Archive for the ‘Splenetics’ Category
Investigation by The Press?
I didn't think that I was becoming a big cheerlearder for blogging, but I found that I was rather put off by the following, which may say something to the contrary. Here we find Frank Rich (writing in the "Arts" section, of all places, in the NYTimes — why is that?), in "Gonzo Gone, Rather […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Splenetics
Stretch Out the Privatization "Debate"
"Chris in Paris" at AMERICAblog wrote It's time to take this Social Security issue over the top and make sure Bush is licking his wounds on this issue. It's yet another boondoggle for his friends on Wall Street at the expense of average Americans so do not let him get even a small victory on […]
When Are We Ever Ready?
An editorial excerpt from the Yankton [SD] Press & Dakotan: No matter the outcome of this particular issue at this time, there is a gnawing little feeling about how future generations will look back on this matter. A century from now, will people look back on this issue the same way people now look on, […]
The Big-Brother Thing
Reuters (in a story by Jeremy Pelofsky) reports on the latest efforts of Republicans to "protect" something from something else: WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two top U.S. Republican lawmakers on Tuesday said they want to apply broadcast decency standards to cable television and satellite television and radio to protect children from explicit content. This reminds me […]
Everyday Homophobia
Big acts of homophobia, like the President's call — half-heartred though it is — for a Constitutional ban on marriage equality, are certainly awful. They are visible and they incite large numbers of people simultaneously to look for ways to renew their thoughtless hatred. I take them personally, and I get tired of endless "debates" […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Splenetics
Society Evolves
I heard today, via radio headlines, about the very interesting decision from the US Supreme Court striking down the use of the death penalty for those under 18 years old (previously, it had protected only those under 16 years old). I realize that the report was necessarily sketchy; nevertheless, there was a surprise. Apparently, Justive […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation
The Blog People!
It wasn't my fault. Somebody's blog made me read Balloon Juice (a conservative blog, which wasn't all that icky, actually), and there was this entry about a "…wretched mess of turgid prose written by Michael Gorman, the President[-Elect] of the American Library Association, then before you know it there I was reading this bit in […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Splenetics
The Fifth Estate II
Pamela Troy, in her essay "When Ordinary is Not Enough" (as seen at Democratic Underground), talks about her incredulity at the Fourth Estate's unwillingness or inability to see anything at all wrong with the state of the union and its current administration, those over whom they claim an almost inalienable right to be the exclusive […]
The Anglican Closet
News on the radio suggests that the Anglican conference has made the wrong decision. Apparently, the "naughty" members of the Anglican communion (i.e., those who ordain gay bishops and don't feel at all bad about it), will be allowed to leave the group for three years, during which time they should sit contritely in a […]
Is Anglican Schism Worth It?
The BBC News, in a story " Gay priest row 'threatens Bible' " about a meeting of 35 of the world's 38 Anglican primates in Newry, County Down, reports: However, Dr Jensen [Archbishop of Sydney] said those who opposed homosexual practices in the Church were prepared to split over the issue. "The idea that we […]
Personal Yen Accounts
In a New York Times Op/Ed column, "Honey, I Shunk the Dollar", Thomas L. Friedman describes how The dollar is falling! The dollar is falling! But the Bush team has basically told the world that unless the markets make the falling dollar into a full-blown New York Stock Exchange crisis and trade war, it is […]
Republicans Love Gay Hookers
This BuzzFlash editorial frames the Gannon Affair its own way: But the real issue here is that the White House Republican noise machine has now come out in defense of prostitution — and gay prostitution in particular — as a private issue, which Republicans are entitled to practice without being exposed by mean bloggers. Maybe […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Splenetics
The Tyranny of Morning People
Someplace in the last few days, I read an op/ed type column from some guy giving his opinion about why students someplace should be forced to get up earlier and go to school. These students were all snivelling lay-abouts and it would be good for them, he pronounced. What rubbish! Although he failed to lay […]
"Bloggeurs de Gauche"
This article, "Les relations ambiguës de Bush avec les journalistes" , from Le Monde, came to my attention via John Aravosis of AMERICAblog. The story is about the current administration's dislike for the press, and its attempts to manipulate the news. Naturally, it mentions the Jeff Gannon affair. The fun part is at the end. […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Splenetics
Buckley's Blind Spot
There was a time when I had some respect for William F. Buckley, although I can't for the life of me remember why. I was much younger then, and more naive; I probably was impressed by all the words he managed to write, and that funny way he has of talking without moving that part […]
The Fifth Estate
Commenting on the initial inattentiveness of the mainstream [American] media (MS) to the "Jeff Gannon" affair, and it's continued pussy-footing and inability to see the actual story, The Guardian [UK] observed (apparently in a story by Paul Harris in New York): On the internet, the mainstream media is derided and scorned. One question is dominating […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, Splenetics
Knowledge-Based Learning
I was reading some article tonight that made a reference in passing to the current administration's obsessive fascination with "abstinence-only" programs for "sex education" (i.e., no sex education). These programs are known to lead to increased teen pregnancy when compared to the results of teaching about, e.g., condom use. How could this possibly be, the […]
Marriage and the Mists of Time
Someplace — I forget where now — during the height of the pre-election gay marriage "debate", I was keeping track of new records claimed for the length of time over which marriage had remained "traditional" and "unchanging". Generally, it looked like the claim was peaking at around 2,000 years. People seemed willing to risk guessing […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., Splenetics
Hypocritical Ripples
I'm quite enjoying this whole Jeff Gannon / Jim Guckert story and all the stuff swirling about it. Recall: "Jeff" (we now have to use the quotation marks so you know it's a pseudonym, although I think "Jeff" is a perfectly good name myself) is the [apparently] gay-male prostitute who pretended to be a journalist […]
Preserving Press Freedom
An editorial in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Protecting Press Freedom", is justly concerned about the actions of a US appeals court ("activist judges"?) in upholding contempt citations against reporters who refused to reveal sources. In summary remarks, they say No administration in power is happy to read what newspapers write or what's reported on television. But […]