A-ROD, MLB's Newest Scapegoat

Well. Beseball Phenom Alex Rodriguez has just admitted to, and apologized for, using steroids during his stint with the Texas Ranger, from 2001-2003. His primary apology is to the Rangers organization and to the Rangers fans. Hmmmm. So on the strength of this confession, the hysterics about A-ROD's tainted legacy can drop all petense of moderation and kick into full gear.

Witness Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who for one is shocked...shocked! that such a thing was visited upon his pristine organization and that he himself was thus dealt so duplicitously:

I feel personally betrayed. I feel deceived by Alex," Hicks said in a conference call, according to The Associated Press. "He assured me that he had far too much respect for his own body to ever do that to himself. ... I certainly don't believe that if he's now admitting that he started using when he came to the Texas Rangers, why should I believe that it didn't start before he came to the Texas Rangers?"

Ummmm. Okay Tom. Whatevs. Screech all the self-righteous screeching that ye will, and A-ROD can join the ranks of Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, Palmeiro, etc. as big name scapegoats. But as Harrogate has been saying for years, such protests from an MLB owner reek of ridiculousness.

Soon. Oh soon. It will become manifestly clear to far more people than Harrogate and a few others, that Jose Canseco has been the sanest high-profile voice by far on this issue. When Canseco's book first came out, the MLB powers were able to write him off as a disgruntled juicer. Well, he may be disgruntled and he may have been a juicer, but he has still nailed Baseball's proverbial ass to the wall:

In his 2008 book, "Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and The Battle to Save Baseball," Jose Canseco claimed he introduced Rodriguez to a steroids dealer. Canseco, who has admitted using steroids, subsequently said he had no knowledge of any drug use by Rodriguez.

"They are looking in the wrong places," Canseco said in a text message to The Associated Press. "This is a 25-year cover-up. The true criminals are Gene Orza, [union head] Donald Fehr and [commissioner] Bud [Selig]. Investigate them, and you will have all the answers."

When the money was good and the media was ignorant, the Baseball powers, still reeling from the 1994 Strike, had no problem with a practice that led to gaudy statistics and packed stadiums. So please, Readers, don't listen to any of them now when they wax concerned about the "integrity" of the game, or about the dangers of steroid use, or about "the children" who worship these players. Don't believe them, for verily and forsooth, they are the pigs at the trough who only squealed after getting real, real fat.

Harrogate is saddened by the fact that, as an institution, Baseball, a sport which Harrogate grew up loving and which he still on some level deeply loves, has been completely corrupted over the last 15 years. It is time to recognize this, rather than railing against individual ballplayers.

Monday Musical Tribute: Great Music is Happening Everywhere, Even if We Aren't Hearing It

So good to discover contemporary musicians you instantly love and want more of. The charts can be depressing at times, but if ye just explore the broader Rhetorical Situation a bit, ye realize that really great music is freighting the American pop scene, however so much of it may appear to only be operating on the fringes.

So this realization was for Harrogate, when he discovered James McMurtry, and recently celebrated the badassness of that guy on this very blog (Paperweight: Harrogate is still especially awaiting your weigh-in on McMurtry). And so it is with The Bittersweets, who definitely know something about the Rufusness. Here is a wonderfully intimate performance of "Wreck," off their most recent record.

RNC Chair Michael Steele: Government Jobs Don't Count

Harrogate is glad the RNC selected Michael Steele as its chair. This brief, humorous clip is a very clear articulation of the rigid doctrinalism that has long infested the Republican Party.

Sunday Musical Tribute

Happy Sunday, Situationers and Readers!

Gotta. Gotta. Gotta check this out. Paperweight in particular may flip his lid when he hears the manifest heat in this, one of Harrogate's new favorite songs.

Smells like dinner!

Killifer and the Impossibilities of the "Nanny Tax"

I have to admit I haven't been following the issues surrounding members and potential members of Obama's cabinet all that closely. I didn't even know who Nancy Killifer was or what the Chief Performance Officer was. But when I learned that she withdrew her name because she failed to pay enough payroll taxes for her nanny I became intrigued.

First, I did some research on Killifer and the position. As this Time article reveals, the woman is imminently qualified for this new position. Her profile on ZoomInfo.com, a site for potential head hunters, clearly reiterates the qualifications outlined in the Time article. Since the position of Chief Performance Officer is meant to streamline government efficiency, I think, given the little I've read about her, that Killifer was the right person for the job.

On to the Nanny Tax. A quick read of an article at Newsweek reveals the pitfalls of the Nanny Tax. This is, apparently, an impossible tax to calculate correctly, particularly for parents who choose to do it themselves rather than pay a payroll company a lot of money to do it for them. On one level, I think it is probably not a good idea for the average parent who hires a nanny to try to calculate this tax on her own. But then, I think about all the parents I know who use a nanny or a babysitter and end up paying them more than the minimum of $1,800 a year that these individuals can be paid without the employer having to pay payroll taxes. Sure, lots of these people pay their nannies in cash, which isn't traceable. But I know lots of moms who simply ignore this rule. And a lot more moms and dads who use babysitters and can't afford to pay their sitters a competitive wage AND pay payroll taxes.

I was employed by one such family the summer before I started working on my MA. The family paid me a base pay of $9 an hour to care for their 2 children a minimum of 40 hours a week; if I worked more than 40 hours, I was paid $15 an hour for any hours over 40. I typically worked 60 hours a week, so I was getting paid over $600 a week. Now, they paid me under the table, and they paid me so well because they wanted a college graduate who was certified in CPR to care for their children. But I also know that both parents rushed home every day from their jobs so that they wouldn't go over the 60 hours a week that I averaged--because they couldn't afford to pay me more. But given that I was employed for about 14 weeks, I clearly made more than the $1,800 I could legally make before they were supposed to pay payroll taxes on my income. These were not dishonest people by any stretch; they simply wanted to pay me a competitive wage because they wanted someone trustworthy, educated, and caring to look after their kids.

I think most parents are in a similar situation. They want to do the right thing by their employees, and often the right this is either paying the nanny more or complying with payroll tax laws. Now, clearly, Killifer can afford to pay these taxes, but nothing I've read indicated she didn' t pay these taxes. Rather, she just paid them incorrectly from time to time. It strikes me as incredibly unfair that a person who was highly qualified for a job had to withdraw herself from consideration for struggling to pay the correct amount of payroll taxes for her nanny. Let me emphasize that again: Killifer didn't fail to pay the taxes; she just didn't always get it right.

A Message on Inclusion, and One on Exclusion

Yesterday President Obama attended the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. While there, he spoke about his path to Christianity and the importance of faith in his family life. He then quoted passages from the Quran and the Torah to underscore a point about the universality of the "golden rule." He also spoke approvingly of Buddhists, Hindus, followers of Confucius, humanist, and agnostics. (When Bush spoke last year, he did not praise any of these groups.)

Dr. Frank S. Page, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention had these things to say after the breakfast:

--"[Obama] was not my first choice for president." We figured.

--About the Quran reference, "I would rather that had been left off." Of course.

So Mock Me if You Must

So I have new TV show that I've gotten interested in, particularly because of the last two episodes, Grey's Anatomy: a broken cock and anal pleasure gone wrong. Although all of these problems are inflicted upon men during sexual acts, I cannot help but think that we should be writing for this show as I'm sure we can one up them with a knob of butter.

Can I Still Call Myself a Man?

Weekly Address #2

Better late than never:

Seriously

This is not Rodney Stanger. 

WTF?.....

And  I have grading to do.... And Failblog.org is the best site i've seen in years. 

And Oxymoron, this one is for you. 

Wait for the mugshot....

You now have me hooked on FAIL Blog, Roof.

Wednesday Musical Tribute

Sick of Irony but don't want Sappiness either? Hit play below.

Maths and You

I try to avoid FailBlog - based posts because, once started, I may never stop.

However, this is for the teachers in the room. Especially in this room of people who will protest that they aren't "math-people."

I have .002 dollars that says that we all subvocalize a scream at the same moment, at the same line, at the same illogical defense.

Assy McGee Award®: Richland County, South Carolina Sheriff Leon Lott

By now everybody knows that Michael Phelps, winner of Eight Gold Medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was recently photographed smoking marijuana at a party that supposedly took place somewhere on the University of South Carolina Campus.

But now arrives this nonsense.

Michael Phelps could face criminal charges as part of the fallout from a photo of him inhaling from a marijuana pipe at a house party.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told The State newspaper of Columbia, S.C., that he would file charges against Phelps if he determines the swimmer smoked marijuana in the county. The sheriff's office released a statement Tuesday saying it "is making an effort to determine if Mr. Phelps broke the law."

It really raises the question. Really. Do these people ever think about who and what they are and just feel overcome by a profound sense of embarrassment?

It could have been better....

Or worse, depending on your perspective.

If The Boss' bags were not enough, viewers in Arizona were treated to a real celebration after Larry Fitzgerald scored:

Seconds after Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald scored on a touchdown pass from Kurt Warner to put the birds in the lead, Tucson, Arizona based Comcast Cable subscribers expected an end-zone dance but received a money shot.

Officials at the cable provider’s headquarters explained that 30 seconds of full-frontal male pornography from Club Jenna, an adult cable television channel, were shown on the local Super Bowl telecast to families and children of all ages–a scarring that will surely confuse young boys into believing that every time Larry Fitzgerald scores, massive white cocks will be pulled out of jeans and tossed around like thundersticks at Los Angeles Lakers games

More from Bruce...

Forget Janet Jackson's nipple...

I just got teabagged by Bruce.

Britney Spears and Situational Rhetoric

Watching Bill O'Reilly last night, Harrogate learned about Britney's new song: "If You Seek Amy." Heh.

And a few Google searches since then shows that already, the song has the political Right screaming bloody murder. This is of course nothing compared to what is coming; it will not surprise Harrogate in the slightest if White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs winds up having to field questions about Spears' song.

Harrogate is no Libertarian, as ye all know, but he is enough of one to be a pure hater of the FCC--an organization which routinely winks at Media Consolidation but which remains angry at Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Thus, it is not so much on the merits of artistry or cleverness, but rather due entirely to the Rhetorical Situation at hand, that Harrogate declares Spears' song positively delightful, and pledges to buy the record at the nearest possible opportunity.

Weekly Address #1

I thought it might behoove us to have Obama's weekly address posted to TRS each week. This one's a little late and I'm sure we've all seen it, but if anyone has thoughts, please share.



(Oh, and if I forget to do this every week, feel free to pick up my slack!)

The ($3.8 Million) Question of The Day

And is it a good one, with a few sub-questions.

Meet Natalie Dylan, as 22-year-old Women's Studies graduate (BA) who will soon begin an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Natalie Dylan is a unique individual. Natalie is selling her virginity to pay for her MA and a few other things. Well, auctioning it really through the Bunny Ranch's website. The Moonlite Bunny Ranch, of course, is a legal and licensed brothel in Nevada and the "act" will take place there.

So, why Natalie she doing this (--besides paying for Graduate work). At The Daily Beast, Dylan writes:

Like most little girls, I was raised to believe that virginity is a sacred gift a woman should reserve for just the right man. But college taught me that this concept is just a tool to keep the status quo intact. Deflowering is historically oppressive—early European marriages began with a dowry, in which a father would sell his virginal daughter to the man whose family could offer the most agricultural wealth. Dads were basically their daughters’ pimps.

When I learned this, it became apparent to me that idealized virginity is just a tool to keep women in their place. But then I realized something else: if virginity is considered that valuable, what’s to stop me from benefiting from that? It is mine, after all. And the value of my chastity is one level on which men cannot compete with me. I decided to flip the equation, and turn my virginity into something that allows me to gain power and opportunity from men. I took the ancient notion that a woman’s virginity is priceless and used it as a vehicle for capitalism.

The questions:

(1) Is Dylan correct about the nature of virginity or is this just more academic banality or is she just another capitalist, um, I won't say it?

(2) If Dylan is correct, would you encourage your child to do this, knowing that is could make your child financially secure for the rest of her, or his, life?

(3) Is this comparable to pornography, which some scholars, such as Catherine MacKinnon, argue is just another violent and oppressive act against women or does Dylan possess agency and does her auction "transcend" the oppression?

Yet another reason why I like Obama

I didn't need any more reasons; I really like our new president a lot. He's thoughtful, he's intelligent, he's funny, and he's serious. A little over a week into his presidency, he hasn't backed down from any serious issues, and so far, I'm proud of everything he has done. Frankly, it is nice to say that again: I'm proud to be an American. There was a long, long time I couldn't way that at all.

Today President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Equal Pay Act into law. While it doesn't do everything I want an equal pay act to do, it does make it infinitely easier for people to sue their employers on the basis of pay discrimination, effectively nullifying the previous Supreme Court ruling, which said employees had to sue employers within 180 days of a company's initial decision to pay an employee less than another. Obama seems to get what the Bush administration and event the Supreme Court didn't: this isn't only a gender issue. This is a family issue as pay discrimination makes it impossible for families to improve and to get ahead. Further, the bill is worded in such a way that employees can sue discrimination they suffered on the basis of gender, racial, religion, age, or nationality. This is a good day for America.

A Paradelle for Roof Almighty, Because Roof Once Indicated on Facebook That He Likes Paradelles

A lot of the scholarship on this poem, ranging from Collins' own words to a Wikipedia entry, suggests the poet was not being serious with this poem, but was rather Funning with Form. But hey. Make your own call.

"A Paradelle for Susan"

by Billy Collins

I remember the quick, nervous bird of your love.
I remember the quick, nervous bird of your love.
Always perched on the thinnest, highest branch.
Always perched on the thinnest, highest branch.
Thinnest love, remember the quick branch.
Always nervous, I perched on your highest bird the.
—
It is time for me to cross the mountain.
It is time for me to cross the mountain.
And find another shore to darken with my pain.
And find another shore to darken with my pain.
Another pain for me to darken the mountain.
And find the time, cross my shore, to with it is to.
—
The weather warm, the handwriting familiar.
The weather warm, the handwriting familiar.
Your letter flies from my hand into the waters below.
Your letter flies from my hand into the waters below.
The familiar waters below my warm hand.
Into handwriting your weather flies you letter the from the.
—
I always cross the highest letter, the thinnest bird.
Below the waters of my warm familiar pain,
Another hand to remember your handwriting.
The weather perched for me on the shore.
Quick, your nervous branch flew from love.
Darken the mountain, time and find was my into it was with to to.

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz makes an excellent point

This morning, as I was skimming the various news sites I keep up with, I counted no less than 3 stories about Jessica Simpson's alleged weight gain. Um, ok. I see images of Jessica Simpson everywhere, and frankly, she doesn't look like she's gained any weight to me. I am constantly miffed by the media's obsession with skinny women--as in emaciated women who look like they are about to pass out from lack of food. So, here's something I never thought I'd do: I'm vehemently agreeing with Ashlee Simpson-Wentz wrote on her blog about her sister's alledged weight gain. I wish everyone in Hollywood had as much sense about this particular issue.

Not Exactly a Musical Tribute, But....

This is a message Harrogate needed, today, and perhaps he isn't alone here.


One reason to be grateful for You Tube. You can get your fix on a song like this one.

Coolest picture ever....

This picture is from the Inauguration. You can click anywhere on the photo and zoom in.

For some reason, I love looking to the Supreme Court Justices. Justice Clarence Thomas looks like he is asleep. Justice Antonin Scalia looks constipated. Chief Justice Roberts looks as if he is thinking nasty thoughts, especially in regards to their upcoming Constitutional fights.

Congratulations to the New Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

Congratulations to three very different 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees: Run DMC, Jeff Beck, and Metallica.

One question never settled of course is what are the criteria for (Heidi Klum impersonation beginning now) who is in the Rock Hall, and who is out. Harrogate would appreciate thoughts from the floor, on this issue. Meanwhile, From the Rolling Stone Link.

For the Rap-o-Philes Amongst us, this will be of interest:

Run-DMC are the second rap group to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, two years after pioneers Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five were selected for induction. "I can't even comprehend this is happening," Daryl "DMC" McDaniels tells Rolling Stone. "I want to let the world know that there are others receiving this honor with us. I'm talking about our heroes Afrika Bambaataa, Treacherous Three, the Cold Crush Brothers and DJ Kool Herc." The group's performance at the April 4th induction ceremony in Cleveland will be their since founding member Jam Master Jay was murdered seven years ago in Queens, New York.

Hopefully Harrogate and Oxymoron will not be the only ones, meanwhile, who will say "about time!" with respect to Jeff Beck finally getting in as a solo artist. In the process his elite status is exemplified:

Jeff Beck is joining an exclusive club of artists that have entered the Hall of Fame twice: The guitarist was first inducted in 1992 as a member of the Yardbirds, and now 17 years later he'll be honored for his solo career. (Coincidentally, Beck's Yardbirds predecessor Eric Clapton is the only musician to be inducted three times: With the Yardbirds, Cream and as a solo artist.)

Hmmmm. As for Metallica. The never-at-a-loss for words drummer, Lars Ulrich, spoke the way, well, that he tends to speak:

Metallica, who inducted Black Sabbath into the Hall three years ago, are one of the few metal bands to get the RRHOF nod. "I'm not going to give a whole schpeel about 'come back in 20 years or something,' " says drummer Lars Ulrich. "I'll fucking take it right now. I'm fucking psyched that anybody still gives a shit about this band."

Metallica, Harrogate enjoyed ye very, very much back in the day, and as a result of this induction, he may well celebrate by breaking out the old CDs. Metallica fans as a general rule seem largely comprised of two diametrically opposed contingents: the adherents to the old stuff ("hard core, man!") and everything from the Black Album forward ("it's just so much more complex, you see. they really grew musically"). Harrogate is one of the ones who celebrates it all.

And in that vein, here is a song that both honored the old and signalled the new, one of Harrogate's very favorites. It speaks to him, you see.

Enjoy, and as always, Harrogate will leave the light on for ye.

Saturday Musical Tribute, and a Question (but not a "Question of the Day")

Harrogate's engine searches for this version of "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" has led to an odd conflict of information.

Hmmmmmmm. Is this version by Warren James (of whom Harrogate has never heard), or is it by Beck, or is it by someone altogether different?

Either way it is freakin awesome, and some might even go so far as to say it has the Rufusness.

Have a great weekend Situationers!!!

VA Tech

Given the events at Virginia Tech this week, as well as those of April 2007, it seems like the administration need to evaluate its policies to identify and help troubled students, particularly troubled graduate students who are also adjusting to live in a new country.

To Descend is not only Honorable, but also our Duty

Why you aren't cool enough. Yes, you. -or- "It's so strange, eye'm more comfortable around U when eye'm naked"

Whether it is the Santa-riding, the fact that he out-James-Browns James Brown, the entire deconstruction of "singing" and "clapping," or the utter chaos he leaves in his wake-- this is the sign you've been waiting for that you should try harder.

Yes, you.

The Obama Presidency and Technology

I ran across two articles this morning about Obama, his presidency and technology. Given the unprecedented way the Obama campaign utilized technology, particularly cell phones and the internet, I've been interested to see if they can maintain their innovative techniques once Obama officially became president. It seems it may be more difficult for them than anyone expected. The first article, "New Staff find White House in Tech Dark Ages," focuses on how out-dated the White House is in terms of technology. Given how slowly the federal government moves, I have to say I wasn't surprised to learn this. I am curious to see how the new administration adapts to these challenges; will these technology hurdles alienate the young people and technofiles that responded so positively to the campaign? The second, "President Obama gets to keep is Blackberry," interests me more in terms of archival research than anything else. I get all the security concerns and agree they are more than valid, but I can't believe these can't be addressed. My interest is in how will any messages Obama sends via email, texts, etc. be recorded for the historical record? Again, this does seem fairly easy to accomplish, but it is a concern, nonetheless. This interest extends to my concern about how all the new forms of technology will affect our ability to perform archival research in the next 100 years.

Ben Stiller on Dodgeball: "It's layered--it was made like that."

Given Harrogate's love of Stiller's directorial virtuosity, and further celebrating Roof's triumphant return yesterday, here is a clip from the third episode of the first season of Extras.

Wednesday Musical Tribute: A Dual Ode to Dr. Demento and the Great Freddie Blassie

On a kind of related note, Pro Wrestling posts will be returning in the not-too-distant future. So be ready when it arrives.

But to more pressing matters. This will make you laugh even if you are really pissed off about something.

Sorry I've been quiet.

I just don't follow the fascination on Scrubs. Not when this exists.

Something to make us all smile

I had to share this article from People.com (yes, I still read the site; leave me alone!) entitled "9th-Grader Booty-Bumps with New Prez." I saw the newly inaugurated president dancing with this clearly thrilled young woman while watching the "Neighborhood Ball" last night. Given the tough road ahead, I thought we all could use one more thing to smile about.

Visual Rhetoric: Newspaper Coverage

A collection of newspaper covers from President Obama's Inauguration via Andrew Sullivan.

Interesting

So did not catch the inaugural today as was in the middle of my grad seminar--think they would have been willing to stop to watch but were having some good conversation on the spectacle of Maya kingship. Had been thinking about the presentation of such ceremonies all day and logically have made correlations in my head to Mayan ceremonies and those that have occurred today and continue this evening (logically many differences). I came across this image on MSNBC that just sums up my thoughts of the deliberate ideological manipulation of space for public spectacle of office--must admit f'n impressive.

Here's another question for you all

Why is John Paul Stevens, an associate justice of the Supreme Court, administering the oath of office? Doesn't the Head Justice normally do that?

And can I add that I love that Joe Biden just kissed his grown sons on national television!

*So obviously, ignore that question.

Interesting. . .

Obama was just introduced as Barack H. Obama despite multiple news reports that he would, in fact, use his full middle name. I wonder what led to this decision. Oh, and I apparently am live-blogging the inauguration.

Scrubs: Healthy Rhetorics of Gender, Healthy Rhetorics of Race, and a Healthy Wag of the Finger at Supadiscomama and Mrs. Oxymoron

Well.

As Harrogate and Supadiscomama plunge down the final homestretch of Scrubs Season 7, Harrogate finds himself casting his thoughts still a bit backwards to the Tour De Force that was Season 5. Don't get Harrogate wrong, Season 6 is filled with memorable moments and Rhetorical Zingers of all stripes. And, Season 7 is even better than Season 6, in Harrogate's humble opinion.

But there was just something about Season 5, y'all. Yes, all you television addicts know of what Harrogate speaks: for lovers of any telvision show, there is always that Season where things crystallize and the viewer realizes: "here, here is exactly why this show speaks to me so powerfully."

And so the first of these clips is a final Tip of the Hat to Season 5. What a great JD moment this is. Additionally, the Scene vindicates Oxymoron's Love of the band Toto. And finally, this clip is a good example of why Harrogate thinks that when it comes to the prickly discourses of Gender, the Writers and Actors for Scrubs do exactly what Harrogate wants done.

Just check this out and tell me if it isn't the way to go:




Now for this second clip, which is from Season 7. In addition to its reflection of Scrubs' consistently good treatment of Race, this clip has vast personal importance for Harrrogate and Oxymoron. Harrogate, in fact, insists that Oxymoron have Mrs. Oxymoron watch this second clip and be reminded of a certain incident that took place shortly after Oxytoddler was born. Verily, Oxymoron and Harrogate were on the cusp of the same experience that JD and Turk have here, but we were preemptively cut off by the Mrs. Oxymoron and Supadiscomama. Hmmmm. Something about propriety.




And finally. Why such apolitical postings on this historic day? Because to get through the murderous semester that is now upon us, Harrogate is going to need to hold close the things that calm him and spread cheer through his soul. In other words, this is no time for conventional politics in the Mind of Harrogate.

Boo-Yah!!!!!!!!

The Obama girls

No, I'm not live-blogging the inauguration, but I am watching parts of it while I eat my lunch. I just want to say that I find it highly amusing that Mrs. Mary Robinson, Michelle Obama's mother, had to remind Malia Obama, the elder Obama daughter, to stand up while everyone else was seated on the dais. She may be one of the first daughters, but she's still just a 10-year-old girl.

Breaking News....

President Elect Obama to be sworn in on Lincoln Qu'ran. Developing.....

Just wondering . . .

Why does Al Gore get a seat on the main stage for the inauguration?

Monday Musical Tribute as Well as a Question of the Day for 1/19: On Loving Songs We Do Not Understand

Harrogate celebrates the Yes song, "Shoot High Aim Low," which comes off of their practically forgotten late-80s record, Big Generator.

But today's Musical Tribute raises a question that Harrogate suspects all Situationers have dealt with. Even those who pay little attention to song lyrics tend to have a handful of much-loved pop songs, the lyrics to which they do not understand. Such has always been the case for Harrogate with "Shoot Hight Aim Low." Clearly some sort of story is being told here, perhaps even two stories being interwoven with one another. But damned if Harrogate can put it together coherently in his mind.

And yet just about every time he listen to this song Harrogate finds it mesmerizing. Yes (no pun intened), part of it is the sheer sound of the Song. Something about "Shoot High Aim Low" proclaims: Take Me Seriously Because I Deserve to Be Taken Seriously. Granted, part of it is the absolutely devastating guitar work that takes place beginning with the 3:50 mark of the video provided below: guitar work that will drop a plummet line into the depths of your ear and cause, as it were, an eargasm. But yet, there is something more.....

So here are the lyrics, followed by a very tight version of this wonderfully enigmatic song.

And it brings Harrogate to his Question of the Day: What songs if any, Situationers, come to mind as Songs Ye Love, but for the LIfe of you have no idea what the hell it is doing?


We hit the blue fields
In the blue sedan we didn't get much further
Just as the sun was rising in the mist
We were all alone we didn't need much more
So fast this expidition
So vast this heavy load
With a touch of luck and a sense of need
Seeing the guns and their faces
We look around the open shore
Waiting for something

Shoot high break low
Aim high shoot low
Break high let go
Shoot high aim low

This was to be our last ride
With the steel guitar and the love you give me
Underneath the skin a feeling, a breakdown
Well we sat for hours on the crimson sand
Exchanges in the currency of humans bought and sold
And the leaders seem to lose control
Shall we lose ourselves for a reason
Shall we burn ourselves for the answer
Have we found the place that we're looking for
Someone shouted "open the door"
Lookout

Shoot high break low
Aim high shoot low
Feeling of imagination
Break high let go
Shoot high aim low
Shoot high aim low
Nothing you can say
Shoot high let go
Takes me by surprise
Shoot high aim low
Who says's there's got to be a reason
Shoot high let go
Who says there's got to be an answer
We were all alone, we didn't need much more
Shoot high aim low
The sun's so hard on this endless highway
Shoot high let go
Shoot high aim low
I've heard the singers, who sing of love
Shoot high let go
In the blue sedan we never got much further
Shoot high aim low

Pre-Inauguration Assy McGee Award®: Harrogate's Favorite Muckraker Manages to Attack Obama and the Academic Humanities in One Fell Swoop

Brent Bozell's column on Friday made a strident case
that there ought to be controversy over Barack Obama's choice of Yale
African-American Studies professor Elizabeth Alexander, to recite an original poem at his inauguration.

This is a doozy of a read, Situationers. He manages to attack not only Obama and Alexander, but Bill Clinton, Maya Angelou, aspiring poets, English professors and PhD candidates, and of course the far left mainstream media alll in one hysterical rant.

A snippet:

Many remember Maya Angelou in 1993, proclaiming in grandiloquent tones some nonsense about a river, a rock and a tree. It was a flop. If the poem is too opaque, it will suggest to the millions watching on television that poetry is a high-faluting art best saved for gatherings of tenured professors and Ph.D. candidates sipping their lattes.

In today's America, poetry is either high art or lowbrow commerce. It comes either from avant-garde poets, writing only for a snobbish elite and ignored by the broad public; or from commercial sources, assembly-line verses crammed into a Hallmark card, written for the masses and spurned by the tastemakers. In today's culture, the most popular poems are usually song lyrics, from rock anthems to rat-a-tat rap songs about the thug life. They're not the kind of poetry you read on marble platforms for presidents and Supreme Court justices.

What a deserving recipient of the Award. Banality trebeled. Yet another believer in the Before Time. When Men were Men, Women were Women, and Furry Little Creatures from Alpha Centauri were Furry Little Creatures from Alpha Centauri.

Scrubs' "The Todd" as High-Level Rhetorical Theorist

Hard to tell what is the best thing about this brief clip. JD's announcement that after having just watched Hoosiers, he now likes sports? The wonderously relatable concept of a "Who Cares Award"? Or The Todd's Screamingly Awesome Shirt?????

Humorous Political Rhetoric, circa 2000

I remember receiving this email in November of 2000, right after the election. It says it is from John Cleese but who knows at this point. Here it is:

NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE

To the citizens of the United States of America, In the light of your failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. (Except Utah, which she does not fancy.) Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise". You will learn that the suffix 'burgh is pronounced 'burra' e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary".

Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed". There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often.

2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize".

Continue Reading the "NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE."

Some Funny Political Cyber-Rhetoric

Harrogate has seen the following as a forwarded email and on two political blogs. Original Source unknown, but apparently it is getting around quickly.

Dear World:

We, the United States of America, your top quality supplier of the ideals of liberty and democracy, would like to apologize for our 2001-2008 interruption in service. The technical fault that led to this eight-year service outage has been located, and the software responsible was replaced November 4. Early tests of the newly installed program indicate that we are now operating correctly, and we expect it to be fully functional on January 20. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outage. We look forward to resuming full service and hope to improve in years to come. We thank you for your patience and understanding,

Sincerely,

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Ahhhh Metaphors. Where would we be without them.

Friday Musical Tribute

For Harrogate, today's Musical Tribute is a Definite No-Brainer.

Question of the Day, Friday, January 16th

In a previous post, Oxymoron provided us with George's philosophical dilemma: every instinct of George's is incorrect. Hence, when George relies on instinct, and judges a situation, in order to make the correct decision he must follow instinct and then choose its opposite (under the assumption we face only simple dichotomies in thought, or, as Jerry said, chicken salad is not the opposite of Tuna).

But here is the Question: possessing the knowledge that he does about the "failure of his instinct," will George make the correct decision by discerning what his instinct is and then choosing its opposite or, when making decisions, will George begin to try to determine what his instinct is and, consequently, still choose incorrectly? 

Two Questions for Oxymoron

Is there a limit for your taste for musical equipment? Or, Is $64,000 for a turntable appropriate? From CNN.

Chicken Salad on Rye

In last night's farewell address to the nation, President George W. Bush said, "I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right."

Unfortunately, as most of us know, what Bush thought was right was usually wrong.

If only our sitting president had Jerry Seinfeld to put things in proper perspective: "If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right."

How wonderful it would have been to have Opposite George in the Oval Office.



"I was bright. Oh, maybe not academically speaking."

Amazing....

Everyone survived. The pilot was the last person off the plane, checking the drowning plane twice before he left. People on the shores were helping those aboard, giving them coat & dry calls and calling friends for them.

All of this just ten, maybe, miles away.

So Long and Thanks for the Um....

Gray hair and the portrait...

It is all too much: the banality; the claims that fail to correlate to reality; the smirk.

So, um. Yeah. Instead of delivering this address, I think soon to be former President George W. Bush ought to have said, "Thank you. My work here is done. I've enjoyed my time, especially the vacations.... Terrorism, Terrorism.... Iraq... Iraq... Now please, let me be the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Thank You. And God Bless America."

I, of course, would be all for it as baseball would be in a position to fold in five years, which means I would not have to pay more in city and state taxes... Damn you Yankees and Mets.

But serious, a few choice lines:

"You may not agree with some of the decisions that I have made, but I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions."

No. I'm sorry. You are the POTUS. You do not work at Blockbuster or the DMV. No one cares if you make "tough decisions" if your decisions are poor. I don't think that I should grade my students on answering the questions rather than checking to see if they answer the questions correctly.

"Moral clarity? Good and Evil?" What about Torture?

Yet, he continues: "Murdering innocents to advance an ideology is wrong. Every time. Every where." Again, if you believe in absolutes, what about torture? What about creating the conditions where a prolonged civil war will take place? Who is responsible for this? Who has been responsible for the last 8 years? Oh....

Oh well. So long. As my daughters and their children pay for your debt, "moral clarity," and "tough decisions," I bet they will thank you, over and over.

Worst speech ever....

Something Oxymoron and Harrogate Could Easily be Found Saying and Doing...

We must hang in there and believe that Soon, Oxy, people will be similarly having to remind us that we are "Doctors." Heh.

Thursday Musical Tribute; or, Football Players Have Feelings Too

In another context, in a quadrant of the cybergalaxy far, far away, Solon recently uttered the truism that the Cowboy Junkies' version of "Sweet Jane" is better than the Velvet Underground's version. Building off of that important insight, Harrogate would like to add that the Cowboy Junkies' version of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" may well be the best version of that Iconic song, too.

But Harrogate's irrationally favorite version of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" appears below, and it is all because of a little thing we Rhetoric Experts like to call Ethos.

Verily, watch legendary quarterback, eccentric commentator, and movie actor Terry Bradshaw get into the feeling of the song:

In Memoriam...

Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke, who here reminds us and Marsha Brady that reality is the best fantasy of all.

I'm on an Onion roll

Mike fucks up everything. Why does he even try anymore?


Attractive Girls Union Refuses To Enter Into Talks With Mike Greenman

Introducing the MacBook Wheel

Nothing's more simple than a single giant button.

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Ann Coulter on "The View"

Ann Coulter was on "The View" yesterday, promoting her latest book Guilty. The ladies of "The View" have frequently been a topic of conversation on The Situation, usually when we're analyzing their individual disagreements. In this segment, however, they all come together to collectively question Coulter's motivation and understanding of and bias against single motherhood. At one point, Sherri Shepherd even calls Coulter out for being disrespectful to Barbara Walters. I've watched this clip twice, and I'm having a hard time determining if anything of substance is actually said by anyone. Thoughts, Situationers? Do the co-hosts point out flaws in Coulter's argument or do they simply let their emotions get the better of them?

Question of the Day, Monday, January 12, 2009

After listening to a good concert recording of Ben Folds' "Mess," the question remains: what are the best concerts you have attended?

A Final Word on Scrubs and Music, Season Five

One marker of a great television series, in Harrogate's estimation, is that any given episode both stands alone as a sustainable entity, even as it advances the longer narrative arc to which it contributes. Ye do not have to be very familiar with the show's multiple relationships and subplots to "get" the sensibilities expressed, below. But for those who are familiar with the broader Rhetorical Situation, this clip stands out as exemplary of many elements, from the show's baseline Take On Medicine, to Turk's professional bravery, to the nature of Carla's belief in Turk, and to the fundamental deceny of Bob Kelso, Sacred Heart's Chief of Medicine.

All distilled in 3:23.

Oh yeah. And finally, this clip shows why the relationship between JD and Elliot is so refreshing to pop television junkies like Harrogate and Supadiscomama who are, frankly, no longer able to stomach Ross/Rachel vascillations. The romantic underrcurrents of JD and Elliot have always been secondary, and wonderfully so. The way in which she comes through for him in the clip below, is what their bond is really about.

And again. Best use of Music on Television.

Happy Monday Musical Tribute, and a Continuation of the Soundtrack Discussion

Trying to polish off his current dissertation chapter once and for all, and still ruminating on megs' recent post about Soundtracks, Harrogate has been listening to a lot Soundtracks lately. For those few who make a habit of writing while listening to Music, this trend will not come as much of a surprise, since good Soundtracks, like good pieces of writing, experience a discernible thematic continuity.

(A sidenote: In the raucous comments section to that aforementioned thread, Solon noted that he could not remember what is on the She's The One Soundtrack, which Harrogate had placed in his top ten. Nor did this announcement surprise Harrogate, as Solon has on several occasions in the past expressed lukewarm feelings for Tom Petty, whose band did all of the songs for that Sountrack. But still, Harrogate encourages Solon, and everyone else, to check out Petty's work on She's The One, as all of the songs definitely sustain a parallel with the Movie's Ambivalent attitude towards love and sex.)

Herein, Harrogate celebrates the Soundtrack to A Lot Like Love, another movie that had some strange things to say about the whole Boy/Girl Thang. Absent Harrogate's discovery of this Soundtrack, he sadly might never have been schooled by Megs on the Awesomness of Hooverphonic. But for today's Song, Harrogate celebrates "Look What You've Done," by Jet. It is really a wonderful song. Harrogate thinks that if you are not familiar with it, you'd better get there real quick.

Arizona who?

In loving memory of Douglas Adams, I ask all of those who read TRS to support the Arizona Cardinals throughout the NFL playoffs. The fact that they won two playoff games so far (the organization last won a home playoff game during the Truman Administation), will host the NFC Championship game next week, and were regarded by all, even their coach and of the players, asthe worst playoff team ever in the history of all playoff teams, means they deserve our support as their success is so improbable only Douglas Adams could see this developing.

There are underdogs and then there are the Arizona Cactus Wrens, I mean Cardinals.a

A Response to M's Recent Separation of Spheres Post, And a Follow up To Harrogate's Last Post on TRS

On Friday, M Sublimely Wrote the following: I Really Wish that I would wake up tomorrow and find my dissertation finished. That would be a lovely thing to discover.

Indeed. Reading that this morning put Harrogate in mind of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," one of our long-cherished songs about what it means to wish and dream. The version that Harrogate provides below also closed out the movie 50 First Dates, by the way: although inexplicably (pet peeve! pet peeve!) the song did not make it onto the Soundtrack for that Movie.

But Scrubs, in its 5th Season, made good narrative use of it. So here ye go M, this one's for you!

There Goes Harrogate Again, Making Another Bold Claim

Having just completed the fifth season of Scrubs, and soon to launch into the sixth one, there is no longer even the shred of a doubt in Harrogate's mind that what we have here is the best use of music ever, on a television show.

Now Harrogate of course realizes that other Board Members are not so enamored with Scrubs as he is--given his obsessive engagement with it over the last several months, how in the world could it ever be otherwise? Still, Harrogate is confident that in a moment of cool reason, it is hard to deny the show's innovative use of music to enhance Rhetorical Situations.

For immediate evidence of What Harrogate is Talking About®, Harrogate offers this shattering clip, which he and Supadiscomama had seen before, but watched as if for the first time again, last night. He invites ye all to check it out, and weigh in.

Inert Propaganda Punch Line Below

Man falls into Panda pen. Because of a tall barrier, the man cannot escape.

Panda investigates. Begins to maul the intruder. According to CNN, The man's response to being mauled:

"The panda is a national treasure, and I love and respect [him], so I didn't fight back," Zhang said. "The panda didn't let go until it chewed up my leg and its mouth was dripping with my blood."

State run propaganda runs deep in some people.

Friday Musical Tribute

Harrogate loves Amnesiac more and more with each listen. Check out this performance of "Dollars and Cents." It'll put you somewhere else for 4:41.

Michelle Malkin Takes Issue With Oxymoron's Smug Dismissal of Joe the Plumber's Journalistic Credibility

Recently, Oxymoron caused quite a blogospheric firestorm with his giggly post about Joe the Plumber's new role as a reporter from the Gaza War front.


Oxymoron's post was the last straw for Michelle Malkin, who as Situationers have long known, is one of our most important public intellectuals. Today she releases a column, the title of which, Who's Afraid of Joe the Journalist, is clearly a taunt and a dare shot across Oxymoron's bow.

Among her many brilliant observations in this piece:

Joe Wurzelbacher, a.k.a. Joe the Plumber, is headed to Israel to interview ordinary citizens about life in the crosshairs of jihad. He'll be filing dispatches for conservative Internet video broadcasting site PJTV.com (to which I also contribute). Predictably, the very idea of a non-credentialed public figure attempting to "do journalism" has catty elite journalists hacking up hairballs.

But Joe the Plumber, Malkin points out, is representative of the remedy which our American journalistic discourse so desperately needs:

Groupthink, credential fetishism and the Sorbonne mentality have turned national newsrooms into stale echo chambers. For all its self-aggrandizing paeans to "diversity," mainstream American journalism remains one of the most intellectually and ideologically monochrome sectors of the public square.

Michelle Malkin. Opponent of Groupthink. Champion of Journalistic integrity. Woman for our Times.

Not Just for Academama's Bemusement. But for All of Our Bemusement.

Ahhh, Sportswriting. The one genre to which dissertation writers in the humanities can turn, to feel less pretentious. As Board Members and Commenters noted last night, the rhetoric surrounding Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow has been fairly stunning of late, to the point that he has been quite nearly elevated to the status of a Christ figure.

In the immediate wake of Florida's victory over Oklahoma, ESPN writer Pat Forde hardly failed to tap into the Tebow worship.

Tim Tebow's victory tour of Dolphin Stadium started behind one end zone and didn't stop until he reached the opposite end. As he walked along, his golden left arm remained aloft the whole way for Florida fans to touch. Men, women and children leaned over to celebrate with their hero, thanking him for delivering a national championship.

Nearing the end of the lovefest, Tebow looked at Florida media relations staffer Zack Higbee, who has spent much of the last two years helping the quarterback navigate the public demands of life as a budding legend.

Tebow said in a hoarse voice to Higbee, "I'm dying, I'm dying. Let's go home."

So many hands to slap, so little energy left. Carrying a team to a title is hard work.

Heh. From what chapter of the New Testament is Forde drawing here, anyway??? But it continues:

Now the indomitable Tebow has two of them -- one as a freshman backup and one as the center of the Gators' universe. Rarely in football does a single player so totally define a team's personality.

He's "indomitable," you see.

Oh yes. And he's perpetually underrated, but also the greatest we have ever seen. Come let us all adore him, and wonder aloud why in the name of Yaweh NFL Scouts continue to doubt this Golden Armed Leader of Men.

And while we are at it, let us Pray Tebow comes back for one more season so that he can

become the No. 1 quarterback in college football history -- at least in terms of accomplishments. Nobody else would be able to match three national titles and two Heisman Trophies if he's able to pull it off.

Yea and verily. Let the Tebow chorus ring loudly enough to drown out America's growing suspicion that College Football is a bottom a Farce.

And Now a Moment From the "OMFG" Category

Heh. Check it out.

So to sum up. Husband gives wife kidney to save her life. Wife promptly cheats on and dumps husband for her physical therapist. And on top of that, denies visitation to the husband, for the three young children. Now husband wants 1.5 Million dollars out of the deal.

Harrogate's position? They don't call it "Donate" for nothin, hubby. Sucks that you were done that way, but you don't deserve 1.5 Million dollars compensation for something you already gave her.

Get your visitation problems straightened out, count yourself lucky for being rid of the wife, and move on with it.

But anywho. Harrogate's favorite part of the article is the quote that ends it:

"This has never been done before in the state of New York," said his lawyer Dominic Barbara. "In theory we are asking for the return of the kidney. Of course he wouldn't really ask for that but the value of it."

Good lord.

Question of the Day, Thursday January 8th

Please feel free to ignore this question, as I may ignore it. But, to mock NCAA Football yet again...

Question: Who should be the National Champion for College Football?

Wherein Paulo Freire Speaks for Harrogate's Mom

Dialogue cannot exist without humility. The naming of the world, through which people constantly re-create that world, cannot be an act of arrogance. Dialogue, as the encounter of those addressed to the common task of learning and acting, is broken if the parties (or one of them) lack humility. How can I dialogue if I always project ignorance onto others and never perceive my own? How can I dialogue if I regard myself as a case apart from others--mere "its" in whom I cannot recognize other "I"s? How can I dialogue if I consider myself a member of the in-group of "pure" men, the owners of truth and knowledge, for whom all non-members are "these" people" or "the great unwashed"? How can I dialogue if I start from the premise that naming the world is the task of an elite and that the presence of the people in history is a sign of deterioration, thus to be avoided?

Boycott the BCS

From Slate.

Seriously. For how long can college football tell its fans to sit and spin?

Why hasn't the police shooting of Oscar Grant made the national news?

I only know about this killing (I'm restraining myself from not calling it murder) because of Kate at A k8, a cat, a mission. After reading through her links and the links of the blog she cites, I found more at CNN, but only after much digging. I get that I live in Canada, but I have access to American news. In fact, I often have better access to American news that I do to Canadian news. This needs to be discussed, and it needs to be discussed at the national level. Why? Because young men of color, who are unarmed, continue to be shot by police for no apparent reason--unless we're finally going to start counting racism as viable reason for shooting an unarmed man.

Wherein Harrogate Throws His Support to the Sooners for Tonight's Game

In honor of Our friend and one of our Most regular commenters, AcadeMama, Harrogate is sending out the good vibes for the Sooners tonight, and calls upon Springsteen to consecrate the Endorsement.

Another Bailout

This just in.

JTP Update

Joe the Plumber is heading to Israel for ten days. He will be the Gaza War correspondent for PajamasTV, a conservative website. JTP says that he wants to let Israel's "Average Joes" share their stories.

Wednesday Musical Tribute: Portishead's "Magic Doors"

Still a relatively new video by Portishead. Off of their superb 2008 album, Third, the song is "Magic Doors", and the video proves once again that this is one of the smokinest musical groups ever.

And as a bonus, here is a good recent performance of the song that hooked Harrogate on Beth Gibbons and her band forevermore:

My Favorite McDermott-ism

Because it deserves its own post:

"The gut is an epistemological organ."

(Comments, Solon?)

Also, a friend of ours--your neighbor, Oxy--shared this insight from McDermott with me today: "Experience doesn't diminish us. It enlarges."

Food for thought, as it were, isn't it?

More McDermott

From "Culture":

The most perilous threat to human life is secondhandedness, living out the bequest of our parents, siblings, relatives, teachers, and other dispensers of already programmed possibilities. We should be wary of the inherited, however noble its intention, for it is the quality of our own experience which is decisive. Failure, deeply undergone, often enriches, whereas success achieved mechanically through the paths set out by others often blunts sensibility. We are not dropped into the world as a thing among things. We are live creatures who eat experience.

Ann Coulter's "Guilty", or Why I love Matt Lauer

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I've always been a big fan of Matt Lauer's. While his job on The Today Show often calls for him to do what most of us consider journalistic fluff, occasionally he gets to show his real talent for pointing out people's hypocrisy (anyone remember his interview with Tom Cruise about post-partum depression and anti-depressants?). This morning, Lauer took on one of my least favorite people, Ann Coulter. It seems Coulter is promoting a new book Guilty, in which she claims, among other things, that all of society's ills are to blame on the single mother. While this certainly isn't a new argument, Coulter makes the argument with such venom that it is difficult to get past her obvious hatred for women. Lauer deftly questions both her points and her tone. Coulter is, as usual, condescending and, to quote Tom Cruise from the aforementioned infamous interview, "glib."

On a side note, one of the reasons I dislike Ann Coulter (and Dr. Laura and their various cohorts) is that they bash the very institutions that got them where they are today. Coulter and Dr. Laura (sorry my references aren't more up-to-date; it's early here in CU Land) are both very outspoken against feminism and feminists, be they of the first, second, third, or fourth waves. Coulter's numerous idiotic statements, such as when she said in a 2003 interview with The Guardian that "It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact. In fact, in every presidential election since 1950—except Goldwater in '64—the Republican would have won, if only the men had voted," reveal her true ignorance. If women were still denied the right to vote, it is highly unlikely she'd have an international audience with whom to share her regressive ideas.

Question of the Day Part the Second: IS an "Adult Pretending to be a Child Still an Adult"????

Solon's favorite blogger over at TalkLeft, TChris, offered up this fascinating post on Sunday, and Harrogate has had it rolling around in the back quadrant of his teeming brain ever since.

The issue before us, Situationers, is succinctly articulated by TChris

A troubling trend that vexes those of us who believe the police should prevent or solve crimes, not manufacture them, is the detective sitting in a chat room posing as a 15 year old waiting to engage in salacious conversation with an adult. Courts have typically held that an adult who travels to meet the "15 year old" for a sexual encounter can be charged with attempted sexual assault of a minor, even though the defendant never chatted with a minor and no actual minor was ever at risk.

TChris's own position on this issue is compelling:

Whether a mistaken belief about a chatter's age (when the belief is induced by a lying law enforcement officer) should lead to any form of criminal liability is questionable. Putting that question aside, it is reasonable to recognize, as Indiana now does (at least until the legislature closes this "loophole"), that people who don't put a child at risk deserve greater leniency than those who do.

It is of course no surprise that he or Jerlayn would take this stance, as standing up for defendants' and/or criminals' rights (unfortunately for some commenters who tried to morph it into a mouthpiece for a particular brand of feminism) is the true backbone of TalkLeft.

But in addition to the Legal Question, there is also a Rhetorical Situation here that needs to be examined. (Oxymoron, for example, continues to argue that when you are watching a football game on television, that the colored first down line is actually on the field. Of course, Oxymoron also once argued that Styx was a great band, so you have to be careful with Oxymoron.)

So, likely all of us on this Board dislike the idea of Entrapment. But will anyone here straight-up say that detectives should stop trolling for "pedophiles" in this manner? Or conversely, will anyone say straight up that the detective posing as a fifteen year old (what if the detective poses as an 8 year-old) is doing the right thing, indeed, protecting children?

Harrogate will leave the light on for you.

Fear Appeals and the War

The following commercial aired this morning on MSNBC in the greater NYC area. The commercial is from the IFCJ (International Fellowship between Christian and Jews) and asks for donations to support Israel in light of the recent fighting/ war in Gaza.



The commercial is interesting (it is targeting the high Jewish population in NYC) as it asks for donations during a "time of war" without mentioning how the money will be used other than to vaguely say "Save Lives." Further, it truly lacks any discussion of why the conflict exists and avoids discussion of proportionality in attacks. Instead the commercial seems to hide around the ideographs of "terrorism" as it seeks support. Finally, the religious element only exacerbates the political conflict, especially when a Christian group attempts to join forces with one side.

While I am certainly not arguing against a right to self-defense and a right to live peacefully, even if that means some violence is necessary, I am struck by the organization's claims that only one side is suffering in this ordeal or that one side suffers more than the other. It seems that if there is going to be any resolution to this conflict, this ad that seems only to equate one side with terrorism is a short term goal only.

Question of the Day: Tuesday, January 6, 2008

Yesterday, Sasha and Malia Obama started their first day of school in Washington D.C. Before the girls went to school, President-Elect Obama allowed a professional photographer to take pictures of the girls and the family and placed the photos online at Flicker.

Is it better for the Obama family to provide photographs of the family to the public, thereby diminishing the value of photos from the paparazzi even if it diminishes the privacy of the family, or to withhold photos and access from the public to protect the privacy of the family and, especially Sasha and Malia?

Update: Based on the Flicker account and prior practices of the Obama campaign and transition, the Obama family and administration seems to place a great emphasis in controlling the situation, meaning that it is reasonable to assume that there will be more photos like these over the next four to eight years (e.g. maybe graduations, Proms, and formal dances though the Obama family may exclude the pictures of dates to protect their privacy-- i.e. let us never see Levi Johnson again.)

Hat Tip: Ben Smith.

Question of the Day

Monday, January 5th.

It is not as philosophical as the previous though still important.

Earlier in the evening, while Sweet Toddler J created a delicious dinner for me in her kitchen, the two of us were listening to The Beatles' White Album. Overall, it is a very sound album e.g. "While My Guitar Gently Sleeps," (George wrote and recorded with Eric Clapton without the rest of the Beatles); "Back in the USSR" (recorded without Ringo); "Dear Prudence" (about Mia Farrow's sister who was in India at the same time the Beatles were there); "Bungalow Bill" (about someone who while on retreat with the Beatles in India left the compound to go hunting); Blackbird (though Sarah McLaughlin's version in I Am Sam may be better); Happiness is a Warm Gun; Why Don't We Do It In The Road; etc.

However, It may not be their best work as there are too many songs on the two album set that are just terrible. As much as it pains me to say Appetite for Destruction is a much better complete album than the White Album as even "Night Train" is a better song than "Glass Onion." (FYI I hate songs that are self-referential either to the band name or to other songs and "Glass Onion" is the worst song ever for meaningless self-references.)

At best, this should be one album. Maybe a longer album but one nonetheless.

Here is the question: What "great" album would be better if songs were removed from it? Additionally, how could an album be better is other songs, recorded around the same time as the album of choice, were included (e.g. is songs from Radiohead's Amnesiac were added to Kid A--- not that Kid A needs improvement)?

Question of the Day

A couple has two children both of whom suffer medical problems though the exact nature of the problems have not been diagnosed. The reason for the lack of a proper determination of the illness: the parents possess religious beliefs for a religion in which the religious doctrine does not accept that there are mental illnesses or neurological disorders and, further, does not accept certain forms of medicine as reasonable treatments for illnesses.

Instead of drug use to treat mental conditions, the religious doctrine states that healing should be spiritual.

Question: Does the state possess an interest to intervene on behalf of the family to diagnose the medical condition and, if one is found, to provide treatment for the children even if it counters the religious beliefs of the parents?

College Football Fans of the World, Unite; Or, More Likely, Sit and Take It For Another Five Years

Well, it seems that the College Football Corporate Bowl Season is about to implode yet again. Of course I am speaking of the delicious irony provided by the Utah Utes at the hands of Nick "There is no need for me to honor my contract" Saban's Losing Tide....

Let's recap, shall we? The only undefeated team in Division I, the Utes from Utah, could not play for the National Championship because they are not in one of the major divisions as determined by college presidents from the major football factories who do not want to share revenue with anyone.

Instead, the powers that be scheduled the Utes against Alabama, a team that went undefeated until their conference championship game and, fortunately for those who dislike College Football, that loss eliminated 'Bama from contention. Yet, a funny thing happened on the way to the Utah's destruction by the hands of Alabama: Utah demolished Alabama.

Now, Florida and Oklahoma, teams that each have one loss, will play for College Football's National Championship sometime this year. Oklahoma received an invitation to the game somehow even though they finished with an identical record as Texas and Texas beat them on a neutral field when those two teams met around midterms. Florida received a trip to the big dance by virtue of beating Alabama in the SEC title game.

At this point I would prefer to watch Oklahoma beat Florida, Texas beat Ohio State, and Utah proclaim they are the National Champions while USC, another one loss team, sits on the sidelines and cries over the fact that the powers that be only let them play in the Rose Bowl each and every year...

Wow this is an exciting way to determine a champion...And to think, since ESPN has the rights to the Bowl games until 2014, nothing will change.

Here's to the Oxymoron Family Ushering in 2009!!!!!

Existentialism: A Bonus Question

Why did you break your chains and leave the cave?

Existentialism: The Three Most Important Questions

First, do you think I should thicken?

Second, to what end?

Third, can I count on you?

To clarify: Is it possible to grow? What are the limitations to my growth, especially in light of the necessary pain that will need to be endured? Can I trust you, especially in light of disillusionment, despair, and a growing sense of disconnection with the workd and others?

Ha Ha!!!

Hey Texas. It is already 2009 here. What is taking you so long?

Happy New Year!!!

Soundtracks

Solon and I are in the car thinking about how hard it is to compile a really good soundtrack. So I pose the question: what are your top ten soundtracks? In thinking of the best from our generation, here are our favorites (in no particular order):

Singles
I Am Sam
Judgement Night
Garden State
The Crow
Romeo and Juliet
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
The Last Time I Committed Suicide
Trainspotting


Honorable mention:
In Good Company
8 Mile
Dirty Dancing
The Big Chill
Forest Gump
Purple Rain (Harrogate?)
Clerks
A Hard Days Night
Magnolia
Stand By Me
Help!
The Graduate
Natural Born Killers

Next Year, Be Brave

An inspiring television sequence. Whoever chose this particular song to go with this particular sequence: Tip of the Hat to Ye!!!!!

Tuesday's Musical Tribute.... Bentham Wins!!!!

We drove to the dreaded Ikea this morning to find cheap but comfortable furniture.For some reason our Ikea experience was rather tolerable, even I dare say enjoyable, unlike the last time the four of us attempted to shop there. Let's just say that no one needs to be institutionalized this time....
It is Tuesday Harrogate, Tuesday.

Of course, we have a new Ikea experience to discuss. Ikea in Brooklyn is in a rather dodgy area of Brooklyn, along the waterfront by the Battery Tunnel. To get to the store, you must drive through what looks like a terrible neighborhood, highlighted by the Police "Crime Scene" yellow tape that closed a block near the store. Yet, that was not the only spectacle to be seen.

In the spirit of Jeremy Bentham, the NYC's finest deployed a panopticon of sorts, the Police Watchtower, which contains four cameras. Normally this type of equipment is used for crowd control. Now, they have been employed to prevent crime and, according to the NYC PD, they have worked already in other areas of Brooklyn, even at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge (see below).



To celebrate Bentham's victory, here is "All Along the Watchtower," since "you and I have been through that and this is not our fate."



To listen to the Dylan version, click here.