Symphony of Stupidity Part 3: Just Who the Hell is “Sam Bacile” and Why Do We Care, & Will Eric Holder Prosecute?

I don’t know about you, but if I were going to use a fake name so I could make one of the most incendiary YOUTUBE videos (come on, we can’t call what that is a movie no matter how much some douche bag radical cleric wants too) in YOUTUBE history I think I would of used a fake address as well. Buy hey, who am I kidding. Nobody is smart in this entire situation. And I mean NOBODY. Not “Bacile” who seems to really be Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, Nakoula is being named by the feds as the filmmaker behind the now the most notorious (and just awful) video; the ever loving Arabs of Egypt, Libya, Yemen, & so on; the governments of all those nations previously named; Obama; or even Mitt “Robot” Romney. They all have dropped the ball on this whole ball of wax.

But lets start with the simplest of idiots in this equation: That of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, aka: Sam Bacile.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is a 55 year-old Coptic Christian (what’s a Coptic Christian? Glad you asked because in truth I hadn’t the slightest fucking idea either. I mean, really, how many fucking different names & ways does a person or group of persons need to basically worship the same GOD?… anyway, a Coptic Christian (according to Wikipedeia) is the name of the largest Christian Church in the Middle East (now that has to be fun) & belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches which dates back to AD 451 & the Council of Chalcedon. The church group also has ties to the church founded by good-ol’-Saint-Mark back in AD 42. But enough of the history lesson. Seems as of 2012, the Coptic Christians claim about 10% of the Egyptian population. I guess they believe in, I don’t know, whatever the other Christians believe), who pled no contest back in 2010 to federal bank fraud charges in California and was ordered to pay more than $790,000 in restitution, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered not to use computers, or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer. He [Nakoula], at last check, was still on probation, according to court records. Oops. Hence the alias.

Now that the whole fucking Muslim world wants to kick Nakoula’s ass for his video, of course he now looking for police help to keep him safe. On Thursday, Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to his house & production office in fear of reprisals. (they have been removed thus far, but be assured the FBI Terrorist Unit can’t be to far away. Nakoula is just to big of a target to not dangle out for some terrorist asshole to bite on)

And things look as if they are going to get worse for Nakoula, who will in no doubt be sued by the cast & crew for being miss lead about what the film they making actually was. Turns out that the cast & crew thought they were making a film called “Desert Warrior” & now have issued a joint statement saying: “they are extremely upset and feel taken advantage of by the producer.” The statement goes on to say: “We are 100 percent not behind this film and were grossly misled about its intent and purpose. We are shocked by the drastic rewrites of the script and lies that were told to all involved. We are deeply saddened by the tragedies that have occurred.”

 Now in the wake of the death of a U.S. Ambassador & three others in Libya, Attorney General Eric Holder said that Justice Department officials had opened a criminal investigation into the attack on the American mission in Benghazi. It was not immediately clear whether or not authorities were focusing on the California filmmaker as part of said probe. Now here is where it gets a little sticky. If Holder thinks that he can bring Nakoula Basseley Nakoula up on charges for the death of Ambassador Stevens and 3 of his staff I think he is way off base. Right or wrong there’s still something called the first Amendment & it is still firmly in place. I have no problem if the FEDS get him [Nakoula] on a violation of the terms of his parole, since he is in clear violation of. If Holder gets away with the former of the two, it will have long standing consequences on one of the things we, as Americans, hold dear. And that of FREEDOM OF SPEECH, PRESS AND ALL THE OTHER GOODIES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT AMENDMENT.  

In the end nobody will listen. And the Wall Street Journal is saying best: There is no Isreali-American named Sam Bacile; there is no Jewish money cabal fronting cash for “Innocence of Muslims; quite surely this crap YOUTUBE video didn’t cost anywhere near $5 million dollars; and it seems that the head of the National American Coptic Assembly, Morris Sadek, has been publicly promoting the video suggests that they are somehow involved as well.

But like I said, none of that matters. Radical Clerics with an agenda all their own will, and have been, spinning the wheels of hate in the direction they most want it to go: TOWARDS AMERICA & THE WEST.    

Symphony of Stupidity: Part 2... This is the Crap Film that has Egypt Pissed [UPDATED]

This badly edited, badly acted, badly written, badly… oh, fuck, just plain bad… clip is supposedly what has the Egyptians all worked up.

Turns out that the these 13 minutes of “Innocence of Muslims” have been floating around on YOUTUBE since July but has only recently been picked up on by protesters and other activists alike.

Directed and produced by an Israeli-American real-estate developer, Sam Bacile,  who characterized the film (if it can be called that) as a political effort to call attention to the hypocrisies of Islam, and has been promoted by Terry Jones, the Florida pastor whose burning of Qurans previously sparked deadly riots around the world.

 [Sam] Bacile, a 52-year-old writer, stated that he wanted to showcase [his] view of Islam as that of a “hateful religion“ also saying in a telephone interview from his home, that "Islam is a cancer." Bacile also claims that his film (again I say this loosely) is not political movie nor a religious movie."

Even though he called it a political effort… but whatever. His money. His time.

Although, the bad blood about this crap film has not stayed with-in the borders of Egypt. In Benghazi, Libya, a deputy interior minister for region told the Al-Jazeera network that several dozen gunmen from an Islamist group, Ansar al Sharia, attacked the [U.S.] consulate with rocket-propelled grenades to protest the film, after which militants set it on fire. CNN also reports that one American was killed in the attack.

Since it is an American production, even though the United States has nothing to do with it, Americans in the Middle East are bearing the brunt of the attacks.

The State Department, however, confirms that the Egyptian police have removed demonstrators away from the embassy, even though protest leaders have denied that account stating that they had convinced the young men of the protest to leave the grounds of the embassy. But as darkness fell over Cairo, there have been some reports that some demonstrators were still around. Protest organizers have stated as well that they understand American laws on free expression, but see them as secondary to their religious practice. 34-year-old protester, Ashraf Ibrahim, stated: “Freedom of belief is more important than freedom of expression.” (That is unless it is about a different religion or Jews. Just call it how is.)

The Foreign Minister of Egypt said that their government bears full responsibility for the attack.


[UPDATE]

In a statement released Tuesday night, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said:  “I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on our mission in Benghazi today. As we work to secure our personnel and facilities, we have confirmed that one of our State Department officers was killed. We are heartbroken by this terrible loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who have suffered in this attack.”

Turns out that there were three victims in yesterdays attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

U.S. Ambassador, Christopher Stevens (52) was killed Tuesday when about 20 gunmen stormed the consulate trading gun fire and rocket propelled grenades for about a twenty minutes with Libyan Security forces that guard the complex along with a detachment of Marines.

It is not sure whether Stevens was succumbed by smoke inhalation or was possibly in car that was hot by a motor while trying to clear the area.

The U.S. State Department is now evacuating all personnel from Benghazi.

President Obama also released a Statement Tuesday condemning the attacks: “I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America's commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives. I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants.”

Symphony of Stupidity: The United States Apologizes for Attack on U.S. Embassy in Egypt

 U.S. officials on Tuesday apologized (as is being reported by Reuters)  as pissed off Egyptians scaled the wall of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, tearing down the American flag & burned it, then tried to raise a flag of their own saying: “There is no God But God, and Mohammed his Messenger” in protest over a movie that is “supposedly” being made about the Prophet Mohammed.

In a statement released by embassy officials condemning: “”misguided individuals” who hurt the religious feelings of Muslims or followers of other religions. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.”

(Wasn’t that nice of us? Maybe I object to you objecting the right that is given to all AMERICANS & when we [The United States] wants to grant the DREAMERS those same rights we APOLPGIZE for it! How about this: FUCK YOU!)

However, it’s not clear what film the protesters are all in a huff about.

When asked no one seems to know really anything about the movie other than it’s being made in the United States and that it is being done by Christian pastor, Terry Jones (you remember Jones, right? He made fame in the Middle East in 2010 by threatening to burn the Koran, prompting riots in Afghanistan).

All they know is that according to the website www.standupamericanow.org, was that Jones & others were taking part in an event marking the 11th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks supposedly entitled: “International Judge Mohammad Day” that was going to be carried on the internet.

As we all know by now is that the ever peaceful & loving folks in the Middle East take great offense when it comes to THEIR god and/or MOHAMMED especially when it is negative (if your name is Jesus or Buddha or whatever I guess you’re just shit out of luck). Many of the protesters were thought to be supporters of Islamist group "ultras" youths (kind of makes me think of an Arab version of the thugs from Stanley Kubrick’s “Clockwork Orange”), the group played a big role in the uprising that brought down Hosni Mubarak last year.

19-year-old Ismail Mahmoud, a member of the so-called "ultras", said, that “This movie must be banned immediately and an apology should be made,” and called on President Mohamed Mursi, Egypt's first civilian president and an Islamist, to take action. But again he had no details of the film that angered him or other protesters.

This isn’t the first -and I doubt will be the last- incident where protesters clashed with American interests in Egypt since the outing of President Mubarak in 2011. During Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit last July, after new Egyptian President Mursi was sworn in, her motorcade was pelted with tomatoes & demonstrators shouted slogans against her [Clinton], reflecting perceptions of some Islamists, who have swept Egypt's presidency and a parliamentary vote, that Washington helped them [Islamists] to power.

Hell, maybe they weren’t protesting at all and instead saying thanks to 1.3 billion dollars that the United States sends Egypt every year as has since signing of a peace treaty with Israel back in 1979. Yeah, that could be it. You have to love it. The American government is borrowing money at a phenomenal rate to pay bills & here we are sending over a billion to them to prop up their [Egypt] military. With videos being uploaded to YOUTUBE showing protesters as they chant outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, attacking it because some take it to the extreme when they think that anything that maybe insulting to Islam, I, for one, think that shit [sending aide] has to come to a stop, especially when we can‘t get our financial house in order.

But what the fuck do I know. I’m just some asshole that has to pay taxes to a government that has to borrow money so they can send it to other countries.

CRAIGSLIST = Zero, Nada, Nothin’

In today’s awesome climate of crap that comes to job searching people turn to all different means of applying and/or getting their names and themselves out there thru a variety of different avenues. One of which would be the ever popular CRAIGSLIST, where a person and/or businesses can post ads explaining what they want and need and what they are looking for.

So as I am one of those poor and unfortunate fools looking for a another job I said: “what the hell” and started applying via that way [CRAIGSLIST]. Hitting all the jobs I was qualified for, all of which came up to ZERO, NADA, NOTHIN’.

Okay, that can be expected. Jobs are tough to get by these days so I kept at it to more of ZERO, NADA, NOTHIN’.

I mean I got NOTHING. Not a single reply except for the occasional email kick back stating that they had received my email.

After a couple of weeks of this ZERO, NADA, NOTHIN’ I started thinking on just how many people actually get real jobs off of CRAIGSLIST. I know thru a friend that it is possible to get the random day gig for something because this is how he makes a living, however, that is not what I want. I, like the other 20+ million unemployed people in this nation, want something that at least resembles a REAL (9 to 5) JOB. I’m told they are out there, but I just don’t know where.

So I ran a little experiment. I applied for all the jobs. And I mean ALL of them. Every time there was a new post I would apply. I even went as far as to tailor my emails and resume to make it appear that I was more than qualified for the job. It didn’t matter what the job was. You needed a wedding DJ, I’m your man; you needed a warehouse guy, I’m your man; you needed an intern to work in fashion for no pay, I’m your man. The list went on & on.

After two weeks of this my efforts still came up to ZERO, NADA, NOTHIN’.

Not a single reply back.

I was like: “YOU have to be kidding, right?” And to be completely honest, I am not sure what it reflects. Does it reflect that CRAIGSLIST is the words biggest waste of time for searching for a job or is that there are SO MANY poor saps like myself looking that I, and people like me, just get lost in the shuffle?

But not to have a single reply?

Wait, I take that back. I did receive ONE reply back about being paid for writing reviews on the website YELP, a week later telling me to be patent & that since it was a holiday that they would be getting back to everyone after it. Here it is, now, a week after Labor Day, the holiday that was holding them up on doing anything, & still ZERO, NADA, NOTHIN’.

Now I have used CRAIGSLIST before, posting an ad for actors when I was filming my defunct film to a wide response. All of which [the emails I received] I contacted whether I thought they would fit or not, either explaining where & when to go for the audition or explaining that they were not what I was looking for. And we all know that prostitution does more than well since the government has made it their duty to clean up the site. So I know it is possible to find something via CRAIGSLIST.

Perhaps if I respond that I work for so may roses an hour I would have better luck.

But for now all I have to show for my time is ZERO, NADA, NOTHN’.

PUSSY RIOT: The Verdict Is In… The U.S… And What’s Next

To no real surprise by anyone following the case of the Feminist Punk Band, Pussy Riot, and the three members that are on trial (Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Marina Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30) were found guilty on the charge for “Hooliganism”. (The Moscow city court system had only a 0.7 percent acquittal rate in criminal trials in 2011, handing down not-guilty verdicts in just 239 of the 35,626 cases tried in court that year, and with a case this high profile you can see why everyone thought the fix was surely in) and has been sentenced to two (2) years behind bars. Judge, Marina Syrova, stating that the women “committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred and offending religious believers.” when they stormed Moscow’s main Russian Orthodox Church back in February to protest the re-election of Russian President, Vladimir Putin and his close ties with Church leaders whom have called his place in power “miracle of god”.

What the basis for this charge?

1) It is forbidden for video and photo cameras to be switched on inside the Cathedral which the band clearly violated when they filmed the impromptu concert. (GASP!)

2) The women were wearing short dresses. "When they bowed (before the altar), their dresses rode up." That, and the band members' clothes did not obey the Russian Orthodox church code (headscarf’s, long skirts). (Doubly GASP!! The band was wearing their trade mark look of gaudy brightly colored -ripped to fit- dresses that looked like they had been on the clothes rack since the 1980‘s, knee high boots and balaclavas to cover their faces) & engaged in homosexual propaganda. (Ah, that I have no idea were it came from) All of it occurring at the "address of God."

Yeah, that pretty much sums up the main points of the charge.

The Judge went on to give detailed descriptions of what several of church goers felt about the protest act the band made. Unfortunately, some of the “offended Church” goers weren’t even there at the time of the protest and some didn’t even know about what had happened until they saw it on the evening news.

The Judge also went as far to say that the band members of “Pussy Riot” "imitated demonic attacks." Really? Is this a fucking court case in the 21 century or we back in the days of Inquisition when the church was on the look out for witches and heretics and anyone else that did not think the way they were told to think.

While the Judge Marina Syrova is on the side of the Russian Orthodox Church (we have to remember here that the head of the Church, Patriarch Kirill, sports a $40,000 watch and is reported to live a “lavish lifestyle”) not everyone in the former Communist nation thinks the same. Polls show that the country is split almost down the middle with what is happening and many fear that this a return to the former glory days when leaders shut down any thought of government protest and stifled free speech.

“This extraordinary case is now unquestionably the biggest test of freedom of expression Putin has yet faced.” (Jonathan Rugman, Britain’s Channel 4) The trial of the members of “Pussy Riot” caps off a very tumultuous first 100 days in office for Putin. The Kremlin has been under increasing fire since Putin’s re-election, the once swaggering bravado we saw in his first two terms (& as Prime Minister) has absent this time around; the man who loved to tout himself on Russian television like he the white -better looking- and more important version of Jesse Jackson appeared mostly defensive and downbeat and hasn't even made one of his trademark TV appearances. Instead Putin has been more focused on his opponents, either real or (some even think) imagined, trying to keep them at bay, however, Putin does occasionally make (awkward) attempts to engage them as he did recently while in London for the Olympics when he called for leniency and that court “will come to the right decision”. All of this is in stark contrast to what he has been doing during his first 100 days. One of his [Putin] first acts as President was to appoint Igor Kholmanskikh, a hard-faced tank factory worker, as a as presidential envoy to the Ural Mountains region (who has zero qualifications when it comes to this kind of job). His main selling point is that he [Kholmanskikh] stated on national television that he and his co-workers were ready to go to Moscow “to fight protesters who had started rising up en masse.” Many believe and author Boris Akunin wrote in his blog that Putin thinks that the protesters as a pampered and deluded elite bunch and the move suggests that he [Putin] is trying to exploit class resentments. Rejecting pretensions that he is the leader and president of all of the Russian people, that he [Putin] has started to work exclusively with the “simple people.”

Another thing Putin has done to paint the view that he is trying to return Russia to the former days when the government ruled with an iron fist is that he [Putin] has signed into law a new fine for unauthorized protests that raises it 150 times to 300,000 rubles (about $9,000). However, at the current time the authorities have grant most petitions to protest but many fear that can be reeled in at anytime.

Not long after that, Putin signed into law requiring non-governmental organizations engaging in (what they call as) ill-defined "political activity" and who receive money from abroad to register as foreign agents. The new law reinforces claims by Putin that United States and that of other Western countries are funding efforts against him -again tones in speech that hark back to the days of communism.

Puitn also signed a law that calls for to ban websites that carry content deemed harmful to children. Which can mean anything. Although, said list itself will be kept secret. That part of the law alarms critics saying that it can be used to shut down what they deem as troublesome pro-opposition sites.

　
The United States government finally came out condemning the proceedings. It was rather odd the U.S. had waited so long in my opinion considering that we are suppose to be the champions of FREE SPEECH. I mean Obama himself doesn’t have to take to the airwaves himself but, fuck, he has staff right? This would be more of a thing that maybe Hillary might want to comment on, right? But since the beginning the government has kept rather quite about it all, along with most of the mainstream NETWORK media. Not to say that is has been all quite of the western front of the “Pussy Riot” trial. Stars like Madonna and Paul McCartney, and Bjork have been more than vocal along with the art and music communities around the world, calling for today to be called “Pussy Riot Action Day”, and calling for their release.

In Ukraine, four feminist activists, one of them topless, used a chainsaw to hack down a wooden cross in Kiev's central square in a show of support.

In Sofia, Bulgaria, supporters of Pussy Riot dressed statues on a Soviet-era monument in colorful balaclavas similar to those worn by demonstrators in Moscow.

In Paris, a protest is planned to coincide with the verdict on Igor Stravinsky Square, near the Centre Pompidou modern art museum. In Washington and capitals around Europe, protests are planned outside Russian embassies.

While journalists in Moscow have spotted downtown statues wearing brightly colored balaclavas, a Pussy Riot trademark.

Prominent Putin critic and opposition leader Alexei Navalny caused a stir when her arrived at the courthouse to show support. And Leftist politician Sergei Udaltsov, another key opposition figure who also came to show support for Pussy Riot, along with two demonstrators -one hooded, the other holding a placard calling for the women's release -where arrested near the court, as dozens of police had been deployed around the court building and metal barricades placed on both sides of the street, preventing any large-scale gathering.

John Dalhuisen, director of Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia Program, urged Russian authorities to overturn the sentence and release the trio unconditionally. Stating that the verdict was "a bitter blow for freedom of expression in the country." Amnesty as saying that the women's conduct "was politically motivated, and that they were wrongfully prosecuted for what was a legitimate -if potentially offensive- protest action. The organization considers all three activists to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs."

WELCOME BACK… DEAD!… Ron Palillo (Horshack) Dead @ 63

Arnold Horshack, you remember him… Right? One of the “Sweathogs”… no?

Well in case you don’t, good old Arnold Horshack was played by Ron Palillo on the ’70’s TV Show “Welcome Back, Kotter” (1975-79)… a show I hated, however, “WBK” did the spawn the career of John Travolta… Now, I am assuming you have heard of him. I know few masseuses are saying they do… lol…

Anyway, turns out Ron Palillo [Horshack] has been called to the big principle’s office in the sky via heart attack. Yeah, he’s dead at the ripe old age of 63 this morning at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Palillo’s acting career kind of stalled after the highly popular “Welcome Back, Kotter” finally graduated the “Sweathogs”, but it was bound to happen… it was a television show about high school and it wasn’t like this class was college material since the class was a knucklehead class to begin with… it seemed that, like many a goof-off character, that Hollywood couldn’t get past the Horshack character.

For the last three years Palillo taught acting class at the G-Star School of the Arts, a Palm Springs Charter School & is his partner of 41 years, Joseph Gramm, a retired actor himself.

Pussy Riot Trial Ends and Goes To the Judge

Well, what seems to be rapidly becoming the trial of the century in Russia has officially come to an end. And the fate of Samutsevich, 29, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Maria Alyokhina, 24, of -and now probably the most famous band in the world- PUSSY RIOT is now in the hands of the judge presiding over the case, and she has said that she will have a verdict on August 17^th.

Not long, but more-than-likely can’t come soon enough to the families of the jailed musicians who have been behind bars since March when they were arrested for their impromptu performance that took place in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Russian Orthodox Christians see the band as doing the devil’s work but they are seen as heroes to those that view what the Russian government seems to have been doing since the return of Vladimir Putin to the presidency, who seems to be cracking down on any one that speaks out against the Kremlin.

Putin severed as President from 2000-2008, served four years as the county’s Prime Minister and now has once again become president unit 2018, and as opposition grows for what has become a job for life for Putin, a former KGB head, he seems to be trying to silence those that oppose the fact that he has shaped Russian policy for -what will be- almost two decades, and many think that this is the return to the old days of the Kremlin and their communist ways, although the Russian Orthodox Church has fared very well under the rule of Putin. Church officials praising god for the man as being a "miracle of God" for his leadership.

However, Pussy Riot's supporters, friends and family say that the judiciary is not independent and fear the worst for the three women with Stanislav Samutsevich, father of Yekaterina Samutsevich, saying, "There is no hope in this court. It is an especially organized tribunal to put pressure on the any manifestation of opposition in the country."