A few words about returning to one's hometown.
Atlanta has been the base of operation for your egomaniacal Wandering Gentile since 1978, and even during periods domiciled elsewhere, I returned. It is a love affair with a city that stretches back several generations.
Atlanta was then, is now, and ever shall be world without end, HOME.
It is the Braves and the Varsity; Georgia Tech and Immaculate Heart on Briarcliff; The stink of traffic on the connector and the allure of hot Quesadillas on Buford Highway. Some lament change, but it is the nature of this great city. Sherman invented urban renewal here in 1864, and that was the last time that there weren't orange barrels lining the expressways.
After several hours traveling the streets of the ATL, one who has been absent will notice people on the streets downtown and about twenty new skyscrapers going up. It's not my father's Atlanta, nor is it even the one from my adolescence. It is a new city every day.
Atlanta's lineage is in the great cities of the Northeast with the lack of boundaries from out west.
Richard Jeni once said that Chicago was founded by New Yorkers who liked the crowding and crime, but New York just wasn't cold enough in the winter. The same can be said for Atlanta, except New York summers just weren't hot or humid enough.
The skyline from the northwestern approach is a ringer for Manhattan. Drive over the hill on Georgia 280, and the casual observer could be forgiven for any and all comparisons to the view from New Jersey 3 or I280 west of the Meadowlands, coming down the hill from The Oranges and Clifton. We recognize New York's right to pride in their beautiful architecture. Our central city, built on a ridge, echoes the length of Manhattan Island if not the breadth.
At street level, Atlanta has become the vibrant city with nightlife and cultural opportunities that so many in Atlanta never believed possible. Downtown is no longer the sterile concrete canyon of 1990 or 1995. Nor is it the sterile concrete canyon of Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or Houston.
Atlanta's detractors are frequently concerned about encounters with any of the following; Gay people; Black people; Foreign people; or Jewish people. Perhaps they would be better served by avoiding Ignorant people, but how could they get up in the morning? One can avoid trite treacle like "our strength is our diversity."
Nobody in Atlanta really looks like the next person. The principal color motivating this city is green, as in money. Like Texas independents and California dreamers, Atlanta is a place for people to seek their fortunes and fulfill their destinies. If one does not like Atlanta, he or she will be encouraged to reverse their path of ingress.
Sometimes Atlanta is a cruel mistress or an abusive mother. But she is most often a sister to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Los Angeles, Tony Bennett's San Francisco or Billy Joel's New York. Atlanta is a beloved place where everyone is from somewhere else, but their homes and roots are here on the Georgia Piedmont now.
And what a wonderful Here we have.
09 December 2006
29 November 2006
Calling a Spud a Spud
Michael Richards was best known as a comic with a tremendous gift for physical comedy, so his transition to stand-up is the first thing that defies comprehension. His physical portrayal of Cosmo Kramer on the defunct Seinfeld series transcended the mundane and occasionally verged upon greatness. It could have been defined as an Upper West Side Manhattan take on the work of Jackie Gleason or possibly Sid Caesar.
Taking that into consideration, perhaps the hecklers had a valid point in letting him know that his stand-up routine left something to be desired. One would expect a solid stand-up gig from Jerry Seinfeld, but might risk disappointment when words to the effect of "formerly appeared on Seinfeld," appear on the showbill. The transition to standup is one which has vexed abler comic actors than Michael Richards.
The Outburst happened. However, Richards' unique position as third or fourth banana on a long running series might have allowed a more productive response to the aftermath. Consider John Amos' embrace of John Gotti, or more recently, the antics of such famous-for-being-famous types as Paris Hilton and Kate Moss.
Never complain, never explain.
The more Richards attempts to atone, the further his foot goes into his mouth. In an attempt to appease and reconcile with a segment of the afro-american population that will constantly find fault with anything he does from here on out, he has taken a craven tack. It should not be incumbent upon him to appease and reconcile until he gets an apology for being heckled.
There is no defense for the tenor of his outburst. Slurs and profanity are weak-minded substitutes for a pointed rejoinder, and high evidence of a poor performer using substandard material. It is the same kind of gutter material that earns other performers rebuke from able commentators for using "thrill words," as a substitute for talent.
The profane and vulgar expressions seen on 17 November were not with the ultimate goal of significant social observations of such talents as Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Mel Brooks, Chris Rock, Denis Leary, or Dennis Miller. All of whom have approached the issue of race to varying degrees, and most of whom have uttered the same slur as Richards. It was the rant of a bitter (and probably very lonely) man who abandoned his decency while trying to pursue the remnants of his identity as a comic performer.
The hecklers are not entirely without culpability. Indeed, most rational people would abandon a performance they did not find entertaining. It is just as easy to walk out of a door as in through it. How much of an investment would it represent to cut one's losses and seek another option for being entertained?
They could have, most appropriately, approached the management of the Laugh Factory, and requested a refund because the performance failed to meet their expectations. Refund or not, then the management would be aware that something was amiss and the situation could be rectified. His business requires satisfied patrons, not customers heading elsewhere on the Sunset Strip due to a poor performance.
Hiring Gloria Allred and demanding mediation with unspecified damages in front of a retired judge evokes the worst kind of opportunism. A group of young people has little threat from a comedian in his late fifties. The man is clearly meshugginah, but whom could they demand apologies from next? A homeless person? The tire buster at a department store in Waycross?
The next caucasian who dares to exclaim anything beyond Kum-ba-yah in traffic?
The demands are from a perception of deep pockets. Are Michael Richards' pockets deeper than most? That's probable. Does he live in a country with a guarantee of free speech? Absolutely. No matter how one feels about what Michael Richards said, he has the right to say it. If he wishes to say that The Wandering Gentile may have an unnatural interest in furry woodland creatures, it's allowed in the Constitution.
What is not in the Constitution, and is pretty illegal, is the unauthorized use of a performer's image for profit. And Michael Richards, by virtue of his appearance on Seinfeld for eight seasons, is a recognizable figure who could reasonably be considered as having value while promoting an agenda. The taint of racism is applied with the accusation, and it does not come off with Clorox. His livelihood is destroyed beyond repair.
What Richards said is reprehensible, but he had the legal right to speak irresponsibly. Once he spoke irresponsibly, there is no injury nor tort that can be defined under the law. In publishing the material deemed offensive to certain populations, tangible harm has come to Michael Richards from the unauthorized and illegal use of his image. No contract exists that one will not be offended when entering a comedy club, be it tacit or explicit.
What is at stake is not the rant of a television actor in the twilight of a modestly successful career, but the ability to mock racism by exposing true racists. Mark Twain, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Mel Brooks made significant progress by exposing bigots through the bigot's own words. As hurtful as the words are to hear, if one word is removed from our vocabulary, then all words and ideas are in danger.
To allow oneself the comfort of offense upon hearing a slur is a vanity that is not necessarily productive. To disallow anyone the right to a term based upon that individual's race without considering the individual's motives, or context is a censorship equal to Bowdler's devastation of Shakespeare. Free speech for all demands that disagreeable expression be openly brought to the table. It is the hallmark of American experience that has served our nation well for 230 years. Anything less is a push down a slippery slope.
The suggestion that one slur is a special case allows that one word to retain its power to polarize and destroy. It allows a population to hide behind the concept that racism and bigotry are the cause of individual failure, and impedes the actualization and realization of the talents of those who use racism as an excuse. Racism and bigotry do exist among whites of Michael Richards' age and older, but the scapegoating of caucasians among americans of african descent without regard to the individual's action or lack thereof in his or her own destiny is pervasive.
No cabal of caucasians can exist to achieve what black america has managed to do to itself, much as Bill Cosby has stated. The pursuit of excellence knows no boundary but the will of the individual. Permitting the hateful words of a fading celebrity to be hurtful is the hallmark of people who have a comfortable existence, not people who are oppressed.
Let Richards' hatred and anger wither, or not. But he has the right to his image and craft, a right which has been violated in the name of furthering the idea that his detractors are oppressed by the power of an ugly word that they provoked. His detractors are oppressing themselves, and dragging discourse back to the 1950s.
This is what Dr. King was martyred for?
Taking that into consideration, perhaps the hecklers had a valid point in letting him know that his stand-up routine left something to be desired. One would expect a solid stand-up gig from Jerry Seinfeld, but might risk disappointment when words to the effect of "formerly appeared on Seinfeld," appear on the showbill. The transition to standup is one which has vexed abler comic actors than Michael Richards.
The Outburst happened. However, Richards' unique position as third or fourth banana on a long running series might have allowed a more productive response to the aftermath. Consider John Amos' embrace of John Gotti, or more recently, the antics of such famous-for-being-famous types as Paris Hilton and Kate Moss.
Never complain, never explain.
The more Richards attempts to atone, the further his foot goes into his mouth. In an attempt to appease and reconcile with a segment of the afro-american population that will constantly find fault with anything he does from here on out, he has taken a craven tack. It should not be incumbent upon him to appease and reconcile until he gets an apology for being heckled.
There is no defense for the tenor of his outburst. Slurs and profanity are weak-minded substitutes for a pointed rejoinder, and high evidence of a poor performer using substandard material. It is the same kind of gutter material that earns other performers rebuke from able commentators for using "thrill words," as a substitute for talent.
The profane and vulgar expressions seen on 17 November were not with the ultimate goal of significant social observations of such talents as Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Mel Brooks, Chris Rock, Denis Leary, or Dennis Miller. All of whom have approached the issue of race to varying degrees, and most of whom have uttered the same slur as Richards. It was the rant of a bitter (and probably very lonely) man who abandoned his decency while trying to pursue the remnants of his identity as a comic performer.
The hecklers are not entirely without culpability. Indeed, most rational people would abandon a performance they did not find entertaining. It is just as easy to walk out of a door as in through it. How much of an investment would it represent to cut one's losses and seek another option for being entertained?
They could have, most appropriately, approached the management of the Laugh Factory, and requested a refund because the performance failed to meet their expectations. Refund or not, then the management would be aware that something was amiss and the situation could be rectified. His business requires satisfied patrons, not customers heading elsewhere on the Sunset Strip due to a poor performance.
Hiring Gloria Allred and demanding mediation with unspecified damages in front of a retired judge evokes the worst kind of opportunism. A group of young people has little threat from a comedian in his late fifties. The man is clearly meshugginah, but whom could they demand apologies from next? A homeless person? The tire buster at a department store in Waycross?
The next caucasian who dares to exclaim anything beyond Kum-ba-yah in traffic?
The demands are from a perception of deep pockets. Are Michael Richards' pockets deeper than most? That's probable. Does he live in a country with a guarantee of free speech? Absolutely. No matter how one feels about what Michael Richards said, he has the right to say it. If he wishes to say that The Wandering Gentile may have an unnatural interest in furry woodland creatures, it's allowed in the Constitution.
What is not in the Constitution, and is pretty illegal, is the unauthorized use of a performer's image for profit. And Michael Richards, by virtue of his appearance on Seinfeld for eight seasons, is a recognizable figure who could reasonably be considered as having value while promoting an agenda. The taint of racism is applied with the accusation, and it does not come off with Clorox. His livelihood is destroyed beyond repair.
What Richards said is reprehensible, but he had the legal right to speak irresponsibly. Once he spoke irresponsibly, there is no injury nor tort that can be defined under the law. In publishing the material deemed offensive to certain populations, tangible harm has come to Michael Richards from the unauthorized and illegal use of his image. No contract exists that one will not be offended when entering a comedy club, be it tacit or explicit.
What is at stake is not the rant of a television actor in the twilight of a modestly successful career, but the ability to mock racism by exposing true racists. Mark Twain, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Mel Brooks made significant progress by exposing bigots through the bigot's own words. As hurtful as the words are to hear, if one word is removed from our vocabulary, then all words and ideas are in danger.
To allow oneself the comfort of offense upon hearing a slur is a vanity that is not necessarily productive. To disallow anyone the right to a term based upon that individual's race without considering the individual's motives, or context is a censorship equal to Bowdler's devastation of Shakespeare. Free speech for all demands that disagreeable expression be openly brought to the table. It is the hallmark of American experience that has served our nation well for 230 years. Anything less is a push down a slippery slope.
The suggestion that one slur is a special case allows that one word to retain its power to polarize and destroy. It allows a population to hide behind the concept that racism and bigotry are the cause of individual failure, and impedes the actualization and realization of the talents of those who use racism as an excuse. Racism and bigotry do exist among whites of Michael Richards' age and older, but the scapegoating of caucasians among americans of african descent without regard to the individual's action or lack thereof in his or her own destiny is pervasive.
No cabal of caucasians can exist to achieve what black america has managed to do to itself, much as Bill Cosby has stated. The pursuit of excellence knows no boundary but the will of the individual. Permitting the hateful words of a fading celebrity to be hurtful is the hallmark of people who have a comfortable existence, not people who are oppressed.
Let Richards' hatred and anger wither, or not. But he has the right to his image and craft, a right which has been violated in the name of furthering the idea that his detractors are oppressed by the power of an ugly word that they provoked. His detractors are oppressing themselves, and dragging discourse back to the 1950s.
This is what Dr. King was martyred for?
05 September 2006
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics.
The hard line on Immigration wants the public to believe that undocumented immigrants deserve a response that is provacatively disproportionate. Mass deportation and banishment are the tools chosen by a mindset that believes that its very existence is threatened.
We are not running out of white people. The jobs being filled by undocumented workers would lie fallow in places like Dallas, New York and Atlanta. An authoritarian response to an unjust law depresses wages for all workers entering an industry, and Government intrusion that reduces the pool of potential employees will lead to reduced productivity.
If one thinks whites are endangered, go to Fargo or Missoula. This myth is expressed behind closed doors. Lack of assimilation is used as a code to express that many undocumented aliens are from non-English-speaking places.
When there is a level of mistrust that a social service such as English lessons may be used in such a way as to destroy one's livelihood, the impetus for assimilation is emasculated. If an environment permits openness, assimilation becomes a high priority.
The necessity for undocumented workers to hover in the shadows of US society depresses the wages in industries where this population predominates. In this fashion, those who deliberately employ the undocumented skirt federal safety and labor laws. By creating an underclass, these costs are lowered at the price of US born workers.
If employers in Mexico were required to compete with US employers for workers, wages would rise across the border. There are not a lot of Canadians sneaking into the United States. A system that identifies Latin American workers puts US security at the forefront on two levels. Primarily, persons of desire to function productively are identified quickly and easily. The structure as it is lumps a large population of diligent and self-disciplined workers unjustly with a small criminal element.
On this week of remembrance for the tragedy of 9/11, we must recall that Mohammed Atta and his merry band of Jihadist Kamikazes entered the United States legally, with full sanction of the departments of State and Justice.
The law and system as they exist are broken. Regrettably, the sanctions of the Tancredo Republicans are tantamount to putting a 5-speed transmission behind an engine that does not run with regard to what security improvements could be attained. They are a knee-jerk response to a perceived problem that will not be remedied through punitive legislation.
A step by step solution could ensure that United States security and sovereignty interests are protected.
1. We need to identify that we have a common interest with our next door neighbor, Mexico. If terrorists are sneaking into the US as has been alleged, should they fail to enter the United States, then they become a security risk for Mexico. The latest information reveals that Mexico is a predominately Catholic/Christian country. It wouldn't take but one terrorist to turn on Mexico as an equal "infidel" to devastate the Mexican tourism industry.
2. Guest workers and amnesty are the fastest method for ending the inequitable mechanisms in Mexico. At the point where Mexican industry is required to compete with wages in the United States, more Mexicans will stay home. Normalized Mexicans in the United States would quickly embrace a call for improved working conditions and parity with US workers. Wages would go up instead of down, as alleged by the Tancredo/Sensenbrenner right.
3. The right's sacrifice on amnesty and guest workers enables a system that allows our security interests to be protected with the smallest amount of resources and the greatest effectiveness.
Ronald Reagan spoke of smaller government, right? Bloating agencies on the public dime is always a bad idea. This does nothing but give opportunities for corruption and malfeasance, putting Americans at a disadvantage.
In too many developing countries children learn to function under corrupt systems. The US is not as good at graft, and we should not learn how.
4. Industrialization+prosperity= an educable population. An educated population is the greatest insulator against tyranny and dictatorship rooting on Texas' doorstep. The more who know of our nature as a giving and hospitable people, the less likely we are to see an Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro pop up 100' from Laredo. A wall and mass deportation fuels the rhetoric of a politician like Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. We have enough problems without giving the Sheehan left another Palestine.
The world is watching how we deal with this problem. Undocumented latin american laborers are not blowing up pizza places.
They're eating in them, and that does not justify a wall like blowing one up.
We are not running out of white people. The jobs being filled by undocumented workers would lie fallow in places like Dallas, New York and Atlanta. An authoritarian response to an unjust law depresses wages for all workers entering an industry, and Government intrusion that reduces the pool of potential employees will lead to reduced productivity.
If one thinks whites are endangered, go to Fargo or Missoula. This myth is expressed behind closed doors. Lack of assimilation is used as a code to express that many undocumented aliens are from non-English-speaking places.
When there is a level of mistrust that a social service such as English lessons may be used in such a way as to destroy one's livelihood, the impetus for assimilation is emasculated. If an environment permits openness, assimilation becomes a high priority.
The necessity for undocumented workers to hover in the shadows of US society depresses the wages in industries where this population predominates. In this fashion, those who deliberately employ the undocumented skirt federal safety and labor laws. By creating an underclass, these costs are lowered at the price of US born workers.
If employers in Mexico were required to compete with US employers for workers, wages would rise across the border. There are not a lot of Canadians sneaking into the United States. A system that identifies Latin American workers puts US security at the forefront on two levels. Primarily, persons of desire to function productively are identified quickly and easily. The structure as it is lumps a large population of diligent and self-disciplined workers unjustly with a small criminal element.
On this week of remembrance for the tragedy of 9/11, we must recall that Mohammed Atta and his merry band of Jihadist Kamikazes entered the United States legally, with full sanction of the departments of State and Justice.
The law and system as they exist are broken. Regrettably, the sanctions of the Tancredo Republicans are tantamount to putting a 5-speed transmission behind an engine that does not run with regard to what security improvements could be attained. They are a knee-jerk response to a perceived problem that will not be remedied through punitive legislation.
A step by step solution could ensure that United States security and sovereignty interests are protected.
1. We need to identify that we have a common interest with our next door neighbor, Mexico. If terrorists are sneaking into the US as has been alleged, should they fail to enter the United States, then they become a security risk for Mexico. The latest information reveals that Mexico is a predominately Catholic/Christian country. It wouldn't take but one terrorist to turn on Mexico as an equal "infidel" to devastate the Mexican tourism industry.
2. Guest workers and amnesty are the fastest method for ending the inequitable mechanisms in Mexico. At the point where Mexican industry is required to compete with wages in the United States, more Mexicans will stay home. Normalized Mexicans in the United States would quickly embrace a call for improved working conditions and parity with US workers. Wages would go up instead of down, as alleged by the Tancredo/Sensenbrenner right.
3. The right's sacrifice on amnesty and guest workers enables a system that allows our security interests to be protected with the smallest amount of resources and the greatest effectiveness.
Ronald Reagan spoke of smaller government, right? Bloating agencies on the public dime is always a bad idea. This does nothing but give opportunities for corruption and malfeasance, putting Americans at a disadvantage.
In too many developing countries children learn to function under corrupt systems. The US is not as good at graft, and we should not learn how.
4. Industrialization+prosperity= an educable population. An educated population is the greatest insulator against tyranny and dictatorship rooting on Texas' doorstep. The more who know of our nature as a giving and hospitable people, the less likely we are to see an Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro pop up 100' from Laredo. A wall and mass deportation fuels the rhetoric of a politician like Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. We have enough problems without giving the Sheehan left another Palestine.
The world is watching how we deal with this problem. Undocumented latin american laborers are not blowing up pizza places.
They're eating in them, and that does not justify a wall like blowing one up.
16 August 2006
Mambo on the Revolucion's Grave
Fidel Castro is gravely ill, and the grand freedom-loving part of the human soul rejoices. It would be a facile task to make jokes, particularly about the cause of El Cabronante's intestinal bleeding.
Fidel stopped short. Hugo Chavez' head stopped a little less short. Surgeons took longer than expected owing to the fact that it was difficult to discern the end of Chavez' head and the beginning of unexcreted feces. But a statement like this would be gratuitous and self-serving.
47 years of tyranny lie infirm in a Havana hospital bed. It is not a happy illusion that Fidel dies in a quick and painless manner. To view a despot lying in torment as everything that he stood for is devastated in front of his eyes serves as a greater indication of a justice beyond that which is human. He should have to watch Holiday Inn and McDonalds marching up the Malecon, pursued by Best Western and Burger King; Comfort Suites and Taco Bell.
He should see children in the Uniform of the Young Pioneers drinking Dunkin Donuts Coolattas and dancing to reggaeton by Daddy Yankee. The third rate beisbolero should watch the Marlins move to Havana and playing the Braves and the Nationals and the Mets for a profit.
Propaganda about defending Cuba from the dreaded Yanqui should be plastered with images of Celia Cruz at the sweetest point of azucar and Gloria Estefan returning triumphantly to Cuba. The bills would be posted by men with their bellies full of a noonday meal from Colonel Sanders or Domino's.
The beautiful finned behemoths of 1950s America would return home to be replaced with Cobalts and Calibres, Focuses, Fusions and 500s. These cars would idle fat on Texaco and Mobil Unleaded as the prowess and ingenuity of Cuban mechanics aid a technical revolution that grows without the strong central planning that served to stifle it for so long.
Unable to feed a reserve of propaganda-fueled resentment among less fortunate Latin Americans, Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales wither in the courts of public opinion in Venezuela and Bolivia, respectively. The underrepresented populations begin to question the press and the mechanisms that concentrate power in even fewer hands than the aristocracies despised by dictators hiding behind the pretense of populism.
As the last bastions of Fidel Castro's control structures evaporate like an Atlanta puddle in August, then the greater part of physical torment should begin, a burning, searing torture where his body is torturously racked. His arms and legs should be debilitatingly painful to move more than a few microns. And everything itches like he was anointed with poison ivy.
But Fidel should live. Oh, it is a fervent prayer that Fidel should live every day like this, suffering mutely, impotent to bring about the death that would bring him release from the consciousness and physical pain. As his beloved Revolucion crumbles in front of his impotent, unresponsive body; as exiles return to mock him and the destitution he subjected Cuba to, well intentioned tenders keep their beloved Comandante in a perpetual state of impotent consciousness.
Faith teaches not to wish death on someone. I pray that Fidel Castro be given the opportunity to repent his sins and reconcile himself with God. I pray that he is able to earn faith, the faith he denied to everyday Cubans.
And hell, yes, I want it to hurt.
Fidel stopped short. Hugo Chavez' head stopped a little less short. Surgeons took longer than expected owing to the fact that it was difficult to discern the end of Chavez' head and the beginning of unexcreted feces. But a statement like this would be gratuitous and self-serving.
47 years of tyranny lie infirm in a Havana hospital bed. It is not a happy illusion that Fidel dies in a quick and painless manner. To view a despot lying in torment as everything that he stood for is devastated in front of his eyes serves as a greater indication of a justice beyond that which is human. He should have to watch Holiday Inn and McDonalds marching up the Malecon, pursued by Best Western and Burger King; Comfort Suites and Taco Bell.
He should see children in the Uniform of the Young Pioneers drinking Dunkin Donuts Coolattas and dancing to reggaeton by Daddy Yankee. The third rate beisbolero should watch the Marlins move to Havana and playing the Braves and the Nationals and the Mets for a profit.
Propaganda about defending Cuba from the dreaded Yanqui should be plastered with images of Celia Cruz at the sweetest point of azucar and Gloria Estefan returning triumphantly to Cuba. The bills would be posted by men with their bellies full of a noonday meal from Colonel Sanders or Domino's.
The beautiful finned behemoths of 1950s America would return home to be replaced with Cobalts and Calibres, Focuses, Fusions and 500s. These cars would idle fat on Texaco and Mobil Unleaded as the prowess and ingenuity of Cuban mechanics aid a technical revolution that grows without the strong central planning that served to stifle it for so long.
Unable to feed a reserve of propaganda-fueled resentment among less fortunate Latin Americans, Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales wither in the courts of public opinion in Venezuela and Bolivia, respectively. The underrepresented populations begin to question the press and the mechanisms that concentrate power in even fewer hands than the aristocracies despised by dictators hiding behind the pretense of populism.
As the last bastions of Fidel Castro's control structures evaporate like an Atlanta puddle in August, then the greater part of physical torment should begin, a burning, searing torture where his body is torturously racked. His arms and legs should be debilitatingly painful to move more than a few microns. And everything itches like he was anointed with poison ivy.
But Fidel should live. Oh, it is a fervent prayer that Fidel should live every day like this, suffering mutely, impotent to bring about the death that would bring him release from the consciousness and physical pain. As his beloved Revolucion crumbles in front of his impotent, unresponsive body; as exiles return to mock him and the destitution he subjected Cuba to, well intentioned tenders keep their beloved Comandante in a perpetual state of impotent consciousness.
Faith teaches not to wish death on someone. I pray that Fidel Castro be given the opportunity to repent his sins and reconcile himself with God. I pray that he is able to earn faith, the faith he denied to everyday Cubans.
And hell, yes, I want it to hurt.
31 July 2006
Serenata a Manhattan
La primera impresion de Manhattan no es de cuanto es de inmenso...la isla mide apenas 3 km x 20 km...pero cuanto es de normal. Para una persona de origen latinoamericano, llegando a la llamada "Capital del mundo," por las calles de New Jersey, seria dificil decir que uno no estuviera en su pais. El trafico, la arquitectura, hasta las rejas en las ventanas parecen que alguien saco a todo directamente de otro mundo.
Pero hay algo que se puede notar de diferente de Nueva York. Es una ciudad cambiada. Es un pueblo con una mano en la billetera y otra listo para convertir en pu~o hasta el momento cuando se conecta en forma personal. La paranoia no es con el proposito de ser personal. El Nuevayorquino esta defendiendose de la clase de persona que quiere hacer algo feo porque Nueva York es algo extra~o, la gente es demasiada rica, hay que manifestar un odio contra la humanidad ye se hace a gente inocente en la ciudad mas importante.
Damas y caballeros, hablamos de gente civil y educada. Los de Nueva York son humanos en el mejor consentido de la palabra. El americano esta sufriendo un odio y una prejuicia que no cuadra con la experiencia de conocer la gente calida y graciosa de Nueva York.
No era siempre asi en Manhattan. Hace 18 a~os, Nueva York ahogaba debajo su propio mugre. Era como el cine mas grande del mundo, los piso aparecieron como serian eternamente pegajosos. Las calles eran rotas, y limosneros amenazaban a la gente obrera en la calle. Prostitutas andaban las calles entre carros robados y ventanas rotas. Hace 16 a~os era igual.
La basura agarro control de la ciudad, y decencia desaparecio del menu de experiencias.
Cuando todo aparecio como una perdida total, sucedio un milagro. La gente de Nueva York decidieron y declararon en voz alta y unida que no iban a permetir su ciudad convertir en el inodoro del mundo. El orgullo volvio a Nueva York. Limpiaron las calles de Times Square de pornografia y mujeres vendiendo sus cuerpos. Reconstruyeron a edificios principales. La gente volvio a visitar a Manhattan.
A poco rato, unos cobardes Kamikaze volaron las Torres Gemelas a polvo con aviones robados. El Nuevayorquino aprendio vivir con la idea que alguien quiere matarlo por el hecho de escoger trabajar y vivir en una de las ciudades mas interesantes del mundo. Hace 20 a~os, la mejor manera de deshacerse de una valija no querida era dejarlo en el piso de la parada de autobuses y trenes Port Authority en Avenida 8 y Calle 42 en el mero centro de Manhattan.
Aun es asi, pero es que un policia de Port Authority lo vuela a pedazos, con el temer de una bomba para matar a inocentes como en Madrid, o Londres, o Mumbai.
El Nuevayorquino no teme a nada por si mismo. El Nuevayorquino es capaz de defenderse contra cualquiera maldad que se enfrenta personalmente. Acaso no gana, pero un malintentado recordaria el dia cuando se mete con alguien de Nueva York. Confrontacion es parte del caracter de esta ciudad, y no se retiren de cual, lo acepten y lo busquen. En Nueva York la confrontacion es un desafio, un preludo a ser aceptado, y no lleva ningun consentido de condescencion ni insulto. Al contrario al insulto, la confrontacion se use como relajo y diversion.
Se defiende con palabras, a probar la fuerza de voluntad. El Nuevayorkquino puede dejar a otros, de otros lugares, en lagrimas. No es para insultarlo. Es para ver si se puede sobrevivir en la sombra de Manhattan.
Como cualquier otro ser humano, el Nuevayorquino preocupa para sus familiares y sus amistades. Para si mismo no se pone preocupado-se puede defenderse. Para los alrededor, se preocupa poner el radio en "News 880," o "1010 WINS," y descubrir que uno de su pueblo, el familiar, el amigo, el vecino ha encontrado un destino malogrado.
Es el caracter de esta ciudad de contradiccion. A un momento se puede echar palabras acidas en la cara de un amigo, y en otro momento estar preocupando si este amigo estara bien.
A veces es facil dejar que una ciudad como Nueva York convierte en algo anonimo e impersonal. Al contrario, es tan intimo como el pueblo de uno, porque hay alguien de Nueva York en cada ciudad en los Estados Unidos. Aprendemos conectar el individual y su humanidad, por bueno u malo, con una ciudad que echa miedo en gente que viven a lejos. Nueva York es siempre demasiado algo para alguien. Pero es nuestro, tambien.
El imagen vive en el rostro de la persona que va a la estacion de autobus, llega con nada, y logra tener exito. Esto es siempre la cara de Nueva York-la esperanza y el futuro. Es algo que todas las ciudades grandes tienen en comun. Para alguien la ciudad asi podria ser la del lector.
Cuando escucha de las acciones de la gente odiosa en donde sea, cobardes que esconden sus caras mientras matan o hieren inocentes, tenga en mente que no se mata solamente el extranjero, el diferente, el rico que tiene demasiado y provoca celos y envidia.
Tambien hay la maestra, el mecanico, la mujer de limpieza si esposo pero con dos chiquillos en casa que empe~o todo para llegar al unico lugar adonde podria imaginar esperanza. Porque esto tambien es la cara de una ciudad como Nueva York. Es Nueva York; Isla Manhattan-algo facil de despreciar su humanidad, y llora para que otros lo reconocen como humano.
Mas vale rezar que la humanidad comun se reconoce. Asi resuelvan las maldades de algo no humano que siembra odio en corazones. Asi Nueva York se salvara para siempre. Es una experiencia necesaria.
Pero hay algo que se puede notar de diferente de Nueva York. Es una ciudad cambiada. Es un pueblo con una mano en la billetera y otra listo para convertir en pu~o hasta el momento cuando se conecta en forma personal. La paranoia no es con el proposito de ser personal. El Nuevayorquino esta defendiendose de la clase de persona que quiere hacer algo feo porque Nueva York es algo extra~o, la gente es demasiada rica, hay que manifestar un odio contra la humanidad ye se hace a gente inocente en la ciudad mas importante.
Damas y caballeros, hablamos de gente civil y educada. Los de Nueva York son humanos en el mejor consentido de la palabra. El americano esta sufriendo un odio y una prejuicia que no cuadra con la experiencia de conocer la gente calida y graciosa de Nueva York.
No era siempre asi en Manhattan. Hace 18 a~os, Nueva York ahogaba debajo su propio mugre. Era como el cine mas grande del mundo, los piso aparecieron como serian eternamente pegajosos. Las calles eran rotas, y limosneros amenazaban a la gente obrera en la calle. Prostitutas andaban las calles entre carros robados y ventanas rotas. Hace 16 a~os era igual.
La basura agarro control de la ciudad, y decencia desaparecio del menu de experiencias.
Cuando todo aparecio como una perdida total, sucedio un milagro. La gente de Nueva York decidieron y declararon en voz alta y unida que no iban a permetir su ciudad convertir en el inodoro del mundo. El orgullo volvio a Nueva York. Limpiaron las calles de Times Square de pornografia y mujeres vendiendo sus cuerpos. Reconstruyeron a edificios principales. La gente volvio a visitar a Manhattan.
A poco rato, unos cobardes Kamikaze volaron las Torres Gemelas a polvo con aviones robados. El Nuevayorquino aprendio vivir con la idea que alguien quiere matarlo por el hecho de escoger trabajar y vivir en una de las ciudades mas interesantes del mundo. Hace 20 a~os, la mejor manera de deshacerse de una valija no querida era dejarlo en el piso de la parada de autobuses y trenes Port Authority en Avenida 8 y Calle 42 en el mero centro de Manhattan.
Aun es asi, pero es que un policia de Port Authority lo vuela a pedazos, con el temer de una bomba para matar a inocentes como en Madrid, o Londres, o Mumbai.
El Nuevayorquino no teme a nada por si mismo. El Nuevayorquino es capaz de defenderse contra cualquiera maldad que se enfrenta personalmente. Acaso no gana, pero un malintentado recordaria el dia cuando se mete con alguien de Nueva York. Confrontacion es parte del caracter de esta ciudad, y no se retiren de cual, lo acepten y lo busquen. En Nueva York la confrontacion es un desafio, un preludo a ser aceptado, y no lleva ningun consentido de condescencion ni insulto. Al contrario al insulto, la confrontacion se use como relajo y diversion.
Se defiende con palabras, a probar la fuerza de voluntad. El Nuevayorkquino puede dejar a otros, de otros lugares, en lagrimas. No es para insultarlo. Es para ver si se puede sobrevivir en la sombra de Manhattan.
Como cualquier otro ser humano, el Nuevayorquino preocupa para sus familiares y sus amistades. Para si mismo no se pone preocupado-se puede defenderse. Para los alrededor, se preocupa poner el radio en "News 880," o "1010 WINS," y descubrir que uno de su pueblo, el familiar, el amigo, el vecino ha encontrado un destino malogrado.
Es el caracter de esta ciudad de contradiccion. A un momento se puede echar palabras acidas en la cara de un amigo, y en otro momento estar preocupando si este amigo estara bien.
A veces es facil dejar que una ciudad como Nueva York convierte en algo anonimo e impersonal. Al contrario, es tan intimo como el pueblo de uno, porque hay alguien de Nueva York en cada ciudad en los Estados Unidos. Aprendemos conectar el individual y su humanidad, por bueno u malo, con una ciudad que echa miedo en gente que viven a lejos. Nueva York es siempre demasiado algo para alguien. Pero es nuestro, tambien.
El imagen vive en el rostro de la persona que va a la estacion de autobus, llega con nada, y logra tener exito. Esto es siempre la cara de Nueva York-la esperanza y el futuro. Es algo que todas las ciudades grandes tienen en comun. Para alguien la ciudad asi podria ser la del lector.
Cuando escucha de las acciones de la gente odiosa en donde sea, cobardes que esconden sus caras mientras matan o hieren inocentes, tenga en mente que no se mata solamente el extranjero, el diferente, el rico que tiene demasiado y provoca celos y envidia.
Tambien hay la maestra, el mecanico, la mujer de limpieza si esposo pero con dos chiquillos en casa que empe~o todo para llegar al unico lugar adonde podria imaginar esperanza. Porque esto tambien es la cara de una ciudad como Nueva York. Es Nueva York; Isla Manhattan-algo facil de despreciar su humanidad, y llora para que otros lo reconocen como humano.
Mas vale rezar que la humanidad comun se reconoce. Asi resuelvan las maldades de algo no humano que siembra odio en corazones. Asi Nueva York se salvara para siempre. Es una experiencia necesaria.
25 July 2006
News From The Future...In a Dream
Atlanta poised to become global energy center.
Atlanta (DP)- Members of the former OPEC cartel have gathered in this Georgia metropolis in an attempt to recover from the collapse of world petroleum markets.
As the price of crude plummets below six dollars a barrel, experts are anticipating the closing of the Saudi oilfields which had fueled spectacular economic growth in the Middle East. This follows last month's Iranian secularist insurgency and the subsequent public dismembering of former strongman Ahmadinejad.
The 2006 discovery of the process that converts Kudzu into a clean-burning crude substitute has sent Wall Street into a flurry of bullish activity that overshadows the explosive growth seen at the beginning of the 1990s High Tech explosion. The Dow closed at 111,167, up 10991 in heavy trading yesterday. The Nasdaq index has been stagnant since crossing the 30,000 barrier last month, closing yesterday at 31,196.
Ray Lee Baker, the Georgia agriculturist who discovered the process, was prohibited from returning to the WalMart Supercenter in his hometown of Meansville, as the crush of media overwhelmed a greeter, who was treated and released at a Macon hospital. Baker insists that he will choose the simple lifestyle that he led before 2006, but "Earline will have a better car than the Plymouth."
The economy in Georgia has experienced spectacular growth since the licensing agreements signed by ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, Conoco Phillipps and BP. A building boom in Atlanta has added several high-rise towers to the downtown skyline since 2006. The Metropolitan Atlanta population has crossed 7 million and shows no sign of slowing soon as Process refiners add capacity in northern Georgia.
Former OPEC states have petitioned the United Nations for Humanitarian Aid after the collapse of the petroleum industry. The once-affluent gulf states have arrived at a state of total destitution. In Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Qatar sporadic reports indicate that the only food available is stale Matzoh donated by Israeli humanitarian organizations.
Israeli spokesman Sholom Goldberg stated "...fortune has provided the people of Israel with abundance, as well as our traditional friends in America. We would appear ungrateful in the eyes of our creator were we to allow fellow human beings to starve."
A response from the New Likud Party was a concise "...so let the bastards starve already. They should have eaten at the pizza place instead of blowing it up. "
Mass production of Process Kudzulene has dropped the price of motor fuel from a peak of $3.01 a gallon in the summer of 2006 to 62 cents today. General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler have reported skyrocketing sales of North American-built models featuring V8 engines with cylinder deactivation technologies.
Spokesmen for the major US automakers state that the superior octane properties of Kudzulene alcohol have allowed them to use engineering that simultaneously raises power and fuel economy as opposed to petroleum-fueled engines. The Kudzulene-powered Chrysler 300 V8 now develops 400 horsepower in its basic form, and a higher performance model now reaches 500 horsepower.
GM and Ford, having returned to profitability, are reopening plants in the Atlanta area with a new objective-wind power technology. Home wind generators are seen by major automakers as a new arena for an established industry. "This is the future of civilized people. We will empower individuals as owners of their energy supply as opposed to vulnerability to pressures from outside the United States and the industrialized world," said Tiffany Miller, Vice-president of public relations for General Motors.
ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil have announced a joint venture to produce photovoltaic roofing panels at a new facility outside Savannah. "As costs for this technology drop, you will see photovoltaic become the material of choice for roofing in the sun belt," said Mark Thomas, a new-technologies spokesman from the Southern Company. "It is in our strategic and financial interest that sources of power generation be sourced as close to the consumer as possible. As more residences become producers instead of consumers, you will see the kind of cultural shift that the advent of the automobile and the personal computer brought."
As new technologies and strategies for energy independence bring hope in the Western world, Middle Eastern leaders have converged upon the Atlanta Energy Market Expo at the World Congress Center to lobby for petroleum's continued role. Their pleas were falling on deaf ears.
Atlanta Process refinery worker Tyrone Hemmings made a statement that resonated a prevailing sentiment among domestic energy personnel. "They had us over their barrel of crude (oil). They chose to destroy with what they had been blessed with. I would say God gave them exactly what they deserve. Crude is a filthy, antiquated technology. Good riddance."
Atlanta (DP)- Members of the former OPEC cartel have gathered in this Georgia metropolis in an attempt to recover from the collapse of world petroleum markets.
As the price of crude plummets below six dollars a barrel, experts are anticipating the closing of the Saudi oilfields which had fueled spectacular economic growth in the Middle East. This follows last month's Iranian secularist insurgency and the subsequent public dismembering of former strongman Ahmadinejad.
The 2006 discovery of the process that converts Kudzu into a clean-burning crude substitute has sent Wall Street into a flurry of bullish activity that overshadows the explosive growth seen at the beginning of the 1990s High Tech explosion. The Dow closed at 111,167, up 10991 in heavy trading yesterday. The Nasdaq index has been stagnant since crossing the 30,000 barrier last month, closing yesterday at 31,196.
Ray Lee Baker, the Georgia agriculturist who discovered the process, was prohibited from returning to the WalMart Supercenter in his hometown of Meansville, as the crush of media overwhelmed a greeter, who was treated and released at a Macon hospital. Baker insists that he will choose the simple lifestyle that he led before 2006, but "Earline will have a better car than the Plymouth."
The economy in Georgia has experienced spectacular growth since the licensing agreements signed by ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, Conoco Phillipps and BP. A building boom in Atlanta has added several high-rise towers to the downtown skyline since 2006. The Metropolitan Atlanta population has crossed 7 million and shows no sign of slowing soon as Process refiners add capacity in northern Georgia.
Former OPEC states have petitioned the United Nations for Humanitarian Aid after the collapse of the petroleum industry. The once-affluent gulf states have arrived at a state of total destitution. In Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Qatar sporadic reports indicate that the only food available is stale Matzoh donated by Israeli humanitarian organizations.
Israeli spokesman Sholom Goldberg stated "...fortune has provided the people of Israel with abundance, as well as our traditional friends in America. We would appear ungrateful in the eyes of our creator were we to allow fellow human beings to starve."
A response from the New Likud Party was a concise "...so let the bastards starve already. They should have eaten at the pizza place instead of blowing it up. "
Mass production of Process Kudzulene has dropped the price of motor fuel from a peak of $3.01 a gallon in the summer of 2006 to 62 cents today. General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler have reported skyrocketing sales of North American-built models featuring V8 engines with cylinder deactivation technologies.
Spokesmen for the major US automakers state that the superior octane properties of Kudzulene alcohol have allowed them to use engineering that simultaneously raises power and fuel economy as opposed to petroleum-fueled engines. The Kudzulene-powered Chrysler 300 V8 now develops 400 horsepower in its basic form, and a higher performance model now reaches 500 horsepower.
GM and Ford, having returned to profitability, are reopening plants in the Atlanta area with a new objective-wind power technology. Home wind generators are seen by major automakers as a new arena for an established industry. "This is the future of civilized people. We will empower individuals as owners of their energy supply as opposed to vulnerability to pressures from outside the United States and the industrialized world," said Tiffany Miller, Vice-president of public relations for General Motors.
ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil have announced a joint venture to produce photovoltaic roofing panels at a new facility outside Savannah. "As costs for this technology drop, you will see photovoltaic become the material of choice for roofing in the sun belt," said Mark Thomas, a new-technologies spokesman from the Southern Company. "It is in our strategic and financial interest that sources of power generation be sourced as close to the consumer as possible. As more residences become producers instead of consumers, you will see the kind of cultural shift that the advent of the automobile and the personal computer brought."
As new technologies and strategies for energy independence bring hope in the Western world, Middle Eastern leaders have converged upon the Atlanta Energy Market Expo at the World Congress Center to lobby for petroleum's continued role. Their pleas were falling on deaf ears.
Atlanta Process refinery worker Tyrone Hemmings made a statement that resonated a prevailing sentiment among domestic energy personnel. "They had us over their barrel of crude (oil). They chose to destroy with what they had been blessed with. I would say God gave them exactly what they deserve. Crude is a filthy, antiquated technology. Good riddance."
16 May 2006
Chinga La Migra
If there is something as offensive as the wannabe Jim Crow-recreators of the allegedly conservative wings of the Republican and Libertarian parties regarding undocumented immigration, it would be burning crosses in Harlem and painting swastikas on synagogues in Brooklyn.
A few days ago one caller to a radio show suggested cattle cars...CATTLE CARS! as a means of repatriating undocumented immigrants to Latin American nations.
Oy. Vey. Let's see, twelve million people being "repatriated," cattle cars, cyclone fences, all of which have a cost benefit analysis lying around in Wannsee, Germany. There is a better idea to be had.
Let's get rid of a smaller population of wasteful people who cost the American Taxpayer piles of money and produce nothing of value. Right-wing congressmen who have sold this Nation's future to the Chinese in the form of US Treasury securities, while borrowing vast sums for pork-barrel programs, should be deported.
First on the list should be Tancredo, Sensenbrenner, Kyl, and Hastert. People who cook, clean, build homes and pick onions should be first in line for their assets. Honestly, which is more the American dream, a guy who busts his hump at a difficult job all day, buys a home and a car, and raises a family while staying out of jail, or the bureaucrat following orders and pushing papers in an air-conditioned office in a major city trying to throw the dude out?
Authoritarian cretins love papers, documents, and procedures. They were great friends of Nazis and Soviets alike. Anything that can be used to marginalize initiative and make bureaucracy an obstacle to success is okay by an Authoritarian.
Thomas Jefferson must be taching about 8 grand under Monticello. It is extremely telling when John McCain, Ted Kennedy, Newt Gingrich, Joe Lieberman, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all fall on the same side of an issue. Our nation is falling rapidly into a spin of authoritarian rhetoric, and reasonable minds are disregarded as kooks.
Yes, we should take steps to secure our border, but we are obligated to treat those who have contributed to our society with dignity while we create incentives for assimilation. It's what America stands for.
Our nation must not accept anything less, or we find ourselves at risk of becoming just another land of paper tolerance, and frankly, who the heck wants to live in France?
Oh, and by the way, to our old friends the Socialists...where are the people illegally entering Cuba and Venezuela?
A few days ago one caller to a radio show suggested cattle cars...CATTLE CARS! as a means of repatriating undocumented immigrants to Latin American nations.
Oy. Vey. Let's see, twelve million people being "repatriated," cattle cars, cyclone fences, all of which have a cost benefit analysis lying around in Wannsee, Germany. There is a better idea to be had.
Let's get rid of a smaller population of wasteful people who cost the American Taxpayer piles of money and produce nothing of value. Right-wing congressmen who have sold this Nation's future to the Chinese in the form of US Treasury securities, while borrowing vast sums for pork-barrel programs, should be deported.
First on the list should be Tancredo, Sensenbrenner, Kyl, and Hastert. People who cook, clean, build homes and pick onions should be first in line for their assets. Honestly, which is more the American dream, a guy who busts his hump at a difficult job all day, buys a home and a car, and raises a family while staying out of jail, or the bureaucrat following orders and pushing papers in an air-conditioned office in a major city trying to throw the dude out?
Authoritarian cretins love papers, documents, and procedures. They were great friends of Nazis and Soviets alike. Anything that can be used to marginalize initiative and make bureaucracy an obstacle to success is okay by an Authoritarian.
Thomas Jefferson must be taching about 8 grand under Monticello. It is extremely telling when John McCain, Ted Kennedy, Newt Gingrich, Joe Lieberman, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all fall on the same side of an issue. Our nation is falling rapidly into a spin of authoritarian rhetoric, and reasonable minds are disregarded as kooks.
Yes, we should take steps to secure our border, but we are obligated to treat those who have contributed to our society with dignity while we create incentives for assimilation. It's what America stands for.
Our nation must not accept anything less, or we find ourselves at risk of becoming just another land of paper tolerance, and frankly, who the heck wants to live in France?
Oh, and by the way, to our old friends the Socialists...where are the people illegally entering Cuba and Venezuela?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
