I just read the most amazing poem entitled “Revenge” by Taha Muhammad Ali that I found through Laila Lalami’s blog. Check it out: Continue reading
Category Archives: Digressions
Books March 2008
Recently, I haven’t had much time to write about books, so I thought I would briefly list the books that I read during the month of March:
- Vladimir Nabokov: Mary
- Vladimir Nabokov: Pnin
- Steig Larsson: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- The Travels of Ibn Battutah.
Here are my observations: Continue reading
Filed under Digressions, Literature
The Real Obama Card
A Scottish friend just sent me an email asking why all of his American friends are so pro-Obama and why he doesn’t know any Republicans. Surely there must be some Republicans, he inquires. After thinking about, I came up with the following explanation:
I know plenty of Republicans, but they’re all in the States. In Europe, Americans won’t admit that they’re Republicans because ever since Bush took office, an American can’t get laid abroad. We have been relegated to pretending we are Canadians to get a “yes”. Now, change is in the air. There is a window of opportunity — it’s what I call the Obama Card. You tell the señoritas that you’re pro-Obama, and you can start believing in change. Yes we can!
As a matter of fact, the entire American ex-pat community’s support for Obama — he did win the Democrats Abroad primary — may be based solely on an eight year dry spell. Yes we can!
Filed under Digressions, Living la vida española, Obama 08
Lead by Example
Yesterday I saw in the news that French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s ex-wife — the women he was married to when he was elected to office in 2007 — has just remarried in New York. This news comes after the recent story that Sarkozy himself has also just remarried after only two months of courtship with the former model and sometimes singer, Carla Bruni. This is Sarkozy’s third marriage. It is also the third marriage of his second wife. The French must love getting married!
Personally, I don’t play into those conservative games whereby we must know everything about our politicians’ pasts. I don’t care whether someone once did drugs or did something else improper while in college. Those do not determine character today. The question is: when does a leader’s management of his personal life reflect his ability to manage his professional life. My experience in life, to date, is that those who are unreliable in their personal lives are ultimately untrustworthy or instable as leaders in the workplace. Continue reading
Filed under Digressions, Essays
Stuff White People Like
My bro sent me the link to the Stuff White People Like blog a few weeks ago, and it is pretty funny. You have a good list of accurate things White folk are into, including shorts and outdoor performance clothing, the idea of soccer, co-ed sports, graduate school, gentrification, divorce and bad break-ups, and much more.
I guess we are incredibly predictable people, aren’t we? I even fall into some of those self-fulfilling characterizations, including The Wire, Arrested Development, Mos Def, and Barack Obama (he’s also liked by a huge percentage of African American voters as well). Save divorce, co-ed sports, and outdoor performance clothing, ReWrite seems to be like white bread with the crust cut off.
Filed under Digressions
Letterman’s TOP TEN “Eliot Spitzer Excuses”
Yes, I know it’s a few days old, but it’s still funny:
10. “Oh come on, like you were never involved in a prostitution ring.”
9. “Hookers is fun.”
8. “Just trying to help the economy.”
7. “Have you ever been to Albany?”
6. “It’s part of my new MTV prank show, ‘Spitz’d.’”
5. “Haven’t been myself since Roy Scheider died.”
4. “Uh, tainted beef?”
3. “Whether it’s a hooker or your wife, you’re always paying for it – you married fellas know what I’m talking about.”
2. “Wanted to be known as the Charlie Sheen of politics.”
1. “I thought Bill Clinton legalized this years ago.”
Filed under Digressions
Rocky World
One of my favorite non-Jazz albums is For the Beauty of Wynona by Daniel Lanois, and one of my favorite songs from that album is “Rocky World”. While driving through Lanzarote’s lava stained terrain, I kept thinking of that particular Daniel Lanois song. As is often so often the case, I went ahead and made another one of my low budget videos.
Filed under Digressions
In Lanzarote
I am taking a short break from WiFi and the Elections, and I am spending a few days in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Hillary will continue to complain and undermine her party while Obama and Super Tuesday Part II will just have to wait. I am on vacation.
Filed under Digressions, Obama 08
The Game of Forgetting
It’s taking me ages to finish Mohamed Berrada’s post modern novel, The Game of Forgetting. Yet this morning I was able to get some reading done during what felt like the neverending metro commute, and I came across these lines in Berrada’s novel:
I think that many people are miserable because they are unable to remember their childhood and incorporate it into their present life. The experiences they lived in childhood are like something that happened to others. This is, perhaps, because they think childhood is less serious than is necessary for life . . .
Filed under Digressions, Literature
Fight the Power
Some people are all talk and no game. Well that isn’t the case with my Bro. If an attorney/community organizer can aspire to be president of the U.S., I think my Bro may have a futre — even though he might want to think twice about cetain statements he makes to the press because those go into your permanent record — just kidding.
In any event, check out this article on what’s he’s going to fight the power: Continue reading
Filed under Digressions, Friends / Family
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