The melting pot

This week we saw a white, Catholic, Republican federal judge murdered on his way to greet a Democratic woman member of Congress who was his friend and is Jewish. Her life was saved initially by a 20-year-old Mexican-American college student, who saved her, and eventually by a Korean-American combat surgeon. Then it was all eulogized and explained by our African-American president.
-- historian Allen Ginsberg, as recounted by syndicated columnist Mark Shields on PBS Newshour

What came over me?

So I thought it might be fun to plan on a monthly gathering of neighbors for a little Happy Hour....just a few people for drinks and talk. I invited about 17 couples expecting more than half not being able to make it. Yet it appears most are going to come. Yikes! I've got to start scouring the internets for some good pupu recipes!

The biggest victim in Saturday's mass shooting....

.....why, it's Sarah Palin! Of course! Now on to the snark....

If not guns, maybe lawnchairs....

Linky-poo

Common sense

What PZ says.

Where are my rights?

We're still digesting the implications of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Az) today. I find it ironic that in the bit of political theater the Republicans staged Thursday (reading parts of the Constitution aloud), Ms. Giffords role was to read the First Amendment which states our right to peaceably assemble. So far as I can tell, we have the right to peaceably assemble but no one has the right to silence the people who incite the nutter to violence. These people blather on about "Second Amendment remedies" if they don't like what the government is doing then utterly disown the consequences of their speech. Somehow, the gun nut's right to carry a concealed weapon to a public event is more important than my right to hear my Congressperson speak without fear of being shot. Go America!

There can never be enough Maru

Most cats are silly....

...but this cat borders on ridiculous!

New Year's Resolution #1

I will no longer try and have a reasoned discussion with anyone who maintains a posture of aggressive ignorance. If you don't even have a grasp of the barest facts on a subject, we won't be discussing whatever it is you want to talk about. (This is especially true for people who get all their news from Fox and the Wall Street Journal editorial page).

That is all for today.

Lower the retirement age

I've had this conversation a few times in recent months about how odd it is that lawmakers are talking about raising the retirement age at a time in U.S. history where it is getting more and more difficult for older people to find work. I know of a couple of people laid off in their 50's who are effectively "retired" because they are deemed unemployable in a shrinking job market. James Kenneth Galbraith makes the point here that unemployment levels would drop if people were allowed to retire with full retirement benefits at 62 years of age for the next 3 years. This would take older workers out of the workforce and let younger, more skilled workers enter.

It's no accident that a large number of people in their 40's and 50's have been unemployed for 99 weeks or more. I think very possibly, it's the new norm.

Good book

Just finished reading Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout. Good story!

Also posted up a link to a few pics I took in Japan last September.....I love it when a pic I screwed up is the most compelling. The rainy day in Ueno Park is my favorite....

Happy New Year!

After getting snowed out of the trip to New York, we ended up having an incredible dinner at Castagna, having a few drinks at the neighbor's party and falling asleep just before midnight. Today, we saw The Social Network. Good start to the year!