Blogrophenia: The Reverend Aton's Site

Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg were inducted into the MLB HoF today. Wade Boggs was always a favorite of mine and I remember always trying to catch his fascinating AB's. He was probably my favorite all time Yankee acquisition until they got their current 3bman A-Rod. Ryno was an incredible player who probably should have made it sooner. I am happy for both of them.

Lennon and Music Videos

The Sunday NY Times had an article about the new show Lennon which I reviewed here a while back. It's a good show and an interesting article. . . The Same Sunday Times has a good article about music videos for my money the top five videos of all time are:

5 Thriller Michael Jackson -- took music videos to another level

4. Take on Me Aha -- A very early music video that pushed the boundries of music videos and remains freshly fun and interesting today.

3. Jeremy Pearl Jam -- A perfect combination of the band playing and storytelling. The story plays out dramatically and crescendoes with a shocking ending that is not only jarring but amazingly socially prescient and pertinent.

2. Hurt Johnny Cash -- Cash's unusual choice to cover NIN/Reznor's Hurt and a retrospective movie that looks at Cash's life is beyond moving. A heartbreaking work of genius and the penultimate video of all time.

1. Just Radiohead -- Just a strikingly brilliant video. The Kafkaesque mini movie leaves you a tad puzzled and disturbed. It is thought provoking, interesting and challenging. The definition of art and a music video par excellence

You do it to yourself,
You do,
And that's why it really hurts,
Moses

A Open Letter to 'That Guy'

Blogrophenia is the success that it is, to my mind for several reasons. But one of the best things about it - and one of the things I enjoy the most is the sort of "online community" that is created by the posters. So it was with some disappointment that I read a recent post by occasional poster "That Guy" where he offered a scathing review of my recent entries. I will address his post below in letter form.

Dear That Guy,

Guy, first let me say that I appreciate your early kind words and it pleases me that you have enjoyed Blogrophenia for the past few years. I vaguely remember you posting before and I appreciate that as well. Secondly, let me say that I am sorry that you have been less than impressed with Blogrophenia of late, however I must say that I am not really sure why you have been as you haven't given any concrete examples of the posts that have disappointed you but merely made generalized claims with little or no support. I will now address the content of your comment:

Hey Moses, as a guy who has thoroughly enjoyed your blog over the past couple years and for the most part agreed with your opinions in the past (although I commented little), my thoughts on your entries are starting to wane over the past 2-5 months.

Again thanks for your kind word and I am sorry that you feel there's been a decline in quality.

I feel like you've gone from having solid opinions to being rather opinionated, and from logical and sensible to overly-emotional and almost disreputable.

Interesting, I feel similarly about Andrew Sullivan.

As a person who's still trying to find his way through this political rift that we've created (faulting both major political parties), I look for the logical, well-developed argument and almost guidance.

Fair enough, I feel that there is enough blame to go around. But, I know I've bashed Dems and complemented Republicans at times.


Much like the rest of the democratic party is doing right now, I feel that your tendency to emotionally lash out against the "enemy" and the overly emotionally-charged opinions is discrediting what could be your highly valid, well-thought-out, and popular direction.

Ok, I need examples, and I don't mean examples of me responding to posts, I am often intentianlly cheeky on those posts and don't always feel the need to mount serious arguments there. Many of my readers don't either.

Despite politics being a "belief" it is also an institution and a tangible system, by which we manage our country. I've seen you go from being a credible source of information and opinion to one that I no longer would recommend to my friends and colleagues and one that is starting to alienate even myself. Perhaps I've gotten the purpose of your blog all wrong, but I truly believe I would read it more if I could believe that what you said wasn't inspired by anger, emotion, and propaganda, but rather by multiple sources of information and logical commentary.

Again, you aren't offering any examples and hence ironically you wind up being guilty of the same thing that you accuse me of, namely spouting emotional opinons unsupported by fact. I don't know what has so angered you about my posts OR what precise unsubstantiated "belief" I offered up.

Thanks for your commentary but it leaves me with the same impression that you seem to have with my blog: You offer critcism unsupported by fact.

That said I will endeavor to support and bolster my positions with more sources and facts.

Finally, let me say that if I am occasionally guilty of emotional tirades as opposed to logical critical analysis it is because I am extremely concerned for the state of this country and the world. I do believe that the current administration is guilty of some very well documented travesties. I believe that U.S. policies are putting me and family and friends in serious jeopardy and I believe if we don't mobilize and mount a serious campiang with a serious contender in 2008 that we may be in some real long and short trouble. I think that contender will likely be Hillary Clinton or some other Democrat, but I feel like there is some potential among Republicans as well. Perhaps, John McCain, a sometimes maverick Republican and bona fide war hero. I was heartened recently by the Republican break with Bush on the stem cell issue and I do think there are some good people in the Republican party, but by and large I believe there are more good Dems. I think that the radical Christian Right is an extremely dangerous faction and I think that Republican party largely values either money or their own values to the exclusion of other races/religions over the interests of the downtrodden (ironically an extremely un-Christian perspective) or the cause of diversity and multiculturalism. I was raised to believe a few certain things politically, that people are more important than money, that government owes a responsibility to the people and that, above all, religion has no place in politics. I think that these things are by and large anathema to the Republican party and that's why from a meta perspective I consider the party to be generally so morally bankrupt. I find that George Bush is the epitome of these Republican values and so for this, and many other reasons that have been fairly well chronicled on this blog I find him so reprehensible.

Thanks for your input Guy, I will reflect on it some more and hope to try to improve this blog.
Good day to you.

I don't need to fight,
To prove I'm right,
And I don't need to be forgiven,
Moses

Hillary Has a Big Decision to Make

In what may a calm before the storm everyone has entered a period of relative quiet about Roberts and the Supreme Court. It will be interesting to see what Hillary does. Will she go moderate and support Bush's choice as some are saying she will or turn hard left a la
Kerry? Practically speaking whether or not Roberts makes it may not matter. . .

Either way her decision could come back to haunt her. . .

Certainly something to keep your eye on. . .

Don't want to be an American Idiot,
Moses

They call it "human cockfighting" and it's a very interesting thing. Should it be legal? Very, very interesting. . . I need to sleep on this. . .

Don't need a helmet,
Got a hard hard head,
Don't need a raincoat,
I'm already wet,
Moses

The Young Man and the Sea

There's a very interesting fishing story out today about a kid who caught a 600 pound marlin that fought back and escaped. Doesn't reduce my personal desire to catch a huge marlin, but I will be sticking to fluke and striped bass for the next few weeks at least. . .

Keep fishin' if you feel it's true;
There's nothing much that we can do;
To save you from yourself,
Moses

Theater Review: How Love is Spelt

Featured in this year's SPC Festival over near Times Square is an amazing play by a brilliant young playwright by the name of Chloë Moss called How Love is Spelt. Ms. Moss show is an incredible study of a young woman who is running. But what she is running from is less interesting than the manner in which she is running. The protagonist a young Liverpudlian named Peta who has relocated to London is trying on various masks in the Jungian sense of the people she meets. The manner, and subtlety at times, in which she does this is fascinating. As are the different characters that she meets. The show is incredibly written, almost like an opera the various melodies all find themselves interwoven and meet in a wonderful chorus. The show leaves you asking what is self? Do we all always wear different masks? What is the right way of dealing with the world and the various problems we often encounter.

But what is truly masterful about this show is how well the themes are woven into "real life". One feels like he may have known, indeed may know, a Peta. The dialogue rings true and the situations couldn't be more real. The acting and directing are outstanding and the production couldn't be better down to the excellent to excruitiating cover songs that are played which reflect the major theme of the show.

Do yourself a favor and go see this show, you may someday tell people you saw a Chloë Moss show way back when. . .

Who are you?
Who? Who? Who? Who?,
Moses

p.s. Catch it soon it's a short run. . . and call in early this can and will sell out. . .

It was 30 years ago today. . .

A-Rod is my favorite Yankee. By far. He turns 30 today.

And I know everyone knows he's good.

But do you realize HOW good?
He has 409 HRs (Hank Aaron had 342 at 30)
He has 1,825 hits (Pete Rose had 1,540 at 30)
He has 1,176 RBI (Aaron had 1,121 at 30)
He's scored 1,197 runs (Rickey be having 1,058 when Rickey turned 30)

This guy is well on his way. . .

You guys can all have your "clutch" Jeter, I celebrate excellence and there's none better than this kid from Miami. Is he a true Yankee? Absolutely!! What's more NY Yankees than sustained excellence?

I actually met him once in Cameron Indoor Stadium right before a Duke game when he was with Seattle. Nice guy. I also see him at Miami Heat games frequently in the winter.

I don't really want to stop the show,
But I thought you might like to know,
Moses

The Yankees just finished their much anticipated "tough" road trip and despite a late swoon, they still managed to finish over .500 at 6-5. All in all you can't complain, although ONE more game in LA/Anaheim would have been MUCH better at 7-4. At any rate, it's now Randy versus Radke in a big start tonight in the Bronx against Minnesota. . .

I'm looking California,
And feeling Minnesota,
Moses

World's oldest dildo found. I shit you not. . .

I don't want anybody else;
And when I think about you,
Moses

Guest Blogger: Former U.S. Senator Hollings

Today's guest blogger is a former U.S. Senator and a great man. If we had more men like him calling the shots and less like that jackass in the Oval Office the world might be in better shape. Enjoy:

Dealing with the core of Mideast terror
By ERNEST F. HOLLINGS

The children's program "Big John and Sparky" constantly admonished, "All the way through life, make this your goal: Keep your eye on the doughnut and not the hole." When it comes to terrorism, our leaders insist on keeping their eyes on the hole.

After the July 7 London bombing, both President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed "our determination to defend our values and our way of life." Yet when a Senate delegation last year called on King Abdullah of Jordan, he counseled, "to stop terrorism the U.S. has to settle the conflict of Israel and Palestine." Again to the same delegation, the prime minister of Kuwait ended the conference warning that "the U.S. must settle the conflict of Israel and Palestine." And President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan ended an hour-long conference by stating to the delegation: "Settle the Israel/Palestine conflict and 85 percent of terrorism in the world will disappear."

It's not our values and way of life causing terrorism; it's our policy of support for Israel. Let there be no doubt: The United States will never abandon Israel. But to effectively support Israel, the United States needs to revert to its policy of the honest broker in the Mideast.
We maintained this policy with successes from Menachem Begin to Yitzhak Rabin - and almost Ehud Barak. Israeli leaders realized that Israel is an island of freedom in a sea of Islamic hostility. Survival depends upon the peoples learning to live together rather than to kill together. But Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Bush changed signals. Sharon, the architect of settlement policy, ignored the agreement to negotiate borders based on the 1967 cease-fire. Sharon is always confident of the military solution.

In the Six-Day War, Maj. Sharon reported to Prime Minister Levi Eshkol: "The army is ready . . . to wipe out the Egyptian army. A generation will pass before Egypt threatens us again." Eshkol replied: "Nothing will be settled by a military victory. The Arabs will still be here."

Sharon thought overwhelming retaliation would stop terrorism. And Bush let Sharon run free. Now the United States is no longer looked upon as an honest broker.

We've been in Iraq now for two years. If the United States stays too long, we will be looked upon as an occupier. Occupation causes resentment. Israel's occupation of Palestine for 38 years not only causes resentment, it creates terrorism. Being dependent on your adversary for light, water and jobs for 38 years breeds resentment, then terrorism. Everybody with any get-up-and-go has got up and gone. Those left are embittered.

When one has no uniform, no army and no weapons, attacks upon one with tanks and helicopter gunships cause terrorism. One only has to watch Palestinian youngsters throwing rocks at the helicopters. Bulldozing homes causes terrorism. Bulldoze my Daddy's home and you can count on having created me a terrorist. I'll get you back wherever and whenever the opportunity presents itself.

And yes, blowing myself up to do it is not out of the question. Building walls causes terrorism. Preventing me from working for a living causes terrorism. Invading Iraq without cause causes terrorism.

We'll never win the war on terror without a better understanding of Islamic culture. In the Arab world, there's one thing stronger than democracy - that's religion. We liberated Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia years ago, and they have yet to opt for democracy. We liberated Kuwait 14 years ago, and it has yet to opt for democracy. Ayatollahs are the best politicians. The only reason we had an election in Iraq is that Ayatollah al-Sistani told them to vote. The Kurds in the north voted for autonomy - keeping their own army, paying no taxes to Baghdad. The best we can hope for is an Islamic democracy like Iran.

Send a team of negotiators like former President Clinton and Dennis Ross to Tel Aviv to negotiate. An international peacekeeping force would be better than a wall. Support Sharon in the withdrawal from Gaza. Negotiate the West Bank boundary. Then oversee the G-8's giving $3 billion to build a Palestinian state.

Finally, spread democracy through example rather than invasion. No more "with us or against us" and "bring 'em on" childishness. The terrorism war will be won by mature diplomacy supported by economic and military measures. But mostly diplomacy.
Mr. Hollings retired from the U.S. Senate in January.

Theater Review: The Pillowman

The Pillowman is a good show. I certainly wish that Broadway would feature more shows like The Pillowman and less musicals. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening. At any rate, the Pillowman is a thoroughly enjoyable dark comedy that really the pushes the boundaries and occasionally almost stuns the audience with it's violence and macabre humor.

Thematically, The Pillowman is straight out of Nietzsche and distinctly European. Knowing nothing at all about the playwright I said to my friend who I took to the show, "this was definitely written by a European". Besides the language which at time is a dead giveaway the play is just too dark and waaaaay too literate to be written by an American. Americans just don't write like that.

The show which stars Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum starts out vaguely Kafkaesque as the Crudup playing the writer Katurian Karturian Katurian (KKK!) is accused of a vague crime by a duo of fascist cops who revel in their arbitrary exercise of power.

I won't give away anymore than that because the way the show unfolds is part of the interest. Suffice it to say though, the themes at play in this show involve the meaning of truth, the ability (or inability) to affirm life -- in many ways like Nietzsche's "yes-sayer", and there's even a twist on Nietzsche's famous idea of eternal return.

I think it's fair to say that no one in the field of philosophy, literature or certainly criticism (!) has had an original idea that rivals any of Nietzsche's since his death. Kudos to this plawright, McDonagh, for even utilizing Nietzsche's ideas which is far more than most playwright's today are capable of and that's an acheivment in itself. . .

London calling to the imitation zone;
Forget it, brother, you can go at it alone
Moses

Movie Review: The March of the Penguins

The March of the Penguins is a great movie. Unless you're a zoolologist or have a serious Artic avian fetish you are sure to learn to a lot. In terms of cinematography and the incredible shots that are somehow obtained in -- ahem -- less than favorable conditions the movie is incredible. Finally, in terms of interest, it's more than capable and a lot of fun.

This movie is about life and love amongst penguins who live in, perhaps, the most inhospitable part of the world. It traces their annual mating ritual from the sea about 70 miles inland and then the mothers return back to the sea and then back once more to feed the young. It is at times emotional, as some penguins and some penguin eggs and chicks are lost, it is always interesting as you witness these incredible birds surviving against seemingly hopeless odds.

But perhaps the most amazing thing of all is how the penguins know to engage in this fascinating and very complex ritual in the first place. I have always suspected that some animals are not only smarter than we realize but also may have some senses that we don't understand. I felt that this idea was somehow supported by the bizarre phenomenon when all those animals survived the recent tragic tsunami as if they somehow sensed it. I think this movie also supports that position as the penguins almost certainly have some senses compelling them to act the way they do during their mating ritual that we don't understand.

All in all an excellent movie. Go learn something and enjoy yourself at the same time.

If you hold on for one more day;
Things will go your way,
Moses

The Menkaure Manifesto: A Tribute to My Old friend Michael
Part II

I'd long since forgotten about Menkaure the second time I saw him which was a Friday in the very early spring. Spring in the Bronx can be a lovely time. The last of the snow is a few weeks in the past, the birds are beginning to chirp, the leaves are turning green and best of all me the Yankees had reported to Ft. Lauderdale to begin their spring training.

It is there that we pick up. I was walking from the local deli holding the New York Daily News, a hero and a soda. The soda was a Mountain Dew whose excessive sugar and caffeine I'd hoped would help awaken me from my hangover. Thursday night was usually a big night in college and the night before had been a doozy. I was seriously hungover and irritated at my roommate who'd I'd decided was a phony, because he'd told me he'd stopped liking Nirvana because "everyone liked them now". It's the sort of thing young college students with too much time and too many opinions do. . .

I was walking past the bar when I saw Menkaure in there. We made eye contact and he gestured that I should go in and join him. When I walked the almost completely empty bar to join Menkaure, the bartender walked over at the same time.

"Can I see some ID", the bartender asked.

"He's ok" Menkaure replied to the bartender, "I know him."

The bartender didn't acknowledge him but then asked me what I wanted. Menkaure responded that he should get me a water adding "Can't you see the kid's hungover?"

The bartender smiled and said suggested "a little hair of the dog" to which Menkaure responded, "he's much too young for that". He then turned to me to me and asked me how I was.
I responded that I was well and just as I did, it occured to me that Menkaure was a thoughtful who'd gone on that diatribe about Nietzsche. I figured it'd be an interesting conversation and settled in to my chair. I began telling about my life and where I'd grown up and how I thought that I'd like to be a psychologist. I thought to myself just as I'd said it that he'd make a great a psychologist.

I then told him about my roommate and how I'd been irritated by his saying he didn't like Nirvana anymore because everyone liked them.

"So what?" he responded. "It's just as good a reason as any not to like I think".

I was shocked, I'd perceived Menkaure as a man of integrity and when you're young and in college music is as much about integrity as anything else. Especially in the early nineties.
Menkaure had even expressed some his musical favorites, most of whom I liked too. Generally, he preferred classic rock, all the standards, he also like jazz and classical. The former which I knew little about at the time and the latter which I only knew my father. Both of which, though, I felt I could respect. At any rate he continued:

"I've noticed that you seem to think that the music that you like is part of your inherent makeup. I like that", he clucked, "But the truth is it's really not. In fact, I don't even think that there is an inherent makeup to us and I am really glad I don't. It'd be less interesting if there were. We choose everyday and every minute who we are and who we want to be. And yes, the vast majority of the time we define ourselves through who we want to be. How we want to be perceived. The music we like, the sports we follow, the clothes we choose to wear. They are all a statement in one way or another, about who it is that we want to be. IN a very real sense we create ourselves all the time. We decide who we want to be and then we make our decisions to fit in with that. Sure, occasionally something hits you in a certain, maybe even a way that surprises and then you incorporate into who you want to be. But that's not common, no, in fact people sometimes go months and years without experiencing that.", he stopped talking and took a drink.

"Look, Moses, your friend didn't do anything you haven't done yourself a thousand times. What put you off about it is actually that he was more open about -- which I'd almost think is something you'd like -- but his actual decision to no longer incorporate that band into his own self image. Well, there's nothing wrong with that."

I didn't know what to say. This Menkaure was proving to be something of gadfly. I liked him. Or as he would put it, "he fit into my self image".

Movie Review: Wedding Crashers

This movie has become so popular, someone specifically asked me to review it although I hadn't been planning on it.

Wedding Crashers is exactly what you think it's going to be. Owen Wilson reprises the role of Owen Wilson, the smooth talking laid back stoner and Vince Vaughn reprises his witty machine gun rant bit as Vince Vaughn. When you throw in a run of the mill romantic comedy plot the movie movie becomes just what you are expecting. And man does it work. Wedding Crashers is an outstanding movie.

Now what you may not have been expecting is an absolutely hilarious script with some incredibly hilarious performances by the entire cast from Christopher Walkin and Jane Seymour to some of the lesser known characters that include a weird and gay brother, to the sister that haunts Vince Vaughn.

I suppose that if you wanted to be critical of this movie you could say there was an inherent nihilistic strain that ran through the movie and contradicted the "message". Or you could complain that it's a bit long and that some parts just stretch credulity. But if you said any of these things, you'dc be annoying, because this film acheives just what it sets out to do and that's to make you laugh. At times you will laugh out loud.

This movie is absolutely tremendous. Just a hysterical laugh a minute comedic classic that I have every intention of buying on DVD once it comes out.

Beamed Up by God

Scotty dies.

We'll miss you James Doohan!!!!!!! RIP. . .

Roberts for USSC Crisis

From NDM: The Alliance for Justice opposed his nomination to the D.C. Court of Appeals in 2003, as follows:

While working under Presidents Reagan and Bush, Mr. Roberts supported a hard-line, anti-civil rights policy that opposed affirmative action, would have made it nearly impossible for minorities to prove a violation of the Voting Rights Act and would have “re-segregated” America's public schools. He also took strongly anti-choice positions in two Supreme Court cases, one that severely restricted the ability of poor women to gain information about abortion services, and another that took away a key means for women and clinics to combat anti-abortion zealots.

So much for that quaint idea of “advise and consent” - George Bush is ramming a hard-right extremist, all the more dangerous because he is young and polished, to the Supreme Court, where he could sit for decades. If that's not an abuse of power, then what is?

I'm sick to death of seeing things
From tight-lipped,
condescending, mama's little chauvinists,
Moses

Movie Review: The 40 Year Old Virgin

This movie is about a 40-year-old man named Andy Stitzer whose got a boring but comfortable little life. He works at Circuit City (although it's called something else) and is sort of dorky and geeky, but his most defining characteristic is his virginity. When his co-workers find this out they resolve to help him get laid. His three friends are an African American lothario, a stone out party guy and a fun depressed and emotionally stunted friend still pining away for his girlfriend of two years ago who he dated for all of four months.

There are also several satellite characters. A randy short haired over the manager, a duo of Indian men who work with guys and a kinky gal from the bookstore across street. But the true apple of Andy's eye is Trish (a great looking Catherine Keener), a 40-year-old mother of three.

I won't get into the characters or plot anymore, but suffice it to say this movie is FANTASTIC. It's absolutely hilarious, very very clever and although not completely original it's more than interesting enough to hold your interest for almost two hours. Further, it's so funny that you're probably going to miss some jokes because you're so busy laughing at the previous ones.

If it has any flaws it's that sometimes the jokes and characters seem familiar or predictable, although for a movie with this many characters and jokes that's bound to happen.

All in all though, this is an OUTSTANDING movie that I highly highly highly recommend. Go plunk down ten bucks and get ready to laugh and laugh for almost two hours straight. Oh, and the ending doesn't disappoint.

Does anybody remember laughter,
Moses

N.B.: This movie is still in production so it may change and the version I saw was probably not a finished product. . .

Yankees dropped a tough and failed to hold on to first place which they had just claimed the night before. Can't be too disappointed with 4-2 since the All Star Break though. . .

A victory tomorrow and this roadtrip is going FANTASTIC so far. . .

I don't know that much about him just yet, but a quick glance at Roberts yields pretty much what you'd expect. I guess Clement was too much to hope for. I should have known something was up when I thought Bush had finally made a good call. . . More on this later. . .

You keep samin' when you oughta be changin'.
Now what's right is right, but you ain't been right yet,
Moses

The Menkaure Chronicles: A Tribute to My Old friend Michael
Part I
by Moses Aton

I met Michael Menkaure in 1993 when I was in college in a bar in the Bronx. He was a Vietnam veteran and was probably in his early forties but looked older. When I first met him he wore a longish beard but shaved it soon after I met him because he told me he had had to attend a funeral of an old friend and didn't want to "look like a slob". For some reason he never grew it back. I don't know if he had a job but he didn't seem to, unless he worked at night, but I think even that was unlikely. He was certainly a different kind of guy in that he drank only during day and seemed to be appalled by the idea of drinking at night, in a manner similar to way someone might be at the prospect of drinking at night.

We hit it off immediately after we met at 2 o'clock on a Tuesday when I was visiting a local bar to drop off a book for a bartender that I was friendly with. I remember our very first conversation. He was drinking but I was not. Just minutes after we introduced ourselves to each he launched into this:

"There is an adolescent tendency to rebel that remains frozen in the adult as an admirable paradigm. Especially in the United States where we have inherited a legacy of individualism and self reliance, we tend to respect those who do not accept the world that is presented to them (whether through society at large, through history or through the media) but rather question authority. It is no small wonder then that as adolescents we question the ultimate authority in the person of God.", he said it all just as casually as if he were talking about the Yankees another favorite subject of his I would later find out.

"Now he said you take a bunch of American kids who grow up dreaming of being actors and musicians or worse yet businessmen -- instead mind you of thinking about how to better society or even themselves they merely thinking about fame and wealth."

"That's not fair", I said "You can better society through art."

"Really?" He asked, "and do you really think that's what most of your peers are interested in"

I couldn't deny his point. Sure, theoretically some of my artisan peers may have had an genuine interest in improving the world as did some of my law school bound friends. And in theory that couldn't be denied. In reality though, I knew the truth as well he did. Altruism was rare, sure it was given lip service but even that was often part of the mimickry of celebrity or at best an attempt to appear to compassionate.

"You do realize of course that the majority of your peers get their politics from Rolling Stone magazine" he said with a chuckle. "But I digress" he continued, "so when you mix this paradigmatic concept of rejecting authority with the inherent laziness in American youth and young adults you get a bunch of atheists. But not interesting ones, not thoughtful ones like say Nietzsche to take a famous atheist. No, you get boring thoughtless atheists follower types, and then the real interesting thing is that none of them offer solutions, like say Camus did later in life."

"Do we give credit for style now?", asked becoming a bit angry at his condescension.

"What else do atheists have?" he laughed. "But seriously you know, Nietzsche didn't joyously prounounce the death of God. He lamented it! It's clear he wanted to believe. But these people today: they don't believe out of arbitrariness. They don't believe out of a sense of belonging to the group, especially here in New York. You know Moses" he said leaning in
"an atheist in New York is no more thoughtful than a Jesus freak in Arkansas or a Mohammedist in Tehran."

I stared at him with a mixture of anger and awe. He sensed that I was preparing to leave.

"Do you come here a lot?" he asked.

"Yeah, but generally late night", I replied.

"Well, come by sometime during the day" he said. "I'm here Monday through Friday, except Tuesdays, today's just an exception, and I usually get here at 1 or 2."

I nodded as I lifted my bookbag not sure if I was interested in coming back.

For the record I like what I've read from and about Clement so far. For all the fear mongering from the Left (how's that for a change of pace, they must have learned from the master's on the Right) about the nightmare appointments from Bush, Clement seems not all that bad so far. . .

I'll keep you updated. . .

I fought the law and the law won,
Moses

All You Need is Rove

If you're a late night talk show host that is. . .


"The president's top political adviser, Karl Rove, is spending all his time working on Bush's next Supreme Court nominee. Well sure, that's because this judge could decide if Rove is going to prison or not." --Jay Leno

"Suspicion for the leak was immediately cast on White House adviser and long time Bush confident, Karl Rove, known as one of the few men in Washington with flesh colored hair" --Jon Stewart

"Karl Rove is in a lot of trouble. The White House says today that President Bush is standing by his top advisor Karl Rove even though Rove apparently revealed the identity of a CIA agent. However, Bush did say he would fire Rove if he revealed the end of 'Charlie and the Chocolate factory.'" --Conan O'Brien

"More problems for Karl Rove -- now he's accused of leaking the plot of the Harry Potter book." --Jay Leno

"This is a tough situation for President Bush because he and Rove are very close. And a friend of both was quoted saying today they finish each other's sentence. Although I am pretty sure Bush starts the sentence, and then the other guy finishes." --Jay Leno

"The big rumor is that Chief Justice Rehnquist is going to resign from the Supreme Court this week. See, I won't believe it till it's leaked to the New York Times by Karl Rove -- then I'll believe it's true." --Jay Leno

How do you sleep?
Moses

Keep your eye on the Bannister

Brian Bannister had a very nice little start for Norfolk yesterday. This guy (Floyd's son -- that's Floyd Bannister's son not Cliff's) could be up in Flushing as early as this year maybe as a September call up. Who knows? I've met the guy and he's a real down to earth guy and a bright kid. Really fun totalk baseball with. I wish him the best and I predict good things.

Put me in coach,
Moses

Guest Blog Conditions

I asked the Hairstick to write a guest blog mostly to let him vent in a healthy way and these were the conditions he demanded:


There are some things we should negotiate if I do a guest blog:

First, can I do it under the pseudonym "hairstick"? Its my alter ego. I won't use another. I can't. I won't.

Second, I want to be consulted before any third party logos or corporate images appear on the website that could be confused as my endorsement of them.

Third, I want complete intellectual freedom, to even call out the host of the blog himself without provocation or even relevance.

Fourth, I want the ability to make inside jokes so that my real audience can feel a more intimate connection with me than strangers.

Fifth, I refuse to do it if Ticketmaster is involved in any way shape or form.

Sixth, I have a list of other demands, such as riders that obligate you to, among other things, provide me with limosine service to and from the airport when I come to NY, red M&Ms and chocolate milk chilled at exactly 20 degrees. You are also obligated to blanket me whenever requested.

Eighth, my anonymity must be maintained by you at all costs - even when I specifically name names (i.e. [-----, ---------] - they will all be singled out for extensive vituperation).

Please respond to the foregoing to indicate whether we have a deal or not.

My friends are so depressed,
Moses

Theatre Review: Lennon

As anyone who knows anything about theater knows, musicals based on the music of rock musicians are all the rage. From Mama Mia (Abba), to Movin Out (Billy Joel) to the now defunct Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson) very recent All Shook Up (Elvis) they range from very good to not so good. And so it was with a bit of trepidation that I went to see Lennon last night. The eponymous play did not disappoint.

First of all, unlike the just "ok" Movin Out it does have dialogue and the added wrinkle here is that the dialogue is all actually things that John actually said. Students of the life of the former Beatle will recognize many of the lines either from interviews, press conferences or even just random sound bytes. Unlike, the pretty good All Shook Up and unfairly criticized Good Vibrations the story isn't a made up Grease-like tale with the music set to fit. That probably wouldn't have worked with John's music. First one couldn't imagine the cynical liking such a show and further his music (which often betrays his gargantuan ego) is too self centered at times to lend itself to such and endeavor.

At any rate, the story is simply the story of John Lennon himself.It begins fittingly with his birth in England and traces his life through his childhood, adoloscence, early adulthood and finally to his later years and death. But even this isn't done as conventionally as you might think. No, here the entire cast plays Lennon and the casts includes women, African Americans, one gentleman who appears much older than John Lennon ever was and all in all counts (not coincidentally) to fully NINE members. All of whom are at least adequate and some of whom really shine. In particular Mandy Gonzales, Marcy Harriel and Chuck Cooper all of whom are outstanding.

As an actual biographical the play is successful in that it shows Lennon flaws and all. It is far from the hagiography that you might expect from something like and at one point a character playing Yoko recounts his blatant intoxicated infidelity at a party they were both attending. The problems between John Yoko are also explored to some extent, as is their reunion. As in life Cynthia and Julian are given short shrift although there is one scene in which Cynthia recounts the moment that she knew the relationship was over, in a poignant tale that I've actually heard her tell.

All in all the play is a success, the music, that with the exception of The Ballad of John and Yoko is completely from his solo catalogue is excellent. You'll recognize Instant Karma, Watching the Wheels, I'm Stepping Out and Give Peace a Chance. You may even be pleasantly surprised by the previously unreleases India India, although I wasn't. It's a bit disappointing that the big finish is a video of John playing Imagine and not the cast performing it, but it works because it's just so personal and so him that it seems like the only legitimate option in some ways. Especially after the very moving account given by a police officer of his last moments.

It's a good show and the performances are strong. The crowd actually gave them a standing ovation after the show. All in all I highly recommend it.

Yeah, we all shine on,
Moses

The latest edition of my column "The Seven Train" can be found at www.nyfansites.com or can be accessed by clicking here it is entitled "Show Me The Love!!!!" and is about Mets great Mike Piazza.

Moses

Townshend speaks about Jackson

Pete Townshend is one of my all time heroes. As you may know this Blog is named after one of his albums, Quadrophenia. Seldom has a musician, or any artist for that matter, spoken to me in the way that Pete Townshend has. His humor, his insight and his ability to express the highs and lows of life never cease to amaze me. His musicianship is nearly peerless in both it's originality and ambition in the annals of rock history. The utter dichotomy of his gritty humanity and yet his deep spirituality are without precendent to my knowledge and serve as a frighteningly accurate mirror to my own divided self. I admire his talent and emphasize with his weaknesses. I consider him both deeply flawed and god-like.

A few years back there were some accusations levied against him, which I believe and hope, to be false. If ever proven to be true they would simply shatter any respect that I have for him. Fortunately, he was fully exculpated which was enough for me as I was suspect about the implications of the charges anyway. I follow his life and career closely and I thought that his opinion Michael Jackson may be of interest to the readers of Blogrophenia. Here they are:

The day before, a jury cleared Michael Jackson and another absurd celebrity trial collapsed. We 'celebrities' live in Reality Shows these days. I was pleased Michael was cleared. My only experience of his dealings with children is that he has unselfishly helped every cause, and individual child, I have sent his way. In one case he hired a circus for the Down's Syndrome children of a special school of the daughter of a friend of mine, and showed up to happily, and - yes - in childlike enthusiasm - watch the show with them. This little girl believed she was Michael's future wife, and he so kindly allowed her to sit next to him, as his future bride. His feathers may be badly burned, and he may be damaged in other ways too, but he is something of an angel.

When a man is running from his boss,
Who holds a gun that fires cost,
Moses

Movie Review: The Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four is a good movie. It's entertaining. It'll hold your attention. The special effects are cool. There's just enough character development to make you actually feel something for the characters (especially the plight of the pitiful Thing). And there's some cool action. If you are a comic book geek like me add another star.

HOWEVER, this movie is far from excellent and if you are only going to shell out for one superhero movie this summer make it Batman, because it's much better.

So what went wrong? Well for starters the movie is terribly miscast with the exception of Michael Chiklis as the Thing and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/the Human Torch pretty much everyone is terrible. Jessica Alba is totally miscast and can't decide exactly how she wants to play the character, not to mention that she's A DIFFERENT ETHNICITY THAN HER BROTHER!!! There is a little play on her outstanding physique as early she must strip whenever she gets naked. So I kinda dug that -- obviously. Ioan Gruffud tries his best with a limited script but ultimately brings little to the role of Reed Richards and finally Julian McMahon is just flat terrible as Doom (nee Victor Von Doom and Dr. Doom to you comic geeks). The story line itself is ok and probably the script writers were necessarily limited by having to lay a foundation and being forced to some degree to remain faithful to the comic book which asks for a certain -- ahem -- willful suspense shall we say.

All in all it's much better than Punisher and Daredevil, a little worse than X-Men 1 and significantly below the top superhero movies -- one of which it's competing with this summer in the form of Batman Begins. If you're a comic geek it's definitely worth seeing and if you are lookign for a fun distraction movie you can do much worse. Of course, I hope a lot of you see since I'm hoping it engenders a sequel which I have much higher hopes for a la X Men 2. Clearly, btw they set the stage for one. . .

I'm picking up good vibrations,
Moses

Movie Review: Cinderella Man

You've no doubt heard of Cinderella Man and seen the ads with Russel Crowe and that piece Rene Zellwegger. It's very likely though that you haven't actually seen Cinderella Man. In fact the last thing you probably heard about it was that AMC is offering a money back guarantee on the movie. Well, the problem with Cinderella Man is the release time. It's simply not a summer movie and it has too much stiff competion this particular summer. And that's a problem. Fortunately for anyone who chooses to go this masterpiece, that's pretty much the only problem with the movie. Cinderella Man is an excellent movie.

Set against the background of the Great Depression this story continues the long proud tradition of marrying the sweet science and the cinema. It follows the recent big Oscar Million Dollar Baby and in some ways surpasses it. While Baby dives to the depths of darkness and misery this movie is hopeful, positive and inspiring.

The true story of Jim Braddock is a story as much as about love, family, responsibility and doing the right thing during tough times as it is about boxing. You don't need to be a boxing fan to enjoy this movie -- I REPEAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A BOXING FAN TO ENJOY THIS MOVIE -- of course if you are anything like me, well it's just an added bonus.

If there is any problem with the movie it's that it plays fast and loose with the facts a bit. Max Baer is portrayed as a monster and if you know anything about the great Jewish boxer you know that this just isn't fair. Yes, he was a party guy. Yes, he did kill someone in the ring. But neither of these things make him a bad guy and in fact the two may have had more to do with each due to the devasting effect the latter had on him. In fact, the guy hardly ever recovered from that horrible accident and yet in the movie he nearly brags about it. Unfair all the way.

But as long as you aren't a stickler about your pugilistic history this is fine fine movie. While I expect it to do well at the Oscars next year I can't for the life of me figure out how they could manage to release at such the wrong time of year. . . But really that's the only thing that they did wrong with this one. . .

Rubin could take a man out with just one punch
But he never did like to talk about it all that much,
Moses

I have been a little busy of late and unable to post as much as I'd like. I was somewhat surprised by O'Connor's decision to step down, although she's long been rumored to be on the verge of stepping down, there've been so many close calls, well -- I guess I just wasn't expecting it, not at least until Rehnquist steps down. Her stepping down is a bit more painful Rehnquist stepping down would be just because she's a much more moderate and reasonable voice than the reactionary Rehnquist. At any rate it will be interesting who her replacement is as she will be the first Justice to be replaced since before I was fully versed in the law (or at least technically so. . .)

Interesting article from Rob McKay on why Gonzales might be good for the Dems. . .

I will be posting more on this subject. . .

And Justice for All. . .,
Moses

Got Melk!?

This past Thursday courtesy of Snakzdzl I was fortunate enough to attend the Yankees game which featured the debut of Melky Cabrera. Melky is the new Yankees CF who as of this writing (three games into his career) is hitting .333. He is a left hand throwing, switch hitting outfielder with highly touted defensive skills and a penchant for hitting for average (his opposite field single from the right side yesterday was something to behold as was his opposite field hit from the left side the day before that I was lucky enough to attend in person). Although he took the collar today and had a rough day in the field, I really really dig this player and look forward to watching him play. Along with Cano and Wang we have quite the nice young core of players this year. Hopefully, we stay hot (today's loss not withstanding). I must say it's impressive that after all the losing the Yankees are only 3.5 games out. . .

Moses

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION: The "Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train" documentary has now been released on DVD. Produced and directed by Deb Ellis and Denis Mueller, this feature documents the life and times of the historian, activist and author of the best selling classic, A People's History of the United States, the great Howard Zinn. Featuring rare archival materials, interviews with Howard Zinn as well as colleagues and friends including Noam Chomsky, Marian Wright Edelman, Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Hayden and Alice Walker, 'You Can't Be Neutral' captures the essence of this activist and thinker who has been a catalyst for progressive change for more than 60 years.
The documentary, narrated by Matt Damon, features music by Pearl Jam ("Down" from the double cd Lost Dogs), Woody Guthrie and Billy Bragg. See http://firstrunfeatures.com/zinn.html for more

GO RENT or BUY this movie, guarantee you'll learn something interesting. . .

To borrow from the X-Files: the Truth is out there. . .

You can't be neutral on a moving train,
Moses

"The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the power of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms-this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness." - ALBERT EINSTEIN-

Happy Fourth, Karl Rove

From NDM:

Dear Member,On June 22, Karl Rove came to a fundraiser in Midtown and claimed that liberals wanted to “offer understanding” to terrorists after the 9/11 attacks, while conservatives, manly as they claim to be, thought of nothing but going to war. Pretty strong words for someone who managed to avoid the draft and Vietnam, we must say; remarkably strong words, considering his own flight across the country on 9/11 itself. “I don't know about you, but moderation and restraint is not what I felt when I watched the twin towers crumble to the ground, a side of the Pentagon destroyed, and almost 3,000 of our fellow citizens perish in flames and rubble.”Strong stuff. We've already got twenty examples, many eloquent and moving, of liberals who did not consider hugging Osama that day or after, of liberals, in fact, who showed more courage and backbone than Rove ever did. You can read the stories at http://www.americanson911.org/ . You can also read our research on Rove's own actions on the site. And if you haven't done so already, please send in your own story.By making this statement, Rove explicitly opens himself up to a comparison of his actions to those of liberals, specifically, of our membership. This is a unique chance for NDM members to launch a direct attack on the cornerstone of the Bush administration's support. As recently as Tuesday, George Bush mentioned 9/11 five times in his speech on Iraq. If we can successfully undermine Rove's, and by extension Bush's, claims to strong leadership on that day, the central leitmotiv the administration uses to push every one of its goals will crumble. Tell us your 9/11 story. The more we have, the more compelling our case becomes. Please take the time to compose your own story and send it in to nine_eleven@newdemmajority.org . The more stories we have showing common decency and simple courage, the worse Karl Rove and his vicious partisanship will look.We are preparing to go public with this site early next week, before the press becomes consumed with the Supreme Court vacancy. Please write as soon as you can; again, the web site is http://www.americanson911.org/ , the e-mail address for sending in material is nine_eleven@newdemmajority.org . Have a great Fourth!Best wishes,New Democratic Majority

Check out wacky Zahmuega's new blog. As he is prone to say reality is a big turd in a small pond.