Yes we canned.
I am once again disappointed with the Obama administration. Not because of a policy decision but because the Democrats once again refuse to play hardball. A few days ago, environmental advisor and "green jobs czar", Van Jones, was "asked to resign" after he had the audacity to be caught on video saying, "Republicans are assholes". Do you think Bush cared when Cheney told congress to "go fuck themselves!"? Of course not. Sarah Palin writes some idiotic post about death panels on her Facebook page and all of sudden Obama has to change his policy. Fox News commentator Glenn Beck is offended that Obama allowed an advisor that used a curse word... soon afterward he's fired. The last time I checked, the Democrats had the presidency, both houses of congress... and Bruce Springsteen. Yet, once again, the Democrats are completely bullied. Playing nice doesn't work in 2009 politics. Obviously part of the problem is the media. To increase viewership, news outlets constantly choose someone on the far right to battle with someone on the far left. We have replaced balance with accuracy. I truly believe the majority of Americans want our health care system to be reformed. It is time that those of us without health insurance (including me) start to make some noise. Why are the tens of millions of us without health insurance being pushed over by radical right wing extremists whose complete arrogance has "earned" them incredible media coverage? I want Obama to demand in the near future a march onto Washington and every other big city in the United States. Let the nation and our country see the faces of the unemployed, and uninsured. Not all of us are black, homeless, from the projects, and addicted to drugs. Let the old come. Let the sick come. Let the healthy come. Let the media show the world why we need reform - sooner rather than later. This is a call for action President Obama. Your loyal supporters are growing frustrated that you are being pushed around by large insurance companies and radical Republicans. Let's do something now.
1. I did watch the first Jay Leno show last night. Basically, it was identical to the Tonight Show. Fans of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno will love it. The format is the same. The monolog was funny, Seinfeld was charming as usual, but the real highlight was when he had Kanye West on the show. West was noticeably lugubrious. He appeared to really be sorry for his interruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech. I also appreciated how hard Leno came down him. Like a father admonishing a teenager, Leno asked the hard questions and demanded answers.
2. Did anyone else watch Michael Jordan's hall of fame acceptance speech? I was actually disappointed. Jordan, never had a shortage of hubris during his career, apparently five years after retiring, it never went away. Instead of graciously thanking people like his personal trainer, he took the opportunity to rip on his high school basketball coach, old coaches like Jeff Van Gundy, and old opponents like Byron Russell. Why? You were introduced by an ESPN video proclaiming you the greatest of all time. A little humility would go a long way.
3. Rest in peace Patrick Swayze. You were a good, charitable, man who deserved to live longer. My favorite Swayze moment was his SNL skit with Chris Farley as the Chippendales' dancers. One of the ten funniest moments on Saturday Night Live.
4. Currently listening to "Run This Town" by Jay Z. Album: Blue Print III.
posted by cyclonejohn @ 10:56 AM
3 Comments:
Since when have Democrats NOT run away from a fight?
1. It seemed as tho kanye was truly sorry and upset with his actions. We'll see what he does in the future to see if he is really sorry.
2. Don't EVER question anything Jordan does.
3. RIP Patrick Swayze
4. I love Jay-Z, but Kanye ruins that song (not because I'm bitter with Kanye, but because it's a pretty bad verse he does).
There's nothing wrong with balanced news coverage. The problem is that none of that balance is accurate.
Media is propaganda, and media is business. And until you have someone sitting in those newsrooms raising their hand and saying, "this is wrong/inaccurate," nothing will ever change. There's too much money to be made by keeping people complacent, fearful, miserable and blind to the whole picture. Sad but true. (That's not to say there's something wrong with making money and/or capitalism—there isn't—but there is something wrong with making money through manipulation.)
Re. 2.: I'll admit that I haven't had the chance to watch Jordan's speech, but I have read transcripts. Other than telling his kids that he didn't envy them, I don't see a thing wrong with Jordan's speech.
Pundits, Sunday morning and armchair quarterbacks, "critics," and people who have no real talent other than to make others as miserable and insecure as they are love to complain and throw down the "well, shucks, he should be humble card" (not that you were) when the person they derided not only meets their lofty expectations, but utterly shatters them. It's a coping mechanism to handle the taste of their feet in their mouths; it's human nature.
Jordan was saying all these people who told him he'd never do X, Y, Z gave him the motivation to achieve what he did. So when ESPN says he's the greatest player of all time, Jordan says, "Yea, you're right, I am--and it's because all you people promoted, believed and bragged that I wouldn't be."
True, there is much, much to be said for modesty and humility—but there's also much to be said for making sure naysayers and cynics are properly, justly and publicly put in their place.
Jordan's speech was different than the typical HOF acceptance speech but that doesn't mean he was slamming the people he used as examples in his speech, instead he was publicly telling us specific instances of challenges he faced and how he used them as motivation. He was telling Pat Riley, Byron Russell, ect. that their actions spurred his motivation to push himself further. Though athletes usually do not talk so candidly about their competition, it was refreshing to get into the psyche of Jordan for 30 minutes and see how he pushed his talents to the limit of his ability.
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