(From a recent speech given by Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-IL)
"Mr. Speaker, yesterday the President said we continue to be wise about how we spend the people's money.
"Then why are we paying over $100,000 for a 'White House Director of Lessons Learned'?
"Maybe I can save the taxpayers $100,000 by running through a few of the lessons this White House should have learned by now.
"Lesson 1: When the Army Chief of Staff and the Secretary of State say you are going to war without enough troops, you're going to war without enough troops.
"Lesson 2: When 8.8 billion dollars of reconstruction funding disappears from Iraq, and 2 billion dollars disappears from Katrina relief, it's time to demand a little accountability.
"Lesson 3: When you've 'turned the corner' in Iraq more times than Danica Patrick at the Indy 500, it means you are going in circles.
"Lesson 4: When the national weather service tells you a category 5 hurricane is heading for New Orleans, a category 5 hurricane is heading to New Orleans.
"I would also ask the President why we're paying for two 'Ethics Advisors' and a 'Director of Fact Checking.'
"They must be the only people in Washington who get more vacation time than the President.
"Maybe the White House could consolidate these positions into a Director of Irony."
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Day 10: The Monkey Emerges
managed to get out of the house tonight. my brain is beginning to get the hang of being abby...something. the last week has been a bit, well, wrong. perhaps it is a compliment to my psyche that wellbutrin twists me in the wind. it must mean i'm not depressed since that is what the drug is ultimately used for. however, it's also used for smoking cessation, alcoholism and weight loss (because the so-called "smarty" scientists finally figured out the hard way that this drug caused a significant minority of users to explode or commit suicide).
so, i've dropped 9 pounds in ten days. my nicotine cravings are definately diminishing (except when i go out) and alcohol has tasted like day-old dog farts
until this evening. actually, food has, too. except for tacos. don't know what it is about tacos made at home with fried corn tortillas that transcends all. but whatever it is does. cantaloupe's been tasting really good, too, as has raw cauliflower. all food looks and smells great and i am enjoying watching other people eat, but mostly my taste buds have gone on vacation to scotland for haggus.
the headaches are wearing off. the irritability is under control now that i know not to drink caffeine in public.
the std turned out to be a sinus infection (but, yes, the appropriate person was still notified).
i am completely focused at work and get a lot done and can speak very, very fast without tripping up.
when i get home i go back into la-la land. the energy surges are like a rollercoaster.
i am now a cheap date to get drunk.
i still am not sleeping in any stretch of the imagination. alpha level maybe. the dreams are extremely vivid and sometimes unsettling. memories are being dredged up from my past that i haven't thought about in years or decades. not necessarily a good time, but damn interesting.
as fucked up as i've felt, i gotta admit it's still fun to ride a new dragon from time to time.
so, i've dropped 9 pounds in ten days. my nicotine cravings are definately diminishing (except when i go out) and alcohol has tasted like day-old dog farts
until this evening. actually, food has, too. except for tacos. don't know what it is about tacos made at home with fried corn tortillas that transcends all. but whatever it is does. cantaloupe's been tasting really good, too, as has raw cauliflower. all food looks and smells great and i am enjoying watching other people eat, but mostly my taste buds have gone on vacation to scotland for haggus.
the headaches are wearing off. the irritability is under control now that i know not to drink caffeine in public.
the std turned out to be a sinus infection (but, yes, the appropriate person was still notified).
i am completely focused at work and get a lot done and can speak very, very fast without tripping up.
when i get home i go back into la-la land. the energy surges are like a rollercoaster.
i am now a cheap date to get drunk.
i still am not sleeping in any stretch of the imagination. alpha level maybe. the dreams are extremely vivid and sometimes unsettling. memories are being dredged up from my past that i haven't thought about in years or decades. not necessarily a good time, but damn interesting.
as fucked up as i've felt, i gotta admit it's still fun to ride a new dragon from time to time.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Day 8, Using medication To Help Quit Smoking
Dear Diary:
um,........................................................
............................................................
...............................................................
...................................................yeah.
um,........................................................
............................................................
...............................................................
...................................................yeah.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Disturbing, Scary and All Truthy
from the Manitoba Herald, Canada
The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The actions of President Bush are prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray, and agree with Bill O'Reilly.
Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.
"I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. "He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"
In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields. "Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn't give milk."
Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves.
"A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. "I found one carload without a drop of drinking water. "They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though."
When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the Bush administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR races.
In recent days, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers on Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney hits to prove they were alive in the '50s.
"If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age," an official said.
Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies. "I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "How many art-history majors does one country need?"
The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The actions of President Bush are prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray, and agree with Bill O'Reilly.
Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.
"I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. "He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"
In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields. "Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn't give milk."
Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves.
"A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. "I found one carload without a drop of drinking water. "They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though."
When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the Bush administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR races.
In recent days, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers on Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney hits to prove they were alive in the '50s.
"If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age," an official said.
Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies. "I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "How many art-history majors does one country need?"
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
HNT Within An HNT
somewhere in Washington a while ago a not-so-young man spent an afternoon taking pictures of himself all nekkid with various props. before each picture he put the previous shot on his computer as the desktop background. in an earlier HNT he used the ass shot from this series. this week, it's the Tummy (or Back) With What Looks Like Bulging Disks (or Appendix).
happy HNT, y'all.
happy HNT, y'all.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
What We Are Supposed To Be Celebrating
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offencesFor abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offencesFor abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
World Cup Update, Part 2
later this morning there will be the first semifinal game of the world cup. germany will play italy. let me first say that i am hoping for a germany- france final. i want those cheese eating surrender monkeys to get within one game and then lose it to the krauts (who, by the way, are known as the "manschafft")...oh, and this year's theme at the world cup is "racism is not acceptable" and i'd like to say that it is a great idea and should be acted upon.
moving on, i hope that we will see none of this (see below picture) in today's game:
a bunch of these:
a few of these:
and as much of this as possible. by the way, doesn't she look somewhat similar to a certain friend of ours?
plus, i think that her sign sums up what will be happening out at APJ's later on this afternoon. cheers to all. gametime at noon.
moving on, i hope that we will see none of this (see below picture) in today's game:
a bunch of these:
a few of these:
and as much of this as possible. by the way, doesn't she look somewhat similar to a certain friend of ours?
plus, i think that her sign sums up what will be happening out at APJ's later on this afternoon. cheers to all. gametime at noon.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
World Cup Update
well, we're down to the final four in the world cup. france v. italy. germany v. portugal. or some similarity therein. it's an all europe, all southern hospitality convention from here on out. england's out thankfully. a good team, but no attacking wisdom. brazil showed its lack of cohesion. the ukraine was lucky to get as far as it did. and the refs continue their dominating performance as they change games in midstride with the odd yellow and red cards. this is truly the worst officiated cup i've ever watched.
now. looking at the pictures disseminated by our hardworking reporters and photographers present in germany i have chosen a few to accurately represent the highlights so far:
because france evidently didn't send any representatives to the cup i am reinstating brazil in the final four. again and again and again and...well, you get the idea.
italy is never far behind (though it would have been nicer if they'd shown hers)
i lived in germany for a year way back when and i can attest to the awesome support handed out by the football faithful and all of the ways in which they show said support. it's a beautiful thing as is the twin.
then there's portugal. oh yes, then there is...portugal. what a team, what a concept...what a bellyful of support
my pick to win the cup? well, it was brazil or argentina. now, i'm kinda hoping for a group hug so we're all winners.
now. looking at the pictures disseminated by our hardworking reporters and photographers present in germany i have chosen a few to accurately represent the highlights so far:
because france evidently didn't send any representatives to the cup i am reinstating brazil in the final four. again and again and again and...well, you get the idea.
italy is never far behind (though it would have been nicer if they'd shown hers)
i lived in germany for a year way back when and i can attest to the awesome support handed out by the football faithful and all of the ways in which they show said support. it's a beautiful thing as is the twin.
then there's portugal. oh yes, then there is...portugal. what a team, what a concept...what a bellyful of support
my pick to win the cup? well, it was brazil or argentina. now, i'm kinda hoping for a group hug so we're all winners.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
sorry, dear reader(s). major internet connection problems right now. connecting is very, very occasional and there is no rhyme or reason to it. must get the Devil (A T & T) out here for diagnosis. however, the world cup continues to rock. as do i. on my way to virginia city for a wedding this weekend (one of my siblings' offspring). tonight, full circle brewery for the ill advised lies my solo father showed me. more when i get this phone line bug sussed.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
World Cup Fever
it was an amazing world cup game between the usa and italy this morning. not quite as riveting as the gargantuan upset by ghana of the czech republic, but damn entertaining nonetheless. three ejections, horrible officiating and an american team that refused to give in to a european powerhouse despite playing the second half with one less player. so, kudos and here's hoping our team actually scores a goal of its own next time against ghana.
however, those of you who have not been following the world cup, let me show you some of the highlights via a pictorial essay:
mexico
brazil
um, wherever
sweden, ya
japan, hai
however, those of you who have not been following the world cup, let me show you some of the highlights via a pictorial essay:
mexico
brazil
um, wherever
sweden, ya
japan, hai
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
When You're A Jet...
so, lecram got me thinking about my smoking addiction, which has been at a pack a day for about 19 years (i've been smoking for 23). needless to say, this is not a record i am proud of. on the other hand, i'm not ashamed. it is what it is. i cannot remember the day i took my first drag. nor can i remember the day i bought my first pack. i can remember the reason and the rationalization. i lived in germany at the time and many kids my own age would ask me if i had tobacco. after a while, i realized that a good, simple way to meet people was to have tobacco on me (in germany, at that time, all the kids rolled their own tobacco). so, i would carry tobacco and papers and wait for someone to ask and i would produce the aromatic pouch. and-voila-a conversation would begin. in this way i met quite a few interesting teenagers (mostly counter-counter culture) and created friendships.
eventually, i just had to know what all the hip hubbub was with smoking. it certainly looked cool, but i had grown up in a strict nonsmoking, nondrinking house here in the states, so i had to overcome my fear of being a bad boy (back then i wasn't into spanking so much, maybe a light slap or two). defeating the fear took oh about two, maybe one long minute and i carefully placed the damp weed into a zig zag-like paper and rolled the most bulbous, bumpy and asymmetrical piece of crap cigarette this world has ever seen. too tight at one end and falling out at the other i had to huff and puff until i was blue in the face before i could begin coughing my lungs out. which i eventually did. but i didn't get the hipness of it. it made me feel a bit nauseous, light headed and i had to go crap. and i didn't get good high from it like all the pot i'd smoked my senior year in my american high school. it certainly wasn't going to make the arcades a better experience.
but it did smell good before being lit and it did allow me to meet people and it did make me feel oh so cool by carrying it. and i quickly realized that learning to roll this stuff would help me immeasurably in rolling the "other" stuff.
so, i kept with it, offering to roll for people (and thereby began the education of me in rolling the perfect joint for which i was properly lauded in my college years). but, as has been borne out in almost every smoker's history, it was my willingness to help others that led to my downfall. as i got better and quicker at rolling, i began rolling one for me as well. i knew it looked odd that i had tobacco, but never smoked with the person asking for a ciggie. so, i began rolling for me. after a while, the petit mort high was pretty cool. a smoke after 4 or 5 beers, then 3 or 4, then 2 or 3, then with every one was a good kicker. and we drank a lot in germany. i had good, solid teutonic school friends who went to the local pub (located on land owned by the Prince of Denmark) every weekend where the owner/bartender was a blues fanatic who'd owned a bar in hamburg and played host to every blues legend who ever toured europe (plus, folk like van morrison and bob dylan) and had a record collection so extensive i don't think i ever heard one album twice (the musician he like to talk about most when in his cups was muddy waters who he evidently was perrrrsonal friends with, though not sexually). Peachy, his name was. just like michael caine's in the Man Who Would Be king.
where was i? oh yes. so, i began a long relationship with tobacco, which is sustained to this day.
fast forward more than half of my life and we arrive at today. this morning, in fact, when i went to the doctor to have some mushrooms looked at on my elbow. well, a rash that the doc thinks is fungal ala crotch rot. when her very cute assistant jotted down my particulars and addictions, it was at that moment that i was asked if i'd like to quit smoking. i said i wasn't not interested and she told me of The Pill. Wellbutrin. Zyban. the doc said for me to look it up on the internet and decide if i wanted to try it. so, i did. and this is what i found. well, i found a lot of sites talking of the drug, but this is the one i enjoyed the most.
the problem with quitting is that i know i must take time to psych myself up to it. i can't just one day say "you know, i think this is the last one". i almost have to have a wake. so, i will think about it, maybe even discuss this with lecram. perhaps he and i can make a pact (like a suicide). though i doubt it. i'm as bad a quitter as i am a joiner (unless, of course, we're talking about romantic relationships).
eventually, i just had to know what all the hip hubbub was with smoking. it certainly looked cool, but i had grown up in a strict nonsmoking, nondrinking house here in the states, so i had to overcome my fear of being a bad boy (back then i wasn't into spanking so much, maybe a light slap or two). defeating the fear took oh about two, maybe one long minute and i carefully placed the damp weed into a zig zag-like paper and rolled the most bulbous, bumpy and asymmetrical piece of crap cigarette this world has ever seen. too tight at one end and falling out at the other i had to huff and puff until i was blue in the face before i could begin coughing my lungs out. which i eventually did. but i didn't get the hipness of it. it made me feel a bit nauseous, light headed and i had to go crap. and i didn't get good high from it like all the pot i'd smoked my senior year in my american high school. it certainly wasn't going to make the arcades a better experience.
but it did smell good before being lit and it did allow me to meet people and it did make me feel oh so cool by carrying it. and i quickly realized that learning to roll this stuff would help me immeasurably in rolling the "other" stuff.
so, i kept with it, offering to roll for people (and thereby began the education of me in rolling the perfect joint for which i was properly lauded in my college years). but, as has been borne out in almost every smoker's history, it was my willingness to help others that led to my downfall. as i got better and quicker at rolling, i began rolling one for me as well. i knew it looked odd that i had tobacco, but never smoked with the person asking for a ciggie. so, i began rolling for me. after a while, the petit mort high was pretty cool. a smoke after 4 or 5 beers, then 3 or 4, then 2 or 3, then with every one was a good kicker. and we drank a lot in germany. i had good, solid teutonic school friends who went to the local pub (located on land owned by the Prince of Denmark) every weekend where the owner/bartender was a blues fanatic who'd owned a bar in hamburg and played host to every blues legend who ever toured europe (plus, folk like van morrison and bob dylan) and had a record collection so extensive i don't think i ever heard one album twice (the musician he like to talk about most when in his cups was muddy waters who he evidently was perrrrsonal friends with, though not sexually). Peachy, his name was. just like michael caine's in the Man Who Would Be king.
where was i? oh yes. so, i began a long relationship with tobacco, which is sustained to this day.
fast forward more than half of my life and we arrive at today. this morning, in fact, when i went to the doctor to have some mushrooms looked at on my elbow. well, a rash that the doc thinks is fungal ala crotch rot. when her very cute assistant jotted down my particulars and addictions, it was at that moment that i was asked if i'd like to quit smoking. i said i wasn't not interested and she told me of The Pill. Wellbutrin. Zyban. the doc said for me to look it up on the internet and decide if i wanted to try it. so, i did. and this is what i found. well, i found a lot of sites talking of the drug, but this is the one i enjoyed the most.
the problem with quitting is that i know i must take time to psych myself up to it. i can't just one day say "you know, i think this is the last one". i almost have to have a wake. so, i will think about it, maybe even discuss this with lecram. perhaps he and i can make a pact (like a suicide). though i doubt it. i'm as bad a quitter as i am a joiner (unless, of course, we're talking about romantic relationships).
Monday, June 12, 2006
today at work i was informed by a co-worker with access to email that my dear, dear founding owner sent out an email to all within the company who have such addresses. within this missive was a passioned cry for unity from all to stand up and face down our state's wish to include ethnic history education in our schools. he asked all who read the email to call their senators and whonot to get the message across that this is not acceptable. i have not yet read the email, but it was imparted to me that the contents included a summary of the hated ethnicities. this included blacks, browns and gays. the owner's fervent wish was that none of these American histories be taught to our children.
i am a bit nonplussed. our office is a diverse one. in an office of 60 or so people, we have two blacks, a large handful of browns, and the person who shared this snippet of info with me is a lesbian. we, also, have a few gay men and one man of middle eastern origin. is it just me or did this owner just commit a very actionable offense?
what prompted this i do not know. it may be a bill before the legislature or something we will vote on in the future. all i can say is that this email (if i was told it correctly) was very ill-advised and could come back to bite him in the ass.
i am a bit nonplussed. our office is a diverse one. in an office of 60 or so people, we have two blacks, a large handful of browns, and the person who shared this snippet of info with me is a lesbian. we, also, have a few gay men and one man of middle eastern origin. is it just me or did this owner just commit a very actionable offense?
what prompted this i do not know. it may be a bill before the legislature or something we will vote on in the future. all i can say is that this email (if i was told it correctly) was very ill-advised and could come back to bite him in the ass.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Asymmetrical Warfare
Let it be known that this weekend witnesses the advent of a new euphemism brought to us by the same people who provided the war in Iraq: asymmetrical warfare.
Catchy, isn't it? And stunning in its simplicity. Any prisoner of war who commits suicide while under arrest can be accused of attacking us by using this two-word phrase. Evidently, even though these "detainees" have not been convicted in our courts of even a misdemeanor, any person of Arab descent residing at Guantanamo Bay in cages under armed guard and video surveillance is engaging in enemy activity and possible war crimes by hanging himself in his cell. It must be a clever psy-op campaign designed to destroy American morale there and here by making the world believe (erroneously, of course) that our military (and, by extension, our current administration) cares not a whit about the welfare of those we keep locked up at great cost with no end in sight.
However, it seems to be only those successful in their suicide attempts who garner this assessment of their criminal enterprise, because no such acknowledgment was given to the previous 41 failed suicide attempts that have been documented.
Of course, it is widely known and accepted that all prisoners at GitMo are Al-Quaeda. Bill O'Reilly recently visited there as part of some odd investigative reporting stunt and, in a televised interview with FoxNews, referred repeatedly to the prisoners as "Al-Quaeda". Not "detainees", not "prisoners", not "humans". "Al-Quaeda" (or however we're spelling it these days).
That brings up the question, by the way, of just how many spelling variations we've had for this terrorist group. Do you think that could be one reason why we haven't been able to stamp it out? Because we can't stick with one variation? Can you imagine an intelligence operative reading intercepted emails or somesuch and discarding the info, because it was sent by "al-quaida"? Hmmm, nope, must be from some other bandwagon-jumping nutjob gang.
Hell, we can't even agree on how to pronounce Iraq. We have "eyerack", "eerock", "eerack", "eyerock". "SawDOM" and SAWdum". And we're 15 years past the first fight with this country and its leader. Then again, we Americans still claim we speak English, which any foreigner with a rudimentary understanding of the language can tell us with authority we do not. "Nuculear" comes to mind as an opening salvo.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce "asymmetrical warfare" to y'all.
Catchy, isn't it? And stunning in its simplicity. Any prisoner of war who commits suicide while under arrest can be accused of attacking us by using this two-word phrase. Evidently, even though these "detainees" have not been convicted in our courts of even a misdemeanor, any person of Arab descent residing at Guantanamo Bay in cages under armed guard and video surveillance is engaging in enemy activity and possible war crimes by hanging himself in his cell. It must be a clever psy-op campaign designed to destroy American morale there and here by making the world believe (erroneously, of course) that our military (and, by extension, our current administration) cares not a whit about the welfare of those we keep locked up at great cost with no end in sight.
However, it seems to be only those successful in their suicide attempts who garner this assessment of their criminal enterprise, because no such acknowledgment was given to the previous 41 failed suicide attempts that have been documented.
Of course, it is widely known and accepted that all prisoners at GitMo are Al-Quaeda. Bill O'Reilly recently visited there as part of some odd investigative reporting stunt and, in a televised interview with FoxNews, referred repeatedly to the prisoners as "Al-Quaeda". Not "detainees", not "prisoners", not "humans". "Al-Quaeda" (or however we're spelling it these days).
That brings up the question, by the way, of just how many spelling variations we've had for this terrorist group. Do you think that could be one reason why we haven't been able to stamp it out? Because we can't stick with one variation? Can you imagine an intelligence operative reading intercepted emails or somesuch and discarding the info, because it was sent by "al-quaida"? Hmmm, nope, must be from some other bandwagon-jumping nutjob gang.
Hell, we can't even agree on how to pronounce Iraq. We have "eyerack", "eerock", "eerack", "eyerock". "SawDOM" and SAWdum". And we're 15 years past the first fight with this country and its leader. Then again, we Americans still claim we speak English, which any foreigner with a rudimentary understanding of the language can tell us with authority we do not. "Nuculear" comes to mind as an opening salvo.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce "asymmetrical warfare" to y'all.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
so, when exactly does it become an atrocity to kill innocent civilians in the name of defending our country? Haditha? Ishadi? Hamandiyah? or is it only an atrocity if the high command can be proven to have been involved? i can understand and accept the fact that soldiers under constant stress will occasionally lash out without thinking through the obvious ramifications. they have been trained to kill, not persuade. they are the ones living in continual fear and lacking immediate leadership.
but now news and evidence of multiple executions in different places by different units are coming to light. with abu ghraib it became apparant long before the military almost admitted it that soldiers were not acting solely on their own. much of what they did was directed by people high up in the military food chain. and it was atrocious.
with that in mind, can anyone truely believe that what is being read about now is not, also, being directed by those who sit safely within cozy offices stateside and care even less about the soldiers than they do the civilians?
our military command has declared its soldiers innocent of any wrongdoing in the Ishadi event. But how can we take them at their word? one only has to go back to the Pat Tillman bullshit to know that the military will lie to God if that gets the press off its back. why do we see no independent inquiries? we should know better by now. it's like asking the scorpion what happened to the frog. it is the military's nature to lie about everything and cover up any badness that may occur by its hands, rahter than tell us that something bad may have happened and then getting to the bottom of it. many liberals would actually look on the military in a more compassionate mien if they could believe that the high standards we hold other countries to were actually being applied at home.
also, the fact that these stories are now leaking out proves (to me) that the situation in Iraq is getting worse and worse. these can't be isolated cases. history will show that when the dam begins to overflow it was already too full a long time ago.
but now news and evidence of multiple executions in different places by different units are coming to light. with abu ghraib it became apparant long before the military almost admitted it that soldiers were not acting solely on their own. much of what they did was directed by people high up in the military food chain. and it was atrocious.
with that in mind, can anyone truely believe that what is being read about now is not, also, being directed by those who sit safely within cozy offices stateside and care even less about the soldiers than they do the civilians?
our military command has declared its soldiers innocent of any wrongdoing in the Ishadi event. But how can we take them at their word? one only has to go back to the Pat Tillman bullshit to know that the military will lie to God if that gets the press off its back. why do we see no independent inquiries? we should know better by now. it's like asking the scorpion what happened to the frog. it is the military's nature to lie about everything and cover up any badness that may occur by its hands, rahter than tell us that something bad may have happened and then getting to the bottom of it. many liberals would actually look on the military in a more compassionate mien if they could believe that the high standards we hold other countries to were actually being applied at home.
also, the fact that these stories are now leaking out proves (to me) that the situation in Iraq is getting worse and worse. these can't be isolated cases. history will show that when the dam begins to overflow it was already too full a long time ago.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Bush will be publicly endorsing a constitutional amendment on Monday to ban gay people from getting hitched. This is not a winnable position in respect to actually getting such an amendment passed, but it is a good way to win back political clout with gene-challenged people: play on their paranoia and xenophobia. Personally, I like what Kinky Friedman had to say about marriage between gay folk: "they should have the right to be just as miserable as everyone else". Rumor has it that Bush will, also, propose an amendment that legalizes horsecock fondling so long as the First lady, I mean spouse, approves.
What a difference a failed war makes. The Dixie Chicks are back on top without an apology and with a new "single" that talks about being bashed for being honest. I put single in quotation marks, because country radio will still not play their music.
Rolling Stone gets it on with an article that hearkens back to what I was screaming about in 2004. To wit, the Republicans stole the fucking election. Again. This time around, Stone actually footnotes all of the allegations. To those of you who think I should take the tinfoil hat from off mein kopf, look around you and ask yourselves if this is the country you agreed to live in when you were 20. Ask yourselves if this is the country that your parents meant you to inherit. I know they didn't.
What a difference a failed war makes. The Dixie Chicks are back on top without an apology and with a new "single" that talks about being bashed for being honest. I put single in quotation marks, because country radio will still not play their music.
Rolling Stone gets it on with an article that hearkens back to what I was screaming about in 2004. To wit, the Republicans stole the fucking election. Again. This time around, Stone actually footnotes all of the allegations. To those of you who think I should take the tinfoil hat from off mein kopf, look around you and ask yourselves if this is the country you agreed to live in when you were 20. Ask yourselves if this is the country that your parents meant you to inherit. I know they didn't.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
now, it's not surprising that atrocities have been committed by our side in this conflict, just as they have been by the other sides (yes, that's plural, because there are multiple factions working against each other), and it's not surprising that it took so long for this specific atrocity to come to light, and it's not surprising that most of us don't seem to care as scandal-shocked as we are. so, the article is much the same as every other one we've read over the past week or so. but what i found interesting is the following clip from this particular article:
"More than two months after the incident Time magazine asked the military to respond to allegations of the killings.
The magazine says a Marine spokesman responded with an e-mail stating, "I cannot believe you're buying any of this. This falls into the same category of Al-Qaeda in Iraq propaganda."
so, what was this guy saying exactly? that al-quaeda is not in iraq? top officials (um, dick cheney) are still claiming that saddam had direct ties to al-quaeda and was harboring them before we invaded. so, is this guy in fact saying that dick's covered with shit? i mean, i DO feel like i've been inappropriately penetrated by the the dickmeister, but here's a spokesman for the marines telling time magazine that bystander-obliterating is about as believable as a bar-mitzmah in babylon. and he uses the al-quaeda link, which we've been repeatedly told to put in our hanky pockets since 2002, as an example. odd. especially since we know that al-quaeda is indeed in iraq now. unlike when we invaded.
The Presidential Prayer Team in affiliation with Fabric of Faith
is pleased to offer you an exceptional line of patriotic apparel!
join the team, get your faith on and toss a dwarf for jesus.
"More than two months after the incident Time magazine asked the military to respond to allegations of the killings.
The magazine says a Marine spokesman responded with an e-mail stating, "I cannot believe you're buying any of this. This falls into the same category of Al-Qaeda in Iraq propaganda."
so, what was this guy saying exactly? that al-quaeda is not in iraq? top officials (um, dick cheney) are still claiming that saddam had direct ties to al-quaeda and was harboring them before we invaded. so, is this guy in fact saying that dick's covered with shit? i mean, i DO feel like i've been inappropriately penetrated by the the dickmeister, but here's a spokesman for the marines telling time magazine that bystander-obliterating is about as believable as a bar-mitzmah in babylon. and he uses the al-quaeda link, which we've been repeatedly told to put in our hanky pockets since 2002, as an example. odd. especially since we know that al-quaeda is indeed in iraq now. unlike when we invaded.
The Presidential Prayer Team in affiliation with Fabric of Faith
is pleased to offer you an exceptional line of patriotic apparel!
join the team, get your faith on and toss a dwarf for jesus.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
talk to the clown and toss that dwarf
well, i must admit i had a wonderful time tonight. apj has a great spread. and her house ain't so bad either. nyuk nyuk nyuk.
seriously, it was a fabulous barbecue. the food was great, the beer was aplenty, and the conversation never left the gutter. i will never look at a dwarf again without laughing. to myself, of course. because laughing at a dwarf out loud is really rude and inconsiderate. though, in terms of personal safety, it's not too dangerous. maybe some scarring on the knees or something, but that's about it.
and i will never ever talk to the clown again in public. i never knew it was considered socially unacceptable. even in a public restroom. or especially there. and all those times in the mall when i would talk to the clown and shake hands and tweak his little red nose...who knew i was breaking the law? well, maybe someday someone will go to manchester mall and dedicate a memorial plaque in my honor like they're thinking of doing for nick ryan and that toilet over at roeding park. or i'll get a street named in my honor like they might do for sam samuelian on motel drive.
i found the war nerd on wikipedia. this is the guy i've been trying to get you to read, because he claims to be from fresno. just too damn funny and acerbic for his own good. devastating reading. and you never do know what side he's shooting at.
speaking of shooting and not knowing who at, what's going on with the haditha massacre? it's beginning to look like we got ourselves a mini-mai lai on our hands. deaths aren't in the hundreds, just the dozens. but most of them appear to be executions of defenseless civilians in retaliation for a bombing attack they had nothing to do with. and the LA Times is pursuing another story in which a civilian may have been killed by marines and then set up to look like he was planting a roadside bomb. makes me think of the movie jarhead when the sniper team is about to get their first chance at a kill and the army breaks in and stops them, because a bombing raid will be so much more cooler. one sniper totally loses it, because he really wants this one chance to see the pink cloud. it's like these snipers have been so brainwashed and desensitized to killing that not getting to kill is the worst kind of emasculation. in the movie, though, they walk away and return to their unit to find out the war is over. in real life, the war is not over and it appears at the moment that soldiers may be under too much stress without proper command structure.
give a man a gun and he'll shoot the snot out of paper heads. teach that man to hate and he'll find moving targets.
and so bill frist has now said that the fbi's search and seizure within a congressman's office is within the law. a few days ago he was singing a different tune. but after meeting with alberto "VO5" gonzalez he's okay with it. why is it that when a republican disagrees with the bushies alberto "the consigliere" gonzalez seems to always have a sitdown with said dissenter and said dissenter almost always changes his mind? not that i'm against politicians not being above the same laws i'm required to obey. but (by the same token) ain't it funny that these politicians have spent 5 or 6 years letting the administration stomp all over our civil rights with nary a peep and suddenly, when one of their own gets the jackboot treatment, they are up in arms about it? both parties screaming about abuse of power and constitutional issues. i think i know where most of the pharmaceutical grade pot is being smoked now. when what they really need is a barium enema so that whenever they spew bullshit we can see the glowing vapor trail of it.
this is probably going to piss someone off (i hope), but i just have to ask: isn't the pope humanity's direct pipeline to god? isn't god supposed to speak directly through the pope? then why is the pope asking god why he didn't speak up or do something about the holocaust? is benedict telling us that john paul the 2nd (or whatever number) kept secrets? is he telling us that jp and the big g weren't really on speaking terms? the pope is on this earth to tell us what god is thinking and saying and doing and why. and here is benedict at auschwitz wondering what the hell god was doing right around the 1940's. personally, i think god was looking down (or up or sideways or whatever) and writing in his holy papers "note to Holy Self: germans and jews, that sucked.
p.s. further note to Holy Self: dissuade U.S. from creating land for anyone if it's not on U.S. soil. plus, ask Loki to kill all with the surnames Kennedy, Nixon and Bush. wait, strike Nixon. he amuses me."
so, cheney is still the vice-president, huh? good thing. but what's this little note about this administration challenging more laws than all previous administrations combined? wasn't it the bushies and their cohorts in congress who screamed bloody murder at the supreme court for "interpreting" the constitution when they should be laying down the law as writ (specifically during the terri schiavo non-crisis)? wasn't it the republicans who actually threatened the supreme court justices with the possibility of physical violence by "good (but misguided) americans" because of their twisting of the law? so, why is cheny still vice-president? lord knows no one will vote for him for president. we know and he knows. his heart will give out at any given moment. and his ties to big industry are just too, well, big to ignore. so, he's doing everything he can as the puppetmaster to make sure all of his ideas are implemented before 2008 rolls around. what we have to understand is that we have a second term group that smells death at the end of this term and is going to do all in its power to permanently change the balance of power. does it hope that another republican replaces it? yes. does it care deeply if a democrat steps in? not so much since it's burdened the next sucker with baggage that will stymie any reforms for decades to come. think about it. two "wars" not to be finished any time soon. social security no better than it was. a massive budget deficit. global warming issue not even approached. military brushfires around the world that weren't there 6 years ago (not to say they wouldn't have flared anyway). the ugly face of so-called religion having taken hold of politics one more time after a decade of tolerant acceptance by both camps. political scandals erupting everywhere. big business erupting everywhere and shitting hot lava on the common folk. tax breaks for the rich and half the usual tax return for me. mexicans who are suddenly the new face of terrorism and the reason our economy is in the tank. racism kicking up again. and not just from the crackers.
makes me want to curl up, watch movies and not leave the house ever again. damn java wava for making a killer avalanche.
seriously, it was a fabulous barbecue. the food was great, the beer was aplenty, and the conversation never left the gutter. i will never look at a dwarf again without laughing. to myself, of course. because laughing at a dwarf out loud is really rude and inconsiderate. though, in terms of personal safety, it's not too dangerous. maybe some scarring on the knees or something, but that's about it.
and i will never ever talk to the clown again in public. i never knew it was considered socially unacceptable. even in a public restroom. or especially there. and all those times in the mall when i would talk to the clown and shake hands and tweak his little red nose...who knew i was breaking the law? well, maybe someday someone will go to manchester mall and dedicate a memorial plaque in my honor like they're thinking of doing for nick ryan and that toilet over at roeding park. or i'll get a street named in my honor like they might do for sam samuelian on motel drive.
i found the war nerd on wikipedia. this is the guy i've been trying to get you to read, because he claims to be from fresno. just too damn funny and acerbic for his own good. devastating reading. and you never do know what side he's shooting at.
speaking of shooting and not knowing who at, what's going on with the haditha massacre? it's beginning to look like we got ourselves a mini-mai lai on our hands. deaths aren't in the hundreds, just the dozens. but most of them appear to be executions of defenseless civilians in retaliation for a bombing attack they had nothing to do with. and the LA Times is pursuing another story in which a civilian may have been killed by marines and then set up to look like he was planting a roadside bomb. makes me think of the movie jarhead when the sniper team is about to get their first chance at a kill and the army breaks in and stops them, because a bombing raid will be so much more cooler. one sniper totally loses it, because he really wants this one chance to see the pink cloud. it's like these snipers have been so brainwashed and desensitized to killing that not getting to kill is the worst kind of emasculation. in the movie, though, they walk away and return to their unit to find out the war is over. in real life, the war is not over and it appears at the moment that soldiers may be under too much stress without proper command structure.
give a man a gun and he'll shoot the snot out of paper heads. teach that man to hate and he'll find moving targets.
and so bill frist has now said that the fbi's search and seizure within a congressman's office is within the law. a few days ago he was singing a different tune. but after meeting with alberto "VO5" gonzalez he's okay with it. why is it that when a republican disagrees with the bushies alberto "the consigliere" gonzalez seems to always have a sitdown with said dissenter and said dissenter almost always changes his mind? not that i'm against politicians not being above the same laws i'm required to obey. but (by the same token) ain't it funny that these politicians have spent 5 or 6 years letting the administration stomp all over our civil rights with nary a peep and suddenly, when one of their own gets the jackboot treatment, they are up in arms about it? both parties screaming about abuse of power and constitutional issues. i think i know where most of the pharmaceutical grade pot is being smoked now. when what they really need is a barium enema so that whenever they spew bullshit we can see the glowing vapor trail of it.
this is probably going to piss someone off (i hope), but i just have to ask: isn't the pope humanity's direct pipeline to god? isn't god supposed to speak directly through the pope? then why is the pope asking god why he didn't speak up or do something about the holocaust? is benedict telling us that john paul the 2nd (or whatever number) kept secrets? is he telling us that jp and the big g weren't really on speaking terms? the pope is on this earth to tell us what god is thinking and saying and doing and why. and here is benedict at auschwitz wondering what the hell god was doing right around the 1940's. personally, i think god was looking down (or up or sideways or whatever) and writing in his holy papers "note to Holy Self: germans and jews, that sucked.
p.s. further note to Holy Self: dissuade U.S. from creating land for anyone if it's not on U.S. soil. plus, ask Loki to kill all with the surnames Kennedy, Nixon and Bush. wait, strike Nixon. he amuses me."
so, cheney is still the vice-president, huh? good thing. but what's this little note about this administration challenging more laws than all previous administrations combined? wasn't it the bushies and their cohorts in congress who screamed bloody murder at the supreme court for "interpreting" the constitution when they should be laying down the law as writ (specifically during the terri schiavo non-crisis)? wasn't it the republicans who actually threatened the supreme court justices with the possibility of physical violence by "good (but misguided) americans" because of their twisting of the law? so, why is cheny still vice-president? lord knows no one will vote for him for president. we know and he knows. his heart will give out at any given moment. and his ties to big industry are just too, well, big to ignore. so, he's doing everything he can as the puppetmaster to make sure all of his ideas are implemented before 2008 rolls around. what we have to understand is that we have a second term group that smells death at the end of this term and is going to do all in its power to permanently change the balance of power. does it hope that another republican replaces it? yes. does it care deeply if a democrat steps in? not so much since it's burdened the next sucker with baggage that will stymie any reforms for decades to come. think about it. two "wars" not to be finished any time soon. social security no better than it was. a massive budget deficit. global warming issue not even approached. military brushfires around the world that weren't there 6 years ago (not to say they wouldn't have flared anyway). the ugly face of so-called religion having taken hold of politics one more time after a decade of tolerant acceptance by both camps. political scandals erupting everywhere. big business erupting everywhere and shitting hot lava on the common folk. tax breaks for the rich and half the usual tax return for me. mexicans who are suddenly the new face of terrorism and the reason our economy is in the tank. racism kicking up again. and not just from the crackers.
makes me want to curl up, watch movies and not leave the house ever again. damn java wava for making a killer avalanche.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
no rant tonight. instead, i'll let the king of detroit rock and roll mayhem do it for me. click on this and strap yourself in for a very hairy ride. and please keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
SSM Back In The Neighborhizzle!
so this is my driveway. it extends for quite a while. then it stops.
unless you turn at the right moment. and stop.
the kitchen. of course. a horse. a horse.
the communal patio.
the private patio. with two grills, one orange tree, a loquat tree and plum tree.hi. i'm back. so sorry you all had to do without me for an extended period of time. sucked for me, too. okay, not really. sbc's incompetence actually allowed me to spend a few days and evenings catching up on films i hadn't watched in a while. sunday's threepack of jersey girl, jay and silent bob strike back and dogma was a nice treat for a very hungover squirrel.
so, i'm back in the 'no and back online. the trip down was fairly noneventful aside from the cat peeing on itself 15 minutes into the drive, a 45 minute oregon refueling fiasco, no sleep until just below stockton on I-5, broken payphones at 4 rest areas in a row in northern california when i needed to call my new landlord to see if he could meet me the next morning to let me into my new place and arriving on the last sweltering day of the summer's first heatwave.
but now i have to go eat and sleep. in that order. i think. the weather's perfect, the breeze just right, how can one not want to nosh and nap?
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