Cds You Should Own: George Harrison: LET IT ROLL-SONGS OF GEORGE HARRISON

Years after THE BEST OF GEORGE HARRISON was released, a far better new Cd comprising the wonderful solo career of George Harrison was released on June 16, 2009. Unlike, the first greatest hits which only included just six solo songs by George Harrison, this new Cd is entirely comprised of post-Beatles solo works and is a truly excellent package of 19 great songs.

His two greatest solo singles, MY SWEET LORD and WHAT IS LIFE are included on both packages. However, many less successful singles are also included in the new package including GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU, BLOW AWAY and ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, which are still fine songs that deserved a place on a good compilation of the best of George Harrison songs. And a few great live songs from the CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH as well as a few great album tracks from the excellent ALL THINGS MUST PASS album are included as well.

At some point, a really good George Harrison boxset anthology is really needed that will stand with the great ALL THING MUST PASS or CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH packages. But for now, the brand new LET IT ROLL compilation is a pretty fair package of great performances by one of the greatest of singer and songwriters of all time. But like the sad death of John Lennon, it is deeply heartbreaking that George Harrison is no longer with us. But this wonderful new collection of his greatest works should be a real joy to any true fan of this great talented former Beatles member.

The new George Harrison collection is available at Cd Universe online for just $11.80 sale price which is a pretty good discount from the $18.98 list price, or at at many local record retailers.

DVDs You Should Own: WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS

1971's bizarre exploitation film, WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS, is the darndest movie you'll ever see. It's a bizarre combination between a bad 1970's werewolf horror film and a bad early 70's outlaw biker movie. The result is a film so bad that it's great entertainment and a real cult classic.

The film revolves around a plot of a group of outlaw bikers from a club called Devil's Advocates riding to some abandoned church run by a Satanic cult, who turn a female bike member into a werewolf who infects her boyfriend who attacks and kills others at night. Oh yeah, don't forget her absurd nude snake dance in front of the hooded cult monks giving the poor lonely monks a little badly needed entertainment break or the bad early 70's driving psychedelic hard rock music soundtrack either. It was all real hippie-era schlock of the worst variety, but a funny as heck time-capsule of the era.

This low budget film actually used much real footage of real bikers and does feature some darn great motorcycle stunts such as balancing on the seats while standing, which is pretty cool and impressive. Certainly, the movie is far from the best werewolf horror movie ever made, and certainly far better bike gang films exist than this. But this movie is pure schlock fun.

But the great filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was so impressed by the schlock film double features run by the grindhouses, that it acted as the influence for his great film feat with director Robert Rodriquez, GRINDHOUSE DOUBLE FEATURE. The term "grindhouse" came from the former burlesque houses that ran these crappy exploitation cheapie films. But these awful films which usually opened and closed at these grindhouse theatres or at drive-in theatres did inspire a whole generation of far better quality slasher horror films such as PROM NIGHT, SLEEPWAY CAMP and of course the great Alfred Hitchcock PSYCHO film or a whole generation of zombie films. Even the great Italian spaghetti westerns such as the excellent, THE GOOD, THE BAD And The UGLY, were greatly inspired by the whole grindhouse exploitation genre.

So in many ways, WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS was hardly a landmark film in itself. But films of this type helped to inspire so many other better films of the drive-in or grindhouse genre roots. But films like WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS is great fun and for what sorts of films it inspired. So grab yourself a great snack like popcorn and enjoy. Movies like this laid the cornerstone for far greater films to follow.

The History Of Too Much Foreign Involvement In Iran

Many weekend rallies by Iranians living in the U.S. involved waving American flags and calls for more American involvement in Iran. Further, some Republicans such as John McCain continued to call for more American involvement in the political struggle. However, all of this easily forgets the history of foreign involvement in Iran and how it directly contributed to the 1979 Islamic revolution and the brutal Islamic theocracy coming into power.

During World War II, an allied coalition involving the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union invaded of Iran and forced neutral leader Reza Shah to abdicate, to replace with his son as a better anti-Nazi alternative. For a time, this younger shah helped with arms transfers to the Stalin government from the United States. However, the younger Shah soon turned anti-Soviet and anti-Communist once the war was over, and was used by the United States as an ally to blunt Communism during the Cold War years, despite the fact that the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was characterized by a huge number of political prisoners which numbered around 2,200 by the time of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Torture and other brutality was common during his rule. The Shah used fear and political repression to stay in power which planted the seeds of opposition to his rule among many Iranians throughout the world, including in the U.S. who routinely burned American flags and blamed the United States for keeping this brutal dictator in power. Further, every American president all the way from Roosevelt to Carter, both Democratic and Republican seemed to remain clueless to demand that the Shah make some political reforms in his nation and treat his people with more dignity. The extent of American involvement in Iran directly resulted in the long hostage drama at the American embassy in Tehran as an act of revenge for so much American support for political repression in Iran.

While the shah eventually banned political opposition of all types by 1975, and gained a horrible reputation among international organizations such as Amnesty International, the shah did allow some social reforms which also angered the Shia clergy and thereby setup his position as being viewed as a weak advocate for the Muslim faith among many more fervent Muslims. The shah was a forward looking leader working to make Iran(which was formerly the powerful ancient kingdom of Persia) into a powerful modern world empire with a modern society and huge world trade. The shah also opened up equality for women and other social reforms and made the society largely secular in nature, which certainly angered many religious radicals among the Shia clergy. But the shah did recognize the state of Israel, unlike other Mideast nations. In this regard, he was seen as a pragmatic realist.

In 1951, there was a short-lived effort by a rising political leader who became the prime minister, Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, to rule Iran and to make the nation a true democratic state. However, his effort to nationalize the oil industry was something intolerable to the British who controlled this industry. In 1953, the British oil industry was able to get the support of both the British and American governments, and the British Secret Service and the American CIA cooperatively in a covert scheme meant to end democracy in Iran and to replace Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh and the Iranian parliament with a military backed coup to bring the shah back into power, where he ruled with an iron hand. Back then as now, oil rules the American and British foreign policy towards the Mideast.

While some like John McCain call for more American involvement in Iran, the truth is that so much American involvement in this nation only resulted in the end of democratic rule in this nation once before and the placing of the shah into power as a cruel dictator. Further, so much American involvement also contributed the ending of all opposition parties in Iran by 1975, and a one party rule of Iran hardly any better than the one party rule of Germany under Hitler. The fact of the matter is that American presidents such as Richard Nixon invited the shah to the White House praising him as some great ally and hero, conveniently skirting the facts that his own jails were filled with political opposition leaders and torture and repression were how he ruled his country. When John McCain calls for more American political involvement in Iran, he ignores this history.

If Iranians want a modern society and democracy, then they need to do it themselves. The United States can't hardly use the CIA or some other covert method or an outright war to install another proU.S. government in Iran once again. Not only would such an effort fail but it would only lead to another dictator once again. The United States can condemn brutality in Iran, but that's about all. But the United States cannot really continue to go around the world overthrowing governments and putting the people in power it wants. That has all changed over time. Such gunboat diplomacy is no longer acceptable in the modern world.

At some point, the political leadership in the American government needed to demand more democracy in Iran and for a multiparty system and a parliament with some real power to exist. But instead, the United States supported dictatorship and political repression in Iran, while claiming to hold dear those opposite values at home. Too much American involvement in Iran is directly responsible for this latest mess in Iran. More American involvement in Iran probably won't help either at this very late point.

The fact of the matter is that many Iranians in the U.S. long participated in anti-American and anti-shah rallies at American universities across the United States for years. Yet somehow, every American president, both Democrats and Republicans, failed to take a clue from this that the shah had a very weak grasp on power in Iran, and was but just one good coup or revolt away from being replaced. Two failed assassination attempts on his life were further evidence at how dire the situation was politically in Iran. Long ago, the U.S. needed to co-opt some moderate opposition leader into power in Iran, much like the way that Nelson Mandala was co-opted into power by the United States and Britain in South Africa to make that nation a more representative democracy. But now it is way too late for such a co-opting of any moderate into power in Iran by the West. For the sake of the profits of the British oil industry, both the United States and Britain threw democracy out in Iran using the CIA and other elements. If democracy should ever return to Iran, it needs to be by their own hands this time. For a change, Iranians, not the United States or Britain, need to decide the future political direction of Iran.

Happy Father's Day

This is the second Father's Day without my own father, who died in July of 2007. I can't honestly say with time it gets all that much easier to deal with. My father was a great guy. He had a great work ethic and always did the very best he could to provide for his kids. He was always a faithful partner to my mother as well, which is something that can't be said for all men these days. Half of marriages end up in divorce you know, while so many others are ruined with adultery, which ruins the trust in marriage and often ends many marriages. My father always resisted these bad temptations. My mother was so heartbroken after the loss of my father that she died a little more than 90 days after he did, probably of a broken heart more than anything.

Maybe more than anything, my dad proved his character when he served in Korea in 1950 during that war when Communist forces overran 90% of the South, and bayonet charges by hordes of Chinese troops against American forces became commonplace on the cold battlefields of this foreign land. Because my dad had experience working as a baker since the age of 16, he was asked to be a main cook on a prisoner of war camp in Pusan, South Korea. Because my dad had no racist instincts, he had no problem working along the side of a number of African American soldiers in the kitchen, back at a time when few opportunities existed for African American soldiers in a segregated America. My dad was also a great friend to the Korean staff who helped to support the Americans. For Christmas, my dad dyed a set of white cook clothes red and made a Santa suit and gave small presents to the Koreans, his African American co-workers in the kitchen and other soldiers on the base. When one Sergeant saw this great act of kindness on the part of my father, he was jealous that he didn't first think of it. But it was good works like this and treating the Koreans and others with respect that made my father a well loved soldier.

Unfortunately, not every soldier behaved as honorably during this war. Some GIs actually offered poor Korean women a dollar for sexual favors, which was something that always made my father angry and disgusted because it was such a dehumanizing and racist way to treat these Korean people. My dad loved these Koreans. They had a wonderful culture and were wonderful people. My dad always had the highest of respect for these people. My dad always admired that I also had such a respect for the Korean people, which I learned from him, and was always pleased when I had Korean business friends and contacts. My dad's respect for the Korean people became a huge influence in my life.

Compared to some modern soldiers who behaved so miserably at Abu Ghraib or committed some dehumanizing war crimes while in Iraq or elsewhere, my father's military service was built on respect for the people around him, respecting their culture while he shared American traditions such as Christmas gift giving with the Korean people.

But being the best guy still doesn't mean that life will be easy. During the early days of my life, my dad struggled with all of the heartache and serious medical costs for providing medical care for my sister who was born with some significant birth defects. This was back in a day when health insurance was an unknown idea. When you had medical expenses in those days, you got stuck paying the entire bill yourself. And unfortunately helping organizations such as the Shriner's refused help, leaving my dad stuck working long hours to pay huge medical costs for my sister. Certainly my dad wondered why he had to be burdened with so much sadness. But he worked hard and got through it somehow.

Even though my father could display enough toughness to get through whatever problem he faced, he still had a very soft side. My mother remembers the romantic message he wrote with lipstick one day on the bathroom when she was well in her 60's, saying simply, "I love you, Eileen". That message is still on the mirror. I never had the heart to wipe it off. It meant so much to my mother.

Just for a lark, my dad wrote a wonderful letter to the Oregonian about his marriage which actually lasted just short of 58 years, interrupted only by their deaths in 2007. THE OREGONIAN loved my dad's romantic letter so much that they published a Valentine's Day feature on my parents.

This was the type of guy my dad was. He could be a wonderful romantic on one hand. He could be equally tough when needed to be. Yet sometimes, some things could nearly bring tears to his eyes such the time when we were at an airport and some American families were adopting some Korean orphan babies.

My dad would probably get a few tears in his eyes reading all this. I know that it would certainly touch him. I'm only sorry that I can't deliver this to him since he's gone now. But happy Father's Day dad. Here's to you.

Ahmadinejad May Have Come In Third Place In Rigged Election, As Nation Slips Into Political Violence

A British reporter has offered claims that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have actually come in third place in last week's election, however his government as well the religious leadership, especially by Supreme Ayatollah Khamenei, manipulated the results to retain the power of the religious theocracy government of Iran.

Today, there are many reports of government violence meant to put down protesters in Iran. However, it is very difficult for the United States to act much because the long history of American involvement in Iran, starting with the WWII efforts to put the Shah in power to resist the Nazis was the start of a long history of U.S. meddling in Iran that actually alienated many Iranians against the U.S., leading to the anti-American 1979 Islamic revolution. The Obama Administration has accordingly moved carefully so as not to worsen the plight of those pro-democracy demonstrators in Iran, despite ill placed calls from many Republican political leaders in the U.S. for the Obama to act more decisively. The fact of the matter is that the U.S. is in a very poor position to act with much involvement in Iran. Likely, the U.S. is still perceived as many in Iran as a primary enemy of Iran. Britain is also viewed by many in Iran as another primary enemy of Iran as well, especially after so much more of an active role in being critical of the Iranian election results. France might be in the best position to offer condemnation of the Iranian election aftermath because it allowed the Ayatollah Khomeini many years of political asylum. But the best that most Western nations can hope for is that this is an internal political matter in Iran, to be sorted out by those in Iran. and to allow the chips to fall where they may.

Further, many Americans really fail to understand what is really going on in Iran. Mir-Hossein Mousavi is hardly any true Western-styled democrat, but a more moderate member of the group of conservative religious radicals that helped to overthrow the Shah back in 1979. In Israel, there remains a more educated perspective of what's going on. In Israel, there are no illusions that Mir-Hossein Mousavi and his followers probably still support the destruction of Israel and the nuclear program if not nuclear weapons for Iran. Mousavi might believe in some social liberalization from the strict religious rule in Iran, but that is really as far as he might go. Mousavi also would probably improve contact and trade with the Western world, but that mostly serves the interests of the wealthy class of Iran for financial reasons, and not entirely as an aspect of a real social liberalization agenda. However, many who believe in far more social liberalization or democracy are likely using Mousavi as an umbrella for their pro-democracy views.

There are also reports that the Iranian government may be shipping in foreign mercenaries to act as police to put down the protesters as well, as many do not even speak the common language used in Iran. This could seen as a sign that some police are not entirely loyal to the government battle with the protesters, where detached elements from abroad are being shipped in to attack and beat the protesters. It could also be a sign that the police and military elements loyal to the government are severely strained by the massiveness of the protests as well.

It may be very easy for some defeated Republican presidential candidate like John McCain to argue for more American involvement in Iran. However, this really fails to understand that this is really an internal political dispute by two conservative factions of this Islamic revolutionary government. Much like the internal struggle in the old Soviet Union which resulted in the downfall of the Communist system during the administration of George Bush #41 in 1989, this power struggle in Iran is between rival factions of the government. In Russia, Communist Mayor Boris Yeltsin represented the change elements back then, while Mir-Hossein Mousavi represents the change elements for that system. Yeltsin fortunately turned out to be a pseudo-democrat. However, Mir-Hossein Mousavi may not be. He might just be an agent of the better educated and more affluent in Iran, and stands for some social liberalization. But he could still support the destruction of Israel and continued political problems for that area. So Americans really need to sit back and allow Iranians to decide just what this internal power struggle really represents and how far things can go towards liberalization for that nation or political reforms.

Ultimately, it will be to the rival elements in Iran which side wins out, and how much liberalization actually takes place in Iran. The United States really can do little to move this Iranian process along, and in fact could be very detrimental to those liberalization elements if it should act too involved. It might be politically easy for some Republicans such as John McCain to call for more American involvement in Iran. But this is a very poor call, and only demonstrates a fundamental ignorance of all of the issues involved in this internal power struggle taking place in Iran.

President Obama Sets An Excellent Tone For Father's Day

Today in a speech, President Obama set up an excellent tone for Father's Day today in a heartfelt speech by urging young men to become better fathers. The president barely knew his own father, but instead always has sought to be the best possible father himself. The president made it clear of the importance to children to have a father active in their lives. Fathers fill a special role for children

Vice President Biden also added some pretty important sentiments as well. In 1972, Joe Biden became a single parent after his wife and one year child were killed in an automobile accident while Christmas shopping. Both of Biden's sons were seriously injured, but survived the terrible accident with a tractor trailer. It was an unbelievable tragedy for such a decent man right before Christmas.

The sentiments of both President Obama and Vice President Biden represent two great role models for the integrity of fathers for all American men to follow. Many young men need to step up and show some real responsibility, and to be active and present fathers in the lives of their children. The emotional lives of children and society pay a huge price when some men fail to step up to the level of fatherhood responsibility really expected of them.

"Card Check" Won't Open Floodgates To Unionizing

One fact that is conveniently ignored by opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act is that card check won't necessarily open the floodgates to rampant unionizing of nonunion businesses. Two years ago in the state of Oregon, the legislation passed legislation that was signed by the governor that changed Oregon labor law, allowing card check. In just two years, only 110 employees of various businesses for workplaces used such a union representation method to allow just six workplaces to become unionized. Out of the thousands of workplaces in the state, that is a pretty small increase in the number of businesses that became unionized.

In most cases it appears that most of the increases in union workplaces were among workplaces such as small fire departments or groups of educational workers such as at community colleges, etc. In one case, a group of electrical workers requested a vote, and by a single vote rejected becoming unionized.

The fact of the matter is that big lobby efforts continue to fight against the Employee Free Choice act at the federal level, inspired by fear stories among the business community and among Republican members of Congress of fears of rampant unionizing will take place if the legislation passes. But like much fear driven politics. the reality of the experience in Oregon proves that by allowing an easier path to unionization will hardly bring new costs to most businesses during this recession. Further, many agencies closely associated with government such as the Oregon Lottery Commission and the Oregon Judicial Department still remain as functioning as nonunion agencies.

The fact of the matter is that employers still hold too many legal ways to circumvent unionizing such as requiring employees to attend mandatory anti-union propaganda meetings and film presentations, often hosted by professional anti-union organizations. Even if a lot of the information presented is outwardly false and misleading, still this method has only worked to undermine unionizing efforts in many workplaces.

Another problem is that most Republicans seem to be standing in the way of the vote in the Senate to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, leaving it critical that Al Franken is seated in order to allow a vote to proceed. But unfortunately for many workers, this won't yet open up the better benefits of becoming a union member for many workers as the slow progress to unionize in Oregon since card check became law proved.