When the Circus is in Town

Conor Friedersdorf over at The Daily Dish highlights the most level-headed analysis of Glenn Beck's rally in Washington D.C. this past weekend, and makes the best point I've heard on the whole thing:

Mr. Beck has spent a career reinventing himself whenever it suited his advancement, and that it's rather risky to hitch the libertarian wagon to a mercurial entertainer with a penchant for radically changing his beliefs and a willingness to sucker his biggest fans.

I think the people of this movement are very serious in their beliefs about what is wrong with this country and the world we live in (regardless of how based in fact or reality they may be), and that they, like every other American, has a right to express it, to gather together in celebration or protest of it, to worship however they see fit.  If this is something that supposedly has come out of the Tea Party movement, then it is good to see that for once in its short history it has decided to stand for something rather than just against everything.  No ideas, but I'll take the positivity at it's face value.

But I don't like hypocrites - and when you look at what this movement espouses, what it is supposed to stand for, what it hopes for our country, that's what you get - hypocrisy.  You see the paradoxes, the strawmen, the breakdown in their flawed logic and arguments.  You need more than just being upset at the way the world is to change the world.  Tantrums and group therapy sessions don't help to make things better, to move us forward.  This past weekend serves as a call to dig in in the trenches through the midterm elections, sponsored by the money that brought us the neoconservative movement (with all of it's hypocrisy), and broadcast without interruption, without question by an uninquisitive media organization.  But who can blame Fox - it's their niche, they made it, and they give the people what they want how they want to hear it.  Just like Hannity.  Just like Coulter.  Just like Palin.  Just like Beck.

One must know the difference between when he has gone to Forum or gone to the Circus.  It's when the line is blurred that we lose sight of truth and reality, and replace it with the stories of entertainers.

Can you tell I'm hungry at work?

In another food-related article I read a few years ago and was resurfaced a few days ago thanks to Conor Friedersdorf, the most interesting thing you will ever read about condiments.

One of the few things I miss about Media, Pennsylvania

Via The Daily Dish, an insightful article in Fortune about the success of Trader Joe's.

What's in a name?

Via The Daily Dish, a list of what you call different groupings of animals.  Or why I love the English language.  What would we call a group of bloggers?

Dibs on this idea

Inspired by this post by Patrick Appel about this article, I have a cool idea.

At least I think it's cool.

Someday in the future there will be clothing on which the design is amorphous (think Rorschach's mask in Watchmen).  And the fabric of the clothing (let's say a shirt) has a USB port for your smartphone, on which you have an app for said shirt.  You are browsing the Internet and come across a cool design or picture you like.  You import the image or pattern to the app, plug your shirt into the phone to download the design, and the shirt changes to either project the image or design.

Not quite self-drying clothes Back to the Future-style, but come on - it's cool.

I expect royalties.

Things that are offensive at "Ground Zero"

So I'm watching NBC this morning, and they have this show every Sunday morning called @ Issue where they bring on some folks with opposing views of something and discuss it.  Sometimes it's local, sometimes it's more of a national issue, sometimes it's an issue that shouldn't be an issue.  Like today, discussing the proposed mosque in lower Manhattan.

One of the debaters was a representative from the Independence Hall Tea Party Movement (yeah I know, those Tea Partiers and their Founders symbolism).  After a week of everyone hashing through this whole thing, he more or less conceded up front that he and the other "seventy percent" of America (a fact I still don't quite believe no matter how many times I hear it thrown around) have absolutely no legal basis for their objections to there being a mosque built at 51 Park, two blocks from where the WTC towers once stood.  About time.  End of story.

But of course it isn't, because he believes that the Muslim group wanting to build this mosque/community center is being insensitive to the Americans who sacrificed their lives on that day nearly nine years ago, and the family's and friends who still mourn their loss.  Some claim it is some sort of "victory mosque" for the radical islamists who perpetrated the attacks.  Some are just being straight up racist, and don't really care about their own bigoted hypocrisy.  According to them all - even though they have a right every constitutional right to build there, it is "deeply offensive."

So that got me to thinking - what else is in a two block radius of the "Ground Zero" site?  What else is there that is, I'm sure, offensive to someone?  Aside from the place being called "Ground Zero" for the past nine years, which is of course offensive to those who died in Washington and Pennsylvania as well on that day.

So here's a list of what I found, courtesy of Google Maps:

Citibank, American Express, Meryl Lynch, The American Stock Exchange - offensive to anyone who has been impacted by the financial crisis they and their competitors/partners plunged the United States into these past two years.

Deutsche Bank, Bank of Japan - so near to the epicenter of the financial crisis, the Japanese and Germans (Deutsche sounds German, right?) mock our financial instability.  And let's not forget they fought us in World War II, because seventy years is still too soon.

University of Phoenix - offensive to anyone with a real paper degree from a real university.

New York Public Library - offensive to ghosts (the librarian ghost in Ghostbusters was just doing her job, why must she be persecuted for it?!)

Millennium Hilton - offensive for helping to sustain Paris Hilton.

Irish Hunger Memorial - offensive to potatoes.  Doubly offensive to red (headed) potatoes.

New York State Department of Health - offensive for flaunting it across the Hudson to New Jersey.

Tribute WTC Visitor Center - offensive for helping to keep "9/11 porn" hawkers in business.

Amish Market - offensive to actual Amish.

McDonald's and Burger King - offensive to the health of all Americans.

Starbucks - offensive to anyone who just wants a cheap cup of coffee.

St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, John Street United Methodist Church, Battery Park Synagogue, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, St. Paul’s Chapel - offensive to any American Muslim who would like a place to pray and worship in peace unharrassed and persecuted by, supposedly, "seventy percent of Americans."

Video of the Day

My brother sent this to me a while back, but I haven't had time to watch it until now.  I'll be showing this to my athletes.  Take it away, Coach:

Fanatical Religious Hypocrisy

So every once in a while I watch Fox News because, well, I'm a political masochist.  But today the news, dare I say, was nearly "fair and balanced" - so Glenn Beck must be on his meds.

That was until I saw this report of a Fox News poll where despite 61 percent of those polled felt that there is a right for there to be mosque/community center built at "Ground Zero" in Manhattan, 64 percent of those polled felt that it is not right for one to be built there.

If there's one thing that really drives me nuts, it's hypocrisy.  You can guess which number was discussed with greater importance by the Fox pundits.  And since it is just a poll, really it doesn't matter it all.  But if we pretend it did, the only one that actually has any clout is the fact that the group has a RIGHT to build a mosque there.  It doesn't matter if it is insensitive (which it isn't - at all) or that the majority of people don't like it.  It's America - as long as it's legal you can do it.

Apparently President Obama commented at a dinner celebrating the beginning of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan that he felt that the group looking to build there had every right to do so, but would not comment on the "wisdom" of the matter.

The pundits of course then tried to deduce what the President means in all this.  Their conclusion was that Obama chose the "politically expedient" option for his public opinion.  GWAH!  Why does it have to be "politically expedient?!"  Perchance it's not some conspiracy of Obama playing the game and is actually what he thinks, you know, since he's a constitutional scholar?  The commentators also would like to see him weigh in on their other polling question, which Obama refused to do, because he is "supposed to be the moral leader of our country."  NO HE ISN'T!  He's a citizen chosen to "protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."  Which he did by saying he believes the Islamic group has a right to build there.  That's it.  It's not a conspiracy!  It's all there for you America! It's right there in front of you if you'd only open your eyes!

...

Sorry, I Beck'd out there.  Pop pop swallow.  Whew that's better.

What I'm saying is I wish people in this country would stop thinking one person or group or whatever is morally superior than another.  You aren't.  I'm not.  No one is.  You want to be Constitutionalists?  Go read the Constitution.  Freedom to practice one's religion doesn't just extend to you.  Freedom to marry doesn't just extend to you.  Freedom to speak, to protest doesn't just extend to you.  It's everyone's right, and so until we start coming up with real solutions to real problems and not these imaginary culture war ones, things aren't going to get better for anyone but those who profit from schemes and loopholes and hurting those weaker than themselves.

There are Japanese Shinto temples near Pearl Harbor.  There are churches in countries in which the vast majority of citizens are Muslim.  There are three religions living in Jerusalem.  There are Muslims in Israel, there are temples in Gaza.  Let people practice their religion, and as long as it is not going out of it's way to hurt anyone, let it be practiced in peace.  In our country diversity and tolerance are not a sign of being conquered - it is a sign of strength and testament to the resiliency of or founding documents.

Vacation Recap

Or, "Things I learned on my summer vacation" with pictures:

+ MegaBus - you get what you pay for.  I would say that it is definitely a big step up from the Chinatown buses out there, but man were those seats uncomfortable (though the duration of my trips - 10 hours - probably didn't help with that).  And I didn't make use of one of the big selling points of their service (free wifi and power outlets).  But the price point was great - if I got my tickets even sooner, it would have been even better.  So props to MegaBus, but work on your spelling.

+ The Second City comedy troupe - good show, had some really funny stuff going on.  I know it's got to be hard living up to the names that have come before you on your roster, but you guys and girls were worth the price of admission.  Thanks for the good time.

+ The recent climb in pitchers being sick and throwing great games is a very, very good thing for baseball.  I went to see the Jays game against Tampa Bay last Sunday where Brandon Morrow was one out away from a seventeen strikeout no-hitter.  Probably the most riveting baseball game I've ever seen in person, and it wasn't even at a game where I was rooting for someone (though I was pulling for the Jays a little, since the Sox are trailing Tampa).  The entire game, no one would say a thing about what was happening, but everyone was thinking it.  Not only did the game fly by (sub 2 1/2 hour game) at a great pace to keep you interested, but it was a really impressive feat to witness and the guy didn't even pull it off.  More people will like watching baseball if that's the kind of thing I can look forward to at games.

+ The Skydome (yeah yeah, Rogers Centre whatever) with the dome closed - very weird.  Baseball should not be played inside.  Ever.

+ The Skydome with the dome open - very awesome.  The CN Tower is right next to the stadium and is the dominant feature of the Toronto skyline when the field's dome is open.  And it lights up at night.  Another baseball stadium crossed off the list to visit, and it was a good one.

+ The Hockey Hall of Fame has the lamest hours ever - who closes at 5PM?! It's your national sport!  I've seen you all when you aren't working - all you do is hockey, or get ready to play hockey.  Stupid.

+ The Great Lakes - I finally saw my first Great Lake (Ontario) in person and it's pretty mind blowing.  You can't see the other shore!  That's not a lake, that's the ocean.  I was told there's an island you can ferry out to in the lake where you can't see the shore at all in all directions - a legit island in the middle of nothingness.  Will do on the next trip.

+ Canadian Beer - more than just Molson.  Strongly recommend Mill St. Organic and Sleeman.  Alexander Keith's was alright, as was LaBatt 50 (the dirty French beer, as I was told to refer to it as).  Hoor-"eh" beer!

+ YORKIE chocolate bars by Nestle - so I went all "Little Rascals" and bought into the greatest marketing scam of all time.  I was thinking I was gonna be let into a super secret - like I was one of the five chosen to go into Wonka's factory.  No.  It was a chocolate bar.  Good chocolate, but still, just chocolate.  Not nuts, no crispies, no goo.  They say it's "chunky" chocolate, but it tasted like just a chocolate bar to me.  You know it was some woman who came up with the marketing idea for it too.  Just embarrassing.

+  Niagara Falls - go.  It's unbelievable.  It's like being at the Grand Canyon, but with lots of water and less dry heat.  Drop the fifteen bucks on Maid of the Mist, the touristy boat ride to the base of the Falls,  and you won't regret it.  I couldn't stop smiling, it was just so cool.  So go.

+ Poutine tastes better than it sounds. Poutine is not better for you than it sounds.

+ Mounties - you need more of them Canada.  I didn't see one, which left me disappointed considering how all over the place Dudley Do-Right was.  I mean, I broke your laws - I drove in your country and was speeding on your highways.  You need more law enforcement.  Your limited Mountie force couldn't catch me on their horses when I was doing 120km per hour.  You need to work on this Canada.  I'm an American, but you shouldn't just let me walk all over you like this.

+ Toronto is an awesome city, I really had a blast.  Reminds me a lot of Boston in that the architecture mixes the historic old buildings of the city with very contemporary, almost futuristic looking designs.  The trains make the city accessible, but you can definitely walk around downtown without any need for it.  People were incredibly nice (though that might have just been because of my company).  Food was good, lots to do, great people - can't ask for much more than that in a vacation.

Thanks for having me Canada.  I'm back.

Oh yeah... One more thing

It's amazing what you can remember to write about at two in the morning before going on a vacation.

I love me some Yogi Bear.  Probably my favorite Hanna-Barbara cartoon as a kid, and I watched A LOT of them.  And there has been some outlandish Yogi Bear plots (though I probably watched it a million times). 

But I'm with Dan on this - this is a tragedy.

There are way better uses of Hanna-Barbara intellectual property.  Like Harvey Birdman - Attorney at Law:



Meanwhile, Rebbeca E. at BuzzFeed notices that Warner Bros. may want to rethink this movie poster.

What the "eh?"

Finishing her duties covering for TNC, Alyssa Rosenberg on her coming trip to Alaska:

Once you're a grown-up, life doesn't just hand you opportunities to discover that you have capabilities greater than you knew. If you don't seek them out, you can peak knowing that you're capable of holding down a job, paying your rent, getting along with your adult families, with additional jolts only coming along when you become a parent, lose a parent, or face death yourself. The things you discover when you travel are smaller, individually, than those large revelations, but I think they're worth learning, secret knowledge you can take back into civilian life.

I'm off to Toronto and the great Northlands.  See you all when I get back.

The Never-ending Continuing Adventures from Crazytown

If a Supreme Court Justice denies your appeal to be heard before the SCOTUS, you can keep appealing to the other eight on the Court until one accepts?  ORLY?

"Why not?"

I'm not a big Christopher Hitchens fan, but the man is one of the greatest, deepest minds of the generation.  I remember his last appearance on The Daily Show and feeling a sense of understanding of where he was coming from for the first time in a long time without his usual smugness blinding me to the poetry of what he was saying.

Little did I know that the same man I was watching was struggling through the illness of his yet-diagnosed cancer.  Read his moving account of his first weeks struggling to recover here at Vanity Fair.

Conservativism and a California Afternoon

Last night over dinner, my friend (subtly goading me into talking about it after I said that I had lost much of my fire for politics) and I got to talking about the forum and politics and policy.  We talked for a while, slipping back and forth between all sorts of issues and policies - environment, drugs, taxes, health care, big and small government, LGBT rights - we ran the gamut.  And while I pretty much came down on the liberal side of things on most issues, there were times I shocked myself when I would hear the espousal of conservative positions coming from thine lips.

Conservative.  Not Republican.

And one of the things we spent a lot of time on was how things change, but that it takes time.  It's not that what people hold as true is wrong or right, good or evil - but it takes time to convince people that what they believe is either right or wrong.  I'm not going to hold it against people if they have a certain view of the world and can justify it truthfully to themselves and others.  And instead of having some high and mighty government official tell you that "this" is the law of the land like a monarch, people need to be shown that there is a better way of doing things.  Convince me that I'm wrong, show me that there is a better way, that it will make my life, my people, my country better.  And then we'll tell friends, we'll show others.  And they'll show others.  And then there comes a tipping point, where all it takes is a little push from government to realign the law.

And we've seen it work and fail countless times throughout our country's history.  LBJ and civil rights - worked.  Clinton's health care reform - failed.  Women's suffrage - worked.  Alcohol prohibition - EPIC fail.  Pre-Civil War emancipation - fail.  Lincoln's Union-only emancipation - worked.  Government responds to the people.  Convince the people, and things change.  And maybe I'm alone in this, but that's not a liberal, big government concept - I think that's a very conservative one.

Which brings us to today's news out of California - after nearly two years a judge has overturned the Prop 8 ban on gay marriage.  I can remember how disappointed some were in 2008 - an African American had finally been elected President, but Prop 8 was a very bitter aftertaste to such a momentous occasion.  But while it has taken some time, some very courageous lawyers in California have shown, SHOWN that there is no rational, reasonable basis for prejudice.  This isn't "judicial activism," it's exactly what the justice system of our country is supposed to do - look at facts, not opinions, and make a decision.

It's the process occurring as the process is meant to, and that's not big government in my book.  Today's ruling was a very conservative one in my opinion, and will undoubtedly show how un-conservative the current state of affairs in the Republican and right wing of America's political system actually is.  And the process isn't over - there will be appeals, and the decision today could be overturned again, but if brought to the Supreme Court I think the arguments made in this case and this decision will be incredibly hard to rule against.  But the process will take its course.

I've seen this a few time spread across the web this afternoon, and is one of my favorite quotes.  The words of Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.

Honorable reaction from the gallery: Andrew Sullivan and all his readers, Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.  More to come as there is more...

UPDATE: As usual, Sully is much better at actual round-ups than I am.  Yeah I'm lazy.