Sunday, May 18, 2008

My Audacity To Hope

I'm really settling in to the realization that the disastrous neo-conservative era is finally, finally coming to a close. I have hope again that the future may not resemble a Mad Max movie after allm and I have more confidence every day that Barack Obama is going to be the next President of the United States. So, after much thought and some serious deliberation, I have assembled my Obama Administration wish list.

Vice President: Janet Napolitano

Secretary of State: Chuck Hagel

Secretary of the Treasury: Michael Bloomberg

Secretary of Defense: Wesley Clark

Attorney General: John Edwards

Secretary of the Interior: Barbara Boxer

Secretary of Agriculture: Raul Grijalva

Secretary of Commerce: Kent Conrad

Secretary of Labor: Kathleen Sebelius

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Tammy Baldwin

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Gwen Moore

Secretary of Transportation: Bill Richardson

Secretary of Energy: Al Gore

Secretary of Education: Carol Moseley-Braun

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Joe Sestak

Secretary of Homeland Security: Russ Feingold

White House Press Secretary: Ellen Degeneres

First Supreme Court Justice Appointment: Hillary Clinton



Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Explain This, Dammit.

Why has Barack Obama been cornered by the media over and over and over again and made to explain his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright, but John McCain has been nicely asked once, or twice, to explain his BFF relationship with this hateful moron? Why are the "hard-working whites" so offended by Reverend Wright, but think that this guy is just speading the loving word of God? The blatant double standardness is sickening.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Acid House Flashback # 5


"(I Wanna Give You) Devotion" - Nomad - 1990

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

An Open Letter Of Apology To African-America

Dear African-America,

I am sorry. I am sorry that your strong and proud ancestors were kidnapped and shackled and shipped as cargo across the great ocean to a foreign land. I am sorry that hundreds of thousands of them didn't survive and their bodies were simply thrown overboard. I am sorry that those who did survive had to endure the unimaginable horrors of the Middle Passage.

I am sorry that generation after generation after generation of Africans were enslaved and abused and raped and mutilated and beaten and tortured and terrorized and whipped and burned and branded and bought and sold and murdered. I am sorry that the wealth of this nation was accumulated through the involuntary sweat and blood of your great-grandparents' grandparents.

I am sorry that following the Civil War, your great grandparents were beaten and lynched by mobs of terrorists supported and encouraged by our country's leaders. I am sorry that, throughout their lives, they were intimidated and cheated and threatened and systematically disenfranchised. I am sorry that the laws of this nation were constructed to keep all forms of well-being, financial and otherwise, from being enjoyed by the millions of descendents of Africans who toiled and died of exhaustion. I am sorry that your families were thanked for their involuntary sacrifices with Jim Crow and burning crosses and medical experiments.

I am sorry that your grandparents were relegated to second-class schools and jobs and water fountains. I am sorry that when your grandparents sat down at the counter to join the land of the free, they were met with firehoses and dogs and police brutality. I am sorry that nearly all of the great African-American leaders throughout our history were murdered for having a sense of justice.

I am sorry that today you have to continue to explain your anger and resentment. I am sorry that you have to explain why too many of your families are broken, and why too many of your brothers and sisters live in poverty and prison. I am sorry that you have to explain why, after nearly 400 years of slavery and brutality and murder, you sometimes distrust other Americans.

I am sorry that you still have to explain, and explain, and explain. I'm sorry that Barack Obama has to distance himself from Rev. Jeremiah Wright, because Rev. Wright tried to explain your frustrations to the rest of America. I'm sorry that European-Americans with political aspirations never have to explain their relationships with Pat Buchanan who says that "America has been the best place on earth for black folks." I am sorry that mainstream America demands an explanation from Senator Obama as to how he could sit in church and listen to a conspiracy theorist, all while eagerly gathering 'round the tube to listen to Good Ole' Bill and Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck enlighten us to the secret homosexual agenda and the hidden Hollywood liberal elite abortion revolution.

Please know that some of us whose ancestors didn't have to endure the American Holocaust, don't need any explanations. Some of us are compassionate and kind and empathetic. Some of us are amazed at your strength and resiliance and ability to overcome and overcome and overcome. Some of us deeply value the gifts of science, literature, art and music that you gave to our country and the world. Some of us stand in awe at your talent and beauty. Some of us are listening. Some of us hear you. But, I'm sorry that so many of us still don't.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Sunshine State Priorities

Ah, the headlines today. The bazillions of dollars we've spent on our War on Iraq has crippled the dollar and pushed us into a spiraling recession. Iraq's oil fields were supposed to fund the invasion, but it hasn't quite worked out that way, and skyrocketing oil prices have pushed the price of transporting food to the point that Americans are having trouble putting dinner on the table.

While the nation is finally awakening to the consequences of nearly 8 years of Republican scheming and nepotism and incompetence, we in Florida are realizing that we may very well take the hardest punch.

Our real estate market has collapsed. Trust me. I work in real estate. I work with people every day who are losing their entire life savings - and few of the people I work with were speculators or investors. Many of them just got behind because of the incredible increases in property taxes and insurance, and the 30% drop in market value of their property has left them without the option of selling and getting out from under.

Recent reports show that South Florida has the highest rate of inflation in the nation. While the national average is currently at 4%, those of us in the Miami - Ft. Lauderdale metro area are seeing 5.3 - 5.8% average increases in prices.

For the first time ever, the big moving van lines have reported more people leaving the state than moving in.


Our educational system ranks among the worst in the nation, and we're becoming well known for the attention we give our children, some of whom have absolutely no conscience.


And, rising sea levels from global warming will likely overtake most of the state in the next 50 years.


Faced with this most sobering and serious set of challenges, our elected state leadership has decided that the discussion that most needs to be had and debated is how can Florida's activist Christians supplement their bumper stickers and stick-on Christian fish, so as to be able to practice Christian humility, and announce to the world in a more profound way their Christian-ness.


The solution to this urgent dilemma has been presented by Rep. Edward Bullard - a license plate that humble Christians will be able to pay extra for, so that I can be certain that the driver of the car in front of me "believes," while I sit in un-fucking-believable traffic on I-95.


The planet is dying. Genocide has become a way of life in many parts of the world. Over 4,000 young American men and women have died in a pointless war. Rice is being rationed at Costco. Looks like we're headed into the Second Great Depression.


And, the leaders of the Sunshine State have set their priorities.




Wednesday, April 09, 2008

From My Cold Dead Hands


A couple of years ago, when my forward-thinking state of Florida passed the "Shoot First" law the NRA folks cheered and, no doubt, guzzled more than a few beers in celebration. This new law allows us Floridians to shoot each other, and of course YOU should you come to visit, if we feel that our property might be endangered. If someone in Florida tries to steal my car, I have the right to kill him or her on the spot.

And today, thanks to pressure from the uber-powerful NRA, the Florida Senate passed a new bill that allows us Floridians to take our guns to work. Sure, we have to keep them locked in our cars, but we can no longer be told by business owners that we can't have guns on THEIR private property.

I'm just wondering...when an employee comes back from lunch with the gun from the glove compartment and shoots and kills all of middle-management...will the business owner be liable because the gun was stored and used on her property?

Way to go Flor-ee-duh.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Reel Life

One of the most perspective expanding books I’ve ever had the opportunity to breathe in is James W. Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. Loewen spent two years comparing twelve typical American history textbooks and the distortions, inaccuracies, Euro-centrism, omissions and outright lies that most of us were taught as our nation’s story. He argues that young peoples’ negative attitudes toward the study of history and the general apathy that has come to help define our national culture are the results of a campaign of misinformation regarding our nation’s narrative. I couldn’t agree more.

In a discussion about the relationship between history and memory, Loewen shares his interpretation of the East African idea of sasha and zamani. According to Loewen:

Many African societies divide humans into three categories: those still alive on earth, the sasha, and the zamani. The recently departed whose time on earth overlapped with people still here are the sasha, the living-dead. They are not wholly dead, for they still live in the memories of the living, who can call them to mind, create their likeness in art, and bring them to life in anecdote. When the last person to know an ancestor dies, that ancestor leaves the sasha for the zamani, the dead. As generalized ancestors, the zamani are not forgotten but revered.

For some reason, this concept really resonates with me, and lately I’ve been fascinated by the idea that movie-making has altered the human experience of history on a really fundamentally spiritual level.

Tony has always been a bit of a classic movies buff. I, on the other hand, had never even seen The Sound of Music until very recently. Tony’s been a great guide into the history of cinema, and I’ve seen more old movies in the past two years than in the previous thirty five. I’ve now come to have a deep appreciation for the old black-and-whites and I just keep thinking about the sense of immortality that was created with the invention of moving pictures. For a thousand generations before me, people had no real way of connecting with the zamani. The sasha remained in the memories and stories of living people, but once a person passed from the sasha to the zamani, they were lost to time. But now, I can order a movie from Netflix and connect with people who were born 150 years ago. I can see their movements and mannerisms. I can hear their voices. I can see them laugh and cry. I can, on some level, know them.

I think that’s a real paradigm shift that hasn’t yet been fully recognized. How different would our world be if we had the ability to see and hear and feel those who have been lost to time? I suppose we all sometimes wonder what the people who lived 500 years ago looked like and sounded like. The generations to come will have a powerful connection to their history that we can’t conceive. And, I just think that’s cool.

Monday, March 24, 2008

"Low Life" Insurance


Should I be concerned that Tony is receiving these types of offers in the mail?

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Acid House Flashback # 4

"We Call It Acieed" - D-Mob - 1988

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Let Me Get This Straight...

Ok. Let me see if I have this right.

In 1989, the oil supertanker, Exxon Valdez, hit a reef in Prince Williams Sound, just off the coast of Alaska, resulting in one of the most catastrophic environmental disasters in history. Nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil contaminated 1,200 miles of ocean and pristine shoreline - immediately killing up to a half of a MILLION seabirds, 5,000 sea otters, 300 harbour seals, 250 bald eagles, 22 orcas and 12 river otters...not to mention the BILLIONS of salmon and herring eggs that were instantly destroyed. Local and Native communities were devastated, peoples' lives and livelihoods were destroyed, divorce and alcoholism rates soared and the mayor of the small town of Cordova committed suicide. The the ecological systems in and around Prince Williams Sound will take at least 30 years to recover, and the residents may never recover.

In 1994, a court awarded some of the victims (about 33,000 of them) $5 billion in punitive damages. Exxon immediately fought the judgement and was able to get the amount reduced to $2.5 billion.

In the meantime, Exxon has recovered a significant portion of the clean-up costs and legal expenses through insurance claims. And, the oil giant took a TAX DEDUCTION on its loss of a supertanker. And, they've been earning $400 million per year in interest on the money that it has set aside, just in case, somehow, it might have to pay for its negligence.

Then, in 2007, while the price of oil and war was crippling the American economy, Exxon-Mobil happily posted the LARGEST MOTHER FUCKING PROFIT IN HISTORY!!! While we were re-budgeting, and downgrading and buying cheaper foods at the grocery store, Exxon-Mobil posted a $404 billion profit. The previous record, ironically, was held by Exxon-Mobil.

Today, the crack team of big oil attorneys representing the interests of Exxon-Mobil sits in front of the Supreme Court of the United States of America and argues that the salmon is back and the seabirds are singing, so Exxon-Mobil shouldn't have to pay any damages to those people who survived the destruction of their lives and communities. They'll say that Exxon-Mobil has suffered enough and that the people of Alaska should just be thankful that they still have oil to export. Then, they'll get exactly what they want, because they own our government and our nation.

And next year, they'll beat their own profit record.


Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Life's Lessons

All I ever needed to know about life, I learned from the Bugaloos.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Roman Holiday

Guess who got a trip to Italy in September for Valentine's Day? Guess who has the bestest boyfriend in the whole wide world?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Should We Stay Or Should We Go?

Tony and I had a FANTASTIC time in Atlanta. So much so in fact, that we're wondering if it might be time to try out a new city. I have a great life in Miami, and I've definitely laid down deep roots. I know this city inside and out, and, I love the cultural exchange that happens here. And, well, it sure is pretty here.

But, for some time now, I've been longing for another life adventure. Tony moved here a little over a decade ago, and he's always felt a kind of mild disconnect from Miami, so he's up for discussing a relocation. I let you know how the discussion goes.

Oh, and here are some vacation pics...








Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Up North In The Deep South

Tony and I are heading way up North, to the Deep South today. We've got an unreal estate conference in Atlanta, and we're super-duper excited to be able to hang with Stimpy for a few days. I have only been through Atlanta once before, and I've spent about 12 hours in total there...but I was really impressed with the vibe. I'll have a more complete analysis when I get back. In the meantime, while we're enjoying the Georgia Aquarium, hiking around Stone Mountain and stalking Anderson Cooper, take a look at some of these interesting factoids about the ATL...

1. In 1842, Marthasville, Georgia had just 30 residents.
2. In December of 1847, Marthasville changed its name to Atlanta.
3. Atlanta has the highest elevation of any city east of Denver.
4. The Bank of America Plaza is the tallest building in the United States, outside of New York City and Chicago.
5. Nearly 60 % of the population of Atlanta is African-American, and almost 7% of the city is Latino.
6. At 12.6%, Atlanta has the third highest percentage of Gay and Lesbian couples of any major city in the United States.
7. Atlanta is home to CNN, the CDC and Coca-Cola.
8. Between 2000 and 2006, the Atlanta metro region grew by an astounding 20.5%, making it the fastest growing metro region in the nation.
9. The Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world.
10. Stimpy lives in Atlanta.

*Factoids sampled from Wikipedia

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Acid House Flashback # 3


"Theme From S'Express" - S'Express - 1988

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Screwed By The Sunshine State...Again


Ah, Flor-ee-duh. Looks like we may have done it again. Florida is just crawling with self-absorbed, undereducated, attention seekers. Trust me. I live here. And, in a ridiculously stupid move, our state Democratic leaders attempted to grab more attention for Florida, by holding the primary sooner, on January 29th, thereby totally disregarding the National Democratic Party rules (the DNC rules stipulate that, without a special waiver, states must hold their primaries after the 5th of February).


So, what did we gain from moving our primary to January 29th? I'm thinking that we just gained another fucking Republican administration.


The DNC punished Florida by stripping the state of its delegates, for deliberately ignoring the process and rules regarding holding a primary election. And, as it turns out Hillary apparently would have received the Florida delegates, had they they been allowed. She did not, even though she had a very decisive victory in Florida tonight. Delegates, or not, Hillary did recieve a real psychological victory in Florida, that will have a big impact on the results of Super Tuesday.


So, why would I say that Florida's fuck-up just cost America another four years of Republican rule? Well, the Obama campaign has really been gaining momentum as of late. A lot of momentum. His name is beginning to seem familiar and warm to a lot of middle Americans, and his message of hope is being heard all over the board. Even Republicans are listening. After twenty years of Bush-Clinton, a lot of people are realizing that we need to start over - we do need a change.


Hillary Clinton, along with Bill, has been polarizing as ever. Now, before I go any further...I don't hate Hillary. But, I do think that there's no better example than her, and Bill, of what's wrong with the Democratic Party. The Clintons know how to play politics better than just about anyone - except Karl Rove. They know what to say, how to say it, and who to leak it to. They know how to work poll numbers and they excel at "opposition research" to a degree that impresses the even the slimiest of campaign managers.


As I said, I don't hate Hillary. I don't like her as a politician, but I don't hate her. But, there are a lot of folks across this great nation who live and breath their hatred of the Clintons. Most Republicans actively despise her, and even a lot of Democrats dislike her. Sure, she has a great plan for health-care. But, it'd never go anywhere, even if she were to become the next President, because there would be rabid, snarling opposition to anything that she would put forth. Her experience in Washington is her undoing.


Hillary just won the early-bird Florida primary. She didn't get any delegates - although in typical dirty politics fashion she is vowing, now that she's won Florida, to petition to have those would-be delegates counted. Her win in Florida gives her a lot of confidence going in to Super Tuesday...the same confidence that Obama would've taken to Super Tuesday had Florida not fucked it up. Had Florida followed the rules, the results of the Sunshine State primary would have no influence on the many other states that will be heading to the polls next Tuesday. Because of Florida's insatiable need for attention, Hillary just got a boost that may translate into a much stronger showing when it matters - and she very well may become the Democratic nominee.


Now, on the other side of the aisle, John McCain has been cleaning up. Giuliani is out. Thompson's out. Huckabee may as well be out. And Romney's looking more and more desperate every day.


And who hates John McCain? I disagree with just about everything that comes out of his war-lovin' mouth. But I don't hate him. He seems like a regular kinda old guy. And, like Obama, everybody at least kinda likes him.


So, put Obama against McCain and the Democrats have a fighting chance. They're both likable guys with a lot of appeal to Independent voters. Obama vs. McCain would most likely boil down to actual issues and ideas...and God knows Obama would debate McCain into the ground.


But, Clinton against McCain? McCain will trounce her. The Republican base and middle-of-the-road Independents will swarm the polls to stop her by any means necessary. Sure, deflated Obama Democrats will vote for her - but without an ounce of passion.


I hope I am wrong. I hope that a critical mass is reached - a critical mass of Democrats that understand that the time really has come to let go of the Bushes and the Clintons and try something new. I hope.


Thursday, January 24, 2008

Redding Up The Lair


Tomorrow will be the 3 year anniversary of the Lair of the Okapi. Before I created the Lair, I thought blogs were just the very public personal diaries of the dramatic and self-important. Then, my little lamb started The 9th Circle, and I found myself coming back again and again - mainly just to keep up with her new life in New York. She's great at really getting her voice into her writing, and I could just hear her in every snarky "viewer mail" post and every scathing observation on public transportation. It somehow made her seem not so far away.

So, just out of curiosity, I started the Lair. I knew that I didn’t want to do a daily diary type blog, and I didn’t want to do a specifically themed thing. I thought it would be less obligating, and more my style, to think of my blog as more of an online scrapbook for ideas, pictures, stories and stuff. I started to read other blogs from The 9th Circle blogroll, and found myself “getting to know” a few bloggers – Jackie, Hof, Van, Vegas, Dan and Moo. Over time, each and every one of my original blog-friend circle closed up shop, and I miss reading them more than I probably should.

The Lair certainly hasn't been the most prolific, or beautifully written or the most influential blog out here...but apparently, it scores pretty high on longevity. I guess my attention span isn't quite as short as I thought.

At any rate, in honor of this illustrious occasion (and in reference to my recent post about Pittsburghese) I'm redding up the Lair. I'll be cleaning up, adding to, deleting and rearranging my links and blogroll. I'm on an active search for new blogs to lurk on, and new sites to investigate, so if you have any suggestions...I'll be here. Probably for quite a while.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Thursday, January 17, 2008

From Pixburgh to Meeyami


I am fascinated by language – in particular, how it evolves, and transforms, and adjusts to our need to express new ideas and new identities. Of course, living in Miami, it’s impossible not to think about language everyday. We have three official languages – Spanish, English and Haitian Kreyol. Spanish is the first language of nearly 67% of the population, while English is the first language of just over 25% of Miamians. Nearly 6% of the city speaks mainly Haitian Kreyol, and with a growing number of Brazilians, Portuguese is becoming more and more common. Miami really is the precise point where, geographically and culturally, Latin America, the Caribbean and North America meet, and the interaction of languages and dialects and accents here is just remarkable.

Spanish in Miami could be of the Cuban, Argentinean or Honduran variety – all of which are very different from each other. And, even English here has a lot of local distinction, depending on the origin of the speaker – Brooklyn, London, Kingston, Memphis, the Bahamas, Boston or Detroit. A guy I work with, from Boston, pahks his cah in the laht. My friend John, from Queens, had a great idear to go to the pizzer parlor, and Jason who’s from Amish-y Lancaster refers to roads made of macadam.

Tony shares my interest, and we both love to discover new regional language quirks and to love to tease and imitate each other’s regionalisms. Tony’s from Syracuse, New York, and his accent often causes people to think that he’s from Michigan or the Chicago area. The cute way he says seehlad dressing and kitty ceeht makes my heart smile. I think it’s so interesting that his accent is expressed all around the Great Lakes, with no real relationship to state borders.

And then, there’s my hometown, Pittsburgh, which not only has its own very distinct accent, but it’s own regionally specific vocabulary. It’s so distinct that there are even Pittsburghese dictionaries. Where someone from the South might ask, “Are y’all goin’ downtown today?” a Pittsburgher would ask “Are yinz gon’ dahntahn t’day?” Pittsburghers aren’t nosy. They’re nebby. Pittsburghers eat jumbo sammiches, pierogies, hoagies and kolbassa, and real Pittsburghers don’t bother with “th” sounds, unless it’s necessary to begin the sentence. Instead of asking “how is this?” a yinzer would ask “hah’s iss?” And Pittsburghers don’t clean their homes, they redd them up.

For whatever reason, I never had a really strong Pittsburgh accent…but most of my family and friends sure did. And, when I moved away, I covered my accent as much as possible, and I made sure to never let a “yinz” slip. But with age comes a different perspective, and now, I think the Pittsburgh accent that I left behind is really cool in its uniqueness.


Like any regional speak, the Pittsburgh accent and vocabulary is the product of a unique history with roots in an old Scots-Irish dialect and a lot of German and Eastern European influence - reflecting the city's immigrant past.

So, what accent do you have, and what regionalisms do you use? What words and/or phrases have you heard that immediately indicated that the speaker was from a particular place?

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Everybody Can Just Suck It!

I'm going to see Kathy Griffin tonight! And everybody can just suck it! Allegedly.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Fwd: Be Careful. Be Very Careful.

A few days ago, a concerned co-worker forwarded a critically important e-mail regarding the election. Then, this morning, Tony received the same e-mail, from a friend, who obviously wanted to clue us in, so that we wouldn’t contribute to the destruction of America. Just so that you’re in the know too, here’s the scoop….

Subject: Who is Barack Obama?

Probable Democrat presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHIEST from Wichita, Kansas.

Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia. When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia. Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school.

Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, 'He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school.'

Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.

Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta.

Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world.

Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking Major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background.

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy. The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own!!!!

ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office - he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Kuran (Their equevelancy to our Bible, but very different beliefs) Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading our country?...... NOT ME!!!


I’m yet again stunned at how tightly some people cling to fear and ignorance. Seriously. How the fuck can so many of us, in this land of opportunity, be so gullible? When did we become a nation of fearful little sheep? And, why don’t these people know how to use Google, for gods’ sake? At this point, I’m totally convinced that the 30% who still support Bush, look to Fox News for fair and balanced “reporting” and forward completely unsubstantiated e-mails like this, are the same foolish folks who send their bank account numbers to Nigerian princes who need help moving money out of the country.

Just for the sake of clarity, let’s take a look at radical Muslim Obama.

It is true that Senator Obama was born in Honolulu, to a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas. But, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was a non-practicing Muslim and his mother was a non-practicing Christian.

It’s true that the Senator’s parents divorced when he was two years old, and that his father returned to Kenya, leaving him to his mother’s care. Senator Obama’s mother did then marry Lolo Soetoro from Indonesia. But there is absolutely no evidence that the Senator’s step-father was a radical Muslim – or a radical anything for that matter.

The allegation that he was indoctrinated into the teachings of radical Wahabism is a complete and total lie. While Senator Obama did spend four years of his childhood in Indonesia (a predominantly Muslim country) he never studied at any Jihadist schools. As a matter of fact, he was a student at the Basuki School (a non-religious public school) as well as a Catholic school as a child in Indonesia.

While the e-mail implies that Senator Obama has recently tried to cover his Muslim-ness by joining the United Church of Christ, the truth is that his spiritual home has been with the UCC since the 1980s. I find it hard to believe that he’s been disguising his practice of Jihadist Islam for more than twenty years in the pews of the United Church of Christ.

Then, the e-mail gets to the real point…Barack Obama is an undercover terrorist, who was planted decades ago, by THEM, to work his way up to the very top of the United States government. Because, you know, a half-African, half white American from Hawai’i, partly raised in Indonesia by agnostic parents, would be such an amazingly obvious choice to groom for the presidency.

And, for the record, Senator Obama did, in fact, place his right hand on a Bible when being sworn in. And, also for the record, the beliefs of Islam and the beliefs of Christianity are not all that different. And neither is their shared ability to be twisted by their followers.

Honestly, I don’t give a fuck whether Senator Obama’s parents were Muslim, Presbyterian, Mormon, Hindu or Flying Spaghetti Monster worshippers. What I care about is his ability to take on the huge mountain of disasters that the Bush administration is leaving behind. I care about the fact that the United States is now dead last in healthcare among industrialized nations, and 42nd in life expectancy. I care that the gap between our country’s elite and underprivileged has grown into a canyon. I care that while our economy teeters on, what very likely will be the second Great Depression, my government is working hard to instigate yet another Halliburton war.

And I care that we have a chance to bring ourselves back to hope and reason and strong character, and we have the opportunity to leave behind those who live in tragic ignorance with fear in their hearts.

Friday, January 04, 2008

Saturday, December 29, 2007

The 2007 Okapi Sampler

While the real world descended even further into social and environmental apocalypse, the music world glimmered with hope in 2007. Radio stations delved deeper than ever into inanity and irrelevence by putting Souljah Boy, Good Charlotte and Beyonce on permanent repeat, but MySpace, Pandora and YouTube allowed a lot of new sounds to escape and germinate. For the first time in many years, I noticed life in the underground again. I think, in a few years, we'll look back on 2007 as a resurrection of forward-thinking and sophisticated, but fun, music.

So, without further ado, here are the top 10 tracks of 2007*



10. It's All True - Tracey Thorn - In 2002, after 20 years, Everything But The Girl took a break. Since then, the duo, have worked on solo projects and raising a family. Tracey Thorn, the beautiful voice of EBTG, re-emerged in early 2007 with a new solo album, and this new single. Tracey's crisp, haunting voice soothes and keeps together an almost maddeningly perky dance track. It's nice to have her back.






9. Bonafide Lovin' - Chromeo - Chromeo are a couple of life-long best friends who have described themselves as the only successful Arab/Jewish collaboration in history. Their music is everything pop music should be - and isn't. On Bonafide Lovin', one of the most fun tracks of the year, Chromeo manages to successfully blend early '80s Ray Parker Jr. with up to the minute electro artsiness. Now that's an achievement.




8. Saturn Strobe - Pantha Du Prince - At least once a year, there is a house track that materializes out of the spiritual space where celebration and melancholic longing symbiotically co-exist - a house track that reminds us that everything is connected. This is that track for 2007. Imagine the sun coming up over the desert mountains and breathe it in.





7. Overpowered - Roisin Murphy - Roisin (pronounced row-sheen) spent most of the late '90s and early '00s as the voice of Moloko. Now solo, she's giving us a voice that's both familiar and distant placed delicately over a purely late '80s acid house track. Gorgeous.





6. Marble House - The Knife - The Knife is possibly the most strange and intriguing "band" of the current era. A duo of artists from Sweden, their sound (and look) is hard to define...and that usually means that we're on to something. Maybe they'll provide the soundtrack to a new Mad Max world, or maybe they'll just end up opening for the Blue Man Group. Either way, keep your eye on The Knife.





5. How We Go Out - Leslie Hall - A sight to behold in her gold glitter suit or in any one of her trademark glamour gem sweaters, Leslie Hall of Leslie & The Lys, is bringing it - Midwest style! It's hard to take her seriously when as she raps about life in the streets, basements, parking lots, and big-box stores of Ames, Iowa. But before you write her off as an internet novelty, really listen. It's the sound of electro hip-hop doing what it's supposed to - telling stories about the lives that Hollywood ignores.



4. The Way I Are - Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson - If you can get over the grammatical errors, and rhyming house with house and boat with boat, you'll find a killer sound. This is what pop music should be - fun, young and all dressed up. Timbaland proves, yet again, that you can be a musical genius and still produce songs that will sell - and you don't have to have the cheese or the car keys!





3. Bamboo Banga - M.I.A. - The world doesn't know what to make of Mathangi Arulpragasam - better known as M.I.A. Her music is a barrage of sounds and influences that push you up against a wall and hold you there until she's done with you. The voiceover is jarring, hypnotic, urgent, important and disposable. And, forget about trying to categorize this one in your iTunes.





2. Let Me Think About It - Ida Corr vs. Fedde Le Grand - my friend, Betty, got me hip to this fun little number. It's huge in Europe, and how could it not be? It's disco heyday, James Bond, and right now - all in one. And add some fierce afro-coiffs, and well, what more could a gay man ask for? Just pure fun.



1. Rapture - My Robot Friend - I probably wouldn't have given My Robot Friend a chance until my Stimpy friend sent me a CD. At first listen, I was ready to store it away with all of the pretentious, silly electroclash rubbish of a couple of years ago. But, I was too lazy to change CDs in my car player, and somewhere on the causeway between downtown Miami and South Beach, I got it. This re-interpretation of the Blondie classic is my current fave. It's fucking brilliant - and it doesn't come with an embeddable video....so you'll have to click here!

* This list is completely biased and does not reflect the tastes or opinions of most thinking people.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Ok....the time has come. My home computer has expired, and I'm left in a quandry. Unlike a lot a blogger types, I'm not really much of a computer nerd, and I've never used a Mac. I don't even own an iPod. But, I'm wondering.....has the time come? Should I replace my computer with another PC, or should I invest in a Mac? I've always been turned off by the Cult of Mac, but I'll admit, they sure are prettier. And, now all PCs come with Vista, which apparently sucks - as evidenced by the constant wailing and weeping of co-workers with new PCs. So, should I do it? Should I defect to the Cult?


Sunday, December 16, 2007

Monday, December 10, 2007

Maybe It's a Hanukkah Bush?



I was privy this weekend to a particularly academic conversation between two 40-something female Christmas consumers, in the Christmas tree section of Target.

Shopper # 1 - "How about these ornaments and lights for the tree?"

Shopper # 2 - "Um blue lights and stuff? No. I don't want my Christmas tree to look Jewish."

Shopper # 1 - (not in a sarcastic tone) "I don't think Jewish people put up Christmas trees."

Shopper # 2 - "Well I don't care if they do, or don't. I just don't want mine to look Jewish!"

And this was in multi-cultural Miami. What hope have we for South Carolina?



Friday, November 23, 2007

The Reason For The Season

'Tis the season for re-posting my annual updated anti-Black Friday post.....

The malls here in Miami began decking the halls 2 months ago, and had Santa's train installed just as the last back to school sales were ending. I know it's cliche at this point to feel nostalgic for the days when the holy season of giving gently revealed itself shortly after Thanksgiving. Today, a 5am scuffle in the line outside of Best Buy on Black Friday merely marks the halfway point in the season of stress and artifice.




Again, this year, I'm committing to honoring the reason for the season - the winter solstice - and celebrating this beautiful time of year by spending quality time with the people that I love, and sharing meaningful gifts instead of spending time fighting the crowds so I can check people off my list with iPod iPhone accessories.

For the like minded:

ENVIRONMENT
World Wildlife Fund
GAY STUFF
ANTI DRUG WAR
PRO-PEACE / PRO-LIBERALISM / PRO-CIVIL RIGHTS / ANTI-IDIOCY
HIV / AIDS / BREAST CANCER
ANIMAL FRIENDS
ART AND MUSIC SAVE OUR LIVES
HOLIDAY CARDS AND ECO-DECORATING


Now go for a walk with someone you love.


Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Acid House Flashback # 1

"Voodoo Ray" - A Guy Called Gerald - 1988

Friday, November 09, 2007

Nibbled By An Okapi


Ok…now about that Okapi thing. A new blog buddy recently asked, “Why an okapi? Just Curious.” Well, the okapi thing has several different origins.

When I was a kid, I was truly obsessed with two things: Disco music and my Safari Animal Cards. When I wasn’t dancing in the living room to Saturday afternoon Soul Train, I was memorizing and categorizing my animal cards and fantasizing about future expeditions to Madagascar. My favorite animal was the okapi. I was captivated by its graceful lines and mysterious past, and I loved the idea that this really large animal could have remained undiscovered by Westerners until the 20th century.

A little later in life, I read, and enjoyed, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and was particularly amused when it was revealed that the main character’s “only brother was long ago nibbled to death by an okapi.”

Then I discovered The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. It is one of my three most favoritest books, ever – the other two being Beloved and Prodigal Summer. Here’s a beautiful okapi-infused excerpt from The Poisonwood Bible

She is inhumanly alone. And then, all at once, she isn't. A beautiful animal stands on the other side of the water. They look up from their lives, woman and animal, amazed to find themselves in the same place. He freezes, inspecting her with his black-tipped ears. His back is purplish-brown in the dim light, sloping downward from the gentle hump of his shoulders. The forest’s shadows fall into lines across his white-striped flanks. His stiff forelegs splay out to the sides like stilts, for he's been caught in the act of reaching down for water. Without taking his eyes from her, he twitches a little at the knee, then the shoulder, where a fly devils him. Finally he surrenders his surprise, looks away and drinks. She can feel the touch of his long, curled tongue on the water's skin, as if he were lapping from her hand. His head bobs gently, nodding small, velvet horns lit white from behind like new leaves.

…That one time and no other the okapi came to the stream, and I was the only one to see it.

When I first read that, it took me back to the comfort and magic of solitude that I felt as a kid exploring the woods. It still does. And, that is where the okapi thing comes from.