It’s just sad now.
You know why it’s sad? Because nothing Lucas said was an enemy of what Charlie said. Jim and Hallie aren’t enemies. And there is no reason we can’t have everything we want, if only everybody would stop jerking off about it in public.
Continue reading “What We Say Is Important Is Important: The Newsroom Thread”
Ntodd: It’s easy for white dudes to say that when white dudes who riot are never representative of their demographic and white dudes who kill always have a good reason because of those rioting black thugs and demons and animals. It’s easy for white dudes to say we should trust the system when it consistently and persistently disenfranchises and disrespects and disregards and dispossesses and disillusions black Americans. Violence is never the answer, we say piously, looking at TV images of looting and burning. Violence has always been our answer. Where we fall down, in these discussions, is in our … Continue reading On Violence
FUCK YEAH FINLAND. A. Continue reading Not Everything Sucks
This is a 2014 Lincoln Center Out of Doors set that I just stumbled into. The opening act Robert Ellis is pretty good but the main event starts at around the 30 minute mark. Like fine whiskey both Emmylou and Rodney have aged very well indeed: Continue reading Sunday Morning Video: Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Live
Thanksgiving with Kick this year meant Mr. A and I hosting, in our not over-large hole in the wall, both sets of new grandparents, my sister, some wonderful friends of ours and their daughter. I abandoned the idea of a traditional sit-down dinner, laid out all the food buffet-style, told everybody to eat whenever and get their own damn beer. I will never be an official grown-up. It was hardly the most we’ve ever had in this house, though. For our 10th anniversary we crammed I think 30 in here, with most of the food/booze happening out on our tiny … Continue reading Weekend Question Thread
Bucky really does love his Claire: A. Continue reading Friday Ferretblogging: The Ensnugglement
It was about 9:30 last night and my wife plopped down on the couch next to me in our basement. She had this defeated look on her face. Thanksgiving has always seemed like a chore for us, with either travel or guests or something. Those four days always seemed like less of a chance to recharge and more like something that left us all with an even-more-drained battery. This year was supposed to be different. We were supposed to be in our new house. We were supposed to be safe at home. We were supposed to be all mellowed. Some … Continue reading Everything’s Fine: Thanksgiving Edition
Oscar and Della are taking the day off. Actually, I lost track of the days of the week since yesterday felt like a Sunday with the hard drinking nonagerians. Since I had bourbon inspired ennui, here’s the furry king of ennui, Henri Le Chat Noir: Continue reading Friday Guest Catblogging: Artiste
I like Thanksgiving and I like ritual, which is why I’m posting this song for the third year in a row: Happy Thanksgiving. Pulp Fiction Thursday will return next week. Just remember to never cut the toikey without me: Continue reading Now Be Thankful
American cultural icon Mike Nichols died last week at the age of 83. His track record as a film and stage director was unparalleled. My personal favorites among his films are The Graduate and Charlie Wilson’s War, which were done some 40 years apart. He was also the favorite stage director of one of my comedic heroes, Neil Simon. Additionally, Nichols was one of the few people ever to win, if that’s the right word, the EGOT. If you don’t know what that is, I’m not sure if we can remain friends…
One of the reasons Nichols was so adept at comedy was that he began life as a comedian in partnership with Elaine May. Here’s the cover of one of their LPs:
Continue reading “Album Cover Art Wednesday: Nichols & May Examine Doctors”
I’ll bet he is, actually: One Less held seminars for student groups on bystander intervention and how to be supportive of survivors. Jackie dove into her new roles as peer adviser and Take Back the Night committee member and began to discover just how wide her secret UVA survivor network was – because the more she shared her story, the more girls sought her out, waylaying her after presentations or after classes, even calling in the middle of the night with a crisis. Jackie has been approached by so many survivors that she wonders whether the one-in-five statistic may not … Continue reading I Hope You’re Proud, Rush Limbaugh
– owners of people. Stalin’s purges were under the rule of law. Jim Crow was under the rule of law. Nuremburg was under the rule of law. — Hubbit (@hubbit) November 25, 2014 Obama last night: First and foremost, we are a nation built on the rule of law. And so we need to accept that this decision was the grand jury’s to make. There are Americans who agree with it, and there are Americans who are deeply disappointed, even angry. It’s an understandable reaction. But I join Michael’s parents in asking anyone who protests this decision to do so … Continue reading A Nation Under The Law
No indictment. As if that’s surprising, and as if the lack of surprisingness makes it any less gross. A. Continue reading Missouri Goddamn
During the New Orleans City Council’s heated debate over Uber, my eyes glazed over and I swore that I’d never write about them. I stuck to my guns until last week’s revelation of Nixonian style ratfucking and learned that there was a world of malakatude surrounding it and that is why Uber is malaka of the week. Uber’s corporate ethos, such as it is, is a combination of 19th Gilded Age Century capitalism and modern dudebro frat boyism with a heavy dose of Randian gobbledygook. Last week, Uber Veep Emil Michael added a dash of Donald Segretti to the company’s toxic mix … Continue reading Malaka Of The Week: Uber
Good morning, everyone! We haven’t opened a drum of toxic Freepitude in the “Post-racial” category for some time, so I’d say they’re overdue.
This seems a good place to start:
Clavell Jackson: Teabaggers Hate the Government, But Love Government Programs
EURWeb ^ | November 10, 2014 | Clavell JacksonPosted on 11/12/2014 12:02:28 AM by 2ndDivisionVet
*I am still recovering from the midterm election results, but I hope two years of a Republican-run Congress will convince voters to get off their asses and put a Democrat in the White House.
I often find it hard to take Republicans seriously, because so many of their arguments fall apart under close scrutiny. Republicans are an odd bunch, some of their ideas show many of them have no idea how government works. During the rise of the tea party, there was an infamous quote from a woman at a rally, who said, “Take your government hands off my Medicare!” Who does she think provides Medicare? I never got the mentality behind teabaggers and even their love for President Ronald Reagan. Reagan once said the most frightening words in the English language were, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” He had a general disdain for government, which was odd because he sought the highest government position in the land.
(snip)
I was researching Erik Prince, founder of the notorious mercenary company Blackwater. Prince, who has deep ties to the Republican party, describes himself as a libertarian and thinks the government does things inefficiently. The growth of Blackwater was brought about because the George W. Bush administration decided it wanted the military to focus on fighting wars and many of its services could be outsourced. As a result Blackwater has received more than $1 billion in government contracts.
(snip)
If your company has received more than $1 billion in taxpayer money, then essentially it’s a government company. You don’t get to turn around and bash the government about being inefficient, when your sucking on the government teat. If you hate the government so much, how about you stop taking its money?
Another example of this hypocrisy is seen in rising GOP star Joni Ernst, who was recently elected to the Senate. Ernst, who has been compared to Sarah Palin (Is that a good thing?), has bragged about her expertise in castrating hogs as an example of how she would cut pork when she got to DC. She also said she keeps her nine millimeter handy to protect against a potentially tyrannical government.
She conveniently fails to mention that she has spent a lifetime working for the government she supposedly loathes. She is career National Guard and has health care and a nice retirement package paid for by the government. The Des Moines Register writes, “Joni Ernst hates the money government spends, but she sure enjoys the revenue her family receives from the government and will continue to receive from it. She was a county auditor, state senator and National Guard officer. She will receive a military pension at age 60. She is eligible to take advantage of Social Security laws due to the fact that her husband is 61 and will be exempt from her proposed privatization scheme.”
I would take Ernst more seriously if she didn’t benefit from the very government programs she rails against. Tea partiers seem to live by the motto, “I hate the government, but give me my government program.”
*******
I’ve had dozens of people here tell me that the GOP-e won the midterms and the Tea Party lost. Okay, then why did the left, as a whole, once they’d shaken off their shock at losing, go after Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin and the Tea Party? Why didn’t they attack Yertl, Oompah-Loompah and Juan McInsane?
To: 2ndDivisionVet
To: 2ndDivisionVetWow, a CEO who uses the filthy term Tea Baggers to describe people he disagrees with Politically.
I wonder if he would refuse to hire a “Tea Bagger” to work for his Company?
Just another Bigot, ho hum.
8 posted on 11/12/2014 12:17:46 AM by Kickass Conservative (11/04/14, the day people finally realized that their Dictator is just a Dick..)
To: 2ndDivisionVetBecause these people irrationally hate anyone who doesn’t agree with them. They also take out their hatred at the more conservative people because they need something of a cut out to stereotype, scapegoat, etc.
9 posted on 11/12/2014 12:18:40 AM by Morpheus2009
To: GeronLThe transfers he is talking about are democrats,that’s where the fagotts(sic) reside
39 posted on 11/12/2014 6:04:21 AM by ballplayer
Continue reading “Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the Freeperati – Post-Racial Society edition”
Spoilers within. Mostly about the filthy things I would let that woman do to me.
Continue reading “Everybody Stand Down: The Newsroom Thread”
Jesus tits: http://www.cnn.com/video/api/embed.html#/video/bestoftv/2014/11/22/smerconish-bassem.cnn There are no lengths to which we will not go to judge the behavior of protesters, but we can’t even find out how many fatal police shootings there are in America. A. Continue reading Who Decides Too Far, CNN? What Line?
1964 is an American Experience documentary that I somehow missed when it aired earlier this year. It must have been during Carnival. Robert Caro and Rick Perlstein are among the talking heads: Continue reading Sunday Morning Video: 1964
It’s important we not worry our little heads about Bill Cosby because we might sprain something: The show Friday night in Melbourne, Florida, might have seemed destined for disaster for the comedian, enveloped in growing accusations of rape and sexual assault that have derailed his career comeback and crumbled his tour schedule. What he got, though, was an adoring audience that laughed so hard they slapped their knees, shouted love at the stage and rose to their feet as he came and went. “I think people went in there with him as Bill Cosby from the TV show,” said Travis … Continue reading About Bill Cosby’s Feelings, And Yours, And Mine
Worst childhood illness? I had chicken pox, and that was about it, at least that I remember. I rarely got sick as a little kid, unless you count don’t-wanna-go-to-school-itis. A. Continue reading Weekend Question Thread
As a second generation American, family and immigration are inextricably linked in my mind. I’ve had family on my mind this week as my much loved Uncle Pete died at the age of 94. He was technically an in-law because he was married to my father’s sister Mary for some 69 years. 69 years, imagine that. The reason I’ve always gone by Peter was because of my Uncle: he was Pete, I was Peter. Case closed. Like my father, Uncle Pete was the son of immigrants and was very proud of his Hellenic heritage. The Greek side of my family … Continue reading Pulling Up The Drawbridge
Fear is always real when you are afraid. That was the first thing that struck me when I read about Myron May, the man authorities say shot three students at Florida State University’s campus library before being killed himself. Before I heard the name and read this story in the Miami Herald, I was like most people, I would imagine, who read about the shooting on campus. Another gun. Another mass shooting. Another chance to avoid discussing gun control. This post isn’t about gun control. It isn’t about mental illness, either, although it serves as a root cause of the … Continue reading A fearful end at Florida State
Somebody decided to start his presidency last night: We’ll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day. But even as we focus on deporting criminals, the fact is millions of immigrants in every state, of every race and nationality still live here illegally. And let’s be honest, tracking down, rounding up and deporting millions of people isn’t realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn’t being straight with you. It’s also not who we are as Americans. After all, most of these immigrants have been here a long time. They work hard often in tough, low paying jobs. They support their families. … Continue reading Shorter Obama: *inaugural addresses*
One of the things I like about our recent spate of chilly weather is seeing Oscar and Della snuggle more. Here they are “sharing” a chair. One more thing. I’m having DVR problems so my Freak Show post will be late for a very good reason. I haven’t seen the latest episode yet. Woe is me. Continue reading Friday Catblogging: Make Room For Della
This post could also be called Borderline Behavior In A Border State: A Kentucky law enforcement official is under fire this week after footage of his deeply racist comments was made public on Tuesday. In September, Southeast Bullitt Fire Chief Julius Hartfield was recorded on a Bullitt County Sheriff deputy’s body camera during a response to a traffic accident, when Hartfield allegedly refused to help a black family while referring to them in derogatory, racist terms. “Well, I’ve got a family of four from Cincinnati, I got to do something with,” the Bullitt County deputy says in the footage, which … Continue reading More Tales Of The Unreconstructed South
Malakatude often involves making a bad situation worse by taking foolish decisions that will inflame an already tense situation. That is what Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has done by calling out the National Guard in Ferguson and that is why he is malaka of the week. As of this writing, it is unclear how the grand jury will dispose of the case against Officer Darren Wilson. Many of us think there’s sufficient evidence for an indictment, but grand juries operate in secrecy so nobody knows for sure what will come down or when an announcement will be made. By publicly assuming the … Continue reading Malaka Of The Week: Jay Nixon
Speaking of things that are bad for business, a body on the floor surely tops a weak pun. Here are two, count ’em two, different covers for the same Rex Stout book: Continue reading Pulp Fiction Thursday: Bad For Business
I mentioned earlier this morning how frustrated and annoyed I’ve become with the Tweeter Tube’s culture of instant outrage. This flap takes the biscuit as the silliest one I’ve ever seen: The backlash against this #DaveAndBusters tweet was immediate: http://t.co/hAYWNlmQlH pic.twitter.com/G7tduOjTNE — The Root (@TheRoot) November 18, 2014 That’s right, ladies and germs, it’s racist to make a pun on the name Juan. Members of the pun community are running for cover. I myself am feeling pale and wan in the wake of this revelation. I may even have to swear off won-ton soup jokes, which makes me feel all … Continue reading Stupid Even For Twitter
I stumbled into this Jim Flora designed LP cover at a web site dedicated to early album cover art. I have the feeling I’ll be a frequent visitor in the future. Thanks to the Birka Jazz Archive for turning me on to to this great 1953 cover: Continue reading Album Cover Art Wednesday: Kid Ory and his Creole Jazz Band
I’ve been dialing back my Twitter use of late. I go through stages of frenetic activity and times of relative quiet on the Tweeter Tube. The instant outrage machine gets to me at times: two of the items in this week’s omnibus post address viral malakatude as well as malaktude that went viral.
Shirtstorm or Shitstorm? One thing I missed this week was the ludicrous outrage over this shirt worn on teevee by Rosetta project scientist Dr. Matt Taylor:
Here’s the deal. I’m a loud shirt guy. I even have a few Hawaiian shirts with hula girls on them, one of which was bought for me by Dr. A. I don’t like Taylor’s shirt, it’s a bit too headbangy for my taste. In short, it’s an ugly loud shirt but what it’s not is a political statement. The Guardian’s Hadley Freeman saw through the outrage machine:
What should a scientist wear during a comet landing?
Eve Rybody, Everywhere, World
Well, Ms Rybody, it’s funny that you should ask this for, truly, this has become the biggest fashion question – possibly even the only fashion question – in not just the world, but the entire cosmos. For anyone who might have missed it, last week there was some dinky story about a probe landing on a comet for the first time ever. I know what you’re thinking: “Probe, schmobe, get to the real issue here – what was one of the scientists wearing?!?!?!?” Glad to be of service! The project scientist, Dr Matt Taylor, appeared on TV wearing a shirt patterned with images of semi-clothed women that I assume (not being an expert in either of these fields) reference video games and heavy metal albums. Cue internet rage! Everything that followed was utterly predictable, but not especially edifying. The story went through the five cycles of internet rage: initial amusement; astonishment; outrage; backlash to the outrage; humiliated apology. First, our attention was drawn to the shirt via some sniggering tweets; this was swiftly followed by shock and its usual accompaniment, outrage, with some women suggesting the shirt reflected a sexism at the heart of the science community. As generally happens when a subject takes a feminist turn on the internet, the idiots then turned up, with various lowlifes telling the women who expressed displeasure at the shirt to go kill themselves. (This is not an exaggeration, and there is no need to give these toerags further attention in today’s discussion.)
And you thought I wrote longass paragraphs. The whole process described by Hadley is increasingly tiresome. It’s a shirt, not a statement, people. I know all about science being an old boys club but sometimes a shirt is just a shirt just as a sigh is just a sigh, the fundamental things apply:
One last thing about the shirtstorm: when did we start expecting scientists to dress stylishly? This ugly bowling shirt is the 21st Century equivalent of the short sleeve white shirt, clip-on bow tie, and pocket protector look worn by nerdy science types since time immemorial.
I’m no rocket scientist but one thing I know for sure is that geeks gotta geek.
The NOLA Football Thief: Another example of a tempest in a Tweeter Tube is the story of Tony Williams, Saints fan, former Zulu King, and football thief. You’ve probably heard about it and even watched the video but what a bit of overkill among friends?
Speaking of overkill, the reaction on Twitter was OTT. I *never* approve of trolls issuing death threats and the like but I also strongly disapprove of the sort of selfishness and rudeness displayed by Williams. Instead of admitting that he threw an elbow, he justified the scrum by telling the Vestigial-Picayune that “his Mardi Gras instincts kicked in.”
Shoving people out the way for a throw on the parade route is just as rude as what Williams did at the Dome. It’s piss poor Carnival etiquette. It would be better if he could just admit a mistake and move on instead of babbling about how he wanted the ball for his grandson. Nice lesson you taught the kid there, dude.
More life lessons after the break.