A Slight Case of Overblogging

by Natasha Chart, Sat Dec 13, 2008 at 03:35:19 PM EST

We're coming to the end of a hundred years or more of devices at were invented in order to save time. What has become of time? Nobody has enough time anymore. ... We are a time-impoverished society. We have lots of material things, but we have no time left. Human time has disappeared, and we're in animal time. Or vegetable time, if you like. Or mineral time. The time of computers. The time of things. Of mechanical devices. ... It's the New Poverty. - Jacob Needleman, professor of philosophy and comparative religions at San Francisco State University, 1999. As quoted in "The Farm as Natural Habitat," edited by Dana L. Jackson and Laura L. Jackson.

- Newsflash: Michelle Obama's hair insufficiently motherly.

- Latinos increasing targeted for hate crimes and beating deaths following on the wave of deliberately stoked anti-immigrant hatred. And we all know what "immigrant" means when Lou Dobbs says it, don't we? He does not refer to college-educated Canadians in country on a work visa.

- Rolling Stone says it's gay people's fault they don't have equal rights. Damn straight, as it were. Because everybody knows that it's the duty of anyone who's oppressed in their corner of the world to beg other people to stop treating them like sh*t.

- In honor of this rescued diary on the consensus regarding the failure of the War on Some Drugs, here are a couple video tutorials on busting crooked cops and concealing your stash.

- If we don't avert climate change, a head IPCC scientist says, the affected communities won't be able to adapt to shifting weather patterns. Going carbon neutral or better, carbon negative, in the industrialized world would save not only our economies, but probably millions of lives.

- There is already a global food crisis, and no joke.

- Canada may have its issues, but wanting a depression economy isn't one of them. They've got a plan on offer to keep the Canadian units of the Big Three afloat until something reasonable can be done next year.

As the Sisters of Mercy might say, "it's a small world and it smells funny I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money take back what I paid for another motherf*er in a motorcade." What's on your mind tonight?

Tags: blog news roundup, Open Thread (all tags)

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Re: A Slight Case of Overblogging

by Mark Matson 2008-12-14 01:18AM | 0 recs

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Re: A Slight Case of Overblogging

Rolling Stone says it's gay people's fault they don't have equal rights. Damn straight, as it were. Because everybody knows that it's the duty of anyone who's oppressed in their corner of the world to beg other people to stop treating them like sh*t.

I think this would be more accurate if you say "...it's the duty of anyone who's oppressed in their corner...to to finesse the political system to get other people to stop treating them like sh*t."

by Stoic 2008-12-14 08:22AM | 0 recs

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Re: A Slight Case of Overblogging

How does the actual duty fall on the people who are being treated like sh*t? The duty resides with the people who are being jerks, and their duty in that case is to cut it out. End.

by Natasha Chart 2008-12-15 07:16AM | 0 recs

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Re: A Slight Case of Overblogging

Re: the Rolling Stone article ...

All due respect Natasha, I think you're at best simplifying and at worst completely misleading what the actual article is ... which is an honest analysis of the vote on Prop Eight.

No where in that article does the author ever blame the gay and lesbian community - or them 'not begging for their rights' - for the loss, but rather it takes a look at what both sides did. It concedes that those running the campaign for the 'Yes' forces ran deliberately deceptive ads, but it also notes that said campaign utilized its grassroots and fundraising foot soldiers. It points out how leaders in the gay and lesbian community were disappointed in the efforts and strategy of the 'No' campaign and how it lacked a coordinated GOTV campaign.

The article is written in the context of the election, which means such criticism is valid. It doesn't mean what they were voting on or who was advocating for it was 'wrong' ... which is largely why a majority vote to affirm the granting of rights to an oppressed minority is crazy to begin with (and why civil rights in another areas typically came through legislative action or judicial action).

by Safe As Houses 2008-12-14 08:51AM | 0 recs

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Re: A Slight Case of Overblogging

Because everybody knows that it's the duty of anyone who's oppressed in their corner of the world to beg other people to stop treating them like sh*t.

Damn right it is their duty to make their voices heard to stop being oppressed. And it is also our duty to help them where we have failed to prevent the oppression in the first place (where we will not make things worse).

Also, what do you bet the GOP sees global warming as a great chance to kill off a lot of non-white poor people who aren't even smart enough to speak English?

by MNPundit 2008-12-14 05:50PM | 0 recs