tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60211812010-03-10T14:41:51.884-05:00stAllio!'s waystAllio!'s general purpose blogstAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.comBlogger1653125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-64976863224367407032010-03-10T14:41:00.001-05:002010-03-10T14:41:51.949-05:00This blog has moved<br /> This blog is now located at http://blog.animalswithinanimals.com/.<br /> You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click <a href='http://blog.animalswithinanimals.com/'>here</a>.<br /><br /> For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to<br /> http://blog.animalswithinanimals.com/feeds/posts/default.<br /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-6497686322436740703?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-27591639536857870232010-03-10T14:16:00.002-05:002010-03-10T14:38:31.067-05:00this blog may breakas you may have heard, blogger is <a href="http://blogger-ftp.blogspot.com/2010/01/deprecating-ftp.html">eliminating support for ftp publishing</a>. since <i>stAllio!'s way</i> is currently published via blogger ftp, that means i need to change my setup.<br /><br />you may be thinking that this is perfect opportunity to switch to a different blog provider, and you'd have a point. however, over the years i've built multiple web sites for other people using blogger ftp, so i need to know the new blogger systems work for their benefit.<br /><br />as such, <i>stAllio!'s way</i> will soon migrate to blogger hosting, most likely in the new few hours. as such, you may notice the following changes:<br /><ul><li>the URLs for the blog and its feed will both change—a redirect will be posted but you'll want to change your bookmarks.</li><li>the blog layout may get all wonky as i switch over the new blogger layouts. (this isn't required, but if i'm migrating anyway then what the hell, right?)</li><li>i may get inspired and design all new blog graphics. (this will happen eventually, but as i have other ongoing projects, i'll probably wait a bit.)</li><li>some links may break, though they should redirect to the new location.</li></ul><br />i've already migrated the <a href="http://news.animalswithinanimals.com/">AWIA news blog</a> (and updated its graphics), which was relatively painless, so i predict this will go smoothly. but, you know, do not adjust your set. we control the horizontal and the vertical, and all that. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-2759163953685787023?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-75891249504087276822010-03-10T09:38:00.002-05:002010-03-10T09:56:40.362-05:00transparency in local government?when mayor ballard talked about <a href="http://ballardformayor.blogspot.com/2007/08/update.html">transparency in local government</a>, he must've been referring to the powerpoints he'd use to present his <a href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20100310/LOCAL18/3100337">closed-door dealings</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>The city is close to selling its water and sewer utilities to Citizens Energy Group in a $1.9 billion deal that leaders say would minimize future rate increases and bring in hundreds of millions of dollars to improve roads, bridges and sidewalks.<br /><br />Today, Indianapolis officials will give details of a nonbinding agreement between the city and Citizens, a public charitable trust that provides gas, steam and chilled water. Under the proposed terms, Citizens would pay Indianapolis nearly $2 billion for the two utilities, which now are owned by the city and run by private operators.<br /><br />Citizens would acquire Indianapolis' water and sewer utilities and have full control over their operations. It also would become responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improvement projects to be completed in coming years.<br /><br />City officials touted the benefits of the plan, but some are concerned about the arrangement, which would limit the city's oversight of two integral utilities.<br /><br /><i>Under the new setup, no local elected officials or their appointees would be responsible for approving or suggesting rate increases. Instead, it would be left up to Citizens' board of directors, who are not accountable to Indianapolis voters, to decide when to seek rate increases and how big they should be.</i> Final say on rate increases would be in the hands of state utility regulators who are appointed by the governor.</blockquote><br />so he wants to sell our water & sewers to a utility company, giving up any semblance of oversight, and in exchange we'll get to fill some potholes.<br /><br />it should be noted that when democrats on the city-county council asked about rumors of a water deal, they were repeatedly told <a href="http://ipopa.blogspot.com/2010/03/mayor-greg-ballards-completely-warped.html">no deal was in the works</a>. transparency! <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-7589124950408727682?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-69687911940406718792010-03-05T22:43:00.002-05:002010-03-05T22:48:31.011-05:00a little too prescient?<a href="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/2010/03/shoot-your-boss-bill-passes.html">when i predicted</a> that the new let's-all-bring-weapons-to-work bill would lead to an increase in workplace shootings, even i didn't think <A href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20100305/NEWS/100305031">it would start happening quite so soon</a>... the governor hasn't even signed the bill into law yet!<br /><br /><blockquote>PORTAGE, Ind. -- Police say an Indiana Department of Workforce Development auditor who had just received a poor job review shot at co-workers at the agency's office in Portage.<br /><br />No one was hurt.<br /><br />Police in Portage, about 10 miles east of Gary, aren't identifying the worker until formal charges are filed.<br /><br />Sgt. Keith Hughes says the 60-year-old man became upset during his job review and told his supervisor he needed to go to his car. After he retrieved a shotgun, a manager locked the front door and ordered the other 15 employees to the rear of the office.<br /><br />Police say the man fired one shot at the front door and another inside the office as his co-workers fled. They say he surrendered at gunpoint to officers while trying to reload.</blockquote><br />now if you'll excuse me, i'm going to rush off to vegas while i'm on a roll...<span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-6968791194040671879?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-32276062991188262022010-03-05T09:15:00.002-05:002010-03-05T10:27:52.612-05:00shoot-your-boss bill passesi don't often agree with chambers of commerce, be they US, indiana, or wherever. seeing as how their primary purpose is to support big business over the interests of the little guy, i generally find them to be horribly, even selfishly wrong on most issues. in fact, you could even say that on a typical day, i'd probably be pleased to hear that the state legislature was willing to openly defy the indiana chamber. <br /><br />but dear god, why would they pick <a href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20100305/NEWS05/3050339">this issue?</a><br /><br /><blockquote>Most Hoosiers could take a gun to work as long as the weapon is stored out of sight in a locked vehicle, under legislation enacted Thursday to the delight of gun-rights advocates and the alarm of Indiana businesses.<br /><br />At least 12 other states, including Kentucky, have passed similar legislation.<br /><br />House Bill 1065, which passed the House 74-20 and the Senate 41-9, now goes to Gov. Mitch Daniels for his signature.</blockquote><br />the business community unanimously and vigorously opposed this bill because <a href="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/2010/01/now-every-day-will-be-bring-your-gun-to_27.html">like me</a>, they know it will only be a matter of time before someone gets killed, and they don't want their asses to get shot up. i don't want them to get their asses shot up either, which makes this a rare issue we agree on. <br /><br />workplace shootings happen. just three weeks ago, a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/alabama-university-shooting-suspect-amy-bishops-husband-idea/story?id=9839348">university of alabama professor</a> killed three of her colleagues after being denied tenure. two months ago, an employee at a st louis power plant <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/08/national/main6072724.shtml">went on a shooting spree</a>, killing three and wounding five before turning his guns on himself. in 2008, a man in henderson kentucky (just miles from the indiana state line) <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25361852/">killed himself and five others</a> after an argument with his boss. but rather than pass a bill that might <i>protect</i> hoosiers from being slaughtered at work, the legislature has passed a bill that will make going on a murderous rampage <i>easier</i>. how could they think this is a good idea?<br /><br />there's still a chance the governor could veto the bill, but don't hold your breath on that one. so it looks like our only hope to stop the madness is the inevitable court challenge by local businesses that don't want to get shot by their employees. it's sad that it has to come to this, but at least it's better than the alternative. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-3227606299118826202?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-67316749054376481262010-03-03T09:33:00.003-05:002010-03-03T10:35:31.962-05:00ballard's continuing war against the city's homelessat first, we were told it was just about panhandlers. <a href="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/2008/03/mayors-plan-for-homeless-out-of-sight.html">mayor ballard announced</a> that he wanted "to get them out of Downtown so that citizens and visitors don't have to look at it." when criticized for this dehumanizing attitude toward the homeless, ballard scoffed and said panhandling was a "scam". (never mind the studies showing <a href="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/2008/05/brother-can-you-spare-some-facts.html">that most panhandlers are indeed homeless</a>.) eventually, the mayor got what he wanted: a "pahandling bill" that made it illegal to stand near a street corner while holding a sign. how's that bill working out, anyway?<br /><br />but the city's homeless came back into the news recently, as word spread of a homeless camp under the davidson street bridge downtown. the mayor <a href="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103020327">sprung into action:</a><br /><br /><blockquote>Mayor Greg Ballard took a look at the shantytown under a bridge on Davidson Street on Friday, and a decision followed.<br /><br />Get them out and lock the place up.</blockquote><br />ah, the return of the i-don't-want-to-look-at-them policy. homeless people are upsetting the neighbors? then get them outta there! problem solved.<br /><br />of course, if the goal was to get those people help, then closing the camp <a href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20100303/LOCAL18/3030339">was a clear failure:</a><br /><br /><blockquote>Shiny metal fence posts have replaced dome-shaped tents at a former homeless encampment on the fringe of Downtown.<br /><br />Now the question remains: Where have the homeless gone?<br />Advertisement<br /><br />Agencies and social service teams asked by the city to reach out to the so-called "bridge people" who had taken up residence under the Davidson Street railroad bridge could not persuade the homeless to move into shelters.<br /><br />"Not a single one of those individuals went into shelters Monday night," said Michael Hurst, program director for the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention.<br /><br />Hurst said all of them went to a "safe place," such as a viaduct on Pine Street, which is a few blocks from Davidson Street, or to other alleyways and doorways in the city.<br /><br />"They all kind of scattered and went," Hurst said.</blockquote><br />so we spent $10 grand on a fence, and in return all we get is a more-spread-out homeless population?<br /><br />the ballard administration immediately disavowed all responsibility for their failure:<br /><br /><blockquote>"If an individual makes a choice to sleep on the street despite all the help the city and homeless shelters and advocacy groups have offered to them, there's little the city can do," said Robert Vane, Ballard's chief of staff. "All we can do is offer."</blockquote><br />well, that and bust up their camps so the streets are so inhospitable that they all hop a bus to cincinnati, that is. <br /><br />but it could be worse. for one thing, the city could go with <a href="http://www.indianabarrister.com/archives/2010/03/put_them_away.html">abdul's hare-brained idea</a> to just throw the city's homeless into the nuthouse. i didn't think it was possible to top <a href="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/2008/03/mayors-plan-for-homeless-out-of-sight.html#7912436753394682994">abdul's previous statement</a> that "Someone whould get a giant broom and sweep them all away! [sic]" in terms of heartlessness or thoughtlessness (how are we going to pay for 3,000 new mental patients?), but there you go. it's funny how the people who talk most loudly about individual freedom and personal responsibility are often the ones who are most upset when the homeless decide that living on the streets is more comfortable than living in a shelter.<br /><br />as the saying goes, the law forbids the poor and rich alike from sleeping under bridges. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-6731674905437648126?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-44563078999156603032010-03-02T12:07:00.002-05:002010-03-02T12:15:15.545-05:00fool me once, shame on you. fool me 17 times...how many times do <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100302/NEWS02/3020322/">your projections need to be off</a> before you realize that you're doing it wrong?<br /><br /><blockquote>INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana's budget situation worsened again in February when tax receipts fell below expectations for the 17th consecutive month.<br /><br />State revenue is now $895 million less through the first eight months of the fiscal year than lawmakers thought when they wrote the two-year spending plan. It's also 10.5 percent below the same period last year, a time when lawmakers hoped the numbers couldn't worsen.</blockquote><br />the cynic in me wonders whether projections have been intentionally too high, in order to make the governor look better: mitch balanced the budget somehow—what a genius! what a bold leader he is, managing us so well in these hard times!<br /><br />it would seem the state's monthly tax projections are as untrustworthy as our <a href="http://www.masson.us/blog/?p=6298">list of economic successes</a>. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-4456307899915660303?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-75656055206242271042010-03-01T13:07:00.002-05:002010-03-01T13:20:38.427-05:00"in real life" t-shirt now on sale!it took a while, but my first printed threadless design is now on sale!<br /><br /><div class="center"><a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/2225/In_Real_Life?streetteam=stalliongsta" title="In Real Life - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever"><img src="http://www.threadless.com/productbanner/2225/banner2.png" width="380" height="322" border="0" alt="In Real Life - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever"/></a></div><br />this one was actually a collaboration with a finnish artist named marika mattila. when i came up with the idea, i knew it needed to be done right in order to work. the art style needed to be fairly realistic, but i didn't want it to just be a shopped photo, because stuff like that often doesn't score well on threadless. <br /><br />realism isn't exactly my strong point, so i started looking for someone to collaborate with, and marika volunteered. i checked out her past stuff and could tell right away that she had the drawing chops necessary to pull off the concept. a few drafts later and the rest is history!<br /><br />i used a bit of the prize money to buy myself a little something—a <a href="http://www.wacom.com/bamboo/bamboo_pen.php">wacom tablet</a>! i've been using the tablet for a few days now, and already i can spot a big difference in my illustration. plus, it's fun! <br /><br />my next goal is to get a solo print, but i'll probably still do collaborations from time to time, when i have an idea that i feel could be better executed by someone else. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-7565605520624227104?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-70284654774066082572010-02-22T10:22:00.003-05:002010-02-22T10:42:57.171-05:00a real american hero, joe stack was thereyou probably heard about this story from last week: a texas man named joe stack was angry at the IRS, so he (allegedly) burned his house down and then crashed a small plane into a nearby IRS building.<br /><br />but you may not have heard about the <A href="http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/02/19/crimesider/entry6223132.shtml">movement to declare him a hero</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>"Finally an American man took a stand against our tyrannical government that no longer follows the Constitution," wrote Emily Walters of Louisville, Ky.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/02/19/2010-02-19_kamakazi_pilot_hailed_by_loonies_as_antigov_hero.html">The New York Daily News</a>, Walters was one of the many people on the social networking circuit who founded Joe Stack fan pages to honor the kamikaze pilot.<br /><br />People were also sounding off via Twitter.<br /><br />"Joe Stack, you are a true American Hero and we need more of you to make a stand," tweeted Greg Lenihan of San Diego, according to the paper.</blockquote><br />now, some may disagree about stack's heroic flight. <a href="http://doghouseriley.blogspot.com/2010/02/dead-horse-flails-325.html">like doghouse</a>, you may be wondering why the people who soiled themselves thinking about the christmas eve underpants bomber aren't so skeered of joe stack, or why flying a plane into a government building is "terrorism" when al-qaeda does it but "heroism" when joe stack does it. <br /><br />of course, if you're confused in this way, it's probably because you didn't check the chart:<br /><br /><div class="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stallio/4378611043/" title="Terror Attack or Just Some Guy with a Grudge? by stallio, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2678/4378611043_6121d022fb_o.jpg" width="525" height="898" alt="Terror Attack or Just Some Guy with a Grudge?" /></a></div><br />now that's much more clear, isn't it?<span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-7028465477406608257?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-67265262756642665252010-02-08T15:00:00.002-05:002010-02-08T15:11:07.514-05:00a bet where both sides losegambling is a super bowl tradition. even though it's technically illegal, various organizations and even elected officials bet on the game... including mayors and governors.<br /><br />i'd heard some grumbling that part of indy's wager against new orleans was shrimp cocktail from st elmo's. people were like, hey it's pretty stupid to send <i>shrimp</i> to the city that probably farmed those shrimp in the first place. and the mayor's spokesfolks were like, the point is that st elmo's shrimp cocktail is really famous, or something. but <a href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20100208/SPORTS03/100208020">this is just absurd</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>Lacey Everett, a Ballard spokeswoman, said the city will uphold its bet with Nagin, who had reached his term limit and was replaced by Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu in an election Saturday.<br /><br />Among the goods that will be sent are cookies from IndyAnna's Catering; a case of pork tenderloins from Mug 'n Bun; a platter from Judge's Bar-B-Que; shrimp cocktails from St. Elmo Steakhouse; and <i>Cajun food from Papa Roux, which is owned by a New Orleans transplant who moved to Indianapolis after Hurricane Katrina.</i></blockquote><br /><br /><i>cajun food?!?! we're sending cajun food to new orleans?!?!?!</i><br /><br />cajun food, that has presumably been frozen, and then spent a day or two in the mail, so that it's all gross when you heat it up? <br /><br />out of all the delicious cuisine in the city, we're sending shrimp, cajun food, and barbecue? to new orleans? don't they know how to cook that stuff down there? <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-6726526275664266525?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-81925229344741343012010-01-27T09:44:00.003-05:002010-01-27T10:07:49.377-05:00now every day will be bring your gun to work day!i know why the indy star wants to <a href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20100127/NEWS05/1270388">focus on the gun permit bill</a> that passed the indiana house yesterday: because they can frame it as being all about the indy star. ("remember that awesome expose we did about people getting gun permits who didn't deserve them? the state legislature wants to make that data private!") but that's no excuse for effectively burying news about the other gun bill that passed—a bill that will surely end in people getting shot.<br /><br />the bill, which has passed both houses, will make it illegal for employers (with a few exceptions) to ban employees from bringing their guns to work, as long as the guns stay locked in the trunk. it's hard to believe they'd pass something so foolish and short-sighted, but this is the indiana legislature we're talking about here.<br /><br />the workplace is a place where tempers often become frayed. this is particularly true when someone is fired or laid off. i can recall more than one occasion when the police had to be called to escort a pissed-off now-ex-employee from the building. in the heat of such passions, people can act quite foolishly. yes, even violently. add guns to the mix, and it doesn't take nostradamus to predict the inevitable.<br /><br />mark my words: <i>people will be killed</i> thanks to this law being passed. sooner or later, an angry employee is going to get that gun from their trunk and shoot someone (or more than one someone). it's only a matter of time. and when that happens, the indiana legislature will have blood on their hands.<br /><br />to paraphrase an argument i've seen infinity times regarding smoking bans: if you want to work someplace where you can bring your gun, then <i>find another job!</i> don't change the law to force property owners to allow unwanted weapons on their property. you do not have the right to be armed at work if your employer doesn't want you to be. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-8192522934474134301?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-60979826816081790722010-01-20T09:24:00.003-05:002010-01-20T10:45:53.530-05:00the moment of truthi've watched with frustration for months as democrats—primarily those in the senate, but with assistance of those in the white house and house of representatives—struggled and stumbled to pass health care reform, as they wasted their time trying to negotiate with republicans who would clearly never support reform in any fashion, as they watered it down and traded away much-needed reforms in order to appease the more cowardly in their caucus, as they debated incessantly about a bill they should have been able to pass months ago.<br /><br />it goes without saying that much of the blame rests with republicans, who have been determined to obstruct and filibuster every part of president obama's agenda, as well as with the national media, which has eagerly embraced right-wing narratives and enabled gop obstructionism, and with senate rules that make it so easy for the minority party to block progress. but ultimately, democrats have been in charge of the white house and both houses of congress, and even their supposed filibuster-proof majority hasn't been enough for them to get this done yet. it should never have come to this; the democrats' strategic choices have led us to this position, where a full year after the 2008 elections, health care reform is still in limbo.<br /><br />so it's disheartening that ted kennedy's sentate seat has fallen to a republican, that cowardly democrats retreating rather than holding ground, that health care reform appears to be in real danger now that dems "only" have 59 votes in the senate and those in the house are grumbling that they just don't want to pass the senate version of the health care bill. the idea that democrats would allow HCR to fail, now after coming so far, is disheartening to say the least. disheartening not just because the system so desperately needs reform, but because failure to pass some sort of reform is political suicide, effectively telling the electorate that democrats are incapable of getting anything done.<br /><br />so i was in need of a chuckle this morning, and fortunately, <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2010/01/blue-indiana-i-wont-say-i-told-you-so.html">paul ogden delivered</a>. ogden has a habit of pontificating about subjects he doesn't understand and hasn't bothered to study (see his posts on global warming or nonprofit compensation), and his post from this morning about scott brown's win in massachusetts continues that trend. <br /><br />the crux of his post is his belief that democrats are poised to lose a lot of seats in congress come november—a claim that's likely to come true but which is nonetheless ironic considering that he begins the post by criticizing another blog for making electoral predictions too early. but then, in the middle of his post, he makes this absurd assertion: "President Obama pulled out all stops to hold on to the Democratic seat. The election came down to a referendum on Obama and the health care bill, and the Democrats lost."<br /><br />how could anyone who paid even the slightest bit of attention to the massachusetts special election claim that obama "pulled out all stops" to hold on to this seat? i ask this as someone who just returned from a week-and-a-half-long vacation, where i didn't follow the news at all, yet still i had to laugh. by all accounts, coakley <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-loewe/saving-health-care-after_b_429385.html">ran a lousy campaign</a>. president obama <i>wasn't even asked to campaign</i> for coakley until 10 days before the election. on the afternoon of the election, while ballots were still being cast, the coakley campaign <A href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0110/Coakley_adviser_memo_DC_Dems_faled_Coakley.html?showall">sent out a memo</a> blaming obama and the national party for not getting involved soon enough. yet ogden claims that obama "pulled out all stops". did ogden read even a single news report about this race? even by ogden standards, he was hilariously wrong, and i must thank him for the comic relief.<br /><br />the economy is still bad. unemployment is too high. economists agree that the stimulus has been working, but it was too small. these are problems that the democrats inherited, but they're in charge so they own them now. people are mad about the economy, and yes, if things don't turn around soon, the democrats will surely lose seats come november. but there is still time to reverse the damage, if democrats in congress can find their spines. first, they must buck up and pass health care reform, or else they send a message that they are unable to lead, incapable of getting anything done. then, they must work to fix the unemployment rate. if they do these things, they may stem the tide and hold on to their majorities. the people voted for obama and democrats in 2008 because they were hungry for change. they're still waiting. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-6097982681608179072?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-643745652523517322010-01-14T02:57:00.002-05:002010-01-14T03:44:52.390-05:00greetings from LA!i forgot to bring the digital camera, so i have no photos to prove it, but i'm currently on a (working) vacation in sunny los angeles!<br /><br />i'm a city boy at heart, so this is a wonderful vacation spot for me. just today, i went to a spacious <a href="http://www.meltcomics.com/">comic shop</a> and <a href="http://www.amoeba.com/">the world's largest independent record store</a>. last weekend we attended a sold-out show headlined by one of my <a href="http://theglitchmob.com/">new favorite bands</a>—a band that won't be coming to indy any time soon (and if they do, they surely won't be able to draw a crowd like the one they drew here). <br /><br />and oh, the cuisine! in addition to partaking in delicacies like <a href="http://innout.com/">in n out burger</a> and <a href="http://www.wienerschnitzel.com/">wienerschnitzel</a> that we don't have in the midwest, we've eaten <a href="http://www.onohawaiianbbq.com/">hawaiian bbq</a>, sushi, filipino, thai, and authentic mexican, and supped on fancy sandwiches at <a href="http://colesfrenchdip.com/">the place that claims to have invented the french dip</a>! and there's so much more to try: we hope to eat haitian, bangladeshi, and maybe korean bbq, and probably won't have time to eat ethiopian, guatemalan, salvadorian, or california pizza kitchen, as we'd hoped. and that's not even mentioning the hip little cafes and the many quality donut shops!<br /><br />the trip has had its down sides, as well. we've been having a hell of a time connecting to the free WPA wi-fi here at the motel, a problem apparently caused by microsoft's half-assed support for windows XP. and since this is a working vacation, daily internet access is a must. as such, i've spent way too much time and money at a nearby coffee shop, using their easier-to-connect-to WEP network. today, this problem culminated in me scraping against a wrought-iron fence as i tried to navigate out of the coffee shop's tiny, labyrinthine parking lot. i'm unharmed, but the paint on our rental car is not, and the deductible for my car insurance is an expense we hadn't budgeted for. this is exasperating—especially considering that i shouldn't have even needed to be at the coffee shop—but in the end it's just a nuisance.<br /><br />(i'm writing this from the motel room. curiously, for the past few days we've been unable to connect to the motel wi-fi during the day, but had little difficulty connecting at night, once the sun has gone down. feel free to make your own wi-fi vampire joke.)<br /><br />virago & i both have family in southern california, which is an added bonus. tomorrow, we'll get to spend some time with my aunt and cousin who live in orange county; saturday we'll get to see virago's father & siblings, and presumably head down to the beach. then it will be back to the land of cold and snow. i'll be a little sad to return, but then again i'll be delighted to see our poor lonely kitty again. and she'll surely be glad to see us—she's so shy that she hides whenever anyone other than the two of us comes into the apartment. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-64374565252351732?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-10694501691208794762010-01-06T08:48:00.002-05:002010-01-06T08:55:33.645-05:00a tale of two colonelsthis has to be the indianapolis photo of the month:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/uploaded_images/ballard_and_colonel_sanders-701568.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/uploaded_images/ballard_and_colonel_sanders-701568.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />a grinning mayor ballard and a professional colonel sanders lookalike pose alongside a fire extinguisher that has been <a href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20100106/NEWS05/1060345">emblazoned with the KFC logo</a>. those wings are fiery... and grilled! <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-1069450169120879476?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-40650027479128790242009-12-22T11:45:00.002-05:002009-12-22T11:55:44.233-05:00new design collaboration: IRLi'm proud to present my second design collaboration for threadless:<br /><br /><div class="center"><a href="http://www.threadless.com/submission/246792/IRL?streetteam=stalliongsta" title="IRL - Threadless T-shirts, Nude No More"><img src="http://www.threadless.com/subbanner/246792/banner1.png" width="220" height="119" border="0" alt="IRL - Threadless T-shirts, Nude No More"/></a></div><br />i knew this concept would require a fairly realistic illustration in order to be done right, so i looked for a collab partner on the threadless blogs and found marika, a talented young illustrator from finland. she did a great job bringing my idea to life, so i'm excited. <br /><br />the one down side is that it will be up for voting over the christmas holiday, which means there's a chance it could be overlooked or lost. but judging from the comments so far, the voters seem to like it. so cast your vote now and keep the dream alive! <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-4065002747912879024?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-3843312318823027422009-12-20T10:01:00.003-05:002009-12-20T10:40:23.672-05:00the only possible explanation<a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/12/sheila-kennedy-heads-over-to-dark-side.html">shorter gary welsh</a>: former-republican-cum-extreme-leftist sheila kennedy once treated me with respect, but now looks upon me with scorn. obviously, she has lost her mind. and if that doesn't convince you, her extreme anti-abortion, anti-sarah-palin views surely will! <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-384331231882302742?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-80594071324646248022009-12-03T22:14:00.001-05:002009-12-03T22:14:20.448-05:00this land isn't your land<div class="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stallio/4154410886/" title="this land isn't your land" class="noline"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2495/4154410886_ff31388da6.jpg" class="noline" alt="" /></a></div>(<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stallio/4154410886/sizes/o/">click here for larger view</a>)<br /><br />i had this idea a month of two ago when i was too busy to work on it, then suddenly realized a few days ago that it would be great for the <i>threadless loves travel II</i> design challenge:<br /><br /><div class="center"><a href="http://www.threadless.com/submission/244211/This_Land_Isn_t_Your_Land?streetteam=stalliongsta" title="This Land Isn't Your Land - Threadless T-shirts, Nude No More"><img src="http://www.threadless.com/subbanner/244211/banner1.png" width="220" height="119" border="0" alt="This Land Isn't Your Land - Threadless T-shirts, Nude No More"/></a></div><br /><br />i have a feeling it won't score very well, but it was fun to put together, and now i have vectors of all these states that could come in handy someday.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-8059407132464624802?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-14144980854621338072009-12-03T09:53:00.003-05:002009-12-03T10:21:18.228-05:00newsworthiness is in the eye of the beholderwhen the <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TPMmuckraker/~3/t4_t7JmH_vU/latest_high-flying_accused_ponzi_schemer_has_ties.php">tim durham story</a> first broke, i did some googling for background information on durham. one of the first links i found was this 2007 post on advance indiana:<br /><br /><a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2007/09/is-tim-durhams-sex-life-newsworthy.html">Is Tim Durham's Sex Life Newsworthy?</a><br /><br />in hindsight, perhaps this was a bit naive—durham's extravagant lifestyle can be seen as a red flag (one of many) that something wasn't quite right about his finances. but what a noble sentiment! who someone sleeps with and what they do in the bedroom is a totally private... wait, what's this?<br /><br /><a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2008/08/edwards-must-address-love-child-issue.html">Edwards Must Address Love Child Issue Former Aide Says</a><br /><br />...and what's that over there?<br /><br /><a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/11/tiger-woods-victim-of-domestic-abuse.html">Tiger Woods A Victim Of Domestic Abuse?</a><br /><br />and don't even get me started on the <a href="http://www.google.com/search?safe=off&q='larry+sinclair'+site%3Aadvanceindiana.blogspot.com">larry sinclair garbage</a>.<br /><br />when a prominent republican fundraiser was in the news for sex-related hijinks, gary's response was to act all offended and stick up for the man. but when a <i>democrat</i> or other media figure's sex life is in the news, gary has no qualms about repeating every lascivious detail (even if those details are obviously false, as with the sinclair story).<br /><br />what does tiger woods have to do with indiana politics, civil rights, or the law? <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-1414498085462133807?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-14680333992883613192009-12-02T08:08:00.005-05:002009-12-02T13:43:10.161-05:00it's only politicizing when the other guy does it<a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/12/politicization-of-science-of-global.html">shorter paul k ogden</a>: i've always known that global warming is a lie because <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=seven-answers-to-climate-contrarian-nonsense&page=4">scientists have politicized the issue</a> in order to reach a preordained conclusion. <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/25/more-insight-on-thos.html">here's a story</a> that proves i was right all along! <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-1468033399288361319?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-21379806982789047832009-11-15T17:56:00.002-05:002009-11-15T18:02:08.561-05:00innocent until proven muslim<a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/11/another-odd-twist-in-delaney-versus.html">shorter gary welsh</a>: when a muslim shoots people, <a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/11/obama-still-covering-up-fort-hood.html">it's terrorism</a>. when a white christian tries to shoot someone, <a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/11/another-odd-twist-in-delaney-versus.html">it's understandable</a>. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-2137980698278904783?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-80755782270046338002009-11-11T21:15:00.003-05:002009-11-11T21:26:04.493-05:00alternate south carolina license platesnow that <a href="http://www.thestate.com/local/story/1022683.html">the "believe" license plate has been ruled unconstitutional</a>, south carolina's going to need some new license plate designs!<br /><br />instead of this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/uploaded_images/tagx-large-791329.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/uploaded_images/tagx-large-791329.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />try one of these:<br /><br /><div class="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stallio/4096478411/" title="i want to believe plate by stallio, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/4096478411_fdf73c41a9.jpg" width="500" height="238" alt="i want to believe plate" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stallio/4096478633/" title="believer by stallio, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/4096478633_20e0e698c3.jpg" width="500" height="238" alt="believer" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stallio/4097238248/" title="believe (cher) by stallio, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2779/4097238248_43c127e1d6.jpg" width="500" height="238" alt="believe (cher)" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stallio/4096478835/" title="reflief by stallio, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2740/4096478835_cae575c5fd.jpg" width="500" height="238" alt="reflief" /></a></div><br /><br />these ideas are free for south carolina to use! though some licensing fees may be required. if you have an idea, leave a comment and share it! <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-8075578227004633800?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-86836185225563797722009-11-11T15:35:00.002-05:002009-11-11T15:49:32.883-05:00south carolina's "i believe" plate unconstitutional<a href="http://www.thestate.com/local/story/1022683.html">via thestate.com</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>A federal judge has ruled unconstitutional a Christian "I Believe" vehicle license tag with the image of a cross authorized last year by the S.C. General Assembly.<br /><br />"The 'I Believe' Act's primary effect is to promote a specific religion, Christianity," U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie wrote in a decision released Tuesday.<br /><br />State laws promoting one religion over others have been illegal in the United States since the nation's founding, Currie wrote.<br /><br />Currie also focused on the role played by Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who originally pushed for the Christian tag after a move to create a similar "I Believe" tag failed in Florida.<br /><br />"Such a law amounts to state endorsement not only of religion in general, but of a specific sect in particular," Currie wrote.<br /><br />"Whether motivated by sincerely held Christian beliefs or an effort to purchase political capital with religious coin, the result is the same," she wrote. "The statute is clearly unconstitutional and defense of its implementation has embroiled the state in unnecessary (and expensive) litigation."<br /><br />The tag in question would have featured a large cross against a stained glass window and the words: "I Believe." No tags had been issued. A state Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman said the department will abide by the judge's decision.</blockquote><br />open and shut, really. when you <a href="http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/on-deadline/2009/11/11/tagx-large.jpg">look at the plate's design</a>, it's obviously intended to promote christianity and no other religion... which is blatantly unconstitutional. the only surprise is that anyone thought they could get away with it (unless they didn't, and the whole point was to energize the base when the inevitable happened).<br /><br />the controversial "in god we trust" plate sold in indiana and elsewhere has so far escaped a similar fate, because while it is a state endorsement of theistic religion, it's not blatantly pro-christian at the expense of other religions. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-8683618522556379772?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-25570205127664059222009-11-06T09:46:00.002-05:002009-11-06T10:35:25.567-05:00politicizing the fort hood tragedyby now, you've surely heard about <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/06/texas.fort.hood.shootings/index.html">yesterday's tragic shootings</a> at fort hood, which left at least 13 dead and 30 wounded.<br /><br />seasoned news watchers know to treat initial reports with skepticism during events like this, as confusion and misinformation abound, particularly in the first few hours. indeed, we were initially told that the alleged shooter, major nidal malik hasan, had been killed, but it turns out that he's alive... a pretty significant detail. <br /><br />but right-wingers like gary welsh couldn't wait until all the information was in, instead seizing on the alleged shooter's muslim heritage to <a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/11/another-home-grown-muslim-terrorist.html">brand him a terrorist</a>. never mind that hasan was a natural-born US citizen who was <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/06/fort.hood.suspect/index.html">well-respected</a> by the soldiers he treated for PTSD and other problems. never mind that the FBI has specifically ruled out terrorism as a motive. no, the fact that nasam was a muslim means he must be a terrorist.<br /><br />of course, impugning people's integrity is what gary always does. it's his schtick. after state rep ed delaney was brutally attacked, gary <a href="http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2009/11/shouldnt-someone-tell-ed-delaney-to.html">suggested delaney was partly to blame</a> in his own pistol-whipping. before that, he spent months telling us how proponents of the wishard referendum are horrible, deceitful people. (it was so bad that <a href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20091104/NEWS08/911040327/1101/NEWS08/Tully++Wishard+rewarded+for+solid++sensible+campaign">matt tully called him out</a> on it, though not by name. in response, gary claimed that tully has no integrity.) before that, he was going on at length about how president obama is a deceitful noncitizen muslim who enjoys coked-up gay sex on the DL. before that, he vilified andré carson, and before that, bart peterson, julia carson, the clintons... the list goes on and on. (who can forget when <a href="http://www.animalswithinanimals.com/stallio/2006/08/this-just-in-steph-mineart-is.html">gary accused steph mineart and others</a> of being "extremists on the issue of fighting the war on terrorism"?)<br /><br />so i'm not surprised that people like gary would rush to politicize this tragedy. that's what people like him do. but i am disgusted. and i'm even tempted to say it's the worst thing he's ever written... but when someone has a track record as egregious as gary, how can you pick? <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-2557020512766405922?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-15167442937790869112009-10-30T16:21:00.004-04:002009-11-16T11:00:56.398-05:00what's a fair wage for a nonprofit CEO?for some reason, i read (or i should say skim) paul ogden's blog. ogden is a local conservative attorney, and his blog reads a lot like advance indiana, only with less seething resentment and fewer amusing typos. <br /><br />lately, ogden has been on a crusade against local nonprofits. one of his regular complaints is that they all pay their executives too much (<a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/09/stars-editorial-applauding-stimulus.html">he's</a> <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/09/david-lawrence-of-arts-council.html">posted</a> <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/09/indianapolis-star-notes-funding-cut-for.html">about</a> <A href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/09/libertarians-and-fight-for-political.html">it</A> <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/09/council-committee-bestows-125-million.html">six</a> <A href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/10/peace-center-at-eagle-creek-park.html">times</a> in just the past two months). this is a puzzling attitude coming from a conservative, but he apparently believes that "nonprofit" means "everyone works for peanuts, if not free." of course, it doesn't work like that. as any conservative should know, if you want talent, you have to pay for it. $100,000 or more might sound like a lot... until you realize that most of them could earn way more in the private sector.<br /><br />i mocked him for this last month, pointing him to a <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/__asset__/_etc_/CN_CEO_Compensation_Study_2009_Final.pdf">CEO compensation study</a> by charity navigator that shows that most of the salaries he's so up-in-arms over are perfectly reasonable salaries for that sector. but though he did show up in the comments to call me a hypocrite, he clearly never read the report. so let's look at the report in more depth, shall we? let's start with the introduction:<br /><br /><blockquote>Charity Navigator has completed its fifth annual CEO Compensation Study. This year's study examined the compensation practices at 5,448 mid to large sized U.S. based charities that depend on support from the public. Our analysis revealed that the top leaders of these charities earn an average salary of $158,0752 representing a pay raise of 6.1% over the previous year studied.<br /><br />We know from the conversations taking place in the comment section of our charity ratings pages that many donors will be appalled by this figure. They believe that charity leaders should all but work for free. But these well-meaning donors fail to consider that these CEOs are running multi-million dollar operations that endeavor to change the world. Leading one of these charities requires an individual that possesses an understanding of the issues that are unique to the charity's mission as well as business and management expertise similar to that required of for-profit CEOs. Attracting and retaining that type of talent requires a certain level of compensation. While there are nonprofit salaries that we would all agree are out-of-line, it is important for donors to come to terms with charity executives earning a fair wage – which is roughly $160,000 according to our research.</blockquote><br />yes, a six-figure salary is perfectly reasonable for someone with the skills to run a multi-million-dollar organization. of course, it depends on geographical location: the report finds that compensation in the midwest is below average ($148,781), and that average compensation here in indianapolis is $126,204.<br /><br />compensation also varies depending on the nonprofit's charitable mission. CEOs in education and the arts tend to earn a lot more; executives for environmental, human services, or religious-based organizations tend to earn less. the size of the organization also matters, as you might imagine: CEOs at larger charities earn more. <br /><br /><blockquote><ul><li>Above Average Pay: Organizations with total expenses greater than $13.5 million ($286,760)</li><li>Below Average Pay: Charities with total expenses under $3.5 million ($90,747) as well as those between $3.5 and $13.5 million ($149,306)</li></ul>[...] These figures demonstrate that as the size, and thus the complexities of running a nonprofit increase, so does the salary of the institution's top executive so much so that if we probe deeper into the top tier of charities (by size), we see even larger salaries. A look at organizations with total expenses between $50 and $100 million pay their CEOs on average $378,026 and organizations with total expenses of $100 million or more pay their CEOs on average $462,037.</blockquote><br />to be sure, some nonprofit CEOs are overpaid, and the report gives a few examples. (the head of the university of delaware gets $2,377,100!) but the $80k earned by the director of the peace center, which <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/10/peace-center-at-eagle-creek-park.html">ogden complained about today</a>, is actually below the national average for a charity that size. and that's just one of the nonprofits paul has unfairly maligned.<br /><br />running a large organization is is hard work, and to get people with the skills and knowledge to do the work properly, you have to pay them what they're worth. this isn't to say that there aren't some shady nonprofits out there—<a href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/phrma_gave_big_to_buyer_foundation_then_hired_ryan_buyer.php">steve buyer's frontier foundation</a> comes to mind—but you can't judge an organization merely on what it pays its executives. as the report says, "salaries really should be examined in the context of the charity's overall performance." <br /><br /><b>update:</b> <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/10/not-so-good-will-of-goodwill-of-central.html">he's still at it</a>, now maligning goodwill of central indiana. funny how an org whose mission involves giving people jobs would spend a lot of money on paying its employees, isn't it? <br /><br /><b>update:</b> <a href="http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2009/11/cheering-for-colts-pacers-while-holding.html">still writing nonsense about local charities.</a> he writes "This morning I heard a radio broadcaster bragging about Irsay's charitable offer of donating $1 to United Way for ever person who attended the game last night. That amounts to a whole $67,476. Once the United Way's administrators take their cuts for their six figure salaries, there might be $476 left over to be distributed to actual charities." had he <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4632">bothered to check</a>, he'd see that only 5.8% of UWCI's budget goes to administrative expenses, whereas 85.7% goes to program expenses. of course, his argument isn't about facts. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-1516744293779086911?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021181.post-66280835176137990122009-10-09T13:52:00.002-04:002009-10-09T14:24:07.732-04:00why obama won the nobeli must confess that my first reaction upon hearing that president obama won the nobel peace prize is that this is great news, if only because it will drive the obama-haters <a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/right-wingers-pitch-fits-over-nobel-peace-prize.php">completely bonkers</a>. (i suspect the main reason gary welsh doesn't have a seething rant up about this is because he's too enraged to form sentences.) but on reflection, the decision makes a lot of sense.<br /><br />the US is the most powerful country in the world (militarily if not economically), and less than a year ago our president was a narcissistic warmonger who continuously thumbed his nose at the rest of the world because he believed he was personally chosen by god. president obama has made a point of turning things around, of re-engaging with the rest of the world. this, in and of itself, is no small accomplishment.<br /><br />but, as obama himself noted in his remarks this morning, this nobel prize isn't so much about what he's accomplished, but about what he—and the world—hopes to accomplish. it's about <i>hope</i>—hope that, under obama's leadership, we can turn things around after eight long years in the wilderness. yes, the award is a repudiation of bush's policies, but it's more than that—it's the world's way of saying, "we're with you, obama! don't let us down!" <br /><br />obama's challenge now is to live up to the honor, to prove that he deserves it. in his first months in office, he's made some strong steps in the right direction, but also some missteps. the challenges he faces are extremely difficult, but i hope he can live up to them over the next three-to-seven years. <span class="color">¶</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6021181-6628083517613799012?l=www.animalswithinanimals.com%2Fstallio%2Fblog.html' alt='' /></div>stAllio!http://www.blogger.com/profile/15712626121566349866noreply@blogger.com3