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Friday, October 29, 2004 We Are the Lollipop KidsFor some reason the discovery of a small, pre-human race of primates in Indonesia has sent newspapers around the world into ecstasies and nonsense about real-life hobbits and munchkins. This story is blessedly free of that crap. There are no stories the Dutch ever met anything hobbitlike on Flores (see that first link), as far as I know, but I wonder if squat humanish monkeys have anything to do with Menehune legends in Hawaii.According to the old legends, the Menehune came to Hawaii from Tahiti. It's pure speculation, but I wonder if a race of small Ebu Gogo-like people could have built rafts or boats? UPDATE: The Dutch did hear stories about the Ebu Gogo; in fact those stories are told on Flores even now: When I was back in Flores earlier this month we heard the most amazing tales of little, hairy people, whom they called Ebu Gogo - Ebu meaning grandmother and Gogo meaning 'he who eats anything' ... One of the village elders told us that the Ebu Gogo ate everything raw, including vegetables, fruits, meat and, if they got the chance, even human meat. Some people in San Francisco eat everything raw, too. Maybe close relations? The villagers say that the Ebu Gogo raided their crops, which they tolerated, but decided to chase them away when the Ebu Gogo stole - and ate - one of their babies.posted by Michael Scott Moore | 8:15 AM (0) comments Tuesday, October 26, 2004 Confession, Endorsement
I think Teresa Heinz Kerry is hot. Her accent, her oddness, her just slightly dirty mouth, the way she moves from hiding behind her hair to shaking it away from her eyes, like a younger woman, stir me with feelings I'm sure I've never felt for anyone over sixty. She's swish and conspicuously rich in ways that irritate many people, and yes, her wealth may have a lot to do with her eccentricity. But she's also her own woman. Even more than John Kerry she seems to resist acting "proper" now that she controls over a billion dollars, and that tension between her cattier impulses and her role should make the next four years interesting if people do the right thing next week and vote for her husband. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 4:02 AM (0) comments But seriouslyThe reason to vote for Kerry is the reason some people still inexplicably give for supporting Bush: Iraq. Abu Ghraib may have paled by now in American memory, but in Islamic minds it's a fresh insult, and whatever insincere-sounding words Bush might think of to convince ordinary Muslims that the invasion was not a war against Islam have been utterly trashed by the photographs. Osama bin Laden has what he wanted: a war of civilizations. We need a different face in charge. Never mind that Bush has failed to secure those nasty weapons stockpiles; never mind the "disappearing" of certain prisoners; never mind that he never had the moral authority to pull off a war this risky in the first place; never mind that democracies in the Islamic world tend to be havens for terrorists anyway (Indonesia, the Philippines). Bush gambled his job on this experiment, and lost. Time to rake in the chips.Also: Anyone who calls Kerry a wimp should notice that he's shown more grace under fire in this campaign than our supposedly unwavering president. The man has greatness in him, even if his usual mode is caution. AND (a bonus for fence-sitting Republicans): Blame a Democrat in four years if Iraq gets even worse! (As it's likely to.) Look forward to lauding Bush for his "vision" and rubbishing Kerry for his follow-through. Like Reagan-revisionism it may be pure bullshit, but it should keep the columnists busy. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 4:00 AM (0) comments Saturday, October 23, 2004 Fop FlopLondon critics have forced a new musical about Oscar Wilde to close after only one night. (At the Shaw Theatre, of all places. Shaw-as-critic used to pan Wilde's plays.) A former radio DJ named Mike Read wrote the show:He has also composed a catalogue of hit songs that have been recorded by the likes of Cliff Richard, David Essex, Slade, Alvin Stardust, Donovan, Don McLean and Leo Sayer. His career underwent a resurgence in 2004 when he starred in the reality TV show “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.” ... Currently he is pressing ahead with a musical about the Village People This stuff just writes itself sometimes. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 5:11 AM (0) comments Wednesday, October 20, 2004 End of an Era
Here's the promised photo of Indonesia's outgoing president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, with her father, President Sukarno, at the height of his power in 1963. Scanned from Theodore Friend's excellent Indonesian Destinies. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono swears in tomorrow as Indonesia's first directly-elected president in history. That means Megawati had to clear her things out of the palace today. From the Jakarta Post: Saying good-bye is never easy, but it is especially difficult for President Megawati Soekarnoputri as she prepares to leave her childhood home, the Presidential Palace. As her tenure officially came to an end on Tuesday, Megawati took care of some final business and bid farewell to her household staff, who have served her over the past three and a half years. Meow meow meow. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 4:37 AM (0) comments Monday, October 18, 2004 New Life for the SoxI left Boston years ago, but I still watch the Red Sox (lose to the Yankees) every year in postseason. Tonight I hollered loud enough to scare the cats.UPDATE: Good God, they did it again. UPDATE: Again. UPDATE: The Red Sox win the pennant! The Red Sox win the pennant! Good Christ on a stick. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 7:24 AM (0) comments Bin Laden está en ChinaSounds like a joke; maybe it is. But the Madrid newspaper El Mundo argues that Osama bin Laden is hiding in the Muslim far west of China. Marc has a full translation:Last summer, bin Laden finalized a treaty with the government in Beijing, in which the latter would guarantee safety for bin Laden, while he would guarantee the cessation of the guerilla war by Chinese Muslims against the Chinese government ... Ever since the arrival of the Saudi Arabian bin Laden, the region has been relatively tranquil, and the Muslims living there have been permitted to traffic in human beings and drugs. This could easily be true; at least it doesn't sound like self-serving propaganda for any particular side. The rest of the story has a rather different smell: ... Now bin Laden could find himself trapped in his hole if an extraordinary agreement between Beijing and Washington bears fruit. It would mean China would extradite to the U.S. the most sought-after terrorist in the world. Yes, well, who knows. Beijing may also want Kerry to be President. Or the story may be bunk. But if Bin Laden turns up conveniently before November 2, Radio Free Mike readers will at least know where to squint. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 12:00 AM (0) comments Saturday, October 16, 2004 Huh?"To many, it came off as a veiled attack on homosexuality by a man who preaches tolerance," when John Kerry brought up Mary Cheney's lesbianism on national TV, according to a USA Today column and lots of other blather in media big and small. Andrew Sullivan offers perspective:"The Cheneys ... have not voiced objections to a single right-wing piece of homophobia in this campaign or the anti-gay RNC flier in Arkansas and West Virginia. But they are outraged that Kerry mentioned the simple fact of their daughter's openly gay identity. What complete b.s. In the short run, this hurts Kerry. Prevailing disapproval of homosexuality means that most people regard mentioning anybody's lesbianism as an insult and inappropriate. But long-term, the Republican bluff has been called." posted by Michael Scott Moore | 10:34 PM (0) comments "Michael Moore is a slimeball."posted by Michael Scott Moore | 10:06 PM (0) commentsWednesday, October 13, 2004 Bump in the NightThe Pasadena Public Library recommends Too Much of Nothing as a ghost story for Halloween, and of course we couldn't agree more. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 3:37 PM (0) commentsTuesday, October 12, 2004 Excuse me,but we're American, which means we don't disappear human prisoners, no matter how evil. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 5:56 AM (0) commentsTwo Kinds of Good NewsFirst, our editor has a new computer -- a fetish-item iBook. Second, Princess Megawati has has conceded, more or less. She did it days ago, and we've meant to post an amazing old photograph of her at 16, looking bright and princesslike with Papa Sukarno. But one problem with the new iBook is that it's quit uploading properly. No doubt the settings are wonky; tech support here at Radio Free Mike is working round the clock.In the meantime have a look at new stuff posted on the Politics and Prose page. Next to a review of Eric Bogosian's Humpty-Dumpty, we've managed to excavate Mike's opinions on Dr. Faustus (Mamet), Night and Day (Stoppard), and A Map of the World (David Hare). The Hobbiton thing still isn't archived, thanks to the same idiotic upload problem, but most of you have read it already. For new visitors, blogging on Indonesia starts down here -- just keep following links, or scrolling. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 2:41 AM (0) comments Wednesday, October 06, 2004 A real debate, by GodIt was like good tennis: long volleys with a few nicely-won points on each side. Of course Dick Cheney did hit some moon balls. Notably: "I have not suggested there's a connection between Iraq and 9/11." People who were conscious at the time should remember that he did almost nothing else in public during the run-up to war and just afterwards. The Boston Globe fact-checks. Josh Marshall is on the case, too.A while ago Bush suggested Edwards lacked experience to be one step away from the presidency, but Boy Wonder looked and sounded more presidential last night than our own commander in chief. Sorry, George. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 4:31 PM (0) comments Tuesday, October 05, 2004 You Go, GirlElton John keeps going off like a Catherine Wheel. This time he trashed Madonna for winning an award:"Madonna, best f***ing live act? F*** off," said the singer ... He ended his outburst by saying: "That's me off her f***ing Christmas card list but do I give a toss? No." His last flare-up was in the Taipei airport, which is a dismal enough place to give any queen hives. Whatever else Dame Elton might do, though, she has given us the beautiful "Border Song," which I find myself listening to, over and over, lying on my living-room floor: Holy Moses I have been deceived posted by Michael Scott Moore | 4:58 PM (0) comments Monday, October 04, 2004 Princess Megawati Refuses to ConcedeIndonesia's election commission has finished counting votes and declared Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the country's new president. But his opponent, Megawati Sukarnoputri -- daughter of Sukarno, Indonesia's charismatic first president in the 50s and 60s -- won't concede. In the last few weeks she's refused to give a concession speech until "all the votes were counted" (a slow process in Indonesia) -- even though Susilo was leading by a clear gap of almost 20 points. That was odd, but fair enough. Now she's just sulking:Megawati was holed up at her private residence on the outskirts of Jakarta, refusing to speak to the media. A palace spokesman said she would not make any comments on Monday night. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 4:54 PM (0) comments Sunday, October 03, 2004 Abu Bakar Ba'asyir Has Fans in IraqThe Iraqi kidnappers who nabbed two Indonesian women earlier this week now say they want to see Abu Bakar Ba'asyir walk free before they release their captives.Interestingly: One of his lawyers said Bashir is angry at the kidnappers because taking hostages, especially women, is outlawed in Islam. He called for the immediate and unconditional release of the women. So, the kidnappers are just Ba'asyir's fans? Not connected to him at all? Weird, weird. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 3:24 AM (0) comments Friday, October 01, 2004 Hard Work, JimAnyone who thinks the President got through his debate tonight sounding "presidential" -- not snappish, defensive, whiny, or repetitive -- can e-mail all differences of opinion to hahaha@yeahright.com.One thing Kerry failed to touch: Bush said a missile shield would help defend against the gravest threat of the 21st century, i.e., nuclear weapons in the hands of terrorists. That boggled me. Can anyone name a terrorist group in possession of an ICBM? UPDATE: I've heard pundits say Bush did better if you didn't have to look at him. Not true. I heard this debate on the radio. Even from the transcript you can see that Bush just repeated phrases he'd learned in rehearsal, while Kerry could think on his feet. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 8:59 AM (0) comments | |
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