Archive for November, 2006

Pigs 

Back sometime in the mid 80’s I lived in an apartment on Burnside in Portland Oregon.  It was a pretty decent neighborhood with the exception of myself and my roommate.  We, and some of the others in the complex had a habit of staying up too late making noise with our festivities.  But all in all we were for the most part, not too bad.  That all changed when my roommate Steve brought a small pig home to our third story apartment…

Now by no stretch of the imagination was this pig’s destiny to become a family pet.  He was to be fattened, slaughtered and cooked.  Simple as that.  And Steve, a hard edged gun toting oil rig diver was just the guy to carry this out.  Frankly Steve worried me sometimes in some respects but we barely had enough money to pay the rent and the idea of a fat freshly cooked hog on an open pit was a welcome idea to my hungry stomach.  So on the balcony he sat in his bed of straw (which I quickly gathered from a girlfriends Sandy Oregon horse barn), and a big ass bowl of corn feed and oats and the ever problematic bowl of water. More on that later… 

He was a cute little bugger.  Only about 60 lbs. when he was bartered for some of Steve’s miscellaneous tools from the back of his truck.  Our goal was at least 80 lbs.  He would press his pig nose up against the sliding door glass and if you walked around the back of the building you could see him poke his head through the railing and offer up the occasional grunt.  The neighbor girls, unaware of our plans at the time, named him Ernie.  That was cute. But under our breath his true name was uttered for weeks awaiting the big day… Barbecue.

Sea Lions

While I think Doc Hastings is a “pig”, I understand the recent push to allow Sea Lions to be harvested from the locks of Northwest Dams.  They are a problem.  In the grand scheme of nature they aren’t where they are supposed to be and they are extraordinary opportunists.  Even the Northwest states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho are asking for permission to harvest these problem Californians.

Fish managers in Washington, Oregon and Idaho on Monday jointly applied to the National Marine Fisheries Service for permission to use lethal means to remove individual California sea lions preying on salmon and steelhead near Bonneville Dam.

State fishery managers acknowledged it could take years for the federal fishery to review the states’ request.

But at the congressional level, this is a bi-partisan effort between Hastings and Baird.  I will offer that this ‘bi-partisan’ effort is for different reasons.  One political and one out of simple common sense.  More on that later…

More Pigs Sea lions

We progressives complain a lot about Republicans building facts around their beliefs.  And so it is with great regret to hear comments like this from the Humane Society of the United States:

The Humane Society of the United States argues sea lions are being made the scapegoats for failed salmon-recovery efforts. Killing sea lions won’t address lost habitat and poor water quality, according to the Humane Society.

In part, they are right.  We humans have done enough damage to habitat and water quality.  But the sea lions aren’t scapegoats.  They are smart mammals who like the rest of us, just want an easy meal and with the relatively few numbers that have entered the river system have managed to chomp down on roughly 3 percent of the salmon runs through the Columbia River system and even more elsewhere.  And each year they bring more friends Californians.  So it is disheartening for an organization that prides itself in defending animal rights to not understand the consequences of not dealing with the problem now.  Unwittingly we could exasperate a problem through defending a very small portion of a species that likes to sink expensive boats and dine off the hooks of unsuspecting fishermen.

The Furbag Factor: Another motivation to reel your catch quickly into the boat is the “Furbag Factor.” What we lovingly refer to as furbags are the native sea lions which seem to have Salmon fishing….I mean Salmon stealing down to a science. While fishing we see these sea lions cruising just a few feet below the surface like torpedoes waiting for the next hookup. While these sea lions are often not fast enough to catch running Salmon, a tired hooked fish at the surface is easy prey.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act was a necessary action to save a species from extinction, and it worked I would think.

Our Pig

Ernie Barbecue was doing really well.  He was happy in his elevated stall, got lots of attention and fattened up real well.  After weeks of feeding the time was nearing for his ultimate destination.  Our bellies. 

I’m from Eastern Washington.  Although I generally don’t hunt deer or any large animal anymore (except with my motorcycle it seems), I have, and I did enjoy it.  I, unlike many urban dwellers I have met, understand not only the sport, but the necessity of population management and its place in the world we humans have made.  While we could all just go down to the store and swipe the debit card for our food, the dual purpose of hunting in our rural areas are an absolute necessity in preventing disease, suffering, (again as a motorcycle rider) unsafe situations and provides recreational opportunities that I don’t expect everyone reading this to understand.  But our wildlife management folks do an excellent job and are knowledgeable in their duties.  Barbeque’s fate was not exactly similar to these goals but it was one he was relegated to long before he was bartered.  But we waited it out as long as we could.  After all, he was a pretty cool pig. 

Our Other Pig

Doc Hastings political position on sea lions is laughable.  Just a quick look at Washington’s 4th Congressional District and you can see that it doesn’t exactly have a sea lion problem itself.  But what it does have is a series of dams on the lower Snake River that are controversial to certain groups.  And that is politics folks.  “Save Our Dams” bumper stickers are a hot item here in the Mid-Columbia.  And Hastings has scapegoated the sea lions for far more simplistic political reasons than the Humane Society. 

For six years I’ve stopped any action in the U.S. House on Representative McDermott’s dam removal legislation.  One can expect these groups will be pushing hard for action next year.  With Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi on record in support of breaching Northwest dams, those who share my commitment to protecting our dams need to be on high alert.

Folks, these dams aren’t going anywhere right now.  Not because of Doc Hastings, but because it is a bad idea.  Not withstanding the environmental and monetary costs, we are in an era where we now need, more than ever, to look inward at our energy and global warming policies.  Tearing out dams does not make sense.  Restoring habitat both inland and out at sea do.  Talk of removing the lower Snake River Dams do not accomplish that in any fashion. 

And again, in the interest of progressives’ values of not building their own facts around their position, it would be a better political environment if organizations like Save our Wild Salmon were not doing so.  Let there be no question about it, everyone wants to protect the salmon.  Even us in Eastern Washington.  But it is time to stop giving fuel to the forces that would damage those efforts elsewhere while trying to attain that goal.  The dams do not last forever and they will not be rebuilt.  It would be wise to create a political environment that would recognize more current realities of over fishing and habitat along with the long term goals that deal with how we will handle their eventual removal while creating the best river environment we can.  And we need to stop giving political fuel to folks like Hastings who will do little provide realistic solutions other than killing sea lions who don’t even live eat in his district.

Our Ernie Dilemma

After the neighbors complained about the “water” that was killing the plants on the deck below us and the feeding time questions from the neighbors behind our apartment complex, I was finally confronted by the apartment managers.  Apparently Steve had already been confronted…

Manager: “Steve, you have to get rid of that pig”.

Me: “Oh… that is Jim’s Pig”.

Oh, will somebody just step up and take responsibility? 

Turkey Day is over.  Hopefully all the relatives have gone home and you have a little time for yourself!  Spend it wisely at Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities.  Oh, and did you notice it is cold.  I mean REALLY cold?  Yeah, me too!  If we can pull it off, I have a Brian Schweitzer video to play.  We shall see…

Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities
O’Callahans - Shilo Inn
50 Comstock Rd. Richland

Want to find out more about Drinking Liberally? Then check out Drinkingliberally.org.

And if you want to join the Tri-Cities Chapter of Drinking Liberally e-mail list? It is as simple as just clicking here.

I take alot of pictures.  I do that because so many.. well… suck.  But once in awhile I get a few good ones.  Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy.

Rattlesnake Mountain in the Spring

May Colt (West Richland Washington)

Freemont District (Seattle)

One of these things is not like the other….

Whodat?

I will continue to post these up.  Here is part two. 

(courtesy of MEGH2748)

Yes, that is a turkey on the back of my bike…  As far as passengers go, it did pretty good.  But my ass got a bit cold.

Fresh out of the conciliatory tone the Bush Administration took post-Democratic takeover comes a move that proves once again that Bush want’s to use the Religious Conservative Right.  This in the appointment of one Eric Keroack to the Department of Health and Human Services family planning department.  Keroack’s past at A Woman’s Concern pregnancy resources clinic, a Christian based non-profit had some colorful opinions (it seems the following has been stripped from their website):

“A Woman’s Concern is persuaded that the crass commercialization and distribution of birth control is demeaning to women, degrading of human sexuality and adverse to human health and happiness,” the group’s Web site says. 

I really don’t have a problem with organizations like this.  After all, I am pro-choice.  I think having alternatives to abortion is just fine.  But I do have a problem with the politics involved.  Religious conservatives should have woke up long ago to the fact that republicans have been using them to advance a completely separate agenda.  One that includes power, war, corporate profiteering and corruption… hardly Christian values.  Appointments like this are considered to be a win by religious mouthpieces and are touted as such.  The reality is that every one of these “wins” is a step backwards for the fundamental values real Christians cherish.

This appointment isn’t about restricting birth control or abortion.  It is about power, and the power to incite, deceive and divide in preparation for the 2008 elections.  It’s the same game plan they have been using all along.  If I was of the evangelical variety I would be feeling weary of this.

The appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, was the latest provocative personnel move by the White House since Democrats won control of Congress in this month’s midterm elections. President Bush last week pushed the Senate to confirm John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations and this week renominated six candidates for appellate court judgeships who have previously been blocked by lawmakers. Democrats said the moves belie Bush’s post-election promises of bipartisanship. 

[...]

Taken together, Keroack’s appointment, the Bolton push and the judicial renominations suggest that although Bush may work for consensus with Democrats on selected issues, he does not plan to avoid decisions simply because lawmakers will disagree, and he may in fact seek fights in some instances when he feels they may be useful politically.

Does the average Christian Conservative get this?  In light of the 2006 elections, I think in some respects yes.  Some of the worst offenders were booted out of office this month because of their glaring hypocrisy.  But there are still those out there who believe we are seeing the ‘End of Days’ and thus have little capacity to recognize the politics from their reality.

Other Interesting Stuff 

A quick scan of the Woman’s Concern website led me to this gem.  I don’t know if it is true or not, but I’m not so sure there is a consensus on bullet item 5.

According to the facts, living with your boyfriend or girlfriend outside of marriage could lead to more trouble than you bargained for. Check it out:

• Those who live together before marriage are the least likely to marry each other.
• Those who live together before marriage have higher separation and divorce rates.
• Those who have premarital sex are more likely to have extramarital affairs.
• Those who have “trial” marriages do not have better marriages.
• Those who live together do not experience the best sex. (Actually, church ladies are having the best sex!)
• Those who live together are setting up a situation to possibly hurt their children.
  Couples who live together outside of marriage are more likely to divorce later if/when they get married. The effects of divorce on children can be traumatizing, and it puts their children at risk themselves for unstable and broken relationships.

(emphasis mine)

It looks like Kennewick, Pasco and Richland now have their own section on Craigslist.  Pretty cool if you ask me.  But it is pretty empty right now.

I received this video recently and it is quite good.  Naturally, due to the amount of time this video has been out, it is already on YouTube.  What makes this video important to me is this:  Now that the Democrats are in the majority of both houses of Congress, this is how you follow the money. 

You see, Democrats could start at the top by investigating the President about the various issues surrounding the Iraq War from the faulty intelligence to the outright lies.  But I suggest we start with the money.  If there is a trail to be followed it won’t be the chain of command within the highest echelon of the Bush Administration, rather the trail that leads from the bottom up. 

And while I don’t advocate impeachment of our Fear-Full Leader, I do advocate people understanding the mechanics that have us where we are today.  Wouldn’t you want to know about the secret “Energy Policy Meetings” that took place with Cheney, Bush and top staff that could be likely tied to how America found ourselves in Iraq?  What was the context of those meetings?  Why, WHY are they secret.  It is disturbing to say the least. 

Democrats have the power to find these things out.  Call, write, prod or confront your Democrat Congress and tell them you want to know.  For all the niceties about bi-partisanship we are suddenly hearing these days from Democrats and Repulicans alike, a certain amount of discovery needs to be done less we find ourselves once again bogged down in a new war with little answers of why we are really there from our leaders.

Part I - Iraq For Sale

I will continue this series often but if you want to watch the whole thing online click here. (courtesy of MEGH2748)

(Also, stay tuned for clips of Brian Schweitzer on Energy Policy.)

(Also, Also… If you want the DVD for this send me a note… You know my name is Jimmy, and I am AT mccranium.org) 

Come down off that election night “high” or perhaps “low” yet?  Well you can sooth those rollercoasterheebeejeebies at Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities tonight. 

I won’t be there as I am in slave mode to the almighty paperwork Gods…. 

Show up for another fun filled night!

Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities
O’Callahans - Shilo Inn
50 Comstock Rd. Richland

Want to find out more about Drinking Liberally? Then check out Drinkingliberally.org.

And if you want to join the Tri-Cities Chapter of Drinking Liberally e-mail list? It is as simple as just clicking here.

While republicans are trying to paint the sky red, folks are seeing that it’s just another batch of cheap paint that’s going to fall off the ceiling.  Wash the ceiling with Lynn Allen at Evergreen Politics.

Lou Dobbs interviewed Webb on CNN the other day and I don’t think you could walk away from that interview thinking of Webb as a conservative.  In addition to his very sane position on this war, Webb is also focused on the income disparities between the rich and the rest of us and on the national policies that promote and exacerbate that disparity.  Best of all, he is able to articulate it (helps to be a writer, I tell you) in a way that people can hear.  He calls it “fairness”.  I foresee the end of the Republicans ability to stop all conversation about this subject by saying “Oh, they’re just fomenting class warfare”. 

What so many republicans fail to see is that fundemental values are not their property or their refuge.  Good republicans, and even former republicans can have a sense of humanity.  Democrats just do it better.  Aligning with extremist only gets you the failure we have just voted out.

A gamer site gets a threat from the ESA.  This is one to rub their nose in.

Attacks on commentary and satire on the web should be met with more commentary and satire… don’t you think!

I wonder who was defending their mother’s honor at the ESA?

(thanks to Will from “Clicked”)

Now that this election is over it is definitely time to lighten up.  Chris Mullick at the Tri-City Herald has a run down on what to be thankful for post election.

– The campaign “mailers” taking “excerpts” of “newspaper” stories “out” “of” context have “finally” stopped. (Olympia Dispatch blog, 11/10/06)

Oh Yeah… Think Snow!

They ran… and found themselves in a hole… 

Oh yea, my favorite season is almost here… think snow!

And not because I watch the Sci-Fi Channel… It’s because of this:

If you weren’t in the know, this is (left) Stephan Sharkansky from the rather conservative blog (Un)SoundPolitics and David (Goldy) Goldstein from horsesass.org (our beloved ass kicking NW blog) taken at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally. Dogs and Cats unite!  And by the way Stephan, a very nice gesture to stop by.  It’s nice to know we all have at least one thing in common… We all like beer!  And David couldn’t look happier don’t you think? 

This image is courtesy of Darryl of Hominid views who also brings us some interesting commentary on republicans missing the proverbial Brittany Spears Opportunity.  K-Fed is such an ass.

Cheers!

Update: While I appreciate the traffic from Blatherwatch’s comment thread to this incriminating picture, be sure to check out the blog where this originated.  And read the Brittany story!!  Darryl cracks me up!

That’s a funny title huh… c’mon, laugh.  I know you want to… but jokes aside, that is what the Democratic party has grown; all those pent up frustrations and we finally grew a pair.  Big wins in the House and Senate tell the story better than any pundit such as the venomous mouth piece Rush Limbaugh and they will have to re-tool their talking points. Because they now have been countered by a force none of them expected to be as powerful as it has proven to be.  The Netroots.  And while the blue wave may have relatively washed up on the mountain shores of Idaho, and without explanation defied gravity by only touching the metaphoric shores in the valleys of Eastern Washington State, a big punch was given to republicans below the bible belt.  An area they felt so confident they forgot to wear a cup.

And republicans didn’t flinch.  They stood the course on their policy everywhere from Iraq to Social Security.  They didn’t even try to block the blow.  They counted on the very electorate to be as ignorant as they told them they were when they said the Iraq war was too complicated for the average person to understand.  And they lost.   

But they knew this was coming.  Today, the President appeared for a press conference with a script of humble pie, and republicans seemingly tuned into soft rock radio stations are now talking about reaching across the isle where their own shutters were previously closed.  Even the losers like Santorum, and the Wa. 4th winner Doc Hastings, where touting themselves as the ones who strived for bi-partisanship as if the entire electorate had short term memory problems.  But the domino’s are falling down one after another.  Rumsfeld being the first victim.

I like Republicans.  Notice the case I put in front of that name.  I work with one of the best Republicans I have ever met.  And if and when he goes up for re-election I will defend him against anyone.  But we haven’t been served the best and brightest of that party for some time.  Instead we have been offered the wolf in the wool republican (again, notice the case) that has put ideology above responsibility and has caused this world far more grief than even the wolf can swallow. 

Netroots.  Be afraid stalwarts of the old guard.  Be very afraid.  Technology has changed the discussion from what others think we, the general populace, think we should be concerned with, to what we, through rational discussion think.  We have changed the landscape in terms of platform and the dollars that will be raised for candidates.

Here in Eastern Washington it is never more apparent that there is work to do.  Doc Hastings ran a campaign on GOP talking points that have now proved to be even less popular among congressional voters nationwide.  Peter Goldmark has lost a race despite being a candidate with the superior intelligence as compared to his opponent Cathy McMorris.  With losses like these one can only think that in fact we, us in Eastern Washington, are removed from the rest of the world’s reality.  Perhaps things are that good for us. Would it take massive economic decline, another war or just another republican (notice case again) scandal to break us free?  I don’t know how to answer that but it will be explored for sure over the next two years as we head into 2008.  But chalk up another missed opportunity for Eastern Washinton to elect true leaders like Peter Goldmark and Richard Wright in two districts that could be the focal point in technological advances that will help break this countries dependence on foreign oil and a bright renewal of rural communities across this state.

The Darcy Burner race is still too close to concede but if she loses, voters will have to live with a now compulsory moderate Dave Reichart. He, if he wins, he will have truly found his place in mediocrity.

Those Big Blue Balls are here and they are as anxious for change as a teenager in an abstinence only sex education class.  And I hope we learn how to use them.  And as for the Netroots, we are still horny.