४ ऑगस्ट, २००७

In Madison...

The Zen Sushi cart is parked in front of St. Paul's:

Zen Sushi

And the sign the University put up to celebrate our progressive tradition -- (enlarge) -- is just not left-wing enough for the local graffiti scrawlers:

The Wisconsin Idea

१२ टिप्पण्या:

joated म्हणाले...

I really don't understandd the penchant of some people to deface public property like this. I mean, I don't necessarily agree with the ideals of the "progressive" movement in Wisconsin, but I wouldn't go using a magic marker to indicate my feelings on a sign commemorating it anymore than I would paint a cross on a mosque's door.

अनामित म्हणाले...

One might wonder why a university would celebrate a political tradition. Wouldn't a school that celebrates a "conversative" tradition be denounced loudly in academic quarters and be considered "slanted" and "biased" and therefore viewed suspiciously?

अनामित म्हणाले...

Hairybuddha regrets that he mistyped "conservative".

ricpic म्हणाले...

Well, I agree with the fuck the poor part.

Simon म्हणाले...

Perhaps the grafitiists just need a hug. Well, it's worth a shot, since reason doesn't seem to work.

PeterP म्हणाले...

Well, I agree with the fuck the poor part.

....indeed.

Though I would also wonder what's so wrong with the first sentiment either.

Rich 'n' Rule - rock 'n' roll say I. And Plato, more or less.

JimM47 म्हणाले...

I wouldn't go using a magic marker to indicate my feelings on a sign commemorating it

Exactly, that's what word-balloon-shaped post-its are for. :p

Steven म्हणाले...

Innnnteresting.

See, until I read the comments, I was reading the F and the front half of the u as an "h", the back of the u as an "i", the c and the stroke of the k as a "d", and the rest of the k as an "e". So I assumed the reference was to some Madison beautification effort that included getting the homeless off the streets.

Looking in at the zoom, however, it's clear my initial reading was wrong, and instead of being a pointed commentary about hypocrisy, it's a moron's vulgar blathering.

(And, as someone with a rather low income, I would certainly have no objections if women ages, oh, 24-34, came to El Paso to follow the penned-in idea.)

Daryl म्हणाले...

I agree with Hairy Buddha. Celebrating a political tradition is fucked up.

(I can say that; it won't set off any language filters, because "fuck the poor" is already part of this page)

Maybe UW could set aside a few weeks this year (52 would be a good number) to celebrate the Western tradition of free speech and not carrying out suicide bombings or gunning down journalists in the street.

XWL म्हणाले...

I'm slightly surprised nobody has attacked Prof. Althouse for her interpretation of the scribbler's politics.

I agree with her assessment that the scribbler is a vandal from the left (University of Wisconsin's not progressive enough!).

Had somebody from the right defaced that sign it would have read, "The Rich RULE!!!, Fuck the poor, especially the ones that are really, really hot"

From Inwood म्हणाले...

If I were a moronic graffiti "artist", my contribution on the propaganda poster would be:

"Rich people can borrow 'virtue offsets', cf. Al Gore, by identifying with & understanding how poor people are victimized & virtuous."

Again, if I were a vandal, my graffiti on the food stand outside St. Paul's (I’m quite familiar with St Paul’s) would be

"There's No Free Lunch"

My overall comment is that

"There's No Justifiable Graffiti"

I’m reminded of the parody of Ozymandias which rewrote line 12 to read something like this (I’ll quote lines 9-11 to put it in context)

“And on the pedestal these words appear
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings,
Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair!
Taki 180, John loves Mary, Kilroy was here, and No More War’ ”

Pride म्हणाले...

But the Wisconsin Idea helps rich AND poor. It simply invites all Wisconsinites to share in the knowledge UW generates, often via UW-Extension.

Ann, every time you appear on "Week in Review" on Wis Public Radio, you're part of the Wisconsin Idea. WPR is just one of hundreds of UW-Ex offerings.