A topic debated for decades now. Personally, I’d give the edge to Pearl Jam. They just keep producing albums and never seem to sell out. Nirvana, on the other hand, is overrated. Granted they pretty much helped kick open the doors publicly to grunge, their music isn’t as good as PJ’s. The overall consensus leans towards Nirvana however. I guess another poll for another time would be “Would Nirvana be considered the Top Grunge Band if Kurt Cobain Never blew his brains out??????”   Think about it. Anyways, it would have been nice to see a dangerous performance lastnight at the American Music Awards, but I was let down again of yet another year of lackluster hip-hop lip sync acts. I’m wearing my worn down flannel shirt right now…peace out….

Few things in the life of the present day American are as predictable as the yearly ritual they call Thanksgiving.  It is a day when members of the same tribe gather at the home of their oldest member and pretend to get along while they gorge themselves on food and drink and ignore the pressing concerns of their daily lives.  From my years spent living with the Americans, I will try to relate to you this interesting and quirky practice.

The day begins when a parade of tribal members march through the main entrance with each female carrying a food known as green bean casserole and donning an expression of surprise as they are greeted and invited inside.  The men walk past me, saying “Hello.”  Some simply nod, some point their hand at me in a gesture known as “shaking.”  (I am required to grab the hand they extend in my direction and initiate an up and down motion while looking into the other male’s eyes.)  Many of them pat me on the back and ask how I have been doing over the past year.  I start to answer that most of the things I have been doing are none of his concern and that it would be best if he discontinues asking about my work, but he has already walked away from me.  I assume that his question was rhetorical.

The women flutter from the entrance of the abode to the kitchen, where they quickly set down the green bean casserole, spin around and throw their arms around me, catching me completely off-guard.  The older ones touch their puckered lips to my cheek and exclaim something about how I’m getting older.  Her statement seems obvious to me.  To be honest, I have always felt slightly violated during this practice, but upon seeing the beaming facial expressions on the women’s faces at the end of this “mini-ritual,” I am unable to object.

The house swarms with smell.  Turkey roasting in the oven.  Warm cinnamon littering a pile of desserts and seven varieties of yams (with or without marshmallow).  An odor known as “Old Spice” and the stench of a mystery flatulence that I’m reasonably sure did not emanate from one of my orifices, but somehow, I am accused of creating by one of the children.  This accusation delights the older men of the tribe, who join the child in laughing at my expense, albeit in a more subdued fashion, as the child, seeing that his elders approve, begins to twirl in circles and sing of my misdeed.  I imagine the stench is wafting around the room and will soon leave my vicinity but it seems to hover just under my nostrils like an anvil on a fishing line.  I wonder, “Is it appropriate to be as embarrassed as I am? “

The sweater vest makes a fashionable appearance on Thanksgiving.  Almost all of the elders are wearing one in various colors and plaid designs.  The younger children emulate their elders by wearing their own, although they sometimes complain that it makes them itch and scratch themselves in an agitated and overly dramatic fashion.  I believe they are not old enough to understand that one should endure the itch with sublime reservation.  Pretending things don’t exist seems to be a mark of maturity and masculinity among the Americans.

The clothing among most of the attendees is close to uniform, except for one whose clothing is black and torn at the knees and ends of the sleeves.  His shirt displays an image some of the elders find offensive.  I know this because I’ve overheard them talking amongst themselves about this one they call the “adolescent.”  For the most part, the topic is ignored and never acknowledged directly to the adolescent, who tends to mill about in the corner, fidgeting with his hair and muttering something to himself about the bourgeois-ness of the ritual he is currently engaged in and how it would be better to give this food to third-world peoples than to have this festival at all.

When the food has been thoroughly prepared, everyone gathers around the table and says “grace.”  This is a practice where one of the elders speaks to the gathered with everyone’s eyes closed and heads bowed.  The elder will speak of how they have much food, much camaraderie, and many things to be happy about.  He will ask for these things to continue over the next year and always concludes his address with the word “A-men.”  This word is a cue to everyone to repeat the word “A-men” and to lift their heads, open their eyes and begin feasting.

The Americans then ingest copious amounts of turkey, ham, a carbonated beverage known as “soda” or “pop,” a breading cooked inside the turkey called “stuffing,” and only a moderate amount of green bean casserole.  For some reason, although it is not eaten with as much fervor, everyone makes a point to compliment each female on the high quality of the green bean casserole she has (supposedly) laboriously prepared.

When the Americans have finished shoveling food into their mouths, the men retire to the “den,” where they promptly exclaim they have eaten too much, loosen their belts (presumably to give their stomach more room to expand; a curious practice, I must admit) and doze on the couch while a game of American football is broadcast over the television.  The men seem to not actually watch the game, or care much about the particular teams playing, but they will periodically open their eyes and remark on the admirable or reprehensible execution of a pass or catch.  This normally occurs after one of the children rushes up to one of the men and nudges him awake, whereby the man will announce to the assembled that he was merely “resting his eyes” and not actually sleeping.  I have yet to figure out if the eyes of Americans actually tire more often than their bodies.

Strangely, after viewing many games of football, I cannot find any connection between the ball and the foot.  It occurs to me that this may be some kind of cultural joke on the part of the Americans to outsiders.  It’s as if they are the only ones that truly understand why it is called “football” when the foot is not even used.  Perhaps they enjoy the superiority they feel by keeping this knowledge esoteric.  Perhaps they understand that the word “foot,” in “football” has another meaning from the standard use identifying the appendage of the human body.  Perhaps, they are just stupid.  As of this writing, I have felt too embarrassed to ask as I believe I would expose myself to harsh ridicule.  However, more research on this topic is on my agenda.

The women shuffle into the “dining room” to sip coffee and play an odd card game called “UNO.”  UNO is played by giving each person seven cards and placing the remaining cards in the center of the table.  Each person is charged with the task of ridding herself of the seven cards she was dealt.  Every player takes a turn in a clockwise motion around the table and when she does she turns over the card at the top of the center deck.  If she has a card that matches the card from the center in color or number, she then rids herself of one of her cards.  If not, she must take a card from the pile in the center.  The first one to get rid of all of their cards is the winner and is revered by the other women for the remainder of the day.

I believe this symbolic act of giving increases companionship amongst the women.  They seem to enjoy placing the cards back into the center pile, a sign of giving back to the community.  When someone has to take cards from the center pile, there is much jeering and taunting by the other women.  It is as if they learn from an early age to abhor blatant self-interest.  An admirable cultural adaptation, in my opinion.

Once the women have finished their game (sometimes games) of UNO, they stand up and walk to the den, gently (or rigorously) waking their husbands and informing them that it is time to leave.  The men rarely, if ever, disagree.  They stand up, refasten their belts, straighten their sweater vests and leave by bidding adieu in much the same manner with which they greeted each other.  They once again engage in the gesture of “shaking,” patting on the back and in some cases, wrapping their arms around others in a full embrace.  Each of the men remark to everyone else how it would be good for them to “take care,” or “take it to easy,” before uttering the word “goodbye,” thereby finalizing the interpersonal exchange.   To this day, I am still confused as to what they want me to take to easy, but I guess there are some things about this eccentric but fascinating group of people I will never understand.

“Late again, Karl. Well, at least you showed up today. Did you take a wrong turn or something?”

I’ve been late with everything lately since I took a six day chunk out of my life to go visit my friend’s floor and drink the whole world in Vienna last week. This Jay Reatard review, for example, is a full week late. But then again, unlike the two-hour Medieval Dublin class I keep missing on Thursday mornings, I pretty much set my own deadlines here, so I’m going to let myself off with a warning.

There’s also the fact that I was standing beside someone who already reviewed the gig elsewhere. Briefly though, here’s what I thought.

It was great. If you’re a sneering hipster, incapable of motion during a punk gig, Jay Reatard will kick you in the face. If you decide to suck it up and stand front centre, singing along and getting into it as much as you can, Jay Reatard is going to respond to that. It’s punk music. It’s about an exchange of energy between the band and the crowd, and the accident of Jay Reatard P4K-approval doesn’t change that.

“GOODCROWDTONIGHT, FEELNPRETTYPUMPED”

Jay doesn’t do banter. He shouts the names of songs while the noise of the previous song is still hanging around, and then he plays those songs with breakneck energy, with his new replacement Scandanavian backing band.

And Blood Visions is one of the best albums of the last decade. And the Singles are great, and his new album is pretty good too. Songs like Blood Visions, It’s So Easy, It Ain’t Gonna Save Me, My Shadow, See Saw, Trapped Here… they’re vitriolic, they’re fast, they’re catchy and they’re brilliant.

It’s straight up, three-piece, sped-up versions of great songs. There’s nothing more you could possibly ask for.

+++

Al nastro di partenza con cinque candidature, Jacko ha ha conquistato quattro premi, vincendo nella categoria soul/r&b, miglior artista maschile, miglior disco di pop/rock e per l’album “Number Ones”.

L’artista deceduto a fine giugno è stato il grande trionfatore dell’edizione di quest’anno, insieme alla giovane cantante di musica country, Taylor Swift, premiata anche come migliore artista dell’anno.

I premi sono stati assegnati con uno spettacolare gala che si è svolto al Nokia Theater, aperto da Janet Jackson, con una versione dei grandi soccessi del fratello (“Miss you much,” “What have you done for me lately” e “If”).

Divisione La Repubblica – P.Iva 00906801006Società soggetta all’attività di direzione e coordinamento di CIR SpA

Fonte:
http://www.repubblica.it/2009/10/sezioni/spettacoli_e_cultura/michael-jackson/awards-music/awards-music.html?ref=hpspr2

The Man In My Basement (read 11/21/09) recommended

What a wonderful book! My only complaint is how well everything works out in the end. Most people like Charles Blakey do not have their lives work out so satisfactorily. I can testify to that. But read this book anyway for the questions it raises about good and evil, justice and morality.

Author Rating: A

v

NOW! that what i’m talking ’bout

Sliced Pot Roast with Onions and Garlic

Ingredients:
1 lb Chuck Roast
2-4 Tbsp House Seasoning
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
6 cloves Garlic, sliced
2 medium white Onions, quartered
4 Carrots, skinned, sliced
4 Red Pontiac Potatoes, quartered
1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
1/2 cup Water

Directions:

• Cut slits into the Roast big enough for slivers of Garlic to be slid into it.
• Slide half the Garlic into the slits.
• Cover the Roast in the House Seasoning.
• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• In a Dutch oven, brown the outside of the Roast in the Olive Oil on medium heat. To do this, let the meat rest on either side, and then left with tongs and rotate. If you move too often, the browning will not be as caramelized.
• Remove Roast from the Dutch Oven.
• Add the water and de-glaze, scrapping the fatty/meaty deposits that have stuck to the pan with a whisk.
• Add the Onions, and Place the Roast on top of them.
• Surround the Roast with the Potatoes and Carrots.
• Sprinkle with the Herbs, Worcestershire Sauce and remaining Seasonings.
• Place in the oven, with a lid on the Dutch Oven, and bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

NOTES: If you have a roasting pan, you can use it for the baking process. You should still brown the meat in a skillet and the place it into the roasting pan; keeping the lowering insert below the onions and roast.

Feel free to use whichever root vegetables you prefer like Turnips, Parsnips, Rutabagas, Yucca, etc; or you can omit them.

While I like to think I’m fairly good in British English, it’s another thing online, I guess…

Enjoy.

—————

I dealt with my first bout of homesickness this past weekend. I haven’t really felt incredibly homesick since my arrival in London, but this past weekend I was Skyping with my mom, dad and sister as they were preparing some Thanksgiving deliciousness in the kitchen. My mom was dressed in full Betty Crocker garb, food processor whirring, showing me her homemade dough for pie making… for the first time, I felt really homesick. I have never spent the holidays (Thanksgiving or Christmas) apart from my family and this year will mark the first time in my entire 23 years of existence that I have to be without them. Normally, I head over to my parents first thing in the morning on Thanksgiving day to begin food prep with the ladies while the guys chit chat, set the table and prepare for football (stereotypical… I know!) This year, I’ll be living in a community that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving so I, of course, have decided to bring Thanksgiving to the UK! My friend Aaron and I have organized a Thanksgiving event involving loads of Americans (and some Europeans) who want to get together to celebrate the holidays!

{This totally captures our Thanksgiving mornings: PJs in the kitchen preparing deliciousness!}

We have reserved our dining hall and are planning on decorating a bit to get everyone in the Thanksgiving spirit! Since there are quite a few of us (30 – 40 possibly), we’re making it a potluck wherein everyone gets to bring their most favorite Thanksgiving dish to share! I’m bringing sweet potatoes – my favorite food in the world! - and Aaron is going to be attempting a Turbaducken (duck inside of a chicken inside of a turkey with bacon between each layer… clearly anti-vegetarian.) Although I don’t get to see my family, it should be a blast having everyone get together, bringing their favorite homemade dishes plus introducing a bunch of internationals (we have people from Germany, Thailand, China, France, Italy, etc.) to a bit of American culture!

We’ve requested that our bar be open for the evening, but we can’t bring our own drinks to the actual dining hall, so I’m thinking about bringing a vat of spiced cider to get everyone into the holiday spirit. I love the holidays!!

Here are some delicious Thanksgiving recipes for anyone looking for some new deliciousness this year:

Hot Spiced Cider: Mmmmm…. such a delicious holiday drink!

Turducken: A cool endeavor for a chef that needs a challenge! Not for the faint of heart!

Pumpkin Cheesecake: If pumpkin pie didn’t have enough calories for you in the first place, why not make it a cheesecake? I made mini pumpkin cheesecakes for Chris’ birthday last year and they were a hit! Really delish!

Candied Yams: I don’t think sweet potatoes need any dressing up, but if you like marshmallows and butter, this is ahh-mazing!

Is anyone else excited for Thanksgiving?!

PS. Miss you mom, dad, nana, punk & Tiffy!

Ok, so it was a little less than 8 minutes. But, she tried her best with the time she has even if her wardrobe is really boring. A malfunction would have shaken things up. But, she crammed some hits along with the new single “Make Me,” which sounds lackluster in between all the greats. How sad is it that Jermaine Jackson doesn’t even know the lyrics to one of his sisters biggest hits “Together Again.” She rocked it, but she could’ve rocked it better.

America has always had changing trends, and fashion trends have always come and go. If you want to be in, you have to read this article. If there is one word that could capture all the latest fashion trends in America, then it has to be “dresses”.

Dresses are the hottest thing in 2008, such as kimono sleeves dresses, baby doll dresses, shirt dresses, jersey dresses and wrap dresses. They have become so hip and trendy that they are worn both in the daytime as well at the night time. This becomes the ultimate must have for every wardrobe in the country.

Another latest trend for American women are the spring blouses. They may be blouses that have puffed sleeves, graphic prints, ruching and kimono sleeves. They can be mixed and matched with any bottom dress or pair of jeans, and can be worn with a jacket or a blazer for a more elegant and formal look. Also, hot are the combinations of the colors black and white.

Another popular trend in the fashion industry of America is the male cardigan. This is not a new fad, because a lot of celebrities have been wearing cardigans for a long time, such as Bill Crosby, Simon Amstel, Roald Dahl and Kurt Cobain.

There has been such a revolutionary change for male cardigans. You can use them to pair with your formal dress or you can go casual with a cross checked and striped cardigan. 2008 is the time to stock up on cardigans.

Posted by Buellboy

People in the crowd listen as President Barack Obama rallies the U.S. troops at Osan Air Base in Osan, South Korea, Nov. 19, 2009.

I want to deliver, actually, just a quick story, go a little off script. President Lee talked to me about what it was like when he was a young child here in Korea, this country having been torn by war, and the poverty that still existed in the country. And he said, I hope the American people understand how grateful we are for what you’ve done, because we would not be the extraordinarily strong, prosperous nation that we are, had it not been for the sacrifices of your armed services and the continued contributions that you’ve made.

And I thought, when the President of a country that’s become so successful says that America, and America’s armed services in particular, had something to do with the extraordinary success of their country — he said, that’s something you should take great pride in. And I want all of you to know that, because you are carrying that tradition on right here at Osan.

I couldn’t come to the Republic of Korea without coming to see you to deliver a simple message — a message of thanks to you and your families. Because of all the privileges of serving as President, I have no greater honor than serving as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military that the world has ever known.~President Barack Obama

Additional photos @

Rich and buttery.

The meat is so marbled, the fat content so awesome, that the burger has a creamy buttery texture that no other burger has. Summits is on Highway 78 just a block or so south of the Highway 78-Highpoint Road intersection and on Sundays they show every NFL game. It’s a good stop, and the fans are, for the most part, civil with each other.

Oh yes, before I step out, the infamous wall of taps at Summit. And this photo can’t encompass all of it.

I was waiting all night for Adam Lambert’s performance on the American Music Awards this evening. I couldn’t wait, and the announcer kept saying things that made me want to see it even more. I had to find ways to keep entertaining myself through most of the AMAs, btu finally, the moment came. IT WAS GLAMBERT TIME.

I shooed my mom out of the room, turned up the tv, and turned off the lights so I could get a moer movie-like effect on my awesome LCD flat screen tv. The performance began.

Right off the bat, I could tell this was about to be one of the sexiest and most provocative performances of all time. I mean, come on. It’s fucking Adam Lambert. Has he ever been one to disappoint?

As the performance went on, all I could do was watch in amazement as his dancers groped him, and he groped them back, S&M clad people spinning around him wildly, fake blow jobs onstage. My jaw hit the floor. I was in shock. The moment the performance ended, I ran to my bathroom. Yeah, I think you can figure out what happened there. If you can’t, you’re a fucking dumbass and you should go back to 9th grade where they teach you all about sex.

Adam Lambert, you are a fucking God not only of music, but of sex as well. I’ve never felt more sexually satisfied. Thank you, dear Glambert. I shall look forward to your future performances.

I enjoy watching awards that show a tribute to music.  Even if it is an awards show that is voted on.  I would rather watch the performances on those because we all know it is the dumb ten year-olds that vote for those.  So, I just ignore the results.  I just got finished watching the American Music Awards.  There were many great moments and some head scratching moments.

I will start off with the fan voted awards.  The big winners were the late Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift.  Next I will go to the performance losers of the night.  First would be Rihanna.  I know she went through a bad year, but the performance was very messy.  The Second and last would be Adam Lambert.  I think it is good that there are artist out there that are open about their sexual preferences, but that was awkward.  It was a very screamy, pitchy performance.  I know a great songwriter Claude Kelly wrote this song, but I think he went a little skew with this one.

Now For the best performances of the night.  First would be Kelly Clarkson.  I an a big fan of songs that include orchestra strings.  They had changed this song because of the comparison to Beyonce, but this version is great.  I would like if Clarkson had done maybe a new song, but performing a different version is good.  Second would be Lady GaGa. Physically she scares me a little, but musically she is fantastic.  She proves that you should not judge by appearance and listen to the music.  It was great when she smashed her way in to the piano section.  Piano was a great choice to include.  Lastly was the great Whitney Houston.  The award of the night for her.  What is better that seeing a legend perform.  It is great to see her back again.  These three ladies also did what not many on the show did.  They performed on pitch and key.      I just wish the ending of the show was different.

Overall, It was an alright show.  The end went for too much shock value and could end up overshadowing the great performances in this show.  Congrats to all the winners and good night.  I hope…….

Time to break my silence… I’ve been secretly working on a small project (which is technically complete already) and it is called…

Here it goes…

Once upon a time, there was a handsome long haired guy on his way to OBEERTIME (A beerhouse) to drink booze stumbled upon this… American guy who is currently lost and had no idea where he was and how to get back and asking for help.

Fortunate for the American, the long haired guy can understand english… barely. Join Mr. Long Haired Guy (who is not really familiar with Makati City himself) as we go around Makati City in the middle of the night while helping Mr. American find his way home using only a bunch of not so helpful hints.

This game is (again) technically “complete” just testing to see if we missed anything and see if there is still room for improvement. Release date is most likely within this month.

Here are a couple of screenshots…

Look forward to it…

“POOF” (Disappears)

We are today seeing a battle the soul of the United States. With Cap & Trade, the takeovers of the banking and automotive industries, and now health care, we are seeing an attempt to permanently transform our country from one based upon equality of opportunity into one based on equality of outcome. Obama and the Democrats are at war with American exceptionalism itself. If they succeed, the United States will have written its own epitaph.

This is not Democrat versus Republican, but rather a hard Left attempt to achieve control of the economy and political structure of the country for the next 70 years. The goal is to accrue enough power to itself and its allies as quickly as possible to achieve this before the people catch on. Consider the Peronist model or that of Mexico from 1927-1997 when the PRI controlled the state.  Pseudo populism is always good for the insiders. And consider the corruption that has already taken place in the space of just 10 months in this country. Expect more of the same.

As we speak, the Administration is unleveling the playing field in union-management relations and towards coercion of workers into unionization. Rather than legislate card check, they are using the National Mediation Board, an obscure federal agency, to change the voting rules on union certification to allow a majority of those who vote, rather than all employees, to provide certification. The SEIU are the most influential group in the country based upon White House visitor logs. While the members may disagree with the politics of their leaders, they have no choice. This is ensured. Democracy in most unions in this country has been a fiction. It is about control and has some of the aspects of the Bolsheviks, who held the reins of power tight while outwardly professing the equality of all. Some pigs are more equal than others though, as Orwell pointed out.

After watching Obama and his parallel government of czars and Pelosi and Reid’s backroom maneuvering shred the Constitution, can there be any doubt as to how they will play the game? Many of the most important decisions on national policy are no longer seeing debate in Congress, but are being decided behind closed doors by Henry Waxman, Jan Schakowsky and other leftists perfectly willing to sacrifice the Constitution. After all, in their world, the United States is the problem, not the solution. Obama learned from Clinton what happens when you announce your intentions. If you can’t achieve the goal constitutionally, use any means necessary to achieve the goal including stealth, litigation, and the illegal.  We are seeing Alinsky squared and the corruption of power.

The centerpiece legislation of the Left is the nationalization of health care, and every single Democrat voting for bill seems to be willing to sacrifice their short term majority to achieve government control of another 20% of the economy. In addition, by forcing uninsured citizens to pay punitive fines and by including the coverage of illegal immigrants, they will have partially funded another handout to a constituency for whom they will then provide a path to legal residence, ensuring another huge voting bloc.

At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, transparency in our government is at an all time low. Every promise the president has made; on employing lobbyists, on open meetings, and on conflict of interest has been broken. He has employed more shysters than Rutherford B. Hayes. The czars in the White House have no accountability except to the president, which I believe is clearly unconstitutional. Foreign policy is another example, where the Secretary of State has been neutered. No one else knows what is going on across the government because that’s the way the President wants it.

Normally, the Media would act as a check on these ambitions, but they are at the least fellow travelers and at the worst unindicted co-conspirators these days. After all, they all went to the same schools and have the same philosophy of “big brother knows best”. Even as several major climate change propagandists are exposed as frauds of immense proportions, it is the political agenda of control behind this power grab that is the real issue. “Never waste a crisis” as Rahm Emmanuel says.

By fostering fear and entitlement, the Democrats foster dependence on their party as the ones passing out the largesse. It is as old as bread and circuses. While our country is decidedly moderate/conservative, with the rejection of George Bush, they have claimed a mandate for change that was never mandated. I am afraid one would have to go back to the 1917 Revolution to find an equally transforming series of events.

The tragedy is that the Constitution is very clear on the nature of our government. It was written to guarantee liberty and provide a  framework  for a just society. It was a minimalist document, which has been ignored by the Left because it thwarts their agenda. It does not allow for new entitlements and rights that seem to appear out of thin air. All major decisions were to be decided by Constitutional Amendments, a very high bar set high specifically because of the deceptions and hidden agendas of politicians.

The Constitution was argued over vehemently when it was first proposed and once adopted, those whose arguments did not prevail contented themselves with decision of the majority. But today’s reality is that most of the Left’s proposed legislation is  being implemented not by constitutional means but procedural. And if successful, they will have gutted the Constitution.

John Adams said ” A Constitution of Government once changed from freedom can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever”.  Is this the path for our country? A government of entitlements but with ever more limited freedom?

This article has nothing to do with Gang Stalking, but I felt it was worth commenting on.

I came across this article the other day, and the wording of it surprised me. It was not vulgar, the language was not racist, yet it’s one one of the most hard hitting critiques of the American President I have come across.

I am at times not too bad with checking the temperature of the net, and this article surprised me. It was a recap of what the writer felt was an unforgivable action and that is the American President bowing to the Japanese Emperor and Empress.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/17/

[quote]A little traveling, like a little learning, can be a dangerous thing. Barack Obama on the loose in a foreign land is enough to frighten protocol officers and embarrass the rest of us.[/quote]

I did notice that American’s were upset with his bowing before foreign royalty.

See I think Americans see the president in their own way as royalty. Sure the ties to monarchy on the outside have been removed, but inside American’s want to feel proud, they want to feel that the person that is representing them will do so well. They want to know that American views and values will be upheld.

I was surprised by some of the comments, but the general consensus on some of the forums is that the President should bow to no one.

I think in my personal opinion a bow of respect can be given, but it’s all about how it is delivered that makes the difference.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/g20-summit/

In the above file footage of his meeting with the King and Queen of England, he does bow, but it’s a moderate bow and it is respectfully returned in kind. Equals of sorts and I don’t recall hearing any recriminations about this bow.

I also suspect the country he was bowing to did play a role. I know many mentioned the War time dead of WWII and felt that it was disrespectful to them as well.

I believe with this President people very much wanted back the good old days. The days they felt proud, the days that they felt that they had their own royalty. The Kennedy years.

I think in part one of the reasons Obama was a shoe in for president is that he did remind many of the Kennedy days. Jackie was queen and it felt as if there was royalty. The Kennedy’s wore no crown, but many felt that they were royal in their own right.

Americans came off of feeling embarrassed at times by the last Administration, I recall many times where the last president did something goofy, or made and error, and the American people cringed with him. When the world hated his policies, they felt hated right along with him.

With this administration one of the things that was promised not overtly, but in it’s own way was good representation. People liked that fact that he had come from a good school, had a degree, and wanted to be represented well. Americans are known for being a proud and arrogant people. Most would deny it, but many in the world want to come to America and be American and that is part of the reason.

After the horrible stimulus package, where they felt that they were violated, but were not quite sure, (You were violated.) they wanted to feel secure again, proud, they don’t want more debt or wild spending being tacked on to themselves or their kids. I think that is in part why they are so cautious with this health care bill. The last previous eight years was a lot for many Americans to deal with.

With this Administration they wanted to put the wars behind, the some degree of shame they might of felt with some previous polices and actions, and I think that is why they are quick to react when they see signs of the previous admin shining forth.

The bow wounded the pride of some. Most Americans would not admit it, but they are a proud and somewhat arrogant people, which is not a bad thing. I think they just want that pride back, and this bow hurt that pride, for some.

Most people will read this article and view it as a bad thing but I don’t fully. It shows me that Americans are a loyal people, it shows me that they take their representative seriously, and it tells me that they want to feel proud and full of hope again.

It means that if the president fails to represent the American people’s well, they will be a disloyal, hurt and angry subject, but if the president represents the American people well, they have the capacity to be loyal, faithful, and to stand with him, and feel pride with him.

To me it shows that they want the president to do well, but were hurt, and again not everyone even cared about this, but some did, and those are people worth listening to. It’s struck me as one of the more strongly worded articles I had come across and I felt that it was worth noting.

Some more highlights.

[quote]This is not the way an American president impresses evildoers that he’s strong, tough and decisive, that America is not to be trifled with.[/quote]

Americans like their tough guy image. Most countries do. They want that don’t mess with our country.

It makes them feel safe, like someone will be capable of looking after their best interests.

[quote]His predecessors learned with no difficulty that the essence of America is that all men stand equal and are entitled to look even a king, maybe particularly a king, straight in the eye……

John F. Kennedy, on the eve of a trip to London, sharply warned Jackie not to curtsy to the queen.[/quote]

I take it that Jackie did not curtsy. Respecting all traditions is a fine line to walk. I know the number of times I have read that this president is narcissistic, yet a narcissist would not bow before another would they? I think sometimes it can be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.

I would highlight more, but you will have to read the rest.

I believe Americans when represented well will let a lot go, I am not sure who handles protocols for these trips, I think it’s not a bad idea to have more than one opinion, or suggestion as to proper protocol.

Traditions can be a very limiting thing, and can hold a nation back from progress, but they can also be a beautiful thing, and everyone loves when their’s are respected and adhered to.