The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    Danny Cardwell's picture

    Articles About Race Part 1

    A friend sent me a link to an article written by Dennis Prager titled "From The Great-Man Theory to Dead White-Male-Criticism Theory".  As I was reading this article I was convinced that most people fall into one of four categories when it comes to race and racism in America. While this isn't a rigid theory, I think it will start a conversation.

    The first group of people are "racial-realist": they acknowledge the progress made in areas concerning racial equality, but realize discrimination is still a part of life for some. They tend to support solutions to racial issues through the use of political and social power. Often they have a sensitivity to victims of discrimination and are more likely to be activists.

    Uproar as Michael Moore Scorns Snipers

    As they clutch at their American Sniper movie tickets, the right is in a tizzy over Michael Moore, the guy who accurately revealed the real motives behind the Iraq War, a job that our mainstream corporate media failed to do, in his 2004 movie Fahrenheit 9/11.  Moore is now showing disdain for the hero of the right's favorite movie. Moore says:

    My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse...“I tried to save more lives than a sniper ever could hope to — by preventing us from going to war in the first place,” he said. “So, Fox News and the other lazy media — quit making s**t up about me! You look ridiculous.”

    trkingmomoe's picture

    President Obama Made History With You Tube Interview

    Last Thursday, January 22, 2015, President Obama was interviewed by three popular you tube personalities at the Whitehouse.  The three vloggers that had the honor were Hank Green, GloZell Green and Bethany Mota with a combined audience of about 15 million viewers. What is historic is that this is a first for a President to recognize the value of the internet social media to reach out to a younger population.

    barefooted's picture

    Winter Storm

    There's a massive blizzard rapidly approaching the northeast. The worst conditions are expected to impact New York and Massachusetts beginning tomorrow (Monday) morning and continuing through Tuesday. Strong, gusty winds of 35+ mph will accompany snowfall accumulations forecasted to reach up to 36 inches. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the impending storm may be "one of the top two or three worst storms" in the state's history.

    AEI: Let the Poor Die of Treatable Diseases

    The thesis of resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Michael Strain. It's Okay to deny life saving treatment to the poor, let them die.

    Richard Day's picture

    HERE IS THE STATE OF THE UNION; LIVE BLOG

    NOBODY DID THIS SO I SHALL.

    I think this is of import.

    Let us see what happens!

     

     

     

    Danny Cardwell's picture

    Religious Fundamentalism and Stepford Christianity

    “No one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society.”

    “For the Church, the option for the poor is primarily a theological category rather than a sociological one. This is why I want a Church that is poor and for the poor.”

    -- Pope Francis

    The garbage man and the investment banker differ in a variety of socioeconomic ways, but their value to greater society is ultimately determined by their influence on the lives of those around them. There will always be someone to dispose of the waste: whether it's household trash or toxic collateralized debt obligations. The way we (as a society) treat (some) people is a direct manifestation of our collective worship of money. It's not uncommon in our culture to meet someone and ask: what do you do for a living? For too many the answer to that question sets boundaries and limits interpersonal relationships. Our society is conditioned to believe that the person in higher socioeconomic standing is ipso facto a better person. This kind of thinking is derivative of our idolatrous pursuit of wealth as a means of acquiring prestige and power.

    trkingmomoe's picture

    51% of Children in School Live in Poverty-Shame on USA

    The majority of students in K thru 12 are now living in low income according to a new report from the Southern Education Foundation. The data was collected by the NCES (National Center of Education Statistics.) 

     http://www.southerneducation.org/Our-Strategies/Research-and-Publications/New-Majority-Diverse-Majority-Report-Series/A-New-Majority-2015-Update-Low-Income-Students-Now 

     This has been building up for years. In 1989, it was less then 32%. Then in 2000, it reached 38%. Now, 51% of children are at a disadvantage. We can no longer ignore the reality of this for the future of our economy and society as a whole. Evie Blade a staff writer for Education Weekly in her article "New Milestone: Majority of Public School Students Now Considered Low Income" writes:

    Richard Day's picture

    PERACLES BLEW MY MIND

    Melanie Safka 1975.JPG

    I examine issues, in my PJ's whilst I attempt to come to some conclusions.

    Three days ago Peracles threw me on my ass; not the first time.

    AA thinks at times that I meander too much.

    So do others.

    FREE SPEECH

    MrSmith1's picture

    The Haikulodeon

    This week's heap of haikus will be slightly delayed due to the fact Mr. Smith is in the hospital. His haikus will return shortly. 

    barefooted's picture

    Irony

    Stop me if you've heard this before: "Some of these images may be disturbing to our viewers". What inevitably follows those words, or some variation thereof, is recorded carnage. Now and then we're even treated to it in real time. Things are blown up, people are murdered, mutilated and terrorized. We see their bloody bodies. We listen to the screams as shots ring out. And we watch those "disturbing" scenes over and over and over because it's news. Just ask every television network that airs them, any online site that imbeds the video or the newspapers that publish the gruesome photographs. It rarely seems to concern these bastions of journalistic integrity that viewing violence might incite violence among those with questionable tendencies. It's the news, so they report it.

    But Allah forbid we see satirical cartoons. Some people might be offended.

    Evolving Thoughts Which Conclude with, 'I Am Not Charlie'

    The short quote which most nearly describes my opinion of the “Je suis Charlie.” knee-jerk fad-fest is a tweet I saw somewhere which I paraphrase as, "I am [insert the name of the murdered Muslim cop].  it is a statement in agreement with a saying attributed originally to Voltaire but which has been repeated ad nauseam through the years. "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." I depart from the sentiment somewhat because I, personally, would not voluntarily die in defense of any abstract belief if I could possibly avoid it. And, I would not march with the  leaders who amassed in Paris to give lip service supposedly, but I believe for most of them hypocritically, defending  that concept. That said, I sincerely appreciate the freedom of speech I have to the extent that it exists.

    Muḥammad's picture

    Muhammad Blogs

    Every now and then I come back to Earth for a little look around, maybe a stroll through Turban Outfitters, looking for ironic t-shirts and throwback burqas for the ladies.  Nothing apocalyptic about it.  I’m chill, man. It’s just that when you change the world like Jesus, Moses, Einstein, Picasso or Elvis, you continue your interest in worldly things long after you shuffle off the mortal coil.  Me and Elvis live on the same block uptown, you know

    Richard Day's picture

    MUSINGS

     

    He who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us!

    (The Roman Catholic Mass)

    Following 4? weeks of problems with tech, I am skipping the political for awhile.

    My daughter in law gave my son this instruction a couple of years ago:

    You must keep your short mustache and goatee because you have too much of a baby face!

    Hahahahaha

     

    To me, this is one of the sweetest things I have ever heard a wife say to her husband.

    Seany is something like 7 years older than his bride.

    Danny Cardwell's picture

    What Does Charlie Hebdo Mean For Us?

    The free press and the right to report, dissent or satirize without fear of criminal prosecution is often confused with the right to do so without facing the consequences of those actions. Terrorists aren't constrained by the law. I look forward to reading comments on political sites and blogs. The passion that some people write with is palpable. With that said, trolling a blog or social media site is different than attaching your name and identity to an article or cartoon that terrorists find offensive. The tragedy that unfolded at Charlie Hebdo in Paris was a brutal wake up call to those who choose to stand on principle.

    An Atheist's Creed

    I quite deliberately used the indefinite article "An" in the title for I in no way intend to speak for all atheists. As I've mentioned before on this site, I was raised a Christian, and that has no doubt influenced my worldview. If I were to create a creed for all atheists, it'd simply be, "I do not believe that gods exist." That is what is sometimes referred to as weak atheism (no insult intended). It is the type of atheism that animals and babies have, and that some adults claim to have (I'm skeptical about that). Strong atheism is the belief that there are no gods. Some people have a hard time distinguishing between those two statements, but the former is a lack of belief in gods, and the latter is a belief in the lack of gods. For those who use this terminology (and it's definitely not universal), there's also weak agnosticism – an uncertainty in one's beliefs, and strong agnosticism – a belief that such knowledge is ultimately unknowable for anyone. Again, the terms weak and strong should not be considered judgments about those positions.

    Danny Cardwell's picture

    Is There A Spiritual Path To Reason?

    It's been my experience that faith rooted in cautious optimism and doubt is less likely to devolve into dogmatism. All of us believe something: especially those trapped in nihilism who profess not to believe anything. The amount of certainty one places in their worldview, coupled with an inability to accept or even process information contrary to that worldview, leads directly to a solipsistic position that makes civil discussions about religion almost impossible. The inability to consider ideas that don't originate from people who share your worldview is symptomatic of deep dogmatism.

    jollyroger's picture

    Gitmo detainees claiming innocence--where are the polygraphs?

     

     

    When the CIA wants to know if a person is telling the truth, it brings out "the box". No, not some kinda torture device, . The polygraph machine (in the hands of a competent operator).

     

    Parenthetically, similar resort to technology is common when district attorneys are deciding whether a report of a crime is veridical, or when Walmart is experiencing excessive "inventory shrinkage" and wants to sort out the honest from dishonest warehouse workers.

    jollyroger's picture

    Did young Barack Obama play with toy soldiers?

     

     

    I ask because his tortured relationship with his Defense Secretaries is destined to become the topic of more than one PhD dissertation in coming years.

    coatesd's picture

    New Year Reflections on the US Global Role & Its Limits

     

    The first hours of a new year are always an ideal time for people across the globe to reflect on their contemporary condition. They are an ideal moment to look back, in the hope that serious reflection now can improve conditions going forward. And it is particularly vital that we in America take this moment of reflection as this new year begins, given the enormity of the impact of our condition on the rest of the global order.

    jollyroger's picture

    Christmas in Calcutta, 10021

     

     

    "Any help you could give us, or any food, we would really appreciate".

     

    Accompanied by two beautiful girls of grade school age, a father was addressing the passengers on the Lexington Avenue Express as it made its way from 59th Street (Bloomingdale's) to 86th St. (Gracie M ansion). By my relatively crude reckoning, we were just then under the streets of the zip code 10021, which for your information is the wealthiest in the country.

     

    Jim Webb's PAC questioned.

    Out of our over amped predatory two party oligarchy to maintain the status quo comes a news story of how Jim Webb misused his PAC, Born Fighting.

    Well, darn---game on!

    The floating of such a story at this early point in Webb's possible Presidential run can only mean one thing---someone out there thinks he can upset the apple cart.

    The Clintons?

    The Republicans?

    What's up with the white working class?

    There is a current meme in political commentary---can Hillary, Democrats, win back the white working class vote which was not particularly good in 2012, and seemed to deteriorate even more in 2014? My first response is, for a lot of reasons, I don't like the term "working class" because it is meant to describe whites---with little college education who work with their hands and who are in the lower half, or less, of the economic stratus---as less than or low than. This group describes a lot of friends, relatives and workers with whom I mostly interact. If I must categorize these folks analytically I would rather use a term like heartlander working stiff, or as a last resort, Walmart Mom. They run our infrastructure. And they are numerous. There are, for example, far more white working class folks than black working class folks---hang on, I want to google that---black working class....

    Richard Day's picture

    AFTER CHRISTMAS; THE AFTERMATH

    God gave men language so that they could conceal their thoughts from each other. I think that’s a deep observation about the role of language in communication.

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