Potluck Quote of the Day: Howard Zinn on Monopoly

Greetings to those of you in Germany, Spain and Australia........as well as to those of you who might just be checking us out on your wi fi from Ozo Coffee Pearl in Boulder, Colo., where perhaps you are reading a print edition of "Boulder Weekly" or from Publik Coffee in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah...........

Tonight, we start a series of quotes from noteworthy people, both alive and dead, who made contributions to society (yes, we will not quote Charles Manson, but Marilyn Manson is a possibility).

And, we start with the late very progressive scholar Howard Zinn (1922-2010). Once you read this quip, you will understand why we went with a Monopoly game board; Scrooge McDuck was out alternative choice.

Here is the quote from Zinn:

"Capitalism has always been a failure for the lower classes. It is now beginning to fail for the middle classes."




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Greensboro vs Roanoke- Battle of the Fleas

We wrap our series of entries on which city is 'better,' my hometown of Roanoke, Va., or my adopted city of Greensboro, NC, two cities which are divided by a 100-mile stretch of Route 220 (aka the Moonshine Highway) up with a look at flea markets.

In Roanoke, there is Happy's Flea Market, a landmark, cultural icon on Williamson Road, where one can find very unique items ranging from Partridge Family records on vinyl (yes, I actually purchased some of these for like $1.50 as a gag gift) to up-scale kitsch like velvet paintings of a Native American.

In Greensboro, there is the Big Flea Market, which is not open every single day like Happy's (well, they maybe closed for Christmas), but rather it comes up some eight to ten times a year. The event will be held next weekend at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Since both places are flea markets, they sell many similar items, but Greensboro might be the better place to find an antique clock or a red state weapon of choice (forgive the political humor). I suppose an antique clock could be a weapon too, actually.

So, which one would I choose? As the late left-wing philosopher Howard Zinn, who was actually more liberal than I am, once said: "No one can stay neutral in the path of a runaway train."

With that in mind, I will choose Big Flea as I have a thing for antique clocks even though I personally can't afford them!

Remembering Howard Zinn (1922-2010)

As a centrist Democrat, I'm sometimes in a quandry about what to think of left-wing intellectuals. There are times when I completely agree with them, like their complaints about George W. Bush's dubious decision to invade Iraq, but there are times when I am soldly against them, like when they say President Barack Obama has too many Wall Street influences (just how can one become president of the country without those connections?).

But, regardless of how one percieves Howard Zinn, arguably the most recognized left-wing intellectual in America for a generation, it does seem fair to say that the world will simply not be the same without him.

Alex Green, an independent bookstore owner in the Boston area, wrote on "The Huffington Post" that Zinn's influence can be seen all over his store.

Noam Chomsky, a contemporary of Zinn's, told "The Boston Globe" that Zinn made a significant contribution to America's moral and intellectual culture.

Zinn also had celebrity friends like actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who mentioned Zinn's work in their Academy Award-winning screenplay for the film "Good Will Huntin."

Affleck told "The Boston Globe" that Zinn had one of the greatest minds in American political life.

Zinn, a long-time professor at Boston University, is best known for his 1980 book "A People's History of the United States," which was recently made into a History Channel docuemtary entitled "The People Speak."

He is also known for his sentiment that one 'can't be neutral.'

SIDEBAR: Though I don't like to focus on crime stories since it detracts from what I aim for on this blog, it would be morally wrong of me not to mention the brutal Morgana Harington slaying, especially since I hail from Roanoke, Va., where she was from. Harington's body was found near Charlottesville, Va., earlier this week. She had disappeared after a Metallica concert in Charlottesville in October. Harington was a student at Virginia Tech. The Washington, DC, radio station WTOP said that Metallica posted a message on their web site expressing their condolences to the Harington family. As an opponent of capital punishment who has been involved with Virginians for Alternative to the Death Penatly (VADP), I am outraged by those who suggest that those with my views sympathize more for the criminals who undertake such horrific crimes than the victims themselves. I certainly hope law enforcement officials find the person responsible for this awful act soon.

SIDEBAR TWO: There are other stories we are working on, and I hope to post my TOP 25 Films of the Year List here very, very soon!