Kissinger Slanders Jewish Diaspora in Nixon Tapes

It has been known for a long time that German-born American political adviser Henry Kissinger has long been a fascist and communist sympathizer, one who openly rubbed shoulders and enabled war criminals in China, Indochina, Chile, and many other nations, in the process becoming a war criminal himself.  Yet, there was Kissinger advising the George W. Bush's administration, still lingering in Washington like a foul and rotten stench.  In an article published this morning in the National Post, journalist Christopher Hitchens uncovers Kissinger on the now infamous Nixon tape recordings saying “the emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy. And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern.”  I wonder how he'll slither his way out of this one...?  

West utilizes his Power beautifully

Make what you want of the outspoken and oft times controversial Kanye West however, when it comes down to  his ability to dictate the musical landscape, he is as one critic put it, "genre defining".   West is in a league of his own, just as Radiohead was when it released OK Computer in 1997 - destined to spend the rest of his career firmly entrenched in the driver's seat.

In his most recent stint on Saturday Night Live this past weekend, West delivered two powerful performances in a white set surrounded by dancers, while wearing crayola red clothing from head to toe.  The image was stunning and arguably the closest example of performance art used in Hip Hop.  West, in many ways, embodies aspects of a classical Greek God; at once lionized for his performance and demonized for his personality, which is why the metaphor of Classical Greece was so befitting a cultural icon such as himself, playing the role of the Demigod.       

The lyrics to West's song Power read:


I’m livin’ in the 21st century
Doin’ something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music

No one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
(21st century schizoid man)

The system broken, the schools closed, the prisons open
We ain’t got nothin’ to lose, ma’f-cka, we rollin’
Huh? Ma’f-cka, we rollin’
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
In this white man’s world, we the ones chosen
So goodnight, cruel world, I see you in the mornin’
Huh? I see you in the mornin’
This is way too much, I need a moment

No one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
‘Til then, f-ck that, the World’s ours

And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they (21st century schizoid man)

F-ck SNL and the whole cast
Tell ‘em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
More specifically, they can kiss my asshole
I’m an asshole? You n-ggas got jokes
You short-minded n-ggas’ thoughts is Napoleon
My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He know, he so, f-ckin’ gifted
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind but couldn’t open up my own vault
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being prodded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catchin’ up with me
Takin’ my inner child, I’m fighting for it, custody

With these responsibilities that they entrusted me
As I look down at my dia-mond-encrusted piece

N-gga, no one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
‘Til then, f-ck that, the World’s ours

And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they (21st century schizoid man)

Colin Powells, Austin Powers
Lost in translation with a whole f-ckin’ nation
They say I was the obamanation (abomination) of Obama’s nation
Well, that’s a pretty bad way to start the conversation
At the end of day, goddammit, I’m killin’ this sh-t
I know damn well y’all feelin’ this sh-t
I don’t need yo’ p-ssy, bitch, I’m on my own d-ck
I ain’t gotta power trip, who you goin’ home with?
How ‘Ye doin’? I’m survivin’
I was drinkin’ earlier, now I’m drivin’
Where the bad bitches, huh? Where ya hidin’?
I got the power, make yo’ life so excitin’ (So excitin’)

Now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go

N-now-now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go

Now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go

You got the power to let power go

This brilliantly reflexive synthesis of performance and song should be celebrated, not hated.

On the 'Playground' at Toronto's Nuit Blanche

 

Photos by Paul Eekhoff - http://www.pauleekhoffpicturelab.com/

It's been exactly one week since Toronto pulled an all-nighter for the fifth annual Nuit Blanche event sponsored by Scotiabank.   Every year at the beginning of October, art-goers and party-goers crash the metropolitan area from sunset to sunrise (7pm - 7am) in search of inspiring installations and frankly, a good time.  This year's installment drew approximately 1.2 million people out of their homes.  

 

I had the pleasure this year of assisting my partner Sabrina Richard and her friend Sara Atrvash on their public sculpture Playground (seen above) located in Trinity Bellwoods.  The sculpture, designed to invoke childhood memories and provide a reprieve from the grind of day to day adult life, was incredibly successful.  Children were clamoring to climb it, while adults lined up to  test themselves on the fifty foot long obstacle course.  Made from powder coated aluminum cylinders joined together by Euroklemp fittings, the Playground is reminiscent of construction scaffolding slung around homes and skyscrapers - only its gold.  Its precious sheen and scaffold-like structure function  poetically as a metaphor for growth, maturation, and aging, each of which progress at a fluctuating pace, up and down, with unforeseen hurdles to be met with along the way.  

Unfortunately, one of the downsides of installing - or in my case, helping to install someone's work - at Nuit Blanche, is that you invariably miss out on many of the other artworks/installations happening that evening.  Nevertheless, though tiring, installing Playground was a wonderful experience and my personal congratulations go out to both Sabrina and Sara for their beautiful work!

The Milk's Gone Bad

So we live in a generation coming to grips with the fact that nearly everything we've been eating for the past twenty to thirty years has been denaturalized and pumped with hormones, steroids, antibiotics, MSG, trans-fats, and various other forms of additives and preservatives.  Collectively, many of us are trying to reduce our dependence on these foods in favour of organic products.  While organic products are more expensive, particularly in Canada where they are not subsidized by the federal government, I cannot live with the fact that the products just do not seem to last very long.  I don't drink very much milk, but when I do buy it, it goes bad well before its 'Best Before' date.  I can't get this stuff to last 5 days, which is very frustrating.  I and Sabrina however, will continue along this path toward salvation (ha ha ha!), trying to avoid spoiled milk whenever we can.

Brett Favre demonstrates how best to seduce female NFL sideline reporters

Thanks for that demonstration Brett, what wonderful social etiquette you have!

Catch the...AIDS???

You know what they say:  Where there's smoke there's fire. 

It appears as though Roberto Alomar, celebrated Major League second baseman and soon to be Hall of Famer, is running out of chances to disprove the allegations of his ex-wife, who claimed he knowingly had the HIV virus when he had unprotected sex with her.  It is now being reported that Alomar's current wife, Maria Del Pilar Rivera Alomar, has filed for divorce on the very same grounds;  alleging that her husband "knew prior to his first sexual contact with (her) that he was HIV-positive."  If these allegations are in fact correct, it would be a devastating result for all parties and a tragic fall from grace for Alomar - one of the greatest second basemen to ever play.  Unfortunately, Alomar may soon be added to the long list of professional athletes involved in unceremonious endings. 

Lopsided federal subsidy to Quebec a common refrain

 

 

Having lived in Montreal for three years after completing an undergraduate degree in '02, I got a sense of the contempt some (NOT ALL) Quebecois have for Canadians by gauging various opinions on the federal subsidy of cultural endeavors in the distinct province.  I was dating a Montrealer at the time who was in the midst of her bachelor's degree at Concordia University and we got into an argument over the 'out of province fees' Canadian students from outside of Quebec are forced to pay to attend universities in the province.   Quebec university tuition for its residents is less than half of that which it charges to outsider Canadian students studying in the province.    While international tuition rates are common practice around the world, Quebec remains the only province in Canada to charge higher tuition to out-of-province students at all its post-secondary educational institutions.   It is an outright attack on the principles of a country in which all of its citizens should have equal financial access to a university education. 

Furthermore, the fact that tuition is so low for Quebecers demonstrates the province's belief that it is not their responsibility to fund their educational institutions, but rather, Canada's, which many Quebecois want no part of, financially or spiritually.   My girlfriend at the time, was of the opinion that Quebec's position was in some way, morally justified, and that the rest of Canada remained indebted to them -  that my angst was merely jealously.   I was not jealous however, I was upset.  Why should a four year undergraduate degree cost over $20,000 in Ontario and less than $10,000 for Quebecers studying in Quebec?

Clearly the rest of the country was (and continues to) subsidize universities in Quebec and today, the trend is continuing with the proposal for a new NHL approved rink planned for Quebec City.   Why is it that in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and even Montreal, NHL rinks were built privately, but now Quebec City is clamouring for nearly fifty percent worth of federal subsidy to build an arena for a city that does not even have an NHL team?  Worst of all, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Co. seem interested.  At all costs, I'm praying they stick a harpoon in this idea and spend the money where it might be useful.   How about lowering tuition for ALL Canadian students studying outside of Quebec?  That would be nice.

The fact of the matter is, this is a staid old game being played out here and it needs to be stopped.   For a long time now, Quebec has been able to stand on its own two feet, and it is time that it does so.  It is home to Montreal, one of the most culturally diverse and interesting metropolitan cities in North America that has raised international cultural sensations such as Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, Mordecai Richler, Pierre Trudeau and The Arcade Fire.  If the province is as truly independent as it claims to be, prove it and stop crying loup!

Bombing the Museum at the Guggenheim, Bilbao

I´ve spent the last week and a half or so vacationing in Spain with my girlfriend - a much needed break from the exhausting stress of completing my degree.

We´ve spent most of our vacation in Barcelona, but made short trips to San Sebastian and Bilbao to see Frank Gehry´s Guggenheim.  It is a truly special building and is much more of a homage to the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi than I had imagined.  The Richard Serra ´The Matter of Time´ exhibition on the main floor is one of the most phenomenonologically challenging pieces I have ever come across.  I am sure this is not news to many, as the pieces were installed along with the building in 1997, but I thought it worth mentioning since I had not ever visited Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Another challenging exhibition was the museum´s survey of artist Anish Kapoor.  Developed at the Royal Academy of Art in London, the exhibition has traveled to Bilbao and been a smash success to gallery audiences for its ingenious use of materials, machinery, and space, which go as far as to physically assault gallery walls more commonly used for hanging and honouring works of art.   Kapoor´s cannon, which violently fires globs of rich red pigment into a corner, asks us to question the very nature of the exhibition space and what it has evolved to commemorate over time. As Kapoor´s bloody red pigment smears against the walls and falls to the floor, I cannot help but wonder whether he is assaulting the history of the exhibition of historical and cultural artifacts, or more precisely, the nature of representation, which has often centered its own attack on those caught within the gaze.  His is a violent performance that shocks us into questioning the purpose of the museum/gallery and the cause of the artist.

A-ROD Ain't No Baby Ruth

To dope the racer is as criminal, as sacrilegious, as trying to imitate God; it is stealing from God the privilege of the spark.  
Roland Barthes



Is there anything Roland Barthes hasn't commented on?  In this instance, Barthes makes a very prescient observation regarding the competitive environment of athletics as it would unfold in the decades that followed.   Barthes is quoted (above) in 1964, speaking about performance enhancement in relation to athletes.  One of the reasons elite athletes are culturally revered is their 'super-human' or Demigod-like abilities; they can do things physically that the average person cannot and for this, we praise them.  They elevate the games we played as children to such great heights they become an art form, rather than mere child's play.  Most of us don't care whether our bodybuilding next door neighbour is juiced, or whether Sly Stallone injected his butt with steroids while training for Rock IV, but our sports heroes?  God forbid!


Now, let me preface this by saying I am very much not a fan of Alex Rodriguez.  Though he finally won a championship last year with the New York Yankees, for me, he is an incredible player who put his own personal/statistical accomplishments ahead of his team's success.   I believe he would have been a great player without his use of PEDs, but he abused his privilege as a professional baseball player and for that, his statistics should be documented with an asterisk.  Would George Herman Ruth be the historical figure he is today,  had he abused PEDs in the 1930s?  Imagine that, The Babe, a mere mortal.    

That's more like it.

It always seemed odd that when the Jays brought in General Manager J.P. Ricciardi in the fall of 2001, the team gradually got lighter and lighter - yes, I'm talking about skin colour.  Though he was forced to trim payroll during his tenure, Ricciardi nevertheless reduced his Latin American scouting budget down to six figures (in baseball terms, that's a pittance), and sometimes - according to Ricciardi's former lieutenant Keith Law - withdrew money from that budget to pay signing bonuses to American college players.  To the best of my knowledge, the only baseball player drafted by Ricciardi during his tenure that was not White, is Ricky Romero; the current ace of the Jays' starting pitching staff.   Now, I have nothing against college players.  When they become draft eligible, they're generally more advanced in the development and therefore, easier to project as players, unlike high schoolers who are more raw, but present a higher potential to become stars.

After jettisoning the future core of the Jays middle infield in Felipe Lopez and Cezar Izturis (both Latin American), Ricciardi let All-Star Carlos Delgado walk in 2004.  He also traded African American Orlando Hudson after the gold glove second baseball jokingly called him "a pimp" in reference to his fancy suits.   My detractors may point to the signing of African American center fielder Vernon Wells as proof that Ricciardi wasn't preferential to White players however, Wells' contract was more the result of then President Paul Godfrey's insistence then Ricciardi's.   Other than African American Frank Thomas, I don't recall Ricciardi signing any players of colour during his eight year reign of incompetence.

What I am getting at is the fact that since Ricciardi was fired, the new Jays regime - under young G.M. Alex Anthopolous - quickly began drafting and investing in players from diverse backgrounds.  They are plowing moneys into scouting staffs in Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican.  They acquired African American Fred Lewis off waivers from the San Francisco Giants, just traded for Yunel Escobar, are keeping Jose Bautista, signed Cuban shortstop Adieny hechavarria, etc...   It's a new Jays philosophy that markedly different from that of the previous regime and harkens back to the Jays of the 80s and 90s who were stacked with Latin American All Stars like Tony Fernandez and Roberto Alomar.

In an article written by Toronto Star baseball columnist Richard Giffin, he talks with Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston about the culture change in the Toronto clubhouse:

Gaston has also been impressed with the changing culture in the clubhouse, going from solid, stolid, bland and boring to diverse, vibrant and multi-cultural. 

“It’s good to see,” Gaston smiled. “You’ve seen it the other way. (This is) the way it should be. We’ve got a good clubhouse in there....

I'm NOT going to come outright and say Ricciardi was (or is) a racist, but his drafting record is suspicious at best.

Let's hope the new Jays regime stays the course and develops a championship caliber roster that is as diverse as the city it is home to.

BACK, finally!

Hello everybody (if anybody is out there at all...),

My sincere apologies for the extended absence.  I've finally submitted my thesis paper and after a requisite week's rest, I'm looking forward to contributing to Defending Champions on a regular basis for the foreseeable future.  

Losing Iraq

Today, the New York Times published a video piece about Iraq's Modern Art Museum.  Since the war began, the museum's been left to rot, along with all the 20th century Iraqi artworks it houses.  If it doesn't get any financial aid, much of the country's 20th century artistic and cultural heritage will be lost.

Semenya Normal After All; Shame on the IAAF

It appears as though the 'restraining order' placed upon South African runner Caster Semenya will be lifted in the coming days.   Semenya was suspended from competition in 2009 when IAAF officials ordered her to undergo controversial gender exams to determine whether she was indeed 'female' after dominating her competition as an 18 year old with above average race times at the world track and field championships in Berlin last year.   The entire process has just reeked of both racism and sexism.  Can you imagine Semenya being suspended for performing well if she was less physically developed, or if she had blonde hair and blue eyes?  Semenya passed the doping tests at the time, which would have revealed abnormally high levels of testosterone if she were a cheat - it should've ended there.  But, Sydney's Daily Telegraph broke with a story that the 800m champion had "internal testes" and had neither a "womb" nor "ovaries."  The story caught fire around the globe, completely undermining Semenya's accomplishment, turning the young woman into some kind of museological freak show.   Of course, because she's Black and a woman, how could she have possibly achieved a record time without some 'otherworldly' justification?  The IAAF should be ashamed for the cruel manner in which they have handled this entire affair.  Given their history, it's not surprising in the least.

TODAY is last day to see DEFENDING CHAMPIONS!!!

Today is the very last day to see my Defending Champions exhibition.
I'll be at the gallery all day on Saturday June 26.  Come see it if you haven't already had the chance!

Image Works Studio II
80 Spadina Ave., suite 209  (in the very deserted Toronto G20 zone....it's so peaceful down here!!!)
12pm-5pm

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has come to see the exhibition.  It's been great seeing you all -- merci beaucoup!!!

m

They did need Super Mario...

As it turns out, my prediction came true.  The Azzurri flubbed another match and are gone from this 2010 World Cup championship with a whimper.  Uninspiring attack, except for Naple's Fabio Quaglierella, and a very porous defense was enough to send the 'defending champions' home!   That miserable collection of strikers sure could have been improved by the likes of a Super Mario Balotelli.

Is anybody else attending the funeral?

Do the Italians need Super Mario?

The 2010 World Cup is underway and the Italians, playing in the very weak Group F, nearly lost their opener against Paraguay, if not for an errant miscue by the Paraguayan goalkeeper.  What was readily apparent about the 2010 edition of the Azzurri is that they came as advertised.  They're slower than they were in 2006, when they won it all, and less gifted offensively.   While the midfield remains incredibly solid with Daniele De Rossi planted in the middle, captain Fabio Cannavaro looks slow paced, and the starting strikers looked timid.  Though he's only 19 years old, the very explosive and skilled Balotelli brings all the key elements that the Italians lack up front.  While most claim Super Mario was rightly left off the squad due to his volatile personality, those critics should ask themselves how they might react at 19 with thousands of fans, and opposing players (see the vicious attack AS Roma midfielder Francesco Totti delivered on Super Mario), slinging racial slurs their way.   Though it's very early, all I know is that after watching Italy eek out a tie today, I don't care how old or 'volatile' Super Mario is, it sure seems he would've been worth the risk.  

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS exhibition!!!

 

Come check out my thesis exhibition DEFENDING CHAMPIONS as part of Ryerson's University's DOC/NOW Documentary Media MFA festival.

Details:

Toronto Image Works: Studio 2 Gallery (80 Spadina, Suite 209)

Mon-Sat 12pm-5pm 

email me at mlosier@ryerson.ca for more info or check out www.docnow.ca

A Long Time Coming...DEFENDING CHAMPIONS the thesis exhibition is UP!!!!

Okay okay, I know.   How long has it been?  Five, six, weeks?  Yes, the last few months I've certainly been neglecting this post and I apologize to all of you (that is of course, if anybody is actually reading this).  I've been working day and night, pulling the pieces together for my thesis exhibition,  Defending Champions:  African-American Athletes and the Anthropometric Playing Field.  Opening night came and went Thursday June 10th and it was an amazing turnout.  Must have been at least 250 people passing through.  The show is running until June 26 inside Toronto Image Works Studio II at 80 Spadina Ave.

Here are some images from the very arduous install;  I'll be posting some images of opening night by tomorrow hopefully.    Stay posted 'cause I'm back!

 

LOS Phoenix SUNS

 Grant Hill (left) and Steve Nash (right) in their new jerseys.

As a demonstration of solidarity with the Latin American community in Arizona, the Phoenix Suns will become 'LOS PHOENIX SUNS' in their Game 2 playoff tilt against the San Antonio Spurs.   Suns owner Robert Sarver ordered the new threads this week and is using them to make a political statement in defiance of a new state law signed last week by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer which specifically targets Latin American labourers in the state.  The new law "makes it a misdemeanor for immigrants to be in Arizona without proper documents and allows police officers to request proof of status if there is a "reasonable suspicion" that the person is in the country illegally."  It was designed by politicians to help curb the stream of illegal Latino immigrants into the state.   University applicants have also been boycotting Arizona Colleges in protest of the prejudicial law.  Good for Sarver and LOS SUNS, I hope they keep these uniforms on and stick it to Brewer and the state with a lengthy playoff run.

Philly Fan Tasered at Ball Game

Intriguing thinking on Nike's part

Anybody who's seen Nike's new ad featuring Tiger Woods can immediately sense its unconventional marketing approach.  The commercial features narration by Woods' late father Earl, whose vocal likeness to his son's is unmistakable, and uses the parental figure to allude to both the golfer's very public indiscretions and his psychological makeup.

It's a reverse tactic on Nike's part.  In many ways, the ad further exploits Woods' behaviour as a means to promote, well, Tiger Woods.  It's also shrewd and well played, since Woods' currency as a 'refined' public personality -  his past life -  has run out.   It'll be interesting to see how the public responds to it.  To me, it's engineered to a tee; not unlike the material promoting Woods before his legendary public meltdown.  "Woods the man" has always been controlled and calculated, much in the way that "Woods the professional golfer" has taken to the links.  His public persona has always been manicured.  What this commercial makes abundantly clear is that press conferences with the crying, confessions and hugging (of sponsor representatives!!!) are very much part of the act as well.  It started with the shirtless tough guy photographs that Annie Leibowitz took of Woods for Vanity Fair, produced prior to the debacle and released afterward, and takes us to this point with Nike.   Good times or bad, Woods will remain a sculpted figure in the media, it is who he is.   

Neo-Nazi Afrikan Group fires warning shot at World Cup 2010

Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging logo

 Eugene Terreblanche

As promised, problems have already begun for World Cup 2010 organizers as The Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), a South African White-Supremacist group formed in the 70s, is threatening racial violence at the tournament after their leader Eugene Terreblanche was murdered.  Terreblanche formed the group in reaction to former South African Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes Vorster's liberal views.  Strangely, Johannes was pro-Apartheid.  I guess Terreblanche was seeking a more visceral control of the state from the country's leadership post.

81 Days before Kickoff

With 81 days to go before the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa kicks off, hotel arrangements have not yet been made for the football squads...  Disorganization indeed. 

Stay tuned to Defending Champions for coverage leading up to the event.