In case you’re new to f/k/a, we wanted to point out that we’re not always cranky and dissatisfied around here. Here are a few positive things we saw online today:
Prof. Mark Liberman at Language Log, while discussing
concocted debates and some nasty stereotyping of scholars
(explained by White Bear in “are academics bitchy?“), gives
us all a great reminder of what it takes to make good conver-
sation. Mark says he appreciates discussions — even if
virtual — that have “the characteristics that Russell Baker
identifies as ‘classic conversational etiquette’:”
“Both participants listen attentively to each other; neither
tries to promote himself by pleasing the other; both are
obviously enjoying an intellectual workout; neither spoils
the evening’s peaceable air by making a speech or letting
disagreement flare into anger; they do not make tedious
attempts to be witty.”
Mark concludes with a point that the the f/k/a Gang needs to
keep firmly in mind: “The blogging format tends to encourage
speechifying, I guess; but otherwise, the people that I respect
come out pretty well according to this standard of evaluation.”
stressful tone at the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts
(NYT, “In the Roberts Court, More Room for Argument,” May 3, 2006)
The justices are so much more patient with counsel and eachother
in court sessions, that: Practitioner Carter G. Phillips notes “You have
to be ready now to make some kind of affirmative presentation” in the
opening minutes of an argument, he said.
While we’ve been lamenting the failure of leading politicians to call
for energy conservation, it is very good to see that consumers (at least
the ones who can afford to buy or lease a new car) are doing something
about it: See Washington Post, “Car Buyers Scaled Down Last Month:
With Gas Prices Soaring, Small Cars Trump SUVs,” (May 3, 2006):
“Consumers reacted sharply to rising gasoline prices last month
and turned away from large sport-utility vehicles and other trucks
in favor of small cars and gas-electric hybrid vehicles.”
other-check-turning, is doing everything it can to make the movie
version of the book The DaVinci Code a huge success. (Reuters/Yahoo!,
“Boycott DaVinci Code film”: top Vatican Official, April 28, 2006) [Ed. note:
Prof Yabut snuck this blurb into this post.]
while thoroughly enjoying yourself, you win: learn about court reporter
Lucius Friedli in Jacob Stein’s latest “legal spectator” column for the
Washington Lawyer Magazine (May 2006). Weblogger heads-up: you’ll
find lots of quotable material in Stein’s column (as usual).
update (May 3, 10 PM): This is too good to wait until tomorrow: You can get a
sneak peak of “Antitrust in the USA, A Primer,” by Albert Foer, president of the
American Antitrust Institute, at the AAI website (AAI Working Paper No. 06-04,
May 3, 2006). The Working Paper is a draft chapter in a book to be published by the
Indian consumer organization CUTS – CCIER (Consumer Unity & Trust Society
— Centre for Competition, Investment and Economic Regulation), to be titled
Competition Regimes of the World – A Civil Society Report (Pp 670, Rs.1500/
US$150, ISBN 81-8257-064-6). The book “is a compilation that maps out com-
petition regimes around the world from the civil society perspective.” It covers
more than 100 countries. (brochure)
“quotemarksRS”
Foer’s 12-page (pdf.) AAI Working Paper provides an introductory overview of
antitrust in the U.S.A. [You can find annotated links to many other antitrust
primers in the AAI’s Guide to Antitrust Resources on the Web, at its Primers
Page].
spring rain
a bruise on my arm
from donating blood
lengthening shadows
a stray dog
joins the picnic
cherry blossoms
today the courage
to speak to her
almost dusk
an open door
to the lighthouse
long shadows
many places
to cross the creek
paul m from The Heron’s Nest
“sping rain” (April 2004)
“lengthening shadows” – (May 2004)
“cherry blossoms” (April 2003)
“long shadows” (Dec. 2003)
“almost dusk” (Dec. 2003)
May 3, 2006
something positive to say (really)
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pump pandering: no one mentions using less energy
The “conservative” Republicans won’t do it.
Neither will the “conservationist”-environ-
mentalist Democrats. [see WashPost,
“GOP looks for Plan B on Gas,” May 3,
2006; NYT editiorial “Foolisness on fuel,
May 3, 2006] Not one politician currently
in office (and planning to run again) is telling
the American public:
“We all must use significantly less
energy to solve our Nation’s energy
crisis.”
“pbsPoliticsPumpG” PBS News Hour
politics and the pump
Yesterday evening on The PBS News Hour, Jim
Lehrer didn’t even bother to ask about reducing demand
and energy consumption, in a lengthy interview with Sen.
Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
(“Politics and the Pump: Solving Gas Prices,” May 2, 2006).
All that the Senators seemed to care about was winning
political points with voters — with their stated goal of ob-
taining and maintaining the supply to meet our national
demand for oil and gas.
Frankly, I expected much more from Sen. Cantwell, and
went to her website, to see if she might have more to say
on the topic there. Sadly, there was nothing about reducing
energy consumption — as opposed to reducing our need for
foreign sources of energy. In an April 6, 2006, Press Release,
I found her joining a call last month for a National Energy Sum-
mit. That press release ends by proclaiming:
“Cantwell is the chair of the Senate Democrats’ Energy
Independence 2020 national campaign working to break
America’s overdependence on foreign oil, protect working
families from skyrocketing energy costs, stop unfair market
manipulation by energy companies, and invest in reliable
sources of affordable fuel.”
As I said above, not a word about the need to conserve. No
courage to call for changes in our lifestyles that are the only
true hope for meeting the Nation’s “energy challenge.” (see
our prior post, Open Letter to Gas-Whiners, April 26, 2006;
and see gas pain?, which points out the instant, significant
savings from merely driving more slowly on highways)
“pbsPoliticsPumpN”
Key West heat–
the kitchen staff’s
chained bicycles
crossing the bridge —
the shadow of a gull
I never see
long before daybreak
the local rooster
starts warming up
Making change
the conductor
shifts his toothpick
slow conversation
a passing bus fills
the diner window
Distant tail lights
in the dark
nostalgia
“crossing the bridge” – The Heron’s Nest (Sept. 2002)
“slow conversation” – A New Resonance 2 (2001)
“making change” – the loose thread: RMA 2001; Modern Haiku XXXII:1
“Distant tail lights” – from Haiku Spirit
“Key West heat” – Frogpond XXII:3 (1999)
Comments Off on pump pandering: no one mentions using less energy