News / Current Events

Why Obama’s Statement on Gay Marriage was Right and Wrong

May 9, 2012
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Just in case you’ve been completely unplugged and shut in today, President Obama finally came in support of gay marriage. Some cited the convenient timing with last night’s referendum in North Carolina, but to that I can only say that it’s logical for his feet to be put to the fire on this issue in light of the national reaction and his previous cowardice (where he said his views were “evolving”).

It’s pretty wild that he chose an election year to do this, and that his people decided to go with what’s right over what’s convenient. There will be some political opportunities stemming from this, but I think the risks outweigh the reward. People claim that he would have lost states where this could have an effect, but given the expected level of contention in states like North Carolina and Virginia, amongst others, I’m very skeptical of that assertion. I think the view that it’s safe if not advantageous for him to do so comes from the fact that a slim majority in national polls favor marriage equality. But we still use the electoral college and there’s quite a bit of regional disparity in that poll.

So as quickly as I muttered “about fucking time” in reaction to his statement, I also appreciated the move from a historic standpoint.

But I do have to say I’m disappointed in Obama’s assertion that in regards to this issue he still “respects states’ rights.”

When you’re talking about economics and infrastructure, I’m willing to entertain “rights of states” arguments. But just as it’s wrong for civil rights to be put up for a referendum, it’s also wrong for it to be viewed as a “state issue.” This country’s history with civil rights has proven, time and again, that it can’t be something that’s punted off to the lower levels of government just to satiate someone’s religious fervor for libertarian and/or anti-federalist ideologies.

If civil rights were left to states, we’d still have areas in this country where segregation was a mandate. To cede federal authority on such matters is wrong, and it ignores ample historical evidence that supports it.

Food for Thought from North Carolina’s Referendum

May 9, 2012
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1. I’m not really surprised that the measure to legally define marriage as a union between a man and a woman passed. Yet it’s still a somber reminder that this nation still has a long way to go.

2. The disheartening reaction some have had in response to this reminded me of Neil Young’s “Alabama”:

Oh Alabama,
can I see you and shake your hand?
Make friends down in Alabama.
I’m from a new land,
I come to you and see all this ruin.
What are you doing Alabama?
You got the rest of the union to help you along,
what’s going wrong?

That’s the attitude we need right now. Not “let’s sever ties with North Carolina.” They’re us, and we have to own as a country what happened there tonight. To pretend that homophobia is a geographically isolated phenomena is foolish, and to act as if there aren’t allies in the state is unfair and self-defeating.

3. By the way, gay marriage kinda goes back to the Middle Ages, interestingly enough.

4. The whole of sports, not just MMA, needs more guys like Jason High.

His point is absolutely on the money. A straight referendum in New York would not have passed, and there’s a very good reason it didn’t come to that: because it wouldn’t be right. If referendums were how this sort of thing were determined, we’d still be, as a society, stuck in the nineteenth century.

Ward Stone and the Erosion of Personal Responsibility

April 23, 2012
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Charges will not be pursued against Ward Stone, the former head pathologist of New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation who was accused last year of mis-use of taxpayer dollars, taking up residence at the DEC, inappropriate use of state vehicles, abuse of underlings, and various other trespasses which would have landed most other public servants in jail.

The reasoning is likely because Stone, who retired in 2010, has since had four strokes and is currently in the hospital. Pursuing further action would be moot and likely cost the State even more money and resources. He’s already abused and wasted enough of our taxpayer dollars.

What bothered me, though, were those that came to his support and claimed that the charges shouldn’t have been pursued because of the stances he took.

From James Odato of the Times Union:

More than 80 fans of former state wildlife pathologist Ward Stone put their names on a letter to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman urging him to disregard a referral from the inspector general’s office concerning the IG’s findings of years of improper behavior by the now-retired Department of Environmental Conservation veteran. The April 9 letter, describing Stone as the state’s “environmental superman,” was signed by representatives of a host of groups, including the Sierra Club, Save The Pine Bush, Dyken Pond Environmental Center, Occupy Albany, Frack Free Catskills and Community Advocates for Safe Emissions, and Albany County Legislator Doug Bullock and nature columnist Carol Coogan, plus four of Stone’s children and their mother. The missive was unnecessary, however, because Schneiderman had decided not to pursue a case against Stone not long after the IG sent him its highly critical findings, according to the AG’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Givner. “Upon reviewing the IG’s report in February, the Office of the Attorney General declined to pursue the matter further,” she said when asked for a response to the letter. She had no more comment

Gross.

I’ll reiterate my  initial reaction to the allegations, which hold even stronger now that this has all been put to bed:

I won’t ask if the ends justify the means, since the issue at hand is a bit more complicated than that, but I worry that too many people are eager to put the personality before the principles and use this as an indictment against those involved in the environmental movement and, on a much larger scale, any of those who view environmental conservation as a priority for the State.

What I’m saying is that we shouldn’t let this discourage those that are in a position to do some good. If anything, it should encourage more people within the system to take a stand when the State and its leaders are in the wrong. I mean, Hell, Ward Stone did it and yet he still got away with living at work, abusing subordinates, and shooting poor defenseless woodland creatures. What’s the worst they can do to you?

So, State officials and administrators, I urge you: be more like Ward Stone was to the public for so many years. Just don’t be like Ward Stone was to everyone else.

Shame on those who signed the letter knowing Ward was guilty of all he was accused of (and more). Actually, I’ll go further and state that all should be ashamed, because that letter specifically states that it was okay for Ward to have stolen from the State and its taxpayers simply because he felt he was owed more.

Part of being an adult and a decent human being is accepting responsibility when you have betrayed the trust of others, knowingly did wrong, and/or erred in an egregious manner. Nobody’s perfect, but a good deed does not absolve the individual of bad deeds, and it certainly does not provide just cause for committing wrong.

The sort of justification Stone’s supporters imply is not only logically and ethically unsound (do they really think there aren’t other people out there like Ward Stone who could have done what he did without his gross transgressions?), it’s potentially dangerous.

This Saturday in Troy: date auction, live music, swing, and more at the River Street Riot

April 19, 2012
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Hi guys!

If I hadn’t been booked a couple months in advance for the Jimmy Pigfeet Challenge and the subsequent stand-up comedy show in Coxsackie, I’d be in downtown Troy for this event. Trust me. Hell, I’m going to be there in spirit at the very least.

 

 

River Street Riot
Saturday, April 21st
6-11:30PM

Join us for:
Live music by The Tichy Boys
Swing Dance Lessons
Pinup girls + Rockabilly Guys | Vintage Fashion Show with Date Auction
Eats by Dinosaur BBQ | Sweets | Cash Bar
Silent Auction
More Throwback fun!

For more information and tickets, visit our website.

 

Full press release after the jump.

Read more »

NY Senate Passes MMA Legalization, but Assembly Still Iffy (Mixed Marshall Arts)

April 19, 2012
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Assembly majority leader Sheldon Silver

The New York State Senate passed the bill to legalize Mixed Martial Arts in the Empire State by a slightly larger margin than last year (43-14), but still faces uncertainty in the State Assembly. In the previous two years, the bill to legalize MMA (full text of bill) passed in the Senate only to be killed in Committee before it can reach the Assembly floor.

Assembly Majority leader Sheldon Silver reiterated his apprehension to the Times Union’s Jimmy Vielkind:

“I have mixed feelings about it,” said Silver at a press conference to announce tenant protection. “On the one hand I do believe it’s rather violent and it sets a tone for people. On the other hand, you can turn on the television and see it, a child can see it from their homes on a regular TV and we’re one of the few states that don’t legalize it. Obviously legalization comes with regulation, and we may be better off having regulation.”

 

“Members control the process,” he said. “The bill is in the legislative process at this point. We have a committee-driven process and we’ll see what happens. There’s a lot of sentiment for it and there’s a lot of sentiment against it.”

“I do believe it’s rather violent and sets a tone for people,” he said, ignoring the violence, injuries, and death associated with other sports. …

Read more over at the Mixed Marshall Arts blog

The Top 10 Most Annoying Things in the World (Right Now)

April 18, 2012
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>:O

  1. Lists that purport to comprehensively rank uber-subjective and intangible concepts like “funniest.”
  2. Lists that purport to comprehensively rank uber-subjective and intangible concepts like “influential.”
  3. People complimenting other people on their tweets. It’s not a skill and it doesn’t deserve an “award” on a Best Of or any other thing. It’s like giving someone an award for Best Masturbater.
  4. The trailer for “The Raven” starring John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe up against Jigsaw from “Saw,” complete with 19th century voice modulator.
  5. Airhorns in hip-hop songs.
  6. That “Just for Men” commercial where they CGI’ed a beard onto a baby’s head that’s CGI’ed onto a midget’s body.
  7. The awful song in that aforementioned “Just for Men” commercial.
  8. Readers asking things that common sense and just a tiny bit of initiative would answer for them. Not linking because it’s too stupid to refer to.
  9. Chael Sonnen. Well, not him necessarily but the stupid gimmick he walks around with. Moreso the people that say “right on” not realizing he’s either being facetious and/or a complete tool.
  10. NERDS/GEEKS. Actually, that’s not true. But seriously, guys, you need to stop reveling in the fact that you like things. It’s not an accomplishment.

Stop Making Fun of Andrew Cuomo, You Guys!

April 16, 2012
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"Bro, you see that shit? Make 'em stop jacking my fuckin' swagger."

As gross as this is, it doesn’t really surprise me: Cuomo’s people have a 35-page dossier on Elizabeth Benjamin of Capitol Tonight. Why? Well, just because she got a little bit snarky, I guess.

The file, composed of highlighted and annotated blog items by Elizabeth Benjamin, one of Albany’s dominant political reporters, paints a picture of an executive branch that’s particularly averse to hints that Cuomo could be, as is widely assumed, conidering (sic) running for president in 2016. The document focuses particularly on seven items it describes as “GENERALLY SNARKY” …

Talk about paranoid/thin-skinned/dickish.

I’m not even sure where to begin with how revolting this all is, so I won’t even bother. You and I, reader, don’t have anywhere near that much time to waste. Apparently a top Cuomo aide does, though. Seriously, THIRTY-FIVE PAGES on Elizabeth Benjamin because she was a little sarcastic about things like rumors of his Presidential aspirations. Couldn’t that time have been better spent doing, oh, I don’t know, anything else that actually relates to his job duties?

This sort of paranoia isn’t new in politics, and it always leads to a person’s undoing. Sure, it took a while to catch up to Nixon, but look what it did to his legacy. The only sort of solace I can take in this is that this sort of pathological insecurity will eventually be this aide and/or Cuomo’s undoing. Still, there’s only so much sarcasm to make up for just how dark and gross this is, and what will eventually happen years down the road won’t make anyone sleep easier tonight.

Though I do chuckle a bit about how thin-skinned they are about the rumors of him running for President. I mean, really? C’mon, son. Andrew Cuomo has about as much chance of getting the Presidential nomination that Rick Santorum did, and his campaign would be every bit the shitshow. I just think back to when he tried to correct Charles Barron on hydraulic fracturing during a gubernatorial debate – he screamed “IT’S HYDROFRACKING!” not knowing that it was short for “hydraulic fracturing.” Look, you can get away with that sort of thing when your competition is a steampunk obsessed with rent control and a guy who jerks off to horse porn, but not when you’re running for President.

What the Hell is it about New York that attracts guys that act like impotent, insecure man-children?

Troy hospitals to stop offering family planning services?

April 13, 2012
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Balloon Juice, via MergerWatch.org: Catholic affiliations mean Troy Hospitals can’t offer family planning, women’s health solutions

Due to Northeast Health’s recent mergers with Catholic organizations, two of Troy’s three hospitals – St. Mary’s and Samaritan – can no longer offer family planning services including but not limited to abortions, tubal ligations, and contraception counseling(!).

Samaritan’s solution was to institute essentially a hospital within a hospital that was independent of Catholic affiliations, creating a 20-bed independent maternity ward within its walls. Which I’m sure the people working there are just thrilled about given the already voluminous bureaucracy inherent in running a health care facility.

So the worst-case scenario was, in at least one instance, avoided. But the point is that this goes beyond simple rhetoric and is the sort of thing I think people don’t realize when they talk about religious exemptions. Those religious organizations are actual hospitals that serve the community. I think too many hear “the Catholic Church” and think that means its practices are limited strictly to the confines of church and convent walls. It’s about the hospitals they have a financial stake in that serve a vast majority of the community, which then in turn suffer due to the archaic whims of the Catholic Church.

Bursting the Bubble

April 9, 2012
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I’m not a foodie by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I find much about foodie culture to be pretentious, cumbersome and borderline offensive. But I’ll spare you that rant. However, I do find myself reading Daniel Berman’s FUSSYlittleBlog, if only because he can actually write and addresses things like community, sustainability, marketing, and other aspects of food culture beyond typical foodie blog fare (“look what I made/ate!”).

In the last three years, Daniel has embarked on a crusade to improve the results of the Times Union’s annual reader “Best Of” poll*. He calls it the FUSSYlittleBallot: a collection of nominees and write-ins for food categories. The idea is that it will improve upon the typical winners of the Times Union’s poll, which tend to be overrated establishments or, worse and more frequently, national chain restaurants.

Earlier today he posted a response to criticisms that the ballot may be superfluous due to the existence of sites like Yelp. As Daniel notes:

Yes, Yelp and Urbanspoon are out there to help those who know of those resources and trust them. However, that’s still overall a very small section of the population. And even while the local newspaper’s role in public life is diminishing, it still reaches the largest percentage of those who live here. Plus it continues to be an authoritative voice in the community.

In other words (mine, not his), anybody who thinks the TU’s “Best Of” poll doesn’t matter because of Yelp can’t see past their own bubble.

It’s far from rare. To an extent, most of us live in a bubble. Our associations and communications are selective, often despite our best intentions. The internet, with its ability to unfriend, unfollow, and/or block out any information that perturbs or does not interest us, only exacerbates that.

But if we’re conscious and aware of it, the bubble is permeable. Unfortunately, the local arts and culture scenes don’t make enough of an effort or simply don’t know how.  I saw it in local theater, I see it in local online communities, and I even see it now in the comedy scene.

Whether you’re trying to get people to make better dining choices or trying to get them to come to your show, it’s important to get beyond the bubble. Otherwise, you’re going to be preaching to a choir that’s slowly but surely shrinking in size and enthusiasm (using  a cliche that invokes the Catholic Church in this example is no accident).

So if you’re really and truly interested in improving any and all aspects of our local culture, it behooves you to make the effort to get past your own bubble.

* This year’s “Best of the Capital Region” poll from the Times Union is particularly distressing in its ineptness. One of the nominees for “Best Local Concert” was for a Kings of Leon show at SPAC that never happened. “Best Local Tweeter,” a laughably inane category if there ever was one, nominated a person who moved to Chicago over a year ago. Most distressing, though, is the category of “Best Local Journalist,” which snubbed both Jordan Carleo-Evangelist and Jimmy Vielkind, who are the two consistently best and hardest working journalists under their employ. Nominated in their stead? Food critics and fashion bloggers. Shameful.

The War on Thought

April 9, 2012
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You can’t call me naive, because I expect this sort of thing, even in 2012. Even so, I still find this very distressing.

There are people out there who, under the thin veil of good intentions, continue to wage a war on progress and thought. It’s a war that too many of us try to fight back with politeness. But we can’t and shouldn’t deign respect for this repugnance.

Some years ago a term was coined to describe the brain drain in this country; it was called a “quiet crisis.” The more I see, hear, and read, the more I am convinced that the “quiet crisis” is itself a symptom of the continued advancement of anti-intellectual ideas.