Credit: http://2politicaljunkies.blogspot.com
Friday, September 30, 2005
More Muppet stuff
Because I'm easily flattered into continuing something. News From ME has images from the new series of Muppet postage stamps that include several of the characters and, up top there, our hero.
For my own sanity, I have to believe that moments after these pictures were taken, an orgy broke out
A blog called Liberal Serving found a selection of old records by white (really, really white) gospel groups of the '70s. Here is but one example.
Now, I ask you, wouldn't that be just a little less creepy if you knew that moments after the shutter clicked, that cute little blonde at far left was pulled down onto the grass by the fella in front of her, who roughly grabbed her heaving shoulders even as the brunette started in, ripping off her thin...
Sorry.
Don't know why I went there.
Unless, of course, it has something to do with the titles of these albums which, I gotta tell ya, are not that hard to read something into.
Dig these.
I'll Be There. "I'm there...are you almost there?"
Let's Just Trust The Lord. "Is it okay if I come in you?"
Praise The Lord...Now! "Oh my God...now, now!"
And, of course...Rise Again.
I am so going to Hell.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
Ari Berman: The indictment sent a shock wave through the GOP establishment, which is already reeling from a swath of criminal and ethics investigations. Three individuals, eight corporations and two political action committees connected to DeLay have been indicted as a result of the probe. In addition, the government's top procurement official, David Safavian, was arrested in September for obstructing a criminal investigation into über-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a close DeLay ally. Abramoff himself is under criminal investigation for defrauding Indian tribes and was indicted for wire fraud in Florida in a separate case. Top White House aides, including Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, have been targeted by a special prosecutor investigating the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Representative Duke Cunningham announced he would not run for re-election after overselling his house for $700,000 to a military industry lobbyist; he too has been indicted. FDA chief Lester Crawford resigned unexpectedly after just two months on the job, possibly because of failure to report his wife's sizable pharmaceutical-industry holdings. And DeLay's Senate counterpart, Bill Frist, is battling possible insider-trading charges for dumping millions in HCA stock, a company founded by his father and run by his brother, weeks before it plunged in value. The U.S. Attorney in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into Frist and HCA in September.
Sixty percent of respondents in a recent Democracy Corps poll say the country is moving in the wrong direction. A generic Democrat running for Congress in 2006 beats a generic Republican by 9 percent in polls. Congress's approval is at an all-time low, and so is Bush's: 45 percent of respondents in a recent Democracy Corps poll are "finished with him." More and more Americans will learn about Congressional leaders through the lens of scandal and sleaze, underscoring the impression that Republicans care more about special interests than average Americans.
That sound you hear is every single Democrat in the nation giving a great, big sigh of satisfaction.
"DeLay's name ID spiked as the scandals grew," says Karl Agne of Democracy Corps. "Now it's up to Democrats to distance themselves from the mess in Washington and articulate what they're going to do differently."
Aw, man, don't kill my buzz...
ETA: And the truth shall make you free. Via Hofmania,
The downward spiral of the Bush Years continues. Among the material in this package are the horrific videos that Sy Hersh witnessed. Judge Hellerstein's comments are pure gold.Judge Orders Release of Abu Ghraib Photos
Judge Orders Release of Pictures Depicting Inmate Abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq
A federal judge Thursday ordered the release of dozens more pictures of prisoners being abused at Abu Ghraib, rejecting government arguments that the images would provoke terrorists and incite violence against U.S. troops in Iraq.
U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said that terrorists "do not need pretexts for their barbarism" and that suppressing the pictures would amount to submitting to blackmail.
"Our nation does not surrender to blackmail, and fear of blackmail is not a legally sufficient argument to prevent us from performing a statutory command. Indeed, the freedoms that we champion are as important to our success in Iraq and Afghanistan as the guns and missiles with which our troops are armed," he said.
This is a shout goin' out...
...To Shakespeare's Sister, which blog I only discovered and added to my "rotation" a little over a week ago. I like it because they ask good questions, aren't afraid to pause for thought, and make compelling arguments.
And because they gave me some love "for muppet blogging, among other things." Check 'em out.
And because they gave me some love "for muppet blogging, among other things." Check 'em out.
Mystery Right-Wing Talking Points Theatre 3000
Agitprop found a list of things young armchair warriors are being told to say when asked: Why, if you support the war, aren't you serving? Get this:
Unless my memory escapes me, when Clinton was sending our troops to Kosovo, Somalia and Haiti...we had enough troops to do the job. In Iraq, we don't, which is kind of the point. It's called walking the walk if you're gonna talk the talk.
Well, first of all, this is a run-on sentence and...wait a minute. Thank you notes? Thank you notes? "Dear G.I. Thank you for putting your life on the line to...um...find WMD's...no wait it was...to prevent the further rise of terrorism...no, that's not it either, I...to bring Democracy and freedom to a land that sorely needs and wants...oh, darn! Oh well, just thanks for whatever it is that you're doing over there. All of us here at the frat house really appreciate it, that is, when we're not too busy smoking bongs and gang-banging some sorority slut. You be careful out there!"
Where were these leftists when Clinton was sending our troops to Kosovo, Somalia, and Haiti? They weren't signing up then.
Unless my memory escapes me, when Clinton was sending our troops to Kosovo, Somalia and Haiti...we had enough troops to do the job. In Iraq, we don't, which is kind of the point. It's called walking the walk if you're gonna talk the talk.
The troops in our programs tell us it is so important to continue the battle of ideas on campuses and to support the men overseas through programs like what we did with Freedom Alliance to send needed supplies and thank you notes over there during the conference.
Well, first of all, this is a run-on sentence and...wait a minute. Thank you notes? Thank you notes? "Dear G.I. Thank you for putting your life on the line to...um...find WMD's...no wait it was...to prevent the further rise of terrorism...no, that's not it either, I...to bring Democracy and freedom to a land that sorely needs and wants...oh, darn! Oh well, just thanks for whatever it is that you're doing over there. All of us here at the frat house really appreciate it, that is, when we're not too busy smoking bongs and gang-banging some sorority slut. You be careful out there!"
Thursday, September 29, 2005
I will scream and sulk and pout, until my poor skeleton steps out
Tas has a good post at Liberal Avenger today about the virtual abandonment of the antiwar protesters by the very people who should be harnessing their force: The big time Democrats. As he/she/it (I don't know Tas's circumstance) points out, Bush republicans love to site things like the few communists and such among the hundreds of thousands of people who protested last week as reason to discredit the whole movement.
Which is really no more than I expect from Bush republicans, who not only can't see the forest for the trees, they can't see a forest without thinking "Hey, let's burn that down!" But what's unfortunate is that, if Tas is correct:
I think the following speaks to the cynicism of people who questioned the effect the protest would have on the party presently in power. In my view, the protests were never about the party in power. They were about desperately trying to get a sleeping giant to wake up.
And start realizing that a majority of Americans would have their back. If they'd just show us there's a backbone in it.
I of course, can agree with that. My thing would be to add that I think the reason most Democrats find themselves unable to support the protesters is more than just fear of being labeled "communist." (You know, in 2005, when that really means something.)
I think, and you probably know where I'm going with this, it's because you can't find a big time Democrat in power who didn't support the war. And they cannot say, they simply cannot say, the simple words:
"I was wrong."
Whoever the Democratic nominee ends up being in 2008, I am increasingly convinced it's going to have to be somebody who can stand up and say they never, ever, supported Bush's terrible mistake of a war in any way, shape or form.
No hairsplitting "Well I voted for the resolution, not for this..." Bzz! Your time is up, Mrs Clinton, Mr. Kerry. You had a chance to vote your consience and you chose instead to trust a known incompetent because you thought it would redound to your credit politically.
Thank you for playing, we have a few parting gifts for you, but we need a leader.
Which is really no more than I expect from Bush republicans, who not only can't see the forest for the trees, they can't see a forest without thinking "Hey, let's burn that down!" But what's unfortunate is that, if Tas is correct:
And isn't it just a kick in the ass when Democrats then point to those communist front groups as a reason to back away from issues that they support? Thinking about this logically, it doesn't make any sense because it's downright hypocritical. Strategically, it's just poor planning and it places the left on the defensive because the Democrats, parroting GOP talking points, have effectively given the high ground on defining who these protesters are to the Republicans.
I think the following speaks to the cynicism of people who questioned the effect the protest would have on the party presently in power. In my view, the protests were never about the party in power. They were about desperately trying to get a sleeping giant to wake up.
And start realizing that a majority of Americans would have their back. If they'd just show us there's a backbone in it.
...we have hundreds of thousands of people marching in the streets who might as well be shouting, "Democrats! Please, please support us!" But no matter how much they beg, the Democrats can't make the obvious connection that if they finally claimed these protesters as their own and organized them, then they could push groups like International ANSWER out of the picture because they would no longer be needed. With one swoop, they could kill a Republican talking point and look like an opposition party for once.
It's about time the Democrats stopped hemming and hawing. It's time to step right up.
I of course, can agree with that. My thing would be to add that I think the reason most Democrats find themselves unable to support the protesters is more than just fear of being labeled "communist." (You know, in 2005, when that really means something.)
I think, and you probably know where I'm going with this, it's because you can't find a big time Democrat in power who didn't support the war. And they cannot say, they simply cannot say, the simple words:
"I was wrong."
Whoever the Democratic nominee ends up being in 2008, I am increasingly convinced it's going to have to be somebody who can stand up and say they never, ever, supported Bush's terrible mistake of a war in any way, shape or form.
No hairsplitting "Well I voted for the resolution, not for this..." Bzz! Your time is up, Mrs Clinton, Mr. Kerry. You had a chance to vote your consience and you chose instead to trust a known incompetent because you thought it would redound to your credit politically.
Thank you for playing, we have a few parting gifts for you, but we need a leader.
Alms for the poor
If you look over to the right there and click the View my complete profile link you'll find, among other things, a link to my Amazon.com Wish List. If you're amazed at the quality of posts on this site (I know I am), please consider making a small donation to the Buy Ben Those Books And CDs He Can't Score Through The Ink 19 Gig Fund. I thank you.
There used to be a ballpark right here
This used to be a country that produced leaders and people with vision and talent.
Now we're propping up crash test dummies dressed in costumes and pretending they serve the same function.
Anne from Peevish is understandably depressed about the grand scheme of things.
I hope you're happy
Well, Roberts has been confirmed, as expected. I hope those of you who think it isn't really that big a deal are proven right. Kos has a couple of ideas about what comes next in the nominations, including:
Yeah, I know. Did anybody else sense a shiver going down their spine at the words "Democrats...stick together?"
The Priscilla Owen (or someone equally wingnutty) option, which would thrill the American Taliban, but would also force Democrats to stick together for that "bright line" showdown.
Yeah, I know. Did anybody else sense a shiver going down their spine at the words "Democrats...stick together?"
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
This is great!
You know the record "White Lines?" Sure you do. But haven't you always wondered how it would sound with rapmaster George W. Bush centerstage on the mike? Of course you have. And now you can find out.
(Be somewhere where you can listen to an audio file for two-three minutes, and be prepared to crack--tee hee--a big grin even as you're getting down)
(Be somewhere where you can listen to an audio file for two-three minutes, and be prepared to crack--tee hee--a big grin even as you're getting down)
TV Update Six
Veronica Mars. God, I love this show. I spent what seems like a quarter of my time on the old blog trying to get the word to those of you who were overlooking this four-leaf clover. Which was most of you.
Now I'm just gonna say: The second-season premiere was the kind of season-opener where you can't quite believe they packed so many things into it. It set-up this year's "Who Killed Lilly Kane?"; actually, it set up a couple of "Who Killed Lilly Kane?'s" They upped the stakes, as they say in Burbank, California, and the script was as smart as I've come to expect from Rob Thomas.
Kristen Bell was as good as or better than ever, surrounded by the stalwart supporting cast. Please god, let that "Emmy Idol" thing have paid off, because UPN, in what some might call a perverse show of bravado, have scheduled her show opposite Lost.
You remember that list I talked about last month of
Well, that list was of movies but if we're talking about TV characters, then Veronica Mars is near or at the top of the list.
Oh, and they also had Charisma Carpenter in a bikini...and less.
Charisma Carpenter can act, as those of us who remember the best days of Buffy and Angel know, but let's not kid ourselves: She knows how to stuff a wild bikini. So let me run this down for you:
Now I'm just gonna say: The second-season premiere was the kind of season-opener where you can't quite believe they packed so many things into it. It set-up this year's "Who Killed Lilly Kane?"; actually, it set up a couple of "Who Killed Lilly Kane?'s" They upped the stakes, as they say in Burbank, California, and the script was as smart as I've come to expect from Rob Thomas.
Kristen Bell was as good as or better than ever, surrounded by the stalwart supporting cast. Please god, let that "Emmy Idol" thing have paid off, because UPN, in what some might call a perverse show of bravado, have scheduled her show opposite Lost.
You remember that list I talked about last month of
movies that have female characters that aren't unbelievable icons of strength or bumbling idiots or some other stereotype but actual well-written, believable characters[?]
Well, that list was of movies but if we're talking about TV characters, then Veronica Mars is near or at the top of the list.
Oh, and they also had Charisma Carpenter in a bikini...and less.
Charisma Carpenter can act, as those of us who remember the best days of Buffy and Angel know, but let's not kid ourselves: She knows how to stuff a wild bikini. So let me run this down for you:
Multiple mysteries, smart writing, good acting, a strong woman centerpiece and eye candy like that. What more can they do? Just watch a little, will ya?
Jerry Juhl, R.I.P.
Jerry Juhl, who wrote or co-wrote almost every major Muppet project of the past 30-something years, was reported dead today. Man. A Muppet Family Christmas, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, Muppet Treasure Island... not to mention The Muppet Show itself and Fraggle Rock.
He also worked briefly for Jim Henson as a performer before turning his hand to writing full-time. There's disgracefully little about him on the net at the moment, but good old reliable Mark has a brief obit here.
He also worked briefly for Jim Henson as a performer before turning his hand to writing full-time. There's disgracefully little about him on the net at the moment, but good old reliable Mark has a brief obit here.
He had a hand in shaping most of the major Muppet characters but especially The Great Gonzo, which he sometimes described as his personal favorite.
My pal Ken Plume is preparing a lengthy bio and obit which will appear soon on IGN FilmForce. I'll post a link when it's up. This is a sad day for those of us who love the wit and glory of The Muppets because an awful lot of that came from Jerry Juhl.
And now, it's time once again to play everybody's favorite game show...
...Who Said It?
Now, Who Said It? Was it...
The late, great Johnny Cash?
Joan Baez?
Yoko Ono?
Or was it...
... I believe that this nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law.
Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.
Shall we follow the rule of law and do our constitutional duty no matter unpleasant, or shall we follow the path of least resistance, close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking, forgive and forget, move on and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system? No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That's the principle that we all hold very dear in this country.
Now, Who Said It? Was it...
The late, great Johnny Cash?
Joan Baez?
Yoko Ono?
Or was it...
The lights are going out
There's a painting on the wall
That wasn't there at all
Ten minutes ago
There's a girl who walks the line
She's with you all the time
She won't let go
And I can't see me with another girl
As everything slows down across the world
The lights are going out
One by one
across the world
With faces turning down
The night will hide the sound
She comes to you
And I can't see me with another girl
As everything slows down across the world
In a harbor safe from storm
She waits for dark and finds
She's seen you there
And time and time again
You hear her call your name
She calls for you
And I can't see me with another girl
As everything slows down across the world
The lights are going out
One by one
across the world
The lights are going out
One by one
Across the world
-OMD, "The Lights Are Going Out"
Uh-oh.
Well, this is potentially troubling. A group of "Suicide Girls" have quit the site,
Wired News
Now personally, while I, of course, mainly read Suicide Girls for the articles, I admit I have browsed my way through the pictures a time or two, though I was never a member. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, for god's sake, rocker chicks with piercings have a special place in my libido.
And I bought the hype that these were "empowered" women somehow celebrating female sexuality. As opposed to the exploited co-eds of Girls Gone Wild, that manage to make looking at naked women seem somehow sleazy.
If these allegations, and one or two other things I'm hearing around the "blogosphere" are true, you have to ask yourself: Is it possible to make "porn even feminists can love?"
ETA: I sent Lauren from Feministe a heads-up about this, because I thought she might want to blog about it. She did, and gave me a little shout-out.
ETA, again: For reasons which are not mysterious, I wanted to see what women who identify themselves as feminists thought about this story. So I sent the link to Jessica from Feministing as well; here's what she had to say. And thanks to her as well for the nod.
...bashing the SuicideGirls alt-porn empire, saying its embrace of the tattoo and nipple-ring set hides a world of exploitation and male domination.
The women are spreading their allegations through the blogosphere, raising the hackles of the SuicideGirls company, which has until now enjoyed a reputation as porn even feminists can love. It offers burlesque tours, clothes and DVDs in addition to a sprawling online library of naked punk and goth women.
Wired News
Now personally, while I, of course, mainly read Suicide Girls for the articles, I admit I have browsed my way through the pictures a time or two, though I was never a member. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, for god's sake, rocker chicks with piercings have a special place in my libido.
And I bought the hype that these were "empowered" women somehow celebrating female sexuality. As opposed to the exploited co-eds of Girls Gone Wild, that manage to make looking at naked women seem somehow sleazy.
If these allegations, and one or two other things I'm hearing around the "blogosphere" are true, you have to ask yourself: Is it possible to make "porn even feminists can love?"
ETA: I sent Lauren from Feministe a heads-up about this, because I thought she might want to blog about it. She did, and gave me a little shout-out.
ETA, again: For reasons which are not mysterious, I wanted to see what women who identify themselves as feminists thought about this story. So I sent the link to Jessica from Feministing as well; here's what she had to say. And thanks to her as well for the nod.
Snort
The continuing adventures of Stacey Campfield, Republican of Tennessee.
This guy is like some sort of early Christmas present for me. A duck-humping, racist, rock-stupid, anti-sex and illiterate hillbilly from Tennessee (Knoxville, yet). Who's so dumb he doesn't even use what little brains god gave him to keep his mouth closed.
For god's sake, man, I'm from California and I'm calling you a nut. What does that tell you?
After the local press revealed that the Republican had been turned down twice by the Black Caucus, Campfield posted to his blog a scaled down version of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream speech. The East Tennessee Republican introduced MLK's speech thusly: "I thought this might be appropriate."
Campfield titled MLK's speech: "I too dream."
This guy is like some sort of early Christmas present for me. A duck-humping, racist, rock-stupid, anti-sex and illiterate hillbilly from Tennessee (Knoxville, yet). Who's so dumb he doesn't even use what little brains god gave him to keep his mouth closed.
For god's sake, man, I'm from California and I'm calling you a nut. What does that tell you?
Well, this is a fine how-do-you-do
So. You know that cover story about how we're going to export American values to the Saudi people, making them free to dance to Superchumbo and wear rollerblades and short skirts? Well, funny story. Turns out they may not...actually...kind of...want that.
~Courtesy of somewaterytart (greatest blogger name ever) at Shakespeare's Sister.
"There is more male chauvinism in my profession in Europe and America than in my country," said Dr. Siddiqa Kamal, an obstetrician and gynecologist who runs her own hospital.
"I don't want to drive a car," she said. "I worked hard for my medical degree. Why do I need a driver's license?"
~Courtesy of somewaterytart (greatest blogger name ever) at Shakespeare's Sister.
Sorry about that, Chief
...but I forgot to say anything about the passing of Don "Get Smart" Adams.
The Jack Davis drawing is courtesy of news from me, where you can also find this nice rememberance.
I'll just add that I think "Get Smart" fared better in revivals than do most series. I remember 1989's "Get Smart, Again!" which I think I've still got a tape of someplace, as being genuinely funny.
I would guess the fact that they actually got Leonard Stern, who'd written much of the original, to write it helped. And even "The Nude Bomb", to a nine-year-old, was kind of exciting. Though not as much as it would have been a couple of years later when I actually knew who Sylvia Kristel was.
As Mark notes, Adams spent the rest of his career doing riffs on his most famous character, in movies like "Back To The Beach" and Bud Light commercials. But he did play that character awfully well.
So here's to you, Agent 86...I hope you found happiness making people laugh, and that your last words weren't "You're standing on my chest."
The Jack Davis drawing is courtesy of news from me, where you can also find this nice rememberance.
I'll just add that I think "Get Smart" fared better in revivals than do most series. I remember 1989's "Get Smart, Again!" which I think I've still got a tape of someplace, as being genuinely funny.
I would guess the fact that they actually got Leonard Stern, who'd written much of the original, to write it helped. And even "The Nude Bomb", to a nine-year-old, was kind of exciting. Though not as much as it would have been a couple of years later when I actually knew who Sylvia Kristel was.
As Mark notes, Adams spent the rest of his career doing riffs on his most famous character, in movies like "Back To The Beach" and Bud Light commercials. But he did play that character awfully well.
So here's to you, Agent 86...I hope you found happiness making people laugh, and that your last words weren't "You're standing on my chest."
Oh...my...god!
Media Matters reports:
ETA: Yes, this is Bill "Book of Virtues" Bennett. The one who turned out to be a degenerate gambler.
The modern GOP. Gotta love it.
Addressing a caller's suggestion that the "lost revenue from the people who have been aborted in the last 30 years" would be enough to preserve Social Security's solvency, radio host and former Reagan administration Secretary of Education Bill Bennett dismissed such "far-reaching, extensive extrapolations" by declaring that if "you wanted to reduce crime ... if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." Bennett conceded that aborting all African-American babies "would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do," then added again, "but the crime rate would go down."
ETA: Yes, this is Bill "Book of Virtues" Bennett. The one who turned out to be a degenerate gambler.
The modern GOP. Gotta love it.
Guess what, kids?
It's the ALA's Banned Books Week! To celebrate, here are The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000, with commentary where applicable.
Whereas most people whove actually read it tend to think this is one of the undisputed classics of children's literature.
Don't get me started.
Never read any Harry Potter myself, but anything that gets that many kids that excited about reading is okay by me.
Sure, ban the woman who's probably responsible for more happy memories of childhood reading than any other author.
See Chocolate War.
See Harry Potter.
Okay, granted, Sex is not appropriate for children. Hell it's hardly appropriate for adults. Madonna naked and bored, surrounded by lesbians. Madonna transformed into a feminist, sex-positive dominatrix. Anything but Madonna actually looking like a warm human being with whom one might actually want to have sex.
Because when Maurice Sendak draws a penis, it's an atrocity.
See Forever.
I met Ms. Duncan once. I was working in a bookstore and she stopped in, identified herself and offered to sign our copies of her new non-fiction book about the killing of her daughter. It was actually kind of a nice moment for me, because I enjoyed reading so many of her books growing up and got a chance to tell her so. Do not, do not, do not go by the movie version of I Know What You Did Last Summer.
I had the boy version...which probably goes without saying. Though sadly not necessarily.
Well, hell, everybody knows what an offensive piece of trash this is.
Do not even get me started. Loved the movie, loved the book. Curious to see the new DVD release that Coppola has apparently re-edited to include a lot of scenes that were cut from the film.
See Forever and Blubber.
Because the Hugo award is always a sign of mediocrity.
This is one of the few books about which you'll hear me say: Actually, the movie is even better.
There we go. It may be worth noting that apparently, girls sexuality is more troubling than boys, since their book is more-frequently banned. And yes ladies, I know: Tell you something you don't know.
Ok, you've figured out that I have only good memories of Judy Blume by now.
I bought this book as a (nominal) adult at the indirect recommendation of Harlan Ellison, who pointed to it and praised it during a book signing. It was worth it. This is the story that the movie "Hollow Man" wanted to be about the double-edged sword of invisibility.
Because Vonnegut is a hack.
See Huck Finn.
What, are they kidding me?
Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Whereas most people whove actually read it tend to think this is one of the undisputed classics of children's literature.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Don't get me started.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Never read any Harry Potter myself, but anything that gets that many kids that excited about reading is okay by me.
Forever by Judy Blume
Sure, ban the woman who's probably responsible for more happy memories of childhood reading than any other author.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
See Chocolate War.
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
See Harry Potter.
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Okay, granted, Sex is not appropriate for children. Hell it's hardly appropriate for adults. Madonna naked and bored, surrounded by lesbians. Madonna transformed into a feminist, sex-positive dominatrix. Anything but Madonna actually looking like a warm human being with whom one might actually want to have sex.
Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
Because when Maurice Sendak draws a penis, it's an atrocity.
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
See Forever.
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
I met Ms. Duncan once. I was working in a bookstore and she stopped in, identified herself and offered to sign our copies of her new non-fiction book about the killing of her daughter. It was actually kind of a nice moment for me, because I enjoyed reading so many of her books growing up and got a chance to tell her so. Do not, do not, do not go by the movie version of I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
I had the boy version...which probably goes without saying. Though sadly not necessarily.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Well, hell, everybody knows what an offensive piece of trash this is.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Do not even get me started. Loved the movie, loved the book. Curious to see the new DVD release that Coppola has apparently re-edited to include a lot of scenes that were cut from the film.
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
See Forever and Blubber.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Because the Hugo award is always a sign of mediocrity.
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
This is one of the few books about which you'll hear me say: Actually, the movie is even better.
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
There we go. It may be worth noting that apparently, girls sexuality is more troubling than boys, since their book is more-frequently banned. And yes ladies, I know: Tell you something you don't know.
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Ok, you've figured out that I have only good memories of Judy Blume by now.
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
I bought this book as a (nominal) adult at the indirect recommendation of Harlan Ellison, who pointed to it and praised it during a book signing. It was worth it. This is the story that the movie "Hollow Man" wanted to be about the double-edged sword of invisibility.
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Because Vonnegut is a hack.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
See Huck Finn.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
What, are they kidding me?
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
Well I'll be damned
Tom Delay Indicted.
ETA: And, as Media Matters for America notes (via Kos):
DeLay has said he believes the investigation by [Travis County District Attorney Ronnie] Earle, a Democrat, was politically motivated.Because we know how the republicans hate that kind of partisan politics.
ETA: And, as Media Matters for America notes (via Kos):
a June 17 editorial in the Houston Chronicle commended [Earle's] work: "During his long tenure, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle has prosecuted many more Democratic officials than Republicans. The record does not support allegations that Earle is prone to partisan witch hunts." This assertion supports Earle's own claim about his record; a March 6 article in the El Paso Times reported: "Earle says local prosecution is fundamental and points out that 11 of the 15 politicians he has prosecuted over the years were Democrats."
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
TV Update Five
A diary of an evening's TV watching:
8-9: "Gilmore Girls", season six, episode three. Still loving this series. About tonight's episode: Liza Weil appeared in a skirt that showed off her legs.
I've spent much too much time talking about what a good actress I think she is and not nearly enough about the babeage. She's the girl on your right, BTW.
And I only say this to troll for Google searchers: Rory Gilmore sex boat. If you watched it you'd get it.
Only drawback: Tonight's episode was interupted by a friend's unfortunately-timed, and insensitively glib, response to my latest work in progress.
9-10: "Commander in Chief". Sigh. As some predicted, the inexplicably frenzied reaction of conservative bloggers to the very idea, the very notion, of this series starring Geena Davis as a female president is looking like overkill. This series is so lacking in wit that I can't see it lasting more than six episodes, seven, tops.
Here's where they lost me.
Ha ha, ha ha, ha! Because you know how guys just have the darndest time asking for directions! Ha ha, ha ha, ha! Did you ever notice how black people dance differently than white people? Ha ha, ha ha, ha! And McDonalds! What's up with that? Thank you very much, I'll be here at Bonkers all week...
Ahem. Comparisons to "The West Wing" are inevitable, but I was determined to try to judge this new series on it's own merits. Unfortunately, they refused to meet me halfway. There are things the show could have done to diminish the comparison. They could have scored it differently instead of aping Snuffy Walden's work for that series.
Here's a tip: Although "The West Wing" was a series that didn't shy from the swelling music to support a moment, it didn't need it to "sweeten" flaws in the script. "Commander in Chief" does.
They could have chosen an image for their title card that didn't look as though it was taken right out of "The West Wing's" opening credits. They could have avoided shots and editing choices that can't help but look like pages out of Tommy Schlamme's playbook.
But they didn't, and that left "Commander in Chief" to distinguish itself or not solely on the basis of Rod Lurie's script. And one thing they couldn't help that points up the difference between this series and "West Wing": Rod Lurie is not Aaron Sorkin on his most overworked day.
And it doesn't help to have Donald Sutherland crusting around looking like he wants to tell Davis, "If you give me a hard time, I'll have my son, Jack Bauer, disappear you!"
Also from 9-10: "Supernatural." You know what's starting to bug me about this series? The appropriation of famous images from horror films (last week "Carrie," this week "Psycho") without adding anything to them. On "Buffy," especially in the early years, what seemed like a played-out idea or image would be revealed to have a twist or be standing in for some adolescent angst. On "Supernatural" it just looks like directors playing "Hey, lookit me" Which is not at all a bad way to promote your directoral career--it's basically how Lucas and Spielberg made their millions--but it does nothing to make an audience care about your characters.
10-9: "Boston Legal." God, I've missed this show. Who else but Kelley would have a courtroom scene with a mute plaintiff giving her testimony by playing the cello? Also, in a weird coincidence tonight, both "Gilmore Girls" and "Boston Legal" did jokes referencing the Wicked Witch music from "The Wizard Of Oz."
8-9: "Gilmore Girls", season six, episode three. Still loving this series. About tonight's episode: Liza Weil appeared in a skirt that showed off her legs.
I've spent much too much time talking about what a good actress I think she is and not nearly enough about the babeage. She's the girl on your right, BTW.And I only say this to troll for Google searchers: Rory Gilmore sex boat. If you watched it you'd get it.
Only drawback: Tonight's episode was interupted by a friend's unfortunately-timed, and insensitively glib, response to my latest work in progress.
9-10: "Commander in Chief". Sigh. As some predicted, the inexplicably frenzied reaction of conservative bloggers to the very idea, the very notion, of this series starring Geena Davis as a female president is looking like overkill. This series is so lacking in wit that I can't see it lasting more than six episodes, seven, tops.
Here's where they lost me.
"If Moses had been a woman leading Jews in the desert, she would have stopped and asked for directions and been in Israel in a week."
Ha ha, ha ha, ha! Because you know how guys just have the darndest time asking for directions! Ha ha, ha ha, ha! Did you ever notice how black people dance differently than white people? Ha ha, ha ha, ha! And McDonalds! What's up with that? Thank you very much, I'll be here at Bonkers all week...
Ahem. Comparisons to "The West Wing" are inevitable, but I was determined to try to judge this new series on it's own merits. Unfortunately, they refused to meet me halfway. There are things the show could have done to diminish the comparison. They could have scored it differently instead of aping Snuffy Walden's work for that series.
Here's a tip: Although "The West Wing" was a series that didn't shy from the swelling music to support a moment, it didn't need it to "sweeten" flaws in the script. "Commander in Chief" does.
They could have chosen an image for their title card that didn't look as though it was taken right out of "The West Wing's" opening credits. They could have avoided shots and editing choices that can't help but look like pages out of Tommy Schlamme's playbook.
But they didn't, and that left "Commander in Chief" to distinguish itself or not solely on the basis of Rod Lurie's script. And one thing they couldn't help that points up the difference between this series and "West Wing": Rod Lurie is not Aaron Sorkin on his most overworked day.
And it doesn't help to have Donald Sutherland crusting around looking like he wants to tell Davis, "If you give me a hard time, I'll have my son, Jack Bauer, disappear you!"
Also from 9-10: "Supernatural." You know what's starting to bug me about this series? The appropriation of famous images from horror films (last week "Carrie," this week "Psycho") without adding anything to them. On "Buffy," especially in the early years, what seemed like a played-out idea or image would be revealed to have a twist or be standing in for some adolescent angst. On "Supernatural" it just looks like directors playing "Hey, lookit me" Which is not at all a bad way to promote your directoral career--it's basically how Lucas and Spielberg made their millions--but it does nothing to make an audience care about your characters.
10-9: "Boston Legal." God, I've missed this show. Who else but Kelley would have a courtroom scene with a mute plaintiff giving her testimony by playing the cello? Also, in a weird coincidence tonight, both "Gilmore Girls" and "Boston Legal" did jokes referencing the Wicked Witch music from "The Wizard Of Oz."
Kos for comedy
Bill, at Daily Kos, has a good collection of recent late-night jokes about the current administration. My fave?
There's also some quick notes about recent events. Worth a skim.
"The president believes the government should be limited not in size, Jon, but in effectiveness. In terms of effectiveness, this is the most limited government we've ever had."
--Daily Show correspondent Rob Corddry
There's also some quick notes about recent events. Worth a skim.
Where is your god?
Speaking of Shakespeare's Sister, as I was just a minute ago, she makes a compelling argument for why, in her view, FEMA giving taxpayer money to churches is "outrageous:"
You know what? She's right.
Notice that any nonreligious organizations who may have helped (which includes groups having provided much-needed emergency medical care) are shit outta luck, not to mention, say, a small restaurateur who fed and sheltered people on his own dime. And while I feel for small churches who took in survivors and have, as a result, experienced huge electric and water bills, the federal government ought to be negotiating with the utility companies to waive the bills, for anyone who provided refuge, sustenance, and/or medical care for survivors, rather than handing out money to churches. But I guess that wouldn’t really serve to further ingratiate President Überpatriot Christian Cowboy to his faith-based devotees.
You know what? She's right.
for should i lose my bad depression my splendid art i will betray you
A blogger called Mannion has written an interesting post bouncing off a new book. Lincoln's Melancholy purports to answer the question of whether Lincoln was "clinically depressed" (yes).
Mannion uses it as a launching spot to talk about depression and, especially, how you know if you're really depressed. He talks about a friend of his, who he thinks is walking in Lincoln's footsteps.
Shakespeare's Sister adds that she too has a friend that Mannion's description of his reminds her of.
And where do I come down? Certainly I have been depressed. And I have trouble talking about it too. Part of it is my fear of being thought a "drama queen." It's hard sometimes to think any of my problems are serious enough people should stop their busy lives to help. Even though I know, or at least believe, that there are at least one or two who would be glad to do so.
Do I worry that being "happy" would make me less creative? Yes and no. Being able to reach the little ball of whatever it is inside me that makes me able to create a character like Keitha is so...well in his book A Cure For Gravity Joe Jackson says that for him, music "has been as good a religion as any." That's how I feel about being able to create characters who shine in other people's minds. And I'm very protective about it.
But to be happy...I think the girls would come with me, don't you?
Mannion uses it as a launching spot to talk about depression and, especially, how you know if you're really depressed. He talks about a friend of his, who he thinks is walking in Lincoln's footsteps.
Even those of his friends who know the truth forget sometimes. He makes it easy. Around other people, he doesn't mope or whine or withdraw into brown studies. He's a funny guy most of the time. Witty, a great story teller, quick with a comeback. But if you know him well, you can tell he's in a mood by the change in his sense of humor. When he's feeling sad his jokes turn dark, he's more sarcastic, his view of the world and of other people fatalistic and bleak. "Aren't you cynical today," people will say to him after after a surprisingly morbid wisecrack. But they treat what he said as a joke that didn't work, not as what it is, a sign that he's suddenly finding nothing to laugh about.
"And," said my friend, "[Lincoln] knew he was 'depressed.' He wasn't so overwhelmed by how sad he was that he couldn't remember or imagine feeling anything else. He wasn't so sad that the sadness exhausted his ability to feel sad. He wrote that poem."
Which poem.
"This one. 'The Suicide's Soliloquoy.' When he was in his twenties."
Here, where the lonely hooting owl
Sends forth his midnight moans,
Fierce wolves shall o'er my carcase growl,
Or buzzards pick my bones.
No fellow-man shall learn my fate,
Or where my ashes lie;
Unless by beasts drawn round their bait,
Or by the ravens' cry.
Yes! I've resolved the deed to do,
And this the place to do it:
This heart I'll rush a dagger through
Though I in hell should rue it!
To ease me of this power to think,
That through my bosom raves,
I'll headlong leap from hell's high brink
And wallow in its waves.
Shakespeare's Sister adds that she too has a friend that Mannion's description of his reminds her of.
The thing is, he’s a writer, and there is, of course, a rich tradition of thought (as alluded to with the reference to Styron in Mannion’s post) that depression, and indeed other afflictions and the addictions appropriated to mask them, are the very things that drive an artist’s artistry, and that seriously addressing something like depression may stifle the muse. Would I be as interesting, as thoughtful, as creative, if I weren’t afflicted? It’s a terrible thing to be scared of one’s potential cure, to worry that the cure might be worse than the disease.
I don’t know that my friend and I will ever talk about these things. I think he knows I’ll listen if he volunteers, and I hope he does, sometime. I would like to tell him that even when the cure has been offered and accepted, the scars of affliction linger. It is a warning, yes—be prepared—and an assurance: You will always be brilliant. The man who inspires me now, even while on the edge of tears, will inspire me still, even if he gets the help he needs, and I find him instead on the edge of a smile.
And where do I come down? Certainly I have been depressed. And I have trouble talking about it too. Part of it is my fear of being thought a "drama queen." It's hard sometimes to think any of my problems are serious enough people should stop their busy lives to help. Even though I know, or at least believe, that there are at least one or two who would be glad to do so.
Do I worry that being "happy" would make me less creative? Yes and no. Being able to reach the little ball of whatever it is inside me that makes me able to create a character like Keitha is so...well in his book A Cure For Gravity Joe Jackson says that for him, music "has been as good a religion as any." That's how I feel about being able to create characters who shine in other people's minds. And I'm very protective about it.
But to be happy...I think the girls would come with me, don't you?
I repeat...it's French, bitch!
Stephen Colbert, until recently senior correspondent on The Daily Show and soon to be seen on his own program, is interviewed in the New York Times.
It's a little bit funny...
Sony Pictures is refusing to release a new film by Albert Brooks and it's been picked up by Warner Bros. I'm more agnostic about Brooks than some comedy fans. I know there are people who think he's one of the funniest writer/directors alive. But I tend to prefer him as an actor in other people's work. Movies like Finding Nemo, the interesting but finally too sentimental My First Mister, and especially Broadcast News (my fave). They show, in my view, a talent for acting beyond comedy (though most of them are very funny).
Writing for and directing himself, the neurotic neediness of his comic persona tends to be exacerbated for me. On a completely unrelated matter, a co-worker once compared me to Brooks. To this day, I'm not sure whether she meant it as a compliment.
That said, his own films almost always have interesting and funny ideas in them, especially Defending Your Life and Lost in America. And the new one does sound promising.
Writing for and directing himself, the neurotic neediness of his comic persona tends to be exacerbated for me. On a completely unrelated matter, a co-worker once compared me to Brooks. To this day, I'm not sure whether she meant it as a compliment.
That said, his own films almost always have interesting and funny ideas in them, especially Defending Your Life and Lost in America. And the new one does sound promising.
...the real problem with Hollywood isn't simply its glorification of sex, money and lame old TV shows. It's that our Ivy League-educated studio elite often don't know the difference between crass and class. How's this for an example: Sony Pictures, the studio that made "European Gigolo," has refused to release "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World," an inspired new film by Albert Brooks about a comedian — Brooks, playing himself — who is recruited by the U.S. government to go to India and Pakistan to find out what makes Muslims laugh.
The movie makes fun of comedians' neurotic neediness and State Department ineffectuality, but seems to steer clear of anything that would insult Muslims. Still, in a June 30 letter to Brooks, Sony chairman Michael Lynton said that he wouldn't release the film unless Brooks changed the title. Lynton wrote: "I do believe that recent incidents have dramatically changed the landscape that we live in and that this, among other things, warrants changing the title of the film." Sony insiders say Lynton was alarmed by the violent reaction in the Muslim world to Newsweek's May 9 story, since retracted, about a Koran being flushed down the toilet by interrogators at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Brendan vs. Brendan
Brendan Miniter of OpinionJournal.com:
Brendan Nyhan:
Fight!
Republicans were sent to Washington in the 1950s to repeal the New Deal. Voters sent them packing when it became clear they were big spenders. In the 1990s Republicans were sent to Washington to repeal the Great Society. If they too turn out to be big spenders, they can expect a similar fate.
Brendan Nyhan:
Now, it may be true that conservatives wanted Republicans "to repeal the Great Society," but that was hardly the sentiment of the electorate as a whole, as we learned when the government shutdown backfired on Newt Gingrich and the supposed revolutionaries of the 104th Congress. And while I'm not an expert on 1950s politics, my sense is that the Republicans of the period were largely accomodationists who weren't "sent" to repeal the New Deal either.
Fight!
No atheists in foxholes?
This is one of those stories that I'm not actually sure how I feel or what I think about. So lemme just write about it a little here and we'll see if we can't find out together.
There's a lot more, go read the story. But I am genuinely torn. On the one hand, I believe very strongly in the separation of Church and State, I believe they do (and should) serve very different functions, and when they get mixed up both tend to suffer. I'm also inclined to be suspicious, for some reason, of anything and everything anyone in the Bush administration wants to do.
And frankly, this seems like the kind of thing Republicans should be pressuring FEMA not to do. Aren't they the ones who don't believe in goverment "handouts?"
But on the other, these are churches that seem to me to be living up to the notion of "Christian charity." The notion of slipping them a few tax dollars for it doesn't exactly make me red-faced with rage.
Any thoughts?
FEMA plans to reimburse faith groups for aid
Civil libertarians object; religious groups ponder what to do
After weeks of prodding by Republican lawmakers and the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said yesterday that it will use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that have opened their doors to provide shelter, food and supplies to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Civil liberties groups called the decision a violation of the traditional boundary between church and state, accusing FEMA of trying to restore its battered reputation by playing to religious conservatives.
"What really frosts me about all this is, here is an administration that didn't do its job and now is trying to dig itself out by making right-wing groups happy," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
There's a lot more, go read the story. But I am genuinely torn. On the one hand, I believe very strongly in the separation of Church and State, I believe they do (and should) serve very different functions, and when they get mixed up both tend to suffer. I'm also inclined to be suspicious, for some reason, of anything and everything anyone in the Bush administration wants to do.
And frankly, this seems like the kind of thing Republicans should be pressuring FEMA not to do. Aren't they the ones who don't believe in goverment "handouts?"
But on the other, these are churches that seem to me to be living up to the notion of "Christian charity." The notion of slipping them a few tax dollars for it doesn't exactly make me red-faced with rage.
Any thoughts?
Monday, September 26, 2005
New Boston Legal tomorrow
For any or all of you who missed the first season last year because the Sunday night timeslot was inconvenient for you: The new season starts tomorrow on ABC in the new timeslot, Tuesdays at 10 PM. I really enjoy this series, and it's not just because they managed to have an episode with two lesbians in it, neither of whom were dead or evil by the end of the hour.
First and formost is the incredibly entertaining performances of the leads. The line at the Emmys about James Spader's leading character was that he's an "ethically challenged" lawyer. I think it's slightly more complex than that; he's a man who has contempt for the thing he's best at, the law. And as I've said many times, I'm really getting a kick out of the fact that William Shatner is having a renissance at this stage of his career and life.
But while keeping the focus (correctly) on the show's entertainment value, David E. Kelly often manages to produce stories that stimulate ideas without resorting to easy answers.
End of unpaid commercial endorsement.
First and formost is the incredibly entertaining performances of the leads. The line at the Emmys about James Spader's leading character was that he's an "ethically challenged" lawyer. I think it's slightly more complex than that; he's a man who has contempt for the thing he's best at, the law. And as I've said many times, I'm really getting a kick out of the fact that William Shatner is having a renissance at this stage of his career and life.
But while keeping the focus (correctly) on the show's entertainment value, David E. Kelly often manages to produce stories that stimulate ideas without resorting to easy answers.
End of unpaid commercial endorsement.
Things I've Found In Books
Just now, between pages 114 and 115 of the Seattle Public Library's copy of The Morning After, by Katie Roiphe, the following:
--typewritten and Xeroxed onto a piece of paper roughly the size of a bookmark.
IN A GRAVEYARD YOU WILL FIND HEAD STONES(sic) WITH ALL AGES AS DEATH HAS NO RESPECT FOR AGE, AND YOU HAVE NO GAURANTEE(sic) OF YOUR NEXT BREATH, ARE YOU READY TO MEET YOUR CREATOR IF HE CALLED YOU NOW ? YOU CAN BE IF YOU WILL ACCEPT HIM AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. CONFESS YOUR SIN TO HIM AND FORSAKE THEM.(sic) ALSO GIVE HIM COMPLETE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. THEN YOU WILL BE READY TO GO WHEN HE CALLS YOU. PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT IN YOUR BIBLE. JOHN 3:16 & 3:36.REVELATION 3:16.20:12-15
--typewritten and Xeroxed onto a piece of paper roughly the size of a bookmark.
Hey, you know what's weird?
Here's what's weird. You remember the stories of what was going on in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina? The rapes, murders, looting and so on? Turns out, not so much.
You can read more about it here. But here though, is the weird part. I'm under the impression, though maybe I'm wrong, that most of the folks spreading those stories were what most people who aren't somewhere to the right of Rupert Murdoch would admit is "the right-wing media." Fox news, and so on. Aided and abetted by conservative, macho, pro-Bush sites like The Corner.
Where, for example, armchair warrior Jonah Goldberg posted the following on August 29th:
And now, of course, in light of this new information, they're blaming the media. You know, the other guys. Not them. Because they certainly wouldn't have anything to do with spreading any inflammatory, arguably racist rumors.
Certainly not.
The 200 bodies are 6, and not a murder among them; the muzzle-flash disarming was made up; the thugs didn't even attempt the prescribed and amply reported armed assault on the hotel...
The murder rate in New Orleans in the week after the storm was not even a single case higher than an average week
You can read more about it here. But here though, is the weird part. I'm under the impression, though maybe I'm wrong, that most of the folks spreading those stories were what most people who aren't somewhere to the right of Rupert Murdoch would admit is "the right-wing media." Fox news, and so on. Aided and abetted by conservative, macho, pro-Bush sites like The Corner.
Where, for example, armchair warrior Jonah Goldberg posted the following on August 29th:
ATTN: SUPERDOME RESIDENTS [Jonah Goldberg]
I think it's time to face facts. That place is going to be a Mad Max/thunderdome Waterworld/Lord of the Flies horror show within the next few hours.
And now, of course, in light of this new information, they're blaming the media. You know, the other guys. Not them. Because they certainly wouldn't have anything to do with spreading any inflammatory, arguably racist rumors.
Certainly not.
Oh, my my
Check out this entry about one GOP family's values. It's got everything you could possibly want to make one of those '70s/'80s potboiler novels that got turned into NBC-TV miniseries: Hypocrisy, irresponsibility, scandal, a psychic, orphans, the world's most famous female statutory rapist, and political corruption.
And it's all true. Go. Check it out. Now.
And it's all true. Go. Check it out. Now.
Strong like an Amazon, baby
Here is what I had to say on Amazon today about the book A Widow's Walk : A Memoir of 9/11, by Marian Fontana. This is the book I mentioned last month having seen excerpted in Vanity Fair.
And by the way, I made a stupid mistake in something I said about it at that time, based on a too-quick reading of the excerpt: Fontana's husband Dave did not die, so far as we know, trying to save a specific child. That was just the way she, as a firefighter's wife, had imagined getting the news one day. Never believing it would ever really be true, that she would lose him.
But he did die trying to save people--men, women and children--and Ann Coulter did question the courage of New Yorkers. So although I was wrong about that specific, I was right about the particular, namely, there's something really wrong with Ann Coulter.
But there's not much wrong with Marian Fontana as a writer. Go read my review, and then read her book and see.
And by the way, I made a stupid mistake in something I said about it at that time, based on a too-quick reading of the excerpt: Fontana's husband Dave did not die, so far as we know, trying to save a specific child. That was just the way she, as a firefighter's wife, had imagined getting the news one day. Never believing it would ever really be true, that she would lose him.
But he did die trying to save people--men, women and children--and Ann Coulter did question the courage of New Yorkers. So although I was wrong about that specific, I was right about the particular, namely, there's something really wrong with Ann Coulter.
But there's not much wrong with Marian Fontana as a writer. Go read my review, and then read her book and see.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Who's that girl...Running around with you? Tell me...
Over the past two-three weeks, I've gotten a handful of comments and/or emails on this blog from people that I don't know. Which is cool. But I'd just like to know a little bit about who you are and where you came from. Or what you like or not about the blog.
So if you wouldn't mind, tap on the comments line down there to the right and introduce yourself. Tell me anything and everything you want me to know, or you think I might like to know about you.
A few suggested questions to answer follow. Use as many or none of them as you like. BTW, this is strictly for my own curiosity, I'm not conducting a demographic survey or anything.
When and how did you find my blog?
When you're not reading this blog, what are you trying to do with your life?
And how's that going for you?
Where did you grow up, and where do you live now?
Do you consider yourself to be a feminist? Why or why not?
Age?
Marital status?
Children?
Pets?
Democrat, Republican, or other?
And most importantly, according to that quiz I posted on the 19th, just how girly are you?
Aaron Broussard: Part Three
So I've felt obliged to track this Aaron Broussard thing. Broussard, you'll remember, is the Parish president who made such moving comments after the hurricane in New Orleans. I said Democrats should run them on every media availible, come the next election, to remind voters of what was done and not done in the face of such a tragedy.
Then we heard that some of his account was inaccurate. Not in the particulars of what happened--a friend's mother did die senselessly, after days of calling for help. Just in the specifics of when and, arguably, who was responsible. It seemed to me then and does now that this could logically be attributed to grief rather than "liberal bias." But I was also sickeningly certain the conservatives weren't going to do that.
Bingo.
Then we heard that some of his account was inaccurate. Not in the particulars of what happened--a friend's mother did die senselessly, after days of calling for help. Just in the specifics of when and, arguably, who was responsible. It seemed to me then and does now that this could logically be attributed to grief rather than "liberal bias." But I was also sickeningly certain the conservatives weren't going to do that.
Bingo.
Then I was inspired, Now I'm sad and tired
Jill from Feministe found a good editorial in the New York Times:
...if there ever was an exhibit of the misguided conviction that for some people very little is good enough, it’s the current administration spin that the proposed Iraqi constitution is fine because the founding fathers didn’t give women equal rights either.
Among other things, the constitution drafted under American supervision does not provide for the rights of women and minorities and enshrines one religion as the fundamental source of law. Administration officials excuse this poor excuse for a constitution by saying it also refers to democratic values. But it makes them secondary to Islamic law and never actually defines them. Our founding fathers had higher expectations: they made the split of church and state fundamental, and spelled out what they meant by democracy and the rule of law..
It’s true that the United States Constitution once allowed slavery, denied women the right to vote and granted property rights only to white men. But it’s offensive for the administration to use that as an excuse for the failings of the Iraqi constitution. The bar on democracy has been raised since 1787. We don’t agree that the 218-year-old standard is good enough for Iraq
Letting it happen, everywhere fighting in the streets
From the front page of the Washington Post, here's the best story I've found so far on the antiwar demonstration this weekend.
Signs, T-shirts, slogans and speeches outlined the cost of the Iraq conflict in human as well as economic terms. They memorialized dead U.S. troops and Iraqis, and contrasted the price of war with the price of recovery for areas battered by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Riffs on Vietnam-era protests were plentiful, with messages declaring, "Make Levees, Not War," "I never thought I'd miss Nixon" and "Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam." Many in the crowd had protested in the 1960s; others weren't even born during those tumultuous years.
Protest organizers estimated that 300,000 people participated, triple their original target. D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey, who walked the march route, said the protesters achieved the goal of 100,000 and probably exceeded it. Asked whether at least 150,000 showed up, the chief said, "That's as good a guess as any.
"It's their protest, not mine. It was peaceful -- that's all I care about," Ramsey said.
Marching past the Treasury Building, Steven Olsen, 57, and his wife, Brenda, 49, of Yonkers, N.Y., held signs bearing a photo of their son, an Army Reserve sergeant sent to Iraq after enrolling in medical school.
"I hear from him about once a month," said Brenda as her husband gently waved a placard that said, "Proud of my soldier: Ashamed of this war."
Saturday, September 24, 2005
This is sad on so many levels
So there's this fella named Stacey Campfield. He is a member of the House of Representatives in the great state of...
...wait for it...
...that's right, Tennessee. Knoxville, yet.
Rep. Campfield gained the attention of a blogger or two, and the local news down there, yesterday when he tried to join the Tennessee House Black Caucus.
Campfield is white. But, as Jesus' General posted today:
Be sure to follow the link in JG's post to Egalia from TGW's entry about the same fella, in which we learn that
And yes, she's got examples. Man. If I'd have known some of this shit a couple of years ago, I could have had much more fun down there...
...wait for it...
...that's right, Tennessee. Knoxville, yet.
Rep. Campfield gained the attention of a blogger or two, and the local news down there, yesterday when he tried to join the Tennessee House Black Caucus.
Campfield is white. But, as Jesus' General posted today:
He was born a poor black child
Rep. Stacey Campfield
Tennessee House of Representatives
Dear Rep. Campfield,
I was sorry to hear that your application to become a member of the Tennessee House Black Caucus was rejected. When will they realize that the sons of the Southern Strategy are the black man's friend?
Be sure to follow the link in JG's post to Egalia from TGW's entry about the same fella, in which we learn that
Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) is famous in some circles for his difficulties with the complexities of 3rd grade writing skills. When Campfield began blogging a few months back, conservative bloggers were so alarmed by his difficulties with the language that they assisted him in the fine art of spell checking.
And yes, she's got examples. Man. If I'd have known some of this shit a couple of years ago, I could have had much more fun down there...
I can fly as high as the sky, I am sci-fi!
Via Slashdot:
Ahem. And returned in 1996 and 2005, the former not very succesfully, the latter rather more so. And personally, I've always felt the "cheesyness" of the monsters, etc was a test of fan character. It's easy for you poncy 'X-Files' fans with your state of the art special F/X to suspend your disbelief...we have to work for it, you know...
I'd like to say a few words on behalf of a couple of shows that don't appear on their list. First, the televised version of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy'.
I'm aware that Douglas Adams wasn't entirely happy with the production, but I think it stands up as a superb visualisation of his work. One that I believe will outlive the recent big screen version (which I admit I haven't seen)
And if we stretch the definition of "sci-fi television show," which they seem to be doing, we have to include 'Batman: The Animated Series. One of the finest animated series ever made, and the finest dramatization of Batman I've ever seen.
Then there's their number 7...
I'll add to this that the 1985 revival, which I wrote about on the old blog here, was at least its equal; literate, well-produced and superior.
And their number 5...
Number 5. Cute, huh? But I wouldn't argue with "one of the best sci-fi shows ever made;" it was. And when he was on his game B5 creator and chief writer JMS was one of the best. And let's just say if you believe some of the tittle, there's a reason why 'DS-9' resembled it...
And yeah, I'd include their:
-and most of 'Angel,' with the tacit understanding that Buffy's battle against vampires really ended in 2001. Then she died and for only-guessed-at sins, was sent to hell. Wherein her life was turned into the kind of tiresome, badly-made and worse-written TV series in which strong women are murdered, and people who claimed to admire Buffy kept calling her torturer a genius. Other than that, they're quite right, it was fantastic.
I miss any?
Boston.com is running an article discussing their top 50 Sci-Fi TV shows of all-time. What are some of your favorites?"Well, let's start with their Number 8...
'Dr. Who'
No sci-fi show list is complete without Dr. Who. The series ran from 1963 to 1989 and featured several men as the doctor - a time traveling, eccentric alien - and his comrades. Sure, many of the monsters were terribly cheesy, but it is a classic nonetheless.
Ahem. And returned in 1996 and 2005, the former not very succesfully, the latter rather more so. And personally, I've always felt the "cheesyness" of the monsters, etc was a test of fan character. It's easy for you poncy 'X-Files' fans with your state of the art special F/X to suspend your disbelief...we have to work for it, you know...
I'd like to say a few words on behalf of a couple of shows that don't appear on their list. First, the televised version of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy'.
I'm aware that Douglas Adams wasn't entirely happy with the production, but I think it stands up as a superb visualisation of his work. One that I believe will outlive the recent big screen version (which I admit I haven't seen)And if we stretch the definition of "sci-fi television show," which they seem to be doing, we have to include 'Batman: The Animated Series. One of the finest animated series ever made, and the finest dramatization of Batman I've ever seen.
Then there's their number 7...
'The Twilight Zone'
Not only is 'The Twilight Zone' one of the greatest sci-fi shows ever, it's one of the best shows of all time. Rod Serling hosted the show from 1959 to 1964. Each week he featured a usually creepy, sometime witty, show that ranged from alien invaders to time travel.
I'll add to this that the 1985 revival, which I wrote about on the old blog here, was at least its equal; literate, well-produced and superior.
And their number 5...
'Babylon 5'
'Babylon 5' is arguably one of the best sci-fi shows ever made. Some may compare it to 'Star Trek DS-9' but with a better plot and cast - you be the judge. In the meantime, we'll give 'Babylon 5'; a thumbs up showing in the No. 5 spot.
Number 5. Cute, huh? But I wouldn't argue with "one of the best sci-fi shows ever made;" it was. And when he was on his game B5 creator and chief writer JMS was one of the best. And let's just say if you believe some of the tittle, there's a reason why 'DS-9' resembled it...
And yeah, I'd include their:
Number 27
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'
A fantastic show about a high school student with a bad reputation who has a destiny to kill vampires meandering about L.A. Buffey Summers is played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in a kick-butt role as the tough, but attractive, vampire slayer. She battled vampires from 1997-2003.
-and most of 'Angel,' with the tacit understanding that Buffy's battle against vampires really ended in 2001. Then she died and for only-guessed-at sins, was sent to hell. Wherein her life was turned into the kind of tiresome, badly-made and worse-written TV series in which strong women are murdered, and people who claimed to admire Buffy kept calling her torturer a genius. Other than that, they're quite right, it was fantastic.
I miss any?
A short rant
I just spent I don't even want to think about how long trying to figure out how to post a comment on a blog entry by "The Anchoress." This is a religious right, pro-Bush, pro GOP, conservative blogger. She was running the why, oh why, are those mean old lefty liberals being so mean to poor, beleaguered president Bush? number, and I wanted to make a comment or two.
The "preamble" to her blog is as long as some people's entire blog entries and includes these friendly, welcoming words:
Which is certainly a reasonable request and an optimistic statement, both of which I would have done my best to live up to. Even if she hadn't asked, I hope. But here's the thing. She's got her blog set up so that it's absolutely impossible for a new user to register to post comments.
I suppose it wouldn't be exactly "civil" of me to say that it's outside my definition of "decency" to solicit comments making a little to-do about how you encourage open debate, and then virtually put your hands over your eyes and stuff cotton in your ears.
However, it is completely within my definition of a religious right, pro-Bush, pro GOP, conservative blogger.
The "preamble" to her blog is as long as some people's entire blog entries and includes these friendly, welcoming words:
Instead of passing me food, comments will do! I ask only that you be civil, because I do believe that decent people can disagree and still be decent people
Which is certainly a reasonable request and an optimistic statement, both of which I would have done my best to live up to. Even if she hadn't asked, I hope. But here's the thing. She's got her blog set up so that it's absolutely impossible for a new user to register to post comments.
I suppose it wouldn't be exactly "civil" of me to say that it's outside my definition of "decency" to solicit comments making a little to-do about how you encourage open debate, and then virtually put your hands over your eyes and stuff cotton in your ears.
However, it is completely within my definition of a religious right, pro-Bush, pro GOP, conservative blogger.
There's something happening here. What it is...
You know, believe it or not, there are times when I feel sorry for George W. Bush. Not so sorry that I don't think in a truly "fair and balanced" world he would be impeached and forced to resign in disgrace--but sorry nevertheless.
The last time was for about a month after 9/11. When most people are alleged to have seen in him a "swagger" and a look of "unshakable self-assurance." But I remember looking at pictures of him at the time, and thinking that wasn't what I saw there. What I saw was a man who was badly shaken (as were we all) with a look saying "Daddy? Daddy! I don't want to do this anymore, daddy! You didn't tell me I'd have to do these things, daddy!"
And now we learn from the Washington Post (via AmericaBlog) that
ETA: Hey, and I missed this (teach me to read carefully), but The Left Coaster heard it loud and clear:
Ah, the "blame the bitch" school of logic. Firedoglake discusses it a bit here. But to get back to my little fit of compassion...well, just look at these pictures.
Folks, this is not a happy warrior. He looks so small. As I say, none of this in any way means I don't think if he were a true patriot, he would have resigned soon after 9/11. On the grounds that "Who are we kidding? We all know I can't handle this."
Nevertheless, no doubt it's that girly side in me, but I do feel just the tinyest bit sorry for him. Don't worry, it'll pass.
The last time was for about a month after 9/11. When most people are alleged to have seen in him a "swagger" and a look of "unshakable self-assurance." But I remember looking at pictures of him at the time, and thinking that wasn't what I saw there. What I saw was a man who was badly shaken (as were we all) with a look saying "Daddy? Daddy! I don't want to do this anymore, daddy! You didn't tell me I'd have to do these things, daddy!"
And now we learn from the Washington Post (via AmericaBlog) that
A president who roamed across the national and world stages with an unshakable self-assurance that comforted Republicans and confounded critics since 2001 suddenly finds himself struggling to reclaim his swagger. Bush's standing with the public -- and within the Republican Party -- has been battered by a failed Social Security campaign, violence in Iraq, and most recently Hurricane Katrina. His approval ratings, 42 percent in the most recent Washington Post-ABC poll, have never been lower.
ETA: Hey, and I missed this (teach me to read carefully), but The Left Coaster heard it loud and clear:
A top Republican close to the White House since the earliest days said the absence of a "reelection target" and pressure from first lady Laura Bush and others to soften his second-term tone conspired to temper Bush's swagger well before Katrina hit. "A reelection campaign was always the driving principle to force them to get things together," said the GOP operative, who would speak candidly about Bush only if his name was not used. He said the "brilliance of this team" was always overstated. "Part of the reason they looked so good is Democrats were so discombobulated." Since the election, this official said, White House aides reported that Laura Bush was among those counseling Bush to change his cowboy image during the final four years.
Ah, the "blame the bitch" school of logic. Firedoglake discusses it a bit here. But to get back to my little fit of compassion...well, just look at these pictures.
Folks, this is not a happy warrior. He looks so small. As I say, none of this in any way means I don't think if he were a true patriot, he would have resigned soon after 9/11. On the grounds that "Who are we kidding? We all know I can't handle this."
Nevertheless, no doubt it's that girly side in me, but I do feel just the tinyest bit sorry for him. Don't worry, it'll pass.
Friday, September 23, 2005
But if you can stand the test you know your worst is better than their best
| You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (31% permissive) You are best described as a:
Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating |
What pisses writers off
So, there's this new film called "Proof." You may have seen Gwyneth Paltrow doing the rounds of the talk shows to promote it. I've yet to see it, but it's being generally well-recieved by the critics.
It's based on a play of the same name, written by a man named David Auburn, who also co-wrote the screenplay. For the play, Mr. Auburn won something called the Joseph Kesselring Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the Drama Desk Award, and the Tony Award for Best Play.
None of which would have happened if one man had not dreamed a dream and had an idea. That man, may I remind you, is named David Auburn. And it was all, apparently, so that Roger Ebert could make the first line of his review,
"John Madden's 'Proof.'" Five paragraphs later, Ebert gets around to mentioning the play and that oh yeah, it won an award or two. And as if that wasn't enough to get steam pouring out of the ears of any writer with the slightest self-esteem?
Dig the irony of invoking "true authorship" one line after you smash a writers face into the shit.
Fuck it. I'm writing a book. Ain't nobody ever going to say my stories about Annabel, Keitha and Colley are anything but "Ben Varkentine's..."
It's based on a play of the same name, written by a man named David Auburn, who also co-wrote the screenplay. For the play, Mr. Auburn won something called the Joseph Kesselring Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the Drama Desk Award, and the Tony Award for Best Play.
None of which would have happened if one man had not dreamed a dream and had an idea. That man, may I remind you, is named David Auburn. And it was all, apparently, so that Roger Ebert could make the first line of his review,
John Madden's "Proof" is an extraordinary thriller about matters of scholarship and the heart, about the true authorship of a mathematical proof and the passions that coil around it.
"John Madden's 'Proof.'" Five paragraphs later, Ebert gets around to mentioning the play and that oh yeah, it won an award or two. And as if that wasn't enough to get steam pouring out of the ears of any writer with the slightest self-esteem?
Dig the irony of invoking "true authorship" one line after you smash a writers face into the shit.
Fuck it. I'm writing a book. Ain't nobody ever going to say my stories about Annabel, Keitha and Colley are anything but "Ben Varkentine's..."
Thursday, September 22, 2005
TV Update Four
"Much like rock 'n' roll, school shootings were invented by blacks and then stolen by the white man."
Good news! Finally, a new sitcom of the season that I actually think is funny! "Everybody Hates Chris" definitely made me laugh more than the premieres of either "How I Met Your Mother" or "Twins," and may have made me laugh more than both of them combined. You know the laugh of delight because a line has actually surprised you? It's rare in television, isn't it? I know it is for me...but that's what I was doing.
It's more than just reheated pieces of Rock's stand-up act, though there was a little of that: Anyone familiar with his HBO specials knew what was gonna happen to "the big piece of chicken."
What I didn't know was what the reaction of Rock's dad, played by Terry Crews, would be to spilt milk. Let's just say he didn't cry over it...
"That's 49 cent of spilled milk dripping all over my table...somebody's gonna drink that!"
The series has the sharp hilarity that is Rock's trademark as a standup but also, lord forgive me for using these words but it's true, a warm family feel. And from my POV it certainly doesn't hurt that the show is set in 1982, meaning it's scored with a lot of great hip-hop, rock and soul classics from back in the day, including Run DMC, Stevie Wonder and Hall & Oates.
Comparisons to "The Cosby Show" are obvious enough to be tedious, but the show deserves it for reasons that are more than (forgive me) skin deep: Both benefit by drawing on the life of a great entertainer with a smart, funny mind. And that's to be hailed no matter what color you are.
I bought you drinks, I brought you flowers...
James Mann, our favorite Truth-To-Power teller, offers a could-be explaination for why the story about Bush's taking to drink- if it is true- was leaked.
Elsewhere, Shakespeare's Sister, following up on the same question, notes:
Again, we here at Dictionopolis in Digitopolis don't know, and we're not pretending we do. But...
This was given to them most likely by a White House figure- perhaps laying the ground for this?
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
Could be BS, could be something. Time will tell. Frankly, its a perfect "out" for Bush. I can hear the faithful now...
"But he's a good man, just sick, thats all..."
Elsewhere, Shakespeare's Sister, following up on the same question, notes:
before you get all snooty about the credibility of The National Enquirer, I’d just like to remind you that particular rag has broken none too few political scandals wide open—including Gary Hart’s tryst with Donna Rice, Jesse Jackson's affair and illegitimate child, Pardongate, and Rush Limbaugh’s drug addiction. As far as political scandals go, they’re usually, well, right.
Again, we here at Dictionopolis in Digitopolis don't know, and we're not pretending we do. But...
Right, you've got the girl down on the bed, you've got her legs up on the mantelpiece
A new study finds that blogs are more likely to deal with personal matters than politics or current events, and nearly 50% of bloggers see the activity as a form of therapy.
Well doctor, it's like this. There's tension between my mother and me and my friends don't ring enough. I identify with these words by Kenneth Tynan diagnosing himself:
Possesses a Super-Ego of tremendous (though only sporadically exercised) power, in the form of reproving conscience that drives him to periodic bouts of self-punishing work; and an equally powerful Id, which insists on immediate sensual rewards....plus a single sentence culled from published works of psychiartrist named Dr. Bergler: 'Every writer without exception is a masochist, a sadist, a peeping Tom, an exhibitionist, a narcissist, an "injustice collector" and a "depressed person constantly haunted by fears of unproductivity.".'
And this song by Colin Hay and Thom Mooney:
Any minute now my ship is coming in
I'll keep checking the horizon
And I'll stand on the bow
And feel the waves come crashing
Come crashing down, down, down on me
And you said,"Be still, my love
Open up your heart
Let the light shine in"
Don't you understand?
I already have a plan
I'm waiting for my real life to begin
When I awoke today suddenly nothing happened
But in my dreams I slew the dragon
And down this beaten path
And up this cobbled lane
I'm walking in my own footsteps once again
Any minute now my ship is coming in
I'll keep checking the horizon
And I'll check my machine
There's sure to be that call
It's gonna happen soon, soon, oh so very soon
It's just that times are lean
And you say,"Be still, my love
Open up your heart
Let the light shine in"
Don't you understand?
I already have a plan
I'm waiting for my real life to begin
And I'm genuinely concerned about what's going to happen to my country and my planet, from John Roberts to the war in Iraq. Although, I don't give much of a damn that-shock-a model used cocaine. So I got that going for me.
So anyway, doctor...what do you mean you're afraid our time is up?
Who are the people who are Democrats?
A man named John Hawkins, writing for Right Wing News, thinks he knows. He's broken us down into four groups, about which I have only this to say:
"Whatever the public blames you for, cultivate it - it is yourself." - Cocteau
The Radicals: Ideologically, there isn't necessarily a large gulf between this group and the "Stealth Dems." The difference is that this group is more open about their views, largely unwilling to compromise on the issues, and particularly strident in their rhetoric. The ranks of the "Radicals" have swelled considerably in recent years because of the uniting power of the internet and because losing tends to radicalize political parties.
Unfortunately for the Democrats, even though this group is politically unappealing and has a knack for alienating large portions of the electorate, they also supply a significant amount of energy and fund-raising for the Party. This often puts "Stealth Dems" and the "DLC crowd" in the awkward position of having to choose between turning off moderates by being too "loud & proud" about their liberalism or turning off the radicals by not being brazen enough.
"Whatever the public blames you for, cultivate it - it is yourself." - Cocteau
Sophie never had to make this kind of choice
As Sen. Hillary Clinton ratchets up her attacks on President Bush, some Democrats think they smell an explanation: the threat of a 2008 Al Gore presidential bid that could come at her from the left on Iraq.
The former vice president is suddenly re-emerging as a vocal and visible Bush-basher — he's slated to star at a Democratic National Committee fund-raiser for big donors in Washington next Tuesday.
"He's keeping a very strong public profile. He was the first major Democrat to oppose the Iraq war. He's keeping in touch around the country and doing a lot of speeches..."
Oh my god. Imagine having to choose between Hillary Clinton and Al Gore. I suppose given that choice (come on, John Edwards!) I'd have to go for Hillary. Sorry Al, I just don't think you're suited for the big chair.
I've got my doubts about her too, but most objections to her candidacy seem to me to come down to sexism, and I can't get into that.
ETA: On the other hand, TGW here makes a not-entirely-unconvincing argument in favor of Al Gore as a "Comeback Kid."
As his speech at the Sierra Club's national convention indicates, Al Gore is not the same man who ran against Bush in 2000:Hmm. I suppose a Gore/Clinton ticket is out of the question?
"When the corpses of American citizens are floating in toxic flood waters five days after a hurricane struck, it is time not only to respond directly to the victims of the catastrophe, but to hold ... the leaders of our nation accountable.
The warnings about global warming have been extremely clear for a long time. We are facing a global climate crisis, it is deepening. We are entering a period of consequences,"
Imagine having a president who believes in and comprehends science.
Flowers that used to grow in my heart are dying now
An "online political magazine" (they don't want to be called a blog, for some reason) called Agitprop asks:
Are War Supporters In Their Last Throes?
I don't want to get too optimistic here but this is where we stand as of mid-September 2005:
67% believe that the President is mishandling the war in Iraq
65% believe that the U.S. is spending too much on Iraq
63% believe that the U.S. should either "withdraw some" or "withdraw all" troops
59% believe that the war was a mistake (poll sources)
War supporters are truly getting desperate. As they frantically cling their chickenhawk claws to their cherished war, they know deep down that the tide is turning against their favor.
Let's not get too cute, okay fellas? It's girly.
The Corner (the aforementioned conservative, macho, pro-Bush site) has a post reconsidering criticism of John McCain. I have little to say about that. Like a lot of Democrats, there were times in the past when I felt he was "the good republican," or "the republican who talks like a Democrat."
That was before he refused to stand up for his family and swore allegiance to the man whose campaign attacked them. A man who'd avoided serving in the war in which McCain served heroically.
No, I don't like that. But as I say, I don't want to get into it too much. I just want to call your attention to the headline of the Corner post:
"MCCAIN ABLE"
Oh my dear god...
That was before he refused to stand up for his family and swore allegiance to the man whose campaign attacked them. A man who'd avoided serving in the war in which McCain served heroically.
No, I don't like that. But as I say, I don't want to get into it too much. I just want to call your attention to the headline of the Corner post:
"MCCAIN ABLE"
Oh my dear god...
From my cold, dead...well...
In the Washington Post (via the San Francisco Chronicle):
And speaking of cartoons: I couldn't get it to reproduce at a legible size, but today's Doonesbury is also quite funny.
Last month, the bureau's Washington Field Office began recruiting for a new anti-obscenity squad. Attached to the job posting was a memo from FBI headquarters to all 56 field offices, describing the initiative as "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and, by extension, of "the Director," Robert Mueller.
The new squad will divert eight agents, a supervisor and assorted support staff to gather evidence against "manufacturers and purveyors" of pornography -- not the kind exploiting children, but the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults.
"I guess this means we've won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."
And speaking of cartoons: I couldn't get it to reproduce at a legible size, but today's Doonesbury is also quite funny.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
So. Did you hear the one about...
...how the government announced that it is changing the symbol of our country from an Eagle to a condom?
Why? Because a condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, gives you a sense of security while you're being screwed, and protects a prick.
(Rephrased version of a joke, original to be found here)
Why? Because a condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, gives you a sense of security while you're being screwed, and protects a prick.
(Rephrased version of a joke, original to be found here)
I could just cry
Entry by Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon:
...there does seem to be a huge disconnect between a good deal of men and women. To put it not-so-politely, the famous alienation and ennui of modern people seems to affect men far more often than women, which is creating a sexual gap where there's a lot of really fantastic women and not enough fantastic men to love them. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but it certainly seems true.
Another big factor in all of this is that historically speaking, men really have been encouraged to seek identity through being superior to other people and this is an option that's just not realistic anymore for your everyday man. In the past, men could count on being superior to women, being both the boss of and the protector of the women in his life. Women's financial independence has basically pissed that away for a lot of men. The other option offered to men in our society is to Be Somebody--an athlete or rock star or something--and that's just not within most people's reach. Getting involved in your everyday life and finding meaning from that is sort of disdained in our culture. Taken altogeher, it's easy to see why there's a lot of ennui and alienation in American men.
I just don't want to stop and start...cause I'm steady
There's a story in the National Enquirer that Bush has fallen off the wagon.
Now, as media girl posted:
So I wanted to post the item, while reminding you to consider the source. But do I think it's true? Yes, yes I do. I won't pretend to know, but I think it's true. I also think it's not the first time Bush has fallen off the wagon in office.
Cast your mind back to January, 2002, four months after 9/11.
Do you really believe Bush "fainted" from "eating a pretzel?"
Another source said: "I'm only surprised to hear that he hadn't taken a shot sooner. Before Katrina, he was at his wit's end. I've known him for years. He's been a good ol' Texas boy forever. George had a drinking problem for years that most professionals would say needed therapy. He doesn't believe in it [therapy], he never got it. He drank his way through his youth, through college and well into his thirties. Everyone's drinking around him."
Now, as media girl posted:
...this is the National Enquirer -- not exactly a scion of credibility. Yet people do fall off the wagon, and if anyone's in a high-pressure job, it's W. And with the reports of his radical mood shifts and angry outbursts at the staff, you have to wonder. It was only a couple weeks ago that we learned that staffers were afraid to interrupt the president's vacation to tell him about the Katrina disaster.
So I wanted to post the item, while reminding you to consider the source. But do I think it's true? Yes, yes I do. I won't pretend to know, but I think it's true. I also think it's not the first time Bush has fallen off the wagon in office.
Cast your mind back to January, 2002, four months after 9/11.
Do you really believe Bush "fainted" from "eating a pretzel?"
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Holy shit
I'm not sure, but I think a scene in tonight's Daily Show segment about the unscrupulous, smirking frat boy exploiting homeless people in Seattle (named...he said through clenched teeth...Ben) was shot by my apartment building.
They were angry with the man (TV Update One revisited)
Near the beginning of tonight's Supernatural there is a scene that opens with a caption placing us in "Palo Alto, California." Our hero, Sam, is visiting the grave of his girlfriend, Jess, who was killed at the end of last week's pilot.
Now, I happen to have grown up in and around Palo Alto, California and this looks like no part of it I've ever seen. But that's ok. Sam places flowers on Jess's grave, when suddenly a hand breaks through the dirt and grabs his wrist!
And he jolts awake from a nightmare. It's a totally blatant steal from Carrie, but again, that's ok. Here's what I don't get: His nightmares have placename captions?
I'm still enjoying the series enough to keep watching, but Sherman may have a point when he says
I like the brothers a little more than he does, but part of that may be because Padalecki still has my goodwill from Gilmore Girls. I don't love either of them the way I've come to love characters from that or other series.
And it's true, though as I say I'm enjoying the series, so far it's mainly on the level of action-adventure. I haven't found anything truly horrific yet. Then again, I'm trying to think of the last thing on TV to really be horrifying...maybe the Gentlemen on Buffy, before that I think you gotta go back to the '80s Twilight Zone.
Except for the "Young Man" in the Angel episode "Rm w/a Vu," of course. He was to chill the blood.
(Ignore that, folks, it's an inside joke)
Now, I happen to have grown up in and around Palo Alto, California and this looks like no part of it I've ever seen. But that's ok. Sam places flowers on Jess's grave, when suddenly a hand breaks through the dirt and grabs his wrist!
And he jolts awake from a nightmare. It's a totally blatant steal from Carrie, but again, that's ok. Here's what I don't get: His nightmares have placename captions?
I'm still enjoying the series enough to keep watching, but Sherman may have a point when he says
Watching the debut ep of Supernatural, you can clearly see this principle in action. Even the presence of an experienced shadowy director like David Nutter isn't enough to get us invested in the slickly crafted scares on display because we never once care about the show's bickering brothers (Jensen Ackles & Jared Padaleck).
I like the brothers a little more than he does, but part of that may be because Padalecki still has my goodwill from Gilmore Girls. I don't love either of them the way I've come to love characters from that or other series.
And it's true, though as I say I'm enjoying the series, so far it's mainly on the level of action-adventure. I haven't found anything truly horrific yet. Then again, I'm trying to think of the last thing on TV to really be horrifying...maybe the Gentlemen on Buffy, before that I think you gotta go back to the '80s Twilight Zone.
Except for the "Young Man" in the Angel episode "Rm w/a Vu," of course. He was to chill the blood.
(Ignore that, folks, it's an inside joke)
Ref me, I know you ref me, I know you ref me blind...
I'm referenced blind in this entry by right-wing blogger Dr. Sanity linking to a post on the conservative, macho, pro-Bush site The Corner. It looks at the job approval ratings of other presidents of the past 40 years. It's all an attempt to prove that, really and truly, this isn't a presidency in a state of disrepair.
It makes the good Doctor stand up and crow:
I'm the "lefty commentor" she mentions. And yeah, I know: I don't think we're allowed to make up our own words either (commentor?) but let's not make a big thing about that. Because she's right, if you live and die only by the polls.
Trouble is, Clinton did not choose to start a quagmire of a war.
Bush did.
Clinton did not cynically abuse the faith of a nation and a world united like never before.
Bush did.
No lie Clinton ever told cost one American his or her life.
Just one of Bush's lies has now cost 1,900 Americans their lives.
Clinton did not reward his political cronies with jobs of critical responsibility for which they were supremely unqualified. Making them and him complicit in the deaths of hundreds of more Americans.
Bush did.
I think the American people know that. And I would point out something about the lowest numbers cited in the Corner post:
Two of the three either took us to or perpetuated wars fought for murky reasons. One presided over a lousy economy, which may or may not have been his fault; trouble was, few people thought he could fix it. Few people thought he even understood what the trouble was. One could not convince Americans that he could effectively keep them safe from being taken hostage, nuclear meltdowns, or "malaise." The dishonesty of one became so loathsomely apparent he had to resign.
War without good and sufficient reason.
A troubled economy, about which a president seems to be disconnected from reality.
A failure to keep Americans safe.
Blatant dishonesty.
Three failed presidencies.
Tick...tick...boom.
It makes the good Doctor stand up and crow:
Clinton dipped to 38% job approval in August and September 1994? I certainly don't remember any significant brouhaha being made about it at the time.... But, obviously, considering the enormous faith that the MSM and the Left have in polls, we must conclude that their beloved Clinton was a failed president--even worse than W --using their own standards of evaluation!
One of my lefty commentors described Clinton in the thread to this post discussing Clinton's "legacy" as, "A president the American people loved even when the other guys were impeaching him."
My response at the time was raucous laughter (still is). People who live by the polls, die by the polls.
As my teen would say, BOOYAH!
I'm the "lefty commentor" she mentions. And yeah, I know: I don't think we're allowed to make up our own words either (commentor?) but let's not make a big thing about that. Because she's right, if you live and die only by the polls.
Trouble is, Clinton did not choose to start a quagmire of a war.
Bush did.
Clinton did not cynically abuse the faith of a nation and a world united like never before.
Bush did.
No lie Clinton ever told cost one American his or her life.
Just one of Bush's lies has now cost 1,900 Americans their lives.
Clinton did not reward his political cronies with jobs of critical responsibility for which they were supremely unqualified. Making them and him complicit in the deaths of hundreds of more Americans.
Bush did.
I think the American people know that. And I would point out something about the lowest numbers cited in the Corner post:
George H.W. Bush hit 29 percent in July 1992...Jimmy Carter hit 28 percent in June 1979...Richard Nixon spent most of 1974 in the 20s, hitting 24 percent just before his resignation.
Two of the three either took us to or perpetuated wars fought for murky reasons. One presided over a lousy economy, which may or may not have been his fault; trouble was, few people thought he could fix it. Few people thought he even understood what the trouble was. One could not convince Americans that he could effectively keep them safe from being taken hostage, nuclear meltdowns, or "malaise." The dishonesty of one became so loathsomely apparent he had to resign.
War without good and sufficient reason.
A troubled economy, about which a president seems to be disconnected from reality.
A failure to keep Americans safe.
Blatant dishonesty.
Three failed presidencies.
Tick...tick...boom.
Just what it all means...
The Brad Blog, run by my friend Corey's friend Brad, has a Washington Post story about the White House official who was arrested yesterday. Forgive a much dated reference (I suspect the only person reading this blog who'll get it is Bill Sherman), but: Veeerrry iiinteresting...
The Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal reached into the White House yesterday, picking off President Bush's top procurement official -- who just barely had time to resign before being arrested.
The federal charges against David Safavian stem from his tenure as chief of staff of the General Services Administration, predating his arrival at the White House a year ago. But his arrest nonetheless draws renewed attention to the ongoing corruption and influence-peddling inquiry swirling around [Jack] Abramoff, a lobbyist well known for his connections to conservative Republicans in the White House and Congress.
...
And for a White House so desperate to build public confidence in its ability to respond to the Gulf Coast disaster, it doesn't exactly help that the man who up until Friday was overseeing contracting policy for the multi-billion dollar relief effort has now been charged with lying and obstructing a criminal investigation.
"His wife, Jennifer Safavian, is chief counsel for oversight and investigations on the House Government Reform Committee, which is responsible for overseeing government procurement and is, among other things, expected to conduct the Congressional investigation into missteps after Hurricane Katrina."
Monday, September 19, 2005
TV Update Three
If "How I Met Your Mother" does as well as as most critics seem to think it will, it may be this year's "Desperate Housewives." Meaning, a show that although I don't care for it, I'm pleased to see do well because I like one of the stars.
At the risk of sounding like a guy telling a girl "It's not you, it's me," part of it is that I'm feeling really weary of sitcom mechanics: Set-up, pause, faraway stare...and deliver punchline.
Still, it'd be aces with me if Alyson Hannigan had a hit on her hands. It's almost impossible for me to watch her without smiling; she has that much goodwill from both "Buffy", and even American Pie.
Nevertheless, this show never made me laugh out loud and barely held me past the first commercial.
At the risk of sounding like a guy telling a girl "It's not you, it's me," part of it is that I'm feeling really weary of sitcom mechanics: Set-up, pause, faraway stare...and deliver punchline.
Still, it'd be aces with me if Alyson Hannigan had a hit on her hands. It's almost impossible for me to watch her without smiling; she has that much goodwill from both "Buffy", and even American Pie.
Nevertheless, this show never made me laugh out loud and barely held me past the first commercial.
As referenced yesterday evening, Jon Stewart is a god
Mark Evanier adds his own thoughts on the Emmys, and found a link to online video of Stewart's segment. Be sure to watch it somewhere it's ok to laugh out loud, but be sure to watch it.
Note to self: Watch The Late Late Show tonight
To see if Craig Fergeson says anything about this:
ETA: Yes, yes he did.
Also, take care not to jump to any conclusions about why this conservative blog's default response to the news is: They're coming to take our guns away! It is, I swear it.
Scotland tops list of world's most violent countries — A UNITED Nations report has labelled Scotland the most violent country in the developed world, with people three times more likely to be assaulted than in America. — England and Wales recorded the second highest number of violent assaults …
ETA: Yes, yes he did.
Also, take care not to jump to any conclusions about why this conservative blog's default response to the news is: They're coming to take our guns away! It is, I swear it.
Hello.
Key OMB official arrested — David Safavian, who was chief of procurement policy in the Bush administration's Office of Management and Budget until late last week, was arrested Monday on charges of making false statements and obstructing a federal investigation.
I don't know what--if anything--this means yet; further bulletins when I find them.
So it turns out conservatives actually are, in fact, quite honest in all things
Certainly there's no other conclusion to be drawn from this Wonkette entry:
Grief-Striken Man Gives Inaccurate Account; Please Attribute to Liberal Bias
MSNBC reports that the emotional testimony of St. Bernard Parish president Aaron Broussard on "Meet the Press" two weeks ago -- in which he recounted a stranded mother's horrific daily pleas for help that ended in death -- "conflicts" with the timeline of known events. No one is accusing Broussard of lying exactly -- he was "confused," there was "a misunderstanding," that kind of thing. We'd like to believe the best about him, ourselves. Still, the central point of his story has been toppled. The lagging federal response didn't kill Thomas Rodrigue's mother, though someone did: The owners of the nursing home where she drowned are being charged with her death, and the deaths of over 30 other residents. For some on the left, not being able to blame the Bush administration for this woman's death will be a disappointment. For some on the right, the undercutting of Broussard's account will be brandished as evidence of media bias and vindication of local authorities' culpability.
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