Balloon Fiesta

NewMexiKen attended the Balloon Fiesta but took no photos. Alas. (For the record, at the Special Shapes Glow I’d forgotten my glasses and had to view the balloons as though an Impressionistic painting. I got so confused I thought the Jesus balloon was Johnny Damon of the Red Sox).

Fortunately Garth at Musings from America’s Outback has an excellent collection of photos that I think you’ll enjoy.

If you’ve never been to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (which closes tomorrow morning), I strongly urge you to make the trip at least once. The Special Shapes especially draw oohs and aahs from children of all ages.

Hurrah for the Detroit Zoo

From the Detroit Free Press (dated May 20, 2004; this came to NewMexiKen’s attention only recently):

The Detroit Zoo will become the nation’s first major animal facility to give away its elephants solely on ethical grounds.

Winky and Wanda, the latest in an 81-year-old tradition of pachyderms at the zoo, will be sent to one of two U.S. refuges this summer or early fall.

The decision to send them away comes amid a nationwide push to provide better care for elephants, widely considered to be among the Earth’s most intelligent creatures. They form strong social bonds and have a powerful need for physical and intellectual stimulation.

In the wild, female Asian elephants like Winky and Wanda typically roam 30 miles a day, form lifelong and unique friendships with members of their herds and mourn for their dead.

In captivity, they live in unnatural climates, develop physical problems such as chronic arthritis and exhibit psychological problems related to boredom and stress.

Bush’s mistakes

If Bush could be honest with himself he could have answered the mistakes question easily and, I think, won a lot of points. For example:

At the time I thought it was best to reassure the children, but in retrospect I believe I should have calmly excused myself and devoted my immediate full attention to the 9/11 attacks.

Or:

On 9/11 there were concerns for my safety, but in retrospect I believe I should have overruled them and ordered Air Force One directly back to Washington.

How hard could it be? What’s wrong with him?

Whiff

At Slate, William Saletan has a solid analysis of Kerry’s blown at bats last night. It’s well-worth reading.

Bush flunks his job interview

Brad DeLong:

Out in the real world, this is a very standard question. Bush’s answer shows (a) enormous contempt for the questioner, (b) contempt for the viewers who would like to hear the answer to the question, (c) a pathological aversion to looking back at his own performance, all coupled with (d) amazing arrogance.

Would you hire someone who gave you an answer like this during a job interview? There’s something very wrong with this guy.

[DeLong's post has the full transcript from Friday night.]

Indeed, responding to the “what are your weaknesses” type question is something any successful candidate for a job will have practiced so that it can be turned into a positive — “I used to burn out from working too hard but have learned to pace myself now so that I stay consistently more productive.” Or, “I take my work too seriously and have had to learn sound stress management techniques.”

This was a likely question for Bush (he’d heard it before). Why can’t he answer it? Even if he wanted to use the bad appointments response (which is terribly pathetic coming from a leader), why not at least explain what he’d learned, which types of people not to appoint, etc.

Bionic man

Kit Seelye, blogging Friday night’s debate for The New York Times:

9:03 p.m.
Did Kerry just swipe Bush’s back to see if there was a transmitter?

What if there had been a transmitter and Kerry discovered it. What would Kerry have done?

Bionic man

The New York Times wonders about The Mystery of the Bulge in the Jacket.

What was that bulge in the back of President Bush’s suit jacket at the presidential debate in Miami last week?

According to rumors racing across the Internet this week, the rectangular bulge visible between Mr. Bush’s shoulder blades was a radio receiver, getting answers from an offstage counselor into a hidden presidential earpiece. The prime suspect was Karl Rove, Mr. Bush’s powerful political adviser.

When the online magazine Salon published an article about the rumors on Friday, the speculation reached such a pitch that White House and campaign officials were inundated with calls.

First they said that pictures showing the bulge might have been doctored. But then, when the bulge turned out to be clearly visible in the television footage of the evening, they offered a different explanation.

“There was nothing under his suit jacket,” said Nicolle Devenish, a campaign spokeswoman.

“It was most likely a rumpling of that portion of his suit jacket, or a wrinkle in the fabric.”

Ms. Devenish could not say why the “rumpling” was rectangular.

Nor was the bulge from a bulletproof vest, according to campaign and White House officials; they said Mr. Bush was not wearing one.

All hail broke loose

NewMexiKen’s house has seven skylights. I’m grateful our hail was a more moderate marble and pea sized during the series of storms that passed through Monday night and Tuesday. This photo was taken at Socorro, New Mexico, Tuesday (from The Albuquerque Journal).

Charles Walgreen …

was born on this date in 1873. Yes, he’s the man who began the Walgreen’s drug store chain, starting in Chicago. It was a Walgreen’s soda fountain employee who invented the malted milkshake in 1922, which puts him right up there with Edison as far as NewMexiKen is concerned.

John Lennon …

should have been 64 today.

War

We should attack Canada as they have drugs of mass destruction.

Transcript from debate October 8, 2004:

Mr. Bush: I haven’t yet. Just want to make sure they’re safe. When a drug comes in from Canada I want to make sure it cures you and doesn’t kill you.

What he said

A speech worth watching from Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio).