I THOUGHT RENO 911 WAS SATIRE
As any diligent reader of the news now knows, police in southern Minnesota arrested a man for going 205 miles per hour on his motorcycle. That’s pretty fast. However, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune had a great quote from a cop about the speed. Said Kathy Swanson, “’I'm not entirely sure what would happen if you crashed at 200 miles per hour,’ Swanson said, ‘but it wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure.” Do ya think?
GREAT MUSEUMS OF THE WORLD
The Washington Post had a story last week about schools in Philadelphia doing an inventory of the art they have. Turns out they have about 100 museum-quality pieces worth roughly $30 million. It makes sense that Philadelphia would have done this, since they now have the former Chicago schools chief, Paul Vallas, and he did a similar thing in Chicago. In fact, the article says that Philadelphia has more easel paintings, while Chicago has many more murals.
As luck would have it, I am familiar with at least one school full of murals. Lane Technical High School has been blessed with a number of WPA-era murals, frescoes, paintings, and carvings. They were pretty cool to go to school with, although because they were WPA, they were very Soviet Realist, which we got a kick out of.
ISN’T THIS WHY WE HAVE THE UNITED NATIONS?
BBC reports that Germany, Japan, Brazil, and India are jointly seeking permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Isn’t this why we have the UN? Because Germany and Japan acted together to achieve their foreign policy goals? Besides, with France and Britain already having permanent seats, why not just give each EU country a seat. Jeez. If they want integration, we ought to start there, with a seat for the EU and France and Britain being removed.
By the way, I understand how the world’s most populous democracy and nuclear power believes it merits a seat. I can understand Japan arguing that they are powerful enough economically, and Asia is underrepresented. I can sort of see Germany saying “if France has a seat, we CERTAINLY deserve a seat.” What is Brazil’s thinking? Hard to imagine.
SEEING OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US
The Washington Post apparently reads this blog and picked up the story about covered by WAYLA on July 9 about the monarchy both country’s claim as their own from the 700s. However, the Post tried to be original and used the story as a springboard into an article about how China’s version of history makes China the center of many, many inventions and discoveries. The following are attributed to China in official Chinese histories:
• Genghis Khan was not a Mongolian marauder who conquered China, but the founder of the Yuan Dynasty.
• Native American (Indians) are Chinese people who wandered to North America.
• Pizza is “bing-zi” and was brought to Italy by Marco . . . Polo.
• Spaghetti, and pasta in general, was brought to Italy by Marco . . . Polo.
• Golf may have been invented in China, as well as soccer.
• Buddhism was founded in India, but popularized in and by the Chinese.
• Gunpowder, the compass, paper, and moveable type all come from China.
Without getting into the merits of some of the claims, it is interesting to read this in an American newspaper. For instance, I grew up understanding that Americans had absolutely invented the gasoline automobile. Turns out it was Karl Benz of Mercedes-Benz fame, and a close follower was Gottlieb Daimler of DaimlerChrysler fame. They were both German. Similarly, I had learned that Americans invented the helicopter. Turns out the French and Germans each had helicopters before Sikorsky, but his was the most commercially viable, though not the first.
Hmmm, seems like we might have a little bit of Middle Kingdomism in us.
CAT F-ING STEVENS
Yusef Islam, nee Cat Stevens, was on a flight to the United States that was diverted because his (Muslim) name was on a terrorism watch list. All I can say is, there are a number of good reasons to not allow Cat Stevens into the United States and terrorism is not one of them.
OKTOBERFEST
This weekend is Oktoberfest at St Alphonsus Catholic Church in the Chi. Go. Drink. Be merry. My mom, our friend K, L, and I are all in a picture on the page.
As any diligent reader of the news now knows, police in southern Minnesota arrested a man for going 205 miles per hour on his motorcycle. That’s pretty fast. However, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune had a great quote from a cop about the speed. Said Kathy Swanson, “’I'm not entirely sure what would happen if you crashed at 200 miles per hour,’ Swanson said, ‘but it wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure.” Do ya think?
GREAT MUSEUMS OF THE WORLD
The Washington Post had a story last week about schools in Philadelphia doing an inventory of the art they have. Turns out they have about 100 museum-quality pieces worth roughly $30 million. It makes sense that Philadelphia would have done this, since they now have the former Chicago schools chief, Paul Vallas, and he did a similar thing in Chicago. In fact, the article says that Philadelphia has more easel paintings, while Chicago has many more murals.
As luck would have it, I am familiar with at least one school full of murals. Lane Technical High School has been blessed with a number of WPA-era murals, frescoes, paintings, and carvings. They were pretty cool to go to school with, although because they were WPA, they were very Soviet Realist, which we got a kick out of.
ISN’T THIS WHY WE HAVE THE UNITED NATIONS?
BBC reports that Germany, Japan, Brazil, and India are jointly seeking permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Isn’t this why we have the UN? Because Germany and Japan acted together to achieve their foreign policy goals? Besides, with France and Britain already having permanent seats, why not just give each EU country a seat. Jeez. If they want integration, we ought to start there, with a seat for the EU and France and Britain being removed.
By the way, I understand how the world’s most populous democracy and nuclear power believes it merits a seat. I can understand Japan arguing that they are powerful enough economically, and Asia is underrepresented. I can sort of see Germany saying “if France has a seat, we CERTAINLY deserve a seat.” What is Brazil’s thinking? Hard to imagine.
SEEING OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US
The Washington Post apparently reads this blog and picked up the story about covered by WAYLA on July 9 about the monarchy both country’s claim as their own from the 700s. However, the Post tried to be original and used the story as a springboard into an article about how China’s version of history makes China the center of many, many inventions and discoveries. The following are attributed to China in official Chinese histories:
• Genghis Khan was not a Mongolian marauder who conquered China, but the founder of the Yuan Dynasty.
• Native American (Indians) are Chinese people who wandered to North America.
• Pizza is “bing-zi” and was brought to Italy by Marco . . . Polo.
• Spaghetti, and pasta in general, was brought to Italy by Marco . . . Polo.
• Golf may have been invented in China, as well as soccer.
• Buddhism was founded in India, but popularized in and by the Chinese.
• Gunpowder, the compass, paper, and moveable type all come from China.
Without getting into the merits of some of the claims, it is interesting to read this in an American newspaper. For instance, I grew up understanding that Americans had absolutely invented the gasoline automobile. Turns out it was Karl Benz of Mercedes-Benz fame, and a close follower was Gottlieb Daimler of DaimlerChrysler fame. They were both German. Similarly, I had learned that Americans invented the helicopter. Turns out the French and Germans each had helicopters before Sikorsky, but his was the most commercially viable, though not the first.
Hmmm, seems like we might have a little bit of Middle Kingdomism in us.
CAT F-ING STEVENS
Yusef Islam, nee Cat Stevens, was on a flight to the United States that was diverted because his (Muslim) name was on a terrorism watch list. All I can say is, there are a number of good reasons to not allow Cat Stevens into the United States and terrorism is not one of them.
OKTOBERFEST
This weekend is Oktoberfest at St Alphonsus Catholic Church in the Chi. Go. Drink. Be merry. My mom, our friend K, L, and I are all in a picture on the page.
posted by David at 9:44 AM
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