Long Live Madison's Orpheum Theatre

SO good to see The Orpheum in Madison is still run by trouble-making Leftists!

I spent the summer of 1989 selling tickets, eating popcorn, and enjoying my beginning of first serious romance at Madison's iconic Orpheum Theatre. It was built in 1926 and has more nooks and crannies, back alleys and catwalks than any building I have ever encountered. It was more of a playground than a place of work. It is one of the few buildings for which I actually have romantic feelings.

Per Wiki:
Built in 1926 by Rapp and Rapp, the Limestone, Art Deco exterior and French Renaissance interior made the building an icon, with the "Orpheum" sign towering over State Street. There have been limited changes to the structure of the building over the years. The terrazzo floors, chandeliers, grand staircase, and statue of Orpheus overlooking the entryway are still intact. Partially financed by dentist William Beecroft, also known as "Mr. Theater," The Orpheum cost $750,000 to build and originally featured vaudeville shows and a movie theater, later featuring contemporary artists and film. The Orpheum sponsors the yearly Madison Independent Film Festival and serves food daily from its Lobby Lounge restaurant.

The Orpheum Theatre was the first building in Wisconsin to have air conditioning; the air conditioner itself takes up an entire room in the basement. Furthermore, it was the first building on its block between Johnson Street and State Street.

The Orpheum Theatre originally seated 2,400 people. After renovations in the 1960s to add "The Stage Door" Theatre, only six feet of the original stage was left, and 700 seats were lost, making the capacity 1700.

The Orpheum nearly burned down on December 19, 2004. It was the third attempted arson on the building. Several other Madison landmark music establishments such as O'Cayz Corral and the Club deWash had burned down mysteriously in previous years.

The Orpheum Theatre in Madison is on The National Register of Historic Places listings in Wisconsin

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Back in the 80's, we showed standard fare, such as Platoon, all those Lethal Weapon movies, and numerous other "classics." These days the popcorn and candy counter has been redesigned as a state-of-the-art kitchen and they serve lunch and dinner in the spacious lobby between the matching grand staircases that lead to balconies no longer coded to bear the weight of occupants.

They show mostly Indie films, and host musicians (Sevendust is a regular) and there has been a project underway for several years to try and save the building and its marquee.

But I have never been more proud of her than I am right now.

Keep up the good work!!
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Democracy protests bring down Egypt's Mubarak

!!الف مبروك يا قلبي يا مصر

Reuters/Emilio Morenatti

Democracy protests bring down Egypt's Mubarak

By PAUL SCHEMM and MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Paul Schemm And Maggie Michael, Associated Press

CAIRO – Fireworks burst over Tahrir Square and Egypt exploded with joy and tears of relief after pro-democracy protesters brought down President Hosni Mubarak with a momentous march on his palaces and state TV. Mubarak, who until the end seemed unable to grasp the depth of resentment over his three decades of authoritarian rule, finally resigned Friday and handed power to the military.

"The people ousted the regime," rang out chants from crowds of hundreds of thousands massed in Cairo's central Tahrir, or Liberation, Square and outside Mubarak's main palace several miles away in a northern district of the capital.

...Thousands from across the capital of 18 million streamed into Tahrir, where protesters hugged, kissed and wept. Whole families took pictures of each other posing with Egyptian flags with their mobile phones as bridges over the Nile jammed with throngs more flowing into the square.

Abdul-Rahman Ayyash, an online activist born eight years after Mubarak came to office, said he would be celebrating all night, then remain in the square to ensure the military "won't steal the revolution."

"I'm 21 years old," he said. "This is the first time in my life I feel free."

[Click on title for full article.]


!!الف مبروك يا قلبي يا مصر
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Mubarak keeps title but "transfers powers" to VP Suleiman, former henchman

I am outraged. These are quotes from the CNN Live Blog from today: translations of Mubarak's speech on State TV, which was received tonight in stunned silence by a crowd of thousands in Tahrir Square. They are not silent now. How many people must die before he surrenders? (More than we thought--see below...)

[Update 11:00 p.m. in Cairo, 4:00 p.m. ET] The crowd in Tahrir Square erupts into roars of "get out" as Mubarak announces he will not step down.

"I will not submit to any international pressures," he says. "I love Egypt, I I have worked hard for its renaissance and I have never tried to have more authority, and I think the majority of other people here know very well who Hosni Mubarak is and it hurts my heart when I see and I hear from my own people."

We HURT his FEELINGS???

[Update 11:05 p.m. in Cairo, 4:05 p.m. ET] "This guy is calling for more rage in the country," a protester in Tahrir Square tells CNN's Fred Pleitgen after Mubarak speaks. "This guy doesn't want to leave in peace."

[Update 7:49 p.m. in Cairo, 12:49 p.m. ET] The number of people killed in Egyptians' protests against President Hosni Mubarak could be two or even three times higher than previously estimated, a human rights activist on the ground warned Thursday. Human Rights Watch has confirmed about 300 deaths, said Hossam Bahgat of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. But independent researchers have not been able to get information from many places, he said.

Very exclusive picture of President Hosni Mubarak and Vice President Omar Suleiman after the jump.


Hosni and Omar after their very trying day today. Read more!

Egyptian military deploys in Cairo under curfew

Fires burn in the National Democratic Party ruling party headquarters, after it was set alight by anti-government protesters, in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Jan. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) [This is not far from the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which so far seems to be unscathed. The Museum itself would never be a target, but might take collateral damage, which would be tragic, as far as buildings (and antiquities) go.--ND]


Water cannons. Photo by Reuters/Yannis Behrakis

Egyptian military deploys in Cairo under curfew
By MAGGIE MICHAEL and HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, Associated Press

This is a very good summary of today's events in Cairo and around Egypt. The decidedly different reaction to the army's arrival compared to the police--who are despised--is well worth noting. This government more than likely cannot be overthrown without the army's help. As they are paid next to nothing and tend to come from poor families (much like here) they are not unlikely to side with the protesters. Surprisingly, the article mentions that several police actually stripped from their uniforms and joined the supporters. Another very positive development.

Some photos from the press:


One of the two massive lions that guard the bridge into central Cairo. I was scolded by a policeman back in 1993 for taking pictures of them because the bridge is considered a "military installation" which it is forbidden to photograph under Martial Law. Egyptians have been under Martial Law since Mubarak assumed office almost 30 years ago. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP)


Cairo's historic Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifai mosques are engulfed with smoke from a nearby fire at a police station which was set ablaze during massive protests by Egyptians demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. The United States said Friday that the political unrest in Egypt "is of deep concern." (AFP/Marco Longari) [Very sobering view of two highly revered and simply amazing mosques--ND]


Anti-government protesters surround and stand atop an Egyptian army armoured personnel carrier, near the Tahrir Square, in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Friday,Jan. 28, 2011. Egyptian activists protested for a fourth day as social networking sites called for a mass rally in the capital Cairo after Friday prayers, keeping up the momentum of the country's largest anti-government protests in years. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

I did read yesterday that one of the cities now rioting is Mansoura, north of Cairo in the delta region, which is the closest large town to where my roommates and I became friends with a whole village (wedding parties will do that) during our stay. So there is no question now that our friends are involved. These are folks with dirt floors (until my roommates' wedding present fixed that) and no phones--much less computers--so we have no way of knowing anything about them. In fact, we've had no contact with them since we left 17 years ago. But the memories are hard and fast, and won't go anywhere anytime soon.

"In the upscale Mohandiseen neighborhood, at least 10,000 were marching toward the city center chanting "down, down with Mubarak." The crowd later swelled to about 20,000 as they made their way through residential areas."

Mohandiseen is a adjacent to my wonderful old neighborhood of Dokki, where an American student I know is currently waiting out the situation. To get from Mohandiseen to the bridge leading towards central Cairo (where they were stopped by police) the crowd would have passed right through Dokki, where it sounds like they picked up enough supporters to double their numbers. Makes me proud. Read more!

Egypt ruling party offers no concessions

Ben Curtis, AP



Egypt ruling party offers no concessions

By HAMZA HENDAWI and HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, Associated Press Hamza Hendawi And Hadeel Al-shalchi, Associated Press

CAIRO – Egypt's ruling party said Thursday it was ready for a dialogue with the public but offered no concessions to address demands for a solution to rampant poverty and political change heard in the country's largest anti-government protests in years.

At the same time, the grass roots protest movement was getting a double boost likely energize the largest anti-government demonstrations Egypt has seen in years. Mohammed ElBaradei, a Nobel peace laureate and the country's top pro-democracy advocate, was returning to the country Thursday night and declared he was ready to lead the protests. The country's largest opposition group — the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood — also threw its support behind the demonstrations.

Protests erupted for a third straight day and social networking sites were abuzz with talk that Friday's rallies could be some of the biggest so far calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak after 30-years in power. Millions gather at mosques across the city for Friday prayers, providing organizers with a huge number of people already out on the streets to tap into.

[Click on title for rest of article]

I don't believe in prayer, but I am most definitely hoping for as little violence as possible Friday. This will be a very crucial point in this uprising. Read more!

Plainclothes police arrest Mohamed Abdul Quddus, rapporteur of the Civil Liberties Committee and member of the Press SyndicateCouncil, during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic


Egyptian police crack down on new protests (AP)


"Many in Egypt see these events as signs of the authoritarian president's vulnerability in an election year. There is speculation that 82-year-old Mubarak, who has been in power for nearly 30 years and recently experienced serious health problems, may be setting his son Gamal up for hereditary succession. But there is considerable public opposition and, according to leaked U.S. diplomatic memos, it does not meet with the approval of the powerful military. And the regime's tight hold on power has made it virtually impossible for any serious alternative to Mubarak to emerge.

"The crackdown by authorities brought harsh words from European leaders, who expressed concern and said the events underline the need for democratization and respect for human and civil rights. However, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton did not criticize Egypt's government — a key U.S. ally in the Middle East — but only said the country was stable and Egyptians have the right to protest while urging all parties to avoid violence."



I'm sure there's more to come...


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Mubarak's son and family flee to UK

Mubarak’s son, family fly out to UK: reports


Not a good time to be in Cairo with the last name of Mubarak. President Mubarak has been grooming his son Gamal to follow him. Though presidencies are not supposed to be inherited, I guess we've all seen it happen here with the Bushes...

But it looks like it's getting a little too hot in Heliopolis lately, so Gamal and family have fled to the UK. Is the captain ready to go down with his ship?

My former professor in Cairo, Abbas al-Tonsi, also posted an Arabic article from The Telegraph (not sure which country) stating that the Egyptian revolution is shaking up the US government. LIke I said, though we often slapped Mubarak's wrist verbally for frequent human rights abuses, they are our most important ally (close tie with Saudia Arabia, but for vastly different reasons) and receive billions of US dollars of aid every year. The US is careful to provide matching amounts to Israel (not a poor nation, by the way) to keep everyone "happy." My favorite subscript to that fact is that the US profits ENORMOUSLY by providing munitions to both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. We have for decades.

Something tells me Hillary did not sleep well the last two nights...

See next post for more.

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Cairo--After Night Fell, so did Midan at-Tahrir :(

Egyptian police fired tear gas early Wednesday on thousands of protesters in Cairo, as three people died during unprecedented nationwide rallies seekingto end President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. (AFP/Mohammed Abed)

This is still unreal to me. The American University in Cairo used to be about 100 yards from here. I crossed this maze of (usually) cars and buses every day. The Egyptian Musuem of Antiquities is right here... The Hilton, where we would escape the heat and slide across the marble floors like wet ice... The iconic Coco-Cola sign up atop one of the largest buildings... The main government building, the Mugamma, where a gov worker took his own life during our stay by jumping to his death onto the Square... All memories I have that didn't take place at the pyramids were centered here. Even the injured sorrel cart horse with the broken ankle, and the young boy pleading with him to get him home, which he never did... The woman and children lining this street selling government-issued Kleenex packets all day every day for pennies--Mubarak's idea of welfare. A traffic cop holding a dying boy, hit by a car, in his arms as my taxi passed, unable to get through the traffic to save him...

No, I will never forget Cairo. Her smoke is in my blood. Their blood is on the streets.

...يا مصر يا قالبي

Egyptians denounce Mubarak, clash with riot police
[Taken from AP piece-updated]

As night fell, thousands of demonstrators stood their ground for what they vowed would be an all-night sit-in in Tahrir Square just steps away from parliament and other government buildings — blocking the streets and setting the stage for even more dramatic confrontations.

A large security force moved in around 1 a.m. Wednesday, arresting people, chasing others into side streets and filling the square with clouds of tear gas. Protesters collapsed on the ground with breathing problems amid the heavy volleys of tear gas.

The sound of what appeared to be automatic weapons fire could be heard as riot police and plainclothes officers chased several hundred protesters who scrambled onto the main road along the Nile in downtown Cairo. Some 20 officers were seen brutally beating one protester with truncheons.

"It got broken up ugly with everything, shooting, water cannon and (police) running with the sticks," said Gigi Ibrahim, who was among the last protesters to leave the square. "It was a field of tear gas. The square emptied out so fast."

Ibrahim said she was hit in her back with something that felt like a rock. "Some people were hit in their faces."

Some protesters turned violent amid the crackdown. They knocked down an empty white police booth and dragged it for several yards before setting it on fire, chanting that they want to oust the regime. A police pickup truck was overturned and set ablaze behind the famed Egyptian Museum. Protesters also set fire to a metal barricade and blocked traffic on a major bridge over the Nile.

Police at the bridge fired tear gas and protesters mounted a charge, forcing officers to retreat, though they quickly regrouped. Two protesters with bleeding head wounds were carried off in ambulances.

Well after midnight, the smell of tear gas drifted throughout central Cairo and riot police remained deployed in large numbers. Tahrir Square looked like a battlefield covered with rocks and debris. The gates of the ruling party headquarters near the square were smashed.

Scattered groups of protesters were holding out in several areas. Many were chased by police vehicles into the Shubra neighborhood, where the streets were strewn with rocks in a sign of a heavy confrontation.


Discontent with life in Egypt's authoritarian police state has simmered under the surface for years. However, it is Tunisia's popular uprising, which forced that nation's autocratic ruler from power, that appears to have pushed young Egyptians into the streets, many for the first time.

"This is the first time I am protesting, but we have been a cowardly nation. We have to finally say no," said Ismail Syed, a hotel worker who struggles to live on a salary of $50 a month.

Read more!

Protests in Cairo continue into night...

"Several thousand remained in the streets after dark, and many promised to stay through the night in the square, steps away from parliament and other government buildings."

Tahrir Square, a circular multi-lane roundabout with a small park in the center. It is the heart of Cairo. And there is never a time when those lanes are not filled bumper to bumper with cars instead of people braving baton and tear gas-wielding riot police. Ironically, today is a national holiday honoring police. --Nancy


[AP Article updated]

Egyptians denounce Mubarak, clash with riot police
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What? It actually mattered if I voted???

Wisconsin lost a good man, Russ Feingold, from the Senate. And we have a douchebag as governor.

Everybody sleep tight.

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Favorite Sign from Rally For Sanity

Don't worry, it really does say that.

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Jack Black and Little Girl compete for Oscar

The beans are coming! Read more!

Stewart: FOX Failed To Mention Co-Owner Is One They Accuse Of 'Terror Funding' (VIDEO)

This reviewer says: Fucking A Brilliant

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Parent Company Trap
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

I'm with Evil. No, Stupid. Oh shit, can't they be both? Read more!

Where you can find me

More complaints of late that I have gone underground. I want to assure anyone following this that I am most certainly still above ground. For the last several days, at least, I can be found in one of four specific places:

1. Picking and eating copious amounts of strawberries from my backyard. If there is an overdose mark for eating fresh strawberries, I passed it days ago. Strawberries for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and still enough to give away. Apparently there is at least one plant I cannot kill.

2. Cleaning up my house after my neurotic new Chihuahua. As much as I would like to disprove the rumor that "Chihuahua's don't potty train" so far I have little to refute it. He's lucky he's so fucking cute--and easy to bathe.

3. At the barn. I am finally getting solid leads on new homes for Jack, whom I would love to keep but must re-home as a last-ditch bid to keep my true love, Julian. I have come so close to re-homing Julian that I am spending as much time as I can with him, savoring our time together in case I can't find a way to make it work. My paycheck isn't what it used to be--though I am grateful I still get one--and I can only stretch the numbers so far. When it's come to home or horse, you know you've reached the truly thin ice. And yes, I'm refinancing, but it's not the miracle cure they might have you believe.

4. Going green. I am spending a great deal of time reading Nico Pitney on The Huffington Post in order to more closely follow minute-by-minute updates on the Twitter Revolution in Iran. They didn't just have a rigged election, they had no election. President Ahmadinejad declared victory within hours of the polls closing, which is pretty remarkable given that the millions of votes cast were all handwritten. Apparently Ahmadinejad has some very fast ballot readers at his disposal.

Now the conflict has gone far beyond election fraud to blatant disregard for human rights, as peaceful protesters are arrested, detained, beaten or killed. Censorship from the government has left only one avenue open for news from the ground, and that is Twitter, believe it or not. You won't find adequate coverage on CNN, which is where you always expected it, but rather in blogs such as Nico Pitney's, or by The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan, who have spent days without sleep compiling personal posts received from hundreds of Iranian citizens. I strongly urge you to check either of these sites for a most comprehensive view of the history unfolding before us.

Going green has taken on a completely new meaning.

Why aren't you reading The Huffington Post? already Read more!

Why I Love This Man

President Barack Obama fist bumps an unidentified graduate at the Arizona State University commencement ceremony at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., Thursday, May 14, 2009.(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Let me make one thing clear--I don't blindly worship political leaders no matter how dazzling the smile, and I'm not thrilled about Obama's lack of commitment to gay rights or his turnaround on torture evidence, but he has a wit I will always adore.

Obama shrugs off honorary degree snub at ASU

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer Darlene Superville, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 57 mins ago

TEMPE, Ariz. – President Barack Obama says Arizona State University officials aren't the only ones who think he needs to accomplish more to earn an honorary degree.

Add his wife Michelle to that list.

"I come here not to dispute the suggestion that I haven't yet achieved enough in my life," Obama said in a commencement speech Wednesday. With a smile he added: "First of all, (first lady) Michelle (Obama) concurs with that assessment. She has a long list of things that I have not yet done waiting for me when I get home."

"But more than that I come to embrace the notion that I haven't done enough in my life. I heartily concur. I come to affirm that one's title, even a title like 'president of the United States,' says very little about how well one's life has been led."

Obama challenged the graduating class to find new sources of energy, improve failing schools and never to rely on past achievement. He congratulated them on earning a degree, and said the next steps mattered more than a piece of paper or a tassel.

"I want to say to you today, graduates, class of 2009, that despite having achieved a remarkable milestone in your life — despite the fact that you and your families are so rightfully proud — you, too, cannot rest on your laurels. ... Your own body of work is also yet to come," the president said, wearing a black gown with red embellishments and a blue hood.

Commencement speakers typically are awarded honorary degrees as a sign of respect and appreciation. Arizona State officials, however, did not award any such degrees this year.

"His body of work is yet to come. That's why we're not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency," university spokeswoman Sharon Keeler said after the school's student newspaper first reported the decision. Numerous bloggers, in Arizona and elsewhere, regarded the university's stance as a snub of Obama.

To quell the controversy, the university instead renamed a scholarship for the nation's 44th president. At the beginning of his remarks, Obama thanked the school for the gesture.

He also met six recipients of the scholarship named for him and commissioned a group of Army and Air Force cadets.

While the dispute over Obama's honorary degree colored the buildup to the ceremony, a sweltering — and packed — Sun Devil Stadium seemed to care little. About 63,000 people crowded into the stadium to send 9,000 students into a marketplace that has lost 1.3 million jobs since February.

Obama was to fly to Albuquerque, N.M., after the speech. The president planned a town hall-style meeting there Thursday on proposed restrictions on credit card companies.

Obama plans commencement addresses Sunday at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on May 22.

Protests were expected at Notre Dame, a Roman Catholic school, over Obama's support for abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research.



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So Sue Me

I really need a good laugh, and Andy Borowitz delivers everytime. Normally I just post the link, but in a daring new I-don't-give-a-shit attitude (If I say it's new, it's new, damn it) I am re-printing it in its entirety. Maybe Andy will call personally to complain. You know what 2 year-olds say: "Even negative attention is better than no attention at all." (Direct quote from my niece, Jordan)

Poll: Obama Even More Awesome Than Originally Thought

Andy Borowitz
BorowitzReport.com
Posted January 27, 2009 11:31 AM (EST)

[Editor's Note: Recently, The Borowitz Report has received a number of letters from readers complaining about columns that have seemed to satirize the nation's 44th president. These readers have pointed out that with all of the challenges facing President Obama, the time for such juvenile shenanigans is over. At The Borowitz Report, our response couldn't be clearer: "We hear you." In keeping with the nation's new, post-satirical spirit, we offer the following column, which represents the new and more positive direction we intend to adopt for the next four years.]

One week into his presidency, Barack Obama gets high marks in a new poll, with a majority of Americans agreeing with the statement, "Barack Obama is even more awesome than I originally thought."

The percentage of voters who believe that Mr. Obama is awesome surged during his first week in office, with 82% thinking he is awesome now compared to 77% who deemed him awesome last week.

And in the latest measure of his popularity, Mr. Obama receives higher approval ratings in the new poll than either leprechauns or unicorns, mythical beings that almost everyone agrees are totally awesome.

In a head-to-head contest, Mr. Obama beats leprechauns and unicorns combined, garnering 64% compared to 21% for leprechauns, 14% for unicorns, and 1% for Congressman Ron Paul.

Mr. Obama remains wildly popular among women, with 72% of the women polled saying that they have experienced longer, more powerful orgasms since he was sworn in as president. "I definitely won't have to fake them like I did for the last eight years," said housewife Tracy Klujian of Madison, Wisconsin, who reported having an four-minute climax while watching the inauguration on MSNBC. "That's change I can believe in."

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com. He is performing at the 92nd St. Y on April 30 at 8 PM with special guests Judy Gold, Hendrick Hertzberg, and Jonathan Alter. For tickets, go to 92y.org.


ddonar at Flickr

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"High-Five Inauguration!"

Funny or Die's high-five guys were spreading the love at the inauguration. Watch them high-five an all-star cast that includes Jack Black, Peggy Noonan, Howard Dean, Newt Gingrich, Obama Girl, Sarah Silverman, Robert Gibbs, Larry King, Arianna Huffington and more.

High-Five Inauguration!

What else do you want from me? Watch it again. You know you didn't know who half those politicians were.

Read more!

Congratulations, Mr. President

We are very relieved to have you with us.

And below. . . How's that for a fun family photo? I love it!

Barack Obama, right, joined by his wife Michelle, second from right, and daughters Sasha, second from left, and Malia, takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts to become the 44th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

See ya, dubya.

U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush after delivering his speech during the inauguration ceremony in Washington, January 20, 2009. Obama became the first African-American president in U.S. history.REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES)

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240,000 dollars awarded to man forced to cover Arab T-shirt

Image from littlecloudyskye on Flickr

I like, sometimes, to imagine that American citizens are not the stupidest ones on the planet, but most of the time the evidence points so overwhelming in the other direction that I have to throw my arms up and pull my hoodie down over my face. This would be another one of those times.

Just last week we had the family of Muslims ejected from an airplane after one of the women quietly asked a family member (not standing up and canvassing the flight, mind you) where the safest place was to be seated on a plane. You mean Muslims are scared to fly, too? Why, that almost makes them human! Not quite, of course--don't be stupid.

That article can be found here, under More Stupid American Tricks.

Now, word surfaces that another traveler was forced to change shirts so he could board a JetBlue flight back in August.

240,000 dollars awarded to man forced to cover Arab T-shirt

His transgression--besides being born with Arab features, which is unfortunate--was that he wore a t-shirt with Arabic script on it. I cannot tell you how often I have been tempted to do this. I realize it doesn't have the same punch when worn by a blonde, light-skinned woman, but maybe it would save me the cavity search. Then again, it's been awhile...

Anyway, his shirt--and I will try to figure out how to get the script on here--was Arabic for "We will not be silent." Now if he had worn his other t-shirt, the one that says "You're all going down, suckers" I can see where someone mught be concerned. But the issue here, obviously, is that not enough people know Arabic. Maybe I can get that new job I am struggling to find by offering my services at airport terminals reading subversive (and non-subversive) Arabic t-shirts. Nike actually had one with Arabic script on it years ago as an ad campaign. I tried so hard to get one, but they sold out immediately. I can't remember if they actually said "Just do it" but the thought makes me break into fits of Liberal giggles all the same.

Now, someone is going to read this and think that I am a horrible woman who was pro-9/11. That person, and others like her, are the stupid people I was referring to before. If they really want something to be scared about, they should be watching out for redneck Oklahomans wearing sweat-stained cowboy hats waiting for their connection to Waco. Now THOSE fellas make me piss my pants.

UPDATE: Here is the t-shirt I found on the Internet at United for Peace and Justice.



Photo by AFP

Short on cash? Find a t-shirt with a scary foreign language on it and book your flight today! Read more!

Understanding the Gaza Catastrophe

Israeli soldiers stand on their APC's and gesture towards the Gaza Strip on January 2, 2009 near Israel's border with the Hamas-run territory. Israel continues to reinforce its troops amid talks of an internationally-brokered ceasefire.

I am no high-brow scholar, merely a former student of Arabic and Middle East history with numerous Arab and Jewish friends in the Middle East. I cannot pretend to write an article such as this one found on the Huffington Post, and I won't try.

I do, however, highly recommend it.

Understanding the Gaza Catastrophe by Richard Falk, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories

Posted January 2, 2009 11:00 AM (EST)

Excerpt:

"The people of Gaza are victims of geopolitics at its inhumane worst: producing what Israel itself calls a 'total war' against an essentially defenseless society that lacks any defensive military capability whatsoever and is completely vulnerable to Israeli attacks mounted by F-16 bombers and Apache helicopters. What this also means is that the flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, as set forth in the Geneva Conventions, is quietly set aside while the carnage continues and the bodies pile up. It additionally means that the UN is once more revealed to be impotent when its main members deprive it of the political will to protect a people subject to unlawful uses of force on a large scale. Finally, this means that the public can shriek and march all over the world, but that the killing will go on as if nothing is happening. The picture being painted day by day in Gaza is one that begs for renewed commitment to international law and the authority of the UN Charter, starting here in the United States, especially with a new leadership that promised its citizens change, including a less militarist approach to diplomatic leadership."


Palestinian children from the Al-jojo family look from their family house at the damage after an Israeli air strike destroyed the neighboring house of Dababish family in Gaza, Gaza Strip, January 1, 2009. Israeli warplanes attacked government buildings in the Gaza Strip on New Year's Day after Israel and its Islamist Hamas foe both spurned ceasefire calls. Read more!