Archive for Current Affairs

Agree to Disagree

// January 24th, 2010 // No Comments » // Books, Comics, Current Affairs, Film, Food & Drink, Music, Religion, Science, Sports, Television

I have a question for you.ebertsiskel

Why exactly do you like the things you do? What makes your favorite music, movie, food, TV show, sports team, author, whatever it is… your favorite? And what do you do when someone tells you what you like is stupid?

Taste’s change. People grow up. I was a huge fan of the Monkees in third grade, but today I’d be hard pressed to listen to “Valerie” without rolling my eyes. Although to be fair, you all are now singing the chorus along with me. I know. It’s okay.

Interests usually get solidified early. For example, I grew up in a house full of awesome silver age comic books. So, of course, I love comics. I also grew up in a house knee deep in St. Louis Cardinals, James Bond soundtracks and Starlog magazine.

For example, I know when I fell in love with KISS. It was 1978 and I learned rock and roll super heroes existed. Come. On. How could I not love that? Especially since one of them looked like he belonged on the cover of Famous Monsters of Filmland and another thought he was from some planet named Jindell. At the tender age of 10, I found something that I’ve enjoyed for 30 years. I bet you have a similar tale.

The real test is how you defend your likes when someone says what you like sucks. Likes and dislikes are all subjective. I may understand why some people like Radiohead, but I just can’t find myself enjoying much of their catalog. Isn’t there a T-shirt with the slogan, “Your favorite band sucks?”

I’ve never been a music, movie or television snob and I think my open-mindedness has allowed me to simultaneously enjoy a serious, well-made, Academy Award-winning film like The Departed along with a not-trying-to-be-anything-but-a-way-to-entertain-you-for-an-hour-and-a-half-movie like Rock Star starring that girl from Friends and Marky Mark doing his best Jeff Scott Soto by way of Judas Priest.

Another good example is how I can’t fathom why anyone is a fan of the Chicago Cubs. They haven’t won anything in years, yet Wrigley Field is filled each summer with fans hoping next year is this year. It would be easy to say (and I’ve said it more than once myself) that Wrigley Field is the biggest beer garden that also happens to have some guys throwing a baseball around in the middle of it all and that’s the real appeal. There’s some truth to it, but I would never tell a Cubs fan they’re stupid for enjoying their team. It is what it is.

Take it one giant step further with topics such as politics or religion and one can quickly see what kind of crazy intolerance is out there. Nobody is born Republican or Protestant at birth. It’s thrusted upon children from the moment they enter the world. In my view, if your religion gives you personal comfort more power to you, but don’t tell me I’m going to hell because I don’t believe quite the same thing you do.

I enjoy debating with my friends regarding political policy especially because my friends don’t treat being intellectually retarded as a virtue. One of my friends is deeply conservative but he would be the first to tell you he’s not a Republican and the Presidency of George W. Bush was a disaster. I’m way more progressive then he is, but neither one of us would slam the other for our points of view – especially if we find some common ground. We always simply agree to disagree and move on. Our whole lives are not wrapped up in finding the right wing or left wing POV of every little detail. How sad would that be?

My biggest pet peeve is willful ignorance. I get a bad feeling around people who are proud of being stupid. I’m no fan of talking heads and other “personalities” who relish in knocking down the intellectually elite because they graduated from an institution of higher learning and studied the world around them. More to the point, you can’t engage these mouth-breathing buffoons in conversation or, better yet, in debate because their “reality” seldom crosses over into my reality. There’s no agreeing to disagree with these people because it’s always their way or the highway, even when information comes along that destroys their tiny little world view. I avoid them.

In fact, it’s more fun debating with my friends whether or not Wolverine is the best post silver age character ever created. Now that’s a way to kill a Sunday afternoon.

==

LINKY GOODNESS

SHOUTING AT THE SEA

“I have masturbated myself out of serious problems in my life. The phone doesn’t pick up because I’m masturbating. And I have excused myself at the oddest times so as to not make mistakes. If Tiger Woods only knew when to jerk off. It has a true market value, like gold bullion. [The reason is] because I want to take a brain bath. It’s like a hot whirlpool for my brain, in a brain space that is 100 percent agreeable with itself,” — John Mayer

COLOPHON

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Why I’m Not a Republican

// December 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // Current Affairs, Sean

I like having political debates. I don’t like having these debates with people who are batshit crazy. I have friends and co-workers who would consider themselves Republicans or conservatives, yet I know I can have an honest debate with them about the merits of, say, preemptive military action or the proper size of the government. We might even agree on a few points such as national security and immigration.

The real problem is I can’t find these rational, level-headed right-wing individuals outside of a few close friends. They are in hiding. The intellectual Republican… the thinking man’s conservative… is no where to be found. The present day GOP is a white southern regional party lead by religious extremists, bigots, conspiracy theorists and other repugnant examples of humanity.

Today’s Republicans are more than just the party of “No.” They are a loud minority vocalizing things only small minded people agree with such as racist agendas, bigotry, homophobia and hatred for all things not white and non-Christian focused. They promote religious fanaticism and are completely anti-science and anti-reality (humans and dinosaurs together… really?).

Republicans support the hate speech of Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. They create anti-government idiocy such as tea parties and the birthers. They are ill-informed of reality… only the spin or the talking points and they can never give details.

Of course, the man in the hopefully figurative cross-hairs of their idiocy is President Obama. They can’t talk about policy. They can only attack in thinly disguised racism and hate. They throw bizarre conspiracy theories out into the wild hoping something will stick or resonate, but all they ever seem to do is shine a spotlight on their own craziness.

I will admit there are some left wing crazies as well. I’m not a big fan of Michael Moore and have only seen bits and pieces of his movies. I think he’s manipulative and skillful in the editing bay. However, I am a fan of Al Franken who I believe entered politics to make a difference and is quite intelligent. I don’t have an opinion of Nancy Pelosi and I think Alan Grayson has a huge career in front of him.

Is there a Republican I can support? Someone who is not beholden to conspiracy theories, is not a racist, anti-science or fanatically religious? Show me. I’ll be waiting. Probably for a very long time.

The Fox Nutwork

// October 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // Current Affairs

I have never found a more succinct explanation of why Fox News is not a legitimate news organization than this one:

Here’s the Fox Nutwork playbook in all its glory.

When attempting to defend itself, Fox insists that the most egregious examples of bias pointed to by its attackers are from its “opinion journalists” (which they are), who are an operation separate from its “news” division (which they most decidedly are not).

In fact, Fox is designed and built to exploit the traditional expectation of such divides at the other networks, but instead regularly uses its opinion shows as a vector to whitewash their bullshit for the “news” side, turning even of the most outlandish and idiotic ultra-right talking points into something that wears the disguise of news. In the evening hour opinion shows (which, poisonous though they are, Fox is perfectly entitled to broadcast), you have your Hannity types spouting their wingnut applause lines unchecked, because gosh, it’s just “opinion journalism.” So it’s all fair game when they come right out and claim Obama’s a socialist, or communist, or fascist, or whatever the flavor of the day is.

But lo and behold, come next morning, the “news” side anchors pull out the infamous “Fox Question Mark” construction, dutifully delivering their line to the audience: “Is Obama a socialist? That’s what some in Washington are saying…” Nevermind that both the “some” who are saying it and the talking heads “reporting” it take their morning memos and their paychecks from the same source.

The previous evening’s attack memes, Fox folks will tell you, are supposedly this morning’s “news,” because, well, people are saying it, and they as “journalists” have a responsibility to cover that. And in their view of it nobody’s culpable, because Hannity’s a commentator, and the “news” division is just noting that “some” are saying it. Clean hands all around!

In reality, of course, it simply cannot be considered fair game to plant memes with the opinion side so that the “news” side can claim, “Hey, it’s out there and we have a responsibility to report it” the next day.

And that, if you ask me, is one of the key difference between the Fox Nutwork and everybody else.

Via The Fox Nutwork’s coy game

Sheeple… I gotta tell ya…

// October 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Current Affairs

funny_protesters_04I live in a university town and while I don’t head toward campus everyday, the students there are going about their business of classes, relationships and cheering on the pathetic football team as they wait around for basketball season to start. Campus is active, but active with the normal goings-on of university life. My point is, I’m not seeing or hearing about massive protests over healthcare or the environment or the various wars are troops are involved in.

Spending time at the local Borders on a Friday afternoon and I see a wide variety of ethnic and age groups all sharing a love for the latest Dan Brown or overpriced coffee. There is no climate of weariness of our politcal process, no loud conversations about how Obama is a secret Muslim. I don’t see people walking around in a daze over high unemployment or depressed by the economy.

I think if I asked the couple in their 70s sitting at a table or so over if they thought the President was a secret Muslim who was born in Kenya, they’d roll their eyes at me. They may be worried about the future or their social security and maybe a grandson serving in the armed forces, but not the lunatic fringe assertions that our country has slipped into Soviet-era socialism or has a sleeper agent in the White House. If I asked the Asian girl doing her economics homework across the way if she thought her job prospects after graduation were bleak, she’s probably agree and then tell me her long term plan.

Still, I know the nutjobs are out there. They’re on my television screaming nonsensical and bewildering reckless commentary such as Obama is a terrorist or racist or wants his healtcare plan to take care of illegal immigrants. These assertions have no basis in the truth. The intelligent person hearing these ridiculous claims dismiss them. Of course, many people openly believe these ideas. You can’t debate these individuals or set them straight with facts. They feed on the echo chamber of hate and misinformation presented as “news” by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck.

Recently, a right-wing website named NewsMax suggested a military coup just might be the right thing for this country. How is that anything less than treason? It sounds like neo-Nazi propaganda or maybe the local militia members newsletter. Will the Republican Party rebuke them publicly? I doubt it. There is no Republican Party leader. At least one who acts like a leader.

I don’t know who the “leader” of the Republican Party is. The rest of the American population is like me. I’ve done zero research, but I would bet money if I asked my Republican friends who the leader is of their party they’d say Limbaugh or possibly old white guy and presidential loser John McCain.

Limbaugh isn’t a leader, he’s a voice. Consequently, because there isn’t a strong elected Republican voice, he’s who the base turns to for their political meat. Nevermind he often speaks half-truths, calls individuals and groups by pet names like “Feminazi” and hasn’t been elected to represent any state of the union. He’s an entertainer in the loosest definition of the term. He’s also thrice divorced, a drug addict and has sex with underage girls. What a role model.

Republicans as a political force are non-exisitent. They have circled the wagons around the fringe elements of their party and are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. It is a decision which will keep the Republican Party a Southern-only regressive group of old whites bemoaning their lot in life while they continue to lose elections.

However, one thing they are very good at is being extremely loud. The dwindling hoards of scared white people scream their catchphrases of Obama is a Communist or Marxist or Socialist or Nazi or, my favorite, a combination of all of them. These idiots don’t know anything about anything. Not even a cursory look at Wikipedia or a Google search among them. There’s an old term for these walking wounded of the mind: sheeple.

They don’t have a brain cell between them. They aren’t worried about political point of view or the greater good. They fear a black man in the White House. Pay no attention to the overwhelming majority of Americans (white, black, yellow, brown and otherwise) who voted that same black man into the White House. They will continue to chant Obama is Hitler to each other like it’s making a difference. To everyone else, they just come across as rather pathetic.

The sheeple fear intelligent thought. They actively contradict it. To them, anyone who is smarter than them, is a “commie libural.” They lack all common sense because common sense would destroy their vast conspiracy theories. They cite made up facts and dismiss experts. They support “authorities” who are profiting off them and ignore everything else.

To paraphrase Bil Maher, not all Republicans are racist, but all racists are almost certainly Republican. There is a tinge of racism among these sheeple. It isn’t the fuel of the fire, but it’s there. Anyone watching these morons protest will notice a distinct lack of color. My guess is Republicans have lost a majority of blacks and probably all hispanics in this country. Their base has shrunk to the religious wackos, conspiracy theorists, Ku Klux Klan members and Arnold Schwarzenegger and I’m not so sure the Terminator wants to be a Republican anymore.

The mainstream media is finally coming around to laying out the case that these demonstrators and town hall shouters, birthers, truthers and tea baggers should be treated with contempt or at the very least dismissed out of hand. They should be called out when they bring loaded guns near the President, when they create polls regarding whether the President should be assassinated, when they shout like petulant and unruly children on national television.

I live in a university town with plenty of white collar jobs and maybe a larger percentage of college graduates or at least college educated individuals, so maybe the slings and arrows of the sheeple hasn’t really dented my lair of intellectualism and progressive ideas. Maybe I just live in a typical midwestern town with typical midwestern ideals. I’m sure there are extremists on both sides living here too. Still, looking at my window I don’t see the loonies with their misspelled signs protesting something that will help them in the long run. I don’t see the crazies.

But I know there out there.

A Thousand Little Needles

// September 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // Current Affairs, Food & Drink, Music, Performance

I saw arguably the best slide guitar player in the world last Thursday and I’ve been paying the price ever since.  Let me explain.

Thursday night I was invited to the opening night of the Ellnora Guitar Festival and had an incredible time. I saw Chicha Libre, a band I’d never heard before, play their brand of psychedelic surf. If Robert Rodriguez doesn’t use these guys for one of his movies, I’ll be disappointed. Of course, the highlight of the evening was The Derek Trucks Band. Again, I had no idea who Derek Trucks was before last Thursday. Afterwards, I immediately grabbed his latest CD from the library.

Even though we had plenty to drink and some awesome food, we still only ended up three rows from the stage. I guess we could have just parked ourselves at the front of the stage, but then we would have missed the museum, Guitar Hero and free picks. Ten feet away from Eric Clapton’s sideman? I’ll take it.

I quickly realized this Derek Trucks guy was going to draw a crowd. Thirty minutes before the band was scheduled to hit the stage, it was wall-to-wall people. You couldn’t move. The crush of patrons was, amazingly, civilized save for one gentleman who asked, in a sugar sweet voice, a backpack wearing college kid to kindly take his fucking backpack off and move to the complete other side of the crowd before he beat the snot out of him. The backpack kid just looked at him slack jawed and asked, “Are you serious?” His friends restrained him from knocking this kid’s head off.

The only downside to this musically filled evening was the fact I had to stand for three hours plus with a variety of semi-sweaty people, grooving to the music. By the end of the night, my legs, feet and ankles were in tremendous pain.

I was so sore, I was reasonably worried I wouldn’t be able to walk up my steps. After finally sitting down, I had a tingly sensation up and down my legs. A thousand little needles.

Consequently, all weekend long I’ve been nursing my right ankle. I mostly tried to stay off of it, put it up and take some decent drugs to dull the strained muscles and tendons. I probably should have started a cold compress. By the way, two Vicodin do not even dent my ankle pain. I’m scared to take more.

What a drag it is getting old.

The Adult in the Room: Healthcare Reform

// September 9th, 2009 // No Comments » // Current Affairs

I don’t usually live blog my thoughts and comments regarding a speech by the President. This time, I’m making an exception. I have a feeling this speech will be historic. I have no basis for this feeling. It’s going to be an important speech, but I think it just might be more.

This President has to become an advocate for his health care position. For far too long, he’s let the opposition define it. Now is the time to present remarks directly to the American people. Now is the time for the President to act like an adult.

I hope to hear something that can be talked about for years to come. I hope he comes out swinging. Coffee is for closers, Mr. President.

7:15p
We start late. Nice red power tie. No baby blue.

7:20p
Leading with jobs and economic stimulus. I love how he uses the camera when addressing the American people. Never mind, right into Healthcare.

Good examples. He’s not coming across like a professor, thank goodness.

7:30p
“Partisan spectacle” – nice.

I like that he’s laying out what he wants. Gimme the details!

Is he saying the exchange plan is essentially what elected officials get? Perfect.

Using McCain’s own plans against the Republicans. Bipartisanship, FTW!

7:35p
Simple outline of the three tenants of his plan.

Attacking Palin now on the death panel remarks. “It is a lie, plain and simple.” Yes. Yes, it is.

Someone actually shouted at the President! I can’t believe that happened. Guy should apologize immediately.

7:40p
Promoting the not-fot-profit option on the exchange plan. I like his college analogy.

What the hell is the paper/sign some of them are holding?

7:45p
Slamming the Republicans on the previous administrations excesses. Beautiful.

He doesn’t want to demonize insurance companies – he just wants to hold them accountable.  This is the best line of the night.

7:50p
Right back to praising a Republican idea. Rope a dope. Nobody does this better.

“We will call you out!” Wow. Will he actually call them liars in public? I hope so.

Right back to pulling on the heart strings. A letter from Ted Kennedy. Nobody can trump that.

Here’s the catch phrase/theme: “Character of our Country.”  It is a moral imperative.

I like the call back to 1965 and the commentary about the debate then. I was hoping he might use “right side of history.”

8:00p
“We are not here to fear the future, but to shape it.” Excellent turn of a phrase.

I thought he might build on the “I Still Believe…” lines.

And were done. Excellent presentation. He answered the critics, outlined his plan, explained how it will be paid for and simulteneously praised and criticized the Republicans.

And now the Republican response… Yawn. Who is this guy? Nobody knows except the people of his state. He’s delivering a speech written before the President presented his. Who cares? Why do we have to restart? Looking him up online…

I think the President did a great job illustrating what he wanted. I thought it used history well and pushed forward ideas for the future. Making pre-existing conditions illegal will play well.

As usual, he’s the adult in the room.

These people are stupid…

// September 4th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Current Affairs

I’m not usually one to be angry. I get mad at myself a thousand times more often than letting some ignorant, blabbering idiot piss me off.  But there’s just been so much of it lately…

President Obama is set to address the nation’s schoolchildren. I’m pissed off at anyone “upset” over Obama’s address to kids about working hard and staying in school because it’s a fake story fueled by misguided outrage. These people are stupid.

Regarding Glenn Beck’s foray into art criticism of Rockefeller Center, could someone tell him that the whole concept of beating swords into plowshares comes from Isaiah 2:4 in the, you know, Bible? Glenn Beck is an asshat.

You idiots in the Texas Board of Education who in their new textbooks demand civil rights be downplayed, ignore multiculturalism, and “exonerate” the lying sack of shit Joe McCarthy piss me off. I can’t stand this willful ignorance. You are all stupid and don’t deserve to be on the board of anything let alone education.

California conservatives want Gov. Schwarzenegger to veto legislation to mark Harvey Milk’s birthday as a day of recognition, apparently because it might turn their children gay. Seriously, I’m beginning to have a real hard time finding Republicans I like. I have friends who are conservative, but not batshit crazy. 

Just go away.

UPDATE!
I’m not the only one who thinks they’re stupid too.

The Sickness

// August 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // Current Affairs, Religion

Anyone who has any kind of idea about our country’s history with violence against our leaders should be frightened. I don’t care if you are conservative or progressive, Republican or Democrat, right wing/left wing… you should be concerned by the words of this ignorant and uneducated pastor in Phoenix.

Steven Anderson, who preaches from the pulpit at Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona has a dangerous sickness. It’s what I call an abundance of religion. Everybody knows someone with the sickness. They’re the ones who want to ban Harry Potter books from the public library because they think it promotes witchcraft. They’re the ones who want Intelligent Design to be taught side-by-side with evolution as if they should be treated equally. They’re the ones who kill abortion doctors and who go to science museums and tell their students the information contained there is all wrong.

I have no use for these people and will actively avoid them at all costs. You can’t talk to them like rational human beings because they aren’t rational. They are to be shunned, ridiculed and ignored.

Pastor Anderson is one such person. One of his more recent sermons is, in my opinion, almost enough to get him arrested for inciting a mob to do violence to the President of the United States.

Here’s a bit of what Anderson said:

Tonight, I want to preach this sermon. And you have probably never heard a sermon like this before. Actually, you probably have if you have been coming to church here for a while. But you know what? Here is my sermon, why I hate Barack Obama. That’s my sermon tonight, because Barack Obama is coming to town tomorrow morning.

And I’m going to tell you something. I hate Barack Obama. You say, well, you just mean you don’t like what he stands for. No, I hate the person. Oh, you mean you just don’t like his policies. No, I hate him.

I’m not gonna pray for his good. I’m going to pray that he dies and goes to hell. When I go to bed tonight, that’s what I’m going to pray. And you say, ‘Are you just saying that?’ No. When I go to bed tonight, Steven L. Anderson is going to pray for Barack Obama to die and go to hell.

Lovely.

According to his website bio he has “… no college degree but has well over 100 chapters of the Bible committeed to memory, including almost half of the New Testatment.” Bully for you Pastor. Now can you tell me what any of it means or is memorization your only trick?

Pastor Anderson is sick. His church is sick. It’s Doctrinal Statement is typical religious garbage that has no basis in reality. His “church” is the poster child for why I’m not a man of religious or spirtual sensibilties.

This man has no formal education and I’d wager he’s quite proud of his ignorance. A freshman at, say, Notre Dame has more religious training and education than he does. I’m certainly not going to say he can’t have these personal thoughts or opinions, but he comes very close to promoting violence against the President of the United States, which is, incidently, illegal.

Still, his congregation eats up this guy’s stupid rantings. They continue to go and listen to him celebrate violence against others who are different or have a different point of view. Why do people go week after week and listen to a man promote hatred against gays or television or the President? I don’t have an answer. I wish they wouldn’t. I wish they would just say no more and stay home. I will not be surprised if sometime in the future he crosses the line and gets a one-way ticket to pound-me-in-the-ass prison.

By the way, his sermon has already earned him a visit by the Secret Service.