Author: Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

This author has written 2010 articles
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

No such thing as a just war

Another hopeful sign…

Soldier who refused to return to Iraq to surrender in North Miami

By Erik Schelzig, Associated Press

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. (AP) Shaken by a gunfight in Iraq that killed innocent civilians, a 28-year-old U.S. soldier declared the invasion ”an oil-driven war” and said he won’t return to the Middle East and fight.

Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia, of Miami Beach, surrendered Monday at an air force base in Massachusetts, where he was ordered to report to his unit Tuesday at the North Miami Armory in suburban Miami.

His attorney, Louis Font, said he believes Mejia is the first soldier to turn himself in after refusing to return to Iraq. Mejia said he would seek conscientious objector status.

Mejia was in Iraq for about five months last year until October, when he returned home on leave. He did not return to duty.

”This is an oil-driven war, and I don’t think any soldier signs up to fight for oil,” Mejia said Monday after arriving at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Mejia said he was particularly upset over an incident in which he and others were ambushed and innocent civilians were hit in the ensuing gunfire.

”That’s one of the things that tells me there’s no such thing as a fair war, no such thing as a just war,” he said.

(more…)

Continue ReadingNo such thing as a just war
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

A sense of naked helplessness

I rarely give a conscious thought to the possibility of being caught up in a terrorist attack, fully accepting the likelihood that NYC remains a target and at some point in the future, another attack will come. Other than crawling under a rock or moving to North Dakota, there's really no other option and, to be honest, I don't even see much difference between the two. Every now and then, though, something random happens that forces me to acknowledge that I live and work smack in the middle of one of the largest bullseyes around, and it can be a…

Continue ReadingA sense of naked helplessness
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Spain Vows to Pull Soldiers Out of Iraq

Perhaps there is some reason for hope…

Spain Vows to Pull Soldiers Out of Iraq

By ED McCULLOUGH, Associated Press Writer

MADRID, Spain – The leader of Spain’s victorious Socialists said Monday he will withdraw his nation’s support for the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, restating a campaign promise a day after his party won elections overshadowed by terrorist bombings.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, calling the war that ousted Saddam Hussein an “error,” said he would recall Spanish troops from Iraq by June 30 unless the United Nations assumes control of multinational military operations there.

In a surprise defeat, Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar’s conservatives on Sunday became the first government that backed Washington in Iraq to be voted from office. The election came amid charges that Aznar made Spain a target for terrorists by supporting the war, and that his government concealed possible connections between the attack and Islamic terrorists for political gain.

(more…)

Continue ReadingSpain Vows to Pull Soldiers Out of Iraq
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Met with Bob (and Ed Greer) on Friday to nail down the details for louder than words. They love the concept and had some great input on the overall format, plus there's the possibility of Bob calling in some favors to book me some "big" names. Really, he's just hedging his bets there as they've been burned by lackluster shows in prime slots in the past and is concerned I'm targeting the usual audience which may garner a similar result. With less than a week to pull together the lineups in order to have enough time to do some promo…

Continue Reading
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

NEWS FLASH: Mark Your Calendars! louder than words Bowery Poetry Club Saturday, March 27 & Saturday, April 3 8pm SHARP! It's Politically Incorrect meets David Letterman. Def Poetry with an editor. Slam poetry with a brain. It's a little bit smarter, a little bit quicker, a little bit louder...than words. The dates are tentative, pending tomorrow's meeting with Bob but it looks it should be a go. It's an intimidating time slot, prime time Saturday night, and only two weeks to promote the first show so I'm really going to have to bust my ass to pull it all together.…

Continue Reading
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Sent my BRIO submission in today, two days before the deadline. Thank you, Express Mail! It's the first time I've submitted for something like this - other than a single poem entered in a Literal Latte contest way back in 1999; I just don't have the self-discipline - and it was a real challenge to decide what to submit. 10 pages aren't very many poems when most of mine average 3 pages each. (Slam influence, anyone?) The fact that I knew I was definitely submitting Mozer, Bethea and I - a five-pager! - severely limited my other options as I…

Continue Reading
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Dear wannabe Warren Buffets: If you're considering buying MSO stock thinking you're going to make a bundle when it swings back up, here's what I wrote to someone else that thinks the same thing. It's definitely a gamble but unless you're playing with tens of thousands of dollars, I don't think it's going to be such a big winner that it's worth throwing good money after. The potential gain on a small investment* isn't worth the potential loss. The brand is undeniably damaged and even if they pull off a Philip Morris/Altria, there's not a huge upside as Martha Stewart…

Continue Reading
Newer Posts
Older Posts