ABSURDUS apoPLEXUS
The road to dystopia is paved with utopian ideologies, a bravura in
belligerence and a penchant for brandishing one's engorged primacy over others.
Feb 07, 2015
Pope Francis: Punch'em Fideles
An announcement by Pope Francis regarding the Catholic Church's sanctioned methods of child rearing: How to beat your kid to the punch.
Dec 04, 2014
US Diplomacy: The Bold, The Beautiful & The Budapest Brute
There is quite a trend lately for television series bases on political themes, House of Cards, Veep, Scandal and Madame Secretary to mention just a few of them. The world of politics and international diplomacy is indeed an arena full of dramatic possibilities, a fertile field for any scriptwriter to ...CONTINUE READIND>>
Aug.04, 2014 | UPDATED Jan.24, 2015
2016 Summer Olympics: Sailboats On Fire
Sailors competing in test events in Guanabara Bay for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics have been complaining lately about the water pollution; apparently they have issues with floating sofas and dead canines. What a bunch of wusses! Next thing you know they will be moaning ...CONTINUE READIND>>
Jul.30, 2014
Social Media Experimentation: OKStupid
Apparently, the revelation that Facebook users were unwitting participants in online behavioral experiments was far from an isolated incident perpetrated by a empathy-lacking, big-brotherly, multi-billion corporation. On the contrary, with the latest revelations about OKCupid's ...CONTINUE READIND>>
May.22, 2014 | PERSIAN CATNIP
Public Dancing in Iran: Unhappy Feet
That Iran is in essence a restrictive religious autocracy spruced up with a thinly glossed makeup layer of democracy is no secret, but still, it never fails to amaze how the authorities (inadvertently or not) time and time again manage to represent the Iranian society as ...CONTINUE READIND>>
May.12, 2014
Eurovision: Camp-a-thon Dialectics
Needless to say, the Eurovision Song Contest, apart from a camp-fest of aesthetic apoplexy & auditory schlock, is above all (or underneath all, depends on one's perspective) a forum of political socioeconomic discourse.
May.09, 2014 | INTERNATIONAL
Chinese Diplomacy: Fictional Reality
The lengths these adherents of one-party politics will go to corroborate the superiority and promote the virtues of their system of governance over alternatives is no laughing matter (or rather it is but not exclusively).
Apr.09, 2014
Social Media Mores: PVI
Yes, we live in a culture of enhanced virtual living. One may disapprove or (try to) abstain but the reality/realties is/are such and it is certainly no surprise that a new crop of technology has risen to cater for the demands of this new order. ...CONTINUE READING >>
Apr.04, 2014 | LA CRÈME DE LA CRIMÉE
Crimea Annexation: It Just Got Serious
This Crimea thing just got serious. It's all quite innocuous and hardly worth mentioning if some unpronounceable Russian oligarch has some measly millions frozen and can't outfit his football team with new gear or some American company having difficulty in its Siberia ...CONTINUE READING >>
Mar.03, 2014
The Oscars: The Red Carpet
And now lets all collectively roll our eyes and express our deepest disdain for all the Oscar hype, esp. vis-à-vis the Crimean brouhaha, while also zealously discussing the socioeconomic connotations of this year's predominance of saturated colors on the red carpet (Amy, Sandra, sapphire blue!), Liza Minelli's emo-smurf look as an obvious allusion to EU's diminutive role in international affairs and the merits of replacing John Kerry with J-Law.
Mar.03, 2014
The Oscars: The Live Broadcast
After extensive and laborious eye-rolling, gown/statue/speech after gown/statue/speech, one becomes much more cognizant of the cyclical geopolitical forces that ebb and flow in tandem with the intricacies of societal fluctuations that reflect the oxymoronic human need of both conflict and camaraderie. Something like that and of the imperative and urgent need to purchase something in sapphire blue.
Jan.16, 2014
Theme Park Trends: Maritime Disasters
The Chinese, eyeing another market to dominate are cunningly planning their entry into the Theme Park industry, with some ground-breaking ideas. Typically for China, stoked by its antagonism with the West, this commercial endeavor manages to both promote the Chinese prowess and the ...CONTINUE READING >>
Feb.24, 2014
International Diplomacy: Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
Who said slapstick comedies cannot be based on actual events, let alone involving international politics & diplomacy? Of course in this case the real thing, Dennis Rodman visiting his pal Kim for sketchy reasons, is already outrageously wacky so not sure how much more nuance the film will provide. Then again it is always more enjoyable for audiences to consider the horrendous suffering of a whole nation on film intermittently between gaffes and stunts, rather than in a stale feature documentary.
Feb.10, 2014 | RUSSIAN GLAS•NOT
Russian Figure Skating: Not Afraid to tackle the Heavy Issues
Russian Olympic ice skater, Julia Lipnitskaia, is reported to be doing her next routine to the theme from Schindler's List. “Finally, someone has adapted the saddest scene from a Holocaust movie into an acrobatic figure-skating routine.”
COMING SOON ON THE HEELS OF THIS PERFORMANCE:
>> The '12 Years of Slave' flogging scene reimagined as a Ribbon gymnastic routine
>> The Omaha Beach assault from 'Saving Private Ryan' as a Synchronized swimming routine
>> The crucifiction scene from 'The Passion of Christ' as a Equestrian vaulting routine
Nov.21, 2013
Sexism in Architecture
Public ridicule of Qatar's proposal for a new vagina looking World Cup stadium may scrap the plans to built it. Considering the global skyscaper prolifaration despite (or because) of the blatant iconographic propagation/exultation of the erect phallus, it seems kind of sexist and absurd for this counterpoint not to be built.
Oct.29, 2013
Britney Spears: Weapons of Mass Distraction
Merchant navy is playing Britney Spears songs to scare off Somali pirates. It is of course only natural (human!) for people to be cowed into abject fear and disgust by Brtiney blasting through any loudspeaker, or for that matter as a ringtone. This is surely one of the proudest achievements of her life, up there with her perfume Curious winning a "Glammy" in the "Best Fragrance - drugstore" category. And apparently "each security company will have its own music choice" (Paris Hilton? Ricky Martin? Lindsay Lohan?). On the other hand, if I was a Somali pirate I would rather torpedo and sink the ship or at least board it and run it aground.
Dec.18, 2012
Pop Music & International Monetery Policy
Taylot Swift tackling furtively the Eurocrisis have inspired other popular artists to follow her lead and incorporate some much needed observations and critique on foreign affairs issues in order to raise public awareness (esp. to the prepubescent crowd) and hopefully spark debates. Recent examples are Rihanna's hidden commentary on Japan's deflationary monetary policies and Bieber's take on the repercussions of the failed UN WCIT summit.
Sep.18, 2012
Malaysia: The Scourge of V-Necks
Finally an official guideline on identifying that social time-bomb that is gayness: V-necks, light-colored clothing and big handbags, courtesy of the Malaysian authorities. If you see a guy sporting any of these blatant manifestations of their perversion keep at least a 10m distance as theirs is a highly contagious condition (and the last thing you want is to find yourself doing your groceries in a fuchsia leotard). In the case of someone showing all the above signs at the same time, shield your eyes and those of any innocent child in the vicinity and call the police.
Sep.11, 2012 | PERSIAN CATNIP
Iranian Society: Gay-Blasted
Iranian state media, the place to go for up-to-date, reasearch-backed conspiracy theories, has uncovered the malevolent zionist plan for World Domination by spreading homosexuality, and blamed among others the Hollywood industry, something anyone who has watched the endless parade of spandex-clad superheroes would surely attest to.
Jan.20, 2012
The English: Cultural Heritage Hoarders
Once a cultural-heritage appropriator, always a cultural-heritage appropriator! The English have done it again people. After the Elgin marbles ripped of the Parthenon, they have now stolen Saddam's bronze buttock. It seems though they are scrapping at the bottom of the heritage barrel here.
Jan.03, 2012
Ringtones Trends: Taliban Colloquialisms
Are you fed up with the annoyingly generic brand ringtones and the frivolous mind-squelching pop tunes spewing out of your mobile? Look no further than the Taliban endorsed ringtones to impress even the most critical friend. With popular hits such as "Doomsday" or "Suicide bomber" and thoughtful yet playful lyrics such as "Your white tender body has been burnt by fire Oh martyr!" and "The sound of machine guns can be heard -The screaming of the murderous can be heard", people will be impressed by your avant-gardian sense of cultural geopolitics. Bonus fact: The actual sound of gunshots in the background! (Service unavailable to infidels)
Aug.02, 2011
The French: Dealing with Cuckoldry
The night Strauss-Kahn was arrested, his wife Anne Sinclair was apparently out shoe-shopping in Paris. When she learned of the accusations against him she "howled in pain, a long moan, like a stunned animal". Eventually she spat out the Louboutin mule she was chewing and fled to jaw-wrestle those teen werewolves from Twilight.