Responsible Responses to Climate Change

Reading something online concerning the climate bill, I caught eye of a very well-articulated and gut-wrenching reader’s comment:

“It’s fitting that the shrinking, largely regional GOP has been leading the fight against this. Climate change skepticism , in some ways is the perfect convergence between the most rigid kind of fundamentalism and the most short-sighted version of capitalism. Confronting climate change will create new industries, new technologies, and other ways to advance the economy. The GOP clearly sees no reason to confront the future or even the world in which we live. Yet, they will be the first to complain when their entrenched interests are threatened by changes in climate.”

The latest bill that passed through the House last week, the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill, should culminate everything enclosed in that quote. It’s somewhat repulsive to think there is an opposition of such betrayal. But there always is, and those who maintain fidelity to mother Terra will be rewarded in the end. That, if nothing else, I am sure of.

Digital Seattle

Monday morning, it was announced by Roger Oglesby, publisher of the Seatlle Post-Inteligencer, that the paper would produce its last printed edition on Tuesday. This according the New York Times.

I’m not one of those stoic, anti-technology traditionalists in ire over the digital tendencies of the 21st century. I recognize technological innovation as a monumental source of societal growth. But let’s face it, I’m not computer-savvy, and I really don’t want other major American newspapers following this synthesized path. The Seattle Post-Intelligence should be ashamed of succumbing to its economic woes. If P-I thinks it will regain that 14 million they lost in 2008, they should reconsider they’ll online model. There are millions of people who prefer to read a local paper physically. However, lack of advertisers is the problem not lack of readers. It’s time newspapers like P-I recognize that advertisers still advertise, they are just less likely to hope they don’t waste half their money.

Update

It’s been many a-day since I’ve showed my presence around these blogopsheric parts. In large, that’s due to excessive amounts of homework. I’m dog-tired, gassed, enervated. Fortunately I was able to relax over spring break, kick my feet up, indulge in an Eggers novel, and treat myself to kiwano fruit and Stolichnaya vodka. I self-sated over break, and administered one boney, pale middle finger to academia in the process. If there are hipster gods, they were surely propitiated by my slack this week.

There’s an interesting article on Standpoint which can be found on my blogroll through the Arts and Letters Daily link. The article is about economic theory and the free-market’s current downturn. I mulled over the thought of capitalism’s systematic breakdown and came to a conclusion. I blame the contemporary crisis on a few heedless conservatives, not capitalism. I recognize the foundering as a calamity but no longer push my post-Keynes, social liberal views into the faces of my peers. I have friendships to manintain, records to listen to, classics to read. I’ll leave the scapegoating to political correspondants and antipathetic Republicans.

The Endowing of the Plastic Pickle

NBC’s Late Show won’t be the same without Conan. His orange-blood coiffure, skin white as parchment, ungainly walk–we’ll miss that. Hiring Jimmy Fallon wasn’t at all detrimental but I don’t think there’s anyone out there that can supersede the likes of O’Brien. I remember those late nights at home watching him and cackling so loud I’d wake my parents. I was such an obnoxious fan.

One of the more interesting prospects of the new program, however, is Jimmy’s house band, The Roots. Like, the fuck? I think I can come to grips with a funky guy like Questlove joining the show, but the entire band? I suppose this means I won’t be seeing them live anytime soon, despite living in N. Philly. But regardless, Jimmy is getting a monumental boost with his house band, and I’m glad they’ve accepted. It’s good for television. Their live instrumentals and jazzy and eclectic approach is still highly innovative in contemporary hip hop, and they’ll suit Mr. Fallon well.

The New York Times writes an interesting piece on Mr. Fallon’s preparations and anticipated debut on Late Night. The plastic pickle has been bequeathed, passed on, endowed to Fallon, the newest host of a historic show. Good-luck to you, sir.

Black-Circle-Spinners Rejoice

According to Pitchfork Fat Cat Records is about to reissue two Sigur Ros albums on 180-gram DMM vinyl in the UK. Apparently they got the memo. Vinyl-obsession is spreading like ambivalence in Kosovo. But being part of hipster circles (and I cringe to admit it) is rewarding. I mean, really, what other sub-culture adorns vintage Crosleys? I could make a case for jazz studies majors, but that’s a given. And they’re already subsumed in the culture of knit beanies, skinny jeans, and cardigans anyway. It’s a sensation of the urbane. It’s vintage and pleasant. So if you’re as old-timey as me and drink as much coffee you might just appreciate this.
Oh, similar 180 gram DM ministrations will be given to Animal Collective fans. No release date has been….released.

Darwin’s 200th

Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday will arrive on Thursday and I think it’s right to pay homage to the man that still influences biological conversations well-into the 21st Century. His theory of evolution has become the bedrock of modern biology. But for most of the theory’s existence since 1859, even biologists have vigorously opposed it, in whole or in part. Now the common koine among biologists, Darwin’s mechanism for the evolutionary process, natural selection, is a speical aspect that took over a century to absorb. Formerally, I refused to interpose on Darwinian concepts, but have come to accept it as a scientific reality. I think the fact that were still not entirely persuaded by him, but remain in a wrangle, is a testament to his insight. The Science Times offers a few toasts to the man and his work, but can’t be read without subscription. Tuesday’s issue of the NY Times includes these “drinks to the trees of life:” outbursts, editorials, and comic impersonations, all of which pay some form of tribute to Mr. Darwin and his progressive ideas. They’re good lunchtime reads!

JK Rowling, French Knight

Potter author JK Rowling received France’s highest civilian award on Wednesday–the Legion of Honor. Now the second member of the Rowling family to be conferred honorary knights of France (her French great grandfather had been made a knight of the Legion of Honor for his courage in World War 1), Rowling joins Steven Spielberg and Barbra Streisand as the only foreign recipients of the honour.

Personally I’m not in the least enticed by Potter-mania. I think it’s good that children are reading more voraciously (if that term can even be applied in the modern world’s dismal reading rates) but it’s puerile and ridiculous that such second-rate literature gets this much attention. I could name twenty-five plus reader-friendly individuals that are just as dependable at producing literary works, but fail to obtain any commercial success. Suffice to say genre isn’t an issue. But perhaps it’s a good thing that my favorite writers remain obscure. I sleep better that way.

Peace.

Maira Kalman’s Return

The author, an artist, begins a new series of columns about American democracy with an illustrated chronicle of her visit to Washington: The Inauguration. At Last. – And The Pursuit of Happiness Blog – NYTimes.com

After ending her illustration blog for the New York Times in April of 2007, Kalman took over a year off before vitalizing “Principles of Uncertainty” last month.

Braddock, PA

My family roots go deep into the ashes of an impoverished smoke-town, Braddock, Pennsylvania. Upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela River, Braddock’s industrial economy began in the 1870’s when Andrew Carnegie built the first steel mill using Bessemer processing; what followed was the beginnings of a burgeoning steel city with free libraries, swimming pools, indoor gym facilities, and the historic 964-seat Music Hall which included a Votey pipe organ. During the early 1900s many immigrants settled in Braddock, primarily from Croatia, Czechoslovakia, and Slovenia. The town’s rapid waning after the 1950’s can be accredited to the collapse of the steel industry in 1984, and the deterioration that presaged during the succeeding years leading up to the crack cocaine epidemic. Today the community exists as a shadow of its former glory. With violent crime and virtually no economy, Braddock continues to struggle into the 21st Century.

The New York Times filed an interesting video on the ruination and subsequent revival efforts of new mayor John Fetterman. Fetterman, who owns a Masters degree from Harvard, has sacrificed aplenty to reinvigorate a town that has been left to die by capitalism. His small-scale innovations and enterprises mean a lot to the people of Braddock, who are willing to put forth work to make it happen. Fetterman has Braddock’s zip tattooed under his forearm, displaying his pride and commitment to the cause–no doubt this penury has accepted the York born-and-raised Harvard graduate, as he might be their only hope.

“Authoritarianism in Translation”

Evan Osnos of the New Yorker files a piece on the progression of foreign translations in Chinese literary circles. The one-party system in China has a set of restrictions that prohibits certain economic appendages, making China’s seventeen firms involved in literary translations substantially alleviating (the translation firms have increased their share of GDP by ten percent). An excerpt from the article (if only I knew something about custom fields, I could insert a pull quote):

“I mention this not to argue that China is a literary paradise, but rather to point out how inventive and ambitious Chinese translators and publishers have been able to carve out viable space within the restrictions imposed by the one-party state. Go into any large Chinese bookstore and you are likely to see readers sitting in the aisles, scouring foreign books in translation, which they might not be able to afford. “

I’m currently reading ABC of Reading by Ezra Pound. I think he’d be proud to hear these factoids. I’m still not willing to read The Inferno in Italian but the man had a grasp on language that remains unfathomable to me. His collective translations still mean a lot to Chinese literary scholars. This newly discovered procreation is perhaps a product of that very 20th century contribution.