Update: Teddy Kennedy

Teddy Kennedy was released from the hospital today. He's in high spirits and is anxious to begin his treatment. The prognosis for most people with brain cancer is not good, but Teddy has always been a fighter, so there's no reason to believe he can't beat this. Plus, I don't want to offend anyone's religous sensibilities, but if there is/are God(s) out there, they are almost certainly in the Kennedy family's debt. There are few families that have given more, and inspired so many, that have received such a raw deal in return. For those of you that didn't read Ezra Klein's superb post that I linked to yesterday, I'd just like to quote him:

Kennedy is the most effective, dogged, determined, and skilled liberal legislator in the Senate. He's one of the few Senators who is genuinely irreplaceable, whose absence would degrade the nation's social policy, and thus the life chances and economic security of millions of its disadvantaged residents. Without Kennedy, we wouldn't have the Americans with Disabilities Act, S-CHIP, the Family and Medical Leave Act, or any of a hundred other crucial pieces of legislation. Without Kennedy, it's hard to imagine passing universal health care. Without Kennedy, it's hard to imagine passing paid family or medical leave. Without Kennedy, it's hard to imagine our country becoming more decent or just or humane.

Klein couldn't be more correct. Kennedy must survive this. The Republican party, to their credit, is being quite gracious and classy. But don't think they won't try to capitalize on the liberal lion's absence, whether it be temporary or permanent. Anyways, I'm going to take a break from blogging about politics until next week. It seems like it would be insensitive of me to engage in overt partisanship in a time like this. Moreover, it's perfectly clear that last night's primary results changed ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

The Liberal Lion

I'm sure that you are aware that Teddy Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. According to the Boston Globe article I linked to above, this is most likely evidence of terminal cancer and it's unknown how much longer Sen. Kennedy has to live. What can one really say at a moment like this? I often think about how much the Kennedy family has been through and it serves as a stark reminder for me at how cruel and cold our world can be at sometimes. That being said, the Kennedy brothers (namely John, Bobby, and Teddy) always inspired in Americans the willingness to combat the cruelty surrounding us and rise above the coldness. Ezra Klein has two exceptional and moving posts about Teddy Kennedy (here and here). He also brought my attention to this video from 1968 of Teddy Kennedy eulogizing his brother Bobby. Teddy's eulogy is among the most bracingly affecting speeches I've ever heard. While the eulogy is obviously a testament to Bobby Kennedy, you will no doubt find as I did that Teddy's words speak as much for him as they do for Bobby. Please keep Teddy and the Kennedy family in your thoughts and prayers.

The Tale of the Cynic

My iPod has recently decided not to function, much to my dismay, and as a result I have been forced to seek alternatives to rocking out while on the Metro to and from work everyday. Naturally, I've turned to reading. Yesterday, I read Charles Pierce's thought provoking piece in Esquire titled The Cynic and Senator Obama. Pierce is one of the best political journalists out there (yes, he is a REAL journalist) and when I came across his article I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. The article provides us with a glimpse at the tale of the cynic (Charles Pierce) and his pondering of Barack Obama. After nearly 8 years of Bush's rule, the cynic is angry and impatient for a new direction. The cynic acknowledges that Obama's biography is inspiring. Obama, in the cynic's mind, is an intelligent and distinguished man. A man that is certainly capable of leading the country in a fashion much more competent than George W. Bush. However, the cynic is not sure that Barack Obama is what the country needs. The cynic is concerned that Obama has too much faith in America and more importantly, Americans.

Needless to say, Pierce has a very interesting take on the race, and while the article is long (4 pages online, 9 pages printed out) I really think that it's worth your time to give it a read.

Lester Throws a No-No

For those of you that are not already aware, Jon Lester, the 24-year southpaw for the Boston Red Sox threw a no-hitter last night against the Kansas City Royals. This is even more impressive because Lester is a cancer survivor. After the 2006 season he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Lester's outing last night was also his first career complete game.

After the Brewers were swept out of Boston over the weekend, by the very same Red Sox, I made a conscious decision to try and limit myself from the world of baseball. However, a story like this was more than enough to end my brief hiatus. Lester's no-no is definately going to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time, not so much for the pitching (two walks, one error) but the circumstances Lester had to endure in order to come out on top like he has. His story is an inspirational one that we should all remember when times get tough in our own lives. As the great Aragorn said "there is always hope."

Congrats to Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox.

P.S. Aragorn is a Lord of the Rings character for those of you that live under a rock

Photo courtesy of Flickr user purchase97 May 20, 2008

Green Towers?

Via Matt Yglesias, I happened upon this nice little piece by Lisa Chamerlain in New York. Chamberlain's article details the idea of Dr. Dickson Despommier of Columbia University to build vertical farms, or sky farms. Essentially, Despommier believes that we could build these farms in urban areas and they would allow for the reforestation of current farmland. Despommier insists that this is the only way to truly combat global warming. I must say that this isn't exactly my area of expertise but it seems like an idea worth exploring.

On West Virginia and the Edwards Endorsement

I realize that this post is coming 3 days late, and I said that I would have it done by yesterday afternoon, but various things delayed me. Apologies. Well, you certainly didn't hear it here first but Hillary Clinton shellacked Barack Obama in West Virginia. Anyone surprised? I sure wasn't. Anyways, for a nice wrap up of the results and the media's coverage of the results, check out this hilarious bit from John Stewart and the folks at the Daily Show. I have to admit, that I've said a lot of very intolerant things about West Virginia and West Virginians in recent days to many a friend and hospitable ear. However, upon introspection, I really don't regret calling the three women highlighted in that video "inbred rednecks", "savages", or "retarded squirrels." Now, I'm sure these women are a small minority in their state, but I see no reason why they shouldn't be lined up on the street and summarily executed anyway. The fact that such ignorance and hatred can persist in 2008 in a state that (contrary to what the first woman said) has historically been largely absent of racial conflict. As the indespensible Josh Marshall points out over at Talking Points Memo, West Virginia is 95% WHITE!!! I can't believe that the 5% racial minority in West Virginia is so assertive that it can actually cause that much racial conflict. Racism is never justified. However, I can understand why racism persists in the deep south and in many urban areas in the north. There actually is racial conflict. The population of minorities and whites in these areas are of a roughly equal proportion that allows for real tension and open conflict. In other words, the racism is rooted in sociological causes as oppossed to any entrenched cultural elements. That's just not the case in West Virginia, the demographics just aren't there. So either the racism that exists (the pervasiveness of that racism being unknown) is culturally based or West Virgina is truly some sort of anthropological phenomena that we really need to have someone study immediately.

OK. Now I realize this is an exceedingly long post, but it's gonna get even longer because I still have two more areas of interest I would like to cover. First off, I linked to the analysis of the West Virgina results by Josh Marshall before (here it is again), but there is also another great analysis by diarist DHinMI over at the Daily Kos. Before I continue, I should note that I discovered both of these posts via Ezra Klein, whom you really should be reading everyday, if you haven't been, begin doing so. NOW! Both of these posts point out that Barack Obama really doesn't have much of a white working class problem as Chris Matthews, Norah O'Donnell and the rest of MSM would have you believe. His real problem is with Appalachian voters. Look at the states Obama struggled in: Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Now West Virginia is Appalachia, but Appalachia also stretches through southeast Ohio, parts of Virginia, and central Pennsylvania. It turns out these are the areas where Obama performed the worst. Obama has done quite well among working class whites in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and countless others. Now as to why this is? The jury is still out. The CW in the blogosphere, which I believe myself, seems to be that Appalacian voters are more impoverished, more uneducated, and more cut off from the outside world than pretty much any other voting demographic in the United States. Read the posts, and draw your own conclusions.

Finally, I was elated that John Edwards finally endorsed Barack Obama. I wish this would've come a few months ago, but considering that all Obama needs are a few more knockout punches to dispatch Hillary Clinton, the Edwards endorsement certainly counts as such a punch. Therefore, perhaps Edwards' support comes at just as needy a time. Also, it was classy of Obama to make the announcement in Michigan, considering all the electoral drama encompassing the state in recent weeks. Props to the Obama campaign for a savy political move. An Al Gore endorsement would be ideal right about now, and Obama has indicated that the two converse regularly, but we will just have to wait and see on that front. OK, I'm done. For real!

Photo courtesy of Flickr user dsmyre May 14, 2008

Really Cool Picture

Nothing really to this post. I just thought this picture of Israeli soldiers looked pretty cadillac with the muzzle flash. I'm gonna have a big post, a meta post, if you will (I like that, meta post, it sounds important, anyways, I digress) about West Virginia and Edwards endorsing Obama. But for now, enjoy the muzzle flash.

Note: Just in case Marty Peretz, Jamie Kirchick, or Alan Dershowitz are reading this blog (which I'm sure they are not); my inclusion (is that a word?) of this picture is in NO WAY an endorsement of the article by Arnon Grunberg that I took it from. I haven't even read the article yet; which is probably irresponsible on my part. I just think the picture is legitamately really cool looking. No hidden messages need be sought.