Looking at the DVD cover, remembering the advertisements, and the movie trailers...and you'd think you were in for non-stop slap-stick fun! Wrong!!!
This movie was nothing like I thought it would be, and in a way that was very refreshing. The serious outweighs the light-hearted. Yet fun and enjoyable hold equal status with harsh and bittersweet in the lexicon of adjectives that all aptly describe this film....this labor of love.
Take the risk. Be surprised. You won't regret it.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Random Quote #47
"Thought is the essence of where you are now. You do understand the danger, don't you?"
~ Eric Menyuk "The Traveler"; Star Trek: Next Generation, episode #8, season 1 - "Where No One Has Gone Before"
When fiction and reality collide......
~ Eric Menyuk "The Traveler"; Star Trek: Next Generation, episode #8, season 1 - "Where No One Has Gone Before"
When fiction and reality collide......
Sunday, April 23, 2006
What I'm Listening To #11
Blessed Sunday to all.
Having slept much earlier and probably headed for a lazy sleep-in morning, I am none-the-less up and singing along with one of the most amazing gospel/bluegrass albums ever recorded. "Angel Band" by Emmylou Harris takes the most quintessential gospel songs and presents them with a clarity and sincerity that rivals any of the Jazz Songbooks assembled to honor Ella Fitzgerald's otherwise incomparible genius.
This is an album worth it's cost....priceless!
Having slept much earlier and probably headed for a lazy sleep-in morning, I am none-the-less up and singing along with one of the most amazing gospel/bluegrass albums ever recorded. "Angel Band" by Emmylou Harris takes the most quintessential gospel songs and presents them with a clarity and sincerity that rivals any of the Jazz Songbooks assembled to honor Ella Fitzgerald's otherwise incomparible genius.
This is an album worth it's cost....priceless!
Baby, Won't You Light My Fire?
But seriously! Here's a story and a website worth checking out.
It all started when Mr. "196 & Dropping" a.k.a. Specialist James Rea had his cholesterol tested and discovered that it came in at a heart stopping 350+. His fellow fire fighters joined together and made a decision to go vegan together. In only 21 days, their imperilled friend dropped over 150 points on his cholesterol count.
The website is: http://www.engine2.org
And if nothing else, they have posted some of their favorite recipes!
It all started when Mr. "196 & Dropping" a.k.a. Specialist James Rea had his cholesterol tested and discovered that it came in at a heart stopping 350+. His fellow fire fighters joined together and made a decision to go vegan together. In only 21 days, their imperilled friend dropped over 150 points on his cholesterol count.
The website is: http://www.engine2.org
And if nothing else, they have posted some of their favorite recipes!
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Gay Persians Seek Dignity
I would recommend this website to you as a place of education and enlightenment.
And if your heart's as tender as mine can be -- still go, but take a box of kleenex with you.
Once there, clip on "English" and then
"Announcements".
Next, I would suggest to you that the following links are particularly enlightening and hard to read: "Mehdi an Iranian Gay speaks out," "Place of Martyrdom," and "Amir was recognized as a refugee." Others are more directly hopeful: "Iranian Christian deportees get reprieve," and "Iranian Christian deportees get reprieve."
And if your heart's as tender as mine can be -- still go, but take a box of kleenex with you.
Once there, clip on "English" and then
"Announcements".
Next, I would suggest to you that the following links are particularly enlightening and hard to read: "Mehdi an Iranian Gay speaks out," "Place of Martyrdom," and "Amir was recognized as a refugee." Others are more directly hopeful: "Iranian Christian deportees get reprieve," and "Iranian Christian deportees get reprieve."
Friday, April 14, 2006
Art I'm Seeing #4
I also toured the Frans van Mieris exhibit while I visited the National Gallery of Art, today.
Van Mieris (1635-1681) was a Dutch painter mainly of genre works and portraits. He studied under Gerritt Dou, and was a contemporary of Johannes Vermeer. The exhibit is a joint concoction between the National Gallery of Art and the Mauritshuis in the Netherlands. It's displayed in the three small galleries at the NGA known as the Dutch Cabinetry galleries. An intimate space that is just perfect for this show.
The works are relatively small, amazingly detailed, and full of rich technique and delightful imagery. Can you tell I'm a fan? Which kinda says something, as I'm that enamored with the painters from this place and period. Don't get me wrong, I have my favorites (Maes, Dou, Vermeer), but it's a rather exclusive club in the overall world of my artistic aesthetic. Today, add to it, Frans van Mieris.
Take the painting at hand. It's title "The Brothel". And this is just a detail from the whole painting. Looking at the technique you have an ability to portray fabric that is stunning. The light, the perspective, and the subjects: all symbiotic. And the subject...a brothel, hmmmm…two people otherwise engaged in playful conversation. So what confirms the brothel status? The dogs humping!, of course. When I noticed that, I laughed out loud -- to the chagrin a woman standing next to me, who proceeded to comment on my action to her husband in Dutch... I hope she didn't think I was ridiculing her countryman...because, in fact, I was thoroughly enjoying everything about him!
Van Mieris (1635-1681) was a Dutch painter mainly of genre works and portraits. He studied under Gerritt Dou, and was a contemporary of Johannes Vermeer. The exhibit is a joint concoction between the National Gallery of Art and the Mauritshuis in the Netherlands. It's displayed in the three small galleries at the NGA known as the Dutch Cabinetry galleries. An intimate space that is just perfect for this show.
The works are relatively small, amazingly detailed, and full of rich technique and delightful imagery. Can you tell I'm a fan? Which kinda says something, as I'm that enamored with the painters from this place and period. Don't get me wrong, I have my favorites (Maes, Dou, Vermeer), but it's a rather exclusive club in the overall world of my artistic aesthetic. Today, add to it, Frans van Mieris.
Take the painting at hand. It's title "The Brothel". And this is just a detail from the whole painting. Looking at the technique you have an ability to portray fabric that is stunning. The light, the perspective, and the subjects: all symbiotic. And the subject...a brothel, hmmmm…two people otherwise engaged in playful conversation. So what confirms the brothel status? The dogs humping!, of course. When I noticed that, I laughed out loud -- to the chagrin a woman standing next to me, who proceeded to comment on my action to her husband in Dutch... I hope she didn't think I was ridiculing her countryman...because, in fact, I was thoroughly enjoying everything about him!
Art I'm Seeing #3
Andy Goldsworthy is a Scottish artist who has this wonderful installation at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The domes are made of Slate from Alabama and they inhabit the former Japanese sculpture garden in the East Building. Their carefully crafted forms meld into each other, and when they encounter a barrier (a wall, a window) they seamlessly extend beyond it.
Goldsworthy uses organic or natural materials to explore universal and prototypical forms. The work is intensely intimate and meticulously crafted. This photo is taken from a second floor window looking down on the domes in the sculpture garden.
There is also a wonderful documentary about the artist titled; "Andy Goldsworthy: Rivers and Tides, Working with Time" which I recommend to you.
Goldsworthy uses organic or natural materials to explore universal and prototypical forms. The work is intensely intimate and meticulously crafted. This photo is taken from a second floor window looking down on the domes in the sculpture garden.
There is also a wonderful documentary about the artist titled; "Andy Goldsworthy: Rivers and Tides, Working with Time" which I recommend to you.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Our Latest American Hero #15
Army Spc. Dustin J. Harris, 21, of Patten, Maine; assigned to the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; killed April 6 when an improvised device detonated while he was conducting dismounted patrol operations in Bayji, Iraq.
"Maine Mourns Young Soldier"
PATTEN, Maine — A 21-year-old soldier from Patten who enlisted in the Army following his high school graduation was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, officials said Friday.
Spc. Dustin James Harris from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, was on foot patrol Thursday with elements of the 101st Airborne Division in Bayji, 150 miles north of Baghdad, when the improvised explosive device detonated nearby, the Army said.
Word of Harris’ death spread quickly through this northern Penobscot County town and was confirmed by Gov. John Baldacci and members of the Maine congressional delegation.
Harris was a 2002 graduate of Katahdin High School in Stacyville, where his younger brother is a senior.
“He was just a wonderful young man and we’re going to miss him terribly,” said Principal Rae Bates, who remembered Harris as a good student and outstanding soccer player who was active in his church.
Bates said she had encouraged Harris to go on to college but he decided to join the military instead.
“I asked ‘are you sure you really want to do this?’ It was so soon after 9/11,” she recalled.
Harris’ grieving family said it was not prepared to talk about their son’s death at this time.
Baldacci’s office said flags will be ordered flown at half-staff on the day of Harris’ funeral.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Spc. Harris’ family during this difficult time,” said Baldacci. “James served his state and his nation honorably and all of Maine mourns his loss.”
No other soldiers were injured in the incident.
Harris was assigned the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, which is part of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed in Mosul.
Harris was a motor transport operator who joined the Army in July 2004. He was assigned to Fort Wainwright in February 2005.
"Maine Mourns Young Soldier"
PATTEN, Maine — A 21-year-old soldier from Patten who enlisted in the Army following his high school graduation was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, officials said Friday.
Spc. Dustin James Harris from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, was on foot patrol Thursday with elements of the 101st Airborne Division in Bayji, 150 miles north of Baghdad, when the improvised explosive device detonated nearby, the Army said.
Word of Harris’ death spread quickly through this northern Penobscot County town and was confirmed by Gov. John Baldacci and members of the Maine congressional delegation.
Harris was a 2002 graduate of Katahdin High School in Stacyville, where his younger brother is a senior.
“He was just a wonderful young man and we’re going to miss him terribly,” said Principal Rae Bates, who remembered Harris as a good student and outstanding soccer player who was active in his church.
Bates said she had encouraged Harris to go on to college but he decided to join the military instead.
“I asked ‘are you sure you really want to do this?’ It was so soon after 9/11,” she recalled.
Harris’ grieving family said it was not prepared to talk about their son’s death at this time.
Baldacci’s office said flags will be ordered flown at half-staff on the day of Harris’ funeral.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Spc. Harris’ family during this difficult time,” said Baldacci. “James served his state and his nation honorably and all of Maine mourns his loss.”
No other soldiers were injured in the incident.
Harris was assigned the 172nd Brigade Support Battalion, which is part of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed in Mosul.
Harris was a motor transport operator who joined the Army in July 2004. He was assigned to Fort Wainwright in February 2005.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Pansies
Why are Pansies so oft maligned?
They are among the hardiest of all flowers! They withstand moderate and even cold winters. They boldly proclaim their presence with colors vibrant and proud. No wonder gay men are called "pansies!"
Here's a poem that I wrote under the inspiration of my window box of pansies some years ago.
MORNING THOUGHT
Perched upon the pot
December darkness obscuring
the world beyond the flower box
where a warm season’s
waning toward the solstice
has preserved the residence
as though it were May
and each day’s new morning
a reason for hope.
And yet, resolute, their
ghostly forms stand erect
little lion faces peering out
into the pre-dawn dark
shaking determined heads
an empathic “no” in the cold breeze
while every other atom of their
pansy-being screams “yes!”
Yes!, to the cat (or the raccoon)
who sets off the automatic floodlights
when passing into the backyard
to scrounge in the compost;
yes!, to the flashes of light white and red
from tail- and head-lights off to early obligations
passing-by on the road below;
yes!, to the ancient sentinels—
flickering sequins in the newly
wintering night. And yes!,
yes!, to the simple joy of existence.
< randuwa
0201.29
It was the occasion of my 41st birthday....seems like so long ago, now.
They are among the hardiest of all flowers! They withstand moderate and even cold winters. They boldly proclaim their presence with colors vibrant and proud. No wonder gay men are called "pansies!"
Here's a poem that I wrote under the inspiration of my window box of pansies some years ago.
MORNING THOUGHT
Perched upon the pot
December darkness obscuring
the world beyond the flower box
where a warm season’s
waning toward the solstice
has preserved the residence
as though it were May
and each day’s new morning
a reason for hope.
And yet, resolute, their
ghostly forms stand erect
little lion faces peering out
into the pre-dawn dark
shaking determined heads
an empathic “no” in the cold breeze
while every other atom of their
pansy-being screams “yes!”
Yes!, to the cat (or the raccoon)
who sets off the automatic floodlights
when passing into the backyard
to scrounge in the compost;
yes!, to the flashes of light white and red
from tail- and head-lights off to early obligations
passing-by on the road below;
yes!, to the ancient sentinels—
flickering sequins in the newly
wintering night. And yes!,
yes!, to the simple joy of existence.
< randuwa
0201.29
It was the occasion of my 41st birthday....seems like so long ago, now.
Senate Races 2006 Analysis #4
So far I've looked at 3 races:
Hawaii ~ 24 February 06
Virginia ~ 7 March 06
New Mexico ~ 4 April 06
And in all three I think the incubents will win. Montana is a different story.
Montana 2006 appears to be shaping up into a race worth watching. It's one of the 5 too close to call/pick-up seats that the Democrat Party is hoping to take in this year's midterms in November. Incumbent Republican senator Conrad Burns currently holds the seat. Senator Burns was first elected in 1988, and has served 3 terms thus far. Eighteen years is a long time in the senate, and frankly I doubt the average American would have a clue as to who Conrad Burns is. He seems to like life below the radar.
Yet, his low-key persona is being challenged by allegations that he conspired with indicted “uber”-lobbyist, Jack Abramov, to deliver votes in favor of Abramov's clients for certain financial “contributions”. The Dem's are portraying Burns as second only to Tom Delay of Texas in this corruption scandal. And who knows? With so many pigs squealing, anything could happen. The cloud around this is enough to make many Montanans sit up and take notice.
And whom do they have to notice on the other side? Two men are vying for the Democrat ticket: Jon Tester and John Morrison.
Both men have deep roots in Montana. Both men are traditional family men. Both men can claim the mantle of Farmer friendly--still an important constituency in this state. Of the two, Tester is the more progressive. He was a former music teacher before entering public office. His farm boasts organic agricultural practices as its evolving ethos. Morrison being more moderate is the apparent pick of the party apparatchik.
Both men post bios on their websites that read like an Abraham Lincoln log cabin great American story. Being more progressive, my heart is with Tester; but be that as it may, I will be cutting a check to support the winner of the primary.
Hawaii ~ 24 February 06
Virginia ~ 7 March 06
New Mexico ~ 4 April 06
And in all three I think the incubents will win. Montana is a different story.
Montana 2006 appears to be shaping up into a race worth watching. It's one of the 5 too close to call/pick-up seats that the Democrat Party is hoping to take in this year's midterms in November. Incumbent Republican senator Conrad Burns currently holds the seat. Senator Burns was first elected in 1988, and has served 3 terms thus far. Eighteen years is a long time in the senate, and frankly I doubt the average American would have a clue as to who Conrad Burns is. He seems to like life below the radar.
Yet, his low-key persona is being challenged by allegations that he conspired with indicted “uber”-lobbyist, Jack Abramov, to deliver votes in favor of Abramov's clients for certain financial “contributions”. The Dem's are portraying Burns as second only to Tom Delay of Texas in this corruption scandal. And who knows? With so many pigs squealing, anything could happen. The cloud around this is enough to make many Montanans sit up and take notice.
And whom do they have to notice on the other side? Two men are vying for the Democrat ticket: Jon Tester and John Morrison.
Both men have deep roots in Montana. Both men are traditional family men. Both men can claim the mantle of Farmer friendly--still an important constituency in this state. Of the two, Tester is the more progressive. He was a former music teacher before entering public office. His farm boasts organic agricultural practices as its evolving ethos. Morrison being more moderate is the apparent pick of the party apparatchik.
Both men post bios on their websites that read like an Abraham Lincoln log cabin great American story. Being more progressive, my heart is with Tester; but be that as it may, I will be cutting a check to support the winner of the primary.
From My Gardens
I love what light does to flowers; especially the spring ones. The way it causes daffodils and jonquils, tulips and even irises to radiate -- not as one that reflects light like the moon, but like one that creates it like the sun.
This little clutch of daffodils brought another image to mind, as well: that of angels ascending. And from their my mind is ripe with connections. One was this snippet from a poem by the Polish poet, Anna Swir (1909-1984).
Lapsed into a silence in mid-move,
hushed in mid-breath,
astounded
to the very blood,
they listen with their bodies
to the sprouting on their shoulder blades
of the first little plume.
It is from her poem "Youngest Children of Angels" and this version was translated by Czeslaw Milosz and Leonard Nathan. She's a wonderful poet, worth the dime and the time.
This little clutch of daffodils brought another image to mind, as well: that of angels ascending. And from their my mind is ripe with connections. One was this snippet from a poem by the Polish poet, Anna Swir (1909-1984).
Lapsed into a silence in mid-move,
hushed in mid-breath,
astounded
to the very blood,
they listen with their bodies
to the sprouting on their shoulder blades
of the first little plume.
It is from her poem "Youngest Children of Angels" and this version was translated by Czeslaw Milosz and Leonard Nathan. She's a wonderful poet, worth the dime and the time.
Our Latest American Hero #14
According to DoD press releases March was relatively low key month for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were only 38 casualties.... After the first 6 days of April they have announced the deaths of 19 soldiers.
Marine Cpl. Scott J. Procopio
20, of Saugus, Mass.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed April 2 while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province, Iraq. Also killed were: Lance Cpl. Jacob W. Beisel, Lance Cpl. Kun Y. Kim and Staff Sgt. Eric A. McIntosh.
“Fallen Saugus Marine Believed in Mission in Iraq”
By H. J. Collins ~ Lynn, Massachusetts “The Daily Item”
Marine Cpl. Scott Procopio was not registered to vote and he did not enlist nearly two years ago because of any political involvement.
Scott Procopio's brother, Michael, said after Scott's first tour in Iraq everything was clear to him.
"There is no doubt that Scott would tell you today that the job in Iraq has to be finished," Michael Procopio said Monday on the lawn of Town Hall about his 20-year-old brother who was killed Sunday. "Scott felt very strongly about what had to be done in Iraq and fully supported it. I used to pity anyone who had a different opinion about Iraq than my brother."
Procopio, a machine gunner, was killed when a roadside bomb detonated as the convoy he was with traveled about 40 miles from Baghdad. Procopio had returned to Iraq for his second tour less than three weeks ago.
Inside Town Hall in a display case is a flag that flew over Camp NAMA, Iraq, which was dedicated to the town by Air Force Reservist Michael Pietrantonio.
The certificate with the flag reads, "As this flag was flown, it symbolized the sovereign power of the United States of America and the unshakable resolve to keep our country safe."
The certificate ends with the quote by President Bush from March 15, 2002: "I realize we are fighting a ruthless group of murderers and we have no option - No Option! - but to hunt them down...one by one. And that's exactly what we are going to do."
"Joining the military was never a dream for Scott, it was just something he wanted to do and he simply walked in the recruiting office and told them he wanted the Marines, and he wanted infantry," Michael Procopio said. "That was the way Scott did everything. If he was going to do something he would always do it to win and he always liked a challenge. That is why he picked the Marines and the infantry. That was the biggest challenge for him."
Scott Procopio was a 2003 graduate of Saugus High School and was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. His first seven-month deployment ended last August. When he returned home he married Saugus resident Kristal (Cerbone).
"We are all extremely proud of Scott and the job needs to be finished," Michael Procopio said. "I lost my best friend. My brother. He gave his life for other people."
Marine Cpl. Scott J. Procopio
20, of Saugus, Mass.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed April 2 while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province, Iraq. Also killed were: Lance Cpl. Jacob W. Beisel, Lance Cpl. Kun Y. Kim and Staff Sgt. Eric A. McIntosh.
“Fallen Saugus Marine Believed in Mission in Iraq”
By H. J. Collins ~ Lynn, Massachusetts “The Daily Item”
Marine Cpl. Scott Procopio was not registered to vote and he did not enlist nearly two years ago because of any political involvement.
Scott Procopio's brother, Michael, said after Scott's first tour in Iraq everything was clear to him.
"There is no doubt that Scott would tell you today that the job in Iraq has to be finished," Michael Procopio said Monday on the lawn of Town Hall about his 20-year-old brother who was killed Sunday. "Scott felt very strongly about what had to be done in Iraq and fully supported it. I used to pity anyone who had a different opinion about Iraq than my brother."
Procopio, a machine gunner, was killed when a roadside bomb detonated as the convoy he was with traveled about 40 miles from Baghdad. Procopio had returned to Iraq for his second tour less than three weeks ago.
Inside Town Hall in a display case is a flag that flew over Camp NAMA, Iraq, which was dedicated to the town by Air Force Reservist Michael Pietrantonio.
The certificate with the flag reads, "As this flag was flown, it symbolized the sovereign power of the United States of America and the unshakable resolve to keep our country safe."
The certificate ends with the quote by President Bush from March 15, 2002: "I realize we are fighting a ruthless group of murderers and we have no option - No Option! - but to hunt them down...one by one. And that's exactly what we are going to do."
"Joining the military was never a dream for Scott, it was just something he wanted to do and he simply walked in the recruiting office and told them he wanted the Marines, and he wanted infantry," Michael Procopio said. "That was the way Scott did everything. If he was going to do something he would always do it to win and he always liked a challenge. That is why he picked the Marines and the infantry. That was the biggest challenge for him."
Scott Procopio was a 2003 graduate of Saugus High School and was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. His first seven-month deployment ended last August. When he returned home he married Saugus resident Kristal (Cerbone).
"We are all extremely proud of Scott and the job needs to be finished," Michael Procopio said. "I lost my best friend. My brother. He gave his life for other people."
Saturday, April 08, 2006
What I'm watching from TV#1
One of the most amazing and powerful TV series ever was "Homicide: Life on the Street". It was produced by award winning motion picture director, Barry Levinson, and it was shot largely in Baltimore, Maryland. It was a cop drama in which the cases, as compelling as they were, took a back seat to the relationships between the cops.
It broke new ground in so many ways, and it won widespread critical acclaim. I own the entire series. Tonight I popped in the disc with the first episodes for season 5. HLotS started off it's 5th year with a double episode centered on a hostage taking at a middle school.
People tell you that teachers are incompetent (a few probably are); but it doesn't jive with my overall experience. The teachers I know don't work for the pay (or the plethora of praise! -- as if...) Teachers work because they care. They care about children and the future. And we all want to create a future in which well-prepared children grow into adults who are competent and ready to reach their personal potentials.
And to that end we are tenacious. This double episode of HLotS highlights both the ends to which we will act, and the limits many of us will accept. Anne Meara's performance is utterly stellar!
Having recently spent 30 minutes in ignorance and silence on a stage with 6 colleagues and 150 students mutely cowering in darkness under the call of Code Red, I can somewhat relate. And all I thought at the time was how I was going to use my body to subdue, confuse, and buy time for the evacuation, or these children should someone enter the room with intent to do harm.
Afterwards I was not surprised to discover that all of the other adults on that stage where thinking the exact same thing.
Praise be to this episode, to this TV show, and to Anne Meara, for showing us as we are.
It broke new ground in so many ways, and it won widespread critical acclaim. I own the entire series. Tonight I popped in the disc with the first episodes for season 5. HLotS started off it's 5th year with a double episode centered on a hostage taking at a middle school.
People tell you that teachers are incompetent (a few probably are); but it doesn't jive with my overall experience. The teachers I know don't work for the pay (or the plethora of praise! -- as if...) Teachers work because they care. They care about children and the future. And we all want to create a future in which well-prepared children grow into adults who are competent and ready to reach their personal potentials.
And to that end we are tenacious. This double episode of HLotS highlights both the ends to which we will act, and the limits many of us will accept. Anne Meara's performance is utterly stellar!
Having recently spent 30 minutes in ignorance and silence on a stage with 6 colleagues and 150 students mutely cowering in darkness under the call of Code Red, I can somewhat relate. And all I thought at the time was how I was going to use my body to subdue, confuse, and buy time for the evacuation, or these children should someone enter the room with intent to do harm.
Afterwards I was not surprised to discover that all of the other adults on that stage where thinking the exact same thing.
Praise be to this episode, to this TV show, and to Anne Meara, for showing us as we are.
One Nation....With Liberty And Justice For All
Stand up America. Visit Senator Tom Harkin's website, and sign the petition requesting Senators to support Senator Russ Feingold's censure of President Bush.
www.tomharkin.com
Let's show these spineless wonders that we "have their backs".
www.tomharkin.com
Let's show these spineless wonders that we "have their backs".
Thursday, April 06, 2006
What I'm Watching #17
And I am watching again! This Argentine film in the genre of "The Sixth Sense" is thoroughly enjoyable. The director makes the most of the artificial and indirect light of the night. The tail is one of life versus death in one night among the denizens who inhabit the streets, restaurants, hotels, cabs of Buenos Aries.
And there is one PG-13 rated sex scene between Gonzalo Heredia (in the image) and Rafael Ferro that's worth the price of admission.
Definitely 3.5...NO 4 stars!, out of 5.
And there is one PG-13 rated sex scene between Gonzalo Heredia (in the image) and Rafael Ferro that's worth the price of admission.
Definitely 3.5...NO 4 stars!, out of 5.
Random Quote #46
"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up."
~ James A. Baldwin, 1924-1987
~ James A. Baldwin, 1924-1987
Our Latest American Hero #13
Would that it was only 13...and not 2,610 confirmed dead in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Hernandez
47, of Silver Spring, Md.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 318th Regiment, 1st Brigade, 80th Division (Institutional Training), Army Reserve, Fort Meade, Md.; killed March 28 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Taquaddum, Iraq.
"Prince George’s Police Officer Killed in Iraq"
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — A Prince George’s County police officer was killed by an explosive device Tuesday in Iraq, authorities said.
Cpl. Robert Hernandez, a 10-year veteran of the police department, was traveling in a convoy at the time of the blast, police said. He had been stationed in Iraq since summer as a staff sergeant in the Army Reserves.
Further details of his death were not immediately available.
“I’m heartbroken by this loss,” County Executive Jack Johnson said in a statement Wednesday. “It is a tragic loss for our county and the nation.”
Chief Melvin High said the department was hit hard.
“As a police chief, this is an emotional time for me,” High said. “We are a close-knit family.”
Hernandez, 48, who previously worked as an officer in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Puerto Rico, was remembered as a hardworking man who won the respect of his fellow officers.
Hernandez joined Prince George’s County police partly because he thought the department needed more Spanish-speaking officers, said Assistant Police Chief Roberto Hylton, who helped recruit him.
He spent his first six years on the force working in the Hyattsville area, which has the county’s highest concentration of Spanish-speaking residents. He also mentored children at an elementary school, said Sgt. Robert Connell Sr., who supervised him for two years.
In 2000, his squad won a citation for organizing care packages for victims of hunger in Mozambique.
Hernandez also was praised for his work as a field training officer, in which he helped new officers graduating from the police academy.
“Those officers have since gone on to become productive members of this department and valued members of this community, and that was a direct result of the lessons they learned from Cpl. Hernandez,” said Maj. Michael Blow.
Officer Kevin Sparks, who was trained by Hernandez, said the 24-year military veteran wanted to go to Iraq and was frustrated that he was not deployed sooner. If anyone could handle himself there, Sparks said, it was Hernandez.
“He always emphasized safety,” Sparks said. “He always said, ‘I want to make sure everyone goes home.”’
Hernandez is survived by his fiancee and three children, ages 8, 18 and 21. One of his sons is also in the Army Reserve, police said. His parents and other relatives live in Puerto Rico.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Hernandez
47, of Silver Spring, Md.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 318th Regiment, 1st Brigade, 80th Division (Institutional Training), Army Reserve, Fort Meade, Md.; killed March 28 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations in Taquaddum, Iraq.
"Prince George’s Police Officer Killed in Iraq"
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — A Prince George’s County police officer was killed by an explosive device Tuesday in Iraq, authorities said.
Cpl. Robert Hernandez, a 10-year veteran of the police department, was traveling in a convoy at the time of the blast, police said. He had been stationed in Iraq since summer as a staff sergeant in the Army Reserves.
Further details of his death were not immediately available.
“I’m heartbroken by this loss,” County Executive Jack Johnson said in a statement Wednesday. “It is a tragic loss for our county and the nation.”
Chief Melvin High said the department was hit hard.
“As a police chief, this is an emotional time for me,” High said. “We are a close-knit family.”
Hernandez, 48, who previously worked as an officer in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore and Puerto Rico, was remembered as a hardworking man who won the respect of his fellow officers.
Hernandez joined Prince George’s County police partly because he thought the department needed more Spanish-speaking officers, said Assistant Police Chief Roberto Hylton, who helped recruit him.
He spent his first six years on the force working in the Hyattsville area, which has the county’s highest concentration of Spanish-speaking residents. He also mentored children at an elementary school, said Sgt. Robert Connell Sr., who supervised him for two years.
In 2000, his squad won a citation for organizing care packages for victims of hunger in Mozambique.
Hernandez also was praised for his work as a field training officer, in which he helped new officers graduating from the police academy.
“Those officers have since gone on to become productive members of this department and valued members of this community, and that was a direct result of the lessons they learned from Cpl. Hernandez,” said Maj. Michael Blow.
Officer Kevin Sparks, who was trained by Hernandez, said the 24-year military veteran wanted to go to Iraq and was frustrated that he was not deployed sooner. If anyone could handle himself there, Sparks said, it was Hernandez.
“He always emphasized safety,” Sparks said. “He always said, ‘I want to make sure everyone goes home.”’
Hernandez is survived by his fiancee and three children, ages 8, 18 and 21. One of his sons is also in the Army Reserve, police said. His parents and other relatives live in Puerto Rico.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
What I'm Watching #16
Or perhaps this is the beginning of a new strain? "What I'm NOT Watching #1"!
This movie simply put sucks. The acting matches the script and completely melds with the direction---may everyone involved find a job a Wal-mart! Pronto!
I haven't even a hope of recouping my cost on ebay! "tla releasing," what were you thinking!?
This movie simply put sucks. The acting matches the script and completely melds with the direction---may everyone involved find a job a Wal-mart! Pronto!
I haven't even a hope of recouping my cost on ebay! "tla releasing," what were you thinking!?
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Senate Races 2006 Analysis #3
New Mexico is an amazing place. Stark yet stunning as geology rules over vegetation. In 2006, incumbent senator, Jeff Bingham (D) is seeking re-election.
According to "Roll Call" the magazine of the US Congress, his bid is a sure thing. So far the republicans have fostered a variety of candidates...the latest 4 of which appear in this blog. Their primary will winnow down the field to the loser, a mon avis.
While Senator Bingham is no shining star in the US Congress, he's also a straight enough shooter to stay out of trouble nationally and deliver the goods locally. I would like to see him be more aggressive in promoting progressive ideas and initiatives....but I'm realistic enough to be thankful for a senatorial seat and vote that the Republicans are not pursing and the electorate feels satisfied enough to validate in the 2006 election.
According to "Roll Call" the magazine of the US Congress, his bid is a sure thing. So far the republicans have fostered a variety of candidates...the latest 4 of which appear in this blog. Their primary will winnow down the field to the loser, a mon avis.
While Senator Bingham is no shining star in the US Congress, he's also a straight enough shooter to stay out of trouble nationally and deliver the goods locally. I would like to see him be more aggressive in promoting progressive ideas and initiatives....but I'm realistic enough to be thankful for a senatorial seat and vote that the Republicans are not pursing and the electorate feels satisfied enough to validate in the 2006 election.
What I'm Watching #15
Dorian Blues has the feel of a gay "Garden State" without the completely lush production values. As I struggled for a quip to encapsulate its essence, I came up with "a brother movie."
And that's the heart of this film. Two brothers (gay/straight) growing up under the thumb of an oppressive father and having a sense of love and honesty between themselves (honest yet imperfect) that is strong enough to endure the father's cruelty and the mother's seeming indifference.
There are also some delightful twists: The night with the hooker that turns into a dance lesson, and the visit to the gay bar in which the straight brother discovers the presence of his peers.
It's 88 minutes well spent no matter how you slice it!
And that's the heart of this film. Two brothers (gay/straight) growing up under the thumb of an oppressive father and having a sense of love and honesty between themselves (honest yet imperfect) that is strong enough to endure the father's cruelty and the mother's seeming indifference.
There are also some delightful twists: The night with the hooker that turns into a dance lesson, and the visit to the gay bar in which the straight brother discovers the presence of his peers.
It's 88 minutes well spent no matter how you slice it!
Recommended Reading
The other day in the staff lounge, I was asked what magazines I read. What a delightful (and insightful) question. The answer was even interesting to myself as I pondered it's implications.
My answer in order of subscription longevity:
1) Fine Gardening
2) American Patchwork & Quilting
3) Poetry
4) Art in America
5) Virginia Quarterly Review
6) The New Yorker
7) The Gay & Lesbian Review of Harvard University.
8) Envio: A Monthly Magazine of analysis on Central America
I will commend all of these to you. They are thought provoking for the most part -- the quilting mag is purely inspirational.
In particular I have high kudus for VQR. It used to be a run of the mill university literary rag, decidedly B-list! And then they got a new editor and POW! Among its peers, it's the best bang for the buck out there, now: A++++. The current issue deals largely with Darwin and his work versus the psuedo-science of "Intelligent Design". (Why Fundimentalist Christians would ever choose to embrace an idea so ensconced in Deism is beyond me on any level. Are their movers and thinkers honestly convinced that Creationism is a lie? Or are they as opportunist and swindling as so many others (Tom Delay!) in their midst as to promote any idea that will allow them to deceive and corrupt as many others as possible---is this the face of the NEW evangelism?
But I digress, check out VQR. Your mind won't be disappointed!
My answer in order of subscription longevity:
1) Fine Gardening
2) American Patchwork & Quilting
3) Poetry
4) Art in America
5) Virginia Quarterly Review
6) The New Yorker
7) The Gay & Lesbian Review of Harvard University.
8) Envio: A Monthly Magazine of analysis on Central America
I will commend all of these to you. They are thought provoking for the most part -- the quilting mag is purely inspirational.
In particular I have high kudus for VQR. It used to be a run of the mill university literary rag, decidedly B-list! And then they got a new editor and POW! Among its peers, it's the best bang for the buck out there, now: A++++. The current issue deals largely with Darwin and his work versus the psuedo-science of "Intelligent Design". (Why Fundimentalist Christians would ever choose to embrace an idea so ensconced in Deism is beyond me on any level. Are their movers and thinkers honestly convinced that Creationism is a lie? Or are they as opportunist and swindling as so many others (Tom Delay!) in their midst as to promote any idea that will allow them to deceive and corrupt as many others as possible---is this the face of the NEW evangelism?
But I digress, check out VQR. Your mind won't be disappointed!
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Is Pornography Damaging Your Brain?
From an AP article by David Crary posted on AOL:
"A tracking firm, comScore Media Metrix, says about 40 percent of Internet users in the United States visit adult sites each month. "The Internet is the perfect delivery system for anti-social behavior -- it's free, it's piped into your house," says Mary Anne Layden, a psychologist and addiction expert...."
A poll on AOL has received 12,806 votes and the public thinks 64% NO it doesn't, and 36% YES it does. In the midst of our facist government, a ray of hope.
"A tracking firm, comScore Media Metrix, says about 40 percent of Internet users in the United States visit adult sites each month. "The Internet is the perfect delivery system for anti-social behavior -- it's free, it's piped into your house," says Mary Anne Layden, a psychologist and addiction expert...."
A poll on AOL has received 12,806 votes and the public thinks 64% NO it doesn't, and 36% YES it does. In the midst of our facist government, a ray of hope.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
What I'm Watching #14
This will be called my cinema phase! And unlike my sexuality, it will probably actually be a phase!
"The Sum of Us" adapted from a stage play is a wonderful and complex movie. The first major film with Russel Crow, and yet the run-away performance is by the actor who plays his father, Jack Thompson. Utterly Aussie, great production values. A must see. Heart-warming and real. A great way to spend the wee hours of a Saturday morning!
"The Sum of Us" adapted from a stage play is a wonderful and complex movie. The first major film with Russel Crow, and yet the run-away performance is by the actor who plays his father, Jack Thompson. Utterly Aussie, great production values. A must see. Heart-warming and real. A great way to spend the wee hours of a Saturday morning!
Friday, March 31, 2006
Maryland's Sacrifice for Freedom
An updated map of the men and women who have given thier lives in the military from Maryland. Not all are shown, just a representative sample.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
What I'm Watching #13
Here's a delightful British comedy with an Indian cultural bent along the lines of "Bend it Like Beckham", and, perhaps more pertantly, "My Beautiful Launderette".
Witty and engaging throughout. Check it out.
Witty and engaging throughout. Check it out.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Monday Evening Musings
My "Ex-" and I visited with his grandmother and my dear friend, Marie this past weekend. It's a ritual that I suggested over a decade ago now, and which has continued in spite of his departure from our relationship. Marie is a joy and treasure that I would not lose casually.
At the end of our visit, J. handed me a package of post cards, cards, and images. Among them was this Hopper painting.
Among American artists whom I revere (Charles Burchfield, Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe) Edward Hopper will always hold a seat in the upper tier. And this painting in particular has long been a favorite.
There is the couple. The virile if sterile man, with the less than virile woman, restrained, suggestive of a past time when "voluptuosity" was a virtue. It's a couple trapped in sexual ambiguity and angst. Together they are almost simple extensions of the carefully laid out architecture of the house. And beyond them.... there is the mysterious and wild woods, the gentle and unkempt yard, and most important of all, the curious and noble collie. In a stance that is both suggestive of it's roles as their protector and their servant, yet ready to bolt away toward its own freedom.
Now how can you or anyone not love an artist whose seemingly staid paintings possess so much energy, power, contradiction, and possibility? This is what art is all about.
At the end of our visit, J. handed me a package of post cards, cards, and images. Among them was this Hopper painting.
Among American artists whom I revere (Charles Burchfield, Winslow Homer, Georgia O'Keeffe) Edward Hopper will always hold a seat in the upper tier. And this painting in particular has long been a favorite.
There is the couple. The virile if sterile man, with the less than virile woman, restrained, suggestive of a past time when "voluptuosity" was a virtue. It's a couple trapped in sexual ambiguity and angst. Together they are almost simple extensions of the carefully laid out architecture of the house. And beyond them.... there is the mysterious and wild woods, the gentle and unkempt yard, and most important of all, the curious and noble collie. In a stance that is both suggestive of it's roles as their protector and their servant, yet ready to bolt away toward its own freedom.
Now how can you or anyone not love an artist whose seemingly staid paintings possess so much energy, power, contradiction, and possibility? This is what art is all about.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Second Grade Fame #2
Here I am in my second moment of second grade glory...assembling the "Pair Tree".
Second Grade Fame #1
Browsing through some old photos this evening I happened upon a couple of pictures from the local newspaper in my home town, Flat Rock, Michigan, from when I was in second grade. This picture is of me placing pilgrim cottages in a diorama in the main display case in the front hall of my elementary school--John M. Barnes Elementary.
Spring Blessings
A gift on the first Saturday morning in spring. Here in the shadow of the nation's capital, it's crisp and hazy. There's a 50% chance of rain today, which I hope happens. My pansies are blooming everywhere and the dozens of new bulbs that I put in the fall are blooming with gusto.
I am preparing to write a letter to friends in Wichita as I listen to ranga on the CD player. Soothing and methodical.
And for you? This vase of flowers, hellebores and daffodils from my gardens.
I am preparing to write a letter to friends in Wichita as I listen to ranga on the CD player. Soothing and methodical.
And for you? This vase of flowers, hellebores and daffodils from my gardens.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Our Latest American Hero #12
A dozen!? And it's only a sampling. I posted the first article in this series on February 6, 2006. Since then 84 men and women have given their lives for our sake in Iraq and Afghanistan.
My regular posts are only sharing 1 in 7 fallen heroes with you....random and representative of the whole.
Army Cpl. Nyle Yates III, 22, of Lake Odessa, Mich.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed Mar. 16 when he came under small arms fire by enemy forces during combat operations in Bayji, Iraq.
"Michigan Soldier Killed in Iraq"
LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — A soldier from a community located between Grand Rapids and Lansing was killed while serving in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced.
A defense department statement released Monday said Army Cpl. Nyle Yates III died in Bayji, Iraq, on Thursday “when he came under small arms fire by enemy forces during combat operations.”
Yates, a 22-year-old from Lake Odessa, was assigned to a unit that operated out of Fort Campbell, Ky.
Yates’ death was confirmed last week by Lakewood High School Principal Mike O’Mara, who said he learned of the death from the soldier’s family. Yates was a 2002 graduate of the Lake Odessa school.
My regular posts are only sharing 1 in 7 fallen heroes with you....random and representative of the whole.
Army Cpl. Nyle Yates III, 22, of Lake Odessa, Mich.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed Mar. 16 when he came under small arms fire by enemy forces during combat operations in Bayji, Iraq.
"Michigan Soldier Killed in Iraq"
LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — A soldier from a community located between Grand Rapids and Lansing was killed while serving in Iraq, the Department of Defense announced.
A defense department statement released Monday said Army Cpl. Nyle Yates III died in Bayji, Iraq, on Thursday “when he came under small arms fire by enemy forces during combat operations.”
Yates, a 22-year-old from Lake Odessa, was assigned to a unit that operated out of Fort Campbell, Ky.
Yates’ death was confirmed last week by Lakewood High School Principal Mike O’Mara, who said he learned of the death from the soldier’s family. Yates was a 2002 graduate of the Lake Odessa school.
Kentucky Memoire #4/What I'm Watching #12
Guess I'm feeling a little Kentucky nostalgic!
This film is one of the most powerful pictures I have ever watched. As a student at Asbury College, I first viewed it with a group of other young men from the school. One of whom would go on to a stint in the Marines, switch to the Navy, and command a fighter squadron on the USS Enterprise during the first Iraq War.
We bantered and cajoled one another all the way to the theatre. Once inside we sat riveted to our seats and to the story. And the thing I remember MOST about that evening was the silence.
The theatre was silent at the end. The people left the theatre in silence. We rode back the 17 miles of winding country roads to our dorm rooms in utter, profound silence. Our thoughts were just too damn heavy to express or share.
This film is one of the most powerful pictures I have ever watched. As a student at Asbury College, I first viewed it with a group of other young men from the school. One of whom would go on to a stint in the Marines, switch to the Navy, and command a fighter squadron on the USS Enterprise during the first Iraq War.
We bantered and cajoled one another all the way to the theatre. Once inside we sat riveted to our seats and to the story. And the thing I remember MOST about that evening was the silence.
The theatre was silent at the end. The people left the theatre in silence. We rode back the 17 miles of winding country roads to our dorm rooms in utter, profound silence. Our thoughts were just too damn heavy to express or share.
Kentucky Memoire #3/Random Quote #45
KENTUCKY MEMOIRE #3
From 1984 to 1993, I worked as a teacher in Jessamine County Kentucky. Most of this time was spent in the 6th grade and at the county's only middle school. We had a homeroom-based period in the middle of the day, which we called "Exploratory." In keeping with the middle school philosophy of valuing the whole child, it was about relationships & learning. The learning piece was up to the teacher.
I instigated several things during my years there. One was a 45-minute redux version of "Hamlet" that the kids not only performed for the school and their parents, but also actually took on the road and recreated for the state's middle school conference that year.
Another was an extended research project on the native tree species of central Kentucky. The students made scrapbooks of data about common trees and collected and pressed leaf samples into a keepsake booklet. They also learned to sew and created appliqué quilt squares with a copy the tree's leaf's outline embellished with embroidered names, tree name (in English and Latin).
This is just a portion of the whole.
I purposefully included Chris' patch. Chris was a rather quiet, below average performing, easily ignored student. I had no reason not to like him, and no particular to demonstrate any positive emotion toward him. And then came the Tree Quilt project....
His needlework on this is simply outstanding. He took such care and interest in doing a good, no, a PERFECT job on it. I'll never forget how his light unexpectedly shone on this project.
The quilt holds a quote in the middle of it:
RANDOM QUOTE #45
"A culture is no better than its woods."
~ W. H. Auden, 1907 - 1973
From 1984 to 1993, I worked as a teacher in Jessamine County Kentucky. Most of this time was spent in the 6th grade and at the county's only middle school. We had a homeroom-based period in the middle of the day, which we called "Exploratory." In keeping with the middle school philosophy of valuing the whole child, it was about relationships & learning. The learning piece was up to the teacher.
I instigated several things during my years there. One was a 45-minute redux version of "Hamlet" that the kids not only performed for the school and their parents, but also actually took on the road and recreated for the state's middle school conference that year.
Another was an extended research project on the native tree species of central Kentucky. The students made scrapbooks of data about common trees and collected and pressed leaf samples into a keepsake booklet. They also learned to sew and created appliqué quilt squares with a copy the tree's leaf's outline embellished with embroidered names, tree name (in English and Latin).
This is just a portion of the whole.
I purposefully included Chris' patch. Chris was a rather quiet, below average performing, easily ignored student. I had no reason not to like him, and no particular to demonstrate any positive emotion toward him. And then came the Tree Quilt project....
His needlework on this is simply outstanding. He took such care and interest in doing a good, no, a PERFECT job on it. I'll never forget how his light unexpectedly shone on this project.
The quilt holds a quote in the middle of it:
RANDOM QUOTE #45
"A culture is no better than its woods."
~ W. H. Auden, 1907 - 1973
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Ticklebox Repair #1
I have an abominable memory for jokes. Generally I enjoy them, but I just can't remember them. My Colorado cousin Fwd a funny little joke to me today and, to return the favor I transcribed one of only two jokes I have ever been able to memorize in my life. I do not remember who told it to me, and God knows I've embellished it over the years. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it, too.
JOKE #1
In a bar along the coastal highway in southern California the bartender looks up and sees a stranger enter. He's obviously a drifter.
He steps up to the bar and orders a drink, which the bartender delivers. No sooner is the glass on the bar, than the stranger empties it in one gulp and asks for another.
Well, given the fact that the bartender doesn't know the man, and because he's seen his type before, he asks the man to pay for the first drink before he'll get him a second.
The stranger replies that he doesn't have any money.
"I knew it," declares the bartender, "Hit the road!"
But the man protests saying, "I do have something of value!" Where upon he reaches into his knap sack and retrieves a perfectly formed miniature grand piano, which he places on the bar. The bartender's eyes widen in amazement.
"But wait," says the man, "there's more." Next he pulls out a miniature piano bench and lifts its lid to reveal tiny pieces of sheet music.
The bartender then exclaims, "This is incredible!" as he gently tests the keys and discovers a perfectly tuned, functioning, five inch tall grand piano.
The stranger looks at him square in the eyes and says, "I've saved the best part for last." Once again carefully reaching into his knap sack, he removes a nine inch tall little man clad in a formal tuxedo who goes directly to the piano and begins to the play a Bach sonata!
The bartender is completely dumbfounded and asks, "WHERE on earth did you GET these?"
The stranger answers, "The other night I had to sleep on the beach. When I awoke the tide had washed in what appeared to be an Arabian lamp. So on a lark I rubbed it. And suddenly out popped a Genie! He told me he would grant me one wish!"
"And you asked for a nine inch pianist?" interrupted the bartender.
"Well, not exactly....."
JOKE #1
In a bar along the coastal highway in southern California the bartender looks up and sees a stranger enter. He's obviously a drifter.
He steps up to the bar and orders a drink, which the bartender delivers. No sooner is the glass on the bar, than the stranger empties it in one gulp and asks for another.
Well, given the fact that the bartender doesn't know the man, and because he's seen his type before, he asks the man to pay for the first drink before he'll get him a second.
The stranger replies that he doesn't have any money.
"I knew it," declares the bartender, "Hit the road!"
But the man protests saying, "I do have something of value!" Where upon he reaches into his knap sack and retrieves a perfectly formed miniature grand piano, which he places on the bar. The bartender's eyes widen in amazement.
"But wait," says the man, "there's more." Next he pulls out a miniature piano bench and lifts its lid to reveal tiny pieces of sheet music.
The bartender then exclaims, "This is incredible!" as he gently tests the keys and discovers a perfectly tuned, functioning, five inch tall grand piano.
The stranger looks at him square in the eyes and says, "I've saved the best part for last." Once again carefully reaching into his knap sack, he removes a nine inch tall little man clad in a formal tuxedo who goes directly to the piano and begins to the play a Bach sonata!
The bartender is completely dumbfounded and asks, "WHERE on earth did you GET these?"
The stranger answers, "The other night I had to sleep on the beach. When I awoke the tide had washed in what appeared to be an Arabian lamp. So on a lark I rubbed it. And suddenly out popped a Genie! He told me he would grant me one wish!"
"And you asked for a nine inch pianist?" interrupted the bartender.
"Well, not exactly....."
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Random Quote #44
"The only reason to look down upon another person is to reach down and help them up."
~ Jesse L. Jackson, 1941 -
~ Jesse L. Jackson, 1941 -
Friday, March 17, 2006
Our Latest American Hero #11
Marine Lance Cpl. Bunny Long, 22, of Modesto, Calif.; assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed March 10 by a suicide, vehicle-borne, improvised explosive device in Anbar province, Iraq.
"Modesto Marine had Childhood Dreams of Being a Soldier"
MODESTO, Calif. — A Marine who yearned as a little boy to be a soldier was killed in Iraq when a suicide bomber drove a truck filled with explosives into a building he was guarding.
Lance Cpl. Bunny Long, 22, died Friday near Fallujah.
Long wanted to be a soldier and begged for an Army uniform when he was 6 years old, said his brother, Bunna Long, 31.
“We always felt like we needed to give something back for all the things we’ve received,” he said.
Bunny Long, who was born in the United States and graduated from Modesto High School in 2002, was the son of immigrants who arrived here after their first son starved in a Cambodian labor camp in the mid-1970s.
Sim Long, 60, and Yen Chea, 51, left Cambodia with three children after years of war and hardship in their country.
“Life was really hard for them,” said their daughter, Sokha Long, 26. “To have gone through all that and to be able to come to this country, and now my brother passes away.”
AND this,
"Camp Lejeune-based Marine Killed by Suicide Bomber in Iraq"
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — A California Marine based at Camp Lejeune was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq last week, the Pentagon said.
Lance Cpl. Bunny Long, 22, of Modesto, Calif., died Friday when vehicle-borne bomb carried by a suicide driver exploded in the violent Anbar province of Iraq. The U.S. military in Iraq reported Friday that a Marine died in a car bombing in Fallujah, which is in Anbar province.
Long was a motor vehicle operator who joined the Marine Corps in July 2004, said Lt. Barry Edwards, a spokesman for the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. Long was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, the Defense Department said.
"Modesto Marine had Childhood Dreams of Being a Soldier"
MODESTO, Calif. — A Marine who yearned as a little boy to be a soldier was killed in Iraq when a suicide bomber drove a truck filled with explosives into a building he was guarding.
Lance Cpl. Bunny Long, 22, died Friday near Fallujah.
Long wanted to be a soldier and begged for an Army uniform when he was 6 years old, said his brother, Bunna Long, 31.
“We always felt like we needed to give something back for all the things we’ve received,” he said.
Bunny Long, who was born in the United States and graduated from Modesto High School in 2002, was the son of immigrants who arrived here after their first son starved in a Cambodian labor camp in the mid-1970s.
Sim Long, 60, and Yen Chea, 51, left Cambodia with three children after years of war and hardship in their country.
“Life was really hard for them,” said their daughter, Sokha Long, 26. “To have gone through all that and to be able to come to this country, and now my brother passes away.”
AND this,
"Camp Lejeune-based Marine Killed by Suicide Bomber in Iraq"
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — A California Marine based at Camp Lejeune was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq last week, the Pentagon said.
Lance Cpl. Bunny Long, 22, of Modesto, Calif., died Friday when vehicle-borne bomb carried by a suicide driver exploded in the violent Anbar province of Iraq. The U.S. military in Iraq reported Friday that a Marine died in a car bombing in Fallujah, which is in Anbar province.
Long was a motor vehicle operator who joined the Marine Corps in July 2004, said Lt. Barry Edwards, a spokesman for the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. Long was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, the Defense Department said.
What I'm Watching #11
And tonight's is an old favorite. "Pourquoi Pas Moi?" is a sexual farce derivative of stage comedies like "The Importance of Being Ernest," "Midsummer's Night's Dream," and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," as well as, movies like "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." Many characters, intertwined relationships, unexpected outcomes, and this time with a thoroughly Lesbian overcoat.
Watch it if you can. I first saw it the GLBT Film Festival in Washington, DC back in 2002 @ the Lincoln Theater on U Street. And the copy I own was purchased from the United Kingdom, since it was not available in the US of A.... Go figure!
Watch it if you can. I first saw it the GLBT Film Festival in Washington, DC back in 2002 @ the Lincoln Theater on U Street. And the copy I own was purchased from the United Kingdom, since it was not available in the US of A.... Go figure!
Random Quote #43
"A new broom can sweep the house clean,
but an old broom knows the corners."
~ Irish Proverb
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
but an old broom knows the corners."
~ Irish Proverb
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
What I'm Watching #10
Lately this blog is all about movies, which is really quite ironic given how little of my time is actually spent at theaters. It must be a phase!
"FAQ's" is a gay "Thelma and Louise"/"Romeo and 'Jules'". It's fabulous cinema. Worth every minute.
Check it out, girl!
"FAQ's" is a gay "Thelma and Louise"/"Romeo and 'Jules'". It's fabulous cinema. Worth every minute.
Check it out, girl!
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Worth Posting
Bravo fans for the guts to stand up an demand attention. This is democracy...free speech, remember?
Saturday, March 11, 2006
What I'm Watching #9
"Danny In The Sky" ~
This French gay "melodrama" was a pleseant distraction. The acting was "soap opera-ish" at best. The idea behind the story was clear, and the execution was pure TV -- which is to say, a cut above college projects, but less than full cinema. The pleasant parts involved the nudity and the sex...so why not just make a porn flick?
This French gay "melodrama" was a pleseant distraction. The acting was "soap opera-ish" at best. The idea behind the story was clear, and the execution was pure TV -- which is to say, a cut above college projects, but less than full cinema. The pleasant parts involved the nudity and the sex...so why not just make a porn flick?
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Senate Races 2006 Analysis #2
In the second profile of a 2006 senatorial race I look at my near neighbor Virginia. First term incumbent and former state governor, George Allen, is up for his first re-election campaign. A faithful conservative with no liberal or progressive qualities, Allen has defined himself with an iron-clad track record. He presents himself successfully as a “nice guy,” a simple act of political theater that no amount of money can buy.
And interestingly enough, since the Dick Cheney accidental shooting of the apparently bumbling septagenarian, Harry Whittington, Senator Allen's name has been put forth as a VP nominee, should Cheney decided to vacate the position for totally unrelated reasons. Should this happen, whomever would assume the role of VP would clearly be the GOP's Heir apparent in 2008. The only “draw me up short” aspect of this scenario is Allen's apparent intelligence.... Why would the GOP choose someone who can think, speak, and act forth himself?--i.e. without Carl Rove's puppet strings....
But I digress.
The Republicans are putting forth George Allen again as their hope to hold power in the senate from the Commonwealth of Virginia. And the Democrat's?
Virginia, being a state who's fortunes have clearly bent toward the Republican party in recent years, is not a place where “blue” is any threat to “red”. One notable exception to this is the current governor, D-Mark Warner. Early on, it was the hope of the Democrat party that Governor Warner, who is term limited, would decided to challenge Allen, his direct predecessor in the office of Virginia governor. I will admit, it would have been a great fight, but Warner isn't interested in playing this game. So now what? Allen skates to easy victory and with grand numbers pursues the higher and possibly ultimate office in the Land?
Whoa Nelly! Step in businessman, Harris Miller. Miller is actually a former Republican who has protested the Bush Administration on its characterization of the War. His present opposition to the conflict is his most salient selling point among his new constituency. His platform is checkered, to be kind. He supports outsourcing of US jobs, for example, which is not exactly a Democrat party pillar. And he once worked for Diebold....the people who have brought us all electronic voting machines without any paper trail from which to varify the results--can you say fraud?
In his initial polling after announcing his candidacy (Rasmussen), he trailed Allen by 30 points. And only three weeks later, he has narrowed the margin to 13 points. So it seems that there are underpinnings for an actual race in Virginia. And, in spite of Miller’s record of employment or smattering of Neo-Con/Globalist ideas, LOT’s of people are willing to support him....is this “anyone BUT Bush/Allen, again?”
And you can add to this brewing fray, Democrat candidate and former Navy Secretary, James Webb. Webb trails in the polls behind Miller, but the season is early and the support seems fickle--at least among the Democrats.
So, where there was once assumed to be a coronation, there is now a dogfight. And that's a pretty good thing for democracy.
And interestingly enough, since the Dick Cheney accidental shooting of the apparently bumbling septagenarian, Harry Whittington, Senator Allen's name has been put forth as a VP nominee, should Cheney decided to vacate the position for totally unrelated reasons. Should this happen, whomever would assume the role of VP would clearly be the GOP's Heir apparent in 2008. The only “draw me up short” aspect of this scenario is Allen's apparent intelligence.... Why would the GOP choose someone who can think, speak, and act forth himself?--i.e. without Carl Rove's puppet strings....
But I digress.
The Republicans are putting forth George Allen again as their hope to hold power in the senate from the Commonwealth of Virginia. And the Democrat's?
Virginia, being a state who's fortunes have clearly bent toward the Republican party in recent years, is not a place where “blue” is any threat to “red”. One notable exception to this is the current governor, D-Mark Warner. Early on, it was the hope of the Democrat party that Governor Warner, who is term limited, would decided to challenge Allen, his direct predecessor in the office of Virginia governor. I will admit, it would have been a great fight, but Warner isn't interested in playing this game. So now what? Allen skates to easy victory and with grand numbers pursues the higher and possibly ultimate office in the Land?
Whoa Nelly! Step in businessman, Harris Miller. Miller is actually a former Republican who has protested the Bush Administration on its characterization of the War. His present opposition to the conflict is his most salient selling point among his new constituency. His platform is checkered, to be kind. He supports outsourcing of US jobs, for example, which is not exactly a Democrat party pillar. And he once worked for Diebold....the people who have brought us all electronic voting machines without any paper trail from which to varify the results--can you say fraud?
In his initial polling after announcing his candidacy (Rasmussen), he trailed Allen by 30 points. And only three weeks later, he has narrowed the margin to 13 points. So it seems that there are underpinnings for an actual race in Virginia. And, in spite of Miller’s record of employment or smattering of Neo-Con/Globalist ideas, LOT’s of people are willing to support him....is this “anyone BUT Bush/Allen, again?”
And you can add to this brewing fray, Democrat candidate and former Navy Secretary, James Webb. Webb trails in the polls behind Miller, but the season is early and the support seems fickle--at least among the Democrats.
So, where there was once assumed to be a coronation, there is now a dogfight. And that's a pretty good thing for democracy.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Our Latest American Hero #10
Army Spc. Joshua M. Pearce, 21, of Guymon, Okla.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska; killed Feb. 26 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker military vehicle during patrol operations in Mosul, Iraq.
“Oklahoman Killed When Explosive Device Hits His Army Vehicle”
GUYMON, Okla. (AP) An Army vehicle rolled over an explosive device in Iraq, killing a 21-year-old Oklahoma soldier.
Heidi Barncastle confirms that Joshua Pearce died Sunday near Baghdad. Two other American soldiers also were killed.
Barncastle says her brother had an unbelievable personality, and would make everyone in a room laugh and smile.
Pearce's older brother -- Sergeant Jeremy Pearce -- also is in the Army serving in Iraq and will accompany his brother's body home.
The family will try to persuade Jeremy Pearce not to return to Iraq, but Barncastle says she doubts he will listen.
No funeral arrangements had been made, but Barncastle said Joshua Pearce wanted to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Pearce was a 2003 graduate of Guymon High School. He was a letterman as a pitcher on the baseball team and left for boot camp right after graduation.
AND THIS:
“Governor Signs Funeral Protest Bill into Law”
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Governor Brad Henry signs a bill into law that restricts when and where people can protest at funerals.
The new law goes into effect immediately and sets the stage for a possible clash between law enforcement and members of a Kansas church who have picketed the funerals of Oklahoma soldiers.
The measure was given final approval by the state House this week. The new law will be in force when the family of Army Specialist Joshua Pearce gathers on Tuesday for funeral services in the Oklahoma Panhandle city of Guymon.
Pearce was killed in Iraq on Sunday.
House members hurriedly approved the Senate-passed funeral protest bill and sent it to Henry for his signature to challenge members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.
The church members claim soldiers are being struck down by God for fighting for a country that harbors homosexuals.
“Oklahoman Killed When Explosive Device Hits His Army Vehicle”
GUYMON, Okla. (AP) An Army vehicle rolled over an explosive device in Iraq, killing a 21-year-old Oklahoma soldier.
Heidi Barncastle confirms that Joshua Pearce died Sunday near Baghdad. Two other American soldiers also were killed.
Barncastle says her brother had an unbelievable personality, and would make everyone in a room laugh and smile.
Pearce's older brother -- Sergeant Jeremy Pearce -- also is in the Army serving in Iraq and will accompany his brother's body home.
The family will try to persuade Jeremy Pearce not to return to Iraq, but Barncastle says she doubts he will listen.
No funeral arrangements had been made, but Barncastle said Joshua Pearce wanted to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Pearce was a 2003 graduate of Guymon High School. He was a letterman as a pitcher on the baseball team and left for boot camp right after graduation.
AND THIS:
“Governor Signs Funeral Protest Bill into Law”
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Governor Brad Henry signs a bill into law that restricts when and where people can protest at funerals.
The new law goes into effect immediately and sets the stage for a possible clash between law enforcement and members of a Kansas church who have picketed the funerals of Oklahoma soldiers.
The measure was given final approval by the state House this week. The new law will be in force when the family of Army Specialist Joshua Pearce gathers on Tuesday for funeral services in the Oklahoma Panhandle city of Guymon.
Pearce was killed in Iraq on Sunday.
House members hurriedly approved the Senate-passed funeral protest bill and sent it to Henry for his signature to challenge members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.
The church members claim soldiers are being struck down by God for fighting for a country that harbors homosexuals.
What I'm Reading Lately, part B
This book of male photography from the late 1800's through the mid-1900's is an interesting juxtaposition from my post of last week. "Picturing Men: A Century of Male Relationships in Everyday American Photography" by John Ibson grew out of decades of Mr. Ibson's personal obsession with the genre. Here in our dozens and dozens of photos of men together. The images run the gamut: men at war, at play, in clubs, in dorms, in the outdoors, in studios; some express machismo, some camaraderie, and some tenderness and devotion. For any fan of male photography, it's a must have.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Temperature Check
At the end of February, we continue to loose too many lives to this War in Iraq. If the fatalities continue along the same trends from March 1 forward, the net result will favor and oppose troops from the following states.
Bell-weather states on the negative side are California, Virginia, North Carolina. And those on the positive side thus far are, Ohio, Texas, and Arizona.
Bell-weather states on the negative side are California, Virginia, North Carolina. And those on the positive side thus far are, Ohio, Texas, and Arizona.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Our Latest American Hero #6 (7, 8 & 9.....)
I will rejoice when this series ends...
Army Sgt. Rickey E. Jones, 21, of Kokomo, Ind.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed Feb. 22 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during patrol operations in Hawijah, Iraq. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Gregson G. Gourley, Pfc. Christopher L. Marion and Pfc. Allan A. Morr.
"Vandals Hit Home of Fallen Soldier"
KOKOMO, Ind. -- Police posted an around-the-clock security watch at the home of an Indiana soldier killed last week in Iraq after it was vandalized and his family received disturbing phone calls.
The home of Sgt. Rickey Jones was egged Saturday, three days after Jones' family learned the 21-year-old and three other soldiers had been killed by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad. His family also received phone calls in which the caller said: "I'm glad your son is dead."
Now, Jones' relatives and police are bracing for the possibility that a Topeka, Kan.-based group will protest at his funeral Monday.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church have protested at military funerals across the nation, including shouting insults at soldiers' surviving relatives and holding signs that read "God Made IEDs" -- a reference to roadside bombs.
The group claims American soldiers are dying in Iraq due to divine intervention because the United States harbors homosexuals.
The Westboro protesters, however, could face new restrictions at Jones' funeral if Gov. Mitch Daniels signs a bill this week that would make disorderly conduct at a funeral a felony and keep protesters at least 500 feet from a gravesite.
That bill, which won final approval Tuesday from the Indiana House, would take effect immediately after being signed by Daniels. The governor's press secretary, Jane Jankowski, said Daniels would sign the bill as soon as it arrives on his desk.
"We're trying to get this family some closure, and not have to deal with these stupid signs," state Rep. John Smith, R-Kokomo, said Tuesday.
State Sen. Brent Steele, who authored the legislation, said the bill doesn't go as far as some states' attempts to hold back protests by the Westboro group.
"I went as far as I thought I could and still have a constitutional bill," said Steele, R-Bedford.
Mark Potok, a spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said it's still an open question whether some of the new laws restricting picketing are entirely constitutional.
He said his civil rights organization has listed the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group for years. The minister who leads the group advocates making homosexuality a capital offense.
Army Sgt. Rickey E. Jones, 21, of Kokomo, Ind.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed Feb. 22 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during patrol operations in Hawijah, Iraq. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Gregson G. Gourley, Pfc. Christopher L. Marion and Pfc. Allan A. Morr.
"Vandals Hit Home of Fallen Soldier"
KOKOMO, Ind. -- Police posted an around-the-clock security watch at the home of an Indiana soldier killed last week in Iraq after it was vandalized and his family received disturbing phone calls.
The home of Sgt. Rickey Jones was egged Saturday, three days after Jones' family learned the 21-year-old and three other soldiers had been killed by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad. His family also received phone calls in which the caller said: "I'm glad your son is dead."
Now, Jones' relatives and police are bracing for the possibility that a Topeka, Kan.-based group will protest at his funeral Monday.
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church have protested at military funerals across the nation, including shouting insults at soldiers' surviving relatives and holding signs that read "God Made IEDs" -- a reference to roadside bombs.
The group claims American soldiers are dying in Iraq due to divine intervention because the United States harbors homosexuals.
The Westboro protesters, however, could face new restrictions at Jones' funeral if Gov. Mitch Daniels signs a bill this week that would make disorderly conduct at a funeral a felony and keep protesters at least 500 feet from a gravesite.
That bill, which won final approval Tuesday from the Indiana House, would take effect immediately after being signed by Daniels. The governor's press secretary, Jane Jankowski, said Daniels would sign the bill as soon as it arrives on his desk.
"We're trying to get this family some closure, and not have to deal with these stupid signs," state Rep. John Smith, R-Kokomo, said Tuesday.
State Sen. Brent Steele, who authored the legislation, said the bill doesn't go as far as some states' attempts to hold back protests by the Westboro group.
"I went as far as I thought I could and still have a constitutional bill," said Steele, R-Bedford.
Mark Potok, a spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said it's still an open question whether some of the new laws restricting picketing are entirely constitutional.
He said his civil rights organization has listed the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group for years. The minister who leads the group advocates making homosexuality a capital offense.
What I'm Reading Lately
Reading is a bit of a stretch, as this simple volume is mostly the chronicle of the final days of the Taliban Regime in Afghanistan. Collected and assembled by Photographer Thomas Dworzak, this ironic collection of portraits comes from clandestine photographers living in Kandahar.
To quote Jeff McMahon from his review of the book in the January-February 2004 'The Gay & Lesbian Review', "The photographs [Dworzak] collected were commissioned by Taliban warriors wishing to commemorate their heroism, bravery, and (perhaps less consciously) youthful beauty during the American invasion in the fall of 2001. The soldiers on the brink of defeat wanted to record who they were....[now] abandoned photos whose subjects....were mostly now dead."
It's an odd and very affecting collection in many ways. The Taliban, you will recall forbade any depiction of the human image, right down to spray-painting off the circle heads of stick figures on public safety signs identifying crosswalks! And these, the glorious warriors and adherents, in their hour of dire need, found the desire to be remembered more essential.
Many of the young men wear make-up (eye-liner, and in watercolor touched up photos what comes to look like lipstick). In a culture that maintained strick separation of the sexes, fascinating that any expression of feminization of the male image should seem so non-chalant.
And ultimately, you have to realize that for whatever evil these men participated in and represented to the west, they themselves could no more have attact the World Trade Center than I Hagia Sophia!--And my chances would still be miles ahead of theirs. I have no sympathy for the Taliban in terms of ideology, but as a Christian I do know enough about my faith to know that I can recognize their personhood and feel compassion toward even these, my enemies.
To quote Jeff McMahon from his review of the book in the January-February 2004 'The Gay & Lesbian Review', "The photographs [Dworzak] collected were commissioned by Taliban warriors wishing to commemorate their heroism, bravery, and (perhaps less consciously) youthful beauty during the American invasion in the fall of 2001. The soldiers on the brink of defeat wanted to record who they were....[now] abandoned photos whose subjects....were mostly now dead."
It's an odd and very affecting collection in many ways. The Taliban, you will recall forbade any depiction of the human image, right down to spray-painting off the circle heads of stick figures on public safety signs identifying crosswalks! And these, the glorious warriors and adherents, in their hour of dire need, found the desire to be remembered more essential.
Many of the young men wear make-up (eye-liner, and in watercolor touched up photos what comes to look like lipstick). In a culture that maintained strick separation of the sexes, fascinating that any expression of feminization of the male image should seem so non-chalant.
And ultimately, you have to realize that for whatever evil these men participated in and represented to the west, they themselves could no more have attact the World Trade Center than I Hagia Sophia!--And my chances would still be miles ahead of theirs. I have no sympathy for the Taliban in terms of ideology, but as a Christian I do know enough about my faith to know that I can recognize their personhood and feel compassion toward even these, my enemies.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Random Quote #42
"You have made God in your own image when God hates the same people you hate."
~ Fr. John Weston, 1963 -
~ Fr. John Weston, 1963 -
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Random Quote #41
". . . I was at a party feeling very shy because there were a lot of celebrities around, and I was sitting in a corner alone and a very beautiful young man came up to me and offered me some salted peanuts and he said, 'I wish they were emeralds' as he handed me the peanuts and that was the end of my heart. I never got it back."
~ Helen Hayes, 1900 - 1993
~ Helen Hayes, 1900 - 1993
Friday, February 24, 2006
Senate Races 2006 Analysis #1
"Hawaii Is a Democrat Thing...So Far"
(As previously promised, my politiphile, progressive analysis of races for the US Senate in 2006)
In 2006 the race in Hawaii seems a very safe seat for the Democrats in the Senate. The present incumbent, Daniel Akaka, is one of the most parochial members of the Senate. He has managed to represent the state for nearly 20 years. The state's governor on the occasion of the then Senator Spark Matsunaga's untimely death first appointed him to the office in April 1990. 2006 will be his forth attempt to win his seat in the US Senate.
Senator Akaka will actually turn 82 on the day of the election. While this doesn't best former Senator Strom Thurmond--R, (SC) or present incumbent Senator Robert Byrd--D, (WV), it does place him in the upper echelons of Senators vis-Ã -vis age. Yet, wisdom comes with age, and he's not displayed any of the troublesome signs of dementia that other Senators like Jim Bunning--R, (KY) and Patrick Leahy--I, (VT) have been accused of.
Senator Akaka holds the distinct honor of being the first person of native-Hawaiian ancestry to be elected to the US Senate. A fact alone that gives him tremendous support in his state. Along with colleague, Daniel Inouye (D-HI), he is one of two Asian/Pacific Islanders in the Senate, which is a higher percentage than the House can boast.
To date, no republicans have risen to challenge him. His only opponent appears to be another Democrat. Second district House representative, Ed Case, has thrown his hat into the ring. Representative Case was first elected to replace representative Patsy Takemoto Mink after her untimely death in early 2003. After which he won re-election to the seat in 2004.
Representative Case is a native Hawaiian of European-American Ancestry. His roots are fresher, more tender in the political soil, even as his experience in the process extends all the way back to Senator Spark Matsunaga, under whom he served. He also seems to be building a resume on a fast track that extends beyond the little islands of our picturesque 50th state. So this move against Akaka is frought with potential ramafications.
So how do I see this portion of the race settle down? Tradition vs. Modernity. Asian-American vs. Euro-American. Parochial concerns vs. national aspirations. I have no idea. Without an opponent from the Republican Party, I am not sending any money to either of them before the primary.... It will be very interesting to see how Hawaiians decide between these two candidates. And it seem like the senate seat in Hawaii will remain BLUE.
There are 33 seats up for grabs. And at this point I calle Dems 1, Reps 0; net change: Status Quo.
(As previously promised, my politiphile, progressive analysis of races for the US Senate in 2006)
In 2006 the race in Hawaii seems a very safe seat for the Democrats in the Senate. The present incumbent, Daniel Akaka, is one of the most parochial members of the Senate. He has managed to represent the state for nearly 20 years. The state's governor on the occasion of the then Senator Spark Matsunaga's untimely death first appointed him to the office in April 1990. 2006 will be his forth attempt to win his seat in the US Senate.
Senator Akaka will actually turn 82 on the day of the election. While this doesn't best former Senator Strom Thurmond--R, (SC) or present incumbent Senator Robert Byrd--D, (WV), it does place him in the upper echelons of Senators vis-Ã -vis age. Yet, wisdom comes with age, and he's not displayed any of the troublesome signs of dementia that other Senators like Jim Bunning--R, (KY) and Patrick Leahy--I, (VT) have been accused of.
Senator Akaka holds the distinct honor of being the first person of native-Hawaiian ancestry to be elected to the US Senate. A fact alone that gives him tremendous support in his state. Along with colleague, Daniel Inouye (D-HI), he is one of two Asian/Pacific Islanders in the Senate, which is a higher percentage than the House can boast.
To date, no republicans have risen to challenge him. His only opponent appears to be another Democrat. Second district House representative, Ed Case, has thrown his hat into the ring. Representative Case was first elected to replace representative Patsy Takemoto Mink after her untimely death in early 2003. After which he won re-election to the seat in 2004.
Representative Case is a native Hawaiian of European-American Ancestry. His roots are fresher, more tender in the political soil, even as his experience in the process extends all the way back to Senator Spark Matsunaga, under whom he served. He also seems to be building a resume on a fast track that extends beyond the little islands of our picturesque 50th state. So this move against Akaka is frought with potential ramafications.
So how do I see this portion of the race settle down? Tradition vs. Modernity. Asian-American vs. Euro-American. Parochial concerns vs. national aspirations. I have no idea. Without an opponent from the Republican Party, I am not sending any money to either of them before the primary.... It will be very interesting to see how Hawaiians decide between these two candidates. And it seem like the senate seat in Hawaii will remain BLUE.
There are 33 seats up for grabs. And at this point I calle Dems 1, Reps 0; net change: Status Quo.
Our Latest American Hero #5
These posts in this new series are only a sampling of the thousands of heroes who have given their lives for you and me.
Marine 2nd Lt. Almar L. Fitzgerald, 23, of Lexington, S.C.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); died Feb. 21 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds sustained Feb. 18 when an improvised explosive device detonated during combat operations against enemy forces in Ramadi, Iraq.
“Marine Who Appeared in Documentary Dies”
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Marine 2nd Lt. Almar Fitzgerald, a Lexington native, has died from injuries sustained in a weekend roadside bomb attack in Iraq, the Marine Corps confirmed Thursday.
Fitzgerald, a 2004 graduate of The Citadel, died Tuesday in a military hospital in Germany where he was being treated. He had been in Iraq about six months and was scheduled to return home next month.
The Citadel says Fitzgerald is the 11th graduate to die in the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is the 35th service member from South Carolina to be killed, according to a count by The Associated Press.
“He felt like it was something he had always wanted to do,” said Maj. Ken Boes, a tactical officer on The Citadel staff who helped Fitzgerald get in Officer Candidate School. “He wanted to serve his country ... and he wanted to challenge himself.”
During his senior year, Fitzgerald served as executive officer of Company M, 3rd Battalion and worked as a supervisor for a cadet-run phone bank soliciting donations for the state’s military college.
“He had such a contagious personality,” said Rachel Meuser, the college’s assistant director of annual giving. “He genuinely cared about people.”
Fitzgerald appeared in a documentary produced by Marine Corps Times called “Making of a Marine Officer” and spoke about the realities of military life. He told an interviewer about a table at Officer Candidate School covered with photographs of Marines killed in battle.
“The purpose of that is to be basically a reality check,” he said in the interview. “This could be you in the next couple of months — just a picture.”
Marine 2nd Lt. Almar L. Fitzgerald, 23, of Lexington, S.C.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; attached to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); died Feb. 21 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, of wounds sustained Feb. 18 when an improvised explosive device detonated during combat operations against enemy forces in Ramadi, Iraq.
“Marine Who Appeared in Documentary Dies”
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Marine 2nd Lt. Almar Fitzgerald, a Lexington native, has died from injuries sustained in a weekend roadside bomb attack in Iraq, the Marine Corps confirmed Thursday.
Fitzgerald, a 2004 graduate of The Citadel, died Tuesday in a military hospital in Germany where he was being treated. He had been in Iraq about six months and was scheduled to return home next month.
The Citadel says Fitzgerald is the 11th graduate to die in the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is the 35th service member from South Carolina to be killed, according to a count by The Associated Press.
“He felt like it was something he had always wanted to do,” said Maj. Ken Boes, a tactical officer on The Citadel staff who helped Fitzgerald get in Officer Candidate School. “He wanted to serve his country ... and he wanted to challenge himself.”
During his senior year, Fitzgerald served as executive officer of Company M, 3rd Battalion and worked as a supervisor for a cadet-run phone bank soliciting donations for the state’s military college.
“He had such a contagious personality,” said Rachel Meuser, the college’s assistant director of annual giving. “He genuinely cared about people.”
Fitzgerald appeared in a documentary produced by Marine Corps Times called “Making of a Marine Officer” and spoke about the realities of military life. He told an interviewer about a table at Officer Candidate School covered with photographs of Marines killed in battle.
“The purpose of that is to be basically a reality check,” he said in the interview. “This could be you in the next couple of months — just a picture.”
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Rent, PS
A final couple of thoughts...I love these lyrics. They should have gone with the alternate ending. I'm so glad that they included it in the DVD 2-disc package....
From the alternate finale:
"There is no future....there is no past --
Thank God this moment's not the last!
There's only us,
There's only this,
Forget regret, or
Life is yours to miss.
No other road, no other way,
No day but today!
Will I loose my dignity?
Will someone care?
Will I awake tomorrow,
from this nightmare?
There's only now,
There's only here,
Give into love, or
Live in fear.
No other road, no other way,
No day but today!
(I die without you...)
repreat
No day but today!
From the alternate finale:
"There is no future....there is no past --
Thank God this moment's not the last!
There's only us,
There's only this,
Forget regret, or
Life is yours to miss.
No other road, no other way,
No day but today!
Will I loose my dignity?
Will someone care?
Will I awake tomorrow,
from this nightmare?
There's only now,
There's only here,
Give into love, or
Live in fear.
No other road, no other way,
No day but today!
(I die without you...)
repreat
No day but today!
"And Now, Jose?: a Blog with Cultural Bulimia"
A final thought tonight: check out my friend's blog: http://brzinnyc.blogspot.com/ And it may be a stretch to call Jose a "friend," but this amazing chronicle of culture, art, perspective, and life will quickly leave you feeling like a friend, too. And for anyone who loves Brazil, it's a must book site.
Caio!
Caio!
"Our Shame" OR "Repent Now"
I am so full of ideas tonight. So many things I want to share. I hope the gravity of this post will not be deflected by the previous one.
The president says that he's mad because the truth has come out yet again regarding the torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The president says he's a Christian. But when was the last time he went to church? When was the last time that he read the Bible? Has he EVER read it?
Permit me to help him out, if but a little:
"Blessed are the Peacemakers! They will be ranked children of God."
~ Matthew 5:9
"I tell you, my hearers, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you: bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If a man strikes you on the one cheek, offer him the other as well; give to anyone who asks you, and never ask your goods back from anyone who has taken them. As you would like others to do to you, so do to them."
~ Luke 6:27-31
"Never think, "I will treat him as he treated me. I will pay back the man for what he did."
~ Proverbs 24:29
"When the Eternal bends from his sacred height, and looks from heaven to earth, to hear the prisoner's groan, and to release the doomed; let this be set down for future generations, that people yet unborn may praise the Eternal, rehearsing his fame in Zion and praising him at Jerusalem, when realms and nations gather there to worship the Eternal."
~ Psalm 102:19-22
"Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.'
~ Luke 23:34a
"Treat one another with the same spirit as you experience in Christ Jesus."
~ Philippians 2:5
Now you've been to church.
I know that proof texting arguments with the Bible are so distasteful. It's mostly abused by those who seek to justify their own hearts desires and opinions -- an utterly wicked discipline. And I know that the Bible says enough stuff that most ideas can be justified AND condemned with equal vigor.
SO my litmus test falls on one question: What's easy to do? The easy thing is the thing that my human nature desires...and in this instance, the easy thing is "revenge;" therefore, the right thing is "forgiveness." Period.
The president says that he's mad because the truth has come out yet again regarding the torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The president says he's a Christian. But when was the last time he went to church? When was the last time that he read the Bible? Has he EVER read it?
Permit me to help him out, if but a little:
"Blessed are the Peacemakers! They will be ranked children of God."
~ Matthew 5:9
"I tell you, my hearers, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you: bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If a man strikes you on the one cheek, offer him the other as well; give to anyone who asks you, and never ask your goods back from anyone who has taken them. As you would like others to do to you, so do to them."
~ Luke 6:27-31
"Never think, "I will treat him as he treated me. I will pay back the man for what he did."
~ Proverbs 24:29
"When the Eternal bends from his sacred height, and looks from heaven to earth, to hear the prisoner's groan, and to release the doomed; let this be set down for future generations, that people yet unborn may praise the Eternal, rehearsing his fame in Zion and praising him at Jerusalem, when realms and nations gather there to worship the Eternal."
~ Psalm 102:19-22
"Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.'
~ Luke 23:34a
"Treat one another with the same spirit as you experience in Christ Jesus."
~ Philippians 2:5
Now you've been to church.
I know that proof texting arguments with the Bible are so distasteful. It's mostly abused by those who seek to justify their own hearts desires and opinions -- an utterly wicked discipline. And I know that the Bible says enough stuff that most ideas can be justified AND condemned with equal vigor.
SO my litmus test falls on one question: What's easy to do? The easy thing is the thing that my human nature desires...and in this instance, the easy thing is "revenge;" therefore, the right thing is "forgiveness." Period.
Icon Exerpt
This from an interview by Charles Purdy posted on PlanetOut.com. Peter Berlin is probably the quintessential gay glamor boy icon from the 1970's. He's like a slightly softer and more exotic Jeff Stryker or Ryan Idol (I date myself here, I'm sure!) I thought what he had to say about the penis very interesting....
CP: When did you first realize how beautiful you were -- the power of your beauty? And what was that realization like?
PB: I don't know how old I was. But I was looking in the mirror, and I just liked what I saw. That was sort of when puberty set in, and I was so surprised by that, and so scared -- for five seconds. And then I said, "OK, nobody has to know about it but me." But it was sort of . . . I saw something that I liked. It's not that I ever thought of myself as so beautiful -- but . . . in the pictures, I do the best with what I have to work with. Once I looked at a [self-portrait] I'd done, and I said, "Oh, I would like to look like that."
CP: The look you developed was very different from what had come before in many ways, and very uniquely sexy in a gay way. What inspired you to create that persona and that look?
PB: I had a very definite idea of how a young man, should present himself, and one key element was that the man has . . . a dick.
.... man is running around without a dick since, I don't know when. In the Middle Ages I think they were doing better. But it is just unbelievable how the man castrated himself -- certainly in my lifetime, but I think that goes back a long time. So that's one thing I think I made part of it....
CP: When did you first realize how beautiful you were -- the power of your beauty? And what was that realization like?
PB: I don't know how old I was. But I was looking in the mirror, and I just liked what I saw. That was sort of when puberty set in, and I was so surprised by that, and so scared -- for five seconds. And then I said, "OK, nobody has to know about it but me." But it was sort of . . . I saw something that I liked. It's not that I ever thought of myself as so beautiful -- but . . . in the pictures, I do the best with what I have to work with. Once I looked at a [self-portrait] I'd done, and I said, "Oh, I would like to look like that."
CP: The look you developed was very different from what had come before in many ways, and very uniquely sexy in a gay way. What inspired you to create that persona and that look?
PB: I had a very definite idea of how a young man, should present himself, and one key element was that the man has . . . a dick.
.... man is running around without a dick since, I don't know when. In the Middle Ages I think they were doing better. But it is just unbelievable how the man castrated himself -- certainly in my lifetime, but I think that goes back a long time. So that's one thing I think I made part of it....
Our Latest American Hero #4
Army Capt. Anthony R. Garcia, 48, of Fort Worth, Texas; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.; killed Feb. 17 by a gun shot in Tikrit, Iraq.
"Fort Worth Officer Killed in Iraq"
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — An Army officer from Fort Worth, Texas, died from a gunshot wound in Iraq, the Department of Defense said Monday.
Capt. Anthony R. Garcia, 48, died in Tikrit on Feb. 17. The shooting is under investigation because it happened on a military base, said Cathy Gramling, a spokeswoman for Fort Campbell, where Garcia was assigned. No further details were released.
"He loved his kids and doing stuff together," Garcia's wife, Doris, told The Leaf-Chronicle of Clarksville, Tenn. "We'll just miss him so much."
Garcia was a physician assistant assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Aviation Brigade. He joined the Army in August 1989 and was assigned to Fort Campbell in June 2001.
Besides his wife, Garcia is survived by a daughter, Kelly, and a son, Garrick, of Clarksville; and his parents, Monico and Josephine Garcia, of Hudson Oaks, Texas.
Monico Garcia described his son as a "happy person."
"He liked to kid people a lot and do fun things," Garcia told The Leaf-Chronicle from his home in Texas.
Garcia is at least the sixth Texan to die in Iraq this year and at least the 197th since the war began in March 2003.
"Fort Worth Officer Killed in Iraq"
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — An Army officer from Fort Worth, Texas, died from a gunshot wound in Iraq, the Department of Defense said Monday.
Capt. Anthony R. Garcia, 48, died in Tikrit on Feb. 17. The shooting is under investigation because it happened on a military base, said Cathy Gramling, a spokeswoman for Fort Campbell, where Garcia was assigned. No further details were released.
"He loved his kids and doing stuff together," Garcia's wife, Doris, told The Leaf-Chronicle of Clarksville, Tenn. "We'll just miss him so much."
Garcia was a physician assistant assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Aviation Brigade. He joined the Army in August 1989 and was assigned to Fort Campbell in June 2001.
Besides his wife, Garcia is survived by a daughter, Kelly, and a son, Garrick, of Clarksville; and his parents, Monico and Josephine Garcia, of Hudson Oaks, Texas.
Monico Garcia described his son as a "happy person."
"He liked to kid people a lot and do fun things," Garcia told The Leaf-Chronicle from his home in Texas.
Garcia is at least the sixth Texan to die in Iraq this year and at least the 197th since the war began in March 2003.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
"Rent" Redux
I work for a school that attempts to review it's every move with input that is either a "+" or a "Delta". Pluses are obviously praise centered and Deltas aim to highlight areas for improvement. So let me plus/delta rent:
PLUSES
~ The settings are well crafted. The lighting enhances this and you have a wonderful reminder throughout that you are experiencing something as much theatrical as cinematic.
~ Wilson Jermaine Heredia & Anthony Rapp in particular. Both the characters of Angel and Mark were stand out performances.
~ Broadway cast in general: the fact that so many actors who had begun the process where retained to create this unltimate expression of the work. (I am still pissed over Bebe Newirth's slight in "Chicago"! A great film adaptation made lesser by this decision.)
~ Kudus for the guts to experiment with settings and choreography. Most notably in the numbers, "The Tango Maurine" and "Santa Fe."
~ And the simple dignity given to the moments like "Life Support" and "Will I Loose My Dignity." Both of which left me a blubbering fool...
DELTAS
~ Computer generated breath frost! YUK! It was SO FAKE that it was quickly annoying. Not the feather from "Forest Gump."
~ Missing musical number: What happened to "It's Over?" Too hot? Too Racy? Made me thank God that HBO got dibs on "Angels in America!"
~ Recitative: hated the redrafting of dialogue that lost the music and the rhyme....
Overall, 4 stars, wish it had been 5.
PLUSES
~ The settings are well crafted. The lighting enhances this and you have a wonderful reminder throughout that you are experiencing something as much theatrical as cinematic.
~ Wilson Jermaine Heredia & Anthony Rapp in particular. Both the characters of Angel and Mark were stand out performances.
~ Broadway cast in general: the fact that so many actors who had begun the process where retained to create this unltimate expression of the work. (I am still pissed over Bebe Newirth's slight in "Chicago"! A great film adaptation made lesser by this decision.)
~ Kudus for the guts to experiment with settings and choreography. Most notably in the numbers, "The Tango Maurine" and "Santa Fe."
~ And the simple dignity given to the moments like "Life Support" and "Will I Loose My Dignity." Both of which left me a blubbering fool...
DELTAS
~ Computer generated breath frost! YUK! It was SO FAKE that it was quickly annoying. Not the feather from "Forest Gump."
~ Missing musical number: What happened to "It's Over?" Too hot? Too Racy? Made me thank God that HBO got dibs on "Angels in America!"
~ Recitative: hated the redrafting of dialogue that lost the music and the rhyme....
Overall, 4 stars, wish it had been 5.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
What I'm Watching #8
Hot off its video release. And a movie that I so longed to see, but whch now I understand why I waited to see on video: The Cry Factor!
More later, perhaps.....
More later, perhaps.....
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