There's a Good Snake

For three weeks now a cobra, yes, a COBRA, has been on the loose in west end Toronto. YIKES! Even though I live in the east end of Toronto, this story always gives me the creeps when I hear about it. Apparently the cobra is a reclusive reptile which mostly dines on small animals such as mice. It is also, ahem, capable of killing a man or even the occasional woman within four hours. But it won't bite unless provoked. And who the hell knows what may or may not provoke a cobra...hell, I'm still trying to figure out what provokes my wife!

So anyways, the cobra escaped from a venomous reptile afficianado. The Globe and Mail has a good story on the snake and the effect its having on the neighbourhood where it now lives. Maybe. No one has seen the the little bastard in a few weeks.

Knowing that you, my two loyal readers, would be interested in more info. on cobras, I have found a site with a Cobra Quiz.

Nice snake, nice snake.

What Am I Reading Now

"This companion volume to Frank Herbert's 1965 science fiction classic collects manuscript material, correspondence and cut chapters related to Dune as well as previously published Dune-related short stories coauthored by his son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson. Particularly interesting are texts related to Dune's publication, including letters, reviews and press releases that acknowledge the dizzying scope of the ambitious novel."-- Publisher's Weekly

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I don't often read The Walrus but after this last issue I will be keeping my eyes open. The article which initially attracted me to the October issue was Gerald Caplan's article entitled, "The Conspiracy Against Africa." As I flipped the pages I came accros Sarah Hughes' photographs. Here's the introduction from The Walrus:

"This past summer, Sarah Hughes travelled to Halifax, Quebec City, Victoriaville, Toronto, and Winnipeg to photograph women in two outfits of their choosing — the first one “comfortable and safe,” the second “attractive and sexy.” She then invited each of her subjects to talk about these dual identities."

What a great idea! The photographs shed light on dress, self-perception and the ridiculous amount of time we all spend on how we present to the world. In the case of women the extra twist of sexuality and safety adds a whole other dimension.

Sudan Orders Jan Pronk to Leave Country

New York Times
By WARREN HOGE

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 22 — Sudan’s government ordered the chief United Nations envoy out of the country today, saying he was an enemy of the country and its armed forces.
...
Victor Tanner, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advance International Studies who returned from Sudan a week ago, said the blog’s references to defeats suffered by the Sudanese army had caused a furor there.

“Comments on the disarray that seemed to be reigning within the Sudanese armed forces was an amazing thing to see in the blog of a U.N. official,” he said. “Refreshing but wild.”
...
In what has become a tense standoff with the United Nations, Sudan has adamantly refused to accept the deployment of 22,000 United Nations soldiers and police officers despite public outcries over the increasing danger to the residents of Darfur.

Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, has characterized the United Nations plan as an American-inspired plot to recolonize his country and plunder its oil, and he has threatened to attack any soldiers sent to Darfur.
...
At the United Nations in September, Mr. Bashir said the reports of deaths and displacements in Darfur were “fictions” spread by international aid groups and Jewish organizations to raise money to benefit Israel.

And commenting on the international campaign that has arisen to try to end the violence in Darfur, he said, “Those who made the publicity, who mobilized the people, invariably are Jewish organizations.”

Fouad Ajami

I first noticed Fouad Ajami during the Iranian Revolution. (Wikipedia also carries an extensive article on Ajami). He was a mainstay on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather at the time.

Ajami is eloquent, sharp, incisive and learned. His opinion cannot be ignored, but lately I have come to have my doubts about the Lebanese-born American university professor. He is a staunch supporter of the Bush presidency and its hawkish agenda. To get a taste of his lyrical writing style read his tribute to Bernard Lewis in the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal.

Now I come upon an article on the Foreign Affairs web-site entitled, "The Falseness of Anti-Americanism." You may have to register to view this article for free or you can go to the"wired new york" web-site for a copy of the same article.

This article highlights for me the ridiculous lengths to which Ajami seems to go to interpret almost all American actions as benign. Is it any wonder that he is the darling of the Bush administration. "Condoleezza Rice has been known to summon him to the White House for advice." "(Wikipedia)"

Like him or not I just can't help reading his stuff. Judge for yourself.

That's Henry With an "H"

Lisa, finally found the poet we spoke of...it’s HENRY Dumas...not Alexander Dumas.
Below is the wonderful book I read almost more than a decade ago and still remember.


Knees of a Natural Man: The Selected Poetry of Henry Dumas

Here’s a link to a good website:

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/744

Rest Your Eyes

Stupid Beautiful Lies

I happened across a blog written by a truly gifted person entitled, Stupid Beautiful Lies.

Excerpt from said blog follows below...author of Stupid Beautiful posted a bunch of questions sent to him by his readers:

Stupid, where have you been? Why don't you post that much anymore?

It turns out that I've been asked to be a lead opinion writer on a new national publication that is set to launch this fall. As a result, I've been busy helping said publication get rolling and have had less time to devote directly to writing. The good news is that once said publication is launched, all of my writing that appears there will also be syndicated here. So Stupid Beautiful Lies really isn't dead, but rather I am simply evolving into my next natural manifestation as a writer. As for the identity of the publication, I'll give you a hint. It's not the National Post.

And there it is. I hope I've answered a few lingering questions, and have helped edge many of you back from the edges of your seats. While the seven of you regulate your breathing and pass the time until my resurfacing, I encourage you to get out and take in what's left of summer. Take down those Stupid Beautiful locker pin-ups, and perhaps even try to remove me from your nightly prayers. God blesses me automatically anyways, as I have established an inside deal.