Clearly Nebulous

Daytime War Room (#5): Michelle Obama-rama on The View

Oh, and what a lovefest it was! TV re-ran this episode from a couple weeks ago, (which is highly unfair to the McCain campaign, but whatcha gonna do?) First off, I have to admit she looked FAB-ulous. I loved that little black-and-white dress. But my lovefest ends there -- no fist bumps from me. (Hasn't everyone gotten so over that yet?)

Oh, of course MO was on her best behavior, and of course she comes across as such a down-to-earth, personable, and intelligent woman of the world. She said that Barack told her "Be good." and was she ever. But she barely had to say anything. TLOTV did it all for her. She could have simply nodded her head and smiled the whole time, instead of more than half of the time, and the party line would have been toed.

Even Elisabeth, gentlewoman that she is, was making nice and said nothing more provocative than "We can have different opinions and still like each other." (Maybe on your end, EH, but don’t be so sure that’s a two-way street...)

The worst was when they played the infamous "First time I’ve ever been really proud of my country" clip. Whoopi tried to push that MO was saying "really" meaning "very" – and how the media would leave "really" out of the quote. Well, I have always heard the quote in its entirety and I took "really" as meaning "actually" or "in reality." But anyone hearing it would have to admit their own bias, and MO ain’t gonna admit anything other than what WG was selling.

But I’ve also read the excerpts from MO’s thesis, and my bias doesn’t look quite so slanted when you keep her viewpoints from that diatribe in mind. I want a first lady who is more than just "popular," "trendy," "cool," or "hip." I want a woman who will consider the position an honor, not vice versa.

Comedic faux pas of the day: Usually Joy is the guilty party, but WG stepped in it when she said she was just so glad to see a black woman on tv – in the news and such – who wasn’t missing teeth. Now who is perpetuating negative stereotypes?

Leaving Las Vegas... and Atlantic City, and Monaco, and...

Here’s something else that bothered me from the episode of TV with Michelle Obama. TLOTV were talking about their upcoming week in Las Vegas and discussing which games they like to play. Apparently, Joy and Whoopi play the tables while the others hit the quarter slots.

MO told how her mother on two occasions won a total of $17,000 playing slots. (Didn’t mention how much her mom’s total loss was on all her gambling ventures, instead perpetuating the notion that "Hey, if someone I know can win big, so can you! Never mind how much you may lose in the process!")

Now, I’ve never been a huge opponent of gambling (yes, gambling not gaming!) but I just might become one. Especially after reading an editorial in The Washington Post.

Studies show that slot machines are continually redesigned to make the players lose as much as possible more quickly, and have become increasingly addictive. Every aspect of these machines is calibrated to maximize a player’s "time on device" and to ensure they "play to extinction" – i.e. until all their money is gone.

Slot machines used to have handles you pulled on and reels that spun – you would play with your cupful of coins a few times per minute. Now they have buttons and screens, and you can use your credit card to play hundreds of times per minute. Even the quarter slots could add up big time with this scenario.

The machines exploit the frail human psyche. Without the social factors, like other players and a dealer who may give them pause, machine players leave the real world and enter a realm where all their troubles vanish. This leads to addictive behavior – the vast majority of those in Gamblers Anonymous in Vegas play the slots.

I’ve only walked through a casino once, up in Milwaukee– on my way to a non-gambling event held in an adjacent dinner theater. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, perfect for any number of outdoor family fun activities. And yet the place was packed. I passed row upon row of folks – mostly women – sitting on their backsides, many of them smoking, looking like zombies, plunking in coin after coin.

"What a soulless place this is," I thought to myself.

I’m beginning to understand what the people who fight so hard against building casinos are really fighting for. They’re fighting for the souls of men and women who need more than a quick thrill to fill their barren lives. Who hopelessly empty their pockets, their bank accounts, and their futures seeking to fill a void.

Harmless fun? Pure escapism? Easy state revenue? I wouldn't bet on it.

The Invisible Woman

So I was on vacation for a couple of weeks, and days before and after were consumed by the trip as well. I know that dozens of people have been kept waiting, so let me jump back in...

 I visited the paradise of Hawaii, as well as La-La Land Los Angeles, and had a great time with my family (despite more missteps than I care to mention, which included a lost pair of special-order prescription glasses and an almost-lost wallet returned by an airport employee who drove out to the hangar after his shift was over to retrieve it for me!) – but nothing more than some burnt skin and one day of vomiting by one child makes me declare it a grand success!

I saw many wondrous sites that will stick with me forever. It has sparked my wanderlust, and I look forward to many more adventures with my family. I just hope I can keep my mouth shut.

Here’s my dilemma. Upon returning, I passed by a woman in the airport who was in a chador – a full Muslim garment with a veil that covered her face. Not quite a burqua, but all that was visible were her eyes and hands. It was all I could do not to say something... loudly.

You see, I have no problem with modesty. If a woman chooses to wear clothing that at least shows her whole face – well, I think it’s too much, but as long as she feels comfortable with it, I can respect that.

In fact, there was a guest on TOWS the other day who was a Muslim, and a physical trainer. She performs her job in clothing that reveals only her face and hands. She got married at 16 to a man she barely knew, but chose to marry after getting to know him at chaperoned social gatherings. She pointed out that the Muslim community does not have all the troubles that mainstream America has – teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, broken families. Who can argue with that?

But the woman in the airport may as well have been invisible. It was as if her existence were being denied to the world around her.

"I understand modesty," I wanted to say to her. "But why must you be invisible? You are a woman, not a shadow. Why should you hide your face from the world? Where is the shame in showing us your smile?"

I will travel the world, risking an international incident, unless I learn to keep it zipped – or unless the vast majority of the worldwide Muslim community steps up and decries the unnecessary restrictions imposed by those who misinterpret the Sharia law.

Anyone got a muzzle I can borrow?