Hardball: Barak Obama: Check out this Chris Matthews/Andrea Mitchell exchange. Pretty hilarious. Matthews is known for fawning over politicians, for his various "crushes"...
(Excerpt from Wuzzadem.typepad.com via MSNBC)
Matthews: I'm Chris Matthews, let's play Hardball. First up - today's Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of State nominee Condoleeza Rice was, at times, tense, even confrontational, but I don't think there's any doubt that this was one of the standout moments of the day. Just look at this clip.
Barack Obama: Dr. Rice, I'd like to start by thanking you for taking the time to appear before us today, and to commend...
Matthews: Wow - I've got to say that I've seen a lot of politicians in action, but that was just amazing! I mean this guy has only been in the Senate, what, like a month, and already he's like an old pro! Andrea Mitchell, I don't think it would be over the top to say that the man we were just watching there is going to be the next black president.
Mitchell: I think you mean the first black president, Chris.MatthewsWell, what if he were to become the next president?
Mitchell: He'd still be the first black president.
Matthews: Yeah, but then he'd be the next president, and he'd be a black president, so, technically speaking, wouldn't he be the next black president?MitchellWait a minute, let me think about that.
Matthews: Anyway, Andrea Mitchell, what did you think of Barack Obama's performance today?
Mitchell: Chris, I thought it was nothing short of stellar. He was confident, he spoke directly into the microphone, used just the right hand gestures, he was making eye contact, and whenever it seemed like he might be getting a little hoarse, he drank just the right amount of water. It was right on the mark.
Matthews: Yeah, you know, some people are calling this guy a 'rock star', and I'll tell you, after today's performance, I can see why. Take a look at this clip.Obama...and Senator Biden asked a very interesting question earlier. I'm not sure that he ever got an answer, but it was an excellent question...
Matthews: Andrea, isn't that what they call giving a 'shout-out', like he's giving 'props' to his 'peeps' in the Senate?Mitchell.............
Matthews: Looks like Andrea's got to think about that one, I think I might have stumped her. Let's go to Mike Barnicle over in Boston. Mike, have you ever seen a more flawless performance than the one we saw from Barack Obama today?
Barnicle: Oh, without a doubt , Chris...
Matthews: The Red Sox winning the World Series doesn't count.
Barnicle: Well, I would still say yes...
Matthews: Neither does the Red Sox winning the pennant.
Barnicle: Oh. In that case, I would have to say no, I haven't.
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MatthewsThat's what I thought. Andrea, tell us about some of the highlights of today's hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
MitchellWell, Chris, as I'm sure you've heard, there's been quite a bit of talk about Barbara Boxer today.
MatthewsThere sure has.
MitchellWell, take a look at this.
(Clip of Barbara Boxer looking at Barack Obama as he's speaking)MitchellNow, Chris, we've both been in Washington long enough to be able to read that look. It's obvious that she's thinking "Wow, this man, Barack Obama, is really amazing. I've been in the Senate a long time, and I've seen people come and go, but this is certainly one of the most impressive people I have seen, not only in my time in the Senate, but in my life."
MatthewsIsn't it amazing how some people can be so expressive without saying a word?
MitchellIt certainly is. And take a look at this.
(Shot of Chuck Hagel straightening up some loose papers)
MitchellNow, here we have Senator Chuck Hagel, who is obviously thinking, "Barack Obama is such an amazing orator and outstanding statesman, that I'd better do everything I can to look my best when I'm up here with him, including making sure that everything around me is as tidy as it can be."
MatthewsWow, that's heavy stuff. Mike Barnicle, what went through your mind as you were looking at that last clip?BarnicleWell, Chris, my take was a little different. I think that what you have here is Senator Chuck Hagel, and you know, he's thinking "Hey, I'm up here with this Barack Obama, and, you know, the guy is a heck of an orator and a pretty darned good statesman, so, you know, I should probably do my best to look good up here, and, of course, that includes making sure that I, you know, keep my stuff as tidy as I can."
MitchellThat's exactly what I just said!
BarnicleWhat are you talking about? I just came up with that off the top of my head.MitchellThen why were you reading from notes when you answered? Show us those notes!
BarnicleAll right, but look, it's not exactly what you said - I punched it up a little, is that a crime?
MatthewsOK, let's get back to the hearing. Now, here's a clip that I found especially interesting.
(Shot of Richard Lugar, looking straight forward and smiling)
MatthewsNow, he was smiling like that the whole time that Barack Obama was speaking. Mike Barnicle, what do you make of that?
BarnicleWell, the guy is obviously very pleased. I mean, as a Democrat, I'm sure Senator Lugar has some concerns about the dearth of real 'stars' in his party...
MitchellLugar's a Republican, Mike.BarnicleHe is?
MitchellYes.
BarnicleAre you sure?
MitchellOf course I'm sure.BarnicleWow, he sure doesn't act like one. Well, in that case, I guess the guy just likes to smile.
MatthewsHe sure does. Anyway, Andrea, give me your prediction for these hearings.
MitchellChris, the spotlight will continue to shine on Barack Obama, as it rightly should, and I think we're going to be even more impressed with him, if that's possible.
MatthewsWhat about the confirmation?
MitchellThe what?MatthewsThe confirmation. Will Condoleeza Rice be confirmed as Secretary of State?
MitchellOh, yeah. Sure, why not?MatthewsMike Barnicle, your prediction?
BarnicleNext year it's the Sox all the way, only this time they sweep the series, even without Martinez.
MatthewsI don't know who that is. Anyway, thanks to both of you for being here. Next up on Hardball, Democratic activist Whoopi Goldberg is here to critique Senator Ted Kennedy's speech before the National Press Club last week, maybe she'll work in a couple of 'booty' jokes - HA! I love those! Stay tuned, you won't want to miss this.
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Hmm...."booty jokes"? What is this Chris Matthews character talking about anyway? And is it just me, or was his tone throughout this little exchange with Barnicle and Mitchell tongue in cheek, to say the least? I haven't seen the actual clip, so I can't say for sure, but knowing Matthews, he probably had that effete little Bush-esque smirk on his face.
There has been talk about Chris Matthews "crushes" on political figures, how he fawns over his favorites. Whoever is popular at the moment and has caught his eye. With his boyish visage and stupid grin, it makes for a rather idiotic, almost satirical effect. Plus his lispy, rapid manner of speech - it hints at gayness, a hint of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy".
Anyway, I don't watch cable news anymore - I make it a point not to. But I used to flip between Fox, CNN and MSNBC all the time, don't ask me why, and I know Matthews well.
He definitely is a schmuck.
Maybe we could somehow come to a national consensus, or maybe just the punditocracy come to a consensus, and trade Don Imus for Chris Matthews...it'd be worth the swap.
-d.g.w. 4/25/07
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Relationships Part II
II.
Increased mobility in society means your neighbors, coworkers, and classmates are more likely to come from out-of-town. And globalization means they are much more likely to be foreigners than at any other time in U.S. history. It used to be that most Americans lived in towns, either in a "company town", where the population is based around a certain industry or single large business, or in small agricultural hubs, with surrounding farms and smaller "villages". The economy has shifted to such a degree that these age-old community models are no longer the norm. Suburbs, as we are all aware, have taken over. Suburbs ring the many large and mid-size U.S. cities, with employment nearby or in the city center. I'm not going to trace all of the varying issues associated with causing these changes, but I think it is obvious that the answer lies not simply with changing mores and morals - as if, for instance, harboring good "family values" would make the difference and cause everyone to return to our agrarian roots. Rather, you can sum it all up with one word - the economy. Economic changes are at the root, as they have been for centuries. The structure of society, including class, government, and the social hierarchy, tend to reflect the state of the economy.
The most salient shift in the realm of relationships that our country has seen is the rocketing divorce rate. A National Center for Health Statistics study found that 43 percent of first marriages end in separation or divorce within 15 years. "About 50% of first marriages for men under age 45 may end in divorce, and between 44 and 52% of women's first marriages may end in divorce for these age groups." Ironically or not, this decade has seen a nationwide push to legalize gay marriage - ironic because as one group is pushing to be allowed to marry, the majority are getting divorced at astronomical rates. Needless to say, the U.S. divorce rate dwarfs that of the rest of the world.
But while the 50 percent rate is well-known, less understood are the causes. Between 1950 and 1975 - one generation - divorce in America went from the rarity to commonplace, and what is the nature of the reasons behind it? That is an important question, probably a complex one, but a question not often enough asked, in my opinion.
I grew up in a divorced family. My parents separated when I was 9, my sister 12. Following a legal fight over custody of us, my father remarried, my mother did not. He and his wife had a son in 1992.
In an entire nation of split families, what are the longterm consequences? On children? On society as a whole? On mores, on our collective morality? I'm sure there have been attempts at researching it, but it would be a longitudinal study and because it is a relatively recent phenomenon so the results would only now be coming in.
to be continued
-d.g.w. 4/21/07 (see Pt. I below)
Relationships Part I
I.
I'm trying to figure out relationships. I tend to look at this subject from an anthropological/scientific point of view, and unfortunately that kind of outsider perspective tends to confine me to the margins of the social scene. I can't see the forest for the trees, or whatever; I end up excluding myself for being too analytical. Not to say analyzing men and women from a scientific viewpoint isn't useful. "Theoretically" it could give one an advantage. The problem, at least I have found, is that so much of dating and relationships and the quest for a mate falls outside the realm of the logical. There's very little logic or methodology involved. Rather it is all instinct and base human emotions that lie somewhere (to put a scientific spin on it) in the reptilian core of our animal brains.
Indeed, dating and mating is the one thing in this postmodern world that remains rooted deep in the past. While customs and mores change over time, the fundamentals of the game stay the same.
Yes, the relationship game is one of those things where thinking too much is bad. Like walking on a balance beam, or, say, pulling off a skateboarding trick like kick-flipping a set of stairs. It takes effort, but at some point the more conscious effort you put in, the more likely you are to land on your face. The recipe for success remains inscrutable; the whole thing is inchoate and immune to logic. On this warped chess board, you're not necessarily going to knock out the competition by being a Gary Kasparov. A bit of plotting and logical scheming may help in certain instances, and one can think of many, but overall, in essence it does not.
The more you think, the less you're likely to figure it out and, ultimately, to succeed.
So don't think.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Fluff
Wow, my brain is really mucked right now. It feels tight, like it has expanded in my skull and is pressing up against it with nowhere to go. I feel really fuzzy and my vision is blurred like a camera lens trying to get in focus.
I'm annoyed at not being able to write down ideas and thoughts when they come; when they're freshest and most vivid. When they're pressing to get out through my fingers and into recorded history (if that's not dramatic enough). I'm not able to write when I truly want to write, in other words. That's lame. It kind of belies the whole point of having a diary.
Oh well. I suppose I ought to remember what to write down, anyway. Unfortunately my short-term memory is rather, well, short. I don't know why, it just is. I never smoked pot, for example, my memory has pretty much always been bad.
I guess I'm fortunate in that I rarely get writer's block. I can certainly sympathize with the condition, though, and it's quite frustrating. Writing is a delicate endeavor. It is one of those things that almost has to come naturally in a flow for it to truly work. Of course, there are different kinds of writing. Poetry and lyrics to research papers and proposals and business writing. Some are more amenable to revision and cutting and pasting and editing than others.
Anyway, it's good to practice and to write casually as practice. Then when there is pressure or a deadline, it is easier and more comfortable.
Plus - judging from this very entry for example - writing is a pursuit that needn't have a purpose. I can start with nothing and come out a million miles away, on the other side, like in China or Australia or somewhere in the Pacific. It's weird. Like a worm-hole of sorts (a wormhole?). Whatever, a black-hole, too, sometimes (which might be a bad thing). Writer's block is akin to a black hole. You try to get something - anything - down on paper, but the potentiality of your thoughts and ideas either dissipates into nothing, or into some nether-region in your brain from which there is no return and no escape. If that's too dramatic, ask anyone's who has tried to write a book, or has tried to write under a looming deadline, and they can attest to the horror of "block".
Being too self-absorbed can at times trigger it, too, it would seem. If all you think about is yourself and how you do or don't do this or that, it can tie your thoughts into a knot and nothing will come out.
Oh well. Some would say that there is too much being written out there these days, anyway. Too many egotistic writers seeking an audience, too much media, too much "user-created media", I heard some pundit say. Not enough of those who write purely for their own enjoyment or amusement. And who doesn't want an audience? But there is only so much audience to go around; only so much people can, and want to read each day. If most of it is fluff anyway, than who cares? Why waste your time.
I'm annoyed at not being able to write down ideas and thoughts when they come; when they're freshest and most vivid. When they're pressing to get out through my fingers and into recorded history (if that's not dramatic enough). I'm not able to write when I truly want to write, in other words. That's lame. It kind of belies the whole point of having a diary.
Oh well. I suppose I ought to remember what to write down, anyway. Unfortunately my short-term memory is rather, well, short. I don't know why, it just is. I never smoked pot, for example, my memory has pretty much always been bad.
I guess I'm fortunate in that I rarely get writer's block. I can certainly sympathize with the condition, though, and it's quite frustrating. Writing is a delicate endeavor. It is one of those things that almost has to come naturally in a flow for it to truly work. Of course, there are different kinds of writing. Poetry and lyrics to research papers and proposals and business writing. Some are more amenable to revision and cutting and pasting and editing than others.
Anyway, it's good to practice and to write casually as practice. Then when there is pressure or a deadline, it is easier and more comfortable.
Plus - judging from this very entry for example - writing is a pursuit that needn't have a purpose. I can start with nothing and come out a million miles away, on the other side, like in China or Australia or somewhere in the Pacific. It's weird. Like a worm-hole of sorts (a wormhole?). Whatever, a black-hole, too, sometimes (which might be a bad thing). Writer's block is akin to a black hole. You try to get something - anything - down on paper, but the potentiality of your thoughts and ideas either dissipates into nothing, or into some nether-region in your brain from which there is no return and no escape. If that's too dramatic, ask anyone's who has tried to write a book, or has tried to write under a looming deadline, and they can attest to the horror of "block".
Being too self-absorbed can at times trigger it, too, it would seem. If all you think about is yourself and how you do or don't do this or that, it can tie your thoughts into a knot and nothing will come out.
Oh well. Some would say that there is too much being written out there these days, anyway. Too many egotistic writers seeking an audience, too much media, too much "user-created media", I heard some pundit say. Not enough of those who write purely for their own enjoyment or amusement. And who doesn't want an audience? But there is only so much audience to go around; only so much people can, and want to read each day. If most of it is fluff anyway, than who cares? Why waste your time.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Convocation at Virginia Tech
It's Tuesday April 17 and by now everyone has heard of the horrible shootings that occurred yesterday at Virginia Tech. The worst in terms of number of victims in U.S. history. Pretty awful. The U-dub just had a single-shooting a couple weeks ago on campus, too, where a berieved/crazed ex-boyfriend was stalking and shot his ex in her office on campus.
So what's going on? The inevitable questions arise. People want to make sense of a senseless act. It's understandable, and of course the media is in frenzy mode, as we expect they would be. But what irk me are the ideologues who emerge out of the woodwork and try to spin a tragedy and slap their political views on it.
The many interest groups in this country think that the event speaks "only" to their issue. This is what often becomes really obnoxious to me.
The gun-control people come out and say, "see what happens when guns are legal/too available etc". I heard one guy cite a statistic that of all the gun-crimes committed in New York City, 40-some percent of those guns were purchased in Virginia. As if it is Virginia's fault what criminals do hundreds of miles away in New York?! That would be like blaming "South America" for your crack addiction...
So you have the gun-control folks, then you have anti-video game violence faction, as it were, who see the shooter - a middle-class Korean immigrant kid, and stereotype him as that "Asian kid-computer/video game junky", i.e., that he must be one of those chronic game-players whose mind has been irreparably warped. They see the tragedy as a platform for their grievances on the ultra-violence of modern video games, failing to consider that millions of people play these games without resorting to real-life violence. Take Japan, for instance. Japan is among the safest countries in the world while simultaneously consuming some of the most violent entertainment. Go figure.
I was listening to the "Convocation" on the Virginia Tech campus this morning on the radio. It functioned as a showcase of the various associated (or unassociated) politicians, local, regional and national. Yes, the politicians! We mustn't forget them! Whichever direction the cameras may turn, they follow, regardless of how incongruous and irrelevant their presence may be.
While showcasing the politicians, the Convocation had the obvious tone of a Sunday church service. But here, the minister takes the guise of a cavalcade of officials, local and national, all the way up to President Bush.
While they struggled to keep it lugubrious and grieving, this didn't stop, for example, the president of Virginia Tech, Charles Steger, from giving a shout out to the governor, Tim Kaine. And so the politicos appropriated the event for their own selfish purposes. Disgraceful, but somehow unsurprising (they probably look to Rudy Guiliani's career-boosting stint as mayor of New York during 9/11 and envision similarly promoting themselves). Disgraceful, indeed, but definitely not surprising.
So what's going on? The inevitable questions arise. People want to make sense of a senseless act. It's understandable, and of course the media is in frenzy mode, as we expect they would be. But what irk me are the ideologues who emerge out of the woodwork and try to spin a tragedy and slap their political views on it.
The many interest groups in this country think that the event speaks "only" to their issue. This is what often becomes really obnoxious to me.
The gun-control people come out and say, "see what happens when guns are legal/too available etc". I heard one guy cite a statistic that of all the gun-crimes committed in New York City, 40-some percent of those guns were purchased in Virginia. As if it is Virginia's fault what criminals do hundreds of miles away in New York?! That would be like blaming "South America" for your crack addiction...
So you have the gun-control folks, then you have anti-video game violence faction, as it were, who see the shooter - a middle-class Korean immigrant kid, and stereotype him as that "Asian kid-computer/video game junky", i.e., that he must be one of those chronic game-players whose mind has been irreparably warped. They see the tragedy as a platform for their grievances on the ultra-violence of modern video games, failing to consider that millions of people play these games without resorting to real-life violence. Take Japan, for instance. Japan is among the safest countries in the world while simultaneously consuming some of the most violent entertainment. Go figure.
I was listening to the "Convocation" on the Virginia Tech campus this morning on the radio. It functioned as a showcase of the various associated (or unassociated) politicians, local, regional and national. Yes, the politicians! We mustn't forget them! Whichever direction the cameras may turn, they follow, regardless of how incongruous and irrelevant their presence may be.
While showcasing the politicians, the Convocation had the obvious tone of a Sunday church service. But here, the minister takes the guise of a cavalcade of officials, local and national, all the way up to President Bush.
While they struggled to keep it lugubrious and grieving, this didn't stop, for example, the president of Virginia Tech, Charles Steger, from giving a shout out to the governor, Tim Kaine. And so the politicos appropriated the event for their own selfish purposes. Disgraceful, but somehow unsurprising (they probably look to Rudy Guiliani's career-boosting stint as mayor of New York during 9/11 and envision similarly promoting themselves). Disgraceful, indeed, but definitely not surprising.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
My Classes 4/11/07
Well, I had my first class last night for my (supposed) technical writing certificate program. The prof was not very impressive, though she does have a good deal of experience in the field, which is important. There are about 12 in the class, mostly older male career types, and 3 women.
It went pretty well I thought. The students seem very knowledgeable and I hope to learn what I can from them and their ideas and expertise. We have to do a group project, and we got into our groups for the last 20 minutes of class. Class is 3 hours long with a short break halfway through.
The class is not for credit and it is pass/fail, which takes some pressure off, I suppose. I'm trying to ease back into college after having taken a year hiatus. I'm not trying to do too much at once.
Like I said, the students have real-world experience as technical writer types; as professionals with careers . One lady, perhaps in her 30s, is an editor. She sounded really competent and advanced and, like I say, I do hope to learn what I can from her and the others. It's a good course to feel out this field and see how I might fit it into a career.
I learned that technical writing is actually a very broad term. Basically, it simply refers to writing done on the job. That's the simplest definition. On the job/in a business environment - as opposed to in academia, which is how we all learn how to write. Technical writing is thus good to learn if you want to wean yourself away from that tedious, occasionally pompous and often verbose academic style [sic], toward a more utilitarian method of putting down information.
So that's what I've been doing! Any who read this blog can know what I'm up to!
-d.g.w. 4/12/07
It went pretty well I thought. The students seem very knowledgeable and I hope to learn what I can from them and their ideas and expertise. We have to do a group project, and we got into our groups for the last 20 minutes of class. Class is 3 hours long with a short break halfway through.
The class is not for credit and it is pass/fail, which takes some pressure off, I suppose. I'm trying to ease back into college after having taken a year hiatus. I'm not trying to do too much at once.
Like I said, the students have real-world experience as technical writer types; as professionals with careers . One lady, perhaps in her 30s, is an editor. She sounded really competent and advanced and, like I say, I do hope to learn what I can from her and the others. It's a good course to feel out this field and see how I might fit it into a career.
I learned that technical writing is actually a very broad term. Basically, it simply refers to writing done on the job. That's the simplest definition. On the job/in a business environment - as opposed to in academia, which is how we all learn how to write. Technical writing is thus good to learn if you want to wean yourself away from that tedious, occasionally pompous and often verbose academic style [sic], toward a more utilitarian method of putting down information.
So that's what I've been doing! Any who read this blog can know what I'm up to!
-d.g.w. 4/12/07
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