RSSAmerican Culture Archives
January 26, 2008
Your American English Accent Divined
For this side of the Atlantic people only, a test of American English regional accents. It came out correct for me, divining my Noo Yawk origins, although the results appear to be generically regional (N. East) in determining accent origin rather than very local. But for each of doze of y'all who may reckon to be fixin' to enjoy some soda pop (soda pap?) and do some regional American linguistics, pack yaw caah in the havid yad, and give it a try.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 02:11 PM | Comments (9)
December 09, 2007
More Brains Equals Less Happiness (with related Jumbled Thoughts on anti-Bush/anti-Jock sentiment)
Too little time to ramble appropriately. But here's a jumble of semi-related issues on nerd alienation, anti-Bushism and anti-jockism. First, the comments to this posted article on growing up brainy but inevitably unhappy are interesting, even touching (the comments are more interesting than the article). Though myself a fully formed non-jock last-picked-for-any-team somewhat "brainy" nerd, I nevertheless experienced less trauma than these folks did with "jocks" and other less eggheady types. Perhaps because the school environments I had were not too pro-jock, and were definitely pro-nerd. (That didn't stop all of the usual expected adolescent brutality and social ineptness coming my way, however). Then, I jump below to a bunch of slightly related half-formed theories here, going from the social exclusion of nerds to a distantly related political one: a working theory that alot of anti-Bush personal (not political) sentiment is fundamentally anti-jock resentment by nerds. To which discussion I append an appreciation of jocks.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:53 AM | Comments (11)
December 01, 2007
Need Gadget-Geek Info: Vinyl to Silicon
I am hinting around for a Xmas present: a device that has a turntable, a CD thing, and the necessary software so that one can transfer the contents of the old vinyl record to a CD. I saw this device in a consumer-ish outlet (did not get product name); does anyone know of the worthwhileness/reasonable pricing (USA) of such products or particular models or alternatives.? I imagine there are also legal issues of reproduction, but that's for another day.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:12 PM | Comments (5)
November 26, 2007
The Ultimate Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
I think I stumbled on the ultimate example of a self-fulfilling prophecy the other day. Go to a social event with your spouse and introduce him or her as "my future ex-[wife/husband]". No, I didn't do or have this done to me. Yet.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2007
Kennedy Assassination, Nixon, and Coincidence
On this anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, people argue coincidences and conspiracies (pssst- there wasn't any, Oswald was all alone). But there is a story about that day that is funny in its own right, probably true, and might give rise to a nice reflection on coincidences. Richard Nixon told this account to Larry King; I cannot find it online but I recall it from a book. The story is quite plausible even if Nixon wasn't always so.
Continue reading "Kennedy Assassination, Nixon, and Coincidence"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2007
Beowulf ynne thae fylmmen? Hwaet tha fukkke? Godes yrre baer.
That great hard-of-hearing epic, Beowulf, the one that actually begins with a shout of "WHAT!" (spelled Hwaet!), has made it onto the big silver mead-hall screen. A great line from one review says "as you may remember from Cliff's Notes. . . .", but your humble servant actually has read the thing in its original, um, English and always wondered how, aside from some good monsters, this drama-less one-dimensional Dark Age gangsta rap could possibly be made into a good story. I haven't seen the film yet, but I shouldn't have been surprised at Hollywood's ingenuity in that area: they made stuff up.
Continue reading "Beowulf ynne thae fylmmen? Hwaet tha fukkke? Godes yrre baer."
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:35 AM | Comments (4)
November 03, 2007
Safe from Pakistani worries
This just in on Pakistan: "Musharraf’s leadership is threatened by an increasingly defiant Supreme Court . . . ." Well, glad we don't face any dangers like that here in the USA.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:08 PM | Comments (1)
October 26, 2007
Petty thoughts: She's not worth it
An "oldie" of sorts, like me the listener, on the radio. Tom Petty's Listen To Her Heart. And the opening line that I hated then and now. So I just have to say this these many years later.
Continue reading "Petty thoughts: She's not worth it"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2007
Make that song stop!
Would those young kids out there here in the USA please get that Delilah song off the radio?! (Actually it's kind of nice, sort of like an "unplugged" version of "Last Train to Clarksville", and has a cool background story, but enough already, that adolescent poetry and singing gets to my old age.)
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:21 PM | Comments (2)
September 29, 2007
Noisy Desperation: The Fading Real Estate Market
Quiet desperation? Not on a road leading out of a major metropolis and into the suburbs. As endless commuter cars inched outward in a slow-moving stream at the end of the day, a haggard-looking woman held up a sign with an arrow pointed down a side street. The sign read: Buy My House, You'd Be Home Already. It wasn't long ago in the same area that one had only to put a mere broker sales-listing out and hordes of buyers and agents were breaking down the door. Now it is self-help. Caveat speculator.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:04 AM | Comments (8)
August 26, 2007
Corporate Islamofascism and Constituent Verbal Furballs
It is an accurate observation that the non-playful use of the term "Islamofascism" usually indicates that the written work which contains it emanated from some part of Idiotland, or has at least crossed its airspace. On the other side of the spectrum, to me anyway, in this day and age, once I see "corporate" used as a slur or with some kind of ominous overtone, a "here comes a rant from the other coast of Idiotland" reaction kicks in. ( I have yet to come across "corporate Islamofascism" but I am sure there is a rare neocon progressive out there nurturing it under ultraviolet light in a shoebox to use if say Wal-mart were to add Muslim prayer-time breaks for employees, although that would probably end up being "corporate dhimmitude".)
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Posted by Matthew Hogan at 05:33 PM | Comments (1)
August 18, 2007
Is "The Only Good Arab is a Dead Arab" A Threat?
Having actually personally met some of the apparent victims in this situation, it pains me to say that I think they are probably wrong. Last year, a Foreign Service officer (and Georgetown Foreign Service School alumnus) emailed and voice-mailed a series of messages to individuals of the Arab-American Institute. These were "the only good Arab a dead Arab"; "they should burn in hell", etc .- type comments, and resulted in criminal charges. But to look over the whole accusation/indictment, and one ought to before judging, one can ask if there is enough here to charge Mr. Bigoted Foulmouth with a crime. After gender and time of day circumstances are considered, it may add up, but it's a close call. Without more, I'd go down on the side of free speech and say dismiss the charges unless more facts come out. (It does, nonetheless, make you wonder about State Department vetting standards.)
Continue reading "Is "The Only Good Arab is a Dead Arab" A Threat?"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:13 PM | Comments (4)
July 02, 2007
Ayn Rand Had Nothing to Do with it, OK?
I am a "classical liberal", a libertarian, or whatever it is. Brilliant, dumb, or neither, but just for the record: Ayn Rand had nothing to do with it, OK? Sentences like this just keep cropping up, though: "Ayn Rand, the Russian émigré novelist and philosopher who inspired more people toward a combined emotional/intellectual commitment to individual liberty than any other figure in the 20th century" or book titles like this: It Usually Begins With Ayn Rand. No, it didn't. Thank you. And "Objectivism" is stupid too.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 04:34 AM | Comments (9)
May 04, 2007
Junta Gatherer: Right Bolshevik Degeneracy
To think I once liked this guy, and the publication (National Review). Well, a little. The degeneration of our times. (Warning: America-centric-ish). For Thomas Sowell tells us, and I [block]quote:
When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can’t help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup.
Continue reading "Junta Gatherer: Right Bolshevik Degeneracy"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:11 PM | Comments (3)
April 25, 2007
Blame the Speech Not the Tactic?
(America-centric, sort of). The news program 60 Minutes here in the USA recently profiled the "Stop Snitchin'" theme of rap music which basically warns inner city, typically African-American, kids not to report crime to the police. Interviews show this is carrying some weight. But at one point host Anderson Cooper notes that many of the teens being interviewed have lost trust for the police already due to (as I recall the words roughly) "behavior of the police in enforcing the drug laws". Bingo! But they leave that thought to pass by -- with only a brief comment by a kid on being stopped and harassed for no reason -- to pursue more attacks on rap lyrics, with disturbing inclinations for free speech.
Continue reading "Blame the Speech Not the Tactic?"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:54 AM | Comments (1)
April 16, 2007
A September 10 mentality?
A shooting spree at Virginia Tech in the USA has resulted in 30 or so innocent deaths. I just heard Wolf Blitzer say on CNN that it is the worst massacre in US history; another announcer called it the worst mass murder in US history. How about that? I thought it was just us war skeptics that had forgotten 9/11. Sadly, anyway, if this had been in Iraq, such a horror of murderous loss would be "just another Monday morning".
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 07:38 PM | Comments (3)
April 13, 2007
RIP -- Kurt Vonnegut
Spoiler alert. Every Vonnegut novel ends with the general world, or the writer's world, being destroyed. Now, I guess it's his turn. He was quite interesting, for a lefty. In an interview, he said he wanted the full military burial, to obtain what he was never assured in life -- the unqualified approval of his community. Wonder if he'll get it. Well, may he rest in free-thinkers' heaven.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 01:16 AM | Comments (1)
April 07, 2007
Murphy's Law of Car Radio Music
Ages ago, someone put out a collection of "Murphy's Law" type rules, such as "The other line moves faster" or "you cannot make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious". Subjective and anecdotal evidence has convincedme of another rule, to wit, viz. and I quote: "The best song comes on the car radio only when you are pulling into your destination at the last minute." How often one finds oneself, soaring on a highway for 45 minutes , barely enduring Hall and Oates (you young'uns won't understand) stuck on the airwaves, only to hear, just as you're turning into the parking lot with moments to spare,the radio commencing some generational anthemic opening like this, or some spine-shaking grand old Rolling Stones chestnut. You kids with your post- grunge, and your CDs, and your iTooths, and Blueberries, and PalmTunes won't understand the unique value of the surprise selection of a familiar oldie while driving. But we ancient ones still appreciate it. Sadly, however, we only get to appreciate the opening riffs og these selections as we hurriedly align the vehicle inside the yellow stripes and race to the office or train.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 04:16 PM | Comments (8)
March 06, 2007
Best case against socialized medicine: Walter Reed
Just to tick off the idealists, and smug Canadians, nothing convinces me of the dangers of socialized medicine, at least here in the USA, like this recent brouhaha about the horrible conditions of wounded soldiers being treated in the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC.
Continue reading "Best case against socialized medicine: Walter Reed"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 06:13 PM | Comments (70)
February 17, 2007
Societal differences: MENA and USA, a suicidal thought experiment
I was imagining two similar situations in any American and any major Levantine Arab metropolis. There are probably actual incidents of the type to use for real comparison but I have no will to hunt them down. Anyway, all too often, in some city like New York, some lost soul will stand on a ledge contemplating Ending It All. And a crowd forms. And they start yelling "jump, jump!" Or some analogous situation. Now, I have to make a disclaimer before going further. As a confirmed libertarian, I sort of agree you ought to have a legal right to do yourself in. And you ought to have a right to express an opinion on others doing their selves in. But my gut is opposite, and I find I wouldn't object deeply if, say, the cops open fire on such a crowd. In any case, I find such behavior deeply immoral. And a sick and barbaric downside of liberal society.
Continue reading "Societal differences: MENA and USA, a suicidal thought experiment"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:23 PM | Comments (5)
December 21, 2006
Christmas, for Heathens
With the Aqoul readership an eclectic mess largely of various Mideast backgrounds, many being of locally-prevalent faiths or having apostasized therefrom, I thought I'd give some background on the Christmas holiday. Especially as it takes place among us Americans. There should be enough detail here to help you in the many trivia contests you'll being doing to pass your inevitable time in eternal hellfire.
Continue reading "Christmas, for Heathens"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 06:14 PM | Comments (12)
November 22, 2006
A Thanksgiving Narrative (warning: America-centric stuff)
I will abuse my journal privilege to republish something I wrote from years ago, as a contemplation of US Thanksgiving. Since it was written in 1999, an official memorial to what it tells of has been underway, as it should. It is a long narrative, hopefully written interestingly enough to hold the passing reader. It has no direct Mideast relevance per se, but it may provide a reflection on the complexities of the general inhumanity made permissible by war, cultural prejudice, civil conflict, and military administration.
Continue reading "A Thanksgiving Narrative (warning: America-centric stuff)"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 05:54 PM | Comments (3)
November 20, 2006
Lunatics expel least-crazy for brain malfunction: neoconservative latest
I love the political self-centeredness of this comment: "[Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn)]: 'If Rumsfeld had been out, you bet it would have made a difference . . . 'I'd still be chairman of the Judiciary Committee.' ' But that's not the importance of this Washington Post article. What is noteworthy, is the chutzpah of the neocons, that messianic war cult (I used to think I was overboard in that description but I've reverted since) of Right bolsheviks who blame Bush now for not properly executing their vision. (Specter, by the way, is not a neocon; his comment is just merely too good to miss quoting.) I mean it's like a bunch of lunatics excoriating their most recent member for being irrational. Ken "Cakewalk" Adelman dissing Bush for stupidity on Iraq??!! As they said in anti-McCarthy times, have you no shame sir?
Continue reading "Lunatics expel least-crazy for brain malfunction: neoconservative latest"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 09:20 PM | Comments (7)
November 13, 2006
Muslims in USA: Abdo book reviewed
The Washington Post gives a nice review of Genevieve Abdo's recent book examining the attitudes and status of the American Muslim community. He seems mystified, however, that someone might actually think Irshad Manji, a Muslim dissenter (whatever that means), is a self-promoting phony. Nonetheless, on the broader issues, Abdo argues, and Dirda agrees, that the Muslim community is beset by both a desire to be more engaging (and the opportunity is stronger in America than Europe) and a desire to withdraw into a cocoon of disengagement, retrogression, and perpetual taking offense.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 08:20 PM | Comments (5)
