Atlantic Monthly Contributors's Blog, page 828

And Now For a Young Kanye West Rapping in 1998

If Chicago rapper Cap 1 thought that distributing a video of himself rhyming with an unknown 21-year-old named Kanye West in 1998 might be a solid promotional stunt to drum up interest in his forthcoming mixtape Caviar Dreams, he was wildly, stupidly correct.

So, bask in this glowing slice of archival gold; watch as an equally fresh-faced Cap passes the mic to his friend Kanye and strap yourself in as that grainy moment emerges as a suitable metaphor for the massive, gnawing gap that would soon enough emerge between these two innocent youths—in glory, in fame, in lifestyle, in skill. Can you sense it in the video, that quavering fissure? The College Dropout , West's solo debut, was still six years away—and in those six years, a lifetime of opportunities both grasped and slipped away.

Anyway, here's the clip, via the AV Club. 2 Chainz also shows up. If you want to see a photo of Kanye West hanging out in China at the ripe age of 10, you may do so at this link.

       

Game of Thrones Releases Five Short Trailers to Promote Longer Trailer

Game of Thrones Vine

HBO's hit show Game of Thrones released five short Vines today showing early clips from the show's highly anticipated fourth season. But rather than point to Thrones' April 6th debut, the clips all promote the date and time of when the longer trailer will be released – Sunday night at exactly 8:58 p.m. For Thrones fans, apparently, the new season's trailer is too big of an event to just drop without fair warning, so they've sent the ravens. Er, at least the Vines.

The five Vines all show different focal points of the coming season, which will cover the second half of the third book of George R.R. Martin's series of novels. Of the videos, the most intriguing bit shows fan favorite Tyrion Lannister (aka Peter Dinklage) walking in chains into court. The rest feature mainstays Daenerys and Jon Snow, as well as the new acrobatic Red Viper and some murderous soldiers on horses.

Let's rank the rest of the clips from least exciting to most drool-worthy:

5. Pensive Daenerys – Oh, a distant-looking Khaleesi and her on-looking assistants. Come on, HBO, you know what we want. Dragons plz.

4. Horsed soldier slices a dude's neck – Just in case you forgot there was violence in Thrones.

3. Jon Snow knows how to kill people – He may know nothing, but his sword techniques are on point.

2. Red Viper vs. Gregor Clegane sword fight – Who knew they taught karate in Westeros?

  1. Tyrion in chains – WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?! Just kidding, I read the books, so I know.      HBO also released a more traditional teaser trailer today, without the promotions for this Sunday's extended trailer. The clip gives a bit more, but it doesn't promote the specific time for the longer trailer. On Sunday, that will be an event all to itself.  
       

The F*cking Inevitable Supercut of F*cks in 'Wolf of Wall Street'

Naturally the record-setting number of f-words in The Wolf of Wall Street has yielded a supercut from the folks over at Slacktory. Of note? Perhaps apropos for the three-hour-movie, the supercut also seems to drag on just a little bit. 

Just how many "f*cks" are in The Wolf of Wall Street has been the subject of exploration lately, following a Variety story, which cited Wikipedia for the information that the over 506 f-words in the movie broke the record set by Spike Lee's Summer of Sam. Slate's Forrest Wickman found that the film had 544, while Vulture's Gilbert Cruz found 569 in the f*ck family. By Slacktory's calculation, there are 522. 

Watch and enjoy; the whole arc of the movie is basically in this. 

       

The Military's Sexual Assault Problem Extends to its Academies

Associated Press

On the day the Pentagon released a comprehensive report about sexual assault in American military academies, the Navy dropped charges against a second Naval Academy football player who was accused of sexually assaulting a female student at an off-campus party in 2012. The female midshipmen accused three Navy football players of sexually assaulting her at the event. She also reported that the midshipmen bragged about the assault on social media. Charges against one of the midshipmen have already been dropped. The court martial for the third starts in February. 

The Department of Defense realizes that the academies, like the military itself, have a sexual assault and harassment problem. In a report released early Friday, officials note that reported cases of sexual assault are down, but "locker room talk" and a culture of disrespect is still present at West Point, Navy and the Air Force Academy. Sports teams in particular, officials noted, need more training and education on sexual assault issues. 

The numbers: There were 70 reports of sexual assault at the academies during the 2012-2013 school year, down from 80 reports the previous year. But this isn't necessarily a good thing — it could just mean less crimes are getting reported. In a separate, biennial study, the DoD estimated that 525 sexual assaults happened at the academies during 2012. Only 71 were reported. 

And, as this Navy football case suggests, the military may not be handling the cases in a fair way. The female midshipman filed another suit in 2013 alleging that the superintendent of the Naval Academy, Vice Admiral Michael Miller, "personally intervened in the case out of concern over his own self-interest."

In addition to the ongoing Navy football case, West Point and the Air Force Academy have had trouble with sports team members writing and circulating derogatory things about women. West Point disbanded its rugby team as a result.

Of course, this kind of behavior isn't limited to sports teams at military academies. As Tim Murphy at Mother Jones noted last month, college football teams in particular have had a sexual assault problem for at least the last 40 years. The DoD report also cited alcohol as a contributing factor in sexual assault cases. 

It's important to consider, however, that the academies' young people will be funneled into the military, where the sexual assault problem is far from fixed. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand attempted to pass an amendment last year that would take sexual assault cases outside the military chain of command. The measure didn't get a vote in Congress. When a female midshipman alleges that her superintendent unfairly intervened in her sexual assault case, it seems like Gillibrand's amendment should get a second look in 2014. 

       

Bilateral Security Talks with Afghanistan Are Not Going So Great

Reuters

According to classified cables obtained by The Washington Post, the outlook on the United States reaching a bilateral security agreement with Afghanistan by the end of 2014 is not positive. U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham writes that he does not expected Afghan president Hamid Karzai to sign any agreement—expected to be completed last fall—before elections in April.

A version of the bilateral security agreement was finalized last November and approved by a council of local leaders, but was not made official. Without one, the U.S. risks having to abandon Afghanistan fully by the end of the year, leaving its infrastructure vulnerable to Taliban infiltration.

From the Post:

If the Americans revert to a “zero option,” NATO and other partners that have agreed to leave smaller troop contingents in Afghanistan have said they would pull out, and about $8 billion in annual security and economic aid to begin next year would probably disappear.

 President Karzai has over the past few months continued to lump demands onto the agreement, including that President Obama apologize in writing for mistakes during the American occupation of the country. He also further, intentionally or unintentionally, antagonized the U.S. by releasing 72 prisoners that the U.S. still classified as significant safety threats.

       

Indian Diplomat Who Damaged U.S.-India Relations Asked to Leave the Country

Reuters

Devyani Khobragade, whose arrest in December caused a rift in diplomatic relations between the United States and India, has been asked to leave the country. The Indian government refused to waive her diplomatic immunity and so, despite being indicted on charges of visa fraud and making false statements, there is little else the American government can do to prosecute her.

Kohbragade, India's deputy consul-general in New York, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in mid-December. Her arrested caused outrage when it was also disclosed that she had been strip-searched during her detainment—a procedure that the Marshals say is routine. In response, India instituted a number of measures against the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, including removing security barricades in front of the complex.

The complexities of international diplomacy and bureaucracy have made the case a bit of a headache. Khobragade was granted immunity by Washington officials at the Indian government's request—requests which are almost always honored unless the subject is a significant threat—and then officials asked the Indian government to waive said immunity. That was refused, and so that State Department suggested that Khobragade leave the country.

The latest reports from the Associated Press say that the diplomat has left the U.S. This is in spite of that fact that her bail conditions contain language tell her not to leave New York, an oddity that the judge noted.

It is unclear whether Khobragade is allowed to return to America at a later time. Her husband is a U.S. citizen, and she requested to be allowed to return, but according to The Guardian, that request was not fulfilled.

       

The FBI Is Keeping Tabs on Americans Who Went to Syria

A member of Islamist Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra fires a weapon on the back of a lorry in Aleppo, December 18, 2013.  (REUTERS)

The FBI claims that extremist groups with ties to al-Qaeda in Syria are attempting to recruit Americans and get them to carry out attacks when they return to America, and officials say that at least 70 Americans have traveled to Syria since civil war broke out in the country.

According to The New York Times, "tracking Americans who have returned from Syria had become one of the bureau’s highest counterterrorism priorities." The bureau's director, James Comey, told reporters, "We are focused on trying to figure out what our people are up to, who should be spoken to, who should be followed, who should be charged." Specific numbers were not provided.

Tracking migration to and from Syria has become a complex problem for western countries in recent years. Analysts estimate that at least 1,200 European Muslims have traveled to Syria as well.

Last year, Eric Harroun, a former U.S. soldier ho documented his combat activity online, was charged for fighting with the al-Nusrah Front, which has links to al-Qaeda. Harroun is white, although in a Foreign Policy article published last year, his religious affiliation was unclear. In September, he plead guilty, the Times writes, to charges "involving conspiracy to transfer defense articles and services."

       

Is Chris Christie's Supreme Court War With Democrats Behind Bridgeghazi?

Sure, Chris Christie and Loretta Weinberg look friendly in this photo from January 8. But if Rachel Maddow's theory is right, their feud could be the center of Bridgeghazi. (AP)

The assumed reason for Bridgeghazi is that Fort Lee's mayor refused to endorse Chris Christie for governor, and the lane closures were meant to punish him. But, as many have pointed out, Christie was a shoe-in to win the election and didn't even ask the mayor for his endorsement -- not to mention several other mayors didn't endorse Christie and none of their towns were stuck in traffic for four days. What gives?

Well, Rachel Maddow posited a new theory -- and it is just a theory -- on her show tonight: that a long-running feud between Christie and state senate Democrats about Supreme Court justice appointments may have been the real reason for Bridgeghazi (you'll want to skip to 11:30 -- before that, it's just Maddow over-explaining Bridgeghazi several times):

So we've got Christie refusing to renominate a Democratically-appointed Supreme Court justice to a lifetime tenure in 2010 in an unprecedented move. State senate Democrats were outraged and threatened to refuse to confirm any of Christie's future Supreme Court appointments. For the most part, they've stuck to their guns.
Things have been tense. They still are, actually -- just a few days ago, Christie had to withdraw yet another nominee after Democrats refused to confirm him. The New Jersey Supreme Court has only five justices right now. It's supposed to have seven.

On August 12 of last year, Christie announced that he would not renominate another Supreme Court justice -- this time, he said, it was because he didn't want Helen Hoens (who is married to a Christie staffer) to face Senate Democrats who he said would destroy her reputation.

"I was not going to let her loose to the animals," Christie said. Later, he added: "What the ramifications would be for that going forward, [Senate Democrats] should have thought about before opening their mouths."

The very next morning, Bridget Anne Kelly emailed David Wildstein with "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."

As Maddow points out, Fort Lee's senator is Loretta Weinberg. She's a Democrat and she's also the Senate majority leader. Oh, and Christie once urged reporters to "take a bat to" her back in 2011, so there's no love lost between them.

Could those promised "ramifications" be the real reason for Bridgegate? It's just a theory, but the timing certainly is suspicious. 

Incidentally, that first court justice Christie refused to renominate, which started all of this? He's now the chairman of New Jersey's Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards.

 

       

Fidel Castro Is Still Alive, Likes Art

AP / Cubavision via APTN

Fidel Castro went outside yesterday. It's the 87-year-old Cuban ex-dictator's first public appearance in nine months, and he made it to check out a new Havana art studio.

Aside from a few op-eds and April Fool's jokes, Castro has kept a fairly low profile over the last few years, working on his memoirs and possibly being consulted on any big decisions made by his successor and brother Raul. (For the record, Fidel was a fan of the Obama-Castro handshake.)

Castro stepped out on Wednesday night for the opening of Studio Kcho Romerillo, Laboratory for Art. He is apparently a big fan of Wilfredo Lam's work, although I'm not sure he said to Lam "you're indispensable," as the Christian Science Monitor reported, because Lam died in 1982 and thus would not have been in attendance in corporeal form.

"Looking frail, stooped over a cane, supported by a burly aide and trailed by a man identified as his personal physician," the Miami Herald said, Castro's arrival at the studio was "applauded ... with emotion," as Cuban newspaper Granma put it. He came via van, with his wife, Dalia Soto del Valle. He wore a jaunty scarf (thanks, Polar Vortex) and looked ready to take in some culture:

(AP / Cubadebate)

(AP / Cubadebate)

(AP / Cubadebate)

A Flickr gallery of Castro's night out shows that he greeted various important people and their children and signed a copy of his book, La Victoria Estrategica.

Castro's last public appearance was in April, for the opening of a new school.

       

Bridgeghazi: Here Come the Lawsuits

Reuters

That didn't take long: six New Jersey residents have filed a federal lawsuit over the possibly revenge-motivated George Washington Bridge toll lane closures that caused massive traffic jams in Fort Lee.

According to the AP, the suit is against "Gov. Chris Christie, the state of New Jersey, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and others."

The New York Post is reporting that the six plaintiffs, who are looking for "unspecified damages," were late for work as a result of the traffic. Also, one of them -- who apparently had never driven a car before last September -- had a traffic-induced panic attack:

Fort Lee resident Joy Galicki was headed to work in the Diamond District when she hit gridlock.

'She was having panic attack,' Arnold said. 'She was surrounded by other cars and there was no where to go. She had to get out of the car to throw up.'

Two of the plaintiffs were late for their job at the Law Offices of Rosemarie Arnold. Arnold is the personal injury attorney who filed the suit. Her offices, the website notes, "is conveniently located less than 1 mile south of the George Washington Bridge."

It doesn't appear that the family of the 91-year-old woman who died after her ambulance was stuck in bridge traffic will be joining the suit. Florence Genova's daughter told The New York Times' Nate Schweber that she didn't blame the traffic for her mother's death. She also said Genova was very secretive about her age, so much so that not even her own two children knew it. And now we all know.

Incidentally, Genova voted for Chris Christie.