Or: A LITTLE SYMPATHY FOR THOSE WHITE DEVILS
Ahh... good old Columbus Day.
Don't be too hard on old Chris. Another business man trying to take a bunch of lousy trips that went way over cost and turn a profit any way he could work it. Guy worked for a tough company. Queens and investors don't shell out cash on the backend for nothing in return when you come sailing home years later with a nice tan and nothing else to show for it. Another guy who gets a bad rap when you look at him through 21 century, rose tinted glasses. Yeah, he did a lot of bad things. But so did just about everybody else in the history books. Conquest sucks. It sucked then and it sucks now. Welcome to the Western World. If you think he was rough on indigenous peoples, check out what the assholes who run Shell, Exxon and Mobil have been up to in South America lately. Just to name a couple corporate culprits. And much like way back when, we're the ones buying the shit that they're selling. Given the prevailing politics, economic factors and general philosophy of the time Columbus lived, you can at least argue that he didn't fully understand all the various, long range ramifications of his actions. It's a lot more then you can say for the bosses now. They get the picture completely and still don't give a shit.
Ahh... good old Columbus Day.
Don't be too hard on old Chris. Another business man trying to take a bunch of lousy trips that went way over cost and turn a profit any way he could work it. Guy worked for a tough company. Queens and investors don't shell out cash on the backend for nothing in return when you come sailing home years later with a nice tan and nothing else to show for it. Another guy who gets a bad rap when you look at him through 21 century, rose tinted glasses. Yeah, he did a lot of bad things. But so did just about everybody else in the history books. Conquest sucks. It sucked then and it sucks now. Welcome to the Western World. If you think he was rough on indigenous peoples, check out what the assholes who run Shell, Exxon and Mobil have been up to in South America lately. Just to name a couple corporate culprits. And much like way back when, we're the ones buying the shit that they're selling. Given the prevailing politics, economic factors and general philosophy of the time Columbus lived, you can at least argue that he didn't fully understand all the various, long range ramifications of his actions. It's a lot more then you can say for the bosses now. They get the picture completely and still don't give a shit.
So yeah, I still like Columbus. He could think on his feet in the face of overwhelming adversity and was tough as nails to boot, from most of the historical accounts I've read. He was a man of his own time. Flawed and limited by the cultural and intellectual influences of his own era, just like we are today. At the very least you could say he had some pretty big balls and had the guts to put his own ass on the line as the price to pay for his own convictions. Guys like that are hard to find these days.
Art's a little like that. You have an idea, develop it over varying degrees of time for nothing except the satisfaction you get from working on projects that are filled with all the things that get you off. You try to work it to the best of your ability, regardless of all the shit that's falling apart around you. You use all the shit for inspiration. Suffering adds flavor. You're hoping there's a payday involved, but you never know. Tough business. Gotta' have faith. And a good line of bullshit when you try to bring it on home.
No matter how tough it gets, keep it in mind Chris had it a lot fucking tougher. Try not to judge a guy unless you've sailed at least 1000 nautical miles in a leaking, beat to shit boat that you built from scratch, while most of your peers were laughing their asses off at you behind your back. The Columbus/Art analogy is a little over the top and overly dramatic I realize. But I had a little time this morning while I was watching the kids and felt like messing around a little in the spirit of the holiday. It also occured to me, while I was wasting time knocking around on various news sites this morning, that I haven't done anything with this page in ages. Dead air's a drag.
Art's a little like that. You have an idea, develop it over varying degrees of time for nothing except the satisfaction you get from working on projects that are filled with all the things that get you off. You try to work it to the best of your ability, regardless of all the shit that's falling apart around you. You use all the shit for inspiration. Suffering adds flavor. You're hoping there's a payday involved, but you never know. Tough business. Gotta' have faith. And a good line of bullshit when you try to bring it on home.
No matter how tough it gets, keep it in mind Chris had it a lot fucking tougher. Try not to judge a guy unless you've sailed at least 1000 nautical miles in a leaking, beat to shit boat that you built from scratch, while most of your peers were laughing their asses off at you behind your back. The Columbus/Art analogy is a little over the top and overly dramatic I realize. But I had a little time this morning while I was watching the kids and felt like messing around a little in the spirit of the holiday. It also occured to me, while I was wasting time knocking around on various news sites this morning, that I haven't done anything with this page in ages. Dead air's a drag.
Hope everybody has a good time this Columbus day. Here's to some good, old fashioned exploration- and the price you pay while you're busy working the angles and enjoying the lofty view from the prow of a ship you built from scratch.
Cheers,
Rich
