intransigent vicissitudes

On the Possibility of Peace: A Defense of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T11:12:00.006-05:00

As I woke up to a bevy of emails reporting that Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize, I was as surprised as anyone. (I'll explain my reasons in a moment). But what has surprised me more is the quickly-emerging discourse across the web that he doesn't deserve the award. And it was that discourse that I seek to address here.

I had not even considered him in connection with the peace prize before, most of my surprise was simply that sheer unexpectedness of it. And certainly there are reasonable questions about whether someone else is more deserving of it at the moment (I have not read yet of other candidates, but surely there are some worthy ones). But let's not make this about Obama's ego: He didn't ask for this. He didn't lobby for it. It was bestowed upon him. While it's certainly hopeful he will be more deserving of it in a few years time, I don't think we should conclude on that basis that he is not worthy now.

It is hard to deny that Obama has already (already? He has been in the world spotlight for at least a couple years now...) had a material impact on the world. But has he brought about peace? Of course not. It is certainly hard to reconcile the idea of the leader of a country currently occupying 2 other nations winning a prize in recognition of peace efforts. And of course there's the obvious retort that he didn't start those wars and was elected in part for his determination to end them responsibly (if not quickly).

But what Obama has done is to radically change the world's perception of the possibility of peace. After the last 8 years of Bush's perpetual War on Terror, Amercan's have been invested in the idea that their safety necessitated the continued conflict in the world. What is amazing is that Obama has already shifted the discourse of world events toward his own branded Hope. This is at once simple, eloquent, and profound. The material presence of conflict in the world is not something anyone could reasonable suggest will dissapear in the near future, but Obama has decidedly rejuvenate the idea that it could once again come about.

I fear that liberals are handing conservatives a rhetorical character attack against Obama by conceding he did not deserve this award. In my mind, he did. That doesn't make it any less surprising, but I think the possibility of peace is worth fighting for.

Obama has renewed this jaded liberal's hope for that day. Haven't you as well?

Public Wave (test post)

2009-10-01T22:53:00.004-05:00

Frank Rich is White

2009-05-12T01:46:00.001-05:00

I saw Frank Rich speak at the Guthrie tonight. He talked about the increasing spectacle of media and the merging of news and entertainment. As always he’s an insightful and eloquent speaker/writer. I was moved to ask a question in the Q&A at the end, however. He had concluded with a few ideas of the “what you can do” sort: Be more skeptical, and pay for good journalism. The second in particular hurt. It hurt bad. When even one of the most eloquent advocates against the ruins of capitalist political culture is left begging for money (he didn’t like my framing it that way, but that’s what it was"), we’re in trouble…

So I waited my turn at the microphone and said some approximation of:

“We as the public are facing a dilemma right now that you spoke of: Just as increasing access to the rudimentary information necessary for good journalism becomes readily available via the Internet, the news media have increased the barriers to distribution by cultivating the mediathon as you describe it. You gave two answers to that problem that I found unsatisfactory.

First you said we should follow the younger generations and become more skeptical of news stories. That’s all well and good but as anyone who teaches young college students today can tell you, such radical skepticism leads as often to apathy as any kind of political change.

And second, you basically pleaded for money. That is another problematic answer. We all paid $15-35 to even be able to see you speak. I was scanning the audience and I was only able to count 2 black people [afterward I saw a couple more, but that’s beside the point]. The barriers of money mean that not everyone is going to get a voice with that solution. Even in the Midwest this is hardly representative of the racial minorities in the population.

So what else can we do?

He got a little defensive about the idea that he was pleading for money and acknowledged that the newspaper business model might not last, but that a couple will probably survive, including the NYT. I would tend to agree with that assessment. And on the other solution he defended the idea of skepticism against apathy.

I didn’t really expect him to offer a revolutionary answer. I don’t think anyone yet has one. But I also think that these were important questions to bring up. I was satisfied simply making Frank Rich and a few hundred Minneapolis culturati feel uncomfortable about their whiteness and upper class status.

On my way back to my seat a women on the aisle said, “I liked your questions.” And on the way out after the lecture a couple of young black women smiled at me and said “hi” in way that I read as appreciation for what I had said.

And as I was getting on my bike leaving the Guthrie a couple of middle-aged white women walked passed (not noticing me) saying how much they “prefer [inaudible] because you don’t have audience members looking for their five minutes of fame.”

What ever happened to 15? I want my ten more minutes!

Foucault-Derrida on Madness

2009-02-26T02:15:00.002-06:00

I have been thinking about the Foucault-Derrida debate on Madness and Reason for my presentation of it next Wednesday. Here is a small selection from my initial thoughts:

I would suggest that the question of madness which was the (fictional/pseudo) origin of the debate we have just entered has been displaced. In the process of a history of philosophy we cannot go back before the question of madness any more than Foucault could go back before a question of reason in Descartes. Reason, like modernity itself, has so multiplied that we seek in this debate some clarity that we can never revive. But it is the act of searching for it that sustains us as an academic enterprise. We are so invested in this debate (as a michrochosm of our lives) that we repeat it again in a new way. It is for this reason I think we must look especially beyond the purported object of debate (madness, reason), and pay special attention to the act of critique itself, for it is here that I feel the debate sustains itself in the history of the present, our present. I do not mean this in a purely methodological sense (what is at stake is not the value of archeology versus deconstruction, as if they were ever mutually exclusive). What is at stake, for us, for today, is the act of critique and the potential for critique to create

Pro-Choice Bowl-a-Thon

2009-01-27T14:10:00.001-06:00

Please sponsor me in the Bowl-a-Thon to help me raise $200 for Pro Choice Resources. Pro-Choice Resources is an organization that works to make Choice a reality for all women. The work they do is very important to my community. Your help will ensure that no woman faces a barrier to reproductive health and personal freedom.

My mom had the choice of when and how to bring me into this world and I’m better off for it. I was raised by loving parents in a stable home able to provide me with all the things a child needs. I had every opportunity in my life to become the best I could be.

Becoming a parent is an important and selfless act; please help make sure everyone has access to the resources they need to make the right choices for their family. I'm proud to be a child of choice!

Please click here to make a donation today!

Morning-after Election Roundup or Why I'm Still not "Proud" of this Country

2008-11-04T23:58:00.001-06:00

I'm no longer ready to count this country out and write it off as a lost cause. For me, that's a big step. But I am far from "proud" of my country as several of my progressive activist friends told me they were last night. Proposition 8 banning same sex marriage in california passed, crazy right-wing republican "let's investigate the anti-americanism in congress" Bachman was reelected, Madia lost, Coleman is ahead although a recount looms. almost half of this country (46%) STILL voted for McCain! I'm not proud of this. I would hope you're not either.

That said, I genuinely believe Obama started his presidency off on the perfect note last night. I can't think of him having given a better speech than he did. As a scholar of oratory I don't say this lightly, but I think that is a speech that will go down in history. (Many of my colleagues said that about his speech on race, I thought that a bit over hyped) But this is an exceptional speech from an exceptional speaker.

I have hope. But I'm not proud.

----

From last night:

My Twitter liveblogging for the night:

Why I'm not proud of this country:47% of voters still voted for McCain. Electoral college landslide aside, this country is still very split. 10 minutes ago from web

@magimaster25 only 15% reporting. No one has called it yet. Keep hope! 16 minutes ago from web in reply to magimaster25

I got genuine tears in my eyes. That was Obama's best speech yet, and that's a high bar. It will go down in history. 39 minutes ago from web

Fuck, Hennepin County is at 100% now and Tinklenberg is down by 20 points. Fuck Michelle Backman, she's a crazy bitch! about 1 hour ago from web

Fuck, Hennepin County is at 100% no and Tinklenberg is down by 20 points. Fuck Michelle Backman, she's a crazy bitch! about 1 hour ago from web

Pictures of Jesse Jackson's tears in the crowd while Rep. Lewis spoke on MSNBC about the great strides on racial injustice was so moving about 1 hour ago from web

I'm proud of McCain's concession speech. It was good. It should have been too, he had weeks to work on it ;o) about 1 hour ago from web

I love watching all the sad WHITE faces in the crowd at McCain's concession speech! about 2 hours ago from web

Boos during McCain's concession speech.Get over it assholes, you no longer get to run this country into the ground.Fuck off racists bitches! about 2 hours ago from web

Hennepin County results starting to come in (17%) Franken has a BIG lead there. about 2 hours ago from web

CNN.com exit polls looks like Prop 8 failed in CA! about 2 hours ago from web

PRESIDENT OBAMA OFFICIALLY CALLED! about 2 hours ago from web

Chris Matthews just made a great speech about how our nation has change on the issue of race (about 9:55 C) will search for video tomorrow. about 2 hours ago from web

Rachel Madow on McCain: "Yeah he was dealt a bad hand, but he still ran an atrociously bad campaign." LOL about 2 hours ago from web

Democrat MN congressman Oberstar keeps his seat! about 2 hours ago from web

Republicans Bachman and Paulson show narrow leads, but ZERO percent of Hennepin county is reporting yet! BIG democrat numbers yet to come! about 2 hours ago from web

South Dakota and Colorado abortion bans failed! about 3 hours ago from web

@magimaster25 You won't until polls close next hour about 3 hours ago from web in reply to magimaster25

I love how Kieth Olberman tries to call the election for Obama but the other anchors won't let him. His math is undeniable, though ;o) about 3 hours ago from web

NBC gives Ohio to Obama! He flipped a red state! Looking good! Still waiting for an official call on Franken, but exit polls look decisive! about 4 hours ago from web

Looking at CNN exit polls it looks like Franken won MN! about 4 hours ago from web

MN went for Obama, yea! about 4 hours ago from web

Elizabeth Dole lost her senate reelection! Fuck yeah! about 4 hours ago from web

The 7pm poll closing projections look good for Obama! about 5 hours ago from web

Google election results map goes live in 10 minutes! http://tinyurl.com/6rtt26 about 7 hours ago from web

Grading at WR, trying not to think about the election. The free cookie helps ;o) about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Grading at WR, trying not to think about the election about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Watching MSNBC live video feed online, fivethirtyeight.com, google's election map, Huffington post, later the AP live feed. Excited! about 12 hours ago from web

New Shared Item: A Few Words on Voter Suppression: Shared by Jon Rachel Maddow is my n.. http://tinyurl.com/5soymj about 12 hours ago from twitterfeed

New ephemera post: Cixous at the Dr hiding in the trash can: http://tinyurl.com/5ddfvm about 14 hours ago from twitterfeed

I was vote number 368 in my precinct. In and out in about 15 minutes about 16 hours ago from TwitterBerry

At the polls. Line pretty short at this point if you're already registered. about 16 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Finished making my voting slate for tomorrow morning. I'm voting no on the school board election "ABC referendum." Hard choice, though... about 24 hours ago from web

Boston legal's opening segment tonight was an instant political satire clasic! I will post a video of it as soon as I can find one! 10:13 PM Nov 3rd from TwitterBerry

Bad Advertising

2008-10-29T15:03:00.001-05:00

I was reading Towleroad this afternoon when I became the unsuspecting victim of bad advertising by Google's Ad[non]sense program. The following is a screen shot of my experience:

If you haven't yet followed the link, Towleroad, "A Site with Homosexual Tendencies," is a popular source for gay and lesbian news online. It is unapologetically liberal, regularly bashing McCain's idiocy as well as advocating against Proposition 8 in California as late.

Typically, the automatically inserted ads by Google's Adsense are the likes of gay dating sites and adoption services or more generic general interest ads. Yet in spite of this context, as you can see above, an ad for Minnesota Senator and Republican dickhead Norm Coleman snuck into my gay escape reading. Surely Google took into account my location (in Minneapolis) in selecting the ad, but come one, really? Coleman?

I'm going to see Coleman's opponent Al Franken speak along with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Bill Clinton tomorrow night downtown. Fuck you, Coleman. You don't deserve the senate seat you stole from Paul Wellstone. Get the fuck off my internet too.

A Response to Ignorance

2008-10-14T11:53:00.003-05:00

I recently posted on twitter/Facebook about the sad fact that we have a presidential ticket for the first time ever where both candidates (McCain and Palin) have been convicted of ethics violations before the election. (On a side note: How the FUCK has the media completely ignored the fact that Palin was found guilty of this!?!?!? I know they released the report at 7pm on last friday night, the time when stories are released in order to be killed since the news cycle is over for the weekend, but COME ON! This is a vice presidential cantidate!)

Anyway, after I posted this to my profile, I recieved this response:

I didnt get much into the keating 5 thing and I don't know much about it. As far as troopergate goes, that guy needed to be fired long before she stepped in. He tazed a 9 year old, was abusing his wife, and was drinking on the job. I'm more concerned with a socialist government then a leader that crossed a line to ... Read Moremake sure a bad guy was out of a position of power.

I posted this response:

I have a low tolerance for ignorance, especially when it appears on my facebook profile. Do you even know what socialist means? Socialism is a free high school education. Socialism is fire and police departments that protect you every day funded by the state. Apparently you're so ignorant that you believe the Republican talking points and are enough of a jerk to repeat them on people's facebook profiles who you don't even know (who the fuck are you? so what if we went to high school together, I don't know you.). So you'd rather have two people that are convicted of ethics violations running this country than "socialism". Great. I hope you don't have health insurance, I hope your kids go to an overcrowded underfunded high school, I hope your house burns down and the firefighters don't show up out of respect for you disdain for their "socialist" public services. Fuck you, go away.

I Like Obama

2008-09-26T21:53:00.001-05:00

For those who know me or follow this blog, the fact that I like Obama is in fact not a given. As a Clinton supporter, I was very invested in her and still believe that fundamentally she was a better candidate. Nonetheless, Obama's performance in this debate and his command of the facts, hit display of competence and wit, really won me over.

Specifically, Obama made some comment in response to McCain's word-splitting about preconditions for meeting foreign leaders and said that jsut because you don't have preconditions doesn't mean you're gonna invite them over for tea. I laughed. I felt it inside. A click. I liked Obama.

This is an event I knew (perhaps hoped) would happen for months, but I didn't see it coming. Bang.

I think Obama won the debate. Preeminent presidential scholar Karlyn Kohrs Campbell (who I was sitting next to among an auditorium full of public address scholars) thinks McCain won due to short emotional responses that will resonate with the average voter. I disagree, I think Obama was able to clearly and simply articulate policy details and on a few occasions wittily turn McCain's own terms and statements back on him demonstrating a superior capacity to manage the debate. I think he was more in control throughout the debate. We'll see what the press says tomorrow...

Below is the transcript of my liveblogging on Twitter from the first debate:

Preeminent pres. scholar Karlyn Kohrs Campbell says McCain won via short emotional responses. I disagree, but it's not entirely unfounded...8 minutes ago from web

McCain: "Jim, when I came home from prison..." - A collective noise of disgust encompassed the auditorium of presidential scholars. 14 minutes ago from web

Oh my god. The last question: how likely is another 9/11 - are you fucking kidding me? What a ridiculous question! 26 minutes ago from web

McCain may have "won" the debate 5 hours before it began, but Obama is making a killing an hour into it! 31 minutes ago from web

Oh my god. it just happened. I LIKE OBAMA. it was the you don't invite them over for tea comment. Bang. Intelligence. Wit. Competence. 41 minutes agofrom web

Wait, is his tie red stripes? Now I'm not sure. It definitely hurts my eyes.But maybe it's red after all...not watching a clean digital feed about 1 hour ago from web

A note on ties. McCain's is black and white stripes. It hurts my eyes. But props for confronting the boring blue/red standard. about 1 hour ago from web

Obama is masterful at using McCain's statements back against him. about 1 hour ago from web

What is McCain's obsession with the word "strategy"? about 1 hour ago from web

McCain admits it was a mistake to leave Afghanistan when we did. - good move. about 1 hour ago from web

Obama is in control. He clearly articulates the details behind McCain's sound bytes and McCain hasn't shown the same command of the facts. about 1 hourago from web

Obama: "John, you like to pretend that the war started in 2007" - finally! about 1 hour ago from web

Obama: It was your president that presided over this "orgy of spending" about 1 hour ago from web

Obama: "The problem with the spending freeze is you're using a hatchet when you need a scalpel" about 1 hour ago from web

Obama: McCain called me the most liberal, basically that means I opposed Bush's policy's - nice ;o) about 1 hour ago from web

Obama assertively interrupts McCain to give a clear description of actual tax policy. Nice authoritative move! about 2 hours ago from web

Obama: we've gotta grow the economy from the bottom up. - Finally! Logic returns to the White House. about 2 hours ago from web

Obama: the problem is an economic philosophy that says regulation is always bad - Damn right! about 2 hours ago from web

McCain on the financial bailout: This isn't the beginning of the end, it's the end of the beginning. - What the fuck does that mean? about 2 hours ago from web

Ready to liveblog the debate on twitter while I eat my free belated dinnerabout 2 hours ago from web

Google Rocks for Rhetoric

2008-09-16T10:08:00.001-05:00

As if I haven’t touted my love for Google enough, they just released a new tool sure to excite rhetorical scholars even more: Google Audio Indexing. Basically, it indexes the audio of political speeches and searches the text for specific words.

It’s incredibly useful for someone such as myself who is looking to write a paper about presidential rhetoric on LGBT issues. I did a search for “gay” and got dozens of recent results. The top hit was “Michelle Obama Speaks to DNC Gay & Lesbian Leadership Council.” In the search result it lists that she says the word about 4 times and pulls the surrounding text from each instance and marks in the timeline of the speech where they occur for easy browsing. Holy crap, this is useful!

Vote Today!

2008-09-09T11:53:00.001-05:00

So I figured I should do some research before I vote for those pesky court elections. I hate that they plaster their websites with that independent court bullshit but don’t ever tell you where they stand in the issues or even their perspective of the constitution from a legal view. Arg… Anyway, after looking around here’s what I've come up with. If you're unsure for yourself and you agree with my politics, I suggest the below options:

My ballot:

US Senate: Al Franken (duh)

Minnesota Supreme Court and Appeals Court:

Seat 3: Paul H. Anderson (inc)

Seat 4: Lorie Skjerven Gildea (inc)

U.S. House: Keith Ellison (also duh)

4th District Court: Jane Ranum (check out her issues tracker for her last term as state senator here)

School board (3): Lydia Lee (inc, DFL endorsed), Jill Davis (DFL and Stonewall DFL endorsed), Carla Bates (DFL endorsed, out and partenered lesbian with 3 kids in public school)

Go vote!

Konstantly Konstantine

2008-08-26T23:51:00.005-05:00

I wrote this poem after wandering for an hour through the rain feeling lonely and frustrated at the kiddie table of academic conferences (NCUR) in Lexington, Virginia in 2005. After today, I couldn’t help but listen to Konstantine and think of this poem...

soaked

taking the long way home
the rain can't help but stain my eyes
Konstantine is screaming in my ears
this time the words find further depth in my emptied heart
even as the thunder claps in beat with the drum
and the street flows strong with the blood of the sky

it's only 8:47 and I feel like I'm already asleep
my mind is rejected from the world
I'm searching for home, but illusions factor in
the path is gone and my map is inside out
the rain feels somehow right
even as it invades my clothes
I can't be alone while the world soaks up my skin

the bus drove past my stop
momentarily retracting my mind
but it didn't last
the empty window soon reclaimed my absent stare

I'm skipping ahead in the song, the one I hate
I hate that it knows me better than I do
I hate that I feel it burn through my lonely lust
I hate that no one hears my silent screams
I hate that life refuses simple love
the one thing that factors most...

you forgot to call
and maybe you never tried
but I yearn to feel your voice
it forgives my simple pain and renews a lost heart

I'm still walking home
but that's not my destination
I want to go deeper
into your heart
just to forgive the rain
and return the favor once done for me

but the sky still hemorrhages life
and my eyes are still blurred by the night
I walk slowly along the street
the cars all pass me by
and so does my lonely life
maybe one will slip
and smack me into the ditch
the ditch is calling
and I yearn to heed its siren voice

but your heart still hemorrhages life
and I forget the street
even as it spits the past in my face
I need your embrace
and your heart that claps in beat with the drum

maybe I'm already in an embrace...
the rain and thunder speak deep in my heart
and I feel strangely at home
standing soaked in the dark
I think I'll stay here tonight
but tomorrow I'm heading home

Fuck Babies

2008-08-14T14:28:00.002-05:00

Why are we always expected to say congratulations to someone who just had a baby? Is it really some big achievement?

“Ooh, you put your cock in her vagina and thrust back and forth a few times! You’re such an admirable human being!”

I mean really.

I don’t hate babies, there’s nothing wrong with them per se. And most people seem to think we as a species are worthy of continuing to (over)populate the earth, so they’re quite a necessity. But congratulations?

People often claim they have a biological urge to procreate. I don’t have it as such, so I can only go by what I hear. At best, this basic urge is meant to be an expression of the love between two married people.

An expression.

Excuse my rhetorical mindset, but I think a human being should be considered far more than a discursive product of an institution with a failure rate of 50%.

Social order is structured around creating citizens capable of reigning in their “baser” instincts. We can’t go killing our boss just because we don’t like him. We can’t beat our girlfriend just because she had an opinion. We can’t drink all night and then drive home playing GTA with the police. These are all good things.

So why are we not encouraged to reign in the basic instinct to have children? Babies too cause harm. They create more mouths to feed in an already well overpopulated world. They create burdens on our underfunded education system. They are harmed themselves when unworthy parents abuse them at worst, or at the least divorce and create life-long family rifts.

Why do we all feel so damned worthy to pass on our DNA and our name. I can think of a lot more productive things to pass on to the world. Making the world a better place doesn’t start with you and your progeny, it starts with everybody else. You want to pass on a legacy? Help others.

Caprica is Going to Rock

2008-07-21T18:29:00.001-05:00

As a fan of the remade Battlestar Galactica, I’d already been on board with the concept for a prequal series. But as I watched the newly released trailer today I am now decidedly excited for it. Not for the content so much, although it is compelling, but because of a familiar face I saw: Polly Walker.

The standout star in the all around amazing cast of HBO’s Rome, Walker was nominated for a Golden Globe for the role of Atia. I’ve watched Rome over and over again and every time I love her character more and more. I can’t wait to get more of her when Caprica premiers!

Baby Bunny on my Back Porch

2008-06-30T18:57:00.002-05:00

For perspective:

and a close up:

I know. I’ve posted twice recently about cute baby animals, but what can I say, I live in a frisky apartment complex ;o)

Google Transit coming to Minneapolis!

2008-06-11T18:22:00.001-05:00

An email response I got from Metro Transit after inquiring about them using Google’s system:

Frankly, we agree with you.

In fact, we started negotiations with Google about joining their Google Transit Project during the winter (there are some costs involved, which is why didn’t join when first asked over three years ago), and we recently gave them access to our transit data (bus stops, route numbers, schedules, etc).

We are currently testing the integration of our transit data with their geographic data on a nonpublic website. It’s slow going as there are over 13,000 bus stop locations and over 200 routes and schedules to check (since we also took responsibility for the data from Plymouth Metrolink, Southwest Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit, and all the other bus operators in the Twin Cities). But we fully expect the data merge and testing will be completed this summer and that Google and Metro Transit will be making a joint announcement before Labor Day.

So we appreciate your patience, and we agree that joining in this effort has real value for many of our customers.

Papers, Papers, Papers...

2008-05-13T15:18:00.001-05:00

"I'm drowning in a digital sea" seems a pretty appropriate metaphor for my life at the moment...

"Digital Sea" by Thrice

Cuteness Alert: Baby Squirrel

2008-05-03T19:08:00.002-05:00

As I walked toward my apartment from the bus stop this afternoon, I saw the most incredibly amazingly cute baby squirrel perched on the brick fence around my complex.

The cuteness is not quite as perceptible without getting a sense of just how small this dude is. I got him a piece of bread and he let me pet him. He fit entirely on the small piece of bread!

He was a bit too precarious on there, though, and toppled over the edge. He landed underneath the bread. It was adorable ;o)

Don't worry, it was only about a foot down from the ledge and he promptly got back to snacking.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2008-04-24T17:14:00.002-05:00

see it

Gem of the Ocean too

How Full Throttle Made My Day

2008-04-21T12:22:00.002-05:00

It was a long weekend. I literally spent most of it grading papers. I was particularly disappointed with the lack of improvement from the previous batch, but when I entered the grades this morning I'd somehow managed to up the average score! (I blame the nice weather for somehow keeping me in an optimistic generous grading mood). This morning I was rushed and feeling rather stressed out, not looking forward to the new batch of essays to grade already that I would be collecting later on today from my other class.

Then something wonderful happened. As I walked back to my office from the other end of the mall area I saw a huge line in front of the Union. As I got closer I saw a black truck withe the Full Throttle logo on it. Full Throttle being my favorite energy drink, I immediately got excited. While the long line deterred me slightly, I walked over the bridge to get a closer look. To my delight the Full Throttle was indeed being handed out free to passers by, and there wasn't even a line! (that was for the pizza which I wasn't interested in)

Joy! And on top of THAT i was handed (by random chance of the dude's reaching into the large cooler) one of the new orange flavored version that I had yet to try. As with all of their spin off tastes, I don't like it as much as the original (a HIGH standard to approach), but for the first time I really like the new flavor on its own right. It's basically like what you think of as generic orange soda, a nice light crisp taste perfect for e burgeoning summer day!

Somehow that's all it took. Even before I opened it and was given the much needed energy boost (5 hours of sleep last night, I still had to prep for lecture today after finishing grading..) my mood lightened. I know it's not really accurate to consider a free drink generosity from a corporation (It's made by Coca Cola after all), but it made my day, so that's all I really care about right now. Thanks Full Throttle!

Neighborhood Racism with a Side of Christian Hypocrisy

2008-04-17T22:07:00.002-05:00

The following are excerpts from a discussion thread on my neighborhood email list (I've bolded the key lines; plus a humorous payoff for those who make it to the bottom):

So I was having coffee this morning and a city employee (I won't name names) told me the police don't really care about alley trawlers....

These people are completely fearless of what might happen as a consequence of this illegal behavior. This one Asian woman (sorry, she's Asian. what can I say. I'm not on a first name basis with her.) stands two feet in front of me and watches me call the cops, almost as if she is calculating how much time she has to rummage through my garbage before she needs to waddle off down the road. I end up throwing rocks at her to get her to leave. If you're reading this lady, it might be mace next time.
Since when do cops do whatever they feel like? Oh, since forever I suppose.
--
Darla Jae Abraham

My roommate responded:

Yes, it sucks that people are stealing copper wire and recyclables, etc. However, the problem is not simply with the people doing this. They aren't animals that you can throw rocks at. Like you said, the government needs to do something: they need to fund public housing. We need to have a welfare system that works. We need to stop giving tax breaks to corporations and, instead, give them to human beings. We need to not forgive bankrupt companies, but
help the people going through foreclosures on their homes. While individuals do have some responsibility, the society that works against them does as well.The people who are taking your garbage (not the other things, like the copper) aren't hurting anything. They are simply trying to find money for food. It defies the stereotype that homeless / poor people are lazy. What would it take for you do go through someone's garbage? That is what these individuals are facing.

I responded as well, basically reiterating Krissy's thoughts and adding a few related ones, then Darla responds to mine:

When you catch one of these poor souls stealing your kids' bikes or the siding off your house or kicking in your back door to steal the two dollars worth of brass fittings in your basement why don't you invite them in for dinner to discuss the sorry state of socio-economic affairs in this country?? Oh, and make sure you ask them to join the neighborhood watch since they spend so much time here, they must be really concerned about what goes on in Sheridan. And while you're at it make sure you ask them if they pay taxes on the revenue they steal from the city. Don't make the "ignorant assumption" the poor aren't civic-minded. And here's a really great idea - why don't you come on down to the outreach ministry where I work eveeyday FOR FREE and help out some really poor people. And good job missing the point!

Who's missing the point, now? Well, I couldn't help myself. After clearing it with Krissy, I sent the following:

I do not intend this to be personally insulting. But let's be clear about what was said: you threw rocks at a human being while you yourself were in absolutely in no danger. Then to top it off you boasted about it to the neighborhood mailing list seeking sympathy. That's wonderful that you work at an outreach ministry, but I hope you can see the Christian doctrinal irony of throwing the first stone yourself.

Insane Star Trek Captains?

2008-04-10T12:51:00.003-05:00

Thanks to a random blog post that scrolled through my Twingly this afternoon I discovered the most amazing news since the impending coffee shop across the street Patrick Stewart is playing Macbeth on Broadway while I'm in New York! I am now determined to get tickets. I saw Sean Bean play the role while I was in London and it's one of the most memorable performances among the dozens I saw on that trip. The timing is perfect, it closes the weekend I leave for home.

Wake-up Call

2008-04-04T08:50:00.004-05:00

I woke up this morning to my radio alarm at the precise moment the MPR speaker said "81 percent of Americans think the U.S. on the wrong track." I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Bad because we are most definitely on the wrong track, and despite the phrasing's abstract language, it has led to real harm in the world. Good, because the American people are finally waking up to this fact. Let's go fore hopeful today and pick the later.

P.S. I refuse to allow Obama fanaticism steal the word hope from my vocabulary. I use it with no such political connotations.

A Welcome Neighbor

2008-03-24T22:20:00.003-05:00

I've stared daily through the windows of an empty retail space underneath the condo complex across the street from my apartment. It's literally right where I wait for the bus, so there's usually nothing better to do. I've fantasized for months that a coffee shop would go in there. The location seemed perfect for one. But still it sat empty.

A couple months ago I read in the local paper that the complex had been selling slower than expected (as has been typical in most places recently). Apparently the complex was in talks with an elderly care facility to lease out the rest of the units to them. While I haven't heard anything more that this has been finalized, it really didn't seem to bode well for my coffee shop dreams...

Then come the magic of spring break. The last day I went in before break I saw for the first time someone inside the retail unity with a ladder as I waited for the bus. I couldn't tell yet if he was doing something productive toward anything in particular or just more general surveying/maintenance, but my excitement was rekindled.

This morning, however, I strolled down to the bus stop bright and early at 8am. The room was full! Ladders, equipment, even some wall frames for 2 bathrooms were installed. This go me very excited so I walked up to the window for a closer look only to find the most wonderful document curled up inside (pictured above). It was an awkward angle, but the top lie reads: Daily Grind Espresso Cafe! That means coffee shop!

I know no details beyond that, and my web searches have come up with too many possibilities to as yet determine which Daily Grind it may be. But any way you look at it, this is a dream come true: Coffee. Shop. At. My. Front. Door.

Sad

2008-03-18T17:28:00.000-05:00