March 2004 Archives

Lars Levie - The Weblog would like to announce a major milestone in our development. March 27 was the one-year anniversary of Lars Levie - The Weblog and as of today we can confirm that we have two readers! This is a huge step for us, as it represents a 200% increase in our total reader-base. We would like to thank both of you who have stayed with us over the past year and given us feedback and support.

Strangely enough, both readers are the mothers of friends of Lars Levie — Rosie Homiller and Bunny Connor. And without meaning any disrespect to these two wonderful women (honestly), what does it say about Lars Levie - The Weblog that its only readers are the mother’s of friends of the “publisher”? Not even his friends read the blog for the love! Nonetheless, we are grateful for the support.

On a side note, you may have noticed the site has taken on a new design. At least in part, the new look is in anticipation of new features such as a photo gallery. But the real reasons are entirely boring and nerdy to non-geektypes so we won’t bother you with them now, but we do hope you like it.

And lastly, if you are not among our two confirmed readers post a comment and let us know youæ± e out there. It makes Lars feel special, even though he is realizing he isn’t as special as he once thought.

Happy reading!

Sincerely,

Lars Levie - The Weblog

For a while now I’ve tended to refer to National Public Radio as “national liberal radio.” It mean, it truly is a liberal radio network as far as I can tell. But now I have to stop that because now there is actually a talk-radio group that claims to be the national liberal network. Air America Radio, which began broadcasting today at noon, is the liberal solution to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity that Al Gore and Co. have been dreaming up over the last few years.

Already I’ve heard about a lot of alleged activities and facts that the mainstream press has supposedly avoided discussing, and I am intrigued. According to today’s Randy Rhodes Show, Retired Gen. Jay Garner, former US administrator in Iraq, was the subject of a whisper campaign by the White House, for example. The whispers included the rumors that Garner wore women’s underwear. Also, a guest on the same show this afternoon described James Baker, 3rd, as the “lawyer for the Saudi royal family against the families of the victims of 9/11.” I haven’t yet looked up the Garner rumors but I have tried to find information about Baker’s role in a suit against the Saudi royal family, and have so far been unsuccessful. I don’t claim it’s untrue, but I haven’t found anything yet. I will keep trying, and will post on anything else I hear that intrigues me.

At the very least, it is nice that those whose views differ from Rush Limbaugh’s have a place to go. But it’s also nice to imagine that just as liberals listen to Limbaugh and Hannity on occasion, that conservatives and others will listen to Air America. A little healthy opposition is good for the soul and the mind.

[More information from the New York Times]

The Statue of Liberty is going to reopen this summer according to Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton, after concstruction programs to upgrade the Statue’s fire and safety infrastructure were completed this summer.

[via MyWay]

Today i found out that I got the internship position at Time Out New York that I interviewed for last week. I’m totally pumped, it’s going to be good times. What with all the fact checking and data entry I’ll be positively covered in glam! You’ll have to wear sunglasses to shield your eyes.

Go me!

Audbile.com has made the 9/11 Commission’s ongoing hearings available as free downloads. So far the site lists Madeleine Albright, William Cohen, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Clarke, Samuel Berger, George Tenet, and two staff statements, one on diplomacy and one on the military.

This is a brilliant use of the Internet to make public information available to more and more people. A “little sunshine is the best disinfectant,” as John Maynard Keynes said.

A new HIV test can deliver results in 20 minutes, rather than the 2 days it normally talks. Also, the new test is bloodless, which makes it easier, safer, and cheaper.

[via Local 6]

An Austrian doctor says that picking your nose and eating it is a “perfectly natural thing to do” and “is a great way of strengthening the body’s immune system.”

Professor Dr. Friedrich Bischinger says using a finger is more effective than a handkerchief, and those who do pick their noses are better in touch with their bodies and happier.

He suggests starting a new trend to teach children to continue to pick their noses and eating the resulting haul.

Wow, Austrians are crazy! But I think he’s on to something here.

[via Ananova]

This afternoon I had an interview at Time Out New York for an internship this summer. It seemed to go really well. The position is with the guides group that published the annual “Eating and Drinking Guide”, the “Nightlife Guide”, etc. Mostly it sound like I’d be fact checking and updating the listings database. But it sounds like it would be a good chance to get some experience with print media. I am excited about it, it is a great office and everyone seems really laid-back and friendly. Nothing like the pretentiousness I expect from some mags in the city.

From Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix:

Hermione to Ron: “Just because you’ve got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn’t mean we all have.”

Before leaving the question of divorce, I should like to distinguish two things which are very often confused. The Christian conception of marriage is one; the other is the quite different question — how far Christians, if they are voters or members of Parliament, ought to try to force their views of marriage on the rest of the community by embodying them in the divorce laws. A great many people seem to think that if you are a Christian yourself you should try to make divorce difficult for everyone. I do not think that. At least I know I should be very angry if the Mohammedans tried to prevent the rest of us from drinking wine. My own view is that the Churches should frankly recognize that the majority of the British people are not Christians and, therefore, cannot be expected to live Christian lives. There ought to be two distinct kinds of marriage: one governed by the State with rules enforced on all citizens, the other governed by the Church with rules enforced by her on her own members. The distinction ought to be quite sharp, so that a man knows which couples are married in a Christian sense and which are not. - C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity

From Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix:

“And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson”, said Hermione viciously. “How she got to be a prefect when she’s thicker than a concussed troll…”

I normally don’t care much for poetry, but we have been reading some of Anne Sexton’s work in one of my classes and one struck me. It’s called “Just Once”. I especially like lines 1, 14, and 15.

Just Once by Anne Sexton
Just once I knew what life was for.
In Boston, quite suddenly, I understood;
walked there along the Charles River,
watched the lights copying themselves,
all neoned and strobe-hearted, opening
their mouths as wide as opera singers;
counted the stars, my little campaigners,
my scar daisies, and knew that I walked my love
on the night green side of it and cried
my heart to the eastbound cars and cried
my heart to the westbound cars and took
my truth across a small humped bridge
and hurried my truth, the charm of it, home
and hoarded these constants into morning
only to find them gone.

US Attorney General John Ashcroft is currently in intensive care at a hospital in Washington, DC. Apparently he is suffering from gallstone pancreatitis, which is very painful. Unfortunately Ashcroft is expected to fully recover within a week.

According to an AP report the “cornerstone of treatment is fasting,” which should fit well with Ashcroft ultra-religious lifestyle. However, one can hope that his fasting will lead to disabling anemia, thus rendering him incapable of staying on as Attorney General.

UPDATE: It appears that in some cases this illness can be life threatening or at least have many complications that could potentially be life threatening. So hope for recovery is not necessarily well founded.

[from the Associated Press via MyWay]

On Wednesday my friend Dustin asked me to be the best man at his wedding to my other good friend Julie. I am deeply honored to be there to help ‘D’ on his big day, plus we’re gonna have a rockin’ bachelor’s party!! (Mostly because I’m not planning it.)

I have been reading up on the traditional responsibilities of the best man because, well, I don’t want to suck, as Dustin said he would kick my butt if I did. And I did not realize that I was responsible for more than a big bash and a heartfelt toast to the couple. For example, evidently I am the “king of the groomsman.” Who knew?

The wedding is on July 31 in Arlington, Texas, so you know it is going to be bleedin’ hot, and I will be sweating like a roasted pig. Nonetheless it’s going to be beautiful. That is until my speech. At that point it might head shockingly south, who knows. I am a bit nervous about that bit. The speech is supposed to be nice, and I am not sure that I have any nice things to say about Dustin and Julie. I better start now so I have plenty of time to fabricate something kind to say. Wish me luck!

I took the country quiz and evidently I am France. I was honestly hoping for Texas which would have been much less embarrassing. But then again, how much faith can you have in a test that will tell you which country you after only six questions? Nonetheless here is my result.

You are France!

Most people think you’re snobby, but it’s really just that you’re better than everyone else.  At least you’re more loyal to the real language, the fine arts, and the fine wines than anyone else.  You aren’t worth beans in a fight, unless you’re really short, but you’re so good at other things that it usually doesn’t matter.  Some of your finest works were intended to be short-term projects.

For those of you who live in New York you may know that the McDonald’s here don’t have “Supersized” stuff, they have small (tiny), medium (normal), and large (freakishly huge). The large size drink for example is the size of a horse’s head. Imagine walking out of Mickey D’s with a cup so big you have to use two hands just to keep from causing a second Noachian Flood. It’s embarrassing.

Well, that is soon to be no more. McDonald’s has already begun to phase out “Supersize” fries and beverages. They say that this move is a part of their effort to streamline their menu and offer a more health conscious selection. I think it because they are sick of stupid people suing them for eating 5,000 calories a day and expecting not to gain 200 lbs. and avoid heart disease. Plus now those same people will have to buy two orders of fries to get the same amount of food. Duh!

Good luck Mickey D’s!

[via CNN] [see also McBad-for-you]

Andrew Sullivan as usual has some pertinent comments to make about religious conservative movement.

What the religious right amendment is doing is splitting the Republican coalition and uniting the Democrats. What the religious right did to destroy the Republican party in a state like California, they are now trying to do across the country as a whole. They are not only on the wrong side of history; and on the wrong side of morality; they are putting the Republican party on the losing side of politics. They must and will be stopped.

The AP is reporting that the Attorney General of New York said early today that New York law prohibits same sex marriage. He was quoted as saying, “I personally would like to see the law changed, but must respect the law as it now stands.”

Have rulings by courts in Massachusetts in favor of same-sex marriage and the actions of San Francisco city officials sparked a cascade of official support of same-sex marriage that will drive through the Union? Maybe the President’s announcement last week that he favors constitutionalized discrimination has drawn more attention from those in a position to change the law than he bargained for? I hope so on all counts.

People are going to realize in the coming months that same-sex marriage is not a threat, does not represent special rights, cannot be legitimately opposed by people of conscience, and is legally and morally right.

[from the Guardian]