Tuesday, January 04, 2005

As “Moving in Stereo” (the Cars) fades into “Les Prénoms Effacés” (Jean Trachant), I find myself compelled to put finger to key for a sweeping and pointless blog entry.

The earthqua/tsunami is, I reckon, the most important issue facing the world today, and so I begin there. Clearly it is a terrible tragedy, and I feel all the more impotent in the face of it. It does seem, however, that nastier forces than Mother Nature are behind the enormous loss of life and limb. I see no reason why the vast majority of those in the effected regions could not have been warned. The governments of the area (and the Brits, Americans, and Australians, who all monitor the region closely) should have picked up the fucking phone and called India and Sri Lanka, at least, to warn them. India and Sri Lanka (particularly India) should also have had sufficient knowledge as to prepare their coastal populaces. That they did not is a crime.

“Just my Imagination (Running Away with Me)” by the Temptations

A few minutes ago it hit me that today I received . . .

*a post card from an Englishman I got to know in West Virginia who is on vacation in Switzerland
* an email from my former Spanish teacher, who lives in Mexico and also teaches French and
* an email from my friend and former roommate in West Virginia.

I also wrote an email to a friend from Alabama who lives in South Korea and spoke via internet telephone to a friend from Mississippi (who I last saw in Germany and England) who now lives in Utah.

I, of course, am in Germany.

Oh, brave new world.

I live with a “Cinnamon Girl” (Neil Young & Crazy Horse), by the way. Mah, send me money now. I’m gonna make it somehow.

We kicked up a “Wang Dang Doodle” (which isn’t playing right now, but is a Koko Taylor song) on New Year’s Eve. Birgit (my Cinnamon Girl) had a hundred year flood. Fortunately I alternated between real and near beer, so as to be a good and capable host, and was able to put her safely to bed.

What IS playing now is “Sgt Baker” by Primus. Which reminds me: the US seems to get worse with each passing day. I had hoped that I was the root of all evil, but it seems there is something worse afoot.

I’ve said it before, sorta, but I’ll say it again: If you think things are going well, or that the administration is going to make things better, you are either an idiot or my enemy. You may also be both. I reckon you may also be a victim of propaganda, too, but ignorance of the world is no excuse. Basic morality must come into play at some point.

I said RIGHT! LEFT!

Just as I start feeling dreary, however, I hear “Shambala” by Three Dog Night. Aaaahhh Ooooohh Ooooh Oooooooh Ooooh Yeah. Everyone is helpful. Everyone is kind. You know, my dad used to creep me out by making a scary face and groweling SHAMBALA when this song came on the radio.

I can tell my brother by the flowers in his eyes.

Christmas, since you asked, was hunky dory. Not only did we have a gathering at Birgit’s parents’ house (always nice) but we were joined by a former colleague of mine from Tec de Monterrey. Javier was on a European tour. It consisted of Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam . . . and Ruethen. Funny. He enjoyed himself, I think.

“It’s hard to hold the hand of anyone who is reaching for the sky just to surrender”, says Leonard Cohen (in the song “The Stranger Song”) and I agree. I’m off to surrender to a cigarette.

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