A View Askew

(Or: Did the Dinosaurs See the Comet?)

 

Oct 6 2013                                                                                  ISSUE 1

The Point

Most people that know me know that I have been writing the great American novel for many years. Well, not a novel. Actually it’s not even a book. Really more like a collection of mutterings er, ah, brilliant insights about stuff that interests me. Since I am pretty convinced that I will never be able to get this stuff published I thought I might inflict my thought processes on others through an innocuous little, what? A newslettery blog? A bloggy newsletter? Whatever. I’ll inflict it on you a little at a time.

 At the same time, I am really interested in what other people think about the things that I think about (got that?) so you are really important in this whole thing. That, in fact, is the point.

What to Expect

In general, whenever I put one of these things out I hope to have a couple of different vibes going on. One will be kind of just observational about the human condition. It’s an opinion for sure but not really controversial (well maybe a little); it just might be a very different way of looking at it and maybe even a little humorous. The other “something” might be more like current events. It will NOT be an arm waving screed (usually) but it will almost certainly elicit some sort agreement/ disagreement deal - sometimes even with myself. Thus . . .

. . .The Rules

In the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” there is a very famous scene where Butch wins a knife fight with a brute by confusing him with the rules of a knife fight. So if a knife fight can have rules so can the View Askew but there are only two:

      1)    If you comment about anything I write or that anyone else writes, be civil

2)    Back up what you say with your own opinion or facts, no Fox or MSNBC opinions – ever.

Tha, tha, tha, that’s all folks!

 Well there is something else. Not really a rule but kind of a suggestion. If you enjoy this please feel free to pass it on to friends. If they like it and decide to join the group we’ll talk.

 

Julie Christie and Me - Battling Time

There was a brief article in my favorite magazine “The Week” that caught my eye some time ago. It was an item about the difficulties of facing the ravages of time by one of the most beautiful women who has ever lived, Julie Christie. You know, Lara from Doctor Zhivago and the haunting “Lara’s Theme” (and who I have always had a crush on). She apparently – Jesus God in heaven! - turned 71. It seems that she is none too pleased about this though. I quote: “I’m tempted every time I look in the mirror, I know what I look like, then I look in the mirror and think, “I don’t know who that is. You want to get your familiar face back and when you see all the lines around your chin, neck, eyes and mouth, and your bloody arms and everything  else.”

Amen, sister! Julie Christie was (is?) arguably one of the most beautiful women who has ever graced the screen. Maybe that’s why this is so difficult for her to accept; she has always been beautiful and has always known it. It turns out she’s not the only one. It may be gender or it may be cultural but from conversations I’ve had with women apparently this is the way many of them think about this. Men, on the other hand, seem to think about it differently.

Don’t get me wrong, we don’t enjoy watching the invading army of time take its toll our powerful bodies and smooth but handsome faces any more than women. (Okay, a bit of literary license there but cut me some slack.) Somehow, however, I think this outlook is for a different reason. Beauty to a woman isn’t just about how they look to others; it’s about how they look at and feel about themselves. There is an old saying that men dress for women and women dress for . . . other women. Maybe that’s a part of this.  Men, on the other hand (I think), place a little less importance on our physical attributes for two reasons: 1) nobody really does care what we look like – it’s never really been the defining thing for us as guys and, 2) we care more about the inside stuff (no not inner beauty or substance, heaven forbid!) I mean health as in aches and pains and unmentionably bad stuff. Furthermore, it’s not really even health that’s that big a deal; it’s sex.  I hate to say it but ultimately it’s about the ability to have sex, however infrequent or inept it may be, that drives a man’s view of aging. I hasten to add here that actually the state of mind is more important than actual activity - there’s no pill that can restore state of mind regarding sex, beauty or anything else. So, if all of the parts work AND you still care AND you’re not a complete Quasimodo then, as a guy, the aging process is being kind to you.

Well, that’s my theory.

I’m sorry, Julie, but you and I will always see you in “Dr. Zhivago” - and I will still see myself as a handsome, young stud. To hell with reality!

 

I can only assume that a lot women will disagree – and probably a few guys too?

Homework                                                                            

Since I’d really like some feedback on at least some of the things I write it only seems fair to give you a heads up on things that I think I think about so that you aren’t struck out of the blue. So here are some of the things I think about and will write about at some point:

- The term “upscale” and what it really means     - Movie “V for Vendetta” (and war on  terror)

- Our 3 baby boomer presidents                           - The fallacy of lack of time

- The death of truth and facts                                - Optimism as a strategy

                     But up next issue: Halloween and our perpetual childhood 

And now on to current events . . .

Pounded ‘til We’re Purple

How about that new Viking stadium, huh?! Before you answer, please check out this article, “How the NFL Fleeces Tax Payers.” http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/how-the-nfl-fleeces-taxpayers/309448/

Seriously, check it out, but here’s the Cliff’s Notes – we’re dopes. Unfortunately, in the article, Minnesota is pointed out as only the most recent dopes – but it still hurts.

Also in recent Star Tribune articles it is pointed out just how big a dopes we are. Taxpayer on the hook for: $498 bill. Wilfs? About 10 bucks (relative to them) after NFL loans, seat licenses, stadium naming rights, etc. We’re dopes.

As the article above points out, the NFL is a legal non-profit and a legal monopoly – that pays its CEO $30 mill/year. We’re dopes.

You know, this extends to all professional sports really - and has also polluted college and high school sports too (but that’s for another newsletter.)

But back to us. If you think about it, our relationship with the NFL (and MLB and NHL and NBA – but not PGA!) is really like an abusive marriage: we love them - and they blackmail us, threaten to leave, whine, cry and carry on until we give them what they want - and they do it over and over. We’re dopes.

I am always fascinated by the sports enthusiasts among us - grown adults who paint their faces and pay hundreds of dollars for a jersey with somebody else’s name – but they have the right to be treated properly by the teams. What do they get? $10000 seat licenses, $20 parking, $10 beers and $8 hot dogs. We’re dopes.

Finally, do NOT believe that there is an actual financial benefit to having a professional team in town (note I did NOT say there was NO benefit.) There have been countless studies done and the verdict is in – there is none, nada, zero, zip additional economic activity from a team. There are, however, a lot good $8/hr server jobs created in local restaurants. We’re dopes.

Oh yeah, one other thing. The fact that I live in Hennepin county AND Minneapolis might make this a little bit of sour grapes since WE get the pleasure of paying most of the additional taxes to pay for this mess (not to mention building the crappy Twins a new palace and refurbish the crappy Timberwolves’  joint.) Oh, and we didn’t get a chance to vote on it because the state said so – taxation without representation, baby! 

I think they should all change their names to the Henneapolis Vikings, Twins and Timberwolves!

Remember, we’re dopes.

(Hint: As a recurring theme about future newsletters, you will find that I think we are dopes about a lot of things.)

Say Good Night, Dick

 Well, I think that’s enough for the first time, don’t you? I hope you were not too bored or underwhelmed.

This was the first go at this so I am open to suggestions. Is it too long? (God forbid!) Too short? Crappy layout? Crappy topics? I have lots of topics - and opinions on all of them - but I am very happy to research ones for you as well – I have a lot of time on my hands with golf winding down! But please don’t ask about the gov’t shutdown, I will get around to it when I stop laughing so hard that I’m crying.

So feel free to comment about anything but please remember the words of the lovely and smart Lizzy Rain, “Be a good citizen of the world.” (And, I might add, be civil.)

 

Quote Du Jour

                      “Common Sense is Uncommon.”    Voltaire

A View Askew is the sole property of D Roger Pederson, Mpls MN. You may forward without special permission but if you want to use anything here for your own purposes please send me a request at dpeders2002@gmail.com.

             A View Askew