Forgive me for rushing to the trough of blatant blog fodder. Shoes flung at our hapless commander-in-chief are just too hard to resist.
I'm meh on Bush's reaction. Mildly surprised that his reflexes were that good and bored by his smarmy, uninspired commentary. But at least he didn't cry like a pre-schooler or throw them back. Talk about lowered expectations, all he has to do is not pee his pants and I'm like all, hey good job, goober!
It's the Iraqi guy I can't seem to get out of my head. I keep thinking about him slinking home to his disbelieving family and friends:
You had the Blaspheming Devil in your sites and all you could come up with was a shoe? A SHOE? Thrown so lamely that it didn't even glance off of his dull-witted noggin?This poor guy will never hold his head up again. People will throw shit at him for the rest of his life, "Hey, why didn't you think of this?" and a kebab is airborne.
Addendum: Even though this act was, in fact, a very grave insult in Iraqi culture I have chosen to overlay it with my own silly American interpretation. Not because I don't respect another's culture but because 1. I kinda like the idea of throwing a shoe at Bush because it would be an amusing, albeit harmless, protest (unless I used a stiletto...but I'm getting offtrack here.) and 2. because hurling an epithet at someone in your own language (when they don't understand a single word) may make you feel better but doesn't communicate shit to the shithead.
4 comments:
I'm probably missing the obvious, and, yeah, I *think* I have a sense of humor, but it was actually a huge insult to throw the shoe. HUGE. I think that is something we consistently miss in our understanding of the region, that there is subtlety, and honor, and profound communication made in small gestures.
Okay, okay, so it's more insulting than I gave credit for.
However, in light of the media's characterizing hostile Middle Eastern responses to Bush with suicide bombers (clearly a distortion, of course), it is difficult not to see this act as somehow diminished.
Even the epithet "dog" is hard to hear as a serious insult for the same reason, though I understand it's the western equivalent of "you shit-eating motherfucker."
He didn't even clip him. I'm just saying.
I love you. I don't think I've mentioned, nor could I adequately explain, the strange hierarchy of links and feeds on my home page. It is certainly counter-intuitive. Suffice it to say that whenever I click on over here and find that you've written something new, I just glow. Even if I don't comment, or only comment weirdly.
I think you're great. Just awesome. Really wonderful. Bit by bit by bit, I'm getting moved into this place. I hung a mirror, a tapestry, and two pictures that never received such treatment in our last three (!) apartments, coming up soon will be the Valentine you sent last year. What you share, in all of its manifestations, never fails to impress me. I think you're just great.
Good lord, I sound about six inches away from some stalker on your sidewalk.
Eh, it's probably appropriate.
There are stalkers and then, there are stalkers...you are so welcome to top billing and I am honored to be your stalkee.
It makes me happy to know that you are making your place/space into your home. You are among several important women in my life recreating themselves post-breakup and the transformation can be brilliant. Will be brilliant.
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