Aqua:
Yes, yes, yes. All true. I was just feeling pissy, afterall, why should I care what paranoid fantasies corporate America goes through to justify the errant nonsensical horseshit of not permitting videos to play outside the USA?
The irony? The Americans jump all over China for limiting what gets in, but they turn a blind eye to their own country what limits what gets out. China does it for the reasons Goering defended fascism: "defence of the nation", "Defence of the revolution", etc.
But America? "Defence of our bottom line." It's like I told you back in 87, when we had lunch on the grass in Farragut Square: The difference between the Soviets and the Americans: "The Soviets have old white men in grey suits who run the government which controls industry. In the USA, there are old white men in grey suits who run the industries that control the government. In either case, it's a bunch of old white men in grey suits who run things."
But who gets burned in the process? Everybody else.
Millionaires
"You don't need to have lived these things, you need imagination, you need empathy. I'm a firm believer that we're all the same people, rich or poor. Once you get under our skins we all feel the same things -- the same emotions."
Accountability
Worth discussion, but I’m more concerned with a 400% increase in tuition, while students see fewer full professors. Perhaps more accountability is called for.
Then there is the trend for academic connections in a few universities to control our government. (Name an Obama administration appointee not from an Ivy league school, mostly Harvard — including many of the architects of bank de-regulation. Apparently, their being from Harvard is more important than their demonstrated incompetence.)
Accountability?
Chic
"If this were the nineties, I could totally be that record store chick....picking up your obscure references....recommending films, albums, and lit that you haven't heard of....not content to just browse."
MTV
hoss3138 (1 day ago)
You guys are spot on. I'm proud to have grown up during the MTV years of Music Videos, Live at Spring Break, and Beavis and Butthead/Liquid Television at Night. Today's MTV is nothing but trash television.
geno121 (3 days ago)
what a classic.
flagrant26 (4 days ago)
this song reminds me of mtv...when it actually was worth a damn...you know with actual music, and music shows, videos and late at night with ÆON FLUX? i used to love this song
amaurialves (3 days ago)
It was such a Golden Age...
metcole1 (1 day ago)
Yeah. I miss that too. Music videos, live shows, and AEON FlUX at night. Not like now with endless reality shows full of fake drama and BS.
Great years in the 90's I'm glad i was a teen back then.
Great years in the 90's I'm glad i was a teen back then.
Patronizers
Goddamn it I love this documentary. Why? Because it unravels the psyche of middle class industrial nations toward people from developing nations. Which is very patronizing. They mistakenly think just because a country is poor, being invaded, or under occupation that everyone in that country is a poor and penniless person waiting for people from the industrialized nations to rescue them. Undoubtedly some need help, but not all.
Muthana is not a likable character, I will give his critics that, but neither are the people that he comes in contact with save his roommate (immigrant, this is important). Muthana comes from a rich family with a patriach that is well connected, presumably in the Ba'ath party. He says that he comes from a middle class family; middle class by American standards, rich by Iraqi standards. He isn't super rich, but I suspect that in attitude and outlook his life isn't all that different from the people you see on shows like The Hills. Meaning that these are people who grew up in the lap of luxury and fame and aspire to lead life concomitant with what they see in film, movies, and on television. Muthana for all effects and purpose is no different from the kids from The Hills.
Does this make him a person not worthy of kindness? NO! What it does make him is a person that should not be patronized by people he views as equals; socially and otherwise. Hence, his immense pride. Middle class people in America tend to look, no matter their intents, patronizingly on foreigners, especially from countries that they little understand and know. They think that people from said countries are primitive, poor, and child like. Unfortunately, the people that tend to emigrate to the states are people from solidly middle class backgrounds, highly educated, and immensely prideful. And Muthana had all of these qualities in spade.
What happened on the set of Everything is Illuminated and Doom is that not one person nor Muthana knew exactly how to deal with one another. The filmmakers' own prejudicial assumption about foreigners is what ultimately derail their expectations. They think: Ok, we will bring in this "poor Iraqi" and he will know what to do from day one to be on his way to become a success, That he will work menial jobs like all immigrants, be subordinate and respectful, and most of all be grateful for our generosity. Muthana had his own expectations too. He is a sheltered and protected Iraqi kid who expects a middle class life no matter where he is. He isn't world weary nor is he world wise. No wonder he is prideful and scornful at his gofer role. He thought, as you all well know, that he was being given is true break, rather than being use as a pill to sooth the liberal pangs of Liev Schrieber aggravated by Bush's criminally idiotic war.
Muthana is immature, that is without doubt. But he is also naive. He didn't know the process of how to stay or emigrate from the czech republic, save, swallow his pride, or even the gravity of America's invasion of Iraq. And living in a bubble that is a Hollywood film set prevented those realities from setting in. He can't go back home again and he can't stay. Muthana would have benefited greatly from befriending other immigrants with first hand experience of how to survive in a foreign and strange country. Sure he asks for money a lot. But instead of just giving it to him like it will solve all his problem, one of the filmmakers should have sat down with Muthana, explain the gravity of his situation to him, tell him that he needs to swallow his pride and start literally from scratch, and finally point out to him the process to which he can lead a sustainable life while fulfilling his dream.
The filmmakers were exploitative enablers who give him money hoping that he will go away when it was they that brought him over to soothe their liberals pangs without any plans as to what to do with him concretely laid out(long sentence I know but bare with me). It wasn't until he got to the film school in london and living with an actual immigrant from an equally *beep* part of the world that the reality of his situation start to dawn on him. I have no doubt that Muthana will thrive and survive once he is out of the bubble of hollywood and around people that have to live in a day by day world. His roommate will no doubt help him more than what Liev, The Rock, and the docu-idiots put together. The biggest thing they did for Muthana is steering him into the path of said roommate because it is he that will teach him how to survive and live in a foreign land.
To those saying that Muthana is an ingrate and an ungrateful moocher, well I say that you hold those views only because you think that anyone from a developing country is so poor that they should be grateful for even having the opportunity to live in an industrialized country without long term plans.
Muthana is not a likable character, I will give his critics that, but neither are the people that he comes in contact with save his roommate (immigrant, this is important). Muthana comes from a rich family with a patriach that is well connected, presumably in the Ba'ath party. He says that he comes from a middle class family; middle class by American standards, rich by Iraqi standards. He isn't super rich, but I suspect that in attitude and outlook his life isn't all that different from the people you see on shows like The Hills. Meaning that these are people who grew up in the lap of luxury and fame and aspire to lead life concomitant with what they see in film, movies, and on television. Muthana for all effects and purpose is no different from the kids from The Hills.
Does this make him a person not worthy of kindness? NO! What it does make him is a person that should not be patronized by people he views as equals; socially and otherwise. Hence, his immense pride. Middle class people in America tend to look, no matter their intents, patronizingly on foreigners, especially from countries that they little understand and know. They think that people from said countries are primitive, poor, and child like. Unfortunately, the people that tend to emigrate to the states are people from solidly middle class backgrounds, highly educated, and immensely prideful. And Muthana had all of these qualities in spade.
What happened on the set of Everything is Illuminated and Doom is that not one person nor Muthana knew exactly how to deal with one another. The filmmakers' own prejudicial assumption about foreigners is what ultimately derail their expectations. They think: Ok, we will bring in this "poor Iraqi" and he will know what to do from day one to be on his way to become a success, That he will work menial jobs like all immigrants, be subordinate and respectful, and most of all be grateful for our generosity. Muthana had his own expectations too. He is a sheltered and protected Iraqi kid who expects a middle class life no matter where he is. He isn't world weary nor is he world wise. No wonder he is prideful and scornful at his gofer role. He thought, as you all well know, that he was being given is true break, rather than being use as a pill to sooth the liberal pangs of Liev Schrieber aggravated by Bush's criminally idiotic war.
Muthana is immature, that is without doubt. But he is also naive. He didn't know the process of how to stay or emigrate from the czech republic, save, swallow his pride, or even the gravity of America's invasion of Iraq. And living in a bubble that is a Hollywood film set prevented those realities from setting in. He can't go back home again and he can't stay. Muthana would have benefited greatly from befriending other immigrants with first hand experience of how to survive in a foreign and strange country. Sure he asks for money a lot. But instead of just giving it to him like it will solve all his problem, one of the filmmakers should have sat down with Muthana, explain the gravity of his situation to him, tell him that he needs to swallow his pride and start literally from scratch, and finally point out to him the process to which he can lead a sustainable life while fulfilling his dream.
The filmmakers were exploitative enablers who give him money hoping that he will go away when it was they that brought him over to soothe their liberals pangs without any plans as to what to do with him concretely laid out(long sentence I know but bare with me). It wasn't until he got to the film school in london and living with an actual immigrant from an equally *beep* part of the world that the reality of his situation start to dawn on him. I have no doubt that Muthana will thrive and survive once he is out of the bubble of hollywood and around people that have to live in a day by day world. His roommate will no doubt help him more than what Liev, The Rock, and the docu-idiots put together. The biggest thing they did for Muthana is steering him into the path of said roommate because it is he that will teach him how to survive and live in a foreign land.
To those saying that Muthana is an ingrate and an ungrateful moocher, well I say that you hold those views only because you think that anyone from a developing country is so poor that they should be grateful for even having the opportunity to live in an industrialized country without long term plans.
Respect
But no matter what happens, Rourke says there's no danger that he'll ever revert to his hell-raising ways. "Look, a little time bomb's always gonna be in Mickey Rourke, OK?" he says. "But I used to have bad people around me. Now, I've got people around me who have my best interest at heart. I'm always going to be a volatile cat. If someone disrespects me, it's always going to be on, so I try not to put myself in positions where that's going to happen. I do everything I can to avoid that, because let me tell you . . . to live in a state of shame for so many years, to be a has-been . . . it hurts . . . it really did hurt."
Rourke chokes on those last few words, then takes a deep breath and asks his assistant to re-light his cigarette. "I'm so amazed that I'm getting a second chance," he says. "I said this to somebody recently: God's got a plan for us all. I sure as hell wish I would have looked at his instead of mine."
Rourke chokes on those last few words, then takes a deep breath and asks his assistant to re-light his cigarette. "I'm so amazed that I'm getting a second chance," he says. "I said this to somebody recently: God's got a plan for us all. I sure as hell wish I would have looked at his instead of mine."
BART
I guess it was inconvenient to mention that this guy was a violent repeat offender felon who'd just gotten out of prison for a gun and drug crime. Why does the paper spin him as a church going innocent? Recommend: (543) (208)[Report Abuse] |
While the officer should be held responsible for his actions, remember this never would have happend if these so called "men" weren't acting like a bunch of rowdy Junior High kids, and picking fights on BART that night. |
Agreement
1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
Gaza
Regarding the Palestinian refugees, you're correct in the 600,000 figure. There are 1.5 (or so) million refugees living in Gaza alone at the moment. My mis-citation.
Does the lower figure make it morally acceptable to force a people from their land?
Had the Nazis killed only 3 million Jews, I don't think their crime would have been any more acceptble -- do you?
You said, "The "new historians" have not used documents, they've been using oral histories"
Largely untrue. Avi Schlaim, for instance, relies heavily on Israeli government documents, which, like British documents, are unsealed after a period of decades.
You may find the information about the number of Palestinian Irregulars, vs the superior Jewish forces, in Mr. Schlaim's meticulously researched book, "The Iron Wall."
The figures cite the only important numbers in a war: forces on the ground (as opposed to theoretical support). Happy reading.
The Mufti-Nazi connection, though true, it is still a spurious detail.
Because of an individual's association, you would excuse punishing an entire people? Either you are unable to grasp the analogy -- or are intentionally obfuscating. Sophistry at its best.
Because Jonathan Pollard spied against the U.S. for Israel, does that make all Jewish Americans traitors or spies? I hardly think so.
Yes, Jewish groups did host high-ranking Nazi officials in Palestine.
That this is "Arab or Iranian" propaganda is laughable.
I'm sure, had I been trying to save Jews from extermination in Europe at the hands of the Nazis, I too would have tried to convince the Nazis to allow them to emmigrate to Palestine.
I raise the connection not to discredit the Jews who did this, but to point out the absurdity of your raising that old canard about the Grand Mufti.
My sources are already mentioned: Avi Schlaim, Benny Morris, Ilan Pappe... shall I go on?
Instead of knee-jerk reactions from the zionist-defense handbook, provide sources for your so-called "historical" references. I've made mine.
And, unlike you, I would actually read yours and be prepared to change my position.
Does the lower figure make it morally acceptable to force a people from their land?
Had the Nazis killed only 3 million Jews, I don't think their crime would have been any more acceptble -- do you?
You said, "The "new historians" have not used documents, they've been using oral histories"
Largely untrue. Avi Schlaim, for instance, relies heavily on Israeli government documents, which, like British documents, are unsealed after a period of decades.
You may find the information about the number of Palestinian Irregulars, vs the superior Jewish forces, in Mr. Schlaim's meticulously researched book, "The Iron Wall."
The figures cite the only important numbers in a war: forces on the ground (as opposed to theoretical support). Happy reading.
The Mufti-Nazi connection, though true, it is still a spurious detail.
Because of an individual's association, you would excuse punishing an entire people? Either you are unable to grasp the analogy -- or are intentionally obfuscating. Sophistry at its best.
Because Jonathan Pollard spied against the U.S. for Israel, does that make all Jewish Americans traitors or spies? I hardly think so.
Yes, Jewish groups did host high-ranking Nazi officials in Palestine.
That this is "Arab or Iranian" propaganda is laughable.
I'm sure, had I been trying to save Jews from extermination in Europe at the hands of the Nazis, I too would have tried to convince the Nazis to allow them to emmigrate to Palestine.
I raise the connection not to discredit the Jews who did this, but to point out the absurdity of your raising that old canard about the Grand Mufti.
My sources are already mentioned: Avi Schlaim, Benny Morris, Ilan Pappe... shall I go on?
Instead of knee-jerk reactions from the zionist-defense handbook, provide sources for your so-called "historical" references. I've made mine.
And, unlike you, I would actually read yours and be prepared to change my position.
Static
Truly, though, it was an exciting year, and I love and frequently think about you guys. I hope you're all doing exactly as you desire and tuning out the static.*
*For those who are unsure, static sounds like this:
"It's a very competitive field. You will probably never be (insert goal.)"
"You need something to fall back on."
"You need to be more realistic."
"You can't be (blank) and also (blank)."
"You blew your chance."
and my personal fave,
"You're not talented enough."
*For those who are unsure, static sounds like this:
"It's a very competitive field. You will probably never be (insert goal.)"
"You need something to fall back on."
"You need to be more realistic."
"You can't be (blank) and also (blank)."
"You blew your chance."
and my personal fave,
"You're not talented enough."
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