Random Observations

Okay, I'm being juvenile, but this cracks me up!









-This is me, dancing with Johnny Depp.







This is me, sitting on the shoulders of my cousin Bill, in the summer of 1976, on Grandpa's farm in North Dakota.

This is me, when I got up this morning:



This is me, when I realized that Bush is still president.

Staying the Course, of Course

Bush administration to Iraq:
"We invaded you and we're not leaving until...until....um..."

Bush administration to the American people:

"We're not leaving Iraq until we achieve victory!"

American people to Bush administration:

"How do you define victory and how will you know when we've achieved it?"

Bush administration to the American people:

"Um.....uh.....um...."

Our troops in Iraq, to each other:
"What the fuck are we doing here, anyway?"

We're Not Sinking - The Others are Rising!

I just finished reading an article in the May 12 issue of Newsweek that made me think Fareed Zakaria is the smartest man in the universe. (Okay, I already suspected as much, but this confirmed it.) The article is titled "The Rise of the Rest," and is adapted from Zakaria's book, "The Post-American World." It explores the ways the 21st century world is changing. "...the patterns of the past are being scrambled...and the U.S. does not seem to be leading the charge." China, India and Brazil are the dynamos. Other, smaller countries are growing quickly, as well. Zakaria call it "the rise of the rest - the rest of the world." Americans are frightened and defensive at the thought, but we shouldn't be. Though at times everything we hear and see on the evening news seems so dire, our impressions are shaped by the extreme, non-relenting COVERAGE of the news. But Z. makes a good case that terrorism, while still a terrible threat, is losing popularity and is being combatted effectively in most parts of the world. And, "the underlying reality across the globe is of enormous vitality. ...most countries around the world are practicing sensible economics...poverty is falling...global trade is growing..."

Many Americans fear that the rise of others mean the decline of America. But just because we are not necessarily number 1 by all measures, does not mean we've been hurt. "America has benefited massively from globalization...It remains dominant in many industries of the future..its universities are the finest in the world..." Much of our success is owed to immigrants. "Foreign students and immigrants account for almost 50% of all science researchers in the country...The potential for a new burst of American productivity depends...on our immigration policies...the country thrives on the hunger and energy of poor immigrants...for 60 years the U.S. has pushed countries to open their markets, free up their politics and embrace trade and technology." Let's not resist doing the same. We should embrace the "rise of the rest," not fear it.

Okay, you get the idea. If you'd like to read more, check out the May 12 Newsweek, or better yet, get Zakaria's book. Then tell me about it. I'm too lazy to read the whole book.

Okay, I'm Happy!

It's hard to be unhappy on a beautiful spring day like today. But I gave it my best shot. I dredged up painful memories of my childhood, my miserable first marriage, my parents' suicides, and sundry other tales of woe, but it just didn't work! Everywhere I looked were blue skies,

new green leaves on the trees, azalea bushes bursting with red, pink, coral and lavender blossoms,

tulips of every conceivable color,

pansies with their flirtatious little faces etched in purple,

tiny blue forget-me-nots twinkling in the sun...and that's just in my front yard! I can't stop smiling, no matter how hard I try!

Oh well. In eight more months it'll be winter again, and I can piss and moan to my heart's content.