election touchy feely

Okay, it's another country, it's another time zone, but still: the USA. The world is in thrall because that is what it's like to live in times that have only one superpower. It's like being a Gaul at the time of the caesars: you look to Rome. Every election matters, of course, but somehow what the good people of Iceland or Luxemburg decide to do doesn't affect anyone else to quite the same extent as what the citizens of the U of A decide to do.

I am moved by elections. I love democracy, and I am always moved by the workings of it. Yesterday we saw some footage of the Bush and the Kerry standing in front of thousands who were waving banners and whatnot, and t'h turns to me and asks, "Are you moved by this?" But I wasn't. That's not democracy.

But then they showed a clip of a woman walking into a booth and making her crosses on the ballot paper and I choked up. Yes, I get moved to tears by the voting booth! It's the voting booth where it's all at. That little private cubicle and that moment where all that counts is one person = one vote. All the bloodshed and centuries it took to get to that one moment. I can't understand people who don't use their right to make their one little difference on that piece of paper. It's an utter privilege, and in history and still in most of the world today, it is a privilege.

Democracy isn't perfect, and it certainly isn't perfect in America but it's still the perfectest system there is. There just is no substitute. I am a universalist on that one.

I am cynical about the States these days. You have to be, if you're not a citizen of it. It's the survival strategy of the Gaul. But today I am reminded that the place is, after all and despite frequent appearances to the contrary, a democracy. I am touched by the huge voter turn-out and find the re-politicisation of Americans interesting.

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In other news

cathexys recced The Administration by msmanna, and although I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi (after an intense fling with it during my impressionable teens, the attraction wore off, except for Neuromancer) I am a fan of slashy origfic, so I legged it on over there and although I have read only five paragraphs (!), I am already intrigued.

I have started my book! I have scores of pages of drafts and notes and chapter outlines but today I actually started it AT THE BEGINNING. Page one, paragraph one, 'Introduction', and the words 'This book is about...' I was hoping that the failed job interview would galvanise me into action. I am not quite galvanised but I am sort of partially bronzed. The mind does drift towards Dudley, Draco and Harry on top of the lighthouse in the final melodramatic climax of t'opus but the fingers (and it is they who matter!) are typing t'BOOK and not t'opus.

Also, I feel nostalgic for t'days that were peppered with t'ts. Now probably only a fraction of my flist even remembers what t't was for...

Am visiting my last two schools this week. Have grown into obsessed parent who marches into every open evening armed with eleven precise questions and a beady eye for the facilities.

But god, I am hoping that there will be another job advertised soon. I am sick of my institution. Sick, sick, sick, bored to tears with it.

I found some interesting articles today. And I've already got 25 proposals in for the conference session I'm chairing next spring, and the deadline's not for another two weeks!

A piece of amusing trivia: last week, I called the technician into my office because I couldn't get very good quality images on my new office computer (a MacOsX Mac on a stalk). He came in and said, could you pull up an image then. I went to Image Google and just typed in any old thing, in this case the word blah. Lo and behold, what was the first image that appeared? Full-frontal nude Brad in all his glory!

Try it. It's worth it, I promise. And if you're interested: I have all the naked Brads on my hard drive. Cock, balls, arse, chest, the lot. Yum.