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Straight Up | Jan Herman

Arts, Media & Culture News with 'tude

Orwellian Zombies All

September 6, 2007 by Jan Herman

The jingoism implicit in daily life taints everything we say, let alone what we do. To use my friend Bill Osborne’s term, we are all “Orwellian zombies.” This includes even the most sincere opponents of the BnnRpbiChris Hedges, a former war correspondent. His loathing of war in general and the Iraq war in particular expressed […]

Still Cookin’

September 3, 2007 by Jan Herman

Poetry as Insurgent Art: I am signaling you through the flames. The North Pole is not where it used to be. Manifest Destiny is no longer manifest. Civilization self-destructs. The goddess Nemesis is knocking at the door… What are poets for in such an age? What is the use of poetry? … The master class […]

Vacation Interruptus — Again

August 27, 2007 by Jan Herman

ventriloquist dummy took a powder, Stephen Lee Myers

Vacation Interruptus

August 13, 2007 by Jan Herman

White House resignation: — Leon Freilich Postscript: Now

Banana Days Are Here Again

August 7, 2007 by Jan Herman

The aaaeulc has gained a craven combination of mindless BananaRepublicans and feckless BananaDemocrats. The dog days of summer are upon us, too. See ya later. Aug. 10: Oh, and before I go … here’s a postscript: mi amigo with reference to the “brown-skinned shadows” in Iraq, “whose violent demise need not touch the American realm.” […]

It Takes a Genius

August 6, 2007 by Jan Herman

U.S. military can’t find 190,000 weapons given willy-nilly to Iraqi forces when security training was run by Gen. David Petraeus. Which raises fears, as The Washington Post delicately puts it, that the military genius who is now the top U.S. commander in Iraq has armed the insurgents fighting U.S. troops. Makes you wonder what else […]

Over the Cliff With Rupe

August 1, 2007 by Jan Herman

WSJ editorial assures us, “No sane businessman pays a premium of 67% over the market price for an asset he intends to ruin.” Well, nobody has said he intends to ruin it. To use a favorite word of the WSJ editorial board, that’s a canard. Rupe simply intends to run the Journal the way he […]

War-Funding Mystery Solved

July 27, 2007 by Jan Herman

When you’re a mathematician who analyses weapons systems as an independent consultant to the U.S. government, you pay attention to military appropriations (not least because you like to get paid). So it was eyebrow-raising to receive a message from just such a weapons analyst telling me how much he’d learned from Adam Cohen’s recent editorial, […]

The Thinking Part of My Brain

July 24, 2007 by Jan Herman

“Imminent Crises: Threats and Opportunities,” was listed on the rightwing cultural site

Mr. Patsy Pundit

July 20, 2007 by Jan Herman

Paul Krugman zapped a fellow New York Times columnist this morning with a

Cultural Analysis For Your Viewing Pleasure

July 17, 2007 by Jan Herman

Who says we don’t blog about high kulcha? Here’s something to chew on. “One of the more profound statements on German opera,” a friend writes. Online Videos by Veoh.com EmailFacebookTwitterReddit

Impeach Now!

July 16, 2007 by Jan Herman

Never thought I could listen to Bruce Fein without throwing a brick at him. But, man! The nerdie rightwing legal beagle is worth hearing on why the Attack Dog must be impeached. Yes, must. He wrote the first article of impeachment against Clinton.) Because in this instance, contrary to his specious puritanical reaction to a […]

Did Someone Say Gestapo?

July 12, 2007 by Jan Herman

Can’t let the week go by without noting (Crossposted at HuffPo) EmailFacebookTwitterReddit

In Promo Mode

July 12, 2007 by Jan Herman

Steve Skrovan writes: Just read your We were in the documentary competition at Sundance in ’06, made the Oscar shortlist this year, had a theatrical release this past spring and had a anunreasonableman.com.  There you will find links to many of our reviews. We’d be curious to know what you think. Here’s what I think. […]

Waiting for Nader

July 9, 2007 by Jan Herman

Whenever Ralph Nader comes on the tube, which isn’t often enough, it’s must-see TV. He’s in a class by himself. I don’t know of any politician, civic leader or social firebrand who can match him for his unique combination of level-headed insight, deep intelligence, real accomplishment and passionate straight talk. must-see interview that aired this […]

Woof! Woof!

July 3, 2007 by Jan Herman

Whatever it’s called — an prison break — it comes as the latest illustration of the aaaeulc‘s independence from democratic principles. The Attack Dog have sprung their Independence Day fireworks. EmailFacebookTwitterReddit

Web Shorthand

June 22, 2007 by Jan Herman

It lacks the humor of the full-page ad in this morning’s NY Times shows more fervor. Talk about powerful! BnnRpbi

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Jan Herman

When not listening to Bach or Cuban jazz pianist Chucho Valdes, or dancing to salsa, I like to play jazz piano -- but only in the privacy of my own mind.
Another strange fact... Read More…

About

My Books

Several books of poems have been published in recent years by Moloko Print, Statdlichter Presse, Phantom Outlaw Editions, and Cold Turkey … [Read More...]

Straight Up

The agenda is just what it says: news of arts, media & culture delivered with attitude. Or as Rock Hudson once said in a movie: "Man is the only … [Read More...]

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