On the Need for a National Identity

I offer this without much in the way of commentary except to note two things:

The pleasure I felt in reading a piece that, essentially, mirrors my view on the need for a sense of national unity that should be taught to our .

The fact is that the writer is a touch over-kind to the system here in America. Not in the idealized view of that educational system, but in the uneven application by people who are essentially unfriendly to the idea that should be taught that the American way (if you'll pardon the expression) might have some advantage over systems in other parts of the world. Regardless of the evidence that our path does have tremendous advantage over, say, the overly-socialized government programs of "old Europe” or the theocracies of the Middle East, the actual expression of admiration for those advantages is often considered to be so crass, insensitive, and downright judgmental that it marks the commentary as being unenlightened.

One of the greatest dangers facing the United States is that so many of her citizens no longer believe that she is special or worthy of admiration.

These things said, the writer of this piece in the Telegraph understands the need for a level of national pride and admiration in the citizens of the West. And a persuasive bit of writing it is.

...As we have apparently now realised, being a country that absorbs migrants involves rather more than taking in lodgers and leaving them to get on with it. Multiculturalism may have been dressed up as cosmopolitan virtue but, at heart, it was a rationale for not really giving a damn, and a cover for the least attractive British traits - intellectual laziness, indifference to the needs of other people, complacency, and contempt for any sort of energetic commitment to a social ideal.

Well, the serious thinking starts now - as usual in Britain, at five minutes past midnight. The lodgers - or, more to the point, their - clearly need to be offered a bit more than a key to the front door and a reminder not to leave the landing light on. Much has been made of this country's failure to give any instruction to incomers on the essentials of Britishness - whatever that is - and their consequent lack of any sense of national identity. To this end, acres of newsprint and hours of broadcasting time have been devoted to producing a defining sense of what it means to be British.

Musical List of Fours

I saw this at Jim's joint a couple days ago, and, even though he didn't tag me with some meme disease, I have a hard time resisting talking about music. So I won't.

Jim, you had a lot of great stuff on your Chaturbate list. Here's mine:

Four songs that you could listen to over and over:

"Julie Paridise”, Screaming Trees, Sweet Oblivion

This song has that classic (I hate the word) grunge slow-fast dynamic. It lures you in with little-lost-girl lyrics and then it suddenly kicks out with a defiant, angry howl that shoves you up against the wall.

"The Only Living Boy in New York”, Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water

Out of a catalog of sublime music, this is my favorite from the duo. I can't exactly explain why.

"Hit the Ground”, Lizz Wright, Dreaming Wide Awake

Lizz Wright's voice is proof that there is good in the world. It is a perfect instrument with a full, sultry quality; her control is exquisite. And this is a song where she shines.

"Into the Piano”, Woven Hand, Consider the Birds

One of the things that makes David Eugene Edwards so fascinating is his ability to paint entire scenes with spare lyrics that are elusive enough to compel listeners to understand, but not so oblique that they cannot be understood. This song is like listening to a stand-up piano echoing off the walls of a old church, ringing and slow. "Behind a door, hand to face, conscience is the wound."

Of course, there are so many songs that I could have put in this category. U2, Mark Lanegan, Grant Lee Buffalo, Daniel Lanois, Twilight Singers, and a host of other artists have made songs that provide the soundtrack to my life. I think I owe them a big thanks.

Four Jasminlive songs that drive you up the friggin' wall:

"Love Shack”, B-52s, Cosmic Thing

Hideous song that burrows into the back of your brain and, I'm pretty sure, leaching your sould right out of your body. That kind of evil.

"Ain't No Sunshine”, Bill Withers, As I Am

I wouldn't hate this song, actually, if it weren't for that ten minute interlude where the singer just repeats himself over and over and over and over and over and over...

"When the Cry”, White Lion, Pride

Do I need to explain this one?

"Forever Your Girl”, Paula Abdul

It doesn't help that she's become the rambling, confused, and, perhaps, chemically stimulated annoying voice on American Idol, but the song would still be on this list without the latter-day assist.

Four songs that you're embarrassed (or should be) to admit you like:

"Mambo #5”, Lou Bega

"Night Fever”, Bee Gees

"Too Shy”, Kajagoogoo, White Feathers

"Don't Worry, Be Happy”, Bobby McFerrin

Bastards

The article does go on to criticize Wal-Mart's employee health insurance plan (rightly or wrongly, I don't feel well-equipped to judge), so obviously, there's still a lot of room for continued left wing hatred of the big box chain of small-town-business-murdering stores. From where I sit, though, $4 generic drugs sound like a heck of a good deal. I have drug benefits, but when I recently hosted the Rock(s) of Gibraltar in delicate parts of my anatomy, the nearest drug store that could service my prescription didn't take my insurance. I opted for generic versions of the prescriptions and ended up paying only $30 for the two bottles of narcotics and pain killers (praise the Lord) which seemed like a pretty good deal to me. If it had dropped to $8 for the bottles, I would have been ecstatic. And I would have asked for some extra hot sex shows…

If this works out it will be because Wal-Mart buys and sells in such immense quantities that both they and the manufacturers will still be making money off of the deal. Which is another way of saying that, at least in this instance, a free market solution is helping to solve a problem so that the government won't have to.

But don't you worry, Uncle Sugar has ways of showing up where he isn't needed. While a company like Wal-Mart can explore ways to help people afford their prescriptions, the government will find a way to make sure that we all pay too much for a system that is far less efficient and far more expensive. Uncle Sugar has serious talents in that arena. Gotta get me that ol' time wealth redistribution…

Remembered

On this day, September 11, 2006, I remember Anthony Mark Ventura. Sadly, I will never know the man as anything other than the scant information available on the Internet. I will never know his dreams or his passions; I will never know the totality of his life.

Anthony M. Ventura was on the 97th floor of the South Tower on September 11, 2001. A manager for Fiduciary Trust, while the rest of the people on the floor evacuated the building, Ventura went to find his mother-in-law, Felicia Hamilton. Sadly, both died in the attack-two of nearly 3,000 lives taken by terrorists who had targeted the World Trade Center as a symbol of American capitalism.

Sadly, not much information is available about Mr. Ventura; the 41 year old is a name that appears on numerous lists, with no photo and no biography to illuminate his being. What is known, though, is that he died a selfless death, worried more about the safety of his mother-in-law than his own. That is all I need to know to realize that there was a good core to the man. There was something honorable in him.

In a greater sense, though, he is another name and another face on that terrible roll call that reminds us: those lost on September 11, 2001 were just folks. They were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, and ; they came from every religion and race, they were janitors and receptionists and rescue workers and fund managers. And they all woke up and went to work with no understanding that they were the targets in what the war that the terrorists had declared against the United States.

The losses are a nation's tragedy; in finding the good in people like Mr. Ventura, though, we can help to give meaning to that tragedy. We find that common sense of heroism that leads us to self-sacrifice in the most unthinkable situations. In remembering and praising what was good in Anthony Ventura, we remember and praise what is good in humanity.

Story of the Game

The story of the Denver Broncos today was five turnovers, missed opportunities, and a mediocre performance by the offensive line. Plummer through almost half as many picks in this game (3) as he threw in all of last season (7) and added a fumble to round out a horrible day. Some of this was bad decision-making on Plummer's part, but he faced pressure from a revved up Rams defense all day long.

The defense was the only bright spot on the day; giving up so few points on so many turnovers reflects well on the starters. But even they were obviously tired and dispirited by the end of the game.

Last season the Broncos managed to go 13-3 after losing a brutal and ugly game to the Dolphins in the season opener, so I'm trying to avoid putting too much meaning on this one game. The Broncos really didn't look good, though. They played poorly, made bad decisions, and paid the cost on the road to a team that looks to be better this year than last.

Do the Broncos bounce back and set their season right? They certainly could, but they won't be making too many teams nervous after this game.

The Things You Learn

The things I learned about my local hospital after spending 8 hours in the emergency room.

The professional staff at my local hospital are tremendous. They are, almost to a person, thoughtful, polite, informative, and willing to smile and laugh if you give them an excuse. The nurses, technician, and doctor that took care of me last night were great.

The best drugs in the world are in the hospital.

Little "rocks” rattling around in your urinary tract are painful. Really, really painful.

Which is what you learn right before you learn that bit about the drugs.

I suppose I should try to figure out where that Kaiser card is…

When you aren't sure what the problem is and the doctor gives you a list of the possibilities, the worst of the possibilities is the one you think of most. In this case, it was the thought of cancer, even though the doctor said that it was most likely either little rocks rattling around my urinary tract or an infection around intestines. Given my age and my health history, the doctor said it was highly unlikely that I had cancer and not particularly likely that I had the infection (diverticulitis). Still…

When I lay down to let them do the CAT scan, suddenly it was only the cancer that filled my mind.

It's common to complain about the American health care system, and I admit that I have only a passing familiarty, but the times that I have been in hospitals I have always been impressed by the knowledge and capabilities of the professionals that take care of me.