Oceansider

Bam is defending the Stans as we speak

2009-10-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Despite the likes of Herr Limbo there are not 40,000 US troops to be had because Bam is still mired in a war of adventurism, however, the former Sen. Max Cleland described to Stephanie Miller how the "anvil and hammer" strategy for the region is evolving.

Support Troops Swelling U.S. Force in Afghanistan
Additional Deployments Not Announced and Rarely Noted

By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 13, 2009

President Obama announced in March that he would be sending 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. But in an unannounced move, the White House has also authorized -- and the Pentagon is deploying -- at least 13,000 troops beyond that number, according to defense officials...

Za "Ding an sich" of Musical Meaning - Bernstein

2009-10-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

Some rare bits of Bernstein's Harvard lecture series "The Unanswered Question" shows trenchantly how Beethoven uses a repeated coda--the end of a piece of music, of all things--as the famous 'ta-ta-ta-tum' motive for his entire 5th Symphony. More-complete libraries and the Amazon.com link have the DVDs.

Genius of Beethoven's Spring Sonata

Mozart's 40th Symphony - the elegant diatonic containment of chromaticism that looks clearly forward to the last century

Why Beethoven is NOT a terrible composer

Leonard Bernstein performs Beethoven's Ode to Joy

Jesus is coming, look busy.

2009-09-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

Some citizens in our new neighborhood are just very casual it seems. Including the house with a "Jesus is coming, look busy" bumper strip :)

Hanging from Mt. Tam, you say?

2009-09-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

I did yet another one of my bicycle scouting trips to REI in Encinitas on Saturday and was a bit overwhelmed with the hyper parents and little kids in tow attending the climbing wall in the store. The little heads bigger than the bodies seemed uncharmed as beginners to be pealing off the foot supports and hanging in empty space all the while being told by the instructor, "you are doing great!"

Actually, discovered that REI has a super cool "hybrid bike" on sale called the Marin "San Anselmo" - $559, regularly $649

But, I thought, "what would this lead to"? and how soon would the boys be asking like Johnny Knoxville if they can dive from the roof into the swimmming pool? I recall with clarity the many occasions on which my dad took me trail biking before we knew much about mountain biking. Later I bought a motorcycle of my own and had many harrowing escapes on the pavements of Cali. Would these kids turn into the rock climbers of tomorrow suspended from Half Dome in thunder storms?

Leaving REI we had to dodge several buddhists in flowing yellow robes looking a lot like "Hello Dali" so I felt at least like I was missing something since the 19" frame bike had been a little too small for me.

Oh, probably. A much more reliable thrill is mountain biking on Mt. Tamalpais and less likely to end in extremely bad news. To "dive off" the top of a mountain col into the abyss is to me the the ultimate thrill sport where the worst that can happen is a little road rash and the need to buy a new helmet for yoursel from REI. Note: with some care I've never fallen on Tam in all my hundreds of demoniac rides.

Anniversary time of another sordid sort:

2009-09-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

If the Bush Treasury
Secty. Henry Paulson, who retired from Goldman Sachs with a fortune estimated at $700M (wow, that was SOME OVERTIME) let his main competitor, Lehman Brothers, just fail--period--on 9/14/08, then they'd be sure to get the TARP
bailout for the survivors--themselves. Sadly, today this is often what passes for competition in multinational business in our country. You'll want to jump to the second half the the BookTV program to see McDonald who is riveting.

A Colossal Failure of Common Sense: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers
by Lawrence McDonald; Patrick Robinson

It's OK, "Bam's got this one", but it really becomes harder and harder after the cascade of 'accidental' crises left by eight years of Republican government
to tend to the basics like restoring the Glass-Steagall Act and PAYGO, banning naked shortselling, and preventing banks and hedge funds from shopping for their own regulators, but yet must be done if we are to reclaim our Democracy. All of these hurt individual citizens and investors while letting the irresponsible parties off scott free.

(Amazon.com)

The President is on C-SPAN today talking it up.

Miro 2.0 Open internet TV, beyond anything else

2009-03-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

is a really cool non-profit that has a fantastic Free video application. Check it out at GetMiro.com You won't regret it. In a few minutes you can setup all your free subscriptions e.g., DemocracyNow, Ted etc. Then they just download in the background in HD in many cases. Amazing!

Fargo, North Dakota - Redcross update

2009-03-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

In Fargo, North Dakota floodwaters have crested 20 feet above flood levels as the levees and sandbagging efforts are put to the test.

Take a look at video from on the ground —then please donate to the Disaster Relief Fund to provide food, shelter and counseling to victims of disaster like those in the Red River Valley and elsewhere:

Spring fury video

People’s lives, homes and livelihoods are still at risk.

The Red Cross is sending more disaster workers, has already opened shelters and is prepared to have more available to help people affected by the flooding. More than 600 Red Cross disaster workers are working in the area. More than 50,000 ready-to-eat meals are already on site, and mobile kitchens are deploying with a capacity of serving 15,000 meals a day.

Redcross.org Trusted friends or loved ones can also register evacuees on the site.

Aaron Glantz "The War Comes Home"

2009-03-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

It would greatly help if the new Obama VA Secty. Shinseki could sign with his own pen that the VA presumes that when you have served in Iraq and been diagnosed by a doctor with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that you sustained those injuries in war and not as a pre-existing condition.

Aaron Glantz "The War Comes Home" - BookTV.org C-SPAN2 3-2-09

www.YouTube.com/watch?v=A9yRp0mFS3U

Joke of the Week

2009-03-25T01:29:00.000-07:00

Dick Cheney walks into the Oval Office and sees The President whooping and hollering. "What's the matter, Mr. President?" The Vice President inquired. "Nothing at all, boss. I just done finished a jigsaw puzzle in record time!" The President beamed. "How long did it take you?" "Well, the box said '3 to 5 Years' but I did it in a month!"

My Best Friend Died from Lack of Healthcare

2009-02-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

My best friend,
Michael Troy Weiser
died February 25, 2009

at age 27 from complications
of Wilson's disease

and lack of access to
healthcare