Read This Now
I missed a train stop last week because I was so deep into this. A. Continue reading Read This Now
Category: Uncategorized
Parsing the Medill #MeToo Debacle
Yes, even at the Jesus H. Christ School of Journalism Gods, people can be total dipshits: Ten women released an open letter on Wednesday accusing Northwestern University Professor Alec Klein of persistent sexual harassment and bullying since he has been at the helm of the school’s “crown jewel” investigative journalism program. Calling it the storied journalism school’s “#MeToo Moment,” the eight former students and two former staffers of the Medill Justice Project wrote that Klein’s “controlling, discriminatory, emotionally and verbally abusive behavior has to end.” Klein, who has been at Northwestern for a decade and in charge of the Justice … Continue reading Parsing the Medill #MeToo Debacle
Nobody’s Coming But Us
Lookit this. BIG news today: we’re bringing back neighborhood news – but we need your help. become a member of Block Club Chicago y’allhttps://t.co/rFkIQ959ah — Mina Bloom (@mina_bloom_) February 6, 2018 Ain’t nobody saving journalism but journalism. Certainly not the corporate disaster artists who’ve gutted and skullfucked newspaper companies for the last 30 years while complaining about the Internet and blaming “market forces” for them not being able to get a paper on a porch before 7 a.m. Ain’t nobody coming, and it’s long past time we stopped waiting and feeling shitty about the way things are going, and picked … Continue reading Nobody’s Coming But Us
The law and justice in the life of a parent in the Larry Nassar case
On occasion, the law doesn’t do what we want it to do. It’s a byproduct of our attempt to remain civilized in the face of uncivilized behavior. It’s a byproduct of being “the more powerful force” or “the better person” when we are forced to confront something truly horrific. Without this level of decorum and rule of law, we would be no better than animals and tyrants, we are told. And all of those things are right. All of those things are true. We can’t just attack people for what we perceive to be inappropriate or illegal actions that wrong … Continue reading The law and justice in the life of a parent in the Larry Nassar case
Thome, my homie
Jim Thome made the Hall of Fame this week in the same way he began his career: As an afterthought. Baseball pundits flocked to Larry “Chipper” Jones, writing stories about him “headlining” this class of inductees. Or, as one writer noted about him, he “feels” like a Hall of Famer. Vladimir Guerrero had more votes, so he deserved more attention. Edgar Martinez didn’t get ENOUGH votes, so people were talking about him as well. Oh, and let’s not forget talking about the steroid guys who we are somehow either too soft or too hard on. Thome? Mmph. OK. For all … Continue reading Thome, my homie
There are always people like this.
Somehow, she thought this was OK. Something, somewhere in her life convinced Harley Barber that it was OK to open her mouth and pour forth a river of vile, putrid, ignorant racism. Somehow, she figured she’d get away with it. Maybe it was her “finsta” profile, a fake Instagram account that she erroneously thought would provide her with the anonymity to act with impunity. Maybe it was alcohol or the invincibility that comes with youth that told her nothing bad would happen because nobody knew her or nobody took this stuff seriously. Maybe it was a life of privilege or … Continue reading There are always people like this.
A nation of shitholes
This is my great-grandfather. A farmer by birth, a carpenter by trade, a factory worker by necessity. He came to this country in his early 20s, leaving behind his family and everything he ever knew to start a better life … Continue reading A nation of shitholes
Not Just City Cops
Suburbs have a problem, too: They have shot at fleeing and unarmed suspects, wounded innocent bystanders and even fellow officers caught in a crossfire. They have fired from, and at, moving vehicles during high speed chases, ramped up confrontations with the mentally ill and tampered with evidence, the investigation found. Still, in 113 police shootings in the Cook County suburbs since 2005, records show not a single case led to disciplinary action for an officer who made a mistake. Not one lost their job. Not one criminal case was filed against an officer. The attention is on city departments because … Continue reading Not Just City Cops
A rep makes it hard to Wolff down this book
As much as I want to, I really don’t believe what Michael Wolff has written about President Donald Trump in the book “Fire and Fury.” The excerpt that has made its way around the internet is full of the kinds of things I traditionally believe about our president (or as one person referred to him “Dolt 45,” a term I’m planning to steal.) Examples include: Trump never really thought he would be president and now that he is, he has no idea on how to handle things. He has the temperament of a toddler and he is among other things, … Continue reading A rep makes it hard to Wolff down this book
Not Everything Sucks
We want to help, always, from the earliest age on: “If my mom asked me what do you want for Christmas, I’d be like, lead,” Gitanjali said. That’s right, lead, which Gitanjali needed for an invention. “Imaging living day in and day out drinking contaminated water with dangerous substances like lead. Introducing tethys, the easy to use, fast, accurate, portable and inexpensive device to detect lead in water,” Gitanjali said in her presentation for the Young Scientist Challenge. She won the national competition for her invention. These are the instincts we should be nurturing. A. Continue reading Not Everything Sucks
If Jesus had been born in Wisconsin…
On this hallowed Christmas Eve, everyone in my house is pretty much asleep or trying to pretend to be in hopes of getting out of work in preparation for the Wigilla celebration tonight. As my wife and I kind of muttered our way awake, we ended up on a riff about traditions and food and Wisconsin and suddenly, we were into “What if Jesus were born here?” I did my best to document the answers (and augment with a few additional thoughts), so enjoy regardless of your faith, creed or lack thereof: If Jesus had been born in Wisconsin: He … Continue reading If Jesus had been born in Wisconsin…
Graduation Day
“Scars are souvenirs you never lose. The past is never far.” – Goo Goo Dolls, “Name” “My parents’ basement.” Those three words kept coming up this week as I met with student after student who planned to graduate Saturday. The phrase has become a metaphor that indicates success or failure, with fear driving 20-somethings desperately away from it. Am I going to find a job or will I have to live there? Will this job pay me enough or will I have to stay there? My dad keeps telling me I can’t move back in there, so I need to … Continue reading Graduation Day
You Fight Every Fight Because Sometimes You Win
Douglas Jones, First of His Name, Senator of the State of Alabama, Scourge of Klansman, Rightful Owner of Roy Moore’s Horse and Protector of the Realm, come sit on the Iron Throne, you glorious brave motherfucker: Alabama Senate election 2017 live updates: Democrat Doug Jones wins Alabama Senate race Unlikely victories in the face of impossible odds are unlikely because the odds are impossible; still, isn’t it so much better to have fought? I was yammering away on Twitter earlier today about John Kerry and 2004, and oh boy have I backed losers in campaigns before then (McCain in 2000) … Continue reading You Fight Every Fight Because Sometimes You Win
Tuesday Foodblogging
I love pizza/flatbread, and this is a great one. A. Continue reading Tuesday Foodblogging
Tuesday Foodblogging: Sugar Cookie Edition
Sugar cookies make the best presents. I bake up batches of these and these, give them to people and everyone is happy. A. Continue reading Tuesday Foodblogging: Sugar Cookie Edition
THANK YOU EVERYONE!
I always worry we’re not gonna make it and you always, always, always all come through. This means a lot, guys, especially in this rough stretch of a year. Thank you for supporting this place and what we’ve been doing here since ye olden days of 2004. And, since I promised a photo, here’s my own little Reason for Resistance, the smallest critter in our house at the moment, our apple-picking, hot-chocolate-guzzling, no-nonsense-taking, argumentative, fierce brave I-can-do-it-MYSELF Kick. She would says thanks too, but the only thing she knows about the Internet is that it’s where you find kitten videos. So … Continue reading THANK YOU EVERYONE!
We have no good way to talk about this and we never have
We have no good way to talk about this and we never have. As a good friend and feminist scholar told me when the Weinstein scandal broke, “This isn’t about sex. It’s about power. That’s why we can’t talk about it.” And yet it is the sex that draws the attention as we discuss the imbalance of power, so the two remain inextricably linked, creating problems as we continue to have these revelations of misconduct come to light. The latest name added to the list of groping, rubbing, jerking, fondling, grabbing and forcing is Sen. Al Franken. Leeann Tweeden came … Continue reading We have no good way to talk about this and we never have
The War Isn’t Over
It never is. A. Continue reading The War Isn’t Over
The Roy Moore Scandal: Just “unusual” love in Darwin’s Waiting Room
I often joke about my “First Rule of Holes” which is simply this: When you find yourself in one, stop digging. Apparently, no one ever told people in the Alabama state hierarchy that rule, given that Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler came to Roy Moore’s defense with an inspirational tale from the Bible: “Take the Bible. Zachariah and Elizabeth for instance. Zachariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist,” Ziegler said choosing his words carefully before invoking Christ. “Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult … Continue reading The Roy Moore Scandal: Just “unusual” love in Darwin’s Waiting Room
My Hill
The plane touched down at O’Hare early Sunday morning, jolting me awake. I looked around to see other passengers in varying states of awareness. I flipped my phone off airplane mode and noticed I had no messages. I checked my email quickly. Same thing. Everything was quiet. What a difference two years makes. The last time I touched down on the first leg of a trip back from a college media convention in this metropolis, my life had gone from bad to worse. I had just traded some labor for airfare and a room so I could head to Austin, … Continue reading My Hill
Tuesday Foodblogging
Mmm, fall. I used to make this ridiculously complicated Bon Appetit gingerbread cake recipe, because my little sister loved it, even though you had to grate fresh ginger and let it sit in sugar overnight and then brew coffee and mix it with the molasses and it was all too much, basically, plus it made a cake the size of Long Island and nobody but my sister really loved the stuff. This is much easier to do, makes less so less waste and/or guilt-gorging, and delicious. A. Continue reading Tuesday Foodblogging
While We’re At It, NOT GREAT JEFF EITHER
Rude Pundit speaks for me: What could they do? If they were really brave, they’d say, “Yeah, you know what? Fuck the Republican Party.” And they’d bail, offer to caucus with the Democrats for the rest of their terms, even if it defies their core ideology (as if supporting Trump didn’t), and get Susan Collins or Lisa Murkowski to do the same. Thus that changes the leadership of the Senate and puts a halt to Trump’s agenda and a mighty big fucking check on his power. Obviously, Republicans aren’t gonna do anything about Trump. Otherwise, senator after senator would have … Continue reading While We’re At It, NOT GREAT JEFF EITHER
A Slice of Time
It was a fortuitous tweak of timing that landed us at Francisco’s restaurant Saturday night: A baseball card show that had me in Milwaukee. A phone call my mom got from an old friend. Another restaurant with a wait time that we all knew my father wouldn’t tolerate. The place had changed names over the years, but for us it would always be Francisco’s. And this might have been the last night we ever got to see it. Mom and Dad used to go there when they were first dating in the 1960s. It was about the width of … Continue reading A Slice of Time
The Kids Will Save Themselves
Good kids: When I joined the March on Milwaukee 50th Anniversary Coordinating Committee in June of 2016, I had no idea learning at the feet of the elders meant I would become a privileged keeper of both their stories and, in some ways, their failed dreams. Over the course of learning about the history of the marches, I and the other “young” (i.e., those born after 1968) members of the coordinating committee have had a chance to experience what historian Manning Marable referred to “living Black history,” to place Black historical narratives at the center and to, consequently, see how these … Continue reading The Kids Will Save Themselves
What’s in a name and how many lives is it worth?
When we discuss the idea of “fame” as a newsvalue in my journalism classes, I make a point that famous people can actually be infamous. “How many of you have heard the name Jeffrey Dahmer?” I ask. Every hand goes up, even though he committed his crimes and died in prison before most of them were born. Dahmer is a name that remains as prominent now as it was in the early 1990s. A mass murder with an eating disorder, a TV show once quipped. I thought about the man, the name and the crime this week when I heard … Continue reading What’s in a name and how many lives is it worth?
Delivering On His Promises
He pretty much is giving these people exactly what they want. Don’t you think? Trump promised to remake America in the image of its national memories, the ones that get hauled out around the holidays and passed from cousin to cousin. The ones with sepia tones and well-thumbed edges that obscure all the complications. He promised rich white people they wouldn’t have to think, as they’ve been forced to since the world flattened out, about anyone who wasn’t lucky enough to live like them. He promised those same rich and middle-class white people they could forget about the world again, … Continue reading Delivering On His Promises
How trying to make free speech free can really not do that
The state of Wisconsin is in the process of considering a bill that would allow for higher levels of punishment against UW folk who “disrupt” the free speech of others. On its face, the idea seems good: Everyone has a right to speak, so let’s make sure that we let all voices be heard. Naturally, that’s not the point of this, as previous writers have pointed out. Republicans who supported this bill (all but one of them voted for it; naturally all the Democrats opposed it) believe college campuses are filled with weed-smoking hippies who hate anyone conservative enough to … Continue reading How trying to make free speech free can really not do that
Memento Mori
I was sitting in my basement early this week, sorting through the dozens of things I had to do when my wife came down to add one more: “Do you have anything you’re doing this weekend?” she asked. I tried not to flinch as I tried to answer in a vague way that would allow me somehow get out of whatever she was about to ask me to build, fix, move or buy while still not admitting I wanted a free weekend. “I’m not sure right now. Why?” “There’s that benefit at the park for Jacob…” Jacob is a 9-year-old … Continue reading Memento Mori
Sunday Morning Video- Glenn Tilbrook: One For The Road
This 2004 film was made by Squeeze super fan Amy Pritkin. It documents Glenn’s first solo US tour when he hit the road in an RV to play a series of solo acoustic gigs. It’s good stuff. Continue reading Sunday Morning Video- Glenn Tilbrook: One For The Road
My Tribe: 22 and counting
I didn’t know they sucked so bad when I fell in love with them. Given my life-long love of the underdog, I might have picked the Cleveland Indians as my team anyway. I was about 10 or 11 years old, I think, when my dad bought into a season-ticket package with a bunch of guys who had four front-row seats at Milwaukee’s old County Stadium. The seats were along the tarp, between third base and the outfield wall, giving us the visitor’s view of the field. When you’re a kid, you have certain magical ideas about what can happen when … Continue reading My Tribe: 22 and counting