Reason Morning Links

- The answer to the GOP's woes is . . . Gary Sinise?

- Travel company Orbitz launches national campaign to open Cuba to U.S. tourists.

- Plugging the holes in forensic science.

- Social Security and Medicare may fail faster, sooner than originally thought.

- Iran releases jailed journalist.

- Federal deficit expected to top $1.8 trillion this year, four times last year's record.

- Student claims he was suspended from medical school because professor, students took offense at him referring to himself as a "white African-American." He's white, originally from Mozambique, and later became a U.S. citizen.

Comments

[Kyle Jordan]

"Student Claims he was suspended from medical school because professor, students took offense at him referring to himself as a "white African-American." He's white, originally from Mozambique, and later became a U.S. citizen."

He needs to sue or something to that affect for racism.

[domoarrigato]

Cuba Libre!

[bigbigslacker]

He's white, originally from Mozambique, and later became a U.S. citizen.

This again? The birth certificate proved he was born in Hawaii. Your side lost. Get over it.

[SugarFree]

Travel company Orbitz launches national campaign to open Cuba to U.S. tourists.

Finally! It was getting really hard to catch AIDS from good old American working girls.

[FrBunny]

"[Generals David Petraeus and Ray Odierno] have denied any interest in a run for office," she wrote, "but if their masterful management of Iraq is undermined in any way over the next four years, one could hope that they'd reconsider."

This nugget demands a comment, but I'm at a loss. As for Sinise, do any Republicans still really think their problem is image?

[ed]

The answer to the GOP's woes is . . . Gary Sinise?

When did national politics finally merge with the entertainment industry? Was it the Clinton Administration? The quality of the conversation has decayed ever since, aided by cable news and, sadly, the internet. As a nation we've never been more politically ignorant. So much for evolution.

[SugarFree]

FrBunny,

This nugget demands a comment, but I'm at a loss.

It's an intrusion into our universe by an alternate reality. The multiverse is collapsing and our pasts, and the pasts of all the alternate universes, will merge together and rectify all paradoxes. Her arrival from a universe where everything about the Iraq War is nearly the complete opposite of ours means that the end is very near.

Flee to your loved ones and hug them one last time!

[Abdul]

The answer to the GOP's woes is . . . Gary Sinise?

This'll never work. Gary sinise is a decent actor, therefore a lousy president. Schwarzenegger was a lousy actor and became a lousy govenor.

The key is to get a mediocre actor, like Reagan.

[Mad Max]

'He needs to sue or something to that affect for racism.'

From the article:

'A former student claims in a lawsuit that the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey discriminated against him for the way he described his background in classroom discussions on cultural diversity.

'Paulo Serodio said that in 2006, he told a professor and classmates that he was ``white, African, American,'' which he says accurately reflects the fact that he was born in Mozambique but later became a U.S. citizen.

'He said some classmates and staff members at New Jersey Medical School found it offensive that a Caucasian man would call himself ``African-American'' and that the fallout led to harassment and eventually his suspension from the school.

'Serodio, who lives in Newark, said some school employees and students told him not to describe himself as ``African-American.'' In the aftermath of his comments, Serodio said, flyers were hung around the school mocking him, he was assaulted and his car was vandalized.'

[FrBunny]

SF,

That's what I was afraid of. I suppose now that Celebrity Apprentice is over, we can all at least welcome Ragnarok with serenity.* Can you imagine if the world ended before we knew who won?!?

[prays to the subtext gods that sarcasm successfully crosses the intertubz]

[SugarFree]

That's what I was afraid of.

Well, I guess I could be wrong and she's drank so much of the Kool-Aid that she's slipping into a diabetic coma. Or maybe she said "masterful management" on Opposite Day. Or maybe she's delirious from a dose of the hamthrax.

[FrBunny]

Maybe she's from a future where Nero didn't watch his planet get destroyed by red matter. Now that I've seen it, I'm headed over to the Trek thread for Pro Lib's inevitable disgust.

[Pro Libertate]

My disgust is portable--no need to phase modulate the interthread continuum.

[High Every Body]

Iran releases jailed journalist.

So hunger strikes work! She was the one people were hunger striking a day at a time for, right?

[High Every Body]

hamthrax

LOL!

[Kyle Jordan]

"'Serodio, who lives in Newark, said some school employees and students told him not to describe himself as ``African-American.'' In the aftermath of his comments, Serodio said, flyers were hung around the school mocking him, he was assaulted and his car was vandalized.'"

You know, I try to be a nice person, but occasionally, I find myself hoping that a large group of idiots tease the wrong person and he snaps killing most or all of them very brutally. This is one of those cases.

[phalkor]

I don't get it. It's offensive if I paint myself black. It's also offensive if I forgo the paint and just call myself an African-American? Regardless of my origin I should be able to call myself a little Chinese girl if I want to and people shouldn't do anything but think I'm a little (a lot) weird. People are fucking stupid.

I am a little Chinese girl.

[JP]

The next time some blonde paleface like Giada DeLaurentis claims she's "Italian-American," I'm gonna kick her ass.

[Mo]

ed,

I think Ronald Reagan started it, Jim Bunning* made it worse and Fred Thompson was the last nail in the coffin.

* Not an actor, but a pro athlete, which is arguably worse.

[High Every Body]

Schwarzenegger was a lousy actor and became a lousy govenor.

Abdul,

You would not know fine acting if it were releasing your ankle and dropping you off a cliff.

[High Every Body]

I am a little Chinese girl.

"I want to be called Loretta and I want to have babies."

[robc]

Blaming Bunning for something Bradley started?

Now who has partisan blinders?

[Abdul]

You would not know fine acting if it were releasing your ankle and dropping you off a cliff.

Maybe Arnold's re-election slogan can be: "Vote for me if you want to live."

[robc]

Blaming Bunning for something Bradley started?

"Started" may be questionable for Bradley. Too be fair, we should possibly blame Whizzer White or maybe even Billy Sunday.

[FrBunny]

Sorry, but 200+ Trek comments and no one had anything to say about the odd Tyler Perry's Madea in Space phenomenon?

I say again: Tyler Perry.

[Nick]

Star Trek was awesome.

(grabs popcorn, munches, awaits Pro Lib's head explosion)

[R C Dean]

Serodio, who lives in Newark, said some school employees and students told him not to describe himself as ``African-American.'' In the aftermath of his comments, Serodio said, flyers were hung around the school mocking him, he was assaulted and his car was vandalized.

If this isn't a hate crime, I don't know what is.

[shecky]

Calling himself "African American" may have been offensive to the folks at his school. But I have a feeling Serodio is only giving part of the story. Med schools are loathe to do things like draw negative attention to themselves, especially when it reflects on their selectivity of students. Some med schools, you practically have to kill someone on purpose to get disciplined. And even then, they'll keep your name on the student list because they hate to pad their dropout rate.

[grimaldius mensch]

Silly RC, you can't commit a hate crime against a heterosexual white male

[High Every Body]

"Vote for me if you want to live."

Betcha he'll be back too.

[High Every Body]

Didn't someone around here call themself an "Asian Immigrant" because they were part Injun?

[Affirmative Justice]

"When did national politics finally merge with the entertainment industry? Was it the Clinton Administration?"

No, the Kennedy Administration via Peter Lawford and the Rat Pack.

[MNG]

"Silly RC, you can't commit a hate crime against a heterosexual white male"

I know you're just joking, but you sure can be the victim of a hate crime if you are white (or male or hetero). Check it out.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2007/table_01.htm

One of the little known factoids about hate crimes arrests is that a disporportionate % of them are of blacks!
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2007/table_03.htm

If this guy was treated this way there should be more than a lawsuit, there should be arrests.

[MNG]

High Every Body,
Are you still gay or just "bi-curious?"

[John Wilkes Booth]

When did national politics finally merge with the entertainment industry

Uh, hello!

[Pro Libertate]

As famed as my outrage is from the moons of Nibia to the Antares Maelstrom and Perdition's flames, I actually said that I would watch the movie if it were great and glorious.

However, it sounds merely decent, not spectacular. I don't oppose all reboots, but I draw the line at this one. I was a wee lad when I got addicted to TOS, after all.

To me, this is like a two-hour long view of Han Solo shooting second.

[Art-P.O.G.]

This guy was going around calling himself a nigger? I'm sorry, you all that's offensive...

Oh, he called himself "African-American" and people were offended? :0

[Art-P.O.G.]

This again? The birth certificate proved he was born in Hawaii. Your side lost. Get over it.

Two thumbs up.

[Pro Libertate]

I find the whole "African American" label needlessly divisive and, frankly, demeaning to blacks. Many of them are descended from people who've been here for centuries. Most of my family has been around since the colonial days, and no one refers to us as Scottish-American, English-American, or German-American. We're just American. Why shouldn't blacks be accorded the same honor?

It seems to me that the descriptive and baggage-free term "black" is less prejudicial and more rational than finding something that creates an artificial distinction.

[Art-P.O.G.]

It seems to me that the descriptive and baggage-free term "black" is less prejudicial and more rational than finding something that creates an artificial distinction.

I actually typically call myself black not because I think anything's wrong with the term "African-American" but because it seems needlessly formal. I also sometimes use the word "negroe" spelled like that...'cos I love anachronisms. But there's one word by which I will never refer to myself or another black person. Can you guess it?

[Affirmative Justice]

"Why shouldn't blacks be accorded the same honor?"

Because of the centuries of abuse and exploitation African Americans endured at the hands of the white devil. African-American is a perpetual reminder of this opression, which continues today.

[Affirmative Justice]

"But there's one word by which I will never refer to myself or another black person. Can you guess it?"

Graduate?

[joe]

"It seems to me that the descriptive and baggage-free term "black" is less prejudicial and more rational than finding something that creates an artificial distinction."

..but it's not very accurate, colored people are not "black"... I think "darkies" or "brownies" or "chocolate" is more descriptive... surely noone would be offended...

[FrBunny]

But there's one word by which I will never refer to myself or another black person. Can you guess it?

White?

[robc]

Can you guess it?

tarbaby?

[joe]

"coffe" or "latte" works for brazilians...

[robc]

joe,

Either "welcome back" or "pick a new name (like capitalizing the J".

Since you dont have a link to your email addy, Im assuming you are a new joe. Unfortunately for your choice, lower case joe is a notorious poster who you may or may not want to be confused with.

[Pro Libertate]

"Black" is no more inaccurate than "white."

Art-P.O.G.,

Anachronisms are cool. Africani is the Roman term, isn't it? Though I suppose that referred to North Africa and not to the sub-Saharan region.

[Episiarch]

rob, he's here to cleanse the brand.

But there's one word by which I will never refer to myself or another black person. Can you guess it?

Preside...oh, shit.

[T]

Anachronisms are cool. Africani is the Roman term, isn't it? Though I suppose that referred to North Africa and not to the sub-Saharan region.

Screw that. Persons of the ethnic subgroup should go all po-mo and make up a new word to describe themselves and insist everybody use it. I mean, they invented a holiday that way, right? I personally think it's even better if they use a weird, unpronounceable symbol like Prince did.

[P Brooks]

Several years ago, I was having lunch at a restaurant in Indianapolis. There were two black couples at a table nearby; they appeared to be reasonably successful, upper middle class people (dressed better than I was). I would overhear snippets of their conversation from time to time.

Out of nowhere, I heard one of the men say,"African American? I don't know anything about Africa. I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. I'm an American."

I laughed out loud. I looked over at them and shrugged, and said I couldn't help hearing that. They all laughed, too.

[joe]

How do you know that I'm not joe?

[Kreel Sarloo]

My impression is that "African American" is the preferred term of guilt-ridden white liberals.

[Nick]

Well, "joe," this would be the appropriate thread for your triumphant return. Episiarch is here and the dominant subject is right. Now let's see that wonderful email address of yours and let the cleansing begin.

[Mad Max]

'How do you know that I'm not joe?'

Only one way to test it. Cover me, people.

Hey, joe, what do you think about the liberal media being the tank for that socialist Obama and his big-government bailout?

[Mad Max]

in the tank.

Plus, don't you agree that Ayn Rand rules? She's so dreamy.

[Nick]

To me, this is like a two-hour long view of Han Solo shooting second.

You couldn't be more wrong. This is not at all, PC'd to death. There's a special level of Hell for Lucas and Spielberg after their "corrections."

I look don't see Star Trek as a reboot at all, not even a prequel. It's a sequel. Trust me.

[Mad Max]

And I'm sure joe would agree that George W. Bush was a fine, upstanding Christian gentlemen and one of our best Presidents ever. He needs to be on Mount Rushmore.

[hmm]

You have to wonder if or when there is going to be a backlash due to the racially based policies and cultures of people around the world. Sooner or later whitey or non-muslimy or whoever is getting tired of having to walk on eggshells is going to get tired of it.

I'm back in school, not a traditional student since I'm old and an email with this title was sent to me by the placement office of a state college.

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Summer Internship Program/African American students

The job is paid and can lead to a full time position. I'm a little pissed and currently working my way up the ladder of incompetence. I have yet to forward the email to anyone that didn't respond with amazement that such an email would go out.

[Mad Max]

And Ann Coulter - I don't know what I like best about her, her stunning physical beauty or her impeccable accuracy.

[Mad Max]

And don't you hate the way Obama is monkeying around with the economy?

[hmm]

I should mention the response I got to the first round of questioning emails started off with this.

Unfortunately [sic]don't have a way of knowing which students are African American so I sent it to everyone in my contact list...

So if race could be delineated the person wouldn't have sent the email to me. Oh and we are assuming you are not African American. It's been a week and I'm still livid over this.

[Nick]

And don't you hate the way Obama is monkeying around with the economy?

That should do it.

[Nick]

Fight it, hmm, if that is your real name. You gotta fight it. Demand an answer as to why you would be excluded from such a position based on your race.

[joe]

Nice try.

[VM]

High Every Body | May 12, 2009, 9:34am | #
"I want to be called Loretta and I want to have babies."

you CANT' have babies