"It's not appropriate to show the film in this country," Abdul Hamid Zainal, a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, was quoted as saying.
The minister said censors should refer the film to the Islamic Affairs Department to decide whether it should be screened. Just over half of Malaysia's 24 million people are Muslim.
"We cannot equate ourselves with God -- even as a joke," Abdul Hamid said.
I can't imagine living in a place that would not allow me the freedom to watch a movie because the government/religious authorities (who are basically one and the same) are offended by the premise, regardless of how funny and light hearted that premise may be. I just think that totally sucks. All this crap where religion dictates what an entire country of people can and cannot do. I know it is that way in a lot of places. Lighten up people! Life is too short to be that serious.
Have you ever heard of a three year old who just got into a real automobile, started it up, and crashed it into another car nearby? Well now you have. Have you ever heard of this happening not once, but twice?
"Sitting behind the wheel with the car key given to him during filming, his urge to drive overtook him again. 'The father was with the television crew,' said Borken police spokesman Frank Rentmeister. 'The car was in gear and the boy just started up and drove into the car ahead.'"
The part about it that blows me away is that now the police are investigating the father for negligence due to the fact that the incident occurred a second time. Wait. Let me get this straight. The television crews came and wanted to see the child re-enact the incident? They gave the child a key to the car? And everyone stood around and filmed and watched while the incident was re-enacted FOR REAL? And it is totally the father's fault? But not in any way the fault of the film crew that encouraged the whole scenario? And now the dad is going to be investigated? Hold on just a second...
WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?
Okay. I'm back. Aside from that bizarre twist, this is one for the world's funniest home videos.
Just out of curiosity, who's got tattoos?
Whatdya got?
I've got a black and red Ankh encircling my belly button. I really want to get a new tattoo...maybe my middle name in grafitti style lettering on my lower back or shoulder or something...I'm serious kids. I got tattoos on the brain. No peircing on the brain though. YIKES! Needles scare me.
I have been watcing too much tv the last couple days. I worked from 9:30 to 9:00 today and when I got home I flopped right down and started walking trash tv. E! I always watch E! Tonight that show about the competitive life of Las Vegas showgirls is on. I honestly don't know why anyone would go into that business. Even the skinniest girls being told they're fat, always being afraid that you're going to lose your spot in the show. I used to want to be a model. When I was thirteen years old I went to a Ratt/L.A. Guns concert in Irvine Meadows outside of Los Angeles in Orange County. When I was coming out and getting into a limousine (one of three times in my life that I've ever ridden in one) this guy came up to me and handed me a business card. It said "L.A. Talent" on it. Even though my mother was furious at me for going to the concert, when I presented her and my father with the card, they agreed to find out what was up with this "L.A. Talent." I really wanted it and so my mom and I went out and bought clothes and makeup and the "L.A. Talent" scout set me up with a photographer to take some pictures for my portfolio, my parents just had to pay for the film. So we took like four rolls of film in and around Venice Beach. We were instructed to come to an office building in Westwood to view the pictures, choose the ones I wanted for my portfolio and find out what to do next.
The office building was really nice, a big beautiful highrise. When we got to Mr. L.A. Talent's office it seemed curiously empty. We looked over the photos and chose the ones we wanted for my portfolio. Mr. L.A. Talent told us he would send them to the printer and set up my portfolio, but he needed to be paid some ridiculous amount of money. My parents discussed it and then asked me if this was something I really wanted: to pursue modeling. I said yes, if they were okay with spending the money, this was something I really wanted to do. So they agreed. They wrote the check. We got in the car and on the way home I could feel the level of discomfort rising in the front seat between my parents like a curious mist. They began to discuss the empty office, they began to question things they hadn't thought of before...the began to panic. They turned around and drove back to the office. L.A. Talent was already gone. We never saw the money or the pictures. It's the kind of thing you see on Fox 5 Problem Solvers, except that no one ever helped us get our money back.
The next time I made a serious effort to pursue modeling was when I was 20. I got picked at one of those open calls and spent the money to travel to Seattle to the big modeling convention. I went through all the motions, walked down the runway and got called back by three good agencies, one of them Elite, but right before I went on my interviews with them, I lost all my steam. I suddenly didn't care, I didn't want to be a model anymore. I didn't want to be looked at for my appearance and that's it. I didn't want to be one of the many girls there who felt like the only thing they had was their looks and if they weren't going to put those to use, then what on earth would they do? When you get old and ugly it's a disappointment for everybody, not just yourself. That sucks. So when I got to my interviews I just said hello and goodbye. And I ran my ass out of there and back to the hotel with my best friend and we ordered a massive amount of Chinese food and I forgot all about being a model forever and ever. A guy at my office asked me if I've ever done modeling just recently. I always say the same exact thing "I'd like to be recognized for what's inside." I know that sounds so cheesy, but it's true. I just don't understand why anyone would want to put themselves in that position where their physical self is under constant scrutiny. To each their own. I don't look down on people who do sell their physical attributes, but I just don't think it's something I could ever feel comfortable with. Especially competing with other girls to be the prettiest. Yuck.
I was just reading this article in Reuters about that shooting at City Hall yesterday and this one line really caught my attention:
"Othniel Askew pulled out a gun on the balcony of the second floor City Hall chamber, one of the most tightly guarded buildings in America's most populous city, shortly after 2 p.m. and killed councilman James Davis, 41, who was also on the balcony."
I was watching NY1 this morning and they told how on a daily basis employees of City Hall are allowed to enter the building without being inspected by security or passing through a metal detector. And this is "one of the most tightly guarded buildings [in New York City]..."? I DON'T THINK SO!
You know what amazes me the most about it? That history has already taught us that many a disgruntled employee make their way into the work place with firearms and intent to kill and proceed to blow the holy shit out of their co-workers. Has this history taught us nothing? We continue to believe that fellow employees/colleagues are not a threat? That political figures would never allow rivalry to ignite this kind of passion and that tragedy might result? It is unconscienable that this was allowed to happen. That a man was able to enter that building with a gun and succeed in a deadly plan - I don't care who he was or who he was with. This should not have happened.
Terribly, terribly sad. This man, Brooklyn Councilman Davis, dedicated so much time and energy to working towards a safer world and a safer city by speaking out against violence, it is so sad and ironic that his life would be taken by violence spawned by nothing more than jealousy and professional rivalry. It's also sad that there are so few black leaders out there and how unfair it is that he would be taken before being able to make his intended contributions. It's so unfair that he won't have that chance and that the community that he represented has lost him.
We will never be able to stop violence completely, as it is deeply ingrained in our world and our nature, but I hope that we will someday learn our lesson with respect to the proper measures of security in schools and in workplaces, so that these kinds of incidents are no longer so commonplace.
Why would you spend all this energy and money just to buy out a porn store so that you could shut it down? Do you really think you are eliminating sin from the world one porn store at a time? This is seriously the most ridiculous thing I have read all morning and I work in a law firm, so I think that's saying something.
"Ramirez says that's just the beginning. He says the church will be collecting more money to buy-out other porno shops in the community [so they can shut them down]"
245 grand could send ten kids to college, could help a lot of homeless people or feed a lot of starving children or do any number of other things that good christians might better serve others by doing. You know, that thing that Christ always talked about, helping others? I am sure that in some deeply demented way, this Ramirez and his kookie congregation have convinced themselves that they ARE helping others, by eliminating a porn store, thereby preventing others from indulging in sin. Oh that's right. I'm sure that everybody who patronized that porn store will now just resign themselves to a life of pure and sinless activities, never again indulging in sexual or perverted fantasies. PLEASE! Do something useful with your 245 grand! They might as well have thrown it down into the fiery pits of hell, all the good it will do...
They could have all taken a trip to a third world country to bring toys and food to orphans or could have gone and helped families in India who are forced to sell their children into slavery just to survive. But what did they do? They bought a fucking porn store? God that is just so warped I can't even comprehend the logic behind it.
P.S. The whole thing makes me want to move to Connecticut and open a porn store. I think we should all move to Connecticut and open porn stores! Yaaay for porn stores!
I think this is so great that Austrian doctors were able to remove this man's malignant, cancerous tongue and replace it with a normal, healthy tongue. The only drawback is that he will probably never be able to experience his sense of taste ever again. (Not that he would have been able to if he went on with that huge tumor in his mouth...) But that just suuucks! Can you imagine the torment of seeing a delectable looking dish and smelling it and imagining what it tastes like and biting into it, only to taste nothing, only feel the textures in your mouth...? That's just horrible. But not as horrible as being dead from cancer.
Like most people with normal sensory function, I can't imagine losing any of my senses. I've always thought the absolute worst thing on earth would be to go blind. I don't know if it's worse to GO blind or be born blind, I think they sound equally wretched. I loved when Chris Rock said "Stevie Wonder's got all the money in the world and ain't nothing he can do about bein' blind. Doctors say 'here Stevie, take this dog.' All you got for Stevie is a dog? A fuckin dog? Can't he get a seeing eye midget? He could say 'Yo Stevie take a left and when we get up here you're gonna hang a right' All Stevie wants is a peek. Just a peek! Can't Stevie get a peek. Just a fuckin peek!" Hahaaaaa. It's true. All the money in the world and ain't nothin Stevie can do about bein blind as a bat. I'm sure at this point in his life he's not really too worried about it anymore...He can hear and music is obviously his true love, so I'm sure he's come to terms with being blind.
Maybe the guy with no tongue would be better off being blind too because then he wouldn't have to see delectable food everywhere he goes.
Which sense would you be willing to give up or the most devastated to lose? Inquiring minds need to know. Alternatively, what food would you miss the most if you lost your sense of taste? I would miss pizza. And doritos. And chocolate. And tacos. And....
I just watched the most horrifying show on The Learning Channel about cosmetic surgery nightmares. The stories they told took place in Europe. Surgeries performed by less than trustworthy doctors which produced more than alarming results. One woman looked so frightening after a massive facial surgery that I literally cried out in horror. So swollen and bruised and stitched and bloody. She could barely speak and she couldn't open her eyes at all for weeks. She developed a skin disorder in part of her face called Hyperpigmentation that caused that area of the skin to become permanently darker and HYPOpigmentation in other areas, causing the skin to become lighter. You can use your imagination to conjure up what that might look like.
Another woman on the show had the breast surgery from hell, with an infection that would never disappear until the boobs were removed. I wouldn't mind having bigger boobs, but I don't think I would ever be willing to take the risks involved. It is amazing how many people are having plastic surgery these days and there are all of these shows about it. Some of them glorifying the results, some of them scaring the shit out of you with stories of surgeries gone awry. A hundred years from now, the earth will be filled with bodies that will never fully decompose...hahaha. Millions of silicone and saline breasts, alone in their coffins with a stack of bones and dust, still perky long after the rest of the body is gone. That is so sick. But it makes me laugh to think about it.
My friend Travis happened to be in town this week. He owns part of a skate shoe company called Ipath and he was here for a trade show. I haven't seen him in about three years.
We used to hang out in Ashland, Oregon. He was a part of the whole skater group/culture there and I will always note him as being that laid back guy who never got too out of control and you could always have a good conversation with. I was so happy to see him.
A bunch of us went out (me and about six of his guy friends) to Tortilla Flats and had a few shots of tequila and some great food. The waitress gave us free shots and gave me an extra for being the only girl with a big group of guys. She was cute.
When I was a teenager I used to work (albeit casually) for a company called Soopkich'n. They are now defunct, but back then they were the ONLY thing. They were featured in Vogue Magazine for their snowboard apparel. The best waterproof gear in the business. Better than Burton. They were a little lackadaisical when it came to the money aspects and when production got moved to China, the quality of the product greatly deteriorated and they ended up selling the company I think. Sad.
Soopkich'n was a culture on its own. It was a tightnit group of skaters and snowboarders and there was nobody more admired (and resented by some) in the small town of Ashland. Their line of clothing permeated that town and it became like a trademark to the youthful scene. That's where I met Travis. Among the chaos. The constant partying and recklessness. He was a staple, like me. One more face in the mix and the social scene, but someone that I always felt comfortable with and happy to run in to. Now he is still in the business and doing better than ever. I'm so glad he called me while he was in NY.
I'm going to visit my family back home in a little over a month, so I'll be happy to see him again soon...You know a true friend when you have moved 3,000 miles from everything you have ever known and that friend pops up to see you. It's a nice reminder that I am thought of and remembered by some despite all that distance that can cause estrangement, not to mention all of the bullshit that many of us endured living in Ashland. I've decided that growing up in Ashland is a traumatic experience, and most people should probably seek therapy...I know I could probably use it. But there's also a lot of people and things that I still miss.
We went to the Siren Festival today. Mostly we just laid on the beach though and drank beer and ate sandwiches and loafed. The water was incredible. I've never been in the water at Coney Island before and I was genuinely surprised at how clean and wonderful it was. I could see my feet the entire time and I swam way out with Rahua and we dove around and floated in the water for quite a while. It was so cold at first, but after a few minutes it was nothing short of heaven. The sailboats drifting way out on the horizon and the water splashing against the rocks and the pier and the view of the beach and the ferris wheel and the Cyclone...it was all so picturesque.
After a few hours on the beach we walked over to the amusement park and took a ride on that old rickety rollercoaster, which is scary as fuck, by the way. We tried to hear Modest Mouse playing but it was impossible to get close enough because of the crowds and I was getting really grossed out by all the trash on the ground so we wandered back to the games and prizes. I was disappointed because I really wanted to see them, but we just didn't think to make it to the stage early enough. Rob won me a soft, cuddly grey and white Husky with bright blue plastic eyes due to his fine basketball skills. I was like a little kid hugging it close to me all the way home. We also had hotdogs and french fries at Nathan's before finally getting in the car to come home.
I'm feeling a little drained from the sun, but fat and happy all the same. Now to wash the sand out of my hair...
I know I'm not the only one. I know that the world is full of people who feel the exact same way as I do about clowns. Since I was a little girl, they have terrified me. My parents say when I would see clowns I would immediately burst into tears, wailing "the painty faces!!!" I hated the painty faces. And things haven't changed much. Then IT happened. That was like a fucking nightmare come true, to say the very least. Then Killer Klowns From Outerspace happened. I know. It sounds funny and to some people, it was hysterical. My parents loved it. But believe you me, it's not that funny if clowns already make you deeply uncomfortable. The clowns in that movie remain unsurpassed in the horror arena. Slimy, repulsive, clawed, fanged, homicidal maniacs... Ew. And do you remember the scary clown in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure? It scared the living daylights out of me.
In high school my best friend sent me a postcard in the mail that had a hundred tiny clown faces on it. On the back all she wrote was "Hi." Apparently, she thought she was pretty funny.
So today, I came across this story about the big giant rotating clown head that they are building on top of "the joke factory" in Gainsborough. Talk about twisted! The fucking thing rotates??? Sounds like something out of "The Exorcist". They should just change the name of the town to "Scaryclowntown."
I guess that if you are a really devout Catholic and your 80 year old relative passes away, and at the funeral ceremony the priest condemns that relative to hell and damnation during the last rites, that could be a little disturbing. I am not a Catholic but my grandfather was and if this kind of thing had happened at his funeral, I would have shit a stack of bricks! If it happened at the funeral of anyone that I have loved who has passed away, that someone said something mean or condemning about the deceased, I would have to take the jackass outside and teach him a lesson. I am not afraid of being a sinner, and I am apparently not living in fear of being damned to hell, so I wouldn't think twice about kicking some clizzerical izzass.
My favorite line from this article is:
"One of the plaintiffs said the townspeople 'are staring at her, thinking her father is in hell,' their lawyers said."
That just makes me laugh. Totally reminds me of something out of an old silent movie or that song "Buenos Tardes Amigos" by Ween: "In the niiiight, I still hear mama weeping, mama always dresses in black..." The last thing I'd be worried about was whether my nosey neighbors were looking down their nosey noses at me and the first thing I'd be worried about is seeking my revenge. Maybe the priest was really drunk...
Alright my friends (Bush supporters and those who have not been so hoodwinked), Michael Kinsley of the Washington Post has said it well. On guard, those who will defend the purveyors of lies!:
The president says he has not lost his confidence in CIA Director George Tenet. How sweet. If someone backed me up in a lie and then took the fall for me when it was exposed, I'd have confidence in him too..."
To quote my friend Choses, and his friend before him: "SHITSTORM" It just doesn't ever stop...
Read on good brothers and sisters:
Or More Lies From The Usual Suspects?
By Michael Kinsley
The Washington Post
Wednesday, July 16, 2003; Page A23
Once again a mysterious criminal stalks the nation's capital. First there was the mystery sniper. Then there was the mystery arsonist. Now there is the mystery ventriloquist. The media are in a frenzy of speculation and leakage. Senators are calling for hearings. All of Washington demands an answer: Who was the arch-fiend who told a lie in President Bush's State of the Union speech? No investigation has plumbed such depths of the unknown since O.J. Simpson's hunt for the real killer of his ex-wife. Whodunit? Was it Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with a candlestick? Condoleezza Rice in the Situation Room with a bottle of Wite-Out and a felt-tipped pen?
Linguists note that the question "Who lied in George Bush's State of the Union speech" bears a certain resemblance to the famous conundrum "Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?" They speculate that the two questions may have parallel answers. But philosophers are still struggling to properly analyze the Grant's Tomb issue -- let alone answer it. And experts say that even when this famous 19th century presidential puzzle is solved, it could be many years before the findings can be applied with any confidence to presidents of more recent vintage.
Lacking any real-life analogy that sufficiently captures the complexity of the Speech-gate puzzle and the challenge facing investigators dedicated to solving it, political scientists say the best comparison may be to the assassination of Major Strasser in the film "Casablanca." If you recall, Humphrey Bogart is standing over the body, holding a smoking gun. Claude Rains says, "Major Strasser has been shot! Round up the usual suspects." And yet the mystery of who killed the general is never solved.
Ever since Watergate, a smoking gun has been the standard for judging a Washington scandal. Many a miscreant has escaped with his reputation undamaged -- or even enhanced by the publicity and pseudo-vindication -- because there was no "smoking gun" such as the Watergate tapes. But now it seems that standard has been lifted. You would think that on the question of who told a lie in a speech, evidence seen on TV by millions of people, might count for something. Apparently not. The Bush administration borrows from Groucho: "Who are you going to believe -- us or your own two eyes?"
The case for the defense is a classic illustration of what lawyers call "arguing in the alternative." The Bushies say (1) it wasn't really a lie, (2) someone else told the lie and (3) the lie doesn't matter. All these defenses are invalid.
(1) Bushies fanned out to the weekend talk shows to note, as if with one voice, that what Bush said was technically accurate. But it was not accurate, even technically. The words in question were: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Bush didn't say it was true, you see -- he just said the Brits said it. This is a contemptible argument in any event. But to descend to the administration's level of nitpicking, the argument simply doesn't work. Bush didn't say that the Brits "said" this Africa business -- he said they "learned" it. The difference between "said" and "learned" is that "learned" clearly means there is some preexisting basis for believing whatever-it-is, apart from the fact that someone said it. Is it theoretically possible to "learn" something that is not true? I'm not sure. But it certainly is not possible to say that someone has "learned" a piece of information without clearly intending to imply that you, the speaker, wish the listener to accept it as true. Bush expressed no skepticism or doubt, even though the Brits qualification was added as protection only because doubts had been expressed internally.
(2) The Bush argument blaming the CIA for failing to remove this falsehood from the president's speech is based on the logic of "stop me before I lie again." Bush spoke the words, his staff wrote them, those involved carefully overlooked reasons for skepticism. It would have been nice if the CIA had caught this falsehood, but its failure to do so hardly exonerates others. Furthermore, the CIA is part of the executive branch, as is the White House staff. If the president can disown anything he says that he didn't actually find out or think up and write down all by himself, he is more or less beyond criticism. Which seems to be the idea here.
The president says he has not lost his confidence in CIA Director George Tenet. How sweet. If someone backed me up in a lie and then took the fall for me when it was exposed, I'd have confidence in him too.
(3) The final argument: It was only 16 words! What's the big deal? The bulk of the case for war remains intact. Logically, of course, this argument will work for any single thread of the pro-war argument. Perhaps the president will tell us which particular points among those he and his administration have made are the ones we are supposed to take seriously. Or how many gimmes he feels entitled to take in the course of this game. Is it a matter of word count? When he hits 100 words, say, are we entitled to assume that he cares whether the words are true?
I've really had it. I feel my patience wearing so thin and my psyche becoming fragile with each new day during which I am forced to endure the train ride into work. I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to knock the living daylights out of someone. Anyone. But preferably the person(s) responsible for raising the fare and providing less than adequate service. Every day it is something. If it is not a train whose doors won't close in Grand Central, it is a broken rail on 125th Street. If it is not that, it is police activity or an investigation on 34th Street or general congestion coming over the bridge. If it's not that, it's a sick passenger or it could just be that the conductor is in a snit and feels like tormenting commuters. That's what if feels like sometimes. Like this motherfucker is enjoying this. You can hear it in his voice when he comes over the intercom and with a condescending tone says "This is your conductor. We have serious delays up ahead. Please be patient." Meanwhile the air conditioner is blasting, cranked up to 50 degrees and freezing the ass off every man, woman and child. I guess that's where my extra fifty-cents per ride goes. Into converting the train into a fucking meat locker. You should never have to carry a jacket with you in the middle of summer so that you can take the train and not get hypothermia. This morning the only thing keeping me warm was the fact that I was stuffed like a sausage into a train car, disturbingly pressed up against numerous strangers, one of which I was ready to beat with my purse because she insisted on stuffing her fat ass into the car despite the fact that there WAS NO ROOM, and I would have too if I could have lifted my arm high enough to bring my purse down on her fat head. You didn't think you could fit another person in there. But with a massive shove to my rear, she did it. At the expense of every other person in that section.
I left for work extra early because I am tired of stressing out every time the train comes to an untimely halt, but whenever I do that, things turn out to be worse than ever. I'm not kidding. It's like some evil hand of fate reaches down every time and smacks me across the face. "You think you're going to get to work on time Maria? HAAA! It looks like that doesn't it? If the train would start moving and just keep moving you would get there a little early wouldn't you? BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO FUCKING HAPPEN!" Eeerrrrccchhh! "This is your conductor..."
In all seriousness. I am strongly considering moving out of this city because of this one hellish thing that I feel is going to cause me to have a coronary one day simply because it is so excruciating on a level I have never known before. Do you think I just need to take a disco biscuit?
This story just made me laugh so much that I had to share it. I mean what could be more bizarre than a giant marble statue of a nose (inspired by Nikolai Gogol's story of a man's pursuit for his runaway nose), being stolen and subequently pursued by the police until recovered in a residential area in Russia?
My little mind can barely imagine the insanity of a person who would write a story about a nose which takes on a life of its own, literally, nor contain the irony of the above mentioned incident.
WARNING: If you are super sensitive and unable to consider this subject rationally, please be aware that this entry may send you into hysterics.
So Harry S. Truman was anti-Semitic. I like the Smoking Gun, but sometimes they take things out of context and make it look slightly different than it was or is. Just like many other news and media outlets. Another example is their attitude on the Peter Townsend child pornography hoopla which I don't think was altogether fair to him. The only thing which continually redeems them is their publication of the actual documents so that a person may read and decide for themselves. But with the brief introductions and without continuing to view the posted documents, you might get a different impression.
Though I'm not defending Truman and do not agree with the way that some of his thoughts were posed in the entry at issue, I am saying that when you read the ENTIRE jounal entry, there is more to it than disliking jews as an issue of race:
"6:00 p.m., Monday, July 21, 1947
Had ten minutes conversation with Henry Morganthau about Jewish ship in Palestine. Told him I would talk to Gen. Marshall about it. He'd no business, whatever, to call me. The jews have no sense of proportion nor do they have any judgment on world affairs.
"Henry brought a thousand jews to New York on a supposedly temporary basis and they stayed. When the country went backward - and Republican in the election of 1945, this incident loomed large on the D[isplaced] P[ersons] program.
"The jews, I find are very, very selfish. They care not how many Estonians, Latvians, Finns, Poles, Yugoslavs or Greeks get murdered or mistreated as DP as long as the jews get special treatment. Yet when they have power, physical, financial or political, neither Hitler or Stalin has anything on them for cruelty or mistreatment to the underdog. Put an underdog on top and it makes no difference whether his name is Russian, Jewish, Negro[...] he goes haywire. I've found very, very few who remember their past condition, when propriety comes. Look at the Congress attitude on DP -- and they all come from DPs."
If this is what he observed...should his memory be crucified for saying it? It doesn't sound to me like he is putting them down simply because of their race, but more because of their complete lack of compassion for any cause except for their own. In fact, I think what he says at the end "I've found very, very few who remember their past condition, when propriety comes. Look at the Congress attitude on DP -- and they all come from DPs" is something worth thinking about. Now, for all I know, Truman could have been the most racist, contemptable son of a bitch that ever lived, but based on this writing alone, I don't think it would be fair to make the assumption that he dislikes jews for their race as much as he dislikes their political take on the displaced persons issue, and other issues of global importance. I don't think it's fair to lay a blanket judgment as he did, but I also don't feel that this entry should be a black mark on his permanent record.
The other thing I wanted to mention is that there seems to be a hyper sensitive response to any comment that could be perceived as, in any way, anti-Semitic. It is to the point where a person can't open their mouth and speak of jews unless they are saying something perfectly positive or being ultra sensitive to the historical plight of jews, or else they are automatically assumed to be a "ANTI-SEMITE". Could there be a dirtier word? Especially with the Israeli-Palestine conflict, it is such a volatile subject. I am personally on the side of the Palestinians. I don't defend their killing of Israelis anymore than I would defend the Israelis of killing Palestinians, but I do think that if you examine the reason that all of this started, it is the fault of the Israelis and not enough blame or pressure is being laid upon them and I think their self-righteousness is shameless. I think that in recent times, the escalation of conflict has a huge lot to do with Bush Administration policy with respect to Israel (the good son) and not doing enough to help Palestine (the stepchild).
At any rate, I live in NYC, I work in a huge lawfirm, so you figure it out. I am certainly in no way anti-Semitic or anti-any other race, religion or creed (except Jahovah's Witnesses. Those people drive me to distraction), but all the same, I think that the hyper-sensitivity and the ultra political correctness has gone a little far. To the point where people cannot express their political views on the subject, without it being turned into a racial/religious attack.
NOTE: Graham Lester makes an excellent point in my comments about the time frame during which Truman's comments were made and the geographical background of Mr. Truman that would suggest, that he was, in fact, anti-Semitic. I would like to stress again that I am not defending these comments, only speculating and tying the recent publication of his writing in with my feelings about the subject in the world today. Granted, things were MUCH different in 1947.
I don't know what my problem is. Why I have this thorn in my side this morning. I should be happy it's Friday and I have a fun weekend ahead of me. Instead I am all out of wack.
A coworker has been on my last nerve for weeks now, so excuse me while I rant. Her crappy work ethic and big mouth have been permeating the entire floor. I keep my headphones on all day to drown her out, though her tacky, pointless exclamations often reach my ears like homing devices, breaking through even the loudest volume. "Yo! Yo! You trippin!" (when boss asks her to perform a task) *Excruciating giggle* "I ain't doin' that! You couldn't pay me enough to do that" (in reference to doing her job) "You're paranoid!" (to her boss when she takes more than an hour lunch to get her nails done when he is stressing about filing a stack of briefs) "I would help but I have this huge document I'm working on" (goes back to personal phone call and designing tacky screensaver plastered with pictures of her and flavor-o-the-week). Honestly, I would mind my own business if it never had any effect on my life, but her boss is always asking me to work overtime because you "couldn't pay [her] enough" to stay past her scheduled time (I work for two partners and an associate, Ms. Thang only works for this one guy) and since she rarely helps any of the first year's (and never with a smile) on the floor I am always pitching in here and there where she and her equally lazy deskmate claim to be too busy, but forever have time to be on the phone or even reading a book! It's really atrocious. Meanwhile, I have my busy times and my slow times, but I always extend myself to do whatever I can to help out. This person is just so immature and unprofessional and I honestly don't know how she keeps her job the way she walks all over her boss. I guess he likes being a doormat.
Today is Ms. Thang's birthday and I was just offered to join them for lunch in her honor. I dryly declined. I'd rather go break my ass in the gym then have to spend my lunch hour listening to her.
Something that did bring some cheer to my day was a visit to Smoking Gun this morning. I mean, truly, you have got to be kidding me! People actually taking the time to write badly spelled and gramatically butchered emails to Fox demanding that they declare Clay this season's winner and insisting that the voting process was rigged so that Ruben could win? For what purpose? And how could anyone take it this personally? Even if it was rigged, who really cares? What is the difference now? Aren't there any worthy causes left in the world or are people just so desperate for something to lobby passionately for and this is the only thing left? Puhleeeeaaaze. Either one of their records can be bought in any music store, and even if they couldn't, there's a million good artists out there! I think it's just amazing how much people care about this nonsense. (Like I should talk, I'm sitting here fucking blogging about it). Okay, that's enough of that. I am going to get something fabulous to eat and then I am going to come back here in a much better mood.
This is long, but worth reading and knowing. If those who support Bush can't see the writing on the wall, take off the blinders.
GEORGE W. BUSH
The White House
USA
RESUME
PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
I ran for congress and lost.
I produced a Hollywood slasher B movie.
I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas; the company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.
Biggest move: Traded Sammy Sosa to the Chicago White Sox.
With my father's help (and his name) was elected Governor of Texas.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS :
I changed pollution laws for power and oil companies and made Texas the most polluted state in the Union.
I replaced Los Angeles with Houston as the most smog ridden city in America.
I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas government to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
Set record for most executions by any Governor in American history.
I became president after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 votes, with the help of my father's appointments to the Supreme Court.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:
I attacked and took over two countries.
I spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.
I shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.
I set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period.
I set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.
I am the first president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.
I am the first president in US history to enter office with a criminal record.
My first year in office I set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in US history.
After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, I presided over the worst security failure in US history.
I set the record for most campaign fundraising trips of any president in US history.
In my first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their jobs.
I cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in US history.
I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
I appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in US history.
I set the record for the fewest press conferences of any president since the advent of television.
I signed more laws and executive orders amending the Constitution than any president in US history.
I presided over the biggest energy crises in US history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.
I presided over the highest gasoline prices in US history and refused to use the national reserves as past presidents have.
I cut healthcare benefits for war veterans.
I set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to protest me (15 million people), shattering the record for
protest against any person in the history of mankind
I dissolved more international treaties than any president in US history.
My presidency is the most secretive and unaccountable of any in US history.
Members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in US history. (The 'poorest' multimillionaire, Condoleeza Rice has a Chevron oil tanker named after her).
I presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the history of the world.
I am the first president in US history to order a US attack and military ccupation of a sovereign nation, and I did so against the will of the United Nations and the world community.
I created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.
I set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president in US history.
I am the first president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the human rights commission.
I am the first president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the elections monitoring board.
I removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight, of any presidential administration in US history.
I rendered the entire United Nations irrelevant.
I withdrew from the World Court of Law.
I refused to allow inspectors access to US prisoners of war and thereby no longer abide by the Geneva Conventions.
I am the first president in US history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US elections).
I am the all-time US (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.
My biggest lifetime campaign contributor, who is also one of my best friends, presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy frauds in world
history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).
I spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in US history.
I am the first president to run and hide when the US came under attack (and then lied, saying the enemy had the code to Air Force One)
I am the first US president to establish a secret shadow government.
I took the biggest world sympathy for the US after 911, and in less than a year made the US the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest
diplomatic failure in US and world history).
I, with a policy of 'disengagement' created the most hostile Israeli-Palestine relations in at least 30 years.
I am the first US president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.
I am the first US president in history to have the people of South Korea feel more threatened by the US than by their immediate neighbor, North Korea.
I changed US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
I set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated US law by not selling huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts.
I failed to fulfill my pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive.'
I failed to capture the anthrax killer who tried to murder the leaders of our country at the United States Capitol building. After 18 months I have no
leads and zero suspects.
In the 18 months following the 911 attacks I have successfully prevented any public investigation into the biggest security failure in the history of the United States.
I removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in US history.
In a little over two years I created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided the US has ever been since the civil war.
I entered office with the strongest economy in US history and in less than two years every single economic category and indicator was heading straight down.
RECORDS AND REFERENCES:
I have at least one conviction for drunk driving in Maine (Texas driving record has been erased and is not available).
I was AWOL from National Guard and deserted the military during a time of war.
I refuse to take drug test or even answer any questions about drug use.
All records of my tenure as governor of Texas have been spirited away to my father's library, sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
All records of any SEC investigations into my insider trading or bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
All minutes of meetings for any public corporation where I served on the board are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
Any records or minutes from meetings I (or my VP) attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.
For personal references please speak to my dad or uncle James Baker. (They can be reached at their offices of the Carlyle Group for war-profiteering.)
Fear Factor is so fucking gross. I seriously cannot even watch it because I think I am going to throw up. There is a guy on there right now eating a "slice of pizza" piled with bile from a cow's gall bladder, coagulated animal blood, stinky rotten cheese, fish eyeballs and live worms. I can't deal. It's worse than the one where those people had to get pierced in their arms with twenty large needles. I don't know what makes me think that I can watch a whole show. I always end up running for cover half way through. There are some things that the imagination just don't need to reach.
I picked this up on Ruthie's blog and I liked it, so I decided to do it myself (she does one every week...)
Fashion show:: NY, Paris
Boundaries:: Respect
Roadkill:: Cricket (Dude I used to know who made his own clothes out of roadkill)
Narcissistic:: Serial Killer
Authority:: No thank you
Martini:: Apple
Personality:: Entertainment
Comfortable:: Jeans
Symptom:: tickle
Dating:: silly
Rob brought me these special blue MGM martini glasses when the James Bond Die Another Day movie came out. I am finally putting them to use with some apple martinis. MmmmMm. Too bad I have no one to keep me company, but I'm having a good time all by myself watching E! True Hollywood Stories. I'm camping out for Eminem's bio. Right now I have to get back to Kim Basinger...I'm such a sucker for that stuff...
This is the end...beautiful friend.
Don't think this weekend could have been any more perfect or fulfilling. Great party on the fourth on the rooftop of a loft in Greenpoint, overlooking the Macy's barges parked in the river. Most amazing fireworks display I have ever witnessed in my life. Everyone was left utterly breathless. Spent the rest of the evening in a good little bar in Williamsburg. Scored a big table for our group, took pictures in the retro photobooth, drank a few pints, made drunk phonecalls, had some good laughs and headed home in the wee hours of the morning. Good times.
Yesterday we woke up and headed straight to the beach. Everything felt sublime. Laying out on the sand with my sxy man lounging beside me, tumbling in the waves, tasting the salt and feeling it saturating hair and skin. I love the beach. It is always excellent and I never, ever get tired of it. Even when I lived five blocks away from it in santa monica. I never tired of it. Never got tired of watching the palm trees bend this way and that and the waves forever carrying on. Never got tired of paddling out on a boogy board and floating there, dunking beneath the water occasionally, soaking up the vast body around me, watching the sun sink beneath the western horizon...exalted by the simplicity and perfection of it. Coconut skin trip, terry cloth, snacks, iced tea, sunglasses, wild hair, clean water, sweet waves = happiness.
Then we picked up R & T and went out to eat at Sizzler. I haven't been to Sizzler in over ten years. It was really fun. We were so satisfied and painted with smiles when we walked out of there. Then we went bowling and played about three or four frames and downed a cocktail a piece when the power went down on their scorekeepers and we had to get our money back and ended up taking a little ride into the east village to find something to do. We found Kat and Chas and Gothic Justice at Otto's Shrunken Head. More fun, more cocktails. Rob and I got home around 3:30, better than 5 a.m. the night before, and slept until 1 this afternoon. I still have a sparkly Godzilla tattoo on my arm and recall the funny lady with the camera who insisted on taking ten pictures of it last night because she has a friend who loves Godzilla...I don't know.
Now that the weekend is almost over, I don't know what the hell to do with myself...
Tell me about your Fourth of July weekend!
For a good time Click Here!
Especially if you are missing out on local fireworks, this is almost as good...
I don't know what's with me today with the song lyrics, but songs keep coming onto my launchcast station and I feel the need to share them.
My dad influenced me a lot while I was growing up when it comes to music and one of the bands he played pretty frequently was Sisters of Mercy. Sometimes like a cross between Leonard Cohen and Bau Haus, but with crunching guitar... To follow is one of the best politically charged songs. It's pretty likely none of you have ever heard it, but let me know if you have and if you haven't, check it out! And if you click here you can even watch their video, Detonation Blvd.
Twenty-five whores in the room next door
Twenty-five floors and I need more
I'm looking for the can in the candy store
Two thousand Hamburg four
And colours I ain't seen before
It's a small world and it smells funny
I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money
Take back what I paid
For another motherfucker in a motorcade
In a long black car
With the prettiest shit
From Panama
When the sirens wail
And the lights flash blue
My vision thing comes
Slamming through
It's a small world and it smells bad
I'd buy another if I had
Back
What I paid
For another motherfucker in a motorcade
Slamming through
Slamming through
What do we need to make our world come alive?
What does it take to make us sing?
While we're waiting for the next one to arrive?
One million points of light
One billion dollar Vision Thing
Another black hole in the killing zone
A little more mad in the methedrome
One blinding flash of sense
Just like the president's
Well, I don't mind
Out of my mind
Blizzard king
Bring it on home
It's a small world and it smells bad
I'd buy another if I had
Back
What I paid
For another motherfucker in a motorcade
And a vision thing
And a vision thing
And a ...
Sha la la la
What do we need to make our world come alive?
What does it take to make us sing?
While we're waiting for the next one to arrive?
One million points of light
One billion dollar Vision Thing
Sha la la la
What is your middle name? Luz De Luna
What pants are you wearing? Black Dickies (for girls!)
What are you listening to right now? Ghostface Killah on my launchcast station
If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Hot Pink
Who is the last person you talked to on the phone? Kathleen
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Disposition (i.e. sleazy/not-sleazy, funny/not-funny, stupid/smart...etc.)
Do you like the person that sent this to you? Immensely
Your favorite non-alcoholic beverage? Cherry Coke
Favorite alcoholic beverage? Pina colada or just about anything with vodka
Favorite sport to play? Don't play sports, but use to love to play soccor
Favorite sport to watch? Figure skating, skateboarding, snowboarding
Did you ever wear braces? No.
Best memories? Parties and chillin out at Highway 99, traveling with friends, hanging out with my dad and the rest of my family, camping at Illinois River, living in New Orleans with Darcie, Swimming at Caitlin's... all the funny times...
Do you wear contact lenses? 20/20 vision
Favorite month? I'm pretty indiscriminate, but I mostly like the warm months.
Favorite food? Pizza, cheeseburgers, turkey & avocado sandwiches
Last movie you watched? I think it was Kids
Are you too shy to ask someone out? No.
Favorite place to go on a date? Good food and a walk and/or bar/club, anything different/adventurous.
Do you like scary or happy movies better? Scary I think, but I like a really funny/sappy movie just as much as the next chick.
Summer or Winter? Summer!
Hugs or kisses? Both and lots of them.
Relationships or one-night stands? Relationships.
Chocolate or Vanilla? CHOCOLATE!
What books are you reading? The Seven Storey Mountain. Really boring. I need a good book right now.
What's on your mouse pad? Road Runner
Least favorite smell? Cat piss
Worst feeling in the world? A broken heart .... Being hurt or having your feelings disrespected by someone you love... Learning of the death of a loved one.
How many rings before you answer the phone? As many as it takes me to get there.
Future child's name? Girl: maybe Lydia / Boy: maybe Dante
Glass half empty or half full? Depends on the mood I'm in
Favorite movies? Rock N' Roll Highschool, The Hunger, Who's that Girl? and way too many others.
What's under your bed? Nothing. All clean.
What is your favorite number? 7
One nice thing about the person that sent this to you: Nice is such an understatement. If I was a lesbian I would marry her.
Many friends or one best friend? Both
I love David Bowie. He has always been a staple in my life. This song makes me indescribably elated every single time I hear it:
I'm an alligator, I'm a mama-papa coming for you
I'm a space invader, I'll be a rock 'n' rollin' bitch for you
Keep your mouth shut, you're squawking like a pink monkey bird
And I'm busting up my brains for the words
Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream oh yeah!
Don't fake it baby, lay the real thing on me
The church of man, love, is such a holy place to be
Make me baby, make me know you really care
Make me jump into the air
Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe
Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love
Freak out in a moonage daydream oh yeah!