November 11th Veterans Day- In Honour of our Vets

Today is Veterans Day, albeit the end of the day.

Celebrated officially on November 11th each year, it is a federal and state holiday honouring our veterans, both living and those who have passed on.

A little history:

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

However, we should honour those who have served, and currently serve in our military, every day, not just one day a year. We owe them our eternal debt and gratitude for defending freedom around the globe. They need our encouragement and support, as do their families. And there are many ways to do that. Some cost nothing but time at your computer:

Treats for Troops
Freedom Alliance
America Supports You
Any Soldier
Operation Gratitude
Troops Support

To send e-cards:
Military E-Cards
Hallmark
Let's Say Thanks

Debbie at Rightruth has some other ideas, and a lovely tribute by R.J. Godlewski.

God bless you all!!




H/T AP photo Blackfive

The King to the Idiot-boy Chavez: "Why Don't You Shut Up!"

Hugo Chavez rarely disappoints! In his latest side-show appearance at the Latin American Summit in Santiago, Chile today, he continues to prove to the world at large (at least those bright enough to see it) that he's:

A. a decade short of a high school diploma
B. he's the walking personification of the DSM (the manual Psychologists and others use to diagnose mental disorders)
C. he's a major buffoon
D. all of the above.

In my opinion, the answer is: D.

But, whether he's officially diagnosable as nuts or not, he certainly exhibits many symptoms of several major personality disorders, some of which I have alluded to before, but I'm adding a new one to that list, after this latest episode: Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) . The definition of HPD is:

the affected individual displays an enduring pattern of attention-seeking and excessively dramatic behaviors beginning in early adulthood and present across a broad range of situations. Individuals with HPD are highly emotional, charming, energetic, manipulative, seductive, impulsive, erratic, and demanding.

Well, we can ditch the seductive part, but other than that, tell me he doesn't have HPD!

So, the leaders of Spain, Portugal and Latin America were all at the summit in Santiago, and Chavez at the closing session (in his typical boorish fashion), repeatedly called Jose Maria Aznar (the conservative, former Prime Minister of Spain) a "fascist", saying "Fascists are not human. A snake is more human." So, I guess that makes Chavez a snake, right? But I digress.

In response to the name-calling, the current socialist prime-minister of Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero launched into a dignified lesson on diplomacy, asking Chavez to respect other democratic leaders regardless of ideological differences, and emphasizing that Aznar "...was chosen by the Spanish people and I demand that respect." It obviously failed to resonate, because Chavez kept interrupting throughout, and although we don't hear what he says (his mic was turned off), we do hear King Juan Carlos of Spain heatedly interject "Por que no te callas!" (Why don't you shut up). Boy-child Hugo did eventually shut up, for a while, but in the end responded to Zapatero's speech by saying :

"I do not offend by telling the truth." "The Venezuelan government reserves the right to respond to any aggression, anywhere, in any space and in any manner."

As entertainment, Chavez rocks. As a leader he, well... you can fill in the blank.

For a good laugh (and to see Chavez's idiocy in action), watch the shortened version of Zapatero's admonishment along with the King's scolding . Or to view a longer version click here. Both are in Spanish.



Others blogging about the King and the idiot-boy Chavez:

Daniel-Venezuela + H/T for video
Barce-Pundit
Kate at Colombo Americana gives a rundown of the whole meeting

H/T Instapundit

Latino Comedy Project on Immigration

Guru Ron Paul For Prez? Uh, No Way!!

Okay, there's something terribly odd going on in the Ron Paul camp. It's actually downright creepy. This wacky, little nerd of a man (masquerading as a Republican) has been raising gobs of money, and accumulating young (and old) supporters like some cult leader a group of devotees. I've recently noticed far more "Ron Paul 2008" bumper stickers than I have any other candidate, and you have to wonder whyyyyy? Who are these people? And what on earth is the attraction? I certainly have no idea.

According to Rick Moran in his article on American Thinker: "Is Ron Paul Pandering to the Paranoid", this group of Ron Paul devotees is definitely a potpourri of kooks, and not just your patchwork quilt of easily swayed youngsters. Though not all of them are crackpots, he assures us, there are plenty who are. Like the white supremacist loonies who are jumping on the Ron Paul bandwagon:

"..he has attracted the support of white supremacists largely because they believe that his attacks on neocons validate their view (warning: link goes to hate site) that the neoconservatives are agents of Israel and part of the worldwide Jewish conspiracy to destroy America and the white race."

and the 9/11 Truthers:

".. a ruthless, mob of internet ruffians who seek to intimidate those who would dare criticize them, the Paul candidacy, or most especially, one of their pet conspiracy theories about 9/11, the "New World Order" (an amorphous term that generally means the imposition of a one world government), or something as mundane and silly as planting a computer chip in every new born in America."

Though Moran doesn't believe that all Paul's supporters are what he terms "haters" he (and others who have negatively posted about Dr. Paul) have received a barrage of negative emails and comments from Ron Paulites:

"...But reading my emails over the last 72 hours following my AT postings about some of the supporters of Ron Paul's candidacy, as well as my experiences on my own personal blog and the experiences I've read about from numerous bloggers, writers, pundits, and media outlets, I have no doubt that the haters, the paranoid conspiracists, and even some anti-globalist anarchists are among the most committed and most visible of his campaign volunteers."

Sounds a little like stalking to me. But ya gotta love "google alerts". You get enough volunteers to man their computers and register for "google alerts" you can hit all the anti-Ron Paul blog posts within seconds. Moran calls them "Paulbots" as they're similar to Spambots. He goes on to say that because of this spamming tactic, of sorts,

"They have driven online polls sponsored by bloggers out of existence thanks to their gaming the system. Apparently, some kind of sophisticated email campaign is at work, [it's called "google alerts" Rick] because no sooner would a poll on a blog go up than the Paulbots would swarm to the site and vote for their man."

Moran's article is worth a read, because if Ron Paul is gaining in popularity, we have much to fear. Though, in all honesty, he has as much a chance of winning the Republican nomination as Mike Gravel or Dennis Kucinich do the Democratic nom. Paul supporters are deluded enough to think he does, though. RonPaulGrassroots Hq.com claims Paul is "King of the Internet" with the largest group of grassroots supporters of all the 2008 candidates, and "the leader in winning straw polls". He seems to be accomplishing that. This same website likens Ron Paul's run for Prez to Pat Buchanan's 1996 Presidential Race, in the hopes of garnering the far right's vote. Buchanan placed second in the Iowa Caucus, and actually won the New Hampshire primary!

And we're not the only ones who question Paul's cult status. Google "Cult of Ron Paul "and see how many entries there are..... 121,000!

Though Ron Paul winning the nomination is not a problem, in itself, what is problematic is his potential to steal votes from the Republican nominee. His supporters are already claiming that they will either not vote or add him as a "write in". Then factor in Dobson's call to the evangelical far right to vote for a third party candidate, and we've handed the 2008 Presidency over to the Democratic Party.

Be scared. Be very scared!


H/T Chatterbox Chronicles

Al Gore's "Recount" 2000 Sob Story to Shoot in Jacksonville

So, not only does big 'ol Al (Gore that is) win an Oscar for his sham of a film "An Inconvenient Truth", he also receives (undeservedly so) the Nobel Peace prize for his Global Warming scare-mongering tactics. The Peace prize, mind you, for a subject that has the scientific community and the rest of the world at odds. And now, he can add one more thing to his list of accolades -- something else to further stroke his ever-expanding ego. Yes indeedy, HBO is actually set to shoot a film in Florida about big 'ol Al Gore's "stolen presidency."

Directed by Kevin Pollack and starring Kevin Spacey and Laura Dern (as Katherine Harris), "Recount" will explore the aftermath of election 2000 and the highly criticized recount. Colin Callendar, HBO Films Prez said "

It's a very compelling piece that takes a well-known event and deconstructs it from the point of view of the people involved."

Claiming it doesn't take sides Callendar said :

"It's a fascinating look at democracy where the rubber meets the road -- a look at the election process like we have never seen it before."

Doesn't take sides, eh? Hmmm. An event that polarized the American people, half of whom still firmly believe the election was outright stolen? Produced by a bunch of liberal, Hollywood-types who have donated generously to various elected officials who happen to be members of the Democratic Party? I sincerely doubt that. I'd like to say I'll wait to make judgement until it's released in the Spring of 2008, but I have no intention of watching it. Not because of its potentially liberal, biased political agenda, but because it sounds like a bore of a film, like Gore himself. What makes HBO think anyone will be interested in watching several hours worth of hanging chads and butterfly ballots? Snooze. Well, maybe the Dems and Gore and co. will enjoy watching it. You know, a collective fetch-the-Kleenex-box sob-fest. No thank you! I have better things to do with my time.


But I do find it terribly interesting that they decided, 7 years after the fact, to shoot and air this film during an election year. Trying to show American voters how evil the Republicans are?

Good timing HBO.

Risking Life for Art

The performing arts should be valued for more than its ability to entertain. In a far more profound and complex way it can be a catalyst for change- when it educates, enlightens, transforms, inspires. When audience members leave a theatre or other performing arts venue having been touched, somehow, by their experience, then we (as artists) know we have done our job. When it prompts people to action, even better.

Art, in its various categories- from language and visual arts to the performing arts- is all about communication, and can take on many different forms. In countries that embrace democracy, artists are usually allowed to create freely, without fear of governmental retribution. We are extremely fortunate, in the U.S., to be able to mount projects, if we so choose, that are critical of our government, without fear of retaliation. However, in nations where freedom is at a premium, artists are not so fortunate. They are censored, fired from jobs and thrown in jail for nothing more than being critical of those in power. In those lands, the various art forms either tout the official 'party line', so to speak, or become a political forum, of sorts. From political satire to outright criticism, artists risk their lives and careers to bring to light the injustices that prevail living under those kinds of autocratic regimes.

It's happening right now in places like Burma, Belarus, Venezuela.

In 1990 Par Par Lay, a 60-year-old Burmese comic who performs a traditionall Burmese vaudeville routine laced with political satire called nyeint pwe, spent 6 months in jail for offending the junta with his political jokes. In 1996, he was again sentenced to 7 years in a labour camp, though released after 5 1/2, after he and his troupe the Mustache Brothers dared to poke fun at the Junta in front of Aung San Suu Kyi and an audience of 2,000 including foreign ambassadors. One of the offending routines:

a "government dance," a comic rendition of a wily public servant stealing money from the poor.

His troupe was then barred, by the Junta, from performing for Burmese people, so they had to resort to performing for foreign visitors in Par Par Lay's house. On September 25 2007, Par Par Lay was arrested, once again, during the latest crackdown in Burma. So was another popular comic, Zargana. For weeks, no-one knew what happened to Par Par Lay. His wife, a dancer, said the following:

"I tried to find him, but I don't know where he is" [snip] "If the past is an indication, he must have been beaten a lot. I am worried about whether he is alive or not."

Thankfully, according to Amnesty International, both Par Par Lay and Zargana were released in late October, however Zargana developed a lung infection from the unsanitary conditions in jail. He was briefly detained, again, after he spoke to international media about his incarceration. And sadly, it probably won't be the last time either of them sees the inside of a jail cell.

In Belarus, the Free Theatre project was created (March 2005) in response to the oppressive, dictatorial leadership of Alexander Lukashenko. It is in part sponsored by former Czech President and playwright Vaclav Havel , and English playwright Tom Stoppard. Those involved have sworn to keep the project alive until Belarus embraces democracy. In the meantime, this group of unpaid actors, directors and technicians continues performing in spite of crackdowns by police, and being outright banned by the Belarusian government. You see, in Belarus only state-sanctioned theatres and actors are allowed to perform. Many of these 'underground' theatres exist through the sheer tenacity and courage of those collaborating, and performances are held in flats, houses and nightclubs. And even though the audiences are pre-screened and the location of the production is revealed shortly prior to the performance, the precautions aren't always helpful. A recent Free Theatre production of "Eleven Vests" (a play about violence by British playwright Edward Bond) was raided by police, and 50 people were detained for hours, including children and theatre artists from France and the Netherlands. In spite of these occurrences and the potential risk of losing jobs or even their freedom, Belarusian actors continue to find ways to bring their voices of dissent to the people.

And in Venezuela, actress Fabiola Colmenares was recently fired from Venevision for publicly registering her disapproval of the police violence against the on-going anti-Chavista student demonstrators. 2 people have been killed in those demonstrations, so far, in case you hadn't heard. (For more information on the situation in Venezuela, check out Kate at Colombo-Americana's Perspective, and Julia's The End of Venezuela As I Know It.)

Artists need to be heard, especially when something needs to be said. And you can rest assured that our voices will not be silenced. As long as we have an audience, and as long as we have a voice.

In solidarity with those who risk all for their art.

Iran Clamping Down on Labour Activists

Although I've made my case for the need for unions (at least my various Unions) on this blog before, I realize that, traditionally, conservatives abhor them for some unknown reason. However, in some countries, like Iran, trade unions have a far greater importance. Remember Poland's Lech Walesa and his Solidarity movement in the 1980s? He (and his trade union activities) was the catalyst which ultimately led to democracy and freedom from Soviet-style communism not only for Poland but all other Eastern Bloc countries in Europe. As Bob from Brockley states:

"The labour movement in Iran is important in its own right: as the expression of the working class of Iran. And it is important as a central plank of Iran's repressed civil society and future democracy. The union
that Osanloo represents has 17,000 members: that represents a formidable force for change in Iran."

The "Osanloo" Bob is referring to is Mansour Osanloo, an Iranian labour activist who has been in and out of jail since 2005, after he and his 17,000-strong fellow members of the Syndicate of Workers of Teheran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) went on strike to protest an edict relegating female passengers to the back of the bus. You see, unlike the U.S., where unions might be be scorned by a certain sector of the government but not threatened, union members in countries like Iran are often jailed, harassed, beaten or killed. Osanloo has been beaten on several occasions and his tongue sliced as a warning to keep mum. This past July, 2007, he was sent back to prison, no specific charges, after he was beaten and abducted from a bus in Teheran. It is thought that what prompted this latest, unwarranted arrest was a recent trip to Europe to meet with officials from the International Transport Workers' Federation:

In Brussels, Mr Osanloo described the intimidation which union members had faced, with some members having been arrested 10 or more times, and family members, including children, being beaten, detained and subjected to inhumane treatment. Asked how he coped with arrests and harassment, he replied: "We decided it is better to die than to live like this."

While in jail this past month, Osanloo almost lost the sight in one of his eyes (as a result of his beating) because the government refused to give him medical treatment. Thanks to a major campaign by Amnesty International, some labour organizations and union members worldwide, Osanloo finally received the surgery he desperately needed. However, against doctor's orders, he was just sent back to prison and sentenced to 5 years, merely for exercising his right to be in a trade union. He has said that unlike other 'political prisoners' he has no political agenda, and has suffered all this harassment simply because he wants better working conditions for transport workers.

He's not the only labour activist in jail: Mahmoud Salehi and Ebrahim Madadi have also been incarcerated. And grocery worker and activist, Majid Hamidi, was recently attacked and shot seven times by several masked assailants. The attack is believed to have been government sanctioned. He is in critical condition.

Although Iran is a member of the International Labour Organization, they have no love or tolerance for labour organizations. Iranian hardliners obviously feel threatened, so are escalating their attacks and persecution of any group/s that might pose a threat to the Islamist status quo, from union activism to the recent student protests.

Regardless of how you feel about Unions, what is happening in Iran is shameful, though not surprising. We are so very fortunate, in the western world, to be able to exercise our right to belong to a Union or not, and to rest easy knowing we won't risk our lives by making that choice.

If you are a member of a any union you can click here to send an urgent message to the International Labour Organization (ILO) calling on Ahmadinejad and others to stop the persecution, harassment and attacks on workers. As I have.

Also blogging about: A second Hand Conjecture

H/T: Bob from Brockley

To Die in Jerusalem- HBO Documentary

2 beautiful teenage girls killed in one fell swoop. Rachel Levy and Ayat al-Akhras. A victim and a perpetrator. An Israeli girl innocently shopping at a supermarket, and the Palestinian suicide bomber who in an instant, in the name of her almighty Allah, blew them both to bits.

I just watched the HBO Documentary "To Die In Jerusalem" and, although I'm not sure this was the filmmakers' intention, it confirmed my belief that the Palestinian/Israeli situation is hopelessly and tragically unsolvable. Not that I ever thought it was anything but.

Suffering greatly from her daughter's death, the film documents (over a period of 4 years or more) Avigail Levy's oft frustrating quest for answers from Ayat's mother Um Samir al Akhras. Both families are interviewed throughout the film, but it isn't until the end that the mothers finally meet (though not face to face) and Avigail is able to ask Um Samir "why?" Ultimately, all Avigail wants is for Um Samir to declare (on film) that violence and suicide bombings are not the way to achieve peace, but Um Samir is unable to do that, and the meeting is ended.

It's a riveting, albeit frustrating film, in as much as it demonstrates the futility of trying to reach out to someone who refuses to do their part and refuses to reach back. At least that's how I viewed it. I felt no empathy, whatsoever, for or from the al-Akhras. I saw no contrition, no guilt, no condemnation for what Ayat had done, some grief for having lost a daughter, but that's it, other than a truck-load of self-pity.

Um-Samir, like most Palestinians, is entrenched in the whole victim-hood, suicide-culture, hatred-of-Israel mentality. Through her comments (and those of her husband) you come to realize that she believes that because of the plight of the Palestinian people, violent actions are warranted. She refuses to acknowledge the fundamental truth that violence begets violence, and that until the Palestinians lay down their bombs and replace enmity with amity, until they stop insisting that "terrorism" is actually "resistance", until they stop equating "suicide bombings" with "God's Will", until they stop glorifying "martyrdom" and celebrate life over death, until they stop engaging in "Jihad for the sake of Allah", until they purge from their belief system that they are "pre-ordained to be martyrs", until they stop teaching their children to hate, there will never be peace in that region.

At one point Ayat's father says "Islam is peace". In another future lifetime, perhaps, but not this one!