Phil E, Killer of Cockroaches

I tore the space up in my desperation. But there were too many for me to handle alone. Especially once they started flying.

Phil soon arrived, though, and charged the room, brandishing his trusty GQ. Many were slain. Normalcy reigns over the household once more.

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Where We're At - America and Gay Marriage

Take a look at this in-depth snapshot of Americans' views on same-sex marriage in the immediate wake of California's legalization case.

Gallup does a nice job converting the raw poll data into something meaningful.

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Unacceptable

The Pentagon, inspections and hearings reveal, cannot account for nearly 15 billion dollars in payments for goods and services in Iraq.

Heads should roll after such a thing.

And here I thought the ridiculous amount of subsidy spending in the recent Farm Bill was shameful.

*Here's a bit on the interesting constitutional gripe raised by some Republicans when it was discovered 34 pages of the bill had not been included in the version vetoed by President Bush.

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Cindy McCain

What was so worthy of hiding in the tax return? All the candidates seem to be raking millions, so the revelation doesn't seem particularly interesting or important.

What is more intriguing, for sure, is what's being concealed in the eerie photo shown here. Is that a mask?

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A Madison Momento

Digging through a drawer, I came across this pin that I found last spring on a State Street bench back in Madison.

I laughed even harder when discovering it a second time.

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Hurricane Season on the Horizon

June 1 approaches.

Nobody (understandably) seems to have a reliable estimate on the number of storms, but the storm names at least are chiseled in stone:

Arthur | Bertha | Cristobal | Dolly | Edouard
Fay | Gustav | Hanna | Ike | Josephine
Kyle | Laura | Marco | Nana | Omar | Paloma
Rene | Sally | Teddy | Vicky | Wilfred

Several storm names have been retired this year as well:

The committee issues a list of potential names for tropical cyclones every six years and for 2013, Dean, Felix, and Noel have been replaced with Dorian, Fernand, and Nestor. Since tropical cyclones were first named in 1953, 70 names have been retired, the first two being Carol and Hazel in 1954.

These names will not be used again because of the wide spread destruction caused by these storms.

For anyone in Louisiana, remember this weekend is a tax holiday for purchasing hurricane preparedness items.

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J-E-L-L-O is the New Malcolm X

The continuing boldness of Bill Cosby in the black community.

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LaCrosse river deaths part of a nationwide serial killing scheme?

That's the hypothesis of detectives after an alleged "smiley face" killer, according to this CNN piece.

The FBI sounds quite skeptical, however.

I've heard numerous projections over the years about a serial murderer in LaCrosse (with nine tragic river deaths, including one man from my hometown of Kiel, it seems the possibility shouldn't be ruled out entirely). Still, I've never heard of a theory positing national level organization to the crimes.

Reading this list of the Wisconsin and Minnesota victims supposedly linked in this scheme, it seems rather far-fetched, in my mind, to suppose a serial killer on a larger scale. The time and geographic distance between locations seems prohibitive to any idea of a concerted effort. To expand this randomness and supposedly linkage to a multi-state interstate corridor seems far-fetched - some in the Wisconsin/Minnesota list are not close to I-94 (like the Herr incident in Sheboygan).

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McCain's Momentous Memorial Day

Sure - the upcoming Arizona visit by Romney, Crist, and Jindal is purely social. Yep. Uh huh.

Which man will he pick? Remember, Lindsay Graham and Joe Lieberman will be present as well.

What do I think is the politically savvy pick for McCain?

Go with Jindal. Jindal all the way.

Bobby Jindal is, pure and simple, worth talking about. He brings the ticket intellectual heft, diversity, youth, unique, unorthodox strength in a key region, and even some experience. He stands to inject the GOP with some Obamic qualities. It's the gamble McCain needs to make right now, as I've discussed.

When the Democrats coalesce again around a single nominee, McCain is going to need an X-factor to make his candidacy and his ticket worth talking about again - or, as I've said before, he'll face a Goldwater-style loss in the fall as the hard right stays home and independents cleave to Obama.

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Stretching the truth

Sound's like Jesus on the mound!

Some 75,000 people flocked to Portland’s waterfront Sunday to watch Barack Obama speak, making it the biggest rally the campaign has held to date. Thousands stood on the lawn, dozens watched from boats and from the bridge stretching across the Willamette River...

This one and other stories neglected to report that Barack was "preceded by a rare, 45-minute free concert by actual rock stars The Decemberists", who I might add, are enjoyed by this blog.

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Proud

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Where I Like to Eat in New Orleans: Breakfast

The Big Easy is famed for its food. However, some of the finest fusion and creole cuisine here is a bit out of the price range of a lowly loan-bound law student. With that - and my rather stifling academic schedule limiting my exposure - in mind, I figure I'll share a few of the places I recommend to friends and family when they're in town. Starting with the first meal of the day...

Breakfast:

+ The Bluebird Cafe - Prytania Street, Uptown
- A classic no-frills diner space with a friendly, interesting staff and a quick wait line outside. The omelets hit the spot, especially when accompanied with black beans and rye toast. You never know who might show up in the seats.

+ Surrey's - Lower Magazine Street
- The wait on weekends can be prohibitive, but the food is scrumptious. The bananas foster pancakes were memorable, and the fresh, relaxing atmosphere feels just right in the morning.

+ Betsy's Pancake House - Upper Canal Street, Mid-City
- The food's alright, but the atmosphere is one of the most intriguing mixing pots in the city. The place has character. With blue walls, crucifixes over the doors, and a range of clientele from churchgoers in their Sunday best to local law enforcement, the place is great for people-watching. Betsy herself will likely serve you, dressed in gold, accompanied by colorful, unscripted calls from the kitchen.

+ Oak Street Cafe - Oak Street, Carrollton
- The food isn't the best around, but the music from regular pianist Charles Farmer makes for a pleasant start to the day nonetheless.

+ The Coffee Pot - St. Peter Street, The Quarter
- While it's in the Quarter, and it's certainly more expensive, the outdoor courtyard seating is picture-perfect - if you hit it early on a weekday morning when it's not overrun by tourists. And even if it is, the staff is gracious and gregarious, and the menu sports some old school hard-to-find entries, like lost bread (done well) and calas. Omelets = delicious.

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Google wants my health records

Google will not get my health records.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Google's online filing cabinet for medical records opened to the public Monday, giving users instant electronic access to their health histories while reigniting privacy concerns.

Called Google Health, the service lets users link information from a handful of pharmacies and care providers, including Quest Diagnostics labs. Google plans to add more.

The company already has a slightly uncomfortable amount of control over my personal information and speech, given my voluntary use of programs like Gmail, Google calendar, and Blogger.

Seeing highly - and creepily - targeted adds appear at the top of my Gmail inbox based on the content of my e-mails is enough to give me pause.

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A summer invitation from LIB

We know you're out there. We know you have opinions, ideas, and experiences. And that you wouldn't mind sharing them.

Please do!

If you would like to do some guest blogging here at Letters in Bottles this summer - even just a single post, let us know by contacting us at the e-mail addresses on the sidebar.

Tell us something interesting about your corner of the world. Or share your take on the latest development in the presidential race or world affairs. Review a book, a beer, a movie, an album, a state or national park, a concert, a blog, a new building, a restaurant. Interview someone or share a unique photo or drawing.

We'd love to hear your ideas.

Cordially yours,

LIB

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Magnolias in Bloom

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William E. Borah, The Lion of Idaho

Over the weekend, AP did a story on the sudden revival of interest in the late Idaho Senator, William E. Borah, "The Lion of Idaho".

President Bush referenced a Borah quote before the Knesset about "if only I could have talked to Hitler...", employing it as an example of unwise appeasement mindset - "foolish delusion."

The furor has been about Obama - who wasn't specifically referenced. Borah, however, was directly quoted.

As some have noted, taking Borah as an example of a wimpy, naive, internationalist appeaser based on the quote taken in a vacuum is absolutely absurd.

Borah is the same man who led the "Irreconcilables" in the U.S. Senate and in speaking tours around the nation to defeat confirmation of the Treaty of Versailles. Having read Ralph Stone's book "The Irreconcilables" - which outlines the machinations that led to the rebuke of Wilson over the treaty - in my free time a few years back, I've always found Borah a fascinating, almost romantic figure.

He was incredibly eloquent (see his classic 1919 speech opposing Versailles), he was very close to an isolationist, and, above all, he was complex. In 1929, he ended up supporting the foolhardy Kellog-Briand Pact. I don't believe his comprehensive outlook aligns with any given American politician, ideology, or movement today.

In 1936, one of the worst years ever for the Republican Party, Borah ran for president. Which lone state's delegates did he manage to secure? Wisconsin.

Here's TIME Magazine's vintage account of his visit to Milwaukee in 1936 (note the somewhat punchy, odd journalistic writing style of the time). He spoke in the brand new Eagle's Ballroom, now home to the Rave. Allegedly, enough Badgers found him reminiscent of Fightin' Bob to get him through (or, as the article intimates, they were foolish or inattentive enough in their voting). Interestingly, in a more apt parallel to the 2008 election, he was 71 years old at the time.

To put a little air in the vacuum, if you will, here are a few additional Borah quotes:

No more fatuous chimera has ever infested the brain than that you can control opinions by law or direct belief by statute, and no more pernicious sentiment ever tormented the heart than the barbarous desire to do so. The field of inquiry should remain open, and the right of debate must be regarded as a sacred right. - 1917

"America has arisen to a position where she is respected and admired by the entire world. She did it by minding her own business ... the European and American systems do not agree." —1919 speech in Brooklyn opposing the League of Nations.

"The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments."

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The First Week

My first week as an extern to a federal judge proved thoroughly interesting. Taking the St. Charles streetcar to work each morning with my neighbor, classmate, and co-worker has proven to be one fun aspect of the position. It's a great, tranquil way to transition into work mode. And, to my delight, streetcars seem to be magnets for characters.

















One of the drivers we seem to get often in the mornings is an older lady who shouted to one departing passenger "I live for speed!" the other day before slamming the doors and cranking the lever as the lumbering old streetcar launched forward, rattling between the rows of traffic under the oak boughs. There are others - the young Americorps guy who reads the Hemingway book, the professional man who looks like Danny Glover, the quiet umbrella lady, and a host of other interesting people.


















The streetcar in the morning is, by and large, New Orleans. It changes later in the day.

It only takes about a half hour to get to Poydras Street - less if we get the lady driver and if the back of the streetcar makes it around Lee Circle on the first try.

This is, I realized, the first time I've ever taken mass transit to and from work.























The courthouse position itself has been intriguing - a bench trial, criminal hearings, case research and writing. Time flies. It's been very interesting to get a taste of the procedure and processes involved. And I've actually found some direct applications of things I learned in law school(!). Civ. Pro., Con. Law, and Property have all come in handy in my inaugural assignments. Legal Research and Writing is critical, too.

I learned from personal experience that cameras are not allowed in the building, so don't expect any behind-the-scenes shots.

We eat lunch at the base of the Henry Clay statute shown in Lafayette Square (the courthouse is off in the background in the shot above).

















On Wednesdays, a festival atmosphere livens up the square with vendors, food, drinks, and live music. Last week the Hot 8 Brass Band took to the stage before Gallier Hall.






















When the day is done, we wait at the car stop on St. Charles with our $1.25 (exact change only) in hand across from the Lafayette Hotel. In 2003, during my first hours-long visit to New Orleans, I remember being awestruck at the many Mardi Gras beads in the same sidewalk trees that stand across the street in front of the building.

I also remember my second visit to the city last May. The St. Charles streetcar line was still being re-strung along the route and not a streetcar was running along the route.

The streetcar sometimes has trouble as it makes the circuit around the monument to Robert E. Lee - the back wheels sometimes fail to follow the groove where the tracks diverge. Vehicles also fail to get out of the way, which is always interesting to watch/feel.

















In the afternoons, the streetcar is transformed. It is often far more crowded, and, especially on Friday, packed with tourists visiting for the weekend - it gives us a chance to prove how much we've become locals when we can advise visitors their guide-suggested streetcar stops are not the ideal ones for their purposes.

If we get the man pictured for a driver, we make good time - he drives with confidence, speeding up in certain stretches with many crossings and dinging loud and clear so as to signal a warning to any motorists running parallel: don't cross the neutral ground. I'm coming through and I'm bigger than you.



















As we step off across from the JCC on Jefferson, the sun a bit lower and our ties a bit looser, the doors close behind us and the streetcar whirs and rumbles off up the crescent.

This, I think, is going to be worthwhile.

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Fan Up, New Orleans

Tomorrow night's the night.























Signs have sprung up here in my neighborhood and throughout the city in support of the Hornets as they make their way through the playoffs. And to think that people weren't even certain earlier in the season if the team would generate sufficient fan support to stay.

It's been exciting to see genuine local enthusiasm for an NBA basketball team. There's a genuine buzz about the team in local conversation all over town. I have to say, I never once in my life felt a similar vibe for the dear old Bucks. Maybe almost once with Big Dog around the turn of the century.

While it is still odd to think of the Hornets as a NOLA phenomenon (the Hornets still equate to Muggsy Bogues, LJ, and Alonzo Mourning basketball cards from Charlotte in the early-mid 90s in my mind) I must say I've pushed over the edge into at least fair weather fandom.

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The end of this week

After a long, hard grind of a week, this made me very happy.

And that is all.

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America

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Obama (insert vigorous verb here)s Bush

In the latest fray between Barack Obama and George W. Bush over the use of diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy, it's interesting to watch the major news media outlets' coverage. Specifically the headlines. And the verbs.

See the screenshot below for a sampling of typical headlines covering the event or check out an updated list on Google News here.
















What is Obama doing to Bush? The headlines are replete with verbs like "lashes," "blasts," and "strikes back" - all harsh, strong, combative words.

And yet, was Obama particularly raw in his response?

Or is this an example of the press - looking for a new twist or chapter or tidbit of rising tension in the meta-narrative it's been writing about this campaign - painting the imperturbable, perpetually unfazed Obama as something other than a cucumber for once? Even when the actual words and conduct that produced the headline "Obama tears into Bush, McCain" aren't all that blatantly incendiary:



Obama does come off as more animated than usual in his South Dakota appearance, but I think words like "disputes" and "rejects" and "mocks" would be more appropriate substitutes for the headlines. Frankly, he remained too civil to warrant some of the words actually employed - words that allow the media to vent vicariously about Bush, spice up the campaign storyline, and, as they say, sell newspapers. Or at least online advertising.

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