Centerfield

Thursday evening, one of our local PBS stations was holding Pledge Night. Their background was a concert of popular folk music: "This Land is Your Land." Having grown up around this stuff in the '50s and '60s, I really enjoyed it.

Just before the finale, The New Christy Minstrels did a song that was written in late 2001 (or early 2002). It starts by recounting the various divisions in our souciey on September 10th; and then looks at what followed September 11. I was particularly struck by one line:
"we are all Americans,
shoulder to shoulder now the circle is complete."

It can be hard to remember those days, when the whole country pulled together. And the world. Do you remember? NATO invoked its mutual defense clause for the first time in history. A European head of state best known for resisting all things American (foreign policy, economic, whatever) declared: "We are all Americans now." When we went into Afghanistan after Al Queda, we had the active support and assistance of Iran.

It couldn't last, of course. But it could have been, and should have been, nurtured. Instead, it was gratuitiously pissed away. Domestic politics got nasty. Other countries were ignored or abused. Iran was rewarded for its assistance by being branded within weeks as part of an "axis of evil."

When history looks back at the first decade of this century, I suspect that, rather than the war in Iraq or anything else, will be seen as the critical happening. A chance, which comes maybe once in a lifetime, to move the world in our direction was totally wasted.

We would've talked about beer too, but I had to drive another hundred miles when I left, so I didn't bring any. :-)

It was great to meet you and the Professora and the wee bairn, Jon! You may now feel free to assure people I don't actually have green skin, claws, and fangs. Or you could tell them the sinister truth....LOL.

You mean...you don't have green skin, claws or fangs? Dang! Another hope crushed.

In honor of Harry Potter Madness, I put on my robes and wizard hat...

If I weren't already hitched I'd offer to play dress-up with you. I hate crushing hopes. :-)

That's link's just obscene, Jean. Funny, but obscene...

Awww...I'm touched. (and not just mentally either. ;-)

Of course it's obscene; that's part of what makes it so hilarious. (well, that and the food stuff, of course. You'd probably would have had to have a part time job in a pizza place to really appreciate it.)

Personally, I blame this piece for my trouble this summer at the library; whenever someone asks for something Harry Potter related, I burst into hysterical laughter.

PATRON: Do you have the latest Harry Potter book?
ME: (laughs)
PATRON: I know it's popular, but surely you've ordered some copies.
ME: (laughs harder)
PATRON: Well, do you know how it ends?
ME: (rolls on the floor)
PATRON: I heard there were some important deaths. Is Harry one of them?
ME: (Cannot speak for laughing)
PATRON: I'm getting out of this nut house.

Does it belong on a political blog? Well, I thought the reference to Dr. Robotnik and Reagan taking credit for the Cold War justified it. Besides, it's Friday.

I actually got to read the latest HP before it came out. Drove the daughter nuts. "Be good or I shout spoilers at you!"

In truth, I didn't tell anyone a darn thing until after the release date. Er, I should rephrase that. I didn't tell anyone anything remotely accurate until after the release date. I had enormous fun pulling people's legs with outrageous fake spoilers.

SOYLENT GREEN IS MUGGLES!!! Hermione is gay! Hogwarts is destroyed and all the wizards killed by a nuclear device smuggled in by Muggles who are tired of the psychodrama! Bwa ha ha ha! And so on.

Did I ever point you at this joyous bit of HP/Mary-Sue comic art? Hee hee.

Oh, the great Mary-Sue comic art! I thought I was the only one who ever thought that was funny. Thanks!

As for revealing spoilers..you are a sick, twisted man, but that's why I like you. ;-)* If you wanted to be a real fiend, you can always say "Harry dies!" (Which he does, of course, but the same way Aslan/Sandman/video game characters do.)

Speaking of spoofs, instead of picturing you with green scales and claws. I'm now picturing you as Homer Simpson, saying "Now it's time to do what I do best; lie to a child." However, if I was your daughter, I'd probably say "Eh...Dad's ending was better."

Now, I'm going to go cry in my orange juice, and sob "No one should outlive her fictional wizard!"

*i myself had unwholesome thoughts about the Big Three being lost in the woods by themselves, but hey, that's just me. ;-)