Baron Dave Romm
Spring Break
By Baron Dave Romm
Shockwave Radio Theater podcasts
Spring Break
For the first time, Minneapolis was warm enough for me to wander outside without a jacket. And it's hot in here with the electronic equipment. So I didn't get much writing done. Didn't get a tan either, but that's a different story. So not much new this week. To continue the Cuteness Factor built into Bartcop Entertainment, here is a picture from yesterday (Sat.) I'm also reporting on a few ongoing tidbits that have been in my files for a while and/or just cropped up so are on the top of the heap.
Three-month-old baby holds
tightly to Baron Dave's finger while he tries to
take a picture one-handed.
Tidbits
Purple Hearts didn't need to be made for 55 years. George Mason University's History News Network 12/01/03:
In 2000, for the first time in years, the government ordered a new supply of Purple Hearts. The old supply, manufactured in anticipation of the invasion of the home islands of Japan during World War II, had begun to run low.
The decoration, which goes to American troops wounded in battle and the families of those killed in action, had been only one of countless thousands of supplies produced for the planned 1945 invasion of Japan, which military leaders believed would last until almost 1947.
Fortunately, the invasion never took place. All the other implements of that war -- tanks and LSTs, bullets and K-rations -- have long since been sold, scrapped or used up, but these medals, struck for their grandfathers, are still being pinned on the chests of young soldiers.
Bigger than usual Heartland Pervert story left over from the predatory Bush years. Still think AIG's bonuses are a major scandal when they involve .1% of the money shoved in their direction? Sex For Oil Scandal At Interior DepartmentInspector General Reports Accuse Government Employees Of Rigging Contracts In Exchange For Sex And Gifts. CBS News Sept. 10, 2008:
(CBS/ AP) Government officials handling billions of dollars in oil royalties engaged in illicit sex with employees of energy companies they were dealing with and received numerous gifts from them, federal investigators said Wednesday.
The allegations of bad behavior involve 13 government employees in Denver and Washington, reports CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. Those accused are workers who sell U.S. mineral rights to oil companies. Such sales are one of the government's biggest sources of revenue besides taxes.
But the Inspector General for the Interior Department says they rigged contracts, and engaged in illegal moonlighting, drugs, sex and gift-taking from oil company representatives, according to three reports released Wednesday.
Honor killings among Palestinians
A story that keeps popping up in the World Press but barely gets mentioned in the US media or the blogosphere (whether left or right). Law & Order Special Victims Unit claimed that three out of four killings in Gaza and the West Bank were honor killings. I was unable to confirm that figure, but the problem is serious. and should be part of any discussion on the region.
'Reputation is Everything' Honor Killings among the Palestinians. The World & I, 2003:
If a woman brings shame to the family--through allegations of premarital or extramarital sex, by refusing an arranged marriage, or attempting to obtain a divorce--her male relatives are bound by duty and culture to murder her.
...
Unlike Western countries, which champion individualism, Arabs focus on the group. The family is more important than the individual.
In the feudal, patriarchal societies of the Middle East, honor is based on what men feel is important, and reputation is everything. Unfortunately, thousands of women have been killed in the name of honor because imagination and rumors are as important as actions and events. Most, but not all, of these killings involve Muslims. Some Jewish communities, from the ancient fortress of Masada to conservative Hasidic sects of today, have similar views of tradition and ritual law but refrain from killing women in the name of honor.
"Honor Killing" in the Northern Gaza Strip There is no honor in honor killing, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, August 19th, 2007:
It is noted that "honor killings" have increased over the past few years in the Gaza Strip. Deirallah is the 11th victims of such crimes this year. The last victim before Deifallah was Nisreen Mohammad Abu Bureik (26) from El-Bureij refugee camp, who was killed by her brother on 28 July 2007. The Palestinian National Authority bears the responsibility for this escalation due to the impunity and reduced sentences granted to the perpetrators of such crimes. This comes despite the fact that the Palestinian Penal Code for the Year 1936, effective in the Gaza Strip, does not differentiate between what is known as an "Honor Killing" and premeditated murder.
PCHR strongly condemns this crime.
The tragedy isn't limited to the refugees in Gaza and the West Bank, nor confined to Islam. Talking about honor killings Middle East Times, December 27, 2007:
Brazil, Ecuador, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Morocco are just a few countries where honor killings occur. Anja Wehler-Schöck has studied the phenomenon of honor killings using the example of Jordanian society. The political scientist was interviewed by Naima El Moussaoui. Excerpts from that interview follow:
...
Q: How widespread is the practice of honor killing?
According to the estimates of the United Nations Population Fund, approximately 5,000 women and girls around the world are murdered every year in honor killings. Pakistan, with around 500 cases a year, is considered to be one of the countries in which the highest number of honor killings occurs. But it is difficult to work with precise numbers as the number of unrecorded cases is very high. In many cases, honor killings are not registered as such by the police - either because there is no awareness of it or because the murders were cleverly disguised as accidents or suicides.
Q: Pakistan is a Muslim country. This confirms the predominant assumption that honor killings are the expression of Muslim culture.
Because the majority of honor killings are committed in Muslim countries, it is assumed that this practice is connected with Islam.
However, neither the honor complex nor the practice of honor killings is rooted in Islam. The idea of transferring dishonor from one person to another or to a collective is foreign to Islam, for example. Moreover, the Koran contains a fundamental ban on murder. Individuals are also prohibited from taking the law into their own hands.
The honor complex I describe can be found wherever the societal structure is shaped by familialism, paternalism, and a strong religious influence. The practice of honor killings is found not only in Muslim and Arab countries, but also in some Latin American countries, such as Brazil and Ecuador.
One Man Band
Well, I don't want to end Spring Break on a down note. So here is a nice video of a One Man Band via Paul of Weird Universe.:
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog maintains a Facebook Page, plays with a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater. Permanent archive. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.
Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
FROMA HARROP: 'Then It's Securities Fraud' (creators.com)
Anyone who has watched "Law & Order" over the years, as I have, knows that the ending must feel right. The circumstances of the crime may be complex and the legal issues muddy, but in the end, most viewers are left feeling that some justice has been served.
SUSAN ESTRICH: The Republican Vacuum (creators.com)
Imagine how different things might be right now if there were a Republican Party. I mean a party like the one led by Ronald Reagan, George Bush or Newt Gingrich; a party with a program, a single set of talking points, and the technological and communications advantages to get their message across. That kind of Republican Party. The kind that doesn't exist right now.
FROMA HARROP: GOP's Sliding Scale for Self-Discipline (creators.com)
In his essay "Why the GOP Can't Win With Minorities," conservative scholar Shelby Steele almost nails the half-question in the title. An African-American, Steele contrasts the "moral activism" of liberals with conservative calls for personal discipline.
'I'm ashamed of so many things I've done' (guardian.co.uk)
He betrayed women and boxing - and today is haunted by voices in his head. A repentant Mike Tyson bares his soul to Simon Hattenstone.
Rob Harvilla: The Hesitant Triumph of Britney Spears (villagevoice.com)
Her fans scream, her circus-themed antics mesmerize, and her wardrobe functions just fine
Mike Powell: The Brilliant Disguises of Will Oldham (villagevoice.com)
A deft, deeply enigmatic folkie stays weird even when he gets accessible.
Aaron Hillis: "Spring Guide: Steven Soderbergh's 'The Girlfriend Experience' Tries to Turn a Porn Star Legit" (villagevoice.com)
Has the sinking economy driven Steven Soderbergh to direct pornos? Not quite, though his latest non-studio feature, The Girlfriend Experience, traverses Manhattan's high-end escort industry, anchored by a lead performance from sleepy-eyed adult film starlet Sasha Grey.
Roger Ebert: Review of "Knowing" (PG-13; 4 stars)
"Knowing" is among the best science-fiction films I've seen -- frightening, suspenseful, intelligent and, when it needs to be, rather awesome. In its very different way, it is comparable to the great "Dark City," by the same director, Alex Proyas. That film was about the hidden nature of the world men think they inhabit, and so is this one.
Roger Ebert: A roll of whose dice? (Contains massive numbers of spoilers for "Knowing")
Is the universe deterministic, or random? Not the first question you'd expect to hear in a thriller, even a great one. But to hear this question posed soon after the opening sequence of "Knowing" gave me a particular thrill.
Roger Ebert: THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD (PG; 3 1/2 stars)
Is there anyone better than John Malkovich at barely containing his temper? He gravitates toward characters who do not suffer fools lightly, and that would include the Great Buck Howard, who once was Johnny Carson's favorite guest. Buck was dropped from Johnny's guest list and now tours the provinces, taking his magic act from small stages to smaller ones, but he still has his dignity.
Roger Ebert: Natasha Richardson: A death in the fullness of life
I didn't write an obituary about Natasha Richardson. I didn't write an appreciation. I didn't write anything. When I learned of her death, I thought: This is wrong. I could not bring myself to go through the business of listing her best roles and describing her life.
Joe Weider: Stretch, Don't Tear (creators.com)
Tip of the Week: Stretching isn't supposed to hurt. Over the years, I've seen any number of bodybuilders grimacing in pain as they stretch out before, during and after workouts. While stretching isn't always easy, especially if you're doing it right, it should never cause you intense pain.
Hubert's Poetry Corner
The Enigma of McKinley Nolan
The Weekly Poll
Current Question
The 'Shared Sacrifice' Edition
The New York Times, in an article Sunday, Administration Is Open to Taxing Health Benefits - NYTimes.com , reports that the Obama Administration is open to the idea of taxing certain employer provided health benefits as a way to help finance health care for the uninsured. Would you support such an approach?
Send your response, and a (short) reason why, to
Results tomorrow
wrote:
Initially, the answer was:
Reader Suggestion
Mt. Redoubt
Redoubt is erupting...I blame Palin!
I'll keep Y'all apraised
Vic-OUT!
Thanks, Vic!
Please be careful.
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Windy and rainy morning - wind stayed, rain didn't.
Detained US Reporters Likely In Pyongyang
Current TV
Two American journalists detained by North Korean soldiers are believed to have been sent to Pyongyang for questioning, a news report said Sunday.
North Korea said Saturday it was investigating two Americans it detained Tuesday for "illegally intruding" into its territory after crossing the border from China.
A brief dispatch from the North's official Korean Central News Agency gave no other details, but it was apparent confirmation of reported arrests of two female U.S. journalists reporting on North Korean refugees in the border area.
South Korean media and a South Korean missionary identified the two detained Americans as Laura Ling and Euna Lee, reporters for former Vice President Al Gore's San Francisco-based media outlet Current TV.
Current TV
Want Women To Disappear
Saudi Clerics
A group of Saudi clerics urged the kingdom's new information minister on Sunday to ban women from appearing on TV or in newspapers and magazines, making clear that the country's hardline religious establishment is skeptical of a new push toward moderation.
In a statement, the 35 hardline clergymen also called on Abdel Aziz Khoja, who was appointed by King Abdullah on Feb. 14, to prohibit the playing of music and music shows on television.
Although it raises the pressure on the new minister, the recommendation is likely to have little effect. Khoja's appointment was part of a government shake-up by Abdullah that removed a number of hardline figures and is believed to be part of an effort to weaken the influence of conservatives in this devout desert kingdom.
Saudi Clerics
South Africa Denies Visa
Dalai Lama
South Africa's embassy in New Delhi has denied travel documents to Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, barring him from attending a peace conference in Johannesburg, activists said Sunday.
The Dalai Lama had planned to join other Nobel peace prize winners including Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk at a conference Friday to discuss ways of using soccer to fight racism and xenophobia, as South Africa prepares to host the 2010 World Cup.
South African Friends of Tibet said in a statement that the Dalai Lama has been denied travel documents, saying the country's high commissioner in New Delhi had asked the Dalai Lama to postpone his trip.
The Sunday Independent newspaper quoted China's minister counsellor at the embassy in Pretoria, Dai Bing, as saying that his government had urged South Africa to deny the visit, warning it would harm bilateral relations.
Dalai Lama
Dictionary Nears Finish
American Regional English
If you don't know a stone toter from Adam's off ox, or aren't sure what a grinder shop sells, the Dictionary of American Regional English is for you.
The collection of regional words and phrases is beloved by linguists and authors and used as a reference in professions as diverse as acting and police work. And now, after five decades of wide-ranging research that sometimes got word-gatherers run out of suspicious small towns, the job is almost finished.
The dictionary team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is nearing completion of the final volume, covering "S" to "Z." A new federal grant will help the volume get published next year, joining the first four volumes already in print.
The dictionary chronicles words and phrases used in distinct regions. Maps show where a submarine sandwich might be called a hero or grinder, or where a potluck - as in a potluck dinner or supper - might be called a pitch-in (Indiana) or a scramble (northern Illinois).
American Regional English
Replacing Dad On Springsteen Tour
Jay Weinberg
Bruce Springsteen's regular E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg will be replaced by his son in a string of European shows this summer, so his dad can concentrate on his TV career. Skip related content
Weinberg's band The Max Weinberg Seven will take over as the house band on America's Tonight Show in June - and the group's first TV appearances in Los Angeles coincide with Springsteen's shows in Europe.
So the respected drummer has offered up his talented 19-year-old son, Jay, as his E Street Band replacement.
Max Weinberg joined the E Street Band in 1974 and hasn't missed a single show since. His son, who drums for heavy metal band The Reveling, has reportedly been rehearsing with the E Street Band in New Jersey for the past week.
Jay Weinberg
Wedding News
Bedingfield - Robinson
British singer Natasha Bedingfield has gotten married in Malibu.
People Magazine reports the pop songstress wed California businessman Matthew Robinson in a 30-minute outdoor ceremony overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Saturday.
About 150 guests watched Bedingfield walk down the aisle in a Vera Wang dress beside the chateau at the Church Estates Vineyards.
Bedingfield - Robinson
Wedding News
Heming - Willis
Bruce Willis has tied the knot for the second time.
The actor's publicity agency, Rogers & Cowan, says in a statement Sunday that the 54-year-old Willis married Emma Heming in a small, private ceremony at his home in Parrot Cay in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
This is the first marriage for Heming, a 30-year-old model/actress.
Heming - Willis
Internet `Blacklist' Prompts Concern
Australia
A whistle-blower organization claims a secret list of Web sites that Australian authorities are proposing to ban includes such innocuous destinations as a dentist's office.
Australia's government denied that the list - published by renegade Web site Wikileaks.org - was the same as a blacklist run by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, or ACMA. However, a manager at the dentist's office said the ACMA had confirmed her site's inclusion on the ban list.
The list in question is provided to the creators of Internet filtering software that people can opt to install on their computers. But Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has proposed mandating that Australian Internet service providers implement the list, which would make Australia one of the strictest Internet regulators among democratic countries. Several Internet providers are conducting trials of the filter through June.
The list published on Wikileaks contains around 2,400 Internet addresses, many of which are clearly for child pornography. But the list also includes a dental office, online poker parlors, a kennel and a school-cafeteria consultancy firm.
Australia
Opines On Obama
Hugo Chavez
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday called President Barack Obama "ignorant," saying he has a lot to learn about Latin America.
The Venezuelan leader said he had been ready to name a new ambassador in Washington when Obama took office, but put that on hold after the new U.S. president accused him of "exporting terrorism" and being an obstacle to progress in the region.
"At least one could say, 'poor ignorant person,'" Chavez said on his weekly television and radio program, adding that Obama "should read a little bit so that he learns about ... the reality of Latin America."
Chavez and Obama both plan to attend a summit of leaders from across the Americas next month in Trinidad and Tobago. There, Chavez said he will make a case for Cuba to be included in regional talks, saying "we can no longer continue to accept the impositions of the U.S. empire."
Hugo Chavez
Owner Cut Funds Before Bankruptcy
The Greenbrier
The economy caught up with the historic Greenbrier resort just as its owner cut off long-standing access to easy cash, sending it into the arms of would-be buyer Marriott International, according to bankruptcy records.
A detailed review of documents from The Greenbrier's Chapter 11 filing Thursday found that the resort's owner, railroad company CSX Corp., shut down an internal cash pool for the resort in December just as the recession was sapping demand for luxury hotel and conference space.
The former playground of presidents and royalty and site of a Cold War nuclear bunker for Congress had been losing money for five years and was left holding debts of more than $91 million to CSX, exacerbated by costly renovations. With losses accelerating this year, Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX insisted The Greenbrier file for bankruptcy.
That happened Thursday, along with an announcement that Bethesda, Md.-based hotel giant Marriott was willing to buy the 6,500-acre resort for up to $130 million, pending court approval and a new labor deal with Greenbrier workers.
The Greenbrier
Horror Film Draws Unwanted Visitors
'A Haunting in Connecticut'
A Hollywood horror film that depicts the alleged haunting of a former funeral parlor in central Connecticut is turning into a nightmare for the home's current owners and their neighbors.
The movie, "A Haunting in Connecticut," doesn't open until Friday, but curious fans are already making a beeline for the Southington home that inspired the movie.
"It's just been really, really stressful," said Susan Trotta-Smith, who bought the home 10 years ago with her husband. "It's been a total change from a very quiet house in a very quiet neighborhood to looking out the window and seeing cars stopping all the time. It's been very, very stressful, and sometimes worrisome."
The family has never seen anything unusual inside their five-bedroom, two-family white wood-frame house and does not believe the property was haunted.
'A Haunting in Connecticut'
Weekend Box Office
'Knowing'
Summit Entertainment's supernatural thriller "Knowing," which stars Nicholas Cage as an astrophysics professor who figures out how to predict monumental catastrophes, debuted as the No. 1 movie at the weekend box office with $24.8 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
"Knowing" easily foiled "I Love You, Man" and "Duplicity," the other films opening in wide release. "I Love You, Man" was second with $18 million and "Duplicity" was third at $14.4 million.
Factoring in 2009's higher admission prices, the box office total was down five per cent compared with last year, the second straight weekend of decline.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Knowing," $24.8 million.
2. "I Love You, Man," $18 million.
3. "Duplicity," $14.4 million.
4. "Race to Witch Mountain," $13 million.
5. "Watchmen," $6.7 million.
6. "The Last House on the Left," $5.9 million.
7. "Taken," $4.1 million.
8. "Slumdog Millionaire," $2.7 million.
9. "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail," $2.5 million.
10. "Coraline," $2.1 million.
'Knowing'
In Memory
Nicholas Hughes
Nicholas Hughes, Sylvia Plath's son commits suicide
Thanks, Marian!
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