Hopefully, a detente between Left and Right

First, an interview by MotherJones magazine of Niall Ferguson (!) I may have been loathe to admit it a year or so ago, but much of what he says makes sense. A nuanced view of feminism, Superwoman v/ Supermom, an informed POV on 3/11 in Madrid, somewhat convoluted beliefs on Islam, a long philosophical treatise on mind and body, and reviews on books critical of the current Bush regime, which I have not had a chance to finish as of this writing, because it's a really looong piece.

Waiting for Jason

First, a long piece on literary criticism, second; some healthy skepticism about the environmental movement, and finally today, a sort of re-emergence of the Left.

Rainy Days and Mondays...

Spent last night at Mom and Dad's. Did a little socializing (probably too good a word for it) at Boston Pizza. Just drank a large mug of beer and played video games (not VLTs, haven't touched those in 5 years.

Today, I delivered a couple of letters, had some coffee and a samosa at a new fair trade place on Barrington Street. It's a good day to be indoors. Have more business to take care of in the city. I just learned today that I can be as bold as I want, as long as I'm not disappointed or crumble like a card castle. It's not enough I have to pretend, I have to and can not look let down. Be stoic and indifferent. Whatever, big deal!

What's still there right now, some book reviews, beginning with: a bit of left-wing sanctimony, a normally cool-headed right winger loses it, a review by Terry Eagleton on the seeming compatibility of fascism and capitalism, a mostly good book about how "The war to end all wars" still affects us today, and a bad polemic from someone whom you can't tell which side he's on anyway.

Here's a convincing argument as to why the continent of Africa is still going south. And some optimism, or is it manicness?

This n' that

Been having some trouble lately with my palm pilot. It should have backup power or something in case I don't replace my batteries fast enough. I was sure that I had recently backed up my information on Dad's computer, and that the files were synchronized, but I had forgotten to check my date book. Anyway, I found this fascinating link (or at least, fascinating to me) about whether Shakespeare was really a racist and anti-Semite. I was taught that he was, but according to this article, both Shylock and Othello were fully fleshed out characters and not full blown, one-dimensional stereotypes. Others wrote that way at that time, but those beliefs did not really have a chance to develop until much later. Shakespeare was, well, I hate to use the word 'liberal' here, but he was not a bigot. At best, he believed in racial and sexual equality (Taming of the Shrew). Othello was painted as a gentleman whose main flaw was gullibility, and that was also the main fault of Marcus Brutus. Shylock was partly a stereotype, being a Jewish moneylender, and overall he was not a nice person, but he was no less than human, and there were earthly reasons he was the way he was.

And here's Woody Guthrie, with all his human failings. I've grown to like Pete Seeger better.

Mocking the Holocaust, from a Jewish perspective.

Lastly, I went to my childhood home where they were having a yard sale. I didn't bother to tell them that I used to live there, I just bought a CD off them. And it was on that day I went over to Mom and Dad's current abode and did what I thought was a complete updating of my Palm in case of emergency.

Free again

All my work is done for the year and my time is free again. Have to start looking for a job though and still not quite all better yet. In the meantime, some links I want to save, a radical turn for a Greenpeace co-founder, a fairly balanced and nuanced idea of McWorld v/ Jihad, and elitism taking a fictional hit.

After midnight

I've got a tonne of catching up to do. I have to read at least "Hearts of Darkness" and get started on my Poli-Sci essay. I spent much of the night reading something about the United Nations that started to arouse my suspicions. Then I saw that the domain name was sovereignty.com. According to that school of thought, THEY are all out to get us, that is, the people who support global governance. It's all a socialist plot, you're either with us, or your with them. George W. put it best.

I don't know if the Journal (the school paper) is going to publish my opinion piece (which did). If they do, it probably wouldn't be widely noticed, although it might get some almost violent reactions from the anti-American crowd. If there's one thing I want that article to accomplish, it's to stop people from being so anti-American, and to stop Americans from thinking that everyone is out to get them, although we should still maintain our right to disagree with them on major issues.

Not a month later

I have started research for my Poli-Sci essay. For one distraction, an online comic strip of dogs with conflicting instincts, a sign of the apocolypse that seems small today, and someone clueless at an advanced age. On a personal level, I couldn't find J... after class, or A..., or anyone for that matter.

Almost a month later

I finally got that damn English paper done, now I have a little time to myself and prepare to start my Political Science essay. In the meantime, some things I picked up that I want remembered. A non-Americentric American, a guy with a serious McProblem, a long-standing American myth that won't go away, and a living legend of modern thought.

Just a couple of things before I go

Get a load of Max Boot, a guy who says that the world would be a better place if dominated by the American power. He says that the UN is ineffective, which I believe it is, but I don't even think that his solution is for the birds. Also worth checking out, Niall Ferguson. Also, don't want to have anymore trouble finding Timothy Noah's Whoppers.