Saturday, June 13, 20097:54 PM
I sometimes watch Bill Maher on HBO because he makes me feel smart. By that I mean he and his guests regularly say such inane, uniformed, and transparently insincere things I can't help but see through them. Last night, Bill turned to the other powdered millionaires on the stage and opined, "this just doesn't FEEL like a depression." Of course, back in the thirties, at least some fraction of journalists had enough empathy with actual humans to tell the stories of people. Also, today the U.S. still has enough of the tattered remains of a social safety net that children aren't starving in the streets.
National jackass P.J. O'Rourke took a moment to declare Obama a communist. He blathered and waved his arms, smiling the whole time. Bill asked him to calm down, and P.J. defended himself saying he was "having fun". What a dickhole.
There is a whole group of self-appointed experts on the world who intentionally say things they don't mean to an audience they know will take them literally. Mostly their bullshitting consists of appeals to the worst in people: Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and those anti-immigration fuckers. On the rare occasion that the mouth-crap coming from these dickholes gets exposed, the dickhole in question will claim comedy. "I'm just acting out in hyperbole. My audience gets it!" Which, of course is a lie that simultaneously insults their fans and foes.
Moouth-crap from a dickhole?! It's un-possible!
Monday, June 08, 20098:25 PM
People who oppose gay rights are closeted homosexuals who fear that with insufficient persecution, they will be unable to stay closeted. Not to generalize... but if you dislike gays, then you are always a fag. Not to generalize...
Thursday, June 04, 20098:13 PM
The main problem with deferring to authority for your morals is that you only have morals as long as the authority is on top of you. Even when the authority is around, your only decision is whether to obey. You get no practice thinking for yourself. That means when the authority is not around to instruct/enforce, you have no morality to guide your actions. Of course some people don't want the responsibility. Typically, you find them in the comments of various right-wing crazy blogs and calling in to Rush Limbaugh. So it doesn't matter if the authority slides back and forth on an issue or idea, my only job is to do what I'm told.
So to sum up, think for yourself. Or be afraid of immigrants.
Wednesday, June 03, 200911:04 AM
I am wondering about the ability of many, if not most, of the chattering heads in media to continue on with confidence despite getting caught saying stupid, inaccurate, and sometimes self-contradictory things. Like this. A guy disparages unions while drawing a paycheck from a company rife with union members, including the guy holding the camera on him. Of course, the cameraman's professionalism prevents him from putting those dunderheads out of focus. It's a courtesy repaid with insults from the guys in make-up. Drifting off topic, just once, when one of these pampered aristocrats is bloviating about the need to get tough and or take him out and or war is awesome, someone might respond by saying, "how long did you spend getting your makeup put on?" That's TV worth watching!
Tuesday, May 26, 200910:38 AM
Some people enjoy listening to themselves complain about Obama's contention that Supreme Court justices should be empathetic to the populace. Their assumption, I suppose, is that law is some kind of clockwork. Simply input the 'facts' and turn the crank. Out pops the best of all worlds! Anyone who has actually seen law occur, however, must admit that the process is frothing with prejudice (as in which side do you believe and why), projection (what do the words of this law mean), and personal philosophy (is this law constitutionally just). I think that our country has plenty of deference to the priesthood of lawyers already, and would benefit from a greater connection to actual humans.
Monday, May 25, 200910:29 AM
so saturday evening, we put on the only video spudlette is allowed to watch, classical baby. It's a cheap animation show featuring excellent music from classical to 50s jazz. She then astounded everyone by first applauding when appropriate without prompting by us (though there was applause coming from the tv), then pulling out her toy piano and playing along with her favorite song, and finally dancing to the dance lessons provided by the cartoon babies. It took me this long just to absorb it all.
Friday, May 22, 20098:51 PM
Read this to see how accurate your favorite magazine is, and then decide if you'll be sad when nobody reads it anymore...
Wednesday, May 20, 20097:57 PM
I would totally have bought this car. Now all I need is to go back in time ten years and change history!
10:42 AM
Kiti reports that this morning she asked Spudlette, "Do you want to take a nap?" She said, "no," and ran off to play. Ten minutes later she asked, and Spudlette said, "no," and ran off again. Ten minutes after that, she saw Spudlette sucking her thumb, her head cocked. She asked, Do you want to take a nap now?" and she said "yeah," and of they went to nappy time.
Thursday, May 07, 200910:05 AM
Good gravy! Spudlette slept from 8pm to 6:45am without any interruption! The end of an era (of sleeplessness for mommy and daddy). And while I'm on the subject, last night we had our first dinner together where we all ate the same thing: grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Spudlette gives a thumbs up! And the day before that I said to Spudlette, "can you hand me my socks?" and she turned around, picked up my socks and, zounds, brought them to me!!!(!!!!!) And before that, she started wearing a necklace around her neck. Man!
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