Friday, October 29, 2010

Midterm Scare


Which is more frightening Halloween or the mid term elections? Answer below.

America claims it’s the greatest democracy in the world. Hmmm…Well let’s see; it is a democracy and at times displays greatness that much is true.

But this greatness also stands shoulder to shoulder with scariness; perhaps the greatest scariness democracy in the world would be more fitting. With all its ballyhoo and pomp it is easy too want to fly to the furthest corner of the globe to escape the stench such as Hillary Clinton is doing. Her two week trip to the Far East and further is an act of skillful diplomacy in its self. Or what about a one way ticket to Mars as NASA is proposing. Or do a runner like Dennis Quaid and seek asylum in Canada.

Either way the midterms have become a cattle call for all the extremists, be it in the media, business, politics and entertainment world to behave in a fearsome manner. What happened to all that Hope? Generally countries outside the US (and sometimes habitants inside) have no real interest in the mid terms but because of the historic win two years ago with so much optimism non Americans are perplexed as such a change of heart. A quick fix was never in the mix, how could it be? This story has many chapters long and deep and affects the world at large.

While it is important to vote, it isn’t half a slog these days to walk through the minefield of crap and come to the conclusion that there is very little direction home. Clearly the country is angry and there’s a lot to be angry about but this discontent is not helped by the choice of candidates.

All indicators point to a overhauling of Congress and a middle finger squarely placed before Obama’s face. But political schizophrenia has set in. On one hand you have bile surfacing from the Tea Party brigade and on the other, the ‘Hands thrown up in the air’ despair mob.

This schism invites each to conclude that the country is ungovernable. We have candidates who don’t know the constitution, others who are homophobic, racist, fraudsters, bigots, mentally unstable and actors pretending to be retired postal workers (Samuel Jackson) I guess this is to be expected in the greatest democracy in the world where everyone is accounted for.
But wait, so much money spent but so many voting machines broken… there’s a metaphor in there somewhere I think.

So which is more frightening? The Midterms, winners receive a clove of garlic. All the houses on Elm Street are foreclosed and Freddy is out of work; and what could be more haunting than a bunch of pretenders trick or treating at your door step this weekend.



Thursday, October 14, 2010

Miners, Mistresses, Wives and Videotape




In a world full of murder madness and malcontent, it is refreshing to witness an event such as the mining rescue in a Chilean desert. This wonderful unfolding story had all the hallmarks of the human condition. If this is news to you, then clearly you have been living under a rock or a pile of rocks just as the thirty three miners trapped half a mile below surface for seventy days.

The remarkable scenes of miners surfacing, one by one from the great abyss was a testament to the courage fortitude and incredible teamwork of a great many people.

Paramount to a successful conclusion, this Rock Star rescue warranted Chile’s day in the sun equitable to winning the World Cup and having the Vatican reside in Santiago. Interestingly with all our technical advancements it was the image of the winch and the wheel which brought the miners fresh rays of light. This bastion of medieval technology still serves us well in the modern age.

However the drama revealing it self top soil was far noisier than the relative quiet of the quarantined thirty three bottom soil. Seventy days underground can expose the most vital of emotions; Love… or Lust or Lies, heavens I have forgotten which. So when certain miners were being claimed by wives and mistresses one may think for a brief second, jeeper’s life down here isn’t so bad. Naturally I jest but from now on there will be a whole load of claiming. Scenes from above make the Jerry Springer show look docile, Red Cross workers have been adopting combat posture to diffuse outbreaks of documented and undocumented women.

I am sure Apple is working on an App for miners with mistresses in a half a mile radius.

The claiming will continue in the form of government compensation, TV and book offers and holidays in the sun. The psychologists employed are going to have a field day in calming the emotional upheaval while government officials’ a legal nightmare in who is entitled to what.

Ironically, may the recovery begin; in isolation away from the rolling videotape and the winding winch.