anymore…and then calling it a draw. To me, the view of life as an exercise in trying to be a winner rather than a loser is nearly the very definition I have for labeling someone a loser.

I’d like to riff off that notion.

Both in high school and for the two years I attended college, I was a member of the debate squad.  I was brought up listening to my brothers and father argue and search for what was real when it came to whatever topic arose.  It was always an education for me.

In debate we were told we had to back up everything we said when we made our case.  What made it even more interesting was that we all had to argue both sides of the issue, depending on which “round” of the debates was in session.  So my partner and I would argue the “pro” against another school and the next round we’d argue the “con” against another team.

Sure there was all the snark and obnoxiousness one could imagine among us all, in a way it was very similar to the blogs.

But then Kirby Boner came along.

Yep, that was his real name, and I am putting it out there deliberately as praise for him is long overdue.

I went to pick up my parts.  For twenty years we have done great things at Victor’s machine shop.  It was always hard to find a parking spot but today the street was empty.  I am a dinosaur destined for extinction, an engineer and part of a working R&D group in a manufacturing industry.  Most rare these days.

David Swanson, over at After Downing Street, has this up  Demanding the Closure of Guantanamo Prison Camp along with a pic of the group.

and, Washington DC January 11, 2008

By David Swanson, this link to more photos: 79 photos | 150 views