Reporting on a hurricane and after-actions is treated differently by the MSM when politics come into play.
By now, almost everyone has heard David Chalain's live microphone remark, "They're not concerned at all. They're happy to have a party with black people drowning." Chalain made that remark about Romney and Republicans who did not call off (or even pause) their convention in Tampa, FL, while Hurricane Isaac was heading toward New Orleans, LA. Yahoo fired Chalain, Yahoo's Washington DC news bureau chief, for that remark. Later, Chalain tweeted this message: "I am profoundly sorry for making an inappropriate and thoughtless joke."…
Article comments
26 - Not the liberal actor
Re: comment # 24, Jet's comment is a perfect example of entertainment. [edited]
27 - Jet Gardner
I fear I've paid way too much attention to you. God knows I wouldn't want to encourage you. I'm looking forward to your next Teabagger regurgitation.
After rereading your "article" I have one final reaction... HA HA HA HA GIGGLE HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA GIGGLE HA HA HA HA HA HA
28 - Jet Gardner
By the way-not using your name anymore?? Afraid of mispelling it again?
29 - Not the liberal actor
Re: comment # 27, Jet, your reaction, coming from you, is a compliment.
Re: comment # 28, Jet, I forgot that you are Mr. Perfect and have NEVER made a misztake.
30 - Zingzing
Glenn, you can live in lower manhattan for far, far cheaper than that. My place, just over the bridge in Brooklyn, is less than 2k for a two bedroom.
Clavos, I dunno what neighborhoods I was looking at, but it looked to me like there were very nice looking apartments renting at $1000 or less. Many of the ads for more expensive places were listed in pesos. I guess it depends on what you deem "decent." the figures you quote would price out most middle class Americans, so I dunno how anybody lives in decent apartments in Mexico city with those rates...
31 - Glenn Contrarian
One wonders what Warren would be saying if Obama:
- refused to release more than two years of tax returns (one of which was estimated);
- held a meet-and-greet on board a boat named "Cracker Bay" flying the flag of the Cayman Islands
- bragged on the health care system of Israel
- bragged about his business acumen while leading his state to be 47th in the nation on job growth
- was Mormon, much less Muslim.
What's really funny is the fact that 30 percent of ALL Republicans now think that Obama's Muslim, never mind that he just authorized the release of the White House beer recipes and enjoys BBQ pork.
But little details like that can't stop Republicans from Just Knowing that he's actually a *gasp!* Muslim out to destroy America!!!!
32 - Glenn Contrarian
Zing -
Yeah, the wife and I thought about moving there...NYC's a great place for anybody with ADD (like me) who pays attention to everything in sight all the time (and forget to pay attention to what's right in front of me, which is why my wife hates my driving).
And we both loved the halal shwarmas from the street vendors - those were the best eats we had there.
33 - Clav
zing,
Most Gringos who go to MEX to live are sent their by an employer, and as part of their compensation are given generous housing allowances. The figures I quoted upthread may have actually been low for some of the neighborhoods favored by them; neighborhoods I lived in as a kid, including Polanco, Anzures, the Zona Rosa and Lomas were all full of Americans and Brits back then. I'm sure there are now other areas also catering to foreigners and wealthy Mexicans. None of them are cheap.
34 - El Bicho
The media aren't the only ones who get their election predictions wrong, Clav. Besides, as an editor here, you are part of the media.
35 - Clav
held a meet-and-greet on board a boat named "Cracker Bay" flying the flag of the Cayman Islands
Fortunately for my financial well-being there are tens of thousands of people out there who don't find that unusual, much less wrong.
In regard to foreign flagging: Florida, which is Ground Zero for the worldwide yachting industry (the income from which makes yachting the third largest industry in Florida, surpassed only by tourism and agriculture), two years ago very intelligently set a limit of $18,000 sales tax on any boat, regardless of price; previously, the sales tax was 6% of the total, as it is for other goods throughout the state. The immediate effect was that Florida began to reap those $18,000 taxes on hundreds of boats previously flagged in foreign tax havens. Half a loaf (or even a tenth) is better than none.
36 - Clav
The media aren't the only ones who get their election predictions wrong, Clav.
Well, time will tell, Bicho, time will tell.
Funny, I've never thought of myself as part of the media before, but I suppose you're right.
37 - Glenn Contrarian
Clav -
But you also get my point - you're too aware to not get my point.
38 - Zingzing
Well, clavos, gringos aren't the only ones who live in Mexico city. And I saw very few rentals that even approached the levels you were talking about. Obviously you know more about the city than I do, but those rent rates for "decent" housing would be absurd even in NYC, which has a grossly inflated real estate market already.
That said, you spoke of "wealthy" people, so I think you know that you can rent "decent" housing for much less than your quoted figures. You can spend a lot anywhere if you choose.
Just checked craigslist for polanco apts and you can find really ridiculous 2 bedrooms for less than 2k. Made me a bit jealous actually. They sure do have some nice places there. If I get back into freelancing, I might consider it...
39 - Dr Hussein "Shortlist" Dreadful
Glenn @ #21:
When we went to NYC in '03 we stayed with a friend who lived in Stuyvesant Town. Quite handily situated, just off First Avenue and 14th, close to Union Square, Washington Square Park and Little Italy IIRC.
We knew we were going to have a splendid visit when, on our first morning in Manhattan, the first thing we saw when we walked out onto First Avenue was... a cop coming out of a Dunkin' Donuts.
40 - seancabrillo
Romney does not believe that Jesus mother Mary, was a virgin.
He believes that Jesus came to America, (in the flesh).
Romney says that he has a plan to create millions of jobs. (But it is written on secret books of Gold that God gave him, and YOU CAN'T SEE IT!)
41 - Glenn Contrarian
sean -
that got me to smile for the first time this morning. I guess those secret books are also where we'd find his tax returns and also the 'replace' part of "repeal and replace".
42 - Clav
Romney does not believe that Jesus mother Mary, was a virgin.
Only fools do.
43 - Glenn Contrarian
Note that Clav refers to those who believe that Mary was a virgin as "fools"...but says nothing about those who believe that Jesus came to America in the flesh, and that Joseph Smith actually had those 'divinely-inscribed' books of gold.
44 - Clav
You faithists are all deluded fools, Glenn.
There. Better now?
45 - Glenn Contrarian
Clav -
From your post on another thread, but it seems more apropos to point it out here after your comment #44:
There's a lot of hate in America. Yet another reason I dislike this country...
Then go! That means there will be one less individual in this nation who despises most of the population!
46 - Clav
I don't despise you Glenn, I pity you for allowing your intelligence to be hijacked by your fantastical delusions.
I will go one day soon, Glenn, but I have some things to finish here first.
47 - Glenn Contrarian
Clav -
That's actually a bit ironic. One of the most important scenes in my book (which will be out is less than a month, honest!) occurs when a devout faithist and a committed atheist face off - and at the end of the confrontation, both believe they have beaten the other in a test of wills, each holding the other in utter contempt.
Neither you nor I hold the other in contempt, but...you might find the scene interesting.
And besides, you well know that someday I'll be living overseas, too.
48 - Christopher Rose
Clav, "There's a lot of hate in America. Yet another reason I dislike this country..."
You seem to be contributing a fair bit of the hate you complain about... There is also a lot of love if you look almost anywhere outside the political cock fight of contemporary politic debate.
Glenn, in a face off between a devout faithist (which I've encountered many of) and a committed atheist (whatever that is), why would it come down to a "test of will"?
Furthermore, why would they hold each other in utter contempt? For example, I don't hold you in contempt even though to my way of thinking your faithist views are literally incredible and your quasi-scientific and political musings poorly argued.
Based on what you've said, you seem to be setting up some entirely arbitrary scenario to serve your own purposes rather than contribute any useful information or insight, which is, of course, typical of the faithist mind set and why it can't be trusted.
Double contradiction highlighting in one comment! Probably not a record but notable nonetheless.
49 - Glenn Contrarian
Chris -
Glenn, in a face off between a devout faithist (which I've encountered many of) and a committed atheist (whatever that is), why would it come down to a "test of will"?
Sorry, but you'd have to read the book - it fits nicely with the plot. Let's just say that one sees religion as a purpose, while the other sees it as a tool.
50 - Dr Hussein "Distribution List" Dreadful
How are you publishing, Glenn? Through a traditional publisher, or a POD platform like Createspace?
51 - Christopher Rose
I don't understand how either of your two protagonists could see religion as either of those things...
52 - Dr Hussein "Wish List" Dreadful
It's perfectly possible, Chris, if his characters are fallible human beings with their own prejudices, preconceptions and delusions, as most of us are.
For example, let's say Character A is an evangelist who sees it as the purpose of religion to bring people to a knowledge of God. And let's say Character B is a cynical politician who sees religion as a tool to persuade, scare or emotionally blackmail people into doing what he wants.
Makes sense to me... And sorry, Glenn, if I just gave away your entire plot! ;-)
53 - Clav
Double contradiction highlighting in one comment! Probably not a record but notable nonetheless.
Careful you don't strain your arm...
54 - Christopher Rose
Suppose so, Doc, but it all seems very arbitrary to me.
Clavos: Highlighting bullshit is a hobby of mine but has never caused me any physical stress at all - apart from a few bouts of fisticuffs over the years!
You still haven't explained why you are so wound up about the immigration issue, to say nothing of the all round negativity of most of your recent remarks; what gives there?
55 - Jet Gardner
It seems every time someone says they'll pray for me, something terrible happens to me.
In my life I've gone from wanting to be a Presbyterian minister as a teen, to doubting god's existance altogether.
Perhaps if any of you had read the original Bible with all of its missing books unedited, you'd know that King James' version is a heavily edited morality tale that put words in god's mouth in nearly every verse and is useless as a historical document.
56 - Clav
Highlighting bullshit is a hobby of mine but has never caused me any physical stress at all
I was referring to your patting yourself on the back :)
57 - Dr Hussein "No Fly List" Dreadful
On immigration:
The English comic Paul Merton had a show a couple of years back in which he travelled around Europe in search of the cultural quirks and local eccentricities of the various countries he happened to find himself in. While in Ireland, he visited the town of Gort, which is home to an implausibly large Brazilian community.
It seems that the immigrants are originally from a small town in rural Brazil whose chief employer, a meat packing factory, closed down. Meanwhile, Gort had a similar factory that was in need of skilled workers, so the Brazilians moved there en masse.
They've been there for several years now, and although Gort's factory in turn closed down when the Irish economy tanked, the resourceful Brazilians have met with a lot of success diversifying into other ventures. Fascinatingly, because Brazilian Portuguese and Irish English share a number of phonetic and rhythmical similarities, many of the immigrants speak English with a thick Irish accent that's indistinguishable from a native's.
Merton asked the owner of Gort's general store - one of the few remaining Irish-operated businesses in town - if there was any local resentment towards the Brazilians. His response was something along the lines of: "Put it this way. For centuries the Irish have left home when times were hard to seek better fortune across the sea. Why should we begrudge others who come to Ireland for the same reason?"
58 - Christopher Rose
Well, from my point of view, I wasn't.
Now, are you actually going to answer or are you just posturing?
59 - Igor
@55-Jet: yes, the King James bible is a gross distortion of history, but it's terrific poetry. Which may account for why it has such a grip on illiterate worshippers.
60 - Clav
Doc,
Great story about Gort!
In Brazil, there's a town, originally settled by American southerners unhappy with the outcome of the Civil War, named Americana. It's residents were dubbed Confederados, Confederates, early on by the Brazilians.
The first generation assimilated very little, continuing to speak a southern dialect of 19th century American English, building homes in rural southern American style, etc. Their descendants, of course, have long since assimilated, but still retain a number of customs and artifacts originally from their homelands. Many have scattered throughout Brazil, but they still celebrate a Confederados festival outside of Sao Paulo where Americana is located. During the fiesta, they fly the Confederate flag (which does not carry the same symbolism it does here). As Wikipedia notes, "The festival is marked by Confederate flags, Confederate uniforms and hoop skirts, food of the American South with a Brazilian flair, and dances and music popular in the American South during the antebellum period."
During the 1970s, I worked for the now defunct Brazilian carrier, VARIG, and traveled to Brazil quite frequently . On one of those trips, i had the opportunity to drive out to Americana and participate in the festival. It was very interesting to see; I felt like I had walked into the set of Gone With The Wind.
61 - Glenn Contrarian
Doc -
It will be an e-book at first (Kindle), and then once I have enough feedback on it, I'll rework it a bit and then put it in print for about $1K or 2, sell as many as I can, and then present the salability of it to an editor.
In other words, this is a poor man's way of getting edited.