The Campaign As Soap Opera

A reader writes:

Politics has always been soap opera.

All the warp and woof, the scrutinizing of the daily faux pas of each candidate, the indignation expressed by this one and that one, is it not  the constant drumbeat of Talking Heads: Same as it ever was?

You know as well as anyone that nothing of substance has been (or will be) offered in this campaign.  The very nature of political campaigns is to again and again speak in cliches.  Any attempt at clarity only serves to alienate, thus those who stand behind the podiums speak only in generalities. And the Ron Paul’s are seen as the village idiot (a word that few really takes time to consider–idiotes–from the greek for private person–quite possibly the first to incarnate the rational ego–but cast in political science as the one’s who would not participate in the polis. He is trickster. Go figure.)

The Republicans of course will repeat ad nauseam the mantra of tax cuts (borrow and spend), God, and the ancient papal encyclical engendering the crusades against Islam of "kill them all and let God sort it out."  Augustine, the great rationalizer of war, goes not easily into that sweet philo-theological night.  They are forever enthralled to "provide for the common defence."  The Democrats, repeat ad nauseam the mantra of taxes (tax and spend), spirituality, and the not so ancient history of "promote the general Welfare."

They parse the whole, never ever quite able to understand the entire vision. And, today, the clinically abandoned–but philosophically intriguing–notion of hysteria remains the uncommented upon.  Yet, there is no other explanation for Iraq except for hysteria–the wandering womb of Greek Patriarchal medicine.

Again, politics is our soap opera. But, we do lack the Shakespearean appreciation.

Giant Cutlery As Art

Jbmondino

The Italians are so cool. Token pretentious art-blather here:

An immaculate surrounding entwines eight out of scale pieces thoroughly clad in white gold mosaic: a Cake Platter, a Teapot, a Silver Spoon, a Tea Tray, a Basket, a Dish Cover, a Candle Holder and a Chandelier. The visitor’s attention is captured by the surprising size of the sculptures that seem to float in a dreamlike space. In this ambiance, the pieces shimmer as if they belonged to the fine family silverware collection, "brushed up" and proposed in a contemporary key, in an amazing gigantic format that will bring back to mind those memories from the past. An explosion of brightness and charm, invites the guests to discover these sculptures immersed in a surreal space, where getting captured and letting yourself go, where reality-meets-illusions is unavoidable.

Mall-Squatting For Four Years

I guess it beats a sub-prime mortgage:

When the massive Providence Place Mall, in Providence, Rhode Island, opened up just steps from his home, the artist Michael Townsend wanted to reconcile his distaste for the eyesore with his curiosity about his new neighbor. So he moved in. Townsend and seven other artist-squatters established a makeshift apartment in an unused and apparently unnoticed 750-square-foot storage space within the building’s bowels. They did their best to emulate a real home, toting Crate & Barrel drawers, a china set, and a couch into their cinderblock-lined space. The collective’s occupancy came to a premature end in October of this year when mall security busted Townsend after discovering an online video of the apartment. He’s been charged with trespassing.

He was arrested just three days before he installed wood floors.

Treehugger follows up here.

No To Romney

A pretty devastating editorial from the Concord Monitor:

"When New Hampshire partisans are asked to defend the state’s first-in-the-nation primary, we talk about our ability to see the candidates up close, ask tough questions and see through the baloney. If a candidate is a phony, we assure ourselves and the rest of the world, we’ll know it.

Mitt Romney is such a candidate. New Hampshire Republicans and independents must vote no."

Whatever else he once was, he is obviously a tool of epic proportions. Go Ron Paul – or vote for McCain. Integrity matters.

Dissent Of The Day

A reader writes:

What you don’t understand is that we don’t want to work with the Republicans.  We want to shove our policies down their throats as they have done to us in the past seven years.  That’s Hillary’s appeal to us — taking no prisoners in defeating that party.  As you know, that party takes no prisoners against us.