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6.30.2004
For those who don't already own them, Border's has the Calvin and Hobbes books out on bargain. I picked up "It's a Magical World", "The Days are Just Packed" and "There's Treasure Everywhere" for about 5-6 bucks apiece. I did so at the Border's on 21st here in Tulsa. They were outside. They would make good xmas presents? And in other Earth Shattering news... Not only is SHE a beautiful and fantastic actress with a smashing new movie out, SHE can also be our guiding light in the political world as well. And yes, now I'm just being silly. | 
Clicking on the picture will open a new window with a larger version See more photos. So we've handed the keys of the country over the Iraqis. I'm sure it feels like they're getting the keys to a one bedroom apartment. They'll come home one night to find a Post-It note on the door that reads: "Hey, just stopped by to work on some oil wells and spray for insurgents. Call us if you need anything - Your Friendly US Landlords" They might also notice a few of their "special" DVD's missing as well. Bush reassures Turkey that being free doesn't mean they'll get to enjoy a good porn flick any time soon. "Some people in Muslim cultures identify democracy with the worst of Western popular culture and want no part of it. And I assure them, when I speak about the blessings of liberty, coarse videos and crass commercialism are not what I have in mind," Bush said. "There is nothing incompatible between democratic values and high standards of decency." Seems we are not, repeat NOT making the world (or Schenectady)safe for porn. June 28 - A man caught playing an adult film in his car will have to serve jail time. But why oh Smackdaddy from Schenectady would you want to watch porn in your car? If you've got your hands at the 10 and 2 just what good is that porn doing you? Is it for the benefit of the drivers sitting next to you at the light? That red light only lasts a good minute or so? But anyways.. back to the Chicken's visit to Turkey. Meeting with local Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders, he also described Turkey as a country that has fostered tolerance between its Islamic majority and its minority religious groups. Emphasis mine. You see its a good thing to have a strong separation of religion and politics if that country is majority Muslim, but I still find it odd to hear Bush preaching the sermon of secularism when he's abroad and pandering to his theocratic base here at home. Don't get me wrong. I think Bush is right to push for a greater secularization of the Muslim world. It will temper the extremism by getting the pod people out of positions of power. But wouldn't it be nice if we had a President that voiced strong support for secularism all the time. Not just when he's in a Muslim nation? Secondly. Bush equates the God of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. I wonder how that sits with his right wing base? Remember, "Two Legs Good, All Fours Bad." | 6.29.2004
People get all snippy when you even suggest that we're all biologically programmed. That our little strands of DNA are a computer, our brain, the CPU; the Central Procreation Unit. This set of instructions sets us into motion, and despite all our proclamations of freewill we should all just acknowledge that there is a higher purpose driving us forward. Its not G-O-D its D-N-A. We are carefully designed transport mechanisms to get our genes from point A (us) to point B (baby). Is it so hard to imagine that all we've accomplished as a species could all be boiled down to a irresistible desire to make new homes for our genes? Art, culture and civilization... by products? Move the genes on down the line. Its such a romantic let down. You gaze into her eyes, pupils dilate, and a wave of pleasure slides across your skin and pools in your knees. But its nothing more than a trick to move things along to "the act". In that moment the two sets of genes recognize in each other a mutual purpose. "If we go halfsies we both get what we want." A new copy of each gene gets another ride forward. The most successful genes are the ones that grab hold of its host and drives it with the force of demonic possession to fulfill its ultimate goal. Thus the proliferation of horny men and women and a civilization whose success is based on the harnessed power of that drive for sex. But the fledgling genes are not ready for prime time for at least another 15-16 years so our DNA enlists us in yet another task, caretaking those genes and making sure they make it to the point where they can once again be passed along. So we work and nest and make pledges to defend. It all feels so.. right, and proper, and fulfilling. | 
Clicking on the picture will open a new window with a larger version See more photos. I used to go out driving all the time but got out of the habit during my last long relationship. Suddenly feeling a need to be alone, to isolate myself and to be moving, I'll get in the car, put on some music and pick a direction. Having digested A Ghost is Born, I have found it to be a work of great imagination and talent. It has been a worthy companion in my driving, matching my mood and state of mind to a surprising degree. | 6.28.2004
More on the Contraband cd Well, for us, it wasn’t an issue, why? Well, we have always disabled “Auto-Run” on our Windows based system, since like Windows 95, we’ve always disabled that “feature”. By default Windows will automatically look for a file called Autorun.inf on any CD you pop in to your system, we’ve always known this is a big security issue as there are a lot of spyware and viruses distributed on CDs, you read about this every week. In fact, Microsoft is even disabling this in their next security focused service pack. Just to recap… There's more you should read. I can't remember the last time I had autorun enabled on my PC. I tend to be a freak about my computer doing things without my permission. Maybe its because I fell asleep to too many late night movies but it just freaks me out when my computer starts to make its own decisions. To keep "it" under control I have several peices of software installed. My favorite has always been TweakUI, a little program that Microsoft developed but never implemented into Windows 98. (I don't name my computer either.) Yes, I am still using Windows 98. I haven't found a good reason to upgrade. I sure as hell don't feel like giving Microsoft any money and I laugh every time there is some big new Virus alert. "There is?" I say.. "Oh, must not be for Windows 98." I then try to get ahold of Virus Tech Support and I can never get anyone to pick up. I'm sure there are many planned Virus upgrades that will allow me to enjoy them on my system but I guess I'll just have to wait. I have also found that my virus problem practically went away when I stopped using microsoft products. I just love the new email and browser software from Mozilla. Both are great apps and work just as well, if not better than what I was using from MS. | 6.27.2004
Clicking on the picture will open a new window with a larger version See more photos. Well, I'm back from a short stint away; Friday fun and Saturday work. For those of you who don't receive the daily emails from the GOP, here is the current list of America's enemies: (ranked by the overall effort expended on each) 1. Michael Moore 2. John Kerry 3. Moveon.org 4. George Soros 5. (reserved for Kerry's Running Mate) 6. Bill Clinton 7. Al Gore 8. Al Qaeda ----- Remember that life is a short love affair with breathing, eating, talking, loving and crying. There's no shame in loving even your most embarrassing moments. So go enjoy some gratuitously sexy pictures of KD. .. and more here. | 6.25.2004
KOTV - The News on 6: "A formal apology would be made to American Indians under legislation approved by the US Senate's Indian Affairs Committee. In related news, Serial Killer Apologizes to Victims, says "Sorry about the death thing." | A historical look at marriage Just a couple of quick thoughts on marriage: a more historical look. Because I know how much you love this current theme... ;-) Its ironic that gay marriage opponents look at this as a defining issue regarding marriage as an institution. A long term look at the evolution of marriage shows that heteros have done more to reshape and change marriage than allowing gays to marry ever will. From the Biblical days till now we can see that the utility of marriage has dwindled. No longer is marriage the predominate way of forming tribal alliances or linking larger social networks. In our modern world we have become more independent as individuals. We no longer rely so heavily on family units for our success. Many of us move out young and never look back. We see marriage not as a useful tool to create larger social networks but as an individual choice based on our own whims. While once commonplace to see parents exercising marital veto power, today we accept that two individuals can and will get hitched despite any family protestations. Stories like Romeo and Juliet just don't happen as much as they used to. Nowadays two kids would just run off, get and apartment together and get married anyways. Getting tossed out of your tribal circle is rough and emotionally damaging but not the deathly blow it once must have been. The evolution of marriage has followed the evolution of society. We have moved away from tribal forms of organization to more individual ones. In part this change has been fueled by consumer needs. We want to have possession of our "own stuff"; house, car, refrigerator. In the past it was necessary to pool resources for greater comfort. Three generations under one roof were more likely to thrive than one. People had large families for the purpose of providing for their own labor needs. Further back we see even larger units existing. In biblical times you see tribes that are in effect extended family units. You extend the power and size of your tribe by marrying off your children into other families. It was through this method that the family patriarchs formed useful alliances and kept the peace in the region. In the above context you can see just how vital an institution marriage must have been. If a couple could not keep a marriage together then a vital allegiance might be lost or a feud could begin. Married couples were denied the right to choose their mates and denied the right to terminate the marriage for any other reason other than death. Should death occur there were rules about just who could step in to keep that bond functional. But that world in which marriage played such a vital rule, acting as social glue, has largely disappeared. Not because of the acceptance of homosexuals but by the changes in the way in which we function as social units. In our present world marriage still functions as the primary method for bring two people together for the purpose of raising a family. But now that family is more likely to exist as a unit apart from larger tribal networks. If that marriage breaks apart the effects are mostly confined to the immediate family. Its still tragic for the people involved but we won't see any more Hatfield and McCoy type feuds erupting. The outside pressures on married people have all but disappeared. We now see marriage as the sole decision of the two people involved. We will not be returning to the Biblical times any time soon, for to do so would require a complete restructuring of our society. I don't think it could be done even if we wanted. We made a decision a long time ago that individual liberty is so desirable that we are willing to discard institutions that restrict our ability to determine our own individual fates. Growing prosperity and collective power has enabled the individual to exist on their own. The real crisis in marriage comes not from homosexuals but from its declining usefulness in our modern social organization. Aside from the legal privileges that people gain and the traditional (but weakened) social pressure to get married there seems little reason at all to enter into a marriage or even stay there. Some people have even decided to forgo the formality entirely and have redefined their relationships based entirely on love and a decision to stay with one partner. What same sex couples want now are those legal protections that are still holdovers from times past and a social acceptance of their love relationships. Progress has already started hammering in the nails on the traditional institution of marriage, its already dead. Don't blame the homosexuals, we did it to ourselves, and I for one, have no regrets. | 6.24.2004
Indie Movies at Southroads AMC I've signed up for a weekly email list that informs people about the upcoming indie films that will be showing at the AMC at Southroads. If you want to get in on the fun you can contact TSageser (at) amctheatres.com and ask to be included. For this week there are three movies showing. I'm just going to pass along the showtimes, sign up for the list if you want descriptions. SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER...AND SPRING, R (1:55 long) Fri-Mon -- 12:50, 3:10, 5:30, 7:50, 10:15 Tues -- 12:50, 3:10, 5:30, 7:50 FAHRENHEIT 9/11, R (2:10) Fri-Tues -- 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45 SAVED!, PG-13 (1:45) Fri-Mon -- 1:05, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00 Tues -- 1:05, 4:50, 7:10 If you need a movie buddy let me know. | This is... The Fight of Our Lives: "Let's face the reality: If ripping off the public trust; if distributing tax breaks to the wealthy at the expense of the poor; if driving the country into deficits deliberately to starve social benefits; if requiring states to balance their budgets on the backs of the poor; if squeezing the wages of workers until the labor force resembles a nation of serfs -- if this isn't class war, what is?" | 6.23.2004
Get Your Fresh Okie Blogs while they're still hot! JesusMaryandJoseph: "In most tribal societies there was some sort of right that marked your change in status among the members of your community. Whether it was your first buffalo hunt; ritual scarring; or a vision quest you would step through the door never to return. It was given a certain amount of respect and contemplation. I, for one, didn't give graduating highschool or college any thought at all. I walked onto the stage, shook the hands, and walked off. It's not all that life changing when there are hundreds of people before and after you, and you have to hand some schmuck a card so they can mispronounce your name." If JMJ keeps up this level of thoughtful commentary I shall add this blog to my list of daily reads. I've often wondered about the role that rite of passages take in a modern world where we have elevated consumerism to the level of "National Purpose". .. or is it "Making the World Safe for Democracy"? In which case has fighting in wars become our national rite of passage? Another new Okie on the Blogdar (get it Blog Radar... yuck yuck!) ok.. uhm.. Welcome Micah of Dead Blog: a fellow Tulsan that, unlike myself, actually mourned the breakup of Creed. But even in that loss he finds hope in the ashes of the fallen Creed phoenix. So this is cool and sad. I loved Creed. They were a part of my life for a number of years. Althought I havent been listening to them as much the last few years they are still important to me. Good news is Tremonti is moving on with Phillips and Marshall. Tremonti is my favorite guitarist. I so hope this new band rocks. I added the link to the new band, called Alter Bridge. And isn't this post either a sign of similar thought patterns or evidence that he's been snooping around here? Either way... welcome to the Okie blogroll! | Theme Week Continues Whilst thinking about marriage in the context of market metaphor I came upon an idea. Environmentalism and the opposition to gay marriage have many parallels. Both assume that there is something precious that needs to be protected and that the only way to do so is to restrict human behavior in the market. Environmentalists believe that the Earth and the environment are precious assets that need to be protected from the actions of the market. They call for banning products like SUV's and for regulations restricting people from acting in ways (pollution) that they feel will destroy the environment. Gay marriage opponents believe that the institution of marriage is so vital to the health and harmony of the human race that it must be protected from actions that will damage its effectiveness. The basic premise is the same but one side is concerned with the economic marketplace and the other is concerned with the social marketplace. Gay marriage = Pollution in the social environment? The assumption rests in the belief that once the institution of marriage becomes polluted with same sex couples it will no longer be a viable method of enforcing desirable behavior. Human beings as animals only really rise above the level of savages by the creation and enforcement of social institutions. The debate centers around whether allowing gay marriage will result in the breakdown of marriage or if it will just be absorbed like interracial marriages. Pop quiz! Place these three things in order from most to least important: (for extra credit rank National Security as well) I think its safe to assume that social institutions play an integral part in the success or failure of a society. The social environment you live within is defined by a collective agreement to abide by the institutions that everyone agrees work best to maximize the benefit of all who live there. At least that's how it is supposed to work in a Democracy where the participants define which institutions are important enough to codify into laws. Environmentalism assumes that individual liberty has to be curtailed for the good of preserving the physical world around us. To that end we debate which actions are causing harm to the environment and we limit those actions by individuals. Some people even wish to ban gasguzzlers, to which people cry "you can't tell me what to do." To aggravate both camps you could always marry your Hummer. I'm sure the introduction of the Hummer into the marketplace was viewed with as much horror as the same sex weddings in Boston and San Francisco. How you view these events depends on how you rank the above institutions. Both sides will argue that for the "greater good" we must act. Who you choose to believe should be based on the evidence they bring to the table. For another interesting take on Gay Marriage read "Capitalist Coupling" by boy of Temptation Waits. | A sense of Irony required for full listening enjoyment Define: Contraband goods whose importation or exportation or possession is prohibited by law Amazon.com: Music: Contraband [EXPLICIT LYRICS] There are two reasons why upon seeing the new Velvet Revolver cd I didn't immediately pick it up and buy it. This, despite being a Slash admirer? 1. The copy protection - I hear it can be hacked but still, there's something fishy about a band of rebels putting out a cd that reeks of the worst in corporate shortsightedness. Its almost as if the revolution in portable mp3 players never happened. Someone needs to send these execs a package containing this album and an iPod. 2. Matt Sorum - Do I really need to be subjected to yet another cd of Sorum's stock collection of the most cliche and overused drums fills ever recorded? Just as Slash has a signature sound that is unmistakable so too does Sorum. Its almost as if he has no wrists or ankles. | 6.22.2004
Wilco Day New cd in stores today. Join me in celebration of all things Wilco. A Ghost is Born. Wilco Pays Up for Spycasts Critics and fans just about deified singer Jeff Tweedy and his alt-country band, Wilco, when the group released its album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in 2002. But now, on the cusp of Wilco's next release, a small British label has forced Tweedy to fork over tens of thousands of dollars for questionable samples that gave his previous star-making record its title. Jeff Tweedy: "I think as things were getting darker, words were something that became more and more painful, The guitar felt more cathartic, almost therapeutic. As a fellow worshipper at the Alter of Guitar I can only agree. | 6.21.2004
It Doesn't Happen Often 'Round Here (Here's a rare 2 cents on dating and relationships, as inspired by girl and boy of Temptation Waits) I can't stand the act of traditional flirting. I have this natural revulsion of changing my personality for the sole purpose of attracting some girl. I have a hard time being around guys when they are flirting. Its all just an act, one that I can only assume has been biologically programmed into us as part of our mating ritual. But I have to wonder, just how is acting like an idiot supposed to charming? And why do women apologize for assholes? I go a long time between girlfriends. I don't mind it so much, its nice having a sweet girl around but I have other things to do with my time. My life doesn't fall apart if I'm not in a relationship or involved in the hunt. One of my favorite aspects of being in a relationship is not having to think about dating. I am acquainted with guys that use nearly every neuron they possess in the quest of "chicks". They are usually very dull people, more so than the guys that have actual interests outside of getting laid. I would almost say that the amount of time that you spend thinking about ways to get into a girl's panties is inverse to the complexity of your personality. We all know guys who have a single minded devotion to "the cause". I have to wonder why you would you ever want a relationship with a guy that spends all of his time hitting on women? Would you expect him to give up his full time pastime and take up quilting? Players are players and unless they have at least some other passions in their life they will get bored with a relationship and cheat. Ladies, I say find a guy obsessed with something other than tits and ass. Personally I look for a girl that isn't obsessed with guys and isn't out there playing the game. I keep an eye out for those girls and try to befriend them when possible. If nothing else I've met an interesting person and with luck something more. Sadly, many girls have to devote so much time fending off the players that they go into automatic mode any time a guy approaches them and tries to start a conversation. And sadly, many guys feel like they have to adopt the methods of the players in order to get their foot in the door. I hate the thought that I'm just another moth bouncing mindlessly around the bright bulb. | 6.20.2004
I was so Noodled last night! Alcohol may have played role in noodler's death 06/20/04: "TULSA -- Alcohol may have played a role in the death of a man who drowned while noodling in the Arkansas River here. And why did I naturally assume that Noodling was something that you ONLY did while drunk? | 6.18.2004
Faith and Politics I left up the post pointing you to Neologic for a good reason(s). I had over-posted that day and I really really wanted you to read what I was pointing out. I hope you did. I see faith as a pattern of thinking. Neologic from the comments explains: "It's a matter of accepting a premise as a matter of faith even if the premise is false, then building a chain of belief from there" Faith as a way of thinking leads to dangerous conclusions. Because it relies on a disprovable belief then no debate will sway the believer. As I have witnessed in many Bush followers (let's get the terminology in line shall we?) no matter how strong the evidence of wrongdoing the belief that "Bush is good" is unshakable. There are varying degrees of faith in our society. At some level there has to be some faith, simply because not all things are known. A large majority in this country will profess to "believe in God". That does not surprise me at all. Its when you start to reach into deeper levels that the level of faith plays a factor. It takes more faith to believe in the inerrant word of the Bible than it does to believe that God in some shape or form exists. Its a huge leap and a better indicator of extent that one uses faith as a dominant mode of thinking. Disproving the notion of God is much harder than disproving the diefic authorship of the Bible. The latter is easily done. In my opinion. The depth to which you are willing to use faith as a preferred mode of thinking is also going to determine just how easy it is for a person to manipulate you. Most people, when confronted with statements that conflict with reality will use their skepticism to come back to reality. Those without skepticism will believe anything as long as it follows from a premise that they already accept from faith. Taken to the extreme you can get fundamentalists who are willing to sacrifice their own lives in service of their beliefs, even when they are based on a severely flawed premise. Just how far do you have to go down that path to accept that killing innocent people is "god's will?" We have to work open the outer links of the chain without destroying the premise. Just how is that done? Simply believing in God does not make you a Bush worshipper. In other words, most Republicans and most Democrats pray, believe in life after death, and find religion important. The vast majority of people in both parties are, in fact, religious or spiritual. The difference is the extent that faith-based thinking dominates your decision making. Its understandable (to me) to accept life after death and still be spiritual without accepting Bush as God's appointed leader. Its simply a matter of letting faith reign in areas that do not overlap with areas where critical thinking should take over. Is that so hard? | 6.16.2004
Thy Kingdom, or the Highway Neologic :: The Politically Faithful: "Stretching faith beyond the rational has become accepted, even expected by other believers, yet it demonstrates that faith is a conditioned response, and as such can be manipulated. Neologic nails it again. Read it. | You must be registered to read this Can I just mention that I completely "do not get" blogs that force you to login before you can leave a comment? I don't want to register with 50,000 different sites just so I can leave a pithy remark now and then. I have enough trouble keeping track of all my passwords as it is without twenty new ones. If you're a big guy like kos I can understand, but if you have less than 100 readers a day it just doesn't make much sense. Explain it to me. | I'll take the one on the left Why should we be surprised when people approach marriage the same way that they approach any other purchase decision? Day after day people come to me for help making a purchase. Some have done their research and I simply facilitate the purchase by helping them gather up what they need. Others come to me professing complete and total ignorance. They put their trust in me to help them along the road to making a good decision. Sometimes the process works and other times it fails. The way that people come to make their purchase decisions varies in so many ways that I find I can still be surprised by what people say and do during the process. I am amused most by people that ask for my advice then just as quickly ignore it in favor of some prejudice (usually involving money). I have learned to never underestimate the power of the human mind to rationalize a decision. Do these same attitudes carry over into other life choices as well? I would think so. If the decision to get married follows the same rules of any other market decision we should not be upset that people get married and get divorced when and where they decide. Its like selling a car is it not? And we should not be surprised when people make bad choices based on bad information. Its expected right? In an earlier post I remarked that one of the most common occurrences I experience are people who "want" something, they have a general idea of what they want, but haven't done the legwork to really narrow down their options. I am therefore expected to make a decision for them. I do not enjoy this situation as it places the responsibility on my shoulders instead of where I feel it belongs: on the purchaser. After all, you will be spending the money and living with my choice. As a salesman, I am there to get you to the point where you feel comfortable making your purchase, there is no analogue for marriage, except for maybe the advice of friends and family. With marriage, if you do not know what you want then there is no salesman there to provide you with the information that you may need to make a good decision. I do advocate letting people live together without branding them as sinners. I can think of no better way to learn if a relationship will work than to give it a "test run". Many people know that they "want" to get married but are not sure about "to who?" If only there was a person whose job it was to help you decide who to marry? A marriage salesman who helps you navigate the dating world to find your perfect soulmate? A marriage agent? Maybe I've just invented a new occupation? Or does it already exist? I know many churches expect you to undergo pre-marriage counseling before they will marry you. I suspect they do this to try to reduce the number of bad marriages they preside over. However, unlike buying new luggage or even a new car there are unique and sometimes painful pressures on people to choose a partner, hitch up, and start popping out babies. "You married yet!" "When are we gonna get some grandbabies!" I have a good friend that was convinced that she would be married by 21. She is now about 24-25, still unmarried and last I spoke with her, glad that she didn't rush into a marriage to simply meet some predefined expectations. I applaud her wisdom. No doubt there was some outside motivation to get married young and jump into that marital bliss. Even if it was just a sense of expectation. Its what one does. Making a purchase and getting married share many of the same characteristics. We should make informed decisions and not feel rushed to make a "purchase" by either societal pressure or by a pushy salesman. I know that for many people, the pressure to follow the expected norms of society are strong. And when those dreams never materialize or they don't turn out they way they should there is a feeling of guilt, of failure, and even shame. But in reality, there are very few of us that lead the "perfect lives" wherein we graduate from college, meet the mate of our dreams, find our dream jobs that give us joy and a deep sense of meaning, buy a nice house, get a golden retriever, have two and a half babies that are little angels and smart as tacks and live out nice clean lives till our golden years when we retire, take up traveling and eventually die quietly in our sleep. When real life comes along and gets in the way we can get pretty steamed. That's not to say that some people don't live lives just like I described. But in general they are either the object of our collective envy or seen as freaks of natures. More than likely they are just really good at hiding their warts. The rest of us usually get some of what we want and a few nasty surprises to throw us off our horses. I consider THAT to be normal. We all have a little bit of weirdness and hardship to bear don't we? But it never hurts to shop for what we want. Put it on the credit card. | 6.15.2004
Pushing Americans Aside Move America Forward ! Move America Forward (www.MoveAmericaForward.org) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization committed to supporting America’s efforts to defeat terrorism and supporting the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. Is it possible to be a non-partisan group that consists of nothing but hard core Republicans? This group is the one behind the campaign to fight anti-americanism with censorship. “Fahrenheit 9/11” should be shown as a recruiting video for Al-Qaeda, not in our movie theaters. Provided of course that you consider voicing any opposition to American policy as Anti-American and you believe that running a PR campiagn to stifle that voice an appropriate response? I don't. I think there is a time and place for consumer boycotts. But if you read the website you get this message: Since we are the customers of the American movie theatres it is important for us to speak up loudly and tell the industry executives that we don’t want this misleading and grotesque movie being shown at our local cinema. Which is different than saying that you will not be buying tickets for the movie. One is a form of consumer action and the other is an attempt to restrict access. You do see the difference don't you? I would like to see "Fahrenheit 9/11" and decide for myself whether it is factual and accurate. If some yahoos are determined to stop me from doing so I have two words for them. Fuck you! (Spoken like an American) | 6.14.2004
6.13.2004
Housekeeping! Whew... every so often you just have to sit down and do things. Like laundry, bathing or updating your template and making sure your links are all pointing to valid pages. That time is past. Now it is time for a small tribute to a great song. New Slang by The Shins. Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth. How do you tell a great songwriter? Easy. If the sophomore effort to a great album is even better album, then you know. Such is the case with Chutes Too Narrow, the followup to what I thought was a considerable work of art; Oh, Inverted World. | What do I see? god called in sick today This image was my desktop for quite a while, longer than most images get to stay gefore my eyes. I'm fickle about my images and colors on my computer, usually opting for black. It has been replaced by this: is the sun coming up today? Both courtesy of explodingdog.com. | Blowhards AP Wire | 06/11/2004 | Limbaugh announces end of 10-year marriage: "It was the third marriage for both Limbaugh, 53, and his 44-year-old wife, who were wed May 27, 1994 at the Virginia home of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Thomas officiated the ceremony." Why are shepherds always the worst sheep? | 6.10.2004
The Why and the Buy Orion > Curmudgeon in the Wild > James Howard Kunstler > Cargo Karma: "Today the cargo cult is exemplified by the American economy as a whole. The UFOs now land here in the form of Wal-Marts and Target Stores, but the underlying theme is the same: The magical appearance of goodies. They aren't exactly free, but they come at supernatural discount prices that are the next best thing to free. The prices are so low because of an anomalous conjunction of circumstances. Cheap energy and surplus labor have allowed Asian nations, China in particular, to ramp up the last industrial manufacturing economies of the oil age. The decay of banking and lending standards has allowed Americans bearing credit cards to hallucinate unearned wealth, and to buy goods manufactured cheaply elsewhere. For Americans, every day can be like Christmas, an orgy of consumer cargo; and the Chinese get to enjoy the illusion that they are building an economy with a future." The other day a customer from Trinidad made the remark that if he lived here he would shop all the time, amongst the plnetiful riches of cheap goods. Some of us do just that. We shop as our being. But you cannot just be a consumer. Its a hollow life. You have to be a consumer with a purpose. I see mindless consumption day after day. Custmers come to me with a vague desire to purchase and want me to convince them that buying yet another product will fulfill them. Some customers get upset that I don't persuade them to buy. I give them information instead ask them for a reason why they are making the purchase. "Why do you want what you want?" The answer to that question should never be "I don't know". | Inside Info There's no chance that I can get people to pay for something that I'm aleady having a hard time giving away for free. So I cross off yet another potential future occupation from the list. I also, for the first time in my life own a pair of boxers. As far as I know I come from a family of brief wearers. Sadly the topic never comes up at family gatherings. I also purchased seven new pairs of briefs so that I might weed out the mangiest pairs. I'll have to get them all spread out on the floor in front of me and have a vote. Reality TV? | Best off... drug testing Okiedoke - Vintage Okie opinion :: June :: 2004 Okiedoke has just been voted in as Best Okie Blog for 2004 by the editors of TICW. It was close but Mike edged out the former winner by one vote. Congratulations Mike on a spit-polished website. Sadly, we mourn the continuing deteriation of last years winner. We wish them the best and hope that they get back to your former stellar self instead of just recycling tired talking points. This election is ad hoc and held whenever the Editors are all in the same room together. Moving on... From Okiedoke we learn that Sen. Nickles has received a Lifetime Acheivement Award from Associated Builders and Contractors. A group that seems to hate unions but ironically has a "Become a Member" button on their site. Seems they don't mind collective actions as long as they are on the giving end. Bastards. How to Become a Member Chapters? Dues? I thought these were good, red blooded Americans? They have a flag on their symbol after all. But I forget its only green blooded communism when its the workers doing the organizing. Take notice of their paycheck stuffers, my favorite: Watch your paycheck for your upcoming tax relief! Subtle. Nice to see that they are subjecting their employees to fair and balanced information. But I was going to post on something more troubling that I got thinking about again when I read this post over at Okiedoke. Pre-employment drug testing. I had to take a test before I was hired for my last job. It involved giving a sample of body fluids so that they could probe around for the presence of illegal substances. This is a violation of my privacy in so many ways that I am surprised there is no law protecting my right to refuse this test. Or is there? Of course they found nothing. Why? Because I don't take drugs, that's why. However just because I'm not a drug user doesn't mean that I want people poking around in my urine to find out what I do on my own time. I could have refused but I might not have been hired. Its not direct coercion but if every employer in town has the same policy then it might as well be. But what I want to know is this: I can understand their policies that state that employees, on the work premises, performing job duties must be free from mind altering substances.. but, they are not a law enforcement entity. Whether or not I break the law in my free time is really not their concern as long as I show up for work and do my job safely and correctly. If I break the law in my free time that is a matter for the police, not my employer. If I get caught it will go on my record but as I understand it, unless I get caught and convicted of committing a crime I am innocent of that crime. By poking around in my urine, my employer is going beyond learning if I have been convicted of a crime to learning if I have commited a crime that has not been before a court of law. That, to me sounds like a law enforcement duty. Correct me if I'm wrong and please explain why we allow this activity? There is private tyranny seperate from government tyranny. I saved an old employee handbook because of one notable paragraph which I reproduce here for your reading pleasure. Off-Duty Conduct: Off-Duty possession, use, sale or purchase of mind-altering substances and off-premise alcohol abuse is also prohibited. Alcohol abuse for the purpose of this off-duty conduct rule includes unruly behavior by an associate which may tend to harm the reputation of the Company. I wonder how many people realize that such restrictions are built into their employment agreement? I'm sure a few find out when they get tossed out on their asses. In essence the employer is reserving the right to punish you for behavior that they do not approve of that may or MAY NOT affect your job performance. Combine this with not so subtle political message of anti-union, anti-environmentalism, and anti-tax and you might think twice before putting that Nader '04 sticker on the car you drive to work huh? Its not secret that corporate america is lined up behind Bush and his brand of cronyism. Finding a stuffer in your paycheck is a little like finding a horsehead in your bed isn't it? | 6.09.2004
Tax Relief Falls Through Windshield (link) PAOLI, Okla.-- A chunk of concrete from a bridge over Interstate 35 smashed through the windshield of a car on Tuesday, killing an Irving, Texas, woman. Here I am sitting around watching the local news, something I rarely do, and thinking that I don't want to write anything just right now, when I hear about this story. A women gets killed when a chunk of concrete falls onto her car. The local newshead informs us that $200 million is budgeted for next year's transportation when there is a need for $5 billion for overall bridge repair. We keep falling further behind. Its like when someone calls into a financial advice show to ask whether they should blow a chunk of their inheritance on a Big Screen TV when they owe twenty grand in credit card debt. No stupid, pay off your debts. PAY YOUR BILLS before you play. You spent that money already. There is a problem when we are $5 billion behind on our bridge maintenance. Somebody is not doing their job. Our civil servants are too busy trying to give back tax money to notice that our freaking transportation system is falling apart. Maybe some of you right wingers can let me know whether being a conservative means they'll get the freaking bridges fixed so they don't freaking kill people? I suspect not... Shrink gubmint. Lower taxes. Government does things for us. Do we need that tattooed backwards on our foreheads? Sure its not the end all be all of fixing all our problems. But we're talking basic stuff here. Bridges. Its not some grand social engineering plan. Its cars and trucks moving from point A to Point B. Can we at least do that right? Please? As much as it might pain some to hear this but it takes money to do useful things like build new roads, put in new infrastructure... ... and to keep bridges from crushing people! I'll give my share so I don't have to live in mortal terror of falling concrete. UPDATE: I read this in Mother Jones the other day and it cracked me up. His Own Private Kingdom I am an independent guy. I take a lot of pride in doing for myself, like my dad and my granddad before me, and I don't need any bloated, out-of-control government holding my hand. First off, let me state that I hate bureaucracy more than just about anything else. At various points in my life I've had to fill out large amounts of paperwork and each time I would rant and rave about the sheer ridiculousness of it all. There are types of people that actually LIKE filling out their name on each page and gathering references and putting nicely folded pieces of paper in envelopes. That person is not me. I don't even like making phone calls to people. I feel I am pretty independent, I have little patience for waiting on other people. It drives me nuts when my fate rests on the competence of another. That being said. I recognize that my independence is reliant on having access to the tools I need. I neither have the time or the patience to build or maintain the infrastructure that I rely on every day. I appreceite that I belong to a collective group of people that make it possible for me, as an individual to pursue my own way of life. I understand that some people feel forced to pay taxes for services that they don't want. I sympathize. Just yesterday I was explaining to the co-worker that I could probably save money with a service like Netflix rather than going to the video store as often as I do. But, I explained, paying for what I want when I want it allows me to cut that expense out of my budget anytime that I need to free up some cash. If I had a service that wouldn't happen. I might have other expenses other than video rentals that need attention, but *zap* there goes my money to a service. However, I have come to realize that there are some things that we all benefit from that nobody wants to pay for. The benefits we receive from certain government services are sometimes so ethereal that we think "Damn, I don't need that, why do I have to pay for it?" I put bridge building and road construction in that category. Living in Oklahoma I've had more than my fair share of pay-road experiences. I've tried to imagine what a pay-as-you-go road system would look like and each time I think about it, it scares me. A revealing story: One I might have told here once before.. but nevertheless. My friend John and I were in a high school garage band together. Together with our other friend Pat and various other "occasionals" we would rock on cover songs or engage in freeform improvisational "jams". The garage we used was really a spare game room that was used by the rest of John's family as well. So it was that we had to set up and clean up before and after each practice. This involved setting up the drums, bringing in the amps, running to the church to "borrow" their microphones for a few hours and sometimes even tuning our guitars. One day I forgot some cables back at my house. They were essential to running the PA system for our vocals so we had to make the ten minute drive back to my house. During that trip John felt it was a good time to unload his frustrations. "You and Pat just let me do all the work"... blah blah blah.. "Just goofing around..." "I did.." this this and this "What did you do?" I told him. John's a smart guy. After I told him what I had done to get set up for the practice, he thought about it for a second and realized that he hadn't actually seen me do any of it but that I had done it anyways. Whether he saw me or not didn't change that fact, but by not seeing it happen it didn't count in his own mind. He saw what he was doing and not what everyone else was doing. We are all like that. If you were to take a survey in a workplace you would find that people always rate themselves as valuable and hardworking but will rate "other people" as slackers or incompetent. Its hard to be objective about your own worth or contribution. But we can't all be the smartest, best people on the face of the Earth. The reflexive anti-government attitude originates from our own sense of self importance. We don't need anything. We are the sole source of our own success. That feels good. Other people are holding us back. "If they would just get out of my way then I would be a giant." I find it amazing that even after years and years of this awful system of taxes and government that we are still one of the most successful nations ever. It must be in spite of it all. If we would just tear it all down.. "watch us go!" I suspect though that the real test of our system will come when we run out of free space to expand. | 6.07.2004
A Sporting Chance I've always had a weird relationship with sports. When I was in high school I developed a deep resentment of all things sport related. I did so because of the overwhelming influence that football had over the small Catholic school that I attended. I always felt that since it was a small school with few resources it was foolish to spend a large chunk of that money on the football team. Many of the teachers were also coaches as well and you could feel the sense of entitlement that the athletes felt. That's not to say that many of the coaches were not also great teachers. But in this school the teacher was either a Catholic Brother or a coach. Strange as it may seem now I had much better relationships with the brothers than the coaches. So much so that I was once asked if I would be interested in entering the brotherhood. I declined. It always seemed that when the school had a fundraiser or received a gift at least half of that money went towards a stadium improvement or new changing rooms for the football team. I don't think it would have mattered to me as much except that at the time I was really getting involved in my guitar playing. The school had no music program at all. Nothing. Here I was in my little garage band toiling away in obscurity with no recognition from the school while other people's efforts in the sports arena were heralded at every opportunity. I abhorred pep rallies. Here we were, forced to attend a rally for the sport that I felt was sapping the resources from everything else. I, and many others showed our obvious lack of support by setting up in the top bleachers and talking amongst ourselves. Sure it was petty, we were in High School. The school's nearly non-existent art program consisted of one or two classes where we would learn to draw or paint. That was it. I debated whether to even mention that there was a "Music Appreciation" class that involved nothing more than listening to classical records. If there was a theater department I never heard of it. Though I do vaguely recall a Shakespeare play. But we had football. If we want to talk about a defining moment that set me off more than any other its this one: Senior year my band had a chance to play the big talent show. It was a big thing for us. We would actually appear before our fellow classmates. This would be our chance to be recognized. All went well. We played our songs and it felt like we were actually a part of the school experience. A teacher even wandered about during the performance to take a few pictures for the yearbook. When I got the yearbook I had a foot and a corner of my guitar amplifier in it. That much was in a photo of something else entirely. The band itself got no photos. I think that slight fueled my entire college year's worth of resentment towards sports. Instead of attending football games I would go to recitals and shows. I relished the existence of a music, theater and arts program. I just ignored the athletes, even though I knew that there was still much hullabaloo surrounding their activities. What I resented was not the existence of sports programs or the joy that athletes got from participating in those programs. But rather I was bitter about the relative importance that these sports received in contrast to the lack of support for other activities that provided many other with joy. I still don't know if this was a uniquely Oklahoma thing with football or if it was national. So now may years later I sit in front of the TV watching with rapt attention to the finals of the Stanley Cups Playoffs, I watched the College Basketball playoffs and I even follow the NFL each year. What gives? Well, like I hinted at before in this post, my problem was never with the sports themselves. I've always liked playing sports. I spent eight seasons playing recreational soccer and even played a couple of seasons of basketball my eighth grade year. But it wasn't until I got to high school that I felt that sports started getting in the way of other things. Not all sports really, just football. In fact football even overshadowed many of the other sports as well. I was told on more than one occasion it was because "The alumni wants it" or "It helps fundraising". As true as that might have been I still always felt that schools should afford all kids the opportunity to pursue their goals. Of course none of this stopped us from continuing to do the things we do, I still play my guitar, my other friend does animation and yet another is going to be a choir director. So you see its not so bad. It just pissed me off that's all. I've always resisted when I felt I was being forced to do something. But you should really just do and like what you want. Its just as silly to not do something out of spite as it is to do something just to belong. That being said... I think it was obvious in that last two games that Tampa Bay was playing at a higher level than Calgary. I didn't see the first 4 games but in the last few Tampa outplayed the Flames. Hockey is a superior sport in so many ways its a shame it isn't more popular here in the states, at least here in Oklahoma. I really should make an effort to see the Oilers next season. I probably won't be watching the NBA finals. Basketball at that level seems flawed on so many levels. Bring on the Olympics. | 6.06.2004
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Clicking on the picture will open a new window with a larger version See more photos. "You are a creative and original person" That's what the fortune cookie said. But not to me. Mine said "Practice makes perfect." I found this disturbing considering the spot on accuracy of my dinner companion's cookie. But I was disturbed by a few things. One, could I have gotten a bad cookie? One intended for someone else perhaps? If so it throws the whole fortune cookie business into turmoil. What can we trust anymore.. star signs? What else? Two, it was very vague about what would need practice. I felt a little insulted that it came to such a broad general conclusion that EVERYTHING in my life needed work. I was perfect at nothing? I needed to practice everything in my life? Such a tall order. Should I just assume that it means practice at one thing? Should I practice my guitar more? Should I work on my writing? Should I re-examine my photography? Which is it? How can I decide? More questions than answers. Such is the fortune cookie! I asked my friend KP last night how I should read this fortune. He said that any fortune should have the phrase "in bed" assumed and appended at the end. So her fortune becomes "You are a creative and original person in bed" and mine becomes "Practice makes perfect in bed". I can only assume the accuracy of her new, revised and clarified, fortune. Mine however becomes even more disturbing... Is it criticism or is it motivation? How should I take it? Those smug smiley faces, what do they know? short hits This new short haircut defies gravity. At night, as I roll around in bed it gets pushed straight up. I can wet it down and get it under control with some gel. But each night it gets even straighter and straighter. As the gel weakens it goes back up. So now the entire top of my head has hair standing straight up out of it. You would think it would lie down... gravity and all. But no. So that is why I am writing this with a stocking cap on. Saw the latest Harry Potter movie today. It was much better than the previous two, much darker, more other-worldy. This is a good thing for a movie about withcraft. Less Mary Poppins, more Lord of the Rings. Saw the preview for the Spiderman sequel, it looked yummy as well. I love that it draws on the conflicted characters that inhabit comic books like Spidermand and Batman. No simple good/evil for me thank you. I seem to be attracted to waitresses. Its either the white shirts, the nurturing way they take care of you or the fact that they have to smile and be nice to you until you tip them. She was cute, and she brought me beer, that IS what I am looking for in a women! To the man on the cell phone screaming "So you think you're better than me?" I should say that unless she too was stomping around a parking lot yelling into her cell phone making a complete and total ass out of herself such as you were, then the answer to your question is "yes". | On Reagan, On Nixon, On Donner, On Blitzen. Reagan was the president. I didn't pay much attention to politics. It wasn't until the '84 election that I started to see politics at all. It was that year, with my older brother in rehab recovering from a bad car accident, that I sat in the recreation room at the Rehab hospital and watched the 1984 presidential returns. I was ten. I also learned to play pool that year as well. Reagan was the president. Another fours years At fourteen I cared more about girls and skateboards that I did anything else. Bush became president, which was just wrong, because Reagan was president. We went to war with Iraq. I started to pay closer attention to politics. What I know about Reagan is limited by my utter lack of interest in his presidency at the time. I neither admire or despise the guy. He was just the president, that's all. It wasn't till years later that I read, secondhand about his policies. I found much to dislike about them. I'm not big on saying nice things about people just because they're dead. Its always sad when people die. When its somebody famous it gives us a chance to think about our own mortality. I find the need to mythologize Reagan pretty disturbing. His legacy, if it is indeed being practiced by those that idolize the man, is a bane to our society and one we would be better off without. UPDATE: I recognize this language in the current inhabitant of the White House. Reagan's Remarks at the Annual Convention of the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida Now, I don't have to tell you that this puts us in opposition to, or at least out of step with, a prevailing attitude of many who have turned to a modern-day secularism, discarding the tried and time-tested values upon which our very civilization is based. No matter how well intentioned, their value system is radically different from that of most Americans. And while they proclaim that they're freeing us from superstitions of the past, they've taken upon themselves the job of superintending us by government rule and regulation. Anyone that believes that the Evangelicals will not, if given the chance, grab hold of the power of the state to serve their own "well intentioned" aims is naive. But nobody ever got poor pandering to the Evangelical's own sense of importance. They do, after all, believe they are God's chosen. If not for the Constitution, and the "activist" judges that defend it, we would already be in trouble. I can see, with a odd sense of respect, how getting the Evangelicals to equate battling evil with increased militarism would be useful; as Reagan gets to not much later. At the same time, however, they must be made to understand we will never compromise our principles and standards. We will never give away our freedom. We will never abandon our belief in God. And we will never stop searching for a genuine peace. But we can assure none of these things America stands for through the so-called nuclear freeze solutions proposed by some (laughs) We must defend God with our missiles. If we fall, God will fall. Earlier he had recounted a tale of one man who would rather see his daughters die believers than live as Communists. Not very subtle I think. God = American Militarism. That we are scared to death that the Islamic Terrorists will get their hands on the weapons we developed to defeat the Nazis/Communists is ironic, almost as much as knowing that we funded those same terrorists in God's last holy war. We, America, are God's defenders. I have to wonder, who fought for God before we came along? So, I urge you to speak out against those who would place the United States in a position of military and moral inferiority. You know, I've always believed that old Screwtape reserved his best efforts for those of you in the church. So, in your discussions of the nuclear freeze proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation of pride -- the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil. Then, as now, Satan is testing us. We must continue on our moral crusade to transform America into God's country as we arm ourselves for the waves of Satan's armies that will seek to destroy us and defeat God once and for all. If we falter by allowing secularism to gain popularity, or we fail to build even more deadly Weapons of Mass Destruction God will be defeated. According to that same worldview, the new War on Terror is nothing more than Satan, once again trying to defeat God's people. That would be us, the Americans. The spirit of Satan has apparently left the Russian people. It has drifted over to the Middle East to possess our former allies, the Islamists. Luckily for those in the weapons industries, Satan never really goes away, he just changes form. The only thing holding him at bay is school prayer and Nuclear Warheads. ----- For those too stupid for subtlety: Fundamentalism, of the Soviet, Islamic or any other flavor that declares that they, and no others, are the sole holders of truth... ...are wrong and must be opposed. You see, what we do right is tolerance. That's how the Communists got it wrong, that's how the Islamists get it wrong and that's how the fundies get it wrong. We are just as right to oppose those that wish to give power to the state for secular reasons as we are to oppose those that wish to give power to the state for God. Getting it half right still means you're half wrong. | 6.05.2004
When it Rains? You pick which one you care the most about. | I would like to know why I am being punished. Just because I live in a city-state that values conformity over free thinking doesn't mean that I would not like to eventually see a decent (as in not a cookie cutter action flick or Jesus Hack-em-up) movie now and then. Is that too much to ask? Well yes. Apparently it is. I would like to see this and possibly this as well. But no. To do so I'll have to drive to Dallas, or some other beacon of civilization. Do you not see a cycle here? I know the whole thing is driven by numbers; as in "hey look, there's a shitload of people, let's show the movie there!" But do we really have to go beyond just pretending that places like this don't exist? I would say "Thank God for the Internet!" but I'm pretty sure it was science that brought us that. Unless that story about the Boston Avenue Methodist congregation praying the Internet into existence is true? OK, everyone together, put your thumbs in you beltloops and repeat after me: "Why do all the smart people leave?" | 6.04.2004
Kerry Bashing Central ...or "Just write what I think on the back of my check." camedwards.com: Kerry on Terror Shorter Cam Edwards. Kerry did something today. What an idiot. UPDATE: Kerry didn't do what I thought he did, he did something else instead. What an idiot. | 6.03.2004
Icing I'm watching game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, about to go into overtime. I find myself thinking. I haven't watched much in the way of hockey this year. I don't have cable. I have however had to endure hours and hours of SMC, dating shows, Real Estate Get Rich Quick Schemes and Super-Miracle-Pill shows late at night. I stay up late...I'm like that. In fact most of what you've read here was written in the wee hours with some inane dating show playing on the TV behind me. At some point at night you realize that only one station has actual content playing, and that content is usually a dating show, everything else is infomercials. So ABC is hosting the finals. I bet there are lots of people like me who haven't had a chance to watch the Hockey season. We might be a little more enthused had we developed a relationship with the teams and the game this year. I know I would. So why don't they play reruns of Hockey games late at night instead of these trashy shows? Even if you don't stay up late it gives you a chance to tape it for later. Well, I suppose that if you really cared about watching Hockey you'd probably get Cable or Satellite. But I'm looking at this from ABC's perspective, why invest all this money to broadcast a show and do no legwork to build your audience? Just wondering... | Pitch a Tenet CIA Director Tenet Resigns (washingtonpost.com) "blah blah blah... this has nothing to do with the colossal failure that is the entire last 3+ years. Strong... war on terra... God Bless" Funny though, I had a dream this morning. It was about Tenet getting framed by a couple of old ladies in George Tenet disguises. During the dream a man with a camera and a long zoom lens motions me over. I try to wave him off; "not interested" like. He insists and I go over, look through the lens and see an old lady pulling off her Tenet disguise. Later I see the two old ladies walking out of the area with CIA black suits draped over their shoulders. Mission accomplished. Cue Fall Guy theme song... Fun dreams...? I had one where we, the U.S. elected an idiot to be President, he selected a cabinet full of lying criminals and they got us into a global war with Islam. I got my alarm set for November.. wake me when the nightmare is over, else I'll be hitting the Snooze button. | 6.02.2004
Humpday Humphreys for Senate Endorsed by "What Science?" Inhofe and "Mouthpiece" Nickles? What better reason not to vote for this guy? "Today's ruling by a liberal judge, appointed to the bench by President Clinton, has overruled the will of the people of the United States. With her signature, one federal judge, today told a majority our elected federal office holders, President Bush, and all American citizens, that our voices do not matter, our votes do not count, and when it comes to protecting the unborn, that a new federal law designed to protect the unborn is unconstitutional...and that is shameful. " Blames Liberals : check Blames Clinton : check Blames judges for overuling an unconstitutional law : check Glad to see that the establishment is lining up their guy to push the same tired old message. | 6.01.2004
Proof... ... that life begins at thirty? This weeks highlights: Exciting no? | Got this Today The Bush-Cheney '04 national headquarters in Virginia has asked us to identify 1600 "Friendly Congregations" in Pennsylvania where voters friendly to President Bush might gather on a regular basis. In each of these friendly congregations, we would like to identify a volunteer coordinator who can help distribute general information to other supporters. Yes, turn your place of worship into an official Bush campaign meeting place? I'm sure they are dotting their I's and crossing their T's but this looks an awful lot like political organizing in a church? But who are we kidding when we try to deny that churches are not already part of the political system? Religion, like government is an institution whose purpose is to control the actions of the general public. But of course all holy heck would break lose if some Mosque tried this. A co-worker made a remark that there is an area near or around Detroit that is mostly Muslim and that they had succeeded in getting calls to prayer legalized. I don't know the veracity of that claim but he was using this as an example of how "they" could organize and pose a threat to society. I asked him how many Muslim Senators there were. NONE... Ditto for Atheists, Buddhists, Wiccans and Hindus. Boy, are we under threat? (sarcasm abounds here) ----- A point missed by many, which was pointed out to me and I got? Minorities don't get "special" priviledges. Its fair to have the NAACP for black people but not a NAAWP for white people because white people already have the power/majority. When society reflects your interests there is no need to have a special place set aside for your interests. Get it? | |
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