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Wednesday, April 26
HELP
had an interesting and very frightening talk
with W formerly a New Yorker moved to LA
came back to tell the tale and
with R who was in visiting from Canada
and who has spent quite a bit of time of late
traveling in europe
R explained to me that I would be staggered to know
how much the american media
is censoring what i as an american get to hear and read
and how much more
id get to hear and read were i to start
paying attention to sources like the BBC world news
this i remember from traveling in spain
and in london the last few years
this feeling that i was reading more news
than i was used to
like the veil was taken off
r also talked about China
and how americans know very little about whats really happening over there
how this rapidly growing super-power is running itself in a far less humanitarian way then americans know or that our media shows us
but why would american media care what we think about china?
we also talked about the christian rights
role in politics today
especially in the white house
and R mentioned something quite chilling
which is a possible christian right pressure in media today as well
i know its naiive
and actually just nuts
but i still prefer to think of respected newspapers such as the new york times
as above political and or, (maybe same thing) christian conservative pressure..
R asked me if id seen the new show BIG LOVE
about the polygamist family
hubby and three wives
and i said yes
and its brilliant
he said there was just a review in the new york times
saying this was part of the gay agenda to show other kinds of
marriages to push gay marriages thru
the gay agenda?
so if our media
is slanting our news
caving into political pressure
and or christian conservative pressure
than how the hell are we supposed to even remotely
understand whats going on in our own country?
i feel like im in friggen 1970's Russia all of a sudden
okay some of you might call me paranoid
and many of you might think im the most naiive little idiot
for just STARTING to think
we only get snippets of the truth in our media
but to all of you i ask
how do we find the truth?
what newspaper do we trust?
what newscast do we believe?
is the blog world the only truth?
because we have nothing to lose?
or now that the blog world has begun stepping into the mainstream
will it become just as affected as everyone else
i want to understand my own country
and the world around me
do i need to leave america to read a &#%#&**((# newspaper?!
Saturday, April 22
black and white
ive taken a little bush break (in more ways then one)
because sometimes talking, thinking and reacting to this administration
makes me a tad ill
but
today
what id like to talk about
are the dems
where are the dems
yeah hillary is often in the limelight
and yeah i get from my pal gus that with both houses gone repub
theres not much a good dem can do to fight back
but still
id sure like to see some major balls (even on hill)
step up to the plate
and what id like to see from the republican camp
which i think takes major league balls
is some more standing up for what they feel is right
even if that means going against their own camp
my favorite politician ever
Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
god rest his soul
was equallly loved
and sometimes equally Not
by both sides of the partisan camp
because he spoke his mind and fought for what was right regardless of which side was endorsing it
i sure hope this is not an old fashioned thing
and that in todays america
one can only speak out for what your own camp endorses
if thats the case
we really cant vote for a person anymore
might as well be
anyone up there at the podium
cause theres just two opinions
i hate that
Saturday, April 15
Flight 93 Passed Us Over
my good pal and mentor
nancy aka la matrix check out linkie love list dears
just asked me how i felt about the flight 93 movie
i'd only seen the first ads a few days ago and had a complex mish mash of emotions
part of me screamed its too soon
part of me screamed no we must preserve and remember
i saw an interview with the director and some of the families of the fight 93 heroes
and the families were all thrilled to have the movie made and their loved ones remembered
i guess its a bit like a mini version of the holocaust in some ways
(i said mini version i know 3,000 dead can not compare to 6 million so dont start the nasty comments...im jewish, much of my family died in the holocaust so shut up)
like i said its a bit like a MINI version because one is plagued with two voices
the need to forget and the need to remember all at the same time
to the part of me that says its too soon
i say this
better to make the movie while we are all here
our memories crisp
and our bullshit detectors on high alert
tell the truth
we will see bull doody
in the case of flight 93 of course
one can only piece together bits and pieces
but this we know
they fought back
the plane did not make its evil target
they are heroes
they died saving others
when i produced the art show Reaction
showcasing the before and after 911 of many artists' work
i worried that some would feel i was profiting from 911
so was quit to give all profit to a 911 related charity
as it turned out
hundreds about a thousand all told people came
and were grateful for the chance to
observe how art had been affected
and grateful for a safe place to feel 911
because the further we get from that terrible day
the more people feel embarrassed to feel deeply about it
i still cant talk about it for more then a few minutes without crying
so i dont
im sure i will see the movie
and sure i will be grateful for the dark theatre
there was something oddly poetic about learning about this movie
just before the first night of passover
happy passover by the way
and happy easter to ya all too
anyway
passover to me
has always been rich with tradition
i always make a seder
and always take time to feel grateful
passover in its core
is about simply this
thanking the higher powers
for being passed over
for not having the plagues and death
and the lost of a child set upon you
i had survivor guilt after 911
a lot of us did
then i had relief and began to try and learn how to cherish
every day of my life like a new one
i forget that
often of course
but things like passover and this move
remind me
each day is a gift
and if we are lucky enough to be alive
we must cherish our gift every day we are alive
i remember the many broken faces covered in dirt, bloody hands, frozen hearts,
looking up at me as if i somehow might say or do something to make it just a little better
and all i could do was feed them and say thank you and every once in awhile grab a cold, red hand
and hope that a human touch might warm their shivering soul
these are the images, sights, sounds, smells that will never leave me
that will never leave any of us
this is the reason that we as Americans
dont watch the news the same way we used to
now when we see a suicide bomber that has killed innocent lives in israel
israel no longer seems so far away
none of the senseless death and violence anywhere seems so far away
because it all so easily can land
right here on our front door step
i guess i will eat another matzoh ball
say another prayer
and probably find myself in the back row of a movie theatre
ready to remember and forget at the same time
thankful for being passed over
sad for those who were not so lucky
Monday, April 10
fairola
well immigration is sure a hot fire topic right now
here in nyc there were well over a hundred thousand out screaming in
the village for immigration rights
i have some mixed feelings
so risking a bashing from right, left or in between
ill just tell you how i feel
i get that illegal immigrants who have been living in this country for over 5 years
working for cash
not going away
not paying taxes
are not doing diddly to help america
cause they cant support us
and are not doing diddly to advance themselves here either
cause they're illegal so no major investing or schooling
or job hunting happening here...no ya know drawing attention
just lousy cashola jobs
so yeah
it helps america
to get their tax money
and get them on the books
and sorta get them all accounted for
and so on
but heres what i hate
there are the other folks
that did the right thing
tried to stay here the legal way
applied for a green card
by visa
marriage
asylum
etc
and these folks
if rejected
are gonna get bounced out of this country faster then you can say
holy shit
so they would have been a whole lot better off
if they hadn't tried to do the right thing
and stayed illegal
that really itches my tuchas
i think if you're gonna say
to illegals over 5 years you got amnesty
you should say the same damn thing
to the folks who have been spending thousands of dollars
in legal fees
fighting to work within the system
to legally stay here
they deserve amnesty too
i cant see rewarding a
person who hopped the boarder and is working for cash
for years
and not rewarding the person who hopped the boarder
but has been fighting for a greencard thru legal methods
and paying taxes for years
doesnt seem fair
ya know
but thats just me
Saturday, April 8
last night
Had something of a fabulous last night in ptown
I went to a pot luck art opening
At PAAM
The provincetown art association museum
Only in ptown would something like this happen
A roughly once-a- month- off-season fiesta in which
Members of Paam who are in town in the winter and spring
Can bring an armload of some culinary treat they created
And join in a fun mish mash buffet of varied edibles
Its fun and social
And its an art opening
I joined the great artist Erna Partoll of whom I am a huge fan
She made such a generous amount of scalloped potatoes
That I was allowed to go in as her guest
I wound up sitting with a divine woman named Barbara grey
Who was so feisty I thought id laugh my kugel up
Seriously there was kugel there
Now any night that includes brownies
Kugel, potato gratin and quail eggs all at once
Is bound to be quite an experience
A big topic of chat amongst all was the town meeting
Ya see here in ptown
Any person who lives here and is a registered voter here
Can go to town hall for the annual town meeting which can last one day or a week
And vote on whats on the agenda or stand up and add something to the agenda
Heated topics this year
Were should push carts be allowed in town- the answer was no
Cause the stores are paying boat loads of rent and taxes and don’t need the competition
And because on high season one cant even walk down commercial street as it is
Anyway I got to thinking
I mean could you imagine a town hall meeting in nyc
Where all nyers could stand up and vote
Lordy thered be a few million people demanding no more parking tickets
Right off the bat
And a few million more demanding
No more high rents
And a few million more screaming
Bring back the strip clubs in time square- okay maybe that’s just me
Anyway
Its quite a thing
To go to a town like this in the off season
And join in the revelry
I ended the night with erna giving me a thorough, well needed critique of my art work
Which I shall learn from and grow from
And then I went to sleep listening to the wind blowing across the bay
Not bad
Today I prepare for the long
Long long
8 hour bus ride back to manhattan
oy
and if i ever get to raise something in town hall of ptown
it will be
can we please run a train from new york to the cape
please
I gotta make friends with a pilot
Friday, April 7
off season
dear beloved cherished provincetown
i get that you are troubled by the terrible problem of having tons of folks in the summer
but far to few in the off season and very little folks
hence very little place for folks to go in the winter..
but honeys
here i am
in april
out here with my money ready to spend
and support the most magical place on the earth
and im getting the shaft
seriously
and no not that kind of shaft
get your mind out of that gutter honeys
like when i brought my lovely miha la out here
and we dined in the lobster joint
and got there at 8:45 and the kitchen closed at 9
so the waiters gave us frozen butter cause theyd already put the butter away
and i was served raw salmon
and when i sent it back i was told the chef had already gone home
and the grill was off
so i had a meal of bread and mashed potatoes
come on
its april
you need me
dont send me off hungry
wondering if i have salmonilla?!~
and to the other eatery
that had no one
not a single person in there for breakfast at 11am today
in which when i sat down to eat eggs
the manager refused to get off the phone
and i had to listen to him screaming to someone about how he did not have any money
for the next 20 minutes
hence the lack of digestion on my part
honey you dont have any money
cause you dont know how to treat customers
the end
then there was the
grocery store
i bought like 40 bucks worth of stuff
so this little post teen twinkie packs it all in one paper bag that i could not lift
and she knew
it was raining
when i asked her to repack in two or three plastic bags that a human could lift
and would not melt in the rain
she looked like she wanted to implode
there was no one else on line
but the pressure was clearly too much for her
miha said its just what happens to some people in the off season
a lessening of sorts
sheesh that chick better go into training before july
listen off peakers
heres the deal
ptown is hurting
cause it makes tons of money in the summer
but nada the rest of the year
so when you have a kind soul ready to spend some green in your town
in april
or march
or feb or jan
or dec
or nov
or october
be &#%#^%#^#^&#&#&* nice to us
and cook our damn fish
and dont go home till ya know we are happy with our damn fish
cause the galleries and the water
and the gulls
and the culture
and the lovely lovely houses is fine
but in the end
we still need to eat!
---
just coming in here with a PS
cavegirl dropped a comment
saying it seemed like all i do is bitch about ptown
honeys
its like this
ptown is my lover
sometimes she cheats
sometimes she doesnt bathe
sometimes she doesnt cook my fish hmmm
but shes still great in bed
and easy on the eyes
ok?
Thursday, April 6
wash the mess
Any ideas how the bush spin machine is gonna wash this one?
We’ve got cheneys top aide spilling it that bush authorized the leak
Heading right into Plame Gate
Well of course the spin machine is already working
But im thinking just maybe
Please lord
It’s a bit like the great and powerful oz
And all of us who aren’t in a coma
Are maybe
Peeking behind the curtain
Sheesh
20 years from now
everyone who voted for bush is gonna be too embarrassed to say so in public
but for now the great brain spin wash
is in full cycle
wash rinse
no weapons of mass destruction
wash rinse
we had nothing to do with the leak
wash rinse
love our fema
wash rinse
Wednesday, April 5
snow beach and me
well kids
im out here in provincetown mass
and ive watched it go from warm spring to terrentail rain
to warm spring
to sudden snow blast
in the last 36 hours
its nuts honey
but what the heck so am i
came out to chill
recupe
and tape the first of the 2006 season
of Bite This on WOMR
for those who havent listened yet
its every other monday
at 12:45 in the afternoon
at womr.org
next show this coming monday
so listen up
i think youll like it
on other news
i came out here with my dear sweetie pie
miha la
and we chilled out massively
i painted
he slept
i wrote
he slept
we ate
he slept
hahha
i like a guy who knows how to relax
anyway its quiet as hell here
not many tourists
most places still closed waiting for the warmer weather
but i like it
like it
yes i do
now
off to watch the snow
blow over the bay
Saturday, April 1
freedom
freedom is a funny thing
im thinking now about the amazing coyote who somehow seemed to have migrated from Westchester along the highway, into manhattan, down the west side and into Central park...?!
there the amazing and rather adorable little guy romped around the park for days, evading the crews who came to capture him and even managed to run away after being heavily tranquilized
a super coyote you might say
but then just as they are about to release him the wild
they go to tag him and then muzzle him
and the amazing coyote dies
all are stunned
i dont know
i think when that tag and muzzle were being put on him
he thought his freedom was being taken away for good
and maybe his little heart just broke
well thats how it feels to me anyway
that guy was my furry hero
now i feel sad
freedom
never underestimate the way we all
can break
and the notion of having ours stripped
ive seen a lot of that in this country in the last few years
people in terror
of being less free
its a valid fear
because once caged
we all become
animals
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