I should go swimming more, the pool is really nice. I’m not an action kind of guy, though, I’m more about stasis. Oh, I can get a lot done, especially if I’m getting paid, biff, bam, boom, one task after the other. But once I’m done with the things that really must be done I tend to do something that is fun and can be done while sitting quietly.
It is sadly the case that given the choice between doing something, and doing nothing, I’ll probably choose to do nothing. But doing nothing isn’t really one of the options, is it?
Even retired, one needs to do something. Getting up; washing; eating; evacuating; sitting still; eating again; taking a nap; eating yet again, god it all gets so old, all of this eating; watching TV; sleeping; it would only be two or three days before the soul would cry out for mercy and something to do. Life requires that something be done.
There are always hobbies. One can devote oneself to golf. Golf has a noble social aspect, and the impossibility of mastering it gives it a long term appeal for many people. Golf also has result-motivation. Myself, I get result-motivation from writing, reading and writing, with maybe a little TV thrown in. It may look like the quiet tranquility of the tomb to some people, but sometimes, if the writing is good, or if I read and understand something meaningful, I feel very productive.
One recent Sunday, by ten o’clock in the morning I had written a thousand good words, after edit, and done a load of wash besides. I’d also had my breakfast of choice: two cups of coffee (Maconna instant, with two packs of Equal and a little whole milk), a bowl of corn flakes (Kellogg’s) with orange flavored drinkable yoghurt (Dutch Mill), and a cigarette (Marlboro Menthol, no lights, please, I smoke three or four a day). I almost went back to sleep for the rest of the day, the daylight hours anyway. It was too early to start drinking; drinking is only fun for a couple of hours, after that it becomes tedious.
It occurs to me that someday I may wish that I had done more while I still had the strength, but I doubt it. I’ve never been ambitious, nor have I ever been overly impressed by the accomplishments of my fellows, even of famous overachievers. My accomplishments in sixty years so far would look fine as a total for an eighty year lifespan, I’m just a run-of-the-mill human, after all. “The Accomplishments of Run –of-the-Mill Humans” is not so impressive a book.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Dangerous Political Times
One hundred hours left before polls start to close on the presidential election of 2008. There are many possible results: Democratic President and Republican or semi-Republican congress; Democratic President and congress; Republican President and congress, etc. All of these possible outcomes are fraught with danger, and whatever happens on election day, there will be no peace.
The only positive sign is that in 2008 an honorable Democratic Party campaign gained real traction and pulled ahead of the now customary Republican tactics of racial division, disingenuous religiosity, fear mongering and outright lies (see: “Willie Horton”). Americans seem finally to have recognized that while Oz, seen majestically surrounded by smoke, fire and colored lights, promises all comers their hearts’ desires, there is a man behind the curtain who is only interested in creating the illusion and ensuring his continuing prosperity.
In the event, though, that Mr. Obama wins on Tuesday, The Republicans will continue their campaign of wrecking as though nothing had happened at all. We know this from bitter experience: recall the eight years of Bill Clinton’s presidency. Zero cooperation from the Republicans and a constant stream of lies and innuendo culminating in a failed attempt to impeach Clinton for, what was it, lying about something insignificant that any gentleman could be forgiven for lying about? (“I did not have sex with that woman.”) Nothing at all came of any of the substantive charges. The biggest effort to destroy Clinton was “Whitewater,” a particularly ridiculous effort to prove that the Clintons, poor as church mice after a lifetime of public service in Little Rock, Arkansas, somehow improperly benefited from a land deal to the tune of about $60,000.
There’s a big difference this year. Bill Clinton followed George Herbert Walker Bush as president. That Mr. Bush was a competent politician and an intelligent man with an inclination to caution. He handed Mr. Clinton an America that was essentially in good shape. If victorious, Mr. Obama will follow George Walker Bush, now generally considered to be an idiot, who with his comical clique of yes-men has ruined every aspect of American security and prosperity. Everyone is familiar with the list, and I will not repeat it here.
We have major obstacles to overcome, major problems to solve, major worldwide debacles to unwind. George W. Bush has made America a laughing stock around the world. He has taken Al Quida style terrorism, which was an insignificant problem in the scheme of things, and helped them to increase their numbers, spread their influence, and create a respected world wide brand opposing the presence of American troops in the Dar Islam, the Middle-East.
If Mr. Obama is elected, he will get no help with the work that needs to be done from the Republicans. You just watch, be prepared for a final round in the desperate struggle for America’s soul that has been going on since Nixon was fired. Don’t expect a return to civil discourse, a pipe dream that is getting some play these days. Expect in stead a vicious outpouring of bile about the usual suspects: Liberals! Homosexual Agendas! Activist Judges! Abortions! Radical Agendas! Victories! Taxing! Spending! And expect the Republican Party to continue their crusade against the New Deal, against Social Security, against the Middle-Class, against “socialist” medical care programs, against anything that limits in any way the ability of their corporate whore-meisters to make money and give some to them.
Whoever is elected, my friends, chaos is coming.
The only positive sign is that in 2008 an honorable Democratic Party campaign gained real traction and pulled ahead of the now customary Republican tactics of racial division, disingenuous religiosity, fear mongering and outright lies (see: “Willie Horton”). Americans seem finally to have recognized that while Oz, seen majestically surrounded by smoke, fire and colored lights, promises all comers their hearts’ desires, there is a man behind the curtain who is only interested in creating the illusion and ensuring his continuing prosperity.
In the event, though, that Mr. Obama wins on Tuesday, The Republicans will continue their campaign of wrecking as though nothing had happened at all. We know this from bitter experience: recall the eight years of Bill Clinton’s presidency. Zero cooperation from the Republicans and a constant stream of lies and innuendo culminating in a failed attempt to impeach Clinton for, what was it, lying about something insignificant that any gentleman could be forgiven for lying about? (“I did not have sex with that woman.”) Nothing at all came of any of the substantive charges. The biggest effort to destroy Clinton was “Whitewater,” a particularly ridiculous effort to prove that the Clintons, poor as church mice after a lifetime of public service in Little Rock, Arkansas, somehow improperly benefited from a land deal to the tune of about $60,000.
There’s a big difference this year. Bill Clinton followed George Herbert Walker Bush as president. That Mr. Bush was a competent politician and an intelligent man with an inclination to caution. He handed Mr. Clinton an America that was essentially in good shape. If victorious, Mr. Obama will follow George Walker Bush, now generally considered to be an idiot, who with his comical clique of yes-men has ruined every aspect of American security and prosperity. Everyone is familiar with the list, and I will not repeat it here.
We have major obstacles to overcome, major problems to solve, major worldwide debacles to unwind. George W. Bush has made America a laughing stock around the world. He has taken Al Quida style terrorism, which was an insignificant problem in the scheme of things, and helped them to increase their numbers, spread their influence, and create a respected world wide brand opposing the presence of American troops in the Dar Islam, the Middle-East.
If Mr. Obama is elected, he will get no help with the work that needs to be done from the Republicans. You just watch, be prepared for a final round in the desperate struggle for America’s soul that has been going on since Nixon was fired. Don’t expect a return to civil discourse, a pipe dream that is getting some play these days. Expect in stead a vicious outpouring of bile about the usual suspects: Liberals! Homosexual Agendas! Activist Judges! Abortions! Radical Agendas! Victories! Taxing! Spending! And expect the Republican Party to continue their crusade against the New Deal, against Social Security, against the Middle-Class, against “socialist” medical care programs, against anything that limits in any way the ability of their corporate whore-meisters to make money and give some to them.
Whoever is elected, my friends, chaos is coming.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thai-Lightning-Zone
It’s four-something o’clock, and I have just been denied by rain the supreme pleasure of watching John McCain, the new, dis-improved John McCain, squirm on the Larry King show about how that evil Obama man is cheating him out of his birthright by spending lots of money that was donated to him fair and square, spending it for it’s intended purpose and not for self-aggrandizement, and using “rhetoric,” a mysterious, elitist verbal tool that Mr. McCain does not understand and evidently finds vaguely magical. It’s all very dramatic and sad: Mr. Newly-Dead-Left-Eye, gesturing stiffly, complaining of not being dead yet when no one had even mentioned his three-fourths deadness, desperately complaining that Obama went to a party eight years ago with a “Palestinian Terrorist” whom Mr. McCain himself has supported and donated money to. Oh, pshaw, like wonderful entertainment like that was easy to come by.
It’s really pouring out, and the lightning is right in my area, the flash and the sound coming right on each others’ heels. I sat outside for a time, and was surprised to see a completely clueless Thai man about to go swimming in the pool. Well, I thought, this will be fun. Just as I was wondering about the effect that the lightning would have on his unsuspecting body, one of our maintenance woman braved the rain to go out and inform him that the pool was closed, because of the dangerous lightning no doubt.
I happen to enjoy lightning. I love the big-show aspect of it; I love counting the gap between the flash and the sound to determine how far from me the strike was. I have yet to find a Thai person, man, woman, boy or girl, who is anything but disturbed by lightning. No one that I have asked about it enjoys it like I do. Repeatedly, though, Thai people demonstrate that they have no actual fear of lightning, they do not demonstrate the natural fear of lightning that people who have seen trees or houses damaged, or golfers killed, have, a visceral fear that cannot be forgotten.
I am ashamed to admit that I was looking forward to watching that Thai man take his chances in the pool. I was going to sit there smiling while he risked his life. It was not a lack of compassion on my part; it was instead a clinical interest in his willingness to take the chance. If he had died, there was certainly nothing connecting the death to me. What could I have done? Could I have pointed to the sky and told him, “khun dai dai,” (“you could die”). I don’t need another “Farang say the stupidest things” moment.
Actually, the clueless Thai man about to swim in the lightning infested pool was as clueless as Mr. Supreme Maverick McCain. Neither knows anything about the forces that are surrounding them and controlling their lives; neither believes that any outside force is real enough to effect them. I wish them both luck. They may not believe it, but reality is out there, and it’s where we live, and a misguided attitude and a “game face” cannot prevent reality from crushing you.
It’s really pouring out, and the lightning is right in my area, the flash and the sound coming right on each others’ heels. I sat outside for a time, and was surprised to see a completely clueless Thai man about to go swimming in the pool. Well, I thought, this will be fun. Just as I was wondering about the effect that the lightning would have on his unsuspecting body, one of our maintenance woman braved the rain to go out and inform him that the pool was closed, because of the dangerous lightning no doubt.
I happen to enjoy lightning. I love the big-show aspect of it; I love counting the gap between the flash and the sound to determine how far from me the strike was. I have yet to find a Thai person, man, woman, boy or girl, who is anything but disturbed by lightning. No one that I have asked about it enjoys it like I do. Repeatedly, though, Thai people demonstrate that they have no actual fear of lightning, they do not demonstrate the natural fear of lightning that people who have seen trees or houses damaged, or golfers killed, have, a visceral fear that cannot be forgotten.
I am ashamed to admit that I was looking forward to watching that Thai man take his chances in the pool. I was going to sit there smiling while he risked his life. It was not a lack of compassion on my part; it was instead a clinical interest in his willingness to take the chance. If he had died, there was certainly nothing connecting the death to me. What could I have done? Could I have pointed to the sky and told him, “khun dai dai,” (“you could die”). I don’t need another “Farang say the stupidest things” moment.
Actually, the clueless Thai man about to swim in the lightning infested pool was as clueless as Mr. Supreme Maverick McCain. Neither knows anything about the forces that are surrounding them and controlling their lives; neither believes that any outside force is real enough to effect them. I wish them both luck. They may not believe it, but reality is out there, and it’s where we live, and a misguided attitude and a “game face” cannot prevent reality from crushing you.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Wonder of the Law: Consideration
Being a working lawyer was not my cup of tea, but I have always admired the majesty and dignity of the law, and I am also fond of the mystery of it. Take: Consideration.
There are three requirements for a valid contract in America: 1) an offer; 2) an acceptance; and 3) consideration on both sides. Simply stated, consideration is the bargained for exchange, you know, you buy a car and your consideration is the money and the other guys consideration is the car. Easy, no?
No. Consideration can be so hard to find that some countries don’t worry about it at all. In Thailand, although we may all agree that almost all Thai contracts show mutual consideration, it is not a requirement for a valid contract. For the Thai courts, if people want to sign a contract that brings them no benefit, who are we to stop them? I have a hunch it’s the same in France, but that’s another story.
The money and the car are easy to see, but it can all become pretty nebulous after that. Take these two examples, if you will:
Example number one: On a large construction project, the price of wood suddenly goes up and the builder insists on altering the contract to reflect the new, higher price of the wood. He orders work to be stopped while the matter is hashed out. The owner agrees to the new price and work continues. The new, substituted contract terms are valid, because there was consideration on both sides.
Example number two: On a large construction project, the price of steel suddenly goes up and the builder insists on altering the contract to reflect the new, higher price of the steel. The builder and the owner sit down to hash things out. The owner agrees to the new price and work continues. The new, substituted contract terms are invalid, because there is no new consideration on the part of the builder.
See the difference? The work stoppage. The builder going back to work is the benefit received by the owner; the builder in example number two never suspended work, so the owner was not receiving any new benefit to offset his higher costs.
Not confusing enough? In some courts, there must be some out there somewhere, the Court would say, wait a minute, you can’t agree to do something that you had a pre-existing duty to do and call it consideration, but that’s courts, they blow hot and cold like that guy in the Aesop fable.
It can be fun to win by convincing a judge or jury that two plus two equals seven; but it is indeed a misery to be beaten by someone proving the same thing. Anyone preferring solid ground under their feet should steer clear of the law as a profession.
There are three requirements for a valid contract in America: 1) an offer; 2) an acceptance; and 3) consideration on both sides. Simply stated, consideration is the bargained for exchange, you know, you buy a car and your consideration is the money and the other guys consideration is the car. Easy, no?
No. Consideration can be so hard to find that some countries don’t worry about it at all. In Thailand, although we may all agree that almost all Thai contracts show mutual consideration, it is not a requirement for a valid contract. For the Thai courts, if people want to sign a contract that brings them no benefit, who are we to stop them? I have a hunch it’s the same in France, but that’s another story.
The money and the car are easy to see, but it can all become pretty nebulous after that. Take these two examples, if you will:
Example number one: On a large construction project, the price of wood suddenly goes up and the builder insists on altering the contract to reflect the new, higher price of the wood. He orders work to be stopped while the matter is hashed out. The owner agrees to the new price and work continues. The new, substituted contract terms are valid, because there was consideration on both sides.
Example number two: On a large construction project, the price of steel suddenly goes up and the builder insists on altering the contract to reflect the new, higher price of the steel. The builder and the owner sit down to hash things out. The owner agrees to the new price and work continues. The new, substituted contract terms are invalid, because there is no new consideration on the part of the builder.
See the difference? The work stoppage. The builder going back to work is the benefit received by the owner; the builder in example number two never suspended work, so the owner was not receiving any new benefit to offset his higher costs.
Not confusing enough? In some courts, there must be some out there somewhere, the Court would say, wait a minute, you can’t agree to do something that you had a pre-existing duty to do and call it consideration, but that’s courts, they blow hot and cold like that guy in the Aesop fable.
It can be fun to win by convincing a judge or jury that two plus two equals seven; but it is indeed a misery to be beaten by someone proving the same thing. Anyone preferring solid ground under their feet should steer clear of the law as a profession.
Thai-Light Zone: The Presence of Women
No, not the presence of women in general, nothing new about that, women make up half of the population wherever you go. I’m talking about the casual presence of women in Thai men’s rooms.
It is common to encounter Thai women cleaning staff in men’s rooms. Maybe you walk in the door and a woman is cleaning a sink: how should you proceed? Maybe you are taking a leak and a woman suddenly walks up behind you with a broom and a dust pail: how do you feel about that?
In many malls, mostly in your better malls, there is a woman in the men’s room full time, she never leaves. One woman for each men’s room. They putter around, clean the sinks and mirrors, check the stalls after use to ensure freshly flushed and wiped neatness for the next user. It’s a bit disconcerting at first.
The rule is to just ignore them, except for maybe a brief friendly smile and a nod of the head. And that’s if they catch your eye, in general they will remain focused on trivialities and ignore you too. No socializing, and please god, no tips, they’ll think you want something and freak out. Just go about your merry way.
Ah, the ways that travel broadens the mind.
It is common to encounter Thai women cleaning staff in men’s rooms. Maybe you walk in the door and a woman is cleaning a sink: how should you proceed? Maybe you are taking a leak and a woman suddenly walks up behind you with a broom and a dust pail: how do you feel about that?
In many malls, mostly in your better malls, there is a woman in the men’s room full time, she never leaves. One woman for each men’s room. They putter around, clean the sinks and mirrors, check the stalls after use to ensure freshly flushed and wiped neatness for the next user. It’s a bit disconcerting at first.
The rule is to just ignore them, except for maybe a brief friendly smile and a nod of the head. And that’s if they catch your eye, in general they will remain focused on trivialities and ignore you too. No socializing, and please god, no tips, they’ll think you want something and freak out. Just go about your merry way.
Ah, the ways that travel broadens the mind.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Nice Movie Quote: Talledega Nights
From the character of Sasha Baron Cohen: "We want what everyone wants. To retire to Stockholm and invent a new currency that could be used by dogs and cats."
The 2008 Series
They’re not perfect, who is? But they’re very good, Dave O’Brian (?) and Rick Sutcliffe, the announcers for this 2008 World Series.
(Shane?) Utley came up to bat the other day, and O’Brian asked Sutcliffe how he’d handle this Philadelphia All-Star who had been treating the Rays very roughly throughout the series. “That’s a good question,” said Sut, “lots of guys have been trying to figure that out.” Modesty having been neatly disposed of, he went on, “first, I’d establish the fastball, something over the plate, somewhere on the outside would be best. Utley’s been reading the ball very well, picking up the spin on screwballs and breaking pitches, but the change-up has been giving him fits, so I’d go straight to off-speed pitches after that.”
O’Brian replied drolly, “You know, Sut, I enjoy working with you but sometimes I wish I could count on you for a well thought-out answer.”
Sure enough, the pitcher’s first serve was a fastball, very fast, which just missed outside. After that came a great change-up, for a strike, and the pitcher continued to follow Sutcliffe’s script exactly.
Nobody’s perfect, the logic thing falls apart sometimes. In game five, after a couple of innings of rain, the Rays pitcher was suffering and there were many breaks for discussions of strategy and inquiries into the pitchers ability to go on. O’Brian said something about the rain, and mentioned that the Rays had all the time in the world because they were behind 2-1. The game was past the fifth inning, though, so if it were called on account of rain it would go as a complete game and a win for the Phillies, so didn’t that mean that it was the Phillies who had all the time in the world to wait for the rain to do its work? I’m pretty sure it did.
This has been a good series, interesting in many ways and fun to watch. All of the games have been close. The Phillies have been held to a very low output of runs scored, but in almost every inning they have put men on base early and left lots of them hanging after the third out. That’s interesting in itself, but it also means that the Rays pitchers have spent all of their time pitching themselves out of trouble, which is always very, very interesting.
The powerful throw in from the outfield is a favorite play of mine. That ability is not valued in outfielders these days, not as much as it was long ago anyway. Guys like the DiMaggio brothers, as an exhibition, would stand with their backs to the wall in center field, take a step or two and throw a strike to the plate. It’s all mechanics. I’d like to see any of these modern players try it, except that I think B.J. Upton could do it. Early on, a couple of guys tried to run on him, they died trying. The Rays outfield is full of respectable arms.
I’ve always liked baseball as it is played by the Saint Louis Cardinals. They could never afford big team salaries, so they always put together teams of young, fast players who are drilled in the fundamentals. Tony LaRusa, who is a lawyer, by the way, won lots of games with this kind of Cardinal team. They are the Ninjas of baseball, the masters of the run built on junk: walks, stolen bases, infield hits, wild-pitches, bunts, sacrifice flies, hit batsmen. Get on base any way that you can, and see what you can make happen. The Rays play like that. They did hit a lot of home runs in the League Series, but I’m pretty sure that those balls were juiced.
We’re in a rain delay now, and it’s pouring and the field is soaked already so the delay will probably not end today. It’s 2-2; what’ll they do? Lots of interesting aspects to this series.
(Shane?) Utley came up to bat the other day, and O’Brian asked Sutcliffe how he’d handle this Philadelphia All-Star who had been treating the Rays very roughly throughout the series. “That’s a good question,” said Sut, “lots of guys have been trying to figure that out.” Modesty having been neatly disposed of, he went on, “first, I’d establish the fastball, something over the plate, somewhere on the outside would be best. Utley’s been reading the ball very well, picking up the spin on screwballs and breaking pitches, but the change-up has been giving him fits, so I’d go straight to off-speed pitches after that.”
O’Brian replied drolly, “You know, Sut, I enjoy working with you but sometimes I wish I could count on you for a well thought-out answer.”
Sure enough, the pitcher’s first serve was a fastball, very fast, which just missed outside. After that came a great change-up, for a strike, and the pitcher continued to follow Sutcliffe’s script exactly.
Nobody’s perfect, the logic thing falls apart sometimes. In game five, after a couple of innings of rain, the Rays pitcher was suffering and there were many breaks for discussions of strategy and inquiries into the pitchers ability to go on. O’Brian said something about the rain, and mentioned that the Rays had all the time in the world because they were behind 2-1. The game was past the fifth inning, though, so if it were called on account of rain it would go as a complete game and a win for the Phillies, so didn’t that mean that it was the Phillies who had all the time in the world to wait for the rain to do its work? I’m pretty sure it did.
This has been a good series, interesting in many ways and fun to watch. All of the games have been close. The Phillies have been held to a very low output of runs scored, but in almost every inning they have put men on base early and left lots of them hanging after the third out. That’s interesting in itself, but it also means that the Rays pitchers have spent all of their time pitching themselves out of trouble, which is always very, very interesting.
The powerful throw in from the outfield is a favorite play of mine. That ability is not valued in outfielders these days, not as much as it was long ago anyway. Guys like the DiMaggio brothers, as an exhibition, would stand with their backs to the wall in center field, take a step or two and throw a strike to the plate. It’s all mechanics. I’d like to see any of these modern players try it, except that I think B.J. Upton could do it. Early on, a couple of guys tried to run on him, they died trying. The Rays outfield is full of respectable arms.
I’ve always liked baseball as it is played by the Saint Louis Cardinals. They could never afford big team salaries, so they always put together teams of young, fast players who are drilled in the fundamentals. Tony LaRusa, who is a lawyer, by the way, won lots of games with this kind of Cardinal team. They are the Ninjas of baseball, the masters of the run built on junk: walks, stolen bases, infield hits, wild-pitches, bunts, sacrifice flies, hit batsmen. Get on base any way that you can, and see what you can make happen. The Rays play like that. They did hit a lot of home runs in the League Series, but I’m pretty sure that those balls were juiced.
We’re in a rain delay now, and it’s pouring and the field is soaked already so the delay will probably not end today. It’s 2-2; what’ll they do? Lots of interesting aspects to this series.
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