Archive for the ‘Rare Sincerity’ Category
All The World’s A Stage, But It Ain’t No Sitcom Out There
This is outsourced almost entirely to Wallace Shawn, who is one of those exceptionally intimidating talents who seem capable of making art and engaging ideas in almost any way he chooses. He’s got a new book out, (that would be a new book in 2009; yes I’m that slow) which I’m about to buy, titled, [...]
February 20, 2012
· 
Tom Levenson · 
89 Comments
Posted in: Books, Free Markets Solve Everything, Rare Sincerity
Afternoon Open Thread
I’m a big fan of Melissa Harris-Perry’s new show on MSNBC, mainly because of discussions like this (in contrast to whatever the Sunday Bobbleheads are usually spouting about.) Things never before heard on a Sunday politics show: “See what happens when you invite a theologian to the table.” And I hate Sunday shows. I watch [...]
February 19, 2012
· Zandar · 334 Comments
Posted in: Open Thread, Rare Sincerity, Religion
Fomenting Insurrection
This is kind of shocking: The still-lingering controversy over the Obama administration’s mandate about health insurance coverage that includes contraception spread to American Army posts all over the world before the matter was settled. For the Army, it started when Timothy Broglio, the archbishop for the military services, sent a letter to all Catholic chaplains [...]
February 9, 2012
· John Cole · 240 Comments
Posted in: Domestic Affairs, Rare Sincerity, Religion
Over There
While I have so recently been reminded by our friends in the 101st Chairborne that I’m some arugula-chomping, word-chopping, bubble-bound faux-American, it happens that even folks from my particular corner of Alinskystan talk to people whose daily life is as real as it gets. Which is to say that one of my friends most often [...]
January 30, 2012
· Tom Levenson · 186 Comments
Posted in: Bring on the Brawndo!, Rare Sincerity, War
Required Reading, MLK Day edition
I’m ashamed to say that until Charlie Pierce in his own, powerful essay on MLK day pointed me to it, I had never actually read Lyndon B. Johnson’s speech to Congress urging—almost ordering—the legislators before him to pass the Voting Rghts Act. Here’s a sample: But even if we pass this bill, the battle will not [...]
January 16, 2012
· Tom Levenson · 136 Comments
Posted in: Because of wow., Don't Mourn, Organize, Excellent Links, Rare Sincerity
I Am Never Going To Be A Steelers Fan But…
...this is how a class (and smart) act behaves: Ryan Clark sat down in Mike Tomlin’s office and did something a little out of character for the normally verbose Pittsburgh Steelerssafety. He listened. And when Tomlin told Clark he couldn’t play in Sunday’s wild card game at Denver because of a sickle-cell trait that becomes [...]
January 4, 2012
· Tom Levenson · 108 Comments
Posted in: Rare Sincerity, Sports
Vaclav Havel, RIP
... Complete skepticism is an understandable consequence of discovering that one’s enthusiasms are based on illusion. This skepticism leads to a dehumanization of history — a history drifting somewhere above us, taking its own course, having nothing to do with us, trying to cheat us, destroy us, playing out its cruel jokes. But history is [...]
December 19, 2011
· Anne Laurie · 67 Comments
Posted in: Absent Friends, Excellent Links, Rare Sincerity
Sunday Evening Long Read: “Birthright”
Totally worth your time. From the New Yorker, an excellent article by historian Jill LePore on Planned Parenthood and women’s health care in America over the last hundred years: ... There are, in history, very few straight lines. Still, even on this winding road a turn that has conservative women invoking Susan B. Anthony to [...]
December 18, 2011
· Anne Laurie · 22 Comments
Posted in: All we want is life beyond the thunderdome, Excellent Links, Rare Sincerity, Vagina Outrage
Fare You Well, Congressman Frank
(via Ezra Klein’s Wonkblog) Poor Barney, so many people are saying nice things about him, he’s got to wonder if he accidentally announced his demise rather than his retirement. Per Charles P. Pierce, at Esquire’s Politics Blog: He is, as the Irish say, himself alone. He was Jewish, and gay — and open about both [...]
November 29, 2011
· Anne Laurie · 38 Comments
Posted in: Election 2012, Proud to Be A Democrat, Rare Sincerity
It’s time
I have a soft spot in my heart for Australia, and I have spent a lot of time there over the years. Usually I was visiting to check on my mining investments. I got into uranium on the ground floor after a particularly drunken weekend with the Roosevelts in early 1939. Once Eleanor had a [...]
November 28, 2011
· Sarah Proud and Tall · 20 Comments
Posted in: Gay Rights are Human Rights, Rare Sincerity
Republicans find their voice: turns out, it’s whiny
The New York Time interviewed some US elected officials and their boss, Grover Norquist. It’s worth a read because it’s really pretty funny: The first dissenter: Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah has signed a pledge never to raise taxes. He signed another pledge too, one that made it nearly impossible to vote for a bill [...]
October 7, 2011
· Kay · 86 Comments
Posted in: Enhanced Protest Techniques, Glibertarianism, Good News For Conservatives, Kochsuckers, Our Awesome Meritocracy, Rare Sincerity, Republican Stupidity, Republican Venality, Tax Policy
Open Thread: More Re-Framing
(Tom Toles via GoComics.com) Since I worried about this on an earlier post, props to Dave Weigel for following up, and applause to Rep. Kathy Hochul, winner: All week, I’ve been wondering if the Democratic loss in NY-9 proved that Democrats were losing entitlements as a wedge issue… Why not [ask] Kathy Hochul, the Democrat [...]
September 16, 2011
· Anne Laurie · 97 Comments
Posted in: Election 2012, Excellent Links, Open Thread, Rare Sincerity
News about Troy Davis + another Georgia official who can help.
[From Emily L. Hauser: Please sign this petition asking the DA to withdraw the death warrant and share it with your friends. -ABLxx] I’m thrilled to report that earlier today, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles was “swamped with Troy Davis petitions.” More than 650,000 signatures! (And I know one of the people who [...]
September 15, 2011
· ABL 2.0 · 38 Comments
Posted in: Rare Sincerity
Racist Shit
As a general rule when a black person or persons tell me something is racist or bordering on racist, particularly people I respect like ABL and TNC, I don’t argue. If I disagreed with them initially or just didn’t notice the racist aspect of something, what I try to do is just be quiet for [...]
September 15, 2011
· John Cole · 533 Comments
Posted in: Post-racial America, Rare Sincerity, Readership Capture
“Writing about Troy Davis for The Atlantic online.” – Emily L. Hauser
[Troy Davis has eight days left. Here is Emily L. Hauser’s beautiful piece which was published in The Atlantic online. -ABLxx] I am beyond pleased and deeply humbled to say that The Atlantic online accepted an essay that I wrote this morning about the Troy Davis case. As a language nerd and something of a [...]
September 13, 2011
· ABL 2.0 · 27 Comments
Posted in: Rare Sincerity
