if there's one thing i hate.
it's you.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Stanley Kubrick
The man is a genius.
care to dispute?
you might find my foot where your teeth used to be.
I'm watching The Shining. so i'ma go about my business.
you go and do yours.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
I was bored. I wasn't in the mood to write. So i turned on my T.V.
I couldn't shut it off afterwards.
I never realized how much i liked Roman Polanski's movies, yet i knew nothing about him. 've only heard what many people know. He was a child molester and he ran out of this country because he was going to do time in jail.
Now i know the truth.
This documentary was absolutely amazing. I learned of things about his life and his unlawful sexual conduct (not rape) case that i never knew, and surely not many current americans knew either.
Joe Bini, Peter G. Morgan and Marina Zenovich (who also directed the film) put together this tragic yet triumphant tale to absolute perfection. From growing up in Nazi Germany, where he lost both his mother and his father, to his wifes' infamous murder (Sharon Tate), you're given an understanding of this mans life.
I'm not sure how he's survived all the horrible events that continued to plague him.
He did what he did, i don't condone it and i don't agree with it and in no way do i excuse what happened. But i learned to have such a high respect for that man. His desire to live and be great inspires me.
We all have flaws, some worse than others. He paid for his and moved on. That's what we should all do. Move on.
If you have a love for documentaries and HBO on Demand, i'd recommend watching it. I've seen it 5 times already. Tonight might be my sixth.
shit is starting to hit the fan. pt 2
we really do underappreciate the way our government works. even our currupt politicians aren't this cold. im intrigued with this whole situation.
there's a blog by a journalist at newsweek.com, he's actually there describing the scene in a journal. he has to switch names and locations for the entire parties' protection.
the missing people.
the funerals.
the starving families.
here's the blog, http://www.newsweek.com/id/143122 starting with Day 1)
and here we bitch about the AC not working correctly.
im bitching about health care.
but down there. no one CARES.
that's reality.
once again, here's another article on the events.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday rejected an African Union decision to keep South Africa's president alone in charge of efforts to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis.
Tsvangirai said the Movement for Democratic Change would not participate in talks about forming a governing accord with President Robert Mugabe's government unless an additional mediator was appointed.
The comments came a day after an AU summit reconfirmed South Africa President Thabo Mbeki as mediator. Tsvangirai has repeatedly called on Mbeki to step down, saying Mbeki's refusal to publicly criticize Mugabe amounts to appeasement. Mugabe has extolled Mbeki's role.
"Unless the mediation team is expanded ... and the mediation mechanism is changed, no meaningful progress can be made toward resolving the Zimbabwe crisis," Tsvangirai told reporters at his home in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.
"If this does not happen, then the MDC will not be part of the mediation process," Tsvangirai said.
Tsvangirai won the most votes in the first round of presidential voting on March 29, but not the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff against Mugabe. Mugabe is accused of unleashing violence against the opposition to ensure victory in the second round and Tsvangirai withdrew from Friday's vote, citing attacks on his supporters.
Mugabe held the vote anyway despite international condemnation. He was declared the overwhelming winner Sunday and immediately held an inauguration ceremony.
Tsvangirai said Wednesday that the violence in Zimbabwe has continued, with at least nine of his supporters killed since Friday's vote. He also said hundreds had been beaten and forced to flee their homes since the runoff.
The U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, also said violence and intimidation was continuing, and had affected an embassy employee.
McGee said a Zimbabwean driver for the embassy disappeared three days ago, emerging Wednesday to say he had been accosted by unknown assailants, blindfolded and taken to a small room where he was questioned and denied food or water.
McGee would not describe the questions, but said the incident appeared to be an attempt to try to intimidate people connected with the U.S. Embassy. McGee has been a vocal and frequent critic of Mugabe.
"The violence seems to be at least at the same level (as before the runoff). It may even be getting worse," McGee said in an interview. "We've heard stories, unconfirmed, of hit lists. But we do know for a fact that people are being murdered. People continue to disappear."
Zimbabwean state media, meanwhile, focused on reports the government was willing to talk and prominently showed official tallies from the one-candidate presidential runoff. The prominence given the results appeared to underline Mugabe's expectations of being the senior partner in any deal with Tsvangirai.
Mbeki's spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said any question of expanding the mediation team would have to be left to the Southern African Development Community, the main regional body that appointed Mbeki mediator more than a year ago, and that the AU should remain in charge of the effort.
"We will continue to engage with both parties in Zimbabwe," Ratshitanga added. "It would be strange if it was ever suggested that the best way to solve problems between parties is not to talk."
Mbeki told state television late Tuesday that he saw his role as merely helping Zimbabweans resolve their own crisis, rejecting outside intervention.
Mbeki was asked about calls in Europe for Tsvangirai to lead any coalition government. Mbeki says that is a question for Zimbabweans.
"Certainly SADC and certainly the African continent has not made any prescription about the outcome of what Zimbabweans should negotiate among themselves," Mbeki said.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told France 2 public TV on Tuesday that the European Union would not accept any Zimbabwe government other than one led by Tsvangirai.
Kouchner, speaking in Paris at the launch of the French EU presidency, said the Zimbabwe government will be illegitimate if it is not led by the head of opposition. He called last week's presidential runoff a "farce."
there's a blog by a journalist at newsweek.com, he's actually there describing the scene in a journal. he has to switch names and locations for the entire parties' protection.
the missing people.
the funerals.
the starving families.
here's the blog, http://www.newsweek.com/id/143122 starting with Day 1)
and here we bitch about the AC not working correctly.
im bitching about health care.
but down there. no one CARES.
that's reality.
once again, here's another article on the events.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday rejected an African Union decision to keep South Africa's president alone in charge of efforts to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis.
Tsvangirai said the Movement for Democratic Change would not participate in talks about forming a governing accord with President Robert Mugabe's government unless an additional mediator was appointed.
The comments came a day after an AU summit reconfirmed South Africa President Thabo Mbeki as mediator. Tsvangirai has repeatedly called on Mbeki to step down, saying Mbeki's refusal to publicly criticize Mugabe amounts to appeasement. Mugabe has extolled Mbeki's role.
"Unless the mediation team is expanded ... and the mediation mechanism is changed, no meaningful progress can be made toward resolving the Zimbabwe crisis," Tsvangirai told reporters at his home in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.
"If this does not happen, then the MDC will not be part of the mediation process," Tsvangirai said.
Tsvangirai won the most votes in the first round of presidential voting on March 29, but not the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff against Mugabe. Mugabe is accused of unleashing violence against the opposition to ensure victory in the second round and Tsvangirai withdrew from Friday's vote, citing attacks on his supporters.
Mugabe held the vote anyway despite international condemnation. He was declared the overwhelming winner Sunday and immediately held an inauguration ceremony.
Tsvangirai said Wednesday that the violence in Zimbabwe has continued, with at least nine of his supporters killed since Friday's vote. He also said hundreds had been beaten and forced to flee their homes since the runoff.
The U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, also said violence and intimidation was continuing, and had affected an embassy employee.
McGee said a Zimbabwean driver for the embassy disappeared three days ago, emerging Wednesday to say he had been accosted by unknown assailants, blindfolded and taken to a small room where he was questioned and denied food or water.
McGee would not describe the questions, but said the incident appeared to be an attempt to try to intimidate people connected with the U.S. Embassy. McGee has been a vocal and frequent critic of Mugabe.
"The violence seems to be at least at the same level (as before the runoff). It may even be getting worse," McGee said in an interview. "We've heard stories, unconfirmed, of hit lists. But we do know for a fact that people are being murdered. People continue to disappear."
Zimbabwean state media, meanwhile, focused on reports the government was willing to talk and prominently showed official tallies from the one-candidate presidential runoff. The prominence given the results appeared to underline Mugabe's expectations of being the senior partner in any deal with Tsvangirai.
Mbeki's spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said any question of expanding the mediation team would have to be left to the Southern African Development Community, the main regional body that appointed Mbeki mediator more than a year ago, and that the AU should remain in charge of the effort.
"We will continue to engage with both parties in Zimbabwe," Ratshitanga added. "It would be strange if it was ever suggested that the best way to solve problems between parties is not to talk."
Mbeki told state television late Tuesday that he saw his role as merely helping Zimbabweans resolve their own crisis, rejecting outside intervention.
Mbeki was asked about calls in Europe for Tsvangirai to lead any coalition government. Mbeki says that is a question for Zimbabweans.
"Certainly SADC and certainly the African continent has not made any prescription about the outcome of what Zimbabweans should negotiate among themselves," Mbeki said.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told France 2 public TV on Tuesday that the European Union would not accept any Zimbabwe government other than one led by Tsvangirai.
Kouchner, speaking in Paris at the launch of the French EU presidency, said the Zimbabwe government will be illegitimate if it is not led by the head of opposition. He called last week's presidential runoff a "farce."
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
shit is starting to hit the fan.
this is how wars begin.
since the days of WWI and WWII things have changed and all countries take a far more diplomatic approach, on some cold war shit. sit in a room and debate.
but some people you just can't get through.
former heros turned foes.
it's all starting with south africa.
if you dont know what's been going on, general elections were going on in Zimbabwe to vote in a new president. President Robert Mugabe's government has been around since he helped bring independance to Zimbabwe in 1980. this dude held promise, he was liked and respect.
but as we all know, power is the most potent drug on earth. it's ingredience contain the sins of man. and he's be taking hits for 20+ years.
Morgan Tsvangirai was the man trying to beat Mugabe and bring peace and hope back to Zimbabwe. unfortuately, he and his team have been beaten, arrested, avoided assassination attempts (Tsvangirai survived THREE in this ONE election) and have to sit and watch while the people of Zimbabwe are being starved (Mugabe has cut all international aid) to death.
shit is getting real. peep the article below.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Zimbabwe's opposition took a hard line Tuesday on possible negotiations with President Robert Mugabe's government, saying Mugabe had closed the door by going ahead with a sham election.
Humanitarian agencies, meanwhile, warned that millions were at risk of hunger in Zimbabwe if the government failed to lift its ban on aid agencies. The government had accused independent aid groups of supporting the opposition, charges the groups denied. Ever since the June 5 ban, aid groups say the government has given food primarily to Mugabe supporters.
In a statement Tuesday from Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, Tendai Biti, a top leader of the Zimbabwean opposition's Movement for Democratic Change, dismissed speculation that his party and Mugabe's ZANU-PF were about to embark on talks to govern together.
"Nothing can be as malicious and as further from the truth," said Biti, who is out on bail on Zimbabwe treason charges that carry the death penalty. "There are no talks or discussions taking place between the two parties and most importantly, there is no agreement in the offing."
Biti said while the opposition had been open to bringing moderate ZANU-PF members into a government it hoped to lead, Mugabe had closed the door on that possibility by going ahead with a presidential runoff widely condemned as a sham.
Mugabe on Sunday was declared winner of Friday's one-candidate presidential runoff and immediately held an inauguration ceremony. He then flew to an African Union summit in Egypt.
Mugabe's spokesman on Tuesday said the man who has led Zimbabwe for 28 years will not step down and said Western critics who called the country's recent election a sham can "go hang."
A Biti aide, Nqobizitha Mlilo, could not comment on what the party would do if the path of negotiation was abandoned, but said the party was insisting that Mugabe step down.
"They lost the election," he said, referring to the opposition's majority in Parliament after the last election. "They must go."
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won more votes than the other three candidates in the first round of presidential voting in Zimbabwe in March, but not the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff against the second-place finisher, Mugabe.
Mugabe is accused of unleashing violence against the opposition after the first round to ensure victory in the second. The attacks reached such a scale that Tsvangirai withdrew from the June 27 runoff and fled to the Dutch Embassy in Harare.
Mlilo said there were fears in Zimbabwe that opposition supporters and rights activists would now be subjected to a new crackdown because turnout for the presidential runoff was low.
"The only way they can continue to govern is through violence," he said.
Human Rights Watch says Mugabe supporters beat people who couldn't prove they voted, and four white farmers were reported hospitalized after brutal beatings by Mugabe loyalists on Sunday, the day Mugabe was inaugurated. White farmers have often been targeted by Mugabe militants.
In Geneva, John Holmes, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said Tuesday he was very concerned about 2 million to 4 million Zimbabweans who have become increasingly dependent on food aid.
"We expect a poor harvest again in Zimbabwe," Holmes said, referring to the crop of winter wheat due in the coming months.
Zimbabwe's main harvest in April was already at a record low mainly because of lack of rain, untimely delivery of seeds and a shortage of fertilizer, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization said.
A joint report by the FAO and the World Food Program has estimated the number of Zimbabweans suffering from food insecurity will rise to 3.8 million between July and October and reach more than 5 million at the height of the lean season between January and March 2009.
"Stopping those (shipments) for three or four weeks is a problem but is not a disaster," Holmes said. "(Stopping for longer) is going to be an enormous problem."
By SABRINA SHANKMAN, Associated Press Writer
since the days of WWI and WWII things have changed and all countries take a far more diplomatic approach, on some cold war shit. sit in a room and debate.
but some people you just can't get through.
former heros turned foes.
it's all starting with south africa.
if you dont know what's been going on, general elections were going on in Zimbabwe to vote in a new president. President Robert Mugabe's government has been around since he helped bring independance to Zimbabwe in 1980. this dude held promise, he was liked and respect.
but as we all know, power is the most potent drug on earth. it's ingredience contain the sins of man. and he's be taking hits for 20+ years.
Morgan Tsvangirai was the man trying to beat Mugabe and bring peace and hope back to Zimbabwe. unfortuately, he and his team have been beaten, arrested, avoided assassination attempts (Tsvangirai survived THREE in this ONE election) and have to sit and watch while the people of Zimbabwe are being starved (Mugabe has cut all international aid) to death.
shit is getting real. peep the article below.
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Zimbabwe's opposition took a hard line Tuesday on possible negotiations with President Robert Mugabe's government, saying Mugabe had closed the door by going ahead with a sham election.
Humanitarian agencies, meanwhile, warned that millions were at risk of hunger in Zimbabwe if the government failed to lift its ban on aid agencies. The government had accused independent aid groups of supporting the opposition, charges the groups denied. Ever since the June 5 ban, aid groups say the government has given food primarily to Mugabe supporters.
In a statement Tuesday from Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, Tendai Biti, a top leader of the Zimbabwean opposition's Movement for Democratic Change, dismissed speculation that his party and Mugabe's ZANU-PF were about to embark on talks to govern together.
"Nothing can be as malicious and as further from the truth," said Biti, who is out on bail on Zimbabwe treason charges that carry the death penalty. "There are no talks or discussions taking place between the two parties and most importantly, there is no agreement in the offing."
Biti said while the opposition had been open to bringing moderate ZANU-PF members into a government it hoped to lead, Mugabe had closed the door on that possibility by going ahead with a presidential runoff widely condemned as a sham.
Mugabe on Sunday was declared winner of Friday's one-candidate presidential runoff and immediately held an inauguration ceremony. He then flew to an African Union summit in Egypt.
Mugabe's spokesman on Tuesday said the man who has led Zimbabwe for 28 years will not step down and said Western critics who called the country's recent election a sham can "go hang."
A Biti aide, Nqobizitha Mlilo, could not comment on what the party would do if the path of negotiation was abandoned, but said the party was insisting that Mugabe step down.
"They lost the election," he said, referring to the opposition's majority in Parliament after the last election. "They must go."
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won more votes than the other three candidates in the first round of presidential voting in Zimbabwe in March, but not the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff against the second-place finisher, Mugabe.
Mugabe is accused of unleashing violence against the opposition after the first round to ensure victory in the second. The attacks reached such a scale that Tsvangirai withdrew from the June 27 runoff and fled to the Dutch Embassy in Harare.
Mlilo said there were fears in Zimbabwe that opposition supporters and rights activists would now be subjected to a new crackdown because turnout for the presidential runoff was low.
"The only way they can continue to govern is through violence," he said.
Human Rights Watch says Mugabe supporters beat people who couldn't prove they voted, and four white farmers were reported hospitalized after brutal beatings by Mugabe loyalists on Sunday, the day Mugabe was inaugurated. White farmers have often been targeted by Mugabe militants.
In Geneva, John Holmes, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said Tuesday he was very concerned about 2 million to 4 million Zimbabweans who have become increasingly dependent on food aid.
"We expect a poor harvest again in Zimbabwe," Holmes said, referring to the crop of winter wheat due in the coming months.
Zimbabwe's main harvest in April was already at a record low mainly because of lack of rain, untimely delivery of seeds and a shortage of fertilizer, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization said.
A joint report by the FAO and the World Food Program has estimated the number of Zimbabweans suffering from food insecurity will rise to 3.8 million between July and October and reach more than 5 million at the height of the lean season between January and March 2009.
"Stopping those (shipments) for three or four weeks is a problem but is not a disaster," Holmes said. "(Stopping for longer) is going to be an enormous problem."
By SABRINA SHANKMAN, Associated Press Writer
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