If you followed the rules, even showing up two hours early put you far up on West Wash. Still, I could easily catch sight of Kerry -- thanks for taking off your jacket and standing out in your white shirt!
1 day ago
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Six days.
On 6th street, it is said that 'Casablanca meets New York City' – at the Zerza Bar (“a multicultural smorgasbord” says the New Yorker). I’ve never been to the city of Casablanca, but I have heard that it is the place to go if you want to see the glaring polarization between the haves and the have nots. [It is also the place to go for turtle soup, since elsewhere, it is illegal to sell turtles for food consumption. Not a lure for me, even though I am a card-carrying member of Slow Food and turtle soup would seem to fit right into the mission to slow everything down in the chain of food preparation and consumption.]
On 6th street, it is said that 'Casablanca meets New York City' – at the Zerza Bar (“a multicultural smorgasbord” says the New Yorker). I’ve never been to the city of Casablanca, but I have heard that it is the place to go if you want to see the glaring polarization between the haves and the have nots. [It is also the place to go for turtle soup, since elsewhere, it is illegal to sell turtles for food consumption. Not a lure for me, even though I am a card-carrying member of Slow Food and turtle soup would seem to fit right into the mission to slow everything down in the chain of food preparation and consumption.]
Today, Friedman writes in the Times about an increasingly polarized world with a missing moderate center (here). I view it somewhat differently. I see nations clamoring to unite in opposition to America’s forceful interventions abroad. I see the disadvantaged end dangerously overloaded with very angry people. Polarized implies a certain numeric balance – as if there were equally divided North and South Poles as it were, with nations and citizens either at one end or the other. I’m thinking the only thing that’s polarized is the electorate in this country. I’m thinking that the current administration should be feeling pangs of discomfort there at the North Pole, looking around at vast empty spaces, muttering perhaps – “it feels awful lonely here at the top.”
The colors of the game
The saying goes – if the Redskins beat the Green Bay Packers this Sunday, then the incumbent stays in the White House (the Redskins final home game before the elections has accurately predicted the winner since 1933; story here). Okay, that sounds to me like one of those baseball curses that (like last night’s RedSox) deserves to be broken. And whom are the players rooting for in the presidential race? Apparently the Redskins are a swing team: some vote red, some blue. The Packers – uh, something tells me that their green colors do not bespeak of party leanings.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
The colors of the game
The saying goes – if the Redskins beat the Green Bay Packers this Sunday, then the incumbent stays in the White House (the Redskins final home game before the elections has accurately predicted the winner since 1933; story here). Okay, that sounds to me like one of those baseball curses that (like last night’s RedSox) deserves to be broken. And whom are the players rooting for in the presidential race? Apparently the Redskins are a swing team: some vote red, some blue. The Packers – uh, something tells me that their green colors do not bespeak of party leanings.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Contest update
Do you see the photo in the post below, the one in need of a caption? No? Alright, alright, I’ll republish it. Along with the submitted caption ideas. I did receive one suggestion that was significantly funny but also obscene (use your imagination!!). I run a clean blog here so it had to be disqualified. But here are the others that I thought were especially good (in no particular order of preference). Again, thank you readers!
“On the map in the Oval Office, Poland is only this big. But they're still an
important part of the coalition.” [nc: I especially would find this terribly funny]
“This is the size of my brain, my vision, my...what?”
"From what I'm seeing on the news, all the insurgents in Iraq are really, really
small. That's why our army of regular-sized people is having such a hard
time. If you re-elect me, I'll make creating an army of tiny men a priority."
"My brain could fit into a pill box this size."
"I think what the British people meant to say is that we need to squash
terrorism like you squash a spider. I'm good at squashing spiders! See?" [nc: a great play on yesterday's post about the British fear of spiders]
"I think a woman should have this much control over her body."
"This is six inches."
"Look, I keep telling you guys that line of coke was only this long. You should
see the one Jeb did. Heh-Heh-Heh."
"We found this many weapons of mass destruction."
LATE ADDITIONS:
"I call upon all nations to help us find these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive. Damn, missed a hole-in-one by just that much!"
"This one time, I came this close to pronouncing 'Abu Gharib' correctly. That one time."
important part of the coalition.” [nc: I especially would find this terribly funny]
“This is the size of my brain, my vision, my...what?”
"From what I'm seeing on the news, all the insurgents in Iraq are really, really
small. That's why our army of regular-sized people is having such a hard
time. If you re-elect me, I'll make creating an army of tiny men a priority."
"My brain could fit into a pill box this size."
"I think what the British people meant to say is that we need to squash
terrorism like you squash a spider. I'm good at squashing spiders! See?" [nc: a great play on yesterday's post about the British fear of spiders]
"I think a woman should have this much control over her body."
"This is six inches."
"Look, I keep telling you guys that line of coke was only this long. You should
see the one Jeb did. Heh-Heh-Heh."
"We found this many weapons of mass destruction."
LATE ADDITIONS:
"I call upon all nations to help us find these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive. Damn, missed a hole-in-one by just that much!"
"This one time, I came this close to pronouncing 'Abu Gharib' correctly. That one time."
"You forgot Micronesia!"
Okay, I need to lighten up
Sorry Instapundit and humorless readers, I need to post something light and airy to get myself out of a frame of mind that is absolutely crushing my spirit. Thanks to those readers who sent me the clips below. You are all wonderful and I appreciate your hope and cheer!
First, a contest:
This photo is being passed around the Internet. It needs a caption. Send your suggestions to me and (if I remember) I’ll post some good ideas.
First, a contest:
This photo is being passed around the Internet. It needs a caption. Send your suggestions to me and (if I remember) I’ll post some good ideas.
Seven days. Seven days??
When I was seven, I began my tenure at the UN School in New York. One song we sang then went something like this:
So let’s extend a helping hand
Across the Rio Grande
And help each other too
Like all good neighbors do.
Over the years I have wondered whatever happened to that ‘extending a helping hand’ idea.
And, about the good neighbor line – how does that one play out in reality? Say, even in New York?
On 7th street, you’ll find the St. Stanislaus Church – a Polish Roman Catholic church with a statue of John Paul II in front. For many years there was quite a bit of tension between the church and the across-the-street-neighbor, Body Worship. The church officials did not appreciate the fact that their beloved Pope had to look out upon a store that was a major S&M gear outlet. I, myself, found it rather amusing that we had two houses of worship facing each other in this way, but my opinion on this is, of course, hardly relevant. In the end, the powerful St Stanislaus won the battle, if not the war, because Body Worship is no more.
Further down the street, there is another racy place – Enelra’s Lingerie. One critic stated that Enelra makes Victoria’s Secret look like the Gap! Does it have skirmishes with its immediate neighbor, the Via della Pace? Not a bit. Via della Pace is a bar-eatery, presumably named after the trendy bar in Rome. If you go to the NY ‘della Pace’ now, in the weeks before the election, you’ll find an interesting display inside, with clips of reviews, some photos of past winers-and-diners, and a t-shirt with the logo; “Romani Contro Bush.” Oh, and a Kerry pin. Now is that un-nieghborly? Does it repel customers to show such political partisanship? Not so much, or at least not in New York, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 5 to 1.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
When I was seven, I began my tenure at the UN School in New York. One song we sang then went something like this:
So let’s extend a helping hand
Across the Rio Grande
And help each other too
Like all good neighbors do.
Over the years I have wondered whatever happened to that ‘extending a helping hand’ idea.
And, about the good neighbor line – how does that one play out in reality? Say, even in New York?
On 7th street, you’ll find the St. Stanislaus Church – a Polish Roman Catholic church with a statue of John Paul II in front. For many years there was quite a bit of tension between the church and the across-the-street-neighbor, Body Worship. The church officials did not appreciate the fact that their beloved Pope had to look out upon a store that was a major S&M gear outlet. I, myself, found it rather amusing that we had two houses of worship facing each other in this way, but my opinion on this is, of course, hardly relevant. In the end, the powerful St Stanislaus won the battle, if not the war, because Body Worship is no more.
Further down the street, there is another racy place – Enelra’s Lingerie. One critic stated that Enelra makes Victoria’s Secret look like the Gap! Does it have skirmishes with its immediate neighbor, the Via della Pace? Not a bit. Via della Pace is a bar-eatery, presumably named after the trendy bar in Rome. If you go to the NY ‘della Pace’ now, in the weeks before the election, you’ll find an interesting display inside, with clips of reviews, some photos of past winers-and-diners, and a t-shirt with the logo; “Romani Contro Bush.” Oh, and a Kerry pin. Now is that un-nieghborly? Does it repel customers to show such political partisanship? Not so much, or at least not in New York, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 5 to 1.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Did Someone Say Civil War??
Indeed. John Dean wrote a compelling piece (here) last week, explaining how it will be nearly impossible to avoid a long, drawn-out legal battle following a close election on November 2nd. The Democrats aren’t about to cave in after the slap in the face in 2000 and the Republicans, well, they’ve got I-will-bully-and-fight-'til-the-bitter-end-Karl Rove calling the shots. Consider these closing paragraphs from John Dean:
The Nightmare Scenario: An Election up in the Air for Months
It may be days or weeks, if not months, before we know the final results of this presidential election. And given the Republican control of the government, if Karl Rove is on the losing side, it could be years: He will take every issue (if he is losing) to its ultimate appeal in every state he can.
The cost of such litigation will be great - with the capital of citizens' trust in their government, and its election processes, sinking along with the nation's (if not the world') financial markets, which loathe uncertainty. After Bush v. Gore, is there any doubt how the high Court would resolve another round? This time, though, the Court, too, will pay more dearly. With persuasive power as its only source of authority, the Court's power will diminish as the American people's cynicism skyrockets.
It does not seem to trouble either Rove or Bush that they are moving us toward a Twenty-first Century civil war - and that, once again, Southern conservatism is at its core. Only a miracle, it strikes me, can prevent this election from descending into post-election chaos. But given the alternatives, a miracle is what I am hoping for.
What would Bush ads be like if this were Britain?
According to a recent CNN poll (here), the British fear spiders more than terrorism. Imagine, then, Bush campaign ads, focusing not on the fight to stamp out terrorists, but to stamp out spiders. In his words (though with my spiders):
GWB: America should lead with strength and confidence. Our great nation has to be strong. And safe. From spiders. We must lead in the march toward freedom. From spiders. Sadam knows and harbors spiders. He had the capability of attracting more spiders. The world is a better place without spiders. My opponent would have you believe that there are no spiders in Iraq. My opponent would cut funds for spider smashing. My opponent would enter multilateral negotiations about spiders. We need a strong America. We stand for a culture of life. Without spiders.
Sounds as credible as anything else we're hearing. Silly? Well, one person's fear is another person's malarkey. I'm sure the British are wondering why we're not attuned to the real dangers before us either (spiders, nuclear weapons).
GWB: America should lead with strength and confidence. Our great nation has to be strong. And safe. From spiders. We must lead in the march toward freedom. From spiders. Sadam knows and harbors spiders. He had the capability of attracting more spiders. The world is a better place without spiders. My opponent would have you believe that there are no spiders in Iraq. My opponent would cut funds for spider smashing. My opponent would enter multilateral negotiations about spiders. We need a strong America. We stand for a culture of life. Without spiders.
Sounds as credible as anything else we're hearing. Silly? Well, one person's fear is another person's malarkey. I'm sure the British are wondering why we're not attuned to the real dangers before us either (spiders, nuclear weapons).
Eight days remaining now. Jaroslav Seifert, a Czech writer and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, wrote a poem entitled “Eight Days.” Seifert once said “If a writer is silent, he is lying.”
And a boo to you, too
Who needs Halloween this year? There are enough authentic devils and goblins floating around to scare the daylights out of you. But if I were to dress up as something spooky, I’d make a newspaper dress out of today’s Washington Post article on the nuclear threats that have not been adequately addressed by the Bush administration (here). Pretty scary stuff. On my forehead, I’d paste these excerpts:
"The big gorilla in the basement is the material from Russia and Pakistan," said Robert L. Gallucci, dean of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and a classified consultant to the CIA and Energy Department laboratories. "This is the principal, major national security threat to the United States in the next decade or more. I don't know what's in second place."
…"If tomorrow morning we lost a city, who of us could have said we didn't know how this could happen?" [Gallucci] said. "I haven't felt like this in all the years I've been in government or the nine since I've been [out]. I am -- I don't want to say scared, because that's not what I want to project, but I am deeply concerned for my family and for all Americans."
Madeline Albright said last night on the Daily Show: "..what is scariest is that they [the current administration] believe it’s going well."
Good bye Good Humor (on the campaign trail?) man, hello Mud (slinging on the campaign trail?) guy
One more viewing of a commercial that aims to scare the voter right into the GOP lap and I am giving up TV for at least 8 days.
I am not in NYC at the moment, but I recall seeing a new fixture on the streets of the East Village this past week-end – something called a Mud Truck, selling gourmet coffee to us mortals who are seeking an alternative to Starbucks but winding up at Starbucks places for lack of decent other choices. [I have no real objection to Starbucks and in fact, while in NY, I rely on the chain for my wireless service, but I appreciate opportunities to spend my life’s savings – they must sprinkle gold dust on lattes in NY – on something more local every once in a while.] Well, now we have a Mud Truck, standing right there, to the side of 8th street. With a peaceful political statement. I’ll drink to that.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
And a boo to you, too
Who needs Halloween this year? There are enough authentic devils and goblins floating around to scare the daylights out of you. But if I were to dress up as something spooky, I’d make a newspaper dress out of today’s Washington Post article on the nuclear threats that have not been adequately addressed by the Bush administration (here). Pretty scary stuff. On my forehead, I’d paste these excerpts:
"The big gorilla in the basement is the material from Russia and Pakistan," said Robert L. Gallucci, dean of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and a classified consultant to the CIA and Energy Department laboratories. "This is the principal, major national security threat to the United States in the next decade or more. I don't know what's in second place."
…"If tomorrow morning we lost a city, who of us could have said we didn't know how this could happen?" [Gallucci] said. "I haven't felt like this in all the years I've been in government or the nine since I've been [out]. I am -- I don't want to say scared, because that's not what I want to project, but I am deeply concerned for my family and for all Americans."
Madeline Albright said last night on the Daily Show: "..what is scariest is that they [the current administration] believe it’s going well."
Good bye Good Humor (on the campaign trail?) man, hello Mud (slinging on the campaign trail?) guy
One more viewing of a commercial that aims to scare the voter right into the GOP lap and I am giving up TV for at least 8 days.
I am not in NYC at the moment, but I recall seeing a new fixture on the streets of the East Village this past week-end – something called a Mud Truck, selling gourmet coffee to us mortals who are seeking an alternative to Starbucks but winding up at Starbucks places for lack of decent other choices. [I have no real objection to Starbucks and in fact, while in NY, I rely on the chain for my wireless service, but I appreciate opportunities to spend my life’s savings – they must sprinkle gold dust on lattes in NY – on something more local every once in a while.] Well, now we have a Mud Truck, standing right there, to the side of 8th street. With a peaceful political statement. I’ll drink to that.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Monday, October 25, 2004
Ninth street pre-election diary, part 2*
Thanks for the link, Insta-Ann.
I will do my best to stay true to my convictions which are as follows: my pen in the election booth will not cross over into the red arena. It will remain with the blue candidates.
Now, on to the torrent of email in response to the link. Let me just post a few answers:
To the reader who asked if I understood how someone might vote for Bush without being a morally corrupt person. The reader tells me, timidly almost, that unlike many fellow Republicans, he, himself tries to understand the Kerry side of the issue even as he is voting for Bush.
My answer? Yes, as a matter of fact, I think I do understand. I can understand how fear of change in leadership now, in the middle of this Iraq mess, may freeze a voter completely, leading them to stay at GWB's side. I can understand that. I, myself, however, don't buy it.
Listen, ye who are drawn to Bush based on his terrorism-Iraq platform: I am offering my sympathies. It must be tough to live in fear that a Kerry-type might be an even less effective leader in the battle to contain international terrorism than Bush is.
And imagine the quandary I'd be in if, say, the Republican candidate was espousing a platform of anti-terrorist measures, similar to that advanced by Kerry, while the Democratic candidate was the Iraq-obsessed-wont-say-he's-wrong-or-that-he-deceived-the-public politician. Whom would I vote for? Would global concerns trump a domestic agenda?
Here's my honest answer to that dilemma: initially I would be one of those unfortunate undecided's, harassed by every one and their mother (and especially my mother, who tends toward the "passionately convinced" side of every issue) in the course of each waking hour before the election.
But eventually I WOULD decide and it would be in favor of the person who could advance a reasoned position, rather than an emotional, irrational conviction.
This year I have it easy because for me, Kerry trumps Bush on the international-terrorism front, in his domestic policies (not far-reaching enough at times, but it's a start) and perhaps most importantly, in his ability to rely on knowledge and reason in the search for an optimal outcome. I do whole-heartedlybelieve that Kerry is better able than Bush to process vast amounts of information, and to listen to opinions from other nations and from an informed staff who understands the complexities and challenges ahead, rather than questioning their gut and God for the right course of action. Would anyone dispute this??
Staying with Bush now is like staying with a quack who has managed to plug the needle into your vein but has yet to send the right medication into your bloodstream. "It's working! It's working! I can do it! I can do it!" he shouts, as the world grows increasingly doubtful and the patient slowly fades into nothingness.
Okay, other emails: To the reader who asks how I could possibly be Polish, with a first-hand knowledge of socialism and not be a conservative:
Well now, yes, exactly so. The logic is entirely on my side.
To the reader who asks if I was offended by Kerry's disrespect toward my homeland during the debate:
I felt no such disrespect. And much as I love my homeland, I question its motives in initially joining with this Administration's decision to invade Iraq, in the same way that I am now questioning its motives in deciding to pull back. If, indeed, it has decided, because it seems to me that someone on the other side of the Ocean is punting until further word comes on who will be the next leader in America.
To the reader who remarked on my champagne-liberalism (see post below) -- yes, yes, you are correct! It is a wonderful label and I will drink a toast to it come Tuesday. I hope. [You know what killed me, though, during my NY brunch? One of the Columbus Ave. eateries had a sign saying: wear a button, any button -- Kerry or Bush -- and promise you'll vote, and you'll get 15% off your bill. I don't wear buttons, but I live in Wisconsin where my vote will count more and I promise to vote! Shouldn't that buy me at least another 5% off?? Still, in the end I passed on their mimosa brunch because the lines, full of Kerry-ites, those unfearful New Yorkers who are not frozen into believing that Bush is as good as it gets, were too long.]
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
I will do my best to stay true to my convictions which are as follows: my pen in the election booth will not cross over into the red arena. It will remain with the blue candidates.
Now, on to the torrent of email in response to the link. Let me just post a few answers:
To the reader who asked if I understood how someone might vote for Bush without being a morally corrupt person. The reader tells me, timidly almost, that unlike many fellow Republicans, he, himself tries to understand the Kerry side of the issue even as he is voting for Bush.
My answer? Yes, as a matter of fact, I think I do understand. I can understand how fear of change in leadership now, in the middle of this Iraq mess, may freeze a voter completely, leading them to stay at GWB's side. I can understand that. I, myself, however, don't buy it.
Listen, ye who are drawn to Bush based on his terrorism-Iraq platform: I am offering my sympathies. It must be tough to live in fear that a Kerry-type might be an even less effective leader in the battle to contain international terrorism than Bush is.
And imagine the quandary I'd be in if, say, the Republican candidate was espousing a platform of anti-terrorist measures, similar to that advanced by Kerry, while the Democratic candidate was the Iraq-obsessed-wont-say-he's-wrong-or-that-he-deceived-the-public politician. Whom would I vote for? Would global concerns trump a domestic agenda?
Here's my honest answer to that dilemma: initially I would be one of those unfortunate undecided's, harassed by every one and their mother (and especially my mother, who tends toward the "passionately convinced" side of every issue) in the course of each waking hour before the election.
But eventually I WOULD decide and it would be in favor of the person who could advance a reasoned position, rather than an emotional, irrational conviction.
This year I have it easy because for me, Kerry trumps Bush on the international-terrorism front, in his domestic policies (not far-reaching enough at times, but it's a start) and perhaps most importantly, in his ability to rely on knowledge and reason in the search for an optimal outcome. I do whole-heartedlybelieve that Kerry is better able than Bush to process vast amounts of information, and to listen to opinions from other nations and from an informed staff who understands the complexities and challenges ahead, rather than questioning their gut and God for the right course of action. Would anyone dispute this??
Staying with Bush now is like staying with a quack who has managed to plug the needle into your vein but has yet to send the right medication into your bloodstream. "It's working! It's working! I can do it! I can do it!" he shouts, as the world grows increasingly doubtful and the patient slowly fades into nothingness.
Okay, other emails: To the reader who asks how I could possibly be Polish, with a first-hand knowledge of socialism and not be a conservative:
Well now, yes, exactly so. The logic is entirely on my side.
To the reader who asks if I was offended by Kerry's disrespect toward my homeland during the debate:
I felt no such disrespect. And much as I love my homeland, I question its motives in initially joining with this Administration's decision to invade Iraq, in the same way that I am now questioning its motives in deciding to pull back. If, indeed, it has decided, because it seems to me that someone on the other side of the Ocean is punting until further word comes on who will be the next leader in America.
To the reader who remarked on my champagne-liberalism (see post below) -- yes, yes, you are correct! It is a wonderful label and I will drink a toast to it come Tuesday. I hope. [You know what killed me, though, during my NY brunch? One of the Columbus Ave. eateries had a sign saying: wear a button, any button -- Kerry or Bush -- and promise you'll vote, and you'll get 15% off your bill. I don't wear buttons, but I live in Wisconsin where my vote will count more and I promise to vote! Shouldn't that buy me at least another 5% off?? Still, in the end I passed on their mimosa brunch because the lines, full of Kerry-ites, those unfearful New Yorkers who are not frozen into believing that Bush is as good as it gets, were too long.]
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Yesterday I did what I most love doing on a last Sunday in New York (prior to returning home): I walked through Central Park to the upper west side, had a salmon-eggs-benedict-and-glass-of-champagne brunch (bloody marys or mimosas are permissible alternatives) in one of the countless packed eateries on Columbus Avenue (the City Grill this time), poked into off-beat places along the way there and back, and finally called it quits and caught a cab to La Guardia.
I had the eerie feeling of normality in the face of abnormal times.
On the flight back to Madison I had the Dean of the Law School up front, another colleague in the middle and a neighbor right next to me. You might say I was easing in from the anonymity of the city to the comfy quilt that is Madison.
On my doorstep I found one ticket to the rally for Kerry this Thursday. Why one? Who gave them out? Did everyone get one?
Sitting at the Grill yesterday over my nicely poached egg, I tried to avoid spinning back to the topic that is like a plague o’ these pickle herring – the election. In the end, it proved to be impossible. My eating companion and I enumerated all things that are now patently before us – ready to discredit the current administration, yet somehow remarkably failing to do so (this theme is repeated in Herbert’s column this morning in the NYT here).
It was my last trip to NY before the election. As I cut across Central Park I came across Wollman’s Rink. They’re rushing the winter season here! How incongruous it all is: the ice skaters against a frame of still-green trees, moving to the music, all of us listening to the bleak political news of the day that for some reason fails to rock at least 50% of those who hear it – one vignette after another, not fitting, out of place, needing adjustment.
So few days left now to make sense of it all.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
I had the eerie feeling of normality in the face of abnormal times.
On the flight back to Madison I had the Dean of the Law School up front, another colleague in the middle and a neighbor right next to me. You might say I was easing in from the anonymity of the city to the comfy quilt that is Madison.
On my doorstep I found one ticket to the rally for Kerry this Thursday. Why one? Who gave them out? Did everyone get one?
Sitting at the Grill yesterday over my nicely poached egg, I tried to avoid spinning back to the topic that is like a plague o’ these pickle herring – the election. In the end, it proved to be impossible. My eating companion and I enumerated all things that are now patently before us – ready to discredit the current administration, yet somehow remarkably failing to do so (this theme is repeated in Herbert’s column this morning in the NYT here).
It was my last trip to NY before the election. As I cut across Central Park I came across Wollman’s Rink. They’re rushing the winter season here! How incongruous it all is: the ice skaters against a frame of still-green trees, moving to the music, all of us listening to the bleak political news of the day that for some reason fails to rock at least 50% of those who hear it – one vignette after another, not fitting, out of place, needing adjustment.
So few days left now to make sense of it all.
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Now I know why I subscribe to the NYTimes and reserve the Washington Post for only online reading. I suppose if you are one of those “undecideds,” then the WashPost endorsement today of Kerry is just for you. It groans its way through the Bush record and moans its reluctance in completely handing it over to Kerry. On balance, though, it says Kerry, though shaky on some issues, will do better and is worth the risk.
The risk? It’s funny, it is the risk behind the GWB presidency that sends me spinning.
Yesterday, I spent another day in NHaven CT and I was taken for a hike along riverbanks, where I could indulge myself in perfect New England foliage views. Yes, I loved it, totally, completely. Imagine encountering covered bridges and maples trees with burgundy-tipped leaves. Of course, what pleased me no end were the other great signs of fall (see bottom photo in line-up).
The risk? It’s funny, it is the risk behind the GWB presidency that sends me spinning.
Yesterday, I spent another day in NHaven CT and I was taken for a hike along riverbanks, where I could indulge myself in perfect New England foliage views. Yes, I loved it, totally, completely. Imagine encountering covered bridges and maples trees with burgundy-tipped leaves. Of course, what pleased me no end were the other great signs of fall (see bottom photo in line-up).
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Sounding the horn on the blog bears no penalty and so I can proceed.
It is late. My train is speeding into darkness along the New Haven -- Grand Central corridor. I am reading the New Yorker and, in the gloom of the dark night, I suddenly I realize that our toast may well fall butter-side down in our laps. Let me explain.
The Talk of the Town column recalls Murphy's Law. Originally states as "If there's a wrong way to do it, he will" (since I am obsessing about politics, a certain candidate comes to mind), it evolved into the general proposition that "Anything that can go wrong will," or, as it is often formulated across the ocean (in Britain) -- "Bad things happen at the most inopportune times." In England, an advertisement basically sums it up thus: "Not only will your toast fall butter-side down; your toaster will break--the day after your guarantee runs out." And, the New Yorker article suggests that this is more than folk-wisdom. Life's events catapult in unfortunate directions in a synchronized march toward doomsday with some regularity. At the very least, it can be demonstrated that you are more likely to be stuck in a traffic jam if you need to be somewhere in a hurry.
I haven't read the headlines today yet, but I can translate this all too well into the political arena. Imagine this chain of absurdities: Kerry says Lambert instead of Lambeau while munching on a brat which he mistakenly refers to as a br-aaa-t (rhymes with hat), while wiping goose blood from his newly acquired hunting jacket, and 1000 voters, apparently with the minds of boiled turnips, catch all this on TV, gasp in shock, and fill out their swing state ballots for the "other guy." The electoral tallying machine crunches out the bleak reality. Ten electoral votes put one guy over the top and we have 4 more years of an administration that basically ensures the demise of the world as we know it. Or at the very least, hacks away at equality, civil rights, global dialogue and environmental resource conservation because the gut of one person tells him that this is what must happen. Have I taken Murphy's Law too far?
We are eleven days away. I have every right to honk scenarios of horror and gloom. Let me pause now and take a look at some headlines. Maybe that will cheer me up.
UPDATE: 50 to 46 doesn't do it for me.
(*see "forty-second street pre-election diary" post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
It is late. My train is speeding into darkness along the New Haven -- Grand Central corridor. I am reading the New Yorker and, in the gloom of the dark night, I suddenly I realize that our toast may well fall butter-side down in our laps. Let me explain.
The Talk of the Town column recalls Murphy's Law. Originally states as "If there's a wrong way to do it, he will" (since I am obsessing about politics, a certain candidate comes to mind), it evolved into the general proposition that "Anything that can go wrong will," or, as it is often formulated across the ocean (in Britain) -- "Bad things happen at the most inopportune times." In England, an advertisement basically sums it up thus: "Not only will your toast fall butter-side down; your toaster will break--the day after your guarantee runs out." And, the New Yorker article suggests that this is more than folk-wisdom. Life's events catapult in unfortunate directions in a synchronized march toward doomsday with some regularity. At the very least, it can be demonstrated that you are more likely to be stuck in a traffic jam if you need to be somewhere in a hurry.
I haven't read the headlines today yet, but I can translate this all too well into the political arena. Imagine this chain of absurdities: Kerry says Lambert instead of Lambeau while munching on a brat which he mistakenly refers to as a br-aaa-t (rhymes with hat), while wiping goose blood from his newly acquired hunting jacket, and 1000 voters, apparently with the minds of boiled turnips, catch all this on TV, gasp in shock, and fill out their swing state ballots for the "other guy." The electoral tallying machine crunches out the bleak reality. Ten electoral votes put one guy over the top and we have 4 more years of an administration that basically ensures the demise of the world as we know it. Or at the very least, hacks away at equality, civil rights, global dialogue and environmental resource conservation because the gut of one person tells him that this is what must happen. Have I taken Murphy's Law too far?
We are eleven days away. I have every right to honk scenarios of horror and gloom. Let me pause now and take a look at some headlines. Maybe that will cheer me up.
UPDATE: 50 to 46 doesn't do it for me.
(*see "forty-second street pre-election diary" post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
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