Disappearing Act

Eddie Jordan was the coach of the Washington Wizards professional basketball club, but this morning he was shit canned.

Some would say he was fired or (more diplomatically) "relieved of his position", but there's no doubting this fact: he was shit canned.

Eddie Jordan came to the Wizards as a highly-regarded assistant coach from the New Jersey Nets.  His first season was rocky, with only 25 wins (out of 82 games), but in the following four years he led the team to 40+ wins and four straight playoff appearances, something that the Wizards haven't done since the late 80s.  Eddie Jordan has never had the luxury of a healthy team and his boss has proven less than competent the past two or three years, but Jordan found a way to lead his team to the playoffs.

In the offseason the Wizards failed to sign any relevant free agents and let Roger Mason, an important locker room presence and a solid player, sign with the San Antonio Spurs.  Oh yeah, they re-signed an enigmatic point guard who hasn't met an injury he didn't love to a 124-million-dollar contract that lasts until 2014, essentially handcuffing the franchise to the fate of Gilbert Arenas' knees.  Ernie Grunfeld, the man responsible for all of this, seems to be putting his faith (and our sanity) in the hands of a bunch of very risky gambles.  High reward, certainly...but still very high risk.

So naturally, as the Wizards plummet to the bottom of the standings, Ernie Grunfeld eliminates the only good constant in the equation: the coach.  

Eddie Jordan gracefully fell on the sword and is paying a humiliating price for the sins and misfires of another, untouchable man.  

On top of this, Jordan is being replaced by a man, Ed Tapscott, who has never had any NBA coaching experience.  In fact, he has no coaching experience greater than low-level, division 1 college ball, but I guess coaching American University to a scorching 109-117 record over eight seasons.  

Good.

Great.

It's going to be a long, long season.

Part 4 of A Serious Discussion: A Broad Look

4.

The problem with what this Greenville, SC priest did is much more broad and universal than we may think.  At the end of the day, who cares if a priest announces that his parishioners should repent for voting for Mr. Obama?  What he said does not matter anymore, nor will it tomorrow: nor has it ever.  

What matters is this priest's rationale.  It is clear that the priest believes that voting for Mr.  Obama (or any pro-choice candidate) is evil, against God's will.  

But here's the problem, true believers:

How do we know what God's will is?

Hell, how do we know that God even has a will?  

The very idea that God has a preferred candidate or holds the United States in higher graces than other nations is nonsense.  How arrogant and simple-minded does one have to be to assume they know God so well?  

Fundamentalists of all kind seem to think that they have a direct line to God's penthouse, whether they be televangelists, FLDS members, suicide bombers or what have you.  They use this phrase, God's will, to justify their beliefs.  So who is wrong?  Who actually knows what God wants?  

If you believe in an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God, isn't it counter intuitive in this case to claim that anything but an Obama victory was God's will?  If God is all-powerful, ever-present and all-knowing, how is Obama's victory not God's will?  I know so many people who went home and prayed for McCain's victory a couple Tuesdays ago.

So who was wrong?

Did God make a huge boner and accidentally give the election to Obama?  Did God foul this one up?  Was God wrong?

Or were they?

Or maybe the next three years are going to be seen as a test, like if God was telling us to take our kid up to the mountain and kill him, until the last minute when He pops out of a cloud and says "ZOMM, I was totally kidding...Just a test. PwNed!!".  Is God just pwning the fundamentalist Christian right or is it His will that Obama won?

What nonsense.  In all likelihood, God doesn't have a favorite candidate.  Or a favorite tv show.  Or a favorite ice cream flavor.  In all likelihood God created us and in His divine grace gave us the ability and tools to save ourselves.

Our hearts and our brains.

So instead of making crazy claims about which candidate God supports or who is going to hell let's stop for a second and think of what His will really is:  to lead a good life, to help more people than we hurt and to leave this world better than when we were brought onto it.

All of that other stuff...the words of clerics or priests, the books that are quoted nonstop, the small laws about what to eat or wear...all of that stuff is man's will.  It was that priest from SC's will that Obama lose.  It is his will that people not be able to participate in a crucial sacrament of their religion.  It is his will that the people who voted for Obama or support the right to choose are complicit in evil.

Not God's.  

In this life we will never come close to understand God, let alone God's will.

Part 3 of A Serious Discussion

3.

What I find most objectionable about the article I posted on Monday is Evangelical Christians are starting to refer to their antagonists as pro abortion instead of pro life.

Sure, at first it was annoying that the priest mentioned the penance in the first place, but I understand why he would do something like that. I think a lot of priests admire him for doing what he did: sure, it's self-righteous and presumptuous (which we will ultimately get to tomorrow), but it's not the worst thing a Catholic priest has ever done.

What the Christian Right can be blamed for is unfairly vilifying the Pro Choice camp by calling them "pro abortion".




Let's get it straight.
Nobody is pro abortion. Nobody wants to have an abortion. I'm sure there are some people who want them because they've turned the act into a sick fetish, but I'm 90% sure that most people who get them do so out of desperation. To call this group of people pro-abortion is not only factually inaccurate, but intellectually irresponsible.


But I've found that in most religious fundamentalism, there is one common denominator:


Intellectual Laziness

Stay tuned for Part 4 tomorrow.

A Serious Discussion in Four Parts: Pts 1 and 2 in Which the Author Explains His Views on the Issue

A couple of days ago a Catholic priest from Greenville, SC urged those of his parishioners who voted for Barack Obama to repent before accepting the Holy Eucharist, on the grounds that they were complicit in original sin since Mr. Obama is a pro-choice candidate.

I don't fault him for this, as I think his intentions were mostly good: a priest is the shepherd of a flock of people and when he sees them doing evil (as he and the Catholic Church see it), it is his duty to advise them to ask for Christ's forgiveness and accept the penance which is given to them by the priest. He was well within his right to do so, legally and morally.

In the following three days, I will discuss this incident because I think it's important. I think there's more to it than we may be seeing.

First, though, I should give some background into how I feel about the core issue: abortion.

1.

I think abortion is disgusting. I think the willful act of terminating a life is morally wicked, whether zygote or geriatric. Just because I can do something doesn't mean that I should. There are other options. Nor am I convinced that it is only a woman's choice. If I impregnate someone, I feel as though I should have the chance to discuss some options. I would never advise anybody to have an abortion. I don't know that I could. I think it's used less to save lives and more the shirk responsibility. Sex isn't for kids. It's a big deal and people should start treating it as such. If you want to go around fucking people willy-nilly, you may get pregnant. I don't think it's right that people can be so irresponsible and have this get-out-of-jail-free card.

However...

2.

However, I think abortion is a necessary evil. What happens if we criminalize it? Nobody is jumping out of their seats and getting pregnant just so they can get an abortion. It's not something people are doing for shits and giggles. Abortion seems to be the last vestige of hope for some people: those who have been raped, abused or just plain stupid. Criminalizing abortion is not going to make it disappear. This is where the pro-lifers are wrong. Abortion is like drugs in that sense. Just because meth is illegal does not mean that people are going to use it any less. That's the main thing about abortion: it seems to be all about desperation. If I was pregnant and the only option I saw was to get an abortion, I'd probably get one. I'm sure that many people who get abortions feel the same. If we make abortion illegal, we also lose the ability to regulate it. If we can't regulate abortion, anybody will be able to perform them for any price. Watch 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, a movie about a desperate woman in Ceauşescu-era Romania where abortion is illegal, and you'll get a good idea what might happen if we criminalize abortion.

Wrapping It Up:

Abortion is nasty business. In a perfect world, nobody would need an abortion, but we don't live in a perfect world. Sometimes people need abortions and will go to any length to get them. If we criminalize the act, we lose the ability to ensure that it is done safely at a reasonable price. Call me a cafeteria Catholic all you want, but the people fighting for the right to life are so blinded by their own disgust for the act that they can't see the forest for the trees: they don't get that making abortion illegal will lead to even more death and upheaval.

Tomorrow: Parts 3 and 4

A Prelude to a Serious Discussion

Homework: read this article.

I'd write about it today, but I'm too steamed. My thoughts are too jumbled to write a decent entry about this without sounding unreasonable and missing my own point. So...bear with me, read the article and come on back Wednesday night (because I don't roll on Shabbos...I mean...I don't write on Tuesdays).

Queston: why is it that...

I like Marc Forster a lot. Of the five films he has made since 2000, four have been good. That's a pretty good track record, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He has never directed a movie with a tremendous amount of action.

Martin Campbell, on the other hand, has not made many great movies, but he has made one good Bond movie and another great Bond movie. It's arguable that Casino Royale was the best Bond movie.

Quantum of Solace is a continuation of Casino Royale, a sequel of sorts.




So...why is Marc Forster, a man who has no real experience with the type of film Bond films are, directing Quantum of Solace instead of Martin Campbell?



I'm still going to see it, but funk dat. I'd like to see Martin Campbell finish what he started.

An Open Memo to Lavar Arrington

For those of you unaware of who exactly LaVar Arrington is, he's a former Redskins linebacker. He was drafted out of Penn State second overall in the 2000 NFL draft and played 5 seasons for the Redskins. He retired, due to injury, shortly thereafter. A couple of days ago he insulted his former coach and the owner of the Redskins.



LaVar,

I feel for you. I was sad to hear that your career ended so shortly and that you almost lost your young life in a motorcycle accident. I think your agents did you a great injustice in misreading your contract with the Redskins. I wish I could still watch you play almost as much as I wish I could still watch Sean Taylor play. Your career is a tragic reminder of how fickle fate it: one minute you're on top, the next you're rock bottom.

That being said, sir, I think you've made a mistake by calling Joe Gibbs a coward. A man who wants to spend time with his sick grandchild over making millions of dollars coaching football is not coward. A man who is willing to recognize his weaknesses and gracefully step away from a game that was an important and precious part of his life is no coward.

When the Redskins drafted you, LaVar, they were not looking for a roving maverick who played defense on his own terms. They were looking for a professional. They were looking for a stalwart to anchor a defense that was relying on a future-hall-of-fame cornerback and aging has-beens. If you had been more professional and followed the coach's game plan, maybe you would have had a longer, less disappointing career. There is no argument that you were an incredible talent, but the Redskins and the fans would rather have has someone a little more willing to shape his game to what the team needed. Someone like Brian Urlacher. If you asked a Redskin fan whether they'd have 5 years of you or 16 years of Urlacher, I'm sure that 90% would choose Urlacher.

My point is this, sir: you are not the only victim. The Redskins fans loved you and you let us down. Now this talk about Gibbs being a coward is you pouring salt into our wound. I think you're the coward for trying to malign two grown men because you can't taste anything but sour grapes. Wake up, LaVar! You were lucky to have played in the NFL: you should be a little more gracious to the people who drafted you, paid you, and LOVED you week in and week out.

I'd say that you should be ashamed of yourself, but it's very clear that you have no shame.

I wish you well and I hope your restaurant makes a ton of money. I still loved the years you were a Redskin.

But don't push it.

Love,
Jim

I had a chance to see Changeling, the new Clint Eastwood film, this weekend and I recommend it for anybody who is fascinated by serial killers. I guess serial killers are a little too morbid for some people, but there's something about people, who by most standards are as normal as you or I, feel compelled to kill people again and again. I don't have a favorite serial killer because...that would be weird...but I think the one who interests me the most is the Zodiac Killer.

Until I saw Changeling.

Serial killers usually don't shock me. Not much shocks me.

Until I saw Changeling.

It's not the best movie ever, so don't go see it hoping for whatever your favorite film is. In fact, I'd compare it favorably to Zodiac: a very well-made film that has a few too many flaws to be called great. The script is a bit trite sometimes, but when you consider that 95% of it came from public record you can't fault the screenwriter much. It goes on a bit long, but it kind of has to in order to fit in the right ending. It could end in a number of places and Eastwood could have tacked on a blurb at the end about what happens after the main story concludes, but he chose to show it. Maybe that was a mistake, but I'm not going to fault him for it.

The acting is what really sticks out to me...or maybe it was that Eastwood seems to know exactly what he wants his movie to be and knows exactly how much to pull from his actors in order to make a compelling film. It's probably a mix of the two.

Anyway, I've never been creeped out by a serial killer until seeing this film. Jason Butler Harner portrays Gordon Northcott in a way that is very unique. Instead of making the killer strong, silent and deranged, Harner makes Northcott slimy and pathetic, but also strangely endearing and sweet. That's why he's so damn creepy: because he's so likable. Once I saw what he did and found out what he was capable of, my jaw dropped.

There's not a whole lot written about Northcott, so I'm taking most of what I know about him from Changeling and wikipedia. I wish there was more to read on him and I'm surprised that there isn't anything to read about him. The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders were really big back then: they are the reason the city Mira Loma isn't called Wineville anymore. They confirmed to the public that the LAPD was (is) one of the most corrupt institutions in American history. Just look at the guy: doesn't he look fascinating?




Also, the cd listings are probably coming on Friday. I'll just do one massive post. Or something like that. The autumn cds are coming.

Autumn Mix Update and Crazy Covers

For the past 3 years, around this time of year, I’ve made an Autumn Mix CD. Since it’s the middle of November, I feel the need to make a fourth. It’s become a tradition, albeit one that two or three people know about, only two of which have reaped any reward from my efforts. Next Friday I will premiere of the fourth mix, which will be a two-cd mix like the mix I made last year.

I will also be listing and analyzing the first three mix cds next week, in part because the post where I got drunk and analyzed the mid-90s cd was enormously popular and also because I want a chance to write some stuff for the week after next before I post it.

So look forward to that.

I think the true test of greatness that any pop song faces is when it remains a great song when it’s covered by someone else. Take “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” which has been covered by many people, myself (and Doug) included, and it’s almost always good. Listen to Travis and Fountains of Wayne cover it: “Hit Me Baby One More Time” is a great song.

Not many songs pass this test, but Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” is one that passes with flying colors. Listen to The Kooks, Shaun Colvin and Nelly Furtado cover it and you’ll realize something: “Crazy” is just a great song. Give it a try, have a good weekend and stay out of trouble.

The Youth Movement

Today Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck ascended to the Bhutanese throne, making him the youngest head of state in the world. He has already begun democratizing Bhutan and seems to be immensely popular with his people.

This makes me wonder whether electing members of the up-and-coming elite youth is such a bad idea. King Wangchuck, while still asserting his power over his country, is reforming Bhutan for the better. Foregoing the bull-in-the-china-shop help of the United States and spreading democracy gradually is probably a pretty good idea. His ascendancy gives me a lot of hope for the future.

It’s just Bhutan, though, right?

Wrong.

Bhutan is landlocked between India and China. Much like Switzerland and Her Alps (only on a much, much larger scale), the Bhutanese are protected from China by the Great Himalaya Range, making Bhutan a crucial territory for India and Her allies. Bhutan is a buffer, both geographically and emotionally, between two growing super powers and King Wangchuck can do a lot to ensure a peaceful existence between China and India.

So let’s all give a big cheer for King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

An Open Memo to America

Alright Mr. Obama...

We've invested ourselves emotionally and monetarily in you.
We elected you President.
We, as a nation, are entrusting you with our future.
We are handing you the keys to the '56 Bel Air that's sitting on blocks in our front yard (that's a metaphor, slowpokes).


Let's see what you've got.

Because whether we voted for you or Senator McCain, you're now our president whether we like it or not (for the record, I do like it).

Take a couple of days for yourself, but remember that January 20th is coming up really quickly.


McCain supporters...

Listen to your man's consolation speech again. It was the best speech he's ever given. He was right: all of the mistakes that were made were his. Instead of running his campaign like he did in 2000, he chose a different path and he's going to have to live with that for the rest of his life. He lost. He knows he lost. Go ahead and hang your head if it makes you feel better. You can even rant about how "Obama isn't your President" for a few weeks. Keep in mind, though, that McCain doesn't want a divided country. He wants all of us to serve America and support Her, no matter who is sleeping in the White House.

So get on board: your voice matters, too.


Obama supporters...

The game isn't over yet. There are still millions of Americans that don't agree on many of Mr. Obama's political profile. Just because their guy lost doesn't mean they are wrong. Just because our guy won doesn't mean that we are right. They are still Americans. They still matter. Remember that. Don't get upset when Mr. Obama puts a couple of Republicans in his cabinet. It's going to happen. It's a good idea. Lincoln did it and he's on money. Money talks, people.


The rest of the world...

Look out. We're back...and yes, we can.

My connection is on the fritz, but no worries. I'll still be posting.

On the eve of the election, I can't think of anybody better to link to than Patton Oswalt. Mr. Oswalt isn't just one of the best comics working today, he's also, arguably, the smartest: at the very least, he's the most erudite.

Here is a link to a post of his about John McCain. Fear not, my fellow R.I.N.O.s, it's not a biased rant about how McCain sucks. Quite the opposite. Just read it.


And You Will Be Fascinated By Defeat by Patton Oswalt