Another Day: Daily Jetsam

It's a jumble out there
(and links expire)

The late Arthur Kraft, KC artist, explaining his move from New York back to Kansas City: "One is likely to be more slowly devoured by commercialism here than in New York City" (qtd. in McTavish, Brian. "Arthur Kraft's diverse art outshines his flawed life." KC Star, Nov 30).

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The site of the Buddhist Soka Gakkai International

:: Nov 27

"Chretien declared last week that Bush 'is a friend of mine, he is not a moron at all.'" (David Ljunggren, "Aide to Canada PM Quits After Calling Bush 'Moron'," Reuters, Nov 26). That Chretien felt the need to spell out his denial speaks volumes. Thin volumes, easy to read. With pictures, maybe. Like Golden Books. Or Pat the Bunny.

It could become a mantra: He is not a moron at all.

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Okay, that previous post was out of line. But it's been read, so it will remain.

:: Nov 26

Among the links at Reading & Writing, I found Liberal Oasis. I particularly liked the Oasis posting from November 7th, "The 9-Point Plan for a Dem Majority."

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In comparison, my problems are so small, my choices so easy: "Sale of child brides dooms Zambia to Aids disaster" (Basildon Peta, The Independent, Nov 26).

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A satire: blackpeopleloveus.com. And some explication: "Web site satirizes racial stereotypes, but not every one gets it," By Lola Ogunnaike, New York Times News Service, posted in KC Star, Nov 26.

:: Nov 25

Why art matters: "The secret life of us," Jeanette Winterson, Guardian Unlimited (Nov 25).

"The Star's 100 Noteworthy Books of 2002" and the panel that chose them (KC Star, Nov 24).

:: Nov 24

The progress on my someday-maybe reading list? Sad, just sad. A few years ago, I added Alice McDermott's "Charming Billy" to the list, and while I've been not-reading that novel, she's written another--"Child of My Heart" (reviewed in the NY Times by Michael Gorra, "'Child of My Heart': A Coming of Age Tale from Alice McDermott," Nov 24).

:: Nov 23

Family Values: "The Sons Also Rise" (Paul Krugman, NY Times, Nov 22)

:: Nov 16

Talking points (from No More Mister Nice Blog) for those occasions when someone says that Nancy Pelosi is too far out of the mainstream (via Reading & Writing).

:: Nov 14

"If the economy booms as a result of a U.S. victory that brings a big, reliable supply of Iraqi oil to world markets, well, Democrats can pretty much forget the White House in 2004." (David Yepsen, "A war in Iraq would make Democrats a tough sell in 04," DM Register, Nov 14)

I am cynical enough to believe that the governing gang thinks this likely, but I'm not cynical enough to believe that we the people are so venally depraved.

Chit!

:: Nov 13

Thomas Bedford, "US-Iraq war could push crude prices to $80/bbl" (Oil & Gas International, Oct 13). I'm not certain that $80/bbl of oil (more than triple the current price) would deter the Washington powers from a preemptive attack on Iraq.

:: Nov 12

Droll.

:: Nov 08

"Further, any party so brain-dead it can't even make an issue out of Enron and corporate sleaze deserves to be out of office." -- Molly Ivins, "Brighten Up, There's Always Another Election," Oct 7

:: Nov 07

"US sets meeting on exploiting Iraqi oil after Hussein" in Oil & Gas International (Oct 30), "the world's leading online source of upstream petroleum industry news, information, and analysis."

:: Nov 05

The site of David Moretz, cross-country cyclist and Appalachian Trail hiker. I came across it via a mention in Jim McCord's diary, a record of McCord's run across the U.S. on behalf of diabetes research. And I arrived at McCord's diary via an article ("Diego to D.C., One Man's Run for a Cause," Leo DeFrank, Nov 4) in KC Infozine. Although Moretz lacks the refined eye that a Kansas prairie requires, he provides an engaging and informative account of his ride across the U.S. (and through Kansas).

:: Nov 01

Garrison Keillor read Stephen Dunn's poem "Here and There" (scroll to Nov 1) this morning on The Writer's Almanac.