Take 2 Takes a 2 Day Hiatus
February 27, 2009
This blog is headed for a redesign.
We’ll be back Monday with a new look, more mixed posts, quicker takes, snappier, less-stylized, but elegant. And the same job of giving you a second look on all things human.
See you then.
DB
Memo to Republicans: Huh?
February 26, 2009
Next verse, same as the first.
“Newsflash: McCain Lost the Election”
“he Republican Party has been using a grab-bag of strategies to counter Obama’s policies over the past month. They rail against the stimulus package for its (supposed) pork. They hammer home their points with gimmicky videos and props. They speak in warrior rhetoric and revel in heroic, fighting-man stunts. But if there is one strand running through all these strategies, it is that they evoke a discomfiting feeling of deja vu. We’ve seen this stuff before: The GOP is currently reliving John McCain’s presidential campaign. The return to the strategies of their fallen candidate may be the saddest illustration of the current state of the party.” Written by Eve Fairbanks.
from The New Republic
DB notes: When your leadership is fresh out of ideas…
***
Previously on Take 2: American Conservatism: Dead or Just Sleeping?
Don’t Look Now: Eastern Europe Catches the Virus
February 25, 2009
Poland’s currency has slumped 48 percent against the euro; Hungary’s has fallen 30 percent and the Czech Republic’s is off 21 percent.
“As It Falters, Eastern Europe Raises Risks”
“Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the countries of Eastern Europe have emerged as critical allies of the United States in the region, embracing American-style capitalism and borrowing heavily from Western European banks to finance their rise.” Written by Nelson D. Schwartz.
from The New York Times
DB notes: The last to come into prosperity in Europe, the last to regain its footing.
***
Previously on Take 2: Iceland is…What?
***
David Biespiel Twitters-up
February 24, 2009
In which I follow Karl Rove and Karl Rove follows me.
Republican Governors thinking about New Hampshire & Iowa, 2012: Jindal, Palin, Sanford, Barbour, Perry. Plus: Romney & Huckabee.
about 1 hour ago from web.
***
Recently on Take 2: From Sputnik to Facebook
Literary Farmer
February 23, 2009
Seedtime for sonnets.
“As a ‘Literary Farmer,’ and a Real One, Robert Frost Reveled in Planting Time”
“The new seed catalogs are piling up on the kitchen table, we’re meeting this month with friends to organize our separate small gardens into a micro-farm share, and what with all this sunlight pouring down like fertilized hope and the crimson clover gone to nothing in last month’s snows, I’ve been getting the biting urge to get the peas and collards into the ground right now.” Written by David Biespiel.
from The Oregonian
DB notes: My column from February 22, 2009.
***
Recently on Take 2: Poetic Adventure and Sexual Ecstacy
***
Yes, That Alaska
February 20, 2009
Windy coasts, untapped rivers, and huge tidal resources.
“Alaska Is a Frontier for Green Power”
“Alaska produces more oil than any state except Texas, but most of it leaves the state. Small markets and high transportation costs have kept local fuel prices high. As oil prices spiked last year, the state’s coffers overflowed with oil tax revenue, but the rising cost of diesel and other fuels became a local crisis. Gov. Sarah Palin and state lawmakers responded last year by pledging $300 million over five years in renewable energy grants to utilities, independent power producers or local governments. It is a substantial sum for a state with only 670,000 residents. ‘Oil used to be cheap and convenient,’ said Steve Haagenson, appointed last year by Ms. Palin as statewide energy coordinator. ‘Today, it’s just convenient.’” Written by Stefan Milkowski.
from The New York Times
DB notes: Soon enough a story like this will not be news.
***
Recently on Take 2: New Orleans of the Netherlands
Oscar Worthy?
February 19, 2009
Ready for the close-up?
“A Roundup of Slate’s Oscar Coverage”
“Great Book, Bad Movie: How Hollywood ruins novels,” by Willing Davidson. Posted Feb. 17, 2009.
“Don’t Give an Oscar to The Reader: We don’t need another ‘redemptive’ Holocaust movie,” by Ron Rosenbaum. Posted Feb. 9, 2009.
“The Batman Goes Bananas: Does being a jerk prevent you from winning an Oscar?” by Dana Stevens. Posted Feb. 6, 2009.
“It Girl(s): The three sides of Anne Hathaway,” by Dana Stevens. Posted Jan. 30, 2009.
“What, Exactly, Is Slumdog Millionaire?: Is it a) a portrait of the real India, b) a Bollywood-style melodrama, c) a fairy tale, or d) a stylishly shot collection of clichés?”
by Dennis Lim. Posted Jan. 26, 2009.
“Let’s Talk Oscars: Revolutionary Road Got Shafted. The Reader Is Still Ridiculous. Ledger Will Win,” by Troy Patterson and Dana Stevens. Posted Jan. 22, 2009.
“Why Is Philip Seymour Hoffman a ‘Supporting Actor’?: Your Oscar questions, answered.” Posted Jan. 22, 2009.
“Depressed Suburban Nazi Backward-Agers: Valkyrie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Revolutionary Road reviewed,” by Dana Stevens. Posted Dec. 23, 2008.
“Must Love Nazis: Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet find doomed romance in The Reader,” by Dana Stevens. Posted Dec. 11, 2008.
“Battle of the Foreheads: Frost/Nixon reviewed,” by Dana Stevens. Posted Dec. 4, 2008.
“Fresh Milk: Gus Van Sant’s biopic of the gay activist is vibrantly alive,” by Dana Stevens. Posted Nov. 26, 2008.
“ ‘Harvey Would Have Opened It in October’: Could Milk have changed the Prop 8 vote?” by Dennis Lim. Posted Nov. 26, 2008.
“Slumdog Millionaire: Danny Boyle’s irresistible hokum,” by Dana Stevens. Posted Nov. 13, 2008.
from Slate
DB notes: Last night I walked out on “Slumdog Millionaire.’ Not into watching children get tortured. I thought the movie was about a game show. And: Why did so many people I know love it? Plus: I hated “No Country for Old Man.” And any movie where I spend the whole time with my hands covering my eyes.
***
Next on Take 2: Alaska is quietly going green.
American Conservatism: Dead or Just Sleeping?
February 18, 2009
And we mean no.
“Throughout the fortnight-long Battle of the Stimulus Package—the Capitol Hill confrontation that culminates this week in a signing ceremony for a historically unprecedented piece of legislation that will inject more than three-quarters of a trillion dollars’ worth of adrenaline into America’s fluttering economic heart—one question preoccupied commentators and observers, especially those desperate for relief from the daunting substance of the matter: was President Obama being “bipartisan” enough?” By Hendrick Hertzberg.
from The New Yorker
DB notes: One message that Republican representatives sent to the electorate on the stimulus vote last week on the subject of relevancy is this: Not so much. Whether dead or just sleeping, 21st century American conservatism can certainly lay claim to being unified in the U.S. House of Representatives.
***
Next on Take 2: The Oscars.
Neko Case Has a Point to Make
February 17, 2009
The kid from Tacoma.
“The foundations of Case’s music are still — somewhere down there, almost subterranean — country and indie rock, but for some time now her melodies have been growing more complex, the instrumentations more varied and ambitious, the modulations more surprising, the lyrics more imagistic, to the point, sometimes, of surreal impenetrability:
Who led you to this hiding place?
Whose lightning threads spun silver tongues?
The red bells beckon you to ride,
A handprint on the driver’s side.
Written by Daniel Menaker.
from The New York Times Magazine
DB notes: Voice is steely as a bullet.
***
Next on Take 2: American conservatism may be dead or just sleeping. But it’s unified in the United States Congress.
Meanwhile, Iraq
February 16, 2009
Same as it ever was.
“Iraq from the Inside of an Armored BMW”
“In late 2006, roughly speaking, months before George W. Bush’s “surge” strategy sent 30,000 more American troops into Baghdad and surrounding areas, the U.S. began making down-payments on the cooperation of local al-Anbar tribal sheiks and started funding and arming the Sunni militias they were then organizing. As a result, the number of insurgent attacks quickly began to drop, and so the Americans widened the program to other provinces. It grew to include nearly 100,000 Sunni fighters, most of whom were paid $300 a month—a sizeable income in a devastated city like Fallujah with sky-high unemployment rates.” Written by Dahr Jamail.
from Mother Jones
DB notes: From my post on today’s Politico on the question of returning American coffins from Iraq and Afghanistan: “On a more serious note. Whether our military men and women return to the homeland to be paraded or memorialized, it’s our duty on the home front to fully participate in their ceremonies and traditions upon their return. Unquestionably, in a country this large, televised and still images provide many American with the only means for such intimacy and tribute. The Secretary of Defense supports a new policy, as do many members of Congress in both parties–and a majority of the public as well. We should have covered each and every one of the more than 5,000 soldiers coming home. Not covering their return to their families and to the nation they defended–as well as those to follow–is disrespectful and embarrassing. “
***
Next on Take 2: Neko Case is at the door.
Sing to Me, Baby
February 13, 2009
Love songs for your Valentine.
“Tracks by artists like Betty Davis, The Gerbils, Brian Eno, and Clem Snide, plus a few classic favorites.”
Plus: Lists of top love songs
DB notes: Always remember to put Roberta Flack’s “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” on your list.
* * *
Previously on Take 2: Nellie McKay, feminist torch songs
Google Says to Libraries of the World: “We’ll take it from here.”
February 12, 2009
Trust, or verify?
“Google and the Future of Books”
“You cannot legislate Enlightenment, but you can set rules of the game to protect the public interest. Libraries represent the public good. They are not businesses, but they must cover their costs. They need a business plan. Think of the old motto of Con Edison when it had to tear up New York’s streets in order to get at the infrastructure beneath them: “Dig we must.” Libraries say, “Digitize we must.” But not on any terms. We must do it in the interest of the public, and that means holding the digitizers responsible to the citizenry…You cannot legislate Enlightenment, but you can set rules of the game to protect the public interest. Libraries represent the public good. They are not businesses, but they must cover their costs. They need a business plan. Think of the old motto of Con Edison when it had to tear up New York’s streets in order to get at the infrastructure beneath them: “Dig we must.” Libraries say, “Digitize we must.” But not on any terms. We must do it in the interest of the public, and that means holding the digitizers responsible to the citizenry.” Written by Robert Darnton.
from The New York Review of Books
DB notes: If you trust Google’s open source ethic, then their agreement to digitize books and provide them for some sort of fee will create a virtual institution of knowledge that Enlightenment thinkers could never have imagined. If you don’t trust Google’s best intentions, they’ll have a monopoly on book distribution like the sun has a monopoly on light.
***
Next on Take 2: Love songs for your sweetheart.
“The war is eating my life out.”
February 11, 2009
1864: Abraham Lincoln’s worst year.
“Harsh Year in Lincoln’s Fight for the Union”
“The bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth will occur on Thursday, and it has brought forth a tidal wave of new opining about Lincoln. Some historians have opted for overviews of Lincoln’s life; others have cordoned off specialty areas like Lincoln’s writing, military leadership, marriage, staff members and pre-presidency. But the survey books can be superficial. And the narrow-turf studies can suffer from tunnel vision. Mr. Flood’s “1864” compresses the multiple demands upon Lincoln into a tight time frame and thus captures a dizzying, visceral sense of why this single year took such a heavy toll. It takes many different kinds of expertise in order to do 1864 full justice. And Mr. Flood’s versatility is impressive. He analyzes Lincoln’s consummate political canniness in benching potential rivals for the presidency like Salmon Portland Chase (who eventually became chief justice of the Supreme Court and wound up swearing in his rival for a second term). He relives the great battles of 1864, with particular emphasis on how difficult it could be for the commander in chief to know where his armies were or what they were doing. He conveys Lincoln’s versatile approach to crisis management through broad and anecdotal evidence. Mr. Flood describes how Lincoln could physically eject annoying visitors from his office — even, on one occasion, when the annoying visitor was Mary Todd Lincoln, the president’s high-strung, shopaholic wife.” Written by Janet Maslin.
The book reviewed is Lincoln at the Gates of History by Charles Breacelen Flood.
from The New York Times
DB notes: 1864 is also the year Lincoln became the only president in U.S. history–perhaps the only leader in all history–to allow and then win a re-election in the middle of his own country’s civil war.
***
Next on Take 2: Google and the future of books.
Sarah Palin Loves the MSM
February 10, 2009
Will her fifteen minutes ever time out?
“What I’ve Learned: In Her Own Words”
“There is one America, but there are different priorities reflected in individual Americans that certainly can stand in stark contrast with — I’ll give you an example. Some people, money is the be-all, end-all to them. Money and power, prestige, a title next to their name is the be-all, end-all. Other people, the highest priority would be their character, their reputation, their word, and money has nothing to do with that. The beauty of America is that individuals making up this great country do have different priorities. And that’s the contrast that I would point out.”
from Esquire
DB notes: No one has spotted her in Iowa yet but watch the county and state fairs this summer.
***
Next on Take 2: Abraham Lincoln’s worst year.
Kimsooja: Photography as Action
February 9, 2009
Getting out there and getting it big.
“Kimsooja’s breathtakingly beautiful photo, video and installation work bring movement to meditation and meditation to daily life. Grounded in a nomadic work philosophy based on life experience, her work reflects a Buddhist way of life - ”detachment from both affection and materialism.” However, her work also reflects a unique sensuality.”
from Culture Serve
DB notes: A Korean artist who sees color as movement.
***
Next on Take 2: The governor of Alaska can’t get enough.
Obama’s Seed Money
February 6, 2009
What’s in it for America’s farms?
How farm and food programs will—and won’t—benefit from the President’s $825 billion plan.
“As members of Congress struggle to get their arms around the $825 billion economic stimulus plan passed through the House last week and currently being debated in the Senate, a report from the Congressional Research Service sheds light on how farmers and rural communities might be “stimulated” by the first round of spending.” Written by Sam Hurst.
Plus: Chocolate recipes for Valentine’s Day
from Gourmet
DB notes: The manner in which American farms have been propped up by government spending, welfare, and subsidy is byzantine and capricious. That the first in the nation presidential caucus takes place in Iowa has been no help for the American farmer.
***
Next on Take 2: Kimsooja, Korean artist.
How “The Godfather” Was Won
February 5, 2009
Was Warren Beatty really considered for Michael Corleone?
“Published in 1969, The Godfather spent 67 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list and was translated into so many languages that Puzo said he stopped keeping track. Paramount had bought a blockbuster cheap, but the studio bosses didn’t want to make the movie. Mob films didn’t play, they felt, as evidenced by their 1969 flop The Brotherhood, starring Kirk Douglas as a Sicilian gangster. Evans and Bart, however, thought they knew why: the Mob films of the past had been written, directed, and acted by “Hollywood Italians.” To make The Godfather a success—a film so authentic the audience would “smell the spaghetti,” in Evans’s words—they would need real Italian-Americans to produce, direct, and star.” Written by Mark Seal.
from Vanity Fair
DB notes: Want to get a handle on the nature of American quest fantasies? Watch “The Godfather” and read Joseph Campbell at the same time.
***
Next on Take 2: What’s in the new administration’s farm policy plans?
Franken v. Coleman: Will this thing ever end?
“Yet Another Coleman Witness Admits She Was Cherry-Picked”
“The Coleman legal team just went through another round of calling aggrieved voters to the witness stand, pleading that their absentee ballots were improperly rejected. And again, they’ve run into some problems. The Coleman campaign called Elissa Jackson, a sympathetic mother of a five-month old. During direct examination, Coleman lawyer James Langdon tried to be open about the fact that she found out about her uncounted vote because of a phone call from the Republican Party.” Written by Eric Kleefeld.
from Talking Points Memo
What the Franken camp says is happening
What the Coleman camp says is happening
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DB Notes: Lyndon Johnson won his first Senate race in Texas in 1948 by 87 votes, earning him the infamous nickname “Landslide Lyndon” for the rest of his career.
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First Ireland, then Steroids, now…Israel and Palestine?
February 3, 2009
George Mitchell and the art of the impossible.
“Mitchell Gets Earful from Mideast”
“Winding up his week-long tour of the region, President Barack Obama’s Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, met Saudi officials here over the weekend for an exchange of ideas on ending the volatile Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Mitchell conferred with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud bin Faisal Saturday night and met with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Sunday. Specifically, the talks were said to cover the Saudi-initiated Arab Peace Initiative – first offered to Israel in 2002 – as well as how to counter what many Arab states regard as an alarming development: The increased involvement of Iran in Palestinian affairs, through its partners, Syria and Hamas.” Written by Carole Murphy.
from the Christian Science Monitor
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DB notes: Where is the Israeli Marshall Plan? Where is the Palestinian Ghandi?
____________________________________________________________________________________
Also, see George Mitchell at State Department announcement:
Ready Now
February 27, 2009
How do you like our new look?
We’ll be tweaking it into shape over the weekend.
Got suggestions? Comment below.
Thanks. DB
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