Imagination

The above image is of a beautiful country called Bergonia, which rests in the Atlantic Ocean between the Canary Islands and Bermuda. Except, it doesn't. Bergonia is an example of geofiction, or the art of creating an alternative world (or city, or nation as it were). Bergonia is probably the best example of this strain of intellectual geekiness I've seen on the 'net, but of course J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth is probably the best loved, most widely read, and most beautifully rendered example of geofiction.

If you're of a mind, take a peek at Bergonia. The author, Joe Cometti, spent a lifetime developing an imaginary nation that is extraordinarily creative and visionary, and yet is designed in a way that it could quite plausibly fit into our world. His website is a wealth of knowlege and his maps are simply unbelievable. One can really appreciate the depth of knowledge and understanding it takes to pull something like this off.

I've admired Joe's project for a couple years now because I too dreamed up an imaginary nation when I was 8 or 9 -- and it remains to this day in my imagination. I called it Honoleo; any relation to the land where Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea is purely coincidental (or subliminal); I remember dreaming up the name while hanging out under my grandfather's desk and noticing the manufactuer's label: HON. Also like Joe, my nation exists in the contemporary world, and not in some fantastic place or time. My project is nowhere near the work of artistry that is Bergonia.

I used to be a little embarrassed at the idea that I carried this project into my teenage years and adulthood, but Bergonia inspired me not to worry about that. I also came to realize that, embarrassing or not, Honoleo compelled me to dig deeper into politics and economics in my quest to make the project plausible (when I created Honoleo it certainly was not plausible - but my interests today in politics, economics, and the world has much to do with my desire to make Honoleo as realistic a concept as possible.) I can't even count the ways in which Honoleo guided my intellectual development, my desire to read the news, my love of travel, my political and community engagement, and my limited graphical abilities.

A couple years ago, I wrote to Joe to express my feelings and to thank him for the fact that his work helped me to reflect on the value of my own (it is not something to be embarrassed about; it is an integral part of my life story), but I never heard back from him. As soon as I wrote, he stopped updating his site. The Bergonians were in the midst of a general election in 2006, and I was eager to hear what the results were.

When I learned yesterday in a Google search that Joseph Cometti -- attorney, environmental advocate, dogged progressive, and worldbuilder -- died two years ago in a car crash at the prime of his life, I was reminded again that projects like these are very meaningful. In an obituary published in a newsletter of the West Virginia conservation group Friends of Blackwater Canyon, Joe's sister praised Bergonia as his life's work and a reflection of his utopian nature. Joe himself wrote in a rather beautiful essay entitled "Why Bergonia?" , "Every creator puts some of himself into his creation, inevitably, and the creation becomes a bit of a mirror, something of a child. (Perhaps this is true of the Creator himself, so that the world becomes God's mirror.) This is really nothing more profound than saying that our personalities project into the things we make in our lives." Indeed.

I think only a few of you know about Honoleo, partly because it's so intimately mine and it's still such a work in progress, but mostly because I really haven't known how to discuss it without boring others or making myself seem ridiculously odd. But then life is too short to let those worries hold you down, isn't it? So I'll get my act together soon and tell you a story about a South Asian nation with a deep history and a cultural legacy going back thousands of years. It's quite a place, Honoleo, and I'm looking forward to taking you there.

Yeah, What He Said

Dave Horsey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer makes a very good point here:

Funny or Outrageous?

Over the weekend, the New Yorker published a magazine cover that a lot of people are talking about. It's quite the acid test -- the political blogs I read are expending a lot of bandwidth debating whether the cover is shrewd satire or racist twaddle. My sister and some of my friends found the cover disturbing, but my first reaction was "damn, that's funny." My second reaction was, "uh-oh..." I knew it would become the outrage du jour, and it did.

Interestingly, the New Yorker cover distracts from Ryan Lizza's article on Obama's career in Chicago, which is very long, very interesting and a must-read for anyone following this campaign. Frankly I'm surprised that the article itself hasn't garnered more attention this week. In this case and in others in this campaign season, the outrage becomes the issue, and the analysis on the TV and on the web is rather shallow. Marc Ambinder wrote a short piece on this trend here.

If you read the article, I think you'll realize that the New Yorker misread the current zeitgeist, because the cover became the message, rather than the article. Good satire never misses the zeitgeist.

Satire is tricky stuff. It's worth pondering why it's OK for the New Yorker to satirize the ridiculous assertions that the Obamas are flag-hating terrorist militants, but, as my sister pointed out in an email to me, depicting a "white guy covered in black face paint with a big white smile singing "doodah" on a vaudeville stage," satirical or otherwise, would be hard for America to take.

The editor of the New Yorker is unapologetic, stating that most Americans would see it for what it is. Most, maybe, but some Americans will undoubtedly see the cartoon as a clever illustration reinforcing their own misconstrued beliefs about Obama. Is the New Yorker responsible for that? Should Obama's campaign have laughed it off, instead of expressing outrage? Why is it OK to satirize the ridiculous assumptions about Obama's patriotism and religion, when it would probably NOT be OK to satirize American black culture?

And most importantly, is it funny or outrageous? I want to know what you think. Please Leave a comment.

Run, Francis, Run

So I've had an interesting relationship with physical fitness. While I appreciate the benefits of staying fit, the shadow of middle-school gym has always loomed large, preventing me from really enjoying the experience of exercise. When I don't think about it, it's enjoyable...but when I get the slightest bit self conscious, memories of being picked on, being called unmentionable and emasculating names, and being the last one picked on the team come flooding back to the fore. As a result, I'm quite neurotic about it.

For the past couple years, I've been much better at exercise and eating better, and as I result I'm 25 pounds lighter than I was. But I feel, for my health and self-image, I have more to go...and yet, I have this hang-up. I hate hang-ups, and I don't see the value in holding myself back from something because of some irrational fear. You could say I have a hang-up about having hang-ups. Whatever; I've decided I need to overcome this hang-up.

Maybe the gym isn't for me...perhaps the smells, the clatter, the obnoxious preening of men and women in the strength training area, and the driving are such a turn off that it has become a persistent disincentive for me. Coupled with the periodic anxiety I have recalling the traumas of my teenage years, it's little wonder I go at all.

Some time ago, I listened to a gerontologist talking on NPR about the effect of physical fitness on the aging process. The doctor stressed his belief that human bodies should work like a good, cheap watch: despite some wear and tear, they keep on ticking until the battery dies and then it's over. He disputed the notion that some people can spend 20 to 30 years dying slowly (from diabetes or heart problems, for example) as being the normal course of human life. The answer? Exercise. I have no idea how long I will live, but if I'm in my 70s and I happen to have both my arms and legs, if I want to go on a hike, I should be able to. I don't want to spend my retirement confined by chronic health problems if I can avoid it. And to the extent that I can avoid it, I will. Hence the need to overcome the hang-up.

Despite my hang-up, one thing I've always wanted to attempt was a good, long run, just to say I could do it. I've heard so many people speak of marathons as powerful and possibly even life-changing experiences. Besides, running more than 26 miles is indeed a tremendous accomplishment, and it might be something worth doing before I die. These are the things that make life meaningful and exciting.

I'm not ready to say, "I will run a marathon, because, honestly, I can hardly run to answer the telephone. But I am ready to say, "I want to take running seriously as a means of incorporating fitness and health into my life." And why not? It's cheap, it gives me an excuse to wander about the City and, most importantly, it doesn't require a gym. Plus I've heard runners talk about how good they feel, even after a short run. Apparently it's a little addictive.

So, last night, I ran. Seriously ran, for the first time since high school. OK so half the time I was stumbling, but by goodness I tried. As a symbolic gesture of overcoming past neuroses, I ran on a high school track near my house. Eight times around the track, or about two miles, in 30 minutes. I was slow and it was probably ugly to watch, but I did it. The first two laps were fine, the second two were painful, but by lap five something cool happened: the sun was setting, the mountains were becoming a silhouette against the evening sky, the Coldlplay album "Viva La Vida" was blasting in my ears, and all of a sudden, everything was perfect. I ran (stumbled -- and walked occasionally) the remaining three laps. I can't tell you how good it felt afterward. I cannot recall a time when my body felt so happy or energized. This is something I will definitely continue doing, but I think I need to spring some money on good shoes before too long.

I've decided to try a modification of Hal Higdon's 30/30 program for beginning runners. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. I'm going back out there tonight.

Knowing me, I'll be tempted to settle out of the routine, so any encouragement you can offer will be much appreciated!

Another E-Mail

So just as I finished writing the rant below on the anonymous e-mails...I received one.

Here it is, in all its stupefying, caps-locked, exclamation-pointed glory:

LET ME SEE IF I HAVE THIS STRAIGHT:

HIS FATHER WAS A KENYAN, MUSLIM, BLACK - WE HAVE SEEN PICTURES OF HIS 'AFRICAN FAMILY'

HIS MOTHER IS A KANSAN, ATHEIST, WHITE -

WHERE ARE THE PICTURES OF HIS KANSAN, WHITE MOTHER
AND HIS WHITE GRANDPARENTS WHO RAISED HIM?

HIS FATHER DESERTED HIS MOTHER AND HIM WHEN HE WAS VERY YOUNG
AND WENT BACK TO HIS FAMILY (WHOSE FAMILY ?) IN KENYA ?

HIS MOTHER MARRIED AN INDONESIAN MUSLIM AND TOOK HIM TO JAKARTA WHERE HE WAS SCHOOLED IN A MUSLIM SCHOOL .

HIS MOTHER RETURNED TO HAWAII AND HE WAS RAISED BY HIS WHITE KANSAN GRANDPARENTS ? WHEN ?

HE LATER WENT TO THE BEST HIGH DOLLAR SCHOOLS, HOW?

HE LIVES IN A $1.4 MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE THAT HE ACQUIRED THROUGH A DEAL WITH A WEALTHY FUND RAISER.... HOW?

HE 'WORKED' AS A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN CHICAGO - HAS NEVER HELD A PRODUCTIVE JOB.

THE PRESIDENCY IS NOT A CIVIL RIGHTS POST, NOR IS IT SUBJECT TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SET ASIDES

HE ENTERED POLITICS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THEN THE NATIONAL LEVEL, WHERE HE HAS MINIMAL EXPERIENCE

HE IS PROUD OF HIS 'AFRICAN HERITAGE'

BUT IT SEEMS THAT HIS ONLY AFRICAN CONNECTION WAS THAT HIS AFRICAN FATHER GOT A WHITE GIRL PREGNANT AND DESERTED HER.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT SPERM CARRIED A 'CULTURAL' GENE.

WHERE IS THE PRIDE IN HIS WHITE CULTURE?

HE GOES TO AN 'AFROCENTRIC' CHURCH THAT HATES WHITES, HATES JEWS, AND BLAMES AMERICA FOR ALL THE WORLD'S PERCEIVED FAULTS AND THEN REPEATEDLY COVERS UP FOR THE PASTOR AND THE CHURCH

HE CLAIMS THAT HE COULD NOT CONFRONT HIS PASTOR, B UT HE WANTS US TO BELIEVE THAT HE CAN CONFRONT NORTH KOREA AND IRAN , YEAH, RIGHT!!!

YEAH, I THINK I SEE HOW HE COULD BE A 'UNITER' AND BRING US TOGETHER.

I THINK THE HOPE IS THAT HE HOPES NO ONE WILL PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER UNTIL AFTER THE 'ELECTION'



LIKE I SAID AT THE START, ' I AM CONFUSED !!!!'

Wow, I just don't know where to begin on this one. This e-mail has it all, the use of 'black,' 'white,' and 'muslim' with the motive force of a slur, the reference of his 'African father' who got a 'white girl pregnant' (that's an old bugbear, for sure), the casual dismissal of his job as a Civil Rights activist (which is hard and laudable work, and besides he was a community organizer -- a critical difference), the assumption that he made it as far as he did because of Civil Rights and nothing else...hell, this email even mentions sperm.


Besides, this is America in the 21st Century! Who in the &%#! talks like this anymore?

What stuns me is that many of these questions the author is CONFUSED!!!! by are easily answerable with a little internet research. Ridiculous and disgusting. In such serious and trying times, emails like this are a scandal and an affront to the dignity of all Americans.

Patriotism and the Anonymous E-Mail

Image Credit: Mark Halperin, The Page

Thomas Jefferson said "Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." For as much hope that I place in our political system, sometimes, I wonder if we are sophisticated enough to operate it well.

Some time ago, my partner Rob received this e-mail through a member of his extended family:

Obama's Own Words

It’s Very, Very important that you are aware of the following. If you don’t believe it, buy Obama’s book or go to your local library and see if they have it to loan.

Subject: Obama's Own Words


This guy wants to be our President and control our government. Pay close attention to the last comment!! Below are a few lines from Obama's books ' his words:

From Dreams of My Father: 'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mothers race.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'

From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

If you ever forwarded an e-mail, now is the time to do it again.

This e-mail and other similar canards disputing Obama's faith, patriotism, and even his birthplace have made their way around the Internet, and in some cases into my inbox as well. Incidentally, one of the above quotes was a fabrication, and the others are taken way out of context. For the Obama campaign's response, read here. As a result, there are persistent rumors afoot that Obama is a Muslim Manchurian candidate who refuses to wear a flag pin and say the pledge of allegiance, and who has a loud-mouthed (Christian) preacher. Don't think too hard about the contradiction of a Muslim with a preacher problem...humans have difficulty holding two contrasting ideas simultaneously!

Few things upset me more about American politics than the fact that we are, in general, very ignorant when it comes to politics and statecraft. As a result, our politicians pander, our political debates are watered-down affairs, we hone in on symbols at the expense of substance, and we fall victim to darker impulses - exploiting certain classes of people (gays and lesbians, immigrants, Muslims, the military) as wedge issues, voting our fears instead of our hopes and allowing dark prejudices to seep into our public discourse.

If you take all these sad conditions and package them into an anonymous e-mail, especially under the guise of patriotism and defense of the American Way, you are evil, and you are certainly no patriot. You play on the fears and naiveté of an ill-informed public.

If you read and accept these e-mails, even if they come from a trusted source, without scrutinizing or researching the information, then you are doing yourself a disservice and you need to pick up a civics text, or read some source material on the web. If you believe these anonymous e-mails wholeheartedly and pass them along, you may well be a concerned citizen, but you're certainly not a well-informed one.

This type of campaign is so pernicious because it undermines the founding principles of our republic: that factions can sit down in a forum and peacefully debate issues, balancing enlightened self interest with the greater good of the community. To attempt to win or lose an election on unverified challenges to one's patriotism, religion, or honor is a shame and a farce. Do we really want to be like Zimbabwe?

I know it's easier to capture peoples' attention with the meaningless twaddle that fills our inboxes, but, damn it, we have important issues to hash out, including energy, health care, jobs, civil liberties, executive branch powers, and our role in the world. John McCain and Barack Obama have statements and proposals on each of these issues, and we owe it to the candidates to assess them on their merits. I'm not voting for my favorite new hit single, a dinner companion, or the new color of M&M. I'm voting for the President of the United States. So are you. So maybe we should start to act like this thing matters, because it does. Talking about flag pins and resorting to our basest nature by challenging a candidate's religion (and turning Islam into an epithet in the process) is wretched, corrosive to our democracy, and frankly a waste of time. The candidates deserve better, and so do the voters.