Alysius Henry Posts

The PTSD Republicans: Rudy Giuliani Is an Asshole:
Doesn’t it seem like the major Republican candidates for President are all suffering horribly from the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder? You got John McCain, who is a poster child for the latent effects of PTSD (more on that later). And Rudy Giuliani, whose campaign is based on the fact that he’s never learned to deal with what happened under his watch in New York on September 11, 2001, and that we should love him for his inability to get on with his life.

Giuliani’s PTSD was fully on display in Iowa City this weekend when he gleefully told the crowd, making that sneer that is his smile, that Saddam Hussein was getting punished in Hell: “You sure wouldn’t want to be where Saddam Hussein is, where we helped put him.” Oh, how the Iowa audience cheered and applauded. The message from the Giuliani campaign is clear: vote for Giuliani if you believe American should forever act like it’s September 12, 2001. It’s been the great lie of the last five and a half years, but the bloodlust, burn in Hades crowd loves to think it’s part of a big war on eeevil. And Rudy’s there to make sure, always, that he’s gonna chew on Saddam’s hellfire-cured entrails.

When he gave the commencement address at the Citadel Saturday, Giuliani laid this burden on the cadet graduates: “You are the 9/11 generation of service. Citadel graduates, as the leaders of the 9/11 generation, you have now acquired the insight, the training, the skills, the courage and the dedication to prevail over the terrorists and create a more peaceful world.” You gotta wonder how many of the seniors thought, “Please don’t let this man with the crazed eyes and Captain Queeg twitch send me to my doom.” (Although, from the various reports, the good cadets told various newspapers they loved them some Rudy, so maybe they have been prepped to be RPG fodder.)

“The reality is that in this world today, there are people — terrorists, Islamic, radical terrorists — who are planning as we sit here at this graduation, who are planning to come here and kill us,” Giuliani said, offering the graduating class of 2007 a gorgeous vision of the future as they head out into the world. The words of a mugging victim who refuses to leave his apartment are pretty much the same. Giuliani, though, thinks that paranoia and deep, deep psychosis from his scarring day in 2001 is what makes him qualified to be President.

But that’s the kind of shit you do if you’re an asshole, and, truly, the only reason that Rudy is running is because he’s an asshole. Seriously, is there anything that makes the man a viable candidate? Is this what we’ve sunk to? Hell, Ross Fuckin’ Perot was more qualified. Ya gotta look at Giuliani and think, “What’s his game here?” Is it ego? Or is it just another way, like everything else for him post-9/11, another way to cash in big on his bullshit “America’s Mayor” celebrity status?

Of course, Giuliani’s unending greed is gonna catch up with him at some point, whether it’s the Bernard Kerik tree falling down or Rudy’s own corporate dirty dealings. The question is, when it happens, will the people cheering Saddam in hell be able to finally come to grips with the real post-9/11 world.

COWBOY MOUTH

Perennially touring New Orleans rock band Cowboy Mouth, above, will perform Friday, Aug. 24, during the National H.O.G. Rally at Chilhowee Park. Montgomery Gentry and Big Head Todd & The Monsters are also scheduled to perform. The H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) Rally will celebrate Harley-Davidson motorcycles with events Aug. 24-25. For information, visit www.smh-d.com.

Friday, Aug. 17

AIR SUPPLY

Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, from left above, met in 1975 when both were in a production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” in Sydney, Australia. After the curtain fell on the musical each night, the duo would perform together at nearby coffee houses, bars and pizza parlors.

Air Supply was born.

The two friends are still making music and will perform at 7:30 p.m. at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, 149 Cates Lane in Pigeon Forge.

Admission is $19.95-$49 in general, $10 for ages 11 and younger. For information, call 865-429-5868 or visit www.bandstandtickets.com.

Saturday, Aug. 18

THE BOTTLE ROCKETS

Roots-rock band The Bottle Rockets will headline a concert at 8 p.m. at The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson, 1820 Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville.

Knoxville’s Tim Lee 3 will open the show.

Admission is $10 in advance, $15 at the door. For information, call 865-977-1669 or visit www.smokymountainh-d.com.

Sunday, Aug. 19

‘A NIGHT AT THE OASIS’
Debka Ashton and the Oasis Dancers will present an evening of classic belly dancing during “A Night at the Oasis,” 8 p.m. at the Academy Ballroom, 1537 Downtown West Blvd.

Featured dancers will include Linda of Nashville, Di Lin, Alona and Mahsati.
Admission is $12 in advance, $15 at the door and $10 for children. For information, call 865-690-9548 or visit www.debkaashton.com.

Monday, Aug. 20

START THE WEEK WITH BLUEGRASS
Bluegrass and Americana bands The Cat Mary and The Fritts Family will entertain during the Blue Plate Special noon-1 p.m. at One Vision Plaza, 301 S. Gay St.
The free show will also be broadcast on WDVX 89.9 and 102.9 and online at www.wdvx.com.

Tuesday, Aug. 21

MINK & BITE GET THEIR GAMENIGHT ON
Indie-Rock Showcase night will feature Louisville, Ky., quartet Anton Mink at 10 p.m. at World Grotto, 16 Market Square.

Child Bite, an experimental rock band from Ferndale, Mich., and Knoxville’s Gamenight will also perform.

Admission is $5. For information, visit www.worldgrotto.com.

Wednesday, Aug. 22

AS THE CROWES FLY

Rock ‘n’ roll brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, from left above, have been playing as solo artists in recent years, but they recently re-joined forces as The Black Crowes. A new album is scheduled to come out in spring of 2008.

In the meantime, the band will perform at 8 p.m. at the Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Admission is $46.50 and $59.50. For information, call 865-656-4444.

Thursday, Aug. 23

HOTTFEST KICK-OFF
The third annual HottFest music festival will open at 8:40 p.m. with multiple bands on two stages at the Corner Lounge, 842 N. Central St.

Thursday-night artists include Tenderhooks, Whip! (from Nashville), Speedshifter, Brendan James Wright & the Wrongs, Medford’s Black Record Collection and Quartjar.

Admission is $7. The festival continues Friday and Saturday evenings, Aug. 24-25. For information, visit www.myspace.com/hottfest.

Friday, Aug. 24

‘THE NANNY DIARIES’

Working-class Jersey girl and recent college grad Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson), above right, takes a job as a nanny for a rich, but dysfunctional, New York City family. Along the way, she sparks up a romance with their “Harvard Hottie” neighbor (Chris Evans).

She keeps a journal on her adventures in “The Nanny Diaries,” a new film comedy that also stars Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, Nicholas Reese Art and Alicia Keys.

Saturday, Aug. 25

DR. POWERFUL TO OPERATE IN THE OLD CITY
Punk-rock band Dr. Powerful, proud resident (according to its Web site) of Sanford, N.C., will headline an evening of music at 10 p.m. at Pilot Light, 106 E. Jackson Ave. in the Old City.

The band includes drummer Eddie Watkins, formerly of indie-rock favorite Polvo. Memphis band Arma Secreta and Knoxville’s Black Sarah will also perform. Admission is $5.

Sunday, Aug. 26

RAMSEY HOUSE COUNTRY MARKET
The 43rd annual Craft Marketplace Fall Festival, Antiques and Garden Fair will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25-26, at the Ramsey House Plantation, 2514 Thorn Grove Pike.

The weekend will feature arts and crafts, food and live music. Entertainers will include The Bearded, The Contreras Brothers, Wade Hill, Danny Gammon and others. Joe Rosson will offer antiques appraisals.

Parking cost will be $5. Home-tour cost is $5. For information, call 865-546-0745 or visit www.ramseyhouse.org.

It is getting hot, at least in some parts of the country. That means the flowers will need some water, and the grass that smells so good after it is cut will need some attention as well. But when is the best time to water your lawn? How much do you water? Here are a few basic rules for those summertime questions.

The first thing you need to do is determine how much water your lawn will absorb. To do that, all that’s needed is a shovel. Simply pick an inconspicuous spot where you’ve been irrigating. About 30 minutes after watering, dig a small hole, and use your hand to check how deeply the water has penetrated. In most lawn and garden situations, it’s best if water is penetrating 6 to 8 inches beneath the surface of the soil. Check several locations to see if irrigation is even throughout the yard. If there are dry spots, you may need to modify your irrigation techniques.

It’s not necessary to water lawns and plants every day. As a general rule, more plants are killed through over-watering than under-watering. Understand the properties of the soil in your area. Water penetrates and behaves differently in differing types of soil — e.g., sandy or loose soil vs. clay. Check with your local nursery for watering tips for your particular area. Set up a system that allows effective watering with penetration of 6 to 8 inches below the ground surface.

Lawn Watering Basics

SynLawn

OU Student Moveout

A Retreat on Rural Renewal

Sara Peach, an AmeriCorps*VISTA at local non-profit Rural Action submitted
this exciting event to us. We encourage you to get involved and share your
plans for the future of Appalachian Ohio!

This event is a community conversation about the future of Appalachian Ohio.
At the retreat, community members will work in groups to develop preliminary
action plans about issues that concern all of us, such as youth education,
community revitalization, energy conservation, and other matters. The retreat
is an opportunity for the people of Appalachian Ohio to come together and think
about what we can do about these issues in our communities.

Saturday, June 16th
Trimble High School, Glouster
9-5 p.m. Free. Lunch provided.

Register at www.ruralrenewal.blogspot.com or call Sara at 740-767-4938.

This event is sponsored by Rural Action.

http://learningandlaptops.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-does-literature-say-about-human.html I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Anne Smith from Arapahoe SD at the NECC conference in Atlanta. I’ve pointed you to her site before (http://tipline.blogspot.com/2006/12/tips-power-of-blogging.html) . While I didn’t get to talk with her as much as I would have liked, I did talk to her long enough for her to suggest that I check out the student work that was done for her final project of the year. I will let you read it as she wrote it so that I don’t misspeak about any part of it. But, you should see – you NEED to see – the student projects that she has posted there. You need to see them for a couple of reasons. First, they are OUTSTANDING! Second – these are 9th graders! When I see work like this I keep thinking, “My, how we underestimate them.” Third, I LOVE the idea of this assessment – AND of the BIG question that she put forth at the beginning of the year, “What does literature say about human beings?” Fourth, I love how they made this assignment personal. Watch their movies. Listen to them. My, how we underestimate them. Fifth, this is BOUND to give you ideas for other ways that YOU can assess your students. Perhaps, rather than marching them through a multiple choice test, if you give them the opportunity to tell you what the stories mean to them, you will find a MUCH deeper understanding of the stories than you thought. Check out her rubric, too. As she says, the students worked with her to develop that rubic. Hats off to Anne and especially to her students whose work is shown here.

[Each day, Worlds in Motion will be taking a closer look at individual virtual worlds. We’ll start with a nuts-and-bolts overview, then move on to an in-depth tour, to be followed up with a conclusion– all with the aim of bringing you all the essential info and details on each world in the rapidly-developing virtual landscape.]

Today, let’s take a tour of Toontown, and hit the streets of Disney’s animated 3D world.

we talked about last time) you may have an additional step or two to take, but other than that, the process is pretty direct. Toontown runs in its own fullscreen window, without the ability to minimize or switch among apps.

Like most online worlds, Toontown starts with the avatar creation process– this one’s colorful enough to put a smile on even the surliest of faces, with several different basic body models based on vintage-style Disney animals loosely resembling dogs, cats, bears and the like (and mice, of course). Users can mix and match three different body areas (head, torso and legs) in different colors and styles, and then customize the size proportions of each features for maximum toon-ish absurdity. Next, dress your Toon in clownish garb (girl clothes for a girl avatar, boy clothes for a male)– since the colors and styles are fully customizable here, too. It wasn’t long before I made an appropriately disproportionate, floppy-eared pink and purple cow (or maybe a horse)?

The naming process is fun, too. Names that users input will have to be run past moderators, but Disney offers a rich list of pre-made names. Since each name has three parts– a kooky descriptor, a first name and a quirky last name– the combinations are infinite. My cow-horse Toon ended up being named “Skinny Sandy Frinkelseed,” which I thought suited her rather nicely, with her bulbous muzzle, round belly and long, twiggy legs.

The entire feel of Toontown actually resembles a kids’ adventure PC game– sandbox-style, with events and guidance– more than the freeform 3D chat room that we generally think of when we think of kids’ virtual worlds. The game starts with a very succinct tutorial– not that much of one is needed, in a simple interface that relies largely on the keyboard arrows and a little point-and-click for menus. “Tutorial Tom” explains that Toontown is under threat of domination by straitlaced, monochrome suit-wearing baddies called Cogs, who want to subjugate Toontown’s impractical architecture and bright colors into a world of gray banks and businesses. Tutorial Tom provides you with your first “gags”– which are, exactly as they sound, classic cartoon objects like trapdoors, anvils and squirting flowers that are used to foil the cogs. And without further explanation, you try it for yourself. Pick a gag from your inventory and watch your toon beat a Cog by pie-ing him in the face.

The game provides a good deal of direction for play– there’s free movement, but you’re always aware of what you’re supposed to be doing. Earn the virtual currency, jellybeans, by playing games. The Toontown playground, in addition to shops and social areas, has a trolley that, when ridden, takes the user to one of a set of simple, user friendly– but appropriately challenging– minigames. The game you’re presented with seems to be randomized, and there’s no way to pick which one– an effective way to ensure variety and to prevent users racking up currency too easily or quickly by exploiting the one game they’re best at. The difficulty of the game depends on which neighborhood in Toontown you’re playing.

Jellybeans can buy clothing, decorations and pets (called Doodles), in addition to new emotes and phrases for the avatar to perform. Disney-character NPCs can greet you by name when you pass them, but they can’t converse extensively– and despite the wide array of options available in the pre-set phrase menu, most kids seem to be questing and playing games on their own pretty exclusively, rather than hanging around talking.

Gameplay unfolds as you accept quests– called “Toontasks” from NPC toons, who usually assign you a destination to visit, a Cog to defeat, or an item to retrieve. While on a Toontask, it’s possible to deviate– for example, to go to another location or play games instead– but you’re usually reminded of what you need to do. A menu in the form of a book lets you see what gags you’re carrying and reminds you what quests you’ve accepted.

Toontown doesn’t log you out– your character will snooze in place if you’re idle– and seems to start you from your most recently-visited vicinity when you return.

I know many people know that TV serie, The IT Crowd but I’ve just discovered yesterday… Pablo a nice guy from RedHat Spain gives me a couple of chapters for having a look on them.
One of my favourites spanish blog’s are also fan of The IT Crowd… anyway, very peculiar sense of humor, geek oriented, I don’t know if my wife laughs as much as I but think is pretty easy to understand and enjoy, or so I hope

NEWS RELEASE
City of Takoma Park Police Department

För ett år sedan gästades Sverige av Robert Putnam, den världsberömde Harvardprofessorn i statsvetenskap som fått hela landets folkrörelsedrömmares blod att koka med boken “Den ensamme bowlaren”. Han erhöll då nämligen landets (och en av världens, faktiskt) finaste utmärkelse för statsvetenskapliga studier - Skytteanska priset.

I samband med detta höll Putnam en föreläsning om sin nya forskning, i närvaro av höjdare såsom sessan Victoria och Leif Pagrotsky. Man kan förstås tänka sig att detta skulle mötts med total fascination av våra medier och intresserade samhällsdebattörer - men det blev knäpptyst efteråt. Putnam berättade nämligen om något vi inte vill prata om: att etniskt diversifierade samhällen tycks skapa misstro mellan människor.

I dagarna har hans Skytteanska föreläsning publicerats i Scandinavian Political Studies, vilket uppmärksammas i New York Times.
In highly diverse cities and towns like Los Angeles, Houston and Yakima, Wash., the survey found, the residents were about half as likely to trust people of other races as in homogenous places like Fremont, Mich., or rural South Dakota, where, Putnam noted, “diversity means inviting a few Norwegians to the annual Swedish picnic.”

More significant, they were also half as likely to trust people of their own race. They claimed fewer close friends. They were more apt to agree that “television is my most important form of entertainment.” They had less confidence in local government and less confidence in their own ability to exert political influence. They were more likely to join protest marches but less likely to register to vote. They rated their happiness as generally lower. And this diversity effect continued to show up even when a community’s population density, average income, crime levels, rates of home ownership and a host of other factors were taken into account.

It was not a result that Putnam, the author of the much-discussed 2000 book “Bowling Alone,” was looking for when he sat down six years ago to examine the mass of data he had collected.Putnams Skytteanska föreläsning finns i fulltext på nätet: E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century (även i pdf på samma plats). Några utdrag:
The more ethnically diverse the people we live around, the less we trust them.

[…] In highly diverse Los Angeles or San Francisco, for example, roughly 30 percent of the inhabitants say that they trust their neighbours ‘a lot’, whereas in the ethnically homogeneous communities of North and South Dakota, 70–80 percent of the inhabitants say the same. In more diverse communities, people trust their neighbours less.

[…] in-group trust, too, is lower in more diverse settings […] In other words, in more diverse settings, Americans distrust not merely people who do not look like them, but even people who do.

[…] Diversity seems to trigger not in-group/out-group division, but anomie or social isolation. In colloquial language, people living in ethnically diverse settings appear to ‘hunker down’ – that is, to pull in like a turtle.

[…] In areas of greater diversity, our respondents demonstrate:

• Lower confidence in local government, local leaders and the local news media.
• Lower political efficacy – that is, confidence in their own influence.
• Lower frequency of registering to vote, but more interest and knowledge about politics and more participation in protest marches and social reform groups.
• Less expectation that others will cooperate to solve dilemmas of collective action (e.g., voluntary conservation to ease a water or energy shortage).
• Less likelihood of working on a community project.
• Lower likelihood of giving to charity or volunteering.
• Fewer close friends and confidants.
• Less happiness and lower perceived quality of life.
• More time spent watching television and more agreement that ‘television is my most important form of entertainment’.

[…] inhabitants of diverse communities tend to withdraw from collective life, to distrust their neighbours, regardless of the colour of their skin, to withdraw even from close friends, to expect the worst from their community and its leaders, to volunteer less, give less to charity and work on community projects less often, to register to vote less, to agitate for social reform more, but have less faith that they can actually make a difference, and to huddle unhappily in front of the television. Note that this pattern encompasses attitudes and behavior, bridging and bonding social capital, public and private connections. Diversity, at least in the short run, seems to bring out the turtle in all of us.Och snart kanske det kommer en rapport i en dagstidning nära dig. Nej, just ja. Skojar bara. Såna här saker skriver vi ju inte om.

Men, ska jag tillägga innan debatten urartar i kommentarsfältet, Putnam anser att problemen går att överbrygga.

You’ve been hired by HBO to develop your own half-hour comedy show. It can be a traditional sitcom (Curb Your Enthusiasm), a nontraditional sitcom (Flight of the Conchords), a mockumentary (The Office), a skit show, fake newscast, whatever you like, just so long as it’s a half-hour long, funny, and original. Also, because it’s HBO, you don’t have to worry about those pesky humor-hammering network censors.

So: What’s your concept?