Taboo Plaza

The Americans I know are not hostile people.  They may be crass, but they generally don't fight.  Americans in the media are vicious. 

People talking about nothing.  People debating the debate before the debate even happened.  Running off at the mouth and nobody really does much more than stay on topic.

What's the topic?

It's not clearly defined.  There really is nothing that you could point to and say, that's the topic.  It's just a lot of talk and noise that goes on in your head.  In their head, it goes on as well.

You can tell when someone gets off topic on television.  For a moment or two things just kind of stop.  Others watch as you try to dig your way out of verbal holes.  You are a target and the media like targets the most.

People on the air talk and that's the story we understand about one another.  Even if you don't listen, you are impacted.  The people on the air are aggressive.  They're type A. 

They want to succeed before they have a good idea.

Success is great.  Who can deny?  So it comes to our politicians.  They've got the opportunity to tell their story about America.  You've got the opportunity to tell the story for America.  Come up with a story that captivates and do what you please.

You are accountable for the story you tell though.  If you wrote it and it sucked then you should own that.  It's a lot of pressure really.  Choose to make yourself noticed and the weight of the world falls on you.

But, you've got the opportunity to tell the story others should think about.

The weight of the world versus a better tomorrow.  A really better tomorrow, not something that is a slight mutation of what sucked before.  An evolutionary step in our social change must involve us agreeing peacefully, rather than killing and torturing one another to agreement.

That story is captivating. 
Isn't it? 
A story of peace over our history of violence.

It's surprising to me that at this moment in American history we don't even recognize what is happening right now.  The first black man in America has real potential to be elected President of the United States of America.  That conversation seems to be off topic though.

So we hear nothing.  It's not the kind of thing you can ask for without coming off strange.

Could we talk a bit more about how this seriously may start to repair America's terribly racist history?  It may seem insignificant that all black boys in America can point to one of their own in the White House, but it's something.

We all must at least understand that what is happening today will be a citation in some future American history book.

Current Affairs

The current affairs exercise this week is trying to remember what the hell happened yesterday.  In the midst of America's financial crisis, our collective memory proves faulty.

During the Presidential Debate two weeks ago, Barack Obama repeated a glaring mistake regarding the history of Georgia's recent conflict with Russia over South Ossetia.  Obama's historical mistake is the same historical mistake John McCain, George W. Bush and apparently most people in the media are willing to allow if they are not actively engaged in trying to rewrite the mistake into history books.  I detailed what was known in my post on 8/31/2008, so here I'd just like to remind everyone of a couple key points.

1) Russian troops had been in South Ossetia for about a decade prior to the recent conflict.
2) The border between Russia and Georgia had to be defined when the Soviet Union collapsed.  According to some sources, Georgia's borders have been in dispute since the collapse.
3) Georgian troops fired the first shot which means that Russia was not the aggressor.

I simply offer a footnote here regarding our current financial crisis which, according to most sources, was at least initially caused by failures in the home mortgage market. In 2003, the Bush Administration pushed the American Dream Downpayment Act.  In this Bill (which became signed into law December 16, 2003) President W removed obstacles to owning a home.  These obstacles Bush removed included having to have a down payment in order to buy a house.

Many people now are bemoaning the irresponsibility of people purchasing homes they couldn't afford; however, when the President of the United States of America says, “It is in our national interest that more people own their own home."

And then he enacts laws to make the process easier, that's a hell of an advertisement for buying a house.  That's publicity you can't buy. 

I'm not saying individuals don't bear any of the responsibility, but back in the day banks would've just told these people no.  However, when the President loosens banking rules while the U.S. Fed pumps massive amounts of money into the housing market- bubbles happen.

Keep that in mind for the future.

Want a success story that took place on the war front of Iraq?
 
September 22nd, 2008- Royal Dutch Shell made their triumphant return to Iraq's oil fields.  36 years ago, Iraq nationalized their oil reserves and Royal Dutch Shell was out of Iraq with the other foreign oil companies.  Due to the military efforts of the United States of America, Saddam Hussein has been removed from power and Royal Dutch Shell can again make some profit from the land of Mesopotamia.

In the vice-presidential debate October 2nd, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin didn't drool on herself.  Apparently she might be ready to run for President in 2012.  It seems that some members of the Grand Old Party (i.e. GOP) don't really expect much from potential leaders of the country.

Something to Ponder

How much does our fiat economy require us to have a nuclear-family vision of the American Dream?  When credit wasn't needed as much as today, extended families lived under the same roof.  Children had someone other than just mom and dad to turn to on a daily basis.

What would happen to the housing market if Americans started living the extended family-lifestyle to survive?  What would happen to the American ego?

Tip of the week

Find something positive in life to think about and think about that for a while. 
Think about it and feel good. 
Don't allow yourself to worry.

Worrying expresses itself when you don't see what's on the horizon. 

The important things in life don't have to involve contests and crisis.

I Learned This From My Children

My son walked up to me in a way I didn't expect today. 
He casually strolled in through the outside garage door. 
He had never done this by himself before. 

"Daddy, I've got to ask you something."

"What's that?"

The question didn't matter.
I didn't hear it.
'How did he come in through the outside garage door?'

"Daddy?"

'He would've had to get past the front door or the back gate.'
I was deciding whether or not I should be mad.
'Is the front door open or the back gate?'

"How did you get in here?"

Maybe he walked past while I was playing pinball.
Maybe I didn't notice him.
Maybe I spaced.

"I just came in this way Daddy."

He pointed to the gate.
The gate leads to the dog.
I don't want to have to chase the dog.

My web of significance opened to me clearly for that moment.
I stopped playing pinball.
The ball dropped away dead as Elvis commiserated the loss for me.

"Did you come out the back gate?"
"Yes Daddy?"
"Is it latched?"

"Yes."
"All right then."
"I just wanted to tell you that I loved you."

He turned away and I watched as he went back through the gate.
He told me what he needed to say.
Then he went back the way that he had come for the first time.
He struggled a bit, but he got it.

I went back to my pinball.
But before I did, I said,
"Make sure you latch the gate anytime you go through."

I knew then I would need to begin repeating that line.

Belly Laugh

Monty Python we're brilliant in their use of absurdity and non-sequitar.

Their skillful breaking down of the barrier between audience and actors demonstrates a true talent even though their lack of endings might suggest different.