Inspired Play?

Really. The Memphis Grizzlies (which is about as stupid a name as you can have) are playing such good basketball because they are inspired that Memphis is underwater.

WHAT!? I know idiocy like this makes for a nice article, but think about the implication: They wouldn't be playing as well if Memphis wasn't flooded.

Whether its the Saints doing well for the city of New Orleans, something good happening in Detroit, or whatever woebegotten city has a sports franchise that is succeeding, the plight of the city has nothing, hear me, NOTHING, to do with how well the team is playing.

Sure, the players might think it does, but realistically, they're playing good basketball because they are peaking and playing together as a team at the perfect time.

So, please. "Real" journalists out there. Next time a struggling city has a sports team doing well, don't say the city's plight (or blight) is inspiring the team to succceed. Its just stupid.

It ain't college anymore Mark

I have no idea if Mark Z approved of this hairbrained scheme, or even had any knowledge of it, but..this is hilarious.

So, Facebook, that bastion of user privacy (I laughed as I read that) was trying to plant stories about Google? All because they're pissed off that Google's social networking was using FB contacts as secondary connections?

Man, this is funny stuff.

The Alternative?

So, I've been mulling this over for a bit and while its not the hot button topic at the moment, it will be again soon.

The Republicans want to pull all funding for Planned Parenthood (even though none of the Federal dollars go to providing abortions, which account for approximately 3-7% of provided services). However, since PP's services are directed mostly at the poor, what is the Republican plan to step up services for those who would be effected by this change?

PP gets ~1/3 of its funding from the Federal gov't. Any group losing 1/3 of its funding would necessarily have to cut back services significantly. And who would this affect? The same people that are normally affected whenever social services are cut, the poor.

Now, if we had an actual national health insurance system (not this abomination that we ended up with) I wouldn't be as upset by this. The poor would still be covered with insurance that would be accepted at any clinic (oh yeah, didn't you realize not everyone accepts Medicaid? And lets not get into the quality of care....).

But, we don't have that and nothing like that is suggested in any way shape or form.

I'm sure this is coming across as I'm "pro-abortion." I'm not. I'm ideally pro-life, but am realistic that life isn't as simple as I'd like it to be. I'd love to get the number of abortions lowered. However, I don't see how this would happen by essentially cutting back by 1/3 an organization that helps PREVENT many surprise pregnancies by giving out low cost contraception.

The gist of my argument comes back to this. Outside of a couple of radical ideas (attempting to cut trillions off in one year..good luck with that) the Republican budget ideas have essentially been attacks on social services. Those are not what are bleeding us dry as a nation and the handful of billions saved are truly meaningless as anything except "moral" victories. Which is what the Republicans are back to trying to do: legislate their version of morality.

Funny how it doesn't apply to how corporations act, how banks act, how our nation acts in respect to military spending. In their interesting view of correct morality, well, those darn gays and abortion rights people are the lowest of low. Odd.

Black Swan

So, Katrina and I watched Black Swan this weekend. Since it won best picture I had certain prejudices against it from the get go. (To me, about 50% of "best picture" movies are utterly and completely crap, even if well made.)

I'd love to say that Black Swan transcended that, but really it didn't. It was a well made movie with good acting and phenomenal dancing by Portman who purportedly did about 85% of her own dance scenes.

PSEUDO-SPOILER ALERT:

The problem was if you've seen any movie, EVER, involving someone with paranoid schizophrenia, A Beautiful Mind, American Psycho, then you've seen this movie. Oh sure, it had its own unique aspects, but ultimately, you knew what was going on and the movie lost any real suspense for you.

Also, reflecting on the movie, the plot just sort of happens. You never get stuff fleshed out, which is sort of annoying because I, personally, LIKE things fleshed out more.

So, ultimately, it was an ok movie, that was well acted and directed but the plot was the weak point. I'd give it a 3.75 out of 5 I guess. Definately not "Best Picture" quality in my mind.

Edit: Upon reading this "review" I realize I will never be a critic.

Solidarity

Echoing my thoughts of yesterday I've been thinking more on it. I honestly do think envy and jealousy are the reasons behind much of the support of stripping decent pay and benefits from public employees.

How many times in coversation have you heard "I wish I got what they get" in reference to pay or health care or pensions or vacation.

So, the American way is the path of least resistance. Rather than grouping together and fighting for workers rights as happened in the first half of the 20th century, politicians have fractured the middle class which instead of raising up to the level everyone would like, brings everyone down to an unhappy but "equal" level. (Equal??? Isn't that communist!?)

Workers today need unions badly. Not the clunky old, inefficient for modern problems, unions of yesteryear, but agile, flexible and intelligent unions for the future.

The sad thing is too many people have been brainwashed that unions are what caused American jobs to go to other countries. That is true to a limited extent, but that completely disregards the massive spike in executive pay and bonuses that has been going on for decades. The union mentality of "defend everyone equally at any cost" needs to go. They need to look at things case by case and defend everyone, but understand that some workers are useless.

But American workers need to stop the jealousy at those with decent (and they are only decent because being a public employee has as many pitfalls as perks) pay and benefit packages and start striving to get them for themselves. And if a few million or billionaires have to bring in a bit less money, why is that a bad thing?

Feeding Frenzy

Why does part of the middle class hate another part of the middle class?

The current feeding frenzy whipped up mostly by Republicans against public sector employees is bizarre. Well, ok, politically its not bizarre. Its right up their alley of cutting things they don't like rather than actually attempting to deal with difficult issues that might upset voters.

However, while public sector employees can have it pretty darn good, it seems mostly jealousy from workers that have seen their companies move away from pensions, they have no unions to join to fight for their rights, and are constantly forced to do more with less knowing they will be replaced by someone cheaper if possible.

I was thinking about this as I was at the DMV yesterday. Those people have to be saints to put up with the constant stream of crap that's flung at them. How on earth is them getting a decent paycheck, with decent benefits (not nearly what they once were relatively, its only because the private sector has done all its can to shove costs on employees that it seems good), and a pension, bankrupting anyone?

I guess lots of American's are confused by the industry funded bait and switch going on. Our states and country are in debt! Its a disaster! Obviously we must fix this! What's the problem? Well, obviously all those decent middle class wages and pensions! Thus the people turn on their fellows instead of looking to the rich who are fiddling as middle America burns.

Oh, FYI, those pensions that are so horribly underfunded? That's not the workers fault, that's the states/towns/whatever's fault for not paying their share. Its also the fault of the stock market manipulators who have destroyed the market the past few years.

So, please, before you go whining about how someone has better benefits than you and that they have a pension, check the envy at the door and really think about it. I bet after you do, you might think differently about things.

I feel a post from someone at a forum I frequent sums up the situation nicely:

Originally Posted by Yarbicus: A public union employee, a tea party
activist, and a CEO are sitting at a table with a plate of a dozen cookies in
the middle of it. The CEO takes 11 of the cookies, turns to the tea partier and
says, 'Watch out for that union guy. He wants a piece of your cookie.'

Interesting thoughts

Read a great column today that brought up some interesting (and oft discussed and ignored) points about Evangelical Christians in the US.

Now, please, get past the intentionally provocative title to read the content of the article. Also, yes, all Evangelicals (a highly diverse group) are lumped together here, but that is because he is discussing trends reflected from research on the subject.

The jist of what he is claiming is true. At least to my eyes.

Jesus the Savior is easy. Jesus the man is difficult. So they tend to ignore him.