Fat Tuesday
Chinese New Year
Birthday
Black History Month
Superbowl
The most important person in my life has a birthday this week. We will go to breakfast on February 7th to celebrate. Breakfast tends to be our ritual and I will revisit that tradition this week. The birthday boy is my son and he turns 34. I couldn’t be happier as a mother with this kid, the man. I was able to take back two books I’d received for my birthday and get a credit on a plastic card (just like a birthday gift card – without the graphics). Happily I got to read the books first. This birthday is the high point of my week. Nothing compares.
Chinese New Year, the year of the Rat is also on Thursday. I will wear red, burn incense and try to get past my terrible prejudice against rats. They are number 1 on my terror list. This video sent me into a fit of shuddering.
A Chinese woman cut my hair yesterday. For the first time in my life I found my ego wasn’t involved. I needed to have a haircut that would last the year and that was all. She did a great job. I didn't even want her to use the dryer (air dry - remember?), but she pleaded. Let's just see how it looks, okay? I gave in.
Fat Tuesday – From the official website:
Mardi Gras always falls on the Tuesday that is 46 days before Easter. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent.
Every parade has a theme, usually borrowed from mythology, history or Hollywood. All parade riders throw trinkets - beads, doubloons, small toys, candy - from the floats to the crowds. These are called "throws."
I can’t help but think of this moving film by David Redmond, Mardi Gras: Made in China . You can watch it online I believe at the Link TV link.
The award winning documentary, Mardi Gras: Made in China, swiftly follows the path of Mardi Gras beads from the naked streets of New Orleans during Carnival, where revelers party 24/7, to the disciplined factories in Fuzhou, China, where teenage laborers live and thread beads 24/7. Told with humor and curiosity, Mardi Gras: Made in China provides a global connection by introducing workers and revelers to each other through a disposable commodity: Mardi Gras beads.
Super Tuesday is finally here. I am emphatically underwhelmed. Despite having more talented candidates than I can ever remember, electile dysfunction has taken my enthusiasm. Teh media has made it a horse race and I despise being a part of the circus. I am officially an absentee voter, so that I can walk my paper ballot to the polls today. California has propositions I still need to do some reading about before I go. Here is the list of delegates up for grabs by the media’s chosen two Democrats. I grabbed this from earthfamilyalpha.
Alabama Primary 60 delegates
Alaska Caucus 18 delegates
American Samoa Caucus 9 delegates
Arizona Primary 67 delegates
Arkansas Primary 47 delegates
California Primary 441 delegates
Colorado Caucus 71 delegates
Connecticut Primary 60 delegates
Delaware Primary 23 delegates
Georgia Primary 103 delegates
Idaho Caucus 23 delegates
Illinois Primary 185 delegates
Kansas Caucus 41 delegates
Massachusetts Primary 121 delegates
Minnesota Caucus 88 delegates
Missouri Primary 88 delegates
New Jersey Primary 127 delegates
New Mexico Caucus 38 delegates
New York Primary 281 delegates
North Dakota Caucus 21 delegates
Oklahoma Primary 47 delegates
Tennessee Primary 85 delegates
Utah Primary 29 delegates
Democrats Abroad Primary 11 delegates
Black History month was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson. According to wikipedia it wasn’t until 1976 that black history month entered the white culture. Woodson, creator of Negro History Month, hoped that the week would eventually be eliminated, when African-American history would be fully integrated with American history. It is sad indeed that within several decades it is yet another aspect of this criminal Administration, the clock has been turned back.
The programming that can be found this year is primarily the 20 year old Eyes on the Prize series on PBS. This is a beautiful series, but it ends the story of Civil Rights back in 1985. More mything in action . . . There is a network movie about an African Prince captured as a slave and then a dozen or so celebrity stories of black Americas like Oprah, our royalty as it were. Elitism carries the day. I will venture to say that there are as many Americans aware of Black History Month as there are Americans aware that this is the Chinese New Year’s year of the rat this week.
But, you can be sure the vast majority of this country’s group hysteria citizenry know that Superbowl was Sunday. Only in a consumerist society would millions tune in just to watch the commercials! According to Rachael Maddow on Air America, those commercials were pretty universally racist towards Chinese, Indians and the other brown skinned characters. But, it is a joke, it's funny - so it is okay. Right?
Update: This just in about Superbowl.
“Yesterday, we had the greatest day ever in the history of our network, probably any network,” Mr. Murdoch boasted on the Fox News Channel program “Your World with Neil Cavuto.”
“We took over $250 million dollars in revenue, and it was a great game,” he added.
And by the way, something was slipped into the news hole between the superduperorgasmic sporting events of football, primary presidential horserace and xian lent kickoff the media is pimping.
Chief Rat Chucklenuts submitted a budget that is obscene in it’s fuckyouverymuch permanent tax cuts to the rich, increases to the military and new security horrors while further gutting Medicare and countless programs serving humanity.
Oh, and the FISA bill giving Telecoms immunity will go before our congress critters for a vote while the nation is whipped into a lather of distraction. A few more people will know about this than know that my son turns 34 this week. At least, in my opinion that is how it feels.
Stay tuned for Valentine’s Day next week . . .
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Sucked into Crowd
