A New Post! The Stoneblog Lives!

Hey all, I am sitting in a lovely little Starbucks in downtown Amman (actually, I'm near 7th Circle a bit far off from downtown, but its swanky, so "downtown" could still apply) and I'm just catching up on some politics while Brookie gets her training done for her AMIDEAST internship.

Looks like McCain is no longer McSane. Watch the McVideo:
So, yeah, what do you think?

In other news, I personally think that today's meeting with of the DNC Bylaws people should turn out to be a boon for Obama's campaign. Splitting up the delegates like the Solomon's baby would be a real blow to Clinton's game plan of getting all of the delegates for herself ('cuz she's so great, you know?).

Since arriving in the Middle East, I've been speaking in broken, broken Arabic about Obama to several people. After saying that he would be a lot like Clinton, they've appeared to be satisfied that he might be the next president. They are also very pleased to learn that his middle name is Hussein.

Having the internet in our house now (Huzzah!) has been so good and I've been overdosing on political news and commentary for about three days straight. But the Arabic is coming along nicely and I'll tell you all even more on Brooke And Max Are Where?, which is a great little blog, by the by. Look at us go!

Post-Debate Perdiddle/Kerfuffle

So, after eight thousand weeks and about forty debates, the Democrats had another one tonight (sans Mike Gravel, which is a shame 'cause he's a laugh riot). Barack Obama seemed at his most presidential and, surprisingly, Hillary Clinton was remarkably civil (all expectations were on a knock-down, drag-out brawl with Clinton aiming for Obama's jugular). There was only one rough patch for her when she let loose a really canned line of Barack's borrowed speech phrases saying "that's not change you can believe in, that's change you can Xerox." Somehow, she assumed everyone would think she came up with that on her own.

But aside from that, Clinton did manage to seem very gracious as the debate wound up. She came to a point that seemed almost (I say almost) to say "I'm willing to cede the race if I don't win some states." It was charming and warm and it was Hillary at her best, which is pretty good. But the night does go to Barack (and I'm objective... really) because his jiu-jitsu was much better. Whether it was questions of plagiarism, experience, legislative record and about half a dozen other things, he was able to put the scrutiny back on Clinton. One shining example:

Clinton is asked a question about her argument that Obama is not ready to be commander-in-chief. She makes that claim very clearly and the moderator puts it to Barack. He is able to turn the question back on Clinton in the form of this thought: in my career, I've exhibited the judgment necessary to keep Americans safe and the country on the right path. On the "single most important decision of our lives", he said, I was right to say that Iraq was a mistake and Clinton was wrong to vote for it. In a debate against John McCain, I can stand by that.

Again, in debate jiu-jitsu terms, Obama turned a number of potentially difficult questions into strengths.

On to Texas and Ohio!

ORCA Gets Airborne... On-Air

So yeah, I got the grant from the BYU Office of Research and Creative Activities to create a radio program that shows the melding activities occurring between the (supposedly) opposing camps of classical and pop music. I've come up with a bunch of different show ideas and I'm working out the details of scripts, media, interviews and whatnot with my mentor, Dr Michael Hicks. He's a composition professor at the Y (yes, I"m calling it that now) and he is a great mentor. I look forward to putting together the project and having something tangible that people can listen to and download. Here are a few of the episodes you can look forward to:

The Sting of the Lute: Here I dissect and analyze the recent foray into lute music made by that glorious Police front-man, Sting. He even re-did Fields of Gold lute-style and it is superb.

The Tetris Song: So, everyone remembers Tetris and how huge an influence in gaming it was, yes? So, I'm going to trace the genealogy of the tune back to its mid-19th century roots and see how it became the ubiquitous "Tetris song" to a nascent generation of gamers.

Pachelbel's Hook in D: Pachelbel's Canon in D is basically the only music the man is famous for. But he made it worthwhile, because it seems that the Hot 100 can't stand to go more than three months without a hit based on the Canon in D climbing the chart. Look out for: Bob Dylan, Blues Traveler and maybe, just maybe, Puff Daddy will make an appearance.

Back in Bach: Did you know that a fellow named Hans Hassler created a choral piece in the 1600s that Bach re-worked and inserted into his St Matthew's Passion? Did you know the melody was used for a hymnal of Christendom called "Savior, Thou who Wearest a Crown" and that Paul Simon took that same melody and used it for his terrific song "American Tune?" You didn't? Well, now you do.

So, look for more updates here and I'll get 'em to ya. And please, oh please, if you have any suggestions or requests or any interesting pop/rock/classical connections, send them my way. I want them in the most desperate way.

OH! And I've just left the studio after several arduous months and I'm pleased to report I'm finished with my vanity musical project! If you would like a CD, they will be forthcoming, please be patient. In the meantime, slake your appetite for Max's music by visiting my Myspace page here, why don'tcha?

(a la That 70s Show) "I love Wisconsin!"

... or at least I can hope to shout that at my TV screen tomorrow night. Wisconsin's primaries are tomorrow and it is gonna be close. I foresee three possible outcomes:

1) Obama wins the state, gets the most delegates
2) Clinton gets the state, Obama gets the delegates
3) Obama wins the state, Clinton gets the delegates

Needless to say, I prefer number 1 but I'll take number 2. Then comes, Ohio (where Clinton is up) and Texas (where Obama just got the lead in recent polls). Get the straight dope here and all your wildest, polly dreams will come true.

But for me, I feel that the nomination is still in play and no one knows exactly what is going to happen next. Maybe Edwards will endorse and that could swing some voters. But all the same, these next few contests will really set the tone for the Convention and Obama needs to show he has the momentum and that it isn't a fleeting one. So, here is my prediction: of Texas, Ohio and Wisconsin; if he wins any two of those states (that means votes and delegates), Obama shall be the presumptive Democratic nominee. For example, if he gets Wisconsin, loses Ohio but picks up Texas, Clinton starts to look more and more like Rudy Giuliani in his Floridian bunker of solitude.

Also, if you are still hung up on the "Competence/Experience" question, take a gander at this fine post at the Dish which shows that perhaps Clinton has overestimated her own competence. It would be sad if it wasn't so darn funny.

YouTube Saturday: Cutest. Kid. Ever.

(h/t: Daily Dish)

Hey Jude as it always should be played.

The Straight Schlock Express

Somehow, everyone has decided to pretend that 2008 is in fact a do-over of 2000 and now we want the right guy to be president. Instead of Bush, we're voting for McCain! Hooray! That straight-talking maverick will surely bring more integrity to the office of president... right? After all, Mitt endorsed him... okay, scratch that.

It appears that our straight-talking Arizona elder statesman has caved to immense pressure from the pro-torture right and begun hedging his formerly principled stand against torture. In the words of Andrew Sullivan, I'm heartbroken. He was a POW in one of the most squalid, evil places in the whole world and subjected to unspeakable treatment. In 2005 he sponsored a Detainee Treatment Act in the Senate which specifically forbade waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods. He had this to say then:

We have procedures for interrogation in the Army Field Manual. Those, I think, would be adequate in 999,999 of [1 million] cases, and I think that if we agree to torture people, we will do ourselves great harm in the world.

And just in November, when everyone was writing off his run for president, he took Mitt Romney to task for not explicitly saying that waterboarding is torture.

But now this week, John McCain votes against an amendment that would make that same Army Field Manual the explicit means of interrogation of detainees. Inconsistent, yes? Especially now that the CIA made public its use of waterboarding (among other unorthodox techniques) against high-value Al-Qaeda targets in custody.

I don't want to live in that country, where we're ruled by a thug and his cronies. Where we do everything to anyone we don't like and as long as it doesn't kill them it isn't torture. That's a banana republic, a shameless excuse for a government. And it is so disappointing to see McCain, who has the nomination sown up, take such a repugnant position.

The Yes in Yes We Can (and DipDive Vid)

Well, I was pretty darn close in my predictions for Super Duper Uber Tuesday, missing only a few calls and, all in all, I think it was a truly vindicating night for Obama, who really is the underdog. No, seriously, he is the underdog, no matter what Hillary or her campaigns says: he is the underdog. No one in their right mind would think to themselves "Hmm, nationwide name recognition, huge establishment connections, massive bankroll and war chest, popular former president as husband... gosh, what an underdog!"

So, I have some great news tonight: Obama made a clean sweep in Nebraska, Washington state and Louisiana in today's primaries/caucuses. He decimated Hillary in each state; she never got out of the 30s and he got super majorities in two of the contests. So, in celebration, let's give will.i.am our attention for a moment, yes?

Oh, and earlier this week, my good friend Brandon Dabling back from the Danegeld days (that's the Viewmont High School's newspaper ya'll) asked me to write a reaction to the Democratic Super Tuesday returns. He is the Ideas and Opinions editors for BYU's Daily Universe, soI wrote it up and had a hoot, just a hoot, digesting 7 hours of self-inflicted political coverage on MSNBC, CNN and, heaven help us all, FoxNews. The article is here at the Daily Universe. Enjoy!

Max's Mad Predictions

Yo, dudes. It is Super Tuesday tomorrow and I've just been digesting about four hours of political news and commentary (coming up on hour five!) and I've decided to go out on a limb and call it all. I'm probably gonna be really, really wrong, but what the heck. Anyhoo, here goes:

Alabama: Obama wins it, 46% to 42%.
Arizona: Clinton clinches it, 45% to 40%
California: Obama gets a boost from Latinos and Ahnahld's wife, 44% to 39%
Colorado: Clinton barely gets its, 43% to 42%
Connecticut: Obama again, 48% to 44%
Georgia: Obama nails this one, 52% to 38%
Illinois: The Obama-Rama Theme Park, he wins it big 68% to 30%
Massachusetts: Close one to Clinton, 43% to 37%
Missouri: Another close Clinton conundrum (it doesn't have to make sense) 44% to Obama's 43%
New Jersey: Clinton snaps it up with 47% to 41%
New York: Another Clinton win, 52% to 42%
Oklahoma: No one cares
Tennessee: Clinton gets it, 46% to 39%

So there you have it, but let's not forget the cardinal rule of Super Tuesday: the exact numbers are not nearly as important as the delegate count and that is not nearly as important as the closeness of the split between Obama and Clinton. This is gonna be a long slog, people, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Obama do better than expected (by the media, not by me) and then get a great big bump going into March. This means a muddy, muddy situation for Democrats heading into the convention but that is not necessarily bad news, especially when you consider that Clinton's numbers stagnate after a time with voters and Obama's numbers increase markedly as he gets more exposure to them. Maybe we'll have a clear winner after tonight.

Or maybe we'll see you in March.

Go Obama! Yes we can!

Two New Haikus (For True!)

So, we can't help it and we've hit up two restaurants in two days. We'll get back on the bandwagon after I'm back in class and Brookie's Master's program kicks into gear.

But, we've sampled some discount sushi at Demae and some lovely Mexican food at El Azteca. First, Demae:

Tuesdays and Thursdays:
Half-price sushi bonanza.
Don't expect refills

Now for El Azteca, which is a hole in the wall next to a florist and a Papa John's.

Crispy taquitos,
Chimichangas perfectas;
Delicioso!

Raucus Caucus! Raucus Caucus!

Oh boy, what a night on Wednesday! I got totally man-misty (that's where a dude tears up and still maintains his masculinity) when Barack Obama took the stage and talked about the centrality of hope in his campaign. What a rush to feel that surge of effort and optimism all through the Obama campaign. It was, in the words of Bloom County's Milo Bloom, a raucus caucus.

Let's do it again in New Hampshire!

Happy New You (and a Haiku, Too)

Well, it is now 2008 and I thought I'd ring in the New Year with some restaurant haikus. Today's first is regarding a recent trip to the Bombay House, the finest Indian cuisine Provo has to offer.

Taj Mahal archways
Tasty Tandoor creations
Yummy naan a must

Naan, by the by, is a terrific flat bread baked in a tandoor (clay brick) oven.

Our next haiku is from an appropriately Japanese venue, the Happy Sumo in Provo.

Hip like a disco
Specialty rolls a go-go
Fried ice cream? Superb.

And finally, Provo's original creation, J Dawgs.

Special sauce, Polish
Hebrew National hot dog,
Kraut, onions; heaven.

Until next time...

Torture, Terror and Testimony

It always seems to be the downers that bring me back to the blog. I think that next week, following finals, I'll have more time to ruminate and pontificate, but for now, let's stick with the basics.

Guantanamo Bay was the reason that I began blogging. I guess that the dereliction of justice in the case of so many innocents was the true reason: men sitting in solitary confinement for years and years without being convicted of a crime, some of them demonstrably innocent. It was wrong to me then and it is wrong to me now. This type of treatment could easily be deemed cruel and unusual punishment and its not a stretch to call it torture.

Torture has been the big story for the past few days as information has gotten out that the CIA destroyed video tapes that recorded the interrogation of men in the custody of the US (which reminded everyone of the famous "lost" Department of Defense DVDs that showed the interrogation of Jose Padilla). There is a helpful timeline of events from TPM Muckraker here.

It is a grim prospect, but what does this mean for Americans here at home? What about troops serving abroad? By way of illustration, here is an exchange between a legal advisor at Guantanamo and Senator Lindsey Graham, who is asking a pretty straightforward question: if an Iranian waterboards an American, is it torture?

GRAHAM: You mean you’re not equipped to give a legal opinion as to whether or not Iranian military waterboarding, secret security agents waterboarding downed airmen is a violation of the Geneva Convention?

HARTMANN: I am not prepared to answer that question, Senator.

It really is unnerving the point to which the debate has gone: what is and is not torture, are there circumstances where torture is appropriate, does American have the right to torture detainees, can we engage in torture and still claim to be a party to the Geneva Conventions? As more and more muck is dredged up, we see that a whole policy has been built behind a smokescreen by the President and his Administration, one that condones violations of human rights by agents of the United States.

For more on this, read Andrew Sullivan's terrific blog post on the whole issue. Also, drop by The Opinionator at the NYT for a quick run-down of recent abuses and illicit actions by the Bush Administration.

And get angry.

YouTube Tuesday: Happy Hanukkah, Everybody!

Wednesday the 12th is the final day of Hanukkah and tomorrow in Hebrew we will celebrate the holiday. I found this great little history of Hanukkah on YouTube from BeliefNet writer Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. Enjoy!

A New Review Haiku

Okay, here's a new thing that I'll be doing occassionally on the blog: giving you the lowdown on the best places in Provo to eat, but doing so in haiku form. You know the drill: 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second and 5 in the third.

Our first restaurant is the Smokehouse Barbeque Grill on University Avenue in Provo. Here goes:

Free Parking a plus
Nosh some beans and brisket, too
Pizza's great; tip well.

Alright! We'll be doing this a lot more. Stay tuned!

Fond for Something to Do

(Hat Tip: Meeba) If you have a few minutes during lunch today, take a few minutes and help feed the world by improving your vocabulary. FreeRice is a charitable organization that convinces sponsors to donate rice (10 grains at a time, mind you) to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). After a gluttonous Thanksgiving, it would be dyspeptic and impotent of you to do otherwise... on the columnade. So go ahead and variegate your daily schedule.

Another One Bites the Dust

If the Bush Administration's tenure were the Bible, this chapter of it would be called Exodus. After Powell, Rummy, Gonzo, Snow and dozens of others have jumped ship, Fran Townsend, Bush's Homeland Security Advisor, has put in her papers and taken a walk. Like the other luminaries above, Townsend has said a number of things that really don't make no sense. Note the following from a CNN interview:

HENRY: You know, going back to September 2001, the president said, dead or alive, we're going to get [Osama Bin Laden]. Still don't have him. I know you are saying there's successes on the war on terror, and there have been. That's a failure.
TOWNSEND: Well, I'm not sure -- it's a success that hasn't occurred yet. I don't know that I view that as a failure.

Failure is Success! Ignorance is Strength! Go, Ministry of Truth, go!

Andrew Sullivan has more here and ThinkProgress pipes up here and here.

2,000 Hits for the Stoneblog!

Hey ya'll, as of today we have had 2,000 unique page views on the Stoneblog since its inception in April of this year. Way to go! Thanks for supporting the blog and checking in it from time to time. I've been lax in my duties lately due to extreme demands on my time from school and work, but I will give you all the skinny I possibly can while I'm on Thanksgiving break.

But I also want to get the skinny from you. Tell me what you are grateful for, what November has been like for you or all of autumn, for that matter. Drop me a line, it would make my day.

Also: expect a few movie and book reviews from me and Brooke this weekend, as well as some commentary on the recent appointment of Michael Mukasey as Attorney General and the goings-on of the Provo community.

BYUPR Gets Some Fresh Wind in the Sails

Hey guys, I've written a new article for the most recent BYU Political Review. It is about the Iraq War and the economic terms and challenges that are central to it. Check it out here and be sure to read some of the other terrific articles by the BYUPR gang.

Also, if you would like to see some of our pics from the California trip (which was awesome), go to our Flickr page and have a perusal.