In the saturation coverage right after the events, the “expert” talking heads are compelled to offer theories about the causes and consequences. In the following days and weeks, newspapers and magazine will have their theories too. Looking back, we can see that all such efforts are futile. The shootings never mean anything. Forty years later, what did the Charles Whitman massacre “mean”? A decade later, do we “know” anything about Columbine? There is chaos and evil in life. Some people go crazy. In America, they do so with guns; in many countries, with knives; in Japan, sometimes poison.

Fellow Atlantic blogger Jeffrey Goldberg counters:

I am not arguing, of course, that American Muslims, as a whole, are violently unhappy with America (I’ve argued the opposite, in fact). But I do think that elite makers of opinion in this country try very hard to ignore the larger meaning of violent acts when they happen to be perpetrated by Muslims. Here’s a simple test: If Nidal Malik Hasan had been a devout Christian with pronounced anti-abortion views, and had he attacked, say, a Planned Parenthood office, would his religion have been considered relevant as we tried to understand the motivation and meaning of the attack? Of course. Elite opinion makers do not, as a rule, try to protect Christians and Christian belief from investigation and criticism. Quite the opposite. It would be useful to apply the same standards of inquiry and criticism to all religions.

Despite recent reports that Hasan’s religion may have played a large role in the shooting, I still tend to agree more with the former opinion than the latter.  “There is chaos and evil in life.  Some people go crazy.”  Just because there’s a reason behind the shooting doesn’t mean there’s any meaning in it.

On the other hand, “do we ‘know’ anything about Columbine?”  Yeah, we do.  We know a lot more about locking down schools in emergencies and paying attention to signs of mental illness or violence in teenagers.  If a kid has ambiguously angry messages and pictures of guns on their Facebook page, schools are much more likely to take notice and deal with it.  That’s a good thing.  There are lessons to learn from every tragedy and there will be lessons to be learned from Fort Hood.

But acknowledging that there are lessons to be learned and reasons behind the violence doesn’t mean that the act of shooting unarmed people is somehow meaningful.  It’s not.  It’s empty and random, a behavioral outlier.  Hasan isn’t a crusader or a messenger, he’s a drunk driver.  A day later, someone else shot six people in an office building in Orlando.  Different reasons, different lessons to learn, same amount of meaning: none.  “There is chaos and evil in life.  Some people go crazy.”

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City of Champions Cereal!  And a contest, with a chance to get autographs and meet athletes and stuff.

From the “this isn’t surprising file” Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum was found with weed on his person.

There was a  U2 concert in Berlin. It was free.  some people were blocked from seeing it though…because of a wall. In Berlin.

Dwight Howard…wants you to come read the Bible with him.  And apparently that’s code for something completely different.

Lil Wayne compares himself to Biggie and Pac. I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.

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That Robin Thicke-Lil Wayne connection that goes all the way back to Robin Thicke’s The Evolution of Robin Thicke album, is coming in handy…maybe, kind of.  Thicke was recently on the Rickey Smiley show to promote his new single “Shakin it for Daddy” featuring Young Money crew member Nicky Minaj.  Video is below. (spotted at Nah Right)

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Yankees win….TTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHEEEEE Yankees win.

J-Lo kinky tape, blah, blah, blah. Publicity Stunt.

There is a clip from the Robin Williams movie, Old Dogs, in this link.  This movie will be horrible…and open to #1 in the country.

Florida LB, Brandon Spikes, will sit out the entire game this weekend…and not a half, like previously stated.

Black people all look alike. Apparently.

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So, the video for Trey Songz newest (kinda new, I guess? I’ve been listening to this for months now) song, Invented Sex, is finally out.  The interesting thing about the video?  If you wanted to see it on Twitter, you had to follow Trey Songz, enter your twitter information and then this would happen.

Clever marketing, I have to admit.  But Trey, as much as everyone else, has to realize that this is the internet.  What does that mean? It means that the video is of course available elsewhere, without having to let all your boys know that you not only follow trey songz on twitter, but that you tweet about his videos.

Video below.  It has a big parental advisory stamp on it.  Just make your own decisions on this. (spotted at 2 Dope Boyz)

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Cheaters never prosper.  Need proof?

Love cheat Sun Meng has been given the cold shoulder by his community after snaps of him cowering naked on an air conditioner were posted online by a furious husband.

Terrified Sun, 25, fled onto the vent when his lover’s husband caught them romping at their flat in Chengdu, Central China.

Now snaps of the showdown – taken by a neighbour – have been uploaded onto a local community website.

“My family is ashamed and none of my own neighbours will talk to me any more.  I know what I did was wrong but I was afraid he would kill me.  “People are even laughing at how I look naked – but I have to point out it was a very cold day,” said Sun (via Blame it on the voices)

Wasn’t this an episode of Fresh Prince?  Will and Carlton get caught with that big dude’s girlfriend, and hide in the closet, then out on the ledge in their underwear?  I digress.

My favorite part? The complete lack of remorse about the cheating; he’s only ashamed that he ended up naked outside. Classic.

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I think it’s generally ridiculous in the year 2009 to have white people playing this far outside their race. Neither the blue-eyed Jake Gyllenhaal nor the downright pale leading lady Gemma Arterton look even remotely Middle Eastern, and no amount of makeup, wigs, or British accents (for some reason) can change that. Add to that a supporting cast of Alfred Molina (half Spanish) and Ben Kingsley (half Indian, close enough?), and you have a movie titled Prince of Persia starring no one with any heritage within 1,000 miles of Persia. Congratulations, Jerry Bruckheimer, you’re an idiot.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in HD

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Halloween is over, yes.  Ask me if I care. (via wwtdd.com)

You know what decreases from bloggers (and writers in general) credibility?  Not knowing what the hell you’re talking about and then getting put on blast on national TV.

Thursday night football is back…Check the schedule.

Kissing.  Developed to spread germs.  Go figure.

Quite possibly the most awesome post ever on Gunaxin…a tribute to Beaker.

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This. Isn’t. Fair.

The NBA…where…that happens.

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That’s it, all my heat must be escaping through my boobs! Why didn’t I think of that? Now anyone is my desperate situation can put an end to cold boobs syndrome by purchasing USB energy saving breast warming pads from Rare Mono Shop.  The pads can be purchased for around $20 and last for up to six months.  Just plug em’ in, slide them under your bra, turn down the thermostat, and say “take that” to the winter chill and high heating bills. Thank you Japan!

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