Traveling and Writing

I just finished transcribing a lengthy interview with Brooklyn wine crafters and prepping for possible a two part article on Brooklyn Winery.  The local food and wine are pretty amazing and the staff is super nice.

It's great that I get this writing gig while I'm here and traveling.  Still in transition, but will update you all when we've settled for our next adventure.

Meanwhile, you can read some of my other reviews if you happen to be in Brooklyn, NY and looking for a descent restaurant.

My writer index on Examiner.com

The Last To Know About A Revolution

Attention grown ups.   Of course you know that there are adults in this country that idly stand by to watch their rights gradually slip away in the digital age where society is saturated with information about government corruption, the militarization of our police force, the regression of women's reproductive rights and the lack of adequate health care.

No, not all Americans in this country choose to anesthetize themselves from the realism faction (thanks to movements like Occupy Wall Street), but there are those special adults who call themselves Bronies, whose call to action trigger button is set off by a character change in the animated series My Little Pony.  Yeah, MLP, enthusiasts.

 

Ok, really?  Leave it to the folks in this country to pick the worthy battles.

I'd love it if someone can explain to me this obscene preoccupation people have with being "the first" to get shit.

Yeah, I have an iPhone 4, but I wasn't on line @ the Apple store at 4am on the day it was released.

What's the damn rush to buy (not free btw) a piece technology that will surely see several iterations before it reaches it's prime performance capacity?

In China an Apple reseller is already accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5 without so much as an official announcement for iPhone 5 from Apple.

Don't get me wrong.  I get that most Apple products are great and that Apple's iPhone can be credited with bringing consumers technology that they didn't know they couldn't live without.  However, the constant need to overload our already saturated media with pre and post Apple-ware propaganda is unnecessary at the very least.

So in theory, can I start a rumor in the blogosphere claiming to be in possession of a most coveted iPhone 6 prototype, then sell a faux mock up to a technology publication?

I think that would make an interesting case study and highlight the lunacy behind society's collective irrational desire to be the first to acquire stuff and when's enough enough?

Whatever Carl!

Haha! As most New Yorkers could have guessed, Carl Paladino's campaign bites it.

It's pretty awesome when arrogant politicians have to publicly face their defeat and try to do it with dignity.

Why can't they ever master a dignified departure? --Because they're arrogant pricks.

But that's just one of many Carl Paladinos in the political arena today and yet to come. Rest assured, if there are any Paladino supporters out there, there is a final resting place for Carl awaiting him with open arms--the 1950s.

You can catch his undignified concession speech here:

NYC Official, Really?

It's abundantly clear that Carl Paladino's campaign manager is doing a shitty job of managing his public speaking engagements.

Do you need to be a campaign manager or political pundit to assess that Paladino is a tool and is blowing any chance of being elected governor of New York?

Making any kind of judgement against gay lifestyles in the state where you hope to be elected, which happens to be where a huge gay voting population resides, is political suicide, and pretty damn funny.

Like all the other disgraced public figures (pastors, senators, evangelists), I'm looking forward to the video expose of Paladino committing some form of adultery or engaging in a public act of gay sex. One thing that's consistent with political figures like Paladino, is that they always follow the script of hypocrisy that compels them to publicly speak against whatever act or lifestyle they desire the most.

Marfa NYC

It's been a while since my last post, so I wanted to share this Lower East Side bar find with you.

It's a bar/restaurant joint called Marfa where the nosh is decent, the happy hour is until 9p and the bartender is friendly.

The nachos and soft pork tacos are nothing to sneeze at either.

Good times and the occasional sequined drag queen breezes through from Lucky Chengs, which is just upstairs.

Laid back and it wasn't a Friday night village bar mob scene.

Mom's Update in Haiti

Dear Friends:

Here's what's happening with my mom:

• We just got word that my mom is waiting in line at the US Embassy in Port au Prince
  
• We got her registered with the New York State Registry for New York Citizens in Haiti
• We emailed her info and medical needs to the U.S. Department of State
• We reserved flight out to Haiti on 1/24, airports permitting
• We emailed CNN to get the word out about her situation and medical needs; and monitoring news feeds out of there also, so you if spot any video footage from the embassy, or think you've seen her, please post here or send links to vnimix@yahoo.com
  

We are hoping that flying out to Haiti to get her back to the U.S. will not be necessary, as that would only be a deterrent to rescue efforts at this point, but if we must we will.

We heard from a cousin that they felt a large aftershock this morning, so their anxiety level has heightened again. My mom is carrying her medication with her and is taking it regularly. She's got enough to last her about a week.

Your donations are still coming in for which we are extremely grateful. As I mentioned in the last post, this fund will remain open to help with all related costs of bringing my mom to the U.S. and securing emergency supplies to the relatives with whom my mom is staying. We'll continue to do as much as we can for them and other Haitian residents as well. As you can imagine, the decision for my mom to leave them behind because they are not U.S. citizens, is not an easy one.

The other encouraging news is that a floating hospital left Baltimore, MD this morning, carrying 5oo doctors is heading to Haiti. The arrival estimate is next week.

Again, many thanks to you and all the information, support and generosity you're extending to my family. Beyond our family there are other ways you can donate towards rescue efforts in Haiti.

Sincerely,
Vladimir Merisca & Family

Family and Friends in Haiti

Dear Friends:

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their concern about my mom, Dulia Merisca, the other loved ones I have in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and your generous offers to help.

As of today, I still have not been able to speak to my mom directly, but we are hopeful as we got word that she is ok.

Our next steps are to go to Haiti, as soon as flights from U.S. are permitted, locate my mom, assess the damages to our home in Port-au-Prince, and fly her back to the U.S.

Additionally, we have other relatives on my mom's side of the family, and extended family members, like Francois Paul (Papa DouDou), who lives closer to the National Palace, where the damages are even greater, and we will also try to locate.

That being said, we've set up a fund and a payment process that should make it fairly simple and secure for anyone to make donations thanks to Paypal and the generous customer service of JP Morgan Chase Bank personnel. Just click the 'Donate' button below to contribute.

We don't know exactly what we're up against until we get there, but hopefully we'll raise enough to cover our costs to travel there and assist them however we can.

Of course, after we secure the safety of our family and friends, we plan to expand this fund to address aide for Haitians in Haiti on a broader scale.

Again, thank you for your kind offers. Me and my entire family thank you for your concern and donations.

If you experience any difficulties with the Donate button or have questions, suggestions, contacts in Haiti that could expedite our efforts, you can contact us at help2haiti@gmail.com.


Sincerely,
Vladimir Merisca and Family

Keep It In Your Pantski Polanski

But Mr. Polanski, you've been evading the law since the early 70s for having it off with a 13-year-old girl when you were in your 40s.

Since then, you knew you were a wanted man and yet you skated while ding some solid globe-trotting and collecting numerous accolades for your work as a filmmaker.

Seriously, it's time to pack it in and step up.

What Drug Problem?

A drug problem in this country? Who knew?
Today's NY Times reports that Mexico is being torn apart by drug trafficking fueled mainly by American drug addicts.

Where's the surprise here. Our economy is in the crapper. American's are losing jobs at a significant rate, knee-deep in debt encouraged by Bush administration, and GWB made a clean get-away prosecution-free.

Consequently, the collective American behavior points in the direction of what is typical of disoriented, and depressed people do...anesthesize with reckless behavior, and even the extreme, suicide (we've seen news of those too).

So yes, drug trafficking in Mexico will continue to be a expansive problem as long as the supplies are available (drugs and guns), the demands will be met, if the monetary returns show more promise than what this country's retirement funds and health care benefits are willing to provide to American citizens.

Not rocket science NYT.

Shoe Smack Down, A Farewell Tribute

In a visit to Iraq (why?) this week, lame duck president George W. Bush, got his comeuppance when an Iraqi journalist flung, not one, but two shoes at him, in protest.

It was beautiful.

In case you missed it you can watch it all here (the beauty of our instantaneous digital age):

What Now O?

It's certainly going to take a lot magic to fix what years of White House corruption and greed cultivated.

You'd be hard pressed to find political leaders who envy the task that lies ahead for President-elect Barack Obama.

Is there a magic potion to restore this nation's economy crisis? Unlikely, but Americans are hopeful. As this country preps for a grim holiday shopping season, so are the bill collectors.

I'm fixin' to do my holiday shopping online on Black (ha, ha 'Black') Friday, and it includes several sacks of coal for a select few.

Oooo-BAMA!

Thank you Democrats and bloggers. You finally got your sh%*t together!

Can you stand it? It's almost too much that a black man will be sauntering into the White House with his personal belongings...to run the show, and not to clean up after the Republicans.

I am amazed and grateful for voting today. Well worth the effort and the wait.

Soak it in America. It's official Barak Obama is our president and can take his rightful official dump in the White House crapper. First the Cosby Show, now this.
History books will be re-written for disillusioned children of color in this country. Thank God!

Let's push forward and see this throughout his term, in good times and in bad.

Ok, Oprah and Bill Cosby, we're ready for your address to a nation in awe. This is the "shock and awe" we can be proud of.

Now for the victory speech:

Econ-O-My

At the risk of sounding like a downer, today's report from the U.S. Deptartment of Commerce, reflects what we've been living for quite some time now--we aren't spending US dollars like we used to.

Historically, when the economy is shakey the average blue collar American does not respond with bold spending. Long gone is the dot-com bubble of the 90s where 20 and 30-somethings in the tech industry were generating six figure salaries right out of college, and credit card spending flowed like champagne.

According the U.S. Dept. of Labor report, unemployment is rising steadily and economic experts can't get a handle on which way the economy is going from one day to the next.

From the looks of things, it is not likely that Americans will go into thousands of dollars in credit card debt this holiday season, but that remains to be seen.

Just what will Black Friday yield this year? Will spending reflect the outcome of the presidential elections? Credit card bureaus, economy experts and political pundits are standing by.

One sure fire way to not get entangled in that web of intrigue is to not charge it. If you're not working, or living hand-to-mouth, don't spend what you don't have.

But if this post is raining on your parade, here is some pre-election/Halloween humor to pick up your spirits.

The Other Big "O"

The story of a vastly influential African-American fanning the flames of change in this country is not new.

What's new is that this ray of hope that we can now call nationalism can be linked to the Democratic party.

Not since JFK has there been such a collective consciousness and urgency to correct something that went horribly wrong in our U.S. government for two consecutive terms.

Let's not kid ourselves by thinking that somehow this economy will somehow miraculously recover overnight if Barak Obama is elected president.

Yes, we know there are tough financial times ahead, no matter who gets the presidential nod. Yes, we're aware that Obama will not answer the cries of every citizen in this country, nor does he pretend he will fill that void.

What we do know is that Obama's success story, on top of meeting a long awaited need for an American role model of color, has started to restore some degree of credibility for his party, despite years of Democratic figures "flip-flopping" and ceremoniously crumbling under the pressures mass media and public opinion.

The international stigma of "democracy" being a dirty word infested with double standard rhetoric, unexamined war crimes, and corruption, stands a chance for turn-around.

Fortunately, there seems to be a collective awareness (my un-scientific assessment) that Obama's hard work will not end with his nomination to the White House. He's still gotta PROVE he can run this country without its citizens kicking up a coup.

If you know any of Haiti's history, you'll know that Haitians are no strangers to revolt and physically removing self-serving presidents, even at the expense of their own socio-economic well-being. If you're appointed to that kind of position of power you MUST represent.

Are Americans sick and tired of being sick and tired? No matter what the outcome, I don't anticipate anything less than folks in the streets after this election.

And if you haven't seen it yet, you can check out Ron Howard (li'l Opie) and the Fonz (I didn't think he was around anymore) giving Obama his props.
Anyone hear from Bill Cosby yet?

Sarah Pain-lin

I'm confused by the following scenario:

Fact: Republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin was found guilty, last Friday, of unlawfully abusing her authority, by firing the Alaska's public safety commissioner.

Fact: The Bush Administration have exhibited numerous acts of power abuse in the White House, which consequently, was a major contributor to the recent surge in the collapse of major financial institutions and instability of our economy.

Opinion: Wouldn't Americans (including conservative Republicans) grasp by now that the epicenter of our economic demise and decline in national morale ARE corrupt politicians who continue to rule unopposed and from a place of privilege (that privilege being uncontested nominations handed over by the people)?

I'm amazed when I see convicted government officials like Sarah Palin still spreading her political "I love small town America" BS to crowds and potential voters still accepting this as a legitimate political platform...enough to hold a seat in the White House.

To quote someone in today's NY Times:
“She’s intelligent, she’s adorable and she has the audacity to speak her mind,” said Ray Gilson of Corapeake, N.C., who attended the Virginia Beach rally. “I’ve never loved a politician like I love her. I want her to be president someday.”

Um...wha...? So if Miss Sarah continues to kiss enough small town American babies and preaches enough "Gee-whizims" from their church pulpits, she's in?

It's that kind of unexamined rhetoric that got us 8 years of George W. Bush folks.

If anyone out there in the red states care to examine the unexamined, start with Palin's interview with Katie Couric on foreign policy. Then think about the possibly of Sarah Palin negotiating foreign policy with neighboring countries with a low tolerance for Americans:



And on a lighter note:

Disgrace On Your Face

In the wake of "The Incredible Shrinking Superpower" that is America, comes a social response to our economic woes.

Historical events like the World Wars, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Reagan Years gave rise to numerous social phenomena like Aryan ideology and Euro-centrism, women joining the work force, the Hippie, the Black Panthers, and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

Now that we are well deep into the economic consequences of the U.S. starting the never-ending illegal War in Iraq, two terms of a Dumb-ass President, the serial collapse of national banks and sub-prime mortgages, inflated gas prices, and the dreary prospect of the remote chance of voting into office the dastardly dim duo, McCain and Palin, how are New Yorkers reacting?

Well in Brooklyn at least, namely neighborhoods like Park Slope and Williamsburg, for every over-priced condo that's erected, there are 3 or 4 lame ass bars, where hipsters can anesthetize with an $8 glass of wine. That's one of the reasons why we got out of that vicinity and purchased a home in a section of Brooklyn that will remain undisclosed. Gentrification will eventually hit there too (and we'll gladly reap the financial benefits from it), but I'd rather not expedite it by exposing it in this forum.

The other visible social act of regression I've noticed, much to my personal amusement, is the steady rise of the handlebar mustache on the mugs of 20-30-something year-old men. Yes, the handlebar stache is here and it's Queer. Now speaking from the perspective of an urban gent who has plead guilty on several occasions for my own fashion NOTS, it is with a sense of familiarity that I can spotlight this latest urban grooming violation.
Over the past year I've enjoyed seeing the hip-hop thugs, wiggas, and skater boys walk (or trying to walk) around with their pant waistlines down to their knees as if it looks good and NOT at all GAY!? I even enjoyed seeing straight guys wearing the "skinny" pants and still try to pull off masculinity.

But seriously guys, if you are not a cartoon villain or over 65 years old, there is simply no reason to adopt the handlebar mustache and not expect me to laugh my ass off. That is some funny sh*T! I saw it on the F train just this morning on my way to work.

My assumption here is that this latest collective rebellious grooming trauma is linked to the steady decline of our country's economic stability. If my thesis rings true, may I humbly submit the following prescription for what ales you:

1. Vote November 2008
   
2. Check out a mirror after reading this, then try to tell me it aint funny
3. If you're getting some, ask your bed-mate if they really like the stache and are not ashamed of you
4. If McCain and Palin are elected, then KEEP IT. We will all need a good laugh.
   

If not there, then where?

Apparently, it's not just Park Slope Brooklyn Realtors quaking in their boots over the housing bust.
The tragic yet predictable consequences of urban sprawl and a once cocky U.S. economy has infected the housing situation outside the U.S.

Now potential home buyers in bubble-bursted zones can confidently clutch their check books a little longer and wait for housing prices to plunge to their desired purchase price. It's especially import for first time home buyers to know that this news, although not great for the overall U.S. economy, affords them some leverage when it comes to dealing pushy real estate agents trying to get them to jump on unreasonable asking prices. What hard working person in the U.S. wants to be tied down to an unmanageable mortgage for 30+ years in this country? Or in Europe? Not me.

Who knows where this housing jig will end up? I'm inclined to believe that the future is looking bright for those who are planning to live out their golden years in the comfort of a tropical third world country.

As I read more and more about foreclosed homes in New York City the idea sounds less far-fetched.

In Other News...Hunger in Haiti

It's unfortunate that Haiti has made news in the U.S. again because of it's devastation.
The usual standard western media coverage applies: Brief, Sensationalized, then Forgotten.

The only time the "world", that being U.S. mainstream media, notices is when there are large death tolls, pictures of extreme violence and the opportunity for the poorest nation in the western hemisphere to appear to the world to be a hopeless cause. Of course, if Haiti were to be sitting on an endless supply of untapped oil, an expedient rescue effort towards economic reform would be priority #1 for the United States government.

The irony with Haiti is that the parts of Haiti that experience the most corruption and civil unrest are the densely populated are cities like the capital, Port-au-Prince. Whereas the countryside (like Northern Haiti--Cap Haitian), for the most part, are quite peaceful and one can truly appreciate Haiti for what it is--a tropical island rich in history, art and culture.

It's Almost A New Year!

It's been a VERY great year! I have no complaints, so Seasons Greetings and good riddance to old rubbish!

Now enjoy some Eartha Kitt and I'll try to update my blog more often for the new year.

Moriarty

I think I found a hot new band, Moriarty. Their music makes me happy. I know it's a bitch to find their album in NYC now, but you can probably find it in Europe. They also get plenty of air-time on this French radio station.

I also found a video. Check it out:

Moriarty - "Jimmy" live
Uploaded by naiverecords

That's Entertainment

Today was one of those lazy Sunday's in Brooklyn. Hung out, had some coffee and enjoyed the annual Atlantic Antic here in good ole Boerum Hill. The weather was perfect, lots of great food and fun.

I was also took some time to organize some of my video footage, and bought a new iPod at Apple Soho store. I almost didn't get it when I saw the huge line that reeked of tourists, but the Apple guy was carrying one of those mobile wireless cash registers around his neck (I'm not kidding), happily swiped my card and I was out of there in less than 10 minutes. My receipt was waiting for me in my email inbox...unbelievable.

So I'm here playing with my new 80GB iPod transfixed by the color screen and mobile video feature. I had to finally let go of my 3-year-old black-n-white screen, 20GB iPod, which is strategically no longer updateable when I plug it into my macbook pro.

Here's an Amy Winehouse video since I'm also surfing Youtube. She's quite the powerhouse talent, but Miss Winehouse, get off the crank. She and Mr. Hardtimes are good good friends. Hope she gets better and eats some potatoes. Poor old gal. But she could sing though! Very cute.

Put OJ out of his misery...please!

Is it me or is OJ's subconscious begging to do long overdue hard time in the clinker?

This fool just cannot keep a low profile. Do we need to waste any more public tax dollars on a trail for OJ?

First murder and now armed robbery. Pretty serious charges when last I checked.

Talk to the Animals

It comes as no surprise that research is proving how connected animals are to the earth.

China has now developed an earthquake prediction system that relies on the behavior of snakes.



Apparently snakes can sense earthquakes coming from up to 70 miles away.

This falls in line with the behavior of all animals when severe weather approaches. Birds behave erratically when thunder storms or tornadoes approach.

Before giant waves of the Sri Lanki tsunami hit the coastline, eyewitness accounts reported elephants screaming and heading for higher ground and dogs refusing to go outdoors.

If only we humans payed more attention to the animals, and our intuition, global fatalities would definitely minimize when natural disasters hit.

Witness the few instances where human logic and suppressing our fight-or-flight instincts can be hazzardous to our health.

Kreyole Mande Chanje

As another holiday season rolls by and we approach a new year, regretfully, not much in terms of progress is forseeable for the people of Haiti.



It always saddens me when I encounter news of more dis-repair and devastation in Haiti, where my mom still lives, who remains hopeful that things will get better.

At least five people were killed this past weekend in a slum raid targeting armed gang members in the Haiti's capitol, Port-au-Prince.

In the poorest region of the Western hemisphere, one has to wonder what could armed gang members possibly seek to gain from terrorizing the poor and keeping them in a constant state of desperation and fear?

It's not like there's any natural resources left that could sustain the economic interests of foreign governments, especially the U.S.
History has already shown that U.S. occupation and interest in the people of Haiti lasted only as long as there were resources to be drained.

Now that deforestation, corruption and social devastation has left Haiti bone dry, what possible interest could the United States have in saving a nation of poor African descendents?
So why do random civilian kidnappings and violence prevail? What government will defer to the ransom demands of Haitian gang members using other impoverished Haitians as collateral?

Why are the few remaining peacekeepers (the ones outside of the realm of corruption) still targets for violence and no significant head-way has been made?
It's still a massive social crisis that appears to have no resolution, at the cost of the existinction of a nation's very rich cultural and spiritual history.

Bush Does It Again...

Why is it that each time there's a photo op of George W. Bush signing a treaty, I piss my pants?

That may be because Bush has yet to commit this nation to a long-term agreement that's political, social, or environmentally sound.

Here we see him signing a nuclear bill will India, which allows U.S. companies to profit from selling nuclear reactors and material to India.

Now, he'll push this as an effort to boost our economy, but in the likely event that the U.S. government manages to piss them off, this policy may indeed bite the U.S. in the ass, as India has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Crazy, but true, our government has signed another treaty with self-destructive potential.

Profit first...political ramifications and long-term contigency planning last, seems to be the foundation for our current administration's mode of operation.

Covert Operations=Conservative Pervs

Can't the citizens of this country have just one scandal-free year?

It seems that everytime Republican big whigs, like this fool, Florida Congressman, Mark Foley, are left to their own devices, like what we believe is running the damn country, they're doing some crazy ass bullsh*t on tax-payers' buck.

What's worse is, instead of taking ownership of the fact that Foley was chatting up teenage boys, he now conveniently medicalizes his vice by saying he was molested by a clergyman in his youth in order to garner sympathy.

Ah, the comfort of using victimhood as a scapegoat for personal perversions.
The sanctity of running to the religious right for protection.

Mess! My question is, with that mug, what teenage boy was he actually trying to tempt?
And with what?

Jesus for Jihad

Why is it that the Catholic Church has a natural talent for making tense situations tenser by spewing out unregulated inflamatory statements, based on antiquated texts?

The one time we hear from the ancient Pope Benedict XVI, he's out to start another Crusade based on his recent mindless speech, in Germany, no less.

Now you know it only took one misappropriated cartoon charicature from a tiny Swedish publication to tip off civil unrest and riots from Muslims worldwide.
Now, as the Pope, you're gonna comment at all about Jihad from 14th Centry text? Is the Bush administration writing speeches for the Pope now?

I hope at least Christian missionaries are keeping up with current events enough to know that the Middle East and the Muslim community is not your safest or smartest destination, at the moment, for the conversion agenda. If you're going out there for real peacekeeping or charitable purposes, do it unconditionally.

George Bush's family nor the Catholic Church will be going out there to retrieve you if you're kidnapped.

Warm, Strong and Creamy

Forget the fact that George W. Bush has pitted multiple nations of the free world in the compromising position of keeping the Middle East from blowing up the entire world.

Forget that in his classic facist sensibility, proclaimed that Israel has "won" their civil war with Hezbolah.

Today, I just want to share this light, fluffy video I found on the Yahoo pages.

One of my all-time favorite comfort foods, coffee, in all its frothy glory.

It's OK to say it, "Israeli Terrorists!"

Before you completely surrender to the overwhelming power of the corporate media floodgates, and accept your prescribed position of the disenfranchised US citizen, please note that there are others among you who choose empowerment.

The mainstream media whores would like us all to believe that all Palestinians and Hezbollah are the sole aggressors of the current mideast tensions, which is rapidly expanding into an all out World War III.

This weekend (Sat., July 29, 2006) there's a massive rally planned across the Brooklyn Bridge that touts the contrary. The voice of opposition will be heard--at least by residential citizens and independent news sourses.

The predominant outcry will not be the scripted refrain of how Israelis are the perpetual victims that merit the unconditional support of all US citizens. Rather, New Yorkers will dare to tell Israel to stop your fucking parasitic, war-mongering greed for land at the risk of the lives of thousands of non-Jewish bystanders. Simply because George W. Bush is secured in the pockets of Israel, does not presume that we all follow suit.

In an all too costly civil war, millions of US citizens want the major news networks to discontinue its collective role in the pro-Israeli war propaganda. So the United States president, New York's Mayor Bloomberg happen to be stinking rich, part of the ruling class and will never have any criticism for the massive terrorist acts inflicted by Israel because of their personal interests.
So what? Although America has regressed to McCarthyism, I think we can still salvage ways to freely express opposing views without being arrested (I am fully aware that this statement is dangerously to being dated material by the time you get to read it).

Yes...it's okay to say Israeli and US troops are collectively active participants in terrorism also.
I make no apologies for saying so. I know that Israel has been carrying the victimhood flag for as long as I can remember there being mideast conflicts. All throughout, the US government has fully backed their misappropriated yelps, "misfired" missiles, and other military abuses. Historically, many African-Americans have and still do hide behind the disabling crutches of victimhood, asking for reparations. Do you see our government pouring billions of dollars into it? Hell no! If the US government is gonna waste billions of American citizen dollars, at least be consistant squanderers. But I guess the Black Christian churches don't carry enough monetary clout in this country to sustain the interests of George W.
Is it so surprising that the global reaction to the US (like Russia and Germany) is one of sheer mockery and disgust?

I'm not saying that doing your part means that you need to be at the rallies and pepper-sprayed by cops to legitimize your beliefs. But you can spread your own blogs, email corporate networks like Fox News, Bill O'Reily's show, and let them know that you, your friends and family members refuse to watch their corporate-sponsored yellow journalism. Then be on the asses of those flip-flop democrats in Congress to make sure that they do their part (if they're indeed the only legitimatized representative for everyone outside of George Bush's regime) to keep public broadcasting alive.

We can either do our parts as free-thinking citizens by spreading the word so that the inculcated collective consciousness will snap out of this mass cultural hypnosis, or join the mainstream snooze...until of course, you're woken up by missiles landing on your American doorstep.