Things That Are Wrong

Okay, I promised no more political posts, but I couldn't resist.

I don't even know what to say, other than when I read the description of this, I figured it featured actors impersonating Clinton, Obama and McCain.

Nope.

May I present Wrestling style trash-talking from our candidate. Pardon me while I walk away, hanging my head in shame.

An Attempt to Get Back on Track

The Idea of Progress will be posting regularly once again. As a first effort towards this goal, may I present to you the biggest bunny ever.



You should read about this, it's pretty rad.

Okay, Seriously, Where has the Idea of Progress Been?

Working on another blog. For those of you that skip by all of the political posts here at the Idea of Progress, take comfort in that they will no longer appear here. From now on this will be all pictures of bunnies and Bono hatred and creepy Craigslist Missed Connections.



I've begun a new site called The Elitist, which will hopefully be an online magazine focusing on politics and culture. Right now it looks more like a blog, but we're working on it now to change its format.

The Elitist is also looking for contributors. If you have any interest in contributing either editorials or features, please email me about it.

And I'll be back here for your entertainment purposes soon. Please enjoy this Google ad I found in my absence:

Official Character Actor Update

Official Character Actor of the Idea of Progress Zooey Deschanel has released an album with singer M. Ward under the name She & Him. Read all about it in the New York Times.

Things That Are Wrong

When I was in high school, I occasionally worked on the school paper. I was never a staff member, more of a volunteer that occasionally wrote poor movie reviews. The adviser to the paper was Linda Kane, who was also the journalism teacher.

I won't invent stories about how my work on the paper changed my life, but it did teach me some very valuable things about writing, about composition, brevity and most importantly, editing.

Under Kane's supervision, the paper, the Central Times, gained national exposure from the New York Times for its investigative journalism, which resulted in censorship by then-principal Tom Paulson, a bill passed by lawmakers in Illinois, and a veto by Governor Jim Thompson. It was the recipient of nine National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker awards in 19 years, given annually to 20-25 of the best student papers in the country.

The Central Times recently published a series of stories about marijuana use, three pieces, which the subject was treated frankly and featured the use of swear words in direct quotation. From the Chicago Tribune:

Kane said she got e-mails from administrators expressing their disappointment with the stories shortly after the package was published. Naperville Central Principal Jim Caudill and Student Activities Director Lynne Nolan visited the newspaper staff March 3, when Caudill said the newspaper's policy on the use of profanity should be changed, Kane said.

She and Central Times' editors refused, saying they had adapted the policy, which allows profanity in a direct quote if the words "are imperative to the content or meaning of that quote," from the Student Press Law Center, an advocacy group for student press rights.

But an interview with the Daily Herald got Kane into deeper trouble. She contended in a March 7 article that Caudill and other administrators "don't know squat" about 1st Amendment law. Then, she said Caudill "is all about PR and doesn't want any bumps in the road."

Kane was asked to resign. She refused.

She was fired.

I find this troubling for many reasons. How can we expect students to read the big boy newspaper when we deny them the ability to participate in its dialogue? It is a hopelessly misguided notion to deny the student paper to write about topics that actually matter to its readers. Students smoke pot at Naperville Central. I know this for a fact. The student body is well aware of this fact.

If the appearance of an article of this nature is deemed inappropriate for students, does that mean that the New York Times or the Chicago Tribune is also inappropriate?

I added the Tribune article to Digg. Please visit and Digg it (for the non-initiates, this means to vote for the article to raise it's ranking and exposure). I also added it to Reddit, if you've got a minute.

We shouldn't reward our most talented educators with termination.

Everyone Hates Bush

I never thought that Arnold would be anything remotely like a good politician, but he constantly proves me wrong. Plus, it looks like he hates Bush as much as the rest of us, so he can't be all bad.


From meignorant.com.

Things That Sound Made Up

When I first read about this in Time, I had to scroll up and look at the date to make sure it wasn't an April Fool's joke. It just doesn't sound real. But it is.

There are apparently anti-emo riots going on in Mexico.

Yeah. Emo.

Rockabilly kids and metalheads and cholos have been ganging up to beat the crap out of sissy eyeliner wearing emo kids. Like, hundreds of people chasing down four or five sensitive teenagers. And beating them up. And recording it on their cell phone cameras.

Don't believe me? Here's another article about it from Wired. I don't know whether to be concerned that kids are getting beaten up just for their taste in music...but...

I mean...

They're emo kids.

Best of Craigslist

so you have your own massage parlor now - w4m
Reply to: pers-626610817@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-04-01, 2:02PM CDT






i'm even more intrigued.
you have ambition to match your stunning looks.
i would love a formal invitation, beyond the "birthday gift" flyer
i'll bring the wine if you provide the stimulation.


it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 626610817

Original post.

Charlton Heston is Dead

I guess we can get that gun back from him now.

Things the Idea of Progress Irrationally Hates

No.1: Opening packages from the bottom

There are tops and bottoms of things. Things on top are placed there to remain on top, while things on the bottom conversely are expected to sustain that position. While there may be certain exciting and R-rated exceptions to this rule, one instance to which it applies is the opening of bags of chips.

To wit: The Special Lady Friend of the Idea of Progress (we'll henceforth refer to her as the SLFotIoP to keep things properly confusing) opened a bag of tortilla chips. Now, the bags of these chips, like many others, are printed in such a manner as to suggest a proper place for opening them. That place? The top.

However, much to my dismay, this particular bag of chips (El Rancheros, by far the best chips you'll find outside of a good Mexican restaurant) was not opened at the top. It was opened at the bottom. Why was this a problem? asked the SLFotIoP? The only answer that tIoP could muster was that if I tried to read the label on the bag, all of the chips would fall out on the floor.

The SLFotIoP asked if I needed to read the label, since I have been purchasing the same brand of tortilla chips for at least six years. She also asked if it really, seriously bugged me.

And tIoP wept, and admitted it did.

Everyone Hates Bush

From Spiegel Online.

Anyone? Anyone?

So far, no one seemed to have watched my Hillary in the House video. Perhaps it's too clean cut. How about something a little less, to titillate the kiddies?

These are outtakes, kinda sorta, from the eCousinality commercial I shot. I wouldn't say it's NSFW, but you might want to turn the volume down a little lower.