20050129

White blogule to the "Stop Government Propaganda Act"

I love this no nonsense name - the perfect answer to the "Patriot Act" and its likely sequels ("Freedom Act" ? "Stop Tyranny But Collect Intel Efficiently Act" ?). I just wish it weren't just a daring project from a few Democrats but a strong commitment by this Administration. Stephane MOT

20050125

White blogule to the Straw man - pet stop boy

It's your time to shine, Jacko. The President pet's pet dares say "no" to the Bush administration even before (at least officially) being asked the question*. What question ? "Will you please back our attack on Iran, provide a few thousand troops and lose this year's elections for us ?" The message : the US won't set the so-called-"diplomatic"-but-poorly-hidden agenda for the rest of the World anymore, happy new year Condi, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to pass for a courageous man (who could possibly believe the US would open another front when they can't even draft enough fighters or torturers for Iraq).
Actually, the agenda may be set by North Korea, where gimchi will hit the fan much earlier than scheduled. Stephane MOT
* Sunday Times 20050123 "Straw snubs US hawks on Iran"

20050123

Discussion (following "the invasion of the buddy snatchers")

(answering the question : how about the word "tyranny" ?) In very deed, "Tyranny" is their new flavor for 2005... seems like the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" series don't sell anymore. "T-Rex vs Godzilla" ? Now that would be a winner ! Don't you think "Godzilla" sounds like "God Zealot" ? A quick look at some definitions of "tyranny" :
  • Wikipedia : "a tyrant (from Greek τυραννος) is a usurper of rightful power, possessing absolute power and ruling by tyranny. In the original Greek meaning "tyrant" carried no ethical censure, a tyrant was anyone who overturned the established government of a city-state, usually through the use of popular support, to establish himself as dictator, or the heir of such a person."
  • Merriam-Webster : "Etymology: Middle English tyrannie, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, from Latin tyrannus tyrant1 : oppressive power ; especially : oppressive power exerted by government 2 a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler; especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant3 : a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force 4 : a tyrannical act

"Usurper" ? "absolute power" ? "no ethical censure" ? "popular support" ? "heir" ? "single ruler" ? "outside agency" ?... looks like tyranny could be summed up by "George W Bush". Stephane MOT on a forum

20050122

Red blogule to the Rotten Globe Awards - Invasion of the buddy snatchers

Hard to tell which flick will win the Terror movie category among this year's Rotten Globe Awards nominees :
  • "The invasion of the buddy snatchers" : a remake of Romero's masterpiece directed by Karl "The Architect" Rove, "The invasion" turns Joe Sixpack into a zombie voting machine unable to utter any word but "freedom" or "terror", contaminating friends & neighbors across the county ("you're against Him ? You're not one of us").
  • "Lara Whitchcraft" : in this sick parody of America's Funniest Home Videos, GI Jane becomes a shameless torturer. X rated. Explicit material and language. A tremendous success for director Gonzales - even the boldest piracy won't deter much awaited sequels.
  • "Shock & Awe" : and you thought Godzilla was the only towering menace to civilization ? The trillion dollar deficit is back, baby : angry and hungry.
  • "Donald's wonderful adventure" : thanks to a powerful lobbying, Disney's creatures won't fall into the public domain anytime soon. But Rummy is very much likely to fall back into the private sector after january the 30th (ballot in Iraq ? pentagone out of track). Money, power, greed, handshakes with dictators... expect the most gruesome moments of animated movie.
  • "The exorcist - reloaded" : brother Jeb is plagued with floods and hurricanes, father Herb's running out of stamina but Saint George has the power to defeat the dragon once again with a double barrel tommy gun. Mel Gibson's brilliant (err... make that "enthusiastic" instead) impersonation of "never doubting dubya" brings tears to the audience and blood all across the Middle East.

20050121

Red blogule to 2008 - Losers Inc

This uneasy smile, this greasy voice... I can't stand it anymore. I must confess I hate the guy even beyond what he represents now. I've had an overdose of Bush-watching lately and my hears and eyes hurt each time he's on air. Look at him parading on a Penn avenue liberated from all insurgents (ethic cleansing for beginners), delivering a speech more loaded with references to "tyranny" and "liberty" than a 1950s soviet propaganda leaflet.
And now this. Bypassed Bubba licking Dubya's a-s to get in Kofi's shoes (how disgusting anatomy lessons can possibly get ?), Joe Biden casting his ballot in favor of unrepentant Condi (now THAT was a "wonderful opportunity"), John F. Kerry redeeming a couple of gazillion miles earned at home last year for a Middle-East tour for what ? some lobbying to draft 40,000 more soldiers... Gimme a break ! Or rather, gimme a F, gimme a.... Stephane MOT

20050116

Red blogule to Prince Harry - When Harry met nazis

First time I saw the picture of Di's kid with that swastika armband I thought it was a fake (sweet Harry turning into "brown sugar" ?). About the same day Di Canio performed a "perfect" fascist salute to the Lazio fans. And then came Jean-Marie Le Pen's latest provocation. Already controversial public figures in unison. A pattern. Extremes on the rise across Europe and the World. Fundamentalist Christians and Muslims competing in a sick draft over Aceh's ruins. Wrong start for 2005. No wonder : last year ended with a wrong message from the US. Stephane MOT

20050115

Red blogule to Uncle Sam's cabin - A day in the life of US led democracy in Iraq :

. 28 prisoners (including foreign fighters) managed to escape during a transfer from Abu Ghraib (guards to busy torturing car thieves ?)
. US soldier found guilty of killing a teenager (did that one steal some candies ?)
. The Patriotic Front of Iraqi Tribes (275 candidates) calls for a boycott of the elections - 3 M people may follow
.
Baghdad election center director gets killed
.
Allawi admits the turnout may not be successful in some "pockets" across the country (this great democrat seems to care more for the pockets of the people he bribes)
.
Prayers will be performed at Bush's inauguration - a judge made sure a lawsuit launched to prevent this violation of the constitution failed. Dubya's spin doctors will especially pray for a good cover up of the massive protests around the event, just like 4 years ago.

20050113

Red blogule to propaganda - How much for a journalist ?

How to tell the difference of wealth between an American and an Iraqi ? The price of a Big Mac ? You'd better check the value of the journalist in the commodities section :
.
in DC and in the heat of the Presidential campaign, the Bush administration paid columnist Armstrong Williams $240,000 to have him praise the successes of educational reforms on the TV
.
in Baghdad and in the heat of the campaign, Allawi offered $100 to all journalists showing up at a campaign press conference (read FT's Allawi group slips cash to reporters)
A 2,400:1 ratio ??? Keep working on it if you want to catch up with your model democracy, King Dubya's banana republic of the divided states of america. Stephane MOT

20050107

Red blogule to Guggenheim - Ghost in a shell

Since the issue of "Guggenheim Economics" is raised (Newsweek 20041220), let me add that this franchise has the business model of a low cost carrier sponsored by minor league airports. But don't think economies of scale : the more outlets they open, the more dilluted the collections. The space and architecture makes for the cultural void and the original Guggenheim in New York now looks like a "ghost in a shell". Visiting Guggenheim Bilbao is quite an architectural experience but you're more marvelling at the craft of a software than the inspiration of an artist. And after the ride you realise you were lured into believing you actually met great works but hey, that's how the Planet Hollywood concept managed to sell for a little while. Stephane MOT

20050105

Red Blogule to Jeb Bush - The Disaster Brothers

So Mr Natural Catastrophe decided to pay a visit to the Asian shores devastated by last week's tsunamis. Unlike his brother George, a master in manmade disasters, Jeb seems more interested in the destructions caused by Mother Nature. Anyway, the Governor of Florida feels like getting some international exposure. Wonder why ?
Habemus papam folks ! Our Dear Compassionate Leader has found the next ruler for the Bush dynasty. Daddy Herb may call him "44" soon. Stephane MOT

20050104

Red blogule to France - Papy blues

France, Europe and the World - papy blues ?
France will hold a referendum on the EU constitution this year. A "no" sure would make the news, but is there any way the country could get an identity back ?
Jacques Chirac has a knack for finding ways of putting his country back on the map, and the resistance to the American domination seems an inspirational source - from nuclear explosions in the Pacific Ocean (the rationale : some coral crushing is the price to pay in order not to depend on the US for some sensitive data crunching) to more glamourous fights (in favor of the "cultural diversity", against the Bush mob about Iraq).
Now it's time to define France and Europe a more subtle way. Both shouldn't exist simply as a negative or counterbalancing force to such superpowers as the US or China.
Up to now, the French have somehow succeeded in being instrumental in the creation and development of the European Union. This influence is now over, even if former president Giscard d'Estaing led the EU Constitution project in 2004. Even the golden seat at the UN (veto power can deter as efficiently as nukes) may soon become history.
So France welcomes this referendum as the main event of the year to come. A proof of its very existence. Discovering with stupor what it means to become Europe's "Belle Province" - a proud, scenic and original spot without much influence on its environment nor its own destiny.

White blogule to cultural diversity - China is already on top

The US don't even realize it yet but they've already been overtaken by China. Forget the traditional measuring tools supposed to tell you what a superpower is (GDP, RBI... you name it). We're talking about the way a country's culture attracts people from all over the world. The US model is already dead and the Chinese one just finishing its warm up period.
This time, China won't try to overwhelm the region with its mandarin style rococco but peacefully let the world enjoy and spread the word about a second to none variety of cultures and ethnies... provided they get rid of their tradition of coating everything in a disneylike display of radical colors or in a tasteless MSG saturated sauce.
In the meanwhile, come enjoy beautiful Yunnan before mass tourism takes too much flavor out of it. Back from Kunming, Lijiang, Dali and Zhongdian.
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