Saturday, May 27, 2006

What Romantic Literary Character Are You?...As BitchPhd says, Pointless Memery







Which Classic Female Literary Character Are you?




You're Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen!
Take this quiz!








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Bush Tells the Truth

Today's news reported that Bush likened his "war on terror" to the Cold War. He was quite right, both were bullshit.
Last night was much fun. I am in love with the city.

Friday, May 26, 2006

I just saw Greencard with Andie MacDowell and Gerard Depardieu on the television. I love that filn, its so beautiful and always makes me cry. Gerard Depardieu is a beautiful man and Andie MacDowell is a beautiful woman.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Nikki Giovanni's "Ugly Honkies, or The Election Game and How to Win It," is a most powerful poem. I am considering putting it here.
I'm gonna say this in the nicest, most humane way possible. Only white people in the middle of Indiana think it is fun to walk through duck shit and live in the middle of a natural wild life reserve.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Tonight is a beautiful night. Ahh, "Wishing and hoping and thinking and praying...."
I want to live, always, in creativity.
I spent my entire morning with Laura Nyro,Patti Labelle, and Ntozake Shange.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

I am remembering when I was a little boy and, especially during the summers, my grandmother and step-grandfather would take me to the Harvest House with them, which was the senior center there in town. We would go every day and I would have lunch with them(which they bought for me at Hardess--always, I hated it!) and then I would go play chess in the main parlor and then go on the porch and play cinderella.

Hooray Dixie Chicks!!!

Natalie Maines and Stephen Colbert -
The current "celebrity" enemies of the Bushies...too bad congress doesn't
have the integrity that these people do.


Dixie Chicks Singer Slams Bush Again
AP
NEW YORK (May 21) - The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines apologized for
disrespecting President George W. Bush during a London concert in 2003. But now, she's
taking it back.

"I don't feel that way anymore," she told Time magazine for its issue hitting
newsstands Monday. "I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."

As war in Iraq loomed in 2003, Maines told the London audience: "Just so you
know, we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

The remarks led to death threats and a backlash from other U.S. country
stars, including a high-profile spat with Toby Keith. It also stalled what until
then had been the group's smashingly successful career.

Bandmate Emily Robinson said she knew right away the remark wouldn't be taken
lightly and got "hot from my head to my toes."

"It wasn't that I didn't agree with her 100 percent; it was just, 'Oh, this
is going to stir something up,'" she told Time magazine.

For band member Martie Maguire, the controversy was a blessing in disguise.

"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will
grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in
their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith," Maguire said. "We
don't want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do."
I absolutely adore the Dixie Chicks. Ever since they killed Earl with some peas! They are absolutely wonderful!
The latest issue of The Advocate has a great article on polygamy in both hetero and homo communities. Definitely worth reading as it initiates an interrogation.

J'ai Deux Amours

Josephine Baker

On dit qu'au delà des mers
Là-bas sous le ciel clair
Il existe une cité
Au séjour enchanté
Et sous les grands arbres noirs
Chaque soir
Vers elle s'en va tout mon espoir

J'ai deux amours
Mon pays et Paris
Par eux toujours
Mon cœur est ravi
Manhattan est belle
Mais à quoi bon le nier
Ce qui m'ensorcelle
C'est Paris, c'est Paris tout entier

Le voir un jour
C'est mon rêve joli
J'ai deux amours
Mon pays et Paris

Manhattan est belle
Mais à quoi bon le nier
Ce qui m'ensorcelle
C'est Paris, c'est Paris tout entier

Le voir un jour
C'est mon rêve joli
J'ai deux amours
Mon pays et Paris
I'm in a Josephine Baker mood this morning.

Vladimir Putin and the rise of the petro-ruble

By Mike Whitney

05/22/06 "Information Clearing House" -- -- “If one day the world’s largest oil producers demanded euros for their barrels, it would be the financial equivalent of a nuclear strike”. Bill O’ Grady, A.G. Edwards

On May 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin ignited a firestorm that is bound to sweep across the global economy. In his State of the Nation speech to parliament,, he announced that Russia was planning to make the ruble “internationally convertible” so that it could be used in oil and natural gas transactions. Presently, oil is denominated exclusively in dollars and sold through the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMX) or the London Petroleum Exchange (LPE) both owned by American investors. If Russia proceeds with its plan, the ruble will go nose to nose with the dollar on the open market sending several billions of surplus greenbacks back to the United States. This could potentially send the American economy into freefall; triggering a deep recession and an extended period of hyper-inflation.

“The ruble must become a more widespread means of international transactions,” Putin said. “To this end, we need to open a stock exchange in Russia to trade in oil, gas, and other goods to be paid for in rubles."

Currently, the central banks around the world carry large stockpiles of dollars to use in their purchases of oil. This gives the US a virtual monopoly on oil transactions. It also forces reluctant nations to continue using the dollar even though it is currently underwritten by $8.4 trillion national debt.

Putin’s plan is similar to that of Iran, which announced that it would open an oil-bourse (oil exchange) on Kish Island in two months. The bourse would allow oil transactions to be made in petro-euros, thus discarding the dollar. The Bush administration’s belligerence has intensified considerably since Iran made its intentions clear. In fact, just yesterday, Secretary of State Condi Rice said that “security guarantees were not on the table” regardless of any Iranian commitment to stop enriching uranium. In other words, Washington will not provide Iran a “non-aggression pact” whether it follows UN Security Council guidelines or not.

Surely, this is a sign that Uncle Sam is on a fast-track to war.

The United States must protect its dollar-monopoly in the oil trade or it will lose the advantage of being the world’s “reserve currency”. As the reserve currency, the US can maintain its towering $8.4 trillion national debt and $800 billion trade deficit without fear of soaring interest rates or hyper-inflation. Trillions of greenbacks are constantly circulating in oil transactions just as hundreds of billions are stockpiled in foreign banks. In effect, the Federal Reserve is issuing bad checks with every dollar printed on the assumption that they will never reach the bank for collection. So far, they’ve been right, and as the price of oil continues to skyrocket, the Fed just keeps cheerily printing more worthless paper sending it to the 4 corners of the earth. Regrettably, if Russia or Iran goes ahead with their conversion plan, then the bad checks will flood back to their source and precipitate a meltdown.

America’s economic supremacy depends entirely on its ability to compel nations to make their energy acquisitions in greenbacks. If the flaccid dollar is not linked to the world’s most vital resource, then banks will dump it overnight. This extortion-racket is the system we are defending in Iraq, not “democracy”. It is a huckster’s scam designed to perpetuate American debt by forcing worthless currency on the developing world.

In a recent article by Dave Kimble, “Collapse of the petrodollar looming”, the author provides the details of Russia’s importance to the world oil market.

“Russia's oil exports represent 15.2% of the world's export trade in oil, making it a much more significant player than Iran, with 5.8% of export volumes. Russia also produces 25.8% of the world's gas exports, while Iran is still only entering this market as an exporter…. Venezuela has 5.4% of the export market.”

Obviously, it is not in Russia’s interest to trade with its European partners in dollars any more than it would be for the US to trade with Canada in rubles. Putin can strengthen the Russian economy and improve Russia’s prestige in the world as an energy superpower by transitioning to rubles. But, will Washington allow him to succeed?

A growing number of nations are now focusing on the empire’s Achilles’ heel, the dollar. Venezuela, Russia, Norway and Iran are all threatening to move away from the greenback. (my emphasis) Is this a spontaneous uprising or is it a new type of asymmetrical warfare?

Whatever it is, Washington is bound to be reeling from the affects. After all, war maybe possible with Iran or Venezuela, but what about Russia? Would Bush be stupid enough to risk nuclear Armageddon to protect the drooping dollar?

The administration is exploring all of its options and is developing a strategy to crush Putin’s rebellion. (This may explain why Newsweek editor and undeclared spokesman for the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Fareed Zacharia, asked his guest on this week’s “Foreign Exchange” whether he thought Putin could be “assassinated”?!? Hmmm? I wonder if we’ll hear similar sentiments from Tom Friedman this week?)

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the secretive organization of 4,400 American elites from industry, finance, politics, media and the military (who operate the machinery of state behind the mask of democracy) has already issued a tersely worded attack on Putin (“Russia’ Wrong Direction”; Manila Times) outlining what is expected for Russia to conform to American standards of conduct. The missive says that Russia is headed in “the wrong direction” and that “a strategic partnership no longer seems possible”. The article reiterates the usual canards that Putin is becoming more “authoritarian” and “presiding over the rollback of Russian democracy”. (No mention of flourishing democracy in Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan?) The CFR cites Putin’s resistance to “US and NATO military access to Central Asian bases” (which are a dagger put to Moscow’s throat) the banishing of Washington’s “regime change” NGOs from operating freely in Russia (“Freedom Support Act funds”) and Russia’s continued support for Iran’s “peaceful” development of nuclear energy.

America has never been a friend to Russia. It took full advantage of the confusion following the fall of the Soviet Union and used it to apply its neoliberal policies which destroyed the ruble, crushed the economy, and transferred the vast resources of the state to a handful of corrupt oligarchs. Putin single-handedly, put Russia back on solid footing; taking back Yukos from the venal Khordukovsky and addressing the pressing issues of unemployment and poverty-reduction. He is a fierce nationalist who enjoys a 72% approval rating and does not need the advice of the Bush administration or the CFR on the best path forward for his country.

The US has purposely strained relations with Russia by putting more military bases in Central Asia, feeding the turmoil in Chechnya, isolating Russia from its European neighbors, and directly intervening in its elections.

When the G-8 summit takes place next week, we should expect a full-throated attack from the corporate media on Putin as the latest incarnation of Adolph Hitler. Watch the fur fly as the forth estate descends on its newest victim like feral hounds to carrion. (Putin’s announcement that Russia would be converting to rubles HAS NOT APPEARED IN ANY WESTERN MEDIA. Like the Downing Street Memo, the firebombing of Falluja, or the “rigged” 2004 elections, the western “free press” scrupulously avoids any topic that may shed light on the real machinations of the US government)

Putin’s challenge to the dollar is the first salvo in a guerilla war that will end with the crash of the greenback and the restoration of parity among the nations of the world. It represents a tacit rejection of a system that requires coercion, torture and endless war to uphold its global dominance. When the dollar begins its inevitable decline, the global-economic paradigm will shift, the American war machine will grind to a halt, and the soldiers will come home. Maybe, then we can rebuild the republic according to the lost values of human rights and the rule of law.

Putin’s plan is set to go into effect on July 1, 2006.

Monday, May 22, 2006

McCain at New School: Honeymoon Is Over

Ari Berman and Sam Graham-Felsen
The Nation

Friday 19 May 2006

"I haven't heard anyone aroused about me speaking at the New School," John McCain said in April, defending his decision to address Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.

Nobody at all, except for virtually the entire crowd at the New School's Madison Square Garden graduation ceremony in New York City. At the beginning of the event, New School President, and former Senator, Bob Kerrey predicted a raucous affair. "Our founding purpose is proudly liberal," he said. "We began as an act of protest."

The school's tradition of dissent carried on today. Scores of New School students held orange signs, and a few banners, reading "McCain Does Not Speak For Me," and "Our Commencement Is Not Your Platform." What began as mild rumblings of disapproval before McCain's speech soon exploded into boos, catcalls and turned backs.

The spark was provided by undergraduate keynote speaker Jean Sara Rohe, a composed, seemingly innocuous jazz musician and singer. After beginning with a short folk song (true to classic graduation speech form) Rohe quickly tossed aside her prepared remarks to directly address McCain.

"This ceremony has become something other than the celebratory gathering it should be," Rohe said. "The Senator does not reflect the ideals on which this school was founded. This was a top-down decision in which the students played no part." The crowd erupted.

"I consider this a time of crisis and I feel compelled to speak," Rohe continued, referencing McCain's speech at Falwell's Liberty University last Saturday.

She paraphrased McCain's words on the folly of youthful stubbornness and ignorance.

"I am young, but I do know that pre-emptive war is dangerous and wrong," she said. "Osama bin Laden has not been found, nor those weapons of mass destruction." The vast majority of the crowd gave her a standing ovation.

"Well, we're having fun now, aren't we?" Kerrey cracked before introducing McCain.

The Senator spoke in a dull monotone, without his usual charisma or charm. He was noticeably deflated by the crowd's harsh reception towards him. Remarks such as "I supported the decision to go to war in Iraq," were met with loud boos.

"I stand that ground because I believed, rightly or wrongly, that my country's interests and values required it."

"Wrongly!" one student boomed from the back. Sitting directly behind us, Maureen Dowd and Adam Nagourney of the New York Times, chuckled.

As McCain droned on, students became increasingly restless. One cried, "This speech sucks!" Several students walked out early.

Summing up the mood of the day, another shouted, "We're graduating, not voting."

Cultural Experiences

When I was a little boy, my mother used to go to the grocery store and buy whole pineapples and fresh-baked Hawaiian bread. Cutting those pineapples were an experience, it involved a ritual and a process. Then we would put the tops of the pineapples in water and let them sprout. These weren't cultural experiences in that I ever learned or even heard mention of anything about Hawaii, but just the sensation and the experience of the pineapple and of the fresh baked bread(these would not be on the same occassion) were experiences in and of themselves. A bit of the polynesian subconsciously taken in.

Ohhh!

Studs Terkel is suing At&T over his invaded phone records. You go Studs! Smite them!

A Sad Passing

Katherine Dunham, the famed dancer and activist, passed yesterday. She was 96 years old.
Congratulations to Ray Nagin on his re-election as the mayor of New Orleans.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Fourth Radical Congress is Up!

The much awaited Fourth Radical Progressive Carnival is up! What we have this time are two submissions. Firstly, Francois Tremblay of The Radical Libertarian offers a very sharp Marxian analysis of U.S. Drug policies in The Drug War and Market Anarchy. David Gross over at The Picket Line issues a great call, in response to the Declaration of Peace Campaign, for all of those who call for the use of nonviolence to restructure that message to call people to use direct and proactive nonviolent methods as means of confronting power.This is a powerful essay that Gross writes. I hope that people will continue to contribute to this carnival and make it a great success. We already have plenty of interesting things that have been posted.
I am addicted to Half.com
Last night was much fun.

Landslide

I have heard this song everywhere and thought it was so very beautiful. I didn't know who the artists were, but I googled it and, no doubt, it is the fabulous Dixie Chicks.


I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down

Oh mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life
Uh huh
Uh huh, uh huh

Well I've been afraid of changing cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
And I'm getting older too
Well..

Well I've been afraid of changing cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too
Well I'm getting older too

So take this love and take it down
Yeah and if you climb a mountain and ya turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well maybe
Well maybe
Well maybe
The landslide will bring you down