Save The Date!!

 

Already this week, The IP has noticed several WTFs, one in the “news,” and two on the street ; they don‘t bode well for our popular culture:

1. A Book About The “True” Story of How Some 4-Year-Old Kid Visited a Christocentric Heaven Was Recently # 1 at Both Amazon and NYT (it still may be for all The IP knows):

“Evidently,” the little tyke sat on JC’s lap and everyone there had wings (even his great grampa).  He even got to meet his nameless miscarried younger sister.  The IP would guess that his actual earthbound father is a good business man, if an unethical one (unless he is donating a portion of his huge profits to the poor).  Read more here.  

2. The IP Has Been Noticing Several WTF Billboards Around Metro Atlanta:

Love that old-skool starburst “guarantee.” WTF? That’s supposed to make it legit? What does one get for a refund if JC is a no-show?  And does that Judgement Day start earlier in Australia?

There is something charmingly hillarious about this one (unless it’s really gonna happen).  Again, money must be involved.  Call the FCC.  More info here.  

Blog at ya later (at least until 5/21).

Just An Image

This shot was in today’s NYT.  With all the tubes out there showing that Tsunami in moving video, it’s good to see how such keen still photography can capture it all just as well.  Eerie, incredibly sad, and compositionally stunning.    

 

Toshiyuki Tsunenari/Asahi Shimbun, via Associated Press

Watch this video all the way through…it’s amazing:

HERE FOR VIDEO

Oops.

 

 

 

 

The two actors clearly goad Schiller into making observations, most of which are made after Schiller explicitly takes off his “NPR hat” to give his personal opinion. For example, Schiller says there aren’t enough “educated, so-called elite” Americans, adding that public opinion is driven by “this very large uneducated part of the population.”

Of tea partyers, he adds: “I mean, basically they … Believe in sort of white, middle-America, gun-toting. I mean, it’s scary. They’re seriously racist, racist people.”

 

The sad part is, they’re already capitulating. NPR is not exactly a government agency. It’s more like the Red Cross of US radio news broadcasting. The ironic thing is that people I know and respect have been saying the same things about the Tea Party, and would agree that there really IS a “very large uneducated part of the population.” Of course, The IP wouldn’t say anything like that; after all, he’s got a strong sense of propriety.

More stupid is how this Schiller fellow fell for the trap, a scenario only a little more forgivable in hindsight; although it’s kinda sad that one would have to second-guess every situation in which they find themselves.  Maybe he was too trusting?

But it’s not like he let some cat out of a bag. That’s what makes it weird; people can’t express their opinions in “public” without censure of some kind; even when there is evidence that they are mostly telling the truth. The quality of the debate in the MSM (and NPR is certainly a part of that, or they wouldn‘t fire this guy‘s ass like they‘re gonna do), if there really is any debate, sucks, often in both directions. But at least the lefties on the Intar-Webs tend to be funnier, and they do sound more like the “educated, so-called elite.” And some even use rude and vulgar prose because they don’t have to fear censure (maybe they have day jobs and enough people agree with them that they can drive traffic to their site).

Anywaze, The IP only listens to the NPR when he’s traveling. At home he’s gone pure BBC, man. He’s straight-lining on http://www.bbc.co.uk/  The BBC even does a better job reporting on America than NPR does. Here are two examples, each from a regularly repeating programme on the World Service:

AMERICANA

HEALTH CHECK

A Seemingly Un-ending Rainy Day in Georgia

For this post, 4 “WTF?” stories related to the “State” of Georgia. Georgia is one of the top states for such stories (click on the blue links):

# 1. Abortion, Miscarriage = Death Penalty

Like something out of a Margaret Atwood novel, Georgia state Rep. Bobby Franklin -because there are some things more important than a tanked Georgia economy, total lack of planning, high unemployment and forclosure rates- has introduced a bill that would apply the death penalty to women who would have the audacity to miscarry!

This From The Always-humorous Wonkette.

 

#2. We in Forsyth County Like Christians, but not THOSE kinds of Christians!

The suburbs north of Atlanta, famous for facilitating one of the larger White Flight movements in the history of the United States, are always wary of plans that might result in more brown-hued people in their municipalities. Of course, they don’t say that in so many words, but their obfuscation is no less transparent than a piece of Saran Wrap. In this case, it’s a Metro Atlanta YMCA Summer Camp (= many black & hispanic kids) proposed for the great impoundment of Lake Lanier (at least it looks like the right thing will prevail in this case).

“Basically, it’s about preserving the lifestyle of the community and trying to keep it close to the natural state it’s in now.”

 

#3. Possible Link To MARTA Results in NIMBY Battle

Like #2 above, the mostly white, North Atlanta suburbs are fearful of the MARTA, which has always been understood by the same as an acronym for “Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta.”  People north of Altana are so frantic of maintaining barriers between themselves and the MARTA that any discussion of a link to the latter results in a panic, even when their own elected officials came up with the idea:

“We don’t need to wait for the next election,” said 24-year resident Hugh Schutte. “I’m going to find out what the process is for a recall and see if we can get them out of office now.”

 

#4. Georgia’s Christian Coalition Nukes Sunday Liquor Sales (in private)

Local control? Smaller government? Not when it comes to shoving your religious values down the throats of a majority of voters.

The above photo is from this person’s blog.  It’s a cool blog that seems abandoned.　

Jay Bookman’s Excellent Blog Post　

And just for kicks, here’s a bonus one fresh from today,  just to give you folks an idea of the great leaders we have in this state:

House Bill 401