Humpty Dumpty and George Bush...

Well this is going to be interesting. After telling us for eight long years about how great the market was and pushing all these free trade ideas around the world, it seems that humpty dumpty(the american economy) has had a fall. Don't get me wrong, I am not claiming to understand this giant mess, but I think one thing is fairly obvious at this point; the corporations aren't going to have the effect of all the kings horses and all the kings men. Even better, from my perspective mind you, is that now that the neoliberalism is sinking the government is trying to jump in and rescue it. Essentially what is happening then is that W is becoming a socialist. While I love the idea, because that is what I am at heart, I know that he is doing it under the pretense of helping a victim. Who is the money going to go to? To the people it always goes to; the ones sitting on top of the pyramid. Don't want to take my word for it? Well its ok, you won't have to.

Kids with Guns and the Last Waltz

So my thoughts on Finland...Well hmmm why do they sell guns this easily. Sorry I take that back why sell guns at all? If you want to hunt I understand you are upset with me, but then again you aren't exactly hunting for survival purposes, so why wouldn't it work if the government were to rent you the gun for the event and then you bring it back under very controlled circumstances. The same should be true for the US. There is no point in selling hand guns in stores. Don't like it? Maybe sometimes its good not to care what some people want.

On a happier note I watched the Martin Scorsese documentary about The Band titled "The Last Waltz." For anyone who was a fan of music of that time, this is a must watch. The quality of the music and the performance as well as the things the members say between the songs are incredible. Its another reason why Scorsese is one of the best out there and yes Dylan's last three songs brings down the house.

Ask for your water front back...

So I made it through Kundera's Ignorance: A novel in two days and I have to say it was right in line with the other two books of his that I have read; sharp and to the point while telling an amazing story. He has a way of turning the everyday situations in relationships into pictures of life that are unforgettable.

Someone sent me this link and I thought I would post it. Tell the government you want your waterfront back...

Shiva, Kundera, and a case of the Mondays...

It was time for the European Social Forum this weekend and I didn't actually make it which was ok, but I did manage to find out that Vandana Shiva was there and that she was asked what she thought about Sweden. It turns out she has been here a few times as Ingegerd(Lumes) told me, but anyway she said that it was sad about Sweden, because we just to be a nation that was a good example of solidarity among the people and now we are run by corporations. Couldn't agree more. Why are we falling for this idea that corporations can run things better than the government? Corporations don't care about people period.

I decided tonight that the goal for the rest of the year is to read all of Milan Kundera's books. I don't know if I will actually make it, but it is an admirable goal. So now its one in the morning and I need to go to bed. Emphasize need.

Nuts for the chop

Today I read that in Poland they are considering castration for all pedophiles. Well that is just great. Isn't this so nice, we'll fix all the problems really quickly and easily and make sure they can't do any of their dirty stuff anymore. No actually this is quite horrible. Don't get me wrong I am not in any way standing up for these sick depraved people, but I am thinking that there are always going to be innocent people getting caught and then something is taken away from them that can never be given back. Way to go Poland, you just proved you are a third world country, now go build a missile shield for your conservatism.

Thursday down time

I should be reading this book by Adorno that I have, but I'm not of course. I should be doing a lot of things but I don't have the motivation right now. I don't have any reason to watch sports now until October so that will probably help. I am what they call a master of procrastination. The only problem is that I only procrastinate when I am at home, otherwise I generally get things done.

I want to get a swimming pool membership and start going two+ times a week. Easier said than done. When I was at FSU the pool was a five minute walk away and every semester it was something like five times I used it. I also want to take yoga classes but don't have the nerve to go by myself and then be with all these people who've been doing it for years and I can't even do the simple stuff.

Anyway its time to pick up Adorno and then some of Sylvia Plath's poems. I love libraries.

Why we don't win football matches

I sat there on Jeff's couch eating a cheap pizza and drinking french cider and almost crying as the Swedish National team spent ninety minutes of disgrace against Albania and ended it with a 0-0 draw. I saw the same attitude that I saw throughout Euro 2008 and what I've seen more and more of lately with Swedish sports: fear. We are a better team than Albania, we have better players, and we have more routine. It didn't show up at all, in fact it looked more like Albania was going to score first for most of the match. I kept clenching my fist over and over as the midfielders lost the ball again and again, as Källström disappeared after five minutes, and as the players looked like amateurs chasing warriors around the field.

In Sweden the answer is very simple: we don't think we can win. Or if we do we deny it and talk down about it and tell ourselves that we shouldn't think that way. How dare a nation with our size sit and think that it can win a world cup. We've almost done it before, so why not again? I know we don't have the Pele's, the Ronaldo's, and the Maradona's of the world, but honestly that isn't what wins a world cup. The attitude wins world cups. I would prefer if the swedish players would talk to in the interviews about how they know they can win, that they believe in themselves, that small nations can do big things. Look at the Olympics, we whined the whole way through when we should have been trying harder and believing. We don't need apologies and I admit I don't like the Hubris that most are capable of, but I would like to see an attitude that says, hey we are small and we can win, and even if we don't we'll fight like hell for it!

Things to think about...

There were many better qualified women in the republican party that should have gotten the VP position.

Every "liberal" sex education that I have ever been through has told me that the only real preventive is abstinence (they don't need a whole course just to explain the ramifications of no or don't)

Getting married at 17 to help your mom seem like a real peach makes me about as sick as having bubonic plague (there is no way we will ever know what those kids really want)

American patriotism has an odd aroma similar to...early stages of Fascism

Someone said McCains "opportunity" wouldn't involve giving more money to medicaid, too bad, I always had this crazy notion that government was by the people for the people-Most times its really the elite playing as if they are for the people

McCain finally found a way to get media coverage...just wasn't quite what he really wanted though