Homodox

Pakistani Politics

Am I the only one who thinks that throwing a 19-year-old into the center of Pakistani politics is irresponsible? The only thing a 19-year-old should be running is the keg at a frat party. They just killed his mother and they had already killed his grandfather and two uncles. Let the kid have a chance. When he's 30 and wants to lead the party--then fine.

Indian and Pakistani democracies are a bit odd. They allow free elections but the parties are hereditary. The Bhuttos have controlled the Pakistani People's Party since 1967. Likewise in India the Nehru/Gandhi family has held the Indian National Congress party for almost 60 years. Does this sound a bit like the Bush v. Clinton era in which we are living? Dynastic politics was one of the things the American Revolution was fought to end.

Tony Roberts and John McMartin

My friend Glenn, a true Broadway fanatic, just returned from a trip to NYC where he saw Xanadu and the play Is He Dead? Both shows star two veteran actors who have exactly 22 Broadway credits to their resume (according to the Internet Broadway Database). John McMartin has been nominated for a Tony five times and Tony Roberts twice, but neither has won. They are equally accomplished in musicals and straight plays and both have been on Broadway since the 1960s. John McMartin created the role of Oscar in the original production of Sweet Charity opposite Gwen Verdon. He was also in the original cast of Follies and most recently in Grey Gardens. He was in the revival of Showboat as Captain Andy, a role begun by Robert Morse who co-starred with Tony Roberts in Sugar, the musical version of Some Like It Hot. Tony also was in the original Broadway production of Barefoot in the Park (playing Paul, replacing Robert Redford) and in the most recent revival of the same show playing Victor Velasco. That's an incredible 44 Broadway shows (not counting endless movie and TV credits). Very few actors can boast they made a living on Broadway, but these two can!

Perfect Pats

16-0!!! Now on to the Superbowl!

How Popular is Genealogy?

Dick Eastman has tackled the "how popular is genealogy?" question several times on his blog, most recently in January 2006. While there is no good way to measure how many people pursue family history or genealogy, or the depth of their zeal, genealogy has certainly seeped into popular culture in a big way.

Three of the most popular fiction works of the last two decades all feature genealogy in a big way in their plots and in their fictional worlds. [SPOILER ALERT!! IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THESE BOOKS--STOP READING THIS BLOG POSTING NOW] In the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, the character of Maharet has kept track of her own descendants for 6,000 years. She believes in a matrilineal system for genealogy, that is mother to daughter, as only maternity can be confirmed. She has a chart on her wall with this genealogy, which any genealogist who read the books drooled over!

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code shows at the end that the fictional Priory of Sion kept track of the descendants of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene for 2,000 years culminating in Sophie (only she in the movie; she and her brother if you read the book).

Lastly, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series uses genealogy in showing the pure-blood wizards from half-bloods or muggle-borns. More to the point, Harry and his nemesis Lord Voldemort (aka Tom Riddick) were distant cousins, descended from the three brothers who once possessed the Deathly Hallows. And, of course, the Black Family tree at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London has been recreated on web pages and on wikipedia. Yes, Ron Weasley and Bellatrix LeStrange were third cousins!

So, if you count the number of copies of these megaworks, genealogy certainly seems to entrance us much more than coin or stamp collecting.

The Fierce Urgency of Now

The next president of the U.S.:

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

I love all animals, a gift I got from my father. I've been to the major zoos in the U.S. including the Bronx, National, San Diego, and, of course, the San Francisco Zoo. I've seen those tigers more than once. It's a tragedy for the family that lost a child, but the not-so-subtle reporting on the incident is clear. Jack Hanna, animal expert and Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo in Powell, Ohio states that its possible someone may have "taunted" or "teased Tatiana." Yup, my feelings too. I'm on the tiger's side.

What gets me is our continual need to have tragedy happen in order to pay for prevention. Think Titanic and lifeboats or the Cocoanut Grove and doors that open outward. The actual wall was only 12 1/2 tall. It should have been at least 16 1/2 feet tall according to standards and the zookeeper initially said it was 18 feet tall. He's a clueless wonder who needs to be fired.

"It all depends on the surface and whether they could climb up it," said John Seidensticker, head of the Conservation Ecology Center at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. "I really don't think a tiger could spring that high. A leopard could. A leopard could in a minute." Well, I have a 15 pound, 18" long tabby cat and she can scale a six foot fence in one bound. If you translate that to a 350 pound tiger, I'm guessing 12 feet isn't much protection. And when I play with Stormy, she has claws that are razor sharp and can instantly leave blood and pain. Again, think about a 350 pound Stormy and do the math.

I've never understood how people cannot recognize the difference between wild animals and domesticated animals. Maybe it's too much TV and animated characters named Tony. That tiger did what tigers do.

2007 Round-up, Part I

As 2007 closes out, we can ponder what the year was; what we did right; what we can do better in 2008. There was a time when I traveled and didn't mind traveling. Lately, I'm content to sit at home and the thought of being in a car, train, or plane, doesn't entice like it once did. I made it out of Massachusetts on four separate occasions during 2007. Two family-oriented trips: one to Virginia (plane) to the baptism of a cousin and one to New Jersey (car) to see a friend get married. I made the annual trek to Ogunquit with friends. Lastly, I did get to Europe again for the fifth time in August. I went to new places this time: Greece, Sicily, Croatia, and Malta, as well as some places I've already been Venice (1996) and Rome (1983). Pictures of the vacation can be seen here.

I need to get on the stick and visit more people: Glenn in Florida, Rosalie in Ohio, my sister in Memphis, all places I've yet to go. I need to get back to Salt Lake City for some research and I'll be in Maine at least twice to visit family and friends. So the goal is to travel more, even for weekends (long weekends maybe).

Electoral College Follies

We have an arcane system for electing presidents in this country, but it is the system we have.  You need 271 electoral college votes to win the presidency.  Getting to that number is the name of the game, and for those of you who remember the year 2000, it's the only game in town.  In that election, the person with the most popular votes lost the presidency for the first time since 1888.

In order to get to 271, you can win the eleven largest states in the electoral college (which also counts for population).  That's 11 out of 50 or 22% of the states (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina, all of which have 15 or more electoral votes).  You get exactly 271.  Conversely, starting with the smallest states you need 40 out of 50 or 80%.  That means all the rest of the states (270 votes), plus one of the big ones to put you over the top. 

In alphabetical order you need to capture all the states from Alabama to Missouri to get to 277 (24 states and the District of Columbia).

In area size, you need 25 states (Alaska to Illinois) to get to 289.

If you go by order into the union (statehood), you need 24 states (271 votes), all the way to the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which included both Missouri and Maine.

If you go by GDP, again you need only 11 states, California to North Carolina.

If you go by state tax levels (Massachusetts is #1), you need 21 states for a total of 284.

Red State, Blue State, One Fish, Two Fish . . .

Merry Christmas

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:1-14, KJV)

Smoking

As one of the last five smokers in the U.S. (or certainly in Boston), I'm thankful for bloggers like Alex Massie.