Supreme Court rules against Bush

The Supreme Court ruled today that the administration lacked the power to hold military war crimes trials for detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Justice John Paul Stevens, who wrote the majority opinion, argued that military tribunals have been unconstitutionally concentrated in the executive branch powers usually reserved for the legislature and the judiciary. Yet Congress did not authorize military tribunals for the Guantanamo detainees and the tribunals' procedures violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the four 1949 Geneva Conventions.

Military tribunals are unconstitutional because they allowed the president and his subordinates to define the crime, prosecute the case and choose the judges who act as the jury.

Oh yeah, Klimt was good too

Gustav Klimt's five pieces at LACMA was pretty bad ass too. His most well-known and controversial piece, portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, was recently auctioned for $135 million dollars and will be displayed at the Neue Galerie in New York.

There's an opinion piece in today's LA Times that ask, assuming one can equate worth with financial value, what happened? What has made Klimt rise to the heights? Indeed, what gives any painting such a commanding presence?

I would think the price of this portrait had to do with the history of its ownership, with the Austrian government unwilling to return it to the original owner, Maria Altmann, after the Nazi's looted it from her family during the Holocaust... and how the 90-year-old Altmann has spent the last seven years fighting to recover her family's collection. But I'm sure there is a more complex back story, as the piece is considered one of the most recognizable portraits of the 20th century.

Dead Boy and I had recently discussed the value of art, and how he would love to be an art thief, because the value is socially contructed.

For Henry E. Huntington, owning "Blue Boy" was the summit of a lifetime's ambition, but for the British, it was a frightful blow, like selling the crown jewels. Before the painting left Britain, crowds stood in long lines to look at it once more, and men bared their heads. Now the painting can be seen any day of the week in San Marino, at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, and there are never lines.

Here is my favorite piece by Klimt. It is so beautiful in person!

One vote can make a difference

The Senate today fell one vote short of approving a constitutional amendment that would have enabled Congress to ban desecration of the American flag. The vote was 66 to 34. To pass, the measure needed 67 votes.

Opponents criticized the Republican leadership for devoting Senate attention to the amendment when the nation faces other serious problems, and for tampering with the Constitution's Bill of Rights in response to relatively rare incidents of flag burning.

Nice try, you Republican bitches! Now let's refocus on the NSA and actual violations of civil liberties, shall we?

David Hockney...

is my favorite artist at the moment! Josh and I went to his exhibit at LACMA tonight and it was superb. David Hockney is extremely prolific and talented in a variety of mediums, such as oil colors, watercolors, photography, chalking, etching, sketching, coloring, collages, print, etc. The majority of his subjects are portraits of his family and friends. You can tell through his work how he loves to document the people in his life, and let me tell you, he is one major socialite! He knows famous curators, poets, writers, artists... I think I would love to live Hockney's life. He is a true artist.

"Faces are the most interesting things we see; other people fascinate me, and the most interesting aspect of other people -- the point where we go inside them -- is the face. It tells all."

Below are a few of my favorite portraits from the exhibit (and ones I found easily on the web):

Sergio Mendez at Hollywood Bowl

Yes, we were there last night... rolling deep among the foul crowd and sweltering heat. Is it me or the audience at the Hollywood Bowl now are super uptight? I remember the days when the cheap seats were $2 and the crowd was made up of either immigrant families or chilled out groups of friends. Now the HB is full of adult contemporaries with sticks up their asses. And the cheap seats are now $22. It's so sad.

On a bright side though, Sergio and his bitches were on! He and his cronies played songs from his new album, Timeless.

Q-Tip was fabulous. He is a true musician and rapper. He looked like shit in his dingy white t-shirt and black jeans, with an extra 50 pounds on around his chin and belly, but he was still sweet.

Wanda made some delicious mole, though I wasn't hungry in the humidity. Joyce made some tasty sangria which I drank all night... and let's not forget her homemade bitter sweet chocolates... with Harkim bringing the secret ingredient. Food and friends were excellent, as usual. Too bad the crowd sucks dick...

Thursday Night Fever

Bizmarkie dj'ing at 20/20

What can you get with $5.15?

Not much. A worker paid $5.15 an hour would earn $10,700 a year.

Yet the Republican-controlled Senate smothered a proposed increase in the minimum wage today, rejecting Democratic claims that it was past time to boost the $5.15 hourly pay floor that has been in effect for nearly a decade.

The 52-46 vote was eight short of the 60 needed for approval.

God made all creatures

Newly elected leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said she believed homosexuality was no sin and homosexuals were created by God to love people of the same gender.

"I believe that God creates us with different gifts. Each one of us comes into this world with a different collection of things that challenge us and things that give us joy and allow us to bless the world around us."

She sounds so gay.

Go Church Lady, Go Church Lady, Go!

Happy First Day of Summer!

The Road to Guantanamo

Last night, we went to see a sneak preview of the movie, The Road to Guantanamo, at the Harmony Gold Preview House. This movie is a must-see, seriously. I highly recommend it.

It's a documentary plus dramatization, directed by Michael Winterbottom (same guy who directed 24 Hour Party People, a favorite of Dead Boy's), about three Pakastani British Muslim youths who were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and ended up as prisoners in Guantanamo Bay for three years!

One of the youths was arranged to be married in Pakistan, so his friends also journeyed to Pakistan from Britain to attend the wedding. This was shortly after 9/11, and around the time the US began bombing Afghanistan.

The boys were inspired by the sermons made at a mosque, how they should stand in solidarity with their Afghani brothers and sisters. So they decided to take a trip to the bordering country of Afghanistan for a few days to see if they could provide any assistance to the civilians. Instead, they found themselves in the midst of a bomb raid and were later captured by the Northern Alliance and delivered/sold to US forces. They remained the custody of the US Military at Guantanamo Bay without any formal charges pressed against them. They were not allowed to communicate with their family members or an attorney. They were accused of being part of the Taliban and Al Queda, and interrogated and tortured daily, despite very legitimate and easily-determined alibis. They were released nearly three years later.

In spite of the issue being extremely ripe right now, particulary with the recent suicides, you should see this movie because it was really well-made. It had a good balance of information and entertainment. In other words, it wasn't just a dry documentary saturated with script and still photos. And it wasn't an over-the-top hollywood film plagued with gratuitous violence and drama. Rather, it was a provocative film that kept you interested and, at the same time, allowed you to understand the depth of the problem without the heavy-handedness that some political films have. It was really quite good and very powerful.

I also saw myself in those boys... how they had good intentions, but were naive and unknowingly put themselves in grave danger. They were curious about what was happening in Afghanistan, and were so close to the action, they felt they had to see it for themselves, to see what the Western world was doing to this country. I can totally see myself do the exact same thing.

After the viewing, Mr. Winterbottom and a representative from Amnesty International answered questions. They were also very good. Thankfully, a woman in the audience asked, what can we do? The Amnesty woman suggested to check out their website. I just checked it out -- it's pretty comprehensive and offers suggestions for action.

The Road ot Guantanamo is showing this Friday at Sunset Five. Here's a list of other theaters around the country that will premiere the movie. Go see it. You won't regret it.

St. Francis of Assisi

Photo by DYY
Dedicated to Tonkhero, as this mural sits across from one of his favorite restaurants, Madame Matisse, in Silverlake, Los Angeles

I recall from my parochial school education that St. Francis was a quiet young man who loved animals, and they loved him right back. Apparently, they flocked to him. He was one of those dudes that would extend his finger and a bird would appear from no where and sit on it. And hum.

I think that is why doves, also symbols of peace, were painted alongside.

Of course in modern times, he would be considered an anti-social freak engaged in beastiality... since he wasn't into kids like the rest of the saints.

Britney v. Whitney

Which pop princess has fallen further from grace?

WHITNEY?

• Bad boy husband and rapper, Bobby Brown
• Money squandered by husband and on drugs
  
• Reality show: Being Bobby Brown
  
• Homely child, Bobbi
  
• Crackhead
• True ghetto side revealed
• Crackhead appearence
• Last song??
  

OR....

BRITNEY?

• Bad boy husband and rapper, Kevin Federline
• Money squandered by husband and on triple mocha lattes
  
• Reality Show: Chaotic
• Homely Child: Sean Preston
• Dumbass
• True trailer trash side revealed
• Tralier trash appearence
• Last song??
  

It's a tough call...

Poor Britney

Britney Spears' interview on Dateline hadn't triggered any interest until Dead Boy said he was shocked at how Britney looked (with her low-cut tank top, jean shorts and flip flops, covered with cheap Walmart make-up) on a national news show on primetime TV.

So we were so delighted to find the entire interview by Matt Lauer on YouTube. At first we couldn't stop laughing at her responses as she tried to defend herself against the tabloids. We laughed at the air quotes she incorrectly used at every fifth sentence. She self-identified as "country" and it was apparent that she was.

But after ten minutes, I started feeling bad for her. Instead of laughing, I began to cringe each time she used air quotes, mispronounced words, or made inappropriate comments about herself and others. Then I realized who I was ridiculing is an uneducated, socially-stunted lost soul who has been abandoned by people who truly care for her... because if they really did care for her, they wouldn't have allowed this interview to have happened, at least without preparing her on how to speak, what to say and how to look.

Since she's not making any music, I bet the people in her camp are allowing her true colors to be revealed because they are profitting from her demise. She's just another child star pimped and now pawned.

I recall when Britney Spears first entered my consciousness. It was during law school, when I embraced TV again. I had no idea that she would get so famous. And while she was super famous, I had no idea she would go down like this -- pregnant, pointless and pathetic.

Let's have a moment of silence for Britney, a fallen angel in our wonderfully cruel world of pop culture.

So they could beat her?

When Esquire Magazine's July issue asked men who they'd invite from a list of 14 notable women to a dinner party, they chose Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, over such stars as Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson.

Photos from the farm

There's our girl, Daryl Hannah.

Learn from a sister -- always keep hydrated when bitching out the pigs.

Shhhhh.... maybe they don't see us...

"Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!"

"Hey, is that a camera? How does my new baton look through the lens?"

China, Russia say "no, thank you"

China and Russia have refused to join with other big powers in threatening sanctions over Iran's nuclear program during talks at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna today.

In a further blow to US efforts to present a united front, non-aligned nations prepared a statement reaffirming Tehran's right to enrich uranium.

In your face, Condi!

Very sad news

The South Central Farmers, along with protesters and celebrities, were evicted this morning at 5 am by 50 sheriff deputies.

As of 9 a.m., about 14 people remained inside the farm, some chained under trees and others locking hands around 55-gallon drums filled with concrete. Daryl Hannah, who has been camping out in a tent at the farm, climbed up a tree when the deputies arrived. She is reported to still be up there. You go, Daryl!

Land owner Ralph Horowitz bought the land from the city in 2003 and, in recent months, has been trying to sell it off for development. A nonprofit group tried to buy the land and preserve the 14-acre farm. But it announced last month that their fundraising effort was $10 million short of Horowitz's $16.3-million asking price.

What's going to happen now? What can we do? More to come...

Duh.

The Oxford Research Group in London found that the US-led "war on terror" is increasing the risk of terrorist attacks and distracting governments from greater threats to global security, such as climate change.

The US and British governments insist there is no alternative, but "there is abundant evidence that the 'war on terror' is proving deeply counterproductive -- making the risk of future terrorist attacks on the scale of New York, Madrid or London more not less likely," it said.

"The war on terror is a dangerous diversion and prevents the international community from responding effectively to the most likely causes of future conflict," a press statement about the report said.

It suggested a different strategy focused on addressing the fundamental issues that create instability:
-- Renewable energy and conservation to counter climate change;
-- energy efficiency to combat resource competition;
-- poverty reduction programs to defeat marginalization; and
-- halting development of weapons of mass destruction to stop global militarization.

Pussy power

You may not be able to tell by this photo, but Jack, a 15-pound orange-and-white cat, chased this black bear up a tree in a backyard in West Milford, N.J. this past weekend. When the bear climbed down, the cat chased it up another nearby tree.

I don't know why but this story makes me smile.

South Central Farm

Last night, I rode my janky bike with the Midnight Ridazz again. Lady Pun and WhyJaneInsane joined us. As virgin riders, their cherries were popped with much excitement and joy. I'm so glad.

Our route yesterday included a stop at the South Central Farm at 41st and Alameda. Although I heard news here and there about the Farm, I have never seen it up close and can I tell you... it's amazing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's the skinny:

Since 1992, the 14 acres of property located at 41st and Alameda Streets in Los Angeles have been used as a community garden or farm. The land has been divided into 360 plots and is believed to be one of the largest urban gardens in the country.

The City of Los Angeles acquired the property by eminent domain in the late 1980s, taking it from nine private landowners who were letting the land waste away. The largest of these owners, Alameda-Barbara Investment Company, owned approximately 80 percent of the site had been compensated $4.7 million dollars. The City originally intended to use the property for a trash incinerator, but abandoned that plan in the face of public protest organized by the late Juanita Tate and the Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles.

As part of the eminent domain proceedings, the City granted Alameda- Barbara Investment Company a right of first refusal if, within 10 years, the City determined that the parcel formerly owned by Alameda was no longer required for public use.

Following the uprising in 1992, the City transferred title to the property by ordinance to its Harbor Department for $13 million. When it received title to the property, the Harbor Department contracted with the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank to operate the property as a community garden.

Approximately 350 families use plots at the garden to grow their own food. The families using the plots are low income and depend heavily upon the food they grow to feed themselves. In addition to growing food for themselves, the people involved with the community garden hold Farmers' Markets, festivals and other cultural events for the public at large.

After receiving the notice from the City informing them that the garden property was being sold to a private developer (to the original owners through right of first refusal, even though the property is being used by the public), the farmers formed an organization-South Central Farmers Feeding Families- and began organizing to retain their right to use the property. South Central Farmers Feeding Families appealed to the City Council to prevent the sale from going through.

The South Central Farmers were served with an eviction notice on March 1, 2006. The notice gave the farmers 5 days to vacate the premises. Within those five days, the farmers used their legal right to appeal the eviction notice by asking to have a hearing in front of a judge. Since March 7, 2006, the farmers have been in a daily state of peril anxiously waiting to see if they’ll meet their terminal fate with the South Central Farm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, a successful, self-sustainable community project that feeds the body and souls of so many poor people. Now it's all going down for private corporate interests. FUCK.

Please visit the website. Provide a donation, join the listserve and/or write to politicians to help save the farm.

Million Dollar Baby

Although it was "leaked" a day or two ago on unofficial sites, today's on-line edition of People magazine displays its $4.1 million exclusive picture of baby Shiloh. The hard copy version will be available on the newstands tomorrow.

I can't wait! First thing tomorrow morning, I'm gonna get my coffee and chill at Toshi's, the little store located in the lobby downstairs. What a great way to start the day!

Such a nasty guilty pleasure of mine!

Be very scared

Which would you choose?

One tittie or three titties?

Review of Omen

No review. Nada. It didn't happen. An omen, perhaps? More like poor planning. Mann's Theater in Culver City is never crowded or sold out... but I didn't anticipate all the teenagers on summer break who bought into the 666 hype. Damn kids.

But we still had good times. We hung out at Culver City. It's developing more and more each day... but at the end of the day, it's still Culver City, the less attractive and dumber cousin of Pasadena.

We checked out two restaurants. I wrote a review about Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken as the newest member of the blog, Grub Club. Yes, check it out. The other restaurant is called the Ford's Filling Station. What a stupid name. But, apparently, it is the IT place in Culver City. The entire restaurant, bar and outdoor patio were packed... with people who looked like they came from Pasadena, but less attractive and probably dumber.

666 in da house

After weeks of seeing that damn poster everywhere in LA (thanks to the marketing team of Fox Studios), I'm off to see Omen. I heard it was bad, but it scared the shit out of me when I watched it as a kid. Sentimentality is a bitch.

Review forthcoming...

Happy 6/6/06, you fucken dreary-ass creepy superstitious motherfuckers!

Finally

The British Broadcasting Corp. celebrated the debut of the BBC World News channel on U.S. cable systems Thursday by unveiling plans to launch a one-hour morning newscast aimed directly at stealing viewers away from the traditional network news programs and gabfests dominating that period.

Instead of the usual fluff that's become the bread and butter of such U.S. network programs as The Today Show and Good Morning America as well as Fox and Friends, the BBC's World News Today will deliver news of serious global import by drawing on the network's vast resources, including three times the number of reporters stationed around the world as CNN.

"What we're not setting out to do is carve a niche that reflects America back to Americans," anchor George Alagiah told the Associated Press. "What we're trying to do is reflect the world back to Americans."

Word.

Domain that name!

The domain names ShilohNouvelJolie-Pitt.com, ShilohPitt.com and ShilohNouvel.com, and even more variations, were snapped up by Angelina Jolie through her Los Angeles lawyer (from Lavely & Singer!) on the same day Jolie gave birth!

Similarly, SeanPrestonFederline.com was registered to Britney Spears through the firm. Unlike the Jolie URLs, SeanPrestonFederline.com was pounced on by a party other than Spears before Lavely & Singer got it back for her.

Tom Cruise's camp didn't lock up SuriCruise.com, hence the unauthorized sitecounting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter Suri comes of legal age.

I don't know why this fascinates me, but it does. Just like when Ur's husband, Peter, also an attorney, purchased domain names like PublicDefenderUSA.com, etc., despite practicing immigration law. He hopes to sell the domain names to interested parties in the future. I think the idea is pure genius, especially when purchasing a domain is so cheap (like $10 a year) and if someone wants it, they'll have to pay...

Lake Shrine

Photo by DYY

Per the request of both Blu-Tooth and Lady Simzie, BF and I paid a visit to Lake Shrine in Malibu this past weekend. It was nice and tranquil and all, but I preferred the meditation center in San Diego. The foliage and landscape were better in SD. And the koi in SD didn't seem so mutantly large and grotesque.

Speaking of mutant koi, while we continued on our trail around the man-made lake, a koi jumped up from the water several times, as if it was hooked to a fishing line... but no one was around except us. It bounced into the air several times. I told Hays it must be an omen... but whether it was a good or bad omen, who knew? I tried researching it on the web, but no luck.

Damn hippie scum messing with my mind!!

The Kims of Comedy

The Kims of Comedy is fucken HIL-arious. Totally raw and edgy. Asians, particularly Koreans, should be proud. I am.

We added this to our netflicks because of Bobby Lee, who I totally adore and would love love love to be friends with... but the other comedians were really hilarious too: Kevin Shea, Steve Byrne and Dr. Ken, who is a real doctor. He's pretty bad ass.

Bonus: Here's a Mad-TV clip with Bobby Lee and John Cho. Fucken hilarious.

Ursprache...

is the winning word for Katharine Close of Spring Lake, N.J., who won the 79th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, the first girl to win the event since 1999 and the first contestant to do so on live prime-time television, ABC.

And since it was on prime-time TV, we watched a bit of it with BF's grandparents. I must admit, I loved it! Just like how I loved Spellbound.

I was rooting for all the South Asian contestants, then the one Chinese boy from Illinois, and finally the bi-racial Asian/White girl who was second-runner up because she mispelled "weltschmerz," which essentially means a kind of sentimental pessimism.

Naturally the LA Times accurately, yet bitterly, reported an economic angle of this seemingly innocuous tale of prepubescent adolescents and their arcane words -- ABC executives hoped that the spelling bee could become the nation's newest reality TV phenomenon.

ABC wasn't alone in betting on the once-stodgy bee. Some $70,000 was wagered on PinnacleSports.com, which offered bets on whether the winner would wear glasses (nope, despite 3-2 odds), or be a boy (odds said a girl had a 5-4 chance) or be home-schooled (odds were 5-2 in favor, but Jonathan Horton of Gilbert, Ariz., last of the home-schoolers, dropped out in Round 10).

"We're building a franchise," said Andrea Wong, ABC's executive vice president for alternative programming.

Sigh... weltschmerz!

So good

I went to some house party this Memorial Day weekend and the DJ played Crazy by Gnarls Barkley. Dude, the roof was on fire.

Gnarls Barkley is a musical collaboration between producer Danger Mouse and rapper/singer Cee-Lo. Their first album, St. Elsewhere, was released by Warner Music on April 24, 2006 in the UK and on May 9 in the U.S. by Atlantic/Downtown Records

Check out their MySpace site and sample their tunes!