I needed that.
4 days ago
Saturday, November 06, 2004
It may surprise some to learn that today, on the last Outdoor- Market day, I ate my first L’Etoile croissant for the year (I had their pumpkin & chocolate one and it was fantastic!). If you work in a restaurant, you don’t really eat the food that is being prepared there. If you are cooking, you have to taste to adjust for flavors, but that’s all. Just about everyone I know practices this type of abstention. Oh sure, they, like me, will go to dine there now and then, but on days that they are working, there is a real separation of powers between labor and consumption.
While sipping my café au lait and munching on the croissant, I picked up a copy of yesterday’s paper. I found the front-page photo of the first post-election Cabinet Meeting quite entertaining in a sardonic sort of way. Take a look:
While sipping my café au lait and munching on the croissant, I picked up a copy of yesterday’s paper. I found the front-page photo of the first post-election Cabinet Meeting quite entertaining in a sardonic sort of way. Take a look:
Missing is the look of people hard at work. There is not a single rolled-up sleeve at the table, figuratively-speaking or otherwise. And note the guy in the circle because he is on his way out! I have heard rumors from very well-informed sources that if he goes, half the staff at the State Department is going to quit. That, of course, would be awkward or awesome, depending on your perspective. But Donald Rumsfeld seems to feel that we want him to continue to pound his fists at everyone and their shadow overseas. So two more years of him. Two years? Want kind of a commitment is that anyway? He’s already announcing that two more years of this Administration is about as much as he can take? How about the rest of us? We're stuck with four!And aren’t we all happy happy to see that Condoleezza Rice may well be the next Rumsfeld. Such disarming people, the both of them!
At the Market today, farmers were engaged in political speculations (I only buy from Democrats. Honestly. It’s not that I disdain food coming from Red-tainted soil, it’s just that I have yet to MEET a Market farmer who voted for Bush). What now, why, where to... One young guy over at Harmony Valley was explaining to a customer how the only way this country can survive is if we take on seriously the task of providing information to people who are simply not knowledgeable about the crisis facing this country. He is sending his Bush-voting in-laws a subscription to the New York Times. I told him they either wont read it or call it a lefty rag. “No,” he said, “because I am not just a random person out there. I married their daughter. They like me. I can make inroads because they trust me. I tell you, this should be our mssion for the next 4 years: to educate those without access to hard facts. Education is huge!”
There’s a reason why it’s always refreshing to talk to farmers at the Market. They see their crops fail, they deal with droughts and flooded fields. And, if they at all can, they come back to it next year anyway.
Just two photos from the Market today – the post is obscenely long as it is. The first focuses in on the essence of a great Market: stacks of carrots, in the glow of a beautiful, sunny day. The other is more suggestive of things to come. The peppers are still there, but they are strung with seasonal pine cones. Damn. The Market changes, seasons change, but the president and vice president stay the same. Damn.
At the Market today, farmers were engaged in political speculations (I only buy from Democrats. Honestly. It’s not that I disdain food coming from Red-tainted soil, it’s just that I have yet to MEET a Market farmer who voted for Bush). What now, why, where to... One young guy over at Harmony Valley was explaining to a customer how the only way this country can survive is if we take on seriously the task of providing information to people who are simply not knowledgeable about the crisis facing this country. He is sending his Bush-voting in-laws a subscription to the New York Times. I told him they either wont read it or call it a lefty rag. “No,” he said, “because I am not just a random person out there. I married their daughter. They like me. I can make inroads because they trust me. I tell you, this should be our mssion for the next 4 years: to educate those without access to hard facts. Education is huge!”
There’s a reason why it’s always refreshing to talk to farmers at the Market. They see their crops fail, they deal with droughts and flooded fields. And, if they at all can, they come back to it next year anyway.
Just two photos from the Market today – the post is obscenely long as it is. The first focuses in on the essence of a great Market: stacks of carrots, in the glow of a beautiful, sunny day. The other is more suggestive of things to come. The peppers are still there, but they are strung with seasonal pine cones. Damn. The Market changes, seasons change, but the president and vice president stay the same. Damn.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Alabama, I want to get to know you better…
A reader forwarded this story on the referendum that was on the ballot in Alabama. It appears that it failed (thus far, because they are demanding a recount) to eliminate segregationist provisions (to be fair – long-unenforced) from the Alabama Constitution. Close call though, 50% against, 50% in favor. [The problem? The referendum was tied to another provision, the removal of which threatened to raise school taxes.]
I was all ready to get on the Ocean blog and write – you wont get this blogger to venture to Alabama if my sun-deprived self depended on it!
And then I thought to myself: no, Ocean will rise above such sweeping, pernicious and defamatory condemnations. I have written earlier, after all, about the ability of honorable Europeans (even those who are in the Coalition of the Unwilling) to differentiate between Americans and their war-boy antihero. The Other Side of the Ocean should be at least as noble as those on the other side of the ocean.
And so I forced myself, here on Ocean, to make that gesutre. Reach out! Reach out to the heart of Dixie, I said, feeling magnimonious and resisting the temptation to pinch my nose. And what did I come up with? I don’t have county by county data on the Amendment, but take a look at these counties in terms of the Bush – Kerry election (source: CNN):
(overall state numbers: 37% Kerry, 63% Bush)
Macon – 83% Kerry, 17% Bush
Greene – 80% Kerry, 20% Bush
Lowndes – 70% Kerry, 30% Bush
By comparison, us smug Dane County (our little island of idealism in the vast sea of reality) voters have produced only this:
Kerry – 66%
Bush – 33%
Okay, I’m sorry Alabama. I will not make generalizations about the state and (all) its people again. Just get rid of that Amendment.
I was all ready to get on the Ocean blog and write – you wont get this blogger to venture to Alabama if my sun-deprived self depended on it!
And then I thought to myself: no, Ocean will rise above such sweeping, pernicious and defamatory condemnations. I have written earlier, after all, about the ability of honorable Europeans (even those who are in the Coalition of the Unwilling) to differentiate between Americans and their war-boy antihero. The Other Side of the Ocean should be at least as noble as those on the other side of the ocean.
And so I forced myself, here on Ocean, to make that gesutre. Reach out! Reach out to the heart of Dixie, I said, feeling magnimonious and resisting the temptation to pinch my nose. And what did I come up with? I don’t have county by county data on the Amendment, but take a look at these counties in terms of the Bush – Kerry election (source: CNN):
(overall state numbers: 37% Kerry, 63% Bush)
Macon – 83% Kerry, 17% Bush
Greene – 80% Kerry, 20% Bush
Lowndes – 70% Kerry, 30% Bush
By comparison, us smug Dane County (our little island of idealism in the vast sea of reality) voters have produced only this:
Kerry – 66%
Bush – 33%
Okay, I’m sorry Alabama. I will not make generalizations about the state and (all) its people again. Just get rid of that Amendment.
Be real, people!
My words to our neighbors across the Pacific: let’s not hope for the impossible and we will not be disappointed.
I read in the IHT today that the Asahi Shimbun (a Japanese paper) posted this:
The newspaper … appealed to Bush's humility, reminding him that there was still "persistent opposition" to his security policy and saying, "We want him to respect the criticism humbly."
Come, come, have you looked closely at the face of our victor? This is not a man who gulps down humility with his orange juice each morning. Look at these humble servants from the official GOP website:
Japan, you are so UNREAL. You! A member of the Coalition of the Willing! And what’s this with the other Asian countries? I see a reference to a paper from South Korea, another American ally:
Similar sentiments were echoed by newspapers in South Korea. … The JoongAng Ilbo said the United States had "suffered great damage from its unilateral diplomacy over the past four years" and urged it to be more considerate of its allies.
Are you stuck on the old Bush or are you asking this of the current George? Don’t hold your breath, pals.
Hong Kong, at least, steps cautiously:
In Hong Kong, The South China Morning Post characterized Bush's victory as a "victory for divisiveness."
"Great challenges lie ahead," The Post said. "But they will be confronted by a nation that is at odds with itself. History will judge the price his country will have to pay for this most divisive of victories."
But you have to hand it to India, a great beneficiary of American outsourcing. What a sense of humor that country has! (as it cheers – now isn’t that interesting – the November 2nd results):
The Times of India touched on a growing trade issue with the United States by asking, "Should the U.S. outsource its electoral process to India's remarkably efficient election commission?"
I read in the IHT today that the Asahi Shimbun (a Japanese paper) posted this:
The newspaper … appealed to Bush's humility, reminding him that there was still "persistent opposition" to his security policy and saying, "We want him to respect the criticism humbly."
Come, come, have you looked closely at the face of our victor? This is not a man who gulps down humility with his orange juice each morning. Look at these humble servants from the official GOP website:
Japan, you are so UNREAL. You! A member of the Coalition of the Willing! And what’s this with the other Asian countries? I see a reference to a paper from South Korea, another American ally:
Similar sentiments were echoed by newspapers in South Korea. … The JoongAng Ilbo said the United States had "suffered great damage from its unilateral diplomacy over the past four years" and urged it to be more considerate of its allies.
Are you stuck on the old Bush or are you asking this of the current George? Don’t hold your breath, pals.
Hong Kong, at least, steps cautiously:
In Hong Kong, The South China Morning Post characterized Bush's victory as a "victory for divisiveness."
"Great challenges lie ahead," The Post said. "But they will be confronted by a nation that is at odds with itself. History will judge the price his country will have to pay for this most divisive of victories."
But you have to hand it to India, a great beneficiary of American outsourcing. What a sense of humor that country has! (as it cheers – now isn’t that interesting – the November 2nd results):
The Times of India touched on a growing trade issue with the United States by asking, "Should the U.S. outsource its electoral process to India's remarkably efficient election commission?"
A review of day two
(Or: How I got through yesterday on virtually no sleep for two nights in a row)
Was 2 minutes late for first class (never happened before), forgot lecture notes, poured cold water over tea bag, forgot to record exams, locked myself out of my office just before second class and was, therefore, 2 minutes late for that (unbeleivable!), called student by wrong name, fell asleep (visibly) during faculty meeting, was late for coffee meeting, kept complaining about the freezing weather during evening walk (an objectively inaccurate assesmment of the meteorological conditions outside), talked politics at dinner with Ann and remember none of it today, got a parking ticket, dozed off in the middle of writing a blog post.
A special treat for Ocean readers: tomorrow you get to read a post under the heading: How I got through yesterday on virtually no sleep for three nights in a row. It’ll be a doozie.
Was 2 minutes late for first class (never happened before), forgot lecture notes, poured cold water over tea bag, forgot to record exams, locked myself out of my office just before second class and was, therefore, 2 minutes late for that (unbeleivable!), called student by wrong name, fell asleep (visibly) during faculty meeting, was late for coffee meeting, kept complaining about the freezing weather during evening walk (an objectively inaccurate assesmment of the meteorological conditions outside), talked politics at dinner with Ann and remember none of it today, got a parking ticket, dozed off in the middle of writing a blog post.
A special treat for Ocean readers: tomorrow you get to read a post under the heading: How I got through yesterday on virtually no sleep for three nights in a row. It’ll be a doozie.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
You forgot about Poland, redux (long post on building a new life elsewhere)
That one-of-a-kind Jeremy, over at JFW wonders why people are so psyched about moving to Canada now and not choosing to relocate to, say, Poland.
I have always felt myself to be at a cultural disadvantage here. At times (eg November 3rd, a.m.) I have thought – man, I just don’t GET this place! In those moments I have felt inferior, marginalized and confused. But I can take comfort in the fact that every now and then I can rise to the challenge and participate meaningfully in the debate. For instance now: I think I can help you decide -- Poland? Canada? the Caribbean maybe? Read on!
First, why Canada remains a cool choice: it’s because they are not yet ready to bash our brains in, that’s why. They still want to help us out, even though we mock their affected French ways in Quebec and poo poo their pandering to environmentally-correct mammals. Check out this website, which urges Canadians to take on an American bride at our time of great need. here's an excerpt:
Now that George W. Bush has been officially elected, single, sexy, American liberals - already a threatened species - will be desperate to escape.
These lonely, afraid (did we mention really hot?) progressives will need a safe haven.
You can help. Open your heart, and your home. Marry an American. Legions of Canadians have already pledged to sacrifice their singlehood to save our southern neighbours from four more years of cowboy conservatism.
And why not Poland?
Here’s someone positing that very question on her (Madison-based) blog, just yesterday. She writes:
Accepting my brother’s offer to work in Poznan (Poland) where he lives with his Polish wife is also not an option. He’s right – I’d make more than the average Pole and the landscape (at least in selected areas) would be much better. But, let’s be honest…I just wouldn’t fit in. I don’t speak Polish, I do yoga (which the Catholic church in Poland seems to regard with some mystical suspicions), I like to run outside (which, judging by my visits to Poland, is not an acceptable outdoor activity and tends to cause alarm), I drink my vodka in cocktails, I like a large supermarket with an expansive and fresh produce section to be within walking distance, I love it that even in Wisconsin I have the opportunity to see live roller-derby, I love rodeos, and a Sleater-Kinney, Le Tigre or White Stripes concert at least once per year is an absolute must. Oh, and I don’t speak Polish.
Now, I do think one shouldn't be quite this intimidated by the puzzled stares of my country-folk. Be bold! Kick the shi(ns) out of anyone who wont let you do yoga! The church is losing its grip on the Polish psyche anyway. Go! Relocate to Poland! (But do learn Polish first.)
In the alternative, a reader (thanks, Christina) brought the following Harper’s article to my attention:
A reader’s guide to expatriating on November 3
So the wrong candidate has won, and you want to leave the country. Let us consider your options.
Renouncing your citizenship
Given how much the United States as a nation professes to value freedom, your freedom to opt out of the nation itself is surprisingly limited. …
The most serious barrier to renouncing your citizenship is that the State Department, which oversees expatriation, is reluctant to allow citizens to go “stateless.” Before allowing expatriation, the department will want you to have obtained citizenship or legal asylum in another country…
Heading to Canada…
In your search for alternate citizenship, you might naturally think first of Canada and Mexico. But despite the generous terms of NAFTA, our neighbors to the north and south are, like us, far more interested in the flow of money than of persons. Canada, in particular, is no longer a paradise awaiting American dissidents... Today it takes an average of twenty-five months to be accepted as a permanent resident, and this is only the first step in what is likely to be a five-year process of becoming a citizen. At that point the gesture of expatriation may already be moot, particularly if a sympathetic political party has since resumed power.
France
… those who opposed the Iraq war might hope to find refuge in France, where a very select few are allowed to “assimilate” each year. Assimilation is reserved for persons of non-French descent who are able to prove that they are more French than American, having mastered the language as well as the philosophy of the French way of life…
The coalition of the willing
Should the other candidate win, war supporters might naturally look to join the coalition of the willing. But you may find a willing and developing nation as difficult to join as an unwilling and developed one. It takes at least five years to become a citizen of Pakistan, for instance, unless one marries into a family, and each applicant for residency in Pakistan is judged on a case-by-case basis. Uzbekistan imposes a five-year wait as well, with an additional twist: the nation does not recognize dual citizenship, and so you will be required to renounce your U.S. citizenship first. Given Uzbekistan’s standard of living (low), unemployment (high), and human-rights record (poor), this would be something of a leap of faith. …
The Caribbean
A more pleasant solution might be found in the Caribbean. Take, for example, the twin-island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, which Frommer’s guide praises for its “average year-round temperature of 79°F (26°C), low humidity, white-sand beaches, and unspoiled natural beauty.” Citizenship in this paradise can be purchased outright. Prices start at around $125,000, which includes a $25,000 application fee and a minimum purchase of $100,000 in bonds. Processing time, which includes checks for criminal records and HIV, can take up to three months, but with luck you could be renouncing by Inauguration Day. ..
And, if all else fails, don’t forget about Poland. Start practicing: dziekuje and jak sie masz.
I have always felt myself to be at a cultural disadvantage here. At times (eg November 3rd, a.m.) I have thought – man, I just don’t GET this place! In those moments I have felt inferior, marginalized and confused. But I can take comfort in the fact that every now and then I can rise to the challenge and participate meaningfully in the debate. For instance now: I think I can help you decide -- Poland? Canada? the Caribbean maybe? Read on!
First, why Canada remains a cool choice: it’s because they are not yet ready to bash our brains in, that’s why. They still want to help us out, even though we mock their affected French ways in Quebec and poo poo their pandering to environmentally-correct mammals. Check out this website, which urges Canadians to take on an American bride at our time of great need. here's an excerpt:
Now that George W. Bush has been officially elected, single, sexy, American liberals - already a threatened species - will be desperate to escape.
These lonely, afraid (did we mention really hot?) progressives will need a safe haven.
You can help. Open your heart, and your home. Marry an American. Legions of Canadians have already pledged to sacrifice their singlehood to save our southern neighbours from four more years of cowboy conservatism.
And why not Poland?
Here’s someone positing that very question on her (Madison-based) blog, just yesterday. She writes:
Accepting my brother’s offer to work in Poznan (Poland) where he lives with his Polish wife is also not an option. He’s right – I’d make more than the average Pole and the landscape (at least in selected areas) would be much better. But, let’s be honest…I just wouldn’t fit in. I don’t speak Polish, I do yoga (which the Catholic church in Poland seems to regard with some mystical suspicions), I like to run outside (which, judging by my visits to Poland, is not an acceptable outdoor activity and tends to cause alarm), I drink my vodka in cocktails, I like a large supermarket with an expansive and fresh produce section to be within walking distance, I love it that even in Wisconsin I have the opportunity to see live roller-derby, I love rodeos, and a Sleater-Kinney, Le Tigre or White Stripes concert at least once per year is an absolute must. Oh, and I don’t speak Polish.
Now, I do think one shouldn't be quite this intimidated by the puzzled stares of my country-folk. Be bold! Kick the shi(ns) out of anyone who wont let you do yoga! The church is losing its grip on the Polish psyche anyway. Go! Relocate to Poland! (But do learn Polish first.)
In the alternative, a reader (thanks, Christina) brought the following Harper’s article to my attention:
A reader’s guide to expatriating on November 3
So the wrong candidate has won, and you want to leave the country. Let us consider your options.
Renouncing your citizenship
Given how much the United States as a nation professes to value freedom, your freedom to opt out of the nation itself is surprisingly limited. …
The most serious barrier to renouncing your citizenship is that the State Department, which oversees expatriation, is reluctant to allow citizens to go “stateless.” Before allowing expatriation, the department will want you to have obtained citizenship or legal asylum in another country…
Heading to Canada…
In your search for alternate citizenship, you might naturally think first of Canada and Mexico. But despite the generous terms of NAFTA, our neighbors to the north and south are, like us, far more interested in the flow of money than of persons. Canada, in particular, is no longer a paradise awaiting American dissidents... Today it takes an average of twenty-five months to be accepted as a permanent resident, and this is only the first step in what is likely to be a five-year process of becoming a citizen. At that point the gesture of expatriation may already be moot, particularly if a sympathetic political party has since resumed power.
France
… those who opposed the Iraq war might hope to find refuge in France, where a very select few are allowed to “assimilate” each year. Assimilation is reserved for persons of non-French descent who are able to prove that they are more French than American, having mastered the language as well as the philosophy of the French way of life…
The coalition of the willing
Should the other candidate win, war supporters might naturally look to join the coalition of the willing. But you may find a willing and developing nation as difficult to join as an unwilling and developed one. It takes at least five years to become a citizen of Pakistan, for instance, unless one marries into a family, and each applicant for residency in Pakistan is judged on a case-by-case basis. Uzbekistan imposes a five-year wait as well, with an additional twist: the nation does not recognize dual citizenship, and so you will be required to renounce your U.S. citizenship first. Given Uzbekistan’s standard of living (low), unemployment (high), and human-rights record (poor), this would be something of a leap of faith. …
The Caribbean
A more pleasant solution might be found in the Caribbean. Take, for example, the twin-island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, which Frommer’s guide praises for its “average year-round temperature of 79°F (26°C), low humidity, white-sand beaches, and unspoiled natural beauty.” Citizenship in this paradise can be purchased outright. Prices start at around $125,000, which includes a $25,000 application fee and a minimum purchase of $100,000 in bonds. Processing time, which includes checks for criminal records and HIV, can take up to three months, but with luck you could be renouncing by Inauguration Day. ..
And, if all else fails, don’t forget about Poland. Start practicing: dziekuje and jak sie masz.
Second Postcript to post below
The European press reacts to the election results (thanks A., via yahoo.com):
The Independent bore the front-page headline "Four more years" on a black page with grim pictures including a hooded Iraqi prisoner and an orange-clad detainee at Guantanamo Bay.
The left-leaning Guardian led its features section with a black page bearing the tiny words, "Oh, God." Inside a story described how Bush's victory "catapaulted liberal Britain into collective depression."
Across Europe, many newspapers expressed dismay at the prospect of another term for Bush, a president often regarded as inflexible and unilateralist.
"Oops — they did it again," Germany's left-leaning Tageszeitung newspaper said in a front-page English headlinectory. The cover of the Swiss newsmagazine Facts called Bush's re-election "Europe's Nightmare." "Victory for the hothead: how far will he go?" asked another Swiss weekly, L'Hebdo.
A few British papers welcomed the U.S. election result. "The world is a safer place with George W. Bush back in the Oval Office," the tabloid Sun said in an editorial.
All agreed the result reflected a sea-change in U.S. politics, a victory for neo-conservatives and the religious right.
"March of the Moral Majority" said the conservative Daily Mail, above a photo of Bush with his wife and daughters. "America's moral majority sweeps Bush back into the White House," The Daily Telegraph said.
The Times said Europe "must come to terms, not only with Mr. Bush, but with the nation that has elected him. This is a president who really can speak for America."
[Oh dear, how embarassing.]
The Independent bore the front-page headline "Four more years" on a black page with grim pictures including a hooded Iraqi prisoner and an orange-clad detainee at Guantanamo Bay.
The left-leaning Guardian led its features section with a black page bearing the tiny words, "Oh, God." Inside a story described how Bush's victory "catapaulted liberal Britain into collective depression."
Across Europe, many newspapers expressed dismay at the prospect of another term for Bush, a president often regarded as inflexible and unilateralist.
"Oops — they did it again," Germany's left-leaning Tageszeitung newspaper said in a front-page English headlinectory. The cover of the Swiss newsmagazine Facts called Bush's re-election "Europe's Nightmare." "Victory for the hothead: how far will he go?" asked another Swiss weekly, L'Hebdo.
A few British papers welcomed the U.S. election result. "The world is a safer place with George W. Bush back in the Oval Office," the tabloid Sun said in an editorial.
All agreed the result reflected a sea-change in U.S. politics, a victory for neo-conservatives and the religious right.
"March of the Moral Majority" said the conservative Daily Mail, above a photo of Bush with his wife and daughters. "America's moral majority sweeps Bush back into the White House," The Daily Telegraph said.
The Times said Europe "must come to terms, not only with Mr. Bush, but with the nation that has elected him. This is a president who really can speak for America."
[Oh dear, how embarassing.]
Postscript to post below
Thanks to C, D, D & J for the stream of pick-me-ups, and especially for the sketch below, which speaks directly to my morning rage at news analyses of what was neglected by the Democrats in the course of the campaign.
Beginning of day two
Oh shut up (my sophisticated response to this morning’s news commentaries on the presidential race).
Democrats, we have to wake up (I hear this yesterday and today). It was all about family values and you, Mr. Kerry missed the boat. No, no, not affordable health care and social security and minimum wage and the right to make reproductive decisions and sending sons and daughters to war. Family VALUES. You know, like faith and gays taking over the institution of marriage (11 states? Are we insane?). Values. Loving Laura -- that guy had it figured out. Brilliant language of immagery! And, btw, Mr. Kerry, why couldn’t you have cried for larger audiences prior to the election? Why did you save that for your concession speech? Half a million votes would have been yours right there (we’re consistent – we told Gore the same thing – what a schelp to save emotion for concession!).
Did I imagine that as recently as a week ago it was All About Keeping Us Safe?
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
The end of day one.
I want to know what kind of sorry state I was in last night to generate such a stream of sympathetic calls and emails today?
Here’s the thing. As I told my walking buddy tonight, I’ve got something that all of you don’t have: I can set in place my hidden PRM (Polish Recovery Mechanism). PRM works really well for brooding Slavs who basically can’t believe there is a tomorrow, because when they actually do wake up to a new day they are pleasantly surprised.
And so then we work work work to put aside whatever was troubling us the night before. If that doesn’t help, by evening we consider downing gallons of vodka. I am happy to report that I am in control and not reaching into the liqour cabinet. Just a little low on leftover Halloween candy and Organic Angel Fluffs.
P.S. Today’s Daily Show is better than vodka. If you missed it, pick it up tomorrow at 6. Unless you’re not ready to laugh yet. I can understand that. I guess.
Here’s the thing. As I told my walking buddy tonight, I’ve got something that all of you don’t have: I can set in place my hidden PRM (Polish Recovery Mechanism). PRM works really well for brooding Slavs who basically can’t believe there is a tomorrow, because when they actually do wake up to a new day they are pleasantly surprised.
And so then we work work work to put aside whatever was troubling us the night before. If that doesn’t help, by evening we consider downing gallons of vodka. I am happy to report that I am in control and not reaching into the liqour cabinet. Just a little low on leftover Halloween candy and Organic Angel Fluffs.
P.S. Today’s Daily Show is better than vodka. If you missed it, pick it up tomorrow at 6. Unless you’re not ready to laugh yet. I can understand that. I guess.
Musing, though not terribly amused, part 2:
Listening to the acceptance speeches:
It’s hard to be gracious while listening to Cheney gloat about the success of the Republican Party. I'll be gracious later, I just can't warm up to this man. Each time he appears on the TV I want to say "remind me again how many times you dropped out of college and grad school? Three? Four was it"
Okay, okay, come on, it’s been a long night -- let this post be just one last lapse into cattiness:
Ha ha, the microphone isn’t working properly, ha ha..
Hmmmm… Bush WANTS to say *thank you for letting me keep my job; I’m not so good at finding new employment. Man, I love my wife, I love my life, I love my routines and hey, I did again something that my dad failed to do!*
Bush’s one nod toward Democrats seems to be that he’s wearing a blue tie.
Prayer has been mentioned many times.
I’m sleepy. It’s like attending a boring lecture. I look at the computer screen and notice that my finger has been slumbering on the “r” key. All those “r”s look menacing!
I must have dozed off… Oh! It’s over! What exactly did he say? I'd make a terrible simul-blogger, I failed. Let me listen to the CNN commentaters and pick up the highlights. Whaaat? They keep going back to Kerry’s speech and his beautiful, emotional acknowledgement of the workers in his campaign! Wait, aren’t we supposed to be talking about the Bush acceptance speech? There we go again, the shot is of Kerry and Edwards on stage.
Oh, now I get to listen to live coverage of the speech made by a disappointed Tony Blair. *Damn,* he’s thinking, *my goose is cooked; now I have to stick by this gent and watch my butt get kicked around back home.* Wow, he appears unenthusiastic! Oh, Blair is slipping away from Bush – he is rejecting ‘military might alone’… he is talking about ‘poverty’ and making the 'Middle East peace process' a priority. 'Europe and America must built an alliance'… Am I hearing him right??? Bush will have none of it, I’m sure. *With us or against us* – those are George words. IS BLAIR EVER SO SUBTLY INCHING AWAY FROM BUSH? The international saga continues...
The speeches are over. Back to work.
It’s hard to be gracious while listening to Cheney gloat about the success of the Republican Party. I'll be gracious later, I just can't warm up to this man. Each time he appears on the TV I want to say "remind me again how many times you dropped out of college and grad school? Three? Four was it"
Okay, okay, come on, it’s been a long night -- let this post be just one last lapse into cattiness:
Ha ha, the microphone isn’t working properly, ha ha..
Hmmmm… Bush WANTS to say *thank you for letting me keep my job; I’m not so good at finding new employment. Man, I love my wife, I love my life, I love my routines and hey, I did again something that my dad failed to do!*
Bush’s one nod toward Democrats seems to be that he’s wearing a blue tie.
Prayer has been mentioned many times.
I’m sleepy. It’s like attending a boring lecture. I look at the computer screen and notice that my finger has been slumbering on the “r” key. All those “r”s look menacing!
I must have dozed off… Oh! It’s over! What exactly did he say? I'd make a terrible simul-blogger, I failed. Let me listen to the CNN commentaters and pick up the highlights. Whaaat? They keep going back to Kerry’s speech and his beautiful, emotional acknowledgement of the workers in his campaign! Wait, aren’t we supposed to be talking about the Bush acceptance speech? There we go again, the shot is of Kerry and Edwards on stage.
Oh, now I get to listen to live coverage of the speech made by a disappointed Tony Blair. *Damn,* he’s thinking, *my goose is cooked; now I have to stick by this gent and watch my butt get kicked around back home.* Wow, he appears unenthusiastic! Oh, Blair is slipping away from Bush – he is rejecting ‘military might alone’… he is talking about ‘poverty’ and making the 'Middle East peace process' a priority. 'Europe and America must built an alliance'… Am I hearing him right??? Bush will have none of it, I’m sure. *With us or against us* – those are George words. IS BLAIR EVER SO SUBTLY INCHING AWAY FROM BUSH? The international saga continues...
The speeches are over. Back to work.
Musing, though not terribly amused:
We have never thrown out a sitting president at wartime.
Do you suppose Hillary is suddenly hopeful?
You are not allowed to tell me what Kerry should have done differently.
The election results immediately translate into corporate profit and the impoverishment of the middle class: I have decided to keep cable so that I can laugh, at the close of each day, with Jon Stewart. Charter – thank George for my business.
I am scheduled to soon travel to France. I know I will be regarded separately from an administration that squeaked its way into office by the slimmest of margins. I hear people fretting about how “they hate us” and I know how inaccurate that is. They hate the Bush administration. There’s a difference. However, I wish they’d start making pins that say “I never voted for him.”
Tom reminds us of the magnificence of our Constitution. Especially the 22nd Amendment, Section 1: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.
Do you suppose Hillary is suddenly hopeful?
You are not allowed to tell me what Kerry should have done differently.
The election results immediately translate into corporate profit and the impoverishment of the middle class: I have decided to keep cable so that I can laugh, at the close of each day, with Jon Stewart. Charter – thank George for my business.
I am scheduled to soon travel to France. I know I will be regarded separately from an administration that squeaked its way into office by the slimmest of margins. I hear people fretting about how “they hate us” and I know how inaccurate that is. They hate the Bush administration. There’s a difference. However, I wish they’d start making pins that say “I never voted for him.”
Tom reminds us of the magnificence of our Constitution. Especially the 22nd Amendment, Section 1: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.
Concession speech
I want to thank all Ocean readers who also cared deeply about the elections.
So how to deal with failure? Well, it places a burden on us, doesn’t it? A burden to be even better at life: even kinder, more empathetic to those who are immediately affected, less self-centered in our unhappiness, more outwardly-focused in our lives.
As bloggers, we, too, have a responsibility: to be even more skillful at story-telling, more rigorous and precise in our writing, sharper, more intelligent, funnier, honing in on the topics that interest and inspire us.
It would have been deeply satisfying to wake up to a different result. It was not to be.
So how to deal with failure? Well, it places a burden on us, doesn’t it? A burden to be even better at life: even kinder, more empathetic to those who are immediately affected, less self-centered in our unhappiness, more outwardly-focused in our lives.
As bloggers, we, too, have a responsibility: to be even more skillful at story-telling, more rigorous and precise in our writing, sharper, more intelligent, funnier, honing in on the topics that interest and inspire us.
It would have been deeply satisfying to wake up to a different result. It was not to be.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
First street pre-election diary,* part 4
Okay, okay, I voted, I did not forget.
This is only my fifth presidential election. [I became a citizen just before the 1988 elections, so there I was, casting my vote against Bush. Deja-vu!! Things that I liked about that election: Dukakis carried Wisconsin. Things that I did not like about that election: Dukakis carried hardly any other state.] My daughters, having visited DC earlier in the fall, were extremely enthused about the election. Here’s a fragment of a photo from that year:
This is only my fifth presidential election. [I became a citizen just before the 1988 elections, so there I was, casting my vote against Bush. Deja-vu!! Things that I liked about that election: Dukakis carried Wisconsin. Things that I did not like about that election: Dukakis carried hardly any other state.] My daughters, having visited DC earlier in the fall, were extremely enthused about the election. Here’s a fragment of a photo from that year:
And this year? What are the things that I liked?
+ Hearing minutes ago on NPR that in northern counties of Wisconsin voter turn-out is expected to hit a record 90% (breaking the 2000 record of 86%; note that Gore carried these – eg Superior – 2:1 back in 2000).
+ Drawing a near-perfect straight line:
+ Hearing minutes ago on NPR that in northern counties of Wisconsin voter turn-out is expected to hit a record 90% (breaking the 2000 record of 86%; note that Gore carried these – eg Superior – 2:1 back in 2000).
+ Drawing a near-perfect straight line:
+ Meeting teachers at the elementary school (my voting place) who used to teach my girls (both grown-up and living elsewhere now, but still registered to vote in Wisconsin). One, who remembered a composition my daughter wrote while in 2nd grade, especially caused me to blink back tears. I also liked her button: VOTE! -- it said. But if you lifted the paper covering the button you saw the familiar face of Kerry.
+ Having the two election officials look up my name on the computer printout and seeing that the three other residents, who voted from this address with absentee ballots, have been checked off already. Cool!
+ This cartoon, forwarded by my neighbor:
+ Having the two election officials look up my name on the computer printout and seeing that the three other residents, who voted from this address with absentee ballots, have been checked off already. Cool!
+ This cartoon, forwarded by my neighbor:
First street pre-election diary,* part 3
Will I smile with sad remembrance at the moment when I looked at the very first exit polls from swinging states (here, thanks Tom)?
AZ CO LA PA OH FL MI NM MN WI IA NH
45 48 42 60 52 51 51 50 58 52 49 57 Kerry
55 51 57 40 48 48 47 48 40 43 49 41 Bush
I know, I know, margin or error, exit polls suck, bla bla bla. Say what you will, there is a certain wonderful consistency in these numbers (the first three are hardly a surprise).
[A second reminder just came from a concerned daughter who read the post below and said a tad more forcefully that I should vote already. So I'm going to vote already.]
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
AZ CO LA PA OH FL MI NM MN WI IA NH
45 48 42 60 52 51 51 50 58 52 49 57 Kerry
55 51 57 40 48 48 47 48 40 43 49 41 Bush
I know, I know, margin or error, exit polls suck, bla bla bla. Say what you will, there is a certain wonderful consistency in these numbers (the first three are hardly a surprise).
[A second reminder just came from a concerned daughter who read the post below and said a tad more forcefully that I should vote already. So I'm going to vote already.]
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
First street pre-election diary,* part 2: A day doesn’t get any longer than this
Manifestations of paranoia and neurosis in a person thrown into deep uncertainty:
+ In passing Midvale and University Avenue I saw the usual Wisconsin 'hardy' types (I'm borrowing a label used by Kerry yesterday to describe Wisconsinites; the man appears to have great faith in our 'constitution') standing, waving signs to honk for Kerry. A sea of traffic passed. I toot-toot-tooted a good number of times, but I was the only one. What does this mean??
+ I watched NBC this morning and I noted that Katy Couric interviewed Laura Bush. Katy!! What are you doing?? Why do I have to listen to Laura rhapsodize about her husband on the morning of the election?? And btw, for those who have long told me that they like Laura alright even as they hate George, let me just remark that she seemed barely sensible. Sharp would not be a word I would use to characterize her early morning conversation. Not that it matters, but I am feeling hostile toward that whole Laura-thing this morning, especially as I juxtapose it with memories of punches levied against Hillary, to say nothing of Teresa.
+ In my office, the lines are evenly drawn – and I am referring only to the Democrats (yes, we have diversity here among the faculty and staff, lots of political diversity; but just so you know, our traditionally most conservative professor emeritus told me that he is voting for Kerry – he cannot stand the current administration): there were the optimists and the pessimists. I want to say that there are more of the former than the latter, but it’s not true. Moreover, the optimists tell me that they are somewhat skewing their own perspective because they just want Kerry to win so very much.
+ I have not voted yet. I am reaching a point of deep paralysis. I want to spend the next four hours polling more colleagues, reading more reports and commentaries. One of my daughters gently said earlier today “please don’t forget to vote” and I laughed at the time, but could it be that I may be so lost in my neurotically fragmented world that I may, indeed, forget to vote???
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
+ In passing Midvale and University Avenue I saw the usual Wisconsin 'hardy' types (I'm borrowing a label used by Kerry yesterday to describe Wisconsinites; the man appears to have great faith in our 'constitution') standing, waving signs to honk for Kerry. A sea of traffic passed. I toot-toot-tooted a good number of times, but I was the only one. What does this mean??
+ I watched NBC this morning and I noted that Katy Couric interviewed Laura Bush. Katy!! What are you doing?? Why do I have to listen to Laura rhapsodize about her husband on the morning of the election?? And btw, for those who have long told me that they like Laura alright even as they hate George, let me just remark that she seemed barely sensible. Sharp would not be a word I would use to characterize her early morning conversation. Not that it matters, but I am feeling hostile toward that whole Laura-thing this morning, especially as I juxtapose it with memories of punches levied against Hillary, to say nothing of Teresa.
+ In my office, the lines are evenly drawn – and I am referring only to the Democrats (yes, we have diversity here among the faculty and staff, lots of political diversity; but just so you know, our traditionally most conservative professor emeritus told me that he is voting for Kerry – he cannot stand the current administration): there were the optimists and the pessimists. I want to say that there are more of the former than the latter, but it’s not true. Moreover, the optimists tell me that they are somewhat skewing their own perspective because they just want Kerry to win so very much.
+ I have not voted yet. I am reaching a point of deep paralysis. I want to spend the next four hours polling more colleagues, reading more reports and commentaries. One of my daughters gently said earlier today “please don’t forget to vote” and I laughed at the time, but could it be that I may be so lost in my neurotically fragmented world that I may, indeed, forget to vote???
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Day one.
One
1
1
1
Jeden (Polish)
One
One
One
I get up and immediately I hear from two people – one whom I would, without hesitation, label as unabashedly optimistic (a neighbor hosting an election party which I will be attending) and the other – well, let me just say he keeps realism firmly tucked into his shirt pocket and when he reaches inside, often what comes out is despair.
So what do these two tell me? They are thinking that Kerry is going to pull it off! Move over Brokaw & Rather -- you heard it here, I am going to throw my chips into the blaze of victory. I am elated! (I am also easily swayed, so if ten people suddenly call me with contrary spirits, I may buckle under. Stay away, nay sayers, let this day begin!)
I have been writing about the campaign and my pre-election trepidations for 42 days now. In doing so, I have stuck to the blue- red description, happily handing New York and California over to the blue Democrats along with the rest of the commentators. Today in the WashPost (here) I read how quickly we have fallen into ascribing blue and red traits to states that we have identified with one camp or the other:
A "red state" bespeaks not just a Republican majority but an entire geography (rectangular borders in the country's midsection), an iconography (Bush in a cowboy hat), and a series of cultural cliches (churches and NASCAR). "Blue states" suggest something on, and of, the coastal extremes, urban and latte-drinking. Red states -- to reduce the stereotypes to an even more vulgar level -- are a little bit country, blues are a little more rock-and-roll.
We are reminded that this chromatic dichotomy is fairly recent, that not too long ago (I remember this!) the painting of the parties was inconsistent and often times red was reserved for the Democrats, which was perhaps ideologically more sensible given that, across the ocean at least, red is associated with the labor movement. But in the 2000 elections the labels converged and Texas began its life as perpetually red, leaving the coastal states awash in blue. The WashPost notes the superficial nature of these labels:
Is it really accurate, after all, to describe New Mexico as a "blue" state when Gore won it by just 366 votes in 2000? In California -- a state so blue that neither of the two leading candidates bothered campaigning much there this year -- voters have in recent years approved initiatives repealing racial preferences and bilingual education, and have ousted a Democratic governor in favor of a Republican. Ohio -- historically a red state -- is close enough that Kerry might eke out a narrow victory, but it is also poised to pass overwhelmingly a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
Okay, okay, it’s more subtle, more multi-hued, more differentiated, less consistent than the blue-red map would have us believe. But tonight I’m paying attention to blue. I’m wearing blue, eating blue (berry muffin), and watching for blue to sweep over the map.
Ocean is proud to endorse and support the color blue. How could it be otherwise?
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
One
1
1
1
Jeden (Polish)
One
One
One
I get up and immediately I hear from two people – one whom I would, without hesitation, label as unabashedly optimistic (a neighbor hosting an election party which I will be attending) and the other – well, let me just say he keeps realism firmly tucked into his shirt pocket and when he reaches inside, often what comes out is despair.
So what do these two tell me? They are thinking that Kerry is going to pull it off! Move over Brokaw & Rather -- you heard it here, I am going to throw my chips into the blaze of victory. I am elated! (I am also easily swayed, so if ten people suddenly call me with contrary spirits, I may buckle under. Stay away, nay sayers, let this day begin!)
I have been writing about the campaign and my pre-election trepidations for 42 days now. In doing so, I have stuck to the blue- red description, happily handing New York and California over to the blue Democrats along with the rest of the commentators. Today in the WashPost (here) I read how quickly we have fallen into ascribing blue and red traits to states that we have identified with one camp or the other:
A "red state" bespeaks not just a Republican majority but an entire geography (rectangular borders in the country's midsection), an iconography (Bush in a cowboy hat), and a series of cultural cliches (churches and NASCAR). "Blue states" suggest something on, and of, the coastal extremes, urban and latte-drinking. Red states -- to reduce the stereotypes to an even more vulgar level -- are a little bit country, blues are a little more rock-and-roll.
We are reminded that this chromatic dichotomy is fairly recent, that not too long ago (I remember this!) the painting of the parties was inconsistent and often times red was reserved for the Democrats, which was perhaps ideologically more sensible given that, across the ocean at least, red is associated with the labor movement. But in the 2000 elections the labels converged and Texas began its life as perpetually red, leaving the coastal states awash in blue. The WashPost notes the superficial nature of these labels:
Is it really accurate, after all, to describe New Mexico as a "blue" state when Gore won it by just 366 votes in 2000? In California -- a state so blue that neither of the two leading candidates bothered campaigning much there this year -- voters have in recent years approved initiatives repealing racial preferences and bilingual education, and have ousted a Democratic governor in favor of a Republican. Ohio -- historically a red state -- is close enough that Kerry might eke out a narrow victory, but it is also poised to pass overwhelmingly a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
Okay, okay, it’s more subtle, more multi-hued, more differentiated, less consistent than the blue-red map would have us believe. But tonight I’m paying attention to blue. I’m wearing blue, eating blue (berry muffin), and watching for blue to sweep over the map.
Ocean is proud to endorse and support the color blue. How could it be otherwise?
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Monday, November 01, 2004
Second street pre-election diary,* part 2
One day more..
One day more! Another day, another destiny…
I could do an entire page of lyric runs that would speak to the maddening nature of this day. Why is it thus? Because its minutes are trickling away and so are the moments where one could nurse and sustain hope without facing tomorrow’s reality of actual numbers.
For instance, I can be buoyed at the reported early returns in Iowa and Florida (they appear to be significantly favoring Kerry) without worrying a great deal about whether this is at all an important development, or whether it is one of those insignificant blimps, in the same way that the polling of diners at a vegetarian restaurant on the popularity of steak is a tiny bit unreliable.
I can ignore the outlier CNN poll that makes Wisconsin look like in the last days it sold its soul to the red claws and I don’t mean the la-dee-da lobster claws. But I can take great joy in hearing on NBC that for those under 30, 54% favor Kerry and 37% favor George (those numbers were nowhere near so Democrat-driven in 2000). Isn’t this fun??
Here’s a prediction that I can agree with: there will be fewer babies in July, 2005. Today, not surprisingly perhaps, I noticed myself taking time out to read with great care the article in the New York Magazine on election-related anxiety disorders (here). Sure enough, many of us are on the edge right now and will remain there for…. indefinitely. There is no relief in sight! Consider this excerpt, for example:
Nor will the post-election world (whenever it begins) necessarily bring Klonopin-like relief. “I’ll be elated if Kerry wins,” says Joe, another patient. “But I fear that the damage caused by Bush may be insurmountable. I believe we’ll be attacked again. I travel to Europe and Asia for business, and I’ve never felt such a groundswell of hatred for Americans. And if this country reelects him, the rest of the world will think we’re just like him.”
Aaaaaargh! Even if, even if there is a favorable outcome, we may have passed the point of damage reversibility. We are DOOMED! According to the article, some have become so paralyzed by the news of the wild maneuvers of GWB, that they have even grow to fear sushi! Read this:
Joe [seeking therapy in NY] has also become obsessed with his son’s sushi habit. “My son loves sushi. Every Tuesday is sushi night. But I just finished Robert Kennedy’s book about what the Bush administration has done to the environment. It’s unsafe for my kid to eat fish. He has to get his mercury levels checked. ”
Joe has been discussing all this with his psychiatrist, Alan Manevitz, who believes that the nation’s polariza- tion is fraying already-fragile psyches.
Oh God, not death to sushi! And other seafood? I am eating shrimp at the moment. Forget it. Throw it out, throw it out, it’s probably CONTAMINATED! Not even Whole Foods is safe anymore, there are RED DEVILS everywhere!
[Hey, wait a minute, am I writing on the night before an election, or am I commenting on the Red Scare of the 1950s? Indeed, am I reliving now the slogan ‘better dead than red’ where I am now on the other side of both the ocean and the issue?? Goodbye communist threat, hello GOP fear!]
As for the babies? Again, I am reading the New York Magazine article (no personal stories here and for Pete’s sake, I hardly want to place myself in the baby-making demographic!) and I see this (emphases are my own):
Dr. Elliot Wineburg, an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai [says] “Some people are so concerned, their sexual activity is not proceeding the way it should,” he says, though he declines to quantify the size of this burgeoning group, noting only that it is “significant.”
“Their libido is going down. During the blackout in the late seventies, we saw the birth rate go up nine months later. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the opposite happens this time.”
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
One day more! Another day, another destiny…
I could do an entire page of lyric runs that would speak to the maddening nature of this day. Why is it thus? Because its minutes are trickling away and so are the moments where one could nurse and sustain hope without facing tomorrow’s reality of actual numbers.
For instance, I can be buoyed at the reported early returns in Iowa and Florida (they appear to be significantly favoring Kerry) without worrying a great deal about whether this is at all an important development, or whether it is one of those insignificant blimps, in the same way that the polling of diners at a vegetarian restaurant on the popularity of steak is a tiny bit unreliable.
I can ignore the outlier CNN poll that makes Wisconsin look like in the last days it sold its soul to the red claws and I don’t mean the la-dee-da lobster claws. But I can take great joy in hearing on NBC that for those under 30, 54% favor Kerry and 37% favor George (those numbers were nowhere near so Democrat-driven in 2000). Isn’t this fun??
Here’s a prediction that I can agree with: there will be fewer babies in July, 2005. Today, not surprisingly perhaps, I noticed myself taking time out to read with great care the article in the New York Magazine on election-related anxiety disorders (here). Sure enough, many of us are on the edge right now and will remain there for…. indefinitely. There is no relief in sight! Consider this excerpt, for example:
Nor will the post-election world (whenever it begins) necessarily bring Klonopin-like relief. “I’ll be elated if Kerry wins,” says Joe, another patient. “But I fear that the damage caused by Bush may be insurmountable. I believe we’ll be attacked again. I travel to Europe and Asia for business, and I’ve never felt such a groundswell of hatred for Americans. And if this country reelects him, the rest of the world will think we’re just like him.”
Aaaaaargh! Even if, even if there is a favorable outcome, we may have passed the point of damage reversibility. We are DOOMED! According to the article, some have become so paralyzed by the news of the wild maneuvers of GWB, that they have even grow to fear sushi! Read this:
Joe [seeking therapy in NY] has also become obsessed with his son’s sushi habit. “My son loves sushi. Every Tuesday is sushi night. But I just finished Robert Kennedy’s book about what the Bush administration has done to the environment. It’s unsafe for my kid to eat fish. He has to get his mercury levels checked. ”
Joe has been discussing all this with his psychiatrist, Alan Manevitz, who believes that the nation’s polariza- tion is fraying already-fragile psyches.
Oh God, not death to sushi! And other seafood? I am eating shrimp at the moment. Forget it. Throw it out, throw it out, it’s probably CONTAMINATED! Not even Whole Foods is safe anymore, there are RED DEVILS everywhere!
[Hey, wait a minute, am I writing on the night before an election, or am I commenting on the Red Scare of the 1950s? Indeed, am I reliving now the slogan ‘better dead than red’ where I am now on the other side of both the ocean and the issue?? Goodbye communist threat, hello GOP fear!]
As for the babies? Again, I am reading the New York Magazine article (no personal stories here and for Pete’s sake, I hardly want to place myself in the baby-making demographic!) and I see this (emphases are my own):
Dr. Elliot Wineburg, an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai [says] “Some people are so concerned, their sexual activity is not proceeding the way it should,” he says, though he declines to quantify the size of this burgeoning group, noting only that it is “significant.”
“Their libido is going down. During the blackout in the late seventies, we saw the birth rate go up nine months later. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the opposite happens this time.”
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
An Ocean that’s *deeply* grateful
If I had a sidebar of favorite blogs I would certainly include on it the following people whose blogs I read daily and whose comments I value greatly (there are many more, but I am especially appreciative of the past week’s links to Ocean and so my thanks today run to these):
The Columnist Manifesto – a law school guy whose comments tickle and make you think;
Marginal Utility – I like to think of it as a “Wisconsin idea” blog: it’s got good photos, good politics and notes on a growing family. It’s always a lovely, happy place to visit.
Life As Is – another law school guy with kindred commentary (!) and a side link to Sosy, his child; also with drop-dead gorgeous photos (scroll down to the one where Sosy is bathed in sunlight looking at his shoe).
Tired and Wired – There is something about this blog that made me read to its beginning. In a September 10 post, she said this about remembering 9/11 (she’d been in NY during the attacks):
When I traveled to Poland and visited the Warsaw history museum, though, the burden of my [9/11] memories and the sheer trauma I experienced lessened. Looking at the pictures of that achingly magnificent city destroyed, razed to rubble, and then looking at pictures of people lining up across the city to care for the sick, passing water and food, rebuilding in the face of complete devastation -- it was the most 9/11 "healing" experience I've had.
And you wonder why I have a blogadiction!
The Columnist Manifesto – a law school guy whose comments tickle and make you think;
Marginal Utility – I like to think of it as a “Wisconsin idea” blog: it’s got good photos, good politics and notes on a growing family. It’s always a lovely, happy place to visit.
Life As Is – another law school guy with kindred commentary (!) and a side link to Sosy, his child; also with drop-dead gorgeous photos (scroll down to the one where Sosy is bathed in sunlight looking at his shoe).
Tired and Wired – There is something about this blog that made me read to its beginning. In a September 10 post, she said this about remembering 9/11 (she’d been in NY during the attacks):
When I traveled to Poland and visited the Warsaw history museum, though, the burden of my [9/11] memories and the sheer trauma I experienced lessened. Looking at the pictures of that achingly magnificent city destroyed, razed to rubble, and then looking at pictures of people lining up across the city to care for the sick, passing water and food, rebuilding in the face of complete devastation -- it was the most 9/11 "healing" experience I've had.
And you wonder why I have a blogadiction!
Sweet news: I, like so many others, are looking for sweet stuff to hit the news channels tomorrow.
Wisconsin is nicely turning out to be leaning in a terrifically sweet direction. And that’s the kind of delicious place this is. Here’s yet another example of it: yesterday, friends invited me to sample their 24 year old bottle of red Bordeaux. [They were uncorking a 1970 vintage that they’d been saving for a long, long time; to clarify --I love the fact that others can be so patient, even if the only really old bottle of wine that I myself have managed to preserve is a $5 version of some dessert atrocity that, for one reason or another, I forgot to throw away.] Cool. Yes, of course…..oh! but it’s Halloween, how can I abandon the 300 children that come through this block? I bargained for a slight delay so that I could at least take care of the littlest devils that ring the doorbell. It’s an awfully long path for small feet to climb. But at 7 pm I finally closed the door, leaving a monsterously big sign outside with this message:
Happy Halloween!
Take ONE piece!
[I’m watching! If you take
More than your share,
The GOBLINS WILL
HAUNT YOU TONIGHT!]
Boo!
I left a big container of assorted candy bars and left. Family and friends scoffed. The first batch of kids will empty things out. Don’t even bother. Etc.
Oh, the cynics of this world, how wrong you can be! I came home after 10 p.m. and there were 6 candy bars left. (Over a hundred had been removed – which is about the number of kids that I would expect to come after 7.) Sweet.
Is it more of a challenge to find the sweet side of New York, especially around such intersections as 2nd and 2nd or 1st and 1st? The neighborhood begins to look more worn and tattered. If Giuliani (of “it’s the troops’ fault!” fame) cleaned up the streets of NY, he forgot about these blocks.
But it’s never too hard in New York to stumble upon treats such as these:
Wisconsin is nicely turning out to be leaning in a terrifically sweet direction. And that’s the kind of delicious place this is. Here’s yet another example of it: yesterday, friends invited me to sample their 24 year old bottle of red Bordeaux. [They were uncorking a 1970 vintage that they’d been saving for a long, long time; to clarify --I love the fact that others can be so patient, even if the only really old bottle of wine that I myself have managed to preserve is a $5 version of some dessert atrocity that, for one reason or another, I forgot to throw away.] Cool. Yes, of course…..oh! but it’s Halloween, how can I abandon the 300 children that come through this block? I bargained for a slight delay so that I could at least take care of the littlest devils that ring the doorbell. It’s an awfully long path for small feet to climb. But at 7 pm I finally closed the door, leaving a monsterously big sign outside with this message:
Happy Halloween!
Take ONE piece!
[I’m watching! If you take
More than your share,
The GOBLINS WILL
HAUNT YOU TONIGHT!]
Boo!
I left a big container of assorted candy bars and left. Family and friends scoffed. The first batch of kids will empty things out. Don’t even bother. Etc.
Oh, the cynics of this world, how wrong you can be! I came home after 10 p.m. and there were 6 candy bars left. (Over a hundred had been removed – which is about the number of kids that I would expect to come after 7.) Sweet.
Is it more of a challenge to find the sweet side of New York, especially around such intersections as 2nd and 2nd or 1st and 1st? The neighborhood begins to look more worn and tattered. If Giuliani (of “it’s the troops’ fault!” fame) cleaned up the streets of NY, he forgot about these blocks.
But it’s never too hard in New York to stumble upon treats such as these:
Or this:
A beautiful (detailed and compelling) endorsement of Kerry in the New Yorker (here), including this paragraph:
The damage visited upon America, and upon America’s standing in the world, by the Bush Administration’s reckless mishandling of the public trust will not easily be undone. And for many voters the desire to see the damage arrested is reason enough to vote for John Kerry. But the challenger has more to offer than the fact that he is not George W. Bush. In every crucial area of concern to Americans (the economy, health care, the environment, Social Security, the judiciary, national security, foreign policy, the war in Iraq, the fight against terrorism), Kerry offers a clear, corrective alternative to Bush’s curious blend of smugness, radicalism, and demagoguery.
Yes. So, tomorrow, Bush's political career is shot down and he becomes a lame duck, right?
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
A beautiful (detailed and compelling) endorsement of Kerry in the New Yorker (here), including this paragraph:
The damage visited upon America, and upon America’s standing in the world, by the Bush Administration’s reckless mishandling of the public trust will not easily be undone. And for many voters the desire to see the damage arrested is reason enough to vote for John Kerry. But the challenger has more to offer than the fact that he is not George W. Bush. In every crucial area of concern to Americans (the economy, health care, the environment, Social Security, the judiciary, national security, foreign policy, the war in Iraq, the fight against terrorism), Kerry offers a clear, corrective alternative to Bush’s curious blend of smugness, radicalism, and demagoguery.
Yes. So, tomorrow, Bush's political career is shot down and he becomes a lame duck, right?
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Sunday, October 31, 2004
What witches wish for
Moments ago a neighbor stopped by. She spoke for a yet-untapped constituency: witches. Look closely, her buttons say “witches for Kerry.” The “Its up to the women” sticker was her treat for coming to my door.
Will Ocean survive the elections even if I don’t?
No, of course not. If I go, the blog goes. Conversely, if I survive, the blog will also toddle along. I remember writing some months ago how I will not let Ocean become a commentary on news reports. And indeed, even during the campaign months I rarely have felt compelled to sift through the news and pick on the substance or style of any story. But Ocean follows the proclivities and inclinations of moi*, and moi right now is obsessed with politics.
But more importantly, I am feeling a tiny tiny dose of optimism again. For one thing, a Packer person just informed me that the green team BEAT the Redskins and so a defeat of the incumbent is in the bag (see post below on the historic significance of a Redskins loss). And, another reader reminded me to check electoral-vote.com (here), which averages a number of credible polls. Take a look, all you perpetually-doubting-and-depressed-dubya-dissers: Kerry 283, Bush 246. And, if you click on the state of Wisconsin (or click here), you'll see some pretty amazing numbers and a wildly zig-zagging divergence.
I wonder if I bought enough champagne…
*that would be me
But more importantly, I am feeling a tiny tiny dose of optimism again. For one thing, a Packer person just informed me that the green team BEAT the Redskins and so a defeat of the incumbent is in the bag (see post below on the historic significance of a Redskins loss). And, another reader reminded me to check electoral-vote.com (here), which averages a number of credible polls. Take a look, all you perpetually-doubting-and-depressed-dubya-dissers: Kerry 283, Bush 246. And, if you click on the state of Wisconsin (or click here), you'll see some pretty amazing numbers and a wildly zig-zagging divergence.
I wonder if I bought enough champagne…
*that would be me
Three, two, one -----then what?
This morning, what with the extra hour of sleep and a Sunday before me, I am sitting at home mulling over the various ways Tuesday/Wednesday may play out for me.
According to one scenario, I never make it to the polling place. That happened once before, though not in a presidential race. I ran out of time, the polls closed early and it was either voting or taking some child to some lesson or other. I chose the latter. Nothing happened – my candidate won anyway. But the guilt stayed with me, as even now I feel compelled to admit here on the blog to this past waywardness.
This year, the polling places remain open for a long time and I have no one to take anywhere (and no, I have not volunteered as an election monitor; one acquaintance who is doing this told me yesterday that she cannot imagine what possessed her to commit the day to a Madison voting place, as if we are anything at all like Florida or even Ohio). But I could freeze and not be able to walk the long distance (one block) to where I typically vote. It could happen.
Then, if I wake up and find that my vote, or rather its absence, tilted the election in an undesirable direction, I will channel all anger and frustration at myself rather than at the political candidate I have learned to fear and dread. Blaming yourself is always more rewarding than blaming someone else for a sad state of affairs because you can always seek to improve yourself whereas you can do nothing to affect the politics of George W Bush. Don’t fool yourself – the man is off limits and he wont listen to you anyway, even if you are a Person of Great Influence.
Second scenario: I vote for the wrong person by accident. I have studied the ballot and have even helped direct some to the proper management of THE LINE connecting the <-- to the – so that it forms a nice contiguous <---- to the Democrat side of things. But you know how it is in that makeshift contraption they call the voting booth. You get so nervous about doing the wrong thing that you wind up doing the wrong thing. And, let us not forget that this is my first presidential election since I have turned fifty. As Chef O says down at L’Etoile, crossing 50 is like having too many windows open on your computer screen – things begin to slow down. And, the hand may even shake a bit as it draws the connecting line. Does a wobbly line count?
Third scenario: I vote, the results slowly indicate that GWB won, I drink too much wine, forget to go to class the next day, get fired from my job, run out of unemployment, join some philanthropic organization providing direct services to orphans in Polish highlands and am never heard from again.
Fourth scenario: I vote, the results slowly indicate that GWB lost, I drink too much champagne, drink gallons of coffee the next morning, stumble into class and deliver a bad lecture, but most are forgiving (and the rest are too depressed to notice), then I come back home and sit in the back yard marveling at how magnificent the white pine is – the tree that we planted when it was just a couple of feet tall, that now looks almost as tall as the Empire State Building.
Which of the four is before me? Or is there a fifth? In three days I’ll know.
This morning, what with the extra hour of sleep and a Sunday before me, I am sitting at home mulling over the various ways Tuesday/Wednesday may play out for me.
According to one scenario, I never make it to the polling place. That happened once before, though not in a presidential race. I ran out of time, the polls closed early and it was either voting or taking some child to some lesson or other. I chose the latter. Nothing happened – my candidate won anyway. But the guilt stayed with me, as even now I feel compelled to admit here on the blog to this past waywardness.
This year, the polling places remain open for a long time and I have no one to take anywhere (and no, I have not volunteered as an election monitor; one acquaintance who is doing this told me yesterday that she cannot imagine what possessed her to commit the day to a Madison voting place, as if we are anything at all like Florida or even Ohio). But I could freeze and not be able to walk the long distance (one block) to where I typically vote. It could happen.
Then, if I wake up and find that my vote, or rather its absence, tilted the election in an undesirable direction, I will channel all anger and frustration at myself rather than at the political candidate I have learned to fear and dread. Blaming yourself is always more rewarding than blaming someone else for a sad state of affairs because you can always seek to improve yourself whereas you can do nothing to affect the politics of George W Bush. Don’t fool yourself – the man is off limits and he wont listen to you anyway, even if you are a Person of Great Influence.
Second scenario: I vote for the wrong person by accident. I have studied the ballot and have even helped direct some to the proper management of THE LINE connecting the <-- to the – so that it forms a nice contiguous <---- to the Democrat side of things. But you know how it is in that makeshift contraption they call the voting booth. You get so nervous about doing the wrong thing that you wind up doing the wrong thing. And, let us not forget that this is my first presidential election since I have turned fifty. As Chef O says down at L’Etoile, crossing 50 is like having too many windows open on your computer screen – things begin to slow down. And, the hand may even shake a bit as it draws the connecting line. Does a wobbly line count?
Third scenario: I vote, the results slowly indicate that GWB won, I drink too much wine, forget to go to class the next day, get fired from my job, run out of unemployment, join some philanthropic organization providing direct services to orphans in Polish highlands and am never heard from again.
Fourth scenario: I vote, the results slowly indicate that GWB lost, I drink too much champagne, drink gallons of coffee the next morning, stumble into class and deliver a bad lecture, but most are forgiving (and the rest are too depressed to notice), then I come back home and sit in the back yard marveling at how magnificent the white pine is – the tree that we planted when it was just a couple of feet tall, that now looks almost as tall as the Empire State Building.
Which of the four is before me? Or is there a fifth? In three days I’ll know.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Blogger dinner
It's late and so I wont say much, just this: I had a really tough day and it would have been a hell of a lot tougher had it not been for the warm and forgiving company of the following bloggers (see photo below).
Thanks. [Yes, they are all wearing Women for Kerry stickers. I made them do it. But they swore that they were voting as if their life depended on it for Kerry anyway.]
Which way does the wind blow?
This was the next-to-last Market on the Square this year, but already you could see signs of closure for the season: a number of farmers don’t show up when the weather gets this cold and the wind kicks up to a gale force. And the crowds diminish as well. Who wants to be out and about on a day when the weather cannot make up its mind, alternating between drizzle and sunshine? Another one of those Wisconsin undecided moments, swinging between dark clouds and blue – bright blue – skies.
Seasonal touches:
Seasonal touches:
Musings just four days before...
Remember when the mere mention of the KGB produced an almost visceral reaction of fear and revulsion? Good olds days! Fear in the abstract!
Today you can get a cheap, strong drink and attend a literary event at the KGB Bar on east 4th and rub shoulders with writers who read “to an adoring public with pleasure and without pay.” (New York Magazine and the Village Voice say it’s the best literary venue in the city.)
The KGB is a fairly recent addition to the block, opening in a building that once housed the Ukrainian Labor Home. The owner of the bar used to go to the Ukrainian Labor Home as a kid and drink shots of vodka, eat pierogi and listen to his dad’s buddies talk. And talk. And talk. The kid grew up and became a lawyer, the men grew old, he returned to the place and turned it into what it is today.
Moral of the story? Well, there are several:
1. Once you get your JD, you can do any number of things, including opening a literary bar in the East Village.
2. There’s something magical about eating pierogi and kapusniak, downing vodka (or whatever) and listening to people talk.
3. People can laugh about a perceived menace from the past so long as it no longer is perceived as a viable threat.
I am hoping that someday I am going to laugh my brains out about Bush. Ha ha ha, remember when I worried that he would create havoc and destruction here and abroad? Ha ha ha, wasn’t he a hilarious political figure? Ha ha ha.
Today, all one can do on a somber afternoon is go sit at Cuppa Cuppa (next door to the KGB), swirl coffee in a mug and admire the window postings: ‘see this musical performance,’ ‘go check out that theater across the street,’ and ‘vote for Kerry and Edwards.’
[Not to let my excitement get the better of me, but if you watched the Lehrer hour last night, you will have heard the suggestion that the Midwest is going to provide one hell of a surprise come November 2nd. One that Kerry will very much like. Eeeeeee-haw!]
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Remember when the mere mention of the KGB produced an almost visceral reaction of fear and revulsion? Good olds days! Fear in the abstract!
Today you can get a cheap, strong drink and attend a literary event at the KGB Bar on east 4th and rub shoulders with writers who read “to an adoring public with pleasure and without pay.” (New York Magazine and the Village Voice say it’s the best literary venue in the city.)
The KGB is a fairly recent addition to the block, opening in a building that once housed the Ukrainian Labor Home. The owner of the bar used to go to the Ukrainian Labor Home as a kid and drink shots of vodka, eat pierogi and listen to his dad’s buddies talk. And talk. And talk. The kid grew up and became a lawyer, the men grew old, he returned to the place and turned it into what it is today.
Moral of the story? Well, there are several:
1. Once you get your JD, you can do any number of things, including opening a literary bar in the East Village.
2. There’s something magical about eating pierogi and kapusniak, downing vodka (or whatever) and listening to people talk.
3. People can laugh about a perceived menace from the past so long as it no longer is perceived as a viable threat.
I am hoping that someday I am going to laugh my brains out about Bush. Ha ha ha, remember when I worried that he would create havoc and destruction here and abroad? Ha ha ha, wasn’t he a hilarious political figure? Ha ha ha.
Today, all one can do on a somber afternoon is go sit at Cuppa Cuppa (next door to the KGB), swirl coffee in a mug and admire the window postings: ‘see this musical performance,’ ‘go check out that theater across the street,’ and ‘vote for Kerry and Edwards.’
[Not to let my excitement get the better of me, but if you watched the Lehrer hour last night, you will have heard the suggestion that the Midwest is going to provide one hell of a surprise come November 2nd. One that Kerry will very much like. Eeeeeee-haw!]
(*see “forty-second street pre-election diary” post, September 22, for explanation of post title)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
