Democracy, from the Greek for "rule of the people."
I am leaving from here, where democracy died, to head for Greece, where it was born. See you in May.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Who watches the watchers of the watchers?
On the Bob Edwards Show on XMPR this morning, I heard an excellent interview with Bill Moyers (although that's probably redundant - all the interviews I've heard from Bill Moyers are excellent, and the Bob Edwards Show alone is worth a sizable chunk of my monthly payment to XM) about the first episode of his new PBS series, Bill Moyers' Journal, entitled "Selling the War." The show is about the failure of the media between 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq to do anything even vaguely resembling their jobs.
To me, the most telling story was about at time when Darth appeared on Meet the Press. That morning, there was a story in the New York Times which supported the administration's claims about Iraq and WMD's, and Cheney slyly referred to the article as "independent" confirmation of his claims, although he didn't want to discuss it. Where did the Times get its information, you ask? That's right, Cheney's office. So he leaked a story to a newspaper which he had demonized as liberal, and when it ran the story, used it to confirm what he had been saying. Good ol' Timmy didn't question how any of it happened, and the Times let itself be used.
If you get a chance, check your local listings to see when the show will air. Journalism is always improved when Bill Moyers weighs in. Here's an excerpt.
To me, the most telling story was about at time when Darth appeared on Meet the Press. That morning, there was a story in the New York Times which supported the administration's claims about Iraq and WMD's, and Cheney slyly referred to the article as "independent" confirmation of his claims, although he didn't want to discuss it. Where did the Times get its information, you ask? That's right, Cheney's office. So he leaked a story to a newspaper which he had demonized as liberal, and when it ran the story, used it to confirm what he had been saying. Good ol' Timmy didn't question how any of it happened, and the Times let itself be used.
If you get a chance, check your local listings to see when the show will air. Journalism is always improved when Bill Moyers weighs in. Here's an excerpt.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Retard America
Americans' knowledge of national and international affairs has changed little in two decades despite the emergence of 24-hour cable news and the Internet as major news sources. People surveyed in February were slightly less able than those polled in 1989 to name the vice president, their state's governor and the president of Russia but slightly more able to answer other questions correctly about national politics, according to a poll released Sunday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.Of the 1,502 adults survey in February, 69 percent correctly answered Dick Cheney when asked who was the vice president, compared with 74 percent who correctly responded Dan Quayle when the same question was asked in 1989. Two-thirds correctly named their state's governor in February compared with three-fourths who got that right in 1989.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070415/news-knowledge-poll
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070415/news-knowledge-poll
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Really?
[Editor's note: I almost hate to post something to move Doc's wonderful piece below down.]
Alberto Gonzalez said ""I have nothing to hide," in a statement released Sunday.
Really, Al? Then why are all those emails missing? Why did your various stories keep changing? Why did your White House LIE-ason become the first Justice Department official (why a 33-year old from Pat Robertson's "law school" was in such a high position in the Justice department is another story, one that pisses off those of us who went to real law schools) in history to plead the 5th, which is a virtual admission of criminality?
And that whole torture thing...
The sad and frightening part is that he really DOESN'T have anything to hide, because he and this administration have been so brazen with their lawlessness, they flaunt their criminality.
Alberto Gonzalez said ""I have nothing to hide," in a statement released Sunday.
Really, Al? Then why are all those emails missing? Why did your various stories keep changing? Why did your White House LIE-ason become the first Justice Department official (why a 33-year old from Pat Robertson's "law school" was in such a high position in the Justice department is another story, one that pisses off those of us who went to real law schools) in history to plead the 5th, which is a virtual admission of criminality?
And that whole torture thing...
The sad and frightening part is that he really DOESN'T have anything to hide, because he and this administration have been so brazen with their lawlessness, they flaunt their criminality.
Jackie
On April 15th, 1947, Jackie Robinson played in his first game in Major League Baseball and changed the world.
America was different in the late 1940’s than it is now. We had just won World War II, and there was a sense of optimism and joy that the struggle was over. But many of the things we were fighting for overseas – freedom, the end of Nazi Germany’s racial elitism – were still problems back home. There had been huge numbers of African Americans in the military, but it was still segregated. Some people started asking why, if blacks could go off and get killed to defend their country, why were they treated any differently once they returned? But that wasn’t true everywhere, especially in the South, and the increased acceptance of blacks in some areas just made the hatred and violence that much worse.
Nowhere was this division more starkly seen than baseball. Baseball was, at the time, truly the national sport. Football had its followers, but it didn’t really take off as a national phenomenon until television. Basketball was in its infancy. Hockey was played in 6 northern cities (two of which were in Canada). Auto Racing was a niche sport. But baseball was everywhere. The country hadn’t yet been linked by television, and while radio carried the big league games, small towns all over the country had their own teams. Young boys didn’t grow up trying to decide if they wanted to be Michael Jordan or Joe Montana – they all wanted to be Ted Williams or Joe DiMaggio. Or, if they were black, Josh Gibson or Satchel Paige.
From the 1920’s up through the early 1950’s, African Americans owned and operated a parallel set of baseball leagues to the American and National Leagues in organized (white) baseball. In their own way, they were the linchpin of the black business community – often the owners were the wealthiest blacks in town. The play was excellent, and the community supported the teams as much as they were able. Unfortunately, because of the racial divide in the country, that just wasn’t that much. Young black children knew who DiMaggio was, but young white kids didn’t know who Josh Gibson was, or that he may have been the best catcher ever. The industry that surrounded white baseball – the recordkeeping, the radio broadcasts, the baseball cards – existed in a much more rudimentary form in the Negro Leagues. While the black players were every bit as good as the white, there was no mistaking which league was on top.
White teams and black teams had played exhibition games against each other for years, with the white teams usually losing. They weren’t trying to prove anything, and it showed. But that meant that the white players knew how good their counterparts were, and a large majority (80% by some polls) had no issues with the idea of playing with black teammates. However, the opposition was nearly 100% in the owner’s boxes. A combination of racism, conservatism, and the fear of what would happen if there were any changes kept things the way they’d been since 1884, when Moses “Fleet” Walker became the only black player ever to play in a major league game (under the guise of being a dark-skinned Cuban).
Baseball was ruled with an iron fist by Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the Commissioner (for life) that the owners had appointed after the Black Sox scandal (which had nothing to do with race, but involved the 1919 Chicago White Sox deliberately losing the World Series in exchange for payoffs from gamblers). Landis wanted no part of integrating baseball, and he blocked any attempts to do so until his death in late 1944. There had been attempts – most notably from visionary Bill Veeck, who wanted to buy the worst team in baseball and stock it with black stars, but the sale was blocked, and the leagues stayed separate. After Landis died, the new commissioner, A. B. “Happy” Chandler was discreetly approached and made it clear that he did not share the attitude of his predecessor.
That opened the door for Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson to step through. Rickey ran the Brooklyn Dodgers at the time, after an amazing career that had already made him a legend in baseball. He had worked in baseball all his life, and had been running teams for 30 years. Rickey knew that a successfully integrated team would make money, as attendance in the African American community would rise sharply. He was also a bit of an idealist, having been struck by the anguish a black player had gone through on his college team forty years earlier. However, even though there was nothing preventing integration, and there was one team willing to try it, they still needed to find the right person.
Whoever took on the mantle of “the first black player in the modern major leagues” not only had to be a good enough player as to make people accept him on that level, he also had to be strong enough to endure the vicious hatred that was sure to come. Not only would he be forcing his way into new territory, he’d be taking someone’s job, and if he succeeded, more white players would lose their jobs as well. And he couldn’t just be tough, he had to be smart – a hothead who fought back against the abuse would have only brought more upon himself, and it was a fight no single man could win.
Jackie Robinson was a good young player in the Negro Leagues, although far from a star. He had been an excellent athlete at UCLA, especially in football and basketball, and had served in the military for three years during the war. While in the Army, he had been court-martialed (and found not guilty) for refusing to sit in the back of a transport bus. He was married to a strong woman, Rachel, and whatever hatred he faced, she dealt with as well.
When Rickey decided that Robinson was the best man for the job, they had an extraordinary meeting in which they discussed the realities of what lay ahead. Rickey taunted Jackie with every racial slur he could think of – vile, nasty, incredibly rude things. He’d hear those things, and worse, from thousands of people every day. He made Jackie agree that for three years, he wouldn’t retaliate against a single player, for any reason. Jackie was to play first base, instead of second, because it would reduce the risk of someone sliding in with their spikes up (players back then were known, from time to time, to file the tips of their spikes when playing against guys they didn’t like). And then they signed the contract.
Robinson actually broke the color barrier in the minor leagues first, playing for the Montreal Royals in 1946. His manager didn’t want him, asking Rickey “Is [he] even human?” But Jackie’s play, and his determination, won over his harshest critics, even that same manager – by the end of the year, he was calling Jackie one of the best players he’d ever seen. The game was played differently in the Negro Leagues than in white baseball – it was faster, with more stolen bases and more energy. Watching film of Robinson play, you can see that he was always hustling, always running, always doing everything he could to beat the other guy, even if it was by an inch.
And then on April 15th, 1947, Jackie finally played his first game with the Dodgers. He, figuratively, carried the weight of the entire black community on his back. Failure meant that it would be that much harder for someone else to try it. It would validate all of the hateful things that the racists said to make themselves feel better. And it would break the hearts of black people everywhere – from the kids who looked up to Jackie as their idol to famous black musicians and entertainers, who told him that he was their hope. As popular as baseball was, if he could successfully lead the way for African Americans into the majors, then the entire black community would feel like it was part of the national pastime, and hence the national fabric. To succeed at baseball, hyperbolic as it sounds, meant succeeding as an American to many people. Rookies have enough trouble trying to succeed for themselves, much less millions of people.
Jackie Robinson not only succeeded, but he was a star. He changed the game, not just from the standpoint of who played it, but how it was played. A rookie at age 28, he was in the top 15 in Most Valuable Player voting his first 7 years in the league, winning in 1949. The game got faster and more exciting. He kept his promise to Branch Rickey, and turned the other cheek for years whenever he’d hear epithets or taunts coming from the stands or the other dugout. He won skeptical teammates over with his excellent play, and became the idol of kids across the country, both black and white.
After he retired, he became a ceaseless advocate for racial causes. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that if Jackie hadn’t done what he did, both on the field and off, then it would have been unlikely that he could have done what he did. By playing a game, hitting and throwing a ball, first as the only black man among hundreds of whites, and then just as a star, he opened minds all over the country. People who’d always looked at blacks as inferior had that view challenged. People from segregated communities who really didn’t know what to think about blacks saw him succeed with grace and humility, and had their minds opened. The country didn’t immediately become a panacea of racial equality, but because baseball truly was part of so many lives, Jackie’s success in the sport truly led the way for change for millions of people.
Unfortunately, the stress of dealing with the hate took its toll on Jackie, and he died at 53. His widow, Rachel, continued to work for the same causes he always did, and today, nearly 35 years after his death, the country continues to recognize his contributions. He was posthumously given the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. The Rookie of the Year award in baseball is the Jackie Robinson Award. In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of Jackie’s first game, his number was retired, not by the Dodgers (who had done it years before), but by every team. And today, to mark the 60th anniversary, players from around the league who want to pay tribute to his achievement will wear his number, 42. First, it was Ken Griffey, Jr., who asked for permission to honor Jackie, and then the invitation was spread to all 30 teams. More than 150 players will take the field wearing the number 42, including five entire teams, including the Dodgers.
Some consider the tribute to be watering down the meaning, but to me, it’s a celebration. Athletes are often called heroic or courageous just because they play a game well. But Jackie really was a hero. He displayed incredible courage against hate and bigotry and opened the way for change not just in baseball, but in the world. The other day, my wife ordered Dodgers T-shirts with “Robinson 42” on the back, and we will join with countless others in saying thank you to a man who not only made the game I love one worthy of respect, but who truly made the world a better place.
America was different in the late 1940’s than it is now. We had just won World War II, and there was a sense of optimism and joy that the struggle was over. But many of the things we were fighting for overseas – freedom, the end of Nazi Germany’s racial elitism – were still problems back home. There had been huge numbers of African Americans in the military, but it was still segregated. Some people started asking why, if blacks could go off and get killed to defend their country, why were they treated any differently once they returned? But that wasn’t true everywhere, especially in the South, and the increased acceptance of blacks in some areas just made the hatred and violence that much worse.
Nowhere was this division more starkly seen than baseball. Baseball was, at the time, truly the national sport. Football had its followers, but it didn’t really take off as a national phenomenon until television. Basketball was in its infancy. Hockey was played in 6 northern cities (two of which were in Canada). Auto Racing was a niche sport. But baseball was everywhere. The country hadn’t yet been linked by television, and while radio carried the big league games, small towns all over the country had their own teams. Young boys didn’t grow up trying to decide if they wanted to be Michael Jordan or Joe Montana – they all wanted to be Ted Williams or Joe DiMaggio. Or, if they were black, Josh Gibson or Satchel Paige.
From the 1920’s up through the early 1950’s, African Americans owned and operated a parallel set of baseball leagues to the American and National Leagues in organized (white) baseball. In their own way, they were the linchpin of the black business community – often the owners were the wealthiest blacks in town. The play was excellent, and the community supported the teams as much as they were able. Unfortunately, because of the racial divide in the country, that just wasn’t that much. Young black children knew who DiMaggio was, but young white kids didn’t know who Josh Gibson was, or that he may have been the best catcher ever. The industry that surrounded white baseball – the recordkeeping, the radio broadcasts, the baseball cards – existed in a much more rudimentary form in the Negro Leagues. While the black players were every bit as good as the white, there was no mistaking which league was on top.
White teams and black teams had played exhibition games against each other for years, with the white teams usually losing. They weren’t trying to prove anything, and it showed. But that meant that the white players knew how good their counterparts were, and a large majority (80% by some polls) had no issues with the idea of playing with black teammates. However, the opposition was nearly 100% in the owner’s boxes. A combination of racism, conservatism, and the fear of what would happen if there were any changes kept things the way they’d been since 1884, when Moses “Fleet” Walker became the only black player ever to play in a major league game (under the guise of being a dark-skinned Cuban).
Baseball was ruled with an iron fist by Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the Commissioner (for life) that the owners had appointed after the Black Sox scandal (which had nothing to do with race, but involved the 1919 Chicago White Sox deliberately losing the World Series in exchange for payoffs from gamblers). Landis wanted no part of integrating baseball, and he blocked any attempts to do so until his death in late 1944. There had been attempts – most notably from visionary Bill Veeck, who wanted to buy the worst team in baseball and stock it with black stars, but the sale was blocked, and the leagues stayed separate. After Landis died, the new commissioner, A. B. “Happy” Chandler was discreetly approached and made it clear that he did not share the attitude of his predecessor.
That opened the door for Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson to step through. Rickey ran the Brooklyn Dodgers at the time, after an amazing career that had already made him a legend in baseball. He had worked in baseball all his life, and had been running teams for 30 years. Rickey knew that a successfully integrated team would make money, as attendance in the African American community would rise sharply. He was also a bit of an idealist, having been struck by the anguish a black player had gone through on his college team forty years earlier. However, even though there was nothing preventing integration, and there was one team willing to try it, they still needed to find the right person.
Whoever took on the mantle of “the first black player in the modern major leagues” not only had to be a good enough player as to make people accept him on that level, he also had to be strong enough to endure the vicious hatred that was sure to come. Not only would he be forcing his way into new territory, he’d be taking someone’s job, and if he succeeded, more white players would lose their jobs as well. And he couldn’t just be tough, he had to be smart – a hothead who fought back against the abuse would have only brought more upon himself, and it was a fight no single man could win.
Jackie Robinson was a good young player in the Negro Leagues, although far from a star. He had been an excellent athlete at UCLA, especially in football and basketball, and had served in the military for three years during the war. While in the Army, he had been court-martialed (and found not guilty) for refusing to sit in the back of a transport bus. He was married to a strong woman, Rachel, and whatever hatred he faced, she dealt with as well.
When Rickey decided that Robinson was the best man for the job, they had an extraordinary meeting in which they discussed the realities of what lay ahead. Rickey taunted Jackie with every racial slur he could think of – vile, nasty, incredibly rude things. He’d hear those things, and worse, from thousands of people every day. He made Jackie agree that for three years, he wouldn’t retaliate against a single player, for any reason. Jackie was to play first base, instead of second, because it would reduce the risk of someone sliding in with their spikes up (players back then were known, from time to time, to file the tips of their spikes when playing against guys they didn’t like). And then they signed the contract.
Robinson actually broke the color barrier in the minor leagues first, playing for the Montreal Royals in 1946. His manager didn’t want him, asking Rickey “Is [he] even human?” But Jackie’s play, and his determination, won over his harshest critics, even that same manager – by the end of the year, he was calling Jackie one of the best players he’d ever seen. The game was played differently in the Negro Leagues than in white baseball – it was faster, with more stolen bases and more energy. Watching film of Robinson play, you can see that he was always hustling, always running, always doing everything he could to beat the other guy, even if it was by an inch.
And then on April 15th, 1947, Jackie finally played his first game with the Dodgers. He, figuratively, carried the weight of the entire black community on his back. Failure meant that it would be that much harder for someone else to try it. It would validate all of the hateful things that the racists said to make themselves feel better. And it would break the hearts of black people everywhere – from the kids who looked up to Jackie as their idol to famous black musicians and entertainers, who told him that he was their hope. As popular as baseball was, if he could successfully lead the way for African Americans into the majors, then the entire black community would feel like it was part of the national pastime, and hence the national fabric. To succeed at baseball, hyperbolic as it sounds, meant succeeding as an American to many people. Rookies have enough trouble trying to succeed for themselves, much less millions of people.
Jackie Robinson not only succeeded, but he was a star. He changed the game, not just from the standpoint of who played it, but how it was played. A rookie at age 28, he was in the top 15 in Most Valuable Player voting his first 7 years in the league, winning in 1949. The game got faster and more exciting. He kept his promise to Branch Rickey, and turned the other cheek for years whenever he’d hear epithets or taunts coming from the stands or the other dugout. He won skeptical teammates over with his excellent play, and became the idol of kids across the country, both black and white.
After he retired, he became a ceaseless advocate for racial causes. Martin Luther King, Jr., said that if Jackie hadn’t done what he did, both on the field and off, then it would have been unlikely that he could have done what he did. By playing a game, hitting and throwing a ball, first as the only black man among hundreds of whites, and then just as a star, he opened minds all over the country. People who’d always looked at blacks as inferior had that view challenged. People from segregated communities who really didn’t know what to think about blacks saw him succeed with grace and humility, and had their minds opened. The country didn’t immediately become a panacea of racial equality, but because baseball truly was part of so many lives, Jackie’s success in the sport truly led the way for change for millions of people.
Unfortunately, the stress of dealing with the hate took its toll on Jackie, and he died at 53. His widow, Rachel, continued to work for the same causes he always did, and today, nearly 35 years after his death, the country continues to recognize his contributions. He was posthumously given the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. The Rookie of the Year award in baseball is the Jackie Robinson Award. In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of Jackie’s first game, his number was retired, not by the Dodgers (who had done it years before), but by every team. And today, to mark the 60th anniversary, players from around the league who want to pay tribute to his achievement will wear his number, 42. First, it was Ken Griffey, Jr., who asked for permission to honor Jackie, and then the invitation was spread to all 30 teams. More than 150 players will take the field wearing the number 42, including five entire teams, including the Dodgers.
Some consider the tribute to be watering down the meaning, but to me, it’s a celebration. Athletes are often called heroic or courageous just because they play a game well. But Jackie really was a hero. He displayed incredible courage against hate and bigotry and opened the way for change not just in baseball, but in the world. The other day, my wife ordered Dodgers T-shirts with “Robinson 42” on the back, and we will join with countless others in saying thank you to a man who not only made the game I love one worthy of respect, but who truly made the world a better place.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Two for the price of one!
Yessiree, folks, step right up! Double your pleasure!
First of all, we have Susan Petrarca of Lemont, a regular in the corner, a right-wing harpy with a room temperature IQ. This dim bulb opines:
And then we have constitutional scholar Mitch Johnson of Western Springs. This modern-day Justice Story apparently missed freshman civics, and seems to think that there is a right to life, liberty and a radio show, as he pronounces from the bench:
First of all, we have Susan Petrarca of Lemont, a regular in the corner, a right-wing harpy with a room temperature IQ. This dim bulb opines:
Regarding Nancy Pelosi, they used to have a word for people who consorted with our enemies during wartime, and it wasn't "diplomat." The kindest word I can think of to describe her attempt to set up a parallel foreign policy is "stupid."Well, Little Susie, 1) we are not at war (if so with whom?) 2) we CERTAINLY are not at war with Syria, 3) she wasn't CONSORTING, she was part of a CONGRESSIONAL delegation and 4) even during a real war, diplomatic contacts take place.
And then we have constitutional scholar Mitch Johnson of Western Springs. This modern-day Justice Story apparently missed freshman civics, and seems to think that there is a right to life, liberty and a radio show, as he pronounces from the bench:
The 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees us freedom of speech. With all the uproar about Imus and others recently, we should add an asterisk to the Bill of Rights that reads: "As long as it is politically correct."I would like to thank Mitch for proving that half of America graduated in the bottom half of the class, and to both Susie and Mitch:
In Memoriam: KV
I was raised on Kurt Vonnegut, I've grown to middle age with him. I feel as if I know him better than my own father, who died shy of his 50th birthday, when I was in my mid 20s. It was easy for me to adopt Vonnegut after my dad's death. I was drawn to his ethos, which insisted that human beings can be decent, kind, and loving to one another independent of group-think organized religion and lockstep nationalism. He was the first important author with whom I fell in love (I can't include Poe, who scared the pants off me at age 9, or the transcendent William Blake - who had a profound influence on Vonnegut, but who I didn't learn to love until I was much older). So at some level his death represents a kind of re-enactment of my father's death, as it might have hit me had he lived til now. I will miss Kurt because he STILL had important things to say to me. He was still relevant, years after his "literary prime." As with the aftermath of my father's death, I know that I will be able to take solace in happy memories and lessons learned. I can revisit old works, still vibrant and full of ideas I've yet to ponder as I move closer to being an old man. But it'll not be the same.
Listen, Kurt Vonnegut is dead. So it goes.Thursday, April 12, 2007
He really didn't say that, did he?
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), who describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order," said after joining the ever crazier John McCain in his market "stroll" that
or
I candidly was not prepared for to find a marketplace where thousands and thousands of Iraqis were moving about like in normal everyday life. Like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime.See if you can guess which one is Bloomington, Indiana, and which one is Baghdad?
or
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Much ado about nothing
Well, the mass media has made a seamless transition from Anna Nicole to All Imus All Day, with a detour at American Idol and a kid with bad hair. A morning knucklehead racist says something characteristically stupid and America forgets all about that hell and handbasket thing. So the Justice department fired US Attorneys both to get rid of troublemakers now and install stooges for later, in key swing states for the 08 election. LARRY'S THE FATHER OF ANNA NICOLE'S BABY! The combat deployments of all army units in Iraq have been extended for three months. HE SAID HO! DID YOU HEAR THAT?
An entire nation is fascinated by small shiny objects.
An entire nation is fascinated by small shiny objects.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Yosemite Romney
Mitt Romney has checked his dignity at the door and backtracked on every principled stand he has ever taken in order to appeal to the GOP's "Deliverance" wing. This one though is my personal favorite, his bizarre explanation of his new-found love for the NRA and the fact that he has never had a hunting license:
I've always been a rodent and rabbit hunter. Small varmints, if you will. I began when I was 15 or so and I have hunted those kinds of varmints since then.More than two times.Come outta there ya flea bitten varmint before I blast the fir clean off a your carcass!
Monday, April 09, 2007
The time has come to do as commanded/requested
Some events have transpired over the past 7 months, and then again in the past 7 weeks, that have prompted be to come forth and blog. I changed jobs, which to a great extent removed the gag
What happened more recently is that I’ve witnessed a blog-like website slip into obscurity as its' hosts lost interest and creative focus, and its visitors/contributors took a free run of the asylum. Kind of like what happens in the suburbs when someone is away from home for an extended period and the young person who lives down the street figures the empty house would be a great place to hold a good party.
This doesn’t mean I’ll be joining the "President is an idiot" choir. The lead singer here is a good one, and there are a couple of others here who can hold a tune as well. Which leaves pretty much any and every thing else open. Local politics? The mayor may wear Teflon compliments of the local major media outlets but the proposed Olympics bid will be the kind of boondoggle/white elephant that will forever change Chicago at the expense of anyone with a 606 zip code. Sports? I’m the one last September who was picking the Bears to be in the Super Bowl, and my sports depression over their losing (expected) lifted two weeks ago. There are a lot of other things going on that can be blogged and hopefully worth reading.
Anyway, as the moniker suggests I probably live on the other side of town from you, across the tracks or across the river. Does this afford me a better perspective than yours? More likely a different perspective. And when you sit far enough away there are some things you can see so clearly its’ scary. Other things from that same distance just might not matter much at all, it depends on if you’re thinking about it, or just sitting there.
What happened more recently is that I’ve witnessed a blog-like website slip into obscurity as its' hosts lost interest and creative focus, and its visitors/contributors took a free run of the asylum. Kind of like what happens in the suburbs when someone is away from home for an extended period and the young person who lives down the street figures the empty house would be a great place to hold a good party.
This doesn’t mean I’ll be joining the "President is an idiot" choir. The lead singer here is a good one, and there are a couple of others here who can hold a tune as well. Which leaves pretty much any and every thing else open. Local politics? The mayor may wear Teflon compliments of the local major media outlets but the proposed Olympics bid will be the kind of boondoggle/white elephant that will forever change Chicago at the expense of anyone with a 606 zip code. Sports? I’m the one last September who was picking the Bears to be in the Super Bowl, and my sports depression over their losing (expected) lifted two weeks ago. There are a lot of other things going on that can be blogged and hopefully worth reading.
Anyway, as the moniker suggests I probably live on the other side of town from you, across the tracks or across the river. Does this afford me a better perspective than yours? More likely a different perspective. And when you sit far enough away there are some things you can see so clearly its’ scary. Other things from that same distance just might not matter much at all, it depends on if you’re thinking about it, or just sitting there.
And the Lord said..
According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus condemned the arrogant braying pharisee for his self-centered public prayer in the temple. Jesus said that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Laura and I just had the honor of celebrating Easter Sunday with members of our Armed Forces. I had a chance to reflect on the great sacrifice that our military and their families are making. I prayed for their safety, I prayed for their strength and comfort, and I pray for peace.You pray for their safety yet send them needlessly to battle. You pray for their strength, yet you don't supply them properly, serve them tainted food and putrid water provided by your corporate owners, and cut back on their care at home. You pray for peace yet continue a pointless war. Looks like there is a double order of humbling coming your way.
What the Imus flap is NOT about
You have probably heard about Don Imus and his idiotic "nappy-headed hos" comment about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Please remember that the one thing about this episode though. It does not involve "freedom of speech." The free speech we treasure refers to freedom from governmental suppression and prosecution. It does NOT involve a relationship with a private employer or access to a microphone.
Was it ignorant, racist and insulting? Of course. If I owned a radio/TV station, would I fire him? certainly. Should NBC fire him? I DON'T CARE. Why? I don't listen to him, and I don't invest in NBC's corporate family. It isn't my business. His employers will resolve it one way or the other, presumably based on rational business concerns. If he is dismissed, however, remember that no harm will have been done to "free speech."
Was it ignorant, racist and insulting? Of course. If I owned a radio/TV station, would I fire him? certainly. Should NBC fire him? I DON'T CARE. Why? I don't listen to him, and I don't invest in NBC's corporate family. It isn't my business. His employers will resolve it one way or the other, presumably based on rational business concerns. If he is dismissed, however, remember that no harm will have been done to "free speech."
Saturday, April 07, 2007
The kind of "mind" we're dealing with
From Glenn Greenwald, on Salon:
Neoconservative and war supporter John Podhoretz:
What if the tactical mistake we made in Iraq was that we didn't kill enough Sunnis in the early going to intimidate them and make them so afraid of us they would go along with anything? Wasn't the survival of Sunni men between the ages of 15 and 35 the reason there was an insurgency and the basic cause of the sectarian violence now?
From Crooks and Liars:
Ann Coulter:
These people can't even wrap up genocide. We've been hearing about this slaughter in Darfur forever - and they still haven't finished. The aggressors are moving like termites across that country. It's like genocide by committee. Who's running this holocaust in Darfur, FEMA?
This is truly a war in which we have absolutely no interest.
Neoconservative and war supporter John Podhoretz:
What if the tactical mistake we made in Iraq was that we didn't kill enough Sunnis in the early going to intimidate them and make them so afraid of us they would go along with anything? Wasn't the survival of Sunni men between the ages of 15 and 35 the reason there was an insurgency and the basic cause of the sectarian violence now?
From Crooks and Liars:
Ann Coulter:
These people can't even wrap up genocide. We've been hearing about this slaughter in Darfur forever - and they still haven't finished. The aggressors are moving like termites across that country. It's like genocide by committee. Who's running this holocaust in Darfur, FEMA?
This is truly a war in which we have absolutely no interest.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Georgie, you have to stay in for recess
First of all, see Doc's hilarious post before.
In that vein...
I almost never call for amending the constitution for dealing with the various issues of the day. If you look at the history of constitutional amendments, you see precious few changes over the course of more than two centuries.
You see the first 10, that almost can be considered part of the original document, the Civil War amendments, some that are housekeeping in nature and others that make profound changes.
However, an amendment is necessary--NOW.
We have this provision in Article II, Section 2:
The reason for this in 1789 was obvious. When the Senate was out of session, and vacancies occurred, it might take weeks for the Senate to convene again, and people were needed in those VERY FEW leadership positions.
In this instance, the Senate was adjourned for ONE WEEK and the president used SEVEN DAYS to short-circuit the confirmation process to name a piece of human filth (Sam Fox) that would not have been confirmed to an ambassadorship for the life of this Senate. That MUST end.
In that vein...
I almost never call for amending the constitution for dealing with the various issues of the day. If you look at the history of constitutional amendments, you see precious few changes over the course of more than two centuries.
You see the first 10, that almost can be considered part of the original document, the Civil War amendments, some that are housekeeping in nature and others that make profound changes.
However, an amendment is necessary--NOW.
We have this provision in Article II, Section 2:
The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
The reason for this in 1789 was obvious. When the Senate was out of session, and vacancies occurred, it might take weeks for the Senate to convene again, and people were needed in those VERY FEW leadership positions.
In this instance, the Senate was adjourned for ONE WEEK and the president used SEVEN DAYS to short-circuit the confirmation process to name a piece of human filth (Sam Fox) that would not have been confirmed to an ambassadorship for the life of this Senate. That MUST end.
I read 'em, so you don't have to
I was browsing some righ wing blogs today when I came across this howler - "No President of one party ever tried harder to get along with the other than Bush - no one."
I mean, just, wow.
I mean, just, wow.
Spellcheck is sick
I just sent a note to my wife about the Greek cruise ship sinking off of Santorini. Spellcheck on my version of Outlook suggested that I replace my vacation destination:
with (YIKES!!!)
with (YIKES!!!)
Thursday, April 05, 2007
The "I have no idea what I'm talking about" defense
Orrin Hatch: "My comments about Carol Lam's record as a U.S. Attorney were accurate, but I misspoke when making the point of discussing politically connected U.S. Attorneys. I accidentally used her name, instead of her predecessor, Alan Bersin, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton."
In other words, it would be accurate, in Senator Hatch's mind, to say "Orrin Hatch raped and murdered dozens of young boys in the late 1970's and early 80's. Oh, wait, I accidentally used his name, instead of convicted and executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy."
Does he have any idea how mind-numbingly stupid he sounds?
In other words, it would be accurate, in Senator Hatch's mind, to say "Orrin Hatch raped and murdered dozens of young boys in the late 1970's and early 80's. Oh, wait, I accidentally used his name, instead of convicted and executed serial killer John Wayne Gacy."
Does he have any idea how mind-numbingly stupid he sounds?
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