Hey! These caps aren't handy at all!

[vovat]

bethje and I watched the Bullshit! episode about the Americans with Disabilities Act last night. I don't really think they made their case all that well this time. Penn was in full-on Libertarian, "the government should only pay for defense and police, and do that with their magic money tree, because I don't want to pay taxes" mode, criticizing government-run buses and other amenities for disabled people. He also made the point of how businesses shouldn't be forced to have handicapped spaces and ramps, because enough of them would do it anyway. I don't know; I sort of bought this line of reasoning when they were arguing against smoking bans, but not so much this time. One thing that I did find particularly interesting about this one, though, is that the woman who hassles people for parking in handicapped spaces lives in this area. She was responsible for Donovan McNabb and Jeremiah Trotter's cars being ticketed outside the liquor store near Rowan University (which was honestly pretty amusing, even though I don't think McNabb was even driving the car at the time). While it really isn't a good idea for the non-handicapped to park in handicapped spaces, didn't this woman ever go to first grade? Because I remember being taught that it's not cool to be a tattle-tale. She apparently never learned this.

Today is the fifth birthday of Beth's dog Dewey. We're planning on taking him to the new PetSmart today, and since there's a Chick-fil-A near there, eating there afterwards. It's been too long since I've had Chick-fil-A, and I keep craving it. I used to have it pretty much every time I went to the mall, but I hardly ever go there anymore. (Oddly enough, now that I live in New Jersey, there are no malls as close as there were at my Pennsylvania home. On the other hand, there are more malls in the general area.)

We're going to two concerts this weekend, which is cool, but also kind of a hassle. It means less time for messing around on the computer, and no day this week when I can sleep late. Well, I guess I could if I rearranged my schedule and slept right after the Friday night concert on something, but I don't know that I will. I've heard some people on my shift say that they operate on a totally different schedule on weekends than on weeknights, but I've never felt the need to do that. I guess I'll have to get up during the day sometime soon, though, since I do need a haircut.

Comments

[petie-s.livejournal.com]

I generally never want Chik-fil-A until Sunday. I did get to eat there last Saturday, though.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I generally never want Chik-fil-A until Sunday.

Do you also crave oysters in the months of May through August? :P

[bec-87rb.livejournal.com]

He's totally missed the point, old big fat non-disabled Penn - in this era, physically disabled people are not extras, they are not as big of a drain on the tribe as they were in the bad old days, because so much valuable work is brain work, not swinging an axe or plowing a field or wrassling carnivores or whatever the ancestors had to do.

Making it easier for the handicapped to get around makes better use of the brains they are hauling in dysfunctional bodies. He will feel completely different when he gets old and it gets hard to navigate his giant frame through the world while his giant brain is still intact and useful. His is a critical failure of imagination. Unless he's in favor of the practice of putting the old people out on an ice flow to starve?

And does he think businesses are gonna install ramps on their own?

[bethje.livejournal.com]

And does he think businesses are gonna install ramps on their own?

Yup. He said they'll want to, because if they don't, the next business will, and so they'll lose money. I didn't like Penn's general point about how people are really nice and would do these things anyway without the government forcing them to do it. I don't really believe that, and the percentage who would would be tiny, I think.

He also brought out some people with disabilities who were against the act, I guess to make himself look less evil. But the craziest part was that, to me, at the very end of the show, I felt like he was trying to make some kind of lame "we're all special" point, but I don't see how disabilities count as a wonderful bit of diversity, when most of the time, they just make life harder for people.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

It seems kind of weird to me how Penn and Teller make a point of coming across as hard-nosed skeptics, yet they seem to believe that the free market will regulate itself with no interference from anyone, which strikes me as a myth that's already been conclusively disproven. You know, like with the Great Depression and all that? But hey, it's not like I don't have some irrational beliefs of my own.

[colbyucb.livejournal.com]

I like being able to disagree with Penn from time to time, it makes me feel confident that I have my own opinions, not just those formed for me by the liberal media (LAWL totally not using that term in the way, say, O'Reilly would but still). But most of the time, I'm like rock on, Penn/Colbert/Stewart/Franken. Rock on.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure Penn would be comfortable being classed as part of the liberal media. He seems to belong to the kind of Libertarianism that's left-wing on social issues and right-wing on economic ones, at least based on how we currently define the two wings in our society. I know Ron Paul has been running his campaign based on the idea that traditional Republicanism basically IS Libertarianism, but try telling that to the Religious Right.

But yeah, I'll admit that I have the tendency to agree with people I think are cool, but I do also try to think through the issues for myself. Of course, I think an important aspect of a show like Bullshit! is that, even when at its most irritating and preachy, it does encourage you to use your brain instead of just listening to other people who claim to know what's best for you. And how often does someone like O'Reilly encourage that?

here is a tangent

[colbyucb.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure Penn would be comfortable being classed as part of the liberal media.

True, true, but he's still part of that OMG SECULAR PROGRESSIVE category that O'Reilly likes to malign, which tends to overlap with the liberal media that he hates as well, at least when he starts his ranting.

And how often does someone like O'Reilly encourage that?

The thing I love about O'Reilly is how hypocritical he is. He'll yammer on and on about how people shouldn't listen to the liberal media... he'll even try to suck you in from a more moderate standpoint, and say that he recognizes that Ann Coulter is a nutjob, but yet goes on to say that OMG THE SECULAR PROGRESSIVES/LIBERAL MEDIA are worse than even the craziest right wingers. He refuses to have certain "left wing extremists" on his show because he claims they'll have nothing of value to offer except lies, but defends having Coulter on from time to time because he thinks she can give valuable input on "topical" issues. Trying to say one is worse than the other when attempting to make the point that they're both bad pretty much drains him of whatever credibility he had left.

I had a point relating to thinking for yourself... oh yeah, well, like I said he'll say you should think for yourself and not listen to the above, but frequently callers that express a different viewpoint are met with curt responses and cut off abruptly, usually with him giving some excuse about how he doesn't need to address whatever issue they're bringing up as a counterpoint, or that since they obviously support the secular progressives he can't talk rationally with them. Ahhh, yeah, good ol' Bill.

Re: here is a tangent

[vovat.livejournal.com]

True, true, but he's still part of that OMG SECULAR PROGRESSIVE category that O'Reilly likes to malign

Well, sure, because if you aren't a traditionalist, you HAVE to be a secular progressive! There's no other choice!

Although I forget where I saw it, I remember seeing a list of people that Bill has referred to as "far right" and "far left." Obviously, the latter list was a lot longer, and includes some really odd choices. I think he might have even referred to John Kerry as "far left" at one point.

oh yeah, well, like I said he'll say you should think for yourself and not listen to the above, but frequently callers that express a different viewpoint are met with curt responses and cut off abruptly

While he's certainly not the only one who claims that people who agree with him do so out of free thought and those who disagree are "drinking the Kool-Aid," it's just so ridiculously transparent when he does it. I get the impression that the only people who swallow the "fair and balanced" tripe are the ones who already agree with what O'Reilly and the others at Fox News are saying. I'd have more respect for them if they were to admit they were preaching to the choir, but then they might have to step down from their high horses.

Re: here is a tangent

[colbyucb.livejournal.com]

I think he might have even referred to John Kerry as "far left" at one point.

This makes me lolololol all over the place. O'Reilly, you so crazy.

While he's certainly not the only one who claims that people who agree with him do so out of free thought and those who disagree are "drinking the Kool-Aid," it's just so ridiculously transparent when he does it.

Yeah, I definitely had this ^^^^ in mind when going off on my rant, but you clarified it much better. I also love it when he says Fox News itself isn't right wing or even conservative! I think he tried to prove that point by saying he thought they even had *gasp* a liberal guy working there! And he has a liberal chick as a cohost-type-thing! So obviously the network itself isn't conservative, nope. Flawless logic.

Re: here is a tangent

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Aside from noted milquetoast Alan Colmes, the most prominent examples I've heard from O'Reilly and his ilk as liberals employed by Fox News are Geraldo (a major stretch, since aside from the recent angry argument over illegal immigration, he tends to agree with everything O'Reilly says) and Greta Van Susteren (because her husband used to work for the Clinton administration, or some other equally convoluted explanation). O'Reilly will also sometimes have on Kirsten Powers, who is billed as a "Democratic strategist" despite the fact that she once said most black men are in jail (and even O'Reilly seemed to think this was going too far). I'm not totally sure why Fox News can't just come out and admit their conservative bias, but it probably has something to do with wanting their fans to believe they're intelligent, free-thinking people who AREN'T just following Republican rhetoric.

Re: here is a tangent

[colbyucb.livejournal.com]

Much laughter at Geraldo being on that list. This is O'Reilly's logic, ladies and gentlemen. And O'Reilly has been getting more and more pissed on the air at people bringing up their lovers' spat. Awww.

said most black men are in jail (and even O'Reilly seemed to think this was going too far)

That's kind of impressive.

Re: here is a tangent

[vovat.livejournal.com]

After O'Reilly and Geraldo had calmed down from their argument, Geraldo said something about how great Fox was because viewers could decide for themselves whether he or Bill was right. Yeah, Geraldo, I think it's more like you love Fox because they're the only network that will still give you a job.

[k1cup.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, now that I live in New Jersey, there are no malls as close as there were at my Pennsylvania home. On the other hand, there are more malls in the general area.

Er, what part of NJ do live in where there's no mall in your backyard? :P Asbury Park tonight with bethje?

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Er, what part of NJ do live in where there's no mall in your backyard?

South central, I guess you'd call it. There are plenty of malls around, but my immediate surroundings are pretty rural.

Asbury Park tonight with bethje?

Yeah, and that's the only TMBG show I have planned for the near future. Tomorrow night's concert is Sloan in Philadelphia.