Context: This essay was written for, and performed in, the November 19, 2011 edition of The Paper Machete, a weekly showcase for Chicago journalists, comedians, and other writers, hosted by Christopher Piatt. I’m just getting around to posting it now because, well, my own universe is fairly chaotic and other deadlines prevailed. You are encouraged […]
Entries Tagged as 'News'
The Unbearable Lightness of the Kilogram, Universes Next Door, and the Occupy Movement
November 29th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Books, Chicago, Culture, Essays, Fringe, Journalism, News, Performance, Politics, Science, The Economy, Stupid, TV, Writing
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Not Zero: The Fukushima Litotes
April 1st, 2011 · 2 Comments · Blogs, Chicago, Climate Change, Culture, Energy, Environment, Essays, Fringe, Journalism, Language, Media, News, Nuclear Power, Performance, Politics, Science, Writing
A little context: The following piece was written to be performed in the March 26, 2011 edition of The Paper Machete, a weekly showcase for Chicago journalists, comedians, and other writers, hosted by Christopher Piatt. The Paper Machete has posted the audio of the performance as a podcast. You can listen to it here: The […]
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McCain’s “Maverick” Image: Pining for the Fjords?
September 16th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Journalism, Media, News
Wow. This new Washington Post column by Richard Cohen is a scathing indictment from a journalist who admits he was previously “in the tank” for McCain. There seems to be a mass rebellion starting in the media among pundits and reporters who are realizing that McCain is no longer the principled maverick they’ve been worshiping […]
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Walking Off the Girder
September 15th, 2008 · 1 Comment · News, Politics, The Economy, Stupid
Oh, for Pete’s sake. Even in the midst of all the turmoil on Wall Street, as of this morning John McCain still thinks “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” Um, Senator? Mr. Magoo called — he wants his myopia back.
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Horsefeathers and Rattlesnakes
September 13th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Journalism, Media, News, Politics
It’s amazing, but suddenly the press seems to be showing distinct signs of calling out the McCain campaign on its recent and continuing orgy of horsefeathers and very bad judgment. Via this diary on Daily Kos, for starters we have yesterday’s scathing editorial in the NYT: As we watched Sarah Palin on TV the last […]
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Another Talking Point Deflated
August 5th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Energy, News, Politics, Science, Tech
TIME says Obama is right: keeping tires properly inflated can save more oil than offshore drilling would produce. And it would do it immediately, rather than taking till 2030 to have any substantial effect. How out of touch is Barack Obama? He’s so out of touch that he suggested that if all Americans inflated their […]
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Guantanamo, False Imprisonment, and the Human Rights Toggle Switch
June 27th, 2008 · Comments Off on Guantanamo, False Imprisonment, and the Human Rights Toggle Switch · Human Rights, Journalism, Media, News, Politics, Terrorism, TESK, Torture
This story is about a week old at this point, but it goes in the “things everyone should know” category. One of the most common talking points from right-wing pundits, especially on Fox News, is that whatever happens to the people in Guantanamo Bay is okay because all those prisoners are really bad guys — […]
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Roundup: Maracas and Purple Pants Edition
June 24th, 2008 · 5 Comments · Chicago, Comedy, Culture, Doctor Who, Fantasy, Grammar, LGBT, News, Politics, Science Fiction, Terrorism, TV
Just a few things that are on my radar at the moment … • First up, I just found this interview with Gore Vidal from May, in which he gives his current takes on Obama and McCain. Vidal says he’s a fan of Obama now, but it took him a while to get there (hey, […]
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Uncertain Smile: McCain Shredded by His Own Side
June 5th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Media, News, Politics, TV, Video
Watch the Republican pundits on Faux News shred McCain’s speech from Tuesday night. I daresay we won’t see him get within a mile of a green backdrop again. And suddenly, I can’t wait for the debates this fall with Obama and McCain on stage together. In the meantime, I’m dedicating my favorite The The […]
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McClellan, Yellin, and the Press Under Pressure
May 29th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Foreign Policy, Journalism, Media, News, Politics, Video
Boy, Scottie McClellan’s decision to come clean — well, I say clean, I mean slightly less dirty — on his role as the Mouth of Sauron, and how the press corps passed along the White House’s propaganda to sell the invasion and occupation of Iraq, has really opened all sorts of floodgates. In addition to […]
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Saturday, May 24: The Relaunch of Planet Earth Chicago at Subterranean
May 15th, 2008 · Comments Off on Saturday, May 24: The Relaunch of Planet Earth Chicago at Subterranean · Chicago, Culture, Music, New Wave, News, Nightclubs, Planet Earth Chicago
Here’s another very fun event on the horizon: What are you doing next Saturday night? Feel like going New Wave dancing with some of the most flamboyant and fabulous Earthlings in Chicago, at a groovy new location? Here’s what I’m talking about: Some of you know that over the last eight years I’ve been heavily […]
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Colbert on the O’Reilly Meltdown
May 14th, 2008 · Comments Off on Colbert on the O’Reilly Meltdown · Comedy, Culture, Journalism, Media, News, TV, Video
Sublime. Any comment would be superfluous. And in case you haven’t seen it, the dance remix. Warning: Loud, crude, uncensored language, accompanied by a nifty techno beat. Lots of bad words that cultural conservatives might find objectionable, uttered by a conservative! Definitely not safe for work, kind of like the Falafel King himself.
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Mr. Fish on Obama-Wright, That Ad, and the Big Gas Tax Swindle
May 5th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Comics, Culture, Energy, Foreign Policy, Infrastructure, News, Politics, The Economy, Stupid, Video
The brilliance of Mr. Fish! I really need to start including him in my cartoon roundups. His take on Obama v. Wright is especially trenchant. I’m not necessarily saying that I absolutely agree with the cartoon’s comically reductive expression of certain religious beliefs, but its portrayal of the double standard regarding what’s considered fair game […]
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