Iranian in New York

This morning on my commute I had to change the station. Actually I changed the station, then put the CD back on. I'm so glad I have music I like.

On the radio, before I changed the station, I was listening to NPR's version of events from last night's address from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and was saddened not only by the way he was treated by the spineless university president, spineless because of the way he caved in to negative sentiment, and saddened by the so called recap of events. The presentation was extremely down on the Iranian president, gave him no credit for coming here, and downplayed any intelligent answers he may have given to questions that address his difference of belief, such as on the Holocaust or homosexuals. I suppose it was as though an atheist was looking at a believer in God, and feeling nothing but scorn.

I thought Time magazine's article was interesting, it emphasized the fact that he faces a tough election at home (despite being called a dictator - in a spineless attempt to associate him with Hitler and make him the evil ruler of our time), and that his words were really directed to his home audience. I can't say that point of view doesn't have merit, and is an interesting spin.

To get on my soapbox for a moment, I wonder who doesn't listen for the spin when they are watching, or listening to, or reading news. I imagine most people can't hear spin that agrees with them, like an accent that one has grown up with, but how many people realize how much has to be left out, and how the news can decide to phrase events which puts one side in a better light than the other.

And then there are the people who take these headlines seriously. If nothing they are good for a laugh, right? Unless of course you're Peter Fallow.

Karamazov

Now reading Dostoevsky's classic. Strangely, I don't find it gripping, and I don't find it very relevant to me. I think the madness within the book is somewhat irrelevant to me now. I blame my slow slide into mediocrity and my tumble against practicality for the fact that this book seems less resonant than when I picked it up the first time. The first time, granted, I thought everything resonated with me, I tried to get into the spirit of whatever it was, and now my spirit is tired of contorting itself. My mind realizes what most people already know, and that is that you are only one thing, composed of many little things, but essentially one thing. I still haven't found what that thing is that I am, but I think it's a step in the right direction to recognize that I am one thing. I am at heart static. The more I change (as the saying goes) the more I stay the same.

Back to the book however. I'll include a quote. This is the part where Smerdyakov actually speaks up and starts to argue about a story that Gregory has told, which he got from the butcher. Old Karamazov foreshadows Ivan's control over Smerdy by saying that he's really doing it to impress Ivan. Karamazov is delighted and calls Smerdyakov 'Balaam's ass.' After Smerdyakov makes the argument that a man, being forced to renounce his Christianity may do so because just when that man considers doing it God strips him of his salvation, therefore he isn't renouncing anything, Karamazov jumps in and without much effort and primarily for the fun of it slaps him down. He first refers to the fact that Smerdyakov believes there are maybe two people who could move a mountain, and Karamazov remarks that it's 'very Russian' to make that statement:

"Those words of yours, Balaam's ass, are worth their weight in gold, and I'll see to it that you get a gold piece today. But as for the rest, you're full of wind and nonsense. For your information, you fool, the reason we generally lack faith is that we refuse to give it much serious thought. We're much too busy. first of all, we're too much involved in our personal affairs; and secondly, God hasn't given us enough time for it: with twenty-four hours in the day we can't even get enough sleep, let alone repent our sins. But when you give up your faith under torture, you do it at a time when you have nothing else to do but thing about that faith of yours, and that is just the proper time to stand up for it! And so it does constitute a sin, doesn't it, my good man?"

There is actually a bit a little later in which Old Karamazov says that there hasn't yet been a woman repulsive to him. Every woman he says, has some quality that makes her wonderful. I used to feel that way, I used to be able to relate to that, but I have decided that people are really not so remarkable, and that Karamazov is really demonstrating the fact that his penis does his thinking for him, for a penis is only interested in fleshy orifices of any shape, size, or upkeep.

Voting in '08

Not that I vote, but I wonder if anyone realizes that Obama would likely be very focused on domestic issues, such as welfare and social security and who knows what else, more so than international issues. As a newbie, and as a black man, it's unlikely he would know the dance steps on the international stage. I think he would fail in that way, and in the way that Hillary would probably not fail: that is to maintain the American agenda abroad. If you can't be a good diplomat (Nixon has China, Carter has Camp David Accords, and Reagan has the Berlin Wall), at least carry on with America's Agenda in the Middle East and China, and it's unlikely he will know those dance steps either.

I think it's clear he would be a good face and a good smile, and lots of words, scattered carefully to make as many people happy as possible, but in the end result, who can really back him? Big companies would be silly to, and anyone but special interest groups would be silly to as well. Unless there's something uneducated me doesn't know about how well he's doing in the back rooms of government.

Dodge Caliber

Does anyone else notice how the Dodge Caliber looks rather 'military'? I know it's not propery Engrish to put the quote inside the '?' but when it's only one word and it's not part of the overall sentence I think it belongs the way I have it. The Caliber makes me wonder what other vehicles Americans have to choose from that also look rather jeep-like or tank-like.

I've noticed for a while now the strange phenomenon in which the sides of the cars seem to get taller in the side, the windows smaller, and only after thinking about the Caliber and militaristic design, I wonder if the effect isn't tank like overall. Case in point is the Dodge Charger/Magnum (another Dodge I know), Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, & Chevy Cobalt.

Compare these to an old BMW from the 60's. Very different approach to the automobile.

The Bonfire

Now I'm reading The Bonfire of the Vanities, enjoyable so far, I've only met the characters, shared in their lives somewhat, and where I'm reading now is the first connection between two separate (until now) characters.

Reading about the trading floor has been the most interesting so far. As an almost budding writer, the level of detail is intimidating, as is the level of detail in the Bronx courthouse. It's as though the author has first hand experience of these places, and the goings on there. Not only that, but that the author was privy to the inner workings.

I want to include an excerpt that is so totally ME, that it makes me wonder how common my thoughts and ways really are. One of the characters has been involved in a hit and run, and is fretting over the fact that he didn't report it.

And even as he quaked with fear of such a ctastrophe, he knew he was letting himself wallow in it for a superstitious reason. If you consciously envisioned something that dreadful, then it couldn't possibly take place, could it... God or Fate would refuse to be anticipated by a mere mortal, wouldn't He... He always insisted on giving His disasters the purity of surprise, didn't He... And yet--and yet-- some forms of doom are so obvious you can't avoid them that way, can you! One breath of scandal--

I have honestly used this technique to calm myself, by envisioning the events I am afraid of and then assuring myself that now that I'm already anticipating it and I have it all worked out in my head, there's now no way things will go down the way I fear.

Silence

I've read Silence and there's a quote from the prologue, the translater is talking about the author, and I just haven't gotten around to quoting that bit in here.

Why am I even taking the time to say I haven't found the time? I want to be more regular on the blog. Daily even.