... in which no one would watch it, not tonight
OMG, people, this is so good: there is now a way to play with the American federal budget online. Check it. Being told "you have cut the defecit by 57.23 billion dollars" is very cool indeed.
Also, incredibly nerdy. Hee. But it seriously is awesome, and much more fun than it sounds. Heh. I warn you, though, that it is surprisingly addictive.
While messing around with that, however, I found this article on how "Democratic leaders are never going to be trusted in matters of foreign policy unless they can convince Americans that they once more believe in American exceptionalism and are the proper co-custodians of values such as freedom and individual liberty", and while it's thought provoking, it makes me terribly sad.
First, "there really isn’t a phenomenon like 'Islamophobia'"?! And as for comparing it to "Germanophobia", well, while you're right about it not being the same thing as hating Hitler, I don't think that's what you're talking about. I think you're talking about the kind of attitude that says "the Germans" where you mean "the Nazis", and I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but that IS Germanophobia. Just wait until you've seen schoolkids' first response to a German surname be to say "Heil Hitler" and salute - and this wasn't the rough kids, either, this was the middle class kids with Guardian-reading parents. It's also modern day; I haven't even mentioned yet that there are still grandparents out there who got out of Nazi Germany and still to this day have stories about how scared they were about being known as German. And until you can explain that to me, Mr Hanson, you can fuck off. It's not something that's made up, and I'm sure the "vaguely Arab looking people" getting hate mail and people looking at them funny every time they go to the shop will agree with me that you don't know what you're talking about, because everything I've seen about you says that you're a rich white guy who's never had to worry about something like that in his life.
Secondly, while you might have a point about American exceptionalism, I wish you could understand why the very idea seems so depressing. It feels like American culture denies that anywhere else could possibly have something good to offer, as though thinking purported American ideals are good is inherantly the same thing to you as thinking your way of doing things is always and forever the Best. I don't like the idea that that capital B gives you the right to then shove those ideals onto everyone else, either. And, you know, I'm sorry, but... America's the best we can do? Seriously? Because personally, I was hoping for better.
In other news, today has been one of those days of weird omen-y things where you know in advance things are going to go wrong. I woke up to discover that the chain for my ankh - which looks like this, though mine's nicer than the one in that picture, dangit, it's bigger and shinier - had broken. I think I've left my blue folder somewhere, possibly the library. I woke up at 8, which is ridiculously early for someone who tends to not go to bed until 3. And I got an essay back and discovered that I got 66, which would be all right in England but means "you're a stupid moron" here. Bleugh. I knew I did badly, but not quite that badly.
(Ah well, there's also probably no point in protesting, as it's never going to get a good grade and while some of it was definitely the Canadian thing biting me in the arse again - apparently there are new and exciting ideas of what constitutes an "introductory paragraph" being explored across the Pond, who knew? - but the TA doesn't like me so I don't think he'd let me off for it. Meh.)
Luckily, though, the ' meh' streak did not continue in my politics exam, at which I kicked arse if I do say so myself. I'd forgotten that I actually like politics exams; it's like one big excuse to geek out with generally little effort. Political arguments have always come really naturally to me - possibly because they're all the same, fundamentally; once you've got the gist of what the fundamental oppositing viewpoints are saying, such as the infamous "strong, authoritative leadership, yay!/WTF?!" dichtonomy, all you need is now that applies to the situation you're looking at. I like that... though admitedly mostly cause I like stuff I'm good at. Heh.
*yawn* Sleep. Mmm. It's nearly over - with some sleep, I can manage that. If I manage to stop squeaking about how it's only three days OMG THREE DAYS, anyway, heh.
Oh, and: damn right. Indefinite detention of suspects without trial is what some of us call SCARY AS HELL.
Also, incredibly nerdy. Hee. But it seriously is awesome, and much more fun than it sounds. Heh. I warn you, though, that it is surprisingly addictive.
While messing around with that, however, I found this article on how "Democratic leaders are never going to be trusted in matters of foreign policy unless they can convince Americans that they once more believe in American exceptionalism and are the proper co-custodians of values such as freedom and individual liberty", and while it's thought provoking, it makes me terribly sad.
First, "there really isn’t a phenomenon like 'Islamophobia'"?! And as for comparing it to "Germanophobia", well, while you're right about it not being the same thing as hating Hitler, I don't think that's what you're talking about. I think you're talking about the kind of attitude that says "the Germans" where you mean "the Nazis", and I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but that IS Germanophobia. Just wait until you've seen schoolkids' first response to a German surname be to say "Heil Hitler" and salute - and this wasn't the rough kids, either, this was the middle class kids with Guardian-reading parents. It's also modern day; I haven't even mentioned yet that there are still grandparents out there who got out of Nazi Germany and still to this day have stories about how scared they were about being known as German. And until you can explain that to me, Mr Hanson, you can fuck off. It's not something that's made up, and I'm sure the "vaguely Arab looking people" getting hate mail and people looking at them funny every time they go to the shop will agree with me that you don't know what you're talking about, because everything I've seen about you says that you're a rich white guy who's never had to worry about something like that in his life.
Secondly, while you might have a point about American exceptionalism, I wish you could understand why the very idea seems so depressing. It feels like American culture denies that anywhere else could possibly have something good to offer, as though thinking purported American ideals are good is inherantly the same thing to you as thinking your way of doing things is always and forever the Best. I don't like the idea that that capital B gives you the right to then shove those ideals onto everyone else, either. And, you know, I'm sorry, but... America's the best we can do? Seriously? Because personally, I was hoping for better.
In other news, today has been one of those days of weird omen-y things where you know in advance things are going to go wrong. I woke up to discover that the chain for my ankh - which looks like this, though mine's nicer than the one in that picture, dangit, it's bigger and shinier - had broken. I think I've left my blue folder somewhere, possibly the library. I woke up at 8, which is ridiculously early for someone who tends to not go to bed until 3. And I got an essay back and discovered that I got 66, which would be all right in England but means "you're a stupid moron" here. Bleugh. I knew I did badly, but not quite that badly.
(Ah well, there's also probably no point in protesting, as it's never going to get a good grade and while some of it was definitely the Canadian thing biting me in the arse again - apparently there are new and exciting ideas of what constitutes an "introductory paragraph" being explored across the Pond, who knew? - but the TA doesn't like me so I don't think he'd let me off for it. Meh.)
Luckily, though, the ' meh' streak did not continue in my politics exam, at which I kicked arse if I do say so myself. I'd forgotten that I actually like politics exams; it's like one big excuse to geek out with generally little effort. Political arguments have always come really naturally to me - possibly because they're all the same, fundamentally; once you've got the gist of what the fundamental oppositing viewpoints are saying, such as the infamous "strong, authoritative leadership, yay!/WTF?!" dichtonomy, all you need is now that applies to the situation you're looking at. I like that... though admitedly mostly cause I like stuff I'm good at. Heh.
*yawn* Sleep. Mmm. It's nearly over - with some sleep, I can manage that. If I manage to stop squeaking about how it's only three days OMG THREE DAYS, anyway, heh.
Oh, and: damn right. Indefinite detention of suspects without trial is what some of us call SCARY AS HELL.