Blagojevich, Burris, reality

So, the Governor of the wonderful State of Illinois has appointed Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat previously held by President-elect Obama. Everybody is screaming and throwing a fit about not seating Mr. Burris because of Blagojevich, while at the same time praising the career of Mr. Burris. Let's look at some facts:

1. Blagojevich was duly elected by the People of Illinois as Governor.
2. The Governor's power to appoint is written in law, not the Illinois constitution.
3. The power of impeachment is in the Illinois Constitution.
4. The General Assembly did nothing to remove the Governor's power of appointment nor did they do anything on impeachment based on all the other things the Governor has been accused of doing.
5. The new Senate will be sworn in next Tuesday, January 6, 2009.
6. Regardless of Senator Reid's grandstanding there's really not much he can do either.
7. In our Justice System a man is innocent until proven guilty.

So, we have a sitting Governor, who is innocent until proven guilty. The law gives him the power to appoint replacements to the Senate in just this type of situation. The General Assembly, for all their protestations now, has been inept for years, spending their time wringing their hands instead of doing anything. I blame Madigan but that's the subject of another post.

The Governor did exactly what he should have done. And let's be honest, it's a safe pick. At the risk of being a racist, Mr. Burris is black, and would be the only black member of the Senate. After the election of Barak Obama will Democrats in the U.S. Senate refuse to seat a qualified black man? No. Will Jessie White refuse to certify Mr. Burris? Probably, but it's a meaningless protest as he admitted in a NPR interview just last night.

Mr. Burris is 71 years old. He'll serve out the remainder of Obama's term. Will he stand for re-election in 2010? Maybe, but it will likely be his only run and the Republicans in Illinois will lash him to Blagojevich for the whole campaign. Not to mention Blagojevich's trial will probably be in full hyperbolic news coverage by the time the 2010 campaign really gets going.

Now, let's talk about our Lt. Governor, Pat Quinn. He's made his career as an outsider screaming at the machine. When the Governor was arrested he almost immediately called for a special election. A few days later, after the Democrat brain-trust (and I use the word brain loosely) put their heads together they realized they'd lose a special election. Suddenly Mr. Quinn was preaching the gospel of impeachment and that the Governor should step down so he could make the appointment. He may not be a crooked Chicago politician, but he certainly has all the necessary skills to fit the roll.

Ms. Madigan, our Attorney General, is no better. She's the silver spoon daughter of the Illinois Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan. While she may be a fully qualified lawyer, she's the AG because of daddy and his connections. Her stunt of going to the Illinois Supreme Court to get the Governor removed, using a clause of the constitution clearly designed for things such as medical disabilities, was simply a stunt to start her run for Governor in 2010. I suspect she did it at daddy's urging as much as from original thought. Brovo to the Illinois Supreme Court for telling her to go away.

So, what's an Illinois resident to do. If you vote Democrat you're stuck with Chicago machine politicians picked by Daley, Madigan and the rest of the crew. If you vote Republican you get what, Jim Ryan and Alan Keyes? Nice. I'm moving to Iowa.

40 years

In the beginning...

My life as Mordac

Heliccopter Rescue in MD

Here's some video footage from MD of a helicopter rescue of people from cars stranded in a water main break. I believe the story accompanying said the water main in question was a 60" main. Just goes to show the being prepared for emergencies goes beyond the typical natural disaster version.

MN=FL?

At least according to this story from CNN.

But seriously, I think the folks in MN must be totally frozen at this point. Al Franken for cryin' out loud. You think they'd have learned their lesson with Jessie.

Life in IT

Signs of the Times

Yeah, I know the headline is cheesy, but, here's an interesting picture from Yahoo with credit to Reuters (http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/San-Francisco-December-9/photo//081217/photos_bs/2008_12_17t070957_450x376_us_usa_poll//s:/nm/20081217/us_nm/us_usa_poll). I especially find the "Will blog 4 food" sign telling. Although I work in IT and spent a number of years at an ecommerce managed service provider, our service/electronic economy simply doesn't seem to hold water. As our manufacturers struggle for survival perhaps we need to rethink our economy completely.

It's official, I'm an indangered spiecies

This report from the Independent in the U.K. discusses how chemicals are feminizing men. I'm here to start a men's movement! Time to take back our, well, uh, stuff!

OK, two more that I like

Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.
Theodore Roosevelt

To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, right or wrong - is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
Theodore Roosevelt

Quotes attributed to TR

From The Quotations Page.

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things.
Theodore Roosevelt

Perspective

A little market perspective based on my adult lifetime.

On Jan. 2, 1980 the Dow opened at 838.74, the S&P 500 opened at 102.09. Assuming an 8% annual growth rate the Dow should be at 7235.90, the S&P at 880.74. Now, I'm not being pollyannish in thinking things can't get a lot worse, but, it's pretty clear the 1990s and the first years of this century saw market growth at simply unsustainable rates. Don't jump off the ledge just yet.

The melting point of aluminum is...

1220 degrees F.

From Reuters, through Yahoo. Picture from the wild fires in California

I Want You...

No, I don't remember where I found it. See previous Uncle Sam poster post for continuity of funniness and a positive spin on the changes of the last century.

Funny Posters

Funny posters at Son of the South

Under the title "DUH!"

Is this article from CNN/Fortune discussing how to get our economy moving again. Agree or disagree with the article, this is the most interesting quote:

"The bottom line is that people are craving leadership. They're awaiting directions. Mr. President, get the spirit of America moving again. All you need to do is set a clear goal, explain why it's important, and then present steps toward achieving it."

Well, isn't that the basic definition of leadership, set a goal, explain why it's important, define the steps to get there, and then put smart people in charge of making it happen? Have we become so accepting of buzzword leadership that we have to hear this in the press?

To be honest, I don't know that Americans have the stomach to hear the truth anymore. It's just to easy to pick a dogma and then scream at each other instead.

Take heart parents of Asperger's kids

Enjoy this article from Business Week about Bram Cohen; founder of BitTorrent who is diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrom.

Do you think scouting doesn't matter? Check this

Here's a clip from Scouting's 2007 Annual Report to Congress. Check out the community service section in the second paragraph. Scouting matters

"For nearly a century, Boy Scouts have served others at all times. In fact, the Boy Scouts of America was founded on the premise that to be a good citizen you must do for others.

In 2007, the Boy Scouts of America continued serving others by specifically addressing the issues of hunger, inadequate housing, and poor health through the Good Turn for America initiative-a collaborative effort with Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and The Salvation Army. From January 2007 through December 2007, more than 1.4 million service hours were reported by 5,915 units, resulting in 15,246 services projects with the involvement of approximately a quarter million youth and adults. In addition, 315 BSA members were honored in 2007 for their courageous performance of lifesaving and meritorious actions.

In addition to providing service to others, the BSA continues making a difference in the lives of its youth members and participants. Through the efforts of almost 1.2 million dedicated volunteers and the support of religious and civic organizations, the BSA reached millions of young people in 2007 with its program of citizenship, mental and physical fitness, and character development.

While these numbers are impressive, millions more youth can benefit from the BSA’s programs by learning leadership, developing character, and serving others. Thus, the BSA continued focusing on reaching greater numbers of youth through its National Strategic Plan, titled “2010: When Tradition Meets Tomorrow,” and emphasizing the importance of each council maintaining a strong financial foundation. In 2007, the collective fiscal surplus of all local councils increased by more than $3 million for the second consecutive year. In addition, total council unrestricted operating net assets increased by more than 15 percent over 2006.

Scouting is strong and experienced a growth in the number of young people introduced to Scouting’s values in 2007. The Boy Scouts of America will continue to recruit quality leadership, adequately fund programs, invite eligible youth from all backgrounds to join, and offer a fun and exciting program-enabling young people to become extraordinary adults."

Now, some perspective. What does 1.4 million hours look like? Well, do the math. Let's talk about work. There are 40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year, so an average work year is 2000 hours. Divide 1.4 million hours by 2000 hours/man-year and you get...
that's right, 700 man-years. That's equivalent to the total work of a 700 person company for a full year. Scouting matters, at least to the people those 700 man-years supported in 2007!


Be strong brothers.

A precient article from 1994

Here's an article from CNN Money predicting problems with derivatives. The original date suggest it predates LTCM and certainly today's mess.

China is eating our lunch again

Thanks to the foot dragging and unwillingness of the U.S. to change (both the administration...think big oil...and the people), China will be beating us to the punch in producing renewable energy (see this BBC report).

So, we're basically 12 years away from China owning all our debt and their economy being free of oil shocks. Anybody know where I can take classes in Mandarin?

Regular folks doing regular things, sort of

In an AP report on Yahoo! we learn of some ND farmers hitting it rich on oil royalties on their properties. My favorite line from the story "We can afford new stuff, but we like our old stuff."

A picture is worth a thousand words

Religion and Science

I've posted a few entries in this blog about creationist and evolutionist and how they could be different sides of the same coin. Here's a Pastoral Letter from the UCC regarding science and religion. It won't likely change any minds but I found it interesting.

More from Little Sioux

Please take a look at the bio's of the scouts who died at Little Sioux. Part of the best and the brightest.

Be Strong Brothers

Boy Scouts, Tornados, Recriminations, Grief

By now we've all seen the reports of the deaths at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in western Iowa. Four young men at a leadership training session, doing what they enjoyed, killed in a tornado. Simply tragic.

I've read a few other accounts and the associated blog entries, on various news outlets about the event. Now, we all know that news site blogs are the hang out of some unsavory types of folks along with the standard run of the mill Internet addicts. But, the recriminations have already started. People blaming the leaders for not cancelling the event, blaming Scouting in general for putting boys into the woods, blaming the Iowa State Patrol for not responding appropriately, blaming everything and everybody. I certainly don't withhold from the families the right to greive and seek a reason for the tragedy. I do withhold that right from idiots around the country who weren't there and don't know.

So, let's get down to it. Should the leaders have cancelled the event because of all the inclement weather in the midwest so far this summer? Maybe. We have had a streak of bad weather, but we get them every year. We could live in our cellars from May to September just to be safe too. It could be these boys would have died in their homes in the same storms. Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.

Should the Boy Scouts (and every other organization that operates youth camps) require storm shelters? Maybe. Thousands of Scouts and Scouters go to thousands of camp outs every year without incident. Does this incident require the additional construction projects? Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.

Should the Boy Scouts (and every other organization that operates youth camps) get out of the woods completely. Maybe. We could probably teach boys to be honorable men without the outdoor program. But at the same time we'd be teaching them to be afraid. Today's kids are already afraid of their shadows. Afraid of failure, afraid to try anything new (other than a video game). Afraid. Is that what we want for our kids? Risk management decisions always look easier after the risk has passed.

The reality is now is not the time to ask these questions. Now is the time to pray for God's healing grace for the victims, families of the victims, survivors, families of the survivors and everybody involved in the Scouting movement. There will be plenty of time later for the left-wing loonies and helicopter goverment to second guess the Boy Scouts.

Be strong brothers.

Millenials...: How soon until I get to retire?

I've been reading a lot lately about managing the "Millenials" in the work force. Generally speaking Millenials are defined as those born between 1980 and 2000. Here's an interesting set of articles for old baby boomer managers (i.e. me and all my peers) that discusses some of the changes we're going to have to make to adjust to them. The very hypothesis is troublesome at many levels.

I think a big chunk of the generational gap can be summed up in this quote from the articles, "Millennials are accustomed to having things explained to them in great detail. They’ve always been told, “If you don’t know, ask.” We’ve created an entire generation of kids who’ve always been told exactly what to do and how to do it." I see this regularly.

I'd argue that we've given this generation an irrational fear of failure. They can't or won't think through an issue, make a best guess on the information available and then take a risk that their solution might not be optimal. Why think when you can ask and be told?

Now, some of the change they will likely bring to the work force will likely be good for me (e.g. telecommuting). If my employees expect flexibility then I guess I should be able to take advantage of it as well. They likely are better at working in teams than anybody in my generation and are better collaborators. The question is are they more productive in their teams or are they simply unable to work alone? Some of what I've seen keeps that question relevant. Do I have to hire two millenials to get the work of 1.5 or 1 boomer?

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think the world is going to end because of this generation. It will go on in some fashion or another, just not the one I'm used to no doubt. And there will be members of this generation that are totally ego driven and competitive so we'll have a fine collection of lawyers and politicians. The question is, am I ready to be a father figure to my employees? The answer today is "No thanks, I have a family, now get your ass back to work."

Doesn't get much wierder than this

No comment required, just click and read this story from Yahoo.

Linux Geek Stuff

Interesting article about Linux as posted on Yahoo. As an old Unix guy I like the idea of Linux. As an IT Business Manager, I don't. I just purchased two new identical servers, one windows, one linux. After purchasing the Linux support package, the Linux server was $500 more (on a $2500 purchase) and I had to install the OS. The article points out continuing problems with Linux drivers and my experience says Linux admins, the good ones, are more expensive than Windows admins. I'm not a shill for MS but the arguments about open source being less expensive simply don't hold in my expereince.

CO2 Concentrations in the U.S.

Here's an interesting image from the Vulcan Project of CO2 concetrations in the U.S. Visit the site and watch the video. Good stuff.

We also saw these license plates

create your own personalized map of Canada

The License Plate Game

Yeah, we play it too but we exclude trailer-tractor rigs and obvious interstate commercial vehicles. Here's a map of the plates we saw. Yes, we did see Alaska.



create your own personalized map of the USA

Just got back from WDW

Well, we've returned safely from our 2008 adventure to WDW. We did some caching along the way, drove until our butts were numb, but generally had a good time. With any luck you'll see a slide show below of our pictures. I'll probably post a few more times about the trip.

Immigration and Season Labor

The NY Times reports in this article about the potential cut back in services due to the business owner's inability to hire seasonal laborers.

I suppose you can argue this both ways. Pro-immigration folks will say "see, we need immigration, legal or otherwise, to keep our economy humming along." Anti-immigration folks will say "if the employers paid a living wage American people would take these jobs."

I realize this is the NY Times and that the article only samples a couple of businesses. That said, I suspect both sides have legitimate points and I'm sure the reality is somewhere in between. It is interesting that the Hispanic Caucus in Congress appears to be part of the road block.

This image is drawn from NASA's Image of the day. It's an avalanche on Mars.

Wickedly Cool Picture

No, I don't recall which news service I downloaded this from. It's a picture that was published after the satellite shoot down. So, it's not my original work, I don't claim any ownership and I give deference to the photographer and his or her corporate nanny.

I'm linking to this Doonsbury image from Yahoo! so please consider this appropriate attribution. I do not claim this as my original work and give all appropriate deference to the author.

That said, I thought it particularly interesting because from my perspective it sums up the Democratic Primary Election well. We do have a tested and experienced leader in Sen. Clinton. I use the word leader loosely because she seems to be a bit of a control freak in many ways. We have an eloquent visionary in Sen. Obama. The criticisms of Sen. Obama are fair; no experience in Washington, no experience in Foreign Affairs, and some questionable Illinois political ties. But, hey, it's Illinios, or more appropriately Chicago.

How is one to choose? Should we choose on who is most able to defeat Sen. McCain? Should we choose on who would be most able to deal with the entrenched bureauacracy in Washington? Should we choose on who we think has the best ideas? Is an "Obamary" or "Hillama" ticket the ultimate option? Hard to tell from where I sit.

Equal rights and I'm tired of hearin' it

Non Sequitur presents an interesting cartoon the sentiment of which says that a woman should jump at the chance to marry an unemployed man because of her opportunity to show her support for equal rights.

I've recently noticed what seems like an increased number of radio stories talking about women and their challenges going to Iraq, trying to be mother and soldier, etc. Granted, this has been mostly on NPR but also from other outlets. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing it.

We have an all volunteer military. Every woman going to Iraq signed up of her own accord, be it National Guard duty or regular military. They should have thought about the ramifications on their civilian life before they signed the contracts.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure the challenges are immense and the pressure unbearable. I'm also sure the women featured in the stories I've heard are serving honorably. But, the challenges and sacrifices required of the military are no secret. One may join the military for the benefits, college programs or the opportunity to travel the world. In the end though the military has but one purpose; to travel where required and fight. That's the job.

Women have been fighting for equal rights for at least a century. This is what it looks like. Get over it.

Earthquake in Nevada

As reported on CNN.com a 6.0 earthquake rattled Nevada on Thursday near the town of Wells.


View Larger Map

The story is mostly unremarkable except for this statement near the end.

"It's Mother Nature," said Mitch Smith, owner of the Wells Auto and Hardware store, who was cleaning up spilled paint and other debris. "What good would it do to be upset? We've already decided to have a half-off sale on dented cans of paint."

I know I took ranchers to task in my previous post but you do have to love this kind of spirit in people.

Kill all the wolves

No literally, that's what is about to happen. The U.S. Government is lifting protection from Gray Wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho accoring to this report in the NYT.

Now, I know ranchers and farmers in those states don't like wolves because they do hunt their live stock. Life as a rancher in that part of the country is tough and can be unforgiving. But, killing off a spiecies so we can subdue the land is wrong. There are precious few wild places left in this country. I sympathize with the ranchers but putting an open season on wolves is not the answer.

WBC Protests muted

The Daily Herald reports the whack-jobs from WBC did indeed show up at the funerals of NIU students in Cicero and St. Charles. Apparently the city fathers in St. Charles managed to line up the city's snowplows between the mourners and the protestors. Bravo. It also looks like the city and county had a fairly strong police showing to limit any additional stupidity.

Protests at NIU victim funerals

The Daily Herald reports that members of the Westboro Baptist Church have decided to protest at the funerals of two of the NIU shooting victims today because of a lecture given eight years ago by a preacher who had undergone a sex change. This is the same group that has been protesting the funerals of fallen soldiers. Their message, as near as I can tell (beyond being hateful and vitriolic), is that every tragedy or disaster that befalls America (among other places) is the wrath of God.

The vileness of their actions goes without further comment.

Grief, Anger, Confusion

How do we begin to understand what happened at NIU yesterday? The short answer is we don't. There is no explanation for what happened or why or to whom or by whom. It was an evil act committed by a man against his fellow men. An act made all the more tragic by the ages of the victims.

The families of the victims are obviously dealing with an inconsolable grief. The family of the shooter also dealing with grief and shame. But the emotions sweep a great distance farther still; the entire NIU community and Alumni, city of DeKalb, members of other Universities and the academic community in general, friends and neighbors of those people, on and on.

We are not the first community of people to deal with grief on a mass scale nor unfortunately will we be the last. But what are the lessons to learn? Should we close down our open society to improve security? Are evil acts against the society a simple reality we must learn to live with? Should we ban first-person shooter video games? Should we require psychiatric testing of all individuals and proactively lock up anybody who shows signs of sociopathic behavior? Should we sit on our hands, wait for the grief to pass and move on with our lives? I'm certainly not smart enough to answer any of these questions. I'm hardly smart enough to think of them.

So as we traverse this valley of darkness I'll offer this:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

We Are...NIU

You thought I was kidding didn't you...

More news from Berkley.

Check out my Slide Show!

Well, I have to play don't I?

Here we go...

Headline Berkley, CA (Yes, that Berkley).

Berkeley Finds a New Way to Make War Politics Local

The Berkley City Council has passed a resolution allowing a group called "Code Pink" to use the parking spot outside the Marine Recruiter's office four hours, one afternoon a week, for the next six months. They've also instructed their city attorney to find a way to run the Marines out of town.

So, to the women of code pink. Protest the war, try to change the electorate, use all the peaceful methods at your disposal to protest. DO NOT BLAME THE MARINES, SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND AIRMEN! "Make Out, Not War." Not even original but much more politically correct than "Make Love, Not War." And to the Berkley City Council, shame on you. That's about all I can say, shame on you.

The last thing we need today are a bunch of aging hippies fondly remembering their Viet Nam War protests, spitting on veterans when they return. You know who you are.

This article embodies everything wrong with the supposed Intellectual Elites running our universities. Why have an informed debate and talk about the issues when you can get your city council to pass a meaningless ordinance and blame the soldier. Let's be honest, intellectual honesty in our institutions of higher learning has been dead for some time (see my earlier post about the University of Deleware). This just confirms my worst suspicions.

Oh, by the way, electing Hillary will change nothing. We're in Iraq and we're going to be there for decades. I don't like her but she's smart enough to know pulling out at this point will be counterproductive. Are you?

Creationism and Evolution

Here's an interesting read from the National Academy of Science on evolution and creationism. I know it won't sway opinion but worth the hour or so to read through it regardless of your position on the issue.

...
Read this FREE online!

Read it here

P.S. You don't have to purchase the pamphlet if you don't mind reading page-by-page online.