Machiavellian . . .

. . . terror



(from wikipedia.com)
"Machiavellianism", is a widely used negative term to characterize unscrupulous politicians of the sort Machiavelli described in The Prince. The book itself gained enormous notoriety and wide readership because the author seemed to be endorsing behavior often deemed as evil and immoral.


(from The Hidden History of 9-11, Edited by Paul Zarembka)
". . . It is vital in a democracy to question the state's own account of itself - to engage in what I call, oppositional theorizing.  Rather than accepting the official story of 9-11, which contains so many unsatisfactory elements, the left ought to theorize the attacks on New York and Washington from an oppositional standpoint. "Citizens are free . . . so long as nothing is hidden from them. Thus, they must watch, surveil, expose and reveal" (Dean, 2000, p. 16).  Sadly, the established left has done the opposite. Respected left commentators have embraced a radicalized version of the White House 9-11 account of September 11. (sic)  Claiming the attacks are payback for globalization exposes the left to charges of supporting terrorism.  Even while denying stereotyped views of Islam, the left hardly doubts bin Laden's "cartoonish parody ... [of] Muslims as angry and violent" (Gusterson, 2004, p. 144).

The left embraces a distorted notion of political violence that sees it as an understandable response of the weak to provocations of the powerful.  Yet, what I have called Machiavellian state terrorism is a common feature in history.  Acts of terror are vulnerable to manipulation, and far more likely to be a weapon of state rulers and their agents, than the oppressed masses.  As a legitimized protection racket, the state may be tempted to inflict harm secretly on its own citizens in order to achieve unpublicized but highly desired goals.  Rival power holders may find it inconvenient to confront lies which help maintain the current regime.  This is likely the case with September 11, which provided American power a convenient excuse to conduct ware on Afghanistan and Iraq that had been planned well before.  The left abjures conspiracy theory (while enabling the official bin Laden story) but oppositional theorizing - questioning government and looking for connections between events, perceiving the world "to be organized beneath the surface" (Sturken, 1997, p. 77) - is a critical feature of what it means to be vitally active in the political universe. . . "

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet

Serious ?. . .

When seeking advice on a serious topic, it only follows that you approach a "serious expert" on said topic.   DOESN'T IT??!!


(from http://townhall.com/columnists/larryelder/2012/07/26/yes_guns_kill_but_how_often_are_they_used_in_selfdefense)
" . . . Asked by a London news anchor about America's gun culture, Ice-T said: "Well, I'd give up my gun when everybody does. Doesn't that make sense? ... If there were guns here, would you want to be the only person without one?"

Anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Channel 4 News: "So do you carry guns routinely at home?"

Ice-T: "Yeah, it's legal in the United States. It's part of our Constitution. You know, the right to bear arms is because that's the last form of defense against tyranny. Not to hunt. It's to protect yourself from the police."

Anchor: "And do you see any link between that and these sorts of (Aurora-type) incidents?"

Ice-T: "No. Nah. Not really. You know what I'm saying, if somebody wants to kill people, you know, they don't need a gun to do it."

Anchor: "It makes it easier, though, doesn't it?"

Ice-T: "Not really. You can strap explosives on your body. They do that all the time."

Anchor: "So when there's the inevitable backlash of the anti-gun lobby, as a result of this instance, as there always is--"

Ice-T: "Well, that's not going to change anything. ... The United States is based on guns." . . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet

Beer . . .

Brewer’s Alley was located on what is currently South Court Street. Beer Production ceased in 1901 when a large fire consumed the brewery of John Kuhn, who was the last in a long line of brewers to occupy space along the banks of Carroll Creek. For over 153 years, from the very beginning of Frederick County, Brewer’s Alley was a fixture in the social and economic landscape of Frederick. Ninety-five years after leaving Frederick, Brewer’s Alley is back!

Brewer’s Alley’s location at 124 North Market Street is steeped in Frederick history. The first residents of Frederick held a lottery to raise money to build a town hall and market house on this location in 1765, which was completed in 1769. This structure served its purpose for over 100 years and was witness to the birth of Frederick as a city. The Market House spanned the Civil War, including the ransoming of the city by Confederate General Jubal Early.

Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery
124 North Market Street Frederick, MD 21701
Telephone: 301-631-0089 Fax: 301-631-1874  http://www.brewers-alley.com/
(take the elevator on the right to the 2nd floor)

and MUSIC Monday November 18, 2013 at
Brewer’s Alley Songwriters’ Showcase
Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano opens the show @ 7:30PM

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet

Oho Music . . .

[We spin on an axis as bold as love round a sun that’s alight with fire]



It’s true our time is marked by the man in the moon

Don’t walk ahead, don’t walk behind, just be my friend and walk by my side

It’s real, this life is by in the blink of an eye.



I live and I long to be Latin as beauty rebels against time

I live and I long to be Latin

The cardinal wish for the scent of the red summer rose.



We have walked the dream palace of yesterday

Where myth is truth and the proof’s hearsay

Memories disguised by the ways that we wish they could be

The drives and input are well defined

Lies rolling off dying tongues chill the soul

Chained in gold we walk a lifelong line.



I live and I long to be Latin.  I’m waiting to see my own eyes

I live and I long to be Latin

But what will I wear to the end of the world, my demise?



Upon the chipped dish the rich and pure fare of the love feast, kissing the sky

As we hold hands in a ring, the night to morning link

Contacts with the light



Be my friend, we can walk side by side

Don’t walk ahead you know I won’t walk behind

Though we stumble through our fears and tears

To the cadence and the tune of the spheres.



I live and I long to be Latin to live the fool and die the sage

I reach and intend to be Latin

To make vision real in the face of chance and circumstance

I live and I long to be Latin to take my stand against routine

I live and I long to be Latin

Where living at risk means I can see what others don’t see.

OHO
10:00PM
Bread & Circuses Bistro
Friday,  November 22, 2013
27 E. Chesapeake Avenue
Towson, MD  21286
410-337-5282
http://bandcbistro.com/

Jay Graboski, David Reeve and Ray Jozwiak are OHO
Also visit http://www.ohomusic.com

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet

Hero . . .

(from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/opinion/tendulkar-finally-retires-from-cricket.html?_r=0)

". . .But let me first be complimentary. Mr. Tendulkar, whom everyone calls Sachin, is the most revered cricketer in India; in fact, it would be entirely accurate to describe him as the most revered contemporary Indian, or even, with only a pinch of hyperbole, the most revered Indian since Mahatma Gandhi held the nation in thrall. Suspend your disbelief and think of him as a cross between Babe Ruth and Martin Luther King.

Sachin currently dominates India’s imagination even more than usual: Today, in his native Mumbai, he will begin playing his 200th test match (as the five-day version of cricket is called), when India takes on the West Indies, a once-mighty team now fallen on hard times. It will also be his last test match, for he will retire from competitive cricket after the game. As the moment of his departure looms, the country is in the fevered throes of one last, mammoth celebration, but also on the un-self-conscious brink of mourning. . . "


A Hero
©1994 Raymond M. Jozwiak




What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet

Too Many . . .

. . . Cowboys. . .

Why don't you grow up
just as fast as you can
All of your innocence
Is a flash in the pan
It's overrated you say
Tryin' to be a nice guy
It's so much easier this way
So why even try
Too many cowboys

Everyone's watching
So you think all the time
Maintain the image
But it's all in your mind
What's so damned special about
Being hard as a nail
Banishing subtlety
Sets yourself up to fail
Too many cowboys

Just too many cowboys
Not quite enough men
Who will listen
Rather learn than
Only just pretend

You wear a big hat
It's a Stetson of course
Chew some tobacco
Take a ride on your horse
You've got some buddies I see
Just a little hard-boiled
They've got some dirt on their hands
They all dabble in oil
Too many cowboys

Can't say you're sorry
Can't say you're wrong
God is on your side
He's been there all along
It doesn't matter to you
If they're hurt or they're dead
You've been above it so long
I'll stick by what I said
too many cowboys

Just too many cowboys
Not quite enough men
Who will listen
Rather learn than
Only just pretend

Get in your big truck
And just drive away
You have no interest
in the things that I say
Nor did you ever
Listen that much at all
You set yourself up
For some big kind of fall
Too many cowboys

And just like a cowboy
Just the kind that you are
Virile and macho
But without a guitar
Into the sunset you rode
And the credits did roll
Not a regret did you feel
But you've taken your toll
Too Many Cowboys

Just too many cowboys
Not quite enough men
Who will listen
Rather learn than
Only just pretend



Too Many Cowboys
©2009 Raymond M. Jozwiak





What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet

Undead? . . .

(from Cecil Adams' The Straight Dope)
". . . Myths about the undead have been around for millennia, and the relatively harmless automata of Haitian folklore have been getting the Hollywood treatment for the past century. But the current popular concept of zombies as shuffling reanimated corpses with a hunger for humans was inarguably forged by George Romero in his 1968 film Night of the Living Dead. For decades after, zombies were merely part of the fright-movie pantheon, which also included slashers, aliens, and so on. Their ascent to the top of the horror heap is quite recent. Newspaper articles in 2006 noted an upswing in zombies’ cultural presence, but in retrospect the ball had just gotten rolling. Browsing through Google search-term trends from 2004 to the present, we find “zombie” and “zombies” showing sudden increases towards the end of 2008, as does “zombie apocalypse,” with a pronounced increase in early 2011. Meanwhile, searches for “ghost,” “witch,” “werewolf,” “demon,” “vampire,” and variants thereof stayed relatively flat.
What accounts for the heightened fascination? Theories abound:

1. Decaying corpses are horrifying. Get out, all monsters are horrifying. That’s why we call them monsters.
2. Decaying reanimated corpses are really horrifying. This gets closer. The scariest moment of my postcollegiate moviegoing experience was watching the Terminator come back to life, or whatever it is homicidal robots come back to after they’ve been to all appearances annihilated and you’re getting ready to head for the toilets.
3. “Zombie narrative presents us with a postcolonial consideration of identity and power, which allows us to challenge social and cultural hierarchies and power structures.” Please, professor, save it for the faculty lounge.
4. Let me throw in my own theory: If not zombies, then what? Vampires? Vampires have been the alpha pop-culture monster for at least 46 years. (See Barnabas Collins, Dark Shadows, 1967.) But let’s face it, the vampire = decadent sex metaphor, notwithstanding its ongoing box-office success, is surely running on fumes. We need zombies because they are relatively fresh.
5. Another hypothesis is that zombie films are more common when the U.S. faces war or societal upheaval. My assistant Una has charted 492 zombie films by year of release from 1910 to the present; she finds modest annual production until a spike of 15 zombie flicks in 1973, followed by fluctuating but fairly high output till 2003, when zombie filmmaking went through the roof. The 1973 jump coincides with Watergate, and I suppose 2003 might be a delayed reaction to 9/11, but more precisely it’s the year we invaded Iraq. Not to harp on this, but was there ever a time when we were more desperately in need of brains?
6. Paging through the scholarly journals, we find claims that zombies are a Marxist metaphor for the human face of capitalist monstrosity, or tap into a latent desire for racial violence, or somehow are connected with Hurricane Katrina. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet