Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Some quick thoughts:
- The structural problem with any heroic narrative is that the hero must be imbued with some sort of weakness, so that the hero is relatable, and so that the story goes somewhere. Stories in the Hebrew Bible often give the protagonist the sin of doubt, for example. In Greek and Roman mythology the hero's weakness is frequently pride. Superman is often said to be boring because he is too powerful, and it's true that Kryptonite isn't a very interesting weakness, but the Last Son of Krypton is also burdened with the necessity of maintaining a secret. What Stan Lee and his collaborators did was to make Marvel's heroes filled with self-doubt. In that sense Spiderman, the Hulk, Daredevil and the rest are existential heroes, very much a product of post-WWII anxiety.
- To Sullivan Fortner at Bruce Eaton's Hunt Real Estate Art of Jazz at the Albright-Knox Saturday. With bassest Ameen Saleem this was two thirds of the late Roy Hargrove's rhythm section, filled out for this performance by Winard Harper. Wow. In a year filled with great music I can honestly say that nothing topped this.
- "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" is so good I feel like watching it again tonight.
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Because the races that I had a personal connection to did not turn out the way I'd have liked it has taken me a few days to process the big picture, but I think I have a handle on it now, and it seems to me that the take-away is that overall this was a pretty positive outcome.
Turnout first: notwithstanding the voter suppression tactics that are baked into the system turnout was big. It is common to bemoan the fact that so many people don't vote, but I choose to look at this as a glass half full proposition. As the football coaches like to say, "we can build on this". I think this is particularly the case with young voters: they'll be back.
I also think that taking a majority in the House tells us a great deal about the America we live in versus the America I was afraid we were becoming. Those febrile Americans are still out there, and still need to be dealt with, and there will always be idiots, but I think the fever my be breaking.
Having control of the House is big for several reasons. Oversight, of course, but perhaps more importantly there is no more Republican legislative agenda. If it can't be done by a legitimate Executive Order it isn't going to happen.
Turnout first: notwithstanding the voter suppression tactics that are baked into the system turnout was big. It is common to bemoan the fact that so many people don't vote, but I choose to look at this as a glass half full proposition. As the football coaches like to say, "we can build on this". I think this is particularly the case with young voters: they'll be back.
I also think that taking a majority in the House tells us a great deal about the America we live in versus the America I was afraid we were becoming. Those febrile Americans are still out there, and still need to be dealt with, and there will always be idiots, but I think the fever my be breaking.
Having control of the House is big for several reasons. Oversight, of course, but perhaps more importantly there is no more Republican legislative agenda. If it can't be done by a legitimate Executive Order it isn't going to happen.
Tuesday, November 06, 2018
Number 75 at my polling place at 9:10
Monday, November 05, 2018
