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Please order your free Ceasefire.ca Gear, which includes 25 sign-up cards and 3 pins today!

The pins are pretty snazzy.

Special Coverage of Benazir Bhutto's Assassination

Global Voices, the website that aggregates blog postings from all over the world, has set up a special coverage page for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. It has English language commentary from bloggers in Pakistan and other regions.

Ethiopia leaves key Somali town

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
___________________

Ethiopia leaves key Somali town

Ethiopian troops have withdrawn from a key town in central Somalia.
Islamist insurgents say they now control Guriel, where Ethiopia had a big military base to secure the road linking the two countries.(More...)

Ethiopia cracks down on rebels

The Ethiopian army has inflicted losses on rebel fighters in the restive Ogaden region where the government is cracking down on insurgents, Colonel Tsegaye Gebretensae said in a statement today.(More...)

UNMEE expresses concern about firing incident between Eritrea and Ethiopia

On 26 December, 2007 at 3:30 hours, the Indian Battalion (Indbatt) Post and UN Military Observer Team Site located at Tsorena inside the Temporary Security Zone, Eritrea, heard firing sounds in the general direction of Gergera, southeast of Tsorena in the border area.

A Welcome Home and A Look Forward
Meron Wondwosen , cousin of Daniel Bekele

The guilty verdict followed by a two and a half year sentence rendered against my cousin Daniel Bekele and his partner Netsanet Demissie is not a victory for the military junta's court system. Nor is it evidence that the "justice" system with its abundant delays, draconian laws, sick judges and arbitrary detention rules actually functions. No. If there is a victory to be claimed, then it belongs to those who persevered against all adversity and defended Daniel and Netsanet.(More...)

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of border attack

Firing on Eritrea-Ethiopia border sparks UN concern

Ethiopia government praises Burundi deployment in Somalia

Ethiopia activists get 2 1/2 years but to walk free

Two human rights activists received a two-and-a-half year jail sentence on Wednesday for inciting post-election violence in 2005, but will walk free within days as they have already served their prison time.(More...)

Also see: Press Release from CIVICUS & GCAP

Ethiopia: Prisoners of conscience unfairly convicted; face possible 10-year prison terms

Amnesty International


(A Supporter signs petition demanding the release of Human rights defenders and antipoverty activists, Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, currently jailed by the government of Ethiopia)

Amnesty International today condemned the convictions of two human rights defenders in Ethiopia on charges of provoking and preparing "outrages against the Constitution", saying that the two men are prisoners of conscience arrested solely for their peaceful human rights work. Both have been held in prison since November 2005.(More...)

Ethiopian govt. convicts activists

An Ethiopian court has convicted two rights activists of inciting an uprising against the government. Judge Mohammed Aminsani, said on Monday: "Despite the lack of evidence proving their involvement in leadership and participation during the unrest, no evidence could be found to refute accusations of incitement."(More...)

Ethiopia activists found guilty BBC News
Activists convicted in Ethiopia UPI
Ethiopian Court Convicts Anti-Poverty Campaigners OneWorld.net

Monkey Trial in Kangaroo Kourt: Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demessie in the “Lions’ Den”

Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam

It is often said that truth is stranger than fiction. The grotesque prosecution of Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie is much stranger than the grim and chilling fictional story of Joseph K., in Franz Kafka’s The Trial.(More...)

One of the Most Important Bills of the Decade - A Bill with Global Ramification

Ethiopia: Draft Parties Registration Law Raises Controversy

Ethiopia’s opposition party denounces Sudan border demarcation

10 Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories Of 2007

Heavy fighting rocks Somali capital

Burundi peacekeepers arrive in Somalia: AU


__________________________

CIVICUS & GCAP Press Release

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation & Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)

MEDIA ADVISORY
12/26/07

26 December 2007 – Ethiopian activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie may face brief additional time behind bars, as the court today sentenced them to two years and six months in prison on charges of incitement, despite demands by the prosecution that they receive the maximum sentence of 10 years.

"While we welcome the fact that Daniel and Netsanet may soon be reunited with their friends, families and colleagues in civil society, we are perplexed and dismayed by the additional sentence. Everyday they have spent and possibly will spend in prison is a deep injustice. They are true heroes of Ethiopia, true heroes of Africa and for everyone around the world who supports democracy, justice and the fight against poverty ," said Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and Co-Chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) who was present at the sentencing this morning.

Daniel and Netsanet, coordinators of GCAP in Ethiopia, were today sentenced to two years and six months in prison by the Federal High Court in Addis Ababa for provocation and preparing incitement in the aftermath of the May 2005 elections. On Monday, they were acquitted of conspiracy to overthrow the constitutional order, but were found guilty on the lesser charge. CIVICUS and GCAP anticipate that they will soon be released, given the two years and two months they have already spent behind bars, as well as their good behaviour and their willingness to cooperate with the court.

Before sentencing them this morning, the judges read a statement recognising their contributions to peace, democracy and the rule of law in Ethiopia. The presiding judge dissented from the verdict and has consistently maintained they are innocent of the charges, finding their actions to be fully within the constitution.

"The judges' statement today read more like a citation for the Nobel Peace Prize than justification for even a single day they have spent in prison ," said Kumi Naidoo.

Since Daniel and Netsanet's arrest in November 2005, civil society organisations in Ethiopia have come under increasing scrutiny, and many have been forced into silence on controversial issues for fear of meeting the same fate as Daniel and Netsanet.

Speaking from Ethiopian Federal court, Kumi Naidoo said, " This case has significance beyond the travesty of justice against Daniel and Netsanet. Their continued detention has had a chilling effect on civil society in Ethiopia. It is extremely important that the judges stated none of their actions were against the constitution and were in fact legitimate civil society activities. We hope that this vindication will enable civil society to fully exercise its role, including advocacy for human rights, democracy, peace and the eradication of poverty ."

Aside from their work with GCAP, Daniel is also head of the policy department at ActionAid International Ethiopia. Netsanet is also the founder of local human rights group Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia.

At the start of the trial in May 2006, 131 opposition politicians, journalists, civil society leaders and organisations stood accused of a range of charges from genocide to treason. They were among thousands who were detained following protests accusing the government of rigging the 15 May 2005 parliamentary elections. Many of the accused were acquitted during the course of the trial. Others were convicted but pardoned in July and August 2007 – all of whom signed a confession, admitting use of "unconstitutional means to change the constitutionally established government functions" following the 2005 elections.

Although they were asked to sign a similar statement, Daniel and Netsanet declined. They argued that their activities in 2005 were entirely legal and did not serve to undermine, but rather to protect and promote Ethiopia's constitutional order.

Recognised as Amnesty International prisoners of conscience, Daniel and Netsanet were consistently denied bail, even after seven attempts, including an appeal to the Supreme Court.

ENDS

For more information or interviews, please contact:

Ciara O'Sullivan, GCAP – in the UK: +44 776 724 6880, ciara_os@hotmail.com

Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS - in Ethiopia: +251 911 926 295

Julie Middleton, CIVICUS – in South Africa: +27 403 6040 juliejmiddle@gmail.com

For more information on CIVICUS: www.civicus.org

For more information on GCAP: www.whiteband.org

(12.26.07) Recommends:

The track "Blue Eleanor" by Old Canes.

One of the many reasons that we love our inbox is that, here we sit, the day after Christmas, and it's still giving us little gifts. And one of the many reasons we love blogging is we get people -- friends and strangers alike, and sometimes even strangers who become friends -- who send recommendations our way.

So today, our love of inboxes, and blogs, and friends, and recommendations all came together, and the result, predictably, is pretty effing cool. Today a friend sent us along this track and we've been swimming in it all morning. We know little about the band or the album from which this track comes, but when the holiday season starts calming down a little -- starting tomorrow for us, unfortunately -- we're gonna figure this out. What we know now is that Old Canes come from Lawrence, KS and the album came out in July 2004. If our calculations are correct, this means we had already left the KC metro area for California and therefore can feel a little less bad about not knowing about this sooner.

A Welcome Home and A Look Forward

Meron Wondwosen

"That justice is a blind goddess is a thing to which we [Ethiopians] are wise. Her bandage hides two festering sores that once perhaps were eyes." Langston Hughes

To speak of justice in Ethiopia is to speak of a farce. To expect justice is to imagine a fairy godmother. To wish for that elusive pot of gold. At the end of our rainbow there isn't a green creature with promises of riches but rather a cruel and merciless dictator whose iron fists rule over Ethiopia.

The guilty verdict followed by a two and a half year sentence rendered against my cousin Daniel Bekele and his partner Netsanet Demissie is not a victory for the military junta's court system. Nor is it evidence that the "justice" system with its abundant delays, draconian laws, sick judges and arbitrary detention rules actually functions. No. If there is a victory to be claimed, then it belongs to those who persevered against all adversity and defended Daniel and Netsanet. Victory, bittersweet as it may be, belongs to Daniel and Netsanet. Its hard to imagine what is on the minds of these courageous men who lost more than two years of their lives in the depressing, barbed wire existence that is Kality prison. What is irrefutable is that they exemplify dignity to the highest degree. They had nothing—no wealth, no political aspirations—nothing at all except their dignity and their principles. And in the tradition of many African women and men before them, they stuck to truth—come hell or Meles Zenawi's kangaroo court.

The ordeal of these two men has always had larger implications. The struggle for their freedom has been about the right of all Ethiopians to live without fear that our houses will be raided, our newspapers and radios silenced, our young men arrested en masse and our courageous women, incarcerated and some forced to give birth in prison.

Through this trial, the rest of the world began to see, some albeit begrudgingly, the rampant human rights violations committed by the current regime. During the span of this trial, Somalia was invaded by Zenawi's army and is currently mired in a humanitarian crisis; Ogaden burned as fellow Ethiopians were slaughtered under the Prime Minister's orders; Finally Ethiopia's integrity was compromised as the dictator allowed the CIA to operate its extraordinary rendition (read: torture) programs on our soil. As for the economy, well, measured on any index, the country lags behind and is an utter development disaster.

So it is in the midst of the continuing struggle for the liberation of Ethiopia that we welcome Daniel and Netsanet back into our arms and into the community of people all over the world who worked every single day since November 2005 to free them.

Eighty million Ethiopians suffer daily under a ruthless dictatorship. Let us rise and speak on their behalf as we did for Daniel and Netsanet. While we won this battle, the war rages on. The work is not done until we have freed Ethiopia from the clutches of this brutal cabal.

A La Luta Continua!

Meron Wondwosen is an attorney, human rights activist and cousin of prisoner of conscience Daniel Bekele.

(12.25.07) Recommends:

A Survey!

This is our second installment of A Survey! Last time's game is here. Today we're asking: do we like Portfolio, Conde Nast's new business magazine, or does it annoy us?

The Pros:

1. As we mentioned last time we blogged about the magazine, Michael Lewis is a contributing editor. And today, we gave a family member a Michael Lewis book for Christmas. We've gone this for about 19 Christmas' in a row. If, god forbid, Michael Lewis stops writing books, our family members will likely stop receiving gifts.
2. The stories are short and are informal.
3. There is a humor present in the stories -- stories that are more or less about serious subjects -- that you rarely find in other mainstream periodicals.

The Cons:

1. The shortness and informality seem to almost border on the flippant. This worries us.
2. The shortness also prevents any in-depth analysis. We know this seems like a preposterous thing to even have to mention -- how could shorts things contain in-depth analysis? Two words: James Surowiecki. His pieces in the New Yorker are never longer than one page (plus, there's also a cartoon in the middle, so it's actually less than one full page). And we always feel like we walk away with a grasp on whatever topic he explores after that one page. We were hoping Portfolio would be a magazine full of Surowiecki-esque pieces. We're not hopeful it's reached such heights.

So, Survey Time, boys and girls. Go out and read the magazine, and let us know what you think. Does this magazine have the chance to be a must-read, always-on-our-coffee-table magazine? Or does it just annoy us?

December 24, 2007 - The Widening of Time

I’m taking a break from writing my Christmas Eve sermon to add a few words here, about the holiday and about how I’m doing.

I just read an online update from Walt Wangerin, a Lutheran pastor and novelist who, like me, is dealing with cancer. (I previously mentioned Walt in my Februrary 12, 2007 entry). Also like me, Walt has been engaged in a hard, uphill struggle, but has now emerged onto a sort of plateau. He has gone from thinking death was near to realizing he will likely live quite a while longer.

Back on August 10th, when he was still feeling sick, Walt wrote these words:

“Time used to tumble for me. Like the mountain stream that breaks at the big rocks, spouts and plunges at speed from crags to canyons. Time was narrow and very fast.

Now Time has slowed to a stately progression. I measure it in day/feet – feet per day. For there are fewer days left to me and heavier feet for the passage. Slowth: it requires enormous patience. Slowth: a damming of anxiety. The consequence of a body restrained, slower than an infant's crawl. My motion by disease reduced to the child's eternal wait for good things far away.

On the other hand, slowth's no trouble at all. Where once Time tumbled, now Time has widened. Like the river that covers a broad plain. And the patience I thought was severity has become my benefaction.

I don't look forward so much any more, dashing to grasp the future. I look left and right. I've the Time, you see, to scrutinize all that is. And what is companions me.”

As of his most recent update (November 26th), Walt is in a very different place. Like me, he’s had reports from his doctor that indicates the cancer has not progressed further. Consequently, he’s now got a different perspective on time:

“...my more earthly anticipations are turning toward living as well, yes, yes, yes – and with them come back again the old responsibilities little and large, personal and public; come back anxieties over things unfinished, the sense of the terrible rush of time eating away my days, my plans, my hopes of completing this thing and that.”

I can attest, from my experience, that it’s a strange thing to return to ordinary life, after some time spent dealing with life-threatening illness. I feel, at times, like I can’t trust good news to be good. After spending a long time waiting for the other shoe to drop, it’s hard to avoid keeping an ear out for it.

Yet, as Walt observes, there are certain advantages that come from the perspective offered by the valley of the shadow of death:

“And there at the threshold of eternity my casual sins, the bitterness certain people have conceived and still hold against me, the unresolved, unresolvable troubles lingering in relationships – all these diminished. The lesser the time, the less pressing these. What a lightness of spirit such a shuffling off afforded me. How sweetly my preparations for death consumed me. How elemental, how simple the holy focus of my attentions. And I knew no fears that I might still wound my friends or aggravate my family. We were at peace. I didn’t have time to destroy that. Dying made me a very good man. And mortal sickness drew both patience and compassion, mercy and love from all those so dear to me.”

I’m sitting at the computer keyboard, listening to glorious music on the radio from the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge. There’s a timelessness to this beloved service: the soaring voices of the choirboys, the mellifluous, English-accented readings from the King James Version of the Bible, the beloved carols and anthems. It’s Christmas coming round once again: the same, year after year.

But, it’s also different. Two years ago, my Christmas was swathed in anxiety, as I was living into the reality of my diagnosis. Last Christmas, I took comfort in the fact that I was in remission. Now, I’m no longer in remission, but am on a similar sort of plateau to the one Walt now occupies. I could be here a very long time before undergoing further treatment, or perhaps it will be sooner. Only God knows.

The only thing to do is, as Walt says, to look for those places in life where Time widens, and attention is sharply focused on the things that make for peace.

Christmas can be such a time. As the organ music swells and choirboys sing on, I realize that.

A joyous Christmas to you!

(12.23.07) Recommends:

The Megabus.

We don't think we've mentioned the Megabus before, but we would be remiss if we allowed 2007 to fall away into the record books without first shining our light on what surely is one of the Top Three Modes of Transportation in the United States.

The setup: Megabus is a "low cost, daily, express bus service in the US." The system was first described to us was thusly: It could take a rider from St. Louis, MO to Kansas City, MO for $1. This is roughly 300 miles. Even assuming you have a 10-gallon gas tank and get 30 miles a gallon, such a trip would cost $30.

We studied Economics in college and even went on to work professionally in the field. Yet, we have no idea how this Megabus system possibly works. How and why it works escapes us. But works, we know, it does.

Here's how we know: after hearing fanciful tales of such civilized travel from family members in (the Middle of) America, we tried the thing out on the West Coast.

San Jose. To Los Angeles. For $10.

No kidding.

As far as we can tell there are no catches to this system (other than, you know, it might go bankrupt at any second). The buses are new and big and comfortable. The drivers are reasonable. There is one stop, approximately 30 minutes in length (at least this is so for the SJ-->LA leg). The company, if it advertises at all, only advertises online and tickets can only be purchased online, so rather than getting sketchballs like on Greyhound, you get a bunch of people who look like they're being shipped off to Hipster Bandcamp. And we can be down with that.

This seems like a system too good to stay this pure for very long. So, if you live in or near a city served by Megabus, make 2K8 the year you try it.

Note: More background info found here.

December 21, 2007 - Not On Our Knees?

I’m thinking about something I read the other day in Leroy Sievers’ “My Cancer” blog on the NPR website. Leroy’s the TV news producer who’s been struggling against colon cancer that's advanced to his brain and spine, and whom Ted Koppel recently profiled in a documentary on cancer survivorship.

In his December 18th entry, Leroy’s musing on the subject of strength, and where we find it. “Where does the strength come from to keep fighting, even when the odds may be stacked against us?” he asks, rhetorically.

Then, he dips into his rich experience in news broadcasting to come up with a potent image: “Back when I was working in Latin America, one of the rules was that if you were stopped at a roadblock, you never got on your knees. Others, including journalists, had been forced to kneel. Then they were executed. So the thinking was, never get on your knees. Well, I may have bad days. I may be weakened by the pain. It may be all I can do to fight through the day. But with all of that, I'm sure as hell not getting on my knees. Ever.”

So speaks a man who’s had some grueling days of late, but who’s determined not to give up. I think he’s right. The only way to persevere as cancer survivors is for us to refuse to get on our knees.

Of course, from the Christian standpoint, I’d be quick to point out another meaning of the phrase, “on our knees.” Sometimes it refers to prayer. Now there’s an “on our knees” experience that doesn’t symbolize resignation or defeat. We’d all do well to get on our knees, in that sense.

Some look on prayer as a weakness. It’s the last resort. “Say your prayers,” growls the evil villain in the movies, before finishing off his victims. Yet, the most effective prayers are those uttered not out of panic, in extreme situations, but rather as a joyful, ongoing spiritual discipline.

Leroy’s right. We shouldn’t bend the knee to cancer. Not ever. Yet, there is one to whom we can bend the knee, without fear of being destroyed. It is this one who gives life, even in the face of a fearsome adversary like cancer.

“Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength...”

– Psalm 84:5-7a

Divide and Rule: Ethnic Federalism in Benishangul Gumuz Region of Ethiopia

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
___________________

NETSANET DEMESIE AND DANIEL BEKELE – MEN OF THE YEAR (Girma Kassa)

Divide and Rule: Ethnic Federalism in Benishangul Gumuz Region of Ethiopia

Berhanu G. Balcha, NES-Scandinavian Chapter

Since 1991 the political power in the regional state has been characterized by unpredictability and ineffectiveness. Though immaturity in political leadership could be cited as a cause, other factors such as inter-ethnic as well as intra-ethnic rivalries, and the intriguing and self-serving role of the TPLF have played a significant role in creating turmoil and unpredictability in the regional state political structure.(More...)

Ethiopia, UN accuse each other on Somalia - VIDEO

UN 'not exaggerating crisis in Somalia'

The United Nations has rejected Ethiopian claims that it is exaggerating the severity of the crisis in Somalia. The UN says fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian-backed government forces in the capital, Mogadishu, has forced 600,000 people to flee the capital. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that is just hype.(More...)

Eritrean opposition urges overthrow of government

Somalia: Hawiye elders welcome UN position

Ethiopia PM attacks UN on Somalia

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has accused the UN of playing a damaging role in the Somali crisis. "The situation there - as hard as it is - it could do with less hype and exaggeration," he told the BBC. (More...)

YOUNG ETHIOPIANS FIGHTING BACK
New generation steps up battle for equality in wake of school segregation incident

Recounting how officials in this central-Israel city stonewalled complaints this month about the segregation of four Ethiopian schoolgirls, Daniel Uoria paused to answer his cell phone. It was an adviser to the deputy mayor.(More...)

Ethiopian immigrants protest plans to halt Falash Mura aliyah



(Picture-reuters) Ethiopian immigrants hold a demonstration outside the office of Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem December 18, 2007. Some 1,000 Israelis of Ethiopian descent took part in a demonstration on Tuesday calling on the Israeli government to grant permission for their relatives living in Ethiopia to immigrate.(More...)

--French journalist held in Somalia said to be "fine"
--Rebels say killed 215 Ethiopian troops but government denies
--As people flee Somalia and Ethiopia, 56 dead are found on the shores of Yemen
--Somalian cabinet dissolved after 2 weeks
--VOA: interview with Dr. Hailu Araya and Eng. Hailu Shawl on current developments within Kinijit (Part I)
--VOA: interview with Dr. Hailu Araya and Eng. Hailu Shawl on current developments within Kinijit (Part II)
--Ethiopian roses cast shadow over coffee


_______________________

(12.19.07) Recommends:

"Movin' to Virginia" by Split Lip Rayfield.

The last time we checked in, we had found ourselves in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For a while there, we were pretty sure we were never getting out of the Old Dominion State. Alas, we finally arrived home this morning, but not until the ungodly hour of 4am. Our time in VA reminded us of one of the first SLR songs we recall hearing.

Slip Lip Rayfield -- Movin' to Virginia -- mp3.

December 19, 2007 - Government Listens to Lymphoma Community

I received good news in an email yesterday from Betsy de Parry, the lymphoma survivor who’s been active in promoting the letter- writing campaign to continue adequate Medicare funding of the radioimmunotherapy (RIT) drugs, Bexxar and Zevalin (thereby insuring the future availability of these drugs to everyone). Betsy’s sources tell her that new language has been added to the Senate bill that alters the funding formula for “therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.”

What’s remarkable, Betsy says, is that this was virtually the only change to get into the bill. Congress has evidently been holding back on other amendments, in order to be sure President Bush will sign it.

It seems the e-mails and letters have made a difference. In Betsy’s words:

“I’ve heard from more than one staffer that if it had not been for our grassroots effort, this would not have happened. Every one of you played a part in this accomplish- ment! Every single phone call, every email, every fax, every signature on PAL’s petition helped to let Congress know that we could not sit idly by and watch these drugs disappear. YOU MADE THIS HAPPEN!”

Thanks again, to all the good friends who have contacted congressional representatives on this issue. You’ve helped to make a difference!

December 17, 2007 - Alternatives?

This evening I go to the monthly support group for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, held at The Wellness Community in Tinton Falls, NJ. It’s a good and spirited discussion – one of the best support group meetings I’ve been to in a long time. It’s a good mix of people. There’s a positive, affirming spirit among members of the group.

One of the features that makes it a good mix is that there’s a variety of viewpoints on the subject of alternative treatments. Tracey, our moderator (and an oncology nurse), does a fine job of keeping us all on track, striking the right balance of being directive on the one hand, and letting the group determine its own agenda on the other.

Maybe I’m climbing up on a soapbox, here, but I feel like I have to say something about the perpetual debate between proponents of alternative and traditional medicine. There’s a spectrum of opinion on this subject at tonight's meeting.

Putting all my cards on the table, let me say that I tend to favor the traditional-medicine side of the debate. I’m not against exploring alternative treatments, as long as they’re pursued in a complementary fashion – alongside traditional medicine (and keeping the traditional-medicine doctor fully informed), not in place of it. I take a dim view of forgoing something like chemotherapy – if the oncologists are recommending it – in favor of, say, chelation or wheatgrass cocktails.

No doubt about it, alternative medicine has a fashionable cachet, in many circles. Some cancer patients have an innate tendency to distrust traditional, Western medicine, and leap to embrace the latest alternative nostrum, as long as it’s got an adjective like “homeopathic” or “ayurvedic” attached to its name. Why is it that the chakras displayed on an ancient Indian anatomical chart should receive as much credence as the diagrams of the lymphatic system found in Gray’s Anatomy? (Granted, chakras have been guiding Eastern medical treatments for many centuries, but the same can be said of the now-abandoned “four humors” – choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic and sanguine – that used to guide Western medicine.)

It seems to me – and this is my personal hunch – that some people operate from a sort of conspiracy-theory mentality, when it comes to the results of clinical studies. They have a tendency to suspect that a shadowy cabal of traditional-medicine practitioners, for some nefarious purpose, is covering up evidence that alternative treatments work. (And we all know how hard it is to carry on an objective discussion with a true-believer conspiracy theorist.)

There’s also the issue of control. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a loss-of-control experience. Where once we made all our own decisions – what to eat, how to spend our time – suddenly someone else starts issuing orders. Our days are no longer our own. Medical appointments take precedence over everything else. Our disease seems to be running our lives.

It’s no wonder that some may choose to rebel, scouring the internet for personal testimonies about how some diet or natural-foods concoction has brought about a remarkable cure. Most of these approaches are harmless, in the worst case – and could even be helpful, in the best. They’re worth trying, if the patient feels inclined to do so – but never (I say, anyway) as a substitute for traditional treatments.

There’s no doubt that, when it comes to research dollars, the lion’s share of the money does go to traditional medicine. Is this because those foundation, university and government officials who hold the purse strings hate alternative treatments, and want to suppress them? Or is it simply that they’re trying to be good stewards of their scarce research funds, seeking to direct them toward projects that – in their estimation – are most likely to reveal something useful?

A lot of the evidence commonly cited in favor of alternative treatments tends to be anecdotal in nature, based on the experience of a small number of patients. In many of these instances, it’s hard to say for certain whether it was the alternative treatment or some other factor – maybe even dumb luck – that led to a remission or cure. Without a broad-based, statistically-objective study – one that costs a great deal of money, in other words – it’s very hard indeed to get beyond the anecdotal, in assessing the real value of these approaches.

So, who ya gonna trust? The guy behind the counter at the health-food store, who claims to be certified as a nutritionist by some unaccredited training program? Or, an oncologist, who’s had a lot more education and a lot more experience?

My money’s on the oncologist.

(12.15.07) Recommends:

December in Los Angeles.

We grew up fortified by long Midwestern winters, but our time in California has apparently softened us. We were unexpectedly called away to the East Coast this week and here we sit inside, wrapped in layers, heat on full blast, as the rain slowly turns to sleet out our windows. Oh winter in the 20166 area code, we won't be sad when we leave you behind.

December 15, 2007 - NPR Story on Bexxar and Zevalin

Here's a link to a December 12th story that appeared on National Public Radio, about the controversy over Medicare's funding of the radioimmunotherapy drugs Bexxar and Zevalin (see my November 14th, 26th and 30th blog entries, below). Clicking on the link will take you to the NPR website; then, you can listen to the 4-minute segment by clicking on "Listen Now."

To listen to the NPR story, click HERE.

December 14, 2007 – Cancer Terminal

I was reading the December 11th entry on T.L. Hines’ “Life With Lymphoma” blog, when something he wrote got me to thinking. In that entry, Tony ruminates on the word “terminal,” as applied to cancer. Turns out, somebody referred to him as “terminal,” because of a newspaper article that said his lymphoma (like mine) is considered incurable.

For the record, “terminal” and “incurable” mean very different things. “Terminal” means the end is near. “Incurable” means you’re probably going to have a disease for the rest of your life, which could be a very long time. Get the difference?

Tony points out that we hardly ever hear the word “terminal” used to describe any disease other than cancer. When was the last time you heard of terminal heart disease, or Parkinson’s, or even HIV-AIDS? If you tell people you’re going to give them a medical term , then fill in the blank – “terminal ______” – I’ll bet you dollars to donuts the answer will be “cancer.”

Tony observes: “‘Terminal’ has become synony- mous with ‘hopeless.’ And admit it, when- ever you hear the word ‘terminal,’ the word you immediately think of is always ‘cancer.’ The two are inextricably linked in our consciousness, and so in many ways, cancer is always terminal. Despite all the advances we’ve made in cancer treatment in the last few decades, I think that perception still exists among many folks: cancer is terminal.

I suppose, for me, that means I’ll always meet people who think I’m a Dead Man Walking. That means, when I tell these people I’m feeling great and doing well, and my treatment has a good chance of giving me a long remission or possibly even a cure, it will just be ‘Tony putting on a brave face,’ and these folks will know deep inside that Tony’s going to die of this cancer. And probably much sooner than he expects.”

I got to thinking more about that word, “terminal.” The truth is, life is terminal. None of us is going the cheat the Reaper.

Maybe we can transform cancer, in our minds, into a different kind of terminal. The word also refers to a train or bus station, a place that can be a jumping-off point for all sorts of wonderful adventures. They’re called terminals because that’s where the line ends. The trains pull in there, but they can go no further. The only way out is to back up. Smaller towns have stations, where the trains pause for a few minutes at a platform, then move on. Only the major cities have terminals.

I think back to the days when I was backpacking around Europe as a college student, railpass in hand. Every time I’d walk into one of those cavernous, Victorian-era rail terminals, I’d either be disembarking to explore a new city, or climbing aboard a train to head off somewhere else. A terminal wasn’t so much a place of endings, as a way-station on the journey to someplace else. As fascinating as the rail terminals were, with all their bustling crowds of international travelers, I never thought to linger there. Always I was eager to get on to the next thing.

I’ve found that, since getting diagnosed, I've traveled to all sorts of places I never imagined I'd go. Some of those places have been scary, some uncomfortable, others filled with wonderful, warm and compassionate people – but not a one of those places has been boring.

Maybe we ought to think not of terminal cancer, but rather of the cancer terminal. When we first get diagnosed, we often imagine it’s the end – and, truly, we’re barred from proceeding further in the direction we’d been headed. Suddenly, life becomes very different, as we move from doctor to doctor, test to test, treatment to treatment. After a while, though, we sense the train is ready to pull out. “All aboard!” cries the conductor, and we ascend the steps and find a seat in a compartment. Then, our train backs up for a while, before switching to an entirely different track.

Cancer’s often described as a life-changing experience. It’s been so for me, and for many others. Truly, cancer is a sort of terminal, a place where the tracks end and our journey ceases for a time. But then, the day does eventually come when we’re asked to board again, for a new destination.

For most of us cancer patients, that destination is a new and different phase of life, as cancer survivors. For a few of us, the destination is a far country, indeed – what we people of faith call life eternal. Either way, it’s not the end. It’s a beginning.

"People get ready,
there's a train a comin'
You don't need no baggage,
you just get on board
All you need is faith
to hear the diesels hummin'
Don't need no ticket,
you just thank the Lord."

- Curtis Mayfield, "People Get Ready," 1965

(12.13.07) Recommends:

Not Misrepresenting Your Capacity To Provide The Masses With Pinball.

Okay, maybe we're not being fair here. Because Power House (1714 N Highland Ave, in case anybody googles this while conducting due diligence on places to play pinball in Los Angeles) never actually directly represented to us that we could play pinball there. But, come on. Please read their citysearch reviews. Using the find function on your web browser search for "pinball." You will come upon this result:

The wise-cracking bartender, stiff cocktails, classic rock-filled jukebox, darts and pinball games will keep you busy, while the rowdy barroom banter will keep you alert.

In reasonable reliance upon such representations you will show up at Power House. Pockets full of quarters. Hearts full of optimism. And you will be: denied. Because: there is no pinball. Anywhere.

Power House, how we love thee for only having PBR on tap. But we hate that you do not have pinball. Please remedy this because we'd really love to come back into your Christmas-light-decorated and Kansas-hoodie-approving bosom.

But we swear to you that it will never happen until we can play pinball.

December 12, 2007 - Two Doctors

Today I have encounters with two doctors: one on the phone, one in person.

Just after lunch, I participate – along with about 2,000 other people – in a teleconference sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Then, late this afternoon, I stop by Dr. Lerner’s office for a port flush, a blood draw and a consultation.

The teleconference features Dr. Wyndham Wilson, a senior investigator and head of the Lymphoma Therapeutics Section of the National Cancer Institute. He’s reporting on the recent national meeting of ASH, the American Society of Hematology.

He begins by calling this, in language only a medical researcher could love, “a very exciting and optimistic time for the treatment of lymphoid diseases.” In other words, even though many forms of leukemia and lymphoma (including my own) may be incurable, there are a number of effective treatments now available, and more on the way, that can keep these diseases under control.

There’s chemotherapy, of course. And, for some patients, radiation. Those treatments have been around for a while. But there are also monoclonal antibody therapies, like Rituxan (that I received along with my chemo), as well as the sub-category of radioimmunotherapy (Bexxar and Zevalin). There have been major advances in stem-cell transplants, especially the mini-transplants the people at Hackensack were talking to me about. New idiopathic vaccine therapies are on the horizon (those true designer drugs, customized for each individual patient); several major clinical trials of lymphoma vaccines have just finished, and the oncology world is eagerly awaiting those reports.

Dr. Wilson points out that this is the tenth anniversary of Rituxan’s approval for general use. Ten years is not a long time. It’s such a short time, in fact, that no one really knows about the long-term success rate of this miracle drug. That story is still being written, and I suppose I’m one of the people helping to write it.

There’s a revolution going on in genetic research. “Gene-expression profiling,” Dr. Wilson says, is a method of looking at the output of actual genes. This profiling can minutely examine every single gene in a patient’s tumor cell. By figuring out which genes are turned on and off in which patients, researchers can gain a better understanding of how malignant cells actually work.

So, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic.

Fast-forward to later in the afternoon. Dr. Lerner comes into the examining room where I’ve been waiting to see him. He opens my file, and begins reviewing the results of my last CT scan, now nearly a month old. Previously I had received a message from him, by telephone, that my tumors are stable – no larger and no smaller than in the previous scan.

“Is this normal?” I ask him. “Is this something you see very often?”

Yes, he responds, it’s pretty common in indolent lymphomas. This disease sometimes advances in fits and starts. Its progress can stall for a very long time, in some cases. Sometimes for years.

He asks me to hop up on the examining table, and feels in the usual places for enlarged lymph nodes: by the neck, in the armpits, near the groin. Dr. Lerner tells me he feels some enlarged nodes in my armpit, a location they hadn’t been before. “Don’t be alarmed about those,” he reassures me. “They’re nothing to write home about.” They’re small, in other words. Still well within the realm of watch-and-wait.

The doctor quizzes me about how I’m feeling. Fatigue? Night sweats? Pain? I have none of these symptoms to report. It’s all good.

He tells me he’d like to see me in March, but I’ll need to come in for my monthly port flushes in the meantime. Call a month before that, and ask the office staff to schedule another CT scan, he instructs me.

No problem. I can handle that. My cancer is still in a relapsed situation, but its growth has slowed to a snail’s pace. Take your time, lymphoma cells. Take your time. I’m in no rush.

GCAP, CIVICUS: Bring Ethiopian campaigners home for the holidays

Check back with ETP for more news throughout the day

Also:
- Today's Top HEADLINES
- INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
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-Somalia descends into Africa's worst crisis (McClatchy)
-HRW's Letter to US Secretary of Defense on Somalia
-Somali Islamists Said to Be Regrouping
-At least 17 killed in Somalia attacks

Bring Ethiopian campaigners home for the holidays

For Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, This could be their third holiday season behind bars and away from their loved ones. Join GCAP and CIVICUS by:

1) sending a message of hope to Daniel and Netsanet and their families;
2) sending a letter of appeal to the Ethiopian authorities, urging them to bring Daniel and Netsanet home for the holidays.
3) sending a greeting card by post to Daniel and Netsanet, via the Ministry of Justice (MORE...)

REMEMBERING DECEMBER 13TH: ANUAK JUSTICE COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE

Our World: Condi's African holiday

...THE CONFLICTS in the Horn of Africa have regional and global dimensions. Regionally, Egypt has played a central role in sponsoring and fomenting conflicts. Egypt's meddling advances its interest of preventing the African nations from mounting a unified challenge to Egypt's colonial legacy of extraordinary rights to the waters of the Nile River which flows through all countries of the region.(More...)

12 December 2007: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION UPDATE

11 December 2007: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGENT ACTION

PINR Analysis: ''Somalia Completes its Devolutionary Cycle''

As a political community, Somalia has disintegrated. The country has now reached the limit of its devolutionary cycle, which began in December 2006, when Ethiopia mounted a military intervention that ousted the Islamic Courts Council (I.C.C.) from control over most of southern and central Somalia.(More...)

Rights Group Accuses Sudan of Deporting Eritrean Refugees

(Audio Report)

An Eritrean human rights group is accusing the governments of Sudan and Eritrea of working together to round up and deport Eritreans who have sought refuge from Eritrea's authoritarian government. Nick Wadhams has the story from Nairobi.(More...)

EHRCO: Press Release on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December to honor and commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly on this date in 1948. This year on Human Rights Day, the United Nations launches a year-long campaign in the lead up to the 60th anniversary of the UDHR under the theme ‘Dignity and Justice for all of us’.(More...)

PM Olmert promises to fight racism in Israel

The Israeli prime minister opened Sunday's Cabinet meeting with grave remarks in response to a newspaper expose last week about a religious school in Petah Tikva at which girls of Ethiopian descent are segregated from their peers.(More...)

Somali Islamists seize town from government troops

Masked fighters occupied a key business district and residential neighborhood in the Somali capital Saturday, saying they had forced Ethiopian troops to withdraw and urging locals to return home.(More...)

UK, Australian aid staff ordered out of Ogaden

Australian and a Briton working for Save the Children UK have been ordered out of Ethiopia's troubled Ogaden region, aid sources said on Friday. "They have been working in Ogaden on business visas, but were then refused additional work permits and asked to leave," said an aid worker in Addis Ababa, who asked not to be named.(More...)

Press Release: ETHIOPIAN-AMERICANS and FRIENDS of ETHIOPIA in OKLAHOMA for H.R. 2003

December 7, 2007

...The vast majority of Ethiopian-Americans who support the bill have been asking us; his constituents, how Senator Inhofe can, in clear conscience, oppose the bill after refusing to meet with the gross human rights abuses victims to whom H.R. 2003, the “Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007” is directed to?(More...)

Somalia's leader leaves hospital

Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf has been discharged from hospital in Kenya after three days' treatment for respiratory problems. A frail-looking Mr Yusuf, 72, who had a liver transplant 13 years ago, said he would now be travelling to London for a routine check-up.(More...)

Ethiopian-American wins Guardian First Book Award

A novel that tackles fraught questions of identity, dislocation and loneliness through the life of an Ethiopian émigré in the US has taken this year's Guardian First Book Award. Dinaw Mengestu's Children of the Revolution tells the story of a man who fled to America to escape the violence of Ethiopia's communist revolution.(More...)

Rice tells Ethiopia to ease tensions with Eritrea

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Ethiopia on Wednesday to avoid acts that would raise tensions with Eritrea but got new promises from Africa's Great Lakes nations to end fighting in eastern Congo.(More...)

Reporters Without Borders names Eritrean Seyoum Tsehaye journalist of 2007

An Eritrean who has never been allowed a family visit or a lawyer and has never been charged during six years of imprisonment was named "Journalist of the Year" by Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday.(More...)

Somali Leader Reportedly Has Bronchitis

Somalia's president is suffering from bronchitis and is using an oxygen mask, an official said Wednesday as the African leader spent a second day in the hospital in Kenya.(More...)

Rice's visit to Ethiopia puts focus on ally accused of human rights abuses

McClatchy Newspapers



Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Ethiopia this week puts a spotlight on the tight but troubled relationship between the United States and the volatile Horn of Africa nation.

Rice's arrival Wednesday comes as Ethiopian troops are bogged down against Islamist-led insurgents in Somalia and face a growing outcry over alleged human rights abuses against Muslims in the restive Ogaden region — two conflicts that experts believe could serve as a rallying cry for Islamic fundamentalists.(More...)

CPJ asks Rice to discuss Ethiopian press freedom

CPJ's letter to Secretary Rice

Dear Secretary Rice:

In advance of your meeting with Ethiopian officials in Addis Ababa , the Committee to Protect Journalists would like to draw your attention to our concerns regarding press freedom conditions there.

You may know that 15 Ethiopian journalists were recently released from prison, but this development belies the country’s sustained record of contempt for independent media, which manifests itself in a variety of legal and administrative restraints. The 15 jailed journalists were sentenced on trumped-up charges such as genocide in connection with the media’s coverage of Ethopia’s 2005 post-election unrest.(More...)

BBC: SOMALI LEADER RUSHED TO HOSPITAL IN SERIOUS CONDITION - Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf has been taken to hospital in the Kenyan capital, the BBC has learnt. His condition is said to be "serious".(More...)

Also see: Somali gov't denies president in serious condition

U.S. DEBATING SHIFT OF SUPPORT IN SOMALI CONFLICT

The escalating conflict in Somalia is generating debate inside the Bush administration over whether the United States should continue to back the shaky transitional government in Mogadishu or shift support to Somaliland.(More...)


Ethiopian govt. says world disinterest in Somalia peace

Ethiopia has warned that the world's disinterest in sending peacekeepers to Somalia was dampening hopes of achieving peace in the country.(More...)

PETITION FOR DANIEL AND NETSANET (Family and Friends)

PRESS RELEASE ON SENATOR INHOFE’S ETHIOPIA VISIT
(Ethiopian-Americans and Friends of Ethiopia in Oklahoma for H.R.2003)

...Senator Inhofe, despite his 6-day stay in Ethiopia, chose to meet with only 2 individuals (20 minutes each) out of the 28 he was requested to meet by us, his constituents, in order to enable him to reach an informed decision on H.R. 2003.(More...)

EU Annual Report on Human Rights 2007: ETHIOPIA

The EU has called on the government (Ethiopia) to stop the harassment of the opposition and civil society organizations, and to carry out a permanent and inclusive dialogue with the opposition to implement democratic provisions in practice.(More...)

Today's Top HEADLINES

-'Humanitarian crisis' facing Ethiopia, says UN
-UN Should Press Ethiopia and Somali (human rights watch)
-Five killed in Mogadishu violence
-Somali PM unveils new cabinet
-US official Gates in Djibouti to discuss Africa operations

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

-Sudanese President Pardons British Teacher
-CHAVEZ DEFEATED OVER PROPOSED REFORMS
-Monitors say Russian vote unfair
-Sharif's candidacy papers rejected
-Israel Releases 429 Palestinian Captives
-Dinosaur mummy tells secrets




___________________

(12.12.07) Recommends:

Goodreads.

So just the other day we were telling, ahem, a certain someone about how the first thing we did when we moved to Los Angeles was get a library card from our neighborhood library. And then today we get an invitation to join Goodreads.

From the website:

Goodreads is a free website that allows you to see what your friends are reading. You can add and review books that you are currently reading, going to read, or already read. You can also read reviews by people who aren't in your friend network.

A social network for book nerds. Cool, right? We've been busy filling and rating our virtual bookshelf all evening. The drill is, you find a book, then you rate it, and give it a tag. The tags are like "have read," "to read," etc. Right now the tags are limited and we can think of a few that are needed.

1. Book That I Have On My Shelf That Will Never Be Finished. I would give this tag to "Guns, Germs and Steel." At the beginning of every month for the past decade we have told ourselves that this would be the month that we would finally pick up GGS and finish it. Then we get to another chapter that starts with another indigenous tribe coming up with another modification to the sunflower seed that permanently sets civilization on another path from which we will never recover and we realize that we are simply not smart enough to ever finish this book. We did enjoy learning that Zebras have never been tamed, though.

2. Book That I Have On My Bookshelf To Impress People Who Look At My Bookshelf. While "Infinite Jest" isn't actually on our bookshelf -- primarily for the fact that it is too heavy for us to actually lift and place on our bookshelf -- it would certainly be more likely to get this tag from us than either "Have Read" or "To Read." We can actually envision the evening, fueled by one too many Diet Dr. Pepper's -- because it tastes more like regular Dr. Pepper -- when we tag this as "Have Read." We would only give it a marginal rating b/c too high of a rating would probably cause somebody to ask us details about the book. But we used "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men" as a test drive for "Infinite Jest" and after the second story -- which is three sentences that go on for a staggering four pages -- we realized that Wallace, whose genius is beyond reproach, exists on a plane that we can never cohabitate.

3. Book That I Have On My Bookshelf That I "Loaned" From a Friend. We have (at least) two right now. The Hip Librarian loaned us two before we skipped town including one by Miranda July, which we were very excited about but upon reading found more or less a big disappointment (query: will we be brave enough to actually admit this on Goodreads?). Technically, these books have moved from the bookshelf to the desk to a bubble mailer on the desk. We move slowly and methodically and with an abundance of caution. No, but really: we are lazy beyond any reasonable measure and for this we apologize profusely.

Those are the three big categories that come to mind now. But we're sure you can come up with more. Let us here 'em.



End note: One thing that we feel is worth mentioning (just so you don't send us email telling us this and somehow blaming us for it). The site has a blog and many posts are written by the founder Otis. And Otis kinda comes off like a blowhard in nearly every blog post. It's a bit remarkable, really. But I guess he is competing with Tom and Mark Zuckerwhateverthefuck. This is Web 2.0, my homeslices. Get used to the view.

(12.11.07) Recommends:

I'm Not There.

The first thing to know is that we are not sophisticated viewers of movies. When we think of movies, we think of being home for the holidays and seeing one or two with the family. Think big, holiday-season, Hollywood blockbusters. So, with movies we're like a music fan who pretty much only listens to very mainstream major label releases. Now that we have properly raised our insufficiencies as a movie critic, here are some thoughts:

1. We liked this movie. It was non-linear and the director was obviously playing with the form and these are things that we appreciate. Since our experience with movies are the very conventional types, a movie like this gets us excited because we get proud of ourself for stretching our movie-consuming boundaries. People who are sophisticated movie goers, we have no idea how they are reacting to this movie. But we thought it was cool in that abstract style of many Bob Dylan songs.
2. Despite our constrained knowledge of good cinema, even we could recognize that Cate Blanchett put on an incredible performance -- it deserves the phrase "tour de force" an absurd title seemingly only used to describe movie performances -- as jittery-drug-era Dylan. I'll try to frame her performance with a music analogy. You know how some band will cover another band's song, and the cover verison casts the original in a new light, and shows us something new about the old song? Usually it shows you -- or reminds you -- just how brilliant the original song and band were, because the antecedent song was universal, could be taken and adapted to a different style and still be so strong. Think Yo La Tengo covering the Beach Boys' "Little Honda." Or Matthew Ward covering Daniel Johnston's "To Go Home." This was Blanchett's performance. You can go to youtube and watch these interviews of Dylan in that era. And when we watch we seem him seething with anger and mockery and disdain. But Blanchett adds this layer of feminine emotion and vulnerability that you don't think of watching the interviews, but now realize simply had to have been present in the original Dylan. Blanchett, at the least, will be nominated for major awards for this.
3. We feel more comfortable discussing music rather than movies. Someday, perhaps, there will be a Rhapsody of movies. But until then. We thought the two stars of the soundtrack (aside from the Dylan originals that were used; those are the stars of any soundtrack they'd ever be in) were Stephen Malkmus and Mason Jennings. It seems more or less implausible that this is a coincidence since they both share characteristics with Dylan: Malkmus the absurdly talented wordsmith (also note that one of the versions of Dylan was from Stockton, CA home of Malkmus/Pavement); Jennings, the thoughtful Minnesota songwriter.

So there you have it. We've seen lots of interesting movies with interesting soundtracks lately and if we're lucky this trend will continue until at least Wednesday

(12.10.07) Recommends:

The Soundtrack to Juno.

So we saw Juno last night. According to Wikipedia -- and if it's on Wikipedia, my goodness, that's good enough for us -- Juno is the story of "a teenager who discovers she's pregnant by her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). She then tries to give the child to a promising, suburban couple, Vanessa and Mark (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman), but everything goes wrong." It opened in limited release Dec. 05 and opens nationwide Dec. 25. Most likely it will take the country by storm.

Two things that readers of this blog will notice immediately about the movie:

1. It name-drops McSweeney's. Really.
   
2. It has a killer soundtrack. Some will even go so far as to call it "quirky."

If it's quirky, you're thinking to yourself, than the Moldy Peaches must be involved somehow. And you'd be correct. The soundtrack relies heavily on ex-MPer Kimya Dawson. Additionally, you're looking at tracks by, among others, Belle + Sebastian, Cat Power and the Velvet Underground. Good stuff.

We imagine Anyone Else But You will be the song most closely associated with the movie.