It was so exciting, the day I met John Scalvi! It was quite by accident. Literally. I was minding my own business when a car came crashing across the sidewalk in front of me and through the window of a convenience store. I’d always heard about those elderly drivers who step on the gas instead of the brake, and here one was. And it was none other than John Scalvi.
Blog
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Politics
Last week I did something I’ve never done before. I made a contribution to a political candidate’s campaign: Senator Barack Obama.
When November comes, I will vote for the Democratic candidate. I cannot imagine that anyone running, no matter their faults, could possibly be worse than the war criminals currently in office. But of the three major primary candidates, Senator Obama’s campaign seems to me to have the right focus: the future, and how to bring Americans together around our shared future. We surely do not have the same vision for the future, all of us Americans, but we just as surely will share the same actuality. I’d like someone in office who wants to help us shape that future in a productive way.
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Biased media coverage of Kenya
David Zarembka critiques a few news reports on the situation in his Report 17 — Hoodwinked: International Coverage of the Crisis in Kenya
If this story had been true, it would have been one of the biggest massacres in the current violence in Kenya. Even though the story was fabricated, it was passed on by at least CNN and Time. I have never seen any reference to it in the Kenyan media.
This ought to be a red flag not only for coverage of the recent events in Kenya, but overall coverage by the international media in Africa.
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Monkey Mind: Bread and Roses
Today is the ninety-sixth anniversary of the beginning of the Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Perhaps it is time to stop and think about this issue. Frankly, as I look at what’s going on around us it’s hard to feel there is not a class war going on. And that the super rich are winning.
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Too Sense: Race, Politics and Hip-hop.
I think I started following the group blog Too Sense because of a post that Andrew Sullivan linked to, but I can’t quite remember for sure. But I am sure that I am enjoying the writing of dnA, who’s the only contributor I’ve read so far.
As a side note, one of the worst campaign strategies I’ve ever heard of in my life is associating your opponent with Martin Luther King Jr. Clearly, Hillary wants to lose.
dnA’s profile says “Artsy, Angry Mixed Kid from the Diamond District. Also I’m a total amateur at this. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong.” On the contrary, I’m pretty sure dnA is doing an awful lot of things right.
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God and soul
My spiritual life has been supported of late by several blogs. Today’s post by James Ishmael Ford is worth pimping. Head on over and check out Monkey Mind: Getting Real With Religion
I’m more than comfortable with traditional religious language: god and soul are at the top of my list of useful terms. I resist those who try to insist that the definitions of these terms can only be determined by their most conservative adherents. Conservative and fundamentalist asserting this I understand. But when critics such as most of the recent spate of atheist authors do so it comes across to me like setting up a classic straw man.
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Pray for Kenya
Carol, blogging at among Friends has a number of posts about the situation in Kenya, including a message from Friends United Meeting staff yesterday:
The country Kenya is now in chaos now and many people are dying and properties destroyed as a reaction to the announcement of the results. We are appealing for prayers that calmness may come to our country.
Peace and unity may prevail in our country. We are all safe wherever we are. Pray for Kenya!! Pray for Kenya!!!God bless
John Muhanji
There is a also a press release from Friends United Meeting.
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Stylish Cary Grant essay
A book essay at the Atlantic about Becoming Cary Grant is well written and entertainingly clever:
Gorgeousness requires the soul of an old lady.
And, of course, it’s about my favorite actor ever.
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United States: Supporter of democracy?
There’s been a dirty election in Kenya (Death toll mounts over Kenyan president’s re-election), and guess who the US government is supporting?
But the US, which cooperates closely with the Kibaki government on anti-terrorism matters, congratulated the president on his re-election and said it supported the electoral commission’s decision. Robert McInturff, a state department spokesman, said: “The United States congratulates the winners and is calling for calm, and for Kenyans to abide by the results declared by the election commission.”
Oh yeah, doesn’t that make me proud to be an American (as if our long history of propping up dictators wasn’t bad enough).