Here we go...

Just leaving work now. This is what I'll be doing tomorrow. More likely though, since it's the first day of camp, I'll be shuffling paperwork related to these activities. I rule.

William Shatner outdoes William Shatner. Again.

Holy hell. That man is awesome.

Last Day

Today was the last day of school. Summer camp at the Club begins two Mondays from now. I will have no life until August 22nd. Rejoice!



p.s. I do not know those kids.

Rutland's Art Scene

I've got some issues with Rutland. Not the least of which is that our best graff artists are neither artists nor good. I have some more pics ready to go, including some places in Rutland that I really enjoy. But for now, someone buy these kids a book about tagging.

Judgey McJudgerton

Admittedly, this post is 10 days late, which is like a gazillion years in blog-time. Everyone else has chimed in, so I thought I'd gather my thoughts and beat this horse dead. If you'd rather not read one more thing about Sonia Sotomayor, wait five minutes (or simply scroll up) for some sweet Rutland pics. If you're in for some high-falutin' talk, follow these four points:

1. Experience is a funny thing. 106 of 110 Supreme Court Justices have been white males. Experience tells us that there are two benefits to being white and male in the country, and they are both related to power. Throughout the short history of the US, to be white and to be male has put you at a distinct advantage in getting ahead and grasping power. Since 1776 white males, especially those with property, have been used to having their voices heard on voting day, and used to representing voters in places of power. And once given power, people (aka, white males) have never been all that willing to give it up, even to those who deserve it. For better or worse, this is the sort of experience 106 folks have brought to the Supreme Court.

To be brown and to be female has meant a completely different American experience. It’s meant one of subjugation, segregation and second-class citizenship. That sort of experience is absolutely foreign to most white males in America, and completely alien to those in power.

This is why diversity on the most powerful court in America is important, and why we ought to actively strive for it. We are the sum of our experiences, whatever they may be, whether we serve burgers or rulings. In a court that's still predominantly white, and predominately male, a new diversifying presence can only be a good thing. (End of lecture one.)

2. Which brings me to point number two, no one serves objectively. Our legal system would like you to believe that judges serve justice and justice alone, regardless of their backgrounds and personal experiences. That however, is a load of bullocks. If you'll allow me to pretend to be a radical for a moment, a white, male court will, more often than not, seek to reinforce existing power structures. That’s just the way power works. We don’t usually overturn the systems that helped put us in a position of power.

This is where my theology begins to bleed in, and I can't apologize for that. At every turn in the New Testament, Christ and his followers were opposed by those in power, because they taught a radically different view of the world. They taught that the poor would become rich, that the meek would be lifted up, and the last would some day be first. That message threatened everything that those in power had so successfully built, whether they were Jew or Roman. And because of that message, scores of people were persecuted and killed and told to shut the hell up. Spoiler alert: it didn't work then, and hopefully, it won't work now.

3. In order for everyone in our country to be served by the law, everyone in our country ought to be represented. The Supreme Court should not simply be composed of the seven smartest jurists in the country, it should, in every respect, reflect our country as it is today: white, brown, male, female -- a kaleidoscope of color and heritage. Any other court does a disservice to the people of the United States of America. I want my court to not only represent existing power structures, but to give a voice to those who are voiceless, to lay low the walls of injustice, and to lift up the meek and the powerless. Can an all-white, all-male court full of brilliant minds to that? Possibly. But can an equally brilliant, yet more diverse court do it better? Absolutely.

4. This last point is a bit of an epilogue. These previous three points will be all the media talks about over the coming weeks as Sotomayor moves closer to confirmation. And that is a sad state of affairs. The only reason to continue talking about Sotomayor’s race and “racism” is money. Talking heads from the right will continue to bring it up in order raise money for the Republican war machine, just as talking heads from the left unfairly maligned justices Roberts and Alito as their confirmations took place. If Republicans can paint Sotomayor as an activist and a racist, they can plaster that on mailings and posters and radio ads, and laugh all the way to the bank. We’ve seen it time and time again. This smear campaign has nothing to do with blocking Sotomayor’s confirmation, and everything to do with raising money. She will be confirmed, because she’s brilliant, qualified and capable. But she’s also brown, female and left of center. And that’s a financial boon for the Republican Party

The sad things is, the media will mostly ignore how capable she is, and instead of getting to the heart of the matter – such as what her views are on the right to privacy, freedom of expression, the right to own and bear arms – we’ll be deluged by stories on her background, her supposed “racism”, and her "activist” aims. In a perfect world, the media would rise above the current talking points handed to them from the right and the left and explore Sotomayor’s record as a judge, questioning whether her judicial record is one that befits a supreme court justice. But no one wants to hear that. That’s a good way to lose eyeballs, drive away listeners, and turn away ad dollars. So instead, expect Hannity and Olbermann to duke it out in the trashiest way possible, and expect the American public to have no idea what kind of a justice Sotomayor might become.

So thank you, established talking points. Thank you, Rush Limbaugh. Thank you, corporate media. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this country is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Falute that?

Small Steps

And so ends my season of unblogging.

I don't know what else to call it. Really, I just stopped using the internet in its social sense. Except for a random few who I still email, this e-web/i-net thing hasn't been happening much on my end lately. A few things contributed to it: lack of web connectivity at home, disinterest in myface and other technological portmanteaus, working really dumb, insane, but ultimately rewarding hours for a non-profit....the usual suspects.

But I'm back to a point where I, at the very least, want to communicate through this avenue once again. First of all, because I'm reading more and more; and ideas other than how to deal effectively with unruly children are percolating in my head. You can thank my dwindling interest in Blockbuster for that. Secondly, I want to stay in touch with you people, no matter how annoying and artificial internet community is. And lastly, I want to talk about small steps. Small steps in all kinds of things: blogging, boating, hiking, theologizing, purchasing food stuffs, writing grants, serving others, the great butter v. margarine debate, the great new Trek v. old Trek debate, debating in general, modern major generals, pre-Great War pirate musicals, post-civil war kimchi products, product placements in modern one-camera situational comedies, and comedy on national public radio. Some other things, too. Including:

1) I live in Vermont. Did you know that? I am also reading Real Food by Nina Plank, who I can only describe as a natural food, post-hippie, sideways-establishment entrepreneur. Basically, she extols the virtues of real, raw milk and cheese. I live in a cheese and diary birthing state. Small steps, remember. My first is that I've started purchasing milk and dairy, whenever possible, from small dairies and cheese artisans who process their products as little as they can. Which basically makes me a food-prick, I know. But I'm trying this suit on -- this suit of "eating dairy products they way we ate them for hundreds of years before mass production" -- just to see if I do indeed feel better or happier or less prone to boredom and Taco Bell because of it. We'll speak more on this later. But small steps.

2) I'm quickly growing tired of our federal government. I'm straining to understand the concept of left-handed power, and what it means in my day-to-day life, and what it means for my political framework, and how it relates to my theological worldview. Jesus was one to use left-handed power. I'm 89% Siddhārtha Gautama did, too. Dr. King used it, but I think sometimes right-handedly. You can't be President and use because you'd probably be impeached. We Americans tend to like our power right-handed, because we're a super-power, and that's how super-powers behave. Left-handed power is steeped in humility and mystery and charity and maybe even Zen. I'll get back to you when I have some more concrete thoughts. But small steps.

3) What is up with Lost these days? Seriously? That was a pretty disappointing finale. But small steps.

So here's my promise to you, internet pals. I'm going to start stringing some words together into sentences again, not because it's necessary or vital or even relatively important. It's not. But I'm trying to take some small steps. And I thought you might want to tag along for the ride.

Cheese first, then the kingdom of God. My new motto. Get used to it.

Mr. Funny Pants

Oh, Ricky. Wildly inappropriate, as usual. Yet this time, with muppets.



Hat tip to CliqueClack.

Old Man LaRussa

No posts for February? Let's take care of that pronto.



Major League Baseball had picture day last week. And the Sports Hernia Blog (my new favorite blog, BTW) has the best of the best. And yes. Tony LaRussa is officially 200 years old today. Happy Birthday, Tone!

And Hugo Chavez is a d-bag, too.

Abroad, Many Hope for ‘New Chapter’ (NY Times)

In Caracas, Venezuela, reactions to the inauguration included a range of emotions. “I felt immense envy,” said Daria Carmona, 60, a secretary at a school products company. Why envy? “Envy,” said Ms. Carmona, pondering the word for a few seconds, “because we do not have a president with the capability of leaving power in such democratic fashion.” ....even as Mr. Obama was being sworn in, the police were using tear gas in Caracas to disperse antigovernment protests on Tuesday.

Yeah, you heard me Hugo. This is what a real revolution looks like.