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POPSAudacity of Vanity FTA Obama also says every child should learn to speak Spanish; he doesn't. He says we are 'embarrassing' to have fallen behind in our multilingual skills and can only say "merci beaucoup", yet he doesn't speak French. "we are the ones we've been waiting for.."...the royal 'we' I suppose.
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POPSFrank Buck - Bring 'em Back Alive Buck was a man of his era... Hard drinking, hard living, self-made entrepreneur and showman extraordinaire. Buck's fame led to an entire occupation by circus workers today - wild animal tamer. Never a man to turn down a "buck," Buck was a shameless self-promoter and claimed to have even tracked down a Yeti once.
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POPSBlackbeard (S9 Biography)
The Scourge of the Spanish Main and the last Great Pirate of the Age of Sail (Jean LaFitte was a smuggler) Blackbeard's life is shrouded in myth and legend and facts about him are verd hard to verify 300 years later. Edward Teach or possibly Thatch, was famous for several things that are documented and reek of the strange and as Kenneth Hite says, High Weirdness. He would drink a mixture of gunpowder and rum set aflame... Talk about a Belch you do not want to be around. He tied "slow matches" (used for lighting cannons) into his hair and beard so there would be a wreath of smoke around his head. He shot his best friend and first mate, Israel Hands in the knee, crippling him for life just a day before his death at Okecroake Island off NC. When Israel asked why, Teach said he was saving his life! (Knew about his own death? Planned it himself?) Weirdest Fact: Held Charleston, SC hostage for several weeks until his ransom was paid - a box of Native herbs and Tobacco... See what I
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POPSGareth Richard Vaughan Jones 1905-1935 I must confess utter ignorance about this man. His story, legacy, and journalism should be read and studied by everyone. I encourage everyone to read the short biography at the link. This is a must read in my opinion. Also, his reports from Germany and Italy are absolutely fascinating and are free of the typical filter we usually get regarding information about this era.
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POPSlooking for Kafka in Tel-Aviv ?!! Hoffe died this year, leaving the inheritance to her two daughters. Researchers are hoping they will now be given access to the materials, which will help shed light on Kafka's biography and will likely spark new interest in the author in the academic and literary worlds.
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POPSWerner Herzog Official Site In the Alan Yentob produced documentary about Werner Herzog, the filmmaker says "Oh, nobody cares about my work." We do. Speaking for myself, I often sit there looking at the clouds and pondering upon his genius. He is arguably the greatest filmmaker alive today and without doubt one of the most influential. His "Nosferatu" with Klaus Kinski is one of my favourite films of all times; a masterpiece.
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POPSObama: It's Only About Winning
But here's what's scary: For all of Kerry's reputed smoothness and Eastern intellect, he often tied himself in knots trying to reconcile his absurdly opposing positions. Obama can flip and flop with unmatched alacrity and facility and with the absence of self-consciousness and accountability of an accomplished sociopath . This guy doesn't even acknowledge he's changing positions; he does it without breaking a sweat and never looks back. I ask you to consider the common thread underlying these turnarounds his nearly immediate backtracking on whether Iran poses a serious threat to America; his progressive position shifts on Iraq from "don't go in, stay in, and get out"; and his vigorous defense then abandonment of both his pastor and his church. The common thread, in a word, is expedience. It is not toughness; it is not savvy; it is not gravitas; and by all means, it is not admirable. Barack Obama is every bit as politically calculating as Bill Clinton but twice as smooth.
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POPS2008 Pulitzer Prize Winner Being the hispanophile that I am, I guess I need to read this one. Especially since I spent my 40th birthday in the D.R. If you read, please let me know what you thought about it.
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POPSTop 10 Likely Titles For The Next Stephen King Book Hey, do not get me wrong... I love the King. And as a struggling writer in the same genre I can only aspire to his heights of greatness... That said, this is a LMAO List and I give it props.. Stephen has also gone on the record to say that there has been times he knew he was not trying his best nor doing a credible job, but any Author who can say otherwise for their own self may cast the first Word Processor...