Monday, December 22, 2008

Notes from America

Some of these ideas are REALLY old, but they probably go better in the Random Thoughts series.

Americans are very serious about religion. More than anywhere else I have visited. This is a very subjective comment.

While in Austria I heard a commercial on the BBC radio that referenced how some event would affect political, economic, and security situations around the world, and then gave snippets of interviews that illustrated the points. The conclusion of the ad ran, "the vote that affects your world." It was referencing our presidential election!

Sando’s cat ate his computer mouse.

I ate horribly the other day (while travelling). It was so easy and so tasty, though - IHoP, Mac D, and a local gyro deli.

I overheard a worker at the airport talking about how much he likes to travel, but how he has never been on a plane.

The museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian is quite good. Many people had told me that it fell short of their expectations, but I think they have since added quite a bit. Give it another try.

Two brothers went out fishing in a rented boat. They were Samaritans. The world didn't view Samaritans highly back then. They had no luck all day until late in the afternoon, they struck on a spot where they pulled in a net full of fish. After sorting things out, they started to speculate on how they could find the spot again, another day. One said, "oh, I know," and took a piece of chalk from his cloak and made a big X on the bottom of the small boat. The other looked at his brother quizzically, and said, "You idiot...How do we know that we'll get the same boat tomorrow."

I believe in a fair world, at least that it would be a nice thing. I think I generally work to that end. But I realized some time ago, after a touching comment by one of my orphan boys, Evhen, about "it not being fair," that not everyone wants a fair world. It was on a trip back home that I realized, in order to make the world fair, some people would have to settle for less, when they knew they hadn't earned it or deserved it, and I think very few people are actually ok with that idea.

Confuscius said, "If there were an honorable way to get rich, I'd do it, even if it meant being a stooge standing around with a whip. But there isn't an honorable way, so I just do what I like."

Labels: ,

posted by jjs @ 1:43 PM

1 Comments:

At 2:08 PM, Blogger kimberlina said...

i've heard that the american indian museum is good, but that it emphasizes only the good parts of their culture and history. i.e. sees the culture with rosy glasses. an american indian comedian was on NPR talking about how they should have put a crashed car surrounded by beer bottles into the side of the building. harsh, and so not PC, but he wanted people to see all parts of their culture, even the bad.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home