Ruminations
*Oh Canada!
"Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don’t give it any value.” —Canadian “Human Rights” Investigator Dean Steacy, responding to the question “What value do you give freedom of speech when you investigate?”
*Dear Abby
There was a letter in Dear Abby the other day, from a new mother who was thinking about "taking a break" from motherhood - maybe just for a while. Like long enough to go to college or something.
It was spooky to read this woman matter-of-factly trying to talk herself into abandoning her infant.
Dear Abby (actually the daughter of the Dear Abby I grew up reading) discouraged the idea, but was gentle about it. I found myself wishing it were Dr. Laura ripping her a new one.
* BSG
Battlestar Galactica is back, and I still have no idea how the series is going to play out, but this is the last season.
Please God, if you're listening, don't let them blow it with a cheesy ending.
* The election.
Actually, when I say "the election" these days, I mean the local elections for city and county offices hereabouts on June 10.
I was covering a local candidate forum this past week, and realized that I was actually paying more attention to the ideas being discussed there than I have been for the longest presidential election in history. Possibly because the discussion is more down-to-earth.
And speaking of which, Intrade prediction market says Obama is going to be president.
Jimmy Carter redux, but this time the Iranian crazies will have nukes.
And speaking of Obama, I don't know who Whoopi Goldberg is supporting in this election (though it's surely a Democrat), but years ago when Jessie Jackson was making noises about running, she said something that went right to the point.
"They say I should support Jessie Jackson because he's black and I'm black. White folks have been voting for white folks because they're white for a long time - it don't f**king work!"
* Something every journalist should consider from time to time
Recently I was reminded of something Hungarian-born academic Paul Hollander said (he may have been quoting someone.)
Consider back in the 1930s, probably the last time anyone in the West could be a communist with any pretensions of innocence.
Consider highbrows and lowbrows.
Highbrows get their impressions of the Soviet Union from academic sources, the writings of public intellectuals, and of course The New York Times.
Lowbrows get their impression from pulp magazines containing stories like, "I was a prisoner of the Red terror!"
Question: Who would have had a more accurate impression of the Soviet Union?
"Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don’t give it any value.” —Canadian “Human Rights” Investigator Dean Steacy, responding to the question “What value do you give freedom of speech when you investigate?”
*Dear Abby
There was a letter in Dear Abby the other day, from a new mother who was thinking about "taking a break" from motherhood - maybe just for a while. Like long enough to go to college or something.
It was spooky to read this woman matter-of-factly trying to talk herself into abandoning her infant.
Dear Abby (actually the daughter of the Dear Abby I grew up reading) discouraged the idea, but was gentle about it. I found myself wishing it were Dr. Laura ripping her a new one.
* BSG
Battlestar Galactica is back, and I still have no idea how the series is going to play out, but this is the last season.
Please God, if you're listening, don't let them blow it with a cheesy ending.
* The election.
Actually, when I say "the election" these days, I mean the local elections for city and county offices hereabouts on June 10.
I was covering a local candidate forum this past week, and realized that I was actually paying more attention to the ideas being discussed there than I have been for the longest presidential election in history. Possibly because the discussion is more down-to-earth.
And speaking of which, Intrade prediction market says Obama is going to be president.
Jimmy Carter redux, but this time the Iranian crazies will have nukes.
And speaking of Obama, I don't know who Whoopi Goldberg is supporting in this election (though it's surely a Democrat), but years ago when Jessie Jackson was making noises about running, she said something that went right to the point.
"They say I should support Jessie Jackson because he's black and I'm black. White folks have been voting for white folks because they're white for a long time - it don't f**king work!"
* Something every journalist should consider from time to time
Recently I was reminded of something Hungarian-born academic Paul Hollander said (he may have been quoting someone.)
Consider back in the 1930s, probably the last time anyone in the West could be a communist with any pretensions of innocence.
Consider highbrows and lowbrows.
Highbrows get their impressions of the Soviet Union from academic sources, the writings of public intellectuals, and of course The New York Times.
Lowbrows get their impression from pulp magazines containing stories like, "I was a prisoner of the Red terror!"
Question: Who would have had a more accurate impression of the Soviet Union?
posted by Steve @ 8:02 AM
1 Comments:
At 12:01 AM,
TheWayfarer said…
If Obama brings The Shrike on board as Veep, his chances of winning become a whole lot more iffy, and his chances of living out half the first year of his term (and it would be just one term, just like "Jimmah") are about 1 in 10..."Arkansas suicide", you know.
BSG: I look for a propaganda finish-They get to Earth, and it's been wiped out by global warming, or some such dreck. It was always an excellent concept show no one could end well.
What a shocker that a leftist Canadian bureaucrat would have little respect for the God-given right of free speech, especially since his atheistic government - like most the ones in Western Europe, is so diligently whoring itself out to the Muslims...Really? Whodathunkit!?
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