Raining on Straw Men?
I gotta get this one off my chest. Midtown Miscreant is a dramatic blogger with a flair for tough-guy self-importance, and he writes some interesting pieces. He does a good job taking snapshots of rundown property, for instance, and the descriptions are tolerable if you ignore the "nobody goes into these places and comes out alive, except for me" braggadocio. Those of us who are well-traveled in KC and aren't so gullible just roll our eyes and enjoy the photos.
Today, though, MM tries his hand at punditry, and makes me wish he had stuck with scary tales about seeing broken windows in an abandoned building.
Sorry, MM, you're not big enough to, as you claim, "piss on the parade." If all you can do is put up imaginary straw men like gays who believe he will usher in federal gay marriage, or "black folks" who allegedly believe he will "automatically right history's wrongs in this country" and issue reparations checks, you're wasting electrons.
It's an exciting week for America, and the parade is going to be fantastic. Change - real, substantive change - is coming to our Government, and that is a wonderful thing. It doesn't mean that everything will turn rosy on Wednesday, or that we won't be disappointed in some of the decisions that Obama will make (heck, I'm already disappointed in a couple). But there's a wide gulf between the absolute ideal and the current reality, and I think everyone is ready for movement in the right direction, without expecting to ever get there. America and its voters are smart enough to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Except, perhaps, for that grumpy old man standing there wetting himself, thinking that he's dampening the parade.
Labels: Barack Obama, blogging
posted by Dan at 1/19/2009 09:34:00 AM
19 Comments:
My my, Dan woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
I actually have a girlfriend that I thought was half way intellegent who does indeed believe that Obama is literally going to save the world. While I admire her optimism, I don't know if I want to be around when she realizes the problems are not all fixed in the next year.
But there is a lot more hope in this counrty and world than we have seen in a long time. Let's all try and move forward toward the betterment of everyone.
Hah, fair enough. I'm not really grumpy at all, but MM's tone managed to annoy probably more than I should have let it.
You have a gripe with someone and so you accuse him of wetting himself? My my what an intellectual you are Dan Ryan.
Good post, Dan. MM has always had a little too much swagger for my taste. As for your anonymous detractor - I suppose he or she didn't read the MM post. He was the one proposing to piss on everyone's parade - I think you turned that metaphor rather nicely.
No, Dan made a mistake of impulsively reacting to MM's post, which he so much as admitted to above.
Nothing really wrong with that, can't blame him, all of us do it from time-to-time.
MM has an abrasive style at times, but his post was ultimately a reasonable position. One that you may not agree with, but reasonable -- just made with that, uh, trademark "panaché".
[Change - real, substantive change - is coming to our Government, and that is a wonderful thing.]
The only thing the government could do that would be CHANGE would be to get the hell out of citizens private lives, rather than legislating just about everything we do from birth to death. I don't see that happening.
How do you REALLY feel Dan? Why it seems like just yesterday you where thanking me for a post I wrote about a pile of clothes, even said you wished you had written it. I don't mind you taking a shot at what I wrote, I'm just surprised a guy of your self alleged caliber would take the low road and resort to name calling and insults, reminds me of me. I won't apologize for being coarse, and if you really read my post all I was saying is that people are setting the bar too high for Obama. If you think that a large percentage of Obama supporters don't have highly unrealistic expectations, then you need just browse the internet or watch the news. I've always commented respectfully and with clean language on your blog, even when I disagree with you, like your love fest with the Funks. Anyway no hard feelings, I've been called alot worse by the few people lower than lawyers. As for the name calling be careful or you'll reduce yourself to my level, which might not be a bad thing, might liven the place up a little. Now I'll return you to your regularly scheduled love fest and Beer reviews.
Oh, and 49 isn't old, and I've got excellent bladder control.
MM - sorry it you took offense, and congrats on the bladder control. On the age thing, I'm just a few months behind you.
I do enjoy a lot of your work, and I'm obviously a regular reader if I'm jumping on one of your posts a few hours after you wrote it. I've had you listed on my blogroll for quite some time.
As for the name calling, I didn't really call you names - other than grumpy old man, which I think both of us would be hard pressed to deny on occasion.
You had me at " dramatic blogger with a flair for tough-guy self-importance". That was a compliment right? Just do me one favor in the future, try not to be apologetic and nice right after you insult me. It takes all the fun out of posting a nasty retort. Enjoy the inauguration.
You disagree with that?! ;-)
Did ya notice MM never took his "tours" without backup? For a 49 year old fuck that spent time in Club Fed he sure pussed out. Most people have rolled thru the same places without our little CVS cameras and not worried about dying. You are a drama queen MM. Go to the Basement with Tony. Rita has a lover's couch for the two of you.
Fraud -
Really, you go to the same places? Why don't you take a few pictures, and write something thoughtful about what you see?
Quite frankly Dan, your self-rightousness can go ahead and duck out with Dubya and Laura tomorrow.
It really is disgusting.
Fuck right. I agree with the last commenter.
AF was here.
Does anyone think that "MM is a fraud" would have the guts to post his or her email address, or say these sorts of things to his face?
Anonymity is such a fine tool for cowards.
Except, perhaps, for that grumpy old man standing there wetting himself, thinking that he's dampening the parade.
I am totally stealing this line. Well put, and thanks.
I stand by my post. MM and his fanboys prove it. If all you bloggers quit your circle jerk with MM and Tony as pivot men, none of you would have nothing to contribute.
Staying anonymous, where the truth is told.
I can't really disagree with that, anonymous - go read my post a couple days later, called "The Trouble with Traffic".
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