Stay Classy National Review

"Unfortunately, there’s not a good shorthand term for the psychology behind this kind of behavior. “Racism” doesn’t, I think, capture it. But there’s this deranged fascination with walking up to the line and dancing around there in hopes of getting called on it. Then you get to become indignant. Because, again, the contemporary right’s main view on race is that actual racism against non-white people is only a tiny problem compared with the vast social crisis that allegedly exists around people being vigilant against racism." - Matt Yglesias

Salon has more on this classy cover.

As Andrew Put It: Know Hope

Longterm prisoner and torture victim from Yemen does a spectacular varial 180 in a promotional video for Activist, the new skate- and streetwear brand from Amnesty International
h/t Andrew Sullivan

Biggie Smalls Will Always be the Illest

I know I've already waxed nostalgia on Biggie and the disappointing biopic. But Spencer Ackerman reminds us that Christopher Wallace would have been 37-years-old today. What a shame.

Always will be Brooklyn's finest.

Photo of the Day 05/21/09

h/t and article "The Meaning of Michelle Obama" at Time Magazine

Headline of the Day 5/21/9

Twin Boys Have Different Fathers

Crazy!

Frank Black Performs With Portland School Of Rock

h/t stereogum

Quote of the Day - 05.19.09

"To call [Christopher Hitchens] statements racist, or homophobic, demeans racist and homophobes. Indeed Hitchens displays something more than that--weakness. Weakness is the root of these sorts of slurs--an unwillingness to do the hard work of taking your opponents at their merits. So you name call and strawman. You mock what you don't understand, what you fear." - Ta-Nehisi Coates, Atlantic Monthly

----------------
Now playing: Wilco - Wilco the Song

Political Art at Its Finest

A fascinating collection of photo montages created in the 30s by a German ex-pat John Heartfield living in Great Britain.

photo credit

h/t Andrew Sullivan

Hollywood Wants into Politics

The Terminator has hardly been a successful governor, so I'd appreciate it if the media didn't use him as a positive example of Hollywood gone politico.

Just say no to Ice Man Val Kilmer for New Mexico governor!

Sweet! White House Poetry Jam

Tonight is the White House Poetry Jam and it will be streaming at 7:45 EST despite what the White House link says. Go o click it. You'll see.

Performing will be students from American, Galludet, Georgetown, and Howard Universities.

Also performing, actor James Earl Jones and husband and wife duo, Michael Chabon, a Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist, and Ayelet Waldman.

R.I.P Bea Arthur

I watched you weekly with my mother. You brought hours of enjoyment to my life and my families.

of Montreal Cover of The Beatles "I'm So Tired"

h/t StereoGum

Moving on Up to the Eastside

High school juniors dropping out of school to play basketball overseas was inevitable, but that doesn't make it any less sad:

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-foot-11 junior, dropped out of his San Diego High School and said he would skip his senior year to play professionally in Europe, The New York Times and Yahoo! Sports reported on Wednesday.

Tyler, 17, will become the first player born in the United States to leave high school early to play professional basketball overseas. He is expected to come back in two years, when he is eligible for the NBA draft.

I hope he has a solid support group. There are college graduates who never make the adjustment from college to the pros. I can only imagine what this kid's first year in Europe will be like. Kids are growing up so fast they can't be prepared for what's to come.

A True Class Act: Andre Ward

Sports columnist Monte Poole is the best thing the Oakland Tribune has going for it.

It really is that simple.

He brings it once again with a profile of 2004 gold medal boxer and Oakland native Andre Ward.

Ward was the highlight of the '04 Summer Olympics. It turns out Ward is an even better person than he is a fighter:

Ward, however, won't compromise. He politely declines to talk trash even when provoked. And that's what Miranda is trying to do. He did it during a recent news conference and can't resist doing it whenever he finds an outlet.

A sample: "Andre Ward has never been in the ring with a fighter like me; he hasn't fought anyone talented. If there is one thing you notice about Andre's fights, he's always running."

Another sample: "Andre doesn't have the heart of a champion. He is holding onto his one achievement: the Olympic gold medal. But that is all he will ever achieve."

A third: "I feel sorry for Dan Goossen to have invested so much money in such an untalented fighter."

This is not atypical of boxers seeking attention. Whether showmanship or cheap chatter, it's designed to attract publicity and stir pre-fight promotion.

Ward responds with a shrug. If the immensely popular Manny Pacquiao doesn't need to swagger and boast, why should he?

"My kids are in this audience. My wife is here," Ward said after Miranda's verbal performance at the news conference. "So I'm going to continue to stand with integrity. And that's part of the reason I want to be an ambassador to the sport, because people expect fighters to do this.

I doubt I'll be able to make it to Ward's hometown debut May 16, but any locals should consider supporting this great boxer and great person.
----------------
Now playing: Broken Social Scene - Almost Crimes (Acoustic)

4,197,371 Pink Slips

h/t Andrew Sullivan
An interactive map from Slate traces job losses.
----------------
Now playing: Moderat - 3 Minutes Of

America's Greatest Fat Man

Charles McGrath has a great profile of John Goodman in today's NY Times:

"Over four decades, appearing in roughly three movies a year, he has played a king, a governor, Babe Ruth and a Stone Age caveman, Fred Flintstone. On “The West Wing” he has been a Republican speaker of the House who temporarily takes over for the president. But as is so often the case with actors his size, he is more often the second banana, the comic foil. His most famous role is Dan Conner, the henpecked husband on “Roseanne.”

In person Mr. Goodman is not the stereotypical jolly fat man. For all his success, he remains full of self-doubt. Compliments make him wince, and his conversational default mode is self-deprecation. He sometimes seems to be eyeing himself with suspicion."

Quote of the Day - 04/19/09

If they want to leave the Union I wish them God’s speed and good luck with their bordering nations once liberated from the oppressive protection of the U.S. military and the freedom-sucking agricultural subsidies of the U.S. government.

I just have one request. Fly your own flag at your rallies. The U.S. flag belongs to me and to my country. The blood of my ancestors in on that flag. My fathers and brothers fought and died under that flag for a nation where they were not equal. My mothers and sisters paid generations of taxes to states that would not educate their children and to a federal government that would not protect their sons from lynch mobs. Those acts of unrewarded patriotism by my foremothers and forefathers were a down payment on my citizenship. They have purchased my right to claim this country and her flag as my own. This year my President stood beneath that flag and reclaimed this nation for all of her people. How dare you wave my flag in hatred?

I grew up in the South. I know all about your deep pride and cultural attachment to the Stars and Bars. So if you want a flag to wave at your little tea parties, go ahead and dust off the flag of secession, treason, and slavery. Leave my flag when you go. - Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell

Speaking of Straw Men

h/t Sharon Heiny

An Unexpected Defense of Steve Schmidt

This is the last thing I thought I'd ever write in this blog. It's rare Republicans actions warrant defending - especially in this environment, but the articles questioning Steve Schmidt's commitment to gay marriage are out of line.

The most egregious smear of Schmidt was Mark Nickolas in the Huffington Post.

Nickolas accuses Schmidt of being an ambulance chaser:

The third type are the calculating political opportunists. These folks generally have few core values and try to anticipate a tipping point on a major issue and then quickly shift allegiances so that they can be on the "right side" as things settle. These people don't simply flip on issues due to the prevailing political winds. Instead, they are very thoughtful and calculating, always looking to get a strong head start on upcoming political change and positioning themselves to profit on their timing. You might call them political ambulance chasers.

It's obvious Nickolas doesn't know jack about Schmidt. Instead Nickolas righteous liberalism feeds a sense of authority and the ability to look down the appearance Schmidt's "Johnny Come Lately" to gay rights.

I wish Nickolas had dine even a little bit of research before writing this entry. He might not have wasted his time. on some such drivel.

Let's look a bit at the record.

A 09/04/08 Queerty blog entry: "Unlike some of his party peers, Schmidt supports gay marriage and in 2007 asked California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to back inclusive legislation."

A 09/05/2008 in blog entry on Good As You: "He did, however, tell personal stories about his lesbian sister, referred to LCR as an "important part of the party," encouraged the organization to keep fighting for what they believe in..."

A 11/07/08 Ana Marie Cox interview on The Daily Beast:
From: Ana Marie Cox
To: Steve Schmidt
Sent: Fri Nov 07 08:50:28 2008
Subject: Re: Calling you in 30

the passing of prop 8... any comment?

From: Steve Schmidt
To: Ana Marie Cox
Received: Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 7:03 AM
Subject: Re: Calling you in 30

I was disappointed with the result

A 11/14/08 article on Euro2Day refers to Schmidt as a spokesman for No on Prop 8:"They have raised a tremendous amount of money, and as a result they have significantly out-bought us on TV," said Steve Schmidt. "Every time somebody sees one of our ads, they've seen two of theirs."

-----

Even my good friend Brendan snarked on Schmidt's motivations. A little bit of research by Nickolas or Brendan would have told them a different story. One of a brother of a lesbian who has spoken out in the past for gay marriage rights. One of a strategist who has walked the party line and worked from within to make changes. It's shame that I need to defend Schmidt from a liberal. Schmidt has finally reached the status that his opinion along with recent court and legislative successes for gay marriage give him a larger soap box to speak from.

Brendan in a later entry rounded up some of the Wingnuttery responses to Schmidt position. This response by the Right had to be expected by Schmidt and for this reason, especially, his decision to speak out is all the more commendable. Give the guy a break. You might not like his politics or his party, but questioning his motives is just wrong.

And Now They're Coming for Your Children

Wow, I'm honestly speechless. You smell the fear in these people as the world changes around them. Sad.
h/t Andrew Sullivan via Box Turtle Bulletin