It’s a belief of mine that great art happens at times of great distress. A sad thing to be sure, but that’s just the way it is. If we are not now in a time of distress, then we never were.
This explains how the CSMonitor can trumpet “The Protest song is back – with a vengeance”.
A time to pay respects and give thanks to all those who have sacrificed so much for the rest of us.
Rafe said this interview with John Kerry has given him a dose of confidence about him as a candidate. Now go and contribute 🙂
Especially when they actually make sense, such as Jon Stewart’s College of William and Mary Commencement Address or Kurt Vonnegut’s latest: “Cold Turkey”.
Frontline recently shown a special on the music industry and how difficult it is for artists to thrive in it. The show was a disappointment. No where near as thorough as I thought it could be. They have done far better work and I was surprised at how MTVish this thing was. Nevertheless you can see it online.
I’ve redesigned Philly Future and am bringing new features online to further its mission to highlight the best of Philly weblogs.
Two of the biggest new features are its new three column layout and using WordPress.org for its own posts.
Update your RSS aggregators! The new URL for Philly Future’s feed is http://www.phillyfuture.org/wp-rss.php.
It seems that any one of these stories would have been enough to haunt any other administration. Is it a sign of the times that they didn?t stay on our national radar screen longer then they did? Or is it something else? In any case? here goes some links to forgotten stories. Here goes some links to make you think:
Do you remember how the world stood behind the United States after 9/11? Or do you think Europe has always hated us? If the later, then your memory has been altered. Don?t you eat those freedom fries!
What happened to the search for the anthrax attacker?
Speaking of biological attacks, do you remember the fear mongering over smallpox?
How about the wave of rashes among school children (14 states!) back during 2001?
What about the State of the Union yellowcake lie?
In retaliation, the person who exposed the lie, the person who was sent to investigate its validity in the first place, his wife was outted as a CIA agent. There is an investigation reaching into the highest levels of the administration. Did you know that?
They recently found one WMD shell. Utilizing ancient technology. Utilizing tech that it seems everyone and their grandmother has. Enough to go to war over? Then we have a lot more countries to attack!
If we went to democratize Iraq, which was not the President?s stated claim originally (ya know – before we actually went to war), then did you know that democracy is spreading across Africa? Subtly and diplomacy. Seems to go a whole lot farther.
What about the GOP sneaking onto Democratic party systems, which were meant to be secure, but were not, and passing out copies of found memos to the media?
What about Afghanistan? How are things going there? You will only find out if you search for it. The news media seems it could care less.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
I never heard this poem before today when I found a powerful, deep review of the Angel finale. Go read it.
Redemption isn?t something that gets handed to you along with a certificate and a gold star saying “I?m Redeemed, Ask Me How!” It?s an ongoing struggle, and it has been the focus of the series since the beginning. After the initial shock of the ending, I realized that Joss Whedon was absolutely correct to end the series as his did. ANGEL has never been about happy endings and loose ends tied with a happy bow. It?s about fighting the good fight. That?s how it began, and that?s how it ended.
Is it possible that Angel, Spike, Gunn, and Illyria survived that final onslaught? Probably not, especially the all-too-human Charles Gunn. But that?s not the point. The point is that they fought. They made a difference and stood their ground in the face of the consequences of their actions.
From another review at DarkWorlds.
As of yesterday grandpop was breathing on his own and could speak again. He’s a little groggy, but was fully aware of his surroundings and all of us present. He’s still in some dire straights, but finally there is hope.
We owe it to a nurse who spoke up and told us she was liable to get in trouble for it. Literally a guardian angel. If she didn’t step in when she did, Monday morning, grandpop wouldn’t be here right now. Richelle wants me to post a summary of what occurred, and I will once we collect our thoughts.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
P.S.: For all those that are afraid to speak up in the face of authority or the supposedly more qualified – find your voice and make your stand. You just may save a life.
They may say it’s a technicality (our region has grown tremendously, while the city itself depopulates), but it still smarts.