The Editors, pitch-perfect:
I find myself pointing out yet again that responding to the melodrama and anti-blog hysterics coming from The New Republic/NY Times Select/Washington Post editorial page Axis of Declining Circulation - or “the fever swamp”, as I affectionately call it - is TEH BORING .
I have to admit that Sunday afternoon I gave some consideration to answering David Brooks piece, but I realized that the one and only thing I had to say was, "How does this Kos shit rate a NY Times column?" Which is a question at once too easy and too difficult to answer.
On the other hand there's the slow-simmering question, "Who gave Markos the book deal?" This guy has the political instincts of a petulant child, and the unshakable self-confidence of Ana Marie Cox without the marketable ass. It's not just the matter of asking a group of people--a group who were about as likely to go after the Armstrong story as they are to take the latest WMD story seriously--to lay off. It's not even getting caught doing something foolish then getting truculent about it, same as he did with that "Let's throw the womenfolk off'n the wagon an' see if that slows the wolves down," business, although if you can't stand to look at a shiner the next day either learn to box or get out of the ring. No, it's the whole "Progressives, and everybody who got a free drink at YearlyKos, are under attack!" thing. Which gave me visions of someone his size claiming credit the next time a Democrat happens to win a national election. Fuck dat.
2. Right Blogtopia
The New American Revolution (must they always talk like this?) begins July 4 at Townhall. Thanks to reader responses, the New Revolution will feature podcasts by the likes of Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, and Hugh Hewitt, and will also offer free blogging services, where everyone will be able to join the blogging ranks alongside Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, and Hugh Hewitt.
Pinch me, I'm dreamin'.
3. And a Personal note
That funeral last weekend was for my mother's husband, (not, as he was referred to several times, my step-father, since we didn't have that sort of relationship). He married my mother when they were both in their sixties. He was a fine fellow and a brave cancer fighter. May he rest in peace.
It wasn't until his death that we learned my mother has been getting treatment for senile dementia for the last six months. Her short-term memory is fritzy, and she's paranoid. Everyone is stealing from her. Naturally recent events have not helped matters.
She goes to the doctor Wednesday. In the meantime she's been staying at my sister's. Wednesday she'll come stay with us for awhile. Assisted living is obviously in the near future.
So I don't know if blogging will be light for a while, or if I'll be typing away furiously whenever I get the chance. Patience, they say. Lots of patience. Unfortunately she didn't give birth to a patient man. We'll see how well he learns.
15 comments:
I'm sorry about your mother's husband and I hope that the doctors are able to forestall your mother's dememtia. Meanwhile, with the New American Revolution (isn't that a Chevrolet slogan?), it sounds like the holidays have come early this year.
the best of luck to your mother and you. my dad died 10 years ago and my mom's been losing it little by little ever since; i think i know a bit of how you must feel.
No snark, just take care.
I second that; take care. On the bright side, in caring for my grandfather these past few months, I've learned that patience--which I've never possessed--is something which can develop under stress, like a diamond. Or a wart.
you have my sympathy with your mother's condition, and i wish for you the strength to get through it with the least amount of grief.
just this snark -- if this is THE new american revolution, i hope it will be a true revolution and eats itself and its children, just like the french and russian revolutions. o well -- we can always hope so.
Best of luck to you and your moms / We may be asking the wrong initial question in #1; my response is generally "How does Brooks' shit-column rate a blog post?"
My empathy and sympathy to you regarding your mother. Mine has been living with us for 3 and 1/2 years, after she had cared for my ailing dad until his death. It became clear immediately that she needed help, so we are providing family-based assisted living. It has been quite an experience. She has been diagnosed with senile dementia, but - knock on wood - is good-natured and seems mostly to be suffering from short-term memory loss, which kind of flickers on and off.
It's sort of like being a new parent, not knowing quite what is coming or what to do. With a different outcome, of course.
Sincere hopes for solutions, from me to you.
My sympathies. My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's four years ago, and this year became too much for her family to deal with, so she's now in a home. She's not happy about this, and the Alzheimer's is exacerbated by a couple of longstanding mental illnesses, so it's an open question as to whether they'll keep her, meaning she may end up living with my widowed mother and her divorced sister (and my single sister keeps asking if she can move in).
I'm personally intensely grateful I live several hundred miles away, and already have my fair share of housemates.
I'm down with the stepfather thing, too. My partner's father just married the woman he's been living with for ten years, and all of a sudden her kids and grandkids are throwing around the "step" labels.
"I don't even know these people! She's not my stepmother! She's just the woman my father married!"
Not having such experience to draw on for advice and encouragement, I can only add my best wishes for you and your family, and the health of your mum.
My sympathy. There are some excellent gerontologist who can help both your family and your mother with this incredibly difficult time.
There is no help, however, for David Brooks.
Thank you for your comments regarding KOS. It is sooo cute to see the media folks find something new to chew on until the next flavor of the month comes along. I despise that blog and its "even liberal men are smarter than women" attitude. And how self important is this whole blog thing which wouldn't mean much if we didn't all think we are so funny, so important, so we can change the world and I have a barn and let's put on a newspaper show.
I am rather found of Doghouse and Noribusy even if he dropped me from his blogroll and you've never seen fit to add me to yours. (I am kidding, not petulant--I love that word.)
And "mudge" please tell us you were channeling the self important shit?
that's rather fond, not found.
1. OK, if I wasn't married and didn't have to fight my way past Poor Wife and D. Sidhe, I'd pitch my tent on your front lawn. But I am married, lazy, out of shape, and chicken, so I'll just say "good post!"
2. "The New American Revolution" sounds like a car ad. And is the reason I hated Wesley Clark's clinker: "New American Patriotism." Stupid.
3. Ooof. Sorry. Been there. And am watching my husband's parents go there. One of them is adamantly anti-"nursing home" and refuses to listen to the slightest suggestion that "assisted living" is not "nursing home." Good luck.
I have aging parents myself (as well as another close family member with bipolar disorder) and I know how difficult it can be to deal with. Hang in there. It really is an awful situation to be in, and your heart breaks for the ones you love, but you have to hang in for their sakes. Anyway, here's hoping it gets better than not.
1. Kos who?
2. Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt who?
3. My mother's 80 and going strong. I have her convinced that she can't afford dimentia or alzheimers: they'll take away her drivers license.
Good luck.
1. Best description of Kos yet.
3. I'm very sorry to hear about your mom. Assisted living is a great option if you find a good place. Stay strong and take care.
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