The Annointed Fig

A roommate had a knee replacement.  In constant pain, like he was forever on the verge of passing a kidney stone, the man had been on the fence for yeah-many months.  For just as many of those, he’d been bitching, so, I took the damn thing in my own hands, i.e., found a doctor, squared it away with his insurance, and voila, easy as pee, the man had a partial knee.

A light at the end of the tunnel

He bounced back faster than the veteran nurse on his floor expected, and they told him he’d be discharged in two, instead of three days.

In the evening of his first day, they pulled his catheter out.  And that’s when the fun part began.

The piss wouldn’t come.  Apparently, in newly catheterized men, it can happen.  He shouldn’t worry, all sorts out naturally, wouldn’t you know?  How would you feel, all blase?

He would stand over the pot, straining, and I would be listening through the heavy hospital door.  No cigar!  We tried the old hand in the warm water trick.  Nothing.  Enter a more direct application of water to the spout itself.  Not even close!  The poor guy drank like a Bedouin camel fresh from a Safari jaunt.  Not even a flicker of an idea anywhere below the belt.  He even took a shower, thought expressly forbidden, his cut-up knee sticking out over the rim.  Not a chance!

Fresh from his surgery, he spent the better part of the next 24 hours trying.  Who woulda thunk how much I would miss that little tinkling sound?  And in light of it sorta being my fault…

Discharged now, cue continued trying.  Then, straight cath to drain the bladder distended to what the home care nurse said was a good 72-hour output.  Straight cath meaning a quick in and out, the wham-bam-thank you, ma’am, if you’re into gory details.

More frigging trying.  More cath.  An emergency room.  A urologist visit.  Another ER trip.  A few uncertain drops making it out.  For volume measurement, piss being collected in the toilet brush bowl, one without a lid.  Did I mention the situation stank?

A permanent catheter put in to get the bladder down from where it got distended and now exhibiting the tendencies of a lazy relation mooching off a softhearted retiree.

Knee exercises a requirement at that point, they put a damn new meaning into jumping through hoops — or, at least, over a catheter leash.

Another trip to a urologist on the far side of town.  Catheter out (about time, it being 3 days).  De nada!  Zilch, for my non-Spanish speaking groupies.  A urologist visit.  Catheter in again, and hello, Thanksgiving weekend!  As you can imagine, a gravy boat-full to celebrate.  Or, rather, there was — a more portable, even more permanent catheter.  Stop by after the holidays, and enjoy your Flomax and turkey!  Your prostate is losing its youthful figure, but you don’t need a surgery, not yet, just check out this photograph obtained…yep, through more straight catherization.  The one immediately proceeding the permanent cath.

The man’s Thanksgiving came later.  6 days later, to be exact.  That very permanent catheter was out.

New batch of free-flowing piss started making it into a toilet brush bowl.  And the output left some to be desired.  But it was there, which yet another urologist visit proved via their benighted ultrasound.

And then, that sound resumed, the audible kind, the one I was actually missing (no, not a golden shower fan, thanks very much).  The melody of piss tinkling into a toilet bowl, hitting the water with a crystalline tone of a self-assured stream, the droplets drying on the black lacquer toilet seat into lemony polka dots.

I used to rage.  Used to demand the guy, at least, get the toilet seat UP, like a normal male persuasion pig, not splatter the thing.

I am doing it, again, on the eve of the man’s well-check urologist visit.  In fact, I will be doing it just as soon as I wash the seat clean and use it myself.  Well, I will as soon as he wakes up, because it is 2 in the AM, and I like my victim lively when I go all nuclear on their chauvinist ass.

Really? It's true?! Ooof, color me relieved!

But just then, for a few weeks following Thanksgiving, the man had a carte blanche.

And now, let me post-face.  This ain’t a Flomax commercial.  I’m not even sure that is what specifically helped.  But it was there, as were the urologist, the nurses, the concerned surgeon, the toilet brush bowl, the re-baptized seat, the catheters, the turkey, the…  Everyone, please, take a bow!

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The very first vegan I ran into was my high school English teacher, and back then, I have to admit I just didn’t understand the lifestyle.  Nor did I ever go to the trouble of trying.  A lot of it, certainly, had to do with my unwavering belief in everything not in the roasted chicken, macaroni cheese, and fruit salad food groups enjoying no basic right to culinary existence.  But it is, unfortunately, true that a great deal of my early antagonism stemmed from the personality of the vegan in question.

Hey, kids! How 'bout another Big Mac?

Only a decade later — and I now realize measuring an entire lifestyle choice by a single practitioner is…well, abominably stupid.  Better later than never, some would say, and yes, they would be right.  But that was high school.

In college, studying health sciences, I learned the intricacies of bad cholesterol and good, of triglycerides derived from different food sources, of atherosclerosis contributing to the skyrocketing rates of heart disease here in the US — and of inherent dangers and surprising benefits of raw, vegan, vegetarian, no-carb — and fully integrated omnivorous diets.  There’s latter in every one — just as there is a former (these, mostly from uninformed food choices and bad decisions made by every slice of our foodie spectrum).  I suppose the only type of diet I would these days condemn off the bet would be a supersized Big Mac one.

Which brings me to Supersize Me, a single most illustrative (if somewhat preachy and pseudo-scientific) demonstration of what it is to live on clean, self-sustained cuisine vs. the self-indulgent God-knows-what-they-put-in-it dietary school of thought of a rather prominent chunk of American population.

Certainly, it bears to be said the sacrifices Morgan Spurlock went to are obvious to an even unconverted carnivore, but the movie’s relevance to the vegan lifestyle lies actually in what was practically a movie’s afterword.  Once Mr. Spurlock’s self-appointed month was through and his vitals ascertained to be all over the place (which is a tad surprising, considering his binging hadn’t lasted that long, though I am not at all disputing the validity of the findings), what did he turn to to detox?  And what actually helped?

You guessed it, the tasty and cleansing fare as prepared by his girlfriend, Alexandra Jamieson, the longsuffering vegan chief.

She didn’t nag him (at least, not on camera), didn’t quote him statistics to the tune of 40% decrease in heart-related deaths for those, practicing vegetarianism.  That glaring difference being further enhanced by purely vegan choices, not to mention the decreased incidence of colon and lung cancer, kidney and gallstones, diabetes, and even later-life sexual dysfunction, she would have had plenty of ammunition.  She didn’t use it.

What she did was prepare him a going-away-to-fight-the-devils-of-consumerism feast — and a purifying post-experiment regimen to gently get him back down from his perpetual sugar high and unclog the arteries unused to the onslaught of saturated fats.

Of course, that a man used to vegan cuisine responded so beautifully to reentering his comfort zone isn’t much of a shocker, but that his is only one example of vegan detox and that it works just as well for those heretofore completely unexposed to this lifestyle, is.

As things currently stand, I am neither a vegetarian nor a red-meat-gobbling carnivore, but will I ever scoff at vegan food choices again?  I can safely say, never.

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Me, I had it easy. Today, entirely via e-mail, I had the chance to pick the brain of a very curious cat –- an enigmatic new media pioneer, who, true to his (or her) milieu, thus far is remaining stubbornly anonymous behind their online avatar. Putting the “new” into New Media, this individual, known only as “Project Manager” or “AvZ,” plays a key role in bringing together the talent, funding, and direction behind an ambitious crossover Internet + Television show with the working title of Lombardi Street.

Kick your old habit for a new one.

Integrating publicity via virtual platforms, top of the line editing equipment, fan participation in the creation of a big-budget serialized show, and simultaneous release of the content through both the Web and regular TV makes Lombardi Street a rather different animal from the typical fare. The line between fans and the show’s creators is blurred, as is that between the real world and that of the fictional characters and their nearest, dearest, and most hated. The glue connecting all these previously distant concepts is this newfangled thing known as the Internet, which for many of us has become quite the second life.

“Never follow the straight and narrow,” is the chosen slogan, and indeed, “Project Manager” stays true to these words, as do members of the writing team, drafted from the very same community of fans that follow the show’s development. Constant vetting of creative talent keeps the cream of the crop behind the reigns and in front of the camera, and keeps the focus on the show’s complex characters, not on plot-driven writing.

And now, let’s get to the meat of this interview…

You mentioned countless cups of coffee as an inspiration. Where did you drink it? Whom with? Basically, do you have a big team in place or are you going it solo? How exactly did the concept come to be?

There has been a great deal of speculation as to who I am and/or we are. The reason that this is not revealed is rather simple. Most new shows flow from the top-down creating assumptions and expectations before even beginning the exploration of the project. If I were Stephen Bochco [writer and producer of NYPD Blue], there would be expectations entered before we begin.

If I were Robert Smith form Portland, Maine — the same thing — only with different expectations. The more important part of this question is how did this come to be. We have entered a whole new world of communication and personal reach, enabled by the Internet. This reach has opened every small corner of the globe and we wanted to insure that it reached into our industry — which is ripe for change.

What exactly is the main thrust of Lombardi Street, making it in the entirely transparent style or preparing it mainly for multimedia field. Are you planning to bypass television?

The primary point of Lombardi Street is to entertain. This is first and foremost a show that we anticipate will entertain its audience. The transparent style is in part based on the concept of entertaining and in part based on the need to bring the secrets of the industry to light. We do not operate in a vacuum; people want to know about the actors, the writers and more, so rather than having it appear in outside Web sites and magazines, we provide it here.

We do not intend to bypass television, but we also do not see it as the only presentational medium. We intend to have this show broadcast traditionally worldwide, but also intend to release it first on the Web. It is my firm belief that in the very near future, viewers will be watching Web-distributed shows on their regular televisions though the use of some new device that facilitates that, as well as watching on handheld (mobile) devices and PCs.

I know it has been answered to an extent in the writer’s group, but for the benefit of the public, what is the proposed rating for the program? Or are you going the NR route?

We have not set, and will not set a rating. Life is not rated, neither is the show. The general production will be kept to the norms and conforms of society; however, there will be threads that expand well beyond that. They will be clearly labeled but available for viewing. This show is intended for young adults and up and we will adhere to the standards of the global collective.

Do you have funding already to the tune of $35 mil/year, which you are bringing up on the site, or are you counting on getting it once the word of mouth spreads across the Web and, possibly, the print editions?

We do not have $35 million. We do have investors, advertisers and others that will allow us to start this show, but, again, like any venture this must appeal to the public and draw an audience which will allow the funding, both from investors and advertisers to grow. The $35mm is the anticipated budget for the production for its first year.

Never follow the straight and narrow.

Your writers are all from over the place, and talent and directors are ranging even further. How do you intend to get them in one place? Relocation packages? Trips on-location? Or are you going to be doing this solely on the Web? How about a chemistry test, for instance? What if the actors ultimately chosen do well on their own, but lack that spark together that makes them a “supercouple”?

Many production positions can be handled remotely and will be done that way; however, while the technology facilitates long distance communication, it will never replace face to face interaction. Actors will all undergo screen tests and will be required to read with other candidates exactly to determine on screen chemistry. Writers will collaborate online but will still have to attend regular in person meetings and workshops. We have opened all positions to anyone globally and will select them based on talent, individual capability and perseverance. When filming begins, we will work with individuals to insure that they are where they need to be, whatever those requirements are.

On the topic of actors, do you mean to use any established talent or draw solely from those registered to the site? What if, say, Jessica Alba registers, would she be in the running? Or are you focusing on undiscovered actors for the time being? Same for directors, etc.

This has been a very hard fought answer. We have developed a policy that ALL personnel for Lombardi Street will come from the Web site. Selections will be based on individual participation and collective response to the Web-based activity. That will include even Jessica Alba. We do believe that talent is everywhere and that only the smallest portion ever has the opportunity to get discovered. Hopefully, Lombardi Street will change part of that by opening opportunity to all, even those who are already famous.

How do you intend to advertise on the show? During commercial breaks? Or via product placement? Or do you mean to do the adverts on the Micro-net once you extend the universe out beyond the filmed segments?

Advertising is an integral part of Lombardi Street. There will be sponsor pre-rolls on the web video and extensive product placement. Broadcast shows will probably have standard ads. The Web site will include banner ads and a new form of non intrusive pull-based advertising. One of the primary differences is that we will not attempt to hide or sneak in advertising. There will be product placement on the show, but rather than a hidden ad, we will laud and fete the support of the advertiser on the Web site, as well as show exactly how well the advertiser supported the show. We believe that if you like the show and the advertiser helps keep the show alive, then you will in turn appreciate the advertiser for its support. Open, honest and upfront.

How happy are you so far with how this thing is going? I notice you’re beating your own estimates as far as signing up goes. How big do you envision your community growing before the show?

Lombardi Street in the Web is not quite a month old. It has surpassed expectations and we anticipate continued growth, but have not placed any specific milestones in place. Our advertisers and sponsors have key points which dictate the level of payment and we know the more members, the easier the continual quest for revenue will be. For me, a key indicator is not how many people we have when the first episode airs, but what the growth is once it is running.

Which brings me to, when do you think to start filming and then release it to the public?

Filming will begin in late August and the first show is to be released mid-September. It is a short turnaround, but this show is meant to be based on life, so we intend to bring real live events into the production in as real a time frame as possible. In addition, because of the unique nature of the integration with the audience through the Web site, we have designed the show to be responsive to the audience, not driven by it, but responsive. We anticipate extensive use of technology to shorten the time between filming and presentation.

Meet "Project Manager". Really.

And, finally, is there a chance to see the man or woman behind the mask? Who are you, a writer, producer, director, Web junkie? All of the above? Are you yourself planning to contribute to the show other than through overall direction?

Yes. I very much look forward to the day that I get to personally meet the fascinating people that have begun participating on this site. Who am I? All of the things you said. A writer, a producer, a director and a web junkie. And yes, I firmly intend to contribute to the show directly, but not as a dictator. I have found a remarkable volume of prodigious talent exists in this world and I am thrilled to be a part of what we get to uncover and present.

—-

I found our question and answer session with the mysterious “Project Manager” informative, and I hope you did, too. Lombardi Street truly brings television fans around the world together in not just enjoying a great show, but also participating in its creation; thus, anyone in its growing online community can be considered as a potential team member.

If you think I was just a tad biased, being a member of the writing team myself, well, I quite possibly am guilty as charged. It’s not every day I can connect with all my fellow fans and creative minds around the world, much less shape the way the show develops!

I look forward to hearing from you all what you think about this new way of doing television, and what other questions you might like answered before Lombardi Street goes live, both in your living room and a global, virtual world that many of us call our second home.

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This is bull!

The Wall Street Bull, and, yes, that’s me, taking it by the horns — and hoping it doesn’t turn into a bear mid-bonding.

Bull's...eye

How many times have we heard of it, saw it, fondled its rump? And how many of those times have we been silently comforted by its immutable bulk signaling these few city blocks’ importance to the global markets?

Not so much these days. The much-touted Stimulus Bill is finally signed into law – and yet, as the stocks are at their lowest in the last 6 years, the oil is unexpectedly up, dollar back in its nosedive, and unemployment benefits hovering at 5 million claims, give or take, the public, according to an Associated Press – GfK poll, is growing increasingly concerned about losing jobs, not having enough money to pay the bills, and seeing their retirement accounts shrink.

Small wonder then, that NYC is a global economic capital no longer. According to the leading experts, the bulk of stock trading is slowly but surely trickling out of Wall Street to pool in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong. The best in the foreign currency exchange have for a long time now been found during London trading. Some of it is attributable to our current economic chaos, but given many first-world countries suffering the same, it would be merely a pat response, not an altogether true one.

More, the same experts predict that even once US economy stabilizes, Wall Street bull shouldn’t count on resuming the lead. Best it could hope for is remaining competitive in the herd of its fast-emerging contenders.  An anathema to its entrenched, comfortable mindset — but one, perhaps, that would spur it on.  Horses are said to do marvelously under a whip.  Does the same hold true for bovines?

PS.  Just so we’re clear, if I saw whipping happen in my immediate vicinity to a non-metal beast, the rider had better have a substitute at home, because the one I’ll be getting my hands on will be SO getting broken.

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Is there room for total disclosure when the stakes are this high? Is this the answer to the conflict, or merely more fuel for the fire?

We need openness, communication…don’t we?  How are we to build a relationship — or, for that matter, anything of value — on lies?

Oh, honey, you lost weight!

But if you’re a guy, and your girl has scrounged up on a new 1st anniversary dress, and you think it makes her butt look like it’s grown a Volkswagen Beetle, will you tell her?  What if you’re a wife, and your mother-in-law is a preachy twit who only flies in once a year for your daughter’s birthday, are you going to corner her sniffing roses in your slightly overgrown backyard and make her SEE she just ain’t welcome?

No, certainly, these are unfair questions to ask.  We MUST have transparency, so you would be brutally honest… NOT!   Well, some of us might — and some wouldn’t even entertain the notion.  But the point is, if we look one step ahead of where we are, of what we might poised on the brink of, it has a potential of changing our course.  Think before you step, right?

So, SHOULD we think before opening a can of wildly copulating worms that is Gitmo / Abu Ghraib / put-in-your-US-concentration-camp-of-choice?  Should we do some private housecleaning of those ultimately responsible for the failed policies while simply letting the detainees go, providing them and their families with lifetime psychiatric help (THAT ought to come out a doozy), and shelling out a hefty hush-hush fee.  Call it pain and suffering comp.  All politically correct and, mostly, no one the wiser.

See, I received a few thought-provoking comments yesterday, and the tattletale that I am, I can’t wait to share them with the class.

First feedback…well, I guess, I already did.  See, can’t keep my mouth shut, what did I tell you?  Certain someone I spoke to claims that the less visibility the ghost detainees now enjoy, the more peace the coming few years are liable to bring.  Why give anyone even more ideas, they say?  Why breed discontent, mistrust, outright hatred for a country that did already switch its course?  Why facilitate the birthing of a new generation of hotheads (from either end of political spectrum) by pointlessly publicizing the abuse some don’t believe in — and others would be willing to die for and kill to avenge?  Shouldn’t we let sleeping dogs lie while not just avowing, but also demonstrating the resolve in our current intentions?

To which my gut reaction was – …but the honesty, the change, the promises we accepted — and made, the spirit of Democracy, the due process, the…   However, and I emphasize, that was my GUT reaction.  Just, unfortunately, as it had been the gut reactions of those that actually instituted the horrors.  Did they THINK of what would be lying ahead, would the waterboarding have ever made to the very top of the CNN-FOX-HUFFINGTON POST Billboards?

When questioned by BBC Hardtalk’s Tim Sebastian on whether he was prepared to blow himself up in Palestine, Dr. Azzam Tamimi (spokesman for Muslim Association of Britain [MAB] and head of London’s Institute of Islamic Political Thought) replied: “If I can go to Palestine and sacrifice myself I would do it. Why not?” What scares me is hundreds, even thousands, with the similar lines of thought.  We did make sure to provide plenty of fuel to the whole “Westerners are EEEEEVIL” selling point without dipping into our can of worms.  Now, out of those thousands, most will continue sitting on their hands and grouch, something like “if I could do this, and this, and that, oh, I would, sure, you can believe it, but me, I can’t, I’m too important, I’m needed too much, so, you know, I just can’t.  But I can sure cheer from the sidelines”.

Unfortunately, for every hundred VIPs, there will be one, or two, or…well, I guess the ultimate harvest will depend on just how well we’ll fertilize that ground…who will NOT stumble through the stock response.  They will just run for political office and become the new Ismail Haniyeh, an embattled ex-Prime Minister of Palestine Authority still exercising prime ministerial authority in the Gaza Strip.  Or they can just pick up a pilot’s license and fly a plane at…well, sky literally is the limit.  Or they can far less glamorously blow themselves up and take a couple of kids, a few kosher-chicken lugging grandmas, and a score of their own brothers in faith making their living on the infidel market right along with them.

Is it Apocalypse, yet?

And so, it brings me right back to that Restaurant at the End of the Universe.  One step, and the gameworld changes.  Did people in power think, truly think of what their decisions may usher?  Not even will, MAY.  And isn’t the very possibility already too much?  Or did they react — out of the very best, although misguided, intentions, greed, our countrywide certainty that because it suits us, it surely is on the side of the angels?

And if react they did, do we — now, picking our tattered pride out of the ashes of global firestorms that is our failing economy, mind-boggling deficit, shaky relations with the famished Russian bear, Al Qaeda leaders still roaming free and thus handily winning our self-styled war on terror — have the luxury of doing the same?

Crickets chirping.  An empty beggar’s cup.

Anyone, please, anyone, throw your 2 cents in?  Me, I’m all out.

But I do have a new piece of information thanks to another responder that has given me hope as nothing had in quite a while.

You see, I just found out about Ed Husain, otherwise known as Ghaffar Hussain, a British national, a former radical Islamist, and now — a head of Quilliam Foundation, a respected UK think tank seeking to combat extremism (which it calls a terrorism precursor) and made up of…no, can’t say it better than it had itself, so, I’ll just let it introduce itself, shall I?  “…our founders are former leading ideologues of UK-based extremist Islamist organizations – organizations that are still active today”.  So, how d’you like them apples?

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend” mentality is what he blames for the rise and, indeed, continued existence of radical Islamism. By having a  “foe in western capitalism, which it can conveniently blame for all of the world’s ills”, it’s flourishing — and picking up support in the unlikeliest places.  This is basically a gist of the man’s own op-ed piece.

A similar reasoning comes through loud and clear in Husain’s latest interview with Salon’s Yassin Musharbash and highlights, to me, anyway, that there is in fact a solution other than the escalating war on terror — or the encroaching Jew-loving West, or whatever it is the ideologues from either side will undoubtedly call it.  But before the Koran, and Bible, and Torah-justified healing can begin, must there be a blanket blank slate or a no-holds-barred, no-relationship-is-pure-without-one, uncompromising disclosure?

Stop pestering me! Gotta assertain my position.

There are certainly pros and cons for either path, opinions are like holes stuffed with multitude of donkeys, but, hey, at least, in this case, I CAN BE SURE mine don’t stink – for now, I just don’t think I’m ready to have one.

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No, not touting my own horn.  In fact, not in much of a party mood, am I?

Don't you just hate when that happens?

To plagiarize from myself, “as long as the left hand does not know what the right is up to, groups like Amnesty International and CCR will not be among those laying off workers for the global unemployment queues”, and well, thanks to the commenter on my post, I just found out I was right.  The good folks at Amnesty International USA aren’t out of a job yet.  At least, partially right, anyway, and now, as an Obama supporter, all I can say is, I had better be right on the remaining half, too.

Yes, I would abhor a government where there is no accountability because no one knows what everyone around them is doing – including the top echelons of power – and the only light at the end of the tunnel is that of the retirement bennies.  But honest to God, I would much rather take that over the other sort, the one where our new Commander in Chief who had gotten his landslide victory precisely on the promise to do better, is signing off on the orders to close down Gitmo with the same pen, with which he later bestows on Mr. Letter the constitution-unsanctified right to persist with the governmental coverup of atrocities committed in the name of our continued safety and freedom.

Because, you see, per New York Times, questioned whether the new men on top are aware of the government attorney’s motion to dismiss before the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on the case of Mr. Binyam Mohamed and four other detainees against a Boeing subsidiary for arranging flights for the Bush administration’s “extraordinary rendition” program on the grounds that even trying the suit would result in the security leaks, the man replied with  “No, your Honor.”  The stand he was taking, he said, was “thoroughly vetted with the appropriate officials within the new administration,” and “these are the authorized positions” .

Considering that according to Mr. Mohamed’s own diary obtained by Telegraph, he was systematically tortured, shuttled from one hellhole of a prison to another, denied the basic rights accorded, at least nominally, our worst serial killers and sex offenders, and bearing in mind he is now well into the second month of his hunger strike, doesn’t it stand to reason that the more expeditiously the case is tried, the better its chances of wiping clean  the accusations of cruelty and violations of the tenets (if not the letter) of the Geneva Protocol staining our nation?

And yet, famous for its call to change, the new President’s administration is following in the bloodied footsteps of the last.  And leaving this disappointed voter, at least, hoping for a lesser evil.

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February 13th, 2009. Circuit City is gone, heretofore invincible Starbucks is floundering in the stock markets, President Obama has just scored his first major victory in Congress — and I have a blog. Who knew? Life does change, don’t it?

This REALLY makes me see red!

But let’s rewind back less than 2 years ago. June 7, 2007, to be exact — and the group of brave independent-minded folks at The Center for Constitutional Rights, in collaboration with Amnesty International USA and Washington Square Legal Services who had gone against Bush-Cheney executive privilege screen and filed a Ghost Detention and Extraordinary Detention suit under the Freedom of Information Act. And yesterday, I was privileged to be among the first few to learn the details of what their victory against the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the Central Intelligence Agency actually entails.

Now, let’s backtrack a little more, to April 2004 when 60 minutes broke for television audiences a New Yorker story, revealing some truly horrendous torture and prisoner abuse that has been going on in a little piece of heaven called Abu Ghraib. Turns out that this is just the tip of the iceberg – people have been disappearing abroad, being tortured and held without a trial or even being charged with a crime, with no access to their families or legal counsel, for an indefinite amount of time. No, this wasn’t the Soviet Union – this was good old US of A.

In those “Mission Accomplished” days, when waterboarding – no it’s not a fun thing to do at the beach – was an accepted interrogation technique, along with being stripped naked and assaulted with angry guard dogs, the only means of combating such abuse – which was always shrouded in secrecy and under the guise of ‘securing the homeland’ – was to bring it to light. And the good people at CCR and Amnesty did just that.

During a conference call held on February 12, 2009, representatives from the plaintiff groups involved in this case spoke to journalists regarding the case and their findings.  It had been revealed that the documents obtained via the favorable court ruling confirm the existence of secret prisons; affirm the Department of Defense’s cooperation with the CIA’s ghost detention program; and show one case where the DOD sought to delay the release of Guantánamo prisoners who were scheduled to be sent home by almost two months so as to avoid the bad press.

“These newly released documents confirm our suspicion that the tentacles of the CIA’s abusive program reached across agency lines,” said Margaret Satterhwaite, Director of NYU International Human Rights Clinic. “In fact, it is increasingly obvious that defense officials engaged in legal gymnastics to find ways to cooperate with the CIA’s activities. A full accounting of all agencies must now take place to ensure that future abuses don’t continue under a different guise.”

Though the vast majority of the documents obtained from DOD’s   Transportation Command, among others named in the suit, are the reprinted news articles, there is one internal email dated February 17, 2006—relating to Guantánamo detainees scheduled for release—that is of particular significance to the CCR. It recommends “hold[ing] off on return flights for 45 days or so until things die down. Otherwise we are likely to have hero’s welcomes awaiting the detainees when they arrive.” The email also recommends transfer in a smaller, more discrete plane and has attached a reference to the United Nations (UN) report released around that time criticizing Guantánamo.

Despite filing under the FOIA, however, the groups’ efforts were undermined by heavy redactment, foot-dragging, and outright violations of the law.

“Out of thousands of pages, most of what might be of interest was redacted,” said Tom Parker, Amnesty International’s (USA) Policy Director for Counterrorism, Terrorism, and Human Rights. “While the sheer number of pages creates the appearance of transparency, it is clear this is only the tip of the iceberg and that the government agencies have not complied with spirit of President Obama’s memo on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. We call on Attorney General Eric Holder and the Obama administration to put teeth into the memo and work actively to comply with FOIA requests.”

It is telling, that throughout the years during which the fate of the suit was being deliberated in courts, these so-called ‘ghost detainees’ have been shuttled around from country to country, to avoid the legal entanglements of keeping these individuals imprisoned without due process.

As shameful as it is to hear of such gross violations being perpetrated by agents of my own country, one that is supposedly the belweather of Democracy, it will be comforting to learn that with President Obama’s change of political direction, such ‘black sites’ like Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay will have finally — and forevermore — ceased to exist. But as long as the left hand does not know what the right is up to, groups like Amnesty International and CCR will not be among those providing contingent for the global unemployment queues.

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My cat is 2.5 years old.  In cat years…let’s round it to 20.

Masha is a purebred.  Top of the line Traditional Siamese.  Seven generations of her ancestors have documented pedigrees.  Her mom’s a breed standard, check the Wiki.  And no, this isn’t a cat personals post — though considering she will soon be going back in heat…  Hmm, hold that thought.

Cattus Interruptus

But for now, where I was going is this.  She’s my baby — who will need to be bred.  It’s just good sense, healthwise.  But boy, am I not ready to be a grandmother!

Sure, there are youthful grandmas, but by and large, the stereotype is still the apple-crisp-baking church-going dog-walking Thanksgiving-feast-whipping Paula Dean (without the line of cookware to supplement her dwindling retirement income).  And that just doesn’t seem fair, not when we’re contemplating being measured against that particular yardstick.

Can we live up to it?  Will we?  Why, in our age of post-feminism, would anyone want to excel at something so…Christmas Carol?

And what about the 40, 36, 32-year old grandmothers?  Are they having it all?  Are we, as a culture, as individuals too used to our own Paula clones shrewdly sizing us up from inside flowerette-studded picture frames proclaiming, “Love, Grandma”?  Can we accept seeming youth (only to become more apparent as our lifespans increase) being mature enough to offer the young mothers of our generation the guidance they received from their own?

My own mom is 60, looks between 50 and 55, and nearly the day my son was born, she started calling herself “old woman”.  What do 40-year olds with children all of 13 begetting their own living dolls call themselves?  What would I, once Masha pushes out her kittens?  (Yes, I AM still contemplating that cat personals ad, don’t hurry me along, will you?!)  I asked her, but I’m still not sure how Mom is handling her new role — which has nothing to do with what my son calls her (Grandma, Mimi, Maman, Lisa – I never understood that fear of being named what you really are — doesn’t it STILL amount to the same thing? And no, my mom is perfectly OK with that part.), and has everything to do with how she sees herself.

I wonder, do we immediately assume a persona we feel is inherent to any role we take on — voluntarily (when we find a new job, get engaged, leave a bad marriage) or through no conscious action (get called to jury duty, drafted, canned, become grandparents)?  Are we so preconditioned to losing our sense of self that we must play to what we we see as everyone’s expectations?  Or is it our own?

And are these very expectations responsible for letting ourselves go?  Heeding unneeded advice?  Committing atrocities in what we think is the name of our country?  Our Lord?  And would either of those really want that?

Do we have to act in the certain way just because generations before us have?  But if we had, where would have all the progress come from?  And if we are able to shed preconceptions when it comes to literature, and medicine, and atomic bombs in place of chariot combat, then perhaps it just might be time to accept that we, as human species, as a civilization have changed sufficiently in the past handful of decades that we might start viewing ourselves through just ours, just today’s perceptions?

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I love HIM!

You know… His Infernal Majesty? Ville Valo has the talent, the voice, the
hair…the low-riding pants. Well, hey, I am a girl! But up till now, there hasn’t been anyone I’ve ran into here in the US that had the same flair – and catchy songs (albeit in a distinctly more uplifting style).

Bringing man, child, and camel together.

You see, I had the chance to preview a few singles from an as yet uncut CD by an up-and-coming crooner – Zander Bleck. And it snowballed from there.

Or, in this case – sandstormed? On a dry Saharan backdrop, with a couple of camels for decor, Zander looked untamed, and dare I say – untamed. In the middle of recording a music video for his new single “Beyond the Horizon”, he was kind enough to take some of his time to speak to a newly minted fan.

And no, before you ask – we did not delve into Zander’s relationships. But our conversation did give me a helpful glimpse into the mind and the voice of a fiercely independent artist. Eschewing the controlling influence and backing of the corporate record industry, Mr. Bleck, 24, is determined to retain creative control, even if it means going it alone.

“I have contemplated American Idol since it is such a dominant spring board to world wide fame,” he confided.  “But I look at myself as more of an all around artist instead of just a “singer”  They are looking for a diamond in the rough who would be nothing on their own and they can “shape” anyway they want.   I want that freedom in the art that i am producing.”

Born and raised in rural New Jersey, young Zander was surrounded by music since he was a child. Inspired by his father’s unfailing determination and God-given talent, and stories of a grandfather he’d never met, he began developing a musical taste of his own. With it, came a decision to grow it into a full-fledged career.

But what’s a musician’s lifestory without a few bumps along the road? Zander had to buckle down and keep himself going. Of course, in his case, it was with a flourishing modeling career. What was merely an opportunity to see the world for him resulted in reaching this rather competitive field’s topmost tiers.

And then, Zander quit. Oh, at some point, he would be willing enough to endorse some products, but looking to the forewater of the industry, he doesn’t want to be just a buff body or a handsome face.

An artist inspired by Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Coldplay, he is self-taught. And his sound is just diverse enough to appeal to quite a wide range of fans. That might be because he sees visuals when he is writing, and never does it come true clearer than in his debut single “Get Up.”

“When I write or sing my songs, I find more often then not, I am singing to people like myself,” Zander clarified.  “Those searching for more in this life, who want to open their minds, I want to motivate them to pursue their wildest dreams, fall in love, travel far, embrace the unknown and fantasize, and just enjoy, and reflect every aspect of this beautiful life.”

Himself one of the earlier Obama groupies, Zander, too, wants to get the world to turn on its lights. With his Jamie Fanatic’s dance remixes, performances in one of the newer Big Apple hotspots, The Greenhouse, his trip to Mali to capture the primeval glory of the Essakane for his desert-themed Beyond the Horizon song, he might just do that.

As work on Beyond the Horizon was finished, Zander showed me his latest work:

I was blown away – the song is ever the more haunting before the stark contrast of the Saharan lifestyle to the urban ways we call our own. Artistic quality aside – the visual production of the piece was top notch, making it easy to forget that that was a self-made talent, producing his music and videos without the financial backing of a label.

This musician is definitely going places. And this fan will certainly be bookmarking his website and MySpace page for further updates.

Hope to see you there, too!

• A Hanging Offense There are drug overdoses, medical mistakes, murders. Then, there are suicides, and in comparison they seem...  no, not worse, but rather more...senseless, somehow. [/caption] We are wired to protect our lives.  Our fight or flight response is definitely a part and parcel of our genetic makeup.  If we didn't have......
• A Giant Leap for Mankind February 13th, 2009. Circuit City is gone, heretofore invincible Starbucks is floundering in the stock markets, President Obama has just scored his first major victory in Congress -- and I have a blog. Who knew? Life does change, don't it? [/caption] But let's rewind back less than 2 years ago.......
• On the Side of the Angels! What wouldn't you to do to protect someone you love?  And doesn't this, whatever it is, sometimes carry the ringing name of "justifiable homicide"? [/caption] An abused woman can kill in self-defense.  A dog won't be put down for tearing out an intruder's throat and thereby saving her owner.  A......
• The Pit Ball Goes to the Dogs as Vicktory Emerges Victorious [/caption] I wrote about The Great Pit Ball before -- when it was just a glimmer in its host's eye. A very defined kind of glimmer, true, but when we talked, everything for the grand event was only just coming together. Today, I spoke to Mr. Bond again, with The......
• Second Chances Two days ago, I had a chance to speak to an amazing person. Brandon Bond, world-renowned tattoo artist, savvy businessman -- and someone who has dedicated his not inconsiderable celebrity to rescuing those, whom our society has deemed unfit to so much as exist. I am certain, I won't be......

• Musician Profile for Isaac Stern American violinist Isaac Stern was born on July 21, 1920 and died on September 22, 2001. During his lifetime, he won several prestigious awards, including the 1982 Sonning Award and a number of Grammys. In addition to receiving recognition for his own works, Stern was also known to have a......
• Book Review: Celtic, Blues and Beyond (Acoustic Master Class Series) by Al Petteway This book and CD combination is a part of the Acoustic Masterclass series, teaching Celtic music, blues music and beyond. Al Petteway offers advanced guitar arrangements in this tome. As an award-winning composer and guitarist, Al Petteway has developed a unique style for guitar solos that mixes up numerous different......
• Nicki Minaj Says Lil Wayne Is 'In Great Spirits' 'He's his same self ... just even more business-minded,' she tells MTV News of her incarcerated Young Money boss.By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Kelly Marino Nicki Minaj Photo: MTV News Lil Wayne may be physically separated from his Young Money protégés while he serves out a yearlong sentence in......
• KEM How did you find your way back into my life Kem has a beautiful voice. If you aren't familiar with his sound, he is sound-worthy. He is a Nigerian American R&B/soul singer, songwriter, and producer raised in Detroit, Michigan. Many of his songs deal with spirituality/God. After finishing high school, Kem dealt with homelessness, addiction, and isolation from his family.......
• Bright Star starring Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw and Paul Schneider [/caption] So I kept hearing so much about The Piano all these years. You probably have heard of it, even if you haven’t seen it. Critically acclaimed, Oscar-winner and all that. And I thought it was time I should watch this popular Jane Campion film. Since I was going to......

She collaborated with Buffy’s avuncular Mayor on destroying the world — and helped one reporter’s mother overcome cancer. She is a darling of the gay community worldwide — and, through no desire of her own, an inspiration to Death Row inmates still penning her love letters.

Eliza Dushku - what a doll!

Meet Eliza Patricia Dushku, a self-admitted tomboy, a friend of the Albanian president, a star of the gritty Alphabet Killer, a woman in the business of entertaining millions for the past 15 years — and an executive producer, not to mention face, of FOX’s new high-profile sci-fi drama Dollhouse.

Today, Eliza and a group of journalists (read: fans) hooked up for a candid interview about her free-spirit ways, her enormous responsibilities, and her hopes for, at least, a five-year run in an admittedly difficult 9 PM Friday timeslot.

Eliza charmed us with her self-depreciating ways. “I am pretty adaptable,” she said. “Throw me in the water, and I will hopefully learn to swim.” And she gave away quite a few tantalizing glimpses into the fate of TV’s new intrepid — yet curiously childlike — heroine known to her handlers as “Echo”.

As for example, this season, there are only 13 episodes, and they have all been shot. In fact, the filming wrapped up last week. Now, Eliza and Joss Whedon, the hand behind the pen, are doing the promotional blitz while looking forward to returning to the writers’ room.

Yes, that’s right. Eliza is in the thick of things. Not satisfied with being merely a… doll, she’s been there from that first lunch up, when Joss and she, decade-long friends, reconnected and came up with what is widely touted as one of the edgiest, most controversial series to come on the boob tube in  recent times.

It's a DOLLHOUSE out here!

“It deals with enslavement of people, of erasing their identity”, she laughs. “That’s pretty out there, right? But we’re trying to keep it to the boundaries of our 9 PM time.”

Nudity, violence, “that ’40′s over-coiffed, pinned-up updo” that turned out to be one of ever-capable Eliza’s stumbling points, a blind cultist, and a 50-plus-year-old woman that are all the mercurial Ms. Dushku’s alter egos, a possible lesbian twist that hadn’t made it into this season’s roster, but is in the works for the upcoming ones, and what we have here is a recipe for some roaring good fun that is sure to echo all around domestic — and if Eliza and company get their wish — soon, even the foreign watercoolers.

Dollhouse premieres Friday, February 13, 9 PM EST/8 PM Central.

• I AM Peaceman! What do you know that’s larger than life? Turns out, Sir Ivan hadn’t yet seen all the seven wonders of the world. And though having already performed to a crowd of 15,000, he wants to touch a whole stadium-full with his catchy remakes of '60s legacy songs in his debut......
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• Back in Bleck... Zander Bleck. I love HIM! You know... His Infernal Majesty? Ville Valo has the talent, the voice, the hair...the low-riding pants. Well, hey, I am a girl! But up till now, there hasn't been anyone I've ran into here in the US that had the same flair - and catchy songs (albeit......
• Back to the Future My cat is 2.5 years old.  In cat years...let's round it to 20. Masha is a purebred.  Top of the line Traditional Siamese.  Seven generations of her ancestors have documented pedigrees.  Her mom's a breed standard, check the Wiki.  And no, this isn't a cat personals post -- though considering......
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• San Juan Oaks Golf Club  San Juan Oaks Golf Course is Located in Holister, CA Phone: 800-453-8337 View Larger Map Website: http://www.sanjuanoaks.com/layout9.asp?id=472&page=23491 History of the Course: This was the first Fred Couples signature golf course in California. It is a public course that strives to offer private course amenities to all of its visitors. There......
• Money Hacks Carnival #41 at Ask Mr. Credit Card This week Money Hacks Carnival #41 is hosted at Ask Mr. Credit Card.  The Best Crazy-Simple Money Hacks Edition has some really nice simple hacks that you can use. There are a lot of great submission this week and the host's favorites are: Shortcut Sleuth has 25 Ways to Save......
• Black Friday: Why Does It Exist? Has everyone gotten back from the Black Friday sales? I got back from my Black Friday foray a little earlier today. I would have written before now, but I had a little left-over chicken (we opted for chicken rather turkey this year - it's just a better size for two)......
• My Life as a Volunteer Tax Preparer - Tax Day Edition Yesterday was my final 2009 appearance as an AARP Tax Aide volunteer tax preparer. I had five appointments with one no show. The no show was actually a blessing in disguise because my first appointment was delayed due to tax software issues. After I solved those problems I worked four......
• 21-Year-Old Man Rescued 10 Days After Haiti Earthquake [/caption] (AP) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — An Israeli search team pulled a severely dehydrated 21-year-old man from the rubble of his bedroom a staggering 10 days after an earthquake leveled much of the Haitian capital. Emmannuel Buso was so ghostly pale that rescuers said his mother thought he was a corpse.......