Month: October 2003

I’m going to Japan! I booked tickets today for J███████, S██████ and myself to go see Jim-tenno in Japan this spring! How cool is that? In 2002 S██████ and J– cam to England to see J███████ and I and we had a blast. I can’t even describe how cool that was—and now Japan. How many rolls of film can I snap in two weeks? Oh man, I’m so excited! Konichiwa!

There was a chance on Monday that I would have had to go to Peru on Tuesday for work. I packed a bag Monday night just in case. I would say there was about a 10% chance I would have gone on Monday. By Tuesday afternoon that was up to about 80%—and we even reserved a ticket for me for a flight out of Reagan. But, alas, sometime between 4:00 and 4:30 most of the issues we were having with Peru were fixed so I did not get to go to Peru. Too bad too I was looking forward to it. I’ve never been to Peru. Besides I think A—– needs a Llama! ;-)

I just finished reading Noam Chomsky‘s [web.mit.edu] lectures and thoughts from the months after 9/11—Power and Terror [amazon.com]. It’s been a while sense I read any Chomsky. Every time you read him he shocks you. With the depth of his knowledge and the things he says.

I’ve heard Chomsky described as ‘un-American’ by quite a few people. Why? Because he uses the factual record—produced by our own government—to condemn American actions around the world. The atrocities committed in our name or under our patronage. I can think of little more American then voicing ones dissent from popular opinion and the government. While I don’t agree with all that Chomsky or Zinn have to say I think they are two of the most important intellectuals in the US today and that what they have to say should be read by all.

Hearing anyone described as un-American is almost enough to make me sick. Short of physical violence against the US and it’s citizens I don’t think anything can be called un-American. The basis of the whole country is dissent. It is every Americans constitutional right to say ‘I hate America.’ And that is what makes American great. A lot needs to be fixed. Many things have gotten confused over the past two hundred years, but we are in a better position to fix those things and any other country. Almost everything Tocqueville said made America great when he wrote Democracy in America [amazon.com] has been lost to special intrest, political correctness, greed and corruption. People like Zinn and Chomsky call attention to the effects. If more people listened then perhaps we could get a little back. And once again be, rightfully and correctly, called the greatest country on Earth and live up the the ideals in the Declaration of Independance [archives.gov], the Constitution [archives.gov] and in the Bill of Rights [archives.gov].

Ah-nold! So anyone who can see or hear in the US (and most of the rest of the world) knows that Arnold was elected Governor of California yesterday. I cannot help but think this is a bad move. I don’t really have a dislike of Arnold (how can I no one reallly knows his position on anything—it will all be up to the people he picks to run stuff, and I think Warren Buffet is a good choice) My first reaction to Arnold is no, but that’s just because he is republican and I am, oh so very dissolusioned by the way the republicans have been doing things lately—one of the two things I usually like about the reps is their foreign policy and Bush et. al. have just fucked that all up. (the other thing is the reps hard stance of welfare—I’m all for thrown’ the dole out the window. Period.) Anyway, well give the Governator a chance and see if it works. At least he will have a catchy re-election slogan; “I’ll be back” :)

I did indead go to Canada for one day. Flew from Dulles to Montreal on Monday and back on Tuesday—all for a two hour meeting with someone. Wow. Montreal seemed nice, but most of the time it was just dead. I guess maybe it was becaue it was Monday evening but the bars we went to (oh… too much Guinness!) where just dead. There was much bitching and moaning. But there was also much drinking and it was a good time. The three of us who when did manage to get up on Tuesday and make the meeting. But that’s all hush hush. Afterwords we went back downtown for some lunch before our flight. We ended up playing billiards for several hours. So if anyone askes me what I did on October 7th, I can just tell them—I played pool. In Canada. The other thing was that when we got back (at 9pm) another guy we where to meet was in town so we meet him and had a drink till close to midnight! Must sleep tonight.