who needs shiny and new?

i remain fascinated with all things deemed useless, antiquated and outmoded. for christmas i proclaimed my want, nay need, for a globe and a typewriter. b asked if i was planning a trip to the 1800s. despite their mocking, my roommates came through for me and m got me a miniature black and white globe for xmas. tres chic. i still lust for a typewriter and after discovering this in the bowels of the library, a card catalog.

also, does anyone remember the 1900s house? that show was brilliant. i watched it religiously on PBS in high school. soon my life will contain one small tidbit of similarity to theirs as i will be the lucky recipient of three gourmet cheeses a month brought directly to my doorstep. all i need now is milk delivery in glass bottles and one of those porcelain wash basins with a pitcher in my bedroom. ermmm...as i typed the previous sentence i remembered that i received two glass milk bottles from ikea as one of my birthday gifts this year. i guess everyone is well aware of my obsession with all things antiquated* and is keen to enable this obsession.

*i am quite certain there must be a word for "obsession with antiquated things". i must figure out what it is.

inside in the city

once upon a time, long ago, bjd (not so much "before jesus died" as "before juris doctor", but chuh whatevs) i went out on thursday nights. tonight i had every intention of attending third thursday at raw so that i could sip on martinis and nat shermans and teeter around in stilettos and catch my first glimpse of taiga ermansons's fragile cross stitch on kleenex pieces. the last time i was at raw i planned to peek at them but there were several breakdancers breakdancing around in the room and i didn't feel like it was necessary to interrupt them. fortunately, i was able to check out hirokazu fukawa's A Thought at the Edge of the Continent: Manchuria to Siberia 1942 - 1947. this particular piece is "a sculptural installation using 60 fluorescent bulbs to simulate a Siberian blizzard." i wound my way through it for a bit until i became nervous that i would trip and ruin everything. it reminded me of tesla coils and the electrified lightbulb field in the prestige.

anyway, i didn't get to go tonight but hopefully i will make it to the artist talk on March 5th. in the meantime, i am listening to the pierces and writing and researching...blah

blores and whogs

so, it has been, like, forever since i have posted a blog to this particular blog. i fault my adult add and the fact that i am a total blog whore (blore? whog?). i join every blog that i am invited to and immediately dive in with earnest blogging away about some subject that has piqued my interest or tickled my fancy until, inevitably, i lose interest and my participation wanes. alas, my self-absorption has reared its pretty little head again and i have been dying to blog about my own personal interests and occasionally intriguing life experiences.

i recently celebrated a birfday and my roommates threw me a whimsical unbirthday party in wonderland.my parents, who are taking care to keep me cultured, took me out to barca and to raw to see the oscar nominated foreign film shorts. we ordered from the tapas calientes! menu at barca. i have to admit, the food sounds better than it tasted. i have been to some amazing tapas restaurants so perhaps i am being unfair but this place got fantastic reviews and frankly, i was not altogether that impressed. i hate to be a traitor but i think barcelona's fare is actually better. that being said, the crabcakes were pretty yum and my dad said the bacalao tasted just like his portuguese grandmother's homemade version. the giant pitcher of cava sangria was also a hit. i suppose i'll just have to go back and order the rest of the menu to see if it was a fluke.

Esalada de Bacalao////9 Bacalao, Chickpeas, Red Onions, Roasted Corn, Olive Oil & Sherry Vinegar Vieras con Jamon Serrano////9 Seared Sea Scallops Wrapped with Spanish Ham over Garlic Bean Sauce Chorizo Asado con Gambas al Ajillo////9 Grilled Spanish Chorizo, and Garlic Shrimp Bollos de Cangrejo////9 Crabcakes with Spicy Remoulade Setas del Monte Asadas con Mantequilla al Ajo////9 Wild Mushrooms Sauteéd with Garlic and Butter served with Crusty Bread The shorts were great, riveting, heartbreaking, beautiful, the whole bit. My parents chose to see the foreign film shorts because they have subtitles but one of the films was from Ireland and therefore in English and sans subtitles. Whoops...I guess we didn't think that one through. Fortunately, it was only 12 minutes long. I loved them all but of course had special affection for the frenchie one, Manon on the Asphalt.

LIVE ACTION
Auf Der Strecke (On the Line) - dir. Reto Caffi (Germany/Switzerland)
New Boy - dir. Steph Green (Ireland)
Toyland - dir. Jochen Freydank (Germany)
The Pig - dirs. Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh (Denmark)
Manon on the Asphalt - dirs. Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont (France)

The following is a complete list of the headlines from the May 8th broadcast of Democracy Now! Each headline contains such undeniable proof of the ruthlessness of capitalism, globalization, imperialism, and the Iraq war that I had to post them in their entirety. I think each headline speaks for itself and therefore no annotation is necessary (except to say that Amy Goodman is my hero).

One In Eight Iraqi Children Die Before the Age of Five
Iraq's infant mortality rate has soared by 150 percent since 1990 according to a new report by the charity Save the Children. One in eight Iraqi children now die of disease or violence before the age of five. In 2005 alone, 122,000 Iraqi children died before reaching their fifth birthday. Save the Children said Iraq's child-survival ranking is now the lowest in the world.

Sunni Vice President Threatens to Pull Out of Government
In other Iraq news, the country is facing a potential political crisis. Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has announced he will lead a withdrawal of Sunni politicians from the Cabinet and parliament if changes are not made to Iraq's constitution by May 15. Experts say the move could be a potentially devastating blow to reconciliation efforts within Iraq.

68 Killed in Iraq On Monday
Meanwhile at least 68 people died in Iraq on Monday including 13 in a pair of attacks in Ramadi. Earlier today a powerful car bomb exploded in the Shiite city of Kufa. 16 people died. Another 70 were wounded.

Iraqis Vow to Destroy "Wall of Occupation" In Baghdad
The Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman is reporting today that the residents of the Baghdad neighborhood al-Azhamiya have vowed to destroy the wall that was built by U.S. forces to isolate the Sunni area from nearby neighborhoods. Residents of the area described the structure as the "wall of occupation." On Friday a member of the 82nd Airborne was shot by a sniper while inspecting the wall in Baghdad. The soldier is in stable condition.

Iraq War Hampered Recovery Efforts After Kansas Tornado
In Kansas, the death toll from last week's tornado in the town of Greensburg has reached nine. Governor Kathleen Sebelius said the town is devastated.

• Kathleen Sebelius: "There really are no businesses, very few residences, no school, no hospital, the community is pretty well gone."

Governor Sebelius said recovery efforts have been hampered because much of the state's National Guard personnel and equipment is in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kansas lacks about half the large equipment it could use for recovery efforts and debris removal, including dump trucks and front loaders. More than 20 percent of its Humvees and all but four its helicopters were sent to Iraq. Kansas now has about 1,000 Guard troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and on the Mexican border. Sebelius said Kansas can't borrow equipment from other states because much of their equipment is in Iraq as well. Kansas has been forced to hire private contractors to help clear debris.

Most Democratic Candidates Support Enlarging U.S. Military
A new survey conducted by the Hill newspaper has found the majority of Democratic presidential candidates back increasing the size of the military. Last month Senator Barack Obama called for an increase in Pentagon spending and an extra 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines. Senators Hillary Clinton and Joseph Biden and former Senator John Edwards have also backed building a larger military. The Hill reports that only two Democratic candidates -- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Congressman Dennis Kucinich -- are openly discussing cutting the Pentagon's budget.

Amnesty: China, Russia, Saudis Supply Arms to Sudan
Amnesty International has accused China and Russia of supplying arms to Sudan that are being used to attack civilians in Darfur, in breach of a UN arms embargo. Amnesty has also accused two close U.S. allies -- Kuwait and Saudi Arabia -- of supplying arms. Over 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur in recent years. Meanwhile on Monday officials from the United Nations and African Union met the head of the Arab League to discuss Darfur.

• Jan Eliasson, UN special envoy for Darfur: "Practically everyone we have talked to has said there is no military solution. And if they say there is no military solution then there is only one logical conclusion, namely that there has to be a political settlement. So we would now hope to see all of the movements, we still have work to do in that respect, but hope that they will also be coming to those negotiations in good faith and be preparing themselves for real negotiations."

Chevron to Pay Fine For Paying Kickbacks to Saddam Hussein
The New York Times is reporting, the U.S. oil company Chevron is preparing to pay up to $30 million in fines for illegally paying kickbacks to Saddam Hussein for access to Iraq's oil before the U.S. invasion in 2003. The penalty, which is still being negotiated, would be the largest so far in the United States in connection with investigations of companies involved in the oil-for-food scandal. It appears Chevron began paying Iraq kickbacks in August 2000. At the time Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was a member of Chevron's board and led its public policy committee, which oversaw areas of potential political concerns for the company.

World Bank Panel Rules Wolfowitz Broke Bank Rules
Pressure is increasing on Paul Wolfowitz to resign as head of the World Bank. A high-level World Bank ethics panel has determined that Wolfowitz broke bank rules by arranging a pay package and promotion for his girlfriend. On Monday one of Wolfowitz's closest aides, Kevin Kellems, resigned. The New York Times reports European governments are trying to reach a deal with the Bush administration where Wolfowitz would soon resign and the U.S. would be allowed to pick the bank's next chief.

Latin American Nations Unite to Form Bank of South
Momentum is growing in Latin America to form an alternative to the U.S.-controlled World Bank. Venezuela and Argentina have already pledged more than one billion dollars to start the Banco del Sur, or Bank of the South. Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay have all expressed support for the bank.

• Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva: "We're meeting all the ministers to discuss what's the goal of this bank. Is it a bank for financing? Is it a bank to develop the region? How will each country participate? In what way will we participate? So to create a bank, it's necessary for us to have sustainability in the idea. It's important for it to be a financial institution of much credibility and, for that, we need to resolve all political divergence that may exist about the bank."

Last week Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced Venezuela would pull out of the World Bank and IMF.

• Hugo Chavez: "We don't need to go to Washington, not to the IMF nor to the World Bank nor to anything. I want to formalize the exit of Venezuela from the World Bank from the IMF and from all of that. We don't need anymore to have a governor or a representative there. No, let's get out. We don't even want to be there and they return our money to us because now they owe us. They need to return our money to us because they owe us."

Two LAPD Commanders Reassigned After May Day Protest Violence
In Los Angeles, two high-ranking police department commanders have been reassigned over their role in the police department's violent crushing of a lawful immigrants rights rally last week. Police dressed in riot gear fired 240 rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas. Officers were seen on video clubbing protesters and journalists with batons. Overall 10 people – including seven journalists -- were taken to hospitals with injuries. On Sunday LA Police Chief William Bratton took 60 members of the police department's elite Metropolitan Division's B Platoon off the street.

Senate Probes Justice Dept Efforts to Limit Minority Vote
In news from Capitol Hill, the Senate Judiciary Committee has asked a former Justice Department civil rights chief to answer accusations that he was a central figure in a broad Republican strategy to suppress the votes of minority voters. Former Justice Department civil rights lawyers have alleged that the official -- Bradley Schlozman -- led a legal campaign aimed at making it harder for poor African-Americans, who tend to vote for Democrats, to meet voting requirements.

Canadian Company in Talks to Buy Reuters For $18 Billion
In media news, the Canadian company Thomson Corporation is in talks to buy the British news organization Reuters for nearly $18 billion. If the deal goes through, the merger would result in the world's largest news and financial data company.

Tenet Makes $2.3 Million From Companies Profiting Off Iraq War
Investigative reporter Tim Shorrock of Salon.com has revealed that former CIA Director George Tenet has made at least $2.3 million since he left the agency by working for four corporations that are directly profiting from the so-called war on terror and the war in Iraq. Tenet did not disclose any of his corporate ties in his new book "At the Center of the Storm." Tenet sits on the board of directors of L-1 Identity Solutions, a major supplier of biometric identification software used by the U.S. to monitor terrorists and insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tenet is also a member of an advisory board for Analysis Corporation which is designing terrorist watch lists for the government. Tenet also serves on the boards of two other government contractors, Guidance Software and Kinetic.

Former Marine Recruiter Jailed for Abusing High School Girls
In Wisconsin, a former Marine recruiter has been sentenced to one year in jail and three years on probation after he was accused of sexually assaulting two high school girls that he met at their school during a recruiting trip. A 17-year-old girl said the Marine – Donny Rage - groped her in his recruiting office and attempted to have sex with her at a party. One of the victims said "He had a gun in his room and he was forcefully telling me what to do and forcefully telling me how to do different things. I was scared and I felt I didn't have the right to leave the room." Last week Rage pled guilty to one charge of false imprisonment. Prosecutors agreed to drop seven other charges as part of a plea deal.

Amnesty: Native American Women 2.5X More Likely To Be Raped
A new report from Amnesty International has revealed that Native American women are more than two and a half times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than women in the United States in general. Studies show that one in three Native American women will be raped during their lifetime. Amnesty said many rape cases are never prosecuted because there is confusion regarding tribal and county jurisdiction. It is estimated that 86 percent of rapes against Native women are committed by non-Native men, but tribal councils have no jurisdiction over non-Native offenders even if the crime takes place on tribal lands.

Harvard Students Stage Hunger Strike to Support Security Officers
And students at Harvard University have entered their sixth day of a hunger strike in support of a living wage and better working conditions for security officers at the school. About 11 students from the Student Labor Action Movement began the hunger strike in an effort to pressure the university to intervene in negotiations between the security officers and their employer, AlliedBarton, which is one of the nation's largest contract security personnel companies.

I just started reading Alice Wexler's Emma Goldman: An Intimate Life and discovered the origin of the phrase "beyond the pale." Emma Goldman was born in Russia where during the late 18th and early 19th century Jews were forced to live within the Pale of Settlement. Within the Pale they were denied economic, social and literal mobility. Upon reading that description I began to wonder if that was the derivation of the phrase and lo



The expression beyond the pale, meaning outside the bounds of acceptable behaviour, came much later. The idea behind it was that civilisation stopped at the boundary of the pale and beyond lay those who were not under civilised control and whose behaviour therefore was not that of a gentleman.

Also, in hot pursuit of one of my goals in life--coining a phrase or term--I became very excited when I thought I had invented cubiclism...which is, of course, cubicle art. A google search turns up only 13 results which leads me to believe that I have de facto invented cubiclism. In any case, the definition I would attach to cublicism is not art intended for the cublicle but rather art created from and inside of the cublicle. Think paper clips, post it notes, staples, stamps and otherwise. I have some abstract post-it art that I think will exemplify what it is I am looking for. I think I will create a cubliclism blog and ask for entries!

Lastly for your viewing pleasure:

Multimedia Artists Project Peace Images On Verizon Building in NYC
In New York, a group of multimedia artists engaged in an anti-war action last night near Ground Zero. The Glass Bead Collective set up a massive light projector and beamed 200-foot-tall projections of peace images on the side of the Verizon building. The projection could be seen throughout lower Manhattan.

Ann Coulter Still Really Really Sucks and dresses like a dominatrix...just for fun though! Maybe she should try to actually read books instead of just devouring them rabidly with her razor sharp jaws and salivating. I'm not defending democrats but her comments about voting for a democrat being akin to voting for a 1984 style dystopia in light of the current administration is just laughable. Fortunately it appears that she has just gone completely off the deep end and will likely end up in a glass room with electrodes attached to her with a man in a white coat spoon feeding her applesauce in the next 5 years.

News of the &%$!&!

Even Evangelical Christians draw the line at scary mysogynistic "purity balls." No, it's not a sex toy, it's just the creepiest thing you've ever heard of.

The Father Daughter Purity Ball is a memorable ceremony for daughters to pledge commitments to purity and their fathers to pledge commitments to protect their girls. Because we cherish our daughters as regal princesses—for 1 Peter 3:4 says they are “precious in the sight of God”—we want to treat them as royalty.




Democracy vs. Jihad. The embedding for this youtube.com video has been disabled by request. I wonder why... Funny thing is, this crackpot video isn't such a far cry from that notorious republican party advertisement that aired over a year ago.

Mitt Romney channels G Dubs by bashing the french, the gays and stem cell research while engendering fear of theocratic world rule!!!

During the National Review Conservative Summit in DC, this past Saturday former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, who saw his state legalize gay marriage and led the call for universal healthcare desperately attempted to purge any ounce of progressiveness, social justice or acceptance that may have besmirched his record during his governance of Massachusetts. His bid for the republican nomination for president has turned him and other formerly relatively sane republications such as John McCain into neo-conservative right wing hawk apologists. Romney went so far as to describe his paranoid vision of an Islamo-fascist new world order for his conservative coconspirators. Read it and weep.

details and photos of this weekend's anti-war protest (that other thing which happened in DC this weekend) coming soon...

Until the new year my entries will be short and sweet, if by sweet I mean sick, sad and sarcastic.

My suggestion for post-Christmas glut reading material is Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. Libertarians, eat your hearts out (it may be the only sustenance you can afford on minimum wage.) The rest of you will never again experience a guilt-free moment. Revel in it masochists.

My nomination for this Christmas' Scrooge is none other than, G Dubs himself. This year instead of getting a lump of coal. You get to be a lump of coal.
Futility at its finest

In closing, Happy Kwanzaa from Tony Snow who wrote in 1999, as a syndicated columnist (and later White House Press Secretary,) "There is no part of Kwanzaa that is not fraudulent."
Parts of Kwanzaa certainly seem suspect, namely its originator, Ron Karenga. But, if there is one thing that no part of is not fraudulent, it's White House Press Secretaries.

Democrats schem-ocrats...well country, thanks for throwing us a bone and rejecting most of the complete idiots bidding for senate seats. Thanks to you George Allen will not be Virginia's Senator. The best thing that can be said about his opponent, victor Jim Webb, much like that of Rick Santorum's opponent in Pennsylvania, Bob Casey, is that the respective Democrats are NOT George Allen or Rick Santorum.

Fortunately giving the boot to Allen has more significant consequences than just keeping him out of the Senate. The man representing the "real" Virginia had plans to have a go at the presidency. His hopes were dashed, which is as good a proof as any that there is in fact a G_d (and yes perhaps it's time to start showing some respect given the evidence). Then again, Mitt Romney is hell bent on a presidential campaign trail. Rumors of a vulcan mind meld between him and Jeb Bush are running rampant. If there is one monarchical, oligarchical family lineage style reign over this country that I want to see continue it is that of the Bushes. Perhaps Romney's Mormon induced lifestyle of abstinence will keep the jack&coke&coke away from the kiddies...perhaps.

Items to feel good about in that "oh shit I just backed my car into someone but at least they aren't going to sue me" way

Democrats takeover the House and Senate

Items to feel good about in that "Dick Cheney shot an old man in the face way"

Rumsfeld gets the boot

Items that should make you want to deep throat an exhaust pipe

*Appointment of anti-abortionist, abstinence only pusher Eric Keroack, a Marblehead, Mass. obstetrician and gynecologist, to oversee the federal Office of Population Affairs and its $283 million annual budget

*OJ Simpson's recent foray into the spotlight with "If I did It" maybe R. Kelly can write him a theme song

The White House Just Don't Understand

Thanks BBC news for your in depth reporting and totally non-biased review of the government's decision to post what you describe as "sharp and witty" anti-drug ads on youtube.com. Recently, LEAP blogged and posted a press release referencing the determination by independent evaluating company Westat Inc. that these ads not only failed to inhibit drug use but actually exacerbated the problem.

"The only significant effect indicated in the relationship between campaign exposure and self-reported drug use was that more 12-1/2 to 13-year-olds and girls were trying the drug after seeing the ads."

"We want people to take this issue seriously and get the right facts about illegal drug use," says Raphael Lemaitre from the White House Drugs Office of the anti-drugs ads. Interesting statement from a representative of an organization that daily publicizes total misrepresentations of facts about illicit drugs and warps statistical data to fit their ill conceived points. Moreover, the very advertisement campaigns being discussed in this particular context rarely, if ever, detail the effects of the drugs in question, opting instead to utilize "sharper and wittier" tactics such as having a kid sprint away from a dog or shove his fist in his mouth and state, "I'm am idiot. I'm doing stupid things, and that ain't me."

The so-called MTV generation may be precocious and saavy but it's a bit much to expect anyone to glean anything intelligible about drug use from these adverts. Fortunately, it appears that some are educated about the propaganda generated by government controlled prohibitionist agencies. "When people see that these videos are from the government they'll probably just back-click out of them," 14-year-old Axel Kabundji said.

Unfortunately it appears that there are still others who wish to use more insidious tactics such as Michael Cornfield, professor of political management at George Washington University. "The government should start recruiting young people to use MySpace, the social networking website," he says. "To spread the anti-drugs message, peer pressure is always more effective than suggestions from the government."

Does this sound eerily 1984-esque to anyone else?

read the full text of the original article below:

YouTube used for 'war on drugs'

By Nick Miles BBC News, Washington

Some teenagers were sceptical about the government's tactics

Since the 11 September 2001 attacks on America, the US government's "war on drugs" has been rather overshadowed by its "war on terror".

Now the White House is using one of the internet's fastest growing websites to spread its anti-drugs message.

The site, YouTube, allows people to put video material on the web that can then be watched by anyone with access to a computer and some simple software.

The site shows more than 100 million videos a day.

It is particularly popular amongst teenagers and there is an anti-establishment feel to many of the videos posted on it.

When, for example, you type in the key word "marijuana", hundreds of clips come up advocating its use.

The government's anti-drugs messages are now competing for attention alongside them.

The theme of many of them is how teenagers can avoid caving in to peer pressure.

Sharp and witty

One shows a guard dog at a lumber yard chasing a teenage boy. A voiceover from the boy tells us that his friends persuaded him to smoke a joint and then try to outrun the dog.

"I'm am idiot. I'm doing stupid things, and that ain't me," he says.

Another shows a group of teenage boys lounging on a couch after having smoked marijuana. One of their friends abstains, and tells the audience all the things that he could be doing whilst his friends lounge around in a drug-induced haze.

The videos are sharp and witty and they have all previously been aired on television stations in America.

"This has already been worth it because we are making people feel more connected to the government and this has not cost us a cent, it has been a good policy," says Raphael Lemaitre from the White House Drugs Office.

"We want people to take this issue seriously and get the right facts about illegal drug use."

Over the last 20 years government figures show a 30% reduction in the number of people regularly using illegal drugs - that is more than 7m fewer users.

But teenage drug use has not fallen as rapidly.

In the computer room at a youth club in Silver Springs near Washington, there is a degree of scepticism about the government campaign on YouTube.

"When people see that these videos are from the government they'll probably just back-click out of them," 14-year-old Axel Kabundji tells me.

"People will say: 'What's the government ever done for me? Forget it'."

'Counter-productive'

Fifteen-year-old Gabriel Sanchez was slightly more positive. "Maybe someone might stumble across one of these messages and get something out of it," he tells me.

It is hardly a ringing endorsement and that comes as no surprise to Michael Cornfield, professor of political management at George Washington University.

"All the research suggests that the more anti-drugs ads you show teenagers, the more likely they are to actually take them. When the government says something is bad, it's seen as cool," he says.

Mr Cornfield, who has studied how the internet is used for influencing social trends for more than a decade, believes that there could be a more effective anti-drugs strategy.

"The government should start recruiting young people to use MySpace, the social networking website," he says.

"To spread the anti-drugs message, peer pressure is always more effective than suggestions from the government."

Snookered in Virginny

Oh Virginians, it's time to admit it. You guys are screwed. Your options for U.S. Senate are between a racist sexist douchebag and a racist sexist doofus. George Allen is now infamous for repeatedly displaying his bigotry as prominently as the Confederate flag he once hung in his home and wore as a pin in a highschool year book photo (why don't you just throw a pointy white hood on before your interviews and avoid the probing questions). Jim Webb is only slightly less of a disaster calling Affirmative Action "state sponsored racism" and calling for women to stay out of the military. The latter statement he has since retracted.

George Allen the next Martha? We could only be so lucky!

George Allen on Decorating:

Confederate Flags make lovely wall hangings. They also cover up the safe where I keep my Klan gear.
I recently saw both contenduhhhs interviewed on NBC's Meet the Press. Tim Russert asked Sen. Allen about an AP article documenting his decision to display the confederate flag in his home and office as well as a noose in his office. Allen dodged the noose question and explained that the Confederate flag stands for southern pride and history giving the tired equivocation every bigoted racist sputters out when confronted with their decision to swaddle themselves in it: it's about the history and culture of the south. He claimed that later in life he learned the lesson that the confederate flag represents oppression for blacks. How did he discern this complex and sensitive lesson, you ask? Why from his experience with football. Football, he explained, is a meritocracy where race doesn't matter. Recent accounts from his football buddies contradict these claims.

Rope can add a delightful whimsy to any room. Just create a small slipknot on one end and it will dangle gently from any houseplant.
Russert, of course, did not the push the noose question. Here's how the Richmond Times Dispatch originally reported it in 2000:

U.S. Senate candidate George Allen wears his conservative heart on the sleeve of his cowboy shirt and makes no bones about his commitment to law and order. Visitors to his old law office near downtown Charlottesville used to see a grim and graphic reminder of his view of criminals.

Dangling from a ficus tree in the corner was a noose, a reminder that the Republican politician saw some justification in frontier justice.

And here's how Allen's own campaign manager described it in a Washington Post story during the campaign:

Christopher J. LaCivita, Allen's campaign manager, said the noose was one item in a collection of cowboy memorabilia that Allen displayed in his Charlottesville law office in the early 1990s.

Far from being a racially charged symbol, the noose was an emblem of Allen's tough stance on law-and-order issues, LaCivita said.

George Allen on Etiquette and Social Graces:

When introducing a new guest, make him or her feel at home by using racial slurs from wherever you suspect they are really from

Yes, this is in reference to Allen's word vomit when he called attention to Webb's campaign volunteer, S.R. Sidarth, by saying "Let's give a welcome to macaca here. Let's give him a welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." In the Meet the Press interview Allen claimed that he MADE UP THE WORD. What a scholar!

Ahh, I am sure you have seen it already but it's worth another gander:

The best advice I can give Virginians....move.

The United States of Amnesia

Once again the fateful day is upon us which rendered even the most prone to pablum and chattery newscasters slackjawed and speechless. The event that brought the U.S. to its knees and the world to our feet offering condolences and aide. The event which quickly morphed a dumbfounded cowboy into a gun slinging John Wayne hellbent on spreading democracy at the barrel of a gun left us ruthless, self-righteous and worst of all, wishing we were Canadian. The events of 9/11 are indisputably tragic whether they were spawned by extremism, capitalism or both.

U.S. reaction to the events, however, turned the truly tragic hours of one fateful day into a tragedy of epic proportions spanning 5 years with generations of the devastated to come as a result of American intervention, occupation, and jingoism. Iran, Palestine, Israel, the whole of the middle east held candlelight vigils, issued statements condemning the acts of 9/11 and stood in solidarity with us. We responded by looping images, not of the worldwide sympathy but of a tiny minority who are purported to have celebrated in the streets. The veracity of these claims is still in question.

We have created the term Islamo-fascism to make clear our disdain for a religion which has nothing to do with fascism. Those who have chosen to bastardize their religion and manifest their anger and hatred through acts of terrorism should be reviled and stopped. Our reaction has only exacerbated anti-American sentiment, much of which is increasingly warranted by our actions. The invasion of Iraq has succeeded in murdering anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians. This information is largely unknown due to military and government inefficiency and cavalier attitudes such as that of retired General Tommy Franks, U.S. Central Command who stated "We don't do body counts."

A Guardian article in 2004 reported "Christian nations' forcible occupation of Iraq, a historically important land of Islam, has more than offset any calming effect of the US military withdrawal from Saudi Ara bia," the IISS said. It added: "With Osama bin Laden's public encouragement, up to 1,000 foreign jihadists have infiltrated Iraq." Noam Chomsky stated in a Democracy Now! interview on October 7, 2003, "The result of the war, as far as we know, verified that near-universal prediction of intelligence agencies and analysts. It's been pointed out since, that, to quote a few, that the Iraq war was a huge setback for the war on terror, led to a sharp spike in recruitment for Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, and in fact Iraq itself was turned into a haven for terrorists for the first time. It wasn't before, but now it is."

Congratulations Mr. President, you have proved us all wrong. There is in fact a connection between Al-Qaeda and Iraq. It did not exist prior to 9/11, nor on 9/11, nor immediately after 9/11 but with our dilligent effort to create a link between the terrorist cells responsible for 9/11 we succeeded in creating an Al-Qaeda in Iraq which continues to thrive due to our irrepressible efforts to shove "democracy" down the throats of the "uncivilized nations." Oh, and it might have something to do with our brazen flouting of the Geneva Conventions and some other human rights stuff or something....whatever.

FLAT DADDY John Chuckman I thought I knew every twist of American popular culture, but apparently not. It is an inventive society, and war is a creative force that brings new impulses. There's a program in the state of Maine, supported by the fun-loving, public-relations folks of the local National Guard, called Flat Daddy, unlike anything I've heard of before. On first hearing the name, I thought the program must involve a roving jazz band, perhaps one from New Orleans, but a moment's reflection reminded me that George Bush had assisted in removing New Orleans from atlases of the United States, Jehovah taking care of the buildings and Bush taking care of the people. Readers, I am sure, have seen street hawkers in large American cities who have life-size cardboard cut-outs of celebrities and offer to take your picture standing as though you were with someone famous. I suspect this provided the creative spark for Flat Daddy. Flat Daddy involves taking a picture of one of "the boyz" over in Iraq, enlarging it to life-size, and mounting it on cardboard. When a family back home goes to a pizzeria or bowling alley, perhaps even to a revival meeting, they simply drag along Flat Daddy and position him (the pronoun it is not used) in a prominent place among the smiling faces. More photos are taken and sent back to Iraq and perhaps to Aunt Helen in the old folks' home. The miracle is that everyone feels part of the family despite the awkward inconvenience of war. There were a few points left unclear by the undoubtedly fresh-faced officer enthusing over the program on the radio. Does Flat Daddy have to pay admission at the movies? Is he included in the minimum per-head table charge at restaurants? Probably not, but when America goes to war, the nation's two strongest impulses tend to become a little confused, preening patriotic feathers and making a quick buck. You might expect an idea like Flat Daddy to have come from Texas or the Midwest, places where beehive hair-dos and prayer in the locker room before football games are still in vogue. But, no, it came from Maine, which despite its reputation for sensible, traditional values, is where, several years ago, I observed a donut shop's gigantic, ugly over-head sign, normally given over to two-for-one breakfast specials, challenging passing cars to "HONK FOR THE TROOPS!" At the same donut shop, there was a huge display of flags in the parking lot you might have assumed were part of the patriotic outburst, but then you noticed an attendant approaching car windows with one fist full of flags and the other grasping a huge wad of dollar bills. It reminded me of the man selling balloons on a stick at the circus decades ago. Here was a celebration of invasion as only America can do it. What about others at the casino or sports bar who have their views blocked by Flat Daddy? The program is new, and this potential kink may not have been worked out yet, but I can't see it becoming a problem. Quibbling about something like a life-size cardboard cut-out of a smiling soldier in uniform slapped down in front of you anywhere in America could well be hazardous for your health. You might wonder why there isn't also a Flat Mommy or Flat Sissy program, and I wondered about this myself, but many parts of America have not got past the idea that it's "the boyz" who go abroad. Never mind that White House crap about women in Iraq. In much of the U.S., the standard for female etiquette was set when Eisenhower was president. I discovered on the Internet that people in Iraq know this program, perhaps learning about it from the drawling chit-chat between laughter and machine-gun bursts at American check points. Iraqis apparently have started their own version, necessarily rather low-tech in view of the lack of electricity and running water in so many places. After allowing the sun to bake them for a reasonable time, the bodies of Iraqi men crushed by American tanks or flattened by 500-pound bombs are gently peeled from the pavement. They are lovingly brought to what remains of the family home and propped against a wall in the basement bomb shelter, an important family-gathering place in George Bush's Iraq.

Government Sponsored Anti-Drug Ads Deemed Failure by Congressional Auditors

On Friday, August 25^th the Associated Press reported that according to congressional auditors, “The government's anti-drug ad campaign has not been proven to deter children from using drugs, and lawmakers should consider reducing funding for the $1.2 billion program, congressional auditors said Friday.” This is news came as a surprise to the government’s Office of National Drug Control Policy and Drug Czar, John Walters, who took issue with the auditors’ study. Walters said establishing a direct relationship between advertising exposure and outcomes is virtually impossible.

This alleged lack of accountability of the advertising campaign is disturbing in light of the requested $120 million dollar increase in funding President Bush has requested for the coming year. The government has already spent about $1.2 billion since 1998 on scores of television, print and radio ads designed to discourage drug use among youth. Presumably, government officials believe the ads to be beneficial despite findings by the independent evaluating company Westat Inc. to the contrary. Westat found the ads had no "significant favorable effects" in deterring children from trying marijuana or in getting them to stop. Rather, it found that more 12 1/2- to 13-year-olds and girls were trying the drug after seeing the ads, the Goverment Accountability Office said.

Walters said of the study, "We have dealt with criticism of the campaign from adversaries, including those who advocate the legalization of drugs, and we have periodically needed to place these findings in context, especially because all major youth surveys report declining teen drug use." Westat Inc. and the GAO can hardly be labeled adversarial or bent on a legalization agenda, but is there any truth to Walters’ claim that all major youth surveys report declining teen drug use? Jack Cole, Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, claims to have heard this song and dance before and is convinced Walters is out of tune.

Cole points to “Monitoring the Future 2002,” the largest government funded study ever done on the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults, and says “Walters has claimed that this survey confirms that our drug-prevention efforts are working but what did the report really say? The study asserted that over a ten-year period, between 1991 and 2002, marijuana use among students in all school grades across the United States increased. How much did it increase?—30 percent for twelfth graders; 65 percent for tenth graders; and for eighth graders, an 88 percent increase! How can John Walters say this study shows our drug prevention efforts are working? Could the drug-warriors possibly be lying to us?”

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, or LEAP, aims to combat drug war propaganda, namely that which maintains a steady flow from the ONDCP and Drug Enforcement Agency. Theirs is the voice of drug warriors who fought on the front lines of the drug war and concluded that their efforts were in vain. They claim that it is not a case of giving up, but rather of starting anew, with an attainable goal, instead of trudging ahead, ignorant to the evidence that the drug war is an immutable failure.

Check out LEAP's DVD for more information this groundbreaking organization.

Crocodile Hunter Killed by Stingray Stinger to the Heart

Steve Irwin felled by a stingray? This is a guy who wrestled with crocodiles. Think about that, he wrestled with crocodiles. Crocodiles kill hundreds of people a year; only 17 worldwide fatalities have taken place as a result of stingrays in the past 10 years. Then again, perhaps I am being too quick to judge. I mean just because he risked his own life and quite possibly his infant's tickling crocs for the camera doesn't mean that he is invincible or should have gone down in some herculean feat of mythological proportions. When you think about it, this is really just a run-of-the-mill mundane headline not unlike Pelican Decapitates Elderly Woman or 30 Piranhas Devour a Baby. You see stuff like this everyday.

According to wikipedia.org, the events were caught on camera and the footage is now in the possession of Queensland Police. Steve Irwin was in the area filming his own documentary, to be called The Ocean's Deadliest, but weather had stalled filming. Irwin decided to take the opportunity to film some shallow water shots for a segment in the television program his daughter Bindi was hosting, when, according to his friend and colleague John Stainton, he swam too close to one of the animals. "He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat at the time.

This footage is going to be on youtube before you know it.

Mission on Mission Hill
Yesterday I went on a run around Mission Hill, not because I wanted to go running in particular but more so because I was curious about the mounds of 3-legged tables, strewn about half used notebooks, art students' failed attempts at artwork and other random discarded waiting-to-be-treasures. I didn't find anything particularly tangible yesterday but I did discover a delightful Church Sign which will, with any luck, become a timeless adage: "Men try to fix problems with duct tape, God fixes them with nails."

A Mayor Who's Salty and Saucy!

Mayor Rocky of Salt Lake City has been making cameos on all the major news outlets lately thanks to his decision to protest the visit of one G Dubya Bush. Mayor Rocky vehemently opposes the American occupation of Iraq, the current administration's equivocation about and tacit approval of torture and the lies the lies the lies!!!! He really sticks it to the Fox "News" network during his interview despite repeated attempts to talk over him and change the subject.

I had the opportunity to meet the mayor at a Drug Policy Alliance conference in California earlier this year. I was a fan of him then for his anti-drug war stance. Recent developments demonstrate just how salty and saucy he really is. His favorite retort is quoting Teddy Roosevelt when defending his opposition to the president and current administration,

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

If we can't have revolution, let's have Mayor Rocky in '08!

I have recently become mildly obsessed with watching and re-watching this youtube masterpiece. Revisionist history has clearly become an art form.

Accident on Storrow Drive...anyone have details?

This morning on Storrow Drive I passed what appeared to be an awful accident in the tunnel that shuttles commuters to 93. Ever since the big dig tunnel collapse over a month ago I've felt a bit uneasy on my daily commute. To my knowledge subsequent investigations into the collapse found that whatever unstable epoxy was used in that tunnel has been used in tunnels all over boston to secure ceiling panels and exhaust fans weighting in excess of 1 ton.

The only visible evidence of the accident this morning from outside of the tunnel were the multitudes of emergency vehicles screaming down Storrow and one of the large green metal highway signs swinging off its hinge in the entrance to the tunnel. Either something in the tunnel (or falling from the tunnel) caused the accident, which I imagine in turn caused the highway sign to unhinge or the impact resulting from the accident caused it. Emergency personnel were handing down stretchers from the bridge above the tunnel to personnel standing at the entryway to the tunnel.

I haven't been able to find any information by radio or on the internet about this morning's incident.