verbal gymnastics wrote:Why have the random thoughts dried up?
Because you haven't been around as much lately, VG!
My random thought of the day:
All other economic woes aside, I'm bummed that the Canadian dollar is doing so horribly right now. Our Seattle trip is suddenly a lot more expensive than when we first booked the flight, and my US debt is now going to take that much longer to pay off. Boo!
How do we know that all this economic turmoil the world is in right now is not economic terrorism. What better way to bring down a society than attacking it's infrastructure? Bringing down a building(s) is destructive, but bringing down a whole economy is just as destructive.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think that you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt
- M. Twain
Andrew Gold's 'Oh, What A Lonely Boy' mysteriously popped into my head the other day out of nowhere. I further remembered my dad taking me to my first concert, Linda Ronstadt/AG, in the 70's
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think that you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt
- M. Twain
A colleague of mine went to a Greek island for a week of songwriting tuition a few years ago, and Dean Friedman was the tutor! Can you imagine? 'OK, so today we're working on conversational duets...'
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
Racism in the United States has never been more evident than it is now when compared to the last 30 years of my life.
And not practiced in the way that conventional wisdom would predict. When literally millions of votes are being cast because of the content of melanin in the epithelial cells of the skin (based on actual exit poll testimonials of the voters, NOT based on a presumption), that is action based on color, not principle. Of al people Howard Stern has been active revealing the truth behind the statement above.
Obama is a smart guy with a great intellect. I think his intelligence will damage the country and international relations beyond comprehension, both as a function of a hidden agenda (you'll find out soon enough) and maybe moreso based on naivete'.
Half of my best friends and coworkers are voting for/have voted for Obama based on their take on his principles, and we have had great, thoughtful discussions about it. I love their thinking and their positive idealism. I simply disagre with the principles.
But to vote based soley on the color of the skin is a form of racism that is rampant, and I genuinely believe that this election will be characterised by a sort of reverese racism that we have never seen. Call it retaliatory voting, call it restitution hope, call it whatever you want. I am not so naive as to think that there are millions that will vote with me that will use the same criteria. Equally sickening.
For obvious reasons, the racial divide that we will soon experience in America will bring this country back to the 60's in terms of undoing the tremendous advanaces that have been madein the last 50 years. It is a really sad time.
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
Disclaimer: As a Canadian, I have had my perspective on the United States shot down time and again. However, as a neighbour and frequent visitor of the United States, and as a husband of an American, I feel like I can share some of my observations.
Do you really think Obama is going to win this election solely on race? The truth is, John McCain has run a terrible campaign. He and Palin have resorted to fear mongering and name calling and that, not race, is what has gotten a lot of independents, first-time voters, and even Republicans on board with Obama/Biden.
People are voting for Obama because they see him as a breath of fresh air. Not only is he charismatic and intelligent, but people truly believe he would make a terrific president.
Obviously nothing is ever a sure thing. But Obama has a lot more to say about what he plans to do than McCain, who keeps warning people that Obama would do very bad things, like implement socialism or pal around with terrorists.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
Blue and Mr. A, I have a different take on the election, I think that Obama's triumph next week (he will win, as I have been predicting here for quite some time now, thank you very much) is the end result of the extraordinary improvement in race relations in our country over the last 50 years. Blue looks to the 50s and 60s as the bad old days of racism, when making his comparison to today. I think that's probably the result of his solid Canadian educational system having impressed upon him images of sit-ins, dog attacks, race riots etc. and his viewing them as evidence of the worst days of racism. Exactly the opposite was happening. The 50s and 60s mark the beginning of the great shift in race relations in our country. Brown v. Board of Education, MLK, the Civil Rights Act, black power, Michael Jordan, Ophrah....Obama. The fact that we have a black Presidential candidate who is not just a token candidate (as Jesse Jackson was), but a real, viable contender, judged by the same standards as his opponent, and capable of winning is proof positive that race will never be viewed the same in our country. Does it mean that 23% of Texas yahoos won't go around making statements that frazzle the sensitivities of sensitive Canadians? No. Or that a sizable minority of Americans (white and black) won't continue to betray racial biases? No. Racism will never go away completely. Not in America, not in Timbuktu and not even in...Canada. But it seems to me undeniable that race relations have improved dramatically in our country and that is a wonderful thing. I'm not saying folks should rely on personal experiences in coming to these conclusions, but I am struck by how much the younger generations of Americans that I deal with view race in completely different ways than mine and prior generations. It's just not that big a deal to them.
A further point, I am always struck by this idea that there is something in the american psyche that generates a level of racism that exceeds that found elsewhere in the world. Complete bullshit. America/Americans are racist in the same way that Canadians and everyone else in the world are racists. When folks generalize about America's racist past they should stop first to think about precisely who these "racist Americans" are. America is a land of immigrants. The folks who spout racist bile in our country are the sons and daughters and recent descedants of Cubans, Italians, Germans, Greeks, Palestinians, Jamaicans, Trinidanians, Scots, Puerto Ricans, Swedes, Dominicans, Dutch...etc. who came here and became "Americans". Every example listed above is intentionally noted because over the years these "Americans" have at one point or another betrayed various degrees of racial biases in my presence. Did they all become racists in America? Are you serious. Is someone going to seriously argue that Europeans are not "racists"? or that they are somehow less "racist" than "Americans? Please.
Racism is universal. America has had a peculiar history in this regard because of slavery (not an American creation) which resulted in large numbers of African Americans becoming American. I would wager anything that our friendly Canadian neighbors, if faced with similar historical circumstances and similarly large numbers of African Americans in their midst would have a racist history no different than the USs, unless perhaps there is genetic anti-racist gene present in the Great White North that I am not clued in on.
Mr. A, I am one of those people who is taking race into account when casting a Presidential election vote. It is not reverse racism. It is a joyful act. I love the fact that this extraordinarily well-qualified candidate is African American. It validates my faith in this country. It proves to me that we are on the right path. If he were running against a white candidate of equal standing, I see nothing wrong with the AA getting the nod on account of race. An African American presidency is a transcending political result for a reason. Nevertheless, please rest assured that I am also voting for O in protest against the policies of a party towards whose views I generally gravitate but which I fear has lost its way, temporarily. It is a vote agains the conduct of the war and the selection of a moron as a Vp candidate. It is not racism to vote for an African American and take his race into account. It would be racist to not vote for an African American because of his race, or to vote for a white candidate (facing a black opponent) because of his race. Remember, racism in our country is present among both races, but has harmed only one.
Someone mentioned that they prefer my insulting style posts, rather than reviews of concerts that take a great deal of effort. Here is my unrandom ode to keep you going.
Disclaimer - I have never claimed to be a poet.
Mr Average is a 100% fuckwit
He babbles on with his mouth full of horseshit
A blind Republican who is deaf in both ears
He spouts forth even more rubbish as the election day nears
He suggests 'reverse racism' as the main winner of votes
Does he think that the coloureds still come on banana boats?
He isn't too intelligent to be on this board
But his fascist remarks certainly don't strike a chord
Half of his best friends have voted for Obama
(does he mean the goldfish or his big fat mama?)
He claims there will soon be a new racial divide
But his right wing hatred is something he just cannot hide
His posts are steeped in hatred most vile
His kind of thinking sets America back a mile
To claim that the US's international relations could get any worse
Shows how stupid he is (that's the end of the verse)
From the heart of racism in America (the deep South) that has been living with our African-American brother longer than any other part of North America - thank God Obama WILL be President in 2009!
Oh and by the way, racism is not an intellectual concept. It is something felt (or not) in one's heart. Invite someone of another race into your life and into your heart and then you'll know the folly of the term.
Some great comments by alexv, and some great humour by so lack.
I don't want to create any illusion that Canada doesn't have its fair share of racism. It certainly does. I only bring up my Canadianess to remind everyone that I am simply an observer and not a participant in this election process.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
