Lit Pushers- Pushing Lit and what's Fit

What Did Columbus Discover? A Story

2011-10-11T18:53:00.001-07:00

What Did Columbus Discover?
Consider the virtual prophecy of Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa in that light. The foresight of Cusa back then, had prompted Christopher Columbus to promote voyages across the Atlantic into the Caribbean, and had, in that way, brought about the present division between “Old Europe” and what thus came to be identified as a triumphant United States.

So, it has come to be the present fact of the world in these modern times, that the failures among the leading nations, had left the fate of the present, post-Renaissance, modern world, largely within the hands of what were to emerge as the two great traditionally English-speaking powers of the world: a fate left within the hands of the rapidly waning means of the British Empire, or, possibly, a triumph of our own United States against Britain.1The February 1763 “Peace of Paris” established the long-term trend in European culture to be pivoted on the division of Europe as being destined, until now, to become as an Anglo-Dutch trans-Atlantic culture, since the accession to power of the William of Orange who invaded and conquered the British Isles in his role as the representative of the flag of “The New Venetian Party,” and as the successor to Britain’s James II, in 1688. William, whose power came from Paolo Sarpi’s coup d’etat within the old Venetian Party, had crafted the succession in the British Isles which, in turn, launched what become the future British Monarchy of George I. The modern British empire was put into place as the rising power of the British East India Company in the February 1763 Peace of Paris, that under the leadership of Lord Shelburne, who, during 1782, established the British Foreign Office which was, thus, de facto, the actuality of the British Empire’s subordination of the British Kingdom to the authority of what was to become known as the British Empire in fact.

Unfortunately, that power currently represented by the heads of state of the British kingdom today, has been largely spent under the global reign of British imperialism.

So, we have lived throughout the relatively recent past, under the domination of the planet by the hands of such as either British tyrants such as the Empress Queen Elizabeth II, or, in the too rare, better moments, under the alternative represented by the leadership of such opponents of imperialism as specifically the Twentieth-century U.S. Presidents, such as William McKinley (very briefly), Franklin D. Roosevelt, General Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and “Bill” Clinton.

Unfortunately, since the close of President Clinton’s two terms in office, his two successors have brought upon us the worst prospects for our United States, that which we have suffered under such ruinous Presidents as George W. Bush, Jr., and the British Empire-controlled, U.S. puppet-President, Barack Obama.

For the remainder among the actually leading heads of state among great powers, during the post-World War II 1946-2011 interval, there had also been, chiefly, the Soviet Union (until its fall), India, and China, which had, or have been the “great nations” on account of the history of their territories and cultures, and on the account of the number and rising power which the U.S.A., Russia, China, and, potentially, India, have come to represent, as in aggregate, today.

Presently, the leading hope for mankind is centered, chiefly, on the possible roles of the United States, Russia, and China in their own right, and with India soon after the establishment of the practical unity among the initiating three. India as a notable power, once freed from the still persisting residue of British influence, remains a power with pending, near-future claims to rising leadership in the world, that in its own right.

Therefore, that consequential four, the three-plus-one, are the leading partners on which the world’s peoples must rely for those immediate years now ahead, and for the quality of such cooperation from among leading nations in bringing humanity into a system of emerging world-wide initiatives expressed as sovereign nation-states of our planet and expressed as what must also emerge as the role of mankind in the Solar system and beyond.

Unfortunately, the currently menacing role of the British Empire still exists. It continues to exist, presently, as during the recent past decades, as with such diverse British agents-in-fact as Margaret Thatcher, François Mitterrand, and their rather foolish, but nasty accomplice, U.S. President George H.W. Bush, the latter a son of one-time Adolf Hitler sponsor Prescott Bush. The latter collection of such awfully bad leaders, has recently deprived the other nations in western and central Europe of their own claims to enjoying a truly continuing, future sovereignty: a loss of sovereignty recently renamed under the category of that reign of the bastards called “governance.”

So, in summary, for the moment when these and the following words have now been written here, the initiative for the planet as whole, now appears to depend, for the moment, upon the hoped-for cooperation sparked among three of the leading powers of this planet, our own United States, Russia and China. Those three represent, for the moment, the immediate prospect of a trio of nations whose peculiar, immediate importance for the nations of the planet as a whole, is crucial in a very much particular way, as during this immediate moment of crucial decision in the present and immediate future history of the world.

Soon, we expect that India shall quickly join those three to define a fourth leading nation of the same group and its shared intention.

Film about 9/11

2011-09-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend, LPACTV will be releasing a major feature called "9/11: Ten Years Later", detailing the intended consequences of the September 11th attacks, including the post-9/11 presidency of Barack Obama. What we expose is the role of two foreign governments, Great Britain and Saudi Arabia, in tandem with leading members of our own government, in planning and financing this act of war.

Over the next 48 hours, LPACTV will be broadcasting several supplementary archival videos during our prime time segment, including Lyndon LaRouche's historic live appearance on the Jack Stockwell show, which occurred simultaneously with the attacks, plus interviews, webcast excerpts, and other crucial background material.

Watch the trailer for the upcoming feature film, and stay tuned for continuing coverage over the coming days.

Fighting Politics in Kentucky

2011-08-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Perry Clark was invited to address one of the
largest Democratic clubs in Louisville, KY, on Tuesday by the
club president, John Miller. LaRouche organizer Carol X. and
other supporters report from the meeting that Perry stunned the
audience with a passionate presentation on why he was calling for
Obama's removal from office and backing LaRouche's proposals. His
presentation took the form: "If you knew at the time that Obama
was going to move to destroy Social Security, would you have
voted for him? (then replace "destroy Social Security" with "wage
colonial wars," and Obama's other crimes), while fully explaining
the Glass-Steagall process to save the nation and the world. The
audience was in full accord.

The Kentucky State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, who is running
for reelection, asked Perry why everyone campaigns against
something, rather than FOR something like Glass-Steagall, as
Perry does. A real estate agent tried to "share the blame" with
those who took out risky mortgages which they couldn't pay, but
Perry cut him off and briefed people on the crimes of the banks
in coercing people to take these sub-prime mortgages so they
could securitize them and pass the losses on to others. The new
head of the district's Democratic Party was there and had a long
talk with Carol.

The next night the organizing team went to the meeting of
the largest Democratic club in the city, where Rep. John Yarmuth
was speaking. After a boring speech, Yarmuth was asked about
Glass- Steagall by the moderator after about seven written
questions had asked the same question. Yarmuth was visibly
uncomfortable, and barely able to explain Glass-Steagall to the
audience, then weakly said he's support it "if it got out of
committee." Several organizers then broke protocol and shouted
out for him to stop being a wimp, support it now, be on the right
side of history, and won the backing of many in the audience.

The newly elected head of this Club then engaged in a long
discussion with Carol and John Miller, reaching the conclusion
that the two clubs had to work together to restore the FDR
tradition.

Carol and her team have compiled a literature package of all
Lyn's major initiatives over the past 10 years, showing how Perry
Clark has supported them all consistently. This served to counter
some who were accusing Perry of "jumping on the LaRouche
bandwagon!"

The British and USA Official Secrets Act

2011-08-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Behind the Espionage Act Prosecutions: Obama Plots Treasonous
Imposition of Official Secrets Act

Aug. 26, 2011 (LPAC)--Behind the Obama Justice Department's
flagrantly unconstitutional abuse of the Espionage Act to
prosecute intelligence community whistle-blowers is a treasonous
drive, first launched under President George W. Bush, to impose a
British Official Secrets Act on the United States. Given that
Federal Judges have repeatedly ruled against Justice Department
efforts to silence legitimate critics by prosecuting them as
foreign spies, sources confirm that the Obama Administration, led
by the President himself, has concluded that now is the time to
press Congress to rip up the Constitution altogether by imposing
Official Secrets. What this means is that Obama is out to impose
a foreign system -- Britain's heinous suppression of free speech
and any legitimate dissent -- upon the United States. As Lyndon
LaRouche commented today, ``If this is not treasonous, I don't
know what is.''
Justice Department and intelligence community sources have
provided some background on the Obama drive to stifle all dissent
and prosecute whistle-blowers and journalists alike under a U.S.
Official Secrets Act. During the Bush Administration,
then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales traveled to London to be
briefed by Tony Blair's Attorney General and Home Secretary on
the inner workings of the Official Secrets Act. After Gonzales
returned to Washington, Justice Department prosecutors launched
the Espionage Act cases against National Security Agency (NSA)
official Thomas Drake and CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, who were
only suspected of leaking embarrassing information to American
journalists -- not foreign spy services. The Larry Franklin case,
launched around the same time, implicating two AIPAC officials,
Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, did involve classified data being
passed along to a foreign power -- Israel. The Bush
Administration left office before indictments were handed down
against Drake and Sterling, and it would be the Obama Justice
Department, under William M. Welch II, that would actually launch
the prosecutions under the Espionage Act.
Welch is under criminal investigation by a special
prosecutor for his role in the frameup of the late Senator Ted
Stevens (R-Alaska). He is also under investigation for his role
in the earlier railroading of the former Governor of Alabama. He
is involved in the Sterling case and was heavily involved in the
Drake prosecution until it blew up.
According to one Justice Department source, the harsh
reaction against the prosecutions by even some conservative
Federal Judges has made it clear that the path to an Official
Secrets Act is going to be through legislation -- not judicial
precedents. A senior intelligence official warned that the mood
in Congress, after a number of highly embarrassing Wikileak
revelations, is to succumb to Obama White House and Justice
Department pressure to accept the flagrant assault on the First
Amendment and other Constitutionally protected basic rights.
One August 2009 classified State Department cable released
by Wikileaks was especially embarrassing to Senators John McCain,
Joseph Lieberman, and Lindsey Graham. The cable provided a
detailed account of the visit to Tripoli, Libya, by the three
Senators and several others, to meet with Muammar Qaddafi and
work on accelerating normalization of relations, including sales
of weapons and other, non-lethal equipment used to suppress civil
disorder. McCain and Lieberman praised Qaddafi as a true ally in
the war against terrorism, and all three vowed to accelerate arms
sales to Qaddafi. Now, according to both the Justice Department
and intelligence community sources, they are ready to do anything
to suppress further leaks. They are expected to possibly champion
Administration legislation to impose an Official Secrets Act.
This is one more serious addition to the bill of impeachment
against President Obama. To impose a foreign system that is
patently unconstitutional is a high crime and misdemeanor that
warrants the President's immediate impeachment! Recall that in
his recent trip to London, President Obama established a joint
national security council with the newly established British
National Security Council. [JS

Be Happy for a Change

2011-08-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

We're entering a period of our lives, in which the world as
we've known it is going to pass away. We're entering a new
period of humanity. I'm particularly happy about the whole
thing, myself. I've just had some sleep, I suppose that's a good
sign, and I've lived to observe the outcome, which is fairly
good. And we're in a point where we are extremely fortunate to be
alive, because the world is facing, now, a period of mass
insanity, across the nations and the world till now. We had some
fun this afternoon, at an earlier point, jokes of various kinds,
and we seemed to enjoy them.

And now we've come to a time where mankind is really being
put up against it. The question is, whether mankind's going to
make it or not. That's the question, and nothing less than that.

We have a crisis before us of a special kind: This entire
system, as we've accustomed to know it, is about to come down.
Now the question is, what's going to come out of it. I believe
we're going to win something important. I'm happy to be here,
alive and all these kinds of good things. I've just arisen from
a nap, which I understand I needed badly; I feel good about it.
But frankly, mankind is in danger, grave danger. I spoke of
this, this afternoon, in a somewhat jocular way, but it was not
just jocular, it was a way of saying things that are very
frightening, and also very important. And if you make a few
jokes about it, it makes it easier to swallow it down.

The entire planet is now faced with a general breakdown
crisis. Today, we have some hopes that we might succeed; we have
some hope that this monster, Obama, is going to be removed from
the scene, that mankind will survive, these kinds of things. I'm
at the moment, feeling rather tired. I guess my lack of sleep is
showing, but I shall get rid of that. And I shall not say too
much, but rather let you shoot at me, and try to answer your
questions, today, which I think is suitable.

I feel humble, hmm? I feel humble in a good way. I feel
humble about what we've accomplished, here, in this organization
so far. I'm happy about what we have accomplished; I'm happy the
way that some people here have, shall we say, "made it" and shown
themselves to be capable of making it. I feel humbled: I feel
humbled by the fact that we do have the ability to live. As I
said this afternoon, mankind does have a specific nature: We can
conquer, and right now, I'm extremely happy, and I'm overwhelmed
by my own happiness, and what I see us as being able to do.

We are an immortal species, mankind. We do have creative
powers, that no other living processes have. We do have the
means at our disposal to conquer all kinds of problems, which we
have not undertaken to conquer heretofore. I feel extremely
happy. I may not look it, but I am. It's the advantages of my
age, the advantages of my experience. And I really am
overwhelmed, really emotionally overwhelmed, largely with
happiness. I guess that's good, huh? And I like these faces I
see before me. We've come through a little trial recently, I've
come through a little personal trial recently; I've come out of
it, I think, successfully.

Story of U.S. Survival- A Tall Tale

2011-08-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

"The creation of a twelve-person Super Congress, to
supposedly resolve a debt ceiling crisis, was a cowardly act of
treason by the majority of the U.S. Congress. The truth of this
matter must be told far and wide: what is happening is a
Hitler-like coup against our government which Lyndon LaRouche and
the Slate of Six LaRouche Democratic Candidates have been
repeatedly warning about.

"Obama and his London and Wall Street backers are now
sinking the government, a move -- like the Enabling Act of the
German Reichstag in 1933 -- required to implement waves of
population-destroying austerity policies. These policies demanded
by Wall Street are not possible without breaking the
Constitutional authority of Congress over the power of the purse.
The two-week conflict of back and forth negotiations, all to
avoid a sovereign default crisis, was concocted by Wall Street
ratings agencies and the Obama administration, as a strategic act
of war against the growing potential for re-implementing Glass-
Steagall, an act of war strategically crafted to destroy them.
Glass-Steagall will promptly bankrupt the enemies of the nation
and force the default on them. They know this well, and do not
intend to sit idly by, waiting to be forced to swallow their own
toxic gambling debts.

"This has nothing to do with a budget. It has nothing to do
with a debt ceiling. It's not about too little taxes or too much
spending. This is a direct, pre-emptory attack on the authority
of the U.S. Congress to function as the representatives of the
people of the United States, who are increasingly furious at the
inaction of their members of Congress, and are demanding action.
The channel through which that demand has been registered so far,
has been the leadership of the LaRouche PAC and the Slate of Six,
in organizing a citizens movement nationwide, to force members of
Congress to fight for their future: restore Glass-Steagall and
impeach Obama.

"The only appropriate response to this overt act of treason
against the Constitution, is to realize that this fight is
nothing less than a war against the enemy of civilization. If you
plan on surviving, then plan on fighting that fight."

Go Back to the Dream of Development

2011-08-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

But in Houston, you've got a major under-utilized capability
that's been steadily, less and less utilized up to the present
moment, where you've got Obama just taking the axe to our
presence in space and NAWAPA. But you still have the minds
there, that would be capable, if given a real mission, a real
national mission like the one that NAWAPA represents, and then
the extraterrestrial mission that will be the immediate
follow-up. If given that mission, this is going to be one of the
most central hubs in the country, and in the world for being able
to facilitate that.

And this is, again, we've already had, with Kesha's
campaign, the revitalization of that sense, and we're going to be
driving in the coming period, more and more in a sharp policy
direction, to give these guys and idea of what role they need to
play, and to have them {act}, act in that capacity, now, to
create the capability to make that national policy, in the very
near future.

Now, we're moving into the regions that seem, in Bill
Roberts', the region where he's running right now, in Detroit,
his campaign. It will be a recipient of certain of
the NAWAPA projects, a direct recipient of NAWAPA itself, as I
said, with the refilling of the Great Lakes, your going to get a
major transformation of that area there, which is going to, in
fact, have an effect throughout this whole area here: in for
instance, the water supply for places like New York. A lot of
these major areas here, will be affected by transformations in
the Great Lakes.

But this is the actual -- if you take a look at any water
usage chart for the United States, or any developed country,
you'll find something that'll tend to surprise most people, which
is that, most water -- in a sane country, a real developed
country, most of the water is not used for drinking, not even
used for agriculture. Quite a lot is used for agriculture and
it's required. More is used for industry. That's the biggest
usage for water, for a healthy, developed nation: That's exactly
what we're talking about here, in the area, directly in Detroit,
that Bill himself represents, but also that whole surrounding
region, which has got, now, the unfortunate name of the "rust
belt."

If we're going to launch all of the development we're
talking about, and we had, in one of these discussions we had on
the site, we discussed just how much steel and concrete would be
required just for the development of the system to capture the
water up around Alaska. Think about what's required, and what
we're talking about: Along this system will be one of the biggest
dams ever produced in the history of the United States. Some of
the most amazing -- the biggest dams, the longest tunnel, the
widest tunnel. As we discussed, some of the experts in drilling,
they were completely thrilled with that--that we don't make
boring machines large enough to build the tunnels that are
required for NAWAPA. And so, they set up for us how you'd manage
to use some of these boring machines, in tandem, to produce these
much larger holes. So these are huge things we're talking about.

And in order to do that, you're going to need the entire
industrial capability of that so-called Rust Belt brought back up
to where it once was, and retooled for something much higher. As
you pointed out before, we've got a glut of cars. The auto
industry is really, it's through; it's reached the end of its
natural life. We've reached the end of that as a form of
transport for the human species.

We're going to have to make a shift to, first, high-speed
rail, but then really high-speed rail. To magnetically-levitated
rail, which, if you run this--you know, magnetically-levitated
rail, no friction. The only limitation of it, in terms of
velocity, is the actual wind resistance. Which is that you have
problem if you break the sound barrier on a track, on rail, it
will cause some damage, structural damage.

If you run this through a system of evacuated tubing,
as you called for, where you pump the oxygen out--the technology
exists to do this--then you've got no sound barrier any longer.
And there are no limits to your velocity.

And this is going to be the future of transit for the
planet.

We've gone through, and we've asked, for both the questions
of the development of nuclear power, and building these
magnetically levitated rails, how much of a retooling would be
required for the existing auto plant capacity. In this region
here. And it's very little, compared to what you might expect.
They said it'd be the same machine tools, some just adjusting a
few standard sizes and other things in the production, and they'd
be immediately retooled to produce the vast majority of what we'd
need to launch a program like that.

Then there's the question again, of a retraining of people.
Because we've lost a generation. We've lost a generation of skill
and capability in being able to run a program like that. We just
have to bring it back. That's what's going to be what's
represented by Bill's campaign here.

Also in the same way it'll be represented by Diane Sare's
campaign in New Jersey. Again, we're talking about a
major transformation in the United States productive, and
industrial, capability.

Taking the New Jersey region, again, upgrading it heavily,
and reconnecting it, as we'll see, to this entire network. So
you're going to see a major economic transformation with a
project just like this, you'd see a major economic transformation
throughout the U.S., even in the regions which don't seem to be
directly touched by the NAWAPA transformation itself.

The same thing, a similar role that you're going to see in
both Kesha and Summer's areas here, you're going to see here in
Rachel Brown's district in Massachusetts, which at one
time, it had earned itself the name, the Athens of America. It
played a major role as a scientific center in connection with the
space program, and prior. Now, it's become largely corrupt, and
because of the corruption of science itself. But, we've got a
capability there, in terms of the resources and research and
education, that, in a program like this, could be completely
upturned, and be totally transformed. And that's what we're
talking about taking over. A takeover there of the campuses, the
scientific capability. Find the people who are--the more
promising thinkers, and rescue them from the crap that they think
they're supposed to kowtow to. And then move them, as part of a
much larger project.

So then that brings up the question of what the overlay on
this project is going to be, as far as --it'll be a complete
transformation, this will give us a partial map. Now as we're talking about now, with the use of that kind of
high-speed transit, how do you reconnect the U.S.? As you notice,
the U.S., into Mexico, which will be a major recipient of NAWAPA;
into Canada, up across the Bering Strait--then we start to now
build the connection here, where you can start to think now of,
you can get a real mental image now of the human species'
transformation of the entire biosphere. But that transformation
is going to open up, that transformation launched here, is going
to open up regions that we've never touched.

As you can kind of compare a before and after picture of
Canada, and Alaska. That region is completely undeveloped.
[Animation 8] In fact, if you take a top-down view of the entire
Earth, [Animation 9] look at the Arctic region in general, we
know very little--in fact, next to nothing--about that area of
the planet. We're behind as a species in expanding into that
area. Which we do know: first, from this view, you can see, it's
the region that will link up and ensure our ability to control
and economically develop the planet. But it's also our quickest
attachment to the actual source, our planet's interaction, with
phenomena off the planet.

Which, if you take a look at the polar region, you've got a
major cosmic radiation interaction, that we see expressed as
Aurora Borealis, but which will connect us as a--the research
facilities that we'll be able to set up in that region, connected
to the industrial capbility, is going to connect us to our
extended sensorium. Or, the satellite capability, [Animation 12]
which has been taken down in the recent period, but which we're
now in a position to upgrade massively.

To give a sense now of the human species existing, not
solely on the surface of the planet, but then throughout the
entire Solar System.

So this is sort of where we're at. This is the kind of
direction that we could move in right now, and that we'd need to
move in as a response to, instead of where we've ended up in the
recent period. So, we can discuss that more, but that just sort
of gives a rough outline of where we stand.

Pablo Neruda and his Selected Poems

2011-07-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

Looking at a collection of poetry, "Neruda- Selected Poems." It's a bilingual Spanish and English edition published by Houghton Miffin. There's a lot of music and poetry in the poems, though since they lack a classical format, strictly speaking they are not poetry. They do not rhyme and do not have standard line lengths and rhymthmic schemes.

Look at a poem called "There's No Forgetting" or "No Hay Olvido (Sonata)." Like Lyndon would say, it reeks of baby boomer cynicism. It starts:

If you should ask me where I've been all this time;
I have to say 'things happen."

It's almost as if he really meant to say in the second line "Shit happens." Still there are lots of images in the poem of birds and flowers, so I like it just the same, especially being able to see the original Spanish with the English translation.

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report

2011-07-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

I bought the Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, also known as Angelides Report. It is a US Government document issued by a Congressionally authorized committee. The Angelides report makes clear that the financial crisis of 2008 did not have to happen and it was caused by willful acts. Major banks decided to expand the real estate and mortgage bubble. They let udnerwriters underwrite mortgages that were not viable, by lenders that couldn't pay. The purpose of this was to have more mortgages to turn into huge Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) deals, to promote trillions in financial speculation. When the real estate bubble crashed, the US Treasury had to pay the bill. That's why we need Glass Steagall now, HR 1489, to cut the backing of this speculative stuff.

An Old Man Faces the Crisis- Real-Life Stories

2011-07-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

I shall proceed to stand. What you have received is an
{aide memoire} on a very important subject. But it happens in a
peculiar way; it always does with me. When I'm greatly saddened,
I generally turn to great joy, and that's what I've done on this
occasion.

There are many reasons for sadness, one of which I'll
mention. As Rick has informed me, I shall be leaving here in the
course of August, and I shall remain there until after my
birthday on the 8th of September, which means I may never return.
And that's a sad thing. But the circumstances are such, if we
don't improve our behavior here, in the United States, there is
not going to be a civilization for people, and people who are
found in Europe at the time that that breakdown occurs, will not
get back here easily, may not even survive.

That's the nature of life. And that's the nature of the
great cowardice which I bestow, as an honorarium, on the stinking
people of the United States, who don't have {guts} to fight. On
my own generation, I say it was heroic. I say, on subsequent
generations, probably for no fault of their own, they're not
heroic.

And so, I thought suitable, this afternoon, and in
discussion with some of our friends, gathered in a trailer, to
present something which I've been working on for some time, as an
argument to be made, on the subject of life, on the subject of
the immortality of the human soul. And then, to add something to
that, because a friend of mine who is present in the audience,
has a project, and a way with which I'm very pleased, and will be
his claim -- one of his claims, which will be numerous, I'm sure
-- to immortality; so what we did, I walked out into the trailer,
where I found, to my astonishment, the great husbanding of a
whole bunch of my friends. And so, listening to them for a few
minutes, I was inspired to release something I've been working
on, which I thought was a suitable thing for this occasion, on
the immortality of the human soul.

Now, I've spoken of this before, on several occasions, and
it's appropriate now. And it was a thing that had us all
laughing. I think all of us will laugh about this. Some of
those who were there, can attest to what they thought what I was
doing, and some of them enjoyed it; I think perhaps all of them
enjoyed it. Because I spoke of mankind, as I have on a couple of
earlier occasions, as the immortal species.

So, let us, as we prepare for my departure here, which is
not occurring immediately, but will be a very tight schedule, as
Rick has reminded me today, a very tight schedule of events and
activities, and there will not be much time, for quiet
socializing. It will be a tough time, particularly when you
think, that these months, between that point in August and my
birthday in September, is a time in which it's very easy to lose
the connections which life defines. And therefore, I would like
to leave -- I'm not leaving immediately, of course, -- but I
would like to leave you, at least on this occasion, with the
opportunity to consider what I have to put before you tonight. I
think you may like it. And some of our people, gathered in the
trailer were highly amused.

But it's also a very serious subject, a very profound
subject, is the nature of humanity, the nature of the human soul.
And so, I called it, "Yours."

So, my wife and I will be there, in that time. And remember
me, and us, should something go awry, in case I'm no longer here,
both of us.

This has quite a history to it. But I have quite a history
to me, too, so I'm not surprised by it.

But the joyous factor, there are the two factors I wish to
point out to your attention tonight: And the first is, the
question of the mankind as an immortal species, a subject on
which I've spoken before, that mankind, unlike animals, is the
ruler, the ruling species of the Solar System as we know it,
possibly a ruling species among the inhabitants of the galaxy.
What distinguishes us, who are equivalent to this in our
capacity, is the fact that we express immortality of the human
species, in a very elementary way, which anyone who's
scientifically inclined can understand quickly, which is the
cause of our merriment, which I provoked in the trailer this
afternoon. And they were laughing their butts off, at what I was
saying. But it's all true -- and that's the best thing to laugh
about, is things that are true.

The human species has two characteristics: First of all, the
human species is the species of our planet, probably the species
of our Solar System, possibly the species of our galaxy. These
are matters which we don't have final answers on. But we do know
our relative position, as human, as opposed to all other living
species.

Political Economy Story for USA Now

2011-07-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

So, naturally, we have to go into the biggest, biggest
mobilization ever: As I said, make sure that the webcast on
Thursday is becoming an absolute breakout, {and} let's really use
the Proceedings from the Conference in Rüsselsheim, which soon
will exist in the form of a DVD version which has excerpts from
the whole proceedings, and really get this across: Because
people must know that there is an alternative and it has to be
used, also, to build our organization, whether it's increasing
mayors support for Jacques, or increasing memberships for the
Schiller Institute, go for a fundraising drive. We still have an
enormous amount of money have to materialize from the conference
costs.

And let's just tell people: Look there {is} a solution!
Glass-Steagall can happen overnight, and the only thing people
can do, is to support us. From the organizing, we have seen a
pattern, where because of the increased press coverage in the
media, which is "Mass Capital Flight Out Of Europe"; "Panic";
"Next Financial Crisis Around the Corner"; "Euro Finished" -- I
mean, you have headlines, which for a very long time, you could
only read in our publications. Now, it is in mass tabloids, and
naturally, the population is completely freaked out. The gold
price has gone above $1,600 an ounce, an all-record high, and
that is always what happens when a crash is imminent, because
people then go into so-called "hard commodities," or gold,
silver, and people are panicked.

And we are the {only ones} who can provide a sense that
there is a solution. So, everybody should really upgrade their
own commitment, as you have seen, Lyn has had a couple of
extremely important discussions in the United States, focussing
very much on the question of individual creativity as the
standard for every member of this organization. And I think that
with the renewed commitment of the U.S. part of the organization,
to get Glass-Steagall through, and to make sure that the only
area where the solution can come from {is} performing, but
naturally, we have to build in every European country, factions
which are ready to take on the ball of Glass-Steagall, once it is
moving. Because if that is not being done, and we can see very
clearly the kind of austerity packages which they're now imposing
on Greece, on Italy, which they have in store for every European
country, would mean, de facto fascist economics, which would kill
a lot of people, and that is obviously is the intention of the
designers of this policy.

So, let's use this moment: {It is the most important period
of our lifetime}, where what we do will determine, in all
likelihood, the outcome for many generations to come.

Restore the U.S. Constitution

2011-07-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Geezer says, restore the U.S. Constitution--
Once our Federal Constitution had been established, those
developments called "The French Revolution," had divided our
republic's leadership among, first, those solidly committed to
that Constitution, such as President George Washington and
Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, as, second,
compared with the pro-English President John Adams, and those
pro-French Revolution partisans such as Thomas Jefferson. Later,
President John Adams' son, Secretary of State, and, later,
President John Quincy Adams, who had been a protégé of Benjamin
Franklin, emerged, as both U.S. Secretary of State, a one-term
President, and the living conscience of patriotism throughout the
remainder of his life. The proponents of Hamilton's and John
Quincy Adams' remained the beacons of our patriotic tradition as
American republicans, despite scoundrels such as Andrew Jackson
who were tied to their attachment to Britain's agents Aaron Burr
(and, one-time Jefferson Vice-President) and Burr's successor on
Wall Street, Martin van Buren.

Under the indicated, and comparable, centrifugal tendencies
within the Presidencies of the U.S.A., the Congress of the United
States had often degenerated in its quality of function, that to
the effect, that the original intention of our Federal
Constitution was corrupted deeply, as it became, more and more,
the victim, through expressions of imported European
parliamentary opportunism inherent in partisan, centrifugal
tendencies within the electoral processes of our nation, as in
the errant tendencies of partisan break-away from the original
Constitutional intention.

This corrupting trend, is a trend expressed by the increase
of the influence of the morally decadent, Europe-like role of
partisanship among our Federal institutions. This had become a
trend toward "party first," rather than citizen-ruled law-making
within our Legislative bodies.

The notable result of that trend has been the ruin of our
constitutional system by legislative and related trends of the
degeneration of the proceedings of our law-making institutions,
into those kinds of expressions of parliamentary faction which
tend to degrade our U.S.A. into a systemic reign of the kind of
partisanship, through which the efforts for self-destruction of
our political system have gained the power to corrupt whose
effects we are suffering presently.

Geezer Writes about the Young, Confused Mind

2011-06-19T19:42:00.001-07:00

Some would say: "I admit that I am, so far, like most of the same
generation of intellectually active minds among the maturing,
younger adults today, Deep somewhere within me, I confess to
myself that I am probably, really, something's 'windup toy.' I am
a contemporary, young-adult existentialist. I am bright, and
can be clever when the strange impulses which inhabit me, and
which control me, may permit me to be clever; but those impulses
do that in ways which I do not understand. Then, too often,
these impulses which are like those of a wind-me-up-toy (which
somebody, or something else controls) might permit me to play,
or, may act to shut down my will to act. I try to do the
things which suggest to me that I have free will, but, in my
darkest moments, I know that that belief in my own free will is
only another consoling delusion, when these unknown voices
permit me to enjoy such a moment or two of pleasure. There are,
in short, strange voiceless voices speaking to me, from where I
do not know, voices which will cause me to punish myself, if I
do not obey them when they silently speak. Will someone please
tell me 'why'."

Lit Pushing Daisies

2011-05-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

Literature is pushing daisies in my life, with the loss of more jobs from http://bookrags.com. Here are some recent re-readings:

The Man with Three Faces- by Hans-Otto Meissner. The classic fictionalized story of the master spy Richard Sorge. The book is an accurate setting of Richard Sorge's spying as a journalist in Tokyo Japan in the period leading up to the Dec. 7th 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. He was working for the Soviet Union and Josef Stalin's secret service. Very interesting book, though heavily fictionalized.

A Wall Street Fairy Tale

2011-04-22T04:49:00.000-07:00

The ideology in this thing is another aspect of this thing, and this is what we’re dealing with all the time. But I keep saying this, we keep discussing it, and you don’t get it! Not when it comes to action -- what you believe, is what you act on. If you don’t act on it, you don’t believe it. So, this idea, “yes, but...” when people say, “yes, butt,” that’s for nanny goats -- not billy goats, nanny goats. They just sit there and get their tits pulled, that’s all. That’s a typical American, is a nanny goat, sitting around waiting to get their tits pulled. “Hey, you gonna pull my tits?” [hilarity] It’s true, it’s true!
So, it’s a sense of self, which is crucial, the sense of society, the sense of self. The meaning of humanity. Here we are, we’re talking about the threat to the existence of humanity, in this galaxy, right now, hmm? Humanity, think about the prospect, this galactic prospect, that we get on the topside of the galaxy, and mankind disappears—forever {pffttt!} Gone!
Hmm? Isn’t that the issue? What can we do about that? Are you going to duck that issue? You don’t know what the outcome is going to be. But you know what the threat is. Are you going to duck that issue? Or are you going to solve it. Command decisions. Are you willing to make the command decisions in science on this thing? Are you willing to force NASA back into functioning, full functioning—not even the limping function it had before this Presidency. That’s the kind of decision, to be made. You have to think in terms of the individual responsibility for the welfare of society as a whole. And it is not something you’re merely going to vote on: It is something you really have to have a passionate commitment to. You have to be committed to mankind, and saving mankind from this terrible thing. This terrible threat. And without that, there’s no assurance of anything. There’s no morality.
And you have to understand, the Baby-Boomer generation is a product of the brainwashing of my generation. Some of us, a few of us, did not submit. Over a period of time, more and more of my generation, did submit. And that’s how we got this mess: We stopped being Americans, we became British ass-kissers. And that’s where we are. What’s Wall Street? It’s an extension of the British. You like Wall Street? You’ve got to enjoy the prospect of the pain of Wall Street, because the people associated with Wall Street are not really human, so you’re entitled to laugh at monkeys and them. And to hate baboons.
But that’s the issue, and that’s where we lose. We try to approach the ideal of the Baby-Boomer, CON-sen-sus! The wonderful world of CON-sensus. And you have CON-sensus, then you consense, and then you have... con. [laughter]

Will France Leave the Euro?

2010-12-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

This is not exactly literature, but it is a good international report on the economic reality of the financial and economic crash.

France is now seeing an unprecedented outburst of debate on "exiting or not exiting"
the euro. Even French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in Brussels on
Dec. 17, felt obliged to respond to the growing groundswell in
the French public, when he stated dramatically that it would be
"irresponsible and inconceivable" to leave the EU monetary union,
since "the disintegration of the euro would mean the
disintegration of Europe."

Unprecedented, today's {Le Figaro}'s front-page headline
reads: "What It Would Cost for France to Abandon the Euro?" So
far, the Banque de France and the Finance Ministry claim that no
Plan B exists. But Marc Cliffe, of the research department of ING
bank, published an exhaustive attempt to "quantify the
unthinkable." For him, "Complete break-up would have effects that
dwarf the post Lehman Brothers collapse." The ING note evaluates
two boundary cases: "a Greek exit and a complete break-up." For
France, overall, leaving the euro would provoke a 10% drop of GDP
over a three-year period, according to that account.

Cliffe then desperately tries to scare countries and
convince them to remain in the Eurozone: "By comparison [to a
Greek exit], the impact of complete break-up is dramatic and
traumatic. In the first year, output falls by between 5% and 9%
across the various former member states, and asset prices
plummet. With their new currencies falling by 50% or more, the
peripheral economies such as Spain and Portugal see their
inflation rates soar towards double digits. Meanwhile, Germany
and other core countries suffer a deflationary shock. Indeed,
with the U.S. dollar surging on safe haven flows to the
equivalent of 0.85 EUR/USD, the U.S. also suffers a bout of
deflation."

Arguing for the opposite approach, Marine Le Pen, running
for President on her father's anti-immigration National Front
party slate, has jumped on the issue to promote her candidacy and
national chauvinism in general. As of this weekend, her campaign
started circulating a three-page document, in reality written up
by monetary experts from the French banking establishment,
outlining "12 essential steps" to leave the euro. While the memo
points to some useful technical means to exit the euro, it
doesn't represent in any way a viable economic or political
alternative to the global disease of monetarism. Outsiders should
realize that for the past several weeks, the French financial
oligarchy has been heavily promoting Le Pen in order to bring in
Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Sarkozy as viable alternatives and
"winners" of the 2012 Presidential election.

First, says the memo, France should negotiate a "group exit"
with other countries that are "suffering" from the euro, mainly
Ireland, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and countries
having a "free currency" outside the Eurozone. The next steps
include the printing of a new franc as national currency, the
abrogation of the French law of January 3, 1973, which outlawed
the creation of state credit by the national bank. Then, Article
38 of the Constitution needs to be invoked, in which the
parliament gives full power to the executive for a limited time
period to handle issues normally decided by the legislature.
Next, one should decide to have a transition period, let's
say two months, in which both currencies will be accepted as
legal tender, both the euro and the new franc. Initially the new
franc will have a total parity with the euro [under the condition
the euro still exists at that point]. Monetary policy will be
decided on by the governor of the Banque de France and the
Finance Minister.

Initially, says the document, the value of the new franc
will rise as compared to the dollar, the peseta, etc., given the
"decomposition [compared to France] of the economies of the
Eurozone (besides Germany)."

Not saying a word on how to free the world of the gigantic
mountain of unpayable debt, and saying nothing about how a
revival of physical economy could give substance to monetary
creation, the National Front memo is poisoned by extreme forms of
national-monetarism as opposed to the globalized forms of the
same disease: "In a second phase, France will be obliged to adopt
a policy of controlled competitive devaluations similar to those
currently adopted by the U.S.A. and China." The Cheminade
campaign will of course remind educated Frenchmen that "It's the
physical economy, stupid!"

Bershan is Writing a Blog about Surviving

2010-10-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

Bershan, the woman from my old writing group, is writing a blog about surviving diseases and other horrible things. It is at bershanshaw.com so please take the time to look at it. It was a bit odd that Bershan would always write stories about young women getting cancer, but would never admit that she was the one who was suffering cancer and fighting to beat it. What a story!

The Story of Alaska and Siberia

2010-09-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

It does seem, plausibly, a very real response, an immediate response to what
we're doing, but we sampled some of the discussion yesterday, and it's clear that we've got an opportunity to really re-shape the terms of discussion, on the question of the management of the Biosphere for the long term. It's the secret story of the new development of the United States about to be forced into motion.

Let's write the book and tell the story, from the Bronx NY to Alaska and Siberia, and make it really happen now.

The Field Guide, by Holly Black

2010-08-09T04:10:00.001-07:00

Just got my kiddie book to review, the Field Guide by Holly Black. I hope it is fun. It is about 3 kids that move into an old Victorian house along with their mom. Then they see real live faeries. Or do you spell that, fairies? It looks like fun, and it is short, only about 120 pages and my next step is to write a book review for it. Or actually, a Cliff Notes style book guide.

Need a Job to Write Again

2010-04-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

Hey, I need a job in order to write again for pleasure. Now I am so hit by paranoia that it is hard to write anything in terms of literature. Lots of these jobs you better act as white as a British Lord. That is not good, that is fouled up. Anyway, the crash is going to hit these medical advertising shops too. Plus, nothing worse than a picky job agency. They gave me a job as a medical editor for 2 days, and despite rave reviews, have not gotten any more jobs from them. Hey, Harlem dudes, I hope I acted "white" enough. Obama acts white, but now he is all used up. Hope that dude watches his back, especially after the crash of the Polish presidential plane. That was a bummer.

Anyway, I still need a job. Then maybe I can go back to writing about the Green Warehouse again.

The Cosmic Trigger, by Robert Anton Wilson

2010-02-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

Cosmic Trigger is a very strange book, but has been quite popular since released in 1977. Of course, Robert Anton Wilson, or RAW, took lots of drugs with Timothy Leary and others. He and Leary became friends in the course of the narrative, which in a way is one of the key themes of Cosmic Trigger, along with space migration, searching to be immortal, space aliens and extraterrestrials, and ESP. A sad, but real note is added with the death of Wilson's daughter, Luna, who was beaten to death in a burglary at a store she worked after school. Luna was only 15 years old, and her brain was preserved cryogenically.

Alissa Walker Goes to Walk New York

2009-10-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Check out these walking tours with Alissa Walker, who is publicizing her book, "New York, Twenty Five Walking Tours." Today, Oct. 25th, you can meet Alissa Walker aka
Gelato Baby at 6pm at the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park (corner of 6th Ave & 42nd St), for free. Alissa has a very pretty blogs with photographs and is a writer based in LA California. Alissa writes lots of stories and seems like a fun young lady, and Alissa is also quite pretty.

Obviously she is doing her best to make the New York City scene. Maybe she will make it up to Harlem and Bronx too, she has already been out in Queens NY at the World's Fair grounds. Note that all tours include a complimentary serving of gelato or ice cream, plus all attendees will receive a coupon good for a discount on the book.

Tuesday, October 20-- Official Release Party at Jen Bekman Gallery & Rising Lower East Side Walk Sponsored by ForYourArt. Alissa is making the artsy fartsy scene, and likes to eat too. Join us at Jen Bekman Gallery for drinks, carb-loading and and Hosang Park’s photography, then stroll through the ever-changing Lower East Side with special stops at the New Museum, Red Square, BLUE, the Hotel on Rivington, Storefront for Art & Architecture and more. Then we’ll head back to Jen Bekman Gallery for four special New York-inspired flavors of gelato from il laboratorio del gelato. Purchase a copy on-site and Alissa will sign your favorite neighborhood!
6pm Meet at Jen Bekman Gallery, 6 Spring Street
7-8:30pm Walk through the LES
8:30pm Gelato reception at Jen Bekman Gallery.

I have a feeling that Alissa is being sponsored by a gelato brand or company.

Wednesday, October 21
The Brooklyn Bridge Before Breakfast
Sponsored by Chronicle Books
Don’t miss this brisk early morning walk over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan to see New York rising in all its glory. And gosh darn it if we don’t find some breakfast ice cream on the other side. We’ll be finished by 8am, just in time for you to head to work.
7am Meet outside the High Street Station [A/C], Brooklyn

Thursday, October 22
Broadway Skyscrapers: How New York Got High
Sponsored by The Architect’s Newspaper
Pack a picnic for this one-hour lunchtime walk that starts at Bowling Green Park and marches up Lower Broadway, revealing the Gossip Girl-worthy back-stabbing backstory behind the battling buildings (and architects) who attempted to keep topping each other during the skyscraper race of the early 1900’s.
12pm Meet outside the Bowling Green Station [4/5]

Friday, October 23
Midtown Modernism: Then & Now
Sponsored by SVA MFA in Design Criticism
Wear your Mad Men finest for this evening walk to see some of the city’s modern masterpieces, as Alissa narrates with excerpts from reviews of each building that were published at the time of completion. Includes the “Slaughter on Sixth,” MoMA, Lever Building, Seagram Building and a few lesser-known/secret spots, followed by Gordon Bunshaft-approved martinis and Mies van der Gelato.
6pm Meet in front of the Time & Life statue at the Time-Life Building, 1271 Avenue of the Americas

Saturday, October 24
The High Line: A Rail Good Idea
Sponsored by GOOD
A leisurely stroll up New York’s public space pride-and-joy, the converted railway corridor now known as The High Line, recently named to the GOOD 100 as one of the people, projects or places changing our world. We’ll also be gawking at the spanking-new architecture sprouting up around New York’s “Starchitect Row,” followed by gelato in the shape of Frank Gehry’s InterActiveCorp Building. Kids absolutely welcome!
11am Meet at the southern terminus of the High Line, at the corner of Gansevoort & Washington

A Story of the Age of Obama, Part 1

2009-07-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

A Chemical Reaction - A Story of the Age of Obama- Part 1

I was nervous at the campus. It was my first year of graduate school in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University . Somehow I was growing sort of distant to other people. I did have a male roommate in the two-bedroom apartment I called home at International House. The roommate, Kim was also a Chemical Engineering student and it was convenient to have him there to chit-chat with and talk some shop.
It was late September already and occasional cold and rainy days interrupted the otherwise sunny weather. It would get damp and only go up to about 50-degrees F. When I came home from class and my teaching assistant job, I felt sad, staring out of the rainy window in the early evening light. I was thinking of my summer love, Liz. I met Liz doing some volunteer political organizing out in LA, California . I was working for the Democratic Progressive Organization, sometimes referred to as the “Obama Youth.” I had become wildly enthusiastic about the now President Barack Obama during the previous election campaign and had mad it to Los Angeles , initially sleeping on the floor of some guys dorm room on a futon.

(to be continued)

Green Jobs, Green and Environmental Literature

2009-06-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

Green jobs, green literature, green environment, but can we really afford it. The literature of the bankrupt system is not appearing much on the internet but it will have to make its way out soon. The collapse is here. They shoot horses don't they? We are heading to 1930s style depression and beyond unless you listen to larouche.

GM is such a ripoff. The Obama plan does nothing to stop the spiraling lost of jobs and economic activity. Obama's health plan is also a disaster. It will offer insurance cards, at the same time that almost 1 million children are about to get thrown off the California States Schips medical plan. The bailout of GM is a disaster, just like the bailout of the real estate bubble. Harlem and the South Bronx, NY you better beware of this phony supporter of Franklin Roosevelt. What Obama is really supporting is not FDR, but the Larry Summers bailout of the financial oligarchy, no matter what it does to the nation. Next is nazi style health care rationing, unless we stop it. The whole thing is insane. We don't need these bankers, we can create an Alexander Hamilton style national bank.

Not everyone wants to commit suicide for globalization

2009-05-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

Not everyone wants to commit suicide for globalization.India, with a population of more than one billion, cannot afford to boost speculation, especially after the global economic breakdown. In one of the many ads, the governing Congress Party brags over its nationalization of the banks during the 1960s. Even Advani, the head of the BJP, the Hindu nationalist party is not that much different, promising to protect farmland from unnecessary industrial projects. India’s rise as an economic power has made many in the West happy, but the end of the line is near. Self-sufficiency or even socialism are the new by-words, not globalization and speculation. The real estate bubble has come down, and India does not want to be sucked in. Time to shut down the British empire.

At the Blue Angel, South Bronx- Fiction

2009-05-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

At The Blue Angel- Green Festival 4/21/09

“For the love of God- That’s what I am. For him of My Mother- And I will not change; For the Holy Ghost- to comply with others.” Yeah, Yeah, Uh, Uh…” That is what the girl singer/rapper was chanting on the stage, and I started to get uncomfortable.

“Wade, why did you take me to this gay joint?” I say.
“Why, I think that lesbo chick is kind of cute.” Says Wade.
“I never thought I’d be in a little nightclub watching a female rapper called “Domini-a-trix.”

“Look, it’s cool” says Wade. “You gotta get into the feeling of these people, of the oppression. Anyway Gibson, you gotta learn to loosen up. This is fun.”

I look over this scene. It’s like all the weirdos like to hang out together. First, I’m with the greenies, and now I’m in a club that is the center for the South Bronx gays and avant-garde. I guess it’s part of being with the in-crowd of outcasts. After all, some people are on the fringe of society and get along with others like that, even if for entirely different reasons…. I’ve just drank a beer, which isn’t much, but I feel pretty high.
“So you gonna start moving in tomorrow?” I ask.
“Yeah, says Wade, “and I’m getting off from work on Monday to move all the heavy stuff in.”

“But don’t you think you oughta wait a while till you get the plasterboard in to the kitchen and cover up the pipes?” I say.
“Look Jeff, this is a great opportunity for me” says Wade, staring at me with some anger and speaking loud over the music. “Do you know, because of this deal, I’m getting back together again with Mona and with little Cleo, my little girl. She’s only 10-years old.
“I see,” I reply.
“But, this is a big chance for you too, Gibson. I can teach you more about the green movement, and about eating right too,” says Wade.
“You’re really, like, totally a vegetarian? I ask. “Like, are you vegan too?”
“No, no. I tried that, but I used to get meat fits.”
“What’s that?”
“You know, you have to go to the steak house and chow down,” says Wade. “Now I drink milk and eat eggs.”
“I guess that’s preparing you for sainthood.”
---------------------------------------###------------------------

Limits to Growth or Not?

2009-04-23T10:55:00.001-07:00

Earth Day has been around since a bit after the publication of the "Limits to Growth Book" by D. Meadows, et al. and an MIT team. This report used linear computer models to prove that mass genocide of the human population was inevitable. Instead, in reality, progressive installations of nuclear power and fusion power have been stopped by a malthusian, oligarchical conspiracy. Read Lyndon Larouche's book "There are No Limits to Growth."

Yes, it is Earth Day again. We can masturbate about the different sub-species that have disappeared. The brown owl is fine, but the spotted owl is in trouble, so let's destroy all infrastructure development. Are you a little tired of this reasoning.

Now with the real crash of the economy hitting, can we afford this malarky anymore? Global Warming stories abound, then we hear that NASA admits that the Arctic is freezing up more than ever. This is the ice age of human sanity I think.

Freakonomics and Nudge- Two Important Books

2009-04-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

There is a lot more to learn about these weird books like "Freakonomics" and "Nudge." Several of these books are written by close advisers to the Obama Administration, and Larouche Pac warns that this is a big problem, with Obama and his narcissistic and egoistic mind set. An example of this is the frenzy around "Earth Day" every April since 1970. Earth Day still is a sort of U.S. holiday, but has it gone too far? At the Bronx Zoo, in New York, the whole month is a giant earth day celebration. Green energy is very expensive, but they seem to be sucking everyone into it. Now with this cap and trade bill from the Obama administration, things will get very expensive indeed. The game of the behaviorist is to get you to go along with the greenie b.s., but make it seem like you are volunteering to do it.

By the way, there is am interview with Larouche on www.russiatoday.com

LaRouche on George Soros

2009-03-29T21:39:00.001-07:00

LaRouche is proven right again against George Soros, the dead fart society, aka Dopey Liberals, and the anti LaRouche weirdos. George Soros again runs an interview with the London Times, saying that his days in 1944 of working as a Nazi agent, under the cover of an "Aryan" were exhilirating and fun. His idea is that of the standard con-man and criminal- if I didn't do it, somebody else would. Now, George Soros continues his anti-human tradition, by literally pushing drugs. At least Soros has been careful about his affiliation with the Jewish community. A lot of people there are not soft on drugs like he is. On the other hand there is the matter of Senor Gilinski and a certain bank in Columbia, south America. To be fair, we will agree with LaRouche and blame the British Empire and its institutions for George Soros' evil and no one else.

Trains around the world, Paul Theroux

2009-03-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

Paul Theroux is still alive and well. In his heyday he wrote the book "the Great Railway Bazaar." This is a travelogue book of train travel from London, to the Far East, and back along the Trans-Siberian railway. I wish I could take this trip today. There are new alternatives to the Trans-Siberian railroad, like the railroad through China to Central Asia. Then it can connect to the Russian rail system and go to Moscow and Europe. An alternative is to connect into the Central Asian Republics and get to the Iranian rail system via Meshed, a city in Northeastern Iran. Then, like in the book, you could connect into the Turkish rail system and return to Europe through the Direct Orient Express.

An Attack on Culture and LaRouche

2009-03-24T10:42:00.001-07:00

See Complaints about Lyndon LaRouche

This fellow claims to be attacking LaRouche, but he is really attacking Western Civilization. The main complaint of some one like this is that LaRouche had me join his organization, and made me think too much, without giving me money and/or sex. Therefore, I hate him for provoking me and giving me ideas. Ironically, "European"'s links are to real docments that Larouche wrote, he just ignores the ideas, and complains about the "Tyranny of Reason." A sad case.

Books about Afghanistan

2009-03-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of drama about Afghanistan. What was the book I read set there. It had Masood as a leading character. The United States is sending a high-level delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's conference on Afghanistan, to be held in Moscow March 27, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle said in an interview with Voice of Russia radio yesterday. Beyrle said that the U.S. will take an active part in the Moscow conference, and will for the first time send a delegation led by a senior diplomat, because the U.S. wants to take part in international discussions of this common problem. Beyrle also told Voice of Russia that the US and Russia had exchanged proposals on cooperation on the world financial crisis, and had "struck common ground" on a number of points.

There will also be a U.S.-organized United Nations conference on Afghanistan, held in The Hague on March 31, to which US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invited Iran. Indian senior diplomat M K Bhadrakumar wrote in the Asia Times March 11, that there has been what he termed a "trade off" between Washington and Moscow, to make sure that the two conferences do not work at cross-purposes.

In Moscow, the SCO will focus on the "threats of drugs and terrorists originating in Afghanistan," while the U.N. Conference will have the broader agenda of stabilizing Afghanistan.

In effect, the Moscow conference will represent the first step toward a Four Power collaboration, including Russia, China, India, and the U.S., as Lyndon LaRouche has called for in the context of the world economic breakdown crisis.

This could be creating new drama, as the 30 year old, since 1978 war fields of Afghanistan become the new basis of peace and cooperation between the four powers, the U.S., Russia, China and India,

New Book, Jim Bridger- Mountain Man

2009-03-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Jim Bridger-Mountain Man is a biography from 1946. Jim Bridger is one of the most famous Mountain Men, who helped develop the area of the Northern Rocky Mountains and the Oregon Territory. He was active between 1824 and 1866, when his eye sight began to fail. This is a good biography but it has alot of tall tales in it. Lots of tales of fights with the Indians, also including Kit Carson, Joe Meek and other famous mountain men. They were either fighting the Indians, trading with them, or begetting half-breed children with Indian squaws.

Vestal has a funny habit of putting in illiterate expressions even when not quoting the characters. I guess this is intended to give the book some local, quaint feeling, but it is not necessary. Still I learned a lot. Jim Bridger discovered the South Pass (at least for white men) and the Great Salt Lake. He was illiterate but able to map out the entire northern Rocky Mountain region. Good to compare this book with the journal of Osborne Russell, which I just read.

Dostoyevsky and Crime and Punishment

2009-02-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

Dostoyevsky's work is known in some circles for its extreme cultural pessimism about the human soul. Although, this author's work is viewed as top literature, it is not very pretty literature. The "hero" of the book, Crime and Punishment, is named Raskolnikov. This is a bit of an inside joke I think, because the raskolnikyy were known as the primitive people who were the old believers in the Russian Orthodox Church before reforms, some of which go back to Czar Peter the Great. Raskolnikov is in rags in the capital, the evil city of St. Petersburg, which was Czar Peter the Great's window to the west. There he murders a lady and a pawnbroker. He commits the crime and is not caught, but the issue is the salvation of his soul. But, is this the darkness of the Russian Imperial soul?

Journal of a Trapper, by Osborne Russell

2009-02-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

This is an incredible though somewhat tedious work on pioneering in the American West in the 1830s and 40s. Notes on Osborne Russell Book: Russell’s narrative takes place from the Great Salt Lake, now in Utah, and north to the Green and Snake Rivers in present-day Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho. This region is still largely uninhabitated though it is visit. At the heart of the region where Osborne Russell trapped beaver is the present-day Yellowstone National Park. It is interesting that this region has snow on the ground as late as April-May, and snow begins to fall again as early as September. Russell at age 20 signs up for Wyeth’s expedition to the Rocky Mountains and Columbia River. This was called the Columbia Fishing and Trading Co. The expedition begins in Independence, Missouri. The men go directly to a gathering spot for a lot of trappers about the middle of June in 1834. The leader of Russell's expedition, Wyeth then builds Fort Hall, to trade the goods that the Rocky Mountain co did not take. Russell gets his discharge from Wyeth and becomes a free trapper who operates from Ft. Hall. Ft. Hall is sold to the British Hudson Bay Co.

Russell spends many months trapping with Elbridge Trask in the area around Gray’s River and Gray’s marsh, till he goes to a new town on the Willamette. There he is injured in an accident and loses his right eye.

The book is especially interesting for its account of fights, trade and even through intermarriage and the widespread existence of half-breeds, sexual relationships between whites (blacks, etc.) and Indians. A surprise is the widespread existence of friendly Indians, as well as the warlike Blackfeet Indians, who Russell has to fight.

Stories of the Boogie Down Bronx

2009-01-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

I am still trying to write a story of the boogie down Bronx, NY. In it, I go to an environmental, green flavor of building warehouse, sort of like a green Home Depot, and get involved in the action around this green action organization and business. First they want to drag me into their cult, then they don't like me any more. I live in the South Bronx, NY too, and soon I need the environmentalist tree huggers for protection, because I am scared that me and my little family will get eaten up by the bad boys in town. How is that for the beginning of a story?

Lit meeting from Dubai to Ancient Rome

2009-01-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

pix from renewableenergyworld.com renewable energy

Yes, we finally had the Gotham lit meeting again, on Monday, but the new guy couldn't ,make it this time. Bersh had a story about her trip to Dubai, and whether or not there were terrorists all over her hotel. Once the crisis was over, she of course, like a good American, went shopping.

In the Roman novel, things are tight, Gracius tries to escape, but his tough Roman mother gets him back in the fight.

In my novel, the Greenies and the garbage people are getting weird, with their usual promises about greenie cleanliness and energy, that they are not able to keep.

Started John Toland's Adolf Hitler

2008-12-28T14:19:00.001-08:00

I started John Toland's immense biography, Adolf Hitler. It is huge book, and not exactly accurate. After all, taking seriously the legend of the Dutch madman Lube who burned down the Reichstag building, I don't think this is too good. Yes, John Toland later introduces the objections to the Dutch madman theory, but almost as an aside. Oh yes, it is true, writes Toland, that there was a tunnel from Goering's office to the Reichstag. Of course, the Reichstag fire of February 1934 was a key step in solidifying the Adolf Hitler, Nazi party dictatorship.

The Famous Book, Dope Inc.

2008-12-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

The famous book, Dope Inc, is also known as the book that drove former Sec of State, Henry Kissinger, insane. Dope Inc. detailed the hundreds of years of drug running by the British and European oligarchy. This book goes through the open historical record of Britain's two Opium Wars against China, in 1842 and 1860. Note that the 2nd Opium War is at the same time as the revolt of the Confederacy and the beginning of the Civil War in the United States, another British operation. It goes from there to the establishment of the HSBC, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, as the clearing house bank for the drug trade, and brings this British apparatus up to the present day. The offshore banking system, from the Cayman Islands, to Dubai in the Persian Gulf, is rooted in drug money, weapons and terror money and tax evasion. Add to this the investigation of the recent Mumbai, India terror attacks, and you know that this apparatus must be shut down today.

Real estate fraud and Literature

2008-12-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

There is an extensive literature involving real estate and other Wall St. investment type fraud. With the Bernard Madoff Investment firm collapse, that literature should be enriched some more. The big banks had their money in there, and they complain that they are "babes in the woods." The reality is obviously more complicated, with the banks trying to claim that they are the victims of Bernie Madoff the "loan assassin." Of course, with the games of SIVs, and Reits, the tactic of parking your losses in a black box somewhere is all too well known. The British bankers are laughing from here to the Cayman Islands.

Historical Fiction

2008-12-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

Historical fiction is a fun genre of literature. I recently read Aztec by Gary Jennings, which is a remarkable work, with 3 sequels. Also, the lady in my writing group, Phyllis is writing a Roman historical novel of about 450 pages, of which we in the group critique a chapter of 20 pages or so every week. That may seem like a lot of pages, but "Aztec" is over 1000 pages. After all, you are talking about writing about whole historic events and a broad stage of characters, both real and imagined. The Roman novel concerns the efforts of the Gracchi brothers to carry out a democratic, egalitarian land reform in the late Roman Republic.

Aztec Blood, Guts and Murder

2008-12-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of the book, Aztec, is a lot more about blood, guts, murder and treachery than anything else. The girl Maitzlin, becomes Cortes concubine, as Cortes prepares to be invited into Technotlian. Meanwhile, Cortes, under the influence of the female traitor, Maitzlin, has killed 8,000 people in a surprise attack, with the help of his native allies. The end to Montezuma, the Aztec emperor is coming soon, and Montezuma hesitates so much that he has no chance in any case, even if he were not hopelessly outgunned.

The Road to "Aztec" Sex is Getting Hotter

2008-11-30T06:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, the road to Aztec sex is getting hotter, in my reading of "Aztec" by Gary Jennings. Zanyaya, the beloved wife of Mixtli has died in the artificial flood, possibly trying to saved the cursed, blind Chimitli or whatever his name is. Mixtli goes wandering and finds the Ra Ra people, who do a lot of running. Their chief is a woman, and Mixtli is hot because he finds out that the people, male and female have pubic hair. Mixtli has sex with the young and nice looking leader, pubic hair and all, with an extra boost, in that he gets to chew some peyote, and have sex while high as a kite. Sound good?

Aztec- Why So Much Sex?

2008-11-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

Why does the book "Aztec" by Gary Jennings have to have so much sex? I am about at page 530, where Mixtli, the hero who tells the story is happily married. So the next question, is will he cheat on his wife? Probably not, so he soon will see his tonali, or his fate, to be that she dies in some horrible manner. That way, he can do a bit of mourning, and then get on with the sexual orgy. Of course, the big upcoming orgy is the thousands upon thousands of rapes that the Spanish soldiers will commit, and they will allegedly all be done in the missionary position. That is the origin of the mixed people in Mexico, etc. that are called "Hispanic."

Aztec- by Gary Jennings

2008-11-27T06:05:00.000-08:00

I am reading, the book, Aztec, by Gary Jennings, written in 1980. It must have been a big success, since he wrote two sequels before his untimely death in 1998. Aztec is a pretty gorey book, with a tendency to a lot of sex and perversion, but it has some more interesting details as well.

Better Develop Your Mind Instead

2008-11-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

So many people don't want to develop their minds, all they care about is whether they have a real handbag or something. Well now that the financial system and the real estate bubble are crashing, it's time to start getting real. I am continuing to read the works of Michael Chabon, doing an in depth study of "Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay." It's a little depressing reading all the fantasy in this book. Wat does it mean to fight to keep people retarded, by having kids read stupid comic books? Actually, I have to read the end part of the "Amazing Adventures" again, to see how the author deals with the famous 1950s hearings on the negative effects on children of comic books.

Amazing Adventures- Chabon- the Escapist

2008-11-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

Another theme of Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, is the escapist. Kavalier is trained to be an escapist and sort of a Houdini in his native Prague, Czechoslovakia. Ironically, Slovakia has now escaped from Prague, which is now in the nation of Czechia.

Joe Kavalier escapes from Prague with the help of his teacher, Kornblum, and in the coffin of the Golem of Prague. Somehow, in a strange passage that I do not comprehend yet, somehow the Golem is shipped out to Sammy Clay, Joe's cousin's house on Long Island.

Michael Chabon's book, read it

2008-11-01T06:37:00.001-07:00

I sort of read all of Michael Chabon's book. That is, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. You have to admit that Chabon is an amazing writer, only I think that he has got into a kind of shtick. I wonder if he uses it in all his books. I only read this one and "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh." Chabon's shtick is gay rights, gay liberation.

I have to admit that he is sort of subtle about it. In fact, are these gay characters really realistic? Terry Bacon, the "lady's man" who then brings a dinner to the observation deck of the Empire State Bldg. for Sammy, and ends of kissing him. Later Terry volunteers for the air force and then is shot down. I guess he was an unlucky tail gunner. Sammy's marriage to Rosa Saks was not described that realistically. It was employed that they never had sex, but they must have. A young man in bed with a woman can have sex, if necessary, with almost anything. I guess I have to analyze the book more closely.

Also, there is really no reason for Joe to "escape" for 12 years and then show up again. And, how did he rent the office in the Empire State Bldg?

Also take a look at (link) Crab Apples.

Adventure Book by Michael Chabon

2008-10-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

More on Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon. Sam Clay is reminiscing about his comic book character, the Escapist. He was in a partnership with his cousin Joe Kavalier. I have the stinking premonition that Joe Kavalier is killed off somehow in the 640 pages or so book. He is always doing something dangerous.

Sam Clayman (Clay) is 17 years old, Jewish and short. Joe Kavalier, Sam's 19 year old cousing from Prague, Czechoslavakia, one night is unceremoniously dumped in Sam's bad, to sleep, as he arrives from Europe. Joe has just finished a harrowing journey from Czechoslavakia, which includes being smuggled to Lithuania (then briefly an independent state) in a coffin containing the legendary Golem of Prague. Joe is knowledgeable in the ways of the world. He has been taught to be a magician and an escape artist by the magician Kornblum. Joe tries to take the train out of Prague to a port, and to escape to America. He is stopped by the Gestapo, so he goes back, not to his parents, but to Kornblum. In stalking the Golem, which is hidden in an apartment building, Joe and Kornblum run into a whorehouse, and Joe gets to lose his cherry. This is important later, when, in New York City ( a foreshadowing) Joe gets to be a lady's man with the lovely, Rosa Luxembourg Saks.

Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon

2008-10-29T12:06:00.002-07:00

Looking at The Amzing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, the book is about two young cousins who make it in the comic book business. The book itself, of over 640 pages, has a comic book quality, not in a bad way. It is just that each chapter is like an independent story or "episode." Forgive me if I start in Part II.

In Part II Chapter 6, the two boys (aged 17 and 19) are with Julius Glovsky, also their approx. age. Joe Kavalier has just managed to sneak up the fire escape into the "comic book" or "artist" apartment building. He sees Rosa Luxembourg Saks, who is lying in bed in the nude. He wakes her up, and the girl quickly dresses and runs out. Juli then has Joe make a drawing of her naked on her stomach. Though he complains that it has no "boobs" in it, just a good chunk of behind, Juli pays $3 for the crayon drawing on the back of an envelope, as agreed.

Rent Books and Read More

2008-10-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

I get frustrated because many of the books I want to read, or have to read are not available from my library service, even in New York City. An alternative is to sign up for my sponsor, Book Swim. For only $9.95, a month, you can have a Net-flix type service for book rentals, where you are mailed books and then mail them back when you are finished. It's a very flexible service, they say there aren't even any late fees. And if you really want a book forever, you have the option to buy it. So check it out, my fellow bookworms. Just had to buy "Awakening the Hero Within" by Carol Pearson, and I could have rented it for less.

Next Part, Green Festival story

2008-10-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

“Job placement of graduates is 80-percent, while another 10-percent go on to college.
I softly sigh at this point, thinking about my Bachelor of Science degree from long ago.

“By the end of this year there will be over 100 graduates of this program,” says Marta.

“What kind of jobs do people get?” I ask.

“People have gotten jobs at the Bronx Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, the NYC Parks Department, as well as starting their own business,” answers Marta.

I say good-bye and wander around some more in the musty warehouse. Robbie is a bit interested in walking a little girl dance as the new entertainment act, and I end of dragging him around till I strike up a conversation with a woman sitting at a book table.
It is Nikki Henderson, and I find out that she works for national umbrella environmental organizations such as Green-For-All and Green Workers Cooperatives. She has been coordinating with events around the country. Now, I don’t particularly want to go through a 14-week full-time training program, but maybe I can make friends and at least get to hang out for some of the sessions. So, I keep talking to this lady and other people and try to find out about their operation. Their new director of Sustainable South Bronx organization is Ms. Miquela Craytor, while the well-known former director, Ms. Majora Carter has gone on to other related endeavors. Majora Carter is such a movie star, she gets on TV all the time. It was inevitable with a little foundation and sponsor money she would get a better gig as some sort of big urban planner. However, Miquela is here to help me and get me oriented to the movement. Miquela looks at the event as a time to celebrate action for the green economy and opportunities in this time of national crisis. Due to light rain, the event was held inside, at Rebuilders Source, owners of the warehouse.

I learn that Rebuilders Source Company is part of the Green Cooperatives, founded and directed by Mr. Omar Freilla. Omar started with the Sustainable South Bronx Organization in promoting green collar jobs. He operates with others, a large 18,000 square foot warehouse, like a “Home Depot” which specializes in used building materials. Often the company finds objects such as new low-flush toilets that they salvage, that otherwise would be hauled off as trash. The company recycles trash from buildings that are taken apart or demolished. Items for sale at Rebuilders Source include pallets of tile, cabinets, sinks, crushed rock, windows and doors. A group of recycled doors recently were selling for as low as $3 each. Omar’s company recycles 300 tons of building materials a year, a small fraction of the wasted building materials in New York City. They are working on include promoting and distributing low-energy using fluorescent light bulbs and the recycle of materials
This guy Omar is obviously an amazing and resourceful dude. Maybe this is the guy I have to get to know better. I ask Miquela if Omar is around. She says no, but I can visit him at the “Coop” on Monday. I look forward to this meeting.

When I go back to my little house on Lafayette Avenue, not to far from the warehouse, I feel confused. I walk into the house and sit in the living room, turning on the television set, while Robbie runs further into the house. There is a report on the news of the chaos in the financial markets. My wife, Anita, is inside cooking a light lunch in the microwave. It is microwave pizza, not that great, but at least she makes a salad on the side. It has chopped red peppers, loose lettuce and tomatoes, with some oil and vinegar on it.
“How’s it going hon, what have you been doing?”
“Oh, I was just wondering, what are we doing here?”, as Robbie shrieked a little and grabbed her leg.

“I thought we discussed this already. Look I just came from the green warehouse event, it was sort of nice.”

Ivan Sanchez Book- Next Stop

2008-10-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ivan Sanchez was on News 12, the Bronx, promoting his new book, Next Stop. The 36 year old author writes about when he was with the gangbangers, and a lot of his friends died. He stopped off at a "Zen Memorial," a graffiti shrine to dead gang members. He used to get off the subway on the Number 4 stop, Kingsbridge Road. Hey, that's only about 1 1/2 from my house. Maybe that's why I stay away from that area at night. You can find out more, by checking out Ivan Sanchez's myspace, or get his book at Amazon.com on my little sidebar. Back in the 1980s, the Bronx was probably a lot more dangerous, with other horrors in the early 1990s, like the Happy Land Social club fire that killed about 90 people, set by an arsonist, in the Bronx.

On the broadcast, Ivan Sanchez says that he was stopped by a cop with a knife, but the police officer returned the weapon to him. Perhaps the officer realized that Ivan needed it real bad. He is now touring the Bronx. He stopped off at his old home at 60 East 196 Street, by Creston Avenue. Hey, I didn't think that area was so dangerous. I guess I lead a sheltered life. Ivan Sanchez currently lives in Virginia Beach, Va, and is on a tour promoting his book. For more info, click the link. He volunteers with local police in his home town in an anti-gang program.
He has appearances coming up at:

Tuesday, October 14, 10:00 AM
Mt. Pleasant Cottage School
1075 Broadway, Pleasantville, NY 10570

Thursday, October 16, 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
290 Baychester Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475

Thursday, October 16, 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble Booksellers - Bay Plaza
290 Baychester Ave., Bronx, NY 10475

Tuesday, October 21, 5:30 PM
Las Caras Kubdas (The Pretty Faces) & Tumbao Bar & Grill
3213 W. Armitage Avenue/Humboldt Park, Chicago, IL

Wednesday, October 29, 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble Booksellers- Virginia Beach, VA
4485 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23462

Saturday, November 08, Time TBD
Harvard University, hosted by Harvard's College Democrats
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138

I think I am going to the event in Pleasantville, NY, and going to write an article about it for the Harlem News Group.

Greening the Ghetto Story, Part 3

2008-10-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

I spoke with the Greenie Organization’s outreach official, Ms. Marta Rodriguez.
“Hello,” I say, “I’m Howard Gibson, and trying to learn about the Environmentalist movement around here.”
“I’m so glad you could make our party. I’d like you to know that Sustainable South Bronx has big plans for green jobs and development projects. We look at the $500 million that was to be spent on a local jail, as money that could be used to help people.” Says Marta.
“Hey, you can redevelop a lot of slums and grow a lot of food for that type of cash.” I reply. But, are you running any training program so people can really work with their hands and build things?”

“Well, we have a program for unemployed people and underemployed people” answers Marta.

“I only work about 20 hours a week doing proofreading, plus I do a bit of assorted business writing projects. Maybe I could qualify.” I answer. “Tell me what you’re doing anyway.”

“Sure, Howard” says Marta. “The Organization even has a free training program called BEST, the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Program which lasts for 14 weeks and prepares trainees to be certified in a number of different construction-related trades. Graduates of the Organization’s program, work on construction, asbestos removal, planting and maintaining street trees, as well as more unusual tasks like green roofs and river restoration.” Says Marta.
“That sounds great” I say.

More on the Green Festival story

2008-09-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

It was a nice day to go out for a little neighborhood party. The weather was warm for late September, though a bit rainy. The party was sponsored by the Sustainable South Bronx Organization which claimed that it was coordinating parties with environmental organizations across the country. I took my son Bert along for the ride. Bert loves to be driven for hours in his little car seat in the back, while I get to be his chauffeur. However, when we parked and I took him out of the car, he was a bit frightened, the way he gets sometimes when he goes to some place new. He insisted that I carry him to the party. It was in a big musty warehouse, almost by Southern Boulevard, near the Bruckner Expressway, called Rebuilders Source, in the South Bronx.

There was lots of food, music and information there. In fact, the music was mostly lousy, with various crazed individuals doing their karaoke type imitation of famous rap stars unknown to me, as well as old rock groups that I vaguely remembered. Different bands and individuals took turns playing live music and singing, much to the entertainment of the large crowd. It only got a bit cute, when a little black girl got up to the microphone, and without accompaniment sang a sweet version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” In the back of the warehouse, children had their faces painted with amusing designs. I thought this might appeal to Benji, but since he is only 2, I thought it would scare the crap out of him, more than anything.

New Story - Green Festival to Paradise

2008-09-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

I was beginning to get dizzy, and before I moved to the side of the room where hot dogs and hamburgers were on the grill, near the open entrance to outside, I wanted to get my bearings. What was I doing here anyway? I had recently bought a two-family house in Hunts Point. It might seem like an odd place to want to live, but it had a number of advantages. It was cheap, and as soon as I fixed it up with my wife, it would be nice. It had two apartments, one on the first, and the other on the second floor, and we could live on the first floor in a two-bedroom apartment, and as soon as we could, rent the other apartment for some income. So, we were living there and at the same time fixing it up. We had to replace a lot of the fixtures, the bathroom fixtures, the kitchen items, really a lot of stuff and maybe even do some work on the exterior, the roof, you name it. So, we needed some cheap renovation supplies, and I had to make some friends with some people who could teach me, at little or no cost, how to install and work with some of this equipment.

Besides, I had always had a covert attraction to the environmentalist movement, though with strong caveats, and only on a local level. There was an appeal to learn to do things yourself, and to recycle material, particularly if it was cheaper that way. In a place like the South Bronx and Hunts Point, there was still a lot of vacant land, and there were environmentalist and community control type people who were even growing a lot of their own food locally in community gardens. So, I may know that we need nuclear power, and centrally located electricity stations, but I also was afraid of the troubles ready to hit our nation. I really wanted to find people who would even teach me to grow a lot of my own food.

A Story of Warren Buffet, the people's billionaire

2008-09-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

(A Fairy Tale)

Once upon a time, there was a sweet and wonderful billionaire, named Warren Buffet, of Berkshire Hathaway company. He gave to the poor, helping them into slave labor, environmentally sound solar power project. He tried his best to be kind to the new peasant class, that unfortunately his financial policies were creating in the United States.

Then, one shocking day, sweet Warren, and his friend Bill Gates of Microsoft ran out of money. "What shall we do?" asked Warren to Bill. " I dunno, call George Soros, he always has interesting ideas on how to brainwash the poor." "We don't have that much time." said Warren, "Paulson's bill has to pass this weekend to bail us out."

"I have an idea," said Bill. Call the big bad wolf. Tell him to huff and puff and blow a few houses down, until the people agree to bail us out. That ought to fix them.
(to be continued)

The Death of Woman Wang by Jonathan D. Spence

2008-09-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Death of Woman Wang

"The Death of Woman Wang" by Jonathan D. Spence, is a historical reconstruction combination of fact and fiction. One source for example is a poet and writer, P'u Sung-ling, whose stories are extensively quoted in the short book. This is the story of a town in Shantung Province, in Northeast China, T'an-Ch'eng, which is the capital of a county of the same name.

In one early story in the book, P'u Sung-ling is drinking wine with his cousin, when the notoriously violent 1668 earthquake hits. They are drinking Chinese wine, when suddenly they hear a roar, and the cups begin to shake and spill. They run out of their house, and people stay outside for hours, even if they are totally naked.

P'u Sung-ling tells a story about a married couple, where both the man and the woman are about to perish due to a famine. The man tries to sell the woman, but the price of the woman has gone down, since many men are selling their wives, out of desperation. A kind passerby agrees to give the couple money so they can stay together.

Gracchi Brothers story- Roman story

2008-09-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Stories

Chapter 7- the Roman Novel

Problems with Gaius’ nephew, the young Tiberius. The youngster already has dreams of revenge. Gaius starts to take the boy to the Roman forum.

I can’t remember the story of Diophanes and Blossius. I think they were killed.

I can’t remember if Marcus Junius appeared before in the book.

Also, this stuff about the Greek, Pericles, not being a tyrant, is that accurate?

What does the story about the Numantine warrior whom Gaius killed mean? Is it in context with the story, or is it just a “bagatelle?”Then it segues into Licinia asking Gaius not to go to the Senate today. Is that really coherent?

The speech is a little direct “murderers” etc. Is the story really at that point yet?
---------------------------------------###-------------------------------

The Boy and the Trees

By Cindy

A very cute story.

Read Kolyma Tales by Varlam Shalomov

2008-09-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Kolyma Tales is shocking though interesting. It may seem outdated to many readers, but these dangers of police state and mass murder transcend the ephemeral existence of the Soviet Union. Varlam Shalamov was a dissident of sorts who lived in the Kolyma camps near the Arctic Circle in Northeast Siberia for some 17 years. His tales have been described as in the Chekhovian tradition.

In "A Piece of Meat," the protagonist, Golubev, succeeds in staying on in his soft job and avoiding the deadly gold mines, by faking an appendicitis attack. He is operated on, and his healthy appendix is removed. As he recovers in the recovery room, he noted a man he knows as Kononenko, a known criminal and murderer. He finds that Kononenko is now going under the name Kazakov, which makes the danger for Golubev double. He could be quickly murdered in his weakened condition by strangulation with a towel, the favorite method of Kononenko/Kazakov. The murderer himself tells Golubev that he was ready to murder him, but the criminal gets a note to go to a fight that his criminal gang is having in the mines. Golubev and another patient, who chronically stays in the hospital on a false complaint are saved from sudden strangulation. In the Soviet Kolyma camps, criminals murder political prisoners with near impunity.

On Phyllis' Roman Tragedy Book

2008-08-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry I was a bit off on Monday. I read the last 3 chapters of Phyllis' book (Note: What is the title?) and there is quite a bit in it. Just on memory, there is the little wife, Lic, putting the slave in his place, who then disappears, there is Mucianius who goes to war, we later learn, never to come back. There is the ambitious dude, trying to incite Scipio to have Gratius killed right away.

There is the revelation (in Chapter 6) that (as if we didn't know) Scipio and the other Roman macho men have the option of using the slave girls for their "needs."

I can see that commenting on a longer book or story can be more difficult. Can we remember all the events and build-up that has gone before. Anyway, the thing seems to be heading for a punctum saliens (point of no return) with Gracius pushing ahead with the land commission, though his father-in-law and protector is dead. He also brings two of the "on the outs" faction of Senators in for his land commission. Does he have another card up his sleeve, or is he just going into a flight-forward assault, with suicidal results?

War, Real estate, and Mortgages

2008-08-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Can there be a connection between the new war, that Georgia's Saakashvilli has started against Russia, and the ongoing collapse of real estate, mortgages, and the economy? You bet there is, that is how the British Empire crowd wants to keep control. Please note that larouche pac and EIR have warned you about this.

Perhaps this calls to mind the sardonic knife fights and endless civil war of Jorge Luis Borges and his knife fights and civil wars in Argentina and Uruguay.

Reading Jorge Luis Borges' Collected Fictions

2008-07-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

Borges is an extremely frustrating writer. His cultural pessimism is somewhat overwhelming. I knew that something was going on when two stories within about 10 had this quote, paraphrased, in several different forms: What is an abomination is mirrors and copulation, since they both multiply the number of men.

This anti-people bias is creepy. Nevertheless, there is a lot of sub-text and historical sourcing in this fiction and you can learn a lot. The story about the Japanese retainers who obtained revenge for their lord, though they knew that after, they would all be forced to commit hari kari was a quite moving though horrible story.

Critiques- from The Best of American Short Stories 2003

2008-06-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

Moriya by Dean Paschal

First, here is a quote from the beginning of E.A. Poe’s story “Morella”:

“Itself, by itself solely, ONE everlastingly, and single.”- Plato’s Symposium

With a feeling of deep yet most singular affection I regarded my friend Morella. Thrown by accident into her society many years ago, my soul from our first meeting, burned with fires it had never before known; but the fires were not of Eros, and bitter and tormenting to my spirit was the gradual conviction that I could in no manner define their unusual meaning, or regulate their vague intensity. Yet we met; and fate bound us together at the altar; and I never spoke of passion, nor thought of love. She, however, shunned society, and, attaching herself to me alone, rendered me happy. It is a happiness to wonder; -it is a happiness to dream.
--------------####----------------------------

The story is clearly inspired by E.A. Poe. I could see that just from the title. The story is strange and funny. Even the “mechanical” quality of the sex scene with the doll, was funny and odd. The author seems to be making a point on the missing wheel of passion. Can passion be lost, because a wheel falls off?

Or, what is meant by, “passion is a function of time?” Apparently, the doll had a “sexual motions” switch, which the boy found. Did the husband of the family, or his father also use the doll for these purposes?

Heaven Lake by Jess Row

It is a sad, but interesting story. The use of reminiscing about something that happened long ago is OK. I was not too excited by the story, but it is interesting and good from a structural standpoint. The story is in a classical “story within a story” form.

The girls are so self-absorbed and confident that they wouldn’t listen even if they heard what had happened to their father.

As far as the encounter with William, the guy with the gun, I thought it was realistic except for the part about the cut off part of the pinkie. This detail is too much, and smells of an MFA course, where the teacher yells, you have to do more SHOWING!

The little philosophical end (actually in the other story too) struck me as very MFA-like.

Bully Pulpit, Off-Broadway Fun and History

2008-05-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

The show “Bully Pit” features the life and times of President Theodore Roosevelt, and is now playing on Theatre Row, the Becket Theatre, at 410 W. 42nd St. This one-man show is both written and acted by Michael O. Smith, who does a great job literally reincarnating the outspoken Teddy. The show’s producing and artistic director is Ms. Rhoda Herrick, and it is directed by Byam Stevens. Michael O. Smith is a 60-year old Teddy Roosevelt, reminiscing about his life and Presidency. The scene is a classic drawing room, with stuffed heads of deer and moose, from Teddy’s game hunts. “Bully Pulpit” gives the audience a chance to meet this classic American. Teddy talks of his times and also gets up onto a “Bully Pulpit and preaches to the American people. Roosevelt says his well-known slogans such as “Speak softly and carry a big stick” but there’s a lot more to this entertaining history lesson. He also says, “Live each day as your last, and one day you’ll be right!”

Teddy Roosevelt provokes us, chiding people for their lack of physical and moral courage. He tells of some little known family history, such as his mother being from Georgia, and during the Civil War, smuggling contraband goods to her family in Georgia. Teddy tells us how he grew up, married, and then saw his wife die in childbirth. He goes out to the Dakota Territory, from grief, learns to ride like a cowboy, and then comes back to New York, remarries, and becomes a politician. The monologues are very witty, though there is some tension in looking how American values have changed since then. There are lots of jokes about politicians too. In a characteristically gruff Teddy Roosevelt speech, he assails then President William McKinley as having the backbone of a chocolate éclair, for refusing to attack Spain. Finally, after the battleship Maine blows up in Havana harbor, war is declared in April 1898. Teddy leads the Rough Riders, in the assault on San Juan Hill, during the war in Cuba. He returns a war hero and is elected Vice-President on the Republican ticket. Six months later, an assassin’s bullet makes Teddy Roosevelt the President.

Michael Smith is not afraid to show the darker side of Teddy Roosevelt. He gives a raving jingoist speech on how it is wrong to have any “hyphenated” Americans. Everyone has to be pure Americans, and that is all, says Teddy. Likewise, the audience gets the story of the boyish glee and games of Teddy and his four sons in Washington DC at the White House. Then there’s the tale of the little revolution that was arranged in the territory of Panama, in order for the U.S. to get a better deal on building the Panama Canal. The story ends with Teddy talking of his four sons in the Great War in 1918, and the death of his son Quentin. Teddy sadly concludes that American needs such valor and heroes. And for all Teddy Roosevelt’s faults, Michael Smith successfully projects his image as an American hero. For tickets, call 212-279-4200.

Note: for a better look at the British Empire links of Teddy Roosevelt and his policies, see the above link.

Great Session, from Ancient Rome to today's Hollywood

2008-05-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

We at the Gotham Writing Group, at the Coffee Shop near Union Square NY, had a really great session last Monday. Phyllis brought in 15-pages of her Ancient Roman novel, which was a real eye-opener. The story follows the famous Gracchi brothers, in the late Roman Republic period. Already, one of the Gracchi has been killed by a mob. The other Gracchi is trying to get the body of his bro, from hostile forces. Sound good?

Cindy had a script from a drunken college party in Jacksonville, Florida. Man, I love that local color and ambience. Maybe there was too much action outside the pub in the woods, by the St. John's River. After a girl has sex with her girlfriend's boyfriend, they are spied on by a security guard. The first man leaves her, and the security guard wants to get "his cut." Tune in later.

Howard had more on his Tibetan Rug story, now renamed "Protecting the Earth and other Living Things" and meant in a very ironic fashion. Jonathan, the ad agency head recalls meeting two lunatics with lots of money, running their little "Noah's Ark campaign, to scare New York and San Francisco young professionals into backing extreme measures against "Global Warming," before the prophesized floods come. And Bloomberg has a bridge to sell you !

New Critiques, stories by Nicole Krauss and Sharon Pomerantz

2008-05-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Both stories are found in "2003: The Best American Short Stories, edited by Walter Mosley

Future Emergencies by Nicole Krauss

I really got a funny feeling from this story. The youngish woman, about 28 years old at most, is manipulated by her man, who is older, Victor, who is nearly 45 years old. She is manipulated into not leaving him, and in fact, getting pregnant, which on the other hand is all well and good. At the same time, the public is being manipulated by unknown fears of attacks or pollution, to wear gas masks.

Note, the story is in the first person of the young woman. It is funny, you get that viewpoint, a bit pathetic. She looking around, interested in the attractive man named Paul, or at least his hands, on the tour she gives of the museum. She is thinking of leaving him, but it seems he is on top of the situation. This is shown, in a kind of crass way, with the sex before scrabble routine.

The thing about always listening to the news is funny, although obviously another way of being manipulated, this time of both her and Victor.

Ghost Knife by Sharon Pomerantz

These two are characters are practically exhibitionists, taking chances. The other aspect of the story is that this is they story of a “mistress” or the other woman.

The story definitely begins with a sense of foreshadowing, that something is going to happen due to this habit of public sexual activity. The story seems Freudian, in that Dmitri has an unconscious urge to expose himself and force himself out of a marriage without love.

The mistress, or other woman is often a conflicted character. Will Dmitri’s marriage break-up now? Will she “win”? Likewise, Ann’s comparison with her friend Debra in the stable though boring marriage with one child and one on the way. Is this to say to us that there is “no winning in life” just what you enjoy or feel drawn to. Ann’s friend Debra has won, but her marriage is a boring routine.

Critiques- Space by Kevin Brockmeier, Why the Sky Turns Red... by Ryan Harty

2008-04-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

Story critiques-- Stories from the Best American Short Stories 2003, edited by Walter Mosley

Space-
by Kevin Brockmeier

It’s definitely a spacey story. Della is dead, who is “Dad’s” wife and Eric’s mother. It’s about people having intense feelings that they can barely talk about. What is this story about? Is it about shining a flash light into Space and imagining space aliens enjoying the light and warmth? Or somehow feeling the warmth from Della, who is now dead?

Or is it about the boy’s pain and frustration? He has stubble on his chin, he’s probably about 14 years old.

I guess it is a classical non-story story about the feelings of characters in a situation, of Dad, Eric and the now dead Della.

What do the characters want? Does anything happen to the characters?

----------------------------------------------######-------------------------------

Why the Sky Turns Red When the Sun Goes Down
By Ryan Harty

It’s funny because it is a science fiction story, with a limited element. It’s just the human-like programmable child. Of course, his arm coming off, that is pretty wild. And then there’s the thing about the subterranean houses, to lower cooling and heating bills. I feel the undercurrent of a resource-short world, where instead of reproducing, people elect to have a “realistic” computer kid.

The whole thing, with real kids, and then an electric drone coming out of the kids throat is pretty heavy.

What does Mike want? He wants a good family life. He wants love from his wife. He wants his robot toy kid to operate properly. What a trip!

New Critiques: "Johnny Hamburger" and "Compassion"

2008-04-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Critiques

Johnny Hamburger
By Rand Richards Cooper

This is a funny story with a surprise ending. Having Johnny save the woman in the car is strange and unexpected. With all the beer he is drinking while driving, and with his girlfriend Brenda doing cocaine, you expect Johnny to be the victim, not the hero.

Even though the author doesn’t say so, it is clear to me that Johnny lives in either New London Ct (home of a famous sub shipyard)., or somewhere from there up to New Bedford Mass. The thing about Santos and the Portuguese at the Sea Shanty is perfect for that area. Foxborough Mass. is where they have the stadium that he and Brenda visit (and have sex in). I thought the sex part was a little bit too thick. The story had a sort of sub-text that you could be a drug, sex and rock ‘n roll guy and act crazy and still end up a hero. Was that intentional by the author?

The weather thing is also funny. It’s as if to say that this Johnny has a more serious side, he is interested in the world around him and being helpful.

The karma thing at the end was possibly unnecessary. You know about the co-parents and destiny. That is another sub-text of the story.
-------------------------------------------------#####-------------------------------------

Compassion
By Dorothy Allison

A difficult topic, someone about to die, is the subject of this story, with the POV being the first person. The arguments between the girls are interesting. Arlene didn’t want a hospice for Mom, since that means she is going to die.

The remission time is interesting. I don’t know about the thing in the dept store about God is sleep and Demerol. And then there are the little admission stuck in, like that the “I” person in the story just broke up a lesbian affair. Then, there is the subtext about Jack, and even Mom admits that the kids want to kill him, and dreams about them killing him. Did he just beat them, or was it sexual abuse too, not quite clear. It’s funny because even Mom dreams that he is dead.

Like the other story, the same thing about people taking dope their whole lives. Don’t people grow out of that? Momma, the daughter Pammy says, listens to Black Sabbath on headphones and smokes dope at night. Then there is the thing about Arlene trying to commit suicide. This is a thick story, with lots of sub-plots and sub-text. Then they have a long paragraph or two as Mom dies.
-----------------------------------------#####-------------------------------------------

New Short Story (start)- What did He Say?

2008-03-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

He went to the event, not with any extreme need, just some curiosity. Benjamin already had his story for that week at the local paper that he wrote for. It was the usual thing about children, and art. Sometimes it was about laughing clowns or a give-away of toys for poor and homeless children. Not that these things were unimportant, but they occurred somewhere in a dream world.

This story today was something big. Benjamin’s friend from the state house had called him about it. He went, not quite knowing why; it was sort of like the good old days when he actually worked for a daily newspaper.

The event was in a rundown High School on Flatbush Avenue, in Brooklyn, NY. Benjamin, just out of habit, started to interview people on the Home mortgage and foreclosure crisis. That way, Benjamin would get some sort of a story, and he’d worry about who to sell it to later.

Already, about 100 people were in the room, waiting to talk to bankers and real estate brokers. Benjamin stopped by a 60 or more year-old lady sitting at a round table in the school gym, who was sitting with another lady, maybe 35-years-old, perhaps her daughter.

Benjamin walked up to the lady and said “Hi, I’m Benjamin Silver wit the Brooklyn Paper, I just heard about the mortgage crisis, and there’s even a bill in Albany about freezing the mortgages.”

“That would be wonderful,” the lady responded in a lilting Jamaican accent “but do you think it’s going to happen?” Her daughter intervened saying “those crooks said everything would be all right, we could see if there was any problem. Now nobody wants to buy it.”

“Yes, I guess that’s why must people are down here. And you’re trying to refinance your mortgage?” Benjamin said.

“If that’s going to help… What’s your name, who are you with?”

“I’m Benjamin Silver,” he said, while shaking her hand. “I write for the Brooklyn paper, maybe you’ve seen my column.”

“Oh, I think I pick it up and read it sometimes when I’m down by Court St.” she said.

“Benjamin took their names and addresses down, and proceeded to go to a few more of the round tables spread out through the room. He noted that the majority of the people were black, with a sprinkling of white people and light Hispanics scattered around. Benjamin stopped a white man who was sort of chubby, about 55-years old and vague inquisitive.

Critiques for the Next Class- The Closet Wall by Cindy D.

2008-03-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

Comments on the short story “the Closet Wall” by Cindy D (Gotham Writers Group Member)

The story "the Closet Wall" is about a family that raises horses that has a fire in an outer stable building, and how they react. It is a good illustration of a disaster happening. Since it may be the start of a longer story, it is hard to know where it is going.

In the beginning, someone (unclear) is referred to in “she yelled down the hall”

Diane seems to be about 15 or 16 years old, and the story is told, first person from her point of view. It’s interesting, the descriptions about how to calm the horses after the fire. Did Cindy have experience in handling horses?

Also, nice is the “frozen in time” moment around the desire of Diane to see the horse, Blue, one more time after he is shot, to put him out of his misery. (Blue is hurt in the fire).

Now, what is going on when the father is speaking to Walter and the Fire chief?
Why does the cop curse at Roy, when he says that he has been hurt?

The father says to the cop, that the cop saw Roy sitting in his car, watching the whole thing, that is, the fire in the farm building. If Roy is the criminal who did this, why isn’t he arrested?

Also, when Diane is in her room in the closet, she thinks something about “Walter not crying anymore.” What is this?

There is some symbolism and foreshadowing in this story about something, but I don’t know what.
----------------------------------------############-----------------------------------

Review of story "Night Talkers" by Edwidge Danticat

2008-03-08T05:22:00.000-08:00

This is a review of "Night Talkers" by Edwidge Danticat, in the Best American Short Stories/2003, edited by Walter Mosley. This is a strong story, which gives a real feel of the poverty of the people of Haiti, and also their dreams and aspirations.

The voice is in the third person. It still has a fairly intimate feeling and there are parts with lots of dialogue in it. I like the descriptions of the cactus plants and other plants, and also the mountains, since Haiti is mountainous in many parts. There is a bit of a question of the driving motive of the story and the characters. What does the main character, Dany want? Obviously he wants to see his Aunt Estina before she dies. To do this he goes to Haiti, even though he knows he may not be able to go back into the United States. He also meets Claude, in the horrible predicament of speaking English much better than Creole, but being stuck in Haiti.

You see the chaos on the island of Haiti. This Claude kills his father, and yet after 3 months he is out of the criminal justice system.

Maybe the story should be called "Desperados" or "They Don't Care" or something like that. It has a strong existentialist flavor to it. Is the thing about being a "night talker" really a part of the story or just an extra "poetic" detail put on to make the story slightly more arty? Is Claude really a "night talker" because he finally tells Dany the dark and crazy story of aspects of his life as a drug dealer and patricide?

More from the Gotham Writers Group

2008-03-01T18:44:00.001-08:00

Here are some remarks about the Short Story "Every Tongue Shall Confess"- by ZZ Packer, found in Best American Stories 2003, Edited by Walter Mosley:

Obviously this is a very vivid, and on a belly laugh level, a very likeable story. I wanted to look at it a bit closer to see what ZZ P. is doing to us.

Clareese Mitchell is a member of an apparently fundamentalist Church. She is in church and angry at the church, at the same time, having her period. She is cross-eyed and apparently not very attractive. She starts (thinking) how she hates Deacon McCreedy. He took her home, and while he had her sing a Christian song, put his hand down her pantyhose. Then he found out she had her period and left in disgust. Afterwards, she ignored him.

Analysis: I am somewhat overwhelmed by this obscene caricature. Why does he have to: ignore her, hit on her when she has her period, and do it when she is singing a hymn-- all at the same time?

Then when Clareese has her nursing job, the two patients give her a tough time, especially Cleophus Sanders. This too is sort of a caricature. I mean "I can't say I'm please to meet you because lying lips are an abomination to the Lord..." Isn't that too much?

We tend to, when reading a story like this, suspend belief (in its reality) and enjoy the sarcasm. Also, on a more positive note, the story does set us up for the uplifting moment when Clareese visits Cleophus on her day off. When she says that we (people) have only the right to die, and that we are lucky to have become life, I feel better. Now, she is talking like a real human being, not a caricature. And where Cleophus comes to the church, that too is interesting. He's obviously chasing Clareese, but still it seems believable that he would come to the church.

Questions: Is it worthwhile to make a story like this, so full of caricature and "over the top" characterization? Or not? That might be an interesting point to discuss.

Starting Literary Criticism of St. Augustine's "Confessions"

2008-01-31T08:15:00.000-08:00

I am starting a long and book length criticism of St. Augustine's "Confessions." I hope such work can enhance my ability at literary analysis, as well as original writing:

“The Confessions” has the theme of theology. It is a theological work in two senses. It first of all lays out a general theology of the existence of God and our responsibility to him. Even Augustine’s struggle to be fed and deal with his environment as a baby symbolize his future struggles in adult life, and the unknowability of God. As a baby cannot know how to speak, Augustine also contemplates the difficulties of adults to comprehend the wisdom and power of God. The theme is developed that when we learn scholastic knowledge, we do not know what its use will be later in life, since Augustine had to learn many things to become a great debater and theologian.

Augustine talks about the primacy of sin, that we as human beings sin even when we are infants. As a school boy, he was told that he sinned, and was beaten for playing ball when he should be working at his studies. And yet, he reflects in the passage, was it justified to be beaten for this?

I meet the Tee Shirt Queen

2008-01-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

Note, this is a work in progress. And to visit the t-shirt queen, or I Love Harlem, just click on the links.
--------------------------@@@@@@@@@@@@@----------------------------------

What is the thing about the tee-shirt queen? She has this business that she claims does about $15,000 a year, and it will build up.

You have to interview her and see what it is all about.

Why does she want so much to be in the Harlem, or the “I Love Harlem” t-shirt business? It’s hard to know.

I remember, it was December 6th, at the Baton Rouge Restaurant, on West 145th St. in Harlem. I went to the party at about 6:20 pm which was early. I really didn’t talk very much there. There was this slightly mad looking dark-skinned lady from, I guessed India, with a card table with all types of “I Love Harlem” stuff. This was appropriate since this was the party of the Harlem News Group, that I work for, writing articles every week in the Bronx Community News. I just said, “Hi, I’d like to give you my card.” She also seemed interested in me for odd and obscure reasons.

About 10 days later she called me. “I would like to hire you to do publicity work for me. That is what you do. I want to market my products on the internet.” I thought this was amazing good fortune. Maybe I could make $200 a week writing little articles for this lady like I do for the “Nevada Guy.” I couldn’t really talk to her, since I had been working in a legal office all night, the night before, but I did call her back the next day and made an appointment to meet with her. I met her, I think Monday afternoon at about 1 pm. She has a dingy little office on East 124th st, next to a Mini-Storage place. I remember the place was first closed.

I called her cell on my cell phone.

“Henry, I’ll be right there in a few minutes.” She said. When I finally went back, her office was open and she invited me in. Her name is Angie, who is 65-years old, but well preserved. She went into a long spiel, of which I only caught bits and pieces.

“We want to expand into the internet advertising. I have trademarked the logo “I Love Harlem, and this is what is going to sell”

Frankly, I thought the spiel was a bit inane. All I cared about was making some extra income. I wanted to get $200 a week from her, but I ended up with only $100 a week. Oh well, a deal is a deal. This went on for several weeks, without selling very much, without getting any new orders. Still, the dream is what drives it all.

"We are going to be very successful soon, Henry, you'll see" she said.

The story of the Tee Shirt queen is a funny story but a sad story. She called me last night to see if I could come over to her office, a little dump inside a moving storage place in Harlem.

Angie said, “ Can you come over now, I’m going through some papers?”

“But, Angie, you have almost no business, you have almost no customers, what are you doing?”

“That’s not true that I have no customers. Someone from Chicago just called in with an order for the “I Love Harlem” t-shirts” said Angie. “Can you come to the office now?”

"Angie, it’s 8 pm, I just finished an interview, I’m all the way down in South Ferry.”

“Well, OK, I’m in the office, there’s so much to do to get this place in order. I’m going to have another fashion show on January 26.”

I took a little time to calculate. That was next Saturday. “Oh, that’s really great Angie.” He said.

“Yes. I’m having my fashion consultant coming over tomorrow. We are going to have six models for the show, and it is going to be on TV again.”

“Oh, you mean blip.tv.”, I said.

“That’s right.” She answered.

(Note) Angie also loved to watch Indian movies. After a long session with her one Saturday, working to clean out the office, she asked me to show her how to play DVDs on the computer. She had a new set of “Professor” videos, showing how to use Windows program better, and wanted to know how to play it. I showed her, but then I noticed she was putting in a video for an Indian movie. I had a design on it of a girl in a flimsy Sari, being chased by a group of men, I think, with perhaps a couple of elephants in the background. I thought she was playing this DVD as a test, but as soon as it went on, she relaxed in the chair and began to groove to the sitar music and the drums.

Writing first piece since the class

2008-01-03T07:40:00.001-08:00

That's one of the t-shirts that the T-shirt Queen sells. That is who I am writing my story about now. So far it is only 500-words, but I see that it has a lot of potential, and soon I will put all, or part of it on line.

It is now largely autobiographical. Life can be funny, when you are interested in a person partially because now they give you something and somebody to write about. Sort of like part of yourself getting the opportunity to be a voyeur. Oh well, I guess there are worse crimes.

Other than that I read some of the "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Like usual, Hemingway sets up wonderful little chapters and scenes, but I don't think it goes anywhere, except in the endless story of the blood and gore of the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s.

If we, Gotham Alumni, are still going to have a bar or coffeehouse meeting, please either email me, or write a comment to this public blog.

The Class is Over, Happy New Year!

2007-12-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

We had our last class, and though it was sad to end, hopefully it will also be a time for a beginning, of more writing and activity. By the way, I am working with a business partner to sell "I Love Harlem" T-Shirts and also Woman's Track suits.
eBay:
T-shirt link
Woman's Sweat Suit link.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun afterwards at Chef Yu restaurant, at 36th St and 8th Ave, across the street from Gotham Writers Headquarters. We are waiting for Ms. G. to call us for a coffee house meeting early in January, so keep writing. If you are writing something right now (write it right now!) feel free to make a comment.

Also, here is an excerpt from Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass" that I thought appropiate for this season, and our turbulent times:

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

I went to the library and took out "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Ernest Hemingway, Various Stories by O. Henry, and a biography of Franklin Roosevelt, by Jean Edward Smith, allegedly now favorite reading in certain high circles in the Chinese Communist Party. So a merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All.

We Wish you a merry Bank Crash;
The System totters and can't last;
There must be some action, and fast;
A New Bretton Woods

That's all for now.

Literary Criticism and the Fight against Existentialism

2007-11-26T16:20:00.001-08:00

I don't mean to be harsh when criticizing other student writers. The thing is with TV and movies the way they are, we writers all tend to promote sensationalism, sort of as existentialism (suicide as the ultimate existentialist act).

It's difficult to express the inner life of characters, and some search for truth even under bad or horrid conditions.

That is why reading Hemingway pissed me off recently, it's all sensationalism, unjustified murder , you name it, even with "sparse" prose. It's difficult to avoid a descent of ideas into bestiality, but worth the effort. Otherwise, many gifted writers are in our class.

Just Around the Bend, and the Fear of Death

2007-11-24T21:03:00.000-08:00

Image from link:
http://media.www.westernherald.com/media/storage/paper881/news/2002/10/28/News/Student.Pedestrian.Hit.On.Campus-2127552.shtml

This piece is in response to a request by our class instructor for students to write a piece using a slow down writing of what happens in a story at a point of danger, crime or such like. One suggestion was to write what a person felt upon looking at a lake after a murder, but without mentioning there was just a murder. Another suggestion was to describe the most frightening moment in a fictional person's life. That is the sketch that I did, and here it is:

Just Around the Bend
By Howard

That June morning seemed to threaten rain. And yet, Chris wasn’t too upset, he didn’t have much to do. He was scheduled to work in the shop later. John knocked on his door for Chris to go out with him to the circle and get some money for their Little League Fund. He thought they were a little short. Chris went out in any case to the traffic circle on Route 1. It seemed to be a festive day, despite the weather. At one side of the circle people were selling flowers. He and John had their own light, and between lights stood on a traffic island. Chris had begun selling chewing gum too at the red light, and a new crowd of cars stopped after a minute or so of green.

About a half-an-hour passed and the light changed green. After a small car went by, a large 18-wheel truck advanced. John was up standing by the light pole in front, while Chris was about 30-feet back, standing near the metal guard rail about 3-feet from the road. Chris felt somewhat uncomfortable, so he began running forward about 10 feet. Suddenly he stopped and realized his mistake. The truck’s front wheels had passed him, but the rear wheels were edging up onto the traffic island, as the truck bent around the circle to the left. Chris felt dizzy from the loud whirling sound. There was a temptation to jump the metal guard rail to safety. But, it was a rather high guard rail, about 2 ½ feet tall, and after a 6-inch space there was another guard rail of the same height. To his right was the truck, to his left the double guard rail, just a little too high to jump with impunity. Oh what a stupid mistake. As Chris heard the noise of the truck edging toward him, he vaguely sensed that he was in danger, though as it passed him he thought he was going to have a close shave, but nothing too bad was going to happen to him. Then the rear tire came up to him. It knocked against Chris’ legs and forced them against the guard rail. Chris thought he heard a loud snap as the truck rolled past. He screamed suddenly in unbelievable pain, as he threw his arms up in the air, and fell in between the two guard rails. Amid, the unbearable agony, Chris had a vague sense of shelter. Under the guardrails he had found a tomb, a place to slowly die, at least partially sheltered from any stranger’s view. Then, after a minute, he saw two men looking down upon him. Were they angels? They pulled him from under the rails, lifted him onto a stretcher, and rapidly threw him into an ambulance. Then they began to wrap his legs, while one of them shot something into Chris’ arm, as he gradually felt less pain and went numb.

Reviews of Workshop Stories

2007-11-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Comments by Gia:

Howard- Story- "Decision in the Homeless Shelter"- I am impressed by the fact that you chose to work with such a difficult
experience to write about. You give a clear picture of how your
characters change through time and you have a strong plot structure. What I
wanted to see more of was description of the characters and setting.

Emmanuel- Story- "Good Morning Mr. Roost-
I love your voice, the writing has so much character. I also love the
details that you use, like how the grandma prays very loud. One thing
you might want to work on is the flow of the writing, smooth out the
places where ideas change. Over all I loved "Good Morning Mr. Roost" and
hope to read more.
_________________________________________________________________

Starting my Literature Criticism Blog

2007-11-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

I am currently taking a course in writing at the NY City Gotham Writing Center in Fiction writing. This can be painful in that much "fiction" writing is about real experience of people writing or at least people that they know or have known well. In addition, we try to encourage up and coming writers, not go into some childishly negative frenzy. (Much as it may be a temptation). After all, we are trying to communicate, no one there, not even the teacher (a practicing writer) is guaranteed even a decent living. All we are given an opportunity for is self-expression and communication.

In addition, I have been reading modern literature a lot more than I used to lately. Much of the greats, like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald seems to me like a "souped-up" and "made for Adults allegedly" version of the Hardy Boys or some other type of juvenile literature.

For example, in Hemingway's work "To Have or to Not Have", how can Harry Morgan just kill the Chinese people smuggler with impunity. Didn't the Chinese smuggler have any security? Didn't Harry Morgan have any conscience? This is a typical example of the existentialism in today's so-called great modern literature. Hopefully, we will explore such topics, as well as works of new writers and student writers. Enjoy.