I have moved

I can now be read, by apparently only me, at mypoliticalexile.wordpress.com. The kids blog will get moved at some point as well. Over and Out.

Yeah !!!!!Spring has arrived

After what has been the longest and coldest winter on record in Buenos Aires, I am happy to report that today really feels like winter has departed until at least next year. It is fresh with a breeze but the sun is doing its job. Big plans today to take the kids to the patio at school and take a nap in the sun with a book.

Who are Bill and Rush in the big scheme of things???

I enjoy the sport of calling out right wing hypocrites as much as the next liberal, and God knows there has been a ton of material provided in the last few days by television psuedo pundits and journalists. However, it does take our eyes off the ball. The ball being the 101 more important things going on in the world that we should be more outraged about.

Harry Shearer, in a Huffington Post post today, talks about this misplaced energy and effort. Why is there a lack of concern, understanding, and awareness of the peaceful demonstrations in Mryamar that have taken a violent turn? This is a monumental moment in the history of a country that has been oppressed by a ruthless military regime for decades. Isnt this the kind of stuff we as a country suppose to care about? But we are distracted by idiots like Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, who say stupid indefensible things. No surprise there.

I think what is going on with Bill and Rush being targeted (other than being mean-spirited buffoons) is a bit of tit-for-tat by the left for the right wing attacks on the Moveon.org ad and the subsequent condemnation of the ad by the House in a roll call vote. Which by the way is a mystery, arent these guys suppose to be legislators???? There is something to be said of not lowering yourself to the LCD and even more to be said about being committed to fixing what will have a real impact on people's lives. I wish the Democrats would be less petty and vindictive and that right wing loons would stop being morons.

Some good news

Well there hasn't been much good news these days with soldiers and civilians continuing to get slaughtered in the Middle East, the democrats being total wusses and Bush acting like a child , albeit with lethal weapons. I did read today that a federal judge in Oregon shot down two provisions of the US Patriot Act. Siting their unconstitutionality as they “permit the executive branch of government to conduct surveillance and searches of American citizens without satisfying the probable cause requirements of the Fourth Amendment.” This is second time in as many weeks that the courts have flexed their muscles..Yeah:) Until I can figure out how to upload videos use your imagination and imagine GM and Owen wrestling and flexing their muscles. Nice transition.

Why I shouldnt be depressed...

My Baby is going to be 5 years old tomorrow!! Hard to believe.

Happy Birthday, Georgi you incredibly high maintenance force of nature. Our family hasn't quite recovered from your arrival 5 years ago. You are kind of like the dog, it is hard to remember our simpler life that preceded you. Thats not to say our life hasn't become richer, louder and pinker since your arrival. You have taught me that sweaters can be worn on your legs and that my jewelry is really yours. You have taught your three brothers that strong women are to be feared and catered to. And you have taught your dad that too much teasing has a price to pay. I hope you get everything that you want for your birthday (I know you wont) and that you get everything you want out of this life. (I am betting you will)

Why I am depressed about the state of the world

1. After 6 years we are still in Iraq and Afghanistan
   
2. After 9 months of a new Congress we don't seem to be leaving Iraq and Afghanistan
3. Its looking more and more like we are going into Iran
4. Bush can inexplicably say "the Mandela is dead" in the middle of a press conference and no seems to think its odd, a concern, or maybe fucking insane!!!
5. Everyday there is more and more news and studies showing that Al Gore is right about the environment and our policy as a country and citizen of the world is to do NOTHING
6. HSM2 was even worse that HSM1, and you know I will be seeing it over and over again with my 4 year old tone deaf daughter accompanying all the musical and dance numbers
7. Jena6 is less newsworthy than Britney Spears
8. It looking more and more like we are going into Iran..oh yea I said that before but you know what its really getting me down...it would be a disaster. Someone has to stop him.............
   

I am going to try this again

It has been awhile. I guess I was too ambitious when I originally started this. It wasn't really a blog but more a series of essays about expat life in Argentina. The burden of making them perfect made me stay away. Also, I think at some point, everyone stops being a self conscious expat and just starts living without looking at each encounter, event and cultural awakening as something worth commenting on. At some point you just start living and inculcate the differences.

That is not to say I dont have moments when it is so painfully obvious that my expectations and the reality of how things do work (especially in business) exist in different worlds. But I have learned to take the good with the bad. While it is maddening sometimes to do business here, the trade off is that my non-professional life here is full of genuine kind people who get it that family and friends are more important than making a buck (and apparently any transparency when doing it).

So what will be blog be like now??? I think more of a rambling stream of consciousness, a journal of thoughts that will allow me to practice my writing. My idea is to make this more political and current. Lets see how this works...

Why must they do this?

I took my toddler daughter to her first cinema experience yesterday. I would say it was quiet successful. Georgie was excited, but not as excited as her brothers and I were for her.

We started off at McDonald's for a little pre-cine nutrition. Although, not surprisingly, there was infinitely more interest in the toy than the food. Perhaps that is a good thing. Then we navigated away from the Disneyland E-ride worthy line and picked up our telephone bought tickets at will call. Paid less than $1.75US for a barrel of popcorn. (one of the many bargains that can be found here). Sat in the mostly empty theatre and watched the universal slide show that tests your movie trivia skills. "Which actor did Richard Gere defend in the movie Primal Fear .. Answer: Edward Norton. Funny how my 5 and 8 year old didn't know that. I waited until we were sitting in our seats and happily munching on our popcorn to forewarn Georgie that the previews would probably be loud but that once the Winnie the Pooh movie started it would not be so loud.

Well sure enough, the instant the previews started the entire audience practically jumped out of their seats let alone their skins. The audience, with a median age of 4, was forced to watch a French Connection-like chase scene telling us the evils of pirating movies. Georgie was definitely concerned but I talked her off the ledge and we managed to wince through 3 or 4 cellular phone commercial for the same company. Which funny enough, I cant remember the name of, not effective advertising. Five minutes into Georgie's first movie experience we finally get to movie previews. Mercifully, the first one is a very funny and cute trailer for Chicken Little. All the kids are giggling. Next is a short but dark Harry Potter trailer that is borderline. Georgie starts squeezing me when some huge dragon like monster appears to incinerate a group of children. Believe it not the worst is yet to come...And this is why I ask, why must they do this? Why put a scary, aggressive and violent preview with a Winnie the Pooh movie? Kungfusion, while might be entertaining for adults, is not appropriate for my 2 year-old daughter. She especially didn't like the scene where some guy gets stabbed with a knife in his arm, and then another guy takes the knife out and puts it back in, stabbing him a second time. I am not sure what was more disturbing, the fact my Barney-fed daughter saw this or that it is played as a joke. Fortunately, the joke was lost on the kids.

Fortunately, we were able to put his all behind us and enjoyed a sweet, peaceful Winnie the Pooh movie that had no stealing or stabbing or Matrix-like plot turns. Or least I assumed it didn't. Thankfully, they turned down the volume for Pooh and I had a nice nap.

A vacation, of sorts

I suppose some people would call it a vacation. The kids are out of school, there are airplanes involved and I have too much luggage. Missing from the equation is the part where it is relaxing and rejuvinating or at least the pace of life slows. Didnt happen. While 10 flights in three weeks with a two-year old Damien from the movie the "Omen" may sound glamorous and fabulous, it wasnt. I organized this trip for myself so I am somewhat responsible. However I hold all the A-type friends and family that scheduled me and my volitile child to the point of extinction also responsible. I slept for days upon my return from my "Vacation".

This was my first visit back to my hometown in over a year and a half. I have been visited by or seen the friends (girls weekend in Miami) that mean the most to me. So this was not some dramatic homecoming. I was going to drop my oldest there to attend camp and spend time with his grandmother and get a good does of american-preteen culture. We dont want him returning to the states after two or three years of Latin America a total dork. I also want to see our home that was in between renters. So although I would be staying there as it was without furniture, I wanted to see it, check up on it, make sure it was OK, and use the pool.

My political exile

It wont be easy for me to put this into one coherent post...so here is an incoherent one....

I am the product of economically progressive and socially liberal parents. I consider myself liberal relative to social issues and fiscally conservative (due to my hangbag count, my husband would disagree) but with an emphasis on education and health for all. As far as presidents go, I am still waiting for a leader with conviction that isn't a personal mess. So it wouldn't be surprising to you that the Reagan and Bush Part I years where difficult ones for me. While Carter was honorable he was a micro-manager who was politically naive and ultimately weak. Clinton was effective and inspiring but such a horndog that he himself sabotaged and minimized his achievements.

Needless to say, the last four years of You know who has been extremely painful. Where do I begin? I have alternatively believed You know who was stupid, crazy, a puppet of others or could not possibley be elected again, so who cares, just move on(sorry to say I was wrong there). My current theory is that he is a Christian Fundamentalist who thinks he gets his orders from God. Is that crazy? I guess I shouldn't judge. But he is not the dude cleaning my windshield at the gas station, he is the fucking president. Crazy? maybe not, but dangerous, I think YES!!!! If being inappropriately guided by your religious principles wasn't enough, he has surrounded himself by an array of men who each have their own frightening and diverse agenda anxiously awaiting implementation.

So while we didn't come to Argentina to escape You know who, we are happily oblivious to the daily dealings and misdeeds of the current administration. It takes much more effort to get myself worked up about the state of our union than while I had 24/7 access to our fine news media. While the USA may be the center of the universe, the papers and TV here are void of the pathologically compulsive analysis of the news and the equally obsessive analysis of the press coverage itself. The BA paper reports world news with facts and photos. I know that x number people in Afghanistan were assassinated and the French are being French about the EU constitution. I don't know what everyone and their mother thinks about it. If I want to make myself nuts there is always the the internet and blogs. (shout out to The huffingtonpost.com, my new favorite news/op/ed website)

Here in Argentina local news and news relating to their own whacked out president is spun in a multitude of ways. I find politics here amusing..it is not my government or I would be mortified by the political bad manners here. Politicians are really bad sports. They(woman are well represented in local and national government surprisingly) like to yell at each other, calling each other Nazis, stupid and ugly. Usually they apologize the next day, but you know they meant it.

I suppose using the words political exile to describe myself is a little bit of an overstatement. I suppose I am in danger of minimizing the struggle of real political refugees and people that leave their homes reluctantly because the quality of their life is changing for the worst. So if I have offended anyone, sorry. It is meant as a dramatic literary device. Its ironic..exiled to Argentina?!?of all places and I am a soccer mom from suburban USA. Not the usual enemy of the state.

I hate the current administration (not individual people, I tell my children, you can hate ideas not people). I am saddened by where they have taken us and and frighten by where we appear to be going.

I have people in my life, who I love, that dont feel the same way I do. Which is OK. Most friends in the states may be be on board with You know who, they may be be a little concerned or they are so cynical about politics and world events they have checked out all together. The point being, hardly ever in the ten years I lived in Connecticut, did I have a satisfying political discussion with anyone. And I don't mean an argument that I win. I mean talking, conversing, sharing views that challenge the official line from the White House or the pablem that is dished out by the mainstream media. After 9/11 it was all about flags and preserving the "American" way of life. More that once I made the mistake of throwing out the idea of taking a moment before blowing up Afghanistan and Iraq and think about not why Osama Bin Laden is a lunatic, but try to understand why much of the Islamic world mistrusts or hates us. I think there was a real lost opportunity in not trying to understand how come our foreign policy and their economic sub-strata position in the world was pissing them off. (hint:Blindingly Pro-Israel+ hypocracy and economic opportunism in Saudi Arabia + poverty= Chaos).

I guess when we left I was happy to leave the news, the apparent lack of concern about where You know who was taking us, and the Presidential election. I could never have imagined that You know who would be re-elected. I am certainly in no hurry to get back. But I really do love the idea of the USA........