When bombs are not enough

It seems that the “democratic state” of Izrael has hired marketing and PR firms from the U.S. to promote tourism and to influence public perception after the very rough year it has had. Sounds funny enough.

Then I see a trailer for Smokin’ Aces and the lead character is Buddy Israel. Buddy is in trouble with many people all trying to kill him. So you get statements like “Israel is on every assassin’s hit list.” In the trailer the VO makes statements like “Everyone’s after Israel,” “Israel is constantly dodging bullets.” Every relentless, degenerate, ruthless, hitman is after him and the FBi is protecting him because the mob boss said "I want Israel dead." So if this movie is true to Hollywood form, I should walk out of the movie rooting for Israel and feeling sorry for it, um him, Israel, Buddy Israel.

Hey, does that mean that Israel is my Buddy?

Am I reading too much into it? Is this just coincidence?
The film really doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the state of the Middle East but in the film Israel is being violently chased by neo-Nazis, assassins, the mob, and bounty hunters.

If anyone has a review of the film, please share. I don't think I can watch it. It's not that I may not enjoy the film, but right now reality and fiction are too friendly.

I've heard some bizarre things lately; like Izrael sending poison ballons into South Lebanon and Izrael banning Za3tar in Palestine and Izrael spreading toy-like grenades all over Lebanon. When you hear these things the thought of "being too bizarre to be real" kicks into your head and you dismiss it, however, truth is stranger than fiction.

I may not be an expert on every fact, but I will never rule out anything.

Can you really ban Za3tar?
(if you have articles on any of these topics, please share)

Contentment is more valuable than Happiness

I almost slipped into one of those alternate universes that circulates but never collides pulling myself back before I did and no sooner did that I did regret not having taken advantage of this occasion to venture into the exploration allowing apprehensive its full reign. My time here is limited and uneventful, without incident due to the submission to the worry of consequence. I am just playing out my role but not as it was meant by the part written in the play written for me. Now I’m just nervously pacing the same trail hoping that world opens hoping I’d be audacious and be content to slip.

Dearborn morning (before the snow)

This is for those (elbint elcanadiya and everyone else) who miss DBN.
It is still here and still the same and the same and the same...
well, except for the Panera Bread and the Caribou Coffee and the Cigar shop
and so on and more of the same....

The State of the Union

Well, it seems that whenever Arabs get together and agree upon something democratically or decide on positive change the world gets involved to break it up in favor of chaos and instability and violence, forcing wedges between us...and we let them at times happily submitting to the barbaric instinct, then the world sits in comfort and luxury smug in their success.

rejected; juried into submission

my first attempt into a juried photo exhibit was unsuccessfull and uneventfull, no feedback.














transient photos 2007

Forced Migration

this is a video I made for an group art exhibit last year. (no audio).

Hiking the Smokies

Although I'm not sick of winter (it's been eerily mild so far)
I am in need of a road trip. I wish I were hiking the smokies again.

Winter garden care

My neighbor finally gave up and let go of summer and admitted it was winter, by covering his prized fig tree.

How do you become a non-smoker?

The following is not your typical post, but one that I must post...

I've been wanting to quit smoking for years. For cost reasons, for health reasons, for many reasons. But I've never had success.
I know people weaker than me who have quit cold-turkey, didn't work for me.
I know people who quit slowly, I tried that, but always returned to a pack-a-day.
I know people who have quit with the patch, I smoked while wearing it.
I know people who quit with the gum, it tasted nasty so I spit it out and lit up.
I know people who quit with hypnosis, that's a joke, would never work for me.
I know people who quit through exersize, that for me just gets the nicotine circulating through my blood and makes me want to smoke again.
But I also have known many people to die from smoking and I must quit. I just need to find what works for me. I'm already two weeks past my new year's resolution and still smoking. Maybe the problem is that I like smoking.

Anyone have suggestions? Does anyone want to quit as well? How about a blogger-ex-smoker support group?

My last cigarette was Tuesday January 16th @ 10:30am.

Critical Mistakes

So to fix it 21,500 more troops will be sent (for now, I'm sure there will be more later) and Billions more dollars spent. (must equal more death and destruction).

So, how does it end?

Riddled with Riddles

photo by transient

So farewell. Farewell mindless misery.

Another year has ended.
This one has taken its toll more than most for me.
So to bid farewell to the year is not sorrowful.
A year full of tragedy and death.

The summer began with the death of my younger brother.
It took me a couple of months to learn how to breath again, but not well enough to talk about it.

Then the War on Lebanon, more death. It made me start blogging, (I wanted to blog about my brother as a memorial and for therapy, but couldn't type the words. I may later)

Thankfully the War part is over even if other tragedies continued with fall out, spoils and ordanances left as explosive reminders.

So i'm happy to leave 2006 behind, I'll never forget it, but I'm glad to leave it.

so what will '07 bring? Will we finally know some peace? Will '06 look good in comparison?