2003-02-02 - 1:22 p.m.
Back now...
And wow, it's just ... just ... Great to see familiar faces, but the being-in-the-US part is another story. I miss the architecture, people-first urban planning, museums, good coffee, and bustle that is Madrid. Also miss the newspapers, which unlike US dailies still report on topics other than disasters, celebrities, products, and weather. But most of all, I wonder if I can maintain the sense of calm and contentment gained by being outside the empire, in a country that isn't trying to take over all the others on the globe. So far, I'm dealing, but I feel my usual, cynical, feeling-overwhelmed self slipping back.
Current affairs don't help. On my second day back from Spain, I attended a death row march for work ... 20 people, very small. On the third day back, the space shuttle blew up again. The shuttle disaster is just the thing we didn't need to distract Americans from war, but now we've got it � and a lot more web pages where people can post their condolences to people who can't read the web sites because they are dead! Don't expect we'll have corporate newspaper web sites to commemmorate all the dead Iraqi civilians who will die in the Oil War.Who Reads What Newspaper?
This was sent to me by S. Zilko, an Austin resident. (Thanks!) I don't know if he made this up himself or if someone else did, but it's funny and relevant to the complaining posted above. 1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country. 2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country. 3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country. 4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don't really understand the Washington Post. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie chart format. 5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running the country, if they could spare the time, and if they didn't have to leave LA to do it. 6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and they did a far superior job of it, thank you very much. 7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who's running the country, and don't really care as long as they can get a seat on the train. 8. The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running the country, as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated. 9. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure there is a country or that anyone is running it; but whoever it is, they oppose all that they stand for. 10. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores. 11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.Positive Mental Attitude
Okay, one of the resolutions I made on my trip was to develop a better, less depressing attitude. Since making this resolution I have cried at one party and displayed angst at another, but depression is like smoking and other deeply rooted bad habits, so it will take time to get out of Gloomsville and board the train to Balancetown. Anyway, one of the exercises intended to help me feel happier about things current was to make a list of positive traits I associate more with the US than with Europe. Here goes:Better service.
Free water in restaurants.
Easier to attain "more attractive-," "more stylish-," and "more intelligent than average" standards.
No pay toilets, anytime, anywhere.
It doesn't cost $7 to do a load of laundry in a public facility.
Things stay open all day.
More diverse selections of beer.
Wider sidewalks.
More handicapped accessible.That's about it.
Diversifying
I'm starting a little online store at www.cafepress.com in the next few weeks. It will feature t-shirts, bags, and other things designed by me. The designs will be somewhat humorous.�
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Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse. � Lily Tomlin |
