wNaked News
In which my articles, poems and random thoughts will appear. See also my website at stewalbert.com


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wSaturday, November 12, 2005


My central website is http://hometown.aol.com/stewa/stew. For information on Stew Albert's new book --"Who The Hell Is Stew Albert?" go to http://www.redhen.org/stewalbert.htm or Amazon.com. If you want a signed copy get in touch with me at stewa@aol.com Most of my movie reviews written during the period of my Hep C chemotherapy appear at: http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/stewreviews.html Thank you Third Page And if you want to book me for a speech, you can contact the Yippie Speakers Bureau via http://yippie.mindvox.com
--------


Renewal

Everything cracks up
nothing isn't worn out by gravity and contradiction
but what remains and resides
tells the story.

Neocon revolution crashing into a wall
of its own construction,
lights going on
hope reviving
but the residue of Reactionaries
blocking the road,
ruling over courts and contrarions,
only vision can clear a path
but where is it hiding?
-----

Day In The Life -- I've been getting good mail about my poem Biology. It appeared here a few days ago and is in the weekend CounterPunch. It's all about Kansas and the teaching of evolution. Since I made a little fun of the place, it's nice to be getting some friendly e-mails from Kansas. For those who are curious -- No -- I have not yet heard from Dorothy. (As you may know, Oz followed a different pattern of evolution and Lions and perhaps other animals developed the ability of speech.)

I made a chicken dish where the sauce is a mixture of orange juice, lemon juice, honey and hot peppers. You also toss in a dozen Kumquats. The cookbook calls it Israeli chicken but I never ate anything that good in Israel.

---

We saw the remake of The Longest Yard, the film that centers on a brutal football game in which a team of prisoners takes on a team of guards and it's all manipulated by a sadistic warden who is using the game to become governor of Texas. Adam Sandler takes on the old Bert Reynolds role of the star quarterback who fell into disgrace for shaving points. While Sandler is not as physically convincing as Reynolds, his enthusiasm makes up for what is lacking in football player size. And Bert himself joins the team, he's still in the joint, as its coach. All the action takes place in Texas, the home of George Bush and capital punishment.


posted by stew at 11:29 AM


wFriday, November 11, 2005


My central website is http://hometown.aol.com/stewa/stew. For information on Stew Albert's new book --"Who The Hell Is Stew Albert?" go to http://www.redhen.org/stewalbert.htm or Amazon.com. If you want a signed copy get in touch with me at stewa@aol.com Most of my movie reviews written during the period of my Hep C chemotherapy appear at: http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/stewreviews.html Thank you Third Page And if you want to book me for a speech, you can contact the Yippie Speakers Bureau via http://yippie.mindvox.com
--------


Happy Time

Rove's seen smiling
again
hatching happy plans
no more hiding,
there is new bounce in his step
observers wondering
what chemicals are in his body.
---


Members Of The Wedding

When Al Q
blows up a wedding party
in a five star hotel
moral outrage dominates media meditations,
the bride had such a sweet smile,
how heartless our foe
how justified our cause.

When Rummy bombs a wedding party
on the Syrian Iraqi border
and almost everyone dies,
it wasn't a real wedding party
must have been criminals creating cover
because who goes to a middle of no-where desert
for a catered event
when five star hotels are available?
How heartless our victims
how justified our cause.
-----

Day In The Life -- I got back in e-touch with two old friends who used to be the editors of the legendary Crawdaddy Magazine which I once wrote for back in the 70's. Crawdaddy was the first magazine to cover 60's rock and politics. Both guys are still writers and editors. In fact they are influential and progressive people. And one has a kid who is a NYC jazz musician. Life goes on, there are catastrophes but in this case, the news is good.
----

Intolerable Cruelty -- A Coen Brothers screwball comedy about an LA divorce lawyer played to goofy perfection by George Clooney and a highly motivated gold digger who targets Clooney for revenge and for his money. Catherine Zeta-Jones creates an almost unbreakable and irresistible web of deceit. Will Clooney take the bait? Will they live happily ever after? The conflict takes place within the larger culture of Hollywood divorce and morals so corrupt and greedy they become very funny.


posted by stew at 8:34 AM


wThursday, November 10, 2005


My central website is http://hometown.aol.com/stewa/stew. For information on Stew Albert's new book --"Who The Hell Is Stew Albert?" go to http://www.redhen.org/stewalbert.htm or Amazon.com. If you want a signed copy get in touch with me at stewa@aol.com Most of my movie reviews written during the period of my Hep C chemotherapy appear at: http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/stewreviews.html Thank you Third Page And if you want to book me for a speech, you can contact the Yippie Speakers Bureau via http://yippie.mindvox.com
--------


It's Only A Test

Friction and time wearing out gears
of movement
and rambunctious life
revealed by cold and calculated testing
of testicles and other parts,

by painful probes into narrow holes
by sensitive parts squeezed into shocking pain,
it's torture forbidden by Geneva
but I having nothing to confess
except I'm getting older.
-------------

Day In The Life -- I went in for medical tests yesterday and today. One of the doctors was the guy who administers the Hep C clinic. He told me my recovery from Hepatitis C was a genuine long shot (back then, he gave me a 30% shot at a cure) and that I had advanced liver damage on the brink of adanced liver disease, for sure. I'm definitely one of the lucky ones. He said I must be doing something right. But what? If I knew, I would package it and hand it out in the streets.

------
Arnold wanted to run California via referendums. To hell with compromising with other elected officials and with unions. He and the people (the volk) had a mystical bond formed in the movies and the gyms. Hitler ran the Reich through referendums and did away with elected officials. and unions, it's an old Austrian trick but it's no longer working for Mr. Olympia.


posted by stew at 10:12 AM


wWednesday, November 09, 2005


My central website is http://hometown.aol.com/stewa/stew. For information on Stew Albert's new book --"Who The Hell Is Stew Albert?" go to http://www.redhen.org/stewalbert.htm or Amazon.com. If you want a signed copy get in touch with me at stewa@aol.com Most of my movie reviews written during the period of my Hep C chemotherapy appear at: http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/stewreviews.html Thank you Third Page And if you want to book me for a speech, you can contact the Yippie Speakers Bureau via http://yippie.mindvox.com
--------


Biology

In Kansas,
High School teachers are required
to question the soundness of evolution,
maybe an intelligent designer
from Planet Pluto created George Bush
just to get even with Earth scientists
for saying Pluto wasn't a planet
cause it couldn't bark at Mickey Mouse,

maybe the Wicked Witch Of The North
created Cheney to kill Toto
for barking at Republicans
cause we're not in Oz anymore?
---
I got an e-mail requesting that I do a telecommunications conference with a high school class in Pennsylvania about the 60's. In a week I'll be visiting a local high school class and doing a 60's rap. I do it every year -- and more and more I find myself talking about the present and the horrors of George Bush. It's amazing that a few young people are actually interested in what I have to say. The period I discuss happened over 35 years ago and has been slandered many times over and yet it refuses to go away, refuses to stop casting judgment against the war makers and exploiters. The words come out of my mouth but it's a lot more than me that's doing the talking.
----------

It seems like yesterday's off-year election was bad news for Bush and Arnold but in the long run nothing much good will come out of it if the Democrats don't develop a strong Progressive program and fight like fanatics to make it happen.
----
Most Republicans favor parental and husband notification before a girl/woman can get an abortion. The liberals say what about the fathers who practice incest and the husbands who beat their wives? Time was when the right wingers baited the liberals for being overly optimistic about human nature and perfectibility. But now it the right wingers who choose to overlook the dark side of humanity. Ah, role reversal. Ah, irony.


posted by stew at 8:37 AM


wTuesday, November 08, 2005


My central website is http://hometown.aol.com/stewa/stew. For information on Stew Albert's new book --"Who The Hell Is Stew Albert?" go to http://www.redhen.org/stewalbert.htm or Amazon.com. If you want a signed copy get in touch with me at stewa@aol.com Most of my movie reviews written during the period of my Hep C chemotherapy appear at: http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/stewreviews.html Thank you Third Page And if you want to book me for a speech, you can contact the Yippie Speakers Bureau via http://yippie.mindvox.com
--------


The Question

When did they just discover
he needed Allah's avengers
crashing into buildings
building his ratings
with rants of revenge
for climbing to the top of polls
and winning an on-the-level election?

Why did the media wait to last Wednesday
just discovering that Dubya's
only, an empty headed idiot
who can speak Spanish
but couldn't win a single amiga in Argentina
because Karl Rove wasn't pulling his strings?

Why did the NY Times march behind him into war
pretending he had more substance
than beach sand
blowing in the wind
getting in your eyes?
-----

Day In The Life -- Judy and I tried the new bar/restaurant Zaytoon. The place claims their Iraqi style hamburger might be the best in Portland. It is unusual, thick and filled with Arab spices it gets a high rating but doesn't come up to Cafe Castagna's burger which is a full grade better. We also tried a very spicy and excellent split pea soup and the humus was terrific. They show free movies on Monday night. Last night they were running the all time satiric master piece "Life of Brian." Check out this addition to Portland eating.

---
National Treasure -- Nicolas Cage plays an archeologist hunting for an ancient treasure buried by the Masons at the time of the American revolutionary war. He is the third generation of his family to devote their lives to this fruitless effort and they have all become something of a laughing stock in the academic community. But Cage actually seems close to his goal. All he has to do is steal the Declaration Of Independence. The film is fun with lots of action, likable acting and a pleasant romance. It's not as spectacular as Raiders Of The Ark, but it's a tad more believable.
----
According to the Portland Jewish Review (the local Jewish newspaper) Lewis "Scooter" Libby is Jewish. The paper even names the Temple he is affiliated with in Virginia. The funny thing about this is that nobody, even in the Bush administration knew it. Why in a regime that has so many high profile right wing Jews did Libby keep his background a secret. Is there a glass ceiling for known Jews in the Bush cabal. They can raise so high and not any higher? Maybe Libby is just addicted to secrets? And finally, is Scooter a Jewish name?


posted by stew at 9:14 AM


wMonday, November 07, 2005


My central website is http://hometown.aol.com/stewa/stew. For information on Stew Albert's new book --"Who The Hell Is Stew Albert?" go to http://www.redhen.org/stewalbert.htm or Amazon.com. If you want a signed copy get in touch with me at stewa@aol.com Most of my movie reviews written during the period of my Hep C chemotherapy appear at: http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/stewreviews.html Thank you Third Page And if you want to book me for a speech, you can contact the Yippie Speakers Bureau via http://yippie.mindvox.com
--------


Workers of The World?

Working class youth
with shot guns shootin' at cops,
while all over proletarian suburbs
burning cars
lighting up night with fury
smashin' crashin'
Big Mac's delivery system
of grease and profit
sending flaming car through front window.

Why is Paris burning?
Thirty % unemployment
Forty % lower wages
racist cops,
easy answer is
class war now!
-----------
Day In The Life -- Jessica will be coming up for Thanksgiving and bringing a couple of friends with her. That should infuse the house with an amazing dose of energy. Interesting e-mails keep coming my way, one from a guy in Canada discussing counter culture and utopia. We had some formerly frozen tomato sauce with pasta -- its something I made with our garden tomatoes. Its nice to eat it in November. I froze enough to get us well into December.

--------
We went to the movies and saw "The Legend of Zorro." Antonio Banderas returns as the masked avenger in an off beat action-mystery-comedy flick about Zorro, his marital problems and his ideals. Lots of swashbuckling action, beautiful Mexican scenery (it's not really California) and evil villains who want nothing less than to destroy our freedom loving America. Catherine Zeta-Jones makes for a great Zorro wife, they are the ultimate power couple and when they fall out even Zorro's horse takes to drink.


posted by stew at 9:08 AM


wSunday, November 06, 2005


My central website is http://hometown.aol.com/stewa/stew. For information on Stew Albert's new book --"Who The Hell Is Stew Albert?" go to http://www.redhen.org/stewalbert.htm or Amazon.com. If you want a signed copy get in touch with me at stewa@aol.com Most of my movie reviews written during the period of my Hep C chemotherapy appear at: http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/stewreviews.html Thank you Third Page And if you want to book me for a speech, you can contact the Yippie Speakers Bureau via http://yippie.mindvox.com
--------

Natural Politics

Rainy days and dark skies
and flashes of glaring sun
amidst shadows and shade
bright light exploding on spectacle of leaves
fiery red and ready to fall
before darkness closes in
and winds blow beauty away.

Praying for the light to last,
Bush bunker watch
follows similar patterns.
---

Judy and I went to Axel's birthday dinner. Jack Falk, our local Klezmer musician singer genius (check out his Sunday morning Yiddish Hour on KBOO) was there. We talked dissident politics and also old time show business. Axel seemed to be moaning his accumulation of years. Since the guy is 12 years younger than me, I hope he was kidding. It was a nice friendly evening and the salmon was great.

We finally got someone to come and clean out our basement of million year old junk. The room is empty now and waiting for another decade of broken down crap to fill its lonely space.
----

We saw the HBO George Carlin Special. He is a genius of words, stringing them together with Joycean artistry and the innocent vulgarity of a burlesque comic. His themes are about death, suicide and world apocalypse and yet a vibrant life force of energy and verve overcome the darkness of his topics and turn them into sources of humor and great fun. Carlin has entered the stand up comic's Hall Of Hilarity.


posted by stew at 10:27 AM