http://dear_raed.blogspot.com/ THIS IS THE ADDRESS OF THE BAGDHAD BLOGGER. A VERY INTERESTING BLOG.
http://ishtartalking.blogspot.com/ HERE'S ANOTHER: A WOMAN WHO WRITES IN ARABIC WITH TRANSLATIONS BELOW.
WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT IS TO LIVE IN WAR CONDITIONS, WE ARE VERY LUCKY BABIES. MEKHERE'S ANOTHER: A WOMAN WHO WRITES IN ARABIC WITH TRANSLATIONS BELOW.
Thursday, July 10, 2003
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
drove out to Westhampton today with Maria to visit Jerry and Flo. Got into the cold Atlantic at Westhampton Beach and it was terrific.
The water was too cold for the other oldsters, and Jerry, Flo, and Maria remained ashore while I swam out past the waves. I like the cold water-better than Florida's piss-warm water. There were some nice rollers, not the great overwhelming ones that I would ride when I was nine or ten--but still nice ones. I liked being in the water and swimming, , letting the salt water into my mouth, opening my eyes under water. Perhaps the waves don't seem as high anymore because I am bigger--about 200 pounds today.
Well, if only, you know, if only we could afford a place there. ... I was surprized that Maria wanted lobster. We went to a lobster joint and ate a couple of 1 1/2 pounders each. I drank a couple of vodka/rocks to go along with the lobsters and a good time was had by all. Maria was the designated driver and got me home safe and sound.
Drive time from Great Neck to Westhampton? about an hour and a half--Maybe a few minutes less.
IF
IF
IF .you have changed your email address let me know your new one.
The water was too cold for the other oldsters, and Jerry, Flo, and Maria remained ashore while I swam out past the waves. I like the cold water-better than Florida's piss-warm water. There were some nice rollers, not the great overwhelming ones that I would ride when I was nine or ten--but still nice ones. I liked being in the water and swimming, , letting the salt water into my mouth, opening my eyes under water. Perhaps the waves don't seem as high anymore because I am bigger--about 200 pounds today.
Well, if only, you know, if only we could afford a place there. ... I was surprized that Maria wanted lobster. We went to a lobster joint and ate a couple of 1 1/2 pounders each. I drank a couple of vodka/rocks to go along with the lobsters and a good time was had by all. Maria was the designated driver and got me home safe and sound.
Drive time from Great Neck to Westhampton? about an hour and a half--Maybe a few minutes less.
IF
IF
IF .you have changed your email address let me know your new one.
Sunday, July 06, 2003
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
Capturing the Friedmans
" 'This is private, so if you're not me, you shouldn't be watching.' So warns David Friedman into a video camera as he records his dew-eyed rantings regarding the sex scandal that was devouring his family. At first you feel like a guilty voyeur to witness such raw emotions, but then you think: Wait, who else could have given the maker of "Capturing the Friedmans" the tape?
The contradiction is typical of the Friedman family and Andrew Jarecki's disturbing, multilayered, compulsively watchable documentary. Every time you think you have a handle on who these people are, what this story is, some new piece of information, usually ugly, gives you a fresh case of mental whiplash."
Critic in Portland, OR
"Jarecki's deft organization of the factual material provides the momentum for a never-flagging exposition of the complexities of the Friedman case; he parcels out pieces of information over the course of the film which keep changing the complexion of what has come before. This was a time when there was widespread hysteria in the United States over child molestation, with a number of high profile court cases (the McMartin case, for example) on the front pages for months on end. Therapists claimed to have uncovered repressed memories which sometimes turned out to be fictions planted during hypnotherapy. In the Friedman case, even the police acknowledge that there was not a single piece of hard evidence against the alleged perpetrators. On the other hand, Arnold's own voluntarily written personal history indicates that there was ample reason to consider the possibilities of misconduct.
The elusiveness of the truth about what did or did not happen in those computer classes is made evident; Jarecki lets his leanings show through, but he keeps his treatment evenhanded. There's no question, however, about the fallout of the case. The misery and the disintegration of the Friedman family is painfully documented in the film. The realities of the family relationships, particularly between Arnold and Elaine, and between Elaine and her sons, belie their own self-images and the projected image in the community of a happy middle class suburban family. And the denouement, complete with utterly conflicted stories between son Jessie and his own defense attorney, gives rise to bewildered wonderment over the justice system and its practitioners." Critic in Chicago
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you use Rotten Tomatoes as a movie guide you know that up to a hundred different critics are quoted in full about each movie. Then a rating is arrived at by a complex methodology not understood by this writer. However, I have never before seen a 96% consensus that any movie deserves from 4 to 5 stars out of 5. Capturing the Friedmans got a 96% rating.
If this movie doesn't disturb you, make you think, wake you up, and leave you in a quandary, nothing will.
For many years I have been bewildered by the "child molestation" hysteria that began with the McMartin case. The Friedman case is just as outrageous but there are certain elements that make the viewer believe that there might have been a case. But a case for what?
Friedman conducted computer classes in his home for boys from 8 to 16. A postal inspector reported that he had received one pedophile magazine from the Netherlands. Police came to his home with a search warrant to find the offending magazine and then to arrest him for possession of pornopgrahic-pedophilic materials.
A detective discovered that Friedman was giving computer classes for young boys and decided to put two and two together and then, after a lengthy and expensive investigation came up with testimony from children and teenagers that improper activities had taken place.
I have always distrusted eyewitness testimony, and eyewitness testimony from coached children is even more suspect. And don't get me started on recovered memories or hypnosis. I do not believe that the Truth can ever be determined when children are led to give answers satisfactory to adults, or hypnotists go to work on someone's memory.
Truth is always a mystery, and families and individual lives should not be destroyed by detectives who see crime under every rock, judges who have their eyes on public opinion, parents whose minds have been twisted by uncorroborated reports from detectives intent on developing witnesses, and ambitious prosecutors seeking not justice, but rather advancement.
I cannot tell you whether or not the Friedmans were guilty of anything (except possessing child pornography) but I can tell you that no thinking jury would have convicted them of the other horrible crimes of which they were accused.
This is an amazing documentary which should be seen by everyone interested in the law and in Truth.
" 'This is private, so if you're not me, you shouldn't be watching.' So warns David Friedman into a video camera as he records his dew-eyed rantings regarding the sex scandal that was devouring his family. At first you feel like a guilty voyeur to witness such raw emotions, but then you think: Wait, who else could have given the maker of "Capturing the Friedmans" the tape?
The contradiction is typical of the Friedman family and Andrew Jarecki's disturbing, multilayered, compulsively watchable documentary. Every time you think you have a handle on who these people are, what this story is, some new piece of information, usually ugly, gives you a fresh case of mental whiplash."
Critic in Portland, OR
"Jarecki's deft organization of the factual material provides the momentum for a never-flagging exposition of the complexities of the Friedman case; he parcels out pieces of information over the course of the film which keep changing the complexion of what has come before. This was a time when there was widespread hysteria in the United States over child molestation, with a number of high profile court cases (the McMartin case, for example) on the front pages for months on end. Therapists claimed to have uncovered repressed memories which sometimes turned out to be fictions planted during hypnotherapy. In the Friedman case, even the police acknowledge that there was not a single piece of hard evidence against the alleged perpetrators. On the other hand, Arnold's own voluntarily written personal history indicates that there was ample reason to consider the possibilities of misconduct.
The elusiveness of the truth about what did or did not happen in those computer classes is made evident; Jarecki lets his leanings show through, but he keeps his treatment evenhanded. There's no question, however, about the fallout of the case. The misery and the disintegration of the Friedman family is painfully documented in the film. The realities of the family relationships, particularly between Arnold and Elaine, and between Elaine and her sons, belie their own self-images and the projected image in the community of a happy middle class suburban family. And the denouement, complete with utterly conflicted stories between son Jessie and his own defense attorney, gives rise to bewildered wonderment over the justice system and its practitioners." Critic in Chicago
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you use Rotten Tomatoes as a movie guide you know that up to a hundred different critics are quoted in full about each movie. Then a rating is arrived at by a complex methodology not understood by this writer. However, I have never before seen a 96% consensus that any movie deserves from 4 to 5 stars out of 5. Capturing the Friedmans got a 96% rating.
If this movie doesn't disturb you, make you think, wake you up, and leave you in a quandary, nothing will.
For many years I have been bewildered by the "child molestation" hysteria that began with the McMartin case. The Friedman case is just as outrageous but there are certain elements that make the viewer believe that there might have been a case. But a case for what?
Friedman conducted computer classes in his home for boys from 8 to 16. A postal inspector reported that he had received one pedophile magazine from the Netherlands. Police came to his home with a search warrant to find the offending magazine and then to arrest him for possession of pornopgrahic-pedophilic materials.
A detective discovered that Friedman was giving computer classes for young boys and decided to put two and two together and then, after a lengthy and expensive investigation came up with testimony from children and teenagers that improper activities had taken place.
I have always distrusted eyewitness testimony, and eyewitness testimony from coached children is even more suspect. And don't get me started on recovered memories or hypnosis. I do not believe that the Truth can ever be determined when children are led to give answers satisfactory to adults, or hypnotists go to work on someone's memory.
Truth is always a mystery, and families and individual lives should not be destroyed by detectives who see crime under every rock, judges who have their eyes on public opinion, parents whose minds have been twisted by uncorroborated reports from detectives intent on developing witnesses, and ambitious prosecutors seeking not justice, but rather advancement.
I cannot tell you whether or not the Friedmans were guilty of anything (except possessing child pornography) but I can tell you that no thinking jury would have convicted them of the other horrible crimes of which they were accused.
This is an amazing documentary which should be seen by everyone interested in the law and in Truth.
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Well, I have to summarrize a whole week, and so I'll be brief with most of it.
We took the auto-train which saves a day of driving. The train leaves Sanford, Florida and arrives the next morning at Lorton, Va, near Baltimore, MD. We took a tiny compartment. Just like the old pullmans which I used to take to Raquette Lake, there are uppers and lowers. We flipped a coin and Maria took the upper and I got the lower which has a window. I like looking out the lights of the towns --or still better, the lights of lonely farm houses, sited on hills some distance from the tracks-- as we pass them. The bed is comfortable, firm, compact. the dining car is okay, of course, nothing like the service way back in the forties and fifties when there were line table clothes and heavy triplle plated flatware. Well, no more of that, and no white coated black porters either, ready to shine a shoe or fetch a drink. But we did sleep in a car named after A. Phillip Randolf, so I felt a pleasing connection with the past.
We left Lorton at about ten o'clock in the morning and flew to the Veranzanno Bridge in a few hours--but then hit a wall of traffic. It took three and half hours to get out to Montauk, so all we did was go to bed. the meetings of the Pension Fund started the next morning. we remain in the top decile of Taft-Hartley Plans.
Maria and her friends hiked to to the lighthouse, did some birdwatching and played tennis. After the first meeting i had a terrific massage. Dinner should have been skipped.
The second night's dinner was a lobster feast, you know all the lobster, clams, etc that you want. The lobsters were good for Montauk, but my memory of last summer at Maine kept my standards very high. bUT THEN, AT ABOUT 3:00 am MARIA COMMENCED TO VIOLENTLY VOMIT.
Correction in definition. An ischemia is a loss of blood flow. It might be to the heart: cardio-ischemia -- or to the brain, or a limb. The eyes too. And others. in the case of gastro-ischemia it is usually temporary but can be serious. Maria has been in a lot of pain. She is unable to eat, and is sleeping a lot. Even when Remi called she couldn't speak to her. Here is a list of her meds for those who have not already received it:
Trimethobenzamide, Cipro, Asacol.
She insisted on driving two hours and some minutes to get to her own doctor in Great Neck. We had been at a Pension Fund annual meeting at the Montauk Yacht Club and at 3:00 AM, after a clam, mussel, lobster dinner she began to vomit violently and have diarrhea this continued until about 5:00 AM when she fell asleep. I considered the hospital, but she was adamant about getting to Great Neck.
We drove past Southampton hospital and Stony Brook Hospital, but she wanted to see Dr. Schulman, her favorite. He has an in patient set up in his office and was able to re-hydrate her and do a sigmoidoscopy. (He was the fellow who did my colonoscopy and I must admit it was a pleasant, if unconscious, experience)
Schulman turned her over to me for recuperation, and I am doing my best.
mike
We left Montauk, bypassed two hospitals at the Madam's insistence, and arrived at Great Neck so that she could see her own doctors. As it turned out, a wise move. We are staying at a friend's apartment in Great Neck, which is vacant for the month of July. Unfortunately for us, they are selling it as of Aug 1.
I hope your diagnosis is correct. We will know more Monday.
We took the auto-train which saves a day of driving. The train leaves Sanford, Florida and arrives the next morning at Lorton, Va, near Baltimore, MD. We took a tiny compartment. Just like the old pullmans which I used to take to Raquette Lake, there are uppers and lowers. We flipped a coin and Maria took the upper and I got the lower which has a window. I like looking out the lights of the towns --or still better, the lights of lonely farm houses, sited on hills some distance from the tracks-- as we pass them. The bed is comfortable, firm, compact. the dining car is okay, of course, nothing like the service way back in the forties and fifties when there were line table clothes and heavy triplle plated flatware. Well, no more of that, and no white coated black porters either, ready to shine a shoe or fetch a drink. But we did sleep in a car named after A. Phillip Randolf, so I felt a pleasing connection with the past.
We left Lorton at about ten o'clock in the morning and flew to the Veranzanno Bridge in a few hours--but then hit a wall of traffic. It took three and half hours to get out to Montauk, so all we did was go to bed. the meetings of the Pension Fund started the next morning. we remain in the top decile of Taft-Hartley Plans.
Maria and her friends hiked to to the lighthouse, did some birdwatching and played tennis. After the first meeting i had a terrific massage. Dinner should have been skipped.
The second night's dinner was a lobster feast, you know all the lobster, clams, etc that you want. The lobsters were good for Montauk, but my memory of last summer at Maine kept my standards very high. bUT THEN, AT ABOUT 3:00 am MARIA COMMENCED TO VIOLENTLY VOMIT.
Correction in definition. An ischemia is a loss of blood flow. It might be to the heart: cardio-ischemia -- or to the brain, or a limb. The eyes too. And others. in the case of gastro-ischemia it is usually temporary but can be serious. Maria has been in a lot of pain. She is unable to eat, and is sleeping a lot. Even when Remi called she couldn't speak to her. Here is a list of her meds for those who have not already received it:
Trimethobenzamide, Cipro, Asacol.
She insisted on driving two hours and some minutes to get to her own doctor in Great Neck. We had been at a Pension Fund annual meeting at the Montauk Yacht Club and at 3:00 AM, after a clam, mussel, lobster dinner she began to vomit violently and have diarrhea this continued until about 5:00 AM when she fell asleep. I considered the hospital, but she was adamant about getting to Great Neck.
We drove past Southampton hospital and Stony Brook Hospital, but she wanted to see Dr. Schulman, her favorite. He has an in patient set up in his office and was able to re-hydrate her and do a sigmoidoscopy. (He was the fellow who did my colonoscopy and I must admit it was a pleasant, if unconscious, experience)
Schulman turned her over to me for recuperation, and I am doing my best.
mike
We left Montauk, bypassed two hospitals at the Madam's insistence, and arrived at Great Neck so that she could see her own doctors. As it turned out, a wise move. We are staying at a friend's apartment in Great Neck, which is vacant for the month of July. Unfortunately for us, they are selling it as of Aug 1.
I hope your diagnosis is correct. We will know more Monday.
Saturday, June 21, 2003
This afternoon, after another golden hour, Maria asked me what I thought happened forty years ago that brought us together. She wondered that "it was meant to be."
I smiled, and thought back to those early days. She was shy, graceful, and quiet. She would look at me with a Mona-Lisa smile that drew me to her, while she tried to push me away. She was intelligent and beautiful. But she was exotic. She lived very much within herself. Sensual and yet in her innocence she reminded me of a fawn at the verge of the forest, watching, knowing.
There was no resisting her.
I couldn't put my finger on it. The French have a phrase je ne sais quoi.
Maria always ineffable and so ineluctable.
mek
I smiled, and thought back to those early days. She was shy, graceful, and quiet. She would look at me with a Mona-Lisa smile that drew me to her, while she tried to push me away. She was intelligent and beautiful. But she was exotic. She lived very much within herself. Sensual and yet in her innocence she reminded me of a fawn at the verge of the forest, watching, knowing.
There was no resisting her.
I couldn't put my finger on it. The French have a phrase je ne sais quoi.
Maria always ineffable and so ineluctable.
mek
Friday, June 20, 2003
So, I seem to be okay, no heart attack as of yet, and Maria and I went to see a movie. (not a film)
Movie: Belly laughs, tears in my eyes:
Maria and laughed most of the way through "The In-Laws," Albert Brooks and Michael Douglas.
Candice Bergen playing Douglas' aging hippie wife is a dream and is as fetching as ever.
Movie: Belly laughs, tears in my eyes:
Maria and laughed most of the way through "The In-Laws," Albert Brooks and Michael Douglas.
Candice Bergen playing Douglas' aging hippie wife is a dream and is as fetching as ever.
Just did a longer than usual workout on the treadmill, 50 minutes at 4 mph or so, and then came up for a shower. While bending over to put on my shoes I felt something in my chest. Is this it? Am I having a heart something? Did I over-do it?
Well these are the considerations: too much trouble to go to the doc to find out. Even more trouble to go to the emergency room. And then there is the insurance angle.
I think that we are covered for the EM but not for a private doc who would send me to the EM anyway, because that's where all the equipment is.
Well, we are going north on Sunday by Amtrak. Ill wait to see Dr. Kerpin, he knows me and is a cardiologist.
It's just too much trouble--stupid right?
In the meantime, working out makes me feel great. I need the sweat, that tired-relaxed feeling that comes over my body.
I am listening to Tibetan Chanting now on a CD.
Should I join an ashram?
Well these are the considerations: too much trouble to go to the doc to find out. Even more trouble to go to the emergency room. And then there is the insurance angle.
I think that we are covered for the EM but not for a private doc who would send me to the EM anyway, because that's where all the equipment is.
Well, we are going north on Sunday by Amtrak. Ill wait to see Dr. Kerpin, he knows me and is a cardiologist.
It's just too much trouble--stupid right?
In the meantime, working out makes me feel great. I need the sweat, that tired-relaxed feeling that comes over my body.
I am listening to Tibetan Chanting now on a CD.
Should I join an ashram?
Genocide: A case may be made that the first genocide was God's killing of the first born Egyptians. Since then genocide has been a popular method of taking control of land or getting rid of neighbors.
The twentieth century has seen plenty of genocidal terrors--starting early in the century with the Turkish eradition of the Armenians. Americans stood by and allowed it to happen, denying all the time that it was happening, in spite of Ambassador Morgenthau's warnings, protests, and pleadings with our congress. We wanted to maintain a delicate relationship with the Otttoman Empire and so we said nothing. We've always found diplomatic or policy rationalizations for ignoring humanity in need.
The twentieth century has seen plenty of genocidal terrors--starting early in the century with the Turkish eradition of the Armenians. Americans stood by and allowed it to happen, denying all the time that it was happening, in spite of Ambassador Morgenthau's warnings, protests, and pleadings with our congress. We wanted to maintain a delicate relationship with the Otttoman Empire and so we said nothing. We've always found diplomatic or policy rationalizations for ignoring humanity in need.
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Books I is reading or has read during the last few weeks:
Between East and West --Anne Applefield -- travels along what used to be the borderlands between Russia and Europe.
Closing of the American Mind --- Allan Bloom-- Who are we today and how did we get to this dismal intellectual state?
A Problem from Hell --America and the Age of Genocide -- Samantha Power -- Race Murders in the twentieth century --Armenia Cambodia, Holocaust, Bosnia, the Kurds, Kosovo, Rwanda. But remember genocide goes back much further than the 20th century.
The DaVinci Code-- a great page turner-- a lot about the Catholic Church, the Virgin Mary Cult, Mary Magdellan, Knights Templar, Opus Die...
Starting The Man Without Qualities Robert Musil -- This will be my second time around. .
Between East and West --Anne Applefield -- travels along what used to be the borderlands between Russia and Europe.
Closing of the American Mind --- Allan Bloom-- Who are we today and how did we get to this dismal intellectual state?
A Problem from Hell --America and the Age of Genocide -- Samantha Power -- Race Murders in the twentieth century --Armenia Cambodia, Holocaust, Bosnia, the Kurds, Kosovo, Rwanda. But remember genocide goes back much further than the 20th century.
The DaVinci Code-- a great page turner-- a lot about the Catholic Church, the Virgin Mary Cult, Mary Magdellan, Knights Templar, Opus Die...
Starting The Man Without Qualities Robert Musil -- This will be my second time around. .
Greg Peck, Hume Cronim, and Larry Doby all died this week.
Larry Doby's name reminded me of Grand Admiral Karl C. Dönitz, last leader of Nazi Germany; (remember him?)
too bad his middle name wasn't Duncan. mek
born on 9-16-1891 in Berlin, Germany
expired 12-24-1980 in Aumühle-Bilenkamp, Germany age 89
Maria and I will be headed north on Sunday. Looks like we'll be staying in Great Neck after a week at the Montauk Yacht Club with the pension fund. (actually 2 days with the Pension Fund. The other days are on me.) If we have any money left we'll go to Maine at the end of July because I need lobster...
Larry Doby's name reminded me of Grand Admiral Karl C. Dönitz, last leader of Nazi Germany; (remember him?)
too bad his middle name wasn't Duncan. mek
born on 9-16-1891 in Berlin, Germany
expired 12-24-1980 in Aumühle-Bilenkamp, Germany age 89
Maria and I will be headed north on Sunday. Looks like we'll be staying in Great Neck after a week at the Montauk Yacht Club with the pension fund. (actually 2 days with the Pension Fund. The other days are on me.) If we have any money left we'll go to Maine at the end of July because I need lobster...
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Breathing class today. Imagine if my Dad or Grandfather knew that I paid money to learn how to breath. I learned that I am a shallow breather and I will have to learn how to breathe properly--but, Maria and I are going North, so I may not learn before next fall. In the meantime, I'll be holding my breath.
My Dad used to take the family to Toots Shor's for Sunday dinner. My sister and I would have Oysters and a lobster or Roast Beef. Dad always had a scotch and roast beef, I think. The Men's and Lady's room were staffed by a married couple. When my sister and I returned from camp one year, why Hattie and Ozzie weren't in the RestRooms. Apparantly Hattie had shot and killed her husband over another woman. (If I have the names wrong, please correct me). The maitre'd was a pal of my Dad's. His name was Joe Harrison. Corrections appreciated. Reach me at Gratwicker@aol.com
Monday, June 16, 2003
Here are my movies to see as of this week.
Man on a train --A mysterious man arrives in a small town in France and is befriended by an elderly retired schoolteacher. 4 1/2 stars out of 5. worth seeing
Man with no Past -- another man gets off a train in Finland and is mugged causing him to totally lose his memory. Contrast the aid he receives from strangers and the aid he fails to get from the State. A very moving and inspiring film. 5 stars out of 5. a must see
The Dancer Upstairs: well-made docudrama (almost a docudrama) about a detective attempting to find a terroist in an unnamed South American country. 3 1/2 stars out of five. worth seeing.
Blue Velvet: Mysterious, violent, psycho-sexual, hidden 5 stars out of five
Man on a train --A mysterious man arrives in a small town in France and is befriended by an elderly retired schoolteacher. 4 1/2 stars out of 5. worth seeing
Man with no Past -- another man gets off a train in Finland and is mugged causing him to totally lose his memory. Contrast the aid he receives from strangers and the aid he fails to get from the State. A very moving and inspiring film. 5 stars out of 5. a must see
The Dancer Upstairs: well-made docudrama (almost a docudrama) about a detective attempting to find a terroist in an unnamed South American country. 3 1/2 stars out of five. worth seeing.
Blue Velvet: Mysterious, violent, psycho-sexual, hidden 5 stars out of five
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