You know what’s cool?
Someone half your age asking you how you do it.
“Do what?”
“We’ve been at it all day and you still have energy to go out.”
Yes. Yes, I do.
So get dressed, girlie, or I’m going without ya.
We booked our annual “let’s get as many miles on our frequent flier accounts as we can while work is slow” tour a few days ago. Since we were in Budapest this past March - such a beautiful city! - I’ve only wanted to see more of the places in Eastern Europe that were off-limits to Westerners until just 20 or so years ago.
With that in mind, we started checking out the airfares and hotel rates for a few different cities and discovered, much to our delight, that Prague is pretty inexpensive. Well, inexpensive compared to other Eastern European destinations during the height of the tourist season, which happens to be exactly when we are planning this little trek.
When I ran across the page for the Alphonse Mucha museum, well, that settled it: We’re headed to Prague.
I adore Mucha; his work is the embodiment of art nouveau. It was a brief period, just a decade or so, rich with both the classical, curling, flowery lines of the Victorian age and the newer, streamlined ideas which gave birth to art deco - not surprisingly another of my favorite periods in art and design.
Like most other art lovers, I’ve had to love from afar, in books and even in some of my clothing. The prospect of seeing his work up-close-and-personal … to say I’m excited seems a bit understated. Ecstatic is a much better way to put it.
Yesterday, I posted the link to the Mucha museum to my Facebook profile. I wanted people to know about it, yes, but it was also a nod to those on my friend list who know we travel a lot. That is, when I post a link for an overseas destination, chances are we’re going there.
So imagine my surprise when I got on the computer just a little while ago to find Mucha is the Google Doodle of the day.
Good to know we chose wisely.
Coincidental link is coincidental.
As if to further prove the conservative right is losing its grip on what is real and what is not:
According to this Technorati blog post, an old video created by the pranksters at The Onion is now making the rounds online. People who’ve posted it think the joke is REAL … even with the obvious Onion logo onscreen, the fact that no such U.S. Representative as John Haller exists, and an end joke about America’s disappearing wild goats.
When faced with the fact they were taken in, they STILL don’t get it.
“Me an my wife searched the bill on the web when it first came to our knowledge, they may have pulled it, it does exist. I will show you more proof.”
I find this situation simultaneously sad, annoying, and hilarious.
The denial is strong with this one …
As a path to counter the recent accusations of racism in the Tea Party (I wrote about it here), conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart posted a speech made by one Shirley Sherrod, USDA Georgia State Director, at an NAACP event.
Nevermind the video was made 24 years ago; let’s assume Ms. Sherrod hasn’t learned anything, changed her mind, evolved as a human being, or become a completely different person in nearly a quarter of a century.
Discount the idea that racism doesn’t exist within the NAACP, because it most certainly does. Bigotry is everywhere and comes in all colors. There are black racists as surely as there are white racists and I’m sure one or two of the latter work within or around the NAACP; they just seem to know how to keep their mouths shut.
No, the problem here is Mr. Breitbart didn’t post the entire video, just the part where Ms. Sherrod comes out looking like a total bigot.
Here: Open this link in a new tab or window and watch the AP News story, but stop the video at about 33 seconds, if you would.
Downright racist, right? Saying she wouldn’t help a white farmer to the best of her ability. Jebus, what the hell was she thinking? Didn’t she know she was being recorded?
Okay, now go back and start the video again, but this time stop right at about 1:32.
It made me realize then that I needed to work to help poor people.
Ms. Sherrod admits her prejudice, but then she saw for herself that poor white farmers suffer as much as poor black farmers. That is, she discovered her own racism and an ultimate truth of how racism diverts attention: The issue was not about color; it was about class.
It was not always so. Racism was a real problem in this country until just recently in our history. Yet it has always been the case that if the poorest among us keep fighting over who is superior by skin tone, they will always fail to notice that they’re all in the same sinking financial boat.
See, what white and black supremacists alike are missing is the understanding that poor people - no matter the color - could have enormous amounts of political power if they joined together to fight “The Man.” [Favored deity’s name here] help the administration who’s in charge if - or when - that happens, but until then, people like Ms. Sherrod are around to at least help them keep their farms. That is if she gets (or even wants) her job back.
As for Mr. Breitbart, well, he’s just another conservative liar caught in a lie.
Ho-hum.
I received an e-mail this morning, from a friend I rather like and respect, telling me President Obama is a closet Muslim.
Not only that, it goes on to say he prayed with other Muslims at a gathering in Washington, DC. They even wrapped in the recent hullabaloo over the National Day of Prayer, saying it was canceled (it wasn’t, but more on that in a moment).
So I went over to Snopes.com - the official, non-partisan place to go for truth about hoaxes, urban legends, and other nonsense - and just one quick keyword search later, I found the entire e-mail is based on misinformation.
Scratch that - it’s a giant stack of lies wrapped in an American flag.
I wish I could say I were surprised.
For those who have seen this e-mail and don’t know any better (not that you’ll listen, but I have to try): The photo in it which shows President Obama taking off his shoes? That was NOT so he could pray toward Mecca, as the e-mail so earnestly insists, but so he could enter a mosque on a state visit to Istanbul, Turkey.
Where everyone, no matter how high and mighty, has to remove their shoes.
Just in case you were under the impression he is the only recent President to “make nice” with Muslims:
And, if you’re inclined to believe the hype fed to you by FOX News, here’s something you won’t believe at all: The National Day of Prayer has NOT been canceled. Mr. Obama simply removed the ecumenical service from the White House, a move which makes the rest of us non-Christians - not just atheists like me, but Hindus, Native Americans, Shintoists, Buddhists, Jews, Zoroastrians, and yes, Muslims - much more comfortable with our leadership.
Every time George W. told us God was on our side, I cringed, and I applauded when President Obama mentioned unbelievers in his inaugural address. The e-mail I got complains we’re losing our freedom of speech, but when it comes to freedom of religion, well that means just one, really.
But still, it’s not the lies, or their wildfire-like spread that gets me. It’s the very idea that, if Obama were a Muslim - or anything BUT a Christian - that he could not lead the country in a moral manner. Only Christians, it seems, are pure enough in spirit to lead us, and choosing a person of any other faith is tantamount to voting for the Devil himself.
Are Christians the only people with morals? Can anyone have integrity and work toward the betterment of our world and humanity without knowing or believing in God? Are there not people of other faiths, cultures, and upbringing who are productive, ethical, functional citizens of the United States?
Because honestly, if non-Christians really lacked these traits, the believers in this country would have something to worry about. We don’t outnumber ya’ll, but if each of us were 1/2 as evil as you think, you’d be in serious trouble.
And what of the (I assume) good Christian(s) who wrote this e-mail in the first place? What kind of morals do they have?
The zombies, they’re already among us.
First, an old post in reference to the problems I’m having today.
I’ve called, e-mailed, and cajoled agents into calling me back on my latest investment project, all to no avail. Seems no one is really interested in making money off me.
We joined Angie’s List a couple of months ago when we started looking for people to work on the house. While I was browsing there this morning in hopes of finding a combination plumber/electrician, I ran across the category for local real estate agents.
Would it surprise anyone that there are precious few with an “A” rating? Certainly not me. But I’ll start calling them in a little while to see if they are worth the high marks.
As for the ones who’ve ignored me thus far, bless them. Truly.
I’ve spent the last four hours formatting three business cards, two of which I’d done before but needed updating.
Why? Because I have OCD.
They have to be perfect.
I detest absolutes.
Intelligent, rational beings try to take all sides into account, no matter the topic. True knowledge is gained from listening, even to the side with which you disagree, and coming to your own conclusion. Being told what to think by any authority and then summarily refusing to learn more on the subject is what creates sheeple, those who follow without question. My favorite example of this is the old bumper sticker, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”
Refusal to question authority is why priests become pedophiles, leaders become fascists, and children begotten of racists become racist themselves. Absolutes, moral or otherwise, instill in us a fear of the different (alterophobia) and, much to our misfortune, the great majority of us never strive to see beyond the walls which were built for us from the day we were born.
As for me, I see gray areas everywhere. I don’t necessarily dwell on the “what ifs,” but I do point them out occasionally, as a way of checking to see if someone’s beliefs are based on solid argument. I expect other people to play Devil’s Advocate with me as well, as a way of ensuring my own opinions are well-founded and valid.
As a result, I have very little patience for any political party, religion, or personal relationship that attempts to force me to choose their position based on the simple argument “the other side is wrong.” I need more - I need to know why they’re wrong. I require evidence, not hearsay. Anything else will automatically and immediately lose my respect and attention.
Until just recently, the ongoing problem I’ve had with the Tea Party movement is their lack of focus. What is the real problem? Gay marriage? Health care? Taxes? Socialism? Immigration? They can’t seem to pick one topic, let alone stick with it through some kind of resolution, mutual or otherwise. Rather, they are the rabble, unhappy with literally everything and willing to do nothing to change the world but complain - vocally - about it all. FOX News is the authority who tells them what to think and there is no other research necessary. This does, in fact, make FOX rabble rousers, but I have to thank them, genuinely, for starting the movement. I prefer the racist / chauvinist / fundamentalist / terrorist / other -ist I can see over the one who hides in the shadows.
But lately, I’ve detected another problem with the Tea Party: They can’t agree even with themselves.
A small part of the party is racist. The evidence for this is all over the web; Obama as an African witch doctor, anyone? No? How about using a misspelled N-word or actually calling two African-American U.S. House Representatives the epithet?
Yet regardless of what anyone with access to a simple Google search can find, the Tea Party itself refuses to acknowledge that any racism exists within their ranks. Even when called out by the NAACP, they only insist that they do not promote a racist agenda and that an apology from the NAACP is in order.
Let me get this straight: You not only tolerate, but defend people within your party who exhibit overtly racist views?
Okaaaaaaay. I understand the right to free speech. Anyone, anywhere, can say whatever they want to say and I will happily defend their right to say it. But I also understand that one does not win friends and influence people by defending racism. Not here, not now, in the United States of America, in the 21st century.
The lesson here, for the Tea Party, is to understand you are not a movement. You are not a political force with which we have to reckon. You are the rabble and you will continue to be nothing more until you admonish those who stand against liberty, equality, and dignity.
You see, it’s important that you take these steps because I am not the only person in America who researches and educates myself on all sides of any argument. As such, we are the ones capable of changing our minds and perhaps even seeing things your way.
But your absolutist, “we’re right / you’re wrong” attitude? Not helping.
The first step is admitting you have a problem.
ADDENDUM 7/14/10: Here’s yet another example of the Tea Party disagreeing with itself. Of course, if they actually got their act together and under one umbrella, there could be real trouble … er … change.
ADDENDUM 7/19/10: The national Tea Party stood up today and kicked out a member / faction which thought this letter was somehow funny. One hopes the rest of the racists in their midst take heed and that they continue to purge such overt prejudice.
If you want advice, you most likely just want someone to reassure you of what you already know. If they tell you otherwise, you’ll either discount it or you’ll take their advice and no longer be following the instincts that got you in this to begin with. So either way, you didn’t need the advice. ~ Doug Stanhope
So quit asking already.
You know the answer.
