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Saturday, Nov 7, 2009
Andrew O'Hehir
Published Letters: 179 Editor's Choice: 28
Well, I'm encouraged by all the feedback. I think. And over time it tends to even out somewhat. For the guy who thought I was disrespecting engineers: What other people said. It's not that engineers aren't creative; it's just that they (and doctors and lawyers) are sufficiently different from artists that Florida's "creative class" becomes this huge, amorphous, basically meaningless entity.
Thanks to DocAmazing and other ex-Missioners for having my back as to the $550 rent in 1984. And yes, Doc, the real story is indeed the Latinos and other working-class folks who got pushed elsewhere, a particularly cruel tale in the overpriced Bay Area. At least Chicago remains a big, sprawling city with some non-maxed-out neighborhoods.
Hey, destino, if your g-g-grandmother was from Clare and named Hehir or O'Hehir, we're almost certainly related. My great-grandfather, William Hehir, was born in Clare before moving to Mayo as a cop. And your point about the yearning for community is well taken. I think the answer is yes, it can be found, but it's not all that easy. As a married, ex-boho parent myself, finding a community of like-minded people has been a struggle, but it's beginning to come together.
To those of you who suspect the bohemian thing is overrated, and see the agent of neighborhood change as strict economics, or proximity to public transit. I don't know, I'm sure those are elements. But your real quarrel is with Richard Lloyd, not with me, and his book makes a strong argument otherwise.
If you hate personal essays in book-review form, hey, what can I say? Guilty as charged. We live in a wonderful consumer society, and wherever you live the New York Times is there every Sunday with perfectly boring, connect-the-dots book reviews. Have fun.
As for the dude who thinks I'm making it all up, there's no point in responding to that kind of thing. If he actually wanted to know what the hell Bono and Jane Wiedlin were doing in my scummy apartment, he'd have asked the question differently. Then again, if he thinks Cole Valley -- which is *very pretty,* don't get me wrong -- was an incredibly happening spot in 1984, we just have different ideas about lots of things.
I appreciate the superior attitude, Madeline. That's very Internet of you. I was indeed aware of the facts you relate. (Well, OK, I didn't know about Columbia, Mo. Nice town!) While I have no personal objection to individuals acquiring "The Power of Nightmares" via the methods you and another correspondent describe, I certainly can't speak for Adam Curtis or the BBC on this question. And it isn't my place, or Salon's, to encourage copyright violation, whatever our private philosophies may be. The fact remains that for the vast majority of potential American viewers, who live outside the New York area and are either unwilling to download bootleg video or lack the knowledge and resources to do so, this film remains unavailable and is likely to stay that way.
Thanks for all the responses, people. And my buddy Pete L'Official is 100 percent right that Bill Shankly was Scottish, which is a horrible faux-pas. (Excellent points all the way 'round, Pete, of course.) As for the criticisms of our ex-Soviet friend, well, it's true that I hate freedom. But what I really hate is freedom fries. Because before fries became free, they were French. And of course I love everything that is French, and therefore unfree.
Duh -- of course I hope I'm wrong and the US team will shock the world. We'll be saying farewell to Keller, Jones, Pope, Reyna and McBride, at least, in the sense that we'll never see them play on the world stage again, and like every other US fan, I have tremendous affection for those guys. They have permanently changed the relationship between this country and professional soccer/football, and we should all be grateful for that. I'm just calling it as I see it.
As for enraged flames about matters of opinion, that's expected. I may well be wrong about Portugal, of course. But my expectation is that they're likely to flame out on this stage, just as they did in '02.
Lastly, as to haggismold's contention that the key modifier in US soccer is class, not race, you're absolutely right and I should have said that. We all hope that Donovan, Beasley and their ilk represent the future of US soccer (rather than exceptional blips) but the question of what the 2010 team will look like, and what kind of football it will play, remains enigmatic at best. Thanks, all.
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