Saturday, August 30, 2008

Such a Natural Mystic...

There is something so newborn and fresh in the air after a hurricane leaves—don’t tell me Gustav wasn’t a hurricane when he visited here; it’s like insisting someone is 19 when they’re turning 20 tomorrow. The atmosphere seems to have been cleansed, purged of all the humid, hot and evil vapours that have been oppressing us for months now. A zephyr-like breeze whispers idle threats and the sun sparkles as it shines on the moist landscape. The riddim track to Marley’s Natural Mystic is blowing through the air.

This is life reasserting itself after having tossed off a tantrum to remind us who’s in charge. Too many people can’t enjoy the beauty of this moment; they have been storm-wrecked and can’t put the pieces back together again. On the other hand most of them are old hands at navigating hostile weather whether from the elements or the lopsided social system that always has them on the receiving end of bad Karma.

Many more will have to suffer
many more will have to die
don’t ask me why…

And no, we can’t just send them some good Karma, a la Facebook. A helicopter is plying back and forth rescuing people marooned in the middle of Hope River in Gordon Town. Marooned in Hope? Hopefully not Obama’s fate now that McCain has trumped him with Palin. The woman looks like a closet dominatrix, doesn’t she? She almost doesn’t look real. More like something out of The Avengers or Charlie's Angels. Can you imagine her presiding over the White House were something to happen to McCain?

No Sir, give me Obama any day.

Going back to the Olympics for a moment wasn't Dayron Robles, the Cuban hurdler great? i wish i could replay the footage of him, headphones on, warming up by rhythmically and effortlessly climbing back and forth over the same hurdle. I thought it was great that he insisted on wearing his usual glasses or spectacles rather than contact lenses or some fancy name-brand pair of racing glasses. A more unlikely looking athlete you could not hope to find. Dayron Robles, the anti-athlete, doing it for the nerds! If you wanted to personify the limber, indomitable, insubordinate, swimming-against-the-current Cuban spirit you couldn't hope for a better poster boy. Between Robles and Bolt the Caribbean certainly expanded the vocabulary of Olympic stardom!

As you can tell I’m somewhat scattered post-Gustav. Our resourceful Cuban neighbours are probably being besieged by him now. They are far more competent at moving their people out of harm's way so this creeping hurricane probably won't damage them too much.

In lieu of having anything worthwhile or truly meaningful to say let me leave you with this inspiring video of Bob Marley’s Natural Mystic fom jahlivejahlove

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sarah Palin is a "duppy" to quote Lisa Hanna's critic, I personally believe she wasn't fully vetted by the McCain campaign in the way the media will go to work on her past and soon enough we will see quotes and comments from yesteryear in a new light.

But to pick a 'token' woman for the Repub ticket, and not pick someone like Elizabeth Dole or TX Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson -- McCain just draw a bad card.

Anonymous said...

Yes,indeed,Ms.Sarah Palin as the Republican party's pick for Vice Presidential candidate is nothing but sheer tokenism.

Anonymous said...

Yes, indeed, sheer tokenism!!

Anonymous said...

tokenism is correct. And soon to be a grandmother too!!! Daughter out of wedlock!! Media has already got on her...

Anonymous said...

If a did di pregnant daughter alone, but a all a di thing dem when she say before 'bout policies which are now at odds with McCain.

Annie Paul said...

well this lends credence to the notion that choosing Palin was suicidal on McCain's part. she won't survive the media feeding frenzy, or rather it looks like she has nuff meat to throw them...