![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Nov. 5th, 2008
An interesting thing
Nov. 5th, 2008 10:36 amI don't think I've mentioned this to anyone before, but it came up in conversation this morning regarding the election.
I started watching the Daily Show about a year ago. That was the first time I'd seen or heard of this Barack Obama guy (I just don't get out much, obviously). Of course I saw more of him over the next few months.
The interesting thing is, it wasn't until a few months later, after about the 4th time I'd watched him talk in various venues, and only when the person who was on with him mentioned "african-american" that I blinked and realized "oh, hey, check it out. Barack is black." It hadn't even registered before then.
Having grown up in the area I did, I consider this somewhat of a major personal accomplishment. There was plenty of racism around me when I was growing up. I did have some kind of a head start, though I don't know for sure where it came from. I remember being fairly young, less than 10 for sure, and hearing some of the things my family would say about black people, and I was ashamed of them, and thought to myself, "that's mean and wrong."
I can't remember anyone specifically teaching me that it was wrong, but some of the conversations I had with my dad in his last year or so of life makes me think that he may have put the bug in my ear. He was in the war, he was a foreman at a plant with plenty of black workers, and though, like me, he just kept his mouth shut when members of the family made quite rude statements, I now think he was quietly revolutionary in this regard.
As recently as 15 years ago, I still sometimes felt a little nervous around black people, though even as I felt it, I was a bit upset with myself for feeling it. I've been working on it, and I had known that I'd gotten over the nervousness. This, I guess, is the final stage; for several months of watching this guy, thinking I really liked his style, laughing with him, thinking "Yeah, this is the guy for the job", it never even occurred to me to notice what color he was.
Just a few days ago I was talking to my mom, and she and her friends all agreed, they didn't think white people would REALLY vote for a black man. Maybe we've just had to wait for enough previous generations to die out, and there are still plenty of ignorant savages out there who hate the very idea of a black man in any kind of power (I hope the Secret Service is in top form), but I'm very happy that so many people have been proven wrong, and something like 42% of white people DID vote for a black man for president, and also that so many black people came out and have had their franchise affirmed.
But primarily, and apart from all these skin color non-issues, I think he's the right man for the job.
I started watching the Daily Show about a year ago. That was the first time I'd seen or heard of this Barack Obama guy (I just don't get out much, obviously). Of course I saw more of him over the next few months.
The interesting thing is, it wasn't until a few months later, after about the 4th time I'd watched him talk in various venues, and only when the person who was on with him mentioned "african-american" that I blinked and realized "oh, hey, check it out. Barack is black." It hadn't even registered before then.
Having grown up in the area I did, I consider this somewhat of a major personal accomplishment. There was plenty of racism around me when I was growing up. I did have some kind of a head start, though I don't know for sure where it came from. I remember being fairly young, less than 10 for sure, and hearing some of the things my family would say about black people, and I was ashamed of them, and thought to myself, "that's mean and wrong."
I can't remember anyone specifically teaching me that it was wrong, but some of the conversations I had with my dad in his last year or so of life makes me think that he may have put the bug in my ear. He was in the war, he was a foreman at a plant with plenty of black workers, and though, like me, he just kept his mouth shut when members of the family made quite rude statements, I now think he was quietly revolutionary in this regard.
As recently as 15 years ago, I still sometimes felt a little nervous around black people, though even as I felt it, I was a bit upset with myself for feeling it. I've been working on it, and I had known that I'd gotten over the nervousness. This, I guess, is the final stage; for several months of watching this guy, thinking I really liked his style, laughing with him, thinking "Yeah, this is the guy for the job", it never even occurred to me to notice what color he was.
Just a few days ago I was talking to my mom, and she and her friends all agreed, they didn't think white people would REALLY vote for a black man. Maybe we've just had to wait for enough previous generations to die out, and there are still plenty of ignorant savages out there who hate the very idea of a black man in any kind of power (I hope the Secret Service is in top form), but I'm very happy that so many people have been proven wrong, and something like 42% of white people DID vote for a black man for president, and also that so many black people came out and have had their franchise affirmed.
But primarily, and apart from all these skin color non-issues, I think he's the right man for the job.
Sour Grapes turnabout
Nov. 5th, 2008 11:52 amIn 2000, before I'd seen what GWB had in mind for the country, I was actually close to voting for him. But in 2004 he had a track record of destroying the country, and when he won, I was really worried and very disappointed. As I expected, he just kept up screwing things up for another 4 years. We're basically about as f'd standing here in 2008 as I thought we would be when I thought ahead from 2004.
We're in the shit in almost every conceivable way; foreign policy, domestic policy, and fiscally, and the best we can hope for, regardless of who's in charge, would be to get us back to where we were 8 years ago in the next 8 years. I mean, wouldn't that be GREAT to be in that good a shape? Economically sound, not jumping at every shadow, and not in an endless war?
However, all I really NEEDED this year was "anyone but Bush" which was a given. Sure, I was behind Obama solidly, but had McCain won, I was absolutely ready to get behind him 100% and be optimistic for the future. But the McCain backers really seem to have drank a lot of kool-aid; I know they were talking crazy before the election, but now it seems like they actually swallowed the stuff. I thought they were just trying to whip up the gullible into fear-based voting. All I'm hearing from them now is basically "well, you assholes asked for it, hope you enjoy the fail."
When neither candidate has a background of executive experience, I'd think we'd at least give the winner an opportunity. Especially since the winner is probably the single most intelligent person who's won the position in decades. But it appears it's more of the same, some will say it's Obama's fault if a meteor hits Pittsburgh next year. (Seriously, they WILL. There are people out there who honestly believe that electing Obama will "bring the wrath of God down on us.")
Regarding the "sour grapes" phrase. The republicans certainly used it when democrats were asking for recounts when GWB won by the skinniest of margins amid a very irregular election, they're tasting it themselves now when they say that Obama "eked out" the largest popular vote margin a democrat's had since 1964, and a landslide electoral vote. I certainly don't wish sour grapes to anyone, but it seems like what they want is to crawl into a hole and be bitter.
Finally, I think the election can be summed up in the end that Obama's campaign was based on hope, and McCain's was based on fear. Thankfully, it appears that more people are interested in hope than in fear.
We're in the shit in almost every conceivable way; foreign policy, domestic policy, and fiscally, and the best we can hope for, regardless of who's in charge, would be to get us back to where we were 8 years ago in the next 8 years. I mean, wouldn't that be GREAT to be in that good a shape? Economically sound, not jumping at every shadow, and not in an endless war?
However, all I really NEEDED this year was "anyone but Bush" which was a given. Sure, I was behind Obama solidly, but had McCain won, I was absolutely ready to get behind him 100% and be optimistic for the future. But the McCain backers really seem to have drank a lot of kool-aid; I know they were talking crazy before the election, but now it seems like they actually swallowed the stuff. I thought they were just trying to whip up the gullible into fear-based voting. All I'm hearing from them now is basically "well, you assholes asked for it, hope you enjoy the fail."
When neither candidate has a background of executive experience, I'd think we'd at least give the winner an opportunity. Especially since the winner is probably the single most intelligent person who's won the position in decades. But it appears it's more of the same, some will say it's Obama's fault if a meteor hits Pittsburgh next year. (Seriously, they WILL. There are people out there who honestly believe that electing Obama will "bring the wrath of God down on us.")
Regarding the "sour grapes" phrase. The republicans certainly used it when democrats were asking for recounts when GWB won by the skinniest of margins amid a very irregular election, they're tasting it themselves now when they say that Obama "eked out" the largest popular vote margin a democrat's had since 1964, and a landslide electoral vote. I certainly don't wish sour grapes to anyone, but it seems like what they want is to crawl into a hole and be bitter.
Finally, I think the election can be summed up in the end that Obama's campaign was based on hope, and McCain's was based on fear. Thankfully, it appears that more people are interested in hope than in fear.
Audiobook finished
Nov. 5th, 2008 04:58 pmThuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My only comment is, stay away from AudioBooksForFree.com. The recording was OK, but at the beginning of every track some screaming salesperson comes on and goes on about how they'll insert your sales pitch into audiobooks and distribute them.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they stole the recording that they screwed up. If you can ignore that (it's only 10 seconds at the beginning of each 30 minute track) it wasn't a bad recording.
My only comment is, stay away from AudioBooksForFree.com. The recording was OK, but at the beginning of every track some screaming salesperson comes on and goes on about how they'll insert your sales pitch into audiobooks and distribute them.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they stole the recording that they screwed up. If you can ignore that (it's only 10 seconds at the beginning of each 30 minute track) it wasn't a bad recording.