Leni Riefenstahl - Hitlers other girlfriend

Just read a biography of one of my favorite Nazis, Leni Riefenstahl. She directed Triumph of the Wills, the documentary about the 1933 Nuremberg rally (thanks chris for reminding me!). Book says she was witness to an atrocity in Poland - the book is very sympathetic to her. Supposedly, some German soldiers were executed and mutilated and some Poles were told to dig a grave outside a church for the burial. Something happened, a gunshot somewhere, and the soldiers killed all the poles. Problem is, i dont believe it. Most of the poles in this town were jews, so jews were digging the graves. From the pictures of the poles digging the graves, it sure looks like jews digging their own mass grave. Who ever heard of German soldiers burying their comrades in a mass grave dug by jews? There is a picture of leni reacting to the execution of these jews: she is horrified. But that didn't stop her from continuing to meet with Hitler and share her nude photos with him. Even after the attempt on his life, when the war obviously was lost, she still met with him and obtained financing for her films. I really cant believe that Leni would give Hitler nude photos of herself, pose nude for him, and that something sexual wasn't going on (although there is not much evidence that Hitler was sexually active in any normal way - supposedly he only got off on kinky stuff like...I'll save that for another blog.) Anyway, as soon as the 3rd Reich ended, suddenly Leni wasn't a Nazi, knew nothing of death camps etc. She actually used Gypsies from a death camp as extras in one of her movies - i mean come on, she wasnt aware of death camps? Later she pops up in Africa with the Nuba tribe - i stumbled upon a photo book of hers in the UGa library when I was in Grad school - you should see pictures of these tall, muscular Nuba warriors, totally nude, with their wangs hanging down (i mean at least a foot long) and Leni smiling posing with them. She died 98 yrs old, still working as a photographer for Life, Look magazines.Here are a couple nudes of her from the internet - I am sure the ones Hitler saw were much better.

It's three am and the phone in the oval office rings...

The Imelda Marcos Shoe Museum

Imeld Marcos made a name for herself as an overspending wife of a dictator in the Phillipines. After they were overthrown, the new government examined the Presidential estate and found thousands of shoes that Imeld had bought with the people's money. Here is a youtube video of the Shoe Museum that displays here ripped off shoe fetish. Here is a news story about her visiting the museum - she doesn't get it, she should be embarassed but is instead proud of her shoes....How could these people ever obtain power if they are so stupid? oh wait, I remember, the US installed them into power to prevent communism in the Phillipines - cold war stuff. The Phillipines now owe billions of $ in debt to foreign banks, and can barely pay the interest. So the phillipino people get screwed twice, once by the US backed Marcos, and a second time when they have to pay interest on the debt the Marcos' racked up. She should be stipped of all her money, and sent to Dubai to work 18hrs a day as a foreign worker, mopping the floors of a hotel or disco.

Imelda Marcos touched her lacy gold-and-black pumps for the first time in 15 years Friday, reminiscing as she inaugurated a museum paying tribute to the legendary collection she had to so hastily ditch.

The Shoe Museum, a monument to Mrs. Marcos' reputation as the world's most insatiable shoe collector, opened Friday -- displaying 220 of the 1,220 pairs officials found when a popular revolt forced her and the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos to flee into exile in 1986.

``They went into my closets looking for skeletons, but thank God all they found were shoes, beautiful shoes,'' said the former first lady, 71.

Museum officials hope the display will draw tourists to Marikina, the Manila-area city known as the nation's shoemaking capital. Up to 40 percent of the city's 550,000 residents make shoes. The walls of the small, two-story building show shiny high heels, strappy pumps, soft leather moccasin-style shoes and other size 8 1/2 footwear from Christian Dior, Givenchy, Chanel and Ferragamo.

A few dozen pairs from former President Fidel Ramos and other celebrities are also displayed, alongside other exhibits outlining Marakina's century-old shoemaking industry.

Sandal Street, Slipper Street and other roads attest to the industry's importance. A pedestrian bridge in the city is covered with two giant steel shoes. A shoe statue stands before City Hall.

But officials admit the museum owes its existence to the reputation of Mrs. Marcos, the city's best-known customer and an enthusiastic supporter of the project. Received warmly on Friday, she said the museum on Shoe Street will mark a turning point in her reputation for extravagance.

``This museum (is) making a subject of notoriety into an object of beauty,'' said Mrs. Marcos, wearing a traditional pink dress, large emerald-green earrings and locally made silver shoes. ``More than anything, this museum will symbolize the spirit and culture of the Filipino people. Filipinos don't wallow in what is miserable and ugly. They recycle the bad into things of beauty.''

At the height of Ferdinand Marcos' power, the first lady gained notoriety for shopping trips to the world's swankiest boutiques, glitzy parties and lavish beautification projects in the midst of the Philippines' extreme poverty. Her shoes astounded the world and became a symbol of excess. Aquino had Mrs. Marcos' shoes displayed in the presidential palace as a symbol of the former first lady's extravagance. They were removed in 1992, and part of the collection was put on display Friday.

June 1 move to Cork Factory lofts in the 'burgh

I just toured the Cork Factory Lofts in Pittsburgh. They have openings for around 800 sq ft, more than I need. Kinda pricey, about $1200 month, but it comes with heat, 24 hr concierge and coffee bar and fitness center, outdoor pool and Jaccuzi and fire pit (? sacrifices to the money god?) and all appliances, incl washer/dryer. 2 blocks from Smallman street, 3 blocks from Penn Ave, right in the heart of the strip district. I can even walk to St. Stan's for mass. I have a 3 day schedule fall semester, so maybe I would only have to drive to campus 3-4 times a week. For visiting guests there is a fully equipped one bedroom apt for rent $80 a night - better than the presidential suite at the Hilton!

Uri Grossman's dad continues to seek peace for Israel

David Grossman's novels have been described as the "left's conscious " for example one of his books is entitled On Killing : The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society But his latest book is the most amazing, most tragic novel. Until the end of the Land tells the story of a tank commander and his experiences surviving physically and morally in action on the West Bank. The novel is based on the experiences of his youngest son, Uri. Tragically, Uri was killed when his tank blew up in the last offensive during the 2006 Lebanon war. After a peace treaty was arranged with the UN, PM Olmert called for a final offensive and that is when many Israeli soldiers (IDF) were killed. As you may recall, the 2006 elections provided the new Likud party with a majority coalition, only to have its existence challenged by the way the 2006 war was executed. I believe (but I am not sure) that most Israeli's view the recent war as a mistake, esp how it was carried out (reserve IDF soldiers were not supplied or equipped properly) esp the offensive at the end of the war. My own opinion? Israel with the help of US and UN should negotiate a peace treaty with Syria and the Palestinians, withdraw to 1967 borders, create a Palestinian state, unite Gaza with West Bank with a transportation tunnel, and use $ as the final payoff factor. Think of the money we have spent on Iraq - if we instead spent that paying off Palestinian refugee families for land and property they lost in 1948 or afterward, that would be a great incentive to bargain. Here is what a cab driver in Dubai said about the Taliban (or about any terrorist): "Trap a man in a room with no way out and he will fight, give him a way out and he will take it."

Susan doesn't think she exists...

The Edge Foundation asks, “What do you believe is true, even though you cannot prove it?”

Susan Blackmore, psychologist, visiting lecturer, University of the West of England, Bristol: author of Meme Machine

It is possible to live happily and morally without believing in free will.

As Samuel Johnson said, “All theory is against the freedom of the will; all experience is for it.” With recent developments in neuroscience and theories of consciousness, theory is even more against it than it was in his time, more than two hundred years ago. So I long ago set about to systematically change the experience. I now have no feeling of acting with free will, although the feeling took many years to ebb away.
But what happens? People say I’m Lying. They say it’s impossible, and so I must be deluding myself to preserve my theory. And what can I do or say to challenge them? I have no idea, other than to suggest that other people try the exercise, demanding as it is.
When the feeling is gone, decisions just happen with no sense of anyone making them, but then a new question arises: Will the decisions be morally acceptable? Here I have made a great leap of faith (or the memes and genes and the world have done so). It seems that when people throw out the illusion of an inner self who acts, as many mystics and Buddhist practitioners have done, they generally do behave in ways that we think of as moral of good. So perhaps giving up free will is not as dangerous as it sounds. But this too I cannot prove.
As for giving up the sense of an inner conscious self altogether, this is much harder. I just keep on seeming to exist. But though I cannot prove it, I think it is true that I don’t.

Israeli jewish Film Festival Pittsburgh

I just attended the Israeli Jewish Film Festival in Pittsburgh - great! We saw the film Noodle which is about a woman in Tel Aviv whose illegal chinese maid leaves her 6 yr old son with her for one hour, only she is apprehended and deported, and the Israeli woman is left with her son. The Israeli woman has many wounds, - both her husbands have died, and she could not conceive a child, and when she tells the 6 yr old boy this, he says, "oh..." each time. he understands her sorrow. She begins to understand his. She is a flight attendant on El Al, the Israeli airline, so she "arranges" a way to reunite boy with mother. Its a confusing film, because I am not Israeli, there is something going on between the woman and her sister, who is temporarily living with her because of marital problems. I assume that jewish or Israeli sisters have issues? Perhaps I didnt understand that. (Update: one of the sisters has lost both husbands due to military service, and she had no children. I think her character is shared by many Israeli women who have experienced loss of a son, husband, father. That she had no children is another thing to identify with: the idea that there is someone missing from your family, a child never born, or a child lost, or a family member who stayed in Russian instead of coming with the family to Israel.) Any way, the film is great, tear jerker. After ward a reception, there was 150 Israeli flags hanging from ceiling, great food and snacks, wine, Israeli folk dancing, and a great middle east band, Ishtar so I had a great time. It was only $35 but I had to somehow get to South Side Works from Slippery rock, which took at least 1 1/2 hours - way out of my way. the thing is I cant (wont) try Pittsburgh downtown traffic so I always look for a way to avoid it, and this time i went way out of my way. But I found it. Israeli films are so much fun - I think my jewish DNA attracts me to the films. I mean, my great great grandparents were jews living in Alsace Lorraine (France) until their son, Isaac, moved to chicago (he was a butcher, moved to the meat packing capitol of the world). I really enjoyed the folk dancing - it was great. wonderful evening.

We keep finding reasons for not invading Iraq

I love it! Our intelligence agencies have analyzed all sorts of secret files from Mr. Hussein, and we can't find any reason for invading his country! 5 years after the invasion of Iraq, Mr. Bush is still trying to find a reason for justifying the invasion. This is the greatest debacle in US history....

President Bush said lots of things about Saddam Hussein in the run-up to the Iraq War. But few of his charges grabbed more attention than an unscripted remark he made at a Texas political fund-raiser on Sept. 26, 2002. "After all, this is a guy who tried to kill my dad at one time," Bush said. The comment referred to a 1993 claim by the Kuwaiti government—accepted by the Clinton administration—that the Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) had plotted to assassinate President George H.W. Bush during a trip to Kuwait that spring. Ever since, armchair psychologists have suggested that personal revenge may have been one reason for the president's determination to overthrow Saddam's regime.

But curiously little has been heard about the allegedly foiled assassination plot in the five years since the U.S. military invaded Iraq. A just-released Pentagon study on the Iraqi regime's ties to terrorism only adds to the mystery. The review, conducted for the Pentagon's Joint Forces Command, combed through 600,000 pages of Iraqi intelligence documents seized after the fall of Baghdad, as well as thousands of hours of audio- and videotapes of Saddam's conversations with his ministers and top aides. The study found that the IIS kept remarkably detailed records of virtually every operation it planned, including plots to assassinate Iraqi exiles and to supply explosives and booby-trapped suitcases to Iraqi embassies. But the Pentagon researchers found no documents that referred to a plan to kill Bush. The absence was conspicuous because researchers, aware of its potential significance, were looking for such evidence. "It was surprising," said one source familiar with the preparation of the report (who under Pentagon ground rules was not permitted to speak on the record). Given how much the Iraqis did document, "you would have thought there would have been some veiled reference to something about [the plot]."

The failure does not, of course, prove that the Iraqis were not planning such an operation. "It would not have surprised me at all if the Iraqis expunged any record of that—it was an utter embarrassment for them," says Paul Pillar, the CIA's former top analyst on the Middle East. But others have wondered whether the original allegations were exaggerated. The Kuwaiti claim grew out of the arrest of a band of whisky smugglers near the Iraq border that spring. Kuwaiti authorities also recovered a Toyota Land Cruiser containing 175 pounds of explosives connected to a detonator. After several days in Kuwaiti custody, the smugglers' ringleader, Wali al-Ghazali, confessed that he had been dispatched by an Iraqi intelligence agent to blow up former president Bush. Amnesty International questioned whether al-Ghazali (the only one to claim that Bush was the target) had been tortured. But when an FBI team concluded that the detonator and explosives closely resembled other Iraqi bombs, President Clinton ordered a Tomahawk cruise-missile strike on IIS headquarters. Years later Kuwait's emir declined to sign al-Ghazali's death warrant and commuted the sentences of four of the six convicted plotters. "It was always a circumstantial case," says Judith Yaphe, another former CIA analyst on Iraq. A White House spokesman declined to comment, but a U.S. intelligence official said, "It remains our view that Saddam's government had a hand" in the 1993 plot, and that information since the war "lends further credence" to that view.

Evidence of the Bush plot wasn't the only thing the Pentagon researchers couldn't find. There were also no records showing what the report called a "smoking gun" connection between Saddam's regime and Al Qaeda—one of the principal claims made by the White House to advance the case for war. The report did find plenty of evidence that Saddam's regime had close ties to other (mainly Palestinian) terror groups and had maintained contacts with some radical Islamic movements—including, according to one 1993 document, Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Last week Vice President Dick Cheney said the document showed there was a "link between Iraq and Al Qaeda." But Pillar notes the Egyptian group—headed by Ayman al-Zawahiri—didn't merge with Al Qaeda until years later. "This is the same kind of word game they played before the war," Pillar says.

Perhaps most revealing of all was a tape of Saddam's conversations with his ministers after the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993—a plot linked to a group of Islamic radicals, one of whom, Abdul Rahman Yasin, was an Iraqi-American who fled to Baghdad after the attack. For years Bush administration officials like Cheney and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz charged that Iraq had given "sanctuary" to Yasin, suggesting that the regime may have been complicit in the 1993 bombing. But the newly discovered tape shows that Saddam and his ministers were puzzled by the bombing and wondered whether the "Zionists" or U.S. intelligence were secretly behind it. They also were deeply suspicious of Yasin, whom the Iraqis had in custody and were interrogating. Yasin, Saddam says on the tape, is "too organized in what he is saying and is playing games." The Pentagon researcher said the exchange shows how "paranoid and suspicious" the Iraqis were about their adversaries. They may not have been alone.

Voter registration by democrats record levels in PA

Democratic Party enrollment surged past the 4 million mark Monday, setting a state record on the last day Pennsylvanians had to register to vote in next month's presidential primary.

The figures, which showed modest declines in the ranks of Republicans and independents, reflected intense interest in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination and recruitment efforts by both candidates, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.

Since last year's election, which featured races for judicial and municipal offices, the number of Democrats increased by more than 161,000, or more than 4 percent, to at least 4,044,952. No political party in the state had previously reached the 4 million threshold.

The largest percentage gains were concentrated in the Philadelphia suburbs and the state's central region, mostly in counties where Republicans still outnumber Democrats.

I will bet that the increase in registration, esp in suburban areas that are traditionally republican, shows that Obama supporters are registering as democrats so they can vote in the primary april 22. Go Obama!

trip to NYC

I drive to ft lee nj friday and spent the weekend with my son noah. We had a great time, visiting NYC saturday and taking a techno music concert at the Japan Society. While waiting for the concert, we ate at a walk in middle east restaurant that also sold pizze - I had a falafel sandwich and pizza, noah had pizza and a falafel plate dinner. great food, best pizza I have tasted in a long time. We also discovered the Bhutan mission to UN office, and toured outside the UN - noah said the guards were giving me the evil eye, probably that black leather Macy's jacket I was wearing. anyway, the concert was great, I have never heard a "laptop" performance. In addition to the laptop (on one song the laptop was accompanied by another laptop), there was a harp and electric harp, drums, piano and percussion (the most amazing things used as percussion, like a hand held calliope that the performer blew in, and the sound was really unusual) and all the music was like a jam session. The pianist would play some chords and suggest a beat, and then everyone else would join in. It reminded me of the drumming circles I have been in (yes drum circles). Anyway, great time. we took subways, and we encountered many unusual people on the subway, preachers, blind beggars, musicians and you name it. Noah kept telling me not to look at them, ignore them - he buses to NYC everyday so is used to the strange characters. Someone else told me something similar: never make eye contact with anyone in NYC while you are driving or on public transportation. These pictures are of the Bhutan mission flag, and of the Raoul Wallenberg memorial, since this hero's body was never found, only his briefcase is shown. So very sad, this man saved so many jews during the holocaust, only to disappear in Soviet detainment. All in all a great trip - we also got haircuts at a japanese salon, very hip.

The ultimate "how to" book

This book tells you how to relieve yourself around the world. Supposedly, squat toilets and wiping with your left hand, and washing hands after, is the way the majority of humans take their dump.

Ashley Dupree

here is the slideshow for Ashley Dupree, Gov. Spitzer's girlfriend of choice. Not a bad song, not snoop dog quality, but not bad.

4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days

What a movie! Otilia is best friend with Gabriella, and Gab is pregnant. This is a Romanian film, set in the last year of communist rule. By 1958, Romania had the occupation of its country by the USSR ended, and Romania was "free," free to be a part of the Warsaw Pact, or a country that was part of the USSR coalition against NATO. Nicolae Ceauşescu,the premier of Romania, pursued some independent programs without approval of the USSR, and there were some moments when Romania suspected that the USSR might move its army back in, esp after Hungary of 1956 and Czechoslovakia of 1968. Anyhoo, Ceausescu embarked on some economic hardship programs in the 1970's and this resulted in many hardships for the people. The birth rate declined. Ceausescu then decided to "reward" women who had babies, giving them a "bonus pay" and other benefits, and declaring abortion illegal. Women who were forced to have unwanted children could give them up to the state - and these orphanages were underfunded, and poorly cared for these children. It is estimated that 2 million Romanians were killed under the communist dictatorship - Ceausescu and his wife were shot after the revolution in 1990. This film shows Romania of 1989: grim apartments, dirty run down little cars, lines of women waiting outside shops, and the only thing in supply was sugar (from Cuba). The abortionist shows up, "Mr. Bebe," and doesnt want money, he wants to have sex with Gab and Otilia. With grim detachment, Otilia goes first and then Gab. Mr. Bebe I think is symbolic of the state: he exploits their situation, rapes them both, and then kills the child inside Gab. That was the status of women in Romania at that time: they were treated like wombs, the gov wanted their wombs, just like Mr. Bebe. What a bastard. After the fall of Ceausescu, many international orgs assisted with the many orphaned children that were poorly treated under Ceausescu. There is a long awkward dinner scene with Otilia's boyfriend's family, a professional family of doctors, which I think showed how some privileged people did well under Ceausescu - but the contrast between Otilia's life outside in the dark trying to get back to Gab to check on her with the affluent family having dinner shows the opposing ends that existed in the communist dictatorship. What i find fascinating is how ancient the country of Romania is, home of the earliest European settlement by homo sapiens - and the beauty of the countryside, and the castles. After reading Alan Furst spy novels, I really would like to visit Romania, Hungary, Czech and Slovak republics and Poland. Very grim movie though - 2 hrs of tension, rape, abortion, throwing the fetus down a trash chute - as I waited for the movie to begin, I wondered if the audience (a very old crowd) knew what they were about to see.

constant gardener

This truly a great movie - its almost identical to the book. the book was great, the movie great too. Ralph Fiennes does a great job acting - the book by John Le Carre is also very well written. Such a powerful movie - absolutely great.

5,500-year-old human sacrifice evidence unearthed in Sudan

This was a headline occurring at the same time that Tibetans are being burned to death in Lhasa, the capitol city of Tibet. Our policy toward China makes no sense to me: of course, International relations is not my field. I have read that morality has no place in international relations: that we have no "friends" only interests. My understanding is that morality plays no part in international relations. Only interests. Condoleezza Rice comes from a christian background and i suspect she knows the bible better than me, however, her approach to IR is definitely the Henry Kissinger approach (did you know he researches the international laws of countries he visits because he has been indicted for war crimes by some countries?) China is of course an important part of our economy - what would WalMart be without china? How could they deliver those low prices? Hillary clinton served on WalMarts board (thats part of her 35 yrs of experience). So china is part of our economy, and we cant screw with china. Their human rights violations are clearly at a level with Iran: so why dont we have sanctions against china? Because china is in our "interest" and Iran is not. If Bush is really for freedom he would change our china policy. But he isnt: every time he brings morality into IR, I cringe. He is either a pathological liar or he is just stupid. I think we should research the "human sacrifice" that is happening in Tibet, we should bring sanctions against China, we should cancel our involvement in the Olympics, and that Bush should make a press conference about human rights violations in china.

Iraq Violence Drops but for How Long?

read the following article based on the headline above, and then decide for yourself if iraq violence has dropped. No where in the article is there any evidence that the surge has ended violence, if anything, there is information in the article that suggests otherwise, for example, the awakening councils. We are paying $ to sunni's to stop attacks and fight against foreign militants. In fact, the article ends saying that the cause for the reduction in violence is unclear. What kind of journalism is this? Report on something the military press secretary gives, and then question the accuracy at the end of the article? This is really poor journalism.


The surge of U.S. forces has driven down insurgent attacks in Baghdad but violence elsewhere in Iraq raises questions about whether killings will continue to drop as American forces begin to leave, the United Nations said Saturday.

As security improved in Baghdad, violent attacks spread last year to other parts of the country, including Diyala Province and Mosul, al-Qaida's last urban stronghold, according to the report from the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.

"The government of Iraq continued to face enormous challenges in its efforts to bring sectarian violence and other criminal activity under control against a backdrop of political instability," the report said.

The U.S. military has said a 60 percent reduction in attacks followed the surge.

"This is a window of opportunity for Iraq," Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. chief in Iraq, said at a news conference in Baghdad.

The U.S. military in Iraq did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Thousands of U.S. forces went sent to Iraq starting last year as part of a strategy by Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, to secure the capital and give Iraq's politicians breathing room to cut deals that would bring minority Sunni Arabs into the government and weaken the insurgency.

De Mistura said so-called Awakening Councils, groups of Sunni former fighters who have accepted U.S. backing to fight al-Qaida in Iraq, also have played a role in reducing violence.

But the U.N. report cautioned against concluding the surge was a success because "the extent to which the decrease in violence was sustainable remained unclear." And violent attacks have grown more frequent in recent weeks.

Twelve U.S. soldiers have been killed in the last week, five of them in a single suicide attack in central Baghdad. A week ago two massive bombs hit Baghdad's Karradah neighborhood, killing 68 people.

On Saturday, Iraqi security forces clashed with a breakaway faction of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army in Kut, leaving five dead and 15 wounded, police said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information.

Obama's minister Jeremiah Wright and "blowback"

Here is what Rev. Wright has preached: "We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Wright said. "We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost."

Remember what Malcolm X said after Pres. Kennedy was assassinated? "America's chickens have come home to roost." Elijah Muhammad, then leader of the so called "black" muslims, ordered Malcolm to apologize, and then demoted him. So what is Rev. Wright thinking? He MUST remember what malcolm X said, but he said it anyway! He must have known it would get attention, since Barack is a member of his church. So why did he say it?

Frankly, he is correct. We did worse than drop two atomic bombs on japan, we fire bombed their major cities even though we knew japan was defenseless. Just because japan's leaders were fanatics didn't mean we had the "right" under war to burn innocent civilians. But still, to blame the victims of 911 for their own deaths is just dumb. i don't think most Americans understand US policy toward palestinians, nor do they realize the type of warfare we fought during WWII that included firebombing civilians, nor do they realize how we refused some jewish immigration prior to WWII, nor do they realize the US was aware of concentration camps and so forth...

I do think that 911 was "blowback" - that is, the unintended consequences of covert operations. In other words, our gov does stuff that it keeps secret from citizens, but its no secret to those it is done to. We support dictatorships in middle east like Saudi Arabia, because we need the oil - but Saudi citizens are disenfranchised. So some radical Islamic nut decides to get back at the US for supporting the Saudi royal family, and the end result is 911. American people think, whoa! why would someone hijack airplanes and do such a criminal act? we dont understand the policies that the US has pursued that precipitated the terrorist acts.

But blowback is not the fault of its victims: its the fault of politicians.

suspect in North Carolina shooting

So above is the picture of the main suspect in the killing of the 22 yr old student body president of Univ of North Carolina. I am sure you have seen her picture: beautiful young woman, volunteered with children in latin american countries over summer, unlimited future. If this guy shot her, it unfortunately reinforces a stereotype of young black men: they are gang bangers, crack addicts who shoot young white girls for their purse, atm card suv. I just saw the disney movie, College Road Trip, with martin lawrence as an overprotective father (police chief) who wants his daughter to go to the local Northwestern univ instead of her choice Georgetown. Its a comedy, really lame. Aimed at very young ages, pre teens and their parents. I was confused about how the black family was protrayed against typecast: no african american slang, no hip hop, no baggy pants: both the daughter and her brother were intelligent very well behaved children. Then I see mr gang bang hip hop suspect in this young woman's murder - connection? I am relieved to see a movie that recognizes family values among african american families - there are plenty of black families out their who value marriage, children, careers, who have high expectations of their children, like Barack and michelle Obama, right? In Get On the Bus, Spike Lee had a line that said something about how Hollywood portrays black men in film as the 4 R's "rap, riot, rape,rob." In College Road Trip,the young men that the police chief's daughter meets are all handsome, well groomed, respectful young black men (they say "yes sir" to daddy martin lawrence). I am truly sorry that killers like the above guy are out there making it hard for black people everywhere to be taken seriously and not stereotyped - and its great Disney Inc is doing its part in showing the best of us, the Barack and Michelle Obama's of the country. College Road Trip has been criticized as a lousy movie, but on another level, it represents a better Hollywood - I am tired of Hollywood movies that show black people "rapping, rioting, raping and robbing" - I have had young black men students who I have been very proud of and what they don't need is more racist Hollywood images to challenge them.

3 am Hillary Ad backfires!

teenage girl who appeared in Hillary's "3 am in the morning and the phone in the oval office rings" ad when she was 8, turns out to be an Obama supporter and precinct worker. read about it more here at Huffington.
I think that ad may have helped her temporarily, but it has played against her in the long run. Also, the latest suggestion of a Hillary / Obama ticket is stupid: who is advising these idiots? First off, if Obama is so inexperienced he cant be trusted with a phone call in 3 am, why is he qualified to be VP? Duh? John Kerry immediately called the suggestion absurd - even demo party leaders wonder what kinda cool aid hillary and bill are drinking. Hillary's campaign is so lame, even if she gets the nomination, with her track record McCain should have smooth sailing. Again, this Hillary campaign is turning the Demo nomination into a slow moving train wreck. The longer she stays in the worse Demo chances are in Nov. her campaign is about her Narcissism (and bill's too).

Lost in Translation - great movie

I never "got" Lost in Translation, but Noah told me it was about different cultures and so forth...well I finally got it. Murray and Johannsen hit it off because they were both lonely and searching for happiness, and Japan was the right place for them to reflect upon their lives - it has just enough difference to allow 2 americans to reflect upon their lives "back home." So japan was a place that allowed them to reflect - and the scenes on the street in japan were great! the video shops, the scenes of Mt Fuji - I cant imagine living in japan and seeing Mr Fuji without being overwhelmed each time - what an incredible image. I must visit Japan soon. Perhaps I will meet my own Scarlett Johannsen! Great movie, you are right noah - absolutely great movie.

red state blue state projected results

Here are the projected states and electoral vote for McCain against Obama, and against Clinton. This is based on March 6th polling data.

barnes and noble

I drove to pittsburgh in an ice storm to buy some books - barnes and noble in squirrel hill has the best collection of fiction in the city. I bought the novel Persepolis, about a young woman growing up in the islamic revolution in Iran: it is a comic strip novel, now made into an animated movie (which I havent seen yet, but it is definitely something I will buy and show in political film...if I am still here in the fall to teach political film). Also bought Candy Girl, a non fiction novel about Diablo Cody's experience as a stripper and sex worker - she also wrote the screen play for Juno (which i ordered from B&N online - I must read that script because it is so original, the dialogue so amazing). Thundercats are Go! Phukit, Thailand!

Wolverine discovered

A researcher with a motion detector camera obtained a picture of a Wolverine in the high sierras in California. This may affect plans for selling logging contracts on federal land - Wolverines at high altitudes were considered extinct. Now they could be protected by federal law, and their forest protected too. This cute wolverine (cute?) doesnt know his picture was taken, or the political and economic debate he has created. Very cool! Phukit, Thailand! Thundercats Go!

Juno - perfect movie

I really enjoyed Juno - I liked her character, and i liked the dialogue. In fact, every character in the film is unique, incl mr and Mrs McGruff. I really couldnt tell how the movie would end until the end. Some viewers complain about the teenage slang but I think its great: I am not sure if teens talk that way, but the point for the screenwriter is to make dialogue that is unique, entertaining, memorable. I mean, do people really say "Phukit, Thailand?" Phukit. I like it. I also liked the music very minimalist. many reviews talk about the controversy over teen pregnancy: the pregnancy was the story line, what the story was about was love...the movie is about love...the love juno feels for her dad and step mom, for Paulie her boyfriend, and for the child within her. So go and see Juno, and make sure you see it with someone you love.

Remember Gennifer Flowers?

Gennifer Flowers promotional video. I still think her autobiography is amazing: she describes every detail of her relationship with Pres Clinton. She even wrote about her appearance in Penthouse...her mother urged her not to show her "precious" but she did anyway ($200,000...in 1998 dollars). She knows no shame - just listen to her singing.

NATO competition concludes

NATO competition ended, and like Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War, our trip home had many twists and turns ("in's and out's" as the Dude would say) until we finally made it back to Slimey Pebble. On the way out of DC, a couple of students had to spend the night in Rockville, due to exhaustion I think. We got them situated safely, and with Little D Mac manning the satellite map with his laptop, made it to Interstate 70 and we were on our way home. We drove fast but safe, and if we had wings we would have been airborne. Here are pictures of Steve and Non Amnesty Dan on the finally day, voting for the final resolutions. Our hotel had a pool, but only the ducks swam in it. The students worked hard and partied hard while Dr. D kept taking pain pills. We made Hemingway and Fitzgerald's exploits in Paris look amateurish. The only thing we didnt do was cut the roof off the van (Hemingway and Fitzgerald once drunk had the top of their french sedan chopped off on a drive back to Paris). Of course, having the roof chopped off was one alternative after the van got stuck in the underground garage, but luckily the hispanic-latino concierge knew how to unstick wedged vans. Overall, a great experience: next year we will be Slovakia and we are going to contact the Slovak society in the burgh and get familiar with Slovak culture, language, geography, and politics. Now on to Model UN and Model Congress!!!

Steve belly dancing at Moroccan restaurant

the waiter said, "it is his birthday.." and the belly dancer immediately grabbed him and made him dance - he did a good job! Way to go Steve!

Arlington National Cemetary

I finally visited Arlington Cemetery. I got to see Gen meig's grave, and that of his son. His son was ambushed by "bushwackers" and killed, left to lie in the road. His father had a bronze statue made showing how his son was found, and vowed to bury his son in Gen Lee's wife's rose garden. That is how Arlington Cemetery began.Also I saw Phil Kearney's grave, and his statue is him on his horse, without his left arm - awesome grave. John Kennedy's grave was beautiful - overlooking Washington DC, you can see the lincoln memorial, the washington memorial, and US Congress. A beautiful location to spend eternity: kennedy would have loved it. he was very fatalistic, did not think he would live long, had addison's disease and probably would not have lived out his second term. To die in an assassination, filmed for everyone to see, and to be buried a hero's burial overlooking Washington DC probably exceeded even his expectations. Bobby Kennedy's gave was also there, a simple grave, and his quote from April 4 1968 was there. Story is, he was flying to Indianapolis to give a campaign speech, heard about Kings death, was late, but insisted upon arriving to go to a campaign stop in the african american neighborhood: at this time, riots were breaking out, his advisors urged him not to go. He went anyway, it was raining, and he announced King's death to the small crowd (there were screams, "no no!") and then he gave his speech, off cuff, not spin doctors, no Karl Rove there to write it for him Bobby said what we needed was "love and wisdom." he said love...no politician I have heard has ever said we need to love one another. There has never been a man like bobby kennedy. I cried at his grave, couple people looked at me like there was something wrong...I still remember the morning I woke up and the news was reporting his death.

fortune teller in Georgetown

So I was walking in georgetown after eating at an Ethiopian restaurant (I ate with my fingers, pulling bread apart and dipping the bread in all sorts of meats and seafood) and i saw a sign for a fortune teller. So I walked up 3 flights of stairs, and it was a woman's apartment. She came to the door, her young son was practicing the piano, and she sat me down in her front room and asked if I wanted my palm read, or have a tarot reading. So I went with Tarot. I was going to tell her that TS Eliot often had his tarot read, even though he was a religious catholic, but I figured that might give her information that she could use. She read my cards, and I purposely did not react to anything she said to prevent her from playing off my gestures. Her description of me was surprisingly accurate, although she said I was romantically involved with two women, which isnt true. She asked if i was divorced and she said sometimes divorced men feel that their exwife is really two different people...she has an explanation for everything I guess. Most surprising is that the first thing she said was that I was going to live a long time, and have a natural death. That surprised me. Anyway, it was a good experience, she seemed really nice. it was worth $25 to hear about my long natural life.....

Model NATO competition in Washington DC

We are in washington dc for the annual Model NATO competition. We first drove through an ice storm, had to stop and fix wiper blades and buy wiper fluid. But we made it and took a cab to a Moroccan restaurant - it was great, Steve was invited to dance with a belly dancer (see the video in above post). The food was great. The next day we visited the Czech embassy (Embassy of the Czech) and met Ivona Hola, the Political Officer for Europe and Eurasia. The embassy is located next to Rock Creek Park, and she met with us for almost 2 hrs, and gave us each a bag of goodies. We then met with all participants at Howard University - I enjoyed being on a campus where most of the students were of color. The honor guard presented the flag before the meeting began, and I was really proud of these 4 young men and women - they were very solemn and the presentation was very impressive - lets not forget good old fashioned patriotism: we do live in a remarkable country, (despite Iraq and Dick Cheney, the US is still a great place to live). When we returned to the Washington Plaza hotel, i tried to park the van in the garage and got it stuck to the roof - i gave the parking attendant $20 and told him the van was stuck, maybe he'd have to let some air out of the tires, and he said dont worry about (must happen all the time). Today (friday) was competition all day, great interaction. Last night I had a drink at the Willard Hotel, a James bond martini, and tonight I dined in georgetown at an Ethiopian restaurant with some other faculty and the desk chief at State for Cyprus. Tomorrow is more competition - we wont get home until sunday. i love city - very intense. But I could do without the $50 dinners....

shooter at Northern Illinois Univ

The one thing no one has mentioned despite all the press is his eyebrows. I wont show a picture of him here...publicizing monsters like this only encourages others...but look at his eyebrows. His eyebrows are plucked - gender identity problems? So many who knew him said he was good student etc., they didnt notice his unusual appearance?

"Once" - great film! A must see!

this movie is about a singer-songwriter who repairs vacuums with his dad, and an immigrant from Czech republic who sells flowers. but they are both very musical. And they both have a past love they are mourning, and they fall in love with each other. As they fall in love, or should I say as they play music and fall in love with each other, they finish his songs, she with lyrics, that reveal their past loves, and their current growing love for each other. The music is amazing!!! The young woman in the film is Markéta Irglová who never acted before, was 18 (or 17) yrs old when movie was made. the singer is Glen Hansard who is incredible. I am ordering the cd for movie even though the movie isnt over yet - I heard this is a heart breaker - I will blog when the movie is over. You have got to see this! Absolutely beautiful, wonderful - I dont want it to stop! Update: ending is not that much of a tearjerker, but it is really beautiful. I must get the soundtrack....

Tattoos and college students

I was at the fitness center and looked at the young woman to my right while on the elliptical aerobic machine - she was wearing two tops, a short one, and a sleveless one on top and there was a part of her side exposed, and a tattoo that was vertical that looked like an electrical engineering circuit. I mean it really looked odd. then I thought, maybe a surgeon drew that on her and she was going to be operated on (my surgeons would draw on me before surgery too, kinda like an engineering plan) but then I thought why would that still be on her? Then I realized, it was a tattoo she must have wanted and it looks like an electrical circuit. Of course its creepy that I am starring at the side of a young woman's bare tummy....I listen to my ipod and read a novel at the fitness center to block out everything around me so this was unusual. Is a circuit board the strangest tattoo you have ever heard of?

Marlee Matlin

What a beautiful talented woman - I remember seeing Marlee in Children of a Lesser God -- what a film, absolutely beautiful, starring marlee and william Hurt (one of my favorite male actors). So i finally rented What the Bleep do we know? Fun movie I guess, not very accurate scientifically, but still good. I am still trying to figure out what that psychologist meant (Susan blakemore) about how she doesnt think she exists, but she cant prove it. So I rented what the bleep do we know? I didnt realize marlee matlin was in it: she is so beautiful, and talented. Anyway, I think what the bleep do we know did address the concept of "no self" and if I am correct i think the documentary support Susan's intuition that she doesnt exist, only she cant prove it. I am still working on the idea that mark daniels doesnt exist...ego cogito ergo sum? I act therefore I am? I watch movies therefore I am? Marlee Matlin gets me excited, therefore I am?

Update: film over. What bullsh#t. It focused alot on addition toward the end - poorly organized and edited - starts out with quantum physics and ends up with addiction. Somewhere along the way JZ Knight, the vessel of Ramthas, a 35000 year old soul, speaks about reality and appearance, and its time to buy the snake oil. Check out JZ Knight (she changed her name, middle name is now
Zebra). I am now mark cheetah Daniels, and I speak for the people from Tralfamadore about their ancient knowledge - send me 29.95 for my dvd and you too can learn the wisdom of the people from tralfamdore....

how to fold a shirt from Japan

Here's a traveling tip - fold your shirt in one move, perfectly.

Movie Wag the Dog: USA in 2002

Ted Turner is showing the classic Wag the Dog, a movie from 1998 that is about a president facing a sex scandal and decides to create a diversion until his reelection is over. Albania is thinking of attacking the US! Then, Albanian terrorists are threatening to enter US through Canada with a dirty bomb! And it works. They whip the country into a patriotic fervor, and they win re election. Many felt this mirrored the situation with Clinton, facing impeachment, bombing Iraq to divert attention from his sex-impeachment. But I think this movie is about 2002, Bush wanting to invade Iraq, and 911 was starring him in the face - get the PR machine working, weapons of mass destruction ( what are those? Who thought up that term? ) So now we invade Iraq, and its a disaster, so what does Bush do for 2004? Terrorists are in Iraq, different reason for being there, and those terrorists will bring the war home (just look at the TV stories - can you imagine Iraq violence in your hometown?) and if a weaker opponent gets elected, the terrorists will smell our weakness, and hit us harder next time (thank you dick cheney for saying that). Its wag the dog all over again - hollywood makes a movie about this, and we still swallow it - amazing! But this is a great movie - never grows old watching it.

citizen kane still the best

So I am eating dinner before class, and wouldnt you know, Citizen Kane comes on the turner channel. what a film! Dorothy Comingore is fantastic as Susan Alexander, the "singer." Heres trivia for you: Nat King Cole played the piano in one scene, and the reporter with the pipe at the end is Alan Ladd. But Dorothy is great - she was a professional singer who had to practice to sing off key for the movie. And I know Orsen Welles is a great director, but she was responsible for lots of scenes: they way she pronounces Charlie when she is mad - "Chaaa lie" to show off her working class roots. Or her rants at charlie, or her sarcasm. Or the restrained way she left him. A fantastic performance. I guess she was overlooked because of Welles performance, or because of the incredible film shots. She was blacklisted by the McCarthy fascists in 1951. Died in Stonington Ct, the seaside village where Nathan and I had a picnic on the pier, until the wasps starting flying around us - I still remember how mad Nat was at the wasps. But time for class - I will watch this again later. Tonight's film is walk on water - I will be receiving Etyan Fox's latest film, The Bubble, later this month - I cant wait!