A Little Bit of History

Old Warrior Again Underway (washingtonpost.com)

The Constellation, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of its launch this year, was venturing out of Baltimore's harbor for the first time since her arrival there in 1955. Yet the old sloop of war was a fettered beauty. The gorgeous double-wheeled, teak-and-mahogany helm was lashed with the crown spoke pointing straight up, and the rudder amidships. The capstan bars were stowed. And the mizzenmast, mainmast and foremast were missing the canvas the ship was built to carry.

I toured the Constellation when I was about 10 years old, and it was one of the great thrills of my young life. I loved sailing ships growing up: I read C.S. Forester and I built models. The Constellation — often confused with one the first ships built for U.S. Navy in 1797 bearing the same name — was in fact the last ship powered entirely by sail built for the U.S. Navy just before the Civil War, according to the Post article. Of course, the Post should be read with a grain of salt; even I know that a square-rigged ship is not a sloop.

First Time

Gayle just showed me my first lunar eclipse, which was quite spectacular since the moon was full and the eclipse was total. We watched a black arc pass over the moon, gradually obscuring the golden crescent at two o'clock. The moon was not completely blacked out; it was more as though someone had painted a gold disc with charcoal paint; you could still tell the disc was there, but it was covered with a thick, grey, grimy coating.

Where will it end?

Tech Republic reports that employers are now installing software to monitor employees' keystrokes on their computers, so that the employers can monitor the employees' use of email and instant messaging. What the legal limits under the wiretap laws are on employer monitoring of messages is apparently still not clearly defined.

A Diva Triumphs Over Adversity

Denyce Graves, After the Low Notes (washingtonpost.com)

Far from the stage lights, this is the Denyce Graves the public never sees, a 40-year-old woman who has been battling four years of depression, turbulence and upheaval, all scrupulously kept out of the public eye. In 2000, when she began to undergo a series of debilitating physical and emotional crises, her vocal cords -- the ones that made her world famous -- began bleeding.

I have been a big fan of Denyce Graves ever since I first saw her on Sesame Street, of all places. I found it heartwarming to read about a woman who is not only blessed with a beautiful voice but also a strong character.

A Day of Mourning

Rebels Massacre 49 Iraqi Guardsmen (washingtonpost.com)

The bodies of 49 freshly trained Iraqi National Guard recruits, lined up and executed by insurgents, were discovered on a roadside about 75 miles northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi officials said Sunday.

Despite regarding our intervention in Iraq as basically misguided, I am shocked and saddened at the fate of these young people whom we recruited but didn't — or coudn't — protect.

Books

On my way back from West Virginia, a friend persuaded me that I need to read the Da Vinci Code. (I suppose that I had been a little put off by its runaway popularity, although I was amused by the gravity with which theologians had started issuing books refuting its "errors." Lighten up, people, it's a novel.) A friend has also just sent me a copy of Tahar Ben Jelloun's Le dernier ami.

What's cooking?


This slightly unorthodox cookbook is based on the premise that to please the woman in your life, you should figure out what kind of women she is and cook her what she wants. Naturally, the book is ready to offer its assistance in figuring her out; hence the quiz above (which concludes that if I were a girl, I would be "Academic Girl"). The fact that the quiz is aimed at women, although the book is ostensibly aimed at men, suggests that there may be a lot of men receiving this book as a gift with a hint.

Absent

I am off to West Virginia for an EEOC hearing. Back in a few days.

Orcs Are People, Too

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Unused Audio Commentary By Howard Zinn & Noam Chomsky, Recorded Summer 2002, for The Fellowship of the Ring Platinum Series Extended Edition DVD, Part One

I heard a selection on the radio today from this imagined commentary by Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky on the Lord of the Rings. Although not everyone agrees, I found the conceit of the Orcs as oppressed farmers brutalized by the militaristic regimes of Gondor and Rohan quite funny.

More About Mary

I never thought to find myself on the same side of an issue as former RIAA Chairman Hilary Rosen, but I agree with her analysis of the furor over John Kerry's mention of Mary Cheney. Unfortunately, most voters do not seem to get it.

Hypocrisy Watch

Debate Ducking (washingtonpost.com)

Mr. Kerry did himself no credit when, like his running mate, he brought up "Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian," in response to a question about homosexuality. Mr. Cheney has been forthright about his daughter's sexuality, and that's commendable, but it's hard to see why the Democratic ticket should keep bringing it up. Yet unlike Mr. Bush, Mr. Kerry did answer the question, saying he believes homosexuality is an innate characteristic and not a lifestyle choice.

Why does the Post think this did Mr. Kerry no credit? Does it think there is no contradiction in the Bush-Cheney campaign's position on gay rights (i.e. that they should be denied by Constitutional amendment) when a member of the Vice President's family, who is working on his campaign, is gay? Or does the Post perhaps think that Ms. Cheney is somehow being stigmatized when Mr. Kerry brings up her sexual orientation? If the latter, it says more about the Post than Mr. Kerry.

Lest We Forget

As recently as 1967, States could deny interracial couples the right to marry. See Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967). Professor Randal Kennedy offers some perspective on the history of Loving.

Cheap Trick?

Lynn Cheney accuses John Kerry of a "cheap political trick" because he mentioned that her daughter Mary Cheney is a lesbian when asked if he believed homosexuality to be innate. (Kerry said yes, ask Mary Cheney.) Cheney and the right's outrage seems manufactured. Andrew Sullivan points out that Mary Cheney is out of the closet, lives with her partner, and has directed outreach programs for gays and lesbians. Neither she nor her parents has made any secret of her sexual orientation, and Mary Cheney has taken a visible role in the Bush-Cheney campaign. Sullivan suggests that the outrage stems not from concern about Mary Cheney — who is apparently quite open about her sexual orientation — but from the Right's discomfort with any discussion of gay sexuality. They talk about tolerance, but they are not willing to tolerate openness. They preach about families, but they are willing to deny gays and lesbians their right to have families. They say they want to uphold marriage, but not for anyone who is gay or lesbian. The most revolting aspect of all is that they call themselves Christians, but have no concept of what it means to love their neighbor.

Requiescat in Pacem

Christopher Reeve, Another Kind Of Superhero (washingtonpost.com)

The two warring images will be linked forever, each denying -- and completing -- the other: Christopher Reeve, built and beautiful in his Superman suit, roaring invincibly into the stratosphere. And Christopher Reeve, strained and drawn, hooked to a ventilator and living another motionless day in his wheelchair. The cartoon hero had suffered a horrible fall and emerged as a real-life hero.

Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince,

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! (Hamlet, 5.2.349)

How long has it been?



camel

camel, originally uploaded by bre.

A reminder that it has been too long since I visited the National Zoo. (It has been out of mind since the mismanagement scandals of the last couple of years died down.)

A Day with Rachel

Rachel learned to kiss this morning. She was eating her breakfast, and she just puckered up her lips and started to blow kisses for the first time.

Later in the morning, we went to swim class. Rachel does not much like floating on her back, but she kicks like a champ when I pull her along on her stomach.

When I blew bubbles in the water, she was not imitating me. Gayle told me after the class that the problem was that I needed to put Rachel's mouth in the water. (She was not going to do it herself. Duh!) I was hesitating because (obviously) Rachel does not like getting water in her mouth, but my hesitancy kept her from having a chance to imitate my bubble blowing. I guess I always have to bear in mind what she is and is not capable of: I tend to be surprised by both. Clearly, I have my assignment for next week.

We then went to a community fair sponsored by the Comcast cable network. Most of the booths were geared to children older than Rachel, so it was just as well that Rachel slept through it all. I was not sorry to be spared waiting in the block-long lines for a chance to have my picture taken with lifesize cartoon characters Sponge Bob and Dora the Explorer.

The fair was not a total loss, however, since we managed to grab a couple of chili dogs and some Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Before hitting the grocery store later in the day, Rachel and I stopped at the Barnes and Noble, where I grabbed a latte and a chess book. Rachel was able to indulge in two of her favorite activities — riding the escalator and ogling the "bookmarks" sign. (The sign is shaped like a large wooden flag, and it never ceases to amuse.)

Blog On!

Politics News Article | Reuters.com

With a mixture of bemusement and condescension, Reuters takes note that the campaign is being blogged:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. presidential campaign between George W. Bush and John Kerry has prompted a frenzy of gossip and conspiracy theories among Internet bloggers, hybrid online sites that blend news, gossip and opinion.

As Bush and the Massachusetts Senator slug it out in a neck-and-neck race ahead of the November 2 election, partisan bloggers have flooded the Internet with alternative views about both candidates, which they hope will help sway voters.

After tonight's debate, I would say that the Kerry campaign is 3 for 3 in the debates, but I am unashamedly partisan. I think Kerry is right that the War in Iraq was a mistake and that the administration did not plan adequately for the peace. I agree with Kerry that the Bush tax cut for the very rich was a mistake. I agree with Kerry that we need to do more for homeland security. (I just finished the 9/11 Commission Report.) I agree with Kerry that we need to reform the health care system, and that this entails more than simply curbing trial lawyers. (Disclaimer: I am a trial lawyer, although I do not do medical malpractice cases).