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[ Thursday, September 11, 2008 08:14 ]

Legacy Journal: Thursday Time for Truth Telling: 9/11, the Magazine, and the True Myth Makers.

Section:
Commentary

Summary:
* On the seventh anniversary of 9/11, it is time this morning to pause and soberly reflect on the significance of that tragic day. The story is partially told by the rapid repair of the Pentagon and today’s dedication of the victim memorial at that site.

Joel Klein has written a Time profile on Palin people from his east coast perch. The mythology of the longstanding American Story or small towns and small people who do big things because of their Western getup and go is the target of Klein’s revision for those of us to used to religiously subscribe to the magazine. Kleinists have a new reality: it is cosmopolitan, urbananist, globally focused, secular, pro-Israel, and not a little over-the-top intellectual. We do not see Klein doing any serious hunting, fishing or fact finding in Alaska any time soon.

* Meanwhile, Klein, like Obama, uses a mistimed and misappropriate metaphor in a Palin political context. ”Rocket propelled grenade“ has now jarringly replaced” lipstick on a pig” as the explosive image of the moment. So, today, Sara Palin joins other Alaskan who are sending their warriors off to Iraq to doing what have been going on for 7 years: Continuing the push back military response against middle eastern extremists who wish the likes of Joel Klein, and many of the rest of us, more than a little ill will and bad action.

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Posted by: webscribe2 on 09/11 at 08:14 AM
Biography: • Characterization: • Conventional Wisdom: • Culture Clash: • High Brow: • Expressions: • Eastern: • Heartland: • IT3 Tech: • Internet Tech: • Google: • Calendar: • Language: • Rhetoric: • Metaphors: • Media Watch: • Print Journalism: • News: • National: • Politically Potent: • Religion: • Islam: • Judism: • Signs of the Times: • Truth Telling: • Voice: • Demonization: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:

[ Wednesday, September 10, 2008 06:02 ]

Legacy Journal: Wednesday Time to Weed out the Word Wars.

Section:
Commentary

Summary:
“Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” --- George Orwell

* If it is Wednesday, it is time to be clear as to your message by weeding out the weasel words and the demeaning metaphors. ”Implied Racism” and “lipstick on pigs” come immediately to mind. Meanwhile, Per Diem Gate is percolating and whose kids attend the fight kind of schools is the stuff of watercooler chatter.

Tuesday night at WXXI PBS Rochester,NY, featured a repeat of the Frontline production on “Bush’s War” and the second night of a pledge drive. The first team of phone bank volunteers included members from RIT OLLI. WXXI President and CEO, Norm Silverstein was also aboard. There is a connection, in that the CEO of the Bernard Osher Foundation is Mary Bitterman, formerly of KQED, San Francisco.

* Sarah Palin is now under the lights and on the dissecting table. Apparently, while serving as mayor, she asked The City librarian about her general guidelines use to expend public funds including the purchase of new books. The former librarian is not currently making comments except to confirm that no specific book titles or topics were discussed with her boss. However, the community has a history of public comments about books by and for “ the gay community.

Main:
: Now, now boys and girls, it is time for the campaigns to cut the crap and talk straight. Orwell ( Erik Blair) had it right.

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Posted by: webscribe2 on 09/10 at 06:02 AM
Backgrounder: • Basics: • Biography: • Bright Lights: • Calendar: • Wednesday: • Culture Clash: • Deadly Sins: • Fact vs Fiction: • IT3 Tech: • Internet Tech: • Google: • Calendar: • Language: • Rhetoric: • Metaphors: • Speaking Out: • Straight Talk: • Talking Points: • Weasel Words: • suggests: • Well Reasoned: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:

[ Tuesday, March 18, 2008 07:17 ]

Legacy Journal: Economic Moral Hazard

Section:
Politics

Summary:
* “Moral Hazard” is the current term of ART among the political and economic crisis oriented media pundits. What does it mean? Perhaps we should attempt to define the idea behind the phrase.

Main:
It seems to be an insurance term that began in England. One can imagine the talk in the early coffee houses of London where Lloyds of London syndicates were pooling investors stakes to insure the nations trading ships, their cargos, and maybe event the lives of their crews against accidents and piracy as they sailed at sea to the edges of the known world. The talk among these sober risk takers may have incluced the possibility of some imprudent risks. like overloading, if insurance was inforce and playable if the ship, cargo and crew capsized and all were lost. London, the west’s first metropolis, had long been supplied with coal via coast carriers, before they were replaced by canals and railroads. Captain James Cook learned his hazardous trade aboard vessels of just this type.

Today, the term moral hazard has a similarly negative connotation ---- imprudent risk taking without a penalty or price like bankruptcy or insolvency of a business or loss of a house. Bear Stearn’s most valued asset, trust, was lost, liquidity evaporated and its partners and customers would not trade. Insurance can not cover or restore loss of trust.

Currently, the economic good news is that not all Wall Street investment firms took the same risks in low quality mortgage backed derivative instruments at Bear Stearns. Today Lehman Bros. profit report excessed expectations. The nation’s unemployment rate is low and stable. Productive is good. Exports are Strong. Technology, transportation and services sectors are growing. Biotechnology and genomics are red hot. Agricultural incomes and land prices are a boom for the heartland and the national balance sheet. The stock market continues to contain safe and sure value. Pension and Truct funds are performing well.

Yes, New York and other states are facing budget deficits. Inflation rate outpaces Treasury returns. Discretionary consumer spending may continue to contract. Housing construction continues to contract in California and Florida. Decreasing defense spending is not currently an option. Health care and medical insurance costs are rapidly rising to fund patient expections, institutional and professional liabilty protection ,applied documentation imaging technology, and nursing shortages.

The weaking dollor and low interest rates are a double edged sword,

Meanwhile, in the wild and wonderful worlds of evolutionary biology and genetic molecular biology, guarantees of individual and species perfection and survival are hard to come by.

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Posted by: webscribe2 on 03/18 at 07:17 AM
Basics: • Black and White: • Bottom Line: • Business and Trade: • Calendar: • Tuesday: • Caveat Emptor: • Chances are ---: • Roll of the Dice: • Chronicles: • Culture Clash: • High Brow: • Data: • By the Numbers: • Dollars and Cents: • Follow the Money: • Deal: • Fact vs Fiction: • Finance: • Heartland: • IT3 Tech: • Internet Tech: • Google: • Calendar: • Language: • Rhetoric: • Metaphors: • New York: • Cities: • News: • Retrospect: • Personal Pearls: • Insurance: • Sign of the Times: • Word Play: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:

[ Monday, March 03, 2008 14:19 ]

Legacy Journal: William F. Buckley

Section:
Politics

Summary:
William F. Buckley, Jr and John F. Kennedy both visited Eugene and the University of Oregon in 1959-60. Both were impressive men to those of us who were young sophomores and unsophisticated, small town country rubes. We knew we has seen the elephant.

Main:
We did read the newspaper and watch B&W TV so were were aware of the that writer Buckley was tilting the windmills of Godless Yale University. Kennedy was preparing his bold move from the Senate to the White House.

Both were tall, tanned, elegant, articulate, and to the manor born. The Ivy League was part of their shared pedigree.

WFB’s UofO forum was the Fishbowl in the Student Union where he spoke without notes in patrician tones about what, I do not recall. But his style was memorable. His tailored suit was without a crease, the knot of his tire was just right, his posture and diction were perfect, his message was cool, clear and logical.

JFK’s college appearance was a quick Q&A with a small campus group gathered at the cramped studio of the campus radio station.

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Posted by: webscribe2 on 03/03 at 02:19 PM
Black and White: • Calendar: • Monday: • Culture Clash: • High Brow: • IT3 Tech: • Internet Tech: • Google: • Calendar: • Language: • Rhetoric: • Media Watch: • Print Journalism: • TV Journalism: • Moral Clarity: • Obituary Notes: • Politically Potent: • Religion: • Christian: • Values: • Voice: • Point of View: • Word Play: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:

[ Friday, December 28, 2007 06:53 ]

Legacy Journal: Three Complex Systems: Genome, Climate, Governance

Section:
Education

Summary:
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

Three big things that are important, complex and incompletely understood by experts: As Einstein put it, “explanations should be as simple as possible — but no simpler”. And, “ one fact can demolish a beautiful theory”.

* First, The Genome: It makes you, me, and most of the remaining six billion of us, unique in our appearance and our chemistry. It is the Science story of the year. So, what do SNPs, HapMaps, and copy number variation have to do with the uniqueness of you, me, and the quilt work that contributes variety to the spice of life?

Second, Climate Change: Forecasting is scientifically treacherous ground. Here are ten examples that illustrates that point.

* Third, Governance: Today, the politically fixated media would have us know that the world is in “Disarray” with a regrettable assassination attempt and possible accidental head injury of the “chairwoman for life” of a powerful Pakistan political party who has been compared to Indira Nehru Ghandi and St. Joan . True, politics and governance are frequently messy and even chaotic. However, foreign chaos does not necessarily lead to disorder and confusion on the bridge of the American ship of state

Main:
Facts, Analysis, Conclusions, and Action (Change, Behavior, Adaptation---etc) often change. Change is frequently comfortable and slow, here we go.

: There is far more diversity in the Human Genome than was thought by many active researchers in 2006.

:: So, who is surprised that bad decisions are often rationalized by frail data, faulty logic, and irrational analysis when it comes to predicting the future. The results can be destabilizing, even disorienting. Consider the case of the High School Science guy in Oregon and his < 10 minute You tube explanation of “climate destabilization”. Scary? No. Concerning? Yes. Reportedly, his obsession has been followed by at least one ER visit because of chest pain, a leave of absence from his Chemistry and Physics classes, and a move to Corvallis. Can we assume that this 30 something year old father of two rides a bicycle: to work? to the mall? to his doctor’s appointment?

::: Pakistan is a different place than NYC, Washington, DC, London, Paris, Bonn, the Debating Halls of the EU Parliament, and the UN General Assembly. It has been and will continue to be a threatening, dangerous, and corrupt place. Culture and strategic location make Pakistan one of the world’s PMASS counties. The Western Powers, Islamic leaders, and India have long been aware of Pakistan and concerned about its deployment of nuclear capabilities under military, technocratic civilian, or God Willing theocratic rule.

Finally, there is the evolving story of the young female Siberian Tiger that escaped from her open moated exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo, climbed a wall thought by officials to be 16 ft high, and killing a young man shortly after the dusky zoo closing time of 5:00 P.M. After measuring, the wall is now reported to be closer to 12.5 ft. high. Some say a 20 feet standard is safer. Settling in the sand? Shorting on the concrete? Natural weathering and erosion? Police reported the animal died of bullets they fired after responding to a series of confusing 911 calls.

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Posted by: webscribe2 on 12/28 at 06:53 AM
Alerts: • Basics: • Bottom Line: • Bright Lights: • Burden of Proof: • Calendar: • Friday: • Chances are ---: • Cause & Effect: • Certainty: • Climate: • Forecasting: • Data: • Numbers: • Yard Stick: • By the Numbers: • Environment: • Fact vs Fiction: • Features: • Permalinks: • Quotes: • Q & A: • IT3 Tech: • Internet Tech: • Google: • Calendar: • Language: • Rhetoric: • Metaphors: • Media Watch: • News: • Global: • Personalities: • Politically Potent: • Really? A Reality Check: • Running Scared: • SeniorStatesmen: • Signals: • Noisy: • Top Ten: • Trifecta: • Dooms Day: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:

[ Sunday, December 09, 2007 10:39 ]

Legacy Journal: The Sunday Funnies and Surprises

Section:
Business

Summary:
This morning, Maureen Dowd, the catty Op-Ed Columnist at the nytimes opines that Mitt’s No J.F.K.. Apparently, shameless, she borrowed the phrase from Woodward, a recent 0p-Ed Contributor. As previously noted here, he borrowed it from the late LLoyd Bentsen of Texas.

Main:
“ To borrow a cup sugar from a neighbor without permission is stealing. To borrowing someone writing without attribution is plagarism and may get you kicked out of school. To borrow ideas from everyone is called research.” --- a olde mentor and others.

“ Never look back in business, if you do, you’ll lose your nerve.” ---- Robert O. Anderson nytimes obituary

: We note that Dowd did a phone interview with, and quoted fellow writer , Jon Krahauer, author of Under the Banner of Heaven. Both seem to find the 1820 upstate New York roots of Mormonism, the role of Brigham Young in the settling the West and the founding of the Beehive state., the presence of Mormon Temples in places like Washington, D.C., and presidential candidates that do not feel compelled to publicly discuss their undergarments as, well, troubling to some at best and dangerous to the rest of us at worst. Those narrow views are also shared by some towards observant members of the Jewish faith and about the possible role of Boston’s Cardinal Cushing during the early 1960’s American advisory “involvement” in Vietnam --- one of many JFK presidential high risk “courageous” adventures. In the end, MS Dowd, is correct. At age 60, Mitt Romney is not the forever 46 years young JFK of her youth. BTW, LDS, founder, Joseph Smith was killed by a mob at the age of 39 while in jail in a small town in Missouri.

We also note the the First Amendment to the Constitution devotes more space to the establishment and expression clause, than to the freedom of press and speech clause.

:: To many, Robert Anderson was a conservation hero. To others, he was the personification of the Environmental Movement’s worse nightmare. A Los Angeles based oilman and Arco founder, he drilled early and often in New Mexico and Alaska, refined in California, supported Republican candidates, and owned large ranches that ran cattle by the thousands. Five strikes and you take a protester’s pie to the face. Anderson was also an early contributor to the Muir Institute housed at UCDavis. Early on, he was acutely aware of the risk’s involved in the counties growing dependence on foreign sources of oil, and he was an active participant and supporter of the summer think tank gathering at the Aspen Institute in Colorado.

::: Finally, what if the writers went on strike and there was not late night performers? Would Oprah take her show on the road? Would Hillary gaffs go unnoticed? Would comedy, satire, and fiction be found only in print?

Meanwhile, one can expect a blizzard of climate news this next week from Oslo and Bali.

BTW, could it be that some Catholics are cranky with the Mormons because of a MBB BYU victory over the Notre Dame Irish? Maybe it was just a cold cup of coffee at Marriott’s.

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Posted by: webscribe2 on 12/09 at 10:39 AM
Black and White: • Calendar: • Sunday: • Culture Clash: • Deadly Sins: • Environment: • Movements: • Features: • Permalinks: • Quotes: • Video Link: • Give and Take: • IT3 Tech: • Internet Tech: • Google: • Calendar: • Language: • Rhetoric: • Metaphors: • Media Watch: • Memory Lane: • News: • Ink Blot: • OhMyGod!: • Personalities: • Religion: • Judism: • UCDavis: • Values: • Washington Watch: • Weasel Words: • problematic: • What if...?: • Blowback: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:

[ Wednesday, December 05, 2007 10:51 ]

Legacy Journal: Three items before more on the Road to Bali

Section:
Politics

Summary:
* The potent mix of Politics, Religion and Characterization takes a rather low road on the nytimes Op Ed Pages. The article entitled Mitt Romney is No John Kennedy by Contributing Editor, Kenneth L. Woodard. He is a long time senior statesman among religion journalists. and a respected editor and trade book writer for Newsweek, the nytimes, and publisher Simon & Schuster. He is a graduate of Notre Dame University.

Main:
: Mitt Romney, Mormonism, and the Politics of Unfair Association:

First, a disclaimer. This writer is not an authority on religion in America, nor a member of any political party, church or religious organization.

* Here, we are immediately struck by the title which harkens back in time to the famous televised 1988 one on one stand up debate between the two national candidates for vice President of the United States, liberal Texas Democrat LLoyd Bentsen, and conservative Dan Quale of Indiana. The phrase in the title, --- <U.N. Jack Kennedy --- , is clearly lifted from the iconic 1988 debate, and transplanted without reference or attribution into print on the pages of the nytimes.

* We are also struck by the fact, the JFK was able to make his case and then the merits of his case were put to the test of opinion and judgment. Mitt Romney, a graduate of Harvard Law is mischaracterized in the court of Public Opinion before he has been fairly given his day, time and place to make his case.

* Furthermore, Woodward is mistaken if fact and rhetoric when he attempts to crudely draw parallels between Catholic Bishops and lay Mormon bishops. Grandma Anna, a ranchers daughter born, raised and educated in rural and isolated east Oregon, and a Catholic boarding school graduate, could make a long list of the significant differences in the two titles and offices.

* Woodward plays the “polygamy” card with the sure knowledge that LDS Church officially disavowed the practice in the late nineteenth century.

* Finally, in Woodward’s opinion, JFK was “an indifferent Catholic,” Really? One has the feeling that the author is not indifferent in his opinion of the Mormon faith, the LDS Church, nor the Mormon faithful. That is a quality that he appears to share with many pundits and voters.

One can fairly assume that Mitt Romney will take the high road and present his case well to the nation in his speech from Texas. Like his fellow Commonwealth of Massachusetts presidential aspirant 50 years earlier, he will appear to fit the office.

1.)He will not divorce himself from his faith, his heritage or his Church.

2.)He will appeal to fairness, religious tolerance, and the history of religion since the founding of the country and in the framing of Constitution.

3.)He will note that religious tests are specifically excluded by law as a condition for holding federal political office.

In the end, voters do have a wide variety of religious preferences, practices and prejudices. However, polls are one thing, secret ballots are another. The coverage poll driven political coverage from Iowa is suffering from whiplash. The DeMoines pop shows the winds blowing from one direction and an ABC poll just the opposite. In either event, character, intelligence, sound judgment, honesty, vigor, clear communication and hard work are not exclusive to the members of one faith or persons from one section of the county. In the person of Mitt Romney, these qualities and more, are uniquely displayed on the stage in College Station, Texas, where he was introduced by former President, George Bush.

:: This week, the temperatures in Rochester, NY have been on average 15 degrees below normal and the kids are now on their X country skis.

::: The University of Rochester has adopted a page out of the Notre Dame play book. Then now offer donor trusts to be invested in the diversified investment portfolio of the Universities endowment. In the case of the U of R, that endowment is more than $ one billion in stocks, bonds, property, hedge funds and startup high tech companies.

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Posted by: webscribe2 on 12/05 at 10:51 AM
Backgrounder: • Black and White: • Calendar: • Wednesday: • Culture Clash: • Popular Culture: • Expressions: • Western: • Final Verdict: • Foul Ball: • History and Heritage: • Justice: • Language: • Rhetoric: • Leap of Faith: • Media Watch: • Memory Lane: • Personalities: • Political Watch: • Really? A Reality Check: • Truth Telling: • Wary Eye: • Audacity: • Blowback: • (0) Comments: • (0) Trackbacks: • Permalink:

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