Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Hey 19 (That's Aretha Franklin)...
Well, it has finally come... Carl is 30 years old. So how does it feel? The same as always, except now it seems even more ridiculous that I spend so much time reading manga and playing video games. Age has never really bothered me at all, but this year I do feel sad that I have hit a major milestone in my life, and I am basically where I was ten years ago... no house, no career, in college, and out of shape. Oh well, plenty of time to change all of that later...
I changed the poll today, but I wanted to report the results. More than half of you think that we will see a woman president sooner than I will pay off my student loans. A couple of you said that we'd land on Mars first, or that Roe vs. Wade would be overturned. The rest of you concur that I will pay them loans off first. No one voted for a "gay president" or "African-American president" or "pharmaceutical cure for AIDS." Interesting results. Personally, I think we will see a woman president first. It won't be easy for her on any level, because in America, those who have any power in government are old-school, boys' club, rich, white men. And the people (dollars) who support those men are propbably even worse.
I am torn on the African-American president thing; it would be great, but the nation still seems to be subliminally racist, and I don't think that a) an African-American could get the support (i.e. money) that white candidates do, and b) would find a lot of allies in politics. I think that in our nation, you don't have to look far to find those who want "blacks" to remain submissive. We're comfortable with them filling certain roles in society, but for the most part we expect them to exist as stereotypes. All you have to do to prove this is listen to how people talk. I hear people say "black guy" or "over by that black girl." We use code words like "urban," and we talk about areas of town where black populations are high as if they were their own cities (around here it is "North" Omaha). And for the Hispanics we do the same. It's Mexican this, and South Omaha that.
Well, enough for now. As I enter my second 30 years (I hope), I look forward to enjoying my life more. Here are my 19 favorite things (in no order) as of right now; things I hope to do more of.
1) Learning about the world of science, particularly evolution & anthropology
2) Watching well made and artful films.
3) Listening to Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, and other great music.
4) Playing role playing games on my PS2 (or whatever system I have at the time)
5) Reading a good book
6) Debating about God
7) Spending time with my friends
8) Playing racquetball and tennis
9) Riding my mountain bike on wooded trails
10) Learning Japanese language and culture
11) Cooking and eating good food (my recipe book is slowly growing)
12) Watching animals (like monkeys)
13) Typing in my blog and working on my short stories
14) Watching NFL football and World Cup soccer
15) Collecting DVDs of my favorite movies and TV shows
16) Finding ways I can help other people
17) Reading manga (especially RuroKen... which is monthly now!)
18) Sending care packages to my freinds in other countries
19) Laughing
See ya!
I changed the poll today, but I wanted to report the results. More than half of you think that we will see a woman president sooner than I will pay off my student loans. A couple of you said that we'd land on Mars first, or that Roe vs. Wade would be overturned. The rest of you concur that I will pay them loans off first. No one voted for a "gay president" or "African-American president" or "pharmaceutical cure for AIDS." Interesting results. Personally, I think we will see a woman president first. It won't be easy for her on any level, because in America, those who have any power in government are old-school, boys' club, rich, white men. And the people (dollars) who support those men are propbably even worse.
I am torn on the African-American president thing; it would be great, but the nation still seems to be subliminally racist, and I don't think that a) an African-American could get the support (i.e. money) that white candidates do, and b) would find a lot of allies in politics. I think that in our nation, you don't have to look far to find those who want "blacks" to remain submissive. We're comfortable with them filling certain roles in society, but for the most part we expect them to exist as stereotypes. All you have to do to prove this is listen to how people talk. I hear people say "black guy" or "over by that black girl." We use code words like "urban," and we talk about areas of town where black populations are high as if they were their own cities (around here it is "North" Omaha). And for the Hispanics we do the same. It's Mexican this, and South Omaha that.
Well, enough for now. As I enter my second 30 years (I hope), I look forward to enjoying my life more. Here are my 19 favorite things (in no order) as of right now; things I hope to do more of.
1) Learning about the world of science, particularly evolution & anthropology
2) Watching well made and artful films.
3) Listening to Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, and other great music.
4) Playing role playing games on my PS2 (or whatever system I have at the time)
5) Reading a good book
6) Debating about God
7) Spending time with my friends
8) Playing racquetball and tennis
9) Riding my mountain bike on wooded trails
10) Learning Japanese language and culture
11) Cooking and eating good food (my recipe book is slowly growing)
12) Watching animals (like monkeys)
13) Typing in my blog and working on my short stories
14) Watching NFL football and World Cup soccer
15) Collecting DVDs of my favorite movies and TV shows
16) Finding ways I can help other people
17) Reading manga (especially RuroKen... which is monthly now!)
18) Sending care packages to my freinds in other countries
19) Laughing
See ya!
Comments:
Hi Carl! First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope it has been a good one! I didn't see you at all today...either I was in a daze or you were out livin' your day to the fullest! Anyways, I was really struck by you comments today...One of my favorite hobbies is to learn about, discuss, and stay current with the political arena. I agree that there would be some objection to a minority candidate running for the presidency. However, I think that currently there are very strong minority candidates whose names have been thrown around by political big-wigs and who would find many political allies. The names being tossed in this hat are considered to be either major players or rising stars for the two major parties and not as independent candidates. They are the Hispanic Govenor of New Mexico (and the chair of the 2004 Democratic National Convention), Bill Richardson, the current Secretary of State Colin Powell, and the new Senetor from Illinois, Barack Obama. While Powell has stated that he has no interest in seeking the highest position, many Republicans have stated that they would support his decision to do so. Richardson, on the other hand, has been speculated to have strong intentions of running in the near future. (It is rumored that he turned down an invitation from John Kerry to run as his VP in order to fulfill his obligations to the people of New Mexico). I think that if either of these men run, they would find themselves with a strong group of supporters composed of all Americans. Unfortunately, I do feel that there will be some that will refrain from voting for a certain candidate based soley on race. But, as naive it may sound, I would like to believe that our country has moved in a positive direction over the last 2 centuries in which all races can enjoy equal treatment, even if it is just beginning when it comes to certain areas such as politics. Anyways, that's just my 2 cents worth! I hope I didn't offend anyone...Have a great night!
~T
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~T