They're Doing IT Again!

I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised by the news media's continued insistence on taking everything the Bush administration says at face value. You would think that they would have learned by now to approach this war with a healthy amount of journalistic scepticism. Unfortunately I don't get the sense of this from the recent reports about the hand over of sovereignty in Iraq. They actually are treating this as if it was a true handover of power. A few handshakes in seclusion don't change the fact that the Iraqis still don't have any say over the affairs of their own country. No amount of tough talk from a few hand picked collaborators will change this.

In this pathetic world of double talk and outright lies the moving up of the date for sovereignty is seen as a great victory. The concerns over the threats of terrorism is just a minor annoyance. We pulled the wool over their eyes! We beat them to the punch! We're winning this conflict! What a complete joke.

But the most disturbing thing for me is the gradual shift in language in relation to who bears ultimate responsibility for the outcome in Iraq. This has been going on for some time. Iraqis are being told that they are the sole architects of this rebuilding project. The overall message is that Iraq is your country, and with the handing over of sovereignty it is Iraqi responsibility to make this work. Let me make one thing clear - Iraqis must take ownership of the rebuilding of their country - but it will take the collective actions of all parties to find a just solution to the current situation. It is ridiculous to think that with the United States being the most powerful party involved that it could somehow place the entire burden on the Iraqis shoulders. Especially considering that it is the United Sates who started this war.

I'm praying that this will work out, but I'm not encouraged by these events. When will the USA ever learn?

Latest from Euro 2004

Add the Dutch to the LOSER list.

Audio: See Fahrenheit 9/11

Keep Dreaming Turkey

I think I'll be old and gray before Turkey is admitted to the EU. It's a Christian club - plain and simple. European countries are already feeling uneasy about the growing numbers of Islamic immigrants within their borders. I don't think that they'll swing open the door to waves of poor Turkish muslims with new EU privilege to legally move into their territories. I personally would love to see it. Europe needs a wakeup call. It has horded wealth and privilege for long enough. More countries deserve a seat at the table. The banquet is over-abundant - why must so many be left with the scraps left over in the garbage?

I Like Barry Bonds

He speaks his mind in an era when most ball players just take the money and run. Apparently many people - especially in Boston - don't appreciate this. What else is new? This isn't the first time that an allegation of racism is shouted down. Telling Barry to shut up isn't dealing with the issue. It's ducking it.



Don't ever lose that big mouth Barry :-)

Jacking Judge

Saw this first on Fuck Everything - This is the funniest thing I've read all year! It's a shame - even if he is innocent he'll never be able to avoid being know as the masturbating judge.

Lawyer: May I approach the bench?

Judge: One moment - I half to adjust my penis pump. Ahhhhhh - that's the stuff!

Euro 2004 Updates

France Out - England Out - Sweden Out


LLLLLOOOOOSSSSSEEEEEERRRRRSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!


I love gloating at the expense of others! It's my one character flaw. Fortunately it only occurs during blogging.

Global Warming Interview

I haven't read Mother Jones lately - and that's a real shame because I almost overlooked this interview about global warming.

I prefer interviews to standard articles. I'd like to hear the news from the source when possible. It's a bore having to sift through the cryptic verbal gymnastic of the typical staff writer.





Was that last sentence subconscious self-criticism??

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Angry Big Mouths

The web is as good a place as any to air your grievances, but it ain't perfect.

For every individual who manages to get results there must be thousands who bitch in isolation*.

(* - see Exhibit A)

Burger King or Burger Bust ?

I thought that this article was interesting considering I'm such a big fan of BK's Angus burger. I guess my stomach alone will not pull them out of their financial trouble.

French New Wave

Spent alot of time today working on my new blog. It's coming along nicely. Don't yah think? If you don't....



SCREW YOU!!!




(Hey, I'm allowed to make an angry post every once in a while :-)

Fahrenheit 9/11 - SOLD OUT

Didn't get to see Fahrenheit 9/11. Every showing for today was already sold out even before I arrived at the movie theater. It goes without saying that this sucks big time. The people who buy up the tickets several days in advance take all the fun away from movie going. What happened to spontaneity?

I guess selling the tickets beforehand helps the theater cut down on a potentially chaotic opening day. Maybe. It's still going to be madhouse. I arrived an 1/2 hour before the movie was set to start and there was l already a line in front of the theater 60 feet long. I haven't seen any thing like this since the Philadelphia Film Festival in April. But it's understandable in the context of the festival - that's just a yearly event. F-9/11 is going to be showing for several months.

The closest situation to this one for a individual released feature would be Lost in Translation. I didn't anticipate that film to be popular, but the crowds were pretty immense. When I was standing in line to get tickets during the opening weekend a women came out of the theater and said, "Front row only!" Fuck that! Sitting in the front row just isn't an option for me. I'm not going to go blind just to see a movie! I ended up seeing it the following week. That trip I knew to show up early. Good thing too - even though it was a week after opening the crowd was still big.

It Gets Deeper

Coordinated attacks across several Iraqi cities kill over 90 people.

And there are still individuals out there who have the nerve to think that this invasion was a good thing. All the neo-conservatives who master-minded this war should be sent to prison - with Bush heading he list.

I want to be on that jury.

I'd give Bush life, and make sure that he has to share his time behind bars with a cell-mate named Big Dick Bruno.


Big Dick Bruno: Say my name bitch!

GWB: Bru-NOOOOOO!

Losers!

England knocked out of Euro 2004 by tournament host Portugal

New Game: Pick The Terrorist Goon!

Who among the following is a dangerous mercenary who s now in charge of all security operations in Iraq?


Charlie Brown - Papa Smurf - Optimus Prime - Lt. Col. Spicer


I think that I made it real easy for you :-)

Fahrenheit 9/11 - You Decide

Left or Right

"Great Film" or "It's a Bunch of Lies"


I'll have make decision after I see it tomorrow. But I'll be lying if I said I'm not leaning towards the left. It just seems so darn sensible to think left these days. Who wants to be on the wrong side of history?

Water in the Pits

The capitalist enemies of humanity cannot leave anything of potential monetary value alone. Any attempt to privative something as essential to life as water is just plain evil. How long do we have before oxygen is treated as just another commodity to be bought and sold to the highest bidder.

Air Cop: You just yawned - that's a $20 surcharge buddy!




The offcial movie site for Thirst

Sports News: Euro 2004

Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah - Hey, Hey, Hey - GOODBYE!

The DH Man

I just realized something from looking over my Amazon Wish List. The Dialectic Humanism man is essential a metrosexual, but without the quasi-homosexual tendencies. For example the DH man doesn't waste his money on extravagant clothing, or hairstyles. But he would sit through an entire marathon of French New Wave films - without taking a bathroom break!

We're a rugged, cosmopolitan, but very intellectual (read geeky) brand of men.

Don't get me wrong - a DH man can be gay. It's just isn't a part of the contract :-)

My Appreciation for Amiri Baraka

I recently bought Dutchman & The Slave - two plays written by Amiri Baraka.

I've been looking forward to getting my hands on Dutchman for some time. There are few plays that I can think of that spits this much fire:

No metaphors. No grunts. No wiggles in the dark of her soul. Just straight two and two are four. Money. Power. Luxury. Like that. All of them. Crazy ******* turning their backs on sanity. When all it needs is that simple act. Murder. Just murder! Would make us all sane.

I went to see Baraka speak at Philadelphia University earlier this year. He's still as militant as ever. Still unapologetic about his poem Somebody Blew Up America. Still marxist.

I remember thinking how old and frail he looked when he first approached the podium. These thoughts lasted about 10 seconds! With every word Baraka seemed to stand taller. His expressions, energy, and movement springs forth from an oral tradition that is so overwhelming powerful that it can capture the attention of a room full of apolitical spectators.

There is nothing frail about Baraka.

I learned much from him. The best being his advice that creative individual should take control of the dissemination of their work. That's one of the main reasons that I'm blogging today.

This is my chance to give my thanks.

Amazon Wish List

I've added an Amazon Wish List to the blog (under Show Your Support) - I wanted to give you some examples of the various media products I slobber over. It's the best place to look if you have a burning desire to understand my tastes.

Any purchases you make on my behalf will be greatly appreciated :-)

1 Million Black Votes Didn't Count in the 2000 Presidential Election!

I guess this is the kind of democracy the Iraqis should expect.


America - the land of the free - home of the brave. Where truth and justice prevails!






As long as you're White!








Why am I even surprised? :-(

Israelis in Kurdistan

Much props to Seymour Hersh for the info contained within this Guardian article about the Israeli incursion into the Kurdish areas of Iraq. Hersh is one of the few voices in the mainstream media who is attempting to expose the backroom dealings of the US coalition. Hopefully his courage will help open the floodgates. The smaller independent media has been screaming in a virtual vacuum since the start of the Iraqi conflict. Until more of the media big boys start showing some journalistic integrity I don't think we're going to see many changes in public opinion.

As far as this article goes I have to take a very unusual position. I actually have to support the Israelis on this one. (I'm as surprised by my decision as you are :-) The reason being is that I support the creation of a Kurdish state. Sure the Israeli are only supporting Kurdish autonomy for their own geopolitical reasons, but the Kurds deserve to have full self-rule. The other countries in the region oppose an independent Kurdistan because of the significant Kurdish populations within their own borders. Borders which I may add were essential imposed by European colonial powers, and have helped to create extreme ethnic tensions in the region. I'm all for democracy. If the Kurds vote to separate themselves from the 'free Iraq" I'm all for it.

Unfortunately if this occurs it could lead to a regional war. But there is one country that could stop this. I can't imagine that the Turks, Syrians, or the Iranians would send troops into Iraqi Kurdistan as long a there are over 1000,000 US troops in Iraq. There is a huge chance the US will end up selling out the Kurds once again if this thing reaches critical mass. The US government has stated over and over that they do not want to see the breakup of Iraq.

Who's Running the Show?

Have you noticed the large number of simpletons that have children? Their intellectual abilities are not much better than the children in their charge. I'm sure that a blind person in their presence would find it hard to distinguish between the parent and the child. If it wasn't for the size difference this task would also be a difficult for a sighted person.

I have no hope for the future.

Faces on the Train

I found myself starring at two separate woman on the train yesterday. One was a rather plain Asian girl with short hair, grey sweat pants, and a rather large bag on her lap. The other was a Hispanic woman with a large mass of streaming curly hair. Complete opposites in type and looks, but I had an equal amount of attractive to both.

It's so frustrating when you're not sure what you should be looking for in the opposite sex. I have an idea - unfortunately want I want has more in common with fantasy than reality.

Booty Black Hole

Is it just me or have Black Women's asses been on the shrink? Once it was no big deal to see a Black Woman with a beautiful bubbled backside, but rarely do I see this today. When one does wiggle into my view its a call for celebration.

This is certainly an unusual physical phenomenon. I wonder how many medical journals are covering this? :-)

Attraction & Young Women

I find myself less attracted to young women. It's not that I find no young women attractive, but they seem to lack the maturity and sophistication that I yearn for. It's also a matter of style. Women are steadily morphing into some kind of masculine-feminine hybrid. I'm not intimidated by these developments - I'm no portrait of masculinity myself - but I do find them saddening. Both genders should be moving towards a kinder, and gentler ideal. The raging alpha creature we are resembling more each day is a cultural dead-end.

Beheading in Silence

I haven't commented on the latest beheading of an American in the Middle-East. It's just one tragedy amidst the thousands produced by the American misadventure in Iraq. If there is anything that will properly explain my feelings towards such acts it is this following passage from Fanon for Beginners:

Intellectuals and Leftists present a different problem. Although their politics should put them in a category of friends, they either demonstrate what Fanon calls "Pseudo-Solidarity" or have abandoned the cause completely. Militant FLN tactics throw them into a panic: by condemning a "terrorist" act, the intelligentsia loses sight of the reasons why violence is necessary to overturn colonial rule. This is a forest-and the trees problem based on a misguided emphasis on the individual. In this type of thinking, a single act of brutality or kindness eclipses the entire struggle. (pg. 88)

Frontline: The Plea

I've been very hard on the PBS program Frontline recently, but I must give props when they're due.

The Plea is their best program in years! This show scared the crap out of me, but it confirmed something about the American criminal justice system that I always assumed. We've all been lead to believe that in America you are perceived to be innocent until your guilt is proven through a preponderance of evidence. But this is just a legal concept. In practice it's the opposite that is true.

Your guilt is assumed in all situations. For this reason I perpetually attempt to show innocence of my actions.

I don't do anything without trying to think out the consequences.

Audio: My Obsession With Insomnia

I borrowed the movie Insomnia from my mother a few weeks ago, and I've watched it everyday since. There are many interesting layers to this film - so much so that I can't seem to get tired of watching it.

Insomnia isn't my favorite movie of all-time, but it might become my most watched.

(Insomnia at the imdb)

My Letter To the Editor

In response to this article:



From: D. H.

Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 11:35 PM


Subject: David Brooks

There is something that I don't understand. You chide Brooks because he has the audacity to back away from his pre-war position. While on the flip side you applaud those conservatives who stubbornly choose to stay the course.

What's wrong with this picture?

By the content of your article it would seem that Brooks is being the most honest intellectually. I prefer his stance to that of any see, speak, and hear no evil war-hawk.


His Response...

Maybe so


He's such an awesome conversationalist!

Audio: More Sports News

Dialectic Humanism: Your place for late news! - Pistons Win - More Euro 2004

Allah Made Me Funny

Muslims can be funnny too! :-)

Just remember to throw all your stereotypes out the window. Please-

Unfortunately India is just like California

I want to build on my previous post about the unhealthy nature of our obsession with celebrity - apparently it isn't just an American phenomenon.

If you're wondering what other country is stupid enough to elect someone as unqualified as Arnold the Terminator - look no further than India.

I've read some ridiculous things in my day, but the worst is the religious reverence shown to celebrities in this article.

People, they're just actors!

Ever wonder what's it's like to be an Ethiopian herder?

One of the things I like about the BBC is their attempts to bring the stories of everyday people to the forefront. You rarely see this from American media. Unless you count reality tv contestants, and millionaire celebrities as everyday people.

Our obsession with the sensational really distorts our perception of history. Read Who Built American? Working People & The Nation's Economy, Politics, Culture & Society if you want to get the real essence of American History.

Mack 10 Misfires

You must be blind if you didn't see this coming. It's not like it was a match made in heaven.

Hey Mack 10, what's up with the mask?

Books: Spike Lee - By Any Means Necessary

I really love the work of Spike Lee. I consider him the most talented filmmaker in the United States today. No one else is as creative, or is willing to bring to the screen stories as provocative. Many people have a strong dislike for Spike, but I feel this is because that do not understand him. They mistake the truth that he brings to the screen for sensationalism. But mark my words - we will be celebrating the genius of Spike Lee we he's old & gray. This country has a habit of celebrating individuals upon they're removal from public life. Muhammad Ali anyone?

I just purchased By Any Means Necessary: The trails and tribulations of the making of Malcolm X by Spike Lee with Ralph Wiley.

It's written in a conversational style which was very fun to read. It's the next best thing to having a sit down with Spike and his crew. There are some truly fascinating passages. Like this excerpt from a talk Spike had with historian Dr. John Henrik Clarke:

I asked Dr. Clarke which assassination, King's or Malcolm's had been more detrimental. He said, "Both were, but perhaps Malcolm's more so. All the working-class people could feel a Malcolm X. They could hear Malcolm X, and two weeks later they could whisper back what he said. Verbatim. They could remember the way he put it, and he put it so well. The day after King spoke, they knew he had spoken well, but they couldn't exactly say what he said. Malcolm X found the language that communicated across the board, from college professor to floor sweeper, all at the same time, without demeaning the intellect of either."

In preparation for the film Malcolm X Spike also spoke with Minister Louis Farrakhan:

"In my judgement, Spike, this movie can have a healing or a terribly divisive effect. I will wait and see what is done, how it's done. Because I firmly believe, my brother, Mecca is very upset because Farrakhan has brought back the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, and now tens of thousands of our people are gravitating towards his message, which they don't believe has everything to do with true Islam. The Malcolm I know was not impressed with rituals. You couldn't take Malcolm to Mecca and show him some blond-haired, blue-eyed white man walking around a black stone and knock Malcolm out. Not the Malcolm I knew. Because that's not reality, that's a ritual. In Islam, Blacks don't have the respect and honor of whites in the religion. Racism pervades Islam as well as Christianity. I've been there and I've seen it."

I protested this. "But his famous letter, something must have happened. I mean those letters weren't fabricated when he said he felt that true Islam would remove racism from..."

Farrakhan wasn't having any. "When the Nation sent Malcolm to Mecca in 1959, he saw that. The last time wasn't the first time he ever went. He didn't experience hajj that time, but he knew there were white Muslims and he kew Islam, and any true religion is supposed to be able to remove racism. But the question is, has it? If racism is still in existence in the Islamic world, then how has Islam removed racism? It has not."

Denzel Washington also adds some meaningful commentary on the philosophy of acting:

I believe that the universal stems from the specific. I do things based on what I think and feel. Not based on how I think they'll affect everybody. I think in order to have any kind of universal effect, you have to be specific. You know, you have to be honest. As an actor, I work on that probably more than than anything else. I say, be honest, be honest, be honest. Come to it with the truth, don't lie. And that's from within, because it's all lying, in a way. Acting is lying, because we're not in 1963 at a rally, but in 1991 at a staged set, but there is area within the acting itself that is honesty. Within that given world that you re-created, you have to try to be honest and truthful.

Best 7 bucks I ever spent! :-)


(Malcolm X at imdb)

Audio: The Sports News

NBA Finals 2004 - Euro 2004

Audio: My Day at Odunde

The Odunde Festival

Noam Chomsky: On Class

Another informative interview by Noam Chomsky. How the hell does he do it? Chomsky is a intellectual well that never runs dry. There are a few things that stood out - chiefly his description of class in America:

In fact, in the United States people have drilled into their heads that they are all middle class. My daughter teaches in a state college, where people come from what we would call working class or less, many of them are just transients... people are underclass. But, the first day of class she always asks people "What class do you belong to?" and everybody says middle class and then she starts bringing out what their aspirations are. "What you go to college for?", "What is your father doing?" and so on. It turns out, you know, my father is a janitor, when he has a job and I'm hoping to be a nurse, but they're middle class. Everybody is middle class.



This reminds me of a argument that I had with a friend of mine. I simply stated that companies should ignore the minimal wage, and pay their employees a living wage. To my surprise my friend took issue with this mild statement. He gave all type of counter arguments:

the economic need for low wage workers; the market forces that make workers of this type necessary; and the general laziness of the minimal wage class.

I was deeply offended by all the reasons he gave. My objections to the minimal wage is based on humanist principles, so his amateur market analysis had no affect on my opinion. But what really bother me was that he had the audacity to take this position in the first place. This man is the child of poor immigrants, and he works at a relatively low-wage job. At best he is paid double the minimal wage. Where did he get the idea that it is to his advantage to be a proponent of industry?

Many of us are clouded to where our true interests lie. We Americans have a tendency not to have a true understanding of which class we actual belong. My friend has failed to realize that those same forces that squeeze down the wages of minimal wage workers are also pressuring him. He may feel that pressure alot less, but it is still there. His attitude is more in line with that of a 'captain of industry', than a person who makes just double the lowest legal wage. I suppose he feels a sense of accomplishment because he isn't at the bottom of the wage scale. I wouldn't be so complacent if I where him. For those same market forces that he is championing would send his ass into the welfare rolls if it would help the quarterly results.

Ronald Reagan: The Attack of the Living Dead

Is it safe to come out? Has Ronald been tucked into a nice snug box, draped with a flag, and covered with earth yet? Can we now go back to worrying about the living? Must we mourn a man who has essential been dead to the world for over a decade?

It is ok to come out?

Good :-) The Republicans sure know how to break my groove.


Now back to the old mind numbing routine.

Dialectic Humanism - The Empire

The Dialectic Humanism Empire is going through a growth spurt. I've added a few new pages at BlackPlanet, Paxed, MySpace, and Yahoo! We've gone from the size of an ameba to that of a flea. Watch out world! :-)

The sex life of a priest

This is sad - priests get more action then me.

Now I'm in mourning :-(

The firefly in my apartment

A firefly was loose in my apartment the other day. I think that I unknowingly brought the little guy into my home. Probably by him hitching a ride to my pants. After much coaxing, and frustration I managed to get the annoying little f@#ker to fly out of an open window. At no time did I every think about killing him.

Where is my frigging animal rights award!

Or insect rights award...whatever it's called. The whole time I was thinking how surprising it was that this had never happened to me before. I've seen all types of bugs in my apartment - but never a firefly before that day.

I do remember as a kid my friends and I would collect hundreds of fireflies in a jar. It's amazing how much bright light these living creatures can give off. Science fiction is less weird.

I'm not sure how cruel it is to put fireflies in a jar. We did poke breathing holes in the lid! (hopefully that salvages my chance at a reward). I'm certain that kids today don't do this anymore. Maybe if it's made into a $80 video game they'll start up again.

I just noticed something...

Why the heck am I calling them fireflies? I grew up calling them lightning bugs.

It seems that maturity strikes in some unexpected ways.

Didn't like Reagan then, still don't like him now

As I said before - I've made a conscious decision to ignore the time of mourning for the late not-so-great President Reagan. I've never like Reagan, or his policies. I never found him to be charming, and his oratory skills never moved me. I'm just being honest. The fact that the man is now dead isn't going change my opinions on his legacy.

Some of you may think that I'm being cold, but I'm just trying to be real with you. If you would rather get a sh!tload of phoniness than go to Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, etc. There you'll get all the tears, mountains of hero worship, and doses of revisionist history that you can stand. Give us a break! None of these teary eyed phonies care about Reagan the man. They only care about about one thing - the Dollar. They are of the greedy elite that did so well in the eighties. Of course they support Reagan! Sh!t, I'm still waiting for my share of that trickle down Ray-Gun-nomics.

I'm patient, but two decades!

The real dupes are those hicks who think that Reagan was 'their guy'. It's a sad day when a poor man helps to create a system that undermines his own interests.

Even more laughable is the belief that Reagan was popular:


During his years in office, Reagan was not particularly popular. Gallup just published poll figures comparing him during office with other presidents. His average ratings during his years in office were below Kennedy, Johnson, Bush I, and Clinton; above Nixon, Ford, Carter. This is averages during their terms in office. By 1992 he was ranked just next to Nixon as the most unpopular living ex-president. Since then there has been an immense PR campaign to convert him into a revered and historic figure, if not semi-divine, and it's doubtless had an effect, radically shifting the rankings.




Wake up and see the light.

Tayshaun Prince: the real deal!

Looks like I have a new favorite basketball player - Tayshaun Prince! I've had favorite players in the past - namely Reggie Miller, Michael Jordan, and a few others that are lesser know (so much so that I can't think of them right know :-) But Prince is the first player who I continued to be a fan of after they made the transition from college to the NBA. I suppose that I had an inflated opinion of Prince when he was at the University of Kentucky. In his sophomore year he probably average around 13 points, but whenever I saw him on tv he scored over 20. And boy could he shoot the ball! (I love big players who can shoot the rock) He reminded me of Reggie Miller. Like Miller, Prince is also tall and lanky, but more importantly is their similarities in shooting ability, and their play in the clutch. I was sure that he would become a quality player in the NBA if given the proper playing time. It took him until last years play-offs, but given the chance he exploded onto the scene. Unfortunately this awakening occurred against my beloved 76ers. But I hold no grudges :-)

Whatever the outcome of this 2004 NBA Finals I think it's safe to say that Tayshawn Prince has arrived.

Movie Review

F For Fake (1976) directed by Orson Welles

For my next trick - a slight of hand - a disappearing act - Up to your old tricks? - Of course, I'm a charlatan. The magician is just an actor. Let me tell it. Ladies & Gentleman...

Elmyr - as much lies - as much real - world of make believe - Elmyr: I am not an actor.

Clifford Irving: Is it a good fake, or a bad fake?

On the streets of Italy - Oga Kodar - legs, hips, ass... stare, gawk, point, smile, yell, snap! Wiggle, shake - the fine art of girl watching - to act as bait.

Spilled wine for good luck - Ibiza, Spain - where restless souls may lie. Let us roll back and come again... My personal feelings on Elmyr.... He's an illusion. The greatest art forger in the world. Elmyr: If they hang long enough in a gallery they become real! The man who held the art world to ransom.

Elmyr: It's a fine drawing - should we burn it? Proving that the experts aren't infallible. I've lost faith in expertise.

Elmyr: Would you like a nice Matisse? He is hesitant- Which is mine, and which is Matisse?

With a flash of newborn sun... he puts on a brave face and gives another party.

Was his Hughes a lunatic, with fingernails like claws, and hair down to his waste? A rich man turned hermit - To the good people of lost vegas: Pretend to be shocked!

Don't be spooked by the experts. The tale that he tells he has created in his imagination. He was fooled - he was used - squeezed like a rag doll.

The directors next flight into fakery was by flying saucer - Is he winning now? Selling fakes all over the world - from fake to fake - con man to con man - town to town - one jump ahead of the law. Elmyr: Jail is jail. Let's face it. I was imprisoned - I was interned.

That is very important matter. Was he distracted? Inspired?

Thee goes eyes that never stared before.


-----------------------------

(F For Fake on imdb)


For more info read:

Elmyr de Hory,the greatest art forger

Clifford Irving's Hoax - the fake autobiography of Howard Hughes

Have an Angus - Clog an artery

I've fallen in absolute love with the Angus burger from Burger King. I've eaten atleast 4 over the last 3 days. Just talking about it makes me want to go out and get another. MMMHHH GOOD :-)

The news has been really boring over the last week.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one thinking this!

It's hard for me decide which news story had me reaching for the remote quicker - it's either the coverage of the D-Day anniversary, or the death of Ronald Ray-Gun.

In this time of need a prayer is definitely in order:

Oh glorious News God - please bless the ignorant multitudes with a story worth blogging about - we are your children Lord - our minds must be fed!


I must be the most jaded human on the planet. Atleast I have one claim to fame.

The Jewish State?

Mostly fluff from Slate....but there is one thing that caught my eye - scroll down, scroll down some more - STOP - read about the June 14th issues of the Weekly Standard - not the story on public radio - scroll down some more - ok, we're finally there - according to the synopsis 20% of the population of Israel is Arab and Muslim.

I don't want to anger anyone, but this must be said.

Is it fair to think of Israel as a Jewish state when such a large portion of it's population isn't Jewish? This 20% doesn't even include the Christians, Druzes, Bahais, and thousands of non-Jewish migrant workers who also make Israel home. I'm tired of people calling Israel the regions only democracy when there are so many people who have been denied the right to claim Israel on equal terms with their fellow Jewish residents. Israel has to decide if it's a democracy or a theocracy. Trying to forge a middle ground is BS because people who have a legitimate claim to the country are treated as outsiders in their own land.

True democracy will not come through the Star of David, Cross, or Crescent.

I Hate ABC!

ABC should be applauded for it's show of immense kindness by deciding to air game 1 of the NBA Finals on national television.

I hope you realize that I'm being sarcastic! ABC has ruined the NBA has a televised franchise. This the first playoff game that I've been able to see in two weeks! I hardly care about basketball anymore. Way to go ABC - I'm sure flipping the playoff between several networks has been a real ratings grabber. By the way - how's that NHL doing? [OHH - Low blow!]

Those of us who still don't have cable get no respect. No respect at all. :-(

I'm not a Bill Cosby fan-boy, but I think that Earl Hutchinson is flat out wrong in his condemnation of Cosby's controversial statements about poor African-Americans. Hutchinson places too much of his argument on statistical information. Is he that out of touch? I travel with my fellow poor and underprivileged on public transportation daily - and you would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to not realize that there are behavioral problems amongst the poor that need to be addressed. I can accept criticism of Cosby for the WAY he chose to voice his concerns. But it's idiotic for Hutchinson to play around with numbers looking to debunk what Cosby said. He needs to just admit that Cosby made some valid points, and then move on to the next issue. Sooner or later the shit is going to hit the fan, and all those pretty numbers he has cooked up ain't going to mean a thing.

Audio: The Good & The Bad, part 2

Music: Thelonious Monk - "Straight, No Chaser"

Audio: The Fantasy Woman Home Kit

Music: Charles Mingus - "Haitian Fight Song"

Audio: The Good & The Bad

Music: John Coltrane "Mr. P.C."

Blog Reviews

Intellectual Hip Hop Commentary - the title of this blog may seem to some like a contradiction of terms. Hip-Hop hasn't been truly intellectual since the best days of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions, and that was over 14 years ago! Good to see that one person is trying to recapture that intelligence that has been devoid from rap music for all these years. I wouldn't do it. That sea of ignorance is way too rough for me to wade through.


Whatever - discussions on important issues of the day (:-) and baseball (;-(. I like the news, politics, and movies that's featured - so I can excuse the baseball monster and still enjoy what this blog has to offer. I respect that this blogger is a huge baseball fan, but that game is too boring to attract my attention outside of the post-season. America's pastime? Yeah, like 100 years ago!

(This reminds me of a story - my dad, like most of the guys of his generation, is a huge baseball fan. I was talking to a friend of my father who asked me which team I liked. I first started off with the truth - I told him that I didn't like baseball, and I thought it was boring...blah, blah, blah. But the whole time I was talking he's just staring at me like I'm insane - so finally I just say that I like the Mariners (this was when they still had the Big Unit, A-Rod, and Griff). He then lights up and yells to my father, "This boy knows a good team!" It was as if all that I said before I named a team was in some foreign language - :-)




Daudi's Afrofile - most news blogs are a worthless endeavor composed of links to stories that everyone else and their mama is already talking about. That is why I try to give props to bloggers who attempt to give attention to topics that are under-reported in the mainstream media. African news blogs fit this bill because Africa is only noticed on the networks if there is an ongoing war(or famine) that is threatening the lives of millions. It's good to know that there are some people who are trying to keep the spotlight on the continent at all times. Afrofile probably should be updated more often - but maybe the blogger is too busy because he has a real job. To bad not all bloggers can be unemployed slobs like moi.




Paranoid Insomniac - a blog written by a 15 y/o girl of Filipino descent trapped in London. She squeezes some social commentary onto this blog - stuck between posts complaining about her paranoia and lack of sleep . As someone who is going through his own problem with sleeping I can emphasize with this blogger - insomnia is a real bitch! There also a good amount of dreary teen angst throw in for good measure. I love that - feel good blogs make me want to vomit.

Ahh, to be 15 again:-) Who am I kidding - I hated being 15! It's amazing that there are 15 y/o bloggers who can actually create something that I like. Especially when the format used is that of the dreaded personal blog! Personal blogs usually suck. Who wants to read about someone's insignificant life, and their completely worthless friends:

Personal Blog: "I went out with Dave yesterday... Me: Dave? Who the F_ck is Dave?

Reading the ingredient labels of the food in my cupboard is more entertaining (and scary!)


Nakimuli-Atim: My year in Uganda as a Rotary Ambassadorial scholar - blogging was made to capture unique stories such as this. Nakimuli-Atim is a blog written by a White American woman on an educational mission in Uganda. Reading this blog almost makes me feel like I'm eavesdropping on a private conversation. I'm sure that the main intent of this blog is to keep friends and family of the blogger informed about her activities. At any rate her perspective on Ugandan culture is fantastically informative, and entertaining. But if you're looking for links to Ugandan topics you'll have to look elsewhere. This blog is just journal entries of the authors experiences.

The Struggle Blog - another progressive news-blog, but I really enjoy the viewpoints on display here. The blogger seems to have a good sense of humor too. My only complaint is that it should be updated more often. I guess this guy/gal has a social life. Damn extroverts :-)

Toothpaste for Dinner - the world's best sketch blog! However, since I don't know of any other sketch blogs, the field is rather limited. Great stuff - wish I was first person to think of doing this.

No Pasaran! - the title of this blog intrigued me because No Pasaran was a cry of resistance to fascism during the Spanish Civil War. I wrongfully assumed that any blog with such a title would be overflowing with progressive ideas. Unfortunately all this blog seems to have time for, other than random commentary on French news articles, is to criticize the French government for anti-Americanism. I've noticed that there seems to be alot of conservatives who attach themselves to progressive causes only to push forward a right-wing agenda. This blogs' backdoor support for Bush and his policies is seriously misplaced. Is it possible for a person in good faith to belive that the Bush administration would support Spanish Republicanism circa 1930s? Remember Haiti if you're even thinking about saying yes.

In my latest correspondence with CG we discussed the movie Dirty Pretty Things - CG, don't worry about me revealing personal secrets. I do have morals :-)



CG: Hey DH,

I've been busy with the summer session, how about you? BTW, I saw Dirty Pretty Things...it was a pretty good movie. Not the best I've seen but it was interesting.
I really felt bad for Audrey Tautou's character, Senay. I wonder why she cannot get a proper Visa or a passport. It was just horrible what she went though; sexually abused at every point possible.

I thought Okwe was a good man. He seemed a bit stern and stiff but I can sorta understand his position. I mean, how many movies are out there where the characters always have to have a love scene? DPT's Okwe, I think, displayed some kind of hard love.

I think it was apparent that he cared for Senay but his first priority was getting home to Lagos to his 7 year-old-daughter. I would've liked to have seen their romance develop but I guess it was meant to be a sad story.

Interesting how there were barely any English people in the film; a few here and there but everyone seemed foreign. The doorman was Russian, the manager Senior Juan was Spanish, the cab company were African. It was also interesting how they barely showed the lives of the guests.

What was your take on it?





DH: It was a good movie, but I didn't like it as much as the critics.

I did enjoy the social dynamics - having the entire film take place in the immigrant underbelly of London was fantastic. It showed us that there is a whole world of people out there totally separated from English society whose only hope for survival is to earn a little money and stay one step ahead of the law. But even in this depiction there was problems. The one Black women with a significant role was a prostitute!

A funny side note - according to Turkish fans on the D.P.T. message board on imdb - Tautou's attempt at a Turkish accent was laughable. Now I personally don't now what a Turkish accent should sound like - especially a Turkish English accent - but apparently neither did the movie's director or Tautou. In my supreme kindness I'm prepare to give them a pass on that one :-)


But there is one thing that I couldn't ignore. Something you've already touched on.

Why didn't they give Senay and Okwe one tender moment. This was unforgivable to me. Why? Because Senay was used, harassed, and abused by just about every man of authority in the movie: the immigration guys, the slimy Bangladeshi sweat shop manager (what a scumbag! He acted like he was doing her a favor by forcing her suck his cock), and the Spanish guy. Is it asking too much for her to receive some sensual attention from the only man in the movie who truly loved her? Why was Okwe holding back? Because of his daughter? That just didn't seem reason enough for me.

I'm not a sappy guy by any means - but the lack of physical contact between the two really bugged me.



One other thing that I thought was funny - is it just me, or was Senay's wardrobe a little too stylish? She looked to me like she should have been strolling along the banks of the Seine, and not through some London immigrant slum. I guess I'll chalk that up to globalization.

Iraq: The Making of a Banana Republic

The BBC sets the record straight about the composition of the Iraqi transitional government - Q&A: The Handover in Iraq - presented in an easy to read question and answer format. Looks very 'Pinocchio' from where I'm standing. Read it - absorb the info - but something tells me that there will be many changes before the general elections in December (or is it January?).

What to do About Trollers?

One of the worst experience for a discussion forum owner is when some loser(s) hijacks their site for some nefarious purposes. I've had it happen to me and it isn't pretty.

(I would really love to post my former troublemakers email address and website, but I won't stoop to that. I'm a forgive & forget type of guy :-)

It's really hard to find a good discussion forum today because of all the unnecessary drama.

This webpage attempts to advise readers on the proper strategy in dealing with the idiots - commonly known on the net as trollers. If you're to lazy to read the whole thing I'll give you the abridged version - just ignore them.

That's cool advice - it makes me wonder if that would have helped in my situation. My first reaction was to try to reason with the guy, but like the page says that was a waste of time. It was my misfortune that the problems started when the site was only a few months old. His bitching, moaning, and threats really scared off some of the early participates. I eventually banned the guy, but things were never the same after that. I sometimes wonder if the guy had started acting up a year after the site was created would things had been different. The added resiliency that a year would have brought could have helped the site survive one ignorant asshole. Who knows?

If you're looking for a lighter take on the various personalities that populate discussions forums I would suggest this site. Talk about funny - they manage to capture nearly all of the dysfunctional net personas. I would suggest one that is missing - Racist Moron. The actions of that mental defective has destroyed countless forums.

It may be time to get a new life when the highlight of your day is eating a Wendy's cheeseburger. Atleast it was biggie sized.


SIGH