Here's Rep. Dennis Kucinich's (D-Ohio) speech from the Democratic National Convention. He was my first choice for President and his was the only campaign I've ever given money to. I'm with him on every issue.
It's a hell of a speech!
30 Aug 2008
24 Aug 2008
Two new, upcoming TV shows that I'm, like, totally freakin' psyched about. Man.
If you've never seen Little Britain, then I'm afraid, my friend, you've never lived. Get thee to Amazon and order it. Presently. In the meantime, the creators and stars, Matt Lucas and David Walliams, have created Little Britain USA for HBO. It's a sketch comedy show and this new series mixes some of the characters from Little Britain with new, American creations. It starts Sept 28th, so order HBO (if you don't already have it) or drop your ethics and down-load it on the down-low.
Also coming out this Fall, also on HBO is True Blood, a vampire drama. Why watch, you ask? Because it was created by Alan Ball, who created one of the best shows of the last 20 years - Six Feet Under, it's an allegory for the treatment of homosexuals in today's society and it's on HBO, so there'll be plenty of sex, violence, blood and gore.
Also coming out this Fall, also on HBO is True Blood, a vampire drama. Why watch, you ask? Because it was created by Alan Ball, who created one of the best shows of the last 20 years - Six Feet Under, it's an allegory for the treatment of homosexuals in today's society and it's on HBO, so there'll be plenty of sex, violence, blood and gore.
Labels:
tv
Cate "singing" Japanese
So Cate found some Japanese Princess website as she was browsing the internet the other day. As with a lot of Japanese sites, the page has cheesy, kitschy pop music sung by a no doubt prepubescent girl in the background.
Because Cate is 5 and would happily go to the same website to play the same game over and over again, she has now "learned the words" to a Japanese pop song. Observe...
And as a special pop bonus, here's Cate dorking around again as Leona Lewis, singing "Bleeding Love"
Because Cate is 5 and would happily go to the same website to play the same game over and over again, she has now "learned the words" to a Japanese pop song. Observe...
And as a special pop bonus, here's Cate dorking around again as Leona Lewis, singing "Bleeding Love"
22 Aug 2008
Classic scenes from the movies - Part 2
Here are a couple of scenes that compliment each other, and are similar, in many ways. First, both films are in black and white. Next, each film stars (in the case of the former unarguably and in the case of the latter arguably) the best actors of their respective generations. Both films feature boxers. Both movies feature protagonists who are way past their prime. Both films won the Best Actor Oscars for their respective leads. Both scenes have largely the same exact dialogue (you'll see). Both films feature short, chubby and respected character actors as the boxers' brothers. Both films feature blondes as the love interests. Both films are widely regarded as essential tough-guy classics. And both films contain the following undeniably classic scenes. Have you guessed what they are yet?
The first scene is from On the Waterfront (1954) and features Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger and yes, it's the famous back-of-the-cab-I-coulda-been-a-contender scene. The next scene is from Raging Bull (1980) and features Robert DeNiro as real-life washed-up pugilist Jake LaMotta in the prologue/epilogue scene, reciting the I-coulda-been-a-contender speech from On the Waterfront in front of a mirror.
I love these scenes because they show both actors at the very top of their game, giving incredibly naturalistic performances in two of the best films ever made. Enjoy.
The first scene is from On the Waterfront (1954) and features Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger and yes, it's the famous back-of-the-cab-I-coulda-been-a-contender scene. The next scene is from Raging Bull (1980) and features Robert DeNiro as real-life washed-up pugilist Jake LaMotta in the prologue/epilogue scene, reciting the I-coulda-been-a-contender speech from On the Waterfront in front of a mirror.
I love these scenes because they show both actors at the very top of their game, giving incredibly naturalistic performances in two of the best films ever made. Enjoy.
Labels:
classic scenes,
movies
My latest story for the paper
Here's a story I just did for the paper on Keesler's military working dogs. Though I've always been a big fan of all things canine, I didn't really know much about working dogs until I started researching and interviewing for this story...they're uh...pretty fierce, to say the least, but EXTREMELY well looked after. Anyway, here's the story (original link here):
Man's best friends train as canine warriors
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/19/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- The dog was big, fluffy, shaggy and golden-brown ... perfect if you want a big hug from a furry friend.
Or not. This dog wasn't trained for hugs. This dog was trained to attack!
The 81st Security Forces Squadron's military working dogs aren't your average hounds. They're specifically raised from birth and trained to be the canine equivalent of those who protect and serve.
"They're not pets, and they're not bred to be pets," said Tech. Sgt. Damian Phillips, kennel master. "They're trained attack dogs. If they're tolerant of people, (they won't be able to) apprehend a potential threat."
Because of the temperament required to be a working dog, these canines can't just "sleep at the foot of the bed." They live in a specially-designed kennel and each dog has his or her own specific enclosed area.
"The dogs are maintained in (the kennel) 24/7 and only myself, military working dog trainers or the on-duty handler are allowed inside the kennels," said Sergeant Phillips. "Even regular patrolmen aren't allowed to pet, touch or feed the dogs, but they can give them water (through a caged door) and spray out their area."
Working dogs receive complete and precise care every day.
"We go into the kennels every two to three hours and have a checklist that must be signed annotating all checks," explained Sergeant Phillips. "We ensure that they always have enough water and that their area is clean."
Weight maintenance and nutrition for the working dogs are closely monitored by the dog handlers. Per Department of Defense regulations, all military working dogs must be fed a particular brand of high-qualilty dog food, said Sergeant Phillips. In order to maintain the correct weight, the amount of food is constantly adjusted.
"(The type and amount of) food they get is exact, their training is exact and their duty is exact," said Sergeant Phillips. "They are required to have daily exercise, like physical training runs with their handlers, and they're also required to run our obstacle course at least once daily."
While the dogs are closely looked after by all of the trained security forces personnel that work in the working dog shop, each dog has a specific handler.
"I like working with the dogs -- it's a step up and new challenge from being a normal cop," said Staff Sgt. Benjamin McQuagge, a working dog handler. "(My dog and I) have a good relationship; we work out and play a lot."
The close relationship between a working dog and his handler extends beyond normal duty hours.
"Our job involves long hours and coming in on our days off," said Sergeant Phillips. "Even when we deploy, our dogs go with us -- be it the Middle East, the U.S.-Mexico border or even in support of the Secret Service. We do it, though, because we care about the dogs, and we love our job."
The technical training school for security forces personnel is about 10 weeks. The technical school to be a dog handler, referred to as "K9 school," at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is even longer -- 12 weeks.
"The training style is based on repetition -- the training gets drilled into us," said Sergeant McQuagge. "They teach us that each dog is different, how to read a dog and how to work with a dog. You're very comfortable with being a dog handler by the time you leave."
Not just any cop can become a military dog handler. Specific steps must be taken in order to qualify.
"You need to be a 5-level with a good record to be a dog handler," explained Sergeant Phillips. "You have to then put in a package with the virtual military personnel flight and, of course, successfully make it through the K9 school at Lackland."
With all of the care and training it takes to work with military working dogs, when it comes to where to house the operation, Keesler's new working dog facility more than meets the requirements, said Sergeant Phillips.
"This building is a $2 million facility with its own veterinary examination room, trainer office and food preparation room," said Sergeant Phillips. "Having every room (that you need) on site is nice."
Man's best friends train as canine warriors
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/19/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- The dog was big, fluffy, shaggy and golden-brown ... perfect if you want a big hug from a furry friend.
Or not. This dog wasn't trained for hugs. This dog was trained to attack!
The 81st Security Forces Squadron's military working dogs aren't your average hounds. They're specifically raised from birth and trained to be the canine equivalent of those who protect and serve.
"They're not pets, and they're not bred to be pets," said Tech. Sgt. Damian Phillips, kennel master. "They're trained attack dogs. If they're tolerant of people, (they won't be able to) apprehend a potential threat."
Because of the temperament required to be a working dog, these canines can't just "sleep at the foot of the bed." They live in a specially-designed kennel and each dog has his or her own specific enclosed area.
"The dogs are maintained in (the kennel) 24/7 and only myself, military working dog trainers or the on-duty handler are allowed inside the kennels," said Sergeant Phillips. "Even regular patrolmen aren't allowed to pet, touch or feed the dogs, but they can give them water (through a caged door) and spray out their area."
Working dogs receive complete and precise care every day.
"We go into the kennels every two to three hours and have a checklist that must be signed annotating all checks," explained Sergeant Phillips. "We ensure that they always have enough water and that their area is clean."
Weight maintenance and nutrition for the working dogs are closely monitored by the dog handlers. Per Department of Defense regulations, all military working dogs must be fed a particular brand of high-qualilty dog food, said Sergeant Phillips. In order to maintain the correct weight, the amount of food is constantly adjusted.
"(The type and amount of) food they get is exact, their training is exact and their duty is exact," said Sergeant Phillips. "They are required to have daily exercise, like physical training runs with their handlers, and they're also required to run our obstacle course at least once daily."
While the dogs are closely looked after by all of the trained security forces personnel that work in the working dog shop, each dog has a specific handler.
"I like working with the dogs -- it's a step up and new challenge from being a normal cop," said Staff Sgt. Benjamin McQuagge, a working dog handler. "(My dog and I) have a good relationship; we work out and play a lot."
The close relationship between a working dog and his handler extends beyond normal duty hours.
"Our job involves long hours and coming in on our days off," said Sergeant Phillips. "Even when we deploy, our dogs go with us -- be it the Middle East, the U.S.-Mexico border or even in support of the Secret Service. We do it, though, because we care about the dogs, and we love our job."
The technical training school for security forces personnel is about 10 weeks. The technical school to be a dog handler, referred to as "K9 school," at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, is even longer -- 12 weeks.
"The training style is based on repetition -- the training gets drilled into us," said Sergeant McQuagge. "They teach us that each dog is different, how to read a dog and how to work with a dog. You're very comfortable with being a dog handler by the time you leave."
Not just any cop can become a military dog handler. Specific steps must be taken in order to qualify.
"You need to be a 5-level with a good record to be a dog handler," explained Sergeant Phillips. "You have to then put in a package with the virtual military personnel flight and, of course, successfully make it through the K9 school at Lackland."
With all of the care and training it takes to work with military working dogs, when it comes to where to house the operation, Keesler's new working dog facility more than meets the requirements, said Sergeant Phillips.
"This building is a $2 million facility with its own veterinary examination room, trainer office and food preparation room," said Sergeant Phillips. "Having every room (that you need) on site is nice."
17 Aug 2008
Classic scenes from the movies - Part 1
This is the first in what I hope will be (if I have the discipline to stick with it) a continuing series of my favorite scenes in certain movies. There will be no order, rhyme, nor reason behind the series...sometimes I'll post a few clips, sometimes only one...
The first is one of the best movie prologues I've ever seen...the opening of PT Anderson's Magnolia...
Next, a scene from one of my favorite movies of all time (in my top five). It's from All That Jazz, a semi-autobiographical film from the great dancer/choregographer/director Bob Fosse (Cabaret, Sweet Charity, Lenny). This scene is one of the musical numbers from direcor Joe Gideon's (Roy Scheider playing a thinly-veiled Fosse) new, as yet unreleased, musical. It features a great song and some of the best choreography ever committed to film...
The first is one of the best movie prologues I've ever seen...the opening of PT Anderson's Magnolia...
Next, a scene from one of my favorite movies of all time (in my top five). It's from All That Jazz, a semi-autobiographical film from the great dancer/choregographer/director Bob Fosse (Cabaret, Sweet Charity, Lenny). This scene is one of the musical numbers from direcor Joe Gideon's (Roy Scheider playing a thinly-veiled Fosse) new, as yet unreleased, musical. It features a great song and some of the best choreography ever committed to film...
Labels:
classic scenes,
movies
15 Aug 2008
Finlay William Rodriguez - the cutest li'l guy in this, or any other, world
Here are some great new pics of Finn...
"Leanin' to the side with the OG gangsta glide"
"This chair and I were made for each other, don't you know"
"Viva la raza, holmes"
"I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille"
"Leanin' to the side with the OG gangsta glide" "This chair and I were made for each other, don't you know" "Viva la raza, holmes"
My latest story for the paper and, I believe, my best story yet!
Here's the most recent story I did for the newspaper. Not only was I very interested in the subject matter (the environment), I really believe it's the best story I've ever done for the paper. I especially like the lead (the opening paragraph) and some of the transitional sentences (these are harder to construct than you think. You have to setup the next quote with a question or statement that isn't a question and you can't let the writer's "voice" be heard in the construction).
Anyway, here it is. (original link here)
Transporters embrace "green" initiatives
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/13/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States is the biggest polluting nation in the world. The U.S. has the highest greenhouse emissions and uses the most energy of any country, despite having a population one-fifth that of China.
Despite these statistics -- or perhaps because of them -- many Americans are going "green." An example of this attitude shift can be found right here at Keesler where the 81st Training Wing commander, Col. Greg Touhill, is a great supporter of a spate of new and existing green initiatives.
"'Going green' is all about being good stewards of America's resources," said Colonel Touhill. "As Americans, we should all be striving to preserve our environment and conserve resources."
One agency on base dedicated to making a concerted effort to fight global warming and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions is the 81st Supply-Transportation Squadron, winner of the 2008 Arbor Day Foundation award -- a program run by the 81st Civil Engineer Squadron to find the "greenest" unit on Keesler.
"We're really going with the vision set forth by Colonel Touhill and our commander, Maj. Clarence Lee," said Master Sgt. Kevin Benjaman, the unit's vehicle management superintendent. "From an environmental perspective, it's important that Keesler's going green."
Among the many initiatives already in place, vehicle managers place a lot of emphasis on recycling.
"We currently purchase only recycled oil, recycled antifreeze and recycled tires," said Capt. Tyrone Hill, vehicle management flight commander. "We also recycle all of our used oil, antifreeze, oil filters and tires.
As well as these current initiatives, the squadron also plans to introduce even more environmentally-friendly policies in the next two years.
"We are introducing low-speed vehicles into our fleet," said Captain Hill. "They have automatic speed limiters, are 50 percent cheaper than regular four-door sedans and get almost double the fuel economy.
"We already have one LSV in our fleet and are forecasted to receive 12 by 2010 and a total of 20 by 2011," he added.
LSVs are only one type of energy-saving vehicle planned to become part of Keesler's future fleet.
"We also plan to introduce alternative fuel vehicles such as those that run on E85, a blend of ethanol and gasoline, and are also slated to start leasing gasoline-and-electricity hybrid vehicles," said Captain Hill.
The impetus behind these myriad changes comes not only from the wing, but also from the federal government.
"Some of the new federal rules do dictate some of our policies," said Sergeant Benjaman. "But, I believe that Keesler is among the Air Force's leaders in these new eco-friendly initiatives."
Even with all of these changes, the vehicle management team takes its "green" commitment further.
"We send out monthly newsletters to all of our base vehicle control officers with tips on how to conserve fuel and be energy efficient with their government-owned vehicles," said Sergeant Benjaman.
These green policies, while saving energy and reducing the base's carbon footprint, also save the wing money.
"The intention of the 'go green' initiatives is not to save budgetary monies, though," said Captain Hill. "The initiatives are designed to reduce harmful emissions in the air and chemical contamination in landfills and groundwater. The savings to the environment carry significant ethical importance."
Anyway, here it is. (original link here)
Transporters embrace "green" initiatives
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/13/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States is the biggest polluting nation in the world. The U.S. has the highest greenhouse emissions and uses the most energy of any country, despite having a population one-fifth that of China.
Despite these statistics -- or perhaps because of them -- many Americans are going "green." An example of this attitude shift can be found right here at Keesler where the 81st Training Wing commander, Col. Greg Touhill, is a great supporter of a spate of new and existing green initiatives.
"'Going green' is all about being good stewards of America's resources," said Colonel Touhill. "As Americans, we should all be striving to preserve our environment and conserve resources."
One agency on base dedicated to making a concerted effort to fight global warming and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse emissions is the 81st Supply-Transportation Squadron, winner of the 2008 Arbor Day Foundation award -- a program run by the 81st Civil Engineer Squadron to find the "greenest" unit on Keesler.
"We're really going with the vision set forth by Colonel Touhill and our commander, Maj. Clarence Lee," said Master Sgt. Kevin Benjaman, the unit's vehicle management superintendent. "From an environmental perspective, it's important that Keesler's going green."
Among the many initiatives already in place, vehicle managers place a lot of emphasis on recycling.
"We currently purchase only recycled oil, recycled antifreeze and recycled tires," said Capt. Tyrone Hill, vehicle management flight commander. "We also recycle all of our used oil, antifreeze, oil filters and tires.
As well as these current initiatives, the squadron also plans to introduce even more environmentally-friendly policies in the next two years.
"We are introducing low-speed vehicles into our fleet," said Captain Hill. "They have automatic speed limiters, are 50 percent cheaper than regular four-door sedans and get almost double the fuel economy.
"We already have one LSV in our fleet and are forecasted to receive 12 by 2010 and a total of 20 by 2011," he added.
LSVs are only one type of energy-saving vehicle planned to become part of Keesler's future fleet.
"We also plan to introduce alternative fuel vehicles such as those that run on E85, a blend of ethanol and gasoline, and are also slated to start leasing gasoline-and-electricity hybrid vehicles," said Captain Hill.
The impetus behind these myriad changes comes not only from the wing, but also from the federal government.
"Some of the new federal rules do dictate some of our policies," said Sergeant Benjaman. "But, I believe that Keesler is among the Air Force's leaders in these new eco-friendly initiatives."
Even with all of these changes, the vehicle management team takes its "green" commitment further.
"We send out monthly newsletters to all of our base vehicle control officers with tips on how to conserve fuel and be energy efficient with their government-owned vehicles," said Sergeant Benjaman.
These green policies, while saving energy and reducing the base's carbon footprint, also save the wing money.
"The intention of the 'go green' initiatives is not to save budgetary monies, though," said Captain Hill. "The initiatives are designed to reduce harmful emissions in the air and chemical contamination in landfills and groundwater. The savings to the environment carry significant ethical importance."
Labels:
air force,
environment,
my job
12 Aug 2008
This guy is f***in' GOOD!
Here's some guy playing perfectly, note-for-note, along with one of my favorite Prince songs, Computer Blue...
10 Aug 2008
Jeremy Clarkson
Many of you who read this blog (the vast majority of its visitors come from the good ol' US of A) wouldn't know who Jeremy Clarkson was if he came up and twatted you with a dead haddock.
He is, to put it bluntly, one of the funniest/most infuriating/knowledgeable TV presenters/columnists/writers I have ever seen/read/agreed with/yelled at.
He co-hosts the stratospherically popular TV show Top Gear (I would have called it a TV "car" show, but to place it in that particularly small box doesn't do this genius of a show justice) and writes a driving and opinion column for The Times (that's The London Times to you yanks).
All of this prologue is so I can post his latest car review column from the most recent Sunday Times...it's a perfectly-written, hilarious and creatively-turn-of phrase-ed example of why I love him. See for yourself...
Sarah Brown, the wife of our prime minister, is a complete mystery. For all I know, she collects fish, is qualified to fly fighter jets, has two left feet and sounds exactly like that woman with the broom in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. You even have to say “Sarah Brown, the wife of the prime minister”. Which was unnecessary with Cherie Blair or Denis Thatcher.
All I do know is that she looked at the country’s 28m men and thought: “No. They are all horrid except for Gordon.” Which must mean she’s a bit odd. And let’s be honest here shall we; like all women in and around British politics (with the notable exception of Samantha Cameron), she’s not exactly a purring sex kitten.
Things are very different in Italy where Silvio Berlusconi has filled his entire cabinet with ex-glamour models. And naturally, this brings me on to France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Unlike anyone in British politics, he attained high office and responded immediately by replacing his wife with the almost impossibly gorgeous Carla Bruni. Her mother is a concert pianist, her sister an actress and film director, and she’s an heiress to an Italian tyre fortune. We’re talking good genes here. And you can see them all in those cheekbones. I’m very much in love with Carla.
More than that, I’m very much in love with the French for taking her into their hearts. That’d never happen here. Imagine, if you will, Gordon Brown winning an election (hard, I know) and then ditching Sarah for Abi Titmuss. He wouldn’t last a week.
Weirdly, however, while the French like a good-looking woman in the Elysée Palace, they plainly have trouble with aesthetics in other departments. Take the oyster as an example. I have no idea who first cracked one open, peered at the snot inside and thought: “Mmm. I’m going to put that in my mouth.” But I bet he was French.
Of course, Paris is a fine and handsome city but the man who dreamt up those 12 wide boulevards radiating from the Arc de Triomphe was called Haussmann. And while he was born in France, his parents were from the disputed province of Alsace. Which technically makes their son an Alsatian. Which means he was a dog.
It’s also true, of course, that Parisian women are very elegant but I always think they were put on earth to make Italian clothes look good. And have you ever been in a Frenchman’s house? Holy cow. It’s an orgy or horror: antimacassars, Dralon, floral wallpaper, Formica and chintz. The minimalist Danish look completely passed them all by, leaving them all stuck in Huddersfield, in 1952.
France itself is a beautiful part of the world and the French language is spoken honey - unless it’s being used in a pop song, obviously; in which case it’s as attractive as an inside-out horse.
But just about everything the French make or do is lumpen, ugly or odd. This is especially true of their cars.
If you asked anyone to name the 10 best-looking cars ever made, not a single person with functioning retinas would put a French car on their list. Renault occasionally does something appealing like the Avantime, but mostly it believes we’ll buy its cars specifically because they’ve got big arses. Peugeot can do a good-looking car but only when it pays Pininfarina to design it. Left to its own devices, it mostly does bland, with occasional gusts of awfulness like the 309. That really was a mobile wart.
That leaves Citroën and, of course, what it has done mostly over the years is best described as, er . . . brave. It’s hard, really, when it presents a new car to find the right word. It’s best to imagine Heston Blumenthal has just asked you, eagerly, to try his new dog turd-flavoured ice cream. You can’t be honest and say: “That was terrible.” So you go for “brave” or “very striking”.
Today, though, Citroën is starting to buck the trend. The C5 is exceptionally good looking. The C6 has great presence, and if you drive through town in a C4, no one is going to point and laugh. But then, just when you think Citroën has got the idea, out pops the new Berlingo.
The old one was just a van with windows and it struck a chord. Oh sure, it looked like a frog that had sat on a spike, but there was something rather appealing about the nononsenseness of a box with seats. Especially as it retailed for about 60p.
Sadly, with the new version, they’ve tried to disguise the window cleaner origins with chrome this and flared that. What they’ve ended up with is a plumber in a tux. It looks and feels completely wrong. Almost certainly, then, you will see it and immediately decide to buy something else. This would be very big mistake.
I’ll start with the problems. Um . . . Well, the tailgate is so huge that when you push the button it will rise up, and unless you’re standing well back - which you won’t be because you’ve just pushed the button - it will smash into the underside of your chin and remove your whole head. This would become wearisome. But aside from this upside-down guillotine feature, and the British female politician looks, the rest of the car is an object lesson in common sense.
Prices start at less than £11,000, which is very low for something with this amount of interior space. It rides more smoothly than a Jaguar XJ8 - they should have called it the Aeroglisseur - and it is the first car ever to come with a loft. I mean it. There is an internal roofbox into which, I’m fairly certain, you could fit a pair of modern-day skis. And that’s just the start. There are so many cubbyholes and oddment stowage boxes that you could hide a priest in there and never find him again.
The car I tested had a 90 horsepower diesel, which meant I couldn’t go very fast. But on the long straight between Shipston on Stour and Chipping Norton, I did get past a tractor in just 18 minutes. So it’s not the end of the world. And better still, it should do 40mpg easily.
It’s a good car, the Berlingo. And in these difficult times, it makes even more sense than usual.
He is, to put it bluntly, one of the funniest/most infuriating/knowledgeable TV presenters/columnists/writers I have ever seen/read/agreed with/yelled at.
He co-hosts the stratospherically popular TV show Top Gear (I would have called it a TV "car" show, but to place it in that particularly small box doesn't do this genius of a show justice) and writes a driving and opinion column for The Times (that's The London Times to you yanks).
All of this prologue is so I can post his latest car review column from the most recent Sunday Times...it's a perfectly-written, hilarious and creatively-turn-of phrase-ed example of why I love him. See for yourself...
Sarah Brown, the wife of our prime minister, is a complete mystery. For all I know, she collects fish, is qualified to fly fighter jets, has two left feet and sounds exactly like that woman with the broom in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. You even have to say “Sarah Brown, the wife of the prime minister”. Which was unnecessary with Cherie Blair or Denis Thatcher.
All I do know is that she looked at the country’s 28m men and thought: “No. They are all horrid except for Gordon.” Which must mean she’s a bit odd. And let’s be honest here shall we; like all women in and around British politics (with the notable exception of Samantha Cameron), she’s not exactly a purring sex kitten.
Things are very different in Italy where Silvio Berlusconi has filled his entire cabinet with ex-glamour models. And naturally, this brings me on to France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Unlike anyone in British politics, he attained high office and responded immediately by replacing his wife with the almost impossibly gorgeous Carla Bruni. Her mother is a concert pianist, her sister an actress and film director, and she’s an heiress to an Italian tyre fortune. We’re talking good genes here. And you can see them all in those cheekbones. I’m very much in love with Carla.
More than that, I’m very much in love with the French for taking her into their hearts. That’d never happen here. Imagine, if you will, Gordon Brown winning an election (hard, I know) and then ditching Sarah for Abi Titmuss. He wouldn’t last a week.
Weirdly, however, while the French like a good-looking woman in the Elysée Palace, they plainly have trouble with aesthetics in other departments. Take the oyster as an example. I have no idea who first cracked one open, peered at the snot inside and thought: “Mmm. I’m going to put that in my mouth.” But I bet he was French.
Of course, Paris is a fine and handsome city but the man who dreamt up those 12 wide boulevards radiating from the Arc de Triomphe was called Haussmann. And while he was born in France, his parents were from the disputed province of Alsace. Which technically makes their son an Alsatian. Which means he was a dog.
It’s also true, of course, that Parisian women are very elegant but I always think they were put on earth to make Italian clothes look good. And have you ever been in a Frenchman’s house? Holy cow. It’s an orgy or horror: antimacassars, Dralon, floral wallpaper, Formica and chintz. The minimalist Danish look completely passed them all by, leaving them all stuck in Huddersfield, in 1952.
France itself is a beautiful part of the world and the French language is spoken honey - unless it’s being used in a pop song, obviously; in which case it’s as attractive as an inside-out horse.
But just about everything the French make or do is lumpen, ugly or odd. This is especially true of their cars.
If you asked anyone to name the 10 best-looking cars ever made, not a single person with functioning retinas would put a French car on their list. Renault occasionally does something appealing like the Avantime, but mostly it believes we’ll buy its cars specifically because they’ve got big arses. Peugeot can do a good-looking car but only when it pays Pininfarina to design it. Left to its own devices, it mostly does bland, with occasional gusts of awfulness like the 309. That really was a mobile wart.
That leaves Citroën and, of course, what it has done mostly over the years is best described as, er . . . brave. It’s hard, really, when it presents a new car to find the right word. It’s best to imagine Heston Blumenthal has just asked you, eagerly, to try his new dog turd-flavoured ice cream. You can’t be honest and say: “That was terrible.” So you go for “brave” or “very striking”.
Today, though, Citroën is starting to buck the trend. The C5 is exceptionally good looking. The C6 has great presence, and if you drive through town in a C4, no one is going to point and laugh. But then, just when you think Citroën has got the idea, out pops the new Berlingo.
The old one was just a van with windows and it struck a chord. Oh sure, it looked like a frog that had sat on a spike, but there was something rather appealing about the nononsenseness of a box with seats. Especially as it retailed for about 60p.
Sadly, with the new version, they’ve tried to disguise the window cleaner origins with chrome this and flared that. What they’ve ended up with is a plumber in a tux. It looks and feels completely wrong. Almost certainly, then, you will see it and immediately decide to buy something else. This would be very big mistake.
I’ll start with the problems. Um . . . Well, the tailgate is so huge that when you push the button it will rise up, and unless you’re standing well back - which you won’t be because you’ve just pushed the button - it will smash into the underside of your chin and remove your whole head. This would become wearisome. But aside from this upside-down guillotine feature, and the British female politician looks, the rest of the car is an object lesson in common sense.
Prices start at less than £11,000, which is very low for something with this amount of interior space. It rides more smoothly than a Jaguar XJ8 - they should have called it the Aeroglisseur - and it is the first car ever to come with a loft. I mean it. There is an internal roofbox into which, I’m fairly certain, you could fit a pair of modern-day skis. And that’s just the start. There are so many cubbyholes and oddment stowage boxes that you could hide a priest in there and never find him again.
The car I tested had a 90 horsepower diesel, which meant I couldn’t go very fast. But on the long straight between Shipston on Stour and Chipping Norton, I did get past a tractor in just 18 minutes. So it’s not the end of the world. And better still, it should do 40mpg easily.
It’s a good car, the Berlingo. And in these difficult times, it makes even more sense than usual.
9 Aug 2008
A sports personality feature I did for the newspaper
Here's my most recent story for the newspaper. It's a personality feature on this Airman 1st Class who was picked to represent Air Education and Training Command (the major commande that Keesler falls under) in the annual Air Force Marathon. (original link here)
Keesler Medic gears up for Air Force Marathon
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/6/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- How do they do it? How does someone run 26 miles nonstop? Or, to put it another way, 104 laps around the track. Just think about that number for a second -- 104!
One person who has decided to put himself through this organized form of "torture" is Dominic Ancona, an aerospace medical service technician with the 81st Medical Operations Squadron.
Ancona has been selected to represent Air Education and Training Command in this year's Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 20.
Ancona and Zachary Foulk from Lackland AFB, Texas, are the two male individual runners representing AETC. The command selected Laura Baugh from Lackland and Rebecca Welch from Maxwell AFB, Ala., as its female representatives.
AETC selected the men's team from Columbus AFB, Miss., and the women's team from Altus AFB, Okla., for the open 10-kilometer relays.
Though this will be his first marathon, Ancona has been running since a very early age.
"I've been running really since I was about five," said Ancona. "My Dad was into running and he got me into it.
"I got serious about running in my sophomore year of high school," he added. "It was then that I set one of my life goals that I would someday run a marathon."
Though Ancona knew he wanted to run the 26.2-mile endurance race since high school, events have conspired to keep him from finally achieving his goal until this year.
"There have been several things that have kept me from running a marathon," said Ancona, a native of Novi, Mich. "I joined the military after high school and things like job requirements, being minimally manned at work and deployments have always gotten in the way."
After several aborted attempts to run in the Air Force Marathon because of these factors, it seems that Ancona will finally get his chance this fall in Ohio.
"It's been hard to stay motivated this past few years, but I just look at it as something I've always wanted to do," said Ancona.
Ancona was nominated for the marathon by his flight chief and was accepted by his commander based on his outstanding run time on his physical training test.
"I managed to run a 9-minute, 15-second mile-and-a-half," said Ancona. "I was actually a little disappointed. I made an 8:20 in (technical training) school."
Ancona's training regime for the big day concentrates on endurance and strength.
"The first thing you need to do is work on your nutrition," he explained. "(You need) a good supply of protein and make sure your electrolytes are up for hydration."
"On the weekend I go swimming, biking and (I go for) long runs," he added. "(During the week) I lift weights using lighter weights, but with plenty of (repetitions). I also do a lot of resistance training."
Ancona said he hopes that his months of training and desire to fulfill his lifelong goal will help him run a good race in September.
"I want to at least get a 2-hour, 49-minute time (on the marathon)," said Ancona. "I'm looking at finishing in the top 25 or 30."
Though he will have finally run a marathon, Ancona doesn't intend to cure his athletic bug once he achieves his goal.
"After the marathon I want to do a triathlon or even an ultra marathon which is 50 miles," said Ancona.
One thing is for certain. Ancona's dedication and pursuit of his goal could serve as an inspiration to anyone looking to run the ultimate race.
Keesler Medic gears up for Air Force Marathon
by Staff Sgt. Carlos Rodriguez
Keesler Public Affairs
8/6/2008 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- How do they do it? How does someone run 26 miles nonstop? Or, to put it another way, 104 laps around the track. Just think about that number for a second -- 104!
One person who has decided to put himself through this organized form of "torture" is Dominic Ancona, an aerospace medical service technician with the 81st Medical Operations Squadron.
Ancona has been selected to represent Air Education and Training Command in this year's Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 20.
Ancona and Zachary Foulk from Lackland AFB, Texas, are the two male individual runners representing AETC. The command selected Laura Baugh from Lackland and Rebecca Welch from Maxwell AFB, Ala., as its female representatives.
AETC selected the men's team from Columbus AFB, Miss., and the women's team from Altus AFB, Okla., for the open 10-kilometer relays.
Though this will be his first marathon, Ancona has been running since a very early age.
"I've been running really since I was about five," said Ancona. "My Dad was into running and he got me into it.
"I got serious about running in my sophomore year of high school," he added. "It was then that I set one of my life goals that I would someday run a marathon."
Though Ancona knew he wanted to run the 26.2-mile endurance race since high school, events have conspired to keep him from finally achieving his goal until this year.
"There have been several things that have kept me from running a marathon," said Ancona, a native of Novi, Mich. "I joined the military after high school and things like job requirements, being minimally manned at work and deployments have always gotten in the way."
After several aborted attempts to run in the Air Force Marathon because of these factors, it seems that Ancona will finally get his chance this fall in Ohio.
"It's been hard to stay motivated this past few years, but I just look at it as something I've always wanted to do," said Ancona.
Ancona was nominated for the marathon by his flight chief and was accepted by his commander based on his outstanding run time on his physical training test.
"I managed to run a 9-minute, 15-second mile-and-a-half," said Ancona. "I was actually a little disappointed. I made an 8:20 in (technical training) school."
Ancona's training regime for the big day concentrates on endurance and strength.
"The first thing you need to do is work on your nutrition," he explained. "(You need) a good supply of protein and make sure your electrolytes are up for hydration."
"On the weekend I go swimming, biking and (I go for) long runs," he added. "(During the week) I lift weights using lighter weights, but with plenty of (repetitions). I also do a lot of resistance training."
Ancona said he hopes that his months of training and desire to fulfill his lifelong goal will help him run a good race in September.
"I want to at least get a 2-hour, 49-minute time (on the marathon)," said Ancona. "I'm looking at finishing in the top 25 or 30."
Though he will have finally run a marathon, Ancona doesn't intend to cure his athletic bug once he achieves his goal.
"After the marathon I want to do a triathlon or even an ultra marathon which is 50 miles," said Ancona.
One thing is for certain. Ancona's dedication and pursuit of his goal could serve as an inspiration to anyone looking to run the ultimate race.
3 Aug 2008
"The Military is More Liberal Than You Think"
Here's an interesting article I came across on The Huffington Post. I've always maintained that since I joined the AF in 2003, there are more liberals serving than you would think. Don't get me wrong, I think there are still more conservatives in the military, but I was always slightly surprised at just how many left-leaning people I ran into on active duty.
Now with this catastrophic war and even worse administration, there are even more liberals. Rod Lurie, the writer of the following article, hits this particular nail on the head:
(original article here)
Here is a direct quotation from a column written by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times on July 23: "Asked by a Democratic lawmaker a while back why there weren't more democrats in the military, General Petraeus smiled slyly and said 'there are more than you think.'"
Now go to Colonel Steven Boylan of the General's public affairs office in Baghdad who said of the quotation that it is "in error, as he never made nor never would make such a statement."
Well, I certainly believe that Petraeus did not want to make such a statement given that it is inappropriate that a military officer make any partisan comment at all. But it does bring up an interesting question : Is the military more liberal than the clichés would have you believe?
The answer is "yes" and the reason that Obama will win the active duty vote this November.
Most people with whom I talk, often quite educated, think the military is made up of knife-between-the-teeth grunts, uneducated robots without any kind of free will whatsoever -- people who goose step to Republican philosophy and particularly the Bush cowboy mentality.
It is true that in the recent past most members of the military have voted Republican. This is because the GOP is far more likely to flood the military with cash and thus make the lives of the service member bit easier. However, I believe any sort of polling will show, on an issue-by-issue basis, that the military is mostly made up of people with a liberal mindset. And that is what Petraeus was talking about.
Let's take a look at the most ardent post-military political leaders in our nation today. Who are they?
John McCain -- Vietnam vet, former prisoner of war -- is a Republican. Robert Dole is a World War II hero. George Bush, the elder, is a World War II hero.
But now look at the rest of congress. The former military that serve in the House and Senate are mostly Democrats
Here are the political leaders with military experience who have taken prominent positions on defense issues. They are:
Wesley Clark - Democrat.
Jimmy Carter - Democrat.
John Kerry - Democrat.
Bob Kerrey - Democrat (winner of medal of Honor)
Max Cleland - Democrat.
John Murtha - Democrat.
Jack Reed - Democrat.
Daniel Inouye - Democrat. (winner of Medal of Honor)
Jim Webb - Democrat.
Charles Rangel - Democrat.
Al Gore- Democrat
Why do so many members of the military who decide on continuing in public service join the Democratic Party? There are several answers to this, here are a few:
1) Forty percent of the military is made up of ethnic minorities. Most of those, as is also the case with most of the Caucasian members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, come from the lower economic classes. These demographic groups have largely voted Democrat in the past and will continue to do so. When officers (the more likely to go into politics) live with their soldiers day in and day out, a certain empathy builds. It is unavoidable. Those officers begin to understand and respect the problems their soldiers and their families face or have faced on a day-to-day basis. Indeed, the primary reason that young men and women join the service is not their fetish for combat or killing but to satisfy the dire economic needs of their family.
2) The United States military is probably the most socialistic institution in the United States. Think about it. There is universal health care in the military (though we have seen how unconscionably horrific our medical attention has been to our soldiers in places like Walter Reed). Housing is available to all members of the military. Educationally, the children of the officers, even the Generals, go to a school with the children of the lowliest Private in the army.
The major institutions that produce our most elite officers come from a position of absolute meritoriousness as opposed to wealth or contacts. Right now Annapolis and West Point are two of the nation's most difficult colleges to get into. Those two schools, as well as the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy, are blatantly transparent in who and how they admit because they are federally funded. The students who are accepted have to come from the highest academic stock. Were a qualified high school student to be be rejected in favor of somebody because of that person's family's wealth or political connections, it would create a gigantic scandal, given that it is Congressmen who nominate (though do not appoint) cadets and midshipmen.
Just for myself to be transparent myself, I graduated from West Point in 1984.
3) Former soldiers will almost always gravitate to the anti-war party. This happens for obvious reasons. The men who have been in battle tend not to romanticize it and tend not to take it flippantly. The reasons for going to war need to be extraordinarily convincing before anybody who has taken a bullet, seen their friends take a bullet, or who has lodged a bullet in the enemy's brain will put their support behind a war. Recent history has shown that the Republicans are more likely to use the military as a tool of policy rather than as a tool of defense. That is unacceptable to anybody who has served.
4) Finally, and maybe most importantly, is the Iraq war itself. The Bush administration sent our soldiers in on a mission that was initiated either by a lie or by the greatest act of incompetence in the history of this nation's intelligence gathering. In battle, our soldiers were ill equipped and not properly supported. (The "surge" was needed because Bush didn't send in enough troops to begin with). Our wounded soldiers have returned him to find inadequate medical care. The "love" that the soldiers felt from Republicans in peacetime turned into neglect and apathy during war.
The latest poll from Military Times shows that less than half of the military identify themselves as Republicans. The poll goes on to show that much of this anti-Republicanism comes from the bungling of the Iraq war.
As of the start of the year, only 35% of military personnel approve of the president's handling of the war, and 75% said the military is "stretched too thin to be effective."
A few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas playing blackjack. Two soldiers who were a couple of days away from being re-deployed to Iraq sat at the table with me. After a few minutes of conversation I asked them whom they were voting for. They both said they were voting for Obama (these two guys were white). When I asked them why, they very simply and honestly told me they want to vote for the guy that will get them out of Iraq.
I think this year we will see, for the first time, the active duty military voting for the Democratic candidate.
Now with this catastrophic war and even worse administration, there are even more liberals. Rod Lurie, the writer of the following article, hits this particular nail on the head:
(original article here)
Here is a direct quotation from a column written by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times on July 23: "Asked by a Democratic lawmaker a while back why there weren't more democrats in the military, General Petraeus smiled slyly and said 'there are more than you think.'"
Now go to Colonel Steven Boylan of the General's public affairs office in Baghdad who said of the quotation that it is "in error, as he never made nor never would make such a statement."
Well, I certainly believe that Petraeus did not want to make such a statement given that it is inappropriate that a military officer make any partisan comment at all. But it does bring up an interesting question : Is the military more liberal than the clichés would have you believe?
The answer is "yes" and the reason that Obama will win the active duty vote this November.
Most people with whom I talk, often quite educated, think the military is made up of knife-between-the-teeth grunts, uneducated robots without any kind of free will whatsoever -- people who goose step to Republican philosophy and particularly the Bush cowboy mentality.
It is true that in the recent past most members of the military have voted Republican. This is because the GOP is far more likely to flood the military with cash and thus make the lives of the service member bit easier. However, I believe any sort of polling will show, on an issue-by-issue basis, that the military is mostly made up of people with a liberal mindset. And that is what Petraeus was talking about.
Let's take a look at the most ardent post-military political leaders in our nation today. Who are they?
John McCain -- Vietnam vet, former prisoner of war -- is a Republican. Robert Dole is a World War II hero. George Bush, the elder, is a World War II hero.
But now look at the rest of congress. The former military that serve in the House and Senate are mostly Democrats
Here are the political leaders with military experience who have taken prominent positions on defense issues. They are:
Wesley Clark - Democrat.
Jimmy Carter - Democrat.
John Kerry - Democrat.
Bob Kerrey - Democrat (winner of medal of Honor)
Max Cleland - Democrat.
John Murtha - Democrat.
Jack Reed - Democrat.
Daniel Inouye - Democrat. (winner of Medal of Honor)
Jim Webb - Democrat.
Charles Rangel - Democrat.
Al Gore- Democrat
Why do so many members of the military who decide on continuing in public service join the Democratic Party? There are several answers to this, here are a few:
1) Forty percent of the military is made up of ethnic minorities. Most of those, as is also the case with most of the Caucasian members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, come from the lower economic classes. These demographic groups have largely voted Democrat in the past and will continue to do so. When officers (the more likely to go into politics) live with their soldiers day in and day out, a certain empathy builds. It is unavoidable. Those officers begin to understand and respect the problems their soldiers and their families face or have faced on a day-to-day basis. Indeed, the primary reason that young men and women join the service is not their fetish for combat or killing but to satisfy the dire economic needs of their family.
2) The United States military is probably the most socialistic institution in the United States. Think about it. There is universal health care in the military (though we have seen how unconscionably horrific our medical attention has been to our soldiers in places like Walter Reed). Housing is available to all members of the military. Educationally, the children of the officers, even the Generals, go to a school with the children of the lowliest Private in the army.
The major institutions that produce our most elite officers come from a position of absolute meritoriousness as opposed to wealth or contacts. Right now Annapolis and West Point are two of the nation's most difficult colleges to get into. Those two schools, as well as the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy, are blatantly transparent in who and how they admit because they are federally funded. The students who are accepted have to come from the highest academic stock. Were a qualified high school student to be be rejected in favor of somebody because of that person's family's wealth or political connections, it would create a gigantic scandal, given that it is Congressmen who nominate (though do not appoint) cadets and midshipmen.
Just for myself to be transparent myself, I graduated from West Point in 1984.
3) Former soldiers will almost always gravitate to the anti-war party. This happens for obvious reasons. The men who have been in battle tend not to romanticize it and tend not to take it flippantly. The reasons for going to war need to be extraordinarily convincing before anybody who has taken a bullet, seen their friends take a bullet, or who has lodged a bullet in the enemy's brain will put their support behind a war. Recent history has shown that the Republicans are more likely to use the military as a tool of policy rather than as a tool of defense. That is unacceptable to anybody who has served.
4) Finally, and maybe most importantly, is the Iraq war itself. The Bush administration sent our soldiers in on a mission that was initiated either by a lie or by the greatest act of incompetence in the history of this nation's intelligence gathering. In battle, our soldiers were ill equipped and not properly supported. (The "surge" was needed because Bush didn't send in enough troops to begin with). Our wounded soldiers have returned him to find inadequate medical care. The "love" that the soldiers felt from Republicans in peacetime turned into neglect and apathy during war.
The latest poll from Military Times shows that less than half of the military identify themselves as Republicans. The poll goes on to show that much of this anti-Republicanism comes from the bungling of the Iraq war.
As of the start of the year, only 35% of military personnel approve of the president's handling of the war, and 75% said the military is "stretched too thin to be effective."
A few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas playing blackjack. Two soldiers who were a couple of days away from being re-deployed to Iraq sat at the table with me. After a few minutes of conversation I asked them whom they were voting for. They both said they were voting for Obama (these two guys were white). When I asked them why, they very simply and honestly told me they want to vote for the guy that will get them out of Iraq.
I think this year we will see, for the first time, the active duty military voting for the Democratic candidate.
2 Aug 2008
Prince + guitar = unbeatable
(I think I posted a low-res version of this before, but...)Click to see the greatest musician in the world play an absolute killer, jaw-dropping solo during While My Guitar Gently Weeps. It was part of the rock and roll hall of fame's tribute to George Harrison. That's Tom Petty and George Harrison's son Dhani also playing...
(The solo begins at about 3:30)
(The solo begins at about 3:30)
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