Yes!
Written on 12 January 2010 by MichaelIts about time this got cleared up:
Shit like this makes my brain hurt
Written on 1 December 2009 by Michael193% huh?
Is this all newscasters are now? Good hair and jawlines reading whatever is written for them without asking questions or apparently without even thinking? Edward R. Murrow is spinning in his grave.
We’re on Vacation!
Written on 23 November 2009 by MichaelHaving a glorious time so far with Aunt Susan… We’ll have many pics and other updates to share when we return. For now, see the map below to follow along… We’re in Savannah yesterday and today and leaving for Sarasota tomorrow for Thanksgiving with Ash and the kids to return Friday.
This is Some Scary Shit
Written on 16 November 2009 by MichaelThe CNN/Opinion Research Corporation released a survey Monday which found that
I wouldn’t let this lady run my vaccum cleaner but 54% of Republicans think she can run the country?! Here’s hoping Mr. Frum is right! (Yes, I know he’s only talking about Florida in the linked-to article, but larger implications should be self-evident.)
Michael Bonasera (“Grandpa”) April 13, 1915 – October 24, 2009
Written on 24 October 2009 by Michael
My Draft of Senator Joe Wilson’s Censure
Written on 13 September 2009 by Michael“Whereas in his conduct in the office of Representative of South Carolina’s Second Congressional District, Addison Graves Wilson has acted in an undignified and embarassing manner. Such behaviour is contrary to the well respected precepts of the honorable United States House of Representatives and therefore the United States Congress hereby condemns him for acting in a manner contrary to his trust as Representative, and with great prejudice to the cause of open and public discourse to the manifest injury of the state of South Carolina and the American people.”
Nothing costs nothing!
Written on 10 September 2009 by MichaelDelta check-in folks are really excited to announce that 0 bags are free!
I don’t know I think that’s so funny.
My Tribute to Glenn Beck (subtitle: Holy God This Man is Crazy!)
Written on 16 August 2009 by MichaelUPDATE: “The other night” referenced below was actually a month or so ago now. Also, newest posts are at the bottom. (I know, ok. Bad form. I know. Too lazy to fix it though.)
The other night I was out to dinner with some family and one of them – whose identity will remain secret to protect his reputation – said that he “really liked Glenn Beck.” I attempted to convince him that his affections were misplaced, but I was perhaps a bit more vociferous than was called for… Picture some repeated arm flailing punctuated by the occasional “WTF?!” and you got the basic picture.
So I though I’d compile some of my favorite examples of Glenn Beck’s crazy so as to demonstrate to my poor wayward family member that his devotion is perhaps better saved for someone more deserving.
There’s no way to chronicle the full extent of Glenn’s buffoonery. I doubt that even a subsidized group of internet-savvy college students engaged in a 24-hour, 7-day/week crusade to capture the full breadth and depth of his idiocy could even come close to covering it all. I’m not trying to do that. However, as I come across the many compelling examples of Mr. Beck not listening to himself (or others) or basically just being an ignorant, hate-spewing ninny, I’ll add a link here for you to enjoy. Feel free to comment with your own submissions.
We’ll start with highlights from The Daily Show:
See 5:50 to end
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| So You Think You Can Douche | ||||
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See 3:28 – 4:08
(This one is great. Whole video.)
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Moment of Zen – Glenn Beck Cries | ||||
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Beginning to 1:36
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Headlines – Launched in Translation | ||||
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Ok, so enough Daily Show. Lets cast our net a little wider and see what we get:
More to come everybody… Much more.
Sunday, August 23:
I only got about half way through this one before my ears started to bleed. #1: Glen again reminds us he has children… A sobering thought if ever there was one, lending even greater credence to my evolving opinion that we should license child birth, and #2: Guitar Hero is not an instinctual skill.
Lets take a step back from Glen’s ledge for a second. I want to post a link here to a story I heard the other day on Fresh Air. Its Terry Gross interviewing Alex Jones on how we are “Losing Our News.” His basic premise is that journalism – news reporting – is a deliberative, contemplative search for facts. However, the “news” were getting today is more about opinion, what Mr. Jones calls, “news by assertion” rather than by verification.
Ok, enough education… Lets get back to the crazy:
The first two minutes of this clip are Glen telling us why history doesn’t matter; not without some kind of perspective. Which is interesting because I though history was the very thing that gives us perspective. He’s setting the stage here to answer the question of why looking “into the future” allegedly gets such a bad rap… Well let me see if I can’t break this down for everyone: The future is hidden. No one knows with certainty whats going to happen. I’m not saying its wrong to to try and guess, go ahead, but history is going to inform our opinion of the “what’s-next” better than Glen Beck. Please don’t respond to comment on whatever he says after the first few minutes. I didn’t listen to it all.
Ok. Enough for today. I’m gonna go drive a nail through my dick.
Saturday August 29
The levels of nested irony here defy understanding:
Labor Day, Monday September 7
Ummm… I have a question Mr. Beck. I know its a live show, but don’t you rehearse?
Frum on Beck:
David Frum says Mr. Beck’s success “is a product of the collapse of conservatism as an organized political force, and the rise of conservatism as an alienated cultural sensibility.” I’m not sure what I think about that… And maybe its the result of watching too many Glenn Beck videos, but I think that makes sense.
Skip ahead to this morning: David Frum’s newest post on NewMajority.com asks the question I’ve been wondering recently: “From Buckley to Beck: Where Did We Go Wrong?”
Demagogue
* Main Entry: dem·a·gogue
* Variant(s): also dem·a·gog \ˈde-mə-ˌgäg\
* Function: noun
* Etymology: Greek dēmagōgos, from dēmos people (perhaps akin to Greek daiesthai to divide) + agōgos leading, from agein to lead — more at tide, agent
* Date: 16481 : a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power
2 : a leader championing the cause of the common people in ancient times
Paul Krugman this morning: “Bernie Madoff and the birthers”
Written on 13 August 2009 by MichaelAugust 12, 2009, 5:09 pm
Obama is a Kenyan-born Nazi Muslim planning to euthanize seniors while putting them in concentration camps. The Clintons were drug-runners who murdered Vince Foster. Why do people believe this stuff?
Yes, there’s a lavishly funded industry pushing these stories. But Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and all the others wouldn’t succeed without a receptive audience. So what makes that audience so receptive?
Here’s a thought: maybe we can learn something from Bernie Madoff.
How did Madoff pull off his scam? A lot of it probably involved affinity fraud: Madoff’s victims, largely affluent Jews, trusted him in large part because he seemed like one of them.
What I think is going on here, at least partly, is that the peddlers of anti-progressive lies are managing to convince a certain kind of American — white, socially conservative, etc. — that the hate-mongers are people like them; and, even more important, that progressives are Those People, people not like them.
Obama’s skin color makes this easy; but the Clintons faced the same kind of thing. Why? Well, the old line about Clinton being the first black president gets at something: even if Bill Clinton had a regular skin and name, he was obviously comfortable with people who didn’t, which made him one of Them.
And anti-intellectualism is also part of it.
In any case, it’s scary: you’ve got a good segment of the American population that is completely impervious to any kind of evidence, any rational argument. I mean, who collects statistics? People in black helicopters!
E is in town
Written on 1 August 2009 by MichaelE took some time out of her crazy-ass schedule for a vacation… A real one. She was in last weekend for a few days and it really was a great weekend. We had family in Friday night, all of them. It was great to see everyone and I was glad people stayed as long as they did. The next night we had friends over and that was also a great time. Some pics of that – and reason #27 – why my wife rocks.
E took the next week in her Granny’s cabing in Michigan with 2E and came back Thursday night. She spent last night with Justin & KC & we’re all meeting up later this afternoon at the Dublin Irish Festival. Intersting tid-bit of the day: Whiskey Tastings are happening at The Bushmills Whiskey Snug which is located in the, you guessed it, “Teen Zone.” I’m so there.
Last Saturday afternoon – before the friends came over – we went to Anderson’s to get some wine and salmon and, when leaving the store ~E saw this massive dog. She chased this poor lady and the massive dog all over the Anderson’s parking lot. All over. And he was huge. You could smell him at a thousand yards and when the driver opened the back window so ~E could love him, hair poored out of it…. Enough to reconstitute a regular sized dog. I’ve seen mastiffs before, but he was huge!
Thursday night when 2E was in town we stayed up too late enjoying each other’s company. Gretchen and I got Erica a monkey which you can see below, clinging for his life as ~E helps 2E plan her class the next morning. Was SO great to hang with 2E for a while. She’s awesome. She did become the newest convert to our cult of Glee. Poor girl had to get up pretty early the next day too.
