Take a look at the website. Sarah Palin is literally splashed all over the place. How this complete imbecile could be considered for the president of a local PTA chapter, let alone President of the United States lays bare some of the integral problems that could drive this country into a deeper abyss.
With all the issues and troubles both domestically and internationally, the New York Times opts to go Palin crazy. Truly, truly sad.
Showing posts with label Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Media. Show all posts
Television
I have officially canceled not just cable, but television altogether. The Comcast rep. was actually very kind and refrained from trying to steer me to some new "package deal." She almost seemed psyched that I was getting rid of the crap.
This is the first time in my life that I've been without television. As a child, I spent most of my waking hours sitting before a television. During my teens, I watched college basketball, the Knicks and Yankees just about every single night. From 2000 on I became a full-on news addict, spending hours upon hours watching MSNBC, C-Span, PBS, etc. The last few years my viewing has been fairly limited to HBO and The Office. Since I can wait for the former on Netflix (Bored To Death better come soon) and the latter on Hulu or NBC.com, well, it was time to bid farewell.
Not only will I save over $60/month, but I will have to fill that time with other activities, hopefully reading, writing and jet skiing.
This is the first time in my life that I've been without television. As a child, I spent most of my waking hours sitting before a television. During my teens, I watched college basketball, the Knicks and Yankees just about every single night. From 2000 on I became a full-on news addict, spending hours upon hours watching MSNBC, C-Span, PBS, etc. The last few years my viewing has been fairly limited to HBO and The Office. Since I can wait for the former on Netflix (Bored To Death better come soon) and the latter on Hulu or NBC.com, well, it was time to bid farewell.
Not only will I save over $60/month, but I will have to fill that time with other activities, hopefully reading, writing and jet skiing.
eMusic Adds
CNN, MSNBC and the rest are going on and on about MJ, while eMusic has oh-so-quietly added the entire catalogs of Springsteen and Dylan. This is without question the lowest point in the history of American media.
Physical Media
I'm worn out by the non-stop talk of the end days for all physical media. From music to the news to books and films, it's all doomsday. I was talking about this with N recently and we both agreed: Do we really want ALL of this on our damn computers? She was reading a magazine (the print kind) and we both agreed: absolutely not. As more folks move towards storing all entertainment on their laptops and phones, I seem to be moving back to where I was ten years ago. I'm buying more physical music than ever, we have a Sunday subscription to the NY Times, I buy 2-3 books per week and well, the movie side of things doesn't concern me as much (since it's a visual media, I think it's fine if it goes the way of the computer).
I miss Harp Magazine, No Depression and Magnet arriving in my mailbox. I miss Tower Records and the local CD shop. I wonder how long it will take for all the others to vanish. I know one thing for certain: I will never ever buy a damn Kindle. Maybe it's better for the environment, but books seem to have a life to them, a life that can't be damn downloaded. I will also never sell my CDs or records, aside from Roger McGuinn's Back From Rio which I've been trying to sell since 1992.
I just got the new Eels record Hombre Lobo on vinyl and boy does it look nice. And it sounds great. Two things that can't be said for some crappy collection of MP3s.
This American Life
Yes, I am very late to the game. Folks have been recommending this show for years now and I've repeatedly given that, "uhhh, yeah, I'll check it out" look. I've only made it through three episodes thus far (all in the last three days), but boy have they been excellent. This American Life is a once/week radio program on Chicago Public Radio hosted by the calm and engaging Ira Glass. Each show is usually comprised of a few stories based around one topic. Subjects can range from timely and largely-covered issues such as the recession to more personal topics, such as this: Plan B: There's the thing you plan to do, and then there's the thing you end up doing. Most of us start off our lives with some Plan A which we abandon...switching to a Plan B, which becomes our life. But it's not the selection of what to cover that makes these shows so compelling and real; it's the people and the twists and turns that make up the plotlines. Although the delivery of the shows can skirt around the pretentious, overall it's like Raymond Carver stories being read over the airwaves.
Apparently there's a television series as well. For now, I will stick with the online radio shows. I still have years of stories.
Fireside Chats
We've heard a lot about Barack emulating FDR in many respects. In just two months in office, he's certainly taken a near 360 from the Bush years in terms of disclosure. No, he hasn't been perfect on this front, but he's been quite up-front with the American people. But with today's grating and sensational news cycles, we need more.There have been hints at a return to FDR's "fireside chats", and I think it's time that Barack strongly consider something of the sort. I don't fault him for going on Leno or sharing his tournament picks; he's still feeling out delivery methods and the public's comfort level on certain issues, but he needs to find other ways of rallying us and putting us somewhat at ease during these unstable times. And he must counter the media's mania. Oh, forget Cantor, Rush and the fools on the right grabbing at every minute mistake made by the president and trying to win political points. Enough is enough from these fools. Obama needs to lead and let the chips fall where they may. The 08 election and the nation's (ebbing) patience shows that the American public are more tuned in than usual. He also needs to put aside O'Reilly, Olbermann, Dobbs, Maddow and the rest of the sensationalist and mind-numbing folks who are supposed to be delivering us the news via our sets.
Obama needs to take control. He needs to talk to the public in a clean, honest and yes, relaxed fashion. He's tried this via his Saturday videos, town halls and other avenues, but maybe it's time to set up something more at home.
A lot of these thoughts were brought on after reading Frank Rich's Op-Ed in today's Times.
The AIG Uproar and Our Media
I hate to say this, given how important many of these issues are, but I'm finding this hysteria to be a bit comedy. I mean, we now even have Maureen Dowd and Gail Collins of the New York Times all over Geithner and even Obama. Understandable, of course, but I still wonder where all these bandwagoners were back in the early days of the Bush administration? Where were they during the lead up to Iraq? Where were they when Bush and his Board of Cronies were setting up the cards that would ultimately dismantle the world economy? I'm all for Geithner, Summers and Obama being judged on how they handles these issues day-to-day, but I find this newly found microscope to be hilarious. After eight years of soft and scattered journalism, they now all want to be our saviors. They are pointing the fingers at those bad people! What would we do without them? First I had to knock off the big three "news" networks in favor of NPR and Jim Lehrer; now I may have to finally stop reading the suddenly-grating New York Times opinion pages. Ok, except Bob Herbert.
Hilarious. And Gail Collins, please stop with the awful attempts at humor; you just ain't funny.
Steroids and (Somewhat) Misdirected Outrage
It's obvious that FOX, CNN and even MSNBC, to a degree, have become somewhat of a joke. We're seeing the same sensational and knee-jerk behavior from ESPN, CNNSI, the NY Daily News and just about everyone covering this steroid scandal. Let's get right to the point here: When steroids became somewhat ubiquitous in Major League Baseball, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig knew this was happening and did nothing. Why? The money was pouring in as McGwire, Sosa and others were destroying records. Then there's union rep. Donald Fehr. Yes, it's his job to protect the players, but when health and the overall integrity of the game are at stake, what he's done is absolutely ludicrous. He's spent a decade trying to prevent the entire league from simple drug testing. These guys are being paid millions upon millions of bucks, yet they shouldn't be required to take a one-minute drug test?When a premiere player, or any player at all, finds a way to quickly improve his game, and a good portion of the league follows, how should players going about it legally react? Should they sit back, remain clean, and have their game and numbers overshadowed by those juicing? Should they speak up and turn in a good portion of the league? Give those questions some thought before trashing every player who made these mistakes.
I'm not excusing A-Rod, McGwire, Pettitte or others, but as I quickly noted in my previous post, the ones truly at fault here are Bud Selig, Don Fehr and Gene Orza more than any individual player. They were well aware of all of this and turned blind eyes. They should absolutely and without question be removed from the game of baseball forever. They have ruined over a decade of this once great game. Enough is enough.
Slumdog Millionaire
I think I'm losing the battle on this one and will likely be paying a matinee fee. There are certain "indie darling" films that hit the masses, and almost every single time I'm disappointed. I thought "Juno" was dreadful, "Once" was a sappy and vapid take on the meaning of music and that movie with Zach Braff and the Shins song was beyond painful (I honestly can't recall the name). "Little Miss Sunshine" was better after second viewing, but it was initially a disappointment.Hollywood and the press have a tendency to take the most sterile of independent films and hype them to no end. And while this is happening, the truly great films remain, well, obscure. There are obviously some exceptions. "Sideways" was lauded to no end and it was deserving. Watch this movie again and tell me it's not a great take on friendship, addiction, heartbreak and the meaning of, dare I say, authenticity.
The same thing happens in music. For the last year or so we've heard endless praise for Bon Iver. I mean, come the hell on?? Have you heard Joe Henry, Kenny Roby or Matthew Ryan? This Bon Iver fella (I know, I know, that's his "band" name), doesn't hold a candle to any of them. Not even close. I listened to his record twice, and although it's ok, the flood of praise is quite laughable.
I've held out on Slumdog Millionaire for weeks now. By the end of the weekend, my guess is that I'll have surrendered. Please have this be "Sideways" and not "Crash".
What If...
On Tuesday night we hear the following, "President Elect, John McCain"?
For the past few weeks, Obama supporters have begun to feel as if Barack really does have a chance. That said, despite some polls having him with 320+ electoral votes, most Obama supporters have remained cautiously optimistic. I mean, we all remember 2000 and 2004, when victory was decided by a right-leaning Supreme Court (2000) and voter fraud in Ohio likely cost Kerry the election.
But after all the enthusiasm, passion and spirit brought on by Obama, what if he loses? After eight years of arguably the worst administration in the history of this country, and McCain's absolutely abhorrent campaign tactics, what if the democrats once again lose their bid for the presidency? I recall an older friend of mine saying a few months ago, "What Obama's doing in this country right now is bigger than Kennedy in the 60s. I've never seen anything like it." But what if hate, lies and corruption once again win over truth, integrity and hope? Will the democrats, independents and even republicans who found a glimmer of hope in Barack Obama just throw in the towel? Can we handle this again? To be honest, I really don't know.
A few months ago, my girlfriend said to me, without a slice of hyperbole, "If McCain wins, I truly fear that you'll be inconsolable." That line has sat with me since that night. Because I still don't know how I'll react and how I'll feel. You see, up until about a month ago, I was fairly certain that John McCain would win. Just like in 2000, I figured his hate-filled lies and deception would once again dupe a good portion of the American public, and we'd once again see evil prevail (I was going to use a lighter description, but given his tactics the past few months, screw it, this once good and honorable man has turned evil in my eyes).
But then the polls started to rise in Obama's favor. And despite a major, major reluctance to truly believe, I have to admit that I was starting to. The clouds shifted a bit and I began envisioning an Obama victory. I still get chills at the mere thought. Despite being perhaps the best democratic candidate ever, I figured that the color of his skin, combined with a gullible and largely uneducated public, that it just couldn't happen. But again, I was starting to believe.
Over the past week or two, many pundits and political "scholars" have deemed this race over. They've handed it to Obama. We'd hear that he's going to start campaigning in McCain's home state. We heard that Georgia is in play! And North Dakota!
But then we hear another shift. McCain is gaining ground in Pennsylvania. The "Joe the Plumber" bs is working as is the absurd "socialist" tag. Educated Americans are fully aware that if McCain wins, this "Joe the Plumber" fella will not benefit one bit. If Obama is elected, he will. But this fool doesn't appear to be a real person, so let's just say plumbers in general.
Democrats are starting to seize up with anxiety. We can't forget 2000 and 2004. And we see some signs of this happening again. It's almost unbearable to imagine, but what if?
For the past few weeks, Obama supporters have begun to feel as if Barack really does have a chance. That said, despite some polls having him with 320+ electoral votes, most Obama supporters have remained cautiously optimistic. I mean, we all remember 2000 and 2004, when victory was decided by a right-leaning Supreme Court (2000) and voter fraud in Ohio likely cost Kerry the election.
But after all the enthusiasm, passion and spirit brought on by Obama, what if he loses? After eight years of arguably the worst administration in the history of this country, and McCain's absolutely abhorrent campaign tactics, what if the democrats once again lose their bid for the presidency? I recall an older friend of mine saying a few months ago, "What Obama's doing in this country right now is bigger than Kennedy in the 60s. I've never seen anything like it." But what if hate, lies and corruption once again win over truth, integrity and hope? Will the democrats, independents and even republicans who found a glimmer of hope in Barack Obama just throw in the towel? Can we handle this again? To be honest, I really don't know.
A few months ago, my girlfriend said to me, without a slice of hyperbole, "If McCain wins, I truly fear that you'll be inconsolable." That line has sat with me since that night. Because I still don't know how I'll react and how I'll feel. You see, up until about a month ago, I was fairly certain that John McCain would win. Just like in 2000, I figured his hate-filled lies and deception would once again dupe a good portion of the American public, and we'd once again see evil prevail (I was going to use a lighter description, but given his tactics the past few months, screw it, this once good and honorable man has turned evil in my eyes).
But then the polls started to rise in Obama's favor. And despite a major, major reluctance to truly believe, I have to admit that I was starting to. The clouds shifted a bit and I began envisioning an Obama victory. I still get chills at the mere thought. Despite being perhaps the best democratic candidate ever, I figured that the color of his skin, combined with a gullible and largely uneducated public, that it just couldn't happen. But again, I was starting to believe.
Over the past week or two, many pundits and political "scholars" have deemed this race over. They've handed it to Obama. We'd hear that he's going to start campaigning in McCain's home state. We heard that Georgia is in play! And North Dakota!
But then we hear another shift. McCain is gaining ground in Pennsylvania. The "Joe the Plumber" bs is working as is the absurd "socialist" tag. Educated Americans are fully aware that if McCain wins, this "Joe the Plumber" fella will not benefit one bit. If Obama is elected, he will. But this fool doesn't appear to be a real person, so let's just say plumbers in general.
Democrats are starting to seize up with anxiety. We can't forget 2000 and 2004. And we see some signs of this happening again. It's almost unbearable to imagine, but what if?
One Week
I can remember the moment Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president. I can remember the same for John Edwards, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton and even Bill Richardson. If you read this blog on occasion, you're well aware that I was an Edwards supporter until his run fizzled out. Once it did, I moved over to Obama. But I still had questions. I didn't know much about this young Senator from Illinois. Although it's now become a silly campaign attack, I admit that I saw a lot of promise but wasn't certain about the substance behind it all.
The last 21 months or so have proven Senator Obama to be ready. There's now no question in my mind.
But I reflect on the Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, John Ashcroft and George Bush years. All of the folks who stood beside these criminals as they condoned torture, left Americans to die in the streets of New Orleans, lied to the entire planet leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, stripped us of our civil liberties, drove the economy into ultimate despair and divided this country and the world. Oh, they all want to wash their hands now. I mean, look at Matthew Dowd, Colin Powell, and the hundreds who have simply gone quiet. They were complicit yet they now see that the mask has been stripped away and the truth is finally naked to the public. They never thought this day would come. But it has. And history will document who they were during these years, and how closely they were involved in one of the most grave and egregious administrations in world history.
We now look to one week from today. And the American voting block has the opportunity to make an almost radical shift. It's like listening to Jack Johnson for eight years and then discovering Bob Dylan. It's like reading Dean Koontz and then grabbing a Hemingway novel for the first time. Ok, I admit that my analogies are quite weak. But we're on the cusp of major, major change. This is not to say that Barack Obama, if he wins, will be an outstanding president; that clearly remains to be seen. For one, he will be handed a country in peril. Secondly, despite the clear and thoughtful decisions he's made thus far, the presidency is an entire new game.
All that said, we're very close to electing Senator Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States. Given the still sensitive nature of race in this country, Obama and the democrats have not highlighted this fact, but this is an absolutely monumental moment in our history, and the history of the world. This stands with Martin Luther King Jr.
And in addition, we're about to finally address the ills that face our country, including education, health care, the economy, the huge disparity between the rich and poor, and perhaps most importantly, our atrocious standing with the rest of the world. The republicans have always made a mockery of the people and countries that support democratic candidates. And they do this, because unlike here in America, the rest of the world hasn't been fooled into thinking that republicans actually care about the average worker, and that religion, guns and abortion truly matter to them. As a party, they do not, aside from using them to court vulnerable voters. After eight years of Bush and company, to see Barack Obama stand before 100,000 people in Berlin should be applauded, not mocked. Regardless of what the right-wing dolts stay, we are in this with the rest of the world, and they know it. But they don't want you to realize that.
We are one week away. In a time like this, Barack Obama is exactly what we need. He's intellectually curious; he listens to others; he sees the world and not just us; he came from nothing and built an amazing life; he wants to unite this country and the world.
He is the hope of each and every one of us. Now let's give him the opportunity to fulfill that promise. This is truly the audacity of hope.
Biden and Palin Debate
Regardless of your party affiliation, Sarah Palin's spectacle tonight should be universally viewed as the most embarrassing performance in the history of presidential or vice presidential debates. Gwen Ifell threw out softball after softball and not only did Palin deflect each question, but she rambled through nonsensical tangents that nary a human could comprehend. This woman is almost unable to construct a sentence. And for this, John McCain's presidential aspirations should now go down in flames. If Governor Palin were to take over the helm as the leader of the free world, it is unimaginable what could transpire here and abroad.
As far as Biden goes, I viewed his performance as fairly good. He is clearly well versed on just about all issues, but his demeanor can be somewhat off-putting. Is this important to me? Well no, but to many Americans his mannerisms are likely a turn-off. At one moment he seems relaxed, while the next his head appears to be on the verge of imploding.
The biggest failure tonight was PBS's Gwen Ifill. Her questions were so bland and predictable and lacked any nuance that would've given the viewers a more spontaneous look at the candidates. Every word that slid out of Palin's mouth was rehearsed and often completely off-topic, yet Ifill did nothing to challenge her or dig deeper. She accepted her absurd repetition and moved on. Nor did she go after Biden on anything. Ifill's questions were about as difficult and pointed as a church retreat roundtable.
And then the media. I actually heard a number of folks on CNN's post-debate coverage praise Palin. I mean, seriously? I understand that the mainstream media's supposed to be unbiased, but this isn't about democrat vs. republican; it's about a candidate who makes a complete mockery of the importance of government. Our media is responsible for speaking the truth, yet the dolts on CNN seemed at ease with this abomination.
Fortunately, the American public can decide on its own. And if we're truly the greatest nation on the planet, this election should be a cakewalk for the left.
Liberal
Why does this word carry such a negative connotation? And why does the word conservative not? Well, it really comes down to marketing, and it would be impossible to argue that the right hasn't destroyed the dems on this front. Since when do caring for the poor, a reasonable minimum wage, health care, civil rights and so forth equate to elitism and against the people? It's really almost laughable how the republicans have buried the left on this front, especially when it is SO apparent that it's the democratic party that represents the core values and desires of the American people.
Until the left overtake this ludicrous battle and dominate the PR battle (ie, truth) on this front, they shouldn't expect to win the White House. The New York Times' Bob Herbert spoke of this in today's New York Times. And instead of just giving you the damn link, given its importance, I'm copying the text here.
Hold Your Heads Up
by Bob Herbert
Ignorance must really be bliss. How else, over so many years, could the G.O.P. get away with ridiculing all things liberal?
Troglodytes on the right are no respecters of reality. They say the most absurd things and hardly anyone calls them on it. Evolution? Don’t you believe it. Global warming? A figment of the liberal imagination.
Liberals have been so cowed by the pummeling they’ve taken from the right that they’ve tried to shed their own identity, calling themselves everything but liberal and hoping to pass conservative muster by presenting themselves as hyper-religious and lifelong lovers of rifles, handguns, whatever.
So there was Hillary Clinton, of all people, sponsoring legislation to ban flag-burning; and Barack Obama, who once opposed the death penalty, morphing into someone who not only supports it, but supports it in cases that don’t even involve a homicide.
Anyway, the Republicans were back at it last week at their convention. Mitt Romney wasn’t content to insist that he personally knows that “liberals don’t have a clue.” He complained loudly that the federal government right now is too liberal.
“We need change, all right,” he said. “Change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington.”
Why liberals don’t stand up to this garbage, I don’t know. Without the extraordinary contribution of liberals — from the mightiest presidents to the most unheralded protesters and organizers — the United States would be a much, much worse place than it is today.
There would be absolutely no chance that a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin could make a credible run for the highest offices in the land. Conservatives would never have allowed it.
Civil rights? Women’s rights? Liberals went to the mat for them time and again against ugly, vicious and sometimes murderous opposition. They should be forever proud.
The liberals who didn’t have a clue gave us Social Security and unemployment insurance, both of which were contained in the original Social Security Act. Most conservatives despised the very idea of this assistance to struggling Americans. Republicans hated Social Security, but most were afraid to give full throat to their opposition in public at the height of the Depression.
“In the procedural motions that preceded final passage,” wrote historian Jean Edward Smith in his biography, “FDR,” “House Republicans voted almost unanimously against Social Security. But when the final up-or-down vote came on April 19 [1935], fewer than half were prepared to go on record against.”
Liberals who didn’t have a clue gave us Medicare and Medicaid. Quick, how many of you (or your loved ones) are benefiting mightily from these programs, even as we speak. The idea that Republicans are proud of Ronald Reagan, who saw Medicare as “the advance wave of socialism,” while Democrats are ashamed of Lyndon Johnson, whose legislative genius made this wonderful, life-saving concept real, is insane.
When Johnson signed the Medicare bill into law in the presence of Harry Truman in 1965, he said: “No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine.”
Reagan, on the other hand, according to Johnson biographer Robert Dallek, “predicted that Medicare would compel Americans to spend their ‘sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was like in America when men were free.’ ”
Scary.
Without the many great and noble deeds of liberals over the past six or seven decades, America would hardly be recognizable to today’s young people. Liberals (including liberal Republicans, who have since been mostly drummed out of the party) ended legalized racial segregation and gender discrimination.
Humiliation imposed by custom and enforced by government had been the order of the day for blacks and women before men and women of good will and liberal persuasion stepped up their long (and not yet ended) campaign to change things. Liberals gave this country Head Start and legal services and the food stamp program. They fought for cleaner air (there was a time when you could barely see Los Angeles) and cleaner water (there were rivers in America that actually caught fire).
Liberals. Your food is safer because of them, and so are your children’s clothing and toys. Your workplace is safer. Your ability (or that of your children or grandchildren) to go to college is manifestly easier.
It would take volumes to adequately cover the enhancements to the quality of American lives and the greatness of American society that have been wrought by people whose politics were unabashedly liberal. It is a track record that deserves to be celebrated, not ridiculed or scorned.
Self-hatred is a terrible thing. Just ask that arch-conservative Clarence Thomas.
Liberals need to get over it.
Until the left overtake this ludicrous battle and dominate the PR battle (ie, truth) on this front, they shouldn't expect to win the White House. The New York Times' Bob Herbert spoke of this in today's New York Times. And instead of just giving you the damn link, given its importance, I'm copying the text here.
Hold Your Heads Up
by Bob Herbert
Ignorance must really be bliss. How else, over so many years, could the G.O.P. get away with ridiculing all things liberal?
Troglodytes on the right are no respecters of reality. They say the most absurd things and hardly anyone calls them on it. Evolution? Don’t you believe it. Global warming? A figment of the liberal imagination.
Liberals have been so cowed by the pummeling they’ve taken from the right that they’ve tried to shed their own identity, calling themselves everything but liberal and hoping to pass conservative muster by presenting themselves as hyper-religious and lifelong lovers of rifles, handguns, whatever.
So there was Hillary Clinton, of all people, sponsoring legislation to ban flag-burning; and Barack Obama, who once opposed the death penalty, morphing into someone who not only supports it, but supports it in cases that don’t even involve a homicide.
Anyway, the Republicans were back at it last week at their convention. Mitt Romney wasn’t content to insist that he personally knows that “liberals don’t have a clue.” He complained loudly that the federal government right now is too liberal.
“We need change, all right,” he said. “Change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington.”
Why liberals don’t stand up to this garbage, I don’t know. Without the extraordinary contribution of liberals — from the mightiest presidents to the most unheralded protesters and organizers — the United States would be a much, much worse place than it is today.
There would be absolutely no chance that a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin could make a credible run for the highest offices in the land. Conservatives would never have allowed it.
Civil rights? Women’s rights? Liberals went to the mat for them time and again against ugly, vicious and sometimes murderous opposition. They should be forever proud.
The liberals who didn’t have a clue gave us Social Security and unemployment insurance, both of which were contained in the original Social Security Act. Most conservatives despised the very idea of this assistance to struggling Americans. Republicans hated Social Security, but most were afraid to give full throat to their opposition in public at the height of the Depression.
“In the procedural motions that preceded final passage,” wrote historian Jean Edward Smith in his biography, “FDR,” “House Republicans voted almost unanimously against Social Security. But when the final up-or-down vote came on April 19 [1935], fewer than half were prepared to go on record against.”
Liberals who didn’t have a clue gave us Medicare and Medicaid. Quick, how many of you (or your loved ones) are benefiting mightily from these programs, even as we speak. The idea that Republicans are proud of Ronald Reagan, who saw Medicare as “the advance wave of socialism,” while Democrats are ashamed of Lyndon Johnson, whose legislative genius made this wonderful, life-saving concept real, is insane.
When Johnson signed the Medicare bill into law in the presence of Harry Truman in 1965, he said: “No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine.”
Reagan, on the other hand, according to Johnson biographer Robert Dallek, “predicted that Medicare would compel Americans to spend their ‘sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was like in America when men were free.’ ”
Scary.
Without the many great and noble deeds of liberals over the past six or seven decades, America would hardly be recognizable to today’s young people. Liberals (including liberal Republicans, who have since been mostly drummed out of the party) ended legalized racial segregation and gender discrimination.
Humiliation imposed by custom and enforced by government had been the order of the day for blacks and women before men and women of good will and liberal persuasion stepped up their long (and not yet ended) campaign to change things. Liberals gave this country Head Start and legal services and the food stamp program. They fought for cleaner air (there was a time when you could barely see Los Angeles) and cleaner water (there were rivers in America that actually caught fire).
Liberals. Your food is safer because of them, and so are your children’s clothing and toys. Your workplace is safer. Your ability (or that of your children or grandchildren) to go to college is manifestly easier.
It would take volumes to adequately cover the enhancements to the quality of American lives and the greatness of American society that have been wrought by people whose politics were unabashedly liberal. It is a track record that deserves to be celebrated, not ridiculed or scorned.
Self-hatred is a terrible thing. Just ask that arch-conservative Clarence Thomas.
Liberals need to get over it.
ExxonMobil and the Presidency
Right around the time that CNN canned Aaron Brown in favor of non-stop Anderson Cooper, I knew the station was heading right down the FOX path. It's no secret that CNN, just like the dolts at FOX, chooses financial gain and sensationalism over the truth and in-depth reporting. I mean, when three of your top anchors are buffoons such as Rick Sanchez, Lou Dobbs and Tony Harris, well, you've lost all credibility.
And now this. Of all the potential sponsors of the conventions, CNN has opted for the big payout and gone with the lobbyist of all lobbyists, ExxonMobil. This move deems this network void of any credibility. A network simply can not "report" on the news when its in bed with one of the most destructive big business' in the World. I am done with this tabloid news network. They could air an exclusive ping pong match between Bruce Springsteen and Jeff Tweedy and I'd pass.
And now this. Of all the potential sponsors of the conventions, CNN has opted for the big payout and gone with the lobbyist of all lobbyists, ExxonMobil. This move deems this network void of any credibility. A network simply can not "report" on the news when its in bed with one of the most destructive big business' in the World. I am done with this tabloid news network. They could air an exclusive ping pong match between Bruce Springsteen and Jeff Tweedy and I'd pass.
Dodos, Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Foals & Pitchfork
The days of trusting Pitchfork with new music releases are clearly over. Once responsible for informing the masses of such great records as The Wrens' The Meadowlands, Pitchfork Media has evolved into nothing but a bunch of hipster bafoons in tight jeans, oversized shades and tight, nips-bearing ironic t-shirts. In years past, whenever Pitchfork would lay praise to a record, I would often go out and pick up that release, and four times out of five, I was not disappointed. This all changed right around the time that Pitchfork launched their atrocious music festival. Suddenly the top reviews were handed to the most watered-down crap designed to reach the widest range of wanna-bes. This is an utter shame as Pitchfork used to be the premiere source for sorting out the good from bad. Now it's nothing but the Wall-Mart of the hipster generation.
New York Times Reader
I have received home delivery of the New York Times for about six months now, and had no idea about the Times Reader. Alright, that's not entirely true; a friend briefly mentioned it but I blew it off.
This morning I received a notification that my subscription cost would be going up $.60 per week. Instead of just chucking the notice, I read the entire letter and realized that I had access to Times Reader and almost 70 years of back issues (not sure why it runs to 1922 and then stops? I wanna read about the '27 Yanks.)
I downloaded the Times Reader a few minutes ago and my oh my. This is fantastic. It's literally like having the entire newspaper, full-size, on your monitor. I realize that that may sound like any other news site, but trust me, if you're a subscriber to the NYT, download this application. It's the best online news experience I've seen yet.
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