Misc.

We went to see the movie "The Campaign" last night.  It was funny and true to the point as it chronicled the campaign of two modern day candidates who do everything but talk about the issues.  But the real losers in the movie were the media who always let them get away with it.  This modern day media is failing the democracy it historically served.

Then this morning the Albuquerque Journal trots out a poll showing everyone wants $50 million spent out of city coffers for a Paseo/I-25 interchange.  Of course they do, but the issue was presented as a vote of the public, not the vote of 7 of 9 city councillors.  I think this vote needs to be held given that the voters turned it down once before in a poorly thought out bond vote cobbled together by the Berry Administration.  Hopefully our city councillors will not succumb to this ham fisted bullying.  Certainly in the meantime a lot of preliminary planning and scheduling of the project can be done.

We are scheduled to leave for Moscow, Russia on Tuesday.  Right now I can envision rioting and lawlessness after the sentencing of a girl's rock band to a couple of years in prison for the great crime of making Putin look bad.  I did look at the performance that got the band in trouble.  It was done without permission on the altar of a historic church.  It was tasteless and crass and not very good.  It was aimed at the Orthodox Christians in Russia who support Putin.  Religion again!  But, there are better ways to protest.  We will watch this closely.