The more I look at things the more I am convinced that we are going to go to war sometime within the next 10-15 years (maybe sooner). I mean a big, all-out war. Contemporary US mass media is nothing but an orgy of sex and violence and sexual violence (see the XFL, WWF, just about any beer commercial, movies like "Tom Cats," that new one "Driven,"etc.). All of these WWII movies (Schindler's List, Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor) are so popular because WWII is considered the last "Good War," where there was a clear right and wrong side, and, of course, the good ol' USofA was on the right side.

All of the talk coming out of the administration is of "Unilateralism." This is just a polite term for Nationalism. It is a highly undemocratic way of doing things, and I don't see any way our allies will stand for too much more of it. I mean, when was the last time a Secretary of State was a former general? And this former general (Powell) is actually the most moderate of the bunch. The VP and Secretary of Defense are both big-time hawks.
The real question is, can the powers that be in the US government and mass media win over the American people to a war effort that might actually involve a little bit of self-sacrifice? People start having spastic fits when the price of gasoline approaches $2.00. I don't see Americans planting "victory gardens" or rationing gasoline (or anything else). Maybe the consumer culture is good for only one thing: it makes people too selfish to actually be able to do what it takes to fight a war.

On the other hand, I think there may soon be a backlash against the almost total "ironization" of culture. Nearly everything today is ironic. How else do you explain the fact that people are willing to have themselves ridiculed just for the opportunity to be "famous"? Even the President himself has started making jokes about how dumb he is. You have to show people that you are "in" on the joke. When people look back at our culture centuries from now, this will be known as the "Age of Irony." If someone were able to come along and somehow play on people's deep need for a "real" feeling, this could be a bonanza. Sort of like Erich Fromm's idea of the "escape from freedom," which caused Germans in the 1920s and 30s to abandon the modern, individualistic, capitalistic "choice" culture and flee to Hitler and his "people's nationalistic unity." For us, it would be an escape from irony, and a search for reality. This is where a "blood and guts" ideology might be able to take hold, especially among a younger generation of "athletes" who have been raised on a diet of sex and violence and the mass media's "cult of the body."

assimilation : Paul 4/30/2001

Friday, April 27, 2001

Life Lessons

As I've said before, and will say again over the course of the season, one of the reasons I follow baseball is to learn how to lead a better life. And, no, this is not original thinking, plenty of folks have said this kind of thing before. The game is over 100 years old, afterall.

So what lessons have I learned recently?

1. Last night Hideo Nome takes a no-hitter into the 7th inning. He already made history earlier in the month by pitching a no-no in his first appearance with the Red Sox; to pitch another one in the same month would be historic.But, in the 7th, normally steady, error-prone-free Darren Lewis makes an error in judgement and drops a very catchable fly ball to right and that is that. ''It was my mistake,'' Lewis said. ''It's a play I should have made and that's the best I can explain it. I can't reiterate that enough.'' Lesson learned: Take full responsibility for your mistakes and move on.
   
   
2. Lou Merloni. Merloni was hitting .438 in eight games with the Red Sox. He started five games, four against the dreaded Yankees. But when Chris Stynes was ready to play, the Red Sox sent Merloni back to AAA Pawtucket. ''It's a business decision,'' Merloni said yesterday. ''That's what it breaks down to. You basically make it to keep other players on the team. The only way to do that without releasing a guy, or losing a player, is by sending me down. That's how it went. It's early in the year. You don't want to lose a player. What can you really say to that?'' Lesson learned: Life is often unfair; deal with it.

assimilation : Edw. 4/27/2001

Tuesday, April 24, 2001

Off day

No action last night as the Red Sox had the day off. The Twins, off to their best start in franchise history, make their way to the Fens tonight. Like the two home-away series with the Yankees, this series against the Twins should be a good barometer for how good the Red Sox are. At this point, we know they can go toe to toe with the Yankees, and that is a very good thing.

So far, April has not proven to be the cruelest month.

assimilation : Edw. 4/24/2001

Friday, April 13, 2001

re: corporate cheapskates

I heard on the news this morning that Wal-Mart is going to donate $20 for each families of the recently releases 24 crew members of the US spy plane.

Wow. 20 bucks. How magnanimous. I guess you've got to be tortured or something to get Wal-Mart to cough up $100.

assimilation : Edw. 4/13/2001

Thursday, January 18, 2001

re: gotta love Corpitos!

Corpus Christi, Texas, my city of residence from 1993-1999 is a place unlike any other that I've lived. But rather then attempt to explain, I'll let this below give you a glimpse into the culture of Corpus. The following excerpts were taken from one day (1-17-01) of the Police Blotter section of the Corpus-Christi Caller Times website:

Ripe for the pickin'

• 3600 Santa Fe Street
  A 57-year-old man reported someone took about 72 oranges growing on his trees. He said whoever took the oranges ate some of them before leaving. He found orange peels all over his back yard.

THEFTS

• 3900 Harris Drive
  A man reported that during the past year someone has been stealing his water by connecting a hose to his outdoor faucets. He said they usually do this about 2:30 to 3:30 a.m. He said his water bills have doubled and the faucets have been left dripping.
  
  
• 4600 Branscomb Drive
  A woman reported someone stole the light bulbs of her Christmas lights in her front yard. She said the electric cords and light bulb sockets were left behind. Only the bulbs were taken. She said a neighborhood boy told her he had seen a group of boys playing in her front yard.

Oranges? Water? Xmas light bulbs?

Yep, they'll steal anything in Corpus. Big generalization but . . . I was robbed on four different occasions while living there. (Really 5xs if I also include oranges and 6xs if I include figs liberated from trees in my front yard.)

Now I enjoy it all vicariously through the Caller-Times Police Blotter. You never know what kind of crime activity you'll find listed there.

assimilation : Edw. 1/18/2001

Wednesday, January 17, 2001

Check this out:

Watch out! America's Unleashing Its Depleted Imagination [ link opens a new window ]

assimilation : Paul 1/17/2001

Friday, January 12, 2001

re: Cone

From the Red Sox Press Release:

"Executive Vice President and General Manager Dan Duquette announced that the Boston Red Sox have signed free agent right-handed pitcher David Cone."

Of course, this is not the David Cone of a couple of years ago, but still it feels good to get a former Yankee great rather than the other way around as usually is the case.

assimilation : Edw. 1/12/2001