Daily Martini: 77 Sunset Strip

Apologies to my fans... computer problems

77 Sunset Strip
1 oz Bacardi Limon
1/2 oz Absolut Citron
1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Triple Sec
3/4 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine

Shake and pour into chilled cocktail glass. Top with Sprite
Garnish with Orange slice and cherry
Enjoy

Los Angeles Baptist High... Any wonder why I'm crazy

(image courtesy of Andrew Chantry Fine Art Gallery)

If there was ever a question about my personal philosophy and how it got so messed up, check this out. In My wanderings today, I ran across this years student handbook from my Alma Mater. text in italics is my added commentary, highlighted in color ar the words I found most interesting.

Philosophy

Essentially, the Christian school brings together man's faith in God and its manifestation in his daily living. In its approach to general education the Christian school attempts to correlate and synthesize the whole of human experience, believing that the secular and religious facets of life, properly understood, constitute but two sides of the same reality.
--I love the word choice here. Don't you just get a warm, fuzzy feeling reading all of this chauvinistic perversity?
The school seeks to make Christ real and pertinent in the lives of students by providing an educational program which engenders wholesome attitudes, sound mental processes, and usable socialization skills based on the accumulated wisdom of human experience and of Divine Revelation.
--what does that gibberish even mean?
It is believed that the well educated Christian will be able to find meaning and purpose in the complex maze of life and to pursue courses of action that will bring spiritual self-realization, refinement of mind, moral awareness and creative involvement in the whole spectrum of living. Fundamental to this process is exposure of students to the ideas and forces that have shaped our world and brought us to our present level of achievement. To the extent the school can help students arrive at an embryonic world view, students are encouraged to interpret and reshape both personal and societal priorities and contribute to the betterment of the human condition.
--Excellent choice of words here as well. Embryonic? Are we talking about abortions and getting political here? Really. Defined as shapeless, rudimentary, premature and -at best - budding, why would you want to help a student have an embryonic worldview? Basically, they are trying to shape kids who live in a bubble, unexposed to the corrupting forces of the world and kept pure by ignorance. Brilliant idea guys. But, the next part is my favorite.
This concept of the Christian School is based upon the belief that there are unchanging principles of truth underlying the universe which make systematic knowledge possible, of goodness which make morality binding, and of beauty, which, because it is the reflection of both truth and goodness, frees the spirit for creative expression and renewal.
I was amazed by how far off base this statement is. It runs completely against the Postmodern model. Congratulations LAB, you are officially going against the grain!

Courtesy of the 2006-2007 Los Angeles Baptist High School Student Handbook, Section 1.4

Check it out.

I went to an awsome event cosponsored by these guys last night, and thought I would share some of their material.

Check them out.

Let's Stop US Tax Funded Aid to Israel Now!

SUSTAIN

Daily Martini: Stinger

I remember sitting on my moms bed watching Bette Midler in Beaches as a kid. We would always have a box of tissues, Raisinettes and a bag of lightly buttered popcorn. We'd watch and laugh when CiCi gets arrested in Central Park,a nd when she calls Hillary, Barbara Hershey's character, fat. Then, when Hillary died, we'd cry... everytime.

CiCi orders about a dozen Stingers in the movie. I always wondered what that was.

Now I know, and you can too.

The Stinger
1 1/2 oz Brandy
3/4 oz white creme de menthe

Stir, and serve in a cocktail glass.
Enjoy.

Philly Riverfront trying to break in.

photo courtesy of Philadelphia Inquirer

This is a fantastic article about the Foxwoods casino, proposed for South Philly.

The company behind Foxwoods, holding 30 percent of the investment, is a Connecticut-based Indian tribe. The Peguot Tribal nation owns the worlds largest bingo gallery, and has expanded its gambling facility to a $300 million dollar machine complete with cards, slots and entertainment.

I think this would be an amazing development for the city. Philadelphia is certainly never going to become an Atlantic City or Las Vegas. It probably won't even become a Biloxi. But, the land that Foxwoods wants to develop needs to be developed. Right now it is an empty, overgrown lot that attracts nothing but litter.

The United Artist Theater, Walmart and Home Depot workers stand in front of the chained link fence everday and toss WaWa coffee cups, gum wrappers, chip bags and cigarrette buts into the field. That's all it produces... filth.

If Foxwoods is approved, it will draw upwards of 10 million people each year into the dorment section of South Philly. According to this report, the resort in Connecticut draws 500,000 every week.

Sounds better than garbage to me.

Read more!

Interesting Temple link, Women's basketball coach and three-time Olympic medalist Dawn Staley is one of the investors of this project.

Joining her, among others, are Comcast-Spectacor chairman Edward Snider, developer Ronald Rubin, and Lou Katz's daughter, Melissa Silver.

These investors would comprise the other 70 percent of the profiteers.


They have committed 40 percent of the profits to benefit local community programs and underpriviledged children.

Christmas at home.

My mom just finished decorating the Church, her annual project. Here are a couple of pics.

Reminds me of high school when we would chant:
"T- Cot- W,"
"What,what"
God, we were lame.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Doesn't it just make you want to take the plunge into a fit of consumerism?

Letterman, O'Reilly and ignorant Americans

I now this is like a month old, butI watched the Bill O'Reilly v David Letterman interview today in two segments: Part 1 and Part 2

Besides the lack of timeliness, I was amazed at the ability of both of these men to do three things:

• stay in character
• make a worn-out conversation interesting
• and, do an equal amount of talking over one another and have an actual conversation.

I am also amazed about some of the ideas that people come up with when listening to Bill O'Reilly. This was one of the posted comments to the video.

wesscoast (1 week ago)
Arghan is not a democracy, go after Kim Jong Il. They're going after Saddam because he was going to adopt the Euro as currency for Oil deals... which would fuck the US economy.

Please.
I think they are talking about Afghanistan not being a democracy, and no one said they were.
Go after Kim Jong and the North Koreans, oh, that's a great idea .War on 2 fronts...
And, my personal favorite, Saddam was going to join the EU!?

The European Union would never in a million years have emitted Iraq under Sadaam's regime. They won't even emmit Turkey. Muslim nations, terrorists nations and regimes that commit massive humanitarian violations will never be considered for membership, but more than anything, Iraq was under an American embargo up until the invasion. Bringing Iraq into the Union would have jeopordized Europes trade with the US. Unless the US fell from power, it would never happen.

More Commentary on Pope Visit

As I mentioned in my previous commentary on Eggs Benedict in Turkey, the issue is about Israel/Palestine, the battle for Jerusalem. The Vatican will never condone the entry of a nation supporting Palestine into the EU. You cannot have a political union, pact or contract between nations who have opposing views on this issue.

BTW Do you think they could have gotten a more queer priest for this segment?

McCain still unclear on gay marriage

I have been looking for a breif statement by John McCain on same-sex marriage. While I think this one is a bit too brief, McCain is not even afforded time to elaborate, the question does come across loud if not clear:

He is for a ceremony, but not for same-sex marriage. In other words, he is still being elusive on the issue.

I included the commentary from Netscape, because I thought it was interesting to see how this clip was percieved by many people across the country. It never ceases to amaze me how the majority of the population has not yet learned Politician-Speek. You have to listen carefully to these guys because they are paid to be our servants, yet they are masters of spin and vagueness.

Check out the link to the clip under View Story.

Daily Martini: Saturday Night Fever

I had a fever tonight, and its Saturday, thus the title of this one.

Saturday Night Fever
1 1/2 oz Bacardi Limon
1 oz Dissaronno

Serve in a cocktail glass with cherry garnish.
Enjoy.

Get your news here, its better than USAToday

First, forgive me for the series of posts linking to other blogs. I went browsing through Technaroti and found some quality material. Amidst it was this gem: Five Public Opinions.

I found a new source for my daily dose of culture, politics and world affairs, and of course, it is coming from abroad. I only looked at the last couple of days, but these pieces got me hot enough that I felt they needed to be shared.

Hillarious, and dead on.

There's a "week that wasn't" piece with some priceless stories.

• A kid burning down his churche because they weren't teaching the Bible in his way. What a postmodern revolutionary this kid is.
• The Pentagon downgrades homosexuality from a "mental disorder" to a "condition." It always makes me feel good to know that we are 5 years behind China on anything, especially when it's on social matters.
• And, A Texan launches a complaint for non-hostile coverage of a gay marriage... I have nothing to say to that.

I also dug the piece on the Klan. Unreal.

This guy is motivating me to move to Australia. Is everyone this openminded down under? I wonder.

YouTube and Postmodernism kick

Check this site out. I thought it was hillarious and right up my ally. A combination of anarchy, postmodernism and drug use... If the philosophers had it right, this guy is ahead of his time and society will be catching up in about 20 years.

I was cracking up watching the Vancouver piece... it looks just like Berkeley, all the way down to the homeless guy with the shopping cart. But, I swear, Canada is just so clean.

http://www.postmodernanarchist.com

Google is taking over the world

Next stop... YouTube.

For those of you who haven't heard, YouTube and Google are in negotiations. Google has proposed nine figures to the creators of YouTube. Startling when you realize that YouTube is presently not for profit.

Media experts believe that Google's size, combined with the sheer size of audience at YouTube will create a new market that broadcast companies simply can't compete with, changing viewing patterns. Finally, American broadcasting is going to be without commercials... or will it?

Google may sell advertising rights within the content of video steams, which would suck, and most people would stop using it. Otherwise, we may truly be walking into unkown territory... open forum broadcasting without commercials. Keep you eyes peeled.

Read more on the details at PoMo.

Benedict for Saturday Breakfast

I have to hand it to the Vatican, their PR machine runs smoothers than GW's. Here's another Vatican Blog speaking the highest praises of Pope Benedicts visit to Turkey.

My favorite part was this excerpt:

From his support for Turkey’s European Union membership to his speaking in Turkish during prayers in the ancient city of Ephesus, the Pope surprised and impressed.Most enthusiasm was reserved for his decision to pray alongside Mustafa Cagrici, the Mufti of Istanbul, at the Blue Mosque.The Mufti characterised the moment when Pope Benedict faced Mecca and clasped his hands in the Muslim manner, as the full apology that the Pope failed to make after his controversial address about Islam at Regensburg University in Germany in September.

A symbolic apology? How about a real one.

We Belong, an important film about Tolerence or Lack Thereof in PA High Schools

We Belong

Producer: Joe Wilson

This is the story of two rural teens who had the courage to stand up to bigotry and intolerance in their schools – and the determination to tell their stories to the world.

Homophobia is one of the last “permissible” forms of prejudice. Its effects are especially acute for youth, who often suffer alone and in silence. Two thirds of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth experience harassment or violence in school, and the suicide rate for this group is four times the average.

When C.J. Bills is gay bashed in the school locker room, then arrested for disorderly conduct because he protests to an administrator about the harassment he has experienced, he decides to fight back by making a documentary about discrimination. With his family’s help, he also initiates an investigation by the state human rights commission and shames the school district into developing an anti-bullying and diversity training program.

C.J.’s documentary project also leads him to Tim Dahle, a former high school student who challenged the years of anti-gay harassment he suffered in a neighboring town. In Tim’s case, the school district that failed to protect him agreed to one of the largest sexual harassment settlements in history, sending a signal to school districts around the country that such behavior can be costly.

We Belong demonstrates that young people have the power to change their communities and the world, and that helping youth to tell their stories, in their own way and on camera, is enlightening, empowering, and effective.

It is part of the Seeds of Tolerance Competition hosted by CurrentTV. The winner of the competition will have their documentary aired on nationall television.

Click here to view 'We Belong' on Current TV.

Daily Martini: Gimlet

This is a nose to the grind-stone kind of a day, and for that I recommend a simple, old-fashioned drink that will put you in your place without a lot of fuss.

This is the grown up version of a So.Co. and Lime shot.


The Gimlet
2 oz. Vodka or Gin
1/2 oz. Lime Juice

Shake well, serve in a chilled cocktail glass with lime wedge garnish.
Enjoy.

Postmodernism and Homosexuality, obviously my two favorite topics

This is young woman, a Cali girl like myself has some of the same interests as I do, obviously.
Elle Aurens, author of la petit mort, wrote an entry implying that the "queer movement" is inabled by, if not a direct result of the postmodern era.

Read more!

While I have to agree that the breakdown of traditional social distinctions and barriers has allowed for sexual express in unparalleled ways, and that these expressions are a rejection of binary gender constructs, I can't say that this is necessarily something to be afraid of.

Gays have existed and filled important roles throughout history. For one example, teachers have often been single women who, without the familial obligations that come with heterosexual constructs, have been able to devote themselves to the educating other peoples' children.

We are redefining the foundations of our society, but not abandoning them all together. Marriage has traditionally been a pillar of our society as it binds familes together and makes them units rather than individuals. By redefining marriage and its confines, we are actually building a new frame for social construct. This should be part of the intellectual argument in favor of same-sex marriage. Gay couples will not stop having relationships, in fact the manifestation of homosexuality will only increase with time. Society becoming more open to these behaviors. So, the effort to prevent marriage between same-sex couples will only serve to create increased individualism in society, putting more strain on the system. It is easier to care for, provide for and maintain a whole unit in its entirety than to service its individual components seperately.

In an era so focused on deconstruction, this is one construct that we should not let go of. Redefining marriage will releave stress on society, and allow for collective growth rather than division.

Unfortunately, I think that the foundations of this country in particular are so strongly influenced by conservative, Christian ideals, that same-sex marriage will be simply another fissure as it crumbles.

Another great mind

Found a great blog on my Google alert - I have to admit, I am enjoying Google's control over my life.

Check this one out.

This self-professed "mad man" has some humorous and thought provoking social commentary.

ICE CREAM

The sexy, silent, light-skinned boy is my buddy Jimmy Gorecki Never imagined I would know someone as talented as he is. He's spectacular skater and a character-and-a-half. Check him out. Remember, you can look, but you can't touch... mmm,mmm Ice Cream Skate Team.

Oh, and check out their web site at www.bbcicecream.com.

Postmodern warfare

I attended a movie/documentary psuedo-docu-drama screening event hosted by Hillel on Temple's campus this evening. The film was called "Obessions: Radical Islams War Against the West," and was probably the worst piece of propaganda I have ever had to suffer through.

Want to check it out? Taste a sample.

IN the film, a woman refers to Militant Islam as "postmodern warfare." This was disconcerting to me. How do you reconcile the two concepts? I suppose you don't and that is postmodern.

But, let's think about what postmodern warfare implies.

Warfare is organized choas - okay, there is a parallel. But, in war there is a specific goal and a plan of attack by which to reach that goal. If we are talking about Postmodernism as it applies to war, than just as postmodern art is art for arts' sake, the result would be war for wars' sake. Senseless killing on a mass scale.

Interesting that today's warfare is so hands-off. Missles launched from 100 miles away are killing millions of people. Most of the world is watching the war in Iraq unfold on their television screens. Dehuminzation of the war has lead to passivity and ambivalence. Politicians and demagouges seize the indifference of the people to wage war for their own benefit - can you say Halliburton?

This is not just a disturbing thought, but one that needs to be had by the people of America. We can embrace technology and emerce ourselves in a mosaic of self-imposed worldviews, but we cannot allow this to become such an overwhelming distraction as to deter us from the values that we hold most dear. Even with our individualized moral systems, most people in this world can agree that murder is an unacceptable means to an end.