Fuck That!

Pfft.

They Call It A Haitian Mud Pie

I read a couple years ago about some African villagers (can't remember where, but I assume it's a widespread practice) making dirt cakes: mud mixed with donated corn meal and cooked, to keep themselves barely alive. The AP posted a story today about Haitians doing the same thing in the face of abject poverty. This is a heart-wrenching example of how little we are doing to help those much (much) less fortunate.
Quote from the story: "'When my mother does not cook anything, I have to eat them three times a day,' Charlene said. Her baby, named Woodson, lay still across her lap, looking even thinner than the slim 6 pounds 3 ounces he weighed at birth." The story goes on to say that food prices are up 40% in the Caribbean, which explains Jamaica's recent food subsidization program, and also throws into deep relief impoverished Haiti's lack of one.

UPDATE: The New York Times has posted an opinion piece on the increase of food prices in the Caribbean.

Cocksucker

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Jeez, Sorry...

In the world of late apologies, this one may rate second to John Paul II's 1992 apology to Galileo (who was sentenced in 1633). The Australian government is apologizing to the Aborigine population for their treatment of them, including the 100,000 children they kidnapped from their homes between 1910-1970; "The Stolen Generation." The Australian Government has refused to pay reparations on multiple occasions to the Aborigines, and even to victims of their "removal program" throughout the last century. What can you expect from a nation conceptualized as Alcatraz and packed to the brim with convicts and white devils? Though it's not like America's reputation is sterling in this area. We had our own Native American re-education program, where the US government paddled cute little Indian boys and girls for speaking their own language after they had abducted them. The race that invented knickers, powdered wigs, and Scientology gets to go around and tell people how to live?

Go Chrissy Go!

"You could call Chrissy Nanonsky a candidate of change."

Ooh, I get it! Meh. Big whoop that she was a he. I'm just surprised it's Republican.

GATEKEEPER! GATEKEEPER!

The Progressive has an interview with Amy Goodman up. Kind of the same old same; people aren't getting true and meaningful dialogue in the mass media, how terrrrible the war in Iraq is, does your head still hurt from East Timor, etc. I'm of the opinion that she's a high-quality journalist amidst seven oceans of shit, but this guy thinks she's a thieving bitch.

Nice Name

Fuzzy Squid is a site that just grabs the last fifty images posted to LiveJournal, which has a disproportionate amount of Russians and Eastern Europeans apparently. Cool!

Who The Fuck Are These People?

The government just collapsed? What are you waiting for?! Bust out that bubbly motherfucker!

Surprising Few, Italy's Government Collapses

I Thought That Stuff Was All Bullshit?

MN Artists has an interesting piece up pointing out the dearth (that's right) of quality arts criticism being disseminated effecively against the rising tide of critical voices (ever try and read the iMDB comments?) being broadcast into our brains nowadays. It was put together by Michael Fallon, and is made up of examples of quality pieces to make your normal intake of shit seem even worse.
Quote: "[I] had become increasingly wary of interacting with artists. This was especially true of younger artists, who seemed particularly intent on seeking me out to convince me to write about their creative efforts." Bunch of whores.

A Critic's Criticism

وداعا العراق مرحبا اسطنبول

They say they're Iraq's "only heavy metal band," which I doubt, but this looks to be a promising documentary.






Heavy Metal In Baghdad site

Acrassicauda MySpace

A Bloody Ugly Death, All

Hecklerspray posted their list of the top ten most gruesome death scenes in movie history. They're mostly pretty good (the American History X "kurb stomp" still makes my teeth hurt...though I thought that just broke your teeth and dislocated/decimated your jaw?), but the fact that Riki-Oh wasn't included is more than a little offensive to The Van Buren Boys. I mean, look at this motherfucker go!

Pazzi

Dove è Silvio?

Italy's Premier Seeks to Bolster Support
Italy's Gov't Poised to Fall
Prodi Chonology
Italy's Government on Brink of Collapse

For The Future

UPDATE: Pitchfork once again proves they're too fucking cool to be allowed to judge anything. "In The Future" garners a 7.4.

The new Black Mountain record, "In The Future," comes out tomorrow. Most of you have already heard it. It's all droney depth and jagged riffs and feels as if the band traveled back in time 100 years to play us their version of retro anthem-folk-metal (?). You'll be reading about them everywhere anyways.

Jagjaguwar
Black Mountain MySpace

Recession, Crazy Mugabe

Brace yourself.

• Stocks Plunge Worldwide on Fears of a U.S. Recession


• Stocks Plunge in Europe and Asia on U.S. Recession Fear


• Asian Markets Whomped


• WestLB expects billion euro loss

And, with inflation at 50,000% in his country, Bobby Mugabe decides to print some more money, natch.

American Art, New Jersey

"Each day we are bombarded with a barrage of psychic & symbolic tyranny by forces of those who wish to control us. A plethora of Images, Sounds, Smells and Colors all of which have beaten us into a fearful, distressed and toxic society. We have been made so weak it now has become easy to manipulate and control us. So much that we willingly shackle ourselves to the devices and labels of our oppressors. It is in our best interest to become symbol literate and harness the power of these ancient archetypes thus applying them as a technology in what now has become a struggle for the one and only truest of truths, LOVE..."

So goes the manifesto of this band, American Cloud Songs, whose songs I didn't listen to. Made up of a bunch of tattooers from New Jersey, it's really just all about this guy's art. There's a shitload of it. Take a look.

Let's Begin

This is a new thingy I'm starting to aggregate cool things, interesting books, political tidbits, and anything else. I thought we'd begin with an interesting illustration of the current state of affairs in our lovely little republic.

The depths of corruption in this administration has become a joke. There's little to say, is there? This bill will pass. If not this week, at least before His Excellency's departure.