Bob CollinsCelebrating death, dementia and the tubby person, can we call them the ‘Stinkies’, the top and bottom Minnesota companies, and duck cam returns.
1) THE MINNESOTA SEARCH FOR DEEPER MEANING
Too much analysis or legitimate point? University of Minnesota political blogger Eric Ostermeier at the blog, Smart Politics, has issues with how long it took Rep. Keith Ellison — one of two Muslims in Congress — to acknowledge the killing of Osama Bin Laden:
It was not until late Monday afternoon that Congressman Ellison issued his statement to his Facebook page.
As of early Monday evening, Rep. Ellison had not yet made his views on the killing known to his more than 14,600 followers on Twitter.
Ellison’s relative Twitter silence on the killing of bin Laden is noteworthy insomuch as the congressman had tweeted 14 times over the weekend including six times on Sunday.
However, Ellison has tweeted only once since the President’s Address to the Nation Sunday evening – a short description that does not advocate for the killing itself, but is instead a summary of bin Laden’s crimes.
Well, clearly Ellison is pleased with the fact the U.S. finally caught bin Laden, but does one have to actually celebrate a death? Ostermeier draws the link between Ellison’s religion and his reaction merely by calling attention to both, but Christians and Jews have debated this question, too, in the last 36 hours.
Emily Soloff, associate director for interreligious and intergroup relations for the American Jewish Committee, writes in the Chicago Tribune…
Two examples in Jewish tradition relate to the Biblical Exodus story and the recent Passover celebration. At the Seder, as we remind ourselves of the 10 plagues that God brought on the Egyptians, we reduce the amount of wine in our glasses. We acknowledge that while we may be pleased that those who have hurt us also suffer, our behavior, our response should be temperate. The second example of this tension is a story from the Talmud which describes God chastising the children of Israel on the bank of the Red Sea for exulting when the Egyptians who were chasing after them are drowned. The Talmud describes God demanding, “How can you sing when my children are drowning?” All humans are God’s creation.
This is not to say that we should hide our revulsion of the evil that bin Laden personally wreaked on the world and that he inspired in others.
Rather, this is a time to reflect and remember those who suffered because of bin Laden and to pray that many others don’t come to take his place.
And NPR’s Linton Weeks points out:
The Roman Catholic Church responded to the news of bin Laden’s death with this statement: “Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of everyone before God and man, and hopes and pledges that every event is not an opportunity for a further growth of hatred, but of peace.”
What’s wrong with just leaving it at that?
A story — somewhere — yesterday suggested that it was young people who are more inclined to celebrate Bin Laden’s death, because they’ve never known a world without him in it. But that doesn’t square with what MPR’s Tim Post found yesterday when he visited a classroom and found the students don’t feel any safer than they did on Saturday.
Bill Childs, living in Northampton, Mass. — but he’s a Minnesotan — sends word today that at the University of Massachusetts on Sunday night, the police chief reports two chants were predominant during the celebration: “USA, USA” and “Yankees suck.”
Michael Tuohey, of Scarborough, Maine, has more reasons than most people to celebrate. He’s been haunted by 9/11 for 10 years. He was the ticket agent who checked in two of the hijackers that day (good background story here).
You may not be hearing much anymore about FoxNews’ famous and persistent mistakes in which Obama gets substituted for Osama. Not after a lot of other media types made the same mistake yesterday.
Last night, the NHL playoff game in Philadelphia had a “patriotic moment” before the start of the game, although the overriding takeaway is this: Philadelphia fans don’t know the words to “God Bless America.”
Who gets the $27 million reward that was offered for Bin Laden? Probably nobody.
A Washington state man has shaved the beard he vowed not to shave until Osama bin Laden was caught or killed.
Meanwhile, there’s still a war on…
This might make you skip the coffee cake. Middle-aged people who are overweight but not obese, are 71 percent more likely to develop dementia than those with a normal weight, according to research cited by the BBC today.
Those with a body mass index (BMI) – which measures weight relative to height – greater than 30, who are classified as obese, were 288% more likely to develop dementia than those with a BMI between 20 and 25, according to the study.
The clinically overweight, who have a BMI between 25 and 30, were 71% more likely.
Here. Let me make it easy for you. Here’s the BMI calculator.
At the same time, another study — this one from the Mayo Clinic — finds that patients with both coronary artery disease and “central obesity” — a weight measurement that focuses on stomach fat — had up to twice the risk of dying as heart disease patients with more petite paunches, the Pioneer Press says.
3) CAN WE CALL THEM STINKIES?
Craig Finn of the band, The Hold Steady, showed up at a club in Brooklyn over the weekend to perform his fight song, “Don’t Call Them Twinkies,” Yahoo Sports reports. It’s a terrible time to be talking up the Twins, but maybe Finn just could get anything to rhyme properly with “It only took us a month to drop 10 games behind the Cleveland Indians”
The Current is providing the debut of a new Finn song, “Not Much Left,” which, one supposes, could also be about the Twins. But it’s not.
4) THE TOP AND BOTTOM
Harris interactive says two Minnesota-based companies — 3M and General Mills — are among the most reputable companies in the U.S.
5) A DUCK SHALL LEAD THEM
We’re done with you, eagles in Iowa. We’ve moved on to St. Michael, Minnesota where a mallard is about to hatch another crop of chicks.
The camera was set up on the grounds of Big Woods Elementary School. It’s the third year the duck has nested at the school. And why not? She’s the big duck on campus and when the ducklings are ready for water, they get a parade — sort of — through the school to a nearby pond.
Bonus: I drive a Chevy Cavalier that gets 33 miles per gallon. But it was still a shock to drop $50 worth of gas into it yesterday. How’s your fill-up going? Old friend Ken Paulman points to an article today where Chevy Volt owners are crowing about going 1,000 miles between fill-ups. Impressive, sure, but what’s the cost of plugging into the electricity that the Volt needs? And is a $41,000 sticker price the basis for any economic argument for the car? Discuss.
TODAY’S QUESTION
Some readers and listeners have told us they wish U.S. forces had been able to capture Osama bin Laden so he could have faced trial. Today’s Question: Would you have preferred that Osama bin Laden had been brought to trial?
WHAT WE’RE DOING
Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: What follows Osama bin Laden?
Second hour:The problem of school violence.
Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – First hour: Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Second hour: A Commonwealth Club speech by Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America.
Talk of the Nation (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: TBA
Second hour: The secrets of psychiatry.
