Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal

♠
Rupert Murdoch has spent years thinking about what he would do with The Wall Street Journal if he could just get his hands on it. Based on his business history, he often gets what he wants.

-- Richard Siklos for The New York Times

Mr. Murdoch, the Fox News guy, has made a bid of five billion dollars for the Wall Street Journal. So far, the controlling Bancroft family opposes the sale.

The Wall Street Journal is a conservative paper, naturally, and a well-respected and authoritative source. One would expect that Murdoch would not want to hurt that image. Still, one cannot help wondering what a Murdock ownership could portend for the prestigious paper.

Personally, just in terms of media consolidation, I would think it is a better world if the Wall Street Journal remains out of his hands. It is a sickening thought that so much be in so few hands. Especially Murdoch's hands. Though, I admit more racy nudity is a good thing more often than not.

xXx

Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal

♠
Rupert Murdoch has spent years thinking about what he would do with The Wall Street Journal if he could just get his hands on it. Based on his business history, he often gets what he wants.

-- Richard Siklos for The New York Times

Mr. Murdoch, the Fox News guy, has made a bid of five billion dollars for the Wall Street Journal. So far, the controlling Bancroft family opposes the sale.

The Wall Street Journal is a conservative paper, naturally, and a well-respected and authoritative source. One would expect that Murdoch would not want to hurt that image. Still, one cannot help wondering what a Murdock ownership could portend for the prestigious paper.

Personally, just in terms of media consolidation, I would think it is a better world if the Wall Street Journal remains out of his hands. It is a sickening thought that so much be in so few hands. Especially Murdoch's hands. Though, I admit more racy nudity is a good thing more often than not.

xXx

The Reagan Diaries

♠
“Funny — I was talking peace but wearing a bullet proof vest.”

-- President Ronald Reagan, Nov. 18, 1981

That is an excerpt from an abridged version of Reagan's diaries that is coming out for sale. Thirty-five dollars. If money were no object, the book might be fun to peek into now and again.

xXx

The Reagan Diaries

♠
“Funny — I was talking peace but wearing a bullet proof vest.”

-- President Ronald Reagan, Nov. 18, 1981

That is an excerpt from an abridged version of Reagan's diaries that is coming out for sale. Thirty-five dollars. If money were no object, the book might be fun to peek into now and again.

xXx

Of Sin and Disease

♠
“When man wanted to become God, he sinned.”

-- Novalis

And then man discovered Hell, I guess.

This quote is just one of the gems I'm gathering from Harold Bloom's "Modern Critical Interpretations: The Magic Mountain". It is from a discussion about how disease has been seen by some as heightening spiritual qualities, as if opening one up to the deeper realities of life.

___ ___ ___

[1730]

It occurs to me that I may have given a much more dramatic reading to the Novalis quote than was intended and is generally received. I read it as if it could have been a young man consciously deciding to make himself God, and believes he does so by going out and committing some egregious sin to show that he is not behoven to any law besides his own, hence declaring himself to be God. Think of Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and the axe murder of that Jewish woman.

I now see that the quote could be just a bland reformulation of the story of the Fall, when Adam and Eve take a bite of the apple, pointing out that it was in the desire to be in the league of the gods that laid the sin.

xXx

Of Sin and Disease

♠
“When man wanted to become God, he sinned.”

-- Novalis

And then man discovered Hell, I guess.

This quote is just one of the gems I'm gathering from Harold Bloom's "Modern Critical Interpretations: The Magic Mountain". It is from a discussion about how disease has been seen by some as heightening spiritual qualities, as if opening one up to the deeper realities of life.

___ ___ ___

[1730]

It occurs to me that I may have given a much more dramatic reading to the Novalis quote than was intended and is generally received. I read it as if it could have been a young man consciously deciding to make himself God, and believes he does so by going out and committing some egregious sin to show that he is not behoven to any law besides his own, hence declaring himself to be God. Think of Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and the axe murder of that Jewish woman.

I now see that the quote could be just a bland reformulation of the story of the Fall, when Adam and Eve take a bite of the apple, pointing out that it was in the desire to be in the league of the gods that laid the sin.

xXx

Hating Gays

♠
There is some buzz that President Bush is going to veto the attempt to include gay victims in the federal law outlawing hate crimes. Andrew Sullivan has some strong thoughts on this:

Christianists simply regard homosexuality as an evil and a sickness. Any law that implies that being gay is an identity and deserves equal respect and protection as other identities is anathema to them. Implicit in their worldview - and absolutely implicit in the position of the president - is that it's okay to attack gays in a way that it's not okay to attack, say, Jews or blacks. This is the core position of the Christianists - which is why I refuse to call them Christians. Bush, we now know, is a captive of this bigotry and an enabler of it. Whatever your general views of hate crime laws, this argument holds. And this president should be ashamed.

Interestingly, as a conservative, Mr. Sullivan actually is opposed to laws against hate crimes, in principle, but he notes that it is another matter when you have hate crimes but make a point of excluding gays from that protection.

Considering Bush's standing with the country at large, I suppose he figures he has nothing to lose and may as well make love to his Christianist base and keep his approval ratings up there in the twenties.


(Source: Andrew Sullivan)

xXx

Hating Gays

♠
There is some buzz that President Bush is going to veto the attempt to include gay victims in the federal law outlawing hate crimes. Andrew Sullivan has some strong thoughts on this:

Christianists simply regard homosexuality as an evil and a sickness. Any law that implies that being gay is an identity and deserves equal respect and protection as other identities is anathema to them. Implicit in their worldview - and absolutely implicit in the position of the president - is that it's okay to attack gays in a way that it's not okay to attack, say, Jews or blacks. This is the core position of the Christianists - which is why I refuse to call them Christians. Bush, we now know, is a captive of this bigotry and an enabler of it. Whatever your general views of hate crime laws, this argument holds. And this president should be ashamed.

Interestingly, as a conservative, Mr. Sullivan actually is opposed to laws against hate crimes, in principle, but he notes that it is another matter when you have hate crimes but make a point of excluding gays from that protection.

Considering Bush's standing with the country at large, I suppose he figures he has nothing to lose and may as well make love to his Christianist base and keep his approval ratings up there in the twenties.


(Source: Andrew Sullivan)

xXx

Barack Hate

♠
(CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, has been placed under the protection of the Secret Service, the agency said Thursday.

The government is not aware of any specific, credible threat against Obama, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the decision. But the campaign has received hate mail, calls and other "threatening materials" in the past and during his campaign, the source said.

-- CNN

Another sign that the man is becoming big time: drawing the hate and death threats. You can feel the love.

Incidentally, it is noted that since Hillary is a former First Lady, she is already under Secret Service protection. So, it continues to be a neck and neck race.

xXx

Barack Hate

♠
(CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, has been placed under the protection of the Secret Service, the agency said Thursday.

The government is not aware of any specific, credible threat against Obama, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the decision. But the campaign has received hate mail, calls and other "threatening materials" in the past and during his campaign, the source said.

-- CNN

Another sign that the man is becoming big time: drawing the hate and death threats. You can feel the love.

Incidentally, it is noted that since Hillary is a former First Lady, she is already under Secret Service protection. So, it continues to be a neck and neck race.

xXx