Reni

I am always so sad to hear of the passing of a beloved family member, like Bella. I am sending you much love and many warm hugs across the miles.

Woodrow Wilson had a PhD and he was a terrible President.

I'll agree with you on this....but for likely very different reasons.

It's funny cause it's true.

So, that journalism degree from (what was it?) Idaho, is on par with a degree from Columbia, a JD from Harvard Law and a professorship at the University of Chicago. You betcha!

 

Her qualifications are similar to Obama.

 

Dan! Giants! Woohoo! I was so happy to see a fork stuck in the Phillies.

EVONNE!!! MAUDIE!! You're going to the WORLD SERIES!! :yay :yay

Robin is the one who gave me the book and I asked her if she knew if it was inspired by Jaycee Duggard. She said this was written before Jaycee was found, but might have been inspired by the case in Germany. The more I read it, the more I love it.

And the solution to this is more federal government? That we can elect the most narcissistic and sociopathic of society to represent us, and they will somehow do away with a patriarchal/hierarchical worldview that holds certain people (them, for example) above others?

Not always.....but.....it did take the federal government to finally step in and enforce fair and equal voting rights laws, end defacto Jim Crow racism and integrate schools, public spaces, etc. Sure, racism is still a rampant social ill in our nation. However, the horrors of racial terrorism and lynchings do not occur with the impunity that they once did, because there are federal protections so that the federal government will step in when local and state law enforcement will not. Just think, 55 years ago, 14 year old Emmett Till was severely tortured and murdered for allegedly whistling at a white woman. The men responsible were acquitted and justice was not served. This would not happen today (hopefully) because of federal protections. I am thankful for that. So, essentially, I see the intervention of the federal government (plus other important intersecting factors) being responsible for moving forward in regards to issues of injustice and inequality. Additionally, this has occurred at a fairly quick pace, considering the long history behind it. Sure, we are still a long way from an ideal....but at least we've been moving in the right direction. A lot of things I hear from the TPers sound like they'd rather go backwards.....like I hear static about how they want to repeal the Constitutional amendments back to the 10 in the Bill of Rights? Nooo thanks!

As for Social Security, I am pretty damn glad that Bush didn't get his way with moving towards privatization. Imagine what would have happened if all of that money had been in the market? It tanked. So many people lost huge chunks of their private retirement funds! I am so glad Social Security was not a part of that. I am NO expert on the ins and outs of the workings of Social Security and I certainly think that reforms need to occur and it needs to be made more viable and stable.....but I do not think that privatization is the answer. Nor do I think the elimination of it is a good idea. My daughter started receiving SS survivor benefits after the passing of her father. We are so grateful for it and it has helped a lot.

You might be correct about a purely Randian viewpoint, but you fail to discern the complexity and nuance of a healthy rightwing nutjob mindset. We are indeed social animals that are dependent on each other, but families and local communities form the basis of this social structure rather than the federal government (which merely exists to provide a basic infrastructure and protect us from threats to our security and rights).

And this conservative viewpoint fails to consider a historical, systemic structure of injustice and inequality predicated upon racism, sexism and a patriarchal/hierarchical worldview that holds certain people above others.

I am guessing you're of the Milton Friedman type? Just privatize everything and it will all sort itself out? Sharron Angle refers to Chile as an example of the privatization of Social Security. That worked really well, didn't it? I remember scoffing whilst reading Capitalism and Freedom when Friedman proposed that free-market capitalism would essentially eliminate issues of racial inequality. Really?! He never once took into account the issue of systemic racism and injustice.

I think, overall, as a society, we are so used to 30 second advertising and easy credit card fixes. So, when it comes to the dissemination of ideas, they are watered down to these basic, shallow talking points that don't serve the complexity of the matters at hand. And, here, I will take everyone to task, not just right-wing. The current political environment sickens me - it's become entertainment and election day feels more and more like the Super Bowl every year. I am tired of it.

Ikol, I certainly give you credit for being a complex thinker, even though we don't see eye to eye (at all). However, I do think that we speak different languages and likely focus our attention in different areas. I have an MA in History and an MA in Counseling.....so, I tend to approach things with an interpersonal, sociological and historical eye. I certainly lack knowledge in macro-economics and other fields that also play into these debates. I think this can be another way that we, as people, can fail to connect. Would you like me to write you my views on the oppressive intersectionality of patriarchal nationalism, militarism and fundamentalist religion? This pinko feminist could go on...... but, I'll spare you.

Maybe not, but he appears to be supporting the teapartiers positions that goverment shouldn't do for people what people should be doing for themselves, whatever that means. In a perfect world everyone could do everything for themselves, but the real world just isn't like that. I suppose it is in whatever world he inhabits where all families are intact, working, educated, not disabled, and are in communities where private charities and businesses take care of all members of the community no matter what. Some parts of the world are like that I suppose.

 

(Teabagger is a nickname that is no longer used...sorry...but it is funny.)

 

LouieB

Yup! As human beings, we are as much individuals as we are interdependent. No one can do it on their own. This is true from our basic psycho-social emotional/developmental needs to the material sustenance in which our lives are dependent on. This is where this Tea Party, uber-conservative Randian approach totally fails. As with most conservative viewpoints, they to divide the world into dualistic measures of thinking, when reality is a lot more complex, and the many ills of society are intertwined and intersected. Where I see conservative thinking ultimately fail is along this line. It's too simplistic and disregards nuance, complexity and paradox.

"Communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the thesis of communism nor the antithesis of capitalism but in a higher synthesis. It is found in a higher synthesis that combines the truths of both. Now, when I say question the whole society, it means ultimately coming to see that the problem of racism, the problem of exploitation, and the problem of war are all tied together. These are the triple evils that are interrelated." --MLK, Jr.

Amen.

 

And an aside to D-Dogg....no matter how much you take care of yourself and your family you and your family still use plenty of government services including roads, schools, etc. etc. We all need basic governmantal services. The minute something goes wrong with health and safety issues people go nuts that the government should have been overseeing things better, whether it is because some crimial assalted you, some insane person killed a relative, you got sick on food or medications or some product, the schools suck, a plane crashes, etc, etc. etc. Or heaven forbid gay people want to get married and have protection or a woman decides to choose to end a pregnancy, then of course government really really needs to control that.....good gawd y'all.....

 

LouieB

We should just go to a system like the one where the guy's house burned down in TN because he forgot to pay his extra fee. The new right wing mantra should be Burn Baby Burn, not Drill Baby Drill!

Holy Shit. Kate? Is that you!?

She doesn't scare me.

It's me.

and....she should!

I found my way over here when Graham told me that the Moe Tucker interview had been posted by VCer and not even someone from St. Louis! My friend Mike is the one who interviewed her (albeit via email) and he is just amazed that it's been picked up by news sites all over the country. It's pretty crazy, but then again, so is Moe. hehe

Hi Donna! yeah, a lot of people were raving about Drop City awhile back. I picked it up at a library book sale, but it is still sitting on my "to read" shelf.

Room is written from the point of view of a 5-year-old boy, Jack. His mother was kidnapped 7 years ago and they live in an 11x11 room. The writing is really interesting, because it is through the little games they play and through him just talking about their daily lives (in an innocent way) that you learn about the circumstances in which they live. He has never lived outside of the room, so their life has a normative quality, to him. There is real life and then there's TV life. So, he'll say things like, "spiders are real; rabbits are TV," because he's never seen a rabbit.

It takes a little bit to get used to his voice, but you'll fall in love with it. I was thinking of you, Donna, when I posted this book. I think you'd really like it.

I just started this and it has sucked me in.

I just did.

Don't let Christine O'Donnell find out.

I found out today that Flo McGarrel, an old friend of mine from high school (who was one of my best friends in high school) was killed in Jacmel, Haiti in a hotel that collapsed. He was working on developing an artist's collective in Jacmel.

This all really fucking sucks.

Shine on Flo......

in the queue for this one at the library.

Amazing. Should be mandatory reading for all.

and.....sod it....I am reading this one next:

I am so in love.

you could get some pancakes and get laid.

Hi Maudie!!

Isn't it a great cover?! I love that photo.

The book is about a group of women at the Atlit Internment Camip in Palestine, following WWII. While the narrative is set within actual historical events, at the heart of the book are the stories of the women and the development of their relationships. I loved The Red Tent so much, so I wanted to give it a go. It isn't as good as The Red Tent, but it's certainly worth a read. I have Diamant's other fictional book The Last Days of Dogtown on my reading list for 2010.

On a quick peek through the comments - it looks like that comment you quoted is directed at another person who commented right before them. So yeah, don't read the comments.

I am not sure what that person is talking about - the trailer does not give away the major "twist" of the movie (I hate to use such shallow words, for such a serious subject) - though you might not want to read the comments section (I haven't read it, so I don't know what it says).

watched this last night.....it was intense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyY0CXdiNo

I just read these two over Christmas break:

I loved them both.

And now, I am reading this:

I am so incredibly late to the game on Jonathan Safran Foer, but was given his new one Eating Animals for Christmas and wanted to read one of his works of fiction first. I am really loving it.

I started this, and will come back to it soon:

I am not well traveled at all.....but I can add Cuba to that list.

I spent a couple days in Fargo, ND this last summer, during my epic road trip - even watched independent league baseball there. Fargo is a pretty cool town. I really liked it. I got to see the "woodchip" Marge statue; it was a highlight....and they have one of the best junk/antique malls I have ever been to.

American Samoa

Andorra

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bahamas, The

Barbados

Belgium

Belize

Bosnia and Herzogovina

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada (Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island)

Chile

China

Costa Rica

Croatia

Cuba

Czech Republic

Czechoslovakia

Denmark

Dominica

Ecuador

Egypt

Estonia

Finland

France

French Polynesia

Germany

Greece

Guam

Guatemala

Hong Kong

Hungary

Iceland

Indonesia

Israel

Ireland

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Korea, North

Korea, South

Kyrgystan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxemborg

Malaysia

Malta

Mexico

Monaco

Morrocco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

San Marino

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Saint Lucia

Sweden

Switzerland

Syria

Taiwan

Thailand

Turkey

U.S.S.R.

United Kingdom

United States

Uruguay

Vatican City

Vietnam

Virgin Islands

Wales

Yugoslavia

Yeah, Christine, please do read the book first. It is simply a masterpiece.

Neon - same thing here - it's only showing in 2 theaters in the entire Chicagoland area. On its release date it was nowhere near us. I was going to drive an hour away to go see it yesterday in Evanston, but then went to get the time and it was in a theater a little closer - 30 min.

Yeah, the movie really stuck with me. My eyes were sore and I felt pretty blah for the rest of the evening. Then again, if a movie has that much of an emotional effect on me, I like it. I love being deeply and emotionally engaged with movies.