Author: R J Adams

This is madness. What the hell are we becoming? In many walks of life, and in all parts of the world, women are frequently treated abominably. The regularity of gang-rape in India, the violence towards women in certain African nations, these and many other instances are abominations every sane, balanced, individual – whether male or female – should abhor.

But this…this is madness:

“…she is brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly what you’d want in anybody who is administering the law and making sure that everybody is getting a fair shake”.

“She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country… It’s true. Come on. And she is a great friend and has just been a great supporter for many, many years.”

President Barack Obama is not a favorite at Sparrow Chat. He has, in our opinion, failed miserably to lead this nation where it needs to go. He has many faults. Sexism is not one of them.

The remarks quoted above were made at a fundraising meeting. According to the BBC:

Critics have cited the remark as an example of the ongoing hurdles women face in the workplace…writers and bloggers have commented that although the president is a personal friend of Ms Harris and a strong supporter of women’s rights, his remarks were inappropriate.”^[1]

Well, just for the record, here’s one blogger who believes his remarks were not the least bit inappropriate. Have we truly reached the point in our self-civilizing where we can no longer value true beauty – rather than the pimped-up, photo-shopped, caricatures splattered all too readily over the magazine racks in Walmart and similar two-bit stores – whether that beauty be female or male?

Kamala Harris, California’s attorney general, about whom Obama’s remarks were addressed, is a good-looking woman. I doubt many, whether male or female, would argue with that.

The one thing the US president most certainly didn’t imply was that her career success was, in any way, due to it.

Thankfully, there are a few in the media prepared to stand up and state the obvious. Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post is one:

…he [Obama] has been bludgeoned into apologizing to California state attorney general Kamala Harris for saying, ”She’s brilliant and she’s dedicated, she’s tough… She also happens to be, by far, the best looking attorney general.” Umm, has everyone gone stark raving mad? We are told his remarks to Harris revive talk about the “old boys club.” Really, among whom? Outside thin-skinned columnists and incessantly nasty twerps, who cares?”^[2]

Who cares? Obviously a great many people. It’s just a pity they’ve nothing better to concern themselves about. Only a few weeks ago a young Indian woman suffered a horrendous gang-rape which resulted in her untimely death. While it was widely reported in the US media, the “thin-skinned columnists and incessantly nasty twerps” were far less vociferous about that than this off-handed compliment from the president of the United States to a close friend of his family.

Isn’t it time you grew up, America? Your immaturity has truly become an embarrassment to the rest of the world.

^{[1] “Obama sorry over Kamala Harris ‘good-looking’ comment” BBC, April 5th 2013}

^{[2] “It’s the media that should apologize” Washington Post, April 5th 2013}

Is there anyone else out there having problems with this Pistorius guy? Six weeks ago he shot and killed his girlfriend. Apparently, she was the love of his life. He broke down and wept in court. We were all told he was bereft.

Now, he says he may well compete in Russia, at the World Athletics Championships, in August.^[1]

It would seem the only love of Oscar Pistorius’s life is Oscar Pistorius. While it’s true we have to move on when adversity and tragedy afflict us, to consider such action after only six weeks, and while a murder charge is hanging over one’s head, smacks of cold-blooded, callous, indifference.

Meanwhile, in Cyprus, the banks have decided to open their doors once more after holding onto their customers’ money for almost two weeks. European finance ministers, led by Germany, apparently saw nothing wrong in demanding a substantial percentage of the money in the bank accounts of ordinary Cypriot citizens, as security for a Euro loan to the Cypriot government.^[2]

Let’s not bandy words. It’s stealing. Anyone else taking money from other people’s bank accounts without permission would be sent to jail for a long time. The money doesn’t belong to the Cypriot government. It belongs to ordinary citizens. They’re not responsible for the collapse of the Cypriot economy.

Is this the thin end of the financial wedge? If they get away with it in the tiny island of Cyprus (and it looks like they will), how long before they come for your money, or mine?

But that’s okay because Easter’s here and it’s a time for forgiveness, repentance, and washing other people’s feet. Our new Pope is no exception.

Today, in the best biblical tradition, he visited a prison in Rome where he washed and kissed the feet of twelve prisoners, representing the twelve apostles of Jesus.^[3]

This, again in the best biblical tradition, has caused discord among certain of the Catholic faithful, as four of the feet belonged to women – one of whom was a Serbian Muslim. We know the twelve apostles were all males. And, definitely, Christian.

And, well, yes…of course, it goes without saying, obviously they were all Catholic.

As a footnote (excuse the pun!) his predecessor, Popey Ratzinger, didn’t lower himself to wash the feet of the peasants. He delegated other priests to do it for him.

^{[1] “Oscar Pistorius to consider World Championships” BBC, March 28th 2013}

^{[2] “Cyprus capital controls ‘may last a month'” BBC, March 28th 2013}

^{[3] “Pope Francis washes prisoners’ feet on Maundy Thursday” BBC, March 28th 2013}

The Godfather of the Kremlin is dead^[1]. I first wrote about Boris Berezovsky in July 2007. He’d been making headlines in Britain and I’d recently finished reading Paul Klebnikov’s book, exposing this Russian gangster-oligarch for the monster he was.

The book, “Godfather of the Kremlin” cost Krebnikov his life. Four years after it was published he was shot nine times as he left his Moscow apartment. A contract killing, almost certainly on the orders of Berezovsky, though it was never proved.

Paul Klebnikov

According to official reports, Berezovsky hanged himself. It’s unlikely. His fortunes had certainly taken a turn for the worse but this Israeli/Russian oligarch was not the type to take his own life – unless, of course, he was left with no option.

Assassination attempts had been tried previously, and failed. It’s possible this one didn’t.

Whatever – he’s dead. We can all be thankful for that.

^{[1] “Boris Berezovsky died by hanging, police say” BBC, March 25th 2013}

^{NOTE: previous posts on Boris Berezovsky:}

^{1. “A British Stiff Upper Lip – Above A Weak Flabby Chin? Sparrow Chat, July 18th 2007}

^{2. “The Bulldog, Bear, And Boris Berezovsky – An Update” Sparrow Chat, July 19th 2007}