Opera and World Politics

Woo - that's a hummer of a title for a post isn't it :) If I chucked Religion in there I'm sure that would have covered all the things that you shouldn't discuss in polite conversation.

Opera. Phantom of the, to be precise. FREAKING AWESOME. I've never seen it on stage before, although have been a huge fan since I was a nugget with a walkman and figured out how to copy records onto tape. Mum regularly used to come into the kitchen to turn down "Music of the Night" while I was washing dishes.
There was a whole issue with a cancelled plane from Wellington which lead to some panic, but since everyone got here in the end it was all fine.
The whole thing is just amazing - the chandelier as it goes up, then comes down, the very active set changes, the candelabras (so cool, I want), the scary high notes that people can actually reproduce while standing in front of a full house, and the costumes (OMG the COSTUMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Although Christines costume in Masquerade was AWFUL - she looked like a cheesy barbie doll! Not at all what it should have been!
I get all goosebumpy just thinking about it. And now I want to go again... :)


And now onto the other topic. World Politics.
I've been randomly following NZ and American elections with no real devotion, and I'm interested and apprehensive all at the same time to see what the next few years will look like.

NZ - National sucks, Labour sucks, and as far as I can gather Winston is a liar. So no real change is expected. What concerns me is just HOW lacklustre our so-called leaders are. You can't even mention illustrious in the same sentence as these people! I've seen the highlights of the leaders debates and all I'm hearing is Charlie Brown's teacher (or perhaps some of Romero's zombies..... aarrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh brrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnssssssssssssss). At this late stage I am only decided that I am not voting major party, mostly cause I'm sick of Helen and I don't trust John Key.

America - remarkably more interesting since they will have a first either way they go. I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about Carabou Barbie's clothes, but hey anything goes in American politics. Personally, I'm more comfortable with the idea of Obama in office but I don't get to vote so who cares.
What I'm finding the most interesting out of this election at the moment though is one of the more recent items the reporters have latched onto and are now squeezing every last drop of interest out of. Factions within the USA have been flapping their big fat mouths about how there will be Civil War if Obama gets into office. Now I find this remarkably funny for the following reasons:

1. Some of these people were dumb enough to do this on television. Seriously, if you want to launch a War, would you advertise it? No. Most coup leaders stay fairly lowish profile until they are in a position where they have good backing and some kind of power, and then cut the knees out from under the bugger they are trying to take down. (Alternatively, you find yourself a moron to act as the fall guy. Potential to succeed while not directly implicating you.).
2. The President has control of a rather large, well equipped army. What do these dumb arses have? A couple of rifles, and Arkansas. My bet in this scenario is the army.
3. The President has control of FBI, CIA, and who knows what else. Going back to my initial point that they were dumb enough to go on television about it, I think they can probably be indicted as under whatever law there is about internal terrorism/traitor. I'm pretty sure that if it all came down to it, a couple of black bag ops would quietly go into operation. It's a big country with lots of places to disappear. Conspiracy anyone?

The potential impacts of Civil War in the current economy would make the Great Depression look like a lovely day at the beach. Although I'm sure that it would be fine for all those people who have been reinacting the Civil War every weekend since it happened.

So I'm going to sit back and watch this "reporting" for the entertainment that I believe it to be.

And this weekend Judge is up to see me! Yay.