Down and out in Muncie

Found this Sunday read fascinating. A profile of the societal breakdown of trust in our oldest institutions as viewed through the lens of Muncie, Indiana. It covers a broad spectrum of the town, but I found the saga of the former homeowner the most compelling story.

Here's a guy with old fashioned values. He did everything right. Worked hard, bought a home, took good care of it. Then the Republicans swooped into power with their austerity plan. His wife lost her state job in the first cuts. Eventually they couldn't pay the mortgage but they applied for the Obama administration's loan modification program. Which the bank rescinded after only three months and demanded full and immediate back payment in full for the rescinded discount.

He couldn't pay. His lawyer told him to just stay in the home anyway till they were kicked out, but he's not the kind of guy to play the game under the new rules of morality. He left his home, only to find out later that the bank didn't take title and he's being fined for not keeping up the yard. So now he's mowing the lawn for a house he doesn't actually own, He can't live in it, though he hopes to buy it back someday. Of course, he lost his job too because of the recession, so not clear how he'll accomplish that.

The irony is, he got his local government to rescind the $300 fine. It doesn't say, but guessing the local gov is Republican. So even though it's basically GOP policy that screwed him the first place, he'll probably never make the connection. He'll likely still vote GOP across the board in 2012 because those local guys were the only ones that helped him.

It's a tribal thing in heartland America. Democrats, and especially Obama, are not part of his tribe. Expect he'll be living in that trailer for the rest of his life.

The article is much deeper and more complicated that just this though. A bit depressing, but seriously worth a read in full. Some real food for thought.

[More posts daily at the Detroit News.]

The miracle of life

A little breather from the crazy out there. Josh Levs of CNN is one of the first journos who followed me when I first joined Twitter and has stuck with me since. Would have missed the goosebump raising story of his son's birth if I hadn't checked into Twitter today. Seriously, read it all but here's part of it:

I reached in, palms facing up, put my pointer fingers into the baby's armpits, and helped guide the baby out. That's when my heart started pounding even faster, and my adrenaline went from overdrive to supersonic.

The umbilical cord was snaked around the baby's neck, tightly. Think a turtleneck with five circles. The baby's eyes were shut and I saw no sign of breathing. As far as I knew, no sign of life.

So as the operator went on reading the standard directions: "Wrap the baby in a clean cloth or towel... tie a shoelace tightly around the umbilical cord..." I stopped following her. I focused on the neck. Didn't even look down to see what gender the baby was.

"Oh my God, the baby's not breathing," I said. "Breathe baby, breathe."

The miracle of birth at its most miraculous.

Sex scandals

Unless there's some illegal activity involved, say paying for it with taxpayer's money, I'm generally not that interested in political sex scandals. I tend to think Americans make too much of a basic human drive. And every time there's a feeding frenzy over the latest incident, this springs to mind:

Obama rekindles hope in Tuscon

If you missed President Obama's memorial tribute in Tuscon last night, it's worth reading in full. Or better yet, watch the video even though it runs a bit long because of the applause.

While most focused on his words, his most bitter critics have been pointing to the applause as somehow disrespectful, likening it to a pep rally. I admit I found it a bit jarring myself, but not because it was misplaced, simply because it was so enthusiatic and so prolonged that it interupted the flow of his speech. No matter, he adjusted his cadence perfectly and maintained the dignity of the moment. In any event, the applause was clearly a release for collective grief and in celebration of the departed they were there to honor.

From beginning to end, Obama's words both comforted and inspired us to put aside our anger and frustrations and hark to our best and kindest impulses. A couple of passages that struck me most deeply:

We recognize our own mortality, and we are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this Earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -– but rather, how well we have loved -- (applause)-- and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better. (Applause.)

For me that encapsulates what being a liberal is really about. It's a call for compassion, to seek outcomes for the common good rather than conquests for personal benefit or political power. And his words for the fallen 9 year old didn't leave a dry eye in the house.

Imagine -- imagine for a moment, here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that some day she, too, might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council. She saw public service as something exciting and hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.

I want to live up to her expectations. (Applause.) I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. (Applause.) All of us -– we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations. (Applause.)

Our President gently challenged us last night to employ our words and acts as tools to heal our common bonds as fellow Americans, rather than weapons to widen the partisan rifts between us. I hope that at least some will listen.

Of course, it's impossible not to see the contrast between our President's stirring of our hearts and Palin's pre-emptive strike earlier in the day with the release of her video statement. Where Obama rekindled the light of hope, Palin lobbed another of her IEDs into the discourse. As Michael Shear so succinctly put it, "[Palin's] video statement captured with precision the bubbling anger and resentment that is an undercurrent of the national conversation about our public discourse."

In short, Obama asked us to honor the victims by restoring civility in our discourse, while predictably, Palin used this tragedy to cast herself as the victim and called on her loyalists to keep the cauldron of caustic commentary boiling. As many have said in the last few hours, it left her looking very small and mean in comparison.

Breitbart lies, Media dies

It's unsurprising Andrew Breitbart, the far right's Cretin in Chief, is unrepentant about the Sherrod character assassination. Even after being exposed as a fraud, he wins. He got fluffed by the major media who gave him a huge forum to further spread his slime. He makes his living exploiting a gullible fan base who eagerly feed on the carnage of his butchered videos. This is not new. This was great for his business.

There is plenty of blame to go around here, but the biggest perps are not only letting themselves off the hook, they're actively covering up their crime.

But certain media outlets have played the story and the political ramifications for the Obama administration (and there are questions to be answered) as if they sprang out of the ether. There's a continuing rush to talk about effect, and very little desire to talk about cause — the steaming pile of misinformation delivered on a platter by one individual with a giant ax to grind.

Yes, the White House and the NAACP screwed it up. They admitted their mistake and tried to rectify it. But the media amplified theirs by failing to pursue the obvious narrative. Breitbart is a serial liar. It's not like they don't know he "snookered them" on the ACORN fraud. Instead they joined Andy in taking his pseudo-prostitute's advice.

"Above all, attack, attack, attack," Giles said. "Never defend."

And pretend you're just innocent bystanders who are shocked -- just shocked -- at how such an awful event could happen.

Talk to me

Low posting yesterday because I had a blinding headache I just couldn't shake. Thinking it's the pollen count. Air is pretty murky. But it seems to have abated so a quick cruise through the morning news turns up a few worthwhile quick reads.

Kevin Drum takes on GOP fairy tales about what's being falsely billed by the far right spin machine as "the biggest tax increase in history."

So that's the case. Letting Bush's tax cuts for the rich expire affects only a tiny number of small businesses; it doesn't affect them very much; and it generates revenues of $678 billion. If the only thing you care about is keeping taxes low for rich people, you won't be convinced. For the rest of us, it's a no-brainer.

Gail Collins takes on hypocrisy in the Village generally and in the GOP specifically with an especially good column today. [h/t USLib] This was my favorite line:

Great idea. I think I speak for us all when I say that there is absolutely nothing I would like better than additional talking in the Senate. It always seems to make things better.

And this is why John Scalzi gets book contracts. If you can read this without tearing up, your name is probably Dick Cheney and you no longer have a pulse. Goodbye to Kodi.

Facts don't crack cognitive dissonance

If democracy depends on an informed electorate, we're in deep trouble. I've often wondered why it's so impossible to get through to my conservative friends and readers even when presenting the most irrefutable evidence. It really can't be just ignorance and stupidity. I know a lot of otherwise intelligent and accomplished people who hold incomprehensively wrong-headed notions about politics. Sadly, it seems the explanation is, facts don't matter, particulary when it comes to politics. Indeed, the more mistaken a person is, the more doggedly they will hold onto the wrong-headed notions when confronted with the truth.

It's apparently a subconscious defense mechanism. This is why their heads don't explode from an overload of cognitive dissonance. The mind simply refuses to process the conflicting information in order to avoid the necessity of admitting they were wrong. It appears we really are doomed and I don't think I mean that ironically this time.

Twain in his own words

If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. ~Mark Twain

I love Mark Twain. I've had that quote on the sidebar since I opened up this blog, so I'm really looking forward to the release of his new unexpurgated autobiography. Think it's going to be great:

Whether anguishing over American military interventions abroad or delivering jabs at Wall Street tycoons, this Twain is strikingly contemporary. Though the autobiography also contains its share of homespun tales, some of its observations about American life are so acerbic — at one point Twain refers to American soldiers as “uniformed assassins” — that his heirs and editors, as well as the writer himself, feared they would damage his reputation if not withheld.

“From the first, second, third and fourth editions all sound and sane expressions of opinion must be left out,” Twain instructed them in 1906. “There may be a market for that kind of wares a century from now. There is no hurry. Wait and see.”

Of course, I have no budget for book buying these days, but the library will get it eventually and in any event, I'm glad I lived long enough to read it in it's unabridged glory. [graphic]

[More posts daily at the Detroit News.]

Standing on shaky ground

Damn. Yet another major earthquake, this time in Chile. The tsunami warnings are reaching all over the Pacific, including Hawaii. Sure seems like there's been a whole lot of these all around the world lately. Kind of takes the humor out of the rapture/armangeddon jokes.

Somebody on Twitter said they were wondering if maybe the Mayans were onto something after all. And of course, someone brought up Breitbart's threat to "destroy the institutional left" in the next two weeks. But when these strings happen, I recall reading the book of Revelations in the Bible about 40 years ago. One image that stuck with me for all these years was the prediction that natural disasters would slowly increase in frequency -- like a woman in labor pains. On the other hand, I can recall making that connection more than once over that time.

Anyway, sending thoughts of safety and survival to Chile and everyone else in the path of this destruction.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]

Hope in Haiti

Out of the vast devastation and tragic deaths, one small wonder of survival.


A tiny child reunited with his mother after being rescued from the rubble.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]

Happy Birthday Mick

expatbrian


Mick Jagger turned 65 Saturday. I don't think I've ever seen another performer with his energy and durability. He's like Levi's. He just never wears out.

What blows me out even more is that these same 4 guys who make up the legendary Rolling Stones have stayed together for decades. They don't just get together for reunion concerts. They perform constantly and still tour. Unbelievable.

Oh, and by the way, Mick is now eligible for a $180 dollar a week state pension.

AMERICAN WOMAN

expatbrian


While Serena and Venus Williams get ready to face each other AGAIN for the championship at Wimbleton, Dara Torres won the women's 100 meter freestyle at the US Olympic trials, setting a world record in the process. Not earth shattering in and of itself until you find out that she is 41 years old and this will be her 5th Olympic games.

When she climbed out of the pool, American Woman was blasting over the loudspeakers.

She's not the only one, of course. The American swimming contingent is looking extremely strong and I just can'te wait to see them perform. But as an ex swimmer, I gotta tell you - still being able to compete, let alone being competitive, let alone winning, and let alone setting a world record at the age of 41 is absolutely spectacular and unprecedented.

These awsome performances by our outstanding young athletes just make me so damn proud. And it's good to feel that again for a change and after so long.

Hooray for the city by the Bay

expatbrian

Today, San Francisco, the most gay friendly city in the world, celebrated the 38th annual Gay Pride Day with a traditional parade and festivities. Amen. The parade, which was led by the mayor and other top politicians, was the first since gay marriages were successfully legalized in California. Its about time.

And while there is no other place in the world like San Francisco, and it is the home of Gay Pride Day, it is certainly not the only place where this festive event is held. Although elsewhere, the event may not have been quite so festive.

Many other cities celebrated pride on Sunday as well, including Paris and New York, where Gov. David Paterson recently told state agencies to provide full marriage benefits to same-sex couples legally married elsewhere.

Some overseas events were decidedly different. In the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and the Czech Republic city of Brno, protesters threw rocks and eggs at parade participants. And in India, hundreds chanted for gay rights just days before the Delhi High Court is expected to hear arguments on overturning the law against homosexual sex that dates to the British colonial era.

As is traditional, leading the parade was Dykes on Bikes. Is that the coolest name for a motorcycle club or what? But in addition to their normal leather and steel, some wore white and pink wedding dresses and veils, much to the delight of the crowd. That crowd was made up of people, gay and straight, from all over the US.

Some visitors expressed surprise at the sheer size and diversity of San Francisco's event. River Byrd, 48, and his partner, 41-year-old Mark Duncan, watched the parade before catching a plane back to Tennessee, where they live in a small, conservative town called Paris.

"It's so incredible to see this many gay people," Byrd said. "We're the buckle of the Bible Belt. If we held hands in public, we'd be beat up."

At the risk of sounding regionally racist, I'm not surprised to hear that remark considering the area. In any case, it was a great day for equality and justice. It's just a shame that it only occurs in small pockets within a country that was founded on those two principles.

It's That Time of Year Again!

expatbrian

And of course I'm talking about that annual jubilee that so inspires us all with its gaiety, feasting and just plain fun! Yes, it's the Baby Jumping Festival!

Once again, just as they have since 1620, the population of Castrillo de Murcia, Spain will be gathered in the streets to watch grown men dressed like the Colacho or Devil leap over rows of giggling infants in a celebration meant to ward off the devil. The event is held as part of the Catholic Feast of Corpus Christi.

Though doctors were standing by, there were no crushed little skulls or other injuries at this years event. Body count statistics are not available for previous years.

Tragedy and Courage

expatbrian

Stories of enormous courage always seem to emerge from tragedy. So it was with 9-11 and so it is with the devastating earthquakes in Sichuan Province, China which now number over 75 in the last 8 days. (that's just the ones over 4.0)

Four days after the first quake, with little hope of finding survivors under the mountains of rubble, the body of a young woman was found. She was in a kneeling position, clutching a bundle under her body. In the bundle was her sleeping 4 month old child, still suckling at her mother's lifeless breast.

They were pulled from the debris and the baby was rushed to a medical facility where it was found to be fine. The mother had had the foresight before she died to position herself in such a way that even if she expired, her nipple would still be in her baby's mouth. Whatever reservoir of milk was available, probably saved the baby's life.

When the doctor at the medical facility unbundled the baby he found a cell phone in the wrap. On it was a text message that simply said,

"My dear baby, if you can survive, do remember that I loved you."

Love and courage, pure and simple.