In George Stephanopoulos's book "All Too Human" he reports on one of Bill Clinton's famous rages with awe. George wonders if you have to be a little crazy to want to be President.

Also, I remember that profile on Gore. It was good then and better now.

Wow. 14 years ago. When I was 30.

Talk about your inconvenient truth.

repost from last boodle:

MO

I don't think Alvaro Uribe, just reelected this past weekend, has any interest in annexing Panama. He's got his hands full keeping Venezuela's claws off the coal and oil on the opposite side of the country. Even 100 years ago, I don't think

Teddy R is not seen by Colombians as a very nice person. The Colombian government had plans to build the canal on its own and was looking for funding. The French were supposed to be helping, which may explain why they didn't succeed. When the US offered help, Colombia did not accept. The terms offered would benefit the US only. So the US did the only American thing to do and incited the people of Panama to break away. The US didn't have much difficulty since Colombia was in the midst of a civil war known as La Guerra de los Mil Dias. The General Rafael Reyes took over the country soon after this. He tried hard to make things better. His motto was "less politics, more administration".

Personally, I'd like to see a Gore/Clinton ticket in 2008. I think Gore has done a fine job of shaking off the "sore loser" tag and Hillary has proven to be quite capable in her own right as a leader.

Though Gore isn't as much a liberal as I'd like, he is definitely left of center (and therefore a turnoff to conservative voters). Maybe Hillary's moderate stance would be enough to balance it out.

I'd really *really* like to see Jerry Garcia run for president, but then he doesn't exactly pass the Respiration Test.

Ok, here's the deal - almost everyone you ever voted for has been a disappointment. An Error. A Voter Error.

This time, do it on purpose. Vote Error Flynn in, um... what year is it again?

E.F. in 08

It just sounds good.

When anyone asks you a tricky question on the campaign trail, just look meaningfully into the distance and say,
"Well. Clouds are hard."

Shoo in.

I heard this morning that some Re-pig-licans and talking up Rick Santorum as a Presidential candidate. I guess I could kind of wish that would come to pass, because then the Dems could just cruise into 1600 Penn. What a blithering idiot!! Have any of you listened to him for more than 5 minutes? I'm amazed that Pennsylvania would elect him to anything (course there's been a bit of dispute about whether he's actually a Pennsylvania resident). And the silly season is just beginning!

My favourite campaign book is "Fear and Loathing on The Campaign '72" by some Duke guy

Joel, IIRC, a husting was the Saxon community meeting in which governmental policy was set by the male members. Also the place where the meeting was held.

Ebnut, sounding smart is obviously not a requirement.

If there is a Gore/Clinton ticket, could I reuse my Clinton/Gore buttons with the names in Hebrew? They are cool.

hey a bea c - why the interest in panama? i mean, i love that you know the history but not very many people do (just those from and descendants of - do you happen to be either?)

My favorite campaign book is "It Looks Like a President Only Smaller." I found it a witty yet profound exposition of a more innocent time. Brilliant. Well worth a read.

Although the author does look a little goofy.

a bea c: Yes, and it's amazing he can sound like anything with his foot always in his piehole.

If Curmudgeon runs for president in 2008, he'll have laid many a foundation brick in 2006....]

I'm a pundit on par with Joel!

Can't we do something about this rule? Do the Republicans occupy 2/3 of the house? I thought it was less.

From Will's column:

"Speaker Dennis Hastert has a "majority of the majority" rule: Nothing comes to the floor that does not have the support of a majority of Republicans (75%)."

This effectively locks out any democratic bills-- but at least it locks out the dumber presidental ideas... I THINK.

Here's my campaign prediction: McCain vs. Clinton. Hillary runs as the conservative and John goes after the liberals.

My dream match up is Al vs. Jeb. Won't happen. It's a long time since we allowed a "loser" a second shot. Nixon was the last.

I just go this in an email and it's ruined my day:

http://www.107.peugeot.co.uk/peugeot.swf

I suppose you could, a bea c. Come to think of it, they could just have all the past Clinton/Gore supporters recycle their old signs and buttons and use the savings to buy more t.v. time.

I know Bill can't run for President again (dang!), but I seem to have forgotten my old civics lessons -- could he run for VP? Now *that* would be one heck of a ticket.

I was having such fun at the tale end of the previous boodle--about five of you made me LOL and I didn't get a chance to say that.

Gimme some time to catch up here.

mo,

I was born and raised in Colombia. My 10th grade Latin American Lit teacher was a really cool guy who told us stories all the time. He related all our reading to what was going on at the time books or poems were written. Several presidents of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Colombia were very talented writers. We read some of their stuff.

I just gave that game a try and got in front first on second try in 19.4 seconds. While trying to get in back first I realized this is a great game to give you carpel tunnel, so I quit while I was ahead...

Hello yellojkt, poor John won't ever get near the liberal or progressive vote. He has burned too many bridges. The only way to get back in the good graces would be to burn all of his right-wing "Christian" pandering bridges that he has most recently constructed. That would take him to about 20% popularity.

Curiously, for many of the same pandering reasons, Clinton "most likely" won't win the Democratic nomination. She has been pandering away to odd bedfellows for two years.

The chattering classes seem to be stuck in Casablana.."round up the usual suspects." in re 2008. Let's first see what 2006 brings before we start counting our"winnings"

jw

I finished the parking game with a score of 152.4. Thanks. That was fun.

I need remedial parking lessons!

Any cool ideas for DC stuff to do with kids? I'm meeting my cousin and her kids there on the 27th. She's from Israel and has never been. Both her kids and my kids will be there. Ages range from almost 4 to 13. We're going to the zoo, and my kids have requested a trip to see the dinosaurs at the Smithsonian and riding the metro. Any other kid-friendly venues? We'd rather not drive, which may limit our choices.

TBG, please, whatever you do, do NOT tell us what you need the wax paper for.

Now if you were going to go with the plastic wrap, you may want to advise people before hand.

Did Al Gore talk about his environmental interests much while he was on the Clinton ticket or in his VP years? Not a whole lot of news comes out about VP's except for Cheney, but then he is a really interesting fellow.

You GOTTA see the dinosaurs! The Air and Space Museum also is cool.

Glen Echo Park is fun for kids. I'm not sure how close the closest Metro stop is. There's a good playground, and kids love the carousel. You'd be amazed how much kids love a chance to just play on a good playground, even though adults think it's kind of dull (of course, you also should go to the Washington Folk festival at Glen Echo on June 3-4 -- sadly, before your cousins arrive). The Discovery Creek Children's Museum at Glen Echo is fun -- you should call ahead for accessibility, they seem to me to have weird hours and weird open days, so it helps to check, first.

Takoma Park has a good Farmer's Market, open on Sundays, and you can get there by Metro. The city of Takoma Park has fun shops to visit, like the House of Musical Traditions (instruments and music).

Renaissance Triptych? (from Joel, of all people???) Pointillism in the land-sat photo? Any hidden messages? "So dark the con of man" perhaps? Goddess worship? The feminine sacred? Fibonacci sequences? The plot thickens...

a bea c,

On my way to the BPH, the Living History hands-on center in the American History Museum was packed with kids, as was the brand spanking new Mammal Hall in the Natural History Museum, they are right next to each other and each has a pretty decent, if expensive, food court.

Here's a plan:

Get to the zoo early, by car or subway. Catch the pandas before the line gets too long. Then walk up to Woodley Park, catch the red line to Metro Center and either get off there if the weather is cool or transfer to the Blue/Orange line and get off at Smithsonian Station. Run the kids up to the base of the Washington Monument then walk over to NMAH. Take another outside break and look at the Capitol and do the NMNH. American History is open until 6:30 and Natural History is open to 7:30.

Try not to do too much all in one day. You get tourist fatigue. Two museums max and don't bother with all the exhibits. Just go to things the kids want to see.

a bea c...just remember.. it will be HOT. Very HOT. Take lots of water. Take lots of breaks. Don't walk the kids to the point of exhaustion and they'll take away great memories.

My husband saw the National Gallery of Art when he was 12 and still talks about. Stick with the west wing. Get the headsets.

Ride the carousel on the mall. Take a sight-seeing tour and hop on and off where you see what you like.

Have the kids do the planning. They'll find some cool stuff. Riding the metro is great, but make sure you go out far enough where it's above ground. More fun that way. The subway stops in Virginia are in the median of the highway (Route 66) so you can race the cars.

Email me if you want to have a kid-friendly BPH: Boodler[at]mac.com

TBG

Dear ILL-logical,

We have at least two brand-new contestants right here already. I've formally announced some time back and I believe Mr. Curmudeon may have been drafted.

So no worries, mate.

National Geographic Society also has a little museum at their facility on 17th, I think it is, that the ScienceKids enjoyed.

Take the MARC train from Union Station up to Camden Yard in Baltimore and visit the Inner Harbor, including the Baltimore Maritime Museum, the National Aquarium in Baltimore (there seems to be a National Aquarium in DC, too; I know of no one who has ever visited it), and the Maryland Science Center (much more hands-on than the Smithsonian. You could get a cab over to the Baltimore Railroad Museum.

Dumbarton Oaks is good for grownups. You got art, you got history, and you got topiary outdoors for the kids to run around. I don't know about Metro access.

Loomis, it must be a plot. Maybe he's channeling again. I thought something was fishy with the title, because the first aid course running right next to my desk, has been practising breathing all morning.

Man I wish I had walls.

a bea c, for your friends from Israel the Holocaust Museum is a must, see http://www.ushmm.org/visit/ You should register ahead for tickets (its free, but "timed passes" are just about required. You can "try" to just show up when it opens at 10 a.m., but you'll never get in. Go for the passes.) Be warned, though: the museum may be a "must see," but it is a harrowing experience, as you may already know. They let kids in, but to me it perhaps ought to be people 16 and older. It's not a "fun" day.

The Air and Space Museum is THE most-visited museum in the country--but of course it depends on how one feels about planes and rockets and stuff. (Do the IMAX movies there, though--they're great.)

You could spend a week here just doing the Smithsonian stuff and never leave the mall.

Also, you might try the Spy Museum--that's kinda cool.

And of course there's the Official Porching Hour Site (not yet recognized as a historic landmark, but we're working on it) at 1652 K Street.

If you want a break from all the concrete, head down toward the Jefferson Memorial for the tidal basin, cherry trees, paddle boats--and then the "waterfront" is cool.

Check out the Kennedy Center for lots of kid's shows and matinees.

a bea c: you can take the free shuttle from the main Air and Space Museum to the hangar out in Dulles where they have all kinds of airplanes, as well as the space shuttle Enterprise. I went last weekend and had a lot of fun, but I love old planes.

But if you're only going to be here the one day, a bea c, the zoo is pretty much going to wipe out your day. You might get one other event/venue in, but you'll all be dragging.

What you might do the "pack in" as much as you can in a short time span is find one of those open-bus-type tours that ride around the main part of town--they way you (and the kids even more so) don't wear out your feet, and they'll run you past the White House, Wash. Monument, Capitol, Ford's Theater, etc., and you get to "see" all the big-name locations in an hour or two.

The National Conservatory on the Mall is good. The shows are a little dull, but it features nice places to sit down for lazy grown-ups, and it's a chance for kids from Israel to see lots of plants from the U.S. that will strike them as totally weird.

Great Falls, and the C&O Canal towpath. Lots of greenery, American history, wading birds, and waterfalls that will scare the snot of you.

By the way -- more about the Washington Folk Festival (WFF, pronounced woof). There's an excellent Israeli-born teller at the WFF, Noa Baum, and Arianna Ross (very multi-culti) will be telling at the Cuddle-Up Stage. Again, no good for your cousins, but good for you.

I went to the National Aquarium in DC on a lunch break years ago. It was a basement full of fish tanks in the Commerce Building on 14th Street. Don't bother.

Baltimore would be a full day side trip. The National Aquarium in Baltimore is a huge world class facility. I haven't been to the Aquarium since the Australian Outback exhibit just opened or to the Maryland Science Center since they expanded as well. Three blocks north of the Aquarium is Port Discovery which has a lot of hands on exhibits for kids. These all cost money, which is a shock if you're used to the free Smithsonian.

Closer to DC, Theodore Roosevelt Island in the middle of the Potomac is a hidden gem. A nice nature walk and the best hidden Presidential statue in Washington. Getting there is a little tricky. Check a map.

I have to plug the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial on the Potomac side of the Tidal Basin. Kids like climbing the pile of stones and it is wide open so they can run around a little. Not something that would interest real little ones though.

On the Mall, the Hirshhorn has modern art that can be a little disturbing to young kids, but it does have the least crowded and cleanest restrooms on the Mall. It's also a good a/c break if you are walking from American History to Air and Space. These musuems are not near each other no matter how close together they look on a map.

The best Smithsonian food is in the American Indian Museum, but the exhibits are better for a third or fourth trip after you've seen all the bigger museums. I'll second ScienceTims's plug for the National Geographic Museum, but it's a little off the beaten path if you are walking.

Make sure to get the all day pass ($7.50) if you are going to make at least three legs on the Metro.

a bea c - if you are going to be at the Natural History Museum to see the dinosaurs, take the kids upstairs to the Orkin Insect zoo. Good kid stuff of the eewww, yuk variety.

Walk down constitution avenue to the Einstein statue at 22nd street. There's always kids climbing on it, for some reason they seem to get a kick out of it (OK, I've climbed on it too - had to push a couple of the little buggers out of the way).

Cross constitution to the Vietnam veterans memorial and then on to the Lincoln memorial. Neither may have much personal meaning for someone from Israel. But this is a town of monuments, and these are two of our best.

a bea c -- FWIW, hate to disagree with the person who recommended the Spy Museum, but I took the ten-year-old son of my best friend and he was bored out of his mind. A lot of it had to do with expectations, I am sure. He thought it was going to be super-interactive (people shooting darts out of umbrellas, talking into shoe phones or whatever). But while it's the SPY Museum, it's in fact the Spy *MUSEUM*. You have to be interested in the subject matter at a certain abstract contextual level -- and you have to read the exhibit cards which are not written at fourth-grade level and good for them -- and he was bored. And I was annoyed at having spent the money, since it's not a Smithsonian museum and it's not free.

All kids love Air and Space. Those Tourmobile things can be a fun, not-too time consuming way to get the big-picture vibe of the city and might be especially attractive if it's boilingly hot.

QUESTION: When is the next convocation of the Porch Sitters?

i second annie's review of the spy museum (not having been there myself) - a co-worker said it was very expensive and really not worth the cost! and please take heed of the water/hot warning - it's not just the heat, it's the humidity! it's can exhaust you in minutes... so don't over-do it! and note that the zoo is built into the side of a hill so at some point you are going to do a lot of uphill walking... (i remember as a kid getting soooo tired at the zoo)
the holocaust museum is bar none but VERY intense - if the adults can separate from the kids or they sometimes have video screenings... check out the website... http://www.ushmm.org/

and i'm ALWAYS up for another BPH!!! :)

a bea c: I would note that the Metro Smithsonian station is quite a ways down the Mall from most of the "big" museums. It is close to the Holocaust Museum, though. Air & Space is right near the L'Enfant Plaza stop, and the NMNH, NMAH and National Gallery are essentially a stroll across the Mall. Off the beaten track, but for old airplane buffs the museum at the College Park Airport (oldest operating airport in the world!) is a 10-minute walk from the College Park Metro station. The Spy Musuem gets good reviews, but it does charge admission. Glen Echo is kid-friendly, but entails a long bus ride from downtown. Unfortunately, the trolley line was killed in 1960. Re: Baltimore, I believe the city runs a shuttle bus from Harbor Place over the the railroad museum.

and a bea c - not a columbiana! sheesh! you know panamanians and columbians don't get along! well, ok... here in the boodle we do! *grin*

Glen Echo Park is not near the metro. I think there is a bus there, but I have to find out myself.

I think Curmudgeon's idea is excellent, and the zoo is great but very draining if you're not used to walking further than to your parking spot. Add in the heat, and yikes!

But if your group ABSOLUTELY must see the zoo (I understand that feeling!) on a hot day...

I would go in the early morning-- 8 AM on weekdays, preferably, and then bail by 11 AM and walk very slowly, finding an AC restaurant on the way back to the metro, maybe a 2 hour lunch, and then see if there's energy left for the Mall. Take the new bus that goes around the Mall (I wonder if that has any relation to the guy who started targeting tourists recently), stop off at any museums of your choice, and then finish by 5 PM and call it a well-done day and hang out chatting.
And all in bed by 8 PM :-P.

Gee, you guys all jumped at the tour guiding opportunity. So much for the politicos' ambition discussion. I can't understand why a reasonble person would spend pretty much all his or her time sucking up for money or votes. These multi-year campaigns are probably discouraging most good candidates that have an actual life to live.

Mo, I can traverse 8/10 of the entire National zoo in a single visit of 3 hours or so (including 3-4 houses).

Even as a kid I was the least tired at the end of a zoo trip of everybody ;). It's my parents that were the walking dead.

The zoo is adding a new trail soon. It's worth remembering that it's impossible to see the whole zoo.

So you have to decide what you want to see anyway. The Pandas and cheetahs are close to the main entrance, at least.

The stuff at the extreme end of the zoo: Lion and Tiger pits, Amazonia (rainforest and aquarium with huge freshwater fish), The petting zoo. Lots of stuff on Olmstead walk on the way there.

Always quit while you have energy left, never stop into a house on the way towards the back of the zoo, only on the way back... that way if you tire faster than you thought, you still saw what you really wanted to see.

Soon they may need to put in a monorail or a toy train tour of the zoo.

a bea c, we also have a relatively new bus service, called the Circulator that has two loops around downtown--here's the link. Download/print out a copy for yourselves--that may make it easier than going underground (and you see more). And the buses themselves are really, clean and modern. http://www.dccirculator.com/home_page/

Yeah, Circulator, that's the bus service I meant. Those buses are way funky, and they really do stop all around the mall. Finally there's something for the physically disabled, energy-challenged, or lazy of leg!

I second wilbrod's idea. I haven't ridden the new bright red Metro circulator bus, but at a buck a trip it sounds like a bargain. Of course the guy that charges $20 for the all day pass to the Tourmobile (which includes guides) is livid about the idea.

The Smithsonian Metro stop is on The Mall (with an exit on Independence as well, so don't get turned around). It is the closest stop to the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial. The Federal Triangle station is closest to American History and Natural History. Archives/Navy Memorial is closest to Natural History and National Gallery.

Do not go to L'Enfant Plaza no matter how close it looks to something on the map. It is on the the wrong side of the railroad tracks in a business district that is dead on weekends. The Zoo is halfway between Woodley Park and Cleveland Park, so it's a half-mile walk no matter which you pick. I think the restaurants are better in Woodley Park.

The Metro has a pretty good website:

http://www.wmata.com/tripplanner/maps.cfm

Good luck kid wrangling.

Eh, I did a quick take on my solution to Global Warming:

http://www.10thcircle.com/10/?p=74

bc

Hey Shriek: "These multi-year campaigns are probably discouraging most good candidates that have an actual life to live." Understand that for polticos campaigning IS their only life. Ask their spouses/kids (and note Joel's comments in the kit). And campaining always includes grubbing for bucks. That's one reason the Abramhoffs of the world do so well--they can filter a lot of money to their favorite office-holders, and get paid attention to as a consequence. It's not quite bribery (else the entire congress would be in jail) but damn close.

The Circulator Bus concept is great!

I ride them... one terminus is right in front of my building. It is a quick trip and they run very often.

Still not solved is what to do when rush hour hits and there are buses stuck in the gridlock.

Other issue, they don't run very late, so if you go out to dinner on one, you may have to find alternate travel methods to get back.

Ah, L'Enfant Plaza, the old DOT hang out. I use to visit there, back when DC was the murder capital of the US. I always found rather disturbing all the warnings and disclaimer my DOT collegues were piling on me: don't come back here at night, on't walk around the building, etc. And yet we were darn close to Congress. Have things improved ?

One other tip: if you can, try to eat lunch early, say 11. It's almost impossible to get in anywhere at noon--if you think the zoo is a zoo, try a restaurant at 12 or 12:30 on the mall.

One place I might recommend if you are on the mall around 11 is the outdoor cafe/sculpture garden at 7th st. on the mall http://dc.about.com/od/smithsonianmuseums/p/Hirshhorn.htm Food is sandwiches and salads and stuff, it shouldn't be too crowded yet, nice place.

I wouldn't go into a restaurant inside one of the museums at noon with a gun to my head. Eat breakfast early, then an early lunch. And you'll be ravenous by 4 anyway, which is good. (And if you didn't have all those kids with you, about 9 of us would meet you at McCormick & Schmicks--where else can you get a (great!!) cheeseburger platter for $1.95????

Hmmmmm. Gang, think McCormick & Schmick's would object to a couple kids? (Don't worry, a bea c, we'd provide the tinfoil hats for you and your group. They'd make wonderful souvenirs to take back to Israel, too.)

SCC: Capitol, not Congress. Time to validate some more data.

Good point-- there are few places to eat dinner on the Mall anyway (The National Museum of the American Indian has a decent cafe, but it's $$).

Museums close at 5, so if you hop it, should be okay?

Seconding BC... L'Enfant plaza is also very confusing to exit on weekends, since they have 3 exits and one is shut on weekends. I had to beg the station manager to tell me how to get the &*%^% out of there.

I like to walk down from Cleveland Park myself, would then walk to woodley park myself from the zoo if I was headed into DC.
This is because I feel the hills from Woodley Park to the zoo are steeper going to the zoo than they are from Cleveland Park.

Not to mention that the escalator seems a LOT longer at the Woodley Park zoo.

You can't see the end when you get on, so there's always a moment where you wonder if you'll be handed a harp when you step off at the end.

But the bridgephobic might not like walking from Woodley Park to the zoo, since there's quite a downwards view to the trees under the bridge on Conn Ave before the zoo.

So, claustrophobia and hills versus gephyrophobia... Ah, take your tequila shot 'n' go.

thanks everyone for the kid-friendly tourist information. I can't wait. I don't know if we'll be up for a kid-friendly BPH, but I'll let everyone know as the date gets closer.

I've copied large chunks of this into an email to my cousins. We've never met in person. She's the oldest daughter of my dad's oldest sister. I think we'll have a great time. Unless she decides to cancel the trip after I tell her she's taking a tour based on advice from my imaginary friends.

Airplanes may be interesting. I'm not sure if it is this cousin or her sister who flew helicopters for the IDF.

I believe we'll skip the Holocaust museum. I went there soon after it opened. Got tickets and waited around for hours for the time printed on them. Finally went in about 25 minutes prior to see the "no ticket" part and sat and cried and couldn't stop, then walked out and gave the tickets to some lady standing in line for next-day tickets. I guess I could try going in again. Back then, the pictures of the people all looked like the pictures my grandmother kept on her dresser. They were pictures of the family who didn't make it out of Germany. My grandmother had passed away just a few months before, and I was still grieving. It was just too hard. Then again, as my mom says every time the subject comes up, the Holocaust museum was created for people who didn't grow up surrounded by survivors. Why go?

Hey, Shrieking Denizen, how do you think I feel? CG HQ is on Buzzard Point, with nothing but the cement plant and public housing to keep us company.

I agree with you on the Holocaust museum, a bea c.

By the way, I'm 100% fictional. The others are just imaginary.

gephyrophobia: n. Fear of crossing bridges.

Thanks for the new word.

I think my cousin and her family would be up to a BPH. I'd have to talk my dad into it.

By the way, to clear up the confusion, I AM Colombian, and now I'm also American. I've only met one Panamanian guy in my life. His name was Fernando and he was very nice. We got along great and NEVER discussed history. :)

I'm usually frictional, and often factional as well as factual.

Almost never functional.

And more flirtatious than fictitious.

Note that there is a Metro entrance at L'Enfant at 7th & Maryland, just a half-block from the A&S & Hirshorn. See:
http://www.stationmasters.com/System_Map/LENFNTPL/lenfntpl.html

FYI, Joel's buddy Bill Gray is mentioned in this Rocky Mountain News story about the upcoming hurricane season:

Busy hurricane season ahead, CSU experts predict

Researchers debate global warming's role in strong storms

By Jim Erickson, Rocky Mountain News

June 1, 2006

The Atlantic hurricane season starts today, and Colorado State University forecasters say it's likely to be very active but less destructive than last year's record-setter.

The latest forecast from William Gray and Phil Klotzbach calls for nine hurricanes, including five major storms with winds of 111 mph or higher and 17 named tropical storms. There's an 82 percent chance, the CSU team said Wednesday, that at least one major hurricane will strike the U.S. coastline this year.

"If the atmosphere and the ocean behave as they have in the past, we should have a very active season, but that doesn't necessarily translate into storms that produce as much destruction as last year," said Gray, who has led the forecast team for 22 years.

The CSU forecast is similar to one issued last week by the National Hurricane Center. Federal scientists are predicting 13 to 16 named storms, eight to 10 hurricanes, and four to six major hurricanes.

Last year, the Atlantic produced 28 named storms, including 15 hurricanes. Seven of the hurricanes were considered "major," and a record four of them hit the United States. Colorado scientists are at the center of a heated debate over global warming's role - if any - in recent powerful hurricanes.

Boulder researchers presented dueling hurricane studies in May's edition of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research argue in one article that "we are likely already experiencing more intense tropical cyclones as a result of global warming." The article's NCAR authors are Richard Anthes, Greg Holland, James Hurrell and Kevin Trenberth.

But University of Colorado researcher Roger Pielke Jr. and colleagues in Florida and Maryland contend in another article that it's too soon to say if human-caused climate change has strengthened hurricanes.

"I think everyone accepts that global warming can play a role," Pielke said Wednesday in an interview. "But there continues to be an active and vigorous debate in the scientific community about what's been observed and how to interpret it."

The NCAR-led team points out that the 2005 Atlantic season spawned the greatest number of named tropical storms and the most hurricanes on record. It was the only year with three Category 5 hurricanes (winds of 156 mph and higher) and produced the most costly storm on record, Katrina, with some damage estimates as high as $200 billion.

Temperatures in the tropical oceans, which provide the fuel for hurricanes, have warmed 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970, and the NCAR-led group said there is "little doubt" that the recent warming is due in part to the buildup of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, released by the burning of fossil fuels.

In addition, there's been a big increase over the past 35 years in the number and proportion of intense hurricanes, they said. "This is the type of signature that would be expected from global warming changes rather than from natural (climate) variability alone," they conclude. The best-available evidence, they say, suggests that future human-caused warming will intensify hurricanes and that "this process has already commenced."

But Pielke and his colleagues say the NCAR group doesn't present a shred of evidence linking observed hurricane behavior to human- caused climate change. "We should not make the mistake of confusing interesting hypotheses with conclusive research results," Pielke wrote in the article.

...And I flagellate like a proud Par-american in this great petri dish of humanity.

I think I'm going to enter that in a "bad writing contest."

It'd make a good phrase for an amoebi-tious politican, though.

And so we spirochete back to the original topic....

Wilbrod, Bulwer-Lytton is THE place for bad writing. http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/

They had me at 'Sphincter, the gladiator, girded his loins'.

The Detective winner for 2005 was brilliant-- a whole plot in a sentence and a backhanded slam to a plot cliche.

The Fanasty one was similar, but not as deft.

The children's lit winner was inspidly bad.

I like the dishonorable mention involving the Cowardly Lion-- although that sounds like it could be a line from "Wicked". (maybe it IS...)

Hillary is a LAWYER first, last, and formost... which is why she makes former Dem's like myself so disgucted when she tailors every message instead of just saying what she thinks.

Lawyers tailor their message to a jury or a judge and it can be 180% each time they speak depending on the case and crime or matter before the court. This is their training.

In other words, lawyers who behave as Hillary does - in an official capacity as they would in court - display behavior that is EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF LEADERSHIP.

I'm an independent now.

Long Beach, forget "independent"-- form the Shakespearian political party.

"First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."

We could promote Shakespeare's political philosophy nationwide and totally change the nature of the nation's discourse.

I'd like to see more politicans immolate their careers due to tragic flaws.

Scc, Wilbard, not Wilbord.

I got it... Stewart/Colbert.

The scary thing is if they *did* run, they'd probably stand a better than average chance.

What's scarier is that they would probably do one "heck of a job" better than the current monkeys in charge.

I have a question -- what's the deal with bears on The Colbert Report?

Electing lawyers to write laws is like electing exterminators to clean up congress.

From Mudge's post:

'But Pielke and his colleagues say the NCAR group doesn't present a shred of evidence linking observed hurricane behavior to human- caused climate change. "We should not make the mistake of confusing interesting hypotheses with conclusive research results," Pielke wrote in the article.'

There are two Roger Pielkes -- Sr. and Jr. Senior is a climate scientist, Junior is more of a policy guy. Junior is saying here that the link hasn't been proved. But he's not saying it's not true. He's just saying that if you look at warmer sea surface temperatures and then look at more strong hurricanes that doesn't conclusively show that one thing leads to the other. A common monkey wrench thrown into that equation is that if you have a warm Pacific -- an El Nino event -- the winds blowing across to the Atlantic ought to obliterate a lot of hurricanes before they can get organized. But everyone should also grasp that the consensus on global warming isn't built on the hurricane data. It's built on CO2 and methane etc. going up and an observed rise in temperature that seems to correspond to it in a way that fits our understanding of how these things act as "forcings" on climate. Plus you got stuff melting. You got ice cores that give you a long record of temperatures and associate gases in the atmosphere. The hurricane studies are, as I understand it, statistical analyses.

I am sure I have cleared this up very nicely.

ebtnut wrote: "Note that there is a Metro entrance at L'Enfant at 7th & Maryland, just a half-block from the A&S & Hirshorn."

True...but it depends on which exit/stairwell you take. The northern ones are a block or so away from the museums. On the south side exit at 7th and D, there's nuthin' there to see...but me.

You do the math.

I'd hate to think of innocent children coming all the way from Israel, tromping all over one of the world's great cities...and then coming upon a curmudgeon rifling through the GPO style manual and muttering curses and imprecations under his breath. Better they should run into a couple of winos, or a lobbyist or something.

I favor running into elephants, myself.

Re the "If he's breathing, he's running" idea----

My favorite Republican (it's a small group), Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, when asked on one of the Sunday news shows about whether he planned to run said, "Everyone who isn't in rehab plans to run." Good line, I thought.

Mudge,
Jim Erickson of the Rocky Mountain News is the reporter who got Dr. Vince Fulginiti to go on the record about the little-known clinic to treat, in the early 60s, the worst of the worldwide smallpox-vaccine injured. I've spoken to Jim. *Very nice* guy.

Just a thought on Al Gore. His undergrad roommate at Harvard was the actor Tommy Lee Jones, whose former father-in-law is San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, who's behind the current Main Plaza redevelopment project. I read somewhere quite recently that Gore and Jones hate it when the rommate connection is brought up.

If Jones' last film was "the Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," do you think Jone's next film might be "The Political Resurrection of Al Gore?"

Bears are evil picanic basket stealing critters that sleep half the year and scare unwary hikers the rest.
What's not to get. Unless, of course, YOU SECRETLY LOVE BEARS. In which case you are in violation of myriad state and federal statutes and I advise you to immediately consult a lawyer. Or, google bearlove.

Long Beach... I appreciate what you are saying. I don't know if Hillary's selective message crafting is a lawyering trait or a learned trait from politics.

All professional politicians want to put "the back foot out of their batter's box," if you know what I mean.

I am with you, stand in the damn box. Let's see where you are and I will take into consideration those positions with which I agree and those with which I disagree and then compare with the other candidate.

I would have to say that we waste too much time characterizing liberals and conservatives when we should be just asking what do you believe or what would you do.

Let's compare what candidates would do. Get down to brass tacks.

May I add that I think, done well, most solutions are better than a hodgepodge of inaction and knee jerk reactions based on momentary political capital chasing.

I want to hear about 4 to 8 year plans that have 4 to 8 years worth of work and a goal in mind. I also would say that I agree with George Will when he states that neither party owns and controls the "moral highground."

Let's get a majority to agree on what our country needs to do for OUR PEOPLE and move forward. Let's take time to look at the Real facts. Let's see what everyone has to say. Let's not just assume that if there is an R or a D after the name in Parens that they have a clue or don't have a clue.

Has anyone noted that the late, great master of political come-backs, Richard Nixon, made an appearance on the then top rated TV sketch comedy show, Laugh-In (Sept 16, 1968)? Of course that was late in the election cycle but nowadays 30 months before the next presidential election might not be soon enough for an appearance on SNL.

Maybe it's more like "If he's breathing and he's showing his wild-side he's running". OK, SNL might not be the top rated TV show today and saying, "Sock it to me," is pushing the wild-side thing a little.

Joel, from your (well done) attempt to clarify things, I infer that correlation has been proved, but not causation. Is that fair?

Need to catch up on this afternoon's boodling, but I want to post this before too many folks go home.

This is the first piece of writing that absolutely thrilled me; I read it in high school--I think Freshman year. I read this passage from Thomas Hardy's "Far From the Madding Crowd" and I could smell the day he was describing. I think it was really the first time that I just fell in love with the way something was written.

I always think of it as June begins, and I want to share it with the boodle today (through the miracle of Google):

==

It was the first day of June, and the sheep-shearing season culminated, the landscape, even to the leanest pasture, being all health and colour. Every green was young, every pore was open, and every stalk was swollen with racing currents of juice. God was palpably present in the country, and the devil had gone with the world to town.

Nice, never read Hardy (time to remedy that soon)....

May you all NOT dream of bad writers/poets reading their work to you.

The hurricance causation thing goes like this:

(1) warm sea-surface temperatures have a well-understood correlation with the probability of a hurricane forming.

(2) warmer sea-surface temperatures correlate to mightier hurricanes.

(3) increased sea-surface temperature is a logical consequence of global warming.

(4) increased global temperatures correlate strongly with increased CO2 in the atmosphere.

(5) therefore, one predicts that the rate of hurricane-incidence, or the magnitude of hurricanes, should correlate positively with the history of CO2 in the atmosphere.

The observed data show that the rate of hurricane-formation is about the same as for a long while back. The fraction of hurricanes which get up to Category 4 or 5 is linearly correlated with the atmospheric CO2 concentration. The problem is that good hurricane data mainly date from the advent of weather satellites, so there are only about 40 years of data. Hurricane processes have some cyclical behavior of their own, so the skeptical response is that the CO2-linked hypothesis is not a unique solution. The rebuttal is that there is, in fact, sufficient data to identify a statistical distinction from the (formerly) usual probabilities. Furthermore (I may have this part wrong), the track record of hurricane cyclical behavior controls the rate of hurricane formation, not the fraction that reach the highest categories. These are the terms of the debate.

a bea c, sorry to chime in late, but...

If you happen to be touring on a weekday, the all-day Metro passes are only good AFTER 9:30 a.m. And the Zoo is most definitely UPHILL from the Woodley Park Metro. The Cleveland Park stop has a few restaurants, but starting there and then walking DOWN to Woodley from the Zoo is always in order.

Hope that helps.

:-)

TBG, lovely writing quoted in your post.

I usually look forward to the first cool day at the end of the summer. When I was in Louisiana, living without air conditioning, there was a morning sometime in late October when the air was clear. The summer haze was gone. I could look outside my window and see every leaf on the oaks all the way to the tops of the trees. The leaves also made a different rustling sound when the wind blew through the trees, as if they knew it was almost time to fall. When I left Baton Rouge and moved to Memphis, I was surprised when that day came in mid-September. I ran into a coworker's office and tried to explain it, the clear air, the leaves on the trees. He was a serious number cruncher. He just stared at me and said, "Yes, the forecast called for cooler weather." What a dork.

Speaking of Metro all-day passes.... the other day my son and I were walking into the Vienna Metro station and a very nice guy (who, by the way, was carrying a case of beer) handed me his Metro all-day pass and said he was done with it and would I like it.

Would I? (won't go there) It was great! And when I was done, I passed it along to someone else. I looked and couldn't find anywhere on it that said "not transferrable" or whatever the proper term would be.

I've read Tess, and the Mayor of Casterbridge. There are some lines near the end of 'Casterbridge' that formed a complete picture in my mind the moment I read them, and even as I read your quote TBG, the picture came to mind. A wordsmith to be sure.

TBG- If you check one of those passes I bet you'll find that it states that it is non-transferable. You have just confessed to felony fraud in the online version of a nationally read newspaper and I advise you to immediately consult a lawyer. Or, google bearlove.

Al and Hillary? Good grief. How about Al Gore and Ron Paul? That would shake it all up.

Clouds are indeed hard.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen

Boko999, the fine print on my pass did not say it could not be transferred. I reallly looked. Not that I wouldn't have transferred, I just would have been a little more discreet about handing it to someone (just looked for the clueless folks staring at the Farecard machine).

The new refillable SmarTrip cards are cool but they actually COST five bucks. That's lost money. Doesn't get you anywhere. Then you add more money to it to pay your fare and your parking. But my son figured out you just have to wave your wallet over the reader to open the gates. Don't even have to take the card out first.

But I'm such a dork that I paused one time to see how much was left on my SmarTrip card (a little digital readout appears on the gate) and the gate actually closed before I got through it! I had to talk the guys in the booth into letting me through because I had used up all the credit. I'm not sure if the AddFare machine will add to a SmarTrip card. But again, I'm such a dork.

Breaking news...Finola Hackett has advanced to the spelling bee finals. She comes from the small town of Tofield, Alberta, just down the road from me. Way to go Finola.

I thought it was the NATIONAL Spelling Bee?

Where's that border fence when we really need it?

and dr... it's a good thing she didn't add your extra "u" to the word "bdelloid."

It would be an honour to have someone from your area win (Way to go Finola!).

Never been to DC...now I want to go...you really sell it!

TGB - You have been libelled in the online version of a nationally read newspaper and I advise you to immediately consult a lawyer. Or, google bearlove.

Speaking of bees, I just saw the first firefly of the season. Okay, it's a stretch. But when I was growing up we didn't have fireflies, so I'm compensating a bit here.

My copy of "It Looks Like a President Only Smaller" arrived today from Amazon (albeit the Used-Book Department) and this time I AM NOT LETTING IT OUT OF MY SIGHT.

Boko... I'll hire SonofCarl (who I just typo'ed as SonofCarol).

SoC... what IS your mom's name?

I keep telling ya we're takin' over.

Actually it is the National Spelling Bee. "The 9- to 15-year-old spellers who made it to the bee qualified by winning local contests in the United States, as well as in American Samoa, the Bahamas, Europe, Guam, Jamaica, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands." It seems American territories as well as those from the 50 states. Canadians have entered only the last 2 years. Hey wait a second...

Shouldn't we Achenaddicts be paying more attention to the spelling bee? I mean we are at the forefront of wordiness and archane usage, aren't we?

TBG - Be sure to write a good review of Joel's book for Amazon. Then you can watch the review proliferate without attribution to every site on the web trying to sell books. It's easy and fun!!

Ok, that 'h' was not in arcane when I hit submit.

dr - I take great umbrage at your assertion that we denizens of the Achenblog indulge in gratuitously wordy expositions. Why anyone with a modicum of the most rudimentary sentience would instantly comprehend that these posts are exemplary representations of acute pithiness.

Never ever take my advice, I know I never will. I'm surprised Stephen Colbert hasn't been picketed and/or sued yet. Bears have a very powerful lobby and are known to be persnickety. I recommend that he immediately consult a lawyer. Or a diversity consultant.

RD,

Clearly you have my favorite bumper sticker on your car: Eschew Obfuscity.

I feel so humbled I never heard of any of those words in the latest round of the spelling bee.

Catherine Daniel, I don't recommend DC in July-August, it's pretty darn hot, although sweating is always worth it for the Smithsonian Folklife festival. The weather never fails to be sizzling, though. Sometimes it rains.

DC is a tough place to stay (expensive) but certainly there are a lot of free places to go.

Your best bet is to find some poor schlemiel you went to college with, are related to, or otherwise can impose on them without paying rent. Of course, don't expect hotel/maid service or "southern hospitality", as the last person who played me for a poor schlemiel found out ;).

RD
> when I was growing up we didn't have fireflies

How you prepare them now? When I was growing we would have partridge. How many fireflies to feed a family of four?

Sonofcarl, I'm going to tomorrow and get things in order, so I should be around this month. Thanks for asking. This is my birthday month. June 12, 2006. Today is my son's birthday. He would have been thirty-five years old. I've talked to my grandsons, and the rest of that crowd. My grandsons say they might see me the weekend. That will be work, but I haven't seen them in awhile, so I'll enjoy it.

A Gore/Clinton ticket sounds interesting, although Clinton doesn't embrace issues, kind of skirts around them. They certainly can't do any worse than the crowd that holding down those jobs now. I laughed so hard at the guy that said they're running if they're not in rehab. Most politician seem like they're off their meds. And in Washington it looks like they all need therapy.

You should see the way the kids light up when I say "fireflies for dinner!"

Fireflies should always be sauteed; never fried. Fried Fireflies is just too hard to say.

Is there a firefly season down there? It's pretty much open season on insects in Canada, edible or not. I'm not sure whether stretching bees could be construed as animal cruelty or not. I recommend that you immediately consult a lawyer. Under no circumstances Google "bee stretching"

Loomis, glad to see you back. You know when I first started here at the Achenblog, you, Loomis, were one of the people that encouraged me to talk. I thank you for that, and for all of you, and your kindnesses to me.

Cassandra, I don't know the correct way to say Happy Birthday for your son. I know this must be a terribly hard day for you. You do know that you are in our hearts and we feel for you on a day like today (and every day, when it comes to your son).

I learned when my mom died that there's really no 'wrong thing' to say to someone about their loss. Just having the loss acknowledged means so much.

So I guess I'll just say "I'm sorry." I hope you see your grandsons this weekend and give them big hugs. They're lucky to have you.

TBG, talk about dorkiness...that's me! In the Vienna Metro Station getting one pass for $20 when I needed 5 $4 passes to get my crowd downtown to the Smithsonian and back. I abased myself to the station manager and he was very kind to me.

The fireflies have been out here for several weeks. Wouldn't catch them to eat, though, that would be cruel. Fireflies are to enjoy in the yard. In my world, very small people are allowed to catch them, but must let them go before their bedtime.

Thanks to heat and my intense watering, both my Early Girl and cherry tomato plants have little green tomatoes on them. It has rained all around us for the past ten days, and we have had nada, zip, nothing. The green beans are almost to the top of the bean tower, and the squash plants in the big pot are growing nicely. My gardenia is in full bloom and fills the whole yard with its lovely scent.

TBG, you said it all. And I thank you all.

Where do they find these words for the bee? I'm learning new stuff.

Cassandra, have a wonderful weekend. I'll be visiting my parents in NC (Wake Forest) and I'll think about you.

Boko, are you a google executive? I thought posts here had to be non-commercial. Watch out or Hal and Co. will kick you out.

I feel I must clarify the meaning of my earlier posts decrying the behaviour of "bears". I was referring to members of the genus Ursus and not the large, hirsute gentlemen of the gay community. I in no way believe that you sleep six months of the year and am quite certain of your ambition and industriousness. As for the stealing of picanic baskets, I am confident in your ability to prepare your own, in fact I'm quite sure that they are very nice indeed. Both bear marriage and bear adoption are legal in Canada and I completely support this progressive legislation. I deeply regret any offence I may have inadvertently given. Please forward any legal papers, hate mail and explosive devices to SonofCarl Edmonton, Alberta.

Boko999 ,

You had me at the Yogi pronunciation of "picanic"!

ROFL

Thankyou Error
I invite you to sign a petition I am preparing in an effort to assuage my guilt. It will recommend turning Stephen Colbert into a nice rug, or considering his relative size and hairlessness, a bathmat.

My daughter just showed me this:

Google "elgoog" and click on the first result.

Hilarity ensues (or seusne).

dr... your girl Finola is ROCKIN'!

TBG that was funny, makes me wonder where people find the time to create those things. Since dr isn't around I will announce that the Canadian girl in the spelling bee is do great down to the final four.

TGB very funny
However I'm concerned that your daughter may suffer from dylexia. I recommend that you immediately consult a physician.

dmd... my daughter said a boy in her class (she's in 6th grade--still elementary school here) told her about it and she visited the site.

When her teacher walked in the room, she looked at my daughter's screen and cried, angrily, "Hey! Why is Google backwards?!" like LittleG had somehow broken the computer.

That just cracks me up. You can hear me cachinnate from up there, I'm sure!

TBG my daughter is in grade five here, I am convinced that there are teachers out there with absolutely no sense of humour (or humor if you prefer). My daughter is watching the spelling bee with me first interest she has taken in spelling ever.

Has anyone seen The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee?

I think it's my second-favorite Broadway show, after Spamalot.

It's lots of fun and a great close-up view of some incredibly talented and funny people.

In honour of Finola, we'll say sense of humour tonight!

Haven't seen nor heard of it. I recommend that I google it immediately.

You saw Spamalot! I'm green with envy.

Esquisse! What the...?

LittleG: "A silent P?!"

uh, Boko999, is there a reason you want us to Google® "bearlove"? Just post a picture of your fuzzy self and let us admire. I'm sure we can take it.

I saw 25th PCSB about a week before the Tonys and was very glad the guy from the cast that won did. The theater is very cool because the lobby and everything is decorated with all these school banners and fliers. I "auditioned" to be one of the audience spellers, but didn't get picked.

It's touring now, but I don't think it would be as good not in-the-round.

Cassandra, I think the hardest thing a human being ever has to do is bury a child. You and your son will be in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow.

I learned a very important lesson today. Don't recommend googling anything until you've checked it out yourself. As for posting photos of myself, no one needs more pictures old skinny white guys.

The soundtrack of 25th PCSB is available on amazon and gots 4 out of 5 rating.

Finola just lost, on "weltschmerz." The winner just got both kundalni and ursprache right.

Jeez, I thought this was supposed to be the English language.

I'll just reiterate what my daughter said:

A silent P?!?!

We were pulling for Finola and were sad to see her lose, but her face and expression were beautiful when she saw her opponent win. That's what should make her parents so proud.

I will repeat what yellojkt said the other day and what I think whenever I see young people in action: "The next 20% is on its way."

Mudge, isn't that kundalini?

*cough cough*

David Hyde Pierce

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42627063@N00/158389921/

and Hank Azaria

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42627063@N00/158389920/in/photostream/

autographing programs after Spamalot. Tim Curry was being a prima donna and not leaving the dressing room.

Yeah, Mudge... the English language and the National spelling bee.

Only this group would stay up late for the Academy Awards and the National Spelling Bee.

I used the word "maiesiophiliac" in my blog awhile back. I don't think that it will be used in the NSB. That some post had a link to Bear Magazine. I'm not reposting it here. You're on your own.

MY picture of Hank Azaria at the stage door:
http://imageserver4.textamerica.com/user.images.x/42/IMG_451842/_0514/T520050514134257322.jpg

and just because I also had it handy

Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies signing my daughter's ticket in Baltimore last November:
http://imageserver4.textamerica.com/user.images.x/42/IMG_451842/_1128/T520051128175400669.jpg

(both pictures taken with cell-phone camera)

>Only this group would stay up late for the Academy Awards and the National Spelling Bee.

Uh, actually "South Park". Sorry. :-)

And "Puppets Who Kill"
For anyone interested in "Bee Stretching" I recommend immediately linking to:
http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/html/P4034184e.html

Awright, already. Sheesh. SCC: kundalini.

Like, you knew what it was, right? Some kind of elongated pasta?

Barenaked Ladies are on my just keep missing list. I will someday take my son to see them.

>Like, you knew what it was, right?

Yoga class in Cambridge, when I lived in Waltham, Mass.

Look man, you run for President, you gotta know these things.

Fer cryin' out loud, I knew weltschmerz and ursprache (3 years of Deutsche). I can even do weltanshauung und schadenfreude. Think George Bush can? I don't do yoga, only pasta.

They would've had me on the "weltanshauung", I can tell you that.

Is schadenfreude what most Canadians feel about Conrad Black's troubles? I'm sorry, Lord HAHAHA.

Does anyone know when they replaced the ice cream shop in the bottom of American History with a subway? My brohter and I just returned from Cali after being away 7 years. I was shocked and disappointed. Anybody else feel the same way?

I now realize I've been in a state of weltschmerz since late 2000...

Main Entry: welt·schmerz
Pronunciation: 'velt-"shmerts
Function: noun
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: German, from Welt world + Schmerz pain
1 : mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state
2 : a mood of sentimental sadness

Those kids were great!
(Where is Bayou Self? Hope he's just too busy to boodle.)

Here's my last salvo in the Boodle Stage Door Celebrity Shoot-off: The cast of Three Days of Rain including Julia Roberts (with a side helping of Julianna Margulies).

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2006/04/stalking-julia.html

I miss the American History ice cream shop, but the overall quality of the food at the Main Street cafeteria is very good, if you don't think the Subway is the only place to eat.

I despaired when Air and Space put in a McDonalds, but it has actually been a change for the better. The old food was sub-college cafeteria. I always wanted to go to brunch in the Castle, but they ripped that restaurant out before I got a chance.

Here's a transcript of last week's divalog (that's so much more correct than "diavlog")between Joel and Robert Wright about global warming, growing your own food, Al Gore, road trips, cats, and the Big Picture.

http://tropicfan.com/Wright-Achenbach_May_27_2006_diavlog_transcript.htm

I can tell turists season is beginning in DC. In fact, on the Metro ride to work this morning I heard phrases spoken like "Excuse me", "Oh, I'm sorry", and "Pardon me, sir". I havn't heard these words on the train since spring break.

kbertocci, you are a treasure.

Thanks for the transcript.

bc

kbertocci
Thank you very much for posting the diavlog transcript. Although I had listened to the whole thing over the memorial day weekend, I think I missed a few subtleties. There were two dogs running around at the time. Plus, alcohol may have been present.
Although the transcript made me feel very dumb and unsophisticated, it did so in a very delightful way.

Joel - I actually grew backyard corn for a few years. A variety called "Kandy Corn" known for its intense sweetness and purple tassels. Well worth the effort.

There are no words to console a mother who has lost her child, but if there were I'd say them over and over to you Cassandra. Grandchildren are wonders to behold, aren't they? I know you'll enjoy having them this weekend.

Oh yeah, thanks for propagating the term "divalog", k.

RD, "Kandy Corn" sounds like an exotic dancer.

bc

Cassandra, I 'll be thinking about you and your son today.

bc

bc
You should see how those purple tassels spin.

kbertocci - Thanks for the transcript .
I couldn't watch the show myself (dsl boondocks) and from the reading the commnents about it I got the impression that it was some sort of acrimonious slugfest. The transcript reveals two guys who respect each other but suspect the other may be slightly nuts (Joels right).

Yes, thanks kbertocci. RD Padouk, I also grew corn in my yard/garden. The cobs were quite small, but very tasty. Do you recall a singer named Trini Lopez? He had one hit record (I think it was "If I had a Hammer"). He was a poor Latino lad from the Barrio. The story goes that with that one hit record, he purchased one of those grand homes in Beverly Hills for his parents, who immediately tilled up the front yard and planted corn.

I think Dreamer would like Mr. Wright.

Oh, and I meant to say that I did get to watch the diavlog. Joel was quite droll and witty. I couldn't tell if they were acrimonious or just slyly pulling each other's leg and affectionately insulting each other.

Someone mentioned Nixon's SNL cameo. Sure wish those who missed it could see it. Instead of accenting the first word of SOCK it to me, he said Sock it to ME.

Oh, I *heart* Mr. Wright, Boko.

Nani- I love that story! Wouldn't it be great if everybody dug up their silly over-fertilized lawns, garaged their noisy CO2-belching mowers, and planted corn? Then, in the evenings, we could go out into the yard to get some excercise and maybe actually talk to the neighbors about the weather.

I think I need either more coffee or less coffee. Can't decide.

I've seen that Nixon Laugh-In segment, it was great. Might even have it around on VHS. Some sat. channel was playing Laugh-In regularly not long ago and it was amazing how good Dan Rowan was doing the "News From The Future", especially in uniform. Quite a bit was still topical.

Nani - I think you me Nixon's "Laugh In" appearance.

Nani - that was Laugh-In. SNL was still a hazy woozy dream at that point.

Thank you, everyone for cheering Finola on. She did great didn't she. We are very, very proud of her. Not only did she make the local news, but she made the local news before they talked about the Carolina Hurricanes going to the Stanely Cup finals.

I can only reliably spell the word 'a', so its fair to say Finola is my hero.

Wow - we all pounced on poor Nani over Laugh In. Perhaps it is because I have such strong memories of it. My parents weren't sure if they should let us watch it, but I think they assumed much of it was "over our heads."

They were wrong.

This boodle is like one of those cocktail partys discussed in the divalog. You know, about being nice to the people you meet there?
I must confess to some difficulty in living up to this standard. The beer busts I'm used to attending aren't considered a success unless a fist fight breaks out.

dr, I don't know if you saw my comment about Finola, but the look on her face when the other girl won was beautiful! She smiled and looked just as proud as if she had won it herself. I really think that's what her parents should be most proud of.

My daughter and I were watching it as closely as any sports event (of course this is the family that competes in Improv Comedy and Oddysey of the Mind) and decided we couldn't bear to see either of them lose. But the way it happened made it OK.

You could tell Finola just didn't know whether it was a V or W. Poor thing knew how to spell the rest of the word--the hardest part!

You should be very proud of her. I am and I live thousands of miles away!

I thought you might be interested in this tidbit. I want to know who the heck has the time to care about stuff like this?

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2006/06/02/1611164-sun.html

If you were old enough to watch TV in the summer of '74, you saw Nixon's "Sock it to ME!" R&MLI clip many, many times.

bc

>The old food was sub-college cafeteria

yellojkt, when was the last time you were in a college cafeteria? I've been amazed on these colleges tours of how the dining halls have turned into food courts!

I remember getting whatever was on the menu that night slung onto a plate and handed to me. Now it's your choice of the brick-oven pizza, the salads, the grilled focaccia sandwiches or the "home cooking" section, which is basically the old-school cafeteria-style meat and potatoes.

These young whippersnappers don't know how good they've got it, dabnabbit!

Laugh-In it was. I yam beneath contempt.

"You really think we need the exclamation point? Because it's not 'Top of the muffin TO YOU!!!'"

-- Elaine

Found this on a Laugh-In fansite:

Nixon went on during the 1968 election campaign just to say "sock it to me". The producers offered the same opportunity to his opponent Hubert Humphrey, but he declined. In the event, Nixon won the election by only a million votes. Dick Martin admits; "A lot of people have accused us."

>Laugh-In it was. I yam beneath contempt.

No, it was a SNL moment alright, just pre-SNL. I still do that Artie Johnson bit: "Verrrry interesting. But SHTUPID."

Laugh-In was quite daring for those times. As was That Was The Week That Was. Our kiddos loved the guy that rode the little tricycle and kept falling over. Mr. Nani couldn't take his eyes off Goldie Hawn. The Smothers Comedy Brothers Hour was another great show. "Mom liked you best".

dr
Readers of *enter Your City* Sun papers can't live without a front page bathroom story. The results of recent elections confirms this. For a right-wing newspaper chain purporting "family values" theirs are the newpapers with the scantilly clad models on the inside page. They also carry all the escort ads. Add to this Fox network, which has the most salacious entertainment programming with the most self-righteous news shows ,the hypocricy and bogousity of the right wing is revealed.

dr
Please excuse the disjointed ramblings of my last post. The over-simplification of complex issuses and the blind partisanship displayed in the Sun newspaper chain angers me. I used to read the Toronto Sun's witless attacks on Pierre Trudeau just to get my blood boiling and help wake me up. They didn't even quit after he died.
Hacks!

I hate to stray on topic here, but I think Gore could win the election on the Alternate Universe platform.

Good morning, friends. I've had the walk, and fixed salmon patties for my neighbor. Have bills to pay today so will be out most of the day. Thank you so much for your kind comments regarding my son, and grandsons. I hope they show up. And boko, I'm still laughing at your 9:30 comment. When younger I've been in places like that. Please know that God loves you more than you can imagine through Him that died for all, Christ Jesus.

On the news this morning, a CNN reporter alluded to the situation in Iraq as a PR nightmare for the military. I don't see it that way, for me it is so much more. I believe it places our men and women in much more jeopardy than the usual bombing they've encountered. I agree it's a nightmare, but much more than a public relations situation. It's a life and death situation, always has been, and that hasn't changed, just made worse.

Thanks, kb for the link.

Thanks for the transcript, kbertocci! Those guys are a hoot! I'd rather watch (or listen to) them than Letterman.

Sara's getting married today. It's a good thing.

Best moment watching Laugh-In: I was tending bar at Naval facility EM club. Laugh-In was de regieur, and the bar was always SRO. Two of the TV company appeared, one holding a small black box. One asks the other, "What's That?". "It's Soul Soap". "What do you mean, Soul Soap?" "Honey, it may be black on the outside, but it's all pink on the inside!" as the box is opened and a bar of pink soap slides out.
The bar exploded, and nobody could say or do anything for about 15 minutes. In those days, THAT was really pushing the envelope.

I saw the Smothers Brothers a few years ago with the Symphony. They were wonderful still.

boko, no problem. I started reading them because they were the only online non subscription local for a while. They were certainly not a paper we ever brought home, not with 3 teenage boys in the house. They have cleaned up a little bit, but they still are really just a blurb paper with photos and not a 'real' newpaper.

Cassandra
Bush has put your country and your troops in an untenable position, you can't invade and crush a country and then try to win their hearts and minds. Even were that possible your forces are trained to "break things and kill people" when what are needed now are peace-keepers who have a different mindset and training. Unfortunaley, deploying peace-keepers into the situation in Iraq would be and may have always been suicidal, all sides have to want peace and I'm not sure this is true on the ground yet. Major General MacKenzie the Canadian commander of NATO in Bosnia stated that U.S. ground troops should never be used as peace-keepers, the suspicion and resentment towards the "big boy on the block" is to strong. Americans should provide air and logistical support.

Just tossing a bone to the "on-topic" crowd: Mr. Gore has developed one very favorable attribute for a presidential candidate: He's likeable. Ever since Nixon, Americans have favored presidents who exude charm, friendliness, and casual self-confidence. We loved Reagan's image as grandfatherly and self-assured. People liked Carter's humility and grace, for a while. We were seduced by George I's promise of a "kinder and gentler" administration - before he hired Lee Attwater. And, Bill, come on, who didnt' love that charming rouge (excluding fulminating right-wing talk show hosts). Even George II, affable, plain speaking, was able to exploit his hard-drinking background to win the favor of American men.

Gore now stands among the pack of potential candidates as the Person Most Likely to Get Invited to Our Backyard Barbeque.

Thoughts, anyone?

SonofCarl,
I said that I'd discuss Dawkins with you today and I shall. As I mentioned, I recently bought Dawkins' 2004, "The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution," named "A 2004 Notable Book of the Year" by the NYT Book Review.

You are specifically interested in human evolution, as I recall, and bought, in the last week, Dawkin's now-quite-old 1976 "Selfish Gene." You do know that Dawkins was born in Nairobi of British parents, and has been associated with Oxford for much of his life, having been educated there and having taught there for a number of years and with many accolades, except for a stint at Cal Berkeley from 1967-'69 (those must have been the days!).

I now own this latest book by Dawkins, but plan to finish Baigent's "Jesus Papers," move to National Geopgraphic's "Lost Gospel" (especially in light of news today that the same imaging techniques used by the N.G. team will now be applied to Europe's oldest book that dates to 340 B.C.), then squeeze in Winona LaDuke's latest that deals with the sacred, from a non-Judeo-Christian perspective, as well as contemporary Native political issues.

"Ancestor's Tale runs more than 600 pages, but the first 100 pages, deal with human evolution. I mentioned that the book imitates Chaucer to a large degree; so to begin, Dawkin's offers us a General Prologue and The Pilgrimage Begins, which contains The Farmer's Tale (Did you see the news yesterday, where scientists made a discovery of charred remains that contained five burned, preserved figs, which now leads them to speculate whether figs were the first cultivated crop, rather than grains and legumes?) and Cro-Magnon's Tale.

At Rendezvous 0 (zero), Dawkins divides the subject matter into five groups: All Humankind (The Tasmanian's Tale, Eve's Tale), Archaic Homo Sapiens (The Neaderthal's Tale), Ergasts (The Ergast's Tale); Habilenes (The Handyman's Tale), and Ape-Men (Little Foot's Tale, and the Epilogue to Little Foot's Tale.) Rendezvous 1 deals with chimps and bonobos, and Rendezvous 2 discusses gorillas.

But don't think that with these divisions, Dawkins won't take you on the journey of his own devising. In Eve's Tale, for example, you will learn of the backwards tracing of a gene to its coalescent, and in the next breath learn of Queen Victoria's haemophilia gene and bonny Prince Charles' blue eyes. The Handyman's tale will delve into brain size in proportion to body mass. In the Ergast's Tale, as a last example--and close to home, Dawkins tells of the story of "real footprints" and recalls memories of time in Texas in 1987 wading through the Paluxy River examining and putting his feet in dinosaur footprints preserved in smooth limestone.

This book isn't an easy read, but rather a challenging one. You will have to anticpate unexpected twists and turns in each chapter. (Who would think that in The Lamprey's Tale, you will learn about haemoglobin?) I think "The Ancestor's Tale" will be worth my time, so I recommend it to you.

From the "Whew!" department...

Keith Richards has made a "complete recovery" from the head injury he suffered in Fiji, and the Rolling Stones have rescheduled their European tour to kick off in Milan, the group says in a statement posted Friday on its Web site.

The European leg of the band's "A Bigger Bang" tour was scheduled to start in Barcelona last Saturday, but the first 15 dates were postponed after Richards suffered a concussion on April 27, reportedly after falling from a palm tree, while on vacation with wife Patti Hansen in Fiji.

"Excuse me, I fell off of my perch!" Richards, 63, says in the Stones' Web posting. "Sorry to disrupt everyone's plans but now - it's FULL STEAM AHEAD! Ouch!!"

(Stolen directly from people.aol.com)

Clinton wore rouge?
Who knew!?

[Sorry, CowTown -- I know that wasn't very SCC of me, but I couldn't resist.]

Thanks TBG I will sleep better now with that knowledge.

>you can't invade and crush a country and then try to win their hearts and minds

Or you have to crush them so completely that they lose faith in their institutions
and politcal, cultural leaders.

I don't about Gore being very likable, but I do think he's much smarter than the average bear and could do the job.

I never liked Reagan. I had respect for Bush I due to his time in the CIA and elsewhere, but thought he was too out of touch with real people.

I thought it absurd that people f