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Senin, 28 Juni 2010

I Think I Love Jon Kyl

It was only a matter of time before it became apparent how ridiculous and clueless those on city councils and boards of supervisors are as they debate whether or not to impose some sort of idiotic boycott against Arizona for passing their illegal immigration enforcement bill. The only ones who seem to think that these boycotts are a good idea seem to be the members of the councils and the boards which are considering such lunacy. It's like they haven't read the bill at all. And in some cases, it's almost like they don't even know where Arizona is, either.

Let's go over to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and get to know Milwaukee County Supervisor Peggy West. Ms. West supports a boycott of doing business with Arizona. If only we knew what her logic for such support really was. Oh, wait! We DO!

Below, you'll find a video segment from last Thursday's meeting where Ms. West explains why she is in favor of boycotting Arizona. Here's the textual version of her reasoning (the video is so that you'll actually believe me when you read what she said, as it is almost unbelievable):

"If this was Texas...which is a state on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this saying that they had a major issue with, you know, with undocumented people, flooding their borders, I would say, I would have to look twice at this. But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border and, um, it doesn't make sense to me that when you Google this subject, if you put in "Arizona SB 1070" that you see a picture of the Governor of Arizona meeting with President Obama in May of 2010. If you have direct linkage to the President, there are already National Guard troops on the border in Arizona." Wait. It's removed from....the border....with MEXICO?!?! But it's...but....she just....oh, never mind. Roll the clip....

Yep. See, if Arizona was a border state, then she'd understand what all of the hubbub was about.

But since it's so NOT a border state, she doesn't get it. (And I don't get why that would matter. I guess in her mind, illegal immigrants only stay in border states? I really don't know.) And all of that stuff about Googling the law and seeing pictures of President Barry and the governor of Arizona? I don't know what that has to do with anything at all. I thought I was confused at her questionable geography skills, but that really threw me for a loop. (And by the way, I did Google "Arizona SB 1070" and my results showed NO pictures of President Barry and the governor of Arizona. In fact, the first image result that turned up for me was that fetching young lady in the lingerie right there. She is neither the governor of Arizona, NOR the President of the United States, so that's a little odd.)

But wait! It gets better! According to something called the Phoenix New Times, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl sent Ms. West a letter AND a MAP of the United States which highlighted that Arizona does, in fact, share a border with Mexico. The text of his letter to her is awesome. It reads in part: "You will be interested to learn that Arizona does indeed share a border with Mexico. I have enclosed a map for your convenience." Do we have the map, fellas? We do? Super. Behold!

Awesome. Completely awesome. And he follows up his awesomeness with even more awesomeness when he closes out his letter with: "I hope you will take the time to actually read the Arizona law before formulating an opinion about it and become familiar with our country's geography and the challenges that our border states face." Yeah. I think I'm a little in love with Jon Kyl.

Ms. West pretty much sums up what I've been thinking about all of these political windbags who are advocating and enacting boycotts against Arizona all along. They all seem to be a bunch of dimwits that wouldn't know their ass from a hole in the ground. And while I don't know anything about Jon Kyl, I know that anyone who sends that sort of letter to someone who deserves to receive it gets a few points in my book. (I'm really hoping that the guy isn't a total prick, because I'd really like to like him.)

Still Dead!

The one year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death was Friday and it was, in keeping with the theme of his life, a little weird. Let me just say that there are a lot of people out there who really need hobbies. Or jobs. It's kind of hard to tell, but I'm guessing that the latter would mostly be the case.

I'm going to start over there at Forest Lawn Cemetery where Jacko is entombed. They have him in some drawer in one of the crypt walls over there. I don't know exactly how it all works, but I do know that it seems like the reason for that sort of interment was to avoid having his location become a constant freak show. This way, it's inside a building and you need some sort of permission or sparkly glove or small child in order to get in.

Now, the media was treating this like it was going to be some sort of

big event. And considering there was a substantial article over there at the still going strong LA Times (nice job, guys!), I was under the impression that there would be some hooplah. Yeah, not so much. According to the article, "About 30 fans lined up early Friday morning outside Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale to visit Michael Jackson's grave site on the one-year anniversary of his death." Thirty? And what purpose were they serving by lining up early? It's not like he's going anywhere. How early? Why, 3am, of course! If you are lining up at three in the morning so that you can wait until eight in the morning before you can get into a cemetery and not see someone that you never met (and now never will), you need to check yourself. Seriously. You people know that there aren't iPhones in there, right?

After reading the article in the LA Times I was really wanting to know one thing: What were those

people expecting to happen? They seemed to be surprised and not all that impressed with the nothing that was made available to them. "After the gates opened, fans were granted limited access at the mausoleum where Jackson is buried...As they passed, they were permitted to hand flowers and cards to cemetery personnel. Once they passed that point, they were asked to move along. Some said they were disappointed at the level of access." Did anyone tell them that he was still dead?

I don't think that they did. One ~~crazy person~~ fan, had asked an attendant, "This is it?" (Probably no pun intended there.) "This is terrible." I'm failing to understand what it is that's so terrible for this woman. The woman said "...she has traveled to the cemetery six times from her home in Atlanta." SIX times?! The man has only been dead a year! And I think that he's only been in the mausoleum for 11 months! She's traveled the equivalent of once every other month from clear across the country? For what exactly? I have no clue. "As she walked through the line, she said Jackson was actually on the opposite side of the mausoleum." Well, I guess that the lady who has been there six times in less than a year would probably know. But she expressed her expectations when she said "I was hoping we would get to go in and see Michael." ::: blink ::: ::: blink ::: I don't think he's seeing visitors today. Perhaps come back another time...not that he'll be any less dead.

Another unbalanced individual, a one Irene Childs from the Bay Area, "...said she was unhappy with the security personnel at the cemetery. "They were too pushy. There should have been more viewing time." What exactly was she viewing? It's not like they wheeled his corpse out there for everyone to gawk at. What was she hoping for, exactly? A meet and greet?

But the winner for the individual who could probably benefit the most from a little time on a shrink's couch would be a one 31-year old (and in need of growing up) Tallora Digirolami, who came all the way from freaking Australia because "I couldn't be here last year, so I had to be here this year." Couldn't be there when he died, so you had to be there a year later? You know, if you couldn't have made it this year, you would have had many opportunities to show up on the anniversary of his death, as I anticipate him being dead for quite some time now!

And of course, there were people dressed AS Michael Jackson. Why do people do that? They did

it at the memorial service as well. People showed up dressed like Jacko. I've been to a lot of funerals in my time. I've visited a lot of cemeteries on the anniversary of someone's death before as well. I have never attended either function dressed as the deceased. It's never even crossed my mind to do so! It's a little weird if you're asking me. When I go down to check on my Dad's gravesite, I don't don a bolo tie, coke bottle glasses and a wide brimmed hat! Why are people dressed like Jacko?

In Tokyo, a fan appears to have brought a picnic basket to some big wall painting of Jacko and is taking her (I think it's a her) picture in front of it. She's kind of striking that same Jacko pose, but the lime green cover on the picnic basket really detracts from that. There's also the fact that she looks nothing like him, but don't ever expect logic or reality to deter Michael Jackson fanatics.

And in India, a bunch of young fans apparently lit birthday candles around what appears to be some sort of decorative sheet or banner emblazoned with images of Jacko while they all knelt and prayed. Upon closer examination of the photo, I hope that they are praying for some sort of solid flooring, as those candles are just stuck upright directly into the ground.

I still feel just as cheated today as I felt a year ago. Those concerts of his were going to be the gift that kept on giving. I could feel it! I was practically guaranteed to have awesome blog material for months on end. And what did I get? Nothing. Oh, don't get me wrong. The folks showing up at Forest Lawn hoping for a chance to see Jacko are amusing. But they're nothing even close to what those concerts would have been. Not even close.

Minggu, 27 Juni 2010

Happy Gay Pride + US Exits World Cup 2010

Today in New York, Chicago, Toronto, and other cities across the US and globe, people are celebrating Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, and Transgender Pride, crowning what has been LGBTQ Pride Month. Other cities and municipalities have already held Pride celebrations, and others will be taking place throughout the summer and fall. It's been 41 years since the Stonewall Rebellion and similar uprisings, and 40 years since New York's first Gay Pride parade, which marke a new, public self-regard among gays and lesbians in the US. There have been tremendous civil, political and social advances for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the US and many parts of the world, but there are many more barriers to overcome, one of the most basic being complete and full equal and civil rights under the law. That, along with greater economic, political and social equality for LGBTQ people remains an issue in the US, as it does all over the world.

***

So the USA national soccer team is out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup after losing, once again, to Ghana. The team's great but brief run included tying England 1-1 in its first game, drawing (and defeating, though the goal was denied) Slovenia in its second game, and defeating Algeria 1-0, quite dramatically, on Landon Donovan's goal in stoppage time, on Friday, to finish atop its group, C, over England. This number 1 finish in the opening round was a national first. In the first two games, the US fell behind, only to come back--and, in the case of Slovenia, pull ahead. Facing Ghana in this Round of 16, the US again fell behind, on a defensive error, their weakest area, and went down 1-0, on a goal by Kevin Prince Boateng, until a successful penalty kick by Landon Donovan brought them even. But a tie doesn't suffice in the second round, so the US and Ghana went to overtime, and, once again, the US slipped, on another defensive misplay, when Asamoah Gyan struck on a breakaway. The Americans couldn't come back again, falling 2-1 to the Ghanaians and out of the tournament. At the game's start, the US team looked tentative; they appeared to lack any real strategy to press the Ghanaians, to manufacture a goal or two, or to at least expose their opponent's flaws, while the Ghanaians appeared to be relentlessly on the hunt. Yet by the beginning of the second half, the US, perhaps after a locker room dressing down, the realization that they were sending themselves home, or an emergence from 45 minutes of stupor, came out with effervescence, and kept pressing the Ghanaian defense and goalkeeper. This led to the Ghanaian foul against Dempsey that set up Donovan's penalty kick. Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, and Dempsey all took shots on goal, but as has been the case with the US in World Cup games, they were off-target, straight at the goalkeeper, or had no followup. Sadly, there rarely seems to be a US player ready to pick up a rebound or errant ball the way Donovan did against Algeria. I'm not sure why, but it's been a recurrent problem for US teams each World Cup tournament. On top of this, the US looked exhausted by the end of the second half, and by the beginning of overtime, they were unable to connect passes or make decisive plays against the Ghanaians. They didn't give up, but it was clear that despite all their efforts, their tanks were empty. Ghana, the only African team left in the tournament, advances to the quarterfinals.

I give a lot of credit to the US coach, Bob Bradley, and to all the players, for pushing hard in the first round. The team's determination and coherence were evident, and at times, they showed real skill in ballhandling, passing, and set plays. But they struggled to gum up their defensive flank when facing speedy opponents, convert shots on the run, or take canny kicks when the chances arose. The bad luck of receiving bad calls certainly didn't help, but they weren't alone in being stiffed (England also experienced this today), and facing Ghana, the US did have more than a few chances and couldn't convert them.

One of the things I hope the team can ground in its players for the future is the necessity of being hungry and ready all the time, from the first second the whistle blows and not just when down by a goal or two. Waiting for the perfect shot or opportunity isn't going to work against teams with superior skills or equal desire, and tentativeness as a starting principle offers no way to get beyond the round of 16 (and the US has done so, as recently as 2002) or further. If the US's defense were stellar, they could at least aim, as Italy did a few years back, for draws followed by wins on penalty kicks, but in the absence of consistent defense, they must make a concerted effort to score at every opportunity (cf. Argentina, Germany, Portugal, etc.) One positive note is that several of the players, including defender Jonathan Spector (24); midfielders Michael Bradley (22), José Francisco Torres (22), Maurice Edu (24), and Stuart Holden (24); forwards Jozy Altidore (20) and Robbie Findlay (24); and goalie Brad Guzan (25) will probably have another shot in 2014, in BRAZIL (então espero que fiquermos lá) and there are other strong players in the pipeline. Several stalwarts, however, like Donovan (28), Dempsey (27), defender Oguchi Onyewu (28), Steve Cherundolo (31), and the Cup's best US defender, Jay DeMerit (30), probably won't be back. Nor, perhaps, will the truly world-class Tim Howard, who at 31 and with 55 caps, has probably manned his last World Cup game in goal. This was a great ride, but the US will have to keep upping their play if they want to be real players...down south, in four years.

In today's other games, Germany throttled England 4-1 (with goals by Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski, and Thomas Mueller (2), to Matt Upson's lone strike), making the English defense look like a pale copy of the Americans' and sending one of the initially favored teams home with a great deal to ponder over the next four years; and Argentina rolled over the young Mexican side 3-1. Argentina, which has played with brio so far, got goals from Carlos Tévez (2) and Gonzalo Higuaín, while Mexico's sharp center forward Javier Hernández responded in the 71st minute. I have nothing against Argentina, but I was hoping the Mexicans could advance and make a strong showing. Yesterday, Uruguay, which has looked superb all tournament, defeated South Korea 2-1, to advance to the quarters, and will face Ghana, while Argentina will now face Germany. Tomorrow, Brazil faces Chile, which has looked very good, while Netherlands faces Slovakia. I pick Brazil and the Netherlands to win, but the first game will be a tight one, though Brazil will have Kaká, its major playmaker, back in the mix, and also will start the less heralded Robinho, who has been central to several of the team's goals so far.

Lastly, I'll note that several of the touted European teams are out. France had a complete intrateam meltdown that included one of its stars, Nicolas Anelka, cursing out its terrible coach, Raymond Domenech, and being sent home for doing so; the team supported Anelka, captain Patrice Evra led a boycott of a team practice, and he and his compatriots have subsequently been tarred with abuse, some of it quite racist, as a result. Italy, which won the last World Cup, in 2006 in Germany, defeating France, is also out, after lackluster--but not terrible--play. Spain and Portugal face each other on Tuesday, so one of them will also be going home (I'm rooting for Portugal to win). As I noted, the Netherlands faces Slovakia, so either "Old Europe" or "New Europe" will be advancing in its slot, only unfortunately to face Brazil or Chile. Unsurprisingly, several of the favorites are still around: Germany, Argentina, and Uruguay. Given the draws, it could end up being an all South American final (if Paraguay, which has also looked good, goes forward), with Brazil or Chile emerging from the top half, and Argentina or Paraguay emerging at the bottom. Or not. It could end up being Ghana vs. Germany too. That would be great. Especially if Ghana finished as the first African team to win the Cup, on African soil. I'm not counting on it, though.

Addendum: On tonight's (June 2010) episode of HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, in addition to pieces on out gay Wales rugger Gareth Thomas and young chessmasters from Brownsville, Texas, Gumbel revisited a 2005 story on racism in European football (soccer). It didn't add much new, but underlined what soccer players of color, especially black and brown ones, still face, some of it as bad or worse that what Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, and others endured more than a half-century years ago.

A few photos from today's and yesterday's games:

Germany striker Thomas Mueller celebrates after scoring a goal past England goalkeeper David James during the round of sixteen in the 2010 World Cup. Pierre Lahalle/Presse Sports via US PRESSWIRE

Germany players salute their fans after defeating England 4-1 in the round of sixteen in the World Cup. Stephane Mantey/Presse Sports via US PRESSWIRE

Mexico goalkeeper Oscar Perez (R) vies for the ball with Argentina's Lionel Messi during their World Cup match. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

Carlos Tevez of Argentina scores the third goal for his team during the 3-1 victory over Mexico in the 2010 World Cup. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Ghana's John Mensah (L) and USA's Herculez Gomez (R) react after Ghana defeated the U.S., 2-1, to advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. EPA/JONATHAN BRADY

Ghana goal scorers Asamoah Gyan (L) and Kevin Prince-Boateng celebrate victory over the U.S. during the 2010 World Cup. (Photo by Phil Cole/Getty Images)

Dejected U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard (R) and Maurice Edu react after the 2-1 loss to Ghana in the World Cup 2010. EPA/DENNIS SABANGAN

South Korea midfielder Yeom Ki-Hun reacts after his team lost to Uruguay, 2-1, in the 2010 World Cup. KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images

Uruguay's Luis Suarez (R) scores the for the 2-1 lead against South Korea during the World Cup 2010. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT

Why We'll Never Leave Iraq

Um, this would be a video of Iraqi soldiers attempting to do (or get the hang of) jumping jacks. It made me laugh, but that was probably only so I wouldn't cry. Doomed, I tell you. Doomed.

Aaron Involved In Salkahatchie Project

Our nephew, Aaron, has been involved in the Methodist Salkahatchie project for several years. He really enjoys it. His friends take photos and I get to download them from Facebook. I also inserted some cartoons. They are copyrighted so I messed them up before putting them on the Web. I don't want to get in trouble. But when I print the pages for him, the cartoons will not be messed up. I left him room to journal about his experience on the painted pieces of cardboard journaling blocks.

It's Not The Same

I don't watch Fox & Friends. I don't have any intention of ever watching Fox & Friends. First of all, it's a misleading name. It's supposed to be some morning news show with a bunch of news holes discussing current events. And I suppose that is what it is. But the name makes it sound like it is going to be a kid's show. You know, with an animated fox and his friends from the forest (I envision a deer, a bear, several birds, possibly doves, and a talking frog) all having wacky adventures with a feel-good message at the end. Kind of like the After School Specials, only without all of the drugs and teen pregnancy.

But here's why I'm not watching: The people who host the show, the "friends" I guess, are morons. Complete, class A, morons. Allow me to make my case.

Meet a one Gretchen Carlson. Ms. Carlson is one of the "friends". If

she were a Spice Girl, she'd be Short Skirt Spice, as she the establishments at which she buys her apparel do not seem to carry items that go below her mid-thigh (on a conservative day). The other day, she was discussing whether or not President Barry show fire General McChrystal for some remarks that he made in a Rolling Stone interview (which didn't seem all that inflammatory to me, but I wasn't the one that the remarks were about). It was during that discussion that she felt the need to point out to people (who might not have been aware of this) that the President of the United States has to make very hard, very tough decisions. Really, Gretchen? Thanks for sharing. Oh, but she didn't stop there.

No, she made sure that we all understood just what being President was all about. So, according to the huffy folks over at The Huffington Post, she presented us with a comparison...to herself. That's right. She said that her job is just like being President of the United States. Now, I haven't seen President Barry sporting any mid-thigh skirts lately, but let's take a gander at her reasoning, shall we? She said, "It's just like our job...what's the role of an anchor during huge breaking news? You remember growing up? You'd tune to the television, and that one moment during the year, they would have to carry a story all along, It's the same thing as being the President of the United States."

::: blink ::: ::: blink :::

Good Lord, woman! What is wrong with you?! That rationale doesn't even make sense! How is

carrying along a news story anything like being the leader of the most powerful nation in the world and trying to decide whether or not to fire the general who is in charge of the war in Afghanistan? I'm sure the connection is there and I'm just missing it by a little bit or something, right? WRONG! It's the most asinine comparison she ever could have come up with. And quite frankly, I don't have any faith that she could, in fact, carry a story all along. I'm actually rather skeptical as to whether or not she can carry her purse out to her car.

And I love how she says "You remember growing up?" Actually, I do remember growing up. It was fabulous. Nothing to worry about, especially the news! I certainly wasn't glued to the TV at 6am watching Fox & Friends. Is she also comparing herself to Walter Cronkite or Dan Rather or some other news fellow? She probably is. If she thinks that her job is just like the President's, then she probably also thinks that she does the same quality and caliber job as Walter Cronkite did. (Side note: Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather didn't do exactly what the President of the United States did either.)

To quote the beloved Bugs Bunny: "What a maroon."

Sabtu, 26 Juni 2010

PARK @ Freshkills Park

I've posted several times about my colleague poet/scholar/translator Jennifer Scappettone, who teaches at the University of Chicago and who was one of the primary forces behind the wonderful visit of some of Italy's leading experimental poets to the US a year ago. Most recently I wrote briefly and posted photos from her performance at the Red Rover experimental poetry-performance series in Chicago. At that event and after, Jennifer told me about her spring residency at Freshkills Park, which is the new incarnation of what was once the largest (29,000 tons of trash a day) landfill in the US, the notorious Freshkills Land Fill, in Staten Island. As part of her residency, she worked with choreographer and dancer Kathy Westwater, and architect/designer Seung Jae Lee to create a site-specific dance-poetry-performance version of one of Westwater's pieces, "PARK," at the park, and I decided not to miss it.

Below are photos and short videos from the performance, which required getting to the Manhattan Staten Island Ferry terminal at 9 am this morning, riding on a bus from the St. George Ferry terminal (on which we got an excellent introduction by Freshkills Park Outreach Coordinator Doug Elliott) to the park, and then visiting two different sites at which the performance unfolded. It was, to put it simply, unforgettable. I'm no dance critic so I won't even try to describe it, but I did appreciate how the performance metaphorically and symbolically explored ideas concerning our consumerist, throwaway society and our relation to garbage/waste/debris, our (re-)constructions of "nature," "land" and "landscape," our struggles to communicate, community and atomization in relation to the natural world and (human) bodies, and, throughout, the role of time, in a setting like this still-unfinished, still-transforming "park." Kathy Westwater's and Jennifer's performance of insideness and outsideness, and their conceptualization of participation, involving themselves, the performers, the audience, and the surrounding landscape--with the wind providing an ever-shifting soundtrack, as the videos attest--was also enlightening.

Here's the writeup from the Freshkills Park blog:

It seems like no New York City site has truly been inaugurated as a public space until it has hosted an avant-garde dance performance. Our time has come! A group of artists and performers organized by choreographer Kathy Westwater has developed a movement-based project responding to their research and on-site study of the Freshkills Park site over several visits this spring. PARK, as the project is called, isn’t a traditional dance performance—more a combination of movement, writing, and game playing. It is “concerned with our construction and consumption of nature.”