George W's Library

Why does he get a library? He obviously doesn't read and admits it openly. I guess he could fill it with comic books.

Wouldn't it make more sense to name a prison after him? Rather than discouraging children to read we can encourage them to follow the rules of civility.

Defriended

I was recently defriended by someone who I thought was one those friends who would always be there. To get a jump start on the situation I declared the defriendment first. I'd like to know what I did to deserve this. After inquiring why he would not hang out with me on my once a year visit to my hometown Knoxville, he responded "I have three girlfriends and can not find the time" This may well be but I once balanced eight girlfriends and a social life.

Update
Turns out life is tough for everyone is especially during the holidays. No defriendment needed.

Foreigners

I got myself involved in a program at school called Conversation Partners. You help esl speakers by talking with them and correcting their mistakes. My first partner was Andrea. She is from Brazil and is has a lot to learn about English. She liked they way I conversed with her and told her friend about me. Her friend Andrea #2 also from Brazil asked me if I could help her as well.

Andrea #2 has provided me with some great episodes along the way. When I asked her what she liked best about Brazil she responded the food and the "bitches". I told her that she probably meant to say beaches. She said said I do not understand what is the difference between bitches and beaches. I explained that there's actually quite a big difference.

The program supplied us with movie tickets. We decided on Yes Man with Jim Carrey. Andrea #2 explained that comedies are easier to understand. I sat with Andrea#1 to my left and Andrea #2 to my right. In one scene Jim Carey is at work and an ad for a penis enlargement flashes across the screen. Of course he has to say "Yes I'd like a penis enlargement." Then Andrea #2 leans over and without whispering she asks "What is a penis?" I'm slightly in shock and I do not know what to say. Briefly I think maybe I will just point at my crotch. Luckily Andrea #1 had just learned this word a week earlier. She saves the day and explains to Andrea #2 in Portuguese.

Poetry in lyrics

I could never understand poetry or so I thought. I later realized I have always been a fan. Poetry is in the lyrics of every great song.

Anatomy of a Vietnam War movie

The Vietnam War is America ’s longest war to date 1959-1975. 58,000 American soldiers and 5.1 million Vietnamese were ultimately killed. What pulls the strings of our emotions? In Vietnam War movies it is tragedy, patriotism, loss, triumph, defeat, love, and evil.

In We Were Soldiers the music sets the stage for battle. As the soldiers move in, a haunting Scottish hymn overwhelms all other sounds. It induces a trance-like state for those watching, in which you can feel the impending carnage. Hal Moore, the commander on which this film was based, explains that in previous movies, they have failed to show the families back home. When the death notices reach the unsuspecting wives, there is first denial, numbness, and then immense grief. The love between husband and wife and the bond that is broken can bring you to tears. When the battle is over Commander Moore is overcome with emotion. He says that he is sorry for not dying with his men, but he has triumphed, completing his mission. One hundred and fifty five soldiers’ lives were sacrificed.

Platoon is “a gritty and emotional look at the lives of a platoon of American soldiers as they patrol, fight and die in the jungles of Vietnam as seen through the perspective of a young recruit.” Platoon shows evil amongst the soldiers. Charlie Sheen’s character, Chris displays his simple humanity when he pulls a young Vietnamese girl out of the circle of an ensuing gang bang. The burning of the village evokes the horrific events that took place at Mai Lai. Sgt. Barnes callously shoots a defenseless villager, and then murders Elias in order to silence him. In one of the most memorable scenes in all of cinema, Elias reaches up with both arms toward the helicopter as he takes his last breath and then collapses. The full height of the drama is contained within his one action. Flying away in a helicopter, leaving the battle ground Chris says, “I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy, we fought ourselves, and the enemy was in us.”

Born on the 4^th of July is a “powerful and realistic story of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, who joined the Marines as a gung-ho recruit and came back home paralyzed” It is patriotism which plays a role throughout the film. Patriotism was manipulated by the American government and used to fill the ranks. Young men thought they were protecting their country like their fathers had. After the soldiers were rammed through the hell of war, they were abandoned. The rehabilitation hospital Kovic is placed in is infested with rats. Not only were soldiers mistreated by the government through its lack of support, the public resented them for what they had done. “Being a veteran was not something to be proud of, as it had been historically. This was one significant product of the Vietnam era: many of the important symbols by which members of a society construct and communicate their national and personal identities were destroyed or damaged.” In time the main character is transformed. He realizes his patriotism again by standing up and demanding an end to the war. He becomes vocal and is ultimately asked to speak at the Democratic convention to address the entire nation.

The Deer Hunter is a film less about the Vietnam War and more about how the war affects a group of friends. Roger Ebert says, “it is one of the most emotionally shattering films ever made.” Three of the friends are taken captive and in a very tense scene, they are forced to play Russian Roulette. This has a profound and everlasting influence on them. They can never go back. They are not able to return to their former lives and experience life how they once enjoyed it. In the end Robert Deniro’s character returns to save his friend played by Christopher Walken to fulfill a promise. Walken is an altogether different person and when reminded of his home he seemingly inexplicably decides to shoot himself in the head.

Apocolypse Now is a film of epic proportions and because of that it is not entirely believable. I believe that it is its intention to symbolize war and the unimaginable psycho madness it can become. “The cinematographer Storaro….is an emotional, expressive artist who can tell a story with his powerful images. His rich inky blacks add a tactile immediacy to the film’s ‘descent into darkness’” Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is on a mission to find and kill Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who has setup his own psychotic camp. The peak of horror and madness is shown in a scene near the end where Kurtz drops a bloody severed head on to Willard’s lap. “The problem is that bad leaders or mistaken or misguided policy had led to an unworthy or an overly cruel war.”

Vietnam has inspired films that touch on every aspect of the human experience. War pushes people to their ultimate limits and beyond. Why do we want to see war movies? They often show revolting imagery and despicable actions. It is somewhat voyeurism, but it is also unfortunately a part of our humanity that we must face and deal with.

Smoking and Its Affect on Popular Music

 

A massive campaign against smoking has driven much information underground and made the subject taboo.  Smoking admittedly is very dangerous to your health and negative in most aspects.  However it is a fact that many singers of popular music have used smoking to create a unique sound with their voice.  The list of famous singers that smoke or have smoked is long and includes Robert Palmer, Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis jr., Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Etta Jones, Lou Rawls, Warren Zevon and Mary Wells.

I enlisted four librarians to search for some information on the subject, but nothing surfaced.  I sent e-mails to music magazines, smoking magazines, radio shows, cigarette companies and again nothing but “sounds interesting” to “we cannot help you with this matter”  Then I stumbled on to an article in Slate magazine entitled “If Obama stops smoking will he lose his amazing voice.”  I read it out of pure interest not expecting to find anything, but it contained everything.

Slate magazine reports, “Smoking over time transforms a person's voice by thickening and drying out the vocal chords.  The vocal chords vibrate as your breath passes through them, so their texture and shape helps determine what your voice sounds like.  David Witsell, who directs Duke University's Voice Care Center, notes that the nodules on Johnny Cash's vocal cords that stemmed in part from his smoking habit helped create his unique sound."  Many famous voices in history have pathologies that are part of their vocal signatures," Witsell says.”  “The body senses the loss of air and works harder to drive the voice, creating more friction and, therefore, more swelling.  In time, many of the muscles around the larynx become rigid and fatigue.  The lack of flexibility reduces range.  The end result is the classic smoker's voice...low and husky"

A smoky voice is a signature of the blues. Ray Lamontagne’s voice is described as “full of smoke and ether.”  Jonny Lang was 15 when he released his first CD.  Many people said his voice sounded like that of a 40 year old veteran bluesman.  How did he do it?  He started smoking at the age of twelve and worked his way up to two packs a day. (www.tollbooth.org/2006/features/jlang.html)

Louis Armstrong was a chain smoker.   In ”What a Wonderful World” you can clearly hear the rumbling sound of a gravelly voice.  Lisa Stansfield admits  “Smoking may give my voice a certain quality.”   Joe Jackson is an out spoken musician who claims smoke does not affect his voice, however fans have noticed he has trouble hitting some notes and now has a bit of a rasp in his voice.

In a review of Job for a Cowboy’s album, the reviewer says “His sounds range from a very powerful bass growl to a wail that seems to be coming from a chain-smoking banshee”  Shortly before his untimely death in 1965 from throat cancer, host William B. Williams asked Nat King Cole “How can you smoke so much and still be a singer?”.  Cole responded he had learned two things: “the choice of the right key for a song meant everything, and smoking helps a singer get a husky sound in his voice that the audience loves.” "So," Cole said, "if you want to sing, keep on smoking."

Juliet Eilperin writes, “Vanderbilt University Voice Center Director Robert Ossoff, who treated Johnny Cash as well as a host of other country and western singers is well aware that some performers intentionally take a drag or two on a cigarette before crooning; he's witnessed it in local nightclubs, and has asked singers about it.  But in general, his performing patients worry that smoking is damaging their voice.”  Longtime smoker Bob Dylan tried to kick his habit for his album Nashville Skyline, Eilperin says “his voice sounds distinctively clearer on songs like "Lay, Lady, Lay." (Not necessarily better, granted, but easier to decipher.)”

Smoking is an unfortunate yet fascinating part of popular music.  Listeners have fallen in love with its haunting tone and texture and some say “the damage smoking does to your throat gives you a very sexy raspy voice.”  It is like selling your soul to the devil like Robert Johnson did.  It will kill you in exchange for its extraordinary powers.

Wanderin' Round the World

Venezuela White sands beaches. I wanted to be like a Venezuelan. Yese my native guide informed me that real Venezuelans eat the eyes of fish. They were hard like plastic and impossible to eat. I’m not sure she was telling the truth. At the age of seven we shared stories of our favorite cartoons. I was a fan of Heathcliff. Yese knew this show and sang the lyrics in Spanish, but then she introduced me to a new kind of show. It was not in English, but there was no need. It was pornography, Venezuelan pornography.

Costa Rica Capuchin Monkeys live on the beach. I prepared myself by bringing a banana with me because that seemed sensible. I silently watched the monkeys, who had white capped heads resembling yarmulkes. Suddenly a monkey crept up behind me and snatched the banana. He was a Thief but I should have known! Later on when our car stalled heading up a mountain, a mysterious man on a motorcycle stopped to help. My mom thought it would be a good idea to get rid of me. I was placed on the bike and ridden into town. Lucky for me no nine year old Americans were up for sale. On another car trip my cousin slowly headed up a cliffside path. A tractor trailer frustrated by the slow crawl attempted to pass us. Unfortunately his trailer careened off the cliff but his truck managed to hang on.

Italy The food in Italy is amazing!!!, Interestingly they mainly use tomatoes in the south. How amazing? My dad is a quasi-vegetarian, he only eats fish. But in Italy he brushed that aside and ate meat considering it a once in a lifetime experience. My favorite was a baguette (roll of bread) with a little butter and market fresh salami. This country is much more open sexually. I spotted an advertisement for a coffee shop featuring two completely nude women. Cinque Terre this is a must see, my favorite place. Its five towns and a castle along the Riviera ocean, and it can only be reached by train. Pompei A city frozen in time. The Garden of the Fugitives, Plaster casts of victims from 79 AD formed by a volcanic eruption. The Vatican is a country within a city, the Pope’s house.

On a Sunday my Dad had noticed that US Air was running a very cheap special to England. It was the inaugural US Air flight to England from Charlotte, N.C. He decided we should go and on Wednesday we did. At the terminal there was cake and food to celebrate putting everyone in a good mood. Unfortunately some people possess “air rage.” I did not much like how the passenger in front of us addressed my sister and I told him so. What ensued next is disputed but I remember punching him in the face. The drunk sitting next to me insisted it was all my fault. The stewardesses’ found me another seat and said Scotland Yard may want to have a talk with all of us. Thankfully that never happened and my international incident remains just a good cocktail story.

England Absinthe is legal here and the Czech Republic. Its authentic unlike what they tell you about American Absinthe, because you might hallucinate.

The punk bar. My sister Jenny studied in London and knew of some unique places. She took me to a punk bar filled with rough people sporting multiple piercings, Mohawks, and spikes. They have a drink that I suggest called a Bloodshot. It is an extreme version of a bloody mary.

Ryan Air Possibly the cheapest airline on earth. You can fly from London to Salzberg for ten pounds (around $15 US dollars)

Scotland Edinborough Violin(fiddler) players danced on the bar as they performed. Tourist trap? probably.

Wales green, lush, ancient landscape like a story book

Denmark The most exotically beautiful women I have ever seen. Their eyes and skin color are other worldly. Here also exists one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, Tivoli Gardens.

The best hot chocolate in the world!!!. There is an abandoned military base called Christiana “an autonomous, self-governing community” populated by vagabonds. You can easily buy hashish here or just a cup of warm hot chocolate.

Sweden The hostel we stayed at was actually just an old red boat, but comfortable and they served breakfast.

Spontaneity

Thirty years ago while traveling in France my parents met a Dutch couple while eating at a restaurant. A tradition was started that each year after they would exchange calendars and stories about their families. My parents spoke no Dutch, but the Dutch man spoke “enough English.” In the late 90’s we received a letter from the Dutch people in response to what my father wrote. The Dutch man had misinterpreted my father’s letter and wrote that he and his wife were thrilled that we were coming to visit them. Consequently my Father decided why not? lets go to Holland. They were very kind to us. Both of them were in their 90’s, but the man still rode his bike every day. The wife affectionately referred to my sister Jenny as “Yenny.”

Holland Amsterdam Mom, my sister and I thought it was appropriate to smoke a bowl of pot. It is legal here. Near the marijuana bars in the Red Light District there are also prostitutes. The women stand naked in the windows. I have to say the legalized drugs and prostitution are a detriment to this beautiful city.

Belgium I had escargot (cooked snails) for the first and only time. It was served from a street cart and had a line up of children. Still one of my favorite foods.

Spain along the Ramblas there are many markets. My mom and I sat down to Breakfast. The servers spoke no English, but I knew a couple of words. We noticed a bottle of Jack Daniels which many people know comes from Tennessee. I grew up up there for 22 years. In our botched conversation we managed to translate that we lived near or inside a bottle of Jack Daniels.

France One day in France, we were in a small town on the border. Cabaret shows are a well respected performance art. I had always heard about how rude the French were. But at the show the host instantly realized we spoke no French. As a courtesy they held a portion of the show in English for their “American guests”

Andorra Very, very small country between Spain and France. Tax free. Great for shopping and luxurious living. I visited a spa. It was indescribable to go from a pool as cold as a wine cooler immediately followed by a hot tub. It was a body shock.

Austria . They speak German and seem to live on their own individual clocks. As you get off the trains, people will actually invite you to stay at their homes! For a price of course. At our place the lady woke us up early every morning singing opera.

The sound of music

Salzberg The front desk clerk told me an interesting story. He said that to attend college was free, but things were a little different than my experience. He had chosen a topic for a research paper and located the proper book in the card catalog. Here you have to submit a request for the book you wish to check out. A few days later the librarians told him that they could see his book through a window, but it was in a room and they did not know where the key was. So he was out of luck and forced to pick another topic.

Vienna A Bollywood movie was being filmed. A man in a clear plastic coat danced around with some beautiful ladies. Apparently they didn’t reserve any licenses, because they had to redo the scene each time the traffic lights changed which seemed to extremely frustrate the choreographer.

Czech Republic I have never taken a prostitute up on their offers, but one lady gave me her calling card. In an effort to lure in Americans her card read “If you are lonely and boring, call me”

Prague (There are so many Americans in this town that the most popular spoken language could be English) The city serves as Paris in many Hollywood films. I saw Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins shooting a scene for the little seen movie Bad Company. The town’s square is surrounded by buildings that stretch in time from 500 to 1000 years old. Hitler supposedly wanted to save this city. One night club I visited was down below in a sort of dungeon. All the usual things were going on, but as I looked around and made it up into the loft area I was surprised by a couple casually having sex.

Cesky Krumlov Great for the outdoors, horseback riding and white water rafting. My sister and I befriended some heavy drinking Australians and set off for rafting. What I found strange was that after we were given the raft, we were then supplied with many bottles of beer. Strange for American outdoor sports, but apparently not for Europeans. Our pub Crawl also included bicycles.

One day I rushed to get ready. I was in the bathroom getting ready to take a shower when I realized I had no towel. I quickly put one foot back in my trousers and leaned back against the bathroom door for support. The door opened outward as opposed to in. I fell out naked into the hallway. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw no one there, then at the top of the stairs a young girl shouted “Oh my God.” Everyone at the hostel hung out together but I had no idea which girl had seen me. I told the story to all of the others. In the evening one of the Australians takes me aside and says you know that girl over there she’s the one who saw you. I looked over and she smiled uncomfortably.

Poland I had low expectations for this country, but it turns out to be very nice especially Krakow; designer stores, fancy merchandise, maybe more impressive than fifth ave. We also visited Auschwitz a sobering experience. On the train ride home we spoke with some visiting German students. I was surprised and slightly scared when one girl said she had been reporting on the Lie, the Holocaust Lie.

I am a jackass

In Poland you are charged to use the restroom. I do not like this concept and am angered by it. The business of restrooms, so we were told is run by the mafia. In protest I walked by the admission table pretending not to understand. A large thick muscled man, who looked like a bull, began to charge me. Fortunately a tiny little man, who was certain I was just confused, stepped in to help me. In the mean time, the police were notified. My life was saved and for some reason the little man was escorted away to jail. I’m sorry little man. After that I was scared straight and cooperated with all members of the bathroom mafia.

Hungary Jenny and I were traveling on the Euro rail and had fallen asleep in our compartment. Early in the morning when we reached the border the Austrian train official requested our passes. Apparently they were not properly filled out. He demanded a $50 fine from each of us. I refused; subsequently we were thrown off the train into a poor Hungarian town. We managed to find another train to Budapest. But on this Word War I era train you could see through the floor boards and the people were as best I could tell peasants but we made it to Budapest.

Budapest is actually two towns Buda and Pest. We were in Pest looking for a communist themed restaurant. Lost, we asked directions from a bald man wearing all black. He showed us the restaurant and we were on our way. The next morning at our hotel in Buda my sister woke me with disturbing news. The skin headed man wearing all black was now sleeping on one of the bunks above. We ran off and luckily we never saw him again. Yikes! In his defense, my Israeli friend tells me there are skinheads who wear all black, call themselves Traditionals and are harmless. In their brief conversation he showed Jenny some drawings he had done and said he would like to draw her.

Israel I expected Israel to be one giant desert, but they have made it into a paradise minus the suicide bombings. Jenny and I were riding a camel. Our camel wasn’t happy. According to the guides he wanted to lead, therefore he was biting the camel in front of him. I also believe he wanted to throw us off in the process as he bucked up and down. We rode into a Bedouin camp. What sticks out in my mind was the sky at night. I never knew there were so many stars and I don’t think most people are even aware of what they are missing. In the wild desert of course there’s no city light pollution.

Mexico Tijuana the dirtiest looking city I’ve ever seen. As you cross the border over the ravines, poor Mexican children repeat “chicle…chicle” trying to sell some gum for a little money. It’s a great place to get a deal, but I wish it didn’t exist for the people’s sake.