From Bill Perry:
Absolutely OUTSTANDING interview !
‘Specially his aside to IRR troops, and the Constitutions’ Article 6, Section 2, not to mention the 5 or 6 locales where Matthis has “occupied countries all over the Planet”. I really liked how he nailed the FOX Talking Head on 9/11 being a CRIME, certainly not an act of war. Then, the “Unmovable object in the face of overwhelming opposition” was HOT.
The public relations approach that Israel is taking in their recent pummeling of Palestinians seems play-for-play taken from the Bush Administration’s campaign to bring us to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Again, we hear about the invasion as an act of self-defense. That the occupied people are terrorists, and civilian casualties are not the responsibility of those who drop the bombs, but rather those who are its intended target.
I’m especially glad that this piece refers to the United States’ attempt at overthrowing Hamas, a democratically elected political party, 2 years ago. That sort of behavior doesn’t exactly embody the justification of bringing democracy to Iraq and the rest of the Middle East.
Or, Why I Don’t Own a Television.
Here’s an idea: If you’re dating a d-bag, don’t try to change him, dump his ass and find someone who doesn’t prioritize working out over your emotional health. Then we wouldn’t have to have these TV shows clogging the edutainment arteries of America.
When I first started riding in Critical Mass in NYC, it was light-hearted and extremely fun. When I returned from Philly for a Halloween ride in 2006, it was like a high speed getaway from the cops, and it had really picked up some super-negi attitudes from bicyclists.
Looks like in San Francisco, where Critical Mass started in the United States, it is staying true to its roots. I think the most encouraging sign is how happy and peaceful drivers and bus riders are throughout the ride. Philly and NYC Critical Massers, take note! Does Portland even have a critical mass anymore. The Portland CM website hasn’t been updated since 2005. Then again, I don’t think I’ve gotten a single honk from a motorist after riding here for the past 3 months, although neither did I get a honk or a sore look in San Francisco either.
I’ve fallen in love with libraries again. Portland’s system is robust, and now that I have time to spend time in this wonderful institution, I’ve enjoyed checking out various media, reading Sunday papers, and ultimately having a space to relax that doesn’t require the exchange of cash.
Colleen has introduced me to graphic novels, and I’ve enjoyed reviewing the MOME series, which without a library membership I might otherwise have passed on. Most recently, I finished Palestine, by Joe Sacco. Joe combines journalism with comics, it is an innovative way to tell stories. Go ahead and put it ON HOLD at your local library, and prepare to find yourself deep inside the Palestinian experience. The injustice, the unbelievable suffering, the lack of hope.
These chronicles were from the early 90′s and I ponder how much has changed since Joe was able to visit. Who will save Palestine?
See also:
Portland’s daily newspaper website, Oregonlive, is really unfun, ALL TEXT, and the articles are way too airy. The print publication doesn’t get much better.
PREDICTION: We’ll see massive consolidation of the newspaper industry, once all newspapers bite the bullet and go ALL web. We’ll have the big guns: NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal covering everything. Blogging will replace all hyper-local journalism. We’ve seen newspaper consolidation, while the papers maintain some semblance of locality. Corps like Gannett and Knight Ridder have maintained an umbrella over most local rags for years. Soon, we won’t be talking about the Oregonian or the Philadelphia Inquirer when referring to local coverage anymore. We’ll get better national and worldwide journalism with higher salaries, but local reporting will plummet.
Not sure if this is good or bad, but judging from the type of coverage valued in the Inky and the Oregonian, I don’t think we’ve got a whole lot to lose. I wonder how we’ll keep the focus on local issues.