Month: February 2006

How to Identify a Crazy Person

1) Locate a sufficiently large body of people from which to pull a sampling. Something on the order of, oh, say a City Council.
2) Observe this group. Note any strange behavior that stands out from the larger group.
3) Pay particular attention for irrational conclusions or outbursts.
4) If one of the group stands out from the rest through either of the tests above, you’ve found your crazy person.

Today’s experiment involves the Detroit City Council. The City faces an incredible financial burden and deficit, one which has the potential to put them into receivership. Lightening this load would seem to be a priority. So when the Zoological Society offered to take over almost every dime of funding needed to keep the zoo open, seems like a, well, I’ll go with Detroitblog and call it a “no-brainer”.

Ah ah ah! Not so fast there my logical reader. Things are not that simple. Exhibit A is City Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins. See, the Zoological Society’s plan isn’t helping the city, it’s an insult to the City Council and all Detroiters. How, might you ask?

“This is not a plantation,” Collins said. “We are not owned by everyone else. Black folks are not owned by white folks anymore. I made the point Saturday that the state Legislature was pimping the City of Detroit, and that we should not play the role of prostitute. That upset a lot of people, but I stand by my words. The symbolism is that Detroit is a black city, and we’re not able to govern ourselves. It’s a racist attitude and I resent it.” [source]

I believe we have identified our crazy person.

You’re absolutely right, Councilwoman. It’s not a plantation. In fact, one might argue, it’s not that much of a city anymore. It certainly isn’t a place where rational discussion and debate can take place; you can’t even see a gift when it’s handed to you on a platter the size of your ego. Less than a month after 1 billion people watched a football game take place in the city, you’re back to flipping the HUGE race card over a plan that was meant to help you. You know, to keep open a zoo that’s been around for over 100 years and has, until this, managed to do so without much concern for the race of those paying for it.

Detroit isn’t a black city, it’s a city where a lot of blacks live. There’s also a lot of people of who can trace their roots to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America. It also becoming so much of a joke (and these statements help make it painfully obvious why) even Detroit’s defenders are giving up. The terrible thing is, she’ll probably get elected again. So, congratulations Detroit, you’re getting exactly what you deserve, handbasket and raving lunatic included. If the City Council continues to follow the stellar lead of the Councilwoman, I can’t wait to hear the hyperbole that spews from her mouth when Lansing takes over every facet of the City.

New Python!

PBS announced today that six new Monty Python specials are in production for broadcast on PBS in 2006. Each of the exclusive to PBS six one-hour programs will focus on one member of the original Monty Python troupe – Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones – and showcase favorite clips from the group’s television series and movies, mixed with new footage. The five living Pythons – Cleese, Idle, Gilliam, Palin and Jones – will each produce and write their own episode, with the five collaborating on a sixth special to honor deceased member Chapman.

Sweeet.

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RIAA says ripping your own CD isn't (is not) fair use

I’m not one for more laws (are you paying attention Mr. President?), but perhaps we could get some legislation that puts these moronic, withering, old-world industry lawyers in their place. Via Boing Boing, we get news that the EFF has unearthed some interesting wording in the RIAA latest filing. Basically, when they said (in MGM v Grokster) that ripping a CD and transferring that to your iPod was fair use, they didn’t really mean that. Lovely.. now we have to fight for rights we already have.

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