The Nerve of W
There ought to be a new word to describe the gall, the blunderheaded nerve that only George W seems capable of displaying. Maybe "werve." I dunno. But during the signing of the credit-card driven, corporate legislation known as the bankruptcy bill, Bush unleashed this wervacious doozy (via TPM):

"If someone does not pay his or her debts, the rest of society ends up paying them."

Josh Marshall has an appropriate response.

Not Boltin'
Like Mike Tyson's intent to crawl back in the ring, Bush and Rove shake off their beatings at the hand of Social Security and Iraq, determined to pummel their (political) enemies no matter the stakes, the consequences, or the facts at hand. It would seem they are applying the same punch-drunk philosophy to the Bolton nomination, as Bush has reiterated his confidence in the "serial abuser" up for UN ambassador.

Laura Rozen has a little background/info on Voinovich to contextualize his unexpected hesitance to follow orders, and she points to more layers of sludge oozing out of Bolton that I hadn't heard before, including his attempt to fire a Justice Department attorney for having the nerve to take maternity leave. Steve Clemons offers links to the transcripts of staff testimony before the committee.

Your Genetic Journey
Apart from the rampant pornography (sorry, couldn't choose just one link), the next best thing the Internet should be good for is the convenience of collective learning, compiling data from a wide variety of sources with efficiency and speed.

Perhaps the most fascinating example of that yet, though not without controversy, is The Genographic Project, A National Geographic endeavor profiled in the NYTimes: (via The Loom)

The National Geographic's program, if it succeeds, will create a collection of blood samples 100 times larger than the Human Genome Diversity Project did. Dr. Spencer Wells, a population geneticist at the society who is leading the program, said he hoped to head off charges of exploitation by offering money to the tribes for education and cultural preservation.

Many indigenous peoples believe their ancestors have always lived in their home territory, a credo that will not be supported by genetic analysis of their blood samples. Dr. Wells said that he would "tell people up front" that some of the results may contradict what they believe. "The idea that we have all come on a journey from a common origin is intriguing to people," he said.

The project will ultimately give you the chance to trace your DNA across tens of thousands of years of human migration. The interactive map already available astonishes in breadth and ambition. Select a time period, then an area where significant archaelogical findings yielded a particular genetic development, then follow the lines tracing that genetic marker across the globe, many of them all the way to the present day.

Best of all? You can help with the building of the genetic atlas by providing your own DNA (anonymously) to discover your genetic lineage perhaps as far back as 60,000 years. If the participation kit didn't cost $100, I would probably do it.

Voinovich!!
The Republican just announced in committee his intention to vote NO on Bolton or at least his inability to vote yes at this time, pending new information. If a vote is pressed, this would tie up the committee. He absolutely shocked the Republicans and Democrats in the room. Holy cow. True surprises happen so rarely in these things that this one was worth hearing (some people play music at work, some people play C-Span audio...). Wow. It doesn't kill the nomination, but it would keep it in committee until somebody changes their mind. Shocking. and good.

Laura Rozen has some quotes and play-by-play at War and Piece.

Steve Clemons at The Washington Note has also been all over this story and promises to stay there.

White Smoke
Pope Benedict XVI is former Cardinal Ratzinger, a 78-year-old German conservative. The bad news is that as a teenager he was a Hitler youth. The good news is he was drafted into the movement against his will. Or at least that's what he says.

UPDATE: Over at Kos, CT says it's wrong to hold any relationship with the German Army against the new Pope. It sounds like he's right.

Article 19er has a new blog!
Article 19 reader and frequent commenter Doug Tonks has his own fabulous blog! Go check it out and tell him what you think. www.talkinthetalk.blogspot.com

MEDIA MONDAY
What have you been reading, listening to, looking at, watching?

More R. Crumb
The NYTimes has an account of the artist's recent appearance and q/a at the New York Public Library.

Worst moment in lyric-writing ever?
At least the worst one that nevertheless can get stuck in my head in a seemingly endless loop.

"My heart's on fire-uh, for Elvi-ra"

An Oak Ridge Boy was being interviewed on local TV at 6:30 this morning and even though they didn't play any music, my deranged brain still started playing the damn song and hasn't stopped. I don't know which part of my cortex houses that sort of self-on-self crime (maybe the same that brands Coke), but I wish I could starve it to death sometimes.

Is there a worse moment I'm forgetting? Submissions accepted.

Project Greenlight
Not much to say about the specifics of last episode except that it's difficult to watch. The poor guy is so honest in front of the camera ("I'm not really good with, uh, human interaction."), and lacks some essential communication abilities apparently behind the camera (we don't see as much of this as we do hear people complain about it) that I can imagine his name coming to signify a prototype. This guy's really the Gulager of the bunch. Or even the prestigious verb-form. He Gulagered his way through that presentation.

This episode does highlight for me what must be the essential artistic difficulty in making a studio film. It's not the collaborative aspect, thought that can clearly be the source of trouble; it's the fact that by the time you can actually sample some of the work (like when John finally saw a rough cut of some of the dailies edited together) for pacing and whatever, alot of it is already done. Those scenes are shot and have gone by.

I would think any artist can identify with him when he's having to watch that cut for the first time and feels like a complete failure. It's not his failure at working with other people that has him depressed by episode's end; it's his sense that his work here may in fact stink. There is an inner revulsion that knows this is not what he had in mind. Though hardly an artist myself, it is exactly the feeling I've had upon hearing every piece of music I've ever written performed for the first time on its proper instruments, and all the way through; and, for that matter, the same upon reading for the first time any essay (or even many blog posts!) I've written: a voice that says "how could I have really written those things, in that order, and thought it would make any sense??" At least with music and essays --though I rarely take the kind of proper time with blog posts-- there is time to re-work and edit. That is where the real artistry comes in, in my opinion.

Convincing my composition students to get notes and rhythms down on paper so we can edit them later once we have a sense of the timing and unfolding and effect of it all together would seem to be one of the hardest lessons to learn. They approach writing as if they really should be able to--or indeed have to--make all of the right decisions as they compose. But I don't think I've written anything of substance in any medium that I didn't have to at some point rip apart, rearrange, add to, or delete from--or all of the above.

So, the fact that Gulager was turned off by the first cut of his work tells me that he is his own harshest critic and knows what the timing and look of the finished product should (not) be. And that is the best, most hopeful sign I've seen yet. I'm just not sure how you fix that in a film, now that so many scenes have already been shot. All indication from those involved is that he does find a way.

Attention Marylanders!
And I know there are some of you out there. Elvis Costello is playing a show with Los Lobos' David Hidalgo at the Rams Head on April 24. I would bet this will be a fabulous show. I've been to the Rams Head once before and remember it being quite small. An intimate night with Elvis Costello and the Pick-ups! I expect a full report.

Another positive review for Aimee Mann's "The Forgotten Arm"
This one from Paste Magazine. It's tempered with this strange warning about the concept album:

Mann has time over the course of the record to develop nuance and believability. This freedom is a blessing and a curse: while the emotional payoff of the album proves more satisfying than anything she’s done so far, the individual tracks don’t stand alone as well.

The album's great but the songs are only so-so? I haven't heard it "The Forgotten Arm" yet, but this seems like a nonsense argument.

The Liberal Media
What the hell is wrong with NBC? Revelations? More anti-science religious propaganda masquerading as family entertainment. (free Salon pass -or subscrip.- required). Did anyone watch?


Weekend Box Office
1. The Amityville Horror
2. Sahara
3. Fever Pitch
4. Sin City
5. Guess Who

I didn't expect Sahara to drop off already; I thought the word-of-mouth was pretty decent. On the other hand, have heard nothing but pans for the Amityville remake. Summer blockbusters on the way, including Hitchiker's Guide which opens before the month is up.

Article 19 Film Recommendation: Melinda and Melinda ************** (14 out of 19)
I caught the new Woody Allen film over the weekend. It's an interesting idea, exploring the comedic and tragic approaches that can be taken with the same basic story. The funny parts are very funny. But it could have been more ambitious. Will Farrell steals it.

Question Defended
The NYU law student who registered his disapproval with Antonin Scalia during a Q & A session at the school by asking the justice "Do you sodomize your wife?" wrote a defense and explanation of his tactic. It's a must-read.

The Stupidest Study Ever?
Swiped from Political Animal. I'm no psychologist (still), but does this really sound like it proves that people who feel excluded have less self-control? And also, does that really need to be proven?

In the study's first experiment, 36 undergraduate participants completed a personality questionnaire. Then, researcher Roy Baumeister, PhD, of Florida State University, and his colleagues told a third of the students--selected at random--that their scores indicated that they would likely end up alone in life (socially rejected). Another third were told that they would have rewarding relationships throughout life. In a control condition that was negative but not based on social rejection, the final third were told that they would be accident-prone as they got older, and that this would negatively affect their life.

Then, to measure self-regulation, the researchers said they'd give each participant a nickel for every ounce they could drink of a healthy but bad-tasting beverage flavored with vinegar. People who can self-regulate well are more likely to perform such unpleasant tasks for future rewards, the researchers theorized. (emphasis mine)

As it turned out, people who were told they'd be alone in life were less able to regulate their actions--they drank 2.23 ounces on average less than those who anticipated future social acceptance, and 2.15 ounces less than those who were told they'd be accident-prone.

Why would performance of "unpleasant tasks for future rewards" be an indicator of self-regulation? I don't get it.

Brain Branding
Years of advertising have left their mark on your medial prefrontal cortex. Wherever that is.

Social Justice Sunday
In a rapid response to Senator Frist's planned event on April 24, attacking our judicial system and Democrats as un-Christian, a coalition of religious organizations, including the Clergy and Laity Network, have deemed April 24 Social Justice Sunday, "inviting citizens of all faith traditions to protest this unprecedented attack."

George Lakoff has joined the call for this response in a DailyKos diary entry:

There are more religious progressives than right-wing fundamentalists. There are more of us than of them. They may be better organized, but this is changing and that change starts April 24. This is our test. Will we stand up to them? Will we write to our ministers, priests, imams and rabbis asking them to join us in speaking out?

I am fully supportive--it's time for religious and non-religious citizens who are motivated by the theme of social justice to work together and to speak up, pressing reasonable folks--particularly religious ones (there really are some)--to rethink their strict political alliance and to consider the true calling of their faith. This kind of initiative encourages an alternative enactment of those beliefs.

My only problem with this--and I hesitate to ruin the mood of cooperation and fighting back--is that it comes too late and expects too much. The right-wing politico-religious empire has spent decades organizing, indoctrinating, and fanning very specific flames, and the Family Research Council has likely spent many months organizing this specific event, designed to take advantage of that network. I would have preferred a response date in a month at least, to give a chance for this to be implemented. Lakoff's challenge to the progressive religious community:

Will they put signs on their places of worship celebrating "Social Justice Sunday?" Will we organize and hold candle-light vigils and marches on the evening of April 24? Will we invite the media to sermons on Social Justice Sunday and to vigils?

is about as unrealistic and unaware as I can imagine. I'm for it, and will do everything I can to help its presence here in the 'ville. But, The kinds of things that are needed to make something like this remotely effective require time and strategy.

Reactionary is sexy. An organized, compelling and competing vision is sexier.

Right On
Part of Harry Reid's statement (via Atrios)on Bill Frist's planned assault on American values (Front-page headline in today's Tennessean: "Anti-Democrat Christian Event to Include Frist"). I was skeptical of Reid, but he has won me over in a big way as leader with his strong principled stances:

God isn’t partisan.

As His children, he does ask us to do our very best and treat each other with kindness. Republicans have crossed a line today. America is better than this and Republicans need to remember that. This is a democracy, not a theocracy. We are people of faith, and in many ways are doing God’s work. But we represent all Americans, regardless of religion. Our founding fathers had the superior vision to separate Church and State in our democracy. It is a fundamental principle that has allowed our great, diverse nation to grow and flourish peacefully. Blurring the line between Church and State erodes our Constitution, and our democracy. It is a blatant abuse of power. Participating in something designed to incite divisiveness and encourage contention is unacceptable. I would hope that Sen. Frist will rise above something so beyond the pale.

Frist's recent maneuvers and this in particular represent political pandering at its most crass (and that's saying something).

THE TAXMAN COMETH - a guest post by B. Lewberry

In my last guest posting, I had indicated my intention to create a theme to my postings - sort of a "fitness friday." However, since today is tax day, and since I am Article 19's official tax jockey, I've been tapped to talk a little bit about taxes. Don - thanks once again for letting me ramble on.

This day in history

Couldn't we have picked a better day than April 15 as the last day of the year to file taxes? Its the day the Titanic sank (and even worse, the day the Molly Brown survived the sinking of the Titanic, giving rise to the terribly crappy broadway musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Its the day Lincoln died. The day Castro visited the U.S. The day the 1st Infantry withdrew from Vietnam. The day Leona Helmsley began to serve her 4 year prison term. Talk about bad cosmic vibes! If days could have karma - you'd want to stay at least 50 yards away from the train wreck that is April 15 at all times. We should have probably declared April 15 to be a federal holiday rather than the day we file our taxes.

How then did April 15 come to be known as tax day? Until 1955 taxes were due on March 15. Congress chose the new date to give IRS employees a break.

Mo Money: Wacky Taxes in Tennessee.

So all of us, presumably, have filed our taxes (or at least we've filed for an extention). And we're feeling bad when we finally see exactly how much of our hard earned money has been turned over to the Feds. But wait...there's more. Like most states, Tennessee has tried to figure out all sorts of ways to raise revenue. As a result, there are all types of taxes that most folks have never heard of. Tennessee taxes just about everything. There are taxes on soft drinks (both on the bottlers and for those who sell set-ups for mixed drinks). There are taxes on gifts, inheritance, tires, all kinds of professions and businesses, tobacco, liquor, beer, coin-operated amusements, etc. etc. OUCH. Tennessee also has an income tax, albeit on unearned income from receiving interest income from stocks, bonds etc... by the way....this tax is due April 15!

My favorite of these strange taxes is the unauthorized subatances tax , a.k.a, the "crack tax." The unauthorized substances tax is a state excise tax levied on controlled substances (marijuana, cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, etc.) and certain illicit alcoholic beverages (untaxed liquors and spirits). It took effect July of 2004. All you drug dealers can rest easy...if you choose to purchase the tax stamp, the process is completely anonymous. Just remember to affix the stamps to your drugs before you sell them. Once the tax due has been paid and the stamps affixed, no additional tax is due even though the unauthorized substance may be handled or possessed by other individuals in the future. Well that's some good news!

IRS Policy on Weight Loss (welcome back to fitness friday)

I'm returning to the topic we discussed in my last guest posting. After doing my 1040 and practically itemizing myself to death, I have come to the conclusion that what we, as Americans, should be allowed to deduct what we spend on our attempts to lose weight and stay physically fit. After all, we're an obese nation, right? So I looked into it a bit. Shouldn't we reward healthy behavior?

Well, no. In Rev. Rul. 79-151, the IRS held that an individual’s “cost for participating in a program designed to help (individual) lose weight is not deductible as a medical expense under section 213 of the Code, but it is an expense the deduction of which is prohibited by section 262. Section 262 provides that no deduction shall be allowed for personal, living, or family expenses. Rev. Rul 55-261, 1955-1 C.B. 307, question 9 at page 310 holds that “ordinarily, fees paid to a health institute where the taxpayer takes exercise, rubdown, etc. are personal expenses.”

“Such fees,” continues the text of Rev. Rul. 79-151, “may be deductible as medical expense only when the treatments by the institute are prescribed by a physician and are substantiated by a statement by the physician to be necessary for the alleviation of physical or mental defect or illness of the individual receiving the treatment. Furthermore, Rev. Rul. 55-261, question 16 at page 312, holds that amounts expended for the preservation of general health or for the alleviation of a physical or mental discomfort that is unrelated to some particular disease or defect are not expenses for medical care.” Don't forget that note from your doctor.

So I'll leave you these questions. We give tax breaks for all kinds of things, like owning a NASCAR track or producing bows & arrows. In fact, last year Congress passed tax breaks that will give businesses $143 billion back over 10 years. If someone gets a tax break for importing Chinese ceiling fans.....then shouldn't we be allowed a deduction for the money we pay in pursuit of physical fitness? Doesn't that save everyone money in the long run? And now that you’ve filed that 1040, what other expenses do you wish the IRS allowed as a deduction? Why?

The Legion of Doom?
Eric Rudolph will spend the rest of his life in jail--which is what he deserves and can only be a small downgrade from being on the run from the FBI the last few years, living in the woods.

I don't believe in the death penalty no matter, and I don't think it's a deterrent to crime, but in this case it may have been a deterrant to trial. Prosecutors got a confession, defense saved his life. It's a judicial win-win.

And talkleft has a brief profile of the incarceration that faces him. Like the secret lair of a bad superhero show, the facility that will likely house him in Colorado is also home to many other evil masterminds:

Richard Reid, "Shoe Bomber" - along with:

THEODORE KACZYNSKI, 56, the Unabomber, serving four consecutive life sentences.

TERRY NICHOLS, 43, now serving life for the Oklahoma City bombing

CHARLES HARRELSON, 59, the father of actor Woody Harrelson, is serving two life sentences for the murder of a federal judge.

RAYMOND LUC LEVASSEUR, 51, member of a U.S. radical group, serving 40 years for bombing buildings and attempted bombings in the 1970s.

EYAD ISMOIL, 27, serving 240 years for driving the rental van holding the bomb in the World Trade Center attack.

YU KIKUMURA, 46, Japanese Red Army terrorist, serving 30 years for transporting bombs in preparation for an attack on a Navy recruiting center.

LUIS FELIPE, 35, leader of New York's Latin Kings gang, who ordered the murders of six gang members from his jail cell and is serving a life sentence.

Do you think they sit around and develop evil plots to escape and take over the world?

John Edwards Sighting
The former VP candidate guest-blogged on the bankruptcy bill blog. 2 features: it includes the sentence "I was wrong." and it promotes his new web site (if you're wondering about his new Presidential strategy): www.oneamericacommittee.com

With his lack of experience and exposure, I don't see how he has a chance, running from so far on the outside. It's not like Al Gore who had a long Senate career and 2 terms as VP. He could come back any time and be viable. But Edwards has to get back in the news doesn't he? He's podcasting, which is interesting, but I don't see that generating a flood of attention.

News Update: Sanity
The Connecticut legislature passed a civil unions bill: tax benefits, hospital visitation, inheritance rights, and family-leave privileges.

2008, liberal media style
Hillary? In trouble--a new attack book said to "sink her candidacy".
Feingold? Just announced his second divorce, so "his Presidential hopes have ended".
Newt? (that's right, Newt...) On his way to victory in NH... "He's a top contender".

At least a Gingrich-Clinton race would be a bit more exciting than Frist-Edwards.

Correction/Apology
Steven P informs me that he was the recommender of Sister's Keeper during Media Monday, and here I was assuming it was Stevie T. Apologies to both. Steven P also sends a link to rinf.com, a very cool "alternative media" site. Check it out.

Wednesday Topic: Socialized Health Care
Blogger at my morning post, and it's not worth re-typing in full, but here's the idea. Kevin Drum started a conversation on the health care system in France and points to happy stories of efficiency, convenience and of course virtually no cost to the sick/injured individual. Does anyone have any international health care horror stories? Or is it all joyous and light? I don't have any direct experience, so I can't have too much of an opinion, except a general skepticism that there must be some downside. But, I do know enough to agree on this point: if we were starting over on a new health care system with the goal of excellence, efficiency and convenience, I don't know if we would turn to a system that looks like France, but I know we wouldn't run with anything like what we've got now.

Read Kevin's posts here, here and here. [UPDATE: and here]
Anyone have personal health care experiences out of the country, good or bad?

Out of the Closet (into the jail cell)
Local news...extremely local. A Nashville man was beaten to death last night after he discovered his wife's boyfriend living in the closet (he had been there for a month...). If you can't afford a hotel room, I think you really can't afford an affair... Hiding in the closet can only work for so long, and now jail awaits. Is being mad and getting revenge (for being thrown out of the house) worth the few minutes of satisfaction? Now that years and years of prison face you? You've got to wonder just what the plan was, if not a decision that it would indeed be worth it.

Why "extremely local"? The incident occurred at 5454 Incline Drive, just a stone's throw away from the ol' stomping ground.