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Music and Metallica Fans -- Dumb or Smart?
You're wrong, Pete, but try this: http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/i…— October 19, 2009 10:47 p.m.
Music and Metallica Fans -- Dumb or Smart?
What surprised me most was the Doors correlating with low SAT scores. I've always thought of them as brainy rock though maybe not cerebral. Wonder what kind of scores fans of the Loud Family or the Negro Problem get. I used to wonder which kills more brain cells: rap or metal. I'm now convinced it's rap. First, there's metal and there's metal. There's very sophisticated, intricate stuff with a high degree of musicianship, and then there's Sabbath. With rap, you've got words and a beat. Melody, harmony, and actual singing can go to hell. Mind-numbing stuff. I'd hate to hear what they'd say about my favorite group, the Stooges. They probably appeal to dirthead intellectuals.— October 19, 2009 8:49 p.m.
Our Date With Hate!
How prescient the name of this entry turned out to be.— October 19, 2009 9:51 a.m.
Our Date With Hate!
(#31) "Do you really believe passive ignorance is the way to go with all issues? Or just this one, in retrospect?" With some issues, yes; this one, for example. Pete's right that protesting a porno shop, let's say, only gives your opposition publicity. I do think some good came out of this though; it sends the message, "You're not winning any hearts here, folks." But protesting is a sword that cuts both ways, and so I feel very conflicted about this sort of approach.— October 18, 2009 7:25 p.m.
Our Date With Hate!
(#21) "Why is it that I'm one of a few in this area that refuse to protest these pricks?" Actually, Pete, you'll be glad to know that the vast majority of San Diego County (some 99.999%) stayed home too. You can argue endlessly over which approach was the better one to take (confrontation or indifference), and you folks can hash it out all you want. Too bad you weren't The Decider here, Pete; I woulda preferred your approach. I personally didn't want any 15 minutes or 15 seconds of fame; I'm s***-ugly and didn't want to be on camera. Thanks for pitching in at the No on 8 headquarters.— October 18, 2009 6:44 p.m.
Our Date With Hate!
(#19) One problem though, Pete, is that nobody knew that only six protesters were arriving; I'm sure even the police would have arranged things differently if they'd known that. As it was, people were anticipating dozens and dozens, maybe hundreds of loud, obnoxious protesters hurling hateful anti-gay invective at emotionally scarred teenagers, and that hits too close to home for me to have sat it out; turns out "obnoxious" was the only part we got right. In retrospect, they would have made no stir whatsoever had there been no counterprotesters. However, as I said, the decision to counterprotest had already been made without my input, so my decision was "Okay, now what? Join or not join?" And the press was right to cover them. The WBC's arrival WAS news, and it would have been wrong for the press not to cover them. It was therefore a given that the WBC *would* be on the news; the question was whether we wanted publicity too or whether we wanted only them to have it. Someone evidently opted for the former. And you may think we looked like idiots; fine. Some of us did. But I suspect the counterprotesters won more hearts by being there than not just based on my impression that the teenagers enjoyed all the noise and commotion. (See the video at www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11330246) Otherwise, as I said, agreed, Pete. I would have liked it if people had listened to my advice; they never do though. Their loss. We now return you to our regularly scheduled sports orgy.— October 18, 2009 12:02 p.m.
Our Date With Hate!
"All the media and counter-protesters are doing is feeding the flames of hatred." Agreed, Pete. And yet I went down to San Diego High School on Friday to be a part of the counterdemonstration. (Actually, I acted as a "peace monitor." The opposing sides were on opposite sides of a busy four-lane street, each prohibited from crossing, so there was very little trouble to start with, and it must be said that the police did a great job of keeping the peace and protecting the free-speech rights of all. To them, many thanks.) My own preference too would have been to ignore the WBC and let them arrive to deafening silence and indifference, but since others had already made the decision to mount a massive opposition, I wasn't going to be able to change everyone else's plans, so I figured better to add one more body to our counterdemonstration. (By the way, RKJ, it's Westboro, not Hillsboro, unless that was a joke or an intentional slur against Kansas.) Turns out only six people from the WBC showed up: three adults and three kids. Heck, they were outnumbered by the press. It didn't take all 400-500 of us to greet them, but I guess it was the right decision to counterprotest; this way, the WBC and our side got publicity out of it instead of just the WBC. Pete adds, "If these counter protesters really wanted to do something to stop hate instead of getting their 15 minutes of fame,they'd educate and inform." I'm not sure how, Pete, other than teaching by example. And something tells me that doesn't go too far.— October 18, 2009 1:40 a.m.
UCSD's Gary Jacobson frets about polarization
Where you getting those figures, Pete? I been looking all over www.cbs8.com and can't find the story with that claim that "129 people have died in the county as a result of contracting the swine flu." Sounds very suspect to me.— October 16, 2009 9:55 p.m.
UCSD's Gary Jacobson frets about polarization
(#56) "Violence,unfortunetely,is the only thing those Wall Street bastards will understand." Oh, I don't know, Pete. They might understand jail time. And hate speech, Ms. Fish, is protected, as I understand it. It may be vile and pernicious, but the First Amendment was set up to protect UNpopular speech. Anyone from the ACLU can feel free to weigh in on that.— October 16, 2009 11:31 a.m.
Columbus--The Man, The Myth...The Mercenary!
Okay...I'm gonna wash my hands early and often.— October 15, 2009 5:52 p.m.