07/09/2010 archive

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

1 Suicide attack kills 65 in Pakistan tribal belt

by Lehaz Ali, AFP

1 hr 50 mins ago

Pour a cup of coffee or brew some tea and contemplate the day.

Glen Greenwald again starts at the top with his continued skewering of the MSM hypocrisy, asking us to consider who has been forced out of the so-called “Liberal Media”

Octavia Nasr’s firing and what The Liberal Media allows

CNN yesterday ended the 20-year career of Octavia Nasr, its Atlanta-based Senior Middle East News Editor, because of a now-deleted tweet she wrote on Sunday upon learning of the death of one of the Shiite world’s most beloved religious figures: “Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah  . . . . One of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot.”  That message spawned an intense fit of protest from Far Right outlets, Thought Crime enforcers, and other neocon precincts, and CNN quickly (and characteristically) capitulated to that pressure by firing her.  The network — which has employed a former AIPAC official, Wolf Blitzer, as its primary news anchor for the last 15 years — justified its actions by claiming that Nasr’s “credibility” had been “compromised.”  Within this episode lies several important lessons about media “objectivity” and how the scope of permissible views is enforced.

In an up date to his column, Glen addresses some  of his harshest critics on his views on Israel. Glen concludes

I view the increasingly unhinged attacks by the worst neocon elements to be a vindication of what I’m doing.  I see them as pernicious and destructive, and genuinely welcome their contempt.

That applies to just about any of the unreasonable, unhinged responses  from the “neocon elements”.

You may think I’m sports obsessed, but I look at it as a cultural metaphor.

We should never forget the Blues v. Greens.  Losing Theodora was the real end of the Roman Empire.

This guy can command an hour of primetime.

The thing about professional athletes is that they get eyeballs and eyeballs are money.  And as rich as you think these communistic unionists are, they don’t overcharge quite as much as the banksters.

My anarcho-syndicalist side says the players should own the teams and collectively self organize and what else are you going to call the Heat next year under guru Pat Riley?

The best team money can buy?  They have salary caps, why do you think the Knicks suck (other than they just do)?

Drew Carey says goodbye to Cleveland for a chance to do really good improv with his buddies?  What could be a more all-American success story?  You might even say goal directed- a ring for the thing (do you have Prince Albert in a can?)

Last day before the fireworks begin.

I’m not actually convinced Lance can pull this one out.  I’ve done comeback tours and inertia and entropy are not to be despised.  That said he goes out on top as a contender because nobody since Ullrich has put in the scare that he has.

He broke his collar bone last year you know.

The big picture hasn’t changed- another Sprinter’s finish signifying nothing yesterday and the same to look forward to today.  Tomorrow we begin climbing which should tell us a lot.

We will definitely have to start learning other cyclists’ names to prove that we’re real fans and not merely moved by the Islanders’ remarkable streak in the ’70s (better than rooting for the Rangers).

Today’s 142 mile stage between Montargis and Gueugnon has 4 four rated climbs and climbs from start to finish.  It might be possible to make a team time trial break away statement going into the Alps but it’s unlikely any one is going to take a gamble like that given how beat up they were on Tuesday and Wednesday.

How painful.  After Sunday’s final final final of the world cup finals in South Africa, life will probably return to normal on the planet.  After a month of almost daily futbol bliss, the workaday world returns: work (not between games), family, relationship, maintenance, vacations, etc etc.  Coming Monday looks to be particularly bleak.  There’s no futbol on the horizon, virtual or live, until the Fall of 2010, when to my utter relief European and South American futbol will resume.  Until then, there’s only off season trade rumors, contracts, transfers, the business of futbol meeting the twin engines of hype and business.

But put aside all of my drama, my foreboding.  This weekend has two televised gems for your delectation.  And this essay also has a poll.

Wimbledon tournament begins

On July 9, 1877, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon, then an outer-suburb of London. Twenty-one amateurs showed up to compete in the Gentlemen’s Singles tournament, the only event at the first Wimbledon. The winner was to take home a 25-guinea trophy.

Tennis has its origins in a 13th-century French handball game called jeu de paume, or “game of the palm,” from which developed an indoor racket-and-ball game called real, or “royal,” tennis. Real tennis grew into lawn tennis, which was played outside on grass and enjoyed a surge of popularity in the late 19th century.

In 1868, the All England Club was established on four acres of meadowland outside London. The club was originally founded to promote croquet, another lawn sport, but the growing popularity of tennis led it to incorporate tennis lawns into its facilities. In 1877, the All England Club published an announcement in the weekly sporting magazine The Field that read: “The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon, propose [sic] to hold a lawn tennis meeting open to all amateurs, on Monday, July 9, and following days. Entrance fee pounds 1 1s 0d.”

The All English Club purchased a 25-guinea trophy and drew up formal rules for tennis. It decided on a rectangular court 78 feet long by 27 feet wide; adapted the real tennis method of scoring based on a clock face–i.e., 15, 30, 40, game; established that the first to win six games wins a set; and allowed the server one fault. These decisions, largely the work of club member Dr. Henry Jones, remain part of the modern rules.

Many of you who read my posts know that I monitor the Fox “News” Channel from time to time so that you do not have to do so.  It is a high risk avocation, because insanity by osmosis is, in my scientific opinion, possible.

Today the repulsive John Stossel, the Fox “News” Channel “contributor” went on a tirade about warning labels on consumer products.  His thesis was that they are there only because of “trial lawyers” who fatten their pockets on the backs of big business.  By the way, the Fox “News” Channel regularly carries adverts by trial lawyers, mostly for mesothelioma, adverse drug effects, and firms that advertise about getting out of legitimate federal income tax cases.

Keith & Rachel.

9 pm, History– The Universe, “Lightspeed”.

10 pm, Futurama– “Proposition Infinity” World Premier.

• ESPN– World Cup Prime Time Special
• ABC Family– Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
• Food– Good Eats, Cheese and Tacos
• SciFi– National Treasure
• TBS– The Chronicles of Riddick
• AMC– Outbreak
• Turner Classic– Gidget

Now you may claim I’ve unjustly excluded The Waterboy but no Adam Sandler movie can ever be unjustly excluded and these lists are things I’d actually watch, not gouge out my eyes to avoid.

Later-

Live Leno.  Jon has Marilynne Robinson, Stephen Arturo Rodríguez.

Next week is re-runs and the week after that they are pre-empted, so last original episodes for 2 weeks at least.

Midnight to 1 Futurama from current season.  Dill Pickles on Good Eats.  Rebroadcast of last night’s Warehouse 13 premier.

• Turner Classic– Beach Blanket Bingo and Bikini Beach.