A short post today from The Common Man, who is under the gun to produce a massive amount of work in a short amount of time (largely because he forgot he had a movie he had to watch by this evening):
The Onion's A.V. Club provides a daily ranking of the most popular online videos on the net. Sometimes these are amusing. Sometimes they suck (never underestimate the stupidity of 13 year olds with DSL). And sometimes they are just interesting. For instance, take this video about Fox's coverage of Barak Obama. Fox has worked itself into a frenzy as it has picked apart Obama's parentage (mixed-race, his dad was Muslim), his middle name (Hussein), his schooling (four years at a Indonesian day school that has been gleefully misrepresented as a madrasa), and his apparent smoking habit. Meanwhile, I don't think they've talked much about whether they can vote for a man who admits to cheating on his wife and who publicly ridiculed a man with Parkinson's Disease (though, in all honesty, he couldn't have known that the man had Parkinson's unless he let him actuall get a sentence out) on live radio (Giuliani). Anyway, as a result of Fox's irresponsible and malicious "journalism", the Obama campaign has "frozen out Fox News", refusing to grant access and interviews.
All of this has gotten The Common Man thinking about why Fox spends so much time on its attack journalism, and why they focus on who they focus on (I never hear a bad word from them about Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Dennis Kucinich (who Sean Hannity describes as "a nice guy."), or Tom Vilsack. However, Hilary and Obama get raked over the coals on a regular basis (to the point where, three times an hour, Hannity bills his radio program as the "Stop Hillary Express"). And I've decided that it comes down to this issue of access.
Over the past 6 years, Fox has gotten access to the President and his administration that no other network has gotten. Interviews, behind-the-scenes pieces, etc. This has helped allow Fox to become a leader in cable news, despite its snearing, pandering, and sycophantic approach to the news. Fox has created a niche for itself, and it is a profitable one. It is likely that, with another Republican win in 2008, this unfettered access and preferential treatment will continue. Without it, the station could be in danger of being (at least partially) frozen out. Indeed, even if a Democratic President refused to play favorites, Fox's lucrative access would slip.
As such, The Common Man expects Fox to go out of its way between now and November of '08 to tarnish the reps of both Hillary and Obama (as if you couldn't figure that out), who they think are the only Dems who have a chance to unseat a Republican nominee. And it will not so much about political ideology as it will be about economics and maintaining a tenuous position in a competitive market. After all, exclusive interviews with former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert just don't have the same marketability as hour-long exclusive interviews of Chris Wallace blowing Vice-President Cheney.
3 notes on this entry:
1) The Common Man is not, in any way, endorsing either Barak Obama or Hillary Clinton.
2) This does not mean, however, that CNN and CNBC do not do their share of crappy journalism. Thank God for NPR.
3) The Obama video does suffer from selective editing. Fox obviously had some of these talking heads on with someone "defending" Obama, and those parts have been conveniently removed to tell a better story. That said, c'mon, is Obama's middle name and smoking habit really news? Has he ever sued a tobacco company? No? OK, shut up then.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Shattered Illusions
Hair is very important to The Common Man. He has a great deal of it, and is proud of that fact (not that he has done anything to be proud of, that honor must go to The Common Parents). And he looks forward to the day when, walking amongst his peers, they look at him with envy from under their chromed domes.
In a related note, The Common Man has always kind of had a common man-crush on Jack Nicholson. He's 70 years old and still an intimidating presence and the definition of coolness. His sly confidence projects from behind those sun glasses whether he's courtside at a Laker game, dating a 30-something actress, getting out of a speeding ticket, or smashing another driver's headlights with his golf clubs.
And through it all, Jack has had that awesome, slicked back, receding head of hair. It said, "Hey, I know I'm balding, but I'm getting older, what the hell do you want from me? I'll do whatever I want! I'm Jack Freaking Nicholson! Where the hell are my golf clubs?" More than anything else, it was honest.
So imagine my surprise when, while flipping past the Oscars (The Common Man is losing patience for awards shows and the obnoxious pageantry and self-congratulations there within), he saw this:
And now, The Common Man's illusions are shattered. Is that Jack Nicholson, or the over-the-hill bouncer from The Rathskeller in downtown State College? And if it is the over-the-hill bouncer, how did he get tickets for the Oscars? If Jack Nicholson has lost his mane and thus, like Sampson, lost his power of coolness, what hope is there for the rest of us? How can The Common Man, a dorky guy from Minnesota, hope to maintain what little coolness he has managed to hoard like a Floridian awaiting a hurricane? For some reason, this depresses The Common Man and makes him feel old more than actual birthdays.
In a related note, The Common Man has always kind of had a common man-crush on Jack Nicholson. He's 70 years old and still an intimidating presence and the definition of coolness. His sly confidence projects from behind those sun glasses whether he's courtside at a Laker game, dating a 30-something actress, getting out of a speeding ticket, or smashing another driver's headlights with his golf clubs.
And through it all, Jack has had that awesome, slicked back, receding head of hair. It said, "Hey, I know I'm balding, but I'm getting older, what the hell do you want from me? I'll do whatever I want! I'm Jack Freaking Nicholson! Where the hell are my golf clubs?" More than anything else, it was honest.
So imagine my surprise when, while flipping past the Oscars (The Common Man is losing patience for awards shows and the obnoxious pageantry and self-congratulations there within), he saw this:
And now, The Common Man's illusions are shattered. Is that Jack Nicholson, or the over-the-hill bouncer from The Rathskeller in downtown State College? And if it is the over-the-hill bouncer, how did he get tickets for the Oscars? If Jack Nicholson has lost his mane and thus, like Sampson, lost his power of coolness, what hope is there for the rest of us? How can The Common Man, a dorky guy from Minnesota, hope to maintain what little coolness he has managed to hoard like a Floridian awaiting a hurricane? For some reason, this depresses The Common Man and makes him feel old more than actual birthdays.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
An-ti-ci-pation
One of the greatest of the great pleasures in life is the buffalo wing. The Common Man, if he thought his arteries would be able to handle the fried fatty goodness without causing his blood to ooze instead of flow, would probably have this delicacy 2-3 nights a week. Indeed, were the buffalo wings good wings (chain restaurants with the exception of Quaker Steak and Lube need not apply), The Common Man might risk heart failure and gorge himself.
When The Common Man and The Uncommon Wife moved to the State College area four years ago, they had a dilly of a time finding wings of the appropriate heat and flavor so as to satisfy The Common Man's craving. However, one day they were introduced to the nice people at Bonfatto's a local eatery in Bellefonte. Bonfatto's is a nice enough place. It's clean, the food is pretty good and the beer is cheap. But on Thursday nights at 7:00, like the aforementioned Optimus Prime, it transforms! The wings, they flow like the river. They come in groups of six. And their pallette, while as spicey as you would have them, are like a Conga line on your tongue. Oh, it is good! These are, indeed, the best wings that The Common Man has ever had, and he has had a lot of wings.
And The Common Man gets to go there tonight. Why, in less than three hours, no less! And considering that The Common Man has not eaten all day, he is looking forward to the fires of the buffalo in his mouth and in his belly. He will pack The Uncommon Wife and The Boy into the car, drive rapidly in the direction of Bonfatto's, and dine in splendor with good friends of the blog, Verna and Steele. He'll be at his corner booth, drinking cold ones and wiping the wing sauce from his face. And you shall be jealous. Oh, how envious you shall be. Indeed, your head might explode with all the jealousy and envy. That, of course, will make The Common Man sad, for he needs all the readers he can get. So, uh, try not to think too much about it.
When The Common Man and The Uncommon Wife moved to the State College area four years ago, they had a dilly of a time finding wings of the appropriate heat and flavor so as to satisfy The Common Man's craving. However, one day they were introduced to the nice people at Bonfatto's a local eatery in Bellefonte. Bonfatto's is a nice enough place. It's clean, the food is pretty good and the beer is cheap. But on Thursday nights at 7:00, like the aforementioned Optimus Prime, it transforms! The wings, they flow like the river. They come in groups of six. And their pallette, while as spicey as you would have them, are like a Conga line on your tongue. Oh, it is good! These are, indeed, the best wings that The Common Man has ever had, and he has had a lot of wings.
And The Common Man gets to go there tonight. Why, in less than three hours, no less! And considering that The Common Man has not eaten all day, he is looking forward to the fires of the buffalo in his mouth and in his belly. He will pack The Uncommon Wife and The Boy into the car, drive rapidly in the direction of Bonfatto's, and dine in splendor with good friends of the blog, Verna and Steele. He'll be at his corner booth, drinking cold ones and wiping the wing sauce from his face. And you shall be jealous. Oh, how envious you shall be. Indeed, your head might explode with all the jealousy and envy. That, of course, will make The Common Man sad, for he needs all the readers he can get. So, uh, try not to think too much about it.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Idol Hands Are the Devil's Playthings
The Common Man is angry today, but more at himself than anything else. Last year, The Common Man got into American Idol for the first time. It damn near caused him to drop out of grad school. After all, it requires two nights a week (three this week) to follow properly, and it's essentially televised karaoke. That did not, however, stop him from rooting on a bi-weekly basis for Taylor and Chris.
The Common Man swore, after the season ended, that he would never get sucked in again. Yet, here he is, on Wednesday night, sitting in front of the TV with The Uncommon Wife and The Evil Dog, watching the women largely crash and burn. There are dog-walking, blonde, bland white girls trying to sing Aretha. There are pouty women butchering an Aerosmith song that really wasn't that good to begin with. There are proud parents who can't figure out how to clap in rhythm. There are posers and pretty boys and, worst of all, There are women who actually choose to sing Celine Dion.
Then there are the judges. Randy is the kind of guy who waxes and plucks his eye-brows and cowboy boots. Simon is perpetually crafting insults that are obtuse and essentially meaningless. And, as The Uncommon Wife points out, Paula would give a standing ovation to the guy who bagged her groceries. Their comments are contradictory and confusing and essentially meaningless (what the hell does "a bit caberet" mean?). Randy actually told a girl that a song was "too urban" for her. Essentially that her skin wasn't dark enough to sing that song. Granted, she was singing Erika Badu, but she sang it well. Meanwhile, nobody's told Randy Jackson that he's too black to play with Journey. And yes, The Common Man did earlier criticize a white girl for singing Aretha. But a) her voice couldn't carry it and b) The Common Man is a hypocrit. So there.
Anyway, The Common Man formally endorses these people for American Idol:
The Common Man swore, after the season ended, that he would never get sucked in again. Yet, here he is, on Wednesday night, sitting in front of the TV with The Uncommon Wife and The Evil Dog, watching the women largely crash and burn. There are dog-walking, blonde, bland white girls trying to sing Aretha. There are pouty women butchering an Aerosmith song that really wasn't that good to begin with. There are proud parents who can't figure out how to clap in rhythm. There are posers and pretty boys and, worst of all, There are women who actually choose to sing Celine Dion.
Then there are the judges. Randy is the kind of guy who waxes and plucks his eye-brows and cowboy boots. Simon is perpetually crafting insults that are obtuse and essentially meaningless. And, as The Uncommon Wife points out, Paula would give a standing ovation to the guy who bagged her groceries. Their comments are contradictory and confusing and essentially meaningless (what the hell does "a bit caberet" mean?). Randy actually told a girl that a song was "too urban" for her. Essentially that her skin wasn't dark enough to sing that song. Granted, she was singing Erika Badu, but she sang it well. Meanwhile, nobody's told Randy Jackson that he's too black to play with Journey. And yes, The Common Man did earlier criticize a white girl for singing Aretha. But a) her voice couldn't carry it and b) The Common Man is a hypocrit. So there.
Anyway, The Common Man formally endorses these people for American Idol:
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
A Reflection on Holidays and Mediocracy
Well, The Common Man sure did enjoy his Presidents' Day yesterday. Not because he got a break from work (Penn State, because they rightly now take MLK Day off has de-holidazed Prez's Day), mind you. No, he was still hard at work reading and writing for The Man (his advisor). And not because The Common Man spent all day with The Boy, who was home because his "school" was closed for a professional development day, though that was wonderful and The Boy was well behaved and he and The Common Man played with the red, rattley dog, listened to music, and slept (to be fair, The Common Man didn't participate much in the sleeping, only in the encouragement of sleeping).
But Presidents' Day did offer The Common Man a moment to be able to reflect. Annually, this country trots out the dog-eared stories of Washington and Lincoln; publishes a flurry of articles that list America's Greatest Presidents; and determines, through a poll of people on the street, that a plurality of Americans think that Ronald Reagan was our nation's greatest President. But what about those Presidents who get forgotten or swept under the rug around this time of year? What about those men who lift almost no footprint on the highest office in this here land? What about the bunglers, the wallflowers, the petty, and the corrupt? This holiday should be for them too. Therefore, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Common Man presents Our Ineffectual Presidents.
Here are the top 5, in true VH-1 countdown format:
#5 Franklin Pierce
This is going to be a common theme in The Common Man's top 5. Weak 19th century Presidents who kowtowed on the issue of slavery and race. It was a bad time. The Common Man thought about putting Warren Harding here, to even things out, but was moved by his call for a sophistication in the ways that Americans were looking at race, by his doe-eyed stupid innocence about the scandals going on around him, and by the economic success (though it was a prelude to a fall) that marked his time.
Pierce, on the other hand, had a hell of a time in office. His credibility was destroyed when his cabinet released a manifesto advocating that the U.S. invade Cuba. Then, Pierce supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act, a piece of legislation that nullified the Missouri Compromise (which kept slavery out of the plains states), allowing each territory to determine for itself what it would do. This led to a short but bloody conflict in Kansas in which 55 people died, and prompted the caning of Charles Sumner on the floor of the U.S. Senate by Preston Brooks. It also prompted the creation of the Republican Party and set up the split in his own party between Northern and Southern Democrats. Not a gifted leader, this Mr. Pierce. His party responded by refusing to renominate him at its convention in 1856.
#4 John Quincey Adams
The Common Man is unsure what, if anything, John Quincey Adams accomplished in his time as President, though it may not entirely be his fault. The election of 1824 pitted Adams against two other candidates, Speaker of the House Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson. After the voting, no candidate had received the sufficient number of electoral votes, and the election was thrown into the House of Representatives. Clay, who had received the fewest votes, was eliminated from the race and his voting block swung to Adams. In a remarkable coincidence, Clay was named Sec. of State. In response, Jackson's supporters opposed nearly every proposal he brought to them. Still, aside from building a few roads and canals, not much was done on Adams' watch. His middle name, Quincey, is one of the all-time wussiest names.
#3 James Buchanan
Legally, James Buchanan is known as "That guy who was President before Lincoln." He had his name changed just before his death in 1868, in order to spare his family the shame of having to live with an infamously ineffectual surname. It was nice of him. However, he never did have any children, being a life-long bachelor. So, like most of his Presidency, it was an empty gesture that accomplished very little.
Anyway, during his Presidency, Buchanan's administration faced financial crisis when Democrats lowered tariffs on incoming goods and instituted deficit spending for the first time in two decades. Meanwhile, there were a bunch of states that were not real happy about the direction that the country was headed and how its decisions were affecting them (although they were pretty ok with the 3/5 compromise), and under his watch the Democratic party split between Northern anti-slavery guys and Southern pro-slavery, pro-secession, pro-don't tread on me guys. And as his Presidency ended, seven states had seceded from the union in order to form their own more perfect union where they could do whatever the hell they wanted. Buchanan did nothing except to try to send a few reinforcements to Fort Sumpter. When the ship carrying them was fired upon and chased back to New York, Buchanan did not respond. Historians have characterized his inaction and his unwillingness to do anything about secession as the worst Presidential mistake ever.
To the good, Buchanan was the first President to write a memoir, eventually leading to Bill Clinton's 957 page tome. An excerpt from Buchanan's book, "I looked out the window and saw that Rome was burning. "That's interesting," I thought. "Hey, what's this in a corner? A fiddle? Well, I haven't played in a while, but I can give it a shot." Also, his ineffectual leadership of the Democratic party paved the way for Lincoln's election and, while Lincoln was no saint, he was like the guy who follows Carrot Top every night. You benefit from comparison.
#2 Rutherford B. Hayes
Hayes became President because of corrupt, back-room meetings that compromised the legitimacy of the American democracy. The election of 1876 was, by all accounts, one of the bitterest and most tightly contested in this country's history. At the end of the first count, Hayes was down 184 electoral votes to 166, with 185 needed for a win (hmmm...this sounds familiar). Three states were still in play. Essentially, in order to win the election, Hayes agreed to to remove the Union troops who were occupying the South and safeguarding the former slaves who were making tremendous strides toward equality (including electing black congressmen and mayors, starting successful businesses, voting, getting an education, etc.). This, according to Howard Zinn, in A People's History of the United States was "the last military obstacle to the reestablishment of white supremacy there." In his history of this compromise, Reunion and Reaction, C. Vann Woodward writes that while it "did not restore the old order in the South....It did assure the dominant white political autonomy and non-intervention in matters of race policy."
After that, he didn't do much. He backed our currency with gold and he ordered civil servants to stay out of politics. But other than the Compromise, the nation he had the greatest effect on was Paraguay, for whom he brokered a favorable peace treaty, who named a city after him (Villa Hayes). So, to sum up, Hayes totally screwed over black people with a decision that still has lingering effects to this day. However, he did have a kick-ass beard, kept your postman from running for mayor, and is greatly beloved in Paraguay, so maybe it all evens out. Dick.
#1 William Henry Harrison
C'mon. Who else could it be? The man served in office for only thirty days and was sick in bed for a bunch of them! His only official act was to call a special session of Congress that he didn't even want to call (damn you, Henry Clay!)! His most enduring contribution to Presidentness seems to be that he was the first President to die in office, creating the first opportunity to test the 25th Amendment. There's not much else to say about him, frankly, except "Way to go, William Henry Harrison! You're this nation's least effectual President."
Honorable Mention: George H.W. Bush
Unfortunately, while he's still alive, and while his son is in office, it is impossible to rank Bush the Elder with any kind of reliability. Sure, he won a war and Communism fell during his tenure. But seriously, on the 1-10 Scale of Emotional Satisfaction, beating the crap out of Iraq was a 3. Plus, it gets marked down because of its contribution to the situation in which we now find ourselves. And it's not like he did a lot as President to bring that Berlin Wall down. Those wheels were turning long before H-Dub took office. Finally, The Common Man would be remiss if he did not discuss the recession that occurred under his watch (though, let's face it, Reagan had a lot to do with that) and the high unemployment rate. Perhaps his two greatest contributions to Presidentiality were a) the ridiculously over the top and inaccurate attack ad (Willie Horton anybody? Boston Harbor?) and b) the political dynasty that he has founded, as he will eventually followed into office by his sons George W. and Jeb, his granddaughters Jenna and Barbara, and their eventual sons Skye, Colt, and Dakota.
Who are some of your favorite ineffectual Presidents?
But Presidents' Day did offer The Common Man a moment to be able to reflect. Annually, this country trots out the dog-eared stories of Washington and Lincoln; publishes a flurry of articles that list America's Greatest Presidents; and determines, through a poll of people on the street, that a plurality of Americans think that Ronald Reagan was our nation's greatest President. But what about those Presidents who get forgotten or swept under the rug around this time of year? What about those men who lift almost no footprint on the highest office in this here land? What about the bunglers, the wallflowers, the petty, and the corrupt? This holiday should be for them too. Therefore, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Common Man presents Our Ineffectual Presidents.
Here are the top 5, in true VH-1 countdown format:
#5 Franklin Pierce
This is going to be a common theme in The Common Man's top 5. Weak 19th century Presidents who kowtowed on the issue of slavery and race. It was a bad time. The Common Man thought about putting Warren Harding here, to even things out, but was moved by his call for a sophistication in the ways that Americans were looking at race, by his doe-eyed stupid innocence about the scandals going on around him, and by the economic success (though it was a prelude to a fall) that marked his time.
Pierce, on the other hand, had a hell of a time in office. His credibility was destroyed when his cabinet released a manifesto advocating that the U.S. invade Cuba. Then, Pierce supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act, a piece of legislation that nullified the Missouri Compromise (which kept slavery out of the plains states), allowing each territory to determine for itself what it would do. This led to a short but bloody conflict in Kansas in which 55 people died, and prompted the caning of Charles Sumner on the floor of the U.S. Senate by Preston Brooks. It also prompted the creation of the Republican Party and set up the split in his own party between Northern and Southern Democrats. Not a gifted leader, this Mr. Pierce. His party responded by refusing to renominate him at its convention in 1856.
#4 John Quincey Adams
The Common Man is unsure what, if anything, John Quincey Adams accomplished in his time as President, though it may not entirely be his fault. The election of 1824 pitted Adams against two other candidates, Speaker of the House Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson. After the voting, no candidate had received the sufficient number of electoral votes, and the election was thrown into the House of Representatives. Clay, who had received the fewest votes, was eliminated from the race and his voting block swung to Adams. In a remarkable coincidence, Clay was named Sec. of State. In response, Jackson's supporters opposed nearly every proposal he brought to them. Still, aside from building a few roads and canals, not much was done on Adams' watch. His middle name, Quincey, is one of the all-time wussiest names.
#3 James Buchanan
Legally, James Buchanan is known as "That guy who was President before Lincoln." He had his name changed just before his death in 1868, in order to spare his family the shame of having to live with an infamously ineffectual surname. It was nice of him. However, he never did have any children, being a life-long bachelor. So, like most of his Presidency, it was an empty gesture that accomplished very little.
Anyway, during his Presidency, Buchanan's administration faced financial crisis when Democrats lowered tariffs on incoming goods and instituted deficit spending for the first time in two decades. Meanwhile, there were a bunch of states that were not real happy about the direction that the country was headed and how its decisions were affecting them (although they were pretty ok with the 3/5 compromise), and under his watch the Democratic party split between Northern anti-slavery guys and Southern pro-slavery, pro-secession, pro-don't tread on me guys. And as his Presidency ended, seven states had seceded from the union in order to form their own more perfect union where they could do whatever the hell they wanted. Buchanan did nothing except to try to send a few reinforcements to Fort Sumpter. When the ship carrying them was fired upon and chased back to New York, Buchanan did not respond. Historians have characterized his inaction and his unwillingness to do anything about secession as the worst Presidential mistake ever.
To the good, Buchanan was the first President to write a memoir, eventually leading to Bill Clinton's 957 page tome. An excerpt from Buchanan's book, "I looked out the window and saw that Rome was burning. "That's interesting," I thought. "Hey, what's this in a corner? A fiddle? Well, I haven't played in a while, but I can give it a shot." Also, his ineffectual leadership of the Democratic party paved the way for Lincoln's election and, while Lincoln was no saint, he was like the guy who follows Carrot Top every night. You benefit from comparison.
#2 Rutherford B. Hayes
Hayes became President because of corrupt, back-room meetings that compromised the legitimacy of the American democracy. The election of 1876 was, by all accounts, one of the bitterest and most tightly contested in this country's history. At the end of the first count, Hayes was down 184 electoral votes to 166, with 185 needed for a win (hmmm...this sounds familiar). Three states were still in play. Essentially, in order to win the election, Hayes agreed to to remove the Union troops who were occupying the South and safeguarding the former slaves who were making tremendous strides toward equality (including electing black congressmen and mayors, starting successful businesses, voting, getting an education, etc.). This, according to Howard Zinn, in A People's History of the United States was "the last military obstacle to the reestablishment of white supremacy there." In his history of this compromise, Reunion and Reaction, C. Vann Woodward writes that while it "did not restore the old order in the South....It did assure the dominant white political autonomy and non-intervention in matters of race policy."
After that, he didn't do much. He backed our currency with gold and he ordered civil servants to stay out of politics. But other than the Compromise, the nation he had the greatest effect on was Paraguay, for whom he brokered a favorable peace treaty, who named a city after him (Villa Hayes). So, to sum up, Hayes totally screwed over black people with a decision that still has lingering effects to this day. However, he did have a kick-ass beard, kept your postman from running for mayor, and is greatly beloved in Paraguay, so maybe it all evens out. Dick.
#1 William Henry Harrison
C'mon. Who else could it be? The man served in office for only thirty days and was sick in bed for a bunch of them! His only official act was to call a special session of Congress that he didn't even want to call (damn you, Henry Clay!)! His most enduring contribution to Presidentness seems to be that he was the first President to die in office, creating the first opportunity to test the 25th Amendment. There's not much else to say about him, frankly, except "Way to go, William Henry Harrison! You're this nation's least effectual President."
Honorable Mention: George H.W. Bush
Unfortunately, while he's still alive, and while his son is in office, it is impossible to rank Bush the Elder with any kind of reliability. Sure, he won a war and Communism fell during his tenure. But seriously, on the 1-10 Scale of Emotional Satisfaction, beating the crap out of Iraq was a 3. Plus, it gets marked down because of its contribution to the situation in which we now find ourselves. And it's not like he did a lot as President to bring that Berlin Wall down. Those wheels were turning long before H-Dub took office. Finally, The Common Man would be remiss if he did not discuss the recession that occurred under his watch (though, let's face it, Reagan had a lot to do with that) and the high unemployment rate. Perhaps his two greatest contributions to Presidentiality were a) the ridiculously over the top and inaccurate attack ad (Willie Horton anybody? Boston Harbor?) and b) the political dynasty that he has founded, as he will eventually followed into office by his sons George W. and Jeb, his granddaughters Jenna and Barbara, and their eventual sons Skye, Colt, and Dakota.
Who are some of your favorite ineffectual Presidents?
Monday, February 19, 2007
More Than Meets the Eye
Over the weekend, The Common Man became excited only to see his dreams crushed against the rocky shoals of reality. You see, when The Common Man was but The Common Boy, he loved his Transformers. He loved the toys. He loved the cartoon. He was traumatized by the movie (in which all his favorite Transformers, including Optimus Prime but not Bumblebee, were killed off in the first 20 minutes) but loved it anyway. The Common Man even loved the lean third season, suffering through the reign of Rodimus Prime, the new, totally wussy, leader of the Autobots. Somewhere, in his parents' basement, The Common Man still has his original 
Optimus Prime (even though one arm has fallen off), 
his decomposing Megatron (a poorly-designed, fragile toy that, by the way, transforms into a realistic-looking pistol; not sure that toy would fly today), his crippled
Soundwave(with a broken tape-deck and legs that no longer support his weight), and 
Rodimus Prime (in mint-condition...damn it; seriously, this is the Transformer that's in perfect condition??? Is there no justice in this world?), along with dozens and dozens of other Transformers in various states of decay. Suffice to say, The Common Man loved him some Transformers.
Certainly, The Common Man realizes that the cartoons were poorly written with cheesy dialogue, that they often portrayed Muslims in a stereotypical manner (seriously, go back and watch them if you don't believe me), and that they were essentially half-hour commercials for the toy line (as more and more Transformer characters conveniently showed up on theshow just in time for their product release...I'm looking at you Constructicons, Aerialbots, Stunticons, Predicons, Protectobots, and Combaticons). But this does not diminish his affection for them; it only reminds him of how much he enjoyed playing with his toys. Indeed, maybe The Common Man can see how ridiculous crap like Pokemon, Digimon, Power Rangers, and Yu-gih-oh can have such an influence on kids today (or, I guess, 5-7 years ago). Of course, all of those suck and The Common Man's Transformers are awesome, so it's probably not a good comparison after all.
Anyway, as you may or may not know, there is a live-action version of Transformers coming to theaters near you this summer. This has The Common Man all atwitter, and for weeks he has been searching for ever more news, photos, and clips from the new film. The Common Man prays that this film will be good, for it holds the unfulfilled dreams of his childhood in its hands. Unfortunately, those hands are being controlled by Michael Bay, director of Armageddon and The Island. Bay has admitted that, prior to his involvement in this film, he knew nothing about the Transformers. Happily, his hands are being guided by this man, who has had a decent track record in putting together enjoyable films.
This is a lot of explanation to get to The Common Man's ultimate frustration this weekend when he read that various internet "media" outlets had been given a chance to view 25 from the upcoming film at the International Toy Convention. The Common Man thought that, surely, some clever individual had smuggled out some kind of bootlegged copy. So he looked and looked and looked. But none could be found. All these sites have are text descriptions of what they saw. And that's not good enough for The Common Man. He needs his fix. Or, he needs it to be July. Now.
The lesson, as always, is that The Common Man has the emotional maturity of a 10 year old.
Optimus Prime (even though one arm has fallen off), 
his decomposing Megatron (a poorly-designed, fragile toy that, by the way, transforms into a realistic-looking pistol; not sure that toy would fly today), his crippled
Soundwave(with a broken tape-deck and legs that no longer support his weight), and 
Rodimus Prime (in mint-condition...damn it; seriously, this is the Transformer that's in perfect condition??? Is there no justice in this world?), along with dozens and dozens of other Transformers in various states of decay. Suffice to say, The Common Man loved him some Transformers.
Certainly, The Common Man realizes that the cartoons were poorly written with cheesy dialogue, that they often portrayed Muslims in a stereotypical manner (seriously, go back and watch them if you don't believe me), and that they were essentially half-hour commercials for the toy line (as more and more Transformer characters conveniently showed up on theshow just in time for their product release...I'm looking at you Constructicons, Aerialbots, Stunticons, Predicons, Protectobots, and Combaticons). But this does not diminish his affection for them; it only reminds him of how much he enjoyed playing with his toys. Indeed, maybe The Common Man can see how ridiculous crap like Pokemon, Digimon, Power Rangers, and Yu-gih-oh can have such an influence on kids today (or, I guess, 5-7 years ago). Of course, all of those suck and The Common Man's Transformers are awesome, so it's probably not a good comparison after all.
Anyway, as you may or may not know, there is a live-action version of Transformers coming to theaters near you this summer. This has The Common Man all atwitter, and for weeks he has been searching for ever more news, photos, and clips from the new film. The Common Man prays that this film will be good, for it holds the unfulfilled dreams of his childhood in its hands. Unfortunately, those hands are being controlled by Michael Bay, director of Armageddon and The Island. Bay has admitted that, prior to his involvement in this film, he knew nothing about the Transformers. Happily, his hands are being guided by this man, who has had a decent track record in putting together enjoyable films.
This is a lot of explanation to get to The Common Man's ultimate frustration this weekend when he read that various internet "media" outlets had been given a chance to view 25 from the upcoming film at the International Toy Convention. The Common Man thought that, surely, some clever individual had smuggled out some kind of bootlegged copy. So he looked and looked and looked. But none could be found. All these sites have are text descriptions of what they saw. And that's not good enough for The Common Man. He needs his fix. Or, he needs it to be July. Now.
The lesson, as always, is that The Common Man has the emotional maturity of a 10 year old.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Words That Are Weighty With Nothing But Trouble
The Common Man does not want this space to become a space for him to obsess about sports, though that is what The Common Man usually does (particularly about his Minnesota Twins). Perhaps he will write another blog in which he can do that. For now he would like to reserve this space for topics that are more universally interesting. That said, today The Common Man just cannot help himself. Today The Common Man is excited. For today, you see, he has heard the four little words that seem to make every February (a virtual dead time in the sporting world) worth enduring: Pitchers and Catchers report.
Indeed, today, in Florida and Arizona, fresh-faced rookies and obscenely wealthy veterans are getting out of their Humvees and their Corvettes and their mom's old Chevy Cavalier, are unpacking their bags full of Under Armour T-shirts, baseball caps, and jock straps, and are beginning to loosen up their arms. That's right, baseball is back.
Now, one could argue that pitchers and catchers began reporting yesterday, which is true. Or that The Common Man's beloved Twins don't report for another 2 days, 23 hours, 43 minutes, and 20, 19, 18 seconds. That is also true. But today is the first day that The Common Man really realized what was going on (he's been in a snowed-in mental fog) and got excited.
It's hard for The Common Man to be rational about baseball, for it is his first true love. He found it one summer in 1987 as the underdog Minnesota Twins backed into the playoffs and ended up as the World Champions (note: the world, in this case, refers only to the United States and Canada). And every spring, it rides back into his life, reclaims its place in his heart, and makes him giggly as a little school girl until late October, when it cruelly leaves him for four long months.
But now it is back! And, oh! The fun they shall have together, long into the warm summer nights. He shall be captivated by its beauty for hours on end, and shall treasure every moment. He shall look into baseball's eyes and profess his undying devotion. Unless, that is, freaking Ron Gardenhire gives the 5th starter's spot in the rotation to Sidney Ponson or Ramon Ortiz! Then it's over. This time, it's really over.
Indeed, today, in Florida and Arizona, fresh-faced rookies and obscenely wealthy veterans are getting out of their Humvees and their Corvettes and their mom's old Chevy Cavalier, are unpacking their bags full of Under Armour T-shirts, baseball caps, and jock straps, and are beginning to loosen up their arms. That's right, baseball is back.
Now, one could argue that pitchers and catchers began reporting yesterday, which is true. Or that The Common Man's beloved Twins don't report for another 2 days, 23 hours, 43 minutes, and 20, 19, 18 seconds. That is also true. But today is the first day that The Common Man really realized what was going on (he's been in a snowed-in mental fog) and got excited.
It's hard for The Common Man to be rational about baseball, for it is his first true love. He found it one summer in 1987 as the underdog Minnesota Twins backed into the playoffs and ended up as the World Champions (note: the world, in this case, refers only to the United States and Canada). And every spring, it rides back into his life, reclaims its place in his heart, and makes him giggly as a little school girl until late October, when it cruelly leaves him for four long months.
But now it is back! And, oh! The fun they shall have together, long into the warm summer nights. He shall be captivated by its beauty for hours on end, and shall treasure every moment. He shall look into baseball's eyes and profess his undying devotion. Unless, that is, freaking Ron Gardenhire gives the 5th starter's spot in the rotation to Sidney Ponson or Ramon Ortiz! Then it's over. This time, it's really over.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Beast Wars
There are certain, perhaps unanswerable, questions that leave The Common Man scratching his head. Last night, as he and The Uncommon Wife sat in bed watching The Daily Show, one of those questions came up. He hopes that you can help him answer it.
A commercial for the National Geographic Channel came on and intermittently showed film of a lion and a shark. This prompted The Common Man to ask the perfectly natural question, "If a lion and a shark had a fight, who would win?"
Of course, the answer is largely dependent on where the fight takes place. On land, the lion has the distinct advantage because he can move about more easily and can breath. Ditto for the shark in the water. To make sure that no advantage is given, The Common Man has decreed that it must take place in outer space.
The Common Man thinks it is important that a wussy shark is not chosen for this competition. So, no whale sharks and no, um, fuzzy...sharks. The Common Man also decrees that the shark must be a Great White Shark.
Finally, The Common Man wants to make sure that the fight is as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Male lions just look cooler than female lions. It's just true. The Common Man will brook no argument here. Therefore, only a male lion is allowed to participate.
So, loyal readers (of whom there are so few, and after rereading this post, I can see why), if a lion and a shark fought in outer space, who would win and why?
A commercial for the National Geographic Channel came on and intermittently showed film of a lion and a shark. This prompted The Common Man to ask the perfectly natural question, "If a lion and a shark had a fight, who would win?"
Of course, the answer is largely dependent on where the fight takes place. On land, the lion has the distinct advantage because he can move about more easily and can breath. Ditto for the shark in the water. To make sure that no advantage is given, The Common Man has decreed that it must take place in outer space.
The Common Man thinks it is important that a wussy shark is not chosen for this competition. So, no whale sharks and no, um, fuzzy...sharks. The Common Man also decrees that the shark must be a Great White Shark.
Finally, The Common Man wants to make sure that the fight is as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Male lions just look cooler than female lions. It's just true. The Common Man will brook no argument here. Therefore, only a male lion is allowed to participate.
So, loyal readers (of whom there are so few, and after rereading this post, I can see why), if a lion and a shark fought in outer space, who would win and why?
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
So Much To Live For
This morning, as snow fell softly outside his window, The Common Man walked downstairs to the basement with The Boy to feed him and to watch Studio 60. The Common Man wants to like Studio 60, he really does. It is written by one of his favorite writers (Aaron Sorkin) and stars some of his favorite people (Bradley Whitford, Nate Corddry, Timothy Busfield). But it is a show that seems to amble. It has very little trajectory and no real sense that it is heading anywhere. And, for a show about late night sketch comedy, it's not terribly funny. The Common Man keeps watching and hoping that it will pull out of its nosedive, but it doesn't look good at this point.
But this is not a post about the show itself. Nor is this a post about The Boy, who is almost three months old and extremely sweet and cute as a button and very healthy thank you for asking. Rather, this is a post about Volkswagens.
Now, from what The Common Man has gleaned from the world around him, the average Volkswagen is a pretty decent little car. It's German. It's small (except for the bus). It gets good gas mileage. And it gets bonus points for the old school Beetle. But it doesn't seem to be anything terribly special. I mean, The Uncommon Wife and The Common Man just bought a car (Hyundai Sonata) and didn't even consider a VW.
Yet, The Common Man saw a Volkswagen commercial last night that has him questioning the very foundations of our society. It begins with a man on the roof of a building. He is white, bald and slightly disheveled, and he is about to jump to his certain death. A crowd has gathered to watch. He calls down to them, listing the worst things in the world: war, global warming, hyper-consumerism, reality TV. "I don't even know what my neighbors' names are," he calls out. On the street below, a man drives up and stops his little Volkswagen in the middle of the road and pulls out a megaphone. "Three V-dubs [VWs] for under 17,000," the man on the street calls out. The man on the rooftop looks puzzled for a moment, then begins to step back from the precipice. "I'll...I'll be right down," he calls back.
And.......scene.
OK, so this commercial purports that buying a Volkswagen for under $17K will make life worth living again in light of all the terrible things wrong in the world? Look, The Common Man is all for living and preventing suicide and solving all the terrible problems that are out there; but seriously, a Volkswagen makes all of those seem insignificant? These advertisers think that this ad will speak to Americans? That consumerism is the answer to the woes of the world?
Sigh. You know what, they're probably right. Not about consumerism being the answer (although The Common Man does enjoy consuming), but that the American public will be influenced by their heinous commercial (by the way, The Common Man thinks they've lost the "my friend killed himself by jumping off a bridge" demographic). That depresses The Common Man, who, on a beautiful, snowy day, hanging out with The Boy, wanted to believe in the best of America and humanity. If you'll excuse me, The Common Man is now going to go jump off his roof...unless somebody drives by in a Volvo or something.
But this is not a post about the show itself. Nor is this a post about The Boy, who is almost three months old and extremely sweet and cute as a button and very healthy thank you for asking. Rather, this is a post about Volkswagens.
Now, from what The Common Man has gleaned from the world around him, the average Volkswagen is a pretty decent little car. It's German. It's small (except for the bus). It gets good gas mileage. And it gets bonus points for the old school Beetle. But it doesn't seem to be anything terribly special. I mean, The Uncommon Wife and The Common Man just bought a car (Hyundai Sonata) and didn't even consider a VW.
Yet, The Common Man saw a Volkswagen commercial last night that has him questioning the very foundations of our society. It begins with a man on the roof of a building. He is white, bald and slightly disheveled, and he is about to jump to his certain death. A crowd has gathered to watch. He calls down to them, listing the worst things in the world: war, global warming, hyper-consumerism, reality TV. "I don't even know what my neighbors' names are," he calls out. On the street below, a man drives up and stops his little Volkswagen in the middle of the road and pulls out a megaphone. "Three V-dubs [VWs] for under 17,000," the man on the street calls out. The man on the rooftop looks puzzled for a moment, then begins to step back from the precipice. "I'll...I'll be right down," he calls back.
And.......scene.
OK, so this commercial purports that buying a Volkswagen for under $17K will make life worth living again in light of all the terrible things wrong in the world? Look, The Common Man is all for living and preventing suicide and solving all the terrible problems that are out there; but seriously, a Volkswagen makes all of those seem insignificant? These advertisers think that this ad will speak to Americans? That consumerism is the answer to the woes of the world?
Sigh. You know what, they're probably right. Not about consumerism being the answer (although The Common Man does enjoy consuming), but that the American public will be influenced by their heinous commercial (by the way, The Common Man thinks they've lost the "my friend killed himself by jumping off a bridge" demographic). That depresses The Common Man, who, on a beautiful, snowy day, hanging out with The Boy, wanted to believe in the best of America and humanity. If you'll excuse me, The Common Man is now going to go jump off his roof...unless somebody drives by in a Volvo or something.
Monday, February 12, 2007
The Band Played On
The Common Man got up early this morning, hoping to get a jump on the day. As he sat checking email, he heard that The Dixie Chicks won five Grammys last night. The Common Man was too busy watching Battlestar Galactica (easily the best and most culturally relevant show on TV today) to see it live. And anyway, The Common Man doesn't usually watch awards shows. They are all very similar to one another and celebrate an ostentacious display of wealth, fashion, and jewelry that The Common Man finds distasteful, mostly because he cannot afford such things. Besides, he can just read the results the next day. Or the Common Man usually lets The Uncommon Wife watch them and report back.
Anyway, The Common Man is happy for The Dixie Chicks, whose 2003 comments at a London concert were blown wildly out of proportion by an hyper-sensitive minority of neo-con Country music fans and the corporate radio syndicates who can't afford not to cater to them. So, even Country music fans in L.A. and Maine were denied the opportunity to hear from the Chicks for four years because 1,000 idiots in Texas burned their CDs. Meanwhile, Toby Keith will put a boot in your ass (it's the American way!). I heard that somewhere.
And the Dixie Chicks' new album is pretty damn good. So good, in fact, that it became the only album The Common Man bought for himself in the last 3 years (the last was probably James Taylor's October Road (good, mellow wine-drinking music). Of course, you still won't hear any of the songs on Country radio, so The Common Man urges you to buy the disc or to legally download the tunes from your favorite on-line music emporium. Other artists who have fallen off the pop-culture map that are highly endorsed by The Common Man include John Hiatt, Guster, Lyle Lovett, and Chantal Kraviazuk. Any other suggestions?
Anyway, The Common Man is happy for The Dixie Chicks, whose 2003 comments at a London concert were blown wildly out of proportion by an hyper-sensitive minority of neo-con Country music fans and the corporate radio syndicates who can't afford not to cater to them. So, even Country music fans in L.A. and Maine were denied the opportunity to hear from the Chicks for four years because 1,000 idiots in Texas burned their CDs. Meanwhile, Toby Keith will put a boot in your ass (it's the American way!). I heard that somewhere.
And the Dixie Chicks' new album is pretty damn good. So good, in fact, that it became the only album The Common Man bought for himself in the last 3 years (the last was probably James Taylor's October Road (good, mellow wine-drinking music). Of course, you still won't hear any of the songs on Country radio, so The Common Man urges you to buy the disc or to legally download the tunes from your favorite on-line music emporium. Other artists who have fallen off the pop-culture map that are highly endorsed by The Common Man include John Hiatt, Guster, Lyle Lovett, and Chantal Kraviazuk. Any other suggestions?
Friday, February 9, 2007
Washing the Dirt Off
The Common Man needed to take a shower. Not because The Common Man was dirty (although proper hygiene is important to The Common Man), but because he felt dirty. You see, a couple of years back I wished that Anna Nicole Smith would just die already so that I wouldn't have to think about her any more.
My wish did not necessarily put Ms. Smith in a unique category. The Common Man has wished many people dead over the course of his life. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson so that their messianic cults would whither. Barry Bonds so that I could stop hearing about him because, frankly, The Common Man just does not care. And, of course, The Common Man still wishes daily for the death of the guy who wrote the 1-800-SafeAuto song (go ahead, just try and get it out of your head now). But none of these wishes had come true.
Now, of course, Anna Nicole is dead. But The Common Man doesn't necessarily feel bad about her death. Of course, it's sad that she was only 39 and tragic that her 5 month old will grow up without her mother. But we're also talking about a person who was drunk on her own celebrity and who, unbelievably, leaves behind a fortune of somewhere between $88 million and $400 million. It's not like Ms. Smith didn't enjoy her time here.
No, the reason The Common Man feels dirty is that his wish has now caused his worst nightmare. The media coverage surrounding Ms. Smith's untimely demise is an eclipse that blots out the light from other stories that actually matter. For instance, while Anna Nicole dominates the coverage on CNN, FoxNews, and CNBC, Defense Secretary Gates has revealed that our government has recovered "some serial numbers, there may be some markings on some of the projectile fragments that we found" that indicate that Iran is supplying weapons to Iraqi insurgents. If true, this represents the first hard evidence of Iran's involvement in the actual fighting.
The coverage of Anna Nicole's death has also overshadowed the vindication of everyone's favorite grandmother/Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Yesterday, sad excuse for a newspaper The Washington Times, accused Pelosi of demanding a military plane that can take her non-stop from D.C. to her home district in San Francisco. Meanwhile, prominent Republicans have blasted her for having an "arrogance of office that just defies common sense." Rep. Pat McHenry, of North Carolina complained that "Pelosi's abuse of power continues...now she's exploiting America's armed forces and taxpayers for her own personal convenience." Today, we have learned that, in actuality, the House of Representatives' Sergeant at Arms requested the plane "for security reasons."
The Common Man is happy about this development for two reasons. 1) It makes pompous windbags look ridiculous, and that always makes The Common Man happy. 2) The Common Man is glad that the #2 person in the line of succession for the Presidency, on her way back to Washington, won't have to stop in Chicago, Denver, or Atlanta to refuel with the rest of us. The Common Man does not know what is in the luggage of Madame Speaker, but does not want sensitive documents pilfered while Madame Speaker runs from Terminal A to Terminal C to catch her really tight connection, as The Common Man's bags were stolen off the tarmac in Detroit in 2002. Anyway, the rancor and venom of the partisan politics of accusation anger The Common Man, and he hopes you hear it and are angered too.
But The Common Man feels sick because, with the death of Anna Nicole Smith, chances are that these stories will not get the coverage they deserve, for our media has decided (perhaps correctly) that we'd rather speculate about the death of a woman who leaves almost no mark upon the world (unless celeb-reality TV in which crazy celebrities get followed by camera crews who film them acting crazy constitutes a mark) and who really wasn't that famous anyway (or at least shouldn't have been) than look at the domestic and international political events that will continue to shape our country and our world for the forseeable future.
My wish did not necessarily put Ms. Smith in a unique category. The Common Man has wished many people dead over the course of his life. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson so that their messianic cults would whither. Barry Bonds so that I could stop hearing about him because, frankly, The Common Man just does not care. And, of course, The Common Man still wishes daily for the death of the guy who wrote the 1-800-SafeAuto song (go ahead, just try and get it out of your head now). But none of these wishes had come true.
Now, of course, Anna Nicole is dead. But The Common Man doesn't necessarily feel bad about her death. Of course, it's sad that she was only 39 and tragic that her 5 month old will grow up without her mother. But we're also talking about a person who was drunk on her own celebrity and who, unbelievably, leaves behind a fortune of somewhere between $88 million and $400 million. It's not like Ms. Smith didn't enjoy her time here.
No, the reason The Common Man feels dirty is that his wish has now caused his worst nightmare. The media coverage surrounding Ms. Smith's untimely demise is an eclipse that blots out the light from other stories that actually matter. For instance, while Anna Nicole dominates the coverage on CNN, FoxNews, and CNBC, Defense Secretary Gates has revealed that our government has recovered "some serial numbers, there may be some markings on some of the projectile fragments that we found" that indicate that Iran is supplying weapons to Iraqi insurgents. If true, this represents the first hard evidence of Iran's involvement in the actual fighting.
The coverage of Anna Nicole's death has also overshadowed the vindication of everyone's favorite grandmother/Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Yesterday, sad excuse for a newspaper The Washington Times, accused Pelosi of demanding a military plane that can take her non-stop from D.C. to her home district in San Francisco. Meanwhile, prominent Republicans have blasted her for having an "arrogance of office that just defies common sense." Rep. Pat McHenry, of North Carolina complained that "Pelosi's abuse of power continues...now she's exploiting America's armed forces and taxpayers for her own personal convenience." Today, we have learned that, in actuality, the House of Representatives' Sergeant at Arms requested the plane "for security reasons."
The Common Man is happy about this development for two reasons. 1) It makes pompous windbags look ridiculous, and that always makes The Common Man happy. 2) The Common Man is glad that the #2 person in the line of succession for the Presidency, on her way back to Washington, won't have to stop in Chicago, Denver, or Atlanta to refuel with the rest of us. The Common Man does not know what is in the luggage of Madame Speaker, but does not want sensitive documents pilfered while Madame Speaker runs from Terminal A to Terminal C to catch her really tight connection, as The Common Man's bags were stolen off the tarmac in Detroit in 2002. Anyway, the rancor and venom of the partisan politics of accusation anger The Common Man, and he hopes you hear it and are angered too.
But The Common Man feels sick because, with the death of Anna Nicole Smith, chances are that these stories will not get the coverage they deserve, for our media has decided (perhaps correctly) that we'd rather speculate about the death of a woman who leaves almost no mark upon the world (unless celeb-reality TV in which crazy celebrities get followed by camera crews who film them acting crazy constitutes a mark) and who really wasn't that famous anyway (or at least shouldn't have been) than look at the domestic and international political events that will continue to shape our country and our world for the forseeable future.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
In the Beginning...
And so, here we are again. You. Me. Here.
This is a space for the common man. The comman man is tired of being talked at by governments who substitute spin for the truth. The common man is angry that he has to explain to his son what Cialis and Erectile Disfunction are as they watch football together. The common man is in awe of the creativity of our culture, but frustrated by our refusal to use that creativity to actually solve the problems of poverty, prejudice, and inequality. The common man acknowledges the greatness of America and its people, but understands why our cultural expansion and foreign policy scares others.
By "man," I do not mean that his site is intended for men and men only. I can certainly see how you'd think so. After all, I'm writing this as a twenty-eight year old, white male who is a father and a husband. And I'm certain that my choice of topics that we take up here will sometimes reflect these identities. But not always. And certainly, the concerns of one man may be concerns shared by other men, women, children, and pets.
I think that the term "the common man" needs to be reappropriated. 24-hour news channels conduct sidewalk interview after sidewalk interview, asking questions designed to elicit a 10-second answer from "the common man" that is neither perceptive, nor news. No, the common man has thoughts that take longer than 10 seconds to unfold. Yet, these are tossed away on the editing room floor. The common man appears stupid and uninsightful in our culture, and is treated as such by a government and media that do not respect him.
So what will we talk about? Culture, politics, family, social justice, economics, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The common man has many interests and all of them are fair game.
And who is the common man? Well, of course, I am. After all, this is my site. Yet, you are the common man, too, if you would like to be. It's not that there's nothing special about us, but we don't consider ourselves to be any more special than anyone else. We recognize that we are products of our culture as much as we continue to shape it. We cannot help being part of this culture, but we are aware of how it affects us on an everyday basis.
I hope you care about the common man, and about what the common man has to say. The common man cannot promise to be good, but can promise to always be here. I hope you will be here too.
This is a space for the common man. The comman man is tired of being talked at by governments who substitute spin for the truth. The common man is angry that he has to explain to his son what Cialis and Erectile Disfunction are as they watch football together. The common man is in awe of the creativity of our culture, but frustrated by our refusal to use that creativity to actually solve the problems of poverty, prejudice, and inequality. The common man acknowledges the greatness of America and its people, but understands why our cultural expansion and foreign policy scares others.
By "man," I do not mean that his site is intended for men and men only. I can certainly see how you'd think so. After all, I'm writing this as a twenty-eight year old, white male who is a father and a husband. And I'm certain that my choice of topics that we take up here will sometimes reflect these identities. But not always. And certainly, the concerns of one man may be concerns shared by other men, women, children, and pets.
I think that the term "the common man" needs to be reappropriated. 24-hour news channels conduct sidewalk interview after sidewalk interview, asking questions designed to elicit a 10-second answer from "the common man" that is neither perceptive, nor news. No, the common man has thoughts that take longer than 10 seconds to unfold. Yet, these are tossed away on the editing room floor. The common man appears stupid and uninsightful in our culture, and is treated as such by a government and media that do not respect him.
So what will we talk about? Culture, politics, family, social justice, economics, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The common man has many interests and all of them are fair game.
And who is the common man? Well, of course, I am. After all, this is my site. Yet, you are the common man, too, if you would like to be. It's not that there's nothing special about us, but we don't consider ourselves to be any more special than anyone else. We recognize that we are products of our culture as much as we continue to shape it. We cannot help being part of this culture, but we are aware of how it affects us on an everyday basis.
I hope you care about the common man, and about what the common man has to say. The common man cannot promise to be good, but can promise to always be here. I hope you will be here too.
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