It is a beautiful January morning in Florida. The temps will reach toward the upper 70s today and the sun will be shining bright. I cannot stop thinking about "Elsewhere."
I seem to live "Elsewhere." Just where is that? Well, in fact, it is quite a few places.
Of late, my mind tends to wander to India. That is no surprise considering I have been planning on moving back there for several years. It is also no surprise that the constant appearances make me a tad anxious - I am due back there in less than 60 days and I have a billion things left undone. My meandering daydreams come with great insistence - "YOU ARE NOT HAPPY HERE IN (fill in the geographical blank)!!!"
Well no shit.
I dream of going back to Japan, Malaysia or Singapore. I yearn to stroll the city streets of Melbourne and enjoy a sidewalk cafe's morning indulgence. I want to experience living in Prague or Vienna.
I want. I want. I want.
And yet, I want nothing except this cup of coffee.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
Guess Who?
Yeah...Is this a devout Muslim woman, an escapee from a leper colony or the main reason child protection agencies exist in the US?
I just feel bad for the kid. Being a freak of nature is one thing, but raising another freak is something else. This is absolute abuse. What the hell is this kid gonna turn out to be? Perhaps one of the characters from the "Thriller" video.
Cannot say much more without shedding real tears.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
"A pig is more so."
I tend to cruise blogs. On a daily basis, I look to see if I have mail, scope the headlines, read some news and, of course, I check my own blog to see if I need to vent my spleen again.
Then I do what I usually do...hit the hyperlink for "next blog." I like to read opinions. Editorial writers and opion makers make for some interesting and tasty mind-granola.
Here is something I noticed (in an ever-increasing volume): Liberal(leaning) bloggers love to quote George Orwell. I was reading one (of many) today that focused on terrorism. The old "WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" newspeak was there in bold. This out of context bullshit gets quite old. You see, 1984 and Animal Farm were aimed at communism/socialism. Newspeak is the forerunner of political correctness. I could go deeper into this but that is another, longer conversatio to have at a later date.
Why (I would like to know) do these so-called liberals have to seem so hateful. The anti-Bush b.s. is getting hard to digest and takes away from a meaningful intellectual exchange. I don't love the guy but there are things that he does that I fully support. Yipee-ki-yay!
There are other things of major importance that need serious attention and, I believe, rethinking. This is also for another venting session.
There seems to be a high level of America bashing. If the US did it. It must be fucked up. There must be some conspiracy afoot. Yikes people! The hyperlinks usually are a giveaway. The Michael Moore is a genius effluence is a bit much for me. Mr. Moore(on) cannot find his dick, let alone the truth of any situation. The documentary which claims that US troops were mass-murderers Panama and put bodies in mass graves is a perennial favorite. The more updated "documentary" tells how "Iraqi Journalist Captures the Horrors of the U.S. Siege."
Then there appears a diatribe against the evils of Nationalism - equating nationalism with "National Socialists," a.k.a. Nazis. First off, forget the fact that they were socialists. Then you need to know what nationalism is. Are you discussing ethnic or civic nationalism? To given an example - "I love Canada" is civic nationalism. "I love Quebec" is ethnic nationalism. One is based on a modern construct - the state. The other is based on an ethnic and/or linguistic root.
One is inclusive. The latter reeks of exclusivity.
I am the former.
I love the United States - a state which has no one face, color, religion or ethnicity. It does not have a national language but does have a de-facto one. But it has been argued that the 21stcentury has one too (at least the front end of it).
My ethnicity is not American. My nationality is American. There is no such thing really, unless you considered North American natives who claim their own ethnicity within the native American umbrella. My ethnicity is a blend of two European extracts.
My extended family is a blending of colors, languages and multiple points of origin. (Almost)All are American. I love that. All of the cultures of the world are woven into the civic American fabric. This is a major factor as to how the United States became a global power. Global Synchronicity within national borders.
Civic Nationalism is not bad. Love of country does not mean hatred of other countries.
I also love India. This is another country that is a blending of "nations" into a modern civic construct. There are countless languages, colors, written scripts and religions. It has a Sikh PM, a muslim president, an Italian-born female as head of the ruling political party and a billion-plus population which is majority (3/4) Hindu.
I remember a joke I was told by a friend in Bangalore:
Q. What is the largest minority in India?
A. Indians! Everybody is a Tamil, a Punjabi, a Gujurati...
All countries have problems. All make mistakes. All have major things that one can embrace. Being hateful, destructive and/or self-loathing is not an answer. It is contributing to the problem. All you can do is cite your source knowing that there will always be somebody else that can and will spin it the other way.
The best you can hope for is to cite it correctly and in the proper time-sequence - for example: pre- and post-9/11 Dennis Miller. Or for that matter, George Orwell.
Then I do what I usually do...hit the hyperlink for "next blog." I like to read opinions. Editorial writers and opion makers make for some interesting and tasty mind-granola.
Here is something I noticed (in an ever-increasing volume): Liberal(leaning) bloggers love to quote George Orwell. I was reading one (of many) today that focused on terrorism. The old "WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" newspeak was there in bold. This out of context bullshit gets quite old. You see, 1984 and Animal Farm were aimed at communism/socialism. Newspeak is the forerunner of political correctness. I could go deeper into this but that is another, longer conversatio to have at a later date.
Why (I would like to know) do these so-called liberals have to seem so hateful. The anti-Bush b.s. is getting hard to digest and takes away from a meaningful intellectual exchange. I don't love the guy but there are things that he does that I fully support. Yipee-ki-yay!
There are other things of major importance that need serious attention and, I believe, rethinking. This is also for another venting session.
There seems to be a high level of America bashing. If the US did it. It must be fucked up. There must be some conspiracy afoot. Yikes people! The hyperlinks usually are a giveaway. The Michael Moore is a genius effluence is a bit much for me. Mr. Moore(on) cannot find his dick, let alone the truth of any situation. The documentary which claims that US troops were mass-murderers Panama and put bodies in mass graves is a perennial favorite. The more updated "documentary" tells how "Iraqi Journalist Captures the Horrors of the U.S. Siege."
Then there appears a diatribe against the evils of Nationalism - equating nationalism with "National Socialists," a.k.a. Nazis. First off, forget the fact that they were socialists. Then you need to know what nationalism is. Are you discussing ethnic or civic nationalism? To given an example - "I love Canada" is civic nationalism. "I love Quebec" is ethnic nationalism. One is based on a modern construct - the state. The other is based on an ethnic and/or linguistic root.
One is inclusive. The latter reeks of exclusivity.
I am the former.
I love the United States - a state which has no one face, color, religion or ethnicity. It does not have a national language but does have a de-facto one. But it has been argued that the 21stcentury has one too (at least the front end of it).
My ethnicity is not American. My nationality is American. There is no such thing really, unless you considered North American natives who claim their own ethnicity within the native American umbrella. My ethnicity is a blend of two European extracts.
My extended family is a blending of colors, languages and multiple points of origin. (Almost)All are American. I love that. All of the cultures of the world are woven into the civic American fabric. This is a major factor as to how the United States became a global power. Global Synchronicity within national borders.
Civic Nationalism is not bad. Love of country does not mean hatred of other countries.
I also love India. This is another country that is a blending of "nations" into a modern civic construct. There are countless languages, colors, written scripts and religions. It has a Sikh PM, a muslim president, an Italian-born female as head of the ruling political party and a billion-plus population which is majority (3/4) Hindu.
I remember a joke I was told by a friend in Bangalore:
Q. What is the largest minority in India?
A. Indians! Everybody is a Tamil, a Punjabi, a Gujurati...
All countries have problems. All make mistakes. All have major things that one can embrace. Being hateful, destructive and/or self-loathing is not an answer. It is contributing to the problem. All you can do is cite your source knowing that there will always be somebody else that can and will spin it the other way.
The best you can hope for is to cite it correctly and in the proper time-sequence - for example: pre- and post-9/11 Dennis Miller. Or for that matter, George Orwell.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Sukh Sagar
Here is something funny. I was having a conversation with someone regarding my upcoming return to India. I was asked, once again, if I spoke "Indian." I replied in the affirmative. Then I was asked to say something. In "Indian."
So I replied with "what would you like me to say?"
"Say anything."
I said "I just did."
English is one of two national languages, along with whatever local language(s) are spoken on top of that. Chances are good that the folks that I hear people complain about in "outsourced" customer service call centers across India have, not only a greater command of the English language, but an MBA to boot. These are highly sought and well paid positions in India.
Let us imagine, for a moment, a conversation between someone with a thick NYC-area dialect and the same dialect enhancement, but from, say, Lafayette, Louisiana. Which sounds more foreign? And to whom?
But I digress.
I wanted to share something I wrote to Territory Ahead - the clothing catalogue folks. They asked for a suggestion for places they could focus on for an upcoming catalogue. I replied in an email that they should consider India. They contacted me to ask why.
Here is my response to them: First off, this is the land of Kipling, Orwell, et al. If you, as you say, are looking for "great, exciting, and unknown places," then India should be at the top of the list (as it already is in the imaginations of countless millions).
I do not mean to be a mere cheerleader, but having spent an abundance of my career in Asia/Pacific Rim, I finally found an area which I can claim as a second home. I learn something new every single day. The history is alive and meshs seamlessly with the present and future. Simply amazing.
I have taken advantage of Territory Ahead for at least 10 years. As with the early Banana Republic and J. Peterman (catalogues), I look forward, not only to the product, but the vignettes enclosed within.
India provides the Himalaya Range, the deserts of Rajastan, the tropical beauty of Kerala where the Europenas first set foot in the 15th century. There are cool hill stations and steamy urban centers with cathedrals, temples and enough oddities to make Ripley stammer. Colonial chic meets world culture, all in a one billion-plus populace.
India has stories, imagery and wonder. It should not work, but does so nonetheless. It is not just one thing or just anything. It is a flavor worth savoring...slowly...over the course of a lifetime. I hope this little pep rally was helpful and not so over the top. Oh, by the way, Mark Twain...yeah, that guy, was equally over the top. If nothing else, I stand in good company.
Do not get me wrong. The place is seriously flawed. It isn't a fairy tale country.
But it kinda is.
I guess it all depends on what trips your trigger.
Now give me a cheese masala dosa. Chutney jaasti!
So I replied with "what would you like me to say?"
"Say anything."
I said "I just did."
English is one of two national languages, along with whatever local language(s) are spoken on top of that. Chances are good that the folks that I hear people complain about in "outsourced" customer service call centers across India have, not only a greater command of the English language, but an MBA to boot. These are highly sought and well paid positions in India.
Let us imagine, for a moment, a conversation between someone with a thick NYC-area dialect and the same dialect enhancement, but from, say, Lafayette, Louisiana. Which sounds more foreign? And to whom?
But I digress.
I wanted to share something I wrote to Territory Ahead - the clothing catalogue folks. They asked for a suggestion for places they could focus on for an upcoming catalogue. I replied in an email that they should consider India. They contacted me to ask why.
Here is my response to them: First off, this is the land of Kipling, Orwell, et al. If you, as you say, are looking for "great, exciting, and unknown places," then India should be at the top of the list (as it already is in the imaginations of countless millions).
I do not mean to be a mere cheerleader, but having spent an abundance of my career in Asia/Pacific Rim, I finally found an area which I can claim as a second home. I learn something new every single day. The history is alive and meshs seamlessly with the present and future. Simply amazing.
I have taken advantage of Territory Ahead for at least 10 years. As with the early Banana Republic and J. Peterman (catalogues), I look forward, not only to the product, but the vignettes enclosed within.
India provides the Himalaya Range, the deserts of Rajastan, the tropical beauty of Kerala where the Europenas first set foot in the 15th century. There are cool hill stations and steamy urban centers with cathedrals, temples and enough oddities to make Ripley stammer. Colonial chic meets world culture, all in a one billion-plus populace.
India has stories, imagery and wonder. It should not work, but does so nonetheless. It is not just one thing or just anything. It is a flavor worth savoring...slowly...over the course of a lifetime. I hope this little pep rally was helpful and not so over the top. Oh, by the way, Mark Twain...yeah, that guy, was equally over the top. If nothing else, I stand in good company.
Do not get me wrong. The place is seriously flawed. It isn't a fairy tale country.
But it kinda is.
I guess it all depends on what trips your trigger.
Now give me a cheese masala dosa. Chutney jaasti!
Monday, January 16, 2006
Bizarro World
Imagine this headline: Michael Jackson Seeks Job in Bahrain...
Now what? Okay, sure. LMFAO of course. Then what? Shake my head. Check my eyes. See if my coffee was spiked. Well, I ain't kidding.
http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/ap/20060116/113745324000.html
It seems the gloved one (so as not to leave prints on Prince) took a gig as a consultant in Bahrain. He will advise on luring (he is good at that) folks to amusement and resort sites. Sorta like children to neverland, I guess.
He is also finalizing his Hurricane Katrina relief song which features rapper/pornographer Snoop Dogg and that other humanitarian and protector of children - R. Kelly. A report suggested that the title of the song shall be "I Have This Dream."
I'm not kidding. This comes out on the day honoring Dr. King.
Remember what he said about judging a man by the content of his character? Judge for yourselves whether these are bad people. It just seems to me that they go about their business in an evil, predatory way.
Today's news has been like that.
It seems the Iranians are upset by news as well. They said CNN misquoted the Iranian president regarding nuclear weapons. He did not say, as quoted, he thought Iran had a right to nuclear weapons. He said it had a right to nuclear energy.
CNN has since apologized on all outlets on-air, to the Iranian government as well as Iran's ambassador to the United Nations and anybody else within earshot.. Iran's Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, welcomed CNN's apology and were quick to ban CNN from the country anyway. Their return would "depend on an assessment of the broadcaster's future coverage of the Islamic state." Hmmm.
I guess it is true what they say - "No news is good news."
It was said that professional ethics were violated. Yeah, that is an important thing to note. It should be discussed again when Iran holds a news conferance regarding their position on the state of Israel. Well, they said ethics, not tolerance.
The list goes on gloriously every single day. I simply scan the headlines, making sure to have swallowed all of my coffee first so-as not to spit it all over my keyboard and screen. There I will get the charge I need. I do not even need to check the "weird" category. I just scan... then it appears... Domesticallt, it may be Pat Robertson or Howard Dean, Al Gore, Cynthia McKinney, ad infinitum, who opened their mouths allowing effleunce to spew forth.
I could swear that on certain days, these idiots are channeling Kafka.
The news is proof that recreational drugs are passe' and quite unnecessary.
Bizarro World is now.
Now what? Okay, sure. LMFAO of course. Then what? Shake my head. Check my eyes. See if my coffee was spiked. Well, I ain't kidding.
http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/ap/20060116/113745324000.html
It seems the gloved one (so as not to leave prints on Prince) took a gig as a consultant in Bahrain. He will advise on luring (he is good at that) folks to amusement and resort sites. Sorta like children to neverland, I guess.
He is also finalizing his Hurricane Katrina relief song which features rapper/pornographer Snoop Dogg and that other humanitarian and protector of children - R. Kelly. A report suggested that the title of the song shall be "I Have This Dream."
I'm not kidding. This comes out on the day honoring Dr. King.
Remember what he said about judging a man by the content of his character? Judge for yourselves whether these are bad people. It just seems to me that they go about their business in an evil, predatory way.
Today's news has been like that.
It seems the Iranians are upset by news as well. They said CNN misquoted the Iranian president regarding nuclear weapons. He did not say, as quoted, he thought Iran had a right to nuclear weapons. He said it had a right to nuclear energy.
CNN has since apologized on all outlets on-air, to the Iranian government as well as Iran's ambassador to the United Nations and anybody else within earshot.. Iran's Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, welcomed CNN's apology and were quick to ban CNN from the country anyway. Their return would "depend on an assessment of the broadcaster's future coverage of the Islamic state." Hmmm.
I guess it is true what they say - "No news is good news."
It was said that professional ethics were violated. Yeah, that is an important thing to note. It should be discussed again when Iran holds a news conferance regarding their position on the state of Israel. Well, they said ethics, not tolerance.
The list goes on gloriously every single day. I simply scan the headlines, making sure to have swallowed all of my coffee first so-as not to spit it all over my keyboard and screen. There I will get the charge I need. I do not even need to check the "weird" category. I just scan... then it appears... Domesticallt, it may be Pat Robertson or Howard Dean, Al Gore, Cynthia McKinney, ad infinitum, who opened their mouths allowing effleunce to spew forth.
I could swear that on certain days, these idiots are channeling Kafka.
The news is proof that recreational drugs are passe' and quite unnecessary.
Bizarro World is now.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Navel Gazing
yeah well...
it has come to my attention that few are truly who they appear to be. it is also true that deception is the rule, not the exception. while we can quibble over the severity of the deception, perhaps even the intent, the end result is the same. that is to say that people lie to your face and take advantage more often than not.
this far too often includes some you may have considered quite near and dear.
i have been blessed with a good circle of individuals that i include in the friend category. one has recently taken advantage of that to quite a severe degree. it truly shakes my faith in people in general. i guess you may have garnered that from my thesis statement.
SYMPTOMS: a large sum of monies owed. a large amount of promises unkept. deception. avoidance. (extremely) petty larceny. tales of woe (is me). blame others while continuing to take. general inconsideration of others. not being very clean (and not caring about it). hidden agenda. resentment.
wow. i guess i am pissed. this is flowing like the niagra.
there is a bit of bile here but if you know of the film "a bronx tale," perhaps you can guess where this particular episode is leading.
i have been far too laissez faire about this. i thought, in error, that there would be a moment of satori and "doing the right thing" would enter the equation. that notion of propriety has yet to rear its head in this case. when it come to decency, you either are or you are not.
so in the interim, i have decided not to wait and move forward with my plans (which i'll detail in a future blathering). much to do. not a lot of time.
the questions that now remain are: Which is the offending limb? What do i give away? Which do i leave behind? How much do i let on? Who should know?
Pretty ponderous, no?
As i collect and count the proverbial lint, i ask you, is it true that it all don't mean shit to a tree?
it has come to my attention that few are truly who they appear to be. it is also true that deception is the rule, not the exception. while we can quibble over the severity of the deception, perhaps even the intent, the end result is the same. that is to say that people lie to your face and take advantage more often than not.
this far too often includes some you may have considered quite near and dear.
i have been blessed with a good circle of individuals that i include in the friend category. one has recently taken advantage of that to quite a severe degree. it truly shakes my faith in people in general. i guess you may have garnered that from my thesis statement.
SYMPTOMS: a large sum of monies owed. a large amount of promises unkept. deception. avoidance. (extremely) petty larceny. tales of woe (is me). blame others while continuing to take. general inconsideration of others. not being very clean (and not caring about it). hidden agenda. resentment.
wow. i guess i am pissed. this is flowing like the niagra.
there is a bit of bile here but if you know of the film "a bronx tale," perhaps you can guess where this particular episode is leading.
i have been far too laissez faire about this. i thought, in error, that there would be a moment of satori and "doing the right thing" would enter the equation. that notion of propriety has yet to rear its head in this case. when it come to decency, you either are or you are not.
so in the interim, i have decided not to wait and move forward with my plans (which i'll detail in a future blathering). much to do. not a lot of time.
the questions that now remain are: Which is the offending limb? What do i give away? Which do i leave behind? How much do i let on? Who should know?
Pretty ponderous, no?
As i collect and count the proverbial lint, i ask you, is it true that it all don't mean shit to a tree?
Monday, January 02, 2006
Who is John Galt?
Allright already...2006. Cool.
It is a new year once more and I am more or less where I was last year...thinking about being somewhere else. Granted, last year at this time, I was freezing my ass off in the northeast. Today blistering cold made it down to 80 degrees outside. Yeah, I'm living amongst the palm trees and still thinking about being elsewhere.
Is it the grass is greener bullshit or is it just the old Irish curse about not being happy if you stand still too long?
I do not have the answer. Perhaps I do not even possess a clue. I have a nice house, the vehicles, ad infinitum, but something always seems to be missing. Somebody ancient and Greek - fill in the blank if you know, cuz I do not remember - said, "the nature of man is to be discontent." Give that man a cigar (and a gyro).
(pause for a Marlboro and effect...)
I pose the following question: Can a liberal be a follower of Ayn Rand?
Now I do not suppose you must adhere to Objectivist doctrine to be a Rand fan. You may indeed be appreciative of her novels alone and still be not quite down with her philosophy.
I make this query due to the fact that I have a friend who proclaims unbridled passion for her writings yet also espouses extremely left of center views. This is a contradiction.
I also have a liberal friend who proclaims that the evils of political correctness came from the right wingers of the country. Yikes.
Personally, I am not a good fit at either end. I would make a lousy fascist or communist equally. It is kinda like what Groucho said: "I wouldn't belong to any organization that would have me."
It is a new year once more and I am more or less where I was last year...thinking about being somewhere else. Granted, last year at this time, I was freezing my ass off in the northeast. Today blistering cold made it down to 80 degrees outside. Yeah, I'm living amongst the palm trees and still thinking about being elsewhere.
Is it the grass is greener bullshit or is it just the old Irish curse about not being happy if you stand still too long?
I do not have the answer. Perhaps I do not even possess a clue. I have a nice house, the vehicles, ad infinitum, but something always seems to be missing. Somebody ancient and Greek - fill in the blank if you know, cuz I do not remember - said, "the nature of man is to be discontent." Give that man a cigar (and a gyro).
(pause for a Marlboro and effect...)
I pose the following question: Can a liberal be a follower of Ayn Rand?
Now I do not suppose you must adhere to Objectivist doctrine to be a Rand fan. You may indeed be appreciative of her novels alone and still be not quite down with her philosophy.
I make this query due to the fact that I have a friend who proclaims unbridled passion for her writings yet also espouses extremely left of center views. This is a contradiction.
I also have a liberal friend who proclaims that the evils of political correctness came from the right wingers of the country. Yikes.
Personally, I am not a good fit at either end. I would make a lousy fascist or communist equally. It is kinda like what Groucho said: "I wouldn't belong to any organization that would have me."
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