or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
•
"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
•
"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
June 01, 2010
Angry, Confused Monkeys Through History
With perfect timing, the blug Letters of Note has posted this. It's a 1961 letter from Fred Jones, head of the Mississippi state penitentiary, to the mother of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, a white college student who'd just been arrested for participating in civil rights demonstrations. (Later she would also be in various sit-ins, and is apparently the woman in the middle in this famous picture.)
It turns out all angry confused monkeys sound the same:
I notice that you state that as a mother of a minor that you want to be notified in case of any emergency. What I cannot understand is why as a mother you permitted a minor white girl to gang up with a bunch of negro bucks and white hoodlums to ramble over this country with the express purpose of violating the laws of certain states and attempting to incite acts of violence.
Michael Oren couldn't have said it better himself. Hopefully the flotilla passengers being held in Israel now can get a hold of their own mugshots so they can be hung in museums later.
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at June 1, 2010 04:31 PMShe is beautiful.
New sign for my car:
Israel, you can stop a boat but you cannot stop a movement!
(via JVP)
Posted by: Susan at June 1, 2010 07:47 PMJon you are such a sucker for a pretty face!
Posted by: seth at June 1, 2010 07:54 PMFuck Israel. Fuck the Z.O.G.
Boycott. Divest. Sanction.
Enough.
Posted by: JerseyJeffersonian at June 1, 2010 07:55 PMLong, multi-post discussions about this very image and letter on http://www.theatlantic.com/ta-nehisi-coates/
Much about the men's reaction to her beauty; and a response to the whole thing from her son.
Worth the look.
And TNC's civil war blogging is stunning.
Posted by: zic at June 1, 2010 08:42 PMMEANWHILE back in Gaza; Ahmed and the Missus and the Kids are looking forward to yet another candel lit dinner of some barley and MAYBE Dad has saved up another can of those sardines somewhere.
Posted by: Mike Meyer at June 1, 2010 09:48 PMNo sardines allowed, they might be used for making missiles.
Posted by: Rob Payne at June 1, 2010 10:36 PMBeautiful on the outside and the inside, hmm, that's rare. Like Rachel Corrie, moral and physical courage. Don't get a lot of that round these parts.
Posted by: demize! at June 1, 2010 11:19 PMThat is a pretty face, and she seems like an extremely interesting and admirable woman. Here's some more about her for anyone interested.
http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/Freedom_Riders/Resources/Mulholland_Joan_Trumpower.doc
http://breachofpeace.com/blog/?p=14
Posted by: N E at June 2, 2010 12:19 AMSeems like??
Posted by: knowdoubt at June 2, 2010 07:44 AMFunny, at the same time I was reading this post, I was watching some evil prick who's sad little face seems to be coming apart at the seams from the weight of his sins, spin the flotilla incident on a morning TV talk show. This seems to be the prick of which you speak.
Posted by: RTT at June 2, 2010 07:58 AMPEOPLE Behaving Badly
We all get angry sometimes. Sometimes we use our firearms, sometimes we pour ketchup, sometimes we use language that dehumanizes our opponents.
May the Creative Forces of the Universe have mercy on our souls, if any.
Posted by: mistah charley, ph.d. at June 2, 2010 09:44 AMRTT: Funny, at the same time I was reading this post, I was watching some evil prick who's sad little face seems to be coming apart at the seams from the weight of his sins, spin the flotilla incident on a morning TV talk show. This seems to be the prick of which you speak.
Michael Oren? If so: yes, he is the worst of the worst.
Posted by: Jonathan Schwarz at June 2, 2010 09:46 AMMr Schwarz, for once I think, you have met your match!
"Mark Steel: Of course, they were asking for it"
here
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mark-steel/mark-steel-of-course-they-were-asking-for-it-1988684.htm
Posted by: Rupa Shah at June 2, 2010 10:38 AMIn case anyone missed this with Michael Oren at U of C Irvine, California.
"Muslims torpedo UC Irvine invited speaker, Israel's Ambassador Oren"
here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfLs_ptJzQA
Posted by: Rupa Shah at June 2, 2010 11:05 AMAnd here is a protest at OXFORD UNION against Danny Ayalon........
"Protest at Oxford Union Against Far-Right Israeli Politician"
here
http://vodpod.com/watch/3035315-protest-at-oxford-union-against-far-right-israeli-politician
Posted by: Rupa Shah at June 2, 2010 11:37 AMWe all get angry sometimes. Sometimes we use our firearms, sometimes we pour ketchup, sometimes we use language that dehumanizes our opponents.
I've never denied that I myself am an angry, confused monkey. I think we could all use some dehumanization as long as it's universal.
Posted by: Jonathan Schwarz at June 2, 2010 02:03 PMI would like to remind the host that among the groups of simian primates, humans are "apes" and not monkeys.
Monkeys possess one less brain cell.
Posted by: Nikolay Levin at June 2, 2010 06:22 PMI just keep coming back to this photo. The set in that jaw, the clarity of purpose in those eyes. There's someone who knows what she wants to do and isn't going to take shit off of anyone. Fabulous.
Posted by: NomadUK at June 3, 2010 08:27 AMNow you no why not to post post a picture of a good looking woman (even if its 50 years old) in the middle of a converstaion between sex deprived nerds. nothing else gets talked about all day. who is this "michael oren" persson anyway?
Posted by: blackplates at June 7, 2010 02:50 PM
