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WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- Monday night is the last of the Campaign 2012 debates between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. But who will show up who in the final showdown?
USA Today Politics Editor Paul Singer told us whether we can expect more fireworks or not. He also talked about the candidates' foreign policy experience and how that might shape the debate.
See the interview with Singer above.


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He's Back!
Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson was spotted on March 31, suited up and on set of his new movie Life that's being shot at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre. The film follows a photographer for Life Magazine (Pattinson) who is assigned to shoot pictures of James Dean. It's not set to hit theaters until 2015.
Splash News

subset: commoncrawl


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Seeds is an acronym that stands for Sustaining Environmental and Educational Development at Source. Our Seeds program was created to structure and define Counter Culture's monetary contributions to projects that are not coffee-quality-specific but still benefit our coffee-producing partners and their communities. To date, we have contributed a total of $24,963 to projects in 6 countries. We'd like to catch you up on the projects we have funded over the last couple of years through our Seeds program with an eye toward more regular updates of ongoing projects.
Our Eighth Project: Justa Clean Cook Stoves
COMSA Cooperative
Marcala, Honduras
COMSA Cooperative
Marcala, Honduras
This Seeds project was unique in that Counter Culture initiated it as a way to address our carbon offsets. In 2009 we set the goal to reach carbon neutrality in 5 years. This project allowed us to reach neutrality in just 2 years!
The high level of involvement and organization from both the partner non-governmental organization (NGO) and the cooperative on the ground made this an ideal project. Preliminary meetings were held with the cooperative leadership, a local development NGO, and US-based Trees, Water & People to develop the most effective plan. In two short weeks, 86 stoves were built by local specialists and cooperative members. Over the lifespan of these stoves, 645 tons of carbon dioxide will be avoided. In total, 626 family members of COMSA producers will benefit from cleaner indoor air and more disposable income, and they will use less than half of the wood required by their previous cook stoves.
We won't know the long-term results until health impact measures are taken over time. However, the initial reports sent to us from COMSA and Trees, Water & People were thorough, and we feel confident that they will continue to pursue greater metrics and inform us when they have additional details.
Today marks the last update on Seeds projects of years past. Thanks for following along for these installments. At the end of January, we will begin accepting applications for our next funding cycle of Seeds projects. As new projects are completed, we will continue to report back on impact at origin and lessons learned. Please don't hesitate to be in touch with comments, questions, or suggestions!
And, this project was featured on our website, which also links to a Trees, Water & People slide show of the project.


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|Meetings intend to help producers make better business decisions
One of five programs will be held Dec. 13 in North Platte.
Farm Credit Services of America is hosting five GrowingOn meetings in Nebraska in December. The purpose is to share information and insights to help producers plan and reduce risk in 2013.


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Spoiler alert: I cannot abide spoilers
(Page 2 of 3)
I really am not giving anything away (because the promotion reveals this), but it's about (spoiler alert if you want to remain a virgin) an affable high school chemistry teacher who becomes a methamphetamine cook to provide for his family.
I'm hooked. I know it's just a TV series, but the writing is brilliant and droll. Every character is complex and capable of the unexpected. The same could be said of "The Newsroom" or "West Wing," Aaron Sorkin's work, but those unfold in traditional settings, a network TV studio and the White House. Vince Gilligan created "Breaking Bad," and he gives us a completely original experience, unfolding in and around New Mexico.
The show is set on the border with Mexico, and that might well be the theme, of crossing boundaries and going rogue in unfamiliar territory. Given certain stressors and anxiety, what borders might any of us cross?
If your favorite film was "The Sound of Music," don't even think about "Breaking Bad." It's a kind of thinking person's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Never, ever let your kids near the show.
You must have a high tolerance for violence to watch "Breaking Bad," but most of it is served up in a campy style, with dialogue that sends home rich irony and sarcasm along with the bullet or knife — or hatchet, in some cases. Think Hannibal Lecter and his fava beans.
What the show does best is probe moral and ethical dilemmas. Can a good man do bad things if it's to help his family? Should he? Think Jean Valjean. Does being a good dad cancel out murdering bad people and chopping them up? I think I know the answer to that one.
As the series plays out, we witness the characters' turmoil over conflicting loyalties, loves and passions. You have to be able to see gray to appreciate the series on any level. And prepare to have your own moral compass go haywire. Also, you may have to close your eyes during one or two scenes.
There are several really evil, intensely crazy bad guys, but most of the characters live somewhere in between good and bad, sane and insane, criminal and law-abiding.
Along with the high-minded stuff, there are plenty of cheap thrills. But what the show does best is entertain.
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The "Service Manual" lists 265+2.5 ccs in each leg for the C5 and G5, page 02-7Bare
Thanks for the page reference, couldn't find it this morning. And that's wrong for the C5. The C5 take 195ml per leg.Scott
My bad!! That was supposed to be B5 and G5!Bare
take the fork apart and drill the top caps so you can add oil. I think the screws with o-rings that are in there would seal it just like on the G5.
I may just have to do a video one day to make this all clear.Scott
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The WalletBe Croco Leather Key Fob is a compact, durable and lightweight key ring and key chain that fits in the palm of your hand yet is still large enough to comfortably hold all of the keys that you need to carry around with you: think car keys, house keys, apartment keys, mailbox keys, and more. Our key fob matches up exceptionally well to the best designer key fobs and leather keychains in department stores.
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Latest Headlines
Cooler than average temperatures this week.
A company said it has faced challenges since seeking approval to put a care ...
The No. 24 Arkansas baseball team (21-13) raced out to an early lead Wednesday ...
Due to the threat of inclement weather, Arkansas baseball's series opener with ...
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- Did you notice any scary looking funnels coming out of the sky in Arkansas on Saturday?
If so, don't be fooled-- this weather phenomena rarely makes it to the ground and is hardly ever threatening.
The upper-level low pressure system that's been the culprit of the rainy and cold weather in early May is the cause of this spinning cloud out of the sky. The cold, windy air in lower levels of our atmosphere counteracts with cold air that is typically blowing in a different direction up in the sky. The gnashing of wind directions along with a difference in temperatures cause this spinning visible cloud that sometimes looks like a tornado.
Do not fear, these cold air funnels seldom make it to the surface. Plus if they do, cold air funnels cause minor damage.
The picture above is from @ArkansasChasers taken in Hot Springs on May 4, 2013.
If you happen to spot a cold air funnel, our weather team wants to see, too! Send pics to email@example.com


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Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad
The European Parliament has approved a proposal to require anti-lock braking systems on all new motorcycles and trikes with engines larger than 125cc beginning in 2016.
The measure—adopted on Nov. 20 by a 643-to-16 vote, with 18 abstentions, in Brussels, Belgium—still needs to be adopted by each member nation of the European Union. But it's expected to be approved.
And that means that ABS will probably be on virtually all motorcycles sold in the United States in the not-too-distant future.
The AMA doesn't oppose ABS, but has always maintained that ABS should be a rider's choice, must be affordable, and riders must be able to switch ABS on and off on dual-sport machines.
The European Parliament's vote is a concern because of something called global harmonization, which is a term for the process by which vehicles of all types—including motorcycles—are likely to be built to uniform standards worldwide, says Imre Szauter, AMA government affairs manager.
Harmonization has advantages for manufacturers, who would be able to make just one version of a bike and sell it in every market. But it also has the potential to make vehicle standards passed in other parts of the world—like the European Union—the de facto law of the land here in the United States.
In 1998, representatives to the United Nations agreed to standardize vehicle technical regulations worldwide, including those covering motorcycle brakes.
On Aug. 24, 2012, the U.S. Transportation Department issued its final rule on motorcycle brake systems safety standards, in part, "to harmonize with a global technical regulation (GTR) for motorcycle brakes.
"The GTR was developed under the United Nations 1998 Global Agreement with the U.S. as an active participant, and it was derived from various motorcycle braking regulations from around the world, including the U.S. motorcycle brake systems standard," the final rule said.
While that final rule is very technical and really doesn't impact motorcyclists, it shows how the global harmonization process works, and it shows how decisions made in Europe could impact riders in the United States.
But U.S. officials don't need to wait for a global technical standard requiring ABS systems on new bikes to mandate it. They could simply make a rule, and that's what the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety wants them to do.
The institute has said it's "seeking a federal requirement that manufacturers equip all new motorcycles with this technology" and "NHTSA [the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] has what it needs [in terms of research] to move forward with a regulation."
While NHTSA so far hasn't indicated it is moving in that direction, the European Parliament vote may cause the U.S. agency to reconsider.
Another way that mandatory ABS could find its way on bikes in the United States is if bike makers simply decide to equip all machines with ABS.
BMW Motorrad USA started making ABS standard equipment on all its bikes beginning with the 2012 model year.
"The bottom line is that we can expect a big push in future years for all new motorcycles sold in the United States to be equipped with ABS," Szauter says. "Whether that push is at the U.N. level, the U.S. government level or even the manufacturers' level, the AMA will be there making sure that the concerns of American motorcyclists are heard."


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Jonesboro, AR (Sports Network) - Trey Finn recorded 18 points as the Arkansas
State Red Wolves defeated the South Alabama Jaguars, 74-62, in Sun Belt
Conference play at the Convocation Center.
Finn was two rebounds shy of a double-double in the Red Wolves' (13-8, 7-5
SBC) victory. Rakeem Dickerson also chipped in 18 points off the bench. Ed
Townsel scored 11 points and Marcus Hooten added 10 points as Arkansas State
won a second consecutive game.
For the Jaguars (11-9, 8-4), Augustine Rubit was one board shy of a double-
double with 18 points. Javier Carter added 11 points and five boards but was
the only other player in double figures as South Alabama had a three-game
winning streak snapped.
At the break Arkansas State led 35-29 by shooting 43-.3 percent from the
field while hitting 8-of-15 shots from the free-throw line. South
In the second half the Red Wolves cooled to 28 percent shooting but managed
to hold off the Jaguars by outscoring them 22-16 from the free-throw line and
9-3 from beyond the arc.
Arkansas State was 30-of-43 from the free-throw line, while holding South
Alabama to 38 percent from the floor including 2-of-10 from long range on the
The Sports Network


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WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- On Monday Ambassador Nancy Brinker kicked off registration for Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure. She and others are calling on the DC global community to help make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.
"Where a woman lives should not determine whether she lives," said Nancy G. Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Koman for the Cure. "We can stem the tide of growing crises; we can share what we have learned; we can end breast cancer forever all around the world. We can and we will if we are all willing to join in the Race."
Last year's race was the first one with a global push. In addition to focusing on helping the National Capital Area Komen wants to expand breast cancer awareness around the world. This is important because breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer death. Breast cancer claims a new victim every 68 seconds somewhere in the world.
The race on the National Mall last year raised 4.7 million dollars for education and community outreach to be used for organizations right here in the DC Metro area and across the globe. Last year's race had 44 international teams and 21 international survivors from 18 different countries.
Now up to 25 percent of those funds raised from the race will help Komen work around the globe to share knowledge and experience, bridge cultural gaps with understanding and sensitivity, and fund education, screening and treatment programs in regions where few such programs currently exist.
Runner and walkers interested in participating in the Komen Global Race for the Cure can register at their website.


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February 24, 2014
a. Moscow Ballet Presents The Great Russian Nutcracker Promotion ("Promotion") will begin at 12:00:00 am Central Time ("CT") on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 and end at 12:00:00pm CT on Thursday November 21, 2013.
a. The Promotion is open to all legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia (except NY and FL) who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry whose primary residence is in Kentucky. Employees of WBKO (the "Station"), its parent, subsidiary, and affiliated entities, its advertising agencies, participating sponsors/promotional partners, other broadcasting stations in the Bowling Green television market, and the members of their immediate families (spouse, parents, siblings or children) or households (whether related or not) are ineligible to participate or win. This Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void outside Kentucky and where prohibited.
b. All winners shall be required to present valid government-issued photo identification to verify eligibility.
c. Entrants are required to provide truthful information and the Station will reject and delete any entry that it discovers to be false or fraudulent. The Station will disqualify any entry from individuals who do not meet the eligibility requirements, and will also delete any entry as required by law.
For purpose of this Promotion, a "Day" shall begin at 12:00:00 a.m. CT and shall end at 11:59:59 p.m. CT.
b. VIA INTERNET
Follow the links and instructions at http://www.wbko.com/contests to enter starting at 12:00:00 a.m. CT on November 19, 2013 and ending at 12:00:00 p.m. CT on November 21, 2013 and submit your first name and last name, and a valid email address in the online entry form. Internet entries will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. The authorized account holder is the natural person who is assigned to the email address by an internet access provider, online service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning the email address or the domain associated with the submitted email address. Multiple entrants are not permitted to share the same email address. Entries submitted will not be acknowledged or returned. Use of any device to automate entry is prohibited. Proof of submission of an entry shall not be deemed proof of receipt by Station. The contest/sweepstakes administrator's computer is the official time keeping device for Internet entries for the Promotion.
c. A person may enter as many times as they wish.
a. Four (4) grand prizes: Two (2) tickets for Moscow Ballet Presents The Great Russian Nutcracker, November 21th 2013 at The SKyPAC. Approximate Retail Value: $136.00. Certain restrictions may apply. The winner will be solely responsible for all taxes and all other fees and expenses not specified herein associated with the receipt and use of the Prize. The Station accepts no responsibility for repairing any real or supposed damage to any prize. The tickets will be subject to the terms and conditions set forth by the issuer of the tickets.
b. There is no substitution, transfer, or cash equivalent for prizes, except that the Station may, at its sole discretion, substitute prizes of comparable value or cash. The prizes are expressly limited to the item(s) listed above and do not include taxes, gratuities or any other expenses. Other restrictions may apply.
a. Decisions of Station management with respect to the Promotion are final.
b. Four entries from the Internet entries will be selected via random drawing on Thursday, November 21, 2013 and will be notified of winning on that same day before 1:00 p.m. CT.
c. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible Internet entries received.
d. Winner does not need to watch the Station or be present to win.
e. Winners must execute and return any required affidavit of eligibility and/or liability/publicity release within ten (10) days of notification attempt or winner will be disqualified and the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner may be chosen. If a potential winner cannot be contacted, fails to complete, sign and return the required affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period, or if a prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner will be disqualified and will forfeit the prize.
f. Prize can be picked up at WBKO, 2727 Russellville Road, Bowling Green, KY 42101 between the hours of 8am-5pm Monday through Friday. The winner will forfeit any prize or prize certificate not claimed within ten (10) days of winning. Prize or prize certificates will not be mailed to the winner without the winner's prior written consent in which the winner shall agree to assume its risk of loss. The Station, its sponsor, or promotional partner(s) are not responsible for the safe arrival of a prize or prize certificate.
a. Payments of all federal, state and local taxes are solely the responsibility of the winners. Winners will be required to complete and submit an IRS Form W-9 or the equivalent including the winner's full Social Security Number for receipt of any prize valued at $600 or more or for any prizes awarded by the Station in a calendar year with an aggregate value of $600 or more. Failure to submit a complete W-9 or equivalent will result in disqualification and forfeiture of the prize.
b. Participating in the Promotion and acceptance of prize constitutes winner's and guest's (where applicable) permission for the Station, or their agents to photograph, film and record each winner, and to use his/her name, address (city and state), likeness, photograph, voice, biographical information and/or any statements made by him/her regarding the Promotion or its sponsors for purposes of trade, publicity or promotion without additional financial or other compensation, and, where legal, to sign a publicity release confirming such consent prior to acceptance of the prize. The station and its affiliates reserve the right to use any and all information related to the Contest, including information on contestants obtained through the contest, for marketing purposes or any other purpose, unless prohibited by law.
c. Prior to awarding any prize or prize certificate, and depending on the nature of the prize and eligibility requirements of the Promotion, the Station in its sole discretion will require verification of Promotion winner's identification by a showing of valid government-issued photo identification. By participating and/or accepting a prize, entrants, winners and guests (if applicable) agree to release and hold harmless the Station, its sponsor(s) and promotional partner(s), its advertising and promotion agencies, and each of their respective parent, subsidiary and affiliated entities, and the officers, shareholders, directors, employees, agents, representatives, successors, and assigns of each of them (collectively, the "Released Parties") harmless against any and all claims or liability arising directly or indirectly from the prize or participation in the Promotion. The Station will also require eligible Promotion winners and their guests or travel companions, if any (as well as each of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), if winners, guests or travel companions are under the age of majority in their state of residence), to sign a liability release confirming such consent.
d. The Station, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person (and all of their entries) from this Promotion if he or she tampers with the entry process, the operation of the Promotion, or the operation of the Station's web channel or is otherwise in violation of the rules. The Station further reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify, cancel, terminate or suspend the Promotion, or any part of it, if it is not capable of completion as planned or if any fraud, technical failures or any factor beyond the Station's control, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention or technical failures of any sort, corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Promotion as determined by the Station in is sole discretion. Any attempt by an entrant or any person to deliberately damage any station web channel or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Promotion may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, the Station reserves the right to seek full prosecution and/or damages from any such individual to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Station's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of this provision. If due to circumstances beyond the control of the Station, any competition or prize-related event or travel is delayed, rescheduled, postponed or cancelled, the Station reserves the right, but not the obligation, to modify, terminate, suspend or cancel the Promotion and shall not be required to award a substitute prize.
e. The Released Parties are not responsible for (i) typographical or other errors in the printing, the offering or the administration of the Promotion, or in the announcement of a prize; (ii) entries not received due to difficulty accessing the internet, service outage or delays, computer difficulties, malfunctions, disconnections, other technological failures, viruses, sabotage, satellite failures, telephone service outages, delays, dropped calls, or busy signals, or any other difficulties that may prevent an individual from sending or receiving a text message; or (iii) lost, stolen, mangled, misdirected, postage due, illegible, incomplete, incorrect, or late entries. Further, the Released Parties are not responsible if any part of a Promotion prize that cannot be awarded due to acts of god, acts of war, natural disasters, weather, acts of terrorism or other factors beyond the Station's control.
f. To obtain a copy of the Official Rules or a list of winners following completion of the Promotion (please specify which), send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (VT residents may omit return postage) specifying "Official Rules" or "Winner List" to Moscow Ballet Presents The Great Russian Nutcracker Promotion, WBKO, 2727 Russellville Rd. Bowling Green, KY 42101. A copy of the Official Rules and a list of winners (when complete) are also available during regular business hours at the main studio of WBKO, 2727 Russellville Rd., Bowling Green, KY 42101. All such requests must be received within thirty (30) days following completion of the Promotion.
g. The Contest and all of the related pages, contents and code are copyright, the Station and/or its affiliates. Copying or unauthorized use of any copyrighted materials, trademarks or any other intellectual property without the express written consent of its owner is strictly prohibited.
a. By use of this web channel and by entering this Promotion, you agree to the Station's Terms of Use Agreement and to the use of your personal information as described in the Privacy Policy located at www.WBKO.com
Sponsor(s): The SKyPAC, 601 College St, Bowling Green, KY 42101


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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Contest for the Biggest Geek in the World
I just received in my aptly designated junk email-box a Call for Papers from Open Court Press for yet another "Pop Culture and Philosophy" volume. This one is devoted to Dr. Who and Philosophy. Geeks of the world, opportunity knocks!
The email contends that "This is an opportunity for you to express your philosophical musings about your favorite Time Lord and popularize philosophy at the same time." Fuck you. These books do not popularize philosophy, they provide for inept and unaccomplished persons who somehow managed to find jobs teaching in philosophy departments a vanity outlet for their shabby, illiterate, and often philosophically incompetent output. What gets popularized, if anything, is not philosophy but an image of philosophy that's already quite popular according to which philosophy is trivial bullshit. And to think that there are some institutions which recognize this kind of activity as publication! It's CV padding, nothing more.
Luckily, these books are most often not read, but simply added to the owner's collection of pop-cultural memorabilia. Nonetheless: This series need to be fucking stopped.
38 comments:
- Ben said...
I have never published in nor read such a volume, but I think if done well they could do what they claim to. Of course, the flood of such books actually on the market probably means they're just after a quick buck by cashing in on some pop culture fad.
Out of interest, what do you think of 'popular' philosophy without the tie-ins? (E.g. A C Grayling)
- July 30, 2008 at 6:36 PM
Damn, you mean actual philosophers write for those books? I always figured it was just, you know, jerk-offs. Uh, non-philosopher jerk-offs, I mean.
- July 30, 2008 at 8:05 PM
Well, uh, yeah, sure. But Doctor Who is one of the most brilliant shows ever. He fights creatures who feed on people's potential energy, after "killing" them by sending them into the past to live out their lives before they were sent back. And he sees the universe--or so he claims--as made up of temporal events that are either unchangeable or alterable. So, I mean, if any bit of pop culture goes well with philosophy, surely this must be it.
Maybe you just mean that philosophers shouldn't have anything to say about popular culture? Or, at least, that philosophers should never do anything cool with philosophy but should, instead, make sure they focus their thoughts exclusively on the Forms?
Are you convinced that the "image of philosophy" as "trivial bullshit" is somehow being spread by these books and not, say, by the Journal of Philosophy, Philosophical Studies, etc? Or even by small-minded bitching like this post?
- July 30, 2008 at 8:51 PM
- Spiros said...
No doubt there could be a well-done book of this kind. Even about Dr. Who. But the books in both the Open Court and the Blackwell series tend to be as you suspect. In addition to the general philosophical incompetence that dominates the books, they're also filled with typographical and grammatical errors, as well as overall bad writing. It's clear that copy-editing and proofreading are optional. On every level, they tend to be bad as examples of philosophy.
- July 30, 2008 at 10:28 PM
- Spiros said...
Anon @ 8:05:
It's true.
- July 30, 2008 at 10:28 PM
- Spiros said...
Anon @ 8:51:
Surely your post is in jest-- a parody. I don't know how else to explain the intricately layered elements of foolishness the post contains: the defense of the philosophical content of Dr. Who, then the invalid inference and the false dilemma, to the throw-away reference to Plato... The bit about Journal of Philosophy and Phil Studies was the real tip off. I liked the culminating insult, too.
Nice try, though!
- July 30, 2008 at 10:35 PM
- The Brooks Blog said...
You sure have made some nice friends, lately -- wow!
In any event, I know entirely why you don't like the series. The reason is simple: you privately wish to edit a David Lynch and Philosophy.
Now that I think of it, maybe I should do it... ;)
- July 31, 2008 at 6:22 AM
"And he sees the universe--or so he claims--as made up of temporal events that are either unchangeable or alterable. "
Wow! "Dr. Who Accepts the Law of Bivalence" will surely be more important and interesting than anything ever to grace the pages of J. Phil.
- July 31, 2008 at 6:37 AM
- Spiros said...
Exactly! Dr. Who truly is "one of the most brilliant shows ever."
- July 31, 2008 at 12:04 PM
- Spiros said...
Do it!
- July 31, 2008 at 12:04 PM
I read "The Simpsons and Philosophy". There was one interesting essay on a Marxist interpretation of the Simpsons, but a lot of the essays were predominantly testaments to the fact that these authors thought "The Simpsons" was a great show. Unfortunately, this sometimes amounted to quoting memorable episodes: 'Remember when Homer did X?'. And god knows what might justify this.
- July 31, 2008 at 1:24 PM
- Spiros said...
Right-- the books serve to affirm the greatness or importance of their pop-culture subjects. There's rarely any philosophy being done at all. And that's why the books are mostly just collector's items-- they sit on a shelf (probably in plastic wrap) next to still-in-the-box action figures and autographed DVDs, etc.
And you're right: the *Atkins diet and Philosophy*, which I examined pretty carefully in a bookstore one evening, is embarrassingly bad on every front.
- July 31, 2008 at 3:12 PM
- Rob Helpy-Chalk said...
There are some bright spots in the series, including essays written by actual important philosophers. Noel Carroll has an essay in *The Sopranos and Philosophy* which actually ties directly into his respected philosophical work in *The Philosophy of Mass Art* Basically, the Sopranos are a potential counter example for his theory of how we relate to characters in popular fiction.
(Also, the essays I have written for *Battlestar Galactica and Philosphy* and *Watchmen and Philosophy* are brilliant)
For nuanced criticism of the series I recommend John Shelton Lawrence in Philosophy now. I explained my problems with the series for metapyschology online.
- July 31, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Ok, same anonymous as at 8:51. And no, not writing entirely in jest, only partly. My point: if the claim is that the series overall sucks, then ok, so long as one recognizes some stuff in it isn't so bad. If the claim is that the series sucks in principle, then I just don't buy it. I think it's perfectly fine, and desirable, for philosophers to engage with popular culture. And Doctor Who is pretty much the intellectual high of popular culture, so those of you who can't see that there might be something interesting to say about it have, to be frank, your heads stuffed too far up your asses to be worth arguing with.
And I wasn't joking about J Phil or Phil Stud. Why should it look like a joke? The claim in the original post seemed to be that the writing in these books makes philosophy look like trivial bullshit. My point is that any layman (or laywoman) who picks up a typical philosophy journal is very likely to come--quite apart from any pop culture series--to the conclusion that philosophy is trivial bullshit. So if we're that worried about our public image, maybe we should try to produce some decent output that deals with pop culture (a la Zizek, perhaps?), instead of bitching about the--possibly well intentioned--people who do make the effort. If you think philosophy needs to be kept away from such filthy things as television, I'm guessing you must spend a lot of time looking at the kids today and clucking disapprovingly.
- July 31, 2008 at 7:46 PM
And imipolex: Does popular writing on philosophy need to be earth shattering for the philosophy community? Talk about false dilemmas.
Those of you who don't like the series: submit your own damn work to it and raise the quality if you can. Or sit around and whine. I guess the latter is easier.
- July 31, 2008 at 7:50 PM
Let's not just go for the easy targets-- there are plenty (PLEN-TEE!) of other sources of the philosophy-as-trivial-bullshit image, and a great number of them are publishing in much more respectable places.
That said, you just became my new favorite philosophy blog!
- July 31, 2008 at 10:51 PM
"Dr. Who" is one of those phenomena I know the name of but don't know the first thing about. But I scrolled down and saw the "Atkins Diet and Philosophy" book mentioned, and that leads me to conclude that this series is pretty useless.
Although I'm thinking now of all the South Floridians I've met who are or were on Atkins at some point, reading a book with the word "philosophy" in the title (or reading a book in general), and I'm shocked!
- August 1, 2008 at 1:15 AM
- The Brooks Blog said...
As the world knows, I couldn't resist the call to write a brief chapter on my favourite Metallica song and album *Ride the Lightning*. Last December, I joked to my father while visiting BArnes and Noble that while I had three edited books (with a fourth out the next month) and a monograph out, the one book I had a part in that would be at the bookshop would be Metallica and Philosophy. I was right.
What is shocking is how many copies they sell -- I earned $400 for about 4,000 words.
For the record, while I *should* have tried to include a David Lynch and Philosophy book into the series, I did recommend -- spiros will love this -- *Rocky Horror and Philosophy* (although I wouldn't edit it). (Admit it everyone: you love Rocky Horror.) They decided not to run with it. Why? Not popular enough. Perhaps another reason to dislike the serious......?
- August 1, 2008 at 6:32 AM
"Perhaps another reason to dislike the serious......?"
ha ha... excellent Freudian slip...
- August 1, 2008 at 11:28 AM
- Spiros said...
It's hard to know if all the ANONs are the same poster. In any case, we're losing sight of a key distinction between (1) "philosophical engagement with pop culture," (2) popularizing philosophy, and (3) popularizing philosophy by means of engaging philosophically with pop culture. Nothing in my original post pronounced on (1) or (2). Insofar as I pronounced on (3), it was within the context of commenting on a particular series of book that attempts this.
The claim, to repeat, is this: The essays contained in the books of *both* pop culture & philosophy series (Open Court and Blackwell) *tend* (n.b.) to be shoddy bullshit written (very poorly) by people who couldn't get their work past peer-review. So if these books are popularizing anything, it's poorly done philosophy.
Now, if you're inclined to think that philosophers should engage with popular culture and should popularize their discipline, I take it you should agree that these activities should be pursued in a responsible way. What should get popularized is *good* or at least *competent* philosophy. Ditto for the engagements with popular culture: they should be *philosophically* competent (at least) engagements. (I think that French's book about Westerns-- I forget the title... "Cowboy Philosophy," maybe-- is a good example of this kind of thing done well.)
As for JP and Phil Studies: the analogy is laughable because neither of these *professes* to be in the business of popularizing philosophy. Further, anyone who comes in off the street and picks up a major journal in philosophy (or in *any* established academic discipline) expecting to breeze through the articles contained there *should be* disappointed. Not all philosophy is for popular consumption, and that's a good thing, too.
- August 1, 2008 at 11:32 AM
- Spiros said...
Rocky Horror. I hate it. I went to see it once many years ago at a midnight showing in NY. As you would expect, the place was crawling with the hardest-core fans. At several times in the film, I was scolded for not "participating" properly-- viz., for laughing at the "wrong' times.
- August 1, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Hey Anonymous!
No, it doesn't have to be earth-shattering. But it does have to be at least a notch or two above the utterly trivial.
One of the items on the short list of what's allegedly so great about Dr. Who is of the form "he believes that either P or not P". (Recall: "And he sees the universe--or so he claims--as made up of temporal events that are either unchangeable or alterable. ") Which, you know, you don't need to be a Time Lord to do.
Oh, and speaking of false dilemmas, here's yours:
"Those of you who don't like the series: submit your own damn work to it and raise the quality if you can. Or sit around and whine. I guess the latter is easier."
Suppose that I've taken ten seconds out of my day to say that Fox is a shitty TV station. Would you likewise recommend that I instead spend the next year or two developing my own TV show?
Also, would you follow your own advice and not whine about the comments on this blog post and instead create your own blog?
- August 1, 2008 at 12:58 PM
- Spiros said...
Well put.
- August 1, 2008 at 1:18 PM
I think the winner of the contest is the poor s.o.b. who was on the market this year because he was fired (asked to resign, I suppose) from his tenured position at a Christian college because a chapter he wrote in a recent book in this series espoused the wrong kind of theism. As my sainted Irish grandmother would say, that is some fucked up shit.
- August 1, 2008 at 1:44 PM
- Spiros said...
Seriously? Details, please.
- August 1, 2008 at 2:37 PM
For real. I think it was a limited defense of "open theism" -- which is still frickin theism, after all. Hard to believe that a throw-away piece like that could cost you your job.
I put on Randy Newman's "God's Song" and thanked the nonexistent deity that I work in the secular sector...
- August 1, 2008 at 5:59 PM
- Spiros said...
- August 1, 2008 at 8:17 PM
- 729 said...
With all this debate over the "X and Philosophy" series, I can't help but feel that so much of this energy is wasted when books like THIS ONE exist.
(I'm hoping this html goes through, *crosses fingers*)
- August 1, 2008 at 9:09 PM
- 729 said...
As my own Irish grandmother would have said: Those are some twisted shenanigans.
Say hello to your brother for me. I hope he's happy.
- August 2, 2008 at 3:19 AM
I shall pass along your greetings. He's still not 729 times happier than the seemingly just but unjust person, but he's getting there.
Perhaps I should take a page from grammy's book and employ a shilelagh in the classroom...
- August 2, 2008 at 12:03 PM
You're right. The ability to see temporal events as either alterable or unalterable is not very impressive at all, if the sentence is taken out of context, deprived of content, and interpreted in terms of its bare logical structure. And if that's how you normally communicate, I'm sure you spend many wonderful nights conversing with your Turing machines.
As a matter of fact, I do have a blog. A quite popular one. But since the owner of this blog is posting anonymously, I am criticizing anonymously.
The dichotomy isn't so false. No, you don't need to develop your own TV show to be able to bitch about Fox. On the other hand, submitting entries to the X and Phil series is pretty easy, and someone dissatisfied with the series might well consider trying to raise the quality. After all, obviously if the submissions suck, the series will suck. That doesn't necessarily mean the series itself is a bad idea.
As for the original concern--that people, heaven forbid, might be using chapters in these books to pad their CVs--horrors! Some departments might like that because they want teachers who can talk to students about pop philosophy. Most departments, I suspect, are more likely to hold a chapter in one of these books against an applicant on the grounds that this isn't "serious philosophy."
- August 4, 2008 at 11:45 AM
I take it that the remark about my Turing machines was a sly insinuation that I am a nerd. That's mighty rich coming from someone who holds Dr. Who to be the height of popular culture (and probably eats boogers).
- August 4, 2008 at 4:46 PM
- Spiros said...
Are you *sure* you're not posting as a way to make a kind of joke?
Instead of continuing to tar the philosophical characters of the people you're responding to with the standard fare of hackneyed caricatures of a style of philosophy you happen to not appreciate, why not explain how imipolex has taken a claim in your earlier post "out of context" and deprived it of content? Your claim, you will recall, is this:
"And he sees the universe--or so he claims--as made up of temporal events that are either unchangeable or alterable."
Sounds utterly trivial to me in exactly the way imipolex says. So what has imipolex missed? What's the context that makes this non-trivial? Perhaps by "context" you mean "that which I meant to say, but didn't"??
- August 4, 2008 at 4:52 PM
@ Anon: Is your exhuberance over Dr. Who as "one of the most brilliant shows ever!" one of those parodies on a scale of Talladega Nights where Ricky Bobby champions the cinematic merits of "The Highlander" as the best movie ever?
I like budget b-movie camp and have been champion of trying to get good opo philosophy out to the general public, but even I can't get behind a Dr. Who tome. It will be a cluster fuck on a par with the "Dharma of Star Wars" which being a geek and Bhudda fan, I needed to own and read to see if it could be good.
- August 5, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Sometimes I think that a philosophy blog provides for some unaccomplished person who somehow managed to find a job teaching in philosophy departments a vanity outlet for their shabby, illiterate, and often philosophically incompetent output. Then I think to myself "Wait a second. I have no idea since I haven't read their published work." And then I remind myself that it doesn't really matter since it's so amusing and satisfying to simply viciously insult those people and their blogs.
- August 6, 2008 at 3:32 PM
As far as I can see, the following are the basic kinds of arguments in favor of these Mass Culture and Philosophy books: (1) they are good for philosophy because they either (a) improve ordinary people's understanding of academic philosophy's methods and concerns, or (b) draw people to the study of philosophy, either avocationally or professionally. (2) They are valuable themselves as works of scholarship in philosophy either because (a) the mass culture artifacts under consideration themselves contain, express, or embody non-trivial philosophical arguments that are not available elsewhere in the scholarly literature, or (b) the mass culture artifacts under consideration provide examples that enable philosophers to formulate non-trivial philosophical arguments that are not available elsewhere in the scholarly literature.
Both (1a) and (1b) are empirical arguments, and are empty unless they are substantiated by adequate empirical evidence. I doubt very much that books of this sort have either of the effects cited, but my beliefs on that score are groundless speculations and hence are worth nothing at all.
(2a) and (2b) seem like more serious contenders, and, since neither one is strictly empirical, they are more open to conceptual or quasi-conceptual investigation. (2a) either has to treat the artifacts as themselves making philosophical arguments that meet scholarly standards or as implying some such argument that a philosopher can bring out. The former seems a bit more plausible if one is talking about Proust or Wordsworth, but hardly so with Dr. Who: surely no-one thinks that the dialogue in Dr. Who or The Matrix is actually publishable in, say, The Philosophical Review. The latter it seems to me renders the artifact superfluous. Why not just go straight to making the argument rather than wasting time trying to show that it is implied by an episode of The Simpsons? A similar problem arises with (2b). It would seem philosophically unwise to restrict the examples one employs to a single source, however useful the examples it provides. But even if such a restriction were in some way philosophically desirable, it still makes the mass culture artifact purely instrumental to an independent philosophical argument, in which case again there's no reason to construct a Mass Culture and Philosophy book rather than a plain old philosophy book.
One final thing I'd like to note is that the study of mass culture in English departments—and we've been swarmed with the stuff in recent years—has not generally turned up much of interest. Either scholars attempt to apply the same interpretive procedures to Britney Spears that they were trained to apply to Wordsworth and they discover (what should never have surprised them) that there isn't really much to say; or they end up indulging in a kind of loose sociology in which Britney Spears becomes a symptom of some such numinous entity as the 'cultural totality.' All of which is just to say that, based on my acquaintance with the corresponding scholarship in my discipline, I'd encourage philosophers to shun these books, which represent not merely shoddy scholarship but the commodification of a domain of inquiry that ought not be driven by market forces.
- August 9, 2008 at 12:06 PM
- Spiros said...
English jerk:
Nicely done. I myself tend to think that the series is driven simply by the commercial aspects of the enterprise. The books themselves hardly ever get read (Cf. Frankfurt's *On Bullshit*, which I'd guess has hardly been read despite the number of copies sold); they exist simply to add to the fan's merch collection. So they sit in display cases, wrapped in plastic, waiting for (commercial) value to accrue.
Yet the entire enterprise is sold to the academics as a way to make their discipline relevant. Nonsense. The way to make philosophy relevant is to do it well.
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- August 13, 2010 at 9:46 PM