Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Far Fewer Than 32 Short Films About Everything

1. Today marked Day Two of implementation in my plan to bike/bus to work this school year. Since I live 10.8 miles one way from work, yes, I do expect everyone in the blog studio audience to say "oooooohhhhhhh" in the adulatory fawning & cooing manner common to informercials on colon cleaning products. Actually, it's not that big of a deal, except that:
  • I am one sweaty, sweaty dude, especially in these days o' humidity in 'Burque. Don't sit next ot me at staff meetings.
  • MLK is under construction under the train tracks, quite a few small lakes still exist on roads like Isleta Blvd., and as lakes dry it becomes more apparent that ABQ has a exponentially growing number of pot-holes. Also, the continuing "drive a car, drink a beer, smash the glass bottle against the guard rail" ritual is in widespread practice, especially on Rio Bravo (does "Rio Bravo" mean "River of Death" in Spanish?
  • Speaking of death (and no, the rides really have been nice, great even), the corner of Lomas and Girard has already almost been the site of my gruesome death twice. In two days. Given my school is at that street corner, I'm surprised we don't lose 50 or 60 students a year to it.
2. As a blogger and alleged member of the Political Left I am supposed to have been watching with utmost fascination and rooting interest the Joe Lieberman/Ned Lamont race in Connecticut. I am supposed to be chewing fingernails over tonight's primary results. I am supposed to be posting hourly updates to Daily Kos on how this race signifies the dawning of the "Age of Blogquarius", a golden time bestowed not only with peace and understanding, great sex (fairly obscure pop movie reference), and a greater fashion leniency toward tie-dye shirts and rose colored glasses, but a time in which 'netroots politicians will smash the entrenched milque toast lackeys and take over the political scene.



Sorry guys, I just can't get my Blogquarius mojo working here. Ned Lamont is a zillionnaire. He's no Abbie Hoffman and he's no Paul Wellstone. Yes, Joe Lieberman makes me ill at this point in a way I thought was only reserved for hearing/seeing George W. Bush (or merely hearing the word "Cheney"). Yes, I hope Joementum loses tonight. But seeing this as some tectonic plate movement in the history of American politics...I'm not seeing it. I'm not feeling it.

3. The New York Times has another great story on athletes cheating. No, it's not about Floyd Landis or Barry Bonds. It's about chess players. For those who check out the link, notice how long the tournament officials stand outside the alleged cheaters bathroom stall waiting for the dude to open the stall door. Definite flimic possibilities.

4. American drivers and world financial markets are abuzz with the news that BP will have to shut down a major pipeline from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Instantly, the news has become stories about use of "emergency stockpiles" and placating stories stressing U.S. drivers will still be able to fill-up despite the shutdown, etc. Nowhere do you see anything like: "Hey this oil pipeline corrosion just points out how stupid the whole oil from Alaska thing is to begin with. Maybe we should just conserve and spend major bucks converting to other resources/technologies." Nowhere. Especially from those "Democratic" politicians you would think might actually bring up a position other than "Oh my God! A disruption in oil production! Run for your lives! Oh, wait, there will be enough they say...okay, no need to say anything. Move along, nothing to see here."

5. For a guy who is a "Liberal", it's remarkable how often Democrats bother me.

6. If you spend time here at Burque Babble you're almost certainly a fine diner of ABQ blogs, and thus already know that Duke City Fix has been down for about two days now. They have a little explanatory "massive security attack" blurb up about the problem, and that's it for now. Just as you probably have, I've checked out the site about 500 times since Sunday to see if it's back up. The Fix has had its ups and downs over the blog years (i.e., months, maybe a year or so?), but it's been a dependable source for more information about 'Burque than you get at any other blog (especially 'Burque Babble). I'm kinda missing it these down days, even if I don't really care too much about ABQs presence on a "Top Ten Places for Business Singles With Herpes" list. Hopefully, it will get those 'Net Blue Meanies soon and I can get my weekly food lesson from Andrea Lin. I need all the lessons I can get.

3 comments:

Miss Tenacity said...

Due to the site problems, there will be no new food post tomorrow AM.... sorry!

But thank you so much for the kind words. :-)

Anonymous said...

Teddy Roosevelt, who broke the gilded age trusts, was a zillionaire. So was FDR. So was JFK. That criticism doesn't hold water on Lamont, who has actually been serving as an unpaid teacher in poor, urban areas of CT since he "retired."

Lamont is about reform and against the power of big lobbyists and donors. His money helps him stay free of such bribery, which is all to the good.

jscotkey said...

Lamont Fan: I'm glad Lamont won, I'm just not quite filled with a Pentecostal fervor that Lamont is the tip of a successful reform iceberg led by the Blogosphere. Reading Daily Kos the last few weeks has been like watching snake-handlers speak in tongues.

Still: Whoo-hoo! Lieberman lost! Just with far quieter exclamation points.