Every now and again, when I am having a bad day, I look at my cat and think "at least I have made someone happy today.' Do you all think his happiness adds to my karma? Do you ever feel that way about your pet?
I think there needs to be more civilized dialogue in the world, and especially in the US. As a society we have become increasingly more selective in what information we take in. Since the 2008 election, FOX news has seen its ratings increase by 35 percent. On the flip side, MSNBC has also seen its ratings go up and CNN, stuck with nothing but that annoying 'magic wall' is losing viewers. If you apply that to the web, the effect is magified. My goal is to provide a rational point of view and get people talking about issues in a way that is productive. Now being the random person that I am, I also write about other things.
Well, if this week has shown us anything it is that we live on a very dangerous planet.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced that not only was the election totally legitimate but that the protesters are responsible for any unrest or violence. He also vowed to prosecute them. The idea that Iran is a democracy ended the minute they stopped letting the situation be covered by the press. It comes as no surprise that the pro-Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rally crowd changed “Death to America! Death to Israel! Death to Britain!” Ahmadinejad has said these things before and Khamenei already blamed the west for stirring up trouble there. So while protests will continue and the Guardian Council will still look into the more than 600 complaints about the election, it looks like Ahmadinejad will keep the presidency and given how much he wants to get nuclear weapons, that’s a bad thing for everyone. I know, his rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi , also favors continuing their nuclear program but he is not bat shit crazy. He’s not perfect but he would be a step in the right direction. This situation remains dicey for the US, given our past with Iran but I applaud Congress for voting on a resolution supporting free elections there. The White House needs to be more careful. I suspect some people here will hammer me for this but it is in times like this that I am glad Barack Obama won the White House and even more that George W. Bush is gone. That’s not a partisan thing, if George H.W. Bush was there I would feel the same way. He knew his way around the Middle East.
As all of our attention has been on Iran, another crazy dictator has been feeling a little ignored. Kim Jung Il behaves
like a spoiled child. When another country’s bad deeds capture the world, he has a temper tantrum. Unfortunately for his neighbors and us, his version of a hissy fit is a threat to nuke somebody. This week he announced his plan to shoot a missile at Hawaii. If you missed it, South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak , met with President Obama this week. He said that South Korea would ‘not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea’ but I think the genie has left that bottle, too.
The rationale these countries use for obtaining nuclear weapons is simple: Other countries have them so they should, too. It’s a matter of ‘national pride’ they say. I have an idea for both countries – and this could go for any nation – how about you work on feeding, clothing and housing your people? Take that money you want to use on missiles and buy some food. The national disgrace for you is not your weak militaries, it’s your piss poor records on human rights and horrible economies.
Allegedly, reports from Iran indicate the situation today is similar to what happened just before the 1979 revolution. I say allegedly because all foreign journalists have been kicked out and the government has been cracking down on its citizens’ access to the internet. Who’d have thought Twitter could be such a political force?
So the election was held last Friday. The government announced the results about an hour after the polls closed and declared current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner. One of the funny things about this was before the government released that, Reuters and other news organizations published reports that challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi , had won. I even Tweeted about it Friday night. So much for trusting Reuters. To make things stranger, it appeared Mousavi lost his home province and town. That’s gotta hurt.
Ahmadinejad left for Russia the next day and that’s good for him. Monday saw the real protests begin and his government killed eight people and wounded many others. I have been really impressed by how the Iranians have responded. I applaud them for working so hard to keep getting images and stories out to the world. They have a very young and engaged population, which is good seeing as all foreign media has been kicked out and has to rely on Tweets. It’s also good that we have this technology. The more the government tries to crack down the more the people seem determined to defy them. Good for them.
How does all this compare to 1979? The leader then was the Shah. His secret police did a lot of things the Ahmadinejad government is doing now, though the economy is tanking now and it wasn’t then. It seems to me that a bad economy + a young populace + political unrest = bad news for the current administration. I don’t know if there will be a revolution or coup but the real power in Iran, the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ‘s Guardian Council is reviewing the election while Mousavi has called for the peaceful protests to continue.
The problem for President Obama is complicated. US-Iranian relations have been non-existent since the 1980 hostage crisis but the problems don’t end there. The Ahmadinejad government has already taken to blaming western governments and Israel for civil unrest. Given the US history of working its will in Iranian politics, we did support the Shah, any statements made against Ahmadinejad may just give credence to their paranoia and make matters worse. Moreover, if they keep Ahmadinejad in power, it’s going to be hard to deal with his government after condemning him. Plus there is the fact that the US cannot condone it when another country kills its own citizens for political reasons.
This situation doesn’t do the supreme leader any favors either. As the spiritual leader, he is supposed to be ‘all knowing’ so if he should have known on Friday if there were problems with the election. His options were go with the will of the people and risk looking like he isn’t as perfect or anger them by insisting he is. The path he took, to have the council review contested ballots was as close to a balancing act and I guess we’ll see how well it plays out.
Then there is the will of the people and their rights, which have been trampled upon. They have showed a spectacular amount of determination and resilience. My fingers are crossed and all we can do here is sit, wait and try to watch.
Sarah Palin readies herself for prime time.
Anyone else think David Letterman did Governor Palin a huge favor this week? Ever since he made jokes about her daughter, Palin has been relentless in responding. If you have been on another planet, Letterman’s joke was directed at Bristol Palin and more Alex Rodriguez not Willow Palin but the governor seems intent on making this about statutory rape. It wasn’t but that’s really not the point.
I think the reason she is doing this is that she knows she needs to work on her interview skills and practice does make perfect. She has been on a rampage, talking to any press who would listen and refining her message. Truth be told, I think it is serving her well. Barack Obama once talked about how hard it is to speak to the media (it’s hard to talk in sound bites) and large crowds. As the VP candidate, Palin floundered in interviews. People loved her at rallies – that folksy way she speaks, donchaknow, can be very endearing for a lot of people – but the general public, who may not have attended any campaign events, were not impressed by her TV appearances. I think Obama’s quote was that even he wasn’t always the Obama we know now.
And if it is not clear, Sarah Palin is running for president. The 2012 campaign has not officially begun but in a lot of ways, it’s on. Palin has not only been going after Letterman, she has used this ‘feud’ to attack President Obama’s policies, saying that “he is growing the government too fast.” She also lamented the deficit. As a side note, it’s kind of ironic that Republicans are upset about Obama’s spending. I keep saying this and will continue to this out, where were these people during Dubya’s administration? And no, contrary to what she says, Mrs. Palin was all too happy to accept and cash the check for that ‘bridge to nowhere.’ Earmarks and government spending are terrible, totally against everything America stands for, that is unless they help my community.
Palin is not the only GOP candidate hitting the trail; Mike Huckabee has spent a lot of time lately in Iowa. As nice as the people are there, he’s not there for vacation.
What do you think, are you ready for another presidential campaign?
Recently I found an old folder of photos from my last trip to Paris, which was in December. It seemed like a good opportunity to write about my favorite city. I spent my senior year of college there and fell in love the moment we landed and I saw rabbits on the Charles de Gaulle tarmac. Of course, that year my life revolved around reading in cafés and drinking coffee and some occasional wine & cheese. How bad a life can that be? My apartment was neat the Gare Austerlitz and I could walk to the Seine and across to the Centre George Pompidou or the Bastille. The most beautiful image from there, for me is the view of sunset from the metro over the Seine. If you take the right train you can catch it just as the light streams through Notre Dame, it’s truly breathtaking.
http://community.webshots.com/user/chadwick1789/
You didn’t ask but I am going to offer my tips anyhow.
- Getting there & around: Most people fly into Charles de Gaulle but there is another
airport, Orly. I prefer it and if you
fly in or out of there you will see why.
FYI: There is a great bus that
will take you downtown from there.
- From CDG: The best way to get in and out of Paris from here is the RER. It can take you straight into the heart of Paris. Normally when I get on and off at Gare du Nord and then transfer to the metro. It takes less time than a taxi, especially if there is traffic. The last time I left I was alone and some people there helped me with my luggage (no Parisians are not evil nor do they hate Americans.)
- The metro: One really easy way to get around and look more like a local, always a good thing, is to get a Carte d’Orange. You will need a passport sized photo for the card section, this part is free. It comes with a little grey folder (credit card sized) that will hold your card and the pass. Just ask anyone at the metro for this. You can then purchase the pass – they sell weekly, monthly, etc. passes. The weekly ones work from Monday-Sunday – literally, so if you are there Thursday – Tuesday it may or may not be worth it depending on how much you plan to use it) – and can be customizable to be used though different zones. The basic plan inlcludes zones 1 & 2, which is all of the city proper so I always get that. You can get a small metro map that will fit in the folder. You can also buy a packet of metro tickets if the weekly pass won’t work but I suggest you get the Carte d’Orange packet anyway, it’s free, convenient and will make you look cooler. J Remember to carry your card with you because the Parisian police so sometimes ask, especially in touristy areas.
- The bus: Not as famous as the metro, metro passes work on the busses and they can be a great way to see the city. If you go when the weather is nice, spring or fall, you can sit in the open part, you can get great view of the city. Some places are easier to get by bus, such as Pere LaChaise. That is the cemetary where Jim Morrison is buried.
- Walk! Regardless of the time of year, Paris is a fabulous walking city. I tend to wander around and just take the city in. You can find some amazing spots that way.
- Places to stay:
- La Louisiane: My favorite hotel in the city. It is in the 6th arrondissement and is right near the Odeon metro and walking distance from the Latin Quarter on one side and the EiffelTower on the other. The rooms are quaint, the staff is sweet, they have wireless internet and a breakfast if you want it. Best deal in the city. There are also refridgerators in the rooms and a supermarket across the street. I cannot recommend it enough. http://www.hotel-lalouisiane.net/
- Places to eat: If you have a bad meal in Paris, that’s a
wasted meal. Seriously.
- Street food: Paris kicks our ass when it comes to food you can get on the street. My favorite street food is a crepe. You can get sweet or savory crepes. The Nutella ones are awesome but so are the lemon, sugar or cheese crepes. LOVE THEM!!!
- Picnics: One nice thing to do is go to a bakery, get a fresh baguette then go to a grocery store and get some cheese and whatever else. Take it to a park and just chill. On a nice day, this can be really relaxing.
- Fondue:
There is a restaurant near Montmatre that rocks. Le Refuge des
Foundues. http://www.pariszoomtv.com/place.asp?p=101. They seat everyone at set times and the meal
includes an
appertif, appetizer, meat or cheese fondue, a baby bottle (yes, a real baby bottle) of wine – if you are wearing lightly colored clothes I suggest you get the white wine and a desert. Be forwarned, if you don’t like being friendly with people you don’t know, this is not the place for you. There are two long tables and we got to know fellow diners very well.
- The Latin Quarter: The ‘hip’ area, there are a ton of places where you can go and eat either with their fixed menu or not, and you can get just about everything there. Cheap, good and fun.
- Fallafel (sp?): Head to the Marais and pick just about any place. You won’t regret it.
- Try things you may never have had before. The French may not make great cars but they make great food (except for pizza, avoid that). I don’t recommend the restaurants with the Michelin stars because Michelin does that.
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- Don’t worry about being a tourist. Serisouly. There’s a reason people flock to certain sites and do certain things, they are fun to do or cool to see. It’s easy to never see the sites in your home town, even if it is some amazing place like NYC or San Francisco, don’t do this in Paris.
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- Cruises down the Seine: I never did this until my last trip and think I was an idiot for it. You can catch them all along the Seine and most let you get on and off so it can be a great way to see all the sites along the river. At night the views are beautiful that I can describe.
- Notre Dame: I had an epiphany there. If you can go there at Christmas (regardless of your religion) and not get into the holiday spirit, well then you never will get into it. When I was there last, there was a huge tree in front, carrolers singing, the lights were up and then there was the church itself. People were selling hot cider and chocolate out front. Glorious. The bridge behind Notre Dame that connects that island (Ile de la cite) to the Ile St. Louis is the most romantic spot in the city. On a different note, there is also a Holocaust memorial on that end of the island and if you can, you should see it.
- Versailles: Built to remove nobles from the city and isolate them & control their lives (before that the palace was what is now the Louvre), the gardens are breathtaking but the palace itself is just ok. You can take a RER train out there (you will need a separate ticket) and it is a short walk to the ground. When I go I just walk around the gardens. The scale is huge and I always find something new. There is no charge to enter the gardens but there is one to get into the building or to view Marie Antionette’s village area, she went there to play milkmaiden. I think that’s worth a look-see but that’s just me.
- My favorite places to see & go &
do: My worldview changed when I
studied in Paris. I went from living
in a country where I was raised that anyone who didn’t live there wanted to, to a city where people felt that way. Totally changed my perscpective on everything. These are some of the places that make Paris so special to me:
- Jardin des Plantes: One of the many public gardens, this one also has a zoo. They recently installed new glass to cover the big cat area but when I was a student it was theoretically possible to touch the lions and took all my restraint to not try to pet them.
- Musee d’Orsay: Former train station, just great.
- L’Orangerie: Across from the above museum, the basement is home to the biggest water lilly paintings I have ever seen. Stunning.
- Le Violon Dingue: An American bar in the Latin Quarter. Cheesy? Way. Fun? Totally. In college I went there because it was the first place where I really felt like I was in Paris. Maybe it was the juxtopostion of Americans and French people, maybe it was the happy house Long Island iced teas but I try to go everytime I go to Paris. I am a dork.
- Go to a café in the Latin Quarter (or anywhere) and just people watch: I get a nice café crème in the morning and maybe a croissant and just relax.
- Musee de Cluny: Latin Quarter, near the Seine. This is the oldest museum in Paris and is usually pretty empty.
- Random tips:
- Learn a phrase (or two) in French. Don’t speak French? No worries! Just tell people “Je ne parle pas français” and you will be good to go. People there understand that not everyone speaks what used to be the international language of diplomacy but appreciate the effort.
- Most museums are closed on Monday. Just something to keep in mind.
- August in Paris: Hot, icky and devoid of locals. If you like those things, go then (you can get excellent deals then), if not wait until the fall. April in Paris is famous and the winter can be pretty great but when the sun shines in Paris it feels like God is smiling at it.
Ok, that’s probably enough for one post. I apologize for being so verbose. Hope you all go and enjoy the city.
Really? Yes, really.
This has become my favorite word. I think I must say ‘Really???’ about a hundred times a day.
· Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his opponents use ‘Hitler tactics.’ Really? Mr. Abmadinejad, one of the world’s most famous and infamous Holocaust deniers, has accused his political rivals of behaving like Adolph Hitler when they insulted him: It is illegal to insult the president in Iran. He furthermore threatened to put them in jail for saying that he had lied about the economy. And they’re acting like Hitler? So the man who thinks Hitler really didn’t do anything all that bad is threatening to throw people who disagree with him in jail. Really? Yes, really. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5592OM20090610
· The GOP ‘disses’ Sarah Palin. Palin disses David Letterman. The press wonders what this means for the Party. Really? Sarah Palin was invited to speak a fundraiser in DC but the offer was rescinded when she didn’t give a firm answer and Newt Gingrich stepped in. Her response seems to have been to call David Letterman ‘pathetic’ and the media ‘buffoons.’ Before jumping on Palin, it should be noted that the press really hyped the infighting and given the current position of the GOP in America, this is what makes them think it is in disarray? And Mrs. Palin, this is the battle you want to have? With Letterman? Really? Yes, really.
· Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) thinks President Obama’s ‘paygo’ idea is hypocritical. Really? Eric Cantor sure is living up to his new nickname, ‘Dr. No.’ He has opposed pretty much everything President Obama does or says. First he accused the president of being a hypocrite when he asked Congress to make the ‘PayGo” (any spending needs to be paid for) rule law – mostly because of the new spending. Apparently, he was absent during his first eight years in office when the Dubya admin spent like drunken sailors and ran up our deficit and debt. Of course, it didn’t look as bad then because the costs for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars were included in the budget (nice accounting trick there). Then he said “the stimulus package is not a success story, people are still suffering.” Note to Rep. Cantor – the bill passed about six months ago, it took us longer than that to get into this mess, it will take longer to get out. So, the Minority Whip both thinks it is ok when his party spends money on unnecessary wars (Iraq) and tax breaks for the uber-wealthy but cannot stand to see it spent on Americans and wants policy changes he doesn’t like to work immediately. Really? Yes, really.
· When all else fails, we know Joe will find a way to remind us all what a (insert your favorite expletive that means jerk here) he is. Really? Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) have said they plan to do everything in their power to block CIA photos of ‘enhanced interrogation’ from being released. By anything, they mean stop the Senate from getting any work done until their amendment is added to a bill that would fund our troops. Hey, it’s not like the Senate has work to do, right? They only have to hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee, work on overhauling health care, fix the economy, deal with escalating violence in Pakistan/Afghanistan/Iraq, prevent a pandemic, keep an eye on North Korea…. And did I mention the first bill they want to filibuster is for funds for our troops? Really? Yes, really.
As a final note on torture, mom you might not want to read this, this quote seemed really appropriate for the torture debate: “If you beat this motherfucker long enough, he will tell you he started the fuckin’ Chicago fire but that won’t make it true.” ‘Nice’ Eddie – Reservoir Dogs. Exactly, thanks Eddie for making my point so eloquently.
