Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Question Salad


Do they give presidential candidates psychological evaluation tests? Don't you have to get one of those things to work at oh, say...McDonald's? Because if they don't, WHY NOT? I'm pretty sure McCain wouldn't pass one. And don't tell me that anyone who spent five years in a box might not do so well on certain portions of such a test. I understand that. And I also understand that this is a good reason NOT to elect someone to run the country, instead of it being a good reason to think he could handle the job. If Bush had been given one of those tests every year I think we'd be in a different situation right now than we are.

"So, you think God talks to you and tells you to create democracy in the Middle East by going to war? Really? Huh."
And so forth.

Why does nature have to be so damn cruel? My husband was sitting on the back porch two days ago and witnessed a large oak snake and a squirrel fall from a tree together. The squirrel proceeded to bite the snake repeatedly and then run back up the tree. The snake proceeded to finish off his tasty snack of fresh baby squirrel, ending with the tiny tail of the poor creature. He then crawled up under my office to digest in peace.
Disconcerting for the humans watching. Fine dining for the snake. Tragedy for the mama squirrel who cried from the tree for a good long while. And where is that snake now?

Why do I have dogs? Four dogs?

Why didn't Hillary get the nomination? And don't tell me it's because not enough people voted for her in the primaries. I know that. But why didn't they? Don't get me wrong. It's WAY overdue for us to have a black family in the White House and I'm going to get behind Obama like his mama but, but, BUT, dammit! Ms. Clinton would have made such a fine president.

And speaking of- I'm wondering what the effect of having a black man as president will be when it comes to the hopes and aspirations of little kids who have skin darker than paper? Will it give the nerdy studious ones a fresh new dream that maybe they didn't have before? Will they now believe that even if they can't play basketball and don't have a talent for rapping they can still be someone important when they grow up? Maybe? Is it even possible for a white person to begin to realize the full impact that having a man of color as president will have on the many, many non-white people of this country?

Will I ever feel truly normal again? Will I ever wake up and just be okay? How is that possible when these stupid storms keep forming and churning and building and twisting and blowing themselves into land where they cause flooding and devastation? And why do I feel so guilty wishing the storms to head anywhere but here? No matter what piece of land they crash into, they are going to create havoc and homelessness, death and destruction. Why is my house, my peace of mind, my community any more deserving of escape than any other? It's not, of course, but I'm human and I wish those damn things to travel as far from me as possible, meanwhile REALLY wishing they'd just churn themselves out in the Gulf, which they never do. Or better yet, just not form to begin with.

Where WILL Gustav hit?

And what, oh what, should I cook for dinner?

These and many more questions are what I am pondering today.

What are you walking around wondering about?

23 comments:

  1. It ain't personal.

    For myself, it is about putting an end to the two-family dynasty of American Politics. Also, I see my choice of candidate as someone I am willing to follow and make sacrifices for- like stop hating my dumbass neighbors.

    So like I said, it ain't personal.

    You could have fish tacos for dinner.

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  2. From this side of the pond Obama is the most exciting and hope inspiring candidate I have seen, in any nations politics, for a long time. The drab and dreary grey men of Westminster co could do with a man of any colour to do the same! I'm wondering why I am so out of sorts lately, my job is actually very good but incredibly unfulfilling. Why despite all the riding do I feel so bloody slow on the pedals? But despite all this I am an incredibly lucky man and I bloody well know it... We're having a summer stew type thing (chicken with loads of veg steamed with garlic) for tea tonight. Isn't it all seafood in that part of the world anyways? ;)

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  3. Not all seafood, Fat Lad. Sorry. I think I might actually collect the hurricane leftovers and form them into a soup, which is my answer to almost everything- Make Soup! Since I got my tortilla press, Juancho, I feel guilty if I don't make my own damn tortillas which means that making tacos has developed into a more difficult chore than it was before.
    Another question- why do I insist on making my life difficult when, like Fat Lad's, it is mostly all so wonderful?

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  4. I never thought politics would have much of an effect on me, but the other day, the radio announcer said that Obama didn't necessarily have a lead over Mcain anymore and I actually cried.

    I really need this white conservative republican president hooha to end.

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  5. AC- You and the rest of the entire world!

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  6. What I have been wondering about today is what Ms. Moon was wondering about today. Whew. Mine mind is sort of on hold. (Soup's good -- always!)

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  7. Wondering, hm. Okay. I am wondering what the g-ddamm difference it makes what Michelle Obama is wearing today? How about all those pantsuits of Hillary's- she could share? Why was Michelle speaking at the convention? What has that got to do with the election? Why is the media so entranced with all these "rock star/celebrity" issues when our country has gone down the toilet. Dinner? My husband ALWAYS says" reservations!"

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  8. I think it matters. The president's spouse can really influence policy direction and advocacy for anything they want. It is akin to an appointed cabinet position now. Heck, a first lady might run for president someday for all we know.

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  9. Wow, Ms. Moon. I've been asking all these questions today myself right down to the dog bit (Rigby, will you ever stop barking? Just kidding, doggie. I love you!)

    Hillary was so great last night, it was bittersweet. I really wish she got the nomination because Obama is a little too left for me. I prefer a little closer to the middle. I also feel sold out a bit by Obama on some issues lately where he has been sounding like a Republican, but I guess he has to play the game to get elected. Making matters even worse is that I just don't see this country being ready to elect a person of color. Many/hopefully most would, but when I saw a ten minute bit on the news about his brother living in a shed in Africa, in abject poverty, I have to believe many less tolerant people on the fence are going to McCain-ville. I guess you could ask if the media is sabotaging him by showing this stuff, but at the same it is his family and he should have no shame. Wow. Diarhea of the mouth post. Sorry, but you got me thinking!

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  10. "I just don't see this country being ready to elect a person of color."

    I keep hearing this from people. Is there some reason you think people think that? Is is a euphimism for "I'm not ready?"

    I'll take my answer off the air. If this was my blog I would have cut this off before it gets all wild. Still, I hope everyone thinks deeply and makes an informed decision.

    I will never be this polite on the internet again.

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  11. Nature can be so cruel and humans can be crueler than snakes at times! A snake will kill something to eat, a human can kill for no reason at all.

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  12. I'm wondering if I made the right call sending Ben to a new school.

    I'm wondering if I can get through a pregnancy without something blowing up in my face.

    I'm wondering how many people read my blog (I was asked).

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  13. Golly Gee!
    Well, to answer Sally- yep, they spend way too much time talking about what the women wear. It's true. But I do think Juancho is right in that the wives are very important in the whole package deal. I think Michele Obama is a fine speaker and is an asset. She's smart (probably as smart as her husband) and obviously a caring person.

    Mike- ummmm. You've stumbled upon far-left central here, no pun intended. Obama isn't quite left-leaning enough for me. I am a die-hard, bleeding heart liberal and at the age of fifty-four, doubt I'll be changing soon. My mother, at the age of 81, grows more liberal every day, which gives me great hope for the world.
    As to the can-a-man-of-color-be-elected question? God, I hope so because the man of whiteness already makes me cringe every time he opens his mouth.

    MOB- you are perfectly correct in that assessment. That snake was just filling his belly. If I was hungry enough, I'd be eating baby squirrels too. I'm eating meat tonight. What's the damn difference? Oh yeah, I didn't kill it myself because I'm a wimp.

    Aunt Becky- you worry too much. Just like me! And don't you have some analytic program on your blog to track your reader numbers?

    And Lopo- Yes! Soup tonight!

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  14. Hi Juancho,

    Just wanted to respond to your comment, but I don't want to take it "off the air" because Ms. Moon and her readers in my experience have always been incredibly polite, accepting, and have never once descended into ugliness, and I hope to keep it that way.

    First, you should know I am a life-long Democrat who supports Obama. And when I say I fear the country is not ready for a "person of color" that is not a euphemism for my not being ready. I will vote for Obama, just as I voted for Kerry (a Catholic) in 2004, and VP Lieberman (a Jew) in 2000. As you know, none of them were elected. And, as I'm sure you know, in the 232 year history of America we have only had one president who was not a white Protestant. The one exception was JFK who was assasinated. With that said, I do hope you acknowledge this is a big country full of not neccesarily like-minded people, and when someone says they fear the country isn't ready for a person of color -a term I specifically used to include, Latinos, Asians, and all persons of color who deserve a chance - you don't chalk it up to latent racism but reality. Jumping from one non white protestant in 232 years to an African American is a huge jump, and we will only be able to change things by acknowleding our country's historic narrow mindedness and finding a way to change it.

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  15. Agreed. Let's elect a hispanic and ease into it.

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  16. Juancho,

    I realize you are making a joke when you discuss "easing" into things, and you can get as angry as you like when people don't agree with your specific POV, but my point is that until we work to change the culture of our entire nation we will have a hard time electing anything but the same of what we have had previously...and neither of us want that.

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  17. Fellows- are you done peeing in the corners yet?
    I'm standing here with my bottle of Fabuloso in one hand and a roll of paper towels in the other. Don't make me get out the hydrogen peroxide and band-aids.
    As long as no one gets hurt, Ms. Moon is happy.

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  18. A question of "color" you say? My, my how polite our intitutional racism has become. Anyone who wants to talk about Barack's family, or his upbringing in Kenya, or his wearing a turban, or his middle name, or his wife, or his past preacher, or his love of country or his lapel pin or WHATEVER is simply covering up that same old same old...they don't like N____S! I am sick and disgusted with this pansy ass covering up of nothing more than good old boy racism. George bush is a criminal, a liar, incompetent, a moron, and the American Presidaent who has nearly single-handedly destoyed our economy, the constitution, our environment, our lifestyle and our position in the world. And we are really talking about Obama's "readiness to lead?" John McCain has sold out any value he had to the Republican Rape machine, and will continue to prop up big oil, big business and the wealty, like his wife, who probably has to memo him which condo they will be staying in this season. There isn't a choice, you vote your heart, mind and soul, and if you vote for McCain, these three things are missing in you. As to Hillary, yes, she would have been great, though she and Bill showed a seriously flawed underbelly of power hungry in the primaries. I admit to sometimes peeing in the corner, Mary, and soemtimes even aiming at the wall, but I believe Hillary showed a distinct lack of calss in the latter half of the primaries. As for dinner, I suggest you do as the snake did, and fry up something much smaller and slower than yourself. Here's to Barack and Joe kicking John, George, Dick and whatever hack John picks as VP right into next week!

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  19. Well! And with that, I think we should end this pissfight.
    I have to say, in Mike's defense, that I have heard the "I don't know if this country is ready to elect a black president" statement from people whom I know to be truly not racist AT ALL, but who are simply stating a fact- this country does indeed have a fair number of people who are, in their heart of hearts, not open to the idea of a black person leading the country. Or marrying their sister, either, most likely.
    It's true. We've come a long, long way but there's a long, long way to go.
    I am hoping beyond hope that people get themselves educated and enlightened in a real big hurry so that we can elect Obama, which I think will blast down a huge number of walls and hurdles in a short amount of time, making this a better country for all.
    In the meanwhile, let's use our energy to make it happen.

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  20. Oh my goodness, this is what happens when you ask..I applaud you Ms. Moon, nice job of moderating, modulating, and all that. I agree. I was in tears when Bill Clinton spoke last night. I think Americans are ready for a better president, Barack Obama.

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  21. Well I'm ready and, based on the fact that the majority of children at my daughters (slightly upper middle class)elementary school are of mixed races, it looks like my corner of the country is ready too.

    As for Hillary... I completely agree with Juancho. 20 years of Bush's and Clinton's is enough for me.

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  22. You're right Ginaagain. The world IS changing. Let's hope it's not just small pockets of change, but sweeping and positive.

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  23. Frankly, people will say that this country isn't "ready to elect a black man" right up until such a fellow takes the oath of office.

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