A DAILY INNOCULATION AGAINST POLITICAL AND CULTURAL BULLSHIT

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, I'M YOURS?

2009-11-26T03:14:00.001-05:00

Listening to Stevie sing Obama's theme song, and I'm thinking: we definitely signed, sealed and delivered -but he didn't. We were definitely his, but he was not ours.

You could hate a man for doing that to you.

Tomgram: "This Administration Ended, Rather Than Extended, Two Wars" | TomDispatch

2009-11-25T23:06:00.000-05:00

Tomgram: "This Administration Ended, Rather Than Extended, Two Wars" | TomDispatch

Israel Offers 10-Month West Bank Settlement Freeze

2009-11-25T19:44:00.000-05:00

Israel Offers 10-Month West Bank Settlement Freeze

Israel Offers a Pause in Building New Settlements - NYTimes.com

2009-11-25T14:23:00.000-05:00

Israel Offers a Pause in Building New Settlements - NYTimes.com

Whose Recession Is It, Anyway? - Opinionator Blog - NYTimes.com

2009-11-25T14:22:00.002-05:00

Whose Recession Is It, Anyway? - Opinionator Blog - NYTimes.com

"Given the precarious state of the economy and widespread concerns about unemployment, common sense suggests concerns over the deficit should wane. But the poll found that a whopping 67% of respondents want the emphasis to be on deficit reduction, while 30% see the deficit as necessary under the circumstances. Those results are very similar to those from an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll taken a few weeks ago.

"It’s probably worth noting that the majority is hopelessly wrong. I’m not even sure if the majority fully understands what the deficit is, why it’s large, what would be needed to make it smaller, and how it fits into the larger economic landscape. For many, it seems the “deficit” is just an amorphous concept that loosely means “bad economy.”

"Which is why it’s important that policymakers not base policy decisions on illiteracy. Americans say they want a stronger job market and a better economic growth. They also say they want less spending, lower taxes, and an immediate focus on deficit reduction. The inherent contradictions are lost on far too many."

This one really, really gets it.

The End of Music - Opinionator Blog - NYTimes.com

2009-11-25T14:16:00.001-05:00

The End of Music - Opinionator Blog - NYTimes.com

"For more than half a century we’ve seen incredible advances in sound technology but very little if any advance in the quality of music. In this case the paradigm shift may not be a shift but a dead stop. Is it that people just don’t want to hear anything new? Or is it that composers and musicians have simply swallowed the pomo line that nothing else new can be done, which ironically is really just the “old, old story.”"

Glenn Branca has composed 13 symphonies: six for electric guitars, three for harmonic series instruments, three for orchestra and one, No. 13, for 100 guitars.

Whiner. The immediate above should explain why Branca's in the mood he's in.

Since 1960 there's been "very little if any advance in the quality of music"? Mr. Branca must have been living in some other world than the one I've been in. Or maybe he doesn't consider anything but a symphony for 100 guitars to be music.

He would be right if he limited his criticism to the period beginning in the 1990's - although even there, electronica has made a promising debut, notwithstanding there's very little sustained quality in it. We do seem to be in a dead zone. But I remember another dead zone - 1960 to 1964, when what we got was a lot of retread crap other than the advent of the twist. This one just seems to be running longer.

And I suspect the reason for that is that computers have made real musical collaboration unnecessary, since now one person can do it all himself. The best stuff always came out of cross-fertilization. There are no good ideas out there now, other than re-exploitation of old stuff - like "Jersey Boys". If they're writing stuff now like Gaudio did then, it ain't where I can hear it.

But that doesn't mean that music is dead. It does mean that you can't get much adventurous stuff played on the radio (that's just another example of the downside of corporatism). But, as always, creative people find other ways of getting their stuff heard, whether on the internet, live or whatever.

What Branca, who no doubt considers himself a "serious" musician, forgets is that what's classical to us was pop to the people around when it was made. You just never know what's going to catch on. You just have to keep putting what you've got out there - and hope America can get itself off the emotional Quaalude addiction it seems to be on right now, so that when something passes their ears which can trigger excitement and joy, they'll have enough emotional hearing left to recognize it.

Op-Ed Columnist - Thanks for the Memories - NYTimes.com

2009-11-25T14:01:00.001-05:00

Op-Ed Columnist - Thanks for the Memories - NYTimes.com

What Obama did was to squander the moment when he could have taught America what government is supposed to do and what it is capable of doing.

The problem with getting old is that you don't understand that it has been so long since we had a government which was interested in anything besides money and war that most Americans, through no fault of their own, do not have a clue what productive government is. They think government is what they see the Republicans doing in Congress. They don't know that, in the far distant past, people used government to make things better for most everyone.

Those of you who claim to be surprised by Obama's behavior have no right to be. You should have known when he surrounded himself with Clintonites and pushed progressives aside that he was in no way what he had sold himself as. You should have known when Larry Summers became Secretary of the Treasury. You should have known in a hundred little ways which have been obvious over the past year, if you looked.

What's really annoying right now is Obama's sense that he's royalty. I keep wondering what he's going to do when it all comes crashing down on him - and, sadly, I think he, like Marie Antoinette, will have no idea why he deserves his fate.

Perino: No Terrorist Attacks In America Under Bush (VIDEO)

2009-11-25T11:36:00.000-05:00

Perino: No Terrorist Attacks In America Under Bush (VIDEO)

How very odd these Bushies are.

Land Mine Treaty Won't Be Signed By Obama Administration

2009-11-25T04:36:00.000-05:00

Land Mine Treaty Won't Be Signed By Obama Administration

Pelosi Sees Unrest Among Dems: 'Can We Afford This War?'

2009-11-25T04:35:00.000-05:00

Pelosi Sees Unrest Among Dems: 'Can We Afford This War?'

Insurance Industry Antitrust Fight Headed To Conference Committee

2009-11-25T04:34:00.000-05:00

Insurance Industry Antitrust Fight Headed To Conference Committee

TUESDAYS WITH DIOGENES (11/24/09)

2009-11-24T00:10:00.000-05:00

10.

“Obama came by here yesterday,” he said.

I was astonished. “You mean he stopped his motorcade and came over to you?”

“Yep.”

“Really? Why? What did he want?”

Diogenes shrugged. “Good photo op.”

“Did he talk to you?”

“He said words.”

“What did he say?”

“He asked if there was something he could do for me.”

“And what did you say?”

“I told him to get the hell away from me, before I caught his disease.”

“What disease?”

“Big talking. It’s infectious, you know.”

“Don’t like him much?” I laughed.

“I call him Cutie.”

“Cutie?”

“Yeah. Because he thinks he’s cute.”

“Why don’t you like him?” I wanted to know. “Think he was born in Kenya?”

“Wherever he was born,” he scoffed, “he came packed full of shit.”

“Explain.”

“Cutie’s a fraud. He wants you to think he believes in things.”

“And he doesn’t?”

“Oh, hell, no. You know, during the campaign, his talk about wealth inequality? He wouldn’t have said a word if Edwards hadn’t brought it up. It never would have occurred to him. Health care, too – he stole that from Hillary. You know that speech he gave where he read a letter he got from Teddy Kennedy?”

“Sure. But how do you know about it? You don’t read the papers.”

“Some of the bars with TVs, they let me in.”

“And?”

“He talked about concern for others being a moral obligation. If Teddy hadn’t written to him, he’d never have thought of that, either. He’s a user, a pretender. Like I said, a fraud. And the proof is that, for all his talk, he hasn’t done one good thing.”

“Did you vote for him?” I asked him.

Dio laughed. “People with no fixed abode don’t vote.”

“You never vote?”

“No. I can’t.”

“You could if you settled down someplace.”

“Settle down so I can vote? I don’t think so. But not voting – that’s the only thing I don’t like about myself.”

I asked: “Would you have voted for Cutie if you could?”

“Nah. I knew he was a fake from the gitgo.”

“You would have voted for Bush?”

“That would have been suicide. No, Bentley, I think I would have voted for you.”

“You didn’t know me then,” I said.

“You weren’t running, either.”

“So is there any politician you actually liked?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “Jimmy Carter. I loved that guy. Man, was he connected to the soul of the world.”

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

“Easy, bro. He never did nothing he didn’t think was a moral thing to do. And he knew what a moral thing was.”

“He wasn’t a very good president.”

“No, you right.”

“Maybe being moral is not a good thing in a president. Maybe we just need people who can do what has to be done.”

“The last one thought he was doing what had to be done. No better way to get messed up. I tell you what,” he said. “I’ve been looking for years for a man who can get things done, but won’t do them unless they’re the moral thing to do.” He pointed behind him, into the tube. “That’s what I use the flashlight for.”

“Haven’t found him, huh?” I laughed.

“Only thing I can tell you is he ain’t in Palm Beach County.”

“Are you going to explain to me about the soul of the world?”

“Yeah, I promise, Bentley. Next time you come.”

Gilad Schalit Deal: Israel May Swap 1,000 Palestinian Prisoners For Soldier Held By Hamas

2009-11-23T19:39:00.000-05:00

Gilad Schalit Deal: Israel May Swap 1,000 Palestinian Prisoners For Soldier Held By Hamas

Wouldn't this suggest that the Israelis are holding an awful lot of people for not very good reasons? I think it's commendable that they're willing to trade at 1000 to 1 - but they don't get to kvell over their moral judgment and concern for their own without us taking a look at why releasing 1000 prisoner does not constitute a security risk. And why the ratio of prisoners held by both sides is at least 1000 to 1.

Norman Lear: Lyndon Johnson, His National Security Advisor and His Secretary of Defense Say All

2009-11-23T19:36:00.000-05:00

Norman Lear: Lyndon Johnson, His National Security Advisor and His Secretary of Defense Say All

Bill Moyer's program on LBJ and Vietnam was, among other things, very touching. You don't need to get the DVD. The program is available as a podcast on iTunes. Just search on Bill Moyers' Journal.

Dean: Dems 'In Deep Trouble' On Health Care, The Only Options Are A Bad Bill Or 2010 Losses

2009-11-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

Dean: Dems 'In Deep Trouble' On Health Care, The Only Options Are A Bad Bill Or 2010 Losses

Dawn Teo: Tea Parties Organizing, Training For 2010 Under The Radar

2009-11-23T19:32:00.000-05:00

Dawn Teo: Tea Parties Organizing, Training For 2010 Under The Radar

Take this very, very seriously.

Op-Ed Columnist - The Phantom Menace - NYTimes.com

2009-11-23T19:29:00.000-05:00

Op-Ed Columnist - The Phantom Menace - NYTimes.com

GOP Considers 'Purity' Resolution For Candidates

2009-11-23T18:19:00.000-05:00

GOP Considers 'Purity' Resolution For Candidates

Democrats May Suffer If They Fail To Pass Health Care Legislation: Poll

2009-11-23T18:18:00.000-05:00

Democrats May Suffer If They Fail To Pass Health Care Legislation: Poll

Democrats Contemplate Direct Government Hiring

2009-11-23T18:14:00.000-05:00

Democrats Contemplate Direct Government Hiring

Wall Street Journal Supports Break-Up Of Big Banks

2009-11-23T18:12:00.000-05:00

Wall Street Journal Supports Break-Up Of Big Banks

The Fall of Greg Craig - TIME

2009-11-22T21:51:00.000-05:00

The Fall of Greg Craig - TIME

Analysis: Fed Under Fire As Public Anger Mounts

2009-11-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

Analysis: Fed Under Fire As Public Anger Mounts

The Fed is a simple minded target. Sure, it did some stupid things - maybe even nefarious ones. But I doubt anyone knows what will happen if some of its powers are removed and not placed with another trustworthy authority. Politicizing control of finance is a very bad idea. It's the fact that finance has been politicized outside the Fed which has led to the current disasters. I think we need an intelligent analysis of exactly what the Fed now does and good reasons for not allowing it to do them in the future.

Op-Ed Columnist - The Pit Bull in the China Shop - NYTimes.com

2009-11-22T13:27:00.000-05:00

Op-Ed Columnist - The Pit Bull in the China Shop - NYTimes.com:

"The fact-checking siege of “Going Rogue” — by the media, Democrats and aggrieved McCain campaign operatives alike — is another fruitless sideshow. Palin’s political appeal has never had anything to do with facts — or coherent policy positions. The more she is attacked for not being in possession of pointy-headed erudition, the more powerful she becomes as an avatar of the anti-elite cause. As Rich Lowry, the editor of National Review, has correctly observed, “She represents less a philosophical strain on the right than an affect and a demographic.”"

Resurgent al-Qaeda in Iraq seeks to undermine government - washingtonpost.com

2009-11-22T13:21:00.000-05:00

Resurgent al-Qaeda in Iraq seeks to undermine government - washingtonpost.com