but i want to keep on writing in this thing because it's my favorite thing to do on the net- well, besides look for cheap ipods on craigslist, which is really becoming a chore.
i know- did y'all see the presidential debate last night? i listened to it on the radio but i heard they had them sitting right next to each other. what sicko did that to them? it was probably that bob schieffer. sittin all smug from his chair on high- takin' bets and wavin' bills- watchin' the alpha dogs fight and bristle.
i'm glad i didnt see that one on tv. the one i caught the other night was embarrassing enough. abby and i were talking about it last night- how we cringe for both of them, when obama's stuttering "i, uh, uh" and mcain is slurring his words and repeating "my friends" over and over again.
we were both pretty wasted by then because we were playing the drinking game where you have to drink every time they do those things. just kidding. but i heard about that from facebook. what a joy!
after that i was reading my book, "cuban palimpsests," by jose quiroga, about (mostly) the "special period in times of peace"- the period in the 90's after the soviet union, which was heavily subsidizing the country, collapsed and many hardships were felt by the people, including a constant hunger, and the government was forced to let up some on some of its more oppressive policies and also to open the country a bit more to tourists, which brought its own money and problems. it was a big deal.
for those of you who don't know what a palimpsest is (and who does?), my fav definition is from the american heritage dictionary:
'A manuscript, typically of papyrus or parchment, that has been written on more than once, with the earlier writing incompletely erased and often legible.'
it refers to the past- present mash-up that is cuba and her exiled communities at any given time. also, there was a shortage of paper during this time so maybe there was some real palimpsestin' goin on, too- i don't know, i'm not that far into the book.
one of the points i was reading after the debate last night was that politics is so tied to the people there, because of the collective political experience, because of the constant propaganda beaming at all, 'venceremos!'. in communism you can't just sit back and do your own thing.
sure, i might have my own cringe- inducing emotional reactions to watching a presidential debate, but i am also able to disassociate myself from the whole process and look and laugh from some kind of safe apathetic ground, where i can look around and see all my friends and we're all there and it's comfortable. and if it's not exactly comfortable, at least i cant feel anything. but lets not go all harold on everybody here, folks. not that cuba is some sweet maude gonna make us oatstraw tea, but.
Anyways, must go for now- ta ta!
1 comment:
"palimpsestin" = wtflmao hahahah
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