Comments on: The distant thunder.

By: coozledad

coozledad — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:04:20 +0000

I think Rushdie and Amis and Hitchens and Barnes have genuine talent, but their clubbish days and subsequent falling out make them all look like a cattier, more literate version of Spinal Tap.
During their heyday, they got way too much attention, and it made them suck.
It also directed attention away from the really fine British writers of the same period, who were mostly women.

By: Jeff (the mild-mannered one)

Jeff (the mild-mannered one) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:51:23 +0000

This is the third exchange between a reporter, not a religious person, for the Globe and Mail and Jean Vanier, who is a regular short-lister for the Nobel Peace Prize, and a real pathfinder in working with persons with developmental disabilities. I’m trying to see if only the original article ran in the paper, or if these exchanges did as well.

Either way, it’s the kind of dialogue i’d love to see more of whether in newsprint or websites — is the Globe and Mail doing well, or are they in the same dumper as newspapers south of the border?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081128.wvanier29/BNStory/National/home

By: Lance Mannion

Lance Mannion — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:20:01 +0000

Hmmm. What did we have for dinner?

What I remember about the fatwa is that the type of neocons who now rage loudest about the Islamofascist threat had no sympathy for Rushdie at all and seemed to look forward to his getting what they seemed to think he deserved.

I also remember not liking The Satanic Verses very much.

By: nancy

nancy — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:00:47 +0000

Well, it was over dinner, so maybe you’d had your fill.

By: Lance Mannion

Lance Mannion — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:41:33 +0000

I said that????? And I was sober?

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:48:51 +0000

And speaking of things falling apart (sort of), you can follow this link from Gawker to what remains of the old soundstage where “The Wire” was shot. The old sets remain, but the whole thing is about to be torn down. Probably Clay Davis’ real life counterpart has a piece of this somehow. http://gawker.com/5125451/the-ghostly-remains-of-the-wires-set

By: MichaelG

MichaelG — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:50:44 +0000

That’s the gate to Old Folsom. There are two joints on the same property. Folsom State Prison from the 1880′s and California State Prison, Sacramento from the 1980′s.

Oh yeah, and they’re going to send out IOUs instead of tax refunds. That’ll definitely get folks attention.

By: joodyb

joodyb — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:38:57 +0000

Gives a whole new meaning to “public trust.”

By: jeff borden

jeff borden — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:56:37 +0000

Nance,
I know it’s a growing movement and I understand the hard economic sense behind it, but as noted, this is still turning over assets bought and paid for with taxpayer money to for-profit companies. Each of these transactions is generally followed by a steep increase in the fees we citizens pay to use the assets we built. It makes economic sense, I suppose, but I don’t like the trend.

At this rate, Chicago will sell Grant Park and there’ll be admission charged to walk on the grass and look at the flowers.

By: nancy

nancy — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:31:29 +0000

Privatizing public assets is about the only way municipalities can survive now. I talked to a lawyer a couple years ago who specialized in these deals, and she said they were looking for (an incomplete list) state lotteries, airport parking lots, airports themselves, bridges, toll roads, pretty much anything that could be cut from the herd and monetized. Indiana sold a long-term lease on its toll road and is using the funds for road improvements elsewhere in the state.

MichaelG, I’m thinking about you. I keep thinking of that gorgeous Gothic light fixture hanging over the main gate at…San Quentin? Folsom? A remnant of a time when “public” didn’t necessarily equal “ugly.” I bet that would fetch a few bucks on eBay.