I saw The Rat. I saw Dr. Zizmor on the subway. I bought a $5 umbrella on the street. I feel at home.
Home foreclosures have resulted in animal shelters being inundated with surrendered pets. Families cannot afford to keep their animals, or cannot have animals in apartments - or in homeless shelters, or in tent cities. I can scarcely imagine how heartbreaking this is for both the people and the animals.
Last night I ate kangaroo for the first time. I went to this Australian bar and restaurant - actual Australian, not theme-park Australian - and had kanga skewers. They were totally tender and delicious.
Friends are extremely excited and hopeful about Barack Obama. These folks are very politically savvy, they understand the Democrats, they understand election fraud, they understand racism... yet they have hope in Obama. This is amazing. I am so without hope that I can't even hope that they're right. But I do hope I am wrong.
"Does Canada realize how bad it will be if the war resisters are deported? How un-Canadian it will look??" So says my friend Alan With One L. Canada, please understand this. Please be Canada.
14 comments:
Last summer when I was in Toronto I bought a $5 umbrella up at St. Clair. Gotta love disposable umbrellas.
The cheap street umbrella is such a part of NYC. When it rains, umbrella guys appear on the street, just when you need them.
I'm glad to know Toronto has the same.
It's encouraging to read what you've written about Obama. I too hope that you're wrong, and that your friends are right.
I'm curious...why do your friends think that he is different than, say, the Clintons? Is it that they believe that Americans, after the fiasco of the Bush years, are more receptive to his message (hope, change, unity v the polarization of the last few years etc), and that he has the integrity and charm, plus political capital to really make a difference? Or is it that even if they agree with you that the US political system/democracy is fundamentally broken, at least he seems to HAVE integrity, intelligence and understands (and articulates) that the American Dream is not, and never really was entirely what it's cracked up to be? Or something entirely different?
I really am curious. I don't know where I stand on whether or not he can make a difference (I lean toward not), but he sure as hell is a breath of fresh air. It's one thing to be cynical about a system...but it's at least, umm, less crazy-making when you don't have to be cynical about the man you support!! I've been reading some leftist American blogs, and the US left seems divided about him. Haven't discussed this issue with my American friends.
What did your friends have to say, if you don't mind me asking. I know you've been keeping away from discussing American mainstream politics on your blog...
"Does Canada realize how bad it will be if the war resisters are deported? How un-Canadian it will look??"
We've been looking pretty bad on the international stage these days..(access to water isn't a human right!?)...I don't know...I'm trying not to lose faith in Canada. But, like many countries, the political debate/tenor has shifted to the right. Still, the majority of Canadians oppose(d) the war in Iraq, so hopefully the powers-that-be will pay attention and do the right thing.
Oh, have fun in NYC!!
Lisa, I can't speak for Laura's friends, but as an American who is supporting Obama, after being on the fence for a long time, it has come down to a rather limited choice, and I just find Hillary to lack all credibility. She voted for the war, she failed to get health care enacted, she claims to have experience she doesn't have, and she will say and do anything to get elected, just like Bill did.
I find Obama honest, decent, and uplifting. I KNOW I will be disappointed. I am not naive or unrealistic. But I am always holding out hope that things can change. So with a large dose of skepticism, I am hoping he gets elected. Then I will hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Amy,
I hope he gets elected too. The number crunchers seem to think he has a very good chance at the nomination. I hope the republican/fox etc spin machine doesn't paint him as "un-American" and therefore unelectable. Despite his "god bless America" shtick, which I guess is necessary in politics, the one thing I really liked about his response to the Wright "controversy" - hell, what I liked even about his ASSOCIATION with Rev. Wright - was that presumably (despite other speeches he's given, but I see them as necessary to be electable), he sees through a lot of the nationalistic my country right or wrong crap. Which I think is soo corrosive.
I feel like this is pivotal...it would be wonderful to see an American president say out loud "not is all right in this nation, and there are systemic and historical reasons for this". And have this message told by someone who IS (we think, is percieved to be..???!)decent and honest, and therefore might make people think.
It's also really really nice to hear someone try to appeal to people's better nature, rather than to their hate.
Absolutely best to be skeptical, but hope is SUCH a good feeling!! (though I guess it's best to be skeptical ESP when hope can be there to cloud judgment). I hope he wins, though.
Right after you speak of people losing their animals, you write about eating kangaroo?
LOL. Was the juxtaposition intentional? Made me laugh.
Never heard of kangaroo meat, but I am open to trying it.
On a serious note, yes I did read about that side of home foreclosures. Reminds me of how my aunt and her family had to part ways with my childhood dog.
Very heartbreaking indeed.
Thanks, Lisa, for your response. I think one of the other reasons I am supporting Obama is that he has caught fire with the young people and given them a reason to hope, to vote, to get involved. No candidate has touched young people like this in a long, long time---not since Bobby Kennedy 40 years ago, in my opinion. We need those young people with good values and good hearts to be involved. I just hope they are not too crushed if Obama does't get the nomination or loses to McCain, or even worse, he disappoints them. Unfortunately, I think all three possibilities are likely, especially the last one.
Lisa, I'm afraid I don't have any answers for you. We didn't talk in-depth about any US politics, on purpose. Everyone is overloaded and happy to avoid it.
I will say that my friend who is very into Obama is not choosing him because he dislikes Hillary (although he does), he is seriously gung-ho about Obama. He read his first book, "Dreams from My Father", written long before he had presidential aspirations, and was incredibly impressed.
He also is extremely impressed with Obama's organization. It sounds like this is one candidate who will not concede before the votes are counted (a la Kerry). They have an operation in place for legal challenges for possible fraud, etc.
My friend could go on all night about it - he is a self-described Obamaniac. And he's extremely progressive, and not at all politically naive. But what I've written here is about the sum total of what I know.
Right after you speak of people losing their animals, you write about eating kangaroo?
Not only wasn't it intentional, I don't even get the joke.
Australia is overrun with kangaroos. I didn't eat anyone's pet.
Was it the Sunburnt Cow? Did you have Pavlova for dessert? Did you go on a Monday, and if so are they still running the special where everything on the menu is $5 on Mondays? Now I'm hungry.
Uh... I'm confused. Was what the Sunburnt Cow?
The restaurant/bar we went to (linked above) is Eight Mile Creek. We did not go to Pavlova's, it was not Monday, and I'm useless for your questions. :)
Interestingly (to me, at least), I just tried kangaroo for the first time on Saturday. It was at a pretty mediocre airport hotel restaurant in France, and it was very interesting. It was stewed, though, which made it a little less distinctive from, say, beef.
A bit surprising for a buffet at an airport hotel though!
Not your typical airport fare, even for France!
Welcome back, I look forward to hearing about the trip.
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