Fugitive Terrorist At Large

My blog is not only to discuss my dog and my shopping obsession. This blog is also intended to educate people with issues that the media shies away from. The article below is an eye-opening commentary about US Politics that originally appeared on http://www.zmag.org/. Please visit this website for more eye-opening articles like the one below.

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FUGITIVE TERRORIST AT LARGE May 18, 2007 By Jane Franklin

A major story about terrorism is breaking. Day by day the story is changing dramatically. On May 7, 2005, Luis Posada Carriles, one of the two most notorious terrorists in the Western Hemisphere, was apprehended by the FBI. But two years later, on April 19, 2007, he was released on bail to live in Miami under house arrest. An ankle bracelet would monitor his whereabouts while he awaited trial.

What was he to be tried for? Not for masterminding the explosions aboard a Cuban passenger plane that killed all 73 people aboard. Not for orchestrating the bombing campaign aimed at tourists in Havana hotels and restaurants, killing an Italian visitor and wounding others. Not for the many bombs that he personally has set off in various countries. Not for his numerous assassination attempts against Fidel Castro. No, he was facing trial on seven minor charges of immigration fraud and false statements. Trial was set for May 11.

Posada is a classic case of CIA blowback. As his trial date approached, federal prosecutors, worried about what he might reveal about his connections with the U.S. government, filed a motion to bar Posada from talking about the CIA at his trial. In both an interview with New York Times reporters and in his autobiography, Los Caminos del Guerrero (Paths of the Warrior), he had already exposed ugly secrets about the Cuban American National Foundation, the FBI, and the CIA.(1) Without responding to that motion, in fact avoiding that motion, Federal Judge Kathleen Cardone suddenly freed Posada on May 8 by dismissing all charges. No house arrest. No ankle bracelet. No revelations about the CIA.

Meanwhile, Venezuela, with which the United States has an extradition treaty, has repeatedly requested that Posada be extradited to face the trial for the mass murder of those 73 people. The Bush Administration has spurned that request, but faces a serious dilemma about what to do with their terrorist.

Besides the danger of Posada squealing about his years as a CIA agent and confederate, he also has powerful, wealthy Florida supporters to whom President Bush is personally indebted for shutting down the vote count in Florida in the year 2000. In addition, the three Cuban-American members of the House of Representatives from Florida--Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and the brothers Lincoln and Mario Díaz-Balart--are all Republican backers of Posada.

But as this story develops, new voices both here in the United States and around the world are pointing out that under international law Bush must either extradite Posada to Venezuela or bring him to trial in the United States. As the Boston Globe editorialized on April 21, two days after Posada was released on bail: "Venezuela is the most logical place for Posada to face trial. Failing that, the United States should comply with a 1971 international convention, under which any nation that refuses to extradite a suspect in an airliner attack is obligated to try that person itself."

In the wake of 9/11, on November 26, 2001, President Bush declared, "If anybody harbors a terrorist, they're a terrorist." So how can his Administration get away with harboring this notorious terrorist? Perhaps because all those Americans who recognize the name of Paris Hilton have never even heard of Luis Posada Carriles. Radio, tv, and newspapers don't gossip about Posada's trail of serial terrorism from the United States through Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and even into Europe. Ask a typical college class Who has heard of Luis Posada? Perhaps one hand will go up. Nor have they heard of Orlando Bosch, that other most notorious terrorist who also walks free in Miami, not to mention the vast network of terrorists in Florida, New Jersey, and across the country into California.

In September 2005, when Posada was being held in El Paso, Texas, on an immigration violation, Immigration Judge William Abbott ruled that he could not be deported to Cuba or Venezuela because he might be tortured. In fact, the only known torture taking place in either of those two countries is at the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo. However, the spinmeisters took advantage of that ruling to create a version of reality spread by the major media that goes like this: Posada is "an anti-Castro militant." Cuba and Venezuela want to have him deported to Cuba or Venezuela because they want to torture him. If Venezuela got hold of him first, Chávez would turn him over to Cuba because Chávez is Castro's pal. Cuba would execute him.

The truth is that neither Venezuela nor Cuba is requesting extradition to Cuba. Both are requesting extradition to Venezuela. Posada became a fugitive from Venezuelan justice more than a decade before Hugo Chávez was elected president. This is not a Chávez issue. It is a Venezuelan issue, dating back to the explosions aboard that Cubana Airlines passenger jet.

The story begins on October 6, 1976, when Flight 455 landed in Trinidad and Tobago on a routine flight from Guyana to Havana via Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica. Connecting from Venezuela, Cuba's fencing team and their coach boarded the plane in Trinidad. Two Venezuelans, Hernán Ricardo and Freddy Lugo, also boarded in Trinidad. They planted two bombs and got off the plane at the next stop, in Barbados.(2) A few minutes out of Barbados the bombs blew up and the plane went down, ending the lives of 57 Cubans, 11 Guyanese, and 5 North Koreans.

Thanks to rapid work by police in Barbados and Trinidad, Ricardo and Lugo were arrested within 24 hours. Their arrests led directly to their bosses in Venezuela, Luis Posada and Orlando Bosch, who were promptly arrested by Venezuelan police.

Two weeks later, representatives of the five governments involved--Cuba, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Guyana--met in Port of Spain, Trinidad, to decide where the trial of the terrorists should take place. Ricardo Alarcón, then Cuban ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago and now president of Cuba's parliament, attended that meeting and has described how they reached an international agreement that the trial should be held in Venezuela. One contributing factor to the decision was that Venezuela did not have the death penalty while the rest of the countries did, and the terrorists were either Venezuelans or Venezuelan residents. Ricardo and Lugo are Venezuelans. Posada, though Cuban-born, is a naturalized Venezuelan. Bosch, a Cuban-American, was living in Caracas at the time. Moreover, the bombing was planned and ordered by Posada and Bosch in Caracas.(3)

The CIA and the FBI offered no help in bringing the bombers to justice. The CIA claims that it ended Posada's CIA career in early 1976 before the bombing of the passenger plane in October. In reality, their assassin was turned loose to do whatever he wanted to do, with impunity. In my history of Cuba-U.S. relations, Cuba and the United States: A Chronological History, I had no difficulty finding information about terrorist attacks against Cuba. The history of systematic terrorism carried out by Luis Posada, Orlando Bosch, and many others is there.(4) I had no secret inside information. If I could find it, the FBI and the CIA knew all of it and more.

As Luis Posada explained to his New York Times interviewers, "`The CIA taught us everything--everything.'" He said, "`They taught us explosives, how to kill, bomb, trained us in acts of sabotage.'"(5) U.S. intelligence agencies may remove names from official lists, but they know what their various protégés are doing. Here's a typical sample from July 1976: "Working closely with CORU, Cuban exile Luis Posada plants a bomb at the Costa Rica-Cuba cultural center in San José."(6) In June 1976 Orlando Bosch founded the Commanders of United Revolutionary Organizations (CORU), an umbrella group for carrying out terrorist actions against Cuba and against countries and individuals considered friendly to Cuba. Posada joined CORU in a rampage of terror. The FBI and the CIA knew who was setting those numerous bombs in numerous countries in that murderous year of 1976. CORU's wave of destruction culminated with the explosion of Flight 455 on October 6.

George H.W. Bush was the director of the CIA at that time. And years later, in 1990, at the urging of his son Jeb Bush and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the elder Bush, by then the president, released Orlando Bosch, even though in 1989 the FBI and the CIA reported that Bosch "`has repeatedly expressed and demonstrated a willingness to cause indiscriminate injury and death.'"(7) Bosch walks free in Miami, continuing to this day to boast on Miami television about his terrorism and how it continues.

Posada was freed earlier. In 1985, with the help of a bribe paid by Jorge Mas Canosa, chair of the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami, he escaped from Venezuelan prison while awaiting the outcome of his trial for those 73 murders. Soon he joined Félix Rodríguez, a CIA-trained Cuban-American who was directing covert operations against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua from a base in El Salvador. Rodríguez was reporting directly to Oliver North in the Reagan White House and meeting with Vice-President George H. W. Bush during the period when the Boland Amendment had outlawed U.S. aid to the so-called "contras" in Nicaragua.(8)

When the illegal aid to the "contras" was exposed, Posada simply transferred to Guatemala where he worked for President Vinicio Cerezo, keeping an eye on Cerezo's own military for signs of a possible coup or assassination. In Honduras he launched a bombing campaign that targeted Honduran President Carlos Roberto Reina, who was disposed to improving relations with Cuba. Posada was forced out of Honduras in 1995 amid allegations that he set off 41 bombs there in one year. He moved back to El Salvador as his base of operations.

Posada hired Salvadorans to smuggle bombs into Havana in 1997 for a bombing campaign that targeted tourists in Havana's hotels and restaurants. Before the Soviet Union disintegrated, 85 to 88 percent of Cuban trade was with the Soviet Union and other countries belonging to the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA), which disbanded in February 1991.(9) Cuba turned to tourism as a primary means of stopping the nosedive of its economy. Washington strengthened the trade embargo against Cuba, operating hand in glove with terrorist attacks aimed at Cuba's economy, especially tourism.

On September 4, 1997, Posada's bombs caused their first fatality--an Italian, Fabio di Celma, killed in a hotel lobby. Later, when asked about di Celmo's death, Posada said, "That Italian was sitting in the wrong place at the wrong time." He said his conscience is clear and "I sleep like a baby."(10) On September 15, Cuban Interior Ministry Col. Adalberto Rabeiro, head of the team that investigated the bombings, went on nationwide television to speak in detail about the bombings and the arrest on September 4 of Salvadoran Raúl Ernesto Cruz León, who said he had been paid $4,500 per bomb. On his first trip in July, Cruz smuggled explosives in his shoes, detonators in highlighting pens, and used pocket calculators with clocks as timers. On his second trip he smuggled explosives and detonators in a small television set and used a clock radio as a timer.(11)

In 1997 and 1998, Juan Tamayo, an investigative reporter for The Miami Herald, wrote numerous articles about Posada's terrorism. Tamayo provided scoops for his readers. But the FBI and the CIA ignored that evidence because they already knew what was happening and had no intention of interfering with the terrorist they had trained like an attack dog. When plots brought to their attention forced the FBI to respond, a search could serve as a timely warning to conspirators to back off and lay low for a while. As Tamayo pointed out, the practice is "known as `admonishing' or `demobilizing' an operation."(12)

Then came the astounding New York Times interview in which Posada boasted about his career as a terrorist. An accompanying article described how Antonio Jorge (Tony) Álvarez, a Cuban-American businessman in Guatemala, risked his life to inform the FBI that his two partners were "working with a mysterious gray-haired man who had a Cuban accent and multiple passports." They were acquiring "explosives and detonators, congratulating each other on a job well done every time a bomb went off in Cuba" in 1997. Álvarez also heard them "talk of assassinating Fidel Castro" at the Ibero-American Summit to be held on Margarita Island, Venezuela. Álvarez said that Cuban immigrants from Union City, New Jersey, were "wiring money to the plotters." When Alvarez reported what he had learned, the FBI was forced to respond. But Posada, in his interview, described Jorge Kiszinski, the FBI agent who phoned Álvarez, as "`a very good friend' whom he had known for a long time." Posada said that the FBI had not called him or his collaborators. "`I think they are all in cahoots, Posada and the FBI,'" Álvarez said. "`I risked my life and my business, and they did nothing.'"(13)

By doing nothing, the FBI gave the green light not only to the continuance of the bombing campaign but to the plans to assassinate Fidel Castro in Venezuela in November 1997, a plan foiled by the Coast Guard's happening to uncover evidence of the plot when they went to the aid of the would-be assassins' floundering boat on its way to Margarita Island.(14)

Now that Posada himself forced a response by surfacing in Miami after his illegal entry, maybe finally someday he will be indicted for at least one of his terrorist crimes. Evidence that has been available for all these years is being portrayed as new evidence. Since September 2006, a federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, is evidently slowly investigating financial links between Cuban-Americans in New Jersey and the bombing campaign in Havana. The FBI has even returned to Cuba to collect evidence.

This time perhaps they will use the evidence against terrorists instead of anti-terrorists. In 1998 the FBI also went to Cuba to collect evidence. Cuban authorities gave them reams of material gathered by Cubans stationed in Florida to foil terrorist plots. Instead of arresting the terrorists, the FBI, on September 12, 1998, arrested the Cubans who had gathered the evidence. Now known as the Cuban Five, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González, and René González were tried and convicted in Miami. A three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in September 2005 overturned their convictions, providing legal recognition of the fact that the city of Miami is so inflamed with passion against Cuba that it is unfit as a site for the trial of any case involving Cuba where the defendant is not in favor of overthrowing the Cuban government.(15)

But a year later, the full Appeals Court reversed that decision. The anti-terrorists remain in prison while the terrorists continue to terrorize. In 2000, Posada masterminded yet another attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro in Panama City. If the plot had succeeded, hundreds of people, mainly students, would have been blown up along with Castro. Once again, the plot was foiled by Cuban intelligence agents. Most of Posada's attempts to kill Castro at international meetings have gone unnoticed by the media. Making sure that the world would hear of this one, Fidel Castro announced the details as he arrived in Panama City for an Ibero-American Summit. Panamanian police arrested Posada and three of his Cuban-American co-conspirators, who were with him in Panama City. In 2004, President Mireya Moscoso, reportedly for a fee of $4 million, pardoned all of them on the eve of the end of her presidency and promptly moved to Miami, where terrorists and their liberators are richly welcomed.

Despite all the evidence, mainstream journalists and even some journalists from alternative media continue to describe Posada with euphemisms like "militant" or even "activist." NPR headlined, "U.S. Torn over How to Handle Anti-Castro Crusader."(16) An Associated Press report headlines "FBI Adds to U.S. Case Against Militant Posada" and refers to him as "a fierce Castro opponent," never mentioning "terror" or "terrorist" or "terrorism" even though the article concerns his bombing campaign.(17)

But that isn't stopping the growing understanding about precisely what is happening here.

On April 17, before Posada was released on bail, Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio and presidential candidate, wrote an open letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, asking that the Justice Department extradite Posada for trial in Venezuela. He said, "The United States must make it clear that it does not reward terrorists."(18)

On April 19, Posada was released on bail. The next day The Los Angeles Times editorialized that Washington "has done many odd things in 46 years" in its relations with Cuba "but letting a notorious terrorist walk stands among the most perverse yet."(19) There is an international outcry. Thousands of well-known people from around the globe have signed a petition urging that Posada be brought to justice. A Jamaican columnist, John Maxwell, wrote that "people all round the world wonder how the United States Government can justify harbouring Luis Posada Carriles."(20)

Speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives on May 3, Rep. Jim McDermott, Democrat of Washington, pointed out that Posada is "a wanted international fugitive." He said Posada's case "shows the double standard of the Bush Administration in its so-called commitment to fight terrorism." He asked, "Why is the Bush Administration handling Carriles in this manner?" He answered, "Three letters say it all: C-I-A. Carriles was a CIA agent." He noted that Posada's lawyer said his client would talk about his CIA assignments during and after his official employment.(21)

The Miami Herald posted a letter from Margarita Morales Fernández, a Cuban-American in Miami whose father was a passenger on that plane in 1976-Luis Alfredo Morales Viego, the coach of the Cuban fencing team: "Our collective grief is reflected in the anguish of the children, parents and spouses of those who were killed that day….We make up the Committee of the Relatives of the Victims of the Sabotage of the Cubana airliner. We have gotten together not to demand vengeance, but to demand that justice be done for us and for all victims of terrorism. I ask only what the laws of the United States provide for: I ask that the United States extradite Posada to Venezuela to stand trial for the murder of my father."(22) Now Posada walks free in the very city where she resides.

Since Posada was set totally free on May 8, more newspapers and more congressional members are protesting. Regarding Judge Cardone's decision, the San Francisco Chronicle quoted noted attorney José Pertierra, who represents the Venezuelan government in the extradition case: "`We're not indignant about what this judge has done; we're indignant about what the White House has done to bring out this decision.'" He said, "`I don't think they're stupid at all. The government did as little as it possibly could, as sloppily as it possibly could. This was the result the government wanted all along.'"(23)

In his Washington Post column, Eugene Robinson said that Judge Cardone's point was that "if the government really wanted to keep Posada behind bars because he was a career terrorist, prosecutors should have prosecuted him as a terrorist. Then, faster than you can say `Patriot Act,' authorities could have made him disappear into the netherworld of indefinite detention where terrorism suspects named Muhammad are kept."(24)

Odalys Pérez, the daughter of the pilot of Flight 455, warned that freeing Posada could lead to an escalation of violence against Cuba. She said that's why Cuba has to send men like the Cuban Five "to expose plans against their country hatched in the United States."(25) On the day after Posada's release, Rep. Bill Delahunt, Democrat of Massachusetts, called on George W. Bush to certify Posada as a terrorist under the Patriot Act and detain him to "prevent him from fleeing the country while the Administration determines how and where he can stand trial for his crimes."(26)

In a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, said the American people "deserve a full accounting" of Bush's "knowledge of Luis Posada's role."(27) That Bush was George H.W. and the year was 1988. Now almost 20 years later there is no full accounting and Posada is free. But powerful forces might wish that Posada would die before he starts telling secrets again. Posada should be watching his back.

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1 Ann Louise Bardach and Larry Rohter, "Key Cuba Foe Claims Exiles' Backing" and "Life in the Shadows, Trying to Bring Down Castro," The New York Times, front-page articles, July 12-13, 1998. Luis Posada Carriles, Los Caminos del Guerrero, Honduras, August 1994. See

2 The bombs were placed in the passenger section, one at a seat, forward of the center of the plane, and the other in the bathroom in the rear. They were not in the luggage compartment as some reports say. A special issue of the Cuban newspaper, Granma, October 19, 1980, describes in detail exactly how the locations of the bombs were determined.

3 Interview of National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcón by MSNBC producer Mary Murray, NBC News, April 29, 2005.

4 Jane Franklin, Cuba and the United States: A Chronological History (Melbourne and New York: Ocean Press, first edition 1992, second edition 1997).

5 Bardach and Rohter, "Life in the Shadows, Trying to Bring Down Castro," July 13, 1998.

6 Cuba and the United States, entry for July 1, 1976. To follow the bombings and the context of Cuba-U.S. relations in which CORU was operating, see the chapter on 1976.

7 Jeb Bush later became governor of Florida, with the support of the powerful and influential right-wing multimillionaires in the Cuban American National Foundation, chaired at the time by Jorge Mas Canosa, one of Posada's main financiers. The campaign to free Bosch began in 1989 when Ros-Lehtinen was running for Congress. Jeb Bush was her campaign manager. She became the first Cuban-American in Congress. See Cuba and the United States, entry for June 23, 1989.

8 For more about these connections, see Cuba and the United States: A Chronological History.

9 The CMEA, also known as Comecon, was a trade alliance of socialist countries from 1949 until it was disbanded in February 1991. When Washington established a trade embargo against Cuba in 1962, 83 percent of Cuba's trade was with the United States. The CMEA stepped into that vacuum. When the CMEA disbanded, Cuba had to fill that vacuum on its own.

10 Bardach and Rohter, "Key Cuba Foe Claims Exiles' Backing," July 12, 1998.

11 See Juan O. Tamayo, "Cuba describes suspect's actions in bombing spate," Miami Herald, September 16, 1997.

12 Tamayo, "Plot to Kill Castro in Dominican Republic is Exposed," Miami Herald, August 9, 1998.

13 Bardach and Rohter , "A Cuban Exile Details the `Horrendous Matter' of a Bombing Campaign," New York Times, July 12, 1998. The article provides names of Posada's collaborators in Guatemala and in New Jersey.

13 For the full story of that plot, the trial, the acquittal, and the later confession of one of the plotters, see Franklin, "Gunning for Castro," The Nation, December 15, 1997, and "Terrorist's Best Defense," ZNet online, July 5, 2006 www.zmag.org Both are also available at my homepage http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jbfranklins.

14 See Franklin, "Miami Vice," ZNet online, September 6, 2005 www.zmag.org. Also available at my homepage.

15 National Public Radio, May 4, 2007; NPR.org.

16 Curt Anderson, "FBI Adds to U.S. case Against Militant Posada," Associated Press, May 5, 2007.

17 Dennis J. Kucinich, http://www.kucinich.house.gov/

18 "A Terrorist Walks," Los Angeles Times, April 20, 2007.

19 John Maxwell, "Common Sense," The Jamaica Observer, April 29, 2007.

20 Jim McDermott, http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/sp070503.shtml

22 "There are no good terrorists," MiamiHerald.com, posted April 30, 2007.

23 Robert Collier, "Charges dropped for Cuban militant," San Francisco Chronicle, May 10, 2007.

24 Eugene Robinson, "Free Ride for a Likely Killer," Washington Post, May 11, 2007.

25 "Slain Pilot Daughter: Jail Posada," Prensa Latina, May 9.

26 Bill Delahunt, http://www.house.gov/delahunt/posadaletter.pdf

27 Cuba and the United States: A Chronological History, entry for September 22, 1988, from the Congressional Record.

My Current Obsession with Chloé

Chloé is one of the many designer brands from Paris. This design house was established in 1952 and grew in popularity in the 60s when the company hired Karl Lagerfeld as their head designer. With Lagerfeld at the helm, the Chloé brand became a household name and rose to be one of the iconic brands of the 70s. In the late 90s, Stella McCartney gave the brand a younger, fresher look making it more appealing to the younger generation.

Over the years, Chloé has turned out feminine frocks that are utilitarian but subtly romantic. However, my obsession with Chloé begins with their accessories particularly the 2006 'it' bag, the Paddington.

Why am I so obsessed with this bag? As The Bag Snob puts it: "The leather is super slouchy and soft but ultra durable and scratch resistant. The medium size is functional for everyday and it’s perfect for a fun night of clubbing as well. The pockets on both sides are great for sliding in your cell phone and keys. The downside, it weighs in at a hefty three pounds! The lock alone is half a pound but the Paddington is just not the same without it so us fashion slaves will just have to look fabulous toting it straight to our chiropractors office." To amend that statement regarding the lock, the new generation of Paddingtons have smaller and lighter locks although the big padlock was part of its appeal.

Net-A-Porter sold 376 of these bags in 36 hours. Black is the most common of all the bags but the other colors are just as beautiful. The new summer collection features a white Paddington with contrast stitching . I can't wait to get my hands on it!

For more information on the Chloé brand, please refer to: http://www.chloe.com/.

Deuce

The following are pictures of my puppy, Deuce...arranged in chronological order from September 28, 2006 when I adopted him.

This is Deuce after I took him home from the pound. He looks unkempt and malnourished, in bad need of a bath and a flea collar. He was a scared puppy. He would just sit in one corner and wait until I called him to me.



This is Deuce two days later after his visit to the groomers. He looks so much healthier already! The groomers told me that they had a hard time giving this feisty puppy a hair cut. Apparently he's not used to people coming close to his face that he moved around a lot.



This picture was taken three months after his trip to the groomers. His hair is longer and his belly has gotten rounder. Greedy puppy, always wanting more food like it's his last meal. This is how he sits when he's just chillin' by my side.



Yikes! Is this the same dog? Lol! This is how he looks now after my boyfriend and I gave him a "makeover". We cut off his hair and I guess we cut off a little too much. I'm sorry my little pooper. Don't worry, your hair will grow back.

NOW

Date:1-yr. anniversary of car accident
Location: At work
State of Mind: Bored

I just want to post a pic of my puppy and introduce him to the world. Everyone, meet 4-Deuce or Doozy. He's turning 2 this November. I rescued him from the pound on 9/28/06. This pic is before he got his haircut. I'll post another one of him when I get a chance.

TAGGED! GETTING TO KNOW ME (AGAIN!)

I tag everyone!

This is simple. Just:
1. Emphasize all lines that apply to you.
2. Tag five more people after you finish, complete with links to their sites.
3. Let the person you've tagged KNOW that they've been tagged, for Pete's sake.

I wish I was a different ethnicity.
I have an eating disorder.
I'm short. (I think so.)
I'm tall.
I think I'm really attractive.
I prefer winter over summer.
I'm a geek.
I'm a shopaholic.
I'm reasonably intelligent.
I'm attracted to girls.
I'm attracted to men.
I like British accents. (Although sometimes, I have a hard time understanding them.)
I smoke regularly.
I drink regularly.
I smoke socially.
I drink socially.
I get drunk easily.
I do drugs.
I will never date a bad kisser.
I've lied to avoid kissing them again.
I brush my hair at least 50 times a night.
I'm happy with my Faith.
I'm not religious but have morals.
I lie frequently.
I'm impulsive.
I'm hardworking.
I liked "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind".
"She's All That" is one of my favorite movies.
I'm good at History.
I speak more than two languages.
I enjoy taking pictures. (But I have a tendency to always forget my camera.)
I like spending money on myself.
I like spending money on others.
I have a regular income.
I earned money on a job-by-job basis.
I pay my own bills.
I rely on my parents for money.
I can cook.
I enjoy cleaning.
Tidiness is a must in my life.
I like clutter.
My idea of good music is Britney Spears.
I have heard of Blonde Redhead.
I enjoy Blonde Redhead.
I'm fashion-conscious.
I have good taste.
People tell me I have good taste.
I excel academically.
I'm told I have yet to fulfill my potential.
I'm good at sports.
I'm good at certain sports.
I couldn't do sports to save my life.
I'm creative.
I'm artistically inclined.
I wanna be an artist when I grow up.
I wanna be an engineer when I grow up.
I eat when I'm upset.
I cannot adapt to change.
I'm interested in politics.
I have shoplifted.
I download MP3s.
I've done underage drinking.
I've gone underage clubbing.
I can dance.
I can dance extremely well.
I dance like a cardboard gorilla.
I can sing.
I sing like someone stepped on my foot.
I can swim.
I enjoy surveys.
I enjoy surveys when I'm bored.
I keep a journal.
My teachers don't like me.
I enjoy controversy.
I can be a bitch/bastard.
I have a thing for bad boys/girls.
I have tattoos.
I've been in a nudist colony.
I'm not sure if I want to have children.
I'm not sure if I'll get married.
I know who I will marry. (But that doesn’t mean they want to marry me, LOL.)
I'm interesting. (To say the least.)
I'm a good liar.
People enjoy talking to me.
I annoy people from time to time.
I'm a born leader.
I'm a born leader but shouldn't lead.
I enjoy felching.
I have a foot fetish.
I have a shoe fetish. (I enjoy shopping for shoes but I don't have a shoe fetish.)
I watch "Sex and the City".
I don't think Sarah Jessica Parker is pretty.
I wanna be J.Lo.
I cut myself.
I've cut myself.
I hate people who pretend to be suicidal.
I hate popular people.
I think cheerleading is a sport.
I'm photogenic.
I live in Chucks.
I think graffiti is art.
I have dated a criminal.
I have been cheated on.
I have cheated on someone.
I have a temper.
I like playgrounds.
I dance in the rain.
I'm obsessed with Shakespeare.
I have tanlines.
My favourite color is pink.
My favourite color is black.
I would classify myself as emo.
I'm musically inclined.
I like listening to music.
I like music-blasting cars.
Thongs are comfortable.
I like flip-flops.
I know what monogamy is... and I believe in it.
I wanna be a social worker when I grow up.
I have sibling/s.
My sibling/s annoy me.
I think "South Park" is funny.
I believe in LOVE.

Thanks a lot Inez.

More of "Ode to *W*"

Somehow the poem that was forwarded to me generated more "poetic creativity" (if you can call it that) from other disgruntled employees of the said company.

Ode No. 2

And what’s with Ramin’s rage
Is the contractor not on the same page?
And why is Steve so afraid of showing his age?

These are more things in the CWP pace.
Oh yeah, I know where Nate’s at
He’s at myspace.

Ode No. 3

these are some things
i think about
at cwp…

why is it that
when Ramin is late
he doesn’t get reprimanded
same also with Nate

why is it that
Sassan has no balls
He never talks back to Steve
I don’t get it at all

why is that
Naghdi is so messy
He always leaves his clutter around
Oh, what a doozy!

And why, oh why
haven’t I gotten my raise
Neither has Aidin,
Oh, what a disgrace!

This may not be as funny to everyone else but for those who work at said company, it's freakin' hilarious! Maybe one of these days a poetry anthology will be released and the subject of this book will be, I don't know...work, frustration at the job, etc. and these poems will be published then. That'll be awesome. *Sigh* 'Til then...

Ode to *W*

This poem below was written by one of the above's company disgruntled employees and was forwarded to me by one of my friends. Actually, it could've been written by any of the company's disgruntled employees and since it's really funny, I decided to share it with the rest of the world. I hope this doesn't get anyone in trouble. I have 'changed' the company name to protect the identity of the employee.

Ode to *W*


what happened to nate
why is ramin always late
and will we ever actually build
some real
estate

these are some things

i think about
at cwp…

like how many times a day
does sassan pee
what is it with half empty containers
and naghdi
and why does steve NEVER have a bathroom key

is it just me
or is navid’s political views kind of creepy

is today an awesome or not awesome day

for Debbie

and ALBERT!
jeez
what more can i say!

is it pay-day
will we ever get a raise

ugh! is this really my fate
and really though, where the hell is Nate!

Update

I haven't updated my blog for quite a while, so I decided to update the people out there on what's going on with my life. Not a lot of exciting stuff...my boyfriend moved to a loft in downtown, bought my cousin's book, Sanctuary (her blog here), worked on my business plan, and worked on my culinary skills (I'm getting better!). Not much happened in my life, same stuff only on different days.

I'll be posting pictures of my New York trip soon, so watch out for that. I haven't had the time (or the motivation) to get to it. I'm a procrastinator, I always have been. I'm not proud of it, I just acknowledge it. I don't even know why I do it. Sooner or later I still get around to doing it (whatever it is I that I decided to do later rather than now) so I don't know why I even bother to procrastinate. It certainly serves no purpose. Who knows?

Anyway, I'll be starting school again tomorrow. Yes, big surprise. I got my degree in Economics from USC in 2003 and I'm back in school to punish myself with some more schoolwork and some more procrastination. Well, at least it's something to pull me away from the couch. To all of you who don't know me, I'm also a couch potato. A procrastinator and a couch potato...hah! It's a damn miracle I'm not fat but don't let me get into that. I have a slight obsession with my weight. Don't worry, I'm not anorexic or bulimic but I am very diligent about watching my weight. I haven't had pizza in about a year, and boy do I miss it! Almost as much as I miss the gym. I haven't been to the gym since my car accident. That's one of the reasons that I have to watch my weight, I can't do any strenuous exercise that might aggravate or impede the growth of the bone on my forearm. Almost a year, and it still hasn't grown back completely. But I won't get into that either. Talk about going off on tangents. My AP English teacher in high school told me that I write in a stream of consciousness...almost like James Joyce. Only the stream of consciousness part. Anyway...

My Arm (Part Deux)

I found some pictures of my arm as I was rifling through the pictures on my cellphone. These pics are kind gross.

******************************************************************************

The staples were just removed by my doctor. The wounds look so fresh. Euw. He was trying to distract me by talking to me about the beach while he picked them off. I was screaming so much...I hope I didn't scare his other patients. This pic was taken with my camera phone because I'm such a doofus that I forgot my camera at home. Imagine how this would look if it was a higher quality picture. Double euw.



This pic is of the other side of my arm. this one's even more disgusting because of the burn marks. Burn marks you ask? Apparently, I'm allergic to surgical tape. This part of my arm had the staples taken off earlier* and the stitches were held by surgical tape so it won't open. When the doctor removed the bandages, I thought the scabs were dried blood but they were actually burnt skin. Say it with me...EUW!



*I had two separate surgeries for my arm. After the first surgery (where they installed the metal plates), my arm was so swollen that they couldn't close it off. I went back a week after to first surgery to have my arm closed up and for a bone graft (there was a gap in my bone since it apparently shattered and some pieces were too tiny to be put back together). Before I had my second surgery, the doctor removed the staples. Since the wound was pretty fresh, he taped up my arm with surgical tape so the wound won't reopen.

New York, New York

I'm leaving for New York in a few hours and I'm so excited! I've never been there and I can't wait to go...shopping! I think of New York as one big mall. I hope I won't get disappointed. I hope I don't forget anything as I packed really late last night. I'll only be there for a few days for my mom's reunion and birthday but I hope I enjoy it anyway. The weather is not the best, 90 degrees with 60% chance of rain and 80% humidity, but I hope I'll survive. I'm sure anything is better than the heatwave we're currently experiencing here in CA. Well, before I start blabbing away I'll cut myself short. I'm praying for a safe and fun trip. I'll post pictures as soon as I get back. ciao for now!

Me, a Joke Writer? No...

Let me start this post with a disclaimer: this is something I got from my cousin Inez's blog and I want her (and everone else to know) that this and the previous blog was "inspired" by the same post on her site. The "Get To Know Me" post is very similar to one of her posts which is very weird because I posted it probably a few hours after she posted hers. Very weird, I guess we're on the same wavelength. Cousins indeed. Anyhow, for the post.

You Should Be a Joke Writer

You're totally hilarious, and you can find the humor in any situation. Whether you're spouting off zingers, comebacks, or jokes about life... You usually can keep a crowd laughing, and you have plenty of material. You have the makings of a great comedian - or comedic writer.

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Get to know me more

Another random get-to-know-me survey I found on the web. Enjoy.

(Click here to post your own answers for this meme.)


✓ I miss somebody right now.
× I don't watch much TV these days.
✓ I own lots of books.


× I wear glasses or contact lenses.
× I love to play video games.
× I've tried marijuana.


✓ I've watched porn movies.
× I have been the psycho-ex in a past relationship.
✓ I believe honesty is usually the best policy.


✓ I curse sometimes.
✓ I have changed a lot mentally over the last year.
× I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.


× I have broken someone's bones.
× I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal.
✓ I hate the rain.


✓ I'm paranoid at times.
✓ I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.
✓ I need/want money right now. (ALWAYS!)


✓ I love sushi.
✓ I talk really, really fast.
× I have fresh breath in the morning.


✓ I have long hair.
× I have lost money in Las Vegas.
✓ I have at least one sibling.


✓ I was born in a country outside of the U.S.
✓ I have worn fake hair/fingernails/eyelashes in the past.
✓ I couldn't survive without Caller I.D.


× I like the way that I look.
✓ I have lied to a good friend in the last 6 months.
✓ I am usually pessimistic.


✓ I have a lot of mood swings.
× I think prostitution should be legalized.
✓ I slept with a roommate. (slept in the same bed but did not have sex kind of sleep...that would be weird since she's a girl & i'm not a lesbian or bisexual)


✓ I have a hidden talent.
× I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar I have.
× I have a lot of friends.


✓ I have pecked someone of the same sex.
× I enjoy talking on the phone.
× I practically live in sweatpants or PJ pants.


✓ I love to shop and/or window shop.
× I'm obsessed with my Xanga or Livejournal.
× I'm completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother.


✓ I have a mobile phone.
× I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months.
✓ I've rejected someone before.


✓ I currently like/love someone.
× I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
✓ I want to have children in the future.


× I have changed a diaper before.
× I've called the cops on a friend before.
× I'm not allergic to anything.


✓ I have a lot to learn.
× I am shy around the opposite sex.
× I'm online 24/7, even as an away message.


× I have at least 5 away messages saved.
✓ I have tried alcohol or drugs before. (alcohol, yes. drugs, never.)
× I have made a move on a friend's significant other or crush in the past.


× I own the "South Park" movie.
× I have avoided assignments at work/school to be on Xanga or Livejournal.
× I enjoy some country music.


✓ I would die for my best friends.
✓ I'm obsessive, and often a perfectionist.
× I have used my sexuality to advance my career.


× I think Halloween is awesome because you get free candy.
× I have dated a close friend's ex.
× I am happy at this moment.


× I'm obsessed with guys.
✓ Democrat.
× Republican.


× I don't even know what I am.
✓ I am punk rockish.
✓ I go for older guys/girls, not younger.


× I study for tests most of the time.
× I tie my shoelaces differently from anyone I've ever met.
× I can work on a car.


× I love my job(s).
× I am comfortable with who I am right now.
× I have more than just my ears pierced.


× I walk barefoot wherever I can.
× I have jumped off a bridge.
× I love sea turtles.


× I spend ridiculous amounts of money on makeup.
✓ I plan on achieving a major goal/dream.
× I am proficient on a musical instrument.


× I hate office jobs.
× I went to college out of state.
× I am adopted.


× I am a pyro.
× I have thrown up from crying too much.
× I have been intentionally hurt by people that I loved.


× I fall for the worst people.
× I adore bright colours.
× I usually like covers better than originals.


× I hate chain theme restaurants like Applebees and TGIFridays.
✓ I can pick up things with my toes.
✓ I can't whistle.


✓ I have ridden/owned a horse.
✓ I still have every journal I've ever written in.
✓ I talk in my sleep. (so i've been told)


× I've often thought that I was born in the wrong century.
× I try to forget things by drowning them out with loads of distractions.
× I wear a toe ring.


× I have a tattoo.
✓ I can't stand at LEAST one person that I work with.
✓ I am a caffeine junkie.


× I am completely tree-huggy spiritual, and I'm not ashamed at all.
× If I knew I would get away with it, I would commit at least one murder.
× I will collect anything, and the more nonsensical, the better.


× I enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner.
× I'm an artist.
× I am ambidextrous.


× I sleep with so many stuffed animals, I can hardly fit on my bed.
× If it weren't for having to see other people naked, I'd live in a nudist colony.
✓ I have terrible teeth.


× I hate my toes.
✓ I did this meme even though I wasn't tagged by the person who took it before me.
× I have more friends on the internet than in real life.


× I have lived in either three different states or countries.
× I am extremely flexible.
× I love hugs more than kisses.


✓ I want to own my own business.
× I smoke.
× I spend way too much time on the computer than on anything else.


× Nobody has ever said I'm normal.
✓ Sad movies, games, and the like can cause a trickle of tears every now and then.
× I am proficient in the use of many types of firearms and combat weapons.


× I like the way women look in stylized men's suits.
✓ I don't like it when people are unpleased or seem unpleased with me.
✓ I have been described as a dreamer or likely to have my head up in the clouds.


× I have played strip poker with someone else before.
× I have had emotional problems for which I have sought professional help.
✓ I believe in ghosts and the paranormal.


× I can't stand being alone.
× I have at least one obsession at any given time.
× I weigh myself, pee/poo, and then weigh myself again.


× I consistently spend way too much money on obsessions-of-the-moment.
× I'm a judgmental asshole.
× I'm a HUGE drama-queen.


✓ I have travelled on more than one continent.
× I sometimes wish my father would just disappear.
× I need people to tell me I'm good at something in order to feel that I am.


× I am a Libertarian. (not me, but my boyfriend is!)
✓ I can speak more than one language.
× I can fall asleep even if the whole room is as noisy as it can be.


× I would rather read than watch TV.
× I like reading fact more than fiction.
✓ I have pulled an all-nighter on an assignment I was given a month to do.


× I have no piercings.
× I have spent the night in a train station or other public place.
× I have been so upset over my physical gender that I cried.


× I once spent Christmas completely alone because there was a miscommunication on which parent was supposed to have me that night.
✓ There have been times when I have wondered "Why was I born?" and may/may not have cried over it.
× I like most animals better than most people.


× I own a collection of retro games consoles.
× The thought of physical exercise makes me shiver.
× I have hit someone with a dead fish.


✓ I am compulsively honest.
× I was born with a congenital birth defect that has never been repaired.
× I have danced topless in front of dozens of complete strangers.


× I have gone from wishing I was a girl to revelling in being a boy to feeling like a girl again in the span of five minutes, and not cared a whit for my actual sex.
× I am unashamedly bisexual, and have different motivations for my desires for different genders.
× I sometimes won't sleep a whole night or eat a whole day because I forget to.


× I find it impossible to get to sleep without some kind of music on.
× I dislike milk.
× I obsessively wash my hands.


× I always carry something significant around with me.
× Sometimes I'd rather wear a wig in day-to-day life than use my own hair.
× I've pushed myself to become more self-aware and thereby more aware of others.


× Even though I live on my own I still cry sometimes because I miss my mother.
× I hand wrote all the HTML tags in this document.
✓ I've liked something which a majority of people claimed was either bad or weird.


× I have been clinically dead for a brief period of time.
× Instead of feeling sympathy/empathy with people and their problems, I simply become annoyed.
× I participate/have participated in auto drag races and won.


✓ I do not 'get' most comedy acts. (coz sometimes they're just not funny!)
✓ I don't think strippers are money-greedy or slutty for dancing.
× I don't like to chew gum.


× I am obsessed with history/historical things and can't wait for someone to build a time machine so I can be the first to use it.
× I can never remember for the life of me where I parked the car.
× I had the TEEN ANGST thing going for at least 2-3 years.


× I wish people would be more empathic and honest with each other.
× I play Dungeons and Dragons weekly.
✓ I love to sing. (but unfortunately, i'm not that good)


× I want to live in my mother's basement when I grow up.
✓ I have a custom-built computer.
× I want to create a certain someone's babies, even though there's a 0% possiblity of ever achieving it.


× I would be in a relationship with one of my pets if they were human.
× I've gone skinny-dipping.
× I've performed in three plays.


× I enjoy burritos.
× I'm Irish and loving it.
× I have a thing for redheads.


× I am a twin!
× Most of the times, I'd rather do something intellectual instead of doing something generically 'fun'.
× Once I set out to finish something, I always stay at it until it is completed before I move on to something else.


× I wish there were a way to erase past mistakes.
× I sleep more than 12 hours a day.
✓ I wish I could be prouder of what I've accomplished, but it's never enough.


× I need more time to myself.
× I wish I was more open-minded.
× I hope that I go really prematurely grey.


✓ I download songs from the internet.
× I've just reenacted chapter 58 of Death Note with my best friend.
✓ I say random things to freak people out.


× I'm still a little mad about the ending of Death Note.
× I love playing Truth or Dare.
× I love listening to slow music, but I hate singing to it.


× Music helps me remember that I am not alone.
✓ Playing my favorite sport makes me temporarily forget my problems.
× I think this survey is particularly long.


× I prefer my LJ friends to my real-life ones.
× I can only hate someone that I love.
× I've ordered an extra two shots of espresso to an Americano at Starbucks.

Getting to Know Me

I found this silly questionnaire online during one of my lazy days at work. This will be my tribute to one of my favorite movies of all time…The King and I. You know, the part where they sang ‘Getting to Know You’. Anyway, here goes…

1. LIVING ARRANGEMENT?
One bedroom second-floor apartment

2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Visitor’s Guide to New York City

3. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
My mouse. =)

4. FAVORITE BOARD GAME?
Monopoly, introduces kids to the basics of capitalism. I’m not sure if that’s necessarily a good thing.

5. FAVORITE MAGAZINE?In Style and Lucky

6a. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Smells in general – coffee & food cooking on the stove or oven or grill. Perfrumes – Marc Jacobs & Issey Miyake

6b. LEAST FAVORITE SMELLS?
Rotten eggs, garbage, anything rotten

7. FAVORITE SOUND?
laughter

8. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?Being cheated (in more than one context) -> makes me feel stupid

9. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
“what time is it?”

10. FAVORITE COLOR?
Lilac or lavender

11. HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE?
Depends who is calling. Sometimes I don't answer it at all. Caller id rocks.

12. FUTURE Child's NAME?
Girl: Cassidy Nicole or Lorelai Cassidy
Boy: Alexander Nicolo or Marcus Alexander

13. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE?
Family & friends

14. FAVORITE FOODS?
Japanese Food (not just sushi) and Spanish Tapas and good, bloody steak

15. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?If these were the only two choices, then chocolate, I guess.

16. DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST?
Yes, but ever since my accident (that broke, nay shattered both bones in my left forearm) I’ve been driving really carefully (which means slower than I used to).

17. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
No, they make me sneeze.

18. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY?
Scary

19. WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
1997 Toyota Corolla

20. MEET ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE?
Angelina Jolie – she’s hot.

21. FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK?
Mango margarita and mango mojito

22. WHAT IS YOUR ZODIAC SIGN?
Scorpio baby, yeah.

23. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI?
Yes.

24. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Buyer for a cool boutique that I also own.

25. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR WHAT WOULD IT BE?
same color I always dye it…mahogany

26. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE?
Yes, unfortunately.

27. IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?
depends on the situation

28. FAVORITE MOVIES: The King and I, Braveheart, Dumb & Dumber, My Cousin Vinny

29. DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS? Nope

30. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED?
Stor-it-all with a bunch of papers

31. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? 12

32. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Trojan football. Go Trojans!

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. student
2. retail
3. financial analyst
4. real estate office manager

Four movies you could watch over and over:
1. The King and I
2. My Cousin Vinny
3. Love Actually
4. Jerry Maguire

Four places you have lived: (most recent)
1. palms/cheviot hills area
2. west hollywood
3. silverlake
4. malibu

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. amazing race
2 top model
3. project runway
4. grey’s anatomy

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. orlando
2. las vegas
3. boracay, philippines
4. Cagayan de oro, philippines

Four websites I visit daily:
1. MSN
2. Yahoo
3. Perfect Pet Rescue
4. Google

Four of my favorite foods:
1. japanese
2. thai
3. tapas
4. steak

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Greece
2. Italy Tuscany region
3. South Africa
4. Bahamas

Four things I always carry with me:
1. cell phone
2. purse
3. keys
4. debit card

I guess the above questionnaire doesn't really tell people much about me except what I like and don't like. Getting to know someone is an adventure that takes time and patience. It is not something that can be summarized with a few questions.

Italy, give it to the French!

I may not be an expert on soccer (or football, whatever you want to call it) but I did follow this year's World Cup. I may not be a fan of the French team but I do believe that they were cheated of the title as the World Cup champions. Yes, Italy won with a penalty kick but I don't think that's enough. They had to resort to 'cheating' to win. Materazzi knew that Zidane is an emotional player. Materazzi knew that if Zidane had stayed in the game Italy had no chance of winning. The Italians had been slacking since the start of the second half. They looked tired. They played tired. They needed to do something to defeat the French and they resorted to unsportsmanlike behavior.

Yes, what Zidane did was just as bad. He is after all the captain and he should have acted like one (but then again one can argue that George W. Bush is President of the US and he surely doesn't act like it either). We will never truly know what Materazzi told him to provoke such behavior but if the rumors are true, then Italy should give up the Cup. Materazzi should just stop making excuses. He should stop playing like the victim (saying he's not cultured enough to know what an "Islamic terrorist" is, when that clearly has nothing to do with culture). He should just 'fess up that he cheated and now he's lying about it. But he never will. His reputation is at stake and he has to lie to defend his honor, his reputation, his World Cup victory.

For more on the history of Materazzi and racism in the World Cup, please refer to and article written by Dave Zirin (as it appeared on Znet.com):

Why Today I Wear My Zidane Jersey

Imagine Michael Jordan in his last game, with the score tied in overtime, knocking out his defender with a punch to the throat. Imagine Derek Jeter in game seven of the World Series, at bat with the bases loaded, thrashing the opposing team's catcher over the head with his bat. Our collective shock would only be exceeded by disappointment. No one, fan or foe, would want to a see a great player end their career in an act that speaks to the worst impulses of sports: when hard competition spills over into violence.

Now imagine if Jordan and Jeter claimed they were provoked with a racial slur. Does their violence become understandable? Even excusable? Herein lies the case of French National team captain, the great Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane, competing in his last professional match, was kicked out of the World Cup final in overtime for flattening Italian player Marco Materazzi with the head-butt heard around the world.

Zidane, or Zissou as he is known, became the first captain ever ejected from a World Cup championship match. The announcers denounced Zissou for committing a "classless act and the French team withered, eventually losing to a demonstrably inferior Italian squad in overtime. The following morning the international tabloids with their typical grace, gave Zissou a new nickname: "butt-head."

Less examined was the fact that Zissou was literally carrying a lightly regarded French team to the finals. Less examined was the fact that Zissou had been grabbed, kicked, and fouled all game by the vaunted Italian defense. Less examined was the fact that Zissou had almost left minutes earlier due to injury, his arm wilting off his shoulder like a wet leaf of spinach. This unholy amount of pressure is the primary reason the 34-year-old veteran snapped and planted Materazzi into the pitch.

Now the great mystery is what set Zissou off. What could Materazzi have possibly said to send him over the edge? Answers are beginning to filter out.

According to a FIFA employee transcribing what was said during the match, Materazzi's called Zissou a "big Algerian shit."

A Brazilian television program that claims to have used a lip-reader said Materazzi called Zissou's sister "a whore." The highly respected French anti-racist coalition SOS Racisme issued a press release stating, "According to several very well informed sources from the world of football, it would seem [Materazzi] called Zissou a 'dirty terrorist'."

Materazzi, in an answer that can only be called Clintonian, said, "It is absolutely not true. I didn't call him a terrorist." Of course he didn't comment on what he did call him. Zissou himself has only said cryptically that he would reveal what Materazzi said "in the coming days."

Right now, we do not know beyond a shadow of a doubt what was said but all the circumstantial evidence points at least toward a variant of SOS Racisme's claim.

Zissou is the son of Algerian immigrants who has sparred verbally with Europe's far-right political machine for more than a decade. He is an outspoken anti-racist on a team that has defined itself by its multiculturalism and stubborn insistence to stand up against bigotry both inside and outside the sport.

Materazzi on the other hand, will be playing this year for the Italian team Lazio, where his father was the former coach. Lazio's fan club, The Ultras, are notorious for their Fascist-friendly politics. Lazio's hardcore Ultras, known as the "Irriducibili," have members in Italy's extra-parliamentary far right and try to use the club to recruit. The group has frequently uses racist and anti-Semitic banners, one time hanging a 50-foot banner that said their opponents were a "team of niggers."

It's wrong to taint Materazzi for the actions of Lazio's fans, but there is more. Earlier this season in a match that pitted Messina against Inter in Sicily, Messina's star African player Marc Zoro famously picked up the ball and walked off the pitch in protest of the monkey chants rained upon him by Inter supporters.

In a stirring act of solidarity, many of the Inter players immediately showed support for Zoro's actions. But one opponent yelled, "Stop that, Zoro, you're just trying to make a name for yourself." That opponent's name was Marco Materazzi.

At the start of this tournament I wrote a soccer column with my colleague John Cox, called Racism Stalks the Cup. We expressed our concern that the monkey chants, banana peels, and peanuts raining down on African players this year would continue on the sport's grandest stage. This largely did not occur.

But then in the final act, at the moment of most exquisite tension, it seems racism may have actually emerged from the shadows. I, for one, am damn glad that when it did, it ran smack into Zissou's beautiful head.

We don't know with iron certainty what Materazzi said, but if it turns out to be more of the anti-Black, anti-Muslim, garbage that has infected soccer like a virus, the Italian team should forfeit the cup. They should voluntarily give the greatest trophy of them all back to FIFA as a statement that some things in this world are more important than sports.

Racism will be the death of soccer if things don't change. Italy can set the sport back on course, with one simple, stunning gesture.

Give the damn thing back.

Dave Zirin is the author of "What's My name Fool?": Sports and Resistance in the United States (Haymarket Books). You can receive his column Edge of Sports, every week by e-mailing edgeofsports-subscribe@zirin.com. Contact him at whatsmynamefool2005@yahoo.com.