Michael Braun’s Blog

Hi, I’m Sarah Palin, and I’m running for the 2012 Republican presidential ticket. Let me share with you my qualifications. First, and foremost, I’m a hockey mom. That’s like a real mom, except that your kids, some of ‘em anyway!, played hockey. When kids play hockey, they are different from other kids, mostly ’cause of the increased dental work! HAHA! And so that’s something that defines me, being a hockey mom. Second, I was governor of Alaska from when I was elected in 2006 until I quit in 2009. So that’s almost one term, which is a lot longer than any one else running for this nomination. None of them have ever been elected governor of Alaska! Third, I was a small town mayor, which is kind of like being a community organizer, if your community is the meth capital of Alaska and you don’t care to do anything about it! HAHA!

But let me go back to that governor thing, ’cause that’s really what I want you to understand about me. When I resigned in 2009, I knew it was the right time. No, it wasn’t because I knew I would have a hard time running again for governor in 2010. And no, it wasn’t because I had been flying around the country speaking at fancy dinners and stuff and generally not caring much about the people of Alaska. It was because I could effect change outside of government through important organizations like my political action committee. Yes, thru politics, not government, can we really make a difference! And that’s why I’m running for president today! What this country needs is less government and more politics!

Anyway, I’ll make this short. I know a lot of you want to go back to eating your burgers, I know this truck stop has some good ones! And I need to get back into my minivan and hit the road. Just a few last thoughts for you. Remember “drill, baby, drill”? That was a good one! And what about “spread the wealth”? Remember “palling around with terrorists”? Just keep thinking about those good ol’ days, and don’t forget to vote for me in the primary!

There are two trends I have noticed while watching programs like House Hunters on HGTV. First, the commonality of home buyers seeking wide open spaces. They want kitchens that open to family rooms, large area spaces that incorporate multiple functions (living, dining, et cetera), and as few walls as possible. Second, men report wanting their own spaces, known in the common vernacular as a “man room” or “man cave.” Such a room should include technology and comfortable furniture; its primary reported function is entertainment, secondarily (though unstated) for escape.

These two trends seem both counter and complimentary. Were houses constructed with many divisions and separate rooms, perhaps there would be less desire for men to have their own private space. Think of older houses that you may have been in. I’ll use the house I grew up in, built in the 1950s or earlier. On the first floor, we had both a living room and a den. If a person wanted to watch television, he went to the den. Thus, if a person wanted to read, he could ensure peace and quiet (relative) in the living room. In the wide open spaces sought by home buyers today, this is not possible.

In reality, everyone needs a room of one’s own, a place for solace. More walls and increased floor division solve half this problem. In a house with more separate rooms, it is easy for individuals to get away from each other (in the best sense). In my grandparent’s house, for example, the kitchen is connected to a hallway and to the dining room. Thus, with its friendly stool by the stove, it makes a great place to read while preparing food. Their television is in the den, off the living room, the perfect place to watch television quietly. It’s easy to find a place to be alone.

The other half of the problem expressed in the home buyers’ desires is the cultural stereotype of woman as homemaker. Men seem to perceive (whether accurately or not) that their partners will take full control over house decoration and will decorate in such a way that the men feel their own tastes or styles are not represented. If this perception is truly leading male home buyers to seek their own private spaces, even in the face of clear choices against those spaces as part of common living space, then something needs to change. Either men need to give up whatever is revolting to the women decorators (beer signs, sports posters, pin-up girls) or women need to recognize that their own style cannot dominate the entire house.

Of course, it may simply be that House Hunters is a biased program. Or it may be that women do take into account men’s perspectives in decorating but men refuse to grow up and abandon their college ways. It might also be biased media that cultivates perceptions of differences between the sexes. But whatever it is, if “man rooms” are the result of wide-open houses, then the best thing to do is return to sane home design. Expecting all family members to live and thrive in one giant space is ridiculous. Each home should have enough unique, public spaces, that a family can choose to be together or apart without requiring everyone to retreat behind closed doors. A “man room” does not help to create family unity, no matter who does the decorating.

Today, I had the pleasure of staying well away from the office and filling in as a counselor for an area day camp. It’s been five years since I last worked at a day camp, so I was excited at the chance. Beth serves as the assistant director for the camp, which is how the opportunity came my way. With very little responsibility, it was a different role than I’m used to - lots of time to watch how the actual counselors do their jobs. Having spent most of my childhood (including my summers from age 9 until 16) working at similar day camps, entirely under the direction of my father, it was interesting to think back and come up with a list of 3 vital points that you must get clear during staff training.

1. Counselors are the role models. When a counselor stands in front of campers, she is their model for everything. Be it behavior, dress, style, or interest, campers will follow the counselors. Because of this, counselors must always, ALWAYS, be on the same page. Is it or is it not okay to walk on picnic tables while campers are eating lunch? If one counselor says nothing while the other fusses, then it IS okay. During song time, is it or is it not okay to stand off to the side and not sing? If even one counselor does it, then you can bet campers will want to as well. Is it or is it not okay to chat while a counselor is talking? Any chatter by counselors will be matched with louder and more obnoxious talking from campers.

All these examples are demonstrations of how important it is for counselors to understand how they are seen by campers. Thus, focus on this from day one of staff training. It’s an easy point to lecture, demonstrate, and discuss. Counselors must leave staff training week with dual consciousness (apologies to W. E. B. DuBois). They must see themselves and see how others see them. Without that, discipline and order will suffer, and campers will not have the structure that makes camp a lot of fun.

2. A problem, any problem, is the counselor’s problem. If something related to camp function needs doing, then it is a counselor’s job to fix the problem or find someone who can. While it is obvious to expect a counselor to report a wasp’s nest or broken faucet, this also applies to basic daily tasks. If there is a piece of trash on the ground, the counselor’s first instinct must be to pick it up. If there are personal items (water bottles, jackets, et cetera) left at a picnic table, the counselor should immediately pick them up and bring them to lost and found (or even better, find their owner). If there is a lull, the counselor should not be lounging but instead searching for something that needs fixing.

To drill this into counselors’ skulls, it is best to make part of staff week a massive camp cleanup effort. Once counselors have spent a few days cleaning camp from top to bottom, they should be more focused on efforts to keep things clean. To make sure the message is reinforced, unscheduled time should be turned into cleaning time. Especially at a day camp where the counselors also return home, it is not wise to assume that such cleaning will get done after campers leave. Counselors are likely looking forward to going home just as much or more as the campers. By scheduling time for cleaning, counselors will be reminded of its importance and be more likely to make it part of their daily routine.

3. All counselors have specific roles and functions. If a counselor is assigned to be a group leader and escort campers from area to area, then that counselor does not need to be taking the lead when explaining the rules of a sports game; that’s the job of the sports area counselor. If a counselor is assigned to lead the nature program, then that counselor should not be hanging out poolside. If a counselor is new, a counselor-in-training (CIT), then that counselor should not be bossing people around. Without this kind of order and structure, campers have trouble figuring out who to listen to.

By focusing on role and function during training, counselors get both responsibilities and privileges. Each counselor does have specific functions to fulfill; failure to achieve these should result in discipline. But also in the counselor’s function is a wide array of jobs tasked to other counselors with different functions. Yes, a group leader will have to tell his campers to get off the table, stop hitting each other, and eat their lunch. But that also means he doesn’t have to plan and lead arts and crafts sessions that the campers will find interesting. It’s all about give and take. This point should be stressed during staff training.

In the end, there will always be difficult campers whom no one can reach, no matter how trained the staff. And there will always be counselors who need to be reminded, on a daily basis, of the three points above (not to mention all kinds of camp-specific minutia). But with a focus on the above points, staff training will be more effective and these valuable points will go into practice much sooner. The best way to approach that first week of training is to think about the mid-point in the summer. It’s at that point when counselors start to get tired; lap 3 of the mile is always the toughest. Usually, at the midpoint, the director should stand up and give a talk to encourage the counselors. As the director, do you want to be rehashing the basics that you wish everyone would understand? Or do you want to do nothing but compliment and encourage? If it’s the latter, then you had better get the basics right from the beginning.

Here is an epilogue I wrote for a purpose I will not specify here. The book doesn’t exist, but based on this ending, it’s a masterpiece.

It had been a year since Rory left. The house was quiet without him, but the china was back in the cabinet and the dishes got cleaned fast enough. They sometimes missed his songs in the morning, when the whole house seemed to tremble with the sound of his voice, but with a record on, it often satisfied them just as well. Opera was all well and good, but even civilized folks need a break.

Two weeks ago, a stray dog wandered their way and they took to feeding him outside. Jake bought a food dish at the local pet store, along with a collar and a chewing bone. The dog ran off once Jake wrestled the collar around him, but he was back two days later, without the collar. The bone became a favorite and once the dog started coming inside, they didn’t mind it laying on their living room rug. It gave the house a lived-in feel, something they’d been missing for the past year. Every house needs someone or something to make it feel loved.

And for Gennie, the time was passing more and more slowly. She knew she got older everyday, but her knees had stopped hurting so much and, once she got a new pair of shoes, she was determined to start running again. She could hardly remember her last marathon, except for the feeling of elation she’d had when she finished. It was time to start working on new personal bests. She held in high esteem all those who did things that really mattered to the world, but for her, she needed first to do something that mattered only to her.

Jake had never put much stock in foot races, even though he watched the cars go ’round the track every Sunday on the television. But when Gennie started stretching in the yard one Friday morning, he went outside with interest. She bent her body over, swung her arms back and forth, and leaned down to touch her toes. As she took off on the path around their yard, the dog followed her, barking with excitement. As she rounded the bend, back toward Jake, he started clapping and cheering. She finished with her hands held high above her head. It was a victory lap, and they knew everything was going to be okay.

First, another name to add to the list of those cursed by desiring the 2012 REpublican nomination. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who had a disasterous national television debut responding to Obama’s speech earlier this year, had quite a hurdle to overcome, especially when compared to the attractive, masculine, and oratorical Obama.

Second, some advice for Gov. Sanford. Get divorced, and go to the woman you love, the Argentine beauty Maria.

1. Your marriage is clearly over. Don’t deny the pangs of your heart. It is leading you in the right direction. You’ve known Maria for 8 years, and one year ago, something wonderful happened. You felt love like you had never felt before. She felt it too, judging by the emails the two of you sent back and forth. So, you got in trouble with an affair. It was bound to happen because you didn’t get divorced before revealing it. But your national political dreams are ruined now, so you might as well go with your heart. Plus, it allows your wife to find someone who actually loves her, rather than being treated as your cast off scraps. You are, and henceforth always will be, a jackass to her; you can be so much more to Maria - the man who left his wife because he had found true love.

2. Your kids are old enough to handle a divorce. Sure, they won’t be happy at first, but when parents get divorced, most kids adjust quickly and in the end may even thank their parents for it. A divorce allows kids to see their parents as human, as flawed, and get to know them individually, rather than as a unit. Divorce is probably better for your kids if the rift between you and your wife is wide enough for you to fall in love with another woman.

3. You redeem your image. An affair is a mistake if it’s with some hussy who seems to be in it for the money, power, fame, or to ruin your image. If it’s an affair of the heart, then it’s part of the natural process of falling in and out of love. Whatever happens, if you truly love Maria, then it means your marriage has been on the rocks for a long, long time. What’s better? A sham marriage scarred by infidelity, or a divorce that leads to a new and wonderful love? You look better if you do the right thing and get divorced; it means you admit that your marriage ended a long time ago.

I’m sure you will spend a lot of time praying to your god and then you will probably do what “he says.” But did you ever think that maybe it’s your own warped view of what marriage means that will keep you married? If marriage is about love, then you broke that holy covenant a long time ago. If marriage isn’t about love, then what possible factor can encourage you to stay in your current marriage? It’s not helping you financially, personally, or politically. Governor, the time is now. You are already separated from your wife. Cut it off, give her a big settlement, spend lots of time with your kids, and go to the woman you love.

With South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford admitting an extramarital affair, yet another potential candidate for the 2012 Republican nomination has fallen. Is there a curse for those who might pursue the nomination? Yes. I list some evidence below.

1. Sarah Palin. As if running on the doomed McCain/Palin ticket wasn’t enough, Sarah Palin has done everything she can to dig herself into a huge hole. She hasn’t even announced whether she will seek reelection in 2010. If you are skeptical of the curse that has befallen her, check some news websites. You are more likely to find a Palin story on an entertainment news website than on a legitimate news website. It’s debatable whether or not Palin EVER had a political future, as she seemed to sink McCain, but with the Republican curse on her, she surely won’t go much farther.

2. Mark Sanford. He was the crusader, held in high ideological esteem for setting his own term limits, being a straight arrow family man, and refusing to take some of the federal stimulus money. Then he went to Argentina to have an affair, put himself out of contact for 5 days (during which NO ONE knew where he was), and finally held a rambling news conference during which he seemed very much broken-hearted. “Baby, my sweet Argentine, I can’t see you any more. It might hurt my chances for the 2012 nomination!” During the press conference, he admitted to going to Argentina to cry for five days. If that’s not surefire evidence of a 2012 Republican curse, then I don’t know what is.

3. John Ensign. He had an affair with a campaign staffer and revealed the affair after it had been over for 10 months. Why? Speculation on the street is that he was being threatened with blackmail by the staffer’s husband. Oops! So, okay, he was a long-shot for the nomination, but at this point in time, there’s no real evidence that any Republican should WANT the nomination. So, if he wanted it, he might have had a chance, except for the dreaded curse!

4. Newt Gingrich. He’s been the nosiest of all potential nominees, appearing on a lot of talk shows and generally not making much sense. But what’s most amazing about Gingrich is that he showed evidence of the curse way back in the late ’90s. It was an idyllic time for Republicans. President Clinton was in trouble; he had been impeached and it was looking like Republicans might score some serious revenge for Nixon’s resignation. Gingrich was leading the moral way. That is, until his own affairs were revealed. Oops! In fact, Gingrich’s past is SOOOOO slimy, that I will not even bother summarizing it. Instead, I’ve posted a passage from Wikipedia at the bottom of this post. Tell me if it doesn’t make you nauseous.

In short, there most definitely IS a 2012 Republican curse. If you are a Republican thinking of seeking the nomination, or if you know someone who is, take heed of this curse! It threatens to bring down anyone who even thinks about running in 2012.

Gingrich has been married three times. He married Jackie Battley, his former high school geometry teacher, when he was 19 years old (she was seven years his senior at 26 years old). They had two daughters and divorced in 1981. Jackie Battley Gingrich supported him through graduate school and two unsuccessful congressional campaigns. She had undergone uterine cancer surgery during the successful 1978 campaign, which Gingrich was not averse to mentioning in his speeches. Eighteen months later, they separated. While in the hospital recovering from another uterine operation, according to his friend Lee Howell, “”Newt came up there with his yellow legal pad, and he had a list of things on how the divorce was going to be handled. He wanted her to sign it. She was still recovering from surgery, still sort of ‘out of it,’ and he comes in with a yellow sheet of paper, handwritten, and wants her to sign it.” According to Howell, friends in her church had to raise money for the separated wife of the congressman and her daughters. Later, Jackie Battley Gingrich went to court for adequate support, before the divorce decree. In his financial statement, Gingrich reported providing $400 per month, plus $40 in allowances for his daughters. Gringrich claimed to be unable to afford more, but the same financial statement lists his expenditures for his food/dry cleaning etc. (one person) as $400.

In 1981, six months after his divorce was final, Gingrich wed Marianne Ginther. He remained married to Ginther until 2000, when they divorced. Shortly thereafter, Gingrich then married Callista Bisek, with whom he was conducting an extra-marital affair at approximately the same time he was leading the Congressional investigation into allegations that Bill Clinton lied under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Lately, you can’t escape mentions of micro-blogging service Twitter in the media. Whether it’s reports of average people using the site, credit given for its role in the Iranian election protests, or documenting how Twitter’s business model may be better than Facebook’s, Twitter is all the rage. Here are some reasons why the media loves Twitter.

1. It’s fresh and new. New web technology often enjoys a honeymoon period with the media. Media gets plaudits for staying “up-to-date” and the website goes out of its way to promote itself with . We’ve seen similar bursts of interest for MySpace and Facebook, so it’s not unusual to see the same pattern for Twitter. Most interestingly, Google Trends for searches of Twitter and Facebook show that searches for Facebook have gone through the roof. Searches for Twitter have risen somewhat, but the line still looks flat compared to Facebook. That all changes for news references, however; in the news, Twitter’s mentions have risen as much as Facebook’s and have eclipsed Facebook in recent weeks.

2. It’s nearly entirely text-based. Because Twitter is driven by the words that people write, it’s easy to work into a news story. A site like Facebook, which offers a wide array of content, is more difficult to work into a news story. Similarly, videos on YouTube may work well with television news, but are nearly useless in print media. Photographs from Flickr might work well in print or online sources, but don’t come across as interesting on television or at all on radio. But Twitter can work in all these media.

3. It’s a textual sound-byte. There’s more words available for media to use than ever before. The internet has changed publishing as much as Gutenberg’s moveable type. But for many media sources, something like a blog post may simply be too long to report about. That’s why so many news sources will refer to “the blogosphere” rather than report on the specific work of one blogger. A trend is easier to spot and report than the specific arguments presented. But with Twitter, media outlets can report on trends and on specific micro-posts. It’s easy to put a few Twitter messages up on the television screen.

4. It’s a medium that media can use. Beyond natural self-promotion, media outlets can and do use Twitter. CNN broadcasts breaking news headlines over Twitter. It’s free, quick, and good publicity. When a media outlet gets behind a specific method of information distribution, their own promotion of the medium provides even more reason to include a “Twitter angle” in each story they publish. If this creates more interest in Twitter, then it once again provides media a reason to cover the “phenomenon.”

Will the media’s interest in Twitter wane in the coming months? I think it will slow long after people stop caring about Twitter; for the reasons above, the media can invest more time and interest in Twitter and reap greater rewards. Unlike sites like Facebook and MySpace, Twitter offers real potential value for media organizations, even if the site is used by very few people. The Google Trend numbers speak volumes: public interest in Twitter is minimal, media interest is huge. It’s unlikely that that will change any time soon.

Do you live in or around Madison, WI? Have you been outside in the last 2 or 3 days? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you have noticed that it is hot outside. For mid June, it feels unusually hot outside. Temperatures are peaking in the high 80s (and above 90 today) for the whole week. Lows in the mid 60s mean it hardly gets cool enough to trust fans and windows to cool off your pad overnight. Further, as it was already above 80 by 9 this morning, those “lows” don’t last long. I’ve faced up to it: we’re in a bit of a heat wave.

Lauren and I, reluctant though we were, packed up our pillows and moved to the second bedroom to sleep last night. As that room has a wall AC unit, and is much smaller, it’s easy to cool quickly and efficiently. As we all endeavor to reduce our energy use (from both an ecological and economical standpoint), it was a reasonable compromise: let the rest of the house stay warm, but allow us to sleep.

I bought iced coffee, instead of hot coffee, this morning, something I have never done before (cold coffee in the morning). And I’m seriously thinking about hitting the west side ice rink for some open skating tomorrow. Anyone interested in coming along? Maybe a matinee is in order as well. I still haven’t seen Up. But more than likely, it will be another day spent in front of a fan, reading, watching television, and overall, trying not to move too much.

With heat like this so early in the summer (after all, the first “official” day of summer was Sunday), I wonder what July and August (and September) hold in store. It seems likely that it will cool down at some point; after all, we are quite far north. But until that happens, stay cool, stay hydrated, and wear sunscreen! This heat isn’t fooling around.

This Sunday, I was treated to a family discussion about the recently exposed infidelity of Milwaukee’s police chief, Edward A. Flynn. He had an affair with a journalist, Jessica McBride, who wrote a glowing profile of him in Milwaukee Magazine. My relatives offered two arguments about why this infidelity was so shocking. I will outline, and attempt to refute, them below.

1. People who cheat on their spouses cannot be trusted in marriage, and therefore cannot be trusted in other areas of life. Specifically, because Chief Flynn had an affair, his actions as chief are also suspect. If he would cheat on his wife, then he might also cheat the city. As illogical as this seems, the basis of the argument has to do with trust. People trusted Flynn to be a bastion of the law, both criminal and moral. Because he failed their moral standards (and probably his own), he might begin to think of himself as someone who does break laws and thus is more likely to become corrupt.

I will discuss infidelity itself below; I don’t think that this argument is best defeated by attempting to change perceptions of adultery. Instead, let’s think about this in terms of personal versus work life. We can all agree (well, most of us) that George Bush was a failed president. He wrecked America’s standing in the world, destroyed the economy, and undermined fundamental institutions of government through intentional neglect. Using the same logic as above, this must also mean that he is a terrible husband and father. If Flynn’s actions in his personal life are a harbinger of actions he will take in his professional life, then Bush’s actions as president must surely mean that his marriage is on the verge of collapse as well.

The wonderful thing about employment, however, is that it is just one part of your entire identity. Yes, your job may mean a lot to you, but for few people does it define entire character. The same is true for each and every part of identity. Flynn and Bush may have failed in one part of their identity; they both have character flaws. But that does not mean that they cannot succeed in many other ways. Flynn can still be an excellent police chief, and Bush can still be a great husband. We aren’t likely to think as highly of either after they did a poor job in one area, but that doesn’t mean they must be derided in all aspects of their lives.

2. Since President Clinton, public officials who have affairs never suffer negative consequences. Thus, Chief Flynn will merely apologize and then continue working, setting a bad moral example for everyone. Essentially, Clinton was the single force to bring about the collapse of all morals in America.

This assumes that all infidelity is created equal, when this is clearly not the case. Clinton offers an interesting example, as he had an affair with an intern, a subordinate, when he was the most powerful man in the world. This raises many questions about how the affair started. For Flynn, he had an affair with a journalist. While she is younger than he, they don’t work in the same field. If anything, she is the one who should worry. After all, she violated journalistic ethics in not disclosing her affair in her article about the chief.

Not all infidelity is created equal, and while society may deride all adultery, it remains a very private act. The conversations between a husband and wife should never be disclosed; the courts agree and exempt spouses from having to testify against each other. Thus, it may be errant to assume that a liaison outside the bounds of marriage was not previously sanctioned within the marriage. Indeed, an affair may serve as the glue keeping a marriage from ending. But regardless, infidelity is a personal matter that should remain private. The best we can do is assume one thing: if infidelity does not end a marriage, then it has been given satisfactory explanation by the parties involved.

So, to argue that Flynn will get away with high crimes simply because a past president had an affair ignores basic facts about the nature of infidelity. When a marriage is successful, or when two people decide to work through tough times, this should be praised by society. But if one member of the couple strays, we must not assume that it was without the knowledge or consent of the other member. The consequences, thus, must be considered accordingly. A private matter should have private consequences; it is not up to society to punish infidelity, as society cannot possibly know whom the “crime” has harmed.

First, a quick note on reinstalling operating systems. I’ve owned 3 Apple computers of my own, and on all 3 I have had to, at some point in time, reinstall their operating system! What a task this is! Yesterday, after installing a software update, I restarted my computer only to have it stop when launching the login window. I took it down to the very helpful people who run tech stuff for our department and they were able to view log files that shows what the computer was doing; some of the problems were mentioned and diagnosed on support forums. But in the end, online solutions failed and I was forced to reinstall. This required borrowing a large external drive and purchasing a 6-pin to 9-pin firewire cable, all so I could use Lauren’s computer to copy my hard drive. Then, I was able to reinstall and finally port my data back onto my laptop. The entire process, from beginning to end was 10 hours long. Thankfully, very little of that time was spent with me actually doing something. So, computers: more trouble than they are worth? Discuss.

Anyway, onward with the title point: Lauren and I went to Target yesterday and while walking through the parking lot, we saw the most hideously ugly vehicle I’ve ever seen. Seating 7 passengers and with an estimated fuel efficiency below 20 MPG, the vehicle was the Ford Flex. If you think you have never seen an ugly car, then you have never seen the Flex.

It’s not that tall, certainly shorter than most vans or SUVs. And it’s long, as long as the van it parked next too. And the one we saw had ugly paneling, maybe even the wood paneling that is available; I can’t remember because I was so disgusted and didn’t look for long. It gets terrible gas mileage and is somehow what Ford designers and engineers think will help the company. How have these idiots remained employed? If Ford was owned by the government, then I would call for their immediate termination.

Woe be the environmentalist who wears her concern on her sleeve. Just as she espouses positions on consumer purchases, so too can she be criticized for an endless spree of life decisions. Can a real environmentalist live more than a bike-able distance from work? Can she own a car? Can she participate in a consumer society? Can she purchase non-local food? Can she live in a climate where carbon release is a necessary component of comfort? If she wears her cause on her sleeve, then she cannot do these things without being called a hypocrite.

Yet environmentalism is necessary in our society. As natural resources become more scarce, as global climate change affects more life and is further linked to man, as it becomes easier to understand our impact on the world: all these factors, and more, make environmentalism the cause du jour, and a necessary cause as well.

We must then pity the dedicated environmentalist. She must be a citizen of the world, yet never travel by non-human-powered means. She must delight in fine culinary tastes, yet never purchase non-local foods. She must stay well informed and connected, but power her home with sun and wind. And she must evangelize, but practice what she preaches as well. A dedicated environmentalist has no easy road to walk.

Since this is the case, we should worry about the future of environmentalism. If each time we make a purchase without environmental considerations, we are called a polluter, an ignoramus, or worse, a Republican, then what motivation do we have for continuing our considerations? And if when we do make a purchase that we hope will minimize our impact, we are told that we are not doing enough, then at what level can we begin to feel good about our efforts? If environmentalists cannot find a way to encourage practical environmentalism, then their movement has no future (and perhaps our planet will share the same fate).

Rather than focus on understanding how our every action detrimentally impacts the earth, a better change would be to promote the benefits of “going green” rather than the downsides of not. In marketing (and persuasion), this is called a “gain framed” message, and it is generally understood to be more persuasive for prevention behaviors (i.e. stop a problem before it starts), as opposed to “loss frames” which work better for early detection behaviors (i.e. catch a problem before it spreads). By selling the benefits of green living, an individual making positive changes can feel good about her efforts and, more importantly, begin to change the way she thinks about herself and make even more “green” decisions in the future.

For the environmentalist who is excited about the cause (and how surprising it is to find so many newly passionate people; ah the power of passing trends), do not spend your time preaching about the evils of consumer society. Unless you are living the most spartan, austere lifestyle, it is likely that you too are guilty of several oversights; you are not living as greenly as you could be. Instead, focus on simple changes that take advantage of our consumer society. The market has responded to a demand for more environmentally-friendly products. Many large companies now make recycled versions of popular products, cleansers that purport less environmental impact, and products with reduced packaging that is easily recycled. This would not have come about were it not for a perceived demand, but similarly, to ignore it because of its producers would be a grave error. Every day, corporations pay to advertise your message of sustainability, albeit indirectly.

While it may be difficult for environmentalists to fully embrace our consumer society, it shouldn’t be difficult for them to perform a simple thought exercise. What agency is most likely to bring about positive environmental change for the country? Is it large corporations? Is it individuals? Or is it the United States government? And from whom does that body get its spending power? The answer is virtually the same for all three. The economy powers corporations to make money, consumers to stay employed, and the government to collect taxes. If our consumer society were to collapse, then environmental issues might be solved. But, I don’t think many environmentalists would trade their job and their spending power in exchange for societal collapse on the global scale. A world in economic and political turmoil wouldn’t be worth saving, no matter how much it would reduce pollution. If environmentalists aren’t careful, they may be orchestrating their own demise through hypocritical and non-practical solutions to this global problem.

Ever since it was discovered that the Palm Pre looks like an iPod to iTunes, we’ve been waiting to see what Apple will do. There were vague comments about lawsuits to protect intellectual property, but this did nothing to stop the launch of the Pre. Now, Apple has made a more targeted statement about the Pre’s synchronization with iTunes.

From Apple’s support website:
Apple designs the hardware and software to provide seamless integration of the iPhone and iPod with iTunes, the iTunes Store, and tens of thousands of apps on the App Store. Apple is aware that some third-parties claim that their digital media players are able to sync with Apple software. However, Apple does not provide support for, or test for compatibility with, non-Apple digital media players and, because software changes over time, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with non-Apple digital media players.

But should Apple change iTunes software in an update that would eliminate Pre sync? Would it be a good business model for Apple? Would the potential bad publicity be too much pressure? I’m sure Apple is evaluating all these options, but I think an update that disables Pre syncing is an excellent move!

Let’s face it - Apple does two things very well: hardware and software. For other companies to compete, they have to do both as well. But Palm decided that they would worry less about one component of their software in favor of using an established music management program. This gives them a leg up when competing against the iPhone; music player functionality is just as easy to use on the Pre as the iPhone. But Palm also took a serious risk. As the Apple statement makes clear, Apple has no obligation to make sure that new versions of iTunes work with the Pre. Indeed, they have strong motivation to make sure it DOESN’T work with the Pre.

Palm has responded to these threats, suggesting that they have other options. Of course they do, but it means their software/hardware connection gets that much less streamlined. It knocks down the Pre once more - adding something else that puts the iPhone above it. For Apple, losing those few Pre users matters very little. But Palm hasn’t sold enough Pres to risk negative news coverage, especially if the stories focus on disappointed Pre users who now can’t sync their music easily. Apple may not want the bad press, but Palm definitely can’t afford it. If Palm really wants to compete with Apple, they better start working out a deal.

Under questionable circumstances, Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won reelection last week. Now, amid protests, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called for an inquiry into the election. But seeing as how skewed the election results were (Ahmadinejad won an overwhelming victory over challenger Mir Hussein Moussavi, despite predictions of Ahmadinejad’s defeat), and how quickly the results were certified (immediately, rather than after the traditional 3 day waiting period), why should we trust this inquiry? Further, even if the inquiry finds that the election results were tainted, what will happen? Another election? That seems quite unlikely.

More and more, it seems that Ahmadinejad stole the election. This should come as a surprise to no one, as all aspiring dictators must start somewhere. The international community is surely disappointed, but only the most wide-eyed optimist would be incredulous. Iran is an Islamist state, and its respect for democracy is circumspect at best. Better to keep Ahmadinejad in power than to risk a “reformist” candidate who might challenge the religious rulers that have kept Iranians under their thumb since the so-called revolution (devolution is a more apt term).

The time has come for the people of Iran to remain restless. Protests have flared and continue despite threats (and reality) of brutal crackdowns, and repeated, mass nighttime arrests. As Ahmadinejad attempts to cause fear in the Iranian people, brave souls still organize protests. Even with blocks on social networking sites and text messaging networks, the word still gets out. A peaceful protest will always have its place, but now is not the time for peace. Ahmadinejad represents a threat to world stability. He brings no respect to the Iranian people; instead he makes the country look shameful. His likely theft of the election only further reduces the world’s respect for the Iranian people.

There is a time for peace and there is a time for revolution. Iranian people - the time for revolution is now.

Brittany and I met on Library Mall today to ride our bicycles and have some coffee. It was a nice way to start a morning, as without a social motivation and commitment, I likely would not have left the house at 8:30. The ride in was nice; I took the same route Lauren and I rode to campus a couple weeks ago. It took me just 30 minutes, offering a tempting alternative method of transportation. If it takes as long to bike as it does to take the bus, with the added bonus of exercise, then it seems like I ought to be doing that more often.

We rode around Lake Monona, around 14 miles or so. Pretty nice route, decently marked with “Bicycle Route” signs that make you turn at unexpected places and direct you to paths that come out in the middle of streets that you must cross. They don’t make it easy on us bicyclists. The ride back into Madison is the best part, as you get to see the beautiful city skyline (same thing you see exiting at John Nolan from the beltline).

After some coffee at Espresso Royale, I took off from home. I made it nearly all the way back with no issues, until I decided to take the hill on Old Sauk Road.

View Larger Map

It’s long and it’s steep. And while I didn’t give up and walk my bike, like so many others I’ve seen, I was exhausted when I got to the top. My pedals slowed and my breath was ragged. I turned down Blue Ridge and slowly made my way the rest of the mile and a half. By the time I had parked my bike and gotten home, my thighs were burning. I’m mostly recovered now, but I think I will avoid that hill in the future. It turned a very pleasant bike ride into a nice trip with a terrible ending.

Clearly, James Wenneker von Brunn is not in his right mind. First, he’s a raving anti-Semite, which automatically puts him in the nutso category. Second, he’s 88 years old and still furious. Calm down, old man. And third, he thought he could accomplish something by storming the US Holocaust Museum with a rifle. Any person who has ever visited a museum in Washington D.C. would know that you won’t get past the front entrance. There are security guards and metal detectors everywhere. Von Brunn evidently knew this as well, because he started shooting as soon as he walked in the door.

A security guard lost his life, but no doubt protected the lives of others. Had von Brunn not been taken down, he would have kept shooting until he was shot, further proof that he wasn’t in his right mind. What is most interesting are media reports that this was an attempt at a hate crime. It was, I agree, but it was the kind of attempt that could only come from a crazy person. Any rational neo-nazi idiot would have realized that attacking a federally run institution means you are likely to only hurt federal employees. Now maybe that’s also a mission for these psychos, but it sure doesn’t stand out as much of a statement.

I believe that von Brunn’s attack should be considered, first and foremost, an attempt at “suicide by cop.” Von Brunn is a coward, there is no doubt about that. A rush into a building that is heavily fortified can lead to nothing other than incapacitation by a security guard’s bullet. That is exactly what happened here. So, any attempts to rally around von Brunn’s cowardly act should consider what his real motive was; only a suicidal person would do what he did.

What’s most interesting about the whole attack is that it seems to have been predicted by our national security agencies who had observed an increase in hate-group activities. So, conservatives who derided the report - is van Brunn actually a patriot? I’m surprised Limbaugh hasn’t found a way to blame Obama for this crazy man’s suicide attempt.

I wandered over to the children’s section at the Alicia Ashman branch of the Madison Public Library yesterday. What two books did I find prominently displayed in the “children’s non-fiction” area?

As many of you know, Chris Brown was arrested a few months ago for beating his girlfriend, Rihanna, also a famous pop star. He is currently facing trial for one count of assault and one count of making criminal threats. He has plead not guilty, which perhaps the library thought was good enough to encourage children to check out this, no doubt very flattering, book about him. Or perhaps they didn’t know about the charges he is facing. In either case, I returned the book to the shelf.

As for the Hitler youth, nothing wrong with that book. But it’s still a bit jarring to see it displayed so prominently, and even stranger to see it right next to a Chris Brown kids biography.

Anyway, just thought you would like to see what books are available at your local library!

NPR’s Morning Edition ran a story this morning about how young people no longer date, but instead “hook up” - engaging in consensual sexual activity (from cuddling to sex) as a precursor for a relationship. We’ve heard this before (indeed, I’ve commented on it before, see here).

I still don’t buy their claims. This story, like Blow’s commentary, feature information from the same professor (Kathleen Bogle) at La Salle University (which, according to their website, is guided by their Catholic principles); I haven’t seen her data, so I don’t know if the media reporting on her writing and research can be trusted. Without the data, the news stories are driven by anecdotal evidence. That means there are a lot of questions we don’t know the answer to. Here are some.

1. How do different parts of the country differ? It’s not shocking that the NPR story featured people from the East Coast. It’s most accessible to reporters. But what we don’t know is whether trends in New York City or Boston are reflected in the Midwest or elsewhere. If hooking up has to do with the social fabric (which it most certainly does), then in stands to reason that different social fabrics would produce differing levels of hook-ups. If New York tends to be filled with hard working people who have less time for a relationship than another part of the country, then we should see increased levels of hook-ups in NYC than in other places. But this information is not represented in the reporting on the topic.

2. What are the demographic characteristics of those who are “hooking up”? Some people hook up and some people don’t, yet we don’t know anything about these two groups. It’s interesting either way - for example, if religious and non-religious people hook up just as much - but until we see the information, we can’t say. Thus, it’s entirely possible that those people who hook-up are somehow deficient in their emotional abilities. Or perhaps they are devoid of morals. Or perhaps they have insatiable sex drives. Or perhaps they seek physical comfort. Who knows? The media has avoided reporting this type of information.

3. What does this mean for society? Humankind wants sex. We hunger for it. That is today as it ever was. So how does seeking sex, coupled with a changing social fabric, stand to impact our society? Without the answer to this question, we have no reason to be concerned about hook-ups. The Religious Right, who I have previously blamed for this type of reporting and research, would argue that it’s proof our society is deteriorating. I think we can all agree to remain healthily skeptical of their claims.

4. Is this “trend” anything new? The answer to this, from Prof. Bogle herself, seems to be “no.” She argues, in a publication, that past research has ignored hook ups and focused on dating, thus ignoring something that has been common for some time now. In my past writing on this topic, I pointed to Sinclair Lewis’ novel It Can’t Happen Here, in which the protaganist asks his teenage daughter if she has had sex yet. She says no, but that she will when an opportunity arises. The book was published and set in the mid 1930s.

The fact remains that anecdotal evidence is easily countered with more anecdotal evidence. The people in the story were 25 and hooking up. Lauren’s friends at that age or younger are mostly married or in long term relationships. Yet we don’t know if either the media’s group or Lauren’s friend group is representative of the nation as a whole. The problem in both cases is that we look for evidence to support a theory and, no surprise, find some.

The NPR story cites only one piece of data - the rising age of first marriages. It’s higher than it’s ever been before, but this hardly serves as evidence for increased hook ups. Once again, it has to do with a changing social fabric. Men and women are both expected to work, both expected to go to college, both expected to make something of themselves before “settling down.” Couple this with increased tolerance for cohabitation and you have a rising average age for first marriage.

Now, if data showed that significantly more people were likely to eschew marriage and be single for their whole lives, then that would be data that might explain rising hook ups. But even the people in the NPR story said they wanted a relationship, rather than just hook ups.

Media - this is a challenge to you. You need to stop reporting on this issue because it’s titillating and start reporting on whether or not this “trend” is a change from the past and how it might impact society as a whole. And Researchers, including Prof. Bogle, you need to do a better job explaining and marketing your research. Taking a call from a reporter and answering their questions is not enough. Until this happens, we can expect plenty more fluff pieces about how young people no longer date.

Short Item: Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO and noted hip-shooter, is threatening to move the company’s jobs “offshore” if Obama passes through measures to curb tax evasion. You can read the story here.

Mr. Ballmer - you are already paranoid that your company is failing to a rival who has a tiny market share. You have proven yourself exceptionally inept in launching new products and services. Now, in the middle of a recession, in the middle of pro-American fervor, and in the face of a very popular president, you think your threats mean anything?

I can see the Mac vs. PC ad now. “Hello, I’m a Mac.” “And [In Chinese] I’m a PC.” “While Apple is building new business across America, including a new data center in North Carolina, PC, where have you been?” “[In Chinese] I’ve been busy giving up on America and moving jobs overseas, now, please, continue to buy my products!” [PC struggles to eat noodles with chopsticks and spills some on his suit.]

That’s what it’s going to be, Mr. Ballmer, unless you stop acting like an idiot.

It’s summer, so I’ve got a lot of time on my hands. One way that I’ve been spending it is by rereading some favorite books for children or that I enjoyed during my childhood.

1. The Harry Potter series.
I’ve read this series many times. I’ve read the 7th book four times now and the first 3 a dozen or more. Rereading the series I noticed a lot more of J. K. Rowling’s plotting devices, especially as I am very familiar with the plots by now. Still, the whole series is worth a read, a reread, and even a 3rd time through.

2. The Great Brain series, by John D. Fitzgerald.
There are 8 Great Brain books (I own the first 7), which take place in southwestern Utah in the late 1800s. The books are narrated by the author, or the author’s imagined self, and talk mostly about the exploits of his older brother Tom, the “Great Brain,” a precocious boy of 10 thru 12 over the series. These books take around a couple hours each to read.

3. The Fudge books, by Judy Bloom.
There are three in this series, that I own anyway. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Super Fudge, and Fudge-A-Mania. There’s also Otherwise Known as Sheila The Great. Overall, very funny books.

4. Gary Paulsen books.
I liked Hatchet and The River, about survival in the wilderness. But my favorite of Paulsen’s is The Haymeadow. I also liked The Car. I own Dogsong, but have never read it all through. Maybe I’ll give it another try, 15 years after I first bought it. There’s also the great Voyage of the Frog and Harris and Me.

5. Sid Fleischman.
Two books of his stand above the couple others I’ve read: Jingo Django and Humbug Mountain. I haven’t read those in a very long time.

5. Others?
Any favorite books from childhood to recommend? I have had recommended to me The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, this year’s Newbery Aware Winner. I would love to read any others that you have to recommend!

First, if you haven’t seen it already, you may want to read Tony’s accounting of Microsoft’s, Sony’s, and Nintendo’s E3 presentations. Highly enjoyable and interesting. Basically, one trend at E3 this year was motion gaming. Microsoft unveiled their “Natal” camera. Sony released details about a magic wand device that works like a WiiMote. And Nintendo discussed their “Wii Motion Plus,” another peripheral that gives greater feedback about the positioning of the WiiMote.

The real question: to what end will these devices change gaming? Is motion gaming the future of the video game industry? Is it a passing trend? Does it represent a schism between hardcore and casual gamers down which the industry will split in two? What’s most interesting is that all 3 companies released similar products, yet each product could have a very different impact.

1. Project Natal, the motion sensing camera from Microsoft. Rather than hold a WiiMote, this camera can sense your body’s movement. So, if you want to kick a ball, you can just kick your foot. The camera can detect the motion and translate it into the game. This is a great concept, but seems to offer only slight benefits over the WiiMote. It cannot read subtle movements, like the rotating of an object, that would allow for more simulation in games. Most likely, we’ll see it incorporated into mainstream mini-game collections and used more creatively in small developer projects meant to be downloaded.

The main barrier to Natal’s success has to do with frustration. If the experience is not as accurate as promised, expected, or required, then the games are likely to be hugely irritating. Imagine trying to kick a ball so that it flies a long distance only to find your kick translated too late and the ball passing right by your foot. You have expended your own energy in kicking, for no result. If the option exists to simply press a button instead, it seems likely that many gamers will take this route. At least most Wii games can be played on the couch.

2. Sony’s magic wand, like a WiiMote, but with great accuracy in capturing movement. This has the potential to be good for Sony, as their powerful system might be able to turn out games that incorporate motion controls and have great graphics. But is it too late to get a boost from the gimmick? Part of the Wii’s success is its price; the PS3 does not have that advantage. Also, if the wand is to fit with hardcore games, then it must be tied with a traditional controller. Because the wand is separate, however, it seems unlikely to fit well with the current control scheme. Most games, I predict, will use either a traditional controller, the wand, or either, but seldom both. And if the wand is offered only as an add-on to an already expensive system, it may not catch on at all.

3. Nintendo’s Wii Motion Plus, the advanced version of the WiiMote. I’ve already written about the Wii’s over-dependence on peripherals. Unfortunately, the Wii Motion Plus seems like just another add-on, forcing consumers into hardware, rather than software, purchases. Additionally, games for the Wii has been notoriously weak and those that use motion controls have failed to live up to the hype. The best game I’ve played for the Wii? World of Goo, a $15 download that uses no motion controls at all.

Wii Motion Plus, if it is going to succeed, needs to be built into all new controllers, available packaged as part of Wii systems, sold at a low price ($15-$20), and work with a great lineup of software. If it can do that, then it may succeed. If not, or if Nintendo releases yet another peripheral (Wii Motion Double Plus) a year from now, then it will be another disappointment for the Wii. Why not a motion sensor for the DS that fits in the GBA game slot? Because Nintendo has gotten rid of that slot on the DSi, recognizing, perhaps, that motion controls, and other add-on peripherals, don’t automatically lead to good software.

We’ll see what comes of these devices in the next few months. What will be most interesting to see is if Nintendo’s sales lead continues even with Sony and Microsoft offering devices that compete more directly. If that’s the case, then it seems clear that there is a schism in the gaming world and that Nintendo’s dominance has more to do with price and accessibility than waggling controls. If not, and Sony and Microsoft get hooked on motion gaming, then god help the hardcore gamer; their time may be done.