Maybe you had to be there.

“Bill Moyers’ Journal” (pbs.org) was really good this week. A spirited, muscular defense of Christianity as an anti-poverty crusade instead of a hectoring, anti-fun nanny.

***

KCRW’s “Left Right and Center” (kcrw.org) was unusually contentious this week. They spent the entire half hour talking about the economy, and as per usual, Robert Scheer and Tony Blankley went at each other hammer and tongs.

Tony argues, as conservatives usually do, that further regulation of the financial system will make things worse and will drive business overseas. I’ve heard this argument before-when regulations have been proposed for clean air, clean water, campaign finance, meat inspections, minimum wages-anything, really. Which is not to say it’s always wrong to argue this-sometimes even Tony Blankley is right-but it is to say that I’m somewhat skeptical when I hear this argument. Mostly because I always hear this argument.

Robert says that it is the rampant deregulation during the 1990s that President Clinton signed that led to derivative markets being formed on air, with no underlying asset (or at least, not one that can be reliably priced and evaluated) that can back up the transaction. It is these unregulated derivatives which went on to become self aware, form SkyNet, and try to kill us all. Wait, I think that’s Terminator. Anyway, in an announcement that should surprise exactly noone, I tend towards Scheer’s point. Sure, derivatives are a useful way of hedging against risk that businesses use to ensure against all sorts of things. But to leave them completely uncontrolled, to require no hold on reality, is a recipe for disaster. Just ask an AIG shareholder.

***

I saw someone with a Foghat shirt today. Foghat? I have some odd musical tastes, but Foghat? Seriously?

***

It is July 4, Independence Day. 233 years since a collection of rogues, smugglers, geniuses, and slaveowners agreed that it was time to declare that they were free, independent from Great Britain. As long as you were white. And male. And owned land. Rather than get all dewy about America, or angry about the contradictions inherent in slaveowners talking about freedom, I prefer to remember the gall-the pride, and fear, and confidence it took to declare that you were unilaterally dissolving your ties with the greatest military power in the world, come what may. As Franklin so wisely said, they would assuredly hang if the revolution failed-but they went ahead and did it anyway.

I hope we are living up to the example they set.

***

SON: So if July 4 is about freedom, why do you have to work?
ME: My boss also has the freedom to not pay me if I don’t show up.

***

According to Linda Cohn on Facebook, former NFL player Steve McNair was shot and killed today. Shocking.

***

Another way my wife is funnier than you-today, she and I composed the following scene while watching a 1985 White Sox being replayed on the MLB Network.

(This is funnier when read aloud.)

CARLTON FISK, White Sox catcher: I hate playing left field. I want to play catcher. When you write my name, I want you to write C, 'kay?

TONY LARUSSA, White Sox manager: You want me to write CK?

FISK: No, C!

LARUSSA: See what?

FISK: No, C!

LARUSSA: See what?

FISK: No, I want you to write, Fisk, C, 'kay? C!

LARUSSA: KC? But we play for Chicago!

(Fisk stalks away.)


(And...scene.)



Maybe you had to be there.