It is morning and the house is very very cold. Westerm Mass. is very very cold. Frankly, I'm sick of it. I'm going to be using the sauna semi-regularly as a means of counter-acting this oppressive weather. Besides helping you sweat out toxins, the intense heat actually raises your heart-rate and so sauna-ing acts as a form of mild cardiovascular exercise.
Today is a sad day, because it is Than's last official day in our house. I will miss you a lot. I think everyone will. I can only speak for myself, but I can state for certain that I'll miss you enough for the house even if they didn't all miss you, which I'm sure they do. Plus also a loss of a Dubin in a household is a grave loss indeed.
On the bright side, everyone is supposed to be getting up and making breakfast today. I'm waiting on breakfast to go to sleep. I'm maybe going to open a bank account this morning too. We'll see if i can stand going outside. It can't be much worse than in here though. The tips of my fingers are freezing and I keep needing to warm my hands so they are limber enough for typing.
On another bright side, we're getting a new housemate. She is named Chlirissa. I may have spelled her name wrong. She will be given the password to this blog and can make corrections as necessary.
I hope everyone wakes up soon. I'm getting hungry and impatient. Also, I still have yet to figure out who it was that commented on my last post under the name 'foronandon' (something like that, maybe another-andon was at the end). Please reveal yourself.
Your cold but devoted blogger,
Ben
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Vote Nader
Via nader.org
By Ralph Nader
Here is a short list of what you won't hear much of from the front-runners in this presidential primary season. Call them the candidate taboos.
1) You won't hear a call for a national crackdown on the corporate crime, fraud, and abuse that have robbed trillions of dollars from workers, investors, pension holders, taxpayers and consumers. Among the reforms that won't be suggested are providing resources to prosecute executive crooks and laws to democratize corporate governance so shareholders have real power. Candidates will not shout for a payback of ill-gotten gains, to rein in executive pay, or to demand corporate sunshine laws.
2) You won’t hear a demand that workers receive a living wage instead of a minimum wage. There will be no backing for a repeal of the anti-union Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which has blocked more than 40 million workers from forming or joining trade unions to improve wages and benefits above Wal-Mart or McDonald's levels.
3) You won’t hear for a call for a withdrawal from the WTO and NAFTA. Renegotiated trade agreements should stick to trade while labor, environmental, and consumer rights are advanced by separate treaties without being subordinated to the dictates of international commerce.
4) You won’t hear a call for our income tax system to be substantially revamped so that workers can keep more of their wages while we tax the things we like least, such as pollution, stock speculation, addictive industries, and energy guzzling technologies. Nor will you hear that corporations should be required to pay their fair share; corporate tax contributions as a percent of the overall federal revenue stream have been declining for 50 years.
5) You won’t hear a call for a single payer health system. Almost sixty years after President Truman first proposed it, we still need health insurance for everyone, a program with quality and cost controls and an emphasis on prevention. Full Medicare for everyone will save thousands of lives a year while maintaining patient choice of doctors and hospitals within a competitive private health care delivery system.
6) There is no reason to believe that the candidates will stand up to the commercial interests profiting from our current energy situation. We need a major environmental health agenda that challenges these entrenched interests with major new initiatives in solar energy, doubling motor vehicle fuel efficiency, and other quantified sustainable and clean energy technologies. Nor will there be adequate recognition that current fossil fuels are producing not just global warming, but also cancer, respiratory diseases, and geopolitical entanglements. Finally, there will be no calls for ending environmental racism that leads to more contaminated water, air, and toxic dumps in poorer neighborhoods.
7) The candidates will not demand a reduction in the military budget that devours half the federal government's operating expenditures at a time when there is no Soviet Union or other major state enemy in the world. Studies by the General Accounting Office and internal Pentagon assessments support the judgment of many retired admirals and generals that a wasteful defense weakens our country and distorts priorities at home.
8) You won't hear a consistent clarion call for electoral reform. Both parties have shamelessly engaged in gerrymandering, a process that guarantees reelection of their candidates at the expense of frustrated voters. Nor will there be serious proposals that millions of law-abiding ex-felons be allowed to vote.
Other electoral reforms should include reducing barriers to candidates, same day registration, a voter verified paper record for electronic voting, run-off voting to insure winners receive a majority vote, binding none-of-the-above choices and most important, full public financing to guarantee clean elections.
9) You won’t hear much about a failed war on drugs that costs nearly $50 billion annually. And the major candidates will not argue that addicts should be treated rather than imprisoned. Nor should observers hope for any call to repeal the "three strikes and you're out" laws that have needlessly filled our jails or to end mandatory sentencing that hamstrings our judges.
10) The candidates will ignore the diverse Israeli peace movement whose members have developed accords for a two state solution with their Palestinian and American counterparts. It is time to replace the Washington puppet show with a real Washington peace show for the security of the American, Palestinian, and Israeli people.
11) You won’t hear the candidates stand up to business interests that have backed changes to our civil justice system that restrict or close the courtroom to wrongfully injured and cheated individuals, but not to corporations. Where is the vocal campaign against fraud and injury upon innocent patients, consumers, and workers? We should make it easier for consumers to band together and defend themselves against harmful practices in the marketplace.
Voters should visit the webpages of the major party candidates. See what they say, and see what they do not say. Then email or send a letter to any or all the candidates and ask them why they are avoiding these issues. Breaking the taboos won’t start with the candidates. Maybe it can start with the voters.
Than
By Ralph Nader
Here is a short list of what you won't hear much of from the front-runners in this presidential primary season. Call them the candidate taboos.
1) You won't hear a call for a national crackdown on the corporate crime, fraud, and abuse that have robbed trillions of dollars from workers, investors, pension holders, taxpayers and consumers. Among the reforms that won't be suggested are providing resources to prosecute executive crooks and laws to democratize corporate governance so shareholders have real power. Candidates will not shout for a payback of ill-gotten gains, to rein in executive pay, or to demand corporate sunshine laws.
2) You won’t hear a demand that workers receive a living wage instead of a minimum wage. There will be no backing for a repeal of the anti-union Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which has blocked more than 40 million workers from forming or joining trade unions to improve wages and benefits above Wal-Mart or McDonald's levels.
3) You won’t hear for a call for a withdrawal from the WTO and NAFTA. Renegotiated trade agreements should stick to trade while labor, environmental, and consumer rights are advanced by separate treaties without being subordinated to the dictates of international commerce.
4) You won’t hear a call for our income tax system to be substantially revamped so that workers can keep more of their wages while we tax the things we like least, such as pollution, stock speculation, addictive industries, and energy guzzling technologies. Nor will you hear that corporations should be required to pay their fair share; corporate tax contributions as a percent of the overall federal revenue stream have been declining for 50 years.
5) You won’t hear a call for a single payer health system. Almost sixty years after President Truman first proposed it, we still need health insurance for everyone, a program with quality and cost controls and an emphasis on prevention. Full Medicare for everyone will save thousands of lives a year while maintaining patient choice of doctors and hospitals within a competitive private health care delivery system.
6) There is no reason to believe that the candidates will stand up to the commercial interests profiting from our current energy situation. We need a major environmental health agenda that challenges these entrenched interests with major new initiatives in solar energy, doubling motor vehicle fuel efficiency, and other quantified sustainable and clean energy technologies. Nor will there be adequate recognition that current fossil fuels are producing not just global warming, but also cancer, respiratory diseases, and geopolitical entanglements. Finally, there will be no calls for ending environmental racism that leads to more contaminated water, air, and toxic dumps in poorer neighborhoods.
7) The candidates will not demand a reduction in the military budget that devours half the federal government's operating expenditures at a time when there is no Soviet Union or other major state enemy in the world. Studies by the General Accounting Office and internal Pentagon assessments support the judgment of many retired admirals and generals that a wasteful defense weakens our country and distorts priorities at home.
8) You won't hear a consistent clarion call for electoral reform. Both parties have shamelessly engaged in gerrymandering, a process that guarantees reelection of their candidates at the expense of frustrated voters. Nor will there be serious proposals that millions of law-abiding ex-felons be allowed to vote.
Other electoral reforms should include reducing barriers to candidates, same day registration, a voter verified paper record for electronic voting, run-off voting to insure winners receive a majority vote, binding none-of-the-above choices and most important, full public financing to guarantee clean elections.
9) You won’t hear much about a failed war on drugs that costs nearly $50 billion annually. And the major candidates will not argue that addicts should be treated rather than imprisoned. Nor should observers hope for any call to repeal the "three strikes and you're out" laws that have needlessly filled our jails or to end mandatory sentencing that hamstrings our judges.
10) The candidates will ignore the diverse Israeli peace movement whose members have developed accords for a two state solution with their Palestinian and American counterparts. It is time to replace the Washington puppet show with a real Washington peace show for the security of the American, Palestinian, and Israeli people.
11) You won’t hear the candidates stand up to business interests that have backed changes to our civil justice system that restrict or close the courtroom to wrongfully injured and cheated individuals, but not to corporations. Where is the vocal campaign against fraud and injury upon innocent patients, consumers, and workers? We should make it easier for consumers to band together and defend themselves against harmful practices in the marketplace.
Voters should visit the webpages of the major party candidates. See what they say, and see what they do not say. Then email or send a letter to any or all the candidates and ask them why they are avoiding these issues. Breaking the taboos won’t start with the candidates. Maybe it can start with the voters.
Than
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Scott and Lauren are here. We found an old copy of the Climax in the sofa. It had an article about doing drugs on halloween. A bunch of kids wrote about doing different drugs, and it seemed like they all had a really good time, except for the one who ate pot brownies. Apparently, pot is the only drug that is actually bad for you. Weird.
PS: Who is foronandonandon? You commented on this blog on the last post but left no name. Please reveal yourself.
-Ben
PS: Who is foronandonandon? You commented on this blog on the last post but left no name. Please reveal yourself.
-Ben
Saturday, February 23, 2008
sports, etymology, etc.
Hello.
It's 530 am, which is, I guess a little before bed-time for me these days. I need to get onto a more human schedule, Perhaps.
I was hoping to post with grand news about the new housemate, but such news is not yet available, although I'm certain it will be grand.
I've been a little down of late. Nothing too bad, just feeling the season wearing on me more than usual.
On the plus side, there is always sports. I would like to point out that NCAA basketball is reaching the most important part of the season. Memphis remains undefeated. The rest of Conference USA is quite weak however. I'm actively keeping tabs on those teams that are hovering on the bubble, and I am sad to say that the extremely high level of play across the board in the Atlantic 10 is actually going to hurt the conference come selection time. This is a real shame, but to be expected when reputation is worth as much as skill. I guarantee that if you replaced the 'Atlantic' with 'Big' you'd get 5-6 of those teams in no sweat, maybe even 7, but they're going to have a hard time getting 4. This isn't an idle comparison either. The Big 10 only really has 3-4 deserving teams, and yet will likely get 5, possibly even 6 if Minnesota makes a strong run in the conference tournament. The A10 has at least 7 strong teams, including our 5-college's own UMASS Minutemen, who'll be happy to get an NIT bid because of the relatively weak reputation of their conference.
Speaking of the NCAA tournament, does anyone know the etymology of the term 'on the bubble'?
No longer sports from this point. It's safe to begin reading again here:
A few things we discovered at the house; humans are the tuna of the land, manta rays are the birds of the sea, airplanes are the submarines of the air, frogs are the toads of the water and toads are the frogs of the land. Feel free to add any I missed. Peter thinks Benny is some kind of donkey?
Fish and Chips was today. Too many people came. I felt like very uncomfortable in the little fish market with about 2/3 of the hampshire student body. Speaking of student bodies, bodies politic, etc. I think it's very interesting that the term body, which refers generally to our most personal possession, also doubles for any group of bodies. I'm reminded of the cover to Hobbes's Leviathan in which the body of the sovereign is composed of hundreds of little bodies of the people. On a scholarly note, I'm referring to the illustration of a recent cover which was taken from the plate for the cover of the original edition.
etymological oddity: testimony originates from roman legal practice of swearing on the testes. something here should be written about origination/insemination/testes/the law/the law as father inseminating his own practice. I'm losing my train of thought.
Also, I learned today that in Iranian angelology, one's guardian angel starts off as a positive, beautiful thing, but the moral choices a person makes in life change the character of the guardian angel. Upon death, you get to see your angel and if you were a good person, the angel will be unbelievably beautiful and if you were a bad person the angel will be like a hideous demon. The angel will tell you that they were made that way from the choices of your life, and then you will expire.
I will try to sleep now. Don't wake me before 2.
-Ben
It's 530 am, which is, I guess a little before bed-time for me these days. I need to get onto a more human schedule, Perhaps.
I was hoping to post with grand news about the new housemate, but such news is not yet available, although I'm certain it will be grand.
I've been a little down of late. Nothing too bad, just feeling the season wearing on me more than usual.
On the plus side, there is always sports. I would like to point out that NCAA basketball is reaching the most important part of the season. Memphis remains undefeated. The rest of Conference USA is quite weak however. I'm actively keeping tabs on those teams that are hovering on the bubble, and I am sad to say that the extremely high level of play across the board in the Atlantic 10 is actually going to hurt the conference come selection time. This is a real shame, but to be expected when reputation is worth as much as skill. I guarantee that if you replaced the 'Atlantic' with 'Big' you'd get 5-6 of those teams in no sweat, maybe even 7, but they're going to have a hard time getting 4. This isn't an idle comparison either. The Big 10 only really has 3-4 deserving teams, and yet will likely get 5, possibly even 6 if Minnesota makes a strong run in the conference tournament. The A10 has at least 7 strong teams, including our 5-college's own UMASS Minutemen, who'll be happy to get an NIT bid because of the relatively weak reputation of their conference.
Speaking of the NCAA tournament, does anyone know the etymology of the term 'on the bubble'?
No longer sports from this point. It's safe to begin reading again here:
A few things we discovered at the house; humans are the tuna of the land, manta rays are the birds of the sea, airplanes are the submarines of the air, frogs are the toads of the water and toads are the frogs of the land. Feel free to add any I missed. Peter thinks Benny is some kind of donkey?
Fish and Chips was today. Too many people came. I felt like very uncomfortable in the little fish market with about 2/3 of the hampshire student body. Speaking of student bodies, bodies politic, etc. I think it's very interesting that the term body, which refers generally to our most personal possession, also doubles for any group of bodies. I'm reminded of the cover to Hobbes's Leviathan in which the body of the sovereign is composed of hundreds of little bodies of the people. On a scholarly note, I'm referring to the illustration of a recent cover which was taken from the plate for the cover of the original edition.
etymological oddity: testimony originates from roman legal practice of swearing on the testes. something here should be written about origination/insemination/testes/the law/the law as father inseminating his own practice. I'm losing my train of thought.
Also, I learned today that in Iranian angelology, one's guardian angel starts off as a positive, beautiful thing, but the moral choices a person makes in life change the character of the guardian angel. Upon death, you get to see your angel and if you were a good person, the angel will be unbelievably beautiful and if you were a bad person the angel will be like a hideous demon. The angel will tell you that they were made that way from the choices of your life, and then you will expire.
I will try to sleep now. Don't wake me before 2.
-Ben
Thursday, February 21, 2008
alive in hell
No, not really hell. But hellish. That's my experience with Div. III so far. This week has been particularly hellish though I'm making some headway (slowly) with writing. I've been in my room most of the time, often listening to different pandora stations to keep the spirits up. I can smell dinner downstairs but I don't want to leave my seat because it's too tempting not to come back.
I definitely appreciate the invites out of the house and don't get me wrong, when I say no I really mean yes and when I say 'I'm going to work' I really mean, 'I'm going to sit and read a lot and try to figure out how to put this into my own words while checking the blog every 15 minutes or so'. I have been kind of out of the scene with this house lately, especially in trying to figure out who we want to live with when Than ditches us. (just kidding than). Sorry for being uncommunicative and absent and not very helpful with the process.
I'm really not absent though. My ears are with you. I listen to Peter airing out his trumpet oh so melodically at night and I can hear Jim's voice whenever he talks, it has an authoritative tone (in the friendliest way) and seeps through the ceiling. I usually hear Jesslyn come in at night and I know it's her when she walks past my door because Benny is usually drooling with excite behind her, then he runs into my door. Sometimes he successfully opens the door and rummages through my trash, rubs his ears on my bed and runs away. Little shit! I know Than's around when I can hear his door squeak open and when he walks up the stairs it sounds like he's knocking on my wall. (Don't worry, it's not a disturbing sound). I don't usually hear Ben at all but I do go downstairs and see him sitting on the couch in the living room reading or doing some sort of intellectual self-learning (it seems...who knows he could be looking at animal porn for all I know, he's very discreet though). It's nice to at least hear you guys, even if I don't interact much. Anyway, I know this post may seem like I'm the creepy one...in fact I hope it does. I like you guys in the creepiest way possible and I miss you all. Maybe I'll hang out in April?
Anyway, gotta go 'do work'. No really though, I will. I am. I will, therefore I am.
I definitely appreciate the invites out of the house and don't get me wrong, when I say no I really mean yes and when I say 'I'm going to work' I really mean, 'I'm going to sit and read a lot and try to figure out how to put this into my own words while checking the blog every 15 minutes or so'. I have been kind of out of the scene with this house lately, especially in trying to figure out who we want to live with when Than ditches us. (just kidding than). Sorry for being uncommunicative and absent and not very helpful with the process.
I'm really not absent though. My ears are with you. I listen to Peter airing out his trumpet oh so melodically at night and I can hear Jim's voice whenever he talks, it has an authoritative tone (in the friendliest way) and seeps through the ceiling. I usually hear Jesslyn come in at night and I know it's her when she walks past my door because Benny is usually drooling with excite behind her, then he runs into my door. Sometimes he successfully opens the door and rummages through my trash, rubs his ears on my bed and runs away. Little shit! I know Than's around when I can hear his door squeak open and when he walks up the stairs it sounds like he's knocking on my wall. (Don't worry, it's not a disturbing sound). I don't usually hear Ben at all but I do go downstairs and see him sitting on the couch in the living room reading or doing some sort of intellectual self-learning (it seems...who knows he could be looking at animal porn for all I know, he's very discreet though). It's nice to at least hear you guys, even if I don't interact much. Anyway, I know this post may seem like I'm the creepy one...in fact I hope it does. I like you guys in the creepiest way possible and I miss you all. Maybe I'll hang out in April?
Anyway, gotta go 'do work'. No really though, I will. I am. I will, therefore I am.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Western Massachussetttttts
Before I leave the area, I wanted to review a few of my favorite places in the area.
The Invisible Fountains- Eastworks, Easthampton.
Here you will see a thousand paintings for free! And maybe buy one for 11.11 22.22 or 33.33.... and the artist prints my favorite valley publication (even more so than the Hampshire Gazette!) the Yankee Winebib. Wow, I think we all should have warehouse space to completely pursue wine and painting and movies and whatever your OCD has been hinting at your whole life. Maybe that is the key to happieness? Obsession and PMA??
North Shore Seafood Company- King St. Northampton
Last time I had fish and chips was at a Canadian National Park called.. humm.. Bay of Fundy. Largest tidal changes in the world. The sea goes out and out until rock and rollers from Montreal on road trips ask me, and American, where the ocean is. Thats cool- and I ate lots of fried fish and chips there. It was not a friday. Boats get stuck in the mud during the low tied and my father assumed it was a tourist trap. Anyways, North Shore has an amazing fish fry until 7pm on friday, and it is delicate and delicious. Only fridays cause of some Catholic thing (lent?), and chips are served wit fried fish to cool down the hot grease...
Heavy Metal Warehouse- Easthampton
There is a world of warehouses you never think of, and people running them. Bagel Cutter warehouses, and semi-pornographic fantasy/scifi comic book warehouses.
Trader Joes Dumpster- Hadley.
See Below.
More to come.
The Invisible Fountains- Eastworks, Easthampton.
Here you will see a thousand paintings for free! And maybe buy one for 11.11 22.22 or 33.33.... and the artist prints my favorite valley publication (even more so than the Hampshire Gazette!) the Yankee Winebib. Wow, I think we all should have warehouse space to completely pursue wine and painting and movies and whatever your OCD has been hinting at your whole life. Maybe that is the key to happieness? Obsession and PMA??
North Shore Seafood Company- King St. Northampton
Last time I had fish and chips was at a Canadian National Park called.. humm.. Bay of Fundy. Largest tidal changes in the world. The sea goes out and out until rock and rollers from Montreal on road trips ask me, and American, where the ocean is. Thats cool- and I ate lots of fried fish and chips there. It was not a friday. Boats get stuck in the mud during the low tied and my father assumed it was a tourist trap. Anyways, North Shore has an amazing fish fry until 7pm on friday, and it is delicate and delicious. Only fridays cause of some Catholic thing (lent?), and chips are served wit fried fish to cool down the hot grease...
Heavy Metal Warehouse- Easthampton
There is a world of warehouses you never think of, and people running them. Bagel Cutter warehouses, and semi-pornographic fantasy/scifi comic book warehouses.
Trader Joes Dumpster- Hadley.
See Below.
More to come.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Dearest Readers (by which I mean mostly housemates and our significant others, but all other dear readers as well)
News:
We had a tremendous show featuring several of my very favorite people. Peter, Daniel, Andrea&Erin, and the entirety of the American Hornets were all fantastic. I'm sorry I was somewhat absent and less helpful than I probably should have been. A better effort will be made in the future. Still, it was a very good night.
Next Saturday we are having another event. Please be excited for it. Cursillistas, Tre Colori, Sal Feathers and 1 more TBA will be our guests.
Finally, we are still looking for a resident in the house. The coupola is going to be taken by Jesslyn, so her (beautiful) room is very much open, very affordable, and in need of an occupant.
Mitt Romney has dropped out of the presidential race, prompting the exclamation: Call Mom-- No Dom for Rom; Rom Bombs. Our house remains firm in its endorsement of Mike Gravel.
Reviews:
Hud- Hud, played by Paul Newman, has a barbed wire soul. It's in the tagline. He's a bad seed, a womanizer, a drunk, and he's gotten by on charm and good looks for too long. He's not evil, just so deeply selfish and emotionally scarred that he pretty much acts that way. Newman is fantastic, as always. This film is highly recommended for anyone who wants a strong drama and a different kind of western. One final note: The scenes with the cattle are really amazing and horrifying.
Actually, that's the only review I feel like writing at the moment.
-Ben
News:
We had a tremendous show featuring several of my very favorite people. Peter, Daniel, Andrea&Erin, and the entirety of the American Hornets were all fantastic. I'm sorry I was somewhat absent and less helpful than I probably should have been. A better effort will be made in the future. Still, it was a very good night.
Next Saturday we are having another event. Please be excited for it. Cursillistas, Tre Colori, Sal Feathers and 1 more TBA will be our guests.
Finally, we are still looking for a resident in the house. The coupola is going to be taken by Jesslyn, so her (beautiful) room is very much open, very affordable, and in need of an occupant.
Mitt Romney has dropped out of the presidential race, prompting the exclamation: Call Mom-- No Dom for Rom; Rom Bombs. Our house remains firm in its endorsement of Mike Gravel.
Reviews:
Hud- Hud, played by Paul Newman, has a barbed wire soul. It's in the tagline. He's a bad seed, a womanizer, a drunk, and he's gotten by on charm and good looks for too long. He's not evil, just so deeply selfish and emotionally scarred that he pretty much acts that way. Newman is fantastic, as always. This film is highly recommended for anyone who wants a strong drama and a different kind of western. One final note: The scenes with the cattle are really amazing and horrifying.
Actually, that's the only review I feel like writing at the moment.
-Ben
Monday, February 4, 2008
Two Pieces of News
First, the bad news. This may turn out to be ok news, but we need your help for that:
Than is moving out, so we need a new boarder. The room is in the coupola. It is charming (if on the small side) and the rent is quite reasonable at only 300/month. The room is available starting March 1.
Utilities should be fairly inexpensive, because the majority of our bills go for oil, and you'll have missed the brunt of winter.
Please let us know if you're interested. We can give you an official tour, go over the details of the situation, etc.
Also, please tell any friends you think might be interested.
Second the very excellent news:
17-14, 18-1, if I need to explain further, you wouldn't care anyways.
Than is moving out, so we need a new boarder. The room is in the coupola. It is charming (if on the small side) and the rent is quite reasonable at only 300/month. The room is available starting March 1.
Utilities should be fairly inexpensive, because the majority of our bills go for oil, and you'll have missed the brunt of winter.
Please let us know if you're interested. We can give you an official tour, go over the details of the situation, etc.
Also, please tell any friends you think might be interested.
Second the very excellent news:
17-14, 18-1, if I need to explain further, you wouldn't care anyways.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
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