& now for something completely different

while knifing this wee little fish i caught yesterday, i unexpectedly thought of saddam hussein. two thoughts came forward at approximately the same time: the fantasy painting that they found in his "love shack" and a mental amalgamation of his last few days before hanging. i only know of either of these because both the painting and saddams last days were featured prominently in the news



my immediate impression of these two juxtaposed memories was of a man who was suddenly realizing, wide eyed, that an unexpectedly large wave was rolling towards him, about to tear his world asunder without so much as a rubber ducky to grab on to. in all the news articles he displayed such a consistent presentation of confusion, as if he couldn't understand at all why people were trying to kill him. and in fact when they did hang him i remember feeling a pang of sympathy for this murderous autocratic who was, to me, actually only a holograph composed from various news flashes of a murderous autocrat. (although, in addition to this pang, i remember thinking that at last the person in charge is being held accountable)*

there is absurdity inherent in tragedy.

anyway, i felt bad about the fish too -- for which i had to google how to scale, gut, cut two grooves along the spine so that when i battered it tempura mix and fried it, the flesh wouldn't curl -- and considered if i ought to go veg. probably not tho.



*addendum: just to clarify my position on the execution itself -- my opinion on capital punishment is that it is inhumane and it perpetuates, by its very action and as well its affects, more violence. furthermore, the way this execution was carried out reeked of retribution and hate (but maybe that is a more "honest" form of execution?).

however, in reference to what i wrote in the parentheses about the person in charge being held accountable, i quote saddam's final letter, which has an eloquence which his life did not:

"Remember that God has enabled you to become an example of love, forgiveness and brotherly coexistence ... I call on you not to hate because hate does not leave a space for a person to be fair and it makes you blind and closes all doors of thinking and keeps away one from balanced thinking and making the right choice.

I also call on you not to hate the peoples of the other countries that attacked us and differentiate between the decision-makers and peoples. Anyone who repents - whether in Iraq or abroad - you must forgive him.."