"This is going to seem like the dumbest question in the world," e-mailed Paul, "but I'm going to college this fall, living far from home and, really, starting over. I wanted a new look and thought about dreds but didn't want to be yet another White guy in dreds and plus I only started letting my brush cut grow out in April so there's no way it will be long enough. I don't want the same haircut. I don't want to be the same Paul. I feel like this is my chance to show Paul the adult and really take control of my own life. So, if you're not laughing too loud and all, any hair suggestions? Thanks, Paul. P.S. I won't have a big budget so I may be stuck with SuperCuts."
Paul, we didn't laugh. We fully understand what you're saying which has a lot to do with excitement and hope for the future. It's not just a hair issue. Were it just a hair issue, the fact that it means something to you means we wouldn't be laughing.
The brush cut. Keanu. Speed. What was that, over ten years ago. Did even the Farrah last this long?
There's a new style needed for males, absolutely.
Jim and Dona are in grad school, Jess is in law school, Mike's in college as well. Kat, Rebecca, Ava, C.I. and Wally have been to campus after campus this summer (and Wally's a college student when he attends! -- he took time off for the Democratic primaries). So we see a lot of things. One thing that the gang on the road noticed was a hair style that's a cross between Edward Furlong's Terminator 2 and Conor Orbst's hair. It's basically one long layer. Some guys are shaving it cutting it close right above the ear but the top layer covers it. (If you have a wide or boxy face and pursue the cut we're talking about, you should try cutting it very close on the sides above your ears.) The back? Some keep it as long as the top layer all the way in the back. Some shave or trim the last section and let the top layer fall over it.
You can probably do this cut yourself (which will help you with money). You want to let the bangs (that's the whole top layer) grow out so that if you pull it down, it's over your eyebrows and in your eyes.
Now that's the cut and Rebecca notes she's seem similar cuts in the last few decades several times. Here's the difference. It's not bed hair (apparently too 90s). It's more stiff hair in places. That's what everyone's been noticing. Jim called a guy in his class this morning who has that cut to ask him what he product he uses to get that look? He uses Herbal Essences Set Me Up Spray Gel. And he says that is not expensive and is available "everywhere." What you do for the style is wash your hair in the morning. Towel dry it so that it's still damp and then spray the Herbal Essence on it. You're not coating it. He says once around is enough. You let your hair dry like that. If you have wavy or curly hair, after you run your fingers through it later in the day you'll still have a few waves or curls that are hardened. If you have straight hair, you'll still have a few waves. You do not comb it for the look and he says you let it hang loose before you spray. Don't try to part it or push it around.
Last week alone, Ava, C.I., Kat, Rebecca and Wally saw the look in Athens, Atlanta and Miami. If it lasts through the fall it will be because it's becoming more popular. But it is a new look currently going around.
Hope that helps and, if it doesn't, remember you can shave it all off, go with a flat top or a brush cut. That's the plus. It's long so if you hate it, it can easily be cut into another style. Hope that helps and good luck this fall!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Phone ettiquette 21st Century Style
With Ava, C.I., Kat and Wally on the road every week speaking about Iraq (and Rebecca joining most weeks), coming off the road means returning all non-pressing phone calls quickly on Saturdays. A point came up as they were returning phone calls and Ty's had the same problem as well.
When someone returns your call and asks "How are you doing?" you should know the answer.
The correct answer is never, "Let me pull up my LiveJournal."
No one needs you to read entries over the phone from your LiveJournal.
And if you're unable to remember what happened without referring to your LiveJournal, then it most likely was not worth remembering.
"How are you doing?" also never requires a summary of each moment of your days over the last week.
When in doubt, remember the wise words of Steve Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles,
"Everything is not an anecdote! You have to discriminate! You choose things that are funny or mildly amusing or interesting! You're a miracle! Your stories have none of that! They aren't even amusing accidentally!"
When someone returns your call and asks "How are you doing?" you should know the answer.
The correct answer is never, "Let me pull up my LiveJournal."
No one needs you to read entries over the phone from your LiveJournal.
And if you're unable to remember what happened without referring to your LiveJournal, then it most likely was not worth remembering.
"How are you doing?" also never requires a summary of each moment of your days over the last week.
When in doubt, remember the wise words of Steve Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles,
"Everything is not an anecdote! You have to discriminate! You choose things that are funny or mildly amusing or interesting! You're a miracle! Your stories have none of that! They aren't even amusing accidentally!"
Nader-Gonzalez marching on
The Nader Campaign is on the move. Presidential candidate Ralph Nader and his running mate Matt Gonzalez have many campaign stops coming up.
Sunday July 27, 2008 2:00 p.m.
Houston, Texas
Ralph Nader w/ Matt Gonzalez
Hilton University of Houston4800 Calhoun Suite 207, Houston, TX 77204
Contribution- $10/$5 student
(202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org
Sunday July 27, 2008 7:30 p.m.
Austin, TexasRalph Nader w/ Matt Gonzalez
Trinity United Methodist Church
600 East 50th St. Austin, TX 78751
Contribution $10/$5 student
(202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org
Thursday July 31, 2008 7:30pm
Salt Lake City, Utah
Nader for President 2008 Rally w/ Rocky Anderson
Libby Gardner Concert Hall
1375 E President Circle, Salt Lake UT
Contribution-$10/ $5 students
(801) 916-6307 or ashley@votenader.rog
Saturday, August 2, 2008, 8:00 p.m.
Davis, California
Nader for President 2008 Speech
Ralph Nader w/ Matt Gonzalez
Varsity Theater616 Second StreetDavis, CA 95616
Contribution: $10/ $5 students
(202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org
Sunday August 3, 1:30 p.m.Sebastopol, California
Nader for President Speech
Ralph Nader w/ Matt Gonzalez
Sebastopol Community Center
390 Morris St., Sebastopol, California 95472
Contribution: $10/ $5 students
(202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org
August 3, 2008, 4:30pm
Healdsburg, California
Nader for President Speech
Ralph Nader w/ Matt Gonzalez
Copperfield's books
104 Matheson St., Healdsburg, California 95448
Contribution: $10/ $5 students
(202) 471-5833 or events@votenader.org
August 3, 7:30 p.m.
Kentfield, California
Nader for President 2008 Speech in Marin
Ralph Nader w/ Matt Gonzalez
College of Marin- Olney Hall
835 College Ave., Kentfield, California
Contribution: $10/ $5 students
More Info: (415) 897-6989 or events@votenader.org
And a non-corporate funded, non-corporate beholden candidate doesn't have Wall St. funding a campaign. So Team Nader notes:
With both Obama and McCain saber rattling over Iran, the Nader/Gonzalez message of peace through justice is now more important than ever.
If your friends or relatives in the neighborhood, give them a shout and let them know.
But right now, we need gas money to fuel Ralph's South and West Coast Tour.
We've rented a car.
Gas prices are high.
And Ralph is on the move.
So, please donate whatever you can now to fill up our tank.
You can give up to $4,600.
But $500, $100, $50 - whatever you can donate is what we need.
Help us fill 'er up.
So we can get 'er done.
Onward.
Highlights
This piece is written by Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Kat of Kat's Korner, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Report, Marcia of SICKOFITRADLZ and Wally of The Daily Jot. Unless otherwise noted, we picked all highlights.
"I Hate The War" -- The most requested highlight. C.I.'s addressing the topic -- the forbidden topic! As much as readers loved this, we all loved it as well.
"Dear Late To The Party" -- Jess responds to the latest e-mail nonsense wherein an outsider e-mails with an 'assignment' for C.I. which, for the record, was a topic C.I. was already covering.
"On the campaign trail" -- Betinna's campaigning for Ralph Nader.
"Meatloaf in the kitchen" -- Trina covers an easy to handle meatloaf recipe and notes Barack cancelling out on wounded US service members.
"Kevin Zeese" -- Kat reviews how shiny, helpful people can hurt the ones they love.
"naomi wolf, fool and borrower" -- Rebecca explains what's what re: Wolf.
"Frankie & Annette beach party movies and Nader" & "Isaiah, Beach Party movies and more" -- Ruth and Elaine revist the beach part movies.
"Goodman can't stop pimping 'dat man" & "THIS JUST IN! AND SHE PIMPS AGAIN!" -- Cedric and Wally cover how hard Amy Goodman works to cover-up for Barack.
Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "The approved cover", Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Take Three" and Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Take Two" -- Isaiah's three comics from Sunday commenting on The New Yorker faux scandal.
"Ralph Nader, Isaiah, Third" -- Mike breaks down last week's edition.
"The racists of MoveOn and Color of Change" & "THIS JUST IN! MOVEON HAS NO STANDARDS!" -- The laughs keep a-comin' and, at this rate, Wally and Cedric just have to play it straight to get the laughs, just provide the reality because that's how ridiculous it's getting.
"Comics, media channel" -- Marcia weighs in on an outlet she's had her fill of.
"Ralph opens Nevada campaign office, Paul Street" -- Kat covering the latest on the Nader campaign and noting non-Kool-Aid drinker Street.
"Cooking, Ralph Nader, BonusGate" -- Kat thinks she's Trina! Seriously, Kat's writing about cooking and BonusGate.
"Bay Area post" -- Marcia writes about day one of the vacation.
"the 'gals' in feminist leadership, ralph nader, more" -- Rebecca letting it rip.
"The consensus was that he is a freak" -- Ruth writes about the plane ride to California and the judgment of the passengers re: Barack.
"BonusGate" -- Mike provides a run-down on BonusGate -- in spite of bossy-pushy outsider.
"Barack had 'better' things to do," "Technical problems fixed and Moyers on torture" and
"Technical problems (thanks Blogger/Blogspot)" -- Elaine filling in for Kat (first post) and then dealing with technical problems at her site.
"Iraq snapshot" & "Iraq snapshot" -- These two snapshots provide Congressional coverage. They have to be noted for that reason. Our press can't even bother these days. (Exceptions noted in both snapshots.)
"I Hate The War" -- The most requested highlight. C.I.'s addressing the topic -- the forbidden topic! As much as readers loved this, we all loved it as well.
"Dear Late To The Party" -- Jess responds to the latest e-mail nonsense wherein an outsider e-mails with an 'assignment' for C.I. which, for the record, was a topic C.I. was already covering.
"On the campaign trail" -- Betinna's campaigning for Ralph Nader.
"Meatloaf in the kitchen" -- Trina covers an easy to handle meatloaf recipe and notes Barack cancelling out on wounded US service members.
"Kevin Zeese" -- Kat reviews how shiny, helpful people can hurt the ones they love.
"naomi wolf, fool and borrower" -- Rebecca explains what's what re: Wolf.
"Frankie & Annette beach party movies and Nader" & "Isaiah, Beach Party movies and more" -- Ruth and Elaine revist the beach part movies.
"Goodman can't stop pimping 'dat man" & "THIS JUST IN! AND SHE PIMPS AGAIN!" -- Cedric and Wally cover how hard Amy Goodman works to cover-up for Barack.
Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "The approved cover", Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Take Three" and Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Take Two" -- Isaiah's three comics from Sunday commenting on The New Yorker faux scandal.
"Ralph Nader, Isaiah, Third" -- Mike breaks down last week's edition.
"The racists of MoveOn and Color of Change" & "THIS JUST IN! MOVEON HAS NO STANDARDS!" -- The laughs keep a-comin' and, at this rate, Wally and Cedric just have to play it straight to get the laughs, just provide the reality because that's how ridiculous it's getting.
"Comics, media channel" -- Marcia weighs in on an outlet she's had her fill of.
"Ralph opens Nevada campaign office, Paul Street" -- Kat covering the latest on the Nader campaign and noting non-Kool-Aid drinker Street.
"Cooking, Ralph Nader, BonusGate" -- Kat thinks she's Trina! Seriously, Kat's writing about cooking and BonusGate.
"Bay Area post" -- Marcia writes about day one of the vacation.
"the 'gals' in feminist leadership, ralph nader, more" -- Rebecca letting it rip.
"The consensus was that he is a freak" -- Ruth writes about the plane ride to California and the judgment of the passengers re: Barack.
"BonusGate" -- Mike provides a run-down on BonusGate -- in spite of bossy-pushy outsider.
"Barack had 'better' things to do," "Technical problems fixed and Moyers on torture" and
"Technical problems (thanks Blogger/Blogspot)" -- Elaine filling in for Kat (first post) and then dealing with technical problems at her site.
"Iraq snapshot" & "Iraq snapshot" -- These two snapshots provide Congressional coverage. They have to be noted for that reason. Our press can't even bother these days. (Exceptions noted in both snapshots.)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Truest statement of the week
And perhaps most tellingly, despite their disagreements, Greenwald and vanden Heuvel both supported Obama's practice of going out of his way to attack black poor people, most recently in his scurrilous Father's Day speech and again before the NAACP. (And, by the way, he grew up without a father and is running for president, no?) To Greenwald, this is the "Obama we want to see more of," the one who takes positions that are "unorthodox" and "not politically safe." Since when has it been unorthodox or unsafe politically to malign black poor people in public? Who the fuck has been doing anything else for at least twenty years? Public sacrifice of black poor people has been pro forma Democratic presidential strategy since Clinton ran on the pledge to "end welfare as we know it" and made a burnt offering of Rickey Ray Rector, and victim-blaming based on just-so stories about supposed "behavioral pathology" has been the only frame for public discussion of poverty for at least as long. To vanden Heuvel, Obama's contretemps with Jesse Jackson, who, ironically, has his own history of making such attacks, around this issue reflects a "generational division" among black people, with Obama representing a younger generation that values "personal responsibility." She also, for good measure, asserted that Obama has been "nailed unfairly" for his cozying up to the evangelicals and promising to give them more federal social service money. In explaining that he comes out of a "community organizing" tradition based in churches in Chicago, she didn't quite say that the coloreds love their churches. But she didn't really have to say it out loud, did she?
-- Adolph Reed Jr.'s "Where Obamaism Seems to be Going" (Black Agenda Report) -- and that's Glen Greenwald and Nation publisher and editor Katty-van-van Heuvel.
-- Adolph Reed Jr.'s "Where Obamaism Seems to be Going" (Black Agenda Report) -- and that's Glen Greenwald and Nation publisher and editor Katty-van-van Heuvel.
Truest statement of the week II
For someone like myself, who fought in World War II, and since then has protested against war, I must ask: Have our political leaders gone mad? Have they learned nothing from recent history? Have they not learned that no one "wins" in a war, but that hundreds of thousands of humans die, most of them civilians, many of them children?
Did we "win" by going to war in Korea? The result was a stalemate, leaving things as they were before with a dictatorship in South Korea and a dictatorship in North Korea. Still, more than 2 million people - mostly civilians -- died, the United States dropped napalm on children, and 50,000 American soldiers lost their lives.
Did we "win" in Vietnam? We were forced to withdraw, but only after 2 million Vietnamese died, again mostly civilians, again leaving children burned or armless or legless, and 58,000 American soldiers dead.
-- Howard Zinn, "Memo to Obama, McCain: No one wins in a war" (Boston Globe).
Did we "win" by going to war in Korea? The result was a stalemate, leaving things as they were before with a dictatorship in South Korea and a dictatorship in North Korea. Still, more than 2 million people - mostly civilians -- died, the United States dropped napalm on children, and 50,000 American soldiers lost their lives.
Did we "win" in Vietnam? We were forced to withdraw, but only after 2 million Vietnamese died, again mostly civilians, again leaving children burned or armless or legless, and 58,000 American soldiers dead.
-- Howard Zinn, "Memo to Obama, McCain: No one wins in a war" (Boston Globe).
A note to our readers
Hey --
Another Sunday. Along with Dallas, the following helped with this edition:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
and Marcia SICKOFITRDLZ.
We thank everyone. So what do we got?
Truest statement of the week -- We could probably grab five truests from Adolph Reed Jr.'s column alone. We came up with eight different passages and this is the one that won the majority of votes. The entire column is a truest as far as we're concerned and one of the highlights in independent media (real or pretend) last week.
Truest statement of the week II -- Howard Zinn speaks, the country would be better off listening.
Editorial: Faux outrage drowns out actual news -- This delayed us somewhat. Isaiah had decided to not take the day off he was supposed to when Ava and C.I. passed on news. We waited for him to finish his comic -- which turned out to be three -- before writing this editorial because we wanted to include his comments (comics are commentary) and to weigh in as well.
TV: Gossip Girls and Barack's Bitches -- I don't know if we're just too depressed or what. But these editions are going so slow and we're so tired. Actually, the editions go fast because we're talking about everything else. C.I. brought one idea to the table for an article here and we were all on board with it. And we had nothing else. I asked Ava and C.I. to write their TV commentary (and asked them to go as long as possible) intending to really brainstorm with everyone else while Ava and C.I. wrote their commentary. Ava and C.I. did their job. They spent three hours on this. A record for them and one they do not plan to repeat. I read it outloud and we were all jazzed. It's their usual blend of insight, humor and hard hitting criticism.
But we still had nothing but the article C.I. had suggested. We finally broke for everyone to get some sleep and regrouped.
Extradition passed off as 'deportation' -- This is about Robin Long and we toyed with making war resisters our editorial. Rebecca was the one who suggested we do a story on Robin and on James Burmeister. Kat was the one who said, "Let's do one article for each of them." Thankfully, that gave the edition some traction.
Punishing the wounded whistle-blower -- This is the James Burmeister article. He was court-martialed Wednesday.
No, you're not safe -- C.I. brought this to the table. Mike was all for it immediately and started reminding us about when Ava and C.I. covered food safety back in 2006 for the gina & krista round-robin. With no other idea that interested us (even people pitching ideas), this was the only one we could agree to. We think it came out really strong.
Mailbag -- Dona said, "We need one more feature. Something short." Ty had been on me about a mailbag. This is the second to last piece we did.
Robin Long and James Burmeister coverage -- We rightly take people to task for their silence on war resisters last week. Elaine suggested we highlight some of the coverage. Wally pointed out that some coverage we could highlight in full.
Nader-Gonzalez goes for 15 states -- We wanted a Nader feature. We couldn't think of one. Credit to Betty who suggested -- after much discussion -- that we just post a press release. We'd still be debating it otherwise.
Highlights -- Mike, Kat, Rebecca, Betty, Ruth, Marcia, Cedric, Wally and Elaine wrote this and picked the highlights except where noted. This differes from their usual article in that Elaine has a big commentary in this. When I saw it, I begged her to let me break it off into its own piece. She said if that happened, she was pulling her comments. She also stated she didn't realize she had spoken at such length but she was speaking for Highlights ("and I prefer it be a surprise to those who read 'Highlights' instead of people being steered to my so-called commentary").
So that's what we have. Ava and C.I. say no more on the long commentaries. C.I.'s so tired that there's talk (it's 4:49 p.m. right now) that "And the war drags on" might go up on Monday. We're all tired. It was a long edition.
If you're late to the party, I would identify the current issues as (a) the heat which has everyone distracted; (b) Hillary and (c) war resisters. A explains itself. Hillary? I think there is a lot of depression there over the supension of her race. What we've done is focus on the Nader campaign (all except C.I. are on record as to who they will be voting for in the fall and it's Nader -- C.I. is on record stating no vote on Barack or McCain so most of us assume C.I.'s voting for Nader and Rebecca says if Elaine's voting for Ralph, C.I.'s voting for Nader). And that's great and it's needed. But Betty was talk about how she still is so upset about the way that nonsense went. So maybe next week or sometime soon we'll address that. (C) Wally is convinced (and Cedric agrees) that the piece of crap, abusive e-mail expressing ignorance has soured everyone. I think that's very likely. You'll remember we almost didn't do an edition that week. Kat told me (and I believe she blogged this at her site as well) that if C.I. ended up so mad that The Common Ills stopped (there was a chance of that), she'd be able to stop blogging and "have some fun again." Dona is at work on ways to make an edition fun (her own assigned task) and next week, we'll all be together physically so that should make it easier as well. Almost forgot, thank you to Isaiah for allowing us to use his comics here.
See you next week,
-- Jim, Dona, Jess, Ava and C.I.
Another Sunday. Along with Dallas, the following helped with this edition:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
and Marcia SICKOFITRDLZ.
We thank everyone. So what do we got?
Truest statement of the week -- We could probably grab five truests from Adolph Reed Jr.'s column alone. We came up with eight different passages and this is the one that won the majority of votes. The entire column is a truest as far as we're concerned and one of the highlights in independent media (real or pretend) last week.
Truest statement of the week II -- Howard Zinn speaks, the country would be better off listening.
Editorial: Faux outrage drowns out actual news -- This delayed us somewhat. Isaiah had decided to not take the day off he was supposed to when Ava and C.I. passed on news. We waited for him to finish his comic -- which turned out to be three -- before writing this editorial because we wanted to include his comments (comics are commentary) and to weigh in as well.
TV: Gossip Girls and Barack's Bitches -- I don't know if we're just too depressed or what. But these editions are going so slow and we're so tired. Actually, the editions go fast because we're talking about everything else. C.I. brought one idea to the table for an article here and we were all on board with it. And we had nothing else. I asked Ava and C.I. to write their TV commentary (and asked them to go as long as possible) intending to really brainstorm with everyone else while Ava and C.I. wrote their commentary. Ava and C.I. did their job. They spent three hours on this. A record for them and one they do not plan to repeat. I read it outloud and we were all jazzed. It's their usual blend of insight, humor and hard hitting criticism.
But we still had nothing but the article C.I. had suggested. We finally broke for everyone to get some sleep and regrouped.
Extradition passed off as 'deportation' -- This is about Robin Long and we toyed with making war resisters our editorial. Rebecca was the one who suggested we do a story on Robin and on James Burmeister. Kat was the one who said, "Let's do one article for each of them." Thankfully, that gave the edition some traction.
Punishing the wounded whistle-blower -- This is the James Burmeister article. He was court-martialed Wednesday.
No, you're not safe -- C.I. brought this to the table. Mike was all for it immediately and started reminding us about when Ava and C.I. covered food safety back in 2006 for the gina & krista round-robin. With no other idea that interested us (even people pitching ideas), this was the only one we could agree to. We think it came out really strong.
Mailbag -- Dona said, "We need one more feature. Something short." Ty had been on me about a mailbag. This is the second to last piece we did.
Robin Long and James Burmeister coverage -- We rightly take people to task for their silence on war resisters last week. Elaine suggested we highlight some of the coverage. Wally pointed out that some coverage we could highlight in full.
Nader-Gonzalez goes for 15 states -- We wanted a Nader feature. We couldn't think of one. Credit to Betty who suggested -- after much discussion -- that we just post a press release. We'd still be debating it otherwise.
Highlights -- Mike, Kat, Rebecca, Betty, Ruth, Marcia, Cedric, Wally and Elaine wrote this and picked the highlights except where noted. This differes from their usual article in that Elaine has a big commentary in this. When I saw it, I begged her to let me break it off into its own piece. She said if that happened, she was pulling her comments. She also stated she didn't realize she had spoken at such length but she was speaking for Highlights ("and I prefer it be a surprise to those who read 'Highlights' instead of people being steered to my so-called commentary").
So that's what we have. Ava and C.I. say no more on the long commentaries. C.I.'s so tired that there's talk (it's 4:49 p.m. right now) that "And the war drags on" might go up on Monday. We're all tired. It was a long edition.
If you're late to the party, I would identify the current issues as (a) the heat which has everyone distracted; (b) Hillary and (c) war resisters. A explains itself. Hillary? I think there is a lot of depression there over the supension of her race. What we've done is focus on the Nader campaign (all except C.I. are on record as to who they will be voting for in the fall and it's Nader -- C.I. is on record stating no vote on Barack or McCain so most of us assume C.I.'s voting for Nader and Rebecca says if Elaine's voting for Ralph, C.I.'s voting for Nader). And that's great and it's needed. But Betty was talk about how she still is so upset about the way that nonsense went. So maybe next week or sometime soon we'll address that. (C) Wally is convinced (and Cedric agrees) that the piece of crap, abusive e-mail expressing ignorance has soured everyone. I think that's very likely. You'll remember we almost didn't do an edition that week. Kat told me (and I believe she blogged this at her site as well) that if C.I. ended up so mad that The Common Ills stopped (there was a chance of that), she'd be able to stop blogging and "have some fun again." Dona is at work on ways to make an edition fun (her own assigned task) and next week, we'll all be together physically so that should make it easier as well. Almost forgot, thank you to Isaiah for allowing us to use his comics here.
See you next week,
-- Jim, Dona, Jess, Ava and C.I.
Editorial: Faux outrage drowns out actual news
The old adage of never judge a book by its cover flew out the window last week despite the fact that Aerosmith has reminded the world in not one, but two songs. "So never judge a book by its cover," the group advises in "Dude Looks Like A Lady" and, more recently, "So never judge a book by its cover, Or who you're going to love by your lover" ("Pink"). Poor Panhandle Media, they found it all so confusing.
Aileen Alfandary and Amy Goodman did their part to stir up the s**t on Monday both treating a magazine cover like earth shattering news (while ignoring a Barack Obama campaign event that had just featured sexism and Barack making a joke of it).
The New Yorker cover.
Did we even want to address it? We weren't planning on it. We think more than enough time was wasted. However, while getting ready for their TV commentary, Ava and C.I. came across something. Ms.' Feminist Wire noted, "The National Organization for Women (NOW) is encouraging its membership to e-mail letters to the New Yorker urging that the cover be removed" ("Feminists Express Outrage over New Yorker"). Here's NOW foaming at the mouth:
You don't even need to open the latest edition of the New Yorker to see racism in the media and the presidential race. All you need to do is look at the cover!
The July 21 issue of the New Yorker magazine features a caricature of Senator Barack and Michelle Obama in the Oval Office. Michelle is clad in guerrilla warfare garb, a machine gun over her shoulder. A portrait of Osama bin Laden is over the fireplace, and Barack (dressed like bin Laden) is giving Michelle a fist bump while a U.S. flag merrily burns in the fireplace. In this context, we're guessing the fist bump is the one Fox News described as a "terrorist fist jab."
New Yorker editor David Remnick says it is satire, so that makes it okay?
Sorry, we're not buying it. This cover will appear on newsstands across the country, possibly the world, and will likely do more to fuel racist stereotypes than to skewer them.
Take action NOW by sending a message to David Remnick.
Your message to the New Yorker? Tell them, "If your cover cartoon about the Obamas is a satire, we aren't laughing. Stop peddling racism and religious intolerance in your magazine!"
No, NOW, it's not racism. (Rebecca says, "Girls, calm the f**k down before you give the rest of us feminists a bad name.") But where in that is the call for the magazine to be removed as Feminist Wire stated? It's in the message they ask you to send.
In the words of Carly Simon, "Get a grip, girl." That's what Carly sings in "Born to Break My Heart" (Letters Never Sent) and certainly last week was one heartbreaking moment after another as psychos and cultists emerged to scream "racism!" over a cartoon that wasn't and use that to suck all the time that could have gone to actual news.
Ava and C.I.: "Feminist Wire and NOW have shamed themselves by refusing to call out not only Bernie Mac' sexist 'comedy' routine but Barack's turning it into a joke with his 'just kidding' remark after pretending to call Mac out. Bitches*, your push-up bras must be too tight. You're betraying feminism and we're not going to stand for it. Monday morning the talk should not have been about a cartoon on the cover of The New Yorker that sent up the Obama. It should have been about Barack Obama's event. This is the man who called out rappers for their use of 'ho' but didn't call it out at his own campaign event the Friday before. The man who called out Don Imus for the same. He seems to think there's a different standard when it comes to his own official campaign events that he's present for and leave it to the useless dumb asses passing themselves off as feminists to provide him with cover. Barack Obama, as The New York Times reported, will not address sexism. He thinks he's addressed it in his talk of 'injustice' and he farms the topic out to a dithering fool from Florida who is idiot enough to run interference for him. Repeating for the dumb bitches who can't grasp reality: When a presidential candidate has an event and presents a comedian who does a routine about what whores women are and then the candidate pretends to call it out before making his own 'joke' of the whole thing, real feminists stand up and call it out. They do not provide cover for him, they do not provide silence. You're betraying feminism and the Feminist Wire better get its act together. You have abused your tax status and deserve to lose it. We're not calling for a boycott of Ms. but, when asked if money should be donated to Ms. or the Feminist Majority Foundation or NOW, we'll say no and explain why."
[*"Bitches" used here intentionally and referring directly to the e-mail circutlated by Ms. staffers which included such comments added by them about a forwarded article on Hillary Clinton -- such as: "Screw the bitch."]
It's the same silence that Ms., the Feminist Wire, NOW, and all of Panhandle Media except for The Progressive maintained when Barack used homophobia as a campaign strategy.
You're desire to betray women and run interference for Barack Obama makes you useless. As Ava and C.I. note this week, you never could take to the wire to warn women about Barack's use of right-wing talking points to attack abortion rights. Shame on you.
And shame on KPFA which decided to do a segment exploring whether the cover was racist and anti-Arab Wednesday. The same KPFA that, along with the rest of Pacifica, was mourning the death of boundary pushing George Carlin not all that long ago and bragging about how WBAI was the radio station that broadcast Carlin's infamous monologue.
So KPFA decided the way to go was to let Aimee Allison moderate a discussion, Allison who revealed on air that she found the cartoon offensive. Good to know there was no concern about objectivity.
There was no concern about representation either. To discuss whether the cartoon was racist and anti-Arab, they brought on two African-American males.
Arab-Americans, as usual on KPFA, would be left in the cold.
The cartoon was not news. The only 'news' value was it let people know that even though Pauline Kael died, The New Yorker didn't die with her. (Who knew?)
NOW's idiotic call for censorship of the cover is what pissed Ava and C.I. off and they immediately called Isaiah (The Common Ills community cartoonist) to get his input. Furious doesn't begin to describe how he was. He was supposed to take this Sunday off. Instead, he drew three cartoons commenting on the faux outrage.
First up, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Take Two"
Next up, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Take Three"
And finally, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "The approved cover"
Cedric: "I'm getting pretty sick of this notion that bi-racial Barack can call himself Black but anytime someone else notes he's Black, it's racism. As an African-American man, I don't find my race something to be ashamed of and don't scream 'racism' if someone notes I'm Black."
It was faux outrage, stirred up by a lot of s**t stirrers and White Mommas who don't know the first thing about racism, say Ty, Betty and Marcia. They further point out that this nonsense of screaming 'racism' falsely every five seconds makes it that much harder when actual racism needs to be combatted.
Has racism, like art, become something in the eye of the beholder? Or is that all of us writing this editorial can grasp that if you self-present as Black and the media accepts that narrative, they're going to portray you as such.
Should Barack be elected president (it doesn't appear likely at this point) is the whole nation supposed to ignore that he identifies himself as Black?
Is that how we start that supposedly sought after conversation on race?
The reality is that a real conversation on race in the US goes well beyond Black and White but that a bunch of left overs from the 60s can't stop fighting the same tired battles. (In that regard, Barack was correct.) A cartoon that portrays Barack and Michelle -- at worst -- as terrorists is not racism nor is it sexism. And nothing in the comic can be pointed out that would be seen as such by any rational person who wasn't a partisan.
It's past time for America to grow the hell up and that includes all the people treating a person's race as something shameful. That's the people who are admitted racists as well as the 'left' helpers who think race -- like illegitimacy? -- must never be mentioned.
The Civil Rights struggle was not won (Barack's wrong on that) and there's much work to be done. Wasting everyone's time over a cartoon and mock outrage (or idiotic outrage for those stupid enough to be offended by a cartoon that sent up Barack and Michelle in non-racist and non-sexist terms) isn't accomplishing a damn thing.
It did, however, prevent coverage of real stories. Coverage of US war resisters Robin Long and James Burmeister. Coverage of Barack's campaign event which goes to a now established pattern of sexism. When the Feminist Wire decides to stop schilling for Barack, maybe they can get around to addressing that? Because calling women "hos" at a campaign event? Not allowed. Making jokes about it after the booing? Not allowed. Being silent on what happened? Making yourself useless.
Aileen Alfandary and Amy Goodman did their part to stir up the s**t on Monday both treating a magazine cover like earth shattering news (while ignoring a Barack Obama campaign event that had just featured sexism and Barack making a joke of it).
The New Yorker cover.
Did we even want to address it? We weren't planning on it. We think more than enough time was wasted. However, while getting ready for their TV commentary, Ava and C.I. came across something. Ms.' Feminist Wire noted, "The National Organization for Women (NOW) is encouraging its membership to e-mail letters to the New Yorker urging that the cover be removed" ("Feminists Express Outrage over New Yorker"). Here's NOW foaming at the mouth:
You don't even need to open the latest edition of the New Yorker to see racism in the media and the presidential race. All you need to do is look at the cover!
The July 21 issue of the New Yorker magazine features a caricature of Senator Barack and Michelle Obama in the Oval Office. Michelle is clad in guerrilla warfare garb, a machine gun over her shoulder. A portrait of Osama bin Laden is over the fireplace, and Barack (dressed like bin Laden) is giving Michelle a fist bump while a U.S. flag merrily burns in the fireplace. In this context, we're guessing the fist bump is the one Fox News described as a "terrorist fist jab."
New Yorker editor David Remnick says it is satire, so that makes it okay?
Sorry, we're not buying it. This cover will appear on newsstands across the country, possibly the world, and will likely do more to fuel racist stereotypes than to skewer them.
Take action NOW by sending a message to David Remnick.
Your message to the New Yorker? Tell them, "If your cover cartoon about the Obamas is a satire, we aren't laughing. Stop peddling racism and religious intolerance in your magazine!"
No, NOW, it's not racism. (Rebecca says, "Girls, calm the f**k down before you give the rest of us feminists a bad name.") But where in that is the call for the magazine to be removed as Feminist Wire stated? It's in the message they ask you to send.
In the words of Carly Simon, "Get a grip, girl." That's what Carly sings in "Born to Break My Heart" (Letters Never Sent) and certainly last week was one heartbreaking moment after another as psychos and cultists emerged to scream "racism!" over a cartoon that wasn't and use that to suck all the time that could have gone to actual news.
Ava and C.I.: "Feminist Wire and NOW have shamed themselves by refusing to call out not only Bernie Mac' sexist 'comedy' routine but Barack's turning it into a joke with his 'just kidding' remark after pretending to call Mac out. Bitches*, your push-up bras must be too tight. You're betraying feminism and we're not going to stand for it. Monday morning the talk should not have been about a cartoon on the cover of The New Yorker that sent up the Obama. It should have been about Barack Obama's event. This is the man who called out rappers for their use of 'ho' but didn't call it out at his own campaign event the Friday before. The man who called out Don Imus for the same. He seems to think there's a different standard when it comes to his own official campaign events that he's present for and leave it to the useless dumb asses passing themselves off as feminists to provide him with cover. Barack Obama, as The New York Times reported, will not address sexism. He thinks he's addressed it in his talk of 'injustice' and he farms the topic out to a dithering fool from Florida who is idiot enough to run interference for him. Repeating for the dumb bitches who can't grasp reality: When a presidential candidate has an event and presents a comedian who does a routine about what whores women are and then the candidate pretends to call it out before making his own 'joke' of the whole thing, real feminists stand up and call it out. They do not provide cover for him, they do not provide silence. You're betraying feminism and the Feminist Wire better get its act together. You have abused your tax status and deserve to lose it. We're not calling for a boycott of Ms. but, when asked if money should be donated to Ms. or the Feminist Majority Foundation or NOW, we'll say no and explain why."
[*"Bitches" used here intentionally and referring directly to the e-mail circutlated by Ms. staffers which included such comments added by them about a forwarded article on Hillary Clinton -- such as: "Screw the bitch."]
It's the same silence that Ms., the Feminist Wire, NOW, and all of Panhandle Media except for The Progressive maintained when Barack used homophobia as a campaign strategy.
You're desire to betray women and run interference for Barack Obama makes you useless. As Ava and C.I. note this week, you never could take to the wire to warn women about Barack's use of right-wing talking points to attack abortion rights. Shame on you.
And shame on KPFA which decided to do a segment exploring whether the cover was racist and anti-Arab Wednesday. The same KPFA that, along with the rest of Pacifica, was mourning the death of boundary pushing George Carlin not all that long ago and bragging about how WBAI was the radio station that broadcast Carlin's infamous monologue.
So KPFA decided the way to go was to let Aimee Allison moderate a discussion, Allison who revealed on air that she found the cartoon offensive. Good to know there was no concern about objectivity.
There was no concern about representation either. To discuss whether the cartoon was racist and anti-Arab, they brought on two African-American males.
Arab-Americans, as usual on KPFA, would be left in the cold.
The cartoon was not news. The only 'news' value was it let people know that even though Pauline Kael died, The New Yorker didn't die with her. (Who knew?)
NOW's idiotic call for censorship of the cover is what pissed Ava and C.I. off and they immediately called Isaiah (The Common Ills community cartoonist) to get his input. Furious doesn't begin to describe how he was. He was supposed to take this Sunday off. Instead, he drew three cartoons commenting on the faux outrage.
First up, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Take Two"
Next up, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Take Three"
And finally, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "The approved cover"
Cedric: "I'm getting pretty sick of this notion that bi-racial Barack can call himself Black but anytime someone else notes he's Black, it's racism. As an African-American man, I don't find my race something to be ashamed of and don't scream 'racism' if someone notes I'm Black."
It was faux outrage, stirred up by a lot of s**t stirrers and White Mommas who don't know the first thing about racism, say Ty, Betty and Marcia. They further point out that this nonsense of screaming 'racism' falsely every five seconds makes it that much harder when actual racism needs to be combatted.
Has racism, like art, become something in the eye of the beholder? Or is that all of us writing this editorial can grasp that if you self-present as Black and the media accepts that narrative, they're going to portray you as such.
Should Barack be elected president (it doesn't appear likely at this point) is the whole nation supposed to ignore that he identifies himself as Black?
Is that how we start that supposedly sought after conversation on race?
The reality is that a real conversation on race in the US goes well beyond Black and White but that a bunch of left overs from the 60s can't stop fighting the same tired battles. (In that regard, Barack was correct.) A cartoon that portrays Barack and Michelle -- at worst -- as terrorists is not racism nor is it sexism. And nothing in the comic can be pointed out that would be seen as such by any rational person who wasn't a partisan.
It's past time for America to grow the hell up and that includes all the people treating a person's race as something shameful. That's the people who are admitted racists as well as the 'left' helpers who think race -- like illegitimacy? -- must never be mentioned.
The Civil Rights struggle was not won (Barack's wrong on that) and there's much work to be done. Wasting everyone's time over a cartoon and mock outrage (or idiotic outrage for those stupid enough to be offended by a cartoon that sent up Barack and Michelle in non-racist and non-sexist terms) isn't accomplishing a damn thing.
It did, however, prevent coverage of real stories. Coverage of US war resisters Robin Long and James Burmeister. Coverage of Barack's campaign event which goes to a now established pattern of sexism. When the Feminist Wire decides to stop schilling for Barack, maybe they can get around to addressing that? Because calling women "hos" at a campaign event? Not allowed. Making jokes about it after the booing? Not allowed. Being silent on what happened? Making yourself useless.
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