this is not what you wanted

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stonedhenge42O: old ladies really like them

kallimas dream: no! i wouldn't even buy them if they came attached to you..it'd cheapen their worth

stonedhenge42O: lol dimples, cheap easy payments of $19.99. buy now and take advantage of FREE attached lesbian!

kallimas dream: *small print*= some restrictions may apply, buyer beware taking advantage of FREE lesbian may come at cost of having to purchase dinner for her first

stonedhenge42O: *super fast voice* lesbian uhaul rental not included. offer ends august 1st 2008. shipping and handling responsibility of buyer. shipping box required by government to include at least three breathing holes. rough handling is subject to state law. MD, NY, HI, ON, QP, JD, JC sales tax applies.

this is totally my next car. i'm not even kidding.



don't even ask me how many miles it gets to the gallon. v8 engine. fucking beautiful. oh my god. i will have this car.

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicise those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

( big ol' list )

i have so many big decisions to make, none that i was really expecting to make. i feel as though they've all been forced on me by others.

well, really, only by one other. do i really want to let one single person alter the way i have lived for the last 5 years? do i really want to let one person impact my life in multiple unrelated areas?

but at the same time i can't deny what this one person has made me realize, even if she did not do it intentionally. maybe i'm distracted? just temporarily lost somewhere off my normally beaten track. did she do that? did i? was i pushed there, lead, or do i only have myself to thank?

each day that passes leaves me no closer to the answer. farther from it, it seems. i am so uncertain. i despise this. i typically make my decisions from an informed viewpoint. i'm not sure that's possible now. i am the only person who i need to understand, and i have no clue as to what is going on in my mind.

i am split. two people, two desires in one. jekyll and hyde, to use an overused analogy. except that i'm not a criminally insane murderer part of the time.

if only this dilemma were limited to one area of my life. a new job looms on the horizon, promising me a less demanding work day, benefits, recognition, and the chance to move up, to move on and out of delaware, possibly, at some point. loyalty holds me back. loyalty to what? not the company, but only my manager. he has done so much for me. i know how badly i'll be letting him down.

and i know how fucked he'll be when nearly every other employee at my store leaves when i do.

on the one hand i like having "my" store. i'm not really the manager, but i may as well be. on the other hand it's frustrating being told what they want to create at this store and not being given the resources to create it. or the staff necessary to maintain it. i know it's a bad economy and that landscaping isn't exactly a necessary expense. i know that it's a new store and that it can take a while before you get the traffic that you want.

at the same time i feel like things would be doing so much better if they would invest some money. advertising. lighting. pathways. decent inventory. but no one who has that money wants to do what is necessary. it's left to me to work with what we have (i.e. nothing, or rather next to nothing) to make the place into a "5 star store".

and i don't have just display to worry about. management duties as well. i enjoy the responsibility, but at times it gets a bit ridiculous. and i hate babysitting. most of my employees don't need to be babysat... but one guy is giving me heart failure, i swear. i can't stand it when i have to check on people to make sure things are being done properly. it's not rocket science, what we do.

eh. whatever. i'll figure this out.

at least that's what i tell myself.

so much has changed. so much will change. so much has not changed. i don't know where i am in life. who i am. what i will do. and i do know all these things at the same time.

a year ago life seemed so simple. well, if not simple, at least understandable. it has been 51 weeks since my last entry. nearly one year.

and so much has changed.

i have regular internet access now. probably you will be hearing a lot more from me as i get back on my feet. are these my feet, or am i just borrowing someone else's?

so i opened my door yesterday morning on my way out to work (in the tropical storm, huzzah!) when a headline on the sunday issue of the news journal (delaware's excuse for a newspaper) caught my eye.

i grabbed the paper for a closer look (apparently i get it delivered, even though i cancelled my trial subscription over a year ago, never paid them for a renewal after that when they continued to send it, and never asked them to renew it now... bastards!). could it be? hard hitting journalism comes home to roost in delaware? delaware will be the first to tackle head on the loss of civil liberties and freedom of speech?

of course not, what the hell was i thinking? the big bold headline splashed across the front page of the sunday issue of the news journal was not, as i had hoped, how the public lost its right to speech, but instead how the public lost its right to the beach.

while the issue of private land vs. public land is certainly one that should be addressed, does that really deserve the gigantic bold headline on the front page with so many other pressing issues to examine?

reason number 307 why i hate the news journal, mass media, and delaware.

another pictoral commentary on american society:



once again i have no words. incoherent sputtering perhaps, but words? no.</p>

i did, however, find the right words last night during a debate over whether or not you can hold the general population at fault for the current state of everything. this is actually something i've been wrestling with on my own, as i've come to the conclusion that you can in fact hold people at fault for the state of the world. this is not a popular idea amongst many people, needless to say. even i'm not really happy with it.

but i digress. we were discussing the fact that power (in a democracy, in communism, in whatever) controls the general population through their popular culture. it was suggested that the general population doesn't really know any better and can't be held at fault for upholding the ideals promoted by the society that they were born and raised in. we stumbled onto this topic while attempting to define "shared morals", which i do not believe exist. not in any concrete fashion anyway. the question was asked "is it right to take things that belong to someone else when they haven't done anything or oppressed you somehow?"

no, it's not. but what if you're starving and you steal food from someone. let's think about the dynamics of this situation. why is this person starving? why is there someone else who has excess food while this person is starving? what has history taught us about starvation? could it possibly be that the system that has brought excess to one person has kept others from having even enough?

now, is the person who has excess to blame? they argued they were not at fault. i can understand where they're coming from, i really can. perhaps i should say "do" not "can". but i think can is a better word for what i'm trying to express here. anyway. it may be that the person with excess has no idea that their lifestyle is creating hardship for others. it may be that they even desire to help them, to fix their plight. or maybe they don't give a damn, but still don't understand their contribution. perhaps they think that such a distribution of wealth is not only natural but necessary. there are a million different attitudes they could have towards the situation, and in my eyes, not one of them makes them less guilty.

at least, not in today's world. let's face it: it's the information age. information is everywhere. pick up a book, type in word on a search engine... information. even ideas that don't toe the socially prescribed culture line worm our way into our consciousnesses. perhaps we hear them discussed in tones of derision or mockery, but we're still aware that they exist. it is not a choice to be born into a certain culture and surrounded by certain ideas, but it is a choice to not inform yourself fully about other beliefs or possibilities. you choose to take what is said to you about anything at face value. it is this apathy, this laziness, that creates guilt.

the worst guilt, however, is when people who have learned what is wrong with the world and their own contribution to it continue to buy into the system. i have many friends who fall into this category. and sometimes you can understand why - sometimes it's necessary to survive. but there are different degrees of survival. i think i might have to quote rise against for this:

We live on front porches and swing life away,
We get by just fine here on minimum wage

ask yourself how necessary it is to have a big house, the newest car (or a car at all), the smallest phone, name brand clothes. having money to meet your needs is one thing. exceeding your needs becomes unnecessary at a certain point - particularly if you put yourself into debt doing so. so many people have convined themselves that there is no way to survive in the system without full integration. this has got to be the farthest thing from the truth. while earning a wage is (sadly) key to maintaining your life, it doesn't need to become your life - not if it's only becoming your life in an attempt to desperately raise your station. class mobility is a myth. the rags to riches stories may be true, but they're not the norm. capitalism and consumerism are not the answers to poverty, merely tools to keep the rich rich and the poor in their place.

is there an answer to any of this? to poverty? to apathy? i'd like to think so. to hope so. but after so many centuries of economics dictating everything from foreign to domestic policy, i'm not so sure that it will be an easy transition. no, i'm positive it won't be an easy transition. people need something to measure their life's worth with. religion used to provide that, but money provides instant gratification and a visible measure of your worth compared to others.

i am not guilt-free. i am still a consumer, although i attempt to control my consumption. i can't deny the powerful pull of buying new things, and when i have some extra money laying around it can be hard to say no. i bought new cds today, for example. granted, it's been about a year since i did that, and i don't really recall the last time i bought something for myself that wasn't food, but still. i went to best buy. i could have gone to a local record shop on main street, but i didn't. i typically try to be an informed consumer - fair trade, organic, recyled, local - but i'm not always consistant. i was never a shopper - not as a teenager, not now - but i'm still infected with the habit of consumption. it's not something that can change overnight, it requires dedication and a willingness to sacrifice some comfort and ease. sounds easy in print.

but i digress. i've shared my intended point. the best part about this conversation is that i had partaken in some fungal fun and herbal goodness a few hours before. articulating these ideas took a little effort, but i ultimately won the debate. half the battle was talking over the drunk boys. little girls with little voices often get pushed to the side, although they claim that half the time they don't listen to me because they can't understand what i'm talking about.

now is that any reason not to listen? you see the uphill struggle we face?

i just realized that i have nothing to say.

sort of negates the whole idea behind a journal entry doesn't it?

it is nice that it's 3am and the only thing i have to worry about is getting up for work tomorrow.

and going to the bank, cause i need to deposit my paychecks so that i can pay my rent on the 1st, as the bank is definitely closed on monday.

i have a day off on monday!! i love days off!!

this day off will come in handy as joe and i intend to celebrate with some all natural goodness, and i don't mean the usual all natural goodness that we celebrate things with. the goodness we save for special occasions. oh yes.

although i did enjoy last night: drinking beers in the '44 military jeep while parked on a 40 degree slope staring up at the stars in my new "front yard".

oh. yes. i LOVE being graduated. who needs health insurance??

anyway, since i lack anything productive to say (and as it's 3am...) i thought i'd share a "game" blog i wrote elsewhere many moons ago. some of you may have read it; others definitely will not have. the object of the game is to tag your friends and make them write a blog with ten random facts. i will not be tagging anyone, but feel free to share some random facts anyway.

( let's learn about erika! )

done my homework. blah blah blah. still need to call the dean's office and figure out wtf is up with my ap scores. i just don't have time. all i do is work. not that i mind... i like my job. like telling other people what to do (haha). just doesn't leave me with much time otherwise.

which is why you probably won't see much of me here until i finish moving.

just thought i'd share.

another semester of procrastinating has brought me to the very brink of sanity. again. this time i haven't even got enough time in my day to catch up on it all. but you know what?

i don't give a damn.

today is my last day of classes at this university. ever.

i'm not sure that there are words to express how i feel right now. a picture of a cheering crowd might do it, perhaps some fireworks. you know. all the cliches.

but i don't have time to find a picture... must catch up on homework...

holy crap i'm all grown up, or something. i just spent a three digit number on light fixtures for the house.

and i have PAINT CHIPS. sondra and i spent our evening discussing which colour to paint which room... and what colour should be an accent...

wasn't my biggest problem four years ago the fact that i couldn't get a girl? or that the girls i did get were slutty?

not that i complained at the time... i didn't really get it at the time. the games that girls play are not my specialty. but that's besides the point.

work is very work like, except that i have much more autonomy than last year (being as rich is never at our old location and i am always there, by myself, trusted to keep the place from falling apart). i do not confuse this autonomy with actual power, however. the way i see it, i'm just the person who makes sure everyone does their job. or something like that.

still.

i am getting so old and responsible.

yeesh.

i am so tired.

and so busy.

spring break finally. i feel like i've barely been paying attention to school. a secondary concern at the moment. second to staying alive, haha.

i have protest stories. riot police, concussion grenades, tear gas.

all we are saying is give peace a chance.

you know?

the world is a bit upside down lately. makes me think of mxpx, life in general. you probably didn't follow that. let me dig it up for you.

I don't understand what's going on in my life these days
Everything upside down turned around
Won't waste my life, no way
And I don't know why
I can't see clearly?
I can't think 'cause it's too early
So many doubts frequent my mind all the time
Our lives in general are one in the same,
But there's no variations
Our lives in general are one in the same
But there's no difference of opinion
In my younger years, I used to be so free
But I don't know what's happening to me
We all know by now that time's the enemy
It controls us, tells us where to be
Don't know, don't care
If you need me, I'll be right here

yup, there you go. i'll be back. perhaps tomorrow evening. pay day tomorrow. always a beautiful day. if it doesn't rain it will be even better. nearly 70 and somewhat sunny? the best days ever for the outside world are spelled using those ingredients.

yes, that was a bit of a mixed metaphor. no, i won't correct it.

goodnight.

a message to anyone in delaware (or surrounding nearby areas) looking for employment:

if you like to be outside, working in a fun (although fast paced in the spring) environment, and don't mind working in retail, you should get in touch with me. we're looking to hire people at richardson's for just about every position you can imagine: cashier or manual labour. labour includes things like watering plants, loading mulch/dirt into customer cars, plant maintenance (pinching flowers, cutting things back), and unloading shipments, along with whatever i might have you do as far as displays go.

hours are usually fairly flexible - we don't mind part time workers either - and while you won't be making huge heaps of money, it's pretty good pay compared to other places (plus the chance for tips if you're loading cars).

the store is located in hockessin, so you need to have your own transportation, because i can't be giving everyone rides. no knowledge about plants/flowers is necessary - you don't even have to like them.

let me know.

dear livejournal friends page

i am sorry that we're all sad. or perhaps we're all SAD. you see what i'm getting at, don't you?

well, actually i think that there's more going on than just a lack of sunlight or chemical imbalances. i think we're the generation that shows society wearing down at the edges. breaking apart at the seams. of all the symptoms i could list to show just how bad our way of life is - our constant consumption, our disregard for anyone but ourselves, our hyper-violent lifestyles, and on, and on, and on - i think the way we're all feeling now is probably the symptom you could best understand. there is something deeply unsatisfying about this existence - perhaps a lack of a spiritual existence. i don't mean that we should all run out to church and pray - though if that does it for you then please, keep doing that - but we all need to find our own outlets.

and we need to change the way we live our lives.

well, maybe i'm just speaking for myself, but maybe not. i know that there are plenty of people out there feeling lost, hopeless, stuck, confused, overwhelmed, directionless. and so on. unfulfilled. unsatisfied.

take 33 minutes of your time and watch this interview with gregg braden, the author of several books, notably the god code, the isaiah effect, and the divine matrix. perhaps it could be the inspiration some of us desperately need, or at least something to keep us going, or a reason to believe in humanity again.

cause let's face it: this sucks.

it's my birthday. and livejournal is pink. fuck valentine's day. it's MY birthday. i don't give a shit about some stupid "holiday" where everyone is all nice and lovey dovey with their "sweetheart" (or, whatever) and all the gifts seem to be along the lines of diamonds... or chocolate... or flowers...

or dinner.

my favourite valentine's day gift so far was a toy car. my first girlfriend gave it to me. since then i haven't celebrated valentine's day. i don't see the point. it's ALL EYES ON ME day.

obviously.

so, i'm 22, the first birthday that marks the rest of the useless birthdays. unless you count 30, 40, 50... and so on. but why? nothing new is gained from these birthdays... except another year, another step closer to senility.

i have to go, the pink is really bothering me. it should be blue, dammit. one last thing before i do disappear:



find 2.5 hours of your time to watch this movie. even scarier than america: freedom to facism. and if you ever can, find/buy/rent the movie bringing down a dictator for a little bit of good news. it's a documentary about how serbian citizens succesfully used nonviolence to bring down a dictator (milosevic). further proof that bombs aren't always the way to go.

more information for you to digest. don't bother moaning, i've stuck my fingers in my ears and am chanting "I CAN'T HEAR YOU" very loudly.

yes, i've taken a page out of georgie porgie's book.

first of all, i'd like to direct you to the main page of the centre for research on globalization. take a quick scan of the titles of the articles, essays, and research papers listed on the front. count how many times the words "iran" or "nuclear strike" occur. ask yourself why you still care about things like american idol. shake your head repeatedly and read the titles again. you weren't imagining it before.

if any of you act surprised at all when "iran attacks america" then i will hunt you down and... read you a lot of books.

so while we're on that subject, i made a prediction ... er about a year ago? ... that george & co. would stage another terrorist attack, probably using a dirty bomb of some kind (this being before i heard information that stated that a thermonuclear device was likely used to weaken the supports of the twin towers - see the video posted in an earlier blog), and that would be mysteriously linked to iranian forces, or iranian backed terrorists. this attack would be used as a pretext to extend george's term in office and would lead to the bombing of iran.

even i thought i was being a little overly paranoid then.

of course, since that point, i've discovered that legislation is currently floating around the House and Senate that will take back the amendment that limits presidents to two terms. i figured when the democrats made it into the majority this would probably spell doom for such an amendment. as the democrats seem to be acting rather spinelessly - and complicitly, as we should have expected of them - i'm not so sure that this is bad news for this legislation anymore.

and now i've uncovered a few reports that, well, the titles speak for themselves:

published august 10, 2006: the pentagon's second 911 a few quotes ought to sum this article up nicely:

"In the month following last year's 7/7 London bombings, Vice President Dick Cheney is reported to have instructed USSTRATCOM to draw up a contingency plan 'to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States'."

...

"'The plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons. Within Iran there are more than 450 major strategic targets, including numerous suspected nuclear-weapons-program development sites. Many of the targets are hardened or are deep underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence the nuclear option. As in the case of Iraq, the response is not conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism directed against the United States. Several senior Air Force officers involved in the planning are reportedly appalled at the implications of what they are doing—that Iran is being set up for an unprovoked nuclear attack—but no one is prepared to damage his career by posing any objections. (Philip Giraldi, Attack on Iran: Pre-emptive Nuclear War , The American Conservative, 2 August 2005)'"

there is more, of course, but i figure if you're not interested by now you probably never will be, and i invite you to go camp outside of your local recruitment office and tell them that you've decided you don't want to wait for the draft, you'd like to help out the america's gene pool now by lining up on the iranian border.

yes, i am feeling a bit touchy today. pms?

another article along this line of thought, published january 21, 2007: looking for a gulf of tonkin-like incident since i know so many of you attended public schools in the same district as me, i'm aware that you probably never made it as far as the vietnam war in your u.s. history classes. if you did, i'm sure you never really got the whole story behind the gulf of tonkin incident. well, i'm not going to give it to you. you're all smart people, go look it up for yourself. the gist of it all is that an american navy vessel was reported to have been sunk in the gulf of tonkin by communist/vietnamese forces, and this was used as a pretext to go to war. later it was shown that such a sinking never happened. the whole thing was fabricated so that the american public would blindly support their government as they participated in the murder of innocent civilians - and a few communists along the way.

the article opens with a quote from our favourite president: "I fully understand that they [the Congress] could try to stop me from doing it. But I’ve made my decision. And we’re going forward." President George W. Bush, (in an interview broadcast on CBS 60 Minutes, Jan. 14, 2007)"

you can read the rest yourself.

one more on iran, published january 16, 2007: iranian mp: us spy plane shot down by iran the title says it all, and the article is very brief and to the point. no speculation here. my question: how come this wasn't headlining on yahoo! news ... or any other major news organization?

the 'bush doctrine' and weapons in space here's an article that throws the united states' condemnation of china for launching it's anti-satellite missle right in their [us] faces. it discuesses briefly the signs that bush & co. are 100% for the weaponization of space - on american terms - despite their statements to the contrary. it also goes into some of the history throughout other administrations regarding the militarization of space - against treaties signed in the 1960s. the article opens with a quote i like, even if it's not directly related:

"'The dangerous patriot: The one who drifts into chauvinism and exhibits blind enthusiasm for military actions. He is a defender of militarism and its ideals of war and glory. Chauvinism is a proud and bellicose form of patriotism . . . which identifies numerous enemies who can only be dealt with through military power and which equates the national honor with military victory.' James A. Donovan, Colonel, US Marine Corps"

the world can't wait, won't wait, isn't waiting a speech that fans of cynthia mckinney will enjoy, documenting the sucesses of civilian movements worldwide against the flows of control and empire. check it out, will ya?

finally, the piece d'resistance: profits uber alles! a piece of history you probably never got, no matter what school you went to. some of you likely know that american corporations - like ford and gm - invested heavily in germany under the nazi party... well i hope some of you knew that. if not then this will probably come as a shock to you. this very informative, albeit long and full of large-ish words, article spells out these corporations involvement/love affair with hitler, the nazis, and facism in general. a few facts to draw you in:

"In the early 1920s, Henry Ford cranked out a vehemently anti-Semitic book, The International Jew, which was translated into many languages; Hitler read the German version and acknowledged later that it provided him with inspiration and encouragement."

"[Irenee] Du Pont provided generous financial support to America's own fascist organizations, such as the infamous "Black Legion," and was even involved in plans for a fascist coup d'état in Washington."

"Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and wartime armament minister, stated after the war that without certain kinds of synthetic fuel made available by American firms, Hitler 'would never have considered invading Poland.'"

"The German subsidiary of GM, however, did have an insatiable appetite for other types of forced labour, such as POWs. Typical of the use of slave labour in the Opel factories, particularly when it involved Russians, writes historian Anita Kugler, were 'maximum exploitation, the worst possible treatment, and...capital punishment even in the case of minor offences.'"

i strongly encourage you to read the remainder of the article, and you will if you're interested in just how capitalism and facism walk hand in hand. or if i were georgie i'd just threaten you with a nuke. but i'm not and i recognize that i can't force anyone to do anything. but trust me, if you will, and set aside some time for this piece. if you read fast like i do, you should be able to get through this in half an hour or so, assuming you're not interrupted constantly. otherwise break it into pieces and revist it every day or so, if you can't read that fast or get distracted easily. take notes. you probably won't need to, but my brain seems to hold onto information better than others.

all for now. i'm going to watch some more movies soon, i'll probably be recommending them to you along the way.

just a short little update today. more things for you to ignore.

u.s. military: iraqi lawmaker is u.s. embassy bomber the war on terrorism is going so well that a known terrorist managed to get elected to the iraqi government in u.s. backed elections. he is now immune from prosecution. please notice the iranian propoganda in this cnn story, although i like the current iraqi prime minister's "both of you get the fuck out" quote at the bottom. ok, so it's more like a "go fight your battles on your own ground" quote, but it could be read either way.

militant leader warns: 'we will destroy lives' back to an area of the world i haven't visited in a while - nigeria! another example of how hoarding oil wealth/exporting oil wealth is bound to piss off the natives after a while. perhaps this is why the u.s. is implementing an "africa command" (like centcom or paccom) - their "strategic interests" could very likely be the oil production that has been significantly slowed since these rebels have begun their campaign. the article clearly demonstrates that the nigerian army is no match for this rebel army, and even though they've released most of their hostages unharmed, it seems as though their patience is wearing thin. perhaps i'll try to find a different article ... i'm not so fond of the tone in this cnn article.

italy homicide charge for u.s. soldier add this together with the arrest warrants issued for cia operatives by germany for the illegal "rendition" flights, and things aren't looking so hot for america's foreign reputation. and you didn't think it could get any worse. personally, i'm glad that italy has acted on this, as i couldn't help but feel miserably awful for those italians involved - first the journalist being kidnapped by insurgents, then rescued by italian forces, then shot the hell up by american forces on the way home, after no warning was given. at least justice is alive somewhere else.

bush budget delivers the bacon over $700 billion dollars to the defense budget (NOT including funds requested for the iraq/afghanistan wars) for fiscal year 2008. the article rightly says:

"The enormous imbalance in U.S. military spending is not about defense but rather profit."

but i can't help but wonder if perhaps this huge increase in defense spending is necessary to counter the huge decrease in world opinion as far as the united states is concerned. no respect = no influence. so... bring out the big guns?

in a somewhat related tangent, check out these two highly informative videos put together by ben cohen, of ben & jerry's ice cream (these were created a few years back, so they're not exactly up to date. hence the defense budget being only $400 billion - just add a few more cookies... and a few more bbs):

the defense budget compared to other budgets, shown with oreo cookies.
america's nuclear arsenal, demonstrated with bbs.

a budget for permanent war another short little artice on the budget. here's my favourite part:

"Just pause and consider the size of that number. Three-quarters of a trillion dollars and Osama bin Laden is still at large, the Taliban are regrouping in Afghanistan and the US military is stuck in a civil war in Iraq.

"'We have the largest Pentagon budget since World War II, but we are losing to an opponent in Iraq that spends less over an entire year than what we spend in one day,' says Winslow Wheeler, a longtime defense expert at the Center for Defense Information."

i think that sums it all up.

ny dem to condi: lesbian platoons of terrorists?! just for laughs now:

"For some reason, the military seems more afraid of gay people than they are against terrorists, but they're very brave with the terrorists. ... If the terrorists ever got a hold of this information, they'd get a platoon of lesbians to chase us out of Baghdad."

this is a comment on the issue of the military's firing of 300 or so arabic and farsi translators because they're gay.

oh giggles.

the rise of christian facism and its threat to democracy now for something less funny. chris hedges recounts the predictions and lessons taught by one of his former professors, a man who escaped germany in 1936 after being interrorgated by the gestapo for his involvement with an anti-nazi church. let's please note that neither i, nor this article are accusing christians as a whole of being facists, or having facist tendancies, or not giving three shits about humanity... just select growing groups of christian fundamentalists. i find this article important, largely because of this quote: "Bush will, I suspect, turn out to be no more than a weak transition figure, our version of Otto von Bismarck ...." of course, the idea of bush as a "weak transition figure" scares the crap out of me. there's something worse? oh yes, much, much worse.

now for the 9/11 conspiracy theorists among us, a few things that ought to interest you:
9/11 Eyewitness Hoboken Highlights 1 Hour TV Special - a documentary that aired in LA that uses simple science to debunk the official explanations and excuses given for the collapse of the trade towers. the most disturbing part: the fact that a nuclear device was likely used to weaken the bases of the towers (and yes, this is backed up with evidence within the video). those of you who are less inclined to believe that the government had anything to do with the suspicious collapses will appreciate the fact that this video does not point any fingers - although it does accuse the government of lying and manipulation.

[view video at google, or watch it here]



ground zero emt: we were told building 7 was to be "pulled" a nice little companion article for the above movie, as the movie mentions a few things that are brought up in this article, namely silverstein's admission that they agreed to pull the building. this was, of course, later retracted, and the pbs documentary that it was recorded for either was never aired, or only aired once and then disappared (i can't remember but i think that it was stated in the above linked documentary). the article is about a letter sent to the producer of Loose Change from an EMT from new jersey who was present at the towers, fired for questioning the official explanation, who asserts very emphatically that there were indeed multiple explosions at the tower, molten steel, and other signs of a controlled demolition. the letter is linked to within the article.

the powers that be (me) have decided that it is highly important for you to take 2 hours to watch the following movie (america: freedom to facism). quite possibly one of the most frightening (and yet informative) movies i have seen to date. here's a hook line to draw you in: one of the points this movie establishes early on is that the income tax is in fact unconstitutional and that there is no law that requires you to pay it. how's that for some nice tax season relevant information? so... WATCH IT OR I WILL EAT YOUR SPLEEN (or something else important).

a few more links to share with you re: january 27 march on washington

electronic iraq article 1
electronic iraq article 2
cs monitor pre march article
democracy now article 1
democracy now article 2
alternet video blog
alternet article
washington post article, video, photos (you may need to register to read this)
youtube video search results

in the process of uploading my pictures now. links to come.

also, i have devised a nonviolent solution to the war in iraq. i'll be sharing that shortly. and no, i haven't forgotten that i need to elaborate on the articles i posted in my drunk entry.

a list of articles and videos i've found so far about the march. my own photos/videos/report will follow after i get my school work out of the way (it's winter session crunch time baby).

reports
bbc story
cbc story
common dreams story
guardian (uk) story
independent (uk) story
truth out story
the nation blog
the nation story
new york times story [if you do not want to register as a user, feel free to use my info: eboal/soccer]
msnbc story
cnn story
ap story 1
ap story 2
afp story 1
afp story 2
afp story 3
reuters story

radio
npr report (must download file)

video
politics tv video
abc video
cnn video (this one seems to be iffy on loading. if it loads the player but no video, click on more video and scroll down to find it... if it doesn't load at all, i suggest going to the cnn section of yahoo! news
ap video 1
ap video 2
salt lake city cbs video [dc protest]
austin cbs video [dc protest]
san francisco cbs video [san francisco protest]
los angeles cbs video [los angeles protest]
new york cbs video [dc protest]
miami cbs video [dc protest]

please note some of the cbs videos might be similar to each other, i haven't had time to sit down and watch all of them all the way through. but i did catch the beginning of each one and most seem to be pretty unique. i'll probably also be posting more links to news on this event, as many of the news sites i visit don't update over weekends. in case you wanted to know.