Plum Crazy

Cottage in St James Park Watercolor

Cottage in St James Park Watercolor


Originally uploaded by plumcrazy.

Overstatement of the Year

The Knicks' quest for a playoff berth was dealt a major blow this morning when Jamal Crawford was found to have a stress fracture in his right ankle.

Maybe it's just me, but I thought their quest for a playoff berth was dealt a major blow by, um, let's see... the fact that they're playing below .500 ball!

Shorter me: The Knicks suck.

UPDATE: The Dolans suck too. Please fire Isiah.

Oh Joe Bruno

I find this a little bit hard to swallow from the third most powerful man in New York State*:

“Nobody wants to hear it, but my being in office has cost me a fortune — millions, literally millions,” he said. “I’m worth a hell of a lot less today than I was 30 years ago. That’s kind of sad. I’m worth a hell of a lot less now than I was 10 years ago.”

You're absolutely right, Joe. Nobody does want to hear it. You wield a tremendous amount of power in New York State. You could have chosen not to run for re-election any number of times. You made your choice, and it was power over (more) money. Stop whining.

Bruno is under investigation by the FBI right now for possible conflicts of interest surrounding his consulting business. I suspect this is the cause of his whining about his monetary situation, even though he's still pretty well-off by any standards.

It will be interesting to see how this investigation turns out. Right now, the Republicans have only a four-seat majority in the State Senate. The Democrats have a 59-seat majority in the State Assembly. If Bruno, the state's top-ranking Republican since Spitzer won the gubernatorial election, is indicted, it's likely that lead will shrink to three seats (I assume Spitzer will appoint a Democrat to hold Bruno's seat until the next election). New York State's last Democratic governor, Mario Cuomo, was not particularly willing to campaign heavily to bring the State Senate under Democratic control. Spitzer has indicated he's far more willing to do so. The play of politics in New York State may be about to get much more interesting.

*I'm giving the edge now to Sheldon Silver, the Democratic Speaker of the Assembly, since Spitzer became governor. A few months ago, when Pataki was still governor, I'd have said Bruno was the second most powerful man in New York State.

Quote of the Undetermined Time Period

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.

William Shakespeare, "Othello", Act 3 scene 3

You Say It's Your Birthday

Why, yes. Yes, I do. Despite my advancing age, I still love birthdays. People give you things. For free. What's not to love?

I kicked it off last night by attending Tartfest, a dinner with other NYC area bloggers and Shakes Sis' commenters. Much fun was had by all. This, of course, means my blogroll has expanded once again. I have one absolute rule about my blogroll - If I've met someone, they get added to the blogroll. I picked this up from Elayne, because I thought it was a great idea. So new to the blogroll are:

Some Watery Tart from Tart Juice aka our fine organizer
Jon the Space Cowboy from Pure and Easy
Toast from Two Glasses
Steve the Disgruntled Chemist

Also at the dinner last night were regular Shakers Maurinsky and Angelos, as well as Lisa, Erica, Tracy, Amy, and Sean. We went to a crowded Greek restaurant, but the food was good. Taramosolata, a taste treat to which A introduced me.

That rumor you may have heard about me being a total lightweight when it comes to alcohol? True. I almost never drink, so two drinks, and I'm a wee bit hungover. But A is taking me out for brunch and dinner. Whee! Fortunately I'm not that hungover.

Later!

Question for the Audience

Lesley - Left fringe: Yes or no. Discuss.

Some things to keep in mind. My social politics are fairly well discussed on this blog. My fiscal politics? Less so. Things to remember that may give you some clues on the less-discussed issues. I have an MBA in Finance from NYU. I work as a business unit CFO.

Go!

OK, So We're Not A Blogosphere Full of 5-Year-Olds

Apparently we're a blogosphere full of high-school students. There's a whole new dust-up about outing pseudonymous bloggers. (Which is wrong, wrong, wrong!) The whole thing started when HTML Mencken (fka Retardo Montalban) posted a photoshopped picture of Josh Trevino playing with a light saber. Josh claims this photo was taken at his wedding, and he's the only person in a position to know.* He requested that the photo be taken down, as it was intended to be private (it is for this reason I am not linking to the post with the photoshopped picture).

So first. Photoshopping pictures of other bloggers to mock them. Let me be perfectly honest. Yes, I'm as immature as anyone. Sure, it's funny. But it's basically the blogospheric equivalent of photo-copying someone's high school yearbook picture, drawing horns and glasses on it, and pasting it up all over the school. Yes, yes, it is. No one outside the blogosphere knows or cares who that person is. This is not protest speech the way that photoshopping a picture of the President is. It's clique behavior, and cliques are for kids. So when the object of your humiliation requests you take it down, you should take it down. Ostensibly, the political blogosphere is peopled with adults. There is no principal to suspend us from blogging for a week. Our parents aren't going to ground us for being jerks. Because we're adults.

Second, mocking other bloggers for taking anti-anxiety meds and/or being stay-at-home parents. I may never forgive you people for making me defend Jeff Goldstein, but I must. Stop. Now. It's amazingly offensive. Not as offensive as making fun of cancer patients, but is that how we want to be known? "Hey, we're less offensive than people who make fun of cancer patients!" No cookies for that. The fact that being a stay-at-home parent is considered mock-worthy under any circumstance says a hell of a lot about the value put on being a stay-at-home parent. Would Jeff's stance on the war be less mockable if he were an executive at a major corporation or a tenured professor? I'd think not, but apparently lots of people disagree. Which places the value of being a stay-at-home parent (i.e., women's work) below the value of executive or professor (i.e., men's work). Sorry if you don't like it. Own your prejudice. As for his taking anti-anxiety medication, would you mock him if he told you he had to take allergy medication? Of course not. Stigmatizing mental illness, as if there were no biological component to it. You suck.

However, outing people in response? No, no, no. No. Really. No. You can talk about "natural consequences" all you want. The natural consequence of acting like sexist jerks in your private life is not to have external actions visited on you. Anyone who thinks it is has a fucked up morality. If a person blogs using a pseudonym, that person hasn't agreed to accept certain risks. I don't care what your thoughts are about that lack of agreement; it's not your decision to make. Feel free to mock them for using a pseudonym, but those risks exist. Some people have been stalked online. Some people have had their families terrorized. The right to accept those risks lies only with the person who faces them. If someone does something online for which there should be external consequences, by which I only mean something that can be actioned through the justice system, then there are ways to visit those consequences upon them that don't include making their identity publicly known. Their identity can be revealed to the proper authorities so that legal cases can go forth. Hosting services and ISPs have that data and will release it if requested by warrant. That's your protection, and it's all the protection you need. Anything above and beyond that is just vindictive, extra-judicial, and wrong. Does this mean that sometimes you're going to have to deal with someone humiliating you without your having satisfactory recourse? Yes. Too bad. Humiliation isn't illegal. If that's the worst thing that ever happens to you, your life's pretty damn good.

Feh.

*BTW, why are people questioning in the comments why Josh had a wedding in which he wore khakis? What are you? The wedding police? Not every wedding is a massively formal affair. What's it to you? The man says it's his wedding. Even if you suspect it's not, see my first point.

I Am Spartacus

In solidarity with Shakespeare's Sister, who resigned yesterday from her position with the Edwards' campaign. I am Spartacus!

Via drifty. If you have a blog, join in!

An Apology

A post on Sunday satirizing the Anne Nicole Smith paternity question is still in the RSSS feed, even though the post itself was taken down soon after it went up. Not wanting to draw attention to the post given how quickly it came down, I opted not to offer an apology, but since it's still out there, an apology is in order. The post mocks the issue of the abduction and rape of women. I did not see it that way when I wrote it, but Lesley pointed it out to me. She is correct. I take the issue of rape seriously and apologize for the insensitive nature of the post.

No Room For Sentiment

Yesterday's news was that Bernie Williams would accept a minor league contract and battle for a job in spring training. Last night, the Yankee legend threw cold water on that theory, meaning his days as a Yankee are over. I can't say that I blame Williams for rejecting the offer. It was an insult to an all-time team great who has been nothing but a class act during his entire tenure with the club. The end of his career here is a sad day.

Part of me doesn't fault the Yankees. Their mission is to put the best product on the field and to win. If they don't feel that a player is part of the equation, their prerogative is to move on and use players who they feel can contribute the most.

But Bernie Williams gave the Yankees so much during his 16-year tenure. He was a star performer for most of his career and a linchpin when they won four titles in five years. He is one of the teams legends, ranking high in the club's record books. More to the point is his class. Bernie played with a quiet, dignified air, never once acting the part of a star, even though he was one and had every right to. After all he has meant to the team and to New York, combined with the fact he can still play, he should be allowed to leave on his terms, when he is ready. The Yankees owe him more than a minor league contract and only the thread of a chance to make the team.

I can understand carrying twelve pitchers on the team, but I can't understand putting three first basemen on the roster at the expense of Bernie. The Yankees are choosing Josh Phelps, Andy Phillips, and Doug Mientkiewicz over him. Maybe Bernie deserves a shot at the right-handed component of the first base job. Neither Phelps nor Phillips are anything special. Nor, for that matter, is Mientkiewicz.

Last year, Bernie showed he can still be a productive player, more productive than Phillips. He helped keep the Yankees afloat when they were decimated by injuries. The Yankees could have and should have found a way to keep him on the team for one more year or even two if that's what Bernie wanted. There is also the practical matter that they really should carry five outfielders and give up one of the first basemen. All around it is a bad, heartless decision.

All I can hope for at this point is that Bernie retires. He should only be a Yankee. To seem him finishing his career in some other uniform would be sadly wrong. A retirement, no matter how forced, seems to be the best choice now that his time here is over.

Fundraising Appeal

I'm posting this to request that anyone who can afford to donate even a little bit to the Jacqueline Fund do so. Jackie is a very intelligent and kind woman who is facing her third surgery for breast cancer - a double mastectomy. This will then be followed by reconstructive surgery. She's only 33. She works as a temp, so she has virtually no insurance coverage. She doesn't qualify for Medicaid or disability. Even if she did qualify for Medicaid, her reconstructive surgery wouldn't be covered, as it's considered purely cosmetic. Due to her temp status, she is also facing her surgery and recovery times without income. Jackie is one of the many faces of those who suffer without health insurance. Sadly, this is the kind of thing that can happen to anyone.

Any little bit will help, so if you can afford to, please donate.

UPDATE: Wow, the website was successful. Apparently it somehow got to the company she was temping for, and they are going to put her on their insurance plan. So the worst is covered. She still won't have income coming in during her surgery and recovery times, but the most expensive stuff is taken care of. The website will be left up to help collect funds for her living expenses while she's unable to work, with anything over what she needs going to the Breast Cancer Research Fund. So thanks to anyone who clicked over and donated.

Thanks.

Lesley

The Only Post I'll Make on the Edwards' Blogger Issue

Anyone who is wringing their hands and furrowing their brow over the private postings of a couple of low-level campaign staffers with no policy-making influence working on John Edwards' campaign, but who is also touting Rudy Giuliani as a serious candidate for President is not to be taken seriously. Rudy is one of the most uncivil politicians around. If you're really concerned about the death of civil discourse, you should be out there campaigning against Giuliani, not a couple of women who aren't running for any office, let alone the highest office in the nation. Whether or not you agree with their politics or phrasing, Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan didn't deserve the kind of outrage that was stirred up over their being hired to staff a campaign blog. That outrage is better directed at those who run our country or want to run our country.

Why A-Rod, Why?

"At this point in time, Alex has certainly reflected to me he's very happy in New York. We have not talked about anything like that [opting out of his contract at the end of this season] and probably will not until the season is completed."

You're very happy in New York? Dude. Yankees fans hate you. This makes you very happy?

As he prepares for the start of spring training this month, his goal is to get a World Series ring for the first time.

"My burden has always been the same since I was 18," he said.

Your burden must be that you can't hit in the post-season. Against anyone.

Pain. I'm in pain. Can't you just get all Nomar and demand a trade or else?

Not At All Surprising

Wow, this is a surprising number: Hillary Clinton is not just beating Rudy Giuliani in his home state — and her adopted state — of New York, but is trouncing the former Mayor by over 20 points in a new poll. The survey, released today by Crain's New York Business, finds that Hillary is beating Rudy 53%-32%.

I have to disagree with Eric Kleefeld. It's not a surprising number at all. As a New Yorker, I find this eminently unsurprising. New Yorkers are very familiar with Rudy Giuliani and his flaws. Before 9/11, Rudy's popularity had decreased significantly. He wasn't a particularly liked mayor.

Many New Yorkers who are fans of Rudy as Mayor think he'd make a horrible President. People outside New York don't realize how obnoxious he really is. While a lot of New Yorkers may think this is a fine quality in the Mayor of New York City, those same people don't think it's a fine quality in the President of the United States. We really don't think it's a swell idea to have a man who is more likely than not to refer to the French Ambassador as a "mewling baby" or the like. Rudy has a long history of running off at the mouth, insulting people, and generally not knowing when to shut the hell up. Not good Presidential qualities.

Not to mention that he has no taste for dissent. He wasn't regularly called Benito Giuliani for nothing. I think a lot of New Yorkers would prefer a President who is willing to consider opposing viewpoints. Giuliani is not that man. His general style of leadership consists of: "Do it." "I told you to do it." "You're fired."

As for Mike Bloomberg's single digit results, no shock there. Bloomberg is easily one of the most uninspiring politicians New York has seen in my lifetime. He may be an excellent businessman, but his public speaking abilities make Al Gore seem like Mr. Excitement.

Via Eschaton.

Quickie Movie Reviews

With Oscar season in full swing, I've been making it a point to see as many of the contenders for major awards as possible. In short order, I've seen 6+ films. Thought it would be an interesting exercise to run down the list in order and provide thumbnail reviews.

Notes On A Scandal: taut, riveting drama with superb performances by Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Both deserve nominations for best actress.

Babel: best story is the one about the deaf mute Japanese girl. Neatly links together four story threads that show how the smallest moments ripple throughout the globe, and how, despite the interconnectedness of the world, we really still can't communicate with each other.

The Queen: lighter fare than I expected. Quiet and dignified with an excellent Helen Mirren actually making Queen Elizabeth II a likable, sympathetic figure who is not sure how to mesh tradition with the demands of the modern world.

Little Miss Sunshine: thankfully rented this one through pay per view. Could stomach maybe only half an hour of this utterly depressing movie that made me cringe. Would like to make it through the whole thing, but I don't know if I can.

Pan's Labyrinth: no light fairy tell this one. A dark, grim movie, oftentimes brutal, but a top notch story demonstrating how we all need escapism from the real world. Deserves a nod for Best Picture period, not just Best Foreign Language Feature.

Venus: Peter O'Toole remains vibrant and charming, yet it's a highly disturbing story that is difficult to bear.

Letters from Iwo Jima: on a par with Babel and The Departed as a best picture candidate. In its quietness, despite the subject matter, it's similar to The Queen. Deftly humanizes the faces behind the war and makes you care deeply about the Japanese soldiers who are doomed from the start. It's amazing how Clint Eastwood has transitioned from star to one of the best directors of the last 15 years.

Fat People Got No Reason. . .

Unless it were an historical drama of the black-face era, it would not be acceptable to make a movie today with whites dressed in black face, not even in jest. A movie like The Bird Cage would probably get slammed today. A movie of women in subservient positions, unless it were trying to make a political point, would be unacceptable as well. Yet for some reason, it's still acceptable to make fun of obese people. Why?

Party On

Rightfully, there is a chorus of criticism of white college students who are holding parties mocking the worst stereotypes of African-Americans. I guess it's not cool enough to dress up as important African-American leaders such as Martin Luther King or Jesse Jackson (though, as someone who's Jewish, I have my own issues with Jackson). Instead, it's deemed cool to toss around the "n" word, dress up as gangstas, drink malt liquor, and don black face.

"Where's the harm," these students are asking, noting that they're only mirroring the behavior of African-Americans and that they're only appropriating what they see as cool behavior. "We only want to be like you." Actually, I have my own opinion of the gangsta culture and don't believe African-Americans should behave this way. This type of behavior can be dangerous, marginalizes women, and only reinforces negative stereotypes. Still, it is one thing for African-Americans to act this way and quite another for whites to act this way.

For African-Americans, it diffuses the power of stereotypes by taking a racial epithet and making it part of their lexicon; for whites, as the class in power, it only serves to perpetuate an image, continue to disenfranchise African-Americans, and to deny African-Americans the equal treatment they deserve.

It is also a mockery of African-Americans only to want to mirror their worst behavior, as though it's the only way they behave. Nope, no African-Americans serve in important positions or are doctors or lawyers, no African-Americans are positive role models and leaders. Again, whites may say, "It's only harmless fun, African-Americans behave this way, why can't we?" The reasons why they can't are numerous. As one critic noted, it was once seen as fun to hold lynching parties and no harm was really done, none at all. It is making fun of African-Americans, again perpetuating stereotypes, intimating that all African-Americans behave this way, and continuing the tradition of demeaning them and not taking them seriously by dressing up in black face and making mockery of them by turning them into cartoonish figures in movies who walk around bug-eyed, only capable of saying, "Yes, massa, you sure is right massa."

Where African-Americans have created power systems by using the "n" word or using gangsta themes to skyrocket to success in the rap industry, whites can only keep African-Americans down by appropriating their behavior and saying this is the only way African-Americans behave. A subtle form of racism to be sure, but racism as much as segregation or lynching parties were.

Why Joe Biden Does Not Deserve A Get Out of Bad Interpretation Free Card

It was inevitable after public discussion on Biden's statement about Obama began. Some people would rise to Biden's defense, claiming it was just a compliment. That it's no big deal. That we should give the man the benefit of the doubt.

Even if this were the first time Biden had ever made a racially charged comment, it's still a big deal. If you've never, ever heard this before, hear it now. Using the words "artictulate" or "well-spoken" to describe an African-American is code for "talks white." That's what it is. If you didn't know that before, you know it now. If, as a white person, you use those terms to describe an African-American, 99% of the time it will be perceived as a racial slur. There's a lot of white people out there who are still surprised to meet a black person after they've only spoken to them on the phone. They're surprised because the person on the phone spoke in Standard English, belying the listener's racist assumptions that only whites can speak Standard English. If you mean to say that a black person's a great public speaker or an excellent orator, use those words, just like you would if you mean to say that about a white person. I don't remember Bill Clinton ever being described as articulate. Charismatic. Excellent orator. Never articulate.

However, this is not the first time Biden has trafficked in racial slurs. Last summer, while speaking with an Indian American political activist at a campaign stop, Biden talked about the high support he had among Delaware's Indian American community. "I've had a great relationship (with Indian Americans). In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking." Oh ha ha ha, Joe. That's right. Indian Americans work in 7-Elevens and Dunkin' Donuts. They're never doctors or engineers or accountants or lawyers or teachers or...

On a campaign stop in South Carolina a few weeks ago, Biden also made a little "joke" for his majority white audience.

After a club member noted an upcoming event at the state Department of Archives and History included a chance to see the state's original copy of the Articles of Secession, Biden asked: "Where else could I go to a Rotary Club where (for a) Christmas Party the highlight is looking at the Articles?"

Biden noted Delaware was a border state and "a slave state that fought beside the North. That's only because we couldn't figure out how to get to the South - there were a couple of other states in the way."

The crowd roared with laughter.

Oh, nudge, nudge, wink, wink to those "grand old days" of the Confederacy; a time when blacks were still slaves. A little "Oh, we really wanted to be on your side, good ol' boys." Biden knew who his audience was, and he pandered to them at the expense of blacks.

How many racist "gaffes" does Biden have to make before we're all convinced he's racist? He's not going to don a white sheet and burn a cross on someone's lawn. He's unlikely to outright use the n-word. But racism in our society can be far more subtle and insidious than that. It's Biden's kind of racism that's the hardest to fight, because it isn't overt. Whites can (and do) always just look at a specific incident in isolation and say "Oh, well, it wasn't the smartest thing to say, but I'm sure it was just a joke/compliment."

Biden has exhibited a pattern. It's time to stop looking at his remarks as one-off "mistakes." Joe Biden does not deserve to be President. He cannot be trusted to be concerned with the well-being of all Americans.

The Real Reason GWB Promised Us A Moon Base

Because we have to fight the Mooninites there so we won't have to fight them here!

Seriously, Bostonians - WTF? Are you that sad? "ZOMG, the terrorists are attacking with neon signs of cartoon characters!" Somehow the signs haven't managed to freak anybody out in any of the other large cities they've appeared in.

Last link via Pandagon.

UPDATE: It occurs to me that several of my readers will not know what Mooninites are, other than obviously cartoon characters. They're recurring characters on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a cartoon about a talking box of french fries, a talking milkshake, and a talking meatball. Although, come to think of it, that Frylock is one scary bastard...

Everything Isn't Up-To-Date in Kansas City

A year ago, two cops in Kansas City pulled over a pregnant woman for having a fake temp tag taped to her car window. Basically the first words out of the woman's mouth were "I'm 3 months pregnant and bleeding. I wanted to drive to the hospital." What do you think happened next? Full disclosure: The two cops were white. One was male, the other was female. The pregnant woman was black.

If you said they believed her and took her to the hospital for treatment, you're wrong.

If you said they disbelieved her while she continued to repeat this over and over, asked her "How is that my problem?" said "Yes, it's called a menstrual cycle," then jailed her where she bled so heavily they kept bringing her new pants to change into, you're right. The next morning, after they finally released her, she went to the hospital and delivered a premature baby boy who died immediately.

Watch the police video linked in the article. It's disgusting. The police officers should be fired.

Via Black Amazon.