This Web Blog was haphazardly produced without using Spell Check one danged time. We like it that way.

ESOTERICA: Yeah, the top country for readers here is still the USA. But only about 47% of the people reading this site come from America. More than 50% come from elsewhere. We're still trying to figure that out.

2 August, 2007: Sorry, Kids, no satire today. All the fun and games are on the RANTS page. Talk to you next week.

30 July 2007: Maxwell Perkins.

You know, Gentle Reader, there may be only one thing I do well: recognize talent.

I recognized Binyavaina Wainaina, the first Web-only writer to win the Caine Prize for African Writing, nurtured him and watched him go on to start his own publication in Kenya, Kwani. I recognized Ngozi Razak-Soyebi, nurtured her and saw her get the Macmillan Prize. I recognized Mphuthumi Ntabeni and watched him get both a South African National Arts Council grant and a contract with Penguin Books. And now this: Mr. Antonio Graceffo - whose work was published by G21 when no one else would take it - offers a new press release.

Adventure writer Antonio (The Monk from Brooklyn) Graceffo is working as a martial arts consultant for the History Channel's new martial arts TV series, "Human Weapon." The show features two American MMA fighters who travel around Asia, studying different martial arts. Each episode closes with the Americans fighting a local master or champion.

Graceffo had this to say about being selected to work on the show. "When they called me and told me about the show, I laughed. I said, that just sounds like my real life."

Graceffo, a former investment banker, left the financial world after the September 11 terrorist attacks. For the last six years he has been traveling around Asia, studying martial arts, fighting, and writing books and magazine articles.

"Basically, my role in the show, in addition to appearing on camera a bit, was to seek out, train with, and spar as many of the masters as I could to see which ones would be good for the show. It's been grueling, but fun, rolling, wrestling, and kick boxing with some excellent martial artists."

In addition to "Human Weapon," Graceffo will appear on another History Channel show, called "Digging for the Truth," in an episode featuring Angkor Wat, which airs in September.

"The connection between Cambodian Martial Art, Bokator, and Angkor Wat is a deep spiritual relationship which the Khmer people are very proud of. They asked me to come on the show and demonstrate Bokator and explain some of the history."

I have issued a press release of my own, of course, in an act of shameless self-promotion.

Maxwell Perkins.

When writers have nowhere else to go, they come to me. Good writers, that is, looking for a sympathetic editor. Maybe that is all my life was ever meant to be about.

26 July 2007: It's on over at Leverage Social Media now. The transfer has occured and you can now check out the new Captain and where I mean to take that project.

Meanwhile, at CinemActivist, we're going to offer you much more in the coming weeks. The PLAN there is to lead you to great film and DVD releases that you can check first. AND I'll be covering the Republican Presidential Forum for PBS this September. Stay tuned.

My last Personal Assistant compared me to Darth Vader. I was a bit surprised. And then I heard that I'm a bit like Tony Soprana this week.

Know what? "I ain't like anybody else!"

I'm glad we got that out of the way.

What you can expect is that these three Web sites will offer you a great mix of knowledge and insight over the next few years. Between great films, great business insights and the special brand of international commentary you've learned to expect here, Pilgrim, you'll have a lot to consider and absorb.

In the process. I hope we'll begin a conversation about your concerns. I hope we'll get to know each other better and you'll share your own knowledge with me.

As always, I hope we'll also take time out to play. For example, here's a vid I hope you'll enjoy as much as I did when I first heard it.

Don't Hate the Playa

The most interesting thing about this new network of Web sites is that we'll offer you cultural and social information from a completely new perspective. At the same time, with our international crew of writers like ANTONIO GRACEFFO [See Right Sidebar], we plan ot keep you abreast of information from around the planet.

AND we'll continue to have issues like potable water, global poverty and others in the mix. That boring topic, economics, is on the agenda, Kids. Get ready. We need to talk about money.

The way we talk about money - how it affects markets and your lives - will be a leet-tle bit different from the way you've heard other people talk about it before. I like Krugman's writing at the New York Times but I don't believe he makes his points about international currency transactions (think Soros) or how the value of a currency works in terms of your every day life. I also don't think most people understand the basics of economic transactions and why the whole globalization thang plays out. We're gonnah talk about that, too.

I certainy hope you'll find this a fun place to play and come back often. I welcome your comments. Let's talk. Tell me what you want.

In the process, I'll try to link you to a lot of other people, friends and colleagues, who can also show you a few enjoyable things. That's what this is about, yes?

Finally, let me get this out of the way: You will find NO cute pictures of cats here, no celebrity gossip and nothing that serves to dumb you down. I suppose that means I'll never be a celebrity Blogger. Oh well.

Frankly, I'd prefer that you come here because you want to get a moment of respite from the bling and glitz. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother.

I'm your Resident Philosopher. Pull up a chair and let's talk about what it means to be human.

Cheers!

Keep me in your prayers as I keep you in my own.

Thanks for visiting.

Talk to you in a day or so.

Be well.