Via Sadly No comes a link to Anne Applebaum's opinion column in the Washington Post. Applebaum is on the editorial board of the WP. Oh, that liberal media!
Applebaum said:
“Will Americans vote for a black man?” I’ve been asked this question by foreigners of various origins a dozen — or maybe three dozen — times since the U.S. presidential campaign began for real in January. … Which means that it is time to turn this rather offensive question around: Will foreigners accept a black American president? I realize that this, too, may seem like a rather offensive question.
Anne, is it the "foreigners" who have a problem with accepting a black man as president? How do you make the leap in logic from the "foreigners" asking the question about how Americans will vote to the conclusion that it was time to turn the question around in the manner that you did? Anne goes on to say, "I hate to put it so crudely, but -- European newspaper reporting to the contrary -- racism is not unique to the United States." What a surprise! If you hate to put it so crudely, then why do it?
A President Obama wouldn't have to worry too much about angry stares from people at bus stops, of course, and it is fair to assume that prejudices harbored by the odd foreign leader would vanish in the presence of the American president.
Indeed! I don't think he will be riding the bus, and he won't have to worry about taxis not stopping to pick him up, either.
But in the meantime, do not be surprised if there is some backlash as well. A hint of what might be hiding behind those enthusiastic headlines emerged last week in Obamamanic Germany, where a Berlin newspaper, Die Tageszeitung, put a photograph of the White House and the headline " Uncle Barack's Cabin" on its front page. The editors argued that their intention was satirical, but since the same newspaper has also referred to the current U.S. secretary of state as "Uncle Tom's Rice," it is clear that they understood the nastiness of the "Uncle Tom" connotation perfectly well.
So. We should keep the views of the racists around the world in mind when we cast our vote for president.
Listen carefully, too, when foreigners start worrying about Obama's lack of foreign policy experience. Though this is a legitimate concern, I occasionally catch a racist undertone in this kind of conversation. "How could a black man possibly understand European/Middle Eastern/South Asian politics?" is what my interlocutors sometimes in fact seem to be saying.
That seems another great leap in illogical reasoning, but, of course, I could be wrong. Perhaps I should conclude that you, and only you, Anne, know what's in their heads, what they really, really mean.
Sadly No's commentary on the column is wise and funny.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sad Doggy News
Remember the story of Roger's newly adopted rescue pet, Becky? Roger, aka Lapinbizarre, told their story here on Wounded Bird in the middle of May.
Tonight I received this email from Roger:
Becky's persistent "kennel cough" - I decided a week or so back that it was too resistant to antibiotics to be this - turns out to be lung cancer. The vet thinks three to six months, poor little soul, tho treatment with steroids, etc., could extend it as far as two years. I'll speak to her at greater length later in the week. In the meantime, Becky is her usual busy self. Very sad.
I wrote back:
Roger, I am so sorry. What sad news. We lost Rusty to lymphoma at the age of 9, too soon. I'll pray for Becky, that she'll have good times in whatever days are left for her. I'll pray for you, too, Roger. I know that this tears at your heart. I'll post a prayer request if you like.
And so I have done.
Mystery Solved! It's "The Dap"!
Ooooh, I'm getting my groove now.
From Newhouse via the Times-Picayune:
Moments before stepping to the podium Tuesday night to acknowledge that he would be the first black candidate nominated by a major party for president of the United States, Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, knocked knuckles.
It was a tiny gesture so cool, so tight, so loving and so right, that it seemed to encapsulate both the satisfaction of the moment and the new cultural trajectory of American politics.
"Barack and Michelle were giving each other some 'dap,' " says Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of black popular culture at Duke University. "I was watching the speech with my wife and she saw 'the dap' and said, 'Do you see that? A bunch of folks must be wondering what that means."
Yeeaah! Cool, tight, loving, right! Ya gotta love 'em. But wait! How much cool can the citizenry of the US take? What would the Founding Fathers think?
To wit: NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, who on Wednesday asked Obama about the dap, noting that Michelle had "tried to give her husband a fist pound the way a lot of Americans do, the way a lot of couples do. The only problem it's an inside move shared in front of 17-and-a-half thousand people in the arena and millions watching at home."
Of course! Why Brian, of the raccoon eyes due to tanning with his goggles on, is right! It was as though they had sex right there on the stage. Tell me, is there anyone less cool than Brian Williams? Well, probably. What can one do to confront this sort of assininity, but make sport of it?
In fact, Neal says, the dap probably does trace its early origins to the black power salute of the 1960s.
Horrors! Can this be? Bring me my smelling salts.
But it morphed into what it is today -- lateral instead of vertical -- in the intersection of hip-hop and the National Basketball Association in the 1980s. In the years since, it has become familiar beyond the black world to many Americans younger than 50 -- especially to anyone glued to a television as professional athletes congratulate each other on exceptional performance.
Black people and those under 50 -- a demographic that has come to be known by another name: Obama's base.
Dayum! Now that is scary. How did I know that the gesture was common? I'm in the wrong demographic. Is it possible that I'm 43, instead of 73?
From Newhouse via the Times-Picayune:
Moments before stepping to the podium Tuesday night to acknowledge that he would be the first black candidate nominated by a major party for president of the United States, Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, knocked knuckles.
It was a tiny gesture so cool, so tight, so loving and so right, that it seemed to encapsulate both the satisfaction of the moment and the new cultural trajectory of American politics.
"Barack and Michelle were giving each other some 'dap,' " says Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of black popular culture at Duke University. "I was watching the speech with my wife and she saw 'the dap' and said, 'Do you see that? A bunch of folks must be wondering what that means."
Yeeaah! Cool, tight, loving, right! Ya gotta love 'em. But wait! How much cool can the citizenry of the US take? What would the Founding Fathers think?
To wit: NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, who on Wednesday asked Obama about the dap, noting that Michelle had "tried to give her husband a fist pound the way a lot of Americans do, the way a lot of couples do. The only problem it's an inside move shared in front of 17-and-a-half thousand people in the arena and millions watching at home."
Of course! Why Brian, of the raccoon eyes due to tanning with his goggles on, is right! It was as though they had sex right there on the stage. Tell me, is there anyone less cool than Brian Williams? Well, probably. What can one do to confront this sort of assininity, but make sport of it?
In fact, Neal says, the dap probably does trace its early origins to the black power salute of the 1960s.
Horrors! Can this be? Bring me my smelling salts.
But it morphed into what it is today -- lateral instead of vertical -- in the intersection of hip-hop and the National Basketball Association in the 1980s. In the years since, it has become familiar beyond the black world to many Americans younger than 50 -- especially to anyone glued to a television as professional athletes congratulate each other on exceptional performance.
Black people and those under 50 -- a demographic that has come to be known by another name: Obama's base.
Dayum! Now that is scary. How did I know that the gesture was common? I'm in the wrong demographic. Is it possible that I'm 43, instead of 73?
"A Sad Story" - Carol McCain
Fran at FranIAm posted the story of John McCain's first wife, Carol. As she notes, it's been posted elsewhere. To give McCain his due, he has taken responsibility for the the break-up of his first marriage, but I did not know the whole story. It doesn't make him look good. Carol seems a lovely and forgiving person. God bless her.
Fran's story is from the UK. I wonder if the story would be more prominently covered in the US media if a Democratic candidate had a history like this.
Of course, we've seen the intense coverage of Michelle and Barack Obama's fist bump, as Media Matters notes, especially the nonsense at Fox News by E. D. Hill.
Teasing a segment on the "gesture everyone seems to interpret differently," Fox News' E.D. Hill said: "A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? ... We'll show you some interesting body communication and find out what it really says." In the ensuing discussion with a "body language expert," Hill referred to the "Michelle and Barack Obama fist bump or fist pound," but at no point did she explain her earlier reference to "a terrorist fist jab."
Media Matters has the video of the segment, if by some miracle you have not already seen it ad nauseam.
It's vital to the future of the country that we know the precise meaning of this gesture. Was it a code signal to the terrorists?
UPDATE: As Atrios says, "Terrorists Everywhere" Check it out.
Fran's story is from the UK. I wonder if the story would be more prominently covered in the US media if a Democratic candidate had a history like this.
Of course, we've seen the intense coverage of Michelle and Barack Obama's fist bump, as Media Matters notes, especially the nonsense at Fox News by E. D. Hill.
Teasing a segment on the "gesture everyone seems to interpret differently," Fox News' E.D. Hill said: "A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? ... We'll show you some interesting body communication and find out what it really says." In the ensuing discussion with a "body language expert," Hill referred to the "Michelle and Barack Obama fist bump or fist pound," but at no point did she explain her earlier reference to "a terrorist fist jab."
Media Matters has the video of the segment, if by some miracle you have not already seen it ad nauseam.
It's vital to the future of the country that we know the precise meaning of this gesture. Was it a code signal to the terrorists?
UPDATE: As Atrios says, "Terrorists Everywhere" Check it out.
Here He Is - Part 2
It's "Here He Is, Part 2, but - Alas! - I have no more pictures of Paul, nor of the girls, Maggie and Belle. As I said, I get caught up in the moment. He did better by me than I did by him with pictures. The post should rather be titled, St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square.
After we left the Palace Café on Sunday before last, the French Quarter beckoned. We headed in the direction of St. Louis Cathedral, not walking on Bourbon Street. One could imagine oneself in a European city or in the old part of town on an island in the Caribbean.
According to Wiki:
Saint Louis Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Louis), also known as the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, has the distiction of being the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the United States, first established in 1718, is the cathedral Basilica in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. It is located on the Place John Paul II (French: Place Jean-Paul II), a promenaded section of Chartres Street (rue de Chartres) that stretches one block between St. Peter Street (rue Saint-Pierre) on the upriver boundary and St. Ann Street (rue Sainte-Anne) on the downriver boundary.
I did not know that the street name had been changed to Place John-Paul II. Below are my pictures of the interior and exterior of the building.
MAIN ALTAR
MARY'S ALTAR
Paul and I crossed the street to Jackson Square and walked the circle. The girls loved it, but I did not think to take their picture. Paul has more pictures and better pictures at his blog, Byzigenous Buddhapalian.
It's a beautiful building. The much-favored angle from which to take a picture of the exterior is this view that includes the equestrian statue of Andy Jackson. Below is my favorite picture of the humans in this adventure, Pablito and me. It's stolen from Paul, who took it himself. We're really clattering our way downtown, but pretend it's our journey home. What a lovely day.
After we left the Palace Café on Sunday before last, the French Quarter beckoned. We headed in the direction of St. Louis Cathedral, not walking on Bourbon Street. One could imagine oneself in a European city or in the old part of town on an island in the Caribbean.
According to Wiki:
Saint Louis Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Louis), also known as the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, has the distiction of being the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the United States, first established in 1718, is the cathedral Basilica in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. It is located on the Place John Paul II (French: Place Jean-Paul II), a promenaded section of Chartres Street (rue de Chartres) that stretches one block between St. Peter Street (rue Saint-Pierre) on the upriver boundary and St. Ann Street (rue Sainte-Anne) on the downriver boundary.
I did not know that the street name had been changed to Place John-Paul II. Below are my pictures of the interior and exterior of the building.
MAIN ALTAR
MARY'S ALTAR
Paul and I crossed the street to Jackson Square and walked the circle. The girls loved it, but I did not think to take their picture. Paul has more pictures and better pictures at his blog, Byzigenous Buddhapalian.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Yes! My Hero!
Email from Democrats.com:
History is in the making as I type: Rep. Dennis Kucinich is on the floor of the House reading 35 Articles of Impeachment against President George W. Bush.
At last!!!!!
We've waited years to find one Member of Congress brave enough to stand up for our Constitution, for which generations of Americans have fought and died. We are thrilled and honored that Dennis Kucinich has chosen to be that one genuine patriot.
We congratulate him on his historic leadership, and pledge to do everything in our power to persuade the House to adopt all 35 Articles and put George W. Bush on trial before the Senate of the United States, exactly as the Founding Fathers wanted.
We can be sure Kucinich will come under furious attack by the White House, the Republican Party, the Corporate Media, and even Bush Democrats. So let's inundate Congress with emails and calls (202-224-3121) showing our full support for Rep. Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment:
http://www.democrats.com/35-articles-of-impeachment
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your constant support throughout this long and historic struggle.
Bob Fertik
History is in the making as I type: Rep. Dennis Kucinich is on the floor of the House reading 35 Articles of Impeachment against President George W. Bush.
At last!!!!!
We've waited years to find one Member of Congress brave enough to stand up for our Constitution, for which generations of Americans have fought and died. We are thrilled and honored that Dennis Kucinich has chosen to be that one genuine patriot.
We congratulate him on his historic leadership, and pledge to do everything in our power to persuade the House to adopt all 35 Articles and put George W. Bush on trial before the Senate of the United States, exactly as the Founding Fathers wanted.
We can be sure Kucinich will come under furious attack by the White House, the Republican Party, the Corporate Media, and even Bush Democrats. So let's inundate Congress with emails and calls (202-224-3121) showing our full support for Rep. Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment:
http://www.democrats.com/35-articles-of-impeachment
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your constant support throughout this long and historic struggle.
Bob Fertik
And The Winner Is....
"Streetcat Named Desire"
I know. No one suggested this one to pair with my other print, "Purr de Lis", but I thought I'd like the elegant cat and the somewhat disreputably titled "Steetcat named Desire" side by side. I thought seriously about "Marie Minou", with my reputation as a sorceress, and "The Purrfect Storm", but I remember Katrina and the federal flood enough already.
Thanks all for playing the game. Go ahead. Call me contrary.
Feast Day Of St.Columba
ABBOT OF IONA AND MISSIONARY (9 JUNE 597)
Iona Abbey
In the troubled and violent Dark Ages in Northern Europe, monasteries served as inns, orphanages, centers of learning, and even as fortresses. The light of civilization flickered dimly and might have gone out altogether if it had not been for these convent-shelters.
Columba, a stern and strong monk from Ireland, founded three such establishments. He founded the monasteries of Derry and Durrow in his native Ireland, and the island monastery of Iona on the coast of Scotland. Iona was the center of operations for the conversion of the Scots and Picts, and became the most famous religious house in Scotland. There Columba baptized Brude, King of the Picts, and later a King of the Scots came to this Abbot of the "Holy Isle" for baptism.
....
The memory of Columba lives on in Scotland, and Iona, though desecrated during the Reformation, today houses a flourishing ecumenical religious community.
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary.
Further information on the Iona Community may be found at the link under the picture of the abbey.
Readings:
Psalm 97:1-2,7-12 or 98:1-4
1 Corinthians 3:11-23
Luke 10:17-20
PRAYER
O God, who by the preaching of your blessed servant Columba caused the light of the Gospel to shine in Scotland: Grant, we pray, that, having his life and labors in remembrance, we may show our thankfulness to you by following the example of his zeal and patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Padre Mickey has a wonderful post on Columba which includes a biography and beautiful illustrations.
Iona Abbey
In the troubled and violent Dark Ages in Northern Europe, monasteries served as inns, orphanages, centers of learning, and even as fortresses. The light of civilization flickered dimly and might have gone out altogether if it had not been for these convent-shelters.
Columba, a stern and strong monk from Ireland, founded three such establishments. He founded the monasteries of Derry and Durrow in his native Ireland, and the island monastery of Iona on the coast of Scotland. Iona was the center of operations for the conversion of the Scots and Picts, and became the most famous religious house in Scotland. There Columba baptized Brude, King of the Picts, and later a King of the Scots came to this Abbot of the "Holy Isle" for baptism.
....
The memory of Columba lives on in Scotland, and Iona, though desecrated during the Reformation, today houses a flourishing ecumenical religious community.
From James Kiefer at the Lectionary.
Further information on the Iona Community may be found at the link under the picture of the abbey.
Readings:
Psalm 97:1-2,7-12 or 98:1-4
1 Corinthians 3:11-23
Luke 10:17-20
PRAYER
O God, who by the preaching of your blessed servant Columba caused the light of the Gospel to shine in Scotland: Grant, we pray, that, having his life and labors in remembrance, we may show our thankfulness to you by following the example of his zeal and patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Padre Mickey has a wonderful post on Columba which includes a biography and beautiful illustrations.
Happy Birthday, Les Paul! He's 93!
"Waiting For the Sunrise"
Wasn't Mary Ford wonderful, too? How 'bout that Listerine! Oh, my. I'm showing my age, aren't I?
Les, is having a long sunset.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
"Of Course, I Could Be On Vacation" Is Back
MadPriest has run off again, this time without advance notice. Although we were caught by surprise, Of Course, I Could Be On Vacation is up and running. Go visit and leave a word. The link is at the top on my sidebar.
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