Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Random Thoughts

OUTTA MY MIND ON A MID-DAY WEDNESDAY

The lightweight stuff first… both rapper/actor Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent and comedian/actor Gilbert Gottfried found themselves in a bit of trouble for insensitive twits, er, tweets about the natural disasters that struck Japan this weekend. Gottfried, who provided the voice of the AFLAC duck in their TV commercials, was fired by the company, who does big business in Japan.



Comments that 50 Cent made was offensive on so many different levels that I get dizzy thinking about how he half-heartedly defended himself. There was the making light of the disasters, and then there is the disrespect he had for women. Finally, he tried to say that his image is what makes it all right to make insensitive and stupid comments as he did.


Some of my tweets are ignorant I do it for shock value. Hate it or love it. I’m cool either way 50cent.

There has been more insensitive stuff said as well. Glen Beck opened his mouth and display his insensity as well.  Back to what 50 Cent ‘tweeted’ is the double standard represented by his comment. He defense confirms a lot of what I thought about him, that he is phony as a three dollar bill. To be an adult over 25 and in my acquaintance mentioning how much 50 Cent is admired his for his use of media and ‘talents’, they would lose half a letter grade in my book.

As I take others to task, there were some disappointing comparison about America and how we handle crisis and I don’t have to use a natural disaster for a comparison… the great New York black out in the ‘70s come to mind as a time where a lot of folks weren’t at their best. And I ain’t hating… this gaman thing that Japan has going is enviable a national ethos. BUT, there are a few things that I think is being overlooked.


First, what has taken millennia to develop, their national character and identity, is something that did not happen overnight. The United States is one of the younger cultures and nations, and the thing about ‘nationhood’; it isn’t like we aren’t like other ‘nations’ in the world. And it is a lot different enforcing a national behavior when the culture is brutally chauvinistic, misogynistic, and relies on hegemony for their sense of nationhood.  There is a reason that they had so much in common with Hitler, Mussolini and the notion of global domination.  Empire building and subjugation is a part of their national character as well.


When I think about Japan and how they treat their gaijin, the image that comes to my mind is Eddie Murphy’s study of what it is like to be white on SNL years ago. Individually, you can have your experience and it can be whatever the hell… but the saying is ‘the exception PROVES the rule’. Will someone ask the Chinese, the Korean, hell, the Siberian Russians what they historically think about the historically brutal and repressive Japanese? So let’s not go strokin’ their stiffy’s just yet. I feel for the tragedy but there is NO WAY I am going to say that what they have going makes their culture somehow superior to ours. If you don’t know why, then you prolly should get out more. No, America is not perfect but there is ALWAYS a chance for a change. In other parts of the world, change is available only not so much, and if you want an argument about the topic of how ‘America sucks’ and overseas is so much better, you know where you can find me.



UNSUBS






This is me at 238.5. Yikes!! I think I am going to post a photo every 4 to 6 weeks to see if I am making any progress. My newly wed sister updates stuff about her work out and the classes she runs on a regular basis through Facebook and recently she posted her time for her 3 mile run. It made me feel good to know that even as bloated as I am, that I am still faster that she is!

Because I go to the gym late into the evening, I see interesting things in my neighborhood. Nebraska has warned me to ‘be careful’. My neighborhood is chippy and I don’t underestimate what could go down in Omaha. In fact, last night I ran through a brewing ‘domestic situation’ between a brother and three females of undetermined ethnicity and relationship status. I don’t feel like I drew any of their attention and I definitely did not break my stride. Yet, I am not bothered by incidents such as the drama I mentioned as much as trying to recognize the potential danger going downtown.

Like the ‘land of the rising sun’, the population of the Omaha is pretty homogenous. There seem to be a potential for ANYONE to be a threat, a bunch of goober’s lingering around trucks and beater cars, looks like they gathering for a casting call for ‘Criminal Minds’ or some kind of docudrama about hate crime or abuse of women, something where violence is implied and enough for me to raise my personal ‘threat level’. And if you said that it accounted for my increased foot speed, I would say that you were right!! When I am out ‘late’ I don’t have my headphones on, so as not to be too distracted from my surroundings and not to ‘look the part’. Enough people get mugged and assaulted because they are running with personal listening equipment on. Might be good to focus on the task at hand (though the jury is still out on that) but it makes you as vulnerable to an incident as using a cell phone does to someone driving a car.

Finally, watched and episode of ‘Our America with Lisa Ling’ on OWN last night. Prolly scratch out an observation or two from it soon. With the NCAA basketball tournament and teams that I have interest in doing well playing, I am wishing for a way for there to be a ‘Final Eight’ so everyone could have their shot at an appearance in the championship game. Carolina, Michigan, OSU, State and the SFC’s son will all be dancing and I don’t think anyone other than the highly seeded Buckeyes and Tar Heels will be expected to make the second weekend. Oh, I forgot to mention that I am cheering Notre Dame and Ben Hansborough, younger brother of Tyler Hansborough, former UNC star and coming to his own as an Indiana Pacer! Mookie Dee could not STAND ‘Psycho T’… mainly because of his competitiveness was worn on his sleeve. But that is a topic for another day, if ever…

9 comments:

Heather said...

Mmm. You are such a good lookin' fella!
*long distance kisses*
heather

Mizrepresent said...

Great picture...i'm wondering if it's the first i've seen, maybe. I used to think the only place i would ever live happily was America...but i my mind has changed on that...gonna see if i can visit a few more places now before i make that final decision.

SweetAngelAsh17 said...

Check you out Gun Show!! I watched the Lisa Ling show last night, but only caught the last 5 minutes. You're talking about the mail order brides, right?

Sarcastic Bastard said...

Nice arms, buddy. Do be careful, please.

50cent is a damn moron.

Sarcastic Bastard said...

By the way, I watched the movie, The Fighter, last night and thought of you. It's really good.

Rhapsody Phoenix said...

Blessings.....

Interesting thoughts...
On the celebrity tip, they are just people and like people are subject to making poor judgments and travelling down the stupid road every once in a while, its the inherent flaw of our humanness.

Take care and stay blessed.
Peace.
Rhapsody

mac said...

You definitely have tickts to the gun show.

If he can't be a decent human for decency's sake, Gilbert should at least learn to not bite the hand that feeds him.

Have Myelin? said...

Wow look at you! Love that photo!

Beth said...

I'm sorry Notre Dame was a disappointment. Man, I was pissed.

I saw that same competitiveness in Ben Hansbrough as you say Tyler has. I like to see that. Sadly, it was absent in their loss to the 'Noles.