Politics for Christmas

Today for Christmas I went home for a late lunch. I am staying at Martha's for a few days while they are out in Mississippi. Mom invited a friend over, Festus. I don't think they are actually dating yet but they met online. He seems nice enough, but during the meal we began talking about politics. He's a black man from Nigeria, so he has more of an outsider's perspective, but it was a bit frustrating discussing things with him. He repeatedly emphasized the need to not rely on emotion but to remain objective and to evaluate the data for yourself. I agree with that caution but it seemed to be something he fell back on as an argument when I don't think I could have been any more objective.

We began talking about things that make America great and that led into Mom and I trying to convince him that there is truth to the idea that poor, black Americans have developed a culture of entitlement, blaming "the man" and the system for their problems. He stated that statistically more white people are supported by welfare than black people. I'm a bit hesitant to believe that, but I think the more telling statistic would be to compare the percentages of whites and black (and Asian and Hispanic) people in poverty who have relied on welfare for extended periods of time, particularly from generation to generation. In addition to this, we should compare levels of education - what percentage graduates from high school and college; median household income; and violent crime rates (probably ages 16-24 specifically).

I may not have any of those figures in hand, but I think (and I'm not alone in this belief) that there is a definite culture of laziness, envy, and bitterness among poor, mostly undereducated African-Americans. Of course there are happy exceptions, but as a group, sections of cities with high concentrations of poor people (ghettos) run rampant with crime (gangs and drugs) driven by low levels of education and a feeling of helplessness. They feel helpless because they think government isn't doing enough to help them. They feel entitled to live like rich, white Americans. But the objective reality is that there are numerous federal programs to help poor families in need, and many are particularly for African-Americans. These programs will help those who take the initiative to change the status quo and help themselves crawl out from under poverty.

Then we got talking about taxes, and while he agreed that overall Americans feel entitled to "the American dream" (without the work, usually, and spending way beyond their means using credit), it took me 10 minutes to get him to admit that it is equally unfair (that the 1% can live in luxury while so many poor, and now middle class, families struggle just to get by) that 50% of Americans do not pay income taxes. It's a bit more complex, but if we are simply talking about fairness, then EVERY American citizen should pay taxes of some kind in order to give back and maintain the freedoms and luxuries that they enjoy.

Now, as I've realized reading the article more closely, I see that very few people pay NO taxes. There are payroll taxes. And personally I feel that income tax doesn't make any sense as it discourages success, and I've heard it called unconstitutional a few times.

I love the idea of free, state healthcare for everyone, but right now there is no way we can afford to make that transition, regardless of how well the European model is. (Europe has its own problems)

There are tons of tax law loopholes for the 1% to exploit. Absolutely. Could they afford to pay more taxes? Yes. Many say they would be fine with higher taxes. But I don't think they SHOULD. Don't play it off as an emotional argument that it's only fair. What do they have to give for it to be fair? If you want to talk about what's fair, the rich are more than pulling their own weight. They are paying for over half the country.

Anyway, I was so upset when I produced an article right on my phone for him with the percentage number of Americans who don't pay income tax (51%) and he said something like not trusting everything you see / the source. I haven't been this angry since my last argument with Snickers.

I need to do more reading and research about taxes, but I did read this excellent article about Bill Cosby's 'Pound Cake' speech, where he said that African-Americans need to stop blaming white Americans for their problems and get rid of the mentality that they are owed a certain kind of life from the government. I definitely do not agree with many of the writer's points, but the first comment of the article should also be read. 'This is how we Lost to the White Man.'

I meant to elucidate my current beliefs on several issues including taxes, foreign policy, and energy, but this blog post has dragged on far too long already and I am too tired (on Christmas, no less) to continue.

Stagnation

I would like to think that it was a good decision to take this year off. I certainly wasn't ready to take auditions last year, right after I returned from Vienna. I have done some cool things this year, mainly working with my dad. My camera battery dies so quickly that I couldn't get a picture of the cabinets we just finished building. I took a few pictures with my phone.

But I honestly don't practice. And I hardly read. I started rereading Lord of the Rings again mainly out of laziness. I never finished Paterson or The Courage to Create. I haven't touched my puzzle in a month. I don't feel like I'm doing anything with my life.

Honestly, I'm jealous of my friends who are passionate about what they are doing. In particular, Eva is up in Boston working on a new, professional quality album. Speaking of her music, I love her new Christmas song. And Chris keeps himself so busy with all his composition and quartet work, he's got quite enough to do even since he's done with school.

All I want for Christmas is to start to live the best life I think I can live. The person I want myself to be is a pretty incredible person. I think I would be happy if I were satisfied with who I am. And the thought has occurred to me that maybe I haven't attracted a girlfriend because I'm not deserving. Not that I'm not a good person (something I debate) but that I'm not good enough. Or something.

It's also a bit strange to not meet anyone new this year. I definitely miss being around lots of people daily at school. I am so glad to have gotten to know everyone in IES Vienna and in Mayfield 18 the past year. I hope that we will stay friends for life. (And I have a much better idea what a true friend for life is, and how rare they are)

I'm scared, looking at the future, of moving somewhere new where I don't know anyone, because I think without the structure / atmosphere of regular classes it'll be harder than ever for me to make new friends. And at the same time I don't want to stay here, waiting for my friends to move away or otherwise just build their own lives.

Where will I find the special someone to build my own life with? And until she enters the picture, how can I be my own man, someone worth falling in love with? I can see enough reasons why people like me, but I don't really think anyone would love me.

German Marches

So my grandfather, who we call Papa, is suffering from Alzheimer's. Mom told me he used to love listening to German marches and military band music, so she thought it would be nice to find or make a CD to him for Christmas.

I knew nothing about German marches before today, but I must say, they are quite charming. Also, I finally listened to a good version of An der schönen blauen Donau in full, and I am really warming up to it. As long as it's not the same 3 minute clip repeated over and over again, ad nauseam it's a lovely piece. I didn't realize how long of a work it is. Along with Unter Donner und Blitz and Kaiser Walzer, I have come to a great appreciation of Johann Strauss II.

My favorite marches include: Unter dem Doppeladler, Yorckscher Marsch, Wien bleibt Wien, and the Radetzky March.

The Muppets

Oh my God, The Muppets was an amazing movie!
I went with Lindsey and Shelby, and we were the only people in the theater. It was so fun; I laughed so loudly.
The Pixar short was also excellent. I hope I can find it because I forgot the name of it, but it was Toy Story themed, with Buzz being left behind at a restaurant. Oh here is a clip, it's called "Small Fry."

I am so glad the Muppets are back. They are comedy gold. It was also a really well crafted and touching story, about finding yourself and remembering what is most important: the people you've surrounded ourselves with.

The old traditional family values endure. This movie brought back a lot of old feelings, and I would compare it to Toy Story 3, except that it is an even bigger comeback story. I'm a bit young, and I don't remember the show, but I grew up watching the movies and the Muppets have a special place in my heart.

I want to tell all my friends to go see it. Not only is it hilarious, but it speaks to the heart. It's an uplifting and inspiring vision of what the world could be. I teared up a bit a few times, and I will have Rainbow Connection on replay for a while. I feel like a better person for having seen this movie. It's that wonderful.

Dreams of Wien

Wow, this is my 100th blog post! I'm glad I've continued to blog, it really helps me focus my thoughts. And when I look back at all my posts, it helps me to remember that my life isn't so boring or unimportant.

So last night I had another dream where I thought I was in Vienna. I've had at least one before, recently. I'm not entirely sure my surroundings were actually some part of Wien, but during the dream I distinctly felt that I was back there. The only thing I remember about this dream was that I was in a bookstore and I found The Lord of the Rings auf Deutsch. Not surprisingly, I had fallen asleep to my LOTR audio book that Trey let me import.

As my birthday approaches I think back to what I did last year. Of course, I will make Rochelle's picture my profile picture again. My only disappointment was that I was a bit sick, and Westrey and Albert couldn't make it to dinner.

I do love Brentwood. Right now it's sunny and 39 degrees F. Strange, I just checked Wien's weather and it's about the same. I know we had a good deal of snow the last few weeks. And of course, almost everyone got stuck in airports around Europe because of the snow. I rather wish I had been stuck there with friends for another week, although it would have been a huge hassle.

I miss so much about Wien. I miss the snow falling as we strolled through Christkindlmärkte warming ourselves with hot mugs of Glühwein. I miss being able to walk all over the city, with the help of the U-Bahn. Very few cities in America have any sort of architecture to rival Europe. My mouth is watering just thinking about my daily Kebab box from Pascha, or the Donner kebabs from the Imbiss at Hietzing. Christmas decorations here (although quite extravagant in some neighborhoods) have nothing on the decorations in the inner districts. I miss the Kaffeehäuser; had I spent any more time there, I would have become not only a coffee enthusiast but probably a snob. The hundreds of pictures I took in all the museums I visited simply do not compare to the real experience. I especially miss being able to attend world class, life changing concerts every week, as well as the ability to see one of the most famous opera houses for about $9. I even miss hearing the Blue Danube Waltz as I walked through Karlsplatz everyday.

Well, I was going to post pictures of my latest culinary escapade, but after writing about Wien, I feel my heart would break if I sullied this post with pictures of meatloaf. Speaking of which, I am very hungry.

Aufweidersehen.

On the way to my birthday dinner at the Griechenbeisl