The Obama people seem determined to continue to fight a land war in Asia - in Afghanistan, to be specific - and so to discuss why this is probably not such a good idea seems like beginning a deep discussion on the epistemology of self-murder with a 280-pound offensive guard who has already got a firm lip-to-muzzle weld and one toe in the trigger guard. It's gonna happen, nothing short of snatching the shotgun away will stop anything and you know that you can't outwrestle the dumb bastard before he jerks down on that trigger and ventilates the top of his skull.
Is a Sisyphean task, and I just don't have the heart for it. If you follow my blog you know why I think this is a bad idea, and I have no evidence that Dave Petraeus or Jim Jones follows the blog. What the fuck, over.Likewise the Great Recession. Pretty much everyone seems to know what needs to happen. But a combination of venality and greed and the bought-and-paid-for Wall Street types working for the government agencies supposed to be keeping an eye one these rapscallions seems to ensure that we won't start hurling bodies out the windows until the malefactors of great wealth have had the opportunity to loot as much as they can from the public purse. And if Paul Krugman can't stop this, how the hell can I?
Nope...it's time to talk about another Cool Thing in North Portland: Swap n' Play.
We first went there the Saturday before last, when the combination of rain and kid energy forced us to seek an intervention. This came in the form of this great little indoor playpark over in NE St. Johns. The people are great, the space is open and cheery...
...and the toys are terrific, as toy connesseurs Peeper and Little Miss can attest."WOW!!" shouted Himself, brandishing a truck, "This place has EVERYthing!"
And indeed it does, from climbing playsets to trains to stuffed pets to trucks and EZ Bake Ovens. It's pretty damn amazing.
As always, Mountain Climber Missy made right for the playset and conquered the highest peak thereof. She's a pretty incredible alpinist for an almost-three-year-old.So we offically like Swap n' Play, and encourage any of you who're looking for some kid entertainment Tuesday and Thursday nights and every other Saturday to drop by.
And as for wars and lechery...well, for now let's just pull off our pants and dance our asses off. Hopefully that way we'll lull our corporate and government masters into complaisance so we can surprise them one morning with the torches and pitchforks and REALLY spoil their day.
And for those of you who're interested, there's a nice little discussion going on over at Al and JD's "buggieboy" blog about education. Now there's something I can still get worked up about. C'mon over and info dump on us!
6 comments:
"It's been very difficult to work up enough give-a-shit to blog about a lot of the political and military stuff I usually care about."
Outrage fatigue, eh, Chief?
Right now I feel like I'm on the tip of the bow of a sinking ship, the stern is under, the life boats are half full and threatening to be tipped by those in the water, and all I can do is look to the horizon, ignore the wonderful sunset, and hope there is help on the way.
I need to refocus on that sunset, again.
Something about sunsets in Hawaii calls me to a quieter time...and I miss those times.
Chief,
Shifting perspective is always good, but your eloquent explication and outrage is needed. Your passion is welcome, I am sure, on any topic you care to address.
Perhaps the cinema site, for awhile. . .
Sheerah: Not so much outrage but the feeling of immense futility. You can open up the electronical Internet and pretty much can't swing a cat without finding people who are saying the excat same things I want to say only better: people like Jim hisownself over at RAW, Jeff Huber at Pen and Sword, Pat Lang at Sic Semper Tyrannis, Fabius Maximus, the Atrios gang, Group News Blog, Blue Gal...
But there's no evidence that anyone with the ability to DO anything WILL do anything. I've written my congresscritters, but Merkely and DiFazio in the Senate and Blumenauer in the House sre - short of hunger-striking or something - already doing as much as they can with this.
I can't summon Charles' energy to continue after the goddam villians day after day. There's a point where you stop beating your forehead against the wall and realize that it's doing no damage to the wall.
We will come home from our nonsensical attempts to rule southwest Asia someday, the same way the Spanish tercios came home after Rocroi; bankrupt, exhausted and lost. Until then I'm starting to believe that no amount of shouting and tugging will turn our idiot modern-day Hapsburgs from their appointment with imperial decline...
Lisa: I have lots of things I enjoy talking about. But as I told Sheerah, the economics and geopolitics is just too damn depressing.
Perhaps interpretive dance...
I understand your fatigue, Chief. There's still two things you can (must?) do as a responsible citizen of this country.
1. Do your best to prepare yourself and your children for what comes next.
2. Keep offering intelligent commentary (outrage isn't needed, weary acceptance is enough) on what is happening and provide a place where others can make their voices heard.
You have a powerful and unique voice that draws people who wouldn't listen otherwise and we will need you more than ever as the bad times get worse.
Chief,
I agree with Pluto. I did not mean to imply mindless outrage. I meant, you present a reasoned response and inquiry, and a forum for dialog. I think such things are essential for a democracy to live.
(For instance, we just had a new reader who is foursquare conservative, but he asked politely why we opposed Afghanistan. His reasoning in support was totally emotional, so if he listens to someone he respects, maybe he then reconsiders his stance and disseminates what he has learned. . .)
Intelligent commentary and self-preparation -- two good bits of advice.
Did anybody notice that "nobodies" is misspelled on the cat poster?
Should be spelled "nobody's". It's a contraction.
Have to laugh because I missed it myself. My wife had to point it out to me.
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