I Guess We Still Need America

This Guy Passes For "Good Music" In Germany

Hello to all,
 
I have spent this Christmas and New Year in Germany with my wife and in-laws. We were lucky enough to be in Berlin for the New Year's Eve festivities. Together, we braved the cold and stayed outside for about 6 hours waiting to ring in 2012. But, that is not really the point of this hub. During my time here (and especially in Berlin), I've noticed a few instances of America's influence on the world and where we are still sorely needed.

While on vacation, I have not kept as sharp an eye on the news as I usually do. However, I did notice that in the last few days, the US had a 3.5 billion dollar arms sale to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Those who followed the Arab Spring closely will know that the US shipped tear gas to Egypt. This tear gas was eventually used against protesters in Tahrir Square. If you follow world health and food issues, you would also know that Far East countries are experiencing large jumps in cases of diabetes. This has been attributed to the adoption of the Western diet. US diplomats even push dodgy, genetically modified foods (via diplomatic relations) onto other nations, for companies like Monsanto and DuPont.

While waiting to celebrate 2012 the other night, I even noticed that "Weight Watchers" had a large presence at the event. Their ads lined most of the area where people congregated. They sponsored/featured in their ads, a performer from the evening (Cassandra Steen). So, in the 6 hours standing in place, I feel as though I saw this ad about 1,000 times. You can see Cassandra Steen's performance from that night (below). But, tying this altogether, I came to the conclusion that the US's main exports are: war, obesity, Franken-foods, and obesity remedies. I thought the world didn't really need us. We screw up a lot of stuff for other nations. But, as 2011 ended, I realized one other export and it is where the world does truly need us. The US must remain as a global force, solely for our.......pop stars!!

Other than that, I feel as though the world would be better off without us. We have multiple wars and occupations going on. We're supplying the weapons for brutal crackdowns elsewhere. We can't get any tough laws regulating our banks or Wall Street as a whole. The list goes on. The US even stood in the way of a binding deal at a recent climate conference (COP 17). I wrote a post that talked about this conference, you can see it here if you wanted to know more about US obstruction on climate talks. But, some on the ground were calling the President, "George W. Obama." Because, his stance differed little from the past Administration.

Back to New Years Eve, needless to say, I was a bit underwhelmed by some of the popular acts here in Germany. The gentleman in the first picture, goes by the name of DJ Oetzi. His real name is Gerhard Friedle and he was born in Austria. According to my wife, the goofy white hat is a staple of his. Take 30 seconds to view a part of his New Years Eve performance and you'll see why the world still needs us. With all the acts, on the night, I felt as though I was watching a play, people acting how they thought pop stars would act. None of the acts seemed really genuine. It's that same feeling you get if you turn on Fox News. That, "...wait a minute, something isn't right here..." feeling. All of them seemed rigid and just pathetic on the whole. I'm not the biggest fan of today's pop music, but watching a rotund Austrian fella labor around the stage, made me long for the stage presence of Lady Gaga, Beyonce, or Katy Perry.

During the evening, the crowd also suffered through a performance from a man named Ben Jaimen. This guy was the most emotionless, plastic figure I may have ever seen on stage. Again, it looked as though he was playing the part of a pop star (but badly). With each song he performed, the crowd seemingly became more indifferent towards him. You can see one of the songs and the crowd's apathetic reaction. There was a rotating sign next to the stage, at points, that mentioned his album was on sale in stores. I joked that him being there was only hurting his sales. For his last song, he brought a number of children on stage (for a choir-type effect) and that could not even get a rise out of the crowd. After another round of hapless applause, he desperately says, "One more time...for the kids..." That didn't even help. For anyone who has seen "Coming to America", it was reminiscent of Sexual Chocolate dropping the mike and leaving the stage, only if hundreds of thousands of people were being quiet at the same time.

Last one, I promise. These guys have a special place in my heart. I reserve this place in my heart for extra dislike. They are called "The BossHoss." The band is originally from Berlin and are amazingly popular in Germany. From what I've worked out, they only cover popular songs, but in a Country/Western sound. So, I guess they save money by not having to hire songwriters. You can hear their version of "Hey Ya" from Outkast, if you're interested. I could not find their NYE performance. They've carved out this special niche where they are just a glorified cover band. But, they cover the songs in a singular sound. Maybe it's a goof on Country/Western bands from the States? Who the hell knows? You have a group of guys from Berlin in Stetsons and wife-beaters. You try to figure it out.

What can I say? It's confusing for my American brain. I have to say. I do love Germany. It's a dream place to live for a liberal like myself. Their citizens accept climate change, a good chunk of ours do not. All of their citizens have health care and have had in since 1883. They have high speed rail. Our trip from west Germany (near Hamburg) to Berlin only took 3.5 hours, and that was with 2 transfers.
 On the way back, it took right around 3 hours flat.

Through progressive taxation, strong unions, and amazing social services, Germany is among the world's most equal countries. CEO pay vs average worker pay is only 12 to 1 in Germany. It is 475 to 1 in the USA, I can go on and on about the services here. I haven't even touched on the low cost of education or generous maternity leave. In their current Parliament, there are 6 parties holding seats, giving voters an actual choice when voting. (I think we just have the illusion of choice in the US...story for another day) But, with all that being said, the one glaring hole in Germany's CV is in the area of pop-stars. How can a country, that has figured out health care in the 1880's, be listening to a portly Austrian bring in a new year? Questions like this boggle my little mind and it's why we still need America. USA! USA! USA!

See you next time,

James

What Do You Remember Best? (My Trip To The Eternal City)

Hello and thanks for checking in.

We start with an excerpt from an interview with author Alexandra Fuller. Quick bio: she is an author of 4 books. Fuller spent most of her childhood in Rhodesia (known as  Zimbabwe today) and later moved to the States, married an American, and became a U.S. citizen.

She was in town speaking this past Monday. A good friend landed tickets, so I was able to go for free. I am already winning the night, right? Anyway, since I haven’t read any of her books, I wanted to get a feel for her story and what she’d be speaking about. An interview with Ms. Fuller appeared in our local newspaper. The full interview can be seen here, But, I was very intrigued by this question and answer. For clarity’s sake, the context was the civil war going in the country (and her memory of it), during her childhood years.

So it’s not really blurred by the fog of war, it’s actually sharpened.

“This is very true of most of the people I grew up with. They have phenomenally vivid recollections of their childhood. I tell you what’s blurry for me, was the first decade of being in the States, with this kind of comfortable luxury. You could barely distinguish between seasons, because you’ve got air-conditioning and heat. You have ways to control your climate. Whereas, in my childhood every October is seared in my brain. ‘Oh, God, that was the October that X happened.’ Because it’s so uncomfortable.

You can’t forget it. You can’t forget the rainy season. You remember the first rains of every season. You remember where you were when that rain came; you’d been waiting for it for four months. But you don’t really have that kind of urgency here, to remember where you were for the first rains of the season. You might remember hurricanes or you might remember another event that knocks out your electricity for two weeks. But when you don’t have electricity, when that cushion isn’t there anyway, you feel the world in a different way. I think we can get numb and unconscious here quite easily.”

(Me again)

This answer has done my head in the last few days. I think we all agree with the notion that we forget the mundane, redundant, tasks we do each day. However, I thought about that paragraph even further. I tried to think of times where I was doing something that should be memorable (and I was comfortable) and wanted to test my memory on those occasions. My thoughts brought me to past vacations and I’m almost sad to say that I remember the uncomfortable times (within the same vacations) more vividly. The time since the vacations have occurred don’t seem to matter. No matter the example, I remember the uncomfortable part of the trip in a more detailed way. The comfortable parts (sitting on a beach, good dinners, etc) are incredibly foggy for me. That might seem natural to some, but it shook me up that I couldn’t remember the happiest moments more effectively. I can’t even separate specific days, of the trips, in my head. And, these were actually good times! I will give you a few examples.

I mentioned in past posts that my wife is a German citizen. Her folks are still in the Germany, so I end up there regularly. So, many of my stories about this topic will be Euro-centric. Today, I’ll go down a fuzzy, Roman memory lane.

Rome:

In either 2005 or 2006 (see I’m not even positive of the year), we were able to spend 4 nights in Rome. It’s a good amount of time in the town. Perfect for seeing all the sites without having to rush around. We saw all the usual suspects up close: the Colosseum, Vatican City, Pantheon, etc.
Logic would dictate that the memory of one of those experiences would trump most other things from the trip. In all honesty, I can tell you this is not the case. If I try to think back about that trip, my mind first goes to 2 incidents where I (or we) were most uncomfortable. Our first night in Rome, we stayed out a little late. We didn’t know what time the trains back to our section of town stopped. Because of this, we had to take a bus back to our hotel (we refuse to drive in towns we don’t know). I think this was a Friday night (again not sure). But, it felt like there were a good amount of club-goers out that night. All I remember is the heinous smell that was inside the bus. I don’t know if was from people out dancing all night or their own beliefs or customs caused them to not wear deodorant. But, the smell is still with me today. It was this rampant, mutant B.O. (body odor) that you can’t forget. It pains me to say that this is a stark memory from my time in the “Eternal City.” You say “Rome” to me today, and I want to cover my nose. Good times!

Example 2, also in Rome: While there we visited Vatican City and climbed to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica. You’d think this experience would also really stick in my head. Maybe I’d be moved by the church, maybe I would find faith, who knows really? But, when you say “Vatican” to me, my first thought is that I forgot to hit the ATM before going into Vatican City. And, Vatican City is technically a country, it has a post office, a special/elite police force, a radio station, and are an “observer” at the United Nations (similar to a non-voting UN member). You’d think they have an ATM. But, I digress. Can’t you tell I’m still pissed?

So, the Missus and I were cash-less. Turns out, it costs 8 Euros to take an elevator half-way up the cupola of St. Peters Basilica. It is a climb of 800 steps (no joke). There is health and safety warnings before you start the climb (again not a joke). If I had the 8 Euros, we could have taken an elevator half-way up. There is 1 place where you can exit the stairway, and get outside for air and water. There are little windows along the way for ventilation and where you can sneak a peek of Rome. Once we got to take a break at the one outdoor stop, my wife literally headbutted me, Hulk Hogan style, as payback for forgetting the cash. She’s violent. What can I say? Thinking back, I might have been able to have Vatican police take her in for domestic violence.

Looking at that picture of the cupola (above) may not do it justice. As you get higher and higher, the stairway gets more narrow. There were points where my shoulders touched each side of the walls simultaneously. A little claustrophobia sets in. Unfortunately, I didn’t think I would be writing 5 or 6 years later, so I don’t have a video of this. But, thanks to YouTube, you can see inside the stairway yourself. Enjoy!

And, you have to exit in the same fashion. Exiting is easier of course, but the size of the stairways are the same going down.

Hopefully, I proved my point about memory/comfort even in a happy times. It is, admittedly, digging a little deeper on Ms. Fuller’s point. But, when I think back to this particular trip, these are the sharpest memories I have. We had a great time and saw some of the most storied buildings in the world. And, it stays with you. But, it seems those clearest memories are reserved for when things are the roughest for you. Even when it is within a happy and/or comfortable situation on the whole.
I’d love to know if you agree with this. Feel free to comment on the Hub. If you’ve read my old blog from its beginning back in October, you know that it’s 1/3 educating friends/family, 1/3 making you laugh, and 1/3 trying to figure out if I’m crazy or not. So, try to think back to your own memories and compare the good and bad ones. See which are most lucid. You may be unpleasantly surprised. I know I was. I flew all the way to Rome and I remember smelly people, a stair climb, and a headbutt. Just watch travel shows folks.

I may also make this a regular section of the blog. I have instances from other trips, that were just horrible, things I remember like it was yesterday. They include a road trip from hell (16 years ago), a horrible mix-up with the Metric System for a trip to London, and thinking I was going to die in the Canary Islands. Stay tuned for those, and you guessed it, I recall all the horrible stuf best.

See you soon,

James

Massive Dichotomy/ Reindeer Bullying Edition

Hello, thanks for checking in. Before we get going:

Dichotomy: a division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities <the dichotomy between theory and practice>

In the last few weeks, I noticed two instances where there was a large gulf between what I think/feel/see and what was happening. I mean, this happens all the time to me, but these examples are especially stark.

I mention in my profile that I am a vegan. I'm only in my 7th month of veganism, so I just learned that November 1st was "World Vegan Day." No joke, it's really a thing. You can see for yourself here. Whether you live this lifestyle or not, I think (hope?) we can agree that someone choosing to not have animals for food is a good thing. I feel this can be independent of you wanting to live that way or not.
That being said, imagine my surprise to find a fashion show, in which the models actually wore food. This was an instance of a large dichotomy in my little world. And, I don't think I'm looking at this from a vegan's point-of-view either. I think meat-eaters can even see the distance between people who won't eat animals and people wearing them in a fashion show? I hope they can. I don't feel like this is an instance where my own choices are making it seem worse to me. Anyway, you can decide for yourself. In the show, some women wore octopus, fish skin masks, quail eggs, a guy was in a tank top made of salmon, and many other examples. It struck me as wasteful and tacky. Here is a video about the show.

More dichotomy and this something that should be closer to home for most people. For the most part, America seems to have war fatigue. This poll, from late October, showed that only 34% of the country still supported the Afghan war. This poll, also from late October, showed that 75% of Americans support pulling out of Iraq at the end of this year. You’re thinking, “Yay! We’re going to stop occupying other nations and spending hundreds of billions of dollars per year on the military.” But, here comes to dichotomy part. Considering that small percentages of the populace want to be in these wars, why would President Obama increase the troop levels in the Persian Gulf? So, we’re basically leaving Iraq, to move our stuff a few miles away into other Gulf nations. I have to review his comments. He might have only said “we’re leaving Iraq.” And not, “the troops are coming home.” Obama might get off on a technicality with this one. This more recent story even suggests that after the troop removal, new troops may be sent in (looks like the troops coming back in will be CIA, Special Forces, private military (another technicality). It gets worse too. Obama is sending 2,500 troops t0 Australia as well. Your guess is as good as mine. Terrorist kangaroos? Rogue Koala Bears? Who knows anymore? It seems the goals are endless wars and/or endless occupations, regardless of what the people want.

Since, I hate ending on a low note. This is something I noticed just yesterday. If you read this Hub, you know that Fox is a joke. It’s not just me talking either. Media Matters for America fact-check Fox regularly and prove how useless they truly are. For anyone that is new, I wrote about what it was like to argue with a Fox Viewer and linked to more facts about what is done over there. I am ashamed to say that I sometimes tune in, just to see what they’re lying about. However, yesterday morning, I tuned in to see them tackle the pressing problem of Rudolph being bullied in a cartoon. They also wondered how kids might react to this. They brought in a psychiatrist to discuss it. I had to snap a pic of the graphic they used as the discussion went on. As always, there is no embellishment needed. If you know anyone that watches Fox, push them towards Media Matters or Outfoxed (a Robert Greenwald documentary). Together we can prevent them from completely stupidity-fying (made up word) the nation. Your country needs you!

See you next time,

James

A Rainy Night In Alexanderplatz/ Pictures From Rome/ Fox Makes You Dumb Edition

 Good morning all,

A change for today. I had a really important post set to go up. But, I wanted everyone to see and digest it. It deserves to be put up on a Monday, and not at the end of a holiday week. Since we’re going into a holiday, I figured I’d turn this into a photo day/ dump of things I saw during the short week.

Full disclosure on me, I’m a bit of photography fan as well. So, you may see that in the blog from time to time. Some will be my own. This first one happens to have been shot by another blogger. I absolutely loved it. It was taken recently, in the Alexanderplatz section of Berlin. It looks as though it’s from a different era. A film noir type photo, taken in the 1940′s or 50′s. There was also a driving rainstorm going on at the time. And, it’s a black and white photo. Triple win! It’s so well done. It’s already been “liked” by (at posting) 315 other bloggers. He or she has some other amazing photos on that blog. Feel free to check around, if you like this one. Enjoy!

“A Rainy Night in Alexanderplatz“

 And, I figured instead of making this just a one-photo posting, I would post some from my trip to Rome a few years back. These were all taken by Mrs. Amorphous Thoughts. I’m a photog fan but, I can’t take the pictures myself though. If any of you want pictures of my thumb, get in touch and I’ll post those. It’s some of my best work.

 - I feel vindicated by this poll I found yesterday. I wrote a post about what it was like to debate with a Fox News Viewer for 4 hours. If you missed it, you can see it here.  To paraphrase, I talk about what it is like to argue with a Fox viewer and how it seems they are in an alternate universe. Which brings me to my vindication, I stumbled upon a poll done by a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. They asked current event questions of Fox viewers and others who don’t watch any news. A quick synopsis of the story read this way, “The poll surveyed New Jersey residents about the uprisings in Egypt and the Middle East, and where they get their news sources. The study, which controlled for demographic factors like education and partisanship, found that “people who watch Fox News are 18-points less likely to know that Egyptians overthrew their government” and “6-points less likely to know that Syrians have not yet overthrown their government” compared to those who watch no news.” To review, you can know more by simply wandering aimlessly through life, as opposed to watching Fox News. Check and mate! The win goes to Amorphous Thoughts.

- Two more things before clearing out for the holiday. This might be the coolest thing in the world right now (I know I have a new coolest thing every week). I give you the “Panoramic Ball Camera.” Basically, it’s a ball that houses 36 mobile phone camera modules. You throw the ball in the air and it snaps pictures at the ball’s highest point. You can then upload the photos to a PC, scroll through all the photos taken, and get a panoramic, 360 degree view from where you threw the ball in the air. It’s pretty cool, check out the video.

 

 

 

 See you next time,

James

Field Report, Times Square, Global Change Day

Hello to all,

Thanks so much for checking in. It should be a pretty long post. And, welcome to anyone that may have found the blog through the Plutocracy Files. This posting will appear on both of our sites. I have quite a few pics from the Times Square demonstration, a few videos I took of the cops rolling in, and headlines from some of the other major demonstrations that took place yesterday.

I Think This Was My Favorite Sign Of The Day

Ok, I had the longest of days yesterday, but it was so very worth it. I had to go into the office (in Syracuse mind you) for a few hours in the morning. I packed everything I thought I would need for a demonstration. I wore my contacts to start. My glasses were with me, in an unbreakable case. I had them as a backup, in case I got maced and slammed to the ground. I wore comfortable shoes, figuring I'd be there a while. And, I had loads of vegan-friendly snacks in case I couldn't get to any food joints. I had fruits and bottled water. I even brought gum, figuring I'd be in close quarters with other protesters. I didn't want a fellow protester to think I have bad breath. Now that's being prepared and polite. I wasn't even a Boy Scout as a kid.

I got on the road about 11am and got to into New York about 3:30, arriving at Times Square about 4pm. When I arrived, it was tough to get a sense of how many people where there. You just can't get a sense of it when you're in the middle of it. As you looked around though, you see that you are engulfed by people all on sides, on the edges of Times Square. The police shrewdly put up barricades to continue to allow traffic through and to separate the crowd. But this tactic, I felt, really put a cap on the crowd's enthusiasm, their ability to start chants, get riled up, etc. I'm guessing there is a "Riot Prevention" handbook out there and this maneuver falls under "Crowd Dispersion."

After settling into where I was, I took in the scenes for a while. We were all waiting for the march from Washington Square Park to join us at Times Square. While waiting, I was interviewed by a network from the Far East (pretty sure it was from Japan). I'm really hoping I can track it down and post it. But, it's not looking likely. A friend did record me getting interviewed. So, you can see me, but not quite hear me.

After the interview, I continued to take in the scene. The signs, denoting grievances, ran the gamut. Someone created a pretty nice model of a Predator Drone, to protest all our wars. Someone held a Che Guevara flag. Signs asked for investments in public works projects, others asked to end corporate person-hood, some for investments in education and green technology, and others to raise taxes. The list goes on. But, if you've followed this occupation story closely, you're aware of the main issues.

The day also had an international feel. I saw a sign stating that a particular group was made up of "Belgian, French, and Flemish" people and sided with the protestors. I witnessed two different groups flying the flag of Canada another with Puerto Rico's flag. Later in the evening, I also met two women from Denmark. I know Times Square is called "The Crossroads of the World", so the international feel was expected. Passers-by on double-decker buses also showed support. There were people waving, "thumbs up" signs given, peace signs, etc. Buses honked their horns in supports as they went by as well.

From there, I tried to get to the edges of the protest to get a feel for how far it all stretched. That was probably not the best idea at first. It took the better part of 45 minutes to go 3 blocks. Because we were all barricaded in, it felt like there was a chance of people getting trampled if someone fell over. As you walked, you passed under scaffolding that people literally climbed upon to get a better look at the scene. Photographers climbed atop payphones and stand alone traffic lights to better to get their shots.

After arriving on at 47th and Broadway, the protest really started to heat up. The portion of the crowd, right up against the barricades, wanted to move further into the street the relieve the bottleneck. The cops beat back a few people, as tensions rose. One of the police horses fell over. I heard (from an eyewitness) that one man was cracked pretty good by a police baton and had to go to St. Luke's Hospital. At this point, I was getting nervous for public safety. All of this is going on, right in the middle of the tourism capital of the US. I saw quite a few people with kids in strollers, small children, and a few elderly people. It could have easily gotten out of hand, with pedestrians, unaware of the day's events, getting hurt. My own opinion is that the NYPD would have done anything to keep the protestors from filling the streets, because there would be no way to control them from that point. In the process, they did seem to create a safety hazard. And, did I mention, that across Broadway on the other side of 47th street, was a large Bank of America branch. It's probably not a coincidence.

Check out Lucy Kafanov's report, for RT America, she's been great during these protests. She was right on the barricades with protestors.

From there, the NYPD shuttled us east towards 6th Street to disperse the crowd. I also noticed some cops positioning themselves behind us and I also saw the orange netting make an appearance. As I went down 47th I saw this, and I really knew it was time for me to go.  Before I got out of there, I did have someone write the Lawyer's Guild phone number on my arm, in case I got hemmed in with the large group. So, I did get my first piece of protest swag. Bonus!

Then I saw this follow the cops in:

After I tried to loop back around, I saw these guys come up 48th street, and I got the hell out of there:

2nd Favorite Sign Here

All in all, I was about 98% sure we live in a police state. And, now I'm at 100%. These measures from the cops will not quell this movement. You can't kill an idea (see, terrorism). And, so many of these people have nothing to lose. Right now, I do have something to lose. I had to get out of there. But, a few weeks back 700 people were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge. There were around 70 last night. With each, more vow to come back and fight even harder. I don't know where this all goes. But, it's amazing to have just a little part in it. If you can get to a large protest, I suggest you do. There's a feeling you get, that you can't get in too many other places. It's the feeling that you're a part of something bigger than yourself.

Full disclosure on me: my wife is from Germany and I can get out of the US, to a place with virtually free education. A place where everyone has health care. A place with strong unions and better  income equality, a plan on renewable energies, etc. So, me being in New York, or sleeping outside in Syracuse, isn't really about me. I'm lucky enough to be working and have health care now. I don't feel personally aggrieved. But, this is about a better, fairer world, some greater good. May sound corny to some, but you do truly feel it when you're there.


Before I go, just a couple of the major headlines from yesterday's "Global Day of Change":

-500,000 people marched and sat in Madrid's main square, the Puerta Del Sol.

-Reports estimated 350,000 in Barcelona.

-Here is the scene from Paris.

-Cops violently removed campers from outside the Reichstag in Berlin (Reichstag = Germany's equivalent of the U.S. Capitol building).

-200,000 hit the streets in Rome and it got pretty violent, including a burned out riot van and civilian vehicles, looting, etc  (story and amazing video, only 1:35).

- 25 people were arrested at Citibank for trying to close their accounts, including one lady who was just standing on the street.

-About 200 people were arrested in Chicago.

Very last thing, before I finish. I know I gave you a lot today. It was a multimedia posting, and about 1700 words. But, this last thing just warmed my heart. It comes from Madrid's Puerta Del Sol square. A symphony plays Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", but at the end all the people raise their hands, with their palms open, saying, "these are our weapons (in Spanish)." It moves me, to no end, each time I watch it.

Until next time,

James