Not too long ago, I joined in making fun of the country song from a few years back by Darryl Worley “Have you forgotten” on teef’s blog here. The song’s surprising theme is the 9/11/01 jihadist attack on the United States.
Last week, the economic leaders of the world met at the annual G8 conference. Since 9/11, the primary topic to be addressed at each summit was appropriately terrorism. It seems the intent of this year’s meeting was to move on(.org) and place two concerns, aid to Africa and global warming, at the policy issue forefront.
Then, London was bombed by Islamic terrorists. The country song does not seem as funny anymore.
Sorry I've been negligent of this blog, but I'm getting married in 3 weeks so I must prioritize, homeys.
the_dude is navigating the teeming waters of "New Job in the Bay Area" Ocean currently (pun intended). He will no doubt post an account of his adventures soon, as soon as he reaches a calm stretch.
7 comments:
Thought you might be interested. My own link on the G8 Summit:
http://ijab.blogspot.com/2005/07/africa.html
Thanks, man,I checked out your post and the Newsweek article you link to.
It seems to me the Newsweek author tiptoes around the glaring truth of what Africa needs: democratic capitalism founded on absolute morality.
The author also fails to embrace the fact that all the aid being sent to Africa is more for the donor countries' governments to gain popularity with their respective self-congratulatory constituents than to actually bring about reform in Africa. The people who actually need aid will not see a dime while corrupt regimes still reign.
The country song does not seem as funny anymore.
Word.
I never thought it was funny though...I think A LOT of people have forgotten. I don't think our fine military folks are appreciated nearly enough either. So many people don't realize that freedom isn't free.
T-Bone
Obviously, my Darryl Worley post came before the London bombings, so I was in no way attempting to make light of that situation.
The fact that I find that song amusing is also no indication of my lack of support for the military folks. The song essentially revels in the idea that we are just out looking for a fight simply because we haven't forgotten 9/11. 9/11 was a horrible tragedy, the London bombings were a horrible tragedy, I love this country, and I love our armed forces. We're remarkably blessed.
Okay, I think it's also funny that Darryl rhymed Bin Laden with forgotten.
On the personal note:
Three weeks to the wedding, huh? Your life must be chaos. I'm surprised you're posting at all. Hang in there; good days are ahead.
Did you ever get that camera?
While the denotation of “freedom isn’t free” is certainly true and worth expressing, I simply cannot hear that phrase without recalling Team America’s satirical anthem that included the line, “freedom isn’t free, it cost a buck o’ five” or something like that. Wasn’t that phrase originally part of some other country song? Even if the underlying thoughts are worthy, these songs just seem to beg ridicule from me. It’s like pouring a strong foundation, but then someone puts up a sloppy wood-frame house with lime siding.
Teef, I’ve seen your “Don’t Tread on Me” tattoo, so I know you love the U.S.
Ariel, thanks for the encouragement. I’m glad you asked about the camera; I am deciding between going as big as I dare and buying a Nikon D70 or the Canon Rebel XT, both digital SLR’s, or taking the more conservative road and buying a good 5- or 6-megapic camera, ones with EVF but still having a good assortment of manual controls. It seems the latter option would give me a sip of serious photography, while the SLR’s would be a mouthful. I’m trying to decide how thirsty I am. Any advice? If you have the time, I’d be seriously interested in what you’ve be able to do with your Sony Powershot, what you found limiting, and for what types of shooting you would want the D70 for vs. the Sony.
Alright, more gearhead talk.
"...what you’ve be able to do with your Sony Powershot, what you found limiting, and for what types of shooting you would want the D70 for vs. the Sony."
Number 1, the mere prospect of owning a D70 is enough to salivate over. But more specifically:
My Sony's rate of operation is limiting - i.e., the shutter lag is considerable, and makes it hard to capture action shots. I have to try and predict the shot I want, then click away in advance... The D70 obliterates that problem.
Also, the Sony isn't capable of taking multiple quick exposures for the same reason. The camera will still be "thinking" when you're ready to keep shooting. (There is a "three-shot burst" option which I rarely use because the results aren't predictable.) I think this aspect is the camera's main weakness, though.
Photo quality, white balance, color, etc. all rank high. Ease of use is also a strength. Nicely melded automatic and manual options.
The upshot is, if you want a camera that will always be ready to shoot - say lots of action or people shots, high or low light - the D70 is the hands-down winner. In terms of technical excellence, Nikon's SLR cameras are the top of the game. The Sony is a good workhorse for less demanding shots, though, and not to be sneered at...
Choose wisely.
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