Suits and Serenity

Available for ladies only. Sorry, chaps.

Time for a few more aimless blitherings. Over these last weeks, I have found myself becoming quite preoccupied with things about which I can do nothing, which is entertaining but something of a waste of energy. The first being the US Presidential election. It’s fun to watch determined intellects and expensively educated suits scrabble with such lack of dignity for their nominee. Furthermore, it’s always amused me how Americans so easily buy into political marketing. Would I wear a T shirt with ‘Go, Mitt! on it? Er, no.  This might look quite nice on my desk, however. Coffee and prejudice for less than a dollar. Quite a bargain, really.

It says 'Fire' and 'Hire' on the other side, in case you were wondering.

Patrons of Foggy Bottom’s 7-11 on Tuesday evening in search of a caffeine fix may have thought the store was showing support for Mitt Romney. The disposable coffee cups were emblazoned with the Republican presidential candidate’s name but no similar offerings featuring the present  incumbent seemed to be available. A customer noticed the seemingly partisan selection and asked the manager about it. Turns out he ran out of Obama cups earlier in the day. More tomorrow, he promised.  

Much as I might like to, there’s nothing I personally can do about Iran, their multiplicity of centrifuges, their underground bunkers and their sideshow of a president.  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech to the UN was scheduled today, on Yom Kippur, something a US spokesman said was “particularly unfortunate.” No kidding, Sherlock. The Americans boycotted and the British said they would send only a “low level” presence to the speech and that officials had been "instructed to walk out". Did they get to throw things first, I wonder?  The substance of his remarks made quite a stir, predictably. He called out what he termed “uncivilised Zionists” for posing as a “continued threat” to Iran.  Jolly good.  Long may it continue. Might have been interesting if he’d specified what he meant by an uncivilised Zionist, as opposed to any other kind.

Roughly translated, 100 lashes if you don't die laughing

He went on to say that a “new world order” [eek!] is needed, insisting that “capitalism” had used up the earth’s “resources” and caused climate change. We’re clearly responsible for reduced numbers of polar bears as well as the Euro crisis. No prizes for guessing, really. This 'new world order' will undoubtedly include adherence to Shari’a and blind obedience to the benevolence of the velayat-e-faqih or rule by clerics. How very tempting. Odd, too how Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Sunni’s main man, is the new poster boy in Iraq. His gently smiling face is seen everywhere, it being conspicuously present in Sunni neighbourhoods since a pro-Palestinian day in August. Perhaps people just forgot to take them all down afterwards. 

I wonder if this guy – a freedom fighter in Aleppo,  thinks he can change much either. Perhaps he should pray the Serenity Prayer, beloved of AA members everywhere.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference." Amen, then.

"..the times, they are a-changin"