A Quote for Saturday

"Education doesn't change life much. It just lifts trouble to a higher plane of regard." (Robert Frost)

'I Told You I Was Trouble'

I just sighed when I read the lede in the Los Angeles Times this morning: "LONDON — Amy Winehouse, the beehived soul-jazz diva whose self-destructive habits overshadowed a distinctive musical talent, was found dead Saturday in her London home, police said. She was 27." Of all the events that might shock me in our untidy world, Winehouse's passing is least among them. I mourn her death. But among musical prodigies, talent and trouble are often of a piece, a blended cocktail that invites tragedy. History is crowded with it progenies. It was only a question of time before Winehouse joined them. The trajectory of her barely lived life — rags to riches to rigamortis — is all too familiar. Eerily familiar. Like Winehouse, age 27 was the last flashing signpost Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain saw before they, too, careened off the cliff in a drug-induced haze. Soul-jazz diva Billie Holiday (whom Winehouse most resembled) drove a bit further along the continental divide of madness before, at 44, she finally let go of the wheel. Like her predecessors, Winehouse's meteoric rise was as inevitable as her premature demise. Perhaps she understood that on some level. "I cheated myself / Like I knew I would / I told you I was trouble / You know that I'm no good," went the stanza of a popular single in her acclaimed "Back to Black" album. Sadly, she may have believed it. Art is a revolt against fate, as writer Andre Malraux once said. Yet fate is hard to deny. Rest untroubled, Amy Winehouse. Rest in peace.

"Teach Me Tonight" in December 2004:

Burnt offerings to the God of Page Hits

The latest contribution to American history from the august Washington Post: "User poll: Which leader is most at fault for the latest breakdown in debt talks?" Because who cares about substance, right? I kid the Post, but I wonder if the decline of Rome began this way, too. (By the way, when I last checked, Post poll-takers assigned 7% of the blame to Obama -- and 46% to Speaker Boehner. I guess that clears up who's winning the political PR war.)

Here's to the misfits

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." (Jack Kerouac)

How do you negotiate with crazy?

Remember the 2010 midterm elections, America? You know, the one that turned the House into a Republican lake? The one in which most folks didn't cast a vote? Yeah, that one. Well, the results are in. Jonathan Bernstein: "One really, really important point to remember about House Republicans right now: There's a very good chance that a whole bunch of them just have no idea what they're doing ..." Time magazine: "Democrats are clearly baffled by the challenge of persuading opponents who not only have a different set of priorities, but a different set of facts. 'There's a question about how much the facts matter to them,' says a Democratic official. 'And I don't know what to do about that.'" Washington Monthly: "Politics isn't supposed to be quite this difficult ... while agreements have never been easy, they've at least been possible. But the equation changes when one of the major political parties, especially when it controls one of the relevant institutions, abandons any sense of reason." After the 2010 midterm vote, President Obama famously said he took a shellacking in the elections. It's clear now that we all did. So, what's a nation to do? Simple. Follow Steve Benen's advice: For the love of God "stop electing radical, conspicuously unintelligent candidates to positions of power and influence."

Tilting at windmills

Listening to the Diane Rehm Show on NPR this morning, one commentator said many Democrats are disappointed that President Obama has not change the bitter partisan climate in Washington. I go a little nuts every time I hear this absurdity. The underlying presumption is that Obama possesses mythic, Zeus-like powers. Like it or not, unbridled partisanship is woven deep into the DNA of American politics. (You can blame egotist Hamilton for starting it, his opponents for inflaming it, and the Founders for unintentionally creating a system that allowed it to thrive.) During the 2008 campaign, it was dumb of Obama (who knows better) to imply he could divine change. But it was dumber of Democrats to believe he could actually do it. To pull off "Change You Can Believe In" would require selfless politicians with no interest in politics plus Harry Potter's magic wand. Both have been in short supply since 1789. What Obama should have said in 2008, to paraphrase another campaign slogan, is: "We are the change we've been waiting for." That would have properly put the onus on us, the American people, and spared Mr. Obama from being cast as the knight in shining armor. In that role, he is doomed by our own history to tilt at windmills.

A Borders bedtime story

A reader: "My local Borders closed down about a year ago. I went to their liquidation sale when prices were touted at 30% off everything. The store was mobbed and there were people carrying around carts of books. I picked up a few that were on my Amazon wishlist, looked at the prices and then chuckled. I was on the phone with my wife and said, 'I came here planning on buying a bunch of books, but the prices are still higher than Amazon, which I guess explains why they are going out of business!' I put the books back on the shelves and went home to my computer." (hat tip: Andrew Sullivan)

The truth is incontrovertible

I lament the closure of any book store anywhere. But there's no getting around this observation by one of Andrew Sullivan's readers: "It seems more plausible to me that Borders is the book equivalent to Circuit City - poor locations, poor prices, poor management, poor economy. And technological change they didn't adapt to. ... If you go to the book store looking for something that isn't a brand new bestseller, your odds of finding it are fairly bad. But Amazon has it, guaranteed. Even if it's been out of print for 50 years, Amazon has an associate who has it. It's the worlds biggest, best, cheapest, and most comprehensive store. That's why it's doing well."

A dusty tempest in a teapot

No, the term "haboob" is not an alternate description for xenophobes, though it would fit nicely. (As in: Ha! What boobs!) That said, an Arizona Republic reader complained that he was "insulted" by TV weather forecasters with the temerity to use "haboob" when describing local dust storms. "This is Arizona, not some Middle Eastern nation. ... How do they think our soldiers feel coming back to Arizona and hearing some Middle Eastern term that is clearly an Arizona phenomenon?" wrote Don Yonts of Gilbert (a Phoenix suburb). There's no point in reproaching Mr. Yonts (think Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino). His statement betrays the extent of his worldliness, and it's best to just get off his lawn. Still, to have a conniption fit over a word makes the mind reel. Yes, the term "haboob" is rooted in the Arabic word habūb, meaning “violent wind,” according to the Webster dictionary. Yes, its popular usage in America is unusual (though meteorologists use it routinely). The trouble with prejudice is that you can't be a little bit pregnant. It one objects to haboob because of its Arabic origins, then one also has to object to admiral, adobe, alcohol, arsenal, candy, lemon, giraffe, magazine, safari, sofa, tangerine and zero -- just to name a few words directly derived from the Arabic language. But I'm in a generous mood. Perhaps aggrieved souls like Mr. Yonts are better viewed in the context of Hanlon's Razor, an eponymous adage that states: "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

Hot today, hotter tomorrow

"Hot today, hotter tomorrow" is the big headline in Washington. "D.C.’s triple-digit heat indices could get worse. An excessive heat warning extends into Saturday," the Washington Post reports. It was 90 in DC today. Tomorrow's temps could hit 103. These temps supposedly "feel like" 110 degrees. Well, cry me a river. In Phoenix (a genuine God forsaken desert during the summer), we've had triple-digit temps everyday since early June, some above 115. It's 104 today. It might dip to 90 tonight. Tomorrow will hit 107 at least. And the temps here "feel like" the surface of Mercury. Our nightly prayer? Please God, don't let the A/C break. Just keeping things in perspective folks.

Life on the hamster wheel

Man, Juan Williams just can't catch a break. His new book, Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate, perfectly captures his dilemma. I listened as Diane Rehm interviewed him on NPR this morning and immediately thought, oh uh ... Whitewater Ahead! Needless to say, the reax was instantaneous.

Salon's Alex Pareene response was typical of the view from the left:

Boy, was getting fired from NPR the best thing that ever happened to mediocre commentator Juan Williams? The entire book he wrote on the subject of getting fired from NPR, "Milking It: The Juan Williams Story" (sorry, I meant "Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate") is out next week ... Juan Williams, who now works for Fox, where he is a professional "victim of the liberal media," says NPR is a "very elitist" and "white institution." Juan Williams, again, works for Fox News. The closest Fox News gets to a regular minority presence is brunettes. (And Geraldo, I guess.) It's the channel of aggrieved white people who think they don't count as "elites" because they don't ... listen to NPR.

Har har har -- clever, but not exactly unbiased journalism. Oh and just for the record, Pareene is a white dude who works for a liberal online magazine not known for its own writer diversity. You know, kinda like NPR. Williams is without question an independent-minded journalist. However, as an African American, he pays a higher price for it, unfortunately. For many in the Liberal Media Complex, it's like, whoa, how dare he harbor complicated views on some issues? You gotta problem with our Koolaid or somethin'? Personally, I celebrate Williams as a thoughtful author. He's one of the best. But I've always found him wanting as a political commentator. His views often struck me as two-dimensional. That makes him an easy target for the likes of Pareene. After Williams banks a few million from his gig at Fox News, I hope he gets off the punditry hamster wheel, refocuses his Eyes on the Prize, and returns to his métier: penning books.

Better to bow to the absurd

It's amusing to watch pundits bang their heads against the wall when politicians make stupid, jaw-dropping remarks. Today, I give you Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) on the debt ceiling talks: "Why should we give Barack Obama $2.4 trillion? It's his debt. It's his debt ceiling." After the requisite head banging on said wall, Steve Benen writes: "The scope of the irresponsibility and immaturity is almost impressive. In case anyone's forgotten, this isn't Obama's debt; it's our debt. The deficit didn't soar when Obama took office; it soared when Bush/Cheney was in office. And it's not Obama's debt ceiling; it's the country's debt ceiling." Benen is right, of course. And I feel his pain. But he's reacting to some congressional yahoo named "Mo." I mean, really? If I had a nickel for every dumb utterance made by some obscure pol this year, I'd be retired on a yacht somewhere. Turning off C-Span and taking a couple of Advils is probably a better idea. It'll also save on the cost of wall repairs.

The tyranny of the bookseller marketplace

To loosely paraphrase an Oscar Wilde quote about books, there is no such thing as a good or bad bookseller. They are well run, or badly run. The latter go out of business. Let's hope that's all there is to the news that Borders Inc. is going belly up. The bookseller is set to liquidate its remaining 399 stores nationwide. The Week has four theories why it failed. Still, I am haunted by what Saint Augustine once said: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." Yet even that last, feeble task seems increasingly problematic as brick & mortar booksellers disappear from society's landscape. Can Barnes & Noble be far behind? Hopefully, the e-book universe will pick up the slack. Otherwise, we're witnessing yet another pillar of civilization crumble before us.

Yes, Palin could win - in a Mad Max world

Cue the horror music: Today, a largely meaningless Washington Post-ABC News poll has Sarah Palin placing second behind Mitt Romney among Republicans. It has provoked the usual "OMG! She Is STILL A Threat!" blathering from the usual suspects. Palin-obsessive Andrew Sullivan (who is convinced she's running) is particularly hyperbolic: "If the Republican radicals decide to destroy the American economy in order to save it in the debt crisis, and Obama simply cannot survive the depression that follows, Palin is poised. It's all so very Weimar." Well, yes, under those apocalyptic circumstances, a Huey "Kingfish" Long or Adolf Hitler figure (pick your poison) in the 21st century guise of Ms. Palin might be able to rise from the ashes, Phoenix-like. Throw in a massive meteor impact and roving tribes of "Mad Max" denizens -- heck, she might even go all the way to the White House. But the odds of this Worst-Case-Scenario playing out are slim to none. So why hyperventilate? It's time to take a deep breath folks.

Thanks for sharing

Michele Bachmann: "I will tell you my favorite food of all time is celery. Honest to God my favorite food is celery. Straight up celery. I will personally consume the entire stalk of celery. At the Thanksgiving table I have the plate of celery in front of me." (hat tip: Andrew Sullivan)

Did the game tide just turn?

The Gray Lady cleared her throat this morning and declared: "Obama and Boehner Close to Major Budget Deal, Congressional Leaders Are Told." That's big news, if the New York Times is right. The White House and House Speaker Boehner quickly denied it. Which is exactly what I'd expect. Both sides still wish to preserve their flexibility in the debt ceiling talks. But dug in along the ideological divide, the progressive blogosphere doesn't want to believe it. Steve Benen is representative of this POV: "It's tempting to think these are pro-forma denials, and a major breakthrough may actually be close at hand. I'm afraid that's probably wishful thinking -- the safer bet is that the NYT piece is jumping the gun." He goes on to argue that any "Grand Bargain" could not possibly be "a good bill"; and that "there's still no reason to think Boehner can get it through the House." Pundits tend to be small-bore thinkers. Virtually no one thought Obama would get Congress to pass his health care bill -- until he did. I suspect the NYT has gotten the basic story right. Don't be surprised if Mr. Obama shoots another three-pointer from downtown.

Quote of the Day

"Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering -- because you can't take it in all at once." (Audrey Hepburn)

Meme of the Day

Dan Milbank writes oh so cleverly: "After he switched to the Republican Party in 1962, Ronald Reagan famously quipped: 'I didn’t leave the Democratic Party. The party left me.' Now, the Republican Party is doing the same thing to him — and Democrats are happy to take Reagan back." Every progressive blog and talking head show are reporting much the same today, as if rank and file Dems are suddenly queuing up for "I Love Reagan" T-shirts (they're not). It's a manufactured "story" only the Beltway media could love -- and shamelessly promote. But I suspect the Gipper is spinning in his grave.

The Hitman

I imagine Roger Simon took one last drag of his cigarette, then dropped it to the floor. Yes, he nodded stoically, he would accept the "contract" from his POLITICO overlords. The professional hit on Rupert Murdoch would not be pretty. In his column today ("The Evil of Rupert Murdoch"), Simon writes about his one, personal interaction with the tabloid mogul back in 1984. At the time, Simon was a columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, a newspaper Murdoch would soon purchase. Over dinner, he conversed with Murdoch about various sections of the paper. “I don’t understand anything about American sport,” Murdoch told Simon breezily, “but I know the coloreds like it.” Pregnant pause. Simon told the Australian that in America we no longer used the word “coloreds,” that it was considered insulting. "He looked at me the way Queen Victoria might have looked at a footman who had told her she was using the wrong fork to eat her pheasant," Simon wrote. The evening went downhill from there. So did Simon's three-page column, an editorial hit job if there ever was one. Like I said, it wasn't pretty. But it sure got the job done. And if half of what I've read is true, this thoroughly contemptible Aussie probably deserves every rhetorical bullet. By the way, Mr. Simon, don't forget: Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

Stating the obvious, but worth repeating

What did former Harvard president Larry Summers really think of the Winklevoss twins? "One of the things you learn as a college president is that if an undergraduate is wearing a tie and jacket on Thursday afternoon at three o'clock, there are two possibilities. One is that they're looking for a job and have an interview; the other is that they are an a**hole. This was the latter case," said Summers during a recent interview. Heh.

Hurry up and implode, will ya?

"Today's GOP is as hostile to the core institutions of government as it is to accountability and compromise. I hope they experience electoral near-death as a result. I see no way for the US to become a serious nation again until this deeply unserious party destroys itself. Faster, please, as someone once said." (Andrew Sullivan)

Bachmann's headaches get worse

Tucker Carlson's The Daily Caller is reporting that Michele Bachmann “frequently suffers from stress-induced medical episodes that she has characterized as severe headaches. These episodes, say witnesses, occur once a week on average and can 'incapacitate' her for days at a time. On at least three occasions, Bachmann has landed in the hospital as a result.” Allegedly, heavy pill usage is needed to keep the migraines under control. The Caller's sources are anonymous, of course. But it doesn't matter. This is likely a GOP establishment "hit" designed to weaken Bachmann's bid for the nomination. It won't deter her groupies, but--fairly or unfairly--it might give middle-of-road Republicans pause.

Bigotry is colorblind

I haven't spent much digital ink on GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain (the Godfather's Pizza guy) because, well, he isn't worth the time.

Frankly, he's a sideshow freak who will never be the GOP nominee, let alone president. He's also a bigot, as Eugene Robinson pointed out this morning. His views about followers of Islam are nothing short of outrageous. The following weekend exchange on Fox News Sunday says it all.

Chris Wallace: “As someone who, I’m sure, faced prejudice growing up in the ’50s and the ’60s, how do you respond to those who say you are doing the same thing?” Cain: “I tell them that’s absolutely not true, because it is absolutely, totally different. ... We had some laws that were restricting people because of their color and because of their color only.” Wallace: “But aren’t you willing to restrict people because of their religion?” Cain: “I’m willing to take a harder look at people that might be terrorists.”

Robinson writes: "Generations of bigots made the same argument about black people. They’re irredeemably different. Many of them may be all right, but some are a threat. Therefore, it’s necessary to keep all of them under scrutiny and control. Bull Connor and Lester Maddox would be proud." Enough said.

Mankind in perspective

"It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top." (Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist, 1937-2005)

Horror foreshadowed

On this day in 1925, Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf. Winston Churchill (The Gathering Storm) later wrote: "All was there—the programme of German resurrection, the technique of party propaganda; the plan for combating Marxism; the concept of a National-Socialist State; the rightful position of Germany at the summit of the world. Here was the new Koran of faith and war: turgid, verbose, shapeless, but pregnant with its message."