       _       _  _      ____.        _  _      ____.     ____
      FJ_     FJ  L]    F___ J       F L L]    F ___J    F __ ]
     J  _|   J |__| L   '-__| L     J   \| L  J |___:   J |--| L    ______
     | |-'   |  __  |    |__  (     | |\   |  | _____|  | |  | |   |______| 
     F |__-. F L__J J .-____] J     F L\\  J  F L____:  F L__J J   L______J 
     \_____/J__L  J__LJ\______/F   J__L \\__LJ________LJ\______/F
     J_____F|__L  J__| J______F    |__L  J__||________| J______F 
 
   ___      ____      __  __    __    _  _   ____   ____.             _  _
 ,"___".   F _  ]    F  \/  ]  / J   F L L] F___ ] F___ J    _ ___   F L L]
 FJ---L]  J |/ | L  J |\__/| L LFJ  J   \| L'--7 / '-__| L  J '__ ",J   \| L
J |   LJ  | | /| |  | |'--'| | J  L | |\   |  / //  |__  (  | |__|-J| |\   |
| \___--. F  /_J J  F L    J J J  L F L\\  J J  L.-____] J  F L  '-'F L\\  J
J\_____/FJ\______/FJ__L    J__LJ__LJ__L \\__LJ__LJ\______/FJ__L    J__L \\__L
 J_____F  J______F |__L    J__||__||__L  J__||__| J______F |__L    |__L  J__|

 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 
    t h e  n e o - c o m i n t e r n   e l e c t r o n i c  m a g z i n e
                 I n s t a l l m e n t    N u m b e r  1 6 8
                  
                         We Are the New International
                         September 2nd, 2001
                         Editor: BMC

                                             Writers:
                                       Ahmed Balfouni
                                                  BMC


  d""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""b.
 ;P                      Featured in this installment                      .b
 $                                                                          $
 $                 Excerpts from "The Painted Phallus" - BMC                $
 $                          prang - Ahmed Balfouni                          $
 `q                                                                        p'
   `nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn'

                                EDITOR'S NOTE
                      (please do not read the following)

        I just got back from a driving vacation, where I was temporarily
  entranced by various cities and the beauty they seemed to hold and the
  superiority they had over my corner of the world.

        The streets were cleaner, the people more friendly, the food better,
  the community stronger, the parks more beautiful, the attitudes more
  ethical, and the options more limitless.

        I deemed this to signify that I had transported myself to a better
  place where troubles were fewer and life was more satisfying.

        As I looked around the city from my vantage point, I tried to
  determine what made this place so much better than the one I had come
  from.

        I scanned my sphere of vision until I saw nothing more - and as
  my eyes turned to the centre of the sphere, I noticed that was where the
  biggest difference was - I had money, I had time, I had power, I was not
  poor.

        It made me think of the difference between capitalism and
  socialism - in a socialist society, production is based on need instead
  of excess - meaning fewer hours for the socialist workers.  The socialist
  workers also get paid more because businesses are designed to sustain
  themselves and their workers - there is no business-owner skimming the
  majority of the profit off the top, so the workers get a bigger share of
  the fruit of their labour.

        It seems to make sense to work toward a society where money, time,
  and power are things that don't only come around for one week in the
  summer.  Then I won't have to save my money all year just to spend a week
  pretending that my country is good to me.

        On another note, buy my new book!


  d""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""b.
 ;P                   EXCERPTS FROM "THE PAINTED PHALLUS"                  .b
 `q                                 by BMC                                 p'
   `nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn'

  Selected excerpts from a masterpiece

        "The Painted Phallus: A True Voyage through Psychomania" may be my
  magnum opus.  It is a true masterpiece, it screams literary genius, and
  it has even received some good reviews.  It has recently been printed by
  Metroprole Press and has been nominated for several awards.  While time,
  space, and legal agreements forbid me from printing the book in its
  entirety, I am able to present you with the next best thing (or perhaps
  something better if you cannot afford the book or have a short attention
  span) - selected excerpts from my greatest work of art to date.

        They say that punctuation is the base for all written language, and
  in this piece I have mastered it wonderfully.  Observe some of the
  following excerpts from my book (note - all of the following come
  directly from the book and are not paraphrased in any way).


  "." - pg 1

  "," - pg 1

  "!" - pg 5

  ":" - pg 57

  ";" - pg 13

  "-" - pg 22

  "( . . . )" - pg 7

  "*" - xxi

  """ - pg 86

  "'" - pg 87


        As you can clearly see, I am quite proficient when it comes to the
  use of these symbols.  All of my sentences are thoroughly punctuated, and
  every sentence begins with a capital except for those that I wish to make
  seem "artistic" (note - they actually are artistic, I don't know why I
  used scare quotes on that word).

        The rest of the book is really good too, but I don't want to give
  it all away.  I don't think it would be a good idea for me to copy entire
  pages out because it would ruin the story in case you ever decide to
  read it.  I don't even want to use whole paragraphs, because I can't see
  any that aren't too revealing.  Even full sentences are pushing it.  OK,
  let's compromise.  BEHOLD - more wonderful quotes from "The Painted
  Phallus":


  "It looked at me; I looked. . . it." - pg 34

  "T. . . blem that not ev. . . cohol could solve." - pg 55

  "This t. . . ized, alcohol COULD solve my pro. . . xpected." -pg 97

  "As it died in my hands, I realized for the. . . t time that I had b. . .
  life the wrong way.  I believed in something. . . in. . . " - pg 122

  "But she wa. . . " pg 138

  "I would not - nay, I could not ever . . . again" - pg 158

  "The End" - pg 176


        Those are some of the most moving quotes.  I tell you with all
  honesty: it brings me to tears to reread some of the most moving passages
  from those chapters of the great novel - and chapters of my very life as
  well.

        And as my rereading of the novel continues to teach me things I
  never thought it possible to know about, vast information filling up
  fields of knowledge that I never knew existed or could exist, I have but
  one regret: that I did not write this novel thirty years earlier.  And
  with that, I urge you to read "The Painted Phallus" in its entirety, for
  once you have experienced it, you will not believe that you have bothered
  to live life so wastefully until that very point.

        Even my mom said it was good, and she practically hates me.


  d""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""b. 
 ;P                                  PRANG                                 .b
 `q                            by Ahmed Balfouni                           p'
   `nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn'
         
  prang the old cock's clock-a-doodle-doo
  towery clanging reclining in a basket
  like the heads of men of fashion true and ladies
  in his mite's cold grasp of likeness here
  the mystery unfolds deveils scot-free


 .d&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&b.
    ___________________________________________________         
   |THE COMINTERN IS AVAILIABLE ON THE FOLLOWING BBS'S |
   |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
   | TWILIGHT ZONE                      (905) 432-7667 |
   | BRING ON THE NIGHT                 (306) 373-4218 |
   | CLUB PARADISE                      (306) 978-2542 |
   | THE GATEWAY THROUGH TIME           (306) 373-9778 |
   |___________________________________________________|
   |   Website at: http://members.home.com/comintern   |
   |        Questions?  Comments?  Submissions?        |
   |           Email BMC at: thebmc@home.com           |
   |___________________________________________________|

 .d&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&b.
 Copyright 2001 by The Neo-Comintern                           #168-09/02/01

All content is property of The Neo-Comintern.
You may redistribute this document, although no fee can be charged and the
content must not be altered or modified in any way.  Unauthorized use of any
part of this document is prohibited.  All rights reserved.  Made in Canada.

