Mueller explained that the act could be carried out by an isolated sect that sees itself as the victim of a government conspiracy, or perhaps a religious movement wanting its members to cleanse their souls prior to a significant astronomical event. Whatever the circumstances, he warned, all Americans should steel themselves for the grisly details of “a big group of weirdos knocking themselves off in a bizarre, ritualistic fashion.”

All that’s missing is the messianic leader with political implications and I could write a thesis.

()

Recaplet: In August 1974, a crazy Frenchman named Philippe Petit walked a 7/8″ wide wire strung between the two towers of The World Trade Center giving a performance he considered more “art” than “stunt.” As with the event, the movie is inspiring because of the audaciousness of the act, as well as for the message of diligent work with utter focus on a goal, embracing fear, and fully living.

Jason Kottke gave it 4.5 stars earlier this year with a single comment:

Wow.

Pretty much.

Note, this next section contains spoilers:

As a side note, over here at Chez Randall we’ve developed a fascination of late with pathological narcissists, and Philippe Petit clearly fits all the major criteria. Need to be admired - check. Extreme self confidence - check.

The beauty of being a narcissist is that even when disaster stares you in the face, you feel neither doubt nor remorse.

-“Field Guide to Narcissism”

As somone summarizes:

One of his friends in particular, whom he was closest to, explained how their relationship got somewhat strained during the months of planning because Phillipe’s safety was foremost on his mind. Phillipe was ready to throw caution to the wind, but his friend went out of his way to make sure he didn’t get hurt. Immediately after he succeeded, Phillipe completely cut off contact with his friends. I watched his friend interviewed at the end of the documentary. He explained what happened to their relationship like so: “There was something broken in our friendship. It doesn’t matter, because we did it…I mean you cannot take away what happened, and uh…yeah what happened is that, uh…” and then he burst into tears. While Phillipe had his name on the front of every newspaper, had all charges dropped if he agreed to do a juggling act for some kids, and ran off with girls he didn’t know for “magnificent explosions of pleasure”, his friends were expelled from the United States and told to never come back.

True, it takes a certain amount of narcissism to accomplish such a feat, but Petit seems utterly oblivious to the pain he put others involved in the caper through. By the time of the walk - a what should have been a time of great camaraderie - it appears the relationships with those supporting his caper were irrevocably damaged.

The thing about narcissists is that they just don’t care about anyone but themselves. It’s their goal, their agenda - the rest of the folks be damned. When success appears, they basque in the limelight. In failure, they’re cowards doling out blame to everyone but themselves. Which is ironic, but the singular vision of success and being is also usually most responsible for failure. Everyone is just a tool.

And in that way, it’s also a bit hard to recognize Philippe Petit for greatness despite “Le Coup.” Because the truly great man may not have gone out on the wire.

Related links:

• Man on Wire 2: Electric Boogaloo - A 2nd Kottke post with updates
• Same Man, New Wire and a Secret Midtown Venue - New York Times, April 14, 2009

“He’s a serial betrayer of business deals. He’ll probably play a couple of shows, then get a doctor’s sick note. Jackson’s not a well man. To do 50 concerts you need real strength, mentally and physically. He couldn’t even read the teleprompter at the press conference.”

Does an autopsy report count?

Pirates!

(Love the ears.)

Now, for the most part, the likes of Fox News and the R.N.C. haven’t directly incited violence, despite Bill O’Reilly’s declarations that “some” called Dr. Tiller “Tiller the Baby Killer,” that he had “blood on his hands,” and that he was a “guy operating a death mill.” But they have gone out of their way to provide a platform for conspiracy theories and apocalyptic rhetoric, just as they did the last time a Democrat held the White House.

And at this point, whatever dividing line there was between mainstream conservatism and the black-helicopter crowd seems to have been virtually erased.

- by Paul Krugman, “The Big Hate.” New York Times, June 11, 2009.

This week Graham and I celebrated 3 years of wedded bliss, and 5 years together. We met at a group that discusses international policy. He generally represented the more conservative side of the debate, while my perspective is far (FAR) more liberal. We recognized early on that our opinions differed not because one was more ignorant or callous than the other, but because the trajectory of our most important values led us to different conclusions for solving problems. Often times, our solutions both had merit in their context.

We also recognized the importance of shades of gray, versus binary right/wrong or black/white thinking. The perfect solution to a political question is less likely all one ingredient or another, but most likely a a finely crafted balance of a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Just enough crisp, juicy carrot plucked from the earth at just the right moment; a finely crafted stick with to dole out ample sting.

This nuance seems lost in so much of the political rhetoric we hear in American culture today. There is no genuine debate, only a sad game of one-upmanship that’s too often focused on tactical arguments based on logical fallacy, non sequitur, and ad hominem attacks.

Is that what we’ve come to? How do you have a real debate when both sides are spewing hate, judgmentalism, and willed ignorance to the other side’s motivations. Toxic political debate that has no real hope of solving problems because it doesn’t care about the questions, only winning the debate. It’s hateful and it makes everyone who engages in it less of a person.

What we need to overcome this twisted, toxic substitute for political discussion is to rediscover as a culture is how to argue without fighting. I love this guy’s ideas so much I’m going to quote and summarize here.

An argument is good; a fight is not. Whereas the goal of a fight is to dominate your opponent, in an argument you succeed when you bring your audience over to your side.

And it starts with teaching kids logos (argue by logic), ethos (argue by character) & pathos (argue by emotion). The key is to do so with integrity. Here are the ground rules:

• Teach decision making. There’s only room for shades of gray. Present both options fairly.
• Focus on the future. Pose open-ended questions that focus on resolving the problem in the future rather than debating the past or placing value judgments on the character of the former decision maker.
• Call “fouls.” Anything that impedes debate counts as a foul: Shouting, storming out of the room, or recalling past atrocities should instantly make you choose the opposite side. Logical fallacy, non sequitur, and ad hominem attacks are fouls, too.
• Use right emotions. No screaming, no attacking, no guilt trips, no sanctimony, no judgmentalism. “Oh, come on. You can do better than that.”
• Let the other side win sometimes.

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.

-Winnie the Pooh

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America’s Newest Profession: Bloggers for Hire I keep telling my mother-in-law to come out of retirement and start a blog. Second career, Marcia!

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Iowa - progressive land of opportunity?

“But the thing is,” she went on, “it’s really none of my business. Who am I to tell someone how to live? I live the way I want, and they should live the way they want. I’m surely not going to stomp and raise heck and campaign against it.”

Same-Sex Ruling Belies the Staid Image of Iowa (NYT)

Go Iowa!

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I’m somewhat confused about what to do on Facebook at times (throwing sheep?), but at least I don’t use it while navigating the world of dating. For those who do, here’s help.

Angela’s a COMMUNIST (or so sayeth her “friends” on the electronic friendship generator)

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Well, this would certainly solve the pesky Vitamin D deficiency problem. Bye, Bye Classroom (Times UK)

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Wise swine flu pandemic coverage over at Vital Systems Security.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl noted yesterday that the public may misunderstand the word “pandemic.” The term refers to where an illness spreads, not its severity.

Those anthropologists are such a good lot. (I can’t believe I already have a reference tag for pandemic prior to this.)

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Orgasms as anti-infanticide insurance policies in How Women Got Their Curves and Other Just-So Stories: Evolutionary Enigmas. Provocative.

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What happens when a black (African-American) family adopts a white (Irish-American) little girl? Raising Katie: What adopting a white girl taught a black family about race in the Obama era. The politics of interracial adoption in the U.S. are interesting in and of themselves (think black social workers who don’t believe it’s in the best interest of the child to place him/her with non-black parents), but there’s also the specter of lingering racism here too.  Not sure why this is an Obama-based issue and not something that could be more readily tied to the plurality of mult-cultural issues we’re beginning to see in our big melting pot.  But I guess the Obama angle sells more papers.

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Jelly Bean - in his "natural" habitat

The cutest part? His whittle cotton tail.

Da Whittle Cotton Tail

For the knitters:
Pattern: Amy Gaines on Etsy - Jelly Bean Amigurumi
Yarn: Berrocco Comfort
Needles: Size 4 (much of it can be knitted on dpns)

The beauty of being a narcissist is that even when disaster stares you in the face, you feel neither doubt nor remorse….being somewhat narcissistic is like driving a huge SUV: You’re having a great time, even while you hog the road, suck up extra resources and put other drivers at higher risk.

A Field Guide To Narcissism (Psychology Today). If there’s a narcissist in your life, this is a must read. Even if the “narcissists get their comeuppance only in movies” sidebar is a psychological letdown, there’s value in the real world suggestions for coping.

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If only poor Bernie Madoff had taken a few more classes, he could be living out is twilight years on the lamb. Here’s what he’d need to know to do it:
How to Be Jason Bourne: Multiple Passports, Swiss Banking, and Crossing Borders (Tim Ferriss),  an excerpt from Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life.  The bits about how to hide money inside LLCs were very interesting, even if the underlying feeling of paranoia and doom is unsettling.  (It’s a recession people, not nuclear obliteration.)

Similarly, we have Tips for the Sophisticated Fugitive (NYT).

White-collar fugitives are less impressive; they’re sharks in a boardroom but pedestrian on the lam. Joe Judge, a retired F.B.I. agent, could not hide his disgust at learning that three fugitives had been holed up at the Breakers, the deluxe hotel and spa in Palm Beach, Fla.

“They’re helpless,” Mr. Judge said. “They’re just not good fugitives.”

Probably not something to say to the narcissist, white-collar criminal/CEO who’s just been nabbed.