Day: May 7, 2004

Holding off on commenting on the “Friends” series finale, since I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who taped it and haven’t watched it yet or else Tivo’d it. On one note though: the clip show that was on before the series finale was absolutely hilarious, showing all the Friends’ best (re: funniest) moments. I like a good clip show, and that was a pretty good one – couldn’t stop laughing.

The Iraqi prisoner abuse news: the whole thing disgusts me, it really does. Pictures say a thousand words, and these pictures about the prison guards – they certainly have more than words to interpret. One thought: I was watching a little bit of the PBS documentary on Asian Americans, “Searching for Asian America,” the other night and they had a segment on Gary Locke, the Chinese-American governor of Washington state. They made an interesting point: Locke is in a position of preserving our “face” as Asian Americans, particularly when “face” is a big deal for Asian Americans. And, then, I realize that I can’t help but correlate that idea of “face” with this situation with the prison in Iraq – the American face has something to deal with here.

There’s the sense in the op-eds that America’s enemies would do this kind of human rights violations – and certainly worse. But, the reality (to me, anyway) is that it isn’t exactly just about America’s enemies but about America itself – what about measuring up to our own moral/democratic standards? What do we stand for, and why is it so easy to cross that line of rendering others as “other”? Have we as a people crossed that line? There’s no question that this news development shouldn’t represent all American troops or all Americans – but it will be seen that way, because it’s our face that’s out there.

As a lawyer, I wonder what is next; what will be the remedies or the procedures? Where is the law in this? Is it in this context at all, in the midst of war? Anthony Lewis’ op-ed in the NY Times kind of hit it home for me.

These are just opinions on my part; I may be wrong; maybe things will work out. Maybe.

One stream of unconsciousness and life events:
It’s self evaluation time at work. I’m so beat from doing 3 shift-days followed by being with my parents or P- (or both) that I’d probably give myself a poor evaluation. P- had someone rear-end her while stopped at a light, but she and her sister’s car are both OK; the other driver, with a handicapped license, drove off before numbers could be exchanged. The end of Friends came, but I still have to watch the recording; like Seinfield, I never really got into it because I was going to law school at night and never was home for Must-See TV (The Official Soundtrack). My cousin’s graduating from law school, and I get to give her the diploma. June’s trip to Seattle seems like it will be unofficial. August/September’s trip to Malaysia is still being worked out. AJ’s grandmother passed away in the Phillipines. YC moved to Taiwan. My dad had another in his string of diabetic ulcer surgeries at Columbia/New York/Presbyterian/Cornell/ whatever-they-are-allied-with-nowadays Hospital. Joe, a friend from elementary school (who also went to my high school and college) hooked up with me to talk about real estate closings. He met up with some other people from there recently, including a girl that I had such the crush for in grade school. I wonder what she looks like now. My high school did their 35th annual musical, which was a production of Les Miserables (School Edition). I’ve seen the Broadway version 3 times, and I have to say my high school’s version was better than two of them — more earnest. It was standing room only for 6 performances.

Ones that defy explaination:

– RIAA suing downloaders for taking royalties from starving artists, then on the other hand holding on to royalties saying that they couldn’t find artists such as Dolly Parton, and David Bowie.
– NY Post editorial saying that people tortured by US contractors in Iraq are better off than those being tortured by Saddam.
– A news helicopter crash landing into one building, rolling over onto the roof of another building in Flatbush, and everyone walks away from it (thank God!)
– All of the Japanese Iron Chefs defeated by all of the American Iron Chefs on Iron Chef America (well, at least it was as rich and fast-paced as the original).
– All of the rain on the East Coast; non of the rain on the West Coast: fires there, floods here.

OK, that’s enough of the “One” liners. I guess I’ll have to watch Friends “The Last One” tonight.