Zinn. What a great guy. Man, did he give the people props in his REAL history book, instead of the whitewashed garbage they feed kids at school.

 

 

Absolutely.  The power of perspective.  THAT's an American gift.   

I was watching Carlos Mencia against my will last night (lost the remote and too lazy to get out of bed to turn to the news), and he made a comment that I suprisingly found to be hilarious:  "I hope the illegal immigration law passes and they all have to go back-I'll build a 200 foot tower to look down on all of the [white people] as they pick beans, strawberries, and try to landscape, just to listen to them cry and bitch: "Daaaayuuum!  Thie jobs suuucks, dude!  Man!  I don't wanna do this shit!"

 

That Carlos.

 

I'll have to look up Mr. Zinn...thanks for the point towards enlightenment.

 

ha ha!  The lost remote has accounted for more good television moments than any prowling through the tv guide.  lol. 

 

Yes.  You'll be genuinely happy for yourself to know something about Mister Zinn.  You really really will.  I'm willing to bet it'll change some part of your life.  I don't use inspiration lightly - in fact, I hardly use it - but he's ... he's ALL inspiration. 

I just started reading the 1300+ page, "A History of American Life" edited by Schlesinger. It's 'social history' which is more an interpretation of American society than a recital of diplomacy and war.

The Zinn book hasn't shown up yet in my favorite used book store (next to the Daily Grind.) When it does (I have the grumpy old man looking for it) I'll buy it!

weirdest thing about that bookstore.  I have the worst feeling, like he doesn't really love books.  So, even though he has a monstrous selection, the place gives me the creeps.  I'd say it's because he's a grumpy old man, but I used to hang in a tiny bookstore in Hollywood with the ULTIMATE grumpy old man - an insulting son of a bitch, a pal of Bukowski's (for some reason, that came up a lot) ... I don't know. 

 

I'd rather use the library. 

 

How are you finding that 'A history of American life'? 

 

 

I'll let you know when I'm up to page 800 or so...

The 'friends of the library' book sale in Goleta (ongoing) is a great place to pick up books! (I shouldn't give away all my secrets LOL!) The Library downtown SUX...

I'll trade you the 'friends of the library books sale in Goleta' for - oh no!  we're so used to calling it the Andy store, I can't think of it's real name!!  - oh!  Alpha Thrift in Goleta.  The one on State Street's pretty good, but A. comes home from Goleta with the coooolest Italian shoes and Merrells and boots and ... oh my gosh.  At silly prices.  We think the women do the shopping, the men do the not-wearing and ... that's how it goes. 

 

We love rich people. 

That's funny! I was in there last week and didn't buy *anything*!

An associate absconded with my well-thumbed copy of Zinn's People's History years ago. It's high time I replaced it.

 

The notion of criminalizing undocumented workers, rather than the people who profit from using them, is fairly surreal, isn't it? Of course, there are plenty of Americans who are perfectly comfortable with having their standard of living subsidized by the frank exploitation of noncitizens. Their forebears probably felt the same way in 1850.

It IS high time you replaced it.  It's even higher time (?! what?) that the young step away from the machines and read it the first time around.  Or the New Abolitionists.  (Is that what it's called?)  Or, frankly, anything.  He's easier than Chomsky. 

 

Yes, that's a lovely way of saying it:  surreal.  So close to being something I can not comprehend.  Do not want to comprehend.  Except, good luck having a discussion without giving comprehension a shot. 

 

There's an illustrative story going around.  I might have even seen it on Mindsay.  It has a young, fairly liberal girl who works really hard in school, sacrifices lots of fun, and gets straight A's.  Her good friend has played and neglected her homework and, naturally, gets failing marks.  The heroine's father suggests that she share her grades with her friend so her friend can get into college, too.  As you'd expect, our young scholar gasps, appalled.  'No, no,' she cries, as all things are illuminated.  'I've worked hard for my grades.'  Etc etc. 

 

If only one had all the time in the world to explain.  Compassion doesn't ask or expect you to give up the fruits of your labors.  That's an extra act.  Compassion only wants us to do good, and share access to resources, share and aim for equally excellent opportunities. 

 

And so it is with undocumented and/or illegal workers from my point of view.  Why is it so difficult to look at the system, reinvent the system, confront the system?  I might accept (well, I have to accept it) that they feel strongly about protecting 'what they've worked so hard for' - but I am happy to be astonished to my core that they protect the hollow things for their children and leave their children without the power to attend to the future.  A home in the suburbs and a flaccid mind ... wow. That strikes ME as betraying a big trust. 

 

And the undocumented workers have to pay for their failure of imagination?  Oh, fuck that. 

 

 

My argument with the Fairly Liberal Girl in the story is that once you start invoking desert in defense of inequality, you'd better be ready for some exhaustive, painful self-examination. How could I possibly come up with an honest tally of my advantages and impediments, or presume to weigh my efforts against those of someone from a background I can barely begin to imagine? I haven't walked a mile in anyone's huaraches recently.

 

Of course, I should take it as a matter of faith that everything I've accomplished is the result of my own heroic efforts, and that everything I've failed to do is the result of petty interference, other people's unjustified entitlements, and the laziness and greed of my moral inferiors. But I've never been able to play that game with a straight face. It amazes me how many people can.

yes, indeed.  Those are such simple and ... exciting questions you ask of yourself.  I really hope the young ones hearing this parable can ask some version of those same questions.  I really really do. 

 

You know, on the one hand, it's the History of Life and ... Life.  That we all come to the stage with different costumes and different training and lucky lucky us episodes and who the hell decided to dump all this shit in our laps.  If someone gave me the chance to decide these fates of ours, I can't say I'd want us to start from the same place. 

 

I myself have been very lucky with the opportunities that someone offered me (and I've definitely wasted a few).  At the same time, I've never lost something irretrievably, lost something that truly mattered, by lending my skills and resources to someone else. 

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that game you mention, ... well, the ones who CAN play with a straight face, who don't even see it as a game, it seems to me that they live with a consciousness that actually prohibits  (or maybe that's 'inhibits') a full, delicious (yah.  that's my word for the day.  deeeelicious.  it's my favorite, anyway, but I'm using it A LOT today.  sorry) life that takes it all in - the good and the bad - and relishes it all.  By virtue of being poised to fend off any one who'd try and take anything from them ... well, they live in a state of 'under siege.'  I don't know this for a fact, but I don't see how they couldn't. 

 

And that's a life I just don't want to have.  They can have it. 

I just picked up his People's History, and I will be opening it soon...

 

Yesterday in downtown Boston was remarkably quiet.  I have never seen so few people in the Common, not even when it snowed or rained.  I noticed a couple of shops closed for solidarity in the North End.

 

Oooh.  Boston.  Maybe you've had coffee in the same place with him.  He favors Dunkin Donuts.  lol.

 

What think you accounts for the quiet?

I think it was quiet because of the boycott.  People stayed home.