“This is an issue that, no matter what side of the debate you're on, is far from settled.”
Three men sitting down at a table and drinking beer on a summer's afternoon. What could be more American? What could be more amicable? What could be a better end to the Gates-Crowley affair?
Crowley, the Cambridge police officer who arrested Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on July 16th outside the Harvard scholar's home, Gates, and President Obama sat down to have a civilized discussion on the events following the arrest, and the state of race in America. At least, we can assume that's what was discussed, as all three remain tight-lipped on the details of the conversation.
It's maybe for the best that we won't know what was said at their meeting—the gesture of the three sitting down together and sharing a friendly pint expresses far more than any transcript ever could. And yet, were we to know Gates and Crowley's thoughts on the matter after the dust has settled, not to mention Obama's, it would give us a much better idea of whether or not all the fuss was warranted, and whether or not we should still be outraged.
As so many of you have indicated in your comments, this is an issue that, no matter what side of the debate you're on, is far from settled. Two of the men concerned are actively involved in addressing matters of race in America, the third is in a position to actually make a difference where it counts—on the streets of an American city.
Whether the talk was of baseball or history or politics, I for one am glad this particular event can be put to rest. No doubt all three of these men have attained some valuable insight through the process. Have the rest of us?
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and lawmakers address healthcare reform in Washington, D.C.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi recently announced that she is confident about the votes needed to pass a healthcare bill in the House.
With this news, it seems likely that significant progress will be made concerning the issue of affordable healthcare for all Americans. Back in 2008, the issue appeared to be one of the topics we, as Americans, couldn't stop talking about. So why does it seem like the Obama administration is losing traction on the healthcare debate? I'll give you 3 guesses:
The economy
The economy
The economy
It seems that the days of discussing the issue of affordable healthcare is a thing of the past. There's no doubt about it. These days, Americans are fatigued by the astronomical numbers coming out of Washington D.C. The Obama administration has tried to communicate that one of the ways to fix the economy is through healthcare.
It's that type of constant communication that will have to continue in order to see any progress made. I mean, let's face it: healthcare in this country accounts for one-sixth of our economy, which means some reform could be needed.
President Obama's first statement was that Dr. Gates is a friend of his; so his opinion may be a bit biased. He went on to say that anyone who was in a situation like that would have been frustrated.
Well, guess who won? None other than comedian extraordinaire John Stewart. This is one news update that actually made me smile, but left me with more questions at the end.
But what do you think about President Obama's work so far? How about his progress on healthcare policy? Is he doing a good job? Share your thoughts below.
That would seem to be the allegation of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the prominent African American scholar and previous guest on the show, who was arrested last week after an altercation outside his home.
According to news reports, an onlooker called the police after seeing Gates attempting to force open the door to a house on a residential street of the quiet Massachusetts town. What the tipster didn't know, of course, is that the home belonged to Gates himself, and that he was apparently locked out.
The events that followed have since been reported by other media, but seem to have begun with the police demanding Gates identify himself, and culminated with Gates shouting, “This is what happens to black men in America,” at which point he was arrested.
Did Gates' neighbor assume he was a criminal just because he is black? Did the police act wrongly when they arrived on the scene? Did Gates overreact to what could have just boiled down to a simple misunderstanding? Little more is known at this point, but hopefully the coming days will shed some light on the subject.
If you have a cell phone and a car, chances are you occasionally or habitually use them at the same time. Whether you're addicted to on-the-road texting, or are vigilant about using your hands-free headset, the distraction of using a mobile phone while driving could be a danger to yourself and those around you.
This, at least, is the focus of a lengthy New York Times article this weekend. The story probes the dangers of using mobile phones while driving and wonders why less has been done to make such activities illegal.
Okay, so we all know that talking on the phone and driving isn't ideal. We've all been cut off by inattentive drivers on their cell phones and wanted to shout at them, “Just hang up the phone and drive!” But are we ready to follow our own advice?
While banning using handsets while driving is a fairly obvious fix and has been implemented in a handful of cities and states around the country, according to these studies, that may not make enough difference. Not to mention the difficulty of enforcing such laws. If the conversation keeps moving in the current direction, there will soon be no differentiation between hands-free phone use and holding it up to your ear.
The debate has begun to closely resemble the early warnings about smoking in the 1950s and how dangerous it was for human health. Even so, even with warnings on the labels, there are still lots of smokers out there.
So are we ready to stop yakking while we drive in the interest of our safety and the safety of those around us? The short answer is no, we're not. Not yet anyway. We're addicted to our phones, and won't give up using them while driving without a serious fight.
For someone who takes up a sport or hobby that's different than what their friends are involved in, there may be discomfort in standing out from the crowd. It's definitely okay to be different, but everyone needs help along the way. Here are a few tips:
Parents: Teach your children that the person they see reflected in the mirror is a beautiful person.
Young people: When your friends try new hobbies or activities (that aren't dangerous or illegal) that are different from the things that they normally do, support that friend in their efforts.
Need a few examples? Look at Venus and Serena Williams, Tiger Woods and Lupe Fiasco. They all went out and did something that was different than the so-called established "norm" and enjoy what they're doing immensely.
I mean, think about it: How many hip-hop fans thought they'd be listening to—and like—a hip-hop artist who rapped about skateboarding!
Some of the most beautiful accomplishments in life come from people who dare to be different and love themselves. It's what makes life so interesting and gives people like you and me inspiration to be great.
Triple negative breast cancer recently claimed the life of longtime executive producer of The Tavis Smiley Show on Public Radio International—Sheryl Flowers. Flowers was 42.
But you've probably never heard of triple negative breast cancer. It is an aggressive form of breast cancer that is so named because the three receptors that successful breast cancer treatment targets—estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)—are not found in women with this breast cancer subtype.
If you want to learn more about triple negative and other types of breast cancer, check out these resources.
1) Watch tonight's show (see clip below). Tavis devotes the entire show to a discussion of breast cancer. He talks to one of the leading authorities on cancer risk assessment, Dr. Olufunmilayo Olopade and breast cancer survivors Diahann Carroll and television writer Jessica Queller.
Even with the unfortunate gaffs and Tina Fey impressions, she can still raise millions of dollars and has star power in parts of the electorate that will support her no matter what.
She has the moxie, confidence and enthusiasm that's sure to electrify crowds once again.
I saw Brian Williams a couple of nights ago talking about this, and I was confused as ever. After, he stated that the FDA would keep the drug on the market; their reasoning behind it was that it was more important to help people quit smoking than anything else.
But what if you're dead?
Chantix and Zyban users: will you continue to use the product, or will you look for something else?
“Do you ever feel that on the racism front, our nation simultaneously takes one step forward and two steps back?”
It's summer 2009. On the one hand, the United States has its first African American president and confirmation hearings are underway for a woman who will likely be the Supreme Court's first Latina justice.
On the other hand, racism (and the perception of racism) is alive and busy as ever. For example:
3) And, the NAACP is unveiling a new Rapid Report System today that will allow people “to send instant texts, e-mails or video reports of police abuse to the association via cell phone.” Way to use 21st-century technology, NAACP! But it'd be nice if we didn't need it.
What do you think? Do you ever feel that, on the racism front, our nation simultaneously takes one step forward and two steps back? What gives? Will racism ever die?
Reason 1: Ongoing ethics complaints"Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt. The ethics law I championed became their weapon of choice. Over the past nine months I've been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations - such as holding a fish in a photograph, wearing a jacket with a logo on it, and answering reporters' questions.
Every one - all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We've won! But it hasn't been cheap - the State has wasted THOUSANDS of hours of YOUR time and shelled out some two million of YOUR dollars to respond to "opposition research" - that's money NOT going to fund teachers or troopers - or safer roads."
Reason 2: Lame duck status"I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks... travel around the state, to the Lower 48 (maybe), overseas on international trade - as so many politicians do. And then I thought - that's what's wrong - many just accept that lame duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck, and "milk it". I'm not putting Alaska through that - I promised efficiencies and effectiveness! That's not how I am wired. I am not wired to operate under the same old "politics as usual." I promised that four years ago - and I meant it."
What do you think? Are these good enough reasons for a governor to resign her post? Was this a wise political move? Did Gov. Palin just kill her chances for a possible presidential bid? Share your thoughts with us below.
While it's based on Lewis Carroll's classic children's story, Burton's film looks to be fairly faithful to the original. Depp, who seems to be gravitating towards wilder and wackier roles every year, plays The Mad Hatter, and Bonham Carter (who is Burton's wife) plays The Queen of Hearts. To this blogger's dismay, however, the film seems to rely heavily on CGI and digital special effects.
Perhaps this is because it's aimed at a generation that has grown up with such technological trickery, and perhaps I need to get with the times, but I am fully in favor of a more classical approach to classic literature like this. The jury is, of course, still out on the final verdict, but I suspect this won't be the great film that die-hard Alice fans are hoping for. Spike Jonze's take on Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are… well that's a different story altogether.
Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland film is due for release in March of next year, so there's plenty of time for us to get excited, or lose interest, depending on what side of the technological fence we sit on.
International Space Station: Astronauts on a 16-day mission aboard the space shuttle Endeavor are tweeting and answering questions posted on YouTube (with help from colleagues on Earth).
The Sun: And last but not least, Wednesday, Asia will experience the longest total solar eclipse expected this century. The eclipse is expected to last more than six minutes.
A few weeks ago, in an elongated, procrastinatory trolling of YouTube, I came across this amazing video of the folk singer Odetta performing at the Newport Folk Festival in the early 1960s.
Her performance was absolutely riveting, and after watching it again and again, I knew I needed to see more. The clip, I soon found out, was from Murray Lerner's 1967 documentary, Festival, which he shot at Newport between 1963 and 1965. After tracking down a copy of the DVD, I put it on at home and spent the next 95 minutes in a semi-hypnotic state of joy.
Lerner's film doesn't linger on specific performances (in fact, he rarely shows a song in its entirety), rather electing to cover the festival as a cultural and historical document, not just a musical one. In this capacity, he succeeds completely, with interviews of musicians and festival-goers alike, all discussing the importance of folk music to their counter-culture.
Some of their comments on music and society seem quite dated now, laughably so at times, but there's no doubting how important this event was to the people there. It wasn't just about music to these shaggy-haired youngsters; it was about so much more than that. This film stands as an entry point to the tumultuous decade that would usher in civil rights, women's liberation, rock and roll and numerous other sea-changes in American society.
And sure, their talk about changing the world may seem naïve now, even patronizing at times, but there's no denying the importance of the music or the cultural shift it represented.
Using a new book by Chris Anderson called Free: The Future of a Radical Price (Hyperion; $26.99), Gladwell makes the case that while we hear time and again that “information wants to be free,” it is, and has always been, the purveyors of that information that decide what it wants and how much to charge for it.
Using the examples of Amazon.com,Apple, and YouTube, Anderson (by way of Gladwell) illustrates that charging for content is still the only way to be profitable online. (He compares YouTube's half a billion dollar yearly losses giving content away for free to Apple's booming business selling both hardware and content.)
You should really read the story for yourself, but essentially this is what it boils down to: While the cost of ideas and delivering them to inquiring minds has decreased radically, and continues to do so, it will never be absolutely free. And the difference between free and not free is a very big difference indeed.
It should also be noted that The New Yorker story is available online, free of charge, as is Anderson's book.
Probably the biggest movie opening this weekend is the Johnny Depp-Christian Bale gangster flick, Public Enemies.
Directed by Michael Mann (Heat, Miami Vice) the film takes place during John Dillinger's brief yearlong reign of bankrobbing in the early 1930s, when he attained the spot of Public Enemy Number One.
In the film, Depp plays Dillinger, a sort of Robin Hood of his time who robs from the rich, and while not giving the spoils to the poor, is still seen as something of a folk hero. A regular guy getting by in tough times.
Bale plays Melvin Purvis, the lead Federal Bureau investigator tasked with bringing Dillinger in, dead or alive. Marion Cotillard, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, plays Dillinger's love interest. Along the way we are also treated to supporting performances by Giovanni Ribisi and Billy Crudup (as the cold and calculating J. Edgar Hoover)
While the film has plenty of satisfying action scenes (what's a 30s gangster movie without people shooting the crap out of stuff with tommyguns?) and both Bale and Depp are in top form, the film moves along without much pace or purpose.
We realize from the beginning that Depp's character is doomed, and yet even the inevitability of his capture is not enough to tighten the narrative of this film. Rather than playing like a Bonnie and Clyde-style gangsters-on-the-run story, this film is more of a sequence of loosely related scenes. Characters come and go with little warning or introduction, locations appear and disappear without explanation.
The effect of this is to make us feel somewhat like we're on the run ourselves, amid much confusion and muttered dialogue, enjoying a moment here and there, but never lingering on anything long enough for us to get comfortable.
While infinitely better than most of the other summer schlock cinema that's appearing these days, Public Enemies is no Untouchables, and I was kind of hoping it would be.
Fans stand behind barricades outside during the Michael Jackson public memorial service at Staples Center.
From LAX to Encino to the Staples Center, L.A. is abuzz with the frenzy surrounding today's Jackson Memorial. Early projections expect 1 million people to be downtown, and a billion more to be watching the live broadcast. Jackson's body, it is reported, will be there. It is rumored that Jermaine Jackson will perform.
According to the L.A. Times' Twitter feed, the Jacksons arrived at the Forest Lawn cemetary via motorcade from their Encino home at 8:20 this morning. LAobserved says there are 20 helictopers hovering over the site.
Meanwhile, outside the Staples Center, one bystander reports $40 parking, a line stretching 10 blocks and a mint being made on T-shirt sales.
For a lighter take on the goings-on, Jezebel will be liveblogging. They predict the services and all surrounding mayhem will cost taxpayers between $2.5 and $4 million dollars.
If you want to watch the events, turn on your TV, it doesn't matter what channel. Or go here. Or here. Or here.
Still without tickets? You can take your chances on Craigslist (via LAist). But seriously, you might want to just watch it on TV instead.
Well, don't forget to also have an eco-friendly holiday weekend. Check out the video below and these tips for adding some "green" to your red, white and blue. And share your "green" 4th of July tips with us.
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