Propeller Week In Review: May 2, 2008 — May 2nd 2008

By James Marcus

DO THE WRIGHT THING

Jeremiah Wright's return to the spotlight stirred up some lively and indignant commentary from the Propeller crew. "Bottom Line: Obama Cuts Ties With Rev. Wright," for example, bagged 187 votes and 499 comments. MajJohn rapped the reverend on the knuckles for his attention-getting media tour: "As far as I can tell, Rev Wright is an egomaniac who has been trying to steal the limelight once Obama began his candidacy." But GHOSTWHOWALKS was more critical of the candidate himself: "Too little and way too late. Smacks of expediency instead of outrage. Should have done that twenty years ago." SAAB7699 was even more suspicious of Obama's actions: "Wise move. Next he can cut ties with his wife Michelle." But the senator from Illinois had more than his share of defenders, too. Said Blackacereturn: "I think we are all sweating the small stuff and neglecting the big picture. Obama is not a racist, not by a long shot, and even his detractors... know deep down that he is none of these things they accuse him [of]." A similarly supportive statement came from ETproductions: "Wise move. What else could he do? In the last few days, Wright has proved he is a self-absorbed prophet of division. He has staked out a position that is the exact opposite of everything Obama is trying to stand for." Meanwhile, a host of other Wright-related stories vaulted into our Top Twenty. There was "Obama outraged by Wright's comments," with 117 votes and 391 comments, and "Bill Moyers Interview With Rev. Jeremiah Wright," with 110 votes and 342 comments, including the following exchange about Wright's pulpit performance. Said tanglang: "How much better would his parishioners be if he preached love, instead of hate?" Responded M2007: "The context of his sermon demanded that he call for God's judgment, not his blessings." Ready for more? Take a look at "Rev. Wright Speaks At NAACP Dinner," with 113 votes and 323 comments, as well as "Wright says criticism is attack on black church," with 104 votes and 209 comments. The latter story elicited this novel statement from DeadXXXManXXXTalkin, which Obama fans and foes can interpret as they like : "I prefer people who are bad at lying to their more accomplished brethren."

UNCONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

"Albert Hofmann, Inventor of LSD, Dies at 102" rang up 148 votes and 86 comments. There was, for starters, a debate about the most conspicuous consumers of Dr. Hoffmann's marvelous invention. According to mntnman444, it wasn't just longhairs who messed around with it: "So did Cary Grant... as well as Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Doc Ellis, who pitched a no-hitter in the World Series while under the influence of LSD." But Will1313 was happy to add his personal testimony: "I once caught a 9-foot shark while tripping. I know I did because I still have his jaws hanging in my family room and pictures." (DropkickaLib: "Are you sure it was a shark?") Chuck the Canuck also offered his endorsement: "Acid was legal in Canada until 1967. It was a relatively safe drug as long as you weren't carrying around too much mental baggage." Meanwhile, Mutainia expressed a few reservations about the drug (whose inventor, it should be noted, discouraged all recreational use): "It seems that some people can take LSD and have no problem with it. Others take it, and they end up thinking the CIA is up in the cramped attic spying on them." And 1-2-Oscar was firmly in the anti-acid camp, citing a history of its ill effects: "The book, The Day of St Anthony's Fire, details hundreds of deaths caused by the ingestion of LSD over many centuries. The chemical occurs in Nature--it is a product of a particular strain of ergot which is found in rye and other small grains." I suppose we can leave the last word to bill smith: "Sweet dreams, Albert." (PS: For complicated reasons, we were unable to procure a photo of the late Dr. Hofmann. Instead we offer the image above, which is probably not unlike what Will1313 saw while he reeled in that 9-footer.)

THE LONG WAR

Although it has slipped beneath the radar at many U.S. media outlets, the war in Iraq continues to inspire some vehement debate here at Propeller. "4 U.S. Soldiers Killed; Militants Shell Green Zone" generated 139 votes and 92 comments. At first the thread focused on the efforts by the current Iraqi government to keep American forces in the country. Said quackpot: "If somebody was handing you billions of dollars a month, would you be anxious for them to leave? The Iraqi leaders need to be weaned from the U.S.-provided gravy train." But saintetienne defended the expenditure: "If we can afford to blow trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars on social programs, welfare payouts and the 'war on poverty,' we can afford another few hundred billion dollars to protect our Mideast oil and business interests, maintain a degree of stability in an otherwise nasty, hostile region, and babysit rogue leaders." And speaking of ROI, there was also "Investigators: Millions in Iraq contracts never finished," with 138 votes and 36 comments. Said unome2: "War profiteering. We have squandered eight years chasing our own tails." But engineer may have put it most succinctly: "Is anybody surprised?"

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

While Barack Obama struggles with his political baggage, John McCain is surely doing a private jig. Or sometimes not so private--witness "McCain: Obama's Relations with Wright Beyond Belief," with 172 votes and 771 comments (the thread was the week's longest). SpareChange was unwilling to grant the Republican candidate much in the way of moral high ground: "McCain changes his religious affiliation depending on the audience he's talking to, Baptist today, Episcopalian the next. Such a flip floppy panderer! Then he seeks out endorsements of end-of-days psychopaths and meth heads like Hagee and Haggard." V.O.R. seemed particularly alarmed by Hagee's apocalyptic fantasies: "People like Hagee are far more dangerous than Wright. Anyone attempting to bring about the hallucinations of John of Patmos should be isolated on an island just like their hero. At least he's got to breed that pure red heifer first." But TonyByron still felt that Obama was on very squishy ground: "One can certainly come to the conclusion that by frequenting a hate-preacher's church for 20 years one is in agreement with that hate-preacher." And so, obviously, did KvilleTX: "Obama, you may want to distance yourself from this anti-American idiot and might I suggest very very quickly!" Elsewhere, the community sounded off on stories about insomnia, Fox News, and our impending rebate checks. (Said fishifanb: "I'm gonna spend mine in Tiajuana.") And finally, there was this video. I couldn't bring myself to click on it for a while, because I thought it was that terrible James Blunt song--but how wrong I was! In fact, this Claymation masterpiece prompted an emotion-drenched exchange between two Propeller stalwarts. Said ind06 (who posted it): "It's not easy being blue." Responded ranchhand: "Oh indi my emotions are all over the place. Boo hoo that was beautiful." Stop, guys, I'm welling up again.

Tags: week-in-review, wir

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