I. Muslim family at Gatwick Airport blocked by US from boarding flight to Disneyland
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2015/12/23/Muslim-family- at-Gatwick-Airport-blocked-by-US-from-boarding-flight-to-Disneyland/3271450873163/
Okay, the problem of security for the family is understandable - despite it not being their choice - it's understandable. It's a concern not unike the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, except in this case the subjected are not interned but merely turned away.
However, the govt. continues to admonish us - apparently 'us' being non-Muslims - to
'go about life unafraid'; to not be beholden to terrorist fears. Yet this Muslim family, acting in such a manner, unintimidated despite some risks to their personhood, end up being stoppped.
The worst part of this story is that the family won't be refunded their expenditure. I'm fairly certain they didn't purchase, for $13,000, access to the airport lounge as if they would be going to Disneyland and then to be turned away at the last minute. I can't imagine them saying as they left the airport, "Oh my! It was worth every penny wasn't it dear?" Maybe I should correct myself. The worst part of this story is the lack of a reasonable explanation for keeping their money. Or, maybe I should correct myself again. The worst part of this story is the liklihood of some change of mind and the refunding of the money; As if it couldn't be expected that the businesses involved would treat them as people and customers rather than picking their pocket.
II. Donald Trump
This is crazy! This is crazy!!! Yea, maybe!!!!!1
III. The Political Establishment Which
Has Mistaken Itself For A Government
#!$!!!!@$$$!4@.
1 Allusion to Carly Rae Jepson song 'Call Me Maybe', © Universal Music Publishing Group
I know neither the student nor anyone else involved, but
I wanted to blog this story for what will be obvious reasons. The italicized part is not original to the quote but was
italicized
by me as emphasis.
"Colum McCann reads like a god. His reading is theatrical,
interspersed with slight Irish brogue, emotions coming through like
waves as he stresses and de-stresses some words, changing their meaning.
One of the excerpts he read was a piece about a dancer in the '80s, and
he wrote 40 pages without a full stop. Seeing that made my brain
explode. Here we were, not knowing how to write with given structure,
and this man sat casually on a stool, decimating every rule with
absolute panache. Soffer's reading was more subdued; her clear, quiet
intonation reflecting the tightness of her sentences, the sheer
structure of her words. Everything counted. Emotions resonated from the
words themselves, as she read everything at the same pace. In it's own
way, it was as immersive as McCann's.
I left the symposium with nothing; no signed books, no selfies, no
ticket stub, no name tag. But in my mind, a tiny dent was filled with possibilities, with ideas and with futures. I wrote well into midnight
that night, and signed up for Blanche's non-fiction class the next day."1
I
enter the auditorium hesitantly. I walk over to - what appears to me
to be - an official. He's dressed in a maroon dress shirt, light gray
dress pants and a light gray tie. A ID badge hangs at the bottom of
the purple , V-shape ribbon draped around his neck.
"Hi." he says, as I approach.
"Hi. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do.", I say.
"You're 'au courant', right? 21st century?", he asks.
"Yes." I say.
"You need to go to the other end of the auditorium. You see the long line there?
That's where you need to be." He segues. "Congratulations ," he says, "congratulations
guy
."
A humongous smile distorts my face and I blush with joy and content. I
smile, I shake his hand, and thank him. I can hardly believe my luck-
'au courant', 21st century. Of course, I'm grateful and relieved.
I proceed to my destination through an ad-hoc corridor formed in the
center of the auditorium as people from other eras- from the 6th century
B.C up to the present - populate the auditorium's sides. Many of them
are chatting, unaware of my presence. Others see me and smile or give a
wave as I go along. I'm happy to smile and wave back.
As I
approach the line for 'au courant' there is a preponderance of people
who seem either self-absorbed or jocular. The self-absorbed are
quietly preoccupied. The jocular are - well - jolly. It's a joy to see
their smiles, hear their laughter, note their glad-handing;
There's plenty of glad-handing. I notice standing in line, a swim instructor I once had.
I break into a trot in order to reach the line a little sooner.
Quite unexpectedly, a
flood
smashes through the auditorium walls. We are all knocked off our
feet. At first people are flailing, decourm is embarrassingly
impossible to achieve. Shortly, we regain some kilter and float, swim,
or dog paddle our way to presentable.
Unfortunately, many
people of the ancient eras weren't the
best swimmers. Apparently, they hadn't had certified swim instructors.
They suffered the most.
I don't know how - through all the centuries -
they managed to make it this far.
"Yes sir, your question."
. . .
"Abracadabra ."
"Next question please."
. . .
"If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the Mooor-oooor-ning"
"Yes sir, your question."
. . .
"That's
correct. Two suspects are in custody and a manhunt is underway for the
third. We believe the third is a rhinoceros and as such the officers
involved in the manhunt have been armed with elephant guns."
"Next question please. Yes ma'am."
. . .
I pause to think then spell out the answer. "S. A. T. . . U. R. . .
D. E. Y."
"We only have time for one more question."
. . .
"Good question. 'If I knew what I was doing, I wouldn't be doing this.', is the correct answer."
Frankly, I believe the very worst selection of an antonym exists with the word 'Discourse'. 'Silence, Quiet' are listed as antonyms of 'Discourse. I don't see why words like 'Edict, Dictate' aren't better antonyms of 'Discourse'.