Soup Diary 090627

Another trip to the library, another bowl of soup. I wasn't too sure that the cafe would be open on Saturday, but I lucked out. The choices were Tomato Basil, Broccoli Cheddar and White Bean with Bacon. I went with the last named, since I'd tried the others previously. It had a nice sour kind of flavor-- very similar to German Potato Salad-- with a bit of an onion-y edge to it. I'm more used to bean soups that are somewhat creamy, so this was an interesting variation. I should also note that with each bowl of soup, Fables (that's the name of the library cafe) also provides a big hunk of homemade bread, and today's was especially good, a seedy whole wheat. Along with a glass of ice tea, it was a really fine lunch all the way around.

Contrarian Philosophy

Carneades (c214-129 BC) was born about a century after Aristotle's death. A noted skeptic, his comment quoted below can be read as a direct riposte to the statement I posted by the Aristotle a few days ago. I'll leave it to my readers to decide which one makes more sense to them:

"There is absolutely no criterion for truth.
For reason, senses, ideas, or whatever
else may exist are all deceptive."

Great Song

The video on this is incredibly rudimentary, but the tune itself is fantastic, with a really nice intro tracing the the song's history (warning: a couple four-letter words are uttered). I'm a little surprised that I haven't posted something by Steve Earle before, but this should make up for that oversight:

Family Blogging Quiz

For this week's quiz, here are Joseph, Sara, Maria & Thomas mugging for the camera. The question is, who is lurking just out of the shot to their left (your right)? Put your guesses in the comments please.

Last week you were asked to identify the setting for a picture of Mom. Theresa correctly guessed that the fountain in the background is in Chicago and the picture was taken when Mom was there for an ADA convention. Congratulations Theresa!

I'm going to leave the voting open on which rock star Nik most resembles (here and here) for another couple of days in an effort to break the current four-way tie. If you haven't voted yet, now's your chance to be a difference-maker!

More Friday Family Blogging

Here are some shots of the Rosieks, who I was told (by Ben) were getting short shrift on this blog recently (I think he just hasn't been paying attention). Here's a nice one of Sally, Tom & the aforementioned Ben down by the Niagara River:

And, lest I be accused of cutting out the other member of the family, here's a sepia-toned shot of Natalie enjoying the remnants of some powdered sugar from her fried dough at the Allentown Art Festival:

Friday Family Blogging

In the past, and from a distance, I was trying to chronicle Emma's development towards taking her first steps. Well, as noted here a couple of weeks ago, she finally did start walking, and here's some video evidence for any skeptics there may be out there (along with her sister Helen, typically not standing still):



This was shot at the bandshell at Niawanda Park, which might've been Emma's first opportunity to display her ambulatory talents in a wide open space with no obstacles to contend with. Of course that doesn't mean it was a completely error-free performance ;-)

Friday's Quote

I'm going with another historian today, the eminent John Hope Franklin, who just passed away last March. I think he was right on with this statement from his book A Life of Learning:

"When we... learn that this country and the
western world have no monopoly of goodness
and truth or of skills and scholarship, we
begin to appreciate the ingredients that are
indispensable for making a better world.
In a life of learning that is, perhaps, the
greatest lesson of all."

A Favorite Painting 35

William Gropper, The Senate 1935

Some subjects are truly timeless. Is there any reason at all to think that the scene in the Senate chambers today was any different than when Gropper painted this almost 75 years ago? You've got the pontificating blowhard, his disinterested colleagues and a whole bunch of empty seats (abandoned perhaps for meetings with lobbyists in the cloakroom?). I really like when artists engage with larger political or social issues, and feel they often exhibit keener insight in stripping away the illusions promoted by conventional commentators (and of course the politicians and activists themselves). Does that mean they are always right in their critiques? No. But I bet their track record is better than most of the pundits who are paid to offer commentary on such matters in more mainstream venues. And, in an image like Gropper's, the point is made pretty explicit in the most straightforward way, continuing a tradition that went back at least to Thomas Nast of artists calling out our supposed leaders on their hypocrisy.

Adventures in Night Photography, Continued

A few days ago, I set out with my trusty nephew Ben to Niagara Falls to continue my efforts to make some good night-time photos. Here are the six of the best I took (out of more than 100-- you gotta love digital cameras with roomy SD cards!).

Niagara Falls is a great place to experiment with these kinds of shots, since in addition to the grandeur of the setting itself, there's a interesting mix of lights playing on the Falls, along the Rainbow Bridge, and across the Canadian skyline.

I also discovered the Black & White setting on my camera, and it appears that it is more forgiving for night photography, I think because it emphasizes contrasts between light and dark better (though I guess that could be a subjective opinion).

I also liked how I could maximize the silhouette effect by playing around with the zoom in black and white.

This next one is of Ben looking out over the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side of Goat Island, which is where we were wandering around. The green light emanating from the cliff is intended to illuminate the Falls which were cascading just a few feet to Ben's left.

As we were crossing the bridge over the rapids back to the mainland, I got this shot of the rapids feeding the American Falls about fifty yards beyond the bridge in the background.

Ben took a bunch of pictures too that night, most of which were better than mine-- I'll have to see if he'll let me share some of them here. Meanwhile we're trying to think of some other spots where we might go to continue our photographic experiments. Anybody have any suggestions?

Unabashed Plug

If you check the "Blogs I Like" section in the left hand margin, you'll note that I've added a link to "The Big Takeover." This is a spin off from one of my two favorite music magazines (the other is Mojo out of Great Britain), edited by a fellow named Jack Rabid whose love of virtually all kinds of exciting rock music past and present comes across on every page (even in the pieces he himself does not write). He's been self-publishing the mag for more than 25 years, and though it started out as a mimeographed fanzine, it is now a fat, professionally laid out treasure trove of interviews, disc and concert reviews, and even some very sharp socio-political commentary. Much of that is evident in their blog, but I fully recommend looking for a print copy. It comes out twice a year, in June and December (just in time to help me compile shopping lists for my trips back east). The above issue actually came out about three years ago, but the current edition, #64, also features the Decembrists on the cover-- so look for it at your favorite news stand.

Thursday Morning Philosophy

C. Vann Woodward (1908-1999) was one of the giants of the historical profession who, although a Southerner himself, rejected the self-serving common wisdom that shaped much of the work that came from that region's scholars to offer a more nuanced and sensitive study of issues related to race and Reconstruction. This quote was a report of a committee he headed in 1975:

"The history of intellectual growth and discovery
clearly demonstrates the need for unfettered
freedom, the right to think the unthinkable,
discuss the unmentionable, and challenge the
unchallengeable. To curtail free expression
strikes twice at intellectual freedom, for
whoever deprives another of the right to
state unpopular views necessarily deprives
others of the right to listen to those views."

Another Quiz Candidate

Remember I'm collecting votes on which rock star in shades Nik most resembles in the top photo at this post. There's another nominee from Natalie, namely this guy:

He's Joel Maddon out of the band Good Charlotte. So if you think Nik looks like him, cast your vote accordingly, or cast a vote for any of the other candidates listed in the earlier post. But whatever you do, please vote for someone!

On a Lighter Note...

This song, which was a hit in the days before videos (1966), always deserved a visual representation, and these folks seem to have nailed it:



P.S. The flip side to the original 45 of this song was "Aaah-ah, Yawa Em Ekat ot Gnimoc Er'yeht."

The Last Book I Read

Howard Zinn takes a lot of heat from folks who don't bother to read his books (or, if they do, they willfully ignore all but the most incendiary parts). Zinn is to my mind a great American patriot, in the same way that folks like Dorothy Day, Phil Ochs, Mort Sahl, Jane Addams, George Seldes (and so many others) are or were great American patriots: they identify those areas where we might collectively do a better job of living up to our core values and ideals. This "graphic adaptation" is a spinoff of Zinn's hugely influential A People's History of the United States, and like that earlier work it would be easy but erroneous to label it a hit job on the nation's past. Looking more closely, what emerges is only partly an indictment, but more significantly, a call to action. The main point is less that mistakes were made in the past, than that we ought to learn from those errors to make sure they are not repeated. This survey of American foreign policy from the latter half of the 19th century to the present is neatly interwoven with Zinn's autobiography, demonstrating how at least one individual came to see how our foreign policy and its architects tended to drift away from any connection to the values evident in the daily lives of the citizens they claimed to serve. It's in that breach where Zinn sees some fertile ground for breeding the kind of collective aversion necessary to stop such ugly adventures as those experienced in places like the Phillipines, Viet Nam and the Middle East over the past hundred-plus years. I think it's an effective argument, and consistent with what Zinn has been advocating for at least the past fifty years. Since this is a graphic novel, I want to also mention the excellent artwork throughout by Mike Konapacki-- it helps make the work more accessible and compelling; the effort is a true collaboration between words and images.

Philosophy for a Wednesday Morning

Let's go back to one of the true giants of Western thought, Aristotle (384-322 BC) for today's quotation. It kind of goes along with the recent review I posted of Charles Pierce's book Idiot America:

"...the states of virtue by which the soul possesses
truth by way of affirmation or denial are five in
number, i.e., art, scientific knowledge, practical
wisdom, philosophical wisdom, intuitive reason;
we do not include judgment and opinion
because in these we may be mistaken."

New Bike

You might recall that last week my beloved Cannondale bicycle was stolen while locked up in a rack at the University of Buffalo. I had that bike for over twelve years, and had hoped to ride it at least another twelve. But with its disappearance, I needed a replacement, and after spending a couple days test riding about ten other bikes, I bought one much like that pictured above-- a Gary Fisher Wahoo mountain bike. I haven't had a chance to ride it much since making the decision yesterday evening, but I feel like I made a good choice (I should be heading out for another ride as soon as I finish this post). I also purchased a Kryponite Lock that is several degrees of magnitude more secure (according to the salesman) than the one that must've been clipped to get at the Cannondale. So, some degree of order is restored to my universe as I once again have a two wheeler to enjoy on these lovely summer days.

The Last Movie I Saw

As a film buff, I always used to look forward to the summer season. partly this was because the studios all brought out the big blockbusters, and partly it was because I'd have the time to catch up with second run features I'd missed in the preceding months when I was bogged down with work. But the last couple of summers have mostly been disappointing, with even movies I was looking forward to failing to ring my bell. The premise for The Hangover, directed by Todd Phillips, looked promising if not particularly deep-- you could go into this flick only expecting to laugh. Unfortunately, all it mustered from me were a few mild chuckles. I didn't find it offensive or boring, just incredibly mild and silly with virtually no inspiration beyond the premise (you can find a plot syopsis elsewhere if the title doesn't pretty much give it away). I found none of the stars (or the characters they played) in any way charismatic-- it was a convention of sidekicks, any one of whom might've added something to a more more top-heavy cast. But this collection of second bananas (and an underused Heather Graham) lacked any kind of spark to really set the proceedings on fire. It was like a mediocre episode of Family Guy-- let's create some absurd circumstances and just riff off the non-sequitors. Sometimes it works, but just as often you just want them to get on with it. I don't feel that I quite wasted the 90 minutes (there were those few chuckles, and Heather Graham), but I doubt I'll rememebr much of where they went a week from now.

One other thing-- I keep promising to write at length on why National Lampoon's Animal House rises above the general entries in "this kind of movie," and I'll get to that when I have a bit more time. For now, suffice to say this film, like so many of the slob genre, creates a world that exists only in movies (you know, where drunk guys wake up to find tigers in the bathroom), while Animal House was clearly grounded in something real (though granted, exaggerated).

Soup Diary 090623

Today at the library I tried another soup I'd never had before-- Bruised... sorry, make that Braised Oxtail Soup with White Beans. I initially read the menu as "bruised" which didn't make for a very appealing image, though I'm not sure why. The soup was quite good, rich and hearty with a thick, beefy broth. There wasn't anything particularly exciting about it (you know, like African Peanut soup), but it made for a satisfying lunch.

Additional Soup Notes: I've actually had some other soup experiences in recent days that I haven't written about, but in the interests of comprehension thought I would note them here. First was a cup of Lentil soup at Kostas Restaurant in Buffalo. It was good enough, but where lentil soup is concerned I've kind of reached the point where if you've tasted one, you've pretty much tasted them all. Also, at Curry's Restaurant in Kenmore yesterday, my nephew Ben ordered the Banana Pepper Cheddar Soup and graciously let me have a taste. The creamy broth was somewhat similar to a good Broccoli Cheddar, but the banana peppers made for an extra zing. I'll definitely order it should I return to Curry's. Then today, while I had the Oxtail soup, Ben was again with me and had a cup of the Chicken Tortilla, which I'd had before and liked. He again let me sample his, and it was a bit disappointing-- way too tomato-y (which should've been balanced more with the chicken flavor). Anyway, maybe just a taste was unfair for me to draw conclusions, so I'll have to watch for it to return to the menu and give it another shot.

Thought for the Day

There are aspects of William Graham Sumner's philosophy that I would disagree with (especially in relation to his support for the notion of Social Darwinism), but on this point I think he makes a lot of sense:

"If you want war, nourish a doctrine. Doctrines
are the most frightful tyrants to which men
ever are subject, because doctrines get inside
a man's reason and betray him against himself.
Civilized men have done their fiercest fighting
for doctrines."

The Last Book I Read

This past weekend the Buffalo News reported that a local theater group has lost its venue and seen its very existence threatened because they staged a play called "Polish Joke." The play apparently functions that same way that Norman Lear intended Archie Bunker to function: by exposing the ridiculousness of bigotry and prejudice by casting a spotlight on the blatant absurdity of ethnic humor. Unfortunately, certain members of the community decided that the title alone was enough to condemn the work as anti-Polish, and they successfully lobbied the group's landlord (Canisius College-- that's right a supposed institution of higher learning) to kick the group out of their theater. Needless to say, those calling for the shutdown had not seen the play-- they apparently were reacting with their "gut" feeling. Which in turn remins me of the line in the Sephen Frears directed film of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, when played main character played by John Cusack is reviewing his less-than-stellar history of relationships and comes to this conclusion: "Well, I've been listening to my gut since I was 14 years old, and frankly speaking, I've come to the conclusion that my guts have @#$% for brains."

All of which is a roundabout way of introducing the key idea contained in Charles P. Pierce's excellent book, Idiot America. In it, he laments that fact that as a nation we have apparently given up on valuing reason and education to give greater, unwarranted credence to ideas that originate in the gut. Pierce argues that today, if an idea or belief is repeated often enough, and enough people buy into it, many of us are perfectly happy to acknowledge it as a truth, and let it take its place as a legitimate perspective in ongoing debates over science, education, politics, or whatever. If someone can make a little money off of this promotion of nonsense, so much the better-- that just gives it an even greater veneer of verisimilitude. Pierce compares the current situation with some historical examples, in which he notes that, as a nation, we've always had a high tolerance for cranks with wild ideas. But what's different today is the degree to which these crackpot notions become embraced and used as governing principles, not for small cults or in a momentary lapse into mass delusion, but driving serious national policy decisions and consuming massive amounts of time and energy that would be better spent on working out truly constructive answers to our problems. In many respects it's a somewhat scary read, and cases like the close-minded censorship of a local play, while a pretty minor story in and of itself, becomes emblematic of a truly disturbing trend. I hope Pierce's work gets a wider audience, but the sad fact is that people who want to think with their gut are really good at avoiding the kind of thoughtful self-examination necessary to recognize themselves in this sort of critique. The real problem is people who know better who curry favor (for political or economic benefit) with the "idiots" without offering any challenges to their way of thinking.

Monday Philosophy

Thomas Paine was in many ways the chief salesman of the American Revolution. His pamphlet "Common Sense" blazed across the colonies and sparked support for independence at a time when the concept was still pretty alien to many Americans. Here's a quote from his later work The Age of Reason that remains all too relevant today:

"When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted
the chastity of his mind, as to subscribe his
professional belief to things he does not believe,
he has prepared himself for the commission of
every other crime... Infidelity does not consist
in believing or in disbelieving, it consists in
professing to believe what one does not believe."

A Tribute to My Dad

My dad, Nikolaus Hajduk, passed away almost ten years ago, but I think about him virtually every day.

In many ways he and I were opposites with respect to things like education (he didn't finish grade school) and politics (he was much more conservative than me), but he was my first and most important role model in all the things that really matter like core values and the way I try to deal with other people.

Nobody could ever say a bad word about my dad, because his impulse was always to treat everyone else with respect, generosity and good humor. His family was the most important thing to him, and that was a huge factor in the closeness that still exists among me and my siblings.

Sometimes we fought about ultimately inconsequential things (like political candidates), but I don't remember those disputes ever interfering with the basic relationship we enjoyed and I don't remember any anger lasting longer than the heat of a particular argument.

I wish he were still around so I could spend more time with him, but in a way, he's always with me and I'm gratified that I can still rely on his steady guidance to see me through both the tough times and the good times. No one gets to pick their parents, but I sure lucked out with my dad, and my mom too, and I'm thankful for that every day.

Father's Day Quotes

We're going to double up today, first with a typically philosophical snippet from the German romantic writer Jean Paul (born Johann Paul) Richter (1763-1825):

"The words that a father speaks to his children
in the privacy of home are not heard by the
world, but, as in whispering-galleries, they are
clearly heard at the end and by posterity."

And here's a second, perhaps less lofty but equally pertinent, quote from one of the most feared sluggers in baseball during my younger days, Harmon Killebrew:

"My father used to play with my brother and me
in the yard. Mother would come out and say,
'You're tearing up the grass.'
'We're not raising grass,' Dad would reply.
'We're raising boys.'"

Saturday Morning Cartoon

Felix the Cat cartoons long pre-date my childhood, but I remember watching them as a kid, no doubt recycled for television. There are some color ones available at YouTube, but the ones I recall are like this one-- all black and white (with virtually no gray tones). Were these shown on Captain Kangaroo at some point? I remember Tom Terrific was also pretty rudimentary in its animation. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this:

Last Week's Quiz

In last week's Family Quiz, you were asked to tell me what classic rock star Nik most resembled in this photo:

For each of the guesses I received, I tried to find a picture that sort of matches with what I think the guesser had in mind. They are as follows, starting with Bob Dylan (Sally's guess):

Lizzie thought Nik looked a bit like Ric Ocasek from the Cars (and certainly the two have first names that rhyme):

Theresa thought maybe Bono out of U2:

Catie said cousin Gerik, who isn't a rock star yet, but is definitely already a first-rate musician (on the trumpet). I couldn't find a picture of Gerik in shades, but if you cover the left side of his face in this picture, you kind of get the same effect:

I actually thought that Nik most resembled Lou Reed from his days in the Velvet Underground:

So, rather than me just picking a winner this week subjectively, I thought I would put it up to a vote. Which of the above do YOU think look the most like Nik in the very top picture? Put your votes in the comments section. And if you still have another candidate (especially if you can provide a link to a picture), maybe we'll have another runoff vote with those nominees as well.

Family Blogging Quiz

The challenge this week is to tell me where the above picture of Mom was taken. Put your guesses in comments, along with any pertinent side-notes that may occur to you. I'll ask Mom to refrain from responding until others have a chance to guess (unless you want to offer up some hints).

As for last week's quiz, we're going to figure the results a little differently than usual-- see the next post for details.

More Family Blogging

Here are a couple of recent pictures taken while I've been visiting back east that I hope you'll like. First, here are Emma and Helen making typical kid-use of a big box:

That's Nicky at the top of the tubular slide, slightly obscured by Emma's blowing hair. When we go to the playground, the little dickens is intent on climbing up the slide from the bottom (and she only started walking only two weeks ago!).

Helen betrays all the signs of eventually becoming an athlete. She already knows how to wear a ball cap:

Belated Family Blogging

Because I was mourning the loss of my bike yesterday, I didn't really feel much like posting, so I'm going to make up some of the usual Friday stuff today. Last week, I put up a bunch of photos of my maternal uncles, so today, here are some images featuring their sister, my Aunt Patty:

This is a pretty typical picture of Aunt Patty, who almost always seems to have a smile on her face.

This one goes back a few years. That's Aunt patty holding my cousin Kevin, with Gramma and Aunt Clare (Uncle Chuck's wife and Kevin's mom) to the right and Great Aunt Helen to the left. I's identify the gentleman standing beside Aunt Helen, but let's see if anyone wants to take a guess as to his identity.

And here's one that goes back even further (evidently before the smile became a Aunt Patty's signature feature). That's her in the foreground and Mom and Uncle Frank behind. Maybe Mom can provide more detail on the setting in comments?

Saturday's Quotation

When my brother Nick was stationed in Spain, he lived right around the corner from the house of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in Alcala de Henares. Of course, Cervantes himself was long gone by then. Anyway, I like his take on my profession:

"... for historians ought to be precise, faithful and
unprejudiced and neither interest nor fear, hatred
nor affection, should make them swerve from the
way of truth, whose mother is history, the rival of
time, the depository of great actions, the witness
of the past, example of the present, and monitor
of the future."

Friday Family Blogging

I found this artifact among Mom's collection of photos. That's Eileen, Raechelle and brother Nick making like Bonnie and Clyde and I guess Baby Face Nelson (or the female equivalent). Anyone know the story behind this photo?

Soup Diary 090619

I had a real quandary at the library coffee shop today, as they were offering one kind of soup which I've had before and really liked (Chicken Tortilla) and one that I had never tried but was curious about. The question was whether I should forego the sure thing, which I eventually did. The result was well worth the gamble. The soup I ordered was Spinach Gorgonzola, and it was very, very good. I was worried at first that the spinach flavor might be a little powerful, as it sometimes is in certain dishes, but not to worry-- the gorgonzola (or some other mystery ingredient) tempered the spinach flavor nicely and it was a very satisfying bowl of soup. Now the quandary next time those same two are on teh menu will be deciding which I liked better-- a nice problem to have (maybe I'll have to just get a cup od each!).

Thought for a Friday

I generally try to think well of everyone, but this morning someone stole my bicycle, so I'm not in a very generous mood. This quote from noted novelist James Fenimore Cooper kind of reflects what I'm thinking today:

"They who have reasoned ignorantly, or who
have aimed at effecting their personal ends
by flattering the popular feeling, have boldly
affirmed that "one man is as good as another";
a maxim that is true in neither nature,
revealed morals, nor political theory."

The Last Concert I Saw

Last night I went to see Ted Leo & the Pharmacists at the Tralf in downtown Buffalo-- what a great show! I've liked the group's last several records, but this was the first time I got to see them live and they were pretty incredible. Leo comes across as not only a fine guitarist and bandleader, but pretty smart and funny as well, bantering with the audience and ripping through an amazing 90 minute set (one highlight was a cover of the great Saints song "(I'm) Stranded"). I know I'm just gushing here, but sometimes the fanboy within escapes. Here's a clip of them performing one of the songs they did last night but from another gig-- it looks a lot like the scene last night at the Tralf:

The Last Book I Read

I first came across Matt Taibbi's writing in an alternative newspaper he helped found in Buffalo some years back called The Beast. His writing there (and in fact that of the other contributors as well) served as a wonderful antidote to the mainstream media's general lack of spirit in covering the Bush administration and the devolving political discourse (from all sides) that it seemed to engender. Eventually Taibbi moved on to Rolling Stone, where he has been the primary political correspondent for the past few years. His move to RS (which these days is closer to the rest of the mainstream than they'd probably admit, and in some respects worlds away from The Beast) luckily didn't dampen his perspective or style, which remains cooly analytical, hypersensitive to institutional hypocrisy, and leavened with just enough biting humor-- often at his own expense-- to avoid the the pitfall of self-righteousness. His book, The Great Derangement exhibits those characteristics as well. It chronicles Taibbi's efforts to come to grips with the broad social disconnects that mark so much of our current politics, whether from the right (notably through the evangelical megachurches whose pastors use Jesus as cover for their own naked power grabs) or the left (represented here mainly by the 9/11 Truthers and their allies in the peace movement), and occasioned by the almost complete abrogation of civic responsibility on the part of Congress in particular. Taibbi recognizes that the success of these "deranged" groups in becoming the primary faces for certain positions in the national debate belies their inherent silliness. But at the same time, he recognizes that their appeal to followers, who are deeply troubled by all manner of problems, is perhaps inevitable-- any port in a storm, so to speak-- and he demonstrates some real sympathy for those caught up in wanting to believe that there are answers for seemingly insurmountable questions, both public and private, that confound so many Americans. I was impressed that Taibbi was able to balance his analysis of the problem while remaining conscious of the human scale of its effects. Here's a quote that more-or-less summarizes that perspective: "All along I couldn't help but see the [9/11] Truther movement as a symptom of a society whose political institutions had simply stopped addressing the needs of its citizens. When people can't trust the media, and don't have any real political choices, and are denies access to the decision-making process, and can't even be sure that their votes are being counted--when even their activist advocates are lunching with the Man in fancy restaurants in Georgetown-- they will eventuall act out on their own. And when they do, who can blame them if the cause they choose to pursue is a little bit crazy?" It's a sad commentary on our body politic (and that word "sad" comes up often in Taibbi's narrative) that we've been reduced to this situation, and one can only hope it isn't to late to turn things in a more constructive direction.

Thursday's Quotation

Roger Williams (1603-1683) got booted out of the Massachusetts colony for essentially suggesting the community's religious leaders (who were also the primary civil authorities) were not living up to the morals they professed to hold (in part because they didn't hesitate to steal land from the Indians). Williams moved further south and purchased some land from the natives there to found the Rhode Island colony. As an early American example of someone sticking to principle over political expediency, and for offering pointed dissent against the abuse of power, he should be remembered. This quote suggests something of his perspective in matters like those that led to his exile:

"No one tenet that either London, England, or the
world doth harbor is so heretical, blasphemous,
seditious, and dangerous to the corporal, to the
spiritual, to the present, to the eternal good of
all men, as the bloody tenet (however washed
or whited) I say, as is the bloody tenet of
persecution for the cause of conscience."

Historical Comment

According to legend, back in the late 1950s a radio station owner named Todd Storz was struck by the jukebox playing habits of a bunch of teenagers in a diner some place in Omaha. Noticing that the kids dropped their nickels on the same songs over and over again, he was inspired to invent what came to be known as the Top 40 format for his station, in which his deejays did the same thing those kids did: they played the same big hits over and over again throughout their shifts, and built up hugely loyal listeners among those same youngsters who patronized the jukeboxes. Other radio programmers (notably Gordon McClendon and Bill Drake) would fine-tune the format, which eventually reached a point where some stations didn't even play the whole song, making more time for commercials, jingles, and other bits of business. Within the tightly controlled structure of Top 40, the disc jockeys themselves had to cram a lot of personality into just a few seconds of banter between records and ads, and the best at it became legends (guys like Dick Biondi, Jackson Armstrong, the Real Don Steele-- actually the list is pretty long, with favorites representing every part fo the country). A lot of baby boomers (a group to which I belong) have fond memories of Top 40, but I suspect that is due to the fact that it's rise corresponded to the maturation of rock and roll in the 1960s, so there was a lot of great music that could not be ignored. But most probably don't remember that the format also created hits out of a lot of nondescript bubblegum groups and acts that were promoted as much for their looks as their sound-- that is, music aimed at kids.

Top 40 was based on repetition, sometimes to the point that the audience became sick of some of the songs that they heard endlessly for a few weeks on their favorite station (I'm thinking, for example, of songs liek Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun"). But more often, if the station did it right, they created an atmosphere so familiar, nonthreatening, and comfortable, that you almost couldn't help going back day after day.

I think this was a lesson learned and followed by the producers and programmers of talk radio. Back in this post, I mentioned hearing the same things said over and over again by right-wing radio hosts as I drove across the country earlier this summer. It hadn't occurred to me before that this is just a variation on the Top 40 idea, just done with politics instead of music. Part of what led me to this revelation is that here in Buffalo, there is a station that airs "progressive" talk all day, and it is, for the most part, just as obnoxious and repetitious as the right-wing stuff one hears elsewhere on the dial. Obviously, the perspective is different, but the manner, or format, is practically indistinguishable from the more ubiquitous conservative talk. Even though I tend to agree with them more, the progressive talkers are ultimately no more creative or interesting (especially over the course of more than say an hour) than their more famous counterparts on the right. The big exception, to my ears, is Stephanie Miller, who seems to realize the whole thing is a "show," and treats everything with a healthy dose of humor (ironically, the least offensive right wing host to me is Dennis Miller-- for much the same reason). Stephanie Miller's father was Barry Goldwater's running mate back in 1964, and I suspect that she's seen the inside of the political arena close-up and knows that ideology and principles are hardly at the top of any politician's agenda, and therefore can keep from getting too rapped up in the minutiae of the ideological battleground. Compare her to Randi Rhodes, who I find practically as unlistenable as Michael Savage or Rush Limbaugh for all her hectoring and endless belaboring of points. This format (talk radio, of any stripe), like Top 40, is ultimately designed for the adolescent mind, regardless of how old one actually is. I'd like to think that those who have passed the driving age would seek out and demand something more substantial as a news source, but then maybe most of us have a soft spot for clinging to something simple and unchallenging from our radios, just like in the good old days of boss jocks.