November 27, 2008

Loving my bird



I rarely find myself wrestling with a topic for a post. My difficulty runs more along the lines of how to say a thing rather than actually finding something to talk about. As I have mentioned in the recent past, this web log is the only outlet I have to let my thoughts run free. In a way it's kind of similar to the casual conversations you have during the day with your neighbors, co- workers or the complete strangers you might happen to meet at the bus stop or train platform.
So I have to consider something:

How much of myself do I want to expose to the world?

There are limits to how much truth one is willing to tell and occasionally there are even stricter limits as to how much someone wants to hear. I have to occasionally remind students that when most folks ask, "How are you, today?" they are just being polite. They really don't want to hear about your stomach virus or erythrodermic psoriasis. Well, maybe they would, but only if you were Will Smith or Jenna Jameson.

On the other hand the truth can often be a harsh mistress, demanding from us acceptance or understanding of things we'd rather not hear. At the moment I don't want to get into an epistemological discussion of what exactly truth is nor is it germane to deduce whether or not subjectivity vs. objectivity influences the outcome of what we think. Yet if you believe that is an important point and feel uncomfortable with the nonclementure, you can substitute the word 'opinion' for 'truth' and save us all a lot of trouble.

Where does one draw the line of how much one ought to say to others and how much can we believe of what is being told to us everyday.

If you read the Misplaced Man then you must realize that I avoid almost all things political. I have my views, but I usually keep them to myself.
Unless you have been living in a cave you might have noticed the the world is having a slight monetary problem (That's right America your economic fuck up has affected more people than you realize.) it also is having a major problem with unchecked violence and a maelstrom of troubles that on the surface seem incurable.

Here in Japan, I viewed the presidential campaign with no small amount of mirth.
I think that many Japanese also sought relief from the hum drum of everyday life with the spectacle that American politics has become.

You now have a fabulous new president (elect) and he got there on a platform that advocated change. He is now paraphrasing FDR and looking less original and almost less sure of himself. This is what President-elect Obama said, when asked during an interview on CBS's 60 Minutes, what voters expect of him when he takes office.
'You know, they're not expecting miracles.'
From the sound of things I was thinking that not only was the American republic not only expecting miracles, they were praying for them. I hope that most of you are open to new cultures (not talking about yogurt, here) because the people who are bailing you out are looking like the folks you have loved to hate. I give you, Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.
I ain't passing judgement. I am just telling you the facts. My truth. He owns five percent of Citibank because Americans can't afford to invest in their own country.

You ask for too much and you give too little.
You have all the best of everything and you toss it away for trinkets. The accumulated debt of American households is larger than that of many countries- 13 trillion dollars. That's a lot of moolah.

When you give thanks this year take the time to think about something more than cranberry sauce. Even when you got it bad, you still got it pretty good.

Guard, protect and cherish your land,
for there is no afterlife for a place that started out as Heaven.
Charles M. Russell, Montana, 1929.


23 comments:

Serena said...

Oh, geez, that picture is disgusting. LOL. I, too, avoid political discussions for the most part, and a lot of other serious topics. Like you, I have my views, but I tend to keep them to myself -- along with most of myself.:)

Megan said...

I know.

Kurt said...

You can get a turkey that big in Japan?

Mona said...

Misplaced? you are using your hand as skewer?

The sad thing about truth is that it may not always console us...

Politics is politics because it is opinionated...

I love cranberry juice.

h said...

Aside from Obama voters, I'm not aware of ANY Americans who aren't aware that there are currently GLOBAL economic problems. And that the problems in the USA that started with Fannie and Freddie have had a large impact on other Nations.

Of course Obama voters also weren't aware of:

1) Which party controls Congress.

2) How many Senators each State has.

3) What the 3 branches of the Fed Government are.

4) What The Federal Reserve is.

So, it's not surprising they might think America's wrong moves only affect America and can be blamed on one man.

Carla said...

Yep, you're not political in the least. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

NYD said...

Serena~ That is what makes you so goddamned charming ;D

Megan~ Ah, brevity.

Kurt~ Welcome home! It's not real I carved it out of a giant block of tofu.

Mona~ Better my hand than some other appendage.
Politics is politics because it is opinionated yes. Yet to be politic is to beable to handle the opinions you deem insipid without rancor or insult.

Troll~ I am pretty sure there are quite a few republicans that can stand under the same umbrella. Just because you are informed doesn't mean the whole tribe is.

Oh, and the problems started long before Fannie Mae missed her period.

Carla~ This time I am, but on the whole, and you can check my archives, I remain for the most part neutral and impartial.

Don't celebrate Thanksgiving here, but thanks anyway.

Mona said...
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puerileuwaite said...

Love is more than physical intimacy. At least if you believe the instructions that came with my Butterball. But then they go on to recommend that I baste it, so I'm confused.

NYD said...

Mona I just can't go there.

Pug~ I understand and agree, but their reccomendations are for the most experienced of basters. Those who are master of the art.
Do your best. and let us know how things come out.

moi said...

Word. That's all.

Oh, and: I hope you cooked that bird and didn't instead run around the neighborhood wearing it on your head.

Allan said...

After 9/11 we were told that the best way to fight terrorism was to go shopping. So we did. Now look what happened.

Mona said...

me neither...

Mona said...
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about to be single said...

That is the most hilarious picture I've ever seen!! I continually wrestle with what I "put out there" in my blog. Most times I don't care what others think and then sometimes I'm just not willing to have salt in the wound, as they say. Fun, fun blog!! The finance troubles are a pain aren't they. It has to get better.

Ali Dahmash said...

What you did to that turkey with your hand is what Bush did to America and the Middle East ;) haha

Anonymous said...

Troll made a comment that brought back such memories of what my Mom use to say to us kids. You always have to know what your government is doing and the branches they're doing it in, otherwise you'll end up with an administration that will bankrupt the country and leave us out for the wolves to overcome. Well I guess mom and Troll might be right about a lot of things, but as an american and Democrat I don't expect miracles and I didn't vote for Obama. We'll see soon enough after January what this man will do when he's finally in office. In the meantime, that bird looks great and I hope it came out exactly how you expected it. Unlike Politics, no one really knows how everything will come out until after the leader of this (use to be great nation)takes control of the wheel. He's walking into a mess, and at this very moment they're probably having their shredding parties to hide all the damage they accomplished while in power. I wonder....how much of this country will americans still own after the Bush administration leaves?
Or will our future language and laws be in Aramaic? I think that's how you spell it....

JBG NYC

NYD said...

Moi~ I wish I could have written it better.

Allan~ Maybe we can throw washing machines at them.

Mona= OTTN!

Anni~ I hate to say this, but the finacial woes are far from over.

Ali~ And Reagan, papa Bush and Clinton before him.
Thanks for the visit.

Halvah~ To have you and the Troll agree to something is astounding. Both of you sit on opposite sides of the see saw. Maybe a love of one's country has nothing to do with politics after all.

Aramaic is a dead language. You are thinking of arabic.

Ali Dahmash said...

but by all means GW Bush is the worst ;)

www.niamhphotography.com said...

you're a very powerful writer. tons of turkey for thought there.

Ming the Merciless said...

Dude, that is SO WRONG!!!

Nobody needs to see you do the dirty dance with a turkey.

I don't think I can EVER eat turkey again. ;-0

Ming the Merciless said...

BTW, are you go eat KFC like most Japanese do during Christmas?

Anonymous said...

thank you. I stand corrected...again...lol.
Thanks mom!

JB