I asked Reggie, my American cousin in all but bloodline, why Americans are responding with such fear and suspicion to Syrian refugees. He responded that I should not be so surprised considering how America treats its minorities already resident there. Why, I asked Reggie my ebony brother, was there so much violence against black folks in… Continue reading Dark discussions
Category: History
We´ll always have Paris (1): The official record
On 12 November 2015, two suicide bombers detonated explosives in Bourj el-Barajneh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, that is inhabited mostly by Shia Muslims and is controlled by Hezbollah. Reports of the number of deaths range from 37 to 41 to 43. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks. Two suicide bombings occurred in commercial… Continue reading We´ll always have Paris (1): The official record
Tradition disrespected: James Bond and Peter Parker
When did the marketers take over culture? It seems that every day there is an old idea being repackaged and reinvented to the point that the idea has been corrupted or even eliminated. Take much of today’s music. How often does one hear a cover version of an old classic? How rarely is the cover… Continue reading Tradition disrespected: James Bond and Peter Parker
A union in name only?
“Every person who comes is a human being and has the right to be treated as such.” Angela Merkel, German Chancellor “As throngs of Africans and Arabs turn Italian and Greek islands and eastern European railway stations into refugee camps, the Chancellor has taken a brave stand. She has denounced xenophobes, signaled Germany’s readiness to… Continue reading A union in name only?
Fury in the Slaughterhouse: Guns in America
“There’s an old lady, Living in an old house Since her husband died She hasn’t been out. She lives in her own world With her own little nightmares And she’s stopped counting the days. She buys a radio station With her husband’s legacy. She does her own show 10 hours a day Plays poems and… Continue reading Fury in the Slaughterhouse: Guns in America
Reunification and division
We’ve all seen the pictures. 1989: a remarkable year. Muslims burn Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses as the Ayatollah Khomeini orders his execution for blaspheming Islam. The last Soviet troops leave Afghan soil after a ten-year occupation. The Exxon Valdez tanker spill ravages Alaska’s coast. Bloody riots mark the 30th anniversary of Tibetan anti-Chinese uprising: dozens… Continue reading Reunification and division
Questions of self-determination
It has been an interesting past 24 hours… Last night after completing my shift at Starbucks, I was spontaneously invited for a quick impromptu supper at my co-worker’s apartment. Augustin was a warm and welcoming host. I was fed well and drank well and the conversation was very interesting. We, of course, discussed issues of… Continue reading Questions of self-determination
Confessions of the Batman
A fortnight ago, before the breeze off Lake Constance turned brisk, Ute and I were visited by a denizen of the dark, a creature of the night. A bat had somehow found its way into our apartment. It was an hours-long struggle to get the helplessly lost and confused little fellow out. His visit (I… Continue reading Confessions of the Batman
Hurrah for Folly-would
Gosh darn it… Why are those “liberals” so hard on “average” citizens? Why do liberals condemn ordinary folks so much for simply wanting to protect their families and homes? I mean, let’s just look at things from our point of view. We all know the surety of things we believe in… – When a white… Continue reading Hurrah for Folly-would
The end of the world as we know it?
According to NASA scientists, an asteroid will do a fly-by in the skies above ol’ Earth next week. These good folks, who have spent decades studying the skies and the stars and everything in between, assure us that there is nothing to worry about and that we are completely safe. Of course, why should we… Continue reading The end of the world as we know it?