November 2004 Archives

So, this father is not the smartest guy in the world. Surely, this story will end up in the latest installment of Dumb Criminals Book, rumored to be at around 137 in the series. Anyway, this provoked a few thoughts:

1. Obviously he's not setting a great example for his daughter, as she's going out at 16 and getting drunk, and "unruly" to the point that he needs to call the cops. I mean, all children make up their own minds and do things we don't want them to do, but as they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and I can't imagine that Mr. Winston's right up there to appear in the reality TV version of "My Three Sons".
2. I think it sucks that we live in a world where: a) the father has to hide weapons like a 9mm handgun and .22 rifle. Seriously, the presence of a weapon does not signal the intent to commit a crime any more than the fact that I have alcohol in the house and a set of car keys means I'm intending to drink and drive. b) that the police would say that it's MORE important to arrest the father for the guns and drugs than the girl that was out drinking. (At least, that's what this version of the story says).
3. I don't care that he had cocaine. If drugs were legalized, he wouldn't have to hide them. In fact, in all liklihood, he wouldn't be selling drugs at all because places like Walgreens and Rite Aid would be able to give you your fix for much cheaper and cleaner and much safer. This whole economy of killing and gangs and murder and police brutality would dry up and A LOT of the crime we deal with on a daily basis would vanish.

Oh well. It's almost time for me to turn into a pumpkin, and I need to finish the laundry. If any of you can think of a good reason why we shouldn't legalize drugs, I'm all ears. But I'd like something more substantial than:
"Because we shouldn't", "Because my uncle Bobby died of a drug overdose", or "Because drugs scare me". If you're going to give me an argument, it's got to have some logic behind it.

In a vain attempt to use up more of the turkey leftovers, I made croquettes tonight. Heather was out running errands with her mom, so I watched the kids and made dinner.

In case you've never had a croquette before, imagine if a french cook made chicken salad and deep-fried that boy. Except, this time, with turkey. Turkey in a white veloute sauce (it sounds fancier than it is to make) formed into some shape, breaded, and fried. I thought they were tasty, but the rest of the family wasn't crazy about them. :(

And, it doesn't look like I even made a dent in the bag of turkey left over. Heh. So I have to think of something for tomorrow...maybe we'll just eat out.

I went with Heather and the kids, and my mom, step-dad and my step-sister to the Italian Market over lunch today, which was cool. They had never seen the market before, so it was cool to see their reactions to all the stores.

Then we went to Pat's for cheese steaks, which was phenomenal. They were SOOOO good. I'm going to run a field trip down to Pat's from work. Oh, well, I'm not going to eat anything else today to ruin the afterglow from the steaks.

The rest of the holiday has been good so far. The dinner Heather and I made was great, turned out wonderfully. McKenna and Owen's cousins were down for the holiday and the kids had a lot of fun with them too.

Alright, I'm geeking out with the "Joy of Cooking" so I'm going to go now.

Heather's pretty much promised to get me an iPod for this Christmas, and I've been playing with OS X skins for Windows for a while now, and now that I've discovered FlyakiteSP2, which basically turns your XP machine into a very remarkable Mac clone...I think this year is the year. I need to have a Mac machine. I want a Mac. I will have one...

I caught this story on FoxNews this afternoon. Why is Putin building new nuclear weapons? I'm particularly troubled that he said:

"International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia. We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur."

Who does he expect will attack him? Who does he think will drag the world into nuclear war in such a way that he needs new advanced technology to gain the advantage? The only countries that I think that qualify as serious nuclear threats right now to Russia are the Chinese and us.

We're certainly worried about the Chinese military buildup. And sometimes rightfully so, given their aggressive nature.

So are the Russians and the Chinese going to drag us into a new nuclear arms race? And what do we do if Putin decides that it's in his best military interests to start invading the breakaway republics and installing friendly leaders? Do we fight the Russians? Just ignore it? Stomp around the UN and whine with the rest of the world?

I wish I had the answers.

When I was up at 4.45 this morning calming my daughter from a night terror, I turned on the big news channels. What a stark difference between the two. FoxNews had several editors and writers from Forbes Magazine on debating the merits of "trickle-down" economics. What a hoot. It went to break so I flipped to CNN.

They were discussing Star Jones' wedding...yeah...

As a side note, I want every damn overreactive eenvironmentalist to stop bitching about "everyone needs to stop driving hummers". I live near a pretty affluent area of Pennsylvania and I don't see any hummers. I drive all around the Philly area, and I think I've only see 2. Who are these "everyone" that the greens keep bringing up? Of course they don't exist, they're just making up a disaster to scare us with.

So you'd think that as much as I disliked Ashcroft and his policies that I'd be jumping up and down about his departure...but I have mixed feelings. For me personally, his religion, and his personal beliefs were not as important as his actions in office, his priorities, and his views on civil liberties.

That's why the nomination of Roberto Gonzales to fill the position has left me feeling cold. The man was the same White House legal counsel that wrote memos in favor of torture and in favor of indefinitely holding people in detention, including American citizens, without being able to see a lawyer or even be tried.

I don't want an AG that I have to fear trying to weaken the Constitution to give himself more power. But then, Janet Reno was always doing end runs around the Bill of Rights in her tenure in office, so why should I be surprised?

What kills me about all of this is that everyone's so bitterly divided on the issue of abortion, that people are using it to define the policies of Ashcroft and Gonzales and how they differ. Abortion is not the only political issue we should be focused on folks. Please start looking at the bigger picture.

Anyway, a press release is to follow.

Ever get a smell on your hand you can't identify?

What's that odor? Walnuts? Asiago cheese? Quarters for SEPTA parking? Black rubber on the umbrella's handle?

Someone please tell me what that smell is...

Spot me, I'm kicking it press style:

Bucks County Intelligencer

Allentown Morning Call

Bucks County Libertarians Support Arthur Farnsworth During Legal Battle

6 November 2004

For Immediate Release:

Bucks County - Bucks County Libertarians wish to extend their support to Arthur Farnsworth during his legal battles. One day after losing his run for congress (www.artfarnsworth.org/), he was indicted on the 5th of November for tax evasion. The government prosecutor asked that Mr. Farnsworth be held without bail, deeming him a flight risk, even though he’s never failed to show up for an appearance, and has deep ties to his community.

Libertarians have a long history of acting in defiance of laws that are unjust, unclear, or patently wrong, and supporting others who do the same.

Mr. Farnsworth, in his act of defiance, acts in the spirit of many great Americans. The Founding Fathers we celebrate in Philadelphia acted against unjust taxes; so did the participants in the Boston Tea Party; as well as local hero John Fries, in Quakertown, PA. John Fries led a rebellion against tax collectors in the late 18th century. This is the same John Fries who now has a highway named after him in Northern Bucks County. It is ironic to us that while we once honored those who fought against taxation as patriots, now we jail them and label them criminals.

This will be a difficult time for Mr. Farnsworth. He is a good man, a volunteer in his local church, its choir director and organist, our local candidate for US Congress, and our brother in ideology. The Bucks County Libertarians will do everything in their power to assist Mr. Farnsworth and assure he is afforded due process during his legal battle.

About the Libertarian Party:
The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the United States. There are currently 600 Libertarians in local office around the country. For more information about the national Libertarian Party, please go to www.lp.org

About Libertarians in Bucks County:
Bucks County has a long history of supporting libertarian candidates and ideals. In this most recent election, over 1300 people in Bucks County voted for the Libertarian candidate for President, Michael Badnarik, and over 3200 voted for the Libertarian candidate for Senate, Betsy Summers.

For more information:
For more information regarding Mr. Farnsworth’s stand against taxes, please visit his site at www.enter.net/~arthurlf/
For more information about the Pennsylvania Libertarian Party, please go to www.lppa.org
For more information on the John Fries Rebellion, please go to The James Mann Art Farm Website

Editor's Update

As Art states below, he is not acting in defiance of tax law, but instead: following it. My apologies for Art for any damage done to his reputation.

Heather and I watched The Punisher (version 2, featuring less Dolph and more Thomas Jane) tonight. What an uneven pile of crap. I mean, there were moments of "Hey that was cool" and then long bouts of "Oh this is just stupid".

I wish that people would sit down at Marvel and go "Really folks, we're commited to making sure that comic book movies NEVER SUCK AGAIN, and to that end, Bryan Singer and Sam Raimi will lead seminars". I mean, you would think that Jonathan Hensleigh, the guy who wrote the screenplay and directed "The Punisher" would be half-decent, as he's worked with Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay on many of their best movies (The Rock, Con-Air, etc)...but come to think of it Michael Bay inflicted Pearl Harbor on us...so maybe it's a wash.

This was a movie with uneven timing, uneven flow, and an uneven atmosphere. It seemed like the director was more interested in showing us what the lives of the three madcap misfits that live in the same apartment building as Frank Castle are up to than what he was doing to avenge his family's death. Do we really care that Rebecca Romijn-Stamos' character has been "sober for over a year"? NO! Do we care about them eating ice cream and dancing to Verdi? NO!

Too often, the movie tried to make you laugh, and that took away from the starkness of the Punisher's mission.

So, it was not really worth seeing. Man on Fire took the same basic premise and did it much better. Bad Boys & Bad Boys II does a much better job of combining the laughs with the action.

3 out of 10 stars.

I'm watching the season finale of "Real Time with Bill Maher". I love the show, even though I don't agree with Maher's politics, the show's incredibly entertaining and insightful, and the guests always have thought-provoking things to say.

Andrew Sullivan is on tonight, and he keeps trying to make an important point, one that I think has been lost on those in positions of influence in the Democratic Party. Specifically, the point is that just because a voter has a strong belief in God, and believes that it's important to them that their leader believes in the same God as they does not mean they should be marginalize as a voter.

I am uncomfortable saying that in a sense, as I believe that basing moral decisions purely on religious beliefs is a bad thing, and I get very nervous around those that would incorporate more church in their state. And I agree with Maher on the fact that plenty of people in the world that have had strong faiths (Osama anyone?) have acted terribly immorally. I further agree with Maher that it's more important to derive one's morality from rational thinking, then from religious edict.

But Sullivan, and Alan Simpson earlier in the show are also right. The Democrats have to stop marginalizing and ridiculing the Christians. They need to speak to them. They don't need to cater to them. They don't need to change their platform or their goals. But they need to speak to them.

You would think that a party like the Democrats, that advocates socialist philosophies and wants to institute charity at the state level would have more of a voice amongst those that profess a Christian faith. This is, after all, the faith that holds charity, forgiveness, and loving thy neighbor at its core.

Maybe things will change, but honestly, I don't believe they will.

I promise that I'm not ignoring the election results. I'm just digesting it. Plus, you're all probably sick of hearing about it.

Anyway, I've been picking up on some music I really like lately:

The Music: Someone cloned Geddy Lee, or at least, his vocal cords. It's not a perfect match, but holy hell, it's close enough. The band's not quite Rush either. Picture early-Rush, but if they decided to be a party band instead. If you've got iTunes, get your free loving here.

Speaking of cloning...Interpol. I already picked up both of their albums (Turn On The Bright Lights and Antics)
Someone put a whole bunch of Joy Division with a dash of Psychedelic Furs into a blender and poured out diecast replicas of the very best things that Joy Division EVER put out. They're breathtakingly good. Wow. These are my two favorite albums right now, and they're getting a lot of spin.

Frou Frou: Someone burned me a copy of Frou Frou based on the song on the Garden State soundtrack. I don't know what to make of the album, other than I love it. It's hard for me to describe because it kind of lays across a couple of genres I like, and some I haven't paid any attention to. It's simultaneously beautiful and deep, while still retaining some sense of dance and pop. It's like Bjork and Dido got together to make a Top 40 album, but kind of missed the mark. It's very listenable, great for late nights and deep thoughts filled with longing.

The Earlies: As if we didn't have enough free-wheeling, loving Texans making music (Flaming Lips, The Polyphonic Spree, or for that matter ANYONE from Austin), some Texans joined forces with some guys from England and made The Earlies.
Think Polyphonic Spree, think sweet and light music, like a delicate custard, nah, it's heartier than that. And tastier. What a delight.

I plan on voting tonight. I knew I wouldn't have time this morning, as I was trying to catch the train, and I never feel like I have enough time. I do plan on taking the kids with me when I vote, as I did during the primaries, though this time, I do hope to talk to people, the poll workers, etc that are assembled and turn the tables on them.

"Sir, are you going to vote for Arlen Specter this year?"
"Well, actually, normally I would consider voting for a Republican candidate, but I will not vote for Specter. I like small government, and I'm not voting for a man who is so profligate like Specter. That's why I'm voting libertarian."

I'm just looking to deflate people a little.
Does that make me cruel?

So I was on the train into work today, and they were running the route one train short, so same number of people (seemed like more than normal, but whatever) in less space. Well, soon there were many people standing, and I, being a young man, and able to stand, offered up my seat to one of the ladies standing.

I didn't mind, it's how my mom and dad raised me. They taught me that chivalry is not dead, and it's good and important to be polite. I don't mind standing, but I looked at the men that were just sitting there, young men like myself, sitting in their seats reading the newspaper and staring into space.

Had this been their wife, or their sister, or their daughter, they would have moved, but they just sit there, even though these women are someone else's mother, sister, and daughter. What a bunch of bums. I don't want to force my point-of-view on anyone, but I really do think that it's a fine and good thing to give up your seat to those older than you, or, as a man, to give up my seat to a woman.