It’s the end of the world…! Well, not quite

Posted on August 28, 2011 by oddmanout215

Disaster stories are crowd pleasers, partly because oblivion can seem an appealing alternative to everyday problems that have no solution. At the very least, such stories disrupt the monotony of our insulated, digitized environments and force us to imagine other scenarios. What if a hurricane rips off our roofs and we have to hang out at homeless shelters and sing folk songs by candlelight?

Nobody really wants a disaster — we all remember Katrina’s aftermath — but the idea of one can be diverting if you’re jobless or behind on mortgage payments or bored stiff by a thankless job in a dreary office park, interacting every day with people who seem as false to you as you must seem to them.

This is what disaster journalism is for, a relief from the everyday. Even better are disaster movies, which are escapist but also help acclimate us to the desert of the real — i.e., to the fact that we live in a “cultural void where the real and the unreal are merged so completely that distinctions between them disappear.”

The best disaster movies challenge our acceptance of the void and even rattle us, but in a highly entertaining way. The Matrix is a great, obvious example, but my favorite is Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, in which it becomes clear that our complacency stems from the illusion that we can control nature.

In one of my favorite scenes, an elderly woman ornithologist, very pedantic, informs the other patrons at a bar that mankind is doomed if the birds really have turned against us. As she drones on, a drunk — with an Irish brogue, of course — repeatedly punctuates her remarks by exclaiming, “It’s the end of the world.”

Footnote: Hurricane Irene wasn’t a complete dud in the Philly area. My basement is a mess. A river runs through it. There are no trout in there yet, but I’ve spotted other creatures and some ancient Christmas ornaments. I’m rattled.

Posted in arts, humor, livable cities, movies, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Quake-damaged phallic landmark needs TLC

Posted on August 27, 2011 by oddmanout215

Soon after the recent earthquake, a talking head joked that the Washington Monument had been damaged, but no one was sure yet if it was leaning left or right. Turns out there really are cracks in this symbol of American might and Masonic mysticism:

Shortly after the rare 5.8 earthquake in Virginia rattled Washington D.C. Tuesday, a Park Service spokesman said there was “absolutely no damage” to the Washington Monument. A more thorough assessment discovered a crack in the landmark. Not long after, additional damage was found, including three or four “significant” cracks. The monument has been closed indefinitely for further inspection and repairs, which will take at least a few weeks, according to The Washington Times. Robert Vogel, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial, said in a statement: “The Washington Monument is one of America’s most important landmarks, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that it is restored completely and correctly.”

The monument was not the only structure affected. The National Cathedral sustained damage worth an estimated millions in repairs.

I can’t wait to see what our latest disaster, Hurricane Irene, has in store.

Posted in humor, livable cities | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

We’ll all be rain dogs soon

Posted on August 27, 2011 by oddmanout215

For those in the path of Irene: “Rain Dogs” from Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs (1985)

According to reports, Philadelphia will get more rain this weekend than any other major city in the region. Bad news for those of us in South Philly, where a little extra rain turns basements into pools full of rusty old toys.

The essentials for weathering a monster hurricane: a three-day supply of water and non-perishable food; a good manual can opener; candles; flashlight with batteries; battery-powered radio/CD player; booze, or high-quality drugs, or herbal tea; first-aid kit and high-quality meds; cell phone with charger; good books; a trustworthy companion, if possible; extra batteries; extra booze.

Clarification: The rain dogs in Waits’ song are people who live on the streets, so I’m using the term loosely. We will not be rain dogs, most of us, providing there isn’t too much property damage this weekend.

Footnote: Anyone else wondering where those 300,000 people being evacuated from flood-prone areas of NYC will go, and how they will get there?

Posted in food, livable cities, Philadelphia, pop music | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Gaddafi to Cheney: Work your magic for me

Posted on August 26, 2011 by oddmanout215

If Gaddafi Duck had dressed like Dick Cheney...

Dear Dick,

My Michael Jacksonian compound was breached, my beautiful Bedouin tent burned to the ground, my Galliano-yellow and iguana-green uniforms desecrated. Worst of all, precious photos of Leezza were stolen and defiled by marauding desert rats who are not fit to kiss my Nubian queen’s exquisitely flat feet.

Escape was a perilous undertaking, but Allah was with me, along with my palace guard of Amazons and my huge stash of pharmaceuticals. And yet the prospect of exile galls me, as does the blatant application of what American infidel dogs would call the double standard.

It is well known, my fellow statesman, that only autocrats from small, weak countries — tinpot dictators, to use the vulgar American phrase — end up being charged with crimes against humanity. That dictators in small countries allied to the U.S. are exempt from prosecution, as are dictators in small countries with a nuclear deterrent.

We are men of the world, you and I, so let me get to the heart of the matter: I am here in the desert scratching sand fleas while you, a war criminal and admitted advocate of torture, are engaged in publicity efforts regarding your new book, in which you boast of your crimes. Could you not find a way to work your magic for a fellow autocrat/ multimillionaire/war criminal?

An insolent American reporter recently wrote:

Less than three years ago, Dick Cheney was presiding over policies that left hundreds of thousands of innocent people dead from a war of aggression, constructed a worldwide torture regime, and spied on thousands of Americans without the warrants required by law, all of which resulted in his leaving office as one of the most reviled political figures in decades.

And yet you are being treated as a dignified elder statesman by most reporters and by the hypocrites in the Obama administration. What is your secret? How may I undo the damage done by hostile media and the hundreds of Western power brokers who want to soil their soft little hands in my oil fields?

I fear that only you, the scum of the earth — and I say this as an admirer — can help me at this point. Any and all suggestions will be deeply appreciated and rewarded with appropriately Halliburtonian sums.

Your friend and ex-ally,
Muammar

Posted in Great Recession, Iraq war, mainstream media, Obama, Politics, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Straight talk on SS? Sanders stands alone

Posted on August 26, 2011 by oddmanout215

Bernie Sanders, the independent U.S. Senator from Vermont, makes passionate statements in support of working people then backs them up with legislation such as a bill that would strengthen Social Security without cutting benefits.

From Sanders’ website:

To keep Social Security strong for another 75 years, Sanders’ legislation would apply the same payroll tax already paid by more than nine out of 10 Americans to those with incomes over $250,000 a year. […] Under Sanders’ legislation, Social Security benefits would be untouched. The system would be fully funded by making the wealthiest Americans pay the same payroll tax already assessed on those with incomes up to $106,800 a year.

This is Sanders’ way of signally strong opposition to possible attempts to cut SS benefits by the ridiculously named congressional “super committee.”

Footnote: Sanders recently noted that President Obama, on the campaign trail in 2008, endorsed raising the cap on the payroll tax so that the rich would pay more into the SS system. But we all know by now there’s a big difference between what Obama says and what he does.

Posted in Congress, economic collapse, Obama, Politics, The New Depression | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The men don’t know, but the little girls…

Posted on August 26, 2011 by oddmanout215

For you nocturnal types: “Back Door Man” from The Doors (1967)

In his own way, for a very different audience, Jim Morrison swaggered almost as convincingly as Howlin’ Wolf. The Doors actually gave credit where it was due on the record, to songwriters Willie Dixon and the mighty Wolf, aka Chester Burnett. (Too often in those days, rock and roll bands simply stole the great blues songs.)

You’ve gotta love the music appreciation notes in Wikipedia:

The promiscuous “back-door man” is a standard theme found in many blues, including those by Charley Patton, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Blind Willie McTell and Sara Martin. “Every sensible woman got a back-door man,” Martin wrote in “Strange Loving Blues” (1925).

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Trumka to Obama: We are not the Tea Party

Posted on August 25, 2011 by oddmanout215

Richard Trumka is a hulking fellow who often wears a big smile, maybe in order to not look threatening. He wasn’t smiling much today when he blasted Barack Obama for failing to do anything in the way of jobs creation and other programs that ought to be high-priority for a Democratic president:

“This is a moment that working people and quite frankly history will judge President Obama on his presidency; will he commit all his energy and focus on bold solutions on the job crisis or will he continue to work with the Tea Party to offer cuts to middle class programs like Social Security all the while pretending the deficit is where our economic problems really lie,” Trumka said, Talking Points Memo’s Brian Beutler reported.

Trumka sits on the president’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which “was created to provide non-partisan advice to the president on continuing to strengthen the nation’s economy and ensure the competitiveness of the United States,” according to its website.

Trumpka told reporters that he had all but given up hope of the panel achieving any results. “I don’t know whether the commission’s making a difference or not…it’s a legitimate question whether that commission has done anything worthwhile,” he said.

He threatened to withdraw the AFL-CIO’s attendance at the upcoming Democratic convention if the party didn’t shape up and offer solutions. “If they don’t have a jobs program I think we’d better use our money doing other things,” he said.

It’s about time, as they say. Whoever they are.

Posted in economic collapse, globalization, Great Recession, Obama, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Pesky lawyer still on banksters’ case

Posted on August 25, 2011 by oddmanout215

When it comes to describing the complacency of the Wall Street banksters, their unabashed disregard for the millions of people they defrauded, and the ease with which they continue to push the right buttons in Washington in order to avoid restitution and prosecution… well, nobody does it better than Matt Taibbi:

A power play is underway in the foreclosure arena, according to the New York Times. On the one side is Eric Schneiderman, the New York Attorney General, who is conducting his own investigation into the era of securitizations – the practice of chopping up assets like mortgages and converting them into saleable securities – that led up to the financial crisis of 2007-2008. On the other side is the Obama administration, the banks, and all the other state attorneys general. This second camp has cooked up a deal that would allow the banks to walk away with just a seriously discounted fine from a generation of fraud that led to millions of people losing their homes.

The idea behind this federally-guided “settlement” is to concentrate and centralize all the legal exposure accrued by this generation of grotesque banker corruption in one place, put one single price tag on it that everyone can live with, and then stuff the details into a titanium canister before shooting it into deep space…

Taibbi was reacting to an NYT piece in which Gretchen Morgenson reported on efforts by Obama’s minions to make sure the fix is in. The last lines in Taibbi’s story coincidentally address a point I raised in the footnote of an Aug. 22 post:

… My theory is that the Obama administration is trying to secure its 2012 campaign war chest with this settlement deal. If Barry can make this foreclosure thing go away for the banks, you can bet he’ll win the contributions battle against the Republicans next summer. Which is good for him, I guess. But it seems to me that it might be time to wonder if is this the most disappointing president we’ve ever had.

Posted in economic collapse, Goldman Sachs, Great Recession, mainstream media, New York Times, Obama, Politics, The New Depression, Wall Street, world-wide economy | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘Drug corners’ story makes a sobering point

Posted on August 25, 2011 by oddmanout215

I know a talk radio host who has a passion for esoteric list-making — best NFL defensive linemen who are also convicted felons, best rockabilly guitarists who married their first cousins — that sort of thing. He invites listeners to call in and guess the top 10 names on his various lists. Callers who guess right sometimes win prizes.

I thought of the radio host yesterday while reading the Philadelphia Weekly’s cover story, “Top 10 drug corners,” which lists the city’s hottest spots for illegal drug sales.

Print stories involving lists are often planned in conjunction with campaigns to sign up advertisers. The tackiest and best known local example of this phenomenon is the annual Philadelphia Magazine “best of” issue.

Indeed, most list-oriented stories focus on specific categories of consumer goods — food, clothes, music, electronica, etc. If I were in charge of assigning such stories, I’d do an annual “Top 10 bands you will have completely forgotten a year from now.” Variations on that story are always popular.

A story that lists a city’s top 10 drug corners is different in that it isn’t a device for selling ads. It may whet the reader’s appetite for substances more exciting than foie gras and garage-band CDs, but it won’t be useful to ad salespeople unless they’re trying to sell display space to gun shop owners.

But I kid PW… “Top 10 drug corners” is an important story because its underlying point is that it’s impossible to do any reporting — and, more importantly, policing — that will significantly discourage the sale and use of illegal drugs, especially where “neighborhood-sustaining jobs” have disappeared forever.

As Steve Volk, the writer of the PW piece, put it:

Solving the drug problem by purely economic means would require a level of public and private investment on a scale that is simply not tenable in this day and age. Barring some massive New Deal-style public works initiative that revives the manufacturing base of the United States, the prospect of employing our way out of this problem seems remote at best. So finally, this leaves us with our last and perhaps most intriguing, promising and politically hazardous possibility.

We could legalize drugs.

You might disagree with this idea, but I defy you to come up with a better solution to the illegal-drugs problem.

Posted in Great Recession, humor, livable cities, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dems, too, are helping to kill labor unions

Posted on August 24, 2011 by oddmanout215

Thanks to Atrios and Avedon for calling attention to an on-target overview of the contemporary conservative agenda:

… Private-sector employers’ fierce attacks on unions since the 1970s contributed significantly to the sharp decline in the number of unionized workers, and many state governments are seeking to delegitimize and weaken public-sector unions. Meanwhile, the social safety net has frayed: Unemployment benefits are meager in many states and are not being extended to match the length of the downturn; Republicans are taking aim at Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and Obamacare. The real value of the minimum wage is lower than it was in the 1970s.

These changes have happened piecemeal. But viewed collectively, it’s difficult not to see a determined campaign to dismantle a broad societal bargain that served much of the nation well for decades. To a historian, the agenda of today’s conservatives looks like a bizarre effort to return to the Gilded Age, an era with little regulation of business, no social insurance and no legal protections for workers. This agenda, moreover, calls for the destruction or weakening of institutions without acknowledging (or perhaps understanding) why they came into being …

A historian writing in a high-profile mainstream newspaper “gets it.” Why doesn’t Barack Obama? Bottom line: When it comes to back-stabbing, the culprit is as likely to be a Democratic politician as a Republican.

Posted in Congress, economic collapse, Great Recession, Obama, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment