The Extraordinary African Chambers court is thought by some to be a
“test” of whether Africa can dispense justice to its own current and
former politicians. But, I think the question is posed incorrectly.
Africa is full of presidents that have killed and imprisoned their own
people – most of them while working as agents and “mercenaries” for U.S.
imperialism, the main source of the crime wave. Until the American,
British and French are made to sit in the dock with the Hissène Habrés
of the continent, there can be no justice.
-- Glen Ford, "Former Leader of Chad and CIA Tool Denounces U.S. Imperialism at His Trial" (Black Agenda Report).
Monday, September 21, 2015
Truest statement of the week II
But the real place where the rubber hits the road
for aristocrats is actually international relations, because
America’s aristocrats control half of the world’s international
corporations, and those corporations are thoroughly dependent upon
national governments. (Note: Obama
is trying to make national governments dependent upon international
corporations.)
-- Eric Zuesse, "America’s News Is Heavily Censored" (Information Clearing House).
-- Eric Zuesse, "America’s News Is Heavily Censored" (Information Clearing House).
A note to our readers
Hey --
Monday.
First, we thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.
And what did we come up with?
Peace.
-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.
Monday.
First, we thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:
The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.
And what did we come up with?
- Truest statement of the week
- Truest statement of the week II
- A note to our readers
- Editorial: The Fake Ass
- TV: The Perverse
- The faded Emmys
- The sexism never ends at NPR
- Album to avoid
- This edition's playlist
Peace.
-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.
Editorial: The Fake Ass
United for Peace & Justice.
Remember those losers?
They declared victory in November 2008 and folded tent.
Leslie Cagen and her lover gave up on Iraq to spend their days removing her chin hairs.
And if they'd stayed gone, that would have been just fine.
They were liars and whores who used the Iraq War to try to elect Democrats and who refused to call for national protests after Democrats took back the House and Senate and had done nothing to end the war in Iraq.
So if the losers had stayed gone, well good and great.
But then they wanted to gear up for the 2016 elections so they tried to slink back in pretending, as usual, that they care about Iraq.
But as usual, they couldn't focus on Iraq.
They're concerned, you understand, with racism.
The all White group is concerned with racism.
Seriously?
What does the above tell you?
Besides that UPFJ remains the place where the women are hardy and the boys are fetching?
Presenting a trio of faces, UPFJ, supposedly supporting diversity, delivers three White faces.
They believe #BLACKLIVESMATTER as long as it's not that Black lives matter in UPFJ or any group they control.
Their fake asses.
And they wasted forever on the Iran deal while doing nothing on the Iraq real.
September's coming to a close and they haven't even had an internet bulletin on Iraq since June.
The fake asses will always be with us.
That doesn't mean we have to let them fool us.
Remember those losers?
They declared victory in November 2008 and folded tent.
Leslie Cagen and her lover gave up on Iraq to spend their days removing her chin hairs.
And if they'd stayed gone, that would have been just fine.
They were liars and whores who used the Iraq War to try to elect Democrats and who refused to call for national protests after Democrats took back the House and Senate and had done nothing to end the war in Iraq.
So if the losers had stayed gone, well good and great.
But then they wanted to gear up for the 2016 elections so they tried to slink back in pretending, as usual, that they care about Iraq.
But as usual, they couldn't focus on Iraq.
They're concerned, you understand, with racism.
The all White group is concerned with racism.
Seriously?
What does the above tell you?
Besides that UPFJ remains the place where the women are hardy and the boys are fetching?
Presenting a trio of faces, UPFJ, supposedly supporting diversity, delivers three White faces.
They believe #BLACKLIVESMATTER as long as it's not that Black lives matter in UPFJ or any group they control.
Their fake asses.
And they wasted forever on the Iran deal while doing nothing on the Iraq real.
September's coming to a close and they haven't even had an internet bulletin on Iraq since June.
The fake asses will always be with us.
That doesn't mean we have to let them fool us.
TV: The Perverse
More and more, TV's about the perversity. Nothing seems quite right.
Take daytime programming.
Watching Nickelodean's ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, it's hard not to feel like you're being pulled into the sewer.
Oh, sure, there are morals here and there as the Chipmunks (or 'Chipmunks') take on bullies or try to steal baby sitting jobs or what have you.
But there's always the creepy, the never ending creepy.
The three little ones are still being raised by human David Seville, yes.
But the three little ones no longer look like chipmunks.
They still have the tails but they have children's faces and bodies -- and a human father.
How are you not supposed to wonder if some cross-species mating took place?
And how are you supposed to watch ELLEN and not wonder what the heck you're watching when daytime talk show hostess Ellen DeGeneres can't stop fawning over Hillary Clinton?
Ellen did that in 2008 -- with Hillary and with Barack Obama. But in 2012, where was Mitt Romney on her show?
No where to be found.
Which makes Ellen look like a cheap entertainer who misuses her platform and her audience to push politics.
We like Ellen.
We don't think she's very smart politically.
Her actions during presidential elections only confirm that.
When did she book Cynthia McKinney as a guest?
Or Jill Stein?
Or Ralph Nader?
People don't need entertainment hosts pontificating on their cutesy talk shows about what politics are or are not.
Ellen doesn't know a damn thing about politics and never has and it cheapens her image when her show -- embraced by millions -- is misused by her to promote one political party.
Say what you will about Jimmy Fallon -- and there's much bad to say there -- but at least he's willing to bring on both of the the two major political parties (like Ellen, Jimmy appears to have never heard of third party or independent candidates).
Ellen doesn't own the airwaves.
If she's going to bring on her personal favorite candidate for an election cycle, respect for democracy dictates that she bring on the other candidates.
On THE TONIGHT SHOW, Jimmy Fallon recently scored a win with his impersonation of Donald Trump (who is seeking the GOP's presidential nomination).
He even did the impersonation when he had Donald on.
But he also did it last week when he had Hillary Clinton on.
Is there a reason Jimmy can't do a Hillary Clinton impersonation?
Is there a reason he can't do a real interview with her?
As bad as Ellen and Jimmy's sucking up has been, at least no one (except maybe themselves) would ever mistake them for smart, political or even journalists.
What's John Dickerson's excuse?
The new host of CBS's long running public affairs program FACE THE NATION had the first chance for a real interview with Hillary after Clinton had finally apologized for her e-mail scandal.
Instead of probing that scandal today, Dickerson let Hillary present the 'facts' (which often were not facts) and set the narrative.
As bad as that was, the all time perverse moment in the softball interview had to have been when Hillary insisted, "I am a real person."
When you're having to insist you are a real person, your campaign is clearly in trouble.
And when you're the host on which Hillary asserts that claim and you don't follow up with anything meaningful, you are clearly in trouble.
Remember David Gregory didn't think he'd ever be dropped from NBC's MEET THE PRESS.
The most perverse thing about television today may be realizing how little the entertainment factor matters anymore. Oh, they're swinging it and selling it for someone -- it's just not for the viewers.
Take daytime programming.
Watching Nickelodean's ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, it's hard not to feel like you're being pulled into the sewer.
Oh, sure, there are morals here and there as the Chipmunks (or 'Chipmunks') take on bullies or try to steal baby sitting jobs or what have you.
But there's always the creepy, the never ending creepy.
The three little ones are still being raised by human David Seville, yes.
But the three little ones no longer look like chipmunks.
They still have the tails but they have children's faces and bodies -- and a human father.
How are you not supposed to wonder if some cross-species mating took place?
And how are you supposed to watch ELLEN and not wonder what the heck you're watching when daytime talk show hostess Ellen DeGeneres can't stop fawning over Hillary Clinton?
Ellen did that in 2008 -- with Hillary and with Barack Obama. But in 2012, where was Mitt Romney on her show?
No where to be found.
Which makes Ellen look like a cheap entertainer who misuses her platform and her audience to push politics.
We like Ellen.
We don't think she's very smart politically.
Her actions during presidential elections only confirm that.
When did she book Cynthia McKinney as a guest?
Or Jill Stein?
Or Ralph Nader?
People don't need entertainment hosts pontificating on their cutesy talk shows about what politics are or are not.
Ellen doesn't know a damn thing about politics and never has and it cheapens her image when her show -- embraced by millions -- is misused by her to promote one political party.
Say what you will about Jimmy Fallon -- and there's much bad to say there -- but at least he's willing to bring on both of the the two major political parties (like Ellen, Jimmy appears to have never heard of third party or independent candidates).
Ellen doesn't own the airwaves.
If she's going to bring on her personal favorite candidate for an election cycle, respect for democracy dictates that she bring on the other candidates.
On THE TONIGHT SHOW, Jimmy Fallon recently scored a win with his impersonation of Donald Trump (who is seeking the GOP's presidential nomination).
He even did the impersonation when he had Donald on.
But he also did it last week when he had Hillary Clinton on.
Is there a reason Jimmy can't do a Hillary Clinton impersonation?
Is there a reason he can't do a real interview with her?
As bad as Ellen and Jimmy's sucking up has been, at least no one (except maybe themselves) would ever mistake them for smart, political or even journalists.
What's John Dickerson's excuse?
The new host of CBS's long running public affairs program FACE THE NATION had the first chance for a real interview with Hillary after Clinton had finally apologized for her e-mail scandal.
Instead of probing that scandal today, Dickerson let Hillary present the 'facts' (which often were not facts) and set the narrative.
As bad as that was, the all time perverse moment in the softball interview had to have been when Hillary insisted, "I am a real person."
When you're having to insist you are a real person, your campaign is clearly in trouble.
And when you're the host on which Hillary asserts that claim and you don't follow up with anything meaningful, you are clearly in trouble.
Remember David Gregory didn't think he'd ever be dropped from NBC's MEET THE PRESS.
The most perverse thing about television today may be realizing how little the entertainment factor matters anymore. Oh, they're swinging it and selling it for someone -- it's just not for the viewers.
The faded Emmys
It was obvious when Taraji P. Henson lost to Viola Davis but it was obvious throughout.
Acting wasn't being rewarded.
It's past time the Emmys stopped acting like the crap ass Daytime Emmys with the judging panels determining winners.
Judging panels don't work.
If you doubt it consider Susan Lucci was nominated 18 times for playing Erica Kane on ALL MY CHILDREN and lost 18 times. It took 19 times for the most famous actress of daytime TV to finally get the award she'd long ago earned.
Year after year, Susan delivered a brava performance and was an audience favorite but these idiotic 'panels' saw fit to honor Erika Slezack.
She's not a bad actress but she did not deserve six Best Actress Daytime Emmys.
This nonsense doesn't fly on the Academy Awards where the industry votes.
Did the tired DAILY SHOW really deserve more awards?
No.
But panels always ensure that 'farewell' moments get the awards.
Which is why Jon Hamm won.
Another season of MAD MEN and old moose knuckle would be left grabbing his crotch, not an Emmy award.
Why would anyone watch this hideous crap?
To see Julia Louis-Dreyfuss win the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy for the fourth year in a row?
Can you image that at the Academy Awards?
The brilliant Meryl Streep doesn't win four times in a row.
Julia is funny and is talented, she's just not Meryl Streep and let's not pretend that she is or that she deserves four consecutive Emmys for a comedy show that's really not all that funny.
It's a yawn fest, it's not a competition.
Again, get rid of the judging panels.
Let the membership vote the winners.
If that happened, a lot of the niche shows from cable would really have to compete.
If that happened 'conventional wisdom' would falter.
Viola Davis is not a bad actress.
But she was not the lead character of HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER.
After the winter finale, Davis' character mattered very little as the focus shifted to the students covering up the murder.
Equally true, Davis played the role we all expected her to play (and played it the way we all expected she would).
Taraji P. Henson, on EMPIRE, created a character completely different than anything she'd done before and one that was explosive and commanded attention.
A stunning performance like that will rarely receive recognition from a 'panel' but will usually win the support of the industry.
It is said this was the lowest rated Emmy broadcast ever.
Stale and predictable doesn't make for edge of the seat excitement.
It's time the Emmys grew the hell up.
Acting wasn't being rewarded.
It's past time the Emmys stopped acting like the crap ass Daytime Emmys with the judging panels determining winners.
Judging panels don't work.
If you doubt it consider Susan Lucci was nominated 18 times for playing Erica Kane on ALL MY CHILDREN and lost 18 times. It took 19 times for the most famous actress of daytime TV to finally get the award she'd long ago earned.
Year after year, Susan delivered a brava performance and was an audience favorite but these idiotic 'panels' saw fit to honor Erika Slezack.
She's not a bad actress but she did not deserve six Best Actress Daytime Emmys.
This nonsense doesn't fly on the Academy Awards where the industry votes.
Did the tired DAILY SHOW really deserve more awards?
No.
But panels always ensure that 'farewell' moments get the awards.
Which is why Jon Hamm won.
Another season of MAD MEN and old moose knuckle would be left grabbing his crotch, not an Emmy award.
Why would anyone watch this hideous crap?
To see Julia Louis-Dreyfuss win the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy for the fourth year in a row?
Can you image that at the Academy Awards?
The brilliant Meryl Streep doesn't win four times in a row.
Julia is funny and is talented, she's just not Meryl Streep and let's not pretend that she is or that she deserves four consecutive Emmys for a comedy show that's really not all that funny.
It's a yawn fest, it's not a competition.
Again, get rid of the judging panels.
Let the membership vote the winners.
If that happened, a lot of the niche shows from cable would really have to compete.
If that happened 'conventional wisdom' would falter.
Viola Davis is not a bad actress.
But she was not the lead character of HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER.
After the winter finale, Davis' character mattered very little as the focus shifted to the students covering up the murder.
Equally true, Davis played the role we all expected her to play (and played it the way we all expected she would).
Taraji P. Henson, on EMPIRE, created a character completely different than anything she'd done before and one that was explosive and commanded attention.
A stunning performance like that will rarely receive recognition from a 'panel' but will usually win the support of the industry.
It is said this was the lowest rated Emmy broadcast ever.
Stale and predictable doesn't make for edge of the seat excitement.
It's time the Emmys grew the hell up.
The sexism never ends at NPR
Sometime background singer and sometime lead singer for other groups (she sang lead on The Crystals' "He's A Rebel") and sometimes under her own name ("Today I Met The Boy I'm Going To Marry") as well as fronting the Christmas classic "Baby Please Come Home," Darlene Love is an attempting a singing comeback.
NPR's done repeated coverage of this attempt including today offering:
As an album title, Introducing Darlene Love sounds like a throwback, in the spirit of Here's Little Richard or Meet the Beatles. In fact, it's something closer to a joke: The woman behind these songs has been making music for 50 years, and it only took a few decades for people to learn her name.
Is NPR trying to ensure that it's a male defined world?
MEET THE SUPREMES came out in 1962 as did PRESENTING DIONNE WARWICK.
1964 saw PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES FEATURING VERONICA.
1967 saw HELLO, I'M DOLLY.
Why is NPR -- alleged public radio -- treating male as the norm and the standard?
Does the sexism ever end?
NPR's done repeated coverage of this attempt including today offering:
As an album title, Introducing Darlene Love sounds like a throwback, in the spirit of Here's Little Richard or Meet the Beatles. In fact, it's something closer to a joke: The woman behind these songs has been making music for 50 years, and it only took a few decades for people to learn her name.
Is NPR trying to ensure that it's a male defined world?
MEET THE SUPREMES came out in 1962 as did PRESENTING DIONNE WARWICK.
1964 saw PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES FEATURING VERONICA.
1967 saw HELLO, I'M DOLLY.
Why is NPR -- alleged public radio -- treating male as the norm and the standard?
Does the sexism ever end?
Album to avoid
The cover's a turn off to be sure.
And Kat's certainly documented all that's wrong with the album in "Kat's Korner: Faux feminist Judy Collins plays Where The Boys Are yet again."
But, honestly, why keep recording if you have nothing to say?
Judy re-records a few oldies and does them as duets with various men.
It's tired.
It's boring.
It's, honestly, still born.
Collins keeps goosing up the arrangements thinking this will save her faltering vocals.
For a woman who can stop worshiping males, she misses the story of Johnny Cash's artistic revival in the last decade of his career: Less is more.
This edition's playlist
This edition's playlist
1) The Mamas and the Papas' THE PAPAS AND THE MAMAS.
2) Jefferson Airplane's VOLUNTEERS.
3) The Mamas and the Papas' DELIVER.
4) The Doors' THE DOORS.
5) The Jimi Hendrix Experience's ELECTRIC LADYLAND
6) Fairport Convention's UNHALFBRICKING.
7) Diana Ross & the Supremes' REFLECTION.
8) The Kinks' FACE TO FACE.
9) Pink Floyd's THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN.
10) Simon & Garfunkle's BOOKENDS.
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