Just too good not to pass along.
Rahmbo may be one the front end of finding out just how cheesed everyone is at his boss, and how willing they will be to take their vengeance out on his scurvy behonkus come election day.
He makes it too easy, like shooting fish in a barrel.
Wouldn't it be rich if he is barred from running because he does not meet the residency requirements for the City of Chicago?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Teach Tony Danza: OS Hopes Everyone Views This Series
OS generally hates 'reality TV', but this is different. It looks and feels like a cross between a documentary and the best episodes of 'Homicide: Life On The Streets'.
Actor Tony Danza, raised in Brooklyn, first in his family to graduate college, decides to pursue teaching, his major in college, as he nears age sixty--in the largest high school in Philadelphia. One thing to say on his behalf: He did learn some courage during his years in the boxing ring.
And yet, he asks the fearful question: Would I want my daughter in a classroom run by someone like me?
It is interesting to watch as he is afforded no quarter, not an inch of slack, as he undertakes this adventure. He struggles, and his self-doubts lead the way.
Episode 1 is here.
It airs Friday nights on A and E.
It's about the culture.
It's about the culture.
It's about the culture.
Actor Tony Danza, raised in Brooklyn, first in his family to graduate college, decides to pursue teaching, his major in college, as he nears age sixty--in the largest high school in Philadelphia. One thing to say on his behalf: He did learn some courage during his years in the boxing ring.
And yet, he asks the fearful question: Would I want my daughter in a classroom run by someone like me?
It is interesting to watch as he is afforded no quarter, not an inch of slack, as he undertakes this adventure. He struggles, and his self-doubts lead the way.
Episode 1 is here.
It airs Friday nights on A and E.
It's about the culture.
It's about the culture.
It's about the culture.
Perhaps Failure Is The Goal, After All
The idea keeps floating about that Obama, and those around him, actually want the culture to fall apart, to allow them to impose their own vision upon us.
OS has read it, heard it, and until recently, discarded it. 'Naaaahhhhh--that's paranoid ranting, tin-foil-hat stuff, etc.' OS just assumed these guys were idiots, blind and deaf to the actual consequences of their behavior.
Maybe, OS was wrong.
It's a story not worth telling in detail, but once upon a time, OS launched a business that had every reason to succeed, and yet failed. He made a crucial error, in bringing a member of ownership aboard who came recommended as someone with some 'special expertise' in the field. OS ignored a warning about the guy from someone who knew him from another context.
It didn't take long to see the error of his ways, as his 'mistake' proceeded to create chaos at every turn, in ways large and small. Only with the perspective of time did OS come to understand that his colleague's agenda was to either take over or destroy the business. In the end, he did both. It was baffling at the time, because the behavior made no sense, and it didn't occur to OS to consider that only the darkest of motivations explained the chaos being created.
Perhaps, just perhaps, this is being played out on a much larger stage, and for much higher stakes. OS hopes this is not the case.
In any case, these guys must be voted out at the earliest opportunity.
OS has read it, heard it, and until recently, discarded it. 'Naaaahhhhh--that's paranoid ranting, tin-foil-hat stuff, etc.' OS just assumed these guys were idiots, blind and deaf to the actual consequences of their behavior.
Maybe, OS was wrong.
It's a story not worth telling in detail, but once upon a time, OS launched a business that had every reason to succeed, and yet failed. He made a crucial error, in bringing a member of ownership aboard who came recommended as someone with some 'special expertise' in the field. OS ignored a warning about the guy from someone who knew him from another context.
It didn't take long to see the error of his ways, as his 'mistake' proceeded to create chaos at every turn, in ways large and small. Only with the perspective of time did OS come to understand that his colleague's agenda was to either take over or destroy the business. In the end, he did both. It was baffling at the time, because the behavior made no sense, and it didn't occur to OS to consider that only the darkest of motivations explained the chaos being created.
Perhaps, just perhaps, this is being played out on a much larger stage, and for much higher stakes. OS hopes this is not the case.
In any case, these guys must be voted out at the earliest opportunity.
Denninger And Charles Schwab Explain Why The Fed Is Corroding The Culture
Denninger points to a recent op-ed by Charles Schwab
The most striking quote to OS was this:
The Fed's super-loose policy has driven down the security and spending power of savers, particularly those in retirement who played by the rules during their working years and now depend on the earnings from their savings for a decent quality of life. As a result, savers and investors are being forced to take more risk with their money as they hunt for higher yields.
'The ones who played by the rules' for all those decades--the ones who stayed married, raised the kids, worked and worked and worked, often serving in the military (and sending their kids off to do the same), attended and supported their churches and synagogues, saved and scrimped and delayed gratification so they wouldn't be a burden to their kids in adulthood, to have something to spend on the grandkids, maybe even pay school tuition so the grandkids wouldn't have to go to public schools--those folks.
Those folks have been treated shabbily. They kept their money in CD's and Treasury securities, or in muni bonds, for safety of principal, for the insurance on their accounts. Now, not only have their income streams from the principal saved over the years dried up, but the value of those dollars themselves are now being deliberately eroded.
So, what does this mean for the culture? OS believes it breeds cynicism, and erodes hope. Virtue is its own reward, to be certain. Those folks who live virtuous lives have better lives than those who don't--such as meth addicts, to cite an extreme example. But if the end result of all that virtue and saving and investing is a worrisome old age of borderline poverty, it becomes more difficult to make the argument for virtue, thrift, ambition, self-improvement, etc. If the banksters always win, and are the only ones who prosper, the social glue of shared values begins to melt away.
OS listens to hip-hop urban radio a few times a week, not because he likes it, but because he wants to listen in on what is being said. It's not pretty. It is dark music and darker poetry, focused on raw materialism and hedonism, usually degrading to women, and always focused on short-term gratification. The sub-message seems always to be: What the hey, there is no future, and virtue is for chumps. Live for today, and for yourself.
Visit the neighborhoods from which this music emerges, and it is obvious the glue of shared values melted away long ago.
Unless we wish that cultural rot to spread, we would do well to pay attention. And we'd better be prepared to talk once again of virtue as its own reward. It will be a tough sell in this climate.
And, if you don't believe OS, or Charles, or Karl--then maybe Robert Reich will tell you what you need to hear. Same message, from a far different part of the ideological spectrum.
The most striking quote to OS was this:
The Fed's super-loose policy has driven down the security and spending power of savers, particularly those in retirement who played by the rules during their working years and now depend on the earnings from their savings for a decent quality of life. As a result, savers and investors are being forced to take more risk with their money as they hunt for higher yields.
'The ones who played by the rules' for all those decades--the ones who stayed married, raised the kids, worked and worked and worked, often serving in the military (and sending their kids off to do the same), attended and supported their churches and synagogues, saved and scrimped and delayed gratification so they wouldn't be a burden to their kids in adulthood, to have something to spend on the grandkids, maybe even pay school tuition so the grandkids wouldn't have to go to public schools--those folks.
Those folks have been treated shabbily. They kept their money in CD's and Treasury securities, or in muni bonds, for safety of principal, for the insurance on their accounts. Now, not only have their income streams from the principal saved over the years dried up, but the value of those dollars themselves are now being deliberately eroded.
So, what does this mean for the culture? OS believes it breeds cynicism, and erodes hope. Virtue is its own reward, to be certain. Those folks who live virtuous lives have better lives than those who don't--such as meth addicts, to cite an extreme example. But if the end result of all that virtue and saving and investing is a worrisome old age of borderline poverty, it becomes more difficult to make the argument for virtue, thrift, ambition, self-improvement, etc. If the banksters always win, and are the only ones who prosper, the social glue of shared values begins to melt away.
OS listens to hip-hop urban radio a few times a week, not because he likes it, but because he wants to listen in on what is being said. It's not pretty. It is dark music and darker poetry, focused on raw materialism and hedonism, usually degrading to women, and always focused on short-term gratification. The sub-message seems always to be: What the hey, there is no future, and virtue is for chumps. Live for today, and for yourself.
Visit the neighborhoods from which this music emerges, and it is obvious the glue of shared values melted away long ago.
Unless we wish that cultural rot to spread, we would do well to pay attention. And we'd better be prepared to talk once again of virtue as its own reward. It will be a tough sell in this climate.
And, if you don't believe OS, or Charles, or Karl--then maybe Robert Reich will tell you what you need to hear. Same message, from a far different part of the ideological spectrum.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
When Irish Eyes Aren't Smiling: The Proposed Bail-Out Of Anglo-Irish Bank
To quote that great philosopher, Scooby-Doo: Ruh-Roh!
Or to quote the late Harry Cary, that wonderful voice of the usually hapless Chicago Cubs: Holeee Cow!
From France24:
AFP - Ireland warned on Thursday that the state rescue of Anglo Irish Bank could cost 34.3 billion euros, pushing the public deficit up to 32 percent of economic output this year.
The potential rescue bill, equivalent to 46.6 billion dollars, is roughly the same as Ireland's annual taxation revenues.
The news that the deficit could be equivalent to almost one third of everything produced by the country in a year comes amid mounting investor concern about soaring levels of eurozone state debt.
This week, the yield, or rate, on Irish government debt rose at one point to the highest level since the euro was created, signalling that the government could have trouble in financing its overspending.
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan defended the rescue, saying the "nightmare" collapse of Anglo Irish would have pushed the country into insolvency, in remarks redolent of the recent crises in Greece and non-eurozone country Iceland.
"Unfortunately this bank grew to half the size of our annual wealth and the failure of a bank of that scale would render the country itself insolvent," he told RTE state radio.
Denninger passes along the account of a conference call last week hosted by Mr. Lehihan, designed to calm investor nerves, that turned into a free-for-all, and had to be abandoned.
Remember last spring, when we were assured that ThePeopleInChargeOfTheseThings had resolved all these nasty questions about governments defaulting on their debts?
Lucy! Wha' Happen'd??!!!
Or to quote the late Harry Cary, that wonderful voice of the usually hapless Chicago Cubs: Holeee Cow!
From France24:
AFP - Ireland warned on Thursday that the state rescue of Anglo Irish Bank could cost 34.3 billion euros, pushing the public deficit up to 32 percent of economic output this year.
The potential rescue bill, equivalent to 46.6 billion dollars, is roughly the same as Ireland's annual taxation revenues.
The news that the deficit could be equivalent to almost one third of everything produced by the country in a year comes amid mounting investor concern about soaring levels of eurozone state debt.
This week, the yield, or rate, on Irish government debt rose at one point to the highest level since the euro was created, signalling that the government could have trouble in financing its overspending.
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan defended the rescue, saying the "nightmare" collapse of Anglo Irish would have pushed the country into insolvency, in remarks redolent of the recent crises in Greece and non-eurozone country Iceland.
"Unfortunately this bank grew to half the size of our annual wealth and the failure of a bank of that scale would render the country itself insolvent," he told RTE state radio.
Denninger passes along the account of a conference call last week hosted by Mr. Lehihan, designed to calm investor nerves, that turned into a free-for-all, and had to be abandoned.
Remember last spring, when we were assured that ThePeopleInChargeOfTheseThings had resolved all these nasty questions about governments defaulting on their debts?
Lucy! Wha' Happen'd??!!!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Pastor Peters Perpetually Provides Pertinent Perspectives
Today's post is perhaps his best ever.
OS keeps pounding at his contention that we have a much deeper cultural problem than an economic problem--that the economy is the symptom, not the disease.
One big part of the disease is our insistence that we feel good--happy, content, satisfied, untroubled--all the time. That's 24/7/365, ya'll.
It's really taken root in our churches here, which is tragic, because if that lie becomes part of the ecclesiastical culture, who will resist it in the popular culture?
In many respects this is the problem with contemporary worship and evangelistic zeal -- they are raised up to become the high altars of what Christianity is really about and the water of baptism, the bread and wine of the Eucharist, the gift of absolution, the Pastoral Office conferred by ordination, and the unchanging message of Scripture become less important than what we do in worship. We have to have music that appeals to the modern soul with a good dance beat, songs that say more about me than God, counters that keep a record of our witness like conquering armies record their kills on the battlefield, and Pastors who are pastors -- nobody special doing nothing any of us couldn't do if we wanted to... So we end up with a gospel that tells us we should be happy and that the purpose of sex, marriage, kids, and work is to make us happy -- oh, yeah, not to mention church.
Even for those who are more Protestant in orientation (like OS) he hits the nail on the head.
Something to think about when the ol' PrazeBand cranks it up this Sunday morning.
OS keeps pounding at his contention that we have a much deeper cultural problem than an economic problem--that the economy is the symptom, not the disease.
One big part of the disease is our insistence that we feel good--happy, content, satisfied, untroubled--all the time. That's 24/7/365, ya'll.
It's really taken root in our churches here, which is tragic, because if that lie becomes part of the ecclesiastical culture, who will resist it in the popular culture?
In many respects this is the problem with contemporary worship and evangelistic zeal -- they are raised up to become the high altars of what Christianity is really about and the water of baptism, the bread and wine of the Eucharist, the gift of absolution, the Pastoral Office conferred by ordination, and the unchanging message of Scripture become less important than what we do in worship. We have to have music that appeals to the modern soul with a good dance beat, songs that say more about me than God, counters that keep a record of our witness like conquering armies record their kills on the battlefield, and Pastors who are pastors -- nobody special doing nothing any of us couldn't do if we wanted to... So we end up with a gospel that tells us we should be happy and that the purpose of sex, marriage, kids, and work is to make us happy -- oh, yeah, not to mention church.
Even for those who are more Protestant in orientation (like OS) he hits the nail on the head.
Something to think about when the ol' PrazeBand cranks it up this Sunday morning.
It's Ryder Cup Time!
Kids wait for Santa to show up every December.
OS waits for the Masters every spring, and the Ryder Cup every other fall.
It's an event that requires the winning team to play with more intelligence and selflessness than the losing team. Athletic ability is desirable, but this game is played between the ears.
The American style of golf, e.g. 'Let's just drive the stuffing out of the ball, let someone find it in the trees and then we'll figure out what to do next' won't be rewarded on this course. Ahem--Phil, Tiger, Dustin...(That link above leads to the page with the hole descriptions and flyover views. It's pretty impressive, built for this event.)
OS predicts Europe wins by 4 at least. It won't take them long, and the Sunday afternoon single pairings are always a joy to watch.
And, please! Let's not have rules officials on the course seeking their personal fifteen minutes of fame this time. Golf needs a good, happy event, after a year of public humiliations at the hands of people who really ought to know better.
OS waits for the Masters every spring, and the Ryder Cup every other fall.
It's an event that requires the winning team to play with more intelligence and selflessness than the losing team. Athletic ability is desirable, but this game is played between the ears.
The American style of golf, e.g. 'Let's just drive the stuffing out of the ball, let someone find it in the trees and then we'll figure out what to do next' won't be rewarded on this course. Ahem--Phil, Tiger, Dustin...(That link above leads to the page with the hole descriptions and flyover views. It's pretty impressive, built for this event.)
OS predicts Europe wins by 4 at least. It won't take them long, and the Sunday afternoon single pairings are always a joy to watch.
And, please! Let's not have rules officials on the course seeking their personal fifteen minutes of fame this time. Golf needs a good, happy event, after a year of public humiliations at the hands of people who really ought to know better.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Work As If It Mattered: Jordan Ballor At Acton Institute
These thoughts are not about a burning issue of the hour, but do merit reading.
In the meantime, OS is working against several deadlines this week, deeply grateful for his life, work, and family. But he does look longingly at the perfect golf weather as he plows through the next stack of ThingsThatSimplyCannotBeDelayed.
In the meantime, OS is working against several deadlines this week, deeply grateful for his life, work, and family. But he does look longingly at the perfect golf weather as he plows through the next stack of ThingsThatSimplyCannotBeDelayed.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Slavery: It's Not Just For Southerners
On the way to some other idea, this article from the Boston Globe caught OldSouth's attention.
He's a hopeless history buff, and the causes and events that led to the War Between The States always capture his attention, for more reasons than need be detailed here and now. Moh' latuh on that subject.
Before proceeding, however, OS needs to make one thing unmistakeably certain for his readers: Slavery was, and is, a heinous and inexcusable practice, wherever practiced, in whichever century.
OS hopes everyone gets to visit Charleston, South Carolina, at least once, for two reasons. First, it is breathtakingly beautiful. Second, the old slave market has been preserved. To visit that place, and contemplate that human beings were imported to and auctioned from that location is utterly chilling. For anyone who may privately harbor the idea that 'Well, it really wasn't that terrible', a visit to the Charleston slave market should put that fantasy to rest.
So, back to the Boston Globe:
As the nation prepares to mark the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War in 2011, with commemorations that reinforce the North/South divide, researchers are offering uncomfortable answers to that question, unearthing more and more of the hidden stories of New England slavery — its brutality, its staying power, and its silent presence in the very places that have become synonymous with freedom. With the markers of slavery forgotten even as they lurk beneath our feet — from graveyards to historic homes, from Lexington and Concord to the halls of Harvard University — historians say it is time to radically rewrite America’s slavery story to include its buried history in New England.
The article is worth contemplating, as the research may do much to deflate the historical sense of self-righteousness purveyed by old-school New Englanders about their history.
OS believes humility, from all corners, is a virtue.
He's a hopeless history buff, and the causes and events that led to the War Between The States always capture his attention, for more reasons than need be detailed here and now. Moh' latuh on that subject.
Before proceeding, however, OS needs to make one thing unmistakeably certain for his readers: Slavery was, and is, a heinous and inexcusable practice, wherever practiced, in whichever century.
OS hopes everyone gets to visit Charleston, South Carolina, at least once, for two reasons. First, it is breathtakingly beautiful. Second, the old slave market has been preserved. To visit that place, and contemplate that human beings were imported to and auctioned from that location is utterly chilling. For anyone who may privately harbor the idea that 'Well, it really wasn't that terrible', a visit to the Charleston slave market should put that fantasy to rest.
So, back to the Boston Globe:
As the nation prepares to mark the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War in 2011, with commemorations that reinforce the North/South divide, researchers are offering uncomfortable answers to that question, unearthing more and more of the hidden stories of New England slavery — its brutality, its staying power, and its silent presence in the very places that have become synonymous with freedom. With the markers of slavery forgotten even as they lurk beneath our feet — from graveyards to historic homes, from Lexington and Concord to the halls of Harvard University — historians say it is time to radically rewrite America’s slavery story to include its buried history in New England.
The article is worth contemplating, as the research may do much to deflate the historical sense of self-righteousness purveyed by old-school New Englanders about their history.
OS believes humility, from all corners, is a virtue.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Jeremiah's Economics 101
OS has no particular insights to offer, and stacks of work looming on his desk for the week, all of it on deadline and overdue.
But he got up early for church this morning, made the 8:30 service. Today's readings from the lectionary were striking, and can be found here, courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity School Library.
The story of Jeremiah, blacklisted and under house arrest as the wheels came off his world in his day, was moving. It was his job to deliver the bad news to the Powers That Be that their day was over, stick-a-fork-in-'er-she's-done, that the whole rotten society was about to be overrun and carried off into captivity. That it was too late to save the situation.
Pretty depressing stuff, much like we hear in our day.
Then, he hears another word from On High: Your cousin is selling his real estate. Buy it. No, it doesn't make sense, but buy it anyway. I still have a future planned for this place, and you should invest in it. Make sure you get clear title, and preserve the deed, (implicitly) for the sake of your descendants.
All the readings for the day point to the same truths--if the future belongs to the Almighty, then it's not up for grabs. Societies and people that embrace selfishness and greed fall apart, get conquered and carried off. Greed is poisonous, but wealth honestly gained and shared is a blessing to all.
Invest.
Create.
Work.
Trust--but don't place your trust in your stuff.
Shape a good future for those yet unborn. There will be a payoff.
It ain't over, even if this chapter closes.
But he got up early for church this morning, made the 8:30 service. Today's readings from the lectionary were striking, and can be found here, courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity School Library.
The story of Jeremiah, blacklisted and under house arrest as the wheels came off his world in his day, was moving. It was his job to deliver the bad news to the Powers That Be that their day was over, stick-a-fork-in-'er-she's-done, that the whole rotten society was about to be overrun and carried off into captivity. That it was too late to save the situation.
Pretty depressing stuff, much like we hear in our day.
Then, he hears another word from On High: Your cousin is selling his real estate. Buy it. No, it doesn't make sense, but buy it anyway. I still have a future planned for this place, and you should invest in it. Make sure you get clear title, and preserve the deed, (implicitly) for the sake of your descendants.
All the readings for the day point to the same truths--if the future belongs to the Almighty, then it's not up for grabs. Societies and people that embrace selfishness and greed fall apart, get conquered and carried off. Greed is poisonous, but wealth honestly gained and shared is a blessing to all.
Invest.
Create.
Work.
Trust--but don't place your trust in your stuff.
Shape a good future for those yet unborn. There will be a payoff.
It ain't over, even if this chapter closes.
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