Broadcast Brian

The Upper House of India’s Parliament passed a measure that would create a ‘reservation’ of 1/3 of the seats in government for female candidates, reports the New York Times. The Congress Party spearheaded the measure, which critics claim will disadvantage Muslim and poor candidates. That’s interesting, as the BJP opposition party has, in the past, claimed that the CP’s were too pro-Muslim. There is already a problem of proxy candidacies, where big men put up relatives, often daughters or sisters, in their own stead for election to an MP seat. The Lower House has yet to vote.

First, thanks to the generous Kachinglers out there!

Second, I suggest everyone check out the wonderful PBS series “Carrier”, filmed over the course of six months onboard the USS Nimitz, on deployment in 2005.

The lives of sailors and Marines aboard that floating city are captured and woven together over the course 10 episodes, each with a different editor, all under the production direction of a retired naval officer. Really can’t suggest this series more.

Just for posterity:
“This race is shakier than cafeteria Jell-O.”
“Things are getting hotter than a Times Square Rolex.”
“This thing is as tight as the rusted lugnuts on a ‘55 Ford.”
(When Georgia is called for Clinton in 1992)”Clinton is off to a start, rolling like a big wheel through a Georgia cotton field.”
“This race is tight like a too-small bathing suit on a too-long ride home from the beach.”
“He swept through the South like a tornado through a trailer park.”
“Don’t bet the trailer money on it yet.”
“It’s a ding-dong battle back and forth.”
“Look at that. Can’t get a cigarette paper between ‘em.”
“His chances are slim to none right now, and if he doesn’t carry Florida, Slim will have left town.”
“If a frog had side pockets, he’d carry a hand gun.”
“You would sooner find a tall talking broccoli stick to offer to mow your lawn for free.”
“Turn the lights down, the party just got wilder.”
“It’s cardiac-arrest time in this presidential campaign.”
“It’s too early to say he has the whip hand.”
“It’s about as complicated as a wiring diagram to some dynamo.”
“This election swings like one of those pendulum things.”
“This will show you how tight it is - it’s spandex tight.”
“Al Gore has his back to the wall, shirt tails on fire with this race in Florida.”
“Smelling salts for all Democrats please.”
“Maybe you can bring some perspective on this, we’re plumb out.”
“When the going gets weird, anchor men punt.”
“She didn’t go to school just to eat her lunch.”

Tiger Woods issued another apology today.  Am I the only one who really thinks this is mountain out of molehill territory?  I’m not talking about his family situation, but, really, c’mon people - it’s not like he cheated on everybody.  People should let the man golf.

The Times also has a really carefully written article about elder Americans seeking refuge in retirement as workers in KOA Kampgrounds in a sort of rent for work arrangement.  The gist of it is that there is refuge for older citizens with skills to trade for space to park their RV’s, and that it’s a fine deal for some.  However, I challenge anyone to read that article without picking up on the thread of sadness woven throughout.  There really should be a better way.

The Taliban are miring up U.S. attempts to provide air support to ground troops by waging a propaganda campaign about civilian casualties.  Tactical directives that US forces issued to troops in reaction to that strategic mis-statement of fact (actually, civilian deaths have been decreasing steadily) have had the effect of increasing mortality amongst US combatants.  This according to a report in today’s New York Times.  The initial reaction seems to be that this is a strategic victory for the Taliban.  What it seems to me like is an opportunity to win the intelligence war.  If people on the ground can be shown, via countervailing propaganda, that the taliban are the one’s keeping them in harm’s way, then perhaps better and more timely intelligence can be gathered - allowing for better use of air power, not to mention more plum assignments for the ground forces on this bug hunt.

Good ol’ MSNBC has a fun list of annoying office jargon:

The most annoying jargon:

• Thinking outside the box (21 percent)
• Let’s touch base (20)
• Blue sky thinking (19)
• Blamestorming (16) (sitting down and working out whose fault something is)
• Drill down to a more granular level (15) (Look into something in more detail)
• Let’s not throw pies in the dark (15) (we need a plan rather than a haphazard approach)
• I’ve got that on my radar (13)
• Push the envelope (12)
• Bring your A-game (11) (Be ready to do something to best of ability)
• Get all your ducks in a row (11)

Who the hell says blamestorming?

A student seeking damages for being suspended after creating an unflattering facebook page about a teacher at her charter school shall have her day in court, reports the New York Times.

According to reports out of both Afghanistan and Iran we’re seeing a confluence of events evocative of some of the darker periods of the Cold War.

In Afghanistan, the war’s goals are straining the strategic political capital on the homefront and the tactical resolve of the soldiers. Perhaps, due to the memory of Vietnam, protests are somewhat muted domestically, but, soldiers are frustrated with the rules of engagement that are turning hearts and minds campaigns into quagmires. MSNBC reports that the new rules of engagement in Afghanistan have decreased civilian casualties attributable to the coalition forces by 30%, even as the number of civilian deaths has spiked. From those numbers, it’s not clear whether the new rules are working in terms of the goal of avoiding killing civilians, or if the Taliban were especially murderous recently, or both.

What is interesting is that this Cold War scenario, Vietnam in the Mountains, is taking place at the same time that missile and nuclear proliferation talks with Iran are reaching a boiling point. Sec. of State Clinton just reported on a meeting with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, worth the read if only for the description of the setting, that tied into new sanctions being proposed against Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

So, yeah, just like the cold war except without nuclear missiles, more classroom pets, and fewer trees.