Short form of the correct political position: "Obama's race doesn't matter except when it does."
A strange position to take when you reflect that Obama's race and standing as an African American of no little poise and intellect is the single most powerful thing he has going for him. Indeed, to be clear, Obama's race is the only reason he's doing as well as he is at all. If we had a junior Senator from
Of course, you're not supposed to notice Obama's race except when noticing it causes you to adulate wildly and attempt dancing in the streets while writing big checks from your bottomless account at The National Bank of White Guilt. If this gets you off and tickles your fancies, get down. And while you're at it, write one for me. My account is overdrawn.
The subject of Gerard’s missive is the outrage! The Usual Suspects are affecting vis-à-vis Rush Limbaugh’s insensitive parody of Senator Obama. I use the term “insensitive” only because that’s how the Usual Suspects have categorized labeled Limbaugh in their current attack mode, when not shouting “Racist!” at the top of their metaphorical lungs. Mr. Van der Leun has the big brass ones required to even broach the subject of perceived racism, let alone discuss it at some length, and I recommend his essay to you. Highly recommend it, even.
Oh…and by the way…I stole the vid just below from Gerard. He uses it to introduce his screed on the housing bubble, also highly recommended. Ya get the feeling I like Gerard, do ya? You’re right…
On hockey today: My Sentiments, Exactly…
The Red Wings might just do something they haven't done in 10 years: Pull off a playoff upset.
Yes, upset. I know: The Wings are the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They came into this series with home-ice advantage. And they are the Red Wings. How can the Red Wings be the underdog? Was it an upset when King Kong beat Godzilla?
But through two games,
You might have a tough time seeing the Sharks as the bully, but think of it this way: the NHL has changed so much that
The Wings fell behind 2-0, which seems to be company policy these days, and the way they played, it felt like 4-0. But they came back and gutted out a 3-2 win. It was far from a dominant performance, but the Wings probably won't dominate a single game in this series. They aren't that kind of team any more, and the Sharks are too good.
Read the whole thing, if you’re into hockey. If you’re not, well… you don’t know what you’re missing tough luck. I almost turned Saturday’s game off when the Sharks scored their second goal to go up 2-0.
A lot will be revealed tonight in the Shark Tank. If the Wings are blown out it’s as good as over. If they lose and it’s close, it’s still a series. If they win convincingly in their first game of this playoff season in
Today’s Pic: A Blast From The Past…SN3’s first haircut, nine years ago this month. This is but one of the eleven pics I took, being the Proud Papa I was. Here he is perched upon Mom’s lap, on the wise recommendation of my barber, whose name I cannot remember. It has been nine years, after all.
April, 1998.
Cute picture. I've got some of Cody's first haircut that are very similar. I think as parents, we must be hard wired to take certain types of pics of our kids.
ReplyDeleteI gave my youngest's first hair cut last week. I wanted to go to the barber, but hubby insisted that he or my FIL do it. In the end, he sat in the recliner playing on his laptop and I did the whole thing by myself in the kitchen. Luckily, I gave the camera to my 9 year old and she took the pics. He was such a good boy, stayed still the whole time while I buzzed him. Looks right handsome, he does!
ReplyDeleteBecky said: I think as parents, we must be hard wired to take certain types of pics of our kids.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Becky. As were our parents. The interesting thing to me is the proliferation of all these digital cameras...we just have to be raising the most-photographed generation of kids in history.
Jenny: It's cool to have a Photographer, Junior Grade, around to pitch in! Did you update your web site yet?
I will assume you mean Limbaugh's playing of Paul Shanklin's (sp?) parody/impersonation of Al Sharpton (speaking through a bullhorn)quoting the LA Times op-ed calling Obama a "magic Negro" i.e. the one to appeal to those who seek the abatement of "whitey's" guilt.
ReplyDeleteYou call it "insensitive" of Limbaugh. I think that's just the reaction Limbaugh wanted, to illustrate that it was the Times opinionist that pushed the notion that Obama's popularity is due to Shelby Steele's (?) idea of white guilt. The Times' columnist demonstrates the real insensitivity.
I guess Van der Leun is making the same point in a different way, though I haven't read it yet. I like American Digest, but it's hard to squeeze it in sometimes. Wonderful essays, but long.
Limbaugh once read one of Van der Leun's essays on the air. It was the one about "The new Castrati." When you hear Limbaugh use that term you know where he got it.
As a matter of fact, I finally updated it last week! And I believe I included those hair cut pictures.
ReplyDeletewww.jandjessary.com and click on site updates (ignore the store part. that is a work in progress that is no where near finished yet).
As for most photographed kids, that's for sure! When I went digital back in 2000, I went from about a roll every month to 100 pics a month. Now that I got a digital SLR, that's up to about 500/month (not all kids). but the baby knows how to say cheese.
In fact, I'm off to take pictures now of the guys drilling my new well so I can have water in the house again.
Reese sez: You call it "insensitive" of Limbaugh. I think that's just the reaction Limbaugh wanted, to illustrate that it was the Times opinionist that pushed the notion that Obama's popularity is due to Shelby Steele's (?) idea of white guilt. The Times' columnist demonstrates the real insensitivity.
ReplyDeleteEven though I wasn't quite clear, what I meant is the PC Folk (not me) are calling Limbaugh "insensitve," when they're being kind. Gerard's essay explained the relationship between Limbaugh, the LA Times op-ed, and the song parody. I probably (once again) should have made that point a lil more clearer for those who wouldn't chase the link.
You're right about it taking a little bit of time to read and fully appreciate van der Leun. But time is what I have most of these days, so it's not that big a deal... for me. Now if I had a job, a family, property to keep up, yadda, yadda, things might could be different! :-)
Jenny: Re: updating your site...Cool! I hope those guys finish your well today. I would assume the fresh water tank in the camper should be about empty by now...
More than likely, the drilling guys MAY finish today, possibly tomorrow. Then someone else has to do the actual well stuff (who is a neighbor about 4 miles away and will be here ASAP to do that). As for my fresh water tank: I'm used to going camping where there is no place to refill the tank for the weekend, way up in the mountains with no power and the only water is a stream. I'm GOOD at water conservation. LOL! I still have about 1/2 the holding tank left. My freshwater tank holds 45 gallons.
ReplyDeleteI did (after commenting here in your fine space) follow your high recommendation. Relationships clarified. Van der Leun enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteMy point was that Shanklin and Limbaugh are making fun of Sharpton and the LA Times, not Obama, and purposely drawing out charges of "insensitivity" (from the politest PC folk or wherever)at the kindest and "racism" at the typical.
Yours in short hair solidarity,
PS: I'm glad you have time, and that you use it so well, resulting in benefit for many more than yourself.
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up, Reese, in the best possible way!!
ReplyDeleteYour points are noted, and well-taken...Sharpton (spit!) needs to be made fun of much more often. That dude is a demagogue, first-class. Fools diminish in stature when they're ridiculed.
Sorry for the Hockey Loss tonight, Buck. I read all your Wings stuff, and love the way you talk about them.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Bay Area kid that grew up going to the Oakland Seals games. My outfielders mitt in my hand, at 7 years old, and lovin' it! We even had Crazy George for a time runnin' through the stands ... sometimes even when a fight broke out!!! :)
Anyway, glad to see your gig-line has extended to your head! :)
Take care ...