The Beckyan Deli

The Beckyan Deli

  • Running to the center is not leadership

    Gail Collins is correct when she notes You liked Barack because you thought he could get us past the old brain-dead politics, right? But those of us disappointed about the FISA vote aren’t disappointed because we don’t understand what a compromise is. I’m disappointed because Obama wasn’t only talking about bipartisanship and building a consensus…

  • No news, so here is some bad press!

    The Santa Barbara Independent has had excellent coverage of the Gap Fire, but I decided to look for more information elsewhere. A lot of shit went down with the Santa Barbara News-Press before we moved to town, but I thought I should given them one chance. Although the News-Press has an extensive online section for…

  • Happy Fourth of July Three-Day Weekend

    Between Guantanamo and FISA, I’m not feeling particularly patriotic this year — when everyone else is singing along to that hideous Greenwood song, I’m thinking of e.e. cumming’s “next to god of course america . . . “. However, I do like this country, quite a bit, so I will polish off the holiday weekend…

  • Now batting for Pedro Borbon…Manny Mota! (mota! mota!)

    I’ll admit it, I’ve been spending way too much time paying attention to the crazy political goings-on this season. Even after the endless Bataan Death March Obama-Clinton showdown, I’ve continued to pay attention. But the relentless echo-chamber, especially on the right, but also on the left, is completely out of control, and blogs have made…

  • Smoke before fire, but both before information

    We were visiting family this weekend, and spent a fair amount of time assuring them that we weren’t affected by any of the California wildfires, as they were hundreds of miles north of us. And then last night, a fire broke out maybe ten miles from where we live. The Santa Barbara Independent — a…

  • He had me until the word “not”

    If you were under the age of 35 ( . . . which most of you are), and were reading the paper with your breakfast, would you continue with an article that started like this: I do not unconditionally celebrate the Internet, particularly its intrusion into classical music. As replacements for the record store, Amazon…

  • Easy Check In! Just Click Right Here, Please

    Easy Check In! Just Click Right Here, PleaseOriginally uploaded by R Stanek We’re leaving for Pittsburgh tomorrow (family wedding! woo! seriously!), and I wasn’t paying attention as I was checking in. You know how it is, you have to go page by page re-confirming your seat, etc. Well, United knows how it is, too. And…

  • Second place is the first loser

    It’s been a tough two months of sports for us here. In April, Michigan lost in overtime to Notre Dame in the Frozen Four, ending a wonderful, unexpected rush of a season. A few weeks ago, the Penguins lost to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals, four games to two, after an impressive…

  • Playing around with time

    I feel like time-lapse videos are everywhere lately, and “Players” is my new favorite:Players from Sam Javanrouh on Vimeo. Sam Javanrouh is the photographer behind the excellent [daily dose of imagery] photoblog, which is wonderfully moody and urban. Now if I could just find a good time-lapse video of density waves in traffic jams, I’d…

  • But that just raises more rumors!

    While I’m glad that the Obama campaign is ready to combat the crazy rumors about Obama and his family, I’m disappointed that the campaign was pressured into releasing Obama’s birth certificate. (Not that anything will ever be enough for some people.) And no matter how much people insist that they just want to know if…

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