tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18484717530250499122024-02-19T05:28:20.609-05:00These GentlemenDavid Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.comBlogger711125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-8320689179889924152014-09-24T23:51:00.000-04:002014-09-30T17:29:02.017-04:00Stan Willner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbnLWGr8dYu_9oeFuRCcHkoxKjYEhyphenhyphenFP9Cyg7IFu3zn8YvhOeMhE-UM1qFQOMc9Og8JZSdBujuM_VF7buP-upKUGmr0HH75pL9g4zql6qI7uLpRma4av9W35J3DZh7D-4bfJ8w5eoIQyO/s1600/stan_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbnLWGr8dYu_9oeFuRCcHkoxKjYEhyphenhyphenFP9Cyg7IFu3zn8YvhOeMhE-UM1qFQOMc9Og8JZSdBujuM_VF7buP-upKUGmr0HH75pL9g4zql6qI7uLpRma4av9W35J3DZh7D-4bfJ8w5eoIQyO/s1600/stan_w.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Live life for life's own sake.<br />
<br />
That is the message I took from the life of Stan Willner.<br />
<br />
<br />
On August 13th, 2014, Stan Willner, my grandfather, quietly passed from this world. He would have been 91 this year.<br />
<br />
He'd been suffering, struggling with the same dementia and memory loss that took his mother. He had been shifted around from one house or hospital to another as my uncle struggled to find the right care for him. He began falling down, but couldn't remember it happening. An exam revealed he'd been suffering a series of small strokes. He could no longer remember conversations or recognize faces. Finally, after coming out of the hospital to go back into another facility that said they didn't have the resources to take care of him, he laid down and he faded away.<br />
<br />
But even when his mind was nearly gone, he never weakened. Time after time, he fell down. A single fall in her early 70s confined my grandmother to a walker for the rest of her days. Up to age 90, Grandpa Stan fell time after time and bruised his arms, his back, even his head, and came up the next day not remembering it happened and shrugging it off. While other people ten years younger or more were confined to wheelchairs or in bed all day, my grandpa would go crazy if he couldn't get up and walk around. No matter what happened, he always walked away from it.<br />
<br />
That's how I remember my Grandpa. Invincible.<br />
<br />
The people we meet and know and love are made up of our memories of
them. After they leave us, the way we remember them is what will keep
them alive forever. We can choose to remember the good or the bad, and
those choices color the story we tell ourselves about what someone was
like. That story is what we draw from when determining the lesson a life
can teach us.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFT_AHptYUJAKsOp1WX8xpboSB7Jz83BIvqpzoT-h6zztgBn71Jwe9RM_5KtBBV423YnoSIEBKcBrObo8WM5jxKK_UqJJI-QbS-l6XK-tk2m0w438MAE6iWQplySEVeDV4UzTI06_Wpov/s1600/image(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFT_AHptYUJAKsOp1WX8xpboSB7Jz83BIvqpzoT-h6zztgBn71Jwe9RM_5KtBBV423YnoSIEBKcBrObo8WM5jxKK_UqJJI-QbS-l6XK-tk2m0w438MAE6iWQplySEVeDV4UzTI06_Wpov/s1600/image(1).jpg" height="296" width="320" /></a>My grandfather was never a man of great ambition. He almost never had a lot of money, and when he did he'd give it away or go out gambling. I remember once in Arizona, he hit 5 of the 6 numbers on the Lotto and won some not-insignificant amount. The first thing he did was give some to my mother, and then take me out to the store to buy any toy I wanted (I got a light-up laser a gun with like, SEVEN different sound effects). When my mom went into labor with my little brother in the middle of the night, Grandpa was at our house within minutes to watch me while they went to the hospital. Some days he would just swing around with his great big blue car with the rusted-over hood and take me to the golf course where he worked. I'd sit at the 19th Hole and play the arcade games, he'd introduce me around, chat with all the regulars and have a drink, and then he'd bring me home. No special reason, he just wanted to spend some time with his grandson. We'd hang out in his apartment, or go to the movies, or he'd take me out to rent a video game. If I was around, Grandpa would ask if I wanted to do anything. Even as I write this and remember, I honestly hope that I appreciated at the time how good he was to me. I really hope so.<br />
<br />
Through all the years I knew him growing up, from age 60 to age 90, my Grandpa Stan never changed. He was quiet, he was mild, he was thoughtful, and he was kind. I know him as the man who was never far from something to read.
Sometimes he would return books to the library because he'd get a few
chapters in and realize he had already read them. Once I was telling him about the plot of a book I was reading, a semi-obscure fantasy novel, and halfway in he interrupted with "oh yeah, this sounds familiar." At the time I was annoyed - I thought he was bored of my explanation and trying to get out of it. Later, I realized no - if a book could be found at a local library, there was a better-than-average chance that yes, he had read it at least once.<br />
<br />
He could live on
bagels with cream cheese. Once, when I was two years old, my grandpa
left the table while eating. When he returned, I had crawled up from
underneath the table, donned his glasses and started eating his bagel
while holding the newspaper out in front of me and happily declared 'I'm
grandpa!" <br />
<br />
Everyone who knew him and loved him should take heart in the fact that his life was quiet, peaceful, and yet somehow full of fun and adventure. He traveled across Asia and Europe, saw all of America, hobnobbed with stars and Presidents, had a set of whirlwind romances, and watched his two children grow into amazing people that gave him grandchildren he adored. Yet for all that, he was happiest going for a walk, playing a game of golf or bowling, or sitting in a chair and reading until he fell asleep. He lived life on his own terms, and that was all he ever wanted to do. There was never any grand scheme or plan in Grandpa Stan's life. He was just happy to be alive, and never thought much about the future. Every day was an opportunity to have a good day, and he had many more of those than not. <br />
<br />
And from an early age, he had earned it.<br />
<br />
Stan Willner was one of four children, growing up in a middle class Jewish family in New York City
during the Great Depression. They were never poor, like others. My great-grandfather, Max, ran a
scrap business that remained successful even during the most desperate
times. This probably had something to do with the fact that Max also got arrested by the FBI once for suspected mafia ties, but hey, he had to put food on the table. Max was meticulous, wore monogrammed suits and had a chauffeur. However, neither Stan nor his brother Eddy cared much for the
business. They wanted to go out and have fun, enjoy their youth, and not
worry too much about the world or their future. Max and his sons battled constantly, the hard-working and demanding Max constantly frustrated that he could not drag the same work ethic out of his boys. They fought and grew resentful, causing no end of grief to Bessie, my great-grandmother. Stan simply had no ambition towards working like his father, or much of anything in life.<br />
<br />
Then
our country was attacked.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-Vee8z3sPMLUC23ogzLMqn1gtlCHTJjKEc9Fhznfn_OGPETNTo2hcLUJ-c34KyIo-k0mdGgE4PwsIJDPht9amqfMHTWCTCjCqKJz-2OfHAMzfdAn8FgnyMM56kk361vqFJgDpYThd1zX/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-Vee8z3sPMLUC23ogzLMqn1gtlCHTJjKEc9Fhznfn_OGPETNTo2hcLUJ-c34KyIo-k0mdGgE4PwsIJDPht9amqfMHTWCTCjCqKJz-2OfHAMzfdAn8FgnyMM56kk361vqFJgDpYThd1zX/s1600/image.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a>After Pearl Harbor, the call went out, and he answered. Stan lied about
his age and joined the army at 17. This kid from the city who never cared about much more than cruising around the neighborhood and going out with his buddies knew that his country needed him, and he cast everything aside to join the war. He went away from New York and found himself in the Pacific Theater, fighting as a
paratrooper for the 503rd Regiment. At the Battle of Noemfoor, he earned
a purple heart, breaking his leg on a landing and continuing to fight.
The same battle saw another member of the 503rd earn the Medal of Honor.
Stan recuperated and shipped out again, He was there at the Battle of
Corregidor, the fiercest fighting the regiment saw during the war. For
taking the near-impenetrable island from the defending Japanese
soldiers, the 503rd earned the Presidential Unit Citation and the
nickname "the Rock Regiment." For all of this, Stan, barely 18 at the time, was there. <br />
<br />
When he returned from the war, he went home. Max was there at the train station waiting. With tears in his eyes, his father embraced him, and welcomed him home. <br />
<br />
He was an American hero, the likes of which are slowly fading from this world. <br />
<br />
It
is hard for me to picture my quiet, slow-moving grandfather as the hero I
know he was. I know him by his smile, his laugh, the warmth he exuded,
the kindness and thoughtfulness in his voice. Though he kept his medals and memorabilia, he never spoke about the war.<br />
<br />
I do know one story. He was demoted once, and there are two stories surrounding
that. The first goes that he disobeyed orders and ran out with a friend
in order to save a nun they'd left behind in a village that was about
to be attacked. I told that story to my grandmother and she cackled as
only she could, then informed me that "what are you, crazy? He went out
drinking with his buddies on duty and their commanding officer found
them." The best part of that? With Grandpa, either one of those tales
could be true and they'd both be completely in keeping with his
character.<br />
<br />
After returning home, Stan fell into a series of jobs here and there. He never worked in one place for too long. He waited tables, he ran a bar, he managed a hotel. He played pool, and cards, and stayed out late with his buddies. He bet on horses and took up golf. In the middle of all that, he married my Grandma Fran, whom was ten years younger than him, and had two children, a son and a daughter. He and Grandma divorced, and Stan left their home until the day she called him and told him that she could no longer take care of their kids. Stan returned home that night without hesitation so his children would never be alone. <br />
<br />
He moved them to Florida and opened another bar. When my mom contemplated dropping out of high school, he put his foot down and told her she was finishing no matter what. She ended up graduating at 16 and going on to receive a Master's in Psychology. My Uncle Mike went on to put himself through law school, and once a month Stan would send him a card with $50 in it, which was all the money he could spare. <br />
<br />
Stan went from Florida to Arizona to Las Vegas to California. He stayed wherever he was most comfortable and could have the most fun. He never lost that simple desire from his youth to just be able to do what he wanted. He was never rich, frequently poor, and often completely responsible for both, but he was happy. The future never concerned him much. He knew what he cared about most and so that was what he lived for. As long as he could do that, every day was a good day.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the best way to sum up my grandfather when his memory started going is with my mother's birthday from last year. Grandpa Stan called her that day and left her a message, where you can hear the happiness and pride in his voice as he talks to his daughter, wishing her a happy birthday and telling her to call him back so they can talk later. Then he called her back and left the same message. Then he called her cell phone and did it again. Then once more he called the house and said "Marci, I might have said this five or ten minutes ago, I don't remember, but even if I did, happy birthday again."<br />
<br />
He might not have remembered what he said two minutes ago, but he never forgot what was most important to him.<br />
<br />
People are made of our memories of them. These memories are what we draw from to learn the lesson each life was put here to teach us.<br />
<br />
For Grandpa Stan, it's easy. All my memories of him add up to form one message. Live life - and love life - for life's own sake. When you do that, the best stuff happens.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
I love you Grandpa. I'll miss you always.<br />
<br />
Every day is a good day.<br />
<br />
<br />David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-24723106981638737592013-01-24T04:08:00.000-05:002013-01-24T04:10:17.905-05:00Ten Laps<i>My body tells me no</i><br />
<i>But I won't quit, cause I want more</i><br />
<i>Cause I want more.</i><br />
- <i>My Body</i> by Young the Giant <br />
<br />
It's fifteen degrees outside as I step into the cold. My feet bounce lightly off the pavement as I jog momentarily in place. My breath mists around me. The gym is a six minute walk away. The sweatshirt I'm wearing does almost nothing to keep the wind out. I pull my hood up and start moving. <br />
<br />
With the wind, the temperature is below zero.<br />
<br />
The gym doors open and the heating inside mercifully washes over me. My face is red and my nose is running, and when the wind blew my hood down I did nothing to fix it, not wanting to take my hands out of my pockets and expose them to the cold. I close my eyes and wait for the chill that runs through my body to pass. I can see the weight room, sparsely populated, through the back of the staircase in front of me. Not yet. I march up the stairs.<br />
<br />
It's time to warm up.<br />
<br />
Televisions line the cardio room to keep the people endlessly moving in place from getting bored. <i>The Big Bang Theory</i> is on. It's always on. It doesn't matter what gym you are in, what day you go, or what time you get there, if they have a TV, it will be showing <i>The Big Bang Theory</i>. Sheldon's friends are doing him a great disservice by not helping him seek treatment for his obvious social disorders. Everybody has an mp3 player. Nobody is watching. My iPod broke years ago. I listen to the top 40 hits being run methodically through the sound system.<br />
<br />
Ten laps, yesterday, I remind myself. Ten laps. Each time around the blue turf that encircles the cardio room and the basketball court is a tenth of a mile. Yesterday I ran one mile. <i>I was running four before the summer break</i>, I growl in my own head. My gym sneakers are old and worn out. This isn't going to help extend their life. The sole slaps the surface, and I'm off.<br />
<br />
My legs pump rhythmically in time with my arms. My breath is steady, my eyes set firmly ahead. With each lap around the treadmills and elliptical machines and stretch mats I glimpse at the others doing the same thing I am. I see who is taking it easy and who is pushing themselves, who is following an ingrained routine and who is pursuing a New Year's Resolution. I'm closing in on one year of working out.<br />
<br />
I push through another lap.<br />
<br />
My knee is better after taking a week off to let it settle. With every step it had felt like it was about to torque itself out of place. I don't think about it as I keep on moving forward. Ten laps yesterday. <br />
<br />
Ahead of me is the CrossFit workout of the day. The names of a dozen workouts I never knew existed before run through my mind. Double under. Single arm snatch. Front squat. Toes-to-bar. Burpee. I have a schedule, normally - shoulder day, arm day, chest day, leg day, back day, rest, repeat. My days are filled with sets and reps. Now I alternate, back and forth, one month of muscle groups, one month of CrossFit, and back again. New veins have formed to carry blood to newly-formed muscle. My hands have grown thick calluses from the days I forget to wear gloves. I picture in my mind what I've always imagined I would look like at 100%. I catch a glimpse of myself in the window as I run past. It looks like I'm at 50.<br />
<br />
Nine months ago I was at 0. I keep running.<br />
<br />
I remember the years I spent looking in the mirror being unsatisfied with what I saw. I remember the years, very recently, where my weight crossed the threshold of 200. I remember struggling to fit into pants I'd owned for years. I remember how that made me feel. I remember how I felt when my weight dropped almost to 160, when I had to buy all new clothes, when I came back to campus after months away and everyone I ran into remarked on how much weight I'd lost and muscle I'd put on. I remember watching the scale tick steadily upwards, and realizing that it wasn't because I was putting on fat. I'm breathing hard. I've lapped a couple using the walking lane three times already. Ten laps yesterday.<br />
<br />
My legs are starting to feel the strain. I ignore them.<br />
<br />
I know down in the weight room, there are a going to be half a dozen guys bigger than me, stronger than me, who've been doing this a lot longer and a lot more seriously. Athletes, bodybuilders, or just people like me with more years behind them. They look better, they train harder, people stop and stare at them as they do their sets of deadlifts. They show up in pairs, or teams, and I am alone. I remind myself that I'm not competing against them. I'm not trying to be stronger than them. I'm just trying to be stronger than me.<br />
<br />
I'm halfway to ten. I push myself forward.<br />
<br />
Day by day, rep by rep, lap by lap. Always get stronger. Never weaker. That was my mantra for months. I felt weaker than I ever had, and I told myself there was only one way I was coming out of it. Better than ever. Every day, go further. Lift more. Work harder. If there's weakness, burn through it. If there's pain, deal with it. If I felt hurt, rest, recover, come back stronger. Always stronger. I didn't see results after a week. I didn't see them after a month. I still don't really know if I see them now. So I work harder. I never give up. <br />
<br />
The muscles in my legs are telling me to slow down. I choose not to.<br />
<br />
Every day, I make a decision. A decision not to sit in my dorm room on my computer. A decision to change into my gym clothes and walk out the door. Just having the clothes on, making the first decision, spurs me forward. <i>I'm already changed, might as well go</i>, I think. It's cold. I just went yesterday. The workout today looks hard. It'll be crowded. It's late. I've got homework. I have to get up early. I'm tired. I can always go tomorrow. I'll get bored. But I've already changed. Too late to turn back now. So I go, and I go, and I go, until I don't even think about the excuses. Until it's such a regular part of my routine that the gym is now an excuse to take myself away from other things. I made that decision. I made the decision to not have an extra dessert, or to drink a soda, or to have another slice of pizza. I made a decision to not quit.<br />
<br />
I'm at seven. I decide to keep going.<br />
<br />
There's no goal in mind - there's no endgame. There's no result I'm after that I can get frustrated and quit over because I don't see it right away. There's only this body, and how it looks, and how I want it to look, and the knowledge that this is how it gets there. If I work out as hard as I can today and it doesn't work, then I guess I just need to come back and do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. If I mess up one day, if I can't go, if I'm away for some reason and my schedule gets thrown out of whack, the gym doesn't care. The gym will still be there when I get back. If I find I can't lift as much as I could, can't go as far as I used to, then it's time to work myself back to where I was. There is no overall goal. Every day is the goal. Every day is another block in the foundation, and before you know it, the house is halfway built.<br />
<br />
Eight. My chest is heavy, my legs hurt. But I ran ten yesterday. Never weaker. I ran ten yesterday.<br />
<br />
I think back to my first run. A friend of mine challenged me to run six miles. Forget how long it takes, don't worry if you have to stop and walk for part of it. Just get it done. Six miles. I could barely run one. So I sucked it up, and I did it. All of it. It wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty, but I didn't stop until I did it. Now that I knew I could do it, I knew I could do it again. With every pump of my legs, every ragged breath, every desperate gasp at the water fountain, I got stronger. I left my weaknesses behind. <br />
<br />
Nine laps in and I'm still going strong.<br />
<br />
You don't set a goal with some artificial deadline.<br />
<br />
You don't compete with anybody else.<br />
<br />
You just make the decision to do it.<br />
<br />
And then you do it.<br />
<br />
And you keep doing it, every day, until there's no such thing as not doing it. <br />
<br />
You just get stronger.<br />
<br />
I hit ten laps. I ran ten laps yesterday.<br />
<br />
So today I do eleven.<br />
<br />
I forgot my gloves again. I'm going to be burning calluses into my hands. My arms are going to feel like lead after the dumbbell lifts. I've never even done a toes-to-bar and have no idea if I can. There are sit-ups in today's workout. I hate sit-ups.<br />
<br />
When the blood is roaring in your ears, when your body feels too heavy to move, when you're staring at the bar perched over you and have no idea how you intend to move that much weight, when you just can't squeeze out one more pull-up, one more sit-up, one more curl, one more push, one more press, one more lap,<br />
<br />
That's exactly when you do it. <br />
<br />
When you see the weight lift off the bench, when you get your chin over the bar, when you go back in the locker room, strip your shirt off, look in the mirror and think "yeah, this is good," that's what gets you back the next day. And if you can't do those things, then you work until you can.<br />
<br />
I go downstairs and do my workout. My body is exhausted and exhilarated at once. It's still fifteen degrees. Walk back in the cold. Drink a protein shake. Get some sleep.<br />
<br />
I'm in the best shape of my life.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow I'll do twelve.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-68291444346723185632013-01-09T02:37:00.003-05:002013-01-11T13:19:57.345-05:00The Best Version of MyselfI am a hopeless romantic. Not a very good one, I've decided lately, but hopeless nonetheless. And as such, I absolutely love chick flicks of all shapes and sizes. Even the movies that I know are going to be completely terrible will fill me with a deeply abiding satisfaction, because the boy has gotten the girl, the girl has gotten the boy, and True Love has reigned supreme. On any given trip to Netflix, you'd better believe I'm stopping by the Romance section first.<br />
<br />
Now one of my favorite of all chick flicks is <i>You've Got Mail</i>, starring Tom Hanks as Joe Fox and Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelly in a retelling of the Jimmy Stewart movie, <i>The Shop Around the Corner</i>, which is a retelling of the Miklos Laszlo play, <i>Parfumerie</i>. The story has nabbed hearts for over 70 years, and you would be hard-pressed to convince me that <i>You've Got Mail</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>is not one of the greatest movies to ever grace the face of this wonderful planet. I could probably watch it every time it pops up on TBS and never get tired of it. Upon finishing it, I am always convinced that it is my calling to move to New York City and become a quirky bookstore owner.<br />
<br />
So anyways, unaware that they have been corresponding anonymously with each other via email, falling in love one message at a time, Joe and Kathleen are introduced to each other at a party about a third of the way through the movie. It is hate at first sight. (To be fair, Joe is pretty heinous.) Later, he writes to Kathleen about his behavior, asking her,<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Do you ever feel you've become the worst version of yourself? That a Pandora's box of all the secret, hateful parts - your arrogance, your spite, your condescension - has sprung open?"</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Well, Joe, funny you should ask that. Because I know exactly what you mean.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The last year has not been the easiest for me. I'm doing that thing where I'm growing up and becoming an adult more than ever before, and it has proven a bit of a challenge. I've made some good choices and I've made some bad ones, and the earth has kept turning regardless, as she is wont to do. But through it all, I think I've lost sight of who and what I want to be in this world. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I like to think, when I look at myself as a whole, that I'm a pretty positive person. I try to be upbeat and optimistic. I try to be friendly to everyone, to exude love and acceptance. I'm outgoing (you know, except for when I'm painfully shy) and goofy and fun-loving. Someone you can rely on for help and support. Someone who is a good friend. A lot of what I want for my life is to live as Christ would have me live. Be good, do good, and love others.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I mean, wasn't that the whole point of this blog in the first place? When we were really in our prime, we were a bunch of twenty-somethings searching for what it means to be a Gentleman in this world. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">But lately, I'm finding that I'm not really living up to that ideal anymore. I'm not completely sure when it happened. I think it was probably a gradual shift, or maybe a number of shifts, in my attitude and reactions that started to become habits in my behavior. I find myself being sullen and irritable more than ever before. I'm judgmental. I let things bother me when they shouldn't. I'll snap at people and pick fights when before I could just let things go. I let myself get awfully cranky sometimes, especially when I'm tired. I'm less appreciative of my great job and the wonderful opportunities God has given me than I should be. I've become listless and apathetic toward my goals and ambitions. And sometimes I'm just sad. Just so sad that the funk seems endless.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">And I've hurt people whom I love dearly.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I look at the grand total of my interactions over the past year, and while I doubt anyone would be handing me the Wicked Witch of the West Award 2012, I do wonder if I'm on the road to being the worst version of myself. In the last month or so, I've really taken a hard look at me, and I've realized that behavior that I'm not proud of, behavior that doesn't make me happy, has become much more the norm than the exception to the rule.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">And why? What reason do I have to be unhappy? To bring anything but good into the lives of others?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I'll tell you: <b>I don't.</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I'm blessed with a pretty great life, and if it isn't only getting better all the time, I have no one to blame but myself. And I think I've played enough of the blame game this year to last a lifetime. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">So it's time for me to make a change - an active one this time. To seek out in myself what I need in my life to make it a force for good.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Now we here at These Gentlemen <a href="http://thesegentlemen.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-years-resolutions.html">have written</a> <a href="http://thesegentlemen.blogspot.com/2009/12/resolute.html">about</a> <a href="http://thesegentlemen.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-b.html">New Year's</a> <a href="http://thesegentlemen.blogspot.com/2010/02/still-little-bit-new-years-roundtable.html">Resolutions</a> before. Making them, keeping them, forgetting about them. The whole gamut. But I have purposefully decided not to think about this as a resolution. As something I'm going to strive for in the new year. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Resolutions are breakable. Resolutions are often <a href="http://bookofodds.com/Relationships-Society/Holidays/Articles/A0504-New-Year-s-Resolutions-Odds-of-Making-Them-and-Keeping-Them">doomed to fail</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">.*</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*That website is just something I googled and cannot vouch for AT ALL, but it wouldn't surprise me if the numbers are at least close to being correct. Also, sorry it's such a DOWNER. Geez... </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">So instead I'm just going to make it my goal to live as the best version of myself, one day at a time, throughout 2013. And then next year, I'll be better than that. And so on, until bettering myself is the norm and the habit. But it all starts today, and I'm pretty excited to see who today can turn out to be.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">With love to all our readers, and best wishes for the New Year,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">ali d.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>ali dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07315380273775485622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-37544868054819238862012-12-20T03:19:00.000-05:002012-12-20T03:19:24.463-05:00The Most Wonderful Time of the YearIt's time for a confession. One I've kept to myself for a long time, but I just can't find a reason to suppress any longer.<br />
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I completely love Christmas music. And uh-oh, what do you know -<br />
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"Well sure," someone said to me when I told this to them, "it's after Thanksgiving now, it's okay to listen to it."<br />
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But that's not what I mean. I love Christmas music. All the time. From New Years Day to New Years Eve. I love just about every kind of Christmas music. I love the old stuff, I love the new stuff, I love Christmas raps and Christmas song parodies. I love the songs about Jesus and the season, and the stuff about Santa and reindeer. About the only songs concerning Christmas or its indices I don't enjoy are "The Christmas Shoes," (maybe the most unnecessary song ever written) and anything wherein Santa is at the beach because that's soooo zany.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <i>sand</i> snowman? Too wacky for me, Caillat.</td></tr>
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No, I can listen to Christmas music with almost the same enthusiasm as I would Guns n' Roses, or Journey, or anything by the Muppets.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is <span style="font-size: x-small;">the <i>greatest</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> thing</i> <i>ever</i>.</span></span></span></div>
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Maybe if there was good Hanukkah music out there I could include some of that, but whoever is in charge of our media conspiracy decided that our most popular songs about the holiday would just be lists of famous Jews..<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one keeps getting left out for some reason.</td></tr>
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<br />So all I wanted to do today was talk about some of my favorite Christmas songs, and share what you'll hopefully find to be some pretty good renditions of them.. Be warned that this post is going to be pretty video and link-intensive, but I'm sure we'll all have a good time at the end. So grab some hot cocoa, warm yourself by the fire, and, as I know we need it now more than most years, let's all share some holiday cheer.<br />
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First and foremost, this is the song that always gets me in the spirit.<br />
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"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," by Andy Williams, plays through my head at least once a day during this season. To me, this is what kicks off the official "holiday spirit" portion of the year, because it is exactly what he says it is - it's the most wonderful time. As you get older, summer loses the meaning it once had, spring and autumn are only attractive because of their milder weather, but winter retains its magic. The world covers itself up in a big, white blanket, keeping everything hidden until it is born anew the following year. What's underneath that blanket is always a mystery, keeping us guessing all the time. Right smack in the middle of that time comes Christmas, filling us with joy and good cheer, making us anticipate only the best for what's coming.<br />
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Williams soothing crooner voice nails it from the very first line. The rest of the song is all true (assuming the part about "scary ghost stories" is a reference to <i>A Christmas Carol</i> and not the inexplicable <a href="http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/12/03/evil-santa-movies/">evil Santa</a> horror genre), but the opening lyrics are all I've ever needed to sing to myself to get a quick jolt of the season's cheer.<br />
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It does such a great job of encapsulating exactly what makes this time of year so great. The sights are different, there's a scent in the air you can't explain, and friends and family you don't normally get to see gather close once again. The holiday greetings and gay happy meetings? They are<i> the best</i>. My loved ones are near? Well look at that, my heart <i>is </i>glowing. This song gets it right. This right here is why I love this time of year so much - this song gets it all right.<br />
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Songs about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN7LW0Y00kE">the season</a> are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17731HiOiXg">not</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9BZDpni56Y">difficult</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJSUT8Inl14">to</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4lY8Y3eoo">find</a>. The last one, performed by Judy Garland, has a fantastic version also done by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpPdl0StUVs">Frank Sinatra</a>, and they are great for comparing to one another. Sinatra is quiet and reflective, gently comforting the listener with the tidings of Christmas and the New Year. Garland's voice intones someone struggling through something fantastically difficult, and using the song to reassure herself more than anybody, because she really wants to believe the words of the song - that next year our troubles will be miles away. It all seems possible during Christmastime. <br />
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Also, this guy gets some love around this time;<br />
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Sorry, that could easily be interpreted to mean Michael Jackson. Let me be more specific.<br />
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This jolly old elf has been in more of my favorite classic movies than Jimmy Stewart and Humphrey Bogart combined. I hope I never go a Christmas season without hearing Frosty the Snowman, or the Snow Miser and Heat Miser songs, or listening to Burgermeister Meisterburger declare that they'll be no more toymakers to the king. You know, Meisterburger just keels over from old age and then things get better once he's gone. I think there's a really poignant message in there.<br />
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I won't bother setting up a link cloud of my favorite Christmas classic music, because that link cloud would quickly become a linkstorm, and eventually a dark, all-consuming mass of links, swallowing the rest of this post and leaving behind only tattered wreckage and benefit concerts. Instead I'll just cue up the song that I think most people can agree - when you see this on TV, Christmas time is officially <i>on</i>.<br />
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You know, I find it honestly kind of insulting that some studio thought they could improve upon this, or even just make a quick buck, covering this song for the live action version with Jim Carrey. Also, <i>How the Grinch Stole Christmas!</i> is really such an exemplary comment on the holiday. Seuss, in his classic Seuss style, creates the most heinous, despicable, foul creature imaginable and has him literally steal a major holiday from a town because he hates joy.<br />
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Then, because Seuss is so on-point with what kids really need to read that it's a pity he and Mr. Rogers never teamed up to teach important life lessons, battle commercialism, and do slow-motion runs away from explosions, Christmas comes anyway because it's not about gifts and material goods, it's about being with friends and family and coming together as a community. The "Welcome Christmas" song is so powerful it cures the Grinch's tragic birth defect and he brings back all the food and presents anyway, and they treat the guy who was about to let them all starve to death in the cold like one of their own, because <i>that's what Christmas does</i>. Seriously though, back to what I was saying earlier, can't you see Rogers as the straight-laced by-the-book one and Seuss as the play-by-his-own-rules loose-cannon partner as they battle whoever is in charge of programming at NBC?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With LeVar Burton as the Chief who's fed up with their unorthodox methods.</td></tr>
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Well, I don't want to get too into the pilot episode of <i>Dr. and Mr.</i> here. Let me try to stay on topic. Over the summer, while my grandmother was sick, I really needed something to boost my spirits. It seemed like all the songs on the radio were about heartbreak and tragedy, because that's what people relate to, apparently. I finally found a station playing something uplifting and inspirational, and left the dial there while I wondered how I'd never heard the song before. When the D.J's started talking, I understood why - I had landed on the religious music station.<br />
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My radio dial has rarely moved since. More on that some other time, maybe.<br />
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Now, it could be argued that every Christian song is a Christmas song, but some definitely stand out as more definitively geared towards that holiday. For the sake of this post, I'll stick with just one to lead into the more traditional fare. This one is especially great to me because two friends of mine recently welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family, and another pair of friends is set to do the same in March.<br />
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See, for all the songs about Santa Claus or how great this time of year is in general, the best, most powerful, most moving songs are those that don't deviate too much from the holiday's source material. This is when we all get reminded of how great Jesus is because on His birthday WE all get presents. What I like most about the songs reflecting on Jesus's birth is how, grouping a couple of them together, you can form a pretty great musical narrative on what went down that night.<br />
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I could lay out some songs and different versions of them to illustrate my point, but it's already been done in one of the greatest short episodes in one of the greatest cartoons of my generation. You can't watch this and tell me they didn't nail it.<br />
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Also, normally I avoid Carrie Underwood emphatically (I've managed to this day to not listen to "Before He Cheats" all the way through) but I have to admit, she hit the mark on this one:<br />
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The solemnity of the occasion, the birth of the person a substantial margin of the planet consider to be God Himself in the humblest of locations, when expressed in song and done well can be truly powerful. I have some personal favorites, and I'm more than happy to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5iRUABBiko">share</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7670CXvPX0">them</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbdvo019mgM">with</a> you <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87q5dmW6zDg">now</a>.<br />
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It doesn't matter, I should hope, what religion you do or don't adhere to. A song where the artist is clearly putting a piece of their soul on display for you should mean something. That's what a good Christmas song about the birth of Jesus can do.<br />
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Of course, I'd be remiss not to mention the fact that some people take Christmas and just get hilarious with it. Sure, holiness and light and peace and goodwill, blah blah blah, but don't you realize how man laughs there are to be had through Christmas music? I'll share just a couple. My most recent favorite comes from the good people behind the <a href="http://epicrapbattlesofhistory.com/">Epic Rap Battles of History</a>, this time with a very special guest, but there are some real classics out there, notably;<br />
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Not to mention;<br />
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And who could forget;<br />
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I also think that a lot of people forget that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IA_aHsER6c">this is a Christmas song.</a><br />
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I'll end with this concluding thought. What Christmas songs - the good ones, anyway - are really about comes down to joy and happiness. It's a holiday about observing what, no matter what you believe, is without a doubt the most significant event in human history. That we're able to compose music encapsulating what this season does for us spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, and to have it connect with so many people, is just one more miracle of the season. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.<br />
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Finally, I conclude with the very first Christmas song I ever remember hearing, because when I watched it in kindergarten, Kermit and his nephew Robin started singing the most popular Christmas song of them all, and suddenly Electric Mayhem burst in seared how totally awesome Christmas music could be in my young mind. I began with the Muppets, I close with the Muppets, as all great things in life do. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and if I don't see you before then, everybody have very happy, healthy New Year.<br />
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<br />David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-22661212770496190212012-12-14T17:54:00.000-05:002012-12-14T17:54:21.931-05:00ReactionI don't know how, and I don't know when, but whatever it takes, whatever I have to do, I will make this a country where no parent ever has to worry that their child might not come back when they send them off to school.<br />
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I hope you will, too.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-62560949613228544012012-10-15T22:46:00.001-04:002012-10-16T00:51:44.186-04:005 Reasons Joe Biden Won the Vice Presidential DebateOn the eve of the second Presidential debate, or Debate 2: Bate Harder, the results of the Vice Presidential confrontation a few days ago are quickly being forgotten. Here at Hofstra, campus is an absolute maze of news cameras and Secret Service, all focused on the two Presidential candidates. In my opinion, now is the perfect time to refresh our memories as to what exactly happened in the last debate, which people seem to be having trouble deciding who won.<br />
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Some <a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/1896027454001/who-won-the-vice-presidential-debate/?playlist_id=86912">very reputable and trustworthy news organizations</a> are touting Paul Ryan as the winner. A number of polls indicate that the public <a href="http://www.business2community.com/social-media/vp-debate-2012-why-the-tie-0307064">considered it to be a tie</a>. I think a lot of people with those viewpoints don't really know what "debate" means. Here's why it's pretty indisputable that Joe Biden scaled Ryan's harrowing widow's peak to become the clear victor.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>5) He Was a "Bully"</b></u></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrYtAcrfiEdAzxce-fRUQtJrkWprAe0qF77UqLwBK-UBBrIDS_54chVJESTuxEpuYlpLveRp5-YN4MVQ0zICsKju8Fd3EJ68HN7Fug2bUkVgGgkWeVu0FLwKcEG4Zyv2t_eq6ji6O1-4r/s1600/1350010767333.cached.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrYtAcrfiEdAzxce-fRUQtJrkWprAe0qF77UqLwBK-UBBrIDS_54chVJESTuxEpuYlpLveRp5-YN4MVQ0zICsKju8Fd3EJ68HN7Fug2bUkVgGgkWeVu0FLwKcEG4Zyv2t_eq6ji6O1-4r/s400/1350010767333.cached.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A <a href="http://gazettextra.com/weblogs/opinion-matters/2012/oct/15/a-good-sendup-on-vice-presidential-debate/">number</a> of <a href="http://blogs.ajc.com/jamie-dupree-washington-insider/2012/10/12/gop-raps-biden-debate-demeanor/">people</a> keep pointing out that Biden continually interrupted Ryan, acted condescending by laughing, rolling his eyes, and smirking as the VP candidate spoke. The most overwhelming assessment of these actions were that Biden was "a bully."<br />
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So what's a bully, exactly?<br />
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A bully is what we call someone we see beating up somebody who can't defend themselves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMiwNGzXqUX-2MGup0lyJZgu4-dhz4iA0QF4AFHCYJsUeYXKV4FqAo9h1e4nuys2LMVCb86Y_3tZGC0MlYspi1-ab5VVzsj5KyDKWIrDWOnbg48K8GTKb0mboO_WOGtGSMHE_yaP_HDMU/s1600/NelsonMilhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMiwNGzXqUX-2MGup0lyJZgu4-dhz4iA0QF4AFHCYJsUeYXKV4FqAo9h1e4nuys2LMVCb86Y_3tZGC0MlYspi1-ab5VVzsj5KyDKWIrDWOnbg48K8GTKb0mboO_WOGtGSMHE_yaP_HDMU/s1600/NelsonMilhouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I <i>do</i> remember Biden stuffing Ryan's shirt with crud.</td></tr>
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Neither of the candidates were <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/fact-checking-the-vice-presidential-debate/2012/10/12/e900404a-13d0-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9_blog.html">completely honest</a> up there, though Ryan did perhaps <a href="http://factcheck.org/2012/10/veep-debate-violations/">a bit more</a> stretching of the truth than Biden. Joe did what Obama was not willing to do during the first debate - get up and in Ryan's face when he started lying. The most widely held reason people think Obama lost the first debate despite the fact that <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/10/04/958801/at-last-nights-debate-romney-told-27-myths-in-38-minutes/?mobile=nc">Romney told 27 lies in 38 minutes</a> is that the President looked like he was floundering out there. His poise, his demeanor, his tone all bespoke a man who didn't want to be where he was. Romney, on the other hand, went on the attack, and no matter what he said, he looked good saying it.<br />
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Now the tables are turned. Biden put up a clear message of "I'm not putting up with any of<i> that</i> bullshit," and hammered back at Ryan on every point the Congressman tried to make. If Biden was a bully, it's because he made Paul Ryan look weak and ineffective by comparison. Detractors latched on to his attitude and confrontational demeanor because it's not like they had a lot of ammunition to hit back with otherwise.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmku33le68IZ7-PcSpOHCV9PHMhPZVHnyeDZgL4TO18hrJfZnbZHRPBboRRCZNShzxaZZIKzOcEvD9QmPx1VIyZlou9SCCksJdR0ZSPqLBcE2j_K8pKAG27sYWKiJCerGXLH3SjCPAbPQB/s1600/Milhouse_Future.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmku33le68IZ7-PcSpOHCV9PHMhPZVHnyeDZgL4TO18hrJfZnbZHRPBboRRCZNShzxaZZIKzOcEvD9QmPx1VIyZlou9SCCksJdR0ZSPqLBcE2j_K8pKAG27sYWKiJCerGXLH3SjCPAbPQB/s320/Milhouse_Future.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come to think of it though, Ryan <i>does</i> work out a lot.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>4) He Looked Like a Human Being</b></u></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBNokmwt2XyKugPRcw6LcZ-CuYJGwEPlNa_wuzXUUwSLiIEWzHwQhQ6ijNfBzea6D6SqPQXNqT_OLUP7S3VQzAoK-Az8XeaEmXWgyCibi3h7QnuYBoax1lLRzFOzy19YV3DTcsgV8wP4_/s1600/joe-biden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBNokmwt2XyKugPRcw6LcZ-CuYJGwEPlNa_wuzXUUwSLiIEWzHwQhQ6ijNfBzea6D6SqPQXNqT_OLUP7S3VQzAoK-Az8XeaEmXWgyCibi3h7QnuYBoax1lLRzFOzy19YV3DTcsgV8wP4_/s400/joe-biden.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Image Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images</span></td></tr>
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Paul Ryan is given credit for maintaining his composure and appearing dignified while accepting the beating he received. People have been pointing to his steadfast refusal to blink as a sign that he was doing a better job connecting with the audience. Biden's relaxed posture, eye-rolling, and laughing weren't "Vice Presidential," and so Ryan took that battle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOYqMrHM1wt4xxot9NahV_QpaOEZ4PNi34y_rVIrM8Nulfuu7SUEOwOH-qzEn3F9xOAuHyCQLe5PXhr84SMmXUUkYqBmAeQ7oLlxOFjWPeDoj8xfC72UtA9pTY63EqoEiIuBwiJyuzWKb/s1600/Some+ecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOYqMrHM1wt4xxot9NahV_QpaOEZ4PNi34y_rVIrM8Nulfuu7SUEOwOH-qzEn3F9xOAuHyCQLe5PXhr84SMmXUUkYqBmAeQ7oLlxOFjWPeDoj8xfC72UtA9pTY63EqoEiIuBwiJyuzWKb/s320/Some+ecard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is why we can't have nice things.</td></tr>
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But if you go back and watch the video, you see a lot of Ryan staring ahead, grim-faced, while Biden enacts more or less the same body language Mitt Romney had in the debate he "won." The only difference being that Biden actually threw in some human emotion and reaction. <br />
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The people who want to make this argument are trying to have it both ways. If Obama is stoic and professional, he loses against a more animated and aggressive Mitt Romney. When Ryan is exuding the physical responsiveness of a coma patient whenever he's not speaking and Biden presses the assault, he's a bully and Ryan is "Vice Presidential."<br />
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Biden looked like a person who couldn't believe what he was being made to argue against. Ryan looked like he was trying to keep every muscle flexed at once throughout the entire hour and a half.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GOOIENetKn911AEb1Xo22NPTBVQtWTh0QgepQj7zZrq79PNm-DFzRCabAw5_7J6ZnHQ3yJ9cuzCSv5l6tgL3fG5b9Xqe4-zXi-PbnzkmLeVgavdPoF3egc8c2WrdS8AhrZZPB6dF85gy/s1600/Politics_1011_VPdebate_Iran_480x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GOOIENetKn911AEb1Xo22NPTBVQtWTh0QgepQj7zZrq79PNm-DFzRCabAw5_7J6ZnHQ3yJ9cuzCSv5l6tgL3fG5b9Xqe4-zXi-PbnzkmLeVgavdPoF3egc8c2WrdS8AhrZZPB6dF85gy/s320/Politics_1011_VPdebate_Iran_480x360.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even - <i>especially</i> - his face muscles.</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>3) Biden Wins the Personal Stories Battle</b></u></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFMyiXxGADhCKbRTE46VJ1enog46W9CG_Jep0wWfaAeJ39roaJjgc_E3oT1OiZwYcuPfXUOZsGIRvovk9IKWi7qCRiZiMgV14i14PeY2GKtYjKQ05XbYRSEW4kao6LlngmgacgF-pwkMh/s1600/Biden+tearing+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFMyiXxGADhCKbRTE46VJ1enog46W9CG_Jep0wWfaAeJ39roaJjgc_E3oT1OiZwYcuPfXUOZsGIRvovk9IKWi7qCRiZiMgV14i14PeY2GKtYjKQ05XbYRSEW4kao6LlngmgacgF-pwkMh/s400/Biden+tearing+up.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm not sure who briefed Ryan on what personal stories to tell, but whoever it was had never heard of Joe Biden before. In the midst of the debate, Ryan began rattling off an anecdote about what a great guy Mitt Romney is because when two members of his church were injured in an auto accident, Romney stepped in and told their parents he'd pay for their college education. Later in the debate, he discussed how he understands the hardship families with soldiers overseas go through because he's got a good friend in the service.<br />
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It must have slipped Ryan's mind somehow that Biden's <a href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2008-08-23/news/17904502_1_joe-biden-christmas-tree-election-day">wife and daughter died in a car crash</a>, and his son Beau is a JAG officer <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/19/beau-biden-heads-to-iraq_n_145084.html">recently deployed to Iraq</a>. If Ryan's objective was to connect to the audience, he really couldn't have picked a worse set of subjects to go up against Biden on. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>2) He Was There</b></u></span><br />
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Part of the reason Joe Biden became part of the Presidential ticket in the first place was to offset the doubts about the inexperienced young Senator from Chicago by partnering him with a senior statesman. Never has that paid off so much as it did during the debate against Ryan.<br />
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Several times Ryan brought up actions taken by Congress or by the Obama administration. He brought up Tip O'Neill negotiating with Ronald Reagan. He talked about trying to help those put out of work during the Great Recession. He talked about Ronald Reagan some more. Biden's response each time?<br />
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"I was there."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bq0pYuKFH3ap_6X2IEdRxt1NGBHBMDCeVkY1lMDa-8ZHZpawHchdZExfX3sXQVxofKMnrRLqZJJW7vk3QsyGj6ymtc1ALNex6TXBB4OJ1u22gbxPySSitksYr8YYKUzFqlY_c1AjcSF-/s1600/4f3d5dc657664.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bq0pYuKFH3ap_6X2IEdRxt1NGBHBMDCeVkY1lMDa-8ZHZpawHchdZExfX3sXQVxofKMnrRLqZJJW7vk3QsyGj6ymtc1ALNex6TXBB4OJ1u22gbxPySSitksYr8YYKUzFqlY_c1AjcSF-/s1600/4f3d5dc657664.image.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"When you were born, Ryan - I was there." - Biden, with a meaningful stare.</td></tr>
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It's kind of hard to argue when the point you're making relies on telling people how a certain meal was plated and the person across the table from you is the chef. When you bring up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and your opponent refers to him as "my good friend Bibi," you've lost a little credibility on the issue.<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Paul Ryan Didn't Actually Answer Anything</span></b></u><br />
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I think a big problem here is that we have television. We can see a candidate's demeanor and hear the timbre of their voice, and this affects us and our judgment. So now, in the glory of written text, let's take a look at a few excerpts of the debate <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2012/10/2012101225648908152.html">transcript</a>.<br />
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On Afghanistan;<br />
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<span class="transcript-grey">"MODERATOR: <i>I'd</i></span><i> <span class="transcript-grey">like</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">move</span> <span class="transcript-grey">on</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Afghanistan,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">guys.</span></i> <span class="transcript-grey">[. . .]<i>We've</i></span><i> <span class="transcript-grey">degraded</span> <span class="transcript-grey">al-Qaeda.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">So</span> <span class="transcript-grey">tell</span> <span class="transcript-grey">me,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">why</span> <span class="transcript-grey">not</span> <span class="transcript-grey">leave</span> <span class="transcript-grey">now?</span> <span class="transcript-grey">What</span> <span class="transcript-grey">more</span> <span class="transcript-grey">can</span> <span class="transcript-grey">we</span> <span class="transcript-grey">really</span> <span class="transcript-grey">accomplish?</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Is it</span> <span class="transcript-grey">worth</span> <span class="transcript-grey">more</span> <span class="transcript-grey">American</span> <span class="transcript-grey">lives?</span></i> <br />
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<span class="transcript-grey">PAUL RYAN: <i>We</i></span><i> <span class="transcript-grey">don't</span> <span class="transcript-grey">want</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">lose</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">gains</span> <span class="transcript-grey">we've</span> <span class="transcript-grey">gotten.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">We</span> <span class="transcript-grey">want</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">make</span> <span class="transcript-grey">sure</span> <span class="transcript-grey">that</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Taliban</span> <span class="transcript-grey">does</span> <span class="transcript-grey">not</span> <span class="transcript-grey">come</span> <span class="transcript-grey">back</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">and</span> <span class="transcript-grey">give</span> <span class="transcript-grey">al-Qaeda</span> <span class="transcript-grey">a</span> <span class="transcript-grey">safe</span> <span class="transcript-grey">haven.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">We</span> <span class="transcript-grey">agree</span> <span class="transcript-grey">with</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">administration</span> <span class="transcript-grey">on</span> <span class="transcript-grey">their</span> <span class="transcript-grey">2014</span> <span class="transcript-grey">transition.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Look,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">when</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">think</span> <span class="transcript-grey">about</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Afghanistan,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">think</span> <span class="transcript-grey">about</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">incredible</span> <span class="transcript-grey">job</span> <span class="transcript-grey">that</span> <span class="transcript-grey">our</span> <span class="transcript-grey">troops</span> <span class="transcript-grey">have</span> <span class="transcript-grey">done.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">You've</span> <span class="transcript-grey">been</span> <span class="transcript-grey">more</span> <span class="transcript-grey">than</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">two</span> <span class="transcript-grey">of us</span> <span class="transcript-grey">combined.</span></i> <br />
<br />
<i><span class="transcript-grey">First</span> <span class="transcript-grey">time</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">was</span> <span class="transcript-grey">there</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">2002,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">it</span> <span class="transcript-grey">was</span> <span class="transcript-grey">amazing</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">me</span> <span class="transcript-grey">what</span> <span class="transcript-grey">they</span> <span class="transcript-grey">were</span> <span class="transcript-grey">facing.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">And I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">went</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Arghandab</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Valley</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Kandahar</span> <span class="transcript-grey">before</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">surge.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">sat</span> <span class="transcript-grey">down</span> <span class="transcript-grey">with</span> <span class="transcript-grey">a</span> <span class="transcript-grey">young</span> <span class="transcript-grey">private</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">82nd</span> <span class="transcript-grey">from the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Menominee</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Indian</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Reservation</span> <span class="transcript-grey">who</span> <span class="transcript-grey">would</span> <span class="transcript-grey">tell</span> <span class="transcript-grey">me</span> <span class="transcript-grey">what</span> <span class="transcript-grey">he</span> <span class="transcript-grey">did</span> <span class="transcript-grey">every</span> <span class="transcript-grey">day,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">and</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">was</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">awe.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">And</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to see</span> <span class="transcript-grey">what</span> <span class="transcript-grey">they</span> <span class="transcript-grey">had</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">front</span> <span class="transcript-grey">of</span> <span class="transcript-grey">them."</span></i> <br />
<br />
<span class="transcript-grey">Later, on the same issue,</span><br />
<br />
<span class="transcript-grey">MODERATOR: <i>What</i></span><i> <span class="transcript-grey">conditions</span> <span class="transcript-grey">could</span> <span class="transcript-grey">justify</span> <span class="transcript-grey">staying,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Congressman</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Ryan?</span></i><br />
<span class="transcript-grey"> </span> <br />
<span class="transcript-grey">PAUL RYAN: <i>We</i></span><i> <span class="transcript-grey">don't</span> <span class="transcript-grey">want</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">stay.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">We</span> <span class="transcript-grey">want--</span> <span class="transcript-grey">look.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">One of</span> <span class="transcript-grey">my</span> <span class="transcript-grey">best</span> <span class="transcript-grey">friends</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Janesville,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">a</span> <span class="transcript-grey">reservist,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">is</span> <span class="transcript-grey">at</span> <span class="transcript-grey">a</span> <span class="transcript-grey">forward</span> <span class="transcript-grey">operating</span> <span class="transcript-grey">base</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">eastern</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Afghanistan</span> <span class="transcript-grey">right</span> <span class="transcript-grey">now.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Our</span> <span class="transcript-grey">wives</span> <span class="transcript-grey">are</span> <span class="transcript-grey">best</span> <span class="transcript-grey">friends,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">our</span> <span class="transcript-grey">daughters</span> <span class="transcript-grey">are</span> <span class="transcript-grey">best</span> <span class="transcript-grey">friends.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">want</span> <span class="transcript-grey">him</span> <span class="transcript-grey">and</span> <span class="transcript-grey">all</span> <span class="transcript-grey">of</span> <span class="transcript-grey">our</span> <span class="transcript-grey">troops</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">come</span> <span class="transcript-grey">home</span> <span class="transcript-grey">as</span> <span class="transcript-grey">soon</span> <span class="transcript-grey">and</span> <span class="transcript-grey">safely</span> <span class="transcript-grey">as</span> <span class="transcript-grey">possible.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">We</span> <span class="transcript-grey">want</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">make</span> <span class="transcript-grey">sure</span> <span class="transcript-grey">that</span> <span class="transcript-grey">2014</span> <span class="transcript-grey">is</span> <span class="transcript-grey">successful. That's</span> <span class="transcript-grey">why</span> <span class="transcript-grey">we</span> <span class="transcript-grey">want</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">make</span> <span class="transcript-grey">sure</span> <span class="transcript-grey">that</span> <span class="transcript-grey">we</span> <span class="transcript-grey">give</span> <span class="transcript-grey">our</span> <span class="transcript-grey">commanders</span> <span class="transcript-grey">what</span> <span class="transcript-grey">they</span> <span class="transcript-grey">say</span> <span class="transcript-grey">they</span> <span class="transcript-grey">need</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">make</span> <span class="transcript-grey">it</span> <span class="transcript-grey">successful.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">We</span> <span class="transcript-grey">don't</span> <span class="transcript-grey">want</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">extend</span> <span class="transcript-grey">beyond</span> <span class="transcript-grey">2014.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">That's</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">point</span> <span class="transcript-grey">we're</span> <span class="transcript-grey">making.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">You</span> <span class="transcript-grey">know,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">if</span> <span class="transcript-grey">it</span> <span class="transcript-grey">was</span> <span class="transcript-grey">just</span> <span class="transcript-grey">this,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">feel</span> <span class="transcript-grey">like</span> <span class="transcript-grey">we</span> <span class="transcript-grey">would</span> <span class="transcript-grey">be</span> <span class="transcript-grey">able</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">do</span> <span class="transcript-grey">call</span> <span class="transcript-grey">this</span> <span class="transcript-grey">a</span> <span class="transcript-grey">success.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">But</span> <span class="transcript-grey">it's</span> <span class="transcript-grey">not.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="transcript-grey">And see if you can catch what happens as he answers this question;</span><br />
<br />
<span class="transcript-grey">MODERATOR: </span><i><span class="transcript-grey"></span><span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">recently</span> <span class="transcript-grey">spoke</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">a</span> <span class="transcript-grey">highly-decorated</span> <span class="transcript-grey">soldier,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">who</span> <span class="transcript-grey">said</span> <span class="transcript-grey">that</span> <span class="transcript-grey">this</span> <span class="transcript-grey">presidential</span> <span class="transcript-grey">campaign</span> <span class="transcript-grey">has</span> <span class="transcript-grey">left</span> <span class="transcript-grey">him</span> <span class="transcript-grey">dismayed.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">He</span> <span class="transcript-grey">told</span> <span class="transcript-grey">me,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">quote,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">"The</span> <span class="transcript-grey">ads</span> <span class="transcript-grey">are</span> <span class="transcript-grey">so</span> <span class="transcript-grey">negative,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">and</span> <span class="transcript-grey">they</span> <span class="transcript-grey">are</span> <span class="transcript-grey">all</span> <span class="transcript-grey">tearing</span> <span class="transcript-grey">down</span> <span class="transcript-grey">each</span> <span class="transcript-grey">other</span> <span class="transcript-grey">rather</span> <span class="transcript-grey">than</span> <span class="transcript-grey">building</span> <span class="transcript-grey">up</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">country."</span> <span class="transcript-grey">What</span> <span class="transcript-grey">would</span> <span class="transcript-grey">you</span> <span class="transcript-grey">say</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">that</span> <span class="transcript-grey">American</span> <span class="transcript-grey">hero</span> <span class="transcript-grey">about</span> <span class="transcript-grey">this</span> <span class="transcript-grey">campaign?</span> <span class="transcript-grey">And</span> <span class="transcript-grey">at</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">end</span> <span class="transcript-grey">of</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">day,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">are</span> <span class="transcript-grey">you</span> <span class="transcript-grey">ever</span> <span class="transcript-grey">embarrassed</span> <span class="transcript-grey">by</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> tone?</i><br />
<br />
<span class="transcript-grey">PAUL RYAN: <i>First</i></span><i> <span class="transcript-grey">of</span> <span class="transcript-grey">all,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I'd</span> <span class="transcript-grey">thank</span> <span class="transcript-grey">him to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">his</span> <span class="transcript-grey">service</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">our</span> <span class="transcript-grey">country.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Second</span> <span class="transcript-grey">of</span> <span class="transcript-grey">all,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I'd</span> <span class="transcript-grey">say</span> <span class="transcript-grey">we</span> <span class="transcript-grey">are</span> <span class="transcript-grey">not</span> <span class="transcript-grey">going to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">impose</span> <span class="transcript-grey">these</span> <span class="transcript-grey">devastating</span> <span class="transcript-grey">cuts</span> <span class="transcript-grey">on</span> <span class="transcript-grey">our</span> <span class="transcript-grey">military,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">which</span> <span class="transcript-grey">compromises</span> <span class="transcript-grey">their</span> <span class="transcript-grey">mission and</span> <span class="transcript-grey">their</span> <span class="transcript-grey">safety.</span></i> <br />
<br />
<i><span class="transcript-grey">And</span> <span class="transcript-grey">then</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">would</span> <span class="transcript-grey">say</span> <span class="transcript-grey">you</span> <span class="transcript-grey">have</span> <span class="transcript-grey">a</span> <span class="transcript-grey">president</span> <span class="transcript-grey">who</span> <span class="transcript-grey">ran</span> <span class="transcript-grey">for</span> <span class="transcript-grey">president</span> <span class="transcript-grey">four</span> <span class="transcript-grey">years</span> <span class="transcript-grey">ago</span> <span class="transcript-grey">promising</span> <span class="transcript-grey">hope</span> <span class="transcript-grey">and</span> <span class="transcript-grey">change,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">who</span> <span class="transcript-grey">has</span> <span class="transcript-grey">now</span> <span class="transcript-grey">turned</span> <span class="transcript-grey">his</span> <span class="transcript-grey">campaign</span> <span class="transcript-grey">into</span> <span class="transcript-grey">attack,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">blame,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">and</span> <span class="transcript-grey">defame.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">You</span> <span class="transcript-grey">see,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">if</span> <span class="transcript-grey">you</span> <span class="transcript-grey">don't</span> <span class="transcript-grey">have</span> <span class="transcript-grey">a</span> <span class="transcript-grey">good</span> <span class="transcript-grey">record</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">run</span> <span class="transcript-grey">on,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">then</span> <span class="transcript-grey">you</span> <span class="transcript-grey">paint</span> <span class="transcript-grey">your</span> <span class="transcript-grey">opponent</span> <span class="transcript-grey">as</span> <span class="transcript-grey">someone</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">run</span> <span class="transcript-grey">from.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">That</span> <span class="transcript-grey">was</span> <span class="transcript-grey">what</span> <span class="transcript-grey">President</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Obama</span> <span class="transcript-grey">said</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">2008.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">It's</span> <span class="transcript-grey">what</span> <span class="transcript-grey">he's</span> <span class="transcript-grey">doing</span> <span class="transcript-grey">right</span> <span class="transcript-grey">now.</span></i> <br />
<br />
<i><span class="transcript-grey">Look</span> <span class="transcript-grey">at</span> <span class="transcript-grey">all</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">string</span> <span class="transcript-grey">of</span> <span class="transcript-grey">broken</span> <span class="transcript-grey">promises.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">If</span> <span class="transcript-grey">you</span> <span class="transcript-grey">like</span> <span class="transcript-grey">your</span> <span class="transcript-grey">health</span> <span class="transcript-grey">care</span> <span class="transcript-grey">plan,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">you</span> <span class="transcript-grey">can</span> <span class="transcript-grey">keep</span> <span class="transcript-grey">it.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Try</span> <span class="transcript-grey">telling</span> <span class="transcript-grey">that</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">20 million</span> <span class="transcript-grey">people</span> <span class="transcript-grey">who</span> <span class="transcript-grey">are</span> <span class="transcript-grey">projected</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">lose</span> <span class="transcript-grey">their</span> <span class="transcript-grey">health</span> <span class="transcript-grey">insurance</span> <span class="transcript-grey">if</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Obamacare</span> <span class="transcript-grey">goes</span> <span class="transcript-grey">through,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">or</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">7.4 million</span> <span class="transcript-grey">seniors</span> <span class="transcript-grey">who are</span> <span class="transcript-grey">going</span> <span class="transcript-grey">to</span> <span class="transcript-grey">lose</span> <span class="transcript-grey">it.</span></i> <br />
<br />
<i><span class="transcript-grey">Or</span> <span class="transcript-grey">remember</span> <span class="transcript-grey">when he</span> <span class="transcript-grey">said</span> <span class="transcript-grey">this?</span> <span class="transcript-grey">I</span> <span class="transcript-grey">guarantee</span> <span class="transcript-grey">if</span> <span class="transcript-grey">you</span> <span class="transcript-grey">make</span> <span class="transcript-grey">less</span> <span class="transcript-grey">than</span> <span class="transcript-grey">$250,000,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">your</span> <span class="transcript-grey">taxes</span> <span class="transcript-grey">won't</span> <span class="transcript-grey">go</span> <span class="transcript-grey">up.</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Of</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">21</span> <span class="transcript-grey">tax</span> <span class="transcript-grey">increases</span> <span class="transcript-grey">in</span> <span class="transcript-grey">Obamacare,</span> <span class="transcript-grey">12</span> <span class="transcript-grey">of them</span> <span class="transcript-grey">hit</span> <span class="transcript-grey">the</span> <span class="transcript-grey">middle</span> <span class="transcript-grey">class.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="transcript-grey">I find that kind of incredible.</span><i><span class="transcript-grey"> </span></i><span class="transcript-grey">When asked how he would respond to someone lamenting all the negative campaign ads, Ryan began giving a live negative campaign ad. The two examples about Afghanistan illustrate the majority of his responses throughout the evening - when given a direct question, Ryan would first restate the question in some way and then give a personal anecdote that may or may not have actually related to what he was asked. </span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokkTFaqoacoS5vT6krGNbbpe5x0xG_yQ9qgeBT1I_DVuemxWhtpPRjjVr5Ua7QUX8VcpMGV4ZZtOT4VrxzaM4RHyngq23qg3NMVz2pRuFBZ2knnJBONMW7wzhs4Psh8fRRk2ZLJanREP4/s1600/Grandpa+Simpson.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokkTFaqoacoS5vT6krGNbbpe5x0xG_yQ9qgeBT1I_DVuemxWhtpPRjjVr5Ua7QUX8VcpMGV4ZZtOT4VrxzaM4RHyngq23qg3NMVz2pRuFBZ2knnJBONMW7wzhs4Psh8fRRk2ZLJanREP4/s1600/Grandpa+Simpson.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The important thing is that I had an onion in my belt."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="transcript-grey">So let's revisit the point I made in the introduction. A debate is a forum in which people are given a set of structured questions to answer, and the winner is the one who more clearly presents his case using factual statements to support himself. It's not about who looks poised or who comes off better. It's why the Debate episode of <i>Community</i> is both hilarious and hilariously inaccurate. No one would ever have a professional debate on whether man is inherently good or evil, and we'd never have a Vice Presidential debate over whether the candidate is an angry old man or a smarmy douche. </span><br />
<br />
As to who won the debate, it can't be reasonably contested that it was Biden. Whether or not winning actually got him anything is an entirely different question, and one with an unfortunate answer. By maintaining his composure and continually looking good as he trumpeted the party line - despite the fact that he actively contradicted things Romney said in the last debate while doing it - Ryan did his job like a pro. He kept Biden's domineering presence from affecting the biggest prize in the game, the undecided voter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0YOh-rpvjYg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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So by all means, praise Paul Ryan for doing a good job. He looked good, he sounded good, and he probably smelled good. Some of that post-P90X musk that was driving Martha Raddatz crazy. Fortunately this was tempered by the smell of soup, moth balls, and Bengay coming from Biden, so she was able to do her job effectively. But what he didn't do was, by any stretch of the imagination, win that debate.<br />
<br />
When Romney faces off against Obama again in Debate 2: Illinois Barack and the Town Hall of Doom, keep all this in mind. Maybe the President is going to do a better job looking poised and getting his points across, maybe not. But I'll bet you anything that as far as the debate portion of the evening goes, he's not going to lose.<br />
<br />
Until next time.<br />
<span class="transcript-grey"></span>David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-3127017887645137552012-10-04T02:31:00.000-04:002012-10-04T10:18:30.298-04:00Out to the BallgameAs I mentioned last time, I've wanted to talk about sports for awhile. As baseball season winds down, football season picks up, and hockey season is cancelled, it seemed like a good time to broach the topic. Now, this is normally the territory of fellow Gentleman Max Nova, but as I seem to carrying the banner solo for the time being, I'll step in where he would normally fill the gap.<br />
<br />
Besides, he only talks about soccer, and that's lame.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHGe4s2VA5CW-Gtk98ofpvaScmIDXxMmliRiXitD67SY0b8YsT4OMG3DMTqP4LYOTAdgRmgo4JyODYgfs_IaUMfSQGlZztACLDeNxNoKaoAl_4BECXSZUDV6lwPd94Bkbx21RKsLDsWLt/s1600/Soccer-Ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHGe4s2VA5CW-Gtk98ofpvaScmIDXxMmliRiXitD67SY0b8YsT4OMG3DMTqP4LYOTAdgRmgo4JyODYgfs_IaUMfSQGlZztACLDeNxNoKaoAl_4BECXSZUDV6lwPd94Bkbx21RKsLDsWLt/s320/Soccer-Ball.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't be bringing that noise in here, Max.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This summer I was given a challenge. Follow a sports team. I should clarify; I have "teams," I guess, and like pretty much anybody else they're the teams my family told me to like. My ancestry dates back to New York since the hipsters of the day were telling everybody how New Amsterdam was just <i>so</i> over, so the Giants, the Yankees, and the Rangers have been pretty much all I've ever been required to pay attention to for the sake of familial obligation. Actually, nix the Rangers from the list. No one in my family cares about hockey.<br />
<br />
No, for the sake of this challenge, I was given two very specific rules. First, I had to follow a team. Watch their games, learn their players, and keep up with their standings heading into the playoffs. I thought that would be pretty easy; I'd just keep up with the Yankees. Then came the second rule. No Yankees. The Yankees, I was informed, don't count. It's not really being a sports fan if you follow the Bronx Bombers, for reasons I'll get to later (since I didn't understand at first myself).<br />
<br />
So at first I thought, "okay, I'm living on Long Island, the heart of Mets territory, I'll root for the Mets." Then I quickly had the follow-up thought "why would I ever, ever do that to myself?" A better candidate immediately came to mind - the boys from my adopted state of Maryland, the Baltimore Orioles. Also, since the Yankees used to be the Orioles, I thought this was a clever work-around of the second stipulation.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVwWWVBKBkaBJl6BsA50g-zcQP34ocRPuDTdo5IR6mWUf1ILzuwJYTlG2tx05eIlsYpLnjYVARXlw1OvleruHfVsZUL2kwXfV86zbciTjLG7fe3Vc8Ow8oSzI2JrLJtWtp73Sw8g7NNQk/s1600/Orioles+Pinstripes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVwWWVBKBkaBJl6BsA50g-zcQP34ocRPuDTdo5IR6mWUf1ILzuwJYTlG2tx05eIlsYpLnjYVARXlw1OvleruHfVsZUL2kwXfV86zbciTjLG7fe3Vc8Ow8oSzI2JrLJtWtp73Sw8g7NNQk/s320/Orioles+Pinstripes.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those pinstripes aren't an accident.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now, the Os have had a fantastic season. At the time of this writing they're still in the playoff race, had just as good a year as the Yankees did, and gave me some really good moments and good stories.<br />
<br />
They also made me realize why I will never, ever be a real sports fan.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Towards the end of the summer, I got to do something I never thought I would. I went to a ballgame with my old man. It only took him around 30 years, but he finally offered me a ticket to go to Yankee Stadium with him and watch our boys play.<br />
<br />
I was already keeping up with the Os at this point, but I wasn't going to pass up what was probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance. It also gave me a chance to see the new Yankee Stadium, and compare it to Camden Yards, the only other major league ballpark I'd ever been to. The difference is obvious from the get-go. Oriole Park and Camden Yards are like a cathedral. It's a stately, venerable construct, beckoning to its followers from its dominating point on the Pratt Street skyline. By comparison, the new Yankee Stadium is like an evengelical megachurch. It's like stepping into a miniature model of New York City itself. It's all flashing lights and huge television screens, and merchandise store after merchandise store, endlessly hawking the constant stream of Yankees wardrobe and memorabilia. I never got to see the old park, but I could tell just by looking across the street at where it once stood that there was a huge difference not just between the ballpark I knew in Baltimore and the one I was seeing here, but an enormous distance between the House That Ruth Built and the House That Steinbrenner Bought.<br />
<br />
We were playing the Angels on a gorgeous afternoon. The Yanks were bringing the thunder, with Jeter, Granderson,
Teixiera, Swisher, and Cano all on hand to make A-Rod look a little less
terrible. Meanwhile, on the Oakland side of things, Mike Trout was
making me stand up and take notice. This 20-year-old kid was going
hit-for-hit with Jeter, and cementing in person the talent I'd already
seen him exhibit on TV. You could feel the murmur pass through the crowd
on-hand whenever Trout stepped up to the plate, as people anxiously
edged up to see if he was about to put one over the fence. <br />
<br />
The
best moment of the day came when, at the top of the 9th and the Yankees
in the lead, the crowd stood up in unison as the final pitch of the
game was thrown. It was a full count, and when the ball zipped across
the plate and signaled a victory for the Bombers, an explosive breath
was let out in concert. A cheer erupted from the stadium, and the New
York fans went home happy. Dad told me he was happy I got to see a win,
and we talked about the game as we headed home.<br />
<br />
It was a good day.<br />
<br />
However, there was a big difference between
me and everybody else in that stadium when Trout stepped up to the
plate. Or anybody on the Angel's roster. I was really hoping he'd knock
it out of the park.<br />
<br />
So what I discovered is that I
really love sports. Baseball, football, even golf - I can get into it
with the best of them. I learned what all those positions I only knew
the names of before actually <i>do</i>. I kept up with scores and standings and figured out who was good and who's going to keep being an industry punchline.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-_dbHAkM0Cdz1rKVqKIw7hajkEc5dFQFIHBVGVE3CDSMWzjKRKVJzW4DmtywcUrIDGQ4JIUQ7yZtbqVjx22rZcnp8ltsigwyLmGZq2g_Clep4y5CE3YelHE_WbkqafD_r93JsXGdSDP-/s1600/Chicago_Cubs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-_dbHAkM0Cdz1rKVqKIw7hajkEc5dFQFIHBVGVE3CDSMWzjKRKVJzW4DmtywcUrIDGQ4JIUQ7yZtbqVjx22rZcnp8ltsigwyLmGZq2g_Clep4y5CE3YelHE_WbkqafD_r93JsXGdSDP-/s320/Chicago_Cubs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knock, knock,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At
no point, however, did I ever develop any attachment to the Orioles
greater than what I already had for the Yankees. Or the Angels. Or the
Mets, or the Rockies, or the Blue Jays, and so on and so forth. See,
that's why I'll never be a real sports fan as the concept is held in
today's society. Because I just can't bring myself to root <i>against</i> anybody. <br />
Well, with one exception.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFa_0kA2wmyZme3LW0I-Wm-n5LEri-tqPlEu-_tdg598jPPJSZRaTd2dyZcGTkTUxDZ6vk742XuxdH0W-D2VBKVAW227BtH4eC5mBhAKqJVx8sPYzbP6PPpnrqraInIvS80aijCewBYYm/s1600/red-sox.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFa_0kA2wmyZme3LW0I-Wm-n5LEri-tqPlEu-_tdg598jPPJSZRaTd2dyZcGTkTUxDZ6vk742XuxdH0W-D2VBKVAW227BtH4eC5mBhAKqJVx8sPYzbP6PPpnrqraInIvS80aijCewBYYm/s320/red-sox.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nobody likes a sore winner, Boston.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Since I compared ballparks to houses of worship earlier, and the sports team you follow practically is a religion for a lot of people, can't you just see the scripture of the Red Sox? Follow now as I read, from the Book of Ruth, "Lo, the Bostonians shall abandon the Bambino, and thus they shall be cursed for four score and seven years, and the LORD will turn his gaze from them, and their ring fingers shall go unadorned."<br />
<br />
Yeah, but seriously, screw the Red Sox.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that's my disconnect with the world of sports fans as I see it. I guess I don't really get behind the idea of rivalries and grudges. I really liked watching Mike Trout play, he was an amazing talent. It didn't really matter much to me that he was playing against the team I was supposed to cheer for. Rivalry in sports is a big part of being a fan of a particular team. Not just the "age-old rivalries" fans and broadcasters like to tout, but the simple every day "I will root for my team over other teams" mentality. I guess I just don't share in that. I kind of just like watching the game. It was great watching the Orioles have a fantastic season, but by the same token I was constantly impressed by the Rangers and the Nationals. I felt bad for Houston and Chicago, despite having no reason to. I just wanted to see people go home happy.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, when the Giants won the last Super Bowl I was thrilled. But I was thrilled when Green Bay won it, and when the Saints won, and I probably wouldn't have really been upset if the Patriots had pulled it out. I like watching the victory celebrations, and I always feel bad for the other team, shuffling off the field, making me feel out of place as the people around me call them names. And this brings me back to the Yankees, and how I came to understand the admonition that if you're a Yankees fan, you're not <i>really</i> a sports fan (at least as it pertains to baseball).<br />
<br />
If you're a fan of the Yankees, you don't really understand what it's like to <i>not</i> be a Yankees fan. <br />
<br />
How many other franchises could field an entire team from the list of all-time greats who were on their roster? The worship-level admiration for Cal Ripken Jr. I saw in Baltimore makes a lot more sense to me now. Not only was he one of the best to ever put on a uniform, but Baltimorians can point to him and say "you didn't get this one, Yankees. This one is <i>ours</i>." Of the 108 World Series ever played, the Yankees have won 27 of them. That means on any given year in baseball history, there's a 25% chance the Yankees won everything, and an even higher chance that they at least made it to the big show, since they've also won the pennant race 40 times. They have the greatest record, by a wide margin, in all of baseball, and haven't had a losing season in over 20 years.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6W0dn1qc6jCoc295hfAvbdpQgXggKUyJgJEEmNVgCZaE1NDCcvf7O8NJH_P_YYe23e8yZ9auL8acJ_Rsi0U-VGJCy7LfJHOROOe0KpM8y7hOX8oU12lzR_ZbCdMDjacnuebNa6QutIMn/s1600/Jeter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6W0dn1qc6jCoc295hfAvbdpQgXggKUyJgJEEmNVgCZaE1NDCcvf7O8NJH_P_YYe23e8yZ9auL8acJ_Rsi0U-VGJCy7LfJHOROOe0KpM8y7hOX8oU12lzR_ZbCdMDjacnuebNa6QutIMn/s320/Jeter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kinda makes you want to just slap this guy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So how do you think it feels to be a fan of literally any other team in the country and have to know that from an objective standpoint, your team is not the best? That mathematically speaking, the Yankees are the greatest team in baseball? Well, having spent a season off from the Bombers, I'll tell you, it's not such a great feeling. Fortunately, because I have <i>great</i> timing, the season I chose to follow the Orioles was the one they did just as well as the Yankees did, so it wasn't <i>that </i>bad a transition. Also, full disclosure, it might help a little that if there's any team my dad dislikes, it's Baltimore.<br />
<br />
My Aunt Theresa though, God rest her soul, was a Mets fan her whole life. I don't know how she did it.<br />
<br />
So Yankees fans have never had the challenge of sticking with their team through the bad times. That's the dedication to a franchise that marks a real fan of a team - liking them even when they're terrible. So next time you meet a devoted Cubs fan (like former Gentleman Dizzy Dan Strauss, for example), don't give them sympathy. They deserve <i>respect</i>. Compare what it takes to be a Yankees fan, when literally on any given year there's a 1-in-4 chance you'll see your team beat out 28 others, to the Cubs fan, who hasn't seen a World Series victory in 104 years, or even a pennant in almost 70. Who would you say it takes more dedication to stand behind? I'm being serious, this isn't meant to disrespect the Cubs or their fans. This summer made me realize, sticking with anybody that's not the Yankees takes a level of commitment to a team that anybody who <i>is</i> a lifelong-Yankees fan just can't understand. It also made me realize that commitment of that level to <i>any</i> team is something that I just don't seem to be able to muster up - not when I feel it suits me a lot better to cheer for <i>every</i> team.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gxAEM4xQ0cgEvIl3YLNSwju2WPpr9WvGEz1r_crPxQ5EOMFKYUL6pJeih3781qal6cc_5zdVDeGa2Et0CXE0NRVknagIpgE2fIpsG79Ki-52TWRK1fRou8fLTwKyyH53PV8i9Huo20T9/s1600/Ortiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gxAEM4xQ0cgEvIl3YLNSwju2WPpr9WvGEz1r_crPxQ5EOMFKYUL6pJeih3781qal6cc_5zdVDeGa2Et0CXE0NRVknagIpgE2fIpsG79Ki-52TWRK1fRou8fLTwKyyH53PV8i9Huo20T9/s320/Ortiz.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry Ortiz - every team that <i>matters</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was a good year to get into sports. I watched a few Masters Tournaments in golf and found out that the sport can actually be very tense and exciting. The Olympics happened, and not only did I get to watch the opening ceremony with one of our esteemed Guest Gentlemen (and I totally called what the set was going to be, she can vouch for my psychic powers), but I speculated about medal races and individual competitors and discussed how each country was doing as the event - which probably does more for the process of global unity than anybody either gives it credit or or takes advantage of - progressed. I also learned a very valuable lesson that I've been overlooking for too long.<br />
<br />
I know fellow Gentleman Jason Heat is of a very anti-sports mindset. He does not get into games at all, does not care to watch them, and has no interest in participating in discussion. What I discovered walking the streets of Baltimore after Otakon and striking up conversations with random O's fans coming out of the game was that following sports opens up whole new avenues of places to go, people to talk to, and conversations to start. I had a whole conversation with a guy helping me out at a car dealership about Mike Trout, Stephen Strasburg, and Tsuyoshi Wada. We talked about the Jets chances this season (none!) and even a little bit about basketball (which I'll admit I still know nothing about, except that the Knicks have been awful for years).<br />
<br />
It's just a great way to connect with people. Sports are a part of this country, a part of this planet, a part of the human experience, and it's a whole lot more interesting to be a part of that conversation than standing around watching it happen.<br />
<br />
So it's been a great summer for sports, and now I think it'll be a great fall, too. And who knows, maybe this winter, provided hockey season happens, I'll follow the Rangers, or maybe the Caps (if I want to get that Mets-fan experience), just to see how I like it. One thing I already know, the biggest lesson I took out of all this - it sure is fun to go see a ballgame with your old man.<br />
<br />
Wherever I end up, whatever city I put down roots in, and whenever they end up actually being born, I know I can't wait to take my own kids out to the ballgame.<br />
<br />
Take me out to the park . . . buy me some peanuts and cracker jack . . .I don't care if I ever get back . . . David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-70101098214037817912012-09-10T03:17:00.000-04:002012-09-10T03:17:15.623-04:00Texts From My FatherI'm going to give you a brief introduction to my dad. My father is a person who, on the same day he gave me a copy of <i>The True Believer</i> and emphatically insisted I read it, happily displayed the new "Proud Tea Party Member" hat he received at the county fair.<br />
<br />
So that pretty much covers everything you need to know for this.<br />
<br />
I'd wanted the first time I wrote about Dad for These Gentlemen to be the story of how just this summer we went to a ball game together for the first time. It was going to be part of a larger sports-related post I've been working on for awhile, talking about making a dedicated effort to follow a team this summer, tying it back into my mentioning of the Orioles in my post about Otakon, and making a number of other observations and witticisms. Oh, it was going to be a great post. It'll still come, eventually. After yesterday afternoon happened though, it's taking a back seat.<br />
<br />
I woke up yesterday morning to find I'd received a text message from my dad, with the following instructions. "Watch CSPAN2 1030AM this morning, discussion to follow."<br />
<br />
My first impulse was immediately to just send back "sorry, don't have TV in the dorm," but for whatever reason, I decided to check CSPAN's website and sure enough, there's a live stream of all their programming. I looked at my schedule for the day. Reading, some volunteer work, and then maybe working on that aforementioned sports post. It was already after 10, nothing I was going to do was going to get started in the next 15 minutes. I waited until 10:30 rolled around and saw that there was some book talk going on, with an author deceptively named John Goodman touting his plan for health care reform. I watched the brief interview, sent my dad a text reading "anyone who says we should open up insurance across state lines is arguing for universal health care and doesn't realize it," and left it at that.<br />
<br />
Then, compelled my reasons unknown to me, I kept the stream open. A reflexive groan escaped my lips as the segment ended and the next speaker came on. Dinesh D'Souza, talking about his new book, where he lays out exactly what a second term for Obama would look like. I decided to listen for awhile, but turned it off as soon as he broke out the "you didn't build that" line everybody with any kind of anti-Obama agenda has been ripping out of context for the last month or so. Man, I was glad my dad wanted me to see the book guy and not D'Souza.<br />
<br />
So yeah, the next text I got back was "What? Did you see D'Souza?"<br />
<br />
Just to sum up, D'Souza's latest argument is that the President has shaped his entire life and ideology through his father, whom he met once, 40 years ago. Not only that, but that his father had a friend who was an anti-colonialist (and Obama never met him at all), and so this friend influenced Barack Sr., who in turn influenced the President, and so now he's a rage-filled anti-American socialist who wants to tear down society. You know, I <i>totally get that</i> from his speeches, I don't see why so many other people don't hear it. The crux of D'Souza's contention comes from the fact that Obama titled the memoir he wrote about Barack Sr. <i>Dreams From My Father</i>. By saying "from" instead of "of," D'Souza posits, he means he's . . . you know what, it's easier at this point to just say D'Souza's entire argument is preposition-based and leave it at that.<br />
<br />
What followed was a back-and-forth with my father I found noteworthy enough to record for posterity. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Me: Oh, I thought you meant the guy before him talking about his health care book. I watched D'Souza make insane extrapolations until he spit out the misquoted "you didn't build that" line and turned it off.<br />
<br />
Dad: Contempt prior to investigation ensures everlasting ignorance. Congratulations, you are achieving intellectual smugness at a stunning rate.<br />
<br />
Me: The very fact that you'd assume I haven't researched anything, and also that you'd use the term "intellectual smugness" tells me everything I need to know about this conversation.<br />
<br />
Dad: Exactly, why be curious, you know.<br />
<br />
Me: Ask D'Souza that question. Why consider any conclusion beyond the first one you come to, supported by nothing but your own assumptions?<br />
<br />
Dad: Thought you didn't watch? What assumptions?<br />
<br />
Me: I already know all about his book and his movie. The entire substance is predicated on the idea that Obama was shaped by the ideas of a friend of a father he met once 40 years ago.<br />
<br />
Dad: Not true, there was a man who his step father used to arrange weekly meetings for racial identity reasons. Unless there is another man, but I thought Obama's father left before he was born and only saw him a couple of times in his life. Of course there was letter correspondance, mostly from Obama, that went unanswered.<br />
<br />
Me: Oh, so he grew up without his dad around and wanted to know more about him to form a father-son connection. Gee, I wonder what that's like.<br />
<br />
Dad: Well, your bitterness has merit and deserves attention, but I fail to see the connection to Obama, he idolized his father and blamed his mother who reinforced this worship.<br />
<br />
Me: But that's the assumption! Obama never says anything like that himself in either of his books. D'Souza is putting words in his mouth and saying "well if he said this, he MUST mean that!" D'Souza has never spoken directly with Obama and passes himself off as an expert on all his deepest thoughts.<br />
<br />
Dad: Obama describes in his book <i>Dreams From My Father</i>, how he openly wept on his father's grave after his sister informed him of the facts of his father's life. He further explains in his own words, I am assuming he did in fact write the book, that that day he divided his father into the deeply flawed human being and heroic anti-colonialist.<br />
<br />
Me: Being an anti-colonialist in Kenya, at the time his father was, WAS heroic. Kenya was a British colony almost all of Barack Sr.'s life. Sr. also worked as an economist for the Kenyan government wrote a treatise criticizing the plan for African socialism.<br />
<br />
Dad: Because it wasn't socialist enough, he was fired. Colonialism is foreign to most Americans but you're right, there were many true heroes in many colonized territories.<br />
<br />
Me: Honestly, if Americans can't get behind a guy who was against being a British colony, then I don't know what to think.<br />
<br />
Dad: Yes, personal feelings loom large in history for those who suffered oppression. Obama never did. Upon his arrival back from his first trip to Africa, Muhammad Ai was asked what he thought of Africa and he responded "Thank God my great-grandaddy got on that boat." Combating oppression and enforcing ideology are two different birds.<br />
<br />
Me: A mixed race kid growing up poor in the 60s and 70s never faced oppression? So then who does understand combating it? Romney?<br />
<br />
Dad: To mix oppression of a whole people subjugated to another country, another culture, with the experience of poverty is to minimalize colonialism. Are you suggesting that Obama grew up poor?<br />
<br />
Me: His family was never more than middle class and the schools he attended he paid for with need-based scholarships. He's certainly got a better grasp on what it means to be an average or lower-income American than Mitt does.<br />
<br />
Dad: Maybe so, but I wouldn't consider him poor, and according to anti-colonialists he would be in the 1%.<br />
<br />
Me: Well, if we're talking Kenya, we're all in the 1%, comparatively.<br />
<br />
Dad: It appears that you believe a man's environment contributes heavily on his abilities to identify or not with a particular ideology.<br />
<br />
Me: Well, there are a lot of factors. Environment could absolutely be a big one, but if an ideology someone is told to believe is simultaneously keeping them oppressed, it depends on whether or not that person is able to see through what they're being told to truly perceive their environment. Catholics in Ireland are a great example of this.<br />
<br />
Dad: Yes, I agree.<br />
<br />
Me: Just so you know, I'm really enjoying this talk.<br />
<br />
Dad: Politics of bitterness never turn out well.<br />
<br />
(As an aside, I thought my dad meant this as that he took my last statement sarcastically, but looking back on it now I realize he was saying that Obama is an anti-colonialist looking at the 1% of America - and compared to Kenya we are all the 1% -with bitterness and running his politics based on that lens.)<br />
<br />
Me: I'm serious, I wanted to say something because I didn't want to sound bitter. This has been fun.<br />
<br />
Dad: What do you think of Muhammad Ali's statement of "thank God great-grandad got on the boat?" Do you think there should be global reparations as anti-colonialists believe? (Pause) Ok, ok, enough. Go study. I love you.<br />
<br />
Me: I think Ali's 1) the greatest, and 2) making a remark that could be perceived two ways. Either offensive and minimizing to the experience of slaves, or trying to tell the world "yes, slavery was awful, things in Africa are SO bad that it's even worse and we should be thinking about that."<br />
<br />
(Pause, saw his text telling me to go study)<br />
<br />
Me: Love you too, Dad. I've had my phone on silent this whole time, in the library right now.<br />
<br />
Dad: Or maybe it's not about slavery, Africans were not opposed to slavery. I hear it still exists in some places. Maybe he was talking about the living standards, and severe oppression of ruling regimes.<br />
<br />
Me: That's what I mean, he was saying that it was better his granddad become a slave and he be born in America than staying in Africa and living in those conditions.<br />
<br />
Dad: Okay, enough, I am going to Friendly's for a bite. Study well, keep an open mind and read <i>True Believer</i> when you get a chance. <br />
<br />
Me: You got it, Dad.<br />
<br />
Dad: It can be demonstrated that living conditions were better under colonial rule. Once India won its freedom it sunk into the mire of socialism, now that it has embraced capitalism it is fast approaching the 1%. We however seem to be going in a different direction.<br />
<br />
Me: Go to Friendly's!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
You know, I do not dislike Dinesh D'Souza as a person if the stories he tells about his life are true. He seems like a man with great religious conviction and an abundance of charity in his heart. He also writes like an Indian Glenn Beck with half the research and double the leaps in logic. Regardless, I have to thank him for something. Because of him, for the very first time, I had a discussion about politics with my dad and was heated up enough about the topic to not back down for fear of damaging our relationship.<br />
<br />
So thanks, Dinesh. I hope that whole movie thing works out for you. In fact, I hope you get another four years worth of material to work with so that your life stays easy.<br />
<br />
Until next time.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-69233319839040661542012-09-02T17:18:00.001-04:002012-09-02T19:58:06.338-04:00Conventional WisdomSeveral years ago, I had the chance to go spend a weekend in Toronto with a good friend of mine who was there for grad school. It just so happened that the Toronto Fan Fest was happening at the same time I would be there, and a favorite webcomic artist of ours, Ryan Sohmer of <a href="http://www.leasticoulddo.com/">Least I Could Do</a>, was looking for booth babes. As my friend is both a) a babe, and b) happy to let people give her things in exchange for being able to admire her, she applied for and got the job. This meant that we both got to go to the convention, and I wandered the floor taking in the sites while she hawked books while wearing a chain mail bra. <br />
<br />
This was the first time I'd ever been to a convention for anything. Several friends of mine had sung the praises of New York Comic Con, and I'd heard of a few others happening in places I'd lived, but I never had the time or inclination to actually attend. Also, throughout much of college I was in a phase of my life where I was very concerned with my outward persona, so letting people know I read comic books? Watched anime? Had - gasp - <i>seen all of Star Trek</i>? These things were not topics I brought up outside of the presence of two or three friends from high school, why would I intentionally go to a convention advertising my interest in all that nerd stuff?<br />
<br />
I'll tell you why, because that nerd stuff is <i>awesome</i>. <br />
<br />
Walking through the convention in Toronto, being inundated by booth after booth from major comic book companies, indy film studios, costume makers, video game companies, artists, designers, - this place really had it all - I was struck by how many amazing things I loved they'd managed to cram into one place. Even more amazing, all those things <i>I loved, there were people walking around in costumes dressed up like the characters from them</i>! That's a thing you can do?! Before that point I'd always imagined "dressing up for a convention" was for people who had a Starfleet uniform in their closet. <br />
<br />
I was wrong. I was stunned by how accurate and well done these costumes were. Everybody was there; there were Spider-Men, Batmen, Jokers, Ash's from <i>Evil Dead</i>, people from anime, people from movies, whole groups of people in coordinated costumes walking around. A patrol of Storm Troopers was walking the halls. Street Fighter characters would assume fighting poses for mass groups of photographers. People in steampunk outfits wandered around next to cylons. This place was like nothing I'd ever seen.<br />
<br />
And I knew as soon as my friend and I left the floor that day; <i>this is something I wanted to do</i>.<br />
<br />
At least once, sometime in my life, I wanted to get a costume, go to a major convention, and just walk around.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, as time went on and my Toronto experience faded, it seemed like that goal was going to be lost to me. The opportunity never really arose, and I never put much time into seriously pursuing it. I would bring up the idea from time to time, but usually the case was had neither the time or the money to put an outfit together, I didn't know whom I'd want to dress up as, there wasn't any convention conveniently nearby, or some combination of the three. Ultimately, I had pretty much forgotten the whole idea.<br />
<br />
Until earlier this summer, when I got a phone call from my friend Matt.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Matt's been a friend since high school, and whereas I always shied away from embracing our mutual love of geek culture, he embraced it without hesitation. By the time this summer rolled around, he'd been touring the convention scene for years. He's been Space Ghost, he's been Ash, he's been Green Arrow, Magneto, Bucky, Arsenal, and a few others I'm forgetting. He was in a band that played at conventions and was featured in videos. He's got models and filmmakers as close friends and collaborators. Long story short, Matt didn't waste the time I did being concerned about his image, and as a reward the universe made everything geeky he did become awesome.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ENJgmcyCt6ubf_G6EqWQMCOxw7_lGyuiUVnd9vKESnP-oyeYGWRysiiZX0ERnWSetzRMR8pBLyg8cMOBChz-gbfEuMYsptsUAkJ27K7QLzI9HUvKrNVaXYd283vVgf6M3BAY9xQ5yuhu/s1600/Bucky+Deadpool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ENJgmcyCt6ubf_G6EqWQMCOxw7_lGyuiUVnd9vKESnP-oyeYGWRysiiZX0ERnWSetzRMR8pBLyg8cMOBChz-gbfEuMYsptsUAkJ27K7QLzI9HUvKrNVaXYd283vVgf6M3BAY9xQ5yuhu/s320/Bucky+Deadpool.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And he got to meet Ryan Reynolds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We'd talked off and on about going to a convention together in costume at some point, but it didn't seem like it was ever really going to happen. Until Matt joined a group called the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EastCoastAvengers">East Coast Avengers</a>. Under their banner of charity work, they assemble cosplayers from all over to do all kinds of great work with kids, and also have the opportunity to connect with one another to plan out group costumes. Matt was in the process of putting together such a group, and he'd hit a snag. He was missing a key component to make the group perfect.<br />
<br />
"David," he said, though he probably said "Dave," as he's maybe the only person I let call me that, "I'm putting together the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Avengers">Dark Avengers</a>, and I was wondering . . . do you want to be The Sentry?"<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL4Ncxm_ZPO3i8NZPNP3g09zoOZZRRDQ0KqeDlGnFIlN0YfJeVoJsEzjkIzMn2Zu92nhLPyweVHQJ4rSAcQR0C88paOhvOO9tL8tXDM0lphdwEI5LrVR9G-fCEgw_KA-g13BWxpZXbu_-/s1600/784766-sentry_returns001_super.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL4Ncxm_ZPO3i8NZPNP3g09zoOZZRRDQ0KqeDlGnFIlN0YfJeVoJsEzjkIzMn2Zu92nhLPyweVHQJ4rSAcQR0C88paOhvOO9tL8tXDM0lphdwEI5LrVR9G-fCEgw_KA-g13BWxpZXbu_-/s320/784766-sentry_returns001_super.jpg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basically Superman, but more handsome.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
"YES," I said before he even finished his sentence.<br />
<br />
Just as simple as that, it was happening. Thanks to the incredible assistance of fellow Gentleman B. Graham's costuming skills, and <a href="http://www.sewingdesignstudio.com/">Marilyn Johnson Design</a>, the Sentry was brought to life. Or back to life, I guess. He's dead in the comics. Anyway, moving on.<br />
<br />
I won't lie - at my age, I was kind of worried about how appropriate my attending an anime convention, especially in costume, would be. This worry wasn't exactly alleviated as I waited for entrance the first day at the end of a line of teenagers that wrapped around the building. The vast majority of them were already in costume, and dressed as characters I had never seen before (apparently there's a webcomic called <a href="http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6"><i>Homestuck</i></a> and it's a whole <i>thing</i>). This apprehension left me when I actually entered the convention center and saw that not only was there a huge population of people my age or older, but that to pretty much everyone there, age was less a "what are you doing here?" question and more a "you're how old? Then <i>why don't you have a better costume?</i>" question.<br />
<br />
(My costume was thankfully suitable enough to impress, so thanks again, Ms. Graham.)<br />
<br />
<br />
One thing I came to understand pretty quickly was that some people dress up simply for the sake of doing it. They might not have any particular liking or understanding of who it is they're dressing up as, but a good costume gets them attention. One guy walking around was wearing full body armor, a mask with heavy hair extensions, and carrying around a leafblower converted to look like some kind of insanely unnecessary <a href="http://www.progressiveboink.com/2012/4/21/2960485/robliefeld2">Rob Liefeld-inspired gun</a>. It was roughly 1700 degrees in Baltimore that day, when you factor in the humidity. The man had an inspired costume idea and he was going to wear it, simple as that. The same goes for the guy who showed up dressed as Iron Superman.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IW5lo-UY3EG9kPWarFFZbFUkvzjo6dKvJQYqrQykqVFNPh-R99l1vp-czO-3I8kTuzPoH1GiGST-SNdaAAr5Fxqf9voiQQN5edNaMccdmzv8A2KCvjdzFWggvHpWOHAzbgAI4wSfHFXz/s1600/Iron+Superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IW5lo-UY3EG9kPWarFFZbFUkvzjo6dKvJQYqrQykqVFNPh-R99l1vp-czO-3I8kTuzPoH1GiGST-SNdaAAr5Fxqf9voiQQN5edNaMccdmzv8A2KCvjdzFWggvHpWOHAzbgAI4wSfHFXz/s320/Iron+Superman.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His secret identity is mild-mannered billionaire Clark Stark.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Of course, it was hardly the over-dressed men garnering the most attention. In a building full of teenagers and twenty-somethings, nearly half the con-goers (also an acceptable term for people dancing in a line, but unacceptable for addressing people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo) were girls dressed up in something either tight, revealing, or some combination of the two. I think I should say that a lot of these costumes were <i>fantastic</i>, with some incredible attention to detail and obvious love and care put into getting everything just right. Some of them actually made me regret that in the years since that first convention I've more or less stopped watching any anime, because I definitely think I would've been even more impressed by some of the costumes if I knew who they were supposed to be.<br />
<br />
<br />
Where my first instinct was to think that there was something inherently sexist about it all, I quickly realized that wasn't what was going on at all.. The women at the convention weren't dressed in suggestive costumes because someone was making them (well, I suppose there's a whole societal argument to be had regarding that . . .) but because they <i>wanted</i> to be. The guys put time and money into their costumes for the same reason; people like being admired. If they've got something, they like showing it off and knowing other people appreciate it, and a convention like this gives them an excuse to do it where it's perfectly socially acceptable (inside the walls of the Convention Center, anyway) to do so. For example; <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR18Tk37N1khjCy8wn4hqH8zbPrtkcByVP3aUu4sjSVl1KVkJLNY5OzfXAIBt4ZbQnN4AiesbsxOSFUU78Ahc3nUaINOLN47ixNEf5J_opDJqIDXqmYVQNVUwvlLSctdTvhMnGJHwARak/s1600/7708944242_48fc42f1a3_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR18Tk37N1khjCy8wn4hqH8zbPrtkcByVP3aUu4sjSVl1KVkJLNY5OzfXAIBt4ZbQnN4AiesbsxOSFUU78Ahc3nUaINOLN47ixNEf5J_opDJqIDXqmYVQNVUwvlLSctdTvhMnGJHwARak/s320/7708944242_48fc42f1a3_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They showed up to dinner in those outfits.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The girl in the middle was also a part of the group I was in. That was one of at least 3 costumes she wore over the course of the weekend, including one with wings on it and platforms that made her about 7 feet tall. She had a small section of the center completely to herself so that people could find her and take pictures of her.<br />
<br />
She's also a working professional with a career that totally does not involve wearing super hero outfits in public. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the percentage of people who go to conventions and actually make money off of their costumes is . . . statistically insignificant. People do it because people like feeling attractive. Men and women <i>like</i> feeling desirable. When I was on the convention floor and people ran up to me and stopped me because they wanted a picture with The Sentry, that was a <i>really good feeling</i>. You feel good, you feel wanted, you feel sexy. It's like being a really, really nerdy celebrity.<br />
<br />
Of course, it does help that this happened at a time in my life when I'm in good enough shape that when someone asks "hey, want to wear tights in public?" I can respond "do I?!" I'd be lying if I said everyone's costumes were completely appropriate for their body types. You know what though? They had the gumption to put the outfit on and go out in it, for the same reason all the really good-looking people did. So more power to them, really.<br />
<br />
The only part of the entire thing I really found objectionable actually came in the Artist's Alley. This is where all the comic and manga artists show off their work and try to make some sales. It's also, apparently, where it's totally okay to showcase row after row of drawings of suggestively posed superheroines with giant boobs and little, if any, of their costume on. One, simply from a practical standpoint, the internet is a thing that exists and where that kind of stuff can be obtained for free. Two, the sexism in the Artist's Alley made me flat out uncomfortable.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw06tL6zxeLDCT18O4Z_Lvd2YSVxBxbyfoLlRQEHQn2jum1MM4523rwROjHrs7nHUy0HgGmm2EGYfBbXqe7o3vqEvRVPNpqr31nvel6vGnPSOCWJxetWF0g6-mDogvHVfMK_qbk0YkhPu/s1600/full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw06tL6zxeLDCT18O4Z_Lvd2YSVxBxbyfoLlRQEHQn2jum1MM4523rwROjHrs7nHUy0HgGmm2EGYfBbXqe7o3vqEvRVPNpqr31nvel6vGnPSOCWJxetWF0g6-mDogvHVfMK_qbk0YkhPu/s320/full.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is actually as close up a photo as I can show without it getting inappropriate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And I really hope that someone at some point takes notice of this. I understand the audience they think they're pandering to - a bunch of horny teenage boys with not much other hope of seeing a naked girl - so they're making the art they believe will bring in some money. To that I say, you're really doing a disservice not only to fans of subcultures like comic books and anime by promoting that kind of stereotype, but also to the enormous amount of people I saw walking around with their significant other, or at least in mixed company. I felt uncomfortable and embarrassed at some of the artwork being displayed, I can only imagine how the thousands of girls walking through the Alley felt.<br />
<br />
In the end, I got to not only see some great costumes (I was thinking of putting up a list, but it would be impossible to narrow down a list of the best ones there, it was all so impressive), but meet a lot of really cool people and finally accomplish a goal of mine I'd set down years earlier. Will I ever do it again? Hard to say. I certainly haven't "caught the bug" like Matt has, but I'd be lying if I said doing it once didn't make me consider all the other cool characters I could dress up as. Right now I'm leaving it at this; I had an amazing time with amazing people, and something I've wanted to do for years got done. Can't ask for more than that.<br />
<br />
Finally, while I was walking outside the Convention Center, which is located right next to Camden Yards (all on Pratt Street, by the way), the O's game was just letting out. This created a very auspicious mixture of baseball fans and otaku, but fortunately there's a happy intersection. Judging by his colors, at least, Naruto is the biggest Orioles fan in anime.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHy9oF7dCjqhGcQrz7hcyfeFgvz9BWi9du9Nj5NNiKHMewr27WQ6kMDLg1LZH35-XVvLJ3iLZv7G0ZT_gVVGfJ4mFR38IWLVjY02nqoUpKBGqOol8N4al6DYCh-1fsEoVJNcklN52OKQw/s1600/naruto%5B2%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHy9oF7dCjqhGcQrz7hcyfeFgvz9BWi9du9Nj5NNiKHMewr27WQ6kMDLg1LZH35-XVvLJ3iLZv7G0ZT_gVVGfJ4mFR38IWLVjY02nqoUpKBGqOol8N4al6DYCh-1fsEoVJNcklN52OKQw/s320/naruto%5B2%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blieve it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Until next time.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-31992103598994585512012-08-22T18:07:00.000-04:002012-08-22T18:15:07.007-04:00The Talk"Son," I called into the next room, "would you come in here, please?"<br />
<br />
"Coming!" His reply made me sigh unconsciously. The falsetto squeak of my young teenager's changing voice was just another reminder of how quickly time goes by. "What is it, Dad?"<br />
<br />
"Put your game down," I told him, and he could tell right away I was using my "serious" voice. I remembered having the same feeling of anxiety he was feeling whenever I heard that voice from my own parents. Fortunately - or unfortunately - for both of us, I wasn't going to yell at him, or question him, or punish him.<br />
<br />
No, as his sixteenth birthday loomed, and soon he'd be taking girls to prom, asking to stay out all night with friends, and driving his own hovercar, it was time to have "The Talk."<br />
<br />
I gestured for him to come sit next to me on his hoverbed. "Son," I began, clearing my throat, hoping my own nervousness wouldn't show through, "it's time we had a talk." I gave him a meaningful look. "THE talk."<br />
<br />
"Aw, Dad," he hung his head down, kicking his feet, "We have the googlenet, I know about sex and stuff."<br />
<br />
"I know, but it's not enough to just know the mechanics. Pretty soon you're going to be going out with girls or attractive robots, and I've got to make sure you understand there's a big responsibility that comes with it."<br />
<br />
"What do you mean?" <br />
<br />
"Well son," I took out the box I'd been sitting next to, the awkwardness of the moment startling even me. "if you're going to have sex, you've got to use a condom."<br />
<br />
"Daaaaaad!" He was just as embarrassed by the whole thing as I was, but I knew this was important. <br />
<br />
"This is important," I pressed, letting the box of hovercondoms float next to him, even while silently wondering if maybe mankind had gotten overzealous with hover technology. "Sex is a wonderful thing, but it can carry some heavy consequences. If you're not careful, you can get a girl pregnant."<br />
<br />
"What?" He seemed genuinely shocked. "Babies come from sex?"<br />
<br />
"It's true," I affirmed, "but these will help prevent that from happening."<br />
<br />
He took the box and looked it over, quickly putting it to the side, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "Okay, okay, use condoms, I got it. But, why, Dad? I thought women could choose when they can and can't get pregnant?"<br />
<br />
"Oh ho ho," I laughed heartily at the youth's ignorance. "No, son. And don't say that around women, it's very offensive. See, they have no control over it - <a href="http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/todd-akin-legitimate-rape.php">unless they get raped</a>." <br />
<br />
"Really?" He seemed confused, but I could understand why. No one had really thought that way until Senator Akin, many years earlier, had brought light to the scientific fact.<br />
<br />
"You see, son, when a woman really gets raped, she <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/the-6-craziest-things-people-have-said-about-pregn">secretes a certain secretion</a> and keeps herself from getting pregnant."<br />
<br />
"What do you mean, "really" gets raped? And aren't you thinking of <a href="http://current.com/shows/the-young-turks/videos/toddakin-only-ducks-can-prevent-pregnancy-from-legitimaterape">ducks</a>?"<br />
<br />
"Well, to answer the second question first, we all used to think so, but a very smart man named Todd Akin, who was a Senator in Missouri, showed us all we were wrong using testimony from a real doctor. When he first said he heard that from a doctor, even I thought he meant like, a chiropractor, or maybe someone whose last name just happened to be "Doctor," but no, it was a <a href="http://jezebel.com/5936611/the-doctor-who-taught-todd-akin-all-about-legitimate-rape-is-a-real-guy-and-hes-crazy?utm_campaign=socialflow_jezebel_twitter&utm_source=jezebel_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow">real, actual doctor</a>. And he taught us all a <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/21/todd-akin-finds-a-friend-in-john-willke-a-pro-life-founding-father.html">valuable lesson</a> about how women get pregnant. If a woman is forced into having sex, she can't get pregnant."<br />
<br />
"But - how does that work? If babies come from sex . . . "<br />
<br />
"Ah, but going back to your first question, a woman's body is an amazing thing. If she doesn't want it, her body will shut down the baby-making stuff and she'll be alright. That's why, thanks to Senator Akin, we outlawed the <a href="http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/todd-akin-paul-ryan-the-morning-after-pill-and-self-terminating-pregnancies/politics/2012/08/20/46999">morning after pill</a>. It was just one more way for women to think they could have sex without consequence."<br />
<br />
"Wait a second," my son said, mulling that over in his teenage head, "there are other ways to prevent pregnancy and we outlawed them?"<br />
<br />
"Of course," I said, "sex is a huge responsibility, and making it safer for everyone involved just encourages more of it. Since we know women who are legitimately raped can't get pregnant, it means that all those women who had abortions or took emergency contraception were lying about being raped in the first place. And that's terrible son, rape is a horrible crime and those women are bad people for lying about it."<br />
<br />
"Is that really true?" He seemed more confused than ever. I felt bad for him - I knew this was a lot to take in, and a young, hormone-addled mind could become overwhelmed by all the science.<br />
<br />
"Hey, Senator Akin was on the <a href="http://science.house.gov/about/membership">House Science, Space, and Technology Committee</a>, so I trust him to know what he's talking about. It was thanks to him that we finally got rid of birth control being covered by health insurers and passed that Constitutional Amendment banning all forms of abortion."<br />
<br />
"So, so . . . " I could hear the gears turning in his head as he tried to wrap his head around it, "women have no right whatsoever to choose when they want to start a family? If they want to have sex, it's all up to luck?"<br />
<br />
"Luck and condoms, son," I told him solemnly, "luck and hovercondoms."<br />
<br />
"But . . . Dad, that sounds really, really unfair to women."<br />
<br />
I shrugged. "I used to think so, too," I recalled, "because no matter how strongly I felt we should be focusing on making a nation where women had enough options that they'd never feel like abortion was all they could do with an unwanted pregnancy, I knew at the end of the day, it wasn't my choice to make. But since Senator Akin made it clear that way of thinking just encourages women to lie about rape, I had to change my mind. That's why you wear a condom, son, every time." <br />
<br />
That wasn't the whole truth, though, and if nothing else I wanted this talk to be thorough. "But," I started to clarify, "if you maybe find a girl with enough money to pay for her own birth control, then it's okay not to use protection."<br />
<br />
"Really? But . . . aren't there like, diseases that come from sex?"<br />
<br />
Now, this was an important question, and I wanted to make sure that my son and I were on the same page here. I looked him square in the eye, putting my hand on his shoulder. "My boy," I was using my "serious" voice again, "you know I'll love you no matter what, right? No matter what, I'll always be proud of you, and I'll always support you." He nodded, though he was clearly confused. "Son, are you gay? Or . . .hoversexual?"<br />
<br />
"No," he said, shaking his head, "I know I like girls. I mean, I REALLY like girls."<br />
<br />
"Good," I breathed a sigh of relief, since that made this next part of the talk a whole lot easier. "In that case you've got nothing to worry about, since <a href="http://littlegreenfootballs.com/page/283220_TN_GOP_Lawmaker-_Virtually_imp">you can't get AIDS through heterosexual sex</a>."<br />
<br />
"Is that true?!" He exclaimed, looking more surprised than ever.<br />
<br />
"It is," I assured him. "If you were gay, we'd have to talk about all kinds of safety precautions and preventative measures, but as long as you stick to girls you'll be okay."<br />
<br />
"Wow," he was trying to process everything he'd just learned. He took the box and looked it over, the flush of embarrassment coming back to his cheeks. "Okay, okay," he said, his teenage irritability surfacing, "I think I get it. Can I go now, Dad?"<br />
<br />
"Alright son, but remember everything I said today."<br />
<br />
"I will, I will!" He dropped down to the floor, scooping his game off of the dresser. He stopped at the door, looking back at me with a smile. "Hey," he offered meekly, "thanks, Dad."<br />
<br />
I smiled as he walked back out into the hall. Parenting is a big challenge, but knowing I'm sending my kids out there with the right information made me feel pretty darn good about myself.<br />
<br />
When it comes time to tell my daughter how it is, though, I think I'll leave that up to her mother.<br />
<br />David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-75749073394337284952012-07-25T08:30:00.000-04:002012-07-25T08:30:02.935-04:00Guest Gentleman: LibertarianismToday's post comes to us courtesy of K. Cerqueira, an educated gentleman who will today teach us a little more about the philosophy behind Libertarianism.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>"There is all the difference in the world between treating people equally and attempting to make them equal." - Hayek</i><br />
<br />
Quick philosophy lesson kids, you've probably heard this one. Say you're
standing next to a train track shortly before a fork junction. On one
side, 5 people lay tied up, and on the other side there's this fat guy.
There's a switch in front of you that you can pull to flip the fork,
sending the train to kill the fat guy while saving the other 5. What do
you do?<br />
<br />
Well there was this guy called Kant who didn't precisely have an opinion
on this question (it was devised later by dumber philosophers who write
useless papers for a living, in between giving puerile lectures at
diploma mills) but he did have this to say about it: every action you
take should be in accordance with some universal law which is applicable
in all situations. A set of such universal moral laws is called a
deontology because it proscribes a set of duties. So if your deontology
says something like, thou shalt not murder, then the particulars of the
situation, i.e. the very contrived way in which the consequences are set
up, don't really matter. You'd be killing a guy by pulling the lever,
so you can't contradict yourself by doing so. There are further
complications in this example but we aren't philosophers playing fucked
up language games, so let's keep it simple.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
So who the fuck cares. Well we might, because deontologists like Kant
are distinguished from consequentialists (utilitarians) by their view
that it is motives and not consequences that define morality. A
utilitarian might say, pull the lever, because five lives are more
valuable than a single (fat) one. Kant says, if we allow that murder is permissible, we'd have a difficult time universalizing that maxim
without logically contradicting ourselves. If, say, we can't obtain a
self evident universal maxim that justifies pulling the lever, then we
have to conclude that murder is not permissible maybe, and not pull the
lever. What's important is that you act within a framework of universal
law.<br />
<br />
Alright so then there's libertarians. Libertarians have a strong view of
rights, naturally, because they're pretty preoccupied with liberty
(hint: it's in the name). That gives us a pretty good idea about the
libertarian deontology. The liberties and rights of individuals are
inviolable, and liberty is the primary universal good, says the
libertarian. This, they say, we take to be our self evident universal
maxim. And we take that to it's logical end to get our ideal model of
the state, namely minimal central authorities that only exist to protect
private liberties, property, and national sovereignty, and so on.<br />
<br />
So you pose a thought experiment to a libertarian, that there's a
minority demographic which seems to be systematically underperforming in
economic and social terms. You offer the following dilemma. Option one
is that you can institute various policy measures, special funding for
various social programs and the like, aimed specifically to improve the
econometrics of that demographic. Option two is do nothing.<br />
<br />
This is kind of like the train fork story. There are two consequences;
the systemic disadvantages faced by the demographic in question, and the
increased taxation, short term loss of utility, and inconvenience faced
by the rest of society for accommodating the implementation of social
programs and etc. In consequentialist terms, the former is the lesser of
two evils, just like 1 life is less valuable than 5. But the first
option is also a possible impingement upon individual liberties, so
Libertarians get Kunty and say no, this is not the role of the state,
and it isn't fair/moral to do, option two please.<br />
<br />
So why do libertarians think personal freedom is so important? Well they
do, for a bunch of reasons. Read John Locke or Ayn Rand if you want to
see why. The point is that they do and that's where they get their
notions of fairness in society. But wait a second, what about all this
free markets shit?<br />
<br />
Well there are really two ways to argue for libertarianism. The one we've been talking about is the argument from morality, or <i>deontological libertarianism</i>.
That is, it's the argument that Libertarianism is a good policy because
it is a just policy. Free market arguments for Libertarianism try to
demonstrate that it is practical economic policy. The difference is is
that the latter is a consequentialist view; it is concerned with the
practical consequences of implementing a libertarian state.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: Hey, what the fuck. First Libertarians are fuzzy
metaphysicians arguing from some abstract as fuck moral philosophy, now
they're economists?</b><br />
<br />
Well yes, they're often both, but you'll notice the quote above is
basically a normative statement (a statement about the way things <i>should</i>
be), or a statement about fairness. The free markets shit can be
decoupled from the fairness part, although you'll often find
libertarians switching between the two aspects of their ideology in a
fast and loose manner.<br />
<br />
So say now that we're consequentialist libertarians who talk a lot about
economics and free markets and shit. Then given the dilemma with the
minority demographic blah blah, we'd again choose option two but not out
of some allegiance to liberty as an abstract universal greatest good,
but because we think that instituting social programs can only result in
a net loss in welfare for everybody. So it's not like the train dilemma
at all, it's as if we could do nothing and let five people die, or pull
the lever and kill twenty more. Why do they think this? Bunch of
reasons, read John Locke or Ayn Rand or Friedrich Hayek I guess. This
free market pandering sort of economics is usually based at least in
part on the theoretical framework of what is called Austrian economics,
which is radically different from mainstream Keynesian economics.
Wikipedia that shit.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: First we based libertarianism on metaphysical moral grounds and
saw that it was maybe a little too silly to run a country with, and then
we talked about an economic reasoning which got rid of the silly part.
It seems like Libertarians say that their ideas are fair except when
they're not fair in which case it's the magic of economics that makes it
practical which makes it fair. Isn't the economics side of the argument
just contrived to make the moral side of it less stupid?</b><br />
<br />
Usually.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: One more question. If the demographic minority in your
example are some ethnic minority like blacks or hispanics, what do the
libertarians have to say about that?</b><br />
<br />
A bunch of things. At any rate they believe that any policy that amounts
to affirmative action is unjust and shouldn't be implemented, and
anything that causes undue taxation is definitely bad anyway. Some
believe that the whole problem of racial discrimination is something
that will sort itself out if the the government would ever stop
meddling, or at least that it's something that the government can't make
any better. Others believe that, given the same rights and freedoms,
any two groups have the same potential for prosperity in a free market,
so that any difference in incomes is concluded to be a result of a
difference in aptitude among those two groups. That is, to defend free
markets as equitable, it might be necessary to argue for racism (or
racialism or race realism or whatever the fuck ever).<br />
<br />
<b>Q: That's pretty fucking convenient for anyone arguing against
libertarianism. Just play the race card and you're done! Isn't that kind
of lame?</b><br />
<br />
It can be pretty lame, but racism is consistent with libertarianism,
even if it isn't a mainstream view. It can't be the case that free
markets secure the best social and economic outcomes for the population
if some are systemically discriminated against for no economic reason.
For the vast majority of libertarians who aren't (overtly) racist, they
have to address the problem of differences in income across different
ethnicities and demographics, which can't be explained economically if
there is no heritable difference in aptitude between say, blacks and
whites. If you're a racist, then you have a tidy explanation for that
income disparity and hence, you don't have a problem here.<br />
<br />
That's all, hope it was educational. Know what you're arguing for or against.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-71156019284308903662012-07-24T01:17:00.000-04:002012-07-24T01:17:30.910-04:00AuroraAt the midnight premiere of <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> in Aurora, Colorado, a masked gunman later identified as James Holmes kicked in the emergency exit, threw down a smoke grenade, and created the worst mass shooting in American history. 12 dead, dozens more injured. There are no words of condolence strong enough, no way to empathize with the victims who were in the midst of the horror. <br />
<br />
Those injured in the attack included a 3-month-old child and a 9-year-old girl. Most of the patrons of the theater that night were teenagers or young children and their parents. Children as young as 6 lost their lives to an incomprehensible act of violence. It's the kind of insanity that, struggle as we might to make sense of, more often than not we simply can't.<br />
<br />
Not that we won't try. The news cycle will be dominated in the days and potentially weeks to come by coverage of the shooting. James Holmes will be picked apart by the press. His friends and relatives will be interviewed, and those interviews replayed on a constant cycle. The survivors will be heavily sought after to retell their harrowing stories of being inside the theater when the shooting began. <br />
<br />
They'll wonder about drugs. They'll wonder about the internet. They'll wonder about the influence of violent comic books, video games, and movies. They'll do anything to find out what makes Holmes tick.<br />
<br />
And of course we'll see the <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/036536_James_Holmes_shooting_false_flag.html#ixzz21JRomzX9">conspiracy theories</a>. It's a plot by the government to suppress the Second Amendment. There's a method to the madness. That makes it easy to explain, easier to digest. We can't understand how someone could behave in such an inhuman manner, so we create a story. A planned act, a shadowy conspiracy - that sparks the imagination. That gives us a narrative we can break down and comprehend.<br />
<br />
Because it's just easier than facing up to that there is insanity in the world, and insanity does things we can't understand. Having a reason we can wrap our heads around somehow makes us feel safer than facing the reality that some things are beyond our understanding. Especially when it seems we hear the same story repeated a different way so many times, over and over again. Aurora. Fort Hood. DC. Virginia Tech. Tucson. Columbine.<br />
<br />
Inevitably, the conversation <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2012/07/2012721115259194262.html">will take a turn towards gun control</a>. Questioning how we can prevent this from happening again in the future. For the victims of the Aurora theater shooting, there is little we can do at this point except offer our sincere prayers and sorrow. For the future, maybe there is something we can do and maybe there isn't, and that's what I'd like to spend a moment talking about now.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
The Second Amendment guarantees us the right to bear arms. Where that right begins and ends has been such a vitriolic point of contention in the last decade that sales of guns and ammo <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/19/gun-sales-skyrocket-during-recession/print/">skyrocket in response to a potential Democratic win</a>. Despite gun-related crimes being on a general <a href="http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/gun-violence/welcome.htm">downward trend</a> in the nation as well as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/10/gun-crime-us-state">state-to-state</a> in recent years, the topic is brought up as a lead attack on liberal politicians. "They'll come for your guns" is the boogeyman used to scare gun-owners into voting Republican.<br />
<br />
Which is not to say that claim is without merit. Gun control laws in several states have become <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Photo-Galleries/Lists/States-with-the-strictest-gun-laws">very restrictive</a>, to say nothing of even harsher city and town ordinances throughout the country. Some of these are just common sense - background checks, wait periods - these are good ideas of things to do before handing someone a deadly weapon. Banning them outright, not allowing concealed carry permits anywhere in the state (a law unique to Illinois), limiting the number of firearms which can be purchased at one time - it's easy to see how laws like these stick in the craws of gun owners.<br />
<br />
Texas Representative Louie Gohmert asked the question; <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/rep-gohmert-did-no-one-else-in-aurora-theater-have-a-gun/">didn't anybody else in that theater have a gun</a>? This comment bears repeating for the sheer irresponsibility of the idea. Would you encourage others to bring loaded weapons into a theater which you knew would be filled mostly with children and teenagers? Once Holmes, who could have likely withstood multiple direct shots through his body armor, threw down a smoke bomb in a darkened theater, would another shooter have really made the massacre any less bloody?<br />
<br />
However, equally fallacious is the idea that if we took away all the guns, Holmes never would have been able to do what he did. Holmes had booby-trapped his entire apartment to explode. Softball-sized IEDs were discovered amongst his belongings. If he hadn't had access to guns, but was still determined to kill the people in the theater that night, he would have found a way, one possibly even worse.<br />
<br />
There's a Superman story wherein the Man of Steel decides he's finally fed up with the violence in the world. He flies to a war-torn African nation and destroys the guns on both sides of the conflict, leaving the two opposing forces standing facing each other with no way to easily kill the other. So instead, they scoop rocks and sticks off of the ground and charge one another. When people are intent on killing each other, they find a way. James Holmes made up his mind that he was going to attack that theater in Aurora, and that insane decision was not going to be stopped.<br />
<br />
We can't put the gun genie back in the bottle. Unless we had some sort of incredibly ironic genie-killing gun we could threaten it with. Unfortunately, that's what the political discourse in this country has pushed aside. By creating this environment where we feel our right to own a gun is constantly under attack, we forget that these rights we treasure also create in us a tremendous responsibility. We become so concerned with safeguarding our rights in the present against attacks against them, real or perceived, that we ignore the burden of responsible use these rights come with, and so we face the consequences of that oversight.<br />
<br />
What are the consequences? Well, in the United States, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/10/gun-crime-us-state">8775 people</a> were killed by guns in 2010. In the same year, the United Kingdom had 600 gun-related deaths. In 2009, Canada had 173. Even if you extrapolate out for population, the U.S. is still thousands of deaths ahead. <br />
<br />
Owning a gun is a right. It's a right of every American citizen, given to us by our founders to enable citizens to defend themselves from tyranny, because that was a concern back then. Could our founders have possibly envisioned the breadth of weaponry we have available today? Could they have predicted a world of gang violence, hand-held fully automatic guns, and senseless, bloody rampages? When they enshrined the Second Amendment of the Constitution, could they have foreseen children in darkened theaters with disturbed madmen intent on shooting them down? If they could have, would they still have drafted the Bill of Rights the way they did?<br />
<br />
We'll never know. The decision was never in their hands, it's in ours. Don't expect any advances in dialogue to come anytime soon. Gun control is such a sensitive political issue that Congress considers the issue "settled." No pro-legislation politician will take a stand in an election year, and no pro-gun politician will say anything that hasn't already been repeated ad nauseum. <br />
<br />
But maybe something can be done if we attack this problem from a different angle.<br />
<br />
The provisions the United States makes for mental health care are <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/07/2012717104035237926.html">not stellar</a> to say the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/omhd/amh/factsheets/mental.htm">very least</a>. With up to 44 million adults in the nation suffering some form of mental illness and less than half receiving care, it's almost more noteworthy that incidents like this don't happen more often.<br />
<br />
What can we say about the perpetrator other than that he was disturbed? What if we lived in a country where seeking help for a mental disorder was not associated with a heavy social stigma? What if relatives or friends who recognized signs of disorder were able to seek help for others?<br />
<br />
No one can say whether or not that would have prevented the tragedy in Aurora. But could it really hurt? If there were something we could do that even had a chance of keeping further attacks like this such as this from happening, isn't it crazy not to try?<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I suppose we'll keep watching both sides try to <a href="http://townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2012/07/24/why_abc_tried_to_blame_the_tea_party_for_aurora">pin this</a> on the <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/20/Exclusive-Dark-Knight-Shooting-Suspect-James-Holmes-Registered-Democrat">other</a> while more mainstream talking heads tell us <a href="http://swampland.time.com/2012/07/23/mike-huckabees-silly-sermon/">guns aren't the problem</a> and we should just change the subject. So instead, they're <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/07/dark-knight-shooting-amc-theaters-costumes-banned.html">banning costumes</a> at movie theaters.<br />
<br />
On a personal note, I wholeheartedly support the rights of Americans to own guns. As many guns as they want. The overwhelming, absolutely overwhelming majority of gun-owning Americans do no harm to others. I'd just like it if we had some mechanism - any mechanism - in place to promote the responsibility it entails, both of the individual and society as a whole, along with that right.<br />
<br />
Thank you, and God bless.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-89481373457962784122012-07-10T04:23:00.000-04:002012-07-10T04:23:29.319-04:00Corel and the Magical Instant Insurance Policy"Dammit," I swore, realizing that the touch screen on my phone had once again become completely borked for no reason. What had been working fine an hour earlier had inexplicably decided to cease acknowledging any touch anywhere on the screen except the bottom, and insist that I was ALWAYS pressing whatever was on the bottom. After preventing it from sending out twenty or so blank text messages, I resigned myself to the fact that I had to go get it fixed. Counting down the days in my head once again until my contract runs out and I toss this thing away forever, I sighed and drove out to the phone store in the mall.<br />
<br />
Despite the line being long, they managed to shuffle through the people ahead of me quickly. This was a relief as I recalled the previous two times something had gone wrong for no reason with my phone and I'd needed to wait in line for an hour before I was even seen. Soon I was at the counter, and next to me was a woman who appeared to be in early middle age, but perhaps aged a bit more by the two children with her. While her son, who was perhaps as old as 6, sat somewhat quietly by her side, her daughter, a tiny blond bottle rocket who couldn't have been much older than 3, was talking up a storm to no one in particular.<br />
<br />
"So yeah, we should be able to put on a new touch screen," the guy behind the counter explained. "Let me just go make sure we have this model."<br />
<br />
While he was in the back, the 3-year-old managed to get herself out of her stroller and hopped up into the chair beside me. "Spin, spin!" She shouted towards her mom, who was talking with another sales clerk about buying a new phone, and began twirling around in the chair. "Spin, spin, spin," she sang, as her mom tried her best to ignore her and finish what she was doing.<br />
<br />
The guy helping me emerged from the back, a package in his hand. "Got it," he declared, "we can go ahead and put this on for you, but it will cost $35."<br />
<br />
I strummed my fingers against the counter. "Are you sure about that price? This is the third time I've had to come in and get this phone fixed since I got it, and it's always the touch screen. I haven't gotten it wet, I don't pound on it, it just stopped working."<br />
<br />
"Yeah, I can see it's in good shape," he conceded, "but you don't have any insurance on it or anything. Even the 1-year plan is gone. I can't give you a $35 part from Sprint and then not charge you for it, because then the store eats the cost. Well, hold on, let me check to see what I can do."<br />
<br />
He then went to do the same thing I would do when I worked in insurance, or a few retail jobs I held. Pretend to check the computer and actually just reread all the same customer information, arbitrarily clicking your mouse now and then, so you can say with more authority and some empathy, "Yeah, I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do."<br />
<br />
But when he started looking at the screen, the girl spinning in the chair next to me suddenly stopped and looked right at me.<br />
<br />
"Hi!" She effused.<br />
<br />
"Hi there," I returned.<br />
<br />
"What's your name?"<br />
<br />
"I'm David."<br />
<br />
"I'm Corel."<br />
<br />
"Nice to meet you," I smiled at her. She turned away, giggling. The guy behind the counter cracked a smile as Corel turned back around.<br />
<br />
"You can't touch me," she declared, shaking her head.<br />
<br />
I put my hands out towards her, pretending to struggle against a force field surrounding her. "Ghhhhhhaaa . . . nope, you're right, I can't."<br />
<br />
"I can touch you!" She shouted, and promptly slapped me in the shoulder.<br />
<br />
"So you can," I replied, but as she moved to hit me again, my cat-like reflexes moved me out of the way. She swung again, mightily, but I was too quick for her. This went back and forth for a bit until she finally got a solid strike in.<br />
<br />
"Ahh, you got me," I lamented, clutching my stricken shoulder.<br />
<br />
"Corel!" Her mother, attention finally drawn, rounded on her daughter with the kind of constant low-simmer anger only a parent can display. "You can't just push people you don't know!"<br />
<br />
"But it's David!" Corel protested instantly.<br />
<br />
"Yeah," I told her mom, "we go way back."<br />
<br />
At this point the woman helping her mother was laughing loudly. The clerk helping me and the girl beside him were both unsuccessfully trying to stifle their own mirth. Corel's mom was so taken aback she gave up the fight almost instantly, shaking her head. "Just sit still," she said finally, knowing she wasn't going to win this one. Corel's attention was already drawn to someone outside, and she shouted that he had a weird hairstyle, causing everyone to start laughing all over again.<br />
<br />
"Hey," the guy helping me said suddenly as I turned back to him. "Tell you what - don't tell Sprint, but I'm going to give you insurance on this phone - for just today, and then take it back as soon as we get this new touch screen on."<br />
<br />
"Wow, really? Okay, yeah, let's do that."<br />
<br />
"Just come back in 45 minutes, it'll all be taken care of."<br />
<br />
So I went and had lunch, came back, and a few minutes later my phone was as good as new. No charge to me whatsoever. <br />
<br />
Thanks, Corel. <br />
<br />
Incidentally, Corel and her mom were back in the store at the same time I was, only this time a very disgruntled Corel was strapped firmly in her stroller, angrily demanding "Let! Me! Out!" Sorry, Corel's mom.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-19294340239829246142012-07-05T02:52:00.000-04:002012-07-05T02:52:15.229-04:00The Romney RewardI've been spending a portion of my summer thus far working for Organizing for America, the campaign to re-elect Barack Obama. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my job, I was under a strict media blackout - a restriction that included blogging. Fortunately, after weeks of speaking with my supervisor and looking to renegotiate exactly what it is I do, I'm now able to write somewhat freely. My campaign work is still off-limits (honestly, it's not that exciting, they just don't want anybody even remotely associated with the President saying something stupid to the media), but I'm allowed to use this and other public forums to discuss my opinions about the upcoming election.<br />
<br />
So here goes. First off . . . <br />
<br />
I am not a Democrat.<br />
<br />
I'm registered as a Democrat. I've voted for Democrats in the past. I share a lot of ideology which is commonly held to be "liberal" in nature.<br />
<br />
I am not a Republican.<br />
<br />
I've supported Republicans and conservatives in state and local elections. I share a lot of ideology which is commonly held to be "conservative" in nature.<br />
<br />
With that in mind, I had one person I usually looked towards as a role model for politicians. John McCain.<br />
<br />
However, in November of 2008, as I stood at the voting booth staring at the two names in front of me, I was locked in place.<br />
<br />
John McCain, whom had been a hero of mine for almost a decade. A veteran, an established politician, and a good man with a long history of working for what he believed in. A long-serving Senator with a history of working across party lines on important subjects, rising above petty politics, and connecting more than any other candidate with actual issues and the concerns of America.<br />
<br />
Barack Obama, who . . . was handsome?<br />
<br />
Then I looked down at the Vice Presidential nominees. Joe Biden, a Democratic analogue for John McCain. Well-spoken (as long as he doesn't speak too much), experienced, well-respected, and deeply involved and dedicated to working with fellow members of Congress, regardless of their political affiliation, in order to do the work that needed to be done.<br />
<br />
Sarah Palin, who . . . was pretty? Or was that Tina Fey?<br />
<br />
Barack Obama pitched a good game. He never had any of the "gaffes" media outlets scour every speech for along the campaign trail. Just by virtue of his being black he represented a paradigm shift from the establishment of American Presidential politics. Whenever the mud was slung his way, he seemed to rise above it. He inspired people with his presence, got millions of young people out to the voting booths, and had everybody talking about his meteoric rise.<br />
<br />
However, it was all predicated on a keynote speech he gave at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. After that he had a single, somewhat unremarkable run as a Senator from Illinois, and then immediately rode the wave of public interest built up around him all the way to the Presidential nomination. All in all, he hadn't really <i>done</i> much, he just talked a lot.<br />
<br />
McCain got down and dirty. He steamrolled over Mitt Romney in the primaries with every attack on his record and character he could come up with. When the general election came, he let campaign ads run demeaning Obama's character, his friends and associates, and his experience (justifiably, in that last case). He played on the fear of terrorist attacks and illegal immigrants taking over our jobs. He allowed people associated with him paint Obama as a non-American Muslim. <br />
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He did everything I never thought he would do. He became a typical dirty politician. He abandoned decades of good work in Congress so that he could ensure his nomination, and once he had it he couldn't back down from those platforms. His loss to George W. Bush in the 2000 primary taught him a lesson - you want to be President, you play ball with the Party, and he never let that go.<br />
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But the fact remained - I knew John McCain was the person he was, the person I had admired, and I believed that once in office he'd do an about-face, flip off Bush's neo-cons, and run the White House the way he wanted to. I didn't know anything about this Obama character.<br />
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Yet, I checked his name, not McCain. Because under John McCain's name was Sarah Palin.<br />
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At the time of the election, McCain was 72 years old. Being President is an incredibly stressful job. The thought of John McCain dropping dead one day in office and Sarah Palin becoming President of the United States was not a reality I wanted to encourage, even taking into account the potential <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reRTXJSyTjo">face-off with Putin</a>. <br />
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Sarah Palin represented something I didn't want in office. Forget the idea that she was uninformed or ill-prepared, or even the notion that she only got the nomination to try and woo Hillary supporters. As Vice President (or President!) Sarah Palin stood for . . . whatever it was the party told her to stand for. She never demonstrated an original thought or idea, she never strayed from popular talking points, she never tackled anything that the Republican party, and specifically the most conservative elements of its base, didn't have a prepared statement for. I didn't want this woman anywhere near the White House, and she cost John McCain my vote.<br />
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I think time proved that to be the right decision for other reasons, as I've <a href="http://thesegentlemen.blogspot.com/2010/09/disillusioned.html">written about before</a>.<br />
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So now it's four years later, and this time around Mitt Romney wisely sat back and let his opponents destroy themselves before calmly marching up the wreckage of their campaigns to claim the Republican nomination. It's still some months out from Election Day - though closer than you think - and so far I have yet to see anything from Romney that sets him apart from Sarah Palin. The man makes me think someone had a powder somewhere in a package that read "Instant Republican Nominee: Just Add Water" and they just doused that thing.<br />
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He hasn't deviated even one syllable from party-line rhetoric. He hasn't expressed a single idea which could be controversial to his constituent base. He hasn't done anything to make himself seem like an individual running for the highest office in the land instead of a mouthpiece for the monolithic entity backing him. <br />
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But let's put that aside. Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that Mitt Romney was the greatest possible candidate available. Let's ignore Bain Capital, his own Health Care reform in Massachusetts, his stance on the middle class, all of it. I want you to imagine the most perfect Presidential candidate you can think of, and then pull the image of Mitt Romney over it.<br />
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He still shouldn't win.<br />
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Here's why.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://thesegentlemen.blogspot.com/2010/12/fallacies.html">About a year and a half ago</a>, I wrote about my general and growing frustration with the political system in the U.S. As we grow closer to the next election, that sentiment has only grown more pronounced. <br />
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The Republican party supposedly represents the conservative viewpoint in America. They're for a small federal government, strict interpretation of the Constitution, tightly controlled federal spending, increased power to state and local governments, a strong military combined with a healthy dose of minding our own business globally, and the increasing of personal liberty for the individual, among other things.<br />
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So, quickly, off the top of your head, when was the last time you remember any of that being the forefront of the Republican agenda?<br />
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It's not like bills concerning these matters aren't being written and voted on - or not voted on, as I'll touch on in a minute - but they're far from what the Republican party is presenting as the heart of their agenda.<br />
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Let's put aside for a moment the radical shift in recent years towards trumpeting legislation which is <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/05/10/481607/defense-bill-lgbt/">anti-gay</a>, <a href="http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-there-a-republican-war-on-women/consequences-of-gops-anti-womens-health-legislation">anti-woman</a>, <a href="http://reason.com/archives/2011/10/28/the-gops-anti-immigration-boon">anti-immigrant</a>, and <a href="http://thejcrevelator2.hubpages.com/hub/thejcrevelator2notarepublican">pro-what-they-define-as-Christianity-and-people-who've-never-picked-up-a-Bible-stand-behind</a>. I'm putting that aside specifically because it's at the forefront of what the party has been doing legislatively. Behind all of that, you'll find a number of Republicans who don't support or actively argue against these kind of bills. They don't tell the whole story, just what we hear more often than not.<br />
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No, the real story is the same as it's been for the last four years, and what practically every Republican Senator has been in perfect lockstep with. Obstructionism. Making sure that, in the words of Mitch McConnell, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-A09a_gHJc">the number one political priority is to deny Obama a second term</a>.<br />
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The number one political priority of the party is to unseat Barack Obama. Their chosen method of doing so is not drafting superior legislation. It's not promoting the reasons why the Republican agenda is better for America. It's simply shouting down the Obama administration when they attempt to do anything. Anything at all.<br />
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Things like <a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/163926/senate-votes-obama-jobs-bill-gop-filibusters-it">jobs bills</a>, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/republicans-filibuster-obama-infrastructure-bill-203843587.html">infrastructure bills</a>, <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-09/politics/senate.9.11.responders_1_senate-gop-filibuster-republican-filibuster-first-responders?_s=PM:POLITICS">a bill to provide benefits for 9/11 First Responders</a>, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/08/1089743/-Senate-Republicans-filibuster-student-loan-bill">a bill to extend lower interest rates on student loans</a>, and a veritable <a href="http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2010/10/want-proof-that-the-republican-party-is-against-the-people.html#tp">laundry list</a> of others. Ostensibly, their objection was that Democrats weren't letting them add amendments. However, after deals were struck to allow more time for Republicans to put in their own amendments if they would stop filibustering . . . they kept right on filibustering.<br />
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Because the goal was never to perfect legislation. It was never a case of conservative ideology versus liberalism or government spending or "family values" (more on that in some future post, perhaps). The simple goal, one which has been largely achieved, was preventing as many things that could give Democrats and the President something to tout as an accomplishment for the American people as possible. Once that's been done, point to all of Obama's failures and blame him for them.<br />
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So for four years, with a mostly underwhelming list of exceptions, the Republican party has stood diametrically opposed to anything coming from the White House. They stand for lower taxes - until Obama presents the Recovery Act, the largest middle-class tax cut in history. Once that's on the table, tax cuts are out, it's about reducing spending now. A Democratic plan to reduce spending? Not good enough, and the federal government almost shut down - again - for what's usually a routine procedure on the floor.<br />
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You know what? It's okay if the Republicans want Obama to be a one-term President. He's a Democrat. They want a Republican in office. I don't expect them to sing his praises or tout his accomplishments. I expect them to do their jobs. And the job of an elected official is to do right by the people they're elected to represent. What this party has done amounts to nothing more than stonewalling any piece of legislation that could be used by Democrats to say "we did something for the people." So as a result, nothing gets done for the people.<br />
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So that's why I advocate against voting for Mitt Romney.<br />
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I don't want the Republican party to be rewarded for their behavior. I don't want this to be viewed as "okay." This is not something we, as a people, should encourage from our officials.<br />
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Politics is about discourse. It's about argument, negotiation, compromise, and cooperation. A politicians job is to examine what's best for the people as a whole and work towards getting the best result. People have conflicting ideologies, so our representatives will as well. That's only right. What's wrong is when we reduce complex social, economic, and political issues to talking points in order to rally mass groups of people behind single-issue candidates and boil things down to black-and-white. When we talk about "conservative" or "liberal" instead of right and wrong, when we argue based on labels we've attached to ideas instead of their actual merit for society, when we make value judgments of an entire way of thinking simply because we're told "that's wrong," with no explanation why, we do ourselves, our country, and our future a terrible disservice. <br />
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As a general rule, nothing is black-and-white. If someone has you convinced that you are absolutely right in your way of thinking and there's no room to expand your viewpoint, chances are they're either not giving you all the information or you're avoiding it on purpose. When the Republican party advances an agenda of blocking everything the President does, it reduces our political discourse to "conservatives are right because liberals are wrong." You don't have to think, you don't have to examine the facts, you don't have to consider another point of view, you just have to know which side proposed what and then vote for or against it. It really streamlines the process when you don't have to consider right or wrong.<br />
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I think we're better than this. I'm sure amongst the hundreds of bills proposed during the most recent session of Congress there were some unworthy of being passed. I'd still prefer they made it to the floor and were argued on based upon their merits, not whether their author had a D or an R in front of their name. <br />
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You know what, though? That's not the fault of the Republican party. They mustered everything they had to stand in the way of any progress in the way of budget reform, finance reform, tax reform, or health care reform. They got away with most of it, too. Because after taking sweeping hold of the White House and Congress in 2008, Democrat proceeded to collapse in amongst themselves and show about as much backbone as your average slug.<br />
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If the President seemed unpopular, Democrats distanced themselves from him. If legislation looked like it might hurt their careers, they voted against it. Anything remotely risky, anything that could jeopardize their chances at re-election, Democrats wouldn't touch. 2008 was a year in which a majority of American people clearly rebuked the Bush-era Republican party and asked for a more liberal, progressive agenda in Congress. Democrats responded by giving in to Republicans on practically every major issue, abandoning or changing meaningful legislation. With an overwhelming majority in both Houses, they failed over and over again to advance significant change because they were fighting amongst themselves. Energy the President could have devoted towards pushing a more aggressive agenda had to be spent keeping his own party in line. <br />
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President Bush could always count on the support of the Republican party. Even when public sentiment began turning against him, the party stood by their President. Because Republicans understand loyalty, strength in numbers, the power of a united front, and the importance of staying on message. Democrats who should have been taking cue instead bolted like rabbits at the first signs of trouble.<br />
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Good works were done recently. The passage of the Affordable Care Act. The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. These were good steps Democrats took towards pushing a progressive agenda forward. Yet so much else has been abandoned. In a time when the national deficit was controlling the political dialogue, they agreed to extend Bush-era tax cuts. They did nothing to advance an agenda of campaign finance reform. Drug policy, same-sex marriage, immigration, job creation - Democrats again and again have either remained silent or let themselves be steamrolled by Republicans out of fear. Those in vulnerable positions abandon their party again and again to protect their own interests.<br />
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The rise of the Tea Party is partly responsible for this. Though it's been the source of many a headache for John Boehner, the conservative/libertarian group, it also put fear in the already timid Democratic party. Many members shifted their rhetoric to the right, perceiving Tea Party voters in their constituency they now had to please. It worked against them. 2010 was a resounding defeat for Democrats. For all its momentum and media coverage, the Tea Party is still just a blip on the political radar - if those same Democrats had dug their heels in and stood by their party and the voters who put them in office, they might have retained some seats. Instead they proved fair-weather friends to the party, and the voters reacted accordingly.<br />
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Democrats might have thought a backlash favoring them was coming around with the eruption of the Occupy movement. The all-inclusive, anti-finance, pro-reform group spread across the nation like wildfire and demonstrated peacefully but forcefully at centers of government, finance, and most visibly, Wall Street. I stopped in to see the Wall Street occupiers on several occasions and was enamored with the movement myself.<br />
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But it never went anywhere. It never materialized into a movement that worked to actually affect change. Without leadership, without a spokesperson or a clear set of goals, without the cohesion needed to turn all that energy into action, Occupy has thus far accomplished nothing whereas the Tea Party is represented in Congress many times over. So there is no far-left base coming to energize Democrats and scare Republicans. It all still comes down to the people in the middle.<br />
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Here's the secret about voters in America. As much as Republicans or Democrats might want to claim they have a mandate about this or overwhelming support about that, the truth is <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/151943/record-high-americans-identify-independents.aspx">there are not enough voters on either side of the fence who identify with either party</a>. Most candidates have a core of voters who will vote for them no matter how many babies they set on fire during national debates simply because they refuse to vote for the other party. Beyond that core, there are the people whose votes they actually have to win, most of whom are ardently against baby burning. <br />
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I like to think this is a positive sign. The more voters we have who identify with a political party, the more close-minded we become, and the more we let a constructed narrative drive us to the voting booth instead of an informed opinion about our candidates and their intentions, the more we promote the system we're currently in. Tempering this, however, is the fact that the majority of those independent voters tend to "lean" one way or the other. That might mean they believe their values to be more in line with a particular party but don't just vote blindly and actually pay attention to their candidates . . . or they think being independent sounds cooler.<br />
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If it's the former, though, then this shift towards not identifying one way or the other means that more people are coming around to the idea that you can't be an uninformed voter. This puts the burden of making sure we stay informed on us, but also on politicians to promote themselves and really get their message out there if they want to garner the votes they need.<br />
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That makes it all the more confounding that the major disappointment in all of this was that the Democrats, and the President in particular, didn't do more to get the message of the things they did achieve across. Since its passage, we've been inundated with so much misinformation about what it does and doesn't do that most of his constituents didn't bat an eyelash when Mitt Romney proposed replacing Obamacare with <a href="http://samuel-warde.com/2012/06/jon-stewart-slams-romney-for-proposing-to-replace-obamacare-with-obamacare/">the exact same thing</a>.<br />
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Here's the thing; the glut of the Affordable Care Act can be summed up easily enough for <a href="http://www.reddit.com/tb/vbkfm">a five year-old to understand it</a>. <br />
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That's not the point, though. The point is that it is easy to understand and forms a comprehensive reform that everybody can agree on, as evidenced by the fact that <a href="http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-28/politics/31248569_1_individual-mandate-health-care-american-health">Republicans thought of it first</a>. When it was finally passed, it was by the narrowest of margins. Before, during, and after its inception, it has been attacked relentlessly by the right.<br />
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And when he should have been out there every day doing everything he could to make sure Americans were getting the right information, understanding what was at stake and what we stood to gain as a nation, not being taken in by hyperbole and flat-out lies, Obama let things go. When he should have been shouting down every naysayer across the country, he chose to take what I suppose he thought was the high road. So this bill, which really does accomplish a great deal of good for the American people, is still going to be used against him in the upcoming election. He has no one to blame for that but himself.<br />
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I've made no secret of the fact that I think health care is <a href="http://thesegentlemen.blogspot.com/2009/10/switching-sides-case-for-universal.html">kind of a big deal</a>. My agenda includes making sure that one day every American has health care. I think this is the responsibility of the government to provide and the responsibility of every American citizen to put money towards. Look, call it what you want - if you don't want socialized medicine, good luck finding a civilized country anywhere else on Earth you can move to that doesn't have it. We're so far behind the curve that when Taiwan instituted their universal health care system, <a href="http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health-care-abroad-taiwan/">they specifically looked at the American model as an example of what not to do</a>. <br />
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This isn't that. Obamacare makes a lot of good moves, but it doesn't go far enough for me.<br />
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However, it sets the stage. From this, one day, some President in the future will be able to accomplish that which has been eluding this country since it was first proposed by Teddy Roosevelt. An America where every citizen has health care. Obama did that. He set that stage.<br />
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Maybe you still aren't sold on the idea. Maybe you're just avidly against many of this administration's goals for a variety of good reasons. Maybe you know, and can articulate magnificently, exactly why logic and reason dictate that the President not be given a second term.<br />
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Romney still shouldn't win. Because a victory for Romney in November brings us closer to a world where none of your arguments or opinions matter. It brings us closer to a world where being informed, intelligent, and responsible as a voter means less than who gets the most media coverage and who shouts the loudest about how the other side is wrong. It brings us closer to a world where the label on the box is more important than its contents.<br />
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A victory for Romney validates all the political games, deceptions, and attacks that sunk us so deep into this swamp to begin with. I don't want that. I think we, as a country, deserve better and can do better. I also know we won't get any better until we start showing the people who field candidates we aren't as dumb as they want us to be.<br />
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The final point I'll make is also the most important - getting that message across begins at home. The elections that take place on the state and local level will have the most direct impact on you and your life. You do yourself a disservice by not being informed about your local candidates and what exactly their records and positions are, and what the responsibilities of their seat would entail. Believe me, if you can vote for it, it makes a difference in your life somehow. These are the decisions that matter most, and yet when it comes to school boards, city councils, and, most distressingly, judges, an unsettling majority of people don't even know who's running or why. These people - and again, I have to stress, especially judges; judicial elections are just as or more important than any other position you can vote for at the state level - will be the ones making the ordinances and laws directly affecting you far more concretely than any federal bill sitting in limbo on the floor of Congress.<br />
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Take the time to go out and do the research to discover who really will best represent you. Help them get elected. Volunteer for their campaigns and you'll be surprised at the kind of work you can fall into. Don't let yourself be distracted by if a person is a Republican or a Democrat. From your town hall to the Capitol Building, people are just people, and people can be good or bad. Find out for yourself which candidate is best fit for you. That's how we make this democracy work, and work well.<br />
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I don't ever want to let myself get bogged down by the notion that any idea is inherently bad just because of who thought of it. If Mitt Romney becomes President of the United States, we'll be showing the people in power that that's exactly the idea they have to keep pushing, and so long as they can slap a label people don't like on an idea, they'll have a voting block ready and willing to jump up and shout it down.<br />
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I just have to think, I have to trust, that we're better than that, and we deserve to have our leaders treat us better than that.<br />
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So don't reward bad behavior. Don't vote Romney.<br />
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Thank you, and God bless.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-26383915868671189362012-06-25T19:34:00.000-04:002012-06-25T19:41:15.296-04:00Margaret Pratt<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The evening of June 20th, perhaps late enough to be called the early morning of June 21st, after the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, Margaret Pratt passed from this life and returned home to the side of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She was 80 years old, and had been suffering a great deal following a protracted battle with cancer. Three years ago, the doctors told her she had 6 months to live, but she continued to survive, and to thrive, up until the day she couldn't anymore. She passed peacefully, having been surrounded by her family for weeks on end. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Margaret Pratt was my grandmother, and I was blessed enough to be able to spend the last few weeks of her life by her side. In that time, I learned more about faith, what it really means and what it really looks like, than I had ever known. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I have known people of great faith throughout my life. I have known rabbis and priests, nuns and ministers, Christians and Jews and Muslims and Sikhs and pagans, all with their own take on what it means to be faithful. With my grandmother, I realized the difference between someone professing their faith, telling you about their faith, and someone showing you their faith. She always held on to everything I wrote and encouraged me to write more, so, I'm going to write about that. About her. I don't know if I can aptly put it into words, but I'm going to try.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Before she died, I went to a number of sermons, and as is usually the case found that the Lord had put me where I needed to be. The things I heard all seemed to illustrate a fundamental point about the life of my grandmother. I'd like to share a few stories from that life, how they tie into the services I attended, and how, at the end of her life, she showed me what true faith really means.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Margaret Pratt was born Margaret Casey in the Bronx, on October 15th, 1931. She was one of eight children born to Martin and Dorothy Casey, a pretty standard Irish Catholic family for the times. Those times also happened to be the Great Depression. So when she was 5 years old, her parents decided that they couldn't care for their children any longer, and the best chance they had of not starving to death was if they gave them up to the orphanage. </span></div>
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It only took her oldest brother, who was probably about 10 at that time, a couple of days to decide the orphanage wasn't really his bag. He ran away in the night, followed the Hudson river back home, made it to his grandfather's house and filled him in. Once Grandpa Casey found out his grandkids were in an orphanage, he was about as fond of the idea as they were. He hitched up his horse and wagon, rode down there, and brought all of them back home.<br />
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The family still had to be split up for awhile, and Margaret went to live in Brooklyn with some relatives. Eventually though, they all found their way back to the family farm in Schuylerville. She loved living and working on that farm. Even if her siblings didn't like the work or were just too lazy for it, nothing could stop my grandmother from getting out there and working the field.<br />
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I don't know if I can put enough emphasis on that fact. My grandmother loved working. She loved working in the dirt and soil, getting her hands dirty, being out in the sun and making things grow. Every time I came to visit her, she had something fresh from the garden - radishes, corn, onions, cucumbers, green beans, always something - that she had grown herself, ready to eat. When she didn't have work to do in her own garden, sometimes she would drive over to my father's house and weed <i>his</i> garden. She loved work, she respected it and embraced it, and that ties in to one of the sermons I talked about. More on that later.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Margaret was 15 years old (though she lied and said she was 18) when she met a handsome older fellow who looked like, if he were in a suit, he might have stepped out of an episode of <i>Mad Men</i>. Vladimir Karapetov Pratt had, at that point, already fought his way across Europe in World War II, and when he came home to New York he had his eyes set on Margaret. As he was a dashing man-about-town, he quickly swept her off her feet, but their parents had other ideas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Vlad was a Methodist, and when word of their romance started going around, Martin Casey found Vlad's father, Clayton, at a local bar and made it quite clear that his daughter wasn't marrying some "Protestant bastard." The response from Clayton was that his son would never marry a "Catholic whore."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And then a fist fight broke out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">When it was over, Margaret and Vlad were told they were not to see each other again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For a long time, they didn't. They'd attend the same dances and catch sight of each other, but not speak. Friends would update them occasionally on what the other was doing, but by and large for months, maybe as long as a year, they remained apart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Until one night when the phone rang at Margaret's house. Vlad was on the other end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">"Be ready to go out tonight. I'm going to come pick you up at 7, and no one is ever going to keep us apart again."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And for the next 60 years, no one ever did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Vladimir K. Pratt and Margaret Casey married, and stayed married until . . . well, actually, I guess now they're together forever. And no one will ever keep them apart again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And yes, my two great-grandfathers once got into a bar fight with each other. I wonder what the wedding was like.</span></div>
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(Consequently, I've been told that after it was all settled, my great-grandpa Casey came to love his new son-in-law and they became lifelong friends, so that worked out.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">My grandparents settled down in Victory Mills, a town named for, owned, and operated by the enormous mill which employed all of its inhabitants. Both came from large families, and wanted to have children, but it seemed that was not to be. The doctors told Margaret she might be too frail to ever conceive a child. But she was determined to be a mother, and she prayed with all she had that the Lord would make it so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I read a book recently with a section entitled "Be Careful What You Pray For," but regardless, her prayer was answered, and my father was born.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">If there was anything she loved more than working in the garden or my grandfather, it was children - specifically, her child. This is the first place where I can really illustrate the faith my grandmother exhibited throughout her entire life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 Corinthians 13 says the following:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="chapter-2" style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Cor-13-1" id="en-NIV-28667">If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. </span><span class="text 1Cor-13-2" id="en-NIV-28668">If
I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not
have love, I am nothing.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-13-3" id="en-NIV-28669">If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.</span></span></i></div>
<div style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Cor-13-4" id="en-NIV-28670">Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. </span><span class="text 1Cor-13-5" id="en-NIV-28671">It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. </span><span class="text 1Cor-13-6" id="en-NIV-28672">Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. </span><span class="text 1Cor-13-7" id="en-NIV-28673">It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.</span></span></i><br />
<br />
<i>Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for
tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.
For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part;
but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish
ways.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Cor-13-7" id="en-NIV-28673"> </span><span class="text 1Cor-13-13" id="en-NIV-28679">And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. </span></span></i></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Cor-13-13">But the greatest of these is love.</span></span></i></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br />
I was taken aback once when a friend of mine told me that in watching me, she was reminded of this passage. It seemed a rather amazing compliment to give someone. I can safely say, with no hesitation or reservation, that this verse sums up the love my grandmother had for my father. Certainly she was a beacon of love for all of her family, her numerous nieces and nephews, and her grandchildren, but it all began with her son, my father, Vladimir James Pratt.<br />
<br />
Their story is a long one, and for another time, but it can be summed up best by comparing it to that verse from 1 Corinthians. My grandmother had high expectations for my father, ones which he could not always meet, some he did not try to. She never wanted him to join the army and go away, but he did. She never wanted to see him divorce and remarry, not once, or twice, but four times, but he did. She wanted him to be a better Catholic, but he became more spiritual than religious. She remained a liberal Democrat throughout her entire life, he grew into a staunch conservative. She wanted him to take better care of himself and his appearance, but he never cared what others thought about his looks. <br />
<br />
But she was never disappointed in him.<br />
<br />
I don't know if that lesson ever really sank in before very recently, when 1 Corinthians 13 was pointed out to me. She was never disappointed he was her son. She never said an unkind word about my father to me, only the occasional prayer that he care more about his own health. When my dad was at the lowest point in his life, my grandmother's door was open to him, and she took him in. No matter what differences between them, no matter how different the path he took in life was from what she envisioned, what was most important was that she loved him. She loved him unconditionally, the way you imagine a fairy tale to describe the love a mother has for her child. It was not a fable, though. It was faith.<br />
<br />
She left it in the hands of the Lord. She never held on to any of the things he did wrong. She always held on to trust in him to do right for himself. She protected him when he needed it, persevered when times were difficult, and always, always supported him, whatever decision he made, and simply hoped good would come from it. She gave my dad her love and her support, expecting nothing in return, and trusted that Jesus would guide him where she could not. He was her son, her only child - there was nothing he could do that would make her do anything but love him<br />
<br />
Today, while he still cares little about his outward appearance (which did bother my grandma to no end), to say my dad has turned his life around is an understatement in the highest degree. While his own effort certainly is to thank for that, I don't think it unfair to say he owes a debt a gratitude to the prayers of his mother, as well.<br />
<br />
Certainly I was blessed enough in life to have a mother who exemplifies the kind of love a parent should have for their children. My mother is amazing, but if there is anyone to compare to her, it's my grandmother. I will also say this. Whenever I brought up to my parents the idea that I wanted to one day be President of the United States, my mother would roll her eyes in a long-suffering way and change the subject. My dad would chuckle a bit, and then start telling me everything that's wrong with liberals.<br />
<br />
My grandmother, and my grandmother alone, told me to go for it, because she knew I could, and encouraged me to be the best there ever was. As good as or better than her favorite President, Franklin Roosevelt.<br />
<br />
And I will, grandma. I promise.<br />
<br />
And I will love my children the way you did yours. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Living with my mother as I did, often on different sides of the country, I never saw my grandmother much growing up. We'd talk on the phone occasionally, and she would inevitably say something about Jesus and the Bible, but being young as I was I never paid it much heed. Religion was certainly always a part of my life, and especially growing up in an interfaith household (my step-father was Catholic, my mother Jewish) I was assured and felt comfortable in the fact that one way or another, God was with me. But ours was a Christmas/Easter/Hanukkah household. I certainly knew OF the Jewish High Holy Days, and observed them every so often, but attending regular mass or going to temple wasn't much of a priority back then. I certainly didn't have a lot of ground at the time to relate to my grandmother, who never missed a day of church in 80 years and knew the Bible backwards and forwards. <br />
<br />
I believed in God and loved Him. I even believed in Jesus because I held up the story of His birth, crucifixion, and resurrection and decided that could co-exist peacefully with what I believed about Judaism. I did not, however, really understand the difference between belief and faith. Honestly, as a teenager, I didn't care much, either. I was prone to believe sentiment about faith being for the stupid or weak. I knew God was out there, but didn't need Him to tell me who to be. No, I had my own ideas, and would live my life my way. Grandma was crazy, going on about Jesus all the time, needing Him like she did. <br />
<br />
Time eventually proves we were all idiots as teenagers, and I'm no different. Faith did not make my grandma who she was, it made her <i>greater</i> than who she was. She did not count on Jesus to make her a whole, single person. She was already whole, and He stood with her and made her more. She surrendered to Him, and He became her ally for life.<br />
<br />
I'm sorry now that I didn't understand that lesson. There was a lot I didn't understand until my grandma showed me.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The week before I finished my first year at law school, I came back upstate for a weekend to drop a few things off at home. My grandmother was mostly bedridden at that time, still living in her own house, being watched over by friends and family. I came to visit her and found her asleep, but she woke up when I entered her room. I hadn't told her I was coming - she was no longer really able to take phone calls - and she was surprised and excited to see me. She insisted that I have some macaroni salad, no matter how many times I told her I wasn't hungry or would have some later. ("David, there's some macaroni salad, you go get some to eat." "Oh, okay grandma, I'll get some later, I'm not really hungry right now." "Okay. Go get some, it's downstairs in the fridge." "You got it, I'll get it soon." (My cousin Tommy comes up the stairs) "Tommy, go get David some macaroni salad."). </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I really don't like macaroni salad, by the way.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But then Tommy left to run some errands, and it was just grandma and me. So even though she only had the strength to get out of bed for a few minutes a day, she chose to spend those minutes with me. She got out of bed, led me downstairs, and told me to come outside so we could sit in the sun. We got out a set of lawn chairs and we sat and talked. It was a beautiful day outside. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br />
We spoke about the future, about my goals for the next year and beyond, and what I wanted to do in the law. We spoke about family, and the children I will one day be blessed with. The topic soon turned to faith, and the importance of making sure it gets passed down. I told my grandmother that, insofar as faith is concerned, whether they're Jewish or not, I wanted my kids to be just like her.<br />
<br />
She liked that. A lot. And I meant it.<br />
<br />
Soon, however, it was time for her to go back inside and rest. We talked briefly by the stairs to her bedroom, where she confessed she had always been jealous of my Grandma Fran for getting to spend so much time with me growing up. She was happy, though, that we got to see each other now. We said goodbye, and she went back to bed. That was the last time I saw my grandmother in her own home.<br />
<br />
When I finished my finals a week later and returned, the amount of care she required meant she had to be moved to the Hospice house where she would spend the last month of her life.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My older brother and I were going through our grandmother's house, looking for precious artifacts of memory. The treasure trove of family photos she had was beyond belief. Pictures of her family dating back to the 1800s. Every picture of my father ever taken, every report he ever brought home from school, every postcard he ever sent, every letter from my brother while he was away in the army, everything I ever wrote or drew - my grandma saved all of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">My brother focused on the photos, and a few other pieces which symbolized a great number of memories of the time he spent with our grandma. I took only two things - a book on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the Pratt family Bible. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Now, the Casey Bible is a great, sprawling tome, but the Pratt Bible is a very simple, New Catholic Version of the sacred text. The spine of the cover is coming apart, but the binding is still strong. The edges of each page are golden, and they still gleam after six decades since the Bible was given to my grandma. The pages themselves are filled with notes about the family, daily prayers on small cards, observances for specific family members, and pages dedicated to each birth, marriage, and death. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I'd like to talk more about how just having that Bible has affected me, but that's a topic for another time. I've begun to study it though, really study it, which is primarily the reason I've been going to mass and listening to sermons in the first place, but I learned my first lesson from it without reading a word. I had never, before holding this Bible, seen the discrepancy in size between the Old Testament and the New. I'd always imagined them to be equal in size, but the truth is that the New Testament is barely a third of the overall text of the Bible.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Over two-thirds of what I always espoused to believe, probably closer to four-fifths, really, my grandmother believed in as well. Furthermore, as I would soon learn, the core of both religions is not similar, not identical - it is the same. Judaism and Christianity both beat from the same heart, and I feel small and foolish for not realizing that my grandmother was telling me that - showing me that - sooner than I did. It took one of our final conversations for that veil to be lifted.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I learned three more lessons from my grandmother while she was lying in that bed. This was the first, and how I learned it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I was sitting in the Hospice house, Mary's Haven, with my Aunt Rose, grandma's sister, and Ann, my grandma's best friend since they were both in kindergarten, and my grandmother in bed. The women in the room represented, combined, more than two centuries of living in the Church.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">As is often the case with the generation that came before us, the conversation was eventually steered towards when I was going to get around to making a generation to come after us. Religion was just being discussed as my Aunt Rose queried me about my Jewish faith, and so that was brought in to the topic as well. I had been thinking about it a lot, especially about my grandma and her relationship with my father, and I told them what was on my mind. That I wanted to be like her, and like my own mother. No matter what my children grow up to be, I will be there for them every step of the way to love, support, and encourage them. And if they end up believing something I don't, going down a path I didn't want for them, then I will continue to love them unconditionally, and support them in all they do. I want a lot of things for my children - many, many things. The list goes on and on. At the top of it, however, high at the top, is just to make sure they always know that no matter what, they are loved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The three women in the room nodded appreciatively and agreed as Aunt Rose told me "That's what it's all about, David. Because love - more than anything - Love is the greatest religion of them all."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">And that's when I finally got it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">All the times my grandmother would talk to me about religion, even when she started talking about Jesus, she would always acknowledge my Judaism. She never called on me to convert. She never disparaged my beliefs. She would talk about how the things she believed all came from the our holy book (though she was never clear on the name - "It's just like in your, uh . . Korah." "Torah, grandma." "Yes, the Korah." "Torah." "Quran?" "Old Testament, grandma.") and that Jesus Himself and all the apostles were Jewish. The Bible is a book written by Jews, about Jews. She referenced the Ten Commandments even more frequently than she did Jesus. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Of course it was important to her that I understand as she did the love that Jesus offered. Far more important than that to her, more important than anything, was that I understand that my faith and hers both came from the same source - love. She was never afraid of Judaism (well, to be fair, she wasn't afraid of it once she got used to the idea that there were Jews in the family now, and then went out of her way to learn to appreciate it), she just wanted me to have faith like she did, and accept the love of God like she did, and not be afraid of Christianity. It was never about the Church; my grandmother had frequent disputes with the Church whenever they did anything contrary to what she knew was right, and threatened to leave it several times. It was just about faith. Real, honest faith. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Faith in what Judaism and Christianity teach above everything else; the Lord loves you. Accept it, return it, and love one another as well. It's not about the rituals, it's not about the words, it's about love. And don't let anybody tell you otherwise.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The second lesson came just a week later. My grandma was close to the end at this point. My older sister had flown in from Florida to be able to see her one last time, and we were there with my brother and our dad.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I sat by my grandmother's side as we talked idly around her. She could no longer really take part in conversation. Her pain medication dulled her mind, and the cancer had taken all her strength.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It had been close to two weeks since she'd eaten anything. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Her voice was weak and her hearing almost gone. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">She didn't have the strength to move herself out of bed or even lift a glass of water, the only way she could drink was through someone holding a straw close enough to her. </span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">She had to be turned in bed occasionally, and could not move to prop herself up unless she lifted by somebody else.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And then, on the television, which was tuned to the Christian Evangelical network, the Our Father prayer, the prayer given to the apostles by Jesus, came on.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This is the complete Catholic version, the prayer itself and the embolism, followed by the Apostle's Creed, which aired that day.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">Our Father,</span> </i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<i>who art in heaven, </i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<i>hallowed be thy name; </i></div>
<i>
thy kingdom come; </i><br />
<i>
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. </i><br />
<i>
Give us this day our daily bread; </i><br />
<i>
and forgive us our trespasses </i><br />
<i>
as we forgive those who trespass against us; </i><br />
<i>
and lead us not into temptation, </i><br />
<i>
but deliver us from evil. </i><br />
<br />
<i>
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, <br />
and grant us peace in our day. <br />
In your mercy keep us free from sin <br />
and protect us from all anxiety <br />
as we wait in joyful hope <br />
for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
</i><br />
<i>
For the kingdom, <br />
the power, <br />
and the glory are yours <br />
now and for ever. </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles; <br />
I leave you peace, my peace I give to you. <br />
Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, <br />
and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom <br />
where you live for ever and ever.
</i><br />
<i>
Amen.
</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. </i><br />
<i>I believe in Jesus
Christ, His only Son, our Lord. </i><br />
<i>He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born
of the Virgin Mary. </i><br />
<i>He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. </i><br />
<i>He descended to the dead. </i><br />
<i>On the third day He rose again. </i><br />
<i>He ascended into heaven, and is
seated at the right hand of the Father. </i><br />
<i>He will come again to judge the living and the
dead. </i><br />
<i>I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. </i><br />
<i>Amen. </i><br />
<br />
And my grandmother, who could not raise her voice<br />
Or move her body<br />
Or at times even focus her mind<br />
My grandmother raised her arm and crossed herself when the prayer began, and then held out her hand and got her rosary beads from my older brother. She held on to them, counting each Hail Mary that followed. Never taking her eyes off of the screen. Never missing a word as she mouthed each prayer.<br />
<br />
I attended a sermon recently where the topic was strength, or rather, the lack of it. Weakness, in our society, is often looked down upon. We aren't supposed to need others. We should be able to do things for ourselves. Asking for help, asking for instruction, asking for guidance - these are signs of weakness. The strong do for themselves, and the strong are the ones in charge.<br />
<br />
No, the priest corrected, that's not right at all. It is those who are weak and look for strength in the Lord who receive real strength, from the source of all strength. Those who know they are never alone, who always have someone by their side, helping, instructing, guiding; those who acknowledge their limitations but let Him into their lives - they are the truly strong.<br />
<br />
My grandmother had never been weaker, physically, in her life than at that moment. But she needed the strength to do what she had to, and she received it.<br />
<br />
I was in awe of that strength. <br />
<br />
The Our Father, or the Lord's Prayer, is one of the most frequently repeated prayers. I know a lot of people who can recite it from memory. It's a point of pride among some people to know the prayer by rote.<br />
<br />
My grandmother did not memorize it. She internalized it. She represented it. She lived its message and humble requests every day. She never said it because it was a thing she was expected to do. She had faith in every word of every line and knew it to be the word of God.<br />
<br />
Another service I went to focused specifically on just one line from the Our Father - "Give us this day our daily bread." This was a lovely sermon, focusing on how important and meaningful that one simple line is. First, the prayer is not "Give <i>me</i> this day <i>my</i> daily bread," it is give<i> us</i> this day <i>our</i> daily bread. The emphasis on those words, plural rather than singular, tells us that we're all in this together. We don't horde the blessings of the Lord. We don't expect Him to just bless us, just provide for us, just take care of us. We are all His children. If He gives to one of us more generously than another, then that one should use what he has to provide for others so they don't go without. When you do this, the pastor giving the sermon advised, what you give away comes back to you in ways you never expected.<br />
<br />
Don't be stingy with the Lord's generosity, don't expect Him to only be giving you your daily bread when you're in abundance, and He'll make sure you're taken care of.<br />
<br />
This is not to say that the Lord is going to provide a lot for a few and expect them to take care of the many. No, the pastor pointed out, the Lord appreciates those who work. Jesus Himself worked as a carpenter. He dignified work, He honored work. My grandmother did the same.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And she never wanted anything excessive. She seldom ever even wanted more than she already had. To those in need she could help, she gave whatever she could spare without expecting anything in return. She received her daily bread, and, finding herself in abundance, did not horde it when there were others she could feed. She worked, she earned, she gave, and at the end of the day, the Lord always provided for her. She never took more than she needed, but she always had enough.<br />
<br />
<br />
There's another line a lot of people I know don't seem to really take to heart. "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."<br />
<br />
This is a hard one for a lot of people. Forgiveness doesn't come easily for many. For some, time can heal even the most serious offenses. For others, even slight indiscretions are never forgiven.<br />
<br />
My grandmother never begrudged anybody anything. At her most fed up, the worst that would happen is that I'd hear her call someone an "idjit." Or, if they were being <i>really </i>stupid, a "dang fool." Things happened that she didn't agree with, people did things she didn't like, but she always forgave and moved on. "Forgive us our trespasses <i>as we forgive those</i> who trespass against us" was not just something she said. She recognized that she was not free from sin and asked for the Lord's forgiveness, and knew from this prayer that asking it meant not withholding her own from others.<br />
<br />
Without the embolism, the Our Father makes two requests of God. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Simple phrases, and simple requests, but profound in their meaning. Both also have another implication - we need help from the Lord. We request our daily bread from him just as we request his forgiveness for our sins. These are things we cannot do on our own. That's not an easy thing to really take to heart in a world that teaches us to do for ourselves, that reliance on others is weakness.<br />
<br />
Seeing my grandmother there, seeing the light come back into her eyes as she became engrossed in the prayer, I saw no weakness in her reliance. <br />
<div>
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">So I had learned that the point of all faith, the basis of all faith, is love. Later I learned that opening yourself up to that love gives you strength you never thought possible. </span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">Combining these two lessons, and the stories from her life, and finally listening to the things she had been telling me all of my life, I reached the final lesson my grandma had for me. I was about to be gone for the weekend, but before leaving I stopped by Mary's Haven again to see her.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">There was barely anything left of her at this point. She was just skin and bones wrapped in blankets. When I came into the room, I kissed her and held her hand, and then sat down beside her bed. We were alone, all her other visitors having been expelled to let her rest.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">"I love you, grandma," I told her. "There's something I really have to say to you."</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">"What do you need to say?" she asked me.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">"I wanted to thank you, for showing me what true faith really is."</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">Her hand suddenly tightened over mine. The strength of her grip was surprising. It was not the grip of an 80-year old woman on her deathbed. </span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">"What is it, David? What's true faith?" The excitement in her voice, the urgency, was more than I'd seen her display in weeks.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">"True faith is trust. It's trust that the Lord and Jesus love you, and have a plan for you. That you just live your life to the best of your ability, and they'll take care of the rest."</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">I'd like to describe the look of happiness, of joy, that came to my grandmother's face. I don't know if I can, though. I just know I'll remember it for a long, long time. There was one more sermon I listened to that can perhaps do a better job of giving the impression of it. This one I heard over the radio, from a priest whose voice was just made for the medium. It was really the best way to hear this one about Psalm 23:2.</span><br />
<i><span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span></i><br />
<i>He makes me lie down in green pastures;<br /> He leads me beside quiet waters. </i><br />
<i><span class="reftext"></span>He restores my soul;<br /> He guides me in the paths of righteousness<br /> For His name’s sake. </i><br />
<i><span class="reftext"></span>Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,<br /> I fear no evil, for You are with me;<br /> Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. </i><br />
<i><span class="reftext"></span>You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;<br /> You have anointed my head with oil;<br /> My cup overflows. </i><br />
<i><span class="reftext"></span>Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,<br /> And I will dwell in the house of the L<span style="font-size: xx-small;">ORD</span> forever.</i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The priest reading the psalm pointed to the literal translation of the first line - "he makes me lie down in tender grass." He wondered how the psalm could project such an idea of comfort and tranquility - "tender" grass - when so often things seemed so rough. Rough things happen in life, and it seems like the comfort, the peacefulness promised by this passage are impossible to attain. Nothing is ever really "tender."</div>
<div>
<i> </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i><span class="text 1Cor-13-13">But then he related a story about a member of his staff who went to watch a goldsmith at work. The goldsmith loaded the raw ore into his vat and turned up the heat. As the ore melted, impurities rose to the top, which the goldsmith scraped off. He then turned the heat up higher, and even more impurities rose from the melting ore, and again the goldsmith scraped off the slag and turned the fire up even hotter than before. Finally, the goldsmith looked into the vat of liquid gold, leaned back, a contented look on his face, and said "it's done."</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">"How do you know?" the member of the priest's staff asked him.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">His answer was "I know it's done when I can see my face reflected in the surface of the gold."</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">And that, the priest explained, is why so often things are rough. We face hardship, we go through the fire, to rid ourselves of our impurities until we reach the state we were meant to be in - where we, through ourselves, reflect the Lord. When we can do that, when we wear off our own rough edges, we will see that we are made to lie down in green pastures, in tender grass.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">That was what I saw when I looked at my grandmother that day. I saw the reflection of the Lord.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">And she said to me, with that unbridled joy and love on her face, "That's it, David. That's true faith. I love you. And Jesus loves you. He does."</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">I gave her a hug, told her I loved her, and left to catch my train. That was the last time I ever spoke with my grandmother. Within the next few days she lost the ability to speak altogether, and fell into a coma-like state.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">A few days later, I had a dream. I was going to Mary's Haven to visit my grandmother, but when I got to her room, she was sitting up in bed. Her face was vibrant and full of energy, and her hair was no longer white, but a soft brown, and growing darker and thicker by the moment. Outside in the hallway, I could hear people talking, and it seemed like they were talking about her.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">"I can't stick around here," she said as soon as I entered, tossing her blankets aside and getting out of bed. "Can't you hear? I've got people to talk to, I've got places to go!" And with that she marched out of the room and into the hall, leaving me there, and was gone.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">Shortly after that, I got the call from my father that she had passed.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">My older brother repeated a saying to me during the time we were there with our grandma. You can judge how well a person lived by who's there when they die. I think that's a statement we should all consider - who we want to have with us at the end. As for my grandmother, the staff at Mary's Haven told us that in all the time they've been there, taking care of people close to death, no one had ever had as many visitors for as long a time, and ones that came back so frequently, as my grandmother. Relatives came from all over the state, from Florida and Alaska, from my grandmother's family, my grandfather's family, cousins and nieces and nephews and brothers and sisters - no one connected to Margaret wanted to let her go without paying their respects, without getting a chance to say goodbye.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">As I write this, I have just come from her wake. All those same people who made long trips out to see her before she died made another trip out to see her again today. It was beyond standing room only. The line went out the door, the procession was constant. </span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">My grandmother knew that every day, in every part of her life, the Lord was with her, and He loved her. She shared that love freely, and just as He promised, it came back to her. And her cup runneth over.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">I can't possibly tell all the stories of my grandmother's life. She was the only one of my grandparents to graduate from High School. She frequently surprised people - including me - by quoting Byron or Tennyson or Shakespeare. She had the entire monologue from Act 3, Scene 1 of <i>Hamlet</i> memorized, and could quote any part of it or all of it at any time. She loved the theatre, and loved seeing anything I or anyone she knew was involved in. She was a women's rights activist at a time and in a place where no one else knew what that meant. She was a strong, vibrant, kind woman, overflowing with love. She was quiet, humble, intelligent, funny, devout, and knew what it meant to truly have faith.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">The world was richer for having had her, and richer still it will be should the lessons she left behind be remembered and passed down.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">And now she has been called home, reunited at last with my grandfather, at the side of Jesus Christ, until He comes again and she lives eternally.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">Goodbye, grandma Margaret. I love you. </span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">Rest well.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">I would like to say one final thing before the end of this. My grandmother died of cancer, a terrible illness which has touched the lives of practically everybody in some way. It has claimed the lives of both my grandmothers and my grandfather. Friends of the family have had to go through terrible ordeals because of it, and my own mother recently had a scare which, thankfully, turned out to be just that - a scare.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">As I mentioned, my grandmother was a phenomenally energetic woman. She was always working out in the yard, planting or harvesting, mowing the grass on her riding mower - the day I came to visit her at her house, when she could only manage to stay out of bed for a few minutes, she still took the time to grab a watering can and sprinkle down some of her flowers. A couple years back, after she'd already been diagnosed as terminal, she took a trip to Alaska to spend time boating around and fishing with my cousins. She was sharp-witted, never out of things to say, and always ready to whip out either a joke or a proverb as the situation demanded. She could lecture on politics and philosophy as easily as she could talk about local gossip.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">Cancer wasted her away to nothing. She was a skeleton in a bed. The pain took away her ability to eat, and the medication she took for the pain gradually stole her focus and her mind. She died with a great deal of dignity, but it was still tragic what that disease did to her body before the end.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">My grandmother smoked for decades. She gave it up a long time ago, and she ate healthy food and maintained an active lifestyle, but it caught up to her eventually. Sometimes you can't avoid it - sometimes cancer just happens. There are a number of people, though, people I care about, I see needlessly increasing their risk to develop this terrible illness. People with a great deal of strength and great intelligence whom I see smoking, or overeating, or doing other things to elevate their risk.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">I'd like to not see anyone else suffer the way my grandmother did. There are numerous sources of information available online about ways to lower your risk, and I'd encourage everyone to take at least a minute or two to look them over. It can only help, and I'd like all my friends and family to stay with me as long as possible.</span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13"><br /></span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-13-13">Thank you. Good night, and God bless.</span></div>David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-91090138552979062802011-10-12T22:04:00.000-04:002011-10-12T22:04:27.508-04:00Occupied Wall Street (Part Three): The Notary, the Suit, and the TraderA short time after I finding the giant dry-erase board with the minutes and issues from meetings of the General Assembly, I came upon a curious sight. A woman sitting on the ground underneath a tree, behind a small table she had set up. Above her, a sign which read "Public Notary." A handful of clipboards and a stack of forms sat beside her. Wondering what it was she had set up, I decided to ask if she'd be open to an interview. She agreed, as long as I filled out one of her forms - the purpose of which she was about to explain - in exchange.<br />
<br />
Me: Could I have your name again?<br />
<br />
Caren: My name is Caren Dashow, otherwise known as Yesiree, the public notary.<br />
<br />
Me: And how long have you been here at Occupied Wall Street?<br />
<br />
Caren: I've been coming down every few days. I just started doing this the other day.<br />
<br />
Me: Now "this" is - you're sitting under a sign that says "Public Notary" and you've got these manifestation forms here. Could you tell me what it is you're doing here specifically?<br />
<br />
Caren: I am asking people to write down their visions for the future, and then I will notarize them - and they have to show proper identification - and the idea is to get a legal manifestation, a compilation that can be a document, and that could be used in different ways. It could be used as a document for the Library of Congress, it could be used by the General Assembly, however it is that we want to do this, but it's a good way to - kind of like what you're doing - to get a smattering of what different people think, what is our vision, what it is we want as opposed to what it is we don't want.<br />
<br />
Me: Now, the message that I've been getting from the outside media sources covering the event is that this is . . . unorganized, it's divisive, it's . . . Americans against Americans, class warfare gets thrown around a lot. What's your impression of the attitude here (unrelated cheers in the background) besides the obvious brotherhood happening behind us?<br />
<br />
Caren: Okay, well I think the disorganization is the strongest part. I think this is beautiful that for three weeks these people have been negotiating and figuring out ways that they want their future to be, you know? And . . . and the world is changing, and this is a big say in the way people want the world to change.<br />
<br />
Me: What would make - you say you've been coming here about three weeks -<br />
<br />
Caren: Yeah, off and on, not the entire time. I'd come when I could and I was trying to figure out what I could do to help this, and I thought "well, what I don't see is, not just a list of demands, but, I want to be able to see what it is people really want." So, this was a way to individually get voices to figure out what it is people want, and then I could do that, but also, as you're saying, to get that out, get that information out.<br />
<br />
Me: Well thank you very much Caren, and I guess I'll fill one of these out now.<br />
<br />
And I did, and she notarized and recorded my statement. It might even be up at <a href="http://yesireepublicnotary.wordpress.com/">http://yesireepublicnotary.wordpress.com/</a> one day.<br />
<br />
After almost two hours of wandering around Occupied Wall Street I had yet to even really scratch the surface of the amount of diversity present in my interviews. The ways people had found to coexist peacefully and productively in the throng of humanity was nothing short of remarkable. I found myself at what sounded like a drum circle from a distance, but turned out to be just a handful of individuals banging away constantly to the cheers of onlookers and the consistent outbursts of pro-Occupation chants.<br />
<br />
What I noticed a lot of as I made a lap around the park was the number of people with recording equipment. Voice recorders, camcorders, video phones, television cameras and sound equipment; there was no shortage of people going in amongst the people and trying to hear what they were saying and get the message out. It's a wonder to me I haven't heard more of the voices of the people in the mainstream media, because there is a wealth of recordings which must exist if what I saw was any indication. If you're looking for coverage of why the people are doing what they're doing, what they're saying about their reasons for being there, what it is they want, simply go to the scores of people - some, I'm sure, amateur reporters, others perhaps more like me, curious as to what people will say and wanting to spread their words to the outside - who have been covering the Occupation and posting their results on blogs, twitter, or YouTube. The age when the media could black out an event is over. The people can be their own media now.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
I came across Troy again while walking on the other side of the protest line, and a few more of his signs were displayed. For those wondering "well, why are they there?" Troy's signs seem to make a few pretty strong points to consider.<br />
<br />
<i>They Have Perpetuated Inequality and Discrimination in the Workplace Based on Age, Color of One's Skin, Sexual Identity or Orientation.</i><br />
<br />
<i>They Have Taken Our Houses Through Illegal Foreclosure Processes Despite Not Having the Original Mortgage.</i><br />
<br />
<i>They Have Taken Bailouts from Taxpayers with Impunity and Continue to Give Executives Exorbitant Bonuses.</i><br />
<br />
I've heard a lot about how the people Occupying Wall Street are a mixture of old hippies and bored college kids. Here's what I found.<br />
<br />
High school students. College students. People just out of college, middle aged people, senior citizens, people who are white, black, Asian, Indian, Latino, Arabic, Native American, hippies, people in suits, people who came to the park after work and left a few hours later, people who had been living there for weeks, homeless people, poor people, middle-income people, well-off people, the unemployed, the underemployed, the gainfully employed. Schoolteachers and motorcycle gang members, waitresses and lawyers, people who had been New Yorkers their whole lives and people who had traveled from thousands of miles away to be there. Men, women and children. In sum, Americans.<br />
<br />
It's everyone. It's every kind of American. It's Americans from everywhere. None of them have the same grievances to air, but they all have something. No one is there just to be there, no one I met is occupying just to be there. They have legitimate concerns about the way money is used in this country and they want to be heard.<br />
<br />
It's not about a specific idea or goal. It's about our presence. It's about being there. It's about the message that is inherently sent by performing the act of Occupying Wall Street.<br />
<br />
On the side of the park opposite that facing Wall Street, I came across a duo seated on top of the stairs, each holding a sign. Both were dressed in suits which probably cost more than my monthly car payment. They were both frequently checking their iPhones. These were not unemployed people desperate for work and coming to complain for free money. One had a sign which read <i>My Job is Tough - Buying Politicians is Hard Work</i>. I spoke with Dustin, who was holding a sign which simply stated <i>Democracy, not Plutocracy.</i><br />
<br />
Dustin: Well we were founded as a Democracy, but what we have now is a Plutocracy, where government benefits only the wealthy.<br />
<br />
Me: And how long have you been coming here?<br />
<br />
Dustin: I've been here since Sunday.<br />
<br />
Me: So what do you see when you look around here?<br />
<br />
Dustin: I see the people are angry, and they're here to do something about it.<br />
<br />
Me: And do you, personally, think something is being accomplished? Are their voices being heard?<br />
<br />
Dustin: Yeah, I think we're being heard. We don't have any specific demands quite yet to propose, but we're definitely being heard by the nation.<br />
<br />
Me: Now, that lack of specific demands. I've talked to other people about it and they say it's a good thing, it makes it more inclusive. It means everyone can get involved. Do you think that's true?<br />
<br />
Dustin: Yeah, that's true - anyone can get involved, as long as it has to do with the fact that our financial institutions have basically bankrupted our government.<br />
<br />
Me: And how long do you intend to keep coming here?<br />
<br />
Dustin: Indefinitely.<br />
<br />
Me: Thanks Dustin, it's been great talking to you.<br />
<br />
I found a notice board a short way back into the park, behind the kitchen, near the entrance to the park. There was a stream of information on it; the local weather forecast, the number of days the occupation had lasted (and a notice to use dry erase markers, no sharpies), and a count; the number of U.S. Cities Occupied by the movement was at 148, along with 28 cities outside the United States. Below that, a notice to observe quiet hours from 10PM to 8AM out of respect for neighbors.<br />
<br />
As sundown approached, I was looking for one more person to interview before leaving the park for the day. I knew I wanted something different, but practically everyone was different, so it was hard to narrow down my choices. Then I passed by a discussion circle.<br />
<br />
I found myself drawn in to find a middle-aged man with an intense stare engaged in a serious discussion about the nature of Wall Street. It wasn't long before he was approached by a boisterous and angry man who identified himself as being from Boston. The first man, as it turns out, was a former Wall Street trader there to talk with people about exactly how it is Wall Street makes money. As his discussion/disagreement with the Bostonian escalated (the Bostonian insisted the problem was that there's no production in the country - we no longer produce anything in our economy) his views were made fairly clear.<br />
<br />
First, he was letting people know that Wall Street serves a useful purpose. The money which is moved by trading is facilitated by Wall Street, and that's useful for society and the economy.<br />
<br />
Second, if you walked to the clothing store across the street, grabbed a handful of shirts and walked out, you'd be prosecuted. That's stealing. The Bostonian brought up the Glass-Steagall Act with the same intensity which Jacob had spoken of it earlier. The former trader rebuked this idea with the fact that repealing Glass-Steagall wasn't good, but it didn't make securities fraud legal. It didn't make tying mortgages together legal. The problem was that people get arrested for every day crimes, yet no one on Wall Street was getting arrested, there was no individual liability for people who defraud the system for their own benefit or that of their company.<br />
<br />
Finally, underlying everything, he made a point to mention how the people in America regularly - I should say consistently - get taken in by rhetoric and vote against their best economic interests due to a woeful lack of education on the issue.<br />
<br />
After the Bostonian had moved on, I managed to get a quick interview. He seemed like he wanted to remain anonymous, and I get that impression from his websites as well, so his name has been omitted.<br />
<br />
Me: I'm standing here next to a sign which reads "Former Trader Discusses How Wall Street Makes Money." And you said you worked for 12 years in trading securities, is that right?<br />
<br />
: Treasuries, treasury bonds.<br />
<br />
Me: Treasury bonds, okay. So what brings you Occupied Wall Street?<br />
<br />
: Well, since I left, I spent some time talking to people in government, and SEC, Department of Justice, etc., about how Wall Street makes money in the bond market, which I knew from my personal experience, and that is that there's a lot of front-running by dealers of their customers, meaning trading ahead at their customer's expense, and didn't get a lot of . . . it wasn't very receptive. Neither the SEC or Department of Justice very interested. I've talked to a lot of politicians, basically anyone that's on a committee that's involved in this, I've contacted them to say "hey, you might want to look at this."<br />
<br />
I contacted the SEC again after the whole financial crisis to say "well, it might not have been interesting beforehand, you might want to look at what goes on in the treasury market because the treasury market is the most liquid and transparent market in the world, and that stuff is going on there, you can kind of extrapolate what goes on in the mortgage market, which is traded by basically the same people, same trading source, same firms, as the treasury market, and therefore - and far less liquid and transparent - and so by extrapolation it might help you understand what went on there. <br />
<br />
Again, not much interest.<br />
<br />
So, I follow anyone who's interested in questioning or attacking what happens on Wall Street, and so I thought I'd come down and take a look.<br />
<br />
Me: And how long have you been here?<br />
<br />
: I got here around 2:00 or so.<br />
<br />
Me: This is your first day here?<br />
<br />
: Yeah. First and last.<br />
<br />
Me: So how has the discussion been since you've been here today?<br />
<br />
: Well, I heard Jeff Sachs give a good speech, aside from that . . . I mean, there are people here with a lot of different interests, some of which I don't think are directly tied into Wall Street - which I guess is both good and bad. Because there aren't that many people who have the insight into Wall Street that I do, so most people here have kind of a . . . more diffuse sense of that things aren't going that well, which I don't disagree with, and I think it's important to understand it's certainly not healthy for the economy to have double the share of our nation's wealth that's gone towards finance in the last 30 years. Certainly hasn't helped things.<br />
<br />
Me: And my last question for you today, and thank you for speaking with me, if you just had anything you might want to say to anyone who might be interested as to why you came here or more interested in what you have to say - I guess a general message, what would that be?<br />
<br />
: Well, if you're interested in the specifics of the treasury market, I've got a website; <a href="http://ustreasurymarket.com/">http://ustreasurymarket.com/</a>, kind of help you get going if you're not familiar with the bond market, and in terms of just general rants about Wall Street, I've got a website - <a href="http://efficientmarkets.com/">http://efficientmarkets.com/</a>. I think that - you know, I think it's just wasteful to have such a huge proportion of our country's resources devoted to finance when much of it really isn't doing much, this zero-sum gaming or outright theft, and a lot of these people - many of these people - are smart, hard-working talented people, and if finance didn't pay the most, they'd be doing something useful.<br />
<br />
So I think we should try to bring finance back to where it was before, where - there are going to be a few people making a lot of money on Wall Street, because if you're able to be right about markets, obviously it's going to pay you very well. It's just that there aren't that many people who make money being right about markets. Most people make money being in the middle of a very dishonest and inefficient system. And that's - they're really kind of the longshoremen of this generation. There's a lot of graft. It's basically not that different from - basically, you know the mob - when there was a lot of freight coming into New York City and you brought a shipping container in here, they knew they were going to lose a certain amount of it to the longshoremen - to the mob. And these kind of attacks on the economy, it was - it's kind of the reason no one ships anything in through New York City anymore.<br />
<br />
And likewise, Wall Street is basically attacks on the rest of the country's economy, and there's really no alternative. You can't really find somewhere else to go because they control all of it. Anything that reduces their share of the economy will both be good to reducing inequality which is bad from a justice standpoint and bad from a company standpoint, which - you just can't compete with these guys. Look at any - just take Universities. I went to school at the University of Chicago, look at the Board of Trustees. It's all guys from Wall Street, because who else has that kind of money? Who else can give $5,000,000? I mean, the occasional successful Steve Jobs can, or Bill Gates can, but in terms of just thousands and thousands of people who have a lot of money, you're talking Wall Street. And that's not good.<br />
<br />
Me: Well thank you very much for speaking with me.<br />
<br />
I left the park after speaking with the trader. I had a previous engagement with some friends, but I was eager to get back home afterwards and write up the report on all I had seen and done while Occupying Wall Street.<br />
<br />
Then, on my way to the subway station, a horde of sign-waving protestors as large as the group gathered in the park came marching up the street. They passed by me, chanting "People! United! Will never be defeated!" The police had to shepard traffic away from them as they marched in their great numbers. <br />
<br />
I realized that, compared to how much is happening on Wall Street right now, how many stories make up the Occupation, I hadn't seen anything in my all-too-brief stay. What's happening on Wall Street cannot be contained in a series of interviews, or on-the-spot reporting, or a heated discussion between two politically-dissimilar pundits. What's happening is a movement. You've got to be there for yourself, stand amongst the people, talk to the people, to even get a glimmer of understanding as to what it all means.<br />
<br />
And to the people decrying the movement, let me just say this; when hundreds of thousands of people come together to voice their outrage at the financial institutions of America, for hundreds of thousands of different reasons, and every one of them has some degree of legitimacy - that means there is a problem with our financial institutions, and you are likely on the wrong side of the line.<br />
<br />
One thing I will say in conclusion, though. I have never believed in the idea that you could change a system from the outside. I went to Wall Street wanting to find out from the people there what their thoughts were as opposed to listening to others worlds away, literally and figuratively, tell me what was going on. I might have believed in their goals, but not necessarily their methods. I've long been of the opinion that if you really want to affect change, you have to become a part of the system and work from inside.<br />
<br />
Experiencing what's happening on Wall Street though, and knowing it's happening around the country, it makes me believe that maybe there's an exception to that rule. <br />
<br />
Until I see for sure, I'll keep going back, every weekend for as long as I can, and bring the words of Occupy Wall Street back to you.<br />
<br />
Finally, a last note - it's a fatally flawed misnomer to call them disorganized. This operation runs like clockwork, and it knows exactly what it is doing, and are prepared to keep it up for as long as they need to.<br />
<br />
They are the 99%, and the 1% can only withstand a siege like this for so long.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-11158570965973932182011-10-08T21:54:00.000-04:002011-10-08T21:54:23.271-04:00Occupied Wall Street (Part Two): The Gospel of Reverend BillyAfter my talk with Jacob I spent some more time going through the camp, but it wasn't long before my attention was taken by a figure in a white sports jacket, white dress pants, white collar and black shirt. He sported a mass of bleach-blond hair atop his head which waved back and forth rhythmically as he called to the audience gathered around him. Cameras were on him. A crowd had formed quickly. Every few words of his spirited sermon, he would pause, and just as they did when someone was making an announcement, the crowd would repeat everything he had just said loud enough for everyone outside the circle to hear.<br />
<br />
He was passionate in every word, and spoke with a voice that infused the crowd with energy. This was my encounter with Reverend Billy of the Anti-Consumerist Church, and this is what he had to say. Ellipses added wherever the crowd shouted back what he was saying.<br />
<br />
"To my daughter Lina . . . back in Brooklyn . . . Amen!<br />
<br />
I'm Reverend Billy . . . from the Stop-Shopping Church (applause, cheers). I've been talking to . . . sooooome people! Arooound New York . . . and arooound the world. And some of them . . . laugh, and loath this thing we're doing.<br />
<br />
And some of them . . . they go "ohhhhhhhh . . . I don't know!"<br />
"Ohhhh . . .how is that gonna work?"<br />
"Ohhhhhhhh . . . it's kinda . . vague!"<br />
"What are the . . . specific demands?!"<br />
"What do they WANT?"<br />
And I say . . . the answer is . . . to occupy Wall Street!"<br />
<br />
Let me share with you . . . what I believe . . . and the people in my Anti-Consumerist Church believe . . . that occupying Wall Street . . . <i>could not be more specific!</i><br />
<br />
(Extended cheers)<br />
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Living here . . . living here on this square . . . exercising the freedoms . . . of the First Amendment . . . Speech! Worship! Press! Peaceable gathering! And protest! The First Amendment . . . has not been in public space . . . in New York City . . . since 9/11!<br />
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We have it here now.<br />
<br />
(Cheers, applause)<br />
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We are living in the First Amendment! It is a part of the occupation . . . speaking and singing . . . feeding and making media . . . and being surprised by people. People arriving from everywhere . . . for a thousand different reasons . . . <i>is completely specific</i>.<br />
<br />
Children!<br />
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I'm losing my voice . . . but you have many voices.<br />
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Those freedoms . . . Americans have died for . . . and now we . . . are living those freedoms.<br />
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And this force . . . will cross that sidewalk . . . and go up that escalator . . . and walk into the corner office . . . where they keep those financial formulae . . . that victimize us . . . our living . . . will dismantle . . . their mathematics.<br />
<br />
Thank you, people."<br />
<br />
I kept getting hung up on his emphasis on what about the protest was, in his words, completely specific. Thousands of people from thousands of places coming for thousands of different reasons, all because they heard of the Occupy Wall Street movement and said "yes, the thing I am concerned about directly relates to that. This is where I need to go."<br />
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And the Reverend was right. That <i>is </i>very specific.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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I spent some more time walking through the camp, and found a dry erase board with a list of notifications from the General Assembly. It had the minutes from a meeting the day before, needs of the people living in the park, planning for the space, and announcements from people all around the country whom had come to list grievances. The detail was incredible considering that it came from what appeared to be a meeting with open participation in a crowd of thousands. Maybe it wasn't a list of specific, agreed-upon demands, maybe it wasn't a detailed list of solutions to the problems they perceived, but it was a structured and organized plan for how they intend to continue Occupying Wall Street.<br />
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Among the things on the announements;<br />
<br />
"Transparency is becoming an issue, info desk needs to know meeting times."<br />
"Suits don't equal lack of support, treat all with respect."<br />
"This is a drug-free park, it endangers everyone else."<br />
<br />
I was hoping to get some time to interview some of the kitchen staff, but unfortunately the volunteers were heavily burdened by the line of Occupiers. They moved with constant and frenetic energy, moving from one task to the next and only stopping when a brief pep-talk needed to be called to go over duties and keep everyone together.<br />
<br />
Despite the pressure on them, I didn't see one who was short with anyone else, or snippy to people in the line, or express any outward signs of anger. In fact, anger was a hard emotion to find in the camp. Discontent, of course, frustration, perhaps, but if I had to sum up the entire atmosphere in a single word it would be . . . open.<br />
<br />
An increasingly good feeling about what was happening here coming over me, I moved on to my next set of interviews, where I met a public notary and a Wall Street trader. But more on that in Part Three.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-1682321745164872412011-10-08T15:50:00.003-04:002011-10-08T15:54:38.372-04:00Occupied Wall Street (Part One)The last 21 days have seen the birth and growth of a movement which has come to be known as Occupy Wall Street. Thousands of protestors from around the country have gathered in the nerve center of America's financial institutions to protest . . . well, that's the question, isn't it?<br />
<br />
I have heard a lot in recent weeks about what the protestors stand for, or don't stand for. I've heard them called a mob, heard them called divisive and un-American, heard that they're instigating class warfare. I've even heard from potential Presidential candidate Herman Cain that they're <a href="http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/10/gop_presidential_hopeful_herma.html">just jealous</a>. The country's largest news organization, on the front page of its website today, lent two stories to the protests; one about how they're <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/07/owners-zuccotti-park-says-conditions-unsanitary-from-wall-street-protests/">dirtying up the park</a>, and another <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/07/occupy-wall-street-blasts-banking-industry-but-apologizes-to-its-own-banker/">criticizing their criticism of banking</a> based on frozen donation funds. On the other side of things, people have extolled to me the virtue of what's happening, that this kind of revolution taking place is exactly what the country needs. People are angry at Wall Street and the way business has been done in this country, the disproportionate wealth, the unfair and unscrupulous business practices, the influence of corporate money in our politics, and more.<br />
<br />
What I've been told more than anything though, from people who both support and detract from the movement, is that the movement has no direction, no cohesion, that it's disorganized and rudderless, and without a specific message, they're not going to get anywhere. It's great (or terrible) that they're there, but they won't accomplish anything until they propose some solutions or list some demands. Without that, they're just a bunch of angry college kids.<br />
<br />
So I decided I'd heard quite enough from people outside of the occupation about what was happening within it. Today, I went into Occupied Wall Street to bring the message from the people there out to rest of the world. These are some of those messages.<br />
<br />
It is October 7th of 2011 and I am on my way to Wall Street to find out exactly what the protestors there want from the financial institutions of America. At 3:50 PM, I enter the occupation and look around for people to talk to. After some time spent just getting my bearings in the camp staked out at Zuccoti Park, I came across a pair holding up two particularly well-made signs. As you might imagine, the protest area is awash in cardboard and posterboard, rampant with slogans ranging from scathing to humorous, along with a solid mixture of both. This pair, however, were holding up two professionally-made banners which caught my eye. That's what prompted me to approach Troy, a twenty-something Occupier and, I found out, the maker of the signs.<br />
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Me: Hi, would you mind saying your name?<br />
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Troy: My name is Troy Kreiner.<br />
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Me: Troy, how are you doing today?<br />
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Troy: Doing well, how are you?<br />
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Me: Good. So what brings you to Wall Street? To Occupied Wall Street, specifically.<br />
<br />
Troy: To ask questions. And to help hand out statements from the General Assembly's declaration, which is like the one I'm holding above me and the one my friend is holding next to me. I came here last week, I noticed a lot of people voicing their concern of not understanding why people are here, and saying "well, it's all unorganized," and, uh, I wanted to, you know, make some signs for people that they could define themselves with, something that they could gravitate towards, so they could have something that they'd want to associate with. So, I've been handing out some of these signs, and this one associates with myself, and the one next to me probably associates with other people as well.<br />
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Me: Now, I don't have a camera, so do you mind if I just read what your sign says? (He answers no). The sign Troy is holding says <i>They Have Held Students Hostage With Tens of Thousands of Dollars of Debt on Education Which is Itself A Human Right</i> and the sign next to him says <i>They Have Poisoned the Food Supply Through Negligence and Undermined the Farming System Through Monopolization</i>. So, if you had the chance to send this message, or a message, directly to Wall Street, to someone who had some actual influence over these things, what would you tell them? What would you - if you had just an argument to make or a solution to propose, what would you say?<br />
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Troy: This is the thing - I don't have a solution yet. I'm just scratching the surface and asking questions and - trying to start a dialogue. I don't have an answer yet, and . . . it's okay.<br />
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Me: It is. That's actually the best answer I could've asked for.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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After speaking with Troy, I moved along the camp of the protestors to see a little bit about how they were living after three weeks inside a park. Almost immediately I saw they had set up what appeared to be a free and fully functioning kitchen staffed entirely by volunteers, men and women of all age groups preparing and handing out food to a long line of hungry occupiers. The buffet line, for lack of a better word, was filled with donated fruits, vegetables, bread, and even chicken wings. There's a compost heap for the sanitary disposal of food waste. Despite what that article Fox News has posted regarding the way the protestors are treating the park, there are signs posted by the Occupiers alerting people not to disturb the park's flower beds.<br />
<br />
Several times I saw the occasion arise for someone to make an announcement, be it to notify people about a general meeting on sanitation duties or to let someone know they left their glasses in the kitchen. Every time someone would shout a few words and the crowd around them, without instruction, would immediately echo what was just said to ensure as many people could hear what was going on as possible. For what I'd heard described as an unorganized movement, there was a pretty substantial level of organization.<br />
<br />
There was also what appeared to be a yoga class happening, and New York City's own Naked Cowboy was on hand. I did not stop to interview the Cowboy.<br />
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I had moved outside the protestors line now to read the signs and hear some of the conversations happening It was there I encountered Jacob, a gentlemen who looked to be in his mid-fifties. He was holding a sign lamenting the repeal of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass%E2%80%93Steagall_Act">Glass-Steagall Act</a>. The repeal of that Act by Bill Clinton during his second term is cited by many as the catalyst for today's financial instability, but Jacob was the first person I had seen with a sign specifically referencing it. My interview with Troy had been brief, to the point, and informative. This was to be the opposite.<br />
<br />
Me: Hi sir, what's your name?<br />
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Jacob: My name is Jacob Josefs.<br />
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Me: Hi, Jacob. Your sign says "Mr. Bill Clinton, Why Did You Remove the Glass-Steagal Act of 1933?" And I was hoping -<br />
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Jacob: And read the other question.<br />
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Me: (The sign goes on) "And Mr. George Bush et all, Why Did You Help Rape U.S.A?" Very good questions, and I was wondering if you would say a few words to people who aren't here to occupy Wall Street, people I'm trying to get the message out to, about what repealing Glass-Steagall meant for America.<br />
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Jacob: Well, when they repealed the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, technically, it was done under the last term, the lame duck term, of Bill Clinton. And they always forethink - they can see what's going on in the next five to ten years. That's how they work. And, uh, ah, Bill Clinton, he committed the biggest sin he could have ever committed. He disrespected the old-timers, the grandparents, of the FDR administration. Congress, his . . . grand-Congress. Family. Parents. By repealing that Glass-Steagall Act when it was specifically created because that was the last legislation to prevent . . . from what happened. With the JPMorgan Chase people, with the robber barons people, they learned about this, all this inflating stocks, and monopoly, blah, blah, blah, and that's why they wrote the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, so that they could prevent the very . . . result that happened here in 2007, 8, and 9, and we're seeing this, and, uh, shame on them so Clinton technically in the 90s, late 90s, repealed it, or removed it, ahh, and then George Bush did the raping. And that's what we have here.<br />
<br />
Actually, everybody in Congress, everybody, uh, all those nepotists, all those . . .ah, example of what we're talking about right here at Ground Zero and New York State we have a New York State Senator, his name is Chuck Schumer. Why should he be a Senator for 30 years? We need term limits here. Or, for example, let's take that idiot Weiner, Anthony Weiner, flashing his, his, his uh, underwear, on the uh, Twitter websites. He overstayed his job, uh, as a Congressman. And even - I pulled for him. And, uh, the thing is we need to change. So we've got Clinton, he undid the Steagall Act, flouted the uh, grandparents, and they said "you can't undo it," but he did it, so it shows you that they do what they want to do and we have no more voice, and we're rising up today here, and we're gonna - we're not gonna stop til' . . . I don't care if it's 1% or 2%, 3 percenters, 4, uh, whatever it is, we're gonna prevail, and we're gonna change the system, Congress is gonna have to . . . ah, make room for um, sacrifice. And heads are gonna start rolling, and we need uh, Gradarian* Democracy.<br />
<br />
What is Gradarian Democracy? Gradarian Democracy is uh, instead of having the stock exchange representing corporations, entities, like people, but we'll have what they call People's Exchange. And uh, what this entails is, uh, the floor of the Congress will have a People's Exchange - a ticker - that represents every zip code of the Union, the 50 states, and also, in the floors of the Senate. And what Gradarian Democracy means is that 16-year-olds - because of the internet - and 17-year-olds will likewise be able to vote parallel to the 18-year-olds. And then, what we will do, we don't have to go and waste time, and start pulling levers somewhere in some, uh, school-place where they have voting booths, or we have to trust ourselves with these, uh, these, the new computers that they have - I mean, it's enough we learned from Florida - and, uh, you know, so, the point is we can literally, you know - even Green Card holders - Green Card holders shall have the right to vote. They could vote, say, for the governor. Of the state they're in. Okay? We can limit that, and/or they could vote for the President.<br />
<br />
*I'm not sure this is a word, I couldn't find it anywhere, so it may be Jacob's own idea.<br />
Me: (Finally getting my tape recorder, which he had taken from me, back) You think that anyone who is affected by policies that states pass should have a say in those policies? A say in their representatives?<br />
<br />
Jacob: Say that again, I'm sorry.<br />
<br />
Me: Anyone who lives in a state and is going to be affected by policies that state is going to pass, should have a say in who their representatives are? Be they teenagers or green card holders - anyone who lives in America.<br />
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Jacob: Yeah, well, you know - but, we're talking about the mature audience. The 16-year-olds today are very mature, they're very advanced for their time, you know - due to the internet. Not only that, the TV and stuff, they, uh - and you know, they're taller than they were 50 years ago, they live longer than they did 50 years ago, and uh, and uh . . . they need a voice. The 16, 17-year-olds need a voice. They're part of this. And the, the, the green card holders should be able to vote, too. And, uh . . . pardon me . . . but, as I was saying, Gradarian Democracy will be such that we'll have a certain day of the month, we could call it the Votery Association Day, and what we'll do is, what we'll do is, we'll uh, we'll actually uh, vote right from our living rooms, right from our TVs. And the question will be; it will be the Congress, and/or the President, who can get all the Senate, the leadership of the - that, or the Congress - and even the President can come to us and say "hey, should we make war with Iraq? Yea or nay." That's it. And we'll see it up there like a ticker. Like a - on the People's Ticker. We'll see where all the yeas come from, and all the nos. And it will be final. That's it. You don't have to make your job seem like it's so complicated. It ain't complicated. My 16-year-old could do your Congressman's job. Senator. It's all really, it's all, it's super - it's really deceit, is what it is. And, and really, they can't fool us anymore. Period.<br />
<br />
So, God Bless America anyway. I'm looking at the, uh, uh building - the World Trade Center Two area, from Liberty Street, I'm looking at that building, I know the One World Trade Center is about on its 87th floor, or - no, 83rd floor, and believe it or not, America's gonna rise again. Remember that. America's gonna - and really, when it comes to 19 - uh - 2014, that's when it's all gonna happen. And uh, excuse me, but . . . excuse me but, vote for Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney. He will be the first President to have a woman Vice-President, and he's gonna be the President to make 16-year-olds, or 17-year-olds, or give them the right to vote. Anyway, be healthy, be well, hugs and kisses to all the brothers and the sisters.<br />
<br />
Me: Now, I just have one more question. Mind telling me how long you've been here already (My meaning was here at Occupy Wall Street)?<br />
<br />
Jacob: I came from Israel when I was uh . . .five years old. I'm 56 years old, I grew up and lived in Coney Island most of my life, my parents came to this country from Israel as immigrants in 1960 . . . my parents had a choice to come to Australia or America, my father chose America. We came here by ship, and the first thing we saw when we - as we were approaching New York Harbor, my father touched me on the head and takes me out on the starboard side, and he says, "Yakov" - Jacob, Jack - "lo and behold, we've just landed." And as we're walking into the harbor we see the parachute jump in Coney Island, you know, moving, up and down, and uh . . and that was amazing. And actually I became a U.S. Merchant Seaman, I traveled all over the world. And I studied all 5 of the world's major religions - all the major religions of the world. So, I'm, I don't consider myself Jewish anymore. I consider myself as a, ahhh, a hard word, but, it's called an Apocalyptarian. I'm an Apocalyptic figure, not pre-Apocalyptic. I believe we can't walk on H2O, we can't just uh . . .beam down, or beam up by photons. You know, the biblical life story, that's their story. That's pre-Apocalyptic. The people walking on water story, that's their pre-Apocalypse story. Not my story, so, uh, we're waking up. America's gonna rise again, and the dollar is gonna be supreme.<br />
<br />
Me: Alright. And how long have you been here occupying Wall Street?<br />
<br />
Jacob: I've been here - I used to work in building one, room 8411, it was a general communications corporation, I worked for Chinese people, and what I did was - I used to promote . . . it was a Microsoft school. They had a contract with Microsoft to promote and teach hands-on, people who wanted to learn Microsoft, and they would get certificates for the products - you know, like Professional, stuff like that, and uh . . . but I've been here since Monday. I do business in this area, Department of Consumer Affairs, right down on Broadway, and uh, I was affected by this, and - the election is coming. The election is coming. The election is coming.<br />
<br />
Me: Jacob, thank you very much, it's been great talking to you, and I will get your message out to the people.<br />
<br />
And so I did.<br />
<br />
The difference between Troy and Jacob couldn't have been more pronounced. Troy is a young man with questions to ask and the desire to open up a dialogue with the organizations he is protesting against, and he readily admits he doesn't have any easy solution. Jacob is in his mid-50s, and he not only has solutions ready to propose, but he seems to have thought them through in great detail. Troy was brief, succinct, and stayed very much on the topic of why he was there and what he had been doing. Jacob went on an extended rant and bounced around from topic to topic as they occurred to him. Two entirely different sides of the spectrum, both pulled in to Occupy Wall Street by what they see is a legitimate chance to make some real change happen. But was the rest of the park filled with more focused, level-headed Troys, or more scattershot, ranting Jacobs? As with any movement so large, with tens of thousands of people involved, I'd have to guess that you'd find a pretty fair representation of both.<br />
<br />
But is that a strength or a weakness? Does the presence of such radically opposed reasons for being in Zuccoti Park undermine the movement by creating a lack of cohesion, a vagueness of message, a confusion of why people are there in the first place?<br />
<br />
I'd get the answer to that question in the form of a sermon from one Reverend Billy, which will follow in Part Two.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-55718592914310783192011-04-08T01:42:00.004-04:002011-04-09T20:01:18.655-04:00Guest Gentleman: Dear DCPS...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ffd966;">Today's Guest Gentleman is a dear friend and very, very good teacher with more patience and love in her heart than I can ever imagine possessing.</span><br />
<br />
Thank you for your honest and informative feedback provided by your most recently hired “Master Educator” of the current WL teacher at $%HS in Washington DC. According to your rubric, she has been qualified as a Minimally Effective teacher, scoring not so much as one 3 or 4 out of 4 points in any of the Teach 1-9 categories on your IMPACT rubric. According to your score, this is what a “minimally effective” teacher looks like:<br />
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- She has been at the same position for 3 years and has developed positive rapports with 80-90% of the students she’s taught (P.S. She almost just wrote “teached”. Thank you also for the stellar grammatical influence your environment has on college graduates).<br />
- She has gotten to school hours before and after the required time to A) plan lessons, B) grade quizzes, projects and in-class assignments that clearly show production of a language other than English and C) organize extracurricular activities that you put on her shoulders the DAY BEFORE THEY TAKE PLACE because you failed to take the responsibility on yourself and she didn’t want to let the students down.<br />
- She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Foreign Language Education and Teaching English as a Second Language Certification to become a better teacher for your students.<br />
- She was nominated as her Department Chair in her second year of teaching (granted by default) and took an enormous workload including statistical analysis of the (non)growth of student achievement without so much as training her in any of the documentation that is so “official”.<br />
- She remains a solid presence in her students’ anything-but-stable lives, serving as a mother, best friend, sister, guidance counselor, mentor and teacher while also trying to maintain her own life separate from work.<br />
<br />
I could go on about the “detrimental” behaviors and actions that this teacher has engaged in to make you consider her “Minimally Effective” when, miraculously, she has never received an overall score of less than a 3.2 out of 4 in her two years teaching under this imperfect IMPACT evaluation system.<br />
<br />
Why then did she receive in her most recent “Master Educator” evaluation a 1.66 out of 4 overall?? Tell me, was she drunk in front of the classroom? Did she by chance hit or insult any of the students in your presence? In fact, did any of the students act out AT ALL at any point throughout the tiny, 30-minute window you saw into her class when she teaches 3 classes for 80 minutes a day? (Because really, that’s what her job has become: babysitting.)<br />
<br />
The District of Columbia is special. You tell the teachers and students so every day. We are in a unique situation and are pioneers of the future of education, specifically ensuring that every single classroom is stocked with a “Highly Effective” teacher, who apparently engages in none of the behaviors exhibited so erroneously by the WL teacher at $%HS. She understands what it takes to be an effective teacher, and in fact, scored 4. Points. Away from being considered “Highly Effective” last year and receiving a considerable amount of money, the possibility of being observed and filmed as a model classroom for potential new hires to the District. Why then did she receive a score of 1.66 out of 4?<br />
<br />
Yes, the “Monster Educator”, Mr. @, championed for the rights of World Languages. He claimed that he was an advocate for them, and that only when we worked together to demand professional development (because it is our right) that we would receive scores that ACCURATELY reflect our teaching abilities. So Mr. @ told this poor WL teacher that her scores were essentially not accurate.<br />
<br />
<div>…<div><br />
Let’s think for a moment: How can you claim to represent a system that insists upon having Effective and Highly Effective teachers in the classroom when the very rubric you work upon is NOT ACCURATE?? Her job, salary and integrity are at stake because of this imperfect evaluation system. How demeaning to hear from a man who saw 30 minutes of one lesson, on one day, in one week, of one month, in one year of a course that she is “Minimally Effective” in not one, but NINE categories. Who. Do you think. You are?<br />
<br />
DCPS, you claim to support teachers and initiatives that retain teachers for longer than a Teach for America or DC Teaching Fellows stint of two years. This teacher CHOSE to come to the District after graduation, maybe not fully understanding what she was getting herself into, but she put her heart, soul, mind, body and LIFE into this job. You didn’t put a single person into her classroom her first year of teaching. NOT ONE. She was put out to sea with swimmies and somehow managed to make it through the Bermuda triangle, shark-infested waters and the annoyance of jellyfish stings, to stay on to a third year at an institution that you claim is “on the mend”.<br />
<br />
I’m sorry, DCPS, but you just lost the most Highly “Minimally Effective” WL teacher that you will NEVER find again. I guarantee that not many people have the heart that she has to do what she did for so long for your district. When you continually tell her that is it HER fault that students are not succeeding, she beings to believe it.<br />
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However, she has come to realize that she doesn’t have to tread this murky water any longer. There are countless other districts around the world that would throw out life vests, buoys, canoes and jet skis just to get this “Minimally Effective” WL teacher into their programs.<br />
<br />
So, if your goal is the retention of Effective to Highly Effective teachers, you’re doing an extremely poor job of giving them the support they need. You can’t come in three years later and assess this teacher who’s been doing a pretty good job on a rubric that you never prepared her or trained her for. You are setting teachers up for failure and you are burning them out by placing ALL of the blame on them.<br />
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It’s time for this WL teacher who is so much more than “Minimally Effective” according to your rubric to go test the waters elsewhere, reflect on her time in DCPS with fondness and to selectively remember all of the other positive comments, feedback and scores she has received in her three years of service to your District.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your time. I wish you the best of luck. You will need it.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Mademoiselle</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14292773360697246224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-10397770935783762902011-04-01T13:28:00.003-04:002011-04-01T13:30:06.648-04:00Something Occurred To Me<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">...today while I was on the Interwebz. I had to put in my date of birth to prove that I was old enough to visit a site with graphically violent images. As I did so, I realized <i>I'm </i></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">25.</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Short of running for a few elected offices, there's pretty much nothing that I'm not allowed to do anymore. I'm never going to put my birth date down and hear someone say, "Sorry, you're not old enough yet."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's a weird feeling.</span></span>ali dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07315380273775485622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-82107417833312787322011-02-22T20:23:00.000-05:002011-02-22T20:23:17.484-05:00I Was Told There Would Be Snow<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A portrait of my Monday evening in three haikus:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wanted a half-smoke.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Where are you hot dog cart guy?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now I am hungry.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's President's Day</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And it's raining in D.C.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No one out to eat.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Saw gum in the road.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thought that it was a quarter.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Such disappointment.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>ali dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07315380273775485622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-49760991939881851772011-02-18T14:23:00.010-05:002011-02-19T02:30:33.733-05:00RoundTable of Loooove<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Valentine's Day has come and gone, but love (and its antithesis) are always in the air. These Gentlemen gathered 'round the RoundTable to discuss our favorite love and anti-love songs, and they go as thus...</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Pratt</span></strong><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've got plenty of good love songs I could list here, but in my travels I've come across three exceptional anti-love songs. I would be remiss not to mention them here, along with my two picks for top two in the pro-love field.<br /><br />3) "</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cyEm-QpIeU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again I Go Unnoticed</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" by Dashboard Confessional<br /><br />Key lyrics:<br />Please tell me you're just feeling tired<br />cause if it's more than that I feel that I might break<br />out of touch, out of time.<br />Please send me anything but signals that are mixed<br />cause I can't read your rolling eyes<br />out of touch, are we out of time?<br /><br />This is a wrenching song for anyone in a relationship where they can tell the days are numbered. The singer is obviously trying desperately to hold on to a love that is slowly slipping away from him, and not in a dramatic fashion either. The relationship is over for one of them, and she's going to slowly slip away from a person who doesn't want it to end.<br /><br />2) "</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z51od0LHq2E"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Said the Spider to the Fly</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" by The Paper Chase<br /><br />Key lyrics:<br />Good things die all the time,<br />God bless your heart, vengeance is mine.<br />"Kiss me like you mean goodbye," said the spider to the fly.<br />When all those times you thought that you were wrong, you were right.<br /><br />This song takes place clearly after the love has already ended, and at least one of the participants is looking back on this with a little bit of bitterness ("when your lover loves to cheat there's another you can meet, it's a short pier it's a long walk - home"). If you want to look back on a failed relationship and be filled with righteous indignation about it, this is the song to listen to.<br /><br />1) "</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiTm0L05q4k"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't Say a Word</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" by Sonata Arctica<br /><br />Key lyrics:<br />Closing your eyes, don't ever say you love me, whore<br />You never meant a word, I know you lied<br />When there is life, there is despair, indulge me now<br />And stay alive this night<br />I promise you the end before the first light arrives<br /><br />So, unlike the last two, this song is about an angry, angry relationship and is about as firmly anti-love as you can get. Whatever happened between the two people in this song was terrible, self-destructive, and mutually devastating, probably from the start. It takes a special kind of bad break-up to spawn a metal song, and we have a front row seat to it.<br /><br />I'd also list "</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsWsasqIoyk"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost Lover</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" by A Fine Frenzy, but since I'm limited to 5 I'll press on to more uplifting fare.<br /><br /><br />For Love Songs, I'm trying to stay away from songs that specifically remind me of my girlfriend and stick with those that make great statements about the emotion itself. So with that in mind, the first two songs I think of are . . .<br /><br />"</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEnUhjmwjlI"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can't Stop Loving You</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" by Phil Collins<br /><br />Key lyrics:<br />I could say that's the way it goes<br />And I could pretend and you won't know<br />That I was lying<br />Cause I can't stop loving you<br />No I can't stop loving you<br />No I won't stop loving you<br />Why should I?<br /><br />Someone might say "Hey, this song is about a relationship ending, isn't that an anti-love song?" to which I'd say "No, you ignorant pleb, listen CLOSER." The girl in this song might be walking away from the guy, but he's not going anywhere. He loves this girl completely, entirely, and so what if she's leaving? She is all the love he ever wanted or needed - his life is better just for having known her. The song is strong and up tempo, and swells as it tells the story of her departure. He doesn't regret a thing. He found true love. Why would he ever try to let that go?<br /><br />"</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TO48Cnl66w"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank You</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" by Dido<br /><br />Key lyrics:<br />I missed the bus and there'll be hell today,<br />I'm late for work again<br />And even if I'm there, they'll all imply<br />that I might not last the day<br />And then you call me and it's not so bad,<br />it's not so bad<br /><br />So, if you've never seen the video for this song, Dido's having a much worse day then even these lyrics let on. She's essentially living the plot of the movie "Up," only she's fresh out of balloons. But the point of her song isn't all the awful stuff she's going through - it's that there's someone in her life who, when all of this happens, still makes everything wonderful simply with their presence. I don't know kids, that sounds like what love means to me.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Brett Abelman</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-kvZtV04GE"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When You Smile</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">," Flaming Lips - love song</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe it's just because I enjoy a love song that seems to compare love to nuclear fusion, or maybe it's because who but the Flaming Lips could make a love song sound as simultaneously innocent & sweet as it is trippy & dazed?</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ech6pZoBJ4"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Astral Weeks</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">," Van Morrison - love song</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could potentially pick like a hundred Van Morrison songs, but this is my favorite for the transcendent, transported feeling. At least, its my interpretation that it's a love song; your guess is as good as mine as to what the lyrics really mean:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If I ventured into the slipstream/Between the viaducts of your dreams/Where immobile steel rims crack/And the ditch in the back roads stop/Would you find me?/Would you kiss my eyes?/To lay me down/In silence easy/To be born again/To be born again."</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPfqFD2kfVU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soon It's Gonna Rain</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">," from The Fantasticks - love song</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Cuz I'm a sap, and it was the first stage producion I worked on out of high school.</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCcPF2wJUzU&feature=related"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hyperballad</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">," Bjork - love or anti-love song</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, what? I pick it because it's either about 1) how love and the comfort of a loved one is the antidote to fear of death in a cosmic, existential way, or 2a) how the narrator is in an unhappy, reclusive relationship so bad the only way she can make it bearable is by contrasting it with a horrible death or 2b) the only way she can bear it is by (metaphorically) imagining that leaving her lover and being single would be like tumbling down a cliff to a horrible death. It's a multi-purpose lyric! And personally for all the stereotyping she gets as a ridiculous screecher, her singing here always gives me chills.</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-UzXIQ5vw"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Losing My Religion</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">," REM - love song</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's actually my favorite song of all time, in a most extreme case of "songs mean a lot to you when you hear them at a certain time and associate them with the feeling of the time, regardless of whether they're extremely overexposed and well-known or not." It was approximately 1997 when I first really heard it, in middle school, and I associate it with my first crushes and all those crazy middle school-y feelings (but, strangely/luckily enough, only the positive ones - hooray for the filter of nostalgia?). And the lyrics just happen to fit perfectly. I'll let Michael Stipe explain:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"When you have a crush on somebody, and you think that they understand that but you're not sure, and you're dropping all kinds of hints, and you think that they're responding to these hints but you're not sure -- that's what this song is about: thinking that you've gone too far, you've dropped a hint that is just the size of Idaho, and they responded in a way that maybe confused you, or they haven't responded at all or they responded in a way that seemed like 'well, maybe I'm gonna- maybe I'm- maybe something's gonna happen here!' and I think I've probably said this seven thousand times, but the phrase 'losing my religion' is a southern phrase which means that something has pushed you so far that you would lose your faith over it. Something has pushed you to the nth degree, and that's what this is about. Now, some people still think that it's a song about religion; it's not. It's just a song about having a crush."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Max Nova</strong></span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. For reasons trivial and not of relevance now, Coldplay's "</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KkWGy7W3_o"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">clocks</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" became the soundtrack to one of my early relationships. Soon after the relationship ended acrimoniously I was in a movie theater and the song was playing quite loudly. Thus it went from the soundtrack of a relationship to this soundtrack to me peeing.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. When I was in college, I had a Joy Division shirt and said to friends that the first girl that commented positively was the girl I was gonna marry. Luckily I did not follow through on that.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. I wonder if it's possible to have sex to Barry White without giggling hysterically.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Love Song:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allo Darlin -</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57eii7Bdf3g"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Heart Is a Drummer</span></a></div><div></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not a Love Song</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PIL - </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aumejrcEHs"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is Not a Love Song</span></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Brittany Graham</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have an annual tradition with a dear friend from high school, in which we send each other Anti-Love mixes for Valentines Day, and I’ll be posting on that later. So, in the interest of balance, all five of my choices are love songs. The very best love songs, in fact.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weezer – </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVII3tQqVzk"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miss Sweeney</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: This song wins the award for most adorable EVER. About a man who has a tremendous crush on his coworker and can’t seem to keep his mouth shut about it, I get chills every time I hear that guitar riff in the chorus. This is the bonus track on their recentish Red Album, so don’t tell me Weezer can’t still do it if they put their minds to it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Beach Boys – </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L--cqAI3IUI"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wouldn’t It Be Nice</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: I actually don’t like the Beach Boys at all, except for this solitary song, which I LOVE. The idea that a young couple can’t wait to grow up and grow old together really strikes a chord with me, a person who never really wanted young love anyway.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Johnny and June Carter Cash – ‘</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iicLJTQT5LA"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cause I Love You</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: I love this song because I love Johnny and June, and think their story is one of the more romantic of our time. This is why I place them in a tie with a fictional couple with a very similar song, which inextricably binds them in my mind…</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesse L. Martin and Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Collins and Angel – </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ6SCOUOrvE"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ll Cover You</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: This song, and its </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1N4jOSR3-Y"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">reprise</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, make me melt into a million little droplets of gooey sad/happiness/feelings. I am of the firm belief that Collins and Angel are the most perfect couple that ever lived. And don’t you even try to tell me they’re not real.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T.V. Carpio – </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq5ItFCyg9E"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I Want to Hold Your Hand</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: If given the choice, I don’t often choose the non-Beatles version of a song, but this is one glaring exception. I keep writing sentences about this song, deciding they’re not good/accurate enough, and deleting. Because the feelings I have when I listen to this song (loud, on repeat, and often in my car) are just too strong and uncomplicated, and wordless.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel Bedingfield – </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eurZUm5otVs"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If You’re Not the One</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: I don’t care what you say about the cheesy early 2000s music. This song destroys me. Every. Single. Time. I also chose it as my character inspiration song for a show I was in, in which I played a young woman in the 1940s who realizes that she is a lesbian, which biases me a bit. But seriously, if you have a soul this song is for you.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ray Charles – </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSF6hh2QlCg&feature=related"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Georgia On My Mind</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: Songs about the South, and Southern girls in particular, pretty much have full reign of my heartstrings at all times, no matter what. But this song, a love song to his home, gets me every time. For very different reasons, I too left Georgia a long time ago (the ancient 90s), but I feel the exact same way about my original home state. Ray Charles just says it sooo much better.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So there you have it, folks. We feel it. The love, that is. And also, you know, not. We hope you enjoy our playlist, for the new songs and to commiserate with your favorites. What are your favorite love and anti-love songs? We hope you'll share.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14292773360697246224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-61570632407258170242011-02-04T23:51:00.000-05:002011-02-04T23:51:58.658-05:00Gay Marriage, and Feminism, and Bears*, Oh My!<div class="MsoNormal">Here is why gay marriage is important for the feminist cause:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Marriage is, historically, a business transaction between a man and a woman’s father. The woman’s father trades his daughter and a dowry, in exchange for protection for said daughter and, hopefully, a higher class status. Multiple wives have historically been important for bolstering population within the community. Marrying for love was essentially unheard of until the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century in places like the United States and Europe, and more recently elsewhere in the world. Judeo-Christian tradition called for a woman to be married off as soon as possible, with or without her consent, in order to prevent extra-marital sin (her fault) and extra-marital children (also her fault) from occurring. And so the institution of marriage everywhere continues to essentially be an antiquated property exchange: for a caretaker for the man, for a provider for the woman, for children borne within the rules of society, and for a transaction of goods provided by both families.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That is, if the definition of marriage is between a man and a woman only. Because if the definition of marriage relates strictly to a heterosexual pairing, there is also the weighty societal assumption that women cannot provide, men cannot caretake, and that the couple will do their duty to God and procreate. Love has nothing to do with it; it is strictly business. But. If the definition changes as our society has changed and brings love into the mix, all bets are off. A woman can marry the man she loves, rather than the man her family loves or the man who loves/wants her. A woman can marry the woman she loves, rather than her best male friend who may or may not also be closeted. A woman can marry the man or woman she loves, regardless of class, social distinctions, career, or want for children. It’s a beautiful thing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Freedom for one minority group of people spells freedom for the majority (52%) of humankind to love, to cherish, to spend her life in sickness and in health with the person she chose. The tradition of marriage is important; the ceremony binds a couple, their families, and their friends together in a way that simply moving in together can’t do. The legality of marriage is antiquated but very, very present in a couple’s everyday life. If a couple has that legal document in their possession, they hold rights and benefits reserved only for family, particularly in the health sector: for health benefits received from a job, for hospital visitation rights, for the right to decide whether a plug should be pulled, and for property and possession distribution after one of them has died. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So yes, feminists, marriage is extremely important, and it should absolutely not be done away with. But our society has changed; there is no population crisis and women are generally taught to marry for love, so the law should reflect this. Who a woman chooses to marry should reflect on love and shared values, not ability to procreate or heteronormative tradition.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Sorry j/k there are no bears. Please still like me even though I sometimes lie to you about bears.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14292773360697246224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-83615913663373009992011-02-02T22:52:00.002-05:002011-02-03T01:15:12.610-05:00I Love the Smell of Revolution in the MorningWe're kicking off a Gentlemonth of love here at These Gentlemen, and in doing so we'll be posting a lot about things <i>we</i> love, or hate, or maybe just crush on a little. So there's something going on in the world right now that I am just absolutely enamored with, and I thought I'd sing a little song about it . . .<br />
<br />
I love democracy<br />
and when protesters sing<br />
I love a free press<br />
and when freedom rings<br />
I love the whole world<br />
and all its awesome things<br />
Boom de yada, boom de yada<br />
Boom de yada, boom de yada<br />
<br />
I love revolution<br />
and people in the streets<br />
I love a spirit<br />
That won't accept defeat<br />
I love what's happening<br />
Out in the Cairo heat<br />
Boom de yada, boom de yada<br />
Boom de yada, boom de yada<br />
<br />
I love Tunisians<br />
and all the change they bring<br />
I love the new hope<br />
that we'll see by Spring<br />
I love the whole world<br />
and all it's awesome things<br />
Boom de yada, boom de yada<br />
Boom de yada, boom de yada<br />
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In case you haven't heard, Egypt is in the middle of what has become the largest political demonstration of the last century. It all started in Tunisia, when after 23 years of authoritarian rule, weeks-long protests across the country <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/tunisia/index.html">forced out President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali</a>. This all began when <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/101313/20110114/the-story-of-mohamed-bouazizi-the-man-who-toppled-tunisia.htm">Mohamed Bouazizi</a>, faced with corruption at every level of his local government in the span of a few hours, set himself on fire outside the governor's office. Bouazizi's self-immolation set off a wave of anti-government protests throughout Tunisia, leading to what might have seemed impossible previously - a complete change in government and concessions by the ruling party to form a cooperation government and give over to free elections. While that in and of itself was fairly unprecedented, what happened next was beyond comprehension.<br />
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It spread. It spread to <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2011/01/yemen-jordan-albania-algeria-tunisia-egypt-protests.html">Algeria</a>. It spread to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703960804576120342990540586.html">Jordan</a>. It spread to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12295864">Yemen</a>. And it spread to the country the world is watching most closely right now; Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak has been in power for three decades. Yesterday, millions of Egyptian citizens flooded the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, and other cities to protest Mubarak's continued rule, a move which followed a week of demonstrations calling for freedom of speech, assembly, and an end to Mubarak's regime. They want freedom of assembly, they want a representational government, they want freedom of speech. They want a government that cares about their jobs and health and well-being. And they're willing to fight for it.<br />
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This is, in all seriousness, one of the most momentous events of my lifetime. A sweeping upheaval of the status quo in the Middle East, where dictatorships and monarchies are still the norm. The talk of this sweeping as far as Syria, Libya, and, dare I even suggest it, Saudi Arabia, will be made fact or rumor entirely based upon the outcome of what happens in Egypt right now. Should Mubarak be forced to step down, the protests still happening in other countries will gain momentum, and those which are still just burning embers will have new fuel added to the fire. <br />
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So I think there's no better time to open up a discussion about what's happening than right now, and right here on These Gentlemen. Let's go down the topics;<br />
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<u><b>Violence</b></u><br />
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Violence broke out in the initial days of unrest, but then settled down as the police began to back off and the military moved in. When the military announced it had no intention of interrupting the protesters and was only there to keep the peace, the demonstration was emboldened. It's reported that protesters actually formed a human chain around the Egyptian National Museum to keep it safe from looters - who were mostly policemen. When demonstrators continued to observe their daily prayers, Christians and secularists also with the movement encircled their Muslim counterparts and protected them while it was happening. With people looking out for one another and the army not intervening, demonstrations were entirely peaceful for several days - until pro-Mubarak supporters moved in, on horses, and armed.<br />
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The thing is though, you can't just make a horse charge into a crowd. They have to be specially trained for that, and it's really only police horses that get that kind of training. Adding to the suspicion to this is that Mubarak is known to have roving gangs of "supporters" who go around during elections and literally stuff ballot boxes. Further casting doubt into the motivations of these pro-Mubarak regular Egyptian citizens just voicing their own opinion is a Twitter post in which an Egyptian on the scene reports hearing one, after being knocked off of a horse, say "this isn't worth £200." They also had a strange and pronounced tendency to actively seek out people with cameras and attempt to destroy them and the footage they contained.<br />
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And then there's this - a picture from the scene of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24271114@N08/5411316547/in/set-72157625838724811/">ID cards taken from pro-Mubarak demonstrators</a>, which proves they're members of Mubarak's own party and security forces. <br />
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So violence was not the objective of the protesters, but it came to them and they responded. Firebombing with molotov cocktails (incidentally, one of my favorite phrases) has broken out as well as clashes with rocks, sticks, and fists. The protesters finally organized literally a phalanx - a walking wall of makeshift metal shields, and began marching out from Tahrir Square where the demonstrations are taking place. <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ns/nightly_news/#41396604">They moved outwards, linked together, and forced the pro-Mubarak thugs back</a>. Shots were fired into the crowd, tanks moved through the streets, but as of the time of this writing, the demonstrators had forced Mubarak's allies to retreat. They also took the overpass running over the square which Mubarak's forces had been using to hurl molotovs at them from above.<br />
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If this is the tone of demonstrations as (and if) they spread across the Middle East, it could be the most peaceful, inspiring revolution in history. Speaking of which -<br />
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<u><b>The Domino Effect</b></u><br />
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Some people (myself included) have already speculated about what might happen if this spreads further. Rulers in Yemen and Jordan are already trying to get ahead of this, vowing not to seek re-election in the case of the former, and re-organizing the government in the case of the latter. <br />
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But not all of the Middle East is Egypt. Jordan is still a monarchy and the people seem just fine with that. I'm not sure how much change we can expect from other nations because a lot of them honestly don't see their rulers as the problem, and more just want reforms to the existing government. Similar actions are taking place in Syria, Sudan, and in the West Bank. Whether or not they seek actual changes in government is going to be dependent upon how their leaders handle protests when they arrive.<br />
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With that in mind though, one democratic movement or election does not a democracy make. If another regime is voted in, we could quickly end up with just another Iran on our hands.<br />
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So what can we do to try and make sure this doesn't happen? Is there a way the U.S. can try to ensure that people actually get the rights they're fighting for, and don't just trade one oppressive government for another? Well that's a mixed bag.<br />
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<u><b>U.S. Involvement</b></u><br />
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A lot of people have been critical of the U.S. government's response to this whole affair. For some backstory, Hosni Mubarak is a pretty steadfast ally of ours, and important for sustained peace with Israel in the region. The government provides him with almost<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/29/us-egypt-usa-aid-idUSTRE70S0IN20110129"> $2 billion annually</a>. This is pretty much a yearly gift in exchange for not going to war with Israel. There's no telling if a regime change would mean new leaders would be amicable to this deal, since if there's two things they don't like in the Middle East, it's the U.S. and Israel.<br />
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There are two schools of thought on what we've done so far and I'm going to address both of them.<br />
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First, realistically, we have a lot of important alliances in the Middle East. We rely on governments in Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and other places to help us in the war on terror, which keeps American citizens safe. If the people in power willing to aid us are also practically dictators, that's not a fact we can help. We're not in the business of toppling dictators and changing governments.<br />
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Ha, just kidding, we totally are, but only if our dad thought their President was a jerk.<br />
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Anyway, for the sake of not expending trillions in military costs, we do support the dictators who play nice with us. It maintains stability in the region and helps us track down the guys who would attack America. Unfortunately it sucks, pretty much universally, for the people who are subject to the authoritarian governments the U.S. backs.<br />
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What we're seeing here could be the dawn of a new era. Or it could go no further than Cairo. We don't know, and we can't take chances. Therefore the stance of the U.S. government thus far has been to insist there be a peaceful transition of power, condemn violence, and support the people's will to democracy. This is pretty much on-message with our publicly-declared foreign policy throughout history. Really the biggest surprise to me came in a press conference President Obama gave yesterday in which he called for Mubarak to step down immediately, not later as he has promised.<br />
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See, the thing is, if revolution does spread, fantastic. There's no greater moral victory for America than seeing democracy take root around the globe and dictators toppled by their own people. But if it doesn't work, or it doesn't spread, we can't be the ones who supported the people attacking the rulers we've so willingly played ball with in the past. There's a line we can't cross until the dust settles. Not only that, but any attempt to openly support the protesters is going to be played up as an attempt by the U.S. co-opt the revolution and manipulate it. Anti-American forces would leap all over it to undermine the roots of this secular, populist uprising and turn it into something which works in their favor. It's a chance we can't take. We have to let events play out and just let people know we're on the right side of history.<br />
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On the other hand, screw all that. America should be better than this in the first place. Obama made a speech in Cairo once about increasing unity between the Muslim world and the United States, and I say now's a great time to make good on it. There was an episode of one of those shows like the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits where two kids in an idyllic town find out that everything remains so perfect there because one person suffers unspeakable torment every second of every day, and in exchange everybody else lives in peace. It's a secret everybody knows and nobody talks about, because to do so would shatter their illusion of perfection. Well, we live in that world. America supports corrupt governments and oppressive regimes across the globe for the sake of our own people, and yet things are far from perfect. It seems like we're getting the short end of the stick with that bargain.<br />
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This is a sign that it's time for America to cast off ties with dictators, thugs, and bullies all around the world and start acting like we actually care about democracy. The people all over the Middle East are speaking, let's let them know we hear them. On that note -<br />
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<u><b>Communication</b></u><br />
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When protests broke out in Iran over the disputed Presidential elections last year, the government cut off access to the internet. The result was pretty swift and painful - without solid communication, the protests grew less organized and quickly dissolved. Mubarak took a page from Ahmedinejad's book and closed down the internet in Cairo early on.<br />
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And it just made them angry.<br />
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So they've been attacking journalists. They've shut down Al-Jazeera (which I think anyone following the different coverages can now agree is probably the finest news organization in the world) in Egypt. They've done everything to keep the story from getting out and people from communicating.<br />
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Which is why <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20110130/cm_huffpost/815889">Anonymous is using fax machines to send Egyptians Wikileaks cables about abuses of the Egyptian government</a>. It's also set up free dial-up access to keep Egyptians connected. Egyptians are staying in touch through landlines, but also through the tried-and-true word of mouth that Mubarak seems unable to silence. After Tunisia, the genie is out of the bottle, and you can't get people to stop talking about it now.<br />
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So it seems even though the internet, including Facebook and Twitter, were instrumental in getting things off the ground, it's now capable of moving without them. This won't end without a resolution now. However, we can't ignore the part that mass media and the internet played in making all of this possible in the first place. How is it going to affect things in the future? If freedom of information reaches the Middle East, what will people do with the knowledge they're presented with?<br />
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These are our topics of discussion. I now cede the floor.<br />
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I love living in exciting times.<br />
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Boom de yada.David Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-69212366117949559082011-02-01T18:25:00.003-05:002011-02-01T22:48:30.603-05:00Snowpocalypse Affects the Brain, Apparently<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">GW Parkway had a facepalm moment last week. If you live remotely in the DC area you remember that day last week when the foot of snow hit all of a sudden, all at rush hour, and every single commuter going in or coming out of DC had a 6-11 hour commute. (The 6 hour commutes were reserved for those lucky enough to live a mile or two from their places of work.) </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And if you were unfortunate enough to be on the GW Parkway that day, you know that it came to a complete stop until about 4am the next morning. What you might not know is that the reason the traffic cleared up after 4am is because a lone police officer hiked two miles to the epicenter of the traffic jam and discovered one guy, stuck in the snow, who had eventually given up and gone to sleep. So, naturally, he banged on the window, woke the guy up, pushed him out of the snow, and singlehandedly cleared up what could have become a traffic jam of Chinese proportions.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">And man, A+ to that officer, because WTF everyone else. I related this story to a coworker the next day, thinking only of the insanity of the sudden snowfall, and she shook her head and said, “These people have no survival skills.” And I realized immediately that she’s right. Because what were the twenty or so people directly behind this guy doing all that time? Did no one, over the course of ten hours, pop their head out their window and go, Hey what’s going on up there? Or if they did, did they see the guy stuck in the snow and go, Welp, nothing can be done there, I guess we live here now?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Seriously, what is wrong with those people. Even in the absence of curiosity or concern for what is going on in the world around them, where is the self-preservation that bands people together as a means to an end?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The answer is, apparently, nowhere. Everyone just sat in their cars and waited for someone else to fix the issue, because ten hours in, they were still so sure it would happen. I mean, I’m sure the people several miles back simply thought the road conditions were undriveable or there was an avalanche or a Land of the Lost-style chasm had opened up down front and they were stuck until road crews could get them out, as opposed to one idiot who decided to take a nap instead of get his damn car out of the snow.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">But the driver of the offending car and the cars directly behind him? No excuse. It’s called being proactive. It’s called NOT being defined by the bystander effect. It’s called common freaking sense.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Congratulations, guys. You are an entire highway of asshats.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14292773360697246224noreply@blogger.com1