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Hey Networks! I’m Talking To You!
I’m starting to really distrust network television. It is almost as if they actually want their viewers to hate them. With the cutting of Cougar Town and Community, ABC and NBC (respectively) are showing disrespect for their fans, who are particularly rabid and consistent. The 20th Century broadcast model was built on getting butts on couches to…
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For Newt Gingrich It’s the Labor in Child Labor
The headline should read: Presidential Candidate Eager for Gilded Age‘s Return Instead it reads: Newt Gingrich: Child Labor Laws Are ‘Stupid’ Gingrich’s position is, of course, more nuanced than it sounds. And you have to give him credit for this characteristic bit of brainstorming on his part. But, as is always the case with this…
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Fox News Viewers: Less Than Ignorant?
You have to admit that there are some things that you know intuitively and when they are confirmed, it is all less shocking than it should be. Having said that, it was still pretty amazing to see this headline: “Fox News Viewers Know Less Than People Who Don’t Watch Any News: Study.” The study, which…
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You Will Click This Link
I’m sorry. You don’t really have a choice. You may try to avoid clicking on the link below, but your resistence is futile. You’ve already lost. Seriously. Do it already. They Might Be Giants cover Tubthumping I do have only one question: why even resist? Seriously the best thing you saw today. You are welcome.
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Is Joe Paterno Your Scapegoat?
You should be mad at Joe Paterno. I wouldn’t be surprised if, when the whole Penn State child sexual abuse scandal is over, it is possible that he is at the center of a great-big cover-up. But Paterno shouldn’t be our scapegoat. And neither should the whole coaching staff. We can’t march these people out…
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The Two Politics
In the United States we have two politics. Competitive Politics The first, I’ll call “Competitive Politics,” is the two-party system of pugilism, evidenced by our incessant competitive metaphors. We talk about horse races, boxing matches, and football. So outdated is this vision of politics, that we even use war metaphors as evidence of only two…
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Bullying Isn’t Free Speech–Even in Michigan
Matt’s Safe School Law, otherwise known as Michigan’s “anti-anti-bullying law” is an embarrassment and juvenile. It is the pre-emptive self-defense of bigotry, and just like the nation’s first foray with the Bush Doctrine, this has a profound effect on people’s real lives. It hurts people. Real people. Not mythical, hypothetical, potential people. Real, living people…
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Happy Birthday, Loveless!
Twenty years ago today, my all-time favorite album was released to the world, obliterating the sonic mold that gave birth to it. It spawned hundreds of copycats, but none that could handle the sonic onslaught, the shimmering vocals, and epic scale. “Only Shallow” by My Bloody Valentine Personally, I love that it feels otherworldly and…