While most Americans sit on their hunches and try vainly to wait out the desperate spiral our economy has taken, Big Business (our government) continue to make inroads on extracting the few remaining dollars that record breaking oil prices and inflation have left, Bushco continues to deny that our economy is anything but crumbling, and Cheney spouts nonsense about the success of the Iraq war and the additional troop deployment.
After months of absolute tumult, the increasingly unstable stock market took another blow this weekend as financial stable Bear Stearns was thrown a life jacket in the form of tax payer’s heard earned cash from even bigger financial devil JP Morgan Chase Bank, who bailed the insolvent company out by buying up shares at an egregious discount of $2 a share. The bailout, which came after JPM Chase made a secured loan to the company on Friday (basically a loan unto themselves), potentially saved the entire market from certain demise after investors and lenders begin to call in the collateral on speculative loans made to Bear Stearns. These loans of course, were strengthened on the basis of the company’s two hedge funds which lost heavily amidst the sub prime mortgage fiasco. Investment banks such as Bear Stearns are vulnerable anyway to the totally speculative part of the market that includes hedge funds and bond funds; anytime loans are backed by computer earnings that have little to no respective (real) collateral, it leaves the underbelly of the company exposed. Whisperings of trouble for other financial institutions that rely on securities backed by securities backed by securities are on the horizon. Says Anil Kashyap, a professor at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago, "My guess is by next week, there will be rumors of other large, familiar institutions" that could be in trouble.” What does this spell for the average consumer? Well the Federal Reserve, you know, the institution that hoards our taxes for themselves and prints and sells us our money back to us for a fee, is backing the loan that JPMC Bank is giving Bear Stearns and is backing the transaction that will make Bear Stearns a part of the larger institution. Not only that, in order to back the dubious loan and transaction, the Fed had to resort to an ancient, rarely used provision called the Federal Reserve Act, allowing it to lend funds to a non-bank financial institution. Which means that you and I are paying for the JPMC Bank coup of Bear Stearns, although we’ll never see a dime of any future earnings when JPMC Bank sells Bear Stearns back to the public for a price that will be at least 1000% markup of the $2 steal it has currently garnered, and if this is any sort of precedent, we, the public, will be paying for future bailouts of insolvent, risky scam-like companies as investors call upon them to realize all the money that has been speculated into them. Confused? Don’t be; this kind of nab and sell happens all the time on Wall Street, and is the reason why CEO’s of financial institutions make 10-15 times the salary as the average American. It’s a scam, pure and simple, but one that the Fed endorses, so we really have no say in the matter.
Bushco continues to make headlines of his own. This time he swears that not only are we not heading into a recession (he’s right, we’re heading into a depression), but that he has complete confidence in the ability of the markets to turn us around, this despite the record number of growing insolvent speculative markets which include the aforementioned Bear Stearns. This is also on the heels of his complete ignorance on the ability of gas prices to soar to over $4 a gallon by this summer (certain markets on the west coast have already seen the price of a gallon of gas burst the $4 mark). Bushco sounds increasingly like a maniac on the loose when it comes to domestic affairs, and lends new air to the phrase lame duck.
“…The temptation of Washington is to say that anything short of a massive government intervention in the housing market amounts to inaction. I strongly disagree with that sentiment. … Government actions are — have far-reaching and unintended consequences.”
What we don’t want or need, Bushco, is a government handout or bailout, but a severe reduction in overseas military imperialistic sentiments that are bankrupting this country by the hour. You know that when NYT, the cheerleader for the White House, is reporting that Bushco should lay off the ganja, that things are very wrong in the world (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/opinion/16sun1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin.)
Why the insistent ignorance on all things domestically challenging from this Presi-tator? Well, for Bushco and his cronies, this economic instability couldn’t be better. From the Big Five to Halliburton to Blackwater, government contractors are riding an enormous wave of unprecedented earnings and profits. For Bushco and his dictatorship, their eyes are on the bigger prize of Iraq and stolen oil and the woes of everyday Americans are of little consequence to them.
Speaking of stolen oil and contract profits…Cheney and family are on a tour of the ‘ever improving’ Iraq on the eve of the 5th anniversary of this immoral and imperialistic war for oil. Citing reductions in violence and an overall up tick in political advances, Cheney derided current invocations of pull-outs pending the change in leadership come November… "It would be a mistake now to be so eager to draw down the force that we risk putting the outcome in jeopardy," said Cheney, on an unannounced visit to Iraq. "And I don't think we'll do that." Even after record deficits here at home, with the country’s economy spiraling into disaster and destitution, Cheney refuses to acknowledge that even though the violence that this war instigated is perhaps indeed faltering in certain areas, we have incurred unimaginable and staggering damage to the Iraqi people and their way of life, replacing the harried regime of Hussein with an equally horrendous occupation that continues to displace millions of Iraqis and do irreparable psychological and emotional damage to our troops. Of course, since troops admittedly fall into the lower or middle class of citizens, their well being is negotiable for this administration, which has so fool-hardily led them into danger that could and should have been avoided…
Monday, March 17, 2008
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Wow, is all I can say. I'm really trying here...
Have you ever seen a movie that you knew would be a favorite of yours for years to come, if not forever? A movie that grabs you by the throat, squeezes the breath back into your quickly filling lungs, and makes you as uncomfortable as standing outside on a 100 degree day? A movie that also connects to some distant, deep but ultimately important part of your soul, and delivers the very tenseness and terseness that the writer meant to portray in ways that even he couldn’t dream of? That’s asking a lot from a movie, and even the best thrillers, despite record breaking budgets and casts that demand as much money as the GDP of some small countries, can’t consistently deliver the kind of nail biting atmosphere that the genre’s name implies. It takes a well blended recipe to produce a genuine thriller; from the inspired director to the gelled cast members to the fitting locations, the ingredients have to be finely mixed in order for the end product to be believably edible. And the movie needs to have reviewability; a great thriller must be able to reproduce the same feelings of excitement and dread, happiness and nervousness, intenseness and sublime-ness that it originally provoked in you upon the first viewing. There are quite a few things worse than re-watching a movie once held in high regard only to realize that it wasn’t nearly as awe-inspiring as originally thought, but it still sucks.
Knowing this about thrillers, I don’t have many favorite movies that are classified as such; most of my favorites fall in the realm of action/adventure. The X-Men, particularly part 2 (which defies my unmitigated hate for sequels), and all three segments of the Lord of the Rings, rank highly among my favorites of all time. So it was quite a surprise for me when I first saw the Talented Mr. Ripley. The movie had all of the necessary ingredients for a smash; the talented Mr. Anthony Minghella directs a stunning ensemble cast in a well written (although at times a little contrived) character study set in the beautifully rendered pre-refrigerated era of Southern Europe. And, as is so often the case with a film loaded with big name actors, the movie doesn’t fall victim to top heavy, banal acting. Instead, with brilliant performances from Matt Damon (his absolute best since his first film Good Will Hunting), Kate Blanchett, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, and the scene stealing Philip Seymour Hoffman, the film is a masterpiece of flowing transitions, building on its premise like a Mozart concerto, until the final, crushing, unpredictable ending.
Having had nothing better to do last night, I sat down to tuna sandwiches and a review of this film that once held the honor of being my favorite of all time. I hadn’t seen it in well over two years; I have several dozen dvds from my brief but exciting stint as a Blockbuster nerd several years ago, but rarely do I sit down to re-watch any of them, choosing instead to waste several hours watching tennis, poker, or any number of endless reality shows, the ranks of which are reproducing stale replicates as swiftly as a dividing zygote. Immediately I realized why this movie had been my favorite for so long, and why it has now reclaimed that revered top spot. So completely has the director captured the essence of the title character, so cleverly has he interwoven the intricate surroundings into the body of the story, and so immersed are the cast into their roles that I’m flawlessly transported back to the time when I first saw the film, fully and completely, even though this has to be the zillionth time I’ve seen it. The same tightness in my belly as Mr. Ripley tells his first lie is there; so is the sickening, queasy apprehension I feel as Dicky (Law) slowly comes to the realization that Tom Ripley is the worst kind of leach. But so believable is Damon as the poor, just-wanna-be-liked Ripley that one can only help but feel pity and sorrow for the poor sap who must take on the dimensions of another person to feel comfortable with himself, and the villain becomes the hero- of sorts. It is this kind of intermixing of characters and feelings, along with a superb script, that sets this movie apart from so many other thriller films. At one point, when the film is headlong into reaching its climax, I feel such dread and apprehension that I cringe and turn away- the very same reaction I had upon seeing it in a crowded theater. I have to remind myself, literally, that this is just a movie; I relish this reaction while reading, when I have to physically set the book down and tell myself that this is fiction after all, just a book, dammit, why are you getting all riled up? as it is the first sign that I’m reading a really great book. When I have that kind of reaction to a movie, having to remove myself from the moment, I know I’m in for a thrill. Perhaps I can relate to the title character a little too closely, perhaps it was the idea that I never really fit in with those I most wanted to associate myself with back in high school, when I had the self assurance of a toddler, or perhaps the movie struck the right chords at the right time upon my first viewing it, and I associate those feelings with the film up to this day. You know, like when you had your first kiss with a person you really liked, not just sort of liked, and perhaps that person was wearing cherry scented lip gloss, or was chewing strawberry flavored gum. You always associate cherry lip gloss or strawberry chewing gum with that particular person or period in your life. But that doesn’t explain how the movie makes me uncomfortable in all the same spots, or grabs my attention at certain times, or how I always find some new detail when I watch it, making it forever new in my eyes. Whatever the case, the Talented Mr. Ripley has just made its way back to the zenith of my movie list. Check it out if you’ve never had the pleasure.
Have you ever seen a movie that you knew would be a favorite of yours for years to come, if not forever? A movie that grabs you by the throat, squeezes the breath back into your quickly filling lungs, and makes you as uncomfortable as standing outside on a 100 degree day? A movie that also connects to some distant, deep but ultimately important part of your soul, and delivers the very tenseness and terseness that the writer meant to portray in ways that even he couldn’t dream of? That’s asking a lot from a movie, and even the best thrillers, despite record breaking budgets and casts that demand as much money as the GDP of some small countries, can’t consistently deliver the kind of nail biting atmosphere that the genre’s name implies. It takes a well blended recipe to produce a genuine thriller; from the inspired director to the gelled cast members to the fitting locations, the ingredients have to be finely mixed in order for the end product to be believably edible. And the movie needs to have reviewability; a great thriller must be able to reproduce the same feelings of excitement and dread, happiness and nervousness, intenseness and sublime-ness that it originally provoked in you upon the first viewing. There are quite a few things worse than re-watching a movie once held in high regard only to realize that it wasn’t nearly as awe-inspiring as originally thought, but it still sucks.
Knowing this about thrillers, I don’t have many favorite movies that are classified as such; most of my favorites fall in the realm of action/adventure. The X-Men, particularly part 2 (which defies my unmitigated hate for sequels), and all three segments of the Lord of the Rings, rank highly among my favorites of all time. So it was quite a surprise for me when I first saw the Talented Mr. Ripley. The movie had all of the necessary ingredients for a smash; the talented Mr. Anthony Minghella directs a stunning ensemble cast in a well written (although at times a little contrived) character study set in the beautifully rendered pre-refrigerated era of Southern Europe. And, as is so often the case with a film loaded with big name actors, the movie doesn’t fall victim to top heavy, banal acting. Instead, with brilliant performances from Matt Damon (his absolute best since his first film Good Will Hunting), Kate Blanchett, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, and the scene stealing Philip Seymour Hoffman, the film is a masterpiece of flowing transitions, building on its premise like a Mozart concerto, until the final, crushing, unpredictable ending.
Having had nothing better to do last night, I sat down to tuna sandwiches and a review of this film that once held the honor of being my favorite of all time. I hadn’t seen it in well over two years; I have several dozen dvds from my brief but exciting stint as a Blockbuster nerd several years ago, but rarely do I sit down to re-watch any of them, choosing instead to waste several hours watching tennis, poker, or any number of endless reality shows, the ranks of which are reproducing stale replicates as swiftly as a dividing zygote. Immediately I realized why this movie had been my favorite for so long, and why it has now reclaimed that revered top spot. So completely has the director captured the essence of the title character, so cleverly has he interwoven the intricate surroundings into the body of the story, and so immersed are the cast into their roles that I’m flawlessly transported back to the time when I first saw the film, fully and completely, even though this has to be the zillionth time I’ve seen it. The same tightness in my belly as Mr. Ripley tells his first lie is there; so is the sickening, queasy apprehension I feel as Dicky (Law) slowly comes to the realization that Tom Ripley is the worst kind of leach. But so believable is Damon as the poor, just-wanna-be-liked Ripley that one can only help but feel pity and sorrow for the poor sap who must take on the dimensions of another person to feel comfortable with himself, and the villain becomes the hero- of sorts. It is this kind of intermixing of characters and feelings, along with a superb script, that sets this movie apart from so many other thriller films. At one point, when the film is headlong into reaching its climax, I feel such dread and apprehension that I cringe and turn away- the very same reaction I had upon seeing it in a crowded theater. I have to remind myself, literally, that this is just a movie; I relish this reaction while reading, when I have to physically set the book down and tell myself that this is fiction after all, just a book, dammit, why are you getting all riled up? as it is the first sign that I’m reading a really great book. When I have that kind of reaction to a movie, having to remove myself from the moment, I know I’m in for a thrill. Perhaps I can relate to the title character a little too closely, perhaps it was the idea that I never really fit in with those I most wanted to associate myself with back in high school, when I had the self assurance of a toddler, or perhaps the movie struck the right chords at the right time upon my first viewing it, and I associate those feelings with the film up to this day. You know, like when you had your first kiss with a person you really liked, not just sort of liked, and perhaps that person was wearing cherry scented lip gloss, or was chewing strawberry flavored gum. You always associate cherry lip gloss or strawberry chewing gum with that particular person or period in your life. But that doesn’t explain how the movie makes me uncomfortable in all the same spots, or grabs my attention at certain times, or how I always find some new detail when I watch it, making it forever new in my eyes. Whatever the case, the Talented Mr. Ripley has just made its way back to the zenith of my movie list. Check it out if you’ve never had the pleasure.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Old, chartered territory.
Much has been recently made about the 'slump' world #1 Roger Federer is experiencing. After amassing the most dominating three years in the history of the ATP, a triad that includes 10 grand slam titles and a slew of Masters' shields and a couple of YEC's to boot, four losses before Wimbledon seem out of step with the usual style of the world's best tennis player. Add to that the pressure of adding the sole title to elude him thus far, a title that would bring far more prestige with it than any other title Federer has garnered so far and you can see why the step to part ways with long-time, part-time coach Tony Roche has most fans and pundits alike confused about this particular path world #1 has chosen. Especially at this particular time, with the clay court championships a mere two weeks away, with your clay court nemesis at his very best and snatching every clay title in sight, it seems foolhardy at best to part ways with the person in which you've put trust in for the past two years to give the proper direction. But part ways with Roche he has, and he says that there's no coach on the horizon..."I'm not taking a coach because I know what it takes to win. I don't want anyone interfering," the Swiss star said. "Maybe down the road I'll look for someone to help me out for practice."
Fans as well as beleagurers of world #1 will do well to remember that the first stellar year of the Swiss tennis player was had without a coach, when he nabbed three of the four slam titles in 2004 with only the French Open trophy absent from his roster. It would be the start of the three most dominating years in the history of men's tennis; Federer would go on to amass seven more grand slam titles and have an unbroken stint at the #1 position, a stint still intact. But Federer also nabbed the leadership of revered Aussie coach Tony Roche after his first amazing season, and up until now, had hit only one roadblock to total and complete domination of the men's tour; Raphael Nadal. And after two years of making little if any headway on the Spaniard who has held the #2 position for as long as Federer has been #1 and who has amassed a record on clay as equally dispiriting (77 consecutive wins and counting), Federer has decided that perhaps he can do bad all by himself..."It's something that's been inside myself for a few months," Federer said. "It was a decision that wasn't easy, of course, because we're good friends and get along very well and he's helped me a lot over the last couple of years. But in the end, he was a part-time coach. We were together only 15 weeks a year and I just thought the communication wasn't going very far any more."
If this is a precurser of things to come, then we have to expect Federer, who really does know what it takes to win and how to win it, will eventually right the turned back wheels and give himself the best opportunity to win. Even so, world #1 failed to win the French title when he was coachless, so it doesn't bode well that he will be able to snag the elusive title this year. Perhaps it will take another year of "gathering information," the phrase he has stated whenever accepting a loss to Nadal on clay. Perhaps this year will be the end all moment for Federer, a moment when he will finally face the clay court demons that have haunted him since his rise to the top, and conquer them. He seems to see no problem with this scenario..."In Monaco, I reached the finals. I'm very happy the way I played there from the quarters on," Federer said. "Last week (back in March/April) was obviously disappointing and I wasn't happy with my performance there. But it's basically one tournament, because at Indian Wells I had a bit of a blister and then in Miami I think I played well but ended up losing...So nothing really happened in my point of view." Maybe nothing really happened for him, but for the rest of the tour, who have been complacent in the light of Federer's greatness, it has been nothing short of revolutionary. Finally a ray of light has appeared through the Federer storm that has battered the ATP tour for years now. Players now have a modicum of hope when playing Federer outside of a grass court. Unfortunately, his main and most important nemesis has to look at this recent slide as more fodder for him; he has to like his chances on extending his win streak over the world's top ranked tennis star even as they both gear up for the Hamburg final, a clay tourney that he has owned in the past. Stay tuned...
Fans as well as beleagurers of world #1 will do well to remember that the first stellar year of the Swiss tennis player was had without a coach, when he nabbed three of the four slam titles in 2004 with only the French Open trophy absent from his roster. It would be the start of the three most dominating years in the history of men's tennis; Federer would go on to amass seven more grand slam titles and have an unbroken stint at the #1 position, a stint still intact. But Federer also nabbed the leadership of revered Aussie coach Tony Roche after his first amazing season, and up until now, had hit only one roadblock to total and complete domination of the men's tour; Raphael Nadal. And after two years of making little if any headway on the Spaniard who has held the #2 position for as long as Federer has been #1 and who has amassed a record on clay as equally dispiriting (77 consecutive wins and counting), Federer has decided that perhaps he can do bad all by himself..."It's something that's been inside myself for a few months," Federer said. "It was a decision that wasn't easy, of course, because we're good friends and get along very well and he's helped me a lot over the last couple of years. But in the end, he was a part-time coach. We were together only 15 weeks a year and I just thought the communication wasn't going very far any more."
If this is a precurser of things to come, then we have to expect Federer, who really does know what it takes to win and how to win it, will eventually right the turned back wheels and give himself the best opportunity to win. Even so, world #1 failed to win the French title when he was coachless, so it doesn't bode well that he will be able to snag the elusive title this year. Perhaps it will take another year of "gathering information," the phrase he has stated whenever accepting a loss to Nadal on clay. Perhaps this year will be the end all moment for Federer, a moment when he will finally face the clay court demons that have haunted him since his rise to the top, and conquer them. He seems to see no problem with this scenario..."In Monaco, I reached the finals. I'm very happy the way I played there from the quarters on," Federer said. "Last week (back in March/April) was obviously disappointing and I wasn't happy with my performance there. But it's basically one tournament, because at Indian Wells I had a bit of a blister and then in Miami I think I played well but ended up losing...So nothing really happened in my point of view." Maybe nothing really happened for him, but for the rest of the tour, who have been complacent in the light of Federer's greatness, it has been nothing short of revolutionary. Finally a ray of light has appeared through the Federer storm that has battered the ATP tour for years now. Players now have a modicum of hope when playing Federer outside of a grass court. Unfortunately, his main and most important nemesis has to look at this recent slide as more fodder for him; he has to like his chances on extending his win streak over the world's top ranked tennis star even as they both gear up for the Hamburg final, a clay tourney that he has owned in the past. Stay tuned...
Innocuous mishaps...
I was hanging with a friend recently when something went very wrong. We’re not close friends, although we’ve been trying (vainly) to remedy that, but what happened between us highlighted the fact that we may be too different to get along smashingly.
He had invited me to dinner over a late evening call. He’s a great cook, and he’s shown me before his skills in the kitchen over a great tomato, shrimp and basil pasta he made one day. So there was no question that I’d be headed over, it was just a matter of when. I had a few errands to run, so I ran them then headed over. I arrived, parked, and hopped out of my car, already tasting the delicious food he’d prepared; I was starving after having not eaten for hours already. But before I could shut the door of my car all the way I heard the welcoming starting barks from his dog, which was alertly holding sentry at my friend’s open front door. Now, I’ve seen this particular dog several, several times already, at least in the double digits. We’re very familiar with each other, as she’s sat in my lap while I rubbed her behind the ears, she’s sniffed my crotch, and she’s run her nails down my exposed leg before, so we’re definitely not strangers. However, she goes into spasms upon my arrival EVERY TIME, barking and barking and barking as I head up his stairs to his porch, a bark so loud and vicious sounding (even though he swears she’s never harmed a fly) it reverberates throughout his small neighborhood, and once he comes to the door to actually open it, forget about it. She goes absolutely berserk, barking and jumping up and down, and the minute I step inside she’s all over me, and not in a friendly way. I’m not scared or timid of dogs as I had so many growing up that they are like second nature to me. But several times this dog has seemed on the verge of tearing into me, so much so that she froths at the mouth as she jumps up to semi-attack me, her big paws digging into my thighs. She’s not a small dog either.
Finally, and only after a long delay of ferocious barking, my friend gets the dog to settle down, but only after she’s put herself all in my face and after he has warned me to pet her, or do something on my end to try and calm down this deranged animal. And that’s when I kind of take offense. I mean, this happens every single time I come over, without fail, so it seems that knowing this, my friend would take step before my arrival to make sure it doesn’t happen. Steps such as securing the dog in his upstairs bedroom at least until I’ve come inside. That way she can make her way down at her own pace if she feels so threatened by me. Or he can have a snack to give her once I do get there (she loves carrots), rewarding her for barking less. Or he can muzzle her; I don’t care really as long as this scene doesn’t endlessly repeat itself. But he doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal, even as her paws leave their mark on my body. I should just pet her, he insists.
If that event weren’t enough to make a slightly uncomfortable evening, then the next incident surely sealed our fate. After a long while, the dog has calmed down and settled for sniffing wildly around my person; seems she can’t shake the idea that I’m there to do her owner harm and she won’t leave me in peace. But I’m the best at ignoring annoying happenings, so I don’t let the dog bother me once she’s stopped assaulting me. My friend asks if I’m still hungry, to which I reaffirm. Once in the kitchen, though, he looks at me, shakes his head, and then takes his hands and rubs them vigorously through my hair, saying no, no, your hair’s all messed up…he rubs his hands around in it every which way, and then steps back to admire his creation. There, he states proudly, fixed it.
I was totally taken aback. Whoa, I say, trying to move my head from under his destructive fingers. WTF??? What are you doing, I ask him, too late though as he’s done the damage to my creation. What, he asks, very innocently, as he tries to explain that my hair had been stuck to the side of my head, I looked like I had bed head, and he just wanted to fix it for me. Now I’ve been growing my hair for not quite two years in a dreaded way (I promise to have a pic up soon). It’s not too lengthy yet, but just right, being long enough for me to mold it into whatever shapes I can think of. I take my appearance very seriously, even though to outsiders who pay little attention to me or for peeps who don’t know me as well as they think they do, it can seem like I simply wake up and face the world. Rest assured that’s not the case, and for him to not even take that into consideration as he fumbled through my design, which for that day was a Mohawk pushed on its side, was simply unbelievable. To me, it speaks of a much deeper and totally invalid disrespect this ‘friend’ carries for me if he thinks that I would go out without putting my best foot forward (he knew that I had run errands before coming over to his place, I had explained it perfectly), and that I would need him to fix my hair, or any part of my appearance for that matter, for me. I indignantly told him this, and I told him that I felt really disrespected that he didn’t feel the need to tell me he hated my hair before he put his hands in it. And I took my leave.
Now I’m well aware of my instinct to react negatively from my emotions, and perhaps leaving didn’t do anything to alleviate the situation, which was awkward to say the least. But I felt that was the best way to show him how his actions had left me feeling. I do hope this will be a learning experience for the both of us and that it doesn’t mark the end of our already shaky relationship…
He had invited me to dinner over a late evening call. He’s a great cook, and he’s shown me before his skills in the kitchen over a great tomato, shrimp and basil pasta he made one day. So there was no question that I’d be headed over, it was just a matter of when. I had a few errands to run, so I ran them then headed over. I arrived, parked, and hopped out of my car, already tasting the delicious food he’d prepared; I was starving after having not eaten for hours already. But before I could shut the door of my car all the way I heard the welcoming starting barks from his dog, which was alertly holding sentry at my friend’s open front door. Now, I’ve seen this particular dog several, several times already, at least in the double digits. We’re very familiar with each other, as she’s sat in my lap while I rubbed her behind the ears, she’s sniffed my crotch, and she’s run her nails down my exposed leg before, so we’re definitely not strangers. However, she goes into spasms upon my arrival EVERY TIME, barking and barking and barking as I head up his stairs to his porch, a bark so loud and vicious sounding (even though he swears she’s never harmed a fly) it reverberates throughout his small neighborhood, and once he comes to the door to actually open it, forget about it. She goes absolutely berserk, barking and jumping up and down, and the minute I step inside she’s all over me, and not in a friendly way. I’m not scared or timid of dogs as I had so many growing up that they are like second nature to me. But several times this dog has seemed on the verge of tearing into me, so much so that she froths at the mouth as she jumps up to semi-attack me, her big paws digging into my thighs. She’s not a small dog either.
Finally, and only after a long delay of ferocious barking, my friend gets the dog to settle down, but only after she’s put herself all in my face and after he has warned me to pet her, or do something on my end to try and calm down this deranged animal. And that’s when I kind of take offense. I mean, this happens every single time I come over, without fail, so it seems that knowing this, my friend would take step before my arrival to make sure it doesn’t happen. Steps such as securing the dog in his upstairs bedroom at least until I’ve come inside. That way she can make her way down at her own pace if she feels so threatened by me. Or he can have a snack to give her once I do get there (she loves carrots), rewarding her for barking less. Or he can muzzle her; I don’t care really as long as this scene doesn’t endlessly repeat itself. But he doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal, even as her paws leave their mark on my body. I should just pet her, he insists.
If that event weren’t enough to make a slightly uncomfortable evening, then the next incident surely sealed our fate. After a long while, the dog has calmed down and settled for sniffing wildly around my person; seems she can’t shake the idea that I’m there to do her owner harm and she won’t leave me in peace. But I’m the best at ignoring annoying happenings, so I don’t let the dog bother me once she’s stopped assaulting me. My friend asks if I’m still hungry, to which I reaffirm. Once in the kitchen, though, he looks at me, shakes his head, and then takes his hands and rubs them vigorously through my hair, saying no, no, your hair’s all messed up…he rubs his hands around in it every which way, and then steps back to admire his creation. There, he states proudly, fixed it.
I was totally taken aback. Whoa, I say, trying to move my head from under his destructive fingers. WTF??? What are you doing, I ask him, too late though as he’s done the damage to my creation. What, he asks, very innocently, as he tries to explain that my hair had been stuck to the side of my head, I looked like I had bed head, and he just wanted to fix it for me. Now I’ve been growing my hair for not quite two years in a dreaded way (I promise to have a pic up soon). It’s not too lengthy yet, but just right, being long enough for me to mold it into whatever shapes I can think of. I take my appearance very seriously, even though to outsiders who pay little attention to me or for peeps who don’t know me as well as they think they do, it can seem like I simply wake up and face the world. Rest assured that’s not the case, and for him to not even take that into consideration as he fumbled through my design, which for that day was a Mohawk pushed on its side, was simply unbelievable. To me, it speaks of a much deeper and totally invalid disrespect this ‘friend’ carries for me if he thinks that I would go out without putting my best foot forward (he knew that I had run errands before coming over to his place, I had explained it perfectly), and that I would need him to fix my hair, or any part of my appearance for that matter, for me. I indignantly told him this, and I told him that I felt really disrespected that he didn’t feel the need to tell me he hated my hair before he put his hands in it. And I took my leave.
Now I’m well aware of my instinct to react negatively from my emotions, and perhaps leaving didn’t do anything to alleviate the situation, which was awkward to say the least. But I felt that was the best way to show him how his actions had left me feeling. I do hope this will be a learning experience for the both of us and that it doesn’t mark the end of our already shaky relationship…
Spantime...
So, here are a few musings from CSpan…
Representative Howard Coble, N.C. Republican, 6th district on upcoming bill HR-15-92…
“Why don’t policemen or kids get comparable treatment? Why are we singling out a group of people for special treatment?” Rep Coble opposes the bills unnecessary duplicaty, saying that the US already has “too many laws restricting the rights of the American people…” I guess Rep. Coble forgot about the harmful and confining restraints of the Patriot Act, a bill he helped pass, along with plenty other legislation that slowly degrades our privacies and freedoms.
Representative Mark Steven Kirk, Illinois Republican, 10th district…
“…the US stands for freedom, democracy, and tolerance…” Rep Kirk is diametrically opposed to providing freedom, democracy and tolerance for gay people, whom this bill would directly affect. Remember, gay people aren’t really citizens, after all.
Representative Tom Feeny, Florida Republican, 24th district…
“…we mustn’t punish people for thinking…must treat everyone equally…unequal protections as given by this bill would tear the country apart…” Rep Feeny, (along with Rep Steve King, and others) feels that punishing people for crimes they have yet to commit but are thinking of, borders on the line of ‘crimethink’ and for that reason, doesn’t support the hate crimes legislation. Bill HR-15-92 expands Federal protection to include punishment for crimes committed against persons based on their sexual identity.
Representative Steve King, Iowa Republican, 5th district, also quoted George Orwell’s 1984, when he likened the bill to the ‘thought crime bill’, quoting ‘If you control thought, you control death’. Much like this current administration is doing with suspected terrorists, keeping them in inhumane torture traps like Abu Graid and .
But none spoke more keenly against the bill than Representative Bob Goodcatte, Virginia Republican, 6th district… “…additional legislation is unfair and unconstitutional…new Federal laws restricting crime against a specific group are unnecessary…and undermine the spirit of the first amendment.” He specifically stated that the bill would create ‘classes of citizens’ who were above the rest and requiring special attention that would, in the end, be more harmful to the victims than not…
Representative Howard Coble, N.C. Republican, 6th district on upcoming bill HR-15-92…
“Why don’t policemen or kids get comparable treatment? Why are we singling out a group of people for special treatment?” Rep Coble opposes the bills unnecessary duplicaty, saying that the US already has “too many laws restricting the rights of the American people…” I guess Rep. Coble forgot about the harmful and confining restraints of the Patriot Act, a bill he helped pass, along with plenty other legislation that slowly degrades our privacies and freedoms.
Representative Mark Steven Kirk, Illinois Republican, 10th district…
“…the US stands for freedom, democracy, and tolerance…” Rep Kirk is diametrically opposed to providing freedom, democracy and tolerance for gay people, whom this bill would directly affect. Remember, gay people aren’t really citizens, after all.
Representative Tom Feeny, Florida Republican, 24th district…
“…we mustn’t punish people for thinking…must treat everyone equally…unequal protections as given by this bill would tear the country apart…” Rep Feeny, (along with Rep Steve King, and others) feels that punishing people for crimes they have yet to commit but are thinking of, borders on the line of ‘crimethink’ and for that reason, doesn’t support the hate crimes legislation. Bill HR-15-92 expands Federal protection to include punishment for crimes committed against persons based on their sexual identity.
Representative Steve King, Iowa Republican, 5th district, also quoted George Orwell’s 1984, when he likened the bill to the ‘thought crime bill’, quoting ‘If you control thought, you control death’. Much like this current administration is doing with suspected terrorists, keeping them in inhumane torture traps like Abu Graid and .
But none spoke more keenly against the bill than Representative Bob Goodcatte, Virginia Republican, 6th district… “…additional legislation is unfair and unconstitutional…new Federal laws restricting crime against a specific group are unnecessary…and undermine the spirit of the first amendment.” He specifically stated that the bill would create ‘classes of citizens’ who were above the rest and requiring special attention that would, in the end, be more harmful to the victims than not…
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Absurd comedy...
Few, if any, are unfamiliar with the cliched phrase "...Those who forget history are bound to repeat it..." And it seems this phrase should be the basis for the American people's attitude towards our fascist, imperialistic regime currently in office. For even a cursory glance in any astute history book will yield fascinating similarities between our current 'PresiKing' and the leader of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler. Since the attacks on our World Trade Center in 2001, this PresiKing has fetered and destroyed American civil liberties on a whim consistently, starting with the overreaching and illegal Patriot Act, unwarranted and illegal spying techniques crystallized by the overreaching and illegal Homeland Security initaitives that include the entire branch, waging and continuing an overreaching and illegal war for another country's oil, and, most recently, a little publicized National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, signed on May 9, 2007. With this new directive, the PresiKing takes tyranny to levels never before seen in a democratic state, a new low even for this restrictive and power hungry regime.
The NSHSPD basically extends the powers of the presidential office in the face of a "catastrophic emergency" to those of an imperialistic monarch. "...The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government..." The directive also speaks of "...cooperative efforts...coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers." The White House website, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases, states the purpose of the directive is "...to establish a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies..." The directive also provides that "...National Essential Functions continue to be performed during a Catastrophic Emergency..." and ensures "a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency."
The road to the Fourth Reich continues...
The NSHSPD basically extends the powers of the presidential office in the face of a "catastrophic emergency" to those of an imperialistic monarch. "...The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government..." The directive also speaks of "...cooperative efforts...coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers." The White House website, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases, states the purpose of the directive is "...to establish a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies..." The directive also provides that "...National Essential Functions continue to be performed during a Catastrophic Emergency..." and ensures "a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency."
The road to the Fourth Reich continues...
Monday, May 14, 2007
The mighty one.
As the world grows more unsure and less stable by the day, as American militia-men kill more civilians and are in turn, brutally killed as well, as inflation slowly but surely erodes the already meager institutions of middle class Americans, there is but one global constant; Raphael Nadal's win streak on clay courts. Seems the Spaniard can't be stopped. With his latest victory, a third consecutive win at the Rome Masters series tournament, he topples John McEnroes' record for most consecutive wins on any surface at 77. And what a victory it was, dismantling a very game Fernando Gonzalez, the current finalist of the Australian Open, in straight sets. The guy just can't be defeated on clay it seems. His streak now equals that of Federer's grass court streak, which is residing somewhere in the 40's, but also includes 3 consecutive Wimbledon titles, the pinnacle of the grass court season and perhaps the most revered trophy in all of sports.
Talk of GOAT subsiding for the moment, the Mighty Fedster is in the throes of a 4 tournament lose streak, one that for the moment doesn't seem likely to end. Hamburg is the next tourney up, and the German series is in its own throes of a bad streak. The ATP, the governing body of men's tennis, has put the once revered tournament on the chopping block, threatening to reduce its status as a Masters Series tournament, the title given to events one step below the major slams for men. Lagging ticket sales as well as disfranchisement from the players themselves has really spelled the demise for the once mighty event. The site also of Federer's first big breakthrough, Hamburg has yet to be conquered by the mighty Nadal and remains one of the few clay championships the young Spaniard hasn't added to his growing cabinet. So it is here that the 10 time grand slam champion can begin to make a stand for himself on the surface that has been the demise of so many great, past champions. He will have to make a stand here if he has any chance of snagging the Roland Garros title in two weeks. And what a struggle Roland Garros is shaping up to be. More on Rolland Garros when the draw is released...
Talk of GOAT subsiding for the moment, the Mighty Fedster is in the throes of a 4 tournament lose streak, one that for the moment doesn't seem likely to end. Hamburg is the next tourney up, and the German series is in its own throes of a bad streak. The ATP, the governing body of men's tennis, has put the once revered tournament on the chopping block, threatening to reduce its status as a Masters Series tournament, the title given to events one step below the major slams for men. Lagging ticket sales as well as disfranchisement from the players themselves has really spelled the demise for the once mighty event. The site also of Federer's first big breakthrough, Hamburg has yet to be conquered by the mighty Nadal and remains one of the few clay championships the young Spaniard hasn't added to his growing cabinet. So it is here that the 10 time grand slam champion can begin to make a stand for himself on the surface that has been the demise of so many great, past champions. He will have to make a stand here if he has any chance of snagging the Roland Garros title in two weeks. And what a struggle Roland Garros is shaping up to be. More on Rolland Garros when the draw is released...
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