Eating Muffins in an Agitated Manner

Hyvää Joulua!

Posted by jukkahoo & Sari

Call it what you will:
Seasoned Greetings!
Happy Holidays!
Fröliche Weihnachten!
Merry Xmas!
Glad Jul!
Joyeux Noël!
Kivaa Kwanzaa!
Hauskaa Hanukkaa!
Mahtavaa Midwinter Solsticea!
Yauzaa Yulea!
Happy anyhow's!

We're soon off to my sister's place in Veikkola to stuff ourselves full with trad. xmas treats (ie. ham and casseroles etc). No Lappland this year, we're staying in Helsinki for the whole of the festive season.

The pic of four-handed Satan Claws is (again!) ripped from excellent French site called nooSFere where you can find thousands of fun scans of covers from Sf to whatever.

KINKKUA!!!
LANTTULAATIKKOA!!!
SUKLAATA!!!
PUNAISIA OMENOITA!!!
YÖLLISIÄ KINKKUVOILEIPIÄ!!!
KINKKUA!!!

This is going to be Bloody

Posted by Sari

Sandra Day O’Connor has resigned from the US supreme court. Which means that Bush will get to nominate at least  two Supreme Court Justices as Rehnquist is ill with cancer. The latter nomination would/will be a no-brainer as Bush will replace one conservative republican with another, but O’Connor’s case is different.

She is a Reagan’s nominee, a moderate Republican and the first woman to be appointed to the SCOTUS. She was the swing vote on many issues and has thus been in the majority probably more often than any of the other justices. She tended to frame her decisions  taking into account the individual circumstances of the cases and stare decisis, the idea that the court should follow precedents and thus not overturn its previous decisions.  Most famously, she was the co-author (but significantly not the swing vote, that was Kennedy) of majority decision in Casey, the case that came very close to overturning Roe and giving states the right to legislate on abortion. Replacing her will feed the flames cultural wars to the limit. TPM Cafe has many good posts on the subject.

Edited for typos, I sure make them... and to add:

The Supreme Court Nomination Blog
Talk Left

I am missing all the fun!

Posted by Sari

I have been a Watergate junkie since I saw Fred Emery's excellent BBC documentary on the subject, and - shortly after - "All the President's Men". I watched the latter in the common TV-room of my dorm in St. Andrews University and was so into the movie I really hated walking back to my room through the dark hallways. I did not really expect G. Gordon Liddy to jump from the ladies to do me in, but something of the film's exquisite paranoia stuck even after the event. Since then I have been reading on/off stuff about the break-in: Emery's tie-in book, Woodstein original, Dean's memoirs... The whole episode in its sinister incompetency just gets me.

And now we finally know who the guy in the garage was: FBI's number two man, Mark Feldt Felt. He came out of the closet in Vanity Fair, and now everybody has an opinion from  Bill to Bernstein's ex wife. But I have to say, that even though Blogistan is a good substitute, it is still not quite the same as being able to channel-hop between between news channels in feeding frenzy. Thank goodness you can get the most important one online: the Daily Show's take can be seen here, just scroll down a bit.

UK elections

Posted by Sari

UK Election The system might be (and is) totally antiquated and produce questionable results, but you can’t deny that the process itself is great fun. Firstly there is BBC’s graphics. There is Peter Snow with his jolly orange shirt gallivanting around an empty space which is filled for the viewer with all sorts of funky graphics. Who cares about red states and blue states or a boring bar graph about how SDP is gainig a seat and Center Party loosing two, when you can have three-way battlelines with tiny little chess-figures representing vulnerable seats, not to mention the swingometer.

Even more fun are the parties. And I don’t mean Labour, Conservatives, Liberals or even SNP, but parties like Church of Militant Elvis Party, who apparently believe that Evis is alive and living somewhere in Arabia as a sheikh. Or New Millennium Bean Party. And of course there is the classic, late Screaming Lord Sutch's Official Monster Raving Looney Party whose candidates this year include Jedediah Headbanger, R.U. Seerius and Boney Moroney. Because of the ancient system the results of a particular seat are announced while all the candidates stand in line on a stage. Both Monty Python and Blackadder  have spoofed this ritual successfully, but the unreal thing is that reality does not really differ from the comedy.

Habent Papam

Posted by Sari

If I remember my rudimentary latin correctly. I was just a wee thing when John Paul II was elected, but old enough to remember vaguely the two conclaves that followed the deaths of Paul VI and John Paul I. I wonder where I got the information? I am trying to remember myself at the age of ten and drawing a blank. I don’t think I was an avid reader of newspapers at that age, but I propably watched news from the black-and-white TV my parents hid in a cupboard when it was not in use. I do think that the main source of information about the traditions must have been my Aunt (also a historian) who loves Rome and used to visit the city often.

Be that as it may 1978 there was no 24/7 news media and thus this conlcave was the first where the whole world (at least those with TV/radio/net access) could immerse themselves in the drama. And we certainly did. Even I had one window open to Washington Post’s live camera feed from St. Peter’s square while in another window I was reading a pamphlet by miniature painter and architect Sir Balthazar Gerbier entituled “A Discovery of certain notorious stumbling-blocks which the Devill, the Pope and the Malignants have raised to put nations at Variance” (London 1652).

And by chance “Médico de Familia” ended on YLE Teema just when the bells were ringing to confirm the white smoke rising from the chimney. And as a spectacle it was surprisingly exciting: cameras zooming on the balcony, reporters trying to decipher the latin announcement (okay it was pretty easy to pick out “Ratzinger”, so no great language skills were needed), and then the little old man blessing the crowd who did not seem to want to quiet down.

As Sarin noted in Johanna’s Blog, our frame of reference now includeds reality TV which gave its own weirdish stamp to the proceedings. It was not difficult to conjure up images of cardinals going to the chalice with their hand-written ballots and survivor-like looking at the camera and saying something like “Claudio, I love you man, but I just have give it to Joseph this time”, or  Benedict XVI emerging to the balcony like the winner of "Big Brother", the Vatican edition.

And strangely, considering how much I instinctively and and emotionally disliked John Paul II, I feel quite calm about the prospect of the Papacy of Benedict XVI. Panzerkardinal or God’s Rottweiler he might be but maybe because of his reputation as a scholar and theologican, I don’t get the scary evangelical vibe from him. Not that vibes are anything to go by, really.

The Greatest Show on Earth

Posted by Sari

It is going on right now. Four years ago about this time I was asleep. I did get up at an ungodly hour to check the result, went back to bed a happy woman, and woke again few hours later to see the farce beginning to unravel.

I don't know if it is the tragi-comical drama of the election show, the way the world has changed after 9/11, the about thirteen months I have altogether spent in US since 2000, or my growing addiction to political punditry, but I am struggling to stay up to see the early projections on Ohio and Florida before turning in.

YLE is showing CBS and Dan Rather but unfortunately with Finnish commentary and punditry ruining the show so that it is unbearable to watch. Okay this is it. I want my digibox and I want it now.

Channel 4 had an election special earlier where they showed selected pieces of Bush and Kerry documentaries and had two pundits commenting on them, and BBC World is, of course, devoting the channel wholly to the election.

I am hoping that the election won't be quite as close as the polls project, and that Kerry takes the Electoral college. I am basing this hope on following all of which I have read in that most reliable of soucres, 'somewhere':
1) Polling apparently has largely ignored people who have only cells. These people tend to be younger and thus (maybe) more socially liberal and more likely to vote Democrat.
2) Depending on the methology, it is possible that "likely voter" polling exludes the voters who did not vote in last elections, and there seems to be a great upsurge of new registered voters intending to use their vote.
3) Traditionaly, 2/3 of the swing vote goes with the Challenger
4) Washington Redskins lost.

Just a few more hours and then we'll see what'll happen...

Mediakritiikkia

Posted by Sari

Mr. Elk (jonka kommenteihin en jostain syysta paase) kritisoi blogissaan suomalaisten medioiden, erityisesti maikkarin amerikkauutisointia. Ja aika lailla samaa mielta olen ja vahan toisenlaisesta mediaperspektiivista. Kun meidan huushollissa ei ole kaapelia ja antenni ei skulaa kauhean hyvin, ei telkkarista ole tullut vaalivaittelyiden lisaksi mitaan katsottua. Nain ollen oma uutisperspektiivini koostuu paivittain luetusta New York Timesista, Washington Postin netista ja silloin talloin kasiin eksyvasta USA Todaysta. Sita taydentavat sitten demokraattispainotteiset blogit kuten Political Animal, TalkingPointsMemo, Eschaton ja Matt Yglesias. Suomenkielella uutiset tulevat lahes ainoastaan hesarin netin sahkeuutisista. Ja huolimatta siita etta amerikkalainen uutisvalitykseni on vahvasti painottunut vasemmalle, niin hesarin kerryspin jaksaa silti aina yllattaa. Ei niin etteiko amerikkalainen eurooppa-uutisointi olisi viela paljon naurettavammalla tasolla.

Vaaleista puheenollen, Michael Moore on onnistunut ainakin yhdessa asiassa: dokumenteista on tullut merkittava vaalitaistelun valine. Kavin eilen katsomassa Kerry-dokumentin Going Upriver, joka kuvasi Kerryn aikaa Vietnamissa ja osallistumistaan sodanvastaiseen liikkeeseen. Siina haastateltiin Kerryn sisaruksia, opiskelutovereita, alaisia Vietnamista ja kolleegoita veteraaniliikkeesta. Jollain tapaa yllattavaa oli sen sanoisinko hienovaraisuus. Ottaen huomioon kuinka taalla on tapana vaantaa kaikki rautalangasta ja alleviivata viela kuuteentoista kertaan, oli tama Kerryyn kritiikittoman positiivisesti suhtautuva dokkari ihan katsottava.

Puhuvien paiden lisaksi sanomaa valitettiin kuvastolla: Alussa Coppolan kuvastosta tutut napalmin ja savuntaytteiset kuvat Mekong- joelta vuorottelivat filminpatkien kanssa nuoresta Kerrysta purjehtimassa ja pelaamassa touch-footballia. Haettu assosiaatio oli aika selva: JFK. Eika filmintekijoiden tarvinnut edes itsensa artikuloida tata, sen teki heidan puolestaan Nixon, joka yhdella Valkoisen Talon kuuluisista nauhoista keskustelee Colsonin kanssa Kerryn todistuksesta Senaatin ulkoasiainkomitealle: Very like JFK.

Otaksuttavasti aika pitkalle yleiso oli Kerryn kannattajia joten leffan vaikutuksesta on vaikea sanoa mitaan, mutta oli hauskaa katsella elokuvaa katsomaan tulleiden elakeikaa lahestyvien reaktioita, heista useampi jai juttelemaan nuorempien katsojien kanssa ja kertomaan omakohtaisia kokemuksiaan sodasta tai protestiliikkeesta. Niin se aika kuluu: "greatest generation" alkaa poistua keskuudestamme ja boomereista on tulossa oraalisen historian valittajasukupolvi joka lapikay menneisyyden traumoja.

Going Upriver pyorii elokuvateattereissa ja Fahrenheit 9/11 ilmestyi juuri DVD:na. Eniten keskustelua dokumenteista ja/tai vaalimainoksista on kuitenkin herattanut Sinclair Broadcasting Groupin paatos pakottaa paikalliset TV-asemansa muuttamaan ohjelmistoaan ja lahettamaan juuri vaalien alla Kerrykriittisen dokumentin "Stolen Honor", jonka esittamat faktat, kuten Swift Boat Veteran's For the Truth" -jarjeston eivat oikein kesta paivanvaloa. Federal Communications Comissionin puheenjohtaja Reed Hundt on ilmaissut huolensa.

 

Geeks at it again

Posted by Sari

You gotta love the internet. I mean really. Last night at the vice-presidential debate Cheney countered Edward's accusations about Halliburton by asking people to go online to factcheck.com and see for themselves the truth about his relations with his former company. Only, he meant factcheck.org, which is a non-partisan site trying to correct the political spin. Factcheck.com domain, on the other hand, was obviously owned by some  HTML-savvy democrat who forwarded the link to here.

Go and read more from the Political Animal

This election sure is much more fun than the Finnish ones. Anything interesting going on in the Communal election campaigns?

Sari

Wiffaillen

Posted by Sari Jukka on "away" ilmoittaa instant MESSenger, joten lisää päiväkirjaa Princetonista: Uusi oravaennätys on nyt 24, joista tosin vain yksi oli klassinen musta Princetonin orava. Tuhoaako dominantti harmaa geeni mustat kokonaan? Tänä aamuna oravia oli vain 17 mutta bonarina kolme valkohäntäpeuraa lönkötteli polun yli matkalla yliopistolle. Mutta missä ovat minikanit? Mitä on Princeton ilman minikaneja? Ja Murmeleita, niitäkään ei ole vielä näkynyt... *** Vaaliväittely oli hauskaa katsottavaa. Kyllä, minä katsoin puhuvia päitä, vetäkää risti seinään. Suomalaiset poliittiset ja muunkinlaiset haastattelut ovat niin jumalattoman nolostuttavia kun haastattelija kysyy todella aivottomia kysymyksiä, haastateltava änkyttää vastauksia ja kaikki puhuvat toistensa päälle, ettei niitä kestä kukaan katsoa. Vaaliväittely ei ollut varsinainen väittely, Jim kysyi kysymyksen, kandidaatti a vastasi siihen kaksi minuuttia ja sitten kandidaatti b sai puolitoistaminuuttia vastaväitteisiin. Formaatti ei siis sallinut kauheasti, mutta ainakin kumpikin puoli sai aikaa esittää näkemyksensä ilman että toinen keskeytteli koko ajan. Katselin sitä kämppisten kanssa ja konsensus oli selvästi Kerryn puolella, Bush oli ihan toivoton toistoineen ja taukoineen ja änkytyksineen. Kerrykin teki pari mokaa ja molemmat tyytyväisenä eivät vastanneet kysymyksiin vaan heittivät omaa juttuaan. Paikallinen kommentoiti toteaa aika yksiselitteisesti Kerryn voittaneen erityisesti mielikuvallisesti, hän vaikutti valmillta ja presidentinomaiselta ja asiantuntevalta ja kaikkea sellaista. Minusta hän voitti ihan väittelyteknisesti ja sisällönkin puolesta. Suomalaisena sitä kiinnitti huomiota vähän eri kohtiin kuin jenkkikommentaattorit, esimerkiksi siihen kun Kerry kertoi anekdootin DeGaullesta joka ilmoitti Kennedylle uskovansa ilman valokuvia Kuubassa olevan ohjuksia koska luotti Yhdysvaltain Presidentin sanaan, ja kysyi kuinka moni valtionpäämies tekisi tänä päivänä samoin. Bushin ärsyttävin kohta oli mielestäni kun hän kutsui Putinia koko ajan Vladimiriksi. Kuinka hyviä kavereita he oikein ovat? *** Ulkomaanpellenä enklantilaisia lähteitä tahkoavana sitä törmää välillä kummallisiinkin ongelmiin. Vietin eilisen pohtimalla missä ihmeen kaupungissa Charles II, Englannin maastakarkoitettu kuningas oikein tappoi aikaansa 1655, tekstissä kun sanomalehdessä luki Cullen. Oikea vastaus on tietysti Köln, nykyenglanniksi Cologne. Well, Duh...

Truth about Swift Boats

Posted by Sari

There is something addictive about the theatre that is US politics. The latest brouhaha which competes with "Withe House blew the cover of an Al-Qaida double agent" over the attention in the media seems to be about a bunch of vets claiming Kerry's service record is not quite as shiny as it is depicted.

I mention this only because I want to link to one of my favourite blogs Fafblog,  a blog about "god and the universe and those horrible screaming monkeys and that time I made a pizza out of an old tire and a can of whip cream" where Giblets, Fafnir and Medium Lobster set the record straight. Witness Giblets on Kerry