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JUNE 2008 BLOG ARCHIVE

For current and ongoing blog entries: http://www.thrillfactory.com/

JUNE 26, 2008

As good a eulogy as I've read anywhere: John Nichols of The Nation gives you George Carlin, American Radical: "No one, not Obama, not Hillary Clinton and certainly not John McCain, caught the zeitgeist of the vanishing American dream so well as Carlin."

JUNE 23, 2008

The very short list of People That Matter just got a little bit shorter...

GEORGE CARLIN

1937-2008

JUNE 21, 2008

Ever since moving into our new apartment -- and finally receiving my free, fully-loaded Comcast HDTV package -- the amount of my day spent in front of the boob tube has increased by probably 500%. Annemarie made note of it, because we actually spend more time with each other now that my TV appetite almost matches hers.

This development has had other positive aspects: thanks to National Geographic HD, the History Channel HD and my trusty DVR, I am perfectly positioning my intellect for a Jeopardy tryout when we get back to Los Angeles next year (not a joke). The notable downside, of course, is that Thanks to National Geographic HD, the History Channel HD and my trusty DVR, my head is now crammed full of more nonsense about Roswell, Area 51, and the Third Reich's obsession with the Occult than could possibly be of any use.

The amount of religious broadcasting is absolutely terrifying, far outweighing the amount of scientific material (but not nearly as ubiquitous as shows about assholes trying to buy, sell, reappraise, redecorate, trade, flip, paint or simply clean their obnoxious houses).

Of paramount importance, of course, is political coverage -- and finally being able to watch Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC every night is worth it's weight in golden fudge. I have to admit that his material skews to the left, so it would be disingenuous to call the show an impartial, objective data source (that would be The Daily Show or BBC World News, ironically). On the other hand, every other news analysis program is skewed so far to the right and center (where "both sides" of an issue get equal time, even when one side is lying and wrong, or there is no actual "issue") that its refreshing to hear someone simply call a spade a spade, even if the target is a liberal. If you're smart enough to grasp him, I can't recommend Keith highly enough.

As if in defense of that position, I have to call your attention to this little debacle: Anyone with a shred of intelligence knows that Fox News is a fully-affiliated, anti-Democrat propaganda apparatus for the Republican Party. One would expect that anyone unaware of this fact would pick up on it after watching, say, five minutes worth of any program on the network. But, amazingly, a high-profile Democrat from Tennessee actually fell for one of the channel's "Barack Obama may be a Terrorist" smear tactics. To quote the piece: If this is what FOX’s lies can do to committed Democrats, imagine what it does to the minds of Republicans and Independents. And those people probably share what they’ve “learned” from FOX with friends, family, and coworkers.

While we're here: I'm sure Tim Russert was a nice guy, and we all hate to see nice people die... but, seriously, can we bring it down a notch? Have a look at this from Alexander Cockburn. Russert did, after all, play along with conning America into a bogus war just like the rest of the corporate media. That's the reality. Edward R. Murrow must be spinning in his grave.

On that note, I am pleased to see that American Hero Scott Ritter is alive and well and still telling it like it is. Ritter served as chief U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991 until his resignation in 1998. Prior to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Ritter publicly argued that Iraq possessed no significant weapons of mass destruction -- and he was, of course, made to seem a dolt or a traitor by the Fox News crowd and their accomplices on every other channel. This week, Ritter weighs in on the Scott McClellan episode. Even after the former Bush spokesman admits the press caved in on Iraq, the media are still in total denial about their role in duping the American public. Ritter calls them out. Hard.

And now... IT'S TIME TO GET YOUR CRAZY ON!!

A Minnesota Pastor (and Republican Party Delegate) has openly challenged the IRS by telling his congregation that God wants them to vote Republican. Authorities say a teenager from a faith-healing family died from an illness that could have been easily treated, just a few months after a toddler cousin of his died in a case that has led to criminal charges. A Mount Vernon teacher undermined science instruction by discrediting evolution in his classroom, focusing on creationism and intelligent design, and burning crosses into the flesh of his students' arms using an electrostatic device (I shit you not). And you owe it to yourself to have a look at Darwinists for Jesus.

Later.

JUNE 15, 2008

Happy Fathers' Day to all whom that applies to. It's FD #2 for me, and overall it has been a great day, even though Momma is working. Annamae and I have been playing pretty much non-stop (except for a brief visit from Nana and BC) and I finally got her down for a late nap. Now I type this in my usual clock-watching rush.

A very small part of the day was spent in quiet reflection. I have been giving a lot of thought to fatherhood lately, and in very ethereal terms. If a family can be compared to, let's say, a small business, then what business, exactly, is my family in? What is our mission statement, and what do I (as one of the "CEOs") see as the ultimate goal of the "company"? I suspect a great deal of the grief and misery in the world could be traced directly back to fathers (and mothers) giving this notion too little consideration.

Food, clothing and shelter are important, of course -- but they are also, literally, the least a parent can provide. After all, to a hungry child, what is the difference between a sandwich provided by the child's father and one provided by... well... anybody else? Nada.

Beyond such base concerns lays the ideological realm of social responsibility, civic duty, intellectual satisfaction, artistic expression, morality and ultimate purpose. It is in this area that my contributions to Annamae's development are unique, both in contrast to other father/daughter relationships she may witness, as well as in contrast to every other influential person she will encounter in life.

It is something I will be thinking about more.

On that note, if Annamae were old enough to absorb such things, I would be very excited to tell her that, according to new scientific findings, early life on Earth is almost certainly the result of extraterrestrial material. If we could have a serious discussion about that one day... man, I wouldn't care where she got the sandwich.

As for you, intrepid reader, I offer the following:

If God's thunderbolts were to pose an existential threat to mankind (as many believe they do), wouldn't military intervention be unavoidable? Robert Ritchie of The Guardian asked himself that, and he even presents us with a vision of what the press conference might be like.

Then there's "Holiday in Hellmouth" by The New Yorker's James Wood, a MUST READ rumination on suffering. Dig this sample: The second major Biblical response is the notion of suffering as a test or something otherwise improving... in Romans 5:3-4, “Tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.” It is now widespread, this rather repellent idea that suffering is dimly watermarked by redemption; that behind our pain lies His plan... In the seventeenth century, Pierre Bayle likened this godly surveillance to a father who lets his son break his leg just so that he can show off his skill by mending it.

JUNE 7, 2008

** UPDATE: "Obama made clear that he will not resort to the low road, but he also will not take punches on the chin or below the belt." Great analysis from Drew Westen! **

As you are no doubt aware from the near 'round-the-clock TV news coverage, the long walk through the valley of the shadow of the Democratic Primary Process is at an end.

While I have been a Hillary supporter all along, I was never an "Obama Hater", and the end result is nowhere near a disappointment for me. After hearing his outstanding speech last Tuesday, I can announce that I am firmly committed to Barack Obama's vision. The fact that he has already jettisoned all special interest funding from the Democratic National Committee is evidence for me that we are on to something totally new here. His splitting from his longtime church -- and subsequent upbraiding of the media for continuing to question something that has no Constitutional merit anyway -- also did him a favor in my book.

Although polling suggests Obama's lead over John McCain is marginal, I suspect a different outcome -- a landslide, and a mandate for a New

America. My main reason for thinking so is that Obama's current polling is largely the result of the hits he has been taking as one half of the most well-known in-party squabble in recent political history. Now that it's just Obama (young, smart, articulate and representative of a party the majority of Americans are in lockstep with) vs. McCain (feeble, shifty, and proud to boast of a platform 75% of the country says is all wrong), it will be a massacre. Guy Saperstein over at AlterNet has a similar view, and all the data to back it up. Check out his analysis of the situation, and bone up your talking points, my fellow Dems!

Hey now... what would a blog entry be without a quick tour of the Wacky World of The Religious? Christine Wicker makes public what Baptist leaders have secretly known for years: The Southern Baptist Convention is a denomination in decline. Can I get a Whut-Whut??