oh, nein.
Today’s a pretty big day. There’s the “an historical occasion” happening in Washington DC. Which, as excited as I am about Obama’s inauguration/presidency, I’m about done with the “an historic choice of first pet” (insert any other “historic” first done by the new president) and with the Lincoln comparisons/obsessions. I don’t think either of these things is inappropriate or bad, just overdone. I did, however, love Obama’s speech, especially this part:
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
Obama’s rejection, at least in some small way, of the false dichotomies of politics was the main reason that I supported (and voted for) him. My only hope for politics lies in that rejection. My favorite part of the festivities, however, was when some talking head lamented the fact that Dick Cheney was in a wheelchair because “Somebody will make some tasteless ‘Dr. Strangelove’ joke about it”. That tasteless someone is me, bitch. Thanks for the idea.
Today was also supposed to be my first day of classes. It turned out just to be the first day that I drive downtown to find out that one of my TAs hasn’t discovered the new-fangled communication technique called “email your students when you cancel class”. I have had a decent winter break, though, all things considered. I’m hoping to blog soon about some of my movie and reading selections over the past month or so.
Today is also the beginning of a vegetarian/psuedo-vegan* stage of my life. I’ve decided to forgo meat for a while. I don’t expect this to be a lasting life decision, but I’m planning avoiding meat and most dairy at least until summertime. I would say I’m doing this mostly for moral reasons, but partially for health reasons, and partially for self-discovery reasons. I really believe that if I still had a soul I would be vegan. I don’t think it is necessarily immoral to eat meat or dairy–I just think that factory farming is totally, indefensibly immoral. I really don’t think that any informed person has any way to defend the factory farming industry. Really, the only way around the problem is to apply those two greatest of American virtues, ignorance and apathy. Theoretically, I would love to only buy meat/dairy from humane farms. However, in today’s culture of green-washing and loose definitions of “humane”, I think it’s virtually impossible, especially on a budget.
But in reality, who are we kidding? Everyone knows I don’t have a soul. The more practical reason for me going pseudo-vegan is that I’m trying to become more aware of the karmic cost of my day to day practices, and how I am passing those tendencies on to Jaeda. To often, I (Americans in general?) get caught in this mindset of immediacy–”Where does your food come from?” “The refrigerator.” “No, before that.” “The grocery store?”–with no grasp of the far-reaching consequences of a single chicken McNugget. My goal is to pass on to Jaeda a sense of connectedness with the world– whether a sense of community with her peers, the neighborhood we live in, marginalized people across the world, or the environment itself. Inherent in that idea is to teach her the consequences of her actions to every other link in that chain. Going psuedo-vegan is just a way for me to explore these ideas and how to relate them to Jaeda.
Today is also Jaeda’s 368th day. We celebrated her first birthday on Saturday. It was pretty fun. Jessica has pictures on Facebook, and when I get around to it, I will post some as well.
And finally, today is the day when I drop the first (hopefully of many) mixtape** on your asses. Here is the link to download. It includes 16 songs I’ve been moderately obsessing about lately, and I have also included liner notes, for your reading pleasure.
And also, Watch this.
*By pseudo-vegan, I’m not eating meat, milk, or eggs. I make no promises about cheese, ice cream, or sour cream.
**mix-zip file?
You’re currently reading “oh, nein.”, an entry on jaeda daddy
- Published:
- 01.20.09 / 5pm