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A Man In Transition

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Helen Thomas, Lynne Stewart, a vat of anchovies and me ... indeed!
-Glenn Reynolds

Friday Poetry - Baseball Begins

The new baseball season is about to begin.  This is the magical time f the year when even Cubs and Royals and Tampa Bay fans believe, if only a very little bit, that this might, somehow, finally be their year.  Here's an old poem by Franklin Adams about the game that is one of the few threads that connects Americans across generations, religions, races and economics. 

Where did I put that Yankees cap, anyway?

A Ballad of Baseball Burdens
   
The burden of hard hitting. Slug away
Like Honus Wagner or like Tyrus Cobb.
Else fandom shouteth: "Who said you could play?
Back to the jasper league, you minor slob!"
Swat, hit, connect, line out, goet on the job.
Else you shall feel the brunt of fandom's ire
Biff, bang it, clout it, hit it on the knob -
This is the end of every fan's desire.

The burden of good pitching. Curved or straight.
Or in or out, or haply up or down,
To puzzle him that standeth by the plate,
To lessen, so to speak, his bat-renown:
Like Christy Mathewson or Miner Brown,
So pitch that every man can but admire
And offer you the freedom of the town -
This is the end of every fan's desire.

The burden of loud cheering. O the sounds!
The tumult and the shouting from the throats
Of forty thousand at the Polo Grounds
Sitting, ay, standing sans their hats and coats.
A mighty cheer that possibly denotes
That Cub or Pirate fat is in the fire;
Or, as H. James would say, We've got their goats -
This is the end of every fan's desire.

The burden of a pennant. O the hope,
The tenuous hope, the hope that's half a fear,
The lengthy season and the boundless dope,
And the bromidic, "Wait until next year."
O dread disgrace of trailing in the rear,
O Piece of Bunting, flying high and higher
That next October it shall flutter here:
This is the end of every fan's desire.

ENVOY

Ah, Fans, let not the Quarry but the Chase
Be that to which most fondly we aspire!
For us not Stake, but Game; not Goal, but Race -

THIS is the end of every fan's desire.

Franklin P. Adams
 
 

Posted by: Jheka at March 30, 2007 16:59 | link | comments (2) |
poetry

A Truly Vile Troll

The blogosphere is, sadly, full of stalkers and trolls and other mentally and emotionally damaged people who use the anonimity of the net to maliciously give form and direction to their derangements.  Many, many prominent bloggers (and some not so prominent bloggers, such as yours truly) have had to deal with persistant stalkers, trolls, impersonators and other social misfits with too much time on their hands and obsessive natures.

Well, one of the very worst had to be pudgy, beady eyed Eliot Stein, a morally miniscule man who lived through his hatred of others.  In particular, Stein hated and obsessed over Cathy Seipp, a talented, witty and much beloved columnist and blogger.  This obsession, which had gone on for years, was going to have to end because Seipp was dying (she passed away on March 21 of this year) so Stein, obviously feeling that he was losing a part of himself, lashed out one last time.  As Seipp lay dying, he wrote a hateful, rambling post in Seipp's name.  Seipp was beyond Stein's ability to hurt by this time but he did manage to lash out at her teenage daughter (who he seems to blame for his various inadequacies) and Seipp's many, many friends.

Some say that the problem with internet relationships is the lack of physical contact that is essential to healthy human relations.  This observation is, in many respects correct.  After all, before the internet provided the safety of distance and relative anonimity to the maladjusted misanthropes of the net, a vile act like publicly defaming a good person as she died would have been met, at a minimum, with a punch in the mouth.  In today's world, Eliot Stein will probably escape with his teeth intact.  In today's world all we can do is point out the fact that he is a vile piece of filth and hope that the word spreads.

Posted by: Jheka at March 28, 2007 13:48 | link | comments (1) |
schmucks

Movie Review: Reign Over Me

What do you think of when you think of Adam Sandler?  Happy Gilmore?  Billy Madison?  The Hannukah song?  Forget it.  Throw out any and all preconceptions that you may have about Adam Sandler.  "Reign Over Me" is a completely different animal and, to the best of my judgment, is easily the best work that Sandler (and arguably Cheadle, who has done some very, very fine work ... he has come a long way since Meteor Man and (ugh) Swordfish) has ever done.

Let's get it out of the way:  Reign Over Me is, while imperfect, is a terrific, powerful movie and is the best serious movie that I have seen in a very, very long time.  It is also worth noting that although 9-11 is an important backdrop in this movie, it is not a movie about 9-11.  There is absolutely nothing political about it (it is a little sad that this is a clarification, one way or the other , that we have to make about virtually every serious movie that comes out these days). 

Reign Over Me is a movie about a group of people who are broken to various degrees who somehow come together to try to help each other and themselves.  If 9-11 had never happened, this movie could still have been made with only minor script changes.  It is a movie about loss and heartbreak and the delicacy of the human psyche.  It's about the restorative power of friendship and the devastating, corrosive effect of isolation.  It is, in turns, funny and disturbing and deeply, profoundly sad (it was easy to hear the crying in the theatre where I saw it).  Sandler turns in a performance that is on a different level from anything that he had managed before, including his fine performances in Punch Drunk Love and Spanglish.  He shows a vulnerability, both physically and emotionally, that was as effective as it was unexpected.  Cheadle, who's own  beleaguered, struggling character is the lens through which we see Sandler, once again shows that he is one of the better actors working today.  Saffron Burrows (who is insanely busy) and Liv Tyler also do a fine job.

The bottom line is that this is a very fine movie.  It should probably have a Best Picture nomination in its future.  However, it is NOT a "fun" movie.  Don't go see it on a first date and, when you go, bring the kleenex. 

Posted by: Jheka at March 28, 2007 12:51 | link | comments (3) |
miscellaneous musings

Movie Reviews: Shooter

I had guests in from out of town this weekend and when we were simply too exhausted to walk another block or lift another glass of ... um ... lemonade, we went to see movies.  On Saturday night we caught "Shooter," the Mark Walberg falsely accused, fugitive against "the man" flick.  It's a movie in the tradition of The Fugitive, U.S. Marshals, The Sentinel, Enemy of the State and dozens of other mostly mediocre ("The Fugitive" being a notable exception) chase movies with some variation of this hackneyed premise.

I am here to tell you that "Shooter" is not mediocre.  Not even close.  It is complete, unadulterated crap.  If it had stopped at stale clichés and physically impossible (to a ridiculous level) it might have been entertaining on a "things go boom" level.  If it had merely had completely unrealistic (and legally impossible) plot twists (at one point the Attorney General orders an accused assassin and mass murderer released because of a demonstration that suggested that it wasn't his gun that was used in the original assassination .. never mind procedure, the scores of other people he killed, the ... well, frankly the whole thing was silly), it might have been an inoffensively bad film.

Shooter was not just dumb.  It was not just unrealistic.  Shooter was offensive.  It is a grotesque, bloody, ultraviolent leftist fantasy about the evils of secret, ruthless, amorphous cabals that casually murder villages full of innocents for their evil oil profits.  You could practically hear the breathless murmurs of Halliburton and PNAC and AEI.  Ned Beatty plays a haughty, evil Senator who is, pointedly, from Montana (a Republican, in other words) and Danny Glover (his presence in the movie should have been a clue) plays the kind of murderous, psychotic, megalomaniacal government operative that, given his real life left wing blather, Glover believes really runs our government and, of course, the world.  His cackling, cigar smoking, scotch drinking portrayal of the evil, manipulative, untouchable pseudo-government agent who boasts openly of his evil deeds and invulnerability (how the Move On crowd envisions Rove, I suppose) would be pretty damned comical if it was meant as a parody.  Given the apparent sincerity, it's pathetic.

The bottom line is that Shooter does not have a single original or interesting frame of action .  The explosions, bloody gunplay and third rate martial arts have all been done (and done bigger and better) in far, far better movies.  Combined with a central message that might well have come out of the fevered delusions of a Sean Penn, Cindy Sheehan or, for that matter, Danny Glover, this tripe does not deserved to be viewed by anyone.  The $30 that I wasted on it was $30 too many.

Posted by: Jheka at March 26, 2007 14:24 | link | comments |
miscellaneous musings

Fun With Craigslist

Suppose a girl was looking for a nice guy ...

Suppose she's a baseball fan ...

Naturally, she might click on this:

Spring Training

PG-13 warning ...

Posted by: Jheka at March 23, 2007 12:10 | link | comments (4) |
humor

Random Tuesday Afternoon Art

Just because I'm sitting in a room with no windows and the world can use some prettying up ...

This is "Summer Evening," an 1886 painting by the American artist Childe Hassam.

Posted by: Jheka at March 20, 2007 13:34 | link | comments (6) |
art

A Gentle Reminder

It's been a while. 

Please don't forget.

Posted by: Jheka at March 17, 2007 03:13 | link | comments (4) |
the war against islamism

Friday Poetry for a Rainy Day Before St. Patrick's Day

Something sad, something beautiful, something Irish ... Philip Larkin delivers:

Dublinesque

Down stucco sidestreets,
Where light is pewter
And afternoon mist
Brings lights on in shops
Above race-guides and rosaries,
A funeral passes.

The hearse is ahead,
But after there follows
A troop of streetwalkers
In wide flowered hats,
Leg-of-mutton sleeves,
And ankle-length dresses.

There is an air of great friendliness,
As if they were honouring
One they were fond of;
Some caper a few steps,
Skirts held skilfully
(Someone claps time),

And of great sadness also.
As they wend away
A voice is heard singing
Of Kitty, or Katy,
As if the name meant once
All love, all beauty.

Philip Larkin

Posted by: Jheka at March 16, 2007 10:43 | link | comments |
poetry

One Bullet

Allow me to stress an earlier point ... You stab your 11 month old child in the back and throw him out of a car window, you should be entitled to a free, expressly delivered bullet from your fellow citizens via your government. 

Maybe there's a mental illness defense but, if not ...

Society has no obligation to house, care for and feed monsters.

None.

Posted by: Jheka at March 15, 2007 16:21 | link | comments |
schmucks

Two Bullets, That's All

Ok, ok ... a trial first.  However, if this is what it appears to be, well, I have always said that society has no obligation, moral or legal, to house, feed and care for monsters.

Two bullets.

Posted by: Jheka at March 13, 2007 08:30 | link | comments |
schmucks

Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia

A nineteen year old woman was kidnapped, beaten and gang raped repeatedly over several hours by seven men.  Afterwards, she hid what happened to her and attempted suicide.  When authorities finally did discover what happened, no one was convicted of rape because there were no witnesses (she doesn't count) but she was sentenced to 90 (NINETY!) lashes for admitting to being alone with a man who was not related to her.  Saudi Arabia applied Sharia (fundamentalist Islamic) law in this case.  This is the law that Islamists want to spread to Europe and the United States. 

Make no mistake about it ... what's happening to this woman ... this is part of what our fight is about.

Posted by: Jheka at March 06, 2007 16:11 | link | comments |
the war against islamism, schmucks

Bloggers Turn Their Back on Coulter

I am not exactly a conservative and this isn't really a conservative blog (but perhaps I acan be called right of center ... maybe a right wing liberal) but I'm happy to join in and spread the word that there are many, many bloggers on the right who will stand up and cry foul when a right wing celebrity pole vaults over the line of not just civility but decency.  If we saw more of such behavior from the left (there is some but it is a drop in the proverbial ocean), political discourse in this country would have a far brighter future:

An Open Letter to CPAC Sponsers and Organizers Regarding Ann Coulter

Conservatism treats humans as they are, as moral creatures possessing rational minds and capable of discerning right from wrong. There comes a time when we must speak out in the defense of the conservative movement, and make a stand for political civility. This is one of those times.

Ann Coulter used to serve the movement well. She was telegenic, intelligent, and witty. She was also fearless: saying provocative things to inspire deeper thought and cutting through the haze of competing information has its uses. But Coulter’s fearlessness has become an addiction to shock value. She draws attention to herself, rather than placing the spotlight on conservative ideas.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2006, Coulter referred to Iranians as “ragheads.” She is one of the most prominent women in the conservative movement; for her to employ such reckless language reinforces the stereotype that conservatives are racists.

At CPAC 2007 Coulter decided to turn up the volume by referring to John Edwards, a former U.S. Senator and current Presidential candidate, as a “faggot.” Such offensive language–and the cavalier attitude that lies behind it–is intolerable to us. It may be tolerated on liberal websites but not at the nation’s premier conservative gathering.

The legendary conservative thinker Richard Weaver wrote a book entitled Ideas Have Consequences. Rush Limbaugh has said again and again that “words mean things.” Both phrases apply to Coulter’s awful remarks.

Coulter’s vicious word choice tells the world she care little about the feelings of a large group that often feels marginalized and despised. Her word choice forces conservatives to waste time defending themselves against charges of homophobia rather than advancing conservative ideas.

Within a day of Coulter’s remark John Edwards sent out a fundraising email that used Coulter’s words to raise money for his faltering campaign. She is helping those she claims to oppose. How does that advance any of the causes we hold dear?

Denouncing Coulter is not enough. After her “raghead” remark in 2006 she took some heat. Yet she did not grow and learn. We should have been more forceful. This year she used a gay slur. What is next? If Senator Barack Obama is the de facto Democratic Presidential nominee next year will Coulter feel free to use a racial slur? How does that help conservatism?

One of the points of CPAC is the opportunity it gives college students to meet other young conservatives and learn from our leaders. Unlike on their campuses—where they often feel alone—at CPAC they know they are part of a vibrant political movement. What example is set when one highlight of the conference is finding out what shocking phrase will emerge from Ann Coulter’s mouth? How can we teach young conservatives to fight for their principles with civility and respect when Ann Coulter is allowed to address the conference? Coulter’s invective is a sign of weak thinking and unprincipled politicking.

CPAC sponsors, the Age of Ann has passed. We, the undersigned, request that CPAC speaking invitations no longer be extended to Ann Coulter. Her words and attitude simply do too much damage.

Credentialed CPAC 2007 Bloggers

Sean Hackbarth, The American Mind
James Joyner, Outside the Beltway
BoiFromTroy, Boi From Troy
Joy McCann, Little Miss Attila
Kevin McCullough, Musclehead Revolution
Fausta Werz, Fausta’s blog
Patrick Hynes, Ankle Biting Pundits
Ed Morrissey, Captain's Quarters                                                                                                            Jane Stewart, seejanemom             

Other Right-of-Center Bloggers
Owen Robinson, Boots and Sabres
BLOGGER OF THE YEAR, N.Z. Bear, The Truth Laid Bear
Michael Demmons, Gay Orbit
Mark Coffey, Decision ‘08
Russell Newquist, The Philosopher’s Stone

 

Add my name

Jheka, The Daily Blitz

Posted by: Jheka at March 06, 2007 01:35 | link | comments (2) |
politics, mensches

Big Mouth, Small Heart

I figured that Edison Miranda would beat Allan Green (I actually thought that it would end in a knockout by either one man or the other) but I never thought that Allan Green would come in unwilling to mix it up, especially after all of the smack he talked pre-fight.  Sometimes a loss in a true war enhances a fighter's reputation.  Examples include Micky Ward's losses to Arturo Gatti (and Gatti's loss to Ward in the first of their three fights) and Jose Luis Castillo's loss to Diego Coralles.  This is not such a loss for Allan Green, who's previously sterling reputation took a bigger hit than his heretofore unblemished record.

Of course, if you get a chance to watch Miranda fight, don't pass it up.

Posted by: Jheka at March 04, 2007 05:38 | link | comments |
sports

What I Didn't Know About Jimmy

As some of you may know, Jimmy Carter is one of my least favorite people.  A noxious anti-American, anti-Semitic nutjob, he is a walking, talking sneak preview of what would happen if Americans were ever foolish enough to once again elect a far left wing surrender monkey.  Carter was a clueless 70's version of Dennis Kucinich (with apologies to Mr. Kucinich) who got into the White House due to a series of bizarre political events.  Carter did tremendous damage to our country during his four years as President and, his undeserved reputation to the contrary notwithstanding, has continued to harm this country and its people since leaving office (especially in recent years).

Well, the fact is that Jimmy Carter is worse than I thought.  I had never heard of Oscar Collazo until I happened to come across a Wikipedia article about him in a fairly random fashion.  Oscar Collazo, a Puerto Rican nationalist, and his partner, Griselio Torresola tried to assassinate President Harry Truman in the White House.  During their attempt, they murdered White House policeman Leslie Coffelt (who, in turn, managed to kill Torresola before succumbing to his wounds) and injured officers Joseph Downs and Donald Birdzell.  Collazo was captured and sentenced to death.  Truman commuted his sentence to life imprisonment.  Jimmy Carter used his presidential pardon power to release this murderer and would-be assassin.  He went home to a heroes welcome and was honored by Carter's good friend Fidel Castro almost immediately after the pardon.  Collazo lived for 15 years in freedom and comfort before dying of a stroke in 1994.

A President of the United States pardoned a man who sought to murder a sitting President
and who did murder a United States peace officer in the attempt.  He granted freedom, status and honor to a man who thought to harm this country and who continued to promote the cause that he killed for after his release. 

Jimmy Carter:  a true friend of America's enemies. 

Posted by: Jheka at March 04, 2007 03:52 | link | comments (2) |
schmucks, leftist idiocy

Sometimes Even Howard Dean is Right

Ann Coulter, the Paris Hilton of political punditry, is a hateful, self-absorbed nitwit who will do nothing but help defeat Republicans.  Half as smart and just as noxious as Michael Moore (and that's saying something), she's someone that any intelligent politicians would do well to disassociate themselves from.  Frankly, there is little reason for anyone to pay attention to her.

Posted by: Jheka at March 03, 2007 03:28 | link | comments |
schmucks, politics, rightist idiocy