Nov 20
lark commented on Precious: Brutal New Classic or African-American Bruno?.
lark commented on Precious: Brutal New Classic or African-American Bruno?.
@25 Stella,
Glad to hear you vent. I shall see "Precious". We need more voices like you.
I just finished "Dreams From My Father" by Obama. Indeed, his father Barack Sr. was an absent father. He was married to another woman when he met and "married" Stanley Ann Dunham, Barack Jr's mother. It is also being slowly revealed that Barack Sr. may have beaten or abused his spouses. He had four. Some of Barack Jr's male half siblings aren't exactly good examples of mature men either.
Whatever the case, I've said on this SLOG before but the greatest tragedy that is occurring in America today is the plight of absent fathers in the African-American Community. Out-of-wedlock births are now 72% causing great distress in that community. According to Nicolas Kristof of the NY Times, nearly half of all AA males aren't graduating with their HS class. This is catastrophe. African-Americans are our brethren sometimes literally as in my case. I sincerely hope Pres. Obama addresses this front and center.
Glad to hear you vent. I shall see "Precious". We need more voices like you.
I just finished "Dreams From My Father" by Obama. Indeed, his father Barack Sr. was an absent father. He was married to another woman when he met and "married" Stanley Ann Dunham, Barack Jr's mother. It is also being slowly revealed that Barack Sr. may have beaten or abused his spouses. He had four. Some of Barack Jr's male half siblings aren't exactly good examples of mature men either.
Whatever the case, I've said on this SLOG before but the greatest tragedy that is occurring in America today is the plight of absent fathers in the African-American Community. Out-of-wedlock births are now 72% causing great distress in that community. According to Nicolas Kristof of the NY Times, nearly half of all AA males aren't graduating with their HS class. This is catastrophe. African-Americans are our brethren sometimes literally as in my case. I sincerely hope Pres. Obama addresses this front and center.
Nov 20
lark commented on Egyptians Attack Algerian Embassy After Egypt Loses World Cup Qualifying Match.
lark commented on Egyptians Attack Algerian Embassy After Egypt Loses World Cup Qualifying Match.
Good Morning Charles,
Yeah, you have a point. The Seattle Sounders are the exception. I don't know which South American countries but two of them nearly went to war after a football (soccer) match. I recall a goalkeeper from Colombia (?) being murdered many years ago for not performing well enough at a match (his team lost and he presumably allowed a goal). Football certainly brings out the inner animal in some fans (another example are the English hooligans) oustide of the USA. We have pretty sedate fans here. But, then again we have four other popular spectator sports (American football, baseball, basketball and hockey) to indulge in.
Yeah, you have a point. The Seattle Sounders are the exception. I don't know which South American countries but two of them nearly went to war after a football (soccer) match. I recall a goalkeeper from Colombia (?) being murdered many years ago for not performing well enough at a match (his team lost and he presumably allowed a goal). Football certainly brings out the inner animal in some fans (another example are the English hooligans) oustide of the USA. We have pretty sedate fans here. But, then again we have four other popular spectator sports (American football, baseball, basketball and hockey) to indulge in.
Nov 19
lark commented on All The Best Men Are Taken.
lark commented on All The Best Men Are Taken.
Dan
I believe it. I know of three good female friends and all three had affairs with married men. In addition, I recall a party with my girlfriend and another woman openly flirted with me. My gal was not amused. On the other hand, I find when I'm freely available or unattached I don't get as many dates. It's a weird phenomenon.
I believe it. I know of three good female friends and all three had affairs with married men. In addition, I recall a party with my girlfriend and another woman openly flirted with me. My gal was not amused. On the other hand, I find when I'm freely available or unattached I don't get as many dates. It's a weird phenomenon.
Nov 18
lark commented on Biden Tells It Like It Is.
lark commented on Biden Tells It Like It Is.
Good Morning Charles,
There's no other way of putting this. You are greatly mistaken. I catergorically disagree with "as everyone can see at the end of the day, (it's) really about the color of his skin". That's balderdash. Pure "poppycock" (I'll keep it civil with you as you're gentleman).
No, it isn't about the color of his skin. A little over a year ago, a majority of American voters such as you (I reckon you're a US citizen and voted) elected the first black President (some say, like Maria Acuna that he is the nation's first bi-racial and bi-cultural President of which I have no problem with). There are critics both left and right. Some harsh and some inane but no, NOT everyone is criticizing him because of his skin color.
To assume that is to assume that a tectonic regression in American adult human prejudices has occurred (both recently and malevolently, i.e. racist) especially for those on the Right such as myself who didn't vote for him. One can criticize him civily from any political orientation.
Look, I'm not naive. Most certainly racial prejudice in ALL forms still exists. The classic American black/white example has significantly diminished however. Black/White racism largely exists among the white population over 75 y/o and they too are changing and diminishing.
One of the trickier tasks nowadays is ascertaining just how much racism there is in the country post-Obama's ascendency to POTUS. It is extremely difficult to prove a negative if not impossible (What is anyone, you and I included going to say when posed the question "Are you a racist? Yes, by golly! I believe _____ is superior to ____!").
It is clear we've come a long way by electing Obama. He, like every other President must endure criticism and some of it nasty. Sure, I'm repelled like you are that some of it is based on skin color. But, I believe the vast majority of it is legitimate. He'll manage just like other Presidents. He is not gonna get his agenda through without contention.
BTW, Charles I'm 335 pages into "Dreams From My Father". It's quite an engrossing book. There's nary a doubt that he is a Liberal. His community organizing is elaborated on as well. It's interesting how similar his work was to being a Peace Corps Volunteer.
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There's no other way of putting this. You are greatly mistaken. I catergorically disagree with "as everyone can see at the end of the day, (it's) really about the color of his skin". That's balderdash. Pure "poppycock" (I'll keep it civil with you as you're gentleman).
No, it isn't about the color of his skin. A little over a year ago, a majority of American voters such as you (I reckon you're a US citizen and voted) elected the first black President (some say, like Maria Acuna that he is the nation's first bi-racial and bi-cultural President of which I have no problem with). There are critics both left and right. Some harsh and some inane but no, NOT everyone is criticizing him because of his skin color.
To assume that is to assume that a tectonic regression in American adult human prejudices has occurred (both recently and malevolently, i.e. racist) especially for those on the Right such as myself who didn't vote for him. One can criticize him civily from any political orientation.
Look, I'm not naive. Most certainly racial prejudice in ALL forms still exists. The classic American black/white example has significantly diminished however. Black/White racism largely exists among the white population over 75 y/o and they too are changing and diminishing.
One of the trickier tasks nowadays is ascertaining just how much racism there is in the country post-Obama's ascendency to POTUS. It is extremely difficult to prove a negative if not impossible (What is anyone, you and I included going to say when posed the question "Are you a racist? Yes, by golly! I believe _____ is superior to ____!").
It is clear we've come a long way by electing Obama. He, like every other President must endure criticism and some of it nasty. Sure, I'm repelled like you are that some of it is based on skin color. But, I believe the vast majority of it is legitimate. He'll manage just like other Presidents. He is not gonna get his agenda through without contention.
BTW, Charles I'm 335 pages into "Dreams From My Father". It's quite an engrossing book. There's nary a doubt that he is a Liberal. His community organizing is elaborated on as well. It's interesting how similar his work was to being a Peace Corps Volunteer.
Nov 17
lark commented on A Strange Picture of Vladimir Nabokov.
lark commented on A Strange Picture of Vladimir Nabokov.
@11 Fnarf
"There's no accounting for taste". "Lord Jim" and "Heart of Darkness" are masterpieces by Conrad by any standard of literary criticism. "A Passage to India" is magnificent and probably Forster's greatest work. I read it while in India. It's very accurate as well. I read "A Bend in the River" by V. S. Naipaul when residing in Africa (Zaire). That book alone by him blew me away. Naipaul won the Nobel Prize for literature. I did neglect Waugh. He is extraordinary. I read "A Tourist in Africa" and "Brideshead Revisited". Both outstanding. I'm merely saying Nabokov has great company in the area of English novelists or novelists writing in the English language. If the latter is the case, throw in Americans Booth Tarkington ("Alice Adams" & "The Magnificent Ambersons" are incredible), Herman Melville, Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway in addition to South African, Alan Paton who wrote "Cry, the Beloved Country". All these authors are read far more than Sterne who might be good but is hardly read outside of English Literature classes.
"There's no accounting for taste". "Lord Jim" and "Heart of Darkness" are masterpieces by Conrad by any standard of literary criticism. "A Passage to India" is magnificent and probably Forster's greatest work. I read it while in India. It's very accurate as well. I read "A Bend in the River" by V. S. Naipaul when residing in Africa (Zaire). That book alone by him blew me away. Naipaul won the Nobel Prize for literature. I did neglect Waugh. He is extraordinary. I read "A Tourist in Africa" and "Brideshead Revisited". Both outstanding. I'm merely saying Nabokov has great company in the area of English novelists or novelists writing in the English language. If the latter is the case, throw in Americans Booth Tarkington ("Alice Adams" & "The Magnificent Ambersons" are incredible), Herman Melville, Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway in addition to South African, Alan Paton who wrote "Cry, the Beloved Country". All these authors are read far more than Sterne who might be good but is hardly read outside of English Literature classes.
Nov 17
lark commented on A Strange Picture of Vladimir Nabokov.
lark commented on A Strange Picture of Vladimir Nabokov.
Good Morning Charles,
I share your enthusiaism for Nabokov. He really is a great novelist. But, to conclude that he is "the greatest novelist in the English language" is somewhat hyperbolic. I contend that V. S. Naipaul, Joseph Conrad and E. M. Forster are easily Nabokov's peers. And while Samuel Johnson and William Shakespeare weren't novelists, they deserve equal mention as master writers in the English language.
I share your enthusiaism for Nabokov. He really is a great novelist. But, to conclude that he is "the greatest novelist in the English language" is somewhat hyperbolic. I contend that V. S. Naipaul, Joseph Conrad and E. M. Forster are easily Nabokov's peers. And while Samuel Johnson and William Shakespeare weren't novelists, they deserve equal mention as master writers in the English language.
Nov 12
lark commented on The Morning News: McGinn's New High-Rise Offices, the President's Burning Effigy, and Your Growing Power Bills.
lark commented on The Morning News: McGinn's New High-Rise Offices, the President's Burning Effigy, and Your Growing Power Bills.
Good Morning Dominic,
I had to chuckle watching that Lou Dobbs snippet. It proves how difficult it is to avoid using colloquialisms. When I was a boy, I heard my mother use the phrase "get your cotton-picking hands off..." At the time, I had no idea what it referenced. By the time I entered college, I figured out what it exactly meant and would never use it (at least I don't recall ever using that phrase). However, I have heard a few people (like my boss who is not a racist) use it and they usually are over the age of fifty. I don't fault them or Dobbs. We're creatures of habit. But it was kinda funny when he checked himself using the phrase and especially given the subject matter.
Good luck to Lou Dobbs. Evidently he's leaving his post.
I had to chuckle watching that Lou Dobbs snippet. It proves how difficult it is to avoid using colloquialisms. When I was a boy, I heard my mother use the phrase "get your cotton-picking hands off..." At the time, I had no idea what it referenced. By the time I entered college, I figured out what it exactly meant and would never use it (at least I don't recall ever using that phrase). However, I have heard a few people (like my boss who is not a racist) use it and they usually are over the age of fifty. I don't fault them or Dobbs. We're creatures of habit. But it was kinda funny when he checked himself using the phrase and especially given the subject matter.
Good luck to Lou Dobbs. Evidently he's leaving his post.
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Disagree totally. The President is a "Father figure" for better or for worse. He MUST address this. Much is at stake. I contend it affects life expectancy for young black males. The homicide rate for black men between the ages of 18 & 24 is well over 10 times the rate of whites. It is a blood bath. This shouldn't be on the President's plate to address? WTF?
As for last sentence, bullshit. Mr. Obama has great support in the AA community and its great because he is African-American. All he has to do is address it. His greatest speech during the campaign was his "MIA fathers speech" on Fathers' Day no less. Any community can take the criticism as long as it is civil. Behavior can change.