The $200 Cup of Beer

My father, who recently returned from his military service in Iraq, told me many stories of the horrors and mistakes that will never be documented or exposed in the mainstream media. Those war stories are not mine to tell. However, I can summarize much of the confusion and chaos that all sides face every day with one particular story: The $200 for a single beer story.

These American solders are young. Many come from poor families with little choice of any other future. Most put even less thought into joining the killing branch of our sweet World oppressive government. They do not understand at their young age what propaganda has been spoon fed to them. They are victims, but not ones I pity.

Anyway these American men are allowed just two glasses of beer while on 'vacation': which means they get to get away from Iraq for a day or so....but not for long and not very far from this war. Their limit is only two glasses of beer- no exception.

My father does not drink alcohol but took up the option to sit down to a meal and one beer, while on one of these 'vacations'. He did not touch his drink. A young American soldier approached him offering $200 (in American money) for his single beer. Now, it could have been very possible that this young soldier was an alcoholic. But for that price, and that amount of begging, one has to imagine that there was a need for this single beer that only that soldier could explain.

When you send young people to fight an illegal and confusing war, it does something to their mind. No one wins. Not the U.S. Not the Iraqi people (a major understatement!!!), not the American families at home or the Iraqi people, who can buy Valium over the counter for a mere 19 cents.

My father said no to this soldier, because if he would have been caught giving a third beer to this young man he would have been punished. Imagine what goes on on all sides to create such fear and despair.

I'm very happy to announce that...

Lou Reed's album "Berlin" has been made into a film coming out this Friday, July 18th. Relax Batman fanatics (myself included); you can still be first in line to see what I've been waiting a year to see: Batman: The Dark Knight. Why? Berlin is only playing in L.A and San Fran this Friday. Who knows when this independent film, by my favorite director Julian Schnabel (Basquiat, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), will be released. But it looks awesome. Berlin has always been one of my favorite albums; it's a rock classic and highly underrated. "Caroline Says" is painfully gorgeous. That was back when Lou Reed had a soul. A tormented one. Check out the trailer for Berlin yourself and get excited right away:

http://www.berlinthefilm.com/

As a side note the director is somewhat of an icon as well. He painted and held shows at Mary Boone's gallery in the 1980's. He hobnobbed with Madonna and Andy Warhol. He has only made four films, this being the fourth. I've been a fan since his first movie; I was 17.

*Here is my funny random fact about a connection between Andy Warhol and Julian Schnabel that I assumed to be true because Warhol hated him. In the Andy Warhol diaries, Julian Schnabel is mentioned in such a negative light, and often, in the most comical ways. Warhol once ranted about how he steals ideas from going to other people's shows and Schnabel was right behind him. That's one of many disses to Schnabel in the Andy Warhol diaries. I'm sure that Julian Schnabel read that famous diary and felt embarrassed and insulted. So when Schnabel directed his first movie, Basquait, Andy Warhol (played by David Bowie) is portrayed as an idiot. A major space cadet. Someone who is out of touch with reality. But I read his diary: Warhol had a brilliant mind. I assume that was Schnabel's revenge for public slander.

Anyway, I'm so excited to view this film. Lou Reed was one of the best. Rock till you die!

Summer is Starting

We went to Mad River Beach today. Here I am before acting out my fiendish plot to bury Daryl alive. I felt like a kid again, having no worries, down by the ocean with someone I love.

A Day at the Beach

Daryl buried in Pacific Ocean sand on a hot but windy day in lazy Arcata.

Electricity

Being a lazy bum this summer and renting tons of movies, thinking little, and minding my P's and Q's I stumbled across a memory from my early 20's: a movie about Joy Division. Now I'm 30 and can't listen to them too much for fear I'll go to 'that dark place'; and I'll need an adrenaline shot to the heart to get me on my numb feet once again.

Do we lose something with time and experience? I feel that all I hold close to me diminishes every day I wake up and am expected to join a uniform thought structure of work, bills, and being really active, happy and 'normal'. I never believe it though.

This movie is called, "Control" and you don't have to love Joy Division to love the movie. I'm very disappointed that the actor is blase; that he tries to sing Ian Curtis' songs. That he is not sweating and broken on the stage, like the new Jesus Christ. The real Ian Curtis cut his head off with a bass string at 23. We want him as Jesus Christ- sweating his troubles out, broken and beaten, bloody and weeping, here to blow apart our ennui and make the world fall in love with understanding. The actor sucks. But the movie is great. I am 23 again, confused more then ever, and watching some man's talent and dreams go down the drain. I know about that.