February 14, 2006
Surviving the Terrible Twos
Choices in voting. Wow, what a concept
(From tomorrow's edition of The Pulse. A continuation of a previous blog post/discussion.)
In addition to their lovers, great numbers of our countrymen remain firmly smitten with the best interests of their respective political parties this Valentine’s Day; even more so perhaps than they are with the best interests of our country as a whole.
Being a member of the party holding the most “control” of the country’s affairs results in a vicarious feeling of power for party members, causing them to claim “victory,” having “defeated” their “opponents.” Being a member of the party on the “losing” end causes party members to seek “revenge” in their efforts to “regain control” in their quest to be on the “winning” side once again. In this era of winner-take-all and loser-blame-all partisanship, it’s sickening to realize how far we’ve fallen from the “indivisible” allegiance we all once pledged to our flag during grade school.
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February 21, 2005
Pulse Column: The Terrorism of the Death Penalty
You never know where you’ll find inspiration, and I never expected to find it at 9 a.m. in a hotel ballroom.
Last week, I attended an Association of Alternative Newsweeklies conference in Washington, D.C. One of the conference’s keynote speakers was Bill Moushey, a longtime newspaper reporter and the executive director for the Innocence Institute of Western Pennsylvania. Moushey hit upon a nerve in me that had already been repeatedly hit upon in recent months.
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November 23, 2004
Save The Chattanooga Theatre Center Parking Lot!: Let’s take this hotel idea out behind the viewshed and give it what for
John Coolidge, Jr. says the proposed move to move the proposed Coolidge Hotel away from the Walnut Street Bridge is “a move in the right direction,” but I wholeheartedly disagree. Oh sure, the hotel will be moving away from his favorite historical site, but what about mine? I say the hotel is just a horrible idea, no matter where it’s built.
It’s bad enough that my cherished view of the Mr. Zip has been blocked by the new condos that are being built on Frazier, but now discussions are underway to build the proposed Coolidge Hotel a few feet to the left of the Walnut Street Bridge, smack dab in the middle of the Chattanooga Theatre Center parking lot, blocking my view of the trees that have always beautifully blocked my view of the river. I shouldn’t have to walk a few feet or turn my head slightly to see a beautiful view. I want beautiful views in all directions. And I want them now. And so do a lot of other folks.
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November 09, 2004
Fed Up? Moving To Canada? Don’t let the door of freedom hit you on the way out
John Kerry’s loss to George W. Bush has left many Americans feeling alienated. Some of them are even looking—as I heard one man on the news put it—for a more “hospitable environment” in which to live.
This isn’t the first time in history when unhappy Americans wanted to flee the land of the free. In the ‘60s, many young American men fled into Canada because they didn’t want to go to Vietnam or jail and decided, out of desperation, that heading north would be a better option. But those were different times. We don’t have a draft these days, and today’s emigrants say they’re going to leave this country due to what amounts to a difference of opinion. In my opinion, that’s a pathetic reason to leave. Instead of sticking it out and working to make a difference, they would rather just quit on America. I guess that’s their right, but really, Canada? Aren’t there better places to run off to?
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October 13, 2004
Yes, You Still Have To Vote
Nobody said it was easy. Just necessary.
With (at press time) two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate in the books, I can fully understand if undecided voters are still undecided about which candidate they’re going to vote for less than one month away from the election. Neither Bush or Kerry has done much but reiterate what we all knew they were going to say from the beginning.
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September 20, 2004
I’d Rather Not Go There: What if what happened to Dan happened to us?
In the wake of Dan Rather’s recent problems since reporting about purportedly fraudulent documents, we at The Pulse have decided to vigorously review our internal fact-checking policies, especially if the facts we’re checking happen to promote our own theories, desires or agendas.
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September 14, 2004
Beware The Growth Police: Hotels don’t belong in parks? Who made that rule?
Since word came that the construction of a new hotel was being planned in Coolidge Park, citizens have voiced their outrage on Talk Radio and through numerous letters to the editor in publications like Chattanoogan.com. The prevailing opinion is that the new hotel (to be called “The Coolidge”) is a bad idea. Trouble is, it isn’t. The arguments against this new hotel are about as poorly thought-out as the opponents claim the hotel is.
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August 23, 2004
If You Build It, They Won’t Come
…unless you give them a reason to
In November of 1999, two years after Finley Stadium opened, Stadium Corporation Chairman Frank Kinser said that, “Realistically, nobody had any experience in operating an outside facility in Chattanooga. We’re learning as we go how to be more cost effective. We are all working together for the future of Finley and its benefit to the community.”
After comments like this, obvious questions arise: If nobody in Chattanooga had experience running a facility like Finley Stadium, how were they so sure that building it would be a such a great idea? Why was it really built? And how would they know how to fix things if their plans didn’t work?
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Hardy Case Hardly A Closed Book
Suspicion has a tendency to fade unless the facts keep on trying to rear their pesky little heads.
Days after Tory Hardy was murdered after the 2003 Bessie Smith Strut, police spokesman Ed Buice said that some folks in this city were more concerned with “feelings” than they were with “facts” about the case. Chief targets of his venom were the media and Hardy family spokespeople, namely attorney John Wolfe. Former Chattanooga Police Chief Jimmie Dotson chimed in with Buice, saying he was “fed up” with the attacks on his department by people trying to use the police department for “political gain.” He said that critics needed to get out of the way and let the investigators do their jobs.
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July 26, 2004
It Socks To Be You, Sandy
Investigators say Berger is fit to be grilled. But what do we think?
Bill Clinton’s former national security advisor, Sandy Berger, smuggled documents and notes out of the National Archives in his leather portfolio, his jacket, his pants, and his socks. Then he lied about it, saying it was an “honest mistake.” Unfortunately for him, and for the safety of our country, there was nothing honest or mistaken about his actions. His actions were illegal and intentional, and now his political career is in ruins. But does anybody really care?
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July 07, 2004
Get Your Hands Out Of My Wallet
“We combat the...materialistic spirit within and without us, and are convinced that a permanent recovery of our people can only proceed from within on the foundation of the common good before the individual good."
-Excerpted from the political program of Germany’s Nazi Party, adopted in 1920.
“We must stop thinking of the individual and start thinking about what is best for society.”
-Hillary Clinton
While you were smart enough to get an education, get a job, and make money, you are not smart enough to keep it. You see, politicians know what’s best for you and your money. Or so they’d like you to think. It seems, in some circles, that false ideologies are more important that cold, hard facts.
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June 15, 2004
Random Riverbend Reflections: Part One
Some moments of note so far:
-Funky local boys Infradig put on a show almost as sizzling as the 95-degree heat the crowd had to sit through early Saturday evening. The very-much-appreciated-by-this-writer cover of “Organ Donor” by DJ Shadow almost made me forget the heat stroke I was experiencing. The nifty free sticker—which is now on my car—helped, too. Thanks guys.
-As I predicted, Todd Snider had already “had a few drinks” by the time he hit the AmSouth stage on Friday night. It didn’t hinder his performance, however, as Todd was as entertaining as one inebriated country/folk/rock singer with an acoustic guitar and no shoes can be. And them some.
-They don’t know it, but the Advil passer-outer folks have given me enough free samples of their Liquigels to keep me (and my entire neighborhood) headache-free for a full calendar year. Yep. And I’m gonna get more, too. Mwaahaahaahaahaa!!!
-The Royal Caribbean “inflatable commercial” boat has the best air conditioning I have ever experienced in my life.
-I actually witnessed a vendor give out a free cup of ice. Isn’t that against the code of traveling carnival and festival vendors? Shouldn’t that have cost at least 4 tokens?
-As I was thinking to myself, “I wonder just how old that virtually transparent banner is above the Children’s Talent Search stage,” all the children, their sometimes-embarrassing-to-watch parents, and the crowd were almost killed by a windstorm that was accelerated by the wind tunnel better known as the Market Street Bridge. Speakers toppled over, balloons popped, dust flew, and everybody ran for cover from what would’ve been the most bizarre tragedy in Chattanooga history. The wind also drove a steel pole out of another banner above the stage, causing it to swing dangerously close to decapitation height before a Chattanooga police officer yanked it out. Nice catch.
-If 14 year-old girls didn’t exist, Friday night (featuring the surprisingly dull Michelle Branch) would have been virtually devoid of crowds.
-In case you didn’t know, LL Cool J. likes the ladies, and his performance Saturday night proved that, yes, rap music can be a main stage attraction.
-First off, helicopters are louder than Randy Newman. Especially five of them. Please don’t tell me these were same helicopters that were selling rides. Who can I slap? Secondly, Mr. Newman, you should never burp on stage. Luckily, it didn’t get in the way of your great effort. Thank you. Lastly, the CSO sounded unbelievably great, especially (forgive me for not catching your name) the gentleman playing all the trumpet leads. Helicopters and burping notwithstanding, this was a very classy performance across the board.
-I know I’m not the first person to ask this question, but why, exactly, does WTCI broadcast live from Riverbend every year? If people want to go to the festival, they’ll go. If they don’t want to go, they probably don’t want to watch it on TV, either. I don’t get it. But, then again, I’ve never seen their coverage. Am I missing something?
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May 28, 2004
Hey Mike, Cannes It!: Dude, where’s your dignity?
Michael Moore poses with his Palme d’Or moments before trying to unwrap it to see if there was chocolate inside.
Michael Moore has been wronged and he wants the world to know about it. Even if it isn’t true. And even if he knew it wasn’t true for almost a year. His latest publicity stunt is par for the course for a man who has built his career by getting what he wants by telling you what you should want. And a lot of people are helping him get what he wants.
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May 18, 2004
Doomed To Repeat It: Nick Berg dies over and over again on millions of computer screens
After hearing about last week’s beheading of 26 year-old American Nick Berg in Iraq at (we now know) the hands of Abu Masab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, I was infuriated. Berg was an innocent civilian working in Iraq to better Iraq - and make some money in the process - and, despite his described recklessness and taste for adventure, he did not deserve to die.
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May 11, 2004
A Bigger, Blacker Cracker Barrel
According to Webster’s dictionary, the word “cracker barrel” is an adjective describing something that is characteristic of country life, and nothing is more characteristic of country life in the South than your local Cracker Barrel restaurant, complete with delicious racial tension.
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May 03, 2004
The Perils of the First Amendment: Rene Gonzalez Gets What’s Coming To Him
Free speech is a two-way street, and over the last week, the words of UMass Daily Collegian columnist Rene Gonzalez have demonstrated that fact.
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March 24, 2004
Life Lessons Through Liquor
Alcohol is a crutch. It's a stress reliever. A stress inducer. A game face. It's an indicator of one's success as well as one's downfall. It can be used to celebrate a joyous occasion and it can lead to a tragic event. It's good for your health and bad for your health. It can cost as much as you want or as little as you can afford. It can be used to toast a marriage and to forget a divorce. Like a gun, it all depends on the person, and what they choose to do with it.
Now, I'm not a drinker, but my family is well-versed in libations. One side of my family, in particular, seems to be in a race to the grave with a bottle in their hands. Many of those who've already died, died young. And many of those who are still living don't have much living left. And, with this being the week of St. Patrick's Day, should I dare mention that this side of my family is almost entirely Irish? Memories of my childhood are smattered with images of drunk aunts, uncles, and cousins at the local Irish club. At first, these images were scary. Then, they became funny. Now, they're just sad. It's sad to think about how much life these people missed simply because they couldn't get their heads out of the bottle.
The other side of my family handles their liquor a little bit better. But there is one person (who shall remain nameless) who, after a few after dinner Southern Comforts, magically transforms into an incoherent crooner, accompanying himself equally as incoherently on the piano. He'll then move to a recliner, and fall asleep watching TV with his glass balanced perfectly on the armrest. Amazing.
I worked in restaurants for the better part of ten years, and have seen all kinds of people (including many public figures you would know) in various stages of intoxication. Some would get mean, some would get flirtatious, and some would say things they'd never have said if they'd been sober...and if they had known that, one day, I'd be the editor of a local newspaper.
In social occasions, I'm usually the one being accosted by a drunk person who desperately wants me to "join the party." He or she will ask me over and over and over (and over) again if I want a drink. Is it insecurity on their part? Do they feel self-conscious or gulity that they're drinking and I'm not? Or have they simply forgotten that they've already asked me? I don't care if people want to drink. Why do they care if I don't?
I try not to judge, but I'll admit that I'd rather spend my time with sober people than drunk people. I understand that many folks struggle with problems bigger than I could ever imagine. Going through those struggles with a sound mind, though, teaches you how to better deal with them (or even avoid them completely) the next time around. Avoiding problems by getting drunk takes away life's one common purpose: learning.
Posted by colrus at 03:22 AM | TrackBack
March 02, 2004
The Passion of the Barbershop 2
Barbershop 2 is not anti-semitic. That was one thing I was pretty sure of before I went to see it. And, upon watching the film, I was right.
When this past weekend rolled around, I seriously contemplated going to see Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. I mean, after all, I had spent the last year listening to, watching, and reading the comments of imbeciles WHO HADN'T EVEN SEEN THE FILM OR EVEN READ A SCREENPLAY and who decided that it was their duty to tell the world that the film was not only anti-semitic, but that Mel Gibson didn't paticularly care for Jews, and that he shared his father's vague-though-questionable views on, among other things, the Holocaust. I've often noticed in my lifetime that when people go out of their way to bash something that they know nothing about, the very thing they're bashing usually winds up having some merit. So, after months and months of witnessing this Mel bashing, I decided that I'd have to see the film, if only to see what all the fuss was about.
But as The Passion made it to theatres, my desire to see the film has increasingly dissolved as I've listened to, watched, or read many people's reactions to the film. Entire church congregations are replacing Sunday morning services with trips to see the film, and many people of faith are hoping that this film - one man's interpretaton of the crucifixion of Christ - will lead people to the Lord.
Why does it take a movie - and a selectively scripturally-faithful one, at that - to excite people about God? Why do so many folks who already believe in Christ feel the need to watch a movie like this? If their belief is truly living and breathing, why do they mindlessly flock to the theatres? Is there something in the film that they don't know already? And how do they reconcile Gibson's artistic choices when those choices might fly in the face of what they believe?
Of course, along with the film came the usual Passion-related merchandise, which only made me want to see the film even less. A particularly nauseous moment came when I learned of the most popular item: a 2-inch-long pewter nail pendant, meant to be a replica of the nails used in the Crucifixion. An estimated 75,000 nail pendants, which come harnessed to leather cords, have been sold so far. I humbly ask you, why do people always feel the need to "honor" sacred people, places, and events by buying mass-produced, exceedingly schmaltzy and downright cheap crap? Shouldn't the event, itself, be plenty of cause for remembrance? Do you really need a "Christian-y" souvenir, too? Does nothing fall out of reach of Hollywood's marketing arm?
I guess that's my ultimate point. The Passion is simply a film, and Mel Gibson chose to express his vision through the Hollywood machine. He could have written a book, painted a painting, or preached at a church. But that's not what he does. Gibson makes films - Hollywood films - and along with Hollywood comes exposure, merchandising, and controversy. For folks to view this film as Gospel truth is just as wrong as Gibson, himself, flying off the handle at criticism of himself, his father or the film; which is just as bad as my complaints about people buying Passion souvenirs. Neither Gibson, the filmgoers, or myself should expect too much from a movie.
As I stood outside the theatre last Saturday night, I couldn't have seen The Passion even if I'd wanted to. It was already sold out. So I decided to see Barbershop 2, instead. It was a good, funny film. And after this week of heavy thought and discussion, I needed a good, funny film. In fact, the only serious thought I had while watching Barbershop 2 was, "Should I laugh along with the black folks as the black folks in the movie make jokes about white folks, or will they crucify me?"
They didn't.
Man, that Cedric is hilarious.
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