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Obligatory Michael Jackson Post

Jackson Five – I Want You Back

Without comment.

But it’s a great song.

The Trouble with the GOP?

From Ta-Nehisi Coates blog about Mark Sanford:

If patriotism is love of country, then much of the unquestioning GOP rhetoric fails on the rudiments. Is love of kin, love of siblings, love of spouse, telling your beloved, that they are the best person that’s ever existed in history? Or is that  sycophancy, fast talk proffered by loose friends, who in your darkest hours, appeal to your worst self.

The religious right isn’t what’s wrong with the GOP. It’s the pervasive, unthinking, unreflective nationalism. It’s the arrogance of thrice-divorced adulterers reaching for the banner of traditional families, and it’s the arrogance of men who prosecuted a poorly planned war, on weak intelligence, presuming to lecture us on national security.

Beautifully stated.

One of my problems with the GOP, as it is with many Christians is the total lack of doubt and self-reflection.

Sure, all of us are deluded to varying degrees about ourselves, our families, and our countries. We sometimes invent narratives about those things to make understanding easier. It’s a human trait.

But many in the GOP take that trait and carry it to such a degree that it becomes unthinking arrogance. Such hubris can only be destructive to those who possess it when reality doesn’t line up with the impossible standards they have set for themselves.

Glenn Beck Plays with Barbies on O’Reilly’s Show

This is inexplicable:

Apparently, the Barbie Dreamhouse represents Acorn which is going to change its name (debunked) and some people try to get away in the Malibu Barbie car and the people in the car are the ones the FBI should watch in case ACORN changes its name to the YMCA. Or something.

It really is that indeciperable, which should not be a surprise since Beck is involved.

I often find the obsessions of the Glenn Becks of the world to be amusing, and ACORN is no exception.

President Obama, WTF?

I’m still happy that I can say “President Obama.”

But some things make you say WTF?:

The Obama administration is fighting to block access to names of visitors to the White House, taking up the Bush administration argument that a president doesn’t have to reveal who comes calling to influence policy decisions.

President Obama, this is an easy one. You’re supposed to be all about accountability and transparency. You’re not a dork obsessed with secrecy like President Cheney was.

Give us your White House visitor log.

Photo of the Day

Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan.

Also from Sullivan, an Iranian woman:

Ahmadinejad called the opposition as a bunch of insignificant dirt who try to make the taste of victory bitter to the nation. He also called the western leaders as a bunch of ‘filthy homosexuals’. All these disgusting remarks was today answered by that largest demonstration ever. Older people compared the demonstration of today with the Ashura Demonstration of 1979 which marks the downfall of the Shah regime and even said that it outnumbered that event. The militia burnt a house themselves to find the excuse to commit violence. People neutralized their tactic to a large degree by their solidarity, their wisdom and their denial to enage in any violent act.

If you’re even mildly interested in the happenings in Iran and you haven’t checked out Sullivan, you need to.

His coverage of the situation far surpasses what we’re getting from the MSM.

Keep the Change?

In suburban Indianapolis a couple weeks ago, I saw a bumper sticker that read:

KEEP THE CHANGE – SEND OBAMA BACK TO IRAN

I’m not quite sure what that meant.

Admittedly, “Keep the change” was a clever line for Obama opponents during the election and maybe even now.

But send him back to Iran? I get that it’s a play on Obama being a secret Muslim, but Iran? That’s the best they can do?

A Second Iranian Revolution?

I’m no expert on Iran. But what I do know about the country is that it contains a well-educated populace that has not been totally loving 30 years of theocratic rule.

Ahmadinejad seems to be popular among Iran’s fundies (they remind me a lot of Bush voters as they tend to be older and more conservative and religious than most) as he represents the theocracy while Moussavi seems to be a reformer who is popular among the secular set and young people. In the says leading up to the election, there appeared to be a groundswell of popular support for Moussavi.

80% of the people voted, we’re told and Ahmadinejad won the official vote in a landslide. The problem is that Ahmadinejad’s victory by such a wide margin makes little sense.

Today, the people of Iran have stood up against dictatorship. Whether the uprising leads to a new Iranian revolution is anyone’s guess.

But the signs are hopeful.

And This Is Bad News?

OK, yes, in this economy, I don’t relish any business going under.

But still, I think this might be good for the county’s soul:

A new study by AlixPartners, an international business-advisory firm, suggests that up to 40 percent of the nation’s chain restaurants could be fighting for their very survival within the next 12 months.

The startling study reveals that many chains are taking a beating as a result of a combined one-two punch of fewer diners spending less money and massive debt. AlixPartners’ analysts described the plight of the industry as worrisome, citing low-price, quick-service eateries as the lone bright spot.

Four out of ten chain restaurants may go under in the next year? Does that mean that we can say goodbye to bland and “fun” places like TGI Friday’s and Applebee’s in favor of locally-run restaurants serving ethnic and local cuisine that have some heart?

Can we do away with crap like Buffalo chicken tenders, blossoming onions, and fried cheese spooge?

A guy can dream.

Dispointment: Irrititing People I’ve Never Heard of Seem to Have Not Been Tortured in Jungle

I’m against torture. Really, I am.

I’m glad that Obama is going to close Guantanamo Bay and I don’t think that torture is in line with our country’s values.

But if a television network tortures extremely vile self-centered people who claim to be celebrities? Meh. Ok, count me in.

Of course, I’m talking about “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.”

I’m sorry that I feel compelled to blog about this. But I do. After all, I’m only human.

Since I last mentioned this piece of schadenfreude theater, we learned that these people named Heidi and Spencer Pratt, who are apparently more popular than the Beatles because of their love of Jesus were fighting with the other castmembers who included Lou Diamond Phillips, Sanjaya from American Idol, an intoxicated and mean model named Janice Dickinson, Fundie Baldwin, and a bunch of other people were put in the jungle to fight and eat bugs.

Since then, for some reason I will never understand, I went back and watched the rest of last week’s episodes and tonight’s show after I learned that the loathesome Heidi and Spencer had been tortured by NBC.

In last week’s episodes, we got to see Phillips’ hand chewed on by rats, Janice fighting with some guy about something because she was in a drunken rage, and one of the many people I’ve never heard of get kicked out of the jungle by the American people. And Fundie Baldwin baptised that Spencer prick because that Spencer prick loves Jesus and wants to be like Fundie Baldwin in three years. Oh, and then Fundie Baldwin’s brother Fat Baldwin joined the cast.

But the most important part of last week was that Heidi and Spencer left the show because they were far too important to hang out in the jungle with a bunch of other people no one has ever heard of. And then Jesus talked to them and told them to go back to the jungle.

Tonight, Jesus let them go back to the jungle, but before doing so, they were forced to spend the night in some kind of a dark room with spiders. They got through it (that room really looked not much worse than my Peace Corps house) and then went back to camp in good spirits.

Everything seemed to be fine until Sanjaya endured some reptiles and amphibians in a tank of water.

Then that Heidi pretended to be sick and another “celebrity” left the jungle for good. Heidi went to the hospital after mumbling something about Jesus. Patty Blagojevich then sad something about how hard her life is. And then the “celebrities” were upset about not getting enough lobster (seriously!) and we learned that that Heidi and that prick Spencer will never, ever return to the show.

The previews tell us that Heidi’s sister, no doubt another loathesome child of privilege will join the others on Wednesday and that some of the celebrities will “fight.”

I really have no idea why I care, but that’s the nature of irritainment.

And the torture allegations?

Untrue:

“Any accusations that Spencer and Heidi were harmed are untrue,” says the source. “There was no danger, no life-threatening situations — in fact, they were actually protected from the elements, unlike the other contestants.”

Damnit!

Well, a guy can dream.