We might want to remember what Hussein said on the way to the gallows, because I think it’ll turn out to be more than a little prophetic.
“Iraq without me is nothing.”
[Source: MSNBC.]
I caused a lot of trouble last year with my short rant against Santa BS. Well, we’re at it again with more schools struggling with the issue.
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In Aquarius Now, Marilyn Ferguson wrote:
“Each society believes it is on the knife-edge of knowledge and looks back with pity on peoples of earlier times because of their ignorance. We forget that future generations will look back on us the same way.”
So, I got to thinking - in a generation or two, what generally-accepted social assumptions and behaviors are we engaged in today that will be looked upon by future, more-awakened generations as grievously misguided? What are today’s Dred Scott decisions? Today’s sociocultural blind spots? There’s no question there are quite a few - I suppose the challenge is in finding them.
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I know this is going to sound pretty insensitive to many of you - but brutal honesty sometimes does. I’ll try to be gentle.
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Well, Donald Trump has decided that Miss USA Tara Conner deserves a second chance to change her partying ways. I hope The Donald was clear about what the problem is, though. It’s not that she’s out until 3AM doing coke and making out with Miss Teen USA - nono, that’s fine, darling. Great publicity. We love it, we do. Trump said, the issue is that “she’s not doing her job“. She’s been blowing off (sorry) photo shoots and fundraisers. This we can’t have. Trump again makes his business (and PR) acumen quite evident.
Courtesy of my personalized Google home page, my three quotes of the day are:
“I’m seventeen and I’m crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he said, always say seventeen and insane.”
- Ray Bradbury
“What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books.”
- Thomas Carlyle
“The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others.”
- Bertrand Russell
I really like Austin. Nice vibe, warm people, rich cultural scene, and a generally cool spot to be. I’m going to spend a little time here.
I spent the last couple of days exploring the Gulf Coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. I was blown away by the scope of the Hurricane Katrina devastation - especially along the Mississippi coast (the Biloxi region particularly.) I have never seen destruction on this scale.
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In the pitch blackness of the Georgia woods late last night, the Milky Way glowed an eerie white-green glow. What I love about being in the middle of the woods is the absolute lack of light pollution and the sky is alive with millions of stars - the stardust spreads from edge to edge. The rising moon had started to drown it out a little, but it was still unlike anything you’d see near a city.
I was really in the middle of nowhere - even seeing a road or a light was a rare occurrence in this southwestern section of the state. As I zipped along, something that looked a bit like a cat darted into the road and went right under the side of my car before I could react. I felt it go under my rear wheels with a nasty krrump.
Awww, shit.
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If you’re into mini golf, cheesy adventure parks, pancakes, pawn shops, wicker markets, old people, seafood buffets, beachwear superstores and trinkets ad infinitum - you’ll love Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I didn’t; I left.
I offer Violent Acres’ latest post as evidence that “she” is actually a man. The style of writing, the topical choices, the voice - all point very convincingly in that direction. There’s not a woman alive - and almost no men - who could talk to a restaurant hostess and not notice she was 100 lbs overweight. And only a man would make up something like that and expect it to be believed.
In the midst of all the recent blog-buzz created by Violent Acres, I first suggested it a few days ago over at Ben’s blog. But now, I’m more certain than ever.
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Long overdue is a Pop Skank review. I have resisted it for months - far more important things going on, new wanderings and ponderings, etc. - but I’ve given myself a brief window to plumb the depths of sex-talk and such, so I’d better get this done.
Those of you who know me well know that I have an irrational crush on Lindsay Lohan. I don’t really get it - overall I consider myself to have fairly refined, almost neurotic-fussy tastes. But something about Lindsay Lohan snaps a circuit breaker in my head. Luckily, it’s wearing off with her latest antics. She’s hanging out with Britney Spears, for Chrissakes… this is a problem.
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I stumbled across this little gem, entitled “Fifty Mistakes Men Make When Having Sex” in my wandering on Digg.
Now, I am pretty sure Rod Philips is just a fake guy trying to sell his product, but he clearly put a lot of effort into this, and I’d guess is earnest. Let’s review a couple, shall we?
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Spent a day or so in Chapel Hill (a cool town, I liked it) and am currently relaxing seaside in Myrtle Beach, SC. Not the most happening place this time of year, but the get-up-and-go-every-morning thing has been on my nerves of late (have been doing it two months now,) and I’ve been thinking of taking a break somewhere for a while. Haven’t yet decided if this will be the spot. While I love the temperate weather and the sound of the ocean waves crashing as I doze off, it isn’t the most culturally hip place…
I decided to head south today for North Carolina. I took the long windy off-the-beaten-path state roads, as I really like exploring and I am not in any real hurry. It was a beautiful drive - down through the valleys and farmland of rural Virginia, with the Blue Ridge Mountains off in the distance. There was a slight complication, however - I am a serious caffeine addict, and had left the hotel without grabbing a coffee. Along the route, there had been no sign of a coffee shop or even a market that looked promising.
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Greetings from Charlottesville, Virginia, where I’m spending a touch more time than I intended. This morning, I took in a gorgeous sunrise (it’s very rare for me to see a sunrise - but my body simply is not on a 24-hour cycle, so it does happen) with red and blue neon streaks that stretched far across the sky, as if reaching to snuff out the few stars that still dared to shine.
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Olbermann’s getting it done, again. I’m really pleased he’s been doing these “Special Comments.” I’m also glad Abrams and MSNBC management are giving him the “leash” to do so. It’s sorely needed. Yesterday I was going to write a blurb about Gingrich’s remarks, but Olbermann has (again) done a far better job than I could have.
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