Trapper's Lake

Some moments of zen, punctuated by mosquito bites at a remote location in Colorado's Flattops Wilderness.

They Don't Make Them Like That Anymore, RIP Walter Cronkite-link

Wow, it doesn't seem like forty years ago, but sure enough it was, a hot summer night with families gathered round their televisions to watch Neil Armstrong hop down to the surface of the moon. All were sharing that moment with the most trusted man in America, Walter Cronkite. It's impossible to forget his face, eyes welling up, choked-up with joy and pride at the achievement, I shared those emotions, I'm sure everyone watching did.

The title links to the New York Times obituary, which covers his career and pays tribute to a man who set the standard for his profession, it's a very high standard that I don't see anybody surmounting since his day. Go read the obit if you've a mind to, the Times piece is fairly lengthy, fitting for a giant like Cronkite. In this summer's celebrity death parade, here's the real kingpin, a national treasure and a national hero.

They Hang War Criminals, Don't They?-link

As Joan Walsh notes, a new Newsweek article just out from Daniel Klaidman is sub-headlined: "Obama doesn't want to look back, but Attorney General Eric Holder may probe Bush-era torture anyway" and reports:
Holder, 58, may be on the verge of asserting his independence in a profound way. Four knowledgeable sources tell NEWSWEEK that he is now leaning toward appointing a prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices, something the president has been reluctant to do. While no final decision has been made, an announcement could come in a matter of weeks, say these sources, who decline to be identified discussing a sensitive law-enforcement matter.
Such a decision would roil the country, would likely plunge Washington into a new round of partisan warfare, and could even imperil Obama's domestic priorities, including health care and energy reform. Holder knows all this, and he has been wrestling with the question for months. "I hope that whatever decision I make would not have a negative impact on the president's agenda," he says. "But that can't be a part of my decision."
I'll believe that only if and when I see it, but as Obama himself has recognized, it's ultimately irrelevant what Obama wants in this regard. The duty to bring prosecutions where they are merited falls squarely and solely with the Attorney General, and indeed, it would be highly inappropriate for the President to attempt to pressure him one way or the other.
As Holder ostensibly recognizes, the type of political considerations that Obama defenders typically cite in order to justify the President's opposition to prosecutions ("it will ruin bipartisanship; it will distract from health care; he has to focus on the economy") are completely inappropriate for an apolitical Attorney General to allow to steer him away from prosecutions where serious crimes were committed. That's particularly true where, as here, we're talking about serious war crimes which the U.S. is obligated by treaty to submit for prosecution. The appointment of a strong and truly independent prosecutor to investigate Bush-era war crimes would be a substantial step in the right direction.
-- Glenn Greenwald

Another great column from Greenwald today, he just keeps churning out these awesome posts, almost every day. I've bolded the last paragraph of the section I've pasted here. I think it's imperative to grasp the point he makes that the Attorney General has to act independently of the Obama Administration. Under Bush, the whole Justice Department, not just the AGs, was used as a political arm of the administration, you can judge for yourself the results, as more comes to light day by day.

Fail Cat

Introducing Fail Cat, I don't know how FC got on top of the door and I don't have any idea what it's plan is, the strategy is destined to failure, that's obvious.

Still, there's success here, the Fail Cat provides a wonderful metaphor for human failure. So, in the future, if I refer to a fail cat, or a fail cat move, or a fail cat business model, or some such, just remember the kitty on the door, that had the gumption to see impending disaster as fortuitous opportunity and go for it.

More funny critters at lolcats.com and at icanhascheezburger.com

Kung Fu Hillbilly

I guess this guy made a few appearances on the Jerry Springer Show a couple of years ago, see, this is what I miss by not watching television. So if anyone needs catching up on their kung fu training, here's your chance. Pay particular close attention to the section on the "Judy" chop, that looks like a truly devastating move.

Taylor Park

I spent a couple of days in Taylor Park over the weekend and I thought I'd share some photos.

These were taken from my campsite.

The view to the North.
The beautiful Taylor River.
And to the Northeast, these peaks are to the right of the ones in the top photo.

The day after I took these photos I got home and in the afternoon I shot the video posted below, somehow that took precedence at the time, now I wonder why.

Cold Air Funnel Over Denver, Colorado

Had some interesting weather around here today, Funnel cloud were seen above Denver and the authorities took no

chances and activated the alert systems. I shot this video and if you can listen you'll hear multiple sirens and dogs

going off.

I apologize for the poor quality of the video, I'm not the best cinematographer and while my camera shoots video,

I lose the zoom feature in that mode, you can probably still see the rotation in the funnel cloud.

RIP Koko Taylor-link

From NASA's Image of the Day Gallery-link

Transiting the Sun

In this tightly cropped image, the NASA space shuttle Atlantis is seen in silhouette during solar transit, Tuesday, May 12, 2009, from Florida. This image was made before Atlantis and the crew of STS-125 had grappled the Hubble Space Telescope.

The phtographer made this image using a solar-filtered Takahashi 5-inch refracting telescope and a Canon 5D Mark II digital camera.

Image Credit: NASA/Thierry Legault

Jeb Bush

It's plain to see, he shares his brother's "sunny nobility". Do you think he'll ever run for office again, I'm hard pressed to imagine where, when, or why, what with the lustrous sheen of the Bush brand being a bit nicked-up these days? I will say this, Jeb isn't a war criminal, as far as I know.

Quote of the Day

Should any American soldier be so base and infamous as to injure any [prisoner]. . . I do most earnestly enjoin you to bring him to such severe and exemplary punishment as the enormity of the crime may require. Should it extend to death itself, it will not be disproportional to its guilt at such a time and in such a cause… for by such conduct they bring shame, disgrace and ruin to themselves and their country. - George Washington, charge to the Northern Expeditionary Force, Sept. 14, 1775

This quote's about 235 years old, but it has no expiration date. The only problem I have with it is that I don't know if Washington is only referring to the lowest ranks when he says "soldier". It seems apparent to me that this admonition against the abuse of prisoners should apply throughout the chain of command.

What Digby Said-link

 I hadn't realized that one of the costs the Republicans ridiculed and ultimately took out of the stimulus bill was money to fight pandemics. Susan Collins made sure it was stripped from the Senate version.

It's very tempting to say that those states whose leaders refused to fund this should be at the end of the line, but unfortunately it won't do any good when it comes to public health. You have to make sure the jackasses get treated as well or we all suffer. But I would hope that someone will remind their constituents of their shortsighted partisanship when the time comes.

Let's hope the Mexican Swine Flu doesn't become as virulent as the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918, as always, the adage about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure seems to make good sense.

More Atheists Shout It From the Rooftops-link

The link is to an article in the N.Y. Times about the rise of interest in atheist organizations  nationwide  and in particular a group in South Carolina calling itself Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry.

According to a recent study (cited in the article), Americans who self-identify as nonreligious have increased to 15% nationwide, up from 8% less than 20 years ago. In S.C. that growth has tripled, up to 10% from only 3% in the same time. The article notes that while not all who say they're nonreligious can be called atheists, they may represent a pool of potential supporters.

As you might expect, an atheist organization centered in the midst of the Bible Belt, like this South Carolina group, might expect to encounter some local opposition. Indeed, some members relate fears of employment discrimination and some report being shunned in other ways;  Until recent years, the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry were local pariahs. Mr. Silverman — whose specialty license plate, one of many offered by the state, says “In Reason We Trust” — was invited to give the invocation at the Charleston City Council once, but half the council members walked out. The local chapter of Habitat for Humanitywould not let the Secular Humanists volunteer to build houses wearing T-shirts that said “Non Prophet Organization,” he said.

The movement is fueled by it's popularity on college campuses, Bob Jones University excepted. Not surprisingly, some students take a light-hearted approach to atheism, claiming devotion to a new religion, the Pastafarians, who are followers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Torture Memos-link

graphic by the heretik

You would think that a nation that celebrates the summary execution of Somali pirates would have the stomach for prosecuting war criminals.....maybe not.

Perhaps the best way to solve our dilemma is to out-source justice to Spain.

So that's what happened to Chris Walken!

DAMN YOU TWITTER!

The Hunter S. Thompson of Real Estate-link

 

Jim Klinge is a realtor in San Deigo county in southern California. In an article in the L.A. Times( follow link ) he's glossed as the Hunter S. Thompson of real estate. More than that, he's created a kind of time capsule that documents the anomilies of the housing bubble crisis that has plagued much of California and other parts of the country. Check out his blog, Bubbleinfo.com for the insider view of the disasterous SoCal real estate market from a man on the ground, also lots more video such as the one above.

Twitter-link

This would make a good quote of the day, I'm featuring it as an example of Christopher Walken's Twitter page, an example of what's good about it. Twitter messages are often called "twits", in many cases that I've seen this seems to describe the authors of the messages. Especially in the case of politicians and MSM pundits.

Wow! Twitter has unceremoniously dumped Walken's twitter page, without any explanation other than to say there was "suspicious activity", I saw none. Sorry if you missed it, I thought it was highly amusing.

You know that Andy Dick and how he seemed funny until we noticed that he wasn't? You'll tell me when it's time to stop, right?6:57 PM Mar 23rd from web

Stuff happens very fast these days

Presidential Grey

I found this image at Corrente without attribution, I don't think Obama will get that grey, that fast. Who can tell? Even people who aren't leaders of the "free world" start to show their age at some point.

Dept. of HOLY CRAP!-link

 From the state that brought you Bush vs. Gore here's the latest humiliation to be heaped on the backs of the less fortunate. Yes, Florida state Senator Mike Bennett, R., Sarasota, wants 10% of all applicants for unemployment  benefits to be tested for drug use, supposedly at random. People already receiving unemployment benefits would be subject to the same testing plan.

Aside from the fact that this scumbag is dumping on his neediest constituents, and he doesn't appear to be pushing any effort to mediate Florida's 8.6% unemployment (800,000 people), why isn't he petitioning the FCC to drug test Rush Limbaugh before he gets any more air time?