LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Campaign Sports Update

An old and dear friend fills us in as to the whole story of who, what, when, and where, plus why as to that event. You really need to read it, because it reveals a narcissism and cold-heartedness and a well of lies that is bottomless.

[ Speaking as a native Philadelphian, with relatives who are Flyers fen, let's tell the truth and shame the Devil.

Palin was trotting around publicly in a NYRangers jersey a couple of days before. (The Opening Game of the Season was against the Blueshirts.)

She delayed the opening of the game because Ed Snider (owner of the Flyers) is a major Republican/McCain supporter.

She uses her daughter the same way Martin Sheen tries to use Brooke Adams's kid at the end of The Dead Zone.

She made several of us feel sorry for Scott Effing Gomez (which a Devils fan would have told you, before this weekend, is almost an impossibility), because he got used as a prop in the entire charade.

The upshot of the whole thing is that—in an area where most of the hockey fans would think six or seven times before voting for a black man and then probably still not do it—the stunt probably cost the Republicans a few thousand votes in PA and southern NJ.But, of course, Powerline assures everyone that the incident didn't actually happen and that there were mostly cheers, with a few scattered boos, for Palin. ]

Even I, who know nothing about hockey, and care even less about hockey, would know better than to do what K describes the self-described Hockey Mom as having done. Evidently she actually knows as much about hockey as she does about field dressing moose.

Now, let's compare and contrast that with this:

[ Video gamers who have recently played the racing game Burnout Paradise may find it offers more than a high-speed driving simulation: advertisements for Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, above, have begun appearing in the game. Players of Burnout Paradise who are connected to the Internet are also connected to an in-game system that allows real-life sponsors to place advertisements on billboards and other surfaces in its digital world. Jeff Brown, vice president of communications at Electronic Arts, which publishes Burnout Paradise, said Mr. Obama’s campaign had purchased ads to run in the Xbox 360 version of the game, which he said is most popular among male players ages 16 to 30. The ads will run until Nov. 3 in 10 battleground states. Mr. Brown said Senator John McCain’s campaign had not purchased in-game advertisements, but added, “There’s still three weeks before the election.” ]

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