Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00

Subject: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 09:40 AM

Homage to a Hero of mine:

The Mexican election, tossing out the PRI, is a part triumph for Homero Aridjis, who was persecuted as a poet in Mexico for many years, and on a famous day in 1985, when the pollution in Mexico City got so bad that people were openly dying on the streets, he started the Mexican environmental movement with a petition to the government excoriating their inactivity. Since then, he has thrown himself into the protection of monarch butterflies, creating whale sanctuaries, and just beating up on a corrupt and stupid government to improve the disastrous pollution of his beloved country, to his own personal cost. There are heroes out there: Homero is one of them. I wish him and his fellow fighters in the lucha good luck in what is -- with all of its flaws (the new president was after all the President of Coca Cola Mexico) -- a new day.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: flattop
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 09:57 AM

Wow! I think I'm having poet envy, Peter.

As Juvenal put it:
Must I always be stuck in the audience at these poetry readings, never up on the platform myself, taking it out on Cordus for the times he's bored me to death with ranting speeches...

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Jim the Bart
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 10:14 AM

Thanks for the insight. I have been curious about how this "change" (being from Chicago, I am always cynical when it comes to reform politics) would make itself felt and it's hard to get information on what's really happening in Mexico. It's good to hear that a man like M. Aridjis is part of the process.

I am consistently amazed and appalled at the attitude that Americans have towards our neighbors. At best, there is an underlying disregard (bordering on contempt)for the conditions and situations in the other countries in our hemisphere that is astounding. Unless something directly effects our well-being (read: economy), we don't want to hear about it. I believe the word that applies to this is "Hubris", and I think it is our great personality weakness as a nation (you can look to other threads for discussions of some of the others, if you'd like). I can't help but wonder how can we hope to abide well in this world without an understanding and empathy for our neighbors?

Thanks for the reminder and have a wonderful day.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 10:59 AM

What a worthy hero, Peter, thank you for letting us know about him. Too bad all politicians, corporate execs, etc. can't be poets, with the sensitivity to understand and want to protect the environment instead of destroy it.

kat

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Willie-O
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 11:28 AM

Hmmm, what does Aridjis do in the new admin and what did he sell out to get there? All I've heard, based on the new El Presidente, is that Mexico is finally getting into its Reagan Era.

Barth you have hit on something there. What really rankles me is the common assumption that the Internet is by, for and about Americans. If you start looking at different sites, you find this everywhere, what seems like a basic ignorance that this is an international medium, and that there's tremendous value in that. One of the things I love about the Cat.

Willie-O

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 12:03 PM

I assume you are joking, Willie-O. Homero cannot be bought or sold by anyone. He has proved it a million times. He is not in the government, as far as I know. I can't imagine under what circumstances he would go into a government -- unless they really meant to do something. Wrong person to slur.
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 04:46 PM

Bart.,
I am going to get creamed for this but...
all over the world countries are invading their neighbors, squabbling, and killing each other. I don't recall our ever invading Canada. And since we settled our border disputes, we haven't invaded Mexico. We send millions of dollars in aid to countries throughout the world and have forgiven millions in dollars in debt from countries who simply could not pay. Why then are we the bad guys? I don't get it.
SS

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 04:55 PM

You invaded Canada in the War of 1812, and we sent you packing. And they weren't border disputes, you stole the land from Mexico. Apart from that, you run the World Bank and the IMF which helped get these people into debt in the first place, you are the world's biggest arms dealer, and no one likes you because you are arrogant. The only person who has ever gotten away with telling you to get lost is Castro, and that really bugs you. But don't worry, it doesn't matter, because you can do what you like, and everyone knows it. You also gave us Ava Gardner, so we forgive you.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 05:10 PM

Told you I'd get creamed. Surely we've been good for something besides Ava Gardner? Nothing comes to mind. Peter?

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 05:14 PM

"Border disputes" - that's a great word for taking over half of a foreign country. But then the entire territory of the USA was a foreign country.

That's not being anti-American. It's just saying, there's no way historically that America's hands are clean. Which is true of all "major powers". (And the ones that used to be major powers and sometimes think they still are, like the one I'm living in.)

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Ebbie
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 05:27 PM

Might remind you that we are made up of all different nations and cultures- we are you. You, with your weaknesses, your strengths, your arrogance, your abjectness and despair, your creativeness and your knee-jerkiness, your wanderlust and your provincialness... We are greater than the sum of our parts- and less too.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 05:44 PM

I was kidding, Sinsull. You also gave the world Abraham Lincoln. I have a lot of time for any country that gives the world Abraham Lincoln.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 06:02 PM

No offense taken, Peter. I was just tweaking your nose a bit too.
SINSULL

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 07:25 PM

It's always good to see a nasty government get kicked out - but:

"Whoever you vote for, the government always gets in"

"If voting changed anything, they'd abolish it."

I's like to hear the views of the Zapatistas on these developments.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 12 Jul 00 - 08:21 PM

Oh yeah Peter, like Canada wasn't responsible for Ann Murray. Take your own snowy friggin' wings and fly away, hoser. Kicked our butts in the War of 1812, did ya? Get this- you guys are nothin' without the Limeys to back you up. 54/40 or Fight, ya Canuck slimeball.

LEJ, Chairman,Committee to make Saskatchewan the 51st State

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: bob jr
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 01:31 AM

um we will keep saskatechwan but you can take quebec if you want ...poutine learn to love it

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Big Mick
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 01:43 AM

I will swap you Detroit, National City, Imperial Beach and three first round draft picks for Vancouver.

Mick

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: bob jr
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 01:59 AM

you toss in ann arbour and you got yourself a deal!!

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 09:48 AM

The woman's name is Anne Murray, Yankee trader-with-his-eye-on-our-treasured-womenfolk; just because you people can't spell centre or labour, don't start dropping vowels you can't handle. And if it weren't for the Limeys you would have lost the French and Indian war, and you would be speaking Ojibwa or patois, and the Seminoles would be running DisneyWorld in Florida. If it weren't for Johnny Canuck, you would have to watching skiing all winter on TV. So watch it, American gringo: That Cold Front from Canada is hovering!!!!!!

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 04:29 PM

I think that there is an obvious problem in expecting American citizens to wander through Canada in order to get to our own Alaska. So I agree to the Vancouver deal and suggest we reinstitute the policy of Manifest Destiny until every red blooded American boy and girl can walk from L.A. to Anchorage undeterred.
It will come in handy when our politicians get us in the middle of another Viet Nam - more places to cross the border.
And as for you, Peter T.: We provided a lot more than Abraham Lincoln - Bubba Clinton for example, and Jimmy Carter's little brother Billy, and Elvis Presley... I could go on forever. What has Canada given us besides Robertson Davies?

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 04:37 PM

What, don't mess with me, kid. I see your Bill Clinton and your Billy Carter, and raise you Shania Twain (Mark's little girl) and Celine Dion (if only that woman would stay in Florida, I would willingly trade a province of your choice for her)? Do you give up, or do I have to bring on Sarah McLachlan?

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: MMario
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 04:42 PM

heck, we got nuthin' to worry about. the border guards are chickens,(anyway....

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 04:54 PM

Sure, Peter, you talk tough standing there in your Sorrels and took(sp? the wool thing Canadians wear on their heads), Labatts and back-bacon on your breath, your mind befuddled with morose Gordon Lightfoot tunes and bizarre SCTV skit humor. Send down your horrible wool-and-gortex clad minions, we only scoff at them. By the time they reach Cincinnatti, they will be craving smothered burritos, flip-flops, zydeco music, and Lone Star Longnecks.

LEJ Chairman, Committee to Take Canada Out of the Freezer,Defrost,Broil It, and Serve It with a Side of Puerto Rico

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 05:06 PM

LEJ, I have only two words for you. I appreciate that it goes against the Geneva Convention, but you leave me no choice: Alanis Morrisette. Now, will you people stop resisting, and come peaceably? (God, I hated to do that -- but they gave me no choice....)

yours, Peter T.

P.S. It's called a toque. I have no idea why it is spelled like that, or pronounced like that. Part of our ruthless, but wistful, charm.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 07:50 PM

Tiny Tim
THe Brady BunchShaun Cassidy
The Gong Show
Oprah Winfrey
Kathie Lee
Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire
Regis
Regis
Regis...Give up?

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 13 Jul 00 - 11:59 PM

Getty Lee

Alan Thicke

Suzanne Sommers

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon....Wait a minute!

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon and his dog Yukon King!!!

I take it all back. Hail Canada!!!

LEJ I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: Peter T.
Date: 14 Jul 00 - 09:50 AM

Regis, hah, small change. Alex Trebek!!!!

yours, Peter Toque.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jul 12,00
From: SINSULL
Date: 14 Jul 00 - 08:47 PM

I surrender! Allan Thicke and Alex Trebek? But I will admit I had a horrible crush on Sgt. Preston. That guy Frasier who walks around with his dead father never quite did it for me but the Sergeant and Yukon King...sigh...