Gasp!

Book Review: Once a Marine by Nick Popaditch with Mike Steere

My review of "Once A Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander's Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage and Recovery"  by Nick Popaditch with Mike Steere was published in today's edition of The Birmingham News.

This was one of those books that made me wish I had more column space. In all, readers get a clear view of Marines - the training, the values, the reasons why someone would join. He makes it *understandable*, even to those people who have no family members in the service.

Anyway, Popaditch was wounded in Fallujah. He writes:

"'After the ssst, the whole world goes blinding white like I'm inside a camera flash," Popaditch writes. "Then comes total darkness and a horrible electric-sounding hum in my ears. ... The RPG -- a four-pound missile going 300 miles an hour, more or less -- hit and blew up on my helmet.'"

Read my review here.

Book Review: The Mysterious Death of Michael Jackson by Rob Simone

The Mysterious Death of Michael Jackson
by Rob Simone
Lulu, 39 pages, 2009. $10.88 paperback, $5 ebook

It's very possible that Rob Simone's book, "The Mysterious Death of Michael Jackson" is the first publication on the pop star's death. Rather than being a retrospective of  his life, Simone has written a 39-page tome on why he thinks Jackson died.

Under most circumstances, such observations or thoughts would be irrelevant. After all, the coroner has yet to speak. The toxicology reports haven't come back. 

Rob Simone is a Los Angeles talk show host. He discuss all subjects on his show, including the unexplained. Leonard Nimoy, Janeane Garofalo, Charlie Sheen, and former CNN anchor Cheryll Jones have appeared on his program. Simone has connections in Hollywood, and he's outside the mainstream media. Not a bad thing these days.

Simone alleges that Jackson had a condition called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disorder which can show up in young adulthood. It can cause early-onset emphysema. If it becomes severe, it may require a lung transplant.

Though he says his source is a doctor who treated Jackson, Simone is not the first person who made this claim. Ian Halperin made similar statements in an interview with In-Touch magazine. The Jackson camp denied that Michael had a health condition.

After further describing the disorder, Simone pieces evidence together media reports of Jackson's doctor visits. He believes that Jackson wore a surgical mask in public because he had this genetic disorder.

Simone believes that this deficiency, along with an addiction to prescription painkillers, is what caused Jackson's demise.

Considering the fast turn-around time of this book, anybody would have low expectations. Perhaps Simone is just trying to make a quick buck off a dead man. But there are two things that Simone does well: He doesn't disrespect Jackson and he shatters the veil of silence. For too long, people around Jackson were silent. If he was addicted to painkillers, then that silence only enabled him to continue.

The people around Jackson were doing him a disservice. Many times, family and friends of addicts would prefer the addiction to continue. Stoned and drunk people are far easier to manipulate and control. Like many other cash-cows and idols, Jackson had far too many leeches glued to him.

I strongly suspect that Simone has had pieces of this booklet in his back pocket for a while.It feels more like a radio show than a book. That's not a bad thing. After all, the guy is a radio show host. And this booklet might help satisfy grieving fans who are beginning to crave answers. If Simone is right about the genetic disorder, it will cast a whole new light on the life of Michael Jackson.

For more info on Rob Simone's show

"The Mysterious Death of Michael Jackson" by Rob Simone, available in print and ebook editions on Lulu. 

Farrah Fawcett's Early Life

It's hard to believe Farrah Fawcett is gone. Stranger still, to look through newspaper archives and see her life before she went out to Hollywood. If you are lucky enough to access the Corpus Christi newspapers, you occasionally glimpse old pictures of Farrah.

• October 28, 1959: The cheerleaders of St. Patrick's School Shamrocks, in green and white costumes, will lead the yells at 2:30 p.m. Saturday when their team meets the 'eleven' from Our Lady of Sorrows. Farrah is the one on the far left.
  
• February 14, 1965: Farrah is voted the most beautiful girl at Ray High School annual favorites dance.
  
• April 1, 1965: "Four W. B. Ray seniors will be honored at a punch party from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at 352 Palmetto. Hostesses will be Mrs. Louis J. Wehmeyer and Mrs. Edward P. Thomas." Farrah was listed as a member of the house party.
  
• May 17, 1965: Farrah is listed on the permanent honor roll at Ray High School.
  
• April 2, 1967 in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times: "Miss Farrah Fawcett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Fawcett, the Cliff House, left Saturday for Acapulco. She will spend her ten-day spring vacation from the UofT with classmates in Mexico. She has been named Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps sweetheart at the UofT. Mrs. Fawcett will join the group in Acapulco Monday."

• July 3, 1970: An ad for the film Myra Breckinridge, playing at National Twin I in Corpus Christi lists Farrah as one of the stars, along with Rex Reed, May (sic) West and Raquel Welch.

• August 30, 1970: "The Houston Astros seek a new "Miss Astro" to represent the ball club today in final ceremonies at home plate at 1:30 p.m." Farrah and Kristina Allen, each a former Miss Astro, received movie contracts. Clearly this position is a stepping stone.

• January 23, 1973: From Dorothy Manners: "I was on their first date together so it is of particular interest to me that Lee Majors and Texas beauty Farrah Fawcett, after five years of togetherness, will be married on June 28th. Both are doing very happily in their careers as well as in private life. Farrah recently appeared in "The Great American Beauty Contest" (20th-Centurty Fox) and Lee is finishing a pilot, "Cyborg," about an astronaut.

• March 15, 1974: On an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man, airing at 8 p.m. in Corpus Christi: "Seems Steve (Lee Majors) is assisting the first female to go into space as an astronaut. She is played by Farrah Fawcett Majors, Lee's wife. There is a problem in space, so they must rendezvous at Skylab. Turns out Steve is no longer .invincible up there. Some good effects,  realistic dialogue and science editor Jules Bergman as himself to add authenticity."

We tend to remember life in moments rather than spans of time. When I think of my life in San Francisco, I think of walking down Market Street in the late afternoon, dodging pigeons and homeless people. I remember the crisp air and  slanted sunlight on brick buildings. It's spooky to think that when I die, I might feel all that again, for one more fleeting moment.

Farrah's death is a reminder of a lost world. Maybe it's hit me harder because of my Dad's recent death. I've spent a lot of time lately, considering death. What  happens when we die? The more I think about it, the less I'm inclined to think of time as a rigid construct. I'm also thinking that the live people are less alive than the dead.

On Collecting Rock and Psychedelic Music Posters

I've never thought of collecting psychedelic rock posters. It sounds cool, though. Like pulp fiction cover artists, I wonder if these creators knew that their work would be featured in museums like the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Glen Trosch from Psychedelic Art Exchange explains why some people are just now getting involved with collecting posters: "Most of the new players are educated professionals that are highly successful in their chosen field. They are sick and tired of seeing their net worth wildly swing up and down on a weekly basis. They are very excited to discover affordable high-end art that is ultra rare and historically important."

Read the rest of the interview on his site.

Book Review: Ghost by Fred Burton

Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent
by Fred Burton
Random House, $16, 288 pages, Released: June 9, 2009

"The bodies fell out of the sky and plummeted into a shepard's field. A Greek peasant, minding his flock of sheep, discovered them battered and smashed almost beyond recognition. Before this horrible day, the trio had been a family: one grandmother, one daughter, one infant granddaughter. These were terror's latest targets."

Fred Burton served in the Diplomatic Security Service, part of the Department of State. From the mid-80's to 1998, Burton investigated terrorism acts against the United States. He advised the government on ways to protect assets and personnel. Burton also shuffled world leaders around town, protecting them as they met with American officials or appeared at public events. In his memoir, "Ghost" he remembers with stinging detail both the perpetrators and victims of terrorist attacks.

Burton takes readers by the hand, leading them a variety of events. Making calls on a scrambled, high-security phone system, he becomes familiar with Oliver North. We see Terry Waite, hostage negotiator, asking to speak with Oliver North on the phone.

"I look at the number. It is a direct White House line. I glance down at the STU-III and wonder what I should do next. Something doesn't smell right here. Why is Waite tied in with the NSC? Is Waite the administration's go-between with Hezbollah? I thought he was working on behalf of the archbishop of Canterbury."

Later, we learn: "Terry Waite was just a cover for the real negotiations,ones that treated each hostage as capital that the Iranians and Hezbollah could use to buy TOW missiles."

 Burton investigated the death of Pakistani President Zia, and provides evidence on how the KGB took his plane down. He also discusses Ramzi Yousef and the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, and how he assisted in the capture of Yousef.

These episodic stories are structured in a whodunit form, fraught with tension. Burton describes his own role with humility. He is not heroic in these stories. Rather, he presents himself as a public servant who cannot forget the innocent men and women who have been killed. It is reminiscent of "Dragnet", except in this case, the protagonist has more personality.

Burton makes certain that readers identify with the victims of terrorist attacks. It will be difficult to forget the sad details of the attacks, along with the sociopathic mentality of the terrorists. While presenting new information about historical events, Burton manages to involve readers emotionally. "Ghost" is a compelling book.

DVD Review: Dance Off The Inches: Country Line Dance with Amy Blackburn

My review of Dance Off The Inches: Country Line Dance with Amy Blackburn was published in today's edition of The Birmingham News.

"From the moment Amy Blackburn says, "Hey, y'all!" you know that "Dance Off the Inches: Country Line Dance" will be a hoot. Armed with an infectious smile and a super-short denim skirt, Blackburn makes fitness a whole lot of fun. "

Read the rest. ¶

Bill Bonner's address to the Class of 2009

Bill Bonner from the Daily Reckoning, gives a fabulous view of the screw-job that the college graduates of 2009 are facing.

"The luck of one generation is the curse of the next. Like Pericles, your parents inherited a dollar; they leave you a peso. They took over the strongest, richest, most competitive nation in the world. And like Pericles they minded everyone’s business but their own."

Announcement for Screenwriter/Director Award

My friend Karla forwarded me the following message, which I have dutifully cut and pasted below.

The deadline to apply for the first ever JT3 Artist Awards is fast approaching!  JT3 Art is seeking aspiring screenwriter/directors who demonstrate talent, passion, work ethic, and a deep-seated need to make art, but have room to grow and need this grant to help make that growth possible. Applicants must be residents of Brooklyn, NY.  At least one $2,000 JT3 Artist Award, and one or more grants under $2,000 will be awarded.  The deadline for applications is June 22, 2009.  More information on the awards program can be found at www.jt3art.org.

The Foundation's History:

Jesse and Judith Thompkins launched The Jesse Thompkins III Foundation for Young People in the Arts (JT3 Art) in memory of their son, an aspiring screenwriter and film director, who died on August 3, 2008 in a traffic-related accident in Brooklyn, NY.  JT3 Art will invest in the development of emerging artists who best embody our namesake's tenacity in the pursuit of their artistic passion.

Art has the ability to revitalize and enrich world culture, yet emerging artists are often compelled to choose between advancing their artistic endeavors or supporting their basic needs.  Too many talented individuals have to give up on their dream before they have a chance to take flight.  We want to help change that.  Our goal is to assist these individuals so they can devote more attention to developing their artistic gifts.

Book Review: Suture Self by Leo Cullum

My review of "Suture Self: A Book of Medical Cartoons" by Leo Cullum was reviewed in today's edition of The Birmingham News.

An excerpt:

"People will recognize Cullum's drawings. His cartoons have appeared in The New Yorker since 1977. His work relies on the juxtaposition of normalcy and the ridiculous.

For example, a doctor tells the Scarecrow from 'The Wizard of Oz': 'We can do a brain transplant but you seem to have become a big celebrity without one.'"

Read the rest.

Book Review: X Saves the World by Jeff Gordinier

When Generation X was first marketed to twenty-somethings back in the early 90's, no one I knew identified with the term. Just out of college myself, I resented the implication that all of us could be lumped into one tidy category. We're not a group. We're individuals.

 

We decided that Generation X was a marketing scheme to get us to buy something. Buy the clothes, the lifestyle or the ideas. After all, corporatism moved the world. Fuck that.

 

I now know that Generation X never identifies itself as Generation X, and the fact that I refused to be lumped into that corporate culture term means that I'm uber-Generation X.

 

Follow me?

 

My generation refuses to identify itself as a generation. We don't wear pants that splay the word "juicy" across our asses. That kind of tackiness is best left to the Millenials. We've also left them alone with  their lip-syncing singers and blond chick narcissists.

 

We don't need to have our self-esteem propped up by receiving a trophy for participating. We believe trophies are meaningless if given to everyone.

 

It's safe to tell you that Jeff Gordinier thinks the same thing. His book, "X Saves the World" dives straight into the issues of being sandwiched between the Baby Boomers and the magnificient Millenials. One generation drones on and on about how they changed the world. The other believes they are just too fabulous for the rest of us.

 

"In spite of what we've been trained to think, Generation X has done a lot already. The more the boomers talk about bringing the world together, the less they succeed at it, but a thousand Woodstocks couldn't touch what Generation X has already accomplished through the shrewd and inspired use of media and technology."

 

It's true! We're not just a bunch of slackers. Chad Hurley and Steve Chen - both Xers - founded YouTube so Xers can catalogue our favorite videos. College juniors Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson founded The Onion in 1988, making Xers laugh with it's unique brand of irony. Google was also founded by us.

 

Gordinier wants us to know that we've accomplished quite a bit in our old age. Though we'll never get trophies from the media, Xers need to be reminded that we have a reason for being here. Gordinier encourages us to find ways to change our own corner of the world. The ripples will spread outward.

 

Yes, I'm telling you to read the book.