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Comments Posted By Chernynkaya

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PlanetPOV’s Top Posts of 2009 – The Winners!

That, and next time, I’m voting for myself and enlisting my family! 😉

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 4:07 pm

Good. Stay in the house and write more! I loved that Rashamon piece (voted for it in fact.) Same for the greyhound one!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 12:01 pm

Congratulations to all the great writers on PlanetPOV!! And as they ALWAYS say at the Oscars: It was an honor just to be nominated.(Sure.) 😉

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 11:43 am

Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Cigar: Sparkman Committed Suicide

Not kind, my friend.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 11:38 pm

Keven, thank you so much for hearing me out. Honestly, I value you and what you contribute!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 11:13 pm

Yeah– That’s a biggie. It wasn’t the case tonight– as you probably know– but it happens a lot in “real life.”

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 10:48 pm

I think you’ve missed the point Kevin. And I’ve been giving it much thought. It is not about your logic and your sources or your reasoning. I am afraid I have to be blunt: It’s your attitude, which comes across IN PRINT as snarky and scoffing. You are coming across as hostile.

I understand your frustration with those who dismiss facts and sources and refuse to accept them. I too have felt that way on HP when someone insists on some birther shit or something. Show them all the docs we want and they are still insistent Obama is a Kenyan.

When you replied to my initial reply, you didn’t even bother to comment on the bulk of my assertions, but on my ill-chosen distinction between conspiracy and cover-up. I admit I had not WaPo or FBI report, but I at least tried to explain why I thought it was PLAUSIBLE that he was murdered. You didn’t even acknowledge that, even to disagree. I do not think you want to debate; I think you want to win. I offer this in the truest spirit of PlanetPOV– you can not win by calling others a “woo woo.”

As I said, I do get your frustration, but you need to polish your skills of discussion, because you have a lot to offer here, and yet you really do seem combative– not into open discussion, but into winning.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 10:29 pm

Keven you are taking this thing to a level which I feel is a little bit too far. Not to me particularly, but to the other responses I’ve read. You seem to be itching for an argument. Ok, it’s a conspiracy. I said it. We disagree. You made a fine case, and I respect your position, backed up by the Wapo and NYT articles. I made my case– as I see it– and that’s about it. We disagree and that’s fine.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 5:14 pm

Thanks, AdLib– and I completely overlooked an obvious point you make about scaring other census workers!

But as to the method Sparkman used, I have to admit that Keven makes a good point– that he was trying to hide his suicide for insurance reasons. Still, why not crash his car or something less exotic than hanging himself in such a manner?

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 4:03 pm

Keven, here’s a reason I believe it MIGHT have been a cover-up– but less than a conspiracy. This year:

March– An Alabama man goes on a spree and murders 10 people

April–Rep. Virginia Fox makes a speech claiming the hate murder of Matthew Shepard is a hoax.

May– Dr. George Tiller murdered

June–Holocaust Museum guard murdered

July– Michelle Bachman claims the census will lead to Japanese-style internment camps

August– Soldini kills 4 in Pittsburgh, claims fear of black president and liberal media

SEPTEMBER–SPARKMAN IS FOUND HANGED

September– Facebook has a poll on “Should Obama be killed?”

November– Sparkman death ruled suicide.

I think it is plausible that someone in power– FBI, Homeland Security, even the White House– saw this as an incendiary act coming on the tail of an unprecedented election. Several high-profile murders had taken place only two months after the election of the first black president. The country was on the verge of a Depression. The right-wing was/is fomenting hate. We saw a summer of Hitler signs. We saw whites wailing at town halls that they “want their country back!”

I do not think it is inconceivable that someone decided the murder of a census worker could be the tipping point to send the country into a frenzy of hatred and even more division.

All that said, I appreciate the fact that you make a very good case that it was suicide. I am still on the fence.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 12, 2010 @ 3:26 pm

Words that make you cringe

Kalima, I just looked at our profiles and therefore only just now read yours. It was amazingly beautiful and poignant. Poetry. And with that, I bid you– and all the Planet– goodnight.

(Sincerely– impressed.)

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 8:09 pm

Oooooh, no you did not!
🙂

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 6:04 pm

I agree– he was murdered. How can you hang yourself with your hands duct-taped behind your back?

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 4:36 pm

Chris Rock on then-candidate Obama: FF to 3:35

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 4:19 pm

LOL!!!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 4:13 pm

No, Bito– it was just an overview of the racial composition of Africa. They were distinguishing, as I recall, between North Africans and sub-Saharan.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 3:33 pm

An example of ludicrous political correctness: In my son’s 6th grade world history textbook, they used the term “African-American Africans” to describe the black peoples of Africa!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 3:09 pm

That’s my ring tone!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 3:06 pm

I just want to add my 1/2 cent. To me, there was an expression I used to hear frequently that made my neck hairs rise: “Don’t jew me.” or “He jewed me down on the price.” People say that casually a lot, and seldom realize how offensive that is. When I told them that, they were sincere, I think, in their apologies. They would say that they had no idea, that it was just an expression. I think that sometimes people are insensitive without being racist. That said, insensitivity can be seen on the spectrum of latent racism.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 3:00 pm

I think there is a difference between racial thinking and racist thinking. To me anyway, the first is pretty far in the more “correct” side of the spectrum. It would be more racist to elect any black man just because he was black. We are not color blind by a long shot, but noticing and even cheering that a black man was elected is just not the same thing as being racist.

Last night we watched a couple of Chris Rock concerts on Comedy Central. He made the point that what IS racist is thinking that black people would elect Flavor Flav just because he’s black. He noted that white people were reported as considering the pros and cons of the candidates, and of Barack Obama, while reporters took it as a given that all blacks would vote for him. That’s fairly racist.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 2:46 pm

Weekly Seminar, Winter Quarter

OK– got it, sorry I misunderstood.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 2:53 pm

I do not see the Left as extreme as the Right, Jan. In fact, I think that is a false equivalency. They may be as frustrated as the extreme Right, but I do not see them as equally as extreme in their positions. To me, in order for the two to be equal would be for the Left to be Marxists and the Right to be what they are– fascists. I don’t see that.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 2:30 pm

I am obviously no constitutional scholar, by any means. But the first amendment argument seems to rest of the rulings that money constitutes free speech. Yes, but there were also rulings in the past that have been overturned– ‘separate but equal’ comes to mind. To me, the ruling that money equals speech is every bit as wrong and truly imperils democracy. So while it would take a lot of work, it is not impossible and speech = money can be– and to my mind– must be revisited. Probably not in our lifetimes, however.

As to third and more Parties, that’s a very interesting debate. My position is that they will always remain a spoiler and never garner enough votes to win an election, barring a major event. What they can do is change the metrics in the long term. For example, if a significant number of people voted socialist they might successfully move the Democratic Party more left after a couple of election cycles. Same for the Reptilians. We have already seen the Dems move to the Right over many years and the Reptilians have moved to the Right off the charts. But they didn’t need a Third party to do that. To me, Third Parties do serve a limited purpose of sending a message, but they are not electable, IMO.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 11, 2010 @ 2:26 pm

Pe-Nile Is A River In Egypt…

Yep– but I think that’s because Republicans have changed, not us so much. 🙂

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 9, 2010 @ 11:49 am

Hi, Kes! But the difference between the opposites you cite are not fundamental world views, at least not to me. Even different religions are at least both spiritual.

I don’t know…it just seems that if you marry someone with such a completely different view of right and wrong (because that is how I see it, and that may be why I find it hard to reconcile)how can you accept that? But I think I just answered my own question– I don’t think they see their philosophical differences as different philosophies. They probably see Rep. and Dems as merely two ways to get to the same place. They don’t see right v left as good v bad. That’s just ME.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 9, 2010 @ 11:16 am

See, to me their different philosophies would be a deal breaker. True, they are both passionate about politics and both advocates.

But I could never be married to someone who had the philosophy that greed, hypocrisy and supporting the corporate state at the expense of the average American is good, while helping one another for the communal benefit, honesty, and putting people and the environment first is bad.

That’s a chasm I could never overcome. It is not just that they both have a philosophy; it is that their world views are diametrically opposed. Or are they? I have many times figured that one or both of them are just faking– that neither of them really believe in anything.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 9, 2010 @ 10:56 am

Vox Populi AfterChat – 1-08-10

I still believe he is a good prez. i really do, even though he has disappointed me on financial reform and his hands-off approach to health care. Financial reform will be his downfall, if ther eis one, IMO. Afghanistan is something I am also unhappy about, but I do trust him even there.

But the biggest reason I support him is that I basically trust him. Plus– and this is huge– I absolutely abhor the right. I am a yellow dog dem. I will always vote Dem.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 8, 2010 @ 10:06 pm

I will do that first thing tomorrow– thank you yet again! That martini is kicking in and I’m getting slurry in my typing. 🙂

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 8, 2010 @ 10:02 pm

Well said! Exactly! Earlier, there was a discussion about the racism on the left– in the sense that we expected a black President to behave a certain way. I think that is true for many people. The irony is precisely what you articulated– that because of being an AA, he wound up behaving MORE centrist. I have had the thought that his being African American was unfortunate in these ways.

And I still maintain he is making a mistake. KQ feels that Democrats are his base, but I disagree– the base is always the more extreme vis a vis the center. The center is the larger number, but not the base, in the same way Palin represents the R base. She can’t win the middle, no base can. But you can’t win without the bases either.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 8, 2010 @ 9:57 pm

By being deliberately vague and not correcting misconceptions to the degree one is able. I will try to find examples, as I am 99% sure, he presented himself as a progressive.

You can argue about the law review but that is too esoteric for most voters to analyze. I am talking about the soaring rhetoric about change, and the little guy, and his understanding of the troubles of the poor.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On January 8, 2010 @ 9:34 pm