Malaysian authorites arrest the wrong people, inflict another blow to human rights on behalf of China

While I never intended for this blog to focus so much on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, this stuff is just so crazy and hard to believe, I just can’t ignore it.

In yet another ridiculous and offensive incident involving the Olympic torch relay, according to a Yahoo! News article (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080421/ap_on_re_as/olympic_torch), Malaysian offcials arrested a Japanese family for displaying a Tibetan flag and a “Free Tibet” banner along the torch relay route. The article also says a British woman wearing a shirt with “Free Tibet” on it, as well and a Buddhist monk, were also detained.

As if that weren’t enough to understand why I describe this as ridiculous and offensive, what is really absurd is that the Japanese family was physically assaulted by Chinese nationals and while the Japanese family was arrested for their non-violent protest, apparently not one of the violent Chinese nationals was detained or arrested.  Thankfully, no one was hurt by the Chinese nationals’ attack.  Unfortunately, the same, of course, cannot be said for human rights and humanity.

Yet one more reason to boycott Beijing.

Oh, the irony (or, How quickly John McCain forgets)

I was doing some Goodsearching (www.goodsearch.com) of John McCain and stumbled upon an MSNBC article from January 2007 in which John McCain describes Americans as “frustrated and angry” (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16484446/).  This is the same John McCain who criticized Barack Obama a couple weeks ago for saying Americans are “bitter.”  I don’t know how McCain sees it (and I think it’s apparent even he doesn’t know how he sees it), but there is a very fine line between “frustrated and angry” and “bitter.”

Not that I’m pro-Obama (or, for that matter, pro-Clinton), but I am definitely anti-McCain and I don’t like hypocrisy.  The man has shown he has a poor understanding of economics, as well as a poor grasp of his biggest campaign issue, the war in Iraq (does he understand yet the difference between Sunnis and Shiites?).  Furthermore, he has demonstrated repeatedly a willingness to sell out his principles again and again if he believes it will give him a political advantage.  Now, it is apparent to me that he also has a poor memory (actually, I knew of that a while ago) and possibly a shaky grasp of the English language.

Support Humanity, Boycott Beijing

In more depressing and offensive 2008 Olympic news, Nepalese police and soldiers have been authorized to use deadly force to prevent protests of the ascent of Mt. Everest by the Olympic torch, which is being carried to the summit by Chinese climbers.  This came to my attention this morning, when I saw it scroll across the bottom of my TV screen on a local news channel’s (New England Cable News) news ticker.  Yahoo! News reports (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080420/ap_on_re_as/nepal_olympic_torch) “police and soldiers ‘have been given orders to stop any protest on the mountain using whatever means necessary, including use of weapons,’ Nepal’s Home Ministry spokesman Modraj Dotel said, adding that the use of deadly force was authorized only as a last resort.”  And while the article also states that soldiers and police will try to use nonviolent means to discourage any protests, it then adds it is “unclear if the protesters would have to attack or become violent before force was authorized.”  Furthermore, regarding events in Nepal in the past week, the article points out “the United Nations and international rights groups have criticized Nepal for using what they say is excessive force to stop the demonstrations. Police have beaten protesters with batons and dragged them through streets while detaining them.” (emphasis added)

What the hell is going on?  How can those of us who pride ourselves in living in supposedly free, democratic nations continue to turn a blind eye to these outrages?  Why does it seem the governments of the world’s nations are more concerned with not hurting China’s feelings than they are with human beings’ freedom and safety?  How can my own country, which has been deluding itself with the idea we are bringing freedom to Iraq at the point of a gun, just go on ignoring China’s deplorable behavior?  Has the human race really become so collectively morally bankrupt?  Sadly, it seems so.  Please excuse my digression, but screw China!  Sorry, but I had to say it.

Another part of the article states that the torch’s ascent of Everest, the world’s highest peak and part of the border shared by Tibet and Nepal, is “meant to highlight China’s rising economic and political power.”  It would have been more appropriate for the torch to travel into Tibet’s Yarlung Tsangbo Valley, the world’s deepest valley (17,657 feet at its deepest point according to the 2005 Guinness Book of World Records), or Nepal’s Kali Ghandaki Gorge, the world’s deepest gorge (21,000 feet deep, again according to the 2005 Guinness Book of World Records) (http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question71258.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorge, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali_Gandaki), to highlight the depths of China’s moral depravity.

Whether you’re an athlete or a spectator, if you care at all for humanity, you will not participate in the Beijing Olympics, either as a competitor or a spectator.

Support humanity, boycott Beijing!

Where the hell are our priorities?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the summer Olympics in Beijing and I have to say I’m shocked and disappointed at the lack of athletes speaking out against China’s human rights abuses.  Maybe I’m just naive (or maybe I missed it), but I can’t believe more athletes have not made any statements regarding this.

Personally, I always watch the Olympics, both winter and summer.  I don’t only watch the sports I know and love, but I watch the sports I don’t know anything about and, frankly, just don’t get or think are weird (curling, anyone?).  However, this summer I’m boycotting the telecasts because of China’s continued support of the genocide being waged in Darfur, as well as their continued occupation of Tibet.  A lot of people in the US like to call our country “the leader of the free world”.  Well, I’ve always thought of that as bullshit  (for one, shouldn’t the “leader of the free world” be elected?), but our participation in this summer’s Beijing Olympics will just prove it.  We’re willing to turn a blind eye to China’s human rights abuses so we can go be kissy-kissy with them and pretend everything is just fine.  We’re talking about GENOCIDE, for crissakes!!!

Now, I’ve heard people say the Olympics are about sports and politics shouldn’t be mixed with sports.  To that, I say not so fast.  The Olympics are about a lot more than sports.  In fact, I would say sports are actually secondary.  The main attraction and and idea behind the Olympics, as I’ve always understood and been led to believe, is to celebrate the international community.  Why else would we have these big-production opening and closing ceremonies which focus not on the sports, but the many countries and cultures that are being represented by the athletes?

I understand that many, if not most, athletes who compete in the Olympics have dreamt about it and trained for it almost their whole lives and many get only one shot.  It only stands to reason that they would be heartbroken if they lost their one and only chance at fulfilling their dream and I would truly feel sympathetic.  But let’s weigh that heartbreak with the heartbreak of a child in Darfur starving to death because aid workers can’t get to them due to armed militias waging genocide against whole villages of people, or Tibetans who have no country anymore because China decided that Tibet is part of China and enforced its will through violent means while the rest of the world at most released tepid rebukes of China and, otherwise, looked the other way.  It’s no contest.

If the purpose of the Olympics is to foster a sense of international community through the spirit of friendly competition, which it is, we cannot, as human beings, go to Beijing with clear consciences.  How do you celebrate the international community coming together when the host country is working so hard at destroying any sense of safety, security and even humanity for so many human beings?

You can’t.

I really wish the United States, as well as all other countries which consider themselves free, would boycott the 2008 Summer Olympics.  Short of that, I wish (more than) a few athletes would at least stand up and make principled, if difficult, decisions to stand against genocide and human rights abuse and choose for themselves not to participate.  To do anything else is to enable China and, by doing so, we are all guilty.

With all that said, if anyone knows of any athletes I may have overlooked who have come out and made a real stand against China’s human rights abuses, please let me know.  Maybe I can write something about that later.

GO RED SOX & BRUINS!!!

Tonight is a big night for a lot of Boston sports fans, with both the Red Sox and the Bruins taking on their biggest rivals.

The Red Sox face the New York Yankees in Fenway Park in the third and final game of the first Sox-Yankees series of 2008.  Friday night, the Yankees won the first game, 4-1.  Last night, in a game that featured an over 2-hour rain delay, the Red Sox answered with a 4-3 win.  Tonight is the rubber match of the series which promises to be a great game.  Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-0, 1.47 ERA) will start for the Red Sox against Phil Hughes (0-1, 5.00 ERA) of the Yankees.

As for the Bruins, they face the Montreal Canadiens in what is an essentially must-win Game 3 if the first round of the playoffs.  The Bruins dropped the first game, 4-1, and were thoroughly outplayed by the superior (I hate to admit it) Canadiens.  At times during Game 1, the Bruins looked like a minor league team.  Game 2 was a different story, with the Bruins coming out hustling, playing aggressively and outplaying the Canadiens almost the whole game.  Unfortunately, while the story of Game 2 was different from Game 1, the outcome was the same, with the Canadiens taking a 3-2 overtime victory after the Bruins lost their discipline and took some ill-times and ill-advised penalties at the end of the 3rd period and in the opening minutes of overtime.  The result was an overtime Canadiens win when Alex Kovalev scored a shorthanded goal to win the game 2 minutes and 30 seconds into overtime.  To add insult to injury, it was the Bruins’ thirteenth straight loss to the Canadiens, going back to the 2006-07 regular season.  It will be tough, but the Bruins must win tonight if they hope to get back in the series.  If they can come out aggressively again and maintain their discipline and composure, I think they can do it.  Thankfully, they return to Boston for Game 3, so hopefully the friendly home crowd will help.

GO RED SOX!!!  GO BRUINS!!!

On a side Boston sports note, congratulations to the Boston College Men’s Ice Hockey team, who beat Notre Dame last night in the National Championship game, 4-1.  My fellow Boston sports fans, we are in the midst of a golden age which doesn’t come often, so make sure you appreciate it.

A smorgasbord of poisons and potions

This is my first post on my first blog.  I don’t really intend to focus on any one topic or subject, so I’ll just say a little about myself and some of my interests, likes and dislikes so anyone who stumbles upon this might know what to expect.

I’m a guy living a few miles outside of Boston, Massachusetts.  I’ll be 35 in about 2 1/2 months and I have lived in Eastern Mass my whole life.  My parents are divorced and also live in Mass, as does my one sibling, a younger sister.  I have a cat who I absolutely adore and live with a roommate who I’ve been friends with sine junior high school.  I work a pretty boring desk job in Boston, but the people I work with make it worth going in each day.  I’ve been a vegetarian for a little over 11 years and stopped eating eggs and dairy last June.

My interests include music, politics, sports, movies, reading and, of course, writing.  I love animals and spending time with friends.  One of the main reasons I’m starting this blog is because, lately, I feel like I have a very limited creative output and over the years, I’ve written less and less.  I’m not getting any younger and it’s time to break out of the slump.

Some of my dislikes (Why start with the dislikes?  To end on the positive stuff, of course!)…

• George W. Bush (should be tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity)
• Dick Cheney (ditto)
• Republican ideology
• Most of the Democrats in DC
• The three remaining major presidential candidates
• New York Yankees
• Most organized religion
• Racism
• Homophobia
• Sexism
• Bigotry
• Cruelty
• Animal Abuse
• Child Abuse
• Victimless Crimes
• NFC East, except one team (see below)
• Pittsburgh Steelers

Some of my likes/loves…

MUSIC – I like a lot of different kinds of music.  Rock, metal, jazz, folk, blues, jambands, bluegrass, pop.  I also love live music and going to concerts.  Some of my favorite bands/musicians (in no order) include:

• Opeth(my favorite band right now)
• Ani DiFranco (my favorite singer/songwriter and the one to whom I owe the credit for the title of this blog.  More on that in a few…)
• Bob Marley (very close 2nd fave singer/songwriter)
• Yahuba Garcia
• Jen Kearney & the Lost Onion
• John Coltrane
• Lamb of God
• Pearl Jam
• Grateful Dead
• Children of Bodom
• Jack Johnson
• Tori Amos
• Kalmah
• Megadeth
• Ben Folds
• Mastodon
• Allman Brothers Band
• Derek Trucks Band
• The Roots
• Herbie Hancock
• Alison Krauss + Union Station
• Brad Paisley
• Bela Fleck & the Flecktones
• Billy Joel

I’ll stop there, because I could go on and on.  As you can tell from this fairly short list, my music tastes range pretty far and wide.

POLITICS – I have to admit, there hasn’t been a lot to like lately.  As you can already tell from some of my dislikes, I definitely lean left, but don’t really feel very represented by many of the Democrats currently in Washington.  I do like and admire Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Henry Waxman of California.  From Mass, I’d have to say Barney Frank and Edward Markey top my list.  One other thing to like is the fact that the Bush Administration has less than a year left…let’s hope they won’t do too much more damage.  I like the Green Party, but at this point think it would be easier to try to cange the Democratic Party than elect the Greens to major office…though, that won’t be easy, either.

SPORTS – My favorite sport to watch is baseball.  I also like watching NASCAR, basketball, football (American), ice hockey and tennis.  I like to play tennis and rollerblade when I can find a partner (not all that often) and I like to work out and run, though lately I’ve been a bit lazy and need to work on my motivation.  Favorite teams (and driver) include…

• Boston Red Sox
• Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
• Boston Celtics
• Dallas Cowboys (sorry Patriots)
• Boston Bruins

I’m also a casual fan of the UConn Men & Women’s basketball teams.

MOVIES – Favorite movies include….

• Gandhi
• Lord of the Rings Trilogy
• Star Wars (original trilogy)
• Contact
• Dazed and Confused
• Aliens
• Jaws
• The Descent

READING – Most of the books I’ve been reading lately are non-fiction having to do with politics, current events, history and society in general.  I also enjoy horror, suspense, sci-fi, fantasy and those books that defy classification but are about seemingly ordinary situations which have extraordinary twists and turns and have something to say about the human condition or life in general.  My two favorite fiction books are To Kill a Mockingbird, Contact, The Hobbit and The Lord of the RIngs .  I’m not sure I have a favorite non-fiction book, but one that comes to mind that I read in the past year is Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years by David Talbot.  I also remember really enjoying Charlie Wilson’s Warby George Crile, which I read 3 or 4 years ago.  Aside from books, I enjoy reading Mother Jones magazine, The Progressive magazine, www.crooksandliars.com, Rolling Stone magazine, Revolvermagazine  and Sports Illustrated sometimes.

So, like you can see, I have a lot of things that interest me, make me happy, piss me off, make me think or just catch my random attention and it will probably all get mentioned at one point or another.  Also, as you can see, I can be a little wordy at times.  I promise most posts will not be anywhere close to this long, but hey, it’s my first post, so give me a break!

In closing, as mentioned before, I got the title for my blog from Ani DiFranco who released a double CD in 2001 with one disc titled Revelling and the other titled Reckoning.  I wasn’t really sure what to name it and all I really knew was that I would be writing about so many different things, some that would cause ‘revelling’ and others that would be a kind of ‘reckoning’.  It’s difficult to come up with a specific title for an unspecific blog.  I was originally going to use the title of this post (a paraphrased song lyric, also lifted from Ani) as the title of the blog, but it seemed a bit long.  Anyway, can you guess what song it’s from?

Well, if you lasted this long, thanks for reading!  I hope I can come up with stuff that keeps you interested and coming back.