For Corinne

As promised: The midfielder of Sweden's national soccer team, Freddie Ljungberg, as a sexy underwear model for Calvin Klein (more here).

Bush is inspiring, part I

"I think this is the worst government the United States has ever had in its more than 200 years of history. It has engaged in extradordinarily irresponsible policies not only in foreign policy and economics but also in social and environmental policy." (George A. Akerlof, Nobel Prize laureate, in an interwiew with the German news magazine Spiegel in July 2003)
As upsetting the Bush administration might be it is also inspiring for filmmakers. Beside Michael Moore's highly expectated film "Fahrenheit 9/11" (which will open in the U.S. theatres June 25) there are a dozen other political documentaries rushing into theaters before the presidential election, according to a great article in the L.A. Times. With few exceptions, the projects criticize the Bush administration. These movies likely will reach wider audiences, faster, than political documentarians ever have. Some say the filmmakers are stepping into the breach left by journalists who have failed to ask hard questions out of fear of appearing unpatriotic (study in pdf). - My personal must-sees: "Uncovered: The War In Iraq" and "The Hunting of a President", the insightful documentary about the right wing’s war against Bill Clinton.

Netherlands and Italy: legends on the decline

Euro 2004 Update: I can't believe it. The Netherlands lose against Czech Republic 2:3 and only have a slim chance to advance to the quarterfinal. I guess I have to stop dreaming of the Dutch soccer legends from the Word Cup team in 1974. In addition: What's wrong with the Italian team which I used to like? Their performance in the tournament was below the expectations so far (their first two games both ended with a lame tie). Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni is grilled for defensive tactics, but he says his players are just tired . From what? Plus: The biggest surprise of the tournament: Greece.

L.A. - "capital of the soccer nation" USA

Did you know? Soccer is almost as "hot" in the United States as it is in Europe. According to L.A.'s magazine City Beat there are more soccer aficionados in the U.S. than ever before. Soccer is picked as No. 1 sport by 4,9 million Americans (that's 66% more than in 1987) and is the second most popular U.S. team sport behind basketball. The article call Los Angeles as the "capital of the soccer nation" USA because almost half of L.A. County’s 10 million residents regard soccer as a first sport. That's great. But why do I have to hire Detective Philip Marlowe every time I look for live coverage of the Euro 2004 championship on American television?

T-Shirt contest for presidential campaign

Funny idea. A new website, Designs of the White House, calls on every American "with a conscience, a mouse, and a good idea" to send in his/her designs for a better John Kerry 2004 Presidential Campaign T-shirt. Among the categories: Best Pro-Kerry Shirt (positive spin, no mention of Bush), Best Anti-Bush Shirt (negative spin, must mention Bush, Funniest Shirt, Best Get Out The Vote Shirt.

The increasing popularity of Weblogs

Time magazine asks: Why are more and more people getting their news from amateur websites (a.k.a. weblogs/blogs)? The answer: Because they're fast, funny and totally biased.

Sell-out of Gold's Gym

Darnet. My workout, Gold's Gym, has been swallowed by a corporate giant. TRT Holdings which made its fortune from Texas oil and gas holdings and owns the Omni hotel empire, has agreed to purchase the privately held fitness chain for $160 million. TRT's pan is to "pump up the company further". Great. There goes the legendary company where Arnold Schwarzenegger started his career as a bodybuilder - before he became a movie star and California's Governor. My favorite sports hang-out has always been the "headquarter" in Venice, where it all started. Gold's founder Joe Gold opened this gym on Hampton Drive in 1965. Gold, a bodybuilder, also helped put the muscle on the legendary "Muscle Beach"(photos, history) in Santa Monica, the birthplace of the modern fitness movement.

L.A. - the city of language diversity

Los Angeles County is among the most linguistically varied swaths of territory in the United States. 39 language are spoken in this area. (language map of the USA by the Modern Language Association)

Age doesn't matter anymore

I finally read this great piece in the Los Angeles Times of last Sunday about new life expectations beyond age limitations, the abundance of the old klischees of an fulfilled existence and the reinvention of adulthood.
Excerpt: "As recently as 50 years ago, the path of adulthood was linear: After getting an education, most people expected to work, marry, have children, then retire and die. But as feminism, technology and medical advances transformed, well, everything, from average life spans to professional expectations, every age group encountered a greater range of options. Marriage and children could be postponed, maybe forever. Careers and mates could be tried and abandoned. Education, dating, endurance sports, sexy clothes and rock 'n' roll weren't just for the young. And what was young, anyway? Today, you are how you look, how you feel and what you do. (..) Age no longer defines our limits, who we are, or the choices we can make." - Right on! (Interesting, subject-related book "Mapping Your Life Across Time")

The origin of yodeling

Have you ever wondered where and how yodeling began? Here's the real version....
Many years ago a man was traveling through the mountains of Switzerland. Nightfall was rapidly approaching and he had nowhere to sleep. He went up to a farmhouse and asked the farmer if he could spend the night. The farmer told him that he could sleep in the barn.
As the story goes, the farmer's daughter asked her father, "Who is that man going into the barn?" "That fellow is just traveling through," said the farmer, "and needs a place to stay for the night, so I told him he could sleep in the barn." The daughter said, "Perhaps he is hungry." So she prepared a plate of food for him and then took it out to the barn.
About an hour later, the daughter returned. Her clothing was disheveled and straw was in her hair. Straight up to bed she went. The farmer's wife was very observant. She then suggested the man was thirsty. So she fetched a bottle of wine, took it out to the barn, and she too did not return for an hour. Her clothing was askew, her blouse buttoned incorrectly. She also headed straight to bed.
The next morning at sunrise the man in the barn got up and continued on his journey, waving to the farmer as he left. When the daughter awoke and learned that the visitor was gone, she broke into tears. "How could he leave without even saying good-bye," she cried. "We made such passionate love last night!" "What?" shouted the father as he angrily ran out of the house looking for the man, who by now was halfway up the mountain. The farmer screamed up at him, "I'm going to get you! You had sex with my daughter!" The man looked back down from the mountainside, cupped his hand next to his mouth, and yelled out: "LAIDTHEOLADEETOO!!"
(More yodeling history, audio of a yodel).

Clinton's autobiograpy already a bestseller?

Former President Bill Clinton's memoir is set to become the best selling political book this year, based on advance orders and estimates from booksellers. The autobiography "My life", published by Bertelsmann's Alfred A. Knopf, comes out Tuesday with a first printing of 1.5 million in what is expected to be one of the biggest publishing sensations in years. It is almost certain to outsell his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton's autobiography, published last year. Clinton received a reported $10 million advance for his 957-page book.

Great fun at the LACMA Party

What a great evening it was "Overnight Tiki Till Down Party at the LACMA. Great art exhibitions, cool music, funky people, relaxed atmosphere, yummy drinks and great performances (see pictures). We dropped dead after midnight so we unfortunately missed the screening of the surfing documentary "Riding Giants" (trailer) by Stacy Peralta (the director of "Dogtown and Z-Boys", the great movie about the skate/surf culture in the L.A. beach scene) which was shown at 1 AM. Note to Leslie: I really love that we became members of LACMA Muse - can't wait for the Matisse/Renoir exhibition in October which we'll be able to see for free.

Britney: Second marriage for real?

What? Britney wants to tie the knot again? I hope her injury is not mental..

LACMA Overnight Tiki Till Dawn Party

Party! Party! Party! Tonight we are going to the "Overnight Tiki Till Dawn Party" of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The event lasts from 7 PM to 7 AM and includes a free access to two art exhibitions, live music concerts, film screenings, encounter with local autors, barbecue and a tiki bar. We are so there...
Note to Leslie: We really should consider to join "LACMA Muse", the "dynamic membership group for art enthusiasts in the cutting edge". The exclusive engagements for its members includes happenings at LACMA and around town, including Late Night at LACMA, the Muse Art Walk, special film screenings, lectures, curatorial walkthroughs and more. The museum does really a great job to get people interested in art - and it has great exhibitions coming up, too!

Chile finally honoring Neruda

One of the biggest poets in the world (and one of my favorites), Pablo Neruda, finally gets honored by his home country. Famous for his love of the sea, Nobel-winning poet Neruda (poems) wrote in his landmark book "Canto General" that he wanted to rest for eternity next to his stone and wood cottages in this hamlet on the Pacific.
"Comrades, bury me in Isla Negra
before the sea that I knew, to
each rough space
of rocks and waves that my
lost eyes
will never see again."
Instead, Neruda was hastily interred in Chile's capital, Santiago, when he succumbed to cancer two weeks after his friend Salvador Allende was deposed as president in a bloody 1973 coup. Soldiers ransacked one of Neruda's homes, then surrounded the mourners at his funeral procession. The speeches at his graveside were the last act of public protest allowed by Chile's new dictator, General Augusto Pinochet.
Nearly two decades later, Chile's new, democratically elected president asked his "special events" director, Javier Egaña, to supervise Neruda's exhumation and reburial in Isla Negra. Thousands lined the roads and tossed flowers on the poet's flag-draped casket as it passed. Now Egaña is working around the clock on a new task: officially incorporating Neruda, whose communist beliefs didn't endear him to the conservative establishment that has dominated the country since Pinochet's coup, into the pantheon of Chile's national heroes. Neruda died September 23, 1973 at the age of 69. His three houses in Chile, La Chascona in Santiago, La Sebastiana in Valparaiso and Casa de Isla Negra in Isla Negra are open today as museums.

For Leslie

Our wedding poem - by Pablo Neruda.

Pro-Bush groups rally against "Fahrenheit 9/11"

Conservatives have mobilized a letter-writing campaign and crafted ads that slam Michael Moore’s new documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” (trailer). The movie which won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, attacks President Bush's rationale for the war in Iraq and accuses him and his administration of manipulating the 9/ 11 terror attacks and fostering fear for political gain.One of the organizations rallying against Moore is Move America Forward, a pro-Bush group that evolved months ago from the letter-writing campaign that led CBS to drop its controversial TV movie The Reagans. Another independent conservative group, Citizens United, is crafting video ads for television and the Internet that slam Moore. The liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org is trying to counter the conservative campaign with mass mailings asking members to "pledge to bring their friends, relatives and neighbors" to “Fahrenheit 9/11” on opening night of the theatrical release on June 25.

France encounters strong Croatian team

Euro 2004 update: European Champions France has to be satisfied with a tie (2:2) after dramatic encounter with the strong team of Croatia. Switzerland loses against England (0:3) .

9/11: A unarmed cargo plane as America's reaction

The 9/11 commission has found that the Pentagon's domestic air-defense command was disastrously unprepared for a major terrorist strike on American soil. Its report says confusion, a series of miscommunications and missteps plagued federal officials on that day, so there was apparently no opportunity to do any intercepting if the possibility existed. Some of the commission's major findings:
- Officials in Washington had difficulty in establishing secure communications with President Bush, who was in Florida at the time of the attack.
- Vice President Dick Cheney, in a secure, below-ground White House facility, mistakenly thought U.S. warplanes had shot down two aircraft.
- When Cheney finally realized that the U.S. were under attack he authorized military jets to shoot down any planes headed for Washington. But the order did not reach pilots until the last of the four hijacked planes had crashed.
- The Federal Aviation Administration failed to notify the military that one of the four planes had been hijacked.
- The FAA incorrectly told the military that the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center was still in the air after impact.
- The confusion meant only an unarmed military cargo plane could be diverted to track the plane. The cargo plane located Flight 77 but could do nothing as the commercial jetliner crashed into the Pentagon.

Kerry Is Raising Money at a Record Rate

Senator John F. Kerry's presidential campaign raised more than $100 million in the last three months, a record-breaking surge that helped him stay competitive with President Bush's once-overwhelming war chest - a total of 193 million dollar so far,

Musical at the Egyptian

Tonight we went to see the musical "Bite" which was produced by our friends Elizabeth and Scott. Great show although we are not really the biggest musical fans. But it was fun to go to a show at this great venue which is part of the historically significant Egyptian Theatre (photos, film schedule, one of Los Angeles' first movie theatres. It opened in 1922 and was operated by the legendary Sid Grauman, who later built the world famous "Grauman’s Chinese" across the street on Hollywood Boulevard. The "Egyptian" recently also showed great retrospectives of the great European filmmakers Frederico Fellini and Henri-Georges Clouzot.

Ignoring the reality II

Vice President Dick Cheney also refuses to retract his statement. "The administration's statements rest on a solid foundation of history and facts. The record of links between Iraq and al Qaeda is clear to anyone who has open eyes and an open mind," a White House official said.

Bush's war justifier: Ignoring the reality

Compare these four pieces of news:
- Secretary of State Colin L. Powell conceded that despite his assertions to the United Nations last year, he had no "smoking gun" proof of a link between the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and terrorists of Al Qaeda. "I have not seen smoking-gun, concrete evidence about the connection," Mr. Powell said, in response to a question at a news conference. (January 24, 2004)
- Vice President Dick Cheney said Saddam Hussein had "long-established ties" with al Qaida. "He was a patron of terrorism," Cheney said of Hussein during a speech before The James Madison Institute, a conservative think-tank based in Florida. (June 15, 2004)
- The Commission investigative on the September 11 attacks said they have found no evidence that Saddam Hussein cooperated with al-Qaida terrorists to target the United States. The conclusion came in a report released by the bipartisan, independent commission. (June 16, 2004)
- President Bush is repeating his assertion that Saddam Hussein's Iraq had ties to terrorists -- even though the Nine-Eleven panel is casting doubt. In a speech to troops at MacDill Air Force base in Flordia, the president said Iraq "sheltered terrorist groups." (June 16, 2004)
I'm speechless. But what's new...

California immigrants live longer

Good news for me. Immigrants on average have a life expectancy of 81 years versus 77 years for U.S.-born residents of the nation's most populous state, according to a study of California's Department of Public Health. The report cited a "selection effect" for California immigrants, healthier diets, lower rates of smoking, and social and cultural support groups in place for new arrivals.

The "Soccer War" Netherlands-Germany Goes On

Euro 2004 update: In the latest chapter of the word's greatest soccer rivalry, Netherlands and Germany battle to a thrilling tie (1:1). Darnet. I wish the "organjes" would have won! I am sympathetic with these guys since the 1974 World Cup final in Munich where two of the sports all-time greats (Germany's Franz Beckenbauer and Dutch legend Johan Cruyff) went head-to-head for soccer's ultimate prize. The Germans ran out 2-1 winners over the Dutch on that fateful July day, sparking a bitter rivalry that has lived on ever since.
The historic game of 1974 is the reason why I'm hooked up to (world class) soccer until this very day. I remember vividly when we all watched the dramatic game in college and how pissed I was that Cruyff and his ingenious buddy Johan Neeskens were not able to beat the "krauts". I still think that the incompetence of the referee was mainly responsible for the outcome of the match. Note to myself: I wanna find a copy of the best-selling book "1974: We were the Best" by the Dutch historian Auke Kok who explores the myth of this great game and the belief of most soccer aficionados that it was somewhat a great sporting injustice.

U.S. jobless rate misses "hidden" unemployed - economy recovering

Buried inside the official U.S. employment report each month is a little-known figure that gives a much less rosy picture of the labor market than the headlines, according to Reuters. The government agency that produces the data also publishes an alternative measure that tries to capture the hidden unemployed, those who are not included in the official unemployment rate for various statistical reasons. That broader measure is dramatically higher, at 9.7 percent in May, compared with the official level of 5.6 percent. That's an extra 5.96 million people, in addition to the 8.2 million "officially" unemployed. These are workers who have not actively looked for work in the past four weeks, including "discouraged workers" who have given up altogether.
Although it receives little notice, the adjusted jobless rate has important implications for Federal Reserve policy-makers because it suggests the job market will not tighten as quickly as some in the financial markets believe. It shows there is more slack in the labor market than appears on the surface. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan is widely expected to start raising interest rates later this month, as the economy recovers from the 2001 recession and job creation picks up. Employers in California surprisingly added jobs in May for a third straight month, a milestone that hadn't been achieved in more than three years.

Surprise, surprise: the rich got richer

The number of millionaires in the United States and Canada increased by 14 percent last year as the stock market rallied, according to a report by Cap Gemini Ernst Young and Merrill Lynch. Today, about one of every 130 Americans has more than $1 million of shares, bonds and other financial assets. Their riches rose 14 percent, to a total of $8.5 trillion. That growth was stronger than in Europe, home to the greatest proportion of wealthy people, and in Asia. Eight of the world's 10 richest people come from the United States, according to Forbes magazine. Bill Gates, 48, was the world's richest person for the seventh consecutive year in 2003 with a net worth rising 14 percent to $46.6 billion. Millionaires' wealth is likely to expand further. The report predicted global assets to swell to $40.7 trillion by 2008 from $28.8 trillion at the end of last year.
The U.S. Senate is also a growing millionaires club. No wonder theses guys
approved Bush's tax cuts plan for the wealthy as part of an "economic stimulus" package last year. A package, by the way, with which the President and his Cabinet is estimated to receive a total tax cut of $800,993 to $3.2 million per year.

It's official: french fries are fresh vegetable

Based on a little-noticed change to obscure federal rules, the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines frozen french fries as "fresh vegetables". A federal judge in Texas endorsed the USDA's decision in a court case. Yeah, right. As if 129 millions overweight Americans (66% of the entire population) would not already be enough (list of the fattest cities). By the way: Europe is struggling with the growing obesity problem, too.

Joke of the day

It has circulating the web for some time, but it still cracks me up:
How many members of the Bush administration are required to replace the proverbial light bulb?
The Answer is SEVEN:
(1) one to deny that a light bulb needs to be replaced;
(2) one to attack and question the patriotism of anyone who has questions about the light bulb;
(3) one to blame the previous administration for the need of a new light bulb;
(4) one to arrange the invasion of a country rumored to have a secret stockpile of light bulbs;
(5) one to get together with Vice President Cheney and figure out how to pay Halliburton Industries one million dollars for a light bulb;
6) one to arrange a photo-op session showing Bush changing the light bulb while dressed in a flight suit and wrapped in an American flag;
(7) and finally one to explain to Bush the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.
More Bush jokes, animated cartoons - and bushisms.

Back to the good old days of silent movies

On Father's day weekend we plan to go to the Charlie Chaplin Short Film Festival at the Silent Movie Theatre (history) on Fairfax Avenue. Can't wait...

Swiss Private Banks Squeezed by New Rules

The Swiss government is requiring the country's 356 banks to crack down on money laundering by scrutinizing clients and their account activity. They also have to withhold taxes on accounts held by foreigners and send the proceeds to the customers' home governments. About $670 billion, or 73% of the total $920 billion deposited by non-Swiss private clients in Switzerland, isn't declared to tax authorities, according to a report by Deutsche Bank.

Wireless internet bicycle

Internet cafes are so twenty minutes ago. The "Magicbike" developed by Yuri Gutman is a mobile WiFi hotspot that allows to surf the web wherever the bycycle is ridden or parked and brings Internet connectivity to yet unserved spaces.

Cheney's corruption

Today the L.A. Times released a new Halliburton bombshell: it's now clear that over the protests of an Army official, Vice President Dick Cheney's office helped ensure that Cheney's old company Halliburton would receive a $7 billion no-bid contract for rebuilding Iraq. Faced with a choice between serving our troops and helping out his corporate buddies, Cheney chose the latter. Starting tomorrow, Congress will be holding hearings on whether Halliburton used its close ties to administration officials to get sweetheart deals, shortchanging both our troops and U.S. taxpayers.
The list of governmental investigations against Halliburton just keeps on growing. Just last Friday, Halliburton disclosed yet another one -- the SEC is investigating one of its subsidiaries for foreign corruption.

Swork rocks

It doesn't have to be Starbucks all the time. As a caffeine junky (online community) I get my daily fix at the great neighborhood hang-out in Eagle Rock, Swork. Tasty coffee , friendly staff , convenient Internet hotspot.

Skull and Bones: Secret society rules the U.S.

As opposite as George Bush and John Kerry may seem to be, they do share a common secret - one they've shared for decades, and one they will not share with the electorate. The secret: details of their membership in Skull and Bones, the elite Yale University society whose members include some of the most powerful men of the 20th century. Over the years, Bones has included presidents, cabinet officers, spies, Supreme Court justices, captains of industry, and often their sons and lately their daughters, a social and political network like no other (list of members). President Bush has tapped five fellow Bonesmen to join his administration. Most recently, he selected William Donaldson, Skull and Bones 1953, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Like the President, he's taken the Bones oath of silence.
Skull and Bones, with all its ritual and macabre relics, was founded in 1832 as a new world version of secret student societies that were common in Germany at the time. Since then, it has chosen or "tapped" only 15 senior students a year who become patriarchs when they graduate - lifetime members of the ultimate old boys' club. Alexandra Robbins, author of the book “Secrets of the Tomb” says in an interview with "60 minutes" that is the main purpose of this secret society is to get as many members as possible into positions of power. Whatever the result of this year's presidential election will be: The power of the "leader of the free world" will remain in the hands of a member of Skull and Bones.

Goalless games

Euro 2004 update: The game between Italy and Denmark remained goalless, dito Switzerland vs. Croatia.

John Edwards favored as Kerry's Vice President

Senator John Edwards, the smooth-talking populist who emerged from the nominating campaign as John Kerry's chief rival, is favored among registered voters to be the Democratic vice presidential candidate, according to a poll by the Associated Press.

Zidane's victory over Beckham

Finally! The European soccer championship Euro 2004 started. The highlight so far was today's match England vs. France (video highlights). What a thriller! The man of the game, without any doubt: Zinedine Zidane who stunned England with two goals in the dying minutes to give France the victory with 2:1. After the game England's soccer star David Beckham tearfully admits: "I'm to blame!"

Retired Officials Say Bush Must Go

A group of 26 former senior diplomats and military officials, several appointed to key positions by Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, will issue a joint statement this week arguing that President George W. Bush has damaged America's national security and should be defeated in November.

The Craigslist Phenomenon

Sell a house? Trade in your car? Look for a rare book, a vacation buddy, Yoga classes or the love of your life? Craigslist is the place to go. Founded in 1995 by Craig Newmark, the website was conceived as a sort of grassroots channel for San Franciso residents to spread the word about interesting happenings in the community. It has since grown into a free site with bulletin boards in over 40 U.S. cities, 3 Canadian metropols ' and London. Its set of listings covers just about everything: childcare, ride shares, jobs and résumés, housing, items for sale, swap, or rent; personals, services, events and locally-oriented forums, among many others. With 800 million page views each month—more than 450 hits per second—the website has skyrocketed in popularity, enjoying an almost cultlike following. Nielsen//NetRatings says the traffic at Craigslist ranks in the top 20 U.S. general interest portals, with the likes of MSN, Yahoo and AOL. The Los Angeles Time magazine calls Craigslist "one of the hippest and most popular websites on the planet" and gives a great portrait of its founder.

Dumb laws in California

California has really dumb laws. For example:
- It is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.
- One may not use one's own restroom if the window is open.
- It is illegal for a man to beat his wife with a strap wider than 2 inches without her consent.
- You cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time.
- You may not hunt moths under a street light.
- It is illegal to cry on the witness stand.
- You are forbidden to spit on the ground within 5 feet of another person.
Too silly to be true? According to the website Dumb Laws - which also offers a U.S. and an international section - most of these laws are verified. And yet, there is a disclaimer posted on the site: "We wouldn't recommend to use these laws as evidence in court"...