Personal Musings category archive

Ernest C. Withers, celebrated photographer of the Civil Rights movement and intimate of many civil rights leaders is revealed to have been a paid FBI informant.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the story is buried deep inside, that persons trying to make real the vision that

“that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”

were–and may still be today–considered “subversive”:

In addition to spying on citizens, Hoover’s FBI ran a covert operation, called COINTELPRO, a counterintelligence or “dirty tricks” program that attempted to disrupt radical movements. It did this with tactics such as leaking embarrassing details to the news media, targeting individuals with radical views for prosecution or trying to get them fired from jobs. First launched in the 1950s to fight communism, by 1967 it was aimed at a range of civil rights leaders and organizations deemed to be threats to national security. Congressional inquiries later exposed it for widespread abuse of personal and political freedoms, including a fierce campaign against King.

Shaun Mullen shares his take on the story at Kiko’s House.

Gainesville, Florida, has found theirs. Leonard Pitts, Jr.:

Maybe you know the term “terrorist veto.” It refers to the ability of a single obscure malcontent, powerless but for his willingness to sacrifice lives, to make himself heard at the highest level of geopolitics and force his way upon the international stage.

As this case makes oppressively clear, the Internet and the 24-hour news cycle have evolved an analog to the terrorist veto. Call it the idiot veto — the ability of a single obscure malcontent, powerless but for his willingness to do some outrageous thing, to make himself heard at the highest level of geopolitics and force his way upon the international stage.

Two weeks ago, no one had ever heard of Jones, podunk pastor of a tiny church — 50 members — in Gainesville, Fla. Twenty years ago, his proclaimed intention to burn the Quran might have gotten him a few minutes on the rump end of the local TV newscast.

“Man bites dog is news,” because it’s unusual.

“Some persons are idiots is not news,” because a certain percentage of the populace will always be idiots.

It is a law of nature. When

K = the symbol for constant and
i = idiocy,
Ki= the Idiocy Constant of Human Nature.

Corollary to the Idiocy Constant:

Do not try to make anything idiot-proof. God will simply make a new and better idiot.

All seriousness aside, it’s persons like Mr. Mustache Jones who make me ashamed to call myself “Christian.”

What Noz said.

I was at a function this morning where the commemoration took the form of a moment of silence after the invocation and before the breakfast meal. It was appropriate and adequate.

As I recall, when I was a young ‘un, that’s how we commemorated Pearl Harbor and Armistice Day (Armistice Day on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month) (and, yes, I’m old but it had already been rolled into Veterans’ Day by the time I started school–it was still Armistice Day for my teachers, who, for some reason, were older than I).

One of my friends voices his alienation from the current state of American politics. Read the whole thing; it’s short.

Here’s the heart of it:

While I continue to believe at this relatively late date that the Republicans will fail to recapture House or Senate, although likely to come closer in the lower chamber, at this point I don’t give a crap. While the 111th Congress has passed some salutatory legislation, notably health-care reform, it has dithered away what little credibility it had at a crucial juncture in American history. President Obama, too.

I care little at this point that Obama was dealt a bad hand. Or that the Republicans have been archly obstructionist. Or that the Democratic base, so fired up a mere two years ago, is disillusioned. Or that the Republican message (sic) dominates the airwaves and much of what passes for political discourse.

I do indeed understand the frustration; I feel it also.

But, with all respect, no one is talking about taking to the hills and waging armed struggle for decades while living on roots and berries and maybe the occasional pic-a-nic basket.

All that is needed is to take out 15 minutes or maybe as much as an hour on November 2nd and vote for the Not-a-Republican.

I just got an email from a friend in Colorado who said, among other things:

Well, listening to the news here, it sounds like the east coast will be knocked off the side of the country.

I haven’t been paying attention to broadcast news, but I was reminded of how, when I lived in the Greater Philadelphia Co-Prosperity Sphere, any threat of a storm became Arma-OMG-geddon. I haven’t gotten a sense of that kind of coverage here, but the Philly local TV news market is sensationalist by any standard.

Here, such coverage would make a little more sense–this is a coastal area.

There, protected by the sixty-mile sandbar of New Jersey, I found it silly and stupid.

One of my favorite memories of broadcast news OMGness:

About a decade ago, there were reports that a storm might make landfall along the New Jersey Shore; I forget which one.

Local broadcast media were in full we-have-to-foment-panic mode.

The storm missed. They usually missed; in that part of the world, hurricanes come ashore at full strength maybe twice or three times a century.

Cut to the local news . . . .

“And now to Joe Hairgel, who is on location at Long Beach Island. Joe?”

(Picture of Joe, every hair in place in a fresh breeze, on the boardwalk under bright blue sky in front of a peaceful beach scene, the sunrise at his back. The surf is somewhat larger than average).

“Melvin, if the storm had come ashore, the scene behind me now would be quite different . . . .”

As my mother would have said, “The biggest nothing.”

Aside:

Had the storm hit, could anything have been much dumber than sending a news crew into harm’s way to stand on the boardwalk in 135 mph winds? Honestly, one huge wave does look a lot like any other huge wave.

“Hurricanes cause waves” is not news.

It’s disaster pr0n.

Have you noticed how all the folks who think social security must be cut seem to be independently wealthy?

A few weeks ago, we wrote about United States v. Maynard, a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit requiring the government to obtain a warrant when it uses a GPS tracking device to monitor someone’s movements.

Last Friday, Judge James Orenstein in the Eastern District of New York recognized that Maynard’s reasoning also applies when the government tries to retrace a person’s whereabouts using historical cell phone location information stored by cell phone carriers. Judge Orenstein rejected each possible factual difference between GPS vehicle tracking and historical cell phone tracking, and concluded that cell phone tracking is just as intrusive to Americans’ reasonable expectations of privacy in the details of their everyday lives as GPS tracking.

On second thought, possibly not.

Even given that members of the military have their rights somewhat limited during their service–it’s part of the job–television detective show writers don’t seem to pay much attention to actual law in any event. There’s not enough time in an hour to apply for a warrant.

Full Disclosure:

I enjoy NCIS. It’s a comic book brought to life.

Vivian Paige mentioned this yesterday: Philly is looking to collect the business privilege tax from Philly-based blogs that carry ads or sell products. I suspect that, even though bloggers are making the fuss, the policy probably extends to any website that meets its criteria.

But here’s the kicker, as reported by the Seattle Times (and Vivian Paige referred to this possibility yesterday):

The uproar began after the city Revenue Department recently sent out letters to Philadelphia residents who reported business revenue with the Internal Revenue Service but hadn’t gotten a city business license.

As a self-(un)employed type person, I know a little bit about business taxes.

You really can’t be a business, even a part-time sideline type business, for federal taxes and a hobby for state and local taxes. End of story.

I think that “based in Philly” could be made an issue if someone cares to make it and has money to burn.

For example, I’m in Virginia Beach, Virginia. My hosting company is based in Phoenix, Arizona (yes, I considered boycotting them but I was already paid through next year a). Where the server is physically located I have no idea.

So, where is this website based? Virginia or Arizona or on some server farm in east someplace or other? The mailing address on the check would probably be the determinant.

Aside:

The story also contains this statement:

Some bloggers are complaining that the fee would impinge on their free speech and would discourage dissent.

“Freedom of speech” is just as irrelevant here as it is to Call-Me-a-Dr. Laura. Freedom of speech is not freedom to be guaranteed an audience.

Full Disclosure:

I decided a long time ago not to get involved with ads for this site, not least because I couldn’t see much income potential from my two or three regular readers. The game could not possibly be worth the candle. I also find most sidebar ads unappealing; I think I’ve only clicked on one in five years of reading blogs and that was for Will Bunch’s new book because I wanted the link.

I don’t live in Philly, but I know a number of Philly-area bloggers, but only two or three of them actually live in the city. I have no idea of their positions on this issue and none of them were mentioned in the article linked above.

Timmie and Lassie: The Later Years

Timmie, taking advantage of his eerie ability to fall into the nearest well, moves to Phoenix and opens a dowsing franchise. . . .

One of the first signs of civilization was clay pots. After all these years, one would think humans could make a coffee carafe that didn’t drip when poured.

Pretty much what John Cole said.

My fellow lefties need to live in the real damn world, for Christ’s sake.

You don’t like the way your Congressperson votes. Write a letter to your Congressperson, don’t blame Obama. It’s easy with these here computer thingees to write letters.

You don’t like that Obama has trouble getting stuff through Congress. Write your Congressperson, for heaven’s sake.

Obama ain’t voting against Obama’s initiatives. Your Congressperson–yes, you, your Congressperson–is.

You don’t like an Obama policy. Write the White House.

But don’t act surprised that’s he’s turned out to be a slightly left-of-center moderate (at least as viewed through a reality lens, as opposed to a wingnut lens).

That’s what he campaigned as; he did not pretend to be otherwise. If you have forgotten that, read the campaign speeches, for Pete’s sake.

If he has failed as a unifier, it is because some have refused to be uniter, not because he has not tried to unite.

Has he made mistakes? Sure.

I made one just last year. It happens to all of us.

Don’t blame him for not trying to do what he didn’t promise to do (such as leave Afghanistan, which falls into the mistake category but that’s for another day). Blame yourself for not paying attention and for building castles in the ai–oh, never mind.

And grow up, for Heaven’s sake.

Think back over the past decade:

Do you really want Republicans to be in charge again?

Anne Rice falls into a trap that many persons have fallen into: Confusing those who call themselves “Christian” with the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.

Afterthought:

Sadly, those who call themselves “Christian” (and whom Andrew Sullivan calls “Christianists“) are the often the strongest argument against the teachings and example Jesus Christ.

Where he was gentle, they are harsh.

Where he was kind, they are cruel.

Where he was forgiving, they condemn.

Where he loved, they hate.

They cause me shame to profess my faith.

In a related vein, I listened to this interview Friday.

It is worth your while, if not to listen, to read the excerpts from the transcript; the subject of the interview gets the difference between Chrisitianism and Christianity, and it cost him his job.

It’s not black folks who are afraid to confront racism in America. They confront it every day.

It’s we white folks.

That’s the reading on the electronic thermometer on the deck, which I have calibrated. It may not be the official reading, which I think comes from closer to the beach. We are within a couple of miles of the Norfolk Airport and our temperature is usually closer to theirs.

When I was a young ‘un growing up on the other side of the Bay, it would get this hot.

But it wouldn’t stay this hot for weeks at a time with no break.

Read more »

It would be easy to denounce this as a “blame the victim” article, but it’s really more than that.

. . . who is to blame in the story of the U.S. Agriculture Department employee who got fired for being a racist for a few hours and then became an apology sponge when everyone everywhere realized how wrong they had been?

I think it’s us.

(snip)

Nope. It’s us.

The thought that people get the government they deserve also applies to media: People get the media they deserve. We seem to be fleeing substance at every opportunity, perhaps because substance is painful and hard to read and understand.

In its place, we embrace whatever is put in front of us and treat it as real and bathe in it for a while until another reality presents itself. Remember health care? Death panels were a big part of that debate until they weren’t. Then there is our compelling Kenyan president. Tea party people still believe that one.

Part of what makes a cliche a cliche is that it states a truth so well that repackaging that truth is difficult. Two cliches:

• Don’t believe everything you hear (though a chestnut too many ignore). These days, it’s a good idea also not to believe everything you see, even if you see it in person (research shows that eyewitness testimony is quite unreliable).
• Consider the source, especially when the source has a record of unreliability and an ax to grind. Even reliable persons of good will can make mistakes. To an ax grinder, everything is a new sharpening wheel.

I make no claim that my choice of topics here is fair and balanced. This is a hobby; I’m a loudmouth with a website. I don’t claim to be a journalist.

This blog is opinionated; I have my own axes that I sometimes grind.

I do try

• to pick axes that deserve grinding,
• to get facts straight (and correct errors when I learn of them), and
• to make clear where facts stop and opinion begins.

One thing I’ve learned in 50 years of following news is that, if it looks like it doesn’t make sense, it probably doesn’t.

Serendipity is needing to mend something and finding a needle already threaded with the proper thread in the sewing box.

I’m much less offended by language I hear on the telly vision (the stupid is far more offensive) than I am by the language I hear from middle schoolers at the school bus stop.

And it’s a pretty good bet that they didn’t hear it on telly vision first.

The “middle” is not between Republicans and Democrats.

The middle is where the Democrats are. Republicans have left that building.